Caden was slowly reverting back to normal. The purple hue, nails, and even her fangs were fading away. She had gotten what she needed, but heard Sig complain about some jewelry.
'Is that what Kix wanted? This jewelry?' Caden thought to herself. Then realization crept up her spine. She quickly looked around, seeing where she was, who was with her and…
"Oh god…" Caden breathed, reliving what she had done, "Jak?" She asked hesitantly, "Are you alright?" Embarrassment was evident on her face.
"Don't worry. That the closet Jak has had a girl to him." Daxter joked. Sig coughed up a laugh and patted Daxter on the back. Jak had just rolled his eyes and knelt next to Caden. Before he answered, he remembered that sickening snap from earlier and looked down at her right hand.
"Caden, I'm fine. What about you?" Jak asked, carefully watching her. Caden had finally really looked up at Jak. She was obviously disoriented, but looked around. What had she done to make him worry so much? Her eyes slowly fell on the rubble beside her. Jak watched as everything came together in the girl's mind and brought her hand up.
"Caden…" Daxter started to say, but stopped. Caden was just staring at her limp and swollen wrist. It dangled sickening lower than normal. The girl never made a noise, never seemed phased yet at what happened. Which worried the heroes.
She lifted her hand by her functional one, slowly bringing her hand to a straighten position. Obvious to the others in the room, she was trying to set the bones.
"Don't kid. Ya don't know how bad it is." Sig tried to reason.
"Listen to us kid. You must still be in shock." Daxter added. Caden looked up at each pair of eyes before looking back at her hand. Without a word, she pulled at her wrist, creating another sick crack. Caden had set the bones, but the nerves that were once pinched and numb were now free to make Caden aware of the pain.
Caden tried her best not to cry out from the newly found pain. Jak hugged her, hoping it would help. Gently rocking the girl, Jak didn't noticed Caden going limp in his arms. As Jak pulled her away from his body, her head lolled to one side.
"She'll be alright. Just must have passed out from the pain." Sig reassured Jak, "Let's go, she got what she wanted." Jak nodded and picked Caden up. Daxter leapt onto Jak's shoulder and without another word, the group quickly left the Temple. They all settled themselves in the Dune Hopper and Sig drove them home.
"I can't believe it. All that for some jewelry." Sig said again, "I guess until she can explain what they're used for, we'll have to hide them."
"Yeah, no telling what Kix could do." Daxter added, "Should we keep her here, at Spargus?"
"Might as well. It's the farthest from them." Jak said.
"Kleiver and I will make sure she doesn't leave the safety of the walls without one of us with her." Sig assured.
They were passing by the ruined city as Sig made his promise to Jak. Jak was still holding a shaking Caden all the while trying to keep her wrist steady. They had nothing to really wrap it with and all Jak could use was a scrap off of his shirt. The young hero looked up to see Daxter's smiling face. He was seated above the back of the chair, letting the wind go through his fur, which Jak couldn't help but laugh.
"Hang on!" Sig yelled, "Marauders dead ahead!"
Daxter jumped down and held onto Jak as the Dune Hopper leapt into the air after launching a bomb. The bomb destroyed a number of marauder cars and Sig raced as fast as he could to Spargus' doors.
As they entered, Damas and Kleiver were waiting. Behind them, sat Raghnall and Vaja bound and blindfolded. Damas' face lit up as the vehicle stopped.
"You have returned safely." Damas announced, "Sig, would you please take the outsiders and lose them?"
Sig nodded with a huge grin and helped Kleiver with their cargo into another vehicle and left again. Jak climbed out of the Dune Hopper as the as the others left.
"She found what she was looking for." Daxter said, motioning to the driver's seat. Damas walked over to the vehicle. There, he found the glass box containing the jewelry.
"How did she find this?" Damas asked, picking up the box which Jak and Daxter exchanged glances. Damas saw their uneasy looks and his eyes wandered to Caden's limp form. His gaze looked up and down the body in Jak's arms and saw her wrist. Jak quickly explained what happened from when the heroes arrived to when they left. Caden was in obvious pain and didn't look any better than before. Damas nodded and lead the way back.
Once again, silence fell upon Jak and whoever was around. Jak's thoughts went to Caden. She was like him and so much different. Jak was cruelly pumped with extreme amount of Dark Eco. Caden was pumped with some, but the cruel thing about her was the way the others used her.
And maybe it was because it was just jewelry they found. What was so great the Kix tormented this girl for? Jak knew that Caden would need help controlling her powers, whatever they would end up being. Jak knew all to well what the hatred could lead to with eco.
Jak was roughly pulled from his thoughts as the elevator jolted when it moved. Daxter patted Jak's shoulder, as if he knew what Jak felt. Jak could only smile at him and waited for the ride to stop.
"Pecker left and went back to Haven City. Onin needed him there." Damas announced as they left the lift. Jak nodded in understanding. He walked into the middle of Damas' throne room and laid Caden down. Damas found an old shirt and tore it up. The leader walked over to the unconscious girl and started to wrap her hand a little better.
"You said she already set the bone herself?" Damas asked. Daxter nodded as he sat himself near Caden's head.
"Yeah, but not sure how well." Jak added, behind Daxter. Damas nodded and gently picked up the girl's wrist and probed it. Getting a muffled cry from Caden, he nodded and started to wrap it.
