Author's Note

So I have a million and ten things to do this weekend so I thought it'd be better to update these two chapters I was planning on adding to a four chapter block and just do another giant update next week. Anyways thank you to EcoSeeker for her reviews, lots of love, .

The ABC's of Perfect Mistakes

Chapter Twelve: L is for Lights

The ride back to the entrance of the Tomb filled Jak with seething anger, he lost the stone to the Baron and whatever destiny the Oracle was talking about –granted he didn't really care, he just wanted the stone. He waited as the doors opened and stalked out, growling to himself before a little voice in his head screamed at him to stop. He stopped so abruptly that Daxter almost fell off his shoulder. He turned quickly and slipped in something, he almost fell but caught himself by putting his hand down… in blood.

He stood up slowly looking at his red hand. The blood smelt familiar as if he just smelt it a couple of hours ago. He stepped back and knocked something away. A chrome knife with green sparkling jewels in the handle, each splattered with blood. He bent down and picked it up, he only knew one person who used knives anymore. Daxter hopped off his shoulder and picked something else up. "Jak…" He whispered holding a charm out to him. Jak bent down and got a closer look at it. The gem was a bright green, just like the Precursor Stone but with undertones of brown. Craved into the gem was the symbol of green circles turning on themselves. Daxter held it by its bloody chain entwined with strands of black hair.

"Parker…" Jak whispered standing slowly, Daxter leapt back onto his shoulder and looked around.

"What happened here?!"

"I don't know…" He mumbled staring at the bloody stone, it reeked of death and made his stomach turn. He would want to hurt Parker? Wasn't she the goddess of the KG? Didn't they worship the ground she walked on –even if she changed sides? She was with Erol, wasn't she? They were dating or taking a break or something like that. "But I don't like it…" He ran to the door, clutching Parker's things in his hand. He raced back to the Hideout, being careful not to bump any of the guards or hit a pedestrian. He kept asking himself, over and over, how did the Baron know he was so close? How did he get into the Tomb and where was everyone? "Dax," Jak started as they walked into the Hideout. "How did the Baron know we were so close to making a move for the stone?"

"It's my fault." Torn's little voice said from the corner. "The Baron threatened to kill Ashelin for spying. His own daughter! I couldn't risk that… even for the Underground."

"Riiight, very good thinking!" Daxter said without trying to contain his sarcasm. "Expect Praxis now has the Precursor Stone so he could do whatever he wants!"

Torn stood. "There is still away to get out friends back, and maybe the Precursor Stone as well. I'll go find Vin, go to the Fortress and we'll call you."

"Why should we trust you!" Jak shouted.

"Because you and I both know the Baron would have killed Ashelin!" Jak nodded at that and turned to leave. "It'll be a tough fight through the Fortress, probably suicide."

"You just get that door open," Jak snapped. "I'll be there." He turned ran out of the Hideout, not looking back or caring about other people on the streets. He almost ran them all down just to get to the Fortress' entrance. He ran in and stopped suddenly, remembering the tank but was surprised when it wasn't there. Maybe after he blew up the small factory dump they couldn't make a new one or they just didn't feel like it. He took another path, around the control panels and could hear the guards talking.

"Did they find that tomb yet?" One voice asked.

"Yah, our old commander betrayed his friends." Another chuckled. "I would've made him dance."

A chorus of laughter and everyone agreeing with the man; Jak rolled his eyes and broke a couple crates and rounded the corner. He took the first three guards by surprise, knocking them forward and killing them right away. He punched the others but watched as they got up, chuckling and taking out their Tasers. These men wore yellow suits, unlike the common red guards. Jak reached for his gun again when someone behind them kicked the guard forward, Jak stared as a flash of blonde turned and shot down two of the red guards. The blonde rolled to the left and knocked down a guard, he saw a flash of silver before the blonde stabbed the guard. The guard twitched before going limp. The blonde stood slowly, she wore a short black skirt and thigh high black boots. Her top was yellow like the other guards and her shoulder armour was a pale gold against her hair.

"Amberly?" Daxter asked aloud.

