Odds and Ends


Nega shivered. He was freezing cold underneath the Chinese dock that sheltered him. He'd barely made it to shore, and when he did, he crawled right under the small pier.

That inferior Crash was a pain in his side ever since the day that orange bandicoot defeated him and sent him whirling back into the 10th dimension. Nega growled menacingly at the memory.

"That little t-twerp. Thinks… Thinks he can rid of m-me that easily?" Nega muttered between chattered canines. He wrapped his arms around his knees for extra warmth. "If I wasn't s-so damn cold, I'd be heading back to that b-boat."

Nega ran a clawed hand through his hair that was such a dark shade of red it almost appeared black. He was soaking wet and angry beyond belief. "I'm gonna… I'm gonna kill that little fur ball. And that ch-chick will not go to Cortex without a scratch. He n-never said that she had to be… be in one p-piece."

A buzz in his waterlogged trench coat disrupted his thoughts. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a blue circular device that appeared very fragile. Metal coated the circumference, while a grid lined the area inside. On this device lay a green button, which Nega pressed. A blue hologram of Nina Cortex materialized.

"What is it, brat?" Nega snapped.

"I see you've failed. Again," Nina said to him. "And since your soaking wet, I'm glad I created this to be waterproof."

"Can we q-quit talking about my failures? I blame your uncle for this."

"Listen here, you oaf. There's no way you can pull this off by yourself."

"And what makes you s-say this?"

"Your skills are equal to Crash's. That means that you both have the same chances of winning and losing. But, that girl, Kate, is his advantage. The combined force of her and Crash lowers your chances even more."

Nega thought about this, and sighed. "I bet I can still take them on and win by myself."

"I'll accept that bet, and I'll give you three more tries. If you can't, though, I will personally assist you and I will take half the credit. Is it a deal?" Nina spoke to the bandicoot.

Nega only gave a crooked smile. "Don't get your hopes up."


After a day or two on the cruise ship, Jack had taken this as an opportunity to take in some much needed rest that he'd been missing. Kate found his constant sleeping rather boring, and therefore usually left him alone.

She had acquainted a few of the fellow passengers, and even befriended an American such as herself in the pool today. He was Jacob Stuart, a 20-year-old man from Indiana.

"So, Jacob, tell me about your job," Kate said to him.

"Well, it's nothing much. I work with computers, usually repairing them and installing hardware," the sandy blond-haired boy had replied.

"Computers; nice," Kate commented while relaxing on the edge. Jacob smiled coolly.

"Thanks. So, I saw you walking around with a dude lately. Is he your boyfriend?"

"Jack? Naw, he's just a friend. Right now, he's zonked out in the suite."

Jacob smiled again. "Really? Hm…" Jacob casually scooted over to Kate in the pool. The latter only looked at him, sort of perplexed. "Would you…like a boyfriend?"

Kate wrinkled her nose. "What—"

"You said he was just a friend. He wouldn't mind, would he?"

She moved away from him, and chuckled. "Oh, boy."

"I like you, Kate, and I can tell you like me, too," he cooed, getting closer.

"Okay, listen here, bud—"

Jacob put an arm around the redhead's shoulders, and spoke softly. "I'm listening babe." By now, Kate was blushing with anger, but she didn't know what to do. She sighed, and tried to push off his arm.

"Look, Jacob, I'm not interested." But, the man only brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Oh, but I am. I can be everything you ever wanted, Kate." She grimaced. He kept a sly smile on his lips as his face got closer to hers. He took his free hand and twirled it around her two-piece bathing suit top's strap. "You're so cute."

"Hey," snarled a voice from behind the two. Jacob sighed and spoke.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" But who he spoke to was a very pissed-off Jack, whom he recognized as Kate's friend. "Oh…"

"What do you think you're doing?" Jack snapped.

"I-I was j-just talking to Kate—"

"Talking? You better get your filthy paws off her before I tear you a new one."

Kate grinned, and Jack helped her out of the pool. "Thanks."

He nodded, and turned to the man who'd been bothering his comrade. "Why are you still here? Scram!"

