ACT II: FIGHT FOR THE CITY

Chapter XXIII: The Reunion… Almost

LES: If there were more chocolate milk, the world would be a better place.

Everyone: O.o

LES: Hey! I felt like a genius when I thought that up!

Muse: You need serious help…

LES: Hey! I've got a very good shrink already! He helped that kid in that movie… the one who saw dead dudes everywhere.

Muse: So… Jak and Keira are meeting again? You are going to go all mushy, huh?

LES: (raises left hand) I solemnly swear that I will keep 'da mush' in check!

Muse: LES… uh… you're right handed.

LES: Shhh! They don't know that!


The door led to an elevator. The duo stepped onto it and it moved up into Haven City. The chilled air reminded him that he wasn't in the desert anymore. Sure it was summer and people in Haven considered it hot, but to the desert warrior, it was freezing.

The door opened and Jak knew instantly where he was. He was in what remained of Main Town, which had been partially destroyed with the destruction of the stadium and the collapse of the Palace support cables. Rubble lay everywhere, and the place appeared to be deserted.

He stepped out into the destruction of what was once the center of Haven life. Jak walked through the familiar streets, his arms around his chest to keep himself warm. He walked in southern direction, eyes ever alert for any sort of threat. And, incidentally, while he was looking for threats, he missed the things he should've been looking for.

Daxter sighed, looking at the collapsed cable which was all that remained of the Palace support cable. "This place looks as bad as my old bedroom back home." He commented dryly.

Suddenly, a familiar and highly welcome voice called his name. "Jak! Jak! Over here!"

Jak looked around, joy written on his face. Samos and Keira were standing only a few feet away. "Samos! Keira!" Jak yelled, running over, before coming to an abrupt halt. A nearly invisible force field stood between himself and the two people that he cared about more than anyone else, Samos, his sort of father-figure, and Keira, his girlfriend. Jak looked at Keira, who looked sad and he knew why. He wanted more than anything to hold her, but that just wasn't possible when they were on separate sides of a force field. Even he couldn't get past a force field.

"Ah, Samos," Daxter quipped. "Still as green as the stuff between my toes."

"You see, Keira?" Samos said to his daughter. "I knew I could still feel Jak's energy from afar. My boy, you have no idea happy I am to see you alive and in good condition."

"I'm fine, Samos… just a little cold… nothing serious." Jak said.

"Cold?" Keira spoke for the first time. "But it's summer!"

"Believe me, after you've lived in a hundred and twenty degree weather for four months, you'd think it was cold too." Jak attempted to laugh. "Say, you two wouldn't have a jacket or something that you could toss over this thing."

"I'm afraid not, my boy." Samos said. "Things are going terrible for us. The Palace area is under constant attack and Torn, along with a few hundred guards, are trapped in the Port area. Those passageways below the Palace must be terribly important. Both the Metal-Heads and the KG bots are advancing towards them, and we can't stop them on our own."

"So… the City needs me again?" Jak asked, rolling his eyes. "What else is new?" He asked sarcastically.

"Don't joke about this." Samos scolded. "Vegar has turned on the force fields here. They are the only thing protecting us from the Metal-Heads."

At the mention of Vegar, Jak remembered the conversation he had with the bitter old man below Haven. "I just saw Vegar. He's the one who attacked the Palace! He said he was looking for something below… something in the Catacombs…"

"Well, you're going to have to find out whatever it is before he does." Samos said. "And speaking of Vegar…" Samos paused.

Keira took over. "Jak, we're sorry about what happened. I'm sorry for what happened. I know that you're innocent. We… should have tried to stop Vegar."

Jak's hands curled into fists until he drew blood. He glared angrily at the Dark Eco-laced blood. "I'll stop him myself."

"Jak, listen to me." Samos said. 'The best way to reach us is by using the sewers to go south. Reach the port and join up with Torn at the Naughty Ottsel. Together, you should find a way north to reach us." Samos paused. "Good luck, my boy." And then he walked away.

Jak stared at Keira, and she stared back at him. Even though no words were exchanged, Daxter got the point that they wanted to be alone to talk. Without a word, Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and walked just far enough away that he wouldn't be able to hear what was discussed.

Keira rested her hand against the force field and Jak put his own hand against it. A burning rage filled him. A single layer of atoms separated him from the woman he loved. It seemed almost cruel.

Keira saw the look on his face, the look of useless anger. "Don't worry. We'll be together again soon."

"But you're right here!" Jak said angrily. "It's a crime that you are so close… yet I can't even touch you!"

"That's why you have to find a way here." Keira said. "The sooner you find a way through South Town, the sooner we can be together again." Keira paused. "I've missed you, Jak."

Jak cursed the Gods for the situation. He wanted more than anything to comfort her, but the shield made that impossible. "I've missed you too, Keira." Jak said. "I thought of you every moment. I swear that I'll find a way to you even if I have to tear this City down."

There was silence for several seconds while they just looked deeply into each other's eyes. "You've changed." Keira suddenly said.

Jak winched. Those were the same words she spoke to him a year ago, last time she meant it as a bad thing.

Keira saw the look on Jak's face. "No, I mean in a good way. Your eyes… they are softer than before… the opposite of what I expected. After four months in the desert, I expected you to harden, but that didn't happen."

