Chapter 21
By shadows/of/flame
Nirvana Renegade Seiga - How Jak got the bandages? I never really thought of that. Ashelin probably got them from the lab where the green eco was.
She couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
Torn hissed in pain as the knife penetrated his skin, as a grin spread across Vegers face and he laughed.
That would most definitely leave a mark in the morning.
He could faintly hear someone scream, and Veger cackling with utter delight.
The bald headed man laughed and laughed, throwing the utterly warped knife to the ground as he stepped back, waiting for Torn to weaken, and falter.
"Any last words, eco freak?" Veger hissed.
The demon looked at Veger, then the knife, and finally to the wound, ignoring the purple-tinted blood that was dribbling out of it.
He smiled weakly.
And then started licking it clean.
Vegers eyes widened in shock and disgust as Torn began his "self-cleaning-healing" lick, but Keira couldn't be more pleased.
"That... is disgusting!" Veger howled, retrieving the warped blade just as the eco tortured being regained his feet and grinned evilly.
"You don't seriously think I could die that easily, did you?" he grinned again, his long fangs glistening unwelcomingly and sending shivers down Vegers spine.
"Argh! You should be dead!" Veger hissed, stepping back again.
Torn smirked, and licked the laceration on his arm clean as well.
Veger wondered what he had left to kill Torn with, and grinned.
Green eco.
If any of that got into Torns system.
The dark would combat the green, causing it to mutate.
He would die.
"See what this is?" Veger cackled as he held up, coincidentally, the only canister of green eco left.
The dark demon paled - was Veger smarter than he looked?
Even that small canister would be enough to kill him.
"Green eco!" Keira gasped, drawing Veger and Torns attention to the fact that she was there.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the demons little princess. And how are you today? Come to rescue your prince CHARMING?" Veger sneered, his lips curling.
Keira stumbled to her feet, glaring at Veger. Tess bared her teeth in a sneer of her own, but Veger just shook his head with a smirk.
"Whatever you do now, you cannot even dream of saving him. For if I have the powers of green eco, and if I... accidentally touch Torn with some... he'll die."
Keira wished for a miracle. A brainwave. Something. Anything that could help Torn.
But nothing came to her.
As Torn lashed out at him, Veger couldn't help but wonder what he was going to do to get rid of the fiesty mechanic and her more than loyal pet rat.
Torn wouldn't let anything happen to Keira, and she was sure as hell not going to let anything happen to him in return.
Vegers gaze lingered on Keira for a moment, and that was enough for the demon to leap forwards and pin Veger to the ground triumphantly.
Vegers eyes widened as the demon grinned wryly, but wearily.
"This has gone on long enough Veger." he coughed, pinning Vegers arms to his sides, and Veger wondered if he was going to die.
"You've taken too much away from me for me to count - friends, possessions, and worst of all, it was partly your fault that my parents are dead. Don't think I feel any mercy for you."
"I wouldn't beg for mercy from a demented freak like you!" Veger hissed, and the words rang in Torns ears.
Demented freak. The very thing his father had called him all those years ago.
Memories Torn had wanted to keep hidden for a long time resurfaced, and he could barely keep himself from shedding a tear.
A tear that wouldn't be shed; not now.
"Shut up, you asshole." Torn growled.
He imagined that Veger was his father - they had the same sneer, the same haunting eyes, though not the same in colour.
And they shared the same hate for Torn.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now." Torn growled, licking his lips and making Veger gulp in fear.
He raised his head as best he could, and said stubbornly "I don't have any excuses."
Which left Torn no excuses why not to slit his throat.
So he did just that, ripping Vegers throat apart with no hesitation whatsoever.
Keira shakily crawled to Torn, making sure he was alright.
The horns slowly receded, the claws vanishing to be replaced by smooth fingers.
Torn flopped forward into Keiras arms, exhaustion running him down.
He was stronger when he transformed into the demon inside him, but his thin body couldn't take much of the pressure because of the weight difference.
"Its OK now Torn, everythings alright." Keira whispered, stroking his hair, and wondering how the hell they were going to get out of there if all the guards weren't dead.
She'd have to take a risk.
0o0o0
Jak groaned as yet another wave of guards ran down the hallway towards them, guns raised and bullets ready.
"Aww damn! I seriously hope there aren't many more of these!" Ashelin swore as she fought off several guards at once.
Daxter was lying in a crumpled heap by her feet, unconcious after a grenade had landed too close to him.
Jak just hoped he was OK, but right now the renegade was focusing on making sure that the guards didn't kill them all.
The ottsels tail, Ashelin noticed, was lying at a rather odd angle, and the amount of blood around him made Ashelin pray to the Precursors, or whoever was listening, that he would be alright.
More and more guards streamed through the door way, and Jak wondered if this nightmare would ever end.
The wound in his chest was killing him, the pain was almost unbearable.
Torns dark eco licking had helped him stem the flow of blood, but it hadn't sealed the wound, and if the fighting was this rough through and through, it would undoubtedly start to bleed again.
Dark Jak was not at his command at present either, having run out of dark eco, so the renegade would have to rely on brute strength and luck to overcome them.
Ashelin shot a guard with incredible accuracy, making it fall to the floor in a slump.
As Jak and her finished off the last of them, Jak looked around, wondering when the next lot were coming.
They weren't.
"T... Is that all of them?" Ashelin asked, lowering her gun and looking around herself.
As soon as the blond was certain that there wouldn't be any interruptions for a while, he ran over and cradled Daxter in his arms, wincing as warm, wet blood stained his tunic.
"Dax..." he whispered hollowly, hoping that Daxter wasn't too badly hurt.
Ashelins face creased up as a look of sorrow crossed her face, and she placed a hand on Jaks shoulder, pulling him.
"Come on. Daxter will be fine - I'm sorry about what happened to him, but... It can't be helped. We need to find out if Vegers dead or not."
Jak squeezed Ashelins hand, agreeing with the red head.
"... we need to find out if Keira, Tess and Torn are OK."
Ashelin gently untied the scarf from around Jaks neck, swaddling Daxter gently in the rough cloth, and settling him back down in Jaks arms.
If they didn't hurry up, find Torn, Keira and Tess and get the hell out of there, Daxter could easily die.
And neither of them, especially Jak, wanted that to happen.