A/N
Shout-out and credit to fellow author Wishmaker1023 for helping me with the backstory in this part. Flashback time, (which is most of this chapter) and drama, which means things get interesting and I promise you this was worth the almost five month long wait. Took me a while but I did it. ^^ And Wishmaker, if you're reading this I made some little adjustments after our talk.
Enjoy! You and everyone else. I think this is my favorite chapter so far. :3
Fun Fact: One of the original titles for this chapter was going to be Kick You When You're Down.
A Twinsane Wedding
Chapter 21 The Humiliating Origin of Crybaby Cortex
Another day was coming to a close as the sun slowly sank in the west, being swallowed by the horizon.
Slumped down in her chair, Natalie blowed a long bang away that was dangling in her eyes, her arms hung over the armrests like two limp, wet noodles. She sighed heavily as she undid her ponytail and weaved the loose strand back neatly into place. "Bored. So bored. What is taking them forever to get back?" She could only assume that her son had gotten himself into trouble. Pulling the family photo from Smiling Jimmy's back out of her pocket, the woman's mind took her back to when she had Neo and the years that followed.
Natalie and Nate had tried to persuade him to be like the rest of the family. But, after the explosion, their relationship became cold and distant, especially when Nate and the rest of them got erased. Natalie and Neo didn't speak to each other for years since that happened, not until their encounter a little while ago. Clearly the things from their rocky past had resurfaced after so many years. And now, even Nina knew the truth.
"Nate, are we really the cause behind such a horrible son? Did we ruin his life?" She wondered, looking tword the celing and completly ignoring what Nina had uttered in Moulin Cortex. The attribution about how she and everyone else in their old family ruined his life by traumatizing him at such a young age apparently had gone right over Natalie's head. "No, he screwed up his own life." Clearly, ever since the incident that changed the Cortex family forever, that was one of the only things still weighing heavily on her mind. Although she still wasn't seeing it.
Neo sat sniveling and shaking in fear, the formerly repressed memories from his youth not fading away even for a minute. Even his breathing had escalated to a more rapid pace and was now equivalent to hyperventilating. He wanted to die right here and now rather than have to relive one of the most embarrassing moments in his life. "N-Nina?" There was an obvious tremble lacing Cortex's voice. He didn't bother attempting to run for fear of more students lurking about and also since his limbs were bound together with a rope, that wouldn't have happened anyway.
Nina's concerned eyes met her uncles fear filled ones as a whirlwind of concern, anxiety, and curiosity swirled inside her, "I take it this is related to that photo from your youth back there on the wall that had you somewhat freaked out?" That question made Bruce and the Brat Girls look at each other and smirk. They chuckled in unison. Not wanting to add fuel to the fire, Neo kept quiet but nodded a yes twords the girl.
"What, you mean you don't know about that Nina?" Bruce felt an excited smile creeping up on his face. He was going to enjoy this and savor every bit of the moment. "We left that photo up as a permanent reminder. He might of looked happy, but do you have any clue as to how big of a baby your uncle was after what happened when he went here?" Nina shook her head no, she had never heard Neo mention anything. Not even earlier when they were with Dr. Jacobson.
The scientists mind flashed back to the photo on the wall and then his memories took him all the way back to "that day." The day of the incident. "Please...don't..." Cortex rasped, breaking his silence, as he screwed his eyes shut. He didn't want his dear niece to know the horror of what happened when he was a student here. "You humiliated me for years since it happened. Don't tell her about that." If not paralyzed by the combination of fear and embarrassment, Neo would've fired some kind of remark back. Nina narrowed her eyes and glared coldly at Bruce and her ex minions but it had no effect on them.
"I'm telling that story, now can you stuff a sock in it nerd?!" Bruce demanded in a threatening tone, causing him to quiver. Grabbing the other rope the Brat Girl was holding and (given his upper body strength) easily lifted Neo up with one hand, dangling him inches above the ground. The ropes tightening around his wrists and ankles made him hiss in pain and open his eyes again, though it did however seem to shut him up for the time being.
