AN: This is my first fic, so it's probably not going to be the most impressive thing you've ever seen. I should warn you that it will include some slash. If you really don't like that sort of thing, you should turn back now before I gross you out. If you've recently played Jak X, you'll notice that I use some small bits of dialogue from the actual game, and if you watch the first few cut scenes, you'll see what I mean. It definitely deviates from what you'll see in the game, though. This is what the plot of Jak X could have turned into if it were a boy's love romance between the two main characters. Also! This is dedicated to my friend and fellow author, sillynekorobs. You should check out her work if you haven't already, because it rocks.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own these characters, and I certainly don't profit from them.
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Jak hummed a tune to himself as he stepped out of the shower. He dried off, wrapped a towel around his waist, and began drying his green-blonde hair. He allowed the white towel to fall around his shoulders and rest on his neck.
He whistled. "Wheeeew, I can't remember the last time we had clean towels, eh Dax?"
No reply came.
"Dax?"
Damn it! Here they were, in the middle of an unfamiliar town run entirely by racing gangs, and Dax snuck off by himself. "I told him we could get something to eat after my shower! Damn it, Dax."
Jak ran for his communicator and called the only other person who might know where Dax went.
"Hey, Daxxie! Oh, it's just you, Jak. What d'ya need?"
"Tess, hi, have you heard from Daxter at all today? I just got out of the shower and he's missing."
"Ah. No, I haven't, honey. Dax has been a little distant since I changed back to my old self and he didn't. I think the precursors were just joking around, I mean, it only lasted for 24 hours, and I think Daxter was disappointed that I was a little relieved to go back. I mean, I didn't really ask to be change—"
"Okay, okay—I get the idea. So he hasn't called you? Where do you think he'd be?"
"Maybe he went to check out the local bars, his "competition" so to speak." Jak rolled his eyes at the realization that she was probably right. "You go get him, honey, and tell him his Tessykins said 'hello' for me, will ya?"
"Thanks Tess."
"Oh and Jak?"
"What?"
"For precursors' sakes, put a shirt on!" With that, she hung up.
As Jak hurried to get dressed, he vaguely wished his pants were a little less tight, but after a glance in the mirror, he quickly dismissed the thought. (A/N: Even HE thinks he's sexy.) The soon-to-be racer grabbed his keys and darted out to his car.
/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /
"So there we were—wheel to wheel with the nastiest racing cars I've ever seen!"
It was only their second night in Kras City and Daxter was already telling stories to a bunch of strangers at a bar. The owners might have been annoyed, but Dax spilled his drink out of excitement often enough to work up a monumental tab (which he would never get around to paying, but there's no way they could have known that). Razor approached, smoking a cigarette. What with the way he dressed, the man looked a little out of place in this bar, but that didn't make a difference. He took an interest in Daxter's story—for the time being.
"Jak was barely able to handle himself, but with my help WE TOOK 'EM ALL OUT! Until only ONE was left—"
"Really? You know, people in zis town have a vay of getting IN over zeir heads. Like at ze bottom of zee OCEAN."
"Easy boys… My story's almost over." Dax backed away slowly across the counter he was standing on, although the large aquarium directly behind it left him feeling a little cornered.
"Yes it IS!" Razor hissed before twirling his knife in a threatening manner.
Right as Orange Lightning was about to high tail it out of there, he caught a shift in Razor's expression. He could hear the sound of an engine roaring outside, and it was getting louder by the second. Time seemed to slow down as Dax looked up to see the bottom of his best friend's car floating above his head, and a sea of glass rained down on the bar, causing Razor and his friends to scatter. Jak slid to a stop, and Daxter was relieved (albeit shocked) to see his friend with the green goatee. Before he could move, Razor chucked his knife at the ottsel, causing both Jak and Orange Lightning to stop breathing for a second.
"Dax, get in the car!"
/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /
After they were safe and back on the road, Jak spoke. "I told you not to go out. We're getting death threats, Dax. Someone doesn't want us here."
"But Jaaaaaak!"
"No buts, Dax. I was legitimately worried about you. One of these days, you're really gonna get in over your head."
"So I hear…" Dax slunk down to sit on the right side of Jak's seat, between his best friend and the door. He leaned into Jak's hip and sighed.
"Hey, it's alright. I got there in time, didn't I?" Jak smiled down at his orange friend. Dax grinned and jumped to his feet.
"Nah, I was just about to show 'em who's boss!" He brought his left foot forward to rest on Jak's leg and batted at the air a little bit. Refreshed, the ottsel took a seat on Jak's thigh. Seconds later, he threw his arms up behind his head and laid down across Jak's lap. Dax looked up at his best friend, who looked down between his arms (which were still firmly attached to the wheel) as Orange Lightning professed, "Thanks for savin' me all the time, big guy. Ya deserve a little appreciation." Jak just smiled and then returned his eyes to the road. Daxter dozed off and took a nap as Jak drove them to the reading of Krew's will—which should have been the first and last stop of the Demolition Duo's tour of Kras City.
/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /
As he pulled into the driveway, Jak scooped Daxter up and plopped him on his shoulder. The ottsel yawned and stretched his arms out wide. Jak got out of the car and locked up while Dax sheepishly began to open his eyes. Neither of them noticed their friends approach.
