Once Jak and Pinkie returned from the Drill Platform, and reported their success to Vin in person, Daxter declared that they needed a break from the constant back and forth between the missions that Torn gave them and what Krew had for them. It was then that Jak and Pinkie discovered that he had rented a small apartment in the Slums, close to where the entrance of the Underground hideout was, before he had bumped into Raven inside the Fortress. The owner didn't bother him and he was able to plan Jak's rescue without people spying on him, which meant that it was the perfect place to relax for the moment, allowing them to gain their energy back before they did whatever Torn wanted them to do, as it appeared that they were saving Krew's missions for last.
They bid Vin farewell, while making sure that he knew that he could call on them should he need them, and got in a zoomer that would allow them to reach the apartment that Daxter had rented, though once they arrived they found it large enough for two adult sized people to be comfortable without bumping into each other and that there was enough room for two ottsels to run around. They grabbed some drinks and a few bits of food that happened to be in the kitchen, which reminded Daxter that they needed to get some more now that there were four of them, for the future he told them. Once they got what they wanted they discussed what they knew about the Baron's plan, which they were going to undermine while trying to figure out how to deal with the Metal Heads that were outside the walls.
After an hour had passed, and they weren't closer to coming up with a way to solve any of their problems, they left the apartment, got back into their zoomer, and headed to the Underground hideout... which they discovered that Torn looked worried about something, though some of his worry seemed to disappear when he spotted them walking up to the table.
"One of my old Guard comrades was sent to the pumping station," Torn explained, to which he turned his gaze to the other reports and mission statements that rested in front of him, as if he was having a hard justifying what to accomplish first, "There has been no word from the patrol, and after what you guys ran into out there I'm afraid that she might need some help."
"So its a lady we're lending our aid to this time," Jak commented, though he did his best to contain his emotions at the moment, especially when he had an idea about why they were being sent out to help her, "let me guess, she's the insider that's been giving you all the information you need so you can target specific parts of the Baron's rule."
"Good guess... maybe I was wrong about you after all," Torn replied, his worry seemingly disappearing as a small smile appeared on his face, "Go back to the Pumping Station and take a look around... and if you find her, make sure she knows that your there to assist her in whatever manner she tells you to."
"We're on it." Pinkie said, though as she and Jak walked out of the hideout she had to wonder if this lady they were heading out to help was Ashelin, because she was, quite literally, the only female officer she had seen in the Krimzon Guard, but decided to keep that bit of information to herself for the moment.
Once they were outside the hideout they climbed back into their zoomer and headed off in the direction of the Pumping Station, as they were all eager to see who they were helping and what that person needed help with. Jak and Daxter made no comments on their current mission as they flew through the city, indicating that they wanted to see what was going on before they jumped to conclusions, while Pinkie and Raven kept their thoughts to themselves. Jak made sure that they reached the hole in the wall that they needed to pass through, to which they climbed out of their zoomer and passed through the opening that was in front of them.
When they walked through the other side of he opening they spotted one of the crab like Metal Heads that Sig had shot down patrolling the place, while at the same time discovering that they took quite a few bullets from their Blasters before they fell. Considering that they had no idea where the Krimzon Guard lady they were supposed to be assisting was located, as Torn had no idea where she was in the Pumping Station either, they simply decided to follow the path they took the first time they came to this location. They followed the path they had chosen and shot down any Metal Heads that happened to be around them, which seemed to be the ones with the laser weapons, as well as taking care of the small creatures that decided to attack them as well.
It took them some time to retrace their steps, without using any of the new pathways that had opened up since the last time they had visited this place, which had been when they were watching Sig's back, though they eventually spotted a trio of pistons that would take them to a cliff that rested just above them... where they found a large number of crates and ammunition waiting for them.
"You know, a large number of crates means that there's an ambush somewhere," Daxter said, waiting for Jak and Pinkie to finish off the three Metal Heads that were in front of them before jumping onto the ground, where he and Jak walked over to the large Krimzon Guard cruiser that was sitting in front of them, "and besides, why are we still walking towards the cruiser?"
Before Jak could answer a figure dropped from the trees and landed behind him, though not before making sure to wrap her arm around his neck and having her gun at the ready... though Pinkie and Raven smiled when they noticed who was standing in front of them.
"Who the hell are you two?" Ashelin asked, to which she glared at both Jak and Daxter for a few seconds, though that was before she noticed who was standing nearby, "Pinkie! Oh thank the Precursors that you and Raven are alright... though I would guess that this is your brother Jak and his friend Daxter."
"That's correct," Raven replied, to which he beckoned to their companions for a moment, "The Baron was holding Jak in the Fortress, experimenting on him for two years, before we aided Daxter in busting him out and joined up with the Underground. Oh, and Torn send us to aid you in, well, whatever you were sent here to do."
"Good old Torn, always being sure that someone's got my back," Ashelin said, though before she did anything else she let go of Jak and backed up, allowing him to rub his neck for a few seconds, "Sorry about that. I was hiding in the trees, waiting to ambush some Metal Heads that have been patrolling the area, and thought one had finally reached me... and then I caught you instead. My name is Ashelin."
