The Human Condition

Chapter 2: Fighting the Good Fight

Author's Note: This chapter is mostly building the basis for the rest of the story. So there's a lot of running around. It might be a little dry but bear with me, I promise the next one will be a lot more intense. All the same, enjoy.

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----Strip Mine----

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A lone figure crept out of the shadows leaning his body into the rock around him. Quickly accessing the distance between the ledge and the moving crane coming towards him Jak inched a few steps closer. He had to time this just right or else falling would be the least of his worries. There were more than a hundred Krimzon Guard units out on the field below him.

And each one of them were equipped with enough Vulcan mounts to render him into swiss cheese if given the chance.

Turning to the ottsel that had a vice like grip on his shoulder Jak muttered, "Vin was right."

The last time they had been in the quarry Jak had destroyed all the dark eco mines the Baron had opened. It had been a rush job thanks to bombs that were almost as jumpy as the guy that had given them to him but Jak made sure there was no way the mines could be salvaged.

Or so he thought.

Recently Vin had sent word that the KG had been seen near the dark eco mines again.

And it looked like Mr. Paranoia had been on to something.

Quickly seeing a opening in the platoon marches the boy barrel rolled forward, pushing his legs forward so he could drop soundlessly on the ore filled bucket just as it passed it him by. Below him the hollow marching of KG soldiers continued, as no one noticed the young man that vaulted into the air far above their heads.

Wasting no time to jump to the other side Jak quickly ducked under the rocks and metal scraps as he made his way to the hollowed out control center that Vin used to hide out in. If he could just make it there...

His thought was short lived when the door to the small shack flung open and several guards stepped out into the fading light. With an animal like jerk Jak had cleared the distance behind the shack and was lowering himself onto the cliff ledge on the opposite end before the first flash of red emerged from the landing.

He could wait.

Right now he needed to know what the Krimzon Guard were doing back in the quarry.

And he could always pump them full of bullets later.

Shifting his weight he caused loose rocks and bits of gravel to spill over the side of the cliff as he dug his shoes firmly into the earth. The small echo of the stones hit the walls only once before it was lost to the abyss below.

Watching them fall Daxter took that moment to shoot a glance down.

And then he really wished he hadn't.

This fall was a real lulu.

Nothing but jagged rocks and black water was gonna be there to greet them if twinkle toes managed to step on a loose patch of rock. Paling inwardly Daxter tightened his grip on the blue bits of fabric that were already knotted around his small hands.

"Jak." He managed in a small voice.

But if his companion heard him the taller of the two didn't think to answer.

Daxter knew that look.

Jak was a lot more occupied with the raging danger that was in front of them as opposed to the one behind them.

He could tell without even looking at him that Jak was ticked, since he was standing on shoulders that were so rigid they might as well have been made of stone. Raising his head Daxter took in his friend's face his ears lowering as he did so. Jak's teeth were clenched into a snarl and the boy's baby blues were staring ahead with such intensity it looked like they were on fire.

Jak had become untouchable.

And when he went to that place there was no amount of screaming or bad jokes that could bring back from it until every last piece of ammo on the kid was either pumped into some metal head or shelled onto the floor.

At times like this Daxter just had to hang on and hope they'd still have all their body parts when it was over.

But that didn't mean he had to shut up while he was hanging on.

"Y'know, I love being in the middle of a death sandwich and all big guy but'cha think next time we can try a hiding spot that doesn't have a fifty foot drop?" He asked shooting his companion a dark look.

The only reply Jak made was a choked rush of air as he brought a finger to his lips and silenced him.

"Commander Errol says he wants the mines operational again by tomorrow." One of the sergeants above him barked. "You have your orders. The Commander said any delays in construction will be dealt with personally."

Moving a few inches forward Jak strained his neck as far as he could in a attempt to peer over the edge.

The raging sound of engines blasted overhead as Hellcat cruisers chugged towards one of the sunken dark eco mines. Chained to each of the huge zoomers were giant dollies strapped with drills easily the size of small tanks. One by one they were placed by each of the three lower mines.

"I tell ya this Baron guy's just getting sloppy. There ain't no way they're gonna get those mines up and running again." Daxter sneered.

"I don't think they're planning on fixing the mines, Dax. It looks more like they're trying to flood them." Jak replied. "Those drills are too big for anything else."

"But if they do a hack job like that all there gonna wind up with is a cesspool of dark eco." The ottsel said climbing over Jak's ear so he could get a better look. "What would they gain from just having it lying here in the middle of nowhere?"

"That's a good question." Jak muttered.

In the distance the loud boom of a drill erupted as the giant machines were powered on one by one.

