Jak IV: The Avenging Angels
Happy One Year Anniversary!
Woot Woot! This story got way more readers and reviewers than I thought it would, so I'd like to give a shoutout to a few people. Oblique Strategies for being my longest reviewer he's been reviewing since chapter 3. Shoutout to JakXter724 for being awesome and working on cover art for the story, which is a work in progress but looks amazing. And final special shoutout to StaticBomb324 for being my only double-story reviewer out of all my readers, meaning he reviews both my Avenging Angels story and my Apocalypse story regularly.
So special thanks to you guys. And special thanks to all of my lovely readers. You all are amazing.
:D
So last chapter was delayed by homework, projects, and the sheer length of the chapter. This chapter was delayed by me getting sick as hell, and dealing with end of the semester crap. Hopefully I can start updating more often when the summer rolls around.
Hopefully.
Also, I know I teased it, but there just wasn't very much Pecker Daxter dialogue this chapter. I'll include some bits with them later. Sorry guys. =(
Also, you can now follow me on Twitter! Get the low down on chapter updates and all that crap by following me at FlygonNick.
Shoutout to everyone who reviewed last chapter, which included doubledamn, evilanimegenious, a guest reviewer known as Guest, Ecofreakrsa17, StaticBomb324, JakXter724, Ravens of Blood, and Oblique Strategies.
Chapter 20: Meeting Your Makers
Two Weeks Later:
Location: Unknown
Nightingale opened her eyes, and found herself in a strange environment, unlike any she had seen in her dreams or in reality. She dressed long white dress that went down to her ankles, made of the finest material she had ever felt. The sky above her was black as space while meteors streaked in the sky above her, burning with fierce purple fire. And below her, a large clear pond that she could somehow stand atop of.
Nightingale then felt a rush of pain spike through her skull, and the water soon began to boil. She fell through it, sinking deeper and deep no matter how hard she struggled and swam. She was sinking into the darkness.
"Poor little Iris, all alone in the darkness" a woman's voice crooned at her as she continued to choke.
Nightingale was suddenly freed from her water prison, but found she was somewhere worse.
She was surrounded in a room with mirrors. Everywhere she looked she could see herself, looking scared and disoriented.
She loathed the sight with all her heart.
"This a dream. Wake up!" Nightingale told herself.
"This is no dream child…look at yourself. Look at what you've done. The mistakes that you've made, the lives that were lost because of you" the voice said sharply.
"SHUT UP!" Nightingale yelled angrily.
"Stupid girl. What do you see when you look into the mirrors? What stares back at you?" the voice said.
Nightingale closed her eyes tightly and the voice whispered "A failure. A failure and a freak. You can't even tell the man you love how you feel, can you?"
How she know? How did she know the thoughts that constantly tore at her mind every day? These were her most private thoughts, and yet here she was discussing them like they were just everyday knowledge.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Nightingale screamed.
"Never. Your mind is filled with pain and suffering, and I happen to thrive on that" the voice laughed.
"I can see into your heart. Pure, innocent, filled with light. Disgusting…you would think that being betrayed by Jakob like that, your heart would be a cold shell…" the woman whispered.
"Don't say his name!" Nightingale growled as she picked up a stone off the ground and hurled it at one of the mirrors, shattering it.
"Oh? Do you still care about him? Maybe you like being tortured mentally? If that's the case…hehehehe…" the woman said with a laugh.
Jak suddenly appeared, bewildered and confused. He then began to scream as black lightning struck him from above. Nightingale screamed in pure fear from the lightning, and fell onto the ground as the lightning struck.
"JAK NO!" Nightingale screamed.
"So what'll be? Confront your fears, or save the one you love?" the woman said seriously.
Nightingale took a shuddering breath, and then ran at Jak, tackling him free from the lightning. Jak was still though, and Nightingale prayed that he was OK. Jak's eyes slowly opened, but instead of seeing his cerulean blue eyes, they were lifeless and cold.
"Jak! Say something! Anything! PLEASE!" Nightingale begged.
"N-night…." Jak rasped.
"Jak! Thank the Precursor's you're-"
"You let me die Night…you failed…" Jak rasped as a drop of blood ran down his mouth.
"N-no! I didn't Jak! Please, it was her! She's the one that did it! I was trying to save you!" Nightingale yelled.
Jak shook his head and said "Some friend you were…"
Jak shuddered and went still. Nightingale howled in misery and buried her head in Jak's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Alone…you're all alone again…" voices whispered in Nightingale's mind.
"Mirror Mirror, on the wall, who's the loneliest of them all?" the woman who was tormenting Nightingale asked the large ornate mirror that had just appeared. It was the same one that she had broken at Blackwood Island. She saw herself, standing tall and grinning evilly. She pointed her fingers at the real Nightingale, who felt herself sinking into the darkness of despair.
"I just want to die…I want it to end…" Nightingale whispered as she closed her eyes.
But yet…some part of her wanted to fight back…
This was her mind, was it not? This wasn't real. This…thing was using Jak to hurt her. Her fear and sadness was replaced with a burning rage that sent flames through her soul.
Nightingale got to her feet, picking up another stone from the ground.
The voice scoffed and said "Poor little Nightingale, all alone in the darkness"
"I am NOT alone…I will never be alone again. Jak promised me" Nightingale said coldly as she hurled the rock at the mirror, cracking it.
The Nightingale double looked back at her, scowled and said "So, you're not the sniveling little girl I thought you were. Good…it'd be a shame if a chosen one was that weak"
Nightingale growled and lunged at the mirror, passing through it and tackling her double on the ground. Nightingale balled up her fist and punched her double in the face, shattering her jaw. The double kicked Nightingale off of her and held out her hand, a wicked double-edged scimitar forming from pure darkness.
Nightingale smiled and held out her hand, and a snow white rapier made of raw light formed in her hands.
"I see we've chosen well…" a thin voice said with a note of approval.
