Naruto jolted awake violently, his body covered in a layer of cold sweat. His wide blue eyes scanned the immediate area, relaxing when he saw metal pipes and dark grey skies. He had fallen asleep in a cluster of dense piping in the industrial part of Haven City, but in his dreams he was in a different world, with a strange blond. Though he was never with this blond he was able to watch as he and his orange…weasel visited many different areas and fought Lurkers.

This confused Naruto. Weren't Lurkers slaves? If so why fight them? He shook his head, trying to clear out the confusion and chaos brewing there. But one question remained, why did he keep having these dreams?

With a soft yawn, Naruto slowly untangled himself from holding onto a small, warm pipe. Wigging, the blond squeezed himself free. He adjusted his dirty, red baseball cap, torn grime covered clothes, and ripped shoes. He double checked to make sure his fluffy tail was hidden completely before heading to Port. The sixteen year old kept his head bowed and in the shadows of the flickering Eco powered lights.

He drowned out the sounds of the sick and starving elves that huddled together in corners. The only thing that Naruto was focused on was keeping hidden within the crowd, away from the Krimzon Guard. No one noticed how the small blond would tense up with the passing shadow of every Zoomer. He could have laughed out loud at the irony of the reasoning behind his paranoia.

Naruto was on the Baron's Most Wanted list, for reasons even he didn't understand, and yet no one seemed able to notice him. He even stood out like a sore thumb for them to find. Everyone else didn't seem to wear any headgear and, because of his red hat, it looked like Naruto had no ears. Most would call it dumb luck, but secretly the fox eared teen liked to think of himself as a ninja.

The Port slowly came into view and even though some of the sewage from Haven poured into the ugly, black water Naruto liked this part of the city. This was the closest he could get to the dreams. He stood at the cement barrier that dropped into the water, a small smile on his lips. The water wasn't a bright, clear, shimmering blue, there wasn't a warm sun smiling on his face or hot sands between his toes, nor was there a soft, cooling breeze, or the sound of seagulls, but most importantly there wasn't a green-blond with his otter.

Naruto frowned at this, questions clouding his head once again. Why was he having these dreams of a place that couldn't exist inside or outside of Haven? Ever since that thing fell from the midday sky two years ago this boy haunted his dreams. The boy seemed to go everywhere, from volcanoes to snowy mountains and have the courage to face giant Lurkers.

In such deep thought about his dreams and this nameless teen was Naruto that he didn't even notice the pullulated wind pick up. His hat was soon stolen by the abnormally strong gust causing Naruto to chase after it, ignoring the double-takes he earned as he raced to reclaim his hat. The wind shifted slightly, leading the torn, dirty red hat towards the filthy water. The blond teen didn't think twice before lunging after it, catching the bill between his teeth before it could escape.

"It's the fox kid!" A guard yelled at seeing Naruto's pointed blond fox ears exposed to all of Haven. His yell was followed by more shouting of other guards and soon Naruto was sprinting away on all fours, his hat still between his teeth. For a reason beyond him he could always run faster when he moved like some kind of animal.

Civilians screamed, ran, and leaped out of the charging blond's path, seven Krimzon Guards chasing after him. Naruto's panicked sapphire eyes quickly locked onto a maze of pipes far above the ground as he rounded the corner. All he needed to do was leap, grab onto the vent spewing black smog, climb, and hide.

The fox teen leaped at the vent, holding his breath against whatever chemical was slapping him in the face as he held onto the vent's slits. Before Naruto could start his climb to freedom and safety a gloved hand grabbed his ankle in a vice. The guard gave a sharp, forceful tug, letting loose the beast inside the panicking blond. He wasn't going to let this man take away his freedom!

A loud, feral growl tore its way from Naruto's chest and throat, escaping through his teeth which still held onto his hat in a death grip. The Krimzon Guard roared in pain and shock as Naruto let go of the slit with one hand and racked his claws across his helmet, slicing through the metal and into flesh. As soon as his grip loosened, his target climbed desperately, getting a kick to the guard's face as he did, up the vent and into the pipes, most likely fleeing deeper into the city.

