A Hero's Blood

Summary: What if Nina had won against Crash in 'Crash of the Titans'? How much would change? This story combines the usual 'Crash Bandicoot' timeline and my timeline. I own none of these characters, just my own ideas and any original characters that I use. Enjoy everyone.

It had been a typical day for Coco Bandicoot. She had been kidnapped by Dr. Neo Periwinkle Cortex, held captive on an evil robot, and the fate of her life and the world rested on the shoulders of her older brother, Crash Bandicoot. But not all of it was typical. Cortex was suspended in mid-air by his own niece, Nina Tabitha Cortex, who had replaced Cortex – due to Uka-Uka's orders.

-Flashback: A few hours ago-

After kidnapping Coco and stealing mojo from the temple, Dr. Neo Periwinkle Cortex was back at his castle, playing the piano. Tiny and N. Gin were with him, listening to him play.

Uka-Uka floated in and stated, yelling a bit, "That was ridiculous and applauding. You failed to destroy Crash Bandicoot."

Cortex stopped playing the piano and turned to Uka-Uka as he defended, "I don't see what the big deal is. We got away with the mojo and Crash's sister."

While he was saying this, N. Gin gave Cortex a cup of tea.

Uka-Uka corrected, "I got away with the mojo. And the big deal is that Crash Bandicoot is still alive. Cortex, I'm going to replace you."

Upon hearing this, Cortex's eyes widen as he spit his tea in N. Gin's face.

N. Gin screamed, covering his rocket eye, "Thank you, master!"

N. Gin wiped himself off as Cortex told Uka-Uka, "You can't replace me! My name is on the stationery!"

With that, Cortex pulled out a piece of paper to show Uka-Uka, which he did.

N. Gin laughed a bit and said, "Yeah, that's right tough guy! If you want to buy a new stationery, you respect the master!"

Tiny added with his arms folded across his chest, "It's a really nice stationery too."

N. Gin gasped and stated, "Oh, I know! Glossy!"

Uka-Uka stated to Cortex, "Cortex, you've never been more wrong."

Thinking that Uka-Uka was complimenting him, Cortex bowed.

"Uh, thank you," he said. That's when he realized and asked, "What?! What do you mean?"

As he asked that, he threw the cup of tea into N. Gin's face.

N. Gin laughed a bit and said, "Thank you again, master…hotter than the first!"

With that, N. Gin gave two thumbs up to Cortex.

Uka-Uka announced, "Allow me to introduce to you, your replacement: Nina Cortex!"

With that, Nina entered the room with her mutants. Cortex was so shocked by this so much that he spit into N. Gin's face again.

N. Gin complained, "Oh come on! He didn't even have a cup!"

Nina told her mutants, "Take out the trash, girls!"

The mutants did as they were told. In an instant, Cortex was tied up and hanging upside down.

Nina commented, "Sorry Uncle. But it's time for some young blood to lead us to victory." She then grabbed the bounded Coco and dragged her over. She added, "And now that we have Coco, we can make her build the robot."

Coco snarled, furious, "You won't get away with this! Crash will come and kick your butt."

Nina replied, confident, "Oh, I hope Crash tries, I really do. After all, I need a new fur coat." Nina laughed at this, snorting a bit. After she was done; she ordered, "Get to work on the Doominator, make more mutants soldiers! I want N. Sanity Isle smashed flat!"

Coco retaliated, the best she could; "Your hair is dumb!"

Nina rolled her eyes and stated, "Oh shut her up!"

With that, a red helmet went onto Coco's head, making her a mindless genius that obeyed every command that Nina or Uka-Uka gave her.

-End of Flashback-

Crash had finally arrived and the battle between him and Nina was going down. Nina was currently riding Arachina, a spider mutant. Crash was riding Ee-Lectric, an eel mutant. Aku-Aku was helping Crash keep control of Ee-Lectric. Things were working out right now in Crash's favor as both Coco and Cortex observed. Cortex was released when Crash arrived and given orders to keep the Doominator on course for N. Sanity Isle. Cortex watched this battle with the greatest of interest, with his thoughts surrounding him. It had been a year after the Evil Twins incident.

Everything went back to normal two months afterwards, when everyone competed for the deed to Von Clutch's Motor World. Crash wounded up winning the deed and giving it back to Von Clutch but that wasn't what was bothering him. Lately, he couldn't get what happened out of his head. For the past year, Cortex was up by dawn's early light and he refused to get out of his bed. Sometimes, he would just lie down on his bed, in his pajamas and totally confused. His thoughts were going faster than a bullet train in Tokyo and they were doing that as he watched the battle.

