Dark Jak continued stabbing the Dalek creature, seemingly unaware of Daxter being free. “Dad! DAD!” called Markus as Layla checked on Daxter. Dark Jak glared at Markus. “Dad, Uncle Daxter’s okay! …You ARE okay, right, Uncle Daxter?”
“Listen to your kid, Jak,” said Daxter. “I’m fine now.” Dark Jak saw that Daxter was okay, then he took deep breaths to calm down as he returned to his normal self. He was taking deep breaths to calm down.
“…Haven’t gone dark since the kids were born,” said Jak. “Didn’t wanna harm them.”
“Is that why you kept taking deep breaths whenever you got mad at me?” asked Markus.
“…Yes. Markus, you know how much of a short temper I have. I can’t afford to lose it or Dark Jak would hurt you. …I can’t have that on my conscience. …But that anger is born from fear.”
“Fear?” asked Layla.
“We don’t wanna lose you,” explained Daxter.
“So, I have to keep a lid on my temper, otherwise…otherwise I’d make that nightmare come true by hurting you,” said Jak. Markus then gave his father a hug.
“Layla and I were being stupid,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry,” said Jak. “I threw you headfirst into this adventure.”
“No, Uncle Jak, we took those steps,” replied Layla. “And now…well, I paid the price.”
“…How about we skip the grounding and just get my kid cured and toss the Daleks out of our homes?” suggested Daxter.
“Sounds like a plan,” agreed Jak.
As the scene unfolded before the group, Megatron smiled. Galvatron looked to his father. “…If I did something like this-?” he asked.
“I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have been grounded so many times, my boy,” replied Megatron.
“Doctor, I thought Jak’s shot would have killed that thing immediately,” said Farmee as he, Jack, and the Doctor examined the now truly dead Dalek. Death swung her scythe and severed the Dalek’s soul from its mortal frame.
“It must have been the Dark Eco that kept it alive,” replied the Doctor. She started working on the casing’s internal systems. “Let’s see, if I attach that wire here, engage the holographic display like so…aha! Here we are!”
“What?” asked Jack.
“Archived monitor data relating to the experiment!” explained the Doctor. She got the eyestalk to move upwards and project a hologram of Intrag and a few Daleks at the site.
“All equipment prepared!” barked the Dalek Supreme.
“Then let’s see how well a Dalek can handle Dark Eco,” replied Intrag.
“Warning!” called a scientist Dalek. “Direct injection of Dark Eco is likely to cause unwanted mutations! Mental stability of test subject at risk! Haven City’s Dark Warrior is necessary to successfully filter out all ill effects.”
“We can’t afford to delay!” snarled Intrag. “Begin the experiment!”
“I obey!” replied the scientist Dalek. It linked the test subject to the machine. “Connections established! Eco Injectors online!”
“Dark Eco from smaller silo above now being injected into Dalek organism through casing nutrient feed!” reported the assistant Dalek.
“Dark Eco levels rising!” called a third Dalek.
“Alert! Alert!” warned the first scientist Dalek. “Energy levels climbing to unsafe levels!”
“Disengage test subject!” ordered the Dalek Supreme.
“Unable to regain control!” replied the scientist Dalek. “Dark Eco now mutating organism! Mental stability at risk!” The Dalek test subject started screaming!
“Alert! Alert! Move away from the test subject!” warned the Dalek Supreme. “Arm weapons!”
“Belay that!” ordered Intrag. “The test subject must stay alive!”
“Mutations accelerating!” warned the scientist Dalek. “Arming weapons! Targeting creature!” It aimed its gunstick at the test subject.
“That’s one of your kind!” protested Intrag. “We can’t afford to-!”
“No! No!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “That creature is no longer a Dalek! There must be no genetic impurities! Exterminate the creature!” The test subject broke free.
“Creature is freed!” called a Dalek. “Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!” It fired on the test subject, but nothing happened.
“Creature’s shielding altered!” warned the scientist Dalek. “Recalibra-!” The test subject then fired a stream of purple light from its gunstick, ripping a hole into the scientist Dalek. It then fired on the other Daleks and the equipment.
“This facility is lost!” shouted Intrag. “All survivors, evacuate to the Acheron Citadel! Intrag to Scorpion! One to return!” The Dalek Supreme and two other survivors then flew into the air and abandoned Misty Island while Intrag vanished. The Doctor then switched the feed off.
“I rather think we have all we need,” she muttered.
“We’ll have to get to this Acheron Citadel,” said Farmee.
“The best way would be to warp directly to the Yellow Eco Sage’s lab,” replied Jak. “That’s where Drebber lives.”
“…Drebber lives in Gol and Maia’s old citadel?” muttered Megatron.
Everyone returned to the mainland and explained the situation. “I’ll see if I can have Torn spare the Haven Guard,” said Jak.
“And I’ll have my citadel guards on standby when they arrive,” said Drebber. “I better tell Murda too.”
“Murda?” asked Farmee.
“My wife, a Robber Lurker from the old Precursor Basin. She’s the Sage of Light Eco and works with the monks outside Spargus sometimes.”
“A Lurker studying Light Eco?” asked Megatron. “Interesting.” Jak and Drebber made their calls.
“Thanks, Torn,” said Jak when he finished. He turned to the team. “The Haven Guard’s gonna be joining us.”
“And Murda’s been made aware of what’s going on,” said Drebber. “She and Health will meet us all in the Yellow Sage’s Lab.”
“We’ll follow the Haven Guard in alt-mode,” said Galvatron. “You guys go through the warp gate.”
“Good luck,” said Farmee. “Everyone, let’s get going.” Kiera set the warp gate to the Yellow Sage’s lab and everyone human-sized and smaller went through. Megatron, Galvatron, and Hot Rod transformed and sped off, leading the Haven Guard to the north. First they went over the Fire Canyon now that roads with heat shields were established, then they went through Rock Village, then over another bridge over lava, then through the mountain pass, then across the roads surrounding the volcanic crater the Red Eco Sage made his home in, then through the Lava Tube to the Yellow Sage’s lab, meeting with everyone there. A female Robber Lurker in white robes then hugged Drebber. As they discussed the situation, Farmee saw a woman in a purple dress with purple skin. He approached the woman.
“Lady Health, I presume?” he asked.
“…You presume correctly,” replied the woman. She then saw Death. “My sister!”
“Hello again, Health,” said Death as she hugged Health.
“Death, what’s going on?” asked Health. “What are those people at the silo and what are they doing with the Daleks?”
“…Lady Health,” said Farmee, “you may want to sit down.”