Scythe: Thank you to everyone who has stuck with Project Blue aka Missing Piece. I am really glad about the positive feedback and reinforcement. It is reviewers like you that really make this all worthwhile!

To Twink: I love you! You are my muse! I know I already said that, but I wanted to say it again. XD Heart.

Thank you to Abstract Reality: You have encouraged me, too. And I really, really love your long, detailed reviews. xD

Warnings: Dark themes. Some drug use. Cursing, etc. Erol x Jak. Some Torn x Jak.

Chapter 3 – Recreation

White…

… Blinding and painful white light that stung his eyes when he tried to open them. The pain caused him to squeeze his eyes shut tightly in rebellion of the intrusive rays, eliciting a deep groan from him. His body felt so heavy, like a bag of sand was covering him. To challenge that feeling, he lifted his hands to block the light, only to find something prevented him from doing so. He tried again, yanking his wrist upwards but finding no luck. What the hell was going on? And why did his head hurt so badly? He attempted to open his eyes once more, squinting and blinking against the harsh light, vision blurry. Even when his vision cleared, all he could see was a ridiculous amount of white: White ceiling, white lights, white fixtures, white walls… everything. Finally, Jak turned his head weakly to the side, his eyes finding a lab table where a familiar face and body lay and instantly the previous day came rushing back to him.

Erol had set them up. He remembered how he had show up with the Krimzon Guards and bombarded them. He could hardly remember the fight, but it explained why his head ached. However, it didn't really explain where he and Torn were. As his mind began to function better, he realized that they were both strapped to what looked like lab tables.

He really didn't like this. He felt like it had been just yesterday that he escaped from the awful experimentations in this place, and now it seemed as if he may have to go through it all over again. His heart began to pound with the mere idea of it, the trauma of the event reminding his body of the horror and pain it had once experienced. He was beginning to hyperventilate, struggling against his bonds, slowly at first, then frantically. The whispers in his head, for the first time since Erol had quieted them, returned with his panicked state. He looked around for anything that he could use to help free his self, but there was nothing in the room. It had probably been cleared carefully in preparation for his return…

"Jak..?" The raspy voice made him jerk his head back to look at Torn, his breathing calming slowly with the distraction.

Torn could see the faint fear that lingered in Jak's deep blue eyes. This alarmed him greatly, as he'd never seen fear in his eyes. Ever. No matter the situation, Jak always remained calm and ready for battle. What he saw now looked more like a caged animal, and instantly his heart sank in sadness for his companion. He would make things better, and he would kill Erol with his own two hands once he got the chance.

Erol… That bastard. Anger welled within him as he recalled the coy comment the red head had thrown in his face. The idea that Erol had touched Jak in ways that Torn had was not only infuriating, but unfixable damage to his pride. There were many unanswered questions that Torn needed answers to, but now was not the time to talk about it.

Or was it? Why should he be delicate with him when he was apparently sleeping with the enemy? And why the hell would he want to anyways? Jak hated Erol. He saw it in the way his body tensed, the tone of his voice, and the intense emotion that flooded the sea of his eyes just at the mention of his name. Jak's eyes never lied. It was something he had always loved about Jak because it was a window to the core of innocence inside an exterior of a jaded man.

"Torn…" Jak said, pulling him from his thoughts. "Are you alright?"

"What's going on?" Straight and to the point: It was always how he had always done things, and now his anger was spilling over uncontrollably. He felt betrayed and now everything could be lost.

"Please, I can explain…" Jak said. But could he? Even he didn't know.

"Can you really, Jak? How can you explain sleeping with the enemy?" He hissed in a hushed whisper. He still had right mind enough to not draw attention to them, wanting as much time with him as he could to interrogate and solve this mystery. The hurt and confusion that washed over Jak was extremely evident, and yet, the anger had to be released. He needed answers. "Is that how they set us up? It was you? And where did that stupid animal go? Did he have something to do with this as well?" Torn struggled against the bonds that bound his wrists and arms, as if he was trying to rip free and strangle Jak, himself.

