A/N: Chapter seven ready, adding 8 at the same time too. Two big things i'm 'fixing' from the first rendition of this story, the romance arc will progress much more slowly, and Sake's powers will be adjusted to be a bit more unique without being OP. Mind you the powers bit isnt really important until later. I figured i'd just warn you.
Either way, please enjoy :)
Tess stepped out of the washroom and made her way down the hall to another room off to the side. She'd been with the Underground resistance for so long now that she managed to earn private quarters. It also helped that she was female, cute, and exposed to constant harassment from the men. So when she confronted Torn on the matter, he was reluctant but obliged.
The room was admittedly small, but it was roomy enough to have what mattered- A bed with space enough for just one person(Or two if you cuddled up reaaallly close, but that wasn't her cup of joe), A desk for her to sort documents and work through her tasks for the Underground such as compiling supply routes and aiding Torn in securing reliable lines of communication, and a large wooden trunk that had been worn down through the years. Getting on her knees, she reached into a hidden compartment on the bed's frame and removed a small golden key which she then used to unlock the chest. It's lid lifted with a click and she opened it.
Inside were a collection of things- valuables, clothes, personal belongings; Pretty much anything she wanted to keep safe. Just because it was the Underground, it didn't mean that everyone had a heart of gold. She rummaged through the stuff inside and eventually found some older clothing that she hadn't really fit into well for several years. In Haven you rarely threw anything away because it was all you had and replacements were hard to come by. Besides it meant having things to pass on to those less fortunate and in Haven, there were a lot of very unfortunate people.
The outfit she had selected was simple. A soft ruffled red blouse, a long-sleeved black over shirt combined with a black leather under-bust corset, and a pair of dark pants. She knew that the young lady would need more support and protection, especially since she was confident that Torn would find a way of suckering her into working for the Underground. After all he'd been hospitable, albeit grudgingly toward her so she owed them and he liked to collect- slowly. So she dug further and found a pair of brown leather chaps and some boots that had loose-fitting leather that strapped around the knee- Sort of like the pair she almost always wore already. Content with her findings, she closed the lid and it automatically locked again. She hid the key again before closing the door behind her as she left.
The girl, Sake, was where Tess had left her just a few minutes before, standing motionless in the shower. If she had to guess, that was the first shower the girl had had since being thrown in prison and she didn't blame her for likely using far more than her share of hot water. The interior of the washroom had steamed up considerably and the dingy tiles filmed over with moisture as trails formed when there wasn't enough surface to support the water that beaded up.
Tess watched her for a bit longer, admittedly feeling quite sorry for the girl. She couldn't be but a few years younger than herself. She was gently soaking her hair now, using the crude bar of soap from one of the sinks nearby. Tess noticed that Sake was having visible difficulty.
"Would you like some help?" Tess offered, placing the clothing and boots in a neat pile on a bench to the left of the entrance. Sake jumped, pivoting quickly before calming down. "Oh my apologies- I didn't mean to startle you." Tess said with a little chuckle. Sake cracked a weak smile.
"Its fine- Just a little jumpy, I guess." Sake didn't answer Tess' question so Tess volunteered herself, kneeling behind Sake and using the bar to saturate her long ebony hair with the cleansing suds.
Both were quiet as Tess worked to gently untangle knot after knot that riddled her oily, dirt caked hair. It was a slow going process and when she was done, she stood and smiled. "When you're done, use one of those towels to dry off then try on these clothes. They're some of my old things, I hope they fit well enough." Sake nodded gently as she watched Tess turn and leave.
Sake observed her form briefly in the old grimy mirror that hung from the wall in the washroom. It was cracked, skewing the image but it was more than effective at providing a closer look at her now-clothed figure. Tess was right, the clothing wasn't a perfect fit. The pants were a size too big, but the belt she provided did just fine at suspending them. The shirt was loose, same with the corset, and the red blouse normally meant to accentuate a woman's 'figure' seemed to engulf her chest. There were footsteps and Tess came in once again.
"Just thought I'd check up on you. How do they fit?" Tess smiled, one hand on her hip as she leaned to one side. Sake blushed inwardly but smiled back. "A little loose, but I figure with time you'll fill them out nicely. Just need to get a few good meals in you. But c'mon outside, Jak's back." She watched as Sake's face lit up.
As they left the washroom, Sake could already hear voices. She only recognized one, the older more gravelly voice. She knew that was Torn, but only by name and voice. She had no face to match it to. The other was quite low too, but not gravelly. The speaker's tone was very demanding and aggressive. Tess led her to the curtain before pushing it aside and gesturing Sake through and she did so cautiously. Two men and an orange furry creature were huddled around a central table. They were discussing something that seemed quite important.
