Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm just playing in Naughty Dog's sand box.

-Chapter Twelve-

Deep in the bowels of the monk temple, there wasn't any way to tell time. Sig knew it was late at night, though, simply because of the fact that he and Kraven were both tiring. Daxter was draped limply over his shoulder and hadn't uttered a peep in quite some time, which led Sig to believe that he was probably just this side of falling asleep. Unfortunately, neither they nor any of the others they'd crossed paths with had been able to confirm that the temple had been cleared of Metal Heads. There were always a few more that had managed to escape, a few more that had eluded the search, and in one case there was a Metal Head that was just plain nasty enough to take out the team that had tried to kill it. Finding their bodies had not been pleasant.

"We need to stop for the night," Kraven said, keeping his voice low. "We'll only get ourselves killed if we fight when we're too tired to stand."

"That is the best idea I have heard all day," Daxter murmured. "Sig, you should listen to him. Sleep deprivation has gifted him with the voice of reason."

Kraven scowled at the backhanded compliment, but Sig shook his head, forestalling yet another argument. "You're right," he said to the other Wastelander. "Soon as we find someplace defensible, you two bed down. I'll take first watch."

The corridor they were in right now was wide and dank, with water dripping down the walls to form shallow pools in the lowest spots. The water was brackish, probably seeping in from the ocean. Years from now it would no doubt fill these lower chambers completely, but Sig didn't expect to live long enough to see that happen. What was of more immediate concern was the fact that the hall was too long and too poorly lit to see any enemies coming until they were almost on top of them. Sig adjusted his grip on his gun, turning his head to scan the area again. Can't be too careful.

They moved cautiously forward, both Wastelanders being careful of how they placed their feet. Every sound they made echoed down the corridor, so the quieter they moved, the less likely they were to draw attention. It also made it easier to hear sounds that they didn't make. Mostly it was the slow drip of water, but every once in a while there was a soft whir of wings or the skittering of insect-like feet that Sig highly doubted were made by normal creatures. So far, though, they seemed to be avoiding their party. Sig was more inclined to believe that they were just keeping their distance, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"...here..."

Sig and Kraven both paused as the word whispered through the air and Daxter's ears twitched visibly. Kraven raised an eyebrow. "Another team?" he asked softly.

Sig frowned. "Maybe. Or maybe one of the monks. Let's check it out."

Still wary of Metal Heads, they continued in near-silence, drawing nearer to the source of the voice. At times the pitch changed, sometimes rasping and low, sometimes so quiet it was hard to hear at all. Eventually, Sig realized that it wasn't one voice but two, and as they got closer, it became easier to hear what was being said.

"...no sign of the boy..." This was the louder, harsher voice of the two. The second voice said something that Sig couldn't hear, then the first one responded again. "The monks... eco... block the ring. Wastelanders..."

Sig and Kraven exchanged glances. I don't know about you, Sig thought grimly, but somethin' about this conversation doesn't sound right. The other Wastelander narrowed his eyes. Apparently, he didn't think so either. They crept closer, approaching a doorway set in the wall.

"...keep looking." The second voice, though not as raspy as the first, still grated on Sig's ears. Even so, he strained his ears to catch every word it said. "Leave no room unsearched. Make absolutely sure that he is not there."

As they reached the doorway, Sig held up one hand to motion for Kraven to stay back. He put his hand back on his gun, ready to fire at a moment's notice, then slowly and carefully peered around the corner. On his shoulder, Daxter had the good sense to stay still and quiet.

"And the Wastelanders?"

"If they find you, kill them, but do not seek them out. They are not your primary concern right now." And if that didn't tell Sig enough about the nature of these two, what he saw around the corner more than clinched the deal.

Holy shit... Sig was not one to be easily intimidated, but even he could tell that the Metal Head that stood before him was nothing but bad news. It wasn't as large as some of the Metal Heads that he had seen, but it would still tower over him by a good two feet. Its hands and feet ended with long claws that sparked with dark eco and its body was covered with armor that was nothing but a mass of deadly sharp spikes. A powerful, bladed tail lashed the air around its feet, promising pain and dismemberment to any who tried to sneak up from behind.

And in front of it, glowing faintly with a light of its own, was a holographic transmission of another Metal Head. Only the face was visible on this one, but damn was it ugly. What looked like tentacles sprouted from all around its head and its mouth was so full of sharp teeth that it was a wonder to Sig that it could manage speech.

But speak it could, and its next words made the blood drain out of Sig's face.

"Remember, the heir of Mar is the key. Do not let him escape!"

"I won't," the Metal Head in the room promised with a hiss. "If this temple's ring is the one he came through, I will find him. He cannot hide from me. An eco channeler like him will have a very strong scent."

Shit. Sig didn't so much as breathe as he pulled away from the doorway. Shit! Damas needs to know about this! But more than that, it had just become absolutely imperative that they kill every Metal Head in this place. Because it was Mar they were hunting for. It had to be. And if they were hunting for the king's son, Sig would be damned if he let them live long enough to find him. Then it would be a matter of searching this place top to bottom in case they were right about the kid being here.

