A/N: In this chapter it is winding up to the climax of the story. You see some of Merlander's hidden past. I'll give you more action with Roxie and Daxter. I've been trying hard to put them into the other chapters.

Daxter: "Yeah! You seem to forget who this story is all about, Pix!"

Pix: "Just say the disclaimer, fuzz butt!"

Daxter: "Pix owns nothing from Jak2. She does own a lot of characters in the fic. If you use them she will freak." Whispers to readers, "You do not want to see her pissed off. Word to the wise."

Pix: "I heard that! Shut it or you will really see me ticked off."

Daxter: "Fine. Just get on with the chapter. I want to see what happens. And when do I save Jak?"

Pix: "Next chapter will be a Jak chapter. And be patient, Daxy. You 'rescue' Jak at the very end of this fan fiction. So sit still."

Daxter: "Daxy!"

Pix: laughing insanely.

Chapter 30

The sun was setting fast on Haven City. Night was creeping up on it quickly. The sun was setting on the horizon as if it did not want to leave. A beautiful sunset was displayed in the sky overhead, but the Elves in the city did not care. They just wanted to get to bed that night and sleep.

A hood was pulled over his head to keep his face in darkness. The only thing on lookers saw was the shadows on his face. No one knew who he was. He walked down the dirty streets in the Slums waiting for the person to come and meet him.

A hand reached out from an empty dead end street and grabbed the guy into the alley. The boy flipped his hood off and smiled at Simon with his glowing yellow eyes seeming to get brighter. Akki had been waiting to talk to Simon in a long time.

"You have to help me, Simon," Akki said with his smile fading.

"Quiet, young one," Simon said in a firm yet calm voice that soothed Akki's nerves. The man grabbed the teen's shoulder and lightly pulled him into the shadows on the street so no one could see them talk to each other. "What do you need?" he finally asked while looking around to make sure no one else was with them.

"Merlander will not let me be leader," Akki said. "You said I should be. The teen is too busy with everything else to pay much attention to Black Water. With me leading the team I could put my full attention into it. Plus, I think Merlander is just messing with my team."

"You call it your team," Simon said with a warm smile. "Akki, do you really want to lead this team?" Simon put his hands on the boy's shoulders while looking straight into Akki's eyes. Akki nodded his head with no hesitation. "I can't lead the team any more, young one. I do not trust Merlander either."

"I do not know where he got all those strange ideas about you being a traitor," Akki said with his eyes glowing more with hatred. "You would never do that to us. Would you?"

Simon looked like the questioned had stung him. "Why would I betray Black Water?" he asked. "You kids are like my very own. Merlander just wants to forget me. It is not his fault, though. He has gone through many pains. The best way he gets through it is to forget ones he love. He tells you these things so you will forget about me. Do not hate him so much. He is only human."

"But how could he say that about you?" Akki said. "You and him were close to each other."

Simon nodded, but it was all a big lie to the boy in front of him. Really Merlander and him were like total opposites. Merlander and him had pretended to like each other, but on the inside Simon knew the teen never liked him. The boy's head was locked up tight, though. Simon could never read his thoughts, but he could still get vibes. Merlander's vibes were standoffish when he was around Simon. But soon the man would know every single thought of the teen's.

"Maybe you could talk to him," Akki said. "If he really saw you and you two talked maybe he would let me be leader."

This was the perfect thing for Simon. "Then please tell me where you are staying," Simon said in a rush. "Because I'm still under the Baron. He has a tracking device on me, and he only lets me out for a few minutes of the day. Please hurry, young one."

"We are changing houses," Akki said. "Merlander thinks it is best, but I would rather stay where we are now. But we are moving to a place still in the Slums. It is…"

"That's the last box," Merlander said while resting the box on the ground of their new home. Torn had lived up to his promise and moved Black Water to a larger home in the Slums. The person letting them live with them was only one man who worked for the Underground. He was happy to let them move in. Torn was even paying him a little for it.

"Good," Bo said while looking down at the box. She had Rose sitting on her hip. The little eco elf let out a little giggle as Merlander ticked her nose. "Stop messing with her, Mer," Bo said while moving away. "She is starting to get too heavy."

"Well, you're no fun at all," Merlander said while folding his arms in front of him. "Fun sucker!"