"...We've done what you've asked." The younger man said. Sake immediately noticed his hair was a bright yellow-green. That was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, Jak. And of course, who could forget his short furry Ottsel companion, Daxter. "Now when do we see the Shadow." Jak crossed his arms impatiently and Sake suddenly felt that maybe talking to him wasn't such a good idea. He seemed to have gained quite a few edges to his personality since they had met two years prior. Tess noticed and patted her on the shoulder, hoping to reassure her that Jak was mostly harmless.
"When I say so-" The other man, Torn, which Sake assumed through the process of elimination, glared at the blond and the orange animal who glared back. "-IF I say so. But before I even THINK about it, I want you to take out an ammo dump we've ID'd in the fortress." The red haired man circled a location on a map with his finger, looking over his shoulder at Jak as he circled around to get a better look.
"Krimzon Guards, constant patrols- We KNOW its vulnerable." Torn paused again. This was obviously a signature of his. "And the Underground needs you to blow up all the ammo inside." The man flung his right hand outward as if to gesture toward nothing and inadvertantly struck Daxter, whom had just climbed up onto the table not seconds before to sneak a better peak. He slid back, rubbing his head in annoyance. "Get all of it, and we'll deal a body blow to the Baron." Daxter finally stood, shoulders slumped.
"You're sending us in, 'tough guy'- So what's with this 'We'll deal a body blow' stuff?" Daxter protested, earning a snarl from the tattooed leader. Jak slammed his fist onto the table, startling everyone, if only for a second.
"That's fine- I want the Baron to know that it's ME whose hurting him." The look in Jak's eyes was one of blood-thirst mixed with sheer hatred. If Torn's constitution was any weaker, he might've frozen from the ice in the boy's veins.
It was then that Jak turned only slightly, feeling eyes on him from somewhere else in the room. Instantly he locked gazes with a matching pair of vivid blues and felt his heart stop for a brief moment. Remembering to breathe, he took a step or two in Sake's direction and she did the same, her hands folded nervously in front of her. Suddenly the tension in the room was thick enough to slice with a butter knife.
"Jak-" Sake began, voice soft. She pursed her lips then swallowed. "You seem.. different." She watched as his eyes strayed to the ground and Torn, Daxter and Tess watched quietly.
"Yeah.. " Was all he said, breathy and almost hollow as he mentally reflected. "You're looking well though." He suddenly felt quite awkward, searching for the right words. A smile gently bent the corners of his mouth as he watched Sake grin a little. Then he turned back to Torn. "Hey is there somewhere we can talk in private?"
"Down the hall, door at the end leads to a stairwell up to the roof." Torn remarked and hoisted himself onto the desk as he took a seat. Tess joined him in the main room as Jak and Sake disappeared behind the curtain.
The moment they were out of sight. Sake pivoted sharply and threw her arms around the blonde's chest as she buried her face into his collar. Jak breathed in sharply, startled but otherwise fine. Reluctantly he returned the hug with a gentle pat on her back. He felt her trembling and heard her sniffling.
"I can't believe it- you came for me." She breathed out between little sobs. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. Its not that he didn't feel comfortable- this was just all so sudden and he was never all that great at handling crying girls.
"Hey, relax. It's not a problem." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders as he pried her from his chest. She curled her lips inward, fighting a smile before recoiling as she realized what she'd done just seconds before. "I'm sure you would've done the same for me. Now lets go talk elsewhere. There's a few things to catch up on." Jak gestured down toward the end of the hallway and the two made their way up to the roof of the building.
From behind them, a fuzzy paw let go of the curtain as a smile crossed the Ottsel's lips. It was good to see his friend smile and warm up after what he knew had been the worst two years of his life to date. Though Daxter couldn't help but feel like very soon, Jak's attention would be divided between him and the girl. Sure he was jealous, but for all the right reasons.
"Hang on- This might be a rough ride." Jak remarked, placing one foot onto a plate before grabbing the handles and throwing his other leg over the zoomer's worn brown leather cushion. It was a single-seater and the only zoomer close enough to.. acquisition without garnering much attention from the locals. Sake boarded cautiously and Daxter clung effortlessly to his friend's broad metal shoulder pauldron. Once situated, she wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tightly. Jak tensed, "Not so hard- I still have to breath y'know."