Sig raised his hand to try to communicate with Kraven.

"Wait." There was another soft hiss of breath, in then out, then... "I can smell the stench of Mar. He is here!"

Then everything went to hell. Before Sig could so much as shout a warning, the Metal Head burst from the room in a rage of claws and death. With a startled oath, the Wastelander leaped back, narrowly avoiding losing his other eye as the monster's claws slashed at his face.

"Yeow!" Daxter yelped. He scrabbled for purchase on Sig's shoulder, fingers clutching at the armor to keep from getting thrown off. "Be careful of that dark eco, Sig!"

Sig threw himself to the side as the Metal Head lunged at him again. Purple lightning crackled just inches from his chest. "Yeah, no kidding!" He tried to bring his Peacemaker to bear, but the gun was knocked out of his hand before he could even aim. Unfortunately, there was no time to go after it. It was all he could do to dodge the next swipe of the Metal Head's claws. "Damn it!"

"Sig, get down!"

Blaster fire roared over his head as soon as he ducked, and the Metal Head shrieked as it was peppered in the face. Taking advantage of the distraction, Sig dove for his weapon. "Thanks, Kraven! I owe you one!"

"I'll collect later!" Kraven shouted back, maintaining a steady stream of fire. "Now help me take this bastard down!"

"Gladly!"

Only it wasn't as easy as that. Even with all the bullets Kraven was pumping into it, the Metal Head was still targeting him. It was like Kraven's attacks were nothing more than a painful irritation, and instead of retaliating against the one actively shooting it, as most Metal Heads would, it lunged for Sig again, tackling him to the ground. Claws pierced his armor and pain ripped through his body, his every nerve set on fire by the dark eco that tore into him. Distantly, he was aware of someone screaming.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the pain stopped and the Metal Head was gone, blasted off of him by a bright flash of light. Sig bit back a groan as he pushed himself off the ground. Wait a minute... The hell? If he didn't know better, he'd swear that was a Peacemaker blast. But his Peacemaker was right...

He groped for his gun. It wasn't in his hand. Where...?

"Don't worry, Sig. The Daxtinator's got your back!"

And there was Daxter, standing just to his left, a huge, cocky grin on his face as he hefted Sig's Peacemaker as best he could and prepared to fire another shot. "Man, this baby sure packs a punch. Say, you wouldn't happen to know where I could get one just like it, would ya?"

Sig barked a laugh and waited for the second shot to go off before taking his gun back. "Don't get your hopes up, chili pepper. The Peacemaker's not somethin' you get your hands on easily. But thanks. Guess you ain't just a yappin' shoulder warmer." Oh, man, it hurt to move.

"Pff," Daxter huffed in pretend offense. "'Shoulder warmer'? I'll have you know that between me an' Jak, I'm the brains of the outfit! Jak wouldn't've lasted two minutes against the Acherons without me, and don't even get me started on all the Lurkers we fought! Did you know he-"

"Can we save story time for after we kill the big nasty Metal Head?" Kraven shouted. He'd had to pause in his firing to load another clip of ammunition into his gun. "Because in case it escaped your attention, it's not dead yet!"

Indeed, though Daxter's two attacks had obviously hurt and stunned the creature, it was quickly shaking off the effects. It stood up from where it had fallen down, shrieking its pain and rage, and it turned its head from side to side as though looking for something. Had they blinded it? Sig lifted his gun and took aim. Unfortunately, it was moving even as he fired, so fast he couldn't adjust in time, and his shot just barely missed. He gathered himself to spring away, determined not to be tackled again.

But Sig wasn't the one it was after.

"Where is he?" the Metal Head screeched as it plucked Daxter off the ground and slammed him against the wall. "You are not the heir of Mar, but you reek of him. Tell me where he is!" Dark eco crackled around its claws, eliciting a sharp squeal of pain from the ottsel.

"I don't know!" he cried out. He thrashed and struggled to free himself, to no avail. "I don't know nothin' about what you're talking about! Ow! Sig!"

The next blast from Sig's gun took the monster in the back. Finished with reloading his gun, Kraven added his fire to the attack, and the dual barrage was enough to get the Metal Head to lose its grip on Daxter. The ottsel lost no time in getting away as fast as his paws could take him, but he limped and staggered with every second step, indicating that he had not escaped unscathed. Meanwhile, the Metal Head whirled on the two Wastelanders, apparently finally fed up with being shot at. With another ear-rending shriek, it hurled itself across the corridor at the nearer of the two, but even as Kraven dodged its claws, its tail came around from the opposite direction and caught him in the stomach. The Wastelander flew across the room and crashed into the wall, then crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.

Sig swore. "Daxter, go check on him!" He didn't know what the ottsel could do for the man, but if nothing else he could make sure Kraven's head was out of any pools of water. "And get his gun while you're at it!" Without waiting to see if the ottsel obeyed, he fired off another shot. Damn it, I wish this thing could charge faster!

