#jnd brutter

[radioactivepeasant]

Snippet (or chapter?) Thursday

Viper: Exodus

Jak, now a captain in Spargus's infiltration division, has been gathering people who have helped them in the past, and Daxter has convinced whole sections of the slums to trust the Wastelanders over the Grand Council. (LONG post warning, it's basically a whole chapter)

240 people crowded around the narrow road in front of the Naughty Ottsel, murmuring nervously to each other. They had been slowly preparing for this night for weeks -- hardly enough time to uproot an entire life. But then, many of them had been uprooted already. Many carried young children, only recently reunited with their families after Praxis's mass kidnapping orders during his hunt for Mar. They varied between terrified silence and hungry wailing as the people waited for their chosen leader to arrive.

It had been a difficult, and at times acrimonious, task choosing someone to lead them once beyond the walls for good. Fifty people had withdrawn from the evacuation entirely when a Lurker was ultimately chosen. But Brutter had lived among the people of the Water Slums for years. They knew him. They trusted him.

His deputy, the blonde barmaid from the pub, seemed like an odd choice at first. But as preparations progressed, it became clear that Tess had a way with people -- and with weapons. Her confidence put them all at ease.

The murmurs quieted when Tess appeared with Brutter, Jak, and Daxter. More people gathered in the pub doorway behind them to watch, but it was clear that they were on team "leaving Haven is mutiny or cowardice".

"This is everyone?" Brutter called, furrowing his fuzzy brow. "Water Slum friends?"

"Here!" One of his former neighbors called, waving from a section of the crowd.

"Good! Saltpeter Row?"

The inhabitants of the row houses made varying sounds of acknowledgement, and Brutter nodded, continuing to call out the names of streets who had agreed to join the secession.

"Morgan street!"

"Redcap Row!"

"Shark Flats!"

"4th Street!"

Only a few groups were unaccounted for in the end, though this wasn't as much of a surprise as expected. They'd known from the beginning that some would probably back out when it was time to go. Better the devil they knew than the one they didn't. But everyone else had shown up.

They shuffled restlessly, meager belongings in carts or on their backs, and waited to find out what was going to happen. Surely they weren't all going to walk to the abandoned temple!

Brutter nodded to Jak, and the boy stepped forward and raised his voice.

"Okay! Here's what's going to happen! Anyone with small kids or trouble walking is going to take the air train to the foot of the mountains. The Babak are waiting with balloons to get you to the temple. It's going to take a few trips, so don't crowd. You'll all get there, I promise."

Daxter took over as soon as Jak finished.

"Everybody else: we're formin' a convoy of four groups! If you know how to fight, yer on the outside of the column. If you don't, stay in the middle! We're gonna stop for breaks sometimes, but we're hiking straight through the Industrial Sector, folks. It's gonna be a good hour or two before we get everyone into the Power Station teleport ring."

Jak nodded and pointed left in the direction they'd be heading. "Tess will be leading Group 1 with the gyro-burster to clear out any threats ahead of us. Jinx is taking Group 2. Group 3, you're with Mogg and Grim. Everyone else, you're with me. For now, everyone with kids move to the right."

The shuffle was tedious, and it was close to ten minutes before everyone was divided into the five groups. The thirty-five people with elderly, children, and mobility issues huddled together as the rest split into crowds of roughly fifty each. Even fifty civilians was a massive number to protect from Deathbots and metalheads. Tess and Jak shot each other grim looks, each worrying about the same thing:

How many people were they going to lose on their way to the power station?

"I'm coming too!"

Jak turned to see Keira pulling her arm free of Samos's grip. His heart leapt: he'd hoped against hope that she would flee the city with them. That she would wrench herself out from under the sage's thumb.

"Keira, no!" Samos gasped, "This is madness!”

He turned a stern look to Jak. "This has gone too far, Jak! You are out of control!"

"Out of your control," Daxter corrected sharply, "That's what you mean, right?"

"You're leading these people to their deaths! I will not allow my daughter to be one of them!" Samos snapped.

Jak felt nerves crawl up his throat. He wanted to vomit. It didn't matter how confident he was as a Captain of Spargus, Samos had programmed his behavior for years and standing up to him was hard.

He swallowed back bile and cleared the trepidation from his throat.

"You didn't have a problem sending someone else's kid into hell for your own gain. You're not doing yourself any favors by waiting until now to have a problem with it."

Keira gestured to him. "See? Thank you, Jak."

"Keira, that's enough," said Samos sternly, "I know it seems harsh to you, but someday you will understand that I am simply doing what is best for you!"

"No, I'm doing what's best for me," Keira retorted, "I'm helping people."

