Disclaimer: Don't own Jak and Daxter. Naughty Dog does. Lucky Bastards
Author's Note: I thought that you should know…"non italic text" means vocal dialogue… and "italic text" means mental dialogue. Oh and I have been informed that it was not made very clear in this fic that Tess is not an ottsel. The Precursors never changed her into one… but don't worry, Veger's still one. (grins) So here's chapter 3, it started out so bad I almost trashed the whole thing but it end so well it totally makes up for it. (is proud) But you'll have to decide for yourselves…
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Chapter Three: Sic Transit Gloria (Glory Fades)
Seem had promised him a favor. It was well known that the monk was never one to owe favors. So Jak saw this mission as a perfect opportunity. He'd been informed that the temple was being over run again. During their last big adventure Jak had put quite a dent in the metal head population in the Wastelands, the temple included. But with time going on, as time seems to do, the temple had apparently become too inviting for a few of the smaller creatures to resist. They were becoming a pain for the monks even though they all now carried some sort of weaponry when they ventured out there. Nevertheless it was still getting out of hand.
Thus, the mission that was asked of Jak and the favor that was owed by Seem… to Jak.
It's a lot less confusing then it sounds.
The task at hand was simple enough. Jak could have had it completed in a day or so, the mountain temple's layout being as spacious as it was. With the help of his dark and light powers, possibly even sooner.
But Torn had asked. Well, technically he didn't ask. Torn never really asked for anything, it was more along the lines of demanded that he and what he had come to call the "F" Troop tag along with he and Daxter. It would seem that the boys that made up this "F" Troop were unlucky enough to have gotten on Torn's bad side. Thus the name, "F" Troop, the "F" standing for "fuck ups". It was a strange thing for Jak, as he had once believed that those on Torn's bad side had to be everyone the man had ever met-- he and Daxter especially.
Jak sighed lightly and glanced behind him. Torn was only a few steps behind. He and the rest of the Freedom Guards were too busy gawking at the temple's interior to notice him watching them. And while the boys all seemed to be wide eyed and curious, their commander looked to be a bit more on the apprehensive side.
Jak raised an emerald brow.
"You alright Torn?" he asked.
"It's a lot darker then I thought it would been." The tattooed officer grimaced. "I thought you said the monks came out here often?"
"They do." Jak answered. "But apparently the metal heads aren't too fond of lights."
Davis peeked around from behind Torn.
"I thought we were dealing with the smaller ones? Y'know… maybe kanga rat sized or something?"
Daxter grinned. "Oooooh… that's what you thought small meant?"
Davis's green eyes widened, "Well what did you mean by small then!"
Torn turned on the boy and nudged him back roughly.
"Davis get your ass back there and cover the rear. If you stop whining and pay attention, you'll be fine!"
"Yes, sir!"
The dark haired soldier nodded quickly and headed for the back of the group, giving Jak a sidelong glance before finally trotting off. Torn muttered something rude under his breath and the entire party continued on.
Davis slinked past the rest of the "F" troop heading for the back. But before he could get there one of the older boys shot his arm out and grabbed him.
"Hey!" He half whispered, half yelled.
"No way chicken little," the boy, he thought he was named Quin, grunted. "You ain't covering my rear." He added with a smirk. The boy behind him chuckled softly.
Davis frowned and rolled his eyes.
The chuckling soldier joined in. "Yeah, Quin, I heard stories about 'im. I think ya better stick him up there with Matchstick."
"What the hell is with all the fucking snickering!" Torn growled. "This is not a fucking field trip, Davis! Get in goddam formation!"
The green-eyed boy snatched his arm away and took the spot behind the team's designated medic, Knox. The red head turned around and smiled at him.
"Don't pay him any attention," the boy said pushing his glasses up his nose. "He's an ass most of the time. It's best juss ta ignore 'im."
