Crash Bandicoot: The Beginning

*Chapter 2: Crash Bandicoot*

"Hello. Little bandicoot. Rise and shine." A voice said. The bandicoot opened his eyes and see Dr. Cortex looking down at him. "Did you sleep well?" He asked. The orange marsupial sat up and rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn. Cortex smiled at him and handing him the shoes, jeans, and brown fingerless gloves. "Here you go. Get dressed. There are friends you would like to meet in their cells." He told the bandicoot. He then notices the bandicoot doesn't speak to him. "Hmm. Couldn't talk, huh? You will. But I need to call you something. What should I call you?" While thinking of names, the bandicoot got dressed in his new clothing, feeling them. He walked around in his cell but bumped into a wall.

"Ack!" The bandicoot cried out, rubbing his nose. Cortex turned to him.

"Watch where you're going, bandicoot. I know this all seems new to you, but don't crash into anything." Cortex told him. "Wait a minute..." He scratches his beard and makes a grin. "That's it! Your name will be Crash Bandicoot!" He spoke. The bandicoot turned to him with a confused look. "Your name is Crash. Remember that. It seems fitting, isn't it?" The bandicoot just scratched his head in silent. "Only you could talk back. But do you like the name? Just nod if yes." The bandicoot, Crash, just stared at him, but he grinned at him. A wide grin. "I'll take that smile as a yes." Cortex said. "Okay, follow me. You must meet your recruits." He walked out of the cell. Crash followed him out and walked up the stairs. He starts to sniff the air. Nothing special.
As the two walked down the hallway, there is Brio with the two bottles. One is purple, the other is green. Two doctors greet each other, but Brio noticed Crash who smiled at him and waved.

"Uh, Dr. Cortex, who is that?" Brio asked, pointing at the orange marsupial.

"Oh. You haven't met Crash. Who will be the commander of the recruits. I mutated him last night while you and the rest of the minions are asleep." Cortex said. "Crash, this is my partner, Brio. Think of him as your...uncle or something." Crash went up to the clueless doctor, sniffing his head and touching his face. He took one of the potions from Brio's hands. He shook it. Good thing the purple potion had a cord.

"Oooh!" Crash cooed to see bubbles in the potion. Brio quickly took the bottle away from him before he could drop it by accident. Cortex chuckled.

"Fascinating, isn't he?" He asked.

"I don't know, doctor. He doesn't seem like the type who would be the commander. He's too friendly." Brio said by pulling away from Crash who studies him. "What about the other bandicoot? Is that one mutated too?"

"Not yet. She will be soon." Cortex told him. "Now, if you will excuse us, Crash must see his new friends." He drags Crash down the hall to get to the other cell room where the creatures are.

In a dim cell room, Tiny is lifting weights in his own cell. He growls every time when he lifts it. Pinstripe is holding his tommy gun, sitting on the chair with his feet on the table. Koala Kong is napping on his bed. Dingodile is playing the harmonica. Rilla Roo is sitting in the corner of his cell, covering his ears from hearing that annoying laughter from that Ripper Roo who is in his special cell. And the Komodo Brothers are napping as well.
The door bursts open and Cortex comes in while Crash is behind him. Cortex clapped his hands to get his mutants' attention. They all stopped what they are doing and see their creator.

"Gentlemen! Allow me to introduce you all your soon-to-be commander, Crash Bandicoot!" Cortex said. Crash looked at his recruits who stare back at him. Neither of them smiled. Tiny growled at him.

"Tiny squash bandicoots!" He said, cracking his knuckles. Crash's ears went back, whimpering a little.

"You call that our commander?" Pinstripe asked in a gangster accent.

"He doesn't look tough to me." Dingodile added.

"He looks like a fox." Rilla Roo said, studying the bandicoot's appearance.

