Jak IV: The Avenging Angels

by FlygonNick

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

23. Broken

Jak IV: The Avenging Angels

Sorry about the delay again. This chapter sort of dragged on, and I wanted to give the fight scene in it some justice, so…yeah.

Anyway, this chapter concludes the Time Travel Arc and begins the next Arc, which I've dubbed the Revelations Arc.

Shoutout to the awesome guys and gals who reviewed last chapter, which included doubledamn, StaticBomn324, Ravens of Blood,FanGirl1320, AlphaHowler, evilanimegenious, and the of course, Oblique Strategies, as well as a new reviewer known as MistyDL99.

Thanks for the support guys, story about the late update times as of late. Despite it being summer, work and other commitments keep getting in the way. Next chapter should be out in 2 weeks or so. Keep updated by checking my Twitter page, at FlygonNick.

Also, shoutout to the RWBY Yellow Trailer and Season 11 of Red vs. Blue. Also, shoutout to the Freelancer Collaboration and its main project "Phase One: Genesis". I'm hoping to join said project and if you like Red vs. Blue, go check the story out. It's on my profile in the favorite stories section.

I also went through several chapter names for this particular chapter. It took me some serious thinking to decide on this one.

Alright guys, time for a chapter filled with backstory, feels, action, and some fluff.

ENJOY!

Chapter 23: Broken

Nightingale crumpled to the ground with blood pouring from her chest. Light Jak was in so much shock that he actually reverted out of his form to his regular state. He caught her before she fell into the water and quickly set her on the ground, trying to think calmly though the panic that was caused by Nightingale shooting herself.

Blade and Beast were running up them, and Blade said in surprise "Is that…Nightingale!?"

"Yes." Beast grunted quietly, eyes wide in shock.

"And did…did she just try to…to…?" Blade stuttered in disbelief.

"Be quiet! I need to concentrate!" Jak barked as he prepared himself to use his Light Restoration. Jak noticed the two of them just STANDING there, and looked at them angrily.

"Get a medic! NOW!" Jak yelled at Beast and Blade.

Beast ran out of the Grotto while Jak began to heal Nightingale. Blade stood next to Jak, ready to help in any way he could. Jak placed both palms over gunshot wound, staining his hands with red. Jak managed to concentrate enough to go back into his Light form, and from there he went to work. The wound was very deep, practically through and through, and the bullet had gone through her heart. Light Jak pumped as much Light Eco as he could into her, mending the torn arteries and veins that were severed and sewing muscle and skin back together. Light Jak was soon panting with from the effort of keeping Nightingale alive, and for a moment or two while healing her, he had lost her, but he always managed to bring her back. Jak continued to heal Nightingale's destroyed heart until Disten arrived with several medics.

"Chief, stay there. He's healing her!" Blade said to the Chief, who was looking at Jak strangely.

The Chief nodded curtly, and then very quietly said "Save her Jak"

"I didn't want Rush to die Chief. I really didn't…" Jak murmured as his strength dropped rapidly, the strain of healing Nightingale's wounds catching up with him.

Jak suddenly reverted back to his normal state as his vision became blurry. Jak collapsed onto the ground, coughing violently as a result of the strain on his body. The medics quickly ran over to the unconscious Nightingale and quickly took her to the Infirmary, leaving Jak alone with the Chief and Blade.

"Are you alright?" Blade asked Jak, who was now on his knees.

"I'll…I'll be fine…I did everything I could do for her…I can't believe she'd try to kill herself…" Jak muttered as he got to his feet. Jak fell over again, but this time Beast caught Jak before he fell. Jak looked up at Beast gratefully, the agent nodded.

"Come quickly!" Disten yelled to the other Agents, who hurried after her.

Several hours later, the three Agents and leader were crowded around a bed in the infirmary, where Nightingale rested.

"She's stable" the medic said with a tired smile.

Disten sighed with relief and said "How serious was it?"

The medic looked at Jak and said "Most of the work was already done, thanks to him. If it wasn't for this young man, the damage would've been too extensive to repair."

Disten looked at Jak and said "We'll discuss this later"

Blade and Beast were watching the two the whole time, and Blade said "Chief…why did she do this?"

Disten sighed and said "Nightingale…she's had a very rough childhood, and as a result of what happened to Rush…it drove her to this…I knew she would be utterly devastated if something like this happened…but to actually try to commit suicide"

"Actually, she completed suicide" the medic interjected, causing everyone to look at him.

"She was dead for roughly ten seconds until this young man managed to get her heart working again" the medic said quietly, pointing to one of the monitor's that showed a detailed scan of Nightingale's heart.

Everyone looked down at Nightingale, who was wrapped in bandages and blankets, so only a small part of her face was visible. Her face still had some blood on it, and Jak carefully wiped it off of her face.

"Words gonna travel fast. I mean…first Rush…then Nightingale" Blade began.

"Everyone in this room should keep this between us. This is a very delicate situation, and needs to be handled properly" Disten said.

"How in the hell do we handle this properly!? She shot herself in the f*cking heart!" Blade snapped at the Chief, surprising everyone.

"If there's ever going to be an opportunity for the others to finally get a damn chance to get to know her, it's now. Rush is dead. He's gone. We need to stuck together Chief, and that includes Nightingale" Blade said fiercely.

Beast nodded and said "Time for her to stop hiding"

Disten looked at the two Agents and sighed.

"I suppose she's been hiding for long enough…we can deal with this later. Go clean up the mess and make sure Royal is OK. Jak hit him pretty hard" Disten said to the two Agents, who nodded.

Blade glanced at Nightingale one last time, and said "I'm sorry Night…for everything you've had to endure"

Blade walked out of the Infirmary, leaving Jak alone with Disten.

"I…am a fool" Disten said weakly, sitting down next to Jak.

"Nah. You just locked up the one guy who could've prevented this entire thing from happening, that's all Chief. I know what to say to her when she's upset, I've dealt with an upset Nightingale before. I could've handled this" Jak replied calmly, yet some ice was laced in his tone.

"I am sorry Jak…I've delayed your mission and because of my ignorance and anger, I lost sight of what was important during this…difficult time. It seems after all this time, I still have something to learn from you young ones after all" Disten said softly.

Disten sighed again and said "I'm getting on in years Jak. I've been leading the Avenging Angels for quite some time, and I'm not getting any younger…I only pray that when the day comes that my body finally fails me, that I can rest easy knowing my successor will lead the Avenging Angels down a path that protects the weak from the Hora-Quan, and avenges the loved ones we've lost at their hands"

Jak nodded, and for a time the two watched Nightingale as she slept, wondering how on earth they were going to repair this poor girl's shattered heart.

Two Days Later:

Jak walked through the infirmary doors, still wearing his armor after a sparring session with Royal. Jak walked right over where he always walked over to whenever he visited the Infirmary.

Jak looked down at Nightingale, who was wrapped in bandages and bed sheets, which covered everything but her head. Jak looked over at the medic and asked "How is she?"

"She'll be fine…physically at least. She should be regaining consciousness anytime…you really saved her, you know. She wouldn't have survived without your help" the medic said with a smile.

Jak nodded, but remained silent. The medic returned back to her work, and Jak sat down next to Nightingale and said "I never knew how much pain his death would cause you…if I'd known it would've led to this…I would've saved him…despite what it would've done to the timeline…I'm so sorry Night..."

A few hours later, Nightingale's eyes flickered open for the first time in days. She found herself laying down on a comfortable bed in the Infirmary next to Jak, who was holding her hand while slumped over in chair, sleeping.

"I'm…alive?" Nightingale murmured as her hand slipped out of Jak's hand.

"Agent Nightingale. Good to see you're awake!" the medic said with a cheerful smile.

Nightingale ignored the medic and her fingers travelled down to her bare chest, tracing the spot where she had shot herself. Where there should have been a gaping, bleeding hole in her chest was some light bandaging and a spot that hurt slightly when she touched it.

Nightingale tried to sit up and failed, falling back onto her pillow with a growl of annoyance, which woke Jak up. Nightingale looked up at Jak, who looked down at her with an expression of immense relief.

"Night, are you OK? How do you feel?" Jak asked worriedly.

"I…wanted…to…DIE!" Nightingale hissed harshly, his voice rough and dry from her long sleep.

Jak was surprised by the horrible pain in her voice, and said "You can't die. I won't let you"

"Why!? Why do you care about me so much?" Nightingale asked resignedly, not having the energy for arguing.

Jak smiled and allowed the Light Eco to come forth and turn himself in Light Jak. Nightingale looked at Jak warily and Jak said "Let me show you some of the future, a future you can look forward to…without breaking the timeline"

Jak placed his hand on top of Nightingale's head, and Nightingale began to experience a series of visions.

Jak and Nightingale sitting down in the Bathing Grotto, sitting there and talking. Future Nightingale relaxes while future Jak wraps an arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her as she finally told someone her painful story. The burden she carried for so long was now was no longer hers to bear alone.

