Chapter Eight:

Dreaming on the Job

Torn was sure to keep them busy. He didn't want them to 'get bored' and go out and cause more trouble for him. Over the last few weeks he had given them each countless bogus jobs to keep them out of trouble, but today it wasn't just some job that anyone could do. Today's mission was very important; a job that he needed his best on. Torn woke Jak, Daxter, and Erin early that morning. This mission couldn't wait.

When they had assembled before him, slightly groggy but awake, he started his briefing.

"Scouts report movement in Dead Town. Creatures moving towards the Sacred Site. Just as before."

"What happened... ah, before?" Daxter asked between yawns.

Torn was momentarily stunned that they didn't know, but he accredited it to their lack of sleep. "Metal Heads broke through the old city wall. We fought them, but then the Baron pulled back, leaving everyone outside the 'new barrier' to die. Only the Shadow stayed and somehow stopped the attack."

"And now you expect us to go out there again?" Jak asked, figuring what he was going to say.

"You catch on fast! If you prevent the Metal Heads from reaching the Sacred Site, the Shadow will be... most grateful. He might even ask to see you."

Jak was up for the mission, he had joined the Underground for that purpose in the first place.

They gathered as much ammo as they could carry and found a zoomer. The early morning had the look of night. They climbed in and headed for the security door that led to what had been deemed 'dead town'. The streets were deserted, even the Krimson Guard hadn't seen fit to leave their Fortress. The air was almost eerie it was so quiet. The danger could be sensed in the air.

It was a quiet drive to the security door, but when they reached it they could hear fighting on the other side.

They entered the first door and pushed themselves to the wall before the second opened.

One man had been standing up to a mass of Metal Heads before they had arrived. He paced backwards into the room while Jak and Erin covered him. Twenty Metal Heads were trying to force their way in.

Jak and Erin fired rapidly while the stranger did the same. After a few minutes of fast paced action, the Metal Heads stopped coming.

The stranger was out of breath when he turned to them.

"Thanks, you really saved my ass! I would've been a goner if you hadn't come!"

"More Metal Heads!" Daxter yelled from Jak's shoulder.

In the slight darkness of the early hour you could see hordes of Metal Heads approaching. Their skull gems gave off a sickly, yellow light that lit up the expanse of Dead Town.

They all acted quickly by firing on the Metal Heads closest to them and trying to keep them from advancing. Rapid firing wasn't enough to keep ALL of the army from them. A handful managed to get too close.

The Underground scout was standing closest to the group of Metal Heads. One of the smarter species had a rife and raised it to fire.

"Watch out!" Erin called to him.

The scout turned to Erin, not noticing the rifle aimed in his direction. An ominous shot rang in the air. For an instant she was sure that time had slowed down.

His cringed in pain when the energy bullet hit him in the back and his body started to fall.

Erin had no time to feel pity for him that instant, time shot forward as she tried to keep the squadron of Metal Heads from advancing on their position. When there was only two left, she ran to the fallen man's side, letting Jak take out the remaining Metal Heads.

After a minute Jak joined her at his side. Erin had the man's head on her lap, fingers pressed into his throat and checking for a pulse. A random thought made him wish that he was in her arms.

He shook it off stupidly, this was not the time for those thoughts. He knelt down beside her, looking at the man's wounds. He couldn't distinguish any from the color of his shirt. He pulled an eco pack from his belt and held it out to Erin.

Erin shook her head sadly, she almost seemed detached. "No need, he's dead."

Jak didn't know what to say, he just watched as she stroked the man's hair out of his face. Her delicate fingers pulled back his jet black hair from his already paling face. It was then that he noticed that blood had left its mark on the man's lips.

He glanced up and looked in the distance, he could see more of the creatures coming in their direction. "Erin, we better get going. More Metal Heads are pouring into the area as we speak."

"Yeah, Metal Heads!" Daxter tried to make Erin take in that bit of information.

She nodded again and gently pulled away from the dead man, his eyes staring unseeingly towards the heavens. She placed his head on the ground, not wanting to let it fall.

