When Naruto woke up after what he thought was the best sleep in the world he almost went into a panic. The bed next to him that Jak and Daxter claimed as their own was empty. The fox teen sat up and stretched, cracking a few joints in his back. They must have woken up before him and went to do the mission Samos sent them on.
He yawned loudly as he joined Samos, the child from before, and a new face, a Crocadog. When Naruto stepped too close to the boy the protective creature growled, ears folded back and a jaw full of crocodile teeth was barred at him. The kid's eyes lit up and walked over to the fox teen, tugging on his hand happily.
"What is it?" Naruto asked as he knelt down next to the boy, noticing how the Crocadog stopped growling but kept a weary gaze on him. The emerald haired boy pointed to his pet's tail then to Naruto, raising an eyebrow in question. The blond chuckled and smiled. "Sure." He said, pulling out his tail and letting the child play with it.
Soon Naruto found himself sitting on the Underground floor as the child played with his tail and he flicked it around, earning mute laughs from him. Every now and then the Crocadog would growl at Naruto, perking his ears up before calming down. They continued to play, even past noon.
The blond chewed on his lower lip. Did it really take Jak and Daxter that long to take out some Metal Heads in the forest? He didn't even have a com-link to contact them. Naruto ruffled the tuff of emerald hair in front of the boy's face, enjoying the smile that grew on the surprisingly tan young boy.
"I just got a report in from Ashelin." Torn's gruff voice filled the Underground as he entered from the door that lead to the hall which went into a three way split to the kitchen, infirmary, and more beds. "Vin's Eco Tanker from the Wasteland was filled with Metal Heads and it crashed into the bazaar sector of the city." He sighed, checking his newly wrapped gash on his arm, making sure the little child in Naruto's lap didn't see the blood that stained the bandages. "Luckily, Jak was passing through on his way from Port, had to do a quick mission from Krew. They were able to fight off the attack, but I don't like how this feels."
Naruto stood, holding the boy and jutting out his hip for the boy to sit on, who was now fascinated with his silky blond locks. The Crocadog growled and stood from his resting place, watching his master and the fox teen closely. "Where's this boy's caretaker? The old man?" Naruto asked remembering the boy had not been alone when they first met. Samos sighed and rubbed his temples.
"Kor had to deal with 'personal business'. He said he would pick the kid up at the Power Station, but we're stretched thin on all our operations. And as you can see I've been too busy to watch him and Torn just got out of the infirmary." Samos said with a sigh.
"I could take him, once Jak gets back." Naruto offered, almost letting out a purr-like sound as the boy found the spot where his nubs of ears met his skull and started to rub there. Samos smiled at them.
"That would be most helpful, but you must know the risks of taking the boy out. The Baron has already taken all of the children of Haven and placed them into prison. He's paranoid about finding the Heir of Mar." Naruto looked at the boy, who was now fiddling with the strange amulet around his neck.
"And he's the heir?"
"That's what we think," Torn's gravel coated voice answered. "Since he wears the Seal of the House of Mar. You should go wait outside, all three of you for Jak, the quicker he's informed the faster you can get the kid in and out of the danger zone. And Naruto?" The blond looked away from the kid to Torn. "The KG will swarm you guys once they see the child, you might have to kill to keep the kid away from them." Realization stung at Naruto, he might have to kill elves. Killing living people was a different story than killing Metal Heads and hostile creatures, they were monsters. The fox teen looked at the boy who gave him a soft smile, not understanding the danger he was about to go through.
"I understand." Naruto said, earning a nod from Torn. With the Crocadog trailing behind them Naruto, Samos, and the kid left the Underground to wait for Jak outside. It wasn't long before the boy and his pet started to get restless and started to run around. The boy smiled as he ran in a circle around Naruto and Samos, the Crocadog chasing after with his tongue rolling out of the monstrous jaw. Strange how something so powerful and fearsome could be so playful and loyal and protective over its master, in a way it was almost fitting.
