Jak IV: The Avenging Angels
Sorry about the long wait, college is being a pain and I had to focus on my Zombie story for a while.
Shout to my amazing reviewers, JakMartheDarkWarrior, Ecofreakrsa17, Archangel Azrael, StaticBomb324, Ceamonks890, and Oblique Strategies. Thanks for the support!
Enjoy!
Chapter 12: Payback
"Thanks to Agent Phoenix's info, we should be able to get a lock on the Hunter Base location about ten seconds" Tech said to Jak, Nightingale, and Chief Disten.
"So, how did you get her to tell you?" Jak asked Nightingale.
"I have my ways" Nightingale said, winking slyly at Jak.
"There! We've got it. The base is cloaked, and they're jamming their own communication signals, pretty clever" Tech muttered to himself.
"You sound as though you admire them" Jak replied, which Tech scowled at.
"Just because I admire their tactics doesn't mean I respect them Jak. We'll need to send in some heavy hitters to take them down" Tech told Disten, who closed his eyes.
"What're you thinking Chief?" Jak asked.
"I'm thinking Beast, you, and Sharpshooter. The team needs to be small, yet solid. And according to Agent Phoenix, Age-I mean, Havoc, is at this base. I'm still not sure how he came to be able to control Dark Eco in the manner he did, but that doesn't change anything. This will be a dangerous mission, and you'll have to proceed with caution. Meet me in my office, suited up and ready to go. I'll send someone to fetch Beast and Sharpshooter" Disten said walking out of the MCC.
Nightingale looked at Jak and said "Come on, we need to go"
Jak and Nightingale headed to Jak's room, where he began to get ready. Nightingale waited outside, looking nervous for some reason. When Jak asked her what was wrong, she just responded with "It's….complicated"
After Jak reloaded and made sure all of his weapons were in order, he, Daxter, and Nightingale all went to Disten's office. Jak noticed that the door was once again glowing light blue, which it hadn't done since the first time he had come to the Sanctuary.
Nightingale smiled at Jak and said "It's locked. I'll open it"
Nightingale placed her palm on the door and said "Nightingale. Angel of Silence, Song, and Suffering seeks an audience. Allow me entry"
"Approved. Please enter Agent Nightingale and Agent Chiaroscuro" Arch said pleasantly.
Beast and Sharpshooter were already geared up and ready to go. Beast had a wicked-looking war hammer with a spike on the end of it on his back. It had glowing red designs flowing along the side of it. Beast glanced at Jak and nodded, and Jak nodded back. Sharpshooter looked at Jak, chuckled, and said "Ah, so that's what you meant"
"Yes, Jak will be joining the two of you because he is able to handle Eco based attacks better than most people" Disten said from his desk.
"Before you all go, I must explain something to you all" Disten said.
"As you all may know, the Avenging Angels are not just a group of mercenaries or warriors. We study the Precursors, the Metal Heads, and of course, Eco"
"Eco is an incredibly important force in the universe, and to our planet. If one has the resources at their disposal, they can harness Eco and use it in a constructive way" Disten continued.
Jak had a fleeting memory of fighting Gol and Maia and harnessing the power of Light Eco for the first time, and smiled inwardly.
"Eco can even be harnessed by humans in very small amounts. Agent Beast, I believe your armor enhancement acts that way?"
Beast nodded.
"Jak, for whatever reason, is able to harness all Eco effortlessly. His Light and Dark forms are examples of this. You are less inclined to take damage from Eco-based weaponry or attacks" Disten said turning his gaze at Jak, who nodded.
"Now to my point. Havoc…" Disten said.
Beast growled angrily and Sharpshooter muttered "Traitor"
"Yes. It seems as though he's defected to the Hunters. His Dark Eco powers are unsettling…" Disten said quietly.
Disten closed his eyes for a moment, and seemed to be in deep thought. After a few moment, Disten opened his eyes and sat up.
"Sharpshooter, you will lead this mission. Chiaroscuro and Beast, you two follow. Your mission is to infiltrate the base and eliminate all lethal forces. Try to find any information on their plans. They took one of our own, and tortured her…this crime will not go unpunished. As for Havoc…if he's truly with the Hunters, then deal with him as you will" Disten said grimly.
"Sir, any ideas on how Havoc can harness Dark Eco?" Sharpshooter asked.
