Play The Game

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 16: HERE ARE THE RULES-



“What?” Rapsheeba cried in shock. “Who was here?!”

Blocky was just as surprised. “He did what?!”

Blocky and Rapsheeba had joined Snap in his living room. They sat down on his couch, while Snap himself was back in his chair, which he had set back up after Bardot had left. Both his zoner friends looked absolutely horrified, and he couldn’t blame them. They hadn’t expected something this bad to have befallen their two human friends.

Snap hadn’t contacted them right away. It had taken some time for him to recover from Bardot’s encounter. He was truly terrifying. He reminded him so much of Cosmo, except he was clearly worse. He was still shaken up by how close those venomous fangs were, how close he had been to dying...

He sometimes had bad dreams revolving around what happened to him over a year ago, when he almost lost his life to Mr. Cosmo. He had been close to death before. He had practically tasted it. He didn’t want to experience something like that again. He had lived through the nightmare once. He didn’t want to do it again.

After he had recovered enough to function properly, he walked over, though still shakingly, to his bedroom, where Bardot claims he had left something there for him. He looked around for the box he mentioned, and he found it under his bed. He knew it was from Bardot because it was colored red and yellow. He pulled it out and set it on his bed. He unhooked the clasps that kept it closed and opened it up and took a look inside.

Inside, he found exactly what Bardot said he would find. There was one card which had a list of rules of how to play the game and what was allowed and not allowed. He looked through the rules, reading each of them to make sure he understood them. The second card was a riddle, which he guessed once he solved, he would know where to go for the first ëgame’ that Bardot had set up somewhere, presumably without anyone noticing. Snap guessed that he did so when most zoners were asleep.

And of course, there was a radio, the one Bardot told him about. Snap had narrowed his eyes at the radio, since it would be useless to track down this baddie. For him, it was completely useless. He imagined Bardot would use it to taunt him, and perhaps comment on his progress. He wasn’t sure if Bardot would even know how he was progressing, unless there were hidden cameras everywhere.

At this thought, he shuddered and had looked around his room. He looked for any signs of cameras, but found nothing. He realized he was just being paranoid, but he didn’t know the full capabilities of Bardot yet. He had a feeling he was going to get a taste of that once he starts playing these ëgames’ of his. He still wasn’t sure what they entailed, but, given how cruel Bardot proved himself to be, it wasn’t going to be anything fun.

He had a feeling...no he knew, that once the games start, he was going to have to fight for his life. This guy talked about wanting to know how far he could go without dying, so he was going to make this a difficult trip. Snap couldn’t relax anymore. He couldn’t afford it. These games would be dangerous. He was going to do whatever he could to survive. And that was just to ëwin’ the ëpriviledge’ of saving his friends. After he survives the dangers of the games, he would need to survive the inevitable battle against Draow and Bardot. Would he be able to pull it off?

Snap was worried that he might not be able to make it. He was worried that he wasn’t strong enough to take on this challenge. Yet, despite that, he was still going to accept Bardot’s challenge. There was just too much at stake. He wasn’t going to stand idly by while his friends were being tortured. Even if he ended up dying before he got to them, he would rather have tried to save them than not at all.

Snap had contacted Blocky and Rapsheeba and asked them to come over. He mentioned over the phone that he got information on what happened to Rudy and Penny. When they tried to get him to explain over the phone, he said it would be easier to do in person. He waited by the door for them, since he knew it wouldn’t take long for them to arrive. When they did, he welcomed them in and took them into the living room.

And from there, he recounted what had happened. He told them about the break in, about Bardot pinning him down. He told them about Bardot wanting to play a game with him and how he had Rudy and Penny trapped somewhere. He informed them about how Bardot was going to kill the two creators if he failed to complete the games, and that even if he did win all the games, he would still need to fight Draow and Bardot before he could get his friends out of there.

And this horrified Blocky and Rapsheeba. They stared at him in shock, looking like they were expecting him to say he was joking, even though they knew Snap would never joke about something like this. They knew Rudy and Penny were in trouble, but they had no idea just how twisted and evil their captor was.

Snap looked at them sadly as they expressed utter disbelief and horror at what had transpired. They had asked him if he was okay, and he said he was. He didn’t tell them about how Bardot almost bit him just to freak him out. Though he did tell him about how he scraped his claw against his chest. There was no hiding the blood that formed there. Luckily, it wasn’t too deep so the bleeding didn’t really last too long. It still hurt quite a bit, though, despite it not being a bad cut, and it made Snap morbidly wonder how much it would hurt if the claws struck deeper.

Blocky straightened himself up, looking like he was prepared to jump off the couch. “We should go after them!”

Snap nodded his head. “I agree with you, Blocky. But sadly...the only way we can go after them is by playing these...games.” He winced as he said the last word. Games were supposed to be fun. They weren’t supposed to involve jeopardizing lives.

“But what if he’s lying?” Rapsheeba asked. “He might just be wanting you to waste your time so you don’t get there before it’s too late.”

Snap understood that Rapsheeba did have a point. He had considered that himself. There was a chance that these games were solely designed to keep him away from Rudy and Penny, to ensure he didn’t find them. And if that were the case, they were better off trying to make the straightest beeline they could manage all the way to where they were being held.

But Snap wasn’t so sure if Bardot was trying to waste his time. If this was all merely a distraction...he put a little too much work into it. Being half red chalk, he would have thought that if Bardot didn’t want him finding his friends in time, he could have just killed him, or not contact him at all. It seemed like all such a huge waste if he only wanted to use up his time.

For that reason, he thought that Bardot was being quite serious. He set up these ëgames’ because he really was giving Snap the opportunity to save his friends. That was about the only generous quality Snap could say Bardot had, and it wasn’t really that much. Bardot hadn’t even sounded worried if he lost, which would explain why he was allowing Snap a chance to save his friends. He must really enjoy the thrill and excitement of what he considers to be a game.

Snap shook his head. “With all the trouble he want through, I don’t think it would make much sense if this was just to stall time.” He explained. “Bardot doesn’t care if he’s caught. He sounded so..casual about it. He would take risks like this, just because he gets a kick out of it. If he really didn’t want me to find Rudy and Penny, then I don’t think he would have tried contacting me.”

Rapsheeba nodded her head. “True, but what if he already...” She flinched. “...took care of them?”

Snap felt his heart clench at that. There was no real way to tell if Bardot did keep Rudy and Penny alive or not. It sounded like he did, given that he is allowing him a chance to save them. But what if he had been lying? Bardot says he doesn’t lie, but there was still a chance that he did. Maybe he just said that as an attempt to make him more willing to believe anything he says. Maybe he was just doing this to mess with him, so he could laugh in his face when he found out his friends were dead...

But even so, even if Bardot was lying about that, he still had to try. What if they were still alive? What if they needed his help? He still felt like he had to do something. It was better to take the chance and go save them than just sit around doing nothing. If they were still alive, he would feel awful if he didn’t try to save them. And he knew Blocky and Rapsheeba felt the same way.

“We still have to try.” Blocky said.

“I agree. We should do something.” Rapsheeba said. She got off the couch. “I’ll contact some zoners to see if any of them can help us.”

Before she could take a step, Snap swiftly held up his hand. Rapsheeba stared at him with a confused expression as Snap shook his head. “Sorry, Rapsheeba... You can’t do that.”

“But...but why...?” Rapsheeba asked, her eyes wide. “It’s our best chance to...”

Snap shook his head again. “No. It’s..against the rules.”

“What?” Rapsheeba asked.

Snap pulled out the card with the list of the rules on it. “Yeah, it says here I am only allowed the help of two zoners. That’s it. If anyone else tries to help, Rudy and Penny would be...killed.”

“But how would Bardot know if someone else is helping?” Blocky asked. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know...” Snap nodded his head in agreement. “I’m not sure either but...” He paused for a moment, his eyes downcast. He closed them and shook his head once. “I don’t want to take the chance. If Rudy and Penny could...die...if I break any of these rules, it is best I follow them exactly.”

“So..what are the rules?” Rapsheeba asked hesitantly.

Snap stared down at the card. “They are as followed.” Then he started to read the list.

“1. Only bring two friends with. Bring a third friend and your friends will perish.
2. No food or water. If you need to eat or drink, you may do so at the games’ locations.
3. No cheating or your friends will die.
4. Once you start a game, there will be a time limit to complete it.
5. If circumstances force you to leave a helper behind, you are denied the right to get a replacement.
6. No telling anyone else what you are doing, or I will kill your friends.
7. When you complete a game, a card will tell you where to go next.
8. Be wary. Nothing is as it seems.
9. There will be no second chances. Screw up and that’s it.
10. Above all, stay alive.”

When Snap finished, he set the card down and stared at this two friends. Their eyes were wide in shock, just like he expected them to. These rules were dark and sinister, especially the last one. Stay alive... That was what tipped Snap off to the fact that he will be fighting for his very life. These weren’t going to be fun games. They were going to be utter torture.

Blocky and Rapsheeba kept quiet for a few minutes. They weren’t sure what to say to this. They looked at each other, their eyes wide in shock and worry. They looked back at Snap, almost like they were expecting him to say more. When Snap didn’t say anything, neither did they. There was nothing but silence for a few minutes, no one saying anything. The only sound that could be heard was breathing.

After the two fully comprehended these...rules, Rapsheeba slowly sat back down on the couch. Her eyes were downcast, looking at the ground. Her expression was that of worry. Blocky turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Although no words were said, Snap could tell that the two were fully understanding just how dangerous this was going to be. He felt bad for dragging them into this. He didn’t want to endanger more friends.

Yet, he had confidence in them. He had chosen them out of all zoners because he trusted them the most. They were his closest zoner friends and he knew how capable they could be. And he knew how much they cared for Rudy and Penny. They would still want to take the risk and try to save them, even if it meant putting themselves in danger.

Snap looked at the second card, the one with the riddle. He wasn’t able to make heads or tails of it. He thinks that either Blocky or Rapsheeba would be able to figure it out for him. One of them might be able to tell him.

Before he asked them about the riddle, he took a moment to contemplate what was going on. A terrible realization slowly dawned on him. It was nice that he was allowed help. He was certainly going to need it. But if Bardot set up the rules so that he would be accompanied by two people, and that rule about not being allowed replacements...it made him wonder if Bardot purposely set up these ëgames’ so that he would have a hard time without help. It made him start to worry about just how difficult they were going to be...to survive...

He feared for Blocky and Rapsheeba. Was Bardot going to kill them if they were forced to be left behind? He hadn’t mentioned that in the rules. There was nothing stating they would be killed, but...he didn’t really want it to get to the point where he would find out. He thought briefly of maybe convincing them to stay behind, but he couldn’t do that, not after he already told them what was going on. They were going to go with him even if he tried to stop them. And again, he needed their help. They had little time to waste. They had to find Rudy and Penny, and the only way to do it was by playing these most sinister games...

“Where to first, Snap?” Blocky asked, forcing Snap out of his thoughts. “Did this...Bardot guy tell you where the first game is?”

Snap shook his head. “He gave me a riddle I had to solve.” He looked at the card. “Once it’s solved, we will know where to begin the first game.”

“You haven’t solved it yet?” Rapsheeba asked.

Snap said, “No. I haven’t been able to figure it out.” He stared at his two friends. “I was hoping you guys could help me.”

“Well sure, we’ll help.” Blocky said, giving the best smile he could despite the circumstances. “Read us the riddle.”

Before Snap could say anything, he heard a beeping sound. He looked around, trying to find it. He told his friends to wait. He looked around his home, trying to find the source of the sound. He soon found it was coming from his bedroom. And that is when he saw it.

He could see a flashing red light. It blinked everytime there was a beep. It was coming from the box, which he had left on his bed. He looked down and saw it was the radio that was given to him by Bardot. The small light on the side was flashing red. He picked it up and stared at it. He wondered if it was Bardot trying to contact him. He narrowed his eyes. Right now, the last person he wanted to talk to was Bardot. But, although it wasn’t listed as a rule, he had a feeling Bardot would do something drastic if he did not answer him.

He headed back into the living room, holding the radio in his hands. He sat back down on his chair. Blocky and Rapsheeba looked at him expectantly. They glanced down at the radio, and, judging from their expressions, they also seemed to suspect that it was Bardot trying to say something to them.