"I should've known that you'd show up. Be gone! This girl is mine!" the Nightingale double snarled, dashing forward and delivering an almighty strike that sent Nightingale flying, despite blocking the strike.
"You will not defeat her. Her heart is pure and the light of justice shines bright in her. She is the bane of your existence! And she shall overcome you!" the voice, which was male, said coldly to the double, who snarled.
"Don't give in. Believe in yourself and in the light, and you shall overcome this mighty foe" the comforting voice said encouragingly as Nightingale skidded to a halt.
Nightingale nodded and closed her eyes, and became enveloped in a aura of light. When it faded, she was in her Avenging Angels armor. Nightingale got into a stance and said "This is MY mind! I'm taking it back!"
"You can try" the double smirked, lunging forward.
The two then began to dual, with the light presence watching over them both.
Nightingale was a skilled swordswoman, not quite as good as Blade, but she could hold her own. She ducked, slashed, blocked, and parried as quickly as she could, using every skill, trick, and strategy she had ever learned on fighting a one-on-one opponent. The double was fierce and cold, her attacks powerful and swift. After thirty minutes of fighting fiercely, Nightingale gained the upper hand. Nightingale ducked under a stab and jabbed the duplicate in the hip before kicking her in the chest, sending her tumbling away. Nightingale lunged forward and delivered a powerful strike on the double, slashing her from hip to shoulder. The duplicate shrieked in pain, shattering all of the mirrors that surrounded them, and exploded violently in a cloud of Dark Eco.
"You're…stronger…than I expected…but no matter. My Champion will destroy you…and if he should fail…well…let's just say, you'll wish he had destroyed you…instead of I…"
And with that the dark presence vanished with a laugh.
"She will bother you no more…it's her favorite pastime, going into the minds of those who have a hand in the fate of the universe…" the kind voice said softly.
"Who was she?" Nightingale asked.
"The cause of our ruin, and yours as well. Unless, of course, she can be stopped. But fret not my dear, you can rest peacefully for now. The Dark Goddess never tries to meddle with a mind that has bested her. She has that much honor in her" the voice said smugly.
"Why are you helping me?" Nightingale asked softly.
A small ball of light flashed into existence next to her. Power radiated from it, and it said in the same voice that had been speaking to her "Your time is coming, Iris. And when it comes, you must stand tall. I just want to make that road a little easier to travel. It's the least I could do for you"
"But…who are you?" Nightingale asked.
"That is talk for another time. Now awaken!" the voice yelled loudly.
Nightingale bolted upright out of bed, her chest heaving. Nightingale took a shuddering breath, and then whispered "Back in my room…jeez…"
She flopped back down on her mattress, sighed heavily, and said "What was that though…a vision…a dream…it felt so real…who was that woman…what did she want with me…and that other voice?"
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Nightingale threw on her black bathrobe and opened the door, revealing Jak. Nightingale blushed pink as Jak gave her a quick once-over before Jak looked at her in the eyes.
"What happened? Why did you wake me up?" Nightingale asked
"Are you OK?" Jak asked, seeing Nightingale's tired expression.
"Nightmares. This one was…weird …" Nightingale muttered.
"Want to talk about it?" Jak asked, sounding concerned.
"Not really…what did you need?" Nightingale asked Jak.
"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go somewhere with me. It isn't far from the Sanctuary" Jak said, sounding rather embarrassed.
"It's 3:20 in the morning Jak" Nightingale said quietly, though she was more curious than tired.
"Fine, suit yourself" Jak shrugged walking away.
Nightingale bit her lip…
On the one hand…sleep. Glorious sleep.
On the other hand…alone time with Jak, who was asking her (in her mind at least) on a date.
"OK! You've got me. Where're we going?" Nightingale asked.
"Suit up and meet me in the Motor Pool in 20 minutes" Jak grinned.
"…OK" Nightingale said closing her door.
Nightingale walked into the Motor Pool to find Jak sitting on an ATV style Sandcycle. Nightingale growled angrily for a moment, and Jak looked at her in surprise.
"What's up?" Jak asked.
"Havoc blew up my favorite Sandcycle" Nightingale grumbled as she walked over to Jak.
"Really?" Jak asked.
"You were there!" Nightingale said indignantly.
"I was unconscious for most of the fight" Jak reminded her.
"Oh yeah…"
"Come on. I want to show you somewhere. It's not that far away" Jak said.
Nightingale hopped into the passenger seat, and found that Jak had packed a small pack filled with fruit and other snacks. Nightingale looked at Jak, who shrugged and revved the ATV and shot out of the Motor Pool.
The duo rode out into the night desert, and Nightingale sighed tiredly and pressed her head against Jak's back and dozed off, still exhausted from dealing with her nightmare. About an hour later, Jak stopped the cycle and said "We're here"
Nightingale sleepily looked up and said "Ngh"
"Come on Night, wake up" Jak said with a laugh as he dismounted the cycle, causing Nightingale to fall off of the vehicle and crash down onto the hard rock face they had stopped on.
"Ow! What was that…wow…" Nightingale said as her annoyance vanished.
Jak had brought her to a small shore area of the Wasteland, where the roaring sea was now utterly still. The moonlight shimmered out on the water, reflecting the pale orb in the sky. They were on a smooth, silver-ish rock face, overlooking the water. It had a still sort of beauty to it, and Nightingale smiled happily and said "It's beautiful"
"I found this spot a while back, when I used to live in Spargus" Jak said.
"How long were you driving? I don't remember seeing this area of the Wasteland before" Nightingale said as she sat down on the ground, admiring the beautiful view.
Jak sat down as well and said "I lied about the distance. It's an hour's trip away from the Sanctuary"
"That's OK…wow…" Nightingale breathed.