Naruto flinched as he heard the man roar in anger at him escaping. The blond carefully checked his hat, noticing the deep teeth impressions on the bill now, before placing his sole possession back on his head and over his ears, muffling the sound of Haven City. Gently, Naruto rubbed his sore, and surely bruising, ankle. He looked out over the Port as he curled up in the mess of piping.

He didn't want to be hunted by the guards anymore…if only he was stronger; strong like the blond in his dreams. Then he could protect himself, but more than that, if he was strong he could escape and find the place the teen and his weasel where. There Naruto could be at peace, and maybe met the green-blond.

Jak jolted awake as a Krimzon Guard helmet was thrown against his cell bars. His cold blue eyes took in the four, deep claw marks on the metal before looking up at the helmet's owner. His face was bathed completely red, even hiding his guard tattoos, as he held up a hand to his wounds. A few of his fellow guards laughed at something they must have said when the once hero was asleep.

"Shut up!" The man roared as a prison guard came into view. She laughed at him before giving him a pointed look.

"Come on Frank, the fox brat couldn't have put up that much of a fight. Now get your helmet and go to the infirmary, you're getting blood on my prison floor." The male guard muttered something under his breath as he walked towards Jak, picking up his helmet. When he went to stand his unforgiving black eyes met the once Eco Hero's. The man's cold eyes coupled with the lustful shine, feral grin, and the blood pouring freely from open wounds to stain his face and a few strains of black hair was enough to send a jolt of fear through Jak.

"When's it my turn with him?" The guard asked as he fully stood. The woman prison guard glared as more blood hit the already disgusting prison floor.

"Never. Errol has already laid claim to him…two years ago. You should remember. Now go! Stop staining my floor!" The woman yelled pushing the man out of her way and towards the still laughing guards. He gave another 'shut up' then left, all six guards following him. The remaining guard growled to herself then unlocked Jak's cell. As much as Jak wanted to get up and fight her off he couldn't. Errol made sure of that when he visited last night.

Briefly, he recalled when it took seven Elite Guards to drag him as he fought them, and none of them left unharmed, now all it took was a single guard to drag his lifeless form.

A groan escaped the green-blond as the woman jerked him up and proceeded to drag him down the familiar hallway. Each step sent white sparks of pain shooting up his spine. He couldn't see why the woman dragging him cared about the blood on the floor, there was already that and much more on those floors; vomit, feces, leaked Eco of all types, dried rotting flesh, blood matted hair, and semen.

A shiver of disgust was followed by a wave of agony. Jak didn't even know they reached the Dark Eco Experiment Chamber until he was strapped to the machine and voices pierced his fogged mind.

"I want results Errol! Now show me!" That rough voice could only belong to the Baron. Jak's eyes snapped to the large man with untamed malice in his eyes. Then he felt a presence next to him as tapping entered the silence, no doubt the female guard starting up the experiment.

"Of course Baron." Jak's blood went cold as he looked over to see Errol, his hungry eyes consuming his bound form. Even as the two men stepped away as the machine started up and the needles that hummed and crackled with Dark Eco advanced upon him Jak could feel Errol's gaze. A shiver of shame, disgust, and rage racked his fragile body.

How many times had Errol visited him in his cell after the Rift Gate brought him here? How many times had Errol taken him over and over again? How many of his wounds on his battered body were from Errol? How many times had Errol seen him cry and scream because of the man? How many-

His question died as the agony started.

Jak's mouth opened as an endless scream tore its way violently from his lips. His body shook uncontrollably as Dark Eco twisted its way into his veins, setting fire to his insides. The blond fought, not only against the metal bonds that held him to the table but also against crying. He failed as the tears broke free from the corner of his eyes. His eyes soon rolled into the back of his pain clouded head as the dosage of Eco increased, and his body convulsed more wildly than before.

He would never get used to the pain. All he wanted was for it to stop and to be told that everything would be okay. That he would be okay. He wanted comfort from the endless pain.

Jak wanted Daxter.

If only he was stronger, strong enough to fight off Errol, fast enough to have caught Daxter from falling into the Dark Eco. Jak used to think he was strong, even thought he was a hero, but that was before Errol. Before the orange haired man stole and broke him.