So. In actuality. This whole chapter is the second paragraph and beyond of the original first chapter. Last one was a drawn out paragraph. I feel like a dork.
With a burst of air did the sealing solid metal doors open. Allowing only, precursors knew what, that scent was through. Furrowing his brow did Jak dare to not breathe for a moment. Trying to ease into the repulsive scent.
"Gah-! That's worse than any dead yakkow!" Daxter filled in dramatically with a wave of his hand.
"Yeah… Let's get this over with as fast as possible then." Leaving the transitioning metal room the duo jumped through the portal that lead up to the forest. Making good on time did they make it to the precarious copper colored platform waiting for them. Though the smell seemed to grow more intense as they reached it.
"How do you even describe this?!" Daxter asked exasperated, hanging close to Jak's face.
"I don't know. It's kind of a mix of…" Now this he really had to think about. There was a lot going on in the air. "…sweat, blood and decay. A lot of it too."
"Maybe something even…" The ottsel gulped. "…toxic?"
"Other than Dark Eco?"
"Yeah."
With that Daxter had Jak starting to squirm. Something toxic that wasn't dark eco? Perhaps it could be worse?
Shaking it off the elf pulled the standard blaster mod from his backpack; stepping off the platform as it touched down to the forest gateway. The scent here was by far the worst, as if they were sitting in whatever was emanating this thick smell.
Taking just a few steps Jak had to stop. Looking up at Daxter who had covered his muzzle and his eyes were watering. The pair shared a look of becoming disheartened before he bit back his own lips.
Taking a quick glance down at the grass Jak thought he was seeing things. Coming down the natural rock platforms did he take a closer look. A thick layer of dark grey smog rolled around ankle height. Air so thick it swam between grass blades, clinging.
Skimming the area from their view point it seemed to roll out from the cove on top of the river.
Quick to pull out the jet-board and float upstream. A sort of mass was mixed in with the fog, jamming the machine with black gunk. Just as fast as he took it out, Jak was forced to put the large gadget away as they cleared the entry way.
Though something caught his eye as the metal of boots touched down to dirt. Ducking behind a sizable rock only feet away. Peeking back over the stone's top, a Drag Head glided slowly by. Large wings flapping heavily, keeping the Metal Head's gangly body just off the ground.
For as slow as it was it could strike like a Goober. Picking up a small animal from its fleeing for some sort of mad dash to get out of the smog. Gaining a few more feet off the ground, the squealing creature grasped in a talon tipped foot, the metal head turned round and began what the duo could only assume was its return.
"At least we have an idea of where to head now huh?" The ottsel offered quietly.
Giving no response Jak quickly and quietly darted after the Drag Head. Hopping the murky river, dashing up and over rocks, ditching behind stones and trees. Making sure to be unnoticed as they came across several other patrolling Drag Head's.
Passing over a few fallen trees on foot now, Daxter gave the water bellow a quick look. Spotting several cloaking and uncloaked Metal Head's sifting through the muck beneath a bright clear surface.
Dozens of Metal Heads were out and about, but they all followed some sort of pattern. As soon as an animal of any sort was found they would snatch it up and start heading in the same direction as the Drag Head they followed now.
Staying close to the metal barriers of Haven City, Jak and Daxter watched the gathering dark creatures file up the natural ramps on either side of the wooden wall in the section up from the entrance. Grey smog having long since thickened to near blackness, the pair barely keeping their breathing right and their food down.
"I don't want to get any closer to whatever is makin' this crap Jak, I'm picking up on some bad ju-ju." With a bit of squirming Daxter backed up against the elf's neck, half hiding under his hair.
"I know… but whatever 'The Underground' is looking for out here is up there. I'm sure of it." Looking side long at his friend, an almost pleading look came over the humanoid. He didn't want to be here doing this either. An equal feeling of disturbance riddling their very bones.
Time to bare and grin through it.
Making the quick hike up the ramp nearest the city wall the pair ducked low, but froze before Jak made it to cover.
What they saw stopped the mind cold on whatever tracks it was running.
