If I had any second thoughts what I've just committed myself to, it's far too late now. I'm aboard Cortex's Blimp spaceship thing by myself and there's no way for any help to come, I guess everything I do is really up to me.
I walk through the doors and look around, the place seems empty…was Cortex in such a rush that he forgot the Lab Assistants? No…I shouldn't assume so…I take out my bow and constantly look around for any possible threats but nothing. So I guess the question is where is Cortex in this place? Well I assume any important person would be on a bridge of some kind now to find where that is.
I walk around the base, looking around, I do have to admit to myself, seeing Earth out those windows is kind of amazing and something I thought I'd never see, he had to have been making this since his defeat by Crash Bandicoot…I wonder what that bandicoot is up to now? He always looked like a weird fellow everytime I saw him…I think Tawna was in love with him too…god our lives are weird.
Seriously, if someone told me I'd be going to space today I wouldn't believe them, if someone told me while in the castle I'd fall in love with a human that never takes his mask off I'd definitely not believe that. Right…I need to focus, the man who's threatening all I've lived for and will live for is here, how I'm going to get this thing down is beyond me…
I found a couple of assistants in front of me in the next room but a quick bow and a sword strike took them out quickly before they really noticed me and I enter the next room and that's when things looked different…a giant room…with a crystal in the middle…it's glow has a pink-purple-ish color to it…I was immediately drawn to it as I felt the crystal calling to me…almost like it was alive and it wanted me to touch it…
The crystal was then encased in a capsule and lifted up the roof before I can grab it and I heard a noise to my right to see a big bipedal robot coming towards me and is that…Cortex!?
"You seriously are persistent aren't you, bandicoot? Don't you have anything better to do? Take up some woodworking, crocheting, something!" Cortex speaks to me.
"You expected me to not try and chase after you? You have a whole list of crimes to answer for and most of all, making me one of your twisted experiments!" I point at him.
"With what? That puny little bow and swords while I'm in this robot? Please, you're a weak bandicoot, that's all" Cortex scoffs at me.
"Did you call Crash Bandicoot that before or after he defeated you?" I shot back.
"HE GOT LUCKY! He will not be lucky a second time! Once I am done with you and have my plans complete, I will deal with him. As for you, you get to be crushed by new battle robot, the DOOM-TEX 3000!" Cortex angrily replies to my mocking.
"Or you could surrender?" I suggest.
"Now that is funny, but enough talk! Time for the crushing you! You say you were an experiment, so you'll get some flashbacks being an experiment for this robot! Goodbye!" Cortex give me an evil grin.
The Robot jumped at me and I barely avoided being squashed as I flew away from Cortex and show an arrow at his mech…which did nothing…uh oh…
"Okay seriously, why did you bring a bow? What are you living in, the 16th century or something? Get a gun! Or my favourite, a ray gun!" Cortex mocked me.
I dodged again, there has to be something that damages Cortex's robot…I can't lose here! I keep dodging and it doesn't look like there's any weak points…what do I do?
"As a matter of fact, why DID you come here? You escape my castle and you come crawling back? I'd have thought you'd have some common sense and run away instead of trying to be a thorn in my side!" Cortex continues
I keep dodging, his speed with that robot is really fast, even heightening my own speed is barely enough to escape his strikes. Finally I get behind the robot and slash both my swords which…didn't even scratch the robot…oh…not good!
"Silly Bandicoot, you can't damage the DOOM-TEX, it's the ultimate robot! I was just toying with you, making you think you had a chance…here allow me to hit you hard with reality" Cortex laughs as he spoke those words.
I barely registered how fast the robot moved before I found myself lodged into the wall with a lot of pain! Owwwww! That was fast…it's like he was starting his punch and next thing I knew I got hit…I got myself out of the dent in the wall and got back on my feet.
"Impressive isn't it? A true work of evil art! The DOOM-TEX can handle any army, any resistance at all! It will be too fast for ground forces to get away and it will be to powerful to harm or be hurt, this machine is invincible and there's nothing you can do about it!" Cortex boasts about his weapon.
The Robot charged from the other side of the room in a blink of an eyes and before I knew it I was bounced on the floor, punched back and slammed like dog using a chew toy before rolling on my back in so much pain I can barely move…I saw the DOOM-TEX appear in my sights but even if I could move…what use was it?
"Just imagine how much that wretched bandicoot who foiled my plans will look when this shows up in the Wumpa Islands and thanks to you, I know it will be quite a lot of pain and full of sweet revenge! So thank you for being my experiment again and unlike the last time, you actually were a successful one" Cortex said.