"None at all. When Dark Eco is put into the human body, it causes incredible pain and causes muscular atrophy, and touch the substance in its pure form can vaporize you. Jak here is the exception to the rule, and apparently Havoc is now too. But one thing is certain. If the Hunter's are dabbling in Dark Eco, then chances are that a Hunter somewhere is dying a very slow and painful death" Disten said grimly.
Hunter Outpost:
"Skull…stay with us!" Siren yelled out in fear.
"His vitals are falling! Can't you do something?!" Shadow growled at the medics.
"We're doing all we can Captain" the medic replied.
Skull was hooked up to several machines, pumping small amounts of restorative Green Eco into his body. His skin was pale white and he looked horrible. He had lost a great deal of weight as well, and was practically emaciated.
"You see…this is what happens to those who try to take the prophecy into your own hands" Arranst whispered to Havoc.
Skull walked over to Skull's armor and said "Here's the root of the problem"
Havoc looked closely at the black crystals in Skull's armor. He pulled out a knife and dislodged one of the crystals and muttered "Dark Eco Crystal"
"Some of the Hunters got desperate. We've waited too long for the Goddess of the Dark to choose her champion…so some, like Skull, put Dark Eco Crystals in their armor, in hopes of achieving the power given to you from the Blessing" Shadow explained.
"His internal organs are failing. The Dark Eco has weakened, if not destroyed, his insides. His muscles are being to deteriorate. His body is basically shutting down due to the Dark Eco he forced into his body" the medic said.
Havoc thought of how Skull could "transform" and become much stronger . How he would fall to the ground and convulse before getting up.
"There's nothing we can do. He has maybe another week to live, two tops" the medic sighed.
"Maybe not…" Havoc muttered as he walked over to Skull, who was not moving.
"If he only has two weeks to live, then he might as well receive what he's suffered for" Havoc said placing his pointer finger on Skull's forehead.
Havoc began to chant something, and harsh sounding language with several hums and growls. Before long, a purple spark flashed at the tip of Havoc's finger and went into Skull, who'so eyes opened wide.
"Receive the Blessing of Darkness…so that you may serve me well" Arranst whispered to Skull, who heard the words he had waited so long for.
Skull sat up and yanked all of the wires out of him. His green eyes were sparkling with life and purpose. He threw himself onto the ground and at Havoc's feet.
"T-thank you…b-brother Havoc" Skull muttered.
"My pleasure Brother Skull. But sadly, this will only last two weeks. The blessing came to late to save you, but you can still serve the Goddess of the Dark" Havoc said.
Skull got to his feet and said "I'll serve her gladly"
"Havoc, how long until you can perform the blessing again?" Shadow asked as she helped Skull back into his armor.
"A week? Performing it twice, on you and now Skull, isn't easy" Havoc said.
"Well, in any case, we can get back to the construction project" Shadow said walking out of the room.
Meanwhile:
"Why can't I come!?" Daxter demanded angrily.
"It's too dangerous Daxter. You've been on a lot of dangerous missions, but this is going to be a rough mission, even for us" Sharpshooter said.
"If it makes you feel any better Dax, I'm not going either" Nightingale whispered to Daxter, who nodded knowingly.
"Fine. But I don't have to like it" Daxter grumbled.
"Well, if you want…you could maintain radio contact with Jak in the MCC" Disten said to Daxter who grinned.
"All right, I'll take it!" Daxter said with a grin.
"All right you three. Head to the Motor Pool and good luck. May the Precursors watch over you" Disten said, and the three Agents nodded.
Jak, Sharpshooter, Daxter, Beast, and Nightingale walked down to the Motor Pool. A raven-ship was ready to go, and the pilot was getting impatient.
"Come on. I don't have all day!" the pilot grumbled, though her voice sounded familiar.
"J-Jak…?"
Jak turned around and saw Nightingale standing nearby, looking unsure. She was also blushing pink for some reason.
"Yeah?" Jak asked.
"Be safe...for me" Nightingale said with a smile, hugging Jak.
Jak smiled slightly and hugged the Agent back before Sharpshooter said "Come on you two, either get on board or get a room! Your choice!"
Nightingale flushed dark red and Jak laughed at her reaction.
"I'll be fine. See you later" Jak said with a smile before running to the Raven-Ship and hopping on.
Daxter hopped onto Nightingale's shoulder and said "Don't worry about him, he'll be just fine"
"I hope so Daxter…I really hope so" Nightingale said softly before walking back towards the MCC with Daxter riding on her shoulder.
