This is the last chapter of Studying the Unloved. The long A/N I promised (which has info about the sciencey stuff I talked about, as well as other tidbits I stuck in the story) can be found at a link in my profile. Check it out if you'd like.

Thanks to all who reviewed and enjoyed this story. Its success is due to, I believe, an understanding of the English language and a good dose of originality. For the love of all things fanfiction, demand quality from authors.

Don't settle for less.

Enjoy!

Severe eco burns are characterized by charred muscle tissues, hardening of the remaining skin and intense pain. Prolonged exposure results in tissue necrosis.

It was this that sent me upright, gasping and gripping the sides of the hospital bed. I winced. My forearms were critically burned. "Vackt!" I took several deep breaths and held my arms out carefully. The flesh was dark and netted with unexpected white ropes of healed scar tissue. My suit sleeves had melted and hardened in tiny peaks and valleys. I touched it; the biothreads had been reduced to dull, deformed plastic. I groaned and was grateful the Glakkickh's dark eco blast had not hit my neck, where the suit fed into my brain. I couldn't command it to do anything, and the dull color disturbed me. My shoulder ached. I pulled the ripped sleeve aside.

"No! Where's my cranial scintillation?!" I swore. No wonder the suit was dull! I felt sick.

"Stay still!"

I looked up. The room was a small metal box with two Krimzon Guards stationed at the door. One held up his gun.

"Do you actually think I'm in any state to escape?" I spat.

Before he could respond, the door slid open. The KGs were pushed aside. "Get back, you infested tubers."

I squinted. The pain and sudden awakening induced blurry vision. Indeed, I had seen what I thought I had. A short, old man with head log ornamentation tapped his staff on the floor. "Get out of here!" He waved both arms.

"Sir, we were ordered to be present at all times when-"

"I know what the Baroness said." The old man smacked the KG's arm with his staff. "Get."

"Sir, we-"

"NOW!"

The KGs retreated. The old man shook his head as they left, scowling.

I twisted in the bed, trying to see if my subspace compartment was still attached to my belt.

"Please, don't move," said the man as he approached.

"Who are you?" I put my arms at my sides, the least painful position. "Where is my cranial scintillation? Where are my things? What-"

"My name is Samos." Standing at the edge of the bed he looked up at me. A tiny blue bird twittered and walked along the edge of the log. I raised an eyebrow at it. "I am Keira's father. I tried to heal you with green eco, but something went wrong." He pointed to my suit.

"Of course it did," I said. "Metal Heads have adverse reactions to green eco. Where is my communicator?"

He cleared his throat and gave me a look. I straightened in the bed and shot one back at him. "Your things are in the care of my daughter and her friends. You will get them back once we have reached Perpetua."

"Perpetua?" I blinked. "I need to return to Sector 7G. My lab, I've left it for too long-"

"You are being returned to your homeland," said Samos. He pulled up a stool and sat on it. "Ashelin and the Council have exiled you from our city indefinitely. Your lab belongs to Haven now."

"That filthy woman! We shall see what the Perpetuan Council says about that." I winced, breathing heavily. My priorities needed shifting. "In my subspace compartment there is a vial of pink liquid-"

He shook his head. "No more self remedies. This emergency vehicle is lifting us to Perpetua now. Ashelin's flying a yellow flag. That is the flag of Good Intent, correct?"

"The vial." I grit my teeth. "It's a powerful painkiller. Bring it to me."

"I am no one's delivery service!" Samos pulled an eco bag from his pocket. Teasing threads of green eco from it, he moved his hands around my arms. "The eco can't do much because of that blasted material. But your shoulder has been fully restored."

I rotated my left arm. "You regrew the bones! I asked for no such treatment!"

"The skull gem was rotting your flesh. Green sages have a duty to preserve all life, even that which seeks to taint itself."

Taint itself?! "How dare you say such a thing! You did not even think past your own prejudices!" Samos fought to hold my arms as I gestured. "Science is just a foolish endeavor to you sages. I will have to start all over now- replacing the scintillation, my suit, my lab."

"I'm sure you will do everything you can to inconvenience everybody involved," said Samos. He turned my hands palm up. "Better?"

My arms did feel better. I glared at him. Sagery occasionally produced good results, but I did not have to admit it aloud.

"No need to thank me," the sage grumbled.

I picked at the suit. This needs to be removed. I wonder how long it will be before I can make a new one. The thought of living without my second skin made me feel exposed and vulnerable. "I need my gun- oh." I groaned. Destroyed the vackting thing while breaking into the Fortress. Argh. I wonder if that old laser tape could cut through the suit material. Where is my damn compartment? And my communicator! Does the data suggest any possible treatment for- "The Glakkickh." I glanced at Samos. "Is he… well? And the ottsel?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself? And, as a wise man," he tossed me a small eco bag, "I suggest you use this instead of your vials and liquids." He hopped off the stool and exited, the bird chirping. The Schmekag ran in, followed by Jak.

"Doc!"

"Do you have my compartment?"

"Well, that's a fine how-do-ya-do." Daxter scrambled up and stood on the stool. "How about a, 'hi, Daxter! Nice to see you weren't obliterated in the blasts'?"

"Here." Jak tossed it onto my bed. He looked around the room, then at me. "I, uh, I'm, ya know." He picked up the ottsel and sat in the chair. "Sorry I hit you with the eco blast."

"With more time it will fully heal." I carefully stretched and grabbed the compartment.

"Did Samos fix you?"

"Too much." I indicated my shoulder. "I never wanted this to be 'fixed'. Now I'll have to go through the bone sculpting and muscle rehabilitation again."