Although Snap really didn’t want to, he slowly pressed the button below the red dot, which he assumed would answer Bardot’s ëcall’, or whatever this could be considered. As soon as he pressed it, the beeping stopped. And for a while there was just silence. But when Snap listened more closely, he could hear something on the other line. Breathing...

Then a dark chuckle. Although a little faded and staticy from the radio, it still chilled Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky, filling the room with dread. In the background, Snap could have sworn he heard crying. Rudy and Penny....? Just what had those monsters done to them?

“Ah...good. You answered. I needed to make sure this thing worked.” Bardot’s voice came. He sounded even creepier with the imperfections of the radio. “I take it you have chosen two zoners to be your companions during the games.”

Snap snarled. “Yes...I have...” It took a lot of willpower not to chew the guy out.

Bardot said, “Good, good. You know what to do then, Snap White.” Snap flinched as he mentioned his last name again. He had to wonder...how did this guy know it? “Get started soon. And as for your human friends...they are still alive. You might have heard some crying before. That was them, in case you were wondering if I killed them already. Oh how I would love to...And how easy it would be, too...”

At this, Blocky and Rapsheeba looked utterly horrified. They just got a taste of just how cruel this guy really was. Snap glared towards the radio. He knew Bardot probably couldn’t see him, but he didn’t care. He just glared hatefully at the device, wishing that he could track the bastard down and make him regret everything he’s done.

“You will not get a chance, Bardot.” Snap said bravely. “I will make sure of that.”

Bardot laughed. “I still admire your willpower, Snap. I do wonder if you will actually be a challenge for me. A real opponent...” He paused for a moment. “I do hope you make it through the games, Snap. I would...just love to see just what you are capable of. When you do find me....give me your best shot and don’t hold back.”

Snap growled, “You can bet I am going to give it my all...”

Bardot was not intimidated by the way Snap said that. If anything, it just made him more excited. This sickened Snap. No matter what he said to this guy, it just seemed to make him happier. There was nothing he could say to make this guy feel afraid. Everything, he just shrugs off. This was a lot like...Cosmo...

Snap recalled how Mr. Cosmo also took insults in stride. He hardly seemed offended by anything said to him. He just smiled and let it roll down his back like it was nothing. It wasn’t until the end did Mr. Cosmo start to react more emotionally, more negatively to what was said to him. And that frightened Snap. He knew how Mr. Cosmo reacted when everything fell apart. And Bardot..he was worse. What was he going to be like if he eventually lost his cool...?

“I mustn’t keep you waiting. Time is ticking.” Bardot said. “Solve the first riddle quickly. After you complete each game, I will contact you, and give you an update on...your friends’ condition.” Snap’s eyes widened at this. “I will also inform them on how well you are performing. I’m sure they would love to know.”

Rapsheeba swallowed and asked, “How will you know when a game is completed?”

Cold laughter emitted from the radio. “Oh my dear...Rapsheeba I believe your name is...”

“How did you know my name?” Rapsheeba asked, horrified.

Snap was just as startled. “How did you know who I...”

“Well that’s a secret. A secret isn’t a secret if I tell, now is it?” Bardot said tauntingly. “If you survive multiple games...maybe I will tell you a little more. For now, I think I will just enjoy the fun of listening to you squirm as you try to figure out how I know these things...” He chortled darkly. “Oh yes. This shall be quite entertaining.”

“You...!” Snap tried to say, but Bardot cut him off.

“I bid you farewell.” Bardot said.

There was a click, then the light went out. All noise from the radio stopped immediately.

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky just stared at the radio. Slowly, they looked at each other. For a few minutes, silence filled the room. Bardot’s contact was unexpected. And what he said didn’t help the mood either. Snap felt anger rise up inside of him. Bardot really did see this all as a game. The way he talked...it was despicable.

His body shaking in anger, Snap jumped out of his chair. Rapsheeba and Blocky stared at him. Snap looked over at the door, then back down on the radio. He then turned his head towards Rapsheeba and Blocky.

“Come on. Let’s get started.”

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 17: LET THE GAMES B EGIN-



Terry parked her news van on the side of the street, not far from where she had seen Snap. She stepped out of the van and locked it, placing her keys in her pocket. She got out her umbrella and opened it. It was still raining. She walked slowly over towards the house. She looked it up and down. It looked more worn than she thought. She wondered just how old this house was and why it hadn’t been torn down yet. Maybe no one just got around to it yet.

She walked up towards the door and peered inside through the window. She didn’t see much of anything. It was a little dark. She turned the door handle and went inside. She made sure to shut it behind her. She closed her umbrella, shaking off some of the water onto the ground. She took a bit of time to look around the building.

It was quite dusty, with cobwebs everywhere. She didn’t know why any sane person would want to come in here. Some wood was rotting in a few places. Some areas looked like they were falling apart. The house, surprisingly, overall was holding up better than she thought. Some of this stuff could easily be repaired, though she thinks it would be better if it was just destroyed. No one had attempted the buy the house for decades, and it just looks out of place in this part of town.

She took a few steps further inside. Her hands on her hips, she looked around. She tried to figure out where Snap could have gone to. There had to be a chalkboard around here somewhere. One with a working portal. There was no other reason why Snap would have gone into this building. If he had just been wanting to escape the rain, he would have went into the nearest building; he skipped it in favor of this one.

She knew that, sometimes, zoners left smudge marks in the real world. They weren’t common, and she didn’t know of many incidents where this occured. She knew the school bully, Reggie, mentioned about Snap White leaving blue markings on his paper work. Maybe, with how much of a hurry he was in, Snap left markings on the ground here. She looked down and tried to find them.

She soon saw a little bit of blue. Narrowing her eyes, she kneeled down and touched it, collecting it on her fingers. She lifted her finger up and stared at it. The blue coloration seemed to be the right shade to be from Snap. She rubbed her two fingers together, feeling its texture. Yeah it was chalk all right. Definite proof that Snap was in here, not that she needed it since she saw him run into this old building.

She looked around on the ground some more and found more blue smudges. She smirked when she saw there was a bit of a trail. She followed it, letting it lead her to wherever Snap had gone. It lead her up some rickety flight of stairs and into what she guessed was an old bedroom.

Upon entering it, she could tell that this room had belonged to an artist. There were some art supplies on the ground. Not a lot, but enough that told her, whoever had lived here, spent some time painting. And sitting in the corner, she could see a blackboard. It looked pretty dirty. The edges looked almost moldy. The artist who lived here may have done some chalk drawings as well, or they used the blackboard to work on formulas...though that didn’t make much sense.

Oh well, it wasn’t of her concern. What she was more interested in was what was on the blackboard itself. Her smile broadened when she saw what she had been hoping to see. Just like she had predicted, there was a portal into ChalkZone.

She was a bit confused by the blue outline. She hadn’t seen that before. Oh well, probably a different type of chalk. She didn’t have doubts there’d be other types of magic chalk in that world. She wouldn’t put much past a world where anything drawn comes to life.

Terry walked up to the chalkboard, staring at the portal. She looked through it. She could see it was definitely ChalkZone it lead into. She felt excitement rise up inside of her. She now had proof of this place’s existence. All she had to do now was get a broadcaster to see thsi. She would have another chance to show Plainsville, the world, that she wasn’t crazy. She would prove to them that she hadn’t lost her mind, that she had been speaking the truth all along.

She grabbed the chalkboard and started to lift it up. Then a thought came across her mind. She set it back down. No, she couldn’t take this thing with her. If she did, she would move the portal around. If Snap saw it move, or if he saw it was in a new location, he would know something was up. And since she had no magic chalk, she couldn’t erase the portal. She couldn’t go into ChalkZone to get magic chalk because she wouldn’t know where to get some. So she had no choice but to leave the portal here and bring a broadcaster over.

But what if the blue boy did try to erase the portal? She wasn’t sure of the likelihood of a zoner erasing a portal, but she didn’t want to take that chance. She had to find a way to keep this portal open, at least long enough for her to get a broadcaster to come to this place. She looked around the room. Maybe the artist who lived here had something she could use.

She soon found something that she found useful. Some kind of thick, heavy cloth. She wasn’t sure what it was called, but she’s seen it before. Some artists use it to cover their art, maybe to protect them from the elements or something. She placed the cloth over the chalkboard. She grabbed some sharp artist tool she found on the ground and cut along the glow she knew was ChalkZone’s day light. She removed the cut piece and took a step back.

She stared at what she did. Yes, this would do nicely. She had made sure the cloth was secured tightly around the chalkboard, ensuring that Snap wouldn’t be able to move it that easily. It was no guarantee it’ll buy her enough time, but it would certainly make things a little easier for her. And the cloth was a bit on the heavy side, too. She doubted Snap would have an easy time removing it.

Now all she had to do was contact someone from a news station. A broadcaster that would listen to her, and give her a chance. All she would have to do was show them this portal, and everything would be set. There was no way they could think she made something like this up. As soon as they stepped into ChalkZone and saw just how real it truly was...yes they would definitely believe her then.

Terry stared into the portal. She narrowed her eyes slightly. She knew that this world had something to do with those disappearances. And once she exposed ChalkZone, an investigation would be underway. Detectives would be sent in, and they would find where the missing citizens have gone to. And their families would find out what happened to them. They deserved to know the truth, and it angered her that Rudy and Penny had tried so hard to keep it a secret. At a time like this, it was best not to keep secrets such as this.

She did still feel bad for them, though. She had never wanted them to disappear like the other victims. She would never have wished this fate on them. Although it made things easier for her, with them out of the way and all, a part of her still hoped, deep down, that they would be okay.

A lightning bolt flashed, lighting up the room. Terry nearly jumped up into the air. Her body shaking, she took a few steps away from the window. Another flash and she started to move out of the room. She could hear the sound of thunder rolling across the skies. She heard the ran fall harder on the ground. She needed to get out of here and back home before the roads became too water logged to be driven on.

It had been raining since she saw Snap rush into this building. Hours of rain, and it never let up. She heard a report there was going to be a flash flood warning. And Plainsville was due to have a few severe thunderstorm warnings as well. Horrible weather... She hated it.

As she left, she didn’t notice that the window in the bedroom had a crack in it. She didn’t notice a bit of lightning had struck it, breaking off a piece. She was unaware of the rain pouring into the room. Along the window’s edge, water rolled over and onto the hard floor. The rain collected into a small puddle and started to spread...

...towards the chalkboard.

sss

Snap wasn’t sure what to make of this. He wasn’t sure if Bardot was quite serious about this, or if he had somehow, made a mistake. He took a look around. Something about it didn’t seem right. Was this really the right place?

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky stood on the outskirts of the playground, one Snap had played in from time to time a few years ago. He hadn’t come here that often, but it’s not like a lot changed. Maybe a few additions here or there, but it was still overall, the same playground. It didn’t look like it was anything too special, at least not something he felt would have caught Bardot’s eye. If this was supposed to be one of his dangerous games...he wasn’t getting it.

He had read the riddle to Blocky and Rapsheeba. It took them a while to answer it. Maybe ten minutes. When Rapsheeba suggested playground, Snap almost laughed. The riddle itself didn’t seem like it had anything to do with a playground. But Blocky agreed with her. Confused, Snap asked them to explain. They described, in detail, why they came to that conclusion, and when they had spelled it out for him, it really did make sense.

With nothing else to go on, Snap decided they should go to the playground. Where else could they go? They had to at least try. They didn’t have all the time in the world to find Rudy and Penny. They had to get started on these...games that Bardot had set up, somehow without anyone realizing what was going on.

The playground was completely empty. He wasn’t sure why at first until he saw a sign on the edge. ëWarning: Closed’... Bardot must have put that there. He must not have wanted anyone else to interfere with his games. Perhaps he was worried that someone else might ëruin his fun’... Snap growled at that thought.

He, Rapsheeba, and Blocky walked around the playground for a bit, looking for anything out of place or suspicious. After a few minutes, they didn’t find anything. Not at first anyway. But soon, Blocky came running towards him and Rapsheeba. There was something in his hand that he was waving back and forth frantically. It was a piece of paper.

“Hey guys! Look what I found!” Blocky shouted. He stopped in front of his two friends, holding the piece of paper in his left hand.

“Well, don’t leave us hanging.” Rapsheeba said. “Tell us what it says!”

