1Chapter 20

Breaking into (and out of) prison

? POV

I ran after Errol as his zoomer flew past me, chasing the thing with the Kid. I leaped onto the one I had borrowed from a citizen earlier and flew after him.

The chase lasted until we reached the Water Slums. A hellcat pulled out of nowhere, making me come to an abrupt brake, and fired at the zoomer. It blew up, sending both passengers flying onto the docks. I watched in shock as the thing slowly transformed back into Raye. I shook it off and slipped under the cover of the shadows in the nearby alley. I peered out to see the guards from the Hellcat and one from the zoomer that had accompanied Errol's walk over to her. I could just hear their conversation.

"Good thing you had the Slums cleared out before she got her, Commander." One said. "Hey, here's the kid. He's out cold. Not to badly scratched up, either." He picked up the unconcious boy. I could've sworn I heard something almost like a gasp of protest from Raye, but it may have only been my imagination.

"What should we do with her? The Baron only wants the him." The second one said. "We can't leave her here. Some Slummer's bound to find her body."

"Simple." Errol walked up to Raye and kicked her into the water. "Let's go. Baron Praxis is waiting for us." They got back into their vehicles and flew off, back towards the Palace.

I snuck out from my hiding place and went over to the edge of the dock. I could just barely see Raye's body at the bottom of the water. I dove in.

My arms went around Raye's waist as I pulled her up through the murky water. She was surprisingly light. I threw her onto the docks and pulled myself out, pushing my bright red hair out of my face. I put her arm around my shoulders and pulled her over to my zoomer. I would have to take her to the Palace, I didn't have time to get her to the Underground. The guards were probably going to get suspicious if the Baron's daughter wasn't locked up in her room like she was supposed to be. (a/n: Ha! I got you guys!)

- - - - -

When I woke up, I realized two things. One, I wasn't dead, which was a good thing. Two, I was in a room that I couldn't recognize, from the game or any where else that I had been. The door opened behind me and I whipped around to see Ashelin standing there. "You're awake."

I nodded. "Yeah. Where am I?"

"The Palace." I literally jumped up, then fell to the floor because my legs wouldn't hold me. "A wound on your leg opened back up. I had to re-bandage it."

I blinked. "Oh. Must've been the one from when me and Jak blew up the ammo dump." I pulled myself back onto the couch I had been laying on. "How'd I get here?"

Ashelin sat down across from me. "When my father found out I was still in contact with Torn, he got angry and threatened to kill me if Torn didn't tell him where the Tomb was. In order to save me, Torn complied and my father sent Errol and a few troops there. I escaped and went after them, to try and stop them."

I interrupted her story. "On your own?"

She nodded. "I can handle myself."

"Yeah, I know. I've seen you fight." I reminded her. "But that still doesn't explain how I ended up here."

Ashelin frowned. "When I arrived, I was too late. I was about to go down there, but then something ran out, carrying the Kid that the Shadow is protecting, with Errol and the KG that were sent with them after it."

I held up my hand to stop her. "I know this part."

Ashelin nodded. "I followed Errol to the Water Slums and saw him blow up the zoomer, and I saw the thing that had the Kid turn into you."

I sighed. "A result of the eco treatments."

"Ah. Back to the point, I hid in an alley as the Guards grabbed the kid and Errol shoved you into the water. After the Hellcats flew away, I snuck out and pulled you out of the water, then brought you here."

I remained silent for a minute to let all of that sink in. "Why?"

She blinked. "Why what?"

"Why'd you save me?"

She shrugged. "You're a good fighter. The Underground needs you to fight, and you can't very well do that if you're dead."

"Oh." I suddenly remembered that the Shadow and Kor had been down there with me. "Shit! The Shadow; he was down there with me and Jak!"

Ashelin nodded. "He was captured, as well as Tess."

"Why Tess? Never mind, don't answer that." I shook my head and tried to stand up again. "I've got to help them."

Ashelin shoved me down. "And get yourself captured as well? No, I have an idea." She walked over to her closet and pulled out an all to familiar red uniform.

I grinned. "Oh, you're good."

- -

About twenty minutes later, I was fully dressed in a KG uniform. "This is... uncomfortable." I shifted uselessly. It truly was annoying, especially the chest plate.

"Unless you've forgotten, most of the Guard are male."

