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.

40. Reap the Seed

Jak IV: The Avenging Angels

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WHAT'S UP!?

Nah, just kidding. I am considerably more cheerful than usual since January and February, two months I had been dreading for some time now, are gone and done with. We're onto the final stretch of this story, as the last five chapters will bring the series to a close.

This chapter, in typical me fashion, has its fair share of combat, destruction, and deaths. Yes, this chapter will see the most character deaths in any of my stories, including "Apocalypse: Dawn of the Dead."

Also, it would have been out a bit sooner, but it required a bit of reworking to get just right. I also had to once again, debate whether or not to kill off two characters, who you will find out the identity of later.

The next chapter (Chapter 41) will be up LATE FRIDAY NIGHT, on 3/20/2014. I say this, because I'll be on vacation for a week and a half and be MIA for a bit. Also, its an easy chapter (supposedly) and I can knock this one out quickly.

Shoutout to the four people who reviewed last chapter, which includes KrimzonShadow, DaibenDarkKitty64, Oblique Strategies, and Ways.

I know I bang on and on about reviews, but its honestly rather upsetting that only four people of everyone who reads this story bothered to review last chapter. Hopefully this one is a bit more exciting, but I'd like to see a bit more fan response this time.

Anywho! Prepare yourself for the end. This is the end of Part 4.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 40: Reap the Seed

"Why does anyone fight a war? To protect a way of life, to find or support loved ones. To avenge those lost. Or maybe because it's a calling. Because someone has to. Because there's a line no enemy should be allowed to cross." ― Tracy Banghart, Shattered Veil.

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Jak had been in my fights in his life. He'd fought alongside the Krimzon Guard as the Metal Heads attacked the city. Battled with the Freedom League and the Wastelanders against Metal Head and Marauder respectively, using vehicles, his guns, and his eco powers. He had even fought the Champion of Darkness and two weapons experts wearing overpowered armor in the middle of a deadly avalanche of ice.

But this…

This was pure hell.

Both Metal Head and human corpses covered the ground, bloody and covered in Dark Eco and riddled with holes and bullets and cuts and slashes. It was absolute mayhem everywhere as humans shot and killed in the streets at the monsters attacking from every direction. The group of Avenging Angels were quickly swept away in the carnage, until Jak found himself alone against a wave of Metal Heads, growling and snarling at him. Jak grinned savagely and raised his Morph Gun, sliding in the Scatter Gun Mod and opening fire at the horde.

He decided to start off the fight by using his guns, saving his Eco and Yvantael for later. Nightingale stuck close to him while the two charged into the fray, guns shooting all around them the Metal Heads poured into the streets, snarling and roaring and screeching. Aimperditor, massive and deadly monstrosities that seemed to be the stuff of nightmares flew and rampaged through the city as well. Blood and Dark Eco flowed like water in Haven City as both Metal Head and human fell like flies, but for every Metal Head that fell, another took its place.

The Metal Heads continued to stream into the streets from every hole in the city, through vents and doors and the water and the sky and through the Rift Gates. Jak knew at a glance that they were easily outnumbered by the sheer numbers, but he knew that they wouldn't be going down without one hell of a fight.

Jak ducked under a stream of gunfire from a trio of Hunters and switched over to the Peace Maker, charging a shot and firing the ball of energy that formed at the tip of the gun. Two of the Hunters managed to hurl themselves out of the way of the beam, but the third wasn't so lucky and was hit directly by it. Chains of lightning slammed into the two Hunters and a small group of Metal Heads, causing them to scream in agony before falling to the ground, dead or unconscious.

Nightingale suddenly sped past him, firing her shotgun again and again and again as she flew through the battlefield, dodging Dark Eco blasts and mowing down whatever stood in her way effortlessly. A massive bull-like Aimperditor suddenly emerged from down the street, firing a series of Dark Eco lasers from its mouth and tearing through the Freedom League soldiers with ease.

"Jak! Help the soldiers! I'll go take down the bigger ones!" Nightingale yelled as she turned into her Light Form before she rocketed towards the Metal Heads, holding out her hands and firing a series of Light Eco blasts at the largest of the beasts, causing it to roar out in agony.

Jak switched mods once again and glanced around for any familiar faces as he fired Blaster shots at anything approaching him. Several Freedom League soldiers yelled at Jak, cheering him on, and Jak let a grin spread across his face.

"Let's show them the true meaning of fear!" Jak roared as he switched to his Vulcan Fury, unleashing a furious barrage of blue bullets into the sea of Metal Heads approaching from all sides that threatened to destroy them. Jak saw the group bunch up next to him, firing frantically into the horde attacking them. Jak let the Dark Eco in him come forth and he jumped high into the air, twisting his body around and around and around, using the Dark Eco to keep his body spinning in midair, even as hundreds of bolts of Dark Eco shout out of his limbs and struck the attacking monsters, killing them instantly. Jak dropped to the ground, reverting to his normal form as he began to absorb all of the remaining Dark Eco that the fallen Metal Heads had dropped, replenishing his reserves.

"Keep moving, all of you. I'll deal with what's left in the area." Jak ordered the twenty soldiers next to him, earning a series of salutes.

"Be careful, sir." One of the men said to Jak as he ran after his companions. Jak looked behind him, seeing three lion-like Metal Heads crouched and ready to strike. Jak grinned as he turned into his Light Form and drew Nightingale's knife, flipping it into the air as the Metal Heads pounced.

Jak lashed out with his boot and savagely kicked the first one in the face, sending it reeling backwards as the Light Eco rushed into its face. The second Metal Head slashed at Jak, who ducked under it and shot it five times in the head as it landed on the ground and turned to face him, downing the second one. As the third leaped at him, Jak caught Nightingale's knife and stabbed it in the head as it jumped past him, causing it to crash onto the ground lifelessly.

Jak casually walked over to the Metal Heads and grabbed Nightingale's knife from the corpse of the Metal Head, looking around at the smaller battles happening around him. It wouldn't be long before more Metal Heads spawned in…

He moved on to the next area.

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Meanwhile:

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"Come on, darling. You've got to keep up." Shadow said sweetly as she decapitated a Centurian Metal Head with her sickle while unloading a full clip in an snake-like Aimperditor slithering her way, blowing apart the beast's eyes and mouth and sending it to the ground.

"Can do." Tech said as his body burst into a raging green aura, to the amazement of the Metal Heads and the Wastelanders, before he vanished. The Hunters and Hora-Quan had time for a moment of confusion before explosions ripped the servants of the Dark Goddess apart. As Tech admired his handwork, a gunshot rang out and he felt a searing pain explode through his arm.

"Stephen!" Shadow yelled out as Tech looked up, falling to one knee, and glaring at Deadshot, Siren, and Violet, who glared at them through their visors.

"Hello, traitors." Deadshot growled as he fired another shot, but Tech throw up a barrier and deflected it effortlessly.

"Deadshot, Siren, Violet! Why are you doing this!? Just stop!" Shadow yelled at her former friends and subordinates.

"You know we can't just stop. We can't go back. We have no choice but to kill, to fight…Even if we wanted to stop…We can't." Siren said as she removed her helmet, revealing that her entire neck was jet black, as was most of her body underneath the armor. The only part not corrupted by Dark Eco was most of her head.

"No…" Shadow hissed as Siren put her helmet back on.

"We made our choice. Even if we're unsure what will happen, we have to pray that the Dark Goddess will come through for us. We will be on the winning side, Shadow. You…will not." Siren said slowly.

"Sorry, Commander. We've got our orders, even if its taking you out. Nothing personal…" Deadshot said with a small sigh as he put his rifle away, jumping down and landing on the ground. Tech and Shadow exchanged a glance before they held out their hands...

And fired a nonstop stream of missiles at Deadshot, who was literally blown through multiple buildings before the couple stopped their assault.

"Was that really necessary?" Siren asked as she lunged at Shadow, who ducked under a Dark-Eco charged kick and fired a shot at Siren's exposed back, but the Hunter jumped away and flung out her hands, letting lose a wave of Dark Eco towards the couple, who threw up two barriers that withstood the blast.

"We've already held off your Champion. You guys are nothing." Tech said coldly as he dispelled the shield and flew at Siren, punching her savagely in the gut and releasing a wave of Red Eco, following up with blast of ice that immobilized her. Tech turned around and fired a massive beam of pure energy at Violet at point-blank, sending her flying backwards with a scream of agony as she crashed down on the ground, shaking in pain.

"You three overestimate your own abilities. No strategy, no plan, no nothing." Shadow said in a disapproving manner.

"You…You…" Siren growled as she broke free of her prison, joined by Deadshot a moment later, who began firing at the couple, who easily deflected the shots back at him with another shield. Violet got to her feet and let loose a wave of lightning at the couple from behind, which Tech managed to deflect by throwing up another shield with his other hand the redirecting the bolts back at her.

"Fall back!" Siren yelled a little bit too loudly, jumping into the air and vanishing in a burst of Dark Eco. Deadshot and Violet followed her a moment later.

"They'll be back soon. They're nothing if not stubborn. Come on, we've got to get back to the squad." Tech said to Shadow, who nodded, before the sound of gunfire could be heard close be.

"Sod off you prick!" a female voice yelled before a crashing sound could be heard. A woman with long black hair and a beautiful face ran by, holding a strange looking Eco-based rifle that was firing into an alleyway behind her.

"Is that Lady Starlight? The hell is she doing here?" one of the Freedom League soldiers yelled as the woman continued to fire at the lone Hunter and Metal Heads pursuing her.

"Come now, Lady Starlight? Surely the heart of this miserable city wouldn't be such a coward?" the female Hunter taunted the singer as she landed in front of her.

"Leave her alone!" a cold voice suddenly barked at the pursuers of the pop star. Suddenly, a wave of crisscrossing Light and Dark Eco enveloped the Hunter and Metal Heads and began to tear them apart, leaving them bloody broken messes before a fire ball of Dark Eco destroyed them completely.

A man in black armor with gold and purple trim stood in the middle of the street, holding a sniper rifle in one hand and a beautiful cane in the other.

"Starlight…I told you that straying from our escort was dangerous." Eclipse said stonily.

"I wanted to help in the fight. I killed a few Metal Heads, but then that Hunter and his pets started chasing me." Starlight explained.

"Fair enough…" Eclipse said with a sigh.

"So…You're going to be fighting the Hunters?" Starlight asked Eclipse.

"I'll do what I have to do. Nothing more nothing less." Eclipse replied.

"As expected, Raphael. You always were the practical one, when it counted." Starlight said with a laugh before she hugged Eclipse, who returned the embrace.

"We'll talk later. Get to a safe place, find a few Freedom League soldiers to protect you. Do whatever you have to do…Just be safe." Eclipse said as he let go of Starlight, who nodded and fled down the street. Eclipse sighed again before he flipped the cane in his grasp and pointed the stick end of it at the Hunters approaching from one of the side streets, weapons drawn. Among the group was Siren and Violet, who had returned.

"They've brought reinforcements. Great," Tech said as he got ready to fight.

"Eclipse! What are you doing?" Shadow said to the Hunter Commander, who straightened up and pointed his cane at Siren and Violet.

"I'm done dealing with the devil. I won't let these monsters destroy my home. My life. The Dark Goddess has nothing in store for you but false promises…" Eclipse growled at the two Hunters, who looked away from him.

"So…There's some trace of you left in those husks." Eclipse said quietly.

"She's in so deep…We lose our minds half the time, and the other half we regret what we've done. Looking back…Is this what we wanted? Becoming mindless slaves to a force we barely know?" Siren asked Eclipse.

