Warning: This is a pretty dark story containing blood and violence (no worries though, I toned down the gory details and there is no bad language!).
This story is the one detailing my Hammer Bro. OC, Crash's, background. It's also got the highest word-count I've done in a One-shot.
-~-
A red-garbed, mustached plumber crept through the dark corridors of the castle, almost sweating from the heat, no doubt radiating from the numerous lava pits. Cheese and rice, was it really necessary to put lava pits INSIDE one's house? Peeking over a corner, the human scanned his surroundings, searching for any enemies that might be on guard and fully prepared to face a Koopatrol or a fire-breathing Pirahna Plant. Seeing nothing though, Mario blinked in surprise but nonetheless stayed tense as he slowly inched his way out of his cover. This was just too easy, maybe he should-
A rush of wind whizzed past his head and he jumped back on reflex, turning to face his attackers. Two Hammer Bros. stood poised to attack once more, hammers at the ready. He knew this was too easy, and he reached for his Fire Flower; unfortunately, he wasn't going to be allowed such a move as the two Koopas took aim at the intruder and launched their infamous stream of endless weaponry. Mario braced himself before throwing himself this way and that as he dodged the hammers, advancing on his attackers as he did so. Within seconds, he lunged in retaliation, the two brothers in turn throwing themselves in opposite directions. Mid-jump, one of them took critical aim and launched another hammer.
Mario didn't know what hit him as the hammer slammed into his head and he fell to the ground... before disappearing in a cloud of stars. Crash and Striker grinned in triumph, one twin walking over to stand by the other.
"Nice aim, Striker. Now if you can only hit a real target!" Crash said jokingly, laughing as his brother gave him a responding shove.
"Let's see you say that when I tell the Magikoopa to up the difficulty level." Striker poked back with a grin. "I bet you'd choke if it was higher than Warm-Up."
Narrowing his eyes in a playful glare, Crash was about to make a come-back when a high-pitched, chirpy voice signaled the approach of someone he didn't particularly want to meet right now...
"THAT WAS AWESOME!!!" And now, Crash's elation completely drove itself into the ground as a young Paratroopa zoomed over to them. It was Flap, their '#1 Fan'/stalker. Face-palming, Crash heard his brother snickering at him as the little Koopa landed by the duo. "The way you guys jumped and threw those hammers! Wow! That Mario thing didn't stand a chance!" The Paratroopa fluttered his wings in contained hyperactivity as he continued to awe over his idols. "The real Mario better look out, 'cause you two are gonna take him down, no sweat at all!"
"Yeah, yeah. It was just a warm-up, so will you be quiet now?" Crash muttered in irritation, finding the mere presence of the Paratroopa annoying almost beyond his tolerance. He wouldn't mind the little fanboy if he knew how to simply shut up! He knew that as a Hammer Bro., alot of the lower-ranked Koopas would be admiring him and striving to be like him. That's not really a bad thing and he understood that, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't find a rabid, psycho fanboy anything but creepy.
Personally, he never was fond of the other Koopa species. They just didn't seem particularly useful, especially in the defense of the Koopa King whenever Mario is involved. If anything, they were just mere decoys used to stall and distract the enemy for like...2 seconds. Meanwhile, his own kind and their subspecies brethren were much more of a challenge; he recalled news that he once heard that his own kind was in fact, one of Mario's major fears. THAT said something in comparison, he felt.
Well, I guess we need someone to do the dirty work, he thought to himself as he watched a Koopa Troopa sweep up the star-dust remains of their practice target. Returning his attention reluctantly on the current situation, he put on a bored face as he regarded the jumpy little Paratroopa who continued to fawn over them like they were the greatest thing to ever walk the planet. Oh, come on... Doesn't this kid have any other Hammer Bros. to harass? Then again, he'd rather not subject his fellows to THAT.
"Ugh! I wish I was hatched a Hammer Bro.! And-" The Paratroopa's endless ramble was cut off as Striker waved his hand with a smile, always having a bit more tolerance than his brother.
"You were hatched a Paratroopa. Enjoy those wings because I'm sure there are some out there envying you for having them."
"You think?" Flap asked in surprise, glancing back at his wings before feeling a little flicker of pride.
Striker didn't get the opportunity to answer when a roaring voice echoed powerfully through the corridors of the castle. "ALL KOOPAS REPORT TO ME, NOW!!!" It was King Bowser Koopa and the three Koopas visibly cringed at the loud and unexpected call. Looking to each other in silence, the trio began walking towards the throne room with hurried strides, knowing what little patience their superior had. Arriving quickly, the three saw the large room filled with practically every species of Koopa under the sun. Losing Flap as they pushed through the crowd, Crash and Striker made efforts to reach the very front, looking up at the largest Koopa in the room, whose leering red eyes scanned his audience to make sure they were all accounted for.
