Chapter XV: The Underground Hideout
LES: Another Jak chapter. Sorry it took a while. I've been suffering computer problems lately. First, my parents 'forgot' to pay the Internet bill. And then my laptop where I write down all my stories decided that it should be retired. I was almost done writing this chapter at the time and for a while; I didn't have the heart to re-type it. Now I have to write on the desktop. Anyway, after the long wait, here it is…
Jak didn't have to steal a zoomer from a passing townie this time, as there was an abandoned zoomer parked near-by. He continued to zoom down the street when something caught his eye.
A Krimzon Guard was tacking posters to the walls. The Guard in question admired his handiwork briefly, and then he walked away to finish his job. Jak, curious as to what the Guard was pinning up, hopped off the zoomer and ripped the poster off the wall.
It was a wanted poster. It took Jak several seconds to realize that he was the wanted man. There was a mug shot under the heading, but this happened to be the first time that Jak saw what his face really looked like since he had changed.
He couldn't help staring at the picture. Daxter was right, he HAD changed. The green/blonde hair that had stuck up two years ago had swept back. And he found he now had a small green goatee on his chin. Jak's hand instinctively went to his chin. Yes, the goatee was there. Also, the Jak in the picture no longer had the cherubic-like face that had made him popular for cheek-pinching and 'Oh, he's so cute's back in Sandover. His face had shrunken due to the torture and lack of good nutrition. Jak looked into his picture self's eyes and, quite frankly, his own eyes gave him the creeps. Those eyes were the eyes of a man without hope, which he had become. Even though the picture, Jak could feel the darkness radiating from the man… him.
"I have changed." Jak said.
"Damn right." Daxter said. "I didn't even recognize you at first."
Jak scanned the rest of the poster. It read:
'Jak: Wanted Dead or Alive
Crimes: Murder (Fifty-Six Counts) and Prison Break
Reward: 50,000 Eco Units or an Exchange of a Loved One'
"Wow!" Said Daxter. "That's a lot of Eco on your head!"
'Description: Green/blonde hair, Blue Tunic, ?Nineteen Yrs. Old?'
Warning: Under NO circumstances is this man to be approached as he is considered an active threat to Haven and extremely dangerous. No citizen is to attempt apprehension themselves, call the nearest Krimzon Guard if you see this man.'
"Damn!" Jak swore silently to himself. Now every single Guard in the City will be trying to bring him down. It was now a lottery, and he was the winning ticket. EVERYONE will be after him! But what did it mean by an 'exchange of a loved one?' Did that mean what he thought that meant?
At that moment, Jak casually looked around just in time to see a Slummer stop to study one of the other posters. The man looked away and his eyes roved over Jak for just a split second. Suddenly, his head whip-lashed back as he stared at Jak. For a second, the two just stared at each other, but Jak felt he knew what was coming next. He wasn't disappointed either.
"Guards! Guards! It's HIM! The wanted man!" The Slummer yelled, pointing in his direction. Every Guard in the immediate area turned and looked straight at him.
One of them must've called an alert because alarms began going off all over the city. The sound of a hundred sirens was so loud it almost deafened Jak. But he regained himself. "Dammit!" Jak spat as he jumped back onto his zoomer. The Guards on foot immediately fell behind, but the ones in zoomers were able to keep up, shooting at the fleeing zoomer all the time.
"Faster! Faster!" Daxter screamed, clutching poor Jak around the head in fright. A bullet from the pursuing vehicles passed so close to Daxter that some of his precious fur was burnt off. "AUGH!" Daxter screamed, looking at his burnt fur. "FASTER!"
"Fine by me!" Jak grinned wickedly as he pushed the throttle fully open until the zoomer was going at top speed though the crowded city streets. Soon, even the Krimzon Guard vehicles were left far behind. The only things to be heard were the continued blaring of the alarms and Daxter screaming in the distance.
"JAAAAK!"
Jak flew full-speed back into the Dead-End Alley. Even though the Guards had long since stopped chasing him, he enjoyed the way the wind blew in his face. It almost made him feel fully alive again, if only for a short couple of minutes.
"Wall! WALL!" Daxter yelled in warning as Jak sped towards the wall without showing any sign of slowing down. At the last second, Jak leapt off the zoomer and landed safely on the ground. The zoomer, however, kept going and hit the wall at full speed. It exploded on impact, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. Jak was hit by a few small pieces, but he hardly felt that at all. In fact, he wasn't even fully aware that any had hit him. Daxter, however, wasn't so lucky. "Damn! Damn you, Jak!" Daxter swore.
