Chapter 1: The Great Escape
Chapter Text
Daxter had been working with the underground for a few years by now. It wasn’t his first choice, and he didn’t even really know about them until Krew had told him he needed an insider.
Maybe the redhead was being a bit jaded when he said he didn’t care about the whole “rebelling” against Praxis. Maybe if he had heard about the underground when he had first gotten into Haven, he would have joined sooner, before Krew.
At 25, Daxter was tired. He had learned more about Haven than he ever wanted, and something rather tragic about his best friend, who he hadn’t seen since he got to this precursor forsaken place. That is unless you count the last time he saw Jak, about seven or eight years ago, as Daxter sent him through a portal.
The amulet of Mar was a familiar weight in Daxter’s pocket. He held onto it over everyone else because he was always going to miss Jak more. He was always going to hold out hope that his friend was out there, alive.
Samos had seemed, or at least pretended to be upset because Jak was gone, but Daxter wasn’t so certain. He had never really liked Samos, he was always harder on Daxter as a kid over the other two. Daxter liked to think he understood Samos better than Keira if only because he had been subjected to a more negative side of the sage.
Samos always seemed upset at how Daxter hadn’t been able to kill Kor, who was still leading a war against Haven. Samos had said that in the timeline he had come from, Jak had been able to stop Kor, killing the metalhead.
Daxter, as far as Samos was concerned, would never be good enough, even if he was the only “hero” left around.
Daxter didn’t hold any of his feelings for Samos against Jak. It’s not like his friend had never told Daxter that, “I don’t like that Samos is so mean to you.” Because Jak is a nice guy, was a nice guy.
Daxter, and everyone else who had traveled from the past to the future, had assumed that because Jak was pushed off the rift rider before the thing exploded, that he was sent farther back in time. So, every person with green hair, or green and blonde hair, always caught Daxter’s attention on the street.
Maybe it was part of the reason he and his girlfriend had started talking. Maybe it was her boobs. Or her pretty face. Maybe even her rockin’ thighs.
Daxter wasn’t sure. But he and Tess had a way to much fun together to really care about why they had started talking.
Not that he was was Tess right now. Daxter was instead, with Torn. “You got anything for me today, Tattooed Wonder?” Daxter asked, energetic as ever, even if on the inside, he wanted nothing more than to either be with Tess in bed, or out in the wastelands with Sig, soaking up the rays of the sun or taking out his seemingly untamable aggression on metalheads.
Torn glared, because he wasn’t capable of anything else. Daxter returned it was his ever-so smug shit eating grin.
“Yeah,” Torn’s voice sounded like the man drank rocks, “We’ve got word that the baron is doing something with dark eco in the prison, we want you to check it out.”
Daxter had heard about the Dark Warrior Program. A year back or so, they had started taking volunteers from the city, none of them came out.
“Don’t we, uh, already know about that?” Daxter asked. He had seen the photos Torn was looking over more than once. They weren’t pretty.
Torn narrowed his eyes, which Daxter didn’t know he could do even more. “We have word that one of the experiments is going successfully.”
“And you want me to check it out?”
“No,” Torn answered, “Your job is to put it down.”
Daxter crossed his arms, “It can’t be that bad, it’s still a person, isn’t it?”
Torn shook his head, “Daxter, even if that thing helps us win the war against the metalheads, do you really expect the baron not to turn it on the people of Haven?”
Daxter didn’t add anything like he usually would, he just asked how he was supposed to get in.
J&D
Torn’s plan involved Daxter going in undercover, apparently. He was working as an exterminator for metalhead bugs. Not that it really mattered, he ended up branching away from them pretty quickly.
Daxter would have been lost if Ashelin hadn’t given him a map of the Citadel. None of the guards seemed alarmed to really see him down there, and it’s not like Daxter’s face was visible, or he stayed in one spot for too long.
He walked along the cells. Looking for D-28. Along the way, Daxter was greeted to horrifying sights that the photos on Torn’s desk didn’t do justice. Or maybe they did, the people in those photos might have been a little melty, but there were more than a few piles of just people. Daxter knew dark eco could do horrible things, and that he was lucky to have gotten off easy by turning into an ottsel, and even luckier to be turned back into a human who was resistant to Dark Eco (and just about any kind actually).
Daxter was in C block when he heard the screaming. It was horrible, the way it burned his ears. How young it sounded. Daxter had seen children die before. He had watched it in a sort of numb horror when metalheads had gotten into the city a few times. So maybe it was the part of him that never got over how he had watched without doing anything that made him look over to see what was going on.
He was a floor above it, but he could make out a body strapped down to a table while none other than Haven’s finest shit-bags watched as scientists electrocuted the person on the table. It occurred to Daxter that the level with the chair/table was on floor D, and that he might be stuck up here until the Baron and Erol both left.