Once everybody was present, Bowser spoke up, his voice reverberating throughout the entire room and rattling the shells of every minion here. "I'm about to put into motion a new plan to kidnap the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom," -At this, the vast majority of the Koopas held in a groan- "but I notice our ranks are diminishing because of the monster we all know as Mario. So, to fix that problem, we're going to launch a raid on a nearby Koopa village. I want you to capture as many Koopas as possible so we may begin to convert them to our ranks."
This got a loyal nod from the group as they immediately went on to organize their raiding party, their first task figuring out who was going and who wasn't. They weren't foolish enough to waste their entire army in a simple mission as this. The 'good' Koopas, -those who wished to ally themselves with the Mushroom Kingdom rather than to their own king-, were not trained fighters, and although a defense would be anticipated, it wasn't to be taken seriously. Looking towards Crash as they watched over the forming rank, Striker muttered softly under his breath. "Should we volunteer for the job?"
"I don't see why not. All these other Koopas are just gonna screw it up." his twin answered, also using it as an excuse to leave Flap behind, as the fledgling Paratroopa was a bit too young to join in any mission potentially involving battle. So for the time being, Flap contented himself with getting his king a simple drink, shouting out good wishes to his heroes, whom pretty much ignored him. Huh, maybe they just didn't hear him over the noisy activity. Yeah, that was it! He fluttered out the throne room towards the kitchen, just as clueless as ever before.
Eventually, everything was organized and the strategy was all worked out and ready to go into action. This will just be a quick in-and-out; the stronger members of the rank will subdue resistance whilst the lower-ranking Koopas will capture the hostages and bring them back to the castle. With any luck, the entire process will only span the length of an hour... including the trip there and back. The nearest Koopa village was not far at all, only a few miles with little obstacles, and the armada began moving out from the castle towards the community of unsuspecting Koopas.
It was a peaceful town, the Koopa village, and the residents were just going about their daily lives when a watchful Paratroopa took notice of strange dust-cloud that seemed to be getting closer. Pausing in a hover, he squinted at the supposed cloud to see the advancing army of fellow Koopas. Realizing quickly what was going to happen, as there had been rumors of raids in other Koopa communities, the aerial look-out swooped down the main path of his village as quickly as his wings could carry him.
"We're about to be invaded by Bowser's army! Everyone get ready!" he shouted at the very top of his lungs, repeating the alarm as needed until he was certain he covered every inch of town. The other Koopas began to panic as most retreated into their houses. Some were bolder, however, and was ready to defend themselves, their home, and their families. As the army reached the outskirts of the village, they were met with a wall of resistance and within a few seconds, the two forces met in a swarming sea of scales, beaks, and shells.
It was pure chaos all around them as Crash and Striker stood side-by-side, living in the heat of battle as they brought down any enemy in their line of sight with a flurry of hammers. Missions like this, even if they were as minor as a simple raid, were what they lived for and the two worked as a single unit to get the job done. One of the village Koopas attempted to break this cooperation by slamming himself into Crash relentlessly. The attacked Hammer Bro. gave a snarl as the two rolled farther off from their original spot, each trying to pin down the other. But Crash was the stronger and more experienced turtle and he struck out with a hammer and knocked the smaller reptile off of him. Hopping back to his feet, he took his stunned opponent's wrists and tied them with rope, giving the same treatment to the legs. Grinning at this accomplishment, he put two fingers in his beak and gave a loud whistle.
Within an instant, two ally Koopa Troopas hurried over and took the hostage, dragging him off the battle grounds towards the castle. There's one more hostage he caught; he wondered how many they've captured so far. Hopefully, by the end, it'll be enough to satisfy Bowser. But no time to ponder too much about any given subject; doing so could result in his own capture or even losing his life. Pulling out more hammers, Crash resumed launching them at any enemy Koopa that he saw, many of which met their target. The stunned Koopas were immediately swarmed upon by his allies to meet the fate of a captive 'recruit'. Everything was going well; he would even go as far as calling it a piece of cake.
Catching sight of a particularly feisty enemy Koopa, he smirked as he took aim and-
"CRASH!!!" That one singular cry was all that existed in the world as the regarded Hammer Bro. froze mid-throw, eyes wide. No...No, it couldn't be... Crash snapped his attention towards the voice's direction, seeing past the chaos, focusing only on a single pile of attacking enemy Koopas. An instinct he never felt before, a pure instinct of panic racing through his veins with every beat of his frantic heart, took over his body and he tried to dash to the rescue of his brother. But things were not to be so easy as several of the enemy Koopas tried to attack him in turn.
