Author's Note: What up, y'all. I'm sorry it has taken me almost three months to return with something, but things have been very busy over here. Incredibly hectic. February came around and I was re-diagnosed with Grave's (an overactive thyroid) and it really took a toll on my creative side; couldn't draw or write; my mind was a ball of fuzz, to give you an idea.
If you're here and have read my past chapters, thanks so much for reading and reviewing! If you're here and haven't read my previous chapters, just know that if you're put off by the first-person writing, I will be going back and editing it to third (how my chapters are now and how they will be in the future). Enjoy the chapter this VERY long chapter (3x as long as usual). And no, I don't plan on making them this long on the regular.
Warning: This chapter contains slander and content that could be offensive to some people. Just know that it was said solely for a character's dialogue and that I don't use it on a day to day basis in real life. If you'd like to skip it, please disregard any of the chapter after the return back to The Underground.
CHAPTER 20 – RED
Torn was never one to slack off. Ever. He knew discipline and integrity, though he'd never admit that his time in the Guard was what set him straight. Being the leader of the Underground took a mass amount of patience, which he did not have, so whenever he felt as if someone could do better, he always made sure to verbally smoke the shit out of them. To him, there was no problem that couldn't be fixed; he didn't need to rub another man's back and ask if they were alright. His words stung like dried ice, like a cold dagger in your skin, but did he care? No. Torn expected everyone to always understand, always be willing, and always ready for a fight. When Cara arrived, he lowered those expectations...
Cara argued, asked questions, and had a pizazz he didn't necessarily understand. He looked back on their time together often, wondering how this girl could have even landed a job in the military. How she survived basic training, he couldn't even fathom. As much as she bothered him to his wits end, he could never send her off. Even for a guy like Torn, familiarity is hard to let go of. Torn and Cara deployed three times together: one combat and two for natural disasters. They were close; they were family. The stern, reserved Torn wasn't one for an emotional connection, even at a friendly level, but her quirky antics gave him no choice. Torn tried to remain competent; a straight posture, a 'no bullshit' attitude, and a motivated mind. It had been years since they had seen each other, but he had to admit that he had matured. Cara, on the other hand, kept that glow...but, she also had a habit of getting too comfortable; she brought the things that ticked Torn off and one of his peeves was laying directly in front of him.
A girl that can't wake the fuck up.
With a look of annoyance and a hint, just a hint, of scheming, Torn walked to a shelf. He moved papers, packets, and files aside, on the hunt for something in particular. Torn didn't know why he ever purchased such a thing, if he was the one who did – he couldn't remember. It kind of just showed up; like someone bought it as practical joke, but never used it.
Then, he found it. It was covered in dust, but in working condition: The Air Horn. This air horn wasn't just a regular air horn, no; it was bigger than the average one. The canister was cold, and so large that the tips of Torn's fingers couldn't even touch. The horn itself could call on an army...hm. Maybe that's why he kept it.
Torn practically admired his plan, the corner of his mouth pulled up into a smirk. He raised it in the air, a finger hovering over the button. He gave himself time to compose himself, his idea causing a pit of excitement in his stomach. Torn could have fun.
A quick tap was enough. The sound was something that could not be explained. Maybe if someone were to blow as hard as they could on a trumpet, but with the sound blaring through a loudspeaker and six microphones. It was ear-shattering and it even made Torn jump slightly. Ever so slightly.
Torn watched a startled Cara quickly cover her ears as a girly shriek echoed throughout the Underground. And as if it couldn't get any better, he watched a completely oblivious and toweled Jak, who had casually emerged from the bathroom, instinctually lift a leg and cower before retreating back into the bathroom.
That was enough for a deep chuckle to gargle in Torn's throat.
Daxter, who had desperately tried to wiggle his way underneath Cara's arm out of fear, peeked from under her upper arm. His annoyed gaze went from Torn to the horn in his hand. "Ah," Daxter scoffed as he stood up and brushed his raised fur down, "We've got jokes today, huh?"
Back in the common area, Jak smirked as he brushed his teeth, like Torn pranking Cara was something that he felt equally successful in.
"Just wanted to get the day started," Torn said slyly as he set the horn on the table.
The day started.
While Cara brushed her freshly showered hair, she glanced over at Jak and Daxter. Her eyes wandered to Jak's boots, watching as he intertwined every lace. Amused, she listened to Daxter go on a tangent; how he missed pants and shoes. Depending on whose turn it was to speak, she'd look to Jak and then to Daxter. Cara watched as a smirk crawled onto Jak's face; he didn't mind Daxter's nonsense.
"Yeah?" Torn asked as he answered his communicator, making sure to turn his back on the trio.
This caught everyone's attention. Cara's gaze quickly hit Torn's backside before looking to Jak, who shared a subtle look of a concern before joining her stare to their boss' backside. The look was quick; eye contact was still inconsistent and rare.
"Nothing?" Torn asked the person on the other side of his communicator, "Keep looking." There was no formal goodbye; he just hung up. Torn looked over his shoulder to see both Jak and Cara quickly look back to what kept them occupied before; as if trying to pretend that they weren't intensely eavesdropping. "Hey," he said in a low manner.
Both Jak and Cara looked up to see a demanding finger curled there way; a sign to come over; a sign that there next mission probably would be starting now. They stood up, practically in unison, and walked over.
Daxter hopped up onto the table, while Jak and Cara stood at Torn's side.
