Hi everyone, good to see you again. What's not so good is that school is starting agin for me in a little bit, which means that my updates might not be quite as fequent. Still, despite what my teacher's are going to try and throw at me I shall do my best to keep Risen Demon updated on a regular, weekly basis. Still, If I'm late on a particular chapter, it probably just means I had a monster test(s) that I was study for, just so you know.
Also, I want to send my sincerest thanks to animedragongirl who has become my Beta Reader, and whose careful picking through this document made it significantly better than it would have been otherwise. (bows)
Also, to those of you who were so kind and reviewed the last chapter.
Shakai- Yep, for a better description of that rule, see also Star Wars: Storm Troopers! And yeah, I gave Jak the Sephiroth style trench coat, figured it would do until the sequel, where he'd going to get his Predator styled version of Mar's armor. (And believe me, it's going to do A LOT more than simply protect him this time around) (cackles insanely). On another note, I will tell you now that it will not be Praxis' arse that is going to be kicked, dear old Count Cromedome will actually die a good death in this story. As to whose butt is going to be handed to him on a silver platter, you'll just have to read. That said, I hope you like this chapter.
Xeno-Freak- The modified chapters pretty much just contain some alterations that I made to Tarath in order to make him look a little more different than his fellow Dark Eco users. As far as the Revenants are concerned, I'm glad that you liked the modifications to their armor, and yes, the K.G. will have a whole new fear of the shadows now, between them and Jak. As far as Daxter being tortured goes, I haven't really decided, but I'm fairly certain that the methods of which will simply have something to do with Errol's lifestyle i.e. the music he listens to, the things he does, etc. etc. You wouldn't happen to have any ideas on what to do about that, would you?
Philoworm- Thanks again for the ideas, I don't think I'll be giving them to Jak, but that Doomsday attack seems to me as if it would be an excellent Fallen Precursor torture device, and I think I know just who it'll be used on in the sequel. (insert evil laughter) On another note, yes Daxter has been kidnapped, but don't worry, our Dark Channeler and Keira are not simply going to stand by and let him rot in a cage for two years.
animedragongirl- Once again, I cannot thank you enough for Beta Reading this, and I think I managed to catch all of the mistakes, though the 'this city' stuff did confuse me slightly, and for that I apologize, but I think that I managed to fix it up. Also, sorry to hear that your scanner isn't working, as I would really like to see your drawings. Thanks once again, and I hope to have the next chapter ready to for you soon.
just another writer- Glad that you liked the chapter, and to answer your question, I am going to make a sequel, though it will be at least semi-AU. Differences will include the appearance of Mar's Armor, the role that the Precursor's and certain other characters like Vin and Damas play, etc. etc. Also, as far as the Sand King is concerned, I am actually thinking about not killing him off at all, what N.D. did in that cutscene was not only cliché, but utterly and completely evil! Also, any ideas regarding a adaptation of the third game would be greatly appreciated if you have some. With that in mind, here is the next chapter, hope you like it.
Lunatic Pandora1- Hehehe, if you think that Torn and Jynx are like Predators now, wait until you see Jak when he gets Mar's gear in the sequel, (Heavens above, Scar kicked so much arse in Aliens Vs. Predator.) Also, thank you once again for the idea on the dark Tyrael type foe, I'm thinking that some kind of cruelly serrated long sword would complete the picture, any other ideas for a weapon?
Every Heart Bleeds- Yeah, that was one thing that bugged me about the third game, as it was a major plot hole, and those are my pet peeves. In my opinion, that's why the second game is the best of the series, because not only did it have great gameplay, but it had a solid plot that actually had enough twists and turns and depth to practically put it on level with an RPG type game. (How many other platforming games can claim that?) In fact, I can tell you now that Errol will not even be a cyborg, but something, much, much, more dangerous. (I'll drop a hint in the chapter after this one.)
SRHumphrey727- Congratulations on your birthday, and may you have many more in the future. I'm also pleased that you liked the K.G.'s reaction to Kage's appearance, as I wanted to try and give it realism. Let's face it, no ordinary person is going to go after something like that, they're going to either beg for mercy or run like the gates of Hades had just been opened behind them. Also, more fighting in this chapter, hope you like it.
DarkStarPhoenix- Glad you liked the last chapter, and thank you for the idea on the Light Eco power, I was thinking about some offensive abilities for our 'mysterious' little user of that type. As to the hoverboard, I'm honestly not sure about that, truth be told, I'll probably give it to him at some point in the third game adaptation, as he and Keira will be MUCH closer by that point in time, and his safety will be priority number one for her. Other than that, thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much, even though it ends in something of a cliff hanger. (insert more evil laughter).
MariaShadow- Yeah, Kage is pretty clueless about things like romance and whatnot, but that will change with time. Also, glad that you thought the chapter was an improvement over how it went down in the game, and its funny that you should mention such a thing on the Evil Overlord list because...well, its up at the end of the chapter.