She chuckled. "Not even close," She said turning away from them. "Now hit those buttons to disable the force field ahead of us." Jak nodded and did what he was told, stomping on the in ground buttons before following the blonde. He followed several steps behind her before he remembered her in only small flashes. The flip of her hair, a great chuckling laugh and, of course, the sharp needles that poked his skin in the days before the chair. He reached out and grabbed her by her pack and shoved her against the wall.

"I should kill you!" He roared feeling his darker side clawing to get out, growling and carving her blood. She just chuckled.

"About time you remembered."

"You're Olive."

She snorted. "That's Major Olivia to you outlaw."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Because I don't want to see my friends get killed." She paused. "No, I don't want to be the one that has to execute them." Jak loosened his grip and stepped back, she loaded her gun. "They're being held in the experiment bay, I haven't gotten any orders from Erol yet about what I should do with them but…" She trailed off looking away. "I can't kill them."

An alarm started to go off and Jak took out his gun again. "Let's move." She smirked and followed behind him, avoiding the lasers as they went. Jak made sure she was a couple of steps ahead of him or at least an inch beside him, eyes glued on her gun –he didn't come this far to be betrayed by one of his tormentors. She didn't have a jet board so she couldn't get across the pole, instead so used a card to get through a door leaving the boys alone again. Jak grinded against the pole and ducked the beams from the target-locking tanks. He hissed when a bullet hit his shoulder from above, the guards fired from above warning him to freeze or die. He rolled behind a control panel and waited before shooting at the guards in the flying suits. He saw the door then, a door he was forced through only a couple of times –once it was for the mission to the Mountain Temple. He ran through it, the alarms kept blaring through the Fortress until one of the cells opened slowly. Daxter jumped off his shoulder and ran to lean on the wall.

"Hey there sweetheart!" Daxter exclaimed. "The Metal Head masher has saved the day! Oh, and I let Jak tag along too."

"That's a whole lot of bullshit." Lena snapped stepping up beside Tess. "Don't believe it for a s-"

"Oh my little hero!" Tess cheered and hugged him.

"About time," Lena snapped at Jak. "I almost grew my weave out waiting for you!" She turned back into the cell. "C'mon Amberly! We don't have all day!"

Jak rolled his eyes and walked away from the shouting girl, he leaned into one of the cells and saw Samos. "Samos are you alright?"

"What took you so long?" Samos shouted, an older –and louder– Samos stomped out of the cell. "I added six rings to my trunk waiting for you two to get me out of here! Great yakcow horns! What happened to you Jak!"

"Wait a minute!" Daxter shouted jumping out of Tess' arms. "You're you, I mean the other you, I mean… you know what I mean?"

"Yes," The younger Samos said coming out of the cell. "It appears I have an older time twin."

Lena snorted and poked the older Samos' log. "Try ancient."

"Great grass grubs!" He shouted. "I can't believe what a cranky old log I've become!"

"Two Samos the Sages?" Daxter screamed and hid behind Jak. "Jak! They're multiplying!"

"We need to find the Kid pronto!" The older Samos ordered.

"What are you talking about you old growth, the Kid already opened the Tomb. Our top priority should be to disrupt the Baron's forces!"

"Oh look who thinks they've sprouted. If you were half as wise as I am, you'd know that the proper course of action would be to find that Kid!"

"Listen you old dried leaf, I run this outfit and I say we go after the Baron's forces."

Daxter jumped in between them. "Do we have to separate you two?"

"Vin's activating the warp gate, we need to get out of here… NOW." Jak said pointing at the shining gate. Lena half dragged and half carried Amberly out of the cell.

"Help me with her," Lena grunted as the other jumped through the gate. Jak went on her other side and heaved Amberly on to one of his shoulders. She groaned and let her head roll back. "She's been sleeping ever since we were locked in the cell. Tess tried to wake her when the alarms went off but she refused to get up."

"How did you get caught? Aren't you supposed to be the big bad bitch of Haven?"

"Even the big bad wolf was caught. I went back to my shop and they were waiting for me, handcuffed me right there and accused me of treason."

Jak stopped looking back at the cells, all of them were open. He felt cold dread spread across his chest as he looked back to Lena. "Where's Parker?"

Lena stopped and held Amberly close to her chest. "I don't know…"

TBC…