"So what's the deal today Hot Stuff?" Nik grinned devilishly as she leaned in on his table mockingly and Torn just rolled his eyes at her impression annoyed. Dax on the other hand seemed to be laughing so hard to himself he was having trouble staying on Jaks shoulder.

"One of my old guard comrades was sent to the pumping station. There's been no word from the patrol, and after what you guys ran into out there, I'm afraid she may need some help…" as the lamp hanging over Torn's desk swung back and forth, Dax switched between different ridiculous expressions every time the light turned his way and returned to normal when it turned away. As Jak stayed focused on what Torn said, Nik giggled softly at Dax's antics. Jak however perked up from his solemn expression when he heard a specific word in Torns speech, almost appearing as if he had not heard a single word other that it…

"Did you say she?" He looked up at Torn with a wide grin on his face, and Torn looked up to him like a mind reader, his expression telling Jak off like a jealous boyfriend. Nik put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow furtively.

"Don't even think about it." Torn suddenly raised a hand against the lamp angrily and Dax covered his head in defense as Torn's stony expression turned to him. "STOP THAT! This is serious you moron."

"Come on Jak, don't you think you know enough beautiful women?" Surprisingly she wasn't referring to herself as she said that and Jak just raised a hand threateningly to Dax as Torn berated him. Dax just raised his hands again with an overzealous yell.

"WHAA! That's right! Don't mess with the sugar." Jak turned hesitatively back to the table as Torn continued his speech and Nik leaned on her elbow as she stared at Torn boredly, stifling a yawn.

"This 'friend' of mine has helped the underground many times before. Go back to the pumping station and take a look around… Render assistance if needed." Torn pointed to the map to show it to them and Dax raised his arm in a salute as his whole body stiffened and his tail shot out like a pin in mocking Torn… Nik suddenly felt the urge to flick him on the head and see if he'd fall over and break like a glass toy. Torn leaned over the desk to point at Dax accusingly. "Now get your squirrelly ass outta here!" Dax blew a long raspberry at him before Jak grabbed him by the neck and turned to leave. Once again, as Jak was eager to leave the old badger alone, Nik was more sympathetic.

"You shouldn't act so jealous of Ashlin Torn. Remaining on the feelings for one person will keep you from any new emotions. She's an army chick. Wouldn't surprise me if she got sick of men and turned lesbian. Don't beat yourself up about losing her." Torn seemed to growl at her uncanny sense of knowing for everything that went on in his head.

"Just go do the mission."

"Ehh, what the hell are we doing risking our lives to rescue some old Krimzon Guard hag anyway! She's probably got more hair than me!" Dax paused in his angry tyrant to scratch behind his ear with his left leg, forgetting that his arms were as free as a humans and he could just as easily reach there. Jak walked forward cautiously to inspect the empty Krimzon Guard zoomer as Nik leaned close to an old Mar symbol and she laid her fingers on it curiously… She suddenly jumped to the side as she heard something and interestingly wound up pushing Jak out of the way getting caught in a headlock instead of him. A fiery redhead with the tattoos of a Krimzon Guard was holding her and she gripped tightly on her wrists where her armor wasn't protecting her, the girls hands turning white in response as Nik attempted to get her to relax them accidentally by cutting off blood circulation. Jak had jumped back and pulled out his gun as the girl aimed he own at Nik's head.

"Who the hell are you three?" Dax didn't miss a beat to flirt as he hummed to himself, a grin all over his face as he took the situation lightly.

"Mmm, I do love a woman in uniform!" Dax made the same glass soldier pose he made for Torn. "Wanna bark some orders at me… Woof… Woof!" The girl looked disgusted as Dax jumped on Niks arm to lean up to the new girls face. Delivering pick-up line after corny pick-up line… "I'm your soldier on the front lines of looooove!" He jumped off and grinned insanely as Jak shook his head and put a hand to his face in embarrassment if she hadn't blown him up already she must be on their side he guessed. "Waiter, Foxhole for two!" The girl pushed Nik away and she stumbled back before Jak caught her and she stood back up. The other girl in the mean time held her gun threateningly to Dax instead. Although her voice pointed out she was merely amused at the fuzzy creature that threw pick-up lines at her like a drunken idiot at a pub.

