[center][h3][color=tan]Courier 6[/color] and [color=orange]Ratchet[/color] and [color=sandybrown]Jak &[/color] [color=darkorange]Daxter[/color][/h3]
[b]Level 5[/b] - (47/50) EXP (+2), [b]Level 5[/b] - (27/50) (+2), [b]Level 3[/b] - (5/30) (+2)
[b]Location:[/b] Land of Adventure - Coral Highlands, Redgraccoon City - Charnal Lane
[b]Word Count:[/b]1129

Jak new power: [b]You do well to rid the world of this metal scourge. As a reward, I grant you a dark power.[/b] - In Dark Jak form, Jak is able to manipulate dark eco in the form of energy attacks which come in two flavors. Small hand blasts that are relatively slow moving, but plow through obstacles with great force capable of toppling huge walls (which use a moderate chunk of his dark eco), and the Dark Bomb which releases all his currently absorbed eco in a single blast around him, completely destroying any but the most durable of enemies… But of course, dark eco cannot recognize friendlies and will harm all life indiscriminately.[/center]

The situation wasn’t looking too good, if the Courier were to admit it. The dinosaur monster wasn’t so receptive of him as most critters were. He thought that maybe if it weren’t for the offering of meat, the thing would have already been at his neck. Even so it was clearly a highly aggressive monster, looking for any reason to strike. His hand gripped his shotgun in its holster, ready to pull it out and fire the moment this creature moved, as it would undoubtedly come down to a fight. No befriending this hombre.

“I’d cover my eyes if I were you!” shouted a voice from afar, startling both the Courier and the monster he was attempting to tame. The dinosaur used some bizarre quirk of its biology to focus a blast of concentrated sunlight right at his eyes, but luckily the Courier was an adaptable fellow. Rather than be put off balance by the sudden warning of this stranger, it gave him the ample preparation he needed to do exactly that.

Time seemingly froze to a standstill as the Courier activated V.A.T.S., allowing him to observe the dinosaur creature in an extremely slow motion and pickout the best strategy. Its head seemed to be unfurling some sort of reflective membrane. In the slow motion he could already see how it was gathering light for what he presumed would be some sort of blinding tactic. Amazing quirk of biology this thing had, and very deadly when paired with those talons. Luckily, technology was on [i]his[/i] side, as was luck. He had enough time to queue up 2 shots with his shotgun on the critter. [i]Target head: Probability to hit - 95%[/i]

[b]BOOM BOOM![/b]

Two shots quickly blasted from the shotgun, depleting all its loaded shells and rendering the weapon useless until it could be reloaded. V.A.T.S. deactivated in the same instant as the creature came flying at him with razor sharp claws exposed, and he rolled off to the side. In his place manifested the large robotic striker Bastion in humanoid form, steel body ready to receive the damage and gun ready to unload into the monster.

[hr][hr]

Jak emerged from the van with Daxter on his shoulder, the two firing finger guns at one another playfully. Ratchet had since put away his new shotgun and was conversing with the others on minor small talk, nothing important, when Nero decided that enough preparations had been made and it was time to go kick some ass.

[color=sandybrown]”Hold up,”[/color] Jak interrupted before they all head out, clearly bothered by something. When he spoke, it was uncomfortable and he avoided eye contact. [color=sandybrown]”I owe everyone an apology. I’m used to running in guns blazing and taking everything out without a problem, but that doesn’t seem to always work here. What I’m saying is, I guess if I’m the best there is on my world, I shouldn’t underestimate the dangers posed by the best of everyone else’s worlds too. So I got hurt when I had other ways to kill those things without the same risk and… Sorry that I made myself dead weight.”[/color] He met the other’s eyes for the first time, glaring in both determination, and anger. [color=sandybrown]”Nobody is going to have to come to my rescue again.”[/color]

Ratchet had to chuckle. [color=orange]”Is that actually some humility from you, Jak? I’m surprised! Hahaha! I guess you’re forfeiting the contest to me, then?”[/color]

Ratchet and Jak clapped hands together, squeezing in a firm grip. [color=sandybrown]”Not on your life, furball.”[/color]

[color=darkorange]”Don’t underestimate us just because Jak had to get a bit sappy for a minute! I’m still the same hard as steel bad boy I’ve always been, capiche?”[/color] Daxter added.

[color=orange]”Sure, Dax.”[/color] Ratchet released his grip from Jak, who did the same, and the two heroes followed Nero through the cathedral plaza.

Up the stairs and out to the opening, a large creature stood silent and lonely amidst the gothic background. The ent looked to be a fearsome foe indeed, though also a passive one. It did not seem to recognize their presence, allowing them all to get setup however the group decided was best. Recognizing the enemy as being made of wood, Ratchet pulled out the bombbuilder as his main weapon for the battle, hoping the heat from the blasts might set the thing on fire. Jak pulled out his trusty morph gun and set it to the Vulcan Fury.

Then Nero called the monster out, and the battle had begun. Ratchet quickly took aim and fired two proximity mines at the ent’s feet, where they immediately exploded a safe distance beneath Nero as the demon hunter pulled off his own combo. Jak began to unload with rapid fire the high speed, high penetration rounds of his Vulcan Fury, sending more than 40 rounds of blue eco into the ent in just a couple of seconds. That was, until…

[i]Click[/i]

Out of blue eco? Gah! Jak swapped the morph gun over to the Blaster mode and rolled away from a small group of hollows that sought him out. His roll jumps propelled him several meters at a time, allowing him to build distance, then take them out before they even got close. Once the hollows chasing him were blasted to smithereens, he turned back to the ent.

Meanwhile Ratchet had swapped out the bombbuilder for his trusty old omniwrench, standing at attention as the hollows began to swarm around him. He gave a couple warning swings to keep them off, but the creatures were not so easily dissuaded. They all jumped into Ratchet at once and… Moved right through him?

[color=orange]”I love this power! Zer0 had style!”[/color] Ratchet decloaked right behind the ent, Reaper in hand. He unleashed a shot of Hell energy directly into its back at point blank, all 6 shots concentrated together to hit the enemy.

In response to this, or perhaps to Nero, the ent slammed its arms down to create a shockwave in every direction, the whole plaza rattling with the force! Jak, being a good distance away, was able to spot the telegraphed move and hop onto his jet board and ride the wave out no problem. But Ratchet being so close and relatively easy to harm…

“I’ve got you, Ratchet!” Clank reaffirmed, appearing on the lombax’s back and taking on jet form. The little robot propelled Ratchet high up in the air to avoid the shockwave. 

[color=orange]”Thanks, little buddy!”[/color] Ratchet said back, now taking another shot with the Reaper, down toward the ent’s head.