Jak IV: The Avenging Angels
Thanks for the feedback everyone, I love writing this story and I love getting feedback even more.
Shoutout to Ecofreakrsa17, SnowyDusk evilanimegenious, StaticBomb324, Oblique Strategies Archangel Azrael, a new guest reviewer known as B216, and Ravens of Blood for reviewing last chapter. Thanks a ton for the support.
Enjoy!
Chapter 16: Jak's Promise
Nightingale woke up the next morning to a clap of thunder. She screamed loudly and closed her eyes tightly. After the shock had passed she frantically looked around her. Jak was nowhere to be found.
"J-Jak! Where are you?" Nightingale asked looking around the cave.
Jak poked his head out from behind a rock and said "What's up?"
"Oh…n-nothing. I was just a little worried. I guess I'm a bit on edge still" Nightingale said sheepishly.
"It's all right" Jak said walking out clad in his armor.
"There's a few Metal Heads roaming around. I'll be right back" Jak said putting on his helmet and walking out into the rain with his Morph Gun.
Nightingale got to her feet with a wince, she wasn't fully recovered and the adrenaline had long sense worn off. She began to limp towards the edge of the cave and sat down a rock, watching the rain.
It had been a very long time since she had enjoyed just watching the rain. It was something she loved to do as a kid. She and her brother would just watch the rain through the windows of their house together, watching the storm clouds roll by.
Nightingale sighed.
"The first time I had seen a rain storm in over 8 years…and now I can't even go to Haven City because of lightning strikes…what kind of soldier is afraid of lightning!?" Nightingale asked herself.
Nightingale waited for Jak to come back and as he came stomping up to the mouth of the cave, she saw her carrying an armful of fruit. He tossed an apple to Nightingale, who caught it with one hand.
"How did it go?" Iris asked as she took a small bite of the fruit.
"Easy. Just a few Grunts. This storm isn't going to let up for a while, so we're stuck in this cave for a few more days" Jak said.
"That's good…Jak…I'm…" Nightingale trailed off.
"What's wrong?" Jak asked.
"I'm sorry you got hurt…I really am…I wish there was something I could do to make it right…but there isn't…" Nightingale murmured.
Jak smiled and said "Hey, I'd take another bullet for you any day"
Nightingale gasped, and Jak chuckled.
"Hey, it's what friends do. I know you'd take a bullet for me too" Jak said.
"I'd do so much more than that. Jak, you don't realize how much you…" Nightingale said before cutting herself off.
"How much I what?" Jak said.
"How much you mean to me" Nightingale whispered too quietly for him to hear as he walked out of earshot to change out of his armor.
A few minutes later, Nightingale leaned back and let Jak wrap himself around her again. She ran her hand down his leg, and not for the first time, was amazed that such a strong and handsome man was her best friend. She always wanted to know if he felt the same way towards her that she felt towards him, or at least if he thought she was as beautiful as she thought he was. She imagined for a moment running her hands through his hair, across his chest, and down his-
"What's wrong with me?" Nightingale realized as she broke herself out of her fantasy before she got carried away.
Nightingale felt Jak's breathing slow down, and realized he had fallen back asleep, which left Nightingale to ponder her feelings.
Meanwhile:
"BOOM!" Sig yelled cheerfully, killing an entire row of Metal Heads.
Rune and Chill reloaded their weapons as Royal hurled a grenade into the horde of Metal Heads.
Sig aimed the Peace Maker and charged it up again. With a grin, he fired the blue burst of energy and killed the Metal Head leader, a huge hulking brute with six arms and sharp claws that could tear through a tank.
"WAM BAM, SUPER-SLAM!" Sig yelled as the Metal Head collapsed onto the ground.
"Nice work! You kids are pretty good" Sig said with a grin as he shouldered his Peace Maker.
"You're not so bad yourself big guy" Chill laughed as she holstered her gun.
