Crash Bandicoot: The Beginning

*Chapter 3: Never Be Evil*

Crash was watching the creatures training in the room. Tiny can tear a metal board and break chains. Dingodile uses a flamethrower. The Komodo Brothers use their swords. Pinstripe uses his tommy gun to shoot the targets, hitting the bull's eye. Koala Kong is lifting weights. And Rilla Roo is eating bananas. As for Ripper Roo, after his training, his ability is to use TNTs and Nitro crates as weapons, but he is dangerous to be around others, even Cortex had to put him back to his cell.
Cortex orders his minions to bring in a mutant rat to be Crash's target to fight. Once the minions brought in the rat, the poor thing was scared to death. Crash watched in silent.

"No! I don't wanna die! Let me out of here! I didn't ask for this! Please!" A male rat cried out as he was being dragged inside the room and be in the center of the room. Crash stood across from him. Tiny and the rest are outside the circle of the floor, watching in delight. Cortex stood behind Crash with a evil look. Coco stood by the doorway with a nervous look on her face. She didn't like the idea of Crash of hurting the poor mutant rat.

"This will be fun to watch." Pinstripe said with a chuckle.

"Let's see what this bandicoot can do." Dingodile said with a smirk. Crash turned back to his creator with a confused look on his face.

"Now, Crash. You saw your friends get strong and ready. So let us see what you got. Before you can begin to attack the rat I mutated for you, show us your attacks like how you show me and Brio." Cortex said. Crash took a few steps back from Cortex. He readied his muscles and took a breath. He started to spin like a tornado. He then makes a slide attack and a body slam. He didn't look like he's in pain when he did the body slam move, but it could be a great use.

"Ta-da!" Crash exclaimed with a grin at his creator.

"Now, attack that rodent, Crash!" Cortex demanded. Crash turned to the frightened rat. His legs are shaking as he is staring back at the orange bandicoot. But Crash didn't move. If the rat isn't fighting, Crash won't fight him. Instead, the bandicoot smiled and walked up to him. The rat covered his head with his hands, shaking.

"Don't hit me! I'm innocent!" He cried out. But he felt Crash's hand on his shoulder. The bandicoot smiled at him and shook his head, telling him that he will not harm him at all. "Huh? You...don't want to hurt me? But, why?" The rat wondered. Crash only scratched his head, mumbling a bit. He notices the restrains on the rat's wrists. Crash's ears lower a little in pity. He turned to Cortex, shaking his head at him. Dingodile threw his arms out.

"What is that bandicoot doing?" He asked with a look.

"Psh. He ain't a killer." Pinstripe said, scoffing. "He's too good a heart."

"Crash!" Cortex yelled. "Attack him! Now! You are going to be a general of the mutants! You will be unstoppable! Attack!" Again, Crash shook his head at him. Coco smiled at her big brother, but she frowned when Cortex made an angry look. "You fool! Attack that rodent now!" He demanded. Before Crash could defend the innocent mutant rat, Koala Kong came over. He grabbed the rat by the neck and threw him across the room. The rat screamed and crashed through the window, causing him to fall down to the sea. Crash slowly walked over to Cortex, ears down. The doctor shook his head in disappointment at him. Coco walked over to Crash.

"It's okay, Crash." She whispered.

"Crash, Coco. Back to your cells." Cortex said, keeping his voice as calm as possible. "I have...much to do. Training is done for today. I have to speak with these creatures here." Coco took Crash's hand to drag him out. Cortex rubbed his head with a sigh. "Such a shame. That bandicoot has too much goodness in his heart." He said.

"Why do you choose him as a general anyway, doc?" Pinstripe asked. "I can be a better general than him."

"Tiny could've squash that rat for Crash." Tiny spoke. "But Kong threw that rat out!" Koala Kong snarled at the tiger before returning to lift weights.

"He's just confused, gentlemen." Cortex told them. "He's been spending time with Coco for the past two days since. Unless Coco shows him...good is worth it than evil. Oh, I should've known! No wonder Crash doesn't fight the innocent."

"What're you going to do to that bandicoot?" Moe asked, slicing his weapons with his brother.

"I need to experiment him more. And...put him in the Vortex I made. After that, he will become a killing machine. He will be hungry for blood." Cortex said with an evil grin. Rilla Roo made a disgust face. Tiny made a chuckle.

"Bandicoots hungry for blood. Tiny likey." He said with a malice grin.

Crash is looking out the window of Coco's room, staring at the sea and the other two islands. Coco was sitting on her bed, watching her brother looking out the window. They don't know if that mutant rat survived from the fall or not. Crash felt so sorry for the guy. He wanted to know why Cortex would want him to attack him. That rat was scared to death and doesn't want to get hurt. That is why Crash decides not to fight him. But Koala Kong had to throw him out the window. Coco walked up to Crash.

"Hey. You okay, big brother?" She asked, touching his shoulder. Crash shrugged, not looking away from the view. Coco sees the two islands away from them. "You wanna know something, Crash? I had my first dream. It's about going to one of those islands. I would like to see that one on the right far away. Wumpa Island. I found the name of that island on Brio's computer. I was sitting on the beach, listening to the waves of the ocean, surrounded by sand, and a jungle behind me. If we are allowed to leave the castle, we will go there and explore." Coco told her brother. Crash half smiled. "Do you have a dream, Crash?" Coco asked. Crash shrugged. Coco can take that as a no. He doesn't know what the outside world is like. Coco only research about it on the computer.
The door opens and coming in was Brio. Crash and Coco stared at him in silent.

"Crash, you should be in your own cell." Brio told him. "Cortex expects you to."

"Do you mean his room?" Coco asked.

"C'mon, Crash. Out." Brio said, pointing out the door. Crash sighed a little and walked away from his sister. As Crash disappeared out the door, Brio turned to Coco. "Sorry, Coco. Cortex has plans for the bandicoot. Remain here." He said, closing the door. He led Crash down the hallway to get down to his own room/cell.

The orange bandicoot is resting on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. He turned to the window of his to see the two islands, waiting to be discovered. Deep down inside, he does wonder what those islands are like. A shooting star is discovered in the night sky. Crash smiled a little. He remembered when Coco learned that when someone sees a shooting star, you get to make a wish. Crash closes his eyes, making his first wish. He opened them again. Whatever he wished for, it will come true. He rested his head on the pillow and close his eyes to get some sleep.

A young man was on the ground, panting. He is holding his own hand that is covered in blood, and it had bite marks. Crash stares at the man who is fearing him, shaking to death. The bandicoot touched his mouth and see the blood on his hands. How did that happen?

"Finish him!" Cortex demanded. Without control, Crash got on all fours like an animal, snarling at the human who is begging for mercy. Crash couldn't control himself. Why is this happening? Why is he becoming a blood thirsty creature? He can hear Cortex laughing evilly from behind. Then, Crash launched at the man who screamed.

Crash let out a cry as he woke up from a nightmare. He looked at his hands. No blood. No blood around his mouth or anywhere. He let out a sigh of relief. It's just a bad dream. A really bad dream. How could he dream about something like that though? Crash is no killer. Maybe the dream was a warning? He doesn't know. But Crash decides to let it go and went back to sleep. He hopes that he won't dream about killing again.