Jak IV: The Avenging Angels

by FlygonNick

As the war with the Metal Heads escalates further, Jak allies himself with a group of Metal Head hunters known as the Avenging Angels, where makes new friends and creates new bonds. Join Jak as he realizes the final Prophecy of the Precursors, finds love and loss, and uncovers the identity of the true evil that destroyed the Precursors so long ago. Cover art by TaquetoCagy.

5. Silence Broken

Jak IV: The Avenging Angels Chapter 5

Like I said, I own only my original characters. Anything that's from Jak and Daxter is not mine, it belongs to Naughty Dog. Also, if anyone is curious, that Dark Jak lightning bolt attack Jak did at the end of last chapter is a new Dark Jak attack, Dark Surge. Also, Jak can use Dark Invisibility whenever he's Dark Jak. I thought that having to touch the statues in Jak III was an annoying limitation, so for all intents and purposes, he is now able to become invisible whenever he is Dark Jak. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to the Dark Jak invincibility in Jak II. Sorry, but he doesn't keep that ability in Jak III, which more what I'm basing the story off of. Granted, Dark Jak is so tough that very little can hurt him, but he's not invincible. Though who's to say that may not be a future power? Anyway, enough yapping outta me.

Enjoy!

Silence Broken

"Wow, that was pretty rough" Daxter shuddered as they left the Pit.

"What'll happen to Havoc?" Jak asked Rune quietly.

"He'll be sent on a punishment mission, and he'll be demoted in rank. As well as several other things…I still can't believe he did that!" Rune said angrily.

"You think Nightingale's OK?" Daxter asked.

"She's pretty tough, though Havoc did hurt her pretty bad. She'll probably be the infirmary for a few hours until she regains consciousness" Rune said worriedly.

Sharpshooter walked by and said "Hey, did you guys hear about Nightingale?"

"We saw it." Jak said.

"Seriously! Give me the details" Sharpshooter said.

"Nightingale fought Beast, Blade, and Havoc all at once in the Pit. Havoc then shot Nightingale in the back of the legs, injuring her pretty badly, because the armor doesn't cover that part of the body. Nightingale was winning up until she hit Beast and Blade hard enough to knock them out. Nightingale went over to check on them, you know, to see if they were alright. Well, Havoc broke both of Nightingale's knee caps and used Havoc's Laser Sword to pry the armor pieces off of her back…and then he just started slashing at her back. Then, just as we got down there to help her, he literally stabbed her in the back." Rune said softly.

Sharpshooter swore and said "Nightingale isn't the most popular person in the Avenging Angels, but definitely didn't deserve that"

"I'm more surprised Havoc was able to get the drop on her" Chill said.

"She was checking on Beast and Blade, she didn't think that Havoc would stoop to attacking her while she was making sure they were OK." Jak said angrily.

"I still find it hard to believe that Havoc would do something like this. I mean, he and Nightingale got on all right, didn't they?" Sharpshooter said.

"You're right; Havoc talked to Nightingale a lot, even though she wouldn't respond. She'd just kind of nod and listen, but still, he had a better relationship with her than the rest of us" Rune said.

"Used to have a better relationship. I doubt Nightingale will trust him after he literally stabbed her in the back" Daxter commented.

"You're right Daxter; in fact, I doubt she'll trust him ever again. I'm not even sure I do" Sharpshooter sighed.

Suddenly Beast and Blade walked out of a nearby hallway, looking both sore and somewhat guilty.

"Are you guys OK?" Sharpshooter asked.

"Of course we are. I'm more worried about Nightingale. I…I feel pretty bad about what happened. If she wasn't so worried about me and Beast, Havoc wouldn't have been able to hurt her" Blade said with a guilty look on his face.

"It's not your fault. That was all Havoc, not you. Nightingale cared about you two enough to check on you in the middle of a Challenge" Rune said.

"Yeah, I guess so. To be honest, I wasn't sure if she and I were cool or not. I can never tell what she's thinking. And she never responds to us. She'd just use hand gestures" Blade said with a shrug.

"So, have any of you guys actually heard her talk?" Daxter asked.

All of them shook their heads.

"And you know next to nothing about her?" Jak asked.

All of them nodded.

"Aren't any of you interested? There has to be a reason she's like this" Jak said.

"Yes, but to be blunt, we don't pry. We respect each other's privacy and if you don't want to tell us something, that's fine with us. Each Agent has a right to keep their secrets to themselves. Everyone has their story Jak, with their own personal trials and triumphs. Though what I think is that Nightingale…may just be waiting for the right person to tell her story to" Blade said quietly, looking at Jak.

"You mean me?" Jak asked in amazement.

"She did give you her knife" Rune pointed out.

"SHE DID!" everyone yelled at once.

"Yeah, look" Jak said unsheathing the knife and showing everyone the beautiful bird design on the blade.

"Amazing…you may be the one after all. Jak, promise me that you'll try to get through to Nightingale" Blade said.

"I'll try, though I doubt it'll work" Jak said sheathing the blade again.

"Agent Blade! Agent Beast!" a voice called down the hallway.

Chief Disten stood at the end of the hallway, looking very tired and very worried. He walked over to them and said "I don't hold either one of you accountable for what happened, don't worry."

"How is she?" Jak asked.

"Not good, but she'll recover. She's sleeping now, we've got her on some heavy medication to help with the pain. When Havoc stepped on her legs, several tendons in her legs were severed and her knee caps were broken, causing her to lose her ability to walk properly. She's in horrible pain right now, though the worst injuries were the ones to her back. There'll be some scaring from Havoc's attack that much is certain. The severe burn marks on her back won't fully recover either, she'll likely be scared for life. She'll be on bed rest for the next week, maybe two, and she won't be able to go on any missions until I see significant recovery. After that, she'll start physical therapy for her legs. And even then, she'll be on easy missions until she fully recovers." the Chief said worriedly, running a hand through his hair.

"She should've spoken up and just ended the match! She was hurt, and she should've just told them that she wasn't-" Chill began to say angrily before the Chief cut her off.

"She has a very good reason for her silence, Agent Chill. She'll talk when she is ready, and not before. Is that understood?" the Chief said severely, surprising everyone.

"Y-yes sir!" Chill stuttered, caught off guard by the Chief's harsh tone.

"Sir, what will happen to Havoc?" Rune asked.

"He's being sent on a 7 day mission to the Iceland's to deal with a few Metal Heads that have threatening the locals. He'll also be demoted and have his ranking dropped on the board. And when he gets back, I may allow Nightingale to do whatever she wants to him" Disten said coldly.

Jak privately thought there was more to this than just being worried about one of his Agents, but decided to push it aside for now.

"I still can't believe he did that to her" Jak said quietly.

"I agree, Havoc's never been this violent. But we'll find out why he did this soon enough. What I want to know Jak is what the hell did you do to Havoc? You went berserk and broke down the door, hurled Havoc across the room, and then shot a bolt of purple lightning out of your palms" Chill asked Jak, who frowned. He really didn't like his abilities paraded about, but at this point he had no choice.

"I have the power to channel Eco into my body. With Light and Dark Eco, I can turn into a lighter or darker form, giving me enhanced abilities" Jak explained.

"Yeah! That was his Dark Jak form, and he gets all mean and scary and-BAM!" Daxter was sent flying off of Jak's shoulder with a judo punch from Jak.

"Hey! I said it because it's true!" Daxter yelled.

"I know, but we get it already, shut up" Jak said to Daxter, who shrugged.

