Jak IV: The Avenging Angels
(Also, a special thank you (though I doubt any of them read this) to the brave men and women who fight for our freedoms every day in the Armed Forces. Those troops are the real heroes, and without them, none of us could sleep soundly at night. So without further adieu, please enjoy!)
(Another note: The Season Premiere of Red vs. Blue Season 10 comes on today, and I'd recommend all Halo fans or anyone who's just bored to watch Red vs. Blue. Just look it up on Youtube or go to . It's simply amazing. OK, for real this time. Start the chapter.
Chapter 3: The One Who's Silence Speaks
Rune, Jak, and Daxter walked out of the Catacombs as the sun finished setting, enveloping the land in the night's cool embrace. Rune and Jak hopped into the transport while Daxter got into the middle seat. As the transport rose into the air there was a ringing sound coming from a radio in the dashboard. Rune pressed a red button and said "Agent Rune here."
"It's Chief Disten. How did the mission go?" the Avenging Angel Leader asked.
"We got it." Jak said knocking on the Precursor Lens with his knuckles.
"Well done Jak, you have preformed above and beyond my expectations. This may be one of the most important artifacts we have recovered to date. Thank you for retrieving it." the Chief said over the radio.
"Thanks, so what happens now?" Jak asked.
"First, you three can come back here and rest. We'll get your custom-made armor set up and you can properly introduce yourself to the others. It's been a while since we've gotten a new member." The Chief said.
"All right Chief, I'll see you in a few minutes. Let Tech know that he's going to have his work cut out for him." Rune said.
"Affirmative. Disten out" the Chief said ending the transmission.
"Who's Tech?" Jak asked.
"He's an Avenging Angel agent. He's at a lower rank than me, but he maintains, repairs, and can upgrade any of our suits of armor, if you give him Metal Head gems." Rune explained.
"Why would he need those?" Daxter asked.
"When the Metal Head gems are crushed they emit a huge quantity of energy, which powers his most of his equipment" Rune said.
"Cool. So who else should I know about besides Nightingale?" Jak asked.
"You'll find out when we arrive." Rune said mysteriously.
Ten Minutes Later:
"OK, we're nearly there. Arch, please lower the shields so we can get in." Rune said.
"Certainly, how did Jak's mission go?" Arch asked.
"Flawlessly." Daxter bragged.
"By which you mean we barely survived a deadly Metal Head attack and would be trapped in the Catacombs if it weren't for Rune" Jak said.
"Hey! Who's giving the report!" Daxter yelled.
Rune laughed as she made the ship descend into an open crevice that none of them could see into. Jak and Daxter looked at each other while Rune made them go closer and closer into the hole. Then, they were submerged in darkness.
"…spooky." Daxter said.
"Wuss. This is the best way to make sure our Sanctuary is safe." Rune said as they continued to descend.
Then the darkness lifted.
"Whoa." Jak and Daxter said.
"Thought you'd like it." Rune laughed.
The docking bay for the Sanctuary was in a deep underground grotto that was big enough to fit ten football stadiums placed side by side. About one thousand large lights shone down on them, allowing them to see in the cave. Several other transports were docked on here, with one or two agents looking up at them. The huge ship that they were on before was sitting on top of a huge runway, with the words "The Watcher" emblazoned on the side of it in intricate white lettering. What truly made the sight awesome though, were the huge fifty natural waterfalls crashing down all around them, giving the place a more natural and safe feeling.
"Nice presentation." Daxter said.
"I know, it's amazing huh? All outside parts of the Sanctuary have waterfalls or streams near them, all of them perfect for drinking. It's quite refreshing to be around so much natural water." Rune said as they landed.
An agent in dark green armor walked up to the ship and knocked on the door. Rune chuckled and said "The doors are soundproof, helps us concentrate when flying."
Rune, Jak, and Daxter got out of the car and the agent in green armor said "Jeez, let a guy know when you're planning another mission. That's the 3rd time you've missed game night, and I had to team up with Beast. And even the Chief knows how badly Beast sucks at cards."
