A/N: I'm more than half way through Jak3! It is so cool! Anywho, I'm getting off the subject. I do that often. I'm putting in new characters in this chapter. Sorry if I'm putting in too many characters of my own. I just like my own and other's. This chapter is back at Fort: Dark Warrior with Jak and Nea. Please give a review!
WRTD: Mwhaha! I'm not telling anyone who the Yellow Eco person is! I'll just tell you that the guy will be in the fan fiction more and more. You figure it out in the next chapter when I return back to Black Water. And Rose is so cute! Thanks for the review!
Chapter 16
"Wakie, wakie!" came a joyful voice outside the tent Jak and Nea was sleeping soundly in. "Time for nasty tofu eggs and dirty water!"
It is way too early to get up! Jak thought as he returned from his dreamland to reality. Tubal better shut up before I kill him! And if he comes into this tent it will not be a pretty sight.
Tubal never heard any of Jak's threatening thoughts and pulled the flap of the tent wide open for the sun to shine in and hurt the eyes of the two trying to sleep some more. Nea grunted while pulling her little blanket over her eyes. Jak winced and turned his eyes away quickly.
"Don't do that ever again!" Nea yelled through her blanket. "Unless you want to get hurt." Tubal just smiled widely and yanked the blanket away from Nea and the one on Jak. Jak shivered in the morning cold and gave Tubal an annoyed glare that told him to back off.
"It is Saturday, you two!" Tubal said half with joy and half with sarcasm.
"So," Nea said in the middle of a yawn while stretching her arms out. She looked over to Jak who was still lying on the mat under him and doing nothing to wake himself up. "Get reading, kid," Nea ordered him like a mother would. Jak gave her a glare and she returned it with a fierce stare that made him finally get up.
What is so good about a Saturday? Jak thought to himself as he yawned. I've been here for three whole days and nothing has been going on. And Tubal is going to drive me crazy with his stupid happy-go-lucky attitude. How did he and Nea know each other in the first place? I wonder what is for breakfast.
"Saturday is when all the elves go out and play games," Tubal explained. "The more games someone wins the more hours someone sleeps on Sunday. I've won a few with my team, but never the one player ones. I bet the kid could beat some on his own. Won't you, kid?" he asked while he nudged Jak with an elbow.
Ha, ha, that was so funny Jak thought while he narrowed his blue eyes at Tubal. Everyone knows that I'm the only kid to make it through Dark Eco and survived for at least a day. At least they know I'm good.
Jak had a big reputation in the fort, but he did not know it. Everyone knew who Jak was. He was the kick butt kid who can go through the day running with the best. Unfortunately, for Jak it was either you loved him or hated him. The normal ones in the fort and weak ones loved him because he gave them all hope. The strong ones of the fort hated him because they could not bear that a kid could beat them.
"Let's go," Tubal said as he noticed that both ones in tent 5 were dressed and ready to eat. He grabbed both of their shoulders as he walked between them. Nea smiled and was glad to have a friend from Haven City by her side. They used to be partners working for Torn but when Tubal got captured Nea thought for sure he was dead. Now she got captured and they were back together again.
Jak just gave them both fake smiles and wished Daxter was on his shoulder. It was strange having no weight on one of his shoulders. Jak was so used to have Daxter there with him and talking about almost anything. He was Jak's very best friend and the wistful thought tugged at Jak's heart.
I wonder what Daxter is doing right now he thought as he looked to the ground. He could be dead by now, but Daxter is strong enough to not die so soon. I really hope he is in better shape than I am right now. He has it bad enough being an Osstel. That thought just made Jak laugh in his head and a smile flickered across his face. It was funny to think that Daxter had used to be an elf. Jak thought Daxter was better being half otter and half weasel.
"Eat quickly," Tubal said to them as they picked up some red trays off a stand and went through a line to get breakfast. "The more time we get out there the better chance you two can win some games."
Oh, yah Jak thought with sarcasm as he watched as the lurker serving the breakfast slapped a thing of tofu eggs onto his tray. I guess Tubal was right when he woke us up this morning. How the heck do they make tofu eggs? I always thought it was impossible. I got to stop thinking about how they make it and just eat it without complaining about it in my head.
Jak gave a sigh in his head and set his tray down on a table next to Nea and across from Tubal. Nea started to ask Tubal about the games and Tubal just gave a one-shoulder shrug when she asked him a question. Jak smiled at his ways and started to eat his eggs with a bit of disgust and ignoring the smell.
"Thanks," Nea said to her old pal. "You're being a big help to us today."