"Save you."

"And maybe one or two more." She patted my back. "This should get you into the Fortress. Just don't run down any other Guards on the way there."

I laughed and started walking out. "I'll try." I got through the Palace no problem. After following the directions Ashelin gave me to get to the garage, (a.n.: Yes, the Palace has a garage! They've gotta put all those Hellcats somewhere!) I grabbed a zoomer and took off towards the blinking red dot on the map built into the dashboard.

When I got to the fortress, I nearly laughed at the ease I had passing through. The guards were so convinced I was one of them! One of them, in the new and improved gold armor, chatted with me as he turned off the security. "I suppose you can't really call us all the Krimzon Guards anymore."

I smirked beneath my helmet. "Suppose not." I kept my speaking down to a minimum.

"Yeah. Some idiots made up a new name for us. The 'Golden Guards.' How corny is that? Suppose it isn't any worse than the Krimzon Guards, though." The security gate went down. "Alright, you're in."

"Thanks." I walked past him, and the gate clicked back on behind me. I chuckled quietly. "Golden Guards? Oh spare me."

Forty-five minutes and three security gates later, I was in. There were already a pair of guards in there. They didn't question me when I said I was here for the next shift, Ashelin had told me when the shift changes were. The guard I was taking over for was... well, lets just say he was going to be taking a nice, long nap.

As soon as the guards were gone I peered into the cell Tess was in. "Tess? Tess! It's me, Raye!" I whispered.

The blonde looked up from the corner of the cell she was sitting. "Raye? Is that really you?" I turned around so it looked like I was standing guard.

I shoved up the face plate just long enough for her to get a good look at my face, then pushed it back down. "Yeah, it's me. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am. Where are Jak and Daxter?"

I paused. "Don't worry, they're safe." 'I think.' "Look, I'm going to see if I can find the keys to these cells and get you out." I started scouring the room. I stopped and looked over to the middle of the room to see an all to familiar chair. I shuddered. I could sense the eco-tainted blood that was still coated on it. "Why, in Mar's name, doesn't Praxis have more than one dungeon?"

Ten minutes later, I still hadn't find anything. I kicked the wall I stood in front of. There was a dull thunk, and my foot throbbed. I cursed loudly and knelt down, opening the helmet's visor so I could see better. I froze in my position as I felt a dull push on the back of my helmet, which wouldn't of bothered me if I hadn't heard the click of a trigger. "I can't believe your still alive, Raye. So tell me: How did you manage to get out of the water after I hit you with that dart?"

"Dart? What dart?." I said, trying to keep my voice calm. I succeeded. Sort of.

He laughed. I was getting sooo sick of that laugh. "Oh, but I did. Otherwise, you would've been able to get right back up and grab the kid again, right after my men and I shot your zoomer out of the air." I faintly remember thinking a piece of shrapnel had hit me in the shoulder.

I cursed. I couldn't say anything about Ashelin, she would be killed. Praxis had already threatened her life once. "The water must've loosened my muscles or something. I don't know. I got lucky."

"Well, let us see how 'lucky' you get with this." He twisted my wrists behind me and pulled me up, momentarily loosening his grip to holster his pistol. I took the opening. I broke free of his grip and tried to run, but I wasn't used to the extra weight of the armor and tripped. I scowled as Errol grabbed me again. "Ah ah, Raye."

"Screw off." I growled. He laughed.

"You're going to regret that."

Fifteen minutes later, I had been stripped of the armor, and was now held by four guards as Errol paced up and down the floor, glancing at me occasionally. "What are we waiting for, exactly?"

Errol grinned at me. "Oh, you'll see. And it's more of a who than a what."

My eyes widened. "Oh no. Please, Mar, no." As soon as those words left my mouth, Baron Praxis walked in the room. It was a flashback of the last two years all over again. I started fighting against the guards with all my strength, but it wasn't very much compared to the Guards new armor.

I was strapped down to the table quickly, and I noticed that the straps holding me were stronger, much stronger, than last time and there was now one that wrapped around my middle. I was still fighting against the table as Praxis and Errol walked up. I growled. "Let me go!"

Praxis chuckled. "Oh, we will, Raye. As soon as you tell me where the Underground is hiding!" He slammed his fist near my head. I didn't flinch.

"Go. To. Hell."