"Sorry, something came up. By the way, Jak and Daxter, I'd like you to meet our chief mechanic and 24th ranked Agent in the Avenging Angels, Tech. Tech, this is Jak and his friend Daxter. Jak just completed the test to join the Angels."
"Really? Huh, good work. Not many can pull that off. You better get that artifact to the Chief ASAP. It needs to be analyzed." Tech said pointing at the Precursor Lens.
"Yeah, I was heading there now. I'll see you later." Rune said walking down a path that led to a large metal door, which opened up by itself. The hallways were made of steel, yet the steel had a strange quality to it that instead of being cold, it was warm to touch, as though the sun had been shining on it for several hours.
"What kind of metal is this?" Jak asked.
"We call it Lightsteel, metal infused with Light Eco. It's strong and durable, and can be used to make really good weapons." Rune said as they walked down another hallway.
After another few minutes, the trio came upon a large steel door with several intricate designs on it, all of them glowing light blue. Jak looked at Rune, who stepped forward and muttered "Rune. Angel of Mystique seeks an audience. Allow me entry."
"Weird…" Daxter muttered with an amused look, until Jak gave him a look that told him to shut up.
"Enter." said the voice of the A.I. Arch.
The doors slowly opened and revealed a study similar to the Chief's study on the ship they were on, but it had a cozier feel to it. There was a roaring fire going in the fireplace and the Chief was in battle gear, similar to what Jak had on, and was holding a crystal scepter with what looked like a Light Eco Crystal in it. Jak took out the Precursor Lens and handed it to the Chief, who looked at it intently for a full minute, studying the shimmering patterns on the lens as though trying to decipher it. He then looked up with a smile.
"Welcome Jak and Daxter. I must say, I didn't expect you both to come back alive. But I'm glad you did. Thank you for retrieving the Precursor Lens, I'll begin analyzing it with Tech soon. But first, you're initiation into the Avenging Angels. Jak, you're about to embark on a long journey. You're joining an organization, but in truth, you're joining our family. We look out for each other, we support each other, and we fight alongside each other. The Metal Heads are not content with destroying the Precursor's influence in the Universe; they want to destroy everything in their path." The Chief said with a heavy sigh.
"You see, recent movements of the Metal Heads suggest that someone, or something, has caused them to lose great amounts of their main fighting force. I've now come to learn that it was you who did this, first by killing Kor, and then killing Errol. The Metal Heads are now marshaled under a new leader, and this time, we're in the dark. The Metal Heads have become more powerful, as seen on their attack on the Freedom League HQ. With the Freedom League out of commission, at least for now, we'll be needed now more than ever if we're going to protect people from the Metal Heads. Jak…are you ready to become one of us?"
"Yes."Jak said with a nod.
"I know about you Jak. Infused with Light and Dark Eco, both in perfect balance, and you can control both at will. A great power you have used to help others. This time we must call upon you to help us. Help us defeat the Metal Heads once and for all." The Chief said.
"Yes sir." Jak said.
"Then kneel, and I will we begin the ceremony." The Chief said.
Jak looked at Rune, who nodded, and then kneeled. The Chief muttered in a strange, humming language and the scepter glowed white. The Chief walked over to Jak and placed the tip of the scepter on his head.
Jak felt the light eco react inside of him, but he pushed it back. His eyes still flashed blue momentarily, and Rune looked at Daxter who shrugged and said "Must be Light Eco in that scepter."
"Do you swear to protect the world from the Metal Heads?"
"Yes."
"Do you swear your loyalty to the Avenging Angels, and do your best to protect your fellow Agents?"
Jak hesitated for a moment, and then said "Yes."
"Do you swear to defend the Precursor's Legacy, and rid the world of the Metal Heads influence?"
"Yes."
"Then rise, Agent Chiaroscuro, Angel of Light and Dark, and strike fear into the malevolent hearts of the Metal Heads!" the Chief said lifting the scepter from Jak's head.
"What did you call Jak?" Daxter asked as Jak rose to his feet.