"Interesting" Blade commented.

"So, you're potentially a walking time bomb?" Chill asked.

"Be quiet Chill!" Rune snapped, but Chill persisted.

"It only happens now when I really get pissed off" Jak said.

"So what set you off about Nightingale?" Chill asked.

"The fact that Havoc beat her by attacking her when she was checking on her teammates pissed me off" Jak growled as the Dark Eco energy crackling near him, meaning he was annoyed.

"OK OK! Calm down" Chill said soothingly.

"Well, you all can head back to your rooms now. We have to clean up in the Pit, and just so you know there'll be no missions tomorrow, so feel free to sleep in. There won't be any more challenges for a week because of this" Disten said walking away.

"Come on Jak, let's go" Daxter said hoping back on Jak's shoulder.

Jak and Daxter walked the hallways of the HQ for about an hour and a half, thinking about what had just transpired. Jak stopped by his room and went inside of it.

"Well, talk about an interesting day" Daxter said flopping down on Jak's bed, much to Jak's annoyance.

Jak removed his armor and changed into a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt. Jak then realized that he smelled really bad. He smelled of death, fire, sweat, and Metal Head goo…yuck.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, I'm going to go shower" Jak said grabbing some of the spare clothes he had gotten earlier today.

"Make sure you wash your hair, it smells like a dead Yakow" Daxter said in a bored tone as he deliberately put his feet on Jak's pillow.

Jak glared at him, but just turned around and exited the room.

Jak walked around for five whole minutes before he found what he was looking for. It was a large steel door with a small sign that said "Bathing Grotto" on it. Jak walked towards the door and noticed a steel dagger that had been stabbed through the wall. Jak noticed that it looked like the dagger had been removed and then re-stabbed there over and over again over the course of several months. Jak shrugged it off and opened the doors.

Jak walked through the steel door and his jaw dropped. A beautiful grove lay before him, with a variety of lush green trees surrounding it, blooming with flowers. The room was actually a large dark cave, with grey stalagmites hanging on the ceiling above. The room was illuminated by soft glowing torches, creating a calm, relaxing atmosphere. The air was very humid and cool, though this was due to the several waterfalls all around him splashing down into several large pools. Jak could feel the cool mist on his face even as he entered the room.

Jak looked around him to see if he was intruding upon anyone, but decided he was alone after a few moments of searching. Jak quickly stripped down and placed his clothes on top of a nearby rock. He then wrapped a towel around himself and walked over to the largest waterfall.

"Wow…" Jak muttered as he walked through the waterfall, enjoying the refreshing feeling of having hundreds of gallons pouring down on him.

Jak bathed in the waterfall for a few minutes before getting out and going to a pool of warm water, which he settled himself in and relaxed, letting all of the knotted tension he had in him since…well, being captured by Baron Praxis, out. Jak relaxed for several minutes, allowing himself to enjoy the feeling of being able to unwind in this fashion. And then he heard a voice, a woman he had never heard before.

The woman was singing, her words were clear and sent shivers down Jak's spine. The lyrics to her song weren't in English, but it was still beautiful all the same. The words of the song somehow called out to Jak, like a long lost friend. Jak tapped into his Dark Eco supply and turned into Dark Jak, and became invisible.

Jak crept over to the source of the singing, and came upon a waterfall he had missed, in a grove of small trees with blue and red flowers budding in the branches. Jak silently got closer to the waterfall, where he saw the outline of a woman in the waterfall, sitting down. Jak returned to his normal state and sat there with his eyes closed, listening to the woman sing for a few minutes. It was very soothing to him, and he felt very calm and at peace for some reason. Then the singing stopped, and Jak opened his eyes and felt his face flush red as the woman stood up and emerged from the waterfall.

The woman seemed to be very young, probably about the same age and height as Jak, and a few years younger than Chill and Rune, who both looked like they were 25. She had a slim, curvaceous body and had long and sleek jet black hair that went down to her to her hips. Her body was pale-white and beautiful, and she didn't know Jak was here because she was completely naked. The woman had the face of an angel, with stunning light green eyes that shone in the soft lighting.

Jak privately thought to himself that he should come here more often, and he was glad Daxter wasn't here so he could enjoy this moment by himself. The woman brushed her hair out of her eyes and stumbled out of the waterfall and fell into the shallow water, and emerged coughing. Jak then saw a horrible burn mark in the middle of her back about an inch wide, along with an array of horrific slash marks. Blood began to run down her back, and the woman cursed softly and tried to get into a sitting position and clean the blood off of her. Jak also saw that both of her knee caps were swollen, a nasty shade of purple and red.

Jak took a step forward, intending to help the woman up. Suddenly the woman gasped and Jak heard something flying through the air and rolled to the side out of instinct, barely avoiding a knife that slammed into the stone wall behind him, right where his head had been seconds before. Jak ripped the knife out of the stone and said "This won't end well"

"Who's there!" the woman called out crawling over to a rock and grabbing a towel to cover herself up.

"That depends, do you have another one of those damn knives!" Jak demanded stepping into the open and stabbing the knife into a nearby rock. The woman had pulled herself up by grabbing a nearby rock, as though she were unable to use her legs.

The woman flushed red and tried to run but fell onto the ground and yelled out as she clutched her legs with a yell, as though in unbearable pain. Jak walked over to her and helped her up, and said "Are you OK?"

The woman shoved him away and said nothing, though she was still soaking wet. The woman hobbled towards a nearby rock and pulled out another knife and pointed it at Jak, not saying anything. Though the intense pain she was in was very evident on her face.

And then it hit Jak. The silence, the injuries, Jak knew who this woman was.

"Nightingale? Is that you?" Jak asked.

The woman's face flushed darker red, and she said softly "What if it is?"

"I'm sorry, it's just…you never say anything. Actually, you've never said anything to anyone. Ever" Jak said walking closer to her.

"Why should I? I have the right to speak when I feel like it. I choose to remain silent, and they respect that" Nightingale whispered not looking at Jak, though she did lower the knife.

"Are you OK? Why aren't you in the infirmary?" Jak asked out of concern, noticing the horrible slash marks on her back that were no longer bleeding, but only because the blood had dried.

"I…still haven't recovered from earlier. I only woke up about half an hour ago. I lost a lot of blood, even now I feel very lightheaded. And my legs…well, I can barely walk now. Havoc broke both of my knee caps. I left the Infirmary because…well…I don't remember. I guess I was trying to find a place to reflect on what had happened, and I've always found this place relaxing." Nightingale said softly, her voice filled with pain.

"How the hell are you able to walk after what happened to you?" Jak asked.

"It wasn't easy, especially getting here unnoticed. Luckily the pain medication they gave me pretty strong stuff, so I didn't even feel the pain until I got here, though it did make me a little loopy. Now that the medication's worn off, the pain is back in full force" Nightingale admitted with a grimace.

"You still shouldn't be walking around after what Havoc did to you. You should be resting" Jak said with concern evident in his voice.

"Don't talk to me about that man!" Nightingale whispered angrily.

Jak noticed that Nightingale's eyes had filled with tears, and Jak asked softly "It's OK, you can tell me what's wrong"

Nightingale looked up in Jak's face, and she could see it in his eyes. The concealed pain he hid from most. He had suffered much in his past, like her. Growing up an orphan, being tortured in Baron Praxis's Prison in Haven City, being forced to watch his father die, and losing Keira being the worst things he had been through. Nightingale knew deep in her heart, that this man was the one to hear her tale. He was someone she could trust, could confide in. That he was like her, someone who had suffered much and had been strong for too long.

