This is my first Jak & Dax fic, so we'll see how it turns out. If it's no good, then I won't continue it. It's set between Jak II and III – sort of my own idea of why Jak got banished from Haven City, since I thought the game's reason was craptacular. Please, if there are any inaccuracies, point them out! It will help a lot!
He had first noticed it soon after he'd defeated Baron Praxis; while walking through the slums, a shiver coursed through Jak's body like a mild electric current. A few days later, Jak felt it again, this time by the wharf. Several days after he defeated Kor, Jak felt the tremor again as he and Ashelin left the palace to meet with two ambassadors arriving from another city. It lasted only a second, and by the time he turned it was gone, as was whoever or whatever caused it.
"Somethin' the matter, Jak?" Daxter asked from his usual perch atop Jak's shoulder.
"Yeah, I… did you… never mind," Jak muttered. "It's nothing." However, Jak recognized the sensation – he had the first time he'd felt it. The dark Eco inside him, the residue from that bastard Praxis's experiments, was reacting to something. Jak rolled his shoulders and rubbed his chest absently as he climbed into the palace transport ship behind Ashelin. Usually the Eco caused just a constant ache, but every so often it flared up in one part of his body or another. Jak rubbed his chest again, and the sharp pain subsided slightly. He looked out the window at the streets as they slid by below him, teeming with people of every shape and size. They looked like ants crawling blindly around, repeating the same mindless tasks day after day. Did those people have any idea what Jak and his friends were going through to ensure that they live out their pointless little lives?
"Governess," the pilot said suddenly, "we've got an incoming call from squad K – top priority."
"Take it," Ashelin ordered.
A burst of static filled the cabin momentarily and then cleared. "Governess, we have a situation," the squad leader said over the tinny speaker. "Twenty KGs and two blast 'bots have taken four hostages in industrial district seven-B. Requesting your assistance."
"Damn," Ashelin swore under her breath. "Are they making any demands?"
"Only that they speak to you – directly. Your orders, ma'am?"
Ashelin cursed again. "Try to contain it as best you can. Do not fire – I repeat, do not fire – unless they try to leave the area. Jak and I will be there as soon as we can. Out." She closed the channel and turned to Jak. "We've got ourselves our first hostage situation."
"Sounds like fun," Jak replied dryly.
Daxter groaned. "Lemme guess. More guns, explosions, and impending death?"
"Wouldn't that be easy?"
"If we're lucky," Ashelin retorted, "We won't have to use any blaster ammo today." She signaled to the pilot. "Head for ID seven-B. And send a message to Ambassadors Riddik and Jin that we won't be able to greet them at their arrival." The pilot nodded and the transport lurched to the left as he changed course. Ashelin rubbed her temples with frustration. "Why can't things go our way – just for once? Is that too much to ask?" She sighed. "Let's just hope we can negotiate with them."
"If we let them off now, they'll just come back and attack us again later," Jak said, returning his gaze to the city below them.
"We don't have much choice in the matter. If we let those hostages die, then we'll be no better than my… than the Baron was."
Jak glanced at Ashelin when he heard her remark. He kept forgetting that when he'd defeated Praxis, he'd also killed her father. Though Ashelin obviously wanted to distance herself from dear ol' Dad as much as possible, Jak still feared an underlying resentment towards him for what he'd done. Before he could reply, though, they reached the front line. The transport ship came to an abrupt halt and they hopped to the ground as the doors opened. Ashelin ordered the pilot to pull back, and as he complied the unit commander – a former Krimzon Guard whose armor had been hastily painted blue – saluted briskly.
"What's the situation?" Ashelin snapped.
"Hasn't changed, Governess," the commander replied. "You can see the four civilians – three female and one male – by the blast 'bots there. KGs are surrounding them and are taking potshots at our boys. If we try to take out the 'bots before moving in on the KGs, the explosion will kill the hostages."
"Not to worry," Daxter smirked, "Haven City's top negotiator is here. I've got a silver tongue and brains to match it."
The commander glanced at Daxter, decided the small creature wasn't worth his attention, and turned to Jak and Ashelin.
"Snipers?" Ashelin asked.
"We've got four boys up and three more are coming. We should have the area completely covered once they get here. Give 'em thirty seconds and they'll take out every KG here – except the 'bots, of course."
"Excellent."
"As soon as those snipers fire," Jak interrupted, "the blast 'bots will lock on to their position and blow them away."