"Its not too late…Chase was saved. You can too…" Eclipse said as he took a step forward, lowering his cane and extending a hand towards the two Hunters. Two of his former subordinates…Two of his former friends…

Shadow and Siren exchanged a look before they looked at Eclipse. Shadow and Tech tore themselves away from the scene unfolding then to take on a new wave of Slinger and Centurian Metal Heads, which fired a barrage of Dark Eco blasts at the soldiers, cutting down a few of the less reactive ones. Eclipse had rushed forward, swinging his cane wildly and cutting down the waves of Hunters with ease, displaying the skill that had earned him the rank of Commander in the Hunters. He weaved in and out of the mass of bodies, blocking and deflecting all blows and gunshots as he kept up a nonstop conversation with the group.

"Sam, why do you fight? To protect your mom and dad? To make sure the Metal Heads don't kill them? Look what you're doing now!? How does this help them? How does this keep them safe?" Eclipse asked before he blasted a heavyset man away from him with a blast of Light and Dark Eco.

"Elise, your brother died because of the Metal Heads! Your mother and father have both died since you join the Hunters! Why do you continue to help them?" Eclipse demanded a young woman with a shotgun, who lowered it for a moment before Eclipse flung a throwing knife into her shoulder, downing her.

"All of you are being used! Open your eyes already!" Eclipse yelled as Violet and Siren exchanged another look before lowering their weapons.

"Everyone. Stand do-" Siren began to say before a shout interrupted her.

"Eclipse! Behind you!" Shadow screamed as the black figure dashed towards Eclipse with a sense of purpose. Eclipse spun around in time for the creature to slam into him, splashing the ground with blood and drawing two screams from Violet and Siren as Eclipse let out a rasping yelp in pain as blood filled his lungs.

"Commander Ylvsa! What are you doing!?" Violet screamed at the Metal Head Commander, who withdrew his blades from Eclipse and let him fall to the ground, where he remained still.

"This man was a traitor. He uses his slick words to try and convince you to stray…Do not be fooled by his tricks. He does not have the ears of a God-" Yvlsa began to say before a bolt of lightning slammed into him, sending him flying backwards.

"You killed our friend!" Violet screamed as she ran at the Metal Head Commander, who

"ATTENTION!" Yvlsa roared, causing the two women to suddenly become still. Yvlsa let out a small dark chuckle and said "Return to the Gate and await further instructions."

"Yes, Commander." Violet and Siren replied in monotone voices before they vanished in a burst of Dark Eco. The Metal Head Commander laughed to himself before he turned to face Tech and Shadow, who began charging up beams of Eco that shot at the Metal Head Commander, sending him flying down the street and into the side of a building.

"You monster." Shadow hissed as Yvlsa got to his feet, growling as well.

"Please, do not jest. I have much better things to attend to than deal with you traitors. I must keep an eye on the General, and ensure he and his forces open the Gate. Then…I shall return to claim your lives." Yvlsa growled before he kicked off of the ground and vanished into thin air.

"What the hell is going on here...The Hunters are practically puppets for the Metal Heads now. They resist now at nearly every turn…If we can somehow get them out from under the Dark Goddess's thumb." Tech muttered before Shadow pushed him to the ground and threw up a shield, blocking a massive blast of Dark Eco.

"Ponder it when we're not about to die, Stephen." Shadow said tersely, gritting her teeth. Tech got to his feet, but threw himself at his fiancé, hugging her tightly.

"We'll avenge him…We'll avenge all of them." Tech murmured in her ear.

"I know we will…We'll make them pay!" Shadow yelled as she ran back into the thick of the battle, her fiancé close behind her.

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Meanwhile:

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Jak grit his teeth as he pulled the trigger of his Piercer Rifle, blasting a Wasp out of the air as it circled overhead. He was running low and ammo for everything except the Peace Maker, where he had a few more shots in reserve.

"I need to get to another part of the City and find that Gate…" Jak thought as he sidestepped a stab from a Hunter and shot him point-blank in the face with his rifle.

"Guys. Commander Eclipse just got taken out by one of the Metal Head Commanders." Tech suddenly said over the radio.

"What? That makes no sense." Jak replied as he shook his head before spotting a familiar face in the crowd of soldiers fighting the monsters attacking from all directions. Jak turned into his light form and soared over to the figure, dropping down to the ground and pulled out his Morph Gun.

"I haven't had this much fun in years." Sig laughed as he charged up a shot with his Peace Maker and fired, sending a blue ball of death soaring towards a Metal-Saur that was emerging from a massive Rift Gate about 200 years away. The monster roared in agony and fell through the gate, dead.

"You thrive on this, though. Battle, protecting those you care about, and killing stuff." Jak replied as he eyed a crowd of Metal Heads as they took down a platoon of Freedom League soldiers.

"Well, Chili Pepper. I think its time we showed them what a true Wastelander can do. Right Jak!?" Sig yelled with a grin as he and Jak stood back to back, eyeing the swarm of Metal Heads around them that was drawing closer.

"Right." Jak said as he switched to his Blaster Mod and opened fire. Sig fired a series of red beams from his own Peace Maker, and the two began to fend off the Metal Heads at they charged down at the two mighty warriors of the sand. Jak continued to mow down the Metal Heads until he ran out of Yellow Eco Ammo, and switched to his green Eco ammo, quickly burning through that as well.

"Looks like we'll have to get our hands dirty, eh!?" Sig laughed as he ran forward, bashing his Peace Maker over the head of a Grunt before spinning it around, a massive blade shooting out of the end of the gun, and stabbing the Metal Head in the throat with it. Sig yanked the blade free, grinning widely, until a massive figure crashed down on top of him from above.

"SIG!" Jak yelled as the Spyder Gunner aimed its Eco blaster at Sig's head, even as the warriors struggled to move underneath the massive creature's weight. Jak shot forward, turning into Light Jak, and shot a ball of Light Eco forward, which sent the massive Metal head flying off his friend.

"Thanks, Cherry." Sig said as he hopped to his feet, charging up his Peace Maker and firing it at the Spyder Gunner got up, only for it scream and howl in agony before exploding in a burst of Dark Eco.

Jak simply nodded and reverted to his normal form, as Sig looked over Jak's shoulder.

"Jak! Hunter!" Sig yelled at Jak, who turned around and drew Yavntael in time to block a glowing scythe from a green and black armored Hunter, glowing with Dark Eco. Two more Hunters appeared from out of nowhere, lunging at Sig, who began fending them off.

"All…Hail…Arranst!" the Hunter growled before Jak pushed him away and aimed his Morph Gun at him, switching to the Piercer Rifle and firing at the Hunter as he got to his feet, shooting a hole straight through his body and sending him falling to the ground.

Sig ducked under a overhanded punch from one of the Hunter's, shooting him twice in the spine before firing a ball of pulsating blue energy at the second Hunter, sending him flying down the street with a high scream of pain. Sig lowered his weapon, giving the man a mocking salute. Sig turned around, a small smirk on his face.

"Good work. You'd make Damas proud." Sig said as he walked over to Jak, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Thanks." Jak said quietly, feeling proud of that remark. His father…A man he who had only been a small part of his life, but become part of his inspiration to fight. To protect others. To become a hero so that others wouldn't have to...

Jak put away his Morph Gun, clenching his fists before he threw his arms out, letting the Light Eco burst forth and engulf him. Sig smirked as Jak glanced over at him, with the two exchanging a nod.

"Give em hell." Sig said as he clapped Light Jak on the shoulder as he walked past him, charging up a shot with his Peace Maker and firing it into the horde of Metal Heads about 100 yards away. Jak smiled under his helmet before kicking off of the ground and shooting into the sky.

Almost immediately Jak was attacked by a swarm of flying Aimperditor. Three eagle-like creatures with massive jaws and razor sharp teeth, gleaming with blood. Jak shot higher into the air and charged up a shot with the Peace Maker, firing it into the back of one of the monsters, causing it to shriek in agony as the electricity ripped through its body.

The two other Aimperditor managed to get out of range of the blast and shot towards Jak, who smirked and threw up a Light Shield, causing both monsters to crash into the barrier he threw up. Jak dispersed the shield and lunged at the nearest Metal Head, punching it in the jaw before pulling out Yvantael and stabbing the creature in the throat. Jak spun around and aimed his sword at the other creature, using it to fire a ball of Light Eco that vaporized the creature instantly.

Jak glanced around the city, taking a moment to rest. The battles all around were going just as well as he expected. Tech and Shadow's group were holding down the Industrial Sector, but were faring badly. Jak could see Tech and Shadow flying back and forth, doing whatever they could to try and stem the tide of the Metal Heads, but there were simply too many.

"Tech, is there any way to shut down the Rift Gates?" Jak asked Tech over the radio.

"No! These things are rigged so that we can't shut them down. I think only the Hunters or the Queen can do it." Tech panted heavily.

"We need to find Havoc, I think. You keep going on about him being savable, Jak ad Night. Maybe he's the key to us surviving this hell." Shadow replied before she let out a yell.

"Jak, go help Torn and Ashelin. Rune, Phoenix, and Sharp are helping them, and its going even worse for them down at the Port." Chief Disten suddenly yelled at Jak.

"Where's Nightingale?" Jak asked the Chief.

"Last time I saw her, she was helping protect the roads that lead to the Port." Disten replied before letting out a yell, his transmission ending.

"He's having the time of his life, I bet. He hasn't been able to fight like this in years." Tech replied dryly.

"How is he able to fight like this anyway?" Jak asked Tech.

"While he is still pretty fit for a guy his age, I managed to rework his armor to use a special kind of nano-machine system. I'll bore you with the details later, but he can fight at about where he could twenty years ago. On top of about three additional enhancements to his armor? He'll be fine." Tech said before he ended his transmission.

Jak smirked at the thought of the older warrior letting out years of pent up fury out against the Metal Heads and turned towards the Port before shooting off in that direction. Jak fired a Light Strike here and there along the way where the clusters of Metal Heads were the thickest, helping in what little ways he could.

"You guys need some backup?" Jak asked as he landed in front of Torn and Ashelin, throwing up a Light Shield and blocking a series of Dark Eco blasts.

"Thought you'd forgotten about us." Ashelin said with a small smile as she reloaded her pistol, firing another clip and taking down two Juice Goons that were taking aim at them. Jak smirked, taking off his helmet and clipping it to his waist, as he turned into Dark Jak and held out his hand, firing an arc of Dark Eco that slammed into a cluster of Metal Heads, blowing them apart.

"Not a chance." Dark Jak growled as he rushed out to meet several Hunters who had arrived. Jak snatched one by the neck, even as the soldier stabbed him in the arm, and hurled him down the battlefield, where he crashed into a building and landed on the ground, unmoving. Dark Jak grinned as the other Hunters kept their distance, shooting at the beast before them with their rifles. Dark Jak flung up a Dark Barrier, which bounced the bullets back at the Hunters, before he let that dissipate and firing a Dark Strike at the Hunters, who were sent flying back with screams of agony.

"Jak! Above you!" Ashelin yelled. Dark Jak looked up in time for a boot to slam into his face and send him crashing to the ground. Shade smirked as released a massive blast of Dark Eco from his hand at Dark Jak as he got to his feet, sending him crashing into Phoenix and Chase. Rune spun Aptos in a quick circle before she fired a stream of Yellow Eco at Shade, who managed to take the hits head on before flinging out his hands and letting out a scream of rage. Dark Jak got to his feet, his mouth set in a snarl.

"GET BEHIND ME!" Dark Jak bellowed as he let out a bellow of fury, letting the Light Eco inside of him burst forth as well, Jak drew Yvantael and transformed into Guardian, raising a massive golden barrier of light as a maelstrom of Dark Eco erupted from Shade. Jak grit his teeth at the sheer strength of the attack, evidence that the Hunters were being supported by Arranst directly at this point.

