|Jak|
They were about three seconds out of the garage when Jak started to realize where he had gone wrong with this. He had always assumed most people had an innate ability to drive a car, just like they were supposed to have for shooting a gun, since it came so natural to him. And Valentine was so good building stuff out of nothing, it was natural to think she would get the basic mechanics of how to drive a car.
He didn't remember when the last time had been he had feared for his life so much while in a vehicle. And he had gotten over the freaking Lava Tube with equipment that would be deemed prehistoric in this age! Above them Daxter was doing his utter best not to get thrown off by the erratic movements of constant starting and stopping.
"This is useless!" Valentine complained, taking her hands away from the steering wheel and removing her feet from the pedals. At once the car slowly rolled forward, due to the momentum of the previous outburst. She looked at him with almost a pout, giving off a very frustrated vibe. "Let's be honest. I can't do this, I'm made for different pursuits in life."
Jak had about a second before he had to reply. On the one hand he wanted desperately to get behind the wheel, agree with Valentine and never relive this specific agony again. On the other hand there was the fact that sooner or later his girlfriend would have to learn how to drive a car. Maybe not on a racing level, but certainly just in a casual setting. If anything ever happened to him she might be the one who had to drive. With a deep sigh he made a decision, fearing he was currently signing his death note. "No. You are going to learn how to drive a buggy, and you're going to drive us to just before we cross the islands with the use of the jump system."
Did he want her to gain confidence? Yes. Did he feel the very pressing need to die by allowing her to use the jump button? Hell no. He had just gotten into this relationship, and he had hoped to get beyond a kiss before he kicked the bucket.
"Are you crazy? Get this woman from behind the wheel, before we're blown to smithereens!" Daxter yelled, grabbing tighter onto the car.
"No, she is learning how to drive this thing." Jak replied decisively, pointing a finger alternately at Valentine and Daxter. Valentine let out a chuckle when she saw his stern face. "What?"
She scratched the side of her face, not looking him in the eye. "I might have a thing for authoritative men." She admitted, sending him a sly peek before clearing her throat. "So… uhm… I just press this pedal, right?"
He had to fight to keep a grin of his face when he heard that confession. Instead he decided to focus on the task at hand. "Press it slowly. We're not in a hurry at the moment, so just press it slowly. It's not a race."
Thank every Precursor that had ever existed this wasn't a race. The ride took at least three times longer than he was used to, and he was once again treated to Valentine's very colorful vocabulary. He would have to check up on who had taught her all that. At least this time he wasn't on the receiving end of the exchange. About two heart attacks later they finally reached a place where he could get behind the wheel and soothe her ego.
"If you dare and tell me that went well, I'm calling you a liar." She muttered, getting out of the car as if she were walking on the deck of a ship. He had to catch her before gravity got the better of her. "I just need a breather. You make it look so easy." She shook her head, leaning on the hood of the car as she mumbled something about never underestimating him again.
"Well… to each his own talents?" he suggested, before giving her a quick pinch. With a yelp she shot up, soothing her backside. "Don't go killing the driver now." he joked, getting a grin from her. Within seconds they had switched seats, and he could feel his heart rate drop considerably now he was the one in control again. Next to him both Valentine and Daxter were holding on in preparation for the jumpy bit of the road, though not with the tenacity that had been necessary when she had been driving.
"Where do you want to go when we're in the temple?" he asked her, trying to visualize the small part of the temple they had been through.
"Where the Precursor statue healed us. No, I'm not going back to pester it again." She said when she saw the look Jak threw her. "That's where we saw Seem talking to Count Veger, right? We go back to that spot and try to find a way to get to where they were standing. From there we can investigate." He could see from the expression she had on her face that she was worrying about where the monk had gone. Not that he understood, Seem had given him the cold shoulder every turn they has seen each other. But maybe she got along better with Valentine.
"Great, we can pay another visit to goober-eye." Daxter chimed in, slipping on Valentine's shoulder for the moment. When he saw the way Jak glanced at him he raised his hands. "Look, your girlfriend doesn't have the tendency to get close and personal with enemies for as far as I have seen. I think I'll be safer off with her."
The way Valentine looked at Daxter gave the impression she was considering telling him something. Probably something that would make him reconsider his current location. Finally she shook her head, giving Jak an apologetic smile. "Guess he's riding with me for the time being. So you get to lead on."
Jak nodded, walking inside the old temple. It was only the second time he walked in here, but once again he found himself awed by the sheer size of the place. Just how much space did they need to worship the Precursors in here? He walked over to the path they had used before, not seeing the way Valentine started to frown behind him. When she touched him by the elbow he could see she seemed to be considering something. "What's wrong?"
She nodded her chin towards the hallway they were nearing. "Metal Heads. I can't say how many, but they're likely to be small. That or some rats have been eating things they weren't supposed to." Right, he'd forgotten how sensitive she'd become to Eco. Or at least, how sensitive she was to Dark Eco. He hadn't realized that it could help her detect Metal Heads though.