To those of you who read but did not review, I hope that you enjoyed my works, and I pray I did not scar anyone for life.
Lawyers: look, if I owned the darn thing, this is how it would have happened, never mind the fact that the game probably would have sold abysmally.
Also, a word of warning, Praxis is very, very OOC in this chapter, as I am going to try a little experiment and see how it goes over.
That said, here is Chapter Twenty Seven, and I do hope that you enjoy it.
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A Tyrant's Lament, and a Fight to the Finish
Baron Praxis looked out the window of his private quarters, staring down from the heights onto Haven City, a city that wasn't even truly his anymore.
Three days had gone by since the revolt at the stadium, and it had turned out to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. That one act, that single move by the Underground, had ignited the powder keg, and before the Krimzon Guard had even realized what had been happening, they'd found nearly half the city rising up against them.
Riot busters and shock-staves had failed to keep the citizens back as they'd turned upon the enforcers of the tyrant, some attacking with guns, others with knives or whatever else might have been scrounged up.
In fact, several guards had been treated for trauma wounds to the head and missing teeth when a crazed elf had walloped them with a frying pan of all things.
Others had been so desperate as to launch themselves at his soldiers with nothing more than their bare fists. Compounding this problem was the fact that the Underground itself had launched some very fierce hit and run style attacks upon his garrisons, one of their strange assault vehicles actually getting close enough for a gun run on the palace itself before auto-turrets drove it off.
In short, things were going straight to Hell in a hand basket.
And for once, he was at a loss for what to do. He just couldn't understand why things were happening as they were. Yes, he'd achieved power through a coup, restricted freedoms, and silenced those who'd spoken out against him, but they'd been for the purpose of unifying the people. Yes, he'd drafted and conscripted enormous numbers of young men and women into the Guard, but only for the purpose of getting the military back up to full power as quickly as was possible. As for the deal with the Metal Heads, well, that'd been both a stalling measure and a means by which to lull the beasts into a false sense of security until one of his plans was up and operational.
Even the Dark Warrior Project had been done with the intention of helping Haven out in the long run. He knew that his own forces were not going to be sufficient enough to launch another assault upon the Nest. However, with even a small force of killing machines like what Jak had become leading the way…well, then it would be a different story.
Everything he'd done and sacrificed, he'd done with the intention of bettering Damas' former city.
"You don't really believe that do you?" came a voice.
Praxis whirled about, he hand going to his blade as he scanned his room, wondering who had just spoken to him. Finding no one, he raised the one eyebrow that he had, wondering where the voice could have come from, and for that matter, why it sounded so much like his own.
"Over here." It said again, and this time he could clearly hear it coming from his right.
Slowly, he turned, and saw his reflection in a mirror, the one luxury item that he had in his otherwise very much Spartan room. At first he stood stock still, not wanting to believe what he was hearing, and at last, he groaned.
"Congratulations, Geoffrey," he muttered, rubbing his head plate, "you've finally let the stress get to you and something in this old head's broken. Funny, though," he said with a bitter laugh, "I would have thought going off of the deep end of my sanity would have been far more dramatic than this."
"Are you done ranting yet?" his reflection inquired, and the Baron could have sworn that he saw it cross its arms. "Still, you've been living in a delusion for the past three years, why should that change now?"
"What do you mean?" Praxis said, turning his head to the side.
"Look at what your actions have done." It explained. "You took over Haven in a bloody coup, for the Precursor's sake, man, you murdered your own sister, and you tried to kill her son, your own nephew, a mere child!"
"It had to be done!" he snarled defensively, clenching his fist and closing his eye. "We wouldn't have survived with the two of us fighting against each other for control of the city!"
"Oh yes," his reflection replied sarcastically, sweeping its left hand out, "and Haven certainly isn't divided now, oh no, the elves have never been more united against the Metal Head threat." It stopped, pointing a finger at him. "Strike one, despot. Furthermore, what about the Dark Warrior Project, how many did you murder for that?"
"It was a measured risk." He replied, his voice half hearted.
"A measured risk?" his reflection said, its tone disbelieving. "You knew the odds of such a thing working were a million to one! And yet you did it anyway, strike two."
"It was a million to one chance in exchange for millions of lives!" Praxis hissed quietly, once more trying to rationalize his decisions.
"If you say so." It responded with a shake of its head. "But the fact remains, Praxis, that no matter how hard you try, you're never going to be like Damas, and unlike him, I sincerely doubt that Haven City will mourn for you when you pass on, which I do believe will be soon."
"Then we agree on one thing, at least." Praxis muttered, before turning away, unable to bear facing the truth any longer.
His footsteps those of a man weary of the whole world, Baron Praxis made his way over to his bed, and opened one of the two drawers in a metal nightstand by it. Within which, covered in dust, was a hologram generator. For the first time in as long as he could remember, the scarred elf switched it on, cycling through the various three dimensional images. Finally, he reached one, and he stopped, his one eye roaming over it, capturing every detail.
