After numerous chapters of going back and forth between cities and worlds, the heroes are finally about to enter the catacombs. I've also thrown in a side scene of my own making that answers, in my own way, a common question among fans of how Damas got to Haven City in response to Jak's call.
To Drago the Firesword Dragon: I apologize that the Wave Concussor, not the Plasmite RPG was the final gun to be revealed in Jak's arsenal. Personally, I agree with you, the Plasmite is one of my favorite guns in the game as well! However, given the addition of my OC and his Omega Fire, which pretty much works in the same way as the Plasmite, and given that Jak had never used his last gun until last chapter, it would have been redundant and controversial to include it now. That is why I put in the Concussor instead, but don't worry, I promise that's the only time its going to be used(spoiler alert!).
Ch38: Enter the Catacombs
As the former metalhead tower was engulfed in smoke, the H-cat carrying the hero party flew back toward Freedom HQ. Save for the dragons who followed the H-cat in the air. Jak stayed seated in the passenger side while Calidan was inside the gun turret hole while Sig piloted. The H-cat soon reached the retractable roof of its hanger, and opened upon proximity. The dragons and dragonfly hovered down right above it as Sig made touchdown. With an appreciated gesture, Jak dismounted with Daxter, and Calidan followed right behind him doing the same.
"Thanks for the save Sig," said Jak.
"No problem, glad I made it in time, though I do have something to tell all of you," he replied, getting all of their attention. Spyro and his fellow natives walked around to join Jak and Calidan in front of the H-cat as Sig continued.
"Onin told me through Packer that something big is brewing and needs to tell you personally. She's waiting at her tent near the old fortress, best go now while we have an opening," Sig said, knowing the tower's destruction would eventually cause a scatter attack by any remaining legions.
"Alright, let's go," Jak ordered as he led the way out of the hangar, and none of the others hesitated in following him.
Once outside, Jak and Calidan boarded a W-wing parked down the walkway from the hangar door and took off. Spyro, Cynder and Sparx flew right behind them as they led the way out of New Haven. As they flew, all of them wondered in their own way what Onin could be referring to, given her cryptic nature it could be anything. Hopefully it would have to do with the catacombs, since everything unusual lately seemed to be revolving around them. Jak soon steered around the center bend in the slums toward the old fortress, where he saw Onin's relocated tent stationed just outside the barred fortress entrance. He landed the zoomer and dismounted with his friends following him.
The heroes entered the tent to see Onin, Packer and Samos present. The sage was standing off to the side while Packer sat atop Onin's hat. In order from the tents occupants' left to right stood Calidan, Jak, Daxter, Cynder, Spyro and Sparx. Spyro was first to ask, "Onin, Samos, what's going on?"
"Young ones I'm afraid we're in serious trouble!" Samos replied.
Onin began waving her hands again as Packer translated, "Onin says there are strange forces at work, fate has been twisted by something more powerful than anything she has ever seen in her many years!...RAAWWKK!...something now awake deeeep in the catacombs!"
"Let me guess," Daxter cut in, "you blowhards want us to go down there, correct?!"
Onin gave a thumbs up while Samos stated, "The best access to the catacombs is through the ruined Main Town section of the city."
'Its about time' Calidan thought, ready to finally enter these catacombs.
"Sometimes, I really hate you guys," Daxter was not as eager.
"Daxter," scolded Cynder. She would have continued but Onin started waving her hands again, making Packer speak again, "Onin says she sees your fate turning black with uncertainty, Onin says it will be very dangerous indeed, Onin says Packer will escort you to the catacombs and...RAAWWKK!...WHAT?! What did you say?!"
Samos assured, "you will be Onin's eyes, and Jak's wisdom, otherwise the rest of them will be going in blind, you must do this!"
"Agh, ok fine, but I am gone the moment things get sticky! All of you get to the catacomb entrance and take care of business...RAWWK! I'll meet you there when the coast is clear." With that, Packer flew out of the tent and over the wall toward the catacombs.
Cynder had to ask, "how are we going to get to the catacombs? I thought the entrance to Main Town was sealed off?" She remembered the forcefield that prevented them from entering New Haven when they had first arrived from the eco mine.
"Since Veger was sacked, that's not a concern anymore, Ashelin deactivated all blockades he had set up, so the way is open now. But I implore you to go now, or else we might not get another chance," said Samos.
