"What do you want?" Veger asked bitterly.
"Whadya think? I came ta take ya home."
"Hmph. Then you wasted your time." Veger looked back out to sea. "You left me out in the Wasteland to die. If you honestly think things could return to the way they were, then you're even stupider than I thought you were."
"Why you little… If I hadn't let Jak use me Dune Hopper…"
"He would have taken it anyway!" Veger snapped. "He never would have let you stop him from saving Daxter. And the only reason I'm alive right now is because I was fortunate enough for Daxter to be of great character. Despite everything I've done to his best friend, he risked his life to save mine. And yet you abandoned me!" The ottsel got to his feet and turned to face the Wastelander. "Perhaps if you hadn't fled like a coward, I wouldn't have this hole in my chest!" Veger pointed at the wound for emphasis.
"You'd best shut up, ya lil' runt!" Kleiver growled. "Without me, yer out on the streets!"
"I'll just move in with Seem and the monks," Veger replied hotly. "Or perhaps I'll return to Haven with Jak and Daxter. I refuse to be your 'sidekick' anymore, you filthy ogre!"
That did it. Kleiver punched the ottsel in the stomach, sending him flying into the ocean. Veger struggled to the surface, partially paralyzed from having the wind knocked out of him. In between coughing and spitting out water, he desperately gasped for air. He watched Kleiver's retreating form with contempt.
"Bastard…" Veger pulled himself out of the water and wrung out his shirt. He groaned softly. His shirt was ruined… Well, more ruined. Veger patted the pocket on the inside of his vest and sighed in relief. The locket was still there. A stinging sensation in his chest told him that salt water had gotten into his injury. Seem was going to be pissed.
"If you continue doing this, your wound will never heal!" Seem scolded as she re-bandaged Veger's chest. "Honestly, someone your age should know better!"
Veger rolled his eyes and groaned. He could hardly believe he was receiving another lecture from someone young enough to be his daughter! He winced as she tied the bandage off.
"Kleiver was the one who reopened it…" Veger grumbled. "Go yell at him."
"Believe me, I plan to," the monk replied. Seem stood and marched over to the door. She ordered one of her monks to keep an eye on Veger while she ran an errand. Veger carefully lied down on the bed and continued to work on his locket. When he finally got it open, he felt his heart sink. The photograph of his family was destroyed.
Seem may have been angry, but she did not act without thinking. Before going to tell Kleiver off, she found Jak and Daxter and asked that they accompany her. Surely even Kleiver wouldn't be so stupid as to harm a Precursor monk, but should his temper flare, perhaps Jak's presence would quell any desire to act. In the worst case scenario, Jak could kick his ass.
Kleiver was surprised when he opened his door to a pissed off monk, an angry ottsel, and a bored-looking Jak. "Whadya want?"
"You could have very easily killed Veger today," Seem said, her quiet voice tinged with fury.
"So what?"
"You should know the repercussions of such an action…" Seem replied. "Killing a citizen of Spargus… killing a Precursor… would not go unpunished."
"Yeah, and you should treat your sidekicks better!" Daxter added.
"Shaddup, rat face," Kleiver growled.
"Daxter is right," Seem said. "By definition, a sidekick is a friend. And you certainly have not treated Veger like a friend."
"Peh. Whuddo I care? 'E's just a mangy, flea-bitten rodent." Kleiver punctuated his sentence by slamming her door shut.
A moment of silence passed before Jak said, with utmost sincerity, "That went better than expected."