"Dude, you are totally screwed." The devil noted. The polar opposite angel remained speechless.
Nina wanted to make a move forward but wasn't prepared for what might happen to her uncle if she tried anything. She stood her ground and all she could do for the moment was listen. "Come on. Let's get him to Amberly, walk and talk Bruce, now move it." The Brat Girl coaxed as she started down the hall, their prey in tow. Smiles of satisfaction came over the Brat Girl and her allies, they had not failed Madame Amberly, just like what their leader had promised. The bully roughly dropped Neo to the ground, earning a grunt of pain from him and drug him along behind with the Brat Girls and Nina following along. Nina thought she heard another plentiful whimper exit his mouth.
"It was nineteen long years ago that Neo embarrassed himself so badly. I saw it all go down, added to it, and crowned him with the name Crybaby Cortex, which Amberly and everyone started calling him. It was sort of a well known incident still talked about to this day and is probably why he's scared of girls and why they hate him so much. Seems like only yesterday this happened and I still remember what I did to him..."
Students whooped and hollered at the top of their lungs. They bolted down the hall as the bell rang for lunch. As some of them tried to be the first ones to the cafeteria, a good handful of students resorting to shoving the shorter kids out of their path. Others flattened themselves against the lockers at the sound of stampeding miscreants drawing closer and closer to evade being ran over.
"Come on! Let's go! Can't prank and raze on each other on an empty stomach." Bruce shouted, running right in between a five year old N Gin and a six year old Nitrus Brio, knocking them over onto the ground like a seven ten split in bowling. N Gin sucked in a breath of air through his teeth as his body collided with the hard tile floor, while his friend let out a yelp. "Watch where you're going pipsqueaks!" Bruce snarled, completely ignoring their painful cries.
"Ow, that really hurt." Brio complained, as he took his hand and began rubbing at spots where he felt the painful sensations first, before getting himself up and then lending N Gin a hand.
"Better to ignore Bruce rather than to fight back and make things worse." N Gin stated, brushing the dirt off his uniform, "I wish he would just disappear."
"I know dude, I know. Don't worry, I think if we leave him alone, then he's bound to leave us alone as well." He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and flashed him a reassuring smile, which N Gin reflected back. "Come on, let's go get Neo so he can join us for lunch. If I know him, he's probably hunkered over a science experiment. Remember he is the smartest of everyone here. It's why we admire him." The pair looked up to Neo on a daily bases, he was their role model.
A six year old Neo Cortex sat at his desk in science class that was littered with papers, his focus directed twords schematics for a prototype invention he was set on constructing: The Evolo Ray. Since Neo wanted to get started right away, he pulled out a tool box and rummaged around for a screwdriver. Carefully, after collecting the tool he required, he placed a panel underneath a magnifying glass and began tightening tiny screws to hold the foundation in place.
Victor and Moritz's squawking soon pulled him from his focus on his invention, "Shhh! Trying work guys." When their noise didn't cese Neo pulled out two crackers he had saved from earlier and held them out to the birds, reaching his hand in between the bars of the cage. "Keep quiet." He ordered, forcing the statement out of his mouth. He didn't like his focus being interrupted. The twin parrots obeyed their owners command before, grasping them with their feet and munching on their treats, fully content at the moment. The boy sighed in releif, "That should keep you guys occupied for the time being." As he started turning back around to the panel, Neo's eyes caught sight of a glowing beaker, the green goo housed inside is what caught his undivided attention. Soon his curiosity peaked him and, pausing his work, he ever so cautiously picked it up, assuming it belonged to Brio. 'What on Earth is he working on?'
As Neo carefully tilted the container back and forth, the chemical inside gently swayed with the motions. A voice from behind made him jump and his hold on the container tightened.
