Hunting
Well, I'm back from vacation, and will now be scrambling to make up my schoolwork. I hope you like what I managed to write when I wasn't too busy. Hopefully, its better than I think it is.
Light-Eco-Sage- Glad I could make you laugh, it is always a pleasure to bring humor to others. As for the error, I;m sorry, comma splices are my weak point, as my English teacher constantly reminds me in the form of red ink. With any luck, I didn't make that kind of careless error in this chapter.
Evil Manic- To answer your questions and comments. 1. I'm glad that you liked it, expect to see alot more, and thank you for reminding me about DMC, one of these days I absolutely must play that game. 2. So I am not the only Turok fan around, great. I have some fond memories of that game, mostly of changing the camera to that strange colored vision while running around with the War Blade and Razor Wind, which seeing as how I don't own any AVP games, was the closest thing that I could get to it. 3. All of those powers and then some more, I intend for him to have Channeling powers that could give an Arch-Mage a run for their money when all is said and done. 4. Go back and read over the previous chapter very carefully, and you will find your answer. 5. Oh, Hell yeah!
Lunatic Pandora1- Yeah, I intend to alter the morph-gun just slightly, to better compliment Jak's abilities in this story. Regardless, I am glad that you liked it.
To any and all lawyers who are reading this- I own nothing, therefor you cannot sue me, now stop pestering me!
That done, sit back, relax, and feel free to mock my pathetic attempts at writing here.
"So you wanna be Wastelanders eh, doughboys? Well then, listen up. Krew wants some new heads to put butts in chairs in this place." Sig gestured over his shoulder to the numerous Metal Heads adorning the wall. "So I'm gonna go out and bag him five nasty Metal Heads."
Jak nodded in silence, and Daxter gulped. Sig saw this, and chuckled good-naturedly.
"Don't wet your fur, chili pepper, 'cause we're rolling with the Peace Maker." He told Dax, thumbing a switch on his rifle. A moment later, it transformed into a massive weapon, almost five feet long, with a replica of a Metal Head skull forming the end of the barrel.
"Whoa! I need to get me one of those! Where'd you find it?" the Ottsel inquired eagerly, practically drooling.
"Don't ask!" Krew shouted from up at the bar.
"We'll split up and meet outside the city by the Pumping Station. From there, I'll track the beasts, and you cover my butt." Sig instructed, before his face became as mask of seriousness. "Listen, rookie, don't leave me dangling in the wind." the Wastelander ordered, sticking his finger in Jak's face to emphasize his point.
Jak smiled grimly, eager to test his new arsenal out on something that would bleed. He holstered the morph-gun at his side, and then snuck out, leaving Sig to find his own route outside the city, and Krew to clutch his payment close like it was a priceless heirloom.
By this time, the sun was starting to crest the warehouses, and more people were out and about. The former Channeler was grateful that he had thought far enough ahead to bring concealing clothes. As entertaining as the idea was, he was not in the mood to get in a firefight with any and all K.G. who might be patrolling this city sector. He and they had already given each other enough grief for one day.
Miraculously, he managed to make it all the way back to where he had parked his speeder without an incident of any kind whatsoever. He looked around, and when no one was looking closely, slunk into the salt water of the harbor.
He moved under the pier, and a few powerful strokes brought him to his zoomer. From there, it was a simple matter to clamber on, kick start the bike, and gently ease out until he was cruising above the waves.
The miles of the city passed in a blur, and he was at the drainage pipe that led outside the city before he knew it. Parking the bike next to it carefully, he jumped into it, while his enhanced vision instantly adjusted to the light, or lack thereof.
"Man, this place stinks." Daxter remarked, stating the obvious.
Jak remained silent, but he drew his weapons, and proceeded to walk, crouched down, throughout the length of the pipe. It did indeed reek of garbage and worse, but after the treatment that he had been through, the dark elf simply had to push it aside, and it no longer bothered him. After a few minutes, he could see the end of the sewage pipe. As he dropped down, he heard an explosive exhalation next to him. He looked over his shoulder, and beheld Daxter breathing panting heavily. The Ottsel's skin showed a slightly bluish tinge beneath his orange fur. Jak chuckled quietly, earning him a glare from his friend.
Another laugh joined in, deep and reverberating. Both looked in the direction that it was coming from. There, reclining under a tree, still gripping his rifle, was Sig.
"Hello, cherries." he said warmly. "You guys ready to hunt some Metal Heads?"
"I was born ready." Jak said in a grim tone.
"I was born naked and crying." Daxter put in.
For a moment, nothing was said, and Jak and Sig exchanged a glance. Daxter simply smiled in his cheeky way, reveling in the stunned looks on their faces. Finally, Sig just sighed, and put his rifle into a carry position. Jak brought his morph-gun up, and drew and readied Kitetsu in a single fluid motion.
