Chapter Text
It's three am...
In the Palace, Baron Praxis stands before the throne while the Commander walks into position at the base of the stairs.
Every month, the Baron would arrange a private meeting with the Metal Head leader and discuss attack plans upon the city. They would chart out movements and shift groups accordingly, reducing the amount human lives lost while also sacrificing many Metal Heads in return. As negotiated since their first arrangement, shipments of dark eco would be sent out at the end of the month and the Metal Head leader would contact them again to confirm the shipment has reached its destination. Only to start again in order to keep the Baron in power. However, as they wait for the Metal Head leader to appear on the hologram, many complications have arisen.
It all started when Jak escaped from prison and joined the secret Underground organization. The young man's first rebellious act against the Baron resulted in a third of the Krimson Fortress blown up and the secret passageway tucked underneath the city being entirely buried under rubble. The shipment then wasn't fully delivered and Baron Praxis had no choice but to use leftover dark eco from the Dark Warrior Program to make up for what was lost, shutting down the project entirely. The second blow was the constant killing of Metal Heads outside the city walls. Several times the young man had ruined the scheduled attack plans and angered the Metal Head leader as Jak alone kills four times a trained mercenary would take on in a week within a few hours. The last act was the largest hit as dark eco production has come to a near halt. The Drill Platform has taken severe damage and caused most systems to shut down, because of this all other mining operations are forced to be fully active while eco from the Drill Platform prioritizes the city shields until it's no longer under maintenance. Erol already knew this meeting will not be in their favor, a few hundred Metal Heads' lives lost would've been easily overlooked if the eco promised was met in full payment.
It wasn't and the recent destruction of eggs has set the Metal leader off. Well, not exactly, it is more the queens under the Metal leader's command combined with the hive mind which had angered the powerful creature. Baron Praxis never understood hive mind relations and at times requested advice from his Commander to avoid unnecessary conflicts as the older man often speaks alone during secret meetings.
The Commander's presence only proves the Baron's desperation as the man had ordered Erol to attend. The tyrant believes he can placate the creature based on the simple-minded idea that Erol wasn't human. He can't, and prefers to keep minimal contact with the one Hora-Quan who knows well of both Erol's secret and his past.
It is ominous the Metal Head leader has never once brought up the subject and instead asked about Erol's wellbeing. The elder Hora-Quan acts as if a caring parent but gives Erol the sense it just wants him to become part of its hive. Whatever secret plan the Metal Head holds, Erol must never connect with a hive mind.
Not even with Jak.
Checking the time on his comm, Erol sees ten minutes have already passed. He thinks the young man should be here by now and is beginning to worry as he subtly glances up in the hope to sense the familiar life force.
Their first warning comes when electrical currents pass through the ground. Flickering into existence, the holographic image of the Metal Head leader comes to full view as its head floats in the middle of the throne room. Upon the sight of another, the Hora-Quan leader looks down, "Ah, Er'ol, we meet again child of my blood. It has been months. How have you been?"
The Commander respectfully bows with the tilt of his head, "I greet you in kind, Elden One." Erol would rather tell the creature to rip out its own skull gem and leave him alone but he can't, not when Baron Praxis is watching. He swallows down his disgust and keeps to his role as Commander of the Krimson Guard, stoic. "Sa'naie. Forgive my brashness, but Baron Praxis wishes to discuss a later date of your desired eco."
Praxis speaks up, "You shall have your eco. Along with a third of what's already owed by the end of this week."
The Hora-Quan growls looking straight at the Baron, "After your last offense, I fail to see past your incompetence. Perhaps a fair reminder shall serve a better lesson than my leniency towards your daughter."
Praxis grips his sword in anger but keeps his calm, "For that I am grateful, but even if you were to remind me I cannot speed up production. It takes time and resources. Resources your Metal Heads have destroyed and eaten. I'm limited to what I've available now." He grunts, "There's also the trouble of transportation. With the tunnels sealed, future shipments may be delayed."
He roars, "I am not one to be fooled! Rah-ik rahga! Feeble words do not amount to your actions."
The Commander was quick to add, "We can send a small squadron in transport. This will ensure full payment. If any eco were to go missing, you'll at least have enough food to make amends." He knows well Metal Heads enjoy feasting on healthy humans. Offering a few heads should ease the Hora-quan and his queens.
The Metal Head leader was appeased, "A compromise, but it still leaves your current performance to be rectified."
Like a sudden shift in the air, Erol can sense the rat's life force above and it deeply relieves him to know that Jak is alive. He keeps still at attention as negotiations continue.
Praxis struggles to keep his anger in check, "I already told you that we'll have more eco by week's end." He spares a glance at his Commander and continues to say, "It'll be transported to your nest," he grits his teeth as he bows his head, "as promised."
"A deal is of no value if you can't deliver, my dear Baron." The Metal Head leader growls, "I grow impatient with your puny gestures. Give me the agreed-upon eco soon or the deal is off and your precious city will pay the price." It looks down at the Commander, "Until we meet again, my child."
The Commander silently bows his head in respect, hearing the hologram disappear before he has the chance to look up.
Erol is seething. The Metal Head leader was purposely using human emotions against them, threatening the Baron's daughter while also calling Erol "my child" in front of the older man. The creature was aiming to create discord between them, to shift their hatred against each other while also trying to convince Erol that he doesn't belong with the humans. It was subtle, and it would've worked if Erol hadn't long ago made it clear to the Baron that showing respect towards their enemy will get the Metal Head leader to participate than argue with it. This and the creature leaves without so much of a hint of its next coordinated attack. It has become clear the Metal Head leader wants nothing more to do with their deal until it has its payment.
"Calm yourself, Commander, before the mutation takes hold."
Erol blinks, knowing anger doesn't spark the mutation. He becomes self aware, feeling the bellowing growl rumbling in side his chest. The Commander calms himself down, turning to look at the Baron and spots him standing next to the window. "What is your next order?"
"Have Ashlyn up her patrols. I want that tomb found!"
The Commander smirks, "But your daughter has not been... agreeable." The young woman hated Metal Heads just as much as her father, if not more. It's because of this viewpoint she never once saw Erol as an individual but, as she once said in his face, "an experimental abomination" and would rather shoot him dead than listen to a single word he has to say. It was that same distrust that paved the way for her tie-in with the Underground. She doesn't support the secret organization wholeheartedly, only enough to keep the city and its people safe from their true enemies, the Metal Heads.
Praxis grunts, "I'll see to that problem. One way or another." He glares at his Commander, "And find that child! If you spent half as much time looking for that little brat than you spend galavanting we would have pinned his royal ass to the wall long ago!"
The Commander, Erol, is flabbergast. "Forgive me, sir, but what?!"
"Doctor Yula was kind enough to inform me of your...specialized needs." He folds his hands behind his back, looking down at his Commander. "I have signed the consent form but don't mistake this freedom as an overlook to your duties."
Erol simply says, "As you wish," as he truly doesn't know what to make of the situation. It appears that his greatest enemy, Doctor Yula, said something utterly ridiculous to the Baron yet believable enough that got him to sign some sort of consent form. A consent form to have sex. And the Baron thought he was "galavanting" the whole time. Embarrassing as it is, Erol must ask, "With your permission, I would like to see a copy of this form. I would like to know where boundaries have been set."
"Doctor Yula has already sent a copy to your de--
A loud sneeze echoes from the roof.
Praxis looks up, "What was that?"
Erol immediately glares up to the ceiling. The damned rodent had sneezed. He can't pretend he hasn't heard it, "An uninvited guess. Should I handle it?"
"No, you have your orders." He waves his hand in dismissal, "Now, go."
Erol quickly strides down the long throne room and out into the hallway. Instead of following orders, he heads into one of the Palace's control rooms and orders all the guards inside to leave. Once alone and the door closed, Erol takes a seat in one of the chairs, pushes buttons to link with surveillance cameras on the roof, and then sat back to watch the showdown between Jak and the Baron...
Twelve minutes and thirty-two seconds.
The fight lasted twelve minutes and thirty-two seconds before Baron Praxis activated emergency eject the second the mech suit blew up. The cowardly man escaped with his life instead of seeing it to the end. Erol frowns at the sight and leaves the control room before the Baron knows of his insubordination. He takes the long elevator down to the first floor and in his wait, he analyzes the fight in his mind.
