Chapter six- Losing Control

He gazed down at his hands and saw blood. It was warm, and trickled from wounds that bled all over his body. He slowly turned his head, gazing about incoherently in attempt to focus his sight. The thick fog of delirium clouded his vision but he forced himself to blink through the pain. His hand trembled as he attempted to wipe the blood from his face, succeeding only in smearing another slick layer atop the first. At least that blood was his own.

He could see the creature now. A koala who'd been called Havoc lay not four feet from him, body mangled with slashes and torn skin where Crunch's fangs ripped his flesh. Havoc's arm was bent at an unnatural angle from where Crunch had snapped his elbow. Havoc had returned the favor, and added a few broken ribs into the mix. A lethal strike to the throat finally ended the fight, and Crunch was the survivor. Crunch struggled to breathe through the pain but it was difficult. He was thankful that his luck had not yet worn out. It seemed to be the only thing keeping him alive. After all, being the only evolved bandicoot amid an array of mutant killers he was naturally the smallest of all the abominations.

He pressed his forehead into the floor and rejoiced as a pang of feeling returned into his arm. He would recover from this, but who knew how long that would take. Shattered ribs were the worst, but abdominal bleeding was a pain too. Crunch spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled to his knees.

He waited.

He waited for the steel doors to open. He waited for a dozen humans in white coats to come through the door. He waited for the stinging pain of a tranquilizer shot as it traveled rapidly through his bloodstream and completely paralyzed him. Then he would be dragged from the arena and tossed back into an impenetrable cage, where he was permitted to recover.

Crunch waited for this, staring into the window where he could barely see the silhouette of the man responsible for his injury and torment. The shadow's hands were clasped behind his back, unmoving. Crunch growled, his rage increasing at every passing moment. Finally the doctor's voice crackled over the loudspeaker.

"This one has some fight left in him. Send in another."

Crunch watched in horror as the doors opened and another massive creature stomped inside. This one was a lizard, standing up on its hind legs and brandishing its sharp claws before itself tauntingly. Crunch could hardly remain upright. He was not fit to fight another battle. His body screamed for rest, and desired only to collapse to the ground in submission.

However, despite these terrible sensations, Crunch struggled to his feet. He took a breath, and coughed painfully when his broken ribcage objected. Although Crunch wanted to collapse into unconsciousness, he did not. He would fight through anything he could until the final slash or break that would be the end of his life. He would do this because he learned to survive, and he would.

With every muscle aching and every breath an execution in itself, Crunch leapt toward his adversary, murder in his eyes. Because he knew with every fiber of his being if he did not kill the creature before him, he would not escape the chamber alive.

Crunch's eyes blinked open, and he found himself staring up at the roof. For a minute or two he remained horizontal, considering what he had just dreamed. Each vision he experienced seemed so vivid, so…terribly real. Could these be his memories? If so, he did not think he wished to know any more.

Crunch gazed out the window. The sky was just beginning to lighten with the colours of a sunrise. Hope for a fulfilling rest had disappeared, so Crunch decided he would clear his head in the fresh air. He stood up, and stretched his left arm above his head, feeling a gratifying stretch in his shoulder. He flexed his robotic arm, checking the gears to be sure nothing had shifted while he'd been sleeping. Not that there was any chance of that. Crunch always woke in the same position in which he fell asleep. He doubted he moved even a muscle while he slept. As a result, he always felt tremendously sore in the mornings.

Crunch rose up onto his toes and dropped to the floor, progressing in a rapid execution of push-ups. He tried to focus on the exertion, but his thoughts continued to drift back to the strange condition that was plaguing him. He thought that after his morning run he'd talk to Aku Aku about it. Crunch never found the witch doctor to be particularly helpful, but at that point, he didn't care whether Aku could cure him or not. He had to try something.

Crunch quickly lost count as he continued his push-ups, but he figured he'd been going for at least fifteen straight minutes. Crunch slowed to a stop and carefully stood. Only the lightest perspiration had formed, but the exercise was not nearly enough to satisfy his restlessness.

Swiftly and silently, Crunch walked through the house making for the door. The door on Coco's room was closed, which probably meant she was still sleeping. Crash, of course, had not moved from the position Crunch had seen him in last night. He was lying at an awkward position, head upside down and his ears nearly brushing the floor, one foot stretched out across the couch and the other propped up on the backrest. Crunch glanced down at him with a small smile. Who would have guessed that such a pathetic excuse for an Anthrian saved the world from destruction so many times? Suddenly, amid the heavy breathing of slumber Crash snorted a particularly loud snore and nearly woke himself up. Crunch's smile grew wider as Crash simply altered his position, moaned slightly, and resumed sleeping. Crunch scratched his head. He would never understand how the runt resting before him had bested him in combat. It seemed impossible.