As soon as Jak and Daxter rounded the corner the boy included him in the circle he was running in. Jak's blue eyes widened for a moment as he tried to understand why the kid was out before looking at Samos and Naruto.
"We need to take him to Kor at the Power Station." Naruto enlightened.
"Don't forget to take the kid's Crocadog with you." Samos added, and just as he turned to reenter the Underground the mentioned Crocadog slid between Samos and the door, snarling at him. The Shadow quickly took a step back. "Oh, hee, hee…isn't he sweet?"
"So what's this kid's story?" Jak asked mentioning to the boy who now was petting his Crocadog, who under the stroking of his master looked like the picture of innocence.
"I found him just wondering the streets. But that amulet around his neck means he may just be the lost heir to the city. But enough of that, take the kid and his mutt. Watch out for guard patrols and defend the kid at all cost." Jak jumped as the boy suddenly tried to take Jak's hand, making him take a step away from the boy. A flash of fear was in the once hero's cold blue eyes, as if he was afraid the slightest touch from him would taint or hurt him. "Oh…and if you happen to lose the Crocadog-" The beast snarled loudly, the cross between a dog's growl and the roar of a crocodile.
"Hey kid! Wait!" Naruto cried, seeing the boy already running off. The Crocadog was now bounding after him, Jak, Daxter, and Naruto hot on the creature's tail.
"Come back!" Jak said, pulling out his Scatter gun as they rounded the corner to be on the safe side.
That's when all hell broke lose.
As soon as one guard saw the child dozens more came out of nowhere. "Get the kid to a Zoomer Naruto!" Jak yelled over the sound of the Scatter gun's Red Eco powered bullets hitting steel and flesh and the resounding 'cha-ka-boom!' that came with every shot at the guards. Naruto didn't want to see the life leave the Krimzon Guards' eyes, nor did he want the innocent boy before him to witness it. The fox teen grabbed the boy, holding his little body close to his chest, a hand on the back of his head to make sure he didn't see the death going on around him, the other supporting the boy's weight.
Unlike before, the Crocadog was now barking at Naruto, and he could have sworn he understood the creature was telling him to hurry up and follow him. Without thinking, the blond did, keeping the bounding green Crocadog in his sapphire eyesight. Naruto jumped into the first Zoomer he saw, not caring that it was a new two person model. The Crocadog snarled and lashed out against any guard that got to close to them as Jak quickly joined them, hotwiring the vehicle. Naruto's clawed hand reached down as the Zoomer roared to life, grabbing the kid's Crocadog by the scruff and jerking him onto his lap with the boy.
Shots fired out everywhere as Jak drove. Daxter firing off Blaster rounds at the guards that were gaining ground on them in their Zoomers. "Naruto!" Jak yelled over the fighting around them. "I'm going to stop the Zoomer near the Power Station! Get inside as fast as you can with the kid!" The moment the Zoomer showed the slightest signs of slowing Naruto bolted, holding the kid close to his chest still and allowing the Crocadog to sprint a head of them, barking. The fox teen could hear Jak's footfalls behind them and it was only when all members of their group were safely inside the Power Station did Naruto put the kid down.
The Crocadog followed them, seemingly skipping as Daxter jumped off Jak's shoulder and walked up to Kor. "Samos told us to bring the kid to you." Daxter said as the boy ran towards the elder.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to keep him close." Kor said as he placed a hand on the boy's back. The Crocadog froze next to Jak, a death glare on Kor as he growled dangerously. "How sweet…" It was bitter and full of hate as Kor glared back at the creature. The dog immediately lightened up and ceased his growling, rolling out his tongue happily as Jak stroke the top of his head.
"Interesting. That insufferable mutt never liked anyone but the boy before." Kor said as he lent down into the face of the Crocadog and Jak, who knelt to pet the creature better. The Crocadog growled at Kor before relaxing under Jak's petting again. Naruto chuckled from behind Jak as Daxter stood silently beside him.