Nightingale riding shotgun with Jak and Daxter, a wide smile on her face as they shot through the Wasteland with Marauders on her tail. Jak and Nightingale take them out and Nightingale starts laughing happily.

Jak and Nightingale sitting down in the cave, wrapped around each other while the rain poured outside. Jak blushed as Nightingale kissed him on the cheek and called him her guardian angel.

Nightingale breaking a horribly injured Jak free from the obsidian block, holding him close. Nightingale was amazed at Jak's look of relief and of the future Nightingale's teary expression as she carried him away.

Nightingale and Jak sitting on that silvery beach, talking. Jak leans over and kisses Nightingale on the lips, causing her to faint from sheer happiness.

"I'm…so different… so happy" Nightingale said with wonder.

"It'll take time, but you'll learn that you need to let go. In the future, you talk, you have fun, and you live. You have people who care about you Night. You have to let go…" Jak said, grabbing her hand again.

"I…" Nightingale whispered as she fell limply to the bed.

"I didn't realize…I was so unhappy…if I could just trust…but I can't Jak…not after what he did…I…I do it to myself, because I can't let anyone in…they'll hurt me…just like Jakob and…and Rush…oh god…Rush…" Nightingale whispered as tears began to form in her eyes.

Jak then heard her whisper something so painful it nearly made his heart break.

"I just wanted the pain to stop Jak…Rush died because of me…I'm all alone again…all alone…" Nightingale whispered her breath hitching on every word. Jak could feel the raw pain in her melodious voice.

"Come here Night" Jak murmured.

Jak said it so softly, so meaningfully, that Nightingale couldn't help herself. It went against everything she had told herself over the years, but after everything that had happened, she finally let instinct take over. She moved over to him and curled up into a ball, and Jak wrapped his arms around her, and she mourned her life.

Her destroyed life that left her so mentally scared that she could barely function as a regular person. She had fallen so far, into the despair of her own mental shackles that she had forgotten what it was like to live. Nightingale wasn't sure how long she cried, but after a while the tears ran dry, and she felt better. Jak rested his chin on top of her head and said softly "Better?"

"I don't know…I really don't know…Jak…you, Disten, and Rush are the only ones…who've ever even heard my voice…what am I going to do? " Nightingale whispered as she moved away from Jak, who let her go.

"Night, I'm not sure how this'll all end. Whether I change the future or what, but I do know this. The beautiful, intelligent, and amazing woman I became friends with in the future is the same woman I'm holding in my arms now" Jak said with a smile.

"Not true...I'm not amazing…I'm not talented…and I'm certainly not beautiful…" Nightingale protested softly.

Jak smiled slightly and said "Believe what you want, but its true"

Nightingale's face softened and said "Thank you though…this must be what having a friend is like"

"It is. It's pretty damn awesome" Jak admitted.

"Maybe I should be a little more sociable after all" Nightingale whispered so softly Jak almost didn't catch it.

"So…how…how do you know me so well?…it's like you can read me like a book…" Nightingale asked Jak, who smiled.

"Let's just say that I helped you through something bad in the future, and because of that we became friends" Jak said with a smile.

"Just that? Come on, you'll have to do better than that" Night muttered in a semi-annoyed tone.

"Well…I can understand you because I'm good friends with you…I mean the future you…I…" Jak sighed and said "I hate time travel"

Nightingale felt a smile tug at her face, but she instead sighed and said "Jak…?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you stay here…for a little longer? Please…"

Jak smiled and said "Of course"

"Thank you…I…I need to think about things. I wasn't planning on surviving that…the others must think I'm some sort of lunatic now…and what am I going to tell the Chief? " Nightingale muttered.

"That you saw Rush die in front of you. It was so horrible, so painful, that you tried to end the horror in the only way that could stop it without fail" Jak said softly, and Nightingale nodded. It was more or less what led her to do that. The pain she felt when she fired the pistol at her heart was nowhere close to losing Rush. The pain in her heart…it was too great to describe. Though Jak was helping make the pain bearable for her with his kindness and understanding.

Just bearable.

"Jak…am I…weak, for what I tried to do?" Night asked softly.

Jak responded by wrapping his arm around her and moving closer to her. Nightingale didn't know how to react. She had never been this familiar with someone before, she had no clue what to do. She felt awkward and weird. This stranger she met days ago knew her better than she knew herself. She felt as though a bond were being forged through this contact they were having.

A bond unlike any she had felt before.

Nightingale closed her eyes and said "Jak…?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so tired…" Nightingale murmured weakly.

Jak looked at Nightingale and said "You did lose a lot of blood. You should get some more sleep"

"Will you be here when I wake up?" Nightingale asked in a hopeful whisper, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah" Jak replied.

Nightingale passed out a few moments later, whether from relief or from her injuries catching up to her again, Jak was unsure. Jak detached himself from her, and gestured a medic over to them.

"I need to talk to the Chief" Jak said to the Medic, who nodded and walked over to his assistant, who walked out of the Infirmary to get the Chief.

Jak sighed tiredly continued watching over the young raven-haired woman, hoping that the past Nightingale would still be able to grow into the woman he was falling for back in the present.

Several Hours Later:

Blade slowly opened his eyes and glanced to his left, seeing Chill sleeping quietly next to him. Blade sighed quietly and murmured "So…was it just a dream then?"

Blade then looked over at where he had thrown his armor, where the boots were stained with crimson blood.

Nightingale's blood.

That theory went out the door.

"So…it wasn't a dream?" Blade muttered.

"Wha…what isn't a dream?" Chill mumbled as she slowly woke up.

Chill pressed her side against Blade and said "Mornin babe…"

"Good morning Nicole" Blade said with a smile as she kissed him on the lips.

"So…last night was something" Chill murmured with a wry smile.

"You mean the bit where Nightingale killed herself and was brought back from the edge of death by Jak, or the hardcore monster sex we had afterwards when we found out she'd be all right?" Blade asked with a wide smile.

"Hardcore Monster Sex? Now that…we need to test out" Chill said mischievously as she got up and stretched, giving Blade an excellent view of her bare ass.

"Sometimes, it's good to be me" Blade said with a grin as he watched his nude girlfriend stroll over his dresser and rummage through it, ruining his folded clothes. So much for organization.

Oh well.

"Why, because you get to sleep with me every night?" Chill said as she threw on one of Blade old T-shirts, which fell down to her knees.

Blade laughed and stretched on his bed before Nicole flopped down on top of him. Before Blade could say anything, Chill rested her head on his chest and said softly "Don't go…let's just lay here"

"Sure. Whatever you want" Blade said quietly as he ran a hand through her white hair, causing Nicole to purr softly and smile at Blade.

The two Agents lay together for a time, and they quietly chatted about recent events, the situation with Jak and Nightingale being the most prominent in their topics. After a while they just laid there, enjoying the peace and each other's company. Nothing sexual about it, just laying there, wrapped in a warm and loving embrace. Chill finally let Blade up after an hour or so and said "Wanna get breakfast?"

Blade looked at his clock.

"It's Noon" Blade stated.

"Your point is? We've gotten up later than this and had pancakes" Chill replied.

"Yeah, let's go...I want pancakes now. Thanks Nicole" Blade said with a slight smile as he got off his bed and stretched.

Chill shrugged and pulled a pair of sweatpants on while Blade got dressed, and the two made their way to the Mess Hall. Chill wrapped her hand in Blade's and said "You're too good to me"

Blade laughed and said "Maybe, but you're worth it. Besides, my life wouldn't be nearly as interesting without you"

Chill laughed and kissed Blade on the cheek, and the two went through the doors to the Mess Hall. They found Rune and Sharpshooter, deep in discussion, while Jak was slumped over in his chair a few tables over, sleeping soundly.

"I want to wake him up, but he looks so tired. He hardly leaves Nightingale's bedside, except to go eat." Rune said worriedly.

"Typical Rune. Always worried about everyone" Blade said with a smile as he walked over to the table and sat down.

"Well…yeah but…oh, you're right" Rune said, giving in.

"He'll wake up eventually" Blade said dismissively as Chill sat down next to him.

"I kinda want to draw on his face. Anyone have any markers on them?" Sharpshooter asked.

Everyone shook their heads and Sharpshooter scowled and said "Bah, you guys are useless"

"So…what does she look like?" Rune asked Blade curiously.

"Who?" Blade asked, knowing very well who she was referring too.

"Nightingale" Rune said quietly.

Blade sighed and said "She's pretty young. About 19 or so. Long black hair, bright green eyes. Very pretty face"

"Ahem!" Chill said.

"Oh come on, you know what I mean" Blade said with a smirk.

"And that song she was singing…it was so full of pain…so full of misery and loneliness…I never thought I'd feel so bad for someone I hardly know" Chill said softly, recalling the song she had heard while chasing Jak down.

"Yeah…it was as though she was putting her very soul into the melody…it was beautiful..." Blade admitted softly.

"Sad, but beautiful all the same" Sharpshooter murmured, and the others Agents nodded in agreement.

"She seems like a regular girl. Though the Chief hinted that there's a reason she like this. I just wish I knew why" Blade sighed.

