Chapter 7

Jak toyed with his new accessory as he leisurely walked toward his and Keira's apartment. Once the building was in sight, he noticed that Keira was outside sitting out on one of an uneven stoop with her head propped up by one of her hands. As he got closer, he saw the stare she was sending his way.

"Keira?" he walked cautiously towards her, sensing her discomfort.

"What are you, Jak?" Keira asked quizzically, looking up at the dust swept man with curiosity and a slight fear.

Jak wiped his face with his palm and inhaled sharply, "You were at the Arena, then?"

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Can we go inside and talk about this?" He asked, looking around to make sure no one was listening in.

Keira looked at him warily, as if once they were alone; he would turn into that animal again and attack her.

"Keira, please. I would never hurt you, if that's what you're thinking," the blonde said sincerely, reaching out for her hand.

She took his hand and allowed herself to be led upstairs to their residence.


"Remember how I told you I had been in prison, and what Errol had done to me?" he asked, readying himself to tell her about his alter ego.

"Yes..." she answered in an inquiring tone.

"Well...That was where it happened...it was...it was a result of their experiments...using dark eco." Saying the last words, he looking back into Keira's eyes, holding back an eerie shiver and fearing what she might think.

"Dark eco? But how could anyone possibly surv-?"

"Because...I'm a channeler and somehow...they knew..."

"Can you...control it?"

"For the most part. Its only when I get angry that I can't handle it...I'm sorry, Keira, I should have said something to you...I just didn't want anyone to know..."

"No one else knows besides me?"

"Well, you and the entire population of Spargus, now," Jak exhaled in a slight laugh. He hated serious conversations; probably due to all the years hanging around with Daxter.

He looked at her with his youthful blue eyes and gave her a soft grin. Keira smiled back and touched her hand to the side of his jaw.

"You're too young to have been through so much, Jak," she said leaning in and laying a small peck on his lips.

A loud ringing suddenly interrupted the moment. It was none other than Jak's communicator, of course.

"What?" Jak asked into the small, phone-like device.

"It's Torn. I've got some bad news, Jak."

"What, what's wrong?" Jak asked intently, exchanging a worried glance with Keira who leaned on his shoulder to listen in.

"It's Daxter... Errol has him."

Jak dropped the communicator on the floor in shock. His best friend, the closest thing to family he had. Errol.

Snapping back, Jak scrambled for the device.

"How?! When?!" He almost yelled.

"Not an hour ago. I put him on a routine run to the Pumping Station with Tess. It was a set-up. Errol was waiting for him. Tess got away and came back to the Hideout."

"Well? What are you going to do?"

"What can we do? You know we're in no position to launch an attack on Errol with the Guard at his disposal! Daxter's the bait for you, Jak!"

Jak felt his rage building over his helplessness to do anything in his current situation. A pulse of dark eco cackled over the hand that held the communicator.

Worried, Keira touched his shoulder, casing the unstable substance within him to subside.

"Do whatever you can, Torn. I'll try to figure something out here..."


All Daxter could see was darkness. He felt cold, sleek metal underfoot and could smell a wretched stench in the air. Leaning back against one of the metal walls that he was enclosed in, he slumped to the floor, resting his forehead on his knees. Daxter knew where he was. He was in the infamous prison fortress of the Baron, put there by none other than Errol. His memories of how came to get there were vague and in disarray, but he knew why Errol had come for him.

Suddenly, several heavy footsteps came into earshot. Daxter looked about wildly in the bleak darkness, looking for anything to help him; but to no avail. The automatic door to his cell slid open with a clank and revealed a smirking Errol with two armed guards at either side of him.

"If it isn't the renegade freak's best friend," Errol laughed, pointing to Daxter and watching the guards grab him in a not-so-gentle way.

Daxter squinted as they dragged him out into the open, taking him towards a chair on a platform in the middle of the prison. He fought feebly as they strapped him down, leaving no room for escape.

"Time to talk," Errol stared the young, orange-haired teenager in the eyes menacingly.

Daxter visibly clenched his jaw, refusing to leak the information that Errol wanted.

"Where's Jak?" Errol said calmly, his ulterior motive leaking through his teeth as he spoke.

Daxter shook his head in defiance.

"No? Loyal, are we?" The KG Commander motioned to the guard on his left, who proceeded to thrust the butt of his gun into the teen's stomach.

"You'll never find him!" Daxter winced.

"Oh, but I think I will, and I'll do it with your help!" Errol growled, taking out his pistol and whipping it across his face, still waiting for his answer on Jak's whereabouts.

The terrified captive coughed as he spat out blood. The other guard smacked smashed his forearm with a club he was holding. The youth could do nothing but cry out in pain.

"He's not even in the city...Just give up..." Daxter whimpered and shook, waiting for another blow.

"Not in the city, you say?" Errol smiled, "Thank you, Daxter. You've given me what I needed." The Commander then looked to the two yellow-armored guards, "Dump this waste of space in the Slums."