Not wanting to fight anymore, but having no choice, Crash shoved and reached for another hammer, slugging one unfortunate Koopa across the head. But even as he was defending his own life, all he could think about was his brother. Casting as many glances towards his sibling as he could manage, he took notice that several ally Koopas were nearby, watching the pile attack the Hammer Bro. in fear. Calling out to them, his voice was beyond desperate.
"Hey! Save my brother!" he told them, trying his best to get his attackers out of the way as quickly as he could to no avail. The ally Koopas, consisting of a Koopa Troopa, a Paratroopa, and a Dry Bones, looked to him, acknowledging him with only frightened confusion. "Don't just stand there! Help him!" He then used a word he hardly ever used in any context, but he didn't care if his dignity was to be shattered; his twin's life was on a very thin line. "Please! You have to save him!'"
But it didn't go as he had hoped when the trio of Koopas looked at each other, then at the attacking mob. They seemed extremely reluctant to launch themselves at the obviously murderous mob, and when a few of the enemy Koopas turned their attention to them, the trio, -Crash's only hope-, turned and ran away to save themselves without so much as a second's backwards glance.
"No! Don't leave him! Don't..." Crash could say no more as he was overwhelmed with horror and disbelief. What were they...how could they...? No thoughts could finish in his mind as even more desperation filled his core. Shoving his opponents away, he struggled to get free of their horde, focused only on reaching his brother. But it was no use, for when he finally broke free, the mob was dispersing to reveal... "No...NononononoNO!"
Crash hurried to his sibling, ignoring the chaos around him as if it all didn't exist. Reaching his sibling's side, he shook the limp body fervently. "Striker! Striker, get up! You have to get up!" He wasn't getting any response from the beaten form at his feet and he shook him even harder, shouting his name at the top of his lungs. But he knew he was screaming at a corpse, although his mind refused to accept it. His brother couldn't possibly be dead! No! It was... It was physically impossible... It was... It was true. His brother, his best friend, was gone, never to return to him.
Dropping to his knees, Crash felt his face begin to soak as tears fell unhindered from his eyes, dripping onto the body of the fallen Hammer Bro. Reaching out, Crash held the body of his brother close in as best a hug as his shivering form would allow, not caring that some of Striker's blood was smearing onto his shell. Nothing mattered; an enemy Koopa could've hit him on the head with a shovel and broke his helmet in two and he wouldn't notice, he wouldn't care. The only individual he ever really cared for was gone.
Hammer Bros. were hatched as twins and were to remain together for life. Friends, mates, other family members were important, yes, but twin siblings were the top priority when it came to his kind. Never were they to separate and to find oneself alone prematurely was...unthinkable. Until now. It wasn't fair! They were supposed to go out with a bang, supposed to leave this world together to face whatever unknowns awaited them! And now, he was left behind to pick up the pieces and it was all his fault!
No, his mind spoke through the emotional fog otherwise clouding his consciousness. It wasn't your fault at all. You did the best you could. If anything, the real targets for your blame are...
That revelation didn't need to complete itself in his head before his eyes snapped open, taking on an intense and irrational glare. His inner voice was right; he wasn't the one who ran away in cowardly fear when one of his own allies needed him most. No, it was those lowly Koopas that did this. They were always decoys in his mind; treated with indifference at best and a source of irritation at worse, but now... But now they were so much more than that; and that wasn't a good thing.
People always say that one doesn't think straight in situations like this; that wasn't so with Crash. If anything, his mind cleared more than it ever has, and his emotional fog faded at least temporarily. It was so very clear to him now; those lower Koopas were nothing but cowards, pests that were willing to heartlessly abandon one of their own in any given situation. Creatures like that were NOT worthy of life!
Placing his brother back on the ground, he stood up and turned away, eyes scanning for his perceived enemies. Ah, there they are, tying down a struggling hostage. Focusing only on his targets, Crash felt his body fill with a horrible rage that he's never felt before. Walking with a menacing purpose in his step, he approached the trio, reaching for a hammer and gripping it in a hold so tight, it would be physically painful if he actually cared to notice. Stopping before the struggling Koopas, they paused as they looked up at him, the hostage Koopa's eyes widening in fear, thinking Crash was here as back-up. The Hammer Bro. certainly seemed pissed as he rose his hammer.
The hostage Koopa closed his eyes in terror, waiting for the blow. He felt the rush of wind, but there was no pain. Within an instant, there was a cry, and it took the Koopa a second to realize that that cry wasn't his own. Opening his eyes, he was stunned at what he saw.
