Jak IV: Chapter 2

Jak IV: Legend of the Metal Heads
Chapter 2: Spargus

“Well I never thought I’d see you again cherries,” said Sig, with a grin on his face.
“Never thought we’d see anyone again,” said Jak, who had returned to his normal state. He looked around. “Where is everyone?”
“They all went back to Haven City to find out places where the Metal Head hive could be located.”
There were two major cities in the world of Haven.  There was Spargus, the city for outsiders, and home to the terrible Wastelands. And then there was Haven City, the main capitol of Haven, with its many flying vehicles and the many citizens that had not been thrown out of the city.
“You know that Kiera’s worried sick about you? She was crying her eyes out the whole ride to Haven.” Jak looked hastily away at these words, for he didn’t know whether Sig was joking with him or being serious. Either way, Jak was still embarrassed.
“No need to be embarrassed cherry,” said Sig. “I used to be in love too.”
“Really?” said Jak, surprised. He had never thought that Sig would be the kind of person a woman would like, so tough, so rugged. “Where is she now?”
“Well here we are,” said Sig, disregarding what Jak had just said.
The guards bowed before Sig. He pulled the soldier up by the neck of his shirt and he said, “Stand up! I told you not to do that anymore!” Sig hated being the king of Spargus, for Damos, Jak’s now-dead father, had passed it down to the Metal Head hunter.
The only way for a king of Spargus to be de-crowned was to die, and according to Sig, “I have no intention of dying until every last Metal Head on the earth is dead.” Sig and Jak watched as the giant metal doors opened, creaking and clanking gears as it moved. They walked through the metallic doors into what seemed to be a city of clay buildings. Everywhere there was a mountain reaching up in Spargus, there were clay houses, bordering the side of the mountain. They arrived at a moderately sized house next to a pair of giant metal steps that lead to Spargus’ arena and throne room.
“Well, you better get washed up,” Sig said, handing him a pair of clean clothes and a bar of soap. He took one look at Daxter’s dirty fur and jeans, and removed the jeans. “Tell Daxter I’ll have his jeans washed by some of the palace maids,” Sig said, as Jak walked up the wooden steps to the clay house. “And Jak…” Jak turned around and caught the object thrown at him with his available hand just in time. He looked down to see a Blaster mod for his gun, which enabled him to shoot more accurately. “Welcome back.” And without another word, Sig moved up the metal stairs, and disappeared through the drapes hanging above them.
Jak opened the door to reveal a small entry hall, which lead to a kitchen, with a pair of stairs to the right. He climbed the stairs, opened the first door immediately to his right, and plunged himself on the cotton stuffed bed. He felt Daxter twitch in his sleep as he murmured something that sounded like, “…precursor…” Yes, the Precursors. The ancient people who had started Jak and Daxter on their epic journeys, whose mysteries had tried to be solved by many, including their friend, Samos, the green mage. Jak closed his eyes and memories flowed through his mind: Daxter falling into the dark eco and turning into an ottsel, them searching for the secrets of the Precursors, going through a time rift to end up in Haven City, which happened to be the future. From there, Jak was imprisoned, pumped with dark eco, and made to be a monster. Then, when he was almost at dying point, Daxter got him out of prison. But even then, Haven City exiled them for worries that they might be a threat to everyone around them. So they were exiled, left for dead, in the Wasteland. They woke in Spargus, where the Wastelanders had taken them, and proved their worth not by just saving Spargus and Haven City from the Metal Heads, but also the Dark Makers, the evil Precursors. They journeyed to the Earth’s core to find them, only to find out the great Precursors were actually… Jak opened his eyes and looked at Daxter. The great Precursors were furry ottsels, just like Daxter. The Precursor’s essence is left when they made eco, so when Daxter touched it, he was blessed when he thought he was cursed.