"I haven't gotten softer, but Lighter." Jak said with a knowing smile.

Keira suddenly grew stern. "Jak, you hurry up and find a way here, or so help me, I'll hunt you down!" And then she held her face a centimeter away from the force field, and Jak put his own face closer to the force field. "I love you, Jak."

"I love you too." Jak breathed. If it were not for the force field, they most definitely would have kissed. But that was not possible. Jak pulled away first and backed away from the force field. "I'll find you again, Keira, I promise." With that, he turned and walked away.

Tears ran down Keira's face as she watched the one that she loved leave. She felt it was cruel that the only thing that had separated was one force field, a single layer of atoms. "I know you'll find me." She whispered. "You always do."


Daxter rejoined Jak as he walked away from the force field, but he didn't question Jak on what was said. He could guess that it included several 'I miss you's and 'I love you's.

Jak wouldn't allow himself to dwell on the previous conversation. He could not allow his emotions to over run him. Once that happened, either he'd die, or lots of other people would die, depending on the emotion in question.

If he remembered the layout of the sewers correctly, there would be an entrance nearby. It only took a minute or two of shifting some heavy rubble to expose the entrance to the sewers.

The young elf and the rodent remembered the sewers in only the worst light. The entire place smelled of crap, for obvious reasons, and Jak's enhanced sense of smell only made things worse. The smell was bad enough to give him a monster headache and even make him pass out in the worst salutations.

To protect him from the overwhelming smell, he pulled his old scarf up over his nose much like he did in the Wasteland desert. "Well," Jak said, his voice slightly muffled by the scarf. "Let's just get this over with. Precursors, I hate these sewers."


After at least an hour of tromping through Precursors know what, they arrived at an elevator that Jak estimated was close to the Port. He walked into the elevator and it moved up into the City.

The doors opened and Jak expected there to be screaming and cross-fire, but it was actually pretty quiet. The only sound to be heard was the sound of fire and several patrolling blue armored Freedom League Guards. Jak walked out of the elevator and recognized where he was instantly.

They were in the Port, on the road that once led to the Palace. Jak looked to the left and found that the way was blocked by still smoldering rubble. "Kinda gloomy, ain't it?" Daxter asked.

Jak had to agree. The soldiers were walking on their patrols like zombies. Most didn't even notice him, and those that did showed no sign of recognizing the banished freak. All life seemed to be sucked out of the guards. "God… they're just… shells." Jak observed.

"Let's go to the Naughty Ottsel." Daxter said. "Old Log In The Head said Torn would be there."

"Fine." Jak headed off towards the bar. The mood seemed to be contagious. Jak shivered again against the cold and the feeling of dread that he got when he looked at the hollow, dead men.

It was only a short walk until the large Daxter mannequin came into view. Jak rolled his eyes. Daxter may be his best friend, but that didn't mean that he couldn't think the rat was a bit full of himself. A ten-foot mannequin? Who built something like that of yourself… besides the late Baron?

"Ah… the Naughty Ottsel…" Daxter sighed. "Honey, I'm home."

Jak walked into the bar and instantly noticed that everything was different. It wasn't a bar anymore, it looked more like the old Underground Hideout. Even the picture of Erol with the rude writing on it was hanging on the wall. Torn stood in the center of the room by a hologram communicator. He looked terrible. He looked thin and sickly, there were dark circles under his eyes and a serious five o'clock shadow on his chin. He looked up wearily. "What now?" He paused when he saw Jak. "Jak?" He asked, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, or that he was seeing a ghost. "Jak? I never thought I'd see you again."

"Torn?" Daxter demanded, looking around the bar. "What have you done to my place?"

"We needed a Southern HQ for the war." Torn said. "Besides, I kind of like the Ottsel mannequin outside."

Daxter folded his arms over his chest proudly. "Yeah it's cool, huh?"

Torn showed the shadow of a smile. "We use it for target practice."

Jak smiled and held back a chuckle. "Hey!" Daxter yelled. "That thing cost me a fortune!"

Torn turned to Jak. "But… Ashelin told me that you weren't coming back to the City…"

"Changed my mind." Jak said.

"Listen, Jak, we're sorry we couldn't stop Count Vegar… we all are." Torn said.

"I just saw Vegar on my way into the City." Jak said. "He's trying to use Precursor technology for... something."

"That figures." Torn said. "That guy always was one monk short of a choir." Then Torn slammed his fists down on the holographic projector. "We've got bigger problems now then the plots of a mad man. Vegar sent us on a suicide attack into the Port, but we got cut off. Several force fields stand between us and the way back to Freedom HQ. Our forces are divided and the KG and Metal-Head fronts are squeezing us on all sides!"

"Never fear, the trouble twins are here!" Daxter said, bowing elegantly.

The hologram flashed and a map of the Port appeared. Three dots flashed on the map. "Oh, speaking of trouble…" Torn said, looking at the information that appeared on the hologram. A large, jerky KG Blast Bot appeared in the air. "We've got three Blast Bots coming in from the KG city section, they're heading this way!" He looked at Jak. "Do you think you can handle it, Jak?"

Jak was about to answer when Daxter interrupted. "Okay, so we've got a little fear, but Jak is here." Jak blinked.

Then, without another word, Jak turned and walked out.