• Published 14th Sep 2015
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Sons of Damas - Tatsurou



Shining Armor grows up alongside Jak, working with him and Daxter to save the world.

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XCR: The Ferocity

After the live broadcast confrontation between Jak and Razor, excitement over the 'rivalry' was at a fever pitch, and ratings for the show were apparently at an all time high. This didn't interest Jak at all, as he was only trying to race while gathering information. Though Pecker had managed to inform them that 'Meezo' apparently had more of an involvement in the race than it first appeared, with something of a large bet involved.

Jak continued to make his way through the challenges, with each successive race gaining him more prestige in the competition as he cleared challenge after challenge. Even the second Grand Prix event proved no true challenge for the group as their cooperative efforts continued to bring them victories. A new strategy they developed for the wider tracks was to get an early lead, not pull too far ahead, and grab every Eco pickup on the track between them so other racers could neither repair, catch up, or blast them.

After coming in first in that Grand Prix, Blitz once again brought Jak up for an interview. "And here's the lucky winner, ladies and gentlemen! Well deserved," Blitz continued condescendingly. "Well deserved indeed. You're showing promise out there, old boy. What's your secret?"

"If I said, it wouldn't be a secret, now would it?" Jak responded somewhat playfully.

"Oh ho!" Blitz responded eagerly, plainly intrigued. "Come now, surely you can give the viewers at home a hint?"

Jak smirked. "Let's just say there's a reason there's no man alive who knows," he replied ominously.

"Love it!" Blitz shouted out with a laugh. "You certainly know how to keep our viewers at home at the edge of their seats! Tell me, you just beat one of the top racers in a bid to qualify for the Grand Championship Race! Your point totals are impressive, and your whole team has made certain no one off it is anywhere close. What makes you think people won't kill you all for this?"

"I don't," Jak replied bluntly. He then grinned, showing slightly sharpened teeth. "In fact, I'm looking forward to them trying."

Blitz clapped slowly, plainly impressed. "Well, you've made the people cheer, and that's good for business! Very good indeed. Until next time!"

As Jak walked away from the interview, Shining spoke up. "So...what is the reason no man alive knows the secret?" he asked curiously.

"Because Keira developed the technique back in Sandover," Jak replied with a smirk, making all nearby team members laugh.

"Glad to hear you so amused," Blitz spoke up as he approached, now in an 'off the air' persona. "But I'd be careful if I were you. I hear Meezo had a pretty sizable bet on this race...and lost."

"Hope he was watching, then," Jak replied readily.

"I'm sure he was," Blitz answered before walking off.

Jak watched him walk off curiously. "Anyone else think there's some connection between him and this mysterious Meezo?" he asked quietly.

"No better place to hide than in plain sight," Ashelin confirmed.

"Nothing definitive, but it's a theory," Shining agreed.

"Still hope we get to waste him," Daxter spoke up. "I really want to wipe that smug smirk off his face."


Despite the group's speculation, no hard evidence one way or the other was forthcoming as of yet, leaving them with nothing to do but to keep racing and get ready for the next Grand Prix.

The only thing of interest that came out was when Rayn was able to find Krew's decoder for his will, revealing even more information, including his journal. She played it for Jak as soon as he arrived after getting her message.

"Meezo and I both want the same things and we'll stop at nothing to get them," the holographic image of Krew mused as Jak watched. "So I rolled the dice and made this bet with Meezo to avoid a costly gang war between us. The winner of the next Kras City Grand Championship Race will win the other's dirty business."

Jak noticed Rayn gasping in seeming shock at this, and he did his best to smother his own grin. This seemed to be playing right into his plans, almost too perfectly.

"All I have to do is field a better racing team than him, win the big race, and Meezo and his nasty clan will slink off to whatever hole they crawled out of, eh?" the hologram continued, before freezing.

"That explains a great deal," Jak murmured softly.

"My father made a wager with the Meezo crime family?" Rayn murmured in shock. "He's been linked with some of the worst crime in Kras City. I'm sure he's paying top dollar to field the best racers to beat us."

"So we're up against the world's nastiest crime boss with the best mercenary racers money can buy," Jak spoke up calmly. He then leaned in close to Rayn. "And you're still playing the fool."

"I don't-" she began, startled.

"I know the polite non-drink of a political banquet when I see it," Jak whispered in her ear, instantly silencing her. "I have just one question. If Meezo loses, will he keep his end of the bargain?"

"...he'll have to," Rayn murmured, not even moving her lips as she spoke. "If he doesn't, no one will believe anything he promises in the future. It'll be the end of him, and his whole clan, in organized crime."

"So if we win, all the organized crime on the continent will be handed over to you as Krew's heir," Jak clarified.

"Precisely," Rayn murmured back, her eyes hard. "Why do you ask?" Her hand inched towards her hip, where Jak saw the outline of an Eco Dagger carefully concealed.

Without warning, Jak pulled back. "It's been wonderful speaking with such a lovely young lady," Jak spoke up, as though their discussion had been, if not innocent, at least not of the earth shaking importance it had been. "We'll talk again once we have the cup in hand."

Rayn watched him carefully as he left, before once more smoothing her expression to pretend nothing of importance had occurred.

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