Later:
The three Agents strapped on special jetpacks designed for drops. They were to jump out of the Raven-Ship and land into the dunes of the Wasteland, and then make their way to the Base under the cover of night.
"All right guys, we've reached our destination. Prep your packs and good luck" the female pilot said over the intercom.
"She sounds familiar" Jak thought to himself.
The back part of the Raven-Ship opened up, and the three Agents looked down 1000 feet below.
"All right. I'll go first!" Sharpshooter said, opening the door and jumping out.
Beast sighed and growled "I hate this part"
Beast jumped out of the Raven-ship, followed by Jak. Jak laughed as he free-falled and hurtled towards the ground. It was very satisfying, just falling like this. He reluctantly activated the thrusters on the packs they were wearing that would cushion their fall into the dunes. Jak landed on the ground lightly, and said "Now that's flying"
"More like falling. Come on…stay low" Sharpshooter said softly, pulling out his bone-white sniper-rifle.
"I saw Nightingale use that same kind of sniper rifle to help me, Rune, and Blade kill a Metal-Pede back in Haven City" Jak muttered, and Sharpshooter laughed.
"Then that mystery is solved. Someone stole my rifle a few weeks back, and I found it few hours later, with a note attached saying 'I took it to help a friend, don't be mad please'" Sharpshooter said with a chuckle.
"She's still adjusting" Beast grunted.
"She sure is. Poor kid's had it rough…OK, it looks like only ten sentries out there" Sharpshooter muttered while
"Only?" Jak said.
"I should be able to take them all out without alerting the others..." Sharpshooter said as he looked through his rifle.
"OK, we head towards the base on my mark" Sharpshooter muttered, taking aim.
BAM!
The soldier on top of the base, scratching his head, went limp and fell to the ground.
BAM!
The Second soldier fell.
BAM!
Then the third.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
"GO!" Sharpshooter yelled putting away his sniper away and running right at the base.
Beast and Jak sprinted after the Agent, getting into the base easily. Jak and Beast followed him into a nearby room, which to their horror was occupied.
Three Hunter Agents and about ten mercenaries were in the room, trying to control a massive Metal Head with a thick, grey armor, and a mouth that could easily fit a Zoomer in it.
"Angels! Get 'em!" one of the Hunters yelled, letting go of the chains.
Beast snarled and charged at the huge Metal Head, which charged at Beast and fired a huge beam of Dark Eco.
"Beast! No!" Jak yelled.
"No…don't…it's about time you see what Beast is capable of" Sharpshooter said slyly.
Beast became immersed in a dark red glow and he slammed headfirst into a wall of Dark Eco. Beast endured the Dark Eco laser and jumped thirty feet into the air, bringing his hammer down onto the skull of the Metal Head, letting loose a huge burst of red energy. The hammer went right through the Metal's Head's skull and the monster collapsed onto the ground and burst into a pile of Dark Eco.
Beast landed on the ground and looked at the three Hunter Agents, and drew their weapons and opened fire.
Beast stood there and the bullets slammed into him, but the seemed to be doing no damage to him at all. Beast then drew his arm back and hurled his hammer as easily as he would a stick, which flew through the air and knocked down the three Hunter Agents and sent them crashing onto the ground where they remained still
"Wow…" Daxter said in Jak's radio, and Jak silently agreed.
Beast slowly walked over to the ground by the Hunter Agentsand snarled angrily, and then and walked back over to the other AA Agents.
"Beast's armor-enhancement is a Red Eco…Overcharger? I can't remember the name for it; anyway it doubles Beast's strength and makes him almost invulnerable to injury for a short time. The downside is that it can take a toll on his body" Sharpshooter said as Beast's red aura wore off.
Beast grunted and shook his head a few times. He looked at the two Agents and said "I'm fine"
"If you say so" Sharpshooter said walking out of the room.
Beast and Jak followed Sharpshooter into the hallway, where he had pulled out a pistol. It had the Avenging Angels wing insignia, and he was aiming it at the end of the hallway. He fired the pistol, which made a very small sound.
Sharpshooter tapped his visor and said "OK…both hallways are clear. Come on"
The trio quietly crept down the hallway, stopping only for Sharpshooter to pull a small device off of the wall that he shot at with his pistol.
"Portable camera pistol. It's not an armor enhancement, but it's incredibly helpful" Sharpshooter said.
"Let's go" Jak said walking stealthily down the hallway.
A Hunter walked out of a room and was immediately kicked in the head by Jak. The Hunter, surprised and disoriented, fell onto the ground.