The Baron glared at me and started to walk away. "She's yours to do with what you wish, Commander." Oh hell no. I really didn't like that. "After-"

I groaned. "Oh goody. There's an after."

Praxis backhanded me across the face. Ow. That really hurt. "After she goes through a few more eco doses."

Praxis laughed as my struggles got increasingly more desperate. He nodded to Errol, who walked over and pressed the on switch. I heard the ray charge up, and then fire. The beam hit me directly in my chest. I screamed. I heard Tess run over to her cell window. "Raye! Leave her alone!"

I managed to look over in her direction. "T...Tess...don't... don't..." That was all I managed to get out from the gasps of air I was getting between screams. But it was an improvement from last time. At least I could breathe this time.

The beam shut off and I was writhing in pain. "Son... of...of a... bitch..." I growled. "You... aren't... getting...any...thing... outta...me!"

Praxis frowned and, for a brief moment of terror, I thought he was going to order Errol to turn the machine back on. Instead, he laughed. "Oh, we will Raye. You're going to be in here for a long time. And those friends of yours will break all to easy."

I looked over at the tank that held the dark eco that powered the beam. "You'll have to recharge that thing first." I smirked. "You just wasted the last of your eco." I grunted as Praxis' fist connected with my stomach.

He turned to Errol. "Check the tank."

For a moment, Errol's expression clearly read "are you nuts?" but he did anyway. "She's right, sir. It's empty, and it was our last barrel of dark eco."

"See?" I smirked.

Praxis glared at me."Put her in the cell with the other girl." He walked off, Errol behind him.

The guards opened the cell door and threw me unceremoniously inside. I stayed sprawled out on the floor, feeling the cuts the chains made in my skin, and the wounds that had reopened, leak my blood all over the floor.

"Hold still, child." Said a familiar voice. I felt something flip me over and saw a green glow. The pain in my stomach faded away and I was able to shove myself up. I could taste my dark eco tainted blood in my mouth and spat, my spit tinted red. I looked up to see Samos the Sage, the one who had raised Jak, healing the wounds on my legs through the window between his cell and Tess'.

"Thanks." I rasped out, my voice rough from screaming.

He nodded. "Hold out your wrists." I did so, letting the Green Eco Sage heal the cuts there as well.

I leaned against the wall. "Samos, right? Jak told me about you."

"Raye, are you alright?" Tess asked, kneeling down next to me.

I smirked. "Yeah, just give me a few hours. I've been through this hundreds of times. My body just needs to absorb the eco." I paused. "Actually... I think I may have an idea."

Ten minutes later, Tess was backed up against a wall, and I was standing at the door. I concentrated on the Dark Eco flowing through my veins. Yes, there was just enough. My breathing became ragged and uneven as I attempted to transform. I felt my muscles spasm and I fell to the floor. My body couldn't take it. "Damn!" I cursed. "I don't have enough energy." I looked over at Tess. "Sorry if I scared you."

She shook her head. "It's alright. I was more scared of you hurting yourself."

I laughed. "Thanks." I really meant it, too. That was probably the first show of compassion that I had received in a long time.

We sat in the cell for another two hours at least before anything happened. Suddenly, the guards standing outside our cells let out a surprised yell, then the familiar sound of gunfire followed by four thumps. Tess and I both stood up, me with a bit more effort, as the doors to the cells swung open, and Daxter was standing in the doorway of the one Tess and I were in.

SC: Man, I got you guys. You really thought I was gonna have Torn save Raye, didn't you?

Puck: She's never gonna let this drop. No one even guessed Ashelin.

SC: Sorry about bragging, but I got a flame that was ridiculing me because they thought Raye was a Mary Sue. Two important little facts: 1) Raye's from our world. 2) Raye liked Torn before she came here. If you didn't know that, then go re-read the first few chapters. All of her arguments with Jessi that I put in have that detail in it. And I'm sorry if I sound like a bitch right now, but I don't like being accused of having a MS character when I've been trying to put in details to not do that.

... But on a better note, I HAVE JAK X! And is it just me, or does anyone else want to strangle Razer and the stupid announcer dude? I don't even remember his name, its sad. AND WHY, IN THE BLOODY SEVEN LEVELS OF HELL IS PECKER BACK! (For those of you who haven't got the game yet, I won't spoil anymore of it for you.)