[Dead Town]

3rd Person POV:

"There's only Glubs and Znorkle Tooths here, don't touch the muddy water unless you want to be part of Dead Town."

"What an encouraging thought." Jak retorted.

The entire place was in ruins, decrepit and worn foundations laid on the murky waters of the swamp. It reeked, a sense of foul dung from creatures swarmed throughout the heavy air, the looming, concrete buildings were half sunken in the brown liquids. It seemed as if this whole area was about to fall apart in a split second- probably is.

The duo ventured off with only fists, they were expected to obtain the red flag that sat high on the Baron's Tower, watching over the wrecked land, conquered by carnivorous as well as vicious animals.

"I hope I don't become some ottsel delight to those things..." Dax hid behind while clinging on Jak's armor.

When they were about to reach further into the environment, dangerous, red meat eaters roamed. "JAAAAAK!" Trinity took aim in the scope of the rifle as he saw their struggle.

(Znorkle Tooth Concept Art)

Trinity thought in disappointment, 'You can't even handle a bunch of Znorkle Tooths...' The red reptilian bit into Jak's arm, while Dax was being chased around by another one- dodging its knife-like tongue.

*Bang!*

The loud shot echoed as the tracer hit the target dead on, leaving the barrel to seem like it was smoking something. The crimson reptile tumbled off of the edge, the other was caught off guard by the alarming gunshot.

With it distracted, Jak took this chance to kick it off of the building too. The creatures falling below disintegrated from odd, purple sparks, leaving Dark Eco to ooze out where the remains used to be.

"So, the 'recruit' is having a bit of trouble from these weak amphibians." He scoffed. "Are you sure these have the potential to best the others? They don't seem like it."

"Trust me Torn, you're gonna owe me 12 Metalhead Gems for this measly so-called 'mission'." Trin mused.

"Keep counting on that, soon this is gonna be on you." Torn smirked. "It's going to backfire and you'll owe me."

The next part, the duo journeyed further, dusts and debris fell on one of the spots and Glubs were the only thing that wandered this time. Glubs just bite and aren't as tough as Znorkles, the Znorkles lashes their tongues outwards to their prey. They're as razor sharp as blades, their teeth were also more dangerous; the uneven rows of jagged fangs are difficult to rip out of your skin. More aggressive too.

(Glub Concept Art)

"At least they're not bad fighters." Trinity complimented. "They have some teamwork going on, and that's good." Trin stopped aiming and leaned onto the gray weapon once more. Watching the fight from afar.

Torn equipped binoculars to observe the new soldiers, they're nearing the banner and the only thing stopping them, is the crumbling bridge along with some wiggling platforms. "I wonder how he's going to pass through the iron bars. IF he can make it..."

"He seems to be enjoying this actually, I bet he can go through the whole thing without breaking a sweat." Trin beamed.

"Don't be so cocky yet, Trin..." He gazed through the sniper scope again, seeing the twosome about to jump to the bars, after passing through the crumbling bridge.

At the last moment Trin dreaded at a thought, 'If you plummet to the depths below... You are a dumbass...'

He leaped!

Torn had a grin about to form on his tattooed face, but Jak, at the last second, caught the bar and flipped! As he landed at the edge almost falling off of it, he made it, yet there's still more ahead. Torn mumbled under his breath, seemingly losing the predicaments of the new bloods dying and failing.

After a few more flips Trinity smirked in pure smugness and triumph, they reached the flag!

*Rumble*

The tower swayed to and fro, the twosome fell as the ground beneath them cracked and broke apart! "AHHHHHH!" Daxter screamed for his life, Jak skimmed down from the wire while Dax... Wasn't so lucky... He landed on the wire, but it hit him where the sun didn't shine. "Oooooo..." He breathed out, then the poor ottsel was launched into the air.

Jak flipped with the banner in his hand, landing in front of Torn, Dax hit face first into the dirt. Torn watched the whole foundation fall apart, "Yeah, I guess you guys are in..."

Trin sprung up to the air, then landed next to them, startling Dax. "AH!"

"You lost the bet." Trin pointed it out in pure triumph.