"So this is Jak's true power…Incredible." Ashelin murmured as Jak's shield flashed white, vanishing as the Dark Eco attack hitting it did.

"Bastard…" Shade hissed tiredly, taking a step back. Jak smiled and disappeared in a flash of gold, reappearing above Shade and slashing downwards with Yavntael. Shade jumped back with a swear, only for a arc of energy to shoot through the ground and blast upwards, sending him flying into the air. Jak kicked off of the ground with inhuman speed, meeting Shade in air and grabbing him by the arm and savagely punching him in the face, shattering his helmet and sending him spiraling down to the ground.

"S-s-s-such…Power…" Shade hissed as he threw off his destroyed helmet, panting in pain for a moment before he glanced back up at Jak, only to get a blast of Light Eco thrown in his face. Shade crashed onto the ground, twitching in agony, before he opened his eyes and saw Jak leveling a claymore at his throat, sparkling gold and thrumming with energy that made him hurt all over.

"Do it…" Shade said to Jak, smirking a little. Jak wordlessly drew his hand back-

"Not a chance!"

Jak let out a yell as two beams of Dark Eco slammed into him, and as Jak looked around to face his new attackers, Doppelganger and Deadshot.

"Your new form is something else. But I wonder, if you use it on us, will you be in any state to fight Havoc and the Dark Goddess?" Doppelganger asked Jak mockingly as he sauntered forward, tapping his gun against his head as Jak got into a fighting stance. Shade and Deadshot vanished and reappeared behind Jak a short distance away, sizing him up. Jak was aware of Torn and Ashlein leaving with their soldiers, knowing that they would only get in the way.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. You three die here and now." Jak growled as waves of Dark and Light Eco pulsed around him. Doppelganger growled and aimed his gun at Jak, but was thrown off by the new arrivals.

"OI! HEADS UP!" a new voice shouted at Doppelganger, who looked to the left in time to get a gunstaff smashed against his head. Doppelganger fell to the ground, looking up at Chase in fury as the former-Hunter levelled the gunstaff at his once friend.

"Goodbye, D." Chase muttered as he fired the gunstaff, only find the Hunter gone. Doppelganger had vanished and reappeared a short distance away, pulling out an SMG and opening fire at Chase, who was suddenly protected by Rune, who stepped in front of him with Aptos, with had its green shield out.

"I won't let you try and take another one of my precious ones, you bastard." Rune growled at Doppelganger, who laughed coldly as he pulled out a black sword from his back, grinning underneath his visor.

"Bring it, bitch." Doppelganger jeered before he ran at Rune, who sprinted towards him with a scream of fury. The two soldiers crashed into each other, trading blows back and forth across the street, with Rune quickly gaining the upper hand with her speed and stabbing Doppelganger with the end of Aptos and yanking it free, only to be blasted away as a bolt of Dark Eco smashed into the ground beside her. Phoenix rushed forward as Doppelganger got to his feet and healed his wound, only to receive a knife to the chest from the irate twin. Doppelganger let out a scream of pain as the knife burned him inside of his body. He wrenched the knife free and threw it onto the ground, but not before a massive blast of fire enveloped him.

Jak grinned at Deadshot took aim at him, only for Jak to appear in front of him and yank the rifle out of his hands and slam a fist into his visor, shattering the glass and sending the Hunter flying down the street like a ragdoll.

"Is this the power of the Precursors…?" Shade wondered aloud as he flexed his robotic hand.

"No…It's the power of all of the people dead at the hands of the monsters you serve. You all seem like good people, people who have their hearts in the right places…So how did you find yourselves serving a monster?" Jak asked Shade, who let out a growl and lunged at Jak, who dodged the swing and kicked Shade in the back, sending him sprawling away. Shade got to his feet furiously and held out his normal hand, firing a wicked discharge of black lightning at Jak, who slashed at the lightning with Yvantael, smirking now.

"This blade represents balance, between both light and darkness. Good and evil. I am that balance, Shade." Jak said as before a sniper round suddenly bounced off the back of his helmet, blocked by the gold aura he had around him.

"That was a kill shot…What the hell is he?" Deadshot muttered as Jak turned around quickly, slashing at him and sending an arc of golden energy racing towards him, ripping through him and causing him to scream in agony. Jak took a step towards the downed sniper-

"Jak! On your left!"

Jak spun around in time for Rune to land in front of Jak, holding Aptos like a shield as it blocked a spiraling beam of Dark Eco that crashed into the shield, dissipating after a moment. Shade clenched his fists in fury before vanishing on the spot, followed by Deadshot a moment later.

"Anyone notice how the Hunters flee whenever we subdue them, but come back stronger as ever?" Jak asked everyone over his headset.

"I noticed the same thing. Looks like something is feeding energy to them and helping them get back into the fight." Blade commented.

"I agree with Agent Blade. We must be extremely cautious around the Hunters, especially the higher ups." Disten said over the radio.

"I had it under control." Jak said dryly, nodding to Rune, who laughed lightly for a moment before Phoenix leaped in front of the two of them, flinging a stream of fireballs at Doppelganger.

"Sure, sure." Chase said lightly as he blocked a series of blasts from two Wasps flying overhead, which were blasted out of the sky by the young ex-Hunter.

"Does it feel weird, fighting them?" Jak asked Chase, as two Hunters appeared in front of them, holding wicked looking gunstaffs.

"Yes…But I know what's at stake. I know what's worth fighting for…I know what they seek is just lies…And that's why I can fight them and not feel bad about ending their lives. Its because I know this is a mercy to them." Chase said heavily as Doppelganger reappeared a short distance away, wounds completely healed and him ready for another round.

"Phoenix and Rune, take care of D. Me and Jak will handle protection duty with the other two." Chase said to the twins, who exchanged a look before nodding at the ex-Hunter.

"So…You and Rune?" Jak asked Chase, who shrugged as he began to trade strikes with one of the Hunters before slipping under his guard and unloading a clip of his SMG into the man's chest, killing him instantly.

"She's cute. And really nice. The thing is, Sharp's crazy for her and she likes him too. And…I really don't like the idea of muscling in on another guy's woman, if you catch my drift." Chase admitted as he reloaded his SMG and began firing at a few Wasps that were floating in towards them.

"No, I get it. I'm sure Rune will figure things out eventually." Jak said as he blocked a gunstaff and blasted the Hunter away with a Dark Strike, which he noticed was weaker in this form that in his Dark Jak form.

"AGH! No! I can't lose!"

Jak glanced to his side and saw the twins overwhelming Doppelganger, who despite having Eco powers couldn't defeat the twins teamwork, which was flawless. Every time an opening in one twin's guard was spotted by the Hunter, it was protected by the other twin. And he was being forced back, step by step, until Rune slipped under his guard and delivered a heel kick to his jaw, breaking it. Phoenix rushed forward, with both of her fists on fire, and began to deliver a series of powerful flaming jabs to the man's body. Doppelganger could only yell out as the warrior viciously assaulted him, ending her attack with a point blank fireball that sent him crashing to the ground on his stomach.

"Agh…That…That really freaking hurt you little-" Doppelganger began to say before Phoenix stomped down on his back and sank one of her special knives into the man's spine. Doppelganger let out a scream of utter agony as the woman tore his spine apart.

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Phoenix hissed as she dug the knife deeper into Doppelganger's spine, causing him to scream in pain as the flames began to envelope him.

"Michelle, that's enough!" Rune called to her sister, who shook her head.

"He made me suffer…He made me scream. So he'll get the same in return." Phoenix growled with hate and pain in her voice.

Jak scowled and vanished, reappearing in front of Phoenix and stabbing downwards with Yvantael, stabbing through Doppelganger's helmet and killing him instantly.

"Why did you do that!?" Phoenix yelled at Jak, who's eyes narrowed in his helmet.

"Because it wouldn't have made you any better than him. Remember what you fight for, Phoenix." Jak said quietly, gesturing to corpse-filled street of Freedom League soldiers. Phoenix looked away and shivered for a moment before saying "God I hate this…Fighting just brings out the worst in me."

"We should keep moving. Staying in one place is begging for attention." Chase said as he walked over to the group.

"Attention all Avenging Angels. Any active Agents not directly assisting in a battle at the moment please go to the Bazaar District. Me, Agent Blade, and Agent Chill are currently in need of backup…We found the General." The Chief's voice spoke through the radio, sounding tense.

"Damn it. We've got to help him." Rune said as she reactivated Aptos.

"Rune, Phoenix. You two go help the Chief. Chase, can you guard Torn and Ashelin?" Jak asked the ex-Hunter, who nodded and ran off.

"I don't like him going alone." Rune said quietly.

"I know, Ali, but now's not the time for that. The Chief needs us." Phoenix said as she grabbed her sister's arm, gently pulling on it. After a moment, Rune looked at Jak and hugged him tightly.

"You be careful too." Rune muttered before she ran off with her sister.

Jak starred after the sisters for a moment before he noticed that Metal Heads were pouring in from another area of the city, meaning that the defenses there had been completely destroyed. The Metal Heads drew closer as Jak reverted to his normal form, cracking his knuckles and pulling out his Peace Maker.

"Bring it." Jak laughed as the first few Metal Heads, a few lowly Grunts, began to run at him.

"Hey, if anyone's going to bash that prick's head in, its me!" a familiar voice yelled before a torrent of gunfire tore the Metal Heads heading at Jak apart. Jak had went into Light Mode and threw up a barrier at the sound of someone yelling, but a glance to his left found him smirking slightly as a large man in Avenging Angel armor walked over to him, wielding a massive chaingun.

"About time you got here, Crash." Jak remarked as he reverted to his normal form.

"Heh. Like I'd miss a fight like this." Crash said as he unloaded more of his chaingun into the surrounding Metal Heads, picking them off effortlessly, giving Jak a moment' reprieve.

"So, what happened in Kras City?" Jak asked Crash, who shrugged.

"Met up with Mizo, my boss. He's kind of an asshole. Got signed up in some stupid super race that no one should care about." Crash said dryly.

"It couldn't be that bad. If you won, there'd probably be a supposedly bad but really awesome racing game based off of it." Jak reasoned, earning a middle finger from Crash.

"Anyway, I ended up running into Tech and Shadow, and promptly wrecked Tech's shit. But, he got away thanks to Shadow, who shot me. I've been spending the past week or so trying to recover and get back here." Crash finished explaining.

"They're back on our side, again." Jak began to say, earning a look from Crash. Jak then spotted an ammo crate hidden away next to an alleyway, and ran over to it, smashing it with his foot and grabbing a few clips for his Vulcan Fury and two shots for his Peace Maker.

"You've got to be kidding me. After what they pulled?" Crash growled as he lowered his gun for a moment as Jak rejoined him.

"Its what we had to do. Tech is the only one who had finish the weapon the Precursors left behind to kill the Queen Metal Head." Jak explained, earning a nod in response.

"I guess…Damn it, I don't like it but it makes sense. I guess I'll have to deal with it. What matters is that I'm here, and I'll be with you guys until the end." Crash said as he raised his gun again.

"Good to have you here. We need every person we can get." Jak said as he attached the Vulcan Fury mod to his Morph Gun. The two began to shoot their way through the street, with Crash activating a small barrier shield around him (this was apparently his armor enhancement) to protect him from the gunfire of the Hunters and Metal Heads.

"NO! We won't let you break through to the rest of the city, Champion of Balance!" a Hunter screamed at them from the nearby rooftop, waving a gunstaff wildly. Metal Heads began to spawn in front of them, dozens upon dozens of the monsters.

"Ha! Try to break through now, you fool!" the foolish Hunter yelled before Jak sent a round through his throat.

"You dick." Crash growled as he got ready to fight the horde.

