Author's note: Thanks guys for your reviews. I finished my exams but I'm gonna move house soon, so another complication for me to post chapters. Sorry about this but I probably wont post for a week or until I get settled but I will post. I wont leave you dangling in the wind...

Thanks for your reviews, I finally know how dangerous chickens can be... Also I encourage anyone who reads my fic to review, not because it makes me look good or anything (while that is tempting) I just want some feedback on how I can improve in my writing (other than spelling and grammer, I know I'm horrible). Your opinions matter! Hmmm maybe I should be one of those spokes people for elections. We need you, your vote counts :-P.

Anyway. Enjoy!

Jak leaped forward past Sig and onto a limp body. It was female, as he could tell with an accidental grip of her chest but before he could react the charged Dark Eco struck. His voice screamed as the pain filled his muscles making them convulse and cramp.

He struggled to stay off the female body as his muscles threatened to collapse. He poured all his determination and effort to using himself as a shield. He knew he would survive and she would survive if he could keep the Dark Eco away from her. He could feel his dark alter ego awaken and merge with the injected power. He could feel the old feelings of hate and rage bubbling within him as frightening memories filled his mind.

"Jak?" a voice practically yelled

It was female and it was hard as well. He recognized it as Ashelin's voice, through the static and ringing in his own ears. He tried to quell his yelling and voted to clench his teeth instead but his face was screwed with pain. Darkness was raging in him as if the light he had received fled from his soul...

"Jak hold on!" Ashelin tried to encourage him. Jak knew she had quick wit and had figured what was happening.

Suddenly there was a loud clank and the machine shut down. Jak was thankful that it was over. He guessed Sig turned it off. He felt so weak and so tired but he didn't want to collapsed on top of the ex-Krimzon Soldier. He swayed a bit before he pushed himself to the side and landed onto the floor. Flat on his back, unable to move.

"Jak!"

Next thing Jak knew was a hand behind his head and another on his cheek.

"Jak?" Ashelin's voice called

"He's out if it cherry" Sig's voice inputted, "We better get him back to Spargus"

Jak wanted to say something to tell them he was awake but he couldn't function properly. In the back of his mind he knew it was a side effect from the Dark Eco injection. His body was limp and in pain and some of his muscles were still cramping. So instead he fell unconscious again as his mind retreated from the world and into the darkness.

You must fight it...

A familiar voice reached his ears

Dark Eco, as you have experienced, turns you bitter and angry, with the turning of madness...

Jak's eyes rolled underneath his closed eyelids struggling to wake up.

You have let it consume you to the point of turning you bitter and angry and drive everyone away by making you do things you are not aware of until the last moment...

Jak squeezed his eyes before they popped open. It didn't make a difference to him since he was still seeing grey swirls. He felt sore and tired. He focused on his Light Eco power until he was reconnected with his surroundings. He was laying on a stone floor, on a sleeping mat with a cover over him.

He sat up a bit shaky but he could hold his own for the moment. He could sense a small group of life forces a few meters away. He couldn't distinctly tell them apart yet but he knew they were his friends. He pulled the covers off and rose up off the floor.

He knew he was back in Spargus by the feeling of the large stone room. He could feel the protection of the cool stone walls, hear the whispers of the running water and feel the life force of the indoor plant life in the room. It was inviting as he sensed the atmosphere was safe. It gave him a sense of security.

Jak walked over to the group. He felt strange. He could feel something within him that was stirring. He felt angry and irritated as if he was on edge as hidden rage threatened to lash out. He felt someone come to his side as he almost stumbled over.

"Easy" a cool voice soothed, he knew instantly it was Ashelin.

"What happened?" Jak asked

"You saved my life" Ashelin replied

"From what I heard you were injected with Dark Eco in place of Ashelin" Samos specified on hearing Jak's question

"That's why I feel... strange" Jak murmured

"I don't think we should play that old man's game anymore" Sig said sensibly, "You almost got you killed"

"What's his name again?" Jak asked having a temporary memory blank

"Rygar" Ashelin repeated with cold fury, "He use to be second in command to my father before Errol. Their meetings were always in private and behind closed doors. After a few years Rygar retired and I never heard from him again"

"Until now" Jak snarled

"I don't know what he up to but you go to be careful Jak. He's a known strategist, like Torn, and plans to the final detail" Ashelin warned

"All the more reason to get the others back" Jak pointed out

"Correct me if I'm wrong golden boy but be almost killed you!" Sig pointed out, "You were out for days"

"Days?" Jak perked up in surprise, "How long?"