Blocky unfolded the paper and looked down at it. “Welcome to the first game. Your task here is a scavenger hunt. Locate all the items on this list, but it must be done in order. Go out of order, and you lose the game. The final item will have a card attached to it with a riddle to the next time. Good luck.”

Snap looked at him, perplexed. “Are you sure that’s what it says?”

Blocky nodded his head. “If you don’t believe me, here it is.” He handed Snap the card.

Snap looked over it, wondering if Blocky misread a sentence or overlooked something. To his surprise, he did not. What Blocky said was exactly what the note had read. The only thing after it was a list of items to locate.

Snap couldn’t understand it. He thought that these games were supposed to be life threatening. Bardot certainly made it sound like it was going to be that way. He would have expected something like avoiding gunfire or being breathed on by a fire spewing dragon. But not a scavenger hunt. That was...pretty harmless. All they were doing was looking for items, eventually finding one that would take them to the next game. How dangerous could that be?

He soon realized that maybe..it was designed to make him lower his guard. Perhaps the items they’d have to find would be dangerous. Or maybe he would be tricked into not giving it his all, and by the next time, he would be killed in the first ten seconds. No, despite his confusion and disbelief, he couldn’t allow his guard to be lowered. He had to take this seriously and approach with caution.

He was ripped from his thoughts when the ground started to shake. He and his friends looked over and watched in utter shock as a large timer rose out of the ground. The time on it flashed 5:00. This game was going to last five minutes. And there was a lot of items on the list they would have to find. Second later, the timer started to count down.

“Okay, what’s the first thing we have to find?” Rapsheeba asked, turning to Snap.

Snap looked at the list. He scanned his eyes up and down, trying to find where the top of the list was. When he found it, he stared at it for a few seconds. “Okay, first thing one list is...a tire.”

“A tire? But since when would a playground...” Blocky started to say.

“It must be talking about the tire swingset!” Rapsheeba said. She made a motion with her hand. “Come on!”

The trio ran over to the tire. Sure enough, when they got there, the tire had some kind of mark on it. It was the same mark that was written next to each item. This was definitely one item they had to find. But there was something strange about this tem. There appeared to be a button underneath it. He looked over at the timer and noticed some empty dots along the sides of the numbers. Maybe he was supposed to press it.

Cautiously, he pressed it. The tire began to glow a little. And when he looked over at the timer, one of the dots filled in. Perhaps that was what he was supposed to do. He figured, as he would find each item, and pressed each button, it would fill up the timer and then it would stop when they were done. He guessed that it was from the deactivated timer that they would find the clue to the next game.

Snap looked down at the list. “Okay...next thing is the swingset.”

“Well that’s pretty easy to find.” Rapsheeba said. She headed over to the swingset. She took notice of the button. She looked over at Snap. “Should I push it?”

Snap nodded. “It seems like we are supposed to.”

She did so. Same thing happened before. The swingset began to glow a little and, up on the timer, another dot filled up. Though something did look a little off about the timer. He could have sworn it, too, started to glow. Maybe he was just seeing things.

Before they continued to the next item, which was the monkey bars, Snap let Rapsheeba and Blocky look at the list as well. He let them study it. Both of them had good memories, and there weren’t too many items on the list. So it was easy to remember what order they were in. Snap felt it would be easier this way so they could all go and push these buttons in less time.

Snap looked at the list once more. All of the items were in plain sight, now that he thought about it. Nothing was obscure or hidden. Was this really one of Bardot’s games? Because he would have thought he’d put more effort into it. Listening things that are out in the open doesn’t really count as a scavenger hunt. Usually the items would be a bit harder to find. But listing obviously seen things like the swingset? Really? That was the best this guy could come up with?

He looked over at the time. Then again, with just five minutes total for them to find everything, perhaps it was best that the items were easy to find. They would be able to find everything pretty easily in that amount of time, and all the buttons would be pressed, which he assumed that’s what they had to do. Then this game would be won and they would be one step closer to finding Rudy and Penny.

He had a feeling things were just going to get worse later on. He suspected that this game was nothing more than a mere warm up. In video games, he knew that it started off pretty easy and only got harder later on as the player learned more skills and got the hang of it. Bardot’s games may be just like that. Easy, and then increasing in difficulty.

As they continued the scavenger hunt and found more items on the list, as more buttons were pressed and the circles on the timer filled up, Snap started to get suspicious. The timer really was glowing now. A whitish yellow. Something told him that wasn’t a good thing, but it wasn’t like he could stop. If he didn’t finish before the timer ran out, he would have lost the game, and Rudy and Penny would die. But still, something about this whole thing just didn’t feel right to him.

And the whole thing was just...too easy. He wanted to chalk it up to being a ëbeginner’ kind of level. But ultimately that didn’t make much sense to him. Bardot didn’t seem to be the kind of guy to make things this easy. He thought about his earlier concerns about him lowering his guard. Perhaps...perhaps that’s what he was doing.

Snap took a look around. He took note of the items they had found, the way they were glowing. He looked up at the timer, which had the same glow as the items they found. He looked back and forth between them. Slowly, something clicked in his mind. He wondered if they were playing right into a trap.

He watched as Rapsheeba and Blocky worked through the remainder of the items. They, in the proper order, went to items such as the slide, the merry-go-round, and one of those horse-things that kids like to play on. More items glowed. And the glow on the timer just increased more.

“There’s just one more item left.” Blocky said, running up to Snap.

“And what would that be?” Snap asked. He tried to hide his worry from before. Maybe he was just overthinking this.

Rapsheeba pointed over to what appeared to be the center of the playground. “The pole right there. I’ll go take care of it!”

Snap watched as Rapsheeba rushed over to the pole. He got that bad feeling again. He looked around the playground again. The way the objects were positioned was odd. And why was the timer glowing so brightly now? Snap tried to figure out what was going on. The buttons, the glowing, the positions of the objects...they had to mean something.

He stared at the pole. Rapsheeba was almost to it. In a few seconds, she would press the button. Then this game would be over.

...or would it?

Snap looked around the playground again. He took a few steps back so he could get a better view. It was only by moving back that he started to notice something strange about the floor the playground they were standing on. There were lights shining, and they looked like they were connecting the objects together, in a sense. And the items...they were arranged in a circle. And the pole was in the dead center of it all.

Horrific realization struck Snap. He had a feeling he knew what was going to happen if Rapsheeba pushed the final button. He started to run towards her. A confused Blocky rushed after him.

“Snap, what’s wrong?” Blocky asked.

Snap ignored him, his attention focused on Rapsheeba. He reached his hand out, calling out to her in desperation. “Wait! Don’t press it!”

But it was too late. As soon as he said it, Rapsheeba had already pressed the button. She turned her head over to him, looking confused.

“What? I thought I was supposed to press it.” Rapsheeba said. She was going to say more, but a low rumbling silenced all three of them. They looked around at what was going on.

Their eyes widened in horror. The timer’s glow had gone a blood red, and they swore they heard a distorted and drawn out version of Bardot’s voice sounding out from a timer, and they had a sickening feeling that they would hear this every time a game was completed. But the red glow and unexpected laughter weren’t the only things that have them scared right now.

Snap’s suspicions turned out to be right. There was something wrong. Very wrong, and he had realized it too late.

The glow he thought he saw from before brightened, and now it was clear as day. The items that were glowing also shifted to a red color. They started to shake a little, and then they heard the rumbling below them grow louder. It felt as thought something large had been turned on. Then the ground started to shake violently.

The trio gave a scream when the shaking got so bad they fell to the ground. Snap struggled to his feet, but was horrifed when his leg started to sink into the sand. He looked all around them. The ground was...it was being sucked down. The playground equipment started to break apart. The pole had already sunk down below. And they were being pulled closer to the center. Snap tried to push himself away, but the force of the sand was too strong.

Rapsheeba let out a cry of terror. “Snap! Blocky! Look!”

When Snap looked in the direction she was pointing, he felt his heart freeze. The edges of the playground, they were...not normal. It looked as though the playground was cut out by a giant saw. He looked down at the pole, and it took all his strength not to scream at what he saw. The sand had parted, exposing a black abyss below, only it wasn’t empty. There was something down there, twisting, churning, and chopping. Some large machine, and it was sucking them all down....

Gravity was also at work. The three held onto some objects, which were secured to the playground floor when this area was created. But they were still being lowered towards this machine. They were descending faster and faster. Snap looked all around, realizing in terror, that it looked as though they were going down a waterfall, only with sand instead of water. And instead of rocks, they were going towards a machine that could easily crush and grind their bones. They needed a way to get out, and fast.

He then saw the monkey bars. They were still pretty close to the edge. If they could just get up there, they could survive this.

“Blocky! Rapsheeba! Quick!” Snap started to jump from item to item, the ones that hadn’t already fallen down to the grinding machine. He winced as he heard the metal being easily ripped apart. “Get to the monkey bars! We can pull ourselves out!”

Rapsheeba and Blocky wasted no time. Working together, they jumped from object to object. They slowly scaled upwards, along with Snap. With each object they landed on, they had to climb up as high as they could go, then muster up the strength to jump to the next one. And it wasn’t always easy doing this. But they still managed to, slowly, scale upwards.

Then they got to the monkey bars. Blocky was the first one to jump up onto it. Despite having short arms, he was able to keep a pretty tight grip. Snap jumped up and grabbed onto his feet. Blocky swung himself back and forth and was able to thrust Snap high enough to reach over the edge of the pit.

Rapsheeba was next. She jumped up and reached for Blocky’s feet. She grabbed on. Like with Snap, Blocky swung her back and forth, gathering up the energy to throw her. When he did, Rapsheeba flew over the edge and crashed into Snap. The two fell to the ground.

The two of them returned to the edge. They looked down, horrified, as Blocky started to go closer to the machine. They called out to him, encouraging him to climb up. They reach their hands down towards him, beckoning him to come up faster. Blocky looked like he was having a hard time climbing the monkey bars. He was trying, but he found it hard to keep his footing and he slipped. And as each second passed by, he was getting further and further away.

Finally, when he made it to the front of the monkey bars, he looked up. He was still a good distance away. And it looked as though he wasn’t going to make it. But Blocky wasn’t one to give up that easily. Narrowing his eyes, Blocky tightened the muscles in his legs. He took in a deep breath, and he jumped into the air.

Time seemed to freeze for Snap as Blocky jumped towards him and Rapsheeba. They pushed themselves closer to the edge, reaching out as far as they could towards him. Then Blocky started to lower before he got to them, and Snap was worried they weren’t going to be able to save him.

“Gotcha!” Rapsheeba said as she grabbed onto one of Blocky’s arms.

“Me too!” A relieved Snap said as he managed to get Blocky’s other arm.

Working together, they pulled Blocky out of the pit. Then all three of them collapsed on the ground, taking in quick breaths, trying to calm themselves down. Their minds swirled with thoughts of what just happened. Their bodies started to shake as they realized just how close to death they had been.

And what was worse...was that this was only the beginning. Game one. That’s it. The death pit plan that Bardot clearly implemented...that was only for the first game. The thought scared all three of them. It was then that they realized just how dangerous these games were going to be. Each one was going to have a death trap for them to avoid. Something that could kill them if they weren’t careful.

Snap grew nauseated as an unsettling thought crossed his mind. If this was the death trap they had to survive for the very first game...

...then what was the next death trap going to be?

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 18: YOU CAN'T HIDE ANYTHING FROM ME-



Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were shaken up by what had just happened. For a few minutes, they did not move, dared not to breathe. The fact that they were almost sucked down by a grinding machine terrified them. They all had been so close to losing their lives. None of them had suspected that something like that was going to happen.

Snap did have thoughts that something terrible would happen. But nothing like that. He never would have thought that Bardot, somehow, was able to build something underneath the park without anyone knowing. The fact he was able to do it without being seen...it frightened him. He knew that most zoners wouldn’t be able to do such a thing with no one noticing. Bardot must have been using that blue chalk to create all this, and when no one was around, too.

Out of the three of them, Blocky was the most terrified. Snap understood why. He was the one who was the closest to..dying. He had almost fallen into the grinding machine himself. He almost got sliced up like shredded cheese. He was lucky to have made it out at all.

