'Mind of a Hero'

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Oh yea, I was going to see Onin… That's right.

Then I would find Torn, see what was wrong with mister Grumpy and then go seek out the orange rat. Don't get me wrong, I love Daxter. Torn was just…. Rubbing off on me. And rubbing on me, whichever. He never changed his ways, but damn, he could get you to. He was very persuasive in that 'I'm going to tear your windpipe out' sort of way. Since he had tried to tear my own windpipe out earlier that morning, I wasn't ever going to wake him up, that close again. With my luck, he'd have a gun next tie. It was unnerving and a little scary. But I was used to it by now.

I took the winding, turning and decimated ally ways of Haven City. Hell, you couldn't really even call them streets anymore. My mind wandered like it always will when you're walking and your feet just take you. A thought flew into my head, and I wondered why I had this attraction to the older elf. He was beautiful, graceful and very tempting. But so were most large feline predators and I never wanted to sleep with one… And I didn't think I swung that way. I wasn't sure why I was thinking about it… I wasn't worried. More excited, I guess. Maybe I liked boys and just never knew it. I loved Keira… but I never saw myself doing…anything with her. I just wanted to be near her. It hurt to stay away, but I haven't really thought about it much, since the Torn incident yesterday. I would rather have her safe, anyway, then ripped apart by Dark. Torn, at least, could defend himself. A sharp cackle shot through my head, making my temple throb like an ancient war drum. A hiss slipped from my teeth and I growled.

Dark probably had something to do with this. He always has something to do with anything that happened to me. Like the events of the past few days… I knew he was getting stronger. It made my bones ache, this deep seeded feeling that had nothing to do with the Eco in my blood, but the alter ego that came with it. Pushing and tearing through my very soul. I felt lost, unneeded, unwanted, unloved. I knew it was him; It had to be. But he was quiet now, with not even a word, just that sharp pain and I was thankful for that. I broke my musings with a deep breath, glancing upwards slightly.

You know it's always quiet when you're submerged in your thoughts, but as soon as you snap out of it, it's noisy as fuck. I let out a growl at a woman's scream a little to my left, but I wasn't in the mood for hero shit. I was just neutral… Today at least.

Some day's… All I want to do is crash zoomers and shoot people. Pretty unhealthy, wouldn't you say? I don't. It's all in how you view things, I guess… I never had any problem with destruction. Part of that was Dark, but even before, I was always fascinated by watching things go boom.

I kicked a few rocks, my thumbs hooked into my pockets causally. Mustn't look suspicious. I lifted my head for only a moment to watch a large rock fly down the ally way, nodding triumphantly as it hit the trashcan I was inadvertently aiming for. But as soon as it hit, my eyes shifted back to my feet. A glint of silver in the sun caught my attention behind me a step and to the left. Money? No one ever lost money here… Of course, it couldn't have been money… It was silver; we had gold. It wasn't real gold, but it let the people think back to times when the City was rich and prosperous enough to afford real gold to buy everything with. I picked it up because I can't help but touch shiny things and rolled the coin over in my hands, rubbing away the caked the dirt with my thumb. It looked old. Older than anything I had ever seen; maybe even older than the armor I had.

It was a disheveled looking old man, perched upon a throne, a staff to his left, a falcon perched on the top right. Though I couldn't really make out much more than that. Later, I would clean it, and put it in the box of things I don't touch anymore. I flipped the coin over and my eyes grew a little wide, my brow quirking. A metal head with its jaws stretched wide, roaring from the coin. Almost as if it would jump out and devour me. Whoever had made the coin had been very loving in every detail, down to the spittle that could be seen running down those needle-like fangs. I gave an involuntarily shudder as I glanced around, my feet moving again. Maybe I would make it into a pendant? That didn't seem likely. It was a spiffy coin, but old people and metal heads bothered me.

Old people scared me more. I mean… I could shoot a metal head.