"What? No, how could you even…? Why would you…?" It seemed the words were stuck in his throat, as words often did with this still so new voice of his. "That's not…" He clenched his fists, slamming them on the table… or as much as he could with being strapped down. "Look, I hardly think this is a good time," he started, trying to remain calm, but the resentment was seeping into his tone now.

"Then when would be a good time, Jak? When you're screwing him?"

Jak turned away. Humiliation and shame forced tears to well in his eyes. The frustration was too much for him to take, and he struggled to fight the tears that desperately wished to fall. But Torn was right… How could he have allowed it to happen in the first place? Alcohol or not, letting that… that… thing touch him that way… Just the thought of it made him burn. It wasn't even the burn of anger, but something much, much more passionate. Hatred? Abhorrence?

…When he realized the burn was not anger, but arousal, the memory was all the more detestable.

He remembered how Erol had said they needed each other, and still didn't understand what that could possibly mean. He wanted nothing more than to kill him and yet his body wanted to be used and pleasured by him. Why? WHY? Yes, he had to be honest with himself at this point or else nothing could get solved. His body reacted to Erol in the most delicious ways... It drove him mad in more than a few ways as well. The voices taunted him, whispered terrible truths in his head. He had to block them out!

Managing to calm himself, he took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling, ignoring the whispers in his head.

"I know it looks bad," he started, taking another deep breath, "and I know where you're coming from, but I'm telling you that Dax and I had nothing to do with this." He didn't have to explain himself to Torn. He couldn't even explain what was going on to himself, much less other people, but nonetheless he would defend himself.

Torn fumed. Why did he actually believe him? He explained nothing, and yet those simple words struck him as truth. Fuck that! He wanted to be mad at him; he had a right to be! And yet, he could see the truth in Jak's eyes and it quelled his words… but not his anger. He thrashed momentarily on the table, more to relieve some stress than to actually escape, and finally he calmed.

"Don't think we're done with this conversation," Torn warned, staring at the ceiling as he felt Jak turn to look at him. There was a pause that was very awkward and unsettling for the blonde as his tattooed superior thought to himself. After a moment of silence, he finally turned to meet the worried blue stare. "Alright… if it wasn't you, then what happened? Why are we here now?"

"I can help with that," a voice from the door purred. How long had he been there? Both Torn and Jak were thinking the same thing, but Torn felt the energy in the air completely change once Jak saw Erol. First there was an unmistakable air of fear, and he could see it in his body language out of his peripheral vision, and then he saw it morph into fury as Jak pulled at the bonds on his arms, trying to free himself.

Erol stared at him with a look that made Torn's blood boil. He could see the lust, satisfaction, and desire blatantly roll over him as he took in Jak's form. He growled. It grabbed the red head's attention, but a smirk was on that stupid, tattooed face.

"Be patient, I'll get to you soon enough," he stated, moving a rolling stool over to sit between them. "And how are we feeling today?" He asked mockingly with a sadistic smile, crossing one leg over the other and resting his arms on his knee.

"Fuck you," Jak spat, glaring at him.

"In due time, Jak. You can't rush art." He laughed, resting his chin in his hand and smiling at him. Torn wanted to rip his throat out in that moment, and swore that he would, his breath speeding up with the rage that coiled inside of him. "Oh, don't give me that look, old friend." It took a moment for Torn to realize he was now speaking to him since he never took his gaze away from the blonde on the table. He finally turned to meet the rebel's eyes, his demeanor completely changed. What the hell was his game?

Jak really wanted to know what was going on. He hadn't realized they knew each other, though in a way it made sense because they had both been a part of the KG at the same time. He swallowed hard, but his voice didn't want to come, no matter how much he wanted to ask him how he knew about the relationship.

Erol stood, pulling a knife slowly from its sling at his side and gently running it down the rebel commander's cheek. "If you ever touch Jak again, I'll castrate you." He said, his voice low and threatening, and Torn did not doubt him as a chill shot through his entire body. Sensing the very real danger, Torn stayed absolutely still, even as Erol pressed the tip of the blade into his neck, causing deep, dark red blood to well up and slowly drip down to pool at the table. He smiled. "You look like you want to ask me something. Go ahead. I'm really a nice guy."

