Hey guys J. here. I Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Crash won't be in this chapter to much except for the last. I want to focus more on some of the other characters in this chapter. But don't worry there is still enough action and suspense to keep the story interesting. So anyway on with the story.
The Henchmen walked up to the cell that was holding the trio and they opened it and said.
"The boss wants you Rita."
"Me? Why me?" She said.
"You'll find out soon enough now move." And they grabbed Rita and tossed her out of the cell and forced her to start walking
"Hey, hey, hey where are they taking her?" Richard asked the one guard who stayed behind to guard them.
"She is to be executed by order of Dr. Cortex."
"WHAT!" Richard and Tawna screamed. Richard reached through the bars and grabbed the key that was wrapped around the guard's neck he drugged the guard down with it as Richard unlocked the cell door. Then both Tawna and Richard ran as fast as they could to try to save Rita. They ran toward where they saw the guards leading her down a hall but right before Richard could warn her of what was going on someone punched both him and Tawna so hard that it sent them flying. It was Koala Kong.
"I was told to stop you guys in case you escaped. You will not stop this execution." Then Kong charged at them. Richard ducked as Kong took a swing at him. Tawna leaped on his back and started punching him.
"Richard you got to save Rita! I'll hold Kong off. GO!" Richard ran off as Tawna grabbed Kong around the neck trying to strangle him. Kong threw her off and lunged after her. She barely missed a punch as Kong fist went smashing through a wall.
"Why is Cortex doing this?" Tawna asked as Kong turned around. "Why is he punishing Rita like this?"
"This isn't punishment for Rita. This is punishment for you." Kong said throwing an another swing at Tawna but missing and hitting the wall.
"What do you mean?"
"Cortex is killing Rita because of your actions to try to escape. He is killing her so you won't disobey him anymore. All of this is happening because of you."
"No?" Tawna gasped. Then she just screamed. "NO!" Then she kicked Kong in the crotch then punched him in the head. Kong moaned in pain kneeling to the ground then Tawna took a fire hydrant off the wall and knocked it over Kong's head knocking him out cold. Tawna ran as fast as she could to try to catch up to where Cortex's men were taking her.
"RITA!"
Richard ran down the hall where the execution room was just as the henchmen were leading her into the room.
"RITA WAIT!" Richard screamed but the henchmen looked at him and just slammed the door shut and locked it. Richard ran up to the door and pulled the knob, but much to his horror found that it was locked.
"NO!" He screamed. Then he started banging on the metal door. "Rita!"
"Hello Rita!" Cortex said with a grin.
"What do you want with me?" Rita asked. "What's going on?"
"Nothing much, just going to use you as an example."
"An example for what?" Rita asked.
"You are going to be used to show what will happen if Commando leaders try to defy their master and escape! You will be executed as a warning for others who think they can disobey the mighty Cortex!"
"No!" She screamed as the henchmen dragged her to the table that was lying in the room. She struggled to get free but she couldn't. They placed her on the table and strapped her to it tight.
Richard could only watch in horror as he could do nothing. He kept banging on the door trying to bust it open to no luck. He tried bursting the glass window that was on it but the glass was too strong. Finally he just placed a palm on the glass and looked in horror as there was no way to open that door. A tear just rolled down his cheek as he looked at Rita strapped to that chair. Rita looked at him back one last time to and said "Goodbye my love" as a lazar that was placed above her zapped her, and within five seconds Rita was vaporized.
"NOOO!" Richard yelled then suddenly something in him just snapped. His eyes turned red his voice change to a high squeal and he suddenly got 2 times stronger and he smashed that window open and grabbed the doorknob and ripped it off and charged in that room.
"YOU MURDURERS!" He yelled and ran toward Brio. He threw him against the wall smashing a whole in the wall.
"Stop him!" Cortex said.
Henchmen lunged at him but Richard was throwing them all around the place. He then looked at Cortex and lunged at him they landed on the table, and Richard placed his arms around Cortex's throat.
"I'm going to rip your throat right out of your body!" He growled. But then somebody grabbed him and threw him right into one of the selves of chemicals that was in the room. He smashed into them and one smashed open on his head cutting him open. Richard screamed as Chemicals started flowing into his cut and into his brain. He couldn't control where he was going and he smashed into another shelves of chemicals more chemicals just smashed onto his as the shelf wobbled then the whole shelf landed on him cutting him all over and allowing chemicals flow into his body all over.