Leaving Crash to his rest, Crunch progressed outside. The morning was cool and humid, but Crunch enjoyed it far more than the heat of midday. It was difficult to summon the motivation to do anything, especially when Crash's laze-about behavior was so catching. As he starts down the path toward the beach the terrible sensation hit him again.

His muscles began to tremble, and he could not seem to catch his breath. Despite his rising concern at this alien condition, Crunch continued onward, doing his best to ride out the emotions. His pulse began to rise, and the fur at the nape of his neck spiked in response to some hidden danger. Crunch spun about, expecting to find an enemy behind him. However, after a rapid glance he knew there was no one around. He ran his paw across his head as his vision began to distort. He could hear voices now.

…Is it still alive…?

…Send in another…

…This creature will become my greatest weapon…

"Shut up!" Crunch roared.

Crunch tore over the sanded pathway, trying and failing to outrun the onslaught of disconcerting voices. As he continued to sprint, he was relieved beyond words as the echoes in his ears began to quiet, and then disappear completely. He ran until he reached the ocean, and stopped directly before the rolling waves on the sand. He was not the least bit tired at the exertion, but he found that for a moment he could not move. Something about the gentle crashing of the waves was soothing, and Crunch was anxious for any reprieve from his condition.

After a few moments of simply standing on the beach, looking out to sea, Crunch drew a very deep breath. He turned and headed for the jungle.

After a few hours of pushing himself through a series of runs, sprints, core workouts and chin-ups Crunch was pretty exhausted as the afternoon wore on. He finished his chin-ups with his metal arm at his side, concentrating on strengthening his organic arm. His natural arm could never be as strong as the metal appendage, but Crunch would never give up making it as strong as possible. Crunch dropped from the branch and landed heavily on his feet. As he stretched out his tired muscles, he wondered if he should return back to the house.

Although he was sure Crash didn't care where he went, he knew that Coco did. Ever since the visions began Coco seemed to sense that something was wrong. Crunch was grateful for her discretion, but he knew the high-spirited girl wouldn't be able to stay out of his problems for long. Each step felt like his legs were filled with lead. He could only find the strength to collapse beneath a shady tree. When he woke up, he decided he'd spend the day with Crash and Coco. He still considered himself in their debt after all, after rescuing him from Cortex.

Crunch gently closed his eyes, feeling the sun caress his face as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

He could hear movement beyond the door. His eyes narrowed in fury as he waited. He flexed his claws, and arched his back, preparing himself. His legs burned as he remained pressed in a low squat. Finally, a rattling sound echoed through the cell. When Crunch saw a shaft of light emerge between the door and the frame, he attacked.

He slammed through the door and threw it wide. The ceiling lights were dim, but Crunch didn't need them to find his prey. One of the doctor's drones stood directly before him, eyes wide with surprise. Crunch growled low in his throat, and his instincts took over. He lunged, chasing down the creature as it ran from him. It would have been simple work to overcome the creature, but Crunch wanted it to suffer. He wanted to feel its terror as he ran it down and hear its screams as he tore through it.

Finally, Crunch grew tired of the chase. Every instinct forced him to leap and bury his fangs into his prey. Crunch leapt, throwing the creature off its feet. It landed hard, and then spun onto its back before becoming paralyzed in Crunch's gaze. Crunch pressed one massive paw onto the creature's throat, and opened his mouth to bare his fangs. Just as he descended to sink his teeth into his prey, he blinked, and everything faded way into reality.

Crunch's consciousness returned, and he was stunned to find he was meeting the horrified gaze of a small island native. The little man's black hair was slick with blood where his skull had collided with a rock when he fell. Crunch could not move for a moment as he realized he had almost killed him. Crunch was terrified. He was terrified of what he had almost done, but even more, he was terrified of what he was becoming.

"I'm…sorry…" Crunch whispered quietly.

Crunch suddenly leapt away, tearing through the woods and leaving the frightened little man behind. Crunch continued to run, not pausing at any obstacle that barred his way. When he came across a cliff side, he did not stop. He climbed up the wall without pausing for a moment. He lifted himself straight up, and when he reached the top he crashed to his knees, and buried his face in his hands. One instant later he lifted his head and roared into the sky.

"What's happening to me?"