I have had a very serious amount of writers block again and finishing up this last part of the story has been extremely hard.
I put a lot of this down to training like crazy for my fire fighters recruits course.
I have plotted out the last bits so let's hope it comes out on paper okay 😉.
Love wastelander543 xxx
P.s I think I may have some ideas for a second novel to this so stay tuned...
"Jinx we have to find the shadow!" Serena yelled over the chaos.
Jinx spotted a single seater zoomer, "come on we are going for a ride!" He yelled and grabbed her arm dragging her across the lane, almost tripping as she went. He grabbed the zoomer, he searched frantically but there weren't any keys so he pulled out the ignition panel and began to pull out wires, "come on Jinx!" Serena worried as he began cutting and twisting together different wires in a hurry.
"Hold on doll, I got this, just watch my six." He yelled with a knife between his teeth frantically trying to hurry.
Serena turned to watch his back, she came face to face with a metalhead its teeth dripping with blood and drool.
"Jinx!" She whispered loudly, "hurry, the, fuck, up!" Not wanting to startle the beast she began to back up slowly as it edged towards her, the sound of the zoomer engine burst to life, she felt a arm grab her and pull her on the bike as the metalhead lurched forward.
"Hang on babe!" Jinx yelled and pulled the throttle, he wasn't quick enough the claw sunk into Serena's left thigh as he flew past the metalhead.
"Shit!" She yelled out in pain and grasped her thigh, "shit Seri are you okay?" Jinx panicked and slowed down.
"Don't bloody slow down for me we need to get to the shadow, Torn mentioned earlier about him being over by the stadium, we need to help out as much as we can."
She cared little of what happened to her she just wanted the citizens of Haven safe.
"Seri your bleeding!" Jinx yelled at her over the zoomer, "I don't care Jinx just get me to the stadium I will worry about it later just shut up and drive!"
She ripped the bottom of her top and tied it round her leg as she balanced on the back of the zoomer.
Jinx raced through the streets dodging metalheads, guards, and citizens.
Serena held onto him tightly, hoping they were not too late in getting to their destination, the area opened up in front of the stadium, Jinx brought the zoomer to a standstill next to a strange metal craft.
"Serena right?" A small young woman Serena knew all too well as the "mechanic girl" walked out from behind the machine.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" She spat her words venomously at the young woman. Erol may be dead but her hate was still strong.
Serena climbed off the zoomer but as her leg hit the ground pain spiked viciously through he thigh "holy mother of precursors," she shouted in pain and fell to her knees, trying to get up but failing.
Jinx raced off the bike and scooped her up in his arms, he carried her across the the small clearing, setting her down on the edging of a garden bed.
"Shit Seri this is a lot worse than your leading on isn't it?" Jinx had noticed her face go pale and her jaw set firm in a hard line fighting the pain.
"I can handle it," she grimaced through the pain.
A hiss sounded behind her she drew her pistol from her leg holster and shot behind her hitting the metalhead scorpion, its skull gem popping out and clattering to the ground at the feet of someone "Good shooting," came the older man's voice." "Your not the shadow." Serena spoke to the man walking towards her leaning heavily on his cane. "No my name is Samos, here let me help fix that leg up." He smiled at her and green eco began to pool around her leg from the man as she watched the gash on her leg heal in front of her eyes. "Your not from this time are you?" She asked him.
"Again, no, we traveled through a rift ring over two years ago using the craft over there, young Keria has built a replica to get us back home."
"Wow I have seen some things in my day but this seems all impossible." She spoke quietly.
"Tell me young one, do you see the precursors in your dreams?" "Yes, but what has this got to do with a war and how did you know?" She asked him, anger and curiosity mixed in her mind.
"I myself see them being a green sage." "I am not a sage." She growled.
"Don't be daft girl! Are you not the decendant of Gol and Mia Acheron?" He grumbled and whacked the top of her head with the cane.
"Ow, yes!" She rubbed the top of her head.
"But they were crazed and deranged, I don't want to end up like them." She sighed.
"You won't, not without some training of course. Gol and Mia were some of the best mages I knew, they strayed from the right path but they were amazingly talented" He smiled as Serena stood.
The mechanic girl stepped up to the old man.
"Daddy is a great teacher, I am sure he can teach you so much." She smiled up at him with adoration.
"Yes Keira." Samos spoke affectionately back.
"Serena, I am sorry about Erol, he was a great racer, I am sorry for your loss." Keira turned to Serena.
"Thanks," Serena responded seeing the sincerity in the young girls face, trying to not let tears fall from her eyes.
"I don't mean to be the only sane one here guys and gals but do we really 5hink we should be standing around talking like there ain't no war going on round us?" Jinx interrupted with he obvious.
