Jak and Daxter and all affiliated characters belong to Naughty Dog. Except for the ones that I make up. No infringement of copyright is intended or implied in this fictional work. I'm trying a system where I don't post a new chapter until I have most of the next one written. We'll see how long that lasts. :)
Now it's time for the wildly AU chapter. Whee! This chapter has some violence, sexual situations and the dreaded Original Character(s).
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Chapter Two: Detainment
They had saved the world. It was amazing, nothing that either of them had ever imagined doing. Daxter had made jokes about their other accomplishments but this was something that could not be exaggerated. Jak was discovering the depth of his powers and Daxter had made a truly selfless sacrifice for the good of the world.
Things couldn't possibly get any better. And they didn't.
Since the citadel was no longer a danger, Keira and Samos had taken it upon themselves to study the Precursor gate left at the scene of the Great Battle. They had it transferred back to Samo's hut for easier access. After sending Jak and Daxter out to recover more Power Cells they had finally gotten it to work. Today was the first test.
The sky behind the portal ripped open bathing them all in brightly colored light.
"This seems like a really bad idea," Daxter said. Jak just gave her a reassuring smile.
"Oh, what could possibly go wrong?" Keira asked.
Which was exactly the worst possible thing to say when embarking on a new, very dangerous venture because the worst always tends to happen.
A booming voice tore through the tiny hut. "I HAVE FOUND YOU, BOY!" Hundreds of dark bat-like creatures flew out at them.
"How about that for starters?" Daxter yelled.
"We've got to do something!" Keira shouted over the din.
"You're the tinker person, you do something!" Daxter shouted.
Keira looked sheepish. "I don't know how it works, Daddy and I are still studying it!"
"Then start pushing buttons!" Daxter retorted. Jak, Daxter and Keira's fingers rushed over the buttons covering the Precursor gate. Samos tried to battle the dark creatures, but found that they were too many for him to handle. As the group was about to be overwhelmed someone, they never found out whom, pushed the right button.
The lights around the portal funneled into each other in a blazing column of light and suddenly the four of them disappeared. The vortex swirled around them as eddies of sound and light pushed from all sides. Their bodies flew around wily-nily and they became separated as they fell through space and time itself.
The ground was solid underneath Daxter's body. She turned her head and noticed that Jak had landed beside her. After a quick mental assessment that nothing was broken she nudged her companion. Luckily, he was also unhurt.
Jak and Daxter pushed themselves up to their feet and froze. A gigantic city loomed up before them. Dust and smog clogged the air and a million sounds assaulted their ears. Zoomers filled the skies and sometimes would even block out the sun. People, more than they had remembered seeing in their entire world, milled around them. And Keira and Samos were nowhere to be found.
"Well, we're not in Sandover anymore." Daxter clutched at Jak's sleeve. "So Jak, where are we?"
Jak just stared wide-eyed, his head shaking an "I don't know."
A large blue vehicle landed in front of them and a squad of men in strange uniforms piled out. Their appearance was completely foreign to the country-raised pair. The troops stalked toward the two heroes.
Jak shoved Daxter out of the way and prepared a fighting stance.
Daxter glared. "Hey, you're not the only one allowed to be macho around here," she complained. Jak shot her a pleading look and waved a hand for her to keep back.
One of the troops had different armor than the others, some that revealed a thick head of red hair. Jak guessed that he was their leader. The officer pointed at Jak.
"Leave the girl, the boy's the one that the Baron wants."
Jak rushed forward into a spinning attack but was subdued by the more experienced and heavier troops. Daxter took a step forward to help but found her way blocked by two armed guards. The troops wrestled Jak to the ground and cuffed his hands behind his back.
"We've been waiting for you," the leader said.
Jak stared up at the soldiers with disbelieving eyes.
"You can't do that to him, he didn't do anything! We've got rights, pal!" Daxter shouted.
