Chapter 17
By shadows/of/flame
"Keira!"
The mechanic in question shot up in bed, looking around for who said her name.
As the bitter silence ensued, she thought she had just been dreaming.
But she thought it sounded like Ashelin, and Ashelin was with Jak, and the couple were out finding Torn...
After a few moments quick thinking, Keira carefully took the IV out of her arm, and got dressed quickly, stretching to revive her lazy limbs from having been lying in bed for so long.
Another scream echoed through the air, and Keira knew she had to hurry up and get to the Palace ruins.
'But... my guns ruined!' she thought frantically, remembering Jak casting the shards of the Dragon Fang into the fire a few days ago.
As she wrapped Torns cinnamon scented scarf around her neck, she wondered if Jak or Ashelin had left any of their spare guns behind.
There! A sliver of light reflected off Ashelins spare pistol, and Keira grabbed it without hesitation.
She knew she would have to sneak out of the hospital, but her plans for getting out quietly were ruined when a huge foot broke through the roof and landed where she had been standing only moments ago.
"HOLY SHIT!" Keira screamed, panicking.
She almost lost her head as the foot retracted, ready to stomp her to death, but she ran straight around the hole the foot had made and out the door to the ward.
Never mind getting out quietly - everyone was in a major panic, metal heads everywhere.
"Whats happening? I thought all the Metal Heads were killed!" Keira exclaimed, stopping and asking a nearby nurse what was happening.The nurse was helping an elderly woman to safety, and answered in plenty, despite what was happening.
"We thought they were all dead too. But unfortunately sensors don't pick up everything, so some must have hidden in the Wastelands and bred - well, now they're here again!"
Keira swore under her breath as a rather ugly metal head ran down the corridor towards them.
She knew she had limited bullets, and shot it right between the eyes, trying to disarm it.
As it reared its head back, she shot it in the stomach, and it fell to the floor in a bloody heap.
"Get yourself out of here! This place is bound to collapse any minute now!" the nurse yelled frantically.
Keira thought herself incredibly selfish, but nodded slowly, and ran off, leaving the two far behind.
She raced through all the hallways and corridors of the hospital, eventually finding the exit and some more bullets.
Debry fell all around her, and a stone gashed her cheek, blood trickling down her cheek not seeming to affect her.
Get the bullets, or get the hell out of there safely?
She took the dangerous option - she grabbed the bullets, and screamed as a huge chunk of concrete fell almost on top of her.
She would have to hurry.
Keira clambered on top of the huge chunk, maneouvering her way up onto the roof.
From there, she had a better vantage point of falling debris, and was able to safely make her way to the ground.
But as she lost her sense of direction, which way was the Palace?
She panicked, sliding her goggles over her eyes and Torns scarf over her mouth and nose as a wave of eco fumes surrounded her.
Keira ended up staggering which ever way seemed most familiar, and as luck had it a few minutes later stumbled across a familiar path.
Mars Tomb was to her right.
Dead bodies were everywhere, and Keira tried not to gag at the blood everywhere.
Gag? Since when was she afraid of blood?
"Whats happening?" she mumbled, her head reeling.
"Thought you could make me an ottsel and throw me away hmmm? Well thats where you're wrong! Don't worry, daughter of Samos, all the ones you love will slowly die in front of you, and the first to go was your precious Torn. "Ah, how sad, the lovestruck heroes always die first; ah well, it was a pleasure to kill him."
"Veger!" she gasped, recognising the formal voice as the bald-headed mans.
"You finally guessed that it was I that was trying to kill you all those times? Silly girl; I thought you were smarter than that."
Keiras eyes narrowed as she walked slowly towards the Palace ruins, her injuries holding her back.
"Why did you kill Torn! Why do you want us dead!"
The voice chuckled, her fury for this... man driving her on, making her keep listening without killing someone.
"The one thing that mechanics can never grasp is power. Your dear Torn has it; Ashelin has it; Jak has it. Damas had it, so I killed him. I tried to kill Jak, but failed. My assassins failed to kill Ashelin, and by toppling the Palace with you in it, it should have been a foolproof death."
"Well you managed to kill Torn, but I'm still here." Keira growled, and the sight that met her eyes was burned there forever.
Blood. Lots of blood.
And Dark Jak pinning a weary, bloody Torn to the ground.
"What are you doing?" Keira screamed.
Ashelin pulled Dark Jak off Torn, and cradled the former in her arms.
For Keira, time was at a standstill.
She raced forward, holding Torn in her arms, praying that he was alive.
"Hey... thats my scarf you're wearing."
Keira gazed down at the bemused ex-KG commander, who was weakly smiling at her.
"... Are you OK?" she asked, helping him sit up.
Torn slowly nodded, his neck stiff from not moving it much.
"Jak healed me; I think I attacked him though. Check if hes OK."
"Is Jak alright?" Keira called to Ashelin, hoping that her ex was ok.
Ashelin looked Jak and nodded, returning to his normal colour immediately.
"Torn..." Jak croaked.
Torn crawled over to Jak, and the two men hugged each other tightly.
The girls smiled softly.
"I... I'm sorry that I took Ashelin without asking if you two were together or not." Jak croaked.
Torn hugged back, patting Jak on the back.
"Its fine. We both know we're happier now than we could have ever been before, and thats what matters, right?"
Jak nodded, but as he did, a strange voice echoed through the air.
"Awwww, how cute and adorable. You seem to forgive and forget far too easily Jak."
Jak recognised that voice immediately.
"You seem upset, did I tell you too late? How delightful."
"VEGER!"