Crash stormed to the fallen Koopa Troopa that he just struck across the head, grabbing him by the neck and keeping him from getting back up. Then came the most brutal act any of the Koopas, good or bad, has ever seen. Each blow filled with every ounce of hatred Crash had, he brought the hammer down again and again, smashing the Koopa's head and face in. Although he was quickly becoming covered in blood and his victim was already beyond dead, he didn't stop for even a second. And when he did, there was silence all around him as nearby Koopas from both sides stared at him in horror. He ignored them as they weren't important, turning his sharp gaze to his other two targets.
The Paratroopa and Dry Bones were frozen for a moment, their minds barely comprehending what just happened. Did this Hammer Bro. just...? They then snapped out of their stunned state to notice that attention had shifted to them and they began to back up in terror. Crash only needed to stand before both Koopas turned tail and tried to retreat, the Paratroopa taking flight. But Crash wasn't about to let either of them get away after what they done to Striker, and he unleashed a stream of hammers in their general direction, uncaring if any bystander was stupid enough to get in the line of fire.
As one of the hammers reduced the Dry Bones into a useless pile, Crash hurried to the bones to smash the arms and legs so that even when the Dry Bones reassembled, he won't be able to get anywhere anytime soon. One enemy immobilized, Crash scanned the sky to spy the Paratroopa still flying away. Taking out another hammer, he took only a split-second to aim before he threw it right into the aerial turtle's wing with a sickening crack. The Paratroopa cried out in pain before crashing into the dirt, not even having enough time to withdraw into his shell to protect against the impact. Several other Koopas rushed over to help him up, but even they backed off when Crash made his way over, each not wanting to be the target of this seemingly random act of violence. The Paratroopa saw the approach and scrambled to his feet frantically, only to feel more explosive pain as the Hammer Bro. threw another hammer into his leg. Falling over, the winged Koopa attempted to scoot away before he felt a tight grip clamping onto the front edge of his shell.
Feeling a cold fear beyond anything he's ever felt before creep through his body, he turned his head to see Crash holding yet another hammer ready to strike. Swallowing, the Koopa made one last desperate attempt to get out of this insane situation.
"Don't! Please!" he screamed, his voice choking. However, it only got the opposite of its intention as Crash's glare hardened even more as he responded in the lowest growl the Paratroopa's heard since Bowser's last anger fit.
"Why would I show mercy to you when you clearly lack it yourself?" Gritting his beak and tightening his grip, more tears welled up in his eyes and he made no attempt to stop them as they only strengthened his rage. Bringing his hammer down, he earned a screech of agony as he made contact. Another blow sent the Paratroopa into the darkness of unconsciousness, but that was nowhere near good enough as Crash put all his strength into the next blow. There was a horrible crunching sound signaling the Paratroopa's death, but like with the Koopa Troopa, Crash kept on going. Yet more warm blood splattered onto his face and chest and he didn't stop until the smaller Koopa's face was unrecognizable.
One more left. Standing and breathing heavily, Crash turned to find the Dry Bones in the middle of reassembling himself, making vain efforts to mend his broken limbs so as to retreat. It didn't seem at all possible to kill a Koopa that was already dead, but that was not going to detour the murderous Hammer Bro. from his vengeance. He'll make it happen, and he knew exactly how to do it. Storming over to the skeleton, he glared down at the whimpering head, meeting the scared eyes of this monster, this pathetic deformed coward.
The sound of yet more crunching filled the air as Crash proceeded to attack the undead Koopa. Again and again his hammer was brought down, hitting any part unfortunate enough to be underneath it. All the while, the Dry Bones could do nothing but watch his own body get reduced to nothing more than dust from the constant beating. Finally, Crash turned his attention to the skull itself and finished the entire ordeal once and for all, giving it the same treatment as he did the rest of the body and shell.
There was more silence, broken only by the heavy breaths of the rampaging Hammer Bro. A quick glance around showed he was alone, the other Koopas on both sides feeling enough terror from the spectacle that they both retreated to their respective homes. Who cares? Now that his targets were obliterated, nothing else mattered for the time being. Nothing except his brother. Turning away from the pile of bone dust, Crash stumbled towards Striker's body, dropping his blood covered hammer as he fell to his knees by his sibling's side.
From there, his body was wracked with shuddering sobs as he broke down completely, burying his face into his arms, which in turn were laid across his brother's shell. For a long time, only his cries and whimpers echoed through the landscape. He didn't move from his position, he didn't form any coherent words. He just cried relentlessly, even after his eyes ran out of tears to shed. Eventually, though, his shudders began to die down and when he lifted his soaked face from his brother's shell, he saw that night has fallen. Only the light from the nearby village and from the stars and moon illuminated the darkness around him, and even then, it still seemed too dark.