"Ch!" Bo said while glancing over her shoulder at him. "You're really mature!"

"Where do I sleep?" Flash said while zipping into the room with a flash of blue. He started to jump up and down while staring up at Merlander. "Do I get my own room? Please can I get one!"

"You're sharing one with me, buddy!" Merlander said while bending down to Flash's eye level.

"But you're never here," Flash said with sadness in his voice. "I don't like sleeping alone."

"Then why do you want your own room?" Merlander said with a short laugh. Flash thought about it then shrugged. Bo and Merlander laughed at the kid's actions. "I'll tell you what, Flash," Merlander said. "I'll try to be here as much as I can for now on. But you can't forget that I do have other work."

"What about Akki?" Flash asked. Before Merlander could answer, Flash had too much energy built up in him. He started to run around the living room in a big burst of energy. He finally stopped in front of Merlander and smiled.

Merlander was used to him doing that. "He will sleep in the same room," he said. "So you will have him to talk to all night if I'm not there. Where is Akki anyway?"

"I have no idea," Bo said from across the room. She was looking for one of her gadgets in a box. "Has anyone seen my wrench? I need it for the thing I'm working on!"

"I don't know where it is," Merlander said with a shrug. "You packed everything, miss organized."

Bo frowned at him then gave him a look that said, "Help me!"

"Let me hold Rose for a second," Merlander said. Bo gave a frustrated sigh and handed the baby over to him. She was about to give Rose to him when she turned pale with fright while looking behind the teen. Merlander felt a gun tip up against his back, and he froze.

"Moving party and no one invited me!" said Erol while walking up to Merlander and his group. The evil guy gave a laugh and said, "I would love to help you guys, but I have other business."

"What do you want, Erol?" Merlander said through clenched teeth.

"This is it, Merlander," Erol said with a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Black Water is dead from this moment on. We are taking all the eco freaks to prison." As he said this, Krimson Guards came around and started to handcuff all of the team. They could do nothing. They were in total shock.

"But you're special, Merlander," Erol said while coming up to Merlander. "The Baron wants to talk to you." He started to handcuff Merlander with a wicked smile on his face. Merlander's head was spinning too fast to really notice the world around him. His whole world was falling apart! His life would never be the same after this.

Erol motioned for Merlander to follow him. At first the teen would not move, but the Krimson Guard shoved the gun into his back to make him move. Merlander followed Erol out of the house. The person who had let the group live there was knocked out on the ground in front of the house. A pool of blood came from his head. The sight made Merlander's stomach turn.

Erol got into a big Krimson Guard cruiser, and Merlander was shoved into the seat next to him with his hands still handcuffed tightly. Erol started up the cruiser, and it hovered off the ground. He pressed a few buttons in silence as Merlander watched him carefully. Erol then flew the cruiser higher than the city and headed for the palace.

After a few minutes of complete silence, Erol had to talk. He could feel Merlander's eyes bore on him, and he could not take it anymore. He glanced over to Merlander with sharp eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Mer," he said. "It will not be that bad. They will just get the information they need then maybe send you to the Wasteland. But only you and I know that you were born there."

"Now it is Mer?" Merlander asked with anger in his voice. "Back there it was Merlander. Now I'm suddenly your friend again? Stop fooling around with me, Erol! I'm stupid! You always thought I was stupid when we were kids. I'm not a kid anymore. I know what is going on."

"Now you're bringing up when we were kids," Erol said while rolling his eyes. "That was in the past, Mer. We are now two different people. I'm not letting some simple friendship when I was a kid get in my way today."

"It was not simple, Erol," Merlander said while shaking his head. "We were best friends for years! Don't you remember when first met? We had a bond."

"Yeah," Erol said quietly while looking ahead. "I remember."

It was hard not to remember when the two first met each other. They were both 15 in Elf years and had been out at the Pumping Station at night. Metal Heads had suddenly attacked them, and they ran into each other. Really, they slammed into each other. The two had worked together to fend off the Metal Heads and stay alive. After that the two NEVER left each other side.

Erol was more of the leader because he was always better than Merlander in everything. The only thing Merlander seemed to be better at was racing on zoomers. But Erol being the better of the two really was the thing that separated them. The Baron had seen only Erol's skills.

