Happy Friday. This next chapter is a little morbid to say the least. There is not of action in this one, But, it may provide some factors that may come into play later on. But, I still liked how it turned out. So I'll let you guys decide for yourself.
Crash is not mine. Oc's are indeed mine
Chapter 12 Looking Ahead
Coco was back in the warproom waiting for her brother. Silence filtered around her until Crash reentered the hub.
"I found some extra crystals and gems near the warp. I don't understand how they got there but I'm just glad that they aren't in Cortex's possession anymore." Crash sighed.
"So how many gates do we need to go through?" Coco asked.
"Only two more then we will only have one more hub to go."
"I'll take this one and you can take that one." Coco said, pointing.
"All right let's hurry up."
The two siblings jump through the respected portals entering there correct locations.
Coco felt her vision clear to find herself sitting in a pink plane. A brown pilot jacket covering her clothes and a helmet and goggles protecting her head.
Around her were numerous battle blimps with Cortex's symbol flying through the skies. Numerous enemy planes were flying around determined to protect the blimps.
"It looks like I have my work cut out for me." The young girl sighed, taking the controls.
Coco swept through the sky shooting her guns towards one of the blimps. Some of the enemy planes had taking notice and fired there guns at her.
The bandicoot dodged the bullets moving left and right. She kept her cool; staying focused on taking the blimp down. The planes made an attempt to circle her but the bandicoot had performed a barrel roll helping her escape the enemy fire. She went back on course as she fired a few more shots at the blimp until it made a crash landing on the ground beyond repair.
"All I need to do is shoot down the rest of the blimps and that should do it."
Coco barrel rolled again and made way to the rest of the blimps.
Meanwhile Crash was teleported to a large futuristic city.
The bandicoot collected his bearings to see what the future held.
It wasn't a pretty a site. From the looks of it, Cortex had completely taking over. Symbols were everywhere. The technology of the future looked similar to Cortex's. And signs were everywhere stating: "Cortex is watching you."
Chills ran down Crash's spine. It couldn't be, this couldn't be what the future held.
The bandicoot felt like he had just died and was walking through the pits of hell.
"No, it can't… I couldn't have lost! Could I have?"
Crash looked around the streets; no life could be found, no matter where he looked. Either it was forbidden to be on the streets, or the people were just to terrified to leave the buildings. Crash had a feeling it was the latter.
He finally managed to get himself moving as he walked along the moving path. Lasers shot all around but he managed to manuever past them and continue on his way. One of the large screens displayed a failed attempt at a rebellion with Cortex's armies destroying the rebellion. With the worlds in blood: "This is what happens to those who grow a brain; they will die a bloody death.
"You bastard!" Crash growled in anger. "I will not this world come…! I will not fail…! I will win….! YOU HEAR ME CORTEX…! I AM GOING TO STOP YOU! JUST LIKE I SAID WHEN I DEFEATED YOU THE FIRST TIME!"
Proton security balls moved toward Crash attempting to burn him. Crash jumped above them running across the bridge tripping several times as he attempted to escape the deadly weapons.
The world around him seemed to spin. Crash had to wonder if he was starting to go insane. Qas seeing things he didn't want to? The dark future? Jan dying at the hands of his enemy? Everything that could happen because it all depended on him. Crash sometimes had to wonder: what would've happen if he didn't escape? What if he had succumbed to the Cortex Vortex? Then would this world have become a reality? The thought made him ill. It made him even happier that he was rejected. He was glad that he didn't have to contribute to this hell.
Crash noticed an elevator near the end of the path. The bandicoot jumped on commanding the elevator take him to the highest point in the area.
The elevator rode in a swift movement. The bandicoot looked around everywhere; the windows were heavily tinted with some special kind of glass that Crash wasn't be able to see through and people wasn't able to see him either. Crash had to wonder; what exactly would be going through the minds of some of these people. He would never know, they were trapped with no escape. Unless Crash could stop it before it started.
The elevator came to a halt as Crash walked along the road that would lead him to the crystal and gems that were located in the area. Then out of nowhere, Crash noticed an old woman lurking around in the streets, looking completely lost. Crash found himself running to her without hesitation.