Jak had failed to kill the Baron and not without trading blows. The boy was taken completely taken off-guard at first by the mech's wide-ranged arsenal but quickly adapted as he soon understood the limitations of the machinery. Jak was fast when he'd ran passed the turret fire, smart when he'd calmly moved away from the grenade reticles, and agile when the he weaved around the bombardment of swirling red eco tornados. The last hit to the mech was done in Jak's communed dark form, letting out a large surge of dark eco with a sound similar to that of a bomb. Though victorious, Jak had taken a hit from the turret guns and two direct hits from the tornado. The use of the boy's dark form was more out of desperation to end the fight than to successfully kill the Baron. Nevertheless, what's done is done.
Jak lives and Erol was glad his last hope was not lost. He's quite sure the boy is upset, unable to kill his tormentor, yet happy to have the chance to beat the man down and in a mech suit no less. He'll most likely return to the Underground before coming to search for Erol, demanding another way to get back at the Baron. Erol again will have to yield, knowing if he doesn't Jak will search for another way without him. The thought was aggravating to Erol since he now has to watch over the boy and provide assistance until he can get his hands on the last necessary key item needed to free Lore.
It's out there somewhere and Erol just has to get his hands on it. He's already hired several people to look into the market, using the same connections he did in favor of Keira. Until then, he'll continue his role as Commander and keep Jak alive.
He reaches the first floor and walks out of the Palace, heading straight to his cruiser. As he hops in his vehicle the radio comm goes off with a message from Head Quarters, "Attention all units, be alert for a young blonde male in a blue tunic and a rapid orange rat on his shoulders. Individual is extremely dangerous and not to be engaged without backup. Repeat, be on high alert for a young blonde male in a blue tunic and a rapid orange rat on his shoulders..."
Erol smirks, "That was fast," and drives off towards the Fortress.
In his office, Erol tosses the consent form down on his desk after reading the entire thing. Shaking his head, Erol should've known Doctor Yula would get her way. That woman was tenacious when she wants something, worse if it intrigues her. He looks back down at the paper and couldn't help but stare at Baron Praxis' signed signature on the bottom page, signifying Erol's freedom to "pursue other persons in order to relieve his sexual frustrations as a growing young male". It goes on further that he is excused of all accidental, or intentional, deaths with "persons included with Commander Hora-mutant Erol's sexual advances". The three-paged form was mocking him as the only person in the entire city who wouldn't die to his "sexual advances" was a teenage blonde-haired renegade who enjoys blowing stuff up and causing serious property damage. That little detail wasn't printed, and Erol knows exactly why.
He thinks damn that woman as he takes out a yellow eco crystal and sets the form on fire. He quickly tosses the burning paper in the metal trash can and sighs. He stares out into the abyss wondering if ignoring the woman's wishes will finally give him peace but has learned from past experiences that Doctor Yula will intervene and just might walk up straight to Jak and ask for his voluntary services. Erol can avoid this by using someone else as a substitute but could only think of one person.
He takes out his comm and scrolls through the list of names, kicking his feet up on the table. He sees Kiera's line, his thumb immediately hovers over the call sign but hesitates to press it. Erol sighs again as he tosses the comm down on the table, mentally shaming himself as he rubs his face in anguish. He couldn't do such a thing to his only friend. It didn't matter Keira has high dark eco resistance, the girl doesn't deserve such betrayal and Erol would only end up hurting himself by being alone once again without a human companion.
Leaning back into his chair, Erol stares up at the ceiling. He thinks it would be nice to actually have someone who wouldn't die to his touch. Someone who can channel dark eco and not get poisoned from the residue leaking out of his pores. He holds up his hand and slowly curls his fingers into a fist. The fitting glove heavily reminds him he can't touch others without his uniform on. Otherwise, they'll suffer an undeserving death. Memories of the past fleetingly crosses his mind in the clarity of a waking nightmare...
A woman slaps him across the cheek as her son was being arrested. She screams and yells for him to let her boy go but stops as she falls to her knees grabbing her hand. Her hand crumbles to pieces of black glass, screaming in pain as her arm then rots off onto the ground in the form of melting flesh and mold-like blood. Her insides come bubbling out through the hole of her arm as the air tastes of rusted metal and strong acid. The corrosion was so fast that by the time the young man had cried out for his mother, Erol could do nothing but stare at pitch-black eyes and melted pale skin. The woman reaches her other arm out, unable to say her son's name as her tongue swells past her lips and lungs spills out from her side melding in with blackened tar-like flesh. Though visceral and grotesque, Erol scents an aroma of "food".
Once the Baron had learned of the event, he ordered to silence all witnesses and rid the evidence. Since then, the Commander was never allowed to handle things on his own when dealing with civilians. He has to abuse his authority to make the guards do his bidding, threatening their lives if they don't so much follow basic instructions.
Erol had once threatened to kill an innocent child because a guard got heated with him. He didn't want to do it but he had to prove a point as their commanding officer. They were given the order to arrest an entire hotel without context or reason. It was a test, to see if any of them were worth keeping in the guard or traitors meant to be silenced. The Baron had ordered him to kill them all anyway but Erol didn't. He told the children to run like their lives depended on it and touched every single adult there with his bare hands. The Baron had later played it off as a Metal Head attack and congratulated his Commander and his men for their noble sacrifices. Erol felt sick to his stomach for weeks and nothing Lore had said could ease his guilt.
Snapping him out of his thoughts, it would be best to focus on freeing Lore and nothing else.
Suddenly, Erol can feel his Hora-Quan side digging its claws inside his chest. He can feel a threatening weight crushing down on his shoulders as phantom teeth nip at the back of his brain. It wants its "queen" and it is angry at Erol for his weakness. A Hora-Quan will always be true to themselves. It eats when it hungers. It sleeps when it tires. It breeds when it has a mate. Truth is strength and lies are for the weak. "Queen" is perfect. "Queen" knows of the truth. It knows Erol wants "queen" too. It hasn't given up and won't allow Erol to stop it. It will fight until the end until it has its "Queen".
Erol shakes his head and grips his forehead in pain, "Lo're, stop."
[I do not command your inner mind. It is you. Yourself without form. As you, it listens and disobeys yet free from all else. It is your truth and greater will.]
He groans in pain, "Then what do I do?"
[Human inner minds are different. Unlike my kind, it is separable. You are both Hora-Quan and Human. As is your inner mind.]
All this time Erol had thought his Hora-Quan side was just basic animalistic instinct. From what Lore tells, this was certainly not the case. What he has mistaken for natural Hora-Quan behavior was actually his subconsciousness brought forth from the deep recesses of his mind. Hora-Quan's don't have separate consciousnesses as both are meld together by the skull gem embedded in their heads. Erol doesn't have a skull gem and his mutations have made him more Hora-Quan than he is human. In this revelation, Erol's Hora-Quan side is his human subconsciousness and it's "conversing" with Erol directly as a different entity.
He takes in a sharp breath and then lets out a long exhale to relax himself. He can feel his Hora-Quan side, his subconscious, remove its claws. The weight is still there but the nipping teeth becomes smooth comforting licks.
[You are unique, Er'ol. No other converse their inner mind as you.]
"Maybe it's because of all the genetic crap shoved inside my body." Erol smirks, "Maybe after everything is said and done, I'll go live at the temple. It's peaceful and I don't have to worry about clothes." He can hear Lore chuckle.
[Peace with naked Er'ol. I think the females will be offended.]
"Hey!" He hears Lore laugh.
A beep to Erol's radio communicator goes off. The Commander kicks his feet off the table, stands up from his desk, and answers the radio comm. "This is Commander Erol."
"Sir," a Krimson Guard reports, "I must report your, uh, pet has been spotted in the East Bazaar and on the move."
Odd, he's never heard of Gwy-ar leaving home unless Erol was in trouble. "Where is it now?"
"We've lost sight. Your orders, sir?"
"Alert all guards to clear the area and keep civilians away. Do not engage unless you have a death wish. I'm on my way now."
"Yes, sir!"
Erol shuts off his radio communicator. His brows furrow in worry, wondering what cause this sudden shift in behavior. He walks around his desk and makes his way out of his office.
Jak walks out of the Underground base with Daxter walking next to him. They just finished reporting to Torn after dropping off the last agent at the new safehouse. The ex-KG was still extremely upset by their peppy attitude after their little showdown with the Baron but gave a small thanks for accomplishing their mission as promised. With no new missions and Krew not answering Jak's calls, the boys have plenty enough time on their hands.
"Man, I'm starvin'!" Daxter hops up on Jak's shoulder, crawling to the other side to stand on the pauldron. "Let's get some grub."
"Dax, we can't just get food. The city is on high alert, remember."