"So, how's Jak and Daxter been? I haven't heard from them in a while" Sig asked.
"Perhaps we can discuss this in a less…exposed, area?" Royal suggested.
"Good point. Follow me" Sig said.
Twenty minutes later, Sig was sitting down in his throne room, sitting in the very throne Damas had sat in when he ruled Spargus. Sig was a kind, yet powerful leader. The people under his rule loved him as much as they did Damas, and he would do anything to protect the ones he cared about.
"Jak left yesterday on a mission to retrieve a fellow Agent" Royal said.
"That's just like him" Sig said with a smirk.
"They should be back anytime now" Rune said.
"By the way, what do you plan on doing about the Hunters?" Chill asked.
Sig frowned and said "I heard about what happened in Haven. It's crazy that even one person could help the Metal Heads, but a whole group of people? That's just nuts. I sent a few dozen of my best men to go help Torn and Ashelin with the reconstruction, as well as to help keep the Metal Heads off the streets" Sig said.
"Good to hear. It was an utter massacre there, and they need all the help they can get" Rune said quietly.
"You were there…weren't you?" Sig asked softly.
"Yes, she was" Chill said, and Rune took off her helmet.
"It's not easy, seeing people die like that. I've seen people die before, but it never gets any easier on the battlefield" Rune muttered.
Sig's expression softened and said "I've been doing this for years. I've lost a lot of good friends over the years, and lost a damn good friend just a few months ago. I'm sitting in his chair now"
Sig continued by saying "Life is hard…the worst part about it, is watching people suffer that you can't help"
"You can't protect everyone Rune" Royal said patting her on the shoulder.
Rune didn't respond.
"It seems to me like you're the kind of person who watches out for everyone else before watching out for herself" Sig said.
"You're dead right" Chill said with a smile.
"Well, who protects the protector? You can't protect everyone, if you could, this world wouldn't need heroes like Jak" Sig said.
Rune sighed and said "I know that…but I just couldn't bear it if anyone died. What would you do?"
Sig regarded the young Agent with a small smile and said "Bury them, mourn them, and keep fighting even harder in their memory. Just like I have since the day my friend Damas died saving his son"
Meanwhile:
Jak woke up to see Nightingale warming herself by the fire. She was shivering badly, and didn't even notice he was awake.
Jak got to his feet, drawing Nightingale's attention, and said "You OK?"
"A little cold" Nightingale murmured. Jak noticed that her face was still rather bright with fever. He wondered how long she had been fighting in the rain. He had noticed that there as water leaking from her armor, meaning she had probably been drenched by the time he got to her. It was no wonder she was sick now.
Jak smiled and said "I'll go get some more firewood"
Jak changed into his armor, and Nightingale got up and said "I'm coming too"
"Night, come on, you're not-" Jak began to say before Nightingale gave him a look that caused him to reconsider.
The two Agents walked out into the rain, thankful for the cover that their suits provided. Nightingale's armor had taken damage, but it was still useable unlike when it was damaged by Havoc and kept out some of the rain. Nightingale managed to repair a small bit of her armor herself to Jak's surprise, using a small welding torch that she had attached to the belt of her armor. Jak noticed a small silver hilt to a weapon attached to Nightingale's belt too as he walked with her, and he wondered what it was.
Nightingale noticed that Jak was looking at her as they walked, and said "What's wrong?"
"What's that silver thing?" Jak asked.
Nightingale smiled underneath her helmet and said "My newest weapon. I finally chose what kind of weapon I wanted for my last Armor Enhancement. And it helped me beat the Kerger Metal Heads"
"What is it?" Jak asked.
Nightingale grabbed the hilt and whispered something that sounded like a hymn to a song. A red burst of light shot from the hilt and dropped down to the ground. Nightingale swung the weapon and a long red whip formed from the light. The whip itself seemed to float off of the ground, defying gravity.
"A Red-Eco Whip?" Jak asked.
