What's the word? Well it's time for the boss battle with N. Trophy. This chapter starts out funny but progressively gets darker. Also Cortex shows up again. We haven't seen him in a while have we?
Enjoy the chapter
Crash is not mine. Jan, Craig, Valerie, Nicholi, Ramona, Chris, Midori, Amanda, and other OC's that appear in this story are mine.
Chapter 10 On Time
Crash felt his vision clear to find himself in the heart of the time twister.
"Ah… Well it seems if I can beat this N. Trophy, I should find out where the source of the controls are and that should lead to exactly where he is." Crash thought aloud, in slightly bitter voice.
N. Trophy appeared with his back to the boy as he was resetting some sort of clock.
"WHAT UP!" Crash screamed, grinning.
The scientist startled; dropped the clock to ground with a shattering noise.
"Now you're on my time, you little skunk! GIVE ME THE CRYSTALS!" The blue human snarled.
"They're mine." The bandicoot coolly shot back.
"Then take what you've brought on yourself!"
N. Trophy jumped into the air slamming his tuning fork into ground; causing three rows of floating platforms to emerge along the one he was standing on.
From his fork, he shot a ball of fire at the bandicoot. Crash took the opportunity to jump in the air, missing it.
N. Trophy saw this and started shooting yellow stream waves at him. One from the front. One from the left and one from the right. Crash easily dodged them, grinning.
N. Trophy gritted his teeth before jumping and slamming his fork into the ground again. The platforms around Crash disappeared and were placed along a straight line, leading towards the foe.
N. Trophy was short of breath and was forced to bend down to catch his breath.
Crash took the opportunity to run across the platform and knocked to the ground.
The scientist growled and forced himself to his feet.
Suddenly the world around Crash became white. When boy felt his vision clear, he found himself in what seemed to be a lower part of the heart of the machine.
N. Trophy was back on the opposite platform, a cold scowl on his face.
He then jumped in the air letting his fork pierce the ground. This time only two rows of floating platforms were around the boy.
N. Trophy shot two fireballs at him the first one Crash simply jumped the second one, he crouched at the last minute. Suddenly the yellow stream waves appeared from the fork in his direction but for a longer rate in a different formation..
One left, one front, one left, one right, one front, one left. The bandicoot had managed to easily avoid the attacks and took the opportunity to catch his breath. The human jumped again slamming his fork causing the platforms to move in a diagonal motion. The scientist lost his breath again going back down his knees. Crash carefully ran along the platforms and quickly knocked off of his feet again.
quickly got again glowering at him.
Crash felt his vision go white again. His vision cleared once more to find himself in another surrounding; now everything seemed dark. The boy seemed to figure he was in very core of the heart; the center of the machine it's self.
Crash had to wonder of this was just a coincidence or did this represent his life around him. The deeper he went, the darker it got. Or, could it have represented Cortex's cruel heart? The thought of his arch-nemesis made Crash's blood go cold. The thought of that man still out there angered him. Nobody would be safe until Crash finally put a stop to him.
Crash suddenly felt a searing pain in his side and crumpled to the ground. The bandicoot wondered what had happened when he noticed N. Trophy laughing.
"You seemed to be on quite a roll. Why the sudden nose dive, vermin?" The scientist smirked.
Crash surprised by the sudden turn in events couldn't even answer.
N. Trophy fired two more fireball at him. Crash barely managed to dodge both of them, after he checked his side to see blood trickling down.
N. Trophy smirked in his direction, but Crash glared hard at him.
The scientist once more sent streams of yellow his way. Two left, one right, 2 front, 3 left, and one right.
Crash avoided all of them like a blur, taking deep breaths after the waves.
N. Trophy barred his teeth and jumped in the air one last time. Upon slamming the fork, the platforms appeared squared off. Crash carefully jumped along giving N. Trophy one last spin attack, over fizzing his armor.
sat up looking morbidly at the boy.
"My time is up, but yours soon will be too."
Crash glared at him. "Tell Cortex he better ready for me, because he and I will be meeting again soon."
N. Trophy shot him a nasty glare.
"If you meet him again."
The armored scientist teleported away.
Crash looked down at the ground; his side still hurt quite a lot but he figured he would just suck it up and finish collecting the crystals and gems before Cortex did.
Meanwhile In the main control room of the time twister, Cortex was sitting at the main controls. His figure was shadowed deeply from the very little light that was in the room. The deranged man had witnessed Crash defeat and was getting aggravated that Crash and Coco had collected more than half of the crystals and half of the gems. But despite the situation with his two failed experiments, Cortex was rather calm. He had been watching Crash's actions and he knew every time Crash heard his name, rage could be seen behind those usually gentle eyes.
Cortex was more than well aware that this stemmed from their previous encounters. Especially the last one when the scientist had used Crash for his own selfish purposes.
Cortex rested his crimson eyes on the monitor that displayed the medical bay.
On one of the cots, Craig was laying moaning, with ice on his sensitive part.
The scientist couldn't help but laugh. The thought of a young man getting his head handed to him by a little girl was quite entertaining.
Cortex could see N. Gin look down at Craig in disgust.
"Get up and walk it off!" The scientist's metallic voice could heard through the speakers.
The scientist continued to watch in amusement as Craig finally got up and pathetically slinked off, ice pack and all.
Cortex continued to laugh quietly; sometimes his minions had to be the source his sadistic amusement.
He quieted down when he set his gaze back on the bandicoot siblings.
Coco had went to greet her older brother. But to her surprise, he completely walked past her. Almost as if he was in trance.
"Crash... You were acting so happy and goofy. What happened?" The soft little voice could heard from the speakers.
"I don't want to talk about it!" Crash shot back. "Do you even know where Aku went? We went to Europe together, but he seemed to bail on me during the battle with N. Trophy."
"Haven't seem him." Coco replied.
"Where could he have…you know what never mind. I'm going to ancient Egypt to find one the of crystals. You should get back in there too."
"Have it your way." Coco spat back.
Crash smiled slightly at his sister.
"Sorry sis, I didn't mean to take my anger out on you."
"I know."
"Come on, let's go drive Cortex and his baddies insane."
Coco laughed behind him as they jumped through the respective portals.
Cortex drummed his fingers against the armrest his chair. He was rather concerned about Coco. After all the little girl knew the truth about Amanda. One of Cortex's first human experiments actually, she was one of his very first creations in general. However, Amanda had resisted and managed to escape about a year before Crash was even created.
The scientist ultimately wanted her back alive so he could finish what he had planned. Then not even Crash would stand in his way. But since Coco had discovered the forgotten minion, Cortex was worried that all three of them would form an understanding and unite to take him down. So far, the small girl had said nothing as she promised Amanda that she wouldn't, but Cortex did not want to take any chances. Even with Uka Uka backing him up.
Cortex stroke his beard lightly before an idea came to him.
"N. Gin get in here."
The cyborg slowly entered the room.
"What is it Dr. Cortex?" The cyborg asked in his cold metallic whine.
"Since none of my minions can be depended on killing that bandicoot. I need you take charge of it."
"I'll be glad to. After all, I want to teach that bandicoot a lesson from the last time."
"That's what I wanted to mention; I do not want you to go after Crash."
"Sir?"N. Gin asked, confused.
Cortex smiled wickedly. "Coco… I want you to go after her."
looked surprised but then a dark smile crossed his cold face.
"As you wish, Dr. Cortex." The cyborg left without another word.
Cortex turned his attention back to the monitors.
"Let's see how much longer all three of you can stay ahead."
Read and Review.