It was a hologram that had been taken the day that Ashelin had finally been given command of her own unit, and she bore her new facial tattoos with pride and a beaming smile upon her face. He was there next to her, his face that of the proudest father in the world, a smile on his visage and he had his hand upon her shoulder.
And finally, practically wrapped around his head, was Alex, grinning impishly and trying to get in the picture as much as he possibly could. He'd just turned two when the image had been taken, and between his uncle and his father, had been doing more than his share of hero worshipping.
And how had he repaid the nephew that had looked up to him? He'd been the one to return from that catastrophic assault, rather than his father. It should have been him that had died, not Damas. Furthermore, he'd gone on to kill his mother, and would have doubtless killed him too, had Torn not managed to get him out of the palace.
It was then, in that moment, that Praxis finally seemed to see the truth of things, and realize just what he had become.
A monster, a tyrant, a murderer.
It was then, that the Baron did something that would have sent any sane person reeling: he broke down and wept.
It was some time later, when he finally emerged, his visage once more stoic, even if his soul threatened to tear him apart from the inside. From his room, he made his way down to where he believed he would find Errol, the two of them needed to have a talk, and fast.
Sure enough, his right hand man was running himself through a training kata, wielding a blade not too dissimilar to his own, if somewhat smaller. Errol's skill with a sword was pretty good, even if the commander did prefer a blaster to one. Still, Praxis knew why he was brushing back up on these techniques, and knew without a shadow of a doubt that they would not help him in the slightest.
He looked over to his left, where he saw, guarded and in a cage, Daxter. The scarred elf sighed, shaking his head as he took in the sight, wondering why his commander suddenly seemed so eager to leave the mortal coil behind.
As fate would have it, Errol chose that moment to stop his routine, turning around to face his superior.
"Hello, Sir." the sociopath responded, his usual grin upon his face.
Praxis merely nodded, not saying a word as he mulled things over in his head, trying to figure out how best to say what it was he wanted.
"Is something wrong, Sir?" Errol inquired, not sure what to make of his superior's sudden muteness.
"Do you really mean to go through with this, Errol?" the Baron asked after a time, gesturing over to the imprisoned rodent.
"Of course," Errol responded, a slight glint in his eye, "this opportunity is a godsend, a chance for us to tear out the heart of the rebellion with a single stroke. They're relying too heavily on Jak, eliminate him, and the whole thing falls apart!"
"Errol," Praxis said, sighing softly, "give this up, your pride is not worth dying for."
"What?" his second in command said, looking at the Baron as if he'd suddenly lost his mind.
"Errol," the scarred elf said quietly, "have you really become so blind as to think that you can possibly beat him?" abruptly, his voice nearly tripled in volume. "He's beyond you, a fight between the two of you would be over in seconds!"
"Which is where the little rat comes in." Errol replied, his tone condescending, and having no small amount of anger present in it. "With him as a hostage, Jak will be less inclined to take advantage of certain abilities that he has at his disposal."
"Errol…" Praxis began, before suddenly throwing his hands into the air. "Fine, let's say you do manage to kill him, then what? You'll destroy our best hope of keeping this city in one piece!"
"Come, again?" Errol said, his voice a venomous hiss. "You actually think that Freak can save this city?"
"Don't be a fool if you can help it, Errol." Praxis said, shaking a finger at him. "You know as well as I do that the Metal Heads have scouts running all over this place, that we can't keep them all out. They know what's going on, and divided as we are at the moment, you can bet they're already gearing up for an assault!"
"So what would you have us do?" his right hand elf asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Throw ourselves at the mercy of the people, promote that demon in elf's clothing to the rank of a general?"
"Make no mistake, Errol," Praxis said, "before this is all over and done with, you and I will both be dead. But for the love of the gods, don't throw your life away over something so trivial!"
"Am I hearing this right?" the commander of the Krimzon Guard snarled, looking Praxis in the eye as if he'd lost his mind. "You're telling me to just let the renegade win? That we should just give up and let the mobs come and hang up from the nearest tree branch?"
"I'm telling you to let go of your pride before it gets you killed, Errol! This city will need you, I will need you, for what is coming, and we're going to need Jak and the Underground as well!" Praxis shot back, clenching a fist.
"You're off your bloody rocker!" Errol practically screamed, before motioning for the handful of elites standing around Daxter to follow him and bring the rodent with them.
Praxis merely sighed, and looked towards the heavens, before heading back up to his quarters. One thing was for certain, he'd need a new commander for the time being, at least until his inevitable overthrow came. Perhaps Captain Toshiro? He was a good, down to business soldier, and he had a sharp mind, though there could be no doubt that his combat skills weren't anywhere near Errol's. Then again, that might be a plus, seeing it was those skills that were currently deluding his soon to be late commander into thinking that he had more than a snowball's chance in hell of beating Jak, hostage or no.