"Need a hand, boys?" a smug voice asked them before a loud rushing sound filled their ears, causing them to look up in time to see a Raven-Ship decked out in a variety of guns firing at the street, tearing through the Metal Heads ranks.

"Hey, look who finally came back! Daniel, you took your sweet time." Nymph remarked as she flew around.

"Good to see you too, Vivi." Crash remarked fondly, a wide grin on his face.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Jet asked, sounding annoyed.

"Now, I've got to go help the Chief. From the looks of it, he's going after the Hunter Leader, and he's getting close to him-" Nymph began to say before a purple streak of energy slammed into the side of her transport.

"NYMPH!" Jak and Crash yelled as the transport began to spurt flames and fly in the other directly, slowly spinning.

"AGH! I'm hit…I'll…I'll try and land, but at this height, I don't think I can-" she was cut off by an explosion, and the Raven-Ship began to plummet.

"Vivi! Come on, stay up there!" Crash yelled frantically, fear evident in his voice. Jak remained silent in horror as Jet began to speak into the radio.

"We're too high up and we're coming in too hot. I…I…Tell Sasha I love her, guys. Please, do that for me if we don't-" Jet began to say before Nymph cut him off with a yell.

"NO! Nononono! Mayday! We're going down! I REPEAT! WE'RE GOING DOWN-!" Nymph screamed before the transport she and Jet were in collided with the side of a large building in the distance, creating a massive fireball hundreds of feet above the ground. Jak could hear it all the way from where he was, and he felt a cold shudder go through his body. Crash began shaking in grief and rage as he reloaded his weapon before looking up at the few Metal Heads approaching him in the streets.

"Vivi…Jet…You fucking monsters!" Crash screamed hoarsely as he unleashed his fury upon the Metal Heads.

"Looks like…The gloves are coming off." Jak thought darkly as he tapped into more of the Light Eco in his body, shooting down to the ground. His feet slammed into the ground, releasing a deadly pulse of Light Eco that vaporized all of the Metal Heads surrounding him and healing the wounds of the soldiers fighting the monsters.

Jak got to his feet as the last dregs of Light Eco left his body, before letting that rage and anger inside him burst forth as the Dark Eco inside of him did the same. Jak let out a bellow as Dark Jak burst forth.

No mercy. No giving in. No surrender.

---

Meanwhile:

---

Chief Disten couldn't help but smile at the ease at which he slew the Metal Heads, at his older age. His years organizing and leading the group he called his family had dulled his skills, and then the old age crept in. He could still fight and hold his own, but he was hardly as good as he was when he was 27, when he accepted the position as the Chief.

But now, thanks to Tech, he was able to protect those he cared for once more. He was outfitted with plenty of new hardware, courtesy of the genius, and was more than prepared to face the horde.

The Chief broke himself out of his musing to find that he was somehow all alone, save for Blade and Chill, in this entire section of the Bazaar district,. Disten glanced around the destroy street he walked down, looking for any signs of life. Nothing…

"Something feels off." Blade commented, glancing around.

"Yeah…I have this really bad feeling about this area..." Chill muttered, causing Blade to wrap an arm around his wife.

"We're together. And as long as we are, we'll be fine." Blade assured her.

"Odd…Seems almost like a-" the Chief let out a yell before he flung himself to the side in time to avoid a blast of Dark Eco that ripped apart the ground he had stood under. The Chief rolled into a crouch and saw a figure in all black armor standing down the street, one arm held out in his direction.

General Dark.

"Blade…Chill…get ready." Disten said as he flipped his staff in his hands.

"I've waited a long time for this…" Dark whispered as Dark Eco hissed around him, giving him the look of someone cloaked in black lightning.

"No worries, Chief." Blade said as he shifted into a defensive stance.

"Ah! Come in! This is the Green Sage, Samos. We're being overrun in the Western Area of the city! We won't hold on much longer without some kind of assistance!" Samos said in a panicked tone before a loud explosion cut him off.

"Blade…Go help Samos. I'll deal with the General." Disten said as he Dark locked eyes.

"No. I'm not leaving you to take on the General." Blade said to the Chief with a stern note in his voice.

"Attention all Avenging Angels. Any active Agents not directly assisting in a battle at the moment please go to the Bazaar District. Me, Agent Blade, and Agent Chill are currently in need of backup…We found the General." Disten said into his radio, causing the General to laugh.

"Fine…Just don't die, Chief." Blade turned to Chill and pulled her into a tight hug, muttering something that Disten tuned out as he starred down General Dark again. Blade ran into the city, leaving Chill and Dark alone with the sadistic leader, who looked at them silently for an entire minute before saying anything.

"Sending your family to their deaths? How like you, Randall…You were always a coward when it counted." Dark growled as he walked towards the Chief, who got in front of Chill and fired a beam of energy from his hand, but this was blocked by a massive wall of Dark Eco.

"Can you survive until then, all by yourself and a little pawn?" General Dark yelled as he vanished into thin air, to reappear before Disten, who swung his staff at him, only to miss as the General vanished again. Chill suddenly let out a yell as she was thrown to the side by Dark as he appeared behind her, only for him to vanish again.

"Pathetic…Just like this world." Dark laughed as Disten fired a blast of Light Eco at him, only for the man to vanish again. He reappeared next to Chill, who fired a series of ice blasts at the man, who took the attacks head on, freezing completely solid.

"Got em'." Chill said with a smirk.

Dark then broke out of the ice ad vanished once more.

"Oh wow, he got hit just to show he could break out of the ice. Dick move, man." Chill muttered.

"Come out and fight me, you coward!" Disten barked at Dark.

"Coward? Me? You're the one who sat behind a desk, content to send his family to their deaths!?" Dark suddenly roared at Disten, reappearing for a moment and lunging at Disten from atop one of the nearby rooftops. Disten pointed his staff at Dark and fired a massive beam of energy at him, blasting the man away with a roar of pain.

"Your anger seems to control you, General." Disten remarked as the General fell to the ground, shaking with…laughter?

"Hehehehe…Hahahaha…You just don't get it, Randall…Disten…Chief of the Avenging Angels." Dark said as he slowly got to his feet. Disten fired another massive beam of energy at the man, who vanished once again. Disten glanced around, trying to find the man, but it seemed as though he was gone for the moment.

"There's no way he just left." Chill said as she clenched her fists. The minutes began to roll by, with each passing moment adding to the two warriors uneasiness. Blade finally radio'd in, scaring Chill.

"Guys, its really bad over here. We're getting slaughtered. They managed to get their hands on a massive shipment of Dark Eco, and it won't take much to set that off." Blade said tersely.

"Babe, please, just get out of there." Chill said to her fiancé.

"Chill, go to him. Now." Disten said to Chill, who looked at the Chief.

"If you stay here…You may never have a chance to see him again. Don't do what I did…Go to him." Disten said to Chill before a plume of red flames rushed by him, engulfing General Dark.

"How'd you like that!?" Phoenix yelled as Dark as she and Rune, now joined by Sharpshooter along the way, arrived at the scene.

"Nicole, to your husband." Disten demanded the white-haired woman, who nodded and ran off to help her husband.

"Ah…Love…Isn't it grand?"

The ground exploded, sending the four Agents to the ground with yells of pain. Dark stood in the middle of the fray, his hands out to his sides. Rune and Phoenix rushed at the man, firing a barrage of bullets at the man, who vanished again in a burst of Dark Eco.

"Stop hiding!" Sharp yelled out, glancing around and trying to find the man.

"If you insist." Dark said with a small laugh, reappearing and holding his arms out to his sides, as if inviting the group to attack him. Sharpshooter unloaded the entire clip of his rifle at the man, who began to laugh as the bullets bounced off of his body, which began to glow dark purple. He then swing his hand in a wide arc, sending Rune, Sharp, and Phoenix to the ground. Dark was again blasted by the Chief's laser, though this time it did nothing.

"And so it was foretold…That a fallen hero will return, worse than he had ever been before…" Dark said as Sharpshooter and Rune got to their feet, with both Agents throwing themselves at the man with furious yells.

Rune slashed and stabbed at Dark, who easily dodged the attacks and grabbed her by the throat, effortlessly tossing her to the ground. Dark turned around and caught a kick from Phoenix, who jumped back and being swinging her fists, sending deadly fireballs at the General who walked through the fire and savagely kicked Phoenix across the way, sending her crashing into a nearby stall filled with fruits. Rune stabbed at Dark, who disarmed her, before trying to punch the man.

Dark grabbed Rune's fist and pulled her towards him, punching her savagely in the chest and causing her to go flying backwards. Sharpshooter yelled out her name, looking towards her, but this provided Dark with just what he needed.

"Sharp! Watch out for Dark!" Disten yelled as he got to his feet, only for Dark to grab Sharpshooter by the throat and begin choking him.

"How many have to die, Randall…How many!?" Dark roared as he ripped of Sharpshooter's helmet, his sweaty hair coming free from the protective helmet.

"Chief, kill this bastard! Don't worry about me!" Sharp yelled.

"Leave him alone!" Rune yelled before she doubled over in agony, falling to her knees.

"She'll need medical attention within the hour if she'll ever want to fight again. As for you, young man…Nothing will save you from what I'm about to do to you." Dark growled as he suddenly grabbed Sharp's entire head with his hand, causing him to scream out as the leader of the Hunters began to apply pressure to his skull.

"How does it feel…Being unable to help him…Knowing that if you take but a step forward, I'll kill this strapping young man? Hurts, doesn't it Randall?" Dark laughed gleefully.

"Who…Who are you? And why are you drawing this out? To make me suffer?" Disten asked the man, who slowly straightened up, his laugh slowly becoming louder and louder.

"Who am I…Well, I have become the very darkness that ensnared my heart so long ago. I became Darkness…But I suppose once upon a time I went by another name…You knew me as another man…" Dark said as he removed his helmet, letting his long matted hair free and causing Disten to take a step back in surprise and horror.

"No…No…You…Not you…" Disten choked out as the man's wide smile widened.

Before him stood Gallus Jarkas, former co-founder of the Avenging Angels and his godfather, who then crushed Sharpshooter's skull effortlessly, painting the ground with blood.

---

Meanwhile:

---

"Come on, Champion of Light! Is that the best you've got?" Shade growled as he and Nightingale traded blows in the street, Light and Dark Eco blasting apart the area around them. Nightingale let out a small growl and broke through Shade's guard, grabbing him by his robotic arm and spinning around as she activated her jet boots, throwing him into a massive three horned Metal Head stomping towards them.

"They've gotten stronger. Is it because of the Dark Goddess…Is she sending the Hunters her strength, all the way from here homeworld?" Nightingale murmured as she pulled out her shotgun, checking it. She had burned through most of the ammo so far, and she only had four shots left in her shotgun and a clip remaining in her SMG's and one more in reserve.

Shade let out a roar of fury and leapt from the Metal Head, firing a stream of Dark Eco blasts at Nightingale as she flew towards him, firing her own barrage of Light Eco blasts from her hands as well. Nightingale suddenly vanished and reappeared next to Shade, kicking him savagely in the chest and loosing let a huge blast of Light Eco, sending him hurtling backwards into destroyed Zoomer.

"Is this all she can do!? We were promised unstoppable power, and yet here were are getting wrecked by the Champions as if we were nothing…" Shade said, bewildered.

"We've been improving, while you lose yourself to a being who doesn't care about you at all…I pity you." Nightingale said quietly.

"Shut your mouth…You'd never understand what we've sacrificed for the Dark Goddess…She will reward all of us for our loyalty." Shade shot at Night.

"Fact of the matter is that this is the end of the road for you." Night said as she took a few steps forward.

"OK…So you beat me. Its…too late for you…Fathom is already working on the ceremony with Havoc. Soon the Dark Goddess will be here…and your fate will be sealed." Shade gasped as he clutched his chest as he fell to one knee.

