Experiment Bandicoot
Chapter 9:
Pre-Teen

Year 11, Day 13
Hello, my name is N. Gin. That's really all you need to know. Good friend and colleague of Neo Cortex and Nitrous Brio. I've been with them for so many years; we all trust each other…although lately, my trust in Cortex has been faltering. He has changed a lot over the years I've know him. Started off kind and benevolent, but now…he seems…well, more evil. More angry, more revengeful. The biggest evidence I could find was with his relationship with his son, Crash. The two started off as inseparable duos, now Cortex can hardly stand him. Crash is yearning for his father's attention, but he's been stuffed in his lab more often then not. The people of Citadel are already complaining and giving us little sleep as they continuously knock on our double door. And I swear, Crash'll end up rebelling against his only father.

Year 11, Day 54
Cortex is spending an awful amount of time in his lab, muttering about some plan to get revenge. People keep pestering him: the citizens of Citadel, for one. Others just annoy him, such as his son and the scientists he met years ago who berated and embarrassed him. Brio and I are beginning to worry. I kept asking myself if I should quit being his colleague and go pursue science in my own way, but both Brio's loyalty to Cortex and my interest in researching Crash have left me stuck in Castle Cortex.

Crash is trying to speak with his father again. Cortex lies and makes up stupid excuses to lead him away. I think I've heard him cry a couple of times in his room…

Year 11, Day 134
"Uncle Gin, can I talk with you?"

"Well, sure…what about?" I asked to Crash, who was an 11 year old boy. He was growing up.

"I know the subject I'm going to bring up will be uncomfortable, but I need to talk to someone about it."

"Uh-Oh." I softly muttered, fore I knew what the subject would be.

"It's about dad." Bingo.

"What about him?" I asked, pretending to think I wasn't aware of what he'd say.

"I want to know what is wrong with him." He softly spoke, "I don't care what it may be…please tell me."

"Crash…nothing is wrong." I lied. Oh, great, now I was lying, how hypocritical can I get?

"Liar." Crash mumbled in a calm manner, "Something's wrong with dad…I wanna know. Tell me, please."

"…..Your…father's…not well in the head."

"I'm aware of that." Crash nodded, "What I want to know is what triggered him to behave this way? What happen to the caring father I know? He's so…cold."

"You have doubts of him." I sighed.

"I do…but I hope the reason he is cold to me is a good one…so…so that I wouldn't have to rebel against him."

"It's not a good one. He got mad during that science meeting years back when his invention wasn't all that cracked up to be to the others."

"What invention?"

"…Uhhh…Ya know, I can't remember!" I think I sweated a little, "The point is, it greatly upset him and now he thinks the entire world is out to get him."

"…I see."

A brief silence fell before Crash spoke again.

"…Will Dad…ever be the same again?"

"I don't know."

"…He won't turn…evil, will he?"

".…….I don't know."

Year 11, Day 200
I seem to have more arguments with Cortex more so then having a friendly chat with him. How upsetting. It's a shame Crash had to hear these arguments most of the time. We usually end up fighting whenever he's near. How saddening it is to see a child at his age seeing two adults fight nearly everyday.

Year 11, Day 214
"You think I failed this test because I kept thinking of my dad?" He asked me one day. He studied for a big exam in Math and flunked it right on the spot.

"I mean…I try to study, but all I keep thinking of was my father."

"Well, you can try again." Brio suggested.

"Look at me, blaming my father for this." Crash mumbled, shaking his head, "But…I…I seem to have problems with him. I love him, but I want to shout at him."

"Shout?" I repeated.

"Yea, yell and scream at him! I want him to know how much he's hurting me right now." Crash confessed.

Throughout the days, Crash seem to be slowly, but surely noticing the changes in Cortex. The man hardly left his lab and barely talked. Crash was starting to lose respect for him…at least, that's how I see it.

"Maybe you should tell your father how you feel." I suggested.

"I try, but he never listens." Crash muttered, "There's really no point."

"You'll never know unless you t-t-t-t-t-t-try." Brio defended me. Crash only nodded slightly, then let out a soft smile.

"Everything…will be alright though…in the end." He continued, still putting on that fake smile, "We'll laugh and play and…and…I'll blow bubbles on my chocolate milk and jump on dad's bed…and…we'll have…fun."

Denial, how much more did he have to suffer?

Year 12, Day 3
Only when I'm writing does my stuttering problems go away. After all, my mouth does not control my hand. As I write this, Crash got into a fight with Cortex. I, Nitrous Brio, was shocked to see the child yelling at his own father. It was sometime after he came from school.

"Your teacher told me you've been failing school lately." I heard Cortex speak. He was so different. Physically, he looked the same as ever; short and yellow skinned, but enough changes were made to fit his new, drastic personality. His hair fell from stress and he now has a massive bald spot. He has bags under his eyes, and he seemed…paler then usual.

"….Did he?" Crash asked.

Crash has changed, too. He's taller then anyone of us. Being only a boy of 12, he stood a good 5 feet. He still had plenty of growing to do. He's developing more (he keeps himself in shape). His eyes are still youthful and green and his fur was as orange and glossy as ever, but his smile has all but left his face, replaced with frowns. Despite all that, he still looked the healthiest out of us, and considering his age compare to ours, that comes to no surprise.

