[Co-Author: @butterfly123199  ]   

Trinity struggled, "Why... Do I get to carry all of these artifacts at once?!"

It was about past noon, poor Trin almost dropping everything as they had gone down the ramp. The kid's from earlier were already in their homes, but the farmers remained outside.

The woman from before was chuckling in amusement as she carried a worn basket of colorful fruits back inside.

"Because, you're the tall, dark, handsome and strong one!" Daxter mocked. He was obviously upset the children were gone. He could've really gone for an ear scratch or two.

Elise rolled her eyes in subtle annoyance. She had been silent their way back. No reason in particular, she merely didn't have anything to say. What? She couldn't outwardly agree with all of those things!

Jak offered a hand back towards Trinity, "Here, let me help."

Trinity denied, "No, it's fine."

*CLANG* *KLINK* *TINK*

Masky recklessly dumped it all on the vehicle making a ridiculously loud ruckus. The others flinched a little, but he turned and merely shrugged.

"Violence much?"

"Well...Forget that, you wanted to visit Brutter, El?"

Elise was going to complain about the loud sound, but immediately lit up with joy at the mention of Brutter. She grinned cheekily, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

"You were serious..?" She asked, her voice compelled with disbelief.

Jak couldn't help but smile. Seeing the ravenette smile was a rare sight to see. Especially after all their bullshit. Daxter jumped onto Trinity's /bad/ shoulder..

"Agh, careful Dax." He winced slightly.

"Whoops, sorry Masky." The ottsel quickly climbed around to the other one, his paws feeling the deep scratches on the metal armor. It was right there Trinity had slashed off the emblems of the KG.

"Of course I was serious." Trinity jumped into the zoomer.

"We'll have to park this somewhere in the corner and have one of us guard it. Then we'll see Brutter on foot."

Jak was quick to volunteer, "I can dri—"

"Not a chance." Elise narrowed her gaze. "I'll drive and you and Dax can watch it."

"What?! But—"

"Keep talkin back and I'm cutting off that tongue of yours." Elise's voice dropped an octave or two. Something about the tone was... familiar.

Jak visibly flinched and nodded. Daxter trembled with fear on Trinity's shoulder. He wrapped himself around Trinity, his ears flattened back. Elise seemed clueless to their fear. Probably oblivious to the tone shift.

"What?"

Both boys turned to Trinity. Almost praying to the precursors he had the answer to that bizarre occurrence.

Trinity's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say much about it. "It's nothing, they're just too used to having the tough guy act." He poked fun.

Trinity hopped over the seat to be at the back. The ottsel didn't say anything either, but he watched Trinity drum his gloved fingers on his leg. Almost showing weariness.

"Better not crash and drive like we're actually on the run." He pointed out, trying to keep the positivity of their little adventure going. Though, it truly made him chuckle.

'She sounds like me.' Trinity rested on the seat, he looked relaxed and had his head forward. But his blue eyes were fixated on the corner of his vision.

'Too much like you.' He felt disgusted. Trinity was barely paying attention to his animal companion perched on his own shoulder.

"Helloooo! Earth to mask brain!" Daxter tapped on Trinity's mask a bit. "You're zoning out!"

Elise smiled to herself at Trinity's comment, but decided not to comment anything else. No words were needed. She just wanted to enjoy their trip. Why be sad? She was going to see Brutter!

Jak sighed, "Do we have to wait while you guys go? Brutter is a friend of ours too—"

"You guys tolerate him." Elise mumbled.

Jak seemed shocked with her response, but sadly didn't object. Was she right? No. Yes? He still had mixed feelings about the lurker.

Trinity watched around them as El drove around. "One of us will stay with the Zoomer and two head to Brutter on foot, you're free to stay behind. Can't leave these alone after all, Jak."

The woman chuckled seeing that Trin looked away from her, turning a cold shoulder. She didn't say anything and neither did he.

"Unless you want me to stay behind, but I feel like you'd blow up the Bazaar."

Daxter laughed at that, Jak crossed his arms but smirked. "We could, ya know, it's not impossible for me! Like barbecuing that ammo dump while back!"