"I…I trusted Havoc very much. He was the first person besides Chief Disten that I felt like I could trust… could trust…he…I don't know why he went berserk like that. I…I thought he cared about me, but I guess I was wrong" Nightingale whispered sadly.

"Nightingale, why do you not trust anyone?" Jak asked walking over to her and sitting down by her on the rock.

Nightingale looked at Jak and said "I do trust people somewhat, it's just I don't tell them that I do. I don't see the point in talking when no one listens anyway. Besides, I just don't feel the need to talk to people who may potentially stab me in the back" Nightingale shivered at the appropriateness of her words.

"So what made you this way?" Jak asked.

"It's a long story" Nightingale said sadly.

"I've got time" Jak said with a kind smile.

Nightingale wavered, but saw that his concern was genuine, and then said "As you wish"

It had all started, many years ago. Before Jak had come to Haven City, and before the Metal Head attacks had become as bad as they were in the events leading up to Praxis's downfall. Nightingale had lived with her parents on the Slums of Haven, and she was happy there. Her parents were poor though, and after a thief broke into their house and accidently burnt their house down, they had no money to rebuild. Her older brother, a Crimson guard himself, was killed at the hands of the Metal Heads. When she was 11, they had decided to go to Spargus, where they would be free of Baron Praxis's influence and be able to rebuild their life in a better environment, free of Praxis's oppression.

Fate was cruel though, and it was not to be. As they were taking off in the transport, the Crimson Guards closed in and began to attack the transport, simply because it's destination was Spargus. Just before they were out of range, their side thruster exploded from the damage it took. The transport crashed in the Wasteland, and only three of them survived. Her parents died shortly after the crash, and she had watched the life leave their eyes. She felt so alone…but she had to run with the other survivors, as the Crimson Guards had found out where they had crash landed, and were getting closer.

The survivors wandered the Wasteland for two days, only because they were lucky enough to chance upon a rare oasis, which allowed them to hydrate ourselves. On the third day, they were discovered by the Marauders. They killed one of the survivors and captured Nightingale and a young man who was about 20.

They were taken to the Marauder Stronghold, and were both beaten senseless and thrown into a jail cell. After they reawakened, Nightingale had formed a friendship with the other survivor, a man named Jakob.

"He was such a kind person, always making me laugh whenever I was sad" Nightingale said with a sad smile.

The Marauder's gave them enough food and water every day to survive. To this day Nightingale couldn't figure out why the Marauder's didn't just kill them, but she believed that they had kept them in that cell just for the pleasure of being able to torture the two of them whenever they wanted. But during that time, her and Jakob had grown close, and became very good friends. He had become an older brother to her in that cell. She remembered fondly how they would just sit and talk to each other, getting comfort from each other's presence. Whenever Nightingale sang her songs, Jakob always told her how much she enjoyed them. After about 8 months, she and Jakob had formulated a plan to escape.

"What was the plan?" Jak asked.

"Well, Jakob had developed a sort of weapon from the materials he gathered from our cell. You see, the cell was made out of scrap metal and rock, so after some effort, Jakob and I made a makeshift weapon out of the very materials they used to imprison us. When the guard came in to give us food, Jakob killed the guard and we escaped…or so I thought. We both decided that no matter what, we would stay together. Either we left together, or died together. We were just about to escape, when several Marauder's appeared and cut off one of our escape routes.

"Jakob and I ran for our lives, and just as we turned down a hallway, Jacob bashed me over the head with his weapon, knocking me to the ground. He then escaped through a small hole in the Marauder Stronghold, leaving me to deal with the angry Marauders. He had attacked me to give himself enough time to escape.

"I still remember his face, pity and regret were all over it, and yet he left me there. He stabbed me in the back and left me to die. He had lied to me, just to save himself. After that…" Nightingale whispered.

After that Nightingale was tortured over and over again by the Marauders, every single night for the next few months. She would scream and beg for someone, anyone, to help her. But her screams went unanswered for months. No matter what she said, her words were met with silence. Nightingale then decided that there was no reason to talk anymore, there was no point. She would remain silent from that point on.

The Marauder's grew frustrated when they couldn't get her to respond to them, so they decided to put her in front of a Firing Squad to get rid of her. Ten Marauders' aimed gun-staffs at her while she was tied to a rock with a blindfold over her eyes.

"How'd you escape?" Jak asked.

"I began to sing" Nightingale replied with a small smile.

Just before they were about to fire, Nightingale had begun to sing. She sang, and sang, and sang, and held the Marauder's transfixed with her voice. After that, the Marauder's decided to spare her and allowed her to be a slave instead of a prisoner.

"A slave?" Jak said with surprise.

Nightingale nodded and showed him a strange looking mark on her upper back that he had missed. But there, underneath all of the slashes on her back, was the unmistakable mark of a slave. It was a claw-like branding, meaning that someone had heated a piece of metal and seared this symbol into her flesh. A scar from her past, that would always be a part of her. Jak felt a wave of anger course through him. Who would do that to a little girl?

"After I became their slave, they put me to work. The rations were better though, and I was given nicer living quarters, but I was forced to do hard labor every day" Nightingale said softly.

For five long years she was in that fortress, as a slave to a bunch of savages. They were much less harsh to her after they found out that she could sing so beautifully. It appeared that the Marauder's were just like any other beast, they were susceptible to music. So the only sound she made during her imprisonment was to sing for the Marauders, for all else, she remained silent.

Strangely enough, she became stronger and tougher due to the amount of labor she was forced to do, and that would come in handy much later on. The day when she would finally escape.

"You see Jak, we Avenging Angels must deal with the Marauder's in the desert from time to time. Apparently one of the Agents at the time was tortured and killed by a Marauder Chief, so the entire AA attacked the Marauder stronghold when I was sixteen. I was able to escape in the commotion and fight off some of my captors. After the battle, the leader of the AA group, Chief Disten, offered me a place to stay for as long as I needed to." Nightingale said.

"You've never wanted to go back to Haven City?" Jak asked.

"Why would I? Yes, Praxis is gone now, but it's a mess over there, and it only reminds me off my imprisonment, being surrounded by those walls" Nightingale whispered.

"I lived here for about two years before I joined the AA. You have to be an adult to join, and I've been fighting the Metal Heads ever since. I've never looked back." Nightingale said with a deep breath, as though trying to calm herself down.

"Did you ever see Jakob again?" Jak asked softly.

Nightingale wouldn't look at him, but the tears rolling down her face said enough.

Jak sat there while Nightingale sobbed her heart out. That was the most she had spoken at one time in over 9 years. She had divulged her most painful memories. Ones that to this day gave her night terrors and made her wake up screaming in the middle of the night. She felt all of the pain that she had tried to hide away over the years come back in full force now. She felt like curling into a ball and just hiding away from the world. Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her waist and felt a warm body press against her side, and her crying stopped.

Jak had wrapped his hand around her waist as a gesture of comfort and pulled her closer to him. Jak smiled at her and said "That took real strength Nightingale. Being able to tell something like that, it takes guts"

"T-thank you…Jak…it's feels nice, having someone I can trust again" Nightingale said with a small smile as she rested her head on Jak's shoulder with a sigh, she felt exhausted now that she had gotten that off of her chest.

"It's nothing. No one can do everything alone, we all need help sometimes. If I didn't have Daxter, I wouldn't have been able to do half of the things I do." Nightingale looked at him, confused as to why a talkative and annoying Ottsel had helped him do the amazing things he had done.

