CHAPTER SEVEN: THE SEWERS... SORT OF
Cortex, having earlier spent the past several hours surfing the web, has been trying to find N. Gin for the last ten minutes or so when he hears something explode. He heads towards the source to investigate and finds N. Gin outside standing in front of a small crater in the ground..
"You couldn't resist wrecking my land, could you?" Cortex sighs.
"It was a mech and not a desire to ruin your day. I was testing it's remote control functions when it malfunctioned. I was hoping we, or rather I could use it the next time you make me fight Crash. I'm getting fed up of Crash blowing me up along with whatever mech I happen to be using" N. Gin tells him.
"Exploding mechs aside I was thinking..."
"Forget it"
"But I haven't told you what I had in mind"
"Even though it's probably going to be a waist of time, what is it?"
"I heard from a reliable source there is a power crystal hidden somewhere in the sewers so I need you to find a printable map of the sewer system and help me find it! So, are you going to help?"
N. Gin doesn't reply for several minutes as Cortex waits for his answer.
"Well?" Cortex asks.
"I'm thinking about it" N. Gin replies.
"Well think faster. We need to get there before Crash does!"
"No, you can do it yourself"
"But I need your help. Don't make me bring out my swimsuit photos"
"Okay, okay but I'm staying here. I can give you directions over a walkie talkie I modified" N. Gin tells him, receiving a questionable look from Cortex, "I was board"
"Fine, we'll do it your way. Last time I let you have free will"
"I'm still technically human and free will comes with the whole package of being human"
"Then next time I'll order you to come with me or I'll feed you to my crocodiles"
"We don't have crocodiles, we have Dingodile... don't threaten to have him beat me up"
"Then get to work!"
They head back into the castle. N. Gin hands Cortex a walkie talkie and sees him off. N. Gin reluctantly brings up a map of the sewers on his computer. It didn't take Cortex long to contact him, letting him know he has arrived at his destination.
"Okay N. Gin, which way should I go?" Cortex asks.
"Just go straight ahead until you reach a fork in the road, most of the branching paths lead to dead ends" N. Gin replies.
"Rodger"
As N. Gin waits for Cortex to get back to him with any information on his current status, he hears Ripper Roo's laughter coming from above him. He looks up and sees Ripper Roo with a potion bottle of purple stuff near his foot, which he kicks down onto his head.
"Oh crap" N. Gin manages to say before the strange potion lands on his head, exploding on contact.
"N. Gin! What was that?!" Cortex asks.
"Nothing, just Ripper Roo doing his own experiments... on me" N. Gin sighs, "any luck on the power crystal?"
"Not yet but I haven't given up yet!" Cortex tells him.
"Oh good, give me one minute and I'll be right back with you" N/. Gin runs after Ripper Roo, "get back here with those potion... things"
N. Gin fails to catch Ripper Roo and even manages to lose him. He returns to the computer all while wondering how the insane blue kangaroo managed to outsmart him.
Cortex becomes quiet so N. Gin begins tinkering with the remote control to his new mech. As he does he hears some banging noises coming from the room above him.
"Brio must be working on a new potion" N. Gin says to himself.
"N. Gin, I have almost explored all of the sewers" Cortex tells him.
"Already? How much coffee did you drink this morning? Better still what kind of drugs did you take?"
"Neither, I must have that power crystal!"
"Oh... okay"
"Power crystal, come to papa!"
"He's lost it... again"
N. Gin continues to tinker with the remote control. He hears something explode in the background, Tropy soon appears at the doorway.
"It appears someone broke your mech" Tropy informs him.
"Tell me who and I'll make them wish they hadn't" N. Gin says.
"Brio, he may have 'borrowed' it to test his new transformation potion"
"Well... it wasn't hard to build... I'll just build a new one"
"Wuss"
"Why don't you fight a potion enhanced Brio without any help and see how long you last"
"Much longer than you I'd wager"
Tropy leaves before N. Gin can respond. Giving up on the remote and with Cortex yet to check in, decides to log onto the social network Cortex insisted he sign up for and sees Crash has posted something.
Personally he never really liked the idea of befriending the Bandicoots. Something about keeping his enemies close.
N. Gin looks at what he posted which reads as follows: hkjhikadchargfwjsnfkhgeioweopdkvbkths.
N. Gin sighs and types, Crash stop bashing your head off the keyboard! You barely have any brain cells to function as it is. He soon regrets this as Coco decides to talk to him through the call feature.
"What is it? Fed up with making renewable butter already?" N. Gin asks.
"Shut up! I thought you'd be in the sewers with Cortex looking for the power crystal" Coco said.
"First of all, shut up is not a good come back and secondly there was no way I was going... wait, why aren't you looking for it?"
"No reason"
"There is no power crystal in the sewers, is there?"
"No but you'll probably be glad you weren't there"
N. Gin hears an explosion come for the walkie talkie.
"A bomb? Really? How unoriginal and boring"
"Don't you care. We tricked your boss into going down into the sewers only to be blown up"
"I do something similar to that at least once a month besides he'll live and at least now I know where the tip came from" N. Gin tells her as he fiddles around with a program on his computer.
"I hear keyboard clicks, what are you doing?" Coco asks, N. Gin he hears an explosion in the background, "you blew a hole in my roof!"
"With lasers, hope you like your new sunlight" N. Gin ends the call and logs off before Coco can respond, "too bad Cortex won't just use that to kill them"
N. Gin leaves the computer to see what he can salvage from the remains of what was once a remote control mech, hoping to find something to make building a new one a little easier.
Cortex returns looking slightly singed.
"That's what you get from getting advice from the Bandicoots" N. Gin tells him.
Cortex ignores him and storms off to who knows where. N. Gin doesn't seem to care.