"Three" Sig replied

"I got to get back out there..."

"You're not going anywhere" Sig put his foot down, "You can't even stand up!"

"I've got to" Jak said stubbornly, "Time is what we don't have!"

"You have to rest" Samos told him, "You suffered an intense Dark Eco injection. Your body needs time to heal as well as your spirit"

Jak suddenly felt a surge of anger swelled inside of him, Why are they all opposing me? Don't they see the others don't have much time left! Everyone will die and it will be my fault!

"I don't need rest!" Jak snapped, "I'm fine!"

"Jak-" Ashelin tried to reason

Jak yanked his arm away from her grip, "If you wont do it then I will! I can do this myself!"

Jak felt Sig stepped in front of him, "You're not going anywhere! We haven't heard from the old Krimzon Guard and in your condition you're too weak to go anywhere!"

Jak's anger grew further as his face twisted in rage, "Get the hell out of my way! I can go where ever I want to and you are not going to tell me different!"

Sig didn't falter from his rage.

"Jak calm down!" Samos's voice commanded, "The injection intensified your emotions. You need to control yourself"

"Cram it!" Jak snapped to Samos before turning back to Sig, "If you don't move then I'll make you move!"

Sig stood like a rock refusing to budge. Jak gritted his teeth as his anger was channelled to physical from. Jak changed into his dark alter ego as Sig raised his gun and pointed at Jak.

"Boys please, the last thing we need is a fight" Samos tried to defuse the situation, "Sig let him go"

Sig held his stance staring at Jak's black murky eyes before giving into Samo's request.

"Fine chillipepper. There's no point in reasoning with you" Sig snapped before stepping aside, "Just don't expect back up"

Jak changed back then passed Sig to reach the elevator, "I don't need any back up"

Jak was once again in Haven City. He was fuelled by anger and bitterness. He saw people around him walking, continuing their lives as if nothing was wrong. Even the Freedom soldiers seemed undeterred by the new command, unless they were kept in the dark about what happened to the HQ...

Jak entered the slums when he felt a familiar life force signature.

Jak stopped and growled, "Rygar"

"Did you like your injection?" Rygar's deep voice mocked

"I'm sick of your games!" Jak snapped

"Already? We hardly began!"

"Just tell me where the others are!" Jak growled

"I can tell you where one of them is" Rygar stated, "Eco mines are the place to go, if you want to face your biggest foe. Heroes don't need weapons to prove their worth as mockeries will be their mirth. You'll be a fool if you ignore the biggest threat of them all"

"I'm not in the mood for riddles! Just tell me!"

"Oh but where's the fun in that?" Rygar's voice teased, "Its part of the game. If you don't want to play then you don't want to save your friends"

Jak growled knowing this guy was pulling his chain.

Rygar's voice went hard, "You think you have a choice but you don't. Sooner you realize that then the sooner your friends can be saved. You already wasted three days, no telling how much time they have left. I left them in pretty tough situations..."

Jak could feel his dark side was going to emerge any minute.

"Ha! Go on kill me" Rygar taunted, "I can see it in your eyes and in your posture. Give in to your darkness! Use your anger and rage to kill me and save the day"

Jak clenched his teeth and his hands as his anger grew more passionate.

Rygar laughed, "Turn into the ugly Eco Freak you are and kill me! If you kill me then you have no hope of ever finding the rest of them! Then their death will be your fault! You got no one to blame but yourself!"

Jak gave a growl, "You'll pay for this!"

"On the contrary, it is you that will be paying the bill!" Rygar retorted before mounting a Zoomer

Jak made an audible growl before charging at the old soldier. Rygar laughed before escaping on his Zoomer. Jak gritted his teeth as his anger was intensified by the dark pool in his heart.

Eco mines are the place to go, if you want to face your biggest foe. Heroes don't need weapons to prove their worth as mockeries will be their mirth. You'll be a fool if you ignore the biggest threat of them all.