Cautiously, the two made their way forward, Sig staring at the ground every so often, seeking any signs of his quarry.
"What kind of Metal Heads are we hunting?" Jak inquired.
"What kinds are you familiar with?" the burly Wastelander asked.
"Grunts, Drones, those little ankle biting ones that look like scorpions, and I think that's it." Jak answered.
"Well, in this case we're hunting a kind called a Crab Head." Sig told him, his eyes still on the ground.
"That doesn't sound so dangerous." Daxter said with a sigh of relief.
"Oh, no, chili pepper? Then let me tell you about these monsters." Sig responded, smug amusement in his voice. "They stand about ten feet high and they're built like marauder land sharks, while their four legs, which I might add, can double as weapons, allow them incredible mobility." he paused, before continuing. "I also feel the need to mention the fact that they carry a pair of high power blasters and are toting enough armor to make a K.G. commando soil his yellow britches in envy." Sig remarked.
Daxter gulped, and clung to Jak's shoulder a little more strongly than he normally did.
"That's not all of it, fur-ball. They're also very different from the other kinds you fought by another means." The scarred elf continued, as if he was trying his best to scare the living daylights out of the Ottsel, never mind the fact that he had already succeeded.
"How's that?" Jak asked.
"How much do you know about the Metal Heads?"
"Other than what I've seen, not a whole lot."
"Then let me tell you some things about em so you don't come back from this as a blaster fried corpse." Sig responded, his tone grim. "Metal Heads operate in a hierarchical caste system, with different species outranking others. Crab Heads are near the top of the list, and that ain't just cause they're packing enough firepower to frag a whole squad of elves. They're cunning, and I've seen them pull off some downright brilliant battlefield tactics."
"In other words, if they're with a group, take them down first." Jak muttered.
"You pick up fast, cherry. But we've wasted enough time here."
Several hours had passed, and they had finally managed to locate one of their quarry. Sig motioned for them to get down. He switched his rifle to its Peace Maker mode, and started to charge it up. The two watched in amazement as a massive ball of electrical energy formed at the barrel. After about ten or so seconds, Sig leaned out from behind the rocks they had taken cover behind, and fired.
The lightning ball shot from the barrel, zooming towards its target. The Crab Head never knew what had hit it, and as the shot exploded on its body armor, the bolts of electricity could be seen coursing over it, ravaging its internal systems. Its legs buckled, and it fell from its perch, landing about twelve yards from where they stood. The light in its eyes went out, and its last breath left its body.
"Hehe, now that's what I call blowing someone's mind!" the Wastelander told the duo while he laughed.
Examining the dead Metal Head closely, Jak could see that Sig had not been kidding. The beast was truly a living weapon. Huge, corded muscles could bee seen despite the creature's armor and thick skin, and something that the gunman had neglected to mention caught Daxter's eye as well. In addition to all of its armaments, the Crab Head was also packing a very healthy set of razor sharp teeth that were set in a mouth large enough to swallow him alive.
"Well, the good news is that these bad boys usually travel in packs, so the others should be close by." Sig suddenly mused aloud.
"Then dare I ask what the bad news is?" Daxter whimpered.
Sig merely pointed up. While Jak had been busy covering their tails and trying to make sure that the Metal Heads didn't get a drop on them, several ominous looking clouds had taken the liberty of floating directly over their heads. On cue, a bolt of lighting split the sky, and rain began falling in heavy sheets.
"What did I do this time!" Daxter shouted to the heavens, apparently requesting divine inspiration for all the things that were happening to him.
Jak ignored his friend, instead bringing his IR goggles down over his eyes. He flicked them on, and a few moments later, he could see the heat given off by the environment. The rain was rapidly cooling everything down, so the Metal Heads would now stand out like sore thumbs. Sig switched the vision in his mechanical eye to heat mode as well, and then started off on the trail once more.
Jak followed, keeping one eye scanning about on the terrain, watching for any Metal Heads that decided to make themselves known, and trying to observe Sig at the same time. The Wastelander was searching the cliff face and the Pumping Station machinery, his gaze attempting to locate his large and vicious quarry.
All of a sudden, Sig dropped to one knee and brought up a clenched fist. Jak stopped immediately, weapons in a ready position. As the larger elf powered the Peace Maker up once again the former Channeler beheld their prey. The Crab Head was about fifty feet from the ground; tucked into an alcove created by some of the machines in the area. The blinding rain was actually working to their advantage, enabling the infrared equipped elves to take time aiming at the quarry without the risk of being seen. Once he was satisfied that he had everything in order, Sig released his hold on the trigger. Once again the dazzling orb of lightning crackled through the air, heading unerringly towards its target. The Metal Head heard the blast, and turned just in time to practically swallow the orb as it streaked in.
