Authors note: This would be set during Jak II, sometime after Jak and Keira made up over their little jealousy spat.

I guess if you haven't finished the game, there are spoilers, so yeah, just a heads up.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

"There he is, get him!"

Jak ran across the broken concrete of the slums as fast as he could manage, quickly glancing over his shoulder every now and then at his krimzon guard pursuers. He was headed towards the dead end alley which housed the secret entrance to the underground, but there was still quite a bit of distance to cover before he reached it. He glanced behind him again, seeing an ever growing wall of guards forming behind him, and when he turned back around he saw that a few guards had already formed up on the other side of the bridge he had to cross.

Jak eyed the size of the gap created by the deep gorge in the ground. Normally he might have been able to jump it, but after the long chase through the city he was feeling quite exhausted. And the only bridge crossing the gap was now blocked by a group of krimzon guards. He didn't think he would be able to shoot through them all before the ones chasing him caught up, so there was only one option left.

Jak searched inside himself for feelings of anger and rage. As he did so he began to feel the dark eco coursing through his veins and entering his flesh. Skin paled to ghostly white and long black claws sprang from fingertips. Horns pushed through skin and hair and eyes filled with an abyssal black. A roar burst through his throat as he charged towards the guards on the bridge, clawed hand outstretched. The guards checked, between the monster charging at them and each other.

"Shoot that thing!" a distorted voice called through a helmet, and the guards open fired on the beast. Dark Jak dodged from side to side, avoiding the red lasers. Then he crashed into the front line of guards, purple lightening crackling as it leaped between pale skin and red metal armour. Almost the whole of the small group of guards were thrown back by the impact and Jak broke through the defence line to the other side. He now had a clear run towards the alleyway, but he hesitated. He couldn't lead his pursuers' right to the secret entrance to the hide out. He had to get rid of them.

He turned his head to look behind him again. The group of guards he had knocked over were struggling back to their feet while the group of guards that had been originally chasing him were clattering across the bridge. All the civilians had fled the area: it was just him and the guards now. One side of Jak's mouth curled upwards in a malevolent malicious grin.

Jak slowly turned around, dark eyes gleaming as he watched the guards running towards him. Once the leading guards were only a few feet away from him he leapt into the air, curling one hand in to a fist and then bringing it down hard onto the concrete. A wave of dark eco rippled out from the point of impact, grabbing at the guards as it washed over them and flinging them into the air, rank after rank until it dissipated at the edge of the battle field.

There was a thundering clatter as numerous armoured bodies smashed back into the concrete, dark eco lightening crackling across the red metal. And then there was silence, no moans or screams, only death. Jak straightened up and prepared to revert…

…

But it didn't happen.

Jak was surprised when the eco didn't dissipate from his body. He held up a long clawed hand and stared at it. Why wasn't it working? He closed his eyes and clutched his head in both hands, trying to force the dark eco back. However when he opened his eyes he could still feel horn against his fingers and his skin remained white. His heart started to pound faster and his breathing became heavier.

"Errr… Jak buddy, what are you waiting for?" a high pitched nasal voice inquired as a orange furry face appear in front of Jak's own, the ottsel having leant around from his perch on Jak's armoured shoulder. "Why aren't you changing back?" The voice had taken on a slightly concerned tone.

"I…I…can't," Jak managed to push out it a cracked voice, proceeding to swallow heavily. What was happening to him? That dark blast should have used up all his reserves of dark eco, and yet he would still feel it throughout his body.

Daxter's eyes widened as he stared at into the face of his friend. "What do you mean you can't? C'mon buddy stop toying with me an change back! You're starting to creep me out," Daxter said in an uncertain manner.

Jak simply closed his eyes and shook his head.

Daxter was looking really worried now. He had about as much idea of what to do as Jak did. He looked around the area, trying to think of something he could do to help his friend.

"Well, let's just get you back to the underground at least, we'll be much safer there since more guards will probably be here soon," Daxter said as he looked around again nervously. Jak did the same, before turning and hurrying off to the alley.