"We realize that, sir," the squad leader replied. Was that a hint of contempt in his voice? "They're stationed as a last resort."
Before Jak could respond, Daxter clambered up the back of his blue tunic and perched atop his shoulder. "Alrighty then," he drawled. "Should we head on over and talk to the head honcho? Smoke a peace pipe with 'em or something?"
"Things are going to get very complicated, very fast," Ashelin said as she quickly checked the clip on her pistol. She thrust a slender finger at Daxter's narrow chest. "Don't make any sudden moves. Got it?"
"Heeey, don't sweat it, babe. It's me, remember?"
"That's what I'm worried about. Let's go."
The former Krimzon Guards – on both sides – kept their rifles at the ready as Jak and Ashelin stepped onto the empty street between the two groups. After only a few seconds, the turrets on the blast 'bots swiveled, and a bright dot of light focused on Jak and Ashelin's chests. Immediately they froze. "Call your 'bots off," Ashelin shouted. "We've come to negotiate, just as you requested."
One of the KGs, wearing the yellow armor of an elite soldier, stepped forward. "Drop your weapons and stay where you are," he barked.
Reluctantly, Jak and Ashelin obeyed. As Jak's gun clattered to the ground, that familiar tingling sensation rippled through his body. That made twice in one day! Instinctively he whipped his head around in a desperate attempt to locate the source.
"You! Freeze!" the Krimzon elite hollered. Every rifle was now pointed squarely at Jak.
"I told you, no sudden movements!" Ashelin hissed, her hands in the air.
"And you were worried about me," Daxter snorted.
Jak paid no attention to either of them. Though he dared not turn his head, he scanned the whole area with his eyes. Whatever is making my body react, it's still here, he thought. It's not going away this time. Could the KGs have some dark Eco with them? Jak certainly wouldn't put it past them. But how would that explain all the other times…?
"We just want to talk," Ashelin said slowly and clearly. "Tell us what we have to do to get those people back safely."
"What – these ingrates?" the KG elite scoffed, kicking at one of the bound and trembling women. "Nothing less than your relinquishment of the city – to the Krimzon Guard, of course."
"That's a mighty tall order," Ashelin growled, her eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Yeah," Daxter chimed in from atop Jak's shoulder, "especially coming from a miserable bunch of losers like you guys."
"Are you sure you want to be saying that?" the KG elite asked, pressing the barrel of his rifle against a hostage's temple.
"If we give in to your demands, even more people will die," Jak said suddenly, forcing his attention back to the situation at hand. However, his skin still crawled uncomfortably.
"He's right," Ashelin agreed. "How can you expect –"
The tingling sensation suddenly disappeared. Jak glanced up reflexively and saw a flash of red on top of a building. He immediately realized what the Krimzon Guards were trying to do. "It's a trap!" he yelled, and he dove for his gun.
In the next instant the area erupted with gunfire as the KGs hidden on the rooftops let loose on Jak, Ashelin, and their men. Where are the snipers? Jak wondered, then realized that the ambush party probably killed them long ago.
"Jak! The hostages!" Ashelin yelled, taking cover behind a utility box.
"I know!" Now that their trap was sprung, the KGs didn't care whether the civilians lived or died and ignored them as thoroughly as rocks in the street. The biggest danger facing the hostages now wasn't their captors, but friendly fire from their alleged rescuers. Jak would have to be quick. He took aim at the nearest Guard, but a burst of fire from the spider 'bots sent him scrambling for cover. Shit. Those things need to be taken out now. Jak tossed his gun to Daxter. "Cover me, Dax!" he ordered.
"Yipe! Gimme a little more of a head's-up, willya?" the ottsel yelped in reply, fumbling as he tried to catch the large gun. He hopped onto a nearby water pipe. "Wait a sec – what exactly are you…?"
Jak was no longer listening. As he stepped out into the open, he let the anger and darkness inside him build, feeding it, letting it consume him entirely until there was nothing left but rage and hatred. Then the changes began. His skin became pale as death, his nails lengthened into vicious claws, and his green eyes clouded until they were black and cold as opals. One of the KGs spotted him and shouted, "It's that Eco freak!" Before the soldier could even bring his rifle up, Jak was upon him.
