WHAT'S UP EVERYBODY!? After a long delay, I'm back from the grave. And I made up for my absence with this nice long chapter.

This chapter is going to tie in a few more things and maybe answer some questions from previous chapters or installments. This chapter rather quickly but I liked how it turned out, and I hope you all will too.

Other than that, let's start.

Crash is not mine. OC's are indeed mine.

Here we go.

Chapter 8 Downpour

It would be several hours later when Crash and his traveling companions had come to find themselves walking among some ancient ruins within a down pouring rainforest.

They looked at the surroundings to find the water level was raising around. It wouldn't be very long until the would be forced to swim amongst the trees.

"So what do we do?" Jan asked.

"We move; and if needed, we swim." Crash said.

Jan looked at the ground to see the water was already past their ankles.

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

The group slowing began walking off into the distance. The rain was heavy however, that they couldn't that far ahead. They were soaking wet and freezing.

Crash tried to keep his mind focused on the path ahead when he felt his vision began to shift and change.

The bandicoot tried to keep his head clear. Was the rain blinding him, or was he having some sort of blackout.

Within an instant however, Crash felt his vision clear to see himself in a desolate city. That's when he knew he had been here before.

"The city! The city where I've come to three times before in my blackouts! So why am I back here a fourth time"

Crash looked around when he realized the source of the hallucination.

"Jan!" He cried.

The bandicoot ran down the dark abandoned streets determined to find that alley.

Like the last three times, dead bodies began to litter the streets. But this time the smell of blood and burning flesh burned his nostrils. The boy cringed as he ran by. After several minutes he came to that cursed alley.

Slowly he walked to the dead end; he didn't know if she would be alive or dead, only that she would be there.

Once he saw the dead end, he saw Jan; thankfully she was still alive, however her clothes were completely torn, and she held a knife in her hand.

"Crash where are you?! I can't do this by myself!" The red head said, frightened.

"Jan I'm here!" Crash cried trying to run to her, only he walked through her like a ghost.

"Right, I'm not really here." The bandicoot laughed, bitterly.

A dark shadow began to appear behind them with red eyes glowing ominously in the darkness.

But Crash already knew who was there.

Jan's eyes widened as she saw the shadow.

"Crash wasn't lying, after all!" She cried.

From the shadows, Cortex emerged covered in blood.

The menacing smile on the scientists face made both teens cringe.

"Hello dear. It's been so long." Cortex said in a spine chilling voice.

"Where's Crash?!" Jan demanded.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore, dear. I made sure he will never get up again." He laughed.

Jan glared. "How do you know for sure?! Crash has come close to knocking on death's door many times, but he hasn't to go in!" The red head cried, defiantly.

Cortex chuckled darkly.

"Not this time, Jane. I killed the bandicoot myself; I shoot him twice in the chest, and watched him crumple to the ground. I watched as he took his final breath; and I enjoyed every single moment of it!"

Crash screamed and attempted to lunge at his nemesis, but he only passed through him.

He watched as Jan's tiny frame began to quake violently.

"That can't be true Cortex! Even if you did, you won't get away with it!"

Cortex pulled out his gun and aimed at the girl.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Haven't you learned Jane; Crash can never be depended on! He abandoned you once before, now he's done it again."

"LIAR!" Jan screamed.

Cortex fired the gun; blood splattered all along the wall as Jan's chest shattered. The girl crumpled to the ground as her vision began to fade.

The scientist laughed as he retreated back into the shadows.

"Where is your hero now?" He vanished.

Tears fell from the girl's eyes before her world faded to black, she was gone."

Crash's vision began to clear when he felt someone pushing their hands on his chest.

"CRASH! ARE YOU OKAY!? Christoph cried, trying to push the water out of the boy's lungs.

Crash's eyes opened as he coughed up water and tried to process what had happened.

"COUGH...COUGH... What happened? Why was there water in my lungs.

The water level raised frantically in the last hour and a half. When we turned our heads, you were face down in the water; had we not seen you, you would've drowned. What the heck was that?!" Amanda growled.