"There's no such thing as a one man army, we all need help in some way. We all need advice or help at some point in our lives. Even if someone you're traveling with doesn't do either of those things, just having someone to experience things with you makes life better. I've been able to save the world three times now, and most people consider me a hero. I'm a unique person, for reasons I won't say, but most of my accomplishments were possible because I had friends I could depend on, people that I could trust" Jak said looking at Nightingale.

"Really?" Nightingale asked softly.

Jak nodded and Nightingale felt her respect for Jak rise. Not many people had enough pride to admit what he just did.

"Nightingale, is there anyone in the Avenging Angels that you trust?" Jak asked.

Nightingale sighed and lifted her head off of Jak's shoulder and said "I trust Chief Disten beyond a shadow of a doubt, the others though…I'm not sure"

"Do you trust me?" Jak asked with a smile.

Nightingale smiled and said "Yes…I think do, Jak"

"What was it that made you think you could tell me your story?" Jak asked.

"It's your eyes" Nightingale said with a strange smile.

"My eyes?"

Nightingale's smiled widened and she said "Yes…I can tell a lot about a person by looking into their eyes. You've suffered so much, and yet you're a good person still. You haven't let your pain rule you. You control it." Nightingale softly as she stared into Jak's eyes.

"Do you feel a little better?" Jak asked her.

"Yes, I don't feel so overwhelmed now" Nightingale said with a content sigh.

Jak put his hand on Nightingale's shoulder and said "Glad to hear it. By the way, you were amazing out there in the Pit; I've never seen anything like that before"

"You weren't so bad yourself. I was watching your match on a monitor in my room. You've got talent" Nightingale murmured.

"Oh really now?" Jak asked letting go of her shoulder.

"Yes, though I doubt you could take me on" Nightingale said with a small laugh.

"OK then, when you're back to full health, you and me, one-on-one" Jak offered.

"I'll have to decline" Nightingale said softly, though with a grin.

"Why? Scared I'll beat your butt, which I've seen now by the way, back down the Leaderboard?" Jak asked.

Nightingale felt herself flush red again and became acutely aware of herself and Jak being nearly naked, wearing nothing but towels, and being right next to each other.

"Give me a second, I need to get dressed" Nightingale told Jak.

Jak smiled and turned around, listening to the sound of Nightingale fumbling around. Jak waited a few moments and then said "Are you done yet?"

"Nearly, this isn't easy when get hurt like I did. I can barely walk" Nightingale muttered.

"Come on, it doesn't take that long to-hol _" Jak said turning around.

Nightingale had slipped on a long dark red T-shirt and a small, lacy black pair of underwear, which Jak starred at for a second longer than he should have before Nightingale slapped him upside the head, while blushing dark red, and said softly "Hey, eye level!"

"Sorry, sorry" Jak grinned with a small blush as he looked up at her face.

"Whatever…Anyway, I want to say thank you…that's the most I've talked to anyone in a long time Jak. I feel like I don't have to hide myself anymore. I feel …like I'm not alone" Nightingale whispered.

"We're a team, and we look out for one another. And if it makes you feel any better, I was a mute up until about 8 months ago." Jak said with a smile.

"Really? What were the first words you said?" Nightingale asked curiously.

"I'm going to kill Praxis!" Jak roared, surprising Nightingale with the sudden outburst.

"Seriously?" Nightingale asked.

"Yeah, he had me tortured with Dark Eco for almost two years. I was an experiment in the Dark Warrior Program. So I was just as much of a prisoner as you were" Jak said shuddering at the memory.

"You too?" Nightingale whispered.

"Yeah. It's what finally made me talk, though it was more out of pure rage.. And right when I did, Daxter was there for me, ready to break me out of prison. Though it was more me than Daxter, without him I wouldn't have been able to do half of the things I do. We all need help Nightingale, and remember, you're never alone" Jak said, and Nightingale smiled inwardly.

"He knows exactly what it feels to be in my shoes…and yet he's so strong he doesn't let it stop him. He's the one…" Nightingale thought as she stared at the hero for a moment

"You'll…keep what I told you a secret right?" Nightingale asked softly.

"Of course" Jak smiled.

Nightingale smiled back, and said "I'll see you some other time Jak. Good night"

"Good night Nightingale" Jak said as the woman limped over to her bags and slipped on a bathrobe. Jak frowned when he saw her shuffling up the steps, and yelping in pain and said "Give me a minute, and I'll help you up those"

"S-sure" Nightingale said, taken aback at the offer.

Jak ran to the rock where he had stashed his clothes and quickly got dressed. He then returned to Nightingale, who was sitting a rock, humming to herself. It was the same tune that she was singing earlier. Even though she was just humming it, Jak realized that she had an incredibly beautiful singing voice.

"What was that song you were singing earlier? I heard it from where I was bathing, and I came over to where you were to figure out who was singing" Jak said to Nightingale.

"I figured that was why you were there. Most people either stay out of here when I'm bathing, and then come in when I'm done. That's what the knife next to the door was for. If it's there, it means keep out or I'll break your arm." Nightingale smiled as Jak chuckled.

"As for my song, it's actually a song written in the language of the Precursors. My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child. I can remember every word of the song even now, though I don't know what the words mean" Nightingale said quietly with a smile.

"You sounded good" Jak said, and Nightingale blushed pink.

"Thank you, I don't usually let people hear me sing. I'm not used to letting others hear my voice" Nightingale said with a frown.

"Just because no one could hear you in that prison doesn't mean no one can hear you now. Nightingale, you need to let go of the past, embrace the present, and look towards the future" Jak said looking her in the eyes.

Nightingale looked away and said "Maybe you're right…maybe I've held onto this for too long"

"No one would blame you for doing so, but life's passing you by, and you've got people who care about you. Chief Disten, Rune, Blade…and me" Jak added, causing Nightingale to look at him with a hopeful smile.

"Before we leave though, let me see your leg injuries. I may be able to help with that" Jak said.

"That's a sweet offer, but I doubt that you can help me. Even the medics said that my knees may not ever be the same, they're broken Jak" Nightingale said with a sad smile.

Jak tapped into his inner Light Eco and became immersed in a whitish-blue glow. Jak knelt onto the ground and gently grasped the injured part of Nightingale's leg and let Light Eco flow into the wound, healing the injured and severed tendons and repairing her broken knee caps. Nightingale let out a involuntary whine of relief and whispered "Whatever you're doing, please keep doing it!"

"If Dax were here, he'd say 'That's what she said'" Jak muttered as he continued his delicate work.

After three whole minutes, Jak stopped and admired his efforts. Nightingale's skin around her knees, once covered in angry red welts and a horrific bruise-like mark from the Havoc's attack were gone as the wounds healed, as well as the inner damage the attack had done to her legs. Jak offered to heal her back as well, but Nightingale blushed dark red and politely declined. Jak felt very tired from his efforts, healing was a surprisingly exhausting practice.

"Thank you so much Jak, I've never seen anything like it" Nightingale said softly as she got off of the rock and tested her balance.

Nightingale slowly bent her legs and let out a sigh of relief, her legs were almost back to normal, though they still hurt slightly and she was still somewhat unsteady on her feet.

"Not what they were before today, but I think you may have just saved me from a horrible life of being unable to walk. It doesn't hurt to walk anymore; my legs are back to normal thanks to you, Jak. I'm forever in your debt" Nightingale said gratefully.

"We're even now. You gave me your knife, which saved my life" Jak reminded her.

