I woke up in my bed in the underground hideout, with a splitting headache. I sat up, shaking my head.

"It's about time you woke up." I heard Daxter say, he jumping up onto the bed.

"Good morning to you too. How'd I- "

"Tess brought you both back. You were both trashed. Never seen you like that before Z."

"Well, you're not gonna see it again, that's for sure." I said, hearing snoring from beside me. I looked over to see Jak passed out.

"He seemed to enjoy you finally getting the stick out of your butt." Daxter smirked.

"alright, fuzzy. Out." I said, shooing him away.

"C'mon, I was just messin with ya."

"Go bother Tess or Samos, kay?" I said as he hopped down and walked past the curtain separating my room from the rest of the hideout. I sighed, nudging Jak until he woke up. He grumbled, blinking as he saw me.

"Hey Z. What're you- "

"Doing in my bed. Excellent question. But we're losing daylight so we need to get moving." I said, swinging my legs around the bed.

"Zoe… how long have you had those marks?" He asked, I realizing he could see my arms and back, the six scars from my torture and the gunshot scar from when I first escaped all visible.

"Since I escaped and used the dark eco." I said softly.

"I thought that was a nightmare. Seeing you... block the eco beams." He said, I realizing what he was talking about.

"I thought it was a nightmare too. I guess we repressed those memories. Well, most of them." I said, feeling him reach for my arm but I jerked away, standing.

"Zoe, let me help."

"Help? No one can help us, Jak. These… powers the Baron gave us? A curse. They turn us into monsters that we cannot control. You and I both know that the dark eco will either kill us or permanently turn us into freaks."

"you don't believe that. Do you?" He asked, I grabbing my jacket and seeing him sit up as well.

"I… Don't know what to believe. Samos told me nothing but lies for as long as I could remember. Then seeing my father after so long, seeing him obsessed with the thing that turned him and my aunt into…. That? Then seeing him die? Without asking him why he left me?" I asked, fighting tears.

"Hey…" I felt him behind me, not moving. I exhaled shakily, wiping my face.

"I just want to go home, Jak. To the village, see the sand, the ruins we spent so much time together. I miss the treehouse."

"We can't go home, Z. Not until we make the Baron pay for what he did to us." He spoke.

"I know. Let's get moving then." I said, putting on my jacket and walking into the main room, Jak not far behind. Both Samos' stood there, Daxter looking bored.

"There you two are. Had enough Fun?" Old Samos asked.

"I... don't need a lecture, old man." I groaned.

"Leave them alone, their kids. Let them have their fun." Young Samos argued, Jak rubbing his temples.

"Well, The Baron is still up to his old tricks." Old Samos said.

"When he is not?" I asked, he ignoring me.

"The underground got word that several Krimzon blastbots are zeroing in on the hideout here." Young Samos added.

"Their armored bombs which seek out targets. If any of those blastbots reach this place, we're dead." Old Samos said gravely.

"Ah, what're you worried about old man? You're almost dead, anyway!" Young Samos turned to the other, I covering my mouth in surprise.

"If you taken better care of yourself, I wouldn't be in this state that I am now!" He yelled back.

"Take out those blastbots before they reach the hideout, you two. They have proximity defenses so do be careful."

"We're on it."

"Good hunting!" Both Samos' spoke at the same time as we turned to leave. Shaking our heads as we reached the streets.

"Got a plan, Jak?" I asked as I loaded my gun, bolt action rifle.

"Uh..."

"You don't, do you? What do you boys do when I'm not around?"

"Improvise?" Daxter asked.

"Great. No wonder why we almost die."

"you're the one who's a fan of explosions!" Daxter argued.

"Explosions are awesome. Stay sharp here they come." I said, rounding the corner to see three large bots approaching us. Jak and I both pointed our guns at one, firing off a shot. Mine bounced off its armor, Jak managing to land a shot under its defenses.

"Rusty, Z?" Jak teased as the bots went in attack mode.

"No, But I think we just pissed them off. Now would be a good time to come up with a plan." I said as the bots began firing at is.

"You're the one with the ideas, Zoe. Daxter and I are the muscle."

"Muscle? You, Yes. Daxter? He's more gets us out of tight spots." I said back, firing again. I smirked as the bullet hit a weak spot in its armor, causing it to shudder and spark. So close, but we weren't doing enough damage fast enough. I had to come up with something, but what? I couldn't use my eco powers, I'd pass out again. They were so unpredictable.

"Wait a second… Jak! Hold them off for me." I said, getting an idea.

"I'll try. Hurry Zoe." He responded as I ran back inside the hideout, both Samos' looking worried.

"Zoe? What's going on?"

"No time to talk. Where's Torn?" I asked.

"Out. Why?"

"I hope he's okay with me borrowing this." I said, walking to the back wall where I opned a crate, revealing a peacemaker.

"How did you know that was in there?" Young Samos asked as I loaded it.

"Uh, Because I watched him hide it. Torn isn't subtle." I shrugged, shouldering the gun and running back outside, seeing Jak fighting a bot.

"Hey Jak! Duck!" I shouted, firing up the gun and taking aim. Jak backed away just as I hit the trigger, the ball of energy flying through the air and hit the bot, causing a very loud explosion. I looked up as the smoke cleared, shrapnel raining down.

