The footsteps grew louder and louder as the figure came closer up the stairs. It turned out to be Jak.

"Jak? What are you doing here? You look like you're about to have a heart attack." Torn said.

"He was- and he- I mean...AGGGGHHHH!"

"Hi, Jak!" Mary cut in.

"Hi," Jak responded calmly, then went back into a panic, "anyway, he was- there and- I-AGGGGGHHHH!" Jak continued to yell. Torn put his hand on Jak's shoulder to calm him down.

"Dude, calm down. Now-" Torn was interrupted by yet another sound of footsteps coming from below.

"They're this way!" a voice said from the direction whence the footsteps came. It sounded old and gruff.

"And that would be our cue to leave." Mary whispered. Jak only gave the two guards a confused look.

"Who are we-"

"Shh." Torn shushed. Jak nodded, still confused as to why they were running from the strange voice. They started once again to ascend the round staircase.

"Why are we running?" Jak whispered, slowly losing his breath.

"Long story." Mary yelled back.

"Shh." Torn shushed again, Mary sticking her tongue out at Torn in response. The commander, rolling his eyes, began to run even faster. Whether it was after Mary or to get away from the people chasing them, Jak will never know.

"Hurry! I know they were here!" the old voice yelled, "I can still hear them." This shout was followed with a series of grunts and a "Yes, sir." or two.

Jak, Mary and Torn were now running faster than before. It wasn't long before the three of them made it to the top of the Temple. They now stood on a roof that was at least 300 stories up. "Look's like a dead-end." Torn pointed out.

"Thank you, commander obvious." Mary said. Then Jak had an idea. His wings!

"Guys, I have an idea!" Jak burst out. Torn and Mary turned to Jak to see he had sprouted his wings. Mary stared in awe at the white and blue wings. Jak went and grabbed Torn and Mary's arm, walking towards the edge of the roof. That is, until Torn pulled back,

"Wait, you can't take both of us! We are too heavy!"

"Of course, I can carry you both! I carried Daxter all the time!"

"Ya, but he's only 15lbs, you dumb-"

"Would you both stop bickering!?" Mary pleaded.

"There they are!" The three turned to see an old man in with a staff with a red orb on the end. He was out of breath and five men followed behind him.

Torn turned and shoved Mary into Jak pushing them off the edge of the roof. Mary put her arms around Jak's neck while Jak wrapped his arms around her stomach. The wind whipped at the both of them causing them to keep their eyes shut.

"Hang on tight!" Jak yelled. Mary tightened her grip around Jak's neck as he switched he body so he was on top of Mary in mid-air.
Jak spread his wings to only find that he was only able to slow down by a bit.

"We're too heavy! I don't know if we can slow down enough in time!" Jak yelled as he started to flap his wings in attempt to slow them down some more.
"Jak, drop me!" Jak gave Mary an insulted look.

"I'm not dropping you!"

"Your're not strong enough!"

"Yes, I am!" Now they were falling faster now.

"DROP ME! DROP ME NOW!" Mary screamed. Jak could feel her loosening her grip around his neck.

"Don't you dare let go!" Mary said nothing as she loosened her grip even more as Jak attempted to slow them down again by flapping his wings.

"Goodbye... Mar." Mary closed her eyes and let go of Jak, falling out of his grip. Jak couldn't believe what just happened.

"NOOOOOOO!" he screamed.

"There they are!" The three turned to see an old man in with a staff with a red orb on the end. He was out of breath and five men followed behind him.

Torn turned and pushed Mary into Jak pushing them off the edge of the roof. He turned back to the other six men.

'Bring it on.' Torn thought to himself. Torn put his hand on his waist over his dagger.

"Come now," the old man said, "no reason to put up a fight." Torn unsheathed his dagger, holding it with white knuckles.

"Ya, because you really make that good of a first impression." the brunette said sarcastically.

"Fine, be that way. Before you die though," the man lifted his staff up as the red orb began to glow," you should probably know my name. That way, at least you'll know who killed you." Torn took a guarding stance and readied himself for an attack. He could see the man was an eco sage. Not just any eco sage though. He was a sage of red eco, the eco of power. "I'm Talon." the man said simply. "And now you will fall to your death, just as your friends did."

In a matter of seconds the old man had charged at Torn, staff first, and pushed him off the edge.

There Torn was falling. This was it. This how he was going to die. He was going to die.

"Torn!" Torn turned his head to whoever was calling his name. There he saw Ashelin coming after him in a Hellcat. Maybe he wasn't going to die. Ashelin zoomed under him just in time to catch him. Torn landed on the back of the Hellcat and stood up.

"Thanks, Babe." Torn greeted. "Thought I was going to die there for a moment." Ashelin laughed at this.

"Where's Jak and Mary?" Ashelin questioned.

"Well..." Oh boy this was going to be hard to explain.

to be continued...