"What!? No…No, I've got to stop them. Where are they!?" Nightingale demanded Shade, who chuckled evilly.

"Follow Havoc, and you'll find the Gate…Save him. Don't care how you do it, but get our Champion back before this entire thing goes to shit…Though I expect by now, the General is meeting up with the Chief…I expect that to be a heartfelt reunion." Shade chuckled before he vanished in a burst of Eco, leaving Nightingale alone on the street

"Reunion…No time to think on it. I've got to find Havoc." Night said before she kicked off into the air, closing her eyes tightly. She could just feel his presence, off where the old statue of Mar used to stand by the palace. Nightingale spun around and shot off like a rocket, though a moment later she was joined by Jak, who offered her a small smile through his helmet.

"Some day, huh?" Night said quietly, earning a small laugh from Jak.

"Yeah…Its been some day." Jak said as he flew closer to Nightingale, grabbing her hand.

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?" Night asked Jak.

"Yeah, you did. Did I ever tell you that I love you?" Jak replied, earning a nod from Night.

"Then that's all that matters, as long as you're by my side. We can't be beat." Jak said as he flew towards the ground, where multitude of figures stood by a massive activated warp gate.

Jak and Nightingale landed on the ground, but even as they did so, gunfire erupted from all sides at them. As they lowered their Light Shields, they sent a large pulse of Light Eco out that sent the Hunters flying away, the combined force of which sent all but two of them Hunters to the ground, unconscious.

Havoc and Fathom regarded the two Champions for a moment before Havoc said "How much time do you need?"

"A few minutes. Nothing more." Fathom replied as he pulled out the Precursor Rod, which was engulfed in a black aura.

"Very well…" Havoc growled, his voice sounding distorted and evil as he turned to face his former friends, clenching his fists and discharging Dark Eco. Nightingale and Jak exchanged a glance before they flew at Havoc, who let out a yell as two jet black demonic looking wings shot out of his back, and began firing blasts of Light Eco at him. The Champion of Darkness wasted no time with the two Avenging Angel Agents.

"Twenty Fragments of the Gate to Darkness have been assembled. To summon forth this planet's undoing!" Fathom intoned.

Havoc blasted Jak away and began trading blows with Nightingale, who began glowing white and slowly speeding up. Havoc let out a yell as Nightingale suddenly grabbed him by the arm and hurled him into the wall nearby, smashing it completely.

"Night, we can't waste any time. Go all out!" Jak said to her, getting a nod in reply before she charged up a pulsating Light Eco blast that shew fired at Havoc, who retaliated with a Dark Eco blast of his own. Nightingale and Havoc began to use massive amounts of Dark Eco to try and subdue the other, wrecking the environment around them in the process. Jak turned around to see Fathom kneeling before the Gate to Dark and flew over to him.

"This Gate that is the only salvation of the Precursors…This Gate that was supposed to save them…Will now be their undoing…" Fathom said before he began to chant in a strange growling language, before Jak shot him point blank with a Light Strike.

"No…You're done-" Jak began to say as he raised his blade to decapitate the man before Havoc kicked him in the back of the head from behind. Jak crashed onto the ground, his vision blurring horribly as Havoc rushed him, punching him furiously with Dark Eco erupting from every hit. Jak blasted him away, only for Nightingale to fly at Havoc and tackle him to the ground.

"Snap out of it!" Night yelled at Havoc.

Jak got to his feet and aimed his pistol at Fathom as he fell to one knee, trying to aim through the spots in his vision, and fired two shots, with one missing and one hitting Fathom in the shoulder. Fathom got to his feet and fired a Dark Eco blast at Jak, who took the blast head on with a yell of pain.

Jak tapped into his Light Eco reserves and healed himself, getting to his feet in time to see Havoc and Nightingale land on the ground, panting heavily with both of their armors heavily damaged. Jak turned into Guardian mode once more and flew at Havoc, who let out a loud scream and fired a massive blast of Dark Eco that engulfed Jak completely. Before Havoc could even smirk, Jak swung Yvantael downwards, releasing a massive burst of energy and dispelling the blast, and also sending an arc of energy At Havoc.

Havoc screamed as the energy ripped through him, sending him to the ground in a heap. Jak's grit his teeth as he fought to stay in Guardian mode, his reserves of Eco were quickly depleting. Adding in having fought in a massive battle over the past few hours, he was feeling the exhaustion set in.

"Akt vaiaha wre tlsvwa! Arranst…LE VOCHE YAWAU!" Fathom screamed as he pointed the Precursor Rod at the Gate as Jak got to his feet. The ring began to slowly move.

"No!" Nightingale yelled as she flew at the Hunter, but it was too late.

"RISE! LADY ARRANST!" Fathom screamed as the Precursor Rod fired a gold and black stream of light through the Rift Gate, hitting the Gate to Darkness.

"NO!" Jak and Nightingale screamed as the gate flashed gold, and then began to give off a hellish black aura.

"YES!" Havoc roared in triumph, even as Jak picked him up off of the ground and stabbed him through with Yvantael, causing him to cry out in pain.

"There is no turning back…The Dark Goddess will judge us all, now…" Fathom growled as he dropped the Precursor Rod to the ground. Beyond him, the Gate to Darkness began to rotate wildly, around and around until finally a black writhing vortex formed inside. A black silhouette appeared then, followed by a pair of crimson glowing eyes.

"My Queen!" Fathom cried out, falling to his knees.

"Ah…Samuael…You were the one, out of all the others, who had the honor of summoning me?" the voice purred.

"Yes! It was me!" Fathom yelled.

"Good…You will be the first to fall…"

"Yes, I-" Fathom was suddenly ensnared by a tentacle of Dark Eco, which ripped him apart and sprayed blood all along the ground as he screamed in pain before his head was ripped from his body.

The figure stepped out of the portal and into the puddle of blood it had created, eyeing the ravaged corpse of Fathom before looking up at the three Champions before her, a slow maniacal grin growing on her face.

"And you…Will be the next." Arranst finished as she stepped out of the second portal completely, and into the war-torn city she was so desperate to destroy.

---

Meanwhile:

---

Disten starred down his godfather with shock and horror before he raised his staff.

"Good. Caution. You've grown wise with age, Randall." Gallus said with a smirk on his face, dropping the body of Sharpshooter on the ground.

"You monster!" Rune screamed at the General, who's mouth twitched for a moment before he held out his hand towards her.

"It seems as though the new breed of Angels need to be shown that they need to respect their elders." Gallus said as he began to charge up a ball of Dark Eco, which began to charge and pulsate before it exploded in his face.

Disten lowered his staff, shaking in horror and anger as Gallus began laugh at him. Gallus shook his head as his eyes flashed red, his voice gaining an ethereal tone.

"You…Randall…I've been watching you for some time now. And you have done nothing but disappoint me…You've let yourself grow so soft…" Gallus said as he slowly began to walk towards the Chief. Madness, anger, and desire was evident in his tone. The hero he had been years ago was long dead, replaced by a savage warrior who held no affection for the ones he had left behind.

"You were engulfed in that Dark Eco blast all those years ago…How did you even survive?" Disten asked Gallus, who's smile faded.

"That blast should have killed me…That strange figure we saw that day was the former leader of the Hunters, possessed by the Dark Goddess. When he was killed, she needed a new servant to carry out her will. I became that servant, and I now know everything. I have the ear and power of a God behind me…She will sow death and reap the seed, Randall!" Gallus yelled before Phoenix shot a burst of fire at him, consuming him completely.

"Bastard!" Phoenix barked before Gallus appeared in front of her and drew his arm back, swiftly backhanding Phoenix and sending her falling to the ground unconscious. Rune managed to get to her feet and fired off a few shots with her two energy pistols, but the shots simply bounced off of Gallus's armor uselessly as he cast a smug look towards her.

"Would you like to die just like him?" Gallus said as he gestured towards Sharpshooter's corpse.

"DIE YOU BASTARD!" Rune screamed as she continued to fire at the man, who snapped his fingers. A massive explosion ripped through the streets behind the purple-armored twin, sending her to the ground as the street behind her was consumed by Dark Eco.

"You would dare try and attack the leader of the Hunters? You dare try and attack me? The true Champion of the Dark Goddess!?" Gallus bellowed as he charged up a pulsating ball of Dark Eco and sent it towards Rune, but the Chief appeared in front of her and cast up a Light Shield with his staff, blocking it completely.

Gallus cackled manically as he vanished and reappeared again behind the Chief, savagely punching Rune in the back of the head and knocking her unconscious as well.

"He took them down with almost no effort…I have to find a way to stop him…" Disten thought as he activated one of the enhancements on his armor, speeding forward and smashing his staff against the head of Gallus, who exploded in a shower of Dark Eco.

Disten turned around to see Gallus summon a grey gunstaff with a black tip, a bladed spear-like thing that glowed bright red. The two warriors ran at each other, clashing in the center of the Bazaar as waves of Dark and Light Eco began to radiate from the two warriors.

"For twenty years, I have waited in the shadows…I have waited for the rise of the Dark Goddess and will soon devise a plan to usurp that bitch of her throne and claim her power for myself. And now that she's here…She'll remove the last traces of my old traitorous family and free me for good." Gallus growled before he broke away from Disten and flew backwards, landing a short distance away.

"Then I'll be right there to stop you! I won't let your madness and power-lust consume everything you once held dear, Gallus." Disten said as he lowered his staff.

"No…My madness is utter sanity, and my power-lust is a right I deserve. I have served her for so long, and have given up everything, Randall…I deserve this power. Not Havoc." Gallus spat at Randall.

"He's lost his mind…He's delusional beyond belief, but he's adhering to his beliefs as if he believes them with every fiber of his being…How could one being warp another to their will so much?" Disten thought before he realized what was going on.

Gallus, over the course of twenty years, had been utterly manipulated into fulfilling the Lady Arranst's plans He recruited Havoc, protected critical egg sites, and began to form an army she could use when she arrived on earth…When he had gathered the 20 Fragments she needed for her arrival.

"You're her puppet…More so than Havoc. At least he tries to fight her…You embraced it." Disten said in a disgusted tone, causing Gallus to snarl angrily at his godson.

"I am the true mastermind behind all of this, Randall. Not Arranst…Not Havoc. Me…Only I will be able to claim that throne and rule in her place…" Gallus said to Disten.

"To what end? For what purpose? Why go that far? In just the name of power?" Disten asked Gallus.

"No…Its in the name of pride." Gallus replied as he crossed his arms.

"For years I played second fiddle to your father. I was never good enough to call the shots. My worries and fears were nothing to him. As I began to experience the nightmares, he began to think that I was unstable. That I was losing my mind…No...I was not mad, then. I realize now that those were the signs of me being the Chosen One. The one picked out by the Dark Goddess to destroy this world," Gallus hissed before he flung his hands downwards, releasing two massive waves of Dark Eco that the Chief managed to barely avoid.

"What better way to prove myself than to go against everything I believed in!? Everything that now seems to be a lie! Family means nothing when you have allies! Faith means nothing when you have power…Ask Sharpshooter what happened if you don't believe me." Gallus laughed before a silver spear burst through his stomach, causing him to yell out in pain as Red Eco burst through the wound.

"Chief, we're losing ground, fast!" Blade yelled to the Chief, who grit his teeth. He needed to go back up Blade and Chill. This needed to end.

"And what do you gain by explaining this to me? Your methods are the actions of a madman! You seek to destroy everything you once held dear for the reasons Arranst has given you herself! Don't you see that you and all the Hunters are being manipulated!?" Disten yelled as Gallus turned to strike Rune, only for Phoenix to rush in and kick him the head with a fiery boot. Disten sped forward and spun his staff in his grip before stabbing forward with it and catching Gallus in the heart with it, causing him to go flying down into the dirt as the Light Eco tore through him.

