Authors Note: Hey guys! I'm back with another update weeeee! Only three more chapters after this one omg! Owo That went so fasssssst. And its summer so I can prob update a bit more lawl. Anyways, to my lovely reviewers:
Miracle Mar: Ehehe, lets just say Jak's not gonna be a happy camper when he gets there. You will see what happened to Ter in this chapter, so chill :P Errol isn't involved in the kidnapping, but he is in quite a few parts of this chapter, lawl. Lol, thanks! Hope you liked this update!
Yasu XIII: There, I'm writing chapter 12! So chill! XD
xoxReneeOrionxox: Yay, thank you :3 and I know! I can't wait to start Book3! Oh, he's gonna save her, no worries about that XD Thanks for the review!
And now, on with the chapter!
Through Another's Eyes: Book Two
Chapter Twelve: A Shift in Feelings
Jak couldn't believe he had let the Baron get away with the Precursor stone. Not only that, but the royal idiot had apparently taken his friends as well. The male frowned, entering the Underground hideout silently, mulling over what had happened. He had failed Tera again, and that didn't sit well with him at all.
"How did the Baron know we were so close to making a move for the stone?" he muttered as he walked into the main meeting area, frown deepening when he didn't immediately see Torn.
"It's my fault," the commander's voice startled them, the two glancing at each other then to Torn. He seemed uncharacteristically worried, "The Baron threatened to kill Ashelin for spying. His own daughter! I couldn't risk that, even for the Underground…"
Jak felt a growl form in the back of his throat, approaching the commander silently. Daxter took the opportunity to 'explain' the situation, "Right! Very good thinking… except Praxis has the Precursor Stone now, so he can do whatever he wants!"
"There is still a way to get our friends back," Torn stood up, crossing his arms, "and maybe the Precursor Stone as well. I'll find Vin. Go to the fortress, and we'll call you."
"And why should we trust you?" Jak demanded, Dark growling in his mind. The demon wanted something to kill…
"Because you and I both know the Baron would have killed Ashelin!" Torn snapped, Jak looking away for a moment; it was true. He turned to walk out, Torns voice sounding behind him.
"It'll be a tough ride through the fortress, probably suicide…"
"You just get that door open," Jak cut him off, "I'll be there."
He didn't wait for a reply this time and left the hideout, snatching the first zoomer he spotted and taking off towards the fortress. It was the last place he wanted to go, but if his friends were being held there then he'd get them out. 'You better be alright, Ter, or I'll kill 'em all…'
Once more he found himself in the place where they had been chased by a tank, but this time the back 'door' was open. Jak grabbed the ammo nearby before loading the Vulcan Fury and inching towards the first corner, ears perked at the sound of KG voices. When the one closest to him looked away, he snagged the opportunity and jumped out, catching the man off guard with a barrage of blue bullets.
The other guards gave yells, trying to shoot back. Dark was hissing and clawing in his mind, wanting out, wanting to kill the guards that had touched Tera… Jak gave in, the demon emerging with a crackle of dark eco, skin and hair paling, horns and claws growing, and eyes turning pitch black. The demon launched itself in the air, slamming down and performing a dark bomb that took out all of the remaining guards.
"Good work, buddy!" Daxter chirped when Jak turned back, the blond holding his head as the pain from the horns disappearing went away. Saying nothing, he jumped onto the pedestals the guards had been on and slammed the buttons on each one before heading into the next room. Slamming the final button, the force field gate went down and allowed them to continue onwards. Jak jumped over the trip lasers in the next room, using the guns themselves as stepping stones to get across to the area after it.
The renegade jumped on his jet board for the half-pipe ahead of them, jumping up and grinding across the next pipe as quickly as possible to avoid the lasers there. Once on the next side, he had to run like hell to avoid gun shots from above them, cursing the KG's the entire time. The next set of guards went down easily, and after another pipe Jak grinned. Almost there…
The Scatter gun was used on the spyroids that jumped up in front of him, Jak bolting through the prison door as it opened and closed behind him. The first thing Jak noticed was what sounded like someone kicking one of the doors. Then, just as Torn had said, all the cell doors began to open. Jak jumped slightly when Tera flew out of one, landing on her back and blinking at the ceiling in surprise.
"Ter!" Jak helped the girl up, "You alright?" he smirked when she nodded, "I take it, it was you I heard kicking a door?"
"Hey," she shrugged, "I was bored. I knew you'd show up eventually."
Daxter had rushed over to the cell holding Tess, leaning against the wall with an arrogant look, "Hey there sweetheart! The Metal Head masher has saved the day! Oh, and I let Jak tag along too."
"Oh, my little hero!" Tess grabbed the ottsel, squishing him in a tight hug. Jak and Tera approached the final cell, spotting Samos inside.
"Samos? Are you alright?" Jak questioned.
"What took you so long?!" the two teens jumped when their Samos suddenly stuck his head in the doorway, marching past them "I added six rings to my trunk waiting for you to get me outta here!"
Tera and Jak exchanged shocked looks, looking back to Samos when he suddenly turned his attention to them again, "Great yakow horns! What happened to you two?!"