"Catacombs here we come," said Jak turning around to exit, with the rest of his friends following as the sage and the soothsayer watched them leave. Jak and Calidan reboarded the W-wing and took off in the direction they came with the dragons right behind them. Upon re-entering New Haven, Jak took a left turn at the first junction as opposed to the straight path that led to Freedom HQ. Around another building junction was the entrance to the originally sealed off Main Town section. As Samos said, it was now clear, and the zoomer followed by the airborne dragons entered the heavily damaged section. Flying their way around the collapsed support tower base and under the collapsed tower itself, the hero party soon found themselves in front of a pile of rubble that blocked off the entrance to the old Haven City stadium. Jak landed his zoomer just in front of a fallen metal monolith that stretched across the canal, then he along with Calidan dismounted and made their way over it. Spyro and Cynder landed beside them with Sparx in tow, as they looked up at the rubble pile in front of them.
"What now?" Spyro asked Jak.
"There," Jak replied pointing up toward the peak of the pile, they noticed faintly a small hole at the top that would hopefully lead toward the other side.
Spyro was reminded of a similar setting back on his own world after the fight with the golem. 'Like the Warfang gate all over again.'
His thoughts were interrupted by a blue shine behind him. Everyone turned to see Light Jak grow out his wings to activate his Light Flight powers. With a heavy flap the eco-human made his way up to the hole and landed just in front of it and the tunnel it led to before returning to normal.
"Hmph, never a dull moment," said Calidan aloud.
"You got that right," replied Cynder. The human inventor just smirked before activating his Eagle wings. He hovered himself up to the hole with the dragons and Sparx right behind him. Jak had already made his way into the tunnel as Calidan made touchdown. He retracted his wings and followed him in, behind him was Spyro, Cynder, then Sparx. The rubble tunnel was crude and cramped, but fortunately allowed enough room for them to move through, provided they didn't step on any sharp debris jutting from any of the four walls. Soon they emerged on the other side, where Jak was waiting in front of a large canopy that led to the former stadium atrium, which had been completely demolished from the palace collapse. As the newcomer and outworlders took in the sight of the ruins before them, they also noticed the metalhead legion of mantises and spyders before them.
"The only toters tough and crazy enough to take on these things are the wastelanders!" Daxter said. Everyone's eyes lit up, for once the ottsel had a brilliant idea!
"Dax you're a genius!" Jak exclaimed before bringing out the beacon. He pressed it, lighting it up, but only for a moment.
"That's it?" Sparx asked unimpressed, with both Spyro and Cynder showing skeptical looks. Jak pressed it a couple more times, only for the same blinking light result.
"Yup that trinkets worth about as much as you'd get from a broken down pawn shop in South Town," Daxter remarked distastefully. Jak reluctantly put the beacon away.
"Guess we're on our own," said Spyro.
"As usual," Sparx remarked dismally.
"So what?" Calidan said, getting everyone's attention, "I may have shown hesitation about starting this journey before, but I'm in it to the end now. Besides, Sarian didn't raise no coward!"
"Sarian?" Jak asked, the dragons and sidekicks just as confused.
Calidan clarified for them, "my Pap did have a name you know."
All of them shared a look of realization, before Cynder asked, "and you didn't tell us his name before why?"
"You never asked," Calidan replied. His newfound friends could only scoff at his smart mouth.
Jak then asked him in a professional tone, "Well Calidan, grandson of Sarian, ready to wipe out these metalheads for good?"
"Ready and willing," Calidan replied, bringing his wrist blaster up to level.
"Allow me to get their attention first," said Jak arming his Beam Reflexor.
The metalheads continued to pace the ground and stew back and forth as they continued to guard their claimed territory. It came to an end when a yellow shot zipped through the air, hitting one metalhead and reflecting off at least four others. More shots erupted and encompassed the whole legion as the hero party made their way down the ruined steps into the atrium.
Two spyders and two mantises survived the Reflexor shower, leaving one for each of them. Spyro and Cynder each handled their mantises with one precisely based elemental shot to stun them followed by an aerial finishing move. Calidan took to the sky as Eagle and opened fire at the spyder gunner attempting to shoot him down in retaliation. He dodged the metalhead's shots and finished it off by aerial kicking it in the head making it topple and fall into the chasm behind it. Jak re-equipped his blaster and let loose a barrage of gunfire on the remaining spyder. It couldn't even shoot back once before succumbing to the attack while losing its skull gem.