Jak looked around and saw that the diminutive rat had a small piece of metal sticking out of his arm. Jak wouldn't have even called it a splinter, but to a creature Daxter's size…
"Come on, Dax." Jak said in an almost soothing voice. Jak motioned for Daxter to give him his arm, which he did, grudgingly. Jak swiftly pulled out the offending piece of metal and tossed it aside, the small hole that was left began to bleed.
"Ow!" Daxter cried, staring at the small hole in his arm. "Great, now I'm going to bleed to death! And it's all your fault! You and your insane driving!"
"Calm down, you'll be fine." Jak reassured his friend. "I'll fix it up inside, they've got to have a first-aid kit somewhere." Jak reasoned as he headed toward the door that lead to the Underground, and grumbling Ottsel on his shoulder.
Unfortunately, the minor explosion that the zoomer caused didn't go unnoticed. As soon as the first door opened, Jak found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.
He reacted instantly. He ripped the gun out of his attacker's hands with one hand, and the other shot out and grabbed the man by the throat. The entire process took about half a second. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Jak demanded angrily.
The man gagged, as though trying to say something though Jak's choke hold. "Can't… breathe…" He finally managed to gasp.
Jak growled and let the man go. He fell to the ground, gasping for air. Jak squatted down to his level. "What were you doing?" He repeated his question in a tone that was softer, but still as angry.
The man finally seemed to get enough breath to answer Jak's question. "Thought… explosion… Krimzon Guard attack…"
Suddenly, the second door opened and Torn stormed into the small staircase. "Just what the hell is going on here?" He demanded, seeing Jak glaring at the man on the ground, he looked ready to rip his head off.
The man who attacked Jak got up, watching Jak nervously. "Torn…" He saluted weakly, still not fully recovered from Jak's choke hold. "I went to investigate the explosion… I thought it was a Krimzon Guard raid. But this guy…" He pointed at Jak. "Disarmed me and had me in a choke hold in less than a second!"
"Really? Within a second?" Torn asked, staring at Jak. "Come inside… er…" Torn suddenly realized that he didn't know this guy's name.
Jak realized this problem. "Jak." He said simply.
"Jak?" Torn repeated, amazed. 'Jak' wasn't a very common name in Haven City. People tended not to use it because it had special meaning to those who still followed the Precursor's teachings. Torn wasn't much into religious stuff, but he knew it was supposedly the name of a great hero who lived before Mar or Haven City. "Well… come in." Torn said. Jak walked though the second door after Torn.
"About your guy…" Jak said. A younger, more innocent Jak would've apologized for attacking someone who didn't really mean him any harm. But not the older Jak. "I had my reasons." He said simply.
Torn knew that Jak wasn't exactly apologizing for what he did, but he pretended he did anyway. "Don't be sorry." Jak frowned. "I'm impressed. That man you so easily disarmed is considered one of our top fighters."
Daxter blinked, still holding the wound on his arm. "That guy was one of your best?" Daxter asked, amazed. "How in the world are you fighting the Baron when that guy is one of your best?"
"I guess I can't expect anything else from a guy named 'Jak.'" Torn said. Jak just looked confused. "Okay…" He lead Jak though what appeared to be the Briefing Room. However, he walked right across the room towards a wall that had maps and posters of the Baron and Erol with rather rude captions. Jak couldn't help but chuckle at a few of these. Torn pressed an ordinary section of wall with his hand and the wall suddenly opened up to reveal a much larger room. "Welcome to the Underground Headquarters."
Jak couldn't help but be amazed at the size of the rebel hideout. From the outside, it didn't look like much at all. The main room appeared to be a large hanger-like area. Several men and women ran all over the place, planning the next raid or assault on the Baron's forces. "How many people are here?" Jak asked.
"The Headquarters can hold about a hundred rebels at a time." Torn said. "We also have three hundred more scattered around the City in various safe houses."
"Four-hundred fighters?" Daxter asked. "Why don't you guys all-out attack the Baron?" Jak noticed that Daxter was still holding his arm with his paw. Blood was starting to seep though his fingers.
"Your friend's hurt." Torn said, pointing out the obvious and ignoring Daxter's question. He turned and grabbed something off a near-by table. "Here's a first-aid kit." Torn said, tossing the small kit to Jak.