Obviously stressed, Torn placed his palms on the edge of the table and hunched forward. "One of my old, guard comrades was sent to the Pumping Station... there's been no word from the patrol, and after what you guys went through out there, I'm afraid she may need some help.."
As Cara wondered if Torn met Tess, the only woman she has met since joining the Underground, Jak fell into a Daxter-like state, who, by the way, was making an array of silly faces at Torn.
A glimmer of excitement beamed on Jak's face. "Did you say she?"
Cara looked to Jak and mentally scoffed with an eye roll. To her, Jak was an odd breed. One minute, he hated the world, especially her, as if he blamed every person on the planet for what he experienced in prison. Jak was mean and unforgiving, she had the pleasure of learning that on her own through conversation. Though, there were times where he seemed collected, like at the gun course...and at the Strip Mine...when he saved her. It was always short-lived, which made her question why he even thought about girls...at all. This had Cara's eyes shifting around the room before looking to the ceiling, 'Oh, right,' she thought as her nose scrunched at he tip, 'He's a guy.'
"-Don't even think about it," Torn relayed sternly, which caused Jak's face to soften into a look of confusion. Torn's defensiveness also caused Cara to look his away.
Cara's mouth opened, ready to ask if the woman was indeed the bubbly blonde she met before, but Torn's quick latch onto the lamp above them and the lean into Daxter, caused her to quickly pull away and blink.
"Stop that!" Torn demanded, causing the playful ottsel to cower, "This is serious, you moron."
Jak raised a hand; a clear sign that he was ready to offer his furry friend a smack.
"WAH!" Daxter wailed as he posed in a karate-like stance, "That's right. Don't mess with the sugar."
"This friend of mine has helped The Underground many times before," Torn said as he looked to three, mostly to see if everyone was still mentally with him. While Cara leaned forward against the table, Jak kept his eyes on Daxter; sending a look with the equivalence of, 'don't make me turn this car around.' "Go back to The Pumping Station and take a look around...render assistance if needed.." he said as he looked to Daxter, who had false salute as he stood at attention. "Now get your squirrely ass out of here." Torn slammed his fist on the table.
Despite his fear of the dreadlocked redhead in front of him, who was very fired up over his friend's lack of contact, Daxter didn't hesitate to stick his tongue out.
Quickly, Jak grabbed Daxter. It was obvious that Daxter didn't, nor did he ever, understand the magnitude of the situation. Torn was gruff in nature, but the absolute turmoil within him wasn't something he could conceal; he was genuinely consumed with worry.
Amongst the cries of either wounded or agitated Metal Heads, a woman quickly jumped from the roof of her cruiser to a nearby tree branch. Her emerald eyes scanned the area, but a jolt of discomfort caused her to look to her right arm. She placed a hand on her wound before pulling her hand back. Blood copied the shape of her palm. Her red brows furrowed as she looked down at the hostiles that hurt her. There was no excuse for that. But before she could come up with a plan, bullets from a variety of weapons, or so it sounded, catapulted themselves from their owners' weapons. The Metal Heads looked as if they were ready for another attack, but they were quickly brought down.
"Anyway," a girl with blonde hair chimed as she closed the distance between herself and the man that was with her, "The Pumping Station used to attract young kids," she snickered.
Despite the girl's happy-go-lucky attitude, the woman in hiding remained in the trees above them.
Jak surveyed the area. It was obvious that he had expected to find something, for he thoroughly peered into the trees and surrounding bushes, completely dismissing whatever Cara had to say.
"The mutated Lurkers would crawl out of the water," Cara mused as she walked up behind a unsuspecting Jak, "And then...get them!" Cara quickly grabbed Jak by the shoulders.
Jak jumped, but it wasn't as great as the scare that morning. He quickly shoved Cara's hands off with an aggressive elbow before looking over his shoulder. "There's nothing here," he said in an annoyed tone.
"Nyah," Daxter whined as he jumped from Jak's shoulder to the sand, "What the heck are we doin' riskin' our lives for some Krimzon Guard hag anyway?" Daxter began to casually itch the back of his ear with one of his back feet. "She probably has more facial hair than me.."
The hidden woman's eyes widened in realization, but then reverted back to a glare. They were there for her, but...why? She didn't recognize them, even though she was sure that she wouldn't be able to make out their faces anyway. Not right now. They weren't Metal Heads; she wasn't scared of them... After gripping the branch tightly, she swung down from her position and landed on the sand. She didn't give any of them time to register the attack; she grabbed the man and put him into a hostage position. "Who the hell are you?" She asked as she placed the tip of her gun against Jak's temple.
Jak instantly lifted his hands, his way of swinging a white flag, but the sound of pistols cocking back caused him to peer over the mysterious woman's forearms.
There stood Cara, both of her weapons ready to shoot.
"Mmmm." Daxter hummed, "I do love a woman in uniform. Wanna bark some orders at me?" He stood at attention, much like what he did earlier, "Woof! Woof!
"Hm," the woman hummed with a smirk, her eyes on the girl. "Look what the muse dragged in.." The woman casted Jak aside rough enough for him to stumble before turning around. She never lowered her pistol; it took aim on Cara. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Cara's weight shifted forward, a sign that she was more than ready to shoot. "I could ask you the same thing," she said angrily.
There was a moment of silence. A baffled Jak looked to Cara, awaiting an explanation, but another cocked weapon caught his attention. His eyes shifted to the woman just in time to see her press down the hammer of her pistol, now as ready as Cara. This woman was gutsy, which honestly worried him a little. Now wasn't the time to catch up; it was time to diffuse. "Easy," Jak said slowly, "Torn asked us to help you."