"Your right Jinx we need to get things moving." Serena snapped out of her pout and put the pain behind her.
"Jak!" Keira yelled, Serena turned to look and saw Daxter and Jak walking towards the small gaggle of people.
"The rift rider is almost finished, but if my father is right and the ring is somewhere inside the metal head nest how are we going to get the rift rider there to use it?" Keira spoke to him.
"Ahhh so that is what this hunk of metal is, who woulda thought." Jinx spoke up lighting his cigar.
"LOOOOk!" A lurker yelled from behind the contraption, pointing to the sky, an old balloon lifter floated over from the stadium, controlled by more lurkers.
"What the?" Serena, was first surprised by the lurker but followed his arm and looked in amazement at the simple machine as it landed in the more open area of the courtyard.
"Brutter just knew friends would need lift if the metal headers attack." "Well most of the shield walls are down so duh," Jinx commented.
"Brutter you the man," Daxter pointed to the purple beast.
"Lurker balloons are finest lifters In the world but easy targets." He said with his hands waving about as he spoke. "Mmm right you guys get the riftrider to the nest." Jak pointed at the lurker,
"I will stay here and defend your get away." "Once again being your friend Sucks!" Daxter pouted, "I wanna go on the balloon." He crossed his arms and pouted.
"You keep stadium safe while we prep balloom for lift away. " Brutter told them.
"Yes it will take both of us to shift it." The shadow joined them walking over with Samos "What the, there are two of them." Jinx said shock on his face he almost dropped his cigar out of his mouth.
"No time to explain buddy." Jak said.
"Oh no here they come metal headers!" The lurker yelled.
Samos and the shadow used their green eco to pick the rift rider into the air and began making a slow and monogamous walk to the air lifter.
"Jak take the front, Jinx take the left flank, I will cover the rear, hey Mechanic girl." Serena instantly started to bark orders her training taking over instantly, Keira turned to her, Serena threw a pistol to her, "she is loaded ready to go just point and shoot, you take right flank, move out." The team nodded and began the slow walk with the green sages to the air lifter. Metal heads were pouring in hot and fast, their attacks relentless, but careless.
"Keep it up team!" Serena yelled over the chaos that was unfolding. Skull gems bounced around the concrete.
Serena noticed the dark eco left behind was being absorbed by Jak as he passed it. Interesting she made a note of it to keep in mind.
The sages monuvered the rift rider onto the air lifters platform, Keria Brutter and the sages climbed aboard.
"Up up and away!." Brutter shouted as the contraption took them high into the air and above the city to the metal head nest.
Daxter stood on Jak's shoulder as the three gathered round and watched there ascent into the sky.
"Must be nice to floating away while we die down here!" Daxter shouted at them.
"We will meet at the nest, see you soon, be careful Jak!" Keira shouted from the platform.
"Yes Jak be careful." Daxter grumbled.
Jak shot his companion a filthy look and turned to Serena.
"I see made it out alive." He smiled.
"Barely." Was her one worded response.
"We need to find where the Baron has hidden the precursor stone." Jak began walking as his communicator rang.
He answered it quickly, "Jak...Kor...construction sight." Vin's voice came over.
"Was that Vin?" Serena asked panicked by the way his voice sounded.
"That don't sound to good Jaky boy." Jinx looked at them both.
"What is Kor doing at the construction sight?" Serena asked, "Jak you better head over Vin doesnt sound to flash hot and I need to see if I can find Ashelin and get the boy out of the palace somehow."
Jak grabbed Serena's shoulder as she began to walk, halting her in her place.
"You can't do that if the Baron finds you.." she cut him short.
"It is a risk I am willing to take, it is time for me to stand up to him."
He let her shoulder go as he ran to the construction sight.
Jinx took off after Serena, he knew she was not in the right mind to be doing what she was.
She was grief stricken it was all over her face as well as guilt and betrayal.
"Jinx see if you can find Torn, I have to get to Ashelin and the boy." She said hurriedly.
"Its a suicide mission, don't do it." He grabbed both of her arms staring into her eyes pleading with his own.
"Jinx, please I have to do this, I have to right my wrongs."
"You have sacrificed so much already."
"Let me sacrifice just a little more, Erol is gone, but this war still rages on."
"Your a mad woman, I thought I was crazy." He edged closer to her.
Serena knew Erol had been gone only a couple of days but the pull to Jinx was strong.
"Be careful." He told her.
"I will," she whispered.
Jinx grabbed her and pulled her close to him, his lips melded to hers, their bodies embraced one another in a passionate kiss full of hidden feeling for one another over the years.