Her face was solemn as she turned from the corpse, a little shell-shocked. It had happed so fast. It was amazing how fast things could change, and the reality of it left a hollow place in her heart.

Jak had been worried at first how badly it would affect her. They would need all of their combined effort to fight off the Metal Heads, and it may have been inconsiderate (knowing what happened), but they both needed to be alert. They spent all that day clearing out the countless Metal Heads. Each group they took down, another group would appear. After many hours of tireless fighting and long distance shooting, they managed to clear out Dead Town. But it hadn't been easy. Metal Heads would ambush them and many blows had been exchanged. It had been a long day for them.

He looked out over the old security wall. In the growing darkness you could see the Skull Gems glowing just out of the range of their weapons. Most species of Metal Heads weren't capable of cunning, but those that were led the others to make a force to be reckoned with. After they had cleared out the many, many Metal Heads that passed through the useless security wall, they moved to this tower that looked over the surrounding area. From this view point they could see any Metal Head that dared to walk into their line of fire.

Torn had told them that the Baron had pulled his forces out of this area of the city, leaving everyone else to die from the Metal Head attack. Dead Town was a perfect name for the crumbling, decaying buildings that made up this section of the city. By the looks of the brittle structures, this area had once been a metropolis, much like the Industrial section of town. How many people did Praxis leave to die, those few years ago?

Jak couldn't see the look that crossed his face at the thought of the Baron, but Erin could. "Are you alright?"

Jak looked up at her and for a moment couldn't process what she had said.

"Yeah, why?" He asked as he looked back out over the abandoned city section.

"I don't know, you just had this….look on your face."

"What look?" He asked, they had mostly been in silence the whole day and was grateful that Erin had decided to talk. She had practically been a mute since that scout died.

"I don't know, just a look," she said with a small smile.

Jak looked over at her again. She had moved a little closer. Now they both were sitting on the concrete of the old tower floor high up from the ground and looking out over the horizon. She was sitting with her legs pulled up into her chest and her arms wrapped around them, her Morph-Gun sitting beside her. It had been at least two hours since the last Metal Head had dared stick his head from behind the barrier wall, and if any did they could easily see them from this distance.

Again silence filled the gap between them, and it was getting irritating to Jak how easily it filled the void, Daxter had lost his voice a long time ago when he kept yelling about advancing Metal Heads. He decided that he wasn't going to let silence win.

"Erin?"

"Hmm?" She continued to look out over the darkening sky. In the distance the sky turned into a slight red color, but it would be another couple of hours before the sun would set.

"It…it wasn't your fault, what happened with the scout from the Underground."

She looked over to him for a moment and gave a sad smile, "Am I that easy to read?"

Jak just smirked and nodded to her.

She shook her head as her smile faded. "If I hadn't distracted him he would still be alive."

He shook his head 'no'. "Erin he didn't see the Metal Head shooting at him, all you did was try and warn him."

Erin heaved a big sigh, "Isn't it amazing how fast things like that can happen?"

Jak nodded in agreement. He knew just how major things seemed to jump out at you.

"What was your world like?" Jak was momentarily taken aback. He looked over at her with a smile.

"It was so different than this place, everything was green. There were hardly any buildings and no vehicles, except one that Keira made. The village I lived in was called Sandover, I remember hating it so much because there was nothing to do. I grew up wishing to be somewhere else," Jak gave a low sigh, "but I never imagined I'd end up here."

"Do you miss it?" Erin asked in a low voice, taking great interest in her boot laces.

Jak looked out over the darkening horizon, then he turned back to face Erin. "Sometimes, but we've got a nice thing going here, 'ey Dax?"

Jak jostled the little orange ball sleeping on his shoulder. Daxter groaned, rolled over, and ignored the question.

He shrugged his shoulders again and looked back to Erin with a smile. She had her hand over her lips, trying to keep from giggling as she laid her head against the partial was she was sitting next to. She almost felt like she could fall asleep...

"JAK!"