The Baron had needed a right hand man, and Erol had been perfect. The job had really been for Merlander because the Baron had promised his mother he would do that for him. Merlander had striven to take the place. He did not care what he had to do while doing the job. He just wanted it. Too bad Erol had cut in at the last minute and stole it right from under the teen's nose.

Erol's cruiser flew up to the zoomer bay and landed next to the door where a few Krimson Guards were waiting for him. Erol got out while turning the keys without a word. He never looked at Merlander. He only motioned for the Krimson Guards to take Merlander and to follow.

Merlander walked behind Erol with a frown on his face. How could he do this to him? He was wondering if fate was not on his side. For a few years it seemed that Merlander could make a good living. But today nothing would go right for him. Hatred started to swell up in the teen as he stared at the back of Erol's head with a gun pointed at his own.

His whole life had been a mistake. His mom had been living in the Wasteland because she had been a castaway. She had been so depressed that first night in Spargus City, that was the oasis of the Wasteland and ruled by one called Damas, she had gotten herself drunk. Well, one thing lead to another with the young girl, andshe had sex with another guy. She was then pregnant and had Merlander. His birth was a mistake. She never wanted him. He was just like a reminder to her of her biggest mistake in her whole life.

Merlander had grown up in the Wasteland on his own. He had no father, and his mom never wanted him in the house. He never went to school because there were not very many kids in Spargus at this time. Merlander had spent most of his time wondering around the small city. When he was older he had grown interest in the dun buggy type vehicles that were for riding outside the city walls. He had taken off with a few to explore another world outside the city gates. That was why he was so good at driving zoomers once he and his mom were accepted back into Haven City.

Now all Merlander could think about was how his life had gone down the drain. He was even not supposed to be alive! He was just one big failure. Was this his only future? To be thrown around like a toy till they had what they wanted? Being back in the Wasteland would be fine, but he could not let his team be left in the hands of the Baron. He would have to come back to the city to save them. But how could he do that? This was just not his day.

The group walked into the throne room. The only sound was the clinking and clanking of the Krimson Guard's armor and the quiet footsteps as the Elves walking swiftly over the floor. The Baron sat in his chair with a wide smile on his face. Simon stood by his side with his face blank. His hands were behind his back as always while his eyes were focused on Merlander.

Merlander glanced at Simon while coming in, and his eyes narrowed at the man in pure hatred. This was mainly Simon's fault. Merlander quickly looked at the Baron smiling down at him from his high chair. It was another thing Merlander hated. The man was always looking down on him. Merlander did not return the smile. His frown only hardened. These were the men who would crush his only life then leave him alone to pick up the tiny pieces left behind. This would be the beginning of the end.

"So glad you could make it, Merlander," the Baron said with a cold tone to his voice.

"Just get on with it, Praxis!" Merlander snapped back at his uncle with anger slipping into his voice. He had never felt so much hate in his life before. "Everything is a game for you," Merlander went on bravely with his voice more steady this time. "I'm just one tiny piece that you want to control. The city is just your playing board. Why don't you grow up and stop playing the game. Get to the real life!"

"Don't talk like that to your Baron!" Praxis yelled at his nephew while standing up. Merlander locked his hard, violet eyes on the Baron. The look could kill the man. For a few seconds the Baron did feel a bit scared from his nephew's stare. He then walked down the steps of his throne and came up to Merlander. "You WILL obey me someday! So get your attitude fixed right now!"

"You don't need me," Merlander said while making his hands into tight fists. "Everything I know you know. Just throw me into the Wasteland and be done with me."

The Baron looked at Merlander for a long time then smiled. He then started to chuckle, and a shiver went down Merlander's spine. "You have no idea what I plan to do with you," Praxis said to the teen with a wide grin on his face. "Just you're last sentence told me so. I'm not done with you yet, boy."

Merlander's stomach dropped as if he was on the highest roller coaster known to mankind. He suddenly felt cold, and his cocky appearance quickly vanished into thin air. What was the Baron planning to do with him? The question kept turning over in the teen's head as he watched his uncle sit back down in his chair.