"Why is that?" Cortex asked, "You're usually a good student. Maybe you're spending too much time on those video game systems. What was it? Playstation?"

"I don't play them that much, I play outside, too, ya know."

"Don't get smart with me, young man!" Cortex wagged his finger, "You're obviously doing a poor job in school. What a lack of responsibilities! I should lock you in your room and make you study 'till nighttime!"

"I DO study, but it's not video games and playing outdoors that distract me! I've never let it distract me before!"

"Then WHAT is causing you to act this way?" Cortex's face turned red.

"It's YOU!" He cried.

A stunned silence.

"What?" Cortex whispered.

"It's because of you that my life is going down the crapper!" Crash cried, "Every time I hit the books, I think about you! Every time kids want to play with me, I think about you! Every time a teacher calls on me, I think about you! I'm WORRIED about you! You've changed so much!"

"I CANNOT believe you're speaking to me in that manner!" Cortex's voice rose, "Do you have any damn clue who the hell I am? Your father, that's who!"

"Fathers care!" Crash cried, "Where were you when I needed someone to hug on a bad day! Where were you when I needed help on my homework? Where were you when I wanted to play ball and have some father/son time? Stuck in that dusty old lab doing…well, SOMETHING!"

"You little…how DARE you speak back to me? I gave you food, shelter, education, and love, and this is how you repay me?"

"Yea, you gave me all those, but the last one you seem to be missing out on." Crash muttered. Cortex tried to speak, but words failed him.

"GO….ROOM…NOW!" He barely manage to say after a good 10 seconds of soundless gaping. Crash eagerly did so, slamming the door. Both Gin and I stared at Cortex and said nothing.

Year 12, Day 6
They didn't speak for a while until…

"Dad, I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"…That's alright."

"I love you, Dad, you know that, right?"

"Of course I do." Cortex sounded so tired.

"…I'll leave you alone with whatever it is you're doing."

"Thank you, son." Crash left the lab and went into his room. Cortex didn't sound sincere.

Year 12, Day 44
"Eureka!" He came downstairs from his lab to both Gin and I. Crash was outside playing.

"I know what to do!"

"What to do what?" Gin asked.

"What to do to get my revenge on the world." Cortex grinned.

"Revenge on the world?" Gin cleared his throat.

"Of course…everything is going downhill for me. No body likes me, not even my son, no matter how much he apologizes. Don't you remember the argument? He's getting older and learning more. He might rebel against me. I have to be ready at all cost."

"C-c-c-c-c-c-cortex, what are you saying?" I asked.

"I mean…World Domination!"

The two of us stood still before we laughed. It lasted a good 3 minutes.

"You…you think this is a joke?" Cortex softly spoke, "You think I'm lying?"

"Well…" Gin was about to start as he got up from the floor where we laughed.

"I'm not lying…I'm going to take revenge on the world by taking over it." Cortex suggested, "The people of Earth will fall under the wrath of my powers…just you wait."

Then he left. We didn't take him seriously.

Year 13, Day 1
Crash was officially a teenager…but Cortex did not come for his birthday party. This was the first time he skipped out. Why? Because he's too busy planning world domination. Already Citadel City turned from a quaint little city into Cortex's tyrant prison cesspool. Everyone was under his command and any one who didn't obey would be killed. We didn't believe in that he'd be serious about world domination, but considering he turned the three islands into his own personal heaven (which means hell for the people living there), this was a serious matter.

What's even worse was the rage of animals, both anthros like Crash and normal, ordinary ones were brought in often to the castle, trapped and imprisoned. From what Cortex told us, the ordinary animals were those he caught himself while the anthros were people originally in jail for their crimes. He didn't tell us what he was going to do with them, but we were scared…Crash more so then any of us.

Speaking of Crash, he's life hasn't gotten better either. As much as he hated how his father was treating him, the poor boy was in absolute denial that he's father was going to stay evil and corrupted forever, thinking he'd change one day. He's always come downstairs for breakfast with a smile in his heart and an optimistic voice. What's even worse was his unexpected faints which have gotten more frequent. With Cortex stuck in his lab most of the time tinkering with the animals he imprisoned, Gin and I prescribed medicine for Crash to stop his faints. His blood pressure goes dangerously high, causing him to drop unconscious. The medicine reduces it greatly, but this was a great concern. Gin experimented with Crash often (it was a good excuse to experiment with him), but found nothing yet. I, however, mainly supported the boy in dire times. We tried to explain to Cortex of Crash's current status, but he paid no attention. How upsetting.
To Be Continued...

…………………

Author's Note: The thing about Crash in video games is that he's size is pretty small, being about the same size as Cortex. In my version, he's the size of an average human being. Be it the fact that I draw him that way, be it the fact that my fic is mature and thusly, I made Crash mature both emotionally and physically, this is generally how I portray his height. Looking at my Crash arts will help to better emphasize what I'm pointing out, but only if it's your choice. On the other side, Cortex be flippin' his lid. Oh, and we see Gin and Brio narrate. Next one has Crash narrating.

Changes:
-Added the fact that Crash is trying to be happy by denying.
-Added a bit more on Crash's faints and high blood pressure matter.