"Don't mention it," Tubal said while giving Nea a sly smile. Tubal looked to be around Nea's age or maybe a bit older. He had short brown hair that spiked in all different directions. His eyes were green and flashed with joy. He was someone who always was happy no matter what. He always had a joke ready or support for someone.
"Are you done, kid?" Nea asked Jak while glancing down at him. "We got to hurry."
Jak looked at his half eaten eggs and gave Nea a look that said, "Do you think I want to eat this?" Nea got the look and chuckled while ruffling his hair. Jak bat her away in a friendly manner and she got a smile to come to his lips.
Tubal laughed and said, "C'mon! The games will start soon." Jak threw his eggs out and put his tray in a tub of water with the rest of the used trays. The three ran out the door of the cabin and Tubal jumped down the stairs and did a few flips in the air to show off.
"I was hoping you would fall," Nea said while giving Tubal a smile. "Watch the master work." Nea turned backwards and did two back handsprings and a few flips in the air before landing perfectly onto the ground. "I was always the best acrobat."
How about this? Jak thought as a sly smile came to his face. He backed up and did a roll then sprung off the edge of the first step. He grabbed a poll and did a few acrobatic twists and flips on it before jumping off and grabbing onto a flagpole and twirling around it to the ground.
Nea and Tubal stared at him with wide eyes then broke out with laughter. "That was great," Nea told him while patting Jak on his back.
"Who knew the kid had it in him," Tubal said as they started to walk away.
"You three!" came a shout behind them. All three turned around and saw an angry Krimson Guard coming toward them. "Don't let me catch you doing any of those stunts again!" he barked out at them.
"Don't worry," Tubal said while giving the Krimson Guard a serious nod. The Krimson Guard glared at him and Nea just nodded. The Guard's eyes fell on Jak and they were ice cold. Jak just put on a cocky smile and gave the Guard a two-finger solute. (A/N: I don't know if this is true, but I heard that a two-finger salute means, "I don't care", or "whatever.")
"Move on, then," the Krimson Guard said skeptically and walked off after giving Jak another cold glare.
What was that for? Jak thought while the smile vanished from his face. That Guard has one big problem. Welcome to Fort: Dark Warrior!
The three elves walked to a set of doors that lead into the third part of the fort. One General was there. It was the old guy from the day Jak first got there. He was leaning against the wall and chewing his tobacco as he always did. His big cowboy hat was shading his face but Jak could still see his eyes bore down on him. Right then Jak knew something was going on with him in the fort.
"You better not get hurt in there," he said to Jak as they came up to him. All three stopped and looked over to him with a bit of surprise. Jak rolled his eyes as a response. He did not have time to talk to a wacko General.
"You're not listening to me!" the old guy yelled to Jak while grabbing the front of Jak's shirt and pulling him to his face so the two where staring into each other's eyes. Jak was so surprised he could not react. He could smell of tobacco on the guy's breath and he could see his blood shot eyes clearly.
"Hey!" Nea said to defend Jak. "Kid, get away from him. He's drunk!"
"If you get hurt then we get sued," the old guy spat into Jak's face.
Get your hands off me! Jak screamed to the guy in his head. Jak struggled against the grasp on his shirt, but the guy was surprisingly strong for an old drunken elf. I'm not your beat up toy! Two words: Breath Mints! Now I'm using some of Daxter's language. What is this fort doing to me?
"What are you talking about?" Tubal asked the General cautiously.
"He is too young to be in this camp!" the General yelled at the top of his lungs while swinging Jak around crazily. Jak winced and tried again to get free. "If he gets hurt someone will sue us! Then I lose my job!"
"Calm down!" Nea ordered the General with a bit of worry in her eyes for Jak. "Let the kid go!"
"Here my warning, kid," the old guy whispered to Jak and the teen gulped down his fear. "If we get sued then it is you who will be the first on my list to kill." Then the General threw Jak away and he collided with Nea with a wince of pain.
"Let's go," Tubal said while helping both of his friends off the ground. "The guy is drunk and has to be high or something." Jak got up and dusted himself off as Nea gave the drunken old guy a cold glare. Tubal opened the door and the three quickly went in to play a game.
"That was sweet!" Nea said as she jumped into the air while pumping her fist. Jak smiled real big as he watched her rejoice. They had just won four games in a row and that meant they had four extra hours to sleep the next day. Both really needed it too. Jak was pushing himself so much he needed as much sleep as he could and Nea was just as happy as he was.
"You were great back there, kid," Nea told Jak as they headed for the door back to the tent section of the fort. They had played all day long and were so tiered out and ready for food if they got any.
