When I woke up, it was still a bit dark. I concluded that it was just before the crack of dawn. I don't really care much about what time it is, because I never had any reason to. I usually just started wrenching when I woke up, and stopped when I felt tired. I sat up and rubbed my eyes to help them adjust to the light, then examined my surroundings. Dawn was curled up beside me on the cot, my weapons, another cot and… what the…? Uncle Torn?
Yep. Uncle Torn. He was sleeping in the cot next to me, his hair spread over the pillow and… Dear lord, the man was drooling! Yeah. The creepy meter just went from about a 2 way up to around an 8. I shakily leaned forward.
"Torn…?" I whispered. Nothing. "Uncle Torn?" Still nothing. Then I did one of the stupidest things in my life. I reached out to touch him. Now, I realize that I've done some pretty stupid things in my lifetime. I know that stealing Kleiver's keys to go out joyriding in one of his vehicles was a stupid move, and trying to have a conversation with a metal head was a stupid move, but touching a man who carries around a sharp bowie knife everyday and spends every day of his current life waging war against the most powerful man in Haven city while he's sleeping is beyond a stupid move.
I quickly ducked as he jumped up and slashed at the air, just missing my face by an inch. I have no idea what came over me. I guess my common sense must've been off someplace else. He started to swing again, but stopped when he saw that it was just me.
"Jakie," he said quietly. I breathed a sigh of relief. That was too close for comfort. I sat up again.
"Sorry to wake you up…" I said, keeping my voice down since others were still asleep.
"It's fine. I wanted to talk to you, but I fell asleep while waiting," he explained. He wanted to talk to me? What about? This was definitely something to ponder on…
"Talk to me…?" I repeated, "About what?" He sat down on the cot in front of me.
"Jak told us," he said simply. Oh. I should have known it'd be about this…
"I know… I heard you guys talking last night…" I responded. There was an awkward moment of silence.
"He also showed us this," Torn continued, and then pulled out my family picture from his pocket, and turned it over. Uh oh… they'd read the list of names on the back. I'd written that down a while back so I'd never forget anyone in the family. I quickly scanned the list, even though I knew it by heart:
Dad/Jak
Me/Jakie
Daxter
Dawn
Red
Sunny
Tess
Uncle Torn
Aunt Ashelin
Sig
Gramps/Samos
Pecker (aka Featherbrain)
I could already tell what he wanted to know. He wanted to know what relation he had to me. But I'd stay quiet and let him ask first.
"What do I have to do with any of this?" he asked.
"Well, you're not really my uncle. It's just something I started calling you one day and it just stuck," I explained, "Same story with Ashelin and Samos." I saw the serious expression on his face soften a little. "But you were practically a relative. After all, you did help teach me how to fight."
"You're something else, kid. I'll give you that," he said smirking. I smirked back.
"Thanks."
"You can stay here as long as you want, on the condition that you make yourself useful," Torn stated, changing the subject completely. I inwardly smirked. Good ol' uncle Torn…
"Let me guess… you want my to join the fight for the city?" Torn gave me that same crooked smile and nodded. I chuckled.
"We need fighters like you and Jak. So what do you say?"
"Sounds good to me, Uncle Torn," I answered, trying to tease him a little. His face remained emotionless. Well, it was worth a shot. He eventually stood up and started towards to door, motioning for me to follow. I tilted my head a little, but then I followed him to his map-covered desk.
"Since your fighting for the Underground now, I've got a good mission for you," he explained. "The Baron sent some guards out to the pumping station to shut the water off again. I want you to go turn it back on and make sure it stays on." That's all? EASY!
"Alright then," I agreed, "I'll just grab my gun and-" he stopped me right there.
"One more thing, Jakie. I hope I'm not wasting this, but here's a damage upgrade for your weapon," he said, tossing me a gun mod. Sweet! Now I could do double the damage to the KG's! Oh, this was going to be fun… I smiled at him.
"Thanks," I said. He responded with a nod and I left to wake up Dawn and grab my blaster.
"So, Jakie, are you sure you remember where the pumping station is?" Dawn asked me as we zoomed towards the docks.