"None of your business" a new voice growled softly.

The group looked over at Beast, who was starring right at them, somewhat angrily. Blade turned in his chair and said "Hey Beast. Looks like we all slept in today, huh?"

"Stay out of her business" Beast growled again.

"I never knew you were so close to her" Rune said, sounding surprised.

"I'm not. I never will be. I just know" Beast grumbled softly.

"Know what?" Sharpshooter asked.

"Why she's like this. It's our fault…we broke her. We broke that little girl…she'll never forgive us…forgive me…or forgive the one she calls Jakob…especially Jakob…she screamed his name for weeks…I can hear it sometimes to this day…" Beast growled softly, sounding regretful for some reason.

Blade, Chill, Sharpshooter, and Rune all walked over to Beast's table, leaving Jak alone to sleep. Blade lowered his head and muttered "What exactly happened between you two?"

"…don't want to say it. But…if it'll shut you up, and leave her alone…then I'll tell you...But promise you'll keep quiet…Swear on the graves of the ones you lost" Beast grumbled.

"I swear on Karen's life" Chill whispered softly.

"I swear on Jameson's life" Blade said to Beast.

"I swear on Sam's life" Sharpshooter said.

"I swear on Leon's life" Rune said.

Beast nodded and said "It started eight years ago…back when I lived in the Wasteland…as a Marauder"

Beast had grown up as a Marauder, and a damn good one at that. But back then, he was known as Arkzlag the Beast. Even as a teenager, he was one of the best at the Stronghold, and his parents had high hopes for him. He was encouraged to give in to his primal feelings, and to let anger and power rule him. His strength, endurance, and stamina were great. He was an absolute monster in his youth, ready to tackle on all foes with a fierce intensity…of a beast.

That was, until he met his first Metal Head, and learned that anger and power couldn't always protect the ones you held dear. His little sister was proof of that.

His poor baby sister…when Arkzlag had found what they had done to her, it had changed him. She had fought bravely, but the Metal-Saur was too powerful for her. After her death, he had grieved…but it changed him as well….it made him more aware of the suffering the Metal Heads brought on the world.

Even the Marauders suffered at the hands of the Metal Heads from time to time. He decided that day, as they burned his sister's body in the ceremonial pyre, that he would be different from the other Marauders. He would become the elite in his clan, become intelligent and powerful, and take revenge on those monsters.

And so he did.

He read book after book to learn how to speak English, and even made rare trips to Spargus to expand his knowledge. Despite his attempts to become more civilized, which would normally result in banishment from the Stronghold, it made him an idol for the Marauders. He became someone to look up to, especially after he led raids against the Metal Heads himself. Next to the Leader, another intellectual who could speak English and leader of the Marauder's, he was the most powerful person in the Marauder's.

One day, nine years from the time Beast was telling this tale, two survivors from a plane crash were taken into the Stronghold and taken prisoner. Beast had long stopped torturing people at that point, saving his anger and power for more important matters such as locating resources in the Wasteland, which despite its name; one could find so much in it if one just knew where to look.

But the survivors…one of which was just a young man. A scrawny one. He looked as though he had entered his adulthood recently. Beast had wondered how he had survived in the Wasteland for so long for one so puny.

The other survivor was just a little girl.

Beast was fearful and curious at the same time when he had met her. He was horrified because she looked just like his baby sister…the sister he had lost. He was curious though, due to the fact she was somehow alive after being the Wasteland for three days. There was something about her that was different.

She was terrified out of her mind and had bloodshot eyes, apparently her parents had died in the crash. Beast starred at her as the two were taken to a cell to be tortured and beaten, just like what usually happened with any stragglers they picked up. Mercy was for those weakling Wastelanders. For the Marauders, you proved your worth by how well you dealt with long hard beatings and slow torture. The longer you held out, the better off you were.

Beast was surprised when he found the young man had spirit, being able to last quite a long time in torture sessions, where young Marauder's beat him up until he was senseless, and would then throw him back in the cell. He had refused to become a Marauder, so he was repeatedly beaten over and over gain The girl was left untouched by his orders, though he could tell that some of the other Marauders wanted a chance to test the girl's metal as well. He was completely against it, as she was a normal little girl, and he was far more merciful than the others.

He also underestimated her.

Beast blamed himself for not keeping tabs on her. He had no idea she would be the more dangerous of the pair, Iris and Jakob. Iris has apparently fashioned a dagger-like club sort of weapon out of raw metals in their cell and a heating vent in the ceiling, and had used it in an escape to break out.

Beast remembered the breakout like it was yesterday.

Flashback:

"Arkzlag! Come quickly!" a subordinate Marauder yelled at Beast.

"What is it?" Beast growled smoothly in his native tongue.

"The prisoners! They have escaped!"

Beast burst out of the door and stormed down the hall. The alarm had been raised. His warhammer was griped tightly in his hands and he pounded down the hallway.

The hunt was on.

Beast found the body of a slain Marauder, one of his close friends, Orgoaz. Beast knelt down next to his fallen friend, noticing the stab and slash wounds on his chest and neck.

Beast snarled angrily and charged down the hallway, knowing exactly where they would be heading.

He finally caught sight of them, Jakob and Iris, on the final stretch to the large hole in the fortress. Once they went through that, it would be difficult to track them down. A storm was coming and they didn't want to put the Marauder's in unnecessary danger. Beast stomped after them, gaining ground. Jakob ran at another Marauder, fighting him sword-to-sword/club. Beast grinned as his Marauder gained the upper hand on Jakob, until Iris kicked the Marauder in the back of the knee, allowing Jakob to kill him.

"Hurry!" Jakob yelled as he sprinted down the hall.

Iris sprinted after Jakob, and Beast snarled in anger as they neared the hole. The Leader of the Marauder's caught up to Beast and snarled "Don't let them escape!"

"We can't catch up!" Beast snarled in response.

Leader growled and pulled out a crude and wicked-looking tomahawk and hurled it down the hallway as hard as he could. The tomahawk flew down the hallway and clipped Iris in the leg, causing her to yelp in pain as blood spurted from her leg.

"Iris! Come on!" Jakob yelled, looking back at the girl as she limped down the hallway.

"I'm trying!" Iris replied, trying to keep up as she tried to stem the flow of blood.

Beast watched the mad glint in Jakob's eyes as he whirled around and bashed Iris in the back of the head, causing her to crumple on the ground, unconscious. He spun back around and darted down the hallway and through the hole in the wall. Most of the Marauder's chasing him went towards Iris, the downed girl, instead of going after Jakob. Beast realized then that Jakob had used the girl as a distraction to slip out and escape.

"NO! DAMN YOU!" Leader roared angrily.

"Leader…we still have the girl…" Beast said as he crouched next to Iris, who was also bleeding from the back of the head rather profusely. Beast was slightly sickened by the fact that Jakob had betrayed Iris like that.

"Treat her wounds and bring her to the surface…it's about time I show you younglings how to properly torture someone, no beatings or whips…just using words" Leader growled as he walked out of the hallway.

Beast felt a thrill of fear run down his spine. The Leader was an older Marauder, with long white hair and a crooked back. He was cunning and devious, as well as strong and intelligent. Beast knew that if he had a plan, it wouldn't be good for Iris.

Iris awoke several hours later to find herself bound with ropes and gagged. She was on the surface, eyeing the crowd around her. She thought about what had happened. The plan…the fighting…Jakob attacking her…

"Why did he do that…we…we were so close…why did he do that to me?" Iris murmured to herself.

"So…little girl…you are alone now…outnumbered and outmatched…what do you have to say for yourself!?" the Leader of the Marauder's snarled at Iris, who flinched but otherwise held her ground. She was surrounded by Marauders, all of them aiming their weapons at her. Iris snarled and said "You guys are monsters! I'm not scared of you!"

"You should be" Beast growled to Iris, who spit in his face.

Beast snarled angrily and grabbed Iris by the neck, causing her to gasp and choke as he squeezed the life out her.

"Arkzlag. Release her" Leader said with a laugh, and Beast obeyed.

"So, you and your friend thought you could escape us?" Leader asked Iris, who growled at him.

"Fiery…you have spirit. Know this child…you have been left behind by your companion…he left he to die" Leader said slowly to Iris, who shook her head fiercely.

"He'll come back! He's going to save me and kill you all! " Iris yelled at the Leader fearlessly.

"Just submit already…you're just going to make it worse for yourself" Beast muttered to Iris.

The girl shook her head and said "Jakob will come back. He'd never leave me alone. This is all part of his plan! I know it!"

"Or…he attacked you to buy himself more time" The Leader said.

"No! He wouldn't do that! I trust him! I believe in him!" Iris yelled angrily.

"Then let's make a deal. If he comes back, if one my scouts sees him coming back towards the fortress. Then I'll let the two of you go…free as a bird, and neither of you will be harmed in any way" the Leader said with a grin.

"And…if he doesn't come back?" Iris asked.

"Then you will stay here forever, as our prisoner, and become one of us" the Leader said.

"I don't have any other choice do I?" Iris murmured under her breath.

