Chapter Five:

The Temptress

"We're not doing anything until you tell us what Metal Heads are doing trading with the Baron's forces," Jak was stern in his demand for the information they needed.

Krew swooped down on his hover chair so he was face to face with Jak. "I should've had you all knee capped, ey!" Krew's anger was at its climax, obviously he didn't like being questioned. "All I know is that the Baron cut a desperate deal with the Metal Head leader. Metal Heads need eco, so the Baron supplies them with regular shipments. In return, the Metal Heads agree to attack the city just enough to satisfy the Baron's continued rule."

Jak and Erin exchanged a surprised look.

"Yeah, but how long can that deal last?" Jak asked rhetorically.

"Well the Baron is running short on eco, ey? And the Metal Heads are short on patience. Baron Praxis needs this war to keep in power, otherwise the city would put the true ruler on the throne, wherever that little brat is."

Jak was sure to remember every detail of the conversation. They would need it to report to Torn.

"We'll clear your sewers for you, and we haven't forgotten about those weapons upgrades you promised in return."

"Bloodsuckers," Krew growled at them under his breath as they walked out.

Jak, Erin, and Daxter exited quickly before Krew decided it better to just fire them.

They exited the smoky atmosphere into the slightly cleaner air of the Docks. The stench of fish was always present in this part of the city. Jak couldn't decide which he liked better, the smoke or the fish.

Jak turned to Erin, carefully making sure that he didn't think about what had happened between them that morning. "One of us should report back to Torn, he no doubt will skin us alive if we don't deliver the information ASAP."

He couldn't help but notice the slight flush of embarrassment on her cheeks when she looked at him. "Yeah." They couldn't just use the communicators they had. The Underground used the KG's frequencies, so anything that would sound suspicious to the Guard couldn't be communicated in any other way than in person.

"Will you report to Torn, and Dax and I will clear the sewers?"

Her eyes turned slightly worried. "Should you go into the sewers alone?"

At this point Daxter huffed indignantly, "He's not alone, sister, he's got me." Daxter pointed to his chest as he puffed it out. "And I'll have you know that I saved Jak's pathetic hide countless…repeat COUNTLESS times!"

Jak just smirked and shook his head. Erin concentrated on not laughing, she didn't want to stir up Daxter's temper any more than she already had.

"We'll be fine, ey, Dax?" Jak shrugged the shoulder that the little orange creature was sitting on, causing Dax to jostle.

"YEAH," his look said 'and we don't need you!'

Erin just smiled and shook her head. "Ok, I'll be at the Hideout. Call me if you need anything."

She turned from the duo and mounted the single-person zoomer she had used earlier and headed off for the base. It wasn't until she was a block away that she noticed she had said 'call me if you need anything.' Was it just her, or had that sounded like they were dating? She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. She wasn't from here, after all, and she needed to do was find out where she was at, and find a way back home. There was no point in getting attached to anyone…

After a very uneventful trip to the Hideout, Erin presented the info to Torn.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Torn remarked, clearly trying to keep his anger in check. "I've seen his evil before, while working in the Krimson Guard. That's why I quit."

Torn noticed that Erin's head snapped to him, giving him her undivided attention. "You were a Krimson Guard!"

He wasn't surprised that she was nervous. She probably thought that the whole Underground was just a show of the Baron's trying to catch anyone who would dare defy him. Torn held up his hand in an 'I know what your thinking' way, and gestured for her to sit down. He had told her of his past for a reason, because if she heard it from anyone else she would think, without a doubt, that he worked for the Baron.

Without a word Erin sat down with a wary look on her face. Now he would have to go over his reasons for leaving the Guard, an area that he didn't discuss often, and for good reason.

Torn sat down opposite her. Erin noticed that he looked several years older than he did a moment ago. Stress outlined his eyes and mouth, making his youthful features look tired and worn out.

He just sighed, and decided to get it over with.

"When I was sixteen I was 'drafted' into the Guard," Torn started warily. "But drafting to the Baron is going to your house, slapping a uniform on you, and telling you your in the Guard. I agreed to being a KG, but only because I knew what he would do to my family if I refused." Torn took a deep breath and continued. "I was told to do some terrible things and I did them without question because I feared for my parents and little brother."

Torn stopped and let Erin take in the information. Until she urged him to continue.

"When did you leave the Guard?"

"I was in the Guard just over a year when I quit. That was four years ago."

Erin did the math in her head. According to the information, that made Torn only twenty-one. He is always so serious that he seems older than he is. He is the leader of the Underground forces, next to the Shadow, and he is only a few years older than Erin.

"Why did you leave?"

