Hellcat Hunting: Torn is pissed and Daxter is being annoying as usual. Jak is finding himself losing his patience and the stupid Hellcats aren't helping. Jak 2. Oneshot.

Disclaimer: If only, if only, the plot bunny sings.

Image: Renegade by Iamymai

Rating: Teen

...

Like Lions, like lions,

Lets go for a hunt.

And for the love of Mar,

Daxter shut up!

...

"The young lion exits the cavern… his claws just itching at the thought of what he is about to do."

Jak ignored Daxter as he headed out of the Underground headquarters, breaking some Krimzon guard crates on his way. Apparently, due to his current actions, the baron had brought out five new Hellcats: Torn had lost a man per vehicle. Why was Torn so mad? It wasn't like it was directly his fault; it wasn't his fault that the idiots didn't know how to run… yet, a small piece of Jak did feel bad. He slept down there and had spent the nights with one or more men introducing themselves to him, praising his bad-ass ways. Then there were others that whispered "eco-freak" behind his back and left without delay saying they'd find someplace monster free for the night. Torn would say nothing, watching silently like some kind of deaf guard dog.

"The young lion sniffs the air for his prey. It is near and he must chase it. He spots his vehicle and jumps in, not slamming on the gas as he usually would. The lion knows he must keep low to the grass and silent. He must blend in like another harmless beast of the plain. Soon, soon, but he must be patient now and get STUCK in a traffic jam like everyone else."

Jak tried to ignore the live-action narrative coming from his shoulder and continued forward, his hands grasping the steering heavily. He hated bulky vehicles but a fast little one-seat racer model wouldn't do. He needed something that could take a few shots from the Hellcat once it started to rebuke. Ah, there's one. Not yet red, just a plain gray.

"The lion smiles, teeth baring to the wind. Ah yes, his first meal has decided to rise its head out of the grasses. The young lion leans his shoulders down to camouflage himself into his surrounds, his zoomer blending into the evening traffic with minimal easy… except that stupid yellow-zoomer. Jeeze buddy learn to drive!"

His eyes becoming slits, Jak tried to push Daxter out of his thoughts, his eyes on the Hellcat. Yes, this should be easy … should. Then, forcing the zoomer in front of him to the side, Jak opens fire, the fray instantaneous and Daxter's voice impending.

"The lion, hunger surrounding his belly, finally strikes out at the Hellcat which was caught only momentarily off guard, throwing a few punches before it runs away, the young lion leaping after despite the fact that the Hellcat's pack is now on the lion's tail."

"Get out of the vehicle!" came a cry from below but Jak just ignored it, as he rushed forward, trying to shoot his target, Daxter screaming in his ear with that rather irritating narrative.

"The chase was on, the lion's breathe coming heavy as he tried to capture his meal and take it down. The lion would starve if he didn't catch this feast, but the Hellcat's pack was drawing in, brought by the smell of blood and gunfire!"

Jak wanted to yell and curse at the ottsel to shut up so he could finish this Hellcat off and head off towards the next, but he needed to keep his mouth shut and breath. He had to keep his wits to him even though gunshots were whizzing pass his ears, biting heat stinging his sensitive skin.

Then, just as if he had been slapped in the face, the Hellcat exploded, shrapnel flying outward and slamming into his zoomer, taking him down with it. After that he just remembered running, clutching his side. He had ripped himself up a little bit, but he couldn't fret with it. He needed to take the rest of those Hellcats down.

…

Jak found himself struggling to keep his head above water, teeth chattering. He needed to wait for the Krimzon Guard to calm down before he tried to strike the next Hellcat. Not that he was a coward but because he had lost another zoomer. He didn't know if he could take another hit like that and survive. Not that Daxter was helping in this situation.

"The lion waded in the waters, removing his scent from the lands so that the Hellcats' pack would calm and the lion could once again blend into the grasses after he got his companion a BLOW-DRIER! Come on Jak, really, buddy why'id you to have to pick this fricken filthy watered-bog to hide in?"

Jak waded to a nearby walkway and pulled himself up, wincing. This job had seemed exciting at first, even fun, but he was having trouble not getting blown up with the Hellcat and getting to a new vehicle without getting stung.

Maybe he should take a break.

"Hey, buddy," said Daxter, as if reading his mind. "Generally, I'd say let's take a breather but … Torn. He's not going to take any shit today. He was pissed and its best not to piss off the nail-gurgler."

The young elf closed his eyes, muscles weary. He needed to impress the old lion. He needed to continue. Sighing, he looked up at the sky, zoomer blocking out the sun above him every few seconds. That yellow one would do nicely.

…

"The lion was tired after a long day… his feet dragging as he tried to walk back to his cave, five kills under his claws," said Daxter from his shoulder perch, all oiled back because of the disgusting water they had been in.

Jak's clothes were rather unpleasant as well, but he didn't care. He's strip down to his skivvies and sleep that way; he doubted anyone would care anyway. Or maybe, given that he was this close to curling up to the nearest wall and sleeping there, he'd just sleep in his cloths.

Yah, and then Errol might just walk past and catch his ass. That sounded like a good old time. No, just a little farther. Hopefully, the dropping blood all over his body wouldn't be a huge indicator that he should be chased. At least that was all he could think as he eyed a small group of Krimzon guard that walked passed him.

A few minutes later Jak could barely shuffle his feet as he made his way down the alley where the Underground was located. He blinked his eyes as his vision started to swim, another yawn exiting him. Each step was taken like a hop, his eyes half lidded as Daxter pulled his collar, whispering, "Come on buddy, to the left, to the left."

Jak could only groan and do as he was told, his ears twitching as Daxter started to use them as a barbaric form of reins. Soon, he found himself almost tripping down the stairs, a whine in his throat. He felt like he was going to die.

"About time you showed up," came a rusty voice from the corner. "I thought you'd never... Uh, Jak?"

Jak paid little mind to the bewildered look on Torn's face nor the disgusted look of two of the other men. He just flopped stomach-forward onto one of the bunks, groaning as he rolled over, dragging the sheet with him and over his head.

"Rough day," grinned Daxter as he burrowed himself out of the sheets, straightening his goggles.

One of the Underground members, frowned at this and gave Torn a disgruntle look before stating, "I'm leaving. I have better company than this eco-freak to keep."

Torn, for a moment, seemed not to care but for the first time he opened his mouth, "Hey, the kid did a good job today. If you don't like him, leave. He's worth more than you," echoed the scratchy voice as Jak fell over the cliff into the abyss of rest, unknowingly guarded and safe by the Pride's older lion. A lion he sometimes forgot was there.

Daxter smiled at this, pretending not to notice Torn's worried glances at Jak's health. Hmm, here he had thought that Jak was the king of the jungle but maybe he was wrong. Torn was the Pride leader and though he might not be the one going out and dragging down the prey, he did make sure the Pride – the Underground's members- were safe and alive, feeling personally responsible when one would die.

Smiling as he plopped down with his buddy to sleep, Daxter sang a verse to himself, "And the lion sleeps tonight."

XXX

Paw07: I'm playing through the second game again –since I never truly finished it- and I found myself stuck on that stupid Hellcat mission where you have to hunter down five of those suckers… and not die. I did it so many times I just started narrating it to entertain myself. Then I thought… I could so see Daxter doing that to poor Jak. XD