"Friendlies?" he asked, using a term he had picked up from Vin.
Valentine shook her head without a thought. "Not likely. Ma'al would have told me if he wanted to move into the temple, since he knows how finicky the monks can get. I think it'll be safe to take these guys out."
That was all the information Jak needed. Without a word he took out his gun, and after a moment of deliberation, he handed Valentine the Jetboard Ashelin had brought for him. She looked at it inquiringly, the entire machine fitting in the palm of her hand in its unreleased state. She recognized it, and by the look on her face she connected it to Keira. "In case things were to get bad, at least you and Daxter can make a safe escape."
She whacked him on the back of his head. "Idiot. Like I would be going anywhere without you." Without a word she slipped the device back on his belt, smiling sweetly. He knew that kind of smile, though it was usually reserved for girls who were smiling at someone they considered competition. If they ever did get back in Haven –Not that he had any desire to, considering how they had kicked him out-, he might have to break up a cat-fight first thing.
"Oh, don't look at me like that." Valentine said, catching on to his thinking progress rather quick. "I promise that if I ever lay eyes on her again, I'll be a very good girl." She let out an annoyed 'hm' as they found out their previous route had been closed off, the temple practically forcing them to take a right turn.
Jak swallowed, but nodded. Never argue with a woman when she's jealous, that was one of the rules he and Daxter had picked up quite early. Not that it was easy to keep a straight face, the way Daxter was contorting his eyes to urge Jak not to disagree with her. "Let's get going then." he said.
Of course it was to be expected she would still have it out for Keira, he mused to himself as they made their way down. Shooting down these little critters had become routine by now, so much that Valentine and Daxter chatted leisurely as Jak led the way. He didn't think Valentine would go out of her way to pick a fight – hoped that she wouldn't – but if Keira made the wrong remark he had an inkling Valentine might be not so forgiving.
"How do these things get in here anyway?" Daxter asked Valentine as she stepped around the body of one of the large, mosquito-like Metals.
"Depends…" Valentine said, her voice clearly indicating she was pondering the how and most importantly, the why. "Could be there's a crack in some of the lower levels, allowing them to get in through there. Or there is something in the Catacombs that allows them free entrance. If there were still more active monks, the temple wouldn't be in this kind of sorry state. Though of course we wouldn't be able to run around here either." She didn't talk about the why, though Jak suspected she had at least one theory. Sometimes it seemed as if the woman never stopped thinking.
"Well, here's one place I recognize." He said. It was the room with the door that had the Mar-seal on it. Daxter seemed to have realized it as well, since his eyes immediately hinted that Jak should show Valentine the seal. He shook his head, thankful that at times like these Valentine was easily distracted by oddities in a building. He walked backwards toward the door with the seal on it, very careful to keep an eye on Valentine.
"Tell her." Daxter whispered, having trailed behind Jak.
"No." Jak replied, just as silently. "I'll tell her when I'm ready." Curious to know if it was a coincidence or not – why would anyone carve the sign of Mar on a door – he took out the pendant, raising it towards the door. It reacted immediately, opening up with a few crunching sounds as if dust was busy clogging up the gears. Jak had just the time stowing away the amulet before Valentine rushed over to see what was causing the commotion.
She glanced towards the door, and then to Jak, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How'd you get that thing to open up for you."
Daxter raised his eyebrows as well, curious to see how Jak would yank himself out of this one. The hero shrugged, trying to look as if he had nothing to do with the door opening. "Who knows… maybe it has something to do with the time of the year or something." That was a flimsy excuse, but he had heard about doors like that when he had been younger. He suddenly realized that in his memory it had been Valentine reading him a bedside story that had been the cue for this information.
She wiggled her nose a bit, glancing between him and the door. "Possible…" she admitted, still not seeming convinced. Jak put an arm around her waist, gently guiding her through the doorway.
"I'm positive of it." He said, trying to convince her. Honestly speaking the memory was a bit disconcerting, though more because of the suddenness of it than because of the contents. He had been there when Valentine had coddled the younger him. Time travel really was a mess for anyone trying to have something of a normal life. Now if Daxter would be content with waiting until he was comfortable coming completely clean with Valentine…
The Ottsel sneezed a few times, thanks to the superfluous amount of dust in this part of the temple. But all in all it was a nice walk, just the three of them, together. He and Valentine were matching their steps, her hand resting loosely on his hip as they walked. As far as days off went, he could certainly get used to this. Maybe next time he'd take her and those students of hers to the oasis for a bit of R&R. Even the small hitch of a stairs having crumbled away wasn't enough to diffuse their mood. He helped her get up first, after which she helped him get up.
"Oh boy, I see another one of those statues up ahead." Daxter announced, peering into the distance. "You know it's never good news when we see one of those. Next thing you know it's going to demand me as a sacrifice."
They walked into the room, looking around leisurely and careful not to step into the circle that had activated the last one. "I can see the place we got cured over there." Valentine said, pointing to the side. On closer examination it seemed like the two statues were connected at the back, a third one pointed at another balcony.