"Keira, I forbid you to step out that door!" the sage cried in a panic.

Keira swung a bag up onto her shoulder.

"I'm no good to anyone in a gilded cage, kept out of danger. And you have no right to fight about it after what you put the boys through."

"Of course I have a right! You're my daughter!"

Keira set her jaw. She closed her eyes and took in a long, shaky breath. Then she stepped out the door.

"Goodbye, Daddy."

Tess squeezed her shoulder as she passed them to gather her platoon. "Hang in there, kiddo," she murmured.

Brutter also eyed her with sympathy as he followed.

"Let us go, friends!" He loudly croaked, "Before we are losing the moonlight!"

Jak frowned thoughtfully. "You got a gun?" he asked Keira quietly.

She shook her head, still trembling with the same adrenaline he felt.

"N-no. But I've got some EMP grenades I've been working on. In case of bots."

Jak's eyebrows rose, and he grinned. "Can't wait to see 'em."

"Yeah well. You probably won't have to.”

÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷

Two days after the exodus

"I hooked the generator up to the temple, so we should have working shields in a day or two." Keira collapsed onto the ledge beside Jak, utterly exhausted.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and dropped an impulsive kiss onto the crown of her head. "You're a miracle worker, you know that?"

The butterflies in Keira's stomach made an unwelcome encore appearance, beating their little wings to fan heat up into her cheeks. She liked this new Jak. He was more open with his feelings. Braver about touch. But Precursors if it wasn't an adjustment!

Still. She needed the comfort just now. Keira had just uprooted…everything, for the second time in her young life. She'd walked away from her own father, and no matter how justified she knew it was, it still hurt. She felt small, and lost, in a world far too large for her. Had she really stopped to fully count the cost of joining the formation of the refugee village?

Yes. She had. Keira forced her mind away from the betrayal in her father's eyes, back to the joy that was in Jak’s eyes when he whispered to her that he'd found freedom.

"I don't feel like a miracle worker," she confessed after a few minutes, "I feel like a fraud. I'm- I'm just shy of completely overwhelmed. We have almost nothing, and if Haven decides they don't like us being up here, I don't know how long my shields will even work. Why are they looking to me for all the solutions? Why not Brutter, or Tess?"

Jak made a sympathetic noise. "Yeah...I know how that feels. But apparently sixteen is "too young" to be carrying that kind of responsibility on your shoulders. So. I dunno, take it easy on yourself, I guess?"

Keira rested her head on Jak’s shoulder with a soft hmph, and noted with some amusement that she could hear how fast his heart was beating. Lucky for them Jak had already been in battle that day, clearing out the last metalheads, and had no more eco to react to the adrenaline. Dark Jak was much more snuggly than regular Jak, and much denser in mass, which made it fairly problematic if he happened to doze off while resting against her.

“Kee, I-”

Jak swallowed hard.

“I have to- we need- Mountain Clan is going to join the Wasteland Federation. You- everyone is going to have to get used to a new set of laws. A new. A new king.”

Keira winced. She'd had enough of overbearing authority figures.

“It's going to be…interesting,” she said begrudgingly.

“I have to report to him.” Jak sounded like he was trying to sound her out, gauge her reaction.

“I was going to call him tonight, actually. I just…I guess, don't freak out if he…when he gets here.”

Here? Keira sat up to look Jak in the eye.

“This king person is coming here?”

The buzz of the crickets down the slope seemed to rise, drowning out her thoughts. In a way, she'd known it had to be coming. Jak and Daxter wouldn't have been so insistent on evacuation if there wasn't actually a war coming. It just hadn't felt real.

She looked down at the tents and rudimentary huts their people -- Precursors, she had people now -- had spent the last two days setting up along the hill. So many people who couldn't fight, or wouldn't. If the Wastelanders really were a warrior people, would this king even accept them?

“He has to, Keira. Even if Haven hadn't-” Jak tensed, and a low anger rippled below his words. “Even if they hadn't tried to assassinate him, Damas would still have to come out here. He's the current head of the Federation, and all clans have to send representatives when someone threatens the whole.”

Leave it to Jak to speak of someone with that much power as casually as he spoke about Daxter.

“You all just call him by his name?”

Jak shrugged, and the grin he offered was a little sheepish. “Not to his face. Unless you're me, or Sig. Daxter could, he just likes to call him Spikes or King Lunatic instead. Damas doesn't mind.”

“Spikes?” Keira felt her eyebrows go up. "King Lunatic?!"

“You'll see when he gets here.”

Jak was entirely too calm about that. Keira grimaced, but reasoned that if he was more relaxed now than he was when talking about Ashelin or Samos, that had to be a promising sign, right?

