Chapter 6

"So, how are we going to kill Cortex?"

"I don't know, Tiny. I still have to work out the final details."

Tiny sighed in an exasperated manner as Crunch kept pacing around the porch of Cortex Castle. He had never seen Crunch look so determined to kill Cortex, and yet, at the same time, not being able to think of a plan. But finally, the maroon-colored giant bandicoot spoke again.

"I guess the first thing we should do is catch the bastard by surprise."

Tiny nodded and quickly took notes of the plan. This sounded good so far.

"Then, we need to trap the runt so I can kick his sorry ass a few times."

Tiny growled approvingly. "And then?" he asked, eagerly.

"Then we get Pinstripe to shoot Cortex."

Tiny gave a yelp of excitement. He knew Pinstripe would be willing to do this.

"Let's hatch the plan now!"

"Tiny, we need to wait until the time is right," Crunch sighed. "If we were to attack Cortex now, I'd be insulting Crash and Coco's memory." A tear formed in the giant bandicoot's eye as he thought of the two siblings he lost in the battle.

Tiny sighed. "They wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, would they?"

"No. What good would happen if I did?" Crunch asked, tears pouring out of his eyes. "Nothing but pain, misery, and a possibility of death!"

With that, Crunch began to cry again, thinking of all the pain that Cortex had caused Crash and Coco. Now they were dead.

Before Tiny could say anything comforting to Crunch, the castle door opened up and a brown potoroo with black greasy hair and a red pinstripe suit and a fully-loaded Tommy gun came out, looking steamed.

"I just talked to Cortex about why two bandicoots were missing. He told me that they had died!"

Tiny turned on Pinstripe and snarled, "Don't mention them, rat! Can't you see Crunch is still grieving? Look! He's crying! Tiny want to help, but he can't if Crunch is crying like that!"

Pinstripe stepped backward. He never liked Tiny snarling at him like that.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Pinstripe finally complained. Tiny smirked.

"Don't worry. We'll be getting rid of Cortex soon. You'll be able to shoot him."

Now it was Pinstripe's turn to smirk.

"That fool won't know what's coming to him!"

Then Koala Kong came out. He had overheard the plan and he was not happy.

"You guys cannot kill Cortex," the giant koala said. Tiny and Pinstripe turned on the giant koala, fuming.

"And why not, may we ask?" Pinstripe snapped. Koala Kong sighed.

"I kind of told him about the plan."

Crunch, who had overheard what Koala Kong had said, cried harder. Pinstripe and Tiny turned to Crunch with sympathetic faces, then rounded on Koala Kong, looking furious.

"You rat!" Tiny growled. "Crunch had a good vengeance plan and you go ahead and destroy it!"

"Look. Cortex told me to tell of any suspicious activity," Koala Kong snapped. "And your plan is VERY suspicious!"

Tiny rolled his eyes impatiently. How could things get any worse? Then Pinstripe spoke up.

"Well now, Crunch is going to be very unhappy forever! HIS FAMILY IS GONE!" he screamed. Koala Kong stared.

"Is that true?" the giant koala finally asked, quietly.

"Why else would Crunch be crying so much?" Pinstripe snarled. Now Koala Kong understood. He growled.

"Cortex, you are a dead man!"

Unfortunately, the plan to kill Cortex wasn't about to be hatched right at that moment. Crunch was still miserable.

"I miss Crash and Coco!" the giant bandicoot sobbed. "Why'd Coco have to die like that?"

Pinstripe put a comforting hand on Crunch's left arm.

"Cortex is just a scum bag," he said, gently. "I say we hatch that plan of yours."

Crunch stopped crying and smiled sadly at Pinstripe.

"Let's do it."

But before they could march up to the castle, Dingodile came up, looking grim.

"Mates, we can't kill Cortex right now. I just saw him escape."

Pinstripe, Tiny, Koala Kong and Crunch groaned.

"Don't worry. He won't be getting very far," Dingodile added, smirking. "I blocked most of the ways to get away from here. We'll be kill him in no time!"

"You had better be right," Crunch growled.