"I don't need help," the woman said as she went to holster her pistol, "But you might." She kept her weapon at her side, "We've got company."
Still drowning in adrenaline and anger, a feeling that could probably get her to kill someone in cold-blood, probably, caused her to slowly turn around. Cara's eyes widened as her pistols dropped to her sides; a look of overwhelming fear. Confidence gone.
Three Metal Heads jumped down onto the sand from the alcove and didn't hesitate to start attacking. A few hissed in their direction, while others started to shoot.
Cara found herself frozen, but it wasn't from the fear pitted in her stomach, it was something else. Every Metal in front of her was purple; it was happening again. Her surroundings became dark and all sounds were fuzzy and unclear; like she was underwater. Cara could see the eco in every Metal Head. A ball of purple swam like a cell and sat in the center of their core, as if it was a vital organ. A growl sounded near her and she looked to it quickly, just in time for her to be knocked to the side by a Metal Head's fire.
Daxter scrambled over to Cara and attempted to push her up, "Now is not the time for a nap!" he yelled over the commotion. As if his efforts made a difference, Cara propped herself up. Her view of eco didn't change and she started to wonder if this was permanent and if so, how would she ever fight? Why did this never happen...before Jak? Still on her stomach, Cara glanced over at Jak, who showed similar signs. Every vein...she could see. No body. Whenever he moved; moved to the side, ran, jumped, rolled...it was just his inner anatomy that she saw; every nerve within him.
Her eyebrows narrowed both from confusion and curiosity, but an ottsel suddenly blocked her view. The light from bullets, both from her allies and the Metals, casted a shadow over Daxter. Cara still couldn't hear anything, but could see Daxter frantically trying to get her attention.
Now determined, Cara looked nearby to see the pistol she had lost during the fall. In one quick motion, Cara was standing with both of her weapons pointed in the direction of the fight. She shot at the Metals with every step she took, her squinted eyes fluttering due to her restricted vision. She noticed more balls of eco drop from the cliff and pointed in the their direction, but felt someone's back up against hers. Before she could question if it was Jak...
"Nice of you to join us," the woman said, the usual, smooth deepness still very much there.
"What are you doing here, Ashelin?" Cara didn't even ask; she demanded. There was a whisper, but it was stern. Jak must have been rubbing off on her. "Spying for daddy?"
A low chuckle caused Cara to momentarily take her eyes off of the fight and peer over her shoulder. "Not quite," Ashelin mumbled as she took out another Metal, "But if you helps you sleep at night, think of my intentions however you please."
Cara shared an expression of anger towards no one in particular, "Hmph."
"-Incoming!" Daxter shouted. The body of the last Metal Head flew in the girls' direction, landing close enough for them to cower at the rumble.
After she composed herself, she looked to Cara as she watched Jak begin to walk over in her peripherals. "I'm not a spy," she said quietly. She watched as Cara looked to her and shoved her pistols into her holster. It was obvious that her presence, or even the fact that Torn had sent them out for her, bugged the ever living shit out of the ex-guard. "And I don't appreciate your accusations."
Cara crossed her arms and cocked a hip to the side, "Yeah? What are you, then?"
"I'm..." she began, but noticed that Jak was closing in on them. "We'll talk later. Don't tell him my affiliation with the Baron...not yet, anyway," she finished as she looked away.
Before Jak could stop and possibly ask any questions, Ashelin turned away and began walking to her cruiser. Jak followed as did Cara, though somewhat reluctantly.
"Watchin' me take care of those Metal Heads was, uh, pretty...excitin', wasn't it sugar?" Daxter made sure to step in front of the group as he examined his nails.
Ashelin started her cruiser, causing a circle of sand to rise around them. While Jak and Cara raised an arm to conceal their eyes, Daxter blew past them...but he was persistent.
"Hey!" Daxter shouted as he sidestepped against the blunt force of, well, sand.. "Sweet Stripes! Gimme 'dem digits so I can look you up sometime!" The ottsel's eyes landed on Ashelin's behind, as did Jak's. "We'll party hard! Big city style!"
Ashelin stood up on the hood of her cruiser and turned around to face them. "Tell Torn that Baron Praxis is planning something big," she said as she looked to Cara, primarily. "I think it has to do with that symbol!" Ashelin extended a hand, a gesture towards a small statue on the ground that, indeed, had a symbol carved into it.
Jak peered over at the embellishment, a hand canopyed over his eyes before he looked back to Ashelin. "What is it?"
"I think it's the seal of The House of Mar; the founder of Haven City! We're being sent out on suicide missions to locate artifacts from the time of his rule!" she answered and by the looks of it, she wasn't too fond of her new tasks. Now sitting in the driver's seat, she reached into her bandeau and pulled out some form of pass. "If curiosity is worth dying for, you can ask the blind, old soothsayer at the bizarre, named Onin. She might know something about all of this. Here's my Bizarre access, security pass." As she began to lift her cruiser from the beach, she tossed the pass to Jak.
"Your name's Ashelin?" Jak asked, though it was quite clear. It was more of a formality, rather than a question.
As she drove away, her eyes locked with the blonde hero's. "We're even now."
Cara watched Ashelin's cruiser drive off into the night sky. Blonde strands no longer blew messily from the vehicle's emission and were now steadily gliding against her back. Arms still crossed, Cara glared at the last place she could see Ashelin; right below the moon.
"Wow, what a woman!" Daxter exclaimed with a purr.