"Sure we can! I just stay out of sight and you wear somethin' else that's not blue. It's easy!"
Jak rolls his eyes with a shake of his head.
"Or, we can ask Commando Crazy to get us somethin'."
Skeptical, "You think he'll just get us some food?"
"Well, he doesn't want you to die, needs ya to free this Low-ore character, and he likes you! You know, in the ha~ot and bothered kind of way." He leans down to grin in Jak's face, "If you ask nicely I'm pretty sure he'll take us to one of those fancy restaurants."
He cringes, "You mean a date?"
"Anything is better than eatin' 'nother M-R-E." He thinks about it and then says, "Wait, no, I take that back. There are worse things to eat but that's not the point!" He angrily taps his foot, "We've been eating MRE bars and missing meals for the past week. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I was starving, Jak. As much as it hurts my pride to admit it but I'm an Ottsel, a rodent! I eat more in a day because my stomach can't hold a lot of food. Last time I tried, I puked all over the zoomer while we were blasting through KG deliverin' Krew's goods!" He claps his hands together dramatically begging, "All I'm askin' for buddy is real food. Just this once."
Jak frowns, feeling a bit guilty. He thinks back on the past week and realizes he's been dragging Daxter around without thinking about his best friend's well-being. He'd been driven by anger, too blind to notice Daxter's suffering. His best friend has been so accommodating to Jak's whims, it's only fair he does the same. He stops walking, threading his fingers through his hair, and says, "Alright. I'll-
"Hey, isn't that the Commander's pet we walked days ago. What was its name again? Gear-Glee-Gusto-Grubert or something?"
Jak looks ahead of them and sees the golden Metal Head sniffing the crashed zoomer he'd left behind. It didn't have its leash which could mean the creature left its home without the Commander knowing. Jak's pretty sure the man would lose his shit if anything happens to it and thinks this would be the perfect opportunity for the man to owe him another favor. He casually makes his way towards it-
"Quick, surround that thing!"
At the sound of the Krimson Guard, Jak runs to hide out of sight. He sticks close to the wall and peeks around the corner.
Krimson Guards surround the gold Metal Head on all sides. The creature hisses at them, warning them to back off and not get too close. When none of them listened, it growls showing all two rows of razor-sharp teeth. Its tails whip around, taking chunks out of the concrete ground and tearing through the crashed zoomer like a sharp blade through paper. The Krimson Guards take out their tasers and activates the weapons, setting them to stun.
Jak takes a step from the cover -but stops as he watches the Metal Head stands to its full height. It leans off its hands to stand only on its hind legs, throat bulging out with its maw slightly open. The stance was familiar to Jak, the Lurker frogs and Znorkle Tooths had all done the same thing just before they strike with their tongue. The creature's tongue was different, it has weird barbs and tentacles. He wonder what that thing could do to--
A Krimson Guard's head vanishes. There was noise. No sight of the tongue. Just the head vanishing and the Metal Head crunching down on fresh meat and red metal. The others panic.
"Ahh!"
"What the hell was that?!"
"What just happened?"
"The thing took his head!
"TAKE IT OUT!"
The guards all charge at the creature at once. A tail whips around to cleave a man in half, blood splattering all across the ground as the torso goes tumbling. A quick swipe of thick claws shred through armor to disembowel another, the man screaming in pain as he grips his falling intestines. One gets close enough to shock the creature but the voltage does nothing as the Metal Head channels the blue eco into its body without harm, golden scales glowing blue for a moment before returning back to its original color. Angry at the man's close proximity, the Metal Head opens its large maw and snaps down on his arm to rip it off. Another attempts to get close but a large hand grabs the man's head and crushes his skull into mush. The Krimson Guard in the back was smart enough to grab his blaster from his bike but the moment he turned around to aim his head vanishes into thin air and the creature once more munches down on fresh meat and red metal. The last guard trembles in fear. He yelps when the creature eyes him and throws down his weapon to hold up his hands in surrender.
The gold Metal Head stomps up to the man and growls, "Rrrun hoo-man."
The man runs for his life, tripping over his own feet twice while crying out in fear.
The creature sniffs the air only to then look straight at Jak and Daxter. It leans down to all four legs and happily walks up to them to rub its green skull gem against Jak's hand.
He chuckles, "Don't like Krimson Guards either, huh?" He pets the creature on the head, attempting to scratch it's chin but was met with metal.
"Poor guy must be hungry, too." Daxter hops down onto the creature's back, happy and proud to reclaim his mount. "Whaddya say big guy, wanna go fetch something's to eat?"
"Sonuva- GWY-AR!"
Jak looks up to see the Commander stalking around the corner and into sight. The man checks the dead bodies before turning around to see them. Their eyes meet and Erol's menacing glare softens to a delighted smile while Jak stands to his full height to awkwardly greet the man.
"Jak. Didn't expect to see you here."
Nervously rubbing his head, he tries his best not to look behind at the Underground base, "Yeah, just, uh, passing through."
Daxter rolls his eyes at the two and turns to the man, "Hey, Romeo! We're starvin' and lookin' for something to eat. Mind lending us a hand?"
Erol looks at furry creature, "What's your name?"
"Daxter."
"Daxter," he repeated.
[Not Liberator name. This one is human.]
Erol blinks at the rodent, "You're human?"
"Yeah." He crosses his arms with a tilt of his head, "How'd you figure?"
He doesn't answer and instead says, "Suppose with the city on high alert you're asking me to get you two something to eat." He looks at Jak.
"Would you?" Jak asked with a heartening smile.
Erol walks up to Jak and holds out his hand.
Jak stares at the man's hand and recalls what happened at the Precursor Temple. With a bit pink tint to his cheeks, Jak gives the Commander his hand. He looks away, not wanting to look the man in the eyes as he prepares himself for the kiss.
Erol raises a brow, not expecting Jak to give him his hand. He chuckles a bit to himself before taking Jak's hand in both hands. "As much as I love your eagerness, I was asking for money."
Embarrassed, Jak blushes. "Right, money." Jak takes his hand back and reaches into his pouch to take out a few bills. Flustered, he hands it over, "Should be enough, right?"
Erol counts the wad of bills before tucking them inside his pouch. "Head to the Stadium, I'll meet you there." He eyes the Hora-Quan, "Gwy-ar, go home."
Jak raises a brow when the Metal Head grumbles a few words.
"Don't you arh'sh-eko me! You left without your leash and killed humans. Go home or no gra-o'kee for a month."
The gold Metal Head walks behind Jak, rubbing it's skull gem against his leg before speaking it's odd language.
"Jak isn't your caretaker and he really shouldn't have encouraged your behavior." Erol spares the boy a meaningful glance. "If you don't want to go back home then go to the temple." Gwy-ar retorts back. Erol sighs, "Fine, but don't expect me to save you if guards start shooting." The Hora-Quan happily huffs in response and heads off into the street. He looks at Jak, "Mind taking Gwy-ar with you. It's being stubborn."
Jak shrugs, "Sure, I don't mind."
Erol walks off with a shake of his head, reporting to Headquarters of the dead guards.
It doesn't take long for Erol to return to the Stadium with food. They all sit in the stands as the two boys munch away with gusto. While they ate, Erol silently overlooks the inner stadium and softly scratches behind Gwy-ar's ears. The gold Hora-quan happily shares it's eco with it's caretaker, channeling the dark essence through their physical bond.
It didn't take long for Jak to finish his hearty meal. With the last bite of his food, he places his trash off to the side and wipes the crumbs from his hands with a napkin. He takes a glance at Daxter, seeing his best friend barely halfway into his food. He wonders if they may have to wrap it up for later.
"Are you participating in the races?" Erol suddenly asked.
Jak looks down at the newly built race track. He reflects back on his argument with Keira and sighs, "There isn't a team that'll take me in."
"Not even Keira?"
Jak looks at him with a slight glare, "What's your relationship with her?"
"We're friends. I used to race for her team and we got to know each other." He playfully smirks, "Jealous?" Erol sees the tense look on Jak's face, eyes slightly shifting in place as he stares.
"I don't get you."
"Meaning?"
"Two years." Jak firmly stated. "Two years in that prison, you steal dark eco but let the Baron put me through those experiments. Why?"
Erol explains, "In order to free Lo're, you need to commune with all six ecos at once. At the time, you couldn't touch dark eco without it causing serious harm. The DWP compelled your body to adapt." He looks off to the side, "But you're not wrong. There were some instances I could've stopped the Baron but I can't afford to lose my position." He looks him in the eyes, "Besides you, there's one other item I need. An eco crystal strong enough to destroy this entire continent. Had I stepped in, all my connections would've gone away."
