Chapter XIV: I Show Not Your Face…
LES: Sorry about the long wait. I went of vacation and my muse was supposed to go with me. But I think he went somewhere else.
Muse: I went to the Caribbean!
LES: Uh… Okay… Technically, this should be a Keira chapter, but I couldn't help myself. In case you didn't notice, the chapter name is from Harry Potter… sort of. The Mirror of Erised in the first book has an inscription on it that, when read backwards reads: 'I show not your face, but your heart's desire.' Cool, huh? I don't own the inscription from Harry Potter and I don't own any of the Jak characters. Except for all my dead OC's and Carla. THAT'S IT!
"You're different, Jak." Daxter said as they zoomed thought the crowded streets of the slums.
"No shit." Jak said sourly.
"No, not that." Daxter said. "You look different. Older… more mature."
Jak paused, nearly running into a wall, but he quickly gained control of the zoomer before he totaled it. "It's funny…" Jak said. "But I haven't given my appearance a second thought. I mean… I haven't even seen a mirror ever since we went though the Ring."
"Really? Two years without a mirror?" Daxter paused. "Nope, I can't imagine it. You don't even know what you look like anymore!"
"Have I changed that much?" Jak asked.
"Stop here." Daxter instructed. Jak pulled the zoomer to a stop in front of some type of shop.
"What's here?" Jak asked.
"A store that sells all sorts of crap… including mirrors." Daxter said. "There's no way I'm going to let you live in ignorance!"
Jak hopped off the zoomer and walked into the store. The storekeeper was busy at the counter, but he looked up at Jak. However, because the news that Jak was a dangerous criminal had not spread, the keeper greeted him quite warmly.
"Good afternoon, sir. If you find anything you like, please let me know." The shopkeeper said.
Jak blinked, slightly confused by the politeness. It had been a long time since someone actually treated him like a person and not a potential killing machine that had no thoughts or no feelings. "Uh… I will." Jak said, uncertain of how to respond. Younger Jak would've known how to respond to the situation perfectly, but the new Jak had forgotten.
Daxter had already gone to the back and was lifting up a small hand-held mirror, Jak walked over towards him, casually looking at the other trinkets in the shop. "Hey, Jak!" Daxter said. Jak turned to face him and found that Daxter was holding the mirror about four inches from his face. Jak's eyes widened in horror as he looked at his reflection.
"Oh shit!" Jak looked away, breathing hard.
"Geez, Jak." I know you look different, but…" Daxter began.
"Is that what I really look like?" Jak asked quietly, looking at the shopkeeper. Why isn't he freaking out? Why isn't he running away? Why did he treat me so nicely? Why don't people stare?
"Jak…" Daxter began uncertainly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Jak grabbed the mirror again, but this time, he didn't let himself lose it. He studied his reflection. He saw pale skin and whitish-gray hair. He saw deep, pitch black eyes. He saw two horns growing out of his forehead. Jak lifted his hand so that he could see it in the mirror. Jak saw that he had a normal looking hand, but the hand in the mirror was pale and tipped with long black claws… sort of like the ones he saw with the KG's. It was then that Jak realized that the image was only in the mirror. "Dax… what am I looking at?" He asked.
"What do you mean, 'What am I looking at?' You are looking at your reflec…" Daxter couldn't say anymore as he looked in the mirror and saw what Jak was seeing, the demon. "Holy…" Daxter gasped.
"What is it?" Jak asked quietly, as to not attract the store-owner.
"It's… you… I think." Daxter said, staring at the monster in the mirror. "That's what you look like when you get all pissed and stuff. Maybe you can only see him in your reflection! Cool!"
"Not cool!" Jak retorted. "I don't even know what you are talking about! When I get angry… I pass out… or something…"
"No, you get angry, then you turn into him." Daxter said, pointing at the reflection.
"This doesn't make any sense…" Jak said. He thought about this problem for a second, and then it clicked. It was so obvious. "Dark Eco!"
"Dark Eco?" Daxter echoed. "What does Dark Eco have to do with this?"
"Everything." Jak said. "Long, painful story short: in prison I was… tortured… every day with Dark Eco."
"Let me guess… this 'Praxis' guy is responsible?" Daxter asked.
"Praxis gave the order, another man named Erol carried them out." Jak paused. "Erol will have to die too. Anyway, fifteen of us went into the Dark Warrior program… I am the only survivor."
"Holy Yakkow." Daxter said. "That bad, huh?"
"Worse… Thousands never made in past the first Eco test. You can't even imagine… you once felt Dark Eco… for a few seconds." Daxter nodded his head, understanding. "Yours only lasted a few seconds… mine went on every day… for several hellish minutes. Minutes that nearly killed me every single time…" But Jak couldn't talk anymore just yet about his prison experience; the pain was still too fresh in his mind. Jak took one last look at the demon. Funny, but it kind of reminded him of Gol and Maia. Ironic, that he should become the very thing that he had once fought against. Jak set down the mirror and walked out of the shop with a new weight on his already burdened heart. The zoomer was still there. Jak hopped on it and started back on his way to the Underground Hideout.