Jak hadn't used any sort of first-aid kit in two years. The main reasons being that he was in prison and wasn't allowed the luxury of having his wounds treated in any way and also because of his enhanced healing factor healed most wounds, the rest went away with time. But Jak remembered enough to help Daxter fix up his arm.
Once Jak was done with Daxter's arm, Torn resumed the tour. "The hallway on the right leads to the main quarters. The hallway on the left leads to my office and the private quarters. But usually, only Kor and the kid stay in those…"
"Kor's part of the Underground?" Jak asked.
"Oh yes, his job is to look out for the boy." Torn said.
Jak suddenly remembered something the Kor had said. "Kor said that the child was important. Why? He's just a little kid, right?"
"Yes, he's a kid." Torn said. "But the Shadow believes that he is the lost heir to the Throne of Haven City."
"A little spoiled Prince, huh?" Jak spat. "Living the high life?"
"Actually, no." Torn said, shaking his head. "Both of his parents are missing… presumed dead. The Kid might know where his parents are, if they are alive, but he doesn't talk." Torn sighed. "It's possibly going to be our job to take care of him until this war is over or until he is old enough to claim the Throne for himself."
"You won't have to wait for the kid to grow up… Praxis will be dead long before that happens." Jak said.
Torn rolled his eyes. He found Jak exceedingly arrogant. "Anyway… the bathrooms and showers are to the right in the quarters…"
Torn finally REALLY caught Jak's attention. Jak looked up. "Showers?"
"Showers." Torn confirmed, slightly confused.
Jak doubted that he had heard anything better in two years. It had been two years since his last shower… ever since Sandover. Being clean was another luxury that Jak had missed out on in prison. Jak didn't even want to think about how he must smell. Here he was, standing in clothes that weren't too small, ripped, or covered in blood, and he had the promise of soon being clean. Jak might've felt happy, but the scowl on his face hid the fact. "I'll take a shower." Jak said, mainly to himself.
"And…" Torn continued. "I have had all the mirrors removed." Torn said, as per Jak's earlier request.
"Good!" Jak said, walking away.
Daxter looked up at Torn. "So… what room are we staying in?" Torn glared down at the little rat. This was the beginning of a beautiful… hateship.
Jak stepped into the white shower room with noting but a towel around his waist. Jak gazed around at the slightly damp white porcelain and the shower heads set at intervals in the wall, and sighed. Some people take things like showers for granted. Jak thought. Stupid bastards.
Jak removed the towel and placed it on a hook sticking out of the wall. Jak walked across the damp tile to a shower head. He considered the knobs for a second before turning the 'Hot' knob all the way on.
The scalding water probably would've melted a lesser man, but Jak didn't really give a damn. He was in Heaven. He sighed as the near-boiling water ran over him. "Thank whatever Precursor invented hot water." Jak breathed.
As it turned out, the boiling water was quite necessary. Two years of dirt, grime, and all sorts of other stuff that Jak didn't want to think about was boiled from his body. But, while dirt can be washed away, there were some stains that no amount of boiling water could melt away.
Jak sighed and shook his head sadly as he came to realize that the cleansing was went only skin-deep. His soul was still left dirty and hollow. Jak stood there for almost a minute, just letting the burning water run down his face. It was then that Jak finally came to realize that the water was burning him.
Jak reluctantly turned on the 'Cold' knob, lowering the waters temperature as he continued to wash off…
Jak walked out of the showers fifteen minutes later. He might've not felt very good on the inside, but at least he didn't smell like prison anymore.
He was surprised to find Daxter waiting for him in the hallway. "Man, I thought you had drowned! What took you so long?"
"I had a lot of washing to do." Jak explained. "Showers are a luxury the Baron doesn't allow his prisoners."
"Wait a minute…" Daxter said, waving his hands in the air to stop Jak. "Are you telling me that was your first shower… in two years?" Jak nodded. "Just how bad IS prison?"
"I'll tell you when we aren't standing in the middle of a hallway." Jak said, looking up and down the hallway to make sure that no one was eavesdropping.
Daxter was fully prepared to argue his case until he saw the look on his friend's face. "Fine. I'll show you where our room is." He said, leading the way down the hall. Jak kept up easily as he was a lot taller than his diminutive friend.