Jak whipped around at Daxter's terrified yell, just in time to see a shot from a Metal Head rile ignite in the air and head right for him. As a reflex Jak rolled out of the way and started shooting back before he was back on his feet. Erin's yellow shots joined him.

Both Jak and Erin cursed themselves, if they had been more watchful they wouldn't have been taken by surprise. Somehow the smarter Metal Heads had devised a plan, which had worked. The trio was facing a squadron of Metal Heads in a tight space with their backs to a ten story fall. Each of their opponents where members of a smarter species, which meant that they ALL had rifles. The odds definitely WEREN'T in their favor…

Add to that the fact that they didn't have any sort of cover, and you'd think they were dead meat.

"JAK!" Daxter yelled in his ear, again.

His heart stopped beating as he saw the predicament that Erin was in.

A Metal Head had got close enough to her to use his stun gun, the red electricity tore through her body. Jak shot at the Metal Head and, without concern for himself, he dove for Erin, who was teetering on the edge of the roof. Jak managed to grab her hand just as she was starting her long fall to the ground. Her weight almost pulled him off with her, but managed to hold on to her while he grabbed the ledge with his other hand. She was unconscious, momentarily stunned by the energy that had been released on her.

The instant that their hands touched, the dark powers fought to take over. No training from the Precursors could help them fight off the terrible parts that massed within them. It was all a matter of will.

Erin woke instantly and screamed. She was hanging hundreds of feet off the ground, for all she knew she was falling to her imminent death. She grabbed Jak's one hand with both of hers.

Jak struggled with keeping her hands in his, and trying to prevent himself from changing. Like before the hand that touched her brought out purple electricity that arched between them, threatening their control. Sweat formed on his forehead and hands, until he was sure that he was going to drop Erin or get pulled off with her.

Her hands slipped slightly, rocking Erin as she readjusted her hands into his, which intensified the energy that flowed between them. "Jak!" Erin cried, trying to hold on and hold back the darkness at the same time.

Jak found a hole with his foot and placed it in as far down as he could and released his other hand so that he could reach for Erin's other hand. They both could hear Daxter shooting at the Metal Heads with Jak's dropped weapon; Erin glanced up and saw a Metal Head going for Jak. Without thinking of herself she pulled one of her hands from Jak's and reached for her weapon that was just sitting on the edge of the roof. Jak quickly adjusted and moved his free hand to the one hand that was left in his.

"Erin, you need to give me your other hand!" Jak said urgently, his grip slipping. Erin just continued to reach for her gun, but it was just out of her reach. Erin glanced up quickly, the Metal Head was standing just above Jak with his weapon raised to come down on Jak's exposed back. Adrenalin gave Erin the strength to pull herself enough to reach the grip. When her hands clasped around the handle of her gun she lined it up quickly and shot the monster's unprotected chest.

Jak heard the thump of the body land heavily beside him, but he didn't register any significance in it.

"I NEED YOUR OTHER HAND!" Jak yelled anxiously as her smaller fingers slid a fraction of an inch more out of his grasp. The angry voice in his head demanded that he drop her, she is your enemy! Kill her! He continued to fight off his darker self as he held on to her.

Jak wasn't sure how it happened, he figured it was either the weight of both of their bodies combined, or the vibration from the Metal Head's fall, but there was no way to be sure. Either the weight or the blow, whatever the reason, the edge of the roof started to crumble, taking Erin and Jak with it.

An instinct made Jak give into his dark self. The habitual pain that came with the process rocked his body to the core, but he ignored it. He fought hard to keep control of his own body. Dark Jak almost let Erin fall to her death, so that he could save himself, but normal Jak won, for the moment. With added strength that the dark eco gave him, he threw Erin off the crumbling edge just as he started to fall…

Jak was glad that he had saved Erin, he didn't even mind that he had to die to do it…

But Dark Jak wouldn't give up so easily. He dug his claws into the side of the building, slowing his fall amid the shower of sparks. The friction brought him to a stop just twenty feet below. Dark Jak was livid that Jak had managed to control him, managed to force him to save his mortal enemy. Not for long!