Jak and Nightingale sat there on the rocky shore, just talking for some time. They didn't really pay attention to the time, they just talked. Jak explained his past and his abilities in full detail to Nightingale, who told him more about her experiences with Jakob and her first days in the Avenging Angels. The two eventually fell onto the topic of romantic experiences, which Jak admitted his relationship with Keira and Ashelin. Nightingale felt a surge of annoyance and jealousy, but it passed shortly afterwards when Jak explained that he cut it off with Ashelin months ago and Keira…well…
Nightingale admitted that she had never had any romantic experiences. She at one point developed a crush on Blade, admittedly, but that passed a shortly after she realized that the language barrier kind of made it hard to have any sort of relationship, and she grew out of the crush.
"So, you're single?" Jak asked jokingly.
Nightingale blushed and said somewhat in a somewhat annoyed way "Yes. I've always been single Jak. I've never even had my first kiss"
Jak raised an eyebrow in surprise and said "Really?"
Nightingale shook her head sadly, and Jak smiled and said "Well…I think I can help you out"
Nightingale rolled her eyes for a moment, and then realized what Jak meant. Nightingale flushed dark red and said "Y-you don't mean…?"
Jak nodded and moved closer to Nightingale, who moved found herself closer to him. Nightingale brought her face closer to Jak's, and he bent down and kissed her on the lips. Nightingale let out a small gasp and closed her eyes, relishing in the moment. Jak was surprisingly gentle, and Nightingale silently prayed that she wasn't dreaming again. Jak smiled as he kissed her, and then deepened the kiss much to Nightingale's pleasure. The two young Agents held the kiss for a few more seconds, and Jak finally broke the kiss with a smile and said "How was that for a first kiss?"
Nightingale, flushing dark red and her heart beating rapidly, managed to murmur "It was amazing"
She then promptly passed out in Jak's lap, her head resting on his shoulders. Jak smiled and wrapped his arms around the exhausted Agent protectively and said "I guess we can wait a while before heading back"
The Next Day:
Nightingale woke up and quickly realized that she had had a really, really good night's sleep for once.
She also realized she was very warm, and was pressed against something wrapped around her. She opened her eyes and found herself curled up close to Jak, who was sleeping beside her. Nightingale remembered everything of the past night's events, and their "date" and smiled to herself. She nuzzled her head against Jak's chest and thought "Sometimes, it's nice to be me"
Nightingale fell back asleep, but realized when she woke up that Jak was no longer there. She sat up and stretched, and glanced around his room. It was rather bare, with only a few decorations. A Precursor relic that looked like a lamp stood on the nearby dresser, as well as a few Wastelander trinkets. A few stray bullet casings rested on Jak's nightstand. Not much else.
There were however, two pictures she took note of.
The first was a recently taken picture of some of the Avenging Angels. It had Jak, Daxter, Rune, Chill, Blade, Phoenix, Sharpshooter, and herself. They were all crowded around Beast, who was (reluctantly) celebrating his 26th birthday. Jak and Daxter were slightly drunk, as opposed to Blade and Chill who were completely gone by the time the picture had been taken. Nightingale and Jak were standing next to each other, with the both of them looking happy as clams.
Nightingale smiled and said "Ah…good times"
She turned her attention to the second picture.
The second was a picture of Jak and Daxter, standing next to Samos the Green Sage and a pretty girl she didn't know, all standing in front of the Naughty Ottsel looking happy. Nightingale guessed that girl was Keira, Jak's old friend that had died. He had feelings for her, didn't he?
Nightingale starred at the picture for a moment, and said "I'm so sorry Keira. I'm sorry that you had to die…I'm even more sorry that you had to leave Jak's life. I'll watch over him for you. I swear it"
Nightingale looked at the pictures for a few more minutes, and then straightened her hair out as best as she could. Nightingale stretched again and walked out of Jak's room.
Unfortunately for her, Chill and Blade were walking down the hallway.
"-know how much I like that kind of stuff" Chill was saying.
"You're hard to satisfy, aren't you? How hardcore do you need to get?" Blade asked with a sigh, though he was smiling slightly.
Chill laughed and kissed Blade on the cheek, and then she noticed Nightingale walking out of Jak's room in her nightclothes.
"Well, well, well…" Chill said with a triumphant grin.
"…aw crap…" Nightingale sighed as Chill marched over and said "Nightingale, did you and Jak…?"
"Bang" Blade finished, earning a punch from Chill, though she was trying very hard not to lose it, based on her expression.
"No…we didn't do…that. I've never done that" Nightingale said to Chill, who looked surprised.
"You're a virgin?" Chill asked, and Nightingale blushed dark red and nodded.
"Nothing to be ashamed off Night. I didn't have sex until I was 19" Blade said with a chuckle.
"Not helping. Anyway, I was having a rough night, and Jak helped me out" Chill burst out laughing while Blade chuckled to himself. Nightingale realized that what she had said was badly interpreted, so she said "That's all I'm saying. Now if you'll excuse me, I want some waffles" Nightingale said, and with that she turned around and walked down the hall.
"Was it something I said?" Blade asked with a laugh.
"Totally your fault. Nice going Russal" Chill laughed.
"Whatever. Let's just go get something to eat" Blade said, still chuckling.
Meanwhile:
"I'M SO FRIGGIN BORED!" Chase yelled.
Life with the AA was not as cracked up as he thought it'd be.
The Angels quickly learned that the younger Hunters, such as him, were kept on a very short leash, and were monitored by special tattoos called Markers on their tongues to keep them from speaking of certain topics. Chase had given them as much information as he could willingly, though he was unable to tell them anything specific, due to the restraints put on him.
Apparently the Hunters had gained their dark powers through something known as the Dark Ceremony, in which the Dark Goddess Arranst presided over. The Hunter, at the end of the ceremony, would gain Dark Eco powers similar to Jak's, though not nearly as powerful as Havoc and Jak. Chase admitted that the ritual was incredibly painful, and not very Hunter survived it.
He was able to shed some light on the Hunters themselves, explaining several key people in the organization, as well as several people who supported them. Baron Praxis had been against their existence just as much as he was opposed to the existence of the Avenging Angels. But the difference was, he was afraid that the AA would interfere and aid the Underground. But as for the Hunters, Praxis knew of their ties to the Metal Heads, long before the revelation ceremony in Haven City, and had refused to even allow them in his city as long as they aided his enemies.