"Is he dead?" Cortex asked one of his henchmen.
"No sir. Just critically injured".
"Take him to the emergency room pronto." Just then Tawna finally arrived only to look and see that she was too late.
"NO!" She cried as she saw Rita was gone and Richard was in critical condition. Cortex saw Tawna and growled.
"Hope your happy now Tawna. You caused all of this pain." "Tawna just sat down against the wall placed her head into her hands and just sobbed knowing she had just lost one of her best friends.
"Take her back into her cell." Cortex said. "Let her weep for a couple of hours to give her time to process the death of Rita. Then bring her to me."
"Yes sir." Then they took Tawna back to her cell and took Richard to the emergency room.
Meanwhile the next morning Lieutenant Timmons met with the commissioner and The Mayor to discuss what happened the night before.
"He said that Cortex had an army and was planning on attacking the city, that the pollution was just the beginning of his plan. Then he just vanished afterword."
"So Lieutenant?" Mayor Ryan Norman said. "You're saying that a mutant came to you yesterday in your office and told you to shut off the water supply because of pollution and that Cortex is planning to invade the city?"
"That's correct."
"And you actually believe that he is telling the truth?"
"I don't know what to make of it. I'm just reporting what happened."
"What you should have done was shoot the thing on the spot." Mayor Norman said.
"He had a weapon to my head, what was I supposed to do?"
"Turn around grab the weapon and use it against him." Commissioner Ramon Marley said.
"Yeah and I could of gotten my head blown off. But what about what he said about the pollution do you think we should at the very least take a look into it?"
"Timmons, since I have been in office, if there is one thing I have learn is not to trust those disgusting little mutants." Mayor Norman said. "Cortex created them for evil. More than likely Cortex sent him to you to try to scare us into believing he poisoned our water supply so we would weaken ourselves with dehydration and we wouldn't be able to defend ourselves from an invasion. I do believe that he is planning an attack. But he just sent that bandicoot to try to throw us off guard."
"It is in Cortex's nature Timmons." Commissioner Marley said. "I wouldn't buy into it."
"But don't you think we should at least take a look." Timmons said. "After all this is more than 2 million lives we are talking about."
"Timmons this right here is what Cortex wants." Marley said "There is no need to take a look because it is just Cortex trying to mess with us. Trying to send us on a wild goose chase and be distracted for when he attacks. The water is safe. In the meantime we will keep a big eye out for Cortex and his mutants and any sign of an invasion. Get back to your post and forget all about this bogus claim of a threat to our public's water.
"Yes sir commissioner." Timmons said then he left the office. "They're probably right." Timmons thought. "It's just a hoax that Cortex is trying to pull on you. How could you be stupid enough to believe it?" Then he went back to the office and forgot all about the water threat.
"Those mutants are getting smarter." Mayor Norman told the Commissioner after Timmons left the building. "They are starting to get to your men. "If you see that mutant. Shoot him on the spot, no questions asked."
"Yes sir Mr. Mayor." Commissioner Marley said then he left The Mayor's office.
Back at Cortex's castle Cortex had called Tawna to his office.
"You wanted me Cortex?" Tawna asked.
"Yes Tawna." Cortex said. "I hope you are happy now with everything your rebellious attitude has caused. Because of you Rita is dead and Richard is in serious condition.
"I never wanted things to go this far." Tawna said.
"Well they have." Cortex replied. "And it's your entire fault. If you just obeyed orders none of this would have ever happened."
Tawna just lowered her head in shame. She knew he was right. It was all her fault.
"Your right Cortex." Tawna said. "This is my fault. It won't happen again. I surrender to you. No one else will die because of my actions."
"Good, good." Cortex said, a small smile streaming across his face. "So you finally surrender to me. You finally agree to be our Commando leader." Tawna nodded while tears streamed down her face still in morning for what happened to Rita and Richard.
"Bow down to me. And show your loyalty to me." Cortex said. Tawna bowed down to Cortex.
"Will you be the leader of my Cortex Commando's?" Cortex asked.
