Enter Sandman
I hope you've been enjoying the story up to this point it's been a long time to finish this but I think I'm finally happy with it, I hope you enjoy it, I don't know how long it will take me to update again as my timings is a bit thrown off this semester but hopefully I can update a bit more regularly anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter and as always I don't own Jak and Daxters universe but I do own my characters.
Panacea and Ortz made their way down past the people in the mess hall and through the kitchen where Ortz's blood still stained the floor; it had dried and hardened into an almost brown floor paint. The two just walked right past as if it wasn't even there but as they did Ortz couldn't stop thinking about Epione, 'how could she not have been real?' he thought as they continued outside into the street where a zoomer was parked up.
"You drive," Panacea told Ortz as he swung himself onto the bright blue zoomer, Panacea climbed onto the back and Ortz fired up the thrusters. The zoomer lifted off into the air trowing dust up all around them, "how far away is Krew's place?" Panacea asked Ortz as he joined the flow of traffic pulsating through the slums.
"Not too far, about one klick through the slums into the industrial area and then onto the harbour," Ortz told her as he continued to weave in-between all the other vehicles that littered the air over the slums. As Ortz looked down over the houses in the slums he spotted the area where the convoy had come under fire only two weeks previously, the street was still littered with empty shell casings and even burnt up parts of hellcat, the memories of that day still burnt like a fire at the back of Ortz's mind.
"Are you okay Ortz?" Panacea asked him as he continued looking down at the casings that littered the floor, he spotted a turret from the top of a hellcat which still had a sight on it, 'Dugan's turret', Ortz thought as he looked up and continued looking forward.
"I'm fine," Ortz replied as he kept thinking about what had happened to Dugan. His mind started drifting to what had happened to Hutch and Tork, he didn't actually see them die but how could they have survived the killzone.
"Oh shit, guard post," Panacea pointed out as the zoomer past near by the almost abandoned guard post that Ortz had been stationed at during his time posted in the slums.
"They're not coming out," Ortz told her as they passed the post with the rest of the traffic, "it's not very well supplied and it was depleted two weeks ago when the underground massacred the guards."
"How was your time in the guard?" Panacea asked him as they continued flying past the guards who just had a few guns mounted on in the tower.
"Can I explain later? I don't feel like discussing it right now," He told her as he opened the taps on the zoomer and weaved in-between the traffic escaping into the industrial area of Haven City. The area actually had patrolling guards who were just frightening the civilians and arresting people they suspected to be Underground. As they plodded through the industrial area they avoided the patrols and eventually made it to the final checkpoint into the harbour, "Do we have tags to get through?" Ortz asked Panacea as they slowly approached the checkpoint.
"Yeah, Ashlin got us some tags, you're now a trader from market town," Panacea told him.
"And you?" He asked.
"I'm…. I'm your wife," she replied as she tried to look away from him.
"Tags!" A guard shouted at them as they passed into the harbour area.
"Coming in," Ortz replied as he slowed the zoomer through the scanner, their hearts kept thumping as the scammed continuously tried to pick up the tags which had been placed on the two of them. The red lasers went back and forth and eventually they locked into position.
"Welcome, Mr and Mrs Cuff," A female voice softly said from the speaker next to the scanner.
"Off we go then," Ortz said as he relifted the zoomer into the air and slowly started to proceed into the heart of the harbour, the flow of traffic was slower than in the slums.
"So how do we spot Krew's place?" Panacea asked Ortz as they flew with the traffic around the harbours edge.
"You'll spot it in a minute," Ortz replied as he sniggered to himself.
"Holy crap," Panacea said quietly as she spotted the gargantuan Hog on the roof of the bar.
"We'll pull up here and go on foot," Ortz told her as he pulled the zoomer off to the side and lowered it to the floor. As the two got off Ortz pulled a the cloak Torn had given him the first time he had been to the harbour, He pulled the cloak over himself and the brown hood over his head wrapping it up and across his face leaving only his eyes visible. Panacea pulled the hood up on a blue hoodie that she had stashed in a bag and pulled out a scarf which she wrapped around her face.
"Why do we look like anarchists?" Panacea asked Ortz as he walked out closer to the edge of the harbour, Panacea followed and swiftly starting coughing, "What the hell is that smell? Oh, god!" she said to herself loudly.
"That's why we dress this way," Ortz told her as he laughed to himself.
"What is that?" She asked again holding the scarf tightly over her mouth and nose.
"The sewer pipes, they lead to the harbour where it just sits stagnant making this smell, but don't worry it smells worse inside the pipe," Ortz told her sarcastically as she clung to the back of his cloak and continued to breathe through the scarf. As they walked Ortz placed his hand on Panacea's back and willed her forward through the ghastly smog, his hand on her back made her spine tingle and put butterflies in her stomach however she liked every second of it.
The massive hog drew in closer as they walked through the crowded streets towards the saloon, a collection of ratty looking men were stood outside the saloon trying to get anywhere with every woman who neared the saloon. As Panacea got close enough one of the men sprang on her like a viper, his breath smelt worse than the sewage but he still seemed to think that he was the best thing since sliced bread, he grabbed Panacea's hand which she quickly snatched back.
"Oi bitch, he was talking to you," The tallest of the ratty men shouted at Panacea, who hadn't even acknowledged the men trying to hit on her. Ortz turned on the man and looked deep into his eyes, there was clearly a lack of intellect behind them but Ortz just continued staring. "what you looking at?" The man then snapped at Ortz.
"A dumbass, who thinks he's worth more than he is," Ortz replied calmly but just caused the man to become enraged, shoving a man who was stood infront of his to the floor.