His sarcasm was really not entertaining. Fine, he'd take the bait.

"How did you know? We never told anyone." Torn said, his voice far more stable and confident than he felt at the moment. He'd never admit it, but Erol had really shaken him up, and for once he felt as if his life was in immediate danger. He knew how dark and twisted Erol could be, as he'd seen it first hand when they had worked together… Those days were disturbing and he did not want to relive the—

"Oh, it was easy." Erol's smooth voice brought him from his memories, capturing his focus. "We knew that you couldn't resist the concept of information." The Krimzon Commander seemed uninterested, looking at his finely groomed nails. "It wasn't hard to set up a scenario. Get a guy that has given you information before and threaten to kill his family and you'd be surprise how cooperative they become, and how willing you are to believe it. Well, that's how it started anyways…" He sighed a little. "When he stumbled upon you two freaks making the beast with two backs while sneaking in to deliver the message, naturally he tried to exchange that bit of information for his family's safety, but since he'd already fulfilled his purpose, we just killed him anyways." He said, as if he was sorry for what he'd done, but the corners of his mouth tugged up betrayed his inner amusement.

"You bastard," Jak hissed, pulling at his restraints. Erol's ears perked slightly at the delicious sound of his pet's voice, and he whirled to face him. Oh that voice… it had always been his undoing. The first scream of pain he'd forced from that throat was like an intensely high dose of the highest quality EcoVent directly injected into his brain. The wave of euphoria that rippled through his entire body had him frozen in wonder as the new object of his obsession lit his senses to an inferno. It helped that he was so delicious to look at as well, especially writhing beneath him. He had that body so well trained that it was no surprise when Jak, a man of primal urges, was overcome by the intense instinct to be satisfied by Erol's body again. After being without it for so long, the need must have been building in him without him even realizing what it was.

Delectable.

An idea crossed his mind. Let's test this theory, he mused, looking at Torn briefly to make sure he was watching. When he had his full attention, Erol moved to Jak's side and reveled in the terror he saw there, noting that Torn's attention was glued to him, wondering what he was going to do. Looking directly into Torn's eyes, he gripped Jak's face in his hand, making the blonde freeze, his brow twitching as something coursed through him just at the Commander's touch. A smirk appeared on his face as he began to slide his blade down Jak's neck, trailing down to the opening of his shirt and slicing easily through the material and belts until most of his chest was bared and even the top of that delightfully toned stomach. He slid his hands expertly over the exposed, wanton flesh. Jak's breath hitched and he shut his eyes tightly, but not before Torn could see the flash of pleasure followed by confusion. Erol made a small noise of satisfaction as his fingers found hardening nubs on Jak's sleek, muscled chest, and he gave one a pinch. The body beneath his skilled hands jerked slightly, a tiny whimper managing to escape the blonde's throat.

He was enjoying this? Torn was pissed.

Or was it that his body was reacting against his will, somehow? Either way, Torn was horrified watching this, but he couldn't tear his eyes away until he realized that Erol was staring directly at him. He flinched, and then finally looked away, a mess of rage, guilt, and jealousy making his stomach turn.

Oh, Erol liked this game. A lot. How far could he take it, he wondered, or should he save the fun for later? His golden eyes flicked down to his pet and his own body began to react to the pleasure he saw Jak was trying to fight beneath him. Oh this was too good. He pushed open the remains of his blue shirt, eyes trailing along the flesh with a fiery desire that he only felt for this man. It was too much. He needed him NOW. He stopped abruptly to calm himself, enjoying the psychological damage he knew he was inflicting on his former co-worker and the humiliation Jak was displaying, refusing to look at either of them. His chest rose up and down in a light pant, shifting uncomfortably on the table.

"Now for the main event…" Erol mused aloud. Both the young men strapped down whipped their heads up in disbelief, and the fiery red head meandered over to the drawers, beginning to hum to himself as he pulled out a few supplies. Neither of the other two men could see what was going on, but each felt like something very bad was about to happen.

