Twilight had fallen over Dead Town, the moons and stars just becoming visible through the gloom. Amongst the crumbling buildings and fetid water, one large pile of stone and shale dominated the horizon. This was where Jak was heading. Holding the Peace Maker at waist height, Jak advanced towards the heap, Daxter on his shoulder, looking around nervously.
It was quiet. Strangely quiet. Not one metal head in sight. Jak thought back to the message Torn had sent them from Underground HQ while they were at the Naughty Ottsell…
''Jak,'' Torn's voice crackled over the communicator as Jak sat with Sig in the Naughty Ottsell, ''something strange is going on, the Metal Heads are leaving the city. All the Underground scouts at the city walls are reporting it. Every single one, they're hading out into the Wasteland, assembling about halfway between Haven and Spargus, we're assuming that they are planning a mass assault on both cities.'' The massage broke up at that point, giving Jak chance to glance up at Sig, who looked almost as puzzled as Jak felt. The static continued for a few seconds, before Torn's familiar voice came back. "…nt you and Daxter to go to Dead Town, we might not know what the Metal Heads are up to, but we might as well take advantage, I think it's safe now for you to go there. The Metal Heads stationed there were guarding something. Samos told me that it is a Precursor Artefact of great value, called the Decagon, so I think you better take it. Just look for the highest pile of rubble, the Metal Heads built it to hide it in. Subtlety was never their strong point. Anyway, good luck Jak, not that you'll need it.'' Unnoticed, Daxter had left the bar and had listened to the entire message. He jumped up onto the table between Jak and Sig.
"Yeah, good luck Jak, where's the 'good luck Daxter I ask you. Besides why do I get the feeling that Torn's idea of safe and mine are sliiiightly different?'' Jak just looked at him as he took the blaster ammo Sig was handing him. Daxter visibly drooped,
"I thought we were done with all this hero stuff!'' He whined, "But oh no off we go again on another suicidal mission.'' Jak was used to this kind of conversation and didn't reply.
"Well, come on then, sidekick.'' Said Daxter jumping onto Jak's shoulder, Jak looked at him incredulously, then back at Sig, putting two fingers to his temple then flicking them away in a mock salute. Then he left, bound for Dead town.
His mind was dragged back to the present when he reached the mountain of rubble Torn had mentioned. He looked at the top, far above his head, then down at Daxter by his knee raising his eyebrows slightly. Daxter caught his gaze, and interpreted it correctly.
"Oooooh no. No no no no NO!''
"Alright.'' Said Jak nonchalantly, swinging his gun up behind his head, laying it across his shoulders with his hands resting carelessly across the ends.
"Well Dax, I guess if you really don't want to, you can stay down here and watch out for Metal Heads, and I'll climb up.'' He could see he had Daxter persuaded. Reluctantly, an with many muttered complaints, Daxter walked forwards and hopped onto the lowest stone, what had obviously once been part of a house wall when people still lived here.
"You know, if I die doing this, I blame you entirely." And with that, he proceeded to scramble up the heap. Jak could see that this could take some time, so knowing that if what Torn said was true (which he had no doubt it was) there was no threat from Metal Heads, so he needn't remain on constant guard, he sat down on a rock nearby, placing the morph gun across his legs.
The lack of Metal Heads was unnerving, and all the swamp creatures had either been killed by the Metal Heads or scared away by them. Apart from the scratching of Daxter's claws on the stones, and the muttered curses and complaints when he lost his footing or banged himself on the rock, it was silent.
"This has to be the easiest mission we've ever done." Jak sighed leaning forwards and rubbing his forehead.
Night was really falling by now, and Jak wanted to get back to the Naughty Ottsell and his game of cards with Sig.
"Hurry up Daxter!" He called towards the pile. Daxter's head appeared between two stones about a third of the way up the stack,
"I am!" He yelled back in his most dignified voice, "I would like to see you climb this!" Jak looked back down at the ground as Daxter's head disappeared again, unconsciously catching the gun with his left hand as his change of position knocked it off balance and sent it slithering across the rock towards the ground.
He stared around the deserted ruins.
Wait; was that a flash of gold? In less than a second he was on his feet, the morph gun trained on the spot where he'd seen the Metal Head…A rustle behind him made him whip around, he could see now that shouting to Daxter had been a mistake – someone or something had found them.