Cara was quick to stomp past the two without anything to say, which alerted Jak.
"Hey." At first, Jak spoke calmly. The last thing he wanted was to have another gun pointed at his face...or two. Plus, Cara didn't look too happy. But, she ignored him. And it really had Jak wondering if Cara just liked to be defiant and/or yelled at. She ticked him off like it was almost on purpose. "Hey!"
Cara groaned as she turned to look over her shoulder, "What?"
Jak scoffed in disbelief. These two girls, one in which had smothered his face in her breasts to the point of him still being able to smell her perfume, had their guns pointed at each other a mere, ten minutes ago. If it wasn't for him intervening, one of them would have pulled the trigger...and she thought she had the audacity to ask 'what?' in a such a tone.. "Really?"
"Really what, Jak? I'm tired, I have a searing headache. Can we talk about this later?" Cara asked. Every word she spoke had her request sounding more desperate. A subtle sigh escaped her lips as she momentarily looked away. Jak didn't only look peeved, but also...concerned? "Please..."
Jak didn't know what to say. His asshole tendencies seemed to have taken a backseat for no reason whatsoever. He even wondered why he couldn't seem to get any sort of remark out of his mouth.
Cara took that as an 'okay' and walked on. There was no way Jak would be able to understand. Yes, he had Dark Eco coursing throughout him, but she didn't feel as if they suffered from the same poison. His was a monster; a ruthless killing machine. Hers, well, hers didn't do anything...that she knew of. Her power couldn't be controlled and the thought of potentially hurting someone innocent with something so unpredictable scared her. Why would a medic be cursed with something that is meant to aid destruction? She didn't understand.
Her brows furrowed, the center of her head scrunching up, as she continued to walk and think. At first, eco exposure was the only thing that made sense. But that would mean that Praxis and Erol were contaminated too. If that's what did it, there would have been, without a doubt, a broadcast from the Baron. He would tell the city that they wouldn't have to worry anymore; that he had mastered Dark Eco...and that the war would be over soon. Erol would be the one to prance around and boast about it...probably even use it to his advantage during races. For a second, she hoped that's what it was, because that meant she could study it...and that she wasn't the only one; ...the only one who had a dormant demon waiting to be unleashed.
"Vin," she said to herself as she stopped walking in realization. However, this caught Jak's attention, who had been following quietly and a bit closer than he normally did. Actually, he rarely did any sort of following, so this was pretty new for him.
"Hm?" Jak hummed, making it clear that he just so happened to hear her.
Usually, Cara would have called him out for eavesdropping, but now wasn't the time. "Vin," she said almost happily, "I need to see him."
"What for, sugar plum?" Daxter asked carelessly as he leaned against Jak's head.
"He has answers," Cara said as she looked to both Jak and Daxter.
Jak and Daxter looked to each other before they both looked back to Cara, "About the seal?" Jak asked.
Cara didn't know when or even if she planned on telling Jak about her gift, but she knew now wasn't the time. There was no reason to if she didn't understand it, herself. Instead of explaining, she pulled her face up into a grin. "Even better."
Jak didn't push for answers, despite how much he wanted to. Patience wasn't something he was good at, but if his silence meant that he'd be getting closer to Praxis and The Shadow, so be it.
For once, the ride back to The Underground was very quiet. There was usually some sort of chatter: Daxter, Cara, or both...and maybe, just maybe, a chuckle from Jak. Daxter sat on the one-seater's handlebars, in between Jak's fists. He had a furry leg crossed over the other while the night breeze blew his ears back.
No one said anything about Cara's lack of volume, even though it was incredibly weird. However, it was noted. Daxter looked back over his shoulder, eyeing the quiet Cara. Daxter rose an eyebrow at her before looking to Jak, who shared a straight-faced shrug.
Cara wasn't sad or angry; she was deep in her own thoughts. Who wouldn't be? She had super powers, kind of! Earlier, she thought about how scary it was, but was her non-aggressive version of the beast that bad? She could see eco, that was established. Cara smirked, 'The Baron would have had field day with me if he found out I could see eco. I mean, at least I wouldn't be killed.' But her thoughts always reverted back to how. That smirk quickly faded and merged into a look of confusion once again. Cara watched as the streets passed by below her. Still trying to solve her new, life mystery, she tilted her head.
Jak stiffened up when he felt Cara rest against his back. Not that he was very, very against it, but it did take him by surprise. With an eyebrow raised, he attempted to sneak a peek at her from over his shoulder. After seeing her admire nothing in particular, but busy with her own mind, he shook his head and turned back around.
What Jak didn't notice was something about himself...something he would never admit, even if he had.
A crooked smile.
'You know, I may have been pricked. It was such a low dose of eco, though. That wouldn't have done anything-' Ding. Time's up, Cara. With a squeak that even she was embarrassed to claim, Cara quickly grabbed onto Jak's shoulders as he switched hover zones. It took her a moment to figure out exactly where they were, being that all areas of the Industrial section look fairly alike, but the area became familiar when Cara's eyes landed on a sliding, steel door. "Oh," Cara stuttered as she looked back at Jak, "Uh, thank you." He had actually listened to her earlier; they were at the Power Station; Vin's place. Absolutely astonishing.
"Mhm," was Jak's response, but it was obvious that he wasn't about to waste time either.
Happily, Cara hopped off of the zoomer, but when no one else budged... "Aren't you guys coming in?"
"Normally, I totally would," said Daxter with a yawn, "But it's like, I don't know, three in the morning...so not a chance. Sorry, doll."