"Careful with that!" Rapidly turning around, he saw Brio and N Gin bearing a look of concern. Making a beeline for his beaker, Brio snatched it from his friends grasp. "I've got my sights on a PhD and a degree but as you're aware by now, I am not the greatest chemist yet. I'm still fine tuning some things and I will obtain that degree!" Brio declared, standing tall.
"What kind of things?" Cortex could only wonder. "What are you working on?"
Brio cast his gaze among N Gin and then back over Neo, before nodding sheepishly. "Why don't we discuss such matters over a little nosh? It's lunch time anyway, that's why we're here." Sitting the container down, him and N Gin gave a smile. "Come on dude, time for food."
"Alright. Victor, Moritz, stay. Don't be trying to escape again, you two are always trying to get out and wander and I won't have it. Behave." He wagged a finger at his pets who squawked in annoyance. Neo then hopped down from his chair and the trio of friends set off. Being so engaged in his little scientific world, he had almost bypassed lunch. "I didn't realize it was that time anyway." The scientists stomach growled loudly as he, Brio and N Gin proceeded out the door.
Greeted by the chatter of many overlapping conversations, the group collected their trays from the entrance, and then took their place in line.
"So, spill, what are you concocting?" Neo's curiosity was peaked more than ever.
Brio lowered his voice to a loud whisper before explaining, just to be sure no one would become suspicious, "What I'm working on is a mutation potion, something that will give me the ability to temporarily transform into a giant mutant." Brio enlightened. While N Gin looked intrigued, Neo rolled his eyes, convinced that it wouldn't succeed and that it would be a dud. The lunch lady behind the counter scooped the food into a ladle and let it drop onto their trays, some of it splattering onto their faces with great velocity. The three of them wiped it off with their napkins and headed tword a table.
"Really? Remember the first time you attempted potions when I arrived here? You tried to give me a presentation of what you were going after?" Cortex asked as they took the seat, farthest away from Bruce and his miscreants, however he could feel them being watched. And being watched they were: the bully had his gaze locked in on the group while also tripping a fellow student who fell forward and landed face first into his tray of slop at the same time. It caused people to laugh at him and he ran away.
Looking up at his friend, Brio sighed half heartedly, pushing his mushy lunch around with a cheap, plastic spork, "How could I possibly forget that mishap? You try to give your new found friend a demo of a substance one time. That ends up being acidic, putting a large hole in the floor and then everyone hates you after it's tripped a few people, not to mention they still haven't patched it yet. Really should've double checked it before I chose to show off. But I'm glad we met, we seem to get along just fine especially when..."
"You met me!" N Gin piped up, as he chimed in with his own little remark, finishing that thought. "It doesn't seem like it was a total loss. We are friends to the end after all." As his eyes wandered around the room taking in the typical lunchroom setting of talking and joking, the cyborgs eyes soon caught the attention of a poster that, ironically, didn't match the dark, somewhat unsettling atmosphere and decor of the academy. It was bright and colorful, to which most of the students, given their Gothic like nature, chose to ignore as it stuck out like a sore thumb. However, N Gin had a more open mindset and he stood up and headed over to get a better look at the advertisement, eyes widening in delight as he saw what was written in big, bold letters:
TONIGHT:
ACADEMY OF EVIL SOCIAL/DANCE
7 PM-WHENEVER (WE DON'T REALLY CARE)
DATE OR GROUP EVENT (TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT)
ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS!
Quickly turning back around, he backtracked to the table. N Gin didn't think he could sprint back fast enough, "Guys, guys. There's a social/dance tonight. Starts at seven and it's date or group event. Who's in?" He stretched his hand out in front of him.
Brio immediately followed through. "Alright, I'll come, it'll be nice to get away from all the work. Madam Amberly always expects us to try our best...sorry our worst." There was a noticeable pause in his speech after saying that. To which Brio awkwardly let it slide, "Point is, I'm coming." They were two for two. "Neo? You joining us or what?" A smile was now forming from ear to ear upon his face.
