As the crowd started going wild over Erol's rather violent and public death, Praxus quickly escorted Jak, Daxter, and Shining Armor out of the stadium and into the palace before anyone could notice what was happening. "That was unexpected...but oddly a relief," Praxus admitted as he led the way to the throne room.
"A relief?" Daxter asked, surprised.
"It was becoming more and more difficult to keep Erol under control," Praxus explained. "He'd become more and more erratic, especially since I stopped actively hunting you. The other day, I heard him ranting to someone...and he got a response of some sort."
"You think he was working with the Metalheads?" Jak asked, shocked. "What could they promise him?"
"Considering they were able to influence my mind, your death and Keira to do with as he pleased?" Praxus offered morosely. "A single implant in my skull let them twist me...how many deliberately planted ones would it take to completely control someone?"
Shining Armor wasn't the only one to shudder at the very idea. "So, Jak, care to explain how he's on our side now?" he demanded in confusion.
"He was being twisted by signals from the Metalhead leader due to Dark Eco in his implant," Jak explained. "Keira gave me some Light Eco from the Power Cells to counteract it until we can take the Leader out." He turned back to Praxus. "How's Mar doing?"
"Better," Praxus replied. "Ashelin's taken her old job of watching over him, which made him happy. He was even happier when his Crocodog somehow circumvented all our security measures to get to him, along with Ar-Mar." He sighed worriedly, wincing. "Unfortunately, during that event...someone managed to steal the Precursor Stone. Tracking it down has the highest priority, but..."
"Is there any chance it was Metalheads?" Jak demanded quickly.
"Not a chance," the Baron insisted. "The defense turrets have been updated with the energy signature of active Metalhead focus crystals, and take them out full force if they come anywhere near the palace."
"Then where was Krew last seen?" Jak inquired insistently.
"Last report had him at the Weapons Factory," Praxus replied. "The weapon intended to break the Precursor Stone is being dismantled there, and he's the one who designed it."
"I wouldn't put it past him to want to use it just for the thrill of it," Shining grumbled. "We need to get the Heart of Mar back from him, anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got the Precursor Stone as well."
"Should I send some Guardsmen, or are you going to take care of it?" Praxus asked, smirking.
"We'll be done before you can get anyone there," Jak replied. "But could you spare a Zoomer?"
The Zoomer vehicle Praxus was able to provide them got them to the Weapons Factory in seconds. Jak actually had trouble tearing himself away from the amazing vehicle...at least until Shining aimed his horn somewhere sensitive, much to Daxter's amusement. After that, they quickly made their way into the Weapons Factory. As Praxus had decided that subtlety in this regard wasn't the best of ideas - especially with Jak's plan to get the Heart of Mar back from Krew over the fat man's dead body if necessary - he'd sent them along with an ID signal that would let them pass by the Crimson Guards on patrol without harassment. It was built into the key he'd given them to enter the Factory, so they didn't have any problems getting through as the Guards they did come across assisted in clearing a path for them.
The Factory itself had a grim atmosphere, with sickly green chemicals flowing through most of it as Jak and his friends were forced to leap from platforms to conveyor belts to gateways, maneuvering between even grimmer pipelines pumping the sickly sludge throughout the place. The trio did their best to take in as few details as possible as they made their way through.
"When the Metalheads aren't an issue anymore, Haven could use some beautification," Jak muttered to himself, though loud enough for his companions to hear.
"A few trees, some nice rugs, a couple of throw pillows..." Daxter began, only to shake his head. "Nah, I don't think there's enough fab in the world to clear up this place's drab."
After making their way past a final few waves of automated security bots that had been tweaked to not recognize their security code, they reached the massive bomb that Praxus had built...and wasn't being dismantled for some reason. They weren't surprised to find Krew there.
"Ah, hello boys," Krew began. "Wasn't expecting to see you here. Any idea when the Baron's going to show up with the Precursor Stone? I have this splitter bomb I've designed just for him to crack open the Precursor Stone...but he's late."
Jak, Shining, and Daxter all exchanged glances. Either Krew didn't know they were in tight with Praxus now and was trying to play them - unlikely, if he was asking when he would be there - or someone had been interfering with Praxus' communications with the Weapons Factory, and Krew didn't get the signal to dismantle the bomb. "He's not coming," Jak stated bluntly. "And this bomb's not going off on our watch."
Krew's eyes narrowed. "Oh? You really think you can stop it?"
"I'd say so," Jak replied, detaching the ammo clip from his Blaster, shaking up the Red Eco inside. "And we're taking back the Heart of Mar."
Krew sneered at Jak. "Over my dead body!" he snarled.
Jak grinned widely, a grin that sent Shining and Daxter scurrying back into the factory. "I was hoping you'd say that," Jak breathed eagerly as he chugged all 100 capsules of Red Eco.
"Are you insane?!" Krew demanded, his one good eye nearly popping out of his skull as the other, almost completely white, spun crazily.
"That's debatable," Jak growled as he shifted to Dark form. Leaping to the splitter bomb, he tore it from its moorings, hefting it like a club.
Krew shrank back, whimpering. "Is it too late to change that 'over my dead body' bit?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes!" Jak roared out as he brought the bomb down.
"And what have we learned?" Daxter asked carefully as Jak leaned over the side of the high platform, vomiting up a mixture of Red Eco, Dark Eco, bile, and blood.
"Ancient Precursor artifacts are incredibly durable?" Jak asked, glancing over at the undamaged Heart of Mar and the Heart of Mar shaped dents in the now defunct Splitter Bomb.
"And?" Shining prompted.
"And ingesting too much Eco isn't pleasant..." Turning, he once more expelled the excess. He then blinked. "Also, Eco vomit is apparently explosive..."