"Okay, well, I'll be fast," Cara said as she waltzed up to the door to the Power Station. She pressed the red button with a smile, knowing that Vin's anxiety ridden face would light up on the monitor so he could buzz her in... but it never happened. With a sigh, Cara pressed the button again. She looked over her shoulder and saw Jak on the verge of passing out. He kept his feet on the ground sturdily, but his arms were folded on top of the handlebars, chin on top. If it weren't for the zoomer's engine, he probably would have fallen asleep. Poor guy
Cara let out an exaggerated sigh, causing a huff of hot air to cloud near her face. There was no point. Vin rarely answered his door at the prison passed nine o'clock, so why would he answer the door this late in the civilian world? Cara walked back over to the zoomer, "He's not answering."
"Well," Daxter began, which made both Jak and Cara look to the ottsel that was draped over the seat, "We can always try again tomorrow."
"If we have time," Jak said tiredly. "We still have to meet up with Onin, Krew, and Torn, too. If it's that important that you talk to Vin tomorrow, we can split up for the day; take missions separately and meet back up."
Cara eyed Jak, wondering why he was being so thoughtful. "Okay, that's fine with me," but then she paused as if she remembered something, "Hey...wait..." Brown eyes tried to make direct contact with blue, but they were half-lidded during the conversation. At this point, Cara was only reciting things to Jak in order for her to hear their plans; it helped her remember and draw things down. "Do you remember the girl at the stadium?"
Gurgles from the vehicle below Jak sputtered as he answered, his eyes completely closed, "Mhm?"
"She mentioned the elevator to the Palace," she began, but Jak quickly intervened.
"The support towers," Jak both said and questioned.
"Right." Cara looked back at the Power Station. "If anyone can turn on the power for those, it's Vin. They say Krew is wired into the city, but Vin is wired into the city grid. Quite literally; he has access to everything; every locked panel, every code... he could give us the perfect window of opportunity get up there."
"Okay," Jak said as he sat up, "But I can only imagine the shit we're gonna find up there.."
Cara nodded. "A heavily guarded strip, miles up. It was made for people like us...turret systems, shock panels, spikes; the whole package deal, really." Cara sighed. "And not to mention, a drop that would kill us from a heart attack before we even hit the ground."
"Huh. Sounds eventful," Jak mused with a smirk.
There was silence. Cara wondered how they had maintained a conversation for so long...in the cold, at three o'clock in the morning; just hanging out in the Industrial section under red lightening from the city walls. The headlight from the one-seater had been their main light source during the discussion. It had bounced off of the wall, creating a light from beneath them. She watched Jak scoot forward and lift a leg onto the zoomer, a sign for her to get on. After picking up the sleeping ottsel and holding him against her chest, in which she didn't really have another choice, Jak sped off towards The Underground.
It was quiet for a while, but a once silent ottsel lifted his head. He groaned before clasping a paw on Jak's shoulder, "... don't think I forgot even for a second, pal," he said groggily.
Cara looked to Daxter, surprised he was even alive given his limpness in her arms.
"What's that?" Jak asked, but didn't look back.
Daxter yawned, stretched, and cleared his throat. "And uh one, two, three..." he began as he twirled his pointer fingers, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you..."
Cara smiled at Jak's backside, knowing he was probably wearing a pink flush on his cheeks. This was something she needed to see, something she needed to be apart of. Jak was a person; a human being with birthdays and a past. It made things seem a bit more real and less frightening. He wasn't pure, Dark Eco...he was a normal person who probably used to have cake, balloons, and gifts before being separated from his loved ones. Cara's smile grew wider when she heard Daxter exclaim...
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR JAKAROONI..." Daxter continued at an ear-shattering volume as he lifted his hands up into the air. He wore a cheeky grin, but still looked as if he was asleep, but that was until...
"Happy Birthday...!" Cara chimed, which had Daxter sharing his grin. "...To you!" The two finished with their hands up, both finishing with a different rhythm, but both loud and with an equal bout of excitement.
Jak had kept his eyes on the road during the entire song, but it was definitely because of embarrassment. But it didn't necessarily mean that he wasn't grateful; he wore a smile the whole time.
"Yay!" Cara sang as she clapped her hands and, while Daxter did the same.
Jak ran a hand through his hair with a grunt that couldn't be distinguished, but a low chuckle followed after. "Thanks, guys..." he said casually. He really appreciated Daxter...and even Cara, even though he'd never admit it. He was and never would be the guy to wrap anyone in a hug for singing him Happy Birthday, but it meant so much to be treated like he was normal. Cara and Daxter weren't eyeing him, making him feel as if he was only their protector and nothing else. He never said anything, but he noticed those kind of looks from them whenever they encountered an area with active Metals. This was perfect.
And had his gesture being slightly more formal, Cara would have considered that his first time actually thanking her. But it was late into the night...
They arrived at The Underground.
The three remained in a delirious state; smiles, jokes, and chuckles. They didn't know could have been the lack of sleep that was responsible for all of it, but it could have also been the fact that they celebrated and normalized the idea of a friend growing older; that's what normal people did! Cara and Daxter's giggles and loud whispers echoed in the alley, which had Jak shushing them...but with a smile. It was almost like they were rolling back into the house after a long night of partying; drunk off of laughter and normalcy.
"Do you think Torn will be pissed?" Cara asked as she walked past the rock slab, hot on Jak's heels.
"Asleep, hopefully," Jak responded. The thought of Torn bashing his hammer of a fist on the table wasn't appealing at four in the morning.