Furthermore, the elf was a marksman, which made it all the better for his first assignment as acting leader of the Krimzon Guard.
The dark elf paced back and forth in Keira's workshop, the cogs of his brain working overtime as he tried to figure out what to do about this new development. Tempting as the idea had been, storming into the palace and attempting to take Daxter back by force was out of the question, as he had no doubt that Errol would kill him as soon as he showed his face. A more subtle method, like taking advantage of his newfound cloaking ability was also not going to work, as design schematics indicated that the whole place was covered by heat sensors, no doubt to prevent Metal Head Cloakers from sneaking in.
This had left him at a loss, and Keira had her hands full just trying to comfort Tess, who was out of her mind with worry. Jak could most certainly sympathize with the blond haired elf, as he knew just what Errol could do when he put his sadistic mind to things.
Thus, he had been quite surprised when a K.G. had entered Underground held territory unarmed and under a flag of truce, bearing a message from his commander.
Long story short, Errol had challenged Jak to a mono-e-mono duel out at the strip mine, with Daxter's life being the prize at stake. Naturally, being the twisted little bastard that he was, Errol had laid down a few ground rules: no powers, no assistance, no anything that could in any way, shape, or form help him out.
Naturally, such rules more than likely did not apply to his nemesis, and Jak had little doubt that Errol would do all in his power to make the coming contest a rigged one.
And the time for their meeting was this very night, so time wasn't exactly on his side.
What was he supposed to do?
'If I may offer a suggestion?' Came the by now familiar voice within his head, as Kage bowed before his mind's eye.
'You have an idea?' Jak inquired, pausing in his pacing and cocking his head in a certain way, a manner which revealed to both Keira and Tess that there was a conversation going on inside of his noggin.
'Our nemesis is trying to put us into a rigged game which we cannot win.' the oni said. 'However, wasn't it you who told me that the first rule of warfare was to make your own rules?'
'Of course!' Jak thought, slapping himself in the forehead as he now realized the obvious.
If Errol was trying to beat him in a stacked contest, then the best way for him to win would simply be not to play by the commander's rules. Okay, he had a way to come out on top, now he just had to figure out how best to implement that strategy. The first thing that came to mind was the obvious, that his nemesis would believe that Jak's concern for Daxter would be so great that he would not dare think to violate the rules of engagement.
Now, while it was true that the dark elf did care for the Ottsel, indeed, as the safety of his best friend was currently numero uno on his priorities list, he was also smart enough to realize that him dying because he couldn't make use of his own skills wouldn't exactly be conducive to the diminutive rodent getting out of the mess he was in, either. Simply put, he'd have to run the risk of bringing along help in order to ensure Daxter's safety in the long run, as he had little doubt that Errol would have guards around him as insurance.
Practically running, the Ascended Channeler headed over to a map of the strip mine that was on one of Keira's workstations, as he'd been using it earlier to try and get a good route to the meeting place. Now, though, he scanned it for a different reason.
He smiled grimly after looking over the region for a few seconds. The place that his foe had chosen to meet him was a carved out depression that was up on a cliff next to a ravine filled with Dark Eco. However, more important than that, were the two ridge like areas that ran up next to the place one of which would enable a person to approach from unseen from the battleground.
In short, a perfect sniper location.
'Plus, knowing the K.G., they will likely have their attention focused upon you and Errol, rather than scanning the area for potential intruders.' Kage mused. 'I suspect that Keira would be able to deal with them before they even knew what was happening.'
"Yeah, that'll work beautifully." Jak concurred aloud, whirling around to face the aqua haired elf.
Captain Ryan Toshiro made his way to the throne room, unsure as to why his superior had called him away from the front lines. Granted, there had been a temporary lull in the fighting, but these kinds of intercity conflicts had the annoying tendency to flare up and die off at a moments notice.
On the other hand, that might just mean that whatever Baron Praxis wanted was of priority one importance. In which case, getting to his destination in a timely manner would be a very wise thing for him to do.
And so, with that thought in mind, the yellow armored soldier quickly began to double time it towards where he was suppose to be, his pace getting up to a jog as he progressed. At that pace, he was soon passing through the doors of the throne room.
Praxis was inside, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out through one of the large windows, once more looking down upon the divided city that Haven had become. Toshiro walked towards the center of the room, before assuming a ramrod straight salute, standing at attention until Praxis turned around towards him.
"At ease, captain." the Baron said, walking over to the soldier, his face a grim mask. "Do you know why I've called you here?"
"No, Sir." the captain replied, removing his helmet and running a gauntleted fist through his close cropped black hair.
"I suppose you have heard what Commander Errol is up to?" the scarred elf inquired, slowly pacing over to the windows again, and motioning for the officer to follow.
"I only know that he managed to acquire a target of high value during the Underground assault upon the stadium." Toshiro replied, as he stayed a full step behind his superior.