"Boom baby!" Sig cried out, throwing his arm up in the air as it crashed to the ground.
Four down, and now for one last Crab Head. Sig was staring around, his heat seeing right eye piercing the curtains of falling water. Jak watched their six o'clock intently; the last thing he wanted to do was drop his guard and get waxed in the home stretch. The former Channeler kept glancing around, and Daxter could tell that Jak was more than a little edgy. His friend couldn't make out anything, but the dark elf's inner creature was edgy, and was warning him that all was not as it seemed. Sig apparently shared his concern, and the burly Wastelander suddenly switched his rifle from Peace Maker to its standard blaster setting.
Then Jak felt it, a subtle vibration in the ground, barely distinguishable from the roar of the rain in his ears. It grew stronger, and he shifted about, trying to find where it was coming from. Almost too late, he figured it out, and sprang away from where he was, his enhanced physical abilities causing him to land almost ten yards from where he had been. The Eco enhanced elf had spun around in mid-jump, which gave him a clear view of what happened next.
First one Crab Head, and then another, burst from the ground, their pulse blasters firing at the trio with deadly accuracy. Sig leapt out of the way too, nearly loosing part of one of his ears in the process. The large Metal Heads were soon joined on the surface by several of their lesser brethren, who had also been lying in wait.
Knowing that they were about to die unless they fought back, and also knowing that he would need to be able to communicate with Sig to pull that off, Jak double checked the power reading of his magnum, stuck it above the mechanical device he was behind, and opened fire. He hadn't been planning on hitting anything with it, just making the beasts drop their heads. However, the young elf had a bit of a lucky streak going today, and one Grunt happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Three bolts entered its body, shredding its vital organs and all but ripping it apart in their fury.
The dark elf used this opportunity to dash out from behind his cover, heading for where Sig was. He reached the other boulder, and dove behind it as the two Crab Heads nearly caught him in a merciless cross fire that kicked up dirt and sand all around where he had been moments before.
"Son of a croca-dog, they were waiting for us!" the scarred elf exclaimed.
"Really? I hadn't noticed." Jak growled in excessive sarcasm.
The younger elf then jumped up for a moment, and fired. Twin bursts of fire shot through the ranks of the Metal Heads, and two Drones dropped, holes steaming from various parts of their bodies.
The trio could hear the strange, guttural language of the Metal Heads as the Crab Heads barked out orders to their inferior brethren. Risking a look, the Eco infused elf watched as the beasts scattered, with each Crab Head taking about half of the force, and began to circle them.
"They're going to flank us." he told Sig, while taking a few shots at the leader.
The magnum's burst shots may have been nearly perfect for butchering the lower castes of the Metal Heads, but against these heavily armored behemoths, it was considerably less effective, and Jak was forced to duck as the Crab Head more than returned the favor, making the rock a good eight inches shorter than it had been.
Sig growled and began to charge up his Peace Maker, then he popped up, and fired…or tried to. A furious retaliation by the other Crab Head nearly took his head off, and only a split second reaction saved his life.
"What's wrong?" Daxter inquired, panic laced into his voice.
"Peace Maker's jammed; I need you to buy me some time while I get it back online!" Sig told him, ripping open a compartment in the rifle.
Jak peeked around the rock, where the large Metal Heads were still laying down suppression fire, and their lesser brethren were advancing towards their position. He sighed bitterly, and braced himself for one of the most insane things he had ever had to do in his life. He slammed a fresh clip home in his morph-gun, and then dashed out from behind his cover, heading for the group on his right.
The Crab Head immediately picked up on his movement, and the purple flashes of energy hummed towards him, kicking up sand and small rock shards. A stream of blue bolts sailed back in retaliation. They were on target, but once again did little more than irritate the monster. This strategy was obviously not working, so the dark elf realized that he was going to have to make a few minor adjustments if he wished to end this fight with the same amount of blood in his body that he had to begin with.
The Crab Head took aim again, both blasters on full automatic, as if it were attempting to fill the sky with Eco and let the law of averages do the rest of the work.
Indeed, the barrage might very well have been the end of the elf had it not been for one thing: Kitetsu. Yet again, Jak felt some instinctive memory rush through him, and he weaved the dark blade back and forth. Much to his amazement, the bolts were deflected by the katana.
Quickly realizing the advantage this gave him, the former Channeler dashed towards his primary assailant, deflecting shots while at the same time, remembering what Sig had told him. He quickly flipped the switch on his magnum, putting it into charge mode. Within a couple of seconds, the pistol was vibrating, and he released his hold on the trigger.