Torn sighed. "I was ordered to burn down a house, with people inside it. When I refused Praxis had me thrown in the prison."

Erin looked at him with understanding, they had both been in that terrible place. "How did you escape?"

"A friend in the guard helped me from the inside. She… risked her life to save mine."

Erin felt that there was more to the story that he was letting on, but that was his personal life, and therefore not her business. She just let any thought of Torn's 'friend' slide from her mind as she took in all the information he had told her.

While she was thinking, Torn stood from the table and went for a warm drink on the back counter.

A thought crossed Erin's mind, and she voiced it without thinking ahead. "What happened to your family?"

When Torn's had froze in mid air reaching for a cup, she knew the stupidity of her question. She cursed herself as a fool. What did she think the Baron would do to his family?

Torn was mostly just surprised by her question. He had been used to the pain for a long time, but every time that he had retold his story, no one had asked what had happened to them. Most of the Underground was comprised of former KG's or family of those who had been taken by the Baron, so they were too tangled up in their own pain to ask about another's. Erin was different. She asked him about his pain, perhaps to try and help him, even though she had been through hell too. Erin was a surprising young woman, unlike any he had ever met.

"The Baron made sure my family paid for my desertion." He didn't even turn around to face her, he had to make sure he had his emotions in control first.

They sat in silence for a time. The only sound that could be heard was the quiet humming of the water pipes. She wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm sorry." Even though 'sorry' seemed inadequate, she felt like she had to say it.

She noticed Torn shrug as he turned back around, his 'fearless leader' face put back on. "It's doesn't matter."

Erin decided to let the subject drop. "Do you have a mission for me?"

Torn thought for a minute, "Not a mission, really, but I need someone to watch the kid. Kor dropped him off, said he had something to do. He's in the bunk room, would you mind keeping an eye on him?"

"Sure, I'll watch him."

Erin walked to the bunk room. The little boy that they had seen just after they had escaped from the prison was sitting on one of the lower bunks, playing with a toy he had brought with him. She approached him and knelt down beside him.

"What are you playing?"

The little boy looked up and held up the toy he had. It was a Lurker warrior.

"Are you playing war?"

Erin couldn't help but laugh at the enthusiastic shake of his head. He was so cute!

"Can I play?" He looked completely overjoyed to have someone to play with. He held another Lurker warrior out for her. Erin noticed that he didn't talk much, so she thought that they could become closer and then he would talk. He was so shy, but he was so cute!

Jak and Daxter made their way back to the Hideout trying to ignore the comments made on their smell. It had taken them about an hour to clean the sewers of the sentry guns. After they had finished and reported to Krew, Krew had offered them a deal. He wanted them to try to get on a racing team for one of his clients. But Jak decided that he needed a shower first. He didn't want to stink the rest of the day.

Jak and Daxter arrived at the Hideout, and when they met Torn in the common room. Torn couldn't miss the smell.

"What the hell have you two been up to?"

Jak didn't answer, he just headed for the showers. Hoping that he wouldn't meet anyone on the way there.

He scrubbed his skin so hard that it was red, until he was sure the stink was gone, and then he scrubbed some more.

It had seemed like he had just got in the shower when Erin's head popped in, her eyes closed tight so she wouldn't see anything.

"Jak, you need to hurry! We have an emergency!"

Jak hadn't taken a quicker shower in his life.

It wasn't two minutes and he was out in the common room, completely dressed and sopping wet hair.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Torn got right to the point. "One of the Baron's mining operations is under attack by the Metal Heads--"

Jak was livid, they had interrupted his shower to tell them that the Baron's forces were under attack. He couldn't be serious… "That's not OUR problem."

Torn didn't like his attitude. "It IS our problem when the foreman's one of the Underground's best informants." Torn's voice lost some his anger, turning serious. "His name is Vin, and he's just valuable enough to save."

"What do you need us to do?" Erin asked. Torn was glad SOMEONE was willing to do the mission.

"Find the warp gate at the Power Station," Torn pointed to the map on the table, "and use it to travel to the Strip Mine, so you can use it to save Vin's pathetic hide."

Dax couldn't seem to help but talk back. "HEY! Tattooed Wonder? Why is it that we get all the crappy missions?"

Torn had had about all he could take from the ottsel. "Because, I. DON'T. LIKE. YOU."

Torn had him pinned back on the table, "Fair enough."

Now that Torn had shut up the annoying talking animal, he was serious again. "Whatever deal the Baron made with the Metal Heads, the city's eco is almost gone and his time is running out. If we don't get the kid back on the throne soon," Torn pointed to the small child that Jak hadn't noticed was there, and he seemed familiar for some reason.. "there may not be a city left to defend."