It was when Erol came back into view with a rolling tray in tow, still humming and seeming as if he'd even forgotten they were there, that Jak began to panic. Erol held a syringe in hand and a jar of dully glowing EcoVent. There was a green jar and a dark—almost black—purple jar, and Jak knew all too well exactly what was about to happen. Purple EV? Though he'd never seen it before, that could only mean Dark EcoVent, and suddenly he realized the severity of the situation. He let his head fall back and prepared himself mentally for what was about to happen. This was not the first time that Jak would be exposed to EcoVent.

"You're so lucky, Jak. You always get to try things first," said Erol, smiling as he flicked the syringe to get the bubbles in the purple liquid to the top and squeezed them out, the drug squirting up into the air. The sight made him sick. "And now you get to try our newest brand. 'DEV' is our most powerful strain: 6 times more potent and addictive than YellowEV, 8 times stronger than RedEV, and 12 times faster than BlueEV. " His statistics were matter of fact and a little confusing, but Jak knew the basic concept of each drug, and could only take a deep breath to try to calm himself.

When he had escaped from Erol the first time and realized the world outside was possibly crueler than the one inside, he'd sunk into a deep depression and turned to addictions to quell him until Torn had approached him and changed his life.

EcoVent was the first thing he learned about when on the streets. He'd seen it in the slums and had been offered copious amounts of it often from shady civilians. It wasn't until his first trip without Daxter that he tried it in desperation of quieting the voices in his head.

Green EcoVent: the mildest of all the strains on the market and the first he'd taken. It was a condensed inhalant that came in a one time use vile that was small and easy to hide. It relaxed him and dulled the voices enough that he could bock them out, and made him not think about the two years of hell he'd just gone through. The only downside was that it robbed him of his determination to do anything, and so he couldn't take it while on missions. But he was willing to make that sacrifice… until his dealer got his hands on some Blue EcoVent.

Blue EcoVent was a little more addictive than Green, and its physical effects were the exact opposite of GreEV. It was an extremely condensed form of Eco to the point of liquid and capsulated, then taken orally. It made his heart race and made him so aware of everything going on around him that he moved at a mile a minute. On top of that, he was often moving too quickly from one task to the next that he didn't hear the dulled voices in his head. And he could use it at work. However, the crash from BlEV was so drastic that his moods would spike and he went days without sleeping. If not using the drug, the voices were amplified, which only increased his need to rely on the two different kinds of EcoVent, and he nearly got caught at the Underground when Dax had noticed he hadn't been sleeping. He'd made up some excuse, though it wasn't an excuse for long because he eventually couldn't sleep for days anyways.

Then Red EcoVent came along, commonly referred to as "REV". It was a fiery looking liquid that was to be injected directly into the blood stream, and was rumored to make the user invincible. When it came out and his dealer offered it to him, at first he refused because of his little incident with the BlEV, but after only a week of being clean, he couldn't take the screaming inside of his head and the insomnia and sought him out. The first time he tried it was the worst, the stuff burning in his veins and making him hiss, but soon enough the fire was gone and all that was left was an energy that was so intense and strong, he felt like he could lift an entire building off the ground. It really did rev the user up! Now he knew why people thought they were invincible, but he quickly realized this was definitely not the case. However, it did make him twice as strong in battle and made him want to seek out life or death situations in an attempt to keep the whispers in his head subdued. For a while, it was great, but the crashes, like BlEV, were extremely tiring and caused his anger to spike uncontrollably at times. Also, if one were to take too much REV it burned and caused the user to spiral into uncontrollable muscle spasms because there was too much energy. It was a horrific sight. It was here that he realized that he could hurt his friends if he wasn't careful, and even caused a few involuntary Dark Jak transformations.