Daxter hops up and holds up his hand, "Hold on, back up, did you say an eco crystal strong enough to destroy this entire continent?"
"Yes."
He shouts, "Not even the largest eco crystal in the world can do something like that!"
"It's not the size that matters."
"Speaking from experience, huh?"
Erol chuckles, "Experience I can share," he glances seductively, "when Jak's willing."
Jak shakes his head at him, still in disbelief about the man openly flirting with him.
He continues, "The eco crystal I'm looking for must be at least three hundred years old. It's not the eco inside but the crystal itself I need. The mineral must be strong enough to support Lo're's powers."
Jak leans back in his seat, tilting his head in thought, "You said something about 'commune'. What's that?"
Erol lets out a strong exhale, "That is an explanation and a half." He adjusts his seating to fully face Jak, "Now follow me very closely because this can get very confusing." He clears his throat. "Communion is when an eco-channeler takes eco and combines it with their body."
"Isn't that what channelers do in the first place?"
"Communion takes it beyond that. Take your dark form, for example, that's communion."
Jak was more confused, "But I'm just channeling dark eco."
He chuckles, "This is what I mean about it getting very confusing."
[Tell of the bridge.]
"Right, the bridge." Erol starts again, "In every living being there's a consciousness and subconsciousness. What allows a being to channel eco is the consciousness, the surface of the mind that gives us control. The subconsciousness keeps us in balance while we channel eco. Communing with eco is different. A bridge between the two connects and melds it all together in one. When this happens the subconsciousness takes over and eco evolves the channeler."
"So...I'm not channeling dark eco but my...subconsciousness?...is?"
"Close but no."
Daxter complains, "Isn't there a better way to explain it?"
Erol sighs, "Screw it, I'm using Mil's example." He can hear Lore huff in disappointment and relates to his emotions. Simple mindedness does tend to get on his nerves, but he can understand Jak's situation and keeps a far greater patience for the young man. He holds up two fingers, "There are two people in a car, the driver and the passenger. The passenger is a mechanic and knows everything about the car. The driver only knows how to drive. In a regular person, eco serves as a boost. It can go fast, have stronger armor, and repair itself. Following me?"
Daxter answers with Jak nodding, "Yep!"
"Good. Now an eco-channeler is like the driver asking the passenger for help. The passenger goes full mechanic and pushes the car beyond its limits with eco. The car gets weapons, bombs, and can even fly with jet boosters. The driver can't operate all the new functions at the same so the passenger-mechanic helps by manning the guns, flipping switches, and pushing buttons.
"Communion is when the two," he rotates his two fingers, "switch seats. The passenger-mechanic becomes the driver and can operate all the vehicle functions but still doesn't know how to drive. The driver becomes a navigator and leads the passenger-mechanic giving direction. The car turns into a battle airship and can use eco however they please." He lowers his hand and leans further into his seat, throwing his arm on top of the backrest.
Daxter crosses his arms and glances at the blonde, "Sounds about right."
"Is that what you did to me," Jak starts, "communion?" He sees the confusion on the Commander's face. "At the power station."
"Oh," he shakes his head, "no. I can't interact with your eco while in that state."
"Then what did you do?"
"Metaphorically, I became your navigator and you listened."
"How do I get to be my own navigator?" Erol shrugs. "You have to know."
"I'm part Hora-Quan, Jak. My car is a one-seater with an auto-pilot AI as the passenger. When I commune, I have to relieve control but remain hyper focused. Otherwise, my instincts will take over." He looks out to the stadium in a huff, "Not like I can with the mutation a constant threat on my life."
Daxter speaks up, "What's up with the Metal Head leader calling you its kid? From what Torn told us, you were stuffed in an egg and took a swim in the dark ooze."
Jak palms his face, "Dax."
"No-no. I don't mind." Erol clarifies, "The ceremonial rebirth not only bound Lo're to me but I've inherited both my mentor's and the Metal Head leader's genetic code. So technically, yes, I am his child but not naturally."
A raised brow, "And that doesn't bother you?"
"No, why should it?"
Jak and Daxter give him an odd look.
"From my perspective, it's normal. It's how I've been raised. I've been around Metal Heads and Hora-Quans the day I was born. I speak their language. I know their history. I grew up with Lo're watching over me. I made friends with them." He chuckles patting Gwy-ar on the head, "And I live with this silly one here. Hell, I'm even named after one."
"There's a Metal Head named 'Erol'?"
"My name is backward."
Jak looks out to the stadium in thought before turning back to the man saying, "Lore?" Then it clicks in his head, "Lo're. The same Metal Head you're named after is trapped inside you."
[Hora-Quan.]
Erol smiles, "I'm surprised you can pronounce the name and Lo're doesn't like to be called a Metal Head."
Jak catches the look on the man's face. It makes his face warm up, seeing the strong emotions in those amber eyes. He finds he can't look away again, reminded of the kiss here in the Stadium. The sensation of eco gently prickling his lips...The warm body above embraces him with thumbs massaging around the ears...The smell, clean sea breeze and spice...Pleasure all around as he drowns in the soothing sensation of dark eco... He's quickly reminded of Daxter's question.
At this moment, Jak feels it. The impulse to lean in closer and-
A loud beeping sound goes off and both are shaken out of their daze.
"Excuse me, I'm afraid I must answer this." Erol pulls out his comm and answers the line in a very authoritative tone, "This is Commander Erol speaking."
Baron Praxis's voice comes through, "Report back to the Palace, I have a task for you."
"As you wish." The comm line cuts and Erol shares a look with Jak. "Duty calls."
"Why do you answer to that prick anyway?"
Erol smiles, "I have a bomb surgically implanted next to my heart."
Daxter exclaims in shock, "A BOMB?!"
Jak mouth drops.
He laughs at their expressions, "I'm joking. I had that removed years ago."
"You actually had a bomb in your chest?!"
Erol shrugs, "Once." He stands up from his seat, "Before I leave, may I request your hand."
Jak softly glares, "Goodbye, Erol."
He laughs walking away.
Daxter shakes his head at the insane man.
Gwy-ar yawns and stands to go home.
The Commander enters the Palace and spots Baron Praxis standing around with eight other Krimson Guards dressed in yellow.
The Elite Guard. The Baron would usually have these specially trained men guarding the Palace, but to have a team of them here on the first floor is suspect. In a sense, he felt cornered with the minimal amount of information and, in a spike of anxiety, critically analyzes the situation.
With nothing out of the ordinary, Erol figures the Baron came up with a last minute hair brained plan. Since the man hadn't notified him ahead of time, it's clear the Baron's trust for his Commander significantly diminished. Which meant that whatever the Baron has in store, Erol has no choice but to cooperate until the task handed to him is done. Perhaps then the older man will trust him again, or ease whatever skepticism that sparked the Baron's doubt. If not, Erol can make his escape and hide elsewhere in the city. Possibly join the Underground.
Erol smirks, feeling silly. The moment Baron Praxis displays mistrust Erol is ready to run for the hills but when given a suicide mission he doesn't bat an eyelash. He thinks to himself that maybe he truly is insane.
He immediately drops the smirk and takes up his facade. His facial features harden and proudly raises his chin as Commander of the Krimson Guard. He marches up to them and stands at attention behind the older man. "Reporting for duty, sir!" The Commander watches as the Baron turns his head to look at him. There was a tense look on the older man's face, an emotion he couldn't place.
"Commander, your task is to head into Dead Town and establish communication with the Metal Heads there."
The Commander catches the nervous rubbing of the man's hands. It was strange to see the Baron anxious and it has him curious, "What's the purpose of this mission?"
"I've re-negotiated with the Metal Head Leader. A deal that will buy time until I find that accursed tomb." Praxis notices his hands and tucks them behind his back. "Speak to the Metal Heads there and proceed as instructed."
Erol glances at the Krimson Guards, "You're not accompanying us, sir?"
"No, I'll be here waiting for Ashlyn's return. Now go on before you waste any more time."
The Commander bows his head, "As you wish." He barks out to the Elite Guards, "Let's move." The Commander leads the way, marching out of the Palace with guards in tow.