"The 'target' that the commander managed to acquire was the small creature that the renegade, Jak, always has following him around. Daxter is his name." Praxis said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And Errol means to use him as a hostage to force a confrontation between himself and the renegade." The baron paused, and brought one hand up to rub at his temple. "In fact, he left about two hours ago to head out to the strip mine, where the two of them were supposed to face off."
"With all due respect, sir," the captain said, his voice incredulous, "I've read the reports about what the renegade is capable of, do you really think that the commander can come out on top of such a confrontation?"
"Not without a few dirty tricks." Praxis responded, as he looked back over his shoulder at the yellow armored elite. "Which is why I am sending you out to the strip mine."
"Sir?" Toshiro inquired, not quite sure what to make of the situation.
"You were trained as a marksman in basic, where you not?" the Baron asked, turning the rest of the way around.
"Yes, Sir, sniping is my area of expertise." the captain said, a faint smile on his face. "Do you wish for me to ensure the renegade's defeat?"
"No, captain, I do not." the scarred elf replied with a shake of his head. "I want for you to head out there and ensure the safety of both the renegade, and his little pet."
This was certainly not what the elite had been expecting to hear, and he all but rocked back on his heels when he was told this. Not to mention there was a comical look of confusion upon his face.
"I am not sure that I understand the situation, Sir." he began, doing his best to keep his tone respectful.
"Errol's pride has clouded his judgment, and has made him a danger to this city." Praxis said, his voice deadly serious. "I've been fighting Metal Heads for most of my life, captain, and I know, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, that they're planning an attack." he paused once again, his good eye staring Toshiro straight in the face. "They don't need us, and they believe us to be helpless for the most part. And, seeing as how our other plan has yet to reach its implementation stage, Jak will be vital to the defense of the city. Therefore, I want you to do everything in your power to ensure that he does not meet a premature end, do you understand?"
"I do, Sir." Captain Toshiro replied grimly.
"Good," Praxis said with a nod, "now dismissed, soldier."
The officer pivoted about and turned to head down to the nearest armory, when suddenly, the Baron stopped him.
"Captain," he said, pulling something out of one of his utility belt pockets, "here." He then threw a small box-like object at him, which Toshiro caught easily. "Consider that official, for now. I suppose the bureaucracy will catch up soon enough."
The officer looked down to the object in his hand, and slowly opened it. What he found inside amazed him: the dress uniform markings of a commander. Slowly, he looked up to his superior, who simply nodded and returned his attention to staring out the window.
Surprised as he was, Toshiro still understood that the sudden promotion was also a subtle reminder of just how far he was supposed to go to protect the dark elf.
The wind howled in his ears once again as he raced towards his impending clash with his nemesis. Night had long since fallen, for which the Ascended Channeler was quite grateful, as it would mean that Keira, traveling a few minutes behind him, would be that much harder to spot once she got into position.
Despite the risk that it put both her and Daxter in, Keira had readily agreed to Jak's plan. Still, this didn't mean that the dark elf would be completely home free, as she would be getting into position the old fashion way: ground pounding. Knowing what was at stake, neither of them wished to run the risk of someone, by some freak chance, picking up the sound of another approaching zoomer.
His mind drifted as he stared around at the ruined remains of the mining operation, thinking about how much had changed since he had bailed Vin and the other workers out here. He'd come to terms with what he'd become, re-forged the relationship between him and Keira, and a host of other things. None of which would have been possible without Daxter's help, not to mention the fact that the Ottsel was the reason he was still drawing breath in the first place.
And now he was in the clutches of the very same elf that had so cheerfully tortured him, and who would have been responsible for his execution had it not been for the little rodent's heroics.
Frankly, both Keira and Jak were taking it rather personally.
Jak only hoped that he was able to beat Errol without killing him, at least not right away, as there were a few things that he wanted to know before he sent Errol straight to Hell.
Finally, he arrived at the place, hopped off his speeder bike, and began walking towards where he was supposed to meet his nemesis.
It had taken him a little bit longer to reach here than most would have expected, as he had stopped at one point next to a pit of Dark Eco, before drawing Kitetsu and plunging the katana up to the hilt in the substance. As the Oracle had said, the blade drank of the toxic substance, the crystal on the end of the hilt and the runes glowing a deeper violet as it fed.
Once that had been accomplished, he'd mounted back up, and sped along until he reached his destination.
And now, peering around a corner, he found that Errol did not plan on disappointing him. His foe stood in the center of the area, with several floodlights illuminating the surroundings. More importantly, he could see, next to a transport, several K.G. elites standing guard around a small cage. Within it was Daxter, looking unharmed physically, but very agitated, as he was pacing back and forth within his small confines.
An idea came to mind, one that would hopefully unnerve the guards around his friend, and therefore, make them all the easier to dispatch once things got underway. He focused, and anyone watching would have been amazed to see the trench coat clad elf suddenly fade away.
Cloaked like this, Jak began to make his way into the makeshift arena, his steps measured and even, his eyes narrowed to a glare.