"Ten points for you Jak. It's incredibly powerful, Tech only gave it to me because he knows I won't abuse it" Nightingale admitted.
"So, how did that help you beat those Metal Heads?" Jak asked.
"I'd rather it be my secret weapon, but since you're my best friend…I'll show you" Nightingale said with a grin.
She walked towards a thick rock spire and swung her whip at it. It sliced through a 3 feet thick rock spire like it was nothing. Jak's jaw dropped as Nightingale swung the whip again, leaving deep gashes in the ground. Nightingale allowed the whip to curl around her ankles, though It didn't harm her.
"That's incredible" Jak said walking over to her.
"I've used whips before in training, and I gave the idea of an Eco-Whip to Tech, who made it. I only got it four days ago" Nightingale admitted.
"And that thing took down three of those giant Metal Heads?" Jak asked, and Nightingale nodded.
"It takes a bit of skill to use this thing though. My Eco-Whip can be used to either harm or kill, depending on my intent"
"Your intent?" Jak asked.
Nightingale nodded and said "There's a bit of Precursor Metal built into this whip, and sometimes the metal has…sentient properties. This whip responds to me and only me"
"Tech's a genius" Jak said shaking his head.
"He is. I've told him that several times" Nightingale laughed in her musical voice.
"Come on, let's keep looking for firewood so we can get out of this rain" Jak said, and Nightingale nodded.
The two began to gather more wood for the fire, and as they started on their trip back to the cave, Jak and Nightingale heard a loud screech.
Jak dropped his firewood and pulled out his pistol. Nightingale had reacted before Jak did, stepping silently into the shadows.
A large birdlike Metal Head came stomping along through the path, its head sniffing and chirping. It had no feathers, just thick armor that was a silver-ish color and a large Metal Head gem in the center of its head. The Metal Head opened its beak, which had row upon row of razor sharp teeth, and screeched into the sky.
Jak tensed and leapt out at the Metal Head with Morph Gun in hand, trying to kill it using the element of surprise. Nightingale mentally screamed "Jak! No!"
Jak was surprised when the Metal Head's spiked tail slammed into him, sending him crashing into a tree. Jak slowly got to his feet, his head now hurting REALLY badly, and found himself starring at the Metal Head.
"Kurkurkur. Mar…the Aimperditor, the eldest and strongest of the Hora-Quan, do not forget such crimes against our race. I'll enjoy tearing you apart! KURKURKURKURKUR!" the Metal Head laughed evilly as it lunged at Jak.
Before Jak could respond, Nightingale came flying in from above and dropped down on the Metal Head's skull.
The beast cried out in pain as Nightingale landed on the ground. It tried to peck at Nightingale with its spear-like beak, but Nightingale was too quick and jumped to the side. Jak was, though this was far from the first time, amazed at how nimble Nightingale was as she quickly dodged a series of jabs from the Metal Head. Jak sprinted up to the Metal Head and jumped into the air.
Jak yanked out his knife and jammed it into the Metal Head's neck, drawing blood. The Metal Head tried to throw Jak off, but Jak jammed the knife even further into its neck.
The Metal Head screeched and whirled around, dislodging the knife and sending Jak slamming into a tree.
"Jak!" Nightingale yelled.
Nightingale jumped to the side to avoid being crushed by the Metal Head's long spiked tail and pulled out her Eco-Whip. With a flick of the wrist, her whip came to life.
"Kur? Your scent…why is it so familiar?" the Metal Head crooned.
Nightingale wasted no time and lashed out with her whip, striking the Metal Head in the mouth with it. The Metal Head cawed in pain, but before it could do that Nightingale delivered another blow to its side. The Metal Head bird snapped at Nightingale who kicked out with her jet-boots and soared to the safety of a nearby tree.
Jak slowly got to his feet and sheathed his knife. Jak pulled out a grenade and said "Get it to open its mouth!"
"Roger!" Nightingale replied.