"I blacked out! I was having this vision! A vision where..." Crash looked at Jan who stared at him with frightened eyes.

"I'm worried about you Crash." She said, quietly.

"Jan I'm okay! Nothing is happening to me!" Crash said, defensively.

"Didn't you mention you may have received head trauma?" Kit asked.

"I DON'T HAVE HEAD TRAUMA; SO BE QUIET KIT!" Crash snarled.

"Don't yell at her!" Amanda growled. "She's only trying to help you..."

"Fuck off, blondie!" Crash growled, turning to her in almost the way of a killer.

Amanda shut her mouth.

"Crash..."

"Shut the fuck up, Jan! You've done nothing but whine this entire time. AND I'M SICK OF IT!"

"Why are you doing this to me, Crash?! I've always been there for you!"

"NO...Don't even go there. You haven't seen anything! You don't know what I've been through; you don't know what I had to deal with! My sister and my father figure are gone! Did you ever think about that?!"

"Crash..." Christoph called, gently.

"Forget it! Let's just go!" Crash began swimming along.

"Jerk!" Amanda scoffed.

"You weren't very nice to him." Kit explained.

"He's treating like I'm one Cortex's minions!"

"Technically you are." Tomas said.

Amanda shot her head towards him.

"What did you say?! She demanded.

"You are one of Cortex's designs. Even you if you didn't serve him, you are indeed a minion."

Amanda's blood red eyes glowed ominously in the darkness. Jan shook violently at the sight.

"Fine, I am. Don't have to rub it in!"

Crash ran back to them.

"Look, I'm sorry for blowing up at you guys. I was just frustrated."

"We're only trying to help you, Crash." Kit said, gently.

I know. But I did find some bright light underwater. We should swim to it."

"We don't have scuba gear." Jan said.

"We'll just have to try on our own."

Everyone dove underwater and began to swim to the incoming light.

Crash led the pack as he swam ahead. To his surprise, he saw some sort of tunnel.

He motioned for the others to follow him.

After some more swimming, he saw the tunnel begin to ascend. Crash, who was starting to have trouble holding his breath, began to swim to the top of the tunnel.

The light seemed to get brighter for a second; for a moment Crash thought he was starting to black out again. When he felt the sweet relief of air fill his lungs.

Crash's head was now above water as he saw the others join him, breathing deeply.

"I'm never doing that again!" Jan growled.

"Where exactly are we?" Kit asked.

Amanda swam to a platform, pulling herself up. She looked around to see numerous wires and pipes and another tunnel.

"We're in some sort of entrance tunnel. I think we should go inside."

"We don't know where it will lead." Jan protested.

"It's the only way." Amanda shot back.

"She's right, let's go." Crash muttered, leading the way.

Jan murmured to herself before she slunk behind.

Bad wires were everywhere; ready to brutally electrocute the soaking wet youths if they made a wrong step. Crash felt his heart pounding loudly; he had no idea where he was, but he had a good idea as what type of location they found themselves to be in. He would know for sure when he reached the end of the entry way.

After a few more minutes, Crash saw they had stumbled across some sort of base. Speak of the devil.

"We seem to be in Cortex's underwater base. It's rather quiet though." Crash frowned.

"Something's not right. Minions should be everywhere." Tomas stated, softly.

"We have to get through the base. The crystals and gems are located at the far end." Amanda said.

"We'll have to split up; it'll be better if we go separately to the end." Crash said.

"I'll go by myself; I know Cortex's traps better than anyone. I'll be okay." Amanda explained.

"Fine..." Crash replied, dully.

Amanda rolled her eyes as she ran off.

"I'll go off alone, too. I know how Cortex works, he doesn't scare me. You 4 stay together." Crash ran off.

"So they go alone, but we're too helpless to?" Christoph asked, angrily.

"According to them." Kit answered.

"Those two are really starting to scare me." Jan spoke.

"What?" Christoph asked.

"That look in Amanda's eyes and how they glowed. The minion in her is there; it just breaks out when she gets just angry enough. But then Crash when he becomes to stressed he also has an animal look in his eye. They say they're nothing like Cortex, but I don' think that is completely true."