Having eliminated one threat, the Metal Head whipped around to face Sig and charged. However, Sig was prepared for its speed this time. He leaped out of its way, swinging the butt of his gun down to clock it hard on the head. By chance he managed to clip the gleaming yellow gem on the thing's forehead. As close as he was to the monster, its screech of pain when he did this nearly deafened him. Bingo!

"Its gem ain't protected like the rest of it is!" he shouted for Daxter's benefit. "Aim for the head when you're shootin' at it!"

Daxter must have gotten hold of Kraven's gun, because shortly after Sig said this, bursts of red-orange fire started lighting up the air. Several of the shots missed, but most of them managed to hit some part of the Metal Head's body. Then one bullet exploded directly in the Metal Head's face. "Oh yeah, now we're talking!" the ottsel cried out triumphantly. "I'll teach you to pick a fight with Orange Lightning! Not so tough now, are ya!"

"Quit taunting and keep shooting!" Sig snapped. He backed up and started charging his Peacemaker, hoping the ottsel could keep the creature distracted for five more seconds. He didn't dare voice his plan out loud, though. The Metal Head was smart enough to speak and understand what they said. If he gave the thing any warning at all, this whole thing could go to hell all over again - and this time they would already be down one man.

"What, you think I can't mock this thing's ugly butt and keep shooting at the same time?" Daxter retorted. "Trust me, Sig, that first part's way too easy! It's practically a walking insult all by itself!"

"That's beside the point! I need you to-" A stray bullet cut him off, forcing him to duck or risk losing his head. "Damn it, cherry, where the hell did you learn to aim!"

"Hey, don't look at me! I never even held a gun before today!"

Oh hell, that was just what they needed. Sig bit back a curse as he dodged the bladed tip of the Metal Head's tail. Fortunately, Daxter had succeeded in keeping the monster's attention on him, and just as it prepared to lunge at the rodent, Sig fired off a shot that caught it right in the head. With a sound like shattering crystal, the gem blasted apart into a thousand pieces, killing the creature instantly.

For a moment, Sig hardly dared to breath. He didn't take his eyes off the body for one second, making sure that, despite its twitching and spasming, it really was dead. Once he was satisfied, he slowly released his breath, then went to check on Kraven. The man hadn't moved from where he had fallen, but when Sig felt for a pulse, he found it strong and steady. Blood trickled down the side of his shaven head from where he'd hit the wall, though, which was never a good sign. He could just simply be knocked out, but it could also be worse than that. He needed to get medical attention.

"He okay?" Daxter asked, limping up to join him. He still held Kraven's gun in his hand, and every once in a while his eyes darted off to the side, searching the darkness around them.

Sig shook his head. "Probably. But we need to get him up to the monks, preferably without runnin' into any more Metal Heads." He looped the strap on his gun over one shoulder, keeping it loose and easy to slip off in case he needed to access it quickly, then slid his hands under Kraven's arms and hauled him up onto his other shoulder. "C'mon."

Having already cleared the halls behind them, the journey back was eerily quiet. Inside his head, though, Sig's thoughts were racing. After all this time, this was the first real clue he'd found for the mission that Damas had given him. If the Metal Heads were to be believed, Mar was here. He'd been close enough that their spiky friend could smell him. In fact...

He frowned, casting a sidelong glance at Daxter. "Hey," he said, getting the ottsel's attention. "You seen any kids runnin' around this place while you've been here?"

Daxter just gave him a funny look. "Um, Sig, I dunno what kind of childhood you had, but where I come from, this ain't exactly the kind of place parents would let their kids play in. Although..." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Y'know, I don't think that would've stopped Jak. He was always pokin' around in places even when Samos told him not to. It was his bright idea to go to Misty Island, you know. That's the place where-"

"Daxter," Sig cut him off through gritted teeth. "Just answer the damn question. Did you see anyone else in this temple before Kraven and I found you?"

The furball grumbled at having his story interrupted, but shook his head in response. "Nuh uh. Just you an' the creepy metal monsters."

"Then why did that Metal Head smell Mar on you?"

Daxter blinked. "Who's Mar?"

"Someone I've been tryin' to find," Sig hedged. While he didn't think Daxter himself was any kind of a threat, he didn't trust him to be able to keep his mouth shut. If word of Damas' son got to the wrong ears...

"Huh." Daxter obviously didn't think much of Sig's vague answer, but he just shrugged and continued limping on. "Well, I dunno what that monster was smelling, but maybe it wasn't this Mar kid. It said eco channelers stunk, right? Well, Jak's about as big an eco channeler as you get. Not that I've met too many of them, mind you. In fact, Jak's the only one I know, unless you count the Sages, but you get the idea. Anyway, maybe it was him old gruesome was smelling and not- what?" He looked back at Sig, who had stopped in his tracks.

Sig drew in a sharp breath. "Jak can channel eco?"

-End Chapter Twelve-