“He um. He sounds…tough,” the girl said, gingerly searching for words. “Is…Is he-”

Keira gave up beating about the bush and decided to just ask the question honestly.

“Jak, you talk about him like you actually trust him. Do you?”

“With my life,” Jak answered, simply and openly.

“And I'd trust him with all of those people down there, more importantly. I'd trust him with Daxter’s life. With yours.”

What could she say to that? Even when they'd been little kids, when they had foolishly trusted Samos to have their best interests at heart, Jak hadn't trusted him around Daxter. And after the…the prison, Daxter was probably the only person Jak truly trusted. For some warrior king of a nation of Sigs to have earned Jak's faith so completely was hard to believe. Almost as hard to take as the respect in Jak’s voice when he so much as mentioned this man.

Who was this King Damas, and what had he done to make Jak of all people so devoted to him and his cause? And more importantly in Keira's mind, did he deserve Jak's loyalty?

“You look up to this guy,” she realized.

And Jak laughed. He rubbed the back of his neck, and looked embarrassed, and laughed.

“Yeah…I mean, I…yeah…he's kind of my hero.”

He covered his face abruptly as his ears burned scarlet.

“Don't you dare tell him I said that.”

“Oh right, because I'd totally get a chance to have a casual conversation with a king and squeal on you.” Keira rolled her eyes.

“If he's as cool as you think he is, maybe he already knows, anyway.”

“No!” Jak groaned, “Don't say that, I have an image to keep up!”

Keira cracked a smile and settled her head back onto Jak’s shoulder. His arm slipped around her waist, and she felt his cheek rest against her hair. An innocent closeness neither of them had felt in too many years, shared for a moment at the beginning of something new and a little frightening.

“When do you think your king will get here?”

Jak grinned into Keira's hair. She'd stopped calling Damas “this king”. The simple acknowledgement of how important he was to Jak felt a lot more validating than he'd anticipated.

“If I call him tonight, I'd say tomorrow evening at the latest. It's only about five hours from here to home by air train.”

Considering the commotion at dawn, when some hut building efforts were abandoned in favor of clearing a landing strip, Keira had her suspicions that the Wastelanders were already on their way before Jak ever placed that hushed and enthusiastic call.

“Clear the field!” Grim waved his arms wildly, scattering refugees into tents and back onto the rope bridge the Babak had built into the temple. “Make some room, everybody!”

Jak was out of his tent with Daxter on his shoulder before the craft had even begun its final approach. He darted to the edge of the makeshift runway and just waited. Brutter opened the door of his hut with a surprised croak, and Tess was already loosening her gun in her holster. Just in case.

There was a pit in Keira's stomach as she joined the people watching the air train land. This was it. Judgement Day.

Out of the air train seven heavily armored Wastelanders practically sauntered, six taking guard positions in a semicircle while the seventh strolled right up to where Jak stood ramrod straight.

It was unnatural, seeing Jak like that. Even more so seeing Daxter in the same attentive posture on his shoulder. Keira watched them nervously for cues.

Jak spoke about the leader of the Wastelander Federation like he was this great hero. Like he idolized the man. Keira suspected she'd get a better read on this new authority figure by observing how he spoke to the boys -- if he spoke to them directly at all.

The king of the desert was an imposing man wielding an elaborate staff. He didn't look like the type to suffer fools gladly. Keira watched his eyes sweep across the huts and lean-tos covering the slopes leading to the temple. They had already constructed fifteen small houses in the style of Sandover Village, and Vin and Keira had just finished setting up a basic eco grid for power. Was it good enough?

"By the forges boys!" The Wasteland king suddenly laughed aloud. "When you said you could find allies in the city, I thought you meant five or six, not an entire village!"

He clapped a hand to Jak’s unoccupied shoulder in a gesture Keira recognized -- with her share of bittersweet longing -- as pride.

"Welcome to Mountain Clan, sir," Jak answered, just as proud.

So. Jak wasn't exaggerating his admiration for this man. Not that Keira had thought he would. Jak wasn't prone to exaggeration and hyperbole. And while he still stood smartly at attention, if Keira looked closely she could see her friend practically vibrating with excitement. He behaved like a soldier -- the soldier Haven always wanted but could never have -- and yet at the same time he reminded Keira of nothing as much as a little boy whose parent had finally come home from a long journey.

That thought stuck in her mind as Brutter and Tess approached.

To her shock -- and the shock of the boys -- the Babak let out a jubilant cry when he recognized the man in armor.

"Brother Damas!" he trumpeted, catching the attention of the other Lurkers helping in the new village.