"Yeah," Daxter chimed from Jak's shoulder, "I like what we have goin' on right now.."
Both Cara and Jak sent a grin Daxter's way before loud bangs, thuds, and yelling could be heard down in The Underground.
Immediately alerted by a potential threat, Jak hurried his steps to see what all of the commotion was about. Jak stood at the door, while Cara clung onto the edge of the opening and shared the same expression as Jak. That feel-good feeling was long gone after their eyes were met by riot.
"She was my wife!" yelled an Underground soldier as he shoved another into a bunk, right beside the trio. Another soldier threw a glass bowl, which shattered on the back of another's head. People were fighting, yelling, and screaming, every movement caused the confused three at the door to shift their eyes constantly. Slowly, the three looked forward to Torn's table. There was no way he wasn't spectating all of this. Papers were strewn about and gliding in the air and after a particular sheet fell to the ground, Cara laid her eyes on the man of the hour, himself.
Torn stood against his desk, leaning back with a straight face. His arms were crossed and honestly, it looked as if the drama was entertainment for him. Well, at that point.
Jak took his first step, but Cara extended an arm in front of him. "I'll go...talk to him," she said with a sigh.
As Cara walked through the battle zone, she watched as Torn shifted his footing and rose an eyebrow her way.
"We sure missed a party, Jak!" Daxter chuckled as he nudged his friend with an elbow, but quickly ducked when a book nearly collided with his face. "EY!" Daxter's eyes scanned the room, eyebrows narrowed. "That's right, I saw you! The ottsel pointed at the guy, "You want a piece of this?!" Daxter didn't expect a response, but he sure got one.
The guy raised his arms to provoke a fight with the angered animal, "Bring it on, dirty rat!"
Taking full offense, Daxter dramatically gasped. "Dirty rat?!" His eyes squinted. "That's it!" The ottsel mimicked the act of rolling up his sleeves, making his fur bunch up at the elbow. "You're about to get a taste...of...Orange LIGHTENING!" With that, Daxter catapulted himself off of Jak's shoulder with a high-pitched battle cry.
Completely dismissing the hollers of 'he's biting me, he's biting me!' and the sounds of broken glass shattering on the ground, Jak sat down at a bunk and started to unlace his boots. Without even looking, Jak tilted his head to the side in order to gracefully avoid a flying, empty liquor bottle.
Cara shared a hopeful smile when she stopped in front of Torn. A piece of paper landed on her face, but she swatted it away with a chuckle. Torn only shared a smirk in return.
"Uh, may I ask?" Cara asked playfully. Torn's carefree attitude warranted it, in her opinion, but his silence made her rethink her tone.
Torn, once again, shifted and crossed a straight leg over the other. "I received word of an outbreak..." Torn looked behind Cara just in time for one of his soldiers to shove a hand down his pants and exclaim, 'It fucking burns!'
Cara's eyes widened as she cowered, another broken item sounding too close for comfort. "Like..."
Suddenly, a nearby brawl made its way on top of Jak. Two, sweaty soldiers fell onto Jak's lap. They hadn't noticed; the fight was between the two of them, but during it all, someone had grabbed the collar of Jak's shirt. The lamp on the night stand nearby fell to the ground and broke into pieces; the area got slightly dimmer. Jak broke away and laid an elbow right into one of the soldier's nose before bringing a knee up to seal the deal. He was yanked by his shirt again and he was quick to raise another fist, a fist balling up his attacker's shirt. Jak was met with a raised fist as well, but...
A piercing horn plagued the small area of The Underground...and everyone's ears. Some jumped, some covered their ears, and some merely winced...like Jak. But the horn kept going, to everyone's surprise...until the horn turned into the sound of someone slowly letting air out of a balloon, but then it got bolder, only for it to start squeaking again.
Everyone stopped fighting, but now all eyes were on Cara; the girl who had the air horn extended into the air and a free hand clasped over one of her ears.
Torn reached over and snatched the dying horn and tossed it on the table behind them. "Alright," Torn began smoothly, "Our medic has arrived." This caused Cara to peer over at him unexpectedly, "Why doesn't everyone tell her what's going on.."
A single soldier looked around to see that no one was brave enough. Still out of breath, he dropped his hands to his sides, "The rash...we all have it..."
"The rash?" Daxter asked, still wrapped around a soldier's head. "Like the Lurker rash?" Daxter's eyes widened in horror as he looked back to the soldier he had been biting previously. He began to spit onto the ground repeatedly.
Now, Jak wasn't up to date on his sexually transmitted diseases, but the name was enough for him to quickly release the soldier, back away, and rub his hands on his shirt. He didn't know how contagious it was, if it even was, but he knew that if it was, he now had it.
Cara sighed as her eyes panned around the room.
Another soldier spoke up, "...and this is all because of dirty dick over here," he said as he gestured to another comrade.
"-My wife!" Another man interjected as he lunged forward.
"EVERYONE, IN FORMATION, NOW!" Torn snapped as he left the edge of the table.
With haste, all of The Underground soldiers stood in a straight line...or fumbled to. The hall from the entrance to Torn's work area was filled with men, with their hands behind their backs at attention.
Except for Jak, who just defiantly stood where he had been standing before.
Torn's disappointment lingered on the first three men before glancing over at one of his newer members. "You too, Jak," he demanded.
"-I didn't," he began, but...
"-Get in the fuckin' line!" A soldier shouted, among others, as he yanked Jak into an open spot next to him.