He slammed his claws into the stone wall a little higher up, and again with his other hand, until he had climbed his way to the top.

Dark Jak climbed over the edge and sat like a feral animal, searching for his prey. There she is!

Dark Erin pulled herself off of the ground, and with a quick swipe killed the remaining Metal Head that had been stupid enough to stir up her anger. She turned to her enemy and smirked. "Allow me to thank you for saving me!" She yelled in a mocking voice as she charged on Dark Jak.

Jak didn't have the mental strength to stop Dark Jak anymore, now he was in complete control. He was going to kill Erin, and he had no will to stop it.

Dark Erin and Dark Jak collided, but Dark Jak's superior weight won the joust. He tossed his enemy with immense strength off the roof. Her body collided with a nearby building, shattering the outer wall and sending her into the room inside. He ran and jumped after her, just to be sure she was dead. When Dark Jak landed through the newly formed door, she was nowhere to be found. He became instantly alert and walked through to the next room, following a small trail of blood left on the floor.

The trail led evil Jak into a narrow hallway. He followed the blood and kept wary. He heard a satisfied laugh as her long claws dug into his back. He realized that the trail had been fake too late to stop her little scheme, but he wasn't done yet.

He used his body and slammed her smaller one into the wall of the hallway. It made her black claws dig deeper into the muscles in his back. He yelled in anger and turned around and grabbed her shoulders. He pulled her from the wall and slammed her against the opposite one, leaving a large dent in the dirty wall. He got a small amount of satisfaction by the slight fear in her eyes.

Dark Jak pulled her from the wall and tried to slam her into it, yet again, but she was ready for it. She brought her strong legs up to his chest and used them to push him away. Her action caught him off guard, he went flying a short distance and landed on the floor. He rolled and tried to get up, but she had jumped on top of him and had her hands around his neck. With a quick movement he rolled, pushing her to the ground so that he was on top. He grabbed her smaller hands from his neck and forced them to the floor on either side of her. Now she was at HIS mercy. A satisfied growl left his lips, which is why he didn't hear the old, wooden floor groan under the unaccustomed weight. The time weakened floor gave way, and they fell the ten feet to the next floor below.

Because Dark Jak weighed more, he hit the floor first, still holding Dark Erin on top of him. After they hit she tried to bring her claws to his neck, but he still had her hands held tightly in his. He rolled once again as more electricity shot between them, sucking at each others energy. He had the advantage as he pushed her to the floor once again. One hand held her hands above her head, while the other held her throat. Dark Jak paused for just a moment, so that his enemy would register that she had been beaten, just before she died. He lightly traced his claws over her throat, taunting her, right before he raised them to end her life in one swift stroke…

If Dark Jak had been smarter, he would have realized that they had been sucking at each other's dark eco every time they touched each other. Each blow they had exchanged drained them a little more, until there was nothing left.

Normal Jak and Erin replaced their darker counterparts, just before Dark Jak slit her throat. They both had absolutely no strength left, Jak collapsed on top of Erin, neither of them able to move. They were both breathing hard, trying to flood their bodies with the oxygen that they desperately needed.

Desperate need for air kept them from moving, both their bodies shook with exertion. After he felt that he had got enough, he shakily pushed himself off of Erin, looking down into her beautiful brown eyes. He was all too aware that his body was on top of hers, of her hot breath on his face, that her lips were just centimeters from his…

"Are you alright?" She asked, barely above a whisper, a look of concern in her eyes.

He kissed her then, but it wasn't brief, like the one they had shared all those long weeks ago. All the dark eco had been expelled from their systems, for the moment. This kiss was passionate, deep, and long, everything that he had wanted it to be. Erin's arms wrapped around his neck and combed through his long, blonde-green hair, pulling him deeper into the kiss. One of his hands was on the floor, keeping most of his body weight off of her, while the other gently caressed the soft skin of her face. He was vaguely aware of his inner voice telling his that they should leave, that some Metal Heads could still be around, but he ignored it.