"Merlander, you're now part of my palace," the Baron went on with that same smile on his face as before. Merlander looked back up at him with defeat in his eyes. The light had gone out of him. This was his punishment for living. "You will stay in here at all times unless I tell you that you can go out. And to make sure you obey my every command I had someone make something for me to keep you in control. Say hello to your new best friend. The Shock Wristband."

Erol pulled out a silver wristband from somewhere. It was made of thin metal. Erol came over to Merlander and grabbed his arm. Merlander pulled back to put up a useless attack. Erol finally clipped on the wristband on Merlander's right arm. It was tight on the teen's arm, and the cold metal made Merlander shiver again.

"It works perfectly," the Baron went on while seeing Merlander's discomfort. "When you're heartbeat goes up a little you will feel pain. Anything that is stress related the wristband will give you pain. And when you go anywhere outside the palace it will instantly kill you."

"If I'm this important to keep then why do you have something that would kill me?" Merlander said with a slight smile. He was trying hard not to freak out. His heartbeat was already started to speed up, and he could feel a small shock of pain from his wrist. The thing was working already.

"Are you willing to try to see if I'm bluffing?" the Baron asked Merlander. The teen frowned and did not answer. Merlander was not the suicide type. He would not try to escape if he knew it would kill him. Plus, his mind was already working on a plan to rescue his friends. How could he do that if he was dead?

"What should we do with him now?" Erol asked the Baron without glancing over to Merlander.

Simon answered for the Baron. He took a step forward with his hands still behind his back. He seemed relaxed, almost as if he was happy. "Take him to his room, Erol," Simon said. He stole a glance toward Merlander and saw the teen's pure hatred for him. Simon looked back to Erol and added, "I'll wait awhile before getting the information I need from him. The process takes a lot of focus. I will need to meditate."

"Go now," Praxis said to Erol with a wave of his hand. "I'm almost starting to get bored." Erol nodded and motioned for his Krimson Guards to follow him with Merlander. One Krimson Guard shoved the teen forward, and he stumbled to catch his balance. He looked down at his wrist and gave a small wince once they were out of the room. The pain was getting worse, and it was starting to really hurt. How was he to get out of this one?

"This is getting boring," Daxter said with no emotion in his voice. He was sitting on a rock in Haven Forest watching Roxie play around with her green eco powers. Merlander had said to meet him there that morning. He was an hour late. They had not seen him around the city all day. No one knew where he was.

"He said he would come," Roxie said while forming a green eco ball in her hand. She threw it in the air and caught it behind her back with her other arm. "Besides," she added with a shrug. "What else are we going to do around the city. We have already mapped out the whole place about a dozen times."

Daxter looked over the side of his rock that was far above Roxie. He grabbed some grass nearby and sprinkled some down on her head out of boredom. He heard her scream as the grass fell into her face. She swatted the air while glowing green to protect herself. She had totally flipped out. Daxter started to laugh at her from a safe distance on his rock.

"You're as evil as me, you know that?" Roxie said to him while realizing what he had done. "Don't do that again, fuzz butt!" She looked up and saw his head stick up from around the rock above her. His little ears were perked up, and he gave her a funny smile while dropping more grass down on her. She screamed while covering her head. "Don't make me come up there!" she yelled up to him through giggles.

"You suck!" Daxter yelled back down to her. He threw more grass down on her. He suddenly heard her climbing up the cliff and stopped. He looked over the edge and saw a hand shot up into his face missing his face by an inch. He gave a short yell of surprise while backing up.

"Well, you suck times infinity," Roxie said while climbing up over the edge of the cliff. She gave Daxter a wicked smile and grabbed him. "Now what should I do with you?" she asked him while holding onto his body tight so he would not escape.

"Put me down!" he yelled while laughing. She started to tickle under his foot with her same evil smile. "No! Stop!" he said in between laughs. He started to kick her to get free. "I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" Roxie repeated while now tickling both of his feet.

"Yes! Anything you wish!" Daxter said while laughing more. "Just stop!"

"Kay!" Roxie said while letting him go. He fell to the rock floor with a thud on his butt. "I love it when the good guy wins!"

"Don't do that again," Daxter said while getting up and brushing his fur off. "That was totally evil."

"I told you to stop throwing that grass," Roxie said while folding her arms in front of her. She looked down at Daxter and saw him look down with a sad expression on his face. He was having that look often. "You okay, Daxy?" she asked him while bending down to his height.