"Brother Damas lives! Our hearts are full!"

Damas looked taken aback for a moment, then a smile creased his weatherbeaten face and he reached out to clasp Brutter's forearm.

"You-! I remember you! It's been a long time, Bluefeather."

"Too long," Brutter croaked.

"Are your people safe?" Damas frowned. "I'm- I'm sorry. One operative wasn't enough to help free them. It was a poor repayment for the way you supported my family during the coup."

Sadly, the Babak leader shook his head. "We Lurkers were not saving your friends, Brother. We could not stop the executing after you exiled. Always my elders feel they failed you."

Damas squeezed the Lurker's thick forearm with an earnest expression. "You failed no one, Brother. Welcome to the Federation."

Beside them, Jak's face went from confusion to wonder to a barely restrained glee. Damas had organized the abolition efforts? That meant Jak had been working for Damas long before he ever heard the man's name! He exchanged excited looks with Daxter. This went beyond best case scenario for them. Their honorary tribe and their adopted people were now united.

"Now then!" Damas turned on his heel to raise an amused eyebrow at Jak.

"I've been getting extremely detailed reports from you, Captain. Come! Walk me through what you're doing up here!"

Jak practically scrambled to follow him, an almost silly grin stamped across his face. It made Keira's heart ache to realize she hadn't seen that smile since Sandover. Brutter broke into her thoughts with a gurgling chuckle.

"Once king, always king," he said fondly. "Brutter did not know he had offspring! Jak is very good son. Very loyal."

Keira jolted. "Offspring?! What do you mean?!"

Brutter looked confused, as though he thought his observation was obvious.

[sonicasura]

Jak and Daxter/ Pokémon Short

Friend To Lurkers

3 Days Since Frontier came To Haven City and 2 Days Until They Meet Kid

" Alright everyone remember the plan"

A cloaked Frontier stood looking out of a alley way entrance looking for any sign of those Guards. Behind them stood 4 Lurkers along with Blaziken, Alakazam, Gengar and Inteleon. About an hour ago Frontier had freed these 4 Lurkers from a transport shuttle. Frontier was quick too the notice of the Lurkers being transported throughout out the city and it didn't take long for Frontier too find out that the Lurkers were slaves in Haven City.

That was absolutely something Frontier refused too standby and let happen knowing they could help and took action. Freeing the Lurkers and taking them back too the camp for medical treatment. The Lurkers were nervous but thankfully after Frontier and the Pokémon freed them nd took them too safe place too heal there wounds they quickly warmed up too Frontier and the Pokémon calling them all Friends.

After they all had there wounds healed and energy restored Frontier asked if they knew were they wanted too go. Unfortunately none of the Lurkers ad any idea were was safe or any safe settlements or Lurkers they could o too. That was quite the problem as Frontier could not leave them alone too face the Monsters known as Metal Heads that scoured the lands or face getting recaptured.

Frontier and the Pokémon brainstormed ideas of what do when one of the Lurkers perked up having remembered vital information. They told Frontier that they remember hearing of a place in the West Bazar called Brutter's that worked too free Lurker slaves and take them too hidden Lurker Settlements safe from capture or harm.

Perfect

So back too the alley way where everyone was hidden and getting ready too enact the plan. Blaziken, Alakazam, Gengar and Inteleon would were a long concealing cloak so they could walk around hidden all while the Lurkers followed them. Inteleon would lead from the front and Blaziken would watch the back, Alakazam and Gengar would be at the sides while the 4 Lurkers stayed in the middle. All the Lurkers would close together while Blaziken, Alakazam, Gengar and Inteleon kept watch too keep them safe and too fool others that these Lurkers were still slaves under watch by the cloaked figures. When someone caught sight of Brutter's everyone would make the transfer with the Lurkers going into Brutter's care. Frontier would follow close behind with Hoopa near them encase they need too make a quick escape.

And with the plan set up everyone was ready too set it in motion

Today was a slow day for Brutter, but if there anything Brutter's learned a slow day is a good day. Slow Day meant no trouble for Brutter or no getting annoyed by Krew.

Brutter slowly cleaned the mugs as he looked around his area of the Bazar. Keeping an eye out and a ear opened as had become habit for the Babak. Eventually his eyes landed on a sight he had grown too disdain. More Lurkers about 4 of them being taken by 4 cloak figures presumably too be worked or traded. As was the fate for many Lurkers in Haven City.

Brutter would have most likely suffered the same fate if we was not taken under the wing by the original Bar Owner who sympathized Lurkers and taught Brutter everything there was too know and gave Brutter the Bar.