Daxter eventually lead his friend to a room marked 'Q42' and Jak pushed open the door. Inside the small room was a military cot in the corner with a crude nightstand next to it. A small Eco-powered lamp cast a small amount of light around the room. There was a weapon rack, empty, in the corner. "Well… it's not much." Jak said, sitting on the cot. "But it's a hell of a lot better than prison."
Daxter shut the door. "So… just how bad IS prison?" Daxter repeated his earlier question.
Jak took a deep breath and began to tell his story. All the way from the normal first three months to the rest of the two years spent in the Baron's Dark Warrior Program. Jak didn't lie about anything, he did, however, leave out MANY select details. For example: exactly what the man who became Jak's first kill was doing to him before he met his end. The way Jak made it sound, he had killed him just because he was there. Jak didn't want anyone to know what had almost happened to him that fateful day. Daxter would either never let it live down or pity him. Jak didn't want any of that.
Jak made one mistake. He described Sorus and his fate. He told Daxter exactly what had happened. He was, in short, horrified.
"You KILLED your own friend in a fit of RAGE!" Daxter demanded.
Jak realized his mistake, too late. "In those days I lost my mind! I was no better than an animal." Jak vaguely remembered what had caused that fight that had lead to Sorus having most of his insides ripped out. "He invaded my territory."
"So, how am I suppose to know that you won't go all crazy on me too?" Daxter demanded, his faith in his friend clearly shaken.
"You said I tried to kill you in prison. I had enough control then, maybe I can control myself enough to not kill you." Jak said, but he knew he was grasping at straws.
Daxter knew that Jak wasn't so sure himself, and Daxter reminded him. "But you lose control!" He practically yelled. "You say that you don't remember what happened to those Krimzon Guards, but I do. That… thing, whatever it is… can fight and it doesn't show any mercy. It will kill anything that gets in its way… or should I say 'in YOUR way."
"I'm tired." Jak said, desperate to end the conversation. Jak kicked off his boots and lay down on the cot, which felt infinitely more comfortable than cement prison cell floors.
For the second time that night, Daxter seemed like he was going to press the subject, and for the second time that night, he gave up. "Fine." He said, curling up like a large cat at the foot of the cot. Jak, however, was deep in thought.
What if I really am a danger to my friends? He wondered. Will I really lose control and kill them someday… assuming that I find them. He had a sudden vision of himself standing in the middle of a pool of crimson blood, himself covered with the blood of countless people. He glanced over the bodies; most were people he didn't know at all. However, three bodies caught his attention, the mutilated bodies of Daxter, Samos, and Keira. Jak pushed the image out of his head. He wouldn't be able to live with that… with the guilt. Daxter… his best friend, Samos… who was like a father to him, Keira… Jak paused. Every time he thought of Keira, he grew confused. Just what did Keira mean to him? Sure, she was one of his oldest friends. She was always around as far back as he could remember… even before Daxter. Growing up, Jak always considered her his little sister, but… what if…
Jak stopped mid-thought. Oh no, don't even GO there! Whatever we used to have is gone now!
"It doesn't matter." Jak said out loud. (Daxter was asleep already.) "She won't except me as a friend, or a brother, or anything else." With that said, Jak drifted into an uneasy sleep.
(While later)
Daxter was asleep, dreaming of chicks in tight bikinis, when he was awoken from his fantasy by a shooting pain in his ribs, the type of pain you get from being kicked.
"Ow!" Daxter was awake instantly. ""God dammit, Jak!" Daxter began, looking over at the offending kicker. However, he was quite surprised to discover that Jak hadn't done it on purpose; in fact, he was asleep.
Daxter watched as Jak thrashed around violently, trapped deep within the realm of his own nightmares. "No. No!" Jak groaned in his sleep. "Please, no!"
"Jak! Wake up, buddy!" Daxter cried out, worried for his friend. But Jak refused to wake; he was now getting himself trapped within his sheets. Cold sweat was now pouring down his brow.
"No! Keira! No!" Jak cried. Suddenly, his blue eyes shot open and he sat up swiftly, drawing breath in horror. Daxter, who had been standing on Jak's chest was catapulted to the other side of the room. "Keira!" Jak gasped while he was stuck in that place between dreamland and reality where you still remember your dreams. It was then that he realized that it was, in fact, a dream. "Dammit!" Jak sighed, falling back on the bed.
Daxter climbed back up on the cot, curious. "What was that?" He asked.
"Nothing." Jak breathed. "Just a nightmare."
