Chapter 7: Five Less Metal Heads
Music: Skulls by the Misfits

"I want your skulls,
I need your skulls,
I need you skulls,
Like the demon I am"

Mood: Apologetic
Disclaimer: Writers lie, just like your parents.

Jak and I walked out of the saloon to the gun course. There were three doors inside, and we went automatically to the one in the middle. Lining the walls next to the door was boxes of what looked like ammo. We broke open the boxes and filled our stores of ammo.
"You will take the courses separately," a mechanical voice said out of nowhere, surprising me. "No cheating, and good luck."
"Do you want to go first?" Jak asked me.
I just shook my head nervously. I reached my hand up and ran it through his hair affectionately, "Good luck."
"Like I'll need it," he scoffed jokingly. He quickly placed a kiss on my lips before walking towards the doors that automatically opened and closed for him.
I vaguely heard the voice speaking again, but I couldn't make out what it was saying.
I didn't remember what was in the course; if the people were real or fake, if you were timed, if you could actually get hurt in there.
It was upsetting that I couldn't remember anything clearly. It was like my memory had been wiped of all detail when we went through the rift rider.
I couldn't remember anything about my old life - the most I remembered was that I didn't like my life before this, and I got pushed into a tv and fell into Sandover.
I remember that we had to get 100 Power Cells, and I remember a majority of the places we went to, but not the names. I remembered Sandover the most, though.
I don't remember what Jak or I had looked like, and I have vague pictures to go with names.
I could hardly remember that it was a game before this. I was no help at all anymore.
I sat there, thinking, for a good five minutes before the door on the other side of the room opened, revealing a very windswept Jak. He was breathing heavily, but I could read accomplishment in his eyes.
I walked up to him and l pulled him into a fierce hug, pushing my lips against his.
He responded eagerly, albeit somewhat confusedly. When we finally pulled apart, I looked into his dark eyes, and read the questions there.
"What was that for?" he asked with a smirk. I just shrugged. "Okayyyy... Well I d-" he started, but he was cut off by the voice again.
"Course Number 2 is ready to commence, cross bow please step forward."
"Guess that's me," I laughed nervously.
"Good luck," Jak said.
"Like I'll need it," I responded mockingly before turning and walking through the door.
The door closed behind me, and the voice said, "This is a specialized course, made specifically for your weapon. Good luck."
Four cardboard people popped up, and started moving along a track. I hesitantly loaded my bow and shot at one. I blew to smithereens, and I smirked. I took out the rest of them, and followed the course through, easily blasting the little cardboard people to dust. I finally reached another set of double doors, and waited for the voice to tell me what to do.
"Your trial is over, please wait while your information is processed."
I waited, and then the door opened, and I walked out, grinning, towards Jak, who engulfed me in a hug.
"That was COOL!" I exclaimed. Jak laughed, and we walked out of the saloon hand in hand. Daxter was waiting for us outside, and hopped up on Jak's shoulder the minute he spotted us, before we headed back to the saloon.
We walked through the doors and were met with Sig and Krew. "Excellent shooting you two!" Krew said. "Ever thought of becoming wastelanders hmmm?"
"Can't say that I have," Jak responded, and I just shook my head.
"Wastlanders find items outside the city walls, 'ey. Any artifact or weapon worth having comes through my hands. Work for me and I'll throw some of the sweeter items your way." Krew leered.
"Kill Metal heads? Get Toys? Sounds good to me." Jak smirked.
I grinned. It did sound like a good deal.
"Whoa! Slow down Jak, Maddy, fat man; you better run that by me again, 'cause there's NO WAY I'm going outside the city to face more Metal heads!" Daxter exclaimed.
"Sig will show you the ropes," Krew responded simply before flying away.
"So you wanna be Wastelanders, huh? Well, we'll see what you're made of when we get out in the thick. Krew wants some new trophies to put butts in chairs at the Hip Hog." Sig said menacingly. "So I'm gunna bag him five nasty Metal heads at the Pumping Station."
Daxter gulped.
"Don't wet your fur, chili pepper, cause were rollin' with the Peace Maker!" Sig said, pulling out a long, staff like weapon with a bright yellow light on the end. I shuddered.
"Whoa! I need one of those!" Daxter exclaimed. "Where'd you get it?"
"Dont ask," Krew quipped, floating back over to us. "Sig needs someone to watch his back while he tracks the MetalHeads, 'ey."
"We'll meet at the pumping station. Listen Cherries, don't you leave me dangling in the wind out there."
"Let's do it!" Jak said.

We met up with Sig at the Pumping Station, and he gave us a run down of what was going to happen. I had thought that this was going to be easy because we had already been to the Pumping Station, so we kind of knew our way around, and what we had been through had been really easy. I was wrong.
We'd already been to the first area, but this time there was more monsters. Sig went straight to the Metal Head on the right, so Jak and I took the two to the left. We took out the rest of the little lizard things and followed Sig up past the two little piston things and to the left where there was a huge tank in the way. "Watch out! And let me blow up this tank!" Sig said. We all backed away and Jak positioned himself in front of me. I couldn't help but cringe at the sweetness.
The tank combusted and left little pieces flying every where. Daxter stared at Sig with a shocked expression. Sig just grinned before turning around and heading in he other direction.
We reached another clearing and Sig ducked behind a box ahead. I got it; he was giving us a shot.
I pulled out and arrow and let it loose at one of the Metal Heads. It hit it, but the monster didn't die.