"Chiaroscuro. It's a form of art that utilizes the light and shades in drawings. The blend of darkness and light, both in perfect harmony. Jak's power over both Light and Dark Eco could be incredibly useful in the fight against the Metal Heads; also, having either one of this forces in a person's body is shown to have adverse affects. Jak shows no ill effects of having either eco in his body." Disten explained as his put away the scepter on a glass weapon rack.
"Jak, I've heard stories about what you've done. We need someone like you, who's had experience dealing huge blows to the Metal Heads. You've single-handedly, except for Daxter, fought the Metal Heads and you've killed two of their leaders. This time, you're not alone Jak. For we stand with you."
"Thanks." Jak said.
"Rune. Make sure Jak gets his armor by tomorrow. Tell Tech it's for the Op." Chief said.
"The Op? Really? Shouldn't Jak go on a few missions to test his skills? Not to mention it'll make it seem like you're showing him some special treatment." Rune said.
"True…but the Op won't be for several weeks, and Jak should be able to prove himself by then. Jak, we have an incredibly important operation coming up, and we'll need your skill. But, as Rune said, you have to prove yourself not to me, but the others. Go, meet the other Agents and report to me once Tech has your armor. You may want to see him at some point between now and tomorrow anyway. Rune will show you around and can answer any questions you have." the Chief said sitting in his chair and placing the Precursor Lens on a delicate pedestal.
Rune and Jak nodded and exited the room, Daxter dashing on the ground to keep up. When they closed the doors Rune said "Sorry about that, just wanted to make sure that he wasn't getting ahead of himself there. It wouldn't be fair to everyone if you got to go on an Op the rest of us have been preparing for for months."
"It's fine. So…what now?" Jak asked.
"Well, we can go eat first. Not sure about you, but I'm starving." Rune said with a laugh.
Jak and Daxter's stomach's growled at the same time and they looked at each other and chuckled while Rune said "Come on; let's go to the Mess Hall. We can meet some of the other agents while we're there."
The trio walked down another two hallways and walked into the Mess Hall, which instead of being like a cafeteria, was an elegant dining room with three large tables situated in it. Several agents were sitting at the tables, with their helmets off, and they were giving their orders to several waiter in tuxedos.
"Fancy." Daxter commented.
"Yeah, we eat pretty well here." Rune said pressing two buttons underneath her helmet and taking her helmet off, revealing her face for the first time since she met Jak and Daxter.
She looked like she was in her mid-twenties, and had short purple hair and a very pretty face, with a small nose and bright green eyes. She had a small faded scar on her neck in the shape of a crescent moon and intricate tattoo on her neck in blue ink. Rune shook moved her hair out of her face and smirked at Jak and Daxter's amazed expression's and said "Yes?"
"Nothing" Jak and Daxter said.
"Thought so. Come on, I'll introduce you." Rune said walking over to one of the tables and sitting down.
The other agents, three in total, looked at Jak and Daxter as they sat down. One was a man who had short brown hair and wore black and white armor, who looked at them curiously with his dark green eyes. The other one was a large man with wild black hair with dark brown eyes, staring at Jak with a smirk of amusement. The third was a woman with snow white hair and dark blue armor with white trim, looking at Jak and Daxter with a cool smile.
"Guys, this is Jak and his friend Daxter. Jak's our newest recruit, Agent Chiaroscuro. Jak, this is Agent Sharpshooter" the man in the black and white armor with the brown hair nodded. "Agent Beast" the wild black hair man's smirk widened, and then indicated towards the white haired woman "and Agent Chill."
The white haired woman said "Hi there…aren't you the cute one?"
Rune rolled her eyes and said "Let the guy eat before you have your way with him."
"Fine." Chill said with a smile as the waiter came by with a hot bowl of soup with meat and vegetables in it.
"Hello Miss Rune, what would you like this evening?" the waiter asked Rune as he poured her a bottle of clear wine.
"The usual. Jak this is Turo, head waiter and master chef." Rune said as the waiter bowed again.
"You're too kind Miss, and what would you and your…friend, like to drink?" Turo asked.