"Keep talking and I'll raise your voice a couple octaves." Jak held out a hand to signify calmness as Dax's ears flipped back against his skull in response to her threat.

"Easy… Torn asked us to help you." Nik pushed him aside with a grin and leaned on his shoulder as he spoke. She was smiling in a pretty friendly way rather than Jaks cautious approach as if faced by a bear.

"Loosen up Jak, she's a guard, not a metal head. Ashlin, we just came as backup in case you needed help, you're sweetheart sends his best." She turned away about as annoyed as she had been with Dax for teasing her, although she did admire Nik's bold observance. She doubted either of the boys would've noticed… Indeed they seemed to be looking at her as if doubting what she had said. But Ashlin spoke before them.

"I don't need backup… But you might." She pointed up at the cliff behind her zoomer. "We've got company." Nik shot forward and Dax jumped on Jak as they rushed in, Nik eagerly shooting as many metal heads as she could before they got near. Even hitting a few before they managed to jump off the cliff towards them. Ashlin seemed impressed. Over the gunfire she yelled to Jak.

"Where'd you two learn to shoot like that!" Jak yelled back over the commotion with Daxter screaming at him to watch the monsters…

"I used to do this all the time as a kid. Nik never told me why she's a good shot. She just says she's nervous." As the monsters started pushing them back, Jak suddenly ran forward and Ashlin turned to Nik for an explanation but she got it soon enough as a roar echoed from Jak and purple electricity shot out and around him, hitting anything nearby besides Dax, who still clung for dear life to Jaks shoulder pad. The monsters finally stopped their assault and Jak stumbled back, Nik supporting him as he held his head unstably. Ashlin didn't say any more about it however as Jak recovered quickly and the three of them walked back to the ship while Dax rode on Jaks shoulder. He jumped off as they reached the ship however, eager to put the moves on again...

"Watching me take care of those metal heads was, ahh… pretty… exiting… wasn't it sugar?" Ashlin didn't seem to care as she got in and ignored him as Dax continued talking. He yelled over the noise of the machine and fought the exhaust pipe air that blew him back like a toy. "Hey, sweet stripes, gimme' them digits so I can look you up sometime! We'll party hard! Big city style!" Nik couldn't help but chuckle at his brushed off attempts. And before she left Ashlin turned to Nik to speak.

"Tell Torn, Baron Praxis is planning something big. I think it has to do with that symbol." She pointed generally to the artifact Nik had been eyeing the moment they got there. Jak yelled out in response to her words though she seemed to speak to Nik mostly..

"What is it?" He turned to look at the golden circle that looked like a sideways 69.

"It's the seal of the house of Mar. The founder of Haven City. We're being sent on 'suicide missions' to locate artifacts from the time of his rule." She jumped into the seat from the hood where she had previously stood. "If curiosity's worth dying for, you can ask the blind old soothsayer in the bazaar named Onin. She might know something about all this. Here's my bazaar access security pass." She threw it out at Jak and he caught it, putting it at his belt. "We're even now." As soon as she left Dax raised his high-pitched voice as if the motors were still running in his ears.

"What a woman! Arrggh!"

Nik: LOL. My spellchecker wanted to call Onin onion! She kinda looks like one with all those wrinkles and that funny looking hat. I decided to reward Patty-boy with an early chapter since he's writing an 'autobiography' on his past lives. I'm in it so I'm happy. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. And I'm aware I'm jumping around a lot but I didn't want to take back what I said before with Torn and this is the next mission he has stationed.

Shoutouts!

Every Heart Bleeds: I realized I didn't do any shoutouts so here's one! Pat actually is more focused on fantasy than technology.. I'm more into that kind of thing than him, but I figured since the both of us are such comp geeks he would know sommat more than average.

K'sani: I try to break things up a lot but I dun like my paragraphs too be too short you know? I kind of don't like my paragraphs to be any smaller than three lines.

Salina99: I'm really happy that you enjoy my fic, and I'm ecstatic so many other people like it too! I'm in a better mood although I still cant turn my head left, I can now hold my head straight and I worked out any corresponding anger on my friend Leo… let us all have a moment of silence in honor of his patience…