"Ugh... Yes I know I did." Torn grumbled. "Stupid smug..." He mumbled something. "Anyways, meet me back at HQ, you'll receive your next mission there."

Torn left, Trinity approached the duo. "Nice work kid." He patted him on the shoulder, "You know how to drive?"

"Of course we do! Blech!" Daxter spat out dirt.

"Let's see if I still got the skills." He smirked.

. . .

"Ugh... You need to work on it..." Trin stumbled out of the destroyed vehicle, it was smoking a LOT. "I think I have a whiplash because of your driving skills..."

"I wasn't too bad on that." He said.

"Blowing up about 2 Zoomers, almost running over tons of civilians, and our vehicle on the verge of exploding because of the KG- sounds fine to you?" He scoffed. "I don't remember anyone having such awful handling..."

"Yeah Jak... I have to agree with the mask..." Daxter, woozy from the journey, feel out of the wrecked Zoomer. Trinity swore he saw stars orbiting the poor animal's head.

With that, they entered the Headquarters of the Underground movement. A rebel group that's against the armies of Baron Praxis, a political adversary. Even Trinity wondered how he got the spot to be the ruler of Haven City, 'How was the city BEFORE all this?'

The door to the HQ has a green symbol with a black hammer smashing the ebony skull, it's an automatic sliding door, the room inside was full of pictures of the Underground's hated enemies. Crossed out plans that proved insufficient littered almost every single paperwork by Torn, their securities aren't something you could easily mess with.

"Whew! Being a big hero sure makes ya thirsty!" Torn, at the table with countless of maps, gritted his teeth stressfully at the ottsel.

"Grrrrrrrrr...." Trin doesn't know if Torn can handle having Dax here...

"Wai-" Trin started, but soon interrupted himself.

A burbling sound came within the pipe as soon as Daxter pulled the lever, Trinity couldn't help but smile to what's coming next...

"Burblbrublbrulbburlbbrurblb..." Daxter expected to have a mouthful of refreshing water, all he got was a mouth full of brown, sticky, and murky liquid... "BLECH! BLECH! *spitting* YUCK!" He wiped his tongue getting rid of whatever dirt was on it.

"Hehehe." Trin tried so hard not to laugh. Jak soon followed along with him, but Torn wasn't really amused by the looks on his face.

"The Baron shut off all the water supply, he's willing to sacrifice his own people just to destroy the Underground. I shouldn't be surprised. I've seen his evil before while serving as a KG. That's why I quit." He informed.

"You were a Krimzon Guard? Huh. Oh, well that explains your...charming sense of humor." Jak responded sarcastically.

"My friend in the guard told me there is a Pumping Station outside of the city, you can access the water valve." He explained. "You can follow the main pipe that leads to the water valve."

"Outside of the city? What about the security walls?" Jak inquired.

"What about the Metalheads?!?!" Daxter blurted out, his furry face accompanied by unsettled feeling. "It ain't exactly a pettin' zoo out there!"

"If you can activate the water supply, the city will be indebt to you." He moved towards Jak. "If you die, we might give you a...touching moment of silence in your honour."

"I'd like to give him a 'touching moment'." Trin somewhat saw that in... A different way in what Dax meant...

As they were going to take their leave, Trin started. "Pay up."

*Thud.*

"Here's a dozen skullgems."

"Pleasure doing business with ya, Lady Luck wasn't on your side anyways." That set him off a bit, if only he was able to see his smug smile that ran across his face- Torn might just have killed him.

"You coming with us?" The recruit called over.

"I'll catch up with you, I need to go somewhere for a bit."

Trinity rode on the Jet Board, taking off somewhere as the duo headed for their next assignment. As they went their separate ways, Jak and Dax went on the single-seated Zoomer, the streets were covered with KG cruisers and ground troops.

On the other hand, Trinity's train of thought was plagued with terrifying scenes. Sometimes, other men who serve in the rebellion, notice him somehow gazing blankly at a plain wall. His head high up in the clouds in a dazed state. No one ever asked him about it, they only whisper behind his back or when he wasn't around at all. Even Torn would see him alone in the dimly lit bunkers, polishing the weapon; he wasn't really polishing it.