Still refusing to move from his spot, Crash shifted only his eyes to look up at the sky. Although the stars that greeted him were numerous, he's never felt so alone. It was strange, this feeling of utter loneliness; it was the most horrible sensation he's ever felt. He's used to leaving his brother's side for only a short time, and only when King Bowser had an assignment specifically for himself or for Striker. It was unnatural for a Hammer Bro. to be without a partner; he's known several Hammer Bros. that lost their siblings, mostly to Mario. And over a variable amount of time, most of them... ended up in such a strong state of depression that they ultimately perished as a result, whether from their own hands or from natural causes brought on by the grief.
Was he to meet the same fate as well? Might as well end it now, whilst he was still by his brother's side. They'll still be together...Sure, there was a delay between them, but it's basically the same thing when it came down to it. He can just take the sharp end of his hammer and...
But despite those thoughts, his body was unresponsive. He just couldn't summon the energy needed to even reach for a hammer. All he could do was let his heavy eyelids close and allow himself to drift into a fretful slumber. His last thought was the hope that he would never wake again, to face his first day truly alone...
---
The sun was unforgiving as it peeked over the horizon, shining its glow over the landscape like a curtain opening to reveal a powerful spot light. Crash winced as the rays struck his face and he turned his head away. He was awake, as he had been for about an hour now. It has been an exceptionally rough night, where he would startle awake at random, about to call out for his brother, only to remember the events of the previous day. So much for the wish to slip away in his sleep...
Opening his eyes slowly, he found every movement draining and sore, like he's just performed the most vigorous exercise of his life. It didn't help that the dried blood had caked over his scales, making his skin feel too tight. He didn't care; he could be in the never-ending agony of being eviscerated alive, and he would welcome it entirely. Looking over to the village, as if hoping the residents would carry out his silent wishes, he saw that the few Koopas who were awake were still hiding in their houses, occasionally peeking out at him from a window.
Deciding to ignore them too as he forced himself to sit up, Crash turned his attention to the only thing that did matter. Placing a shaky hand on his brother's helmet, he felt his sobs returning, but his eyes were dry as his tears has still not replenished. Choking out his words, his voice was hallow and sounded foreign to him.
"I'm sorry, Striker. I'm sorry I couldn't reach you in time. I'm sorry that..." As he trailed off, he felt his sorrow partner itself with rage and he felt his hands tighten into fists as he hissed through a clenched beak. "I'm sorry we had to ally ourselves with miserable pieces of scum! I'll make them all pay for what they did to you. I won't rest until every one of their kind is rotting in the ground! I don't care what Lord Bowser says or does about it; I'll finish the job as a Dry Bones if I have to!"
His anger cooled a bit as he fell silent, just staring at Striker's body as if hoping for some response. But there was nothing; there always will be nothing. Taking a deep shaky breath and letting it out in a broken sigh, he stood up, a bit unsteady on his feet from his night of no general movement. Scanning the landscape for a suitable spot, he sighted a soft patch of dirt under a large tree. That looked good. Leaning down, he took gentle hold of his brother's arms and proceeded to drag him to that spot as best he could. Arriving at the patch, he dug his bloodied hands into the soil and began to dig.
The soil was surprisingly cooperative, as if it understood what he was doing. Sure, there was an occasional rock or root in the way, but it was nothing he couldn't remove. After what seemed like forever, a deep enough grave was built and he stood up to gently shift his brother into it, not even dusting himself off. Placing Striker inside delicately, Crash paused to look upon his sibling one last time before replacing the removed dirt slowly. One handful after another fell into the grave and it wasn't too long at all before the burial was completed, with only a small mound to reveal the nature of this small patch of dirt. Unsatisfied so far, Crash picked up two hammers and stabbed their handles into the ground, leaning them towards each other enough to form an 'X' and tying them together with what rope he still had.
There. Standing up solemnly, Crash stood with his head bowed in silent respect, staying like that for the longest time before reluctantly backing away a couple steps. Practically against his will, he turned away and began to walk, forcing himself not to look back as he knew that if he did, he would never be able to leave. He just kept moving, focusing step by step towards the castle. He stopped for nothing, not wanting to risk breaking down again. Mario could walk across his path and say 'Kill me; I give up', and Crash would've made no acknowledgement to it whatsoever.