"Ma'am! What are you doing out here? What's going on?" Crash asked, jumpy.
The old woman looked at him with shock and horror.
"It's impossible…! It can't be…! You were killed!" The woman's voice sounded familiar somehow.
Crash noticed the woman was in a wheelchair.
"Kage…! What happened… What's going… What do you mean I was killed?!" Crash demanded.
The older Kage looked at him with her stone cold face.
"It all happened so quickly; Dr. Cortex's forces just brought the entire world to a stand still. He broad casted live claiming that he had won and that you had been killed. The world leaders were so terrified by this screeching halt, that they had no choice but to surrender. Cortex took over so quickly that no one was able to do a thing about it. He set so many rules among the entire planet; all the buildings are connected to each other and no one is allowed outside the main streets except for the guards, cameras are everywhere and any rebellion we tried to pursue ended in blood."
Crash didn't even realize that he was crying. How could this happened? What had he done that allowed his death.
"Kage, what happened to me? I still have a chance to fix this, but I need to know how I die."
"Crash… I don't know… They never found your body." Kage said, looking at the ground.
"Then what happened to Cortex? I mean he should be dead by now, or is he incapacitiated?"
Kage looked morbid.
"I wish that would be true, I really do, but Cortex somehow became…immortal."
"Immortal! How, did Uka Uka grant him immortality!?" Crash demanded.
"Who's Uka Uka?" Kage asked, confused.
Crash felt his heart pounding; he needed to do something, or it was going to get bad, really bad.
Kage fixed her glare again.
"Listen to me Crash; you need to find the crystals and gems as fast as you can. It is the only way you can fix this horrifying nightmare. Remember what happened the last time!"
Crash felt anger building within him; this future almost happened once before. Back when he had foolishly thought Cortex was out to save the world. Had his friends not gotten out of the atmosphere before the blast, he would have been dead.
"Don't worry, this future will be erased before you know it, and all will be peaceful." Crash said, trying to smile.
Kage smiled softly.
"There's activity going on over there!" A voice could be heard around the corner.
"Make sure they don't get away!" Another came.
"Crash hurry and get out of here!" Kage begged.
"What about you?" Crash protested.
"Don't worry about me; I'm not of any value to them, I'm just a crippled old woman. You need to hurry!" Kage glared.
"Don't worry Kage; I promise this future will be gone before you even realize it." Crash waved before he turned the corner to find the crystal and the gems.
The bandicoot continued to process everything Kage had told him. He was killed, Cortex was immortal, the entire world was brought to a complete stand still. How could that be? Was there something he was missing? Crash looked around at all of the signs once again and felt a well hidden memory that he hadn't thought about in so long.
Flashback
Crash was lying on the metal slab in Cortex's castle. It had been about three weeks since he had been created. Crash had been forbidden to be let outside of the castle. Ironically, he was not allowed to move freely at all. Most of the time, Crash was kept in the dungeon with all of the other experiments, unless he wasn't in solitary confinement with his hot tongue. When he wasn't in the dungeon, he was in Cortex's labs being jabbed with syringes and different types of chemicals that was supposed to prepare him for the Cortex Vortex. So far, Crash had spent almost all day in the lab and he only knew that from the transition of darkness in the sky. Currently, a supplement was being injected into his body that was supposed to help him build up muscle strength. The solution coursing through his body, felt like it was ripping his insides into shreds. An hour had already gone by, but the bandicoot still had three more hours to go before the injection was officially complete.
Cortex was pacing around the room with a look of boredom on his face. His then former assistant Brio was fumbling at the computer readings making sure Crash didn't go into cardiac arrest.
Crash tried to fall asleep to avoid the pain but discomfort would not let him close his eyes.
"Brio… What time is it?" Cortex asked, finally breaking the silence.
Brio looked down at his watch.
"Close to midnight."
"The injection won't be complete until 3 am then."
"The readings so far are stable; it's working rather efficiently from the looks of it." Brio sighed.
Cortex smiled, smugly. "If you wish to get any rest, I suggest you do it now."