"Angels!" The Hunter yelled out, drawing out a pistol.
Beast lunged forward and grabbed the Hunter by the neck and hurled him into the wall. Sharpshooter followed by aiming his rifle at the Hunter, who remained still.
"Where's Havoc?" Sharpshooter asked.
"Control Room. Down the hall and to the left. End of the hallway. And I hope he-" the Hunter said before Sharpshooter sighed in annoyance and fired at his head three times with a pistol that seemed to have a suppressor on it.
"Come on" Sharpshooter said to the others walking ahead.
A trio of mercenaries, the kind that Phoenix had defeated, burst of out of another door and aimed their gun-staffs at the three Avenging Angels Agents. Sharpshooter calmly raised his sniper rifle and fired three times as the group opened fire, killing the three Agents with three headshots.
The three continued to make their way into the base. They came across a black door with red lines running down it. Even Dark Jak couldn't make a dent in the door.
Sharpshooter took a few pictures of the door and said "Well, we'll come back to this later"
Beast went to the next door and opened it and said "Inside here"
Jak, Sharpshooter, and Beast went inside of another room, which continued a strange machine that was connected to a generator with Dark Eco crystals in it. Three of the Relic Fragments were inside of a small chamber, being blasted with Dark Eco.
Beast walked up to the glass chamber and chuckled before punching it open. He grabbed the three Relic Fragments and tossed them to Jak, who put them in his bag.
"Why do they want these things so bad?" Jak asked the others, who shrugged.
The group walked out of this room and saw to their annoyance a group of forty Mercenaries with their weapons drawn.
"Stop! Hands in the air! You're surrounded! Come peacefully and get tortured, or die now!" the leader of the bunch said loudly.
"I like the 'die now' option" Jak said with an evil grin as he allowed the Dark Eco to come forth, transforming him into Dark Jak.
Dark Jak ran forward into the group of soldiers and lashed out with a burst of Dark Eco, knocking five of them down. One of the soldiers fired a pistol at Dark Jak, who stopped the bullet with his hand and punched the soldier in his head, cracking open his skull and killing him. Sharpshooter and Beast watched with only mild interest at Dark Jak tore the soldiers to pieces. Dark Jak tossed the last body to the ground and said "Too easy"
A rocket flew out of one of the hallways and slammed into Dark Jak and exploded, who didn't move at all and looked towards his new attacker with mild interest.
Dark Jak suddenly vanished into thin air and appeared in front of the mercenary in a burst of Dark Eco.
"What the fu-!?" the soldier yelled out before Dark Jak ripped his head off of his head, sending up a spray of blood.
Dark Jak reverted back to his regular form.
"My Dark powers…they're getting stronger" Jak said with a grin.
"What was your first clue?" Sharpshooter asked with a laugh.
"Come on, that room should be right up here" Jak said walking towards the door at the end of the hallway.
The trio waited at the door and reloaded their weapons.
"Ready for some payback?" Sharpshooter asked the other two Agents.
"Always" Beast grunted.
"I'm ready" Jak replied.
The trio burst into the room and aimed their weapons. The room was full of terminals and machines, and three Hunter Agents were in the room. Havoc stood there behind the largest terminal standing behind another Hunter Agent who had the build of a woman. Next to them was Skull, who looked up and saw the intruders.
"Well, well, well, what have we here" Skull said with a chuckle as he drew a pistol quickly.
Shadow and Havoc starred at the three Agents and drew their weapons quickly. Jak subconsciously tapped into his supply of Light Eco, ready to use it.
"So…how're we going to do this?" Sharpshooter asked.
"The way that ends in your death!" Skull yelled, opening fire with his pistol.
Shadow and Havoc jumped to the side to dodge Sharpshooter and Jak's combined gunfire. Beast charged at Skull, avoiding the gunfire, and tackled him to the ground. The two rolled to their feet and Beast punched Skull in the face, sending him flying backwards. Shadow ducked under a sniper shot and threw a dagger at Beast, who ducked under it and drew his hammer and readied it.
Jak switched to his Yellow Eco Mod and fired over and over at Havoc, who easily avoided the shots and vanished into thin air. Jak glanced at Sharpshooter, who began to fire shots at Shadow and Skull. Skull looked up as Beast tried to swing his hammer and ducked under the swing, grabbing Beast by arm and tossing him over his shoulder. Beast crashed onto the ground and rolled to his feet, avoiding several pistol shots to the head at hands of Skull.