"Excellent" Leader cackled, and Iris scoffed and said "Jakob will be back. He promised me, and he never breaks his promises!"

"If you say so" Leader grinned.

And so they waited. Iris smiled the whole time, believing in her friend who had become her brother in binds over the course of their imprisonment together. They were a team, and he had promised her they would leave together. He would never leave her alone…

Right?

The sun slowly rose, and Iris closed her eyes tightly and whispered "I haven't seen the sun in so long…it's so bright"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head…he'll be back for you, and you can bask in the sun forever!" the Leader said cheerfully, giving Iris a bright and razor toothed smile. Iris grinned back at him, and they continued to watch the desert.

Beast could only shake his head. This girl was so oblivious…she was unaware of the Leader's plan. Of course she was…she was just a little girl.

Time went on, and Iris's grin seemed to fade a bit. Jakob should have been back by now. The gate was wide open, he could have just walked in and got her…what was TAKING him so lo?ng As the sun began to set once more, Beast heard Iris whisper "Jakob…but…you…you promised…"

"Well then…looks like you lose" the Leader smiled as Iris's head lowered.

"But…he promised me…" Iris whispered, dumbfounded.

"He lied…just like all people lie. Do yourself a favor. Don't trust anyone. They'll only hurt you" the Leader said maliciously as he snapped his fingers.

"Jakob?" Iris whispered.

"He's gone…I'm sorry" Beast growled softly.

"N-No…I…Jakob…you promised me…" Iris whispered as the front gate slowly rose up, preventing anyone from entering or leaving again.

"Take her to the Chamber. I want to hear her screams from out here. Beat her senseless, and throw her back in the cell. Repeat the process until she cracks!" Leader said to the other Marauder's, grinning widely.

"NO! JAKOB! HELP ME! PLEASE!" Iris screamed into the night.

"He's miles away by now little girl! Ahahahaha! He betrayed you and left you for dead! I win!" Leader cackled as the Marauders closed in.

"NO! YOU PROMISED ME! JAAAAAKOB!" Iris screamed as the Marauder's dragged her into the Fortress, and into the darkness below.

Beast looked on, feeling only pity and sorrow for that brave little girl.

Iris was thrown into a stone wall and then whipped on the back, causing her to yell out in agony. She got to her feet and tackled the assailant to the ground, punching him in the head. The other Marauder's threw her to the ground and started kicking her while she was down, pummeling her senseless. Iris yelled, kicked, and fought the Marauder's with all of her strength with a fierceness they had never seen before. When they threw her back in her cell, some of them were sporting bruises and were bleeding on their arms and faces.

Iris screamed through the night in her cell, begging for Jakob to save her. No matter how badly she was beaten, no matter how much she bled, the girl continued to believe in Jakob. Beast could only marvel at the girl's determination and faith. Part of him wanted Jakob to return. She had more will than half of the Marauder's did, and with her heart, she could go far. But she just wanted to leave, she wanted Jakob to come for her. She believed in him, and he had made a promise to her. She would never be alone, she would never be left behind again…Jakob had promised her.

In her cell she would cry. Beast wasn't surprised, most of the wounds inflicted on her were severe enough to warrant immediate medical attention, and the Marauder's didn't really treat the wounds they inflicted. But she didn't cry from the pain, she cried because she was scared about being left behind…all alone except for the monsters that were hurting her.

"Jakob…why…why did you leave me all alone…you…you promised me…I don't want to be alone anymore…" Beast heard her whisper one night as he walked by her cell.

As time went on, she began to struggle less and less, even putting up with the beatings and torture without fuss. Her crying at night seemed to fade over time as well…

And then one day, she just stopped. No struggling. No crying. No more emotion at all. She was utterly silent from that point on. Beast realized why she had stopped screaming and crying. No one who cared could hear her. So what was the point in speaking?

And that was the moment when Beast knew that the Leader had succeeded.

He had broken her.

He took all her hopes, her desires…and shattered them into a thousand pieces. Beast one day looked in on her in her cell, where he had found several trays of food over the past few days left uneaten and ignored. He saw her laying on the ground, staring at the wall with a blank stare.

It was over in her mind. The Leader had set her up to fail in the worst way possible. He had gotten her hopes up, and destroyed her completely. She had lost the will to live, and had lost the ability to trust anyone ever again. Beast felt sick for some reason, but the Leader took it as a personal victory.

Eventually Beast ordered Iris to be executed, to put her out of misery. It would be a mercy kill, she deserved a quick death. Little did he know that there was still a still spark of life left in that beaten and broken little girl.

She was lined up in front of the firing squad, the Leader and Beast presided over the execution. The Leader was against it, but he went with Beast's plan anyway. It'd be satisfying to watch her die. As the Marauder's raised their guns to fire…

Iris began to sing.

It was soft, sad…and the most beautiful thing any of them had ever heard in their lives. The Marauder's dropped their weapons on the ground and were held in a trance as Iris sang her song. It was in another language, but it didn't matter that they couldn't understand it. It was still the most pure and beautiful thing they had ever heard.

"Her voice…it is incredible" Leader murmured, rubbing his eyes, brimming with tears.

"Yes, it is" Beast agreed, awestruck.

"Maybe…maybe she could be kept alive. She can be moved to a high part of the fortress…she can be put to work instead of a prisoner…it'd be a shame to waste such skill…" Leader muttered, his eyes still misty.

Beast smiled and said "I agree"

"It won't be easy for her…but it's better than where she was before" Beast thought as he walked over to her.

"I thought you…were going…to kill me?" Iris rasped softly, her voice rough from disuse.

"You're going to be a slave. You'll get better quarters and better rations, as long as you continue to sing. Your voice…it's incredible" Beast grunted at her.

Nightingale sighed raggedly and said "OK…"

Nightingale was freed from the post and led into the Fortress. Beast looked on as everyone else went back inside the Fortress, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Beast closed his eyes, hearing the beautiful but brokenhearted singing in his mind.

Beast sighed, leaning against the wall heavily and whispered "What have we done?"

Present:

Beast got up, looked at the Agents, and growled "Now you know. Leave her alone"

Beast left the room, leaving the Agents with their thoughts.

Four Days Later:

Nightingale slowly got to her feet, Jak helping her up. She tested out the strength of her leg but putting pressure on it, and to her delight she found it supported her weight fine. Jak had worked his magic with Light Eco, and over the course of the past few days she had made a full recovery.

Despite this, Nightingale was still on suicide watch. The doctors were always keeping an eye on her, even with Jak's almost constant company. She was still unpredictable.

Nightingale found that while she loathed and feared being alone, she found it incredibly hard to be around people. She had lost her ability to trust in others, her childhood innocence being ruined by her torture and subsequent breakdown. Jak however, seemed to be exactly what she needed. He was a good listener, and no matter how much she spoke of her thoughts and feelings, Jak was sympathetic and kind. It didn't hurt that she found him incredibly handsome as well, bringing up feelings in her she had never felt before.

Jak admitted that he knew how to treat her because he had helped the future Nightingale in the same manner, and Nightingale understood this. Some would feel like Jak was taking advantage of her, but Nightingale disagreed. His presence kept her from dwelling on darker things, and kept her from moping, and kept her focused on recovering.

Nightingale eventually realized how Jak was hardly eating and sleeping, preferring to stay by her side instead and only sleeping when he passed out from exhaustion, and Nightingale managed to convince Jak to go to his room and get some sleep.

It was during one of the times that Jak was gone that Nightingale found herself waking up in the infirmary alone, save for one doctor. She heaved herself out of her bed and said "I wonder…"

Nightingale looked over at the medic, who was slumped over in her chair and sleeping quietly. Nightingale threw on a T-Shirt and a pair of sweatpants and slipped out of the Infirmary and into the hallways.

Nightingale needed a walk. She had to get out of the Infirmary; she had been cooped up there for too long. She eventually walked into the Bathing Grotto, taking in a deep breath of the clear moist air.

Nightingale looked around for anyone in the Grotto, but found herself alone. She smiled to herself and quickly stripped and sank into the cool water. Nightingale let out a sigh and "Perfect…"

Nightingale closed her eyes and sank deeper into the water, letting it go up past her mouth. She relaxed let go of all of her emotion…her pain…her self-loathing…the strange feelings that Jak was giving her-

"No" Nightingale muttered to herself, but the thought remained in her head.

"Why…why do I feel so weird around him…he knows me in the future…but even then…he knows me so well…better than I know myself…he's like the perfect friend for me…I'm so confused…" Nightingale murmured.

Nightingale thought back to how Jak held her in the Infirmary. The look of genuine worry on his face, and how gently he held her when she broke down in his arms. He had saved her…maybe they weren't all bad…maybe they weren't all like Jakob…if Jak could be trusted…who's to say the rest of them couldn't be either?

Nightingale smiled slightly and said "Maybe…maybe there's something to live for after all…"

"HELLO! Is anyone in here!?" a voice yelled.