"Try the iced tea, it's amazing." Chill said with a smirk, Rune rolled her eyes.
"Fine. What about you Dax?" Jak asked.
"I'll have a Naughty Ottsel Supreme." Daxter said.
"Of course." Turo said.
"Naughty what now?" Rune asked.
"Daxter owns the Naughty Ottsel back in Haven City. I'm honestly not surprised you guys are stocking their beer." Jak chuckled.
"Is it any good?" Sharpshooter asked.
"Yeah, you should try it" Daxter said as Turo brought him a large mug of Naughty Ottsel Supreme.
"Hey Turo, bring me and Beast a mug of that stuff when you have a second." Sharpshooter asked.
"Of course. Please give me a few moments." Turo said going through a door.
"So, where're you from Jak?" Chill asked.
"Haven City." Jak replied.
"Ooh! I love Haven. The races are so much fun to watch! But those Crimson Guards are so…" she struggled to find a word.
"Annoying?" Jak offered.
"Stuck up was what I would've said." Sharpshooter said, causing everyone to laugh.
The group continued to talk until Turo returned with Sharpshooter and Beast's drinks. Sharpshooter took a small sip and said "Not bad."
Beast grabbed the large mug and drained it in one go, ignoring the disgusted looks of Rune and Chill. Beast smirked and wiped his mouth and said in a very deep and gravelly voice "Sorry."
"It's quite all right sir. Now what would you three like to eat tonight?" Turo asked Rune, Jak, and Daxter.
"I'll have the salad and fresh Yakow steak, with a side of fries." Rune said.
"I'll have…the Yakow Steak." Jak said after looking at the menu for a moment.
"Daily Soup with the Salad." Daxter said looking at the menu.
"I would assume you're a vegetarian." Chill said.
"Yeah, I am. That a problem?" Daxter asked.
"Nope." Chill smirked.
"So what all do you do in the Avenging Angels? I want to know more about who I'll have watching my back." Jak asked.
"Well, we were formed a few decades ago, in response to a particularly deadly Metal Head attack. Several transports filled with people on route to Haven City were destroyed by the Metal Heads. A few hundred people died in the attack, and some of the victim's family and friends vowed revenge on the Metal Heads. The Chief's father was one of those people, and he formed the Avenging Angels with some backing from the leader of Haven City. It first started out with a few warriors fighting off waves of Metal Heads, but it has grown to over 30 highly skilled agents assisted by an expert crew of pilots, mechanics, and others" Chill explained.
"Each of us Agents have extensive combat training, mechanical training, and are able to adapt quickly to danger. When we're not doing missions, we're training or scouting possible Precursor artifact or Metal Head Nest locations. Over the past few months we've had it easy, due to a certain yellow-haired man and his orange rodent destroying two Metal Head leaders, destroying multiple nests, and killing hordes of Metal Heads." Sharpshooter said giving Jak a knowing look.
"We've heard a lot about you. And we're interested in whether or not your skills are really what we've heard they are." Chill said, and Jak nodded.
"So, what's with the code-names?" Daxter asked.
"Well, we each have different quirks, abilities, personalities, and so on. So, we're given code-names that reflect that. For example, I'm the best shot in AA, and I've always used my sniper rifle. So, I was dubbed Sharpshooter."
"Why do they call you Rune?" Daxter asked Rune, who smirked.
"Well, I have several tattoos on my body, each meaning different things. Like so" Rue said moving her right ear and revealing a symbol that looked like an intricate cross that looked like a star.
'What does that one mean?" Daxter asked.
"Maybe I'll tell you someday." Rune smirked.
"What the hell kind of answer is that?" Daxter asked.
Rune punched Daxter out of his chair.
"The one that helps you learn a painful lesson. Shut up" Rune smirked.
"I love jokes with a good punch-line."Chill grinned as everyone else laughed as Daxter got back into his chair swearing angrily.
The group talked for a few more minutes until the rest of the food arrived. After another fifteen minutes, when all of the food was finished, Rune said "All right, I've got to take Jak to see Tech before the night's over. Good night" Rune said to the trio.