"I was hoping you'd like a reliable weapon. I handmade that knife years ago, and it's always served me well. I'm glad you liked it" Nightingale said with a smile.

"Why did you give me it?" Jak asked as Nightingale began to test out how well she could walk.

"Well…if I told you…you wouldn't believe me" Nightingale said softly in her melodious voice.

Jak was interested, and began to follow her.

"Nightingale, I've seen what the Precursor's really look like. If I can survive that shock, then I can survive anything" Jak told her.

"You've seen the Precursors!" Nightingale yelled out in amazement for the first time in almost ten years.

"Quiet!" Jak said covering her mouth with his hands, and she nodded, and Jak removed his hands.

"I'll tell you about it some other time. Trust me, not something you'll expect. Anyway, why did you give me the knife?" Jak asked again as they walked out of the Bathing Grotto.

"Well…this will sound strange, but I saw it in a dream" Nightingale said softly to Jak, who nodded.

"In my dream, I was facing a giant Metal Head, what it looked like, I can't describe, and my memory is cloudy when I try to picture it. Anyway, I was being overwhelmed by its sheer power, and just when I thought I was done for. You appeared" Nightingale murmured.

"You were enveloped in a white light, and you had these beautiful angel-like wings, made of pure light. You threw a knife at the Metal Head, killing it in just one throw. You walked over to the Metal Head and grabbed the knife, and then handed it to me. It was my own knife that you handed to me, and that you have now" Nightingale said with a smile.

"So, you've been dreaming about me then?" Jak asked..

Nightingale blushed dark red again and cried "Not like that!"

"I'm just messing with you, calm down" Jak chuckled, and Nightingale's face returned to normal and she calmed down.

Jak then realized they were walking over towards the Chief's office and Jak asked Nightingale why they were coming here.

"Well, since you healed me, I thought should let him know" Nightingale said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"What's with you and him? He's the only person you trusted before me and he was furious when you got hurt" Jak said thoughtfully.

"Truthfully Jak, he's become my adoptive father ever since he saved me. He's always taken care of me and is always there for me, like a father would be. I've come to care for him like a father as well. You two are the only people I truly trust right now" Nightingale whispered as she knocked on the door.

"Come in" Disten called.

Nightingale refastened the knot on her bathrobe and made sure she was presentable. She then looked at Jak and said "You too Jak, you can help explain it"

They both walked into the room and saw Disten writing in the book Jak same earlier, but Jak's attention was focused on a small journal with strange runic writing next to Disten. Jak then recognized the writing as the script of the Precursor's.

"That's the language of the Precursors" Jak said.

"Yes, I've been reading through this journal to see if there's any hint that could shed some light on what's been happening." Disten sighed tiredly looking down at the journal and marking his place. Disten looked as though he had lost many hours of sleep devoted to studying this journal, written in the ancient language of the Precursors.

Suddenly Disten looked up and said "Nightingale! What in blazes are you doing outside of the infirmary? You're in no condition to be out and about, especially in the condition your legs are in!"

"It's OK now, see?" Nightingale said showing him her unmarked knees.

"Amazing? How did you do this?" Disten breathed in amazement.

"I did that" Jak smiled.

"Really? Please sit down, explain this to me" Disten said gesturing for them to sit down.

Jak explained his powers in greater detail, and about how his powers were growing. He then explained his experiment with healing Rune at the Metal Head Nest Site and healing Nightingale's legs at the Bathing Grotto. He expected Nightingale to be freaked out that he was, in Count Veger's eyes, a "Dark Eco Freak", but she smiled as he finished his explanation. Jak had the feeling Nightingale really didn't care what kind of powers Jak had, and that she thought no less of him because of it.

"Astounding! How do you feel now Nightingale?" Disten asked in a fatherly tone.

"I feel so much better. The pain in my legs is gone now, as long as I don't overdo it. Though I still have the marks on my back. I'm just glad I can walk without pain again" Nightingale said.

"So, when do you feel you'll be back to 100%?" Disten asked her.

"Maybe in a week now. I'd rather just recover for the next week or so if that's fine with you, I have some serious thinking to do after tonight. Also, if you can manage it, after I recover can you place me on lighter missions?" Nightingale asked softly.

"Of course, and…I'm sorry about Havoc. I should've been there for you. Rest assured he has been sent to the harshest place I could think of for a mission and when he comes back, feel free to return the favor" Disten said.

Nightingale shook her head and said "I'm not going to stoop to his level. Actually, his attack has helped me see the truth. There are people I can trust, and that care about me"

"Jak, I'm assuming this was your doing?" Disten asked, and Jak chuckled and said "Just a bit"

"Well then I thank you. Nightingale has had a very tough life, and not everyone can live with the trauma she has endured unscathed. She's an amazing person really, and I'm glad you've helped her come out of her shell" Disten said to Jak.

"You're welcome sir" Jak said.

"Well Nightingale, you'll need to head back to the infirmary. That's an order, you're still nowhere near ready for any missions, even if you're legs are feeling better. Also, because of your victory, you're place on the Leaderboard is still unchanged. Havoc disqualified himself and the others when he stooped to such low tactics" Disten told her, and she nodded.

"Well then, the both of you are dismissed. Good night" Disten said closing both of his journals and walking over to the door and opening it.

Nightingale and Jak walked through the door and after it closed, stood there for a moment. Jak then began to walk out of the hallway, and realized Nightingale was following him. Jak turned around and beckoned Nightingale closer.

"Hey Nightingale, I want you to promise me one thing" Jak said.

"What?" Nightingale asked.

"I want you to stop hiding from everyone. Let them see the real you. It's quite beautiful actually" Jak said with a smile.

Nightingale blushed dark red again and said "You're too kind Jak, though I suppose I could stop wearing my helmet everywhere I go."

"Letting people see your face, that's a good start" Jak said with a chuckle, and Nightingale.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Jak. Maybe at breakfast if I can manage it. I need to head back to the Infirmary and get my burns treated. Good night" Nightingale said with a smile as she walked through a nearby hallway. Jak heard her talking to a medic, who was telling her off for leaving and expressing amazement that she could walk. Then he heard the medic yelp in pain as she kicked him where it hurt the worst.

Jak felt really cheerful for the first time in a while. He had seriously changed Nightingale's life back there, and not only that, but he found that he could trust her, and he actually found being around her pleasurable. She had been like him, a prisoner who had been tortured. Jak figured that they both had gotten something out of tonight, a sense of closure. Jak had dwelled on his imprisonment for many nights as he laid awake in his cell, and he actually felt comforted that Nightingale had been in his position as well.

Jak walked into his room and found Daxter pacing on his bed, looking very annoyed.

"Jak! About time! How long does it take to wash your hair?" Daxter asked.

"Sorry Dax, something came up" Jak said.

"While you were taking a bath? EW!" Daxter shuddered.

"Not like that, just listen, I've got a lot to tell you" Jak said sitting down on the bed.

The Next Morning

Jak heard a knock on his door and his eyes fluttered open. Jak rolled over and ignored the continued knocks on his door. After five minutes of nonstop knocking, Jak decided enough was enough. Jak walked over to the door and flung it open.

It was Rune, clad in just a T-shirt and a pair of sweat pants. Her hair, which was normally purple, now had strands of white in it; Jak then realized her hair wasn't really purple.

"Purple hair dye?" Jak asked sleepily.

"What? Oh yeah" Rune laughed nervously, "I forgot about that. It's about time I went back to my natural hair color. I've been doing purple for a while now"

"What do you want?" Jak asked, getting back on track.