"Nightmare? But you never have night…"
"Well, I do now!" Jak yelled, possibly loud enough to wake up several sleeping agents, but he didn't really care. Daxter took a step back from him, in fear of his very existence. Jak's face softened at the look of terror on Daxter's face. "Dax… I'm sorry. I'm just a little… stressed."
Daxter made no comment for about thirty seconds. When he finally spoke, he said. "So, what's the nightmare about?"
Jak sighed. Not something that he wanted to explain. "Lots of things." He finally said guardedly. "I am worried about Samos and Keira… I haven't seen them in two years." Jak paused for several seconds. "Do you know where they are?"
Daxter shook his head. "No. I've searched for them, but no luck yet."
"Maybe it'll be better if I never find them." Jak said, mainly to himself. "I'd hate for them to see me… like this…" Daxter knew instantly that Jak was talking about whatever was happening to him.
"Don't think that way." Daxter said. "Samos and Keira won't reject you. They'll still be there for you."
Jak forced a smile. If Daxter could pretend to make a bleak situation sound hopeful, the least he could do was pretend to be encouraged. "Thanks, Dax." Jak sat on the cot for several minutes in silence before he spoke. "It's no use." He said, getting up. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I get nothing but nightmares. Maybe Torn will have something that needs to be done." Jak jammed on his boots and walked out into the hallway.
"At one o'clock in the morning?" Daxter demanded as he followed Jak out the door.
"So, what do you think of our newest recruit?" Torn asked Tess in the briefing room. Tess was one of the few females that Torn respected, the other being Ashelin.
Tess sighed. "He's very young. Can't be much older than twenty. However, he must be a great fighter, the way he disarmed Freed like that. But the mirror thing…"
"The guy obviously has issues." Torn said. "That was, without a doubt the strangest request I've ever gotten. Usually its: 'I'm allergic to something or other, don't use it in your cooking.' But… no mirrors?"
"Maybe he's a vampire." Tess suggested half-heartedly. "Maybe he doesn't have a reflection in mirrors."
"No, he was out in the daylight." Torn said. "Besides, vampires don't exist."
"Wait, someone's coming." Tess said. The back door opened and to everyone's surprise, Jak and Daxter stepped though the hidden doorway.
"Do you guys have anything that needs done?" Jak asked right away.
"This late?" Torn asked.
Jak glared at Torn. "I don't sleep much." He said simply.
Tess gave Torn a significant look that Torn disregarded. "Alright. I do have something for you to do." Torn pointed to a faucet sticking out of the sidewall. "Turn that on."
This is, without a doubt, the easiest mission I've ever received. Jak thought as he walked over to the faucet and turned it on. However, instead of water coming out, it oozed a foul-smelling muck. "What is that?" Jak asked, halfway afraid to know the answer.
Torn, thankfully, didn't answer Jak's question. "I've just been informed by one of our spies that the Baron has shut off all water to the slums." Torn said. "He's willing to sacrifice innocent lives, just to destroy the Underground!" Torn paused and laughed sourly. "I shouldn't be surprised. I've seen his evil before, while serving in the Krimzon Guard." Jak stared at Torn. "That's why I quit."
"YOU were a Krimzon Guard?" Half of Jak wanted to rip Torn apart for even reminding him of those bastards that dared to call themselves soldiers. "Oh…" Jak recovered from his momentary shock. "That explains your 'charming' sense of humor."
Torn ignored Jak's comment. "Our informant, an old friend of mine in the Guard, has told me that the valve to turn the water back on is located outside the City, at the Pumping Station."
"Outside the City?" Jak asked. "Is there even a way out of this dump?"
"And IF, and that's a big IF, we do get out, we'd have to deal with the Metal-Heads!" Daxter said. Jak had heard of the Metal-Heads before, during prison. He knew they were monsters that have been trying to over run the City for almost five hundred years, since the time of a famous guy named 'Mar' or something like that. "It ain't no petting zoo out there! Peeps be getting' deep sixed!"
Torn turned to face Jak. "Go to the Water Slums. Find a large drainpipe in the North wall. That will take you outside the City to the Pumping Station." Torn turned to face Daxter. "About the Metal-Heads, I can't help you with that. But if your friend is half as good as he thinks he is, it should be a walk in the park. Anyway…" Torn turned back to face Jak. "Get to the Main Valve and open it. If you survive, the Slums will be indebted to you. If not… MAYBE we'll have a touching moment of silence in your honor."