"I guess I'm just good with animals." Jak said, sending a smirk up to Naruto and to the side at Daxter. The Crocadog seemed to smile, Daxter looked ready to smack Jak, and Naruto had a cross look between horrified and embarrassed.
"I hope we have enough Eco to keep the Metal Heads at bay." Kor said turning back to the large computer screen before them. "During my travels in the deep Wasteland I saw some of the bigger ones. Awesome creatures."
"We saw a big one coming out of a rift once." Daxter said, mocking a monster destroying a city. "He was uuuuuuugly!" Kor scoffed, as if he took the remark personally.
"I have some valuable information for you three. The Baron is conducting an excavation at the Dig. He's still looking for that ridiculous Tomb…" Kor trailed off, glaring hatefully at the Crocadog that was now using his walking cane as a place to relief himself. He shook he cane free of urine as he continued. "Frankly, I don't believe it exists, but you might as well go out there and disrupt his operation just in case." He turned his hatefully glare at Jak, Daxter, and Naruto, who were all laughing quietly to themselves at what just happened.
Kor growled low in his throat, an inhuman sound he shouldn't have been able to make. His next words came out sharp and cold. "Knock down all the scaffolding at the site." His voiced softened again as he walked towards the boy. "That should set him back. Here is an Air Train Pass to get you out there." The boy shyly walked up to Jak and offered the pass. There was a moment of pure silence that even the computers' sounds did not pierce before Jak softly, and carefully took the pass from the much smaller hand.
Naruto did not join them at the Dig. He meandered around Haven, having no really destination to go, just walking. What he wasn't expecting was to hear a familiar screaming ottsel flying past him more than once with a Lurker. He also heard Daxter scream out that missions for Krew were getting worse by the day.
That's how the fox teen found himself leaning outside the Hip Hog Haven, knowing Jak and Daxter would soon be there, or maybe come out of it. He didn't have to wait long before the double-trouble duo stepped out.
"Naruto! Man are we glad to see you! You have no idea what Krew asked us to do! Go back to the Sewers!" Daxter said as if it was the biggest crime on earth. Jak rolled his eyes and shook his head. Naruto chuckled as Daxter told his few of the past few hours as they made their way towards the Sewers on foot. One quick glance at Jak at certain points was all Naruto need in order to check the creditability of the ottsel's story.
It wasn't long before the trio found themselves taking the rickety old elevator down into the familiar Sewers. Jak pulled out his Vulcan Furry gun mod and then they pushed into the Sewers, tracing familiar steps until they made it to the capped pipes.
"That way," Jak said pointing to the twisting pipes and wire. "Think you can hold on while we use the JET-Board?" This would be Naruto's first time on the hover board, but it was best they gave it a shot. It was difficult getting all three of them to balance on such a small board and even more so to take the steep angles of the wiring and pipes. But, they made it out in one piece.
Once Jak turned the wheel for the drainage the trio were back on the JET-board, just passing over the top of the still submerged Statue of Mar. It seemed impossible that all three knew just went to turn their bodies to dodge things and the right time to leap over obstacles. Soon, after dodging what seemed to be an endless wave of death, all the drainage wheels were turned and the trio hovered back to the now no longer submerged Statue of Mar.
Jak and Naruto stared up at the Statue in awe. This was Mar, founder of Haven City. Daxter groaned, bored with the Statue even after five seconds and jumped off Jak's shoulder and climbed the metal statue. He went straight to the massive ruby in Mar's staff and the key poking out from the gem. With a few tugs the Ruby Key was freed, but the force Daxter used caused him to titter back and loose his grip on the artifact.
"Whoa! Got it." Jak said easily catching it then looking up too Daxter with a wink. "Where would you be without me eh Dax?"
"Well, Jak," Daxter started, putting his paws on his hips as he looked down at his friends. "I probably wouldn't be two feet tall, fuzzy," Now he was listing them off on his fingers. "And running around in a sewer without a pair of pants…God, I miss pants." Daxter said longingly before jumping down and landing on Naruto's shoulder.