Walking out of the security hatch, Erol shortly reminisces the days of the Temple District when people had once walked these fallen streets free to express their religious beliefs. Precursor monks would sing hymns from the top of their tower. Hora-Quan worshipers would chant in Hora-Vox across the street. Traditional Marian dancers would practice every morning for upcoming festivals in the park square while various couples pass through holding hands. Eco scientists would loudly debate with eco theorists with conflicting views during their lunch break. Then when the afternoon comes, Hora-Quan worshipers would kindly chat with Precursor monks while their children run around and play in the open street. Traditional Marian dancers would take a break and occasionally help those in need. The Eco scientists and theorists somehow end up the best of friends, laughing together. One rare days, the green eco sage would walk through the entire district, greeting everyone as he carried plants back to his home with Mousey on his heels bearing twice as much.
It was a time before Baron Praxis's ascendence into power as the new authoritarian. Before Mousey had disappeared. Before the new city walls were constructed.
Erol wasn't here when the walls fell. He wasn't here when the people screamed for help. He wasn't here when the Metal Heads had taken children to their nest to feed the new young. Their parents mercilessly ripped apart by teeth and claws, failing to protect their families. Krimson Guards gunned down with blasts of dark eco, a single shot piercing their armor and the dark essence poisoning their bodies. Civilians eaten alive as they watched the city gates shut in their faces after the Baron had given the order to retreat.
The ones who were here were the Green Sage Samos and Gwyr.
It was here that Gwyr had died. When his brother bravely gave his all in defeating the Metal Heads, fully communed with dark and green eco.
It was here that Gwy-ar was born. It stood alone looking lost as the creature was surrounded by corpses of various Metal Heads.
Now, Erol gazes upon the ruins and feels a small pang of sorrow. The place is a reflection of what has become of Haven City. The bodies that were left here to rot had made the waters poisonous to the touch. The once tall beautiful structures are desolate and crumble under the slightest movement. The monolith in the town square, that once symbolized freedom and unity, is long gone. The eerie silence haunts those who knew of the commotion that once filled the entire district. A place Haven City may one day become.
Yet, hope has not been lost. The Sacred Site is proof of such. The ancient structure stands alone untouched, strong, and out of place in the forlorn ruins. Erol thinks it's strangely similar to Jak, a boy not of this time and somehow powerful enough to withstand the tests of time.
The Commander marches on, deeper into Dead Town. His metal cleated boots softly clomp against aged debris. They make it out to the large opening in the middle of Dead Town, looking around and not seeing a single Metal Head. He then focuses on listening out for noise, hearing nothing but the boots behind him.
A pinprick of a needle stings him in the neck. Erol turns around and backs away in shock, hand whipping up to his neck feeling a dart. He pulls it out and glares at the elite guard holding up the tranquilizer pistol.
The elite guard laughs, tossing the gun off to the side. "You can be so easy to trick," he removes his helmet, "Er'ol."
Erol gasps, "Chaz?!" He'd looked much different when he lasted saw him yet he still recognizes the oldest of his adopted family. He looks to be around his fifties when he should still be in his twenties. Has electrifying white hair, a result of dark eco imprinting one person's genes but his eyes...they are amber, just like his, and they shimmer with power.
Gloved hands push back electrifying white hair out of his eyes and a few strands fall and hang over his forehead. Chaz looks down at Erol with a menacing smile, "Surpri~ise. Thought I was dead, didn't you?"
"No," Erol lowers his hand ready to pull out his pistol, "on the contrary I knew you were alive. Just didn't know where." His vision begins to stir. He channels dark eco to keep him awake but the tranquilizer is too strong to overpower.
"Well, little brother, we have all the time in the world to catch up."
The world dances in his vision before he sees double. Erol feels his body drowsily shut down, falling to his hands and knees. He glances up at Chaz and falls down.
Everything fades to black.
After his talk with the Commander, Jak had made his way back to the Underground. He walks down the flight of stairs in deep thought. It was until he passes the first set of beds--
Someone catches him off guard and tackles him down from behind! He was ready to fight back and defend himself but stops as a pistol was cocked next to his ear. The nozzle presses firmly to his temple. A hand then forces his right arm behind his back, followed up by a knee on his back pinning him down.
Daxter was quick on the draw when Jak fell, grabbing the morph gun in scatter mode and aiming at the person's head, "Let him go, or I'll blast ya!"
"Not before I kill 'em, rat!" The Underground agent sneers unafraid.
Torn shouts, "What the hell is going on?!"
The Underground agent answered angrily, "I saw this kid talkin' with the Commander actin' all chummy!"
Torn tensely orders, "Let him go."
"He's a traitor!"
Jak looks up and watches as the three other agents in the room were quick to draw their firearms and look at him with accusatory stares.
Another agent, a female, asks, "Boss?"
The tense look on Torn's face relaxes to light skepticism, "The rookie has done more than enough for the Underground. If what you said is true, I at least would hear him out. Now let him go."
Jak felt the man quickly get off his back. He stood up to his feet to glare at the agent and continues to walk up to the table. Daxter hops onto his back and holsters the morph gun, glaring at all the agents they pass by.
Torn doesn't hesitate as he crosses his arms and scrutinizing the teen, "What did you tell him?"
"Nothing."Jak had simply answered.
"That's hard to believe."
Jak glared, "I didn't tell him anything."
"The Commander doesn't just talk to anyone without reason."
Jak confesses, "We made a deal. He helps me get to the Baron and I help him with Lo're." He sees the man's face lights up in recognition at the name.
"Huh." Torn tilts his head in thought, "What has he told you?"
"He told me about communion." He pays closer attention to the man's reaction.
"Really? Interesting." Torn uncrosses his arms and spares the other agents in the room a glance. "We can use that to our advantage. Get what you can from him and be sure to bleed every bit of information out until the last."
Jak peers at the man, noticing how he changes the topic.
Daxter doesn't catch onto the hint and immediately asks, "What do you know about it?"
Torn glares, "That only certain people have it."
Daxter was shocked, "That's it? Nothing else?"
"It's a kept secret." He looks between the two of them, "You probably know more than me. Now," he leans on the table and deeply glares, "the next time you get chummy with the Commander, be sure not to get caught."
The agent from before shouts, "That's it?! He gets a fuckin' slap on the hand?!"
He snaps his head around in anger, "Can it, Tressor!"
"That bastard killed my brother!"
"And you killed his best informant at the cost of four agents, so I say that makes you pretty fucking even!" He growled, "Your last screw-up has you on thin ice. Don't test my patience or you just might make my day."
The agent, Tressor, holsters his gun and grumpily crossed his arms.
"Anyone else?"
The other agents go back to their own business, putting away their guns and looking anywhere else but at Torn.
"Jak," he has the teen's full focus, "my scouts," he indicates to the agents by the beds, "just returned reporting movement in Dead Town. Creatures moving to the Sacred Site just as before..."
Erol wakes with something tight around his neck and wrists. He's on his knees with his hands cuffed behind his back. He cracked his eyes open and experimentally moves around. He finds he couldn't move his arms around as his cuffed hands and ankles were chained in place. He feels around, fingers following the thick chains to a thick metal pole. He tries to take a peek behind him but stops as he feels metal barbs dangerously jabbing into his neck, a prong choke collar threatening to suffocate him. Leaning back against the pole, he looks around and notices he was still in Dead Town, the Sacred Site just off to his right side. Chaz and the elite guards were still there, far and out of ear shot.
His adopted traitorous brother walks around with a small paper bag in his hand giving orders. One separates from the group and walks towards him. Erol watches as the elite guard places a small incense burner on a stone slab just out of reach of his knee. With the flick of an electric lighter, the soldier catches something inside on fire. He puts the tiny lid on top and walks away. Smoke comes out of the little holes on top, the scent makes Erol cringe and his eyes sting in pain. He's felt this pain before, the familiar symptoms sending alarms in his head before he could place a name.
Light eco flowers. An extremely rare plant that can thrive in any environment besides places where dark eco dominates. Once burned it releases a biochemical poisonous to all Hora-Quans and Metal Heads alike. Ingested, it can purify dark eco from other living organisms. Erol knows of this rare plant because Baron Praxis wanted his best soldiers to be at their strongest, even if it meant being under the mercy of dangerous toxins for a certain amount of time. The effects he's feeling now were stronger compared to back then.
With the last order, the elite guards leave and Chaz walks closer to Erol. He takes a seat some distance away, making himself comfortable on a fallen pillar while yanking off his gloves. He opens up the paper bag and reaches inside to pull out a sandwich. He takes a large bite of his sandwich with a loud crunch and hums in delight as he chews away. On his second bite, he stares at Erol, smacking loudly to purposely annoy the younger man. Then says in mid-chew, "Ya know, it's kinda shitty it has to be like this."
The burning herb starts to choke the air out of him, "Just give me the long winded monologue so I can have some context."