Brutter felt horrible watching the Lurkers be dragged off too work in dangerous jobs and be overworked too bone but Brutter did not have the strength. Brutter only had the funds and connections too help when ever the opportunity arises.

Brutter attention zeroed in on the Lurkers again when the Cloaked figures started towards the Bar with the Lurkers following close behind.

Uh Oh. This was trouble.

Brutter quickly changed his demeanor too cheery and forced a smile. Whether Brutter liked it or not he had too keep up appearances as a simple Bar Owner who just happened too be a Lurker. Eventually the 4 cloaked figure stood in front of the Bar.

Brutter: Hello Customer! What Drink can Brutter get you! Can I suggest our new Palk-Palk Drink, have fruit zing.

No answer

Brutter was bit of put by the silence and was going too suggest another drink when the 4 cloaked figures moved behind the Lurkers and let the Lurkers sit, confusing Brutter as too what was happening.

Lurker: You are Brutter right. One who helps Lurkers in need.

At that Brutter's eyes widened, realizing that this was a group of freed Lurkers looking for refugee. Brutter acted immediately and had all the Lurkers head into the back of the building that his Bar was stationed in front of. The cloaked Figures covered the Lurkers with there own bodies as they went into the back of the bar too be hidden. After he made sure they were hidden and safe Brutter went back outside too see all the cloaked figures sitting down at the Bar too help cover for Brutter as patrons waiting for a drink.

Brutter went back behind the Bar too question them when an unknown voice made themselves known. A much smaller cloaked figure walked up too the Bar and dropped there hood revealing a young kid introducing themselves too Brutter much too his shock.

" My name is Frontier and these are my friends. The Lurkers told me that you can get them too safety"

And the story they had too tell was nothing short of extraordinary

I don't blame Brutter for being suspicious at first. Considering the harsh stereotypes against Lurkers, it's very hard to find someone who sees them as people. Krew only "helps" because he can get more money out of this.

Frontier is about to flip that perspective real quick.

[geistvirus]

Day three and the theme for today is Lurker. Lurkers are challenging creatures to draw. They are an odd mix of primates and frogs.

“Brutter got a fish this big.”

I really like Brutter. I really love the tiny detail of how he tries to be part of Haven City’s citizens by adding two feathers to his hair as two long ears. I was sad when he didn’t have a role in Jak 3, but I was really happy when he reappeared in Daxter for PSP. This sweet fun boi needs more love and fish.

[seirei-bh]

Little details in Jak and Daxter

-In Jak 3, the mirror of Naughty Ottsel was broken (we can assume it was Torn's fault) and in Jak X even although the bar is decorated with racing theme and has even some TVs, the mirror is still broken and with scattered fragments. -In the Jak 3 bible it is said that it is Tess who runs the Naughty Ottsel when Daxter is away and in Jak X Tess only appears in one scene at the Naughty Ottsel, so we can assume that she also owns the bar afterwards of the war, not just Daxter -In Jak 2 Lurkers are slaves, but at the end of Jak 2 Ashelin mentions that Brutter is a captain and during the later games the Lurkers do not appear, with which we can assume that one of the first laws that Ashelin announced after becoming in governor was to end slavery Lurker and now many of them live elsewhere. -The Hip Hog is a reference to Boggy Billy's swamp pig-hippo pet in JnD TPL -Jak TPL and Jak X there is a forbidden jungle and a snowy and mountainous place, from which we can deduce that these places did not disappear in the future. -The snowy mountains of TPL are the current home of origin of the marauders in Jak X and Jak 3 -In Jak 2, the Hip Hog's clock changes between a sun and a moon depending on whether it's day or night outside. -In Jak 2 Krew mentions that the wastelanders work for him, but we only know one: Sig. However, in the Jak 3 bible it is mentioned that Kleiver used to work for Krew bringing him valuable objects he found in the desert and we can also see in a concept art a bar in Spargus in which there is a photo with flowers of a deceased Krew and some wastelanders raising their drinks towards him. -Krew mentions in Jak 2 that there is a museum in Haven City, although we never get to visit it. -This is a pervy note, but Jak looks at Keira's ass in a scene in TPL, while Keira looks at Jak's ass in a scene in Jak X. -There are two Time Maps. One was the one Krew had that later ended up in the past, and one was the one Seem has in Jak 3. It's possible that there are more Time Maps. And it's also quite possible that Krew got his from Kleiver. -Jak 2 events happens in spring, while the events of Jak 3 happens between summer-autumn. We can deduce this by observing nature. Haven Forest in Jak 2 there are green plants and flowers everywhere. While at the beginning of Jak 3 it's summer because desert sandstorms are more common at that time while later it's autumn because the leaves on the trees in Haven Forest are yellow to red. -There are only five characters in the game with bicolor hair: Jak, Daxter, Keira, Vin, and Maia. -Onin and Maia are the only ones capable of making prophecies and predicting the future. They are also the only ones that do some kind of "magic" with eco. -In the TPL bible it's hinted that Maia was the one who created the lurkers. Also, Gol and Maia with the Precursor robot created Dark Eco + Green Eco monsters during the final battle. -Keira was the inventor of the original zoomer with only 14 years old, and therefore of all the zoomers that appear in Jak 2. And she also built a time machine when she was only 16 years old and in less than two years. -There is only 3 non-white characters: Sig (black), Jak (semi pacific islander?) and Rayn (far east). And we don't know what were the real colors of skin of the sages. -Jak had a bugs collection in Sandover.

