Two Sides to Everything
Disclaimer: Jak characters no belongie to me. Colle and Zack mine.
Sushi: Okay, the original version of this chapter was horrible. Not really what happened but how it was written. I hated it. It took me three days to fix everything! I hope you like the end result.
Chapter 17: Battle Plans
Small rocks fell to the ground as Jak moved silently through the old building. He had made his way back after the storm had broken. The hour was late and there wasn't much to be said of life through the hallways. Jak searched until he heard a continuous scream in the distance. He knew that voice! The warrior dashed to the large room where the sound had come. He saw to his horror Colle strapped to some device with waves of electricity passing over her. It was like what he had gone through when he had first arrived in Haven City. He knew she was in pain.
Jak made sure no one was around before entering the room. It was clear. He ran to the computer of what he was sure would stop the torture. Not knowing how to turn the machine off, he hit the computer repeatedly until the power ended. Colle was released and fell to the ground unconscious. Jak ran over to the fallen girl and lifted her into his arms. He was awestruck at what he saw. Two stripes traveled down her face over her eyes and stopped at her cheeks. Two stripes also covered each ear. Something had happened to her. The markings were similar to those of the Krimson Guards'.
He made sure she was comfortable before he set out for the exit. He was about to step foot out the old broken door when he was stopped.
"I would put her back if I were you, warrior." A rosruc stepped through the shadows. He was at least a head taller than an Jak had seen before. The scalely ottsel came up passed Jak's waist. Fangs protruded from the creature's mouth even while he was silent. Crimson eyes bore into Jak like red hot pokers just taken from the flame.
"That isn't going to happen." Jak had been hoping to get out without any trouble, just as he had gotten in. The elf had used most of his eco trying to save Colle earlier. He did have time to regain it now.
"Then I suppose you will just have to die, then won't you?" The rosrucerp leader stepped forward revealing two more rosrucs. They were almost as huge as him.
Gurotik was the first to change. Instead of being black with a green sheen of scales like the lower ranked rosrucs, the leader was a deep dark, blood red. His eyes changed to a rotting green. Saliva dripped from his open razor sharp mouth. The other two changed after him.
Jak backed away. He needed to protect Colle. He froze when he felt her begin to stir in his arms. Now was definitely not a good time for this.
"Jak?" The girl found herself no longer strapped to the strange device. Instead she was in the midst of a fight that had yet to begin. Three transformed rosrucerps blocked the only way out.
"It's okay, Colle. I've got this covered." He looked around for a place he could put Colle while he dealt with this problem. Only problem was there wasn't a single place for her to hid without him getting attacked in the process of getting her there.
"Jak...put me down..." She was very tired. Her body was exhausted and soar.
"What? Why?" He was confused, thinking maybe she didn't know what was really going on.
"Just do it. I can help..." Jak had placed her feet on the ground. Her legs were like jelly. She couldn't support herself. Grabbing onto Jak, she stood her ground facing the three rosrucs.
"You can't help. You're too injured." Jak loaded his peace maker. He knew it wouldn't do much but it would at least clear the way back to the surface.
"I know what I'm doing, just trust me, okay?" Energy had already gathered around her. The air was charged to where the hair on the back of Jak's neck had raised on end. Colle was using her powers.
"What do you think you're doing, girl?" Gurotik edged back an inch. He could feel something wasn't right. He was the one in danger now.
"Something you taught me." Colle stood against Jak only seconds longer. "That eco can be used in many different ways!" Her built up energy was released.
It forced the rosrucs into the wall behind them. That wasn't all it had done. The two weaker soldiers had been killed. It was like there had been spikes on the wall catching them. Holes were left where there was nothing but blood seeping out. The leader was stronger. He resisted most of Colle's attack. It had left him winded though.
Gurotik knew he was luck not to have taken more damage than what he did. He was going to have to leave or wind up like his soldiers. "I don't think you've realized what you've gotten yourself into, girl." He dashed away before anything else happened.
"Coward..." That was Colle's last word before she was unconscious again. She was caught by Jak before she landed on the broken ground. Jak took his opportunity to escape.
Emerging from the underground passageway, Colle stirred. "Jak..." She whispered. The girl didn't even open her eyes.
"It's okay. You're safe now. Just go back to sleep." He was glad to see that she was okay. Now he just wanted to get back to the city. Once there they could finally relax.
For two days Colle slept. Every once in a while she would say something. She had many dreams. Some peaceful others not so much. Jak listened to each of them. From what he gathered, it was over what could happen or what had happened. Even what had happened before Colle and Zack had even come to this world.
When Colle would talk about this Jeremy guy, Jak would get angry. All of Colle's dreams involving him were painful. She had even cried. Jak couldn't bare to see her that way. He found talking to her and letting her know he was there, helped to comfort her.
"Jak..." A soft whisper was heard on the dead of night. The moon entered the room through the open curtains. Green eyes opened for the first time in almost three days.
Jak had been about to dose off when he heard the voice. First he thought he had been hearing things but then knew he couldn't have. Colle was moving around under the sheets of her bed. He moved from his place at the table and was at the girl's side in seconds.
"Colle, are you awake?" Hoping the girl wasn't dreaming again.
"What's it look like?" She sat up and was over come by a wave of dizziness. She immediately closed her eyes clamping her hand to her head. "Whoa..."
"You okay?" Jak asked hurriedly with worry.
"Yeah...My head was just a little funny." Looks at Jak. She noticed how tired he looked. Like maybe he hadn't slept too well in the last couple of days. "Where am I?" She couldn't remember too much. Only that she was supposed to be reclaiming the Precursor Crystal.