Just as fast, I let out another arrow, killing it. When I looked back, Jak had already taken care of the other one.
"Drop the bridge!" Sig yelled, and I complied by jumping on top of the bridge, feeling it lower under me.
We reached yet another clearing, but this time one of the MetalHeads we needed was in it.
Sig dropped onto one knee and started charging his peace maker. Jak and I took out the red lizards that decided to attack now with simple kicks and punches - who needed to waste ammo.
Sig got the Metal Head up on the rock, and as it fell, he gave it a thumbs down. I giggled.
Jak looked at me like I was insane; I never giggled. Or laughed. Or really smiled.
I just shrugged. Jak just shook his head with a small smirk on his face before following Sig down a bridge.
We were met with at least six Metal Heads and a bunch of little lizards. I was surprised, but we took them all down anyway.
We continued after Sig to see him crouched again, charging his Peace Maker. I looked around for the next Metal Head and spotted it, before hearing Sig say, "There's the second scumbag, cover me!"
I turned toward the water, and just like last time, lizards started jumping out at us. They were just as easy to take out, and by the time they were all dead, Sig was already following the path further ahead. "Stay close!" He yelled.
We continued after him and took down two more big Metal Heads and countless other smaller ones, before finally reaching a bridge that we stopped under.
"There's something wrong with my gun!" Sig said, smacking it against his knee.
I groaned. That was just our luck, and just to add to it, Metal Heads started swarming down from the top of the bridge, going straight for Sig.
We started taking out all the ones that attacked us, but too many were there, and, like always, something went wrong. Two Metal Heads went straight for Sig, and he was fiddling with his gun, jumping on top of him.
Jak and I both ran toward him and pulled them off quickly, though, blasting the Metal Heads and heading over to Sig, who looked mostly unharmed, just a few scratches and bites.
"Ugh," Sig said, shaking himself. "Nasty things, those are." He paused, looked down at his gun. "But the Peacemaker is back on line! Let's get moving."
The rest of the mission went off without a hitch, and before we knew it, we were standing in from of Sig, who was instructing us to go tell Krew while he picked up the 'trophies.'
"Let's go," Jak said, grabbing my hand after Sig walked away.
Jak, Daxter and I all made our way back to the entrance to the Pumping station, in the water slums of Haven.
I popped up the hollow to look at, and Daxter pointed out the familiar looking icon, tracking to one of the huts on the water.
The minutes Jak and I walked into the building, a voice boomed, "Only the power of the Precursors can save you!" I flinched at the voice. It sounded like it was talking directly into my ear. I shivered. "Those creatures you call Metal Heads, bring me their skulls and I will teach you how to control your powers." Jak automatically pulled his back pack around to the front and held up the open bag until the Oracle accepted the offering.
"You do well to rid the world of the Metal scourge. As a reward I will grant you each a dark power." I tensed, not knowing what was going to happen. Out of nowhere, a huge bolt of purple light shot out, split into two part, and zapped both Jak and myself. I vaguely noticed Daxter backing into a corner, before my mind was being taken over by my dark alter ego, but this time I could think. I began to question that. Was that the Oracles doing, or mine?

"The Metal Heads have always feared you, angry one." The Oracle said, speaking directly to Jak. "Even now, the Metal head leader realises you can destroy him and save the last chance for our race. You now have control of another dark power." The Oracle let Jak out of its grip on him, and he immediately dropped to the ground, before jumping again and slamming into the ground, creating a dark wave of purple energy. And, just like that, Dark Jak was gone. He shook his head to clear it before looking at me with surprised eyes, pupils blown. "And you!" The Oracle said. I growled at it. "You are just as angry, but you have more control. But control over yourself, or over him. You may be the only hope of stopping the destruction that that one will cause. Stop him, save the world." It paused again, and I growled again. "You also receive a dark power."

I felt the moment I was released from its power, and, just like Jak, I dropped to the ground, before jumping up and slamming to the ground, releasing a wave of blue energy.

My mind immediately began to clear, and a looked around at the smoldering remains of both my and Jak's attacks. The ground was burn black, and the bottom half of the walls got hit too.

I looked over at Jak, and saw him looking at me.

"Cool." He said, and I just grinned

A/N: So, uh, hello :) It's been a while hasn't it. Well, the other day, I was looking through some files on my computer and noticed this half written chapter, so i thought, "HEY! I could use a project for the rest of the summer, and im sure you all were eagerly awaiting my update, right? No? Ah okay fine, well if youre still here, id love your feedback and thoughts on where this should go, or if I should even bother continuing… I can't promise really regular updates, but I can promise that ill try my best to at least finish this story, because ive turned into one of those people that I hate; the ones that just leave stories in the middle. Gah.

Well, on that note, I hope to hear from you soon lovelies :)

P.S. I went through and did some minor editing to the other chapters, so you might want to go back and read them, nothing serious, though, mostly grammar and spelling mistakes, but I did change a few points to fit in with the plot line that I have in my head.

xMonster