Jak's jaw stiffened, completely taken aback by the fact that someone had not only pulled him by his shirt, but also yelled directly in his face.
"Yeah, virgin," another soldier harassed, which led a group of others to sing, 'viiiirrrggggiiiin.'
One man in particular leaned forward to look at his victim, "You're pure aren't cha, pretty boy?"
Jak leaned forward to see the man, a look of amusement on his face. To everyone's surprise, Jak didn't seem all that bothered by all of the attention. Sure, he looked as if he could knock someone out, but the immaturity wasn't something he took all that seriously.
"He's probably just as pure as your mother, Jinx," said a man to Jak's right.
"Ey," the man, who was now identified as Jinx, began as he pointed down the line. "You shut yer cocksuckin' mouth, ya bastard!"
"Enough!" Torn wailed, on the brink of meltdown.
All of the soldiers finished their chuckles before straightening their stances. All the way down the line, there was a quiet cough. "...faggot."
Jak leaned back to peer down the line, but saw no one addressing him in particular. He turned around just in time to see Torn slowly walk past him.
"I'd say it's the perfect time to conduct wellness checks, wouldn't you say, boys?" Torn didn't sound all that concerned, just miffed; the stillness of The Underground lulling his mind from possibly murdering some of his own men.
At a glance, Jak noticed both of the men next to him reach for their crotches. With uncomfortable grunts, they pulled at their junk. With disgust, Jak looked to Torn and found himself itching one of his palms. Even in prison, this shit wasn't allowed. He had been locked away, safe from any major disease. Needless to say, Jak's immune system was at an all-time low. Jak hoped to whatever higher power there was that he was a hypochondriac. The last thing he needed was an STD growing on his hands.
"Thanks to our dear medic, Cara, which..." Torn began as looked her way, "By the way, thanks for volunteering.."
"-Wait, what?"
"-We have a cure, don't we?" Torn finished.
All of the soldiers looked Cara's way and began to clap loudly. Some even whistled, but she knew it wasn't for the right reasons.
"Um," Cara began, all while accidentally making eye contact with no one other than Jak. "Wait..." she said as she walked up to Torn. "Please, for the love of Mar, please, please..." she whined quietly, "Don't make me do this." It wasn't even the fact that she would have to thoroughly examine strange men she didn't know, it was...well...
Jak knew that Cara was trying to negotiate; it was something she had mastered. It was more so complaining; he had to hear it from her everyday, but he'd say that it was effective. If Torn was anything like him, he'd give in just to get her to stop. But things didn't look promising. Jak lifted a brow when Cara peered over at him from Torn's side, mentally asking what the plan was. He continued to watch Torn and Cara talk, immediately feeling nauseated when Cara shared a disturbed look that was followed by sigh.
"Alright, guys," Cara relayed loudly as she raised her hand.
Torn, who was still at her side, looked to her as he bit his cheek. Did his men just seriously give her their full attention on her first try? Fuckers, all of them.
"Bathroom, one at a time..." she said as she walked to the bathroom door. Her directions were very scripted, as if Torn's instruction and the medic in her had woken up her professional side.
Jak was in a emotional panic. As the line moved forward, his eyes looked all around for Daxter.
"WELL, as the real hero here, I'd say that it's only appropriate that I go first!" Daxter mused happily as he completely cut everyone in line. He chuckled confidently before waltzing into the bathroom, only to be removed.
"WELL, considering the fact that you're an ottsel," Cara stated as she held Daxter by underneath his armpits, "You're good." She set Daxter down onto a bunk and walked away back to the bathroom's doorway.
"What?! No rubdowns?" Daxter asked in disbelief.
Cara shared a look, 'Don't remind me.'
The early morning had been what Cara least expected. One minute, she's singing Jak 'Happy Birthday' and now she's about to dive headfirst into his bare crotch with a flashlight. Oh, what a time to be alive...
But she had accepted it. Twelve examinations later, things weren't as awkward. This had to have been the hundredth, male examination she had performed. Everything was fine, everything was going to be okay...
Cara opened the bathroom door and immediately sighed.
"Ready?" she asked, making sure to avoid eye contact.
Jak sauntered past her with a 'yep', but not without getting a holler of affirmation from Daxter.
Cara closed the door and found herself staying there. A belt buckle jingled from behind her and she looked to the ceiling. This would happen to her..
Jak kept his eyes on what he was doing, trying to forget the situation at hand and who he had to experience it with. His belt parted at the button of his pants, one side falling to his upper thigh while he held other side with a tight grip. Roughly, he pulled his belt from his pant loops and set it on the bathroom counter. He was trying to move as quickly and as casually as possible..
Honestly, he wished that Cara just looked already and that the initial look downward wasn't along the lines of, 'surprise!' or anything short of an 'oh.' Yes, it was just Cara, but she was a woman, after all. He'd say he was a good size and took good care of himself, but what if there was a rash? Hypothetically, of course. But there won't be. What if Cara likes it? These were just a few thoughts that crashed through Jak's brain at a million miles per hour, though the last one caused him to squint his eyes at himself. 'What the hell is wrong with me?'
As he went to pull his pants and boxer briefs down in one swift motion, he only got them past his hip bones when...
"-WAIT!"
Jak froze up and looked at Cara, who quickly walked up to him. As if not realizing how close he had been to disrobing, she abruptly stopped and didn't dare get any closer.
"You don't have to," she huffed, blowing a strand of hair out of the way in the process. Cara watched as Jak pulled his pants back up to his waist. "Just answer: yes or no, one, two, etc.." Jak looked up at her as he buttoned his pants as she spoke, "I trust you."
