Jak, Daxter and I raced through the city, stopping in front of the palace doors. Jak jumped off, helping me get down.
"I… I can't believe he..." I gasped, still shocked from what happened.
"Are you gonna be okay Zoe? Because I need you to be okay."
"Yeah. I'm fine. Let's do this." I said, patting his shoulder and following him inside the palace, the throne room dark and eerie like before. It was empty.
"I shouldn't have trusted you." Ashelin said from behind us, sliding out and pointing the gun at Jak. "Zoe, Get over here."
"Back where we started, huh?" Jak asked, I placing a hand over my own pistol. She walked to us, continuing to point the gun at him.
"Don't play dumb with me. All along you've been underlining our War with the metalheads. Whose side are you on? She asked.
"Ash… don't do this."
"Listen Ashelin, your Father's been planning on something terrible- "Jak started but she interrupted him, placing the gun on his chin.
"My Father can destroy the Metalhead armies once and for all."
"If he cracks open the Precursor stone the explosion will kill all of us! Don't you get it?" I asked her, smacking the gun away from Jak.
"That's Right. Not so hard, huh? Even I can figure this one out." Daxter asked as she backs away. Jak went to walk, she pointing the gun at Jak again. She didn't believe me? Some friend.
"Don't you move. Vin, come in." She calls him on her communicator.
"What, What? I got my hands full here, ya know."
"You know all about the precursor stone myth, right?"
"Sure. Why?"
"What would happen if the precursor stone were to be, say violently cracked open?"
"Great. If I hadn't had enough to keep me awake at night. You give me one more thing to dread, thank you very much. If someone actually had the stone according to my calculations… destroy everything!" Vin exclaimed.
"Everything?!" She exclaimed.
"every single thing! Now if you don't mind. I'm gonna throw up. Bye bye." He hung up.
"Do you believe me now?" I asked.
"Trust Us Ashelin. We have to stop him." Jak said.
"I'll try to find out more. But Right now, my father is meeting Krew at a secret weapons factory near the dig. Here. That's my top-level security pass. It will get you into the Factory. But it won't get you back out. We never had this conversation." She hands Jak the pass. She then looks at me, a bit sad but continues to walk.
"Let's go Boys." I spoke. Turning away and ready to face what was next.
******(a bit later) ****
We hoped off the ride, walking into what appeared to be the factory. A large machine was held up by steel beams, a platform around it. The rain hit my face, I wishing it would wash away all the dirt in this city. But I could only hope. I was surprised to see Krew float down to us.
"I knew you were special when I first met you Jak and I commend you for making this far. We've come a long way, eh?" He asked as he floated, Jak walking to hm and he floated backwards. I followed Jak, keeping silent. For now.
"Yeah. I'm getting real teary eyed." Jak said sarcastically and I couldn't help but smile. He floated up out of reach.
"I love weapons. I love how they look. How they feel… even how they smell." Krew said.
"I think you need serious help." Jak said.
"my favorite, was the impossibly powerful weapon mar built to blast open the metalhead nest. Poor fool died before he could use it, ahh well. But I have a new favorite, the piercer bomb I just completed. My masterpiece is powerful enough to crack open the Precursor stone and release the untold energy inside. As soon as the Baron shows up with the stone, hiding it on the last shipment of eco and deliver it to the metalhead nest. A surprise desert, eh?" He asks, chuckling as he floated back down to us.
"Just take this gun upgrade and forget what you saw here." Krew tossed it to Jak.
"Not this time, krew. I'm through being your hired gun." Jak said. I smiled.
"It's over, Krew."
"Not quite, missy. It's War then, isn't it?" He asked as he floated out of reach, activating holograms to attack us. Jak and I drew our guns, shooting at them. They went down in two or three shots, Jak and I back-to-back firing relentlessly. Meanwhile Krew taunted us from above.
"This is why I didn't work with him." I said to Jak, letting off a few shots.
"Yes, I know Zoe. I just thought it would get me cool guns. And it did."
"but Its gonna be his downfall." I said as all the holograms were defeated, Krew flying down to shoot at us with a machine gun, I ducking behind a pillar.
"I'm running out of bullets, Z." Jak yelled from behind a different pillar.
"We might… have to use something else." I said, firing another few shot at the crime boss.
"Zoe, are you sure? I don't want you hurt."
"I don't have a choice! I can cover you for a bit. Until I run out of bullets." I admitted as he flew back up and summoned more holograms to attack us.