"I can hear you! Kur kur kur" the Metal Head bird chirped angrily as it fired a blast of Dark Eco at Nightingale, who kicked off of the branch to dodge and grabbed another branch with her hand.
"Nightingale just fly and finish it!" Jak said as he tried to get a clear at the Metal Head's skull to do a Dark strike, or at least throw a grenade down its throat.
"Jak, get in front on my mark!" Nightingale called as she landed onto the ground, right in front of the Metal Bird.
"KURRRR!" the Metal Bird chirped as its mouth slowly opened, revealing a huge beam of Dark Eco charging up.
Nightingale lashed out with her Eco-Whip, using it to close the Metal Bird's beak shut. Nightingale slid on the ground and used her jet-boots to fly underneath the Metal Bird, causing the monster to slam its head onto the stone floor beneath it. Nightingale allowed the whip to retract and come back to her.
"GO!"
Jak sprinted at the dazed Metal Bird and hurled a grenade down it's throat, causing the creature to explode violently into a cloud of Dark Eco, most of which was absorbed by Jak's Eco Extractor.
"That was pretty amazing Night" Jak admitted with a laugh.
Nightingale blushed darkly underneath her helmet at the compliment and said "Well…you know, you weren't so bad out there yourself"
Nightingale felt her vision blur for a moment, and then shook her head.
"Are you OK?" Jak asked.
"I'm…I'm f-fine" Nightingale stammered.
"You're still sick. You should've left it to me" Jak said walking over to her.
Nightingale smiled weakly, though it was unseeble, and said "I can handle myself"
Nightingale felt her vision blur again and said "I'm going back to the cave"
Jak shrugged and began to pick up the firewood they gathered.
To Nightingale's credit, she made it to the cave before she collapsed.
She somehow managed to get out of her armor and tried to warm herself by the fire, drying herself off as best as she could. She felt as though the coldness of the storm had seeped into her very bones. She hoped Jak would come back soon. Nightingale quickly got dressed and waited for Jak to come back, and wondered why that Metal Head had called him "Mar".
Jak walked back into the cave and added more wood to the fire. Five minutes later, Nightingale got her wish as Jak sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her, causing the cold in her body to flee her limbs. Nightingale smiled to herself, loving the closeness that she had with Jak. She rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh.
Nightingalemoved into Jak's lap and lay down on top of him, seeking more warmth. Nightingale blushed pink, glad that Jak hadn't objected to this, and said "Does this count as cuddling?"
"Don't call it that" Jak said quickly.
"Why?"
"Because, it's not very…manly" Jak admitted.
Nightingale grinned and said "Oh come here and cuddle with me you big bad warrior you"
Nightingale pressed her body up against Jak's, and Jak wrapped his arms and legs around her. Jak was once again amazed at how he had such an insanely beautiful woman literally on top of him. Nightingale had the same mentality, and was flushing red from her fever and something else.
Devoid of anything else to do, Nightingale asked Jak more about himself and his previous adventures. Jak spent the better part of the day telling her of his adventures in Haven City, joining the Underground, and defeating Metal Kor. The sun had fallen as he finished his story. Nightingale was entranced the entire time, amazed that one man did so many incredible things.
"Wow…but, killing Metal Kor wouldn't have stopped the Metal Heads. It wouldn't have stopped the Metal Heads from regrouping and attacking again" Nightingale said.
Jak blinked in surprise and said "What do you mean?"
"The Metal Heads will always be around, as long as their true leader is around. Kor wasn't the true Metal Head leader…" Nightingale said quietly.
"Who is?" Jak asked.
"I wish I knew…I wonder if even the Precursors knew who the true leader of the Metal Heads are" Nightingale murmured.
Jak considered telling her for a moment, and then thought "Why not?"
"I met them"
"Who?"
"The Precursors"
"Jak, I'm always honest with you, don't lie to me please" Nightingale admonished tiredly.