With that, the trio started off toward the Fortress. Jak's driving, or 'careening gracelessly in the general direction' as Sake called it, was really really bad. Astronomically bad. Maybe he just wasn't used to having a passenger, or maybe something was wrong with the zoomer- She didn't know. All she knew was that Jak was easily the worst driver. Ever. Of all time.
The Fortress was a facility that was adjacent to and linked with the Prison building. Of course the mere idea of going within five hundred feet of that place made Sake's skin crawl. It was obvious that Jak was apprehensive as well, every muscle going ridged. Daxter's fur prickled, sensing the uneasiness in his companions.
As they drew nearer and nearer to the Fortress, guard patrols nearly quadrupled and Sake feared being recognized. However the Krimzon Guards were no more aware of their existence as they were of the flies feasting on the dead body of a bird on the ground. The streets were packed with both pedestrian traffic and guards while the air was alive with zoomers of all shapes, sizes and colors. Sake noticed that none of the people looked pleased at all. Their faces were void of pleasant emotions entirely. Many of the civilians walked with their heads low and many seemed aimless in their trudge through the littered streets. Amazingly enough, the Fortress was only a matter of miles from where the Underground's hideout was nestled into the space against the city's wall. How it had not been discovered all this time was a mystery to all three of the young would-be adventurers.
Once at the fortress, Jak ditched the stolen zoomer in an alcove next to a condemned house. There was a gap in the patrols and the trio took that opportunity to slip in unnoticed. Even if someone did see them, the oppressed people of Haven couldn't give a yakkow's ass enough to report the trespassers and so their transgression went completely undetected.
As the doors slid open, Sake shuddered at the faint smell of death creeping out from the hallowed metal halls. It was mixed in with the unmistakable odor of fuel and oil, as well as the potent sting of Dark Eco. It was faint and tasted like iron. Jak was deathly quiet as he investigated the inner halls. The passage strait ahead curved up and around some consoles then passed a small flight of stairs but the passage was sealed by an electric fence. The other passage off to his left was void of all obstructions, save for a fairly large tank nestled into the space between them and the passageway. Its engines rumbled low and deep, exhaust sputtering every few cranks as the engine turned over in idle. The front end was equipped with an array of metal spikes for ramming, while its unified spiked rollers acted to move the behemoth. A set of duel guns were mounted atop its massive metal frame that gleamed crimson red in the dim overhead lights.
Jak regarded the tank with caution. Why the Krimzon Guards kept a tank idling at its front door, he couldn't fathom. After all, few individuals were stupid enough to dare invade. Fewer still were skilled enough to avoid the machine should it decide to retaliate. Subconsciously, the trio clung to the far wall and slinked through the doorway leading deeper into the Fortress. The area ahead was nothing but catwalks suspended above an ominous dark void with no bottom in sight. As they passed through the threshold, a female voice blared over the loud speakers and the sirens flared to life as the klaxons wailed.
"Unauthorized use of Fortress Door. Activating Security Tank."
A fraction of a second passed as the tank's once idle engine roared to life and the hulking machine pivoted to give chase. Its automatic cannons cast a vivid red target as it effortlessly followed their every move.
"Zig-Zag! Don't let it lock on!" Jak ordered and they fled as fast as their feet could carry them along the network of catwalks. The tank's tracking overcompensated, targeting reticule locking onto an empty space of wall before firing a series of shots. Each shot fired reverberated in their chests and Jak skidded to a halt just in time, arm out to stop Sake's progression. The tank, realizing it failed to kill its intended targets, disengaged the lock and continued its pursuit. By then the young trouble-makers were already on their way once more. The catwalks curved around, a massive metal gate between them and the tank.
There was a split second when Sake hoped they were safe but the tank rumbled forward and plowed through the gate effortlessly, tossing pieces to and fro like discarded paper in a breeze. The building-wide alert had triggered the laser guided auto-cannons up ahead and they strafed sideways with red beams of light. Sake's chest was already burning from running and having barely enough time to even catch a shower previously, she was hardly strong enough to be out screwing around. She should have been back at the Underground resting as per Tess' recommendations. However Torn, or the 'Tattooed Wonder' as Daxter had nicknamed him, insisted that since she was standing, she was able to fight and she had a debt to pay to the Underground.
Jak effortlessly dodged the sights on the cannons. Sake managed, yet far more recklessly. With the tank still in hot pursuit, they not only had to dodge to and fro to avoid its lock, but also be mindful of the cannons placed at either side of the catwalk. The pathway dodged left up ahead, ending in a short corridor that then turned right in the form of a wide stair well. Jak and Sake made haste to put as much distance between them and the massive killing machine and as they passed through another doorway, it was obvious the tank had lost sight and the gunfire ceased.