"What did you just say?" He asked Ortz as he tried to impose his figure on Ortz, Panacea ducked behind Ortz, but Ortz kept his ground and just followed the man's eyes.
"I said, a dumbass, you deaf too?" Ortz asked him in the same calm tone. But just as he got out the sentence the man's fist collided with Ortz cheek, causing his head to be flung to the right hard. As he checked for blood the man chuckled to himself and Panacea stood with her hands over her mouth, just as the man went to grab at her Ortz fired a foot upwards towards the man's head followed by three punches knocking the man to the floor, he then finished him off by heeling him in the head. The man's unconscious body rolled down towards the water but his cronies stopped it and they dragged him off. "come on, let's get inside, it's slightly better in there."
As the two walked into the saloon, the bar maid from the underground was cleaning tables and collecting glasses, as she spotted Ortz she called out to him, "Ortz, hey Ortz," She said sounding stupid as ever. The couple walked over to her as she stood shifting her weight onto one leg and pulling her jean hot pants up, "You staying for a drink?" She asked Ortz failing to even acknowledge Panacea.
"Yeah we are," Ortz replied as Panacea sat in a booth and the bar maid led Ortz up to the bar.
"So what are you having?" The bar maid asked as she leant over the bat not giving Ortz's eyes enough to see, as her cleavage hung low on the counter and she started playing with the zip on her green jacket and got her hair caught in it, "Oh god, can you help me please?" She asked Ortz as she looked up and pushed her breasts together while Ortz unhooked her heir from the zip.
"Can I have a Vodka and a Lemonade," Ortz asked the bar maid.
"Anything for you sugar," She told Ortz and started to pour out the drinks, needless to say by this point Panacea was furious looking at the floozy get her hands all over Ortz. She passed Ortz the two drinks and he started walking over to Panacea who was still sat with her scarf up over her face.
"Is Krew around?" Ortz finally asked the bar maid.
"No he's out, Sig's in though," She replied as Ortz couldn't think of who Sig was until her turned and looked at Panacea who was talking to the massive man from before clad in metal looking like a tank. Ortz walked over to them, "It's Tess by the way." The bar maid told him as he walked futilely trying to regain Ortz's attention.
"You again," The massive man call Sig asked Ortz as he picked up the lemonade.
"That's hers," Ortz snapped at the man.
"I know I was passing it to her, I've already had enough," Sig replied in a deep voice. As he laid the lemonade on the table he then took a seat opposite her in the booth. "So what brings you here?" He then asked Panacea as Ortz sat down next to Panacea in the booth.
"We need to see Krew about something," Panacea told him softly as she lowered her scarf and put the lemonade to up to her lips.
"Well I'm in charge while he's not around," Sig told her leaning back on the chair.
"How well do you know Old Town?" Ortz asked him trying to end Sig's smugness.
"Old Town?" Sig replied as he raised an eyebrow and leant back forward on the table, "Not a lot it was sacked about twenty five years ago by an unknown force and that's about it."
"What does metal head mean to you?" Ortz asked him as Sig's face sank.
"Never heard of it," Sig told him as he looked away from the table and got up, just as he did a whirring sound faintly came into ear shot, "Boss," Sig said as the huge hulk of a man floated across the saloon.
"What have we got 'ere 'ay?" The behemoth of a man asked as he tilted himself forward, his fat belly had stains from food running down it in every direction and his breath stank like the sewers outside.
"These two have questions for you, Sir," Sig told him as he floated closer paying attention to Panacea.
"Underground 'ay?" The man asked not waiting for a replied, "Get on with it then."
"What do you know of the metal heads?" Ortrz asked the man as he floated around in a circular fashion his legs pathetically skinny, dangled beneath him like strings.
"Speaking like that can be quite unhealthy 'ay," The man sounded very out of breath, "Sig take them on that errand I told you about they will learn everything there," The man looked down as Ortz and Panacea who were looking back in displeasure, "I have to get my use of you in one way or another, everything has a price."
As the two got up to follow Sig the man held onto Panacea's sleeve, "the name's Krew just in case you were wondering," He told her with a smug grip exposing his rotten teeth.
"Urgh!" Panacea cringed as she shook her arm free and stood next to Sig, the two followed Sig to the bar where he opened a door which led down into a cellar. As Sig pulled up a metal door the dull green light just about lit up the room, the light glinted off a large metal object in the middle of the room. Sig climbed up onto the metal object and turned on what sounded like an engine, after a split second the room was illuminated by bright white lights and the deafening sound of the engine was becoming unbearable. Sig reached down and grabbed Panacea's hand lifting her onto the vehicle, Ortz climbed on the massive rubber tires and climbed on board.
When the three got settled in the vehicle Sig gunned it, causing flames to erupt from the rear of the exhaust causing a brief illumination of the tunnel which otherwise was black from behind, from the front however the headlights beamed through the tunnel as the vehicle burst into the light at the end of the tunnel. The hot air burnt Ortz skin and the vehicle ripped into the open, as the shock of dark to light subsided the tan baron surroundings became more apparent to Ortz and Panacea.
"Where the hell are we?" Ortz asked Sig as the vehicle bounced off the sand dunes.
"Welcome to the wastelands," Sig replied with a smile as the vehicle shook taking a hard hit into the sand.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the story thus far, I know it hasn't really got into any action just yet but that will come I know where this is going it may take a while to get there but I will get it there soon, I hope I can update soon but I won't make promises. Please feel free to review and tell me what you think and how I can improve the story but until next time … PEACE!