Title: The Love Disaster
Author: thequietgenius
Genre: General/Humor
Rating: K+ (Rating may go up.)
Summary: Keira plots revenge on Ashelin by concocting a potion to make Jak fall for her. What happens when it backfires? Now not only Jak, but other guys are infatuated with her too. Will these obstacles stray her judgment? JK
Chapter 4
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"Keira," Ashelin began, smiling forcibly. "Jak and I wanted to let you know our engagement party is in two days. And you're invited." She beamed as if it was such an honor.
More like, 'you're invited so I can rub it in your face!' Keira thought."Thanks Ashelin. But I think I'll—" Keira paused to look at Jak. He had an unreadable expression on his face. For some reason, he found the floor so interesting. She had a hunch he wasn't as enthusiastic about this occasion as his…soon-to-be fiancé. The only thing she wondered was why. Didn't he have a choice in this?
"—go." She finished. Ashelin frowned for a moment but it hastily dissipated. A wicked smirk took its place. Jak had a slightly relieved and grateful look on his face. Which Keira couldn't understand.
"Oh I almost forgot. It won't be a problem for you will it? I mean—your injuries, of course. For what reason were you fighting in the arena? Townspeople have gossiped about it." Ashelin asked.
That's not any of your business, you back-stabbing—"Um…I have my reasons." Keira answered carefully, not wanting to give anything away.
"Is that so? Well, Jak and I must be leaving now. Hope to see you at our engagement." Ashelin stressed that horrible word evilly. She began tugging at Jak's sleeve to get him to leave, but he held his ground.
"I need to talk to Keira...alone." Jak's piercing gaze held Ashelin's confused one. She flinched slightly and left the room. "Don't be long, dear." She had to say. He didn't respond.
"What's biting you Jak?" Keira snapped a bit harshly, when Ashelin left. She was still hurt over him abandoning her for the two-faced governess.
"Ashelin said you were fighting at the stadium. I want to know why."
"As I said, I have my reasons." She was starting to worry at what Jak was getting at.
"What are you keeping from me?" He was only a foot away from her now.
"What do you mean?" Keira backed away slightly.
"You know what I mean. Don't try to hide it!" His patience was wearing like a lit fuse.
"Why do you care! It's not like you haven't been keeping anything from me?" Keira yelled, frustrated.
He seemed taken back for a moment. "Of course I care, Keira. It's just that you've been avoiding me lately."
"You're one to talk, Jak! You haven't told me a thing since I found you! Even when you did come back, you've been spending all your time doing Mar knows what with that precious governess of yours."
"Are you saying I'm that type of person?" He growled. His eyes held a trace of dark eco buildup from his anger.
She calmed down to some extent. Not wanting to start an argument. And definitely not the awakening of…Dark Jak. Keira shuttered at the thought. He must've known what she was afraid of because he replied defensively, "I have it under control."
"I don't think you're a bad person, Jak. It's just that…things aren't working out for us. But I guess you knew that already, now that you have Ashelin." The mechanic inhaled sharply. "The reason…the reason I fought in the arena was because of you."
He had a shocked and bewildered expression on. Jak opened his mouth to speak but he was basically speechless. "W-what?"
"I'm not the same, naïve girl you met in Sandover, Jak. I wanted to prove to you and everybody else that I was worth something. I feel useless now...Nobody cares…except daddy of course." She chuckled spitefully. "All everyone knows me as is the mechanic."
"That's not true Keira." Jak land a comforting hand on her shoulder. Forgetting she didn't answer his question directly.
"Then why are you getting engaged so soon? The only reason it could be is you love Ashelin."
"That's actually what I wanted to tell you about." Jak said.
A small gasp came from the other side of the door. An eavesdropping baroness. "Oh my god…has he been hiding something from me?" Luckily for her, nobody heard.
"You know what…I don't care!" Keira said. "I'm tired of all you're lies, Jak. Goodbye." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Suddenly, the enraged governess burst through the door.