Sake nearly doubled over, hands on her knees as she panted, swallowing every few breaths to choke back the thick film of saliva that had formed as a result of the physical exertion. Jak, too, was out of breath, but not nearly as weathered as she was. Within a matter of seconds, he recovered and peered down at the tank's crimson frame through the perforations in the catwalk's floor. Its targeting reticule was still searching actively. He took a moment to consider their escape routes. If they moved from that spot, the tank would find them and shoot them dead. Of course being up on the catwalk made them marginally safer but there was still an awful lot of open air between them and the tank that permitted a clear shot more than once. At the end of the catwalk was a doorway sealed by an electrical fence.
"Only way out is through there." Jak breathed, letting out an exasperated sigh. This mission had quickly turned from a simple smash-and-dash into a real clusterfuck. Oh how he wanted to ring Torn's scrawny neck right now. Oh how easily he could snap the man's spine and drink his bloo-..
Sake watched as Jak's eyes grew dark and his skin paled ever so slightly. Then the blonde squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "You ok?"
"Peachy." He lied.
Once Sake had regained her composure enough to continue on, Jak directed her toward the other end of the corridor. Just as he suspected, they moment they stepped out onto the branch of the catwalk leading to the electric fence, the tank reacquired its target and gave chase. It smashed through the metal grate below just like the first one, sending bits of metal flying. One even clanged loudly against the catwalk, shaking it violently.
There was the sound of a cable snapping and all at once the catwalk bent and caved. Sake slid, unable to find purchase in the catwalk's surface. In an instant, she found herself staring down the barrels of the tank and she could almost feel the red target burning into her as it focused and shrank. There was a click as it locked on.
Without thinking, Sake rolled to one side and flailed to get to her feet. The tank finished its barrage just as she slid to a stop behind a massive metal pillar holding up a spinning contraption above. Jak cursed under his breath and stared angrily at the tank.
"HEY. UP HERE." He shouted, flailing his arms in wide arches as he attempted to gain the tank's attention. However it was intently focused on Sake, firing away at the pillar behind which she hid. Every couple of seconds, she would shimmy in the same direction the tank was driving, always keeping to the opposite side of its firing line.
Yep. She was screwed. She was going to be locked in a stalemate with that tank for the rest of eternity- or until the Guards showed up and hauled their asses back to prison, except this time with some very real charges of trespassing.
Behind her, a feral growl erupted. Then, a bestial roar as something leaped down onto the tank from above. The firing stopped and Sake dared herself to peek out.
The tank had crawled to a stop, guns angled upward in an effort to fire at whatever was now tearing away at its sensors. The creature that had dared assault it was certainly imposing and powerful as it literally ripped the camera away from the tank's chassis to reveal a plethora of wiring inside. Sake watched with a combination of fascination and horror at the sight before her. The creature, resembling Jak, now tore away at the tank's sensitive electronics. Long black claws sliced effortlessly through the wiring while muscles rippled as the creature pulled at the metal plating to delve deeper.
Its hair was silver, glistening in the fluorescent lighting from above. Two ebony horns jutted back and up from its skill while pale grey-blue skin arced with violet lightning. Its eyes were black and emotionless while its face conveyed nothing but hatred for the machine it brutalized. It let out a defiant hiss and Sake noticed Daxter perched atop the creature's shoulder. He was hunched low with his back arched and baring his teeth. She concluded that this creature was indeed Jak and at that realization, she felt a painful twinge in her chest.
She had seen this before, in vivid dreams except it had been her. Suddenly she didn't feel alone in her own skin. Sake choked back the feeling to vomit and took comfort in knowing that the tank's engine puttered to a stop as the tank's guns flopped lifeless with a clang against its hull.
Now the creature looked at her, giving one great leap as it hurled itself from the derelict pile of scrap. It landed a few feet from her and Daxter immediately grew worried that his friend might tear into the girl. But Jak didn't. Instead the color returned to him and the claws and horns became nothing but a memory.
He had trouble reading the expression on Sake's face. She seemed more shocked than terrified which wasn't what he expected at all. Then again, she had been subjected to the same experiments as himself- The chances of her being much like himself were high.
"We should keep moving." He finally said, pushing the events from before aside. She nodded a little, eyes focused on him briefly before the trio carefully maneuvered back up onto the catwalks. Jak then made short work of the power conduits that energized the electric barrier and with the conduits dead, the barrier dissipated with a buzz and they hurried on through before any potential redundancy systems kicked in. Just as quickly as they stormed into the room, they ground to a halt.