"Its a pleasure to meet you," Jak replied, not liking what was going on at the moment, to which he turned his full attention to the newcomer, "So, how is it that you not only know my sister, but also know her friend Raven as well? And why did you thank the Precursors like that, when you said that they were alright?"
"I would enjoy explaining everything to you now, and not waiting for later, but we don't have a choice," Ashelin said, to which she pointed her gun at the trees that were on the opposite side of the cliff they were on, though that was followed by Jak and Pinkie looking back and discovering that Metal Heads were starting to come their way.
As Jak and Pinkie pulled out their guns, and switched to the Blaster Mod so they could hit any Metal Head from far away, Ashelin's communicator went off for a few seconds, to which she found that Vin was calling her about the creatures they were staring at... and the fact that there were at least twenty, if not thirty, of them coming her way.
"I knew that there was going to be an ambush!" Daxter exclaimed, to which he climbed onto Jak's shoulder and stared at the Metal Heads that were slowly coming their way, "Though I don't think the three of you have nearly enough ammunition for thirty enemies, even if they gathered together to let you use the Scatter Mod."
"No, but we have a weapon that they won't be expecting," Ashelin said, a smirk appearing on her face as she turned to Pinkie, though her eyes were focused on the ottsel that was riding on her shoulder, "Hey Raven, do you have enough energy to transform?"
"Oh, I have plenty of energy," Raven replied, to which he jumped off of Pinkie's shoulder and walked towards the Metal Heads, while at the same time Pinkie pulled her brother and Daxter back towards the cruiser that Ashelin was standing near, "Hey Jak, Daxter; get a good look at my true form!"
Pinkie noticed the purple mist start to surround Raven's body, which she and Ashelin had discovered was one of the ways his body could utilize the Dark Eco inside him, one that he used to shroud himself while he was transforming. She could hear the sounds of his body changing shape, the sounds that came from bones changing and becoming something different, but she and Ashelin had grown used to it, thanks to the number of times they let Raven out in his true form. When the sounds died down Raven used his wings to tear apart the mist, to which he raised the front part of his body into the air and slammed down on the ground below him, before loosing a roar that shook the trees in front of him.
"Wait a second... Raven's a METAL HEAD!?" Daxter exclaimed, hiding behind Jak's shoulder as he took in everything that was Raven's true form, while at the same time wondering how something so large could fit in such a small body.
"Oh, he's not just a Metal Head," Pinkie said, a smile appearing on her face as the other Metal Heads took a step back, indicating that they knew how dangerous Raven actually was and revealing that not all of them were mindless beasts, "He's a Metal Head that possesses the ability to transform his body between his true form, a hybrid form, and his ottsel form, while at the same time possessing a blue skull gem that sets him apart from the rest of his kind. And there's one other thing that's different about him..."
"And that would be?" Jak asked, though while he shared Daxter's shock he was actually quite glad that Raven was on their side, because at the moment he knew that they didn't have the power to bring down something like him.
"I'm a dragon," Raven growled, though he never took his eyes off of his targets, who were staring at him as if they were trying to decide whether they could beat him or not, "and I like making the first move!"
Raven charged at the closest Metal Heads and crushed two of them with his claws, though as some tried to flank him he crushed them with his tail, which actually caused Daxter to cheer for a moment. The crab enemies that were above him loosed a few shots at him, though he had learned his lesson from the last time he had fought large groups and used his wings to take the damage, before slamming his side into the rock formation and knocking them to the ground. Several of his foes tried to shock him, though he gladly used his deadly claws to tear them to pieces, while crushing those behind him with the spikes on his tail. He even tore a few unfortunate enemies with his teeth, though this time he chose to swallow the body parts, as the carnage of his kind actually made him hungry.
While Raven fought the horde of enemies Jak and Pinkie gunned down any that tried to flee, allowing Daxter and Ashelin to watch the one sided fight unfold... until Raven was the last one standing and roared into the sky, declaring his victory over his opponents.
"Hey Pinkie," Jak said, to which he turned his gaze towards his sister, as he didn't want to look at Raven digging into the pieces of the Metal Heads that were scattered everywhere, "when were you planning on telling us that Raven was a Metal Head?"
"When something like this came along," Pinkie replied, though she held up a hand to stop Jak from saying anything, "You wouldn't have believed me unless you saw it for yourself and Raven couldn't transform in the city thanks to the Eco Dome that's protecting everyone. An attack like this, with a large number of targets, would have been the ideal situation to reveal his true nature to you and Daxter... and it gave him the chance to actually enjoy himself."
"Yeah... he seems to be enjoying his meal as well," Daxter added, not knowing whether he should be sick by the fact that Raven was eating members of his own race or delighted by the fact that his joke on Vin earlier had been accurate.