"Where is he?" Errol grumbled, tapping his foot impatiently, before turning to look at Daxter.
"You know, Errol," Daxter said, opening his mouth yet again, "for someone who I thought to be such an evil genius, you're certainly being very unoriginal."
Said commander and his men looked down at the Ottsel, who simply placed his hand against his forehead and sighed.
"Okay, let me spell it out for you." the former elf grumbled, before gesturing around at everything. "You have me, in a cage, in a desolate wasteland type environment, using me as bait to lure in my best bud that you just happen to hate with all of your guts. I mean, for the love of the Precursors, could this be any more cliché?"
"Quiet, you little rat," the commander spat, "or I might simply decide you're not worth the trouble and shoot you here and now!
Daxter, an indignant glare upon his face, opened his mouth to make another one of his famous retorts, but was cut off a certain cloaked elf.
"You wouldn't live long enough to regret doing something like that, Errol." Jak hissed, now not more than fifteen feet from his nemesis.
The K.G. commander spun about, his eyes darting around while the guards behind him leveled their rifles in a vain attempt to locate the renegade. Imagine the looks on all of their faces, then, when Jak suddenly phased into sight, his arms crossed over his chest, and his slitted eyes looking ready to kill.
Errol, once he'd recovered from his shock at his adversary's sudden appearance, raised an eyebrow at the Ascended Channelers choice of battle gear, as if trying to figure out just how much protection the strange armor would provide. After a few seconds of this, he let his eyes return to Jak's own gaze, and he finally opted to speak.
"So, you did have the guts to show up after all." the sociopathic elf spat, a smile forming upon his face. "I must say I am surprised, I would have thought you somewhat reluctant to go into a fight without being able to call upon your vaunted Channeling powers." Errol continued melodramatically, looking back over his shoulder towards Daxter, who simply rolled his eyes, and slapped his forehead with his hand.
"I don't need my powers to beat you!" the dark elf snarled, and in a flash, Kitetsu had appeared in his hand, its runes glowing violet in the artificial light.
Errol smiled in an arrogant manner, before backing away and drawing his own weapon. For a few seconds, both opponents simply stood where they were, each awaiting the other, each wanting their foe to make the first move.
'Watch his eyes.' Kage advised, and Jak did so.
After all, he'd noticed it many times, that right before launching an attack, elves and Metal Heads both had a instinctive tendency to open them just a might bit wider.
And sure enough, that was what happened as Errol lost patience, and lunged at Jak, who easily brought Kitetsu down to block the attack, and then ducked beneath a kick that the commander had aimed at him. Quickly, the dark elf swung his Precursor forged weapon at his nemesis' exposed back, only to find Errol's own blade coming back to intercept it, forcing his towards the ground. And then, with a battle cry, the K.G. commander attempted to backhand Jak with his cybernetic arm, a blow that he only just avoided.
The Ascended Channeler performed a back flip, and landed a good twenty feet away from Errol, before bringing his blade up to an attack position and glaring at his opponent. The K.G. commander did the same, and for several moments, there was a lull in the fight while the two of them slowly circled one another, each trying to find a weakness, something that could be exploited.
This time, it would be Jak that struck first, leaping forward, bringing the dark katana up from below in an attack that would have spilled Errol's guts all over the ground had he not parried. Not deterred in the slightest, Jak pressed his attacks, slicing to and fro as he attempted to bring his opponent down, Kitetsu hissing eerily the whole time, like the very air seemed to part before the blade.
However, his offense was stolen away when his sociopathic nemesis suddenly knocked Kitetsu up high, before following through with a thrust kick to his chest that cracked a rib and sent him staggering. Fortunately, as Errol brought his own ferrosteel weapon down in an attempt to split the dark elf's head open, Jak was able to get Kitetsu up in time to deflect the attack, and the two blades grated against each other for a few seconds, sending sparks flying as the two adversaries snarled in each others faces, Jak smiling inwardly as he healing factor took over.
Abruptly, Errol broke the blade lock, and backed away, balling up his left fist. Jak let out a curse as the arm cannon popped out, sending a hail of Eco bolts at him as he furiously weaved Kitetsu back and forth as he frantically backpedaled in an attempt to get some distance between himself and his foe.
Oh how he would have loved for Errol to get to know his Channeling powers a little better at that point in time, but with Daxter currently having a half dozen elites standing around him, he wasn't about to take that kind of a chance. He would simply have to wait and play along, baiting Errol and letting him think that he was winning, or at least still putting up a decent struggle, until Keira was able to get into position and neutralize his escort.
Then, things would change.
Such were his thoughts as he leapt into the air in order to avoid a charge type blast from the commander's bionic arm. And it was also at that time that he decided that he'd need to get up close and take away Errol's ranged abilities, as sticking his arm out like that in a sword fight would be a very good way to get it hacked off.