Onin and Samos were the only two old people I had even considered liking. Though Onin spooked me just a little, she was still a nice old lady. Warning me of my impending doom and all…

What a nice lady; the same nice lady that was sitting before my eyes. I hadn't known I had come this far, but I guess I had. So much for thinking… I offered a small smile to her beaming one. She always knew who had entered and just what was going on. Sometimes I wondered if it was natural talent and bad luck that she was blind…Or if The Precursors took her sight and voice to give back more than her eyes. Hm…Whatever. Her usual symbols with that eerie light flew through the air in what I knew was hello. See I had been here enough. Pecker was snoozing on Onin's large hat, so I threw a rock at him. Onin laughed silently as Pecker gave a squawk and tumbled from the hat in an ungraceful heap. Then again… the bird monkey wasn't really graceful.

"HEY! What was that for!"

I just shrugged, "You were sleeping." A simple answer for a simple bird…thing. I ignored the rest of Pecker's cries out outrage and revenge as I moved further into the hut, kneeling before Onin, my hands on my thighs. Onin was patient, waiting for her translator to stop his complaints. This took longer than expected, and my fingers curled a little tighter around the coin that I held within my hand.

"Hurry up, Pecker!" I said impatiently, sighing just to prove my point. Pecker glared sullenly at me as he flapped his way back to Onin's hat, clearing his throat slightly as her hands spun symbols quickly, almost franticly.

"Onin says something dark hangs over your head. Onin also says that your feelings must be resolved before you can move forward...I hope you know what that means, because I don't."

"I have... A good idea of what she means." Onin didn't even have to see his face... She just knew. Whether it was his aura, or something else...Maybe Pecker was spying on him. It was unlikely, but it was still funny.

"Onin says you think to much, about things that do not concern you. Onin sense something deep inside your soul, that desperately wants free. I think she already said that, but that is okay. Onin often repeats herself. Onin also says that you should see him before you run."

I blinked. This confused me, "Run? I'm not going to run anywhere…Where do I have to go?" I gave Onin a long, considering look, and she just smiled, spouting more mystic signs from between her hands, nodding to the coin within my palm. I gripped it harder, and I felt my brows creasing, confusion evident on my face,

"Onin says that the time will come, and you will not be strong enough to face it. Onin would like you to tell her about the coin you found before you came here."

I dropped my gaze, lifting the coin between two fingers, my thumb idly rubbing over the raised images, "Well…it's silver... and on one face…It has a wizened old man in a throne. There's a falcon perched on the back, and he's gripping something in his hand… And he has a staff." I hadn't noticed the item in the coin-man's hand until now. Come to think of it, I couldn't really tell any other features.

"Onin says that is a symbol for strength. You will be a ruler one-day. It is only fate that you found this when you did. The falcon means you are wise, and you will always have a guardian to watch over you in your times of trouble. Onin would like to know what is on the other side of the coin." Pecker gave a sigh of annoyance as a few more symbols fell from the Seer's fingertips, but Pecker ignored that,

"What did she say?"

"Nothing important. Something about a painful past and a broken heart. But anyway, I don't have all day! Tell me what the coin says!"

I glared at the bird monkey, snorting softly as I flipped the coin in my hand, licking my thumb to rub away a little more dirt, "It's a metal head. Well, I think it's a metal head. Its jaws are stretched very wide, and there's spittle running from its fangs…It looks really pissed." I glanced harder at the coin, the pads of my fingers touching along something that was inscribed along the bottom, "It says something… But I can't read it. Hell, I don't even recognize the language."

There was a silence then, and a pained expression settled onto Onin's face, one hand coming to her heart, gripping it as she turned her head away for a moment. I was worried, "Onin? What's--" But she silenced me with an idle flick of her wrist. Slower now, she 'spoke' to me, and Pecker's voice was hesitant… It was an amazing change. He felt sorry…and sad. What the hell was going on?

"Onin…Onin says that there are to sides to every coin. It has devoured your protector and taken your throne from you. Onin says that this means you will be overcome. The darkness will slaughter what you care for, unless you stay strong. It will kill you, Jak."