"There! That's the Dead End Alley." Daxter said, pointing towards a small alley. Jak drove into the alley, jumping off the still moving vehicle, landing expertly on the ground. Jak looked around and immediately spotted two people in the alleyway. One was a blonde she-elf, and the other a brown-hair, dread-locked male elf.
The blonde she-elf approached Jak. He would've assumed that she was a dumb blonde if it weren't for the look of grim determination on her face. "What do you want?" She asked coldly.
"We're looking for a guy named Torn." Jak responded. "Kor sent us." Jak looked over at the dread-locked male, who had gotten up in Jak's face. "Are you Torn?" Jak asked, glaring right back at him.
The man didn't answer for several seconds, and then Daxter took matters into his own hands. "Maybe this guy's a mute, like… you used to be."
And then the man spoke, debunking the 'mute' theory. "Yes, I am Torn. Kor's called me and told me you wanted the join the fight for the City." Torn circled Jak like a vulture, but Jak turned to face him. There was no way he was going to expose his back to a complete stranger. People that careless usually ended up with a knife sticking out of their back. "You know… picking the wrong side could be… unhealthy."
"There is no way in hell I'm going to join the Baron's forces." Jak answered. "Besides, I've got my own score to settle with the Baron."
"Is that so?" Torn asked. "Well, what do you want?"
"We want to see the Shadow." Jak answered.
Torn laughed. "Not likely. If you want to join something, then why don't you and your 'pet' go join the circus." Torn pulled out a wicked looking dagger and felt the edge with his thumb. "Unless you've got the fur for a really tough task." Torn paused, trying to think of a good, tough mission. Dead Town came to mind; he had sent many hopefuls out there over the years. Some died, some lived, and some even came back crying for their mommies. The superstitious crowd believed that Dead Town was haunted by the victims of the Dead Town Massacre years ago. However, ghosts or no ghosts, Dead Town was a dangerous place. The Flag… no one had gotten the flag yet. "Go to Dead Town and steal the Baron's banner from the top of the Ruined Tower and bring it back to me. Then… maybe we'll talk." Torn flipped the dagger into the air and deftly caught it.
Jak glared at Torn. "Fine." He said. "I would've preferred to bring you Praxis' head on a platter, but a lousy flag will do for a start." With that, Jak walked away, Daxter in tow.
The blonde walked up to Torn. "Did you hear that? He actually thinks that he could get the Baron's head!"
"I heard, Tess." Torn said. "His cockiness is unbelievable. There is no way that… that boy could hope to defeat the Baron in single combat! Praxis is a warlord, and an excellent fighter… I think I would know." Torn said.
"You are right about that. He's either very brave or insane." Tess said.
"I vote insane." Torn said. "Tess… I'm going to Dead Town. I want to see this guy in action." Torn sheathed his dagger and left to follow Jak.
With Daxter's directions, Jak made it to the entrance of Dead Town with little trouble. "So, what do you know about this 'Dead Town'?" Jak asked. As they approached the locked doors.
"Uh… not much except that it is an old, run-down section of the City, very dangerous. It's also said to be haunted." Daxter said.
Jak laughed, despite himself. "Does that 'Torn' take me for some superstitious idiot? A few ghosts aren't going to scare me."
The blast doors opened, revealing another room with another set of blast doors. Jak waited while the locks opened. Finally, the doors opened and Jak stepped into the infamous Dead Town.
Jak could tell instantly that these were the ruins of a once great part of the City. It easily could've been more beautiful than Haven City, or the part he had seen, anyway. But now the foundations were crumbling, and the buildings looked like they could fall over at any moment.
He walked out into Dead Town. A small plank was leaning up against the wall, suddenly it fell over. Jak jumped at the noise and sank into combat position. Then he realized what had made the noise, Jak straightened up, feeling stupid.
"It's just a plank, Jak." Daxter said.
Jak paused, straining his sense of hearing. "Yes." Jak said. "But there's something else here."
Daxter looked around. "I see nothing." He said.
"No, listen." Jak ordered.
Daxter shut up and perked his ears, listening hard. "Jak, I don't hear anything."
"Exactly." Jak said. He suddenly stiffened and Daxter knew that something was afoot. Without warning, Jak spun around and grabbed a frog-like creature right out of the air. Apparently, it had been trying to sneak up on him. It had just leapt at him the second that Jak spun around.
"Oh my God!" Daxter exclaimed, staring at the small creature that Jak was holding.
The small creature hissed in protest at its capture. It tried vainly to get out of Jak's death-grip, but it was too late. However, the creature managed to get in one good scratch… this was his death.
As usual, Dark Eco rushed to seal the wound. A small drop of the evil substance massed on the wound and fell onto the creature. It died instantly.
Immediately after its death, the creature began to ooze Dark Eco out of its pores. Dark Eco, as most people know, is the energy that is left over from the act of death, so it was always present when someone died.
"Dark Eco! Drop it!" Daxter ordered, however, Jak ignored him and held on. The Dark Eco moved from the creature to Jak as if he were some kind of magnet for the dark ooze. Jak flinched slightly as the poison entered his bloodstream, though it wasn't nearly as bad as the treatments, it burned.