As he attempted to close the distance, Errol opened fire once more, and Jak leapt forward and to his left, performing a barrel role type spin while in mid-leap, Kitetsu deflecting a few bolts that came close as his foe adjusted his aim. Jak performed the maneuver yet again, trying to throw Errol off, before a third such leap placed him back in melee range.
Roaring in fury as he blocked the dark elf's opening attacks, Errol swung with all of his enhanced might, and Jak opted to duck below the slash, rather than attempting to block it. However, the wisdom of such an action was revealed an instant later, as the Ascended Channeler continued through with his acrobatics, and brought his right foot slamming up into Errol's face as he pushed off with his left.
The K.G. commander felt stars explode in front of his vision as the kick, driven by Jak's vampire like strength, connected. In a blind attempt to buy himself some time, he once again deployed his arm cannon, firing wildly in the direction of his opponent.
Jak, still in the process of landing from his flip, had no time to react, and snarled in defiance as several of the Eco bolts connected with his chest. However, much to his surprise, the electro mesh vest that he was wearing absorbed them with relative ease, though he did feel a sudden temperature rise where they had connected.
In an attempt to remove himself from the rather precarious position that he now found himself in, Jak leapt once more, going up and over Errol, before coming down in an attempt to get rid of that little annoyance on the commander's arm once and for all.
Unfortunately for the dark elf, his foe was able to spin out of the way in time, and he once again lashed out with his cybernetic arm. On the bright side of things, Errol's blow was made hastily, and as a result, was quite clumsy and easy to avoid. Such a move also left a gaping hole in the K.G. commander's defenses, something that Jak was swift in taking advantage of.
Kitetsu sang as it came in from below, and to his credit, Errol saw it coming and leapt backwards in an attempt to ward it. However, he was not able to avoid the strike in its entirety, as the diagonal slash mark that appeared on his cheek indicated.
For a second the fighting halted, and brown eyes locked with slitted blue ones, each burning with equal hatred, while the owner of the latter pair deftly spun his blade about, the red stain upon it revealing the truth for all to see.
First blood went to Jak.
Errol apparently didn't like that too much, and he once again brought his arm cannon to bear upon the Ascended Channeler, firing as fast as he could at them.
Daxter, having a death grip upon the bars of his cage watched as his best friend expertly deflected the barrage that was sent at him, and then leapt over yet another charge blast. The Ottsel's mouth was dry, and he swallowed in a vain attempt to solve the problem, while he and his captors remained transfixed upon the battle taking place in front of them.
Jak managed to score another hit, drawing a small line of crimson from his foe's left leg, causing Errol to snarl in a combination of fury and pain, and him to let out a silent cheer.
The dark elf however, was growing irritated at having to stall, and was wondering where Keira was.
Keira leapt off of her speeder bike, not even bothering to wait for it to come to a full stop, and then broke into a flat out sprint towards the slope leading up to ledge that she'd chosen to snipe from.
Panting, she raced up as fast as she could, able to hear the sounds of combat even from where she was. Still on the go, she did her best to reassure herself that Jak would be fine, that he was more than a match for anything that Errol could possible throw at him.
As she neared the top of the ridge, she slowed down, and slumped down to her stomach, crawling up the rest of the way to do her best to avoid detection. In this manner, she arrived at her little perch, and got her morph gun, set to submachine gun mode for transport, and switched it over to its snipe mode, before swiftly loading a clip in, and sighting up the first of the yellow armored elites standing around Daxter's cage.
However, even as her finger eased down towards the trigger, she remained completely unaware of things happening not too far from where she was, where an unknown ally was getting into position to help her out.
A crimson colored military bike came to a stop, and an elf, unarmored and clad in black, got off, grabbing an S2-AM sniper rifle from the rear of the zoomer, before carefully slinging it over his back. Once it was in position and secured, he put on a black, ski mask type hood, and grabbed a second gun, an assault rifle, and began to make his way towards his own set up location, which, coincidently enough, was at a near ninety degree angle from where Keira was going to be.
The end result, even if it were to be unplanned, would be a very deadly little crossfire for anyone unfortunate enough to be on the business end of their guns.
Reaching the slope to his own ledge, Commander Toshiro holstered his assault rifle, before drawing his longer ranged weapon. He then began to serpent crawl up the rocky terrain, ignoring the very much uncomfortable miscellaneous pointy things that were gouging him in the stomach, his orders echoing through his head.
A couple of minutes later, he arrived, and lined up his sniper rifle, his initial thought being to put a bolt right through Errol's head and let that be that. However, as he watched the Baron's now former right hand and the dark elf duke it out through the scope of his rifle, and did his best not to get sucked into the fight as the elites guarding Daxter had, he found, much to his dismay, that they were too close to each other and whirling about too much for him to get a clear shot in. Normally, Toshiro would have had enough confidence in his abilities to go ahead and fire anyway, but Praxis had explicitly told him not to take a course of action that would endanger the renegade.
