Chapter 7: Complications and Scenario

A bright light flashes...

Ratchet backs away from Samas, gripping his forehead in a dizzy stance. "What was that?"

"I have brought out a portion of your memory for everyone to see. You may feel nauseous for a while." Samas explains.

"Yeah, thanks for not warning me." Ratchet covers his eyes and holds his midsection to keep him from throwing up.

"I thought we got rid of Erol?" Daxter shouted.

Ratchet spoke before Samas could speak. "That's what I wondering-who is that guy? He wasn't...normal."

"Erol was the Commander of the Krimson Guard under the orders of Baron Prasix. He had an incident with dark eco and blew up -but it turns out he was still alive and turned into a ugly robot-cyborg type thingy...Jak and I destroyed him years ago - for the second time because that 's what big heroes like me do." Jak rolls his eyes when Daxter explained to Ratchet. "Or so we thought...He was more...human than what you saw. What ever that was?"

"That was not Erol!" Jak declared. "As crazy he was in past, he wasn't like that...that thing is different."

"That is what I was trying to get to!" Samas interjected before anyone else spoke. "The Erol you see is not just Erol, but another Lombax. In sense, his personality and thoughts of mind changed. May it be for better or worse, but the army following him is the true threat. For I fear that it will take you both got to defeat this mad man and his army." Samas explains. "By the way things look, Erol is combining the minds of the Cragmites and Dark Makers to enhance technology into something powerful."

"If you don't mind me interrupting and going a bit off topic, may I ask you a question Jak?" Clank looks to the said hero. "From my understanding, your wounds...do they not hurt?"

"They hurt - it's just I can't feel my arm." Jak looks at his wounded arm. "I had a run-in with the king of metal heads. He did something to me to keep me from dying easily." Jak looks to Clank, seeing the confused face. Jak explains in awkward terms in a clear tone. "I was cursed ... and can only die if my head was removed. I have to undo this curse before...uh how did it go Daxter?"

Daxter spoke in a spooky voice, "For this may be your gifted curse - For this may be your cursed gift - May you stand - Or may you fall - Death - Is a fate no one can escape - It will bring us all down - For - There is no such thing as immortality - Only mortality - So in debt of me - shall you have eternity!" Daxter evilly laughs in the end.

"I presume that you have to pay back what debt you owe to the King of metal heads in order to be normal again?" Clank theorized, receiving a sigh and nod from Jak. "What will happen to you if you don't pay off this...debt?"

Daxter continues, "If not paid in full at Luna's third cycle - If paid not 'til Luna's true birth - Darkness - One cannot escape this darkness - That very darkness lives everywhere - Continues to live for all eternity - For our darkness is infinite."

"Is that true?" Ratchet sits up to stare at Jak.

"No, we're just messing with you." Daxter clarified. "Jak here had over abused his abilities one day and suddenly he doesn't feel any pain.

"Cool, what kind of powers?"

Samos bangs his staff onto the ground in a mad fit. "Enough! Jak you have no choice but to help Ratchet and Clank defeat the army, for the fate of the world - and the universe - is in both your hands. And Ratchet - we need your help if you are wanting to receive help in return! Now, all of you...get back to work!" Samos leaves the tent in a mad fit mumbling about "youngsters" and "short attention spans".

Torn turns toward Jak, "Come meet me when you're done." He leaves without another word, following the Shadow.

After a few moments of silence, Clank breaks the tension. "He's right, you know?"

"About what?" Ratchet ask as the other two seem to be confused as well.

"We can't face an enemy we know nothing about. Especially when our weapons have near no effect on the Dark Makers. Perhaps there is someone here who can help us learn their weaknesses and give us some advice on how to stop them." Clank explained.

"But-" Ratchet gets out.

"Or do you know any one who had encounter these monsters before?" Clank crosses his arms looking straight into Ratchet's eyes and waited for his reply.

"Uh..." Feeling defeated Ratchet exhales and leans back, "no...I guess we have no choice." Ratchet looks towards Jak and Daxter. "We going to need your help."

Clank nods his head feeling proud.

"No kidding," Keira pipes in, "here's your eco crystal Jak." She hands Jak the crystal, feeling disguised by the sight of said crystal being crunch down on. The sound of glass like material echoing. "You both should get going quick. Metal heads have found the camp site and are on the move. Oh and another thing..." Keira quickly moves to the counter.

Jak looks down at his arm, strands of flesh was coming together as bone snap back into place and sealed the gaps with new bone. Flesh did the same, stretching across the gaps and tightening with new healthy muscles and skin. Soon after the flesh settled back into it's original color, old scars reappeared back in their places. As both Ratchet and Clank saw the rejuvenating body parts, neither could hold back the facial expressions of sickness and need of releasing earlier meals.

Daxter smirks at their expression, "I know, but you'll get used to it." Daxter transforms into his ottsel self, leaping back onto Jak's shoulder.

Keira pulls out a red gun mod. "Here, Tess wanted you boys to try out the new gun mod she's been working." Jak takes the mod into hand and looks at Keira in wonder. "No, it hasn't been tested yet, but she made sure it won't explode like the last one."

"Great..." Jak said, rolling his eyes as he attached the newest mod made by Tess. "Huh?" Jak feels upon the lighter weight and pulls the trigger, no sooner finds himself sent backwards. He rolls out of the tent and lands ungracefully on his butt.

Rachet and Clank looks out of the huge hole of the tent. "That's some kick!" Rachet looks back at Jak and helps the man up. "Lets get going," he chuckles, "hey - can I have the mod?"

"Here," Jak said happily.

Daxter leaps back up on Jak's shoulder pad. "Try not to kill us all with that thing."

Ratchet takes out one of his weapons and tries to adjust the gun mod onto his weapon with quite difficulty. He begins mumbling, "...lets try moving this...routing it to that...rrrgh...that's not going to work..." Rachet takes out his wrench and bangs the mod into place. "There we go..." Adjusting the weapon in hand, Ratchet pulls the trigger.

Click.

Click. Click. Click.