Nightingale yelped in surprise and sank below the water, swimming away. She swam under her secret waterfall grotto and got out of the water, wrapping a towel around herself. She managed to get a glimpse of Rune and Sharpshooter walking down a dirt path in their bathing suits.

Sharpshooter looked around and said "Huh…someone's gotta be here. I mean, they left their clothes behind"

"That's weird" Rune replied.

"Let's just leave them off to the side. They must have heard us come in and ran off. They must be shy or something" Sharpshooter reasoned, picking up Nightingale's clothes and setting them on a rock.

Nightingale scowled and said "Great…now by the time I get back, everyone's going to be looking for me…"

Nightingale sighed and sat down on the rock. She passed the time by humming herself, and when she got bored with that, she dwelled on her recent misfortunes, but then her thoughts turned to Jak. She smiled when she thought of him now, she pretty much associated him with comfort and kindness. In just a few days, he had managed to do what it took Rush two years to do.

Gain her trust.

Nightingale noticed that Rune and Sharpshooter weren't going to leave anytime soon, and in an annoyed tone, mumbled "Seriously? Get a room guys…"

"Tell me about it"

Nightingale whirled around and to her horror saw Jak standing behind her, looking highly amused. Nightingale blushed dark red and took a few steps back, too embarrassed to speak. She was very aware of her current state of dress, and could only stand there in dumbfounded embarrassment while Jak smiled at her.

"Don't be embarrassed Night. Nothing I haven't seen before" Jak said, unknowingly making the situation more embarrassing. Nightingale's face was beet red at this point, and managed to mumble "P-please leave"

Jak frowned and said "Why did you run off? Everyone who's awake is searching the Sanctuary, looking for you. They don't know what you'll do if you're left alone for too long"

"What…do you all think I'll kill myself again? Because it didn't work, and I'm not going to try it again" Nightingale muttered.

Jak smiled at her and said "I know you won't Night. You're stronger than that"

Nightingale remained silent, and Jak sighed and said "There's no convincing you, is there?"

"Tell you what. Grab my stuff from that rock over there, bring it to me, and I'll maybe listen a bit more carefully" Nightingale said looking at Jak tiredly.

Jak caught her drift and stealthily retrieved her clothes. After letting Nightingale change, Jak went back inside the grotto to see her sitting down on the ground, with her chin on her knees.

"Jak…what's the future like?" Night asked Jak.

"I can't tell you that Night" Jak replied, sitting down next to her.

Nightingale closed her eyes and rested her head on Jak's shoulder.

"Fair enough…Jak?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you…for everything…for saving my life…for all everything…the pain…it's still there, but I think I can deal with it now…thank you for staying by my side…thank you so much" Nightingale whispered.

Jak smiled and said "I'm glad I could help you Night. I was worried about you, you know"

Nightingale smiled a little and said "You're different Jak…when I met you in the Chief's office, I knew it…I didn't know what it was about you at the time…but…"

"But?" Jak prompted.

"Jak…you…you…you make me feel so special…like I'm some sort of beautiful princess or something and…I feel this sort of warmth in my chest…a happy sort of feeling…" Nightingale admitted shyly, blushing pink. She suddenly realized that she may have gone too far into detail, and stopped her train of thought.

Jak smiled at the shyness in her tone, oblivious as always to what she actually meant, and was about to reply when Sharpshooter yelled out "Did you hear something Rune?"

"Uh oh…" Nightingale muttered.

"What's up?" Rune said as Sharpshooter got out of the water.

"I know I heard something. I've been hearing voices in here for a while now, but now I'm sure of it…come on out you weirdoes!" Sharpshooter yelled.

"Calm down James…jeez…heaven forbid someone else uses the Grotto to relax…it isn't only for getting clean you know…besides, the fresh water is good for you" Rune said cheerfully.

Sharpshooter and Rune continued to banter, and Nightingale got to her feet.

"I need to get back. Disten will be worried" Nightingale said.

"I'll go with you" Jak offered, getting to his feet as well.

Nightingale looked at Jak's face, seeing the rings on his eyes. He had been losing sleep for days, devoting all his time to Nightingale and making sure she was alright.

"You alright Jak?" Nightingale asked.

"I'm fine" Jak said with a grin, causing Nightingale to blush pink.

"He's so selfless…he's putting his health at risk just so I feel better…" Nightingale blushed at the thought of someone like Jak looking out for her so much. Ever since she woke back up, he had been making her feel this way. He made her feel special, and for once…

This was in a good way.

The Next Day:

Jak stood in the Chief's Office, watching him read an entry form Gallius's journal. He closed the book and said "Alright Jak, were sending you to the ruin to get the Precursor Key"

"About damn time" Jak thought.

"Now, tell me what you are expecting in the ruin" Disten asked.

"The last time I went in there, half of the traps and puzzles were already solved. There were no Metal Heads in the ruin at all, which helps us focus on making it through the ruin without being caught in the traps" Jak said.

"What sort of traps did you find?" Disten asked Jak.

"Spike traps, trigger plates, motion activated turrets, pit traps, long paths and stuff. The whole deal" Jak explained.

Jak would go into the Wasteland with a small team of Agents, mainly to make sure he got in and out of the ruin in one piece. Even if he had prior knowledge of the ruin, it would still be wise to have backup with him as well.

"I see…I'm thinking of sending in Chill, Rune, Beast, and Phoenix with you as well, just as a precaution" Disten said.

"That won't be necessary. I'll go with him" a voice said softly.

Disten and Jak looked around in surprise and saw Nightingale walk into the room, fully armored and ready to fight. She had her shotgun strapped to her back, but in addition to that she had two SMG's on her thighs as well, which he knew she did in the future quite often.

Nightingale took off her helmet, wearing a slight smile and said "Why so shocked?"

"Nightingale…what are you doing here? You should in the Infirmary!" Disten said, sounding concerned.

"I'm done moping…I want to help. Jak…" Nightingale said the name with a slight smile before continuing "you said you needed my help to get into the Precursor Ruin with the Key, correct?"

Jak nodded and said "You'll need this first"

Jak pulled out Nightingale's amulet and handed it to her.

"It's beautiful" Nightingale murmured as she wrapped it around her neck.

"Iris, are you sure about this? You can't be at a hundred percent after what you did to yourself" Disten said.

"I'm not, but that doesn't matter anymore. I have to do something. I can't sit here and mope…Rush would've wanted me to help in any way I could" Nightingale whispered.

"Alright, but I'm sending Rune and Phoenix with you both. I don't care about this Precursor Prophecy or the timeline…I'm not losing you...not again" Disten said to the two Agents, who nodded.

"I'm fine with that" Jak said, and Nightingale nodded as well. Nightingale turned around and walked out of the office.

"Jak…make sure Nightingale stays safe, OK? This is an important mission…and I don't want her to get hurt anymore" Disten said quietly, his voice shaking slightly. Jak realized then that the Chief's voice never shook or broke, and he then realized how much he cared for the black haired women standing next to him. She was like a daughter to him, and she nearly died the other day.

Jak nodded and said "I'll protect her with my life, sir"

"Thank you…now go"

Jak walked out of the office, and found Nightingale waiting for him.

"What did he want?" Nightingale asked.

"He just wants me to make sure you're safe. Not that you need protecting, but I told him what he needed to hear…he's been worried about you" Jak said to Night, who nodded. The two then quietly walked to Jak's room so he could get ready, and then headed to the Docking Bay.

Rune and Phoenix were waiting for them in the Docking Bay. They both looked up in surprise at seeing Nightingale walking towards them, and Phoenix grinned and said "Nightingale, good to see you're alright. I was worried back there"

Nightingale nodded and whispered "Thank you"

"HOLY SH!T ON A F*CKING SANDWHICH! SHE CAN TALK!?" Phoenix yelled loud enough for every technician and Agent in the Docking Bay to hear her over the waterfalls.

Nightingale winced and said shyly "Yes, I can…I guess…"

Jak saved Night the horror of explaining by saying "Just leave her alone, alright? She's been through enough as it is, don't make her more uncomfortable"

Nightingale looked at Jak gratefully, and Rune said "Alright. Well, it's good to see you're doing better Nightingale. We were all really worried when we heard what…well, what happened to you. But if you're strong enough to come with us, I won't argue against it"

Jak realized that Nightingale was now technically the Number 1 Agent in the Avenging Angels now, so technically she automatically called the shots from now on instead of Rush in this timeline. Nightingale nodded and murmured "We should go"

"Right" Phoenix said as Nightingale walked towards a transport, driven by Jet, who gave them a cheery wave.

"Hey Jak!"

Jak turned around and saw Tech standing behind him, and he motioned for Jak to come to him.

"What's up?" Jak asked as he walked over to him.

"Hey…I'm not sure if I speak for everyone, but…thanks for saving Night" Tech said quietly.

Jak blinked in surprise, and Tech continued.

"I've been around for a while. And I've known Nightingale for a while, in fact besides the Chief, Blade and Beast, I'm the only one who's seen her with her helmet off. I remember the scared little girl who helped me make repairs to damaged armor. Despite whatever she thinks, I care about her, and I'm glad someone's taking initiative and helping her get over whatever horrible things those monsters did to her in that Fortress" Tech said.