The four began to walk within the base.

"I just hope they can keep themselves under control." Christoph sighed.

Meanwhile Amanda ran down the numerous passages of the base as tried to see if she could find any of the crystals along the way, when she found herself coming into some sort of room.

The room had an ominous glow to it; almost as if it wanted her to go inside.

The lost minion walked in to see the room was completely trashed. Numerous computers and wires were scattered about.

"What in God's name happened here...?!"

Amanda was cut off when she heard manic giggling.

She turned her head to see Erica kneeling in the corner, eyes glowing in the dark.

"Who are you?!" Amanda demanded.

Erica stood up, walking slowly towards her."

"I'm Erica... I have been designed by master to hunt you down. Now that you've come to me, I can complete my task." The minion replied with a thick Russian accent.

Amanda took a step back; she had a feeling what design that was. The same design Cortex had originally planned for her; she never knew what the result would be. That would also be her if Cortex got her back.

"Like hell! I ran away all those years ago and I don't regret it! I won't let that mad man have his way!" She seethed.

"You don't have a choice, Manny. If you don't I'll just have to rip out your intestines." Erica giggled.

"I have other things to deal with. We can fight another time."

Amanda turned to leave when she felt Erica throw her into a wall.

Amanda groggily lifted her head up to see Erica holding her weapons in her hands.

"I'm afraid that's not an option. Enslavement and death are your only choices. Which will you chose?" She giggled.

"NO!" Amanda screamed as she ran out of the room, determined to get away from the savage minion.

"I love hide and seek. Ready or not, here I come!" Erica laughed, madly as she skipped down the halls.

Meanwhile Crash was having his own problems when he found himself bumping into Nicholi and Valerie.

"Oh it's you two, how you've been?" Crash asked, sadly.

"Good I guess." Valerie said, kicking the ground.

"Nicholi, this Amanda cried out your name; what's your connection with her?" Crash demanded.

"She was one of Cortex's first designs; she escaped about a year before you were created."

"What kind of design?! She's a menace!" Crash growled.

"Crash! I know we are enemies, but give Amanda a chance; she's nothing like the rest us! She did the one thing I was to cowardly to do, find a way out. She took her shot and she got it! Please Crash, Amanda is like you; she didn't want to become a monster!"

Valerie stood silently from behind.

Crash softened his face silently.

"She loved you, didn't she?"

"Yes... We were in love..."

"Nicholi..." Valerie gently called.

They were interrupted when they heard screaming coming from the down the hall.

The three turned to see Amanda running for her life, with Erica just behind her.

"It's Erica!" Valerie whimpered.

Amanda tried to stop when she rammed into Crash, knocking them down.

"Watch it!" Crash snarled.

"Well I was running for my..." She turned to see Nicholi.

"Nicholi...?" She asked in a tiny voice.

"Manny..." He gently called as Valerie scowled behind him.

"Why is no one fighting; we're supposed to be killing our enemies, not talking." Erica demanded, quietly.

"Erica wait a minute!" Nicholi begged, putting his hand up.

"Why? I was ordered to stop Amanda and kill Crash." She said in sickeningly sweet voice.

"What's going on?!" Tomas demanded, as he came running with others down another part of the hall.

"Crash!" Jan cried.

"Jane! Get away from this rat!" N. Gin growled coming from another corner with more minions.

Jan turned to the cyborg.

"Uncle Nolan?!" She asked. "I thought you and Aunt Emily died!"

N. Gin lowered his head at the thought of his wife before glaring again.

"It doesn't matter! Well Erica it looks like you found both Crash and Amanda."

"I just had to chase one to find the other." Erica giggled.

Kit and Christoph shivered at her childlike tone.

The cyborg shot his head toward the two of interest.

"Listen Amanda, I like you, so I will try to make this easier for you; but you bandicoot, I want to make the last moments of your life nothing but pain!"

"I'm so scared." Crash said, sarcastically.

N. Gin's missile began to rumble; the other minions slowly backed away. The cyborg forced himself to calm down.

"I should rip out your throat! You've done nothing but drive me mad!"