Erin had been out of her mind of jealousy whenever she had thought of Jak and Keira together, though she had thought she hid it well. She was sure that Jak had no idea of the slight amount of envy that was present whenever he had said he was going to go see the green-haired mechanic to win back her friendship. She was thinking of it as she kissed him. Somehow they could touch, she didn't know how long it would last, so she kissed him for all she was worth, not wanting the moment to end.

Their kiss finally ended when a piece of debris fell from the gaping hole in the ceiling and landed beside them, startling them.

Jak pulled away from her, a little embarrassed, yet reluctantly. Erin sat up, her face a deep crimson from discomfort or the kiss, he wasn't sure. Why did I do that? Jak asked himself silently. One minute he saved her life, then he tried to kill her, then he was kissing her! A million emotions flew through his mind as he tried to make sense of it all.

Erin cleared her throat, trying not to let her embarrassment get to her. One thing she was glad for was that Daxter wasn't there to witness that; they would have never heard the end of it…

"ERIN! WAKE UP!" An annoying, high-pitched voice screamed in her ear. Her eyes fluttered open to see a slightly miffed Daxter standing on her chest and looking down into her eyes.

"What?" She asked groggily. Erin sat up as Daxter moved to her shoulder. She looked into the little fur-ball's eyes.

"Jak asked you a question, before you so RUDELY fell asleep!" He answered her as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Erin found that they were still on the roof of the old building, keeping watch over Dead Town, and the sun had set. The Metal Heads hadn't attacked them, Jak and her hadn't almost killed each other, they hadn't…That whole thing had been a dream?

She looked over at Jak and tried to keep her face from flushing, she failed miserably. "What was the question?"

Jak raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright? Your face is all red."

"Um…I'm…ah…fine!" She said, while she could feel her face turn a little more red.

"Jak asked you what YOUR time was like, I mean, after all, he told you what ours was…WAIT!" Daxter stopped in the middle of his explanation. "Are you blushing?"

Erin cursed the lack of control she had over her own face. "No, I'm not!"

Daxter knew he had her, and he sure wasn't going to let it drop. "So, Erin," Daxter said as he leaned his little elbow on the top of her head, "what were you dreaming about?"

"What?" She answered, trying to sound indifferent, yet again she knew she had failed miserably. So she tried changing the subject. "Can we leave yet? The Metal Heads haven't attacked in hours."

Unfortunately, Dax wasn't going to let it drop that easily. "Oh! I knew it! You were dreaming about me! No one can resist Orange Lightning!"

"In your dreams, rat boy," Erin said, as she once again tried to control the color of her face.

He was unaffected by her insult. "No, actually, I was in YOUR dreams, so really--" Daxter was thrown at Jak, which shut him up momentarily.

"I'm leaving!" She called back over her shoulder, glad that they could no longer see her face.

"Nice, very nice, Dax," Jak commented when Erin was out of earshot.

"What!"

Jak just shook his head and followed after Erin.

"The Shadow has decided it's time to meet you," Torn had a small look of pride that his newest recruits had earned such an honor.

"Why is that place in the old ruins so important to you?" Jak asked.

Erin remembered when they had passed that old building, actually it couldn't count as a building really. It was more of an ancient hut. Jak and Daxter had been surprised to see it, but Erin had been to occupied with keeping her embarrassment in check. What did they know about that old place?

"There's a powerful energy force at the old house. The Metal Heads are drawn to it," he answered.

"No kidding? We used to know the guy that lived there," Jak answered. Torn looked up from his papers and gave him a look that said 'yeah, right.'

A man stepped forward from the shadows,. He was a shorter man with a green, moss-covered log on his head, along will some 'accent pieces" that he used as sandals. Erin hadn't even noticed that he was there, apparently neither did Jak or Daxter they looked rather shocked to see him. "So, you're the new recruits who keep getting into trouble."

"Oh no, not you!" Daxter said disbelievingly, his jaw dropped open.

"Welcome to our humble Underground movement," the man continued, choosing to ignore Daxter's outburst, "I am known as the Shadow, but you can call me Samos. And you are…?"