"Pants?" Naruto asked before Jak could stop him. The whole way back out of the Sewer the walls echoed with Daxter's rant about pants. How they felt, how they would hug his-
Luckily, Brutter's voice on the com-link cut him off. Naruto listened, confused as to why a Lurker was offering 'half a shiny thing' in thanks. Jak looked over at Daxter then Naruto.
"We should check it tomorrow."
"BEST IDEA ALL DAY!" Daxter cried, getting sick of mission after mission. Naruto smiled and they begun their walk to the Underground.
"I heard Peter and the cooks are making Yakow stew with some wumpbee honey." Naruto said, remembering hearing that it was on the menu for tonight.
"What are we waiting for then?" It was Jak that said that. A playful gleam filled his cold, blue eyes and before they registered what they were doing Naruto and Jak were racing through the industrial part of Haven towards the Underground, Daxter laughing.
"You should have seen it! Boiling lava on all sides and the heat alarm blaring off! And for some reason I had the most catchy song stuck in my head…odd because we were face to face with death and that it was so up-beat. But! There was Dark Eco bombs EVERYWHERE and no cooling balloons in sight so then we-" Daxter's heroic tale of the time he and Jak braved the Lava Tube was cut short as Peter entered the small area in the kitchen that was home to two small tables.
Peter was a large elf, and all of it muscle. He towered over every member in the Underground with his height reaching almost a full seven feet; he was only an inch off the mark. The skin that slid easily over his hardened muscle was a few shades darker than most Havenites' skin. His body was covered with faded scars but the scars that stood out the most was four claw marks that started at his jaw and wrapped their way around his neck and stopping at his opposite shoulder. His head was shaven, leaving black fuzz behind. Peter's brown eyes betrayed his physical appearance; they were the eyes of a father.
As with every Underground member some things were taboo to say in front of certain members. With Peter it was the tattoo on his arm, in curly letters was the name Sharon. One of the newer members had mocked the tattoo, teasing Peter about it despite the fact he was shorter than even Naruto in both height and muscle mass. The man had found himself in the infirmary with a broken arm, nose, three broken ribs with another two bruised, busted lip, two black eyes, and was covered in bruises.
Peter was also a silent man and normally spoke in one worded sentences with everything except when it came to his food and mission reports. And cooking was one of the best things he could do. The elf was a culinary genius, able to make a delectable dish out of anything.
"Yakow stew with a side of wumpbee honey for dessert." Peter's deep, smooth voice said as he placed bowls of stew in front of Jak, Daxter, and Naruto for them to eat. Glasses of water followed with a small dish of honey with bread.
"Wow! Thank you." Naruto said as he started to eat. Daxter dove right in, chewing loudly as he continued the Lava Tube story. Jak was more mannered than his two friends. Peter sat down to listen as well, having heard most of the tale when he was warming up the stew for the three.
"Then we were trapped! Four spinning balls FILLED with Eco were keeping us in the room. Only a few cooling balloons were in the chamber and the alarm was still blaring out!" Naruto smiled as he listened and ate, his sapphire eyes looking at Peter's tattoo every now and then. Part of him couldn't help but wonder whose name it was and what relation did they have with Peter?
At the end of their late supper Naruto got the courage to ask. "Peter?" The large elf looked up from collecting the dishes, raising an eyebrow, a signal that he could continue. "I hope that I'm not prying, and you can break my arm if you want to but…I couldn't help but wonder…who is Sharon?" The room was quiet, even Daxter stopped retailing of another story, this one about his and Jak's adventure in the Spider Cave and how many times they nearly died in the Dark Cave part of it. Peter's brown eyes flickered with deep sorrow and pain. Naruto felt guilty at asking such a personal question and went to take it back, but Peter answered first.