The ball of Eco leapt from the gun, and smashed into the Crab Head. The creature screamed in pain, but kept up its assault. Jak fired again, and still it stood. Finally, a third charged up blast from the pistol went straight into the Metal Head's face, killing it. He felt a vibration coming from the weapon, and knew that its power supply had been exhausted. He ejected the clip, and slammed the butt of the weapon down over a fresh one that was hanging in his belt. The automatic locking system built into the handle of the magnum did the rest, and blue fire was soon raking into the Metal Head ranks as panic set into the Grunts and Drones that made up the remainder of this group. The dark elf was quick to capitalize on this chaos, his blade flashing and his gun barking harshly while they offered virtually no resistance.
However, there was still the other group to contend with, and they were not about to lay down and be slaughtered. Jak hadn't even finished with the first squadron when the remaining Crab Head turned its blasters towards him.
Once more, Kitetsu whirled about as the dark elf moved with speed and agility that was beyond natural. Jak closed the distance between him and his foes rapidly, his morph-gun sending bursts into the lesser ranks, cutting them down.
Meanwhile, Sig seemed to finally be making some headway with his on the fly repair job. The Wastelander growled, and managed to fix whatever had malfunctioned in his gun. With a grunt, he closed the access panel, and started charging the weapon back up. However, when he stuck his head up, he found himself unable to fire, as Jak was too close to risk a shot.
Instead, the burly elf was forced to sit back and watch with Daxter as the former Channeler performed yet another superhuman leap, putting him into melee combat range.
To say that the Crab head was surprised when Jak suddenly seemed to appear in front of it, his dark katana already being swung at it, would have been an understatement of no small caliber. It then felt pain as it had never experienced before, and realized that it now had only three legs. And while it was advertising its agony to all in hearing range, Jak took the opportunity to send a few more of the creatures straight to whatever afterlife it was they hoped to attain. However it wasn't long before their commander re-entered the equation.
The Crab Head had apparently been able to will away the pain from its wounds, and began to open fire on him again, not caring a bit if it hit one of its fellows, its cruel mind thinking only to slay the one that had hurt it. However, in doing so it made a critical mistake: it allowed itself to become blinded by its rage.
It had not realized that it was now near the wall of one of the many cliffs in the area. It only remembered when Jak vaulted into the air, flipping over and actually using his enhanced physical abilities to push off the rocks, and shoot straight towards the beast. The Crab Heads hasty counter fire was ineffective, and it had just enough time to roar in denial, before Kitetsu cut through its neck armor, and severed its head.
By now, most of the creatures were in retreat. However, they did not get far before a familiar ball of lightning streaked in, and utterly decimated them. A second shot followed, finishing off any who were unlucky enough to have survived the first.
"Boom! Home team six, Metal Heads nothing!" Sig cried in elation, smiling wildly at the dark elf as he walked back over, his clothes wet with rain and Metal Head blood.
Jak nodded, then looked to the Wastelander's feet, where Daxter stood, his pupils dilated and his breathing rapid. Without warning, the Ottsel's eyes suddenly rolled back into his head, and Daxter collapsed in a dead faint.
"Guess ole chili pepper's had enough excitement for one day, eh?" Sig said with a chuckle. "You did good, rookie. Right now though, I'm gonna collect these trophies and clean my gun. You head on back to town."
Jak nodded, and picked Daxter up off the ground. His thoughts churning and his mind trying to digest what he had seen today, the young elf started back towards the drain pipe that led into the city.
So he was now officially working for Krew, a man, and he used the term quite liberally, that by all appearances was an organized crime boss. He had not missed the distaste that Torn had spoken with when he referred to Krew as a supplier, but in the end, they were still working together. It seemed that desperation truly made allies of the strangest people.
A few minutes after Jak was out of sight, Sig looked around from his work. Once the massive warrior was certain that he was alone, he pulled out a comm. unit. He punched in the frequency he needed and brought it up to his ear.
"Report." came a harsh voice over the other end of the line.
"Nothing new, I'm still looking for your boy, ole buddy." Sig responded.
A swear was heard, followed by a bitter sigh.
"However, something odd did happen today." he continued, his voice quiet.
"What?"
"Let's just say that a bit of your past's been dug up."
Well, there it is, in all its sub-par glory. I'll try to have another chapter posted soon, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to, as the tapes I had someone take of my chemistry and calculus classes while I was gone have suffered from Murphy's Law and have no audio, so I have a very bad feeling that I could very well be screwed.
Regardless of my problems, let me know what you thought of this sotry so far, be it in the form of a comment, a constructive critique or idea, or even an outright flame.
Thanks, and have a great day.