After that, he was thrown in a small room with a locked door. His armor was confiscated and he was given several tests to ensure that he no longer had Dark Eco powers, which turned out to be the case. It wasn't like a jail cell, and they fed him good food and stuff, but that was it.
Now he was alone, and HAD NOTHING TO DO!
"I'm going to go nuts" Chase muttered as he banged his head against the metal wall while sprawled on his bed.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in!" Chase called in bored tone, though glad someone had decided to check up on him.
The door opened and a young woman with short blond hair opened the door. She was incredibly good-looking, with cool looking blue and black tattoos on her arms and neck and a well-toned body. She laughed at Chase's bored and awkward position and said "Sorry for leaving you here to rot Chase"
"And you are?" Chase asked getting into a sitting position.
"I'm the woman you nearly killed the other day" Rune replied with a wry smile.
"You're that purple-armored chick. Thanks by the way…it's not easy fighting something in your head" Chase said.
Rune walked into the room and shut the door.
"You're the first Hunter I've ever seen question what they were doing…why?" Rune asked.
"I'm new to the program. I received the Dark Blessing a week before I met you all. Arranst hadn't had much time to work her influence on me" Chase replied.
"Dark Blessing?" Rune asked.
Chase nodded and said "At first, you feel strong and confident, like you can take on the world…and then she speaks to you. She's so convincing…I would've killed my own mother if Arranst wanted me to, and I wouldn't have shed a tear. Your self-control and will just rots away. My brothers and sisters aren't being controlled, not like I was. They're being misled. I wish I could help them…"
"Tell me more about the Hunters" Rune said quietly.
"Not much to say. I was just a lowly grunt. Shade, Siren, Deadshot, Violet, Doppelganger, Fathom, and a few others I haven't met. Those are the higher ups. Then there are the commanders. Shadow, Reaper, and Eclipse. And then there's the General"
"General? I've never heard of a general before" Rune said with a confused expression.
"He's the Leader of the Hunters. Some call him General, some call him Master. He's a strong and ruthless man. He's an expert fighter and can take the three commanders on all at once. What his real name is, I don't know. But one thing is for sure…he's dangerous" Chase muttered.
"I'll let the Chief know" Rune said with a nod.
"Hey, uh, Rune. Could I ask you somethin'?" Chase asked.
"Yeah, what's up?" Rune replied.
"Why didn't you kill me?"
Rune sighed and said "I…I don't particularly like killing people. The Metal Heads are one thing, but Hunters…they're human. I've always had a feeling that not all of them are acting under their own actions, which was proved right by you. I saw that you didn't want to kill me, you tried to fight back. That's why I couldn't kill you" Rune explained.
"They just believe what they are doing is right. Arranst…is very, very persuasive, I'm not even sure if Havoc is in complete control of his actions, or is aware of him being manipulated" Chase muttered.
"Havoc…what do you know about him?" Rune asked.
"Not much. He's a bit of wild card really. But he is the Harbinger of Darkness, as the General says. He will be the one to lead the Hunters and Metal Heads to their salvation, and the Precursor's ruin" Chase muttered.
"Seems as though Havoc is more important than the Leader of the Hunters" Rune said.
"Not really. Havoc is still a Hunter Agent, and is still under the General's control. Havoc does seem more important to the Hunters though than the General, simply because he's the Chosen One" Chase said.
"Can you tell me who exactly that woman is? This, Dark Goddess?" Rune asked.
Chase frowned and said "She's the reason for all of this. The fall of Haven City. Cyber Erol's madness, the 2nd attack on Haven…everything. Lady Arranst is the-ACK!" Chase said gasped and began to choke violently.
"Are you OK!?" Rune said, rushing over to him.
"Da-damn it. Said too much-AAGH!" Chase gagged as he began to cough up blood. Rune saw the strange tattoo on his tongue glow white, and Chase gagged louder.
Rune kicked open the door and said "Come on, we're getting you to the infirmary!"
Chase shook his head and then murmured "It's gone…"
Chase got to his feet and said "That's all I can tell you. I'm surprised the Marker didn't stop me sooner. It must be getting weaker or somethin'"
"Do you want me to stay with you?" Rune asked worriedly.
"Nah" Chase coughed again, trying to clear his throat. He then said "Go. I'm fine. Tell that Chief guy what I said. You guys need all the help you can get"
Later:
Chief Disten's Office:
Jak and Nightingale looked at each other while Daxter tapped his foot impatiently. Chief Disten continued to study the map before saying "This Map…it seems as though its power is gone…Iris, you're sure of what you saw?"
"Yes. That's where it is. It has to be" Nightingale said.
"I believe you, I just want to be sure. It's a little…vexing, to discover that the map we've been preparing for so long to obtain is next to useless now" Disten said.
"I didn't know that would happen when I touched it" Nightingale muttered bashfully.
"I know that, I'm just-anyway! That's not the point. The point is, you two work very well together, so you two will be the only two I send to the site. Jak, you mentioned that Precursor artifacts respond to your presence, correct?" Disten asked.
Jak nodded and Disten said "As for Nightingale, it is more for insurance. She is our Number 1, and I feel better knowing she'll be accompanying you. Plus, she can pinpoint the location of the Key without consulting the Map, which I'll keep here. Both of you-and Daxter" Disten added as the Ottsel gave him a look, "will be going into the ruin Nightingale described and will locate and retrieve the Precursor Key. Take the Sand Hound, just in case you come across any other artifacts as well. Don't fail me" Disten said with a smile.
"Yes sir!"
Two Hours Later:
"I spy with my little eye…something that begins with-" Nightingale began to say.
"Dirt" Daxter responded.
"Damn! That's 37 times in a row" Nightingale muttered.
"Best of 75?" Daxter asked.
"You're on!" Nightingale replied.
Jak scowled and said "Really?"
"Well, you don't want to play with me" Nightingale said with a shrug.