"Daughter. Four. Baron took." Peter said then turned his back to them. Naruto looked down. The Baron did take all the kids in Haven, all because he was looking for the Heir of Mar. It wasn't fair. The fox teen didn't even know he had tears leaking down his face till Daxter was on his shoulder, brushing them away with the back of his furry paw.
"It isn't fair Daxter." Naruto said looking at the ottsel.
"I know it isn't. But this is all the more reason to stop the Baron." Daxter said as Jak placed a hand on Naruto's back. That night Naruto had nightmares about children being torn out of their families' arms and thrown into dirty prison cells. Jak had a nightmare about a similar topic.
It was cold. He didn't like the cold. He wanted to go back, get back to his dad and away from this man holding him. Where was his dad? What happened to him? The boy blinked, as the man cursed loudly. A loud, viscous, feral roar filled the air as a green blur sank its teeth into the man's leg. He screamed and dropped the boy.
He ran. The green blur from before running along side him, urging him to run faster as the man roared out.
"Don't just stand there! Get that boy!" There was the pounding of feet. He didn't want this. He wanted to go home were it was warm, back to his dad. Tears fell from his eyes but he kept pushing. The Crocadog lashing out violently at any Krimzon Guards that got too close to the boy. When he no longer heard the feet thundering after him the boy ducked away into a small gap between two buildings.
"Where'd he go?"
"You lost him Frank? Veger is going to be so pissed when he finds out!"
"Shut up! Just help me find the brat!" There was more footsteps and the guards left, the boy's pet sliding into the gap next to his master when they were gone. The boy wrapped his arms around the Crocadog, burying his face into his short fur and cried.
Now would be a good time to explain the timeline a little and certain events. It'll help understand Jak's life and questions like Who? When? Where? Things like that involving the strange time-warp thing that goes on in this game-story. We'll start off before Jak was born.
*Baron Praxis over throws Damas, sentencing him to death. Since there are still loyal guards they take Damas and his pregnant wife to an ancient abandoned war fort. Some stay to help their king while others return to Haven. Over time they build Spargus City.
*Veger helps the Baron and rises to power.
*Jak is born and grows up. Sometime when he's growing up Jak is giving the Crocadog as a gift from Damas. He also has the Seal of the House of Mar.
*Veger hears that Damas is alive and has an heir. Knowing of Mar's bloodline and their ability to channel Eco Veger kidnaps Jak when he is around three for experiments. The Crocadog, being a very loyal species when kept as pets, follows and helps Jak escape before anything bad happens. Frank is one of the guards helping Veger out. Jak and the Crocadog run into Young Samos and are taken into the Underground. The Baron is told of the Heir of Mar but not the fact Damas lives. He orders all kids to be taken and thrown into prison, fearing an uprising if Haven knew there was an heir. Sig is sent to find young Jak by Damas.
*A little later the events of Jak II from the kid's point of view. At the start of this older Jak enters Haven and taken prisoner for two years, aging young Jak to the age of about five. This also ages Frank by only two years, same as all characters.
*Young Jak is sent into the past to grow up and later complete the events of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.
*Events of Jak II from Jak's point of view. BUT this is only age wise for Jak with the years he grew up, this goes along side with the kid's point of view. So this is happening at the same time through the kid's point of view, just through his elder version's eyes.
*Events of Jak 3.
Now it's a little confusing seeing as we have two Jaks at the same time but, listen up. We'll do a little chart now to clear it up a little…hopefully.
Young Jak taken in by Underground-Older Jak falls out of sky, captured
Ages two years-Ages two years
Does really nothing in Jak II-Does everything is Jak II
Sent back to grow up in Sandover-Stays in Haven
Remember the events in the little chart above ARE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME! So hopefully this clears up the timeline with Jak's age, event wise what's going on in Haven and all the other places, and the whole paradox time-warp.
Also sorry for the long wait, but if it helps this whole story has been typed and I'm working on the sequel, and I'm even playing and planning out the fourth one! Yes, there's going to be four fanfics with Jak and Naruto. I hope you will all continue to read and not beat me up!