It was only after all the Dark Eco was absorbed did Jak drop the dead creature. "Let's go." Jak said, beginning the journey to the Ruined Tower in the distance.
Jak and Daxter made it to the Ruined Tower. Several other creatures, none of them worth mentioning, attacked them. They tried to attack, and Jak killed them. It was as simple as that.
Jak stood next to a bridge that led to the way up the Ruined Tower. Jak glanced at the bridge, it looked stable enough. Jak began to walk across the bridge.
However, quite suddenly, someone yelled, "Jump!" Jak didn't question the order; instead he threw himself towards the Tower.
"What the…" Daxter cried out as Jak leapt towards the Tower suddenly. Jak hit the ground next to the Tower and rolled to a stop in the crouched position.
Jak watched in amazement as the bridge collapsed and fell into the water below. If he had stood on that bridge for just one more second, he would've fallen into the murky, highly toxic 'water.'
Jak turned to Daxter. "Thanks for the warning, Dax." Jak said, assuming that it was Daxter who told him to jump.
"What warning?" Daxter asked, confused.
"What do you mean 'what warning?'" Jak asked. "You told me to jump just before the bridge collapsed."
"Are you feeling alright?" Daxter asked. "I didn't tell you to do anything. I didn't even hear anything."
Jak looked down at the empty space where the bridge used to be. "Maybe this place is haunted."
"Well, in that case, I vote we get this stupid flag so we can get the hell out of here." Daxter said.
After climbing the stairs up the Ruined Tower, some of which crumbled the moment Jak set foot on them, they made it to the top.
Jak walked up the last stairs and the Baron's flag came into view. The banner waved in the wind. Strangely, the clouds above parted and a single ray of sunshine shone down, illuminating the flag.
"This place is giving me the creeps." Daxter said.
"Let's just get the thing." Jak said, approaching the flag. Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder to watch. Jak grabbed onto the pole and tugged. The banner broke free of the stone. Jak slammed the pole back into the ground, breaking out a victory pose just for the heck of it.
Suddenly, there was a rumbling noise. Jak looked down, the platform was falling out from beneath them. Even Jak didn't have the time to react, so he and Daxter fell down with the rubble. Jak fell; flag in hand, while Daxter just screamed his head off. Thankfully, Jak's fall was stopped just before he hit the water by a cloth awning. Jak hit it and was flung back up into the air. Daxter followed close behind, still screaming like a banshee.
Jak then landed on a rope, his enhanced sense of balance adjusted to the challenge instantly, using the flag to help balance also was extremely helpful. He was sliding down the rope, no problem. However, Daxter wasn't so lucky. He hit the rope… crotch first. After a second of terrifying pain, he was catapulted into the air again.
Jak continued to slide down the rope. A figure was waiting for him at the end, and he realized that it was Torn. Jak hopped off the rope and landed in front of Torn, planting the pole of the flag in the ground beside him, Daxter landed on the ground a short while later, groaning in pain.
A large rumbling like a growl caught the men's attention. They turned around to discover that the entire Ruined Tower was coming down. Torn watched, wide-eyed, as the Tower fell into the water below. Torn was beyond amazed, it was universally agreed that the Tower was the most stable building in Dead Town and it would be the last standing. The only other slightly stable building in Dead Town was the Sacred Site, which was older than Haven City, left over from a small village long ago. People believed that the Tower would stand for years. And now he had witnessed a single man bring it down in a matter of minutes!
Torn looked at Jak. "Yeah, I guess you guys are in." He said.
"Good." Jak said, handing over the flag, since it was no use to him. "I have only one conditions."
"A condition?" Torn asked, getting more amazed by the second. No one ever had the nerve to try and lay down conditions.
"Yes. No mirrors… ever." Jak said.
"Mirrors? Why?" Torn just had to ask.
"Oh, mirrors." Daxter said. "He has mirror issues that are only out-weighed by his anger issues." Jak glared at Daxter, as though to prove the point. "Don't ever piss him off, or you might find claws… OW!" Jak had angrily stood on Daxter's paw. As can be imagined, this hurt an awful lot. Torn just looked confused by this whole situation.
Torn shook it off. He handed Jak a security pass. "Here, this will get you into the hideout. It's behind the door with the Baron symbol being cracked by a hammer on it, in the Dead End Alley." Torn turned to walk away.
"No mirrors!" Jak called after him.
"No mirrors." Torn confirmed as he walked away without a second glance at the strange teenager.
"What's with the 'No Mirrors' rule?" Daxter asked, slightly confused.
"I don't think that it's a good idea to parade the fact that there is something inside me." Jak said, before growling. "No matter how much I hate it, we might need the Underground." Daxter climbed up to his usual spot on Jak's shoulder guard.
"Let's go back to the City." Daxter said. "And can you please try not to knock down any more buildings?"
Jak eyed the rotting foundations and the crumbling buildings. "No promises there." He said. "Some of these buildings will fall over if someone just LOOKS at them hard enough." With this comment, Jak began to take the path back to the Gates to Haven City.
LES: I don't know. I really can't think of anything interesting to happen to Keira just yet. Jak chapter next.