With a ferocious snarl, Jak hurled the Guard against the side of the building as easily as though he were a rag doll. He hit the brick wall with a sickening wet crunch and crumpled to the ground, either dead or merely unconscious – Jak didn't really care which, since he was already looking for his next target. In the span of four seconds, Jak killed five more KGs. Thanks to the supporting fire from Daxter and Ashelin's men, there were only ten left – not counting the ambush party and the two blast 'bots. Jak had grabbed another Guard and had ripped the man's arm mostly off before the rational portion of Jak's mind forced the anger into submission and regained control. The hostages… He tossed the screaming soldier aside and looked for the civilians.
One was already dead, having been mowed down by the blast 'bots as she tried to escape. Another was lying on the ground, moaning with pain, having been caught in the crossfire. He was good as dead, Jak figured. Nimbly dodging laser fire from the 'bots, Jak bounded over to the surviving two hostages, who'd wisely stayed put between the machines' legs. Ignoring their screams of terror at his fearsome appearance, Jak grabbed the two women and roughly slung them over his shoulder before sprinting back to his men, barely evading the machines' shots.
The converted Guardsmen recoiled as Jak skidded to a halt before them. "Take them, dammit!" he roared angrily, and two men quickly complied. Once the women were safe – at least safer than they had been moments before – Jak leaped into the thick of the battle once more and made straight for the blast 'bots.
Still crouched behind a utility box, Ashelin squeezed off a few shots before being forced to take cover again. "Jak!" she cried when she saw him dart with animal-like speed towards the 'bots. "Pull back! Reinforcements are coming! Wait until they get here! Jak!"
Naturally, Jak ignored her. Dodging another burst of shots from the blast 'bots, he leapt high into the air and slammed down on the turret of the nearest one, crumpling the thick armor like a soda can. Sparks flew everywhere, singeing Jak's face and hands, as the machine staggered like a wounded beast. The second 'bot's gun swiveled around and locked on to Jak. With a snarl Jak leapt away, but the 'bot's AI predicted his trajectory and kept the laser sight firmly centered on his back.
Before it could fire, however, the self-destruct protocol in the damaged blast 'bot detonated the explosives packed inside it. A moment later the second 'bot exploded, its already-weakened armor unable to withstand the massive heat and sheer force, and the dual explosions ripped through the street.
There was a brief lull in the firefight between Ashelin's men and the KG resistance, both because the massive explosions surprised everybody and virtually all the Krimzon Guards on the ground were killed instantly. Daxter, perched atop the rusted water pipe, coughed and squinted in the thick smoke and dust. "Jak?" he shouted, his voice hoarse. "Jak! You all right? Where are ya, man?" A hulking, shadowy figure materialized in the smoke; Daxter gulped nervously and took aim at it even as he called out, "Is that you, buddy?"
The shadow solidified into Jak, now returned to his normal form, carrying the male hostage – who looked in only slightly worse condition than Jak himself. Jak set down the bleeding and unconscious civilian behind a support pillar, which offered the only protection around. Jak's face contorted in a grimace as he then pulled out a four-inch-long piece of shrapnel that had partially embedded itself in his arm.
As Jak ripped the hem of his tunic into strips to make bandages for the ex-hostage, Daxter noticed that Jak's hands were shaking violently. "Are you okay, Jak?"
"I'm fine," Jak snapped. "It didn't go in that deep. Now keep watch, willya?"
Daxter flattened his ears against his head and his brows furrowed. Why was Jak angry with him? "I meant… I meant the dark Eco. I know it hurts when –"
"For Mar's sake, will you shut up and watch my back already!"
Flinching at his friend's harsh tone, Daxter turned and started scanning the area. Suddenly, a shot from a KG rifle whizzed by his ear, making him jump a foot in the air. Daxter gingerly felt the scorched hairs on the side of his head. "Oh, that does it!" he growled. "All right, who did that!" he demanded angrily. "Who did that? Do you have any idea how long it takes to style my fur! You're gonna get it!" A spot of red appeared on a rooftop across the way as a Krimzon Guard popped up to take another shot. But before he could fire, a blast from above took the KG down.
A blue Hellcat swooped by, Torn at the wheel. Five more Hellcats followed, all painted a dark blue. "Hey! Tattooed Wonder! It's about freakin' time you showed up!" Daxter hollered at Torn, shaking his tiny fist and hopping up and down with anger. "What happened – you sleep in or something? Jeez, if you're gonna come late, then don't bother showing up at all!"
If Torn heard, he didn't care; Daxter watched, still somewhat annoyed, as the Hellcats efficiently brought the minor rebellion and attempted assassination of the Governess to an abrupt and unceremonious end.
Woohoo. Expect a major angst-fest in later chapters! Yay! Angst!