It wasn't long before the Behemoth reached the city, and the group's Hellcat cruiser was left in the dock. Keira took one look at the map of the city they were given and turned to Jak. "I'm going to head over to the Danger Course," she explained. "It looks like there should be enough room for me to bring out my abilities without drawing attention...and I might just be able to use the Dark Eco you've gathered from the mutants you've fought to do the same for you."
"We'll meet you there once we've looked around," Jak promised. "Just keep your eyes out."
"Will do," she promised, then turned and headed for the Course.
"Well, new city," Daxter commented dryly as he stretched out on Jak's shoulder. "We should probably take in all the sights before we're enemies of the state."
"You noticed it too, then?" Jak asked calmly.
"Are we talking about Skyheed's grey skin?" Shining asked worriedly. "I mean, the only ones who had that before..."
"I could feel the Dark Eco inside him," Jak insisted quietly. "And I'm feeling it in everyone we pass. Minuscule amounts, nowhere near enough to cause any changes...but someone was doing Dark Eco experiments here, and there was a good deal of fallout."
"Think that's why that Pirate guy reacted so negatively to you?" Daxter suggested. "Think there's some sort of political thing going on?"
"When is there not?" Jak groaned out. "Why do you think we didn't tell Skyheed about our quest?"
Shining sighed in relief. "Glad we're all on the same page."
"Yup," Jak confirmed. "Pretend we know nothing, let the obvious villain send us exactly where we need to go when he thinks we're working for him, then fixing the real problems once we have all the information."
"Think we'll save Skyheed like you did the Baron?" Daxter suggested jokingly.
"If he's useful," Jak offered coldly. "Honestly, that Pirate might make a better leader, but I don't intend to hasten any social revolution unless necessary."
"So are either of you worried about the fact that we're talking about all this while we walk down a populated street?" Daxter mentioned thoughtfully. "I mean, this is plainly seditious talk...but no one seems to be noticing."
"Sound shield," Shining explained, gesturing to his glowing horn. "Nice bit of privacy in public. Developed it recently."
"Did you know about this, Ja-wait, don't answer." Daxter shook his head in frustration. "But from now on, read me in on these things, alright? We're a team, aren't we? And I'm pretty sure as a Light Precursor Sage in training that I can manage more effectively with information than in ignorance."
"We'll talk about that later," Jak replied as they approached Keira, who seemed amused as Shining dropped his sound shield.
"So we have a plan, then?" she asked cautiously.
"Yup," Jak confirmed. "Should be simple enough. Same as when we arrived in Haven."
Keira chuckled. "Well, as long as we're on the same page. By the way, I studied the conversion functions of the crystal we installed in the ship...and I think I can use it to unlock new abilities for you."
"Really?" Jak asked eagerly.
"Yeah. Given enough Dark Eco, I should be able to use the conversion effect to turn it into one of the four Natural Colors and infuse it into you." Keira pulled out a tablet and began writing out the formulas she was discussing. "If I infuse you with a large enough sample of Eco of a specific color, it should enhance the metabolization of your internal reserves, and activate new abilities." She glanced up at Jak nervously. "Do...do you want to give it a try?"
Jak nodded. "I trust you Keira, let's do it."
Swallowing convulsively, Keira focused her energy as she drew the Dark Eco out of Jak's body, putting it into the converter device she'd constructed. Pumping her own Eco into it, she was able to convert the Dark Eco into Yellow, then infused the energy back into Jak. Jak's body briefly flared yellow, and the Eco launched out of his fist. "It worked," she gasped out, her voice somewhere between relief and excitement. "I managed to reactivate one of your abilities from back in Sandover. With you generating your own Eco now, I should be able to bring others back, too."
"Sweet," Jak proclaimed with a wide grin, feeling the enhanced Eco energies settle in his system.
"Any chance you could do the same for me?" Shining asked curiously.
"I'm...not sure," Keira muttered, once more going over formulas. "Your magic functions differently from Eco, and it's only through your magic that you're able to metabolize Eco at all. I'll have to look over a few things..."
"Actually, I think I might have an idea," Daxter spoke up. "Shining seemed to develop a lot of abilities alongside Jak. So maybe if Jak focused on that ability and synchronized his Eco Aura with Shining's magic, it would transfer over?"
"It's worth a shot," Jak mused, holding his hand out to Shining as his body began to glow Yellow again.
Stepping up, Shining pressed the back of his neck into Jak's grip. His eyes began to glow yellow...and after a few moments, a yellow fireball launched from his horn. "Whoa..." he stammered out.
"That...wasn't Eco," Keira pointed out as she watched the ball of flames fly before dissipating. "I...think that was pure magical energy."
"From the sounds of it, magic and Eco can follow the same formulas to work," Daxter offered. "I think until we know more, we should just leave it at that."
"My horn feels fuzzy," Shining grumbled, pawing at his head for a time.