Erin hadn't noticed how desperate the situation in the city had been until now. She had been to worried about finding a way home. She felt silly for being so selfish, what if there wasn't a way home? Would this be her home from now on? She decided that she would have to accept it, and she was going to start right now by helping stop the Metal Head advance on her home.

Jak and Erin each grabbed a single rider zoomer and took off for the power station as fast as they could without drawing attention. Whatever information this 'Vin' had been giving the Underground must be important of Torn was sending them into a war zone. Erin was determined to prove her worth to the Underground, she promised that she wasn't going to fail. Jak was just ready for a fight.

After waving through the city to the Industrial Section, the found the Power Station. They walked through the small door and into the huge computer room. The beeping and clicking of the computers came to their ears. The reached the warp gate, and Jak turned it to the Strip mine.

Just before Erin jumped through the gate, Jak stopped her. "I almost forgot," he handed her a yellow gun mod, while he put his yellow gun mod in the slot on his gun.

"I didn't earn this, you and Daxter did all the work in the sewer mission," she tried to had the gun mod back to him.

"Yeah, but Krew doesn't know that," he smiled.

Erin just smirked and put the upgrade into her gun. With a flip of the small switch on the side of the grip, she could switch from the wide-range red ammo, to the far shooting yellow ammo.

"Thanks, Jak," she smiled at him.

"No problem."

They both jumped through the warp gate. A strange feeling of being pulled across a great distance went through Erin's body, and then it stopped suddenly. She lost her balance and fell strait into Jak's back, almost knocking them both over.

"Sorry," she whispered, embarrassed.

Jak had no time to answer, the instant the Metal Heads heard them come through the warp gate, the were after them. Jak shot at the closest Metal Heads, trying to keep them from getting too close. After a moment Erin joined him, shooting any Metal Head that she saw.

Jak was hoping that they could clear the area and then move to the next, but with every Metal Head they shot down another would pop up. So they had to make their way while always shooting any Metal Head that got too close.

Slowly they managed to get to one of the buildings, they moved around it and headed for the control room. A large lift was carrying tons of raw eco ore, and Jak noticed that the lift went right by the control tower.

"This way, Erin!" Jak called, moving closer to the edge of the cliff.

From this view point you could see every Metal Head that was close to the control tower. It could take them an hour to fight their way through them, and by the time they got to Vin he would already be dead.

Jak looked over the cliff as Erin watched their backs in case a Metal Head tried sneaking up on them. He was calculating whether they could jump the distance to the lifts.

"Your not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" Erin asked.

"It's the only way we'll reach Vin in time," Jak started as he turned back to Erin. "Do you think you could jump it?"

Erin moved closer to the edge, intentionally not looking down. She figured that she could jump it, if she jumped at the right time.

"I think so, but most of it will be timing. If we jump too early, we'll miss the cart, we jump too late, we'll miss the cart."

"And fall for hours to an extremely gruesome and horrifying death at the cliff bottom." Daxter just HAD to bring in the fact that they could die. Erin thought that she was going to have to kill the little ottsel.

"I think we can do it," Jak was confident in their abilities. Erin just shook her head, she didn't want to do it, but Jak was right, it was the only way the would reach Vin in time.

All three of them stood near the edge of the cliff, getting the timing of the lift in their minds. Because the lift moved so fast, Jak figured that they would have to jump when there was nothing under them, the distance it would take them to fall would give the cart enough time to slide into place under them.

"We're going to have to jump at the exact same time," Jak said as he held out his hand. Erin took it, forcing herself not to blush. She needed to be focused. "On three?" Jak offered.

Erin tried to keep herself calm, "On three."

The lift passed, "One."

"Two." Erin unconsciously squeezed his hand harder and held her breath.

"Three!" They both jumped off the cliff. And for three agonizing seconds they fell with nothing but the hard rock bottom of the cliff to stop their fall two-hundred feet below them. Erin somehow managed not to scream as her heart rose to her throat.

Thankfully the cart filled with eco ore pulled up under them, stopping their little 'jump of death'. Erin was breathing hard, trying to keep her heart from pumping so hard. She swore that she was never doing that again!

Jak was up in an instant, killing the flying Metal Heads that had seen their little stunt. When he had finished them off he turned back to Erin. "Are you going to be alright?"

Erin shook her head, "I'll be fine." She rose unsteady to her feet, it was then that she noticed that she had landed on Daxter. The weight of her knees had pushed him deeper into the ore pebbles.

Daxter took a dramatic breath of air. "BY THE PRECURSORS! HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT!"