The jingling of the belt began again.
"How many sexual partners have you had?" she asked, though quite flustered.
"One," Jak responded bluntly as he fed his belt back through his pant loops.
Not meaning to break professionalism, but obviously doing so, Cara tilted her head and asked, "Really?"
Somewhat offended, Jak looked up, "Yeah?"
"And her? Do you know how many partners? You can guesstimate-"
"-One."
Cara nodded, "Alright. Okay, then." She looked around, but didn't look at anything in particular. If it came down to her three most awkward moments of her life, they would have all taken place right then and there. 1) Getting dangerously close to seeing Jak naked, 2) badgering Jak about his sex life, and 3) offending Jak when questioning the lack of said sex life. "Anyway," she began as she clasped her hands together, "Have you experienced any of the following: burning, burning during urination, abnormal discharge or bleeding..." She blew through everything, checking the air with her fingers, "or anytesticlebruisedorswollencomparedtotheother...no? Okay, cool," she finished.
Jak was just left to swallow harshly and wait for further questions, that he didn't quite understand to begin with, honestly...
"Right," Cara said as she suddenly spun around and had her hands on Jak's face.
For a second, things slowed down for Jak. His blue eyes fluttered in confusion, but she soon explained everything to him.
"I...I'm just checking for any nodules, or lumps..." she stuttered with a chuckle, obviously trying to lighten the situation. Cara only looked into his eyes only for a second, afraid she'd get something far from welcoming if she did. Her thumbs moved from the underside of Jak's jaw to his neck. "I don't feel anything abnormal," she chimed happily. As if both of them were actually afraid they'd find something life-threatening.
After Jak felt Cara gently run a hand over his Adam's Apple, he took a deep breath before speaking. "Now wouldn't be the time to pry, would it?"
Cara held a small, travel-sized flashlight to Jak's eye. "About what?" She had an idea. In a silent awe, she watched Jak's pupil constrict; streaks of agitated purple flurry with the grey in his eyes. The Dark Eco had consumed him in every way, but who knew it could be seen so beautifully.
When Cara removed the light from his eye, he paused for a moment to blink repeatedly. "About Vin," he said nonchalantly. "Why you need to see him; what you're hiding.."
Shocked, Cara fidgeted with the flashlight at her side. "It's not that I'm hiding anything, there's just some things I need to talk about with him." Before Jak could say anything, Cara continued. "It's about my health...and no, I can't check myself for everything. It requires blood samples...I don't have that kind of equipment here, anyway."
"Why?" Jak's question was stern; a demand, though probably not intentional. "What's wrong with you?"
Cara seemed put on the spot and this earned a smirk from Jak. She wasn't about to lie and get away with it. But, suddenly...
"JAK!" Daxter called out from behind the door, "CARA?"
For the third time in twenty-four hours, Jak was shaken by a sudden noise. Cara and Jak looked to the loud rapping on the door and listened out for an impatient Daxter. Whether he was anxious for any sort of detail, well, they'd have to ask him... or wait.
"Did'ja find somethin', Doc?" Daxter's muffled voice asked. "Is our boy infected?" There was a pause. "...are you infected now?" he asked in a low, seductive voice.
Starting out where their conversation ended, Cara looked to Jak. "I'm fine." Cara's look of certainty died down into a stutter when she looked to his bare chest, immediately backing away.
"Yeah." Jak didn't believe her for a second.
Cara walked to the door, but stopped and turned around. "Oh, and you're clean..."
Jak knew that he was, so the news went in one ear and out the other, but when the bathroom door slammed shut, he let out an exhale from his nostrils. He closed his eyes in frustration and interlaced his fingers on top of his head. Jak didn't know why Cara got defensive; he asked a legitimate question. He pondered over the conversation: what did he do wrong? What did he say that could have pissed her off? He realized he needed to walk on egg shells, little did he know that Cara had been doing that with him for a while. He needed to keep this alliance with Cara, but their personalities just clashed so much. There were invisible triggers...everywhere...and they kept getting pulled. Jak dropped his hands to his sides, 'This day couldn't possibly get any more odd.'
#1: Aren't realistic situations grand? I'm kind of prepared for the hate on this one. My bad if it offended you, but I think this was a wonderful way to introduce Jinx and his nickname for Jak: 'Pretty Boy.' Also, when you're affiliated with the military IRL, you end up hearing an array of stories. This was one of them and what better way to encompass the lives of The Underground soldiers than giving them all a curable STD? Whoops.
#2: As usual, this would be a filler chapter, which I actually enjoyed writing...a lot. Vin lovers? Get excited.
#3: "Oh, Jak and Cara are getting a long. OMG. Nope." They tried.
#4: Yes, I changed my name! It wasn't really for any particular reason, but yeah, just incase you were curious...yes, I changed it; no, it wasn't for any reason other than that I really liked the sound of it.
#5: I'll be responding to reviews in the next chapter. This chapter took a lot of my energy with it. I didn't edit it that well, so please take that into consideration. I really just wanted to bust out another chapter out for you guys.
#6: Can we please talk about how Mike Erwin, Jak's voice actor, made a song in 2013...and the fact that it's on iTunes... and that it's actually REALLY good? I've had it on repeat for a good week. Curious? Balls in Yo Cup by DJ Bizz and J-Rocka is what it is, my friends and it's for the beer pong lovers. You'll regret nothing. It's pure gold.