Jacob was fast getting out of the pool. He scrambled out and tripped over a beach chair rather comically. Jack gave a huff of anger.

"The nerve of that guy."

Kate wrapped Jack in a hug. "Thank you." The latter only furrowed his brow and looked down at her.

"You're wet." Kate released her grip with a reddened face.

"Sorry."

Jack laughed a bit and returned a small hug. "It's okay."


That evening, when the sky was lighted with the setting sun's red glow, Jack and Kate sat in their suite. "We should be docking soon," Jack said while looking out the window. Kate looked up from her book.

"Where at?"

He gave a small grin. "Australia."

"Your country? Sweet," Kate commented. "Maybe you could show me your place."

Jack, with an uneasy chuckle, spoke. "Yeah, I live way off. I don't really know if that's possible."

"We miraculously traveled all the way across the Eastern Hemisphere in a matter of weeks, and you say we can't make it to your house in the same country?" Kate scoffed.

"Well, actually… I never really had a home," he lied. "I'm a traveler, sleeping anywhere I can."

Kate raised a brow. "Really? You're a drifter, huh? Interesting."

"Yeah."

Kate resumed reading her book, which was bought in the ship's small shop. She'd actually found it rather hard to put down. She read the next paragraph.

"The girl looked at the man before her, and couldn't look away for an odd reason."

Kate, without realizing it, looked up at Jack, who was trying to get some more sleep. What a shocker.

It took a minute, but she continued reading.

"There was something about him that she'd never understand… Yet…"

Kate looked up at Jack again, who had now drifted into a peaceful slumber. Why was he always sleeping anyway? Nevertheless, Kate's eyes flickered back to the pages.

"…He made her feel such emotions like no other…"

The redhead inevitably took one last glance at her sleeping friend, and felt like there was something burning inside her. Why?

"Maybe, she was in love with him."

Kate's eyes widened and she burst from her bed and quickly opened the circular window. She tossed the book out, and heard a splash from below.

"I am not!" she shouted out the window. She slammed it shut, and turned around. Jack didn't even raise an eyelid, thank God. Kate walked back to her bed and threw herself into it. Brushing the hair from her face, she turned her head to Jack's latent form.

Kate studied his visible features. She could see dark red hair that fell between his closed eyes. Usually, when they were open, they were an insane green.

She narrowed her eyes in thought. This could be her chance…

Kate slowly sat up, and quietly walked over to Jack's bedside. He turned over to the window side of the cabin whilst in his sleep, and she crept to that side. Kate, silently as possible, grasped the sides of his helmet.

"What are you hiding?" she whispered. But, just as she was about to tug it off, Jack turned again, and Kate's fingers slipped from the grasp. She waited a moment, frozen like a statue, until he gave a small snore.

She sighed in relief, and this time, put her knee on his bed while reaching over his shoulders. Kate gripped his jet black head gear and pulled slightly. Suddenly, Kate could feel her balance wavering, and she panicked as she fell on top of Jack.

He was jolted awake almost immediately, and was astonished to find Kate on top of him. It was disturbingly quiet, and Kate was blushing such a shade of red it nearly matched her hair. Jack, as she could tell, was also.

"…I can explain," Kate said in a monotone voice. Jack's eyes scanned her face as he replied.

"Look, I don't think that your plan would've worked while I was asleep."

Kate's eyes were immensely wide. She began to stutter a reply, the blush getting even redder. "No! I was just… Just…"

"Oh, you poor, unfortunate soul. I felt you pulling at my helmet the first time," Jack said dryly upon getting out of the bed. "Look, Kate. I can't take it off, okay?"

The young woman looked at Jack with a disoriented expression. "Well why not? It's killing me!"

Jack gave a look of regret. He really wanted to take off his helmet and show her who he really is, but he already knew the reaction. She'd scream, and probably try to kill him with any sharp objects in the room.

"I just can't."

And with those words, he pressed a button on the back of the helmet and the visor slid shut. Kate sighed.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I am too."


Coco sat in her lab, eyes set on several computer monitors. She was trying to scope out anything that may be useful to Crash.