With their enemies defeated, the heroes took scope of the ruins around them. A large section of the palace had collapsed through the atrium, unearthing a large pit beneath it. Busted pipes and twisted metal lay everywhere on the remaining atrium path. Further to their right, they saw the old shield wall still standing in one piece despite its purpose now defunct, and it was also where the remains of the path lay, enough for a small group to venture in.
"Move ahead everyone," said Jak. His friends nodded as the eco-human led the way toward the shield wall section of the ruined atrium.
In Spargus City, Damas was standing on the lookout bridge that connected two tower residences in the arena section. He had just received the distress signal from Jak's beacon. However, despite the former newcomer proving his worth, he was hesitant to respond. His transceivers located where the signal lay, in the northern part of Haven City, the one place he was determined to never set foot in again. He continued his silent brooding before a certain Earth guardian approached from behind.
"You wished to see me, your lordship?" Terrador asked the king on the bridge as his head reached up to his level.
Damas replied, "Yes, I thought you should know Jak and Spyro are calling for aid, for I just received the signal from Jak's beacon."
"May I presume then you are forming a militia to aid them?" Terrador asked.
"Normally I would with any signal sent out, though the location of where this one resides has me hesitant for once," said Damas.
Terrador raised an eye, "They are still in Haven City, aren't they?" The king nodded in confirmation.
"Then you know as well as I there would be only one reason they would be calling from there," said the guardian leader.
"They have approached the catacombs, and are attempting to enter," Damas concluded.
"I say not a moment too soon," replied Terrador looking toward the Dark Ship, whose star now shone brighter than ever. It was like a second moon, reminding the guardian of the Night of Eternal Darkness on his planet, but that was a memory for another time.
Damas continued his ranting, "were it any other place in the world I would be underway already, but Havenā¦"
"Damas," Terrador said, surprisingly skipping his honorific title for the first time, addressing him not as a king, but as a fellow leader, "we are on the brink of a planetary invasion by a group of parasites who will only satisfy their hunger by destroying your planet. Our respective world's champions are now near the only means of stopping it, and they now request help. If there were ever a time to rise above ourselves, it is now."
Damas just gave a silent glare. Had he not gotten to know the guardian so well in the past couple days, he would have retaliated immediately for insubordination. Sensing his new friend's transparent anger, Terrador dared to continue, "I'm sorry, but nothing can bring back your lost son, just like nothing can bring back the lives of those poor hatchlings who were lost in the temple raid. What can be done is doing everything we can to protect what we still have, even if it means facing old wounds."
Hoping ancient wisdom would triumph an old grudge, Terrador silenced himself as a sign of respect to the king. Damas stood still for another minute, before closing his eyes to take a relieving breath. Finally, after a final moment of clarity, he reached for his communicator, "alert tower."
"Yes my lord?"
"I need you to open a channel for me to a certain frequency."
"If you have it, I can tune it in right now sir."
Damas then relayed the frequency that was offered to him by Jak regarding the last transmission he had picked up prior to the group leaving Spargus. The eco-human did it hoping the king would let the past be past, so the future could be protected. After a few seconds, the alert tower technician patched the signal through, and a familiar voice spoke through Damas's comm.
"Hello, this is Governor Ashelin of Haven City, who is this?"
Terrador gave his fellow leader a nod of respect before he continued. "This is King Damas of Spargus. Governor, I humbly request your assistanceā¦"
As the heroes trekked through the palace ruins along the north shield wall, they had now seen what had befallen the old stadium. The walkways leading to it had been lost in the open chasm below, and the only way to make it to the old structure on foot was by a wall walkway that remained somewhat intact despite the palace collapse. Fortunately as all of them could fly, falling into the chasm was unlikely, but it still couldn't be overlooked as one lucky hit from a metalhead could send them in.
They continued trekking on foot as they approached the corner of the ruined stadium, though Cynder had to say, "I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about seeing this part of the city in ruins."
"Why?" Calidan asked, curious of the dragon's original visit to Haven, before he ever came along.
"It's where the Baron nearly caught all of us and killed us together, and also where we first confronted Errol as a group" Spyro clarified, "but it's also where Jak won his first victory over him, and where we first met Keira as she had a garage here."
"Hmm, so you have a mixed history with both friends and foes in this building," said Calidan.
"Exactly," said Spyro.
"Well hopefully once the planet's saved and it's rebuilt, it can be so again," said Jak.
"Provided you don't put another oversized building in its epicenter that can risk being an open target again," Cynder said while continuing with a logical argument, "seriously whose bright idea was it in the first place to build something that huge in the city center?"
