Torn leaned against the garage door. What had he just done? Did he just ask Keira out? What the hell was wrong with him? Keira was so much younger than he was. What was he pushing? 29? His birthday was coming up soon. It wasn't going to be long before he hit the big 3-0. And how old was Keira? 21? She'd only just started drinking, so she must have come of age not too long ago. Torn slapped himself in the forehead.
"You're turning into an old man,"he said to himself,"and look at you now. Daxter's gonna have the whole city thinkin' you're out after the younger chicks. What a rep that's gonna be."
'Oh, well, at least it keeps people from knowing why Keira and I are really seeing a lot of each other', Torn thought, walking away,'and it's not like it's a really bad thing...'
He shook himself off and pulled out his com, calling Headquarters. A burly footsoldier answered,"Yes, sir?"
"I need a guard to come to the Race Garage and escort the mechanic to her apartment,"Torn barked,"and don't leave her waiting."
"Right away, sir,"the soldier replied, and hung up.
Torn reached his parked zoomer and started the motor. The exaust gave a harsh rattle with a loud BANG! as he accelerated.
"Peice of shit,"he muttered. Maybe Keira could look at it later.
Suddenly, Torn's com went off. Sig was on the line,"I've looked all over Spargus. I've even checked with the locals. Nobody's seen Jinx. Kliever said he never let him in the front gate. Sorry chillipepper."
"Dammit,"Torn growled,"he can't have just dropped off the face of the planet."
"Well, I'd come back to the city to help, but I'm kind of in a bind,"Sig bellowed,"Spargus is having some trouble with invading Marauders, and it'd probably be best if I stuck around for awhile."
"You do what you need to,"Torn said,"I can handle this on my own,"he closed the communicator.
Jinx was hiding out somewhere. He had to be. As far as Torn was concerned, he could hide as long as he wanted. They'd root him out sooner or later. There was just one thing bugging him, though. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he had the suspicion that Jinx was up to something else. He'd been leaving Haven for the Wasteland far too often. He took explosives and weapons every time, but never came back with them. Right now there were too many puzzle peices to put together, and Torn didn't have the right leads. He wouldn't be sure until he found Jinx. WHERE he found him would be the biggest clue.
Sighing, he turned his zoomer into the dead-end alley and parked near his front door. He figured he'd catch a few z's before picking Keira up. He smirked. She'd been the first person to drag him out of bed before noon in almost a year. Tired, he didn't even have the chance to kick off his boots before he'd hit the first bunk and passed out.
Torn was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming. It was the same dream he'd had since he'd left the Krimzon Guard. It was Dead Town. Right before they'd lost and the whole metalhead war had begun.
There was fire and smoke. People screaming and dying all around him. Flashes of light that revealed the glistening fangs and drooling jaws of metalheads as they advanced on Torn's platoon. All he could do was keep firing, keep shooting, keep living.
"Fall back,"Torn screamed,"fall back to the city locks!"
Baron Praxis was there,"What are you doing!" He roared,"Keep fighting! Fire, FIRE!"
Soldiers were running and screeching. Metalhead troops were picking them off one by one. The injured were carrying the wounded, and the dead lay staining the ground with thier own blood. Torn was afraid. The first fear he had ever felt in all his life. It shot through him like a lightning bolt until he shivered and shook; his finger freezing over his own trigger. He couldn't breathe, only move, only turn to run like all the others, disgusted with himself and his cowardice.
But there was Keira. Standing in his way, beautiful and serene despite the waves of chaos and destruction rampaging around her. She never moved, never flinched, only parted her lips and spoke:
"Don't fall."
Torn jerked awake. His hands were shaking and his voice was hoarse. Had he been screaming? He was covered in his own sweat. He slowly sat up and rested his head in his hands. Why had Keira been there? And what in the name of Mar was that she said? Torn shook his head. He didn't want to think about it. He got up and checked the clock. It was time for him to go. He quickly washed up and took off for Keira's.
"Hi,"she said at her front door,"what's that?"
Torn lifted the sack he was carrying,"It's takeout. I hope you like spicy food."
"Sounds good,"she said, mimicking the way he'd said it at the garage,"but I thought we were going somewhere."
"We are,"he said,"you ready?"
"Let's go."
Keira clung to him on the back of his zoomer as they sped through the city. Torn would've never admitted it to anyone, but he enjoyed her warmth against his back. In a way, it was nice to have someone around who liked his company.
"Your zoomer sounds like it needs a new exaust,"Keira said over a paticularly loud BANG,"I could fix it for you, if you wanted me to."
"The gods know I can't fix it myself,"Torn laughed,"if it were a guard I could order it to fix itself."
Keira giggled. Torn hit the air brakes next to a familiar city lock and parked the zoomer.
"Haven Forest?" Keira cocked an eyebrow,"you didn't exactly seem like the picnicking type to me."
"Not my first choice,"Torn admitted,"but it seemed nice earlier. I figured it was a good start to a few changes."
"To what?"
"Myself, I guess,"Torn said as they stepped into the forest.
They sat down on the new green grass not too far from the lock. Everything WAS different here, quieter, maybe, Torn couldn't tell. It could've been the green eco still left around the forest by Samos for all he knew. He just felt...better. And maybe, just maybe, it was having someone like Keira around. He sure didn't know it for himself.
"Hey, what's this stuff?" Keira asked, holding up a container of brown liquid.
"Root soup,"Torn said,"it's really hot. It's good if you eat it with-"
Click.
Something hard was pressed against the back of Torn's head.
"Don't move."
"Jinx!" Keira squealed,"How did you-"
"If you don't want your boyfriend's brains decorating the grass, I suggest you keep it down,"Jinx growled. Keira flinched.
"Jinx, you bastard,"Torn hissed. He went for his pistols. How could he have let his guard down?
"I wouldn't do that if I were you,"Jinx grinned, pressing his gun to Torn's skull,"you just might-"
Torn dove, rolling onto his back and kicking out with his feet. The kick hit Jinx in the stomach, sending him flying.
"Run, Keira!"Torn bellowed, pulling his guns.
"Too late,"Jinx laughed. He was already up, aiming, laughing like a madman, and maybe he was. He pulled the trigger.
There was sound. Torn only heard sound. He was up and shooting, trying to hit Jinx as he fled out of the forest. He dove out of the city lock, closing it behind him, still laughing, always laughing.
"Torn! Torn,"Keira was screaming his name but he didn't know why. He still heard noise, whitewater rushing through his ears, and a warm, wet embrace, sticky but inviting. He dropped his pistols without realizing he'd let go. Keira had grabbed his arms, trying to get him to sit down. Was that blood on her hands? The world was spinning; the air had gone cold.
'In all the times to have yourself outgunned,' Torn thought.
The ground rose up to meet him, and the darkness was all he knew. But there was still that image of her standing in his battlefield; the closest thing he'd seen to an angel in his dreams. And there was still Keira's voice:
"Don't fall."