And the fact that this was only the first game, with many more deathtraps awaiting them, made Snap sick to his stomach. The other deathtraps would likely be harder to avoid. He didn’t know what could top that grinding machine, though. And he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to find out what more Bardot was capable of. Yet he had no choice. He had to keep going. If he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky remain on their toes, they would be able to survive and get to their human friends in time.

He knew he didn’t have a lot of time to find them. Only a couple days at most. He knew that Bardot wouldn’t feed his friends at all during their little ëstay’ with him. His friends would either starve to death or die of dehydration if he didn’t get there in time. Both were incredibly painful deaths. The fact that Bardot was so willing to let them die slowly and painfully like that infuriated Snap.

Just then, that same beeping could be heard again. The same one that they heard back at his place where Bardot first contacted them via radio. Blocky and Rapsheeba looked at him, worried expressions on their faces. They stared at the radio warily. Snap didn’t want to answer it, but seeing as he had no choice, he pressed the button.

“I see you have survived the first death trap...” Bardot said gleefully. “Congratulations.”

Snap growled at that. That compliment was laced in sarcasm, a clear attempt to taunt him. It sounded as though Bardot did expect him to survive that first game.

Bardot paused for a moment. “It was quick thinking..the way you used the monkey bars to climb up. Too bad that you almost lost a party member there...”

His cold chuckle caused Blocky to shiver from fright. Rapsheeba put her hand on him in an attempt to comfort him. Snap’s eyes narrowed as Bardot taunted Blocky about the fact that he almost died. He couldn’t wait until he made this bastard shut up.

“But at least he managed to survive. You will need all the help you can get, little Snappy.” Bardot mocked, putting emphasis on his nickname for Snap. “Take this as a warning. Do not underestimate any of my games. If you do, one of you could very easily perish.”

Blocky and Rapsheeba didn’t say anything. They just stared at the radio in fright. Snap was frightened, too. He tried to look brave, but Bardot was shaking him up, reminding him that, yes, things were about to get so much worse for them. His body shuddered as he tried to imagine what more awaited them. Just what kind of death traps would they have to survive later down the line? How much harder would it be to complete them in time?

Snap wanted to shut off the radio. He couldn’t stand hearing Bardot’s voice. He couldn’t stand hearing his chilling laughter, mocking them on their progress. Yet he could not. Somehow, Bardot would know what they were doing. The fact that he knew exactly what happened, with the monkey bars and Blocky almost falling down....that chilled him to the core. The cold realization swept through him like a tidal wave. There was only one way he could have known all that.

He had hidden cameras...somewhere. He looked around. He didn’t see any. But they were there, somewhere. Snap had a horrible thought. Maybe the cameras were tiny...floating everywhere. He froze, looking left and right. With zoner usable magic chalk, Snap wouldn’t doubt that Bardot would use it to his advantage at every turn. And if he was so obsessed about him ëfollowing the rules’...

...then he must have small, microscopic cameras floating everywhere, following him and his friends at every turn. And if that is the case, then they really couldn’t get away with anything. He would see it all. And the minute they did one thing, no matter how small, that broke the rules, then Rudy and Penny would pay the price.

“I have informed your friends on your progress.” Bardot said, sounding a little too cheerful to Snap. “I told them that you almost got sucked down into that twisting, grinding, crunching machine I created for you. They weren’t too happy as I described to them how it happened.” He gave a dark laughter. “Of course, I can’t really be surprised.”

“You’re a monster.” Snap growled under his breath.

“Y-Yeah. Tormenting two kids like that...” Blocky said, trying to sound brave. “Don’t you have any shame?”

A cold laughter. “Shame? Well..no, not really. I feel no regrets in what I’m doing. In fact, the only emotion I’m getting from all this is excitement.”

“That’s sick!” Rapsheeba grimaced.

“Oh if only you could see the looks on your friends’ faces right now. They’re scared...frightened. They’re hoping you will make it, Snap. They were..utterly horrified when they thought you were going to fall into that machine. And believe me, they are going to continue being frightened for you as I tell them all the things that happen to you during your little rendevous with my games.” Bardot said coldly. Although he coudn’t see them, Snap could picture the guy smiling evilly as he spoke. “And that’s not the only thing they will have to fear. During their stay, Draow and I will be...toying with them. That will be fun.”

“What?!” The trio cried out in shere and utter horror.

Bardot laughed at them. “Oh yes. You didn’t think they were just going to sit around all day, waiting for me or Draow to say something, now did you? Oh no...we will give them something to pass the time with. We will not kill them. But that’s not to say what we will do is any better.”

“If you hurt them...” Rapsheeba started to say, but Bardot cut her off with his icy laugh.

“It’s too late to stop us from hurting them. As of now, poor Rudy is a little ëhandy’ capped, if you know what I’m saying.” Bardot put emphasis on the word ëhandy’, like he was trying to hint at something.

Snap took only seconds to have an idea on what happened. He gasped, his eyes widening in shock. “You...you didn’t...”

“We did. Well Draow did anyway. You see, he’s been wanting to get back at Rudy for defeating the Dark Creator, his master.” Bardot sneered. “And now he had that chance. Oh how it must hurt so much...to have his right hand crushed... Both mentally and physically. The pain combined with the feelings of helplessness, the fact that he won’t be able to use magic chalk anymore...”

Snap felt his heart race as Bardot spoke. Rapsheeba and Blocky were just as horrified. Blocky was trembling. Rapsheeba was shaking her head in disbelief.

“What a shame, isn’t it? And you know what is worse for the boy?” Bardot’s voice got a little growlier. “That is only the beginning. And each time you complete a game, I will tell you what their condition is. I’ll even describe it all in detail for you, if you so like.”

“You...” Snap’s body started to shake from anger. He clenched his free fist tightly, squeezing the radio as hard as he could without breaking it. “I’ll get you for this...” He said through clenched teeth, his voice lower than usual.

“We will see about that, Snappy boy. First, you must complete the games.” A pause. “Rapsheeba, I know you have the clue for the next time. Read it, solve it, and go there. Don’t waste time.”

Shakingly, Rapsheeba pulled out the card. She looked at it, and slowly unfolded it.

“Good. You listened.”

That sent chills down their spines. They knew, without a doubt, that Bardot really was watching them. They felt vulnerable, looking around to try to find the hidden cameras that Bardot surely laid out for them.

Bardot could see everything they were doing. That was how he was going to be able to keep them from disobeying the rules. Snap knew there had to be hidden cameras, and he guessed they were, as he thought before, microscopic so he couldn’t see them. They must be floating around in the air, or even invisible, taking images of them constantly. They really weren’t able to do anything without him noticing.

Snap soon realized that he would have had no choice but to play the games if he wanted to find his friends. If Bardot could see everything he was doing, then he would know whenever he was trying to find his friends, and then kill them before he could get to them. He wouldn’t put it past Bardot to be cruel enough to wait until he got to the place where his friends were being held, and then kill them brutally right in front of him, just to mock him for his efforts.

“Figure out the puzzle.” Bardot said, sounding almost like an officer giving a command. “I will sit back and enjoy the show. I’ll leave you alone so you may...think. And act. See ya!”

With that, the radio went quiet. Snap glared at it before he put it away. He tried not to let Bardot’s words get to him. He was obviously trying to shake him and his friends up, make them frightened so they would more easily slip up. He wasn’t going to let Bardot mess with his mind like that.

Snap turned to his friends. “Come on, we need to get going.”

Although they were as scared as he was, Rapsheeba and Blocky nodded their heads in agreement. Snap was glad that they were still willing to help, despite the danger they were just in.

Snap looked at Rapsheeba. “What does the riddle say?”

Rapsheeba looked down at the card and began to read what it said.

“Even though you survived the machine I built
Now it is time to face your guilt
You should have known it wouldn’t last
Your attempt to bury it in the past
A horrific vice
In the land of stripes”

When Rapsheeba finished, she looked at the card, confused. It was clear it didn’t make any sense to her. She looked at her two friends. “Do any of you know what this means?”

Blocky shook his head. “Not yet. I’ll keep trying to think of something, though.” He looked over at Snap. “Do you have any ideas?”

“Something about it seems familiar...” Snap admitted. He narrowed his eyes, trying to think. “But I can’t quite think of what it is...”

Snap tried to think of what the riddle was talking about. He couldn’t help but think it was referring to him specifically. After all, he was the main target in these games. Bardot’s first game had him go to a playground he used to visit a lot. So this riddle...it had to have something to do with him. And its location...it had to be somewhere he been to before, perhaps often.

But the thing about guilt and vice...he didn’t know what it meant. He couldn’t think of anything he did that he felt ashamed of, at least to that extent. He wasn’t the type of zoner to go around committing heinous acts against anyone. He was pretty well liked among ChalkZone, and there was a good reason for that. He didn’t try to deliberately hurt anyone.

Yet there was something he was missing. Something he wasn’t considering. Maybe what the riddle was referring to had to do with something years ago, something he could hardly remember. He backtracked his mind, searching his memories for a clue of what the riddle was referring to. He felt an uncomfortable feeling spread through his body, knowing that he had only a limited time to figure out what the riddle meant.

And this whole thing about the land of stripes...what was it talking about? There was no place in ChalkZone that was called that. Unless it was somewhere new...but that made no sense. If this riddle was talking about something he did, or almost did, then it would be a place he knew of, not some new one that appeared just recently. His head was starting to hurt from trying to figure all of this out. He rubbed the sides of his head.

There had to be something he was missing, something he wasn’t considering. The riddle was clearly meant to be a little vague. It was telling him where to go, and yet wasn’t. It was being very vague. It was forcing him to really think hard. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was a deliberate tactic by Bardot to slow him down a little.

“Wait!”

Blocky’s sudden shout caused Snap to jump in the air, startled. Even Rapsheeba looked surprised by his sudden outburst.

Snap would have scolded Blocky if the situation wasn’t so dire. “What is it? Did you figure something out?”

Blocky nodded his head. “Yeah! I think I know what it’s talking about!” He took a few steps towards Snap. “Do you remember that time, many years ago, when we were getting ourselves breakfast and you took those chocolate bunny eggs and we were going to eat them? Then they hatched into chocolate bunny babies and you were still going to eat them, at least until they called you ëdaddy’?”

Snap’s eyes widened. He slowly nodded his head.

“I think that is what the riddle is talking about! It’s talking about how you almost killed three little babies for breakfast! The riddle wants us to go to where it happened, in the Candycane Forest!” Blocky exclaimed.

Snap felt his heart clench. Blocky had to have been right. That must be what the riddle was talking about. Snap couldn’t help but shiver from fright at the realization... Just how did Bardot know this? How did he know about the incident where he almost ate three baby chocolate bunnies? He hadn’t told anyone about the incident. Not even Rudy or Penny knew what he almost did. Only Blocky knew, and he had promised not to speak of it again.

Snap remembered how horrible he felt when he realized what he almost did. It made him feel sick to his stomach knowing that he almost ended the lives of three baby bunnies just for the sake of being hungry. He could have let them go and found something else to eat. But no, he still chased down those bunnies and tried to kill them. It wasn’t like the other food he got from the Candycane Forest. The chocolate bunnies were sentient, could speak.

He had felt so horrible that he promised himself that he would never talk about it again. He would not let anyone know about what he almost did. He really did try to bury it in the past. And somehow...somehow Bardot was able to dig it up. He must have known...somehow...what he did. And it frightened Snap. This guy knew his last name. He knew Rapsheeba’s name before meeting her. Now he knew about that horrific incident from years ago. Just how much more did this guy know about him and his friends?

Snap forced himself out of his thoughts. He looked at Rapsheeba and Blocky and nodded his head. “Let’s go to the Candycane Forest!”

The trio started to head out. The Candycane Forest wasn’t too far from here, luckily. It would take them about twenty minutes to get there walking. There were a few zoners they met along the way, but thankfully no one talked to them that much. And no one asked about what they were doing. Some did look as though they knew something was wrong, or had seen what happened to the playground, but they were too frightened to ask anything.

Snap did want to tell them what was going on, how it was all some twisted game they were being forced to play. But saying one word would make them lose the game, and he would also lose his human friends. So he was relieved that no one had attempted to pressure him into talking just yet.

Snap did start to feel a tad bit hungry, but he was able to ignore it. It wasn’t that bad, really. And they were headed straight for the Candycane Forest. He could get something there to eat. Bardot’s rules did permit such things. He was worried that he’d be forced to eat something tainted, but he guessed that would came later in the games, when things would get more physically and mentally challenging. Bardot’s early games might be a little more lenient.