"Well, I was hoping you'd want to have a more in depth tour of the HQ now that we have a day off. Don't bother getting in your armor or anything, on our days off we can be more…lax, about what we wear" Rune said pointing to her bare feet and wriggling them.

"I see. Well then, let's go get some breakfast. Actually, I think Nightingale might meet us for breakfast." Jak said without thinking.

"Yeah, and Daxter's a Precursor" Rune snorted.

Jak almost said something, but decided against it. Better that no one really know the truth. Even he was still trying to process that little bit of information.

"Oh yeah, you don't know. I need to tell you something" Jak said.

Jak spent the next five minutes explaining what he had experienced last night, leaving out the details of Nightingale's past, and Rune just stared at him mouth agape.

"You mean…she talked to you?" Rune asked in an awed voice.

"Yes."

"And not only did you see her face…you saw her naked?" Rune asked.

"Yes" Jak said without a shred of embarrassment.

"So, you're trying to convince her to come out of her shell?" Rune asked.

"Well, she said she'll go around without her helmet for a bit and see how that feels. She's had a rough life, give her time. Though if she does meet us, she'll have to do more than abandon the helmet, her entire armor is being repaired if what Blade told me yesterday was right" Jak said, ad Rune nodded that this was the case.

"So, you mentioned that she's meeting us for breakfast?" Rune asked.

"Probably not would be my guess" Daxter said walking into the hallway.

Jak shrugged and started walking towards the Mess Hall. Rune followed and the three of them chatted until they got there. They found Blade snoring loudly in his chair, his cup of coffee forgotten. Rune walked over to him and smacked him upside the head, waking him up.

"AH! Give me back my leprechaun!" Blade yelled panting heavily.

"Blade, wake up" Rune smirked.

"Oh…sorry Rune, didn't sleep so well last night. Nightingale hit me pretty damn hard in the head. Though I doubt she slept any better with what Havoc did to her" Blade said with distaste at Havoc's deed evident in his voice.

"Actually she's doing much better thanks to Jak, who stumbled upon her when she was bathing" Rune smirked.

"You're joking" Blade said looking at Jak, who grinned back.

"How in the name of the Precursor's are you alive?" Blade asked in amazement.

Jak ignored and said "I can top that. Her and I talked for a little while and I found out why she acts the way she does"

"How is talking to a girl better than seeing them naked?" Daxter asked.

"And that is?" Blade asked ignoring Daxter's comment.

"Can't say, she made me promise not to tell. She's had a rough past that much I can say. She's agreed to try being more social and to stop hiding behind her armor. She mentioned coming to breakfast, though I doubt she'll-" Jak began to say until he noticed someone standing in the doorway.

It was Nightingale, standing there in a pair of black sweatpants and a black and red T-shirt. She was blushing a light pink, probably because it was the first time she had ever been around any of them without her armor on, which was being repaired. Nightingale slowly limped into the room and sat next to Rune.

After a few moments of seeing Blade stare at her openmouthed, Nightingale kicked him hard under the table, and Blade yelped in pain and held his shin in pain.

"What was that for?" Blade demanded.

"It's rude to stare" Nightingale said softly.

Rune and Blade's eyes went wide. Nightingale had actually said something.

"So you can talk!" Rune said in amazement.

"Of course I can" Nightingale muttered with an amused smirk.

"Hello Lady Nightingale, what would you like?" Turo asked walking up to her and handing her a small menu, showing her what they had to offer for breakfast today.

"The usual" Nightingale said quietly, and Turo poured her a cup of coffee and walked away.

"Amazing. Jak is there no limit to what you can accomplish?" Daxter said, and Jak rolled his eyes.

"So Nightingale, how are you feeling?" Blade asked.

"Sore, but better than I've felt in a long time" Nightingale said simply.

Rune and Blade looked at each other and shrugged and began talking amongst themselves. Nightingale looked at Jak muttered "This is so weird!"

"Just go with it, I know you're out of your comfort zone, but it'll pass. If I can get over it, you can" Jak said with a smile as Blade and Rune turned their attention back to Nightingale.

"Weird…I didn't think you were so young" Rune told Nightingale.

Nightingale brushed her hair out of her eyes and said "I'm 20 years old, and I've actually lived here for two years before I joined the Avenging Angels"

"Really? I only saw you after you joined up, and that was two years ago. Why didn't we see you around here?" Blade asked.

"If I don't want to be found, I won't be found. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply when I get hurt, otherwise Jak wouldn't have been able to sneak up on me" Nightingale said with a smile.

Jak let the remark go as his breakfast came by. The group ate in a peaceful silence and afterwards, Rune said "Well Nightingale, I have to ask you, what finally made you abandon your armor and mask and finally let us see the real you?"

"Besides having my legs broken and being literally stabbed in the back?" Nightingale asked coldly.

"I-I didn't mean-"Rune tried to amend.

"It's OK, I know you didn't mean that, I guess I'm still trying to get over it…I guess it was Jak that made me see the truth" Nightingale said not looking at the man in question.

"Havoc broke my trust in the worst way, and then right afterwards, Jak gained my trust by being there for me, even though we'd only just met. He made me see that I have to stop hiding and make my voice be heard. I've got to be able to trust people…I hope I can make up for the way I've treated you all over the past two years" Nightingale said looking at Rune and Blade.

"Hey, you have your reasons for your silence, and I'm OK with that. We're a team, Nightingale, and I care about everyone. I don't hold a grudge against you for not speaking to me before now, I'm just glad you're feeling better" Rune said sincerely, causing Nightingale to smile.

"Thank you Rune, that means a lot to me" Nightingale said softly.

"So what are we going to do today?" Blade asked.

"Well, I was planning on showing Jak around the HQ. There's so many places you haven't seen" Rune said.

"How about you?" Rune asked Blade, who shrugged and said "I think I'll just train. My pride got knocked down a few pegs thanks to a certain black haired girl."

Nightingale kicked Blade in the shin again and said "I'm not a girl, and it's only because you don't adapt to the situation that I beat you so easily. That's an important quality to have in any fight, right Jak?" Nightingale asked Jak who nodded.

"What about you Nightingale?" Daxter asked.

Nightingale looked taken aback, and said "I'm not sure…I don't want to sleep all day and rest, but I don't feel comfortable just meandering around the HQ without my armor…I feel so exposed…can I come with you, Jak, and Rune?"

"Sure, I don't see why not" Rune said with a smile.

The group parted ways and Jak and Daxter were shown around the facility. They were amazed at how large the building really was. There were several more floors than the one they had been on, each one with several bedrooms and training facilities. Nightingale stayed quiet for most of the tour, though whenever she did point something out it was something that even Rune had missed.

After about three hours, Nightingale suggested that they should check the motor pool. Rune grinned and asked Jak "Do you like cars?"

"Does Chill like sex?" Daxter said.

"We better get you to the motor pool then" Rune said pushing Jak and Daxter towards the nearest hallway, followed by a chuckling Nightingale.

The motor pool, as it turns out was something that Jak seriously considered cool as hell. There were at least sixty cars, of all shapes, sizes, and firepower. Jak went to a dark brown car with two small machine guns on the sides and hopped in the driver's seat.

"Are you a good driver?" Nightingale asked quietly.

"He's awesome. He should have a video game based off of our awesome driving" Daxter said excitedly.

"If you want to go for a drive, we can just go through that tunnel over there. That eventually leads out into the Wasteland" Rune said.