"What in Mar's name do you think you're doing witch?" Although, she didn't say witch.
The mechanic tore down the hall without another word. Leaving a mystified Jak and infuriated Ashelin behind.
--
"What was I thinking?" Keira whispered softly wandering the congested streets of Haven City. Surprising, her wounds quickly healed. Probably from her 3-day prior rest. She looked up at the night sky, a shooting star crossed it. Keira just shook her head miserably.
"I don't believe in romantic fairy tales anymore." She muttered. "Love is just a hoax so forget everything you're heard." The mechanic remembered someone telling her that once. Her mother sang that to her on a particularly bad day she was having. Mar, did she miss her…
The mechanic decided to get a drink at the Naughty Ottsel. Non-alcoholic of course, being the responsible adult she was. Or at least, wished she was. When she arrived, Keira found it empty. Not even Tess was there.
"The blonde is probably off making love with that orange rat, Daxter." Keira scoffed, mixing herself a drink. She had to problem with the gunmaker—it was her boyfriend that irritated the heck outta her. She wondered why they carelessly left the door unlocked all day. Someone could easy mug the place. Not to mention part of the Freedom League headquarters was located there.
"Haven City is the most corrupt place in the world." She voiced the obvious loud.
"Tell me about it." A gravelly voice replied.
"Huh?" Keira turned around to meet the FLG commander, a.k.a. Torn.
"Hi Torn." She greeted. Happy to see someone who wasn't against her.
"Hey, what brings you here?" He said, grabbing an alcoholic beverage from the counter.
"I wanted to get away from all the excitement." Torn nodded empathically, but didn't reply. "So, um…how's life?" Keira asked.
"Pathetic." He answered bluntly.
"Oh that's too bad. Care to tell me what's wrong?"
He took a long swig before replying. "Ashelin's engagement is in two days."
"I know. I'm sorry for reminding you." Keira said regretfully.
"S'okay." His words were slightly slurred.
After a few minutes of silence, Keira was about to leave. Until she noticed a pair of shiny keys hanging at Torn's side. The keys to the FLG artillery room. Those can come in handy, she thought.
He conveniently happened to be asleep at the time. The empty bottle he held loosely rolled from his grasp. Keira reached over to 'borrow' the keys. Just as she removed them from his accessory belt, the bottle spun off the table. Falling to the ground with a loud crash.
"Oh crap!" Keira gasped, swiftly scooping up the broken glass. Fortunately, Torn hadn't woken up from his drunken stupor. His snores caught in his throat temporarily before resuming.
She sighed in relief and grabbed the keys from the commander. The mechanic pocketed it and snuck over to the back door and quietly headed out.
By the time she arrived, it was nightfall. The amount of traffic and pedestrians had lessened greatly. Fewer people to see her steal a gun or two yet more suspicious and alert the Freedom League guards would be. (The Krimzon guard had been removed and was replaced with them.) Since most crime occurred during the dark.
Keira strolled casually towards the Gun Course. She assumed that was where the weaponry would be located. When she got inside, there was a door on the right-side with a key hole in the handle. She inserted one in the key hole and the door unlocked. The mechanic walked in and stared in awe at the quantity of armaments available. There were missiles, guns, dynamite, even bows and arrows among other things. She selected the sole morph gun that was left.
When Keira departed, she locked the door behind her as to not leave evidence of possible 'burglary' behind. She hid the gun in its holster and tied it to her back. It took a while to walk straight with the additional weight attached, but she managed.
The mechanic borrowed an unoccupied zoomer and flew towards the seaport. From there she could go to the wasteland and hunt some metalheads. Besides they aren't that big. If those shrimps are the size they are here, I can take them! Keira thought overconfidently. Now, I just need a vehicle to be safe and I should be okay, I hope…
A/N: Next chapter will be metalhead rough riding. How will Keira survive the great mammoths of metalheads in the wasteland? Tune in next time to find out. ;)