Elise felt her stomach churn at the thought of the two morons blowing up Brutter's place. "Not a chance, asshats." She huffed. "Wait by the zoomer. We won't be long."

Jak oh so dearly wanted to respond.. but held his tongue. Why did her mood change? They were all just so happy! He reached up and touched the flower that somehow was still laced into his hair. 'Forget me not...'

Daxter in the other hand—with his annoyingly big mouth— shouted *right* into the poor girl's ear. "Don't be such a baby!"

"ACK!"

*SWERVE!*

"Daxter!" Jak scolded, holding onto the zoomer when they had swerved.

Elise shook her head and grabbed the poor ottsel by his neck with her free hand.

"YOU'RE DEAD YOU LITTLE TWERP!"

"MASKY! MASKY HELP!"

With Trin's head being tipped to one side, it almost looked as if he had a deadpan face towards the ottsel. His fingers still were drumming along as he looked around for KG patrols, though, he hates to admit-

-but the biggest threat may be right next to him.

A few agonizing moments for Daxter and a few turns later, Elise stopped the zoomer. She simply tossed Daxter into Jak's arms. He didn't bother to catch him and let the ottsel fall to the floor.

"Here is okay?" She asked, her eyes moving to Trinity. Of course, she looked agitated with the orange rat, but tried her best to stay calm.

'Today's a good day. Hangover or not. Dirty orange little rat or not.' She mentally told herself.

"Yeah, let's go meet Brutter. I don't see the patrols here at the moment." Trinity tried to tuck the artifacts at the foot area of the passenger seats as the vehicle was scooted into a corner.

The others had already hopped out and watched the ends of the alleyways, Daxter feebly clinging onto Jak as he groaned comically. His friend was so beaten badly, could've sworn he saw stars orbiting around Dax's dangling head.

Trinity, being on the Zoomer still, could hear chuckling behind him. He cursed inside about her, but didn't dare show. He exited and joined the others. "You all want to come or have me stay behind?"

Jak looked at Trinity, then at Elise and shrugged. "Dax and I will stay here. We need a nap anyway." He climbed back into the zoomer.

"Euuuugh.." Daxter slurred.

Elise raised an eyebrow. "A nap?"

"A nap."

"But you're supposed to—"

"And we will! A little nap won't do much harm."

Elise wanted to object, but it was useless arguing with the boy. She looked to Trinity with a questioning gaze. She motioned to Jak with her eyes.

Dawn: "Should we even trust these losers?"

Beth: "Harsh words! But you're kinda right...Hey! Elise! Should we trust these losers?"

"You need to stop copying what Dawn says all the time, Beth." Elise mumbled, chuckling softly.

Trinity threw up his Communicator to fly around, and suddenly Jak's own device zoomed to life as well. "Just take it as a precaution, better to stay cautious." Jak's device flew into the shadows, the orange lens glinting slightly. "We'll be able to see - granted if they don't go after it... Have a nice nap, I assume." He began to wave and walk away, a hand being on the Dark Dagger as he continued to observe the area himself.

Elise was following suit.

She tailed behind the masked man, her expression neutral. The walk was silent for the most part, other than small chatter and bickering from people around them. She was oddly quiet, but it could be passed off as the hangover... though she knew he could tell. Somehow the masked man could read anyone like an open book.

Dawn: "Uuuuugh how much looooongerrr?"

"Maybe ten or fifteen minutes." Elise whispered in reply to the annoying voice's complaint. "Stop complaining. You aren't the one walking."

Beth: "Elise.. are you feeling okay?"

"M'fine. Just feelin a bit sick." She smiled weakly. "Thank you for being concerned."

Trinity said in a low voice without turning, his head straight and ahead, as if someone would be eavesdropping. "I have the dagger if you always need it."

She jumped, wanting to turn and face him, but she didn't want anyone around them to worry. "Why would you assume I need it..?" She asked softly, her voice still low, just the same as when she was talking to Beth.

The masked man turned into another alley, with El close behind. "You're saying it aloud." He stated.

Dawn: "Did you really just—"

Elise felt her face begin to grow warm. "Eavesdropper." She grumbled. "I don't need it. I'm just coming down from my hangover...?" It was almost a question.

'Uncertainty. It bleeds out so clearly.'

