Trouble at Cortex Castle

Chapter 6

The dappled sunlight fell across Ripper Roo as he bounced his way into the castle courtyard. There were two cars parked here; a powder blue Cadillac with gaudy cheetah fur seats and a plain white van. To Ripper Roo's surprise, the van's driver door was left wide open, revealing the enticing sight of a key in the ignition. Perhaps the builder had left the van door open in his haste to investigate Mrs Williams' whereabouts.

As he made himself comfortable in the driver's seat, Ripper Roo was briefly transported back to the time he raced that bandicoot across Roo's Tubes. Hurtling around corners, dropping TNT's behind him and turbo boosting deep underwater as the fishes watched .... what a rush! That sense of sheer speed, power and fury. Ripper Roo had always enjoyed those moments, even if he did lose the race to that bandicoot.

As he made himself comfortable in the driver's seat, he caught some movement in the rear-view mirror. To Ripper Roo's horror it was the terrible sight of Mrs Williams being helped across the courtyard by the builder. Ripper Roo immediately threw the van into reverse and shot backwards like a sling from a slingshot. Mrs Williams and the builder were scattered like bowling pins as they dived out of the way of the speeding van.

The builder peeked into the driver's window and could not believe his eyes. His van and his money was apparently being stolen by a blue, strait-jacked kangaroo. He wondered if he had far too much to drink last night.

Ripper Roo cackled wildly as put the van into gear and drove straight out of Cortex Castle and onto the wide, open road. Outraged, Mrs Williams hurried into the Cadillac and set off in hot pursuit, leaving behind a very dazed and confused builder.

The chase was on.

---

The Komodo Moe clone bristled with rage, snapping and snarling as he glared at the assembled minions. Behind him lay the prone body of N. Tropy. With a great roar, he used N. Tropy's trident to launch a series of buzzing, electrical spheres towards the minions.

"How did he learn to do that?" asked Koala Kong as he leapt over a sphere and landed with a roll.

"Now I know how that bandicoot feels," groaned Dingodile. He dropped low to the ground as a sphere soared over his head. Tiny had taken shelter behind a filing cabinet, and was waiting for an opportunity to throw it.

"We've gotta get that trident," snarled Pinstripe from behind an upturned desk. He now had to keep an eye out for stray spheres as well as the imposter version of himself, who was now scurrying towards Koala Kong and Tiny in an attempt to attack them from behind. Meanwhile, Dingodile had fired a few shots back at the Komodo Moe clone.

"Have some of this!" roared Pinstripe, rolling out from his cover. His tommy gun was trained on his clone, and Pinstripe was about to pull the trigger when the Komodo Moe clone suddenly hefted up N. Tropy's body and jabbed the trident into the scientist's neck. The clone didn't have to say a word. It was the universal gesture for don't move or I'll kill him.

---

Outside, the Komodo brothers were keeping the clones distracted with a deadly game of hide and seek. To their dismay, they realised that none of the clones had succumbed to their supposedly fatal wounds.

"Why can't they be killed?" Komodo Moe panted. He was hiding behind a topiary in the shape of a regal-looking peacock located outside the manger's window. "We've been at it for hours!"

"I don't know," muttered Komodo Joe. He was crouched behind a rose bush and was beginning to get cramps. He had spent some time scanning the hotel garden for any sign of movement. However, the clones appeared to be just as good as hiding as they were. An eerie silence descended over the gardens. "I don't like thisss at all."

The silence was broken by the creak of the office window opening. The infuriating Pinstripe clone darted out, giggling relentlessly, followed by the Komodo Moe clone about two seconds later. He was carrying the unconscious body of N. Tropy on his back. N. Tropy's trident was held firmly in the creature's claw. The real Komodo Moe's jaw dropped. He tried to run out from his hiding place, but his brother grabbed him and pulled him back. "We're surrounded by clones. We can't do anything." Komodo Joe warned.

Almost as if on cue, the rest of clones popped out behind trees, bushes, flowerbeds and even from behind a large stone fountain in the centre of the hotel garden. They formed a bizarre procession and made their way steadily out of the garden. Komodo Joe stared at N. Tropy bobbing up and down on the clone's shoulders. What had happened in that office?

"Let'ss follow them and see where they're going." He whispered. The Komodo Joe brothers waited for the distance to grow between them and the clones before embarking on their new stealth mission.

---

Battered, bruised and dejected, the minions (minus the Komodo brothers) trooped into the resident's lounge where they were confronted by the sight of Neo Cortex sobbing into an ice-cream tub. N. Gin looked up and sighed. "I'm afraid we some have bad news." He frowned. "Where's N. Tropy and the Komodo brothers anyway? They need to hear this too."

"We have some bad news too. You go first." Dingodile added quickly.

Sighing, Neo Cortex rose dramatically from the table, clutching at his chest. "There is no easy way to put this. My humble abode has been destroyed by the elements. My friends, we are now officially homeless."

"As well as bankrupt," interrupted N. Gin.

"And bankrupt," Cortex agreed. "I am a king without a kingdom, a captain without a ship, a cereal without milk -"

"We need to sell what's left of the property and use the money to buy something smaller." N. Gin was getting tired of Cortex's theatrics. The missile in his head came dangerously close to erupting a few times during Cortex's passionate speech. "We can still stay here in the meantime." N. Gin cast a suspicious eye over Dingodile, Pinstripe, Koala Kong and Tiny. They didn't look quite as upset as they should have been.

To the minions, the news about their boss' bankruptcy and impending homelessness was a serious blow to their plans of world domination. However, as the minions had their own homes and businesses, it wasn't that much of a blow to them. They felt terrible for their bosses though.

"Under these appalling circumstances, and considering that I am your creator," Cortex began, "I think it is only fair for all of you to give me fifty per cent of all of your earnings every month for the next ten years."

"WHOA! Hold on a minute!" Pinstripe protested. "I'm only a used car salesman. I don't make that many bucks." He gestured towards Tiny Tiger and Dingodile. "Those two guys make way more money than me."

"Excuse me mate, but I'll think you'll find that as Koala Kong is a famous Hollywood actor, he makes more money than all three of us put together." Dingodile snarled.

"We'll see what my lawyer thinks about this." Koala Kong snapped.

"We all know you don't have a lawyer. My word is final and I shall hear no more about it." Cortex glared at his minions, who were now having a bit of a strop. "Now, where are N. Tropy and the Komodo brothers?"

The minions looked at each other uneasily.

"It's kinda difficult telling youse this but N.Tropy got kidnapped by the clones." Pinstripe said reluctantly.

"WHAT?" Cortex bellowed. He thumped a fist onto the wooden table so hard that a spoon fell out of the ice-tub. "How dare they take our esteemed colleague away from us. The Time Twister was going to be our backup home. Those imposters will rue the day they decided to mess with I, Neo Cortex, future ruler of the world."

N.Gin was so used to receiving terrible news by now that he had become rather numb to it all. "And the Komodo brothers?"

"We ain't seen them since our fight with the clones."

The scientists looked at each other. It was time for payback.

- End of Chapter Six -