If he so much as spoke around Erol, he would recognize him. Showing his face around Praxis would get him killed too. It had something to do with Daxter having red-hair and committing crimes that really put him up on the baron’s shit list. You might have never guessed it, but in Haven, red-hair was a very rare trait, one that the Praxis family was known for having. Erol was Ashelin’s second cousin according to Keira.
Daxter was no-one but a troublemaker with red-hair. The baron didn’t like him. He also may or may not despise Daxter for running off with the precursor egg.
For now, Daxter was stuck to watch as the tortured that poor soul. He tried, out of respect, to mostly just focus on the baron, who Daxter wondered, he might be able to just, shot, right here and right now. He might have even been fast enough to get Erol too, leaving just Ashelin on the throne. Daxter narrowed his eyes, if he had another person with him, and both of them were trained on Praxis and Erol, they could do it. It would be suicide, Ashelin would likely have to kill them both publicly if they lived long enough to be captured.
Daxter had plans on living and at least finding out what happened to Jak. He owed his friend that much.
“He should at least be dead by how much dark eco we’ve pumped into him,” one of the scientists said.
“He had clearly taken to the treatments, D-28-J has successfully transformed under the correct conditions in the lab, and his blood has gone a long way to keeping other subjects alive.” Another added.
“How long does the transformation last, Pixele?” Praxis barked.
“So long, only a minute, we aren’t sure if D-28-J is somehow pushing the transformation back or if his body cannot in its current state handle the pressure, and is somehow naturally reverting, we believe with more treatments, the answer will become clear.” Presumably, Pixele answered.
The baron gave off a growl, “I want to be in the know when you get that answer.”
Erol and Praxis both left, leaving just the three scientists around D-28-J. By that name, and what he had overheard, Daxter was certain that this was his target. It didn’t ease his mind to know that this was a younger person. He wasn’t going to lie and say he had hoped that he might have been able to at least set that kid-free so they could try and run away.
Daxter started moving, hoping the scientist would be wrapping up the experiment sooner than later so he could just get on with his job of the day.
All three scientist were missing by the time Daxter made his way down a floor. And Daxter was glad. Not because it meant he didn’t have to off them too, no, because of the person on the table. Blonde-green hair.
Daxter’s heart soared and sunk. It was on a roller coaster of emotions as he rushed over there. Was it Jak? Had he finally found him? After ten years of looking, was he here?
Daxter skidded to a halt at the side of the table. He looked over the features of the kid on the table. That was Jak. A little older, a little skinnier, a tiny bit of scruff on his chin, but it was Jak.
Daxter went for the restraints, breaking one rather loudly with the butt of his now fully exposed gun. He tore off the mask and the rest of the jumpsuit. He was getting Jak out of here alive and he wasn’t about to bring those exterminators down with him by wearing their uniform.
“Jak, buddy, C'mon, wake up, it’s Daxter,” he said, shaking Jak a bit before breaking another one of the restraints. Someone was, if they hadn’t already, about to hear what Daxter was doing, and this place was going to get harry sooner than later.
“Jak, c’mon, say something, just this once,” Daxter goaded, breaking the third restraint.
Jak’s eyes shot open. His body jerked. Daxter’s world bent on its side when he heard, “I’m going to kill Praxis.”
Daxter was taken back, so taken back that he stepped back just for a second because he wondered if he had just found some Jak-look alike.
Daxter may not be keen on eco working on him as much anymore, especially the dark stuff, but he was so attuned to how it flowed it the air. So when it spiked and Jak roared, Daxter tried to hide his slight fear at the reminder of what had become of Gol and Maia. There was a certain amount of fear Daxter had to swallow back when he saw the color flash away from Jak’s skin, with only the defiant blonde bits staying
Daxter looked over at Jak’s hands, thinking about how one of those scientists had brought up claws forming. Sure enough, claws that bordered on being a foot long came out of Jak’s fingernails. Daxter almost didn’t notice the small horns that came out of Jak’s head, because he was a bit lost in the void that were Jak’s eyes. Not the iris, but the whole eye. Not even Gol and Maia had gotten so far into the dark eco that their bodies had been mutated in such a way.
“Jak?” Daxter breathed it out more than anything. The final restraint was broken so easily and the malice in Jak’s expression terrified Daxter. “It’s me, buddy, it’s Daxter.”
The monster took a few steps forward before the eco in the air seemingly vanished. Jak had returned to normal, his eyes had their duo blue back and Daxter couldn’t help but smile.
“Dax..?” Jak got out before losing his balance. Daxter rushed to catch him.
“Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” Daxter joked.
