That boring blonde hair. Those stupid saggy overalls. That outrageous orange fur. Bandicoots weren't supposed to be orange. Why orange? Did the Evolvo-Ray just assign random colors? Kangaroos definitely weren't supposed to be blue, either. Whatever... Stupid orange fur... It looked really soft, though. Like, if you rubbed your face against it... NO! Ugh!

Nina Cortex, "niece" to Dr. Neo Cortex, banged her head against the wall a few more times, a dull thud reverberating through her skull with each hit. The pain this action provided distracted her for a few moments - a few precious moments - from the horrific thoughts that plagued her. Thoughts of a certain annoying bandicoot with blonde hair.

It made some sense - the bandicoot siblings were a constant thorn in NIna and her uncle's side. But the problem was that she wasn't thinking of the bandicoot siblings all the time. She was specifically thinking of Coco, the sister of the pair, and her thoughts weren't in the realm of finally destroying the irritating marsupial. Instead, they were weird, not-murderous thoughts, like how soft the fuzzy beast's fur must be.

It just didn't make sense, and it was driving Nina crazy. It'd been not just days, but weeks, months even, of feeling this way. It didn't stop, it didn't make sense, and... oh! It could only mean one thing!

A look of delight spreading across her face, Nina pulled her sore head away from the wall and ran over to her work desk. Mind control, that had to be it! That devious furry fiend must have created some sort of mind control device, to throw Nina off her game! A clever scheme, but now that Nina had figured it out, it would soon be thwarted.

After hurriedly sketching a design, it took only a few hours for Nina to contruct a helmet that she was positive would block any mind-altering rays Coco might be directing her way. Standing tall in triumph, NIna flicked a switch on the back of the helmet and strapped it to her head. Now, surely, the thoughts would disappear.

They didn't.

Shrieking in rage, Nina tore the helmet off and smashed it into the ground. How was Coco doing this!? How could she defeat Nina's infallible helmet!?

Tired of the games, Nina realized there was only one way to deal with this situation. She'd have to kidnap Coco and torture her hated enemy into talking.

Once more Nina leaned over her work desk, pencil in hand, to begin sketching the sinister trap she'd set to catch her clever nemesis.

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Coco growled in frustration as she was lifted straight up into the air, her right hand caught in a loop of rope. Nearby, Nina laughed and clapped her metallic hands together in glee, carrying on a good while despite a snort or two.

"I should've known it was a trap... but it was just lying there..." Coco said, pouting and glaring at the same time. Her eyes moved back and forth between the laughing and snorting Nina, and the flash drive she'd dropped to the ground nearby in surprise. "I could really use another one..."

"I knew that'd be enough to trick you, you predictable tech-head." Nina said, drumming her metal fingers together maniacally. "And now that I've captured you, you'd better tell me how you're mind controlling me, or I'll torture the info out of you!"

There was silence, as Coco's expression moved from surprised, to briefly pensive, to utterly confused. "Mind control? What're you-?"

Jabbing a cold metal digit into Coco's cheek, Nina scowled and yelled, "Don't play dumb with me, bandicoot! I know you're behind these awful thoughts I keep having, and I'm sick of it!"

"Thoughts? I don't-"

Balling her hand into a fist, Nina shook with barely-contained rage. "Like this morning, when I couldn't stop thinking of your stupid soft fur! Why are you making me think of that? I mean I know why, you're trying to throw me off balance, but I'm not letting you win!" She jabbed her finger back into Coco's cheek, moving her face close, her eyes narrowed. "Tell me how you're doing it so I can put a stop to it!"

Coco's expression was one of surprise again for a brief moment, before turning into an amused smile. It made Nina's blood boil.

"So you're thinking of me, are you?"

Throwing her hands up into the air, NIna screamed. "Fine, so you're gonna be difficult! I can play hardball too."

Swiveling around, Nina started sifting through a bag on the ground nearby. Several sharp, scary-looking objects were inside, of various sizes and configurations. But which to pick? The spiky one seemed pretty fun. But there was this cool twisty bladed one she really liked.

There was a sudden, unexpected feeling of something wrapping around her arm. Nina turned her head, shocked to see Coco standing right there, holding the rope she was supposed to be tied up with.

"Wait - but - how did you-?"

Grinning, Coco poked Nina's nose and laughed. "It's not that hard to untie a rope, you know. And you turned your back on me. A real rookie mistake." Twanging the rope with one finger, her grin spread just a little bit wider. "Buh-bye!"

As soon as Coco released her grip, Nina rocketed backward and up. She bounced back and forth like a yoyo for a good minute, but even once the bouncing had stopped, she still flopped around like a fish out of water as she tried to escape.

It took a good five minutes before she was able to touch solid ground again; her big square fingers weren't exactly meant for finesse work. The whole time she'd struggled, though, there were only two thoughts on her mind: Coco was insufferable, and Coco's finger was soft.