"You…Heh…Randall…I'm looking forward to ending you, now. How far has my godson gone in these past twenty years? Show me!" Gallus laughed as he got to his feet.

"He's not going to fight alone!" Rune yelled at Gallus, who chuckled before he stiffened up.

"Of course…Very well, I'll keep all Hunters away from the Gate site. And…Wait, what!? No!" Gallus suddenly yelled, holding his head tightly.

"I…I'll return to base. If that is what is necessary, my Queen." Gallus said formerly before he addressed the three Avenging Angels before him.

"You three will live for now. The Queen wishes for me to enact our first step in destroying the trinity. I will return when I'm finished…Don't any of you die on me now…" Gallus said as he slowly began dissolve into a puddle of Dark Eco.

"NO!" Rune screamed as she shot at the puddle. Phoenix ran forward and wrapped her arms around her sister as she screamed and yell and began to cry in grief and frustration. Disten, however, began to shake as a very cold feeling suddenly crept down his spine.

"No…What else could have gone wrong…No…Could it be…" Disten thought before a horrible shiver crept through the land, causing Rune to stop crying suddenly.

"W-w-what was that?" Phoenix asked the Chief.

"Michelle…Allison…We have lost." Disten said in a terrible voice, hanging his head. The twins shuddered, as they knew what this meant. This meant that all of their fighting may well have been pointless…

For the Queen had finally arrived.

---

Meanwhile:

---

"Ah…So this is Earth? This is where the Precursors have hid for all of these eons…Pathetic." Arranst sneered, looking around the destroyed city with a disgusted expression.

She looked like something out of a twisted nightmare, with a slim anthropomorphic figure with a rather human-like face, with pitch black eyes with red pupils and flowing black hair. Her face had a dark grey hue to it and her teeth were razor sharp. She stood at about five and half feet and had a jet black armor-like exoskeleton that covered her entire body, complete with a insect-like wings and a very long tail with a massive stinger behind her. The diadem-like crown made of Metal Head Gems on her head gleamed for a moment as she turned her eyes to the destroyed corpse of Fathom.

"Foolish Hunters…They were valuable pawns to be sure, but they are expendable, like he was. They will all die…just like you shall all die. All traces of the Precursors supposed legacy will be destroyed until nothing remains. I will begin my conquest of this planet by destroying the very last bit of hope it has left…So first, I will destroy…" Arranst trailed off, turning her face to Havoc, whose face looked confused.

"I shall now remove all traces of my presence from your mind. I put more of myself than I would have liked inside of you and all of the Hunters, but it was all necessary, my dear Jazon…I will be taking all of my power back." Arranst murmured as Havoc began to scream in agony, black tendrils rolling off of him and into Arranst, who glowed black for a moment before she smiled faintly.

"You…I…Where am I?" Havoc panted, trying to get to his feet before a being blasted with an arc of Dark Eco.

"It doesn't matter where you are, Champion of Darkness! All that matters is that the the prophecy is proven wrong!" Arranst yelled as Havoc screamed in agony.

"Havoc!" Night yelled as she got to her feet and flew towards Arranst, who waved her hand, sending a massive field of Dark Eco towards Nightingale, who screamed as the wave caught her, sending her to the ground.

"So much power…" Jak thought as he went back into Guardian mode and flew at Arranst, who turned towards Jak and caught Yvantael as he slashed at her neck with it. The Metal Head Queen's mouth twitched as the blade began to burn her palm, but she simply threw Jak back and fired a single beam of Dark Eco that he managed to deflect with his sword before throwing out his hand and firing a golden ball of Light and Dark Eco at the Metal Head Queen, who let out a scream of agony as the opposing energies rushed into her.

"Damn Precursors…That blade…That abominable sword!" Arranst growled as Nightingale got to her feet, charging up a Light Strike and firing it at the Queen, who simply vanished into thin air and grabbed Nightingale by the throat as she reappeared.

"If you three were anywhere near your full power, I would admit that you are indeed a threat. But now? You're nowhere close to my level." Arranst laughed as she crushed Nightingale's throat, her razor sharp teeth set in a deadly grin. Jak sped towards Arranst, who threw Nightingale to the ground and held out her hand, a sphere of Dark Eco forming in it. Jak reverted to his Light Form and clapped his hands together before flying out of the way, barely avoiding the massive beam of Dark Eco that erupted from the palm of the Dark Goddess as time reverted back to normal. The beam ripped through the city, tearing through Metal Head, Hunter, Avenging Angel, and everything else. When the smoke cleared, a trail of devastation was left in Lady Arranst's wake.

"That was but a taste of my power, little heroes!" Arranst purred as Nightingale got back to her feet, healing her wounds with the little bit of Light Eco she had left. Jak grit his teeth and suddenly shot forward as he reverted back to Guardian, slashing at the Dark Goddess again, who swiftly ducked under the slash and kicked Jak savagely in the back, sending him hurtling into the nearby wall, creating massive cracks in it. Jak fell to the ground, but his body vanished in a cloud of golden sparks…

"Wait, what?" Arranst growled in surprise, but a golden blur alerted her that she was too late. Jak jammed Yvantael into the back of the Dark Goddess, savagely twisting the blade as Dark and Light Eco poured into the body of the Queen, causing her to bellow in agony and releasing a shockwave of Dark Eco that sent Jak flying away from her.

Jak righted himself in midair and glanced at Nightingale, who exchanged a nod with him. One last attack, together, should help even the odds. The Queen was susceptible to attacks from the sacred blade of the Precursors that he held in his hand. The two heroes rushed at the Dark Goddess together, only for both to be knocked out of the air by a series of black bolts of energy fired from the stinger of the Metal Head Queen.

"You…are of no use to me now…" Arranst purred, raising a hand towards Havoc's downed form.

"N-no…You…You liar…" Havoc growled, somehow getting to his feet with a look of loathing on his face.

"Farewell, Havoc." Arranst said quietly as her hand began to burn with a raging black aura. The strongest and purest form of Dark Eco. Havoc glared at Arranst as he struggled to get to his feet while Jak and Nightingale fought to get up as well.

"No! We can't let you do this!"

Arranst let out a small growl as a series of Dark Eco blasts crashed into her, causing her to turn towards Siren, Violet, Shade, and Inferno.

"You can't kill him, Lady Arranst! He's our Champion. The Harbinger of your arrival! Why would you kill him? It goes against everything we were told about you!" Siren shouted at the Queen.

Arranst's face contorted into a wide grin, sending shivers down the spines of the Hunters and the heroes of the prophecy. Arranst simply raised her hand, and the Hunters fell to one knee jerkily.

"You have all filled your roles, oh so well. You have helped me gain entrance to this planet. You helped me bypass the wards that the very Gods themselves set up to keep me out…And for that…" Arranst's smile widened as her hand flicked towards Inferno who let out a scream as Dark Eco erupted out of his chest in the form of purple lightning. The man managed to get to his feet, throwing off his helmet, his scarred face contorted in a gruesome silent scream at this point.

"Inferno!" Siren screamed as the man clawed at his chest before he fell onto the ground, his eyes glazed over. Arranst laughed quietly while the Hunters starred horrified at the Queen.

"Did you all really believe that you would stay by my side…That I would offer you salvation?" Arranst began to laugh as she raised a hand towards the other Hunters, who had managed to get to their feet.

"You…Y-You…" Shade said in a low growl, unable to say anything more. What else could he, or any of the others said? That their fears were realized? That all this time, after giving in to the darkness and waging a fight against the monsters that thrived on darkness, that they were simply destined to be pawns. Nothing more than disposable underlings to be killed upon the threshold of victory?

"You monster…All of this was a lie? A game to you!?" Siren yelled at Arranst, who laughed loudly.

"Of course it was…I have manipulated the pieces of eons, now…" Arranst turned her to Jak and said "And now I am here, and ready to end this little game."

"No…No! We're going to stop you-!" Violet began to yell before she suddenly struck by a tail, at the end of which was a deadly stinger dripping with Dark Eco. Violet convulsed for a moment as the life left her eyes before slumping forward as the tail withdrew from her body.

"NO!" Shade yelled out before he was knocked to the ground by the tail, as was Siren. Arranst regarded the fallen warriors with disgusted contempt before she looked over at Jak, who was on his hands and knees now.

"Havoc can wait a moment...Now, you will now feel my full power, Mar…Prepare for your death." Arranst said quietly as she raised her clawed hands menacingly. Jak felt a pang of fear now…He was at his limit. Nightingale and him had been fighting all day and were exhausted, while the Queen was fresh and ready for anything…

"Farewell!" Arranst yelled as Dark Eco began to charge up in her hands, sending shivers down Jak's spine as he drew his sword.

"NOT A CHANCE!" a familiar voice yelled as a massive column of light struck down in front of Jak as he tried to get to his feet.

"WHAT!? How…There were only three left!" Arranst growled as she starred down the newest arrival.

"How? Well, first off, I fell into a vat of Dark Eco. Second, because my best friend is a badass. Three…" The armored figure's visor opened, revealing a pair of black and blue eyes, narrowed in anger. The figure itself stood at about a foot tall, wearing white and blue armor etched with ancient runes adorning it. The armor ended at the creature's tail, which twitched for a moment before the creature leveled a small staff at Arranst, a staff with a speared tip and an orb surrounded by ring at the end.

"And the third? Well, its because I'm Orange Lightning, bitch!" Daxter said with a wide grin as a golden burst of energy erupted from his staff, smashing into the Dark Goddess and sending her backwards with a roar of fury.

"What was that, Dax?" Jak asked his best friend.

"Gold Eco. Its what powers your Guardian form. Perfect balance between Light and Dark. Its what your Guardian form is based off of, and something only the Precursors can control. Its our most sacred secret, and its out best shot of beating the Queen. Its what can truly hurt her. Metal Heads are beings of destruction, whereas Gold Eco represents balance and order." Daxter said to Jak with his thoughts.

"Dax…I'm not letting you fight her by yourself." Jak said as he finally got to his feet.

"No, Jak…This time…I'm going to save you!" Daxter yelled as Arranst descended downwards before getting thrown backwards by an explosion of light, emanating from the Precursor as he swung his arms apart. Daxter turned into a ball of light and rushed at Arranst as she got to her feet, only for Daxter to crash into her again and again and again, creating massive shockwaves of pure light as he did so. Jak felt a fierce rush of pride in his friend as he landed on the ground, his teeth snarling at the monster before him. Arranst slowly got to her feet, looking astounded.

"You…hurt me…You and the young man there…You both will suffer for this." Arranst hissed as she suddenly lunged forward, slashing at Daxter, who cast a barrier around himself to fend her off. The Dark Goddess wouldn't be denied, and smashed through the barrier with ease. Arranst charged and fired a blast of Dark Eco at Daxter as her hand reached toward him, sending him careening down the street with a howl of pain.

"Look at him…He actually thinks he has a shot of beating me. Of defeating me…Of redeeming his pitiful race of little furry rats…"Arranst said as she calmly walked towards Daxter, who wasn't moving.

"You are the epitome of what I loath about this planet. You are a filthy human, so weak and pathetic…But you were blessed by Dark Eco and transformed into the very gods of this planet. I'm sure the Precursors trained you. Trained you in the ancient ways and made sure you had their memories…But it was all for naught." Arranst said as she raised her tail, its bladed stinger gleaming in the daylight.

"You really think so, don't you? That we're weak…That humans are weak. That the Precursors are weak…That I'm weak…" Daxter spat as he got to his feet, looking rather battered.