"Hmph" Beast grunted as the trio got up from their seats.
"Later Rune." Sharpshooter said.
"I'll see you some other time handsome." Chill said charmingly to Jak, who rolled his eyes.
Rune led Jak and Daxter outside and said "Yes, those were some of our top agents. You'll need to get well acquainted with some of them, just stay away from Chill. She's tried to seduce every agent here, and some of the time she's actually succeeded."
"Don't worry; I'll be a good boy." Jak said rolling his eyes again.
Rune smirked and said "All right, let's go see Tech and get your armor situation handled and then I'll show you where you're sleeping."
"OK." Jak replied as they walked down YET another hallway.
"What's with the hallways?" Daxter asked.
Rune shrugged and said "We're close to where we need to go."
A minute later they arrived at a door with skull and crossbones drawn on…except the skull was the head of a robot and the crossbones were wrenches. Rune knocked on the door and said "Tech! It's Rune!"
"Hey, come on in. I'm working on Jak's armor." Tech called as Rune opened the door.
The room, if you could call it that, was a huge workshop full of metal, generators, machines, and various devices whose function was unknown. Tech was wearing his helmet still, and was tinkering with a familiar looking rock. The bottom looked like it was a regular chunk of rock, but the rest was a crystal that was glowing bright white and blue. Next to it was a similar-looking crystal, except it was blackish purple and giving off a purplish light.
"Hey, that's a Light and Dark Eco Crystal" Jak said pointing at the rock.
"Yes, we occasionally find one or two deposits of these when on missions. We're studying their powers, and what I've learned is that your powers react to these. They can usually be used to power machines and the like if they are hardwired the correct way. I don't usually use this in our armor or if I do it's in small amounts, I prefer to put in special solar powered cells in the armor components to power the armor, combined with micro self-generating…" Tech looked at Jak and Daxter's confused faces and said "I'll tell you some other time. But for your armor, I've got something extraordinary planned. By the way, do you want anything special in your armor? Designs, color, etcetera?" Tech asked.
"Yeah, same color scheme as the outfit I've got on now, maybe some orange thrown in. Also, could you incorporate this symbol into it somehow?" Jak asked pulling out the Seal of Mar.
"Wow…I've never seen something like that pedant before…the mark itself, yes, I know I've seen that before. The seal of Mar, correct?" Tech asked and Jak nodded as Tech grabbed a sheet of paper and quickly drawing the Symbol of Mar.
"Thanks" Jak said.
"No…problem." Tech said as he finished the sketch.
"So, how does this armor help me in the field?" Jak asked.
"Well, it helps you endure tougher conditions. Extreme heat and cold won't be a problem. Also, this armor can take a lot of abuse and can protect you from most kinds of damage. Explosions, falls, and most attacks you get hit by will be deflected, though you'll still feel the impact. Also, it will deflect all but the strongest Dark Eco attacks, or at least protect you the effects of Dark Eco." Tech explained.
"How much longer until you'll be done?" Jak asked.
"I'll have it done soon. I may have to work through the night. I'll have someone let you know when it's done." Tech said.
"So what else do you do?" Daxter asked.
"Tech specializes in repairing all of our armor. His also our chief mechanic, ensuring all of our ships are in proper working condition. He also specializes in making upgrades to our armor when we need it" Rune explained.
"So, what's the deal with you collecting the Metal Head gems? Rune mentioned it earlier, but I'm curious" Jak asked.
"Well, for the most part they can be crushed in that machine over there." Tech pointed to a machine that had a slot big enough to fit a Metal Head gem.
"We've discovered that the Metal Head gems contain a great amount of energy inside of them. This energy can be harvested through the use of my machine, which I still haven't come up with a name for." Tech said.
"MH Gem Energy Extractor?" Daxter suggested.
"That'll work. Anyway, this is hooked up to all of my tools that require energy. With enough Metal Head Gems, I can repair and modify armor without nearly as much effort. Also…" Tech dropped his voice and said softly "They can also be ground up and mixed in with the metal we use for armor to make them even more durable. These Gems are special, so, bring me as many Metal Head Gems as you can."