"We shouldn't go out into the Wasteland unarmed though" Nightingale pointed out.

"OK. Then we can meet here tomorrow when we're properly suited up" Rune said.

The group continued their tour of the facility for the rest of the day and the crew spent a very pleasurable evening dedicated to getting to know Nightingale better. As it turns out, Chill was ecstatic that Nightingale was not only able to come out if her shell and go the whole day without her armor, but that she made a dramatic recovery.

The next day, Jak and Daxter got suited up and Jak grabbed his helmet and Morph gun. Jak and Daxter spent a good thirty minutes trying to find their way back to the motor pool, and when they found it they saw it was deserted. Jak walked over to the car he sat in the other day and hopped in the driver's side front seat, unfortunately someone was already sitting there.

"Get…off of me!" Nightingale groaned under Jak's weight as she pushed him off of her, sending him tumbling into the other seat.

"Nightingale? What are you doing here?" Daxter asked as he squirmed out from under Jak.

"Waiting for you two to show up. Rune's not coming; she said she needed to do some training with Sharpshooter. So it's just the three of us" Nightingale said with a small smile.

"If that's so, then let me drive" Jak said, and Nightingale nodded.

Nightingale and Jak switched places, and Jak said "Did you bring any weapons?"

"Of course I did, I'm not an idiot" Nightingale said lifting up her leg, revealing a SMG in her thigh gun holster and a knife sheath on her belt.

Jak also noticed that though she didn't have her armor, she was dressed for a fight. She had on a white shirt and a black vest that could probably defect bullets, along with pants that were easy to move in, like the kind he used to wear. This was topped off with black combat boots with another knife in it.

"Truth be told, she's pretty good-looking" Jak thought to himself as he grinned inwardly.

"Just checking, and I never said you were." Jak said buckling up and getting a feel for the car he was in.

It was similar to the Sand Shark, his preferred car of choice out of Spargus's Garage. But this one's tires were a little smaller and Jak could tell this car had the capacity to go seriously freaking fast.

"OK, tell me where to go" Jak said.

"Jak, aren't you forgetting something?" Daxter said.

"What?"

"The keys!" Daxter yelled.

"Don't worry about that, I've got it handled" Nightingale said with a smile as she held up a pair of keys.

"Where did you get those?" Jak said grabbing the keys from her and starting the car, savoring the sound as the engines revved loudly.

"Disten's office. Picked the lock when he went to eat breakfast. I left a decoy in its place" Nightingale said with a small blush, amazed at her own daring.

"Well, good to see I'm a good influence on you" Jak joked as he drove the car out of the motor pool and towards a tunnel.

Jak continued to drive down the tunnel, lit by white lights placed at regular intervals. The tunnel began to slope downwards and eventually, Jak found himself back in the Wasteland, where the morning sun beat down on them and the wind blew apart the dusty dunes, the most fickle of the monuments of nature. The desert was filled with vast nothingness, yes, but held so much more if you were open-minded enough.

"It feels good to go out for a drive. It's been ages since I could relax like this and just feel the wind in my hair" Nightingale said just loud enough for Jak to hear.

"So what's this car called?" Jak asked Nightingale, who looked at him.

"It's called the Retaliator, not very original if you ask me, but it's a very reliable car. It allows for five turbo boosts in the span of a minute, though it takes two minutes to recharge all five. It's also able to fire grenades out of the rear end of the car from the passenger's seat" Nightingale said softly, pointing to a small red button on her side of the dashboard.

"Nice, now let's see what this thing can really do!" Jak said slamming down on the accelerator and shooting forward.

The three of them drove through the desert for a few hours, with no destination in mind really, just enjoying the feeling of the wind through their hair. Jak grinned at finally being able to do this for fun again, and he looked up at Daxter, who had a grin on his face too as he rode on Jak's shoulder. Jak looked over at Nightingale and saw her with her feet up on the dashboard and singing a tune, this one sounded much more upbeat than the one she sang two days ago. She had her eyes closed and looked strangely peaceful.

"What song are you singing now?" Jak asked.

Nightingale snapped open her eyes and flushed pink and said "Something I heard a long time ago, I forget where"

Suddenly Jak heard a yell and the sound of other cars revving behind him. Jak, Daxter, and Nightingale looked behind the Retaliator and saw seven Marauder Buggies behind them, and the driver's looked pissed.

"Hey, up for some action?" Jak asked Daxter and Nightingale with a wicked grin.

"You know it!" Daxter said eagerly.

"Let's send them back to hell" Nightingale said quietly, though she had a grin on her face.

Jak nodded and veered left, causing their followers to follow. Jak looked at Nightingale, who glanced in the mirror and waited about three seconds before she tapped the grenade launcher button. A red ball shot out of the back of the Retaliator and latched itself onto one of the buggies, causing the driver's car to explode violently, also catching another car in the explosion.

"Nice one!" Daxter yelled to Nightingale.

"And now that they're out of the way, hold on, both of you!" Jak yelled slamming on the brakes, jerking them both forward as the car came to a sudden stop.

Each of the remaining Marauder's flew by them and were slow to adapt to the situation. Jak grinned and pressed both buttons placed on the steering wheel to shoot. The two machine guns set on the side of the car let out a barrage of bullets at their attackers, destroying two of the cars without much effort.

Jak and Nightingale glanced each other and nodded as Jak revved the car forward, shooting towards the three remaining vehicles.

"This one's for Damas!" Jak yelled as he unloaded on the remaining enemies.

Two more of the cars exploded, and the last car tried to drive away. Nightingale pulled out her SMG and fired at the car, expertly killing the driver with a single shot to the skull. She then decided to open fire on the car, which took about three seconds worth of gunfire before exploding violently.

"Nice shot" Jak said.

"Thank you" Nightingale said as smiled and reloading her gun.

Nightingale put away her gun and said "That felt good. I thought I'd be useless after Havoc attacked me. It's a relief to know I can still be helpful"

"You'll be back on missions before you know it" Jak said putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, do you see that?" Nightingale said pointing towards something shining up ahead.

It was half-buried in the sand, though the top of it was shining in the fading afternoon sun. Jak drove towards the object and saw it was a Precursor artifact, uncovered by the shifting sands. The trio laughed at their amazing luck and Jak hopped out of the car and examined the artifact closely. It was a small bronze-like rod that Jak identified as being Precursor Metal .Jak picked it up and noticed the script of the Precursor's written on the side of the rod.

"Well, this'll be a nice present to give to the Chief" Nightingale said with a smile as Jak handed her the artifact.

"Yeah, usually these are left behind after the sand storms. There must've been one recently" Jak as he drove away.

"WOO! Oh yeah! The Terrible Twins strike again!" Daxter yelled into the wind.

Jak and Nightingale laughed at Daxter's crazy antics and drove back towards the HQ…if Jak could find it.

"How the hell are we supposed to get back?" Jak asked Nightingale, who smiled.

"Pull over. I want to drive" Nightingale said.

…What?

"What did you just say?" Daxter said dumbfounded.

"I want to drive. Jak won't find the special place we have to go to, I will though" Nightingale said with a smile.

Jak was dumbfounded. He ALWAYS drove…oh well. Jak shrugged and then slowed the car down. He put it in park and hopped out, ignoring the stunned look on Daxter's face.

"Come on, it's only once" Jak said as Nightingale scooted into the driver's seat and Jak got into the passenger's seat.