"You were already mad; you're just sour!" Crash growled. "Why did Cortex create Erica and Crunch?! What do the Elementals have to do with any of this?!"

N. Gin smirked, darkly.

"Isn't it obvious, Crash? Dr. Cortex created them with the sole purpose of killing you. You've been but at thorn in his side for too long, now he wants you dead. He also had Uka Uka release the Elementals to provide additional power to them. Amanda couldn't fight Eric; so what makes you think you can? You barely survived your encounter with Crunch and Rok Ko; so what will happen with the next one?"

"Crash is powerful; he'll stop them!" Christoph cried.

N. Gin grinned wider.

"Not this time, not this time."

A dark chuckle sounded behind them.

N. Gin slowly turned his head to Tomas; his smile rapidly changing to a snarl.

"Got anything to say, pretty boy?!" He demanded.

"Not really." He said, sweetly.

"Then what was so funny?!" The cyborg growled.

"Nothing, but you all seem more talk and less action. Are you afraid that Crash and Amanda will take you to the ground? Which is why you're stalling for time with rambling.

"Uh oh..." Chris whimpered from behind.

"I ramble do I?" N. Gin asked, calmly.

"Clearly." Tomas responded, curtly.

N. Gin reached down to his boots to pull out two large knives from their hoisters.

"THEN TAKE THIS!" He ran to plunge them in the young man's heart, but when he reached his standing spot, he was gone.

"WHERE DID HE GO?!" The cyborg screamed.

"Sir!" One of the minions pointed behind.

He turned to see Tomas standing in the corner heavily laden in the shadows.

"How did you that?!" He asked, his voice rather frightened.

"Would you really want to know?" Tomas asked, flashing him a dark smile.

"Minions! Get them! Get them all!" N. Gin seethed.

The minions charged at the small group.

"RUN!" Crash cried.

The six took off down the halls, leaving the cyborg and Valerie behind.

"Dr. N. Gin, are you okay?" She asked, softly.

N. Gin lowered his head.

"I can tell you in all honesty... NO!" He growled.

"We'll catch Crash; we won't let Dr. Cortex down."

"You can't; none of us can! Dr. Cortex seems to have changes something about himself; something that I don't think any of us is going to like!"

Meanwhile the group of six ran as fast as the could throughout the base. Periodically tripping over wires and trying to avoid wire infested puddles. The entire base was like a maze; a maze that seemed to be going around in endless circles.

"Crash we have to get out of here!" Kit cried.

The bandicoot looked ahead.

"Look there are the crystals and the gems!" He cried.

He ran to them and picked them up.

"He's got the goods! Get him!" The minions screamed.

"Crash it's a dead end! How do we get out?!" Jan cried.

Crash scanned his eyes everywhere; anxiety pumping through his brain. He had to find a way out, or it was game over. His eyes finally rested on an escape door.

"Guys! We'll escape through the door!" He cried.

"We don't know how far down we are! We could drown!" Amanda cried.

"We have to take the risk; it's the only way!" Crash replied.

His companions looked uneasy.

Crash ran to the door and ripped it open; allowing gallons of water to come pouring in.

"MOVE!" he screamed.

The six screamed as they jumped out the door into the icy water.

Without thinking, the group began paddling toward the surface; losing energy every single second.

Crash felt his heart pounding hard; the boy was worried it was going to burst out of his chest if it didn't stop.

The air was getting thicker; every paddle was a struggle that only seemed to get harder and harder at each passing second. The walls seemed to be caving in.

"Keep going!" He willed himself.

The surface was coming closer and closer; but did he have enough energy to make it?

Crash didn't look back; he didn't look back to see if his friends were still following or if Cortex's minions were chasing him. All that mattered was getting to the surface and raising the walls again.

"Move Crash! Move!" He kept chanting to himself.

His consciousness was slowly dwindling. Would he make it?

Crash raised his hand to the surface as he closed his eyes...

A cliffhanger... Well you're just going to have to wait until the next chapter to see what happened. All I'll say is that it does involve the next battle. But until then, Read Review or PM. DUECES!