Jak privately thought of a comment in response to that, but kept it to himself. He still wasn't sure why he kissed her last night.
The trio made their way through the desert, driving based on Nightingale's direct. The Sand Hound, as it turned out, was a large vehicle with a large bed in the back for carrying heavy loads or extra soldiers, good for transporting people and cargo. It had a large turret in the back, which was manned by Daxter. Nightingale rode the shotgun seat, and talked with Jak happily while Daxter killed the Marauders. After destroying their 20th Marauder Buggy, Jak saw a strange structure up ahead.
"Is that it?" Jak asked.
"Yes! That's it!" Nightingale yelled excitedly.
The group slowly pulled up to a very small ruin on the side of a mountain. It had a small stone entrance that led into the earth. There were two large pillars of black glass protruding from the sand towards the sky, a strange sight indeed. There was some Precursor Metal that lined the pillars and the entranceway, which caught Jak's attention.
"This is it" Nightingale said as Jak slowed the Sand Hound to a stop.
"Doesn't look like any ruin I've ever seen" Jak said as he hopped out of the vehicle.
"Yeah well, just because it doesn't look like annoying Precursor crap I've ever seen doesn't mean it isn't annoying Precursor crap" Daxter commented as he saw the glass pillars.
"You're right Dax. Night, what do you think?" Jak asked.
Nightingale hopped out of the vehicle and examined the pillars, inspecting them closely. She then walked over to the side of the mountain, tapping her visor and tapping the side of the mountain.
"What are you doing?" Jak asked.
"Looking for secret passageways" Nightingale responded.
"Looking for what?" Daxter asked.
"Secret passageways. They're built into the entrance points of the Precursor Ruins. Most lead to the final chamber or an important room in the Ruin. Didn't you all know that?" Nightingale asked.
"Uh…no" Daxter said slowly.
"Well, they're there. You just have to know where to look" Nightingale said with a smile.
Nightingale prowled around the entrance for another five minutes, even going so far as to sift through the sand. She eventually gave up after ten minutes of searching, though only because Daxter said that she was taking forever. She shrugged and pulled out her shotgun and reloaded it. She cocked it and looked over at Jak with a smile.
"Shall we?" Nightingale asked playfully.
Jak grinned, nodded, and said "Ready for some action Dax?"
Daxter pulled out his pistol with a grin and said "Always"
And with that Jak and Nightingale sprinted into the dark hole, plunging into the newest Precursor Ruin and the secrets it held.
Meanwhile:
"Are you sure he's up to this, Commander Shadow?"
"Yes General Dark. He is up to the task. I'm sure of it" Shadow said as she bent down to one knee, kneeling before her leader.
The General observed her for a moment before smirking.
"It's ironic, isn't it?" the man said.
"…It does leave a strange taste in my mouth, sir"
"Having second thoughts? I thought you had hardened your heart to distractions" the General said sharply.
"I…" Shadow trailed off, unsure.
"Pathetic…He will be useful to our cause. The Dark Goddess will be pleased" the General said with a smirk.
"I know that! And I know he'll be happy too! I'm just…worried. I don't want him to get hurt" Shadow whispered, and the General's smirk became a scowl.
"The time for worries is gone! They attacked us directly! They have the Precursor Map! They're this close to finding the Door to Light, Commander Shadow!" the General snarled as he picked Shadow up by the neck, Dark Eco crackling around him. The Commander choked and gasped and the iron grip squeezed the life out of her.
"SIR!"
The General glanced at the side of the room, where a man in biomechanical body armor stood, watching them with horror. He wore black armor with purple and gold trimming and sun and moon designs on them. He had a rather slim build and had a sniper rifle on his back.
"Calm down sir! Please!" the man pleaded.
"Eclipse…you're right, I'm sorry Shadow" the General muttered, releasing her.
Shadow fell to the ground, gasping for air. The General shook his head and said "Eclipse. Any news on Havoc?"
"No sir. He's disappeared" Eclipse replied, still looking at Shadow.
"For the Champion of Darkness, you would think he'd have the decency to let us know when he goes out" the General muttered.
"Lady Arranst has her reasons, I'm sure" Eclipse said.
"Hmm…what of the Gate Fragments?" the General asked.
"Half of them are with the Angels, we have a five of them, and the other five are somewhere within the Wasteland" Eclipse replied.
"If we don't get those fragments, then this whole plan is for nothing! Move forward with the plans. The 2nd assault on the Freedom League HQ will still go on, Havoc or no Havoc" the General snarled, the Dark aura around him getting stronger and stronger.
"S-sir…wouldn't it be better to wait until we get more recruits?" Eclipse suggested.
"No…we have pledged ourselves to the Hora-Quan, they need to pull their own weight in this conflict as well. Keep search for Havoc, let me know the minute he's found! Got it?" the General growled.
"Of course" Eclipse said with a slight bow.
"You both may go"
Eclipse helped Shadow to her feet and the two left the General in his study.
"You OK?" Eclipse asked Shadow.
"I'll be fine…I just hope I can say the same for the rest of us when this is all over" Shadow murmured as she walked down the hallway, leaving the Hunter behind her looking confused.
"Huh. Wonder what that's about?" Eclipse asked himself as he tilted his head to the side.
"What's what about sir?"
Eclipse turned around and saw Violet limping towards him, followed closely by Doppelganger. The two subordinates saluted the commander who said "Don't call me sir. I was just promoted two weeks ago, I'm not used to it. Plus, I'm not as rugged as the others"
"Sorry. I keep forgetting how little Dark Eco you have in you" Doppelganger replied.
"I don't want to rely on it too much. The Blessing of the Dark Goddess is enough. What's up with you two?" Eclipse asked.
"Chase is still missing. We think he was captured by the enemy" Violet said quietly.
"Well, they treat captured prisoners pretty well, if past experience is anything to judge by, and the Marker will keep him from letting anything slip, at least anything important" Eclipse said with a shrug.
"You're not worried?" Violet asked.