"But whatever it is, I'll bet its bad." Jak answered tugging at his morph gun and cradling it against the rocks and his knee as he prepared to get up. "That's why we're not letting those drills reach the mines."

"ARE YOU OUTTA YER SKULL?" The ottsel snarled before thrusting his finger in Jak's face. "Wait, don't answer that. I know what you're thinking and STOP IT!" Eyes shifting from the sea of red below them and back to Jak's face Daxter tried to force his logic on his friend. "Listen babe, there's over a hundred of em down there and only one of you. Not to mention the zoomers with the lasers and big booming things that go zap or squish! Our orders were to find out what was going on in the quarry and we did that. BING! Mission complete, we get a gold star. So let's go tell Dreadlock Jim the good news and get the hell out of here before someone spots us!"

Getting that slightly insane smile on his face Jak turned the safety off his morph gun, "C'mon Dax, where's your sense of adventure?"

"Gee I must have left it my other pair of pants." Daxter countered before he seethed, "Wait that's right, I don't have pants."

Ignoring him Jak dug his nails into the rock and climbed back onto the ledge. "Trust me Dax. I won't let anything happen to you." The outlaw said giving his friend a small smile. Although it was only the ghost of Jak's smile and not the one of their carefree childhood days, Daxter looked at his best friend and felt his heart clench.

He had heard that line a lot even before Jak had been able to say it in words... and in all their adventures he had never doubted it once.

Scowling Daxter dropped an "f" bomb as he realized there was no getting out of this one. Just like that Jak had managed to KO any retort he might have been able to spit out.

Lowering his eyes defeated Daxter flicked his tail once before he sighed, "Yeah, I trust you buddy."

Silently Jak gave his friend a grateful look, his blue eyes washing into the warm blue they had once been. Then as quickly as it had crossed his face the gentle look was gone as Jak loaded a shot into the firing chamber and stepped out into plain sight.

Crossing his arms as Jak worked Daxter looked over the edge towards the men below him and spat, " I just don't trust them."

But the fireworks were already beginning.

In the time it took for Daxter to mutter that sentence Jak had taken out three KG guards and was running full speed towards the center.

"Jak..." Daxter whined as he jerked back and forth on the young rebel's shoulder. Already the KG had noticed a few of their armored bodies stiffen and crash to the ground. It only took a few more seconds before the air became alive with gunfire.

"JAK!!"

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----Haven City----

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Shifting through his paper work Torn took a jagged puff of air and stared out at the now empty HQ. Leaning on his side of his table he let his shoulders sag in a moment of weakness now that no one was around to watch.

This had been a long war... and it wasn't over yet.

Rubbing a kink in his tired shoulder joints the elf bit his lip and stared out at a topical map. Despite the aching stiffness and the exhaustion creeping up on him he had to keep going.

He could sleep when he was dead.

Suddenly the front door creaked open and blinding light filtered into the Underground's dismal room. Bringing a hang up to block out the sudden change in light Torn tried to make out the stranger that was coming down the stairs.

It was one of the last people he had expected.

"Ashelin?" He asked his voice full of surprise. "What are you doing here?" Then looking her over he added. "And why do you look like you just participated in a wet t-shirt contest?"

"Cute." She smirked.

Letting out a weak laugh the stern captain walked forward. "That guy's rat is rubbing off on you." She said closing her eyes as she pushed the wet locks of hair away from her face. Her lips curling into a darker smile she added, "Careful with that mouth solider, you may not work under me anymore but I'm not above giving corporal punishment."

"I'll remember that." The ex-guard replied ever rigidly although there was a small hint of a smile on his face. Moving towards the mens barracks he fumbled through some chests before he returned with a towel. "Here," He said chucking it at her and watching as she caught it easily. "I just mopped in here." Setting the joking aside he asked, "So what do I owe the pleasure, Captain?" Despite the fact he was glad to see her, Torn would eternally be business first. "You know it's not really a good idea for you to be here. If a patrol zoomer saw you--"

"I know." Ashelin muttered cutting him off as she rubbed the towel through her red locks. "I won't be here long." Taking a deep breath the woman rested her hands firmly on her hips before she explained, "Jak stood me up, so just give him a message for me and I'll be out of your hair."

"Yeah." Torn shrugged. "No problem."

Her eyes shifting ever so slightly the woman avoided her friend's gaze as she fumbled for the words. "B... before Jak though." She asked staring ahead of her. "Where's the kid?"

The few seconds of awkward silence that followed told Torn what he assumed from the beginning.

So that was the reason Ashelin looked like a drowned rat.

There was only one man alive that had that effect on her and that was the Kid.

Ashelin was a woman with few equals. Her pride was something even he knew better than try to conqueror. While she wouldn't say anything and he wouldn't ask... Torn could tell she had been crying.