Small but sturdy metal cages hung from the great tree in the center of the arena. Shoddy twine rope being the only thing holding the heavy cages up, along with all its cargo. Pressed up to rusting bars were whining, bleeding and horribly ill animals. Several different liquids dripping from the traps bases.
Those were only the aviary creatures.
'How ironic… bleeding birds caged in a tree.' Came the dark thought.
On the ground beside the stone pillars half out of sight were more stacked cells. All filled to capacity with similarly fairing animals. Once in a while there was something mixed up in there that resembled that of a peeled back and boiled piece of meat.
With a cringe Jak snapped his sight right and moved behind a nearby rock. Luckily not a thing had noticed the pair, given the limited cover. Staying low and observing. Thick smoke making breath raspier due to the struggle.
"Ack- I can't handle this much longer Jak." Daxter pleaded, his breath heavy.
"I know." The elf nodded while hushing a few coughs. "We'll be out of here soon."
Like clockwork Metal Head's of all sorts were in with healthy creatures. Adding to sorted collections against the surrounding walls, and out they went again. Cramped metal boxes filling to the top with fear filled animals.
Torn wasn't kidding when he said organized Metal Heads. Jak hadn't pictured anything quite like this. It was like a lab the way it was all prepared.
Squeals, pops, and growls soon became too loud to ignore. Most of the sounds came from the cages, the arena resembling that of a macabre symphony. It didn't end there though. Slingers that patrolled both sets of ramps periodically grabbed up healthy animals and took them out of Jak's sight plain. Whatever that was causing such harm to the wildlife was doing it all up behind the elder tree.
"So… what's the plan big guy?" Daxter asked cautiously, having moved back to Jak's shoulder.
For several moments the elf had watched how the Metal Head's came in and out in waves. As one cleared another began their way in. "We find out what's goin' on…" With another lull starting, Jak vaulted from the rock that made cover to beside the tree. Steel heels dug into the ground to stop the explosive momentum only to have it transfer into a lurch; slamming his right shoulder into a corner of a hanging cage. With a solid hit was the quiet sound of a pierce. Sucking in a breath Jak brought a hand to the point of impact as he backed off.
Like a chain reaction, it had begun.
At the smallest of sways did the aviary beasts rise from their facade of rest. As they rose, blood and thick sludge began to drip from between the bars. This only caused panic to the living and heavily dilapidated creatures as they became aware. Whether it was over their dilapidated brethren beneath their talons or it was blind emotions due to their decomposition like state, these beasts were pissed.
Several sets of wings opened up, spraying blood out over others and their surroundings. Feathers and scales falling to the grass, blackening the spots of planet beneath. All at once more than a few pairs of wings began to beat against each other, adding the hollow sound of wet bone against metal.
Stunned briefly at the sight of the bird like creature, and the strong splatter across his face, Daxter couldn't take his eyes off it. "Jak we should just get out of-" Before the ottsel could finish was he tugged down along with his form of transport. "What the-" Another came whizzing by, a ball of fizzling heat. More black burn spots streaking across the ground where the shots made impact. A fierce roar echoing against the city walls had Daxter's head snap back ahead of him.
Slingers and their damn slinging…
There at the center of the half moon ramp was a Slinger at some sort of makeshift lab station. Dozens of jars and chipped flasks sprawling across a couple of propped up rocks. The Slinger grabbed up another jar, snapping it into its staff.
Seeing as the stone pillars provided only so much cover, it was time for the duo to bail.
With cages banging around and being bombarded from above, the area quickly fell into absolute chaos. Two footing it out to just the ramp could the pair already see all the squads thread apart and scramble like whumpbee's around a disturbed nest.
"Juuuh-ack!" The gurgled roar had the elf turn.
'Did that Metal Head just say my…'
Without a moment to think eyes locked onto the shot fired from the Slinger on top of the ramp.
It was already so close.
With no time to respond physically, Jak braced for impact. Fizzling became so loud it seemed to border on deafening. A solid hit to the right shoulder in the process, nearly knocking the elf over. A scrambling Daxter was just the weight to keep him from tumbling down the ramp to more buzzing Metal Heads.
