Corad: Heheheh, I said I'd update within a couple of days seeing the last chap was a bit boring, so I return again. Thankyou to the reviews and the readers. Also, for those of you who checked out the Jak and Daxter art at my fanart homepage, thanks. I've uploaded a new pic of Torn (although it's nothing great) and also drew your request Salena99! I've got Erol with some mascara on his face, and Skytha's behind trying to wressle him into letting her do his other eye. So, if you guys wanna check that out too. I'm always up for fanfiction pic requests, so if any of you wanna see other scenes, just tell me. Now that's over with, I'll get going...

Don't own Jak and Daxter...and knowing my pitiful luck, I never will...but that's most likely a good thing...


Chapter 38 – Path to the Race

"Jak, why did I have to come!" Daxter whined from Jak's shoulder. Jak rolled his eyes in frustration, after already explaining to him why he was coming. "We're racing Dax, and because we are a team, I need you to race," he repeated, walking along the path past the Palace ruins. He gazed up at the building, and noticed it was getting reconstructed at a rapid speed. Within a few weeks, he knew it'd be ready to move back into. That thought made him shudder, for his dream flooded back to him.

He shut out any more thoughts on the matter, and tried to think of something positive, like winning the first race. He knew he was a good racer, and so beating the other idiots would prove easy.

"Jak! Over here! I need to talk!" Jak looked up and scanned the streets of the market place after entering the region. He couldn't see the owner of the voice, but knew from the rough tone it was Torn. "TORN! Where are you!" he cried out, and even Daxter was looking around for him. Jak was still wandering around in small circles looking through the crowd, before a small pebble connected with the back of his head. He looked up, and saw Torn on the roadway raised above the markets.

"Come up here! We need to chat about something!" he shouted over the sounds of zoomers and citizens talking happily. Jak looked for a way up, and spotted one of the ramps. He ran towards the ramp, before leaping up onto it. He was standing beside Torn, who didn't look too impressed about something.

"Another death Jak. This is becoming serious. Ashelin gave me the grey fur you found. She told me what you reported to her yesterday also. I went and checked out that scene. Amazing really. So much destruction caused by one thing," he muttered darkly, shaking his head.

"It's a wolf. Has to be. Who else could kill this many in such a short period. No signs of the bodies either, only blood. Has to tell you something Torn," Jak interjected, before Torn could say anymore. Torn turned his gaze up to Jak, his cold eyes surveying him closely.

"I'm aware of that Jak. We just need to keep you outta the spotlight till we get that dastard wolf thing outta ya system," he said quietly, folding his arms. Jak growled angrily though, and turned away from the other elf. "It can't be removed from me. I met someone else. Sh…errr…..he has been a werewolf for apparently a few years. We're stuck with it for life," Jak said, stating the hard truth.

"No! Jak, there's a way to fix this, surely! Who is this one you spoke to? Who else is a wolf? I need to know Jak. They may behind the murders," Torn said harshly, gritting his teeth in irritation.

"She didn't do it! I can trust her, besides, she said it's another wolf," Jak said in defense, unaware of the strange look the older elf was giving him. "You said it was a 'he' before…which one is it? It's not…it's not Skytha is it? That strange girl we found at the first murder?"

"Leave her out of this Torn! She's not the one, so back off. Touch a hair on her head, and I'll…I'll…" Jak said furiously, but couldn't bring himself to say anything else. He couldn't harm Torn. Even if he had to he couldn't. "Just please leave her outta this. She's here searching for her brother, so let her fulfill that so she can head back to the wasteland," Jak murmured in defeat, gazing to the ground. Torn growled, but agreed to leave her alone for now.

"Just keep a close eye on her Jak. We still don't know enough about her…" Torn murmured, flickering his gaze down to the market place beneath him. "She's agreed to help me…agreed to help control my wolfish side," Jak replied, leaning against the railing and crossing his arms. Torn sighed, and looked towards Jak with a smile.

