Well here's chapter one for ya…it's not that long, but future chapters will, hopefully, be longer. I gave up on meh other story…ya, the self-insert, and recently read the books Eragon and Eldest and I LOVED them…thus out comes this story:

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The ear-shattering sound of Jak's zoomer exploding invaded the aforementioned's hearing as he was flung off the vehicle and into the building of a nearby business, small bits of debris bouncing off his mech suit.

Damn it, I need to focus, he thought as he picked himself up, wincing as he held his now broken arm and struggling to keep his sleep-deprived eyes opened.

"Great job Jak, just great, that's probably the fifth one toni-hey Jak…buddy? You okay?" the vibrantly colored ottsel waved a furry hand in front of his companion's face.

"Yeah, just gimme a second here," the blonde answered as he bent over double, trying to catch his breath.

"Okay, we're almost there," Jak took out his jetboard and began weaving in and out of pedestrians and, in his inability to keep his eyes open, hit a few of the ones that were too slow to get out of the way.

After a few minutes and a couple shortcuts, Jak strode into headquarters. Torn began to question him about his latest mission, but Jak didn't pay any attention as he flopped down onto a bed, every muscle felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds.

He'd been awake for nearly 82 hours now and wasn't going to let anybody keep him from sleep, not even Torn, that lanky ex Krimzon Guard Commander.

When Torn began to raise his voice to get his attention and give him another mission, Jak told him very politely to shut the hell up and go stick a twig up his ass before letting blackness claim him, his arm throbbing.

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Jak blinked confusedly in the dim light before gaining his bearings and realizing he was on one of the bunks at headquarters, his head resting on a soft, if itchy, pillow.

"Jak?" came Daxter's voice.

"Yeah, I'm awake," Jak answered, raising an unbandaged arm to rest on his goggle-less

forehead, he assumed Daxter had taken his headgear off.

"You feel okay Jak?"

Jak took note of the shakiness and the worry in Daxter's voice and he sat up, noting the sores on his back.

"Yeah, I'm definitley better than before,why?"

"Well you've been out for almost a week now," the one with the fur said, bringing with it a look of disbelief on Jak's face.

"A week?"

"Yeah"

"Oh crap, well then who has Torn been sending out for missions?" Jak asked.

"There were a few who I saw, but he didn't give them anything big, he's been berating himself for driving his best man so hard," Daxter said.

Jak stood up, grappled with gravity for a moment, then got dressed, wondering who had stripped him down to his boxers; he didn't really care that it had been done, as he liked to sleep that way anyways.

Fully dressed with clothes, armor, left forearm splint, and ottsel on shoulder a few minutes later, Jak cautiously walked through the door to the main room, where he found Torn poring over a map, his tattoed face screwed up in concentration. Unsure whether or not he would be in trouble for being asleep so long, Jak cleared his throat warily.

Torn lifted his head from the tedious work.

"You feelin' better, sleeping beauty?" he asked, worry tainting his comical statement.

"Yeah, you have any missions?" Jak asked, coming to the front of the wooden desk.

"Yes, I need you to go out to Haven Forest and-" Torn proceeded to explain the mission, obviously glad that Jak hadn't sustained any permanent injuries.

Something about the forest and destroying 'heads…alright, Jak thought as he headed out the door and nabbed a parked zoomer for easy transport to the forest, being sure to keep any weight off his left arm; Daxter's quips keeping him amused as usual.

Once there, he took a moment to absorb the natural environment, he loved the forest, it reminded him of Sandover. Striding forward, he took out his morph gun and got it into as a best a ready position as he could with only one functioning arm.

He kept walking forward, talking with Daxter quietly and keeping an eye out for any metalheads that decided to ambush.

Jak suddenly whirled around as the sound of rustling bushes reached his sensitive ears. Daxter fell silent and prepared to yell and give useless directions as soon as Jak started firing. Morph gun pointed directly at the bush, Jak took a step forward cautiously.

When nothing else happened he lowered his gun slightly.

"You heard the bush move, right Dax?"

"Yeah buddy, don't worry, you ain't insane just yet"

"Gee thanks, that's one thing I've always wanted off my chest"

"No proble-JAK!" Daxter jumped and almost fell over backwards off Jak's shoulder as a white ball streaked out from the bush and into a neighboring clump of weeds.

"Shoot it! Quick, before it attacks!"

Jak, recovering from the scare, raised his gun again and strode toward the clump of weeds.

"What was that?" Jak asked.

"Oh…I dunno…maybe…hmmm," Daxter pretended to think hard, "…A METALHEAD!"

"No, I've never seen a metalhead that could move half as fast as that," Jak said as he bent over and peered in between the green stalks.