"Hm, always the smartass." Chaz licks his lips and swallows, "Let me say first, karma's a bitch. Especially," he points, "for you." He takes another bite of his sandwich, munching loudly as he talks with his mouth full, "The Metal Head leader wants the power of the Precursors. Mh. Doesn't help he's on the bad end of a prophecy. So he came to me with a deal and let me tell you," he chuckles, "it's one hell of a deal." After he swallows his food he sucks on his fingers. "I time traveled."
"What?" He coughs, finding it harder to breathe.
"I time traveled but the problem was that it really wasn't exactly time travel. Parallel universes and all that. Long story short, I traveled back a few years. I found you, well, another version of you. Pure human and," he chuckles, "waaay more self-centered. That Erol helped me get into contact with the Metal Head leader. Again, talked and told the big-headed beast what happens in the future, completing some time loop I set into motion. The Metal Head leader from there came to our timeline and the Hora-Quan cult," he grins, "was born. Insane, yeah?"
Erol just glares.
"Before I came back, I stuck around for a bit. Got a feeling of the timeline and started messing around." He laughs, "Turns out that Jak person is a Hero. Funny enough, this Jak in our timeline comes from the one I destroyed."
He wheezes out, "Wha-What do...do you mean...de-destroyed?"
Chaz takes another bite of his sandwich, "Mh. Rule number one, never kill a Hero before their time. Kill a Hero, you get a cataclysmic paradox. Just crazy watching it all fall apart because of one kid. Anywho," he swallows his food, "The Metal Head leader wants to destroy the prophecy that foretold his death. Can't do that when there's a Hero involved. So I dug a little and found something really interesting. The Acolytes had another name, Xe'hara."
Erol looks at him stunned, "Prophecy Breakers?"
"Yeah, funny when you think about it. They've been telling us since the beginning how they can freely kill Heroes, lead them off their destined path, and resist their 'genetic code'." Chaz finishes the last of his sandwich and tosses the trash off to the side. He leans forward to rest one elbow on his knee, "The Metal Head leader knows it, too." He scoffs, "Why do you think he lent his eggs in the first place? If we had naturally hatched, we would've gained their powers free of the mutation." He looks off to the side, "If his royal majesty didn't interfere everything would've been perfect."
"We-We're n-not A-Acol-ytes." He barely grunts out, lacking the breath to speak.
Chaz sucks on his teeth trying to get rid of the residue with his tongue. "True," then looks to smirk at him, "but Gwy-ar...your pet..."
Erol gapes at him.
"...is." He smiles at his shocked expression, "The Metal Head leader told me how to achieve Xe'hara-la. I just need the skull gem," he taps his forehead, "and have it implanted. I originally wanted to use Neza'he but she destroyed her skull gem before I had the chance."
"Y-You freed Neza'he from your bo-body...how..?"
Chaz pulls his gloves back on, "I found Mousey." He tilts his head with a smirk, "She's dead. I all had to do was mention your name and the rest was easy." He mockingly laughs, "So sad. She never knew her crush is a huge faggot." He stands to his full height.
"The...Ba-ron..?" He coughs several times, finding it painful to inhale. Saliva drips down his chin.
"You of all people shouldn't worry about the old man. He wants to hand you over to the Metal Heads in trade for three years worth of dark eco. Thinks you'll act as his spy and kill the Metal leader on your own. If not," he shrugs, "it'll be more than enough time to look for the Precursor Stone."
He can barely focus, "I-It's...real...?"
"Oh yeah, it's real alright. Saw it with my own eyes but," he shakes his head, "couldn't get anywhere close to it. The tomb has some sort of self-defense system, a barrier that eradicates anyone who isn't a descendant of Mar. So..." he evilly smirks, "...I won't kill the kid just yet." He walks closer covering his mouth, kicks the incense burner over, and snuffs out what's left of the herb with the grind of his boots. "Nasty stuff, light eco-flowers. Worse for you since you're more Hora-Quan than me. Can kill a Metal Head no problem but I'm confident you can toughen it out a bit longer." Chaz kicks the stuff into the water down below, lowers his hand from his face, and crouches down to look Erol straight in the eyes. "Hey," he roughly grabs his face, "don't die." He presses their foreheads together, "Not until I kill your queen right...in front...of your eyes."
Erol snarls, baring his canines. Chaz releases his hold on his head and stands to his full height. Barely able to keep his head up, the metal pronged choker tightens around his throat. He chokes out, "Trai-tor..."
"Consider this karma for killing De'tra." He turns to walk away and shouts to the guards, "Into positions! That thing'll be here any moment!"
Erol roars, "TRAITOR! VAK'I-LA! TRAAAITOOOOOOR!!" He coughs, hacking up spit and dark eco. Outlines blur together into shades of grey and yellow. He hears his heart rate picking up, feeling the arteries in his neck burning under his skin as his brain becomes aflame. His ears ring loudly and attack every thought in his mind. He can't breathe, too parched to form words. He weeps in pain and lets his head hang.
"...gwy...ar..."
He hears the familiar roar in the distance, sight fading in and out as he fights to stay conscious.
Gold and grey shadows blend yet he could tell as Gwy-ar makes an appearance. The gold Metal Head hissing and roaring at the yellow Krimson Guards as the men stood in it's way to Erol. It fights, swiping its claws and lashing with its tail but couldn't hit a single person as they moved around and behind cover. A harpoon shoots out and impales the gold Metal Head's arm. It screeches out in pain going to kill the soldier but was stopped by another harpoon impaling its leg. The two men pull and Gwy-ar goes down with a yelp but the creature quickly retaliates by channeling red eco and belches out a blast strong enough to destroy something in the distance.
A tower crumbles, reshaping the land.
The last thing Erol sees is Chaz charging out with a precursor spear. His eyes close against his will, hearing men shouting and the Gwy-ar roaring. A loud screech, one sounding of pain and hurt echoes through his mind, and then...
Silence.
The door to the security hatch opens and Jak walks out into Dead Town. A little ways ahead, he spots guard crates and has the sharp intuition Metal Heads are nearby. He unholsters his gun and jogs forward. Halfway to the crates the ground starts to kick up dust. Jak slows his speed and takes aim, waiting for the Metal Stingers to pop out. Four of them jump out and he pulls the trigger twice, killing all four of them. He rushes forward, automatically absorbing dark eco into his body as he passes the dead corpses, and break the crates with a strong punch. Daxter pockets the spare ammo and Jak spots a Metal Head Grunt across the gap of water. He moves forward, jumping across the gap and blasting the Metal Head into the water as he lands on the other side. The creature sinks to the bottom, drowning as its heavy body sinks to the bottom. Pausing, Jak can hear claws scratching against concrete above and spots a Metal Head on a lone pillar on the far side. He climbs up onto the make-shift rampart and immediately blasts the Metal Grunt off the ledge and into the water.
"The heck happened here?!" Daxter exclaimed.
Jak overlooks the landscape and sees two of the old towers have fallen. The way the structures have fallen looked to have a domino effect, the first building fell taking the second tower with it which demolished the old ruins below, killing all the Metal Heads inside. The boys share a look, both unsure what to make of the situation. While it makes their job easier it still poses the problem of how to get to the Sacred Site since the only way up was now debris.
Daxter walks across Jak's shoulders, looking around. "Hey, Jak look," he pats his head, "that wall with the precursor orb. It's down. We can go there."
"Still got to take care of the Metal Heads." Jak smiles up at him.
"Ugh! Nothing's easy with you."
Jak smirks pressing forward. He stands at the end of the make-shift rampart and spots a new kind of Metal Head on a patch of land just below where the Metal Grunt on a pillar coasted. In its hand looked to be some sort of weapon. Playing it safe, Jak switches to blaster mode and snipes the Metal Grunt on the pillar. The dead body splashing in the water gets the new Metal Head's attention, screeching as it spots them and starts lobbing dark eco. Jak leaps from pillar to pillar, dodging each lob of dark eco with well timed jumps until he lands on solid ground. Immediately, Jak fires at the new Metal Head. After the fourth shot, he quickly takes notice the thing had thicker metal plating than most he had encountered and was crazy agile. It dodged a couple of his shots, running from side to side as it lobs dark eco. With the eighth shot, it falls dead.
"Sheesh!" Daxter complains, "Eight shots plus six more! Are these things getting smarter or what?" He tilts his head down, "No wonder Torn gave us the new mod," he glares down at the dead Metal Head, "these things eats bullets."
