Corad: Uh, I hate uploading stuff with a slow connection...you stupid hunk of (beep!) Yeah! I'm talkin to you! (shakes fist at Modem) You're meant to make like easier, not more difficult!Ok, now that I got that outta my system, I'd like to thank my reviewers. Thanks to Erol Lover, hopefully this update was soon enough lol. Towards the end of the fic which is about 11 chapters away (about, not definite) they will get longer. I just want to make them longer so I can finish the fic sooner, that's all. It won't be rushed or anything like that, just an increased word amount per update. I think the last chapter will be the longest coz ofa few um...things. Thanks Salena99 for the review...glad ya checked Sharok's profile. Lol, I always debate with him what gender he actually is. I Kinda like teasing him...thanks JakLover for leaving Skytha's profile. Sky's profile is now up under Sharok's if anyone wishes to check her's out. Can thank JakLover for supplying her information. Lol Tom, I hope you can read all these new chapters too. Good to see you're attempting to read this again! Makes me really happy, so thankyou:D
Anyhow, I don't own Jak and Daxter and thankfully I never will. If I ever did, I'd probably have numerous fans trying to assassinate me. Also, this chapter has a bit of red head idiocy in it, especially when he's back on the track. Enjoy!
Chapter 55 - Racing Maniac
"What are you doing here?" Jak's voice was dead serious, as he eyed Erol carefully. He watched as his smirk grew wider, and he let out a small, somewhat mocking laugh.
"Jak, Jak, Jak…I'm here to race. Why else would I be here?" Erol asked slyly, his eyes occasionally flickering towards the back of the garage. Jak growled in return, and cast a glance to the back to see Keira pulling out a racing zoomer from outside. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted Jak, and ran over to him.
"Oh Jak, it's good to see you're early," she said, her bright eyes meeting Jak's for a brief second. Erol was snickering to himself aside from them, caught up in his own enjoyment. "Erol here's racing too. It'll be one on one for the first class entry," she joked, striding back over to the racing zoomer and kneeling down underneath it. She fiddled around with a few of the mechanics before raising her head and calling Erol over.
"I had to do a fair bit of maintenance on it, but I think it's ready to race," Keira explained, getting to her feet to let Erol have a look over his old zoomer. He gave a satisfied grunt, and sat down on the leather seat, his thighs straddling the zoomer pleasingly. Keira then turned to Jak, and beckoned him to follow her. She led him out the back door and into the same room containing all the other racing bikes.
"I've kept yours in good condition Jak. Right over here," she muttered, taking hold of a zoomer with her gloved hands and bringing it into the light. Jak's face lit up when he saw how clean it looked. It had appeared Keira had even waxed it for him.
"Thanks Keira. Don't know how to thank you," Jak said quietly, taking hold of the zoomer's handlebars and pushing it back into the main garage. Erol was flicking switches and such on his own, unaware either of them had left or returned.
"You've done a fine job fixing this old rust bucket. I'm surprised you were able to," Erol sneered, turning on the ignition. The sound of the engine roaring to life drowned out any other noise, and Erol cackled insanely before turning the handlebar and speeding out the garage towards the main stadium entrance. Keira and Jak exchanged nervous glances, before Jak heard the announcement for all racers to meet at the starting line.
"Good luck, Jak. You too Daxter," Keira yelled at his retreating back, Daxter flexing his arm "muscles" in appreciation of Keira's words. Jak heard Simron yell out a word of confidence, before they were out of earshot. Hopefully Simron wouldn't get into much trouble around Keira.
"Welcome second class racers. This event consists of five laps around the course. Any casualties or deaths are not the responsibility of the racing tournament faction. Pleaser refrain from using weapons, and good luck," a middle aged man said over a loud speaker once Jak had arrived at the Starting line. Jak peered around at the other racers, all pulling down masks and readying themselves for the starting signal. He cast an inward glance at Erol, who was placing his feet down on the footrests. Something inside told Jak to keep a large distance with the racing maniac. He knew what happened last time, and felt for sure this time he'd be a whole lot worse.
"Start your engines. 3, 2, 1 GO!" the man shouted, and Jak flicked his wrist, the zoomer gaining speed rapidly. He could feel the warm air rushing into his face, and could hear Daxter yelling for him to quicken the pace.
"Not yet Dax! We gotta get round the first corner!" Jak replied loudly, leaning inwards as he took a small bend on the track. Ahead he could see three or four racers ramming into one another, and noticed one to be Erol. Shuddering slightly, Jak lowered his speed and leaned again to the corner, his zoomer sliding perfectly around the bend. Once he had pulled out, his straightened up and increased his speed.
He overtook the few racers who had been fighting on the inside, and flew down the track, screams and insults meeting his ears. They had only been in the race for about 30 seconds, and already he was being abused. He knew it would get worse as the race progressed. It always did.
Rounding another corner, he heard Erol behind him, mocking his every move. "Shut up Erol!" Jak shouted out, just as Erol moved closer to Jak, now traveling side by side. He could see the mad glint in the ex-commander's eyes, and the large grin plastered on his face.