-Damas wasn't Spargus founder. In Jak 3 bible design it was confirmed there was at least another king before him. -Baron Praxis had a eco green sword that probably belonged to the House of Mar, since we saw Mar with a similar sword in his statues. -Jak and Keira are the only ones that have managed to channel Light Eco at some point. And in the TPL bible it's confirmed that Keira was destined to become a light eco sage since the beginning. -Seal of Mar represents yin and yang, and is represented in the same way as the indicator in the game about Jak's dark eco and light eco. -The only mothers mentioned in the saga are Keira's mother, Kleiver's mother and Sig's mother.

-Metalheads's blood is full of dark eco. They probably need it to live and that's why they stole eco from the mines in Jak 2 and had a deal with the Baron to get more eco. -Sig has a small Precursor alphabet tattoo on his right forearm reading "life". And Torn has both arms covered in tattoos. -In the bible of TPL it's confirmed Precursor robots were used to create continental masses, oceans, mountains and life with eco. And it's mentioned that the Precursors always take their robots with them when they finish building a planet, but on Jak's planet they didn't, and also in Jak 3 it is mentioned that the dark makers want to "reclaim this world unfinished" therefore they didn't finished the world for some reason that is never explained.

[raylaui]

Day 3 of JnD Theme week - Lurker! The only excuse for this one’s crazy hairdo is that they’re a juvenile and that’s how the kids wear their hair these days. Maybe they’re a spunky kid in the Precursor Legacy world after Gol and Maia are out of the picture and the lurkers are finding an identity for themselves? idk  These purple Lurkers have a pretty neat design, and it’s cool they’re still around in Jak II so I’m looking forward to learning how they fit in to all that mess. (Yes, I know about Brutter thanks to the internet and this series having existed for 15 years, but it’s the CONTEXT I don’t know so ya’ll are going to have to sit tight and hold the explanation until I get far enough in the game to meet him.)  

The bottom thing isn’t really a lurker but they sure lurk all over the place outside the city so I thought it fit with the theme. And these little buggers are FAST, dang. I think they’re called Glubs??? Whatever the name I’ve lost more than one life thanks to them. 

[saltysaltdog]

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Jak and Daxter Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Characters: Ashelin Praxis, Brutter (Jak and Daxter), Tess (Jak and Daxter), Taryn (Jak and Daxter), Original Characters, Jinx (Jak and Daxter) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, vomiting mentions Summary:

For the tumblr JND horror week prompt: Zombie AU.

The zombie apocalypse but every time someone gets bitten it goes faster.

Should probably also say, OC heavy, because I am self indulgent, even though so far 90% only get named once they are dead.

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Free Day Thursday

As per the poll Tuesday, we've got Gremlinverse (delayed to noon because of errands I had to run) shenanigans: specifically Jak discovering disadvantages to his new size.

At first, Jak had enjoyed the Underground's reaction to his new stature. He was used to being underestimated, but when what seemed to be a ten year old kid blew up a deathbot, their reactions were so much funnier. They were nicer to him, too. Well, that might’ve been because they were patronizing him. That's what Daxter seemed to think. Tess, on the other hand, was sure that it was more about guilt.

Seeing their tank so much smaller and more vulnerable, she insisted, was a wakeup call. It meant they had to come to terms with the fact that they'd repeatedly endangered the very people the Underground had been supposed to protect.

Jak thought it was a nice sentiment, but unlikely. After all, Torn hadn't thought twice before giving up little Mar’s location to Praxis when he thought Ashelin's life was on the line.

Besides, he didn't need hollow contrition. "We're sorry" was easy to say, but meaningless if they were still treating him like a glorified errand boy.

They hadn’t sent him on any real missions since he'd come back from the Nest, but that may have been because Sig was watching them like a glinthawk, just waiting for one of them to cross a line. But that brought Jak to a new problem: the longer he hung around headquarters, the more they started treating him like an actual kid.