Shadow ducked under the sniper fire and dashed towards Sharpshooter, dashing to the side to avoid his shots. Shadow then jumped into the air and kicked Sharpshooter in the face, causing him drop his rifle. Sharpshooter regained his balance and blocked a swift kick with his arm. Shadow whirled around and kicked Sharpshooter in the back of the head, sending him falling onto the ground.
"Time to die, little angel" Shadow crooned as she pulled out a pistol.
Havoc suddenly reappeared next to Jak and slashed at him with a pure black sword. Jak did a backwards handspring to dodge and drew Nightingale's knife.
"Heh, think that little thing can protect you?" Havoc scoffed, advancing on Jak.
Jak's eyes flashed blue and Jak suddenly became a blur. Havoc grunted in pain as something flew by him, slashing him deeply in the side. Havoc whirled around and swung his sword, only for Light Jak to block it with his knife. Light Jak jumped back and kicked off of the ground, flying around Havoc. Havoc swung and slashed at Light Jak, who flew around Havoc and bicycle-kicked him in the head before stabbing him the chest.
Shadow glanced at Havoc in concern and Sharpshooter too advantage of this lapse in concentration and swept Shadow's feet from under her and jumped to his feet as she fell to the ground.
"Die already!" Havoc yelled firing a Dark Burst at Light Jak, who was blasted backwards with a yell of agony.
Light Jak landed badly on his back and his glow slowly began to fade away. Beast looked at Jak in concern, and paid for this lapse in concentration when Skull blasted him with a burst of Dark Eco, causing the Agent to fly backwards in pain. Beast got to his feet with a snarl of anger and when Skull threw a Dark Eco charged fist at him, Beast caught it.
"What the hell?" Skull said in surprise.
Red waves of energy erupted from Beast who drew his fist back and punched Skull in the face, sending him crashing into a terminal, destroying it. Skull growled in annoyance and fired several shots of Dark Eco at Beast, who took the attacks head on and picked up his hammer and swung it at Skull, who jumped to the side to dodge.
"Jak!" Sharpshooter yelled out, turning his sniper rifle at Havoc and firing seven shots.
Havoc looked at Sharpshooter and yelled out in agony as the seven shots hit his shoulder, chest, and arm. Havoc lashed out with a burst of darkness, and Sharpshooter jumped to the side to avoid it. Sharpshooter grabbed a Laser-Sword off of his back and hurled it through the air; Havoc sidestepped it with a smirk and charged at Sharpshooter.
Havoc lashed out at Sharpshooter, who jumped back to dodge and pulled out a knife. It looked similar to Jak's except it had a crosshair emblem on it and the drawings on the side were less complex and elegant. Sharpshooter flung his sniper rifle to the ground and blocked the slash and punched Havoc in the chest before slashing at him twice with his knife. Havoc retaliated by grabbing Sharpshooter by the arm and hurling with insane strength across the room, where he slammed face first into the wall and crashed onto the ground.
Sharpshooter got to his feet, pulling his Laser-Sword that was stuck in the wall and immediately blocked a slash from Shadow and kicked her in the chest and slashed her on the chest with both blades. She gasped in pain and jumped back to avoid a twin slash from Sharpshooter. Havoc and Shadow converged on Sharpshooter, who yelled out "HEY! A LITTLE HELP HERE!"
Jak, who had recovered, lunged at Shadow and tackled her to the ground. The Hunter Captain kicked Jak off of herself and fired three shots at him with her pistol, which Jak dodged. Jak rolled under another shot and jumped into the air, uppercutting Shadow in the jaw.
Shadow flew into the air but righted herself and landed on her feet lightly and fired five more shots at Jak, which he dodged again by rolling to the side and hiding behind a terminal. Jak noticed that he was behind the controls for the security turrets. Jak tapped few buttons.
"I've got you now!" Shadow said coming round the corner.
"TURRETS ACTIVATED. TARGET LOCKED"
"What?"
Shadow looked at the three turrets aiming at her and she sighed.
"Son of a bit-" Shadow said before all three shot a beam at her and caused the spot she was standing at to explode.
"Havoc!" Skull yelled at the Hunter, who shouted "She's fine! The blessing will protect her!"
Jak stood up and aimed his Morph Gun into the smoke cloud. Jak yelled out as a blast of Dark Eco came from the smoke and sent him flying backward again, tumbling over the terminal in pain.
Shadow walked out from the smoke and said "Ah…Lady Arranst's blessing is truly…amazing!"
