Once again sorry for not updating in forever but I was working on one film for five months and I immediately jumped onto another one that's going to keep me busy until the end of March. Twelve or more hour workdays do not make for creative outbursts of activity. By the way, if anyone ever tells you that movie work is glamorous, they are full of crap. BTW, I've been looking at fanart for inspiration and I really wish I could draw.
Jak and Daxter and all affiliated characters and places are property of Naughty Dog. No infringement of copyright is implied or intended in this fictional work.
Chapter 14: Dead Town
At the end of an alley in a secluded part of town was a door that led to infinite sorrows. It looked much like the other crafted metal doors that peppered Haven City, but this one opened to the hellish landscape that was Dead Town. As Jak and Daxter found, the name was all too appropriate.
Once great buildings had crumbled to dull gray stone, relics of a happier time. Giant bridges that had connected homes, businesses and schools had collapsed; leaving sullen arches that went to nowhere. Puddles of Dark Eco glowed purple and black upon the ground. Even the sun seemed to hang lower here as if weighed down by the devastation.
The Demolition Duo took this all in as they ventured into the ruins, each deep in their own thoughts. Daxter tried to pinpoint what it was about the place that made her skin crawl. Her foot crunched down on a small fragment of concrete grinding it to dust.
A low skittering sound reached Jak's ears. He tightened his grip on his gun. "Get ready," he said.
Suddenly several small Metalheads with arching stingers for tails leapt out of the soil and dashed toward them on insectile legs. Jak and Daxter flew into action, bullets danced across the ground, striking the diminutive Metalheads and sending them flying. As they landed, their head gems popped from their foreheads leaving glittering yellow jewels on the ground. The creatures themselves melted into blobs of Dark Eco. As Jak stooped to pick up a gem, the Dark Eco rolled on the ground and slapped onto his body, forcing its way in.
Daxter shuddered; she hated Dark Eco, the way it crawled, the way it seemed to have a mind of its own. She knew that she was damn lucky to have survived falling into a vat of the stuff several years ago, switched plumbing or not, and did not care to repeat the experience. Besides, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that if she had another concentrated exposure like that she would die.
"Well that was easy, can we go home now?" Daxter asked.
Jak shook his head. "Nah, those aren't the Metalheads we're looking for."
"Oh, and how do you know Mr. Smarty-Pants-Know-It-All?" Daxter asked, hands on her hips.
"Torn wouldn't have sent us if that was it," Jak replied.
Daxter pouted. She hated his logic sometimes. "Fine, but if I get killed, I'm gonna be really pissed."
Jak chuckled and pushed himself up onto a wall. Daxter followed him and the twosome navigated their way into a large structure. As they walked, an uneasy feeling crept over Daxter. She knew that in a place called "Dead Town" she was going to feel uncomfortable but this was different. Something was bothering her and she didn't know what. The problem wiggled in the back of her mind as Jak pulled her up into what used to be someone's home. The place was quiet and empty, like all of the rest of Dead Town. That's when it hit her.
"Jak?" she whined.
"What is it Dax?" Jak asked.
"There's something wrong here," Daxter said.
Jak rolled his eyes. "That's why we're here."
"No, I mean shouldn't there be stuff here?" Daxter asked.
"Daxter this place was attacked by Metalheads, everyone left," Jak explained.
"Yeah, but they would have left all their stuff, right? Where's the furniture? Where's the toys, where's the knickknacks and the other crap people collect?" Daxter's voice dropped down to a low whisper, "Where's the bodies?"
Suddenly, Jak looked as disturbed as Daxter felt. "It was a while ago, Dax," he said, trying to convince himself and the sidekick.
Daxter shook her head, "Not that long ago. Torn said—"
"Dax," Jak said, interrupting, "We're not going to think about it. We have a mission and that mission comes first. So you're not going to think about it and I'm sure as hell not going to think about it, okay?"
Daxter nodded. "Yeah, sounds good, big guy." Not thinking sounded like the best thing in the world at that moment. They pushed their way deeper into the structure, spotting a hallway with a single entrance.
Luckily, they had come across something that would drive all speculation about Dead Town out of their brains, unfortunately that something was a Metalhead.
The large gleaming creature growled at them from the back of the hallway and before Jak could raise his gun, the monster fired a series of blue fireballs at the duo.
"Cripes!" Daxter shouted and plastered herself against the wall. Jak mirrored her maneuver on the opposite side of the doorway. The blue fireballs kept coming, with hardly a pause between volleys. Daxter swallowed a lump in her throat. "What do we do, Jak? We'll be toast before we can fire the shotgun and I don't intend on depriving the world of my manly self!" Daxter shouted.
Jak pondered the problem for a moment. The scatter gun was too slow and had almost no range. Although the shotgun had a better range, Daxter pointed out that it was also too slow for their opponent. "What about the mod Torn gave us?" he asked.