Jak looked up into his friend’s eyes. Those baby-blues darted around Daxter’s face. It wasn’t quite so round anymore, Daxter would admit, he had lost most of his more cute boyish features for harder, straighter lines.
“Yeah, sorry about that buddy, I got a little older on ya’.”
Before Jak could really say anything, both heads turned in different directions. Daxter would hold the private that being exposed to Dark eco in more than recommended amounts and surviving, might have done something to the senses.
“I guess we were both too loud, can you walk?” Daxter urged Jak to his feet. Jak had lost weight, and Daxter was stronger, so he might be able to carry his friend, but it would slow them down more than a bit.
Jak nodded, and the two of them took off. Jak was slower than what Daxter remembered, and Daxter honestly might just be faster with his longer legs, either way, Daxter was having to slow himself down for the first time in a while.
Shots of redeco came out from the floor, and Daxter shot a quick look to Jak, like he was expecting the now much younger of the pair to be afraid it. Jak just looked angry, and he shot past Daxter, who followed. Just like old times.
Chapter 2: Daxter
Summary:
Lol, sorry for not updating for 5 years. My b.
Notes:
Yeah so, I wrote I think like, 13 chapters of this pretty much right after posting the first, I just never felt good enough about them to post them.
Fuck that.
I’ll only be a better writer if I keep writing
This chapter is unedited, and I’m just posting it to get it out there.
Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Text
Daxter and Jak were out in the streets Haven with a few bullet holes in their clothes, and luckily nothing else. Jak was was going to need to get out of the prison uniform sooner than later. It’s not that the people of Haven loved their leader and they were dedicated to him. Its more like the people of Haven were hungry, and scared to be caught up in a plot against their leader in anyway.
Daxter covered up his hair, he already stood out enough with it. With Jak next to him, even more. Blonde hair like his wasn’t common, and green hair wasn’t seen often either. With Jak sporting both colors, the KG could give so little information and he would be so easy to find. Daxter stole a zoomer almost as soon as he could, and got Jak on the back of it.
The amount of place’s Daxter could go was limited, and he only had a very small amount of time to get to whatever that place was. Sooner than later, both of descriptions were going to be posted around the second the KG figured out they had gotten out of the citadel.
A man with red hair and a teenager with green and blonde would stick out far to much.
It would be easier for Daxter if it was just him, more than a few times he was able to get away because people thought he was Erol from behind. But now that him and Jak where reunited, they really stood out.
Daxter pulled up his scarf landed in a back alley, held a clothing store at gunpoint and picked out some clothes that looked about Jak’s size. He tossed them over to Jak, “I got you some new threads.” and turned his head away while he waited for Jak to change.
Daxter gave Jak his red scarf to hide his hair better. Then the two were off.
Torn could be pissed off at Daxter later, right now, Daxter was concerned with getting Jak far away from the citadel, and the Naughty Ottsel didn’t seem like a bad bet.
Daxter ditched the zoomer a little less than a mile away from the bar, and he and Jak walked on foot the rest of the way.
Daxter greeted Tess with a smile, and a look of, “I’ll explain everything later” when her eyes landed on Jak.
The bar was empty, save for Daxter’s favorite wastelander, who he gave a nod to.
There were more than a few perks to having taken over the bar of a former crime lord, such as the not so legally installed storerooms that anyone could call a bomb shelter and not be wrong about. They might also happen to be soundproof. Who knows?
Daxter led Jak to one of those rooms, not the one with the shell of the Precursor Egg, although, Daxter was certain Jak could feel it like he himself could.
“I’m guessing you have a lot questions, which is great, because I have a few too.”
Jak nodded, and for a minute it seemed like he was going to do it all non-verbally, but then he started talking.
“You got older.” Was more of an observational statement than anything else.
Daxter, being Daxter, who had known Jak for a good part of his life understood it as a question.
“When we went through the Precursor Gate, we didn’t go to another world, we went into the future of ours, when you got knocked off, it sent you to a different point than the rest of us. Keira and I arrived at about the same time, with Samos arriving a little later, and you coming out around ten years later,” Daxter explained. “We’d all thought that you’d had come out before us, consid’ring.”
Jak nodded, “Where are we?”
“Not to far from what’s left of Sandover. We’re in a walled city called “Haven,” run by someone I believe you’ve already met.”
Jak growled out with uncharacteristic anger, “Praxis.” Daxter noted the tiny spike in eco. Not all dark, which did surprise Daxter a little bit.
Daxter nodded, “This is where things are gonna’ get a little complicated so stick with me. Haven was ruled by this family who descending from this eco channeler called “Mar,” who had built this city and led the war against the metal heads before he died. Praxis dethroned the line of Mar, and a lot of people don’t like Praxis and they started a rebellion called the “Underground.”” Daxter scanned Jak’s face to make sure he was getting everything.