"Fine," Daxter said while snapping back into his normal mode. He looked over to her with his eyebrows raised as if she was seeing things. "Why do you ask?" he asked while scratching one of his ears with the one of his back legs like a dog would.

"You just seem sad," Roxie said with a shrug.

"It was nothing," Daxter said with the wave of his hand. "It was just that Jak was the only one who knew that my feet was the only place where I felt ticklish. It is no big deal. I've just been missing him a lot lately. It has been more than a year since I last saw him."

"Merlander said he was trying to rescue him," Roxie said with a reassuring smile. "Once Jak completes his training he will come back to the city, and we can rescue him there. You just have to wait. We'll rescue him soon."

"Good," Daxter said with a nod. "Because sitting on your shoulder is starting to get dangerous, and I don't feel all that safe anymore."

"I'm safe!" Roxie said with a frown. "I'm flowing with green eco!"

"And you keep calling me names," Daxter said while crossing his arms and staring up at her.

"I do not!" she snapped back.

"Let's see," Daxter said while rolling his eyes. "There is fuzz ball, fuzzy, fuzz butt, Orange Lightning, and let's not forget my favorite, Daxy."

"But I love the name Daxy," Roxie said with a giggle. "And you are fuzzy. Get used to it."

"No more names," Daxter said to her. She gave a short laugh then looked up at someone rushing toward them. "Who's that?" Daxter asked while climbing up to her shoulder for a better look. It was not Merlander. Daxter squinted and recognized the person first. "It's Akki!"

Akki ran up to them all out of breath. He did not stop running and grabbed Roxie's arm. He pulled her behind a tree and looked around with wide eyes of fright. Roxie just looked confused as Akki pinned her against the trunk of the tree. What was his problem?

"What the heck is going on?" Daxter asked Akki loudly while climbing up to Roxie's head.

"Quiet!" Akki said quickly while looking up to Daxter. He then focused his attention back to Roxie and looked her straight in the eyes. He looked scared. "Roxie," he said after taking a deep breath. "I think I've done something really bad."

"Akki?" Roxie asked him with confusion. She was scared also because she was pinned against the tree and his grip on her shoulders could crush her bones. "What is going on?"

"It all started a few weeks ago when I saw Simon in the streets," Akki said quickly. He kept glancing around the forest like a cornered mouse. "We kept meeting at the same time, and he said that I should become leader because he did not trust Merlander. Well, I started to watch Merlander closely, and I did not trust him either. But Simon said he would like to speak with Merlander, so I told him yesterday where Black Water was moving today. I could not help the team because Krimson Guards stopped me while I was on my way to the house. Well, I was totally wrong and never saw it till it was too late."

"Whoa, slow down there, dude!" Daxter said with eyes wide. Roxie winced because Akki's grip was getting tighter with every word said. Akki looked up to Daxter and relaxed just a little. "What happened?" Daxter asked slowly. "We need to know what happened to Black Water."

Akki was freaking out now. "Simon is really working for the Baron!" he said. "I told him where Black Water was, and he went in there this afternoon and killed the owner of the house. Erol took Merlander to the palace for Simon to suck the information out of him. The rest are being tested on because of their eco abilities. Bo is going to be forced to build stuff for him. The Baron now has so much power in the palm of his hand, and it is all my fault!"

"Akki!" Roxie yelled with pain in her eyes. "How could you trust Simon like that!"

"I think he was controlling my mind with his Mind Speaking," Akki yelled back. He was a complete mess as he suddenly just dropped to the floor and held his head in his hands. "Now he is after us. I just totally killed off the only people I loved! It is all my fault!" Tears started to spring to his eyes as he thought about it.

Daxter and Roxie shared a glance at one another. They both winced while looking back down at Akki in a ball on the ground. Before the two could comfort the teen, a gun was shot and missed Daxter by less than an inch. Roxie gasped in surprise, and they both saw the mark the laser left in the tree behind them.

"We got to get out of here," Roxie said while yanking Akki to his feet. Daxter slipped to Roxie's shoulder as she took off into a sprint with Akki right behind her. They ran blindly through the forest. Krimson Guards followed right behind while shooting at them constantly. Roxie glowed green to protect herself and let Akki get in front of her so she could protect him.