Last, Yellow EcoVent was all the rage in the clubs when it came out. It was condensed into a powder, and was also able to be injected. The liquid was far stronger than the powder, and was also far more expensive than the powder. The effects were amazing. It kept the user awake, and created a sense of euphoria, yet dulling the senses pleasantly so one could forget their troubles and yet they could also enjoy a relaxing high that penetrated through all the muscles of the body. Jak was instantly hooked when he had it, and if the powder wasn't cut with anything strange, it hardly ever made him feel like crap the next day. At first, he stuck to the powder, but when the whispers in his head became so loud that he was going insane, he switched to the liquid and injected it directly into his bloodstream. It was a kick. The first time he tried it, it floored him, but the whispers completely disappeared and for this, he was so thankful he kept using and using until Torn eventually found out. It wasn't hard to tell when he disappeared for days on end. When he was late for a mission, well that was when Torn confronted him…

-Flashback-

Torn watched Jak waltz it like it was nothing and if he wasn't already mad, he was certainly angry now. Jak had been gone for days with no word or communication, and even Daxter had gotten worried. In faith, Torn gave him the benefit of the doubt, seeing as Jak never missed a mission, so when Jak didn't show up for work this morning, things got a little tense and they had to consider the very real possibility that Jak might be dead. However, Torn didn't feel as if it was possible. Jak was somewhat of a celebrity and if he had died, then it would have reached the media immediately. And now, four hours late, Torn was unhinged, nerves fried, and Jak had the audacity to simply walk in like this and not give an explanation?

"You're late..."

"I'm here, aren't I?" The renegade countered defiantly, crossing his arms and looking away. "Now let's get this over with…" He walked past him towards the back where his own room was.

Torn growled and stood, reaching out to grab Jak's arm, turned him around and then shoved him against the wall. "What good are you drugged out, Jak?"

Jak flinched. How did he know? He'd washed up, he wasn't high anymore, and he certainly didn't have anything on him at that moment in time. He looked sideways as Torn slammed his hands next to his head, and then decided to look back up at him, directly into his eyes. "I'm not on drugs."

"Not anymore," he growled. "What do you think you're doing? What you do in your spare time is none of my business, but when you have a job to do, you do it, understand?" He jabbed a finger into his chest, their faces only inches apart. "Don't make me repeat it. I sent someone else to do your dirty work, and I swear if anything happens to them, I'll kill you myself."

The look in his eyes told him Torn was not lying. So what? What should he do? He knew he had a problem, but he couldn't just stop... It wasn't a physical thing, it was the voices, and he hadn't even told Daxter about those stupid whispers in his head... "I show up and I do my work don't I?"

Now Torn was really aggravated. He grabbed the front of Jak's shirt and lifted it, growling through his teeth: "Don't. Try. My patience." For a moment they just stared into each others eyes, and something flitted across the lighter blue eyes that Jak could not discern when finally Torn let up. "What is the matter? What's so horrible that you need to turn to YeEV, of all things?"

"You wouldn't understand. It's none of your business anyways." He growled, pushing Torn away from him now and trying to shoulder past him, but he was in for a rude awakening. Torn slammed him back against the wall.

"Listen to me, punk," he growled, grabbing Jak's face and holding his chin. Sometimes, you just had to show them who was really the boss with a little force. "It's my business when it starts interfering with my work. You're putting us all in jeopardy when you make stupid mistakes, Jak." Jak struggled, but he easily subdued him. "See? You can't even fight back. The YeEV has used up all your strength," Torn pointed out, a small smirk gracing his lips in order to taunt the younger boy. Jak fixed him with a murderous stare, but he knew that he had struck a chord when the fire in Jak's eyes turned to an inferno.

The words hit him harder than he would have liked to admit, and he couldn't help but feel an excitement well up inside of him. It had been a long time since someone was able to match his strength, and even with the YeEV depleting it, he was still more then enough to hold his own. The whispers... they quieted as he stared into Torn's eyes, narrowing his own with challenge. "Even with my strength at a minimum, you can barely hold me down," Jak retorted, a smirk on his face.

Torn had had enough of this. He was the superior here and he definitely needed to show him. It was hard to get respect when you couldn't prove yourself worthy of being respected. "Shut. Up."

"Make me."