"Jak, use the dark eco bomb. I can revert some energy to throw it at Krew!" I exclaimed, hoping out and firing at the enemies. He nods, letting them get close before transforming into his Dark form. I stepped back just a small bit, he jumping into the air and slamming his fists down, a burst of dark eco electricity lighting up the entire area. It sparked and destroyed all of the holograms and arched up my body and to my arms, I groaning in pain but pushed through it. My arms lit up, dark eco running rampant in and outside my body. Krew made the mistake of floating down to attack us again, I throwing all the eco I had at him. It exploded, knocking him back and he cried out in pain. The smoke cleared, he firing more shots at me. Jak pulled me aside and out of the way just in time.
"I… I thought that would work."
"It did. He's weak. One more round and he's through." Jak said as he pulled out his gun. I shook my head, pulling out a clip of ammo. I gave it to Jak.
"Zoe…"
"You should put an end to this. I got your back." I smiled as he nodded, Krew having enough of us and just went relentless with the holograms and shooting us.
"Come on you big tub of lard! You stink worse than Metalhead crap!" I taunted, running out and immediately getting shot at, ducking bullets and firing small balls of eco at him. Most missed and hit the holograms, but one or two landed.
"Erol was right, you are an eco-freak! I should've put you down ling ago, brat!" He yelled.
"You tried but you, like him could never bring. Me. Down!" I yelled, Jak firing at him as I threw another large ball of dark eco at him, he dropping. We both approached the weak Krew, both of us gasping for breath. He tried to reach for the heart of mar that fell out of his pocket.
"Is it too late to give you my notice?" Jak asked.
"Yeah, we quit." Daxter added.
"This city is already dead! I've sold you all out!" He laughed maniacally and then coughed as we heard something behind us began to turn on.
"Uh, Jak I think we should be anywhere else! Just an idea!" Daxter exclaimed as we saw a cruiser approach.
"Ashelin!" I exclaimed, running to her.
"We're outta here." She says as we hoped on, driving away just as the bomb exploded, raining fire down. Krew was no more. Fitting for the man, to be destroyed by the thing he most cared for.
"You guys alright?" She asked.
"Peachy. What made you change your mind?"
"You, Zoe. The Determination, Your trust. I know we got off on a bad start, but I feel like we are meant to do great things. All three of you." She says as she drives the cruiser to the ground, dropping us off.
"Thanks, Ashelin."
"Go find my father. I'll take the heart of Mar to Keira for you. I'm sorry it's come to this." She says as she drives off.
"since when did you get all buddy buddy with her?" Daxter asked.
"Since I helped her break into the fortress and she saved my life. C'mon." I said as I ran off, determined to find Baron Praxis and put an end to this.
We ended up in the saloon, running into Tess. I ran up to her, hugging her.
"Hey guys. Whatever Krew put in that machine, he looked really nervous." She says, looking at the whack amole game in front of us.
"Maybe it has what we need."
"Whatever it is, Krew won't be needing it anymore. He's, shall we say… not all together these days. Step aside, guys. Let the game player do his stuff."
"You're such an animal." Tess said, leaning down to Daxter. He smirked as he walked to the machine, quickly starting the game. It was more like whack the metalhead. I sighed, walking to the bar and getting a drink. Like Daxter said, Krew wouldn't be needing this stuff. I wonder who would inherit the bar. If we managed to save the city and not die in the process.
"Hey, The time map!" Daxter exclaimed. I nearly spat out my drink. I quickly crossed the room.
"Good going, Dax!" I exclaimed as I picked it up.
"You know sugarplum, if any real metalheads came into town, I'd bonk them just like I did in the game." He said as two metalheads entered the bar behind him.
"Daxter?" Tess asked nervously. The approached him, I pulling Tess behind me.
"They'd be like: 'Don't hurt me, please!' and I'll be all 'Too late metal monkeys! You die screaming!' Heh heh you know what I'm saying?" He asked as the two of them surrounded Daxter.
"Ummm." Jak said as we both drew our guns, Daxter realizing the situation he was in.
"Jak… I think these trophies are still walking!" Daxter yelled as Jak and I shot one of them.
"M-metalheads. Metalheads! Where's sig when you need him?!"
"Sig? I think Krew sent him on one last mission. Something about using Mar's ruby key to open a secret door in the underport."
"Of course! C'mon Guys. We need to get to the underport now." Jak said.
"I'll take the time map to Keira." Tess offered. I nodded, handing it to her.
"Be careful angel cheeks. Your hero will return shortly." Daxter bowed.
"Yeah. Do be careful." I said, giving her a hug.
"You too. Keep those two alive."
"You know it." I smiled as I jogged after them, ready to face the metalheads.