Jak turned to leave as Daxter leapt onto his shoulder. Once they were out of earshot, Daxter growled. "I'd like to give him a 'touching moment!'" Jak smiled to himself as he walked out into the dark City streets, stole a nearby zoomer, and sped off into the night.
After a short drive though the City, Jak reached a door in the wall that he assumed was the way out of the City. He pulled the zoomer to a stop right next to the wooden walkway.
"Jak?" Came a shaky voice from his shoulder. Jak looked around and saw that Daxter looked like he was going to be sick. "Don't ever do that again!"
"Do what?" Jak asked, confused.
"Going top speed though the City in the dark…" Daxter said. "That was, without a doubt, the scariest thing I've ever witnessed!"
"Really? I thought the scariest thing you ever witnessed was walking in on Samos without a shirt on." Jak said, laughing for real for the first time in two years.
Daxter fell off Jak's shoulder and vomited in the water below. Apparently, Jak had reminded Daxter of a few unwanted memories. Once Daxter finished his business in the water below he pointed an accusing finger at Jak. "Don't you ever mention that again! EVER!" He spat.
"No problem." Jak said, satirically. "I'm sure that I'd be just as traumatized if I ever saw Samos without a shirt on…"
"JAK!"
"Fine." Jak said.
"You know what?" Daxter asked. "You may be a nineteen year old, but you act so immature at times!" Jak didn't answer this accusation. He knew the truth. He wasn't immature at all; he was only pretending to be immature. Prison had broken his mind, body, and child-like youth. He wasn't immature, not by a long shot. The days where he could tease Daxter endlessly had died in prison.
"Let's just get this over with." Jak said, instantly reverting to 'stoic mode.' He walked though the double doors, which had opened for him without complaint as he thought about his lost youth. Once again, anger welled up inside him as he remembered that the Baron was responsible for all of his misery and suffering. "It doesn't matter." Jak said out-loud to no one in particular. "I'll make the Baron and Erol beg for mercy in the end." Jak's eyes glazed over as a sick kind of fantasy was played before his mind's eye.
The Baron and Erol were on the ground before him, covered in deep scratches and blood… their own blood. "Please…" Erol begged, cowering before him like the coward he really was. "I beg of you, spare me!"
"Show mercy!" The Baron begged, his face was so distorted by his wounds that it took Jak a second to figure out who he was looking at.
Jak grinned grimly. "What mercy? The same mercy you showed me or the thousands of others you tortured to death! The fourteen others that you let rot in that cell, consumed by the Eco you pumped us full of! You will beg for that fate before I'm done with you… You don't deserve to die that way, I'll find something worse…"
"Jak…" Daxter whispered, bring Jak out of his dark fantasy. "Do you see the lights?"
They were standing on a small beach, but that is now what caught the duo's eyes. Even in the moonless night, Jak could see them perfectly, and he quickly assumed that there was a light source somewhere nearby. There were three creatures walking around on the beach. Each one walked on all fours and was covered in a type of bio-metallic armor. Each one had a glowing, yellow skull-gem, which Jak assumed were the 'lights' that Daxter was talking about, that was embedded in their foreheads. They walked around, speaking to each other in a language that was mostly made up of growls, hisses, and the occasional roar. Every once in a while, one would take a swipe at one of its fellows, earning growls and roars in return. "What are those?" Jak asked.
Daxter sighed. "Those are Metal-Heads."
"So… those are Metal-Heads." Jak wondered. He watched as one began to use its hind leg to scratch behind its ear, sending sparks flying as the sharp claws scrapped against the metal. "They don't look very tough."
"Of coarse they don't look tough." Daxter said. "Those seem to be Swippers, they are the weakest type of Metal-Heads."
"So, what's the big deal?" Jak asked.
"I'll tell you what the big deal is." Daxter said. "There's no such thing as a weak Metal-Head!"
"Stop being such a baby." Jak sighed. "There's nothing I can't handle."
"And just how do you know you can handle Metal-Heads, Mr. I'm-pissed-at-the-world!" Daxter said.
Jak remained silent for a second before he spoke. "That's why I was created." He said simply.
Daxter nodded slowly, realizing that Jak was referring to what happened to him in prison. "Last question: how are you going to defeat them in the dark? I can barely see a thing." It was after midnight on a moonless night, there was no light, unless you counted the Metal-Head's skull-gems.