"I'll tell you when you can take the news" Jak decided, and Nightingale laughed.
A huge clap of thunder, followed by a streak of lightning, blasted the nearby forest, causing Nightingale to tightly hug Jak and scream loudly.
"It's OK Iris" Jak muttered.
"No. No it isn't! I'm so weak! Why can't I just get over it!?" Nightingale whispered as she buried her face into Jak's shirt.
Jak ran his hand through her hair and held her, telling her that she was wrong, that she was strong not weak. After a while, she began to feel better. Nightingale's breathing slowed, and by that time night had fallen once more. Nightingale was feeling a little better, though she hated herself by looking so weak in front of Jak. She was happy when he praised her in beating the Metal Bird, but with this kind of display, what must he think of her?
Jak, as if reading her mind, said "You've got to stop beating yourself up Night. You did great out there, and everyone's got something their scared of"
Nightingale blushed and thought "He must be able to read me so easily"
Nightingale regained her composure and said "And what are you scared of?"
Jak shrugged and said "No clue. I'll know when I find out"
Nightingale sighed inwardly; he was so calm about everything, so strong and stalwart!
It made her nuts!
Nightingale contented herself by repositioning herself to where she was sitting in between Jak's legs but had her head resting on his shoulder. The duo spent a few minutes in silence, just enjoying the peace and the break from all of the bloodshed and destruction. Something egged Nightingale though…
"Should I tell him?"
"No, he'll think you're just some scared little child"
"He deserves to know!"
"That'll just drive him further from you!"
Nightingale battled with herself for about a solid twenty minutes while Jak focused on going into sensing the Eco around him.
Because of his Eco Powers, he had a good idea where to find Eco around him. That said, he couldn't manipulate it or anything, at least while it was underground or in a tree, but just the fact that he could sense it and where it was in the environment around him intrigued him. He often wondered what the limitations were to his Light and Dark forms, and he wondered if there was some way to push himself to get stronger. After what had happened in the city, he had to be strong to protect the ones he cared about, like the woman lying on top of him.
"Jak…can you…" Nightingale trailed off.
"What was that?" Jak asked.
"Well…I…I want to tell you something. Something I've…never told anyone else. The real reason I hate Torn so much…and it's something that I've never told anyone…" Nightingale murmured.
Jak lowered his head next to Nightingale's and said "You sure?"
"Yeah…you deserve to know…" Nightingale whispered.
"He promised me…before we broke out…that I would never ever be alone again…it seems like such a small thing…but he was like a brother to me in that cell…I would've died for him…he promised me that I would never be alone again…and he betrayed me. Because of him, I rotted in that dungeon for five years by myself…all alone…and that's what scares me more than anything…even the lightning…I'm scared of being all alone…"
"I spent five whole years to dwell on the fact that the person I cared about most betrayed me like that…I spent five years…alone...that is why I will never forgive Jakob for what he did. He stabbed me in the back, and left me alone…and one way or another, he'll pay" Nightingale whispered.
"Iris…" Jak muttered.
"Hmm?"
"I promise"
"What?"
"I promise you Nightingale. You'll never be alone again" Jak said quietly.
Nightingale gasped and said "J-jak…don't…don't say that…"
"Why? It's true" Jak said.
"I hear Jakob say that in my nightmares…over and over and over again. Those words have haunted me for years. Just…don't promise me that" Nightingale whispered, shaking her head.
Jak grabbed Nightingale's head and forced her to look at him. Jak stared into her green eyes and said slowly "I will never…leave you alone. You will never be alone again, Iris"
And Nightingale believed him.
Nightingale threw her arms around Jak, who smiled and said "There…was that so hard?"
"Jak…I…I…" Nightingale whispered before cutting herself off.
"What did you say Night?" Jak asked.
"N-nothing…" Nightingale said with a blush.