Daxter looked over her gun and switched it to the new setting. "It's blue!" she replied.
"And?" Jak asked.
"I don't know, we didn't get a chance to try it out, dumbass, how am I supposed to know?" Daxter said.
Jak secretly wondered if Daxter still hadn't gotten over her hangover. "Look, have you noticed that the Metalhead stops every once and while?"
Daxter nodded. "Yeah, like it's reloading."
"The next time it stops I'm going to try to squeeze off a few rounds. I'm hoping this gun's a fast shot," Jak said.
"That's stupid, Jak."
"We don't have much choice. I'll need you to stand by in case this one is slow too. Maybe you can snipe it before it gets me," Jak said. "I'm counting on you for backup."
The redhead rolled her eyes. "This sucks."
Jak ignored her. "Get ready."
Daxter swallowed and clutched her gun. Another ball of blue fire sailed by and then there was nothing.
Jak dove out from behind his cover and pulled the trigger. Brilliant blue bolts of light tore down the hallway, striking the Metalhead with quick successive jerks. The Metalhead seemed to dance as it was pelted by the rapid fire of the machinegun. Blue shell casings littered the floor at Jak's feet. He paid no attention to them; he focus was on the Metalhead. Daxter watched in awe as the creature exploded into several blobs of Dark Eco. The whole scene took only a few seconds.
The sidekick grinned. "Did you see that? Holy crap, this is the best thing ever!" She hugged her gun. "Yes, you're Mommy's new favorite!"
Jak raised an eyebrow.
"Daddy, Daddy's new favorite," Daxter corrected. Her voice dared Jak to say anything. "What's this thing called, anyway?"
Jak glanced at the name branded on the mod piece. "Vulcan."
"Nice," Daxter said, stroking the gun barrel.
"We can kick some serious ass with this gun, but we've got to be careful. Torn didn't leave us much ammo and this sucker goes through a lot," Jak said. He kicked the shell casings, their blue light fading to a dull gray. "If we're light on the trigger it should last us through the rest of the mission."
Jak was right, the duo switched off between firing their weapons, maintaining a careful balance between their precious ammunition and the need to complete their objective. Daxter greatly enjoyed the Vulcan, she had no problem firing it at Metalheads and watching their bodies dance for a few seconds before dying. The quick pace did not allow the creatures time to react and she liked it that way, much less danger for her or Jak. They held a comfortable silence as they crawled through Dead Town, one so that they would not alert the Metalheads to their presence but also so they wouldn't have to deal with the events of that morning.
The air in Dead Town became much sweeter as they continued on the path toward the Sacred Site. Although the area was still devastated, there was an aura of peacefulness that continued to grow. Jak and Daxter followed the feeling until they reached their goal.
Daxter's mouth dropped open in shock. She gripped Jak's sleeve, unable to process what she was seeing. "Is that, it can't be—"
"It's Samos' hut," Jak said, the same tone of awe in his voice.
The old hut was in a state of decay but the shape was unmistakable. The twisting pathways that led to its front door were still solid despite the state of disrepair. A flood of memories washed over them of summers and winters listening to the lessons and lectures of the Green Sage, as he would explain the history and natural wonders of the world. It was the place where Jak and Daxter had met for the first time, it was the place where Keira had built so many of her inventions, it was the place where Daxter's parents and Jak's Uncle felt safe leaving them alone, it was also the place where Daxter heard his parents say, "I love you," for the last time.
Daxter shook her head in denial. "No, no way. It can't be."
"Daxter, I—"
The sidekick grabbed his shirtfront, shaking the larger hero. "This is a nightmare, Jak, there's no way in hell we're still in Sandover!" Daxter shouted.
"You're right Dax, we're not."
Daxter stopped, her shoulders tense waiting for Jak's explanation.
"We're in Haven City, sometime in Sandover's future. This horrible place . . . this place is our home," Jak said.
The redhead released her grip. She shook her head. "This might be Sandover but it sure as hell ain't home."
Jak knew she was right. No matter how much time they spent behind the city's cold walls it never felt the same as the wooden sanctuary that was Samos' hut. No matter how many cold nights they spent huddled together in Daxter's small bed, it could not compare with the nights under the stars in their youth. The two of them could never fit in with the rest of the city, attach to its vibe the same way Keira did. They were outsiders and always would be. Daxter picked up her gun and glanced over her shoulder. "Come on, let's go tell Tattooed Wonder we did the job."
With a heavy heart, Jak followed.
The thud of boots clanking against metal stairs alerted Torn to their presence. He glanced up from the plans he was working on and was surprised to see the normally manic pair so depressed. He felt a stab of fear. "Did you save the Site?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah, it's all fine and dandy," Daxter muttered.
The Underground Commander let out a silent breath of relief. "Good, because the Shadow wants to meet with you," Torn said.