Neo scoffed, brushing the hair back that had accumulated in front of his eyes. "Pfft, sounds like a waste of my valuable time, when I could be doing something more beneficial. I have theories to test and experiments to run." He held his head up high, thinking back to notebook after notebook of various experiments planned for sometime in the future. "I bide my time very carefully."
"You're always doing that dude. Come on, don't you want to take a break and have some fun for once?" Brio urged, shaking his head. He knew that Neo had been working tirelessly on his inventions. Confined in his dorm, away from everyone else except his pet parrots, Neo was surrounded by books, science equipment, and various tools and instruments. Brio and Gin would go visit him everyday but that was due to their friendship and the close bond the three of them shared.
"Agreed, you need to chill. Plus during lunch or recess, you're always hunkered over books or inventions, sometimes both at the same time." N Gin then spotted a emo like girl with dull red hair sitting alone at a table not too far away from the trio. He then elbowed Neo in the shoulder, "Dude, what about her? She looks like she'd be a good fit for you?"
Giving him a look that practically screamed "Are you kidding me!?",Cortex raised an eyebrow, symbolizing the concern lurking inside. "Really, who even is she?" As he awaited an anwser, Neo wondered if he had seen her before.
Raising one finger, Brio's opposite hand scratched the side of his head, attempting to rejog his memory. "Hm, let's see...hold on I got this." Brio tried to remember something, anything about what he knew about her, the chemist was certain he had known her from one of their evil classes. "Right, I remember now." He suddenly piped up. "I know who she is. Her name is Melanie. She's pretty smart, caught in her own little world, doesn't interact that much due to her obsession to keep her good grades...a bit of a loner." Soon Brio was hit hard with realization as he finished listing her main qualities. "Sorry Neo, I've got to agree with N Gin on this one, she seems perfect. I mean, you're both smart, and you prefer not to see many people. It's like looking in a mirror." He saw Neo cross his arms and slowly shake his head, feeling as if he was being betrayed. Ignoring that gesture, figuring that he was being stubborn, the chemist stood up and pulled Cortex up with him.
"What are you doing?! You let me go! I don't need you to play matchmaker!" Neo pleaded, trying desperately to escape.
"Oh, have faith, what's the worst that could happen?" Brio didn't sound convinced by their argument but he was convinced he could get his friend a date. Transitioning behind him, Brio pushed Cortex twords the table where Melanie was settled, scrolling through her phone for the time being, waiting to get back to class.
The girl soon looked up upon hearing the shouting but her reaction wasn't excited or nervous. Instead it was a bored, blank expression as was typically associated with her kind of people. Along with a sarcastic, sometimes melancholy personality, "Ugh, what on Earth do you two want?" Melanie asked as she gave a look of disgust at the two boys.
When Neo didn't respond, Brio decided to do it for him, "Neo here has something to ask you." He remarked in a chipper way before his voice changed to a serious tone and expression. It was to be more suited with the situation, "Right?" Cortex had to force a somewhat happy expression upon his face and remembering to nod as he did. If he wasn't nervous at the moment, Neo would've whipped around and tried to slug Brio. "Ok, I'll let you two talk." Brio then sat his friend down across from her, gave him a slap on the back and dashed back to his own table, ready to watch the action unfold with N Gin.
"So...what's this about?" Melanie questioned. Neo opened his mouth but no words escaped, his brain had shut itself down and he momentarily forgot how to move his lips. His limbs were also failing him and he sat there, stiff as a board. The girls fingers on the hand opposite to the one holding and fiddling with her phone, began rapping on the metal table. "Say what you have to say or I'm outta here." Her venomous tone was demanding.
Cortex didn't know what to do in that moment, due to being caught up in it and now, the clock was ticking, his window of opportunity closing fast. The sound of fingers drumming away only added to the stress. Cocking his head around, his eyes found N Brio and N Gin who gave a thumbs up. "I was just wondering and this wasn't entirely my idea but, I'm not sure you're aware of a dance slash s-social tonight and I..I was thinking..." There was a sudden pause in his attempt as Neo reajusted himself. Completely unaware that most of the student body was listening. Finally, he blurted out the rest of the attempt. "Would you care to go out with m-me possibly?!" The attempt was out, there was no taking it back now.
