Chapter 2 is up! All comments are appreciated.
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Jak pulled the Zoomer into a garage on the outskirts of the town, guiding it right into the nearest available spot. Kras City did not have many Zoomers, they had cars instead. The garage manager, a stocky old man with an unshaven face and squinty eyes, walked up to Jak.
"I see you got a gun there. Mind if I see your license? "
Jak was concerned, as Haven City did not require licenses, and Spargus required a license to not own a gun. He was considering just turning in his gun, as he could kill most living things without it, when he remembered an official document from Ashelin that showed that he was an agent of the Freedom League, and showed it to the man.
The man nodded and said, "Good enough. Say, what's that pet you have?"
Daxter bristled up, eyes burning, "Puny Mortal, I am your God. Bow down to me, or I shall smite you with my… super power? No, eco powers sound more Precursor like. Maybe Divine wrath? But I can't be wrathful at such a small insult, that is not godly…"
Jak grabbed his small orange partner's mouth and walked out of the garage. The manager watched him go, and then pulled out a small hand radio. He pressed a button, held it up to his mouth, and intoned,
"Jak has entered the city."
Jak wondered why Jinx would decide to go to the most dismal hotel in the city. However, this whole city seemed dismal recently. The gun checks, for one. The enormous amount of graffiti that adorned the once clean walls also helped give it that air. And who would forget the armed policemen, standing at every corner. Jak wondered why the city had once seemed wealthy now seemed like one giant slum. Jak's companion did not only wonder, he voiced his opinion.
"Great Precursors, this place has become a dump. And look at these guards! You'd think that they would try to combat the crime before the big crime lord was blown up, you know?"
Unfortunately, one of the guards heard Daxter and walked over. "Mizo's death is what caused this. Apparently, after he died his gang began falling apart, the factions fighting with each other. Meanwhile, the remnants of a gang from Haven City moved in, trying to establish a foothold. We tried to fight them, but the gang wars only got worse. Then something happened. All of the factions, even the one from out of town, decided to unite as one. They started fighting the police. They went from being a criminal organization to almost a group of terrorists. "
Daxter gave a nervous smile. "Ah, sorry if I offended you, kind sir with the really big gun. Jak, maybe we should be going someplace safer, where there are no terrorist gangs running around?"
The member of the pair of Havenites who had remained silent now spoke. "Daxter, we've fought Metalheads, the Krimzon Guard, and the Dark Makers. You think some gangs are goin' to give us any trouble? Here's the hotel anyhow, we just need to get the cyberkey and leave."
They walked into the hotel/bar, and went up to the bartender. She was a normal enough woman, except her nose was enormous and she had a bunch of warts covering her face. Jak thought that she was the ugliest woman he had ever seen. Daxter did not, but he had not been staring at her face... Jak walked up to her and asked her where Jinx's room was.
The ugly woman spoke with a heavy accent that Jak could not place. "Zhinks is in ze third floor, ze voom vith ze balcony."
As Jak walked up the stairs, the woman pressed a button hidden behind the bar.
Jinx enjoyed the little things in life. The sounds birds made, the funny shapes clouds made, that ringing in your ears right after you blow something up, things like that. He was lounging on a chair on the balcony, listening to the wonderful sounds of Kras City like sirens, car alarms, and gunshots. In his left hand was a very fizzy drink with lots of alcohol. In his right hand was a cigarette, which he would occasionally raise to his mouth to smoke. The agent of Haven City heard Jak enter and turned around.
"Jak! Long time no see! And fuzzy here too. Been missin' ya."
Jak, as always, wasted no time with small talk. "Where's the Cyberkey? You were supposed to stay in Kras City for one night, not four."
Our favorite bomber smiled and, between smoke-filled breaths, spoke, "I got it, I got it. Did Ashy and Tat-face actually think that I had turned traitor? They oughta know me better than that. Who can blame me staying in this city longer? With the gang fights, the cops are paying less attention of other sorts of crime that don't hurt anyone. In fact, it does th' opposite of hurt, if ya know what I mean." Jinx winked at Jak. Jak remained stoic as always, but Daxter replied.
"Oh, I know what you mean."
Jinx gave a sad face. "They don't got any ottsels, sad for you."
Daxter looked up, with a noble look on his face. "Ottsels are too elegant and noble to have an occupation as low as…"
Jak interrupted his friend, "Jinx, I am not here to discuss the morals of ottsels. I am here to get the Cyberkey. Give it to me, and you can go back to doing whatever you want. Keep it for yourself, and I'll have to shoot you."
Daxter said with a smile, "Ah Jak, so good at making friends."
Jinx blew a puff at smoke at Daxter, who began to cough, and wheezed, "Fine fine fine. Here ya go."
Jinx slid a small brown package across the railing, right into Jak's hand. Daxter was impressed by this, Jak was not. Jak, his short but still spiky hair taking on a weird shade in the neon lights of Kras City, scolded Jinx.
"That could have fallen into the depths of the city, and some criminal could have picked it up and damaged it!" Jak chided. "Do you know what could be in that file, what damages you could have just done?"
Jinx, with his usual smoky smile, replied, "Relax Jakky boy, I got practice. Like livin' life on the edge. When did you become so caring about the rules Jak? It ain't like ya. Remember back when we was chargin' around the sewer, blowin' things up with chaotic fury? Where's that Jak?"
Daxter muttered, "Back with that Daxter who had no tail." Jinx, not liking Jak being interrupted, blew smoke right into Daxter's open mouth.
The poor, interrupted Eco mutated hero spoke quietly. "That Jak is gone. He found and lost a father in five seconds, saved the world, and fell in true love. He could not be the same and keep what he had gained."
The three former workers for Krew all silently thought for a second, looking down at the street. This was unfortunate, as they did not notice the person with the jetpack until she smashed into Jinx, sending him flying into the bed, which collapsed. She was wearing some sort of light battle-suit, with numerous gadgets and weapons attached to it and a helmet with a visor. Daxter looked at the woman and upon noticing her many guns, knives, and bombs, decided to hop on his sidekick's shoulder, to think over a clever strategy to beat this opponent that he was certainly not afraid of, him being a Precursor and all.
"Jak, what are we going to do about her?" said the ottsel, in a voice that sounded a great deal like the person speaking was afraid, something our orange little mammal would immediately refute.
Instead of answering, the ottsel's mount looked at the Cyberkey, lying on the floor, and the person turning around to look at it. He hesitated, and that was all the mysterious attacker needed to grab the Cyberkey and jetpack back out over the rooftops. But Jak had a trick up his sleeves.
With total control, the Eco Hero suddenly turned a bluish-white color, grew wings, and flew, grabbing onto the woman's boot. His furry companion looked back at the receding hotel, but Jinx had not gotten up yet.
Jak, transformed back into his normal form, was having a hard time holding on to the boot in his hand, much less trying to take the Cyberkey from her hand. The woman kicked him in the face, and when that did not work, kicked Daxter right in the chest. Daxter gave a slight, "Oh" and then fell off, flying down towards some building below. Jak gave a grim smile.
"That was a mistake," he said, before his skin became incredibly pale and his eyes incredibly dark. It was a thing of darkness which now gripped the mysterious woman's boot.
The woman widened her eyes. "So you have eco powers. Let's see how they like this." She then threw a strange pulse-bomb into the air. The bomb exploded, sending a wave of energy that his Dark Jak. He transformed back to normal as his whole body erupted into pain.
Jak then plummeted toward the ground.