Getting called an experiment got me to get on my feet with a lot of difficulty…I am so gonna die…but I think if Nomad or anyone finds out how I die…it's on my feet…there's something better about it than trying to grovel or to beg for my life, and they'll be proud of me…
SLAM!
I felt a hand force me into the ground as I screamed in pain and then I feel the hand picking me up by the leg as I really couldn't move this time.
"Well you have been fun but you are just trash now, goodbye!" Cortex says.
I feel…something calling me…above me…is it the crystal? I can feel it's energy pulsing…it is calling me but…why? I see the crystal glowing and is that a stream of energy coming straight for me? I close my eyes as I feel the robot drop me and go for the final smash on me when suddenly…I felt…really…alive! I open my eyes and found myself glowing the same energy as the crystal and time seems to have slowed itself down and I can move like I wasn't damaged at all. I immediately jump to the left and dodge so fast I was surprised.
"What!? How did you dodge that one much less stand?" Cortex says in surprise.
The light from my body's getting brighter and I feel energy making me stronger and stronger as my vision starts filling with white…
…
With Clara and Cortex…
Clara was no longer conscious of what she was doing, whatever power the crystal gave her, Clara cannot be in control of it. Crystal markings start to appear on her face, her hair is changing, and crystal marking were appearing on her clothing, giving pinkish links between them, feeding energy. Her eyes were only white, no pupils. But her eyes did look furiously at Cortex as she let out a roar.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Clara roared as power started surging through her.
"Pardon me, but I don't remember you being able to do that!" Cortex points out
Cortex punched at Clara only for her to easily dodge it. Another strike and it was dodged much to Cortex's frustration.
"What!? Urrrggh! Stand still bandicoot and let me crush you!" Cortex shouts in frustration.
But Clara kept dodging Cortex's attacks even including missiles and machine gun fire, Cortex was going all out to kill Clara but just couldn't do it as Clara's speed was far too high as she had one last arrow in her quiver and pulled it out and aimed at Cortex.
"Don't you know that doesn't work, seriously did your mind get whacked when I was tossing you around?" Cortex says.
Clara aims the bow and this time crystal energy is showing through the arrows and shining at the tip, Cortex keeps going at Clara but holding the bow didn't seem to slow her down as energy get getting more power as the seconds passed but once Clara had enough energy she charged at Cortex.
"Oh no you don't!" Cortex shouts.
Cortex launches everything at the same time, as Clara jumps in the air and fires the bow, making a massive beam of arrow energy be shot and go straight through the DOOM-TEX causing it to explode and launch Cortex out onto the ground as Clara lands in front of him.
…
Back inside Clara's view
I look at Cortex, how pathetic he is now without his little robot to help him out, it's time for him to die and this station sent to the Earth. I bring out one of my dual swords and point it at Cortex who is fearing for his life. How pathetic! He experiments on people, tries to take over the world but the second his life is threatened he turns into a snivelling coward! Oh well, time to die!
I bring my sword into stabbing position and go for the thrust but the sword stopped right before hitting his neck…why can't I finish the stab!? Cortex seems to notice this and laughs.
"Oh of course! The Master Crystal gave you this power…but what you didn't know is it's also a destiny crystal! And it seems that destiny favors me over you which means you can't touch me!" Cortex laughs.
Oh no! I feel the power going away but still locked into place, I can't move a single muscle, what's going on!? COME. ON! MOVE! I can't even retreat! I am completely defenseless like this! Why stupid crystal!? What's wrong with getting rid of Cortex!? I watch Cortex get out a ray gun and I start panicking, I am so gonna die cause of this crystal! Why did it bother giving me power then? Just to mock me!?
"Well my dear bandicoot, despite all that power the crystal gave you, you can't kill me, how fortunate for me and very bad for you. I must admit this crystal is impressive and very good to see a first hand demonstration of it's power, just wait and see what my doomsday weapon can do with it. But I think it's time you are tossed outside like the trash you are" Cortex gloats at me.
BANG!
I felt a shot in my chest and myself falling back into the center of the room…chest hurts so much! I feel the blood going out of that as I try to put pressure on the wound as a capsule surrounds me.
"If you won't die out in space, the re-entry certainly will, goodbye, bandicoot!" Cortex says.
I feel my body get launched out of the room and out into space and I saw the blimp and even what looked like a massive laser weapon it…but I couldn't really breath and the wound from Cortex's ray gun really hurts…I guess this is the end for real…there's nothing I can do…damn that crystal…I'm sorry Nomad…I failed…
As I fall and see Earth getting closer…I take a final few breaths or lack thereof as something yellow gets my vision and then darkness comes…