"Maybe I am. I've been nothing but a laughingstock my whole life. But now…Now I have a chance to be something. To be a true hero…To be the kind of guy my best friend is ever single day. If I can be half the warrior he is…Then that makes me a whole hell of a lot stronger than you, Arranst." Daxter said to the Metal Head Queen, who let out a scream and slashed at Daxter with her claws, but he dodged it by jumping back. The Metal Head Queen flung her hands out, sending a series of deadly Dark Eco blasts his way, but Daxter managed to block and dodge every single one. Daxter began to slowly but surely push the Metal Head Queen back, to her shock.

"No! I have slaughtered thousands of our kind with my own claws! How dare you…How dare you!?" Arranst bellowed as her body began to glow black. Daxter took this as a chance to slip under her guard and attack her directly.

"BOOYAH!" Daxter screamed as he shot underneath the Queen and flew upwards, kicking her the face and sending her flying skyward.

"He's…Incredible…" Havoc rasped as opened one eye, his breathing slow.

"Havoc…Are you OK?" Night asked quietly.

"Heh…Am I OK…No…Not really. Thanks for asking, Night…" Havoc laughed weakly before he fell unconscious once more. Jak and Nightingale exchanged a look before they heard a scream of agony from Daxter, who had been sent to the ground once more, now looking battered and beaten and with his coated mattered with blood, but he got up again.

"Never again…"Daxter spat as Arranst flew down from the sky, like an angel of death, with her carapace damaged but a grin on her face.

"Leave my baby alone!" a familiar voice yelled at the Queen, who turned around in time to see a golden blur crash into Lady Arranst, who snarled furious as Tess began to assault her, garbed in an armor much like Daxter's and glowing like he was. Daxter joined in, and for a moment it seemed as though the two Precursors had gained the upper hand, but Arranst managed to grab Tess in her claws, sending deadly pulses of Dark Eco into her before throwing her into the air and slamming her tail into her, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Tess!" Daxter yelled as he flew over to his girlfriend, who was unconscious and out of energy, reverting to her normal state.

"She spent too much of her energy healing the wounded." Daxter muttered before he looked up at Arranst, hate evident in his glare as the Metal Head Queen began to laugh at him.

"She was already tired, meaning she wasn't much of a threat. And you have strength, whelp. But this strength is nothing compared to me." Arranst said as Daxter flew at her, with the Queen swinging her hand and releasing an arc of black energy at Daxter, who was sent flying backwards with a yell.

"DAXTER!" Jak screamed as the Precursor crashed onto the ground, twitching as the Dark Eco crackled around him. Daxter got to his feet again, one eyes shut tightly as he raised his staff at Arranst, firing a massive plume of golden flames at the Metal Head Queen, who couldn't fly out of the way in time and was scorched by the fire, which was then dispersed by a blast of Dark Eco that went soaring towards Daxter, blasting her further into the hole he was standing in.

"Fools…" Arranst panted, flitting her wings with an irritated roar, striding towards Daxter with a handful of crackling Dark Eco that turned jet black.

"NO!" Jak yelled as he drew Yvantael, turning into his Guardian form, before flying at Arranst, who fired the blast at Jak, who slashed at the attack, the force of which sent him crashing to the ground with a yell.

"So much power…" Jak muttered as he got to his feet, looking at Nightingale as she fired a string of Light Blasts at the Metal Head Queen, who snarled in pain and let loose a wave of Dark Eco that knocked Nightingale out of the air again, knocking her out of her light form again. She was utterly spent by that point, and couldn't continue fighting.

And then they heard a voice whisper to them...

"Well done, young ones. Now…Its our turn."

Three golden streaks of light slammed down into the ground in front of Daxter, revealing through small figures garbed in all white and holding staffs that gleamed bright white. .

"You have fought very well, Daxter and Tess. Its time for us to take our stand. Our final fight…" the voice said, gaining a note of strength as the light faded away, revealing Usano, Elis, and Gud.

"You…After all this time…" Arranst whispered, a sadistic smile on her face.

"Queen Arranst. How are you faring, after so many eons, trying to get to us? How does it feel, knowing your greatest prey had come to you?" Usano asked the Hora-Quan Queen.

"Fools…I have done everything within my power to lure you out. Now that I am within your plane, I will stop at nothing to eradicate what is left of your pathetic legacy…The Precursors will finally be extinct, after tonight…And after that, nothing will stop the spread of my race. The Hora Quan will rule this universe!" Arranst said gleefully to the Precursors, who took fighting stances.

"No way!" Gud yelled.

"I'm with him. Not while we've got a single bit of fight left in us. And believe me, we do." Elis said as he flipped his staff elegantly in his hands.

"Prepare…For the end." Usano said as his entire body glowed bright white, as did the bodies of Elis and Gud. This was all the time the Queen had before the Precursors were upon her. The Precursors were clearly not as strong as Daxter was, who was in the prime of his youth and had even more of his potential to unlock, but it was soon obvious they were not to be taken lightly. Usano fired a rapid burst of golden spheres at Arranst from above, who screamed in agony as the scared energies ripped through her. Gud sped up from behind the Queen and slammed his staff over the head of the Queen as she lunged at Usano, causing her to crash into the ground. The Queen got up quickly, shrugging off the attack and effortlessly sending a series of Dark Strikes towards the dumber Precursor, who let out a yell as the attacks exploded all around him.

"Fools! Did you forget that I brought your entire race to their knees!?" Arranst snarled as Dark Eco whirled around her, like an evil wind.

"We remember all too well!" Elis yelled as he fired a stream of Light Eco at Arranst, who swatted the beam away and sped towards Elis, her wings fluttering quickly and slashed at the Ottsel, sending him flying backwards with a yell.

"Elis!" Tess yelled as the Precursor fell to the ground, bleeding heavily. His wounds then began to glow white, and he was back to his feet, his mouth set in a frown. Gud and Usano appeared next to him, and the three Precursors began to charge up golden beams of energy before a massive burst of Golden Eco flew from them, surging towards Arranst, who screamed as the beam crashed into her.

"They…They're actually hurting her…" Daxter panted with a grin.

"Don't forget…This is the Queen of the Metal Heads. She's killed millions of their races…She won't go down just because they're gods." Havoc grunted.

This statement held true when Arranst vanished from the beam and reappeared behind the Ottsels, blasting them away with a burst of Dark Eco that vaporized the ground it struck.

"You little beasts! You'll pay for that!" Arranst growled as she vanished again, only to reappear in front of the Gate to Darkness, having grabbed Elis in her hands.

"Bring it! I'm not scared of you!" Elis yelled, even as the Dark Eco flowed into him, causing his body to begin shutting down. The true power of the Metal Head Queen was an full display for all to see. This was why the Hunters had sacrificed their free will and their sanity…For a beast capable of killing Gods.

"It's been so long since I killed one of you…Its almost anticlimactic that you made this so easy…" Arranst purred, her tail snaking through the air before jutting forward and impaling Elis, who screamed in pain for several long drawn out seconds before exploding in a shower of sparks.

"NO!" Nightingale screamed.

"You evil monster!" Tess yelled, tears rolling down her face at the sight of one of her mentors dying in front of her.

"You'll pay for this!" Daxter snarled, getting to his feet, hate in his eyes. Usano and Gud reappeared then, looking furious as their bodies began to give off golden flames laced with white.

"Very well then…Gud…No holding back…" Usano whispered before the two Precursors exploded into white fireballs, racing towards Arranst, who laughed manically as she raced towards the deities of Earth, slashing and snarling and trying to snuff out the last hopes for the planet.

"This is like something out of a legend…The gods themselves battling the creature that threatens all of creation…And we're the only ones who will get to see this." Jak muttered, watching the fight in awe. Arranst suddenly appeared and landed on the ground, sending crackling shockwaves through the area as she looked up, only to see a Usano send a cascade of golden fireballs raining down from above at her.

"BEGONE!" the Metal head Queen screamed as she raised a hand in the air, creating a crisscrossing net of Dark Eco that created a massive shield that barely managed to hold off the powerful attack. However, while the Queen was distracted, Gud reappeared on the ground and let loose a burst of Light Eco that broke the Dark Goddess's concentration, causing the shield to flicker for a moment. This moment proved to be what Usano need to break through and for the fireballs to crash into the Dark Goddess, causing her to roar in frustration.

"How dare you…Both of you…How dare you continue to fight!? HOW DARE YOU!?" Arranst screamed as she formed a pulsating ball of energy in her hands as the smoke cleared around her.

"No! She's trying to destroy the entire planet!" Usano yelled as he shot towards her, only for Arranst's tail to slam into him, sending him flying away.

"Tess…we…We have to help them. She's too strong…" Daxter grunted as he got to his feet. Tess nodded and forced herself up, holding onto the golden gun in her hands tightly before the two of them both shot off towards the Dark Goddess. Daxter appeared behind her and fired a spiraling blast of Golden Eco at Arranst while Tess opened fire on her from the front. Gud and Usano both joined in, firing blasts of Golden Eco at the Dark Goddess, who's face was contorted in a snarl of fury.

"VERY WELL!" the Dark Goddess cried, crushing the ball of Dark Eco and releasing a deadly shockwave of energy that ripped through the area, destroying if not vaporizing any standing buildings within a mile or so of the Queen.

The Dark Goddess closed her eyes for a moment, her wounds sealing shut as Dark Eco cauterized the burns and cuts and any other damage the fools before he had caused. She would be damned if she would let a bunch of worthless rats continue to try and resist her.

"Even when I am so close, it seems as though I am still not at full power here. In my realm, I can truly show my true power." Arranst muttered as she floated higher, her wings fluttering swiftly as she glanced around, searching for the damned ottsels that continued to-

"OI!"

Arranst spun around in time for Daxter to slam into her face, smashing the armored carapace around her, but she swiftly smacked him away and fired a massive fireball of Dark Eco at the Ottsel as he righted himself. Daxter created a shield of light to block the blast, but it began to shatter and crack.

"N-No!" Daxter yelled out as the shield began to give away.

"Hold on!"

Daxter felt to hands grab his and felt power seep into him. He smiled as the shield repaired itself and withstood Arranst's attack. Daxter didn't even need to open his eyes to see Tess had helped him.

"Isn't this touching?"

Tess let out a scream as Daxter opened his eyes and turned around, only for a pulse of Dark Eco to slam into the two Precursors, sending them crashing onto the ground below, next to Jak.

"Dax…Are you OK?" Jak asked his best friend, who opened one eye weakly.

"She's so strong…I…I can't keep up, even now." Daxter muttered AS Tess crawled over to him. She wrapped her armd around Daxter, who felt a small bit of energy flow into him from Tess, who fell unconscious.

"She seems to think otherwise." Nightingale said quietly as she looked up, watching Usano and Gud try to subdue the Dark Goddess, who seemed to be able to withstand unimaginable amounts of abuse from the

"You two…Find a way to get some energy to me…Please…" Havoc muttered, still unmoving from his position. Jak nodded and began to absorb a bit of the residual Dark Eco from the area with his armor enhancement before crawling over to Havoc, transferring some of it to him.

"There…That's…That's…better." Havoc murmured as he sat up, blinking underneath his visor.

"I'm so sorry…for all of this. For not being strong enough…I'll do whatever I can to make things right. And we can start by finishing this bitch off." Havoc said as he got this feet, albeit swaying on them. "We are the three Champions of the Prophecy. Dark, Light, and Balance. I am the darkness. Nightingale is the light. And Jak is what holds us together, and makes as both stronger than we would be if we were alone."

"If we make a stand together, we can deal far more damage to her. We only have a little bit of fight left…So we need to make it count." Jak nodded as he and Nightingale to their feet.

"GUD!"

The four heroes looked up in time to see an orange figure crash onto the ground in front of them, bleeding and barely conscious now. Usano let out a yell of fury and began to assault the Queen by himself, only to be sent flying away with a burst of black lightning. Arranst turned her attention to Gud and fly down to him.