He had almost seventeen-

Okay, that wasn't true. He had twelve years of memories and experience. Just because his body was small and his emotions were big didn't mean he suddenly didn't understand anything! And it certainly did not mean he required assistance getting up onto taller objects!

The first time it happened involved Jak dangling from the Underground leader’s grip. He glared, looking like he wanted to rip Torn's hair out. Coincidentally, Torn also looked like he wanted to rip Torn’s hair out.

"What, so Mar and Daxter can sit on your nasty table, but I'm not allowed?" Jak challenged.

"First of all-" Torn closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "Mar is a toddler and he was getting underfoot. Daxter was a rat and you would've stabbed me if I'd thrown him off the table."

From the spartan bunks along the wall, Daxter snorted and looked up from trying to remember how shoelaces worked.

"Well, he got an accurate read on that, at least."

Jak folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. It was actually a very endearing expression, but Torn had been around him too long to be swayed by it.

"Well you're the one who made me work for you guys, and technically I wouldn't have shrunk if you hadn't betrayed us to Praxis, so if I climb on stuff you're just going to have to deal with it."

Torn lifted Jak a little higher with a frosty look. "Watch it, brat. You cause trouble on purpose and I might just put you in the Junior Freedom League to straighten you out."

Clearly, this was the wrong thing to say.

The next thing Daxter knew, Torn had dropped Jak with a high-pitched wheeze of pain. The former KG was doubled over and in clear distress, and Jak was on the table again. The former ottsel shook his head and went back to fighting with the boot laces.

"Brutal," he commented, "but not unprovoked."

The next time someone tried to pick him up without permission, it was Brutter.

Compared to Torn, Jak was far more forgiving with Brutter. Most likely because Brutter had treated him like an equal from the very beginning, and even now acted as though nothing had changed. So when Daxter brought Jak with him to do a little pro bono pest control on Brutter's fishing boat, the Lurker hadn't had any objections to letting Jak crawl through the vents with the plasma swatter. (Jak could tell why Daxter liked the swatter so much. It made a really fun splat when hitting metalbugs.)

He'd chased the pests from one end of the cabin to the other, filling his pockets with metalbug gems as he went. Under normal circumstances they would have been Daxter's pay, but Jak was the one crawling through the dusty vents. If Dax wanted them, he'd have to come take them.

Almost unrecognizable with dust and bits of metalbug exoskeleton, Jak had finally crawled out and bumped into Brutter's leg. As if on instinct, Brutter reached down without looking and scooped Jak up off the floor.

"Hey!" Jak yelped.

Brutter's eyes snapped down to the filthy kid he was holding under the arms, and he blinked twice before letting out a loud hoot of laughter.

"Brother Jak!" he laughed, setting him down, "You not little baby Babak! You big kid! I forgot we not home with tribe for a moment."

He took off his glasses and wiped them on his coat, then squinted at Jak again.

"Oh, Jak really is that dirty. Was not imagining baby Babak hair then."

Jak rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah. No charge for the extra vent cleaning as long as you don't tell Daxter about this."

"My lips are sealing, Brother Jak," said Brutter agreeably. He stepped back and obligingly did not cough when Jak sent up a cloud of dust and lint while brushing himself off.

"Many thanks for stopping to help with buggy pests! I am not wanting to drag you two away from hero business."

Jak flashed a genuine smile at Brutter. "Hey, we can always make room in the schedule for a brother. That's what a tribe is for, right?"

Brutter laughed again. "Ah! Brother Jak and Orangey Pal should have been born Babak. Already you have the heart of one."

Jak’s smile widened. "Really? Uh, th- thanks, Brutter."

Alright. The rest of Haven's current leadership could go kick rocks, but "Captain" Brutter was okay. He still went out of his way to make Jak feel accepted.

Daxter's voice echoed up the hall as he made his way in from the deck.

"Found the problem! One of these fish swallowed a metalbug egg."

He dragged the offending carp behind him, wrinkling his nose the whole way. Between thumb and forefinger he held the split fish carcass out towards Brutter.

"Ugh," he gagged, "Now I gotta sweep the whole harbor and make sure there's no submerged nests. That's disgusting."

He glanced up and blanched.

"Speaking of disgusting: Jak! What happened to you?!"

Jak didn't think he was that dirty.

Daxter did not agree.

And unfortunately, Daxter was now bigger than Jak.

When they got back to the newly christened Naughty Ottsel and Daxter threatened "tub or dish pit sink", Jak remembered that being the smaller one came with some distinct disadvantages.