Jak and Daxter shared a glance. That was good; they'd been hoping to do that for a while now and maybe he could give them some answers. "Why are those old ruins so important to him?" Jak asked.
Torn stood up and gestured for the twosome to follow him. "There's a great power source hidden at the Sacred Site. The Metalheads want it—"
"And so does the Shadow," Jak guessed.
Torn nodded in affirmation.
"Huh, you know it's funny but we know the old buzzard that—" Daxter paused as she saw a new figure come into view.
An older greenish colored man was tinkering away at a workbench. He had a monocle, white bushy eyebrows and a goatee. Jak and Daxter recognized him instantly. It wasn't hard, considering they'd spent about eight-five percent of their childhood attempting to avoid his lectures on responsibility and how careless Daxter was. The old man sniffed at the Demolition Duo. "So, these are the new recruits who are causing so much trouble?" he asked.
"You've got to be kidding me," Daxter said.
"Welcome to our humble Underground movement. They call me The Shadow, but you can call me Samos," the Green Sage told them.
Daxter snorted. "Cut the crap, Grandpa Green. Jeez the nerve Jak, we spend all this time looking for him and he's been hanging out here with Ol' Sourpuss. Keira's been worried sick about you, old man. And another thing--"
Jak placed a warning hand on Daxter's shoulder. She calmed down, wondering what was up. The blond hero frowned. The expression on Samos' wasn't joy, happiness or even recognition, just exasperation and confusion. "You don't recognize us at all? But we went through the Rift Gate, all of us, together," Jak said.
Samos shook his head. "I'm sorry but I don't know what you two have been chewing on but I have no idea what you're talking about. I have a Baron to overthrow, a child heir to find, a Metalhead invasion to stop and a city to save. I don't have time to traveling through Rift Gates, future or no future. Besides, I hate teleporting."
"Well that sounds like Samos all right," Daxter muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.
Jak felt his stomach drop. He had to make Samos remember who they were. "What about Keira, your daughter?" Jak asked.
The older man scoffed. "Daughter, what daughter? I don't have any children, don't have time for them nor the inclination."
For one of the few times in Daxter's life she was speechless. She stared up at Jak, the shock too much for her.
Torn growled in frustration. "We don't have time for this," he said. He tossed the duo a map. "Listen you two, one of our informants is in danger. The Krimzon Guards have discovered her and are closing in on her as we speak. I need you to escort her back to Headquarters. Her value as an informant has been compromised but she could still be useful to the Underground. When you get to her location, ask for Arda."
Jak took that as a cue to leave. "Fine. Let's go, Dax."
"But—"
Jak was firm. "Let's go."
Daxter gave The Shadow one last wary glare and turned to trail Jak.
Torn watched them leave, uncertain what the previous exchange had been about. He had been working with the Rat for over a year and he still knew almost nothing about her or her partner. They acted different and they sounded different from the other citizens of Haven City. Hell, they even walked differently, as if boots were something new to them. And now that bizarre conversation with The Shadow. . .
"Strange ones, aren't they?" Samos asked. "Feels like we have to take anyone with a pulse these days."
"Yeah," Torn answered, lost in his own thoughts.
Jak scouted the area and climbed onboard an unattended vehicle. He waited for Daxter to climb on. She wrapped her arms around his waist and asked the question Jak had been dreading. "What the hell was wrong with Green Stuff back there?"
"I don't think that's the Samos we know," Jak answered, kicking the machine to life.
"What do you—" Before Daxter could finish, Jak took off. He zoomed forward, following the instructions that Torn had given them. Daxter clung onto him for dear life, too afraid to talk about anything, lest she break the blond's concentration. The zoomer zipped between buildings and down narrow alleys before stopping in front of an innocuous looking building that looked very much like every other building in the slums. Daxter slid off the machine on shaky legs. "Sheesh, could you go any faster? I didn't see my life flash before my eyes!"
Jak ignored her and knocked on an unmarked door. Daxter rushed up to join him, just in case there was trouble. A peephole opened and a pair of painted eyes peered out at them. "What do you want?" a feminine voice snapped at them.
"We're here to see Arda," Jak said.
There was a delicate snort from the other side of the door. "She really is the popular one, isn't she? Come on in." The door swung open and the heavy scent of perfume assaulted their noses. Jak entered, dragging Daxter behind him. The door shut after them, leaving the duo trapped in one of the plushest places Jak had ever seen. Rich fabrics and overstuffed pillows crowded the main room with a series of doors branching to unknown places. Daxter groaned.
"Precursors, not this place again," she muttered.
"Hello, and welcome to my home," a familiar soothing voice greeted them. Jak and Daxter turned to find a pretty older woman wearing a rather revealing outfit. She paused as she gazed at Daxter. "My, I certainly wasn't expecting to see you again," she said, a smirk curling her lip. She then turned her warm gaze to Jak. "Nor for such a handsome man to require our services."
