Two Sides to Everything
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Jak trilogy of games, they belong to Naughty Dog. The only things I own are my original characters like Colle and Zack.
Chapter 2: Reality
"Zack!" Colle yelled up the stairs. She was getting ready to make dinner. Colle had just gotten back from work ten minutes ago and was exhausted, but she still had things she needed to do (homework, clean the house, cook dinner, and pay some bills). It was a lot of work for an eighteen year old to do.
"What? Is it time to eat?" Zack started to come down stairs. Zack was Colle's little brother, he was only seven.
"Not yet. I was wondering if you could clean a little while I cook and do some homework?" She didn't have to ask, he would have done it anyway, she just wanted to talk to him.
"Okay, but only if we play a game when your done." Zack may have been young, but he wasn't stupid. He could tell when something was bothering Colle. He knew what it was too. Zack knew how to make her forget about 'him'.
"Thanks, little bro. We can eat in about fifteen minutes." Colle returned to the kitchen when Zack went back upstairs.
Colle didn't feel much like cooking a real meal so she rummaged through the freezer to see what was left. 'Looks like I need to go shopping tomorrow. I'm glad it's Friday.' she said to herself when not finding much. She looked in the bottom drawer only to find her favorite food: lasagna. "Perfect."
Colle stuck the tray in the microwave for ten minutes. While that cooked, she opened her book bag and took out some books and paper. She still had some homework she needed to finish. She pulled back her semi-long brown hair and got to work.
As much as she loved her little brother, she wished she could have some time to herself so she could relax. She had been doing this parenting thing for almost a year now. Ever since their parents had died.
Colle worked on her math until the microwave buzzer went off. She fixed a plate for herself and Zack then headed upstairs.
"Time to eat, Zack." She said entering his room.
"Good. I've got the game ready, too." Zack took his plate and sat on the floor. He handed the game controller to Colle. He loved watching her kick metal head butt and the game was almost complete.
Colle turned on the PS2 console and sat next to Zack on the floor. While the game loaded she began to go over the days events.
Jeremy had come over again around 2:30 that afternoon. He had come with some complaints and 'helpful' suggestions about...Zack. He wanted her to 'get rid of the little brat' and give him to an orphanage or something. Like any other time Colle disagreed with him or 'disobeyed', she would always come out a little worse for wear. This time was different though, this time she hit him back. He didn't take it well.
Colle thought in some weird way, she owed Jeremy a small fraction, more like microscopic, of gratitude. If it wasn't for him, she would never have beaten the previous two Jak games. She also would have never spent this much time playing them with her little brother. She would be in a corner somewhere if it wasn't for Zack. He got her hooked on the games. She had never liked playing games before.
Every time she had a fight with Jeremy, killing a few metal heads would help her relieve her stress. If it wasn't for Zack she would have left a long time ago.
Jeremy had threatened to kill Zack if she even thought about leaving him. The kid had told on him too many times already. Colle knew that Jeremy was very capable of carrying out his threat.
"You're dieing, Colle." Zack poked her until she came back to reality.
"Wha-? Oh, crap!" Jak was getting kicked around like a soccer ball by the Dark Maker Ship's legs. When Colle took control again, she was able to destroyfour of the robot's legs. There were onlytwo left. After fifteen minutes of chasing, Colle destroyed the remaining legs. Now it was Errol's turn.
Colle, controlling Jak, climbed the ship's outer wall and up to challenge Errol.
"Watch out for his lasers. You have to beat him like that giant precursor robot frombefore." Zack had the strategy guide for the game in his hands. If Colle was having trouble, he would look it up. He never let her look. If she looked, she would spoil the ending and not want to play anymore, like in the first game. Zack made her finish it though or she wouldn't get the second game.
Colle was on a roll now. She jumped from pillar to pillar to get a decent shot at Cyber-Errol. She continued for another ten minutes until her last shot killed the robotic enemy.
"That's it! We beat it!" Colle jumped up in the air. "It's about time!" She grabbed her little brother. "How long do you think it took us?"
"Almost a year. Since you only play at night." He was happy too. "Hay, it's the final cinema scene."
The two of them sat down and became quiet. They watched all of it, even the credits. When the game was complete it was 12:30 in the morning.
"That was a great game. I hope they come out with the next one soon."
"I guess it's time for bed then, little bro."
"But I'm not tired. Can I stay up, pleeease?" He gave her his pouty lip and puppy dog eyes.
"Oh, alright. How about I go fix us some hot choc-." Colle stopped dead.
Standing in the doorway was a very drunk, very angry Jeremy. "So...did you...think I wouldn't...remember what...you did?" Jeremy pulled out a hand gun from his coat pocket.
Colle tried to move in front of Zack. 'He's gone insane! Does he think he can do whatever he wants!' Colle was scared to death. She knew she was going to be killed but that didn't scare half as much as the fact that after he shot her, he would go for Zack.
"It's all because of this little brat, isn't it?" Jeremy stuck Colle away from the boy and pulled the trigger.
A loud shot sounded throughout the house. Colle jumped up and at Jeremy. "Stop it! Stop it! He's just a kid!" She hit Jeremy away from her. She saw Zack laying on the floor. Blood covering the carpet. "Zack!" Tears started to come from her eyes.
Jeremy stood up ready to shoot again, this time at Colle. "You think you can get away with that!"
Colle didn't care what happened now. She just wanted to save her brother. She punched her boyfriend right in the nose and into the desk and mirror knocking him out cold.
She went to her brother. He was still alive. She had to get him out of here before Jeremy woke up. Because when he did nothing could get in his way.
Colle ran out the door and down the street carrying Zack hoping he would be okay. People were out walking since it was a city, but she didn't stop. She wanted to put as much distance between her and her house as possible.
She turned down a side street hoping it would lead to the next street. A heavy rain began to fall and thunder rolled across the sky.
Taking another turn, Colle ran into one of Jeremy's friends. They were all the same. They treated everyone the same: like they were lower than dirt.
Colle ran back the way she had come with that guy right behind her. He apparently knew what was going on. He followed her to the ally only to find that she had disappeared.
Colle heard footsteps run past her. She had jumped into an open dumpster when she ran into the ally. When she was sure no one was there, Colle poked her head out from under the garbage.
She dragged Zack's head up to the surface. She needed to get him some help. She noticed he was still holding the game guide for Jak 3. "Zack." She wantedhim to say something, anything. He was all she had left. There would be nothing left in this world for her without him. He had to live. He was going to.
Then below her, Colle saw something begin to glow. The garbage began to shift until a golden round glowing egg floated into the air. Colle thought she was hallucinating because of all the chaos going on. She reached out to touch it, then wished she hadn't. The glowing egg disappeared into the rainy night. The ground began to rush up toward Colle and Zack. Colle held Zack as close to her as was possible.
A brilliant, white, blinding light filled Colle's vision. It hurt her eyes so that she had to close them, but even then the light was still able to get through.
'What's happening!' Colle tightened her hold on her little brother. It was hard to breath. Colle thought they were going to die of suffocation. Colle began to feel light headed until the darkness of unconsciousness claimed her.