The wall that hid the entrance to the underground slide backwards to reveal a small door which also opened in turn. Jak stumbled down the stairs and looked around as his entered. There were no underground members there except for Torn, who stood bent over the table as he examined some papers in front of him. He turned his head to look up at the pair as they entered. His eyes noticeably widened in surprise.

"Jak… what's wrong with you?" Torn asked as he slowly moved closer to them, one hand still resting on the table.

"Dark boy here can't seem to go back to normal for some reason," Daxter explain as he jumped off Jak's shoulder and onto the ground into front of Torn. The ottsel was trying to seem light hearted as always, but he couldn't keep all of the panic out of his voice. "We don't know what to do!"

Torn put a hand up to his chin. An eco related problem could probably only be solved by someone who knew a lot about eco. He picked up a communicator that lay on the table and punched in some digits. The screen lit up and a green face appeared.

"Shadow, we need you back at the hideout now! There is something wrong with Jak…" Torn said urgently into the communicator, not sure how to explain the situation.

"What is it?" Samos asked from the other end, his brow wrinkling in concern.

"Just get back here," Torn growled through gritted teeth.

"Right away," Samos said, and his face disappeared.

About ten minutes later the door of the hideout opened again, admitting through two floating sages and steps followed behind them, indicating another person present. Jak, who was crouching on the floor with his arms wrapped around himself, turned his head to look up at the arrivals. Both sages looked surprised as they set their eyes on the dark eco monster, and started floating towards him, both asking Torn what was wrong with him at the same time. Now that they had moved away from the stairs Jak could see who was behind them. His dark eyes widened as a look of panic gripped his pale features.

"No no no!" he exclaimed, scrambling away from where the teal haired teenage girl stood. "No… she can't see me like this… no…" the distressed voice was now muffled by a hand that was trying to cover up his face as he continued to awkwardly crawl back towards the wall.

"Jak!" Keira exclaimed as he pushed past the two sages and ran over to him. She slowed down as she approached him when she realized what she was looking at. She had heard about Jak turning into a monster, but she had never seen it herself. Though at the moment, he seemed more scared than scary.

"NO! Stay away!" Jak growled as he huddled up against the concrete wall, trying to cover himself with his arms.

Keira hesitated for a moment, but then reached out and gripped Jak's left forearm in her right hand. The dark eco on his skin stung her a little, but she didn't care. She gently prized the arm away from Jak's face, and a large black eye rolled to look in her direction. Jak shuddered and tried to draw away from her but Keria held onto his arm tightly.

"Let me go… please…. I don't want… I don't want…" Jak looked away from her as he tried to huddle up tighter, as if he wanted to disappear into himself. He didn't want her to see him like this; he didn't want her to see this monster that he had become. She would be scared of him, scared of the claws and horns and teeth, she would scream and run away, just like they all did.

But she didn't. Keira held up her other hand and placed it against his white cheek. Her face was filled with concern.

"It's okay Jak, we are here to help you," she said it a quiet voice. She stroked his pale skin. "It's going to be okay Jak, it's all going to be okay," she reassured.

It took an hour, of Jak lying on the floor while the two eco sages pumped green eco into him trying to drive back the dark, and Keira sat next to him the entire time holding his hand. He screamed and writhed, spasms wracking his body, but never did she let go. Daxter sat perched on Keira's shoulder, looking down at his friend with concern. And then finally color began to return to Jak's skin and hair, the claws and horns withdrew and his eyes reverted back to their normal blue. Then they fell closed as he lost conciseness.

"He had stored up far too much dark eco in his body," older Samos said as he drew the back on his hand over his perspiring green brow. "We've managed to neutralise the excess eco with green eco but… it may be some time before he wakes up again."

As Daxter jumped off down and began to complain about whose shoulder he was supposed to sit on until Jak woke up, Keira gazed down at the sleeping blonde haired hero. She leaned over him and placed a small kiss on his brow.

"I will always be there for you."