He'd also made mention to the fact that Errol would not be able to come out on top of this confrontation between the two of them without having some rather underhanded tricks under his sleeve. One of which was apparently, as the renegade was not making use of them, using the little rodent to stop Jak from using all of his powers.
And thus, he realized that the removal of the guards around the Ottsel would likely get rid of that little annoyance, and thus enable the dark elf's triumph.
As luck would have it, the first elf that he chose to gun down, was standing right next to the one that Keira had sighted up. Furthermore, both he and the aqua haired elf fired at about the exact same time, a faint cough coming from his rifle while Keira's let out its cannon style boom.
Despite that, even an amateur would be able to tell whom hit whom, as Toshiro's shot left a good sized burn mark upon his target's head, while Keira's left her target devoid of anything even vaguely resembling such a body part.
There was a comical moment as both snipers watched the corpse next to their chosen elf fall, a baffled look upon each of their faces as they realized they weren't the only ones at work here. However, both of them simply shrugged and went back to getting the job done, as a quartet of fallen bodies attested to moments later.
Errol, still attempting to figure out what in heaven's name was going on, saw the fire come from both directions, and realized, in that instant, that he'd made a mistake.
Jak, meanwhile, took this opportunity to back away from his foe, getting a good bit of distance between the two of them in order to start to pull out his trump card. He and Kage had both conversed earlier, and both felt that this would be an excellent chance give the Juyo style a 'test run' on a living target.
Keira was busy as well, getting up from her prone position, and carefully making her way down the edge of the small cliff that she was on, letting Errol see just who had been responsible for the destruction of half of his escort. However, she also took the time to look over to the other ridge as she attempted to figure out just who her mysterious little helper had been.
All she saw was a dark figure rise, and give her a salute, before turning around and making his way back down the slope. After a moment, she refocused her attention on getting down.
Errol barely gave her a glance, as he was more occupied with Jak, and after she'd touched down safely, she look over and saw why. A grim smile reached her face as she realized what the dark elf was about to unleash upon the hapless commander.
The Ascended Channeler was whipping Kitetsu back and forth, but not moving at all. He spun the blade around a few times in his right hand, before tossing it over, still spinning, and catching it with his left, looking his nemesis dead in the eyes the whole while. He kept this up for some moments, before bringing the dark katana back to his right hand. He then brought it over towards his left hip, before swinging the blade out and up.
It was halfway through the stroke when it happened. The Dark Eco crystal on the end of the weapon flashed, as did the Precursor runes along its blade, and dark lightning surged outwards from the sword. As Kitetsu traveled through the air, this phenomenon gather behind it, until what almost looked like a shadowy copy of the katana appeared. Reaching out, Jak grabbed the phantom blade with his left hand, before he began to seamlessly whirl it in tandem with the original, both weapons distorting the air that they passed through.
After about ten seconds worth of this shadow sparring, Jak stopped and looked down towards the dirt. With a slight exhalation, he brought the two katanas around in a circle, scrapping them slightly against each other as the passed his chest. Then, with Kitetsu and its copy held down at about a forty five degree angle to the ground, he looked back up, his eyes boring into Errol's own.
&
Alright, there's a good stopping place.
To anyone whose confused about what just happened with Kitetsu, I will tell you that one of the blades most unique abilities in Ninja Gaiden was that it would become two swords as well as being able to such the life out of its adversaries (which is what made Doku so freaking hard in the first place, as he could recharge about half of his health with a single attack, and he had a lot to begin with.)
Now, in light of Jak being about to lay the holy smack down upon his nemesis, I have a question for anyone reading this. Xeno-freak pointed out that demons have the ability to teleport for the most part, and I have been thinking about giving Jak sort of a Night Crawler type short range teleportation ability, as well as Kage. However, I shall leave it up to you to determine if he should receive such an ability.
So, with that in mind, I hereby beg you for ideas and constructive criticisms, heck, you can even flame me if you feel like, but please let me know what you thought of the chapter.
And, for MariaShadow, I leave you all with a few more things from the Evil Overlord list
Rule One oh Seven
Even though I don't really care because I plan on living forever, I will hire engineers who are able to build me a fortress sturdy enough that, if I am slain, it won't tumble to the ground for no good structural reason.
Rule One Twenty
Since nothing is more irritating than a hero defeating you with basic math skills, all of my personal weapons will be modified to fire at least one more shot than the standard issue.
Rule One Thirty Nine
If I'm sitting in my camp, hear a twig snap, start to investigate, then encounter a small woodland creature, I will send out some scouts anyway just to be on the safe side. (If they disappear into the foliage, I will not send out another patrol; I will break out the napalm.)
Rule One Fifty Nine
If I burst into rebel headquarters and find it deserted except for an odd, blinking device, I will not walk up and investigate; I'll run like hell.
And, finally, Rule One Fifty Five
If I know of any heroes in the land, I will not under any circumstance kill/kidnap their mentors, teachers, romance interests, and/or best friends.