The blond warrior was manhandled into the back of the vehicle. He looked back at Daxter over his shoulder, worry and confusion etched on his face.
Daxter grabbed the guards' gun barrels and pushed them down so she could see. "Hey! Where are you taking him? Don't worry, I'll get you out of this, Jak!"
The leader turned toward her. "Shut up. This doesn't concern you." The two redheads scowled at each other, although Daxter was really just scowling at a faceplate. The leader broke the stare and raked his eyes over her body. Daxter could detect the slightest hint of a smirk in his voice. "On second thought—"
Daxter bolted. Of all the crazy and selfish things she had ever done or would ever do in her life that was the one she would never forgive.
"You two, after her!" the leader ordered.
The two guards that had blocked her path were now in hot pursuit. Daxter dashed down the city street, pushing past people and zoomers. Nothing was familiar to her at all. None of the landmarks she used to rely on were left standing or if they were, she couldn't see them over the tall gray buildings. Luckily, her small size allowed her to maneuver through the crowd at a much faster rate of speed than the bulky guards.
Daxter ducked into the first alley she saw. She followed the narrow twists and turns, leaping over trash and other discarded debris. A low wall separated her from another alley. She scrambled up some boxes and went over the top, landing on the other side.
A flagpole caught her eye and remembering one of Jak's tricks, jumped up to grab it. While Jak had mastered using his momentum to swing his body around, Daxter hadn't. She dangled there for a few seconds, trying to figure out what was wrong. She kicked her legs back and forth to build up a swing.
Daxter could hear the troops fast approaching and quickened her efforts. Finally, she managed a swing around the pole. At the top of the arc she let go, flying through the air. She stretched her hands out and managed to grasp the edge of an awning. Her biceps screamed in protest as she hauled herself onto the thin sheet. The second she was out of view, the guards rounded the corner.
"Where did she go?" one of the guards asked. His partner shrugged as their communicator beeped.
"Did you find her?" their leader asked.
"No, sir."
"Come back to base, we have what we want."
"Yes, sir." The two guards turned and left the alley.
Daxter watched them go and smirked. "Yeah, that's right. Run away you bums, no one can stop the Daxinater!" She did a heroic pose before flipping the bird to the retreating guards. "Yeah. Now to get out of here," she muttered. Daxter jumped and pulled herself onto the roof. She then dashed deeper into the strange city.
Meanwhile, behind a dusty window, four men watched as Daxter left.
One of them, a handsome blond, gave his companions an incredulous look. "The hell was that?"
Their leader, a grave older man with heavy muscles and an ugly scar over his right eye, actually grinned. "That is a future meal ticket," he explained.
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Night fell and Daxter still had no idea where to find Jak. No one had been interested in answering her questions or in even acknowledging her presence at all. At least that hadn't changed much from Sandover she thought. Fat drops of rain fell from the sky drenching her from head to toe. She moved out of the street and huddled under an awning, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.
"Okay, let's think this through. I'm alone in a strange city, I'm cold, I'm hungry and I can't find Jak, Keira or Samos. Yeah, I'm not doing so hot. Does it have to be so cold?" Daxter muttered.
A pretty older woman wearing a thick cloak approached the shaking girl. "Are you lost, dear?" she asked. .
Daxter's dejected look was all the answer the woman needed.
"Do you have a place to stay? Friends? Family?" the woman asked.
"I can't find them," Daxter admitted. "And I don't know where to start."
The woman nodded in understanding. "Perhaps some food and a place to stay might help."
Daxter smiled in hope. "That would be a lifesaver, lady."
"I'm Minc," the woman introduced herself, extending her hand.
"And I am the world famous Daxter." The redhead kissed the back of her savior's hand.
Minc chuckled. "That's an odd name for a girl."
"You don't know the half of it," Daxter said.
Minc's voice was soothing, like silk and honey, "Come in out of the cold, Miss Daxter." She took Daxter's hand and led her down the street to a building that looked like every other building in the slums. She knocked on the door and a peephole opened up. "It's me," she whispered. The peephole slid shut and a portly middle-aged woman opened the door.