He got up and walked into the bathroom. He turned a knob in the wall and the shower started running. He set his dirty clothes on the floor and he stood in the shower, wondering if his friends in Haven were thinking of him: Torn, the battle commander of Haven, Ashelin, the baron of Haven, Kiera, Haven’s mechanic, and Samos, Kiera’s father. He stood and let the water hit him for what seemed to be hours. Then, he heard a groan from the other room, a small thud as something hit the ground, and then small footsteps. Daxter opened the shower door, took one look at Jak’s exposed body, let out a yell, and slammed the door. “OH MY GOD JAK! A LITTLE WARNING NEXT TIME!” Jak smiled weakly as he turned off the water and put a towel around him. At least Daxter was still with him. He got out and let Daxter get in the shower. Daxter was covering his eyes as to not risk seeing Jak without anything on again. This resulted in him slamming into a wall. Jak grinned as he put on his clean clothes as Daxter disappeared into the shower. By the time his fur was dry and clean, Jak was fully clothed and ready to set off to Haven. “You got everything Daxter?” Jak asked, putting his Blaster mod on the side of his gun and loaded it. “No and I usually only have one thing with me,” Daxter replied harshly. “And that is?” “Pants, Jak! Pants!” he said, motioning to the lower half of his body.
They left the clay house and turned right to climb the huge metal steps leading to the throne room. “I think these are for him,” said a sentinel at the entrance blocked by drapes, and held up a small pair of jeans. “YES!” Daxter grabbed the jeans without a “thank you.” He zipped them up and said, “Daddy’s back…” They walked into the long hall as Daxter remembered the first time he got the jeans. “Daxter, your bravery has earned you one wish, like the ability to turn back into a human.” Daxter smiled as he remembered his response to the Precursors. “You know, I could always go for a snazzy pair of pants. Like yours.” They walked into the massive room with one giant gleaming metal throne, and many drapes around the room except for above the carpet leading to where Sig sat. “Well the shuttle for Haven has been arranged to pick us up in the ruins outside of Spargus.” The ruins were about 20 miles outside of Spargus. “Why so far out?” asked Daxter. “Last time we entered the desert we almost got buried in sand!” “I know Daxter,” said Sig, as he stood up and started to walk them outside. “It’s just a safety precaution.”
The next turn of events happened so fast, Jak was dazed by the fury of their speed. There was a flash of purple light, a yell from Sig, and then the world exploded around the three walking figures. Jak hit the ground with a thud, and felt Daxter fall on his back. Jak staggered up as Daxter climbed onto his shoulder, seeming to be looking for something. “Over there!” Daxter was pointing through the rubble toward Sig, who was shooting into the dust with his Peace Maker gun. He charged it up and a ball of electricity hit a Metal Head approaching from the dust.
“Follow me cherries!” he yelled as a Wastelander flew through the dust and slammed into the wall of a clay house. They followed the silhouette of Sig through the billows of dust. They ducked as a Metal Head went flying through the dust over their head.
Jak and Daxter soon emerged into a dust-free area, coughing and sputtering as they ran toward Sig. “… and make it snappy!” they heard Sig say to a guard as the figure ran off. “Ok, now for you two. I want you cherries to get to the ruins and…”
“What did you tell that guard Sig?” interrupted Daxter, having a mixed tone between curiosity and as an interrogator would give a captive. “Anything top secret?”
“There’s no time to explain, Daxter! We’re in a war zone!” yelled Sig as an explosion, which could be seen above the giant dust cloud, shook the earth beneath their feet. “You are going to take the Sand Shark and you are going to get the hell out of here!” He pointed at a less armored car than the Gila Stomper, but judging by its sleek design, it looked much faster than Stomper.
“Sig, we won’t leave you. We are going to fight alongside you and the Wastelanders until we win or until we die.” Jak said, trying to put meaning into the words, for he felt he owed Sig for helping him throughout all their adventures.
“Speak for yourself,” said Daxter as he jumped to the ground and started to back toward the car, still looking at Sig and Jak as he did so. “I agree with Sig, Jak, we should get out of here.”
“Thank you Daxter,” Sig said, then he turned to Jak. “You want to help me and the Wastelanders, Jak?” Jak nodded vigorously. “Alright then, here’s what I need you to do… Get in the damn car Jak!” And before Jak could say anything, Sig disappeared into the dust.
“Come on Jak, let’s get out of here,” Daxter said waving his hand for Jak to follow him.
As the ottsel walked toward the Shark, he heard Jak say, “Sorry Dax… if you are going to that transport, I guess I’ll meet you in Haven.”
Daxter turned around to see Jak’s body disappear into the cloudy mass of dust. “JAK, COME BACK… I can’t drive!” Daxter screamed after Jak, but no one reappeared from the dust. Daxter stood there, his mind racing. Should he take the car, or should he walk in the dust. The next thing the orange creature knew, his body feeling possessed, he was running into the cloud of dust.