As Jak started to realize exactly where he was, Daxter interrupted. "Listen Minc, we're here on business."
The older woman approached the duo, invading their personal space. "Of course you are, everything's business here," Minc said, entwining her arms with Jak and Daxter's. She leaned her lips close to Jak's ear. "And here we make business very pleasurable." She turned his head to meet her eyes. "I'm certain that you and your partner can come to an agreement with me."
Jak slipped out from her grasp and yanked Daxter toward himself. He placed a protective arm across her chest. "We're just here to talk to Arda."
Minc pouted at the loss of a potential prize. "Fine, she's behind that door." A well-manicured finger pointed to a door on the left.
"Thanks," Jak said, his voice flat. He led Daxter to the indicated door and knocked.
A green-haired woman in her late-twenties answered the door, her hair and clothes disheveled. She was obviously still at her toilet. "I'm sorry, I'm not ready yet." She smoothed her hair with frantic movements of her hands.
"Are you Arda?" Jak asked.
"Yes," the woman answered, brushing her hair out of her face.
Jak dropped his voice to a low whisper. "We're from the Underground."
Arda's eyes widened with surprise and more than a little relief. "Oh yes, come in." She pushed open the door and allowed the hero and his sidekick to enter. The woman closed the door and faced the newcomers. Her room was not a quarter as opulent as the greeting room. It was almost empty except for the bed and some cabinets on the walls. A large mirror hung over the bed and the bedposts themselves had handcuffs built in, obviously meant for her more kinky clients.
"Do you have any news?" she asked.
Daxter looked at the slight woman, uncertain if this was whom Torn was talking about. "Are you sure you're who we're supposed to be talking to, lady?"
For her credit, Arda did not look insulted. "Let me explain, my name is Arda. For the past six months I have been using my position to extract information from the Krimzon Guard and sell it to the Underground."
Daxter grimaced. "You mean you—"
Arda answered without shame. "Yes, they were my clients."
"Well your clients are onto you. Torn sent us to get you out of here," Jak said.
Arda dropped her eyes. "I knew this would happen but I was hoping it would be later," she said. "We have to go now?"
"Unless you want to be toast, toots," Daxter said.
The green-haired woman nodded. "Okay, let me just get my daughter." She dashed out of the room.
Jak and Daxter shared a look of surprise. A daughter? This was going to complicate things, a lot.
Arda came in carrying a small girl with the same green hair. The child was about the same age as the boy Jak and Daxter had led to Kor. Arda set her daughter on the ground and knelt in front of her. "Remember how I said we'd be going on a trip?" The little girl nodded. "Well, today's the day. Can you pack a few things for yourself right away?" The girl nodded. "Good girl, hurry now," Arda said.
The little girl grabbed a backpack from underneath the worn bed and started throwing clothes into it. Arda watched, her face proud. Jak and Daxter took this all in, unsure how to react or how to feel. They didn't know this woman yet she had to trust them with not only her life, but also the life of her little girl. Jak wondered why Torn hadn't mentioned the child, or if he had known about her at all.
The little girl finished and slung the backpack on her shoulders. Arda smiled and opened a cabinet door. Inside was an already packed bag. She had been planning this for a while. She hoisted it on and grabbed her daughter. "Let's go," she said.
Before they could move the door swung open. "Where do you think you're going?" Minc demanded, her body blocking the doorway.
"I have to leave, the Krimzon Guard are coming," Arda answered.
A scowl crossed Minc's face. "You didn't," she said. "I thought I drove that spying nonsense out of your head."
Arda crossed the room to face her employer. "We're at war, Minc." She drew her gaze to the child in her arms. "We can't afford not to take sides."
Arda pushed Minc to the side but the other woman wouldn't have it. Minc grasped the arm carrying the girl. "That might be true for you but I'm running a business, a business that relies on staying neutral. You've just signed a death warrant for all of us."
Arda shook her head. "Not if I'm not here. Deny that you ever knew what I was doing."
Minc scoffed. "They won't believe that."
Daxter and Jak found themselves in silent agreement that the Madame was right.
The green-haired woman pulled away. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't let the Baron continue what he was doing without a fight. This isn't the world I want for my daughter. Goodbye and thank you for giving me a home," Arda said. She moved past her former employer and out into the air. Jak and Daxter followed without hesitation.
"Arda, please!" Minc cried. "Listen to me!"
But Arda never heard her; she was already gone. Jak and Daxter, on the other hand, just paid no attention to the Madame; they had an informant to escort.
Seemed like a good place to end the chapter, though I had a lot more planned. I just wanted to get something out there since who knows when I'll find time to write again. Part of me also wonders if I should do something kind of dirty in the next chapter or not. Ah, I'll see how I feel when I write it.