He wished he remembered to bring a bag with him. He could stockpile a bit on food while in the Candycande Forest. It wasn’t always the most filling food, but it would tide them over a bit as they went through more and more of the games. It would be something at least.

Soon, they came upon the Candycane Forest. Nothing looked out of the ordinary at first, but Snap and his friends weren’t about to let their guard down. Cautiously, they entered the forest. They looked left and right, trying to see any sign of a booby trap or obvious danger. At first, they saw nothing. It wasn’t until a few minutes walking in that they saw a note.

Snap went over to it. The note was taped to a tall candycane tree. He reached up and grabbed it. He pulled it off and looked at the message. He turned to Rapsheeba and Snap and read it loud enough so they could hear.

“Welcome to the second game. The goal of this game is merely survival. To win this game, the task is simple. You must reach the end of the forest, and that’s it. But beware, chocolate bunnies lurk here and they are not in the best of moods. Try not to wake them. They will not be happy to see you. Especially you...Snap...”

Snap trembled as he finished the note. He knew how vicious the mother rabbit was when she saw him with her kids. Though she did mellow out later, that wasn’t to say the same about other chocolate bunnies that might have seen what he did. This game really was out to get him...

Rapsheeba placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, noticing his distress. “Don’t worry, my man, Snap. We’ll make it through together!”

Blocky joined in. “Yeah, we can do it!”

Snap smiled at his friends. He was grateful for their help. “Thank you.”

The trio started to walk deeper into the forest. Knowing that there was danger lurking everywhere, they remained on alert, looking around for any signs of the chocolate bunnies. Snap and Blocky had a nasty encounter with one before, and the thought of running into a lot more scared them. What if there were chocolate bunnies even larger and more ferocious than the mommy one they encountered?

A few minutes of walking, and the three of them had to stop. Hearts started to race. Snap started to shake. Blocky didn’t look better of. Rapsheeba took a step back. What they were looking at, they could hardly believe.

There were adult chocolate bunnies everywhere. And just like Snap feared, many were larger and clearly scarier-looking than the mother chocolate bunny he and Blocky had to deal with. Some had long sharp fangs sticking out of their mouths. He could see their wickedly sharp claws. And they were laid about all over the forest, looking like they easily stretched to the very edges of the forest, on both sides. Which meant that they couldn’t simply walk around them.

Snap knew that they had no choice but to walk directly towards them. And with all these bunnies all around them, if they wake up just one, they would wake up all of them. And to add to his terror, there had to be at least a hundred bunnies here. Would they...would they be able to make it...?

[DarkWolf91]

Poor Snap! The guy just can't catch a break :<
Loving it so far

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 19: HOW WILL WE GET OUT OF THIS?-



“M-My...my right..my right h-hand...” Rudy whimpered, his voice laced heavily with pain. He held his right hand to his chest, his body shaking. “I-I c-can’t...”

Penny looked at Rudy sympathetically. She sat down beside him, slinging her arm over his shoulder and pulling him close. She could feel this body shaking against hers. She felt so bad for him. He was in a lot of pain, both mental and physical, from Draow’s horrific attack. It was such a low blow, something she would have expected from Draow anyway. It hurt her seeing Rudy like this, so shaken up and wracked with agony.

After Draow crushed Rudy’s right hand and let him drop, the bat wolf and the hybrid zoner just smirked at his pain. Draow looked the most satisfied. He had mentioned something about how it was nice to finally avenge his master, and how he looked forward to doing more to the boy. Bardot might have said something in response, about taking it easy so the two of them would last for a few days, but Penny hardly paid attention to him. Her mind was focused on Rudy.

The 16 year old boy was on the ground, writhing in pain. He held his trembling right hand. He was constantly crying out in pain. His calls of agony made Penny’s heart twist. She immediately rushed over to him after Bardot released her. She knelt down by Rudy and coaxed him to let her see his hand. She gasped at what she saw.

Draow’s fang had punctured straight into his hand, all the way through. There was a gaping hole in his hand. A few of his fingers were bent at odd angles. When she attempted to touch his hand, Rudy screamed and yanked his hand away. She looked at him sorrowfully and apologized. She was able to touch his hand long enough to tell there was more eternal damage. A few broken pieces of bone. She realized that he needed to go the hospital as soon as possible to get his hand treated.

Since they weren’t going to be able to do that any time soon, she did the next best thing. She did whatever she could to treat the wound. She had no medical items with her at the moment. She had a feeling even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to use them; no doubt Draow or Bardot would have taken them from her. So she used the only thing she had available. Her own clothes.

She reached down towards her skirt. She gripped the end of it and pulled hard. She tore off a long piece along the edge. She turned to Rudy and asked him to hold out his hand. Not surprisingly, he was reluctant and moved back from her, holding his hand protectively. She didn’t back down so easily, and she kept getting close to him, telling him the wound needs to be patched up with something. Eventually, Rudy did give in, though reluctantly, and let Penny do her best to mend his broken hand.

She wrapped the cloth around his hand. She made sure it was good and tight. Rudy winced and whimpered at the pain. She tried to be as gentle as she could. She made sure to go slow as she continued wrapping the cloth around his broken hand. Once it was wrapped around enough times, Penny then tied the ends together, secure and tight. After she was done, Rudy pulled his hand to himself once more. He lightly wrapped his left hand over the bandage and grimaced at the pain. He looked over at Penny and thanked her for the help.

Although Rudy was grateful Penny helped him, his mood didn’t get any better. He sat on the ground, his legs crossed, holding his hand in clear agony. Tears flowed from his eyes. Penny knew that they weren’t just from the physical pain. It was from the mental pain inflicted on him. Penny was glad that Draow and Bardot had left not long after injuring Rudy’s right hand. She didn’t want to hear their mocking voices as they watched Rudy clearly suffering.

Penny knew, without a doubt, that this whole thing had been planned. Bardot and Draow both knew that Rudy would come to her aid if she were in trouble. And Bardot did make a deal with Draow which involved getting revenge on them, especially Rudy. So they had set up the perfect trap for him. Bardot attacks her, Rudy rushes over to save her, and he becomes open to an attack. Draow seized the change and took Rudy’s right hand into his jaws. And, despite Rudy’s pleas for mercy, the bat wolf still crushed his hand. Penny would never forget that sound, or the screams Rudy made right after he was dropped.

She continued to hold onto Rudy gently, careful not to touch his hand. He leaned against her, sobbing against her shoulder. He had comforted her earlier when Bardot taunted her about her father’s death. Now it was time for her to do the same for him. They leaned against the rocky wall, laying below a few of the orange torches. Their fiery warmth did little to chase of the cold they were both feeling.

The attack on Rudy’s hand was a double blow. The physical pain was horrendous, and he lost a good amount of blood from it. He couldn’t move his hand at all without being wracked with horrific pain. It was also a mental attack. Rudy is the protector of ChalkZone. He is the one who wielded the magic chalk and helped the zoners whenever he could, both against minor things and more major ones. He felt confident in his ability to protect them due to his ability to draw and create anything out of thin air. But with his right hand crushed, he could no longer do that.

Rudy had been afraid of injuring his right hand ever since his left one was permanently damaged by Mr. Cosmo. He had been extra careful with it whenever he did anything. He knew that if he wrecked his right hand, that was it. It wasn’t like when he broke his arm just before a bowling tournament. At that time, he could still use his left hand decently. Well enough to defend himself. Now he could barely grip a piece of magic chalk with his left hand, let alone draw with it.

Now, with his right hand crushed and his left hand much weaker than it used to be, Rudy was completely defenseless. Even if he had magic chalk, he wouldn’t be able to use it very effectively. If the damage in his right hand becomes permanent... Rudy wouldn’t be able to protect ChalkZone anymore. He wouldn’t be able to draw. He would have lost his artistic abilities.

The thought broke Penny’s heart. Rudy prided himself in his art and his ability to help and protect others. Being stripped of this, being rendered unable to do anything with art anymore, no longer able to protect others, it really hurt him mentally. She shot a glare in the direction Bardot and Draow had walked in. They were truly monsters. And she looked forward to when karma struck them back.

As she held Rudy against her gently, stroking his hair in an attempt to calm him down, her thoughts wandered to her father. Tears welled up as she recalled the cruel words Bardot told her. She remembered every detail. She could practically hear her father’s screams of pain. She could see him being ripped apart by this monster. And the way Bardot taunted her about her father’s death, it still sent chills down her spine. If she ever needed proof of Bardot being worse than Cosmo...this was it.

She had been making great strides with her father. Even though he wasn’t there much as she was growing up, and though her mom didn’t really like him that much, she was growing close to him as he started spending more and more time with her. She looked forward to whenever his dad had enough time off to take her places or just to hang out in general. He was a good man...a good man...

It had been such a terrible blow to her psyche when she learned her dad was gone. Not just captured, but actually dying. And very painfully at that. She never thought something like that had happened. Neither her mom nor herself had suspected something like this. If he had been living with them, they might have noticed him going missing. But because he lived across town, there was no way for them to know when he disappeared...not until they saw the news...

Even if they get out of this alive, she knew that was only the beginning. She needed to deal with the loss of her father. She knew her mom was upset by the news. She may not have liked her ex-husband that much but she still would care if something terrible happened to him. She wanted now, more than ever, to be in her mother’s arms, hug her, trying to seek comfort. The loss of a parent was a heavy blow to bear. Penny still had a hard time believing it was true, but it was all confirmed when Bardot had the audacity to eat her father’s arm in front of her like that. Daddy....

Rudy also needed comforting as well. If the damage in his right hand became permanent, and his ability to draw hindered, she knew he was going to go through a mental breakdown. He wouldn’t be able to help the zoners as much as he used to, and that was going to hurt him mentally. He loved helping them out and he was determined to protect them from any possible danger. With two permanently damaged hands, he wouldn’t be able to do any of that. He was going to feel very low, and he was going to need support from his friends to help him recover mentally.

Her thoughts then wandered over to Snap. She was very worried about him. When Bardot had told them what happened when he visited them briefly, she and Rudy were both horrified. The thought of Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky almost dying like that..and the way Bardot said it so cheerfully, so happily... It was obvious how sick this zoner was. She couldn’t believe that he was forcing those three to go through all that torment. And of course, Bardot was going to tell them every bad thing that happens to them, just to drive their spirits down further.

Penny was not aware of just how bad these ëgames’ of Bardot’s would get. Would the last few games be unbeatable? Would Snap die a horrific death? Her eyes welled up with tears at the thought of her friend losing his life to this. And Blocky and Rapsheeba...they were getting pulled in for the ride as well. Bardot was going to have fun hurting them, she could tell. He didn’t care if they weren’t his targets. The guy was twisted, sadistic...he’d torture Blocky and Rapsheeba just for the fun of it...

Penny couldn’t believe all this was happening. It was a nightmare...only it was reality. She felt so helpless. She felt the same as Rudy, like they couldn’t do anything. And right now, what could they do? They were trapped. Her father was killed. Rudy’s right hand was crushed so he would be defenseless. They were both injured. They were both going to die a painful death if Snap is unable to get to them in time. Things just looked really bleak for them. She felt like there was nothing she could do.

Yet, despite how low she felt, she still had some spark of hope in her. She didn’t want to completely lose hope that they’d get out of this. She and Rudy knew how competent Snap could be. She knew that Snap wouldn’t rest until he found them. Snap knew they were in grave danger, and he would hurry. She had to remain confident that he’d find them in time.

And once he does, they could capture Bardot and Draow and bring them to justice. It wouldn’t be hard to convinct either of them. With all the damage they did, especially Bardot and with Draow’s past crimes, they would be locked up forever. Penny would be more than happy to testify against those creeps in court. She would, in that way, make them both sorry for what they’ve done. She didn’t know what kind of punishment they could get that would satisfy her, but she was certain the zoners there would think of an appropriate and satisfying punishment for those two.

Despite her crying, despite her feelings of helplessness, despite her injuries, Penny hadn’t truly given up yet. And she knew Rudy hadn’t either. They weren’t going to give into the torture that easily. They would not allow Bardot and Draow the pleasure of breaking them, of taking away their hope. Rudy was right. They had been in a terrible scrape with Mr. Cosmo. Thinks looked hopeless then, but they still managed to pull through against the odds.