"I have no idea, though hopefully he and his kin are long gone for I agree with you one hundred percent," said Jak. They reached as far as the broken path in front of them would go, now the only way to advance further was in the air. Everyone took to the sky in their own way, with Light Jak leading the way with his ethereal glow. They were now within the stadium perimeter, and were approaching the last remnants of its entryway. Jak landed on the broken path right inside the entryway with the others following him. Jak brought out his gun before gesturing to the group to follow.
They looked around the hall, remembering how the stadium's garages were kept here. They were still here, just now sealed off. They lingered for a moment before Daxter saw something on the ground and jumped from Jak's shoulder to retrieve it. He held it up for all the others to see, a ripped and torn portrait size poster of Jak and Daxter made after their Haven City Class 1 Race victory.
"Heh, pretty redundant given how things worked out huh?" said Daxter. Calidan was confused, while the dragons and Sparx gave sympathetic looks for they understood Daxter's meaning. Jak just snorted before saying, "let's keep moving."
Seeing how it meant nothing to him now, Daxter threw the poster away and jumped back onto his shoulder as they continued down the hall. They soon came to an open junction that was sealed off on the left side by the collapsed palace, and where another hoard of metalheads awaited them! The spyders and mantises growled and screeched before lunging at them.
Jak and Cal open fired with their respective blasters while the dragons joined in the lunge hitting one mantis each with a take down. They gripped their arms in their teeth while plowing them into the ground side to side before tossing them away dead. The spyders were struggling to make a shot as the humans continued hitting them with their own. The remaining mantises lunged at the humans to aid their counterparts forcing Jak and Calidan to dodge. They engaged in close combat with the mantises as Jak batted away pincers with his gun and Cal swerved from side to side to avoid getting pierced.
The spyders finally managed to fire a few shots at the humans making them retreat even further. Their attack was cut short however, as one was crushed from Spyro's boulder smash and the other slammed with Cynder's poison wheel. That left the mantises who were stunned seeing the spyders crushed, allowing Jak and Calidan to shoot them dead. The metalheads now taken care of, they moved ahead, only to find another rubble pile blocking their advance.
"I'll clear this," said Spyro since seeing it was a minor matter. One full power Earth Shot and the wall was broken away. They found themselves in a familiar hall, the one the originals all remembered housed Keira's garage, which was now sealed off like the others. They passed it and the other garage present without a second thought before coming to an opening broken away further down. This led into the ruined confines of the stadium, and there was only one way down, though the visible platforms were barely holding together.
"Perhaps it's best we fly in from here?" Cynder proposed.
"Agreed, but stay behind me until we can find another safe landing site," said Jak. They all nodded in agreement before Jak activated his Light Flight again. Light Jak then took to the sky, followed by Spyro, Cynder, Sparx, and Eagle after activating his wing-pack. As they entered the stadium's interior, they saw how desecrated it was from all the smoldering piles of rubble everywhere. These were the remnants of whatever track had been present when the palace collapsed. Light Jak flew around a series of support structures with the rest of his airborne friends right behind him. Up ahead they found what they were looking for, another mound of earth stationed at a broken exit from the stadium and which led further into Main Town.
Light Jak came in for a landing followed by the others. The mound they had landed on was smoldering with black smoke, like the ruins were still feeling the heat from the missiles that hit them. The smoke was the least of their concerns, as their landing had attracted more mantis metalheads, making them leap from around the rubble bend and jump toward them.
"I'll take care of this," said Cynder with an icy tone. The guys halted themselves as she strolled ahead of them. The mantises were nearly within range of her before she let loose a stream of shadow fire from her mouth, the most potent it had ever been. It had stretched enough to cover the mound with a black cloud far darker than the smoke from the ruins. After a few seconds it seeped into the ground, the mantises gone with it.
Cynder took a deep breath, with a smirk of satisfaction. Whereas the others behind her save for Spyro were utterly stunned. Calidan asked first, "what just happened to them?"
"I've asked myself the same question under similar circumstances," said Jak, "the only answer I've gotten is that it's best not to ask."
Spyro walked up to her with concern seeing how she was breathing heavy, "are you ok?"
"Yeah, just won't be able to do that again for a while," she replied.
"Well I say it still got the job done, so no complaints from me, way to go Cynder," said Sparx with a thumbs up. Everyone turned to the dragonfly in shock, it was the first time any of them had heard him actually compliment Cynder.
"What?" he asked, seeing their shocked expressions.