They broke apart, Jinx's forehead rested on Serena's "Come back to me." Were his last words to her as he left to find Torn.
Serena began to make her way to the palace, she stuck to the shadows as much as possible and was almost at the steps to the door when she rounded a corner and ran into a patrol unit. "Freeze!" The man yelled, Serena took the soldier's moment of hesitation to turn and run, but she rounded the corner she had just turned, a second patrol had come up behind.
"Get down on the ground!" Another man yelled.
Serena slid fo a halt her breathing rapid, she knew she was out numbered, she knew she was done for, she knelt on the ground her hands on her head.
There were at least ten rifles cocked, loaded, and aimed at her.
One set of gaurds split in the middle, to let someone through, Serena stared at the ground, but she recognized those boots.
"Well what have we got here?" A deep voice echoed, one Serena knew well.
"Ah the traitorous abomination, on her knees where she belongs." The Baron spoke mockingly.
The men laughed, mocking her.
"You know I thought quiet highly of you for some time, but now here you are on you knees, you have betrayed my guard, my city, my men and me." He paced around her his hands clasped behind her back.
"You even betrayed Commander Erol, but don't panic I am sure he will be paying you a visit soon." The Baron chuckled his low ominous laugh.
"Erol is dead!" She spat out in anger.
"Oh don't be so sure Acheron, I have had other we experiments running in my KG factory, commander Erol is very much alive."
"No, he... he... can't be." A tear slid down Serena's face as the Baron grabbed her chin and crouched down in front of her, his face turned into a wicked smile.
"Oh but he is and he is dying to see you." He stared right in her eyes and saw the sorrow she had in them, the guilt and the love shown plain across her face.
"Someone cuff her!" He yelled.
A man walked up behind her and wrenched her arm behind her cuffing them, the metal bit into her wrists.
The Baron lifted her up by the arm to her feet and pushed her forward.
"Get walking Acheron, I want you to see the moment I take down the metal heads. " He laughed, "then I am going to watch you die a slow and painful death in my latest experiments."
The walk to the construction site was a lengthy one, the Baron pushed her up the stairs and to the outer city blast shield doors.
The gears on the door clicked and clacked as it opened.
"Leaving city outer shield." The same monotone women's voice crackled over the speaker that was used with everything in the city.
"Move girl!" The Baron pushed her down the ramp, she fell and tumbled to the bottom gaining a few bruises and cuts along the way.
The Baron's men followed Serena to the bottom, "get up scum!" One of the guards kicked her.
Serena had the wind knocked out of her and began to cough gasping for air, inhaling the dusty earth making her cough even more One of the other guards helped her up, "Michael's?" She gasped. "Shhhh" he said quietly and put her on her feet steadying her, she felt him fiddle with her cuffs for a brief moment and he pushed her forward again.
It was at that moment she realised he had loosened them enough to slide her hands out, she played along with him, glaring with fake hatred in her eyes, she now had new resound respect for Michael's.
The construction sight was the sight of a new drill platform and had been something Vin had been working on for years, to get ready access wells as close to city limits as possible. Scaffolding lined the area with dark eco barrels strewn everywhere, something seemed odd to Serena.
The barrels weren't just discarded they had puncture marks in them, it was a Metal head feeding ground.
"So Acheron you now get to see the crowning victory of my plan final come to an end." The Baron smiled.
A thud was heard and a swirl of dust revealed an old man, the men turned to look just as Jak appeared from a wooden platform in the scaffolding.
"Kor? What are you doing here?" Jak asked as the guards racked their guns and aimed at the old man.
Kor turned to Jak, "oh I am sure you know deep down in your darkest nightmares," his face contorted as he walked closer to Jak, as Jak began to back away from the man.
The guards followed Kor's movements with their rifles.
Getting right in his face Kor spoke to Jak again, "we've met before remember?" He pointed his cane at his chest and turned to the Baron, "everything is going exactly as planned." Kor began to pace around seeming agitated, uncomfortable in his own skin.
His laughter echoed around the construction sight as rain began to soak them, through the loose strands of hair and rain on her face Serena watched in horror as the old man threw his cane to the ground. It thudded in the mud, his back turned to those gathered his laughter grew as he rose a meter in the air and spindly insect wings sprouted from his back.
Kor's body contorted, the sound of flesh and bones breaking and morphing, a blinding light emitted from him and there standing in front of the men and women was a sight to be hold.
The metal head leader turned to face them.
"Jak it's the metal head leader!" Daxter yelled from his shoulder hiding behind his head.
"Now you see!" The beast yelled, "without the shield walls interrupting my powers inside the city, I am at my full potential!" He roared to the sky.
The Baron stepped forward with his sword drawn and stood a foot away from the beast.