They came out to a clearing with a drop into darkness. The only way to get to the other side was some precursor railing. Akki skidded to a stop with Roxie almost bumping right into him. Daxter hopped off Roxie's shoulder and started to crawl across the rail quickly to show the two Elves that they were not stopping here.

"We have to cross this," Roxie said. "Just be careful," she told Akki. She took a step out and carefully made her way across the single rail. She could hear the Krimson Guards coming up from behind her. Halfway across the rail she saw Daxter frown and point behind her to tell her that they enemy had arrived.

"Hang on!" Akki called to her. He jumped on the rail and slid down it. He bumped into Roxie and pushed her onto the other side. She quickly turned around and grabbed Akki's arm. She glowed green just in time when the Krimson Guards started to shoot at them again. She transferred some of her green eco to Akki and felt like she was taking away some of his yellow eco. It was a strange feeling to her.

They started to run again. Daxter jumped up to Roxie's shoulder once again with a grim smile on his face. They had mapped out this part of Haven Forest, so he knew where Roxie was heading. They jumped down a steep little cliff. By this time they were out of breath and lucky that there were not shot. Roxie grabbed Akki's arm once again when they came up to a two way section.

"Where are we going?" Akki asked her while gasping for breath.

"The portal is the only way out of here," Roxie said quickly. She picked up the pace and dragged Akki behind her. "If we get into the city we can blend in, and the Krimson Guards will never know where we went."

"They would have deactivated the warp gate already," Akki said to her.

"They thought they would capture us already," Daxter answered while looking ahead. "Krimson Guards never think ahead. I don't think they even know how to deactivate it. Just keep running no matter what."

"What?" Akki asked him with confusion.

"Jump!" Roxie yelled while leaping into the air off a cliff. Akki had no time to register what was going on and jumped off with her with a yell. Daxter closed his eyes and held tightly to Roxie's shoulder for his dear life. The girl burst into green eco while falling in mid air. They landed on the cliff with a warp gate.

"Wow!" Daxter said while opening one eye and looking around. The other two were leaning over panting to catch their breath. "Now that was sweet! We just fell more than 100 feet!"

Roxie shook her head while listening to her fuzzy friend. For the first time in her life she was kind of freaked out. Akki said nothing, but you could still tell he was freaked because his hands were slightly shaking. He closed his eyes while rubbing his forehead. Roxie cooled herself off by taking off her pirate hat and fanning herself with it.

"Time to go," Roxie said while grabbing his shoulder and pushing him toward the warp gate. They both jumped through to the other side. The small group ran out of Haven Forest in a flash. Roxie jumped into a two-seat zoomer and turned the keys sharply. "We are out of here," she muttered and turned the zoomer in the right direction.

"What are we going to do?" Akki asked Roxie as they flew into the main part of the city. The Krimson Guards were no where to be seen, so it was time to talk.

"I'm hungry," Daxter chimed in with a perky tone to his voice.

"Good idea," Roxie said while turning to go to the Bazaar. "I'm hungry too."

"Are you guys even listening!" Akki almost yelled at them. He ran his fingers through his brown hair while shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yeah," Daxter answered him with a small smile. "But I can't think if I have nothing in my stomach. And we can't go back to Roxie's house. We should hang around the city tonight just to be safe."

"We are here," Roxie said while jumping off the zoomer. Akki hesitated for a few seconds, but he finally followed her. He could not stand to be alone. "Man, a good fish burger sounds real good right now! How 'bout you, Dax?"

"Yeah," Daxter said with a shrug. "I just need to calm down. My heartbeat is sky high still."

"Baron Praxis is so going to pay for what he is doing to us," Roxie said while sitting down at a stool at Brutter's little hut. Daxter jumped off her shoulder and landed on the table. Akki sat down next to her with a silent nod of agreement. "This day will always come back to haunt him," she seethed through clenched teeth.

A/N: How was the chapter? The ending was not a big cliffhanger, but I think it did well. Next chapter will be of Jak. I'm sure you people can't wait for that one. I'm sorry I could not respond to reviews. I'm going to be busy, so I can't do them. I'm starting to feel like Merlander now because for the past three to four weeks I've been having only three hours every night. I know. That was totally random. But please give a review. Thanks!