"So here" Tech said, pulling out something from his back pocket and placing it in Jak's hand.

Jak looked down and saw a Morph Gun Mod in his hand. Jak pulled out his Morph Gun and attached the Mod to it, and the gun shuddered, glowing a faint yellow color. The Gun slowly changed into a long wicked looking sniper rifle, complete with an impressive-looking scope.

"I call it the Piercer Rifle. Sharpshooter himself worked with me on that Mod. It's very powerful" Tech said with a smile.

"Thanks" Jak said, shouldering the gun.

"Alright, get moving. Use that thing to keep those girls safe, alright?" Tech said seriously, and Jak nodded and hurried off towards the ship.

Tech sighed deeply and said "Be safe…all of you"

Meanwhile:

Location: Unknown

"Jazon…Jazon…"

Havoc opened his eyes and found himself on the edge of a cliff in a world of darkness. A pure black sky loomed above him while the ground below him was grey stone. He stood in the middle of a stone ruin situated on a cliff, while a large and mostly destroyed city lay down below him. Havoc glanced at his surroundings and said "Where am I?"

"You my Champion, are dreaming…but you are dreaming of my dream…"

Jazon turned around to find a beautiful woman standing before him, nude except for intricate blood-red tattoos on her skin. And not the sexy kind like Rune had, these tattoos looked…evil. Malevolent things that symbolized dominance and death, power and evil. She had long flowing purple hair and had dark red eyes. She smiled at him, her razor sharp white teeth displayed for him.

"It's been a long time…hasn't it, Jazon?"the woman asked.

"I don't know you. Nice boobs by the way. Nearly as big as Chill's" Havoc said with a grin.

The woman smirked and said "Jazon…it's time for you to realize your destiny"

Havoc scoffed and said "I don't think so lady. I'm in charge of my own destiny. Nice try though"

"It seems as though I must break you before I can assume control of you" Arranst said with a frown.

"Don't assume. It makes an ass out of you and me…well, more you than me, but you get my point" Havoc said with a smirk.

STOP DOING THAT! THIS IS SERIOUS!" Arranst snarled.

"Sorry, I can't take you seriously when you're naked like that. Throw some clothes on, and maybe we can talk like adults" Havoc snickered.

Arranst snapped her fingers, and suddenly when was garbed in an AA style black armor. She scowled and said "There…happy?"

"Not really, no guy passes up the opportunity to see naked chicks, but I digress. What do you want?" Havoc asked.

"My name is Arranst…some know me as the Dark Goddess. It makes no difference…you have a great destiny in store for you Jazon…did you know that?" Arranst asked.

"No" Havoc admitted as the woman slinked around him, like a dolphin-shark.

"Yes…you will delve into the deepest darkness and rise above those who stand in your way. Only the Champions of Light, and the Champion of Darkness and Light can break you free from the shadows" Arranst whispered, as though she were reading something she had heard of before. It seemed familiar to Havoc, like an old song he had heard of as a child or a line from a storybook.

"You're destined for greatness…and I can help you…just join me. Let me into your heart…and we can rule this world together" Arranst said softly.

"I'll pass" Havoc said with a smirk.

"What!?" Arranst snarled.

"Yeah. I like what I do, killing Metal Heads. It's fun and keeps me busy, plus the people I work with are good people. I've got a good thing going, and I'm not going to ruin it" Havoc said to Arranst.

"Well then…it seems I will have to persuade you with force" Arranst said to Havoc.

"Come at me bro" Havoc said with a cocky laugh.

Arranst lunged at Havoc, who jumped to the side and said "Come on Arranst! If you want me to join you, you've got beat me in my own head first!"

"SO BE IT!" Arranst screamed as two demonic looking wings and a mass of wicked-looking tentacles sprouted from her back.

Arranst lunged at Havoc again and tackled him to the ground. She opened her mouth and a beam of Dark Eco began to charge. Havoc closed his eyes balled up his fist before punching Arranst in the side of the head, a wave of red energy connecting with her skull as the punch did.

Arranst howled in agony as stumbled away as Havoc got to his feet. Havoc cracked his knuckles and said "Power Punch Enhancement. Don't leave home without it kids!"

Arranst held out her hands and several beams of Dark Eco shot from her palms, causing Havoc to take cover behind a rock. Havoc held out his hands and said "This is a dream…so I that's the case, then maybe I can alter what happens in here"

Havoc closed his eyes and a wicked black sword formed in his hands, made of pure darkness. Havoc twirled it in his hands and said "That'll work!"

Havoc jumped from her cover and lunged at Arranst, who summoned her own black scimitar of darkness. The two opponent's swords collided, creating a shockwave of energy that shattered all of the rock in the nearby area.

"RAAAH!" Havoc snarled as he pushed Arranst back and punched her in the chest, sending her skidding backwards. Havoc hurled his sword at the Dark Goddess, striking her in the chest. The woman snarled in pain and fired a bolt of raw Dark Eco at him, causing him to have to jump to the side to avoid it. Havoc snapped his fingers and his sword returned to him.

"Impressive…but it's pointless to resist Jazon" Arranst murmured as she flared her wings.

"Maybe, but it sure as hell beats giving up" Havoc said before lunging at Arranst again.

This time the Dark Goddess was ready and ducked under Havoc's slash and punched him in the chest, sending him deep inside of the ruin. Havoc crashed onto the ground and coughed up blood before he got to his feet. He groaned and said "Is…is t-that all ya got!?"

"Not even close"

Havoc whirled around and stabbed at Arranst, only for her to catch the blade and slam Havoc into a wall. Havoc swung his fist at Arranst, causing her to retreat and slink away.

Havoc cracked his neck and said "Alright, Round 2. Come on!"

Havoc ran off of the ledge of the ruin and tackled Arranst in midair. The two came crashing down on a pedestal with a white flight of stairs leading down to the city below. The two traded blows on the pedestal, neither one giving in.

One was fighting for his freedom and his mind, while the other was fighting for dominance and power, and for the perfect tool for her to use to destroy the fools that opposed her.

After a few minutes of fighting, Arranst laughed and said "Not bad Jazon! You're a worthy vessel for me to command!"

"Not happening lady!" Havoc said, ducking der a slash and backhanding her in the face.

"Did you just slap a woman in the face!?" Arranst asked indignantly.

Havoc laughed and kicked Arranst in the chest before picking her up and hurling her down the steps. The woman flipped in midair and stopped her descent with her wings and fired a huge blast of Dark Eco at Havoc, who jumped to the side to dodge. Havoc ran at her and jumped into the air, soaring towards her and crashing into her, causing the two to fall to the ground.

"GET OUT OF MY MIND!" Havoc roared as he delivered a powerful kick to her chest, sending her flying backwards.

The woman looked at him curiously as she floated in the air and said "So…it seems as though I am too far away at the moment to defeat you as easily as I thought I could…especially in this lesser form"

"Far away? Wait…are you saying this isn't your real form?" Havoc asked.

"Of course not. I take this form when I'm trying to take over the mind of someone of importance. I'm not even on this planet, Jazon. As a result, I'm not nearly as powerful here as I would be where I am now" Arranst said softly, her hands starting to radiate Dark Eco.

"That said…" Arranst murmured.

"I can still defeat you…and make you my servant…forever" Arranst whispered as she lunged at Havoc with an insane burst of speed.

Havoc swung his sword at her, only for her to duck under the slash and punch Havoc in the stomach. Arranst delivered a quick series of jabs and punches, all of which were powered up by the Dark Eco surging around her fists. She finished her assault with a powerful roundhouse kicked that sent Havoc crashing onto the ground.

"N-no…" Havoc muttered as he slowly got to his feet. His entire body hurt, he could hardly move. He slowly got to his feet and said "No!"

"Time for me to end this…" Arranst whispered as several black tentacles shot forth from her back.

The tentacles slowly crept towards Havoc and wrapped around him. Havoc grinned and suddenly became immersed in a fierce aura of white electricity, causing the tentacles to back off.

"What is this!?" Arranst growled as Havoc got back to his feet.

"So sorry about that. It's just my other armor enhancement, Shock Aura" Havoc said, grinning widely.

"Impressive…but you can't stop my darkness…it will consume your world!" Arranst purred.

"Like hell it will. I'm not letting you get away with this!" Havoc roared, lunging towards her and slashing at her, causing Dark Eco to gush from her body. Arranst retaliated by blasting Havoc with a wave of Dark Eco, sending him flying backwards and slamming into a pillar.

Arranst laughed and said "It does not matter what sort of technology you fools have, I will still bring you all to your knees, and bow before me like the worms that you are!"

Arranst soared towards Havoc, who kicked off the ground and met her in midair. Havoc punched the Dark Goddess in the chin before spinning around in midair and slashing her in the chest. Arranst snarled and wrapped her tentacles around Havoc and screamed "SUBMIT!"

Havoc thought of all of his friends in the Avenging Angels. Blade, Chill, Rune, Phoenix, Nymph, Royal, the Chief, Beast…and Nightingale.