Finally, the castle loomed into sight, towering above him as he crossed the lava-pit that acted as a protective moat. A couple of Boomerang Bros. were guarding the entrance, but Crash said nothing to his subspecies relatives. He didn't even want to look at them. They were equals in his mind and were to be spared from the fate he had planned for the other Koopas, but just looking at the two siblings, only reminded him of what he had lost forever.
The fellow Koopas stared wide-eyed at him as he entered the castle, but made no effort to stop him to ask questions. Keeping his gaze on the ground, he noticed in his peripheral vision, and the general feeling of being watched, that every Koopa of any species he came across was staring at him in horror as he wandered by. He knew how he looked to them: here he comes alone and covered in dirt and dried-up blood, which anyone can tell from the scent came from his fellow Koopas, with a dazed look on his face.
Let them gawk; they did this to him, so they had nobody to blame but themselves. What he did was not murder; it was justice and once he recovered his strength, he'll carry out the full extent of that justice on every single one of them. But right now, all he wanted was to get into his room, -a room he no longer shared with his sibling, he realized-, collapse on the bed, and forget everything for a few precious hours. Unfortunately, it seems he wasn't going to be granted even that as a loud roar once more echoed through the halls.
"CRASH, REPORT TO ME IMMEDIATELY!!!" Again, it was King Bowser Koopa; seems news of his return had spread faster than wild fire. Barely snapping out of his state, Crash listlessly changed his course and began wandering towards the throne room. His mind couldn't even get itself to wonder vaguely what was in store for him. Nonetheless, the mystery won't last too long, for as soon as he walked through the door, a massive fire-ball slammed right into him. Crying out at the unexpected burning pain, Crash was thrown back against a wall and sank back to the ground.
Wincing heavily at the lingering pain of his new burns, Crash could barely open an eye to see his king looking absolutely furious. The spike-shelled giant stormed over to his fallen self and the Hammer Bro. had no way of defending himself as the King of Koopas grabbed him in such a tight hold, that he could barely breathe. He didn't struggle in any way, knowing it would be useless and finding no real motivation to do so in the first place. Glaring red eyes bored into him and Crash could barely maintain eye-contact in his near-suffocation as his lord hissed out.
"I've been informed our raid had to be cut short because of you. Is it true that you went traitor on us, and killed several of our own soldiers?!" Bowser half-expected Crash to lie; he wanted the Hammer Bro. to lie, to try and deceive him and dig himself into an even greater punishment. But that expectation was surprisingly not met when Crash responded with as best a nod as he could manage, finding no reason to try to save himself. It startled Bowser, for sure, as he usually had to torture a truthful answer out of a guilty Koopa. But it did little to change the issue at hand and the larger Koopa threw his victim into yet another wall.
Crash held in a cry of pain this time, his heavy shell and helmet doing little to cushion the impact when it came from such a powerful foe. Coughing out a bit of blood, the Hammer Bro. tried to force himself to his hands and knees, almost missing his punisher's words as he did so.
"You were always a loyal servant, Crash. So hearing something like this really begs the question as to WHY!" That angry roar rang through his ears and head and Crash had to reorientate himself to try and form a verbal response.
"Th...they killed Striker..." At this, Lord Bowser looked rather surprised through his anger. He certainly hasn't been told this part of the story. Crash was unaware of his boss' reaction as he continued, fighting back the replenished tears that begged to flow from his eyes once more. "...They showed no mercy for my brother... So they'll get no mercy from me..." Keeping his head low in submission, he looked toward his king, not going to let any details of his intentions go unheard. "So kill me now, my Lord... Because if you don't... I'm gonna ensure that every...single...one of them will get the same treatment they showed Striker."
Closing his eyes and sinking to the floor in a wave of weakness, Crash waited for the inevitable, not caring if it'll be painless and hoping that it won't be. His brother suffered in his death, and Crash wished the same for himself. But after a moment, nothing happened and Crash turned his attention to Bowser in confusion. The king actually looked thoughtful, his face carrying that same look he always had when he was working out how to get something negative to work in his favor. Which was exactly what he was doing. Hammer Bros. were his elite forces, but also a bit on the rare side. As such, he didn't treat them as much in a disposable manner as he would show, say, to a common Koopa Troopa.
Whenever a Hammer Bro. (or any kind of Bro.) lost his brother, Bowser at least tries to assign them a new partner, but it was never truly enough to keep them content and alive for long. But this one was a strange case. Never before has a Hammer Bro. placed so much obvious rage and hatred towards the other Koopas, blamed them to this extent of retaliation. The King of Koopas was fully aware how destructive that behavior would be if he allowed it, as his Koopa Troop was thinning out as it is, so maybe it'll be best to get rid of the problem entirely, even if it meant one less elite fighter. Or maybe, if he utilizes it correctly...