The inside of the place was a complete contrast to the outside. The main room was a collection of pillows and rich fabrics. Gay colors splashed the walls and seemed to infuse the room with sensual light. Women of all ages, sizes and shapes sat around the room, eating and talking. Daxter had never seen so many women in one place before. Most of them were not beautiful or could even be called cute but that was a minor quibble. A tiny part of Daxter's brain wondered if she had died and gone to heaven.
At their entrance the other women turned to look at them. "This is Daxter," Minc introduced. "She will be staying with us." The other women whispered and giggled among themselves.
Minc gestured for Daxter to sit on one of the overstuffed pillows. She complied and felt her body sink deep into the fabric. The women swarmed around her, rubbing her with towels to dry her off and offering her food.
For the first time all night, Daxter was warm and comfortable. She shoveled the food in like there was no tomorrow. Upon reflection she would remember the food as being okay but nothing to write home about. At that moment though, it was the most delicious feast she had ever had.
A blonde with a tiny figure ran her hands through Daxter's drying hair. "A two-tone," she cooed. "That's rare. Is it natural?"
Daxter leered, enjoying the attention. "I'm all natural in the au naturale if you get my drift."
The other women tittered with laughter.
"Oh, she's a spunky one," the middle-aged doorkeeper said.
Minc smiled. "You see we're all family here and we take care of each other. We'll give you food and shelter and in return you'll work for us."
"Work doing what?" Daxter asked. She figured that if the job wasn't that hard then she'd still be able to look for Jak and take care of herself.
"Well, you would perform services--" Minc started to explain.
Daxter raised an eyebrow. "Services? Like fixing zoomers and junk? I'm pretty good at a lot of things but keep me away from that techno stuff, especially any of that Precursor crap."
Minc shook her head. "Oh no, not those kinds of services." She cupped the back of Daxter's neck. "These kind." She pressed her lips against Daxter's in a slow kiss.
Fire raced up Daxter's back, causing her cheeks to flame. She had felt like this only once before but that was a memory she shoved aside before it could surface. She felt just the barest hint of tongue when Minc pulled away. Daxter was more than a little dazed. "That's a little odd but anything for you, babycakes."
Minc laughed. "The services aren't for me, they're for our clients," Minc explained.
Daxter felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. "Clients?" she said. "As in people who pay for . . .?" Daxter waved her hand around as a vague euphemism.
"Mostly men, but yes," Minc answered.
Daxter sprang to her feet, urging the ladies (of the night, as she now knew) aside. "Whoa, sorry ma'am ain't my bag. I'm going to have to turn you lovely ladies down," she said as she backed toward the door.
Minc stood up. "Please don't go! They'll just use you out there. At least in here you're safe."
Daxter sniggered. "You're kidding yourself if you actually think that lady. Thanks for the food, but I gotta go." She opened the door and dashed out into the rain.
"Wait! Don't leave!" she heard the pleading cries of Minc and the other women fade as she continued on into the night.
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Her belly was full and the rain had stopped, which was a plus but she was still cold, wet and tired. Daxter stumbled through the streets, exhaustion taking its toll. In a dark corner was a pile of pamphlets and newsletters. It was the most promising sight of the evening. Daxter went over to it and crawled inside, rearranging the paper around her body to keep warm. As she closed her eyes, a memory from a happier time rose unbidden.
It was a chilly night and Jak and Daxter were camping outside. In two days they would go to Misty Island and their lives would be changed forever, but they did not know this. For them, this was like any other camping night; an excuse to be without adult supervision for an evening.
Jak had just put out the fire and Daxter was organizing their blankets by tossing them into two messy piles. "That one's yours, Jak," Daxter said, pointing to a pile of blue blankets. Jak smiled in thanks, blue was his favorite color.