"I will." Tawna said.
"Will you conquer N. Sanity islands and then the rest of the world?"
"I will."
"Will you obey me and only me?"
"I will."
"And if Crash is alive will you dispose of him?"
Tawna paused for a second not wanting to say yes but in fear of trouble she said "Yes"
"Then arise my leader." Cortex said.
"One question though. What about the Vortex?"
"The hell with that stupid machine. Somebody hacked into it and I have yet to get it fixed. But don't worry I have another way of insuring that my leaders obey everything I say." Then Cortex took out a box and when he opened it out came a collar he then put it on Tawna then he pushed a button and the collar shocked Tawna with electricity and she immediately fell to her knees.
"Just in case you have any second thoughts or are afraid to fight someone." Cortex said. "Now leader what is your first command."
Tawna struggled to get to her feet. She didn't want to do anything but she had to. She figured that Crash was still alive and looking for her. She didn't know if He discovered the pollution or not but she figured he did and was probably looking for a way to shut it off that's when she had an idea.
"Send Brio to the factory on Wumpa Island. Have him dump more toxins in the river. It is only a matter of time before it reaches the City. The more toxins you put into the river the more number of people will get sick. Then they will turn into mutants to and the more subjects you will have to fight by your side. Also send Pinstripe to Sanity Island and have him take attack the police station. They will soon discover the Pollution and investigate it. Take out the police and they will have little defense against you."
Cortex smiled at that idea. "I knew I made the right choice choosing you as leader." Then he turned to Brio. "Brio go to factory on Wumpa Island and dump more pollution in the lake. We must weaken The N. Sanity Islands as much as possible. And Pinstripe take your Tommy gun and open fire at the police station."
"Yes Sir Dr. Cortex." Brio said then He left to go to Wumpa island and Pinstripe left for the N. Sanity Islands. Tawna watched them left and hoped that Crash was still alive to stop them.
Luke Timmons woke up the next morning feeling ready to take on the day. He had completely ignored Crash's warning passing it off as a trick planned by Cortex. A soon as he got dressed and ready for work he heard something crash to the floor.
"Honey." He called out to his wife. "Did something fall?" He walked to the kitchen to see in horror his wife was laying on the floor struggling to catch her breath.
"Oh my God Sara honey!" He cried running over to her. "What happened?"
"I just had a glass of water." She said struggling to talk. "Then I felt dizzy and fell to the floor." Luke called 911 immediately.
"Something is wrong with my wife. She needs medical assistant fast, Hurry." He then looked at the glass that Sara had dropped and noticed the water looked a little strange.
"Oh my God that bandicoot was right."
Crash and Coco had rented themselves a house close to the police station. It wasn't much but it beat the hotel room that they had to share. They were watching the TV when Coco noticed the news talking about the polluted water.
"Hundreds of people are sick this mourning thanks to pollution in the drinking water. No words from the police yet about what is contaminating the water although they have said that the water lines will be shut down until further notice. The City is advised to use only bottled water until the city water is declared safe again." Crash suddenly turned off the TV not wanting to hear anymore.
"Looks like the cops didn't listen to me after all." Crash said putting on a jacket.
"Were you going?" Coco asked.
"I'm going to have another talk with our cop friend."
"But Crash he knows what you are now. Now that you have been spotted he will shoot you on the spot."
"Well what am I supposed to do? Let them die?"
"No"
"This is the only way."
"I'm coming with you." Coco said.
"No. Not this time." Crash said grabbing her by the shoulders. "What I need you to do is stay here and try to find where the pollution is coming from. If I somehow make it back alive and the cops didn't shoot me then I need you to tell them where the pollution is coming from. But if I don't come back and they do kill me I need you alive to finish off the mission for me. But I got to do this. I got to meet them face to face."
A tear rolled down Coco's eyes. She knew When Crash's mind was made up there was no changing it. "Be safe." Coco said.
"I'll try to." Crash said. Then he said to Aku. "Come on Aku, let's go. Then Crash and Aku both left to meet the cops face to face. Although Crash has seemed brave and confident even he had to admit that he was scared that he might not ever see Coco or Tawna again. But he knew what he must do and there was no changing his mind. He walked to the police station and walked straight through those doors. There was no turning back.