"It's good to hear. If she succeeds, then maybe I don't have to fear about the citizens anymore while you're a wolf," he answered, with a slight laugh. The two elves stood for a little while longer in silence, before Daxter became impatient. "Jak! We have a race to get to remember!" he cried loudly, shaking Jak's head. Jak swatted his paws away, and wished Torn luck in searching for more clues, before turning around and making a hurried dash to the stadium.

He arrived shortly afterwards, panting hard and grasping at his side where a big stitch was stinging. He managed to ease off the pain, before walking slowly up to Keira's garage, and knocking on the closed garage door. He heard no reply, and knocked again.

"Maybe she's not in there Jak…could be organizing the racers inside the stadium," the ottsel suggested, so Jak strolled around to the stadium entrance and walked down the ramp, looking around the crowds of people moving to seats for Keira. He spotted her standing below on the track, helping one of her racers put on his arm guards. Feeling relieved, Jak sprinted down to the track, but was met with a slightly irritated Keira.

"Jak! What took you so long? We need to get you ready!" she cried, rummaging around her bag for safety wear for him. She pulled out shin and arm guards, and tossed them to Jak before running back up the ramp out of sight. Jak grabbed hold of the shin guards, and strapped them over his pants and boots. He then had Daxter's help to put on the arm guards.

"Hey Jak…I got that new mask from Tess before. Here, wear this when ya racing!" Daxter said enthusiastically, pulling Jak's mask from his morph gun, where he had attached it earlier on without Jak's knowledge. The ottsel handed Jak the mask, and the elf put it over his face, everything going a shade or two darker. He smiled from under the mask, knowing this race would be an easy task to complete in winning position.

"Nice mask Jak. Where'd ya get it?" Keira asked, after returning with Jak's racing bike by her side. Jak flipped the mask up onto his forehead, so he could see and speak with Keira freely.

"Tess made it. Cool huh? She's making new weapons for us, and one of her creations needed a safety mask, so here it is," Jak replied, grinning widely. Keira rolled her eyes, before pushing Jak's bike to the starting line. She walked back over to Jak, and flipped his racing mask back over his face, before leading him over to his bike.

"Race is going to start soon Jak. Daxter, you set?" she asked, noticing Daxter gripping Jak's shoulder as tightly as ever. The ottsel gave her the thumbs up, before Jak sat down on the racing zoomer, putting one of his feet down on the foot rest, the other keeping his balance on the ground.

"Just race like you've never raced before Jak. If you win this, you know you'll move up the rank and race in the second class race. The prize this year is worth winning," she murmured, before switching Jak's zoomer on and moving away from him and the other racers.

Jak smiled in determination, his gaze looking through the darkened eye holes at the other racers lined in front and beside him. "Jak, you man the zoomer, I'll man the gun," the ottsel joked to lighten the tense mood. Jak grinned even more, and revved the engine, the vibration of the seat sending a competitivefeeling through him. He had to win this race. He must go through to the second race, before winning the last. He'd be victorious, and the prize, whatever Keira had decided, would be his.

"Okay racers…take you mark…" a voice yelled out over loud speaker. Jak gripped the handle bars so tightly that his handsbegan to go numb. His body was shaking, not in fear or from nerves, but from the sheer excitement of racing again. "Get set…" This was it, in a matter of seconds, he'd be battling his was down the track, the wind whipping at his face, the engine of the zoomer screeching loudly around every turn. He closed his eyes, waiting for the signal. Thesignal to start the race that he was going to win. He heard it, the shot that rang out around the stadium. His eyes shot open, his hand flicked the handle bars, and his other foot was laid swiftly onto the other foot rest. He was finally racing the long awaited race.


Corad: So...um...how was that? I tried to make it seem more interesting, but um...whether I succeeded or not.I hope you guys liked it anyway. Jak's finally racing again...in this story...but yeah. Review if you want, or not...but I'll see you all later. Toodles O.o