"We're at the palace in Spargus. You've been out for nearly three days."
It all fit into place. Colle's powers had been fully awakened after she had been captured. Gurotik had revealed his plans to her thinking he would kill her later. Colle had spent her energy completely. She had slept for so long, though it hadn't left her feeling too well rested. While she had slept, Jak watched over her. That's why he looked so tired himself...
"Thanks." Colle hugged the elf strongly.
"For what?" Jak hugged back just as forceful. He had been so worried about her.
"For caring."
The two sat in each others arms minutes longer when Jak pulled away.
"Not to break the happy moment, but from what Zack told me about the ear thing...You might want to look in the mirror." He smiled.
Not wanting to have another surprise like when she first saw her ears, Colle quickly ran to the mirror. Her eyes widened. Two dark blue lines covered her face and each ear. "What happened?"
"I found you that way. At the rosrucerp base." Jak stood next to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder seemed to reassure her that this was nothing to worry about.
" I kind of like it. The leader, Gurotik, said he was forcing the power of the Crystal through me...That reminds me..." Colle left the topic of her new appearance behind. In fact, she didn't have much of a problem with how she looked. "Did you get the Precursor Crystal?"
Jak didn't answer. He looked away sheepishly.
"You didn't get it?" She asked in disbelief. "You have no idea what they plan on doing. If they have that crystal then all they need is me to open the eco silos all over the world."
"Eco silos? That sounds familiar..." Jak thought on his past missions.
"It should." Colle was disappointed. She was thankful Jak had saved her but normally he wouldn't have been so forgetful.
"Sorry. I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"It's okay I suppose. We'll get it back."
Jak's comm. unit went off while they ate breakfast hours later. It was Torn. He had been trying to find them all morning.
"Torn's been looking for us. There's going to be a meeting in a couple of hours that he wants us to attend. We should leave soon." Jak put the comm. unit in his pocket.
"You sure you're okay?"
"How many times do I have to say yes?" She had told him four times already. He worried too much...wait. That sounded way too familiar. It sounded a lot like her.
"I get it, I get it." Jak got his thing ready to go. "What do you think Torn has up his sleeve? He has been acting a little odd lately."
"Maybe he's come up with a way to get the crystal back." She took a side long glance at him.
"I said I was sorry!"
"I know, I know. It's fine, but really we need to get it back." Colle placed a hand on his shoulder as they walked out the door returning to Haven City to meet with Torn.
"Mora and I have devised a plan to get into the rosrucerp stronghold." Torn stood up so everyone could see him. "We know where they are. Now we need to know their weakness. We need to get the Precursor Crystal."
"I can help with that." Colle's voice brought all eyes to her. "They were experiments of the Precusors, right? They were created using eco..."
"...So if we want to defeat them...What destroys eco?" Torn thought aloud. No one answered the question.
Ashelin wasn't at the meeting. She had said that she had better things to do than to listen to something half thought out. She was right in one measure. The plans were only half thought out.
"Nothing unless you count blowing it up." Mora looked to Colle. She had heard of how some of the beasts had died. Being blown up from the inside out wasn't a very pleasant way to go, but it was effective.
"When I was captured, their leader was the one I spoke with. He told me they were trying to open all of the eco silos. If that happens then this world will be destroyed...and so will mine."
The room erupted into talk of the world coming to an end. The soldiers looked uneasily to their commander, Torn.
"Quiet down! Surely you can't be terrified of a group of rats. We only need to work together to solve this." Mora received many cold glares from her fellow soldiers. They didn't like being told off by a new recruit.
"She's right. As I said before, we have a plan to get through this." Torn was able to stop the remaining conversations.
"We will split in tofour groups. The leaders will be Jak, myself, Mora, and Ashelin." Objections were heard immediately. "Enough! You will follow my orders or leave." No one moved so he continued. "Okay, I've already split everyone into there groups. FTH-4 through FTH-8 will be under Jak' command. FTH-9 though TRH-3 will be with Mora, TRH-4through SRH-8goes withAshelin. Everyone else will be with me. You will receive your orders from your commanders before the start of the mission."
"Before this meeting is over, I need to ask for a volunteer. Take note that if you volunteer you will be in danger. I need someone who is strong enough and competent enough to not get killed for they will be going into the heart of the enemies base. They will bring the Crystal to us." Torn waited for something, anything.
"I-." Colle spoke before Jak interrupted her. No one had heard her. She looked to Jak thinking he was going to say it was too dangerous. He didn't.
"You can't do it." He whispered. "I'm going to need your help on this one."
"I'll do it." Mora stood up next to Torn. "Since there isn't anyone else here brave enough to do it."
"No."
"What? What do you mean 'no'?" Mora was surprised.
"That's exactly what I meant. You're not going."
"Why? Just because-?"
"We can talk about this later!" This was angrier than anyone had seen him get in a long while. "This meeting's over. If you want to volunteer, you know where to find me." Torn walked out of the room in a fury.
Jak and Colle looked at Mora. Her face was redder than the summer sunset. Something was going on between her and Torn. Something Torn wanted to be kept secret, at least for the moment. Mora left too without a word to anyone.
"That was just weird." Jak and Colle along with other soldiers just stared at one another.
Sushi: How's that ending for you? Looks like Mora and Torn are hiding something...wonder what it is... Don't forget to review please and see you in the next chapter (the final final one).
Summary for Chapter 18: The battle has begun. Mora is captured and retrieves the Precursor Crystal. Jak and Colle face off against Gurotik.He won'tgo down easy...The Rosrucerps and Metal Heads team up for the ultimate fight.More secrects are reveledas the story finally comes to a close!