They each went to their respective pile and arranged themselves for maximum warmth. Daxter scowled. "Didn't Samos say it was supposed to be warm tonight?"
Jak chuckled and nodded his head.
"Great Sage my ass," Daxter muttered.
He heard another low chuckle from the blanket pile next to him.
After a few moments of quiet, Daxter could hear the steady sounding of breathing from behind him. Well, if Jak was asleep then that meant it should be safe for him to go to sleep. He reasoned that Jak wouldn't sleep if there were monsters around, not that Daxter couldn't take a Lurker or two, but better to be safe than sorry. Daxter closed his eyes and let his mind drift to the dreams and fancies of contented youth. As he felt himself start to drift away a solid arm draped itself across his middle. Before he could blink, Daxter found himself pulled flush against Jak's body.
The redhead twitched as Jak's exhaled breath bathed his ear. A hot tingle rushed up his spine and his face flushed. Suddenly, Daxter was a little too warm. He took his hands out of the blankets and pushed against Jak's forearm. Instead of loosening, the arm tightened, trapping him. Daxter squeaked in protest. "Sheesh Jak, I'm not your girlfriend," he muttered. Just when he thought he would have to resort to drastic measures, Jak turned his head and nestled it in the crook of Daxter's neck. That, Daxter found, was a lot more tolerable. But the second that Jak started to snore, Daxter determined that he would kick the older boy awake. With that thought firmly in mind, he fell asleep.
The next morning Jak acted as if nothing had happened. Daxter thought that Jak must have been embarrassed and promised himself to never mention it unless Jak brought it up. Daxter kept that promise, even when he found himself imprisoned in a female body and Jak repeated the pattern night after night along their journeys. And every morning Daxter would come up with a new explanation for the behavior.
Before she could reflect on any of this further, she fell asleep. As the dreams came, her memories faded and she would not think of those incidents again for a long time.
The next morning, a sharp kick to the right leg gave her a rude awakening. "Ow, watch it!" she complained. She squinted against the sun, trying to see who woke her up.
There were four men surrounding her. The one who kicked her was blond and handsome with a wicked smile. Standing next to him was the biggest man Daxter had ever seen. He was massive, muscles piled on muscles and his bald head seemed to shine in the sun. On blondie's left was a thin man with a potbelly and thick glasses. His blue hair was slicked back with some kind of grease and his oversized nose seemed almost rooted to his chin. The obvious leader of the group was a middle-aged man, gnarled and tough. His cropped black hair and the scar over his left eye did nothing to soften his appearance.
The big guy spoke first. "What's this? A little stinker in our territory?"
Daxter waved a hand in front of her face. "You don't smell so fresh yourself."
The big guy grabbed her by the front of her tunic. "Might want to shut your mouth, girly."
Daxter sneered, her feet dangling in the air. "Back off man, I don't want to have to hurt you." She drew her fist back as if to punch him.
The big man sniggered. "Right."
The blond nodded. "This is definitely the squirt from yesterday."
The redhead lowered her guard. "Yesterday?"
Their leader stepped forward. He made a gesture and the big guy lowered her back to the ground. "Yeah, my men and I watched you running from the Krimzon Guard, you've got some potential kid."
Daxter brushed herself off. "Krimzon Guard?"
Blondie laughed. "You were running from them and you don't know who they are?"
"I'm new in town," Daxter replied.
"They serve Baron Praxis. They're supposed to protect the city but they've never protected me from anything," the thin man complained.
"Uh-huh. And the city's name would be?"
Blondie muttered under his breath.
Daxter scowled and got up in Blondie's face. "Hey are you going to help me smartguy or I am I going to have to open up a can of whoopass—"
"Stop it, both of you!" the leader said. He pointed at the blond, "Hal, back off. And you—"
"Daxter."
"Daxter." The leader grasped her hand, pumping it up and down once. "We're the Pariah. Welcome to Haven City."
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