The Dark Warriors

XVI. Eviserated

Jak jolted awake as a clap of thunder boomed overhead, he yawned and held his head as he sat up. He was at the Pumping Station for some reason and there was blood and Dark Eco splattered all around him.

There was a wheezing mass lying on the shore not too far away, the sand around him was stained black. Jak frowned as he made his way over to the person, if you could even call it that.

The man was curled up on his side grasping at his left side, which was torn open and gushing blood. Lying against his chest was the shivering body of a young boy with scruffy blond and green hair. Jak furrowed his brows as he knelt down beside them to get a closer look.

The man holding the boy groaned as he opened his eyes, "S-stay back...no more..." blood trickled from his mouth, "Please..."

Jak was clueless to what he was talking about, he reached out and the man swatted his hand away, "Get back Jak! You'll just cause more trouble!"

He watched the man's hand drop to the sand as he vomited blood, the boy opened his eyes and looked up at Jak fearfully, clutching at the wounded man's clothes even as blood soaked into his.

I just want to help...

"Jak!"

Jak turned to look just as Daxter burst through the tree line with that man who looked an awful lot like a Metalhead and the green man with the Afro.

"WHAT IN THE BLAZES HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU JAK!" The green man shouted, "YOU'RE COVERED IN BLOOD AND HE'S EVISERATED!"

Jak frowned as he looked at the wheezing man, "What happened Dei?" The armored one asked as the green man took the boy from him.

"Jak...he...lost control..." A rasping cough quaked him, covering the area in blood, "I...I couldn't...protect myself...only...the boy..."

"Take it easy now...we'll get you to safety..."

"Sig..." Jak heard the man hiss, "Don't blame...the boy..."

"Samos, he needs Green Eco; I can't move him without his organs falling out."

Jak moved aside so that Samos could get to him, "Just stay calm Deitonin, I know Green Eco burns you, but it still heals you."

Deitonin grit his teeth as the man helped him roll over onto his back, "Urgh...be gentle with me..."

Sig sighed as he ushered the boy over to Daxter, "Take him to Torn, he's waiting by the entrance..

"Alright, come on Jak-"

"No, Jak stays here."

Jak bowed his head and looked watched as his friend left with the boy, his attention was brought to the writhing of Deitonin as Samos revealed a jar of powdered Green Eco. The man bared his teeth and the whites of his eyes showed as Sig pinned gin down by his arms, "Grab his legs Jak!"

Jak hesitated before rushing forward and placing his full weight on Deitonin's legs. The man's back arched and his head went back as he shrieked. Spasms seized his body as the Green Eco flowed over him.

Sig tightened his hold and clapped a hand over Deitonin's mouth, he closed his eye and the red optical viewer dimmed, "It's going to be okay Dei...just calm down...you've survived worse..."

The man's body then went limp, his chest heaved as sweat poured down his face and chest. Sig pressed his fingers against Deitonin's throat, "He's still with us...but only just..."

Jak watched in awe as the green glow dimmed and the torn fresh knitted together. Samos shot him a hard look, "How could you do something like this?"

Jak shook his head.

Deitonin's eyes fluttered open, he feebly shoved Sig back and tried to sit up, but couldn't, "Don't...blame...him...!" he held himself as blood forced its way between clenched fangs, "He wasn't...himself..."

Jak was just as confused as the other men, "What're you saying?" Samos asked

"He fell unconscious...and became something else...?"

"Darkie?" Sig asked.

"No...He changed on the inside..." he looked over to Jak and the boy adverted his gaze shamefully, "It happened when I spoke about the Count...he relapsed back to the wolf in sheep's skin I know him as...only different."

"Maybe a visit to Onin could bring him out of his shell again." Samos muttered, "Sig, bring them to the Hideout, I need to attend to some other, more important work."

Jak watched him leave and sighed as Sig helped Deitonin to his feet, "Slow down man, take it easy."

"I can stand, stop babying me-" Deitonin lost his footing and doubled over as he vomited blood.

Sig caught him under the arms, "Will you listen now?"

"Y-yeah..." Jak cringed at the sight of the dark fluid, it looked like the blood the Lurkers left behind back in Sandover...

Jak took a deep breath as he stepped forward and reached out for Deitonin's other arm, "Here, let me help..." his voice was rough and his throat hoarse from not using it for so long.

The smile that showed on Deitonin's face warmed Jak to the core, the man ruffled his hair playfully, "I knew you would speak one day...Jak."