"Wait a minute!" Daxter slipped from Tess's hold, pointing to the old sage, "You're you! I mean the other you! I mean… you know what I mean!"
"Yes, it appears I have an older time twin," the younger Samos approached his older self, frowning, "Great grass grubs! I can't believe what a cranky old log I've become!"
"Two Samos the Sages?" Daxter screamed and ran behind Jak's legs, "Jak, they're multiplying!"
"We need to find the kid, pronto!" the older Samos exclaimed suddenly.
"What are you talking about, 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 is to find the kid!"
"Listen, you old dried up leaf, I run this outfit, and I say we go after the Baron's forces!"
Daxter jumped between the two sages, "Do we have to separate you two?"
"Vin's activating the Warp Gate," Jak interrupted them "We need to get out of here. Now." The group nodded, jumping through the gate one by one, Daxter being the last to go through.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Can't we ever get a break?" Daxter grumbled from his place on Jaks shoulder, picking bits of metal from his fur, "It's always one thing after another!"
The three had just finished taking down a set of blast bots that had been sent after the hideout; not a fun task. Luckily, by going right underneath them they were unable to target properly and thus were easier to take care of. However, just when they'd thought they could take a break Keira had contacted them regarding the class 2 race at the stadium, meaning they had to head over there now.
Heading in, it was surprising to see Keira wasn't in the garage, but the worst surprise was when Errol suddenly walked out from behind a stack of crates, approaching the three renegades.
"Well, if it's the dark eco freak and his little sidekicks," he sneered.
"Where's Keira?" Jak asked simply, holding his temper.
"Don't worry, I'm keeping a close eye on her," Errol began to circle around the three, "You're the talk of the town, Jak! You give the people hope," he drew close to them again, "how pathetic. I would have enjoyed killing you in prison, but now, it'll be so much more fun to take you on the track, in front of the entire city! I can hear the roar of the crowd now… as everyone sees their hope die…"
"It's good to have you back, Daddy," Keira's voice came from the entrance to the garage, drawing the attention of the others. She walked in with the old Samos beside her.
"Yes, it's nice to be free again…" the sage commented, eyes still on his daughter.
"You know," Errol leaned closer to Jak, voice lowering, "Keira loves a winner. Someday she'll be my mechanic."
"Stay away from her," Jak growled quietly, clenching his fists as Errol gave a laugh and walked off.
"Ah," Keira gave a sigh, eyes following the red headed commander, "Errol's the best racer I've ever seen."
"He's not what you think," Jak replied simply. Keira frowned, eyes narrowing at the male.
"And you're a good judge of character? HAH!" she sneered, "Look at you! People say you get angry and… change. Besides, the Jak I knew wouldn't be working for a guy like Krew!"
Tera stared at her sister, hardly able to believe what she was hearing. Keira had practically just called him a monster! How could she do that if she loved Jak? 'Maybe she's changed more then I thought…' the blonde mused, eyes going to Jak.
He was frowning now to, eyes narrowed, "I need Krew's connections to fight the Baron! Without my… you know what? Do it your way, and I'll do it mine. Just don't come crying to me when walls fall down!" the male turned, storming out of the garage, leaving Tera and Daxter staring after him in surprise.
"Ah, Jak, buddy?" Daxter called after him, "haha… where you going there pal? Jak? Jak?!"
"Attention all drivers, the Class Two races will begin soon." A metallic voice rang through the garage.
"Now what are we gonna do?!" Daxter exclaimed, fidgeting.
Keira turned to the ottsel, "You'll have to drive for the team, Daxter! We need this win to qualify for the final championship!"
"How hard can it be? Just hold on tight and point the thingy where I want it to go, right? And then there's that other thingy that make's it go fast. Fast is good! I can do this! I'm ready to race!"
"Then lets go Dax, the race is gonna start soon!" Tera waited till the ottsel had hopped onto her shoulder before heading for the arena, taking her friend down to the racers area before heading to grab a seat for herself. Her sister's behavior towards Jak was still bothering her… The race started, and Teras attention was drawn to cheering for the little ottsel as he sped alongside all the other racers. Tess found her at one point and the two cheered as loudly as they could, yelling happily when Daxter won the race.
They hurried back to the garage just as Daxter stumbled in carrying his trophy. He placed it on the counter, then hopped up beside it, grinning.
"Now there's a handsome winner!" Daxter grinned at his reflection in the cup.
"You did it Daxter! You helped us qualify for the big race!" Keira praised the ottsel.
"Good work Dax," Tera added, grinning.
"Did you ever doubt? I back seat drive for Jak all the time!" he turned to Tess, motioning to his cheek, "Hey! When do I get the winners big kiss?"
Tess giggled, "Maybe later… if you're a good boy!" she rubbed the ottsels head. Daxter grinned, then looked behind Tess, perking up.
"Hey there," he greeted as Jak approached, "we, ah, showed those Class two losers a thing or two, huh?" the ottsel hopped down to the ground in front of his friend.