"Sheesh, Jak," Daxter seemed rather disappointed, "we went through all that to meet his holiness, ol' log on the head, grandpa green!"

Erin and Torn shared a rather shocked look, what was going on?

"Don't you know who we are?" Jak asked, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Sorry kid... never seen you before," the man answered, "...and I never forget a face... especially one that ugly." He pointed at Daxter upon saying that.

The shock drained from Daxter's face and was replaced by one of remembered tolerance. "So it begins…"

"How is this possible? We came through the rift with you... into the future... Right?" Jak asked, almost begged.

"Yeah!" Daxter commented, his look of shock had vanished. "You used to look older than dirt and uglier than a knotted stump. What gives? Did you get a little nip and tuck while we were gone?"

"Listen boys, I don't know what kind of things you've been chewing on, but I don't have time for this." Samos answered, getting slightly irritated. "We've got a Baron to overthrow, a child heir to protect, an invasion of Metal Heads to stop, and a city to save. I'd say the schedule's pretty full! Besides, I haven't gone through any rifts. I hate teleporting!"

"Sure sounds like the old Samos…" Daxter commented.

"Right now I need you," he said, pointing to Jak, "to go to Haven Forest and root out a few Metal Heads. That forest is my source of power, but I can't protect it much longer. Chase down and destroy all the Metal Head scouts you find there."

Then he turned to Erin, she expected anything for a mission, except the one he assigned her. "And I need you to baby-sit the kid, he must not fall into the Baron's hands, or this whole war will have been for nothing."

"Baby-sitting? BABY-SITTING? We have to kill dirty, deadly, dangerous Metal Heads in the middle of the night, and all she has to do is baby-sit! Once again we are given the crappy mission, right, Jak?" Daxter looked to his friend for support, but didn't find any, at least not from him.

"I agree, Samos," Daxter looked shocked that Torn actually agreed with him, "She may be small, but she is one of the best people we got."

"Precisely," Samos commented, "We cannot send the kid around with a group of burly guards, that would draw attention, but at the same time we need someone to protect him. Kor is old and cannot fight off the Krimson Guard if they should get interested. She is the perfect solution to this problem, if what you told me about her fighting skills is true."

Torn nodded, "It's true."

Was that almost a compliment? Erin thought to herself. Since they had arrived they had gotten nothing but criticism from their commander. It seemed odd that he didn't feel that they we're just a bunch of troublemakers, like he let on.

"We'll then, we know the kid is safe with her," Samos finished. He turned back to Jak and Daxter, "Good Luck, and welcome to the fight!"

With that final word, the Shadow dismissed them and turned to Erin. "The kid is at the Power Station, with Kor. Inform Kor that he no longer has to look after the kid, and bring him back here."

"So what's the kid's story?" Erin asked.

"I found him just wandering the streets. But the amulet around his neck means he may just be the lost heir to the city, you must defend the kid at all costs."

Erin nodded and left the Hideout right behind Jak. She noticed that Jak seemed rather thoughtful.

"Samos remind you of someone you know?" Erin asked in reference to what they had said to him.

Jak looked at her, "I'm almost certain that it's the Samos we know, but why wouldn't he remember us?"

"Maybe he's pretending not to know us," Daxter answered. "Or maybe that log rattled his brain too much over the years!"

Jak shook his head, "But he looks so different, he almost seems…younger."

Erin shook her head. "Well, that is strange…"

"Come on, Dax. Let's get this over with so that we aren't out in the forest until dawn." Jak said as he climbed on a waiting zoomer. He started up the zoomer and started to fly away.

"Be careful!" Erin called to them.

"Don't worry, I'll return to occupy your dreams!" Daxter called from Jak's shoulder.

Jak looked back, he could have sworn that Erin had been making…a rude hand gesture to Daxter, but from this distance, he couldn't be sure.

A/N: Ok, I don't know if I like this chapter...I've had writers block for about two weeks now, and this is what I wrote after it (Finally) went away...Please review and tell me what you think!