"Holy shit." Jak said.

"Took the words right out of my mouth. You guys okay?" I asked, setting the gun down.

"Yeah. Where'd you get that gun?"

"Oh. It's uh- "

"My Gun." Torn said as he approached us, walking by the remains of the baron's bots nonchalantly. I smiled sheepishly, he walking right to me.

"Right well you weren't using it so I decided to save our butts." I said, handing it over.

"Surprised you didn't use your magic powers." He took it, continuing to walk. But I marched up to him and spun him around roughly.

"Look, Tattooed wonder. A thanks would've been Nice. While you're off flirting with your girlfriend Jak and I Just saved years' worth of work against the Baron. I risk my damn neck and all I get is sass from you." I growled, poking his chest.

"You have no right- "

"And to top it off, you act like my damn parent when you have no idea what I went through in that fucking prison so do not act like my curse is a weapon, got it?" I continued, turning around. Jak and Daxter looked shocked.

"C'mon boys, let's go to the bar."

"Okay." Jak shrugged, following me to my zoomer.

"Uh, Z? You gonna be okay?" Daxter asked.

"Honestly Dax? Nothing Alcohol can't fix." I said, driving off.

***(at the bar) ***

Tess poured me a drink, I sitting next to Jak at the Bar. I wasn't a fan of the place, But Tess was what made going here a hell of a lot better. She then began to pay attention to Daxter, I looking over at Jak.

"Torn can be a jerk, sometimes." Jak said.

"Tell me about it. My first week he kept sending me out on high-risk missions that nearly made me want to quit. But I didn't."

"Why?"

"Because of you, stupid. I knew if I continued to work under him, I could get a chance to break you out."

"Oh. Well- "But he was interrupted by the tub of lard himself, Krew.

"Hey, Back to work." He said to Tess.

"She's working Beachball. Quit your yapping." Daxter responded, turning back to Tess.

"Watch it. Or you'll be yet another trophy on these walls." Krew said to Daxter before flying a bit away. I put my hand on my holster, not having a good day already so I wasn't afraid of shooting krew. Jak noticed this, placing a hand over mine stopping me.

"Easy, Z." He soothed quietly.

"Jak. I want you to throw the championship race. Just let Erol win." Krew said.

"You bet against us?" Jak and I asked at the same time, looking at him. He turned around, floating toward us.

"Jak, Jak. It's just business. You've become a symbol to those townies. They bet everything on a glimmer of hope. What better time to make money? What do you say, my boy?" He asked, fanning himself.

"I say your gonna lose a lot of money. Because I'm going to race and I intend to win." Jak said with a smirk on his face. I smirked as well.

Attaboy Jak,

"Urggh you little! You're becoming more trouble than your worth, don't get too comfy if I were you. Everyone's expendable." Krew says, getting close to Jak. I quickly pulled out my gun, aiming at Krew.

"Don't lay a hand on him." I growled. Krew paled, flying up to reveal someone in my peripheral vison. I whipped my gun around in an instant.

"In a hurry to die, Boy?" Erol asked as I hoped down from my barstool. But he ignored me, going for Jak. "Well, we don't have to wait for the big race. We can do this right now. One on One. Through the city, using accelerator rings. Hit every ring from start to finish, miss even one ring and it's over. If you lose, Zoe here becomes my mechanic. You can have Keira."

"What? You can't- "I began, but Jak already knocked Erol's hand out the way.

"You're on." Jak said, Erol smirking.

"So, you don't mind if I take Zoe to the finish line then? As incentive not to chicken out?" Erol sneered, turning to me.

"That's not what- "

"It's fine, Jak." I said, putting my gun away. Two Krimzon guards entered as Erol placed rope around my wrists.

"Yeah, Jak. She says it's fine." Erol said, pushing me not so gently into the arms of the guards.

"Kick his ass, Jak." I smirked at him as they pulled me away, lifting me onto their cruiser and flying off to the stadium, where we waited. The two guards took off their helms and looked at me.

"Hi." I smiled.

"So. Why exactly is Erol going through all this trouble for you?" One asks.

"Glad you asked. Apparently, I'm this real important person." I shrugged. "But honestly, after all this I'm surprised he hasn't killed me yet."

"Oh. Well, I would've killed you the minute you tried to escape."

"Right? Well, he's wasting his time with this too. Jak is the best racer I've seen." I said, watching the passing zoomers.

"Erol is the champion, Lady. There's no way he's going to- "But he was cut off by lightning fast zoomer approaching us. It was my zoomer with Jak and Dax on it. Erol not far behind. Jak parked under the cruiser I was on.

"Don't get too cocky outlaw. Next time we race is for keeps and your head will be my trophy! Let her go." He said to the guard, who untied me and I jumped out, landing on Jak's lap.

"Oh, blow it out your ear! You were bottle-fed, weren't you?" Daxter asked as he flew off.

"Nice Catch." I smiled at Jak.

"Never doubted me for a sec, huh Z?"

"Not for a second." I smiled, hugging him.

"You guys are cute and all but we need to get moving." Daxter said.

"Okay, okay. Let's go boys." I said, situating myself behind Jak and holding onto his waist as we drove into the city.