And they could do it again.

“I’m...I’m hungry...” Rudy murmured through his cries.

“Yeah...I know....” Penny whispered back.

Neither of them had anything to eat or drink for almost 24 hours, if not more. Though both of them could easily survive a day without food, neither of them knew how long they were going to be here. It was hard to say how long it would take Snap to get here.

Though their hunger pains were pretty mild, they knew it was just going to get worse from here. As the days go by, they would get hungrier and weaker. And the weaker they got, the more vulnerable they became to their captors’ torture. They would soon be unable to fight back effectively. If Snap didn’t find them soon, they were both going to suffer a very painful death. Penny knew that they could last a while longer if it was just being without food. But humans didn’t last nearly as long if they were deprived of water, which meant that she and Rudy had less time.

And dying of dehydration...that wasn’t exactly a pleasant way to go. It was a slow and painful death. And it was going to be further aggravated by the torture that their captors were going to inflict on them. The blood loss was going to speed up the dehydration, speeding up their death. Stopping the bleeding from any new injury they recieve was going to be crucial. But even if she did manage to stop all bleeding, she could do nothing about the water situation...

She could feel the back of her throat feel a tad dry. It wasn’t too bad now, but it was going to get worse as time went on. She swallowed, wishing she could have a glass of water right about now. But she knew that Bardot and Draow would not allow her and Rudy to have anything. Though Bardot had access to the real world and could bring food and water for them, it was unlikely he would. He was very clear about wanting them to dehydrate to death, so giving them water would just delay his ëmeal time’, as he would put it.

It did seem a little odd to be thinking about food after what’s happened to them. But having no food, or water for that matter, was part of their torment. It was one part of all the bad things that happened or is going to happen to them. It was going to make their stay much less pleasant, not that they were going to have a good time here to begin with.

Penny gingerly touched her forehead and immediately seethed in pain. The cut itself had stopped bleeding. The blood coagulated a while ago. But it was still a deep cut and it hurt to touch it. It was like someone was slowly cutting her head open with a shard of glass. Though it stopped bleeding, she knew it was going to get worse if she didn’t find some way to treat. She didn’t have much to worry about in regards to chalk germs. But Rudy was with her, and he had real world germs on him, as did she. Their wounds could still become infected. Even using their clothes as bandages wouldn’t stop infection from settling in. They needed sterile bandages.

When Penny shifted herself, she accidentally hit against Rudy’s side. He let out a yelp of pain and cringed away from her a bit. She looked at him apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Rudy.” She said to him.

Rudy groaned and said, “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean it...”

Penny looked down at his side. Her eyes widened when she saw a bright red stain. “Rudy...let me take a look.”

Rudy was a bit reluctant. He put left hand carefuly over his side and scooted away. He looked at her with slightly widened eyes and he shook his head. “No. It’s fine...really.”

“Rudy...” Penny said, narrowing her eyes. “Let me look.”

“No.” Rudy shook his head.

Penny was frustrated with Rudy. She didn’t know why he had to be so stubborn. She needed to look at his wound and see how it was healing. This was, currently, Rudy’s worst wound. The one on his right hand was bad, yes, but the one in his side was deeper and had more flesh torn. She needed to look at it and see if there was anything she could do to help.

With how Rudy reacted to her accidentally touching the area, the wound was very tender and sore. With how deep the wound was, she wasn’t surprised. It was also a clear sign that Rudy was lying; that area wasn’t fine. He could try to deny it all he wanted to, but she could see right through his lies just by his reactions alone.

Penny gently touched his left hand. “Please, Rudy... You were bitten pretty badly by Draow there. Let me take a look. I’ll do my best not to hurt you, okay?”

“...oh okay...” Rudy said reluctantly. He moved his hand away.

Penny motioned for Rudy to straighten himself up. When he did, she reached down to the bottom of his shirt. She grabbed it and lifted it up a little. She pulled it until she could see the wound in plain sight. She grimaced at it.

She could see the puncture marks where Draow had bitten down. The skin was discolored, mostly a dark purple. She thought she saw a little bit of green, too, and she realized, in horror, that infection had already started to settle in. And that wasn’t her only worry. In the biggest puncture wounds, there was still blood dripping from it. It has been at least 24 hours, and the wound was still bleeding...

Horror swept through her heart, an uncomfortable feeling gripping her chest. All of her wounds had stopped bleeding an hour or so ago. But Rudy’s side wound...it was still bleeding. He was still losing blood. And judging from it, the bleeding hardly slowed down. Draow had done a lot more damage to his side than she thought. She had to do something to stop the bleeding and fast.

Penny kicked off her shoes. She grabbed one of her socks and pulled it off. Yeah it wasn’t exactly the best smelling piece of cloth, but she needed something thick, and her socks were a little thicker than her skirt. She pressed the cloth against Rudy’s side. He hissed in pain and struggled a little. Penny placed a hand on his shoulder and gently rubbed it to try to calm him down a little. She felt bad about doing this. She could see how much it was hurting him. Tears of pain were coming from the boy’s eyes. But she had to do this to stop the bleeding.

But to her horror, no matter how hard she pressed the sock against the wound, no matter how much pressure she applied, the wound just wasn’t stopping with the bleeding. Fear swept through her body as she realized what had happened. Draow bit down so hard that...that he ruptured something inside Rudy. The bleeding was eternal, deep. No amount of pressing against the wound was going to stop it. He needed to to the hospital, and fast.

But he wasn’t going to be able to go to the hospital any time soon. And there was nothing in ChalkZone that could help them. The blood would dissolve any bandages she got from this place. Not right away, but slowly it would. It would do little to stop the bleeding. And if she didn’t stop the bleeding soon...oh no...Rudy...

“No...come on...please...” Penny whispered. She pressed the sock a little harder, prompting a cry of pain from Rudy. “Please...work...” She hoped that, by some miracle, she could stop the bleeding. But it didn’t work. She shook her head in disbelief. “No...”

Rudy gave her a small smile. “It’s...okay. I’ll be fine...”

Penny shook her head. “No you won’t. You’re still bleeding.” Her voice was laced in worry and fear. She stared at the wound for a few seconds, then turned her gaze back to Rudy. “I lost my father. I don’t want to lose you, too...”

“You won’t..” Rudy said reassuringly. He put his right arm around Penny, careful not to move or hit his damaged right hand. He pulled her a little closer to him. “We’ll..get out of here. And we will both be fine. You’ll see...”

Penny tried her best to smile back. But she could barely manage it. Her dark brown eyes slowly gazed back down on the bleeding wound. She needed to find a way to stop the bleeding and fast. Rudy was going to lose strength faster if he kept bleeding out like this. And with Bardot and Draow willing to hurt him more, to give him more injuries, having an injury bleed like this for over a day wasn’t something that Rudy could afford.

“I know, Rudy.” She finally said, trying to sound as hopeful as she could. “I know.”

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 20: THE SAVAGE BEASTS-



Traversing through here was going to be hard. Snap could tell just from looking around. The large, vicious-looking bunnies were laying really close. There was hardly a place for him and his friends to step down that wasn’t practically on one of these chocolate bunnies. He knew all it would take was one slip up, and they would be running for their lives. The only ëcomfort’ in this is that waking up the bunnies wasn’t against the rules. All they had to do was reach the end while staying alive, though that wasn’t exactly going to be easy in of itself.

As he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky slowly made their way through, being careful not to touch or bump into any of the bunnies, Snap noticed something about them. None of them had the feminine appearance of the mother rabbit he and Blocky ran into. These all must be the bucks, the males. There was no doe, or female, in sight.

He had never seen the males of these species before. They must usually be underground or something, raising and protecting the babies. Whenever they surface, it must be when hardly anyone is around so they can collect food for the kids, or whatever it is they do underground.

Snap felt intimidated being so close to these guys. He had heard rumors of the males being a lot more dangerous than the females, even those protecting their young. A female chocolate rabbit would usually drop her vicious attitude once she’s seen no harm came to her kids, and she can even shift moods and start being downright friendly and affectionate even towards those she was about to harm. That was why the mother rabbit was nice enough to give him and Blocky some chocolate milk and let them sit down next to her. The female chocolate rabbits were usually very forgiving and only aggressive if pushed too far.

Males, on the other hand, were a whole different story. He hadn’t heard too much, but what he did hear, he did not like. The males of this species hold grudges for a very long time. Do one thing against the warren, and they will never let you forget it. Males would chase aggressors and would-be bunnynappers all across the forest, often not stopping until they beat and bite and claw them to death.

Supposedly, the reason why the males were like this was due to the high predation of this species. Snap could believe that. The baby bunnies were delicious. He could see how a bunch of zoners, those who don’t really care if the babies could talk or not, would try to eat them. So the males’ protectiveness is increased many times to the point where they would rather kill offenders rather than letting them off easy. And if Bardot’s card was anything to go by, and taking into consideration he was the main target, chances are all these males were aware of what he did. And when they wake up...

...he was going to have to run for his life.

And there were a lot of males here. A lot... Snap had lost count at thirty. Bardot had picked the right time to set up this ëgame’ of survival. A time when the males come up to the surface. Or had Bardot lured or trapped them up here? He wasn’t sure. But what did it matter right now? He had to focus on getting across without waking up the rabbits.

Snap looked over to see how his friends were doing. Blocky’s thin shape gave him an advantage as he was able to slip through smaller spaces without problem. This didn’t mean he could be reckless, though. A few times, he did almost step on a bunny. He managed to stop himself in time and moved around the bunny before continuing. A few times, a bunny was so large he had to jump over them. Snap was amazed that he was able to do so without falling into another bunny nearby. That took skill.

Rapsheeba was having a bit of a harder time than Blocky. She was not able to jump or step over the bunnies as well as he could. So most of the time, she had to squeeze between the bunnies, which was a difficult task. There was once where she did trip and almost fell on top of one of the rabbits. Snap stared in horror for a second before rushing over as fast as he was allowed to go. He grabbed her arm and steadied her. Rapsheeba thanked him and they continued on their way.

Before they knew it, Snap realized they were about to reach the halfway point. He started to feel relieved. This dangerous task was almost halfway over. And none of them had recieved any injuries yet. As long as they can keep this up, they would be able to reach Rudy and Penny and be able to fight Draow and Bardot. Snap didn’t know how long this was going to last, though. Sooner or later, they would get hurt, and he wasn’t sure how well they’d perform with horrific injuries.

Still, here’s to hoping. He and his friends were smart and careful. So long as they use their wits, they could make it through each game unscathed. They could make it through this one without getting attacked. Snap hated to think what would happen if they got badly hurt this early in the games. This was only game two. There were several others they would have to endure. Bardot never told them how many, and he was certain that him withholding information was part of his torment. Bardot didn’t want him to know how close he was to his friends. He didn’t want to give him any sense of hope or accomplishment. He just wanted to mess with him.

Snap wasn’t going to let Bardot mess with his mind like that. He had a feeling Bardot was doing it to make it harder for him to face the guy at the end of these ëgames’ of his. Bardot wanted to destroy his confidence so that merely thinking of fighting back was going to be hard.

Snap was shaken up by how Bardot introduced himself. He was scared that Bardot was able to pin him down so easily, to subdue him like that. He was scared that Bardot was very close to killing him, and how easy it would have been for him to do so. Those fangs were very close to sinking into his skin, and injecting a deadly venom that had no antitode whatsoever. Bardot’s speed was definitely going to be a problem, and if Snap was badly hurt before he could face him...that was definitely going to be a problem as well.

Still, Snap wasn’t going to give up. He wasn’t going to let himself get dragged down mentally like that. Though afraid, he was still willing to go up against Bardot, even badly injured, if it meant saving his friends. He wasn’t going to make things that easy for the jerk.

A few minutes later, and he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were still making good progress. He could see the light up ahead, where he knew the Candycane Forest was about to end. They didn’t quicken their pace, though. Even though they were quite close to being out of this survival game, if they rushed, they could trip up and then they would all be in big trouble.

“So close...” Rapsheeba said in a low whisper. She continued moving really slowly, moving past the bunnies. “If we keep this up, we’ll be out of here in no time.”

Snap nodded in agreement. He carefully climbed over a few rabbits, being really light and gentle so they wouldn’t wake up. “As long as we don’t try to speed things up, and as long as we keep doing this, we will get out of here soon.”