The floor vibrated with every step the giant Koopa took towards the fallen form of Crash. Feeling that his end was finally coming, Crash once more closed his eyes and fell limp, counting the seconds silently in his mind. Finally, the shuddering steps halted and the smaller Koopa could practically feel Bowser's presence beside him.
"Get up." the King barked and another instant of confusion flashed in the Hammer Bro.'s head. But that confusion didn't matter as Crash pushed himself up, first on all fours before shakily standing upright, ignoring the pain as he straightened to attention, eyes still clamped shut just in case the end would claim him unexpectedly. There was a silence in the thick atmosphere before Bowser spoke again, his tone a bit calmer. "Let's test just how much that vow of yours holds up."
"Sir...?" Crash croaked out, his bloodied face communicating his bewilderment as he looked up at his superior. But King Koopa didn't answer as he turned his attention to the door and shouted at the top of his voice.
"FLAP!!! GET IN HERE!!!" One would think that his voice would give out with so much yelling, but his roars were just as strong as ever. Crash was all the more confused; what's the point of calling in that stupid Paratroopa kid? He wasn't to be left in the dark for too long before Bowser turned back to him. "Perhaps I can still make use of you. You tell me you want to kill the other Koopas but I wish to see if your bite is as bad as your bark. When Flap gets in here, you're free to do what you wish and you will stop only when I say so. Understand?"
Realization dawned on Crash and his gaze hardened as a result. So Bowser's testing whether his words were just a bluff, nothing more than an empty promise made in the heat of the moment? Well, he wasn't going to fail that test. When the young Paratroopa fluttered into the room, Crash didn't even waste a second before he pulled out a hammer and took aim at the unsuspecting Koopa, throwing his weapon and striking the little Paratroopa right in the wing. There goes Flap's only true defense, and the kid screamed in startled agony as he fell to the ground. Whimpering, Flap looked over to his damaged wing; while he was lucky the flight limbs haven't broken off completely as they tended to do under trauma, the pain was unbearable. He certainly won't be flying for a long time, but...
Looking over at some movement, he didn't even get a chance to identify his attacker before another hammer struck him across his face. With a squeal of pain, he opened his eyes to see... Crash? For an instant, his bleary mind couldn't comprehend it, couldn't link the other Koopa with his pain. But it was obvious as Crash lifted his hammer again and brought it back down. Within that very instant, Flap cried out in fear and tried to pull away. The hammer made contact and cracked the under-shell, but even with the natural barrier, Flap grunted from the force of the impact.
"Crash! What're you doing?!" the young Koopa piped when his lungs recovered the air lost in the blow, gaining enough of his senses to scramble away on all fours. But although injured and weak himself, Crash was more than capable enough to grab hold of the Paratroopa's injured wing and he yanked him back to his original spot, causing little Flap to cry out in pain. Instinctively, the smaller Koopa began to struggle and fight back, trying to shove Crash away, whilst snapping the air with his beak. The Hammer Bro. was undeterred by his weaker opponent, and wisely keeping out of reach of that frantic beak, he stilled Flap's thrashes with another blow to the head.
Squeaking, the youngster felt his body go limp, his vision just black for a moment despite his eyes being wide open. Bordering unconsciousness, he was only aware of pain, which only got worse as Crash smashed his hammer into Flap's right leg. His resulting shriek of pain bringing him back from his stunned state, Flap felt uncontrollable tears soak his cheeks as he whimpered, trying everything in the unwritten book of Koopa behavior to show submission. He didn't wanna fight back, he didn't want this conflict, he didn't want anymore pain! But it wasn't working for some reason and Crash ignored the appeasing squeaks and humbled body language to snap Flap's other leg.
There. Now the little one can't run away like the coward he was. The Hammer Bro. glared down at the sobbing creature, his face void of compassion and only carrying an infinite amount of hatred. Flap has never done anything to him, except annoy him. He didn't bring any physical or emotional pain to him, he never back-stabbed him, and before the incident, Crash might admit that he did care a little about the inexperienced fanboy. But all that was chucked out the figurative window, because all Crash saw was not a frightened child in pain, whom couldn't comprehend the situation; no, all he saw was a monster, a monster that forfeited its life from the moment it was hatched a Paratroopa.
Really, Flap oughta be dead by now; Crash was more than capable of ending him in an instant. But there was to be no satisfaction in that. Make him suffer; that's the only way to properly carry out justice.