Jak wiped some dirt off his forehead with the back of his hand and gave Nea another smile to show her that he was listening to what she said. Both were so muddy that it would take four showers to get all the grim off them. Sweat made their clothes a bit damp as well.
"Hey!" came a ruff voice from behind the two. Nea and Jak stopped in their tracks and slowly turned around.
"What do you want, Durgen?" Nea asked with anger in her voice.
"I want the kid," he said while pointing a finger at Jak.
You got to be kidding me! Jak thought as a sick feeling formed in his stomach. Durgen is the strongest guy in this whole fort. What would he want with me? I'm just some teen.
"Leave him alone, Durgen," Nea said while turning around and grabbing Jak by the shoulder. They started to walk away and she whispered to Jak, "I knew Durgen from a little while back. Just don't show him that you're scared of him."
"I'm making a good deal here," Durgen said to them smugly. He was a big guy with mussels on every inch of his massive body. He was tall too with black hair and black eyes to match it. No one wanted to mess with this guy.
"Go away, Durgen," Nea said with annoyance in her voice as they kept walking away from the guy and towards the door.
"Me and the kid go play a game one on one," Durgen said as he walked to them swiftly. "If I win I keep my hours to sleep. I have four. If the kid wins then he gets my hours to sleep in. If I win then I get all the kid's hours of sleep. How about it?"
8 hours! Jak shouted in his mind. I would get 8 hours to sleep in! If I lose it will just be lick a normal day. What do I have to lose? Maybe an arm or leg, but I've kicked butt all day so far. I don't care if Nea wants me to or not. I'm taking him up on the challenge.
Jak stopped and turned around to face Durgen with a cocky smile on his face. Durgen looked a bit surprised that Jak wanted to go against him. Nea had to put on her brakes and her jaw dropped. She could not understand why Jak wanted to go against Durgen.
"We'll play Three Flag, then," Durgen said with a smug smile on his face. "Let's go." He then grabbed Jak by the front of his shirt and headed for the right field to play on.
That does not sound good Jak thought as the smile vanished from his face. Maybe I'm going crazy from being in his fort for so long. That would be the reason why I'm taking this big dude up on his offer. Why am I doing this? I should have just kept walking. Now look at me. I'm about to get killed! I got to stop being so cocky!
Jak was drug by Durgen to a part of the fort that was just big fields. Nea followed right behind and was shouting protests to Jak. Jak just put on a grim smile and let Durgen take him to the field for the game Three Flag.
"Why are you doing this, kid?" Nea asked Jak with frustration and anger in her voice. "Three Flag is like suicide for someone like you. I watched two guys play it a few hours ago. It will be pure luck if you make it out alive."
Oh, thanks for that bit of help Jak thought while giving Nea glare to shut up. I feel so at home in this fort. And you're being very supportive here. I knew I was being too cocky. Next time I see Daxter I'll let him be the cocky one, and I'll sit back and watch him get hurt. If I see Daxter again. These are great thoughts for someone who is just about to get killed.
"Here are the rules, kid," Durgen said while letting go of Jak. "There are six flags on that open field. See them?" Jak looked to the field and saw red and yellow colored flags over the field. He nodded and Durgen went on. "One by one get a flag and bring it past your side. You want your own flags and you don't want the other person to get his flags past his line. You can do whatever you want to the other person and you can steal their flags as well. Your flag color is red. Let's go."
Jak went to the other side of the open field and waited for the horn to blow so they could start. Sweat started to flow down Jak's forehead and he saw his hands shook a little.
"You can do it, kid!" Jak heard Tubal call above the shouts on the sideline. Everyone in the whole fort was watching them. Jak looked over to Tubal and Nea, and they both gave Jak smiles along with some other elves watching.
Jak suddenly felt sure of himself and planted his feet into the ground in a ready stance. He cracked his knuckles and gave his two friends a wink. Jak was ready.
The horn pierced the air and the game began. Bring it! Jak thought as he bared his teeth together and ran into the field. He would show everyone what he was made of. He would win.
Jak sprinted to his first red flag and yanked it out of the ground with a short grunt. He turned to go back to his line and saw Durgen advancing toward him at full speed and his flagpole in his hands. Jak had little time to react.
Durgen swung his pole at Jak head, and Jak ducked just in time and was so close to getting hit he could hear the pole swipe the air above his head. Jak tightened his grip on his pole and jammed it into Durgen's groin area with all his strength.
The big guy was down in two seconds. Jak then ran like his life depended on it, and it sort of was, to his own line to put his flag down. Durgen was only disabled for a little while. Jak had only made the dude mad. Jak heard the crowd cheer loudly as he put his pole into the ground on his side. He turned to get his next flag.