"Sssssuch a little weakling." Komodo Joe hissed with a chuckle, flicking his tongue while his brother, Moe, laughs with him. Crash went behind Cortex, feeling frightened and insulted by everyone in this room. He turned to see Ripper Roo who laughs insanely. He doesn't know who's more threatening. The blue kangaroo or the recruits who insults him.

"Now, boys. Don't judge Crash here. He will be stronger than you all think. All of you, including Crash here, will be in training. You all must get along." Cortex told them. Crash's left ear twitched when he hears soft squeaky noises. He looked down to see a rat scurrying around the ground. He smiled and went after it, reaching for it. But whined when the rat ran away from him and went in the little hole on the wall. Cortex turned to the orange marsupial. "Crash, come with me. I have something to show you." He said. Once they left the room, Pinstripe let out a scoff.

"That bandicoot is a weirdo." He spoke. Dingodile nodded in agreement.

Crash took the book from the shelf and flip through the pages while Cortex picks out the books for Crash to read. But the bandicoot isn't paying attention to his creator.

"Crash, come over here and-"

"Dr. Cortex! I've done it! I've done it!" Brio said coming in the small library.

"What do you mean? What did you do?" Cortex asked. "You didn't break my machine, did you?"

"No. I've mutated the female bandicoot for you, Dr. Cortex." Brio said. "And she has a smart brain! And I've done a DNA test on her, and she is a little sister of Crash! They are siblings." Cortex sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Brio, I know we made that Evolvo-Ray together, but...don't just mutate an animal without my permission!" He said. Crash scratched his head with a concerned look on his face. Brio didn't say anything. "Where is that female bandicoot?" Cortex asked.

"Sh-she's in her new room I put her in." Brio replied.

"Might as well have her and Crash introduce. And...does she have a name?" Cortex asked.

"Yes. She does have a name. Coco." Brio replied. "She liked that name when I came up with it." Two doctors hear Crash gibber a little, like he is trying to tell them something. He points to himself, then out the door. "Uh, I think he wants to see her, Dr. Cortex. And...his jibber jabber is all he could do."

"Yes. But Crash will talk in time." Cortex said. "Let us see that female bandicoot who is a sister of Crash."

A female bandicoot with long blonde hair in a ponytail, light orange fur, and green eyes is reading a book on her bed. She is wearing a white shirt with blue overalls, and pink shoes. Coco hears a knock on the door, and it opens and there is Brio coming in.

"Hello young lady. Sorry to keep you waiting." He said. "Here is Dr. Neo Cortex and your big brother, Crash Bandicoot." Cortex and Crash walked inside to see Coco looking at them in silent. Crash stares at her, but he smiled at her.

"Uh, hello." Coco spoke. She sounds shy.

"Greetings, young bandicoot. I am Dr. Neo Cortex. Brio here told me a little bit about you." He offers to shake hands with her. Coco took his hand and shake it. Crash walked over to her and shook her other hand, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, this is your big brother, Crash." Cortex said. Crash sniffs Coco's hair, lightly pinching her ears. Cortex sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Crash, that is not how you greet a lady." He told the orange male bandicoot. Crash stopped what he was doing, realizing his error. His ears went down in shame. Coco smiled a little at him. She held his hand.

"It's okay, doctor." She spoke. "Wow. We're siblings. Don't mean to sound harsh, but...we don't look related. But Brio said that our DNA is the same. So, having a big brother is okay to me." Crash blinked at her but shrugged. Brio leaned over to Cortex.

"Strange that our creations don't remember their past life as simple animals, but they are going to get along great." Brio said in a whisper.

"But don't get attached to them, Brio. Crash will be the commander and he will be our killing machine." Cortex said. "After his training is done, he will be ready for the Vortex."

"But, what about Coco?" Brio asked.

"You said she is smart, right? Well, she could be useful to me." Cortex said with a smirk. They are watching two bandicoot bond. Coco noticed that Crash doesn't talk back to her, only make gibbering noises or body language like he is trying to communicate. But Coco doesn't seem to mind. Crash has grown attached to his little sister.