"Nah. We've got Havoc and Lady Arranst at our backs. We'll be fine" Eclipse said with a laugh as he walked down the hallway.
"Where are you Havoc…what are you playing at?" Eclipse murmured as he walked away.
Meanwhile:
Jak tapped the large Precursor Door with the Seal of Mar on it, and with a flash of white light, it opened.
"The magic touch" Daxter said with a grin.
"Ladies first" Jak said with a laugh, and Nightingale giggled and walked through the door.
Jak and Daxter were an unstoppable duo, that was true. But Jak had never really gone exploring with someone who had his back as much as Nightingale. The two of them had breezed through this ruin, which was filled with some of the deadliest traps and difficult puzzles he had ever seen.
Without Nightingale, he wouldn't even be halfway at this point. She was the perfect travelling companion. She was fast, strong, and he could trust her without reserve. She was probably one of his closest friends now, with what they had both been through. And even though Jak wasn't the most skilled when it came to things like this, he knew what he felt for Nightingale was very much like, no…ever more than what he had felt for Keira.
The trio then walked through the door, and was surprised to find themselves on a small stone pathway, suspended over a black bottomless abyss. Darkness surrounded the room, as though no light could penetrate it.
"Night, any ideas?" Jak asked.
"No. Though I have heard of something like this before…" Nightingale said as she took her helmet off.
Nightingale's eyes blinked, adjusting to the light and she brushed her eyes out of her eyes.
"Maybe a light attack will clear it?" Jak suggested.
"Worth a shot" Nightingale said as Jak turned into Light Jak.
Light Jak walked up towards the darkness and fired a Light Blast into the darkness, which swallowed the attack and did nothing at all. Light Jak scowled and walked over to an open Light Eco vent and replenished his supply of Light Eco by walking through it. All of a sudden Jak's vision blurred and he had a sudden vision.
Jak and Nightingale had just finished going through a pathway, with Daxter jumping off his shoulder. There was Precursor text all around the walls in this room. Daxter then said rather loudly ""You know, sometimes this is just too easy!"
Nightingale winced at the noise, which caused a few large boulders to drop from the ceiling and flew towards her.
Suddenly the vision stopped and Jak reverted to his normal form. Jak shook his head violently and said "What the…what was that?"
Nightingale sat down on the ground and said "Come on Jak, no point in standing around, starring at it. Sit down. We can think of how to go on from here"
Jak sighed and sat down. Daxter looked at the two and said "Jak…you're whipped!"
"I'm what!?" Jak demanded angrily, still agitated by the vision he had.
"He's what?" Nightingale asked, sounding confused.
"Whipped. Meaning that you have him wrapped around her finger. You'll do whatever she wants you to do" Daxter said with a wide grin.
Nightingale blushed and Jak scowled underneath his helmet.
"What about you and Tess?" Jak retorted.
"I am NOT whipped. She adores me" Daxter said coolly.
Jak rolled his eyes and Nightingale said "So, how did you meet her?"
Jak explained how they had met through the Underground and Daxter explained how he had "worked his magic" on her as they worked for Krew. Nightingale was delighted by the story and admitted that she thought it was cute that Tess was now an Ottsel like Daxter. Jak and Daxter though DID skirt around HOW she became an Ottsel. They knew that that information was still…sensitive.
"So, how do you think that we should get through that tunnel?" Jak asked.
Night shrugged and said "No idea. Though this place was much less protected then I thought it would be"
"What do you mean?" Jak asked.
"Didn't you see all of the deactivated traps and the puzzles that had been already completed? This place should be much harder to navigate. Despite all of the obstacles we've faced to get to this point, there should've been more" Nightingale said.
Jak realized that she was right, and that they had come across puzzles already completed and doors already opened. It seemed as though someone had already been through this place.
"Looks like this place has even more riddles than we thought" Nightingale said with a frown.
Nightingale sighed and pulled back the protective black suit under her armor by her neck and pulled out her amulet.
"Speaking of riddles, I wish I could figure out what this really is" Nightingale said, allowing the amulet to dangle in her fingers.
The amulet then began to flash wildly and pulsate with energy, and then began to shine bright like a diamond. Like diamonds in the sky. (Couldn't resist. lol)
Nightingale gasped and said "What's going on?"
The dark path ahead of them began to brighten, and the darkness ahead finally began to fade. Nightingale's amulet then stopped glowing, and reverted back to normal. Jak got to his feet and helped Nightingale up.
"Come on" Jak muttered, pulling out his Morph Gun and putting in his Blaster Mod.
"So serious. Have some fun" Nightingale said with a smile as she put her helmet back on.
"Come on" Jak said as he walked along the path, which was oddly enough a rock path that floated in the darkness.
The trio walked along the path, and eventually made their way out of the dark room and into a regular room with stone walls and such with very familiar looking Precursor text on the walls. Jak felt a horrible sense of déjà vu as Daxter jumped off his shoulder and said loudly "You know, sometimes this is just too easy!"
Nightingale winced at the noise, and didn't see the rocks that had just been dislodged from the ceiling due to Daxter's voice. Jak, realizing that his vision before was of what just happened, ran towards Nightingale and tackled her out of the way before the rocks slammed down on the spot where she was just standing.
"T-thanks Jak" Nightingale said breathlessly.
"Weird…I had a vision of that happening when I was in my light form earlier...Some sort of future sight or something. It's a new Light Power" Jak muttered as he helped her up.
"Your powers must be getting stronger. I'm not complaining that's for sure" Nightingale said.
"Come on you two, hurry up" Daxter said impatiently.
The trio made their way along the path from that room and eventually found themselves in a grand room, with a majestic stairway pedestal in the center of the room. Nightingale and Jak realized that they were now in the final room of the ruin, and sprinted up the steps…
Only to find an empty key indentation on the top pedestal…
"W-what!? But this is the last room in the ruin! It has to be here!" Nightingale said in surprise.
"It's about time you two morons showed up!" a familiar voice barked at them.