Trinity didn't try to comment or retort on the voice. "Hopefully. Brutter's place is right there, let's go."

Elise felt relief wash over her at the sight of Brutter's shop not too far away. "Mh." She sped up her walking slightly.

Brutter was inside, dusting off a shelf and organizing some books. The lurker was fairly clean for a-.. well, for a lurker!

Elise slowly knocked on the door frame, a bright smile on her face. "Brutter?"

The lurker froze, but with complete excitement when hearing his little 'princess' call to him. He turned around and ran to scoop her into his arms. Elise groaned in pain when he crushed her with his deathly fatherly grip-

"Brutter Princess is okay! Brutter Princess is okay!" He yelled. He looked up and saw Trinity. "Masked Warrior is okay! You both scare Brutter to death!"

"Don't hug me to death like El is right now please- " Trinity felt danger.

Brutter narrowed his eyes. No words were said. Trinity already knew his fate. The lurker wrapped his free arm around Trinity and squashed him tightly into a group hug with Elise. The small girl wheezed.

"sOMEHOW THIS IS WORSE—"

Brutter gave the two of them another tight squeeze before he dropped the two.

"Ugh!" Trinity flopped to the floor unceremoniously like a pile of bricks, Elise fell on top of him and they both almost bonked each other on the head like some cartoon characters. "Very, uh..." Trinity quickly got up to dust himself off. "Very vigorous welcome as always, friend." He gave a little sigh to the side for his lungs and some relief in a way after that.

Elise (comically) shook her head and stood to her feet. "Good to see you, Brutter." She smiled.

'This headache isn't going away anytime soon...'

Brutter bounced in his place slightly. "What brings Masky and Princess here to see Brutter, huh?" He asked.

"Ask El, we're just here for a friendly visit and to keep in constant touch." Trinity stretched his body, "Small conversation, nice visit, nothing serious." He checked on his Communicator to see if anything was happening but it seems fine (especially when he can hear the snores alone by looking at the two figures in the vehicle). "I could also step out if you guys want to play catch up or talk privately."

"No, it's fine." It was nice to see Brutter's little Princess smile so easily when they visit. He knew it was a good idea.

'We'll need this. Later will be tough.' Trin thought as he gently waved away the floating device. "How's the Bazaar and fellow Lurkers as a whole? I've heard supply and demand on pretty much every resource is beginning to go sky high."

"We Lurker people have hard time but we still do good! Not enough to sell, but we hang on!" Brutter made a bright big smile, that made his features all the more sunny with his look.

However, his smile faltered slightly, showing great worry for them. This grabbed their attention. Trinity's head tilted downwards a bit, showing a sense of seriousness despite it being a mask. Elise didn't know what to say quite yet, she only waited for Brutter's next share of info.

"Krimzon, new enemies! Look black like night, black troopers. Brutter and Lurker people not know them, not know if they're real."

Elise only glanced at Trinity, his mask was meant to hide his face. Yet it doesn't hide his emotions as he leaned in with an extremely attentive ear.

A moment of silence passed a bit, however it felt longer than that. That is, until a voice emerged behind that steely exterior of his crimson visage.

"Thank you, that's very crucial."

After a short bit of farewells, Elise finally spoke up as they stepped out. She knew that tone, all the illusion of levity and laughter he tried to hold up was gone. "Do you know something about the Black KGs?" Elise couldn't help but curiously pry for something - anything.

They stopped right where the duo were, sound asleep. Trin tucked his Communicator away, "No. But I have a guess, which is why after we drop by Onin's and all this and that, I'll have a little chit-chat with Cap'n Ass." He chuckled at the last bit. "Care to wake them?"

"It'd be my pleasure." Elise smirked devilishly looking upon the slumbering heap of the two.

JV007 A/N: Merry Christmas! Oh, and Happy New Years guys!

Butterfly A/N: MUR CRIMIS AND HAPPY NEW YEAAAAAARRRSSS!

JV007: 2020. Man. A ton of good and bad happened to (daresay) all of us, huh... I hope, despite the bad times, there were at least good memories that can be looked back on. Let the bad memories fade. A lot of things happened personally also, but this is not the place to say!

Sit back, relax, enjoy the show!