Beast swung his hammer at Skull, who was sent crashing onto the ground, and in the same movement, Beast hurled his hammer at Havoc, who barely dodged the attack. This provided Sharpshooter the chance to get away from Havoc, as he had been slashed in the chest by Havoc. Havoc, Shadow, and Skull converged on Beast, who was getting ready to activate his Red Eco Overcharger.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you"
The three Hunters turned and saw Jak slowly getting to his feet. He was immersed in a bluish white outline. Jak slowly turned to face the three Hunter Agents. His eyes were glowing bright white and white lines were running down his armor. Jak let out a scream and his armor became immersed in a bluish white glow and a shockwave of light blasted out from him, knocking Shadow, Skull, and Havoc backwards.
"What's going on?" Sharpshooter asked Beast.
"Don't know. Stay still. You'll open the wound" Beast growled as he got to his feet.
Jak slowly walked towards the three Hunter Agents, with Light Eco radiating off of him. Skull, Havoc and Shadow opened fire on Light Jak, who threw up a Light Barrier, causing the bullets to bounce harmlessly off of the shield.
"Dark blessing huh?" Light Jak said as the light around him burned brighter, nearly blinding the three Hunter Agents.
"Let me show you what real Eco powers can do" Light Jak said coldly as he threw his arms out to the side.
Jak's wings shot out of his back and he leapt into the air. The Hunter trio jumped back as Jak shot towards them like a shining comet and rammed into Havoc, sending him crashing into the wall. Jak landed onto the ground and looked at the two remaining Hunters with a cold expression.
Shadow pulled out a sickle from her armor and readied herself to fight Light Jak, who smiled and walked fearlessly towards her. Shadow suddenly launched herself at Light Jak, propelled by a blast of Dark Eco. Shadow swung the sickle at Light Jak, who caught the blade in his hand like it was nothing. Shadow growled in annoyance and pumped more Dark Eco into the attack, but Light Jak's grin widened and he slowly began to push her arm back. Light Jak then grabbed her arm with his other hand and broke her it in half.
"AAAAHHHH!" Shadow screamed in agony as she fell to one knee.
Light Jak laughed, a strange ethereal sound, before punching Shadow in the face, sending her flying into the wall, and when she fell to the ground, she remained still.
"Captain!" Skull yelled out in concern.
"That…was for Phoenix" Light Jak said coldly cracking his neck and knuckles as the light around mim grew brighter.
"His powers…they're evolving...kill him!" Arranst commanded Havoc, who began to charge Dark Eco in his hands.
Light Jak looked at Skull, who was supercharging Dark Eco around himself and charged at Light Jak. Havoc charged at Jak as well, but before either one of them could do much more than take three steps a figure slammed into Skull, sending him flying across the room.
Havoc ran up to Light Jak and blasted him with Dark Eco. Light Jak flew into the air, dodging it. Light Jak landed on the ground and pulled out Nightingale's knife while Havoc pulled out his Darksword. Both of them lunged at each other and began to exchange blows. Meanwhile, Sharpshooter was limping over to a small console on the side of the room.
"All right, what can you tell me?" Sharpshooter muttered as he began to access the computer.
Beast swung his hammer at Skull, who ducked and fired three shots with his pistol at Beast, who yelled out in pain as the bullets hit him in the shoulder. Beast clutched his shoulder in pain, but tightened his grip on his hammer and swung around and bashed Skull in the side of the head with his hammer, sending him crashing onto the ground, where he didn't get back up.
"Damn it!" Havoc growled as he blocked a slash from Light Jak, who flew into the air again and spin-kicked Havoc in the face.
"Get the other two and flee…you're outnumbered…and we need as many Hunters we can get to complete it" Arranst whispered in Havoc's mind as he took a few steps back.
Havoc sent out a huge wave of Dark Eco, blasting Light Jak backwards. Light Jak saw Havoc sprint over to Shadow, who was still unconscious.
"Skull!" Havoc growled.
Beast glanced at where Skull was, and saw to his horror that he was on his feet, radiating darkness.
"Leave without me. Get her back to HQ" Skull said as he took a few steps towards Beast, who was backing up and clutching his bleeding shoulder.
Havoc slung Shadow over his back and said "Darkness preserve you, brother"
Light Jak ran forward, clapping his hands to slow down time. Light Jak was about five feet away from Havoc before he began to vanish into darkness.