“The Underground wasn’t much until they found this kid off the street with an amulet that seemed to mean he was the heir of Mar, and then the underground got a lot of traction. The problem with this was that kid was three or four when they picked him up, and I think a lot of people would a agree that tots shouldn’t be making government decisions.
“What’s even weirder, that kid had this whole prophecy or whatever that he, a little kid, was supposed to end the war! Can you believe it? So, it turns out, that there were two Samoses in this time, understandably, I was traumatized, one thing led to another, and that kid, went with the younger of the two Samoses back in time, to Sandover, so that kid could grow up safe to be the hero that ended the war.”
Daxter looked at Jak. Taking in his features. They hadn’t changed much. The startings of a goatee hung on Jak’s chin, and his face had gotten a little sharper too. His jawline had evened out with his cheekbones more. He honestly couldn’t have been more than 16, and that disturbed Daxter more than he thought it would. He went on with his story.
He pulled out the amulet of Mar, and handed it to Jak. “That kid, was you.”
Jak looked at the amulet. He ran his fingers over it. “I don’t think it means much to you now, but that’s yours.” Daxter leaned back a little, wanting to give Jak some space. “I doubt you even remember any of it.”
Jak looked back up at Daxter, “I remember the light, I think, before Sandover.” Jak turned the amulet over in his hands. “I think...I think I gave this to you…”
Daxter nodded, “You did. You kind of said in you Jak-way that you didn’t need it where you were going.”
Jak nodded. “So, I’m from this horrible place.” Daxter didn’t miss that Jak phrased a question, but did not ask one.
“Yeah, it’s been my home for about ten years now,” Daxter reaffirmed, then added, “I own a bar.”
“And a gun,” Jak said again, his tone didn’t give it away, but his face had the subtle question vibe.
“The world isn’t a good place anymore, Jak,” Daxter replied.
“What are the metalheads?”
“Mean bastards, practically made out of dark eco. They seem to live to kill us. Most of them aren’t smart, can’t even talk like luckers could. Some of them can, and one inpartical doesn’t like us very much, he’s the metalhead’s leader, goes by Kor.”
“House of Mar.”
Daxter nodded, figuring that Jak was going to want to know about that. “Don’t get excited, Jak. I don’t know everything, I never went to school here or anything, but there was a king, your father, was dethroned, and sent out to die by Praxis. I’m guessing somewhere in there, you got lost in the chaos, or the baron didn’t know about you, and the Underground found you and was willing to use you as a rallying point or somethin’.”
Jak nodded, “I guess that makes sense, I just don’t remember anything about this place.”
Daxter tried very hard to hide his overall surprise every time Jak spoke. Daxter wasn’t surprised by his voice, it sounded like the vocalizations he would get from time to time, it was just hearing his friend speak. The longer the sentence the more surprised Daxter felt himself being.
It made Daxter more than a little sick to his stomach. He didn’t talk as much as he used to anymore, except maybe around Tess, but their relationship worked because they got to be two people outside of their worlds with each other.
Daxter used to have that with Jak. In the way the two of them understood each other. In the way Daxter spoke for the both of them, in the way Jak allowed Daxter to let go of his anxiety. Haven took that from both of them. Hearing Jak talk was amazing. It honestly was.
Daxter knew he was being selfish for seeing, Jak have one of the things he had always wanted when they were younger, Jak’s ability to form words and coherent sentences, as the end of an era.
“Jak, do you want to see Keira?” Daxter asked, “She’s like me, she’s grown up too.”
Jak shook his head. “No, I-I do, It’s just-” Jak’s voice failed him, and he tried again, “I want to see her, I just, Dax, I spent a year in that place,” Jak trailed off, “this is all hard, this all is so, so hard.”
Daxter placed a hand on Jak’s shoulder. “I know it is, bud, I really do. You don’t have to see Keira yet if you don’t want too, I’m not going to force you into anything if I can help it.”
Jak offered a painfully weak smile.
Daxter tried to give Jak a big smile. “We’ll get through this, just like we always do.”
Daxter did smile a bit, but he didn’t know if he should tell Jak about Tess, just yet. Or maybe he should just keep up with the Q&A.
“Jak, you hungry bud?”
He nodded. Aggressively.
Corinna_Cougar on Chapter 1 Thu 14 Feb 2019 07:55PM UTC
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Zeke (Guest) on Chapter 1 Tue 07 Jul 2020 01:10AM UTC
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Daxter-Jakfan (Guest) on Chapter 2 Mon 24 Jul 2023 06:51PM UTC
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Frostbite711 on Chapter 2 Wed 20 Sep 2023 06:23AM UTC
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