."Sleeping." Torn said pointing to a small closed room on the other side. He looked at her, his eyes full of soft sympathy despite his stone like demeanor as he simply added, "He had a rough day. It's kinda been one of those days for all of us."

"Tell me about it." Ashelin muttered digging her nails into the table as she leaned forward. Slowly turning to her old friend the woman gave him a tired smile. "And I'm not going to make it any better. You better sit down for this one."

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----Strip Mine---

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Two hellcat cruisers and fifty nine solders later Jak had managed to fire his last shot.

"Damn." He muttered tossing his last scatter shell to the floor.

"I can think of a few words that can describe this situation better than that!" Daxter snapped trying to hide the unmasculine rise in his voice as he realized they were screwed. "NOW WHAT?!"

Jak's eyes darted quickly to the corner of the mines, desperate for any signs of a crate of ammo the KG might have dropped in the confusion of his attack. Despite the fact there was eco everywhere, he didn't want to rely on his darker self unless he had no other choice.

They had created a gaping hole in the guard, but they were a long way from home.

And the KG were regrouping.

"JAK!" Daxter exclaimed yanking one of his partner's long ears in a frantic attempt to warn him. But the weapon came down on Jak before the ottsel's cry had a chance to register. From the shadows a KG guard stepped forward blindsiding the boy with the barrel of his gun.

Pain seering across Jak's forehead he was instantly knocked backward. The force of the blow hit the rebel hard, causing the small creature on his shoulder to fly off into the surrounding dirt.

Letting out a muffled choke, Jak's leg went out on him as his vision blurred giving the guard enough time to shove him on to the remains of one of the fallen Hellcat cruisers.

"That was a cheap shot!" Daxter snarled as he picked himself up off the ground.

White pain flooding through his temples Jak's head was still spinning from the attack as he clumsly managed to catch the guard's wrist before it could collide with his jaw. But there was little else he could do. The boy was at a severe disadvantage as the weight of the officer and the restraint of the car behind him pinned him fast to where he lay.

"Don't move, eco freak." The guard snarled drawing his taser closer to Jak's face. He held it there for a few seconds before lowering it inches from the boy's throat as if it were a dagger. "Well well. Here we were tearing the city apart looking for you and you decided to pay us a visit instead. The Commander will be overjoyed."

Through a tinted black visor the officer watched in sick amusement as the boy flinched and thrashed as the white sparks from the device blistered his skin.

Stifling a choke of pain that quickly turned into a snarl Jak's teeth firmly clenched shut as the heat seared into his cheek. No matter how many times he had gotten hit with the things Jak had yet to get used to the feeling.

Already he could hear the crackling of flesh as his upper ear was burned under the intense heat of the device. But he could take a little sunburn pain.

And was just the thing he needed.

Now he was pissed.

Snapping his leg forward Jak struck his steel boot tips hard into the armored gut of the guard. Despite the many layers of padding on the man's armor Jak knew how deliver a few cheap shots of his own.

Jutting backwards the man's mouth opened as he dry heaved letting go of Jak as he lost control of the contents of his stomach as well as his hands. The guard spasmed instantly sinking to his knees, his lips flailing open like a fish as he tried to suck back the air that had been so rigidly knocked out of him. Seeing his chance Jak ducked underneath the man before he was back on his feet and had a ottsel roughly tucked under one arm.

"Took you long enough!" Daxter snapped scrambling up Jak's arm so he could get back onto his usual spot. "Now how the hell are we going to get out of here?"

"I'm thinking." Jak managed shooting up the ledge of one of the destroyed mines. Underneath the slabs of loose rock and dirt he could see the oil like shine of eco spilling out from the cracks.

There was no other option now.

If he wanted to make out here alive, he had to find a way to reach the eco underneath him.

"Well, not to put a wrench in your creative process or nothing Jak but you might want to speed it up!" His friend shrieked tugging on his hair as the remaining Hellcat cruisers loomed towards them.

A moaning sound erupted from the vehicles as the light from each cruiser's twin blaster cannons heated up. Eyes shrinking in horror Jak realized just where they were aiming.

Shit.

With the pool of dark eco only a few feet below him, Jak was standing on a giant explosives platform.

And he wasn't about to sit around and watch what happened when dark eco and blasters collided.

"Hold on to something, Dax." Jak said the words leaving his mouth in a choked whisper.

Whatever else Daxter had been about to say died on his lips. Meeting Jak's burning blue eyes the ottsel could tell already that this wasn't going to be fun.

One lousy shot from a stray cannon was all it took.

And suddenly the entire strip mine howled as if it were alive.

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END CHAPTER 2