Time sped up again as Jak ran out of Light Eco. Jak slowed to a stop and swore angrily. Jak then heard a yell of pain and saw Beast crash onto the ground, twitching in agony as Skull blasted him again and again with Dark Eco. Jak pulled out his Morph Gun and fired several shots at Skull, who looked at him and fired a few shots at Jak. Jak stood his ground and took and the attacks head on, absorbing the Dark Eco directly with his armor's ability. Jak stumbled backward as Skull ruthlessly fired blast after blast at Jak.
"Sharpshooter!" Jak yelled out.
"What the-?" Skull said looking to the side.
BAM!
Skull groaned as a bullet flew through the middle of his visor and straight through his helmet. Skull fell onto the ground with blood seeping out of his helmet.
Sharpshooter stood behind the terminal, his rifle in his hands. Sharpshooter held his chest and held his rifle with one hand and said "You're welcome"
"Thanks" Jak said with a grin.
Beats slowly got to his feet, growling in pain. Jak walked over to him and said "Hold on, I think I can extract the Dark Eco out of you"
Beast nodded and allowed Jak to draw the Eco forth from Beast's body. Jak transferred the Dark Eco to himself. Jak was nearly done when Sharpshooter yelled "What the hell!?"
Skull, who was radiating large amounts of Dark Eco and roared loudly. Skull ripped off his helmet, letting his long white hair fall down. His eyes were now dark red and his face had a haunted, dead look to it. Skull glanced at Sharpshooter, who pulled out his pistol and fired three direct shots at Skull, who winced in pain as the bullets went through him.
"You're a good shot" Skull said before running up to him with an insane burst of speed and punching him in the stomach, sending him crashing into a computer terminal.
"RAH!"
Skull whirled around and was bashed over the head with Beast's warhammer. Beast growled and lifted it into the air, but Skull rolled to his feet and shot Beast in the chest with his pistol, causing the Agent to fall to the ground as blood seeped from his chest.
Skull grinned and turned around to deal with the other two Agents when he found himself face to face with Dark Jak.
"Hi there" Dark said with an evil grin.
Skull threw a fist at Dark Jak, who ducked under it and slashed at Skull with his claws, sending him stumbling backwards. Skull growled angrily and charged up a ball of raw Dark Eco and fired it at Dark Jak, who braced himself for the attack, which exploded around him.
"Jak!" Sharpshooter yelled out, firing a few shots at Skull with his pistol, which were dodged.
Beast slowly got to his feet and was about ready to run in and help Jak when Skull glanced at Beast and fired another blast of Dark Eco at him, causing him to fall to the ground once more.
"NO!"
Dark Jak rushed out of the smoke and punched Skull in the head, sending him flying. Skull rolled in the air and was able to stop his momentum by jabbing a combat knife into the ground. Skull hurled another blast of Dark Eco at Dark Jak, who used his new ability to vanish out of the way and reappear next to Skull. The two exchanged a series of power blows that ended in Skull kicking Dark Jak in the head, sending him flying across the room.
Skull grinned evilly and ran towards Dark Jak, who went invisible. Skull aimed his pistol and began firing shots randomly. A spurt of blood appeared from somewhere ten feet to the left of him. Skull fired five more shots at that spot, hitting the moving object five times. Blood drenched the floor as the invisible mass charged at Skull and rammed into him, sending him sprawling back several yards.
Dark Jak reappeared in front of Skull shot a Dark Bolt at him, sending him flying backwards. Dark Jak kept running at the Hunter Agent and slashed him in the chest with his razor sharp claws, tearing open Skull's chest. Skull fell onto the ground and Dark Jak stomped onto Skull's chest, causing him cough up blood.
Dark Jak picked up Skull and hurled him across the room; causing him to slam into another terminal. Skull slowly got to his feet and turned around to see Dark Jak charging up a Dark Strike. Skull jumped out of the way as the attack surged by him and destroyed the wall in the next five rooms. Skull rolled and threw his combat knife at Dark Jak, who vanished again and reappeared right in front of Havoc and slashed him several times in succession in the chest, drenching the floor with blood.
Skull fell onto the ground and was picked up like a child by Dark Jak, and he was soon face to face with him.
"End it" Skull said with a cruel grin.
"With pleasure" Dark Jak snarled before drawing his hand back and plunging his claws into Skull's chest.
Skull yelled out in anguish as Dark Jak ripped out his claws and let Skull fall to the ground. Skull gasped in agony and began to speak.
"Lady Arranst…will destroy you all…" Skull choked out before the life faded from his eyes.
