Chapter 4: Catch of the Day
Not a word passed between the two minions as they sat, and waited as they were ordered, both of their gazes transfixed on the hazy sunset above them. The irate huff of the golden fox was the first sound to fill the vacant air, her thin, but powerful arms crossing over her chest as her partner turned to her, "What's up?"
Her glare fell onto the hybrid- an eye sore, in her own opinion, but she for once kept her opinion to herself, opting to answer his curiosity, "We're just squatting here like a feral beast waiting for its prey." Furrowing her brows, she sighed, "Assassins are taught to wait for their marks, but this is simply ridiculous. If nothing shows up soon, Dingodile, I may have to take out my frustrations on whatever's close."
At this, the half-dingo, half-crocodile cringed; he was well aware that she was true to her word, and that he would be the object of interest for her aggression. He chose his words carefully, "D-don't worry, Rita. I'm sure that there will be something to come along that-"
"There!" She whispered sinisterly, which again brought a silent shudder to Dingodile's spine. She outstretched her gloved hand towards the thicket of forest before them, her emerald stare focused on a small, orange bundle within the mixture of the green palette. "There's something by that wumpa tree." Without even a flinch, she addressed her fellow minion roughly, "Go check it out."
"Aye." Daring not to agitate the unpredictable fox, he trudged his way through the taller grasses, peering curiously through the branches as he lifted them from his way. "Well, wouldn't you know it?" By his feet, curled into a tight ball rested a child, her form trembling against the bitter winds as she slept. A quick flick of his tail to confirm their safety, Rita was soon at the scene as he announced in his thick Australian accent, "Seems as if we have a lost bandicoot pup."
Rita grinned, her eager breath clustering into a fog around her snout as she laughed, "Not just any bandicoot... That's Crash Bandicoot's girl."
"Struthe, you're right- I can see her father in her."
"Finally something to act out this aggression on." Her voice dripped venom as she took a step forward, reaching for Riley with a malicious excitement.
But Dingodile intervened; despite his loyalty to their creator, he couldn't watch as the monster he was forced to work alongside killed an innocent child, "Wait! We should, uh, take her to Dr. Cortex before we do anything with her." He nodded heavily at the idea, "We don't want to go out of orders."
"Fine." Came the defeated groan from the assassin. Dingodile grinned to himself, but it was quickly wiped away when Rita grasped the long scarf around his neck and drew him forward. The ice in her glare froze him in place as she murmured, "But someone's getting all of this bottled-up aggression later."
He gulped, realizing that by saving the enemy, he had screwed himself over in the long-run.
The stars above her seemed peaceful as they scattered through the darkened skies, unlike the wandering bandicoots. Coco narrowed her eyes in a vain attempt to view the path she followed her sibling through, "Crash, we can't keep going on like this. We've not stopped for hours, and the path's getting too-"
"If you want to go back, that's fine. Just don't count on me following suit."
Good grief, her brother was stubborn. She took his arm, and with great effort, forced him to a halt. Despite the thickening darkness, his bitter eyes shone towards her, "I understand your fear, I'm worried sick as well, but we can't keep roaming aimlessly. You said it yourself earlier- we're both in great danger for even being here."
"Which is more reason to stay, Coco!" Crash gave her a pleading glare as he in turn took her arm into his grasp, "Riley's my little girl, and I want to find her before anyone else." The moon now hung above them, and within its glow, a silver tear fell down the elder marsupial's face, "Please. If you want to go, be careful, but I have to find my little one. She's all I've got left."
"In that case, I'm staying." She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. Coco glanced towards their conjoined digits, but suddenly froze.
Crash, seeing this, slightly jarred their connection. "What is it?" When she failed to comply, he brought his eyes to the ground between them, and recoiled in horror. Darkness shrouded all of the crumpled form besides the metallic stripe that gleamed through the night, and he quickly snatched the piece of fabric into his grasp.
It was his daughter's jacket, discarded like trash on the grimy forest floor.
Crash didn't like the fear settling on his empty stomach, so he swallowed dryly and marched forward, "Let's go."