Kor leant down with his teeth dripping, "so for the last time, give me the precursor stone!" He growled and snapped his teeth an inch from the Baron's face.
Not even flinching he raised his sword high, "if the city must die than we all die! Ahhhhhh" He yelled in a selfish cry, he ran towards the beast sword drawn high and his men followed.
"No don't..." Serena tried to yell over the sound, she backed away as the beast shot Dark eco to the ground blasting the Baron and his men into the scaffolding behind them.
It came down with a thunderous crash, barrels were sent rolling as the beast took flight.
"I will find that precursor stone, if I have to crush this city one brick at a time!" Kor yelled as he flew towards the metal head nest.
The dust settled and Serena coughed as she lifted the board off the top of her pulling the handcuffs off.
"Serena are you okay?" Jak asked her as she brushed dirt off herself, apart from a few cuts and bruises she was fine.
"I am fine Jak but we need to find the Baron, he is the only person who knows where the stone is." She coughed.
"Over here," Daxter yelled.
Jak lifted the boards and metal from atop the Baron.
"You are the supreme weapon Jak." The Baron coughed trying to push himself onto his hands and knees, he wheezed with laboured breathing coughing blood onto his chin.
"And I made you!" He thumped his fist on the ground and managed to get onto his back.
He landed with a thud as Serena limped towards them and watched the once great man of this city brought to nothing.
"But every leader worth his salt has his back up plan." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small remote and clicked a button, the ground shook.
Dirt began to fall away as a large platform raised with a giant metal sphere. The machine whirred and clanked as it positioned itself, upon the top sat the glowing green precursor stone.
Jak's eyes lit up as soon as he spotted it.
The Baron tried to look up at it, " the first rule about bomb making, is to always make two." He wheezed again and his head fell back as Serena watched him take his final breath.
Jak stared at the man for a moment, his eyes then met with Serena's.
She looked up at him, "we need to disarm that bomb."
"Mmm okay I am going in," Daxter moaned and jumped from Jak's shoulder and up the sphere of metal and slipped under the precursor stone to the internals of the device.
"Man what a mess of junk in here, all jumbled coils and switches!" The voice of the ostlel echoed out.
"Oooo should I cut the, wait a minute are ostles colour blind?" Daxter yelled, both Jak and Serena looked at each other nervously.
"Let me just break a few more things and let's see if anything pops loose." The was a moment of silence.
"Boom!" Daxter yelled and the stone came loose as Jak caught it.
Daxter popped out of he top of the piecer bomb.
"Got ya!" He yelled and winked at Serena, "like candy from a baby!" He slid down the bomb to Jak's shoulder.
"You need to get that stone to Mar's weapon outside the city safe zone near the metal head nest. I believe this is our only chance to take down Kor." Serena told Jak, sadness crept into her face.
"What's wrong?" Jak asked her putting a comforting hand on her shoulder he looked into her face.
"It's a crazy suicide mission Jak." "Its okay, I have faced worse." He chuckled.
"Look I need to check on the wee boy and pass on the news to Ashelin about her father. I will send back up where I can." She stepped forward and embraced Jak in a tight hug.
"What is this for?" Jak asked quietly.
"Incase I don't see you again, I am sorry Jak for all those years of torture, I hope you find peace." She untangled herself from him and limped back towards the city to the Underground HQ.
Serena dumped the stolen zoomer and stumbled down the steps of the underground collapsing in a heap.
"Serena!" Torn raced to her putting her arm over her shoulder and putting her on a chair near the small fire.
"We need to get Jak to attack the metal head nest, they are too disorganized their forces are mostly in the city now is the only chance to attack." She winced holding her side, where she was sure the guard had broken a couple of ribs.
"Seri your hurt." Torn said with concern.
"No shit! Now send the directive!" She growled.
Torn went to his communicator and relayed the message to Jak.
"I need to get to the palace." She told Torn once he had finished with communicating with Jak.
"Not like that your not."
"I need to speak with Ashelin,"
The door slid open, "speak to ashelin about what?" The women's voice came through the dark.
"Ashelin, I need to tell you this but your, your father is dead." She managed to spit out.
Ashelin stopped in her tracks and fell to her knees.
"How?" Were the only words she got out.
"At the construction sight we were attacked by Kor who is the metal head leader, he has been in disguise this whole time." Serena wheezed and coughed, hurting her broken ribs more.
"Shit!" She looked down guilt plastered on her face.
"What do you mean shit Ash?" Torn walked to her and lifter her up to her feet, she turned and sunk her face into his shoulder.
"I just gave the boy to Kor to look after." She whispered.
"Shit!" Torn and Serena both said in unison, they knew they were in trouble now.