"Did you just congratulate me?" asked Cynder, baffled.
"Uh, yeah," he replied.
"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Spyro asked just as baffled.
"What? Is my rap sheet with her so long it's really so surprising now?" Sparx asked, getting impromptu nods from the dragons, humans, and ottsel.
"Huh, I'm in a deeper hole then I thought," the dragonfly muttered to himself.
"What exactly has forced you to change your opinion of me after all this time?" Cynder asked.
"I'll be glad to tell you once our skins are all saved," Sparx replied while pointing in the sky at the Dark Ship, "need I remind you that we are running out of time?"
"Agreed, save world now, clarifying talk later," Jak said while walking ahead. Sparx followed him and Daxter as the dragons and Calidan brought up the rear. They still carried curious expressions toward the dragonfly and his now changed view of Cynder. Jak soon reached the rubble bend and looked up to see an unwelcome sight, more metalhead mantises and spyders were crawling over the adjacent monolith blocking their advance.
Calidan saw them as well and said, "another legion to squash, you guys ready?"
"Hold on, I've got a better idea," said Jak, wanting them to conserve energy before engaging in another fight. He brought out his morph gun and equipped his latest mod and the only one he had yet to use, the Supernova.
"You're going to try that out right now?" Cynder asked.
"All new mods have been tested in the field already, this is the perfect chance for this last one," Jak said, taking aim. His fellow heroes took a step behind him as he gripped the trigger. He aimed for the center of the metalhead mound before pulling.
Whooossshhh
The metalheads turned to see a small miniature purple colored rocket approach them from overhead, before it arced and descended for them. The heroes watched it fly, utterly stunned with what the gun mod had fired. Calidan gasped, "is that a...rocket?!"
Jak's surprise turned to full concern as he whipped around and yelled, "DUCK AND COVER!" They complied, and not a moment too soon.
KAABBLLAAMMM!...Ssssshhhh
Jak opened his eyes slowly, the blinding light from the explosion faded away. He soon pulled himself up and turned around. To his and Daxter's complete shock, he saw how the gun got its name, a miniature mushroom cloud with a supernova light was present following the impact of the rocket, and its incineration of the metalheads. The cloud and its sizzling sound faded away, signaling to the others that it was over.
"Is it safe to get up now Jak?" Spyro asked.
"Umm...yeah" he stammered. His reply prompted the others to rise and turn around to see the aftermath.
"They're gone?" Calidan asked.
"Most definitely," said Daxter. They made their way up to the mounds higher level by jumping or flying. Spyro, Cynder, and Sparx were first and were gaping at what they saw. A large crater, nearly over a yard deep and over 10 more in diameter was smoldering. Clearly not even remains were left behind by this explosion. Jak and Calidan hoisted themselves onto the mound right behind them and looked at it with just as much surprise.
"Son of a gun," gasped Calidan, "makes my bombs look like poppers."
"Jak," Cynder began.
"Yes Cyn?" Jak replied.
"I think it's best you never use that one again, okay?" she said looking him in the eye. Jak just gave a new nervous nod, rattled both from the blast and the stink-eye the black dragoness was giving him. Though who could blame her?
"Look!" Sparx pointed toward the adjacent wall, where another pile of rubble was blocking their way again. This time Jak stepped up though.
"I've got this one Spyro," he said.
"You do?" Spyro asked, receiving a nod before the eco-human approached the pile ahead of his friends. Focusing his inner strength, Jak kept his full anger at bay while releasing his dark powers.
Everyone behind him was shocked to see him turn into Dark Jak again, and even more so watching the creature curl back his arm and fire a Dark Strike at the pile blowing it away. The hero party didn't turn away from Dark Jak, less he try to attack them. Though he did no such thing, and merely stood straight up before the purple hue faded away returning him to normal.
"Uh, you alright buddy?" Daxter asked having seen the whole thing from his shoulder.
"Whew, just fine," Jak panted, "I think I'm finally getting the hang of controlling it."
"Heh, well better late than never," Cynder remarked, with Spyro giving an approving nod, while Calidan and Sparx were stunned silent. It faded away as Jak trolled over to the cleared passageway, prompting the others to follow. One could guess what was next as they left the stadium ruins behind.
Told you Jak would use the Supernova didn't I? Not surprising it would freak the others out, truthfully I remember the first time I used it, I was freaked out! Having a miniature psuedo-nuclear rocket in your arsenal is insane, fictional world or not! Part 1 of my final uploads will end next chapter.