And it was that moment, though Nightingale didn't know it then, that she had fell in love with Jak Mar. Nightingale smiled to herself and closed her eyes, and for once in her life, she was truly happy.
Two Days Later:
Sanctuary Motor Pool:
"So, you two are back?" Royal said with a smile from a nearby car, which looked more like a tank than a car.
Nightingale climbed out of the transport and said "Hey Royal"
Royal walked over to Nightingale, noting the damage to her armor and the feverish look on her face, and said "Are you all right?"
Nightingale smiled and said "Never better"
Nightingale walked off, whistling a familiar tune while Jak hopped out of the transport and walked over to Royal.
"What…happened between you two?" Royal asked with a smile.
"Nothing" Jak said, though Royal rolled his eyes and said "Sure, sure. You don't have to lie to me, dear boy. I've been around for a while, and I know what happens when two attractive people share a cave"
"Things get rough!" Chill said as she hopped out of a nearby cruiser and onto the floor.
"Oh come on!" Jak sighed.
Chill laughed as she walked out of the room while Jak scowled in an annoyed way. Jak glared at Royal and said "I'm going to have fun kicking your a$$ and taking your rank on the Leaderboard."
Royal chuckled and said "Sure, sure. And your little pal Daxter is a Precursor."
Jak bit his tongue and walked out of the room.
Jak walked over to his room and deposited his gear in there. He had just walked out of the room when he saw Phoenix going by on crutches.
"Oh, hey Jak" Phoenix said.
"Hey Phoenix. Where're you going?" Jak asked.
"Therapy. And after that, I'm going to soak in the Bathing Grotto for a bit" Phoenix said as she went down the hallway.
Jak shrugged and went off to go find Daxter. Jak eventually went up to the room and knocked on the door.
"Occupied!"
"Come on Dax! Open up!" Jak yelled.
"Uh, kinda busy!"
Jak scowled and pulled out Daxter's spare keycard, which he forgot in Jak's room. Jak swiped it and walked into the room, where he beheld something truly disturbing.
Daxter and Tess screamed loudly.
"SON OF A BIT**!" Jak yelled, shielding his eyes and stumbling out of the room.
Jak spent about five minutes trying to burn the image out of his mind, and then spent the next hour drinking copious amounts of liquor to burn the horrible scene out of his head. Daxter and Tess…
"Dammit. Another round" Jak said to the bartender, who obliged.
"That's why this story is staying at a T rating" Jak muttered, breaking the 4th wall for the first time in history.
Meanwhile:
Night walked towards the Bathing Grotto, a knife with a small bird engraved onto it in one hand, and a towel in the other. Nightingale flipped and the knife and jammed it into its usual spot in the wall, telling people she was in here and to tread carefully. She may have opened up more than she ever had in her life in the time since she met Jak, but she was still a very shy person.
Nightingale walked down the path, humming her favorite tune. Jak's favorite song that she singed happened to be her favorite as well. It was a soothing lullaby that her mother sang to her on nights she couldn't fall asleep.
"Shi no, ku dey do. Kime sa lay fi do cu. Shi no, ku dey do, opa sa lay fi do cu. Cuo shi ha nina ley" Nightingale sang quietly with a smile on her face.
Nightingale was very happy after the last mission, and she had changed into her favorite bathing suit just because she was feeling so good. The bathing suit was black with a crimson feather on the bottom and a black top with a crimson feathered design.
Nightingale sank into the hot water with a sigh. The Bathing Grotto was a very large room, able to accommodate many people at once. However, most people knew when others did their business in the Grotto, and stayed away from Nightingale when she was in there. The water in the Grotto changes from area to area, where one area was very cold and refreshing, another section was hot and relaxing, like a hot spring.
"Peace and quiet…" Nightingale murmured as she sank below the water, closing her eyes.
The front doors to the Bathing Grotto were kicked in and Rune ran in and yelled "Cannonball!"
Nightingale yelped in surprise at the sudden outburst, and then smirked and sank deeper into the water.