Erin put her hands on her hips, "Excuse me? Are you calling me fat?"

When he didn't answer, she grabbed the ottsel and pulled him up to her face.

"Umm….uh…no! Of course not!"

Erin just smirked, "I didn't think so." And she tossed the mussed Daxter at the amused Jak.

Jak got back to business. "Ok, our stop is coming up."

When the lift took them over the platform, they jumped the few feet to the metal. They quickly dispatched the Metal Heads that were there and moved to the control tower. They killed the few Metal Heads that were around the tower. When they got to the door to the tower, they found a dozen Metal Heads trying to break down the door.

"I bet our guy in in there." Jak just knew that he had to be in there, luck wouldn't be on their side, it never was. Why couldn't the guy have been near the warp gate instead of in the building it was farthest from? Their missions could never be easy, could they?

Both Erin and Jak shot rapidly to kill the Metal Heads. It wasn't long until they all had fallen.

Jak opened the door, and they all dove for cover as shots rang out, almost hitting them.

"Die Metal Heads! You won't get me!"

"HEY!" Jak yelled. He tried to poke his head out, which almost earned him a shot in the face. "Are you Vin! Torn sent us!"

Finally the shots stopped. "Friendlies? Wait…you're all they sent? Where's the army?"

Daxter jumped on one of the boxes that Vin had used to barricade the door. "We're it."

"What do they think I'm worth!" Vin looked devastated.

Jak was getting irritated. "You can stay here if you want, but we're leaving."

Vin got over his sadness quickly and joined the trio outside the building.

They'd found Vin, but now they had to fight their way back through the Metal Heads and keep him alive in the process. Fighting their way out was going to be harder than the way in.

Quickly they headed back to the warp gate. They moved as quickly as they could, while shooting lots of Metal Heads along the way. When they reached the bottom of the "valley" that was filled with large piles of discarded rock, they ran into many more Metal Heads.

"It could take us 'til dawn tomorrow to kill them all!" Erin yelled in frustration.

"Then lets just go around them!" Jak started to run up one of the piles of rocks. Erin got the idea and followed, Vin right behind her.

The Metal Heads weight was too much, when they tried to climb up the pile the rocks gave way beneath them making them fall back to the ground.

"Well….that saves us a lot of trouble." Daxter commented.

Now it seemed that their job was easier, all they had to do was follow this pile around until they reached the warp gate. The walking was hard, but at least they didn't have to worry about the Metal Heads. The Metal Heads just followed them along the bottom of the pile, waiting for them to come down.

When they reached the area with the warp gate, all they had to do was clear out the Metal Heads that had followed them that far. Most of them had given up and left to find something else to occupy their time. Jak and Erin started to kill them off; Vin tried to help, but he was a terrible shot. There was only a few left when Jak heard Erin yelp. He turned in time to see her lose her balance and tumble down the pile to the waiting Metal Heads.

Quickly Jak shot at the remaining enemies, a few of them he took down just before they got to Erin. He ran down the hill after her, hoping she was alright.

"Erin…?"

Jak reached the bottom of the hill, and saw the Metal Heads turn into dark eco. The blackish-purple substance absorbed into Erin's skin. Jak knew instantly what was about to happen and he stepped back, he couldn't help her, but he felt terrible for her. The first change was the worst.

He heard her scream as the darkness fought to take control, it cut him deep into the heart. He was helpless to save her from herself.

Erin's entire body burned, as if someone had thrown her into a furnace. She screamed from the pain, praying that this was just a nightmare, she wasn't going to change! She fought it, but to no avail. Purple electricity erupted from her body, tearing at her muscles. She continued to scream, though she didn't notice, she just wished for the pain to stop! But the pain only worsened, until she was sure that she was going to die from it…

The change took her then, her skin paled slightly. Her fingernails turned into short claws, her hair a deep, unnerving black. Her horns were black too. So black that you couldn't even see them without looking for them because they blended in with her hair…

Jak was stunned as she got to her feet. She almost looked like a normal person. If he hadn't know her before she changed, he would've been convinced that she WAS normal. She didn't stick out like he did in his dark form. She could blend in with a crowd.

Dark Erin reached out for him. "Jak…" She whispered temptingly. Her smile sweet. He would have accepted her hand if he didn't know better…

Jak stepped back farther. Something was terribly wrong, he had expected nothing more than a monster, like he was when the dark eco took control, but this was different. She was capable of speech in her dark form, all Jak was in his dark form was a mindless monster….and Erin….she was…a temptress!