At least there was one thing straight forward about the riddle. He had to go to the Eco Mines.

Jak stepped through the Warp Gate. He was met with grey rock and the monotonous mechanical machinery that continued to drill for Eco before the Baron ever ruled. He hadn't been here in ages. What ever the reason he came here was usually on Vin's request; blow the Eco Wells, destroy Metal Head Eggs and save Vin himself.

Jak tried to tap into his powers again. It was getting harder to access his Light Eco power as the swelling of hatered was growing. Inside he knew with the Dark Eco injection he received gave his dark side more edge over his light side. Also he hadn't charged his Light Eco powers for almost a week, only using it to 'see' what was going on around him, thus having very little compared to his dark powers.

The atmosphere held sadness, loneliness and desertion. The rock beneath his feet was like crying or mourning for its lost past. Jak got a feeling that once this place was teeming with life but now was lost to the development of humans and its drive to suck the ground dry of Eco. Jak suddenly felt depressed by the vibes he picked up.

Despite this Jak had no time to loose. He had to look for one of his friends. This was like trying to find a Swamprats in a swamp. Jak searched around ground level to find life forces with dark malice and beastly instincts. Jak instantly knew the place was crawling with Metal Heads.

Jak pulled out his gun from behind him and shot those who dared approached him. He could target the life forces easily as if he could truly see them once again. He suddenly heard a loud beastly screech. Jak turned to the source of the noise. He only had to look up to find a large dark life force that was situated near the second Warp Gate where the operating room was.

Eco mines are the place to go, if you want to face your biggest foe...

Jak ran up some ramps before climbing onto large metal creates full of dug rock. He shot who ever opposed him on the way. The Metal Heads left their crown jewels behind once they died but Jak was too focused on the task at hand to collect the treasures. He jumped onto one create as it rolled along the top railing.

He could sense the creature clearly now as it was right in front of him. As the create drew him closer he switched his gun to Peace Maker mode. He felt another life force among the large monster. It was human and it was in trouble. The monster was a large Metal Head and it was on top of the human. He could feel the person who was underneath struggling against it but the massive creature was too strong.

"Jak!" a raspy familiar voice gasped, "Shoot it!"

Jak instantly knew it was Torn fighting the large creature. Jak lifted his Peace Maker and pulled the trigger but nothing happened. Confused Jak tried again and again as the mine create brought him closer and closer. The creature noticed his approach and stood on guard.

Jak didn't understand why his weapon wasn't working. It was loaded and ready. He switched to another mode and pulled the trigger but still nothing happened. It was working before...

Heroes don't need weapons to prove their worth as mockeries will be their mirth...

Rygar must of set up something to knock out his weapon function, like he did to Sig's Peace Maker when he came as the messenger the first time. He used a device to knock it out and it must be close by for his weapon not to be working now. If Jak could find the device and destroy it he could use his weapon.

"Jak! What are you waiting for! Shoot the damn thing!" Torn snapped

Jak had no choice but to fight this thing head on. He had no time to look for a device. He put his gun away as he prepared himself to jump onto the platform.

"It doesn't work!" Jak shouted "I've got to take this thing down myself!"

Jak could feel his ever present darkness build up. He gave into his anger and his rage knowing he needed his dark power to kill the large Metal Head. As soon as he gave into it, it consumed him changing his physical self to the one of a dark beast. Claws sprang from his nails as horns rose from his mangled strongly lavender hair. His skin grew pale and purple as his blind eyes were covered in murky black film.

As soon as his dark side emerged his light powers retreated but his secondary vision remained. Instead of feeling everything with Light Eco he sensed everything with Dark Eco. He could feel all the negative energies around him. He could feel the natural and man made elements the sadness, the hate, the rage and guilt that the atmosphere produced. He could feel the creature's rage, evilness, malice and darkness within it. Jak never experienced such a thing before, it was a deep dark ability that he could never achieve on his own. The Dark Eco injection from Ashelin's rescue gave him the power boost he needed to achieve this state that took him days with his Light Eco powers.