Rune, clad in a sexy light blue two-piece bathing suit, jumped into the water. Chill walked into the room with a smirk, in a white two-piece with a snowflake design on it. Phoenix came into the Grotto on crutches, grinning widely. She was wearing bright red two-piece with fire designs on them.
"Come on in girls! The water's-!" Rune began to say before Nightingale emerged from the water like a shark and dunked her.
"DIDN'T YOU SEE THE KNIFE!? Get out!" Nightingale yelled with a wide grin.
Nightingale swam away before Rune could gather her senses. By that time, Chill had hopped into the water herself. Phoenix slowly eased into the water, sighing happily.
"This water works wonders…" Phoenix moaned happily as she began to float on her back.
Rune and Nightingale began to wrestle in the water, splashing each other and laughing loudly. After about five minutes, both women took a break and swam to the shore.
"So, you're back" Chill said with a smile.
"Of course" Nightingale said with a smile.
"How did it go?" Rune asked.
"It went OK" Nightingale said after a moment.
"Come on…details…" Chill urged.
"Did you guys ever wonder what happened to Rush?" Nightingale said.
"What?" Phoenix asked.
"Umm…yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" Rune asked.
"I forced Disten to lie about how he died…he got struck by lightning when we went out hunting Kerger Metal Heads a year ago. I…I buried him in Haven Forest back then, but I couldn't forget that night. Him dying has haunted me for the past year…So, when Jak got hurt on my last mission, I was reminded of my last failure. I had to go back and kill the Kerger Metal Heads. I had to do it. Jak found me as I was about to kill the final one"
"You killed THREE of those things!? By yourself!?" Phoenix yelled out in surprise.
Nightingale nodded and said "I got really sick though from being in the storm for too long though, and me and Jak were stuck in a cave for a few days"
"So…did you guys bang?" Chill asked.
Nightingale let out a yelp of surprise and blushed dark red. Rune and Phoenix burst out laughing while Nightingale sank into the water until her only burning red forehead and eyes were visible.
"Night, I think it's about time you had a talk" Chill said.
"What do you mean?" Nightingale asked, confused as she rose from the water.
"She's so adorable sometimes" Rune giggled.
"Don't make me break your arm" Nightingale replied with a smirk.
"You're not that knowledgeable when it comes to men, and you're not used to having these kinds of feelings for guys, so I'll talk you through it" Rune said with a smile.
Nightingale looked even more confused, and Chill and Phoenix laughed at her expression.
Five Days Later:
Sharpshooter reloaded his sniper rifle and said "The key is being calm…focus…breathe…aim"
"Breathe…aim…" Rune murmured.
"Think she can do it? She's the worst sniper here" Jak said.
"Hey, give her some credit. She's doing better" Nightingale said quietly.
"How're you feeling?" Jak asked.
"Better. I'm still worn out from that mission…Kerger Metal Heads are the worst" Nightingale grumbled.
Jak laughed and ruffled her hair, messing it up, and said "Yeah, but you still beat them in a 3-on-1 fight!"
"EXCUSE ME! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SNIPE!" Rune shouted angrily as she missed her target for the 18th time.
"That was better. Now aim at the target" Sharpshooter snickered.
Rune growled and pulled out her pistol and fired 15 shots, emptying the entire clip. Each shot hit the target, and even three hit the bull's-eye.
"Why can you aim with a pistol, but not a sniper rifle?" Sharpshooter asked.
"I wish I knew. You what, screw it, I'm sticking with my pistols for long-ranged attacks" Rune huffed.
Jak and Nightingale laughed and watched as Rune stormed away angrily, leaving Sharpshooter looking bewildered.
"She's a terrible shot with a scope, but with her pistols she's great. Unreal" Sharpshooter said incredulously.
"How did you get to be so good with a sniper rifle?" Jak asked.