"Or, you could, maybe, not?" Daxter scratched his chin. "Maybe living with people will be good for you. You could learn to be social again!" He mimicked sipping from a cup, tiniest digit extended. "My, dahling, DO pass the tea! No more of this dirty jungle work for me!"

I growled.

"Or not. Heheh. You know what they say… can't teach old crocodogs new tricks."

"Humph." Bending my arms experimentally, I was pleased to find almost all the pain was gone. "Forgiveness is given for the burns, Glakkickh. But you will recall the matter of my lab."

"Uh… yeah?" Jak shrugged. "I can't do anything about that."

"Yes, you can. Be vocal in your complaints to Ashelin," I sneered at the name, "and, for the love of Mar, do something to further science in your own city."

"Like funding gun modifications and zoomer enhancements? Gotcha covered!" Daxter grinned.

I shook my head. "Be sure the worst parts are rebuilt. One never knows what the future will hold."

"Oh, great, now she's getting all Onin up in here." Daxter leaned over the bed. "Listen, lady, I got enough mystical crap shouted at me by the birdbrain. I don't need any from you."

Jak and Daxter stifled laughter at my confused face.

"Er… actually, I was referring to the very real possibility of belligerent retaliation by Perpetua."

"Yeah, uh huh, I think we can handle a nation of stuffy scientists. Unless they threaten to bore us to death." Daxter stuck his tongue out at me.

"You, of all creatures, should know better than to judge someone based on what one can see." I turned to the Glakkickh. "On the matter of the test results…"

"Yeah?"

"You display the exact same symptoms as the Taetran prophet."

"The who what?" asked Daxter.

"The prophet of a group of people from Sickle, where your friend Sig came from. They revere Metal Heads as earthly gods. Their prophet had the same transformation form as the Glakkickh does- pale skin, dark eyes, horns, talons." I waved a hand. "Terrifying to behold and very powerful. I would like to know what a Taetra would do upon meeting you. Perhaps you would be worshipped."

"You mean, Jak's like… a god?" Daxter stomped one foot. "I wanna be a god! I deserve it for all the crap I live through every day. Lookit this fur! Jeez, you just wanna take a walk, and the breezes come waltzing up between your bare-"

"It means," I said firmly, "that he suffers from an acute form of eco poisoning. I am really not sure how you are breathing now." Jak shrugged. "Without intervention, your darker side will pervade your basic morphological structure. You will be locked in madness. I urge you to seek treatment as soon as possible."

"Go see the Oracle again?"

"Ugh, the Oracle." I shook my head. "I believe light eco could help you- possibly balance out the dark. I am not sure where you could find it, though. It is rather rare."

"And, uh, if he doesn't find it, it'll be madness and death and gore all around?" asked Daxter. I nodded. "Yay." He looked at Jak. "We're all dead."

Jak chuckled uneasily. "If I could hold out this long, I think I'll be okay a while longer."

"Yeah," Daxter took his place on Jak's shoulder. "We'll just keep you away from those nightmare needles."

I swung my legs over the bed. Jak jumped out of his chair. "Move, move," I said, pushing away his offered hand. Groaning, I stood and bent my knees one at a time. "I have to contact the city and state our business."

"Torn's handling that." Jak stood in my way. "Just sit down."

I looked up at him. "Torn? He couldn't negotiate with a Perpetuan politician if subtlety was drilled into his head. The stress complexes running through his blood due to our Fortress adventure will certainly not help matters." I tried to push past him, but he remained. I put one hand to my chin. "And what will happen to you? Surely there are rumors. You've helped the enemy break access sensitive government property. To say that Torn and Ashelin are angry would be, I'd imagine, quite an understatement."

"Yeah, they're mad, but it's not like they can kick me out," Jak said with a smile. "I saved their city."

"Hmm."

We stood in silence for a few minutes. The Schmekag flicked his tail and glanced between us. Jak tapped his foot.

"Well?" said Daxter.

"Well what?" I strode past Jak to the door. He did not stop me this time.

"Well so, you're just… leaving now?"

I glanced down the hallway. "Of course. I have research to defend and a lab to reclaim." The two followed me to the deck. KGs surrounded us. Moving slowly, I walked to the railing. The wind whipped past us, and the water below churned. The port of Perpetua shone in the distance. Huge white marble statues of important scientists and artists held their arms out in welcome. I sighed.There is so much to do. I must secure my lab and rebuild my shoulder and… reacquaint myself with this version of home. I haven't been home in so long. It is time to leave the war zones behind. At least, for a little while. "See that? The very foundation of my society is built on methodical creativity."

They stared at me.

"The social niceties of your city aren't observed."

Daxter spread his arms. "Ohhh! I see! You just want a hug!"

"What?"

The ottsel flung himself at me. "Aww! I knew you'd come around, Doc! I knew you'd miss us!"

"Um," I swatted at his head. "No, I meant-"

"You're saying goodbye," said Jak.

"Yes." I pushed at Daxter. "For Atena's sake, get off!"

"Aww… we love you, too!"

I felt my face warm. I groaned. "Will you just-"

Jak stuck his hand out. "It's been nice knowing you."

"I, uh, er." I shook his hand. "You as well."

"Goodbye! Farewell! I'll sort of miss your bad attitude and oldness!"

Scowling at Daxter, I rooted around in my subspace compartment. "Take this. It is a simple communication device. When activated, it will send a signal to me. Contact me when Ashelin relinquishes Sector 7G."

Jak took the device, a circle of metal about the size of his palm. "Okay."

"And… if you need to contact me. For further research. On your dark eco poisoning."

Jak smiled. "Alright."

"Oh, and." I pried at Daxter's digits. "Consider replacing your subspace compartment."

Thank you for reading!