I know…no excuse for not updating…. Won't even try to explain.
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Three times. Three times in a row. That was the number of times they had ended up back at the center of the square when Dax kept intense track of where he was going. The first time Torn snorted, assuming he had made a mistake. The second time he was paying close attention and marked the snow in the square to ensure they didn't come back. The third time he put his hand to the wall too. He and Dax headed in opposite directions, and came into the square right next to each other.
"How the hell do we get out of here?"
Torn frowned, "I'm not even sure where the car is. Who's to say we don't leave and end up far away from where we should be?"
Dax frowned too, looking up as the small flakes that had been falling for the past half hour fell against his cheeks. Torn could see the setting sun, and gestured for Dax to follow him to a safe place for the night. He stopped when he realized the lanky red-head wasn't following him. He stood there watching the sun set.
A second of blinding light, then the whole town seemed to go dark. Torn cursed under his breath as he fumbled for a flashlight in his belt. The surly man never got it out though, as the whole town seemed to light up. Daxter leaned down to wipe the snow from under his feet, and was surprised to find it was glass holding them up.
"So it wasn't just the square. The whole city is built on glass over a serious system of electronics."
"Yeah, but that doesn't help us escape," Torn cleared some of the snow with his boot, watching the lights as they seemed to flow under his feet.
"Maybe, but it might lead us to the exit."
The words barely left his mouth before the line of lights he stood over turned from the soft green to a violent red. No other lights were effected. With a look of suspicion, the brown haired guard followed after Dax, who went along without a thought.
"This could be a trap."
"By who? The city is deserted."
"Maybe before it was deserted."
"No. That's too easy."
"How would they know which exit we're looking for."
"There is probably only one. Why else would we not be able to find a way out?"
"You and Jak are too optimistic."
"…" Daxter didn't respond, just followed the red lights.
They twisted and turned in surprising directions, ones they didn't remember taking. The cold air was biting at their skin, rapidly loosing heat as the moon rose. Torn followed Dax without another word, his gun in his hands and the ever vigilant muse on his shoulder. A holler of surprise snapped his attention to the front, his gun level and ready to be fired, but the young red-head was darting forward, into the open air towards their vehicle. With a sigh of relief, Torn holstered his gun and followed him out.
"We're leaving, now."
"Cool," Dax murmured as he settled into the seat, and quickly buckled up.
They were off in a flash, going as fast as they could away, unaware of the dark eyes that watched them leave the city. Several miles away, after hours of driving, the snow had stopped and the air started to warm. Torn parked the car and, once again as calm on the inside as he appeared outside, he leaned back in his seat, settled to get some sleep. Looking over he could see the ex-ottsel already fast asleep. The muse curled up between them and was soon fast asleep as well.
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Jak found himself pacing outside the hospital, unable to actually go in. From inside, doctors would glance at him in interest. Finally he sat down, back to the doors, head in hands. What he needed right then was a large boost of confidence in the form of a small orange friend. More than ever he felt bad about chasing him off. A small feeling in the back of his mind told him things wouldn't ever be the same, though he had no idea how very true that was.
A hand on his shoulder jolted him from his reserve, and sent his hands flying to his gun. Jinx stood behind him, hands raised in a non threatening manner as he back away slightly.
"Didn't know you were so on edge Blondie."
"Yeah. Sorry."
"No problem. I just cam from getting stitched up though, wouldn't like to go back just yet. Hero.'
"Don't you have something to blow up?"
"On my way to speak to our wonderful princess, er, baroness, now."
"You do that."
"I hear there's a pretty young thing in there that just woke up asking for you, you know Blondie."
With that the explosives tech walked off, a smile on his face. Jak bolted up and entered without a second thought. It wasn't quite as good as Daxter, but it worked anyway.
In her room, Samos stood over his daughter's bed. Kiera was in bad shape, mostly covered in bandages, and connected to several machines to monitor her. When he saw this, Jak froze. He wasn't sure he could face her, always strong and so quick to heal. Compared to him, she was frail and it was his fault that he expected her to have the wherewithal to stand up the way he and Dax did.
She wasn't weak. Never weak. She just wasn't like him, or Daxter, or even Torn and Ashlen, who's strength was borne of desperation. They had all done well to be sure her and Tess would never be able to defend themselves by deluding themselves that they would always be there so they wouldn't have to. Jak was sure now, if, when, she got better, he would teach her to fight the way he had once taught Dax, the way Torn could, even Ashlen's style would be fine, as long as she never had to depend on him again. Not to say that he wouldn't be there as much as he could, but, unlike how Daxter could so easily cling to him, she would have to leave his side.
Samos saw him in the door and started to leave. Jak nodded to him and headed to her bed. She smiled up at him through the gauze and bandaging.
"How you doing hero?"
"Good, I'm sorry I hadn't come to see you before this."
"You were busy, and I wasn't awake."
She started to cough and Jak handed her the water by her bed. She sipped slowly and, when she finished, he helped her lay back down.
"I'll visit you more often."
She sighed, looking away from him, "I'm sorry, you're busy."
"Never too busy for you."
"It's okay. I'm tired now. Would you mind telling daddy too?"
"No, that's okay. I need his help anyway. Rest well."
They didn't say another word as he left. Samos was waiting outside, but didn't comment when Jak closed the door behind him. As the young hero started to walk, The green sage followed silently, until the had exited the building.
"So you need my assistance boy?"
Jak nodded and accepted the keys a hospital staff member offered him. Samos got in next to him and sat without a word as they headed to Vin.
"We need you to translate something."
"She was asking about you."
"Vin thinks it has something to do with the precursors."
"She asked about that annoying friend of yours."
Jak tensed, he was sure someone had told Samos by now.
"Dax and Torn are in the city right now." At least he didn't completely avoid the topic.
"I told her about Tess."
He didn't answer. He knew it wasn't the source of her anger, but that explained some of what she felt. He knew he shouldn't feel so empty, but the past few months had been draining, asking too much of one man, not that he would ever say as much out loud. Again, he thought of Daxter, who, perhaps more than him, had suffered from their fate with a dizzying smile and even the will to admit when it was too much.
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Sorry it took so long to update. I'm not even going to bother promising anything.