An unexpected but inevitable laugh soon after asking that question gave him his anwser, "Ha, ha, ha! You? Yeah right!" Throwing her legs over the seat of the table, Melanie quickly stood up and slammed the table, catching everyone off guard, "I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last guy in this place! No actually, the last guy on Earth!" She said coldly. Her harsh reaction cutting through him like a knife and as one might come to expect, it was a most unpleasant sensation. The goth girl then angrily stomped away.
Peering over his shoulder, Neo saw his two pals point in the direction Melanie was going. It was a sign that said 'she hasn't left yet, you can still turn this around. RIght?' Scrambling to try to save it, Neo started after her. "Wait a minute, you don't want to give this a chance?!" He pleaded, not believing he was actually going along with this.
"Leave me alone, you freak!"
Neo then sped up, only to trip thanks to Bruce's outstretched leg and go down hard on the lunchroom floor, similar to what happened to the other student. Rolling over onto his back, he locked eyes with him. Cortex felt his whole body tense up, now too injected with fear to move, the bully began cackling as he snatched another students tray of the mystery glop and flipped the whole thing over, making it rain down hard, right onto his victims head, smirking as he did so. Neo gasped in shock, much to Bruce's own amusement. Tears were soon seen welling in his eyes. The boy tried his best to resist to urge to cry but soon, the emotions poured out and Neo had no way of stopping it, the tears flowing like two rivers down his reddened, embarrassed face. "Guess you won't be needing a hot lunch anymore after that cold rejection will you "Crybaby Cortex"!" That one final remark that Bruce shouted just loud enough for everyone to hear made them start laughing. Only this time, it was followed by pointing and mockery.
Being the good, supportive friends that they were, Brio and Gin ran over and helped Neo to his feet as they saw Bruce head out of the room. No doubt going to go report to Madame Amberly. "Come on, let's take you to the nurse." N Gin suggested. "It'll be alright, we're here for you."
"I t-t-told you I didn't n-need you to p-play match...maker." Neo stuttered through his tears, but soon after, his face bared a small smile, greatful that his two friends cared.
"That attempt didn't go how I thought it would." Brio awkwardly admitted, rubbing the back of his neck as they ducked out of the lunchroom and twords the nurses office.
"Since that day onward, every time he saw me, he'd turn and run. And there you have it Nina, the truth about your whimpy uncle. Told you it was an infamous incident. Which makes me happy to repeat. I may not be book smart but I've got a mind like a steel trap." Bruce gave a happy sigh.
"An inci...incident that y-y-you...caused." Neo reminded. "Of course you're h-happy." Turning his head to look back at his niece as tears welled in his eyes, he mouthed a "Help me!"
Nina gave a firm nod back. Now she was enraged. You mess with her uncle, you mess with her. Her eyes blazed with anger as one hand shot out and snatched the rope from her uncles captor. Reeling her realative twords her, she gladly untied it. "This probably isn't the best time to ask but are we going to tell Madam Amberly I'm never coming back?"
"F-forget that, l-l-let's just l-leave."
"Right." Nina turned back to Bruce, ready to give him a what for. She cared deeply about her uncle and didn't want to see him emotionally or physically tormented. Raising her hands in a defensive form, Nina smirked, causing Bruce and the Brat Girls suspicions to rise as Nina asserted her statement, "You are so going down. Don't try me, my hands aren't just somewhat odd to look at, they're also deadly weapons." The young Cortex warned. Then again, if Bruce didn't listen, he'd find out the hard way soon enough.
