The Masters of Darkness - Season 1

Episode 2: Megatropolis

Summary: Crash and company find themselves in an unfamiliar city, only to discover that some of the others have gone missing.

The young marsupial opened his eyes, letting out a low groan as he sat up, rubbing his aching head. He tried to stand but did so too quickly, falling back down in the process. He sat there for a few minutes, waiting for his vision to clear. He then looked left and right, and he scratched his head in bewilderment. He did not recognize the area in the slightest. It appeared to be a large city, with billboards and factories all around.

Definitely not Neon City, he thought.

Being careful this time, he proceeded to stand up again. He went to take a step forward, but the sound of groaning from behind him hinders his progress. He turned around to see his friends, and even some of his foes, slowly waking up. They stood up as well and turned to face Crash, with Cortex crossing his arms as he took a look around.

"Whatever this place is, it looks like a dump," the evil scientist commented.

"Hey, where are the others?" Coco asked, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction.

That was a good question. Where was everyone else? It had seemed that some of the others, both friend and foe, had not appeared in the city with them. The Nitro Squad, Von Clutch, Fake Crash, Pasadena, Crunch, Nina, Chick, and Stew were the only ones to be missing. Crash looked up at where the fissure had once been. Much to his dismay, the sky was nearly black, just like in Motorworld.

"Do you think that was a portal?" he asked his guardian.

Aku replied, "It would appear so."

"I suggest we take a look around," Natalie spoke up. "I am quite curious as to what this place is."

Crash decided to lead the group, much to the chagrin of Cortex and his cronies. He took a step forward, but he didn't get far before something flew right past him. A speeding vehicle made its way down the road, with several policemen chasing after him in their own vehicles, trying their best to catch the criminal.

Crash grunted in response as he quickly made his way to the sidewalk just ahead of him, his accomplices doing the same. Whatever this place was, there was too much going on already.

They made their way down the sidewalk, ignoring the pedestrians as they went. Crash suddenly halted, causing Cortex to nearly bump into him and growl quietly in response. The bandicoot looked up at a large mansion, which was white with a tin roof. Garden decorations and various plants surrounded it, and Crash was absolutely in awe by the sight.

"Well, well. If it isn't Neo Cortex. I never thought I'd see you again."

They turned to look at a man of average height. He had red hair and a beard that looked as though it hadn't been combed in quite some time. A pair of thin glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and the eyes behind them were a sparkling blue. His skin was rather pale and had numerous wrinkles. It was clear that the stranger was not in the best condition.

"Henry?" said Cortex, stepping closer to the man. "It has been...too long."

"You know this individual?" Natalie asked.

"Indeed. This is Henry, an old friend of mine. We went to the Academy of Evil together."

"If you blokes are around the same age," said Dingodile, "why does he look so much...older?"

"That wasn't very nice..." said Coco.

"That's quite alright," Henry said with a smile. "I get that a lot. Now, shall we go inside? We have so much to discuss."