(Note: Daxter will be human in this story, kind of alternative story line developing if you hadn't noticed)
Chapter 2
The clatter of keys on the table awoke Keira with a start. She sat up, covering herself with the thin sheet. The memory of the previous night suddenly flooded her mind and she quickly looked to her left only to see and empty space, still lingering with the warmth of its departed inhabitant. She hadn't expected him to stay, or even to see him again. But she would be untruthful to herself if she said she was glad he wasn't there, lying next to her.
Errol walked in with a tired smile on his face and made his way towards the bed.
"Still sleeping, honey?" Then he eyed her covered chest, "And naked? That's new..." he smirked and sat on the edge of the bed, unlacing and removing his boots.
"It was hot, and erm, Oh Errol, you don't wanna sleep in these sheets, I got...sick last night..." she tried to stall as he stripped of his red armor.
He shot her a look of disgust, "I'm tired...I guess I'll just sleep on the couch then."
She waited until he had walked out into the living room before she got up and went to the bathroom, turning on the shower.
As the water washed over her body, she recalled his electrifying touch, his lips, his... Oh! I have to stop thinking about him! It's done...Oh Precursors; I'm going to Hell for this, aren't I? She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memories of Jak.
Taking her time, Keira got dressed and brushed her wet, bluish-green hair. Quietly, she walked into the kitchen, so as not to disturb Errol in the neighboring room. She tidied Errol's mess that he had dumped on the counter; his keys and a ruffled stack of papers.
On top of the pile of papers, something caught her attention. A small poster with a familiar figure printed on it.
It read: WANTED: PRISONER D294; answers to name of 'Jak'.
For some lines it went on about his description; Height: 5'8", Weight: 165lbs, and so on. Keira scanned down to the bottom of the page where it listed his offenses: 223 counts of first degree murder, 52 counts of attempted murder, and various acts of theft and vandalism over the past three years. Then, underneath, in bold lettering it read: WARNING: CRIMINAL IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND IS BELIEVED TO BE ARMED. And of course, there was an award for information or his capture, but this was the largest Keira had ever seen or heard of; twenty rare Precursor Orbs as well as 5lbs of pure green eco.
Keira stared at the slightly exaggerated depiction of the person she had spent an amazing night with. Sure, he had seemed a little rough around the edges, but nothing of this caliber.
Yet, even with discovering Jak's lengthy and deadly rap sheet, Keira felt the need to see him again, just be near him; she had to find him, and she had a hunch on where to look.
Just in time, Jak slipped into an alleyway behind Keira's first floor apartment building. He saw a red-armored figure dismount a KG zoomer and walk up to the door he had just slipped out of. Jak recognized the torturous maniac in a heartbeat. He tried to regain his composure as he realized that Keira's boyfriend was...Errol, one who he had met before in less than favorable circumstances.
Though, this was not the time or place to seek revenge, as the street in front Keira's apartment seemed to be teeming with the despicable guards. Quickly and quietly, Jak hot wired a stashed zoomer and maneuvered his way through the impossible traffic of Haven.
Once he arrived at the dead end hideout of the Underground, he hopped of the zoomer, kicking it with a fury that had built up on the ride over. He knew why he was angry, but there was something else hidden in his rage...possibly a hint of...jealousy?
He can't possibly be good enough for her...! He thought but then reprimanded himself for the stupid emotion that didn't usually follow a one night stand.
Making his presence known, Jak stomped into the hideout. He saw his wiry, fiery-haired friend, Daxter, mopping the floors half-heartedly.
He looked up excitedly when he saw the blonde walk in. "Hey Jak! Where were you last night? You never came back! You were supposed to help me with my gun training, remember?" Daxter whipped the mop around in his arms, pretending it was a gun and pulling an imaginary trigger.
"Sorry Dax, I, uh..." Jak scratched the back of his head. He didn't want to tell the biggest gossiper in Haven City what he had done the previous night, so he quickly changed the subject, "Why are you mopping?"
Daxter placed the mop back on the floor, sweeping it from side to side sloppily, and sending soapy water in all directions. "Oh, Torn said I make more mess than anyone and he would kick me out if I didn't do something useful..."
Jak rolled his eyes and waved his hand, "Torn's a softie at heart...He wouldn't do it."
"Is that so, Jak?" Torn walked into the main room with a rolled up map in his hands.
Jak spun around to face the Underground's leader while Daxter laughed in the background at his friend getting caught.
"I'd like to see how long you'd stay out of the Baron's prison without the Underground to bail you out again," Torn spat angrily, showing just how not soft he was.
Jak cringed at the though of returning to that hell hole of which he had resided for two months about four weeks ago. Once Torn had found out his most valuable member had been arrested, he was quick to use his 'connections' with Ashelin Praxis to get him out. Though, Jak never spoke of his time in prison, what had happened to him or why he had been arrested.
In a sigh of defeat, Jak broke his stare-off with Torn and walked down the opposite hallway to his room. He shared the quarters with Daxter and two other resistance members. It didn't bother him, seeing as how he hardly stayed idle for long, only coming to the room to sleep. The blue eyed renegade fell back on his bottom bunk and closed his eyes. As much he tried to fight it, he couldn't erase the memory of last night, and who he had shared it with. Then his thoughts turned to anger, and Errol.
The two months he had spent in prison were hardly forgettable. All the years he had eluded the law and wreaked havoc on the dictatorship of the Baron, he paid for indefinably. Day after day, he was subjected to exposure to the evil purple substance known as dark eco by Errol. The pain Jak had experienced was indescribable. Even now, almost a month later, he could remember vividly the way every cell; every atom that made up his body seemed to writhe in pain as the purple toxin invaded his body. Just thinking about it sent a painful shiver up his spine.
After a month in the jail, Jak started to notice effects caused by the excruciating torture. He became aware that whenever he felt anger, it felt like something was growing inside him, collecting the rage, feeding on his negative emotions, waiting for the opportune moment to show itself. Only once had he experienced the most destructive effect of the dark eco exposure; the transformation into a gruesome creature that haunted his dreams every day since he was bailed out.
His thoughts once again ventured to Keira, and immediately, he felt calmed. Strangely, he hadn't have the terrifying nightmare of his darker self that night she laid in his arms. I wonder what she's thinking right now... he thought with a sigh. Little did he know that she sat in her kitchen, sipping coffee, wondering the exact same thought about him.
I know, instead of two years in jail I turned it into 2 months...sorry if that messes things up for you! Tell me what you all think! Please & thank you!