When Jak stepped back, Dark Erin's fake smile vanished. Replaced instantly by a vicious scowl. Without warning she dove at him. The instant Dark Erin touched Jak, the dark eco transmitted into him, causing his dark form to emerge, Jak had no control.

Dark Erin and Dark Jak fought. Claws made contact to each other, each was trying to kill the other. They rolled on the ground, claws at each others' throats. Dark Jak used his superior strength to throw Dark Erin off of him. They both jumped to their feet, circling for the kill…

At the same time the dark eco drained from their systems, returning them to their normal forms. Erin collapsed to the ground, screaming and crying at the same time.

Jak tried to go and comfort her, but before he could get to her they were attacked by Metal Heads. Jak concentrated on the large group of Metal Heads and yelled for all of them to go threw the warp gate. Daxter yelled that they were all through, and he too jumped through the gate. Jak turned and ran for the gate, being the last one there.

When he appeared on the other side he noticed that Erin was gone. He looked at Daxter, he pointed through the door. Jak went to go after her…

"Wait!" Yelled Vin. "You have to go back to the Strip Mine! The safety of the entire city depends on it."

Jak desperately wished there was someone else to do the job, so he could go find Erin, but there wasn't anyone else…

It was after dark when Jak had finished destroying all the Metal Head eggs that were sucking the city's energy dry. Without the energy, the city defenses would have collapsed. Jak had to do the mission, but the whole time he had been worrying about Erin. He quickly went back to the Hideout, but she wasn't there. Jak left Daxter there; he had to go find Erin…

When he was out the door Jak stopped. He had heard a noise at the end of the dead end alley. We walked to the noise. It was sniffling. It had to be Erin!

He walked into the darkness and waited for his eyes to adjust. Erin was sitting on the ground, leaning against the farthest building. She had her legs pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees. Jak quietly walked to the end of the alley and sat on the ground not too far from her.

They sat there in silence. Erin a little ball of misery. She was still quietly sobbing, suffering alone. Jak wished that he could reach out for her, he wished that he could help her. He considered asking her if she was alright, but he knew she wasn't. If you've been through something like that, it was impossible to be 'alright' with it.

Jak knew that Erin knew he was there, but she didn't say a word for the longest time.

"I could have killed you," she sobbed, not moving her face from her knees.

"Erin, I--"

"--You wouldn't have attacked me if I hadn't attacked you first," she said; reading his mind.

Jak sighed. "Erin, I know it's hard, but you can get through this."

She just shook her head, silently saying 'no, I cant'. Not moving her head from her knees.

"I'm a monster," she said trying to keep her voice under control.

Jak moved closer to her, he hated that she thought that. "Erin, you're not a monster."

Erin finally lifted her head from her knees, wiping the tears from her cheeks, but still not looking at him. "Yes, I am."

Jak moved even closer. "No, Erin," he said sternly. She finally looked him in the eye, noticing his closeness. "You're not," he said, right before he kissed her.

The tender lips that kissed her took her completely by surprise. Her heart raced, all thoughts of what she had become washed completely from her mind. All that occupied her mind was Jak, and how sweet he was. She kissed him back. He had been there through her whole ordeal, always there to help her…

The kiss was cut short. The dark parts that occupied each of their minds rebelled. Refusing to give them a moments peace. The dark eco energy bolts shot between them, threatening to change them into their darker selves.

They quickly pulled away from the others' touch. The purple energy arched between them. They retreated from each other until the energy died.

Both of them were breathing hard. They each had almost turned back into their dark forms.

Jak felt terrible, "I'm sorry, I didn't know that would happen…"

"I know. How could you have known?" She was speaking fast, she could feel her face flushing deep crimson. "I guess our dark selves don't like each other…" Erin commented, she could feel her heart racing faster.

Jak didn't know what just happened. It worried him. "Are you alright?" He reached his hand out for her.

When he got too close to her the purple electricity jumped between them again. They each jumped back, startled.

Erin walked to the Hideout, she had to get out of there! When she entered the common room Torn and Daxter looked up. Some stupid part of her felt like they looked at her like they knew what she had just done with Jak. The part of her that was sure she couldn't get any more embarrassed was proven wrong as her face managed to flush an even deeper red. She raced passed Torn and Daxter, not wanting to make an even bigger fool of herself.

When Jak entered the common room, just seconds after Erin raced past, he was greeted with the stares of Torn and Daxter.

"What did you do!" Daxter demanded.

Authors notes: Thanks to my loyal fans for nearly beating this chappy out of me...Hopefully the next chapter sooner. P.S. sorry if this chapter has more mistakes than the others...It's late...I'm tired...and I'm too lazy to fix any of them right now! I'll fix them later!