"Now, now, Freak. I am going to win this round!" he shouted back, before laughing insanely and moving forward. Jak growled in annoyance and moved his own zoomer faster, the gap between him and Erol decreasing again. He wasn't aware of the other zoomers gaining on him, and when he felt a shoe slamming into his leg and forcing his zoomer to grind along the pavement.
When his zoomer had steadied, he turned an angry face to the man beside him. His face was hidden under an old Krimzon guard helmet, and his body was covered in the red armor also. Jak looked desperately to Daxter, the orange Ottsel clinging onto his hair, who was freaking out just as much.
"Jak! Get us outta here!" Daxter whimpered, just as the "Krimzon guard" neared them again, his leg lashing brutally outward to collide with Jak. Jak steered his zoomer away, and leaned into the handlebars to help his speed rise. He felt the power surge through the zoomer, and sighed in relief once the man was out of view.
"Having trouble, freak!" Erol cried in amusement, his head slightly turned to glance at Jak. Jak's face contorted with fury, but he forced his zoomer on, ignoring Erol as he passed him. He heard Erol scream at his disappearing back, before he had to lower his speed again to take yet another corner. As he was sliding around it, the ex-commander somehow passed him, his laughter echoing around the tunnel forcing its way into Jak's head.
"Wow, what an insane idiot," Daxter commentated, his eyes wide as he watched the red head disappear out of view. Jak thought so too. Either Erol was a risk taker and would willingly kill himself to prove to Jak he could take the corner at a faster rate, or he was experienced enough. He had been a top racer those years back.
"Dax, I think we should just give him a wide berth," Jak called back, the sight of Erol just ahead of him still laughing like a maniac. Maybe Erol was enjoying the fact he was on the track again. He probably felt some form of excitement rush though his veins, just like when Jak went metal head hunting.
"DIE!" Jak's eyes shot to his left side, to see another racer harassing him now. He held what looked like a gun on a chain, and was repeatedly lashing out at him. The gun kept narrowly missing Jak's head and outstretched arms, and at one point felt it brush against his ear.
"Dax, get my gun will ya!" Jak demanded, aiming a kick at the racer beside him. He missed though, but felt the cold metal of his morph gun rest on his arm. He took hold of it, and began striking the man with it. Shooting on the track was prohibited, but hitting someone without the use of bullets wasn't stated anywhere. He figured it was accepted.
"Back…off…you…insane…moron!" Jak yelled, one hand steering the zoomer, the other whacking the racer beside him over the head with the butt of his gun. The racer dropped back, screaming in pain after the gun butt collided with his jaw. The sound of a snapping jaw was one that Jak hopped he'd never have to hear again.
"Good going Jak. I thought we were gonnas," the Ottsel shouted, returning Jak's morph gun into its sling. Jak grunted in response, and moved his zoomer faster, gaining slowly on Erol. The red head was currently smashing a fist into another racer's helmet, and not long after that, the racer lost balance and flew from his zoomer. Jak had to swerve desperately to miss the man sprawled on the track, his zoomer lying in wreckage against the end wall. A thought had just occurred to Jak: that could have been him.
Erol was still cackling loudly, his head glancing back to see his victim almost dead before laughing even louder. Jak's determination to kick Erol's ass (A/N Mental image!) rose to a dangerous state, and he soon gained enough distance to be traveling alongside the ex-commander. Erol glanced sideways for a split second, his laughing stopping abruptly.
"Ah, if it isn't one of the three little pigs…here to take some wolf medicine?" he snarled, his eyes a dangerous shade of brown and red. Jak shuddered at the maniacal look his was receiving, before the red head burst into a cruel laugh, his zoomer inching closer to Jak's.
"Get back, fiend!" Daxter cried helplessly, just as the zoomers brushed against one another. Jak winced in pain when he felt Erol's kneepads dig into his own knees, but he held back the startled cry. Instead, he managed to raise his leg and kick out at the mad man beside him. His leg hurled Erol's zoomer a few meters away from him, giving him the chance to break away entirely.
"You'll pay for that one, freak!" Erol shouted in anger, his face a nice shade of red. Jak sniggered to himself to cover up the fear which had once been pulsing through him. He had told Erol he trusted him with his life, so why was he trying to cause him pain now? "I'll get you when you least expect it!"
Daxter began laughing in amusement, waving behind Jak to Erol who was fisting another racer in the shoulder. Obviously the new victim had tried to overtake him somehow, and was receiving his reward for it. "You can't beat me!" Erol snapped, and Jak heard a sickening crunch followed by a loud explosion.
The blonde dared a look to see what had happened, and he blanched at the site. Erol had a trickle of blood running down his forehead, and his victim lay in a charcoaled heap somewhere back down the track. By the looks of things, the other man had blown up, and a shard of glass or metal from his zoomer had struck Erol's head. Even so, the ex-commander began laughing again, his fist also stained crimson.