Jak looks down at his gun and morphs it to the Vulcan Fury mod. In its transformation, Jak spotted the etched words on the side. He tilts his weapon to have a clear look and reads:
Lynda the Beast
The name 'Lynda' he recognized but 'the Beast' was new as it was etched onto the Vulcan barrel.
Daxter peeks over to take a look. "Lynda? As in that Lynda? Erol's sister, Lynda?" Then a thought comes to him and he looks at Jak, "Did Torn just give us his dead girlfriend's Vulcan mod?"
Jak looks off to the side in thought then looks at Daxter with the expression of, 'Maybe he likes us.'
"Well...it's his lost cuz we're not givin' it back."
Jak grins at that and presses forward.
After clearing out the small pocket island of Metal Heads, the boys double back and leaps over the small gap of water to a new part of Dead Town. With the smaller wall broken in, it was easy for Jak to navigate to the back. He shoots the Metal Grunt in the first part of the room, killing it with two shots of his scatter gun. At the edge of the wall, Jak crouches down and performs a high jump to grab the upper ledge of the wall. He pulls himself up and traverses above while gunning Metal Heads down free of harm. On the last wall, he grabs the precursor orb and leaps to the inside of the building.
Down the hall, Jak spots another type of Metal Head. It was definitely armed with a gun and rapidly fires at him before Jak could even take a step closer. He quickly duck behind the wall, pulls out the Vulcan, and pulls the trigger as he rounds the corner. It falls dead after a short burst. Jak moves forward making his way through the broken wall and comes to more high walls. He walks over the shortest part and performs a high jump to grab the ledge and pulls himself up.
"Look, Jak," Daxter points out, "we can use the fallen wall there to walk up."
Jak takes a closer look and sees Daxter was right. The fallen tower had landed at the perfect angle to be used as a bridge. As he walks across, he grabs the precursor orb and holsters his gun. Making it to the top floor, Jak walks around the corner of a wall and pauses at the sight of something lying on the ground. That something was the gold Metal Head.
It was dead. Its body impaled by many harpoons with one right where the skull gem should be.
Daxter hops down and walks up to lay a hand on its snout. His ears flop down in sadness, "Who coulda done this?"
Jak walks up to the dead body, noticing the wire rope around its mouth. "Don't know but they knew what they were doing." He has seen the creature in action before and knows it's not easy taking this creature down. He then looks around, expecting to see a few bodies but spots the Commander on his knees with his head hung low.
A wave of disbelief washes over Jak as he walks around the dead Metal Head and goes to stand before the man. There was a chain around his neck, attached to a thick metal pole meant to keep croca-dogs chained in place. He frowns at the memory of calling the man a "dog" and how he's now left here to die. Angry at what the Baron has done, Jak takes out his blaster and shoots the chain holding the man's head up then goes around to shoot at the cuffs. The man falls over on his side and lets out a fitful cough.
Daxter perks up, "He's alive!"
Jak holsters his gun and leans down to pick the man up, "Hey, stay with me. What happened?" The man only coughs again and wheezes out a breath.
"They must've beat him up pretty bad."
Brows furrow, "He doesn't look beat up." He pulls the chain off from around the man's neck and with a brush of his fingers felt the man's skin burning. Putting his hand on the man's head, "He's burning up."
"So the guy gets sick and they toss him off to the side and kill..." He sadly indicates the Metal Head before he shakes his head. At the corner of his eye, he spots something familiar. Does a double take and his jaw drops, "Jaaak."
Jak turns at Daxter pawing at his shirt and follows his line of sight, eyes widening.
"Is that...it can't be...that's not..."
"Samos's hut."
Daxter rubs his face, "Tell me I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming."
Jak stands to his full height and walks closer to the ancient building. It was hard to believe but the proof was before them, "We're...in the future, Dax."
Rocks crumble and a growl can be heard from overhead. He turns to glare up at the Metal Head Grunt on the roof. Two more appear beside it growling at him.
Daxter quickly runs up to jump back on his shoulder, "Uh, Jak...I think we're surrounded."
Jak looks behind them and sees more Metal Heads closing in from where they had entered, the two new types and five Metal Grunts. He whips out his gun as behind those Metal Heads were more pouring out with Metal Stingers skittering about and Grunts sneaking around the borders. He pulls the trigger, revving up the Vulcan Fury. He sprays down the Stingers first before killing the grunts and new Metal Heads behind them. He hadn't forgotten about the Metal Grunts above, swinging his gun around to scatter mode, and blasts them off the edge as they try to pounce him from behind.
"Jump!" Daxter warned.
Jak bounds into the air, dodging the dark eco lobbed at him, lands safely, and then turns to shoot the Metal Slinger down with the Vulcan. He fires at it until it falls dead. Then the floor is under his feet rumbles. He looks down and notices the floor being burrowed through. The moment the Metal Stinger pops out from the ground, Jak kicks it dead and shoots the other three after it.
Hearing more Metal Heads coming in, Daxter helps Jak reload by tossing him magazines. Jak reloads the Vulcan Fury, switches to blaster mode, and pops the Metal Head coming around the corner with a headshot.
"Jak, they're taking Erol!"
"What?" It was insane for Jak to hear as he turns around to see two Metal Grunts dragging the man away. He takes careful shots at the creatures, hitting them in the arm. They were forced to drop the man, giving Jak the opportunity to open fire and kill them.
"What heck do Metal Heads want with him?!"
"Don't know but it seems important to send so many." Another wave of Metal Heads comes running. Jak switches to Vulcan mode, "Dax, wake him up!"
"On it partner!" Daxter leaps down and runs up to the unconscious man. He shouts at the top of his lungs, "WAKE UP!"
Jak sprays them all down then quickly reloads his gun. He mentally takes note of the last magazine for the Vulcan Fury and switches to Blaster mode. More Metal Grunts jump from the rooftops. Jak quickly guns them all down, keeping them from ever reaching Daxter. A screech sounds out behind him and spots the Metal Slinger accompanied by seven Metal Stingers.
"WAKE UP!!" Daxter slaps the man hard across the face, "HURRY AND WAKE ALREADY!!!"
Jak narrowly dodges the dark eco blasts slung at him and gun butts the first Stinger leaping at his face, blasting the rest down with clean shots. Jak grunts in pain as a slinger blast knicks him in the leg. Dark eco surges under his skin... He pushes his dark side down thinking not yet and switches to Vulcan mode, lighting the Metal Slinger up until it falls dead.
Daxter wildly shakes the man's head, "WE'RE GONNA DIE IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP!!!"
Jak ducks down and rolls off to the side, dodging the rapid shots coming from the three Metal Gunners. He gets behind cover, pulls the trigger, revs up the gun, and sprays them down. All three fall, leaving only the Grunts and Stingers. Out of ammo, Jak switches to scatter mode and guns down all the Metal Grunts and Stingers charging at him simultaneously.
"Jak, I don't think he's gonna wake up!"
He huffs tiredly, watching as more Metal Heads come barreling in on both sides. He thinks now is the time and holsters his gun. With a pulse of dark eco, he transforms with a roar. Dark Jak slices Metal Heads left and right, too fast for gunshots and slung blasts to hit him. After killing all the Metal Heads on one side, he runs to the other side and does the same to them. Dark claws rip through metal plating and thick hide-scales with ease, absorbing more dark eco with the increasing corpses in his wake. He decapitates the last one in sight and turns to the orange one and...
Friend.
Daxter was still trying to wake the man, unsuccessful in all his attempts. A shadow overcasts him and he looks up at Dark Jak. Nervously, "H-Hey there, pal. Uh, done with all the Metal Heads?" He looks around, making sure they were alone and eyes the bodies littering the place.
Dark Jak crawls to his hands and knees to then gently lay against Friend. He can sense his friend is hurt again. A different hurt. Friend needs healing. Healing. "Heal".
Daxter watches as Dark Jak glows green dimly in the dark. The alter ego relaxes on top of the man's body, laying his head on his chest. The green light then slowly moves to coat the former Commander, green eco doing its wonders as the Commander heals. The man suddenly takes a deep breath, shakily inhaling air as he begins to stir. Daxter's jaw drops, "When the heck did you learn to channel green eco to other people!?"
Dark Jak smirks at him before returning to snuggle into Friend. He curls up against Friend's side, closing his eyes in comfort.
Amber eyes open to see the night sky and a head of white hair with black horns. Erol reaches up and weakly pats him on the head. Dark Jak moves his head to look at him and grins. Erol weakly smirks back and channels dark eco to say "thank you".
A spark of eco returns to say "You're welcome".
Dark Jak leans up and kisses him, surprising both Erol and Daxter.