"Yes, Dawn, I remember," I answered, still concentrating on the road. I was trying to go fast and avoid hitting any KG's at the same time. But like it would matter. I could kick their asses any day, no matter how many there were. To think that the baron had such a weak security force… poor diluted sap…
Finally, Dawn and I reached the pumping station. That stupid screw up of a machine was still there only pushed off to the side. Just like Dawn said, that's got to be the most piece of crap machine I've ever built. Well, at lease we made it in one piece. Now… to find the valve… My eyes scanned the area carefully, not missing a single detail. Slowly, I pulled out my upgraded blaster and shot a few metal heads that were in my way, and I continued on. The valve was surprisingly easy to find. However, a small fleet of Krimzon Guards guarded it. Oh joy. Well, here goes nothing.
I took a deep breath, gripped my blaster tightly, and then I jumped up, ready to fight my way through to that valve.
"Halt! You are under arrest!" one of them yelled. I smirked, and pulled the trigger. Several of them fell before another fleet, probably for backup came out of nowhere. The gun upgrade Uncle Torn gave me was really coming in handy. Or, it was. One of them knocked it out of my hands, and then another knocked me flat on my back next to the pipe.
"Jakie! Jakie, get up!" Dawn screamed at me. I was in a bit of a daze at the moment, but then caught a glimpse of a metal pole that was broken and sharpened at the tip. Hello… I snatched it and started using it as a sword. Now, I could tell all about how I fought off all those KG's and never got a scratch, but that's not how it happened. There I was, backed into a corner, well a cliff actually, Dawn still on my shoulder, and the remaining KG's slowly approaching, charging up their weapons. Oh boy…
"Jakie, it's been nice knowing you," Dawn said. I gritted my teeth. I threw the pole into my other hand, and clenched my fist. I couldn't run strait for them, or I'd get zapped. All I could do pull a long range attack, but I didn't have my gun… unless I was too close to get hit… Yes, Jakie, you're a genius! I threw the pole like a spear and it stuck into the middle guards face. Then I dashed forward and threw a strong kick, landing a solid blow in one's stomach, and then I struck my fist through another one's helmet. I heard a satisfying crack, and he fell over the side of the cliff. Three guards left…
With a sharp yank, I pulled the pole out of the dead guards face and easily took out the last three. I took a moment to admire my work before examining the valve. By the end of the battle I had more than my fair share of cuts and scratches, and my hand was really cut up from the glass in that one guards helmet. But like I cared. I turned the Slums water back on, and then broke the lever off. That should do it… Now to get back to the hideout…
Once I got there, the first thing I heard was an argument. Apparently, Ashelin was chewing Uncle Torn's ass out for sending me on this mission.
"I can't believe you. You sent her on a suicide mission!" Ashelin exclaimed.
"I'm confident enough that she'll do fine," Torn answered.
"Do you have any idea how many Krimzon Guards will be there guarding that thing!" Heh, yeah, there were too many of them for my tastes. "Torn, she'll get herself killed! I'm going after her."
"Ashe, wait. Just give it a little time." That's when I decided to waltz in.
"Someone mention me?" I asked. Uncle Torn stood up in surprise.
"Jakie!" he exclaimed, "I knew you'd be back." Dawn jumped up on the table. Yeah, you got that right, uncle.
"Jakie, how did you survive all of that?" Ashelin asked, astonished by my victory. I smiled. I actually had fun killing all those KG's. It felt good to give them a piece of my mind for a change…
"I used a sharpened metal pole as a sword," I answered her. I could tell she was amazed that I'd survived a fight like that. To tell the truth, so was I. Well, aside from all that, I was a bit tired, and my hand was still aching from punching that guard in the face. Time to go to my secret place again…
"Excellent job, Jakie," Uncle Torn congratulated me again. I half smiled then
"Thanks… where's dad?" I asked, looking around.
"Out on a mission," Torn answered. I should've known… Dawn jumped off my shoulder and onto Torn's desk. She stretched her small arms and yawned.
"Well, I'm going to take a small nap. That wore me out," she stated. I shrugged.
"Do whatever you want, Dawn," I answered, "I'm going out again."