"Being underfed makes him grumpy, and no one likes a grumpy dragon," Ashelin commented, to which she turned on her cruiser and made sure that nothing had been damaged, before turning to face Jak and Pinkie, "Tell Torn that Baron Praxis is planning something big... and I think that it has something to do with that symbol."
Jak and Pinkie looked at the symbol that was etched into the stone that Ashelin had landed near, one that happened to be two hawkeye symbols pressed together in an oval. Pinkie suspected that she might know what the symbol was, but based on everything that had happened since she woke up in this world it was hard to tell if she was remembering the right thing or not.
"What is it?" Jak inquired, as he had absolutely no idea what the symbol was, but if the Baron was looking for things associated with it than so was he, more so he could use whatever he found against the man that had experimented on him.
"It's the Seal of the House of Mar, the founder of Haven City." Ashelin explained, though at the same time she sat down in her seat and began the final preparations she needed for takeoff, "We're being sent out on suicide missions to locate artifacts from the time of his rule. The soothsayer Onin in the bazaar might be able to tell you more... so here's my bazaar access security pass. I'll see you guys around."
As Jak caught the security pass, and Daxter returned to his shoulder, Pinkie waved to the cruiser as Ashelin lifted her ship into the air and flew off to wherever her next destination was. Once Ashelin was gone, and the sounds of her cruiser had disappeared, they turned back to find that Raven was gone with what he was doing and had reverted back to his ottsel form. With some new information in hand the group headed for the entrance of the Pumping Station, while Jak spent a few minutes telling Torn that they had 'assisted' Ashelin, though he left out Raven's true nature until Pinkie decided it was time for him to know.
When they were back inside the city they located a zoomer, oddly the same one that they had used to reach this part of the Water Slums, to which they climbed into it and headed towards the bazaar.
It didn't take them long to reach the bazaar district, though they were forced to walk on foot for the rest of their journey, to which they took some time to look at some of the food that people were selling as they made their way to Onin's hut. When they found their destination they discovered that there were quite a number of dead things lining the walls of the hut, along with a parrot looking creature that was apparently playing dead, not that Daxter could tell the difference in that regard. Onin happened to be sitting in the middle of the room, though she looked ancient and had a large number of wrinkles, while at the same time wearing a large hat that could resemble a bird bath.
"Check out all the dead stuff," Daxter said, though that was when he decided to poke the parrot creature in its beak, or snout, which was followed by the creature awakening from its slumber and snapping at his fingers.
"Touch the goods again, rat boy, and you'll be, arrkk, counting with your toes!" the creature said, glaring at Daxter for a few seconds, before he left his perch and flew over to Onin's hat, making a dramatic reveal in the process, "I am Pecker! Yes, yes, I know. My mother, she was... very vindictive. I am Onin's interpreter."
The group contained their laughter at Pecker's name, because the moment the creature stopped talking Onin seemed to realize that they had guests, to which she opened her eyes, which appeared to be blind, and clapped her hands, activating some Blue Eco in the air as she started to make signs that Pecker began to read.
"Onin welcomes you," Pecker translated, making some effort to actually tell them what the old lady was saying, while at the same time choosing to ignore other parts, "blah blah blah, the usual boring salutations, she says it is good to see you again, Jak and Pinkie."
"But neither of us have met her before," Jak commented, seeing a flaw in the old lady's logic, though at the same time he felt that he was actually the one that was wrong.
"Before... After... it is all the same to Onin," Pecker said, though as he prepared himself to translate what was coming next he noticed that Onin had stopped for a second, to which he simply shrugged and waited until she started weaving more signs for him, "Strange... she also says that it is good to meet a Metal One that is unchained from the Master... and, oddly enough, I have no idea what she is referring to. This is only the second time this has happened, where I have no idea what she's referring to, but the first time isn't important to you... as you came here for something else."
"That we did," Pinkie agreed, though she had the suspicion that Onin was referring to Raven at the moment, but she kept her thoughts to herself as she waited for Pecker to translate whatever Onin was saying at the moment.
"Onin says you seek answers about the Tomb of Mar," Pecker explained, to which the two hawkeye symbols appeared in front of Onin, just to make sure that Jak and Pinkie knew what the Seal of Mar looked like, "She's going on and on about mystical energy channels, evil curses, and stupid 'ooooooo' crap. Forget all that, I'm gonna sum this up quickly, because now you're cutting into my siesta time. Onin wants you to recover three artifacts from the Precursor Mountain Temple. Not two! Not four! THREE! Use the warp gate at the northwest side of the city, and bring back the three items you find!"
Jak nodded and left the hut as Pecker landed on Onin's hat, to which he made a dismissing motion with his wing as Pinkie followed her brother outside, allowing the parrot creature to relax once more. Pinkie had to wonder what sort of creatures they would encounter in the Precursor Mountain Temple, though one look on Raven's face indicated that he was itching for a new area to explore. She also had the feeling that Daxter and Pecker would be at odds with each other more in the future, but she and Raven focused on what they were doing and followed after Jak... knowing that there would be time for such thoughts later on.