And that this was most likely karma coming back to bite him for all the times he'd (literally) dragged Daxter into his reckless exploration.

"Dax-" Jak ducked and slid behind a table. "Look, I'll just rinse off in the bay. It's fine."

"Fine?!" Daxter sputtered, "You're a walking health code violation! Hey-! Get your metalbug guts-coated hands off my tables! I have to sanitize those now!"

Tess watched with some amusement from behind the bar. "Hon, you're gonna need a real bath eventually. You have the kind of hair that requires regular maintenance if you don't want it to break."

Sitting on the counter, Mar waved a pudgy hand in front of his face. "Jak stinky," he agreed.

"Traitor!" Jak hissed from under the table.

That was all the distraction Daxter needed. The gangly teen stooped down and seized Jak by the ankle. What commenced was a skirmish that rivaled the fights Krew used to host in the Hip-hog's boxing ring. Chairs were knocked over, paintings fell from walls, and at least one table was overturned.

Mar watched with interest as Jak dodged and squirmed and overall did an excellent impression of a fluid. When the insults started getting particularly creative, Tess sighed and leaned forward to cover Mar's ears.

Several patrons entered, only to take one look at the two boys tussling amid upended chairs and immediately back out again.

"Sig!" Daxter hollered at the next person to enter the bar, "Sig, gimme a hand before he contaminates the whole establishment!"

Jak slid out of Daxter's grip and made for the door. "Don't you dare, Sig!"

Concerned, the Wastelander shut the door and turned to Tess for an explanation.

"It's Wash Day," she said with a shrug.

"Ah." Sig narrowed his eye. "What kind of product you got?"

"Um...I've got a hydrating brand from uptown," Tess answered, "And I have a little bit of that hair mask you use, but there's not much left."

"That's not bad." He snorted. "I thought you were gonna say bar soap with the way he's flippin' out."

Sig set down his Peacemaker and waded into the fray. He caught Jak by the back of the shirt and hefted him up under one arm like the world's angriest suitcase. Before Daxter had time to thank him, he'd been hoisted up by the scruff of the neck.

"Well cherry, if your plan was to take Daxter down with you, you've certainly managed," Sig said dryly. "Now you both need a wash."

Tess pushed off the counter. "I'm gonna go run a bubble bath. It'll do you good."

"No!" Jak kicked and squirmed, but Sig’s grip held firm. "I'm not a little kid! Nobody is bathing me! Besides, they're just gonna send me out to crawl through sewers again or something anyway. What's the point?!"

When he looked up, Sig was scowling.

"They better not send you back out today," Sig threatened. "I got some Wastelander friends coming by to make sure you and Mar are okay. If you aren't there when they turn up, they're liable to turn the city upside down looking for you."

Jak stopped squirming. "Huh?" He wrinkled his nose. "Why me? What do they want me to do?"

Sig took the moment of peace to hurry up the stairs behind the bar to Tess’s apartment. Gooseberry scented soap already drifted in occasional bubbles from the tiny bathroom.

"Well, most likely they're gonna want you to go home with them." Sig glanced down at Jak and prayed the spitfire would take it well. "It's where Mar was born. We were thinking you could stay for a while, y'know? There's room for you both."

Tess poked her head out of the bathroom. "Hey, sorry, but we've got kind of a bubble apocalypse in here. Mar got a little excited with the soap bottle."

Mar was not the slightest bit sorry.

With a snort, Sig finally set the boys down. "You see the state of these two? What can it hurt?"

Tess grimaced. "Yeah...you guys leave your clothes in my shower before you get in the tub, okay? I'll put out something clean you can change into."

Daxter nudged Jak. "You first, squirt."

Jak leveled a chilling glare at him. "Just so you know, I am going to use up all the hot water."

"This is why we use hot springs baths in Spargus," Sig sighed. "We don't have to bother with who gets the hot water. Jak, rinse your hair real good and when you get out I'll show you how to wash it without drying it out."

"Uh...it's supposed to dry out?" Jak raised an eyebrow at Sig. "That's what happens after you get out of water?"

Sig drew a hand down his face and groaned something that sounded like "Damas owes me for this", but they couldn’t be sure.

[sonicasura]

I imagine with Frontier's 2 weeks in Haven City before the main story kicks off they become very good friend with Brutter. Frontier quickly picks up on the slave trade of Lurkers and ends up freeing a few which ends up with Frontier meeting the grateful Rescuer and Bar Owner

Frontier is definitely friends with Brutter. In fact he provides pretty great information about what's going on around Haven. Similar to the Kid, they see the Lurkers as people and will help if needed.

Whether it be healing, supply runs or rescues.