Author's Note/Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or places or thingies from any of the Jak games, they all belong to good ol' Naughty Dog.
I blame this fic on the anime Kite. (Which I don't recommend, by the way, unless you're a fan of over the top gore and downer endings.) It's kinda weird, I'll admit, and not my usual style, but I still think it's interesting. To make it simple for people, let's say it falls sometime after Jak X after they've all returned to some semblance of normalcy back in Haven. Got that? Good. And, because I feel like it:
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin…
"Pointless"
By Skylark Starflower
Started and finished November 1st, 2005
The silence was almost absolute as he lay there, back against the cold pavement. His eyes were sad, almost resentful as he started up at the sky. He'd never really taken the time before to just watch the clouds go by, and he had to admit it was rather appealing.
Pointless. That's what this was. The whole thing was so damn pointless. And there was nothing he could do.
"Why don't you go out, take a walk and clear your head?"
Her voice. He wished he could hear it now, and not just a memory, an echo inside his head. But the words brought him back, and he couldn't stop himself from remembering how he'd ended up here.
X X X
"What?" He looked up from the papers piled in front of him to the woman standing in front of the desk.
"You've been working yourself too hard lately. Take a break. Go outside and get some air," she replied.
"But what about these reports? You wanted them finished for tomorrow and I'm not even half done yet," he protested.
"I'll give you an extension. Now go." With that, she forced him out of his chair and pushed him towards the door, a smirk on her face.
"Okay, okay. I'm going." He shook his head, rolling his eyes, unable to stop a crooked smile from crossing his face.
"Report back in an hour, solider," she called out, only half joking. He nodded to show he'd heard and slipped out the door and into the cool, crisp air. It would be snowing soon, he realized. Haven City didn't get a lot, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He didn't much care for the cold, but he had fond memories of playing in the snow as a child. He found he missed being able to build a proper snowman.
Dammit, he cursed mentally. There was no better way to depress himself than to think about his childhood. Where had it all gone wrong? When had he lost his innocence? War, he reflected, had a habit of changing people, and he wasn't sure he liked what he'd become.
He shook his head, pushing the dark thoughts aside. His body had been moving on autopilot while he'd been lost in his thoughts, and he discovered that he'd been heading towards the slums, following a path he'd taken so many times before. He decided to keep following it, not having anywhere else better to go.
The cracked roads were practically deserted; most people had stayed home where it was warm. This didn't bother him. He was used to being alone.
It didn't take him long to reach the familiar turnoff. He'd never forget how this part of the city looked, having spent most of his time with the underground here.
He stopped short when he noticed there was someone else at the other side of the cul-de-sac. The girl turned, noticing his presence. They both stood, silent and still, watching each other for several minutes. He didn't know why she alarmed him so. She was just a girl, couldn't be older than fifteen. Her eyes, however, were cold and calculating, empty of emotion. She was sizing him up.
He didn't move as she walked over to him. He continued to hold motionless even as she pressed the barrel of a gun against his gut.
"Sorry." Her voice was a dead as her eyes as she pulled the trigger.
X X X
His fingers did nothing to staunch the flow of blood. He was bleeding to death and he didn't know why.
Pointless.
He wanted to scream, to vent his frustration, but he didn't have the strength left. Would things have been the same if it had been anyone else? He'd never know now. So he did the only thing he could.
Everything seemed more peaceful when you watched the clouds. They'd turned from puffy white cotton balls to a solid sheet of steel grey, as if reflecting his mood. He barely noticed when the first snowflakes began to land on his face, his senses fading.
"Sorry, Ashelin," he whispered, "I…won't be able to…finish those reports…"
Torn's eyes slid closed.
The End