Daxter spin around and screamed "OH NO!"
Jak and Nightingale turned around as well, and were amazed at who they were looking at.
It was none other than Onin and Pecker.
"19 CHAPTERS WITHOUT SEEING HIS UGLY MUG! WHY FLYGONN!? WHY!?" Daxter screamed to the heavens, where an malevolent author chuckled to himself evilly.
"What in the name of the Precursors are you talking about Dax?" Night asked.
"Er…nothing" Daxter decided.
"Good. Now if you're done flapping your gums, we have some business to discuss. Onin and I have been waiting for you three. Come here, and we shall discuss this so called 'key'" Pecker said.
The trio noticed that they were sitting down next to a second beautiful podium. Jak ran up to it, eager to finally see the key they had been looking for for so long. What he found was a rough looking stone key, that looked nothing like the Precursor Key that Disten had described.
"What's going on?" Jak asked Onin and Pecker.
"Onin says, that there are great forces at work here. Luckily for you three, they are good instead of evil" Pecker said.
"Good?" Jak asked.
"Do you have sand in your ears? YES. Good forces. Someone took the key and disappeared. Well, actually the Key that was on that pedestal was a trap, but we got rid of that a while ago, and found this hidden pedestal, which had the real key on it at some point but has this stone key now. You won't find the key here, or anywhere else in this world" Pecker said.
"What!? But we need to find it!" Nightingale said urgently.
"Even if we find the stupid thing, that does not guarantee that this problem will end" Pecker replied.
Nightingale blinked in surprise, and Pecker continued.
"The Precursors and Metal Heads have been feuding for as long as this universe has been around, and more and more people get killed and more lives are destroyed because of their fights. I, and Onin backs me up on this, think that the Precursors are the reason we're in this mess" Pecker said.
"But you guys met the Precursors too! They weren't evil!" Jak replied.
"They are not evil, certainly not. They represent what is good and pure, and all that crap. But, they prove that even gods are not perfect. They created this world, and as such they are responsible for the flaws in it as well." Pecker said.
Jak and Daxter exchanged glances, and Jak said "Do you guys know anything else?"
"Do we!? Onin can't keep quiet for more than five minutes. Dark Goddess this and Aimperditor that. It's so squawking annoying" Pecker grunted.
"The Dark Goddess?" Daxter asked.
"Yes, she is the one behind all of this" Pecker said.
"Who is she?" Nightingale asked.
"Onin…is not entirely sure. She says that the Dark Goddess lives only in the minds of those who have been touched by her influence. She is not present in this world physically, that much is certain" Pecker said slowly.
Onin scowled and made a hand gesture, and Pecker said "But, one thing is clear. The Hunters and the Metal Heads are both under the control of the Dark Goddess, and she can only be stopped by the Chosen Ones"
"Chosen Ones? As in more than one?" Nightingale asked.
"Yes. One of Darkness. One of Light. And one who controls both darkness and light, and wields them both in the name of justice" Pecker said mysteriously waving his feathers in front of his face.
Jak, Daxter, and Nightingale looked at each other curiously. It made sense, what Pecker said.
Havoc was the Chosen One of Darkness. Though he was evil now…
Jak was certainly the Chosen One of Light and Darkness. That much was obvious to everyone, especially with his past and his light and dark Eco powers.
That only left the Champion of Light…
Onin waved her hands again, and Pecker said "Onin says, that she would like to stay at the Avenging Angels Headquarters. She says that she feels that her role her is done, and can be of much more use there than here"
"Why were you here anyway?" Jak asked.
"More importantly, HOW did you get here!?" Daxter asked.
"Secret ground entrance" Pecker stated.
He flew over to a small stalagmite and kicked it. The rock flipped over and a huge panel in the wall opened up, revealing a tunnel that showed the black glass pillars that were outside of the ruins.
"H-how…w-why…WHAT!?" Daxter yelled.
"Told you so" Nightingale grinned as she walked up to the alter where the 2nd key was.
"Strange…the key was here…but where is it now?" Nightingale murmured.
"Night?"
Nightingale turned around to see Jak looking at her. Nightingale smiled and said "It's nothing. Let's radio Disten first, and then make our way back"
Later:
Disten looked up from Gallus's journal and looked over at Nightingale, who was looking at him from the doorway, looking nervous.
"Nothing?" Nightingale said for the seventh time.
"Iris, Gallus wouldn't have anything about the location of the Precursor Key in his journal. This was after his death" Disten smiled.
"Still…"
"You don't have to stay here and wait for me to maybe find something. It's taken years to translate half of the journal, I'm certainly not going to make a breakthrough now" Disten chuckled.
"…what do you make of all of this?" Night asked as she leaned against the wall.
"There are outside forces at work. If what Onin and Pecker say is true, then we should get our answers soon enough" Disten said as he flipped a page in the journal.
"So, what does that journal say?" Nightingale asked.
"I could tell you, but you wouldn't understand. Precursor is immensely difficult to read and translate, and impossible to speak" Disten said with a smile.
"How is it impossible to-" Nightingale began to say before Beast walked into the office and said "Chief. New Artifact. Come now. It's big"
Disten quickly stood up and said "Come on Iris, let's see what Beast brought us"
The trio quickly made their way to the Motor Pool, where they beheld a strange looking device. It looked like a Precursor relic of some sort, but none that any of them had ever seen. It was a large platform of sorts, with a ring made of Precursor Metal and a clear glasslike panel in the middle. There were intricate markings all over it, glowing slightly.
"By the Precursors…" Disten breathed.
"Beast and Crash found it in the Wasteland. Beats thinks it's something big" Crash replied offhandedly.
"Shut it" Beast growled.
"It's in perfect condition…it doesn't look as though it never even touched the desert…but what is it?" Disten muttered.
"Chief, this has the same markings on it that the stone key we found in the ruin had" Nightingale pointed out.
"There's a connection…by the…OF COURSE!" Disten yelled triumphantly, surprising everyone. "
Beast, bring this to my study. Round up the others as well. It seems I spoke too soon about a breakthrough" Disten said turning around suddenly and striding down the hallway.