Nightingale laughed and said "He was the best sniper in the Underground. Natural talent"
"You LISTENED to that story!? No one ever listens to my stories!" Sharpshooter exclaimed loudly.
Nightingale blushed red and mumbled "I always listened to what you guys have to say…"
"…really?" Sharpshooter asked, genuinely surprised.
Nightingale nodded, looking a little hurt, and said "Just because I didn't respond didn't mean that I didn't care what you guys had to say"
"Sorry Night" Sharpshooter said sheepishly.
Nightingale sighed and said "It's fine"
"You sure?" Daxter asked.
"Yeah, it's not a big deal" Nightingale said with a small smile.
"So, quick quiz then. How did I join the AA?" Sharpshooter asked.
Nightingale gave him a look and said "Your brother died in a Metal Head attack that killed over 40 Krimzon Guards and 10 Underground Soldiers. After that, you met Rune and joined up, though I still think you've got a thing for Rune"
Sharpshooter gave Nightingale an amused look and said "Don't get me started kid, I've got way more dirt on you then you do on me"
Nightingale blushed a very dark shade of red and said "S-shut up!"
Jak looked back and forth at the two and said "What's going on here?"
"Rune was right. Incredible soldier, yes. Ladies' man, not even close" Nightingale thought with both relief and a twinge of regret that he didn't realize her feelings.
Sharpshooter laughed and ruffled Nightingale's hair, which caused her to scowl. She disliked anyone but Jak doing that to her. Nightingale grinned however and swept Sharpshooter's legs out from under him, jabbed him in the back and put him into an powerful arm lock. Sharpshooter grunted as Nightingale laughed.
"Don't get me started! I can still beat you in a fight James!" Nightingale laughed as she let Sharpshooter go.
Sharpshooter chuckled and said "You're something Night. Rush was right about you after all"
Nightingale smiled, remembering the fallen Agents words, and felt a small ounce of pride flow through her.
Beast walked out onto the roof and towards Jak.
"Mission from Disten" Beast grunted.
"For? Jeez, speak more than 5 words per sentence for once" Daxter grumbled.
Beast growled angrily before turning around and talking off.
"So, what's his deal?" Daxter asked.
"Now THAT'S a story" Nightingale and Sharpshooter said with a laugh.
"You listened to that story too?" Sharpshooter asked.
Nightingale sighed and said "Yes, and I've heard a few other stories that Rune's said about you"
"Like?" Sharpshooter asked.
Nightingale smiled, turned on her heel, and walked towards the stairs.
"Hey! Wait up!" Sharpshooter yelled running after Nightingale.
Jak and Daxter looked at each other, and then shrugged.
Chief's Office:
Jak and Daxter walked into the office and found to their surprise Chill waiting for them.
"About time" Chill said quietly, getting to her feet.
"Jak, Chill. I have a mission for you both" Disten said to the duo, excluding Daxter.
"A mission together at last" Chill said with a wink.
"Torn has requested our help in regaining the Power Strip. You two must find and locate Vin, and convince him to transfer himself to our servers" Disten said.
"Seriously? That gives us a lot of control in the city" Chill said.
"Yes, Ashelin and Torn felt it was a necessary measure. That way Vin is safe from harm, and he'll be able to work alongside Arch and help maintain both our own power systems and the city's" Disten said.
"That would also solve the whole, 'I'm alone and my life has no meaning phase Vin is going through'" Daxter commented.
"True. There's also another reason why this is necessary. The Power Station is an easy target for the Metal Heads. The fact that it hasn't been attacked already can be considered a miracle. Vin needs to be extracted ASAP. I'm having another Agent transport you two since Nymph is still recovering" Disten said.
"Now go to Haven City. And may the Precursors watch over you" Disten said with a smile, and the two Agents and said Precursor nodded.
End of Chapter:
OK folks, no snippy comments or cliffhangers for once. Please review and tell me what you think!
Until next time, FlygonN out!