Brio looked relieved. "Thank you, I could use the rest..."
"But, I expect you back in the lab at 5 A.M."
Brio was about to protest for more time until he saw the dark expression on his superior's face.
"Very well."
The nervous scientist gave Crash a sympathetic look before leaving the lab.
Crash desired for some rest so bad, but the injection pumping through his muscles was not giving him any peace. All the bandicoot could do was wait until he was done…if he didn't die that is."
An hour and a half had gone by as nothing but silence surrounded Crash and Cortex. Crash's eyelids felt like weights that were desperate to come down. But no matter what he did, they did not want to close. Crash looked to his right to see Cortex staring out the barred window.
The desire for what laid outside of the window was so strong in the boy's mind. He wanted freedom from the bonds that held him. Freedom from his cursed fate.
"The mind is a very interesting place." Cortex spoke for the first time since Brio left.
Crash didn't have any strength to respond.
"I find it very interesting how the brain works. How one little body organ can determine how one person can function."
"What is his point?" Crash thought to himself in utter annoyance.
"You know, Crash; Some say that a brain can be altered in many different ways. Some even think that we may have the power to insert a brain into a computer. Others even think that we can control other people's minds."
Crash didn't like where this was going.
"I never thought I would be able to invent a machine that would give me the power to control the minds of my creations. But,I did. and the idea brings such pleasure to my heart."
Crash's expression remained neutral.
"I know you desire freedom Crash. I know you have thoughts of escaping me. I know you want to defy me." The scientist's expression darkened.
Crash tried to have a stupid look on his face, but his pain wasn't helping.
"Whatever rebellious thoughts are coursing through your mind. Well, you can just forget about it. You belong to me and you will do what I tell to do, whether you like it or not."
"No…you…have…no…right…!" Crash wheezed.
Cortex stroked his beard. "Hmph! I see that I still can't get through your head, but that won't be an issue much longer. The Cortex Vortex will fix any disobedient behavior."
"You…can't make…me!" Crash cried out.
Cortex chuckled darkly. "Really, you really think you can resist me and get away with it? You won't; the Cortex Vortex is too powerful for anyone to resist. And anyone who does, passes through the second time, or they die." Even if you can escape me, you won't get away for long. My minions will hunt you down and kill you. You won't be able to do a thing to stop me."
Crash looked out the window, struggling not to cry. There was no way out; his fate had been set.
Finally, the injection was officially completed and Crash finally felt himself relaxing as Koala Kong dragged him towards solitary confinement.
Once they reached the cell, Crash was thrown on the cot.
Crash found himself drifting off to sleep as he saw Cortex at the doorway with his wicked grin.
"Remember Crash: nobody can run from there fate."
The bandicoots vision faded as the cell door slammed.
End of flashback.
But Crash was able to escape his fate; he had escaped his fate twice. He had resisted the Cortex Vortex and he defeated his enemy not once, but twice. He could escape this fate once again, and he would.
Crash noticed the crystal and the gems along the path. Crash grabbed them and headed back to the hub.
Pura bounced towards the bandicoot, mewing for affection.
Crash absently patted the cub's head as he continued to wait for Coco.
After some more time, Coco returned to the hub with a crystal and gems she had found.
"I can't believe were almost done. Soon all the crystals and gems will be safe." Coco cheered.
Crash found himself grinning. "I know, you and I make a good team."
"Well duh! If it weren't for me, you would be stuck in the mud."
The two saw one remaining coordinate.
The coordinate looked like it would take them to the moon.
"It has to be . I better…"
"Crash, let me go." Coco said.
"Coco…" Crash protested.
"Come on Crash, I know I can stop him, just give me a chance."
"Sigh… All right, do what you need to do." Crash sighed.
Coco glared before she jumped through the portal.
Crash sat down, anxiously.
"Baby sis, please come back..."
That's the end of this chapter. Interesting fact. The little bit that Cortex was talking with brain was actually something we discussed in the Philosophy class I took last summer. And then I realized that must have been some inspiration. I just realized that now. Well stay tuned for the next chapter. Coco vs N. Gin.
Read and Review.