"C...Crash..." Flap choked out, a few droplets of blood revealing itself from his mouth as he spoke. Eyes wide, he met the gaze of his attacker, trying again to appeal to his idol, his hero! "Why...Why are you...doing this...? I...I thought we were friends...!"
Hearing this, Crash's expression flared and Flap cringed and shuddered in pure terror as the Hammer Bro. grabbed him by the throat and held him close to his blood-covered face. "I would never be friends with a mudstain like you. Not after what you did."
"Wha...?" Flap barely managed to squeak, his hands prying uselessly at the iron grip around his neck. Crash didn't seem to have heard him as he carried on with an underlying hiss, his tone building with anger with each word.
"I always wondered what Lord Bowser sees in any of you... All my life, I saw you as distractions, decoys. Not really capable of anything of value." He gave a self-loathing laugh, shaking his head to himself as he continued his ramble, as if not addressing anyone in particular. "But I didn't really want to believe that. I wanted to think that I was simply not seeing your true potential and that it'll all dawn on me if given the time..."
With that, his eyes sharpened, glaring right into the tear-filled pools of his current victim's gaze, and his choking hold tightened even more, hardly allowing the Paratroopa even a wisp of air. This time, his stabbing words had a target, driving themselves painfully into the little fledgling's heart and soul.
"And I've been so foolish as to give you all that one chance; that one chance to prove me wrong, to show me that you were more than just meaningless tools..." His eyes began to fill with tears once more, and he made no efforts to fight them back, allowing them to tickle down his cheeks as the image of his brother's body flashed in his mind's eye. "And what came out of it?! I practically begged you to save my brother's LIFE and WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
"N...nothing..." Flap stuttered weakly, still confused as to why this was happening and what Crash was talking about. The little Paratroopa wasn't even part of the raid-incident, so why was his idol turning on him so very viciously? He was inclined to think this was under King Bowser's orders, but that didn't explain the terrible flaming rage flashing in Crash's eyes during the whole conflict. And even when that flame seemed to have simmered down at his answer, it was replaced with such icy coldness that Flap actually felt a chill run down his spine.
"Exactly. Nothing. And now," He took hold of his bloodied hammer that rested beside him once more and Flap would scream in horror if he could breathe properly. "every time I so much as glance at the rest of your disgusting kind, all I will be able to think about is how much I would love to BASH YOUR BRAINS OUT!!!" With that outburst, he smashed the hammer into the Paratroopa's skull with all his might, finally putting an end to the fledgling's suffering. But like with all his previous victims, it wasn't enough and he began smashing the face into a bloodied pulp.
"That's enough, Crash!" Bowser commanded, having seen all he needed to decide his future plans concerning this situation. But Crash paid no mind, as if not hearing his king's orders and he kept brutalizing the corpse until a fire-ball slammed into him. Forced off the body, Crash slid across the room, his new burns practically smoking. Overwhelmed with pain, his anger broke in time to hear his lord's words. "When I say stop, you stop! Do you hear me!?"
Crash forced a nod through his agony, trying to push passed it all to stand again. He can only manage to lift his body abit on his arms before the pain got too much and he tried to recover from everything that happened within the span of a few moments. Analyzing his actions, he realized that through his pain and rage, he felt something odd. It was like satisfaction, but a lot stronger, especially whenever his victim cried in pain. Within an instant, he understood what it was: pleasure, pure sadistic pleasure. Even now, through his sheer agony, both old and new, the feeling with still residing within him.
In his moment of self-realization, he almost missed Bowser's next statement.
"Now that you understand that basic command, I have a new little arrangement for you, Crash." Bowser started, his red eyes flashing maliciously. "I'll allow you to punish and occasionally execute the other Koopas, but only when I say and only when I approve. Some are growing too lax and disrespectful and I will use you to keep them in line. Plus, new recruits always tend to be defiant, but it's nothing a good beating can't fix." Growling pleasantly at the thought, Bowser stepped over to the Hammer Bro. "Those are your only options. Either continue to serve me under my restraints and live; or give in to your lack of self-control and become a loose cannon, in which case I might as well kill you now."
Understanding what he was being 'offered', Crash paused for a moment to consider. He wanted the other Koopas dead, as many and as fast as he could make possible. Those restraints won't allow him to kill on a whim. At least in death, he'll be reunited with his brother...no! He must first right the wrong that has been done; bring Striker's killers to true justice, to true extinction. And then, when his brother's honor has been restored, Crash will be able to find enough of that final peace to move on and rejoin his redeemed sibling.
Weighing his choices one last time, Crash allowed a smirk through his pain and nodded his head in agreement...
THE END
I doubt there's a lot of Mario fans here who will read this, but tell me what you think if you did!