Jak gnashed his teeth and gave a growl as a challenge. The Metal Head saw the stance and took the challenge. It left the human to meet its newest opponent. Free from its weight Torn sat up holding his crushed arm. It was already swelling. An hour ago the creature sprang him and the force and weight was exerted on his left arm shattering the bone inside.

Torn moved off to the side, out of the way to witness the fight that raged on. Jak dove at the beast as the Metal Head lunged at the Dark Eco human. Both clashed with claws at each other, slashing and try to tear one another to pieces.

The creature screeched before swiping horizontally at Jak. Jak jumped to miss the attack and land on the large blue Metal Head's back. The creature moved and tossed about, trying to grab the annoyance and get it off its back.

Jak dodged the creature's attempts to grab him and created sparks around his hands. With a smirk Jak drove his claws within the beast's back. The creature screamed and hissed as Jak poured some of the Dark Eco energy into the wound. Desperate, the creature rolled onto its back to stop Jak from continuing his attack.

Jak jumped off before the creature did a full 360 roll and turned to face him. Jak could feel its anger as it charged for him. Cocky as it may be, Jak stood there with a smirk before charging an energy ball between his palms. With practice ease he released the Dark Jak Punch attack, its energy smacking into the creature.

The Metal Head howled in pain and rage. Its head moving from side to side to shake off the after effects of the attack. Jak used the opportunity to launch forward for an attack. The creature recovered at the last second and with its massive claw battered Jak away. Jak was thrown against the wall near where Torn was resting. Jak hit the wall with his back and landed on his butt on the ground. He opened his purple-black eyes with rage as he sprang up and ran for the Metal Head.

The creature gave a toothy grin before dodging Jak's attack. Jak wasn't sure how the large beast could move so fast but his thoughts were interrupted by a full body slam by the creature in mid air. Jak was crushed beneath the weight of the massive monster. The creature screeched in glee as it raised its claw to put Jak out of his misery.

Jak somehow survived the body slam by missing the grunt of it. He was extremely lucky he got away with a shattered hand but now he was trapped beneath the monster as the Metal Head was going to shred him to bits. Jak caught his breath that was knock out of him as the claw came down for a final attack. Jak took out his own clawed hand and drove the Dark Eco nails into the claw that pinned him down. He forced Dark Eco sparks into the wound to make the creature halt its impending attack and for Jak to escape its grip.

Rage and hate made him stand back on his two feet and turn to the Metal Head. Jak ran forward, jumped up and spun in the air, letting go of his Dark Eco energy to form a Dark Blast move. The charged Eco zapped the Metal Head, the creature screeched moving back from the source of infliction.

Jak landed back on his feet, still charged with Dark Eco, he ran forward and slashed at the beast's face. The creature hollered as chunks of its flesh was ripped away and black blood drained from the wounds. Dark Jak continued, blinded by bitterness and hate, to slash the creature in a crazed fury.

The creature back away trying to get away from the attack but it couldn't. Eventually it stopped at the edge of the platform where the metal crates filled with rocks rotated. Jak jumped back and released energy between his hands, the ball hitting the creature. The force of the Dark Punch knocked the creature off the edge falling into the pool of pure Dark Eco below. It howled and screeched before the Dark Eco silenced its screams forever in a blanket of darkness.

Jak turned to Torn feeling the man's negativity and hidden darkness. In the dark state Jak was naturally attracted to such things. He approached Torn with a sniggering smile.

One look at Jak and Torn instantly knew the man wasn't in his right mind, "Jak?"

Consumed by his own darkness Jak kept approaching Torn. Within his mind he knew no right or wrong but the darkness he could sense from the other man.

Torn nursed his broken arm as he struggled his feet. He winced as he accidentally moved it. He rose to full height staring at Jak right in the eyes. Torn had quick enough wit to realize what was happening, or understand the situation.

"Jak snap out of it!" Torn ordered, "We got no time for this crap!"

Jak gave a smirk before lunging at the ex-Krimzon Guard soldier.

"Damn it!"

To be continued...

So Jak has gone a little crazy. Well its no thanks to the Dark Eco injection and the lack of Light Eco in his system to control the balance... Can Torn hold his own against Jak or will Jak kill him? You may think its obvious but you never know what can happen...

(Shakes fist) Review! (looks at you) Eeeep! Please don't hurt me!