Blocky shifted past a few more rabbits. “Yeah. This isn’t too hard.” He turned his head to look at his friends. “If it weren’t for the whole danger part, this would actually be kind of...”

“Blocky!” Rapsheeba and Snap cried in low hisses.

It was too late. When Blocky turned his head, he was not able to see where he was going. That second of not seeing was enough to cause him to make a mistake in his stepping. He looked over just in time for him to snag his foot on a small rock that jetted out of the ground. He held in his cry of pain, but that wasn’t enough. It just wasn’t enough...

...for when he tripped over, he had hit against one of the chocolate rabbits. And not just in passing either. Half of his body slammed against the rabbit, right against its side. Blocky laid there for a few seconds and, feeling the brown mound begin to shift, he moved away, his eyes wide in fear.

“Oh no...” Rapsheeba whispered as she and the others looked around them.

The male that Blocky had awakened raised its head. It looked over at them. As soon as it saw Snap, it began to growl lowly, baring its sharp teeth. It stood up on its hind legs, spreading its arms out and showing off its vicious claws. The trio backed away in fear, staring at the male. Things quickly became a lot worse for them.

The male let out a couple of small screech sounds. To their horror, all around them, the males were waking up. They rose to their feet and turned their attention on the trio. Much like the first male, it was only when the males saw Snap that they became angry. Although Blocky helped with capturing the eggs, the males didn’t seem to mind him. It was as though, somehow, the males knew that it was Snap alone who tried to eat the babies after they hatched, not Blocky.

The males started to move closer to the trio, forming a circle of fangs and claws. Growls emitted all around the three, rumbling through their hearts and stomach. The hostility of the males practically radiated off of them, twisting their stomachs in knots. In a matter of seconds, the males would attack them.

“What are we going to do?” Blocky asked fearfully.

Snap looked around towards where the exit of the forest was. It was hard to see with all the males closing in on them, but it was there. He could just barely make it out. He looked back at his friends. There was only one option they had left. And it wasn’t exactly a safe choice.

Snap grabbed his friends and pulled them over. “Come on, we have to make a run for it!”

“Snap, are you crazy?!” Rapsheeba cried. “We’re surrounded!”

“It’s either we run or we stay here and get mauled. Which one would you rather do?” Snap asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked nervous. They glanced at the advancing chocolate rabbits, looking at their wickedly sharp claws and teeth. But from the looks on their faces, they both knew that they had no other option. Even though they were surrounded, they had to at least try to run past the rabbits so they can get out of the Candycane Forest.

The three of them huddled close together. They hunched themselves a little, preparing to run.

Snap whispered, “On the count of three, we run. One...”

The males snarled and started to move in faster.

“Two...”

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked around in fear as the rabbits close in on them.

“Three!”

As soon as Snap said ëthree’, the trio broke into a run. They managed to squeeze past the males that were blocking their path to the exit. Much to their relief, they had reached the end of the ëmale chocolate bunny line’, as there were no more males in front of them. But that didn’t mean they were out of the woods yet. Behind them, they heard the thumping, growling, and gnashing of teeth as the males ran towards them.

Despite how large they were, it was frightening just how fast they could be. It took only a few seconds before the males caught up to them. The trio tried their best to dodge the attacks. And at first, they managed to do so. But they couldn’t keep it up and the first blow was struck.

Blocky cried out as he felt claws cut into his back. He fell to the ground, blood dripping from the fresh wound. He looked up in time to see the male that struck him down preparing for another blow.

“Blocky!” Snap cried.

As the rabbit struck downwards, Snap pushed Blocky out of the way. He was unable to save himself, and he screamed in pain as the claws cut into his side, pushing him into the ground. Snap rolled across the ground a few times before finally stopping, leaving behind a thin stream of blood.

“Oh no, Snap!” Rapsheeba tried to get to him, but she was struck down by one of the males herself. Claws cut into her arm, tossing her into the hard, unforgiving ground.

Snap struggled to his feet. He didn’t stay that way for long. The males, upon seeing he was separated from his friends, immediately hounded on him. Snap attempted to run away, but one of the males knocked him into the ground once more. Snap couldn’t hold back his screams of agony as the bunnies started to rip into him. Claws cutting into his chalky flesh, teeth ripping at his costume, blood staining the ground.

Snap tried to crawl away, moaning in pain. He never got far as he was constantly dragged back into the group, and his body recieved more injuries. Snap felt as though his life was flashing before his eyes. He was in so much pain, he became unaware of his surroundings. The only thing he could detect was pain and the gleaming eyes of the enraged chocolate rabbits.

With a strong punch, Snap flew across the ground and landed on his back. The largest male ran towards him and pushed him against the ground with a large paw. Snap looked up fearfully at the male and began to whimper, tears forming in his eyes. He watched as the beast raised its free paw up in the air, the claws poised to strike. Snap gripped the paw, trying to push it away from him. But it was no use.

“Rudy, Penny...” Snap said. He looked at the sharp tips of the claw, and then the enraged face of the rabbit. “I’m sorry...” He closed his eyes and looked away, waiting for the blow.

“No!”

Suddenly, Snap was aware of weight being lifted from him. He opened his eyes and saw that Blocky and Rapsheeba managed to get free. They had recieved a few more injuries, but they were otherwise fine. They had pushed against the larger male, forcing it back away from Snap.

Snap looked up at them in shock. “Rapsheeba...Blocky... You need to get going... We don’t have time...”

Rapsheeba shook her head. “No way, Snap. We aren’t going to leave you behind.”

“We stick together.” Blocky said.

Snap smiled at his friends, grateful for their help. It was then he took notice that his two friends were holding something in their hands. Broken pieces of candycanes that they trampled over when they were running away. The ends looked pretty sharp. He looked over at the largest male and saw a couple of bloody marks. So that was how they managed to get the male away from him.

Snap wanted to get up, but he was in too much pain to move at the moment. He laid on the ground and he watched as his friends protected him from the horde. Blocky and Rapsheeba struck, punched, kicked, and slashed any chocolate male that dared get too close. Snap was shocked, as he didn’t know they were this good at combat. Over and over again, a male would try to strike him, only to be knocked back by either Rapsheeba or Blocky.

It was clear Rapsheeba and Blocky were scared of the horde. Their bodies trembled. Their teeth were clenched. But still they did not leave him. One male tried to bite onto Snap’s hand, but Rapsheeba jabbed the broken piece of candycane against the beast’s arm, forcing it to step back. A second almost dragged Snap away. Blocky put a stop to that by driving his candycane piece into its hand. The beast howled in pain and backed off.

But their luck wasn’t to last. Though the two put up a good fight, it didn’t take long for the males to become so enraged that they retaliate back. Claws struck against the two faster than they could react, sending their weapons flying through the air and crashing against a candycane tree. Then another blow forced them into the ground. Before they could get up, the largest male placed its paws on either side of them, effectively pinning all three down.

The trio looked up at the male in fear. Drool dripped from the beast’s fangs and it opened its jaws wide. It let out a triumphant roar and was preparing to crush them in its jaws. Unable to escape or do anything to defend themselves, the trio hugged each other, screamed, and waited for the beast to bite down on them.

But instead, something else happened. Something none of them had expected.

There was the pounding of another rabbit coming towards them. This one sounded lighter than the others. And when they saw it come into view, they realized it was a female. It was running towards the larger male, forcing it to back off away from the trio. The female started to growl and snarl at the male, who returned the sounds. The two glared at each other, baring their teeth.

Snap looked up in shock. He hadn’t expected this to happen. Was this the same female he and Blocky encountered? No...this one looked a little different. Yet there was still something about it that seemed familiar.

Seconds later, two more rabbits approached them. Snap and his friends screamed when they saw it was two more males. They cringed and waited for them to try to attack. But instead, the two males joined the female, standing in front of the trio and growling at the largest male. The other males around them started to back off. The largest male remained where it was, roaring at the three bunny interlopers almost like they were having an argument.

But the three bunnies didn’t give up. They stood on their hind legs and showed off their claws. They snarled and snapped at the male’s direction, clearly unafraid of how large he was. Though the male was clearly unhappy, it eventually gave up. Going back down on all fours, the largest male, whom Snap guessed was the alpha, the one in charge, appeared to bark orders at the other males. Slowly, the other males dispersed, disappearing back into the forest.

The alpha male gave Snap one more hostile glare before it, too, wandered off, leaving the trio alone with the three rabbit interlopers. Once the alpha male was gone, the three rabbits turned their attention on the trio.

“What are they going to do with us?” Blocky whispered, staring into the eyes of one of the males.

“I don’t know..keep still...” Snap said, clenching his teeth and hissing in pain from his injuries.

The trio didn’t move, dared not to breathe. Most of the rabbits were gone, but they still had these three to worry about. They didn’t know why they chased off the other males. But they had no reason to believe that it was to help them. The rabbits stared at them. They shivered under the glare of their eyes, practically glowing despite being pitch black.

Then, one of the males lowered its head towards them. The trio put their hands in front of themselves in self defense. But rather than bite them, the male did something else entirely.

It licked them.

The gentle gesture was unexpected. The three friends opened their eyes and looked at the rabbit in shock. Why hadn’t it attacked them? The other males were going to tear them apart. Why was this male so different?

The male continued to surprise them as it rubbed its head against Rapsheeba and licked her on the face. The other male nuzzled against Blocky, rubbing its face against his thin side. And the female rubbed against Snap’s face. All three of them were being very gentle, careful not to hurt them further. It was clear that these rabbits had no intentions on harming them.

Snap soon took notice of a piece of cloth on each of the rabbit’s right arms. Green, blue, and pink. His eyes snapped wide open, memories flooding back to him. These rabbits...they were the same ones he had tried to eat years ago. The same ones that had called him ëdaddy’. He stared up at them in shock. Not only had they remembered who he was, they had also still cared enough for him to save him and his friends from the wrath of the alpha male.

“Blocky..these are those bunnies from before. The ones that hatched.” Snap said. He managed to get to his feet, though it still hurt.

Blocky looked around. He took notice of the colored clothes and he instantly remembered. “Oh yeah, they are! They must have seen we were in trouble and came to rescue us!”

Rapsheeba giggled in surprise as one of the males pushed its head against her arm, wanting her to pet it. She ran her hand gently along the back of its head. “Well aren’t you the cutest thing?”

Snap smiled down at the female as he patted her gently on the head. “Thank you.”

A horrible thought crossed his mind. He recalled Bardot said they couldn’t recieve the help of any other zoners. And though these rabbits were wild, they were still zoners. A cold feeling swept through his body. Had they lost the game already? No, it couldn’t be over this quickly. He couldn’t have failed this soon.

But then again, if they had lost the game, Bardot would have contacted them. The radio wasn’t going off yet. So perhaps they were still safe. He looked around and saw they were very close to the edge of the forest. There was no timer for this game, thankfully, so they didn’t have to run towards the exit to get out. But they still needed to hurry. They had to leave the forest and get to wherever the next clue was so they could proceed to the next game.

It was hard leaving the trio of bunnies behind. They had seemed so happy to see him. They constantly rubbed up against him and his friends, licking them, hugging them. They didn’t want them to leave so soon. As much as Snap would have liked to stay for a while, he knew he couldn’t. He promised the three that he would visit them later.

Luckily, the rabbits seemed to understand him and they backed off. They waved to Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky as they headed out towards the exit of the forest. The three rabbits turned tail and broke off into a run, and soon disappeared entirely.

Rapsheeba and Blocky weren’t too badly injured. A few cuts here or there, but they could otherwise move just fine. There wasn’t too much blood loss, and it looked as though the cuts would close up on their own. There didn’t seem to be as much of a risk for infection. The cuts weren’t that deep. They deduced it was because the males weren’t really after them; they were after Snap.

Snap’s condition...wasn’t quite as good. He had a few deeper cuts. Like his friends, most of them were pretty shallow and wouldn’t be much of a problem. But a couple of them weren’t as harmless. There were two deeper cuts on his left leg, one on his arm, and one along his side. They weren’t bleeding too heavily, but the blow still left them looking a little bruised.

As he walked along side his friends, he was noticed that he was limping. He was favoring his right leg, constantly leaning towards it in an attempt to relieve the pain. With each step, it felt as though the pain was getting worse. It got to the point where his two friends grabbed his arms, being careful not to hurt him, and supported them as they walked out of the forest.