"Yeah, like I'm gonna take advice from a girl who's related to such a freak!" As he started tword Nina, Bruce raised a muscular arm and just as fast he brought it down, Nina shrugged and her arm rocketed forward once more. There was a pause but soon enough the goth boy, now wearing a grimaced expression, crippled over and clutched his stomach in pain, writhing around as the Brat Girls kneeled down, concerned. Nina then grasped the rope again and managed to lasso Bruce and the leader from her pack of now ex minions. Pulling them closer, she turned the tables. Swinging them around, Nina flung them down the hall. They stopped when they collided hard with the lockers, slamming face first into them, making Bruce howl in pain. Falling over into a glowing green puddle, the burning floor acid began eating through the rope and soon the fabric of their uniforms, disintegrating them and burning the skin/fur underneath. They screamed in agony. Sweeping an emotionally broken Cortex up into her arms, Nina ran down the hall and made a break for the exit.
The evil academy partners looked on through their own tears, the head Brat Girl pounded her fist hard on the floor now frustrated. "Can't beleive that they got away from us. Guess we go deliver the bad news once we get up after the burning stops."
Nina dashed back through the schoolyard, barely escaping the guard dogs growling and nipping at her heels and ascended the rope latter. Neo then pushed the button on the keychain for the lock on his dirigible, the door slid open and Nina carried him in, the door automatically closing after entry. They were safe and it was now time to go home. Upon seeing them, Natalie cocked her head ever so slightly as she saw her son pale white, eyes wide and shaking in fear, but the woman was totally unfazed. "About time you returned." There was a brief silence before she added in her own remark, "You look as if you've seen a ghost."
"It's alright, we're safe. You can let go now Uncle Neo." Nina calmly said, noticing that he was clinging to her like a security blanket.
Handing his niece the keys, Neo hopped from her arms, walked over to what used to be her seat and curled himself up into a tight ball. Hugging his knees to his chest, he began rocking back and forth. Nina gave a solemn look, started the ship and took off, knowing that her uncle preferred to be home. How hard was it to fly? "I d-don't w-wanna talk about what happened." He finally managed to say. If this experience and memories still stayed with Cortex upon returning back to the N Team, then a second possible wrench would be thrown into their plan.
The first possible wrench being Cortex's mother.
A/N
I said in chapter 20 that Madam Amberly gave Bruce and the Brat Girls the explanation about Cortex's incident but it was really Bruce himself. Sorry for the confusion XD I did some editing in that chapter after re reading it to clear things up.
*sarcastically* Nice. You always post these chapters and then find mistakes. Sometimes even after reading back over them multiple times. Get to the real authors note.
New Year! I've posted a new Crashtex oneshot in honor of Crash 4 It's About Time called Icy Fate. Anyone who wants to, feel free to check it out. ^^
Pure silence on this story since Halloween! My updates to this tale and the oneshot series are getting more and more spaced out, but that's the price that comes with having two jobs. XD My curiosity was peaked about Crybaby Cortex before and after the Amberly boss fight, so I decided to expand upon it and give it an explanation. And man this took forever! XD Originally back in chapter 10, I wanted to include a flashback for when Cortex was traumatized at Smiling Jimmy's by his parents but I decided to cut it. This is that flashback substitute. Though I do want to do a story on that one day.
Plan your chapters carefully. Don't try to rush things and again, don't type stuff at 5 in the morning. You're also cutting things from this story? You're a bad as the Twinsanity developers.
*sighs* Thank you comments from the peanut gallery. Drink your Wumpa Whip.
FlautaRara: You're right, things are going too well for the N Team. Maybe I should fix that. And judging by the strained relationship between Cortex and his mother already? Yeesh! XD Another extra therapy session will do them some good.
Gucci Mane LaFlare: Yes, Cortex is gonna have a lot of explaining to do. Glad you love it. Yeah, how did the team not notice the crystal? I'm also not sure I trust N Gin to cook either. XD
More mother/son drama next and the beginning of the N Teams truth serum scheme.
I'll try to keep it together. This ain't gonna be good.
For you maybe, Mr. Impatient. Until next time keep smiling! :3 The next chapter will be coming soon and will contain spoilers for Crash 4.