If this freak took control of him now…what was she going to do to them? His friends? The closest thing he'd ever had to a family? He'd protect them. No matter how deep he had to go into the darkness, he would protect them.

No matter what.

"NEVER!" Havoc bellowed, pure fury in his voice.

"I'm not going to lose! I won't let you hurt them!" Havoc snarled.

"Then die!" Arranst whispered in Havoc's ears as she loose lose a point blank Dark Eco Wave on Havoc, sending him flying down into the city below and slamming him into a building. Havoc hung there for a second on a building, groaning in agony before falling to the ground.

Havoc slowly got to his feet and looked around, wondering where she had gone. He took a few steps forward before looking up.

Arranst was flying down towards him and slammed into him, smashing him into the ground, She picked him up and hurled him down the street, slamming him into another building. Havoc yelled out in pain as Arranst wrapped her tentacles around him and crushed the life out of him, slamming him into the building over and over again as well.

"Don't you see Jazon?" Arranst asked as she brought a semi-conscious Havoc closer to her.

"Resisting is pointless…all you can do is join me" Arranst whispered.

"I'll join you when hell freezes over you dumb b!tch" Havoc replied angrily.

"Fine then" Arranst said, spinning around and hurling Havoc down the street, causing him to slam into the road and crash into a parked Zoomer.

Havoc somehow, someway, got to his feet. He couldn't do this much longer. She was too powerful, and he was only human.

Arranst flew at him, and he brought up his sword in time to block an airborne strike. Havoc rolled to avoid Arranst as she flew overhead, trying to stab him. She lunged at him again and Havoc hurled his sword at the Dark Goddess, downing her and causing her to crash onto the ground. She got to her feet and slashed at Havoc, who blocked the blow and struck her down again as the sword reappeared in his hands, following up by punching her in the face as hard as he could, adding his armor enhancement to it as well.

"There…you're done" Havoc said angrily as he eyed Arranst's body.

Havoc then looked down and saw his feet wrapped up in black tentacles.

"This isn't going to end well" Havoc muttered before he was thrown into another building, slamming headfirst into concrete and metal. Arranst had gotten to her feet and flew towards Havoc. Arranst brought Havoc close to her and she whispered in his ear "See…? You're making things so much more difficult than they need to be, my dear Jazon"

"I love making things difficult!" Havoc growled as he summoned his sword again and stabbed Arranst in the chest, causing her to scream in agony and fall towards the ground, releasing Havoc as a result. Dark Eco spewed onto the ground as Arranst pulling herself into a kneeling position.

"Why!? Why do you fight it!? I could make you powerful! Think of the destruction and mayhem that you love so much! The world…no, the Universe could be ours!" Arranst said to Havoc, who was slowly pulling himself to his feet, drenched in blood and beaten half to death.

"That's all well and good…but the thing is…I'm an Avenging Angel…Arranst…and if you take control of me…they'll all die. Not happening…not so long as I've got some fight left in me" Havoc said with a shuddering breath.

"Then I'll just destroy the fight that's left in you and make you mine!" Arranst said with a laugh as her horrific stab wounded sealed up like it was nothing.

Havoc took a step back in shock, and looked down in horror to find tentacles wrapped around his legs as well. Havoc fell to the ground as Arranst picked him up again and slammed him into the ground, causing him to howl in pain. Havoc was then dragged down the street while Arranst cackled in the background. She hurled Havoc high into the air and held up her palm.

"You lose" Arranst whispered gleefully.

Havoc's eyes widened in horror as Arranst fired a massive black laser out of her palms, engulfing him in darkness. Havoc soared through the air and slammed into the ground several miles away, barely able to move.

"You're not getting up again…you're mine now" Arranst whispered as she materialized from the darkness next to her.

"So…so I have…now what?" Havoc asked, eyeing the pools of darkness around him with annoyance.

"You have a choice. You may either willingly or be forced to serve me. If you serve me willingly, then you may have more free will under my control, though in the end I control you…as for the latter, I will depart from this realm for a whole year, but when that year is up…you will be mine, now and forever, to do with however I please"

"What's the difference!?" Havoc snarled.

"Well…if I took control of you now, I'd kill each and every one of your friends in cold blood using your body, and you'd be aware of what you were doing the whole time" Arranst said softly.

"No!" Havoc growled furiously.

"Or…I can wait a year. Gather my strength…and the gain far more control over you. Your wishes and desires will be merged with my own, and you will be my vessel until I can come to your world myself" Arranst whispered.

Havoc smiled and said "Or, I could kill myself right now and screw you over"

Havoc suddenly drew a knife and held it up to his throat. Arranst scowled and said "Fine then…if you stay your hand and choose the second option…I will allow you to get away from your friends…in a method of my own choosing, before taking control of you a year from now…do we have a deal?"

"Alright then. Do whatever you want with me Arranst…Just leave them alone" Havoc said softly.

"Excellent then…We have a deal. I will be back in one year, and when I return, you and your foolish friends will know the true meaning of darkness! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Arranst laughed as Havoc's vision became black and he sank into the darkness, a darkness that in one year would turn him against everything he cared about and towards the side of evil.

Meanwhile:

"Jeez, this place is huge" Phoenix said in an annoyed tone as they jumped off another Precursor Platform and onto the ground.

The group found themselves in wide sanctum, lined with thick stone archways and pillars. Jak led the way, knowing the path to take, due to him and Nightingale clearing the place out in the future. Despite this, they had been through way more traps than he cared for, and they were getting worn down.

"So, you've been here before, right?" Phoenix asked in an annoyed tone, already knowing the answer but she asked it anyway, due to nearly being impaled on a spike.

"Yeah. Just stay quiet and be careful. The first time I went through here, a lot of traps were already deactivated. I guess the reason for that is we had already gone through this ruin in the past-uh, I mean now…I hate time travel" Jak muttered before lapsing into embarrassed silence.

Nightingale smiled underneath her helmet and whispered "It is rather confusing, huh Jak?"

"Tell me about it" Jak muttered.

"Ooh! What'd she say this time!?" Phoenix said eagerly.

Nightingale scowled and muttered "I'm not some circus freak for you to gawk at Phoenix. Remember your place"

Phoenix heard that and winced at her tone.

"Sorry Nightingale. My bad" Phoenix said sheepishly, and the raven-haired agent nodded and continued walking.

"I wonder what kind of traps there are here?" Rune asked as she sped up her pace.

CLICK.

"…oh come on Alison!" Phoenix said angrily as Rune slowly lifted her foot from the trick stone tile she had stepped on.

Rune quickly kicked off the ground and rolled away, just in time to avoid being impaled by a series of spears that shot up from the ground.

"…whoops…"

"Smooth. Real smooth Ali"

"I said whoops"

Jak was currently laughing so hard he was leaning against the wall while Nightingale smiled underneath her helmet. Rune scratched her head and said "My bad guys"

"Come on, let's be careful" Jak said as he rounded a corner, pulling out his Morph Gun as he did, attaching the Piercer Rifle and looking through the scope. He shot out two traps that were attached to the walls and blew apart a pillar he knew held a turret inside of it.

"Got em'. Come on" Jak muttered to the girls, who nodded and followed him deeper into the ruin.

Phoenix laughed and said "This is fun!"

"Fun's not the words I'd use" Rune said, stepping on another trap and dodging a row of spears shooting out of the wall. She did a front flip to dodge them and said "MAN, this sucks!"

Jak chuckled as he looked around the new area he was in. Three pathways, two of which led to bottomless pits while the third led onward. Jak hurried down the path to the Key with the other agents following close behind.

Eventually the group came to the same pathway that blocked Jak and Nightingale before . The endless darkness that surrounded the room seemed all but impenetrable. Nightingale, Rune, and Phoenix starred at it in awe and said "Wow…"

"Night, hold up the Amulet" Jak said to the top-ranked agent, who nodded and pulled out her amulet.

Nightingale held the amulet high into the air and the dark pathway soon became visible again. Jak across the pathway with Nightingale and the twins close behind. Jak continued to lead the way, making sure not to trip the rock trap that nearly killed Nightingale in the present, and the group made their way down to the final chamber.

"Wow…" Rune and Phoenix said at the same time, looking around in awe as they entered the final room.

Nightingale started towards the large golden key that was raised on a pedestal at the top of the staircase before Jak yelled "No! Don't touch it Night!"

Nightingale looked at Jak in surprise as Jak walked over to her and said "I'll handle this"

Jak aimed his Piercer Rifle at the Key at shot it, causing it to fly off of the platform and explode as it hit the far wall. Several spikes shot out of the ground, which would've impaled Nightingale if she had gotten the decoy key.

"T-thanks" Nightingale said softly to Jak, who nodded and walked over to a small alter hidden just out of sight.

The artifact Jak was staring at was a large key made of pure Precursor Metal, giving it a bronze coppery look. White veins of Light Eco pulsed through it, and a white diamond was in the center of the key. Jak grinned and grabbed the key and twirled it in his hands.