"Hey, Jak." There was no mistaking that scratchy voice.
"Torn. Where's Ashelin?" Jak vaguely recalled her mentioning that she and Torn had started living together.
"I'm right here. Doesn't anyone know how to open a door? I am a lady, you know."
"Sheesh, what's got HER panties in a wad?" Daxter finally chimed in.
"Excuse me? I didn't come here to be—"
"She's right. Jak, silence the rat before I do it for you." Jak couldn't tell if Torn really hated his best friend or if Ashelin just had him that whipped.
"Sorry about that, sweetheart." He really was just that whipped.
"Look, I just want to get this over with and go home. Something's not right about this place." Ashelin was stressed out, which wasn't an uncommon mood for her to be in, but Jak knew what she meant. He never imagined a place worse than Haven. Kras City made Sandover seem like a long-forgotten dream. At least Dax held his tongue, because there's no way Jak would let Torn lay a finger on his best friend, even if Dax started it.
Jak was the first to start walking toward the building. He couldn't help but find it ironic that he might have been included in the will of a man he pretty much killed.
"I wonder what the old tub of lard has in store for us, eh Jak?" Dax was talking again. "I mean, we busted our asses for him, remember? Call it worker's compensation!" Jak just smiled and kept walking.
/ - / - / - / - / - / - / - /
Keira was already there when they entered the room. Jak found a seat across from Ashelin and Torn, and Dax took up a spot on top of the large conference table they were all sitting around. The room was cold. Everything inside looked expensive, so it was no surprise that they had central air. Still, the noticeable absence of warmth and pressure made Jak that much more aware that his best friend just spent the past half-hour cuddling, nuzzling, breathing, occasionally even tossing and turning—against his groin. Jak blushed at the realization, and no matter how much he didn't want it to, the thought caused something to stir in his pants.
Precursors! I am NOT sitting here with a hard-on for my best friend! My orange and FURRY best friend! Dax would kill me if he knew. No, I would DIE if he ever found out. Jak was too busy trying to hide his arousal to pay attention to the others' conversation, so he didn't even notice Krew's daughter enter the room.
"Thank you for coming to Kras City. It looks like some didn't make it. Ah, well… I'm Rayne."
She was pretty. Dax all but fainted at the sight of her. Jak decided that she probably got it from her mother and worried himself with trying to tuck his chair even further under the table. She further introduced herself, placed the disc that contained her father's will onto the table, and poured each of them a drink from a special bottle of vintage wine (per Krew's request). Dax tossed his head back and downed the drink immediately. Jak eyed his glass wearily. As if I'm not messed up enough already without adding alcohol to the mix…
The racer sighed and drank it down. Anything to get his mind off his little problem under the table.
Rayne dimmed the lights and began playing the message Krew had recorded before he died, just for this occasion. It was simple. He welcomed the group and started talking about the fact that he was dead. It was a clever idea, really.
Maybe Jak and I should record a message for OUR will-reading. Dax thought. Precursors know there must be hundreds a guys lookin' to tan OUR hides.
I wonder what he wanted to tell us, anyway. Jak mused. Apparently neither of the boys were really listening.
"I want to fuel the greatest racing team Kras City has ever known!" Krew bellowed as an image of the man floated excitedly around the room.
What the he—
"You are the best of the best, and you will race for ME." Krew commanded.
"Forget it!" Jak leaped from his chair. Fortunately, the image of Krew was all he needed to turn himself off. Now he was just plain angry.
"NO WAY!" Dax added to the mix.
"I expect you're all riled up by now, so let me tell you WHY you will race—and you WILL WIN!" Krew somehow had as much presence in death as he did when he was alive, but Jak wasn't any less tired of being ordered around. The green-blonde ball of anger returned to his chair and waited to find out what sort of mess Krew had gotten them all into.
"If all went as planned, you just gave a touching toast in my honor. I'm sorry to say, but I put POISON in that special vintage! Quite unsportly of me, really."
"FATHER!" Rayne appeared to be shocked, but no one knew if they could trust her. She drank the poison, too.
Dax couldn't handle anymore shocks, and this time he really did faint. Jak cast a worried glance at his best friend before relaxing when Dax got back to his feet. At least maybe now I won't have to drive home with an unconscious furball in my lap. A warning twitch in his nether regions kept the racer from entertaining the thought any further. When Jak blinked back into the conversation, Ashelin was holding her gun a breath away from Rayne's forehead.
Why is everyone so upset? I mean, yeah, I'm freakin' pissed, but I'm not pulling weapons on people. Jak thought. If we race, we get the antidote, and we walk away alive. How hard could it be?
"Jak, next time you invite me to one of your little parties, DON'T!" Dax shouted. Jak looked at his friend and suppressed a small chuckle.
"We can do this. We can race, and we can beat Krew at his own game." Jak exclaimed.
Dax wasn't so sure, but if Jak was in, so was he. For the rest of the meeting, the group listened to Rayne talk about the accommodations that they'd be provided with, and Dax vaguely wondered if he could take another nap throughout the car ride home.
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AN: I know it's a little short, but it seemed like a good place to stop. There will be more to come, I assure you. Reviews are welcome. Bye for now!