Jak had no idea what he was asking. This was a dangerous situation, and Torn knew he was treading some dangerous water, but Jak just… did something to him. Jak made him feel things he hadn't felt in years. He lost himself around the brawny blonde, and now he was losing his temper in ways no one had ever been able to do to him. "Fine." He'd give him his wish. In an instant he was kissing Jak, crushing their lips together and pinning his wrists against the wall with more force than was really needed.

What in the world? Jak was shocked, his body unable to move. A kiss was not really what he had expected when he'd said "make me" and confusion rippled through his emotions, clouding his judgment. He couldn't help but realize the last time he'd been kissed was when he captive and in Erol's possession. A tremor quaked through his body at the memory, and yet this kiss was so different.

A surprised noise filled the limited space between them, and for a moment, Jak struggled, his breath quickening. But as the kiss deepened and Jak realized the voices in his head were completely silent, Jak's will to defend himself weakened and soon he was kissing back... He wasn't sure why just yet, but if the kiss and domination from this taller male was the reason for the calm in his head, he would give anything to keep it going.

He would be lying if he said that Torn wasn't attractive. He wasn't quite sure what it was about him that had hooked him first, but since women hadn't been satisfying him lately, perhaps he would try this out instead. Maybe it was just what he needed.

Torn was pleasantly surprised that Jak gave in so willingly, and he took it a step further, pulling Jak's lithe, tight body against his own. When Jak reacted to his touch and welcomed it, Torn lost it. He may never have this kind of opportunity to indulge in his biggest fantasy, and he intended to use it wisely if Jak would comply.

Torn easily lifted the man and brought him into his room, shutting the door with his foot behind him and never breaking the passionate kiss that he'd been longing for since he'd met the renegade soldier. He'd never seen Jak so compliant before. It made his groin ache with excitement and the feeling bubbled inside of him until he was tearing at Jak's clothing. The blonde helped, desperate to rid himself of the oppressive items and soon they were locked together in a primal embrace, and nothing but their breath and the sound of their love-making could be heard.

And now he couldn't live without it.

-End Flashback-

But really, it had just been one addiction to the next, and now he was starting to realize that. It was battle, then to EcoVent, and then to Torn, and back to battle, furthermore with races, and then to…

He was ripped from his realization as he felt Erol cutting his sleeve all the way up to the shoulder, then wrapping a piece of rubber around his bicep. Jak squeezed his eyes shut tightly, ruing what was about to happen. Not again. Not EcoVent. He pleaded to whoever was listening up there that this would end quickly, and that Torn would not watch this.

"If we consider the effects, it's definitely our masterpiece. Well, I really can't describe it to you, so I'll just have to show you. Hope you like it, after all it was created just for you." This shocked the renegade, not understanding what he meant, but he didn't have time to think before Erol was injecting the blackish-purple drug into his arm.

Oh, come sweet death.

He inhaled sharply, and at first there was an intense amount of pain, his muscles ceasing up, and he growled through gritted teeth as his back arched up, purple sparks crackling around him. His veins burned with the energy of the EcoVent, making him hiss and thrash his head. Surprisingly, he didn't transform, even though he felt as if he was going to: That pain, that rush, that anger! Suddenly, it stopped. Euphoria was an understatement as his body suddenly relaxed and coursed with the most blissful sensation that had ever been drug induced. His pupils dilated as his veins began to burn and pulse, his brain shutting down in the most strange, mind-numbing way. In all honesty, words could not express the feelings that were making his body tingle and his mind draw a blank. He felt heavy. Any movement sent deep, saturated pleasure through the entirety of his physical body. He let out a sigh, a deep groan following, his mind silenced and his eyes falling closed against his will.

Torn was terrified at what he was seeing, and nor did he understand it. He'd never taken EcoVent, personally, but he'd been around enough people that he knew this was not normal. Dark EcoVent? It was crazy. Not enough was known about Dark Eco anyways, and here Jak was exposed to it constantly.