A strong spark echoes "Mine", "Belong", and "Safe".
Erol smiles into the kiss, unable to contain the mirth through their "conversation". When Dark Jak pushes farther into the kiss, Erol reciprocates in kind and lets him have his way. Erol closes his eyes channeling "More", "Care", "Safe", and a very strong "Like". This time Dark Jak smiles into the kiss and nips the man on the lips. The alter ego strongly growls, mimicking what the other had done before at the Stadium. Careful not to hurt the other with his claws, he grabs his head and softly massages around the ears. Erol shivers at the attention, loving every second.
White hair fades back to blonde and Jak leans back to catch his breath. He looks down and blushes as glassy amber eyes stare up at him with a seductive smile. Jak breaks away from the man, a sudden sting pierces his head. He groans, rubbing his face, "My head." He palms his forehead, "Why do I have a headache?"
Daxter indicates to the man on the ground, "Probably because the other guy channeled green eco into him."
Jak looks at him in surprise. Then frowns off to the side thinking how unfair it was his "passenger-mechanic" can do something he couldn't. He really wants to get the whole "Navigator" thing down both to avoid embarrassment and to actually have control. Jak gets to his feet, avoids looking at the man, and gets as much distance between them. He dusts himself off, trying his best to get his mind off the fact his alter ego had kissed the Commander. Kissed him.
He can only hope the Commander doesn't take it the wrong way.
Erol struggles to sit up and looks around. He takes in the sight of Metal Head corpses littered about before seeing Gwy-ar's dead body. He frowns and sees the green skull gem missing. He looks away with a rough exhale.
Daxter looks between the Commander and the dead gold Metal Head. He rubs his head feeling a bit uncomfortable, "So, uh... Sorry 'bout your pal."
"Don't be," he scoffs, "it won't bring the dead back." A tickle at the back of his mind alerts him of another life force before sensing several more. He breathes out, "I sense them coming. Help me up."
Jak turns around and goes to pull the man up by his arm with a strong yank, but was confused as the man awkwardly falls back down on his rear.
Erol tiredly chuckles, "I can't feel my legs. Or my fingers." He sighs out, "Kra-eesh."
With a hint of panic, Jak says, "I can't carry you and shoot at the same time."
"Daxter," Erol looks at him, "can you?"
"Can I what?"
"Shoot?"
"Yeah," then jumps, "hold on, you're not suggesting I shoot and Jak--I can't aim for crap!"
"We have about a minute. Take my pistol. Just pull the trigger and I'll do the rest." He holds up his arms, "Piggyback. I'm going to need clear eyesight."
The boys share an unsure look, Daxter less confident as Jak worries for his friend's safety.
"Hurry!"
Daxter rushes over and takes the pistol from the man's holster. Moving the gun around in his hands, he tests out the grip on the gun and checks the ammo count. Jak lifts the man on his back, getting a firm grip under his legs. With a single heave, he gives a wide-eyed huff, "You're...heavy." He struggles to take a step.
"Muscle density." Erol informs, "I can't swim but am athletically capable in all others."
Jak pants as he walks, "Do you even know how?" He gets moving as fast as he could, barely managing a fast walk as the deceptively heavy man weights him down. He watches Daxter move about, keeping close with his ears twitching for any sound.
"Of course I do. I grew up in the water slums."
"You're a slum kid? You don't sound like one."
Erol smiles, "I'm what's called well educated. Something a villager like you wouldn't understand."
Jak rolls his eyes, "Ha. Ha."
They make it to the long hallway and the first Metal Head, a Grunt, comes in at the end of the hall. It spots them and lets out a loud screech, alerting the others. The Metal Grunt then charges down the hall with ten more following behind it.
"Shoot!" Erol commanded, watching as the rat takes panic shots. He channels the yellow eco to "pierce" and "hit target", making sure with each shot a skull gem pops out of their heads. All Metal Heads fall dead, skull gems bouncing on the ground next to their bodies.
Daxter looks at the dead Metal Heads, glances at the pistol, and then menacingly grins at Jak. "Oh yeah, baby!" He puffs up his chest, "Watch out you Metal Monkeys because the Daxtinator is comin' at ya!" He confidently holds the pistol similarly to a blaster.
Jak grins, understanding what was happening. He trudges forward only pausing whenever Daxter fires the gun. After two more surprise attacks of the Metal Heads they make it halfway to the security hatch.
Dirt kicks up beneath their feet and Metal Stingers pop out of the ground, surrounding Jak and Erol. Daxter tail-wacks one out of the way and shoots three down. He hears his buddy hissing in pain, turning to see his leg bleeding but keeping on his feet. "Hang on, Jak!" He tail-wacks one until it dies and shoots the rest down. "Go! Go!" He follows his buddy, looking around for more Metal Heads.
Jak pauses at the water unsure how to cross.
Erol says, "Give me a second, I'm going to channel a shield." He focuses his mind, channeling what green eco he has left to create a shield.
"Cool!" Daxter compliments as they were covered by a green shield.
Together they walk across the knee-deep poisonous water, the shield keeping them from touching it. Once they make it across, Erol drops the shield feeling a bit drowsy. Channeling yellow eco from a distance and green eco to protect them from water was pushing limits in his weakened state. He warns them, "I'm not going to last long. Hurry."
Jak pushes himself to manage a bit of a jog, gritting his teeth as he feels his legs shaking from the effort.
A Rapid Gunner Metal Head leaps down in front of them and takes aim at Jak. Erol quickly channels the dark eco in the Metal Head's gun to "erupt", causing it to explode in the creature's hands. It screeches in pain as its hands were blown off, rolling around in the dirt trying to stop the bleeding. Jak walks past it, flinching as dark eco is automatically absorbed into his body. Daxter spares the creature mercy and blows its brains out.
They reach the security hatch but the door doesn't open. Daxter panics, "What's going on?! Why won't it open?!"
Erol answers, "The Baron must've...revoked my citizenship."
"That doesn't make sense! It opens for everybody!"
He grunts, "Not...me."
"What now?! The door won't open and there's more of them coming!"
Erol heavily breathes out, "I...have to commune. Become invisible to the sensors and it'll open."
Jak tilts his head, "What about your mutation?"
"It's a risk I'll to take. Doors take five seconds to open. Five seconds to close. Twenty seconds in total." He coughs. "As long I don't grow out a skull gem, I'll be fine."
A screech can be heard in the distance.
Daxter shouts, "What're you waiting for?! Hurry up and do it!"
Erol tiredly whispers, "Jak, lend me your eco."
"Uh, okay?" He feels the man lean his head against his shoulder. A sharp tingle up his spine causes his body to shiver from the foreign sensation. It didn't hurt as he expected and was curious how the man can channel dark eco without feeling invasive or a bunch of pins and needles tearing against his nerves. It almost felt nice, refreshing even.
The mechanical gears in the door start to move. Metal heads bound around the corner hissing and growling. Daxter takes aim but pauses as he couldn't see himself. He feels his arms move about but nowhere in sight.
Erol informs them in a whisper, "We're invisible. Just keep quiet and move."
The Metal Heads creep closer, sniffing around the area. The reinforced steel bars unlatch and the security door opens. Jak softly walks inside, trying not to alert the Metal Heads behind them.
Daxter follows close inside and suddenly trips on the outer frame, stubbing his toes, "OW!" He hops in place grabbing his foot, "Dang that smarts!"
The Metal Heads heard him and runs at the source of the noise.
"AaaaaH!" Daxter runs inside.
Erol drops the invisibility and communes dark eco to "hurt".
Jak was ready to fight, willing to drop the man to reach for his morph gun but stops just as the Metal Heads suddenly fall over and let out high pitched shrieks. They all seem to to be in pain. One moves to repeatly bash its head against the wall, one drowns itself in the murky water, another chews its arm off, and the rest claws at their bodies ripping themselves apart. The doors close by the time three of them die. Stunned Jak couldn't help tilting his head up to ask, "Did you do that?"
"Yes," Erol drops his focus on the Metal Heads, "but not without burning through a lot of eco."
As they wait for the second door leading into the city to open, Jak says, "I'm taking you to the Underground."
"Interrogation or initiation?" Erol smirks already knowing the answer.
"What do you think?"
He speaks softly, "Before I forget, thank you, Jak."
Jak blinks, "What?"
"Thank you...for saving my-our life."
The door opens.
"Now...how are you going to get me up there?"
Jak eyes the tall ledge and deeply sighs, "Right." He walks forward with a grunt and Daxter follows close behind.