Chapter Four- Blackout

Crunch continued to pace through the jungle, breathing slightly ragged due to his inner turmoil. As he moved he grew dizzier and dizzier. His mind was whirling in spirals of white fire, and no matter how he tried he couldn't focus. He growled, rumbling with annoyance as he groped almost blindly for support. His organic hand pressed against the bark of a tree, and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What the HELL is happening to me?" Crunch's voice was low and angry.

He pressed his back against the tree and slowly slid down to the ground. The consistency of his breathing grew worse, and suddenly he was gasping for breath. He stared up at the sky, forcing all his strength into beating the reaction into submission. Finally, it began to work.

Crunch caught his breath, and after a few more controlled inhalations he was breathing normally. He didn't trust himself to get up yet. He'd wait a while longer until he was perfectly sure this disturbing sensation wouldn't return. He lifted his chin and pressed the back of his head against the tree. He would figure out how to beat this.

Tina lurked in the trees, licking the blood off her fingers as she savored the aftertaste of her recent kill. Nothing could compare to the taste of raw meat and the thrill of hunting and killing a pitiable animal. She could do with another helping, however she was determined to keep her eyes on her true prey. It wouldn't do to have the animal's mind unhinge without her knowledge. She needed to be completely aware of Crunch Bandicoot's condition at all times, and by the looks of it, that condition was worsening. Tina smiled as she silently watched the bandicoot stare up into the sky, recovering after his latest mental battle. Tina had to admit, this creature seemed admirably resilient to the affects of Cortex's alteration. Tina had to appreciate this. Not every being could withstand such a powerful force with determined strength. He was far stronger than Tina had first realized. She smiled slightly. But of course he was, as a former minion of Cortex he was bred to embrace discipline. He would be a worthy adversary when the time came to dispose of him. Tina could hardly wait.

Crunch proceeded home as the night fell over the island. The jungle was dark as he strode purposely through, however due to his naturally elevated vision he hardly noticed. There was something else troubling him, and it had nothing to do with his strange mental condition. It was something far more tangible than mere visions and reactions. He could sense someone hiding in the thick vegetation. Had he been any less exhausted he would have pursued the intruder without delay. Conversely, if the unknown identity did not attack then it was not a threat to Crunch. If it chose to come at him fueled by some unperceived notion to kill him, Crunch was confident one quick fight would not take too much out of him.

Crunch took a roundabout way to get home. He did so for two reasons: one, he was still attempting to clear his head from his latest migraine, and two, he wasn't about to lead an entity whose intent was not known to the home of his friends. After a substantially long walk in the moonlight, Crunch found himself completely alone. It was at this time that he returned to the clearing where Crash and Coco's house was located.

Coco's lab was dark, so Crunch was pretty sure she was in the house. Crash was harder to guess. Oftentimes he would simply collapse before reaching the house and fall asleep where he lay. One thing about that bandicoot, he was very versatile. Crunch reached the door, hoping Coco wouldn't make too big a deal about where he'd been all day. Coco was unpredictable. Sometimes she was so concerned that multiple questions were formed before she even had knowledge she was saying them. However she also knew when to respect someone's privacy. Crunch hoped she would not be too inclined to discover where had been. He didn't wish to hurt her feelings.

Taking a deep breath Crunch pushed open the door and strode inside. Both bandicoot siblings were resting on the couch adjacent to the crackling fire. Crash was fast asleep on one side, and Coco was quietly tapping her keys were her knees pressed to her chest in the other. At the sound of Crunch's entrance, Coco turned her head.

"There you are. We were wondering when you'd be back." Coco smiled softly. "You were right, Crash's swimming skills haven't improved and I don't think they're going to. Oh well."

Crunch opened his mouth to reply to Coco's pointless chatter, but decided against it. He started for the archway that led to his room.

"Good night Crunch."

Crunch smiled into the shadows. Coco was good at reading people, and for that he was very grateful. He turned his head slightly.

"Night."

Crunch retired, the crackling flames and Crash's loud snoring fading away into the background. Crunch pushed open his door and immediately made for his bed. For a long while, he simply sat at the edge of his bed, staring emptily into the darkness. He thought back to his first dream after escaping Cortex's clutches. He'd believed the frightful images to be mere nightmares, but he was considering the notion that they were suppressed memories. However, they came at him in a lack of rhyme or reason, so he couldn't even begin to guess their order. Part of him wanted them all to come together so that he might stop guessing, after all, being without a memory was very unnerving. However, perhaps being ignorant of the events leading up to his current situation would be alright as well. He wouldn't mind tossing out the past and living without regret.

Crunch lay back, now gazing up at the roof. After a few moments of baseless consideration Crunch closed his eyes and fell asleep.