"Poor little fool…How does it feel knowing your King is a weakling and a coward?" Arranst asked Gud as she drew her hand back, the claws on her hand sparking wildly with energy even as the Precursor tried to sit up.

"You three, even with your two protégés, were easily defeated by me. Your heroes are too exhausted to even fulfill their roles…You're finished…" Arranst purred as she held out her hand.

"GO!"

Arranst turned around as three beams, one black, one white, and one gold, all shot towards her and crashed into her at the same time. Arranst let out a horrible anguished scream of utter agony and flew backwards, unable to withstand the attack, and fell to the ground, shaking in…pain?

"That hurt…You…You…How dare you!?" Arranst roared as she got to her feet, Dark Eco and blood coating her armor now. The three Champions starred her down, all utterly spent from that last attack, but unwilling to go down.

"I've got enough in me for one last attack." Jak said to Havoc and Night.

"I'm spent. That was all I could do, aside from staying in this form." Havoc admitted, gesturing to the dark aura surrounding him and the red glow of his eyes.

"Same here. I can keep the form up, but that's about it." Nightingale said quietly.

Jak looked over at Daxter, who was watching them for a moment, before turning to see Arranst let out a yell of fury as golden chains began to ensnare her, coming from the pit that Gud had been blasted into.

"That…he's putting his very life force into trying to contain Lady Arranst!" Daxter said in surprise, watching the all-powerful Metal Head Queen struggle underneath the chains before falling to one knees, with the chains attaching to the ground.

Usano appeared in a flash of light, looking exhausted but determined. Jak and Daxter stepped in front of him, pointing both sword and staff at the Dark Goddess before them. The cause of all of their hardships. All of their adventures, all of their pain, all of their misfortunes and sufferings…

Were all because of the monster before them, trapped underneath a net of chains.

"Together!" Jak and Daxter yelled as they fired two golden beams at Arranst, blasting her as she struggled beneath the white chains that held her bound. She snarled in pain, but she tightened her eyes and stopped struggling for a few moments.

"Did…Did they get her?" Tess asked as she regained consciousness again, with Nightingale picking up the weakened ottsel in her arms and nodding after a moment.

"It seems as though we cannot beat her now…" Usano said to the group, his voice sounding very tired and worn, but determined. "Not with Elis and Gud gone and with you five weakened to this degree…So…I will send the Dark Goddess back to her homeworld through the Gate to Darkness." Usano said heavily through the minds of the heroes before him.

"That can't work for very long, they'll just reopen it somehow." Havoc protested.

"I will shut the Gate to Darkness, using the rest of my power and my life force. It will only remain shut for a few days, and that is all I can buy you. The rest will be up to you…" Usano spoke in the minds of Daxter, Jak, Night, Havoc, and Tess.

"Goodbye, Master." Tess said to Usano, who smiled sadly at the young Precursors to his side.

"You both will do just fine. Trust in your instincts, and your hearts, and you will always be on the right path. Always do what you must for the greater good…" Usano said as he turned to face the Queen, who was breaking free from the chains with furious screams of rage.

"We can only buy you time…Time to put the final place into motion. Farewell…All of you. And thank you for giving us one last taste of hope before we went away." Usano said with a small smile on his face, before he turned to the Metal Head Queen, scowling horribly at her as she shattered the rest of the chains, standing up tall again, crackling with raw power.

"Well, my Queen? Shall we settle this once and for all?" Usano said quietly before becoming engulfed by a burning golden aura and shooting towards her. In the blink of an eye, Usano crashed into Arranst, causing her to go flying through the open Warp Gate. Usano landed on the cliff through the Warp Gate, casting one last look at the heroes behind him, before he pointed his staff at Arranst.

"DID YOU FORGET WHO I AM!? I AM THE QUEEN!" Arranst screamed at Usano, slashing down at him with a horrifying scream of rage and ripping through his small body, spraying the ground with blood, but it was too late. A massive golden blast of energy crashed into the Queen, even as Usano cried out in pain what was left of his body began to fade away.

"He's putting his very essence into this one last attack…" Daxter said quietly as Usano's body slowly dissolved away in a cloud of gold and white sparks. Arranst let out one last scream before she finally fell back through the Gate to Darkness, which shut behind her with a lock-clicking sound. The entire Gate suddenly flashed gold and white as the Rift Gate allowing them to see this spectacle began to break as well. Usano let out a small laugh before he too faded into the void.

"Well…Its just us left." Daxter said quietly to himself, only for Tess to hug him tightly.

"We're never alone. We've got all of our friends, and the people of this planet. They still believe in us. They believe that the Precursors can save them. And we will." Tess said as she kissed Daxter on the lips.

"Well…That's all well and good, but how the hell are we supposed to kill Arranst?" Havoc asked as he limped over to the group.

"Jazon…Are you really back to normal?" Night asked Havoc, who smiled for a moment before embracing Nightingale.

"Never better, kid. I'm back…I'm finally back. Thank you…" Havoc murmured as Nightingale returned the embrace, happy that her friend was back and free from Arranst's control. Jak smiled at the reunion before he heard a burst of static erupt through his helmet.

"Jak!? Jak? Are you there?" Torn asked, clearly worried.

"I'm here. We…we won. Kind of."

"Kind of? Explain."

"We couldn't kill her. Not as weak as we all were, and not with her at full power. The only reason we survived was because Daxter, Tess, and the Precursors arrived to hold her off. They sacrificed themselves to buy us time to stop Arranst once and for all." Jak explained.

"Meet me back at HQ. We can talk more later. We…We did it. Somehow someway, we survived. Now we pick up the pieces, and get you guys ready for the final hurdle. We're not done yet…We still have to cut the head off the snake once and for all." Torn said before he ended the transmission. Jak sighed for a moment before he realized Night and Havoc were walking towards him.

"So, you guys do have a plan, right? Arranst is stubborn, and will be trying to force open the Gate again. The only thing working for us is that she's hurt pretty bad, and it'll take a while before she's back at full power." Havoc asked Jak, who nodded.

"We'll tell you about it later. We've got some catching up to do." Night said with a small laugh.

"You really do have a nice voice. I can see what Jak sees in you." Havoc said with a smirk, causing Jak to smirk in response as Nightingale wrapped her arms around Jak and smiled at Havoc. Jak and Nightingale then winced as a burst of even louder static burst through their helmets.

"Activating Open-Transmission Circuit. All Agents may speak freely." Vin and Arch said at the same before their presences vanished from their helmets.

"I'm guessing the A.I. are talking or something. I'll just shut up then." Havoc said as he glanced over at Daxter and Tess.

"So…You're two are gods, huh?" Havoc said awkwardly.

Jak and Nightingale waited for a moment before they heard Chief Disten said in a low voice "Agents…We Have survived. We have suffered so many losses today…"

"We won though." Jak said grimly, earning a scoff from the radio.

"Vivi and Jet are gone. Sharp got ruined by the General…God knows who else died today…" Crash said heavily over the radio.

"Well, we'll have a few days to recover before we have to go to the Metal Head homeworld. The Precursors bought us some time, but not a lot." Night said in her usual quiet voice.

"We'll have the bomb ready by then. Its coming along…Daxter and Tess may have to help me, though. This is the biggest project I've ever undertaken. With them helping me, it'll be ready in a few days. I know it." Tech said over the radios.

"For now, we should check in on what Hunter forces remain. I think after that speech, the Hunters that came to fight here won't be following Lady Arranst anymore. We can probably even count on them as allies." Shadow said over the radio.

"We'll see what we can do. With Arranst gone from their minds and them knowing what she has planned, I doubt they'll stay loyal. They did to protect those they loved, in the end." Disten spoke up at last, sounding absolutely exhausted.

"Vin. Arch. Check-in." Disten said to the two A.I's.

"We're here and standing by, Chief!" the two A.I.'s replied.

"Go to the Power Station and make sure everything is running at full capacity. We'll need everything to keep the city going while repairs are underway, as well as keeping the makeshift hospitals powered." Disten ordered.

"On it."

"Chief, are you OK?" Rune asked their leader.

"I'll be fine…I'm just tired. We lost so many, and even more are wounded. Jak and Nightingale may have to assist in the healing efforts." Disten said to the Agents.

"Havoc may be able to help too." Jak pointed out, earning a look from the Champion of Darkness.

"Havoc!? How can he help?" Crash asked, confused.

"We got him back. He's on our side again, Crash." Night explained.

"I'm going to kick him in the shin the next time I see that bastard." Havoc remarked lightly, flicking his hand causally and creating a flame of Dark Eco.

"Hey, has anyone seen Blade? He hasn't talked to me since he went to Sector 3S. I lost contact a little while after we got separated." Chill asked over the radio, sounding worried.

"No, I haven't. He probably got his helmet damaged in the struggle. Rune had her helmet destroyed altogether once before so its probable that happened to him." Disten said to Chill.

"Gotcha. Imma go look for him."

"Everyone report back to the Power Station. We'll figure out where to go from there. After that, we rest…" Disten said roughly, an odd note of something in his voice.

"What's up, Chief? You sound…unnerved." Phoenix said weakly over the radio.

"General Dark…and Gallus Jarkas…are the same. My godfather has returned, manipulated and twisted under the control of the Metal Head Queen. That is what worries me…I don't know how to take this. Someone I looked to as my hero my entire life just struck down several of the people I care about…" Disten sighed into the radios before he cut off the transmission from his end.

"Gallus is General Dark!?" Nightingale said in a whisper, absolutely dumbfounded.

"Yeah…He was horrible. Tore Sharp apart…" Rune said mournfully before she cut out of the call as well.

"That's not good…He was one of the greatest warriors of his our time. If he's the Leader of the Hunters…Well, it explains a lot of things." Chill said with a small sigh.

"Any sign of Blade yet?" Jak asked Chill.

"No. I just got to the sector he's supposed to be. God, it's a mess here…I'll report back." Chill said, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"What are you two going to do?" Jak asked Tess and Daxter.

"We've got to get set up in the Planet's Core. The three stooges left us their memories, so we know how all that stuff runs. We'll be back up here in time for the celebration party." Daxter said with a grin before he vanished in a shower of golden light.

"He likes his new job. He finally feels important." Tess said warmly.

"He's always been important." Jak said with a small smile of his own.

"See, that's why he always stands by you, Jak. You just have a habit of making people feel good. They trust you, and will follow you no matter what. You're the guy everyone wants to root for, and the one they always want watching your back." Tess said to Jak, giving him a wide smile before she took vanished in a flash of light.

"Well, we don't have to worry about the Precursors dying out anytime soon. We'll have Ottsel babies by fucking nightfall if those two lovebirds have anything to say about it." Havoc said dryly, crossing his arms.

"Aww, baby ottsels. That's so adorable." Nightingale said tiredly, a small smile on her face.

"So, where do we meet up with everyone at?" Havoc asked Jak and Night, Daxter and Tess looking at them as well.

"Power Station. We'll explain the whole thing to-" Jak was caught off by a scream.

"NO! No…No…Please, no…Not you…" a horrified voice spoke through the radios.

"Chill? What's wrong?" Nightingale asked, clearly worried.

"Russal...He's…H-he's…" Chill trailed off as her words broke into sobs, and the 3 Champions bowed their heads, taking a moment of silence for yet another brave friend who had lost their fight against the Metal Heads.

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End of Part 4:

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Five chapters to go…Who will die? Who will survive? And will the three heroes be able to stop Lady Arranst from destroying the earth?

Find out next time.

Until then, review and show your support! What did you feel was the most critical moment in this chapter? Which was the most crushing death? And what do you think will happen next!?

Find out next time!

Until next time, FlygonNick out!