I swallowed…My mouth hanging agape. The first thoughts that came to me were of all the friends I had made. Everything I cared for…She couldn't be serious, could she? It was just a stupid coin, and surely a coin couldn't steal my friends. "What about the words?" I asked softly, If it was possible to look anymore confused, I might have.

"Onin says it might be ancient precursor language. She also says that you must find someone who can translate for you."

"Who the hell can translate ancient precursor text!"

"Onin says look to the desert for answers. You will find what you are looking for in the desert."

I nodded only once before I stood as if pulled by strings, gripping the coin so tightly in my palm, "Why should I even head the warnings of this stupid thing?"

"Onin says it is your destiny, Jak. I am sorry…"

"But I…I can't do this. I can't run away from my problems here, to only make more further away." I let my eyes slid to the floor, sighing in defeat. When I think I'm happy, my world crumbles. And I seem to be the only one who can save the god damn world. Ironic, isn't it? But…In reality, I'm not saving the world, am I? I'm saving myself from my own destruction. The dark force that hung above my head…It had to be Dark. I bowed gently to Onin, still frowning, "Thank you, Onin… I'll go now…I'll come back tomorrow after I've thought this over a little." Onin smiled at me, and I turned to walk out, firing a comment to Dark, pausing in the doorway for the verbal battle I knew was coming. Hell, the tension had been mounting, and I was damn sick of it.

'Planning to over throw me?' I asked my alter ego bitterly, letting the hate slid to him like ice.

'Perhaps. Maybe I just want your kingdom, and all its riches.'

'What fucking kingdom, what riches! There is no kingdom! There is no nothing. I'm a damn assassin to the townsfolk, and I'm a renegade and a freak to everyone else. What could I rule?'

A cynical laugh fell from invisible lips, and a lump of fear began to grow in my gut, 'Oh…My sweet Jak…You have soo much I could rule over…Your Keira. Your Daxter…Your… Precious Torn… Riches come in more forms than gold and silver. Maybe I want your heart to crumble…maybe I want to have complete control over you. You have so much potential, Jak. Why don't you use it?'

'You just want to kill.' I said pointedly, trying not to let the fear creep into my inner voice. But Dark always knew.

'Too right you are, Jaky. Don't you have a past to run away from? A coin to solve? Maybe you have a boyfriend to fuck before you run away. He'll hate you, you know.'

'You mother—' Pain shot through my head, and I couldn't help but scream. Dark didn't care that I was about to insult him…but this time the pain, the migraine was different from all the others. It consumed me. Fire was in my veins, and I couldn't seem to stop it at all. I felt him crushing me under his thumb like I was just an insect, and all he did was laugh. Distantly, I heard Pecker's frantic cries, and the footsteps of the Krimson guard. More fire, more hate, more anger billowed from my mind and I heard laughter, more antagonizing laughter at every scream that fell from my throat. Long, ragged cries of despair. I was dying. I was drowning… Faintly, I felt a rifle shove into my back, and electricity from the tasers burst over my skin, but it was like I was feeling and seeing in third person. One terrible cry after another as my throat choked me, my mouth going dry… He had never been able to do this before…before she left me… Purple and black spots danced over my vision, as I fell forward onto my knees, still gripping my head, my teeth gnashed violently. I heard a call for backup, but I never got to see that backup. In the back of my mind… I thought I died. I thought I died and if I could have spoken, it would have been his name on my lips before darkness overpowered me. The one I never got around to telling. He really would hate me.

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Well…This was angsty.

Ookami: I liked it.

Oh, shut up. –grins- I WAS going to continue, but I figured that was a good place to end. This chapter confused me, and seemed to write it's self, so sorry that it drew away from the humor I was originally going for. If you have any questions, just ask and I'll answer them as best I can. I really hope I can get the next chapter up soon, though… Oh, and Jak fainted, basically. Obviously, Dark took over. So, will he be able to see Torn again? Will he really fall into darkness? And what of that spiffy little coin—Can a coin really tell your destiny?

Ookami: You're only asking them because you don't know.

-glares- Review for me, and I'll give you cookies and cake!

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-!Phoenix!-