"I think we'd better win this race soon Jak. He's already taken out two drivers, and that leaves only 4 more," Daxter said uneasily, shaking on Jak's shoulder. Jak narrowed his eyes, and flew at a rapid speed down the stretch. He passed the starting line, and saw he had two laps to go.
"You can't win Jak! I own this track! I am the king of racing!" Erol roared, and Jak noticed his voice was getting distinctly louder. That could mean only one thing. "If you even think you'll beat me, you're wrongly mistaken!" Jak felt a whack on the side of his head, and could feel a warm liquid staining his hair and cheek.
"Erol!" he barked in irritation, realizing it to be the blood on the ex-commander's hand. "I'm going to win, and regardless of what you think, you are a loser!" he shouted out, his voice drenched in fury as he tried to wipe the drying blood from his cheek and hair. Erol snorted out, and was about to throw a comeback at Jak, before the "Krimzon Guard" returned by their side.
"You'll pay for what you've done," the masked man snarled, pulling out a small dagger. Jak caught the glimpse of the blade, and his eyes grew wide. "Death shall be a pleasant reward for you," he continued, but Jak began to kick out to fend him off.
"I'll hunt you down if you even dare!" Jak hissed out, his shoe connecting with the chest armor. It proved futile to continue kicking out, for the man just laughed cruelly, his tone dripping unpleasantly with venom.
"Nice try!" he snarled, stabbing the air inches above Jak's arm. Jak gulped and swerved away. He could feel the guard move closer, and cried out in agitation as an armored leg flew into his own.
On the other side of Jak, Erol was watching intently, the sight of an old Krimzon Guard fighting the blonde. He was finding entertainment out of it, until a nagging voice began playing in his mind. He sighed out in defeat, and moved his zoomer behind Jak's, before steering it in between the two.
Jak's eyes widened in horror as Erol began punching the Krimzon Guard, forcing his unprotected fist into pure metal. He hissed out a few times, his hand wringing out with pain, but he insisted to ward the guard off. Jak wasn't sure how the red head managed it, but a few seconds later both the guard and Erol where hurtling into a wall, the guard on the inside. He shouted out as the cold cement smacked into his armor, and his zoomer shake violently before exploding in a mass of metal, fire and glass.
Erol disappeared into the smoke, his own zoomer exploding with the impact against the Krimzon Guard's. Jak shuddered after hearing two simultaneous explosions, and flew down the remainder of the track. He passed by the finish line in first place, where he stopped the zoomer and switched it off, a variety of sweat, dust and the blood Erol had wiped on him staining his face.
"We have a winner!" the man commentating shouted, and Jak stood off his zoomer, his shaking hand leaning on the seat to steady himself. Keira ran up to him and wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, giving him an extra tight hug.
"Congratulations, Jak. You won! You're going into the first class race now!" Keira said happily, moving away from Jak and patting Daxter on the head. Simron scurried over to them too, and leapt up onto the zoomer's seat. Jak smiled awkwardly, and looked back down the track. The other racers had finished, minus the four which had blown up along the way.
"Have the racing officials removed the injured yet?" Jak enquired, his eyes locking onto Keira's. Keira frowned for a second.
"I'm not sure. Why?"
"I was harassed by a Krimzon Guard. He was completely dressed; head to toe, in armor. I couldn't see his face. I need to know who the hell that was. Throw him in prison for all I care," Jak growled, leaning against his parked vehicle. Keira sighed and rested a hand on Jak's shoulder.
"I'm sure it was just racing nerves. I doubt anyone would enter a race to murder someone," Keira reassured, but Jak groaned in impatience.
"I joined the racing tournament last time remember, to kill the Baron. Not to win the stupid tournament for pride," Jak replied, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. Keira removed her hand, and cried out in delight when Erol emerged from the finish line. His clothes were charred, his face pale and grey from the smoke and ash, and he looked slightly worn out.
"So, I see you survived?" Jak said, as Erol came to a halt beside him.
Corad: I'd personally hate to meet Erol on the road. He'd be just as bad as Scar...
Scar: Are you talking about me? If you are, I'll happily end you life with the arm my brother gave me.
Corad: Err, shouldnt you be killing Military Alchemists, or at least hunting down Ed?
Scar: I can't find that short ass Ed, and his brother is not helping the least to track him down.
Ed: (from distance) Who are you calling short!
Corad: The idiocy (shaking head in defeat) The idiocy...ok, so we got a renegade Krimzon Guard, an idiot who likes killing other idiots and a moron who won't go away! Get out of the kitchen Athrun! (throws mouse at Athrun's head) Stop nicking off with the food, only I may do that. What are you looking at!
Kira Yamato: Um, I only came to fetch Athrun...
Corad: Get out of it! (shakes fist at all Anime characters) Now, please review if you feel the need. If not, then that can't be helped. Update will be sometime this week/weekend/month...wait, no...scrap that last month bit. It'll be up soon. Hope ya enjoyed this chapter.