Cortex thought, 'Why…why did I help Crash defeat the Evil Twins? What was I thinking? Why did I wish that I could see Victor and Maurtiz again? Did that cause Victor and Maurtiz to return? Why did I enjoy working with Crash? Why did I feel…right…when I was working with Crash? And is Nina acting this way when she worked with Crash to save the world? What about John and Pete? Did they have no effect on her whatsoever?' Cortex's heart wasn't helping matters either for it was pounding. Ever since the whole experience had happened, Cortex's heart didn't stop pounding and hadn't stopped since.

Even after a year had passed, it continued to pound in his chest. Cortex wouldn't dare to admit it to his evil cohorts that he enjoyed being on the side of good and helping Crash defeat the Evil Twins. And also thanks to John and Pete, Crash and Cortex were best friends.

-Flashback: 'Crash Twin Sanity: One and Half'-

Crash, John, Cortex, and Pete are in this psychiatrist's office.

John asked his younger brother, "Why are we here again?"

"Search me," Pete answered.

"The reason you four are here is so that we can settle the conflict apparent in your relationship," the psychiatrist, Dr. Paul, said.

"We have conflict," John asked, confused.

"Apparently so," Pete answered, shrugging.

Dr. Paul then turned to Crash and Cortex as he stated, "Now, Mr. Bandicoot and Dr. Cortex, you have the most conflict. So, let's try something."

"It's not that lame falling thing is it," Crash asked.

"It's not lame," Dr. Paul defended, a bit teary eyed. Cortex, Crash, John, and Pete giggled at this under their breath. Dr. Paul cleared his throat and told Cortex, "Now Cortex, I want you to cross your arms across your chest and fall backwards. And Crash will catch you, making sure that you are in a safe place."

"Ugh, fine," Crash said.

Cortex responded, "I don't think this is going to work. He's an idiot. I don't like him let alone TRUST him." He paused and added, acting, "And I have a fear of falling." Everyone shoots him a look as he adds, "Okay, fine. Let's just get this over with."

Cortex starts to whisper that he is safe place. But that's when a Wumpa Fruit rolls right by Crash's feet.

Crash goes to get it as Cortex starts to fall. "Cortex; look out," said John and Pete, in unison.

It was too late as Cortex fell and crashed into the bookcase. Crash bites into the Wumpa Fruit, looks over his shoulder, and shrugs. John and Pete both smacked their foreheads.

Cortex groaned, "Oh, how I HATE Bandicoots."

Cortex fainted again and a book smacks him in the forehead.

"That could've gone better," John reported.

"Oh yeah," Pete said.

Dr. Paul told them, "Don't feel too left out. You two are next."

"Yup," said John and Pete, in unison, "That figures."

-End of Flashbacks-

John and Pete were a big influence on Cortex and Crash, helping them sort out the trouble they had during the very first tussle the evil scientist and the mutant south Australian bandicoot ever had. Anyways, the battle between Nina and Crash had just turned from in Crash's favor into Nina's favor. Crash was thrown off Ee-Lectric and Aku-Aku was thrown aside. Coco gasped and Cortex started to sweat out of worry. Things weren't looking all too good as Arachina approached the down bandicoot.

Nina yelled, "Crush him!"

"NO," Coco yelled – at the same time Cortex did.

No one heard the evil scientist's command and Nina didn't really care what Coco thought so Arachina lifted up its legs and they went crashing down on the hero. The whole thing kind of went in slow motion and there was an eerie silence after the deed was done. No one said a word as they all looked at where Arachina had stomped. There was a pool of blood underneath the spider and it was getting bigger by the second. Coco gasped as Cortex was about to rush down and help but Nina saw him from the corner of her eye.

"Don't even think about it, uncle," she hissed, "I'm not letting you finish this – it is no longer your job."

Cortex wanted to scream so badly, "Yeah, well as top student from the Evil Medical School, I have every right to check Crash!"

Sadly, the words never came out for Arachina had lifted its legs before Cortex could yell. The pool of blood was there…as was Crash's dead body. Seeing his dead body was too gruesome that Nina gave everyone mercy and had Arachina cover the body again. Coco was green in the fur, sick to her stomach. Cortex was green in the skin in his case as he was also sick to his stomach. Aku-Aku was just frozen there, no one could tell if he was going green or not. Nina had long recovered from the shock and started to celebrate.

"Alright," she said, pumping her fists into the air, "I defeated Crash Bandicoot!"

Coco yelled, breaking her silence, "Defeated him? You murdered him! You murdered my brother!"

AK1028: I apologize for the bit of delay on this one. I have returned to college and things are rush, rush over here. Anyways, I hope that this story comes out as good as 'Cortex Chaos'. I think it's off to a pretty good start, sorry that I had to kill off Crash – it was needed for this story. I hope to continue with this, get my other stories off hiatus, and finish them and this. Please read and review! And remember: always think outside of the box! Later!