Jak stared at Daxter, surprised. "Really? I can see perfectly fine."
Daxter stared back at Jak. "Cool!" He said finally. "Night-vision!"
"Night-vision?" Jak wondered. That would explain why it seemed to him that the Metal-Heads were in a spotlight and Daxter couldn't see anything, unless Jak's eyes had improved so much that they could pierce the darkest night. "Well, you are just going to have to trust me in the dark."
"Please, I barely trust you at high-noon." Daxter said.
Jak growled to show his annoyance. "Just trust me, I know what I'm doing."
With that, Jak ran down the beach towards the Metal-Heads. The sound of booted feet pounding on the sand attracted the Metal-Head's attention and all three of their ugly heads turned as one to face this newest threat. The Metal-Heads growled as they spread out in a semi-circle in an attempt to draw Jak towards one of them so that the other two could attack him.
Jak slid to a halt just before he reached a place where any two of them could attack, eying the situation, his battle-keen mind plotting his next move, or lack thereof. The Metal-Heads didn't attack; they merely waited for him to make the next move. "Come and get me." Jak growled.
The Metal-Heads seemed confused. This creature was obviously a threat, but he didn't attack. They hissed at each other, obviously fighting over what to do next. Finally, one lost its patience with the other two and rushed at Jak, hoping to catch him off guard. A mistake that cost the Metal-Head his life, for Jak was far from 'off guard', he was ready.
Just before the Metal-Head reached him, Jak leapt into the air and landed square on the Metal-Head's back. Before the Metal-Head knew what was happening, Jak was ripping into an armor-less spot at the base of its head, one weakness that Jak instinctively knew about. Jak reached the neck bone and snapped it with a swift movement. The Metal-Head was instantly paralyzed from the neck down, and was dead within seconds. The Metal-Head's useless legs fell out from under it, fell to the ground, and skidded a good seven feet before coming to a rest. Jak got off the corpse and faced the other two Metal-Heads, who were hissing in surprise at the death of their comrade.
"What just happened?" Daxter panicked, on account of not being able to see past his own nose.
"One down, two to go." Jak said simply. Jak saw the remaining two Metal-Heads perfectly with the strange 'night-vision' he had suddenly been granted. The last two Metal-Heads, who were smarter than the dead one at Jak's feet, stood their ground in a tense face-off. Suddenly, Jak growled. "Eat this."
He grabbed the body of the dead Metal-Head, easily twice his size, and, using his super-human strength, lifted up the monster and threw it at its former comrades. One Metal-Head dodged the flying carcass, but the other was not so swift. It was pinned under its dead body. The Metal-Head that hadn't been pinned rushed at Jak in a desperate attempt to kill him. Once again, Jak tried the trick that had worked on the other Metal-Head, but the Metal-Head wasn't to be fooled. At the last second, the Metal-Head leapt to one side, causing Jak to miss its back.
He tried to recover as fast as he could from his mistake, but the damage had already been done. The Metal-Head's claws slashed Jak across the face, leaving three deep cuts, which nearly took out one of his eyes. Jak leapt back, away from the fight, and put a hand up to his wound. He pulled his hand away to reveal a small amount of his blood on his fingers. Jak glared at the offending Metal-Head.
The Metal-Head growled, as if saying: 'Your first blood goes to me. That was a warning, back down now or be killed.'
But Jak had grown far to rash to even consider 'backing down' an option. Jak rushed at the creature and, just as the Metal-Head lashed out at him, Jak side-stepped the attack and preformed a perfectly executed spin-kick that hit the Metal-Head right on target, in the jaw.
The creature fell over; it's mouth hanging open uselessly. Jak had broken its jawbone. The Metal-Head fell to the ground, stunned. Jak kicked its side until its unarmored chest was revealed, and he began to rip into the flesh. Jak dug deeper, his eyes aflame with madness, as he searched for his trophy. The wretched creature shrieked in pain again and again as Jak dug deeper into his flesh, finally finding what he was looking for.
He took hold of the object and pulled it out of the creature. Jak held the creature's warm, still beating heart in his hands.
As can be imagined, nothing can survive an extended amount of time without a heart. The creature let out one last gargle as it died. Jak then turned to face the remaining Metal-Head, still trapped under the body of its fellow. Jak walked over, still carrying the heart, and dropped it in front of the Metal-Head's face.