The boy merely nodded in reply, giving the other soldier a lopsided grin.
oo0oo
Jak inspected the dimly lit hall. There were still torches lit but there were quite a few that he'd passed that had either been put out and dripping with something he wouldn't even bother to name or had just been turned over. The temple's set up was pretty simple. They had entered through the only door available and the hall had led them directly into a large circular room that he hadn't been in since the Dark Makers.
Jak sighed. There was still not a sign of metal heads. Under any other circumstances that would have been a good thing, but he knew they were there. Dark's nose never lied.
The blond warrior stared at the blocked door of Mar. The monks had still not succeeded in removing the rubble out of the way. He'd have to use the other opening. Which was fine seeing as he'd already blasted it open during his last trip out here.
"Hey Torn," He said turning to the other man. "You and your boys can finish checking out things around here. Me and Dax'll handle it through here."
Torn nodded the affirmative and went back to getting his troops in line. They seemed to be fascinated by all the designs that were carved into the sandstone walls and the many pots and artifacts lying around.
"Put that down, Davis!"
It was the last thing he heard Torn yell as he headed through the broken wall and into the sparsely lit hallway. It was there in the eerie quiet and uneasy solitude that he finally realized that something wasn't quite right. Daxter hadn't spoken one word since they'd stepped off the Hellcat cruiser.
Jak smiled weakly and turned to his friend who was clutching tightly to his shoulder guard.
"It's really quiet in here huh Dax?" He tried to strike up conversation.
He wasn't used to this. Dax was the talkative one, not him.
"Yeah," the ottsel finally chimed in. "I never thought I'd actually be looking for a run in with some metal heads. It's a lot more reassuring when they rush at you… teeth gleaming and claws poised." He grinned. "At least you know what they're up to then."
Jak laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean."
It wasn't long before they reached the Precursor idol. Jak could practically feel the tension rolling of his friend.
"More Precursor junk." Daxter snorted.
Jak sighed again. "Left or right?" He asked.
"S'up ta you big guy." The ottsel answered sullenly.
The blond nodded and headed for the light eco vent. He hated to see his friend in such a mood. And he hated the fact that he couldn't think of anything to say to him to help even more.
"It's that fucking bitch, Tess' fault you know that don't you?"
The jagged voice of Dark grated on Jak's nerves, but he did his best to ignore the demon anyway.
"You should kill her." Dark Jak said simply. "If the bitch's not around, Daxter won't have any reason to be sad. Oh," he added, reveling in the syllable a little too much for Jak's taste. "And that fucker, Jinx too. Yep, that's the way to get our buddy back to his old self."
Jak rolled his eyes before noticing Daxter's concerned look.
"I'm fine." He answered before Daxter could even ask the question. "You know how he gets whenever we're around Light eco."
His orange friend's worried face disappeared instantly and it was replaced with a look of understanding.
"Okay, buddy," he said "Let's get this show on the road."
oo0oo
Daxter's eyes never left the eco vent as they approached it. A sneer emerged on his face before he knew it. He had a love hate relationship with the stuff. To think that a few years ago he and Jak had been absolutely convinced that the junk would be just the thing to rid him of his fuzzy appearance. It was a lucky thing that they'd decided to use it against Gol and Maia's Precursor robot. The though of that adventure sent another sliver of resentment through Daxter's body. It was just another reminder of yet another mishap caused by none other then the glorious orange gods.
Jak stepped on the glowing vent and the both of them were boosted into the air. Daxter floated a few inches off of his friend's shoulder. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as the sensation of the light eco rolled over him. For but a few moments Daxter forgot all his troubles. They all just melted away. All the anger, all the bitterness, none it mattered anymore. It didn't matter that the stuff was useless in solving his problem. All that mattered was the wonderful tingle that only the eco could bring.
The frigid substance filled his lungs, the cold biting at his nose. This had to be the world's most magnificent brain freeze.
