[center][h3][color=tan]Courier 6[/color] and [color=orange]Ratchet[/color] and [color=sandybrown]Jak and[/color] [color=darkorange]Daxter[/color][/h3]
[b]Level 5[/b] - (24/50) EXP (+3 +12 encounter), [b]Level 4[/b] - (32/40) (+3 +12 encounter), [b]Level 1[/b] - (3/10) (+3)
[b]Location:[/b] Paved Wilderness
[b]Word Count:[/b] 1370 [/center]

[color=orange]”Let’s go, partner!”[/color] Ratchet affirmed with Clank, who vanished into thin air after nodding. The lombax hopped into his nearby kart, the Blue Falcon, and took off toward the danger. There was so much going on to attack the monster truck that he felt joining in on that fight would’ve been superfluous. Just as many were attacking the transforming mecha, but it seemed more of a threat. For one it could fly, and it also wasn’t stalled out like the monster truck. So Ratchet gave that one a wide berth in order to swing around toward the Sweet Bot.

[color=sandybrown]”Looks like all the action is that way. Let’s go, Dax!”[/color] Jak holstered his morph gun and smiled at his best friend, riding atop his shoulder.

[color=darkorange]”Sure, but how exactly are we supposed to [i]get there[/i] Jak? By my last count the Sand Shark was in about a bazillion little pieces, and there ain’t NO WAY I’m letting you take me over there all exposed and in the open like this!”[/color] Daxter wildly gesticulated with his arms, ending with them crossed in defiance. Jak merely grinned in eager anticipation.

The eco warrior popped off his jet board and hopped on it like a seasoned pro, without any wasted movement. There was still one car around he could use and he fully intended to do so. Switching the speed setting on his jet board to turbo mode, it truly lived up to the name by jetting him quickly across the sandy road and up alongside the third and final of the ramshackle cars.[color=sandybrown]”You’re up, Dax!”[/color]

Looking worried, Daxter jumped from Jak’s shoulder in through the window of the car, landing right on the driver’s face! “What the hell?! Get off me!” the driver cried out. He tried to grab Daxter, but the small rodent person was too quick and slippery. [color=darkorange]”Gah!”[/color] In a panic, he kicked the steering wheel to the side, forcing the car into a powerful jerking turn which sent the passenger tumbling out the door.

“Get out of my car you piece of-” Before he could finish that sentence Jak dove in through the open passenger door feet first and kicked him right out, taking his place behind the wheel. [color=sandybrown]”I knew you’d have my back, Dax!”[/color] Jak assured as he switched the car into gear. Daxter made a mocking face, but otherwise said nothing and sat down on the dashboard. He was taking this piece of junk straight for that monster truck.

Meanwhile the Courier sat patiently, watching the events unfold before his eyes. He wasn’t the only one who had the bright idea to attack the truck’s wheels, and the thing was left grounded on only one tire, not to mention some other damage it took. The driver opted to get out and expose himself. A fucking stupid decision, the Courier thought. He switched out the Revolution for the Ratslayer and prepared to take aim for that ghoul-wannabe’s head… Which is when Mr. Grimm shot out what looked like a bunch of ghosts clustered together, all homing in on different targets. And two of those were heading straight for the Bowsermobile! 6 prepared to roll out and away from the attack, only for it to be proven to be totally unnecessary: they weren’t homing in on the car, nor himself. They were going specifically after Kamek! Then there was nothing to worry about. The Courier didn’t even bother to watch as the magikoopa teleported away, figuring his survival to be a forgone conclusion.

Instead he brought up his rifle again, and took aim at Mr. Grimm’s head… Only for his allies to get in the way of the shot! First it was the bear and the bird, then it was the little green girl! The Courier sighed. [color=tan]”~As I go ridin’ merrily away.~”[/color] It was over, there was no point anymore. More of his allies were jumping into melee and ruined any chance of a shot he could take. Instead the mailman opted to put away his gun completely and just watch what was going on.

Meanwhile Ratchet raced around the battle to get in and help against the Sweet Bot. He still didn’t have many useful weapons yet, but enough time had passed that the bombbuilder had recharged another trigger mine. One of those places well with the perfect timing and everything would be all over! One hand on the wheel, he pulled the gun out of hammerspace and! … Needles Kane was dragged out of the mecha. Well he couldn’t just shoot the blasted thing into a group melee! Annoyed, Ratchet swapped out for his omniwrench. If he couldn’t shoot into the crowd then he’d jump in and… Needles was dead. 

Ratchet peeled into a stop a few meters away from the action, disappointment clear on his face. [color=orange]”Man!”[/color] He turned around to check on what was going on with the monster truck. 

As a few of their number jumped into battle against Mr. Grimm, Jak and Daxter sped along toward the Sweet Bot. They plowed right on past Ratchet, Din, Donnie, and all the others. As they approached, Jak pulled a wheelie in the car, grabbed Daxter, and jumped out the windshield to ride the hood like he was surfing a wave! At the perfect moment he leapt from the car, using the stunt to get a ton of extra height, then double jumped while still airborne, grabbing the very cockpit Needles had been yanked out of only moments before. 

Jak settled into the Sweet Bot quickly, identifying what controls what and taking the (metaphorical) reins of the mechanized beast. [color=sandybrown]”Alright, time for some payback!”[/color]

[color=darkorange]”Yeah! Nobody makes Daxter do their dirty work for them! That’s why I have Jak!”[/color] 

Jak shook his head and rolled his eyes, then took aim with the mecha’s gatling arm, only to be blindsided by the sight of dozens of spirits suddenly bursting out of Mr. Grimm! Both heroes stared on, utterly dumbfounded. Jak kept eye contact with the spirits scattering skyward, while Daxter alternated his gaze between them and the broken heap that used to be Mr. Grimm’s body. 

[color=sandybrown]”Oh my god.”[/color]

[color=darkorange]”Can you believe it, Jak? That guy just stole our kill!”[/color] Jak frowned at Daxter. [color=darkorange]”What? We totally had dibs on that black metal freakazoid!”[/color]

With the defeat of Mr. Grimm, the threat had passed on by. As everyone gathered back together from their scattered positions, Courier 6 held his spot inside the Bowsermobile. He had hooked the radio of his pip-boy to the car’s speakers and was now lying back, eyes closed with his hat over his face. If anybody paid attention they would hear a light snoring coming from inside the hat. 

Ratchet regrouped with the others and looked over some of the damage that had been caused by the attack. Jak, while still brainwashed, had destroyed Michael’s scooter. A few of the vehicles were damaged but still fixable. [color=orange]”I don’t mind doing some repair work,”[/color] he offered. [color=orange]”I missed out on fixing the karts last night, and working on some vehicles again could be kind of fun. Maybe I’ll add some supercharge turbo to Bowser Jr.’s hovercraft!”[/color]

Donnie offered the spirit of Needles Kane to some of the more mundane of their group, then turned back to admire the Sweet Bot. No sooner had the monk offered to lay claim to it did it suddenly roar to life, speakers calling out, [b]”Self destruct initiated! 5-4-3-2-1!”[/b] Jak and Daxter dove out the cockpit, rolling along the ground as a large explosion spelled the end of the Sweet Bot. 

[color=darkorange]”I swear, that is the LAST TIME I touch anything made by a freaky-deaky murderhobo clown!”[/color] Daxter declared as he dusted himself off. Jak, angry, was about to slap his friend when suddenly a large metal rod fell from the sky and beaned Daxter right in the back of the head.