A small, white-scaled lizard-like creature with black claws that were way too big for the its size stood at Daxter-height on all fours. Shaking, the creature unfurled small, jetblack wings and made a pathetic, but determined noise deep in its throat, baring miniscule fangs and snorting smoke.

"That is not a metalhead…" came Daxter's voice as he hopped off Jak's shoulder and onto the soft grass.

"Is that…is it…what the hell?" Jak asked unfinished questions in his confusion.

"Careful Dax, it'll bite you," Jak warned as Daxter reached out a fuzzy paw to touch the small animal.

With a quick swipe, the creature took a chunk out of Daxter's thick glove with one of its sharp black claws, hissing and backing away.

"You stupid lizard…I'll show you what for!" Daxter shouted at the creature but made no move to carry out his threats.

"Daxter! It's frightened!" Jak scooped up the indignant ottsel and set him back on his shoulder.

Seeing the creature so frightened at being trapped with nowhere to go reminded Jak of being in prison and he felt for the creature. Giving Daxter a firm command to keep his mouth shut, Jak moved closer to the creature, being sure to avoid its fangs.

"Its okay little guy," he cooed, "I won't hurt you"

"You won't?" Daxter asked.

"Shut up Dax…shhh now, you're okay, come here little one," Jak lowered the tone of his voice.

The creature cocked its head at Jak's change of voice, shut its mouth over its fangs and eventually settled its black-webbed wings over its back that had wave-shaped ridges all the way down to its tail.

As Jak continued with his gentle coaxing, the creature slowly moved toward him. Every time it took one step too close for its taste, it'd sit up tall and arch its neck as though mending its pride.

Why the heck is Jak doing this? I've haven't seen him be this gentle to something since Sandover, Daxter contemplated his friend's behavior silently.

The creature finally flicked its tail disdainfully, took the last few steps toward Jak and wrapped itself around his leg, making deep mewing noises and plainly asking to be picked up.

Jak obliged, wrapping his muscular arms protectively around the creature's small form, his fingers sliding over the smooth scales that covered its body. It weighed almost nothing at all, despite its tough outer look. The creature hissed briefly at Daxter before settling itself into Jak's chest.

"What is it, do ya think?" Jak inquired.

Daxter sniffed, crossing his arms.

"OH, come on. You can't possibly be jealous of it!" Jak said, laughing silently so as not to disturb the now sleeping creature.

"It tried to bite me and your cradling it like its your firstborn son!" Daxter retorted, "Though it is kinda cute I suppose…" Daxter's eyes watched the creature.

Jak rolled his eyes as he went over to the bush that had originally rustled and caught his attention.

"Uh, Jak, bud…headquarter's are thatta way," Daxter said, pointing.

"I know, I just wanna see something," Jak crouched by the bush, moved some long blades of grass away with a gloved hand to reveal what looked the remains of a large, black and white mottled egg. Miniscule bits and pieces of the shell surrounded largest semi-circle piece.

"Its newborn, then, whatever it is," Jak stated.

"Yeah, yeah, right…lets go back now Jak, I'm hungry and it looks like the creature's scent drove away whatever metalheads were here before," Daxter glanced around, making sure that there were, indeed, no metalheads.

"Alright," Jak said, putting his morph gun back in its holder on his back and cradling the creature with his left arm; the creature was oddly and distinctly warm and the warmth helped soothe Jak's broken forearm.

Within a few minutes, Jak, Daxter and the creature reached the edge of the forest. The creature had begun a sort of deep humming in its sleep that rattled and vibrated Jak's ribcage soothingly. Jak knew Daxter felt it as well when he glanced over at his left shoulder and saw the furry ottsel with his eyes half closed.

Oh boy, Torn's gonna be real happy with me…bringing home stray animals.

Suddenly the humming stopped and a thought intruded upon Jak's mind:

•Jaaaak…?• came the almost questioning little voice inside Jak's head.

"What!" Jak asked nobody in particular, stopping just outside the forest.

"Hmmm?" Daxter asked confusedly as he was broken from the stupor that had come over him when the creature had begun humming.

•Jak•

"Nevermind Dax"

Maybe if I think my response…, Jak concentrated, Yes? Who are you?

The creature started humming abruptly again, sending Daxter into a relaxed daze and vibrating Jak's chest.

•Jaaaaak…• came the satisfied answer. A thought then occured to Jak…It's the creature…

Jak stared down at the creature with amazement as he hopped onto his jet board and began weaving in and out of the people, holding the creature even closer. Half because he knew he had to hide it from view of passersby…half because he somehow felt that talking to the creature through his thoughts had made them one, and he now felt an almost intimate relationship between himself and the creature.

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Okay readers, that was chapter one…how'd ya like it? Reviews are loved and will be cherished. Flame if you'd like…you'll just be ignored…or beaten…or blown up…or…nevermind, just review!