There was a knocking on the door to her lab. Coco's eyes shifted to the camera monitor, and sighed when she saw her burgundy-furred adoptive brother, Crunch Bandicoot.

"What Crunch?" she questioned into a microphone that transferred to a speaker outside.

"You've been in there for nearly five hours! When are you going to come out and eat?" he asked.

"What am I going to do when something comes up that I should warn Crash about, Crunch?"

"Coco! He's a big boy! He can handle himself!" Crunch argued. Coco sighed, but he continued to speak. "Have you forgotten how many times that tiny tornado has saved the world?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she groaned.

"Even if it was all on pure luck, the little runt deserves some credit. Now, come on and let's do something."

"Like what? Lift weights and train 24/7? What a blast."

"…Well, we have a GameCube…"

Coco considered it, and spoke. "Alright. But you have to set it up."

"Alright."

Minutes later, Crunch was trying to figure out what cords go where. It was a hassle trying to hook up a game station in the living room. He plugged in a red and yellow cord into the TV, and waited for results.

Nothing.

"Grgh. Stupid piece of crap," he growled when unplugging the cords from it. If Crash were here, he'd at least show him how to hook it up. After all, it was his GameCube. Crunch connected the white and yellow to their spots, leaving the red unhooked, and looked up at the TV.

Again, no outcome.

"Why won't this work?" he griped. Coco walked over and examined his work.

"Crunch, you need to plug the GameCube in."

Crunch's ears lowered, and he plugged the gaming system into the wall outlet. He pressed the power button, and in turned on. He sighed.

"Thanks."

"It takes a girl to figure these things out."


Cortex sat in a chair that was large and chrome. He stared off at the wall in sheer thought.

N. Gin came in through a door in the front of the room, opposite of where Cortex was seated. "Doctor, the suit. It is ready." Cortex's eyes were flashed to where the Cyborg scientist stood firm.

"Show me."

"Yes, Doctor."

The underling scuttled out of the darkly lit room. Cortex was almost anxious to see this suit. Minutes later, N. Gin returned with two lower-ranked scientists who were pushing a metal suit sealed in a glass case. They yielded three yards or so away from Cortex, and stood up straight.

Cortex rose from the miniature throne and studied the gear. The suit contained a feminine figure, and looked extremely heavy if carried. But of course, for a stronger build, the Doctor told his minions to create it with an alloy of titanium and silver, and polish with a chrome finish.

At the head, an eyepiece made of tin covered the right eye with a red circle implying itself as the new "eye". Then, the neck was made of blackish flexible material that was nearly an inch thick. Then, the torso was a brilliant chrome structure of titanium silver. The breasts were the assumed size of a young woman. The abdomen, arms, thighs, and legs were made of the same material as the neck. There was a chrome latex glove that suited the right hand, while large cannon of titanium substituted for the entire left forearm. Metal kneepads were positioned between the thighs and legs. And to finish off the description, metal boots that were proportioned a little largely.

Cortex felt a smile creep upon his lips. "N. Gin, exceptionally good work. This is a perfect body for the girl."

N. Gin was about to speak, until something caught in his mind. "Body?"

"Yes. When that blasted girl is mine, this will be her new body. She would be weak if she was human, and therefore I must make her a Cyborg, like you. Machines have immense physical power, while humans have extreme intellect," Cortex briefed. He examined the suit from top to bottom, and sighed. "Cyboria will be indestructible."


Alright, that wraps up this chapter of Odds and Ends! Next chapter is the TENTH! I'm on a roll! Wow, I cannot believe I made it this far! I want to that every single one of my reviewers for helping me alongside with this story! Oh, and I also noticed that the last chapter (probably one of the sappiest), didn't receive any reviews. Either because it was poorly structured or lacking something important, I won't know. Eh.

I need to stop being paranoid.

And now, for the notice you will see every few chapters:

Reviews are deeply appreciated. I accept anonymous, so that means if you do not have an account for this site, or you can't/too lazy to log in, you can send a review.

I fear something happened to my first three anonymous reviewers.

And, for future information, Nega does tend to curse more often than he should. That's just the personality I chose to give him. So please, do not take any kind of offense to this.

Thank you all so very much!