Tales from Wumpa Island (Crash Bandicoot One-shots)

Greatest Failure, Biggest Mistake

Crash Universe: Classic
Characters: IAT Crash, IAT Cortex, NST Cortex, IAT Coco, IAT Aku, and Lani-Loli
Special: Father's day
A/N: (This ended up becoming more of an unintentional alternate ending for IAT. I wanted there to be a good plot for what I already had in mind for this special chapter, so I chose to go with changing the ending for IAT. I had to watch the ending of Cortex's final boss fight a couple of times to try and make a scenario that would work with the ending of the story. Enjoy!)

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(Third person POV)

Crash, Coco, and Aku all backed away as Cortex's mech exploded. Cortex, who was flung out of the mech prior to its combustion, flinched and looked up to see many crates falling off of their platform as a result of the quake made by the now destroyed mech. A couple of wooden crates fell on Cortex's head, the scientist grunting with each crate. However, one of the crates was a bounce crate that ricocheted off of his head and over onto the lever of the control panel successful flipping the switch and lowering the cage with the past Cortex. That is when the final crate fell....

This crate, unfortunately, was a TNT crate. Once it bounced off of the future Cortex's head (knocking him out, of course), its countdown began.

3....

It bounced over toward the edge of where the mech blew up. Crash, Coco, and Aku were hidden behind the control panel, watching with wide eyes.

2....

The past Cortex was released from his cage and came to. The TNT crate making its leap of faith off the edge towards to the now exposed nitro crates below.

1....

"Oh, must of-" The past Cortex began to speak, but his comment was interrupted by a very loud explosion and even more violent tremors that followed immediately after.

"Oh no," Past Cortex mumbled as he ran over to the control panel (the bandicoot family staying perfectly hidden), "the nitro vault must of been breached because of that imposter!"

He quickly looked through the cameras and saw N.Brio trying to get the past Crash unstrapped from the experiment table. Both looking utterly terrified.

The past Cortex let out a horrified scream, "N.Brio, my future general! HANG ON CRASH, I'M COMING!"

The past Cortex ran over the crumbling floor as Crash, Coco, and Aku came out of hiding.

"The entire lower half of the castle is going to pieces!" Coco confirmed with fear laced in her voice.

"We must escape NOW!" Aku shouted as he quickly flew out the door the past Cortex went through with Crash and Coco following closely behind.

Although, the escape was definitely easier said than done.

Walls collapsing, windows shattering and the floor quickly giving way before anyone could even step on them. Rapid footsteps and panicked screams rang through the deteriorating hallways as the heroes dodged the debris and made skillful jumps onto falling platforms. Thankfully, after many close calls, the tremors finally stopped but not the breaking platforms. The family kept on running until they saw a familiar blue glow.

"AKU," Lani-Loli shouted out, "CRASH, COCO! HURRY, I HAVE A RIFT OPENED FOR US!"

"Oh thank goodness," Aku exclaimed with much relief as he turned to his furry kin, "Come on, my children! Let's get out of here!"

"You could say that again!" Coco yelled out with a smile as Aku repeated 'Let's get out of here!' causing both the young girl and quantum mask to laugh.