As fast as he could Jak regained his composure and whipped out the gunked up hover-board. The machine buzzed in a struggle to fully activate, but there was no need. With viciously angry Metal Heads plowing their way up both ramps they had to get the hell out of this absolute clusterfuck. All the pair needed was the briefest moment of operation from the board. With confidence in Keira's work Jak jumped off the high wooden wall.
'Come on baby, give me just enough kick'.
If he hit the ground flat, it was going to hurt like hell and they would be screwed. The surrounding drooling beasts would be on them like lighting.
Just as the back of the board started to grind into the thick dirt, panic shot up Jak's spine.
'Shit.'
In that same instant the pulse of energy came through, blowing the tips of metal from the dirt and launching them forward. Struggling to keep balance was a slight hindrance, but upon glancing back did he notice most of the goo clogging the board was ejected.
"What luck." Spoken with such dark humor.
Zipping on right past lurching and growling Metal Heads the duo made it back over the water. Then came the origins of the first issue, all too soon the thick smog over the river they had jammed up the machine again. As it appeared, favor was with the pair on this day. Slipping the hover-board back into his pack Jak and Daxter were close enough to the entrance to just hop onto the dying grass and book it.
Though they had made it to the platform, to the rift gate, and even the city the adrenaline had yet to begin its decline. Thought's still raced. New found information and experience both interesting and horrific, clear in their minds.
Somehow blending right on in with the general populace Jak and Daxter were sure to hurry back to the Underground. Covered in blood and reeking of death, maybe they weren't so strange looking after all…
As they used the surrounding streets of the Palace as a short cut is when the pain began to sink in. All else had settled just enough that the horrendous fire in Jak's shoulder came in with a dull pulse. With a low hiss did he for the first time offer up the wound a glance.
What should have been a small gouge, maybe even a deep bruised mark, had grown into something large, dark and festering. The wound had clearly tore open wider, blackened skin pulling apart like wet paper. A once, whole, medium blue tunic now terribly frayed at the shoulder, appearing almost burned around the fabrics gaping hole. The once even color of his shirt now a mix of black, red and even maybe purple. How he had not noticed the mess down almost all of his right arm was yet up for question.
With cerulean eyes resting upon the laceration that was most of Daxter's opposing perch, the truth of the pain came out. Prior to the sight, it had been a numb sort of pain. Now that he could see the severed pathways the pin point stinging rushed into nearby receptors. Small slow traveling flicks of light began to drizzle across Jak's vision as he tore the sight from his eyes. Light headedness kicking in all too suddenly.
"Woah, you okay there buddy?" Daxter questioned as he felt the mass beneath him start to falter. Leaning over to see his friends well paled face, a sudden shock ran up the ottsels spine.
'What did I miss?' He wondered.
From where he sat Daxter looked Jak up and down, catching a quick glimpse of darkness down the elf's opposing arm.
To soon came a few staggers and stumbles, with that the elf fell into a bricked off patch of grass. Daxter quickly hopped off just before the other male hit the hard dirt. Twisting franticly the ottsel noticed the blood that dripped from out of the area to where his dear friend now lay limply in the bushes.
"When in the hell-" Brushing off what was the past, Daxter dashed over to his fallen companion. Hopping up onto the male's chest, nearly stepping in the hole that took over Jak's right shoulder. That didn't look good, whatever happened there…
"Hey, Jak? You hear me?" Daxter inquired as he lurched over the other's face. Jak's usually darker skin tone had paled significantly from what it had been going into the forest. On top of that he seemed to be already lulling in and out of consciousness, eyes were already glazed over and barely open. With no response, a horrible weight had dropped into the ottsels stomach.
"It's gunna' be okay buddy. Okay? I'm going to get Torn alright?" Stiffly he padded clawed paws against the elf's cheeks. "Don't go nowhere!" Daxter yelled in semi sarcasm for his own sake as he took off into the streets towards 'The Underground'.
What had happened? What had he missed that was so vital that Jak now lay bleeding out in a grass patch around the palace of all places?! With rising anxiety Daxter desperately tried to keep his composure as he made his leaps and bounds.