"Mission Accomplished" Jak said to the girls, who laughed and high-fived each other.

"How are we going to get out?" Rune asked.

Jak pulled the stone Precursor Key replica out of his bag and held it out in front of him for a moment before placing it on the second pedestal. Jak glanced at the first pedestal to see another golden key had replaced the one that he had shot. Jak sighed with a grin on his face, glad that he had finally succeeded.

He then snarled angrily.

"DAMN IT!" Jak suddenly yelled.

"What's up?" Rune asked, sounding concerned.

"Uh…Nightingale, future Nightingale anyway…uh, she might have shown me a secret passageway that could have bypassed all the traps and got us in and out of here in five seconds…" Jak said sheepishly.

"OH COME ON!" Phoenix yelled.

"That would've been nice to know!" Rune yelled.

"You probably could've come here yourself and gotten the key!" Phoenix yelled.

"Nice one Jak!" Rune said, sounding annoyed.

Nightingale giggled, shocking them all, and said quietly "Oh well, you win some you lose some"

Several Hours Later:

"And that is history of my people" Sharpshooter concluded.

"You just told us a story of how you went down to a bar last night and got wasted. How in the hell is that a story of your people?" Blade asked.

"…I don't know"

"People, people…lets calm down. We're here to see Jak off, not talk about Sharpshooter's…whatever he does" Disten said to the Agents assembled before him.

"The key is so pretty" Chill said, staring at it intently.

"You thought I looked pretty when you saw me in my light form" Jak replied.

"Hey, don't blame me. You're hot, OK?" Chill said with a laugh.

"Ahem!"

Blade looked at Chill sternly and she walked over to him and said "Hey, he's hot, but he's no you babe"

Chill kissed him deeply on the lips, and before the two could get intimate the group heard a voice speak to them.

"Well done Jak…"

A blue hologram suddenly appeared in front of everyone. It had a slim body and had an alien-like form. Jak recognized it as the holograms the Precursors used before people knew what they really looked like.

"Usano, is that you?" Jak asked the hologram.

"Yes…You have done well Jak, retrieving the key and earning the trust of these brave men and women was no easy feat. The Key is now in your possession, and it is time for you to return to your own timeline" Usano said to Jak.

"Jak…"

Jak heard a faint whisper, so faint he could have imagined it. He turned around and saw Nightingale walking towards him, with her still on.

"Don't leave…please…I…I don't want you to go…" Nightingale whispered quietly enough so only Jak could hear her.

"I'm sorry. But I have to get back to the present" Jak muttered to her, and Nightingale smiled sadly underneath her helmet and whispered to him "I guess I can't keep you here…my future self is lucky…she gets to be with you…I have to wait another year before you come back"

"There is one thing we have to mention…I wish this didn't have to happen, as it does change things drastically…but, it cannot be helped" Usano said to the group, who felt a chill of apprehension run down their spines.

"Precautions must be taken into consideration. We must remove your memories, in order to preserve the future. Do not worry…these memories will be returned to you when the time is right" Usano said to the Agents, who stared at the Precursor in surprise.

"What memories will we lose?" Rune asked quietly.

"Everything that concerns Jak. Every interaction, events that occurred because of him. It will be as it Jak never appeared…you will forget him completely"

"So if you've got anything to say or do that you don't want anyone to remember, now's the time to do it" Jak said, not realizing what the Precursors words meant right away. Apparently everyone but Blade and the Chief didn't think much of the Precursors words, because the others smiled thoughtfully and considered Jak's words.

"Wait…I'll remember everything…I'll just keep that part to myself" Jak decided, hitting the video camera button on his camera casually.

"Alright, I'll start this off" Chill said walking over to Blade and began passionately kissing him. Blade's eyes widened in surprise, but he gave in eventually. The two began to grope each other and moan, and the others pointedly began to ignore them.

Rune walked over to Sharpshooter, who was surprised when she gave him a kiss on the cheek. Phoenix quickly took a picture with her helmet before taking it off with a grin.

"Really Ali? Just on the cheek?" Phoenix said with a snicker.

"Shut up" Rune snapped, though she was blushing dark red now. Sharpshooter was looking very satisfied now, and was grinning smugly. Beast, however, walked over to Sharpshooter and punched him in the head, knocking him out and sending him sprawling onto the ground. Beast grinned and said "I've always wanted to do that"

Nightingale remained where she stood though, thinking about what the Precursors words meant.

Things quickly settled down, Chill and Blade put their armor back on and were separated, and Jak got ready to make the jump through time. Nightingale grabbed his hand though, and said "W-wait…if I lose my memories of Jak…then I'll…I'll…" Nightingale whispered, understanding and fear in her voice.

"You shall lose all memory of the kindness and understanding Jak has shown you over the past few days…It will be as if you had never met him. You will most likely revert back to the mannerisms you had before meeting Jak. I am sorry, Iris…it is the only way" Usano said sadly.

"N-no…I…I don't want to be alone…not again…Jak…he's the only one I've ever let in…I started feeling better…don't take that away from me…please…" Nightingale whispered as she clung to Jak's arm.

"Take heart, this will not be the last time you see him. You will live, you will endure, and you will meet Jak again, and once again he'll win your heart. As shown by how much you've come to trust him in these few short days" Usano said gently.

"Win her heart…wait…" Jak began to think before Nightingale pulled on his arm.

"N-no…Jak…please don't leave me…" Nightingale whispered to Jak, who hugged her tightly.

"I have to go. I'm so sorry Night" Jak murmured in her ear. Seeing her so torn was making him not want to leave her behind either…but he had to get back to his Nightingale in the present. Staying behind would only make things more painful for them both. Nightingale took off her helmet, surprising everyone in the room. She smiled sadly and said "Thank you Jak…for everything…"

"If you have to go…I won't stop you…but…promise me one thing…" Nightingale whispered as she took a few steps closer towards him.

Jak looked at her and said "What's that?"

Nightingale kissed Jak deeply on the lips, surprising everyone, and when she broke the kiss she said "Take good care of her. Of…well…me, in the future. OK?"

Nightingale blushed dark red and took a few steps back.

Jak smiled, and then looked at all of the Agents before saying "Goodbye everyone"

Jak turned around and stepped onto the Dorich Device, which began to spin and rotate wildly. Light Eco radiated from it and Jak was quickly engulfed in a cyclone of Light Eco. Nightingale saw her chance and suddenly launched herself at the Dorich Device. The Precursor however lifted its hand up and Nightingale suddenly froze in midair.

"NO! JAAAAAAAK!" Nightingale screamed, flailing uselessly in midair as she reached towards the Dorich Device that was taking Jak away from her.

Nightingale was then hurled back and crashed on the ground, clutching her head and screaming as white energy surged into her. She was then teleported on the spot in a flash of white light.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER!?" Disten roared at the Precursor, pointing his staff at them.

"She nearly destroyed the entire present with that stunt. She's in her room, with no memory of Jak at all, mourning the loss of Rush now, though she is no longer suicidal" the Precursor said to them.

"That's not fair! She already went through that once!" Blade shouted angrily.

"There was no other choice, maintaining the present takes precedence…There's also some other things that we must erase and modify. Anyone and everyone Jak has been in contact with over the course of his time here in the past will lose their memories, or have their memories altered…anything influenced, even slightly, by Jak, will be erased. These past few days will seem a blur to you…This may hurt" the Precursor said to them, and the Agents reluctantly nodded, preparing for the worst.

The Agents all screamed as white light struck each of them from the Precursor's palms. Every person who had met Jak during his time in the past was likewise hit with a bolt of white lightning. The Agents collapsed onto the floor, the first to recover being the Chief.

"What the…what happened?" Disten asked himself.

"I could ask the same thing" Chill asked, rubbing her head.

"Ouch" Beast growled.

"The last thing I remember was that Rush had…oh god…Rush…" Rune whispered, closing her eyes.

"Let's try to piece this together…" Blade said thickly, seeming very dazed.

"It feels as though I've lost something important…like something precious was ripped away from me or something…" Chill whispered.

"Hold up…what's this?" Sharpshooter asked, holding up a piece of paper that was on the Chief's desk.

It was in a handwriting none of them had ever seen before. But there were four simple words on it.

Don't give up hope.

Meanwhile:

Jak stepped through the portal, back into the present, holding the Key in his hands. Everyone in the present started cheering happily that Jak had succeeded, Nightingale being the most excited of them all.

"You did it Jak!" Nightingale said happily, hugging him tightly.

However, Jak tuned them all out, staring the Precursor Leader with his eyes narrowed.

"You have some explaining to do" Jak whispered to them, anger spiked in every syllable. Nightingale let go of him and the Agents looked on in surprise.

Usano smiled and said "Yes…it seems as though we do. Take a seat everyone, this will take a while"

End of Chapter:

Sort of confusing, but all will be resolved next chapter.

Next chapter, secrets revealed, plot revealed, and the return of my favorite boss out of all of the Jak games.

Follow the legacy on Twitter, follow me at FlygonNick!

Until next time, FlygonN out!