Nightingale let out a happy sigh and buckled in and said "Better buckle in Jak, you've got to his the jump at the right speed or you'll end up against the rocks"

Jak buckled in as Nightingale put the Retaliator in the proper gear, and Jak said "Well, are you going or-"

Nightingale slammed on the accelerator and the car shot forward, giving both Jak and Daxter whiplash.

"Sorry" Nightingale said with a small smile.

The group drove for about an hour and a half. Several more Marauder's tried to attack them, but Jak and Nightingale were able to fend them off without much effort. Jak was surprised at Nightingale's skill in driving, though it was apparent she wasn't as nearly good as Jak.

After killing their fifth wave of Marauder Buggies, Nightingale said "OK, we're nearly there.

Nightingale suddenly began driving up a small ramp-like rock, and Jak said "Are you sure this is how you get in?"

"Yes, give me a second" Nightingale said as she turned sharply towards the ledge.

"AAAAHHH!" Daxter yelled as she drove off the ledge and into a rock.

Except they weren't flying off of the ledge, they were driving calmly…through the air?

"Cloaked pathway" Nightingale said as they drove through the rock face, and reappeared in a tunnel similar to the one went through to get to the Wasteland.

Nightingale continued to drive until they drove into the Motor Pool, where Nightingale slowed the car and put it into park.

"Not bad, though warn us next time you do that" Jak said.

"Gave me a heart attack" Daxter muttered.

Nightingale chuckled and said "Sorry, couldn't resist"

After the trio got out of the Motor Pool they headed up to dinner, where they sat down with Rune and Sharpshooter.

"Hey, who's the new girl?" Sharpshooter asked curiously.

"Why is that so shocking? I'm 20 years old" Nightingale quietly asked Jak, who shrugged.

"I'm 20 years old" Jak said.

"See? Why is it so shocking?" Nightingale asked.

"Nightingale, it's more surprising because some handle that someone so badass is the youngest out of all of us in the Avenging Angels" Rune said before blowing on her soup to cool it.

"Nightingale?" Sharpshooter yelled, looking at the woman, who nodded.

"Wow, you're way better looking than I thought you'd be" Sharpshooter said without thinking.

Sharpshooter realized a second later how stupid that sounded and then Rune kicked him in the knee under the table.

"Leave the poor girl alone" Rune said.

"So, anything new with you?" Jak asked.

"Well, Sharpshooter showed me how to correctly use a sniper rifle, but we'll need a few more lessons before I'll get the hang of it" Rune said angrily.

"She's not used to being able to pinpoint where you can shoot" Sharpshooter said.

"I've never used a sniper rifle before!" Rune yelled.

Jak, Daxter, and Nightingale simply ate their meal in silence and watched with growing amusement the argument unfolding before them.

Meanwhile:

Icelands:

"You must be the Avenging Angels Agent Disten told us about. Please, come in, you must be cold" a man in a thick fur coat said to the man in bone-white armor with crimson trimming.

"Thank you so much for dealing with those Metal Heads. We've already reported in with Chief Disten, he said that he's glad you've regained your senses and that he hopes that you regret what you've done…whatever that means" the village elder said with a laugh.

Havoc glared at the man and said "So with that, I'm out of here"

"Oh, you don't want to leave now! There's going to be a huge blizzard tonight! Please, I insist that you stay here" the man replied kindly.

"Fine" Havoc grunted.

"Kill him…" a voice hissed loudly.

"What did you say?" Havoc asked the man.

"What? I said nothing." The man said with a confused look on his face.

"Kill him…slit his throat…sate your bloodlust…" the voice crooned.

"What the hell is this?" Havoc muttered.

"You satisfied some of your bloodlust when you attacked that foolish girl…now sate it with this weakling's demise" the female voice whispered.

"What? No, he-" Havoc began to say when all of a sudden he felt his body act of its own accord, and the next thing he knew he was pulling up his sidearm, an old-fashioned pistol he had used since he was a teenager.

"W-what are you doing?" the man asked fearfully as he turned around.

"I…can't…control it!" Havoc grunted as his finger's tightened around the trigger.

"No! Please don't, I beg of you!" the man sobbed in fear.

BAM!

Havoc watched in horror as the man crumpled on the ground. Blood seeped from his skull and Havoc took a few steps back and sat on the nearby couch, stunned at what he had just done.

"What's wrong with me!" Havoc yelled as his head began to hurt horribly.

"You cannot fight me…instead…embrace me…embrace the power of DARKNESS!" the voice yelled as Havoc blacked out.

The Next Day:

Back at HQ:

Jak and Daxter were walking with Nightingale to the AA Library, accompanied by Chill, who was unable to get rid of this grin she had. Whenever someone would ask she would laugh and say "Oh, you wouldn't understand"

Truthfully, she was dying to say something and her refusal to say it was pissing Jak off to no end. Nightingale was too happy to really give a crap. She felt like a brand new person after finally sharing her painful past with someone, who not only cared about her, but actually knew what it felt like to be in her position. Also, she was beginning to realize that the other members of the AA were just like Jak, worthy of her trust.

"Hey Jak, would you mind telling me about some of your adventures sometime?" Nightingale asked quietly.

"Sure, though whatever you hear from Daxter will be far more entertaining than anything I could tell you" Jak said with a laugh.

"Hey! You're just jealous because of my natural talent as a narrator!" Daxter scoffed.

Suddenly Rune walked out from a hallway and said "Oh hey guys, what's up?"

"We're heading to the Library. Want to join us?" Nightingale asked.

"Actually, I was heading up to the MCC; I heard that we've finally received word from one of the leaders of Haven City. They're sending a few of us to Haven to help out" Rune said.

"Wanna make a little detour?" Chill asked the others, who nodded and headed towards the Mission Control Center.

It looked exactly as one would think a Mission Control Center would look like. There were at least twenty people working away at computers, and screens were on every corner of the room. Chief Disten stood at the front of the room, talking to someone.

"Of course. I'll send him and a few Agents to assist you as necessary. Stay safe my friend" Disten said.

The group slowly walked forward and Nightingale said softly "Is this a bad time?"

Disten turned around and said "Oh no, actually, you all have the best timing. We have an emergency mission on our hands. It turns out that the Metal Heads have gotten control of the Port in Haven City, and the Freedom League needs help regaining control of it. Jak, I need you and Rune to go meet with a contact of mine. He will give you more information from there. Rune, you know what dangers you must look out for, we'll be monitoring you both the whole way."

"What about me?" Nightingale asked.

"You're still injured Nightingale, if you push yourself too much you may not recover completely. You won't be going on any missions until you're cleared by the medics" Disten said.

Nightingale looked ready to argue, but then remembered, vividly, the sensation of having both of her knee caps shattered. Nightingale shivered involuntarily at the memory.

Nightingale sighed and said "As you wish"

"Though if it'll make you feel better, I'll send Blade to assist the both of them" Disten said.

"It doesn't make me feel better." Nightingale muttered as she shook her head and quietly walked out of the room.

Disten sighed and said "She'll get over it. Anyway, get suited up and meet our contact in Haven. He'll brief you on the details"

"Come on Dax, let's go home" Jak said with a grin as he and Rune left the Mission Control Center.

End of Chapter:

Yes, there was no action except for the driving bit, but Nightingale is actually my favorite OC I've done so far, and I wanted a chapter to develop her character. Also, I hoped I answered some questions, and created some new ones. Who was the voice that spoke to Havoc, and what's come over him? Will Nightingale ever completely recover? Well, you're not finding out now, sorry folks. In the meantime, please review my story and let me know what you think. Until next time, FlygonN out.