"Isn't he beautiful?" The words surprised Torn, causing him to lift his eyes from Jak to Erol, where the words had come from. Well, the words had surprised him less than the tone that seeped into them. Erol sounded like he actually meant it, rather than it being some sick game like it usually sounded. Oh, this was bad. The Krimzon Guardsman reached out, running his finger down from Jak's throat all the way to his stomach, making the man on the table shudder and groan in a heightened state of pleasure. His body reacted immediately, his pants suddenly looking awfully tight, making even Torn feel uncomfortable. This was sick.

What he really wanted to do was retort with a smart remark, but he was wise enough to know when his life was in someone else's hands.

"I'll let the drugs sink in a bit more, then I'll have my fun with him," he sighed happily, then turned to Torn. "Now it's your turn. Ever had a high dose of GreEV before?" He seemed far too amused. "No, you're far too uptight for that, aren't you? You've probably never even tried any… Wise on your part." Erol said, prepping the syringe and liquid. "I'll let you in on a little secret: EcoVent didn't just pop up because of some accident, it was engineered specifically by yours truly." He flicked the syringe. Torn's stomach fell deeply. "We designed EcoVent to stimulate the nervous system, specifically brain functions, making the neurons in the brain susceptible to subliminal messaging." He said all of this as if it was nothing. "It was already in progress over three years ago, and right when our lovely Jak crash landed into our laps, we released the first batch of GreEV. It was such a success in terms of mental addiction, but we needed to target everyone, not just the weak, so we kept developing and using the other types of Eco. We found that certain types of Eco created different kinds of feelings and effects, and some were more addictive than others. Naturally," he chimed, prepping Torn's arm and the rebel commander felt his anxiety rising, a panic starting at the pit of his stomach and spreading through his limbs. "Our sign-ups skyrocketed, especially after we found more effective ways of spreading our advertisements with the kiosks around Haven City."

So that was it. It explained so much!

However, he didn't have time to reflect as he felt a nasty prick in his arm. "Ow!"

"Oops. Missed the vein," Erol said delightfully, smiling at him. He adjusted it, causing Torn to wince and hiss.

"Bastard!"

"Now, now. That's no way to talk to your dear old friend," he mocked, then injected the substance into him. "Now calm down. I can't have you interrupting my fun with Jak. Normally it comes in an inhalant, but I had this one made specifically for you so you could have a nice, strong dose."

It didn't feel too nice. It felt like his veins were freezing over and he began to feel drowsy. His whole body felt one hundred pounds heavier and his eyes wanted to close. He groaned, looking at Erol's pleased face, desperately trying to keep himself awake.

"You won't… get away… with…"

"Fast acting, isn't it?" The last thing he heard was Erol's laugh, and it climbed and climbed in volume, each bout more revolting than the next, and then he was out.

Erol turned his attention to Jak, who seemed to be enjoying himself, his eyes opening and closing as he weaved in and out of consciousness.

Now the real fun was about to begin.

"Hello, Jak." Erol purred as he moved to his pet and thumbed the straps on his favorite toy. The simple movements made Jak groan and squirm with need, and Erol was so very ready to oblige that need.

Yet, he'd have to wait further still. He was getting a call from the Baron. He growled.

"Don't move. I'll be back shortly." He laughed at his own private joke. As if either of them could move right now. And with that he left.

OOOOOOOO

Several hours passed before Erol was able to return, and when he came back, he was not pleased. Jak did not look good, and he was contorted to the side as much as the straps would permit, vomit dripping onto the floor from the table where Jak had heaved up his lunch.

"Tsk." Erol crossed his arms. The dose was obviously too high. How disgusting. Well, he was hardly in the mood anyways after having to deal with Baron Praxis rattling on about useless battle strategies that would never work, and the next wave of subliminal messaging, and raising taxes, etc. Blah, Blah, Blah. He called for the lab technicians.

"Clean this mess up, then throw them in their cells," he commanded, giving Jak a lingering look before taking his leave.

Scythe: Soooo, what did you think? There was a lot of information in this chapter, so I hope it didn't bore you to death. I actually had more planned, but what was supposed to be just the initial scene ended up drawing out other things and got so long I decided to break it up into two different chapters. Happy Christmahannukwazakuh (even though it's a little late). Please Review. I'm going to try and update weekly or biweekly at least, by the way. :D