If Metal-Head's faces can show fear, this one could. It stared at the heart that lay before its eyes and began to reek of fear. The smell disgusted Jak to his core. He lifted up his boot and began to stomp on the Metal-Head's face. Again and again the boot connected, and the Metal-Head roared in pain. Finally, there was nothing left but a bloody stain on the ground where the monster's head should've been.
"Is it over?" Daxter asked uncertainly when Jak had finished his bloody work with the Metal-Head.
"Yes, it's over." Jak said. For the first time, he was aware that his face stung, sort of like a wumpbee was stinging him in several places across his face. "Ow." Jak said, more in surprise then in actual pain. He felt his face where the Metal-Head had sliced him. The blood from the various cuts had dried and he wiped it off. He felt the skin underneath. Healed, without even the trace of a scar. He knew what must've happened. The Dark Eco must've healed him. "Dark Eco can be quite useful." Jak said to himself.
"Yeah, whatever. I'd be glad if we could…" Daxter paused as Jak approached one of the Metal-Head carcasses, oozing of Dark Eco. Just like the frog-like creatures, the Dark Eco was attracted to Jak as it jumped straight into his system. Not only that, but he seemed to be attracted by the glowing skull-gem that was embedded in their foreheads. Daxter joined Jak in studying them. "Pretty…" Daxter breathed, watching the many yellows swirl across the surface.
"Funny…" Jak said, his eyes glazed over in an almost hypnotized manner. "But I have a feeling that those things are important."
"The skull-gems?"
"Yeah. I'm just getting the feeling… that we are going to need them sooner or later." Jak said, digging his fingers into the flesh around the skull-gem and prying it from its forehead.
"Well, I guess your feelings are usually right." Daxter said. "Go on, get them." Jak continued to collect the skull-gems from the remaining bodies; even the one with his head smashed in, for the gem remained intact. "Now, can we get out of here? I can't see a blasted thing."
"Hey, don't worry, Daxter." Jak said. "I can see in the dark. As long as you're with me, you're safe."
"That makes me feel loads better." Daxter said sarcastically as he and Jak headed away from the Metal-Head bloodstained battlefield that marked Jak's first fight with Metal-Head, but certainly not his last.
After a long walk over the small area, where the duo had been held up several times by Metal-Heads, which Jak quickly disposed of and collected their skull-gems.
Jak and Daxter finally the main valve high up on a cliff. The valve itself was brightly lit, so Daxter would have no problem seeing. Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder. "Ah, the valve. Allow me." He said, waving Jak off. Daxter grabbed onto the valve with both of his little paws and turned with all his might. Unfortunately, 'all his might' just wasn't good enough. The valve didn't budge. Daxter tried and tried to turn the valve several times, unsuccessfully. Finally, Jak grew impatient. With a roll of his eyes, he kicked the valve. Unfortunately, Daxter was still holding onto the valve when it started spinning, therefore sling-shooting him into a pipe. Daxter began to fly down the thin pipe, with many cries of pain.
Jak growled as Daxter disappeared. Jak glanced around, there was a cliff heading in Daxter's direction that was within jumping range. However, I do not mean a regular person's jumping range, this was Jak's jumping range, which was over twenty feet away.
Jak snarled as he leapt for it, landing firmly on the ground. Jak spotted another cliff that was little more than a glorified out-cropping of rock, but Jak leapt for it anyway, landing perfectly. He continued this way until he landed back on the sand where he had begun after a particularly long jump, almost thirty feet. Jak rushed over to the machinery.
Jak could now hear Daxter's calls for help. "Jak… help… Jak, help!" A pause, Daxter was stuck in the machinery. "Jak… please… help…" Jak walked up and turned the valve on the machine. The pressure of the water building up behind Daxter eventually forced him from the pipes along with a rush of water. Jak turned the valve back to the 'closed' position again and knelled down by where Daxter lay. Jak opened his mouth to make a smart comment when… "Don't say it! Don't even chuckle!" Jak grinned as Daxter sat up and glared at him. "Next time… you turn the valve…" Then Daxter passed out. Jak laughed as he picked up his friend and headed towards the exit.
LES: Holy cow! Sorry for the long wait. I am not dead; I've only had one computer problem after another. I know this doesn't completely make up for it, but this was an over seven thousand word chapter for you. And another chapter should be up sooner, if not later. Anyway, thanks for being so patient with me. I promise, I'll try to get as many chapters going as I can as soon as possible.