They both landed back down to earth with grins on their faces. Jak turned to him, his deep blue eyes brighter then usual, his cheeks rosy, his grin getting even larger. Daxter knew that the merger high he'd received from the eco transfusion was nothing compared to what Jak went through every time. The boy was already glowing and he'd yet to transform.
"That'll shut ol' tall, dark and gruesome up huh, Jakky boy?" He smiled.
"Yeah." The blond boy agreed breathlessly. "Let's get going."
Jak trotted for the ledge and then the light eco took over. The two of them levitated in the air for a second time. Jak's body arched backward going completely rigid as the eerie blue light encompassed his entire form. Daxter watched from his spot in the air, floating a foot or so above. As the ottsel began his descent, Jak's body turned in on itself as a pair of spindly wings erupted form his back. Not a second later the two of them landed with out any trouble, Daxter in exactly the same spot he'd began.
His grip tightened on the now frigid shoulder guard and he faced the radiating countenance of his friend's light form.
"Long time no see." He finally uttered a puff of cooling air evaporated before his eyes. Lucking for him he had fur. Light Jak's body temperature rivaled that of the Snowy Mountains.
Light smiled softly at the ottsel before abruptly making a sprint for the floor edge. Daxter really hated this part. He took a deep breath just as Light made a swan dive off the ledge. Air rushed past the ottsel's ears and try as he might, he couldn't quite fight down the fear that he might just die this time. His hand loosened on the shoulder guard and his eyes grew large at the sight of the endless dark abyss below them.
"I wonder what's at the bottom…" he thought numbly.
His reverie was cut short by a cold hand clamping down on his back. Light Jak jerked upward with a great flap of his shimmering wings. Sparks of eco fluttered form the tips of the shuttering appendages and landed in Daxter's fur. A small smile tugged at the corners of the ottsel's mouth and he dug a hand in Light's powder blue hair. Nope, there would be no dying for him today.
They reached the other ledge in no time at all and Daxter soon found himself bouncing rhythmically on Light's shoulder with each step the alter ego took. The being of light eco energy looked at him out for the corners of his strange undefined eyes. He could tell he was by the slight tilt of his head.
Daxter raised a brow in question. He wasn't afraid of Light. In fact he quite enjoyed when his friend's alternate personality made an appearance. Light reminded Dax of the Jak of old. The one that never talked. Though, Light did talk. It just wasn't in the conventional sense.
"Daxter?"
The sound of Light's voice in his head was still a shock after all this time. You'd think he'd be used to it by now. It sounded as if the ottsel was submerged in water and someone was calling for him to resurface. But that's just the way Light's voice always sounded to him. Always calm, always soothing.
This meant of course, that there was absolutely nothing he could hide from him. Making this the one and only thing Daxter hated about Light.
"I'm fine, blue boy." He sighed.
The being of pure light grinned at him knowingly.
"Daxter, I can always tell when you're lying to me. You know that. I know that something is wrong. Jak knows that something is wrong."
"Blue bastard."
Light snorted at the mental comment. The odd sound of it rattled in Dax's head. He had forgotten that that Light could read his thoughts as well as send them if he wanted.
"Sorry." Light sent. "Just a little slip."
"Sure it was." Dax said with narrowed eyes.
"No, really. I did not mean to pry."
"Look, I already explained this to Jak… if you think I'm upset about Tess and Jinx then you're wrong. Got it buddy? She deserves to be happy and if ol' tobacco breath makes her happy then…'
"You deserve to be happy too, Daxter." Light cut in. "Would being changed back make you happy, Daxter?" He asked, coming to a complete stop.
Daxter turned to Light Jak and sneered.
"Don't make promises you and your body buddy can't keep." He nearly growled.
Light sighed (yet another odd occurrence) and continued walking.
"Jak would do anything to see you happy, Daxter. And so would I."
The ottsel slouched on the glowing boy's shoulder. He knew it was the truth but it didn't make it anymore possible.