"Well, let's see if this one is a talker." Jak said, motioning Valentine to step into the circle with him. As soon as they did the statue started talking, light pouring from half-lidded eyes.
"We meet again, great warriors. Though I fear your coming may sadly be too late. You will soon meet the seed of our downfall." Next to Jak Valentine was mouthing the words of the statue, the glow in her eyes indicating she at least understood that part of the message. "It approaches quickly, and I fear we no longer have the power to resist. Behold the pure power of light."
After those words the two of them were once again hit with a shot of Light Eco. Though the feeling was immensely good, there was still the fact he would like a bit more preparation time before the statue did that. At least this time he and Valentine didn't need the cooling down time from no longer feeling any pain.
The two of them stared awkwardly at each other for a moment, checking to see if either felt anything different. "Well?" he asked Valentine, who turned around in place.
"I've got nothing. Well… actually…" she frowned. "I think I can sense the Light Eco coming from you a little bit. Though that may be just my imagination." She crossed her arms over one another, shaking her head as she was thinking. "Well, you have some enhanced healing powers from last time." That had been proven when he had cut himself on some rocks the night before, the wounds had zipped closed without a delay. "But I doubt they think sensing Light Eco is this huge deal."
The light in the eyes of the statue started to shine again. "How dense the both of you are. We give you great power and you do not realize to what extent it may aid you?"
"Well, maybe you should include a little manual with your powers next time." Daxter suggested loudly. "Since not all of us can read minds, you hunk o' junk!"
The statue answered by shooting out a beam of pure light. "Daxter!" Jak shouted, running for his best friend on instinct. He knew he wouldn't be on time to save him, but yet he willed himself to go faster.
Faster.
Suddenly he stumbled, looking around him. It looked as if the beam was frozen in the air, still heading for a screaming Daxter. Valentine was frozen in place as well, her long hair trailing out behind her as she too had started to move for Daxter. Well this was… strange. He decided to get Daxter out of the way of the beam first, not knowing how long this would last.
Once he had done that, he was still stuck in this weird mode. Either time had slowed down, or he had gotten faster than usual. Taking a look to the side he noted how the spinning discs that had been spinning so fast now formed a sort of stairway, straight up to the balcony they had seen Seem at the last time they had been here.
'No time to waste…' he thought to himself. He placed Daxter against Valentine's stomach – it was strange how the Ottsel kept floating in the air when he released him – before picking her up. Her body was rather stiff, as if it didn't bend all that well in this state. He kept her pressed against him firmly, running and jumping over the improvised steps. Not a second too soon he reached the other side, feeling more faint than before as the discs behind them started spinning once more.
"DAXTER!" Valentine yelled, flinching in his arms. She was joined by a shrill screech from the fur ball resting against her stomach. Then the duo did a double take, looking around them as if they were seeing the place for the first time.
"Jak… what happened?" she asked him, looking up at him with dark blue eyes.
He tried to explain to her, but it was harder than it looked considering he had no idea either. After he finished talking about it, she nodded pensively. "Temporal manipulation…" she mumbled, tapping her fingers against her chin. She stroked a finger against his goatee, before giving him a firm kiss. "Well, let's be happy you're pretty quick on controlling new powers."
"I don't know, what about you?" Daxter asked, still lying on her stomach. "If our boy here gets all of the primo powers, why don't you?"
Valentine scrunched her nose. It was utterly fascinating how many different facial expressions she had just for thinking alone. "Beats me. I know I got some power out of it this time, since the feeling of Light Eco got a lot fainter coming from you." she said to Jak. "I think you're out of juice, big boy."
He put her down, hands lingering a few seconds longer than they had to. This was turning into a bigger adventure than he had thought. And why was Valentine holding the flask that had been hanging on her belt a few seconds ago with such a big smile on her face?
|Moon's Note : Guess what guys and gals? We have comfortably passed the 100 000 word mark since the previous chapter, so how about a woot there? I actually never thought the fic would reach this length, but there we go. And we're only at about a third of the third game as well, so wow! Thank you to everyone who found this story worthwhile enough to read until this point!
Thanks again to Sage for doing me the honors of proof-reading stuff, as well as playing part-time soundboard. It's much appreciated, since mostly I spend my time daydreaming about my scenarios instead of talking to someone about them.
Dear Guest : I know, I'm jealous of the pillow myself (and I'm the one that invented the pillow... so sad)
M-Angel 05 : I've only been drunk twice in my life, and the second time was an accident. Ugh, I'm the rational type of drunk, and I don't like the feeling so I usually stand there waiting until the floor stops spinning. I know what Ma'al was feeling though T.T
LadyAmazon : They're alive, but I think Jak won't be offering another lesson anytime soon. I designed Valentine as the kind of character that sucks with vehicles, and she's done fine until now!
Actic Wolf105 : Ah, I'm extremely allergic to having other people do my dirty work. If I really do suck as much as I fear you'd better pity Sage, since they'll be reading a ton of poorly written smut.|