One down and two more to go Jak thought with determination. I have a chance.
Jak ran to his next flag and swiftly got out of the ground. Durgen was right there to fight him again. This time Jak was not so lucky. Durgen swung his fist back and hit Jak in the chin. Jak went with it and fell to the muddy ground. Durgen came down with his pole and Jak blocked him with his own and got Durgen away with a hard kick in the chest.
Durgen backed off and let Jak get up so they could have another go around. Jak got up right away and jumped out of the way when Durgen came down hard with his pole. Jak took the opening and swung around and hit Durgen in the butt with his pole.
Jak heard everyone watching laugh loudly, and Jak smiled when he realized what he had just done. Durgen lashed out with his pole again and nailed Jak in his stomach and took out all his air. Jak backed up while gasping for breath.
"Not so tough now, are you, kid?" Durgen said as he put his foot in Jak's face. He then knocked Jak to the ground again with a rough laugh. Jak flung the mud of Durgen's boot off his face quickly jumped in the air with anger coursing through his body. Jak topped his swift move off with a perfect spin kick to Durgen's head.
Jak then grabbed his pole and ran like hell to his line. He put the pole into the ground and heard the crowd cheer for him again. It gave him just enough strength to go on in the game. He turned around and saw that Durgen was not taking any more chances and had his last pole already in his hands and making for his line.
Jak quickly looked for a way to somehow beat Durgen. He zipped back to when Durgen was telling him the rules and found his only answer. Stealing.
The teen ran as fast as his legs would let him go onto the field once more. On his way toward Durgen he grabbed his pole. In the middle of his running, Jak swung his arm back that held the pole and threw it like he would a javelin. Please let all those stupid years of target practice come back to me right now! He prayed in his head.
By pure luck the pole hit Durgen's head lightly, and he was stunned enough to stop and look behind him. Jak came flying by him and grabbed his pole, the pole in Durgen's hands, and the two on in the ground. By this time Durgen got his head back together and ran after Jak who was running once again to his side of the field.
The sidelines were laughing once again at Durgen's stupid mistake and the fact that a kid was beating him at the game. Durgen was faster than Jak and quickly caught up with him. He jumped into the air and flung himself onto Jak's back.
Jak let go of Durgen's flagpoles and turned around with a wild swing before Durgen hit him. Durgen was too fast and strong. He grabbed the pole with both hands and put all his weight into his next move. He flung the pole into the air and out of Jak's hands. He then brought the pole down onto Jak's back with an evil laugh of his own sick enjoyment.
Jak faded in and out of conscientious. His vision was a bit fuzzy and he hurt all over his body. He could feel his body almost slipping away, but the fight in him was strong and he fought against it. He would not give up so easily. This was more than just a game for extra sleep.
"I'm sick of you beating us," Durgen was saying, but Jak could only hear pieces of it. "It is time that you find your place in life. And your place is being a stupid, little, snot-nosed kid. You hear me?"
Jak mustered everything he had in him. He grabbed a handful of mud and quickly turned over to his back and shoved his hand in Durgen's face. Eat dirt! Jak thought as mud went into the guy's mouth, nose, and eyes. Durgen backed away while spitting the mud out of his mouth.
In the blink of an eye, Jak had his pole in both hands. Well, Durgen Jak thought as he flung himself toward Durgen and a smile flickering across his face. Life is tough… Jak then hit Durgen in the head so hard that the big guy was out cold before he hit the ground. …Get a helmet.
A Krimson Guard ran to Durgen and saw that he was knocked out. He then looked up at Jak with amazement and said for everyone to hear, "The kid wins!"
Jak let out a heavy sigh and dropped his pole while closing his eyes. His adrenaline was pumping so fast he could hardly stand still. The crowd went insane and ran over to Jak to congratulate him for his hard work. Nea and Tubal made it to him first.
"How did you do that?!" they both asked at once with excitement in their voices.
"That was so funny when you hit him on the butt," Tubal said with laughter.
"You now really deserve those extra hours of sleep," Nea told him.
Then the crowd surround Jak. After a few minutes of tons of questions and giving weak smiles, Jak was grabbed by the shoulder and yanked. He did not fight it. He was too worn out to.
A/N: This has been such a long chapter! I hope you liked it. And I'm sorry I did not update in a long time. I've been busy this whole thanksgiving weekend. Tell me if you liked the chapter. I hope it was good. It was done up in a quick way and I did spell check only for half the chapter. Please give a review!