"I saw," Jak grinned back, "You drifted a little high in the turns a few times, but," he bent down, knocking his fist against the ottsels, "you hung in there. I'm proud of you Dax."
The ottsel perked, "Really?"
"Yeah, you did great."
"No!" Daxter smirked, jumping on the males shoulder, "We did great. Right, partner?"
Jak gave the ottsel another grin, then glanced at Keira. She turned, crossing her arms and refusing to look at him. Jak frowned, turning and heading for the exit, Daxter blinking back at Tera.
"You coming, Ter?" the blonde nodded to him.
"I'll be there in a second." She replied, waiting till the guys and Tess had left before approaching Keira, "Keira?"
"Yah?" the girl turned, freezing when pain suddenly formed on her cheek. Keira brought a hand up to the tender flesh, staring at the frowning blonde girl in shock. Tera had slapped her?
"How could you do that to him, Keira?" Tera growled quietly, fists clenched, "I thought you loved Jak? How could you call him a monster like that?" the girl turned, "I guess you've changed a lot more then I thought." She didn't wait for a reply, heading out of the race garage to find the guys. She'd said what she'd wanted to say, and thus had no reason to stick around.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After about an hour spent in the sewers with some of Krew's less then friendly workers, going to the oracle again and finding a peace maker addition at the port, the three renegades finally headed back to the Hip Hog. Jak wasn't in the best mood, and not just because of the incident with Keira. While down in the sewers, Krew's men had literally detonated the statue of Mar in order to get at a gem named the Heart of Mar. It just didn't sit well with the hero.
Once in the bar, Tera flopped into a seat while Jak took the one next to her, Daxter sprawling out on the bar itself to flirt with Tess. The blonde girl was more then happy to indulge, stroking the ottsels back fondly.
"Hey!" the group's heads snapped up when Krew suddenly appeared above them, frowning at Tess, "Back to work toots!"
"She's working beach ball! Quit your yappin'!" Daxter replied, turning back to Tess again.
"Watch it!" Krew flew in close to Daxter, "Or you'll be yet another trophy hung on these walls!" Daxter fainted while the fat man floated over to the wall of trophies, laughing manically.
"Jak, I want you to throw the championship race. Just let Errol win…"
"You bet against us?!" Jak growled, fists clenching.
"Jak, Jak," Krew had floated back down to the group, giving a 'smile', "It's just business. You've become a symbol to those townies. They'll bet everything on a glimmer of hope. What better time to make money? Waddaya say my boy?"
"I say you're going to lose a lot of money," Jak smirked, turning away from the fat man, "Because I'm going to race, and I intend to win."
"Aggggh! You little…" Krew flew up to the ceiling, breathing heavily and pointing towards the male, "You're becoming more trouble then you're worth!" he flew back down, getting right in Jaks face, "I wouldn't get too comfy if I was you!" his eyes went to Daxter, then Tera, "Everyone's expendable!"
"In a hurry to die, boy?" a horribly familiar voice growled, Errol striding forwards when Krew flew back up to the ceiling, "Well, we don't have to wait for the big race! We can do this right now! One on one, through the city, using accelerator rings. Hit every ring from start to finish. Miss even one ring and its over." He turned away briefly, "Keira already thinks you're a loser," he turned again, his fist in Jaks face, "And I'll prove it now, once and for all!"
Jak growled, smacking his hand away, "You're on."
"Jak!" Tera jumped up when Errol left, staring at the male, "You don't have to do this! Let your ego go for once and back down!"
"He's a menace, Ter," Jak glanced at the girl, Daxter jumping on his shoulder, "Maybe by bruising his ego I can keep him away from my friends."
"That makes no sense, Jak!" Tera frowned, "I understand you want to keep him away from Keira, but-"
"I'm not doing this because of Keira," Jak cut her off, giving her a long look that she couldn't decipher, "I'll see you at the Stadium steps; that's where the finish line is."
"Jak!" the male had already started walking, heading out the door. Tera ran after him, getting outside just in time to see the two race off on their zoomers. She gave a frustrated sigh, snatching a zoomer for herself and speeding off towards the stadium. Getting there, she sat down on the stadium steps and waited, resting her elbows on her knees. It was dark by the time the two finally appeared, Jak obviously in the lead. Tera got up and dashed over, stopping once she was in hearing range.
"Aggghh! Don't get too cocky, outlaw!" Errol barked, "Next time we race for keeps! And your head will be my trophy!" the KG commander snapped his helmet down over his face, taking off. Jak smirked; crossing his arms and watching him fly off.
"Ahhh, blow it out your ear!" Daxter shouted after him, "You were bottle-fed, weren't you?"
"Good work, guys," Jak lowered the zoomer to ground level at Tera's voice, grinning.
"Told you I'd win. Now come on," he motioned to the zoomer, "No more calls for the night; we actually get to sleep."
"Oh thank god," Tera laughed, "As much as I hate your driving… I'm too tired to really care right now," that said, the blonde girl climbed on behind him, holding on tight as he sped off towards their apartment. Though she was glad Jak had beaten Errol, she got the feeling that this wasn't the last time they'd be confronted by the KG commander…