The Dark Jak reverted back to normal and Jak fell to one knee. Sharpshooter and Beast limped over to Jak.
"Nice work" Sharpshooter remarked, clapping Jak on the shoulder.
"Respect" Beast growled, nodding in approval.
"Thanks" Jak grinned as Beast helped him up.
"WARNING. BASE EXPLOSION IN TEE MINUS THREE MINUTES"
"Oh come on!" Jak sighed before group began to sprint out of the base.
The group had just cleared the last door and were taking their third step into the sands when the entire base exploded violently. Jak flew into the air and landed hard onto the ground, Beast and Sharpshooter were hurled similarly into the air.
"That….hurt" Beast grunted.
"I'm getting to old for this" Sharpshooter said.
"You're 27" Beast grunted.
"Oh…well, the statement still stands"
"Come on…let's call the ship and get back to the Sanctuary. I'll heal some of your wounds while we wait" Jak grunted as he got to his feet.
Several Hours Later:
Beast, Jak, and Sharpshooter walked into Disten's office, weary and battle sore, but in high spirits. He was reading his journal, and looked up as the trio walked in.
"I got your report, though I'd still like a report from each of you" Disten said quietly.
The group looked at a sleeping figure on the small couch in Disten's office. It was Nightingale, fast asleep on the couch in her armor.
"She's still not taking things well. She's…had it rather hard these past few days" Disten said as Nightingale muttered something feverishly and rolled over.
Jak pulled off his helmet and walked over to her. Jak smiled and placed a hand on her head. Jak allowed a little bit of Light Eco to flow into her. Nightingale's face softened and her eyes opened slightly.
"Jak…" Nightingale whispered before falling into a peaceful sleep.
"Thank you Jak. It's a shame you only joined us such a short time ago. Iris, Nightingale to you two" Disten said to Sharpshooter and Beast, who nodded, "has improved so much in these few short weeks. On behalf of both of us, thank you"
Jak smiled and said "My pleasure"
Disten nodded and said "This successful assault on that base will raise morale here in the Sanctuary, and should allow us to have easier operations in the desert. As for the three Relic Fragments you found, we'll begin analyzing them right away"
"We need to get these to Onin. She can tell us what they're for" Jak said to Disten.
"We'll start asking around. Torn should be able to let us know the next time we contact him" Disten said.
"Sharpshooter, you may need to go to the Infirmary. I don't have enough Light Eco to heal you"
"Got it. I'll head there before I call it a night" Sharpshooter said with a grunt of pain, holding his side.
"Good work you three. I'll notify you if something comes up. Dismissed" Disten said.
Jak, Sharpshooter, and Beast nodded and walked out of the office. Disten sighed and looked at the sleeping Agent on the small couch in his room, smiling slightly.
Disten had devoted his entire life to the Avenging Angels, and their fight against the Metal Heads. Because of that, he had never gotten the opportunity to start a family, like his father did. When he rescued Nightingale from that Marauder Fortress, all those years ago, he found something special.
Nightingale had become a daughter to Disten in the few years she had been at the Sanctuary. She was very reserved, to the point where she never showed her face or spoke to anyone but him, but he still cared for her deeply. He was happy that someone like Jak had finally come to the Avenging Angels, and gained Nightingale's trust and helped her with his kindness. Disten knew that Nightingale still had a very long way to go before she let go of the anger and pain in her heart.
Nightingale stirred and murmured something too softly for Disten to hear. She then rolled over, and continued to sleep on. Disten smiled and opened up the journal of his father's partner, Gallius. Precursor language was difficult to read at best, but the fact that the language was unpronounceable made it difficult to study.
Not that he hadn't made any breakthroughs in the ten years he had been studying the journal.
His latest discovery was of a special door, hidden somewhere in the world. It was supposed to hold untold power behind it, and could only be opened by those chosen by the Precursors. Disten hadn't completely translated the journal of Gallius, who had researched extensively on the door, but he knew that the only person who could open this "Door to Light" was someone who could speak the language of Precursors.
Which according to everything he knew about them, was impossible.
Still, it was something that he had dedicated himself to, and he knew that somehow, someday, he would discover that ancient door. And he would lead the expedition to find it.
"Until then, I'll just have to keep reading" Disten said with a small smile as he turned the page.
End of Chapter:
All right, awesome chapter in my opinion, sorry about the delay. I'll see you all next time. Review and tell me what you thought. Until next time, FlygonN out!