Nightingale looked at the Chief's retreating figure and said "What's with him?"
Crash shrugged and said "No clue. Seems everyone's going nuts these days, even the Chief"
"Show some respect!" Nightingale growled.
"What? It's true. First Havoc snaps, then you suddenly become social and chatty, we get a Hunter as a guest at the Sanctuary, and now the Chief suddenly makes a breakthrough? Seems a little weird" Crash replied as he walked over to his car and began polishing the hood.
"Whatever" Nightingale scowled as she stormed away, Beast close behind.
"Beast, round up the others, could you? I want to talk to the Chief" Nightingale said.
Later:
Jak glanced at the others before turning his attention to Disten. He had called Blade, Rune, Sharpshooter, Chill, Beast, Phoenix, Royal, Jak and Daxter, while Nightingale was waiting there already for him. The Chief stood up, and said to everyone "For the first time in a very long time, we are on the precipice of discovery"
"Preci-wha?" Chill asked.
"The threshold of discovery" Disten corrected.
"There we go" Chill said.
"I have called you here to review some of the recent artifacts that we have recovered. Some from the Wasteland, some from Precursor Ruins. These artifacts have something in common. The same inscriptions along the side of them. The Precursor artifact, or the stone replica left in its place, has the same markings found on the Lens Jak found in his Initiation Mission, the Precursor Rod found in the Desert, and this…Ring" Disten said as he tried to name the strange looking platform-like object now in the middle of the room, glowing slightly now.
"Why is it glowing?" Rune asked.
"It is glowing in response to this" Disten said, pointing to the Precursor Lens, which was also glowing.
"I believe I have finally made a connection between these specific artifacts and the Door to Light, and…something else" Disten said.
"Something else?" Nightingale asked.
"It seems as though Gallus, my father's partner and co-founder of the Avenging Angels, did significant research into both the Door to Light and the Gateway to Darkness" Disten said.
"Gateway to Darkness?" Blade asked, sounding confused.
"Yes. It seems as though there is a Gateway to Darkness somewhere in this world, created by the Precursors themselves. Why they did it is unclear, but there are numerous references to it in Gallus's journal" Disten said gesturing to the small book.
"The artifacts in front of you have connections to both of these entryways. Onin and Pecker have been able to shed some light on the Door to Light. It seems as though it is in the depths of one of the world's oldest Precursor ruins, far beneath the desert. Its exact location is unknown, though it is thought to be in the center of the Wasteland" Disten continued.
"So, when are we mounting an expedition to the Door?" Sharpshooter asked, expecting such a thing already.
"Not until we have more information on it, so maybe not for some months." Disten said with an amused expression.
"Oh darn" Sharpshooter said, sounding relieved.
"Anyway, the Door to Light, aside from its general location and the fact that only those chosen by the Precursors themselves can even get to the Door, the information on the matter goes cold. Though we can gather a little more information from this Precursor Lens"
"It appears that the Precursor Lens works specifically for the Door to Light. It can be assumed that it activates it somehow, possibly by shining light through it, which has interesting results" Disten said as he pointed his staff at the lens, which was propped upright on his desk.
The Chief's staff began shine brightly and shot a beam of light through the lens. The lens turned completely white and a wave of white light shined on the wall, showing a rotating ring of Precursor text that shined and shimmered.
"What does it say?" Jak asked.
"I'm not sure. Though I was able to make out a few words after some examination, though none of them make any sense" Disten sighed as he stopped the flow of light, making the symbols vanish.
"So, how does this help us with the Hunters or the Metal Heads?" Sharpshooter asked.
"It doesn't…If I'm being completely honest, the only reason we search for the artifacts of the Precursors is because I hold onto the hope that one day, and we'll discover a long lost gift that help us save this world. But lately…it seems as though they've left us to rot" Disten said with a heavy sigh.
"Come now Randal, you mustn't lose faith in us. At least not yet anyway" a small voice said suddenly, causing everyone to look around in surprise, as they all heard the voice at the same time.
The Precursor Ring on the floor suddenly began rotating around and around wildly, radiating Light Eco while flashing bright white, giving off a fiery and dangerous appearance now.
"What's going on!?" Phoenix yelled over the sudden roar of energy coming from the Ring.
That entire room became engulfed in a wicked flare, and all of the Agents, save Jak and Daxter, were sent flying across the room, slamming into the wall and crashing senseless onto the floor. Chief Disten was the only who was standing upright, and yelled something incoherent while pointing a white staff at the ball, which slowly receded.
"Thank you Randall. Sometimes it's not always easy to control one's abilities, and it has been some time since we travelled here" the voice said from within the receding ball of light.
"Wait, I know that voice" Daxter said slowly.
"Yeah, me too" Jak said with a grin.
The fallen Agents slowly got to their feet, regaining their sense, as the glowing ball of light began to fade away, revealing three small orange figures standing on top of the Precursor Ring, which was now flashing white rapidly. Three furry orange figures that stood at about Daxter's height and looked at the stunned Agents with cheery smiles on their faces.
"What the hell?" Beast grunted in confusion.
"Yeah…they look like Daxter" Rune said in surprise.
"Jak…what are they?" Nightingale whispered curiously.
"It is an honor to meet you all" the figure who had been speaking the whole time said, addressing them all.
"Guys. These are some friends of ours…meet the Precursors" Jak said with a wide smile as the dumbstruck Agents looked on in amazement.
End of Part 2:
THE PRECURSORS ARE BACK MOTHERF*CKERS!
And with that, a whole new twist. Why have they returned, why was the Key not in the ruins, and who IS LADY ARRANST!?
Well, you won't have to wait soon to find out. I should have the next chapter done soon. I'm not doing the make you wait a month thing, kinda stupid really in hindsight.
Anyway, read and review, tell me what you thought!
Follow the saga on Twitter, follow me at FlygonNick!
Until next time, FlygonN out!