"Will do." Jak said.
"Alright, now if that's all, I need to get back to work."Tech said turning around and turning on his MH Gem Energy Extractor.
"Come on, I'll show you guys to your rooms" Rune said.
"So, how do you like it so far?" Rune asked as they began to walk.
"Not bad, though it's a little too early to make any lasting impressions" Jak said.
"Fair enough. You'll get used to everything soon enough, it's just because you've only been here for a few hours. You'll settle in well enough" Rune said with a smile.
Rune, Jak, and Daxter towards a new hallway, the one towards Jak's new room. As Jak turned the corner, he collided into something black and hard. Jak stumbled backwards and said "Hey! Watch were you're going!"
Jak looked up and saw a figure in jet black armor with red strips going down it, and the figure was looking at him through a red visor.
"Nightingale…" Daxter said nervously.
Jak and Nightingale stared at each other for a solid minute before Jak took a step towards her. Suddenly Jak felt a sharp pain in his hip and barely saw a black blur move behind him and grab his arm, pinning it to his side in a fierce grip. He then felt the freezing touch of a steel blade against his throat.
"Nightingale, calm down! It was an accident!" Rune yelled.
Nightingale had moved faster than Jak had ever seen anyone move, elbowed him in the hip and immobilized him by pinning his arm to his side, and had him now at her mercy. Nightingale remained where she was for another minute, with her knife kissing Jak's jugular. A drop of blood ran down Jak's throat and Nightingale's knife dug deeper into his neck.
Nightingale let go of Jak, who calmly took a step back from her and looked at her right in her visor, seeing as she was just as tall as him. She looked at her knife, staring at the dark red liquid dripping from it. She then flipped over the knife and handed it to Jak. Jak looked at her with a hard expression and silently took the blade. Nightingale nodded and walked away, not saying a word the entire time. The trio waited until she was gone and the second she was out of earshot, Daxter said "What the HELL was her problem?"
"You all right Jak?" Rune asked.
"Yeah. That was the fastest I've ever seen someone move" Jak muttered ripping off a piece of his shirt to clean the blade and to wipe the blood off of his neck. He wrapped the knife up in the cloth tightly.
"What's with the blade?" Daxter asked as Jak put the knife in his boot.
"Not sure. Every Agent has a knife, custom built in the armor Tech makes for us. Who makes the blades, he's never told us, but I know it's not him. We usually have it hidden somewhere on us. It's weird that she'd personally give you one of her knives" Rune said thoughtfully.
"Do you think we should watch out for Nightingale?" Daxter asked.
"I'd say be cautious until you find out more about her" Rune said walking over to the door at the end of the hallway.
"OK, here's your room. I'm down at the other end of the hallway on the left, my name's on the door with several symbols on it. Come get me if something comes up." Rune said.
Jak nodded and Rune walked away. Their room was very spacious, complete with a large comfy-looking bed with black sheets. Jak turned on the bedside lamp, enveloping the room with a soft glow. There was a nearby desk and a dresser made out of wood, but the wood seemed old, like it had been in a dusty storage room for a long time. The ceiling was painted to look like the night sky, and even shimmered and sparkled like the stars above. Jak took off his boots and placed the knife on the table and jumped onto the bed with a sigh and turned off the lamp. It had been a long day.
Daxter climbed up onto the chair and sat down and made himself comfortable. Daxter looked over to Jak who was staring at the ceiling. Daxter looked at his friend for another few moments before closing his eyes and going to sleep.
"I wonder what the future holds for me?" Jak thought as sleep threatened to envelop him.
Jak's eyes began to shut and the last thing he saw before falling asleep was Nightingale's knife, glinting in the faint light of the shimmering ceiling.
End of Chapter:
I'm hoping that this was better than the last two chapters. Next one will be a proper action scene with Jak's first mission, and some more detail into the AA. Also, why did Nightingale do that to Jak? What else is in store for Jak and Daxter? Find out next time, until then FlygonN out!