Two Krimzon Guards ahead had apparently heard the commotion from their encounter with the tank. A long thin catwalk separated their platform from that of the guards and they were quickly closing in.
"Hands in the air, you are under arrest!" The first called, eyes trained expertly down the sights of his baton-rifle. Jak was unfazed by the guard's idle threat and stormed forward at a stunning speed. With all the efficiency of a fighting master, he downed the first guard in two swift hits before hurling the other over the edge and into the blackness below. The man's scream lasted for several seconds before stopping abruptly as a sickening crunch echoed back up. Daxter cringed.
"Crude, but effective." The ottsel said with an approving smirk and Jak cocked a sly grin toward his friend. Sake regarded the other unconscious, possibly even dead man splayed out across the catwalk as they pushed forward with the mission. Strangely enough, she wasn't the least bit bothered by Jak's homicidal capabilities- They deserved it. However she was quickly realizing that when it came to the fighting, she might as well have been a third wheel. The best she could do for the time being was keep up the pace so as not to drag Jak down as they plowed through the retaliatory forces.
She hadn't noticed until now that every single one of his movements seemed perfectly in check. Each pace was deliberate and vast and with it Jak was able to clear a large amount of ground very quickly. His fighting technique was much the same, fluid yet deadly as each impact carried as much force as humanly possible. Nothing was wasted. Daxter himself seemed to blend with the flurry of fists, his movements and shifting matching in time to perfectly counter-balance Jak. Occasionally the Ottsel would fall out of sync but their years together granted them such a strong bond, they communicated wordlessly to be the most effective team possible.
The path turned this way and that in a mock maze, each path visible from the last through a series of gates much like the ones the tank had plowed through with ease. Each turn brought with it more Guards, but their slow reaction times and bulky armor made it difficult for them to keep pace with Jak who was quickly making short work of their ranks. As each one hit the floor either dead or unconscious, she felt that nagging feeling of uselessness creep up more and more.
They broke free of the maze, only to encounter more resistance. Well, resistance was the wrong word. The guards hardly resisted as each fell one by one. Those that brandished their guns only got off a stray shot or two before they were beaten down or hurled against a wall where they slumped.
Sake made it a habit of give Jak a wide berth during each conflict, choosing to stay as far from the guards as possible, too. It didn't mean the guards avoided her however. Jak caught a quick glimpse of an imposing figure closing in on Sake from behind and as he dolled out the pain, he shouted to her.
"Sake, Behind you!"
Sake instinctively ducked and rolled, the guard's arms catching little more than air. She dodged off to the side just as the guard pivoted to make a grab. Just beyond him stood a pile of crates, against which leaned long solid metal poles roughly half her height in length. As she dove to reach for one, the guard finally caught her foot and started to pull just as her hand wrapped around one of the poles. In a desperate attempt, she rolled and contorted, swinging the pole as hard and fast as she possibly could and it connected with the hulk's head. The force of the impact vibrated up and down the pole and her arms tingled.
His grip laxed and immediately she stumbled to her feet with the pipe at the ready like a batter on the home plate. The guard, though dazed, stood and barreled toward her. With a side step and another wide swing, she managed to hit the man again. He tumbled and Sake didn't hold back. Again and again she raised her arms, the pole ringing loudly with each hit as her arms started to burn. As she brought her arms up for another blow, Jak caught her wrists. It was enough to break her concentration.
She was panting. Thin streaks of red lined the walls, floor, pole and her. She quickly stared at the pole in shock and dropped it abruptly and it clanged loudly. Staring at her hands, which had managed to become smeared with the man's blood, she watched with horror as the blood trickled down her fingers. The man wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. The goggles over his eyes had been shattered, the contours of his face deformed. She watched as the life drained from his eyes.
She had killed a man.
As that revelation sunk in, Jak pulled urgently at her shoulders in an effort to shake her stupor but she stood resolute. All around her seemed to vanish into blackness and she stared at the crimson as it rolled down her fingers and pooled in her palms. There was a deafening noise in her ears as she felt her senses cloud.
She wanted it.
She had killed a man and she enjoyed it. And by God if that didn't terrify her and excite her in the most feral ways all at the same time. Subconsciously she bit at her lower lip.
Suddenly she was violently shaken from her dazed state. All at once the world reformed around her and she was staring at Jak who was shouting her name. With a shake of her head, she blinked away the last of the dazed feeling.
She had killed a man.
And it was the most horrifying thing she had ever done.
a/n: Thanks for reading! If you're interested in the original, check my profile!