After a time of staring, Daxter was finally able to find his voice. "Umm, sorry for the pun but...trot that by us again?"
"You know how ever since I was young I've been having dreams, Jak?" Shining began. "Dreams of a world of gray and bright lights? Of the father neither of us can remember? Of frightful enemies of metal flesh?" Jak's eyes widened in realization. "This is that world, Jak. And that's us...living it. Mar and Ar-Mar who Shines...not yet becoming Jak and Shining Armor."
Daxter stared in surprise. "Whoa," he gulped, glancing at Jak. "Dude, if your jaw were any lower, I could dump your meal into your mouth off the plate without lifting it."
Jak managed to get his mouth closed. "But you told Samos all about your dreams. Why didn't he say something when we found the rift gate?"
"He did," Shining replied. "He said that something was going to happen that he wasn't sure we were ready for. And that it was going to be bad, and to get as many good memories as we can before it happened."
"Wouldn't that mean Samos is from this time, too?" Daxter asked. "Isn't that the only way he could know?" He suddenly gasped. "Does that mean there's going to be two of him now, too?"
"Probably," Jak muttered. "So now, in addition to finding Keira and Samos, we need to keep our younger selves - and Samos - safe. That means getting in close with the resistance."
"Then we'll go to that as soon as we're done eating," Shining agreed.
After leaving the apartment, the trio hopped into an unattended parked air bike. Jak wasn't sure how he instinctively knew how to handle the controls, but he wasn't about to question it. It didn't take them long to find the back alley Kor had mentioned, but they were confronted by two people hanging around there. One was a blonde female with blue eyes wearing a form fitting green jacket, blue shorts, an orange scarf, and brown boots. The other was male with brown hair, blue eyes, and wearing what looked like Crimson Guard armor stripped of all insignia and identifying traits. He also had blue lines over a good portion of his face.
"We're looking for a guy named Torn," Jak began. "Kor sent us." As the two approached aggressively, Jak glanced at the man. "You Torn?"
The man stepped up close, plainly trying to intimidate Jak, though it wasn't working. "New faces make me nervous," he grated out, his voice dry and gravelly.
"We'd never have guessed," Shining replied drolly.
The man smirked. "Word is you three are out to join the fight for this city. Ya know, picking the wrong side could be...unhealthy."
"For the other side," Daxter boasted.
"We want to see the Shadow," Jak demanded.
"Not likely," the man laughed. "If you and your pets want to join something-"
His words were cut off as he found two Eco Blades threatening him, one at his throat, one between his legs, both held in a blue magical field. "Call me a pet again," Shining growled out, "and I'll relieve you of your life or your testicles. Your choice."
Torn chuckled. "Heh. Maybe you do have what it takes. But I need to know you aren't all talk."
"You want him to cut off your testicles?" Daxter asked, shocked. The woman giggled in response.
"No. I want you to prove you'll stand up to the Baron," the man explained.
"Alright," Shining agreed, sheathing his blades. "What do you want us to blow up?"
"Nothing that big," the man hastened to assure him. "We aren't ready for that level of confrontation." He looked up. "But if you steal the Baron's banner from off of the ruined tower, and bring it back..."
Jak raised an eyebrow. "...petty vandalism?"
"In one piece, to prove your skill," the man added.
Jak shrugged. "We'll be back." Turning, he leapt back into the 'borrowed' vehicle. Shining and Daxter leapt in with him.
The ruined tower in question was actually outside the city proper, though still within the area protected by the Eco Dome. As a result, they encountered no Metalheads as they made their way there. The area looked like it had once been part of the city until it had been allowed to collapse into ruins. The trio had to avoid some swampy areas, but other than that faced no real obstacles.
"This seems more like a test of courage than of skill," Jak commented as they began climbing the tower itself.
"Probably is," Shining added as he teleported up to his side for each step. "Still, we should be careful. These creatures have been mutated by Dark Eco."
"I've noticed," Jak replied. "I absorb some every time I kill one of them, and I can feel it building up inside me."
"Probably what powers your Dark mode," Daxter commented.
Eventually, the trio reached the top of the crumbling tower, and Jak seized the banner off its flagpole. As he did, the platform collapsed under them. Shining grabbed hold of Jak alongside Daxter as they fell, only to bounce off a fabric awning, grind down a rope, and land right in front of where the man was waiting for them.
Behind them, the tower collapsed.
"I said not to blow anything up," the man scolded.
"Consider it a bonus," Jak replied, bracing himself on the banner.
The man shrugged. "Guess you guys are in, then. Name's Torn."