CHAPTER 4: A New Beginning
Ferin closed her eyes and shivered a bit as she raced through Haven City with the infamous outlaw Jak. She had never been very comfortable on speeder bikes, especially when they were going as fast as this one. But if she was going to take on the Baron, she would need to get over these petty fears. She slowly opened her eyes to look over the city. It was then that she realized how tight she had her arms wrapped around Jak's torso. Was she really that scared? She loosened up her grip and bit and smiled just a little.
"Hey you!" Ferin yelled into Jak's ear. "Where are you taking me?"
"Someplace safe." Jak replied. "Since you live on the streets, you can stay there."
"Well, if I'm going to stay I need to grab a few things from my place first."
"I thought you were homeless!" Jak said.
"Well, I sort of have a place. Just no family or anything."
"Alright, well let me know where to go."
Ferin led Jak over buildings and alleyways until they finally reached her little den. She ducked into the hole in the wall and motioned for Jak to follow her. Ferin picked up an old leather knapsack from her dusty couch and began grabbing things and putting them in the sack.
"Nice place." Jak said sarcastically.
"Hey, it's a roof over my head, and that's all that matters."
"Actually, the place we're going really isn't all that much nicer."
"Alright, I'm all ready to go!" Ferin said as she slung the knapsack over her shoulder. The two went outside again and hopped on the speeder bike.
After soaring around the city a bit more, Jak lowered the bike down into a dead end alley. Ferin got off and looked around, a bit puzzled about where they were going. Jak walked over to a large concrete slab in the wall with a strange symbol painted on it. She knew that symbol from somewhere. Damnit! Where had she seen it before? Jak pushed a stone sticking out of the wall next to the slab and the slab began to move out of the way. It was a door! "Come on." Jak said as he descended down a stairway and Ferin began to follow him down.
The second Jak opened the steel door at the bottom of the stairs, Ferin's jaw dropped. Who else was sitting at the table in the center of the room but Torn, the leader of the Haven City Underground. That's why she recognized the symbol! "You!" Ferin gasped. "Jak, you tricked me!"
"Huh?" Jak questioned.
"He put you up to this, didn't he!" Ferin shouted.
"Jak! What's that runt doing here?" Torn asked, clearly irritated with Ferin's presence.
"Why you!" Ferin shouted at Torn and began to lunge towards him, fists clenched. Jak grabbed Ferin and stopped her.
"What the hell is going on here?" He asked. "Do you guys know each other?"
"That bastard wouldn't let me into the Underground!" Ferin said through clenched teeth.
"I see…" Jak said, once again playing with his goatee. "Well, Torn. She's with me, so I think you're going to have to let her in now."
"But she's just a kid! How is she going to help us?" Torn exclaimed.
"I AM NOT A…" Jak clapped a hand over Ferin's mouth. "MMMMFF!" Ferin continued to shout, but was muffled by Jak's hand.
"She may be young, but she's strong. And she wants the Baron out of power just as much as we do. I know she can help us." Jak persuaded. Torn gave him an angry stare.
"Fine. She's in. But if she slips up just once, it's back on the streets. You got that, kid?" Torn shifted his glare in Ferin's direction.
"Got it." Ferin replied with a sly grin.
"Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep." Jak began to walk into another room of the basement. Ferin stuck her tongue out and she walked by Torn.