"She did set it and correctly." The leader went and soaked a few strips of cloth into the cool waters. He then wrapped them around the injured wrist as well, "These should help with the swelling. What about those artifacts?" Damas said, indicating to where he left the glass box.
Jak shrugged, "Not even sure what it's used for." Daxter walked over to the glass box near Damas' chair and crawled on top to peer in.
"What's with all the markings?" Daxter asked.
"What markings?" Jak asked, really confused.
"These." Daxter pointed, "They're all over the jewelry."
Jak was really confused and walked over to Daxter. It was true. They were Precursor symbols, but Samos was the only one who could read them.
Caden's eyes opened without notice. Slowly opening and closing her heavy eyes, she looked around at her surroundings. She was back in Spargus, in Damas' throne room. Caden tried to sit up, but pain shot through her arm as she tried to sit up. The others had heard her silent cry and turned.
"Caden." Jak's half-reprimanded, half-concerned voice startled her, "You shouldn't be moving around." Jak walked over and helped her sit up, knowing she wouldn't lie back down.
"Do you know what they are?" Damas asked, pointing to the box.
"Yeah, and what are all the symbols?" Daxter added.
"We haven't tried to open the box. We just know that with Precursor artifacts we have…" Jak started.
"They're not Precursor stuff. Kix told us about them." Caden interrupted, "Long ago, a group of monks tried to control what was called the 'dead one'. Things of this world that were altered by dark eco; animals, plants, even people.
"Kix told me that he could also free those who the Baron altered and mutilated. I really was skeptical, but also hopeful. I learn that if something's to good to be true, it is."
"How do you use them? How can you control everything touched by dark eco?" Damas asked.
"By who wears it. Kix has no idea how to use them and nor do I. I can't even understand what is on them." Caden admitted.
"Old tree bark would know, but would it be safe to take this stuff over to Haven City?" Daxter retorted.
"Why not give this Samos a call and see what we can do." Damas said.
Elsewhere, in the old factor, Errol and Kix were planning. Errol was somewhat furious that they lost their 'weapon'. They had planned to control the girl with the artifacts and turn her lose upon Haven City.
"What are we to do now, Master." Kix asked, submitting to Errol. Behind him, sat his troop. They seemed near lifeless. As if they were dolls waiting to be played with.
"We need to get that box. Then I truly will be the ruler of this world." Errol cried, "Don't think I've forgotten your hard work." He added, turning to Kix, "You're loyalty means much to me. Take your toys and go find that box. It is still at that Temple out in the dessert." Errol waved his hand away. Kix nodded and started to leave before Errol's robotic hand fell on his shoulder.
"But before you go. Why not 'recruit' some more citizens. We'll need more to train and hunt. Especially if you will be off treasure hunting."
Kix nodded again and walked past his troops and they slowly rose to their feet to leave with him. Behind Errol, a pair of deep purple eyes opened.
"Don't worry. You will have your fill of this world. Once I am able to have my fun." Errol said maniacally.
"Be sure you do. Or it will be your I feast on." The eyes warned and closed. Errol sent more KG robots out to stir up the city.
Kix and his troop found themselves near the old tomb of Mar. An evil smile played across his lips. Gunfire and explosion were all around him.
"Go, take prisoners for Errol!" Kix yelled and the five of them raced off. With their enhancements by the robotic implants, the Underground's resistance and the citizens fell quickly. After an hour, Kix and his troops had each brought three more, equaling fifteen prisoners. This pleased Errol greatly and his evil aura rained across every person.
A crane swooped down and picked up a female citizen. Her screams only pleased Errol more, knowing she had a strong spirit. Chains snapped and snaked out and held and pulled the woman tight.
A bang was heard as a laser gun started up and moved. Increasing the fear and the sound of her screams as the laser aimed right at her. The laser powered up and shot a steam of dark eco into the woman's left leg and arm. The eco dripped from the now opened wounds and her limbs slowly turned blue. The chains retracted and the crane moved the woman again. She was placed into another holding cell. The robots cut off her now useless limbs and replaced them with robotic parts. They also placed a small panel in the base of her neck.
Once they were done, the woman sat up and left the holding cell, joining Kix and the other troops. The process started over again with the crane taking another victim. His screams and torment unheard by anyone except the crying figures in the cell.
Samos and Torn were both at a lost. Kix was taking citizens and they were losing the fights against both the Metal Heads and the KG robots. Torn explained to Ashelin about the kid and what happened. She, along with the others, were in disgust at how Errol could be such ways.
"Yeah, I have no idea where they are now. They said the kid, Caden, ran off into the dessert." Torn said to the hologram image of Ashelin's head.
"Hopefully they return soon. We need help back in Haven City." Samos' voice was heard. Torn nodded and reassured them that the moment he knew where Jak was, he would send him back to the main HQ.
Torn was exhausted. Trying to fight the 'never-ending war' and losing wasn't helping any. What advantage did Errol and Kix have that was defeating them so badly? They had to infiltrate the factory and shut Errol down. Then his comm. went off. It was Jak.
"'Bout time! We are getting are asses kicked. We need you back here pronto." Torn said.
"Yeah, I know. We need to get to Samos. We might have something that will stop Errol and Kix." Jak said. Torn nodded, that is the break they needed.
"Get back here, fast. The enemy has turned it up a notch and we could use our leverage back."