Snap’s fear had become a reality. He had hoped they would get out of the forest unscathed. They did not. They were all injured, with him recieving the bulk of the attacks. He hissed in pain as he continued to walk with his friends. With him this badly hurt early on, he knew that the next games were going to be even more difficult to survive.

When they got out of the forest, Blocky and Rapsheeba carefully set Snap on the ground so he could rest a little. Blocky went over to grab the next clue, which was placed against a broken down candycane tree. As he read the message, Rapsheeba knelt down beside Snap.

Rapsheeba looked over Snap and grimaced, biting her lip. “We need to treat these wounds...”

Snap winced, looking at Rapsheeba with one eye, the other closed due to pain. “I’ll...I’ll be fine, queenie..” He managed to say.

“No you won’t.” Rapsheeba said sternly. “If we don’t stop the bleeding, you’ll...”

Snap raised up a hand. “I know, Rapsheeba. We’ll...think of something.” He let out a yelp of pain, causing Rapsheeba to look even more worried for him.

“Snap! The next clue! I know what it’s talking about!” Blocky said as he rushed over towards the two, waving the card in his hand frantically.

“What is it?” Snap asked.

Blocky read the riddle.

“Congratulations, you are on a roll
But to surive the next, you must do more than stroll
A place you had fun, a place that seems harmless at a glance
But beware what lies below, there is no second chance”

Snap blinked at that riddle. He was stumped on it. These riddles were so vague and confusing. He wished Bardot could be a little more specific. But at least they didn’t have to waste much time on this riddle, since Blocky figured it out.

“What does it mean?” Snap asked.

“It’s talking about the golf course!” Blocky cried. “The one you, Rudy, and Penny played on a few days ago, before all this mess happened!”

Snap gasped in shock. “What?! Are you sure?”

Blocky nodded his head. “These riddles all seem to be about you. So a place where you had fun, that seems harmless at a glance, it couldn’t be the playground as we were already there. And the talk of things below, that golf course does have a few tiny tunnels that run below, in a few of their holes. And it isn’t too far from here!”

Snap still wasn’t entirely sure if he was convinced it was talking about the golf course. But what other leads did he have? It didn’t really surprise him that a golf course was the next stop. It was just like Bardot to take something he had enjoyed and turn it into a nightmare. It seemed so like him.

Snap struggled to his feet. Rapsheeba supported him, holding his arm. “Let’s go.”

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 21: BET YOU DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING-



Rudy growled under his breath. When he spoke, his voice was laced in pain and anger. “I hate you...”

He glared up at Bardot, who stood in front of him and Penny, wearing the usual cocky smile. Draow was laying in the door way, his back turned to them. Bardot didn’t look at all fazed by the boy’s anger. He just smiled down at Rudy, grinning practically from ear to ear. If anything, Rudy’s anger made him look happier, like he was pleased with himself.

Bardot had just finished telling them what had happened to Snap during his run through the Candycane Forest. He had put so much emphasis on when Snap got hurt, describing in detail the brutal mauling he had gotten. It was so descriptive that Rudy could practically see and hear it in his mind. It didn’t get much better when Bardot brought up the limp that Snap would have throughout the rest of the game. Bardot made a cruel joke about how Snap would have a hard time surviving the next game with that injury.

Rudy was utterly disgusted by the whole thing. Bardot was taking great pleasure in all of this. Causing pain and suffering... what kind of sicko gets off on this? Even Mr. Cosmo, who was a terrible man himself, had some boundaries. Rudy couldn’t see that guy, as horrible as he was, going to the same lengths as Bardot. Maybe that was why Cosmo feared the red chalk. Maybe that’s why he refused to erase Bardot himself. He must have known that, by doing so, he was unleashing literal hell, and it would be something beyond his control. That man was all about control.

Penny was frightened by what Bardot told them. She kept shaking her head and crying, obviously thinking about the danger Snap was now in. Knowing that Snap had an injury that coud slow him down and make him lose an upcoming ëgame’...it was really unsettling.

But despite her worries, Penny still hadn’t given up on Snap or on themselves. She never gave in that easily, and Rudy was glad she still had that same determination here, despite all that had happened. That was one of the things he loved about her. She wasn’t helpless and she could really hold her own if she had to. If she weren’t injured right now and if she had magic chalk, she would teach Bardot a lesson and she could them out of this mess.

A dark chuckle broke him out of his thoughts. He almost stumbled back when he saw how close Bardot had gotten to him and Penny. He snarled at Bardot, clenching his left hand into as tight of a fist he could make. Which...wasn’t much of a fist since he couldn’t bend his fingers to the same degree as he could on his right hand, at least before it was injured.

Although Penny was afraid, she didn’t cringe back like Rudy guessed Bardot thought she would, especially with the knowledge that he is her father’s murderer. Instead, Penny looked just as angry as Rudy did. She didn’t form a fist, but she did give Bardot a look that, if stares could kill, would have caused the monster to drop dead where he stood. But not suprisingly, this only brought another laugh from Bardot, completely unfazed by the teens’ anger.

Bardot put his face close to Rudy’s. He sneered, “Oh is that so? Well then... If I were you...” He moved his muzzle until it was next to Rudy’s ear. He said in a harsh whisper, “I’d hate me too.” He moved back when Rudy tried to strike him with his weaker left hand. Bardot let out a quick chortle. “Almost got me there. But I tell ya, trying to hit me isn’t going to do you much good.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes. “It’ll make me feel better.”

Bardot smirked. “Well yes I suppose it would. But you’re wasting too much energy. You should try to relax a little more.”

“As if...” Penny said, her voice low. She glared hatefully at the hybrid zoner. “It’s not like you’ll let us relax. You heartless beast...”

Bardot cocked an eyebrow. He turned his head towards Draow. He stared at him and looked like he was contemplating something. Seconds later, he turned his head back to Penny. If he had been thinking about calling Draow over here, it was clear that he had changed his mind. Rudy wondered if it was because Bardot wanted them alive for a while. Draow isn’t exactly the most gentle zoner around.

Or maybe...there was another reason. There was that look in Bardot’s eye. The kind that he and Penny became too familiar with during their short stay here. The look that told them he had something special in mind for them. And this special thing was never anything good.

Rudy’s eyes widened a little. Just what did he have in mind Draow do next? Was he going to crush his other hand? Was he going to tear more into his side, or tear up Penny more? And knowing Bardot, he wasn’t going to tell them anything. He had a feeling Bardot was going to be the kind of villain who gives hints that they will get hurt, but then leaving it all to their imagination, leaving them in cruel suspense until the torture does happen.

“If you won’t relax, I suppose I’ll have to make you relax.” Bardot said in a sweet sounding voice. “And I think I know how to do that...”

Without warning, Bardot seized Penny and dragged her away from Rudy. In protest, Rudy tried to get to her, but Bardot kicked him in the leg with his hind foot, knocking the boy to the ground. Rudy landed on his right hand and let out a scream of pain. He held his hand, trembling, and looked over to see what Bardot was doing.

Penny fought against Bardot. She managed to land a couple of punches on him. Though the punches seemed to be hurting Bardot, he was ignoring them. He gripped Penny by the throat and held her down. But rather than slash her up like Rudy expected, instead, Bardot merely struck, and not with his full strength, directly on her head wound. Rudy’s eyes widened, horrified by Bardot’s cruelty. Did it know no bounds? No limits?

Penny’s eyes flew open and she let out a horrific scream. Then seconds later, she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. The pain was too much for her to handle. Bardot had struck by pressing his three claws against the wound. The sharp tips combined with the pressure had sent so many shockwaves of pain that Penny fainted from it. It was a horrific sight for Rudy to behold.

And when Bardot looked at him, Rudy knew that he was going to be next. The yellow and red zoner started to slink towards him. Rudy tried to get up, but he was unable to get far. Another blow to his leg and he was on his knees. He glared hatefully at Bardot.

“You’re sick...” Rudy hissed under his breath. His gaze went over to Penny for a second, then he looked back at the zoner. “Striking an open wound...”

“Eh...does it really matter? It’s going to get infected anyway.” Bardot waved a dismissing paw. “I’m just speading up the process.”

“I’ll kill you...” Rudy threatened, baring his teeth at the deranged zoner. He was not a violent person, and he usually didn’t wish death on anyone. But Bardot...he deserved it. “You will regret the day you messed with me and my friends.”

Bardot shook his head. “Yeah, yeah...sure, kid. We’ll see about that. But for now...sleep!”

Rudy noticed how much louder the word ësleep’ had been spoken. But he barely had time to dwell on it because, in that instance, Bardot made his move on him. He pressed his paw against his wounded side, pressing the claws into it. The moment this happened, Rudy’s mind was assaulted by agony.

He let out a bloodcurdling scream as the claws pressed into him. Bardot pushed harder and harder, not enough to cut him up badly, but enough to send him through a world of pain. Bardot’s other paw held onto his arm, holding him in place. Rudy kept screaming, begging Bardot to stop it. Tears streamed down his face. This was absolute torture. It felt like someone was pouring lemon juice and salt down into the wound and then, just because, driving a knife down there as well.

Rudy tried to struggle to get away, but the pain was getting to be too much for him. The pain caused the world around him to spin. It felt like minutes went by, but actually only seconds did. Rudy felt his mind start to shut down, unable to handle the pain Bardot was triggering. He took one last look at Bardot, who was wearing an evil smile, before he closed his eyes and fell to the ground.

And soon, everything was dark.

sss

Milly Tabootie stood in her son’s room. The blood still stained the ground and walls. She had meant to clean it up, since the police already investigated it and got all the data they could from it. But her heart...it just wasn’t into it. No parent should have ever have to do this. No parent should ever have to clean up blood that came from their own child...

It hurt to be in the room. Knowing something terrible happened to her child, just being in here makes her practically hear her son’s screams. A horrendous feeling of guilt overwhelmed her. Why hadn’t she or Joe heard the screams? Why hadn’t they noticed someone sneaking into their house? With all this destruction, she couldn’t believe that she and Joe both slept through it. If they had just woken up and came in, then maybe they could have...

Usually she had no problem with coming into Rudy’s bedroom. She usually did when she wanted to clean up his room a little. Rudy, even at this age, still sometimes left messes behind. Or she’d come in to speak to him, or check on him to make sure he’s okay if he was sick.

Now, standing in his room, all she could feel was a cold chill. A sickening feeling welled up inside of her, making her want to throw up. Her son was gone...and no one knew where he was. He just vanished, along with those other victims. The victims that no one has found yet. She didn’t know if her son was dead or alive. And not knowing made her stomach twist in knots.

Sometimes she would stare out of Rudy’s window, onto the sidewalk. She fumbled her hands together as she imagined Rudy coming back home. There would be times where she thinks she sees Rudy, but it was either a figment of her imagination or just a kid that kinda looked like Rudy. And each time she came to the realization she had not seen her son, the lower into depression and hopelessness she fell. She wished there was something she could do. Something...anything...

She wasn’t the only mother in suffering. Mrs. Sanchez had also lost a child. Her daughter, Penny. Milly felt so bad for the woman. She had lost not only her ex-husband, but also her daughter, to whatever force has gripped the town. It was bad enough losing her ex-husband, whom while she didn’t like, she still cared something for him, but to lose her daughter as well...and in such close proximity... Milly understood how she felt.

The two of them had been speaking to each other over the phone, hoping to learn from each other if any new details had arisen. But sadly, there was nothing. No matter what the investigators tried, nothing was coming up. No new clues, no new details, nothing. It was almost as if they simply vanished into thin air. And for that, she was kind of grateful there were blood stains, because that alerted her something was terribly wrong. If there was no blood, she would have thought that Rudy just left early, and they wouldn’t have known he was in danger until many hours later. All that time where they could have been searching for him would have been wasted, and time would be closer to running out.

Mrs. Sanchez felt guilty about about letting Penny stay over. She felt that she should have made Penny come home, so she would be safe. She didn’t blame Rudy or his family for what happened, however. She understood that Milly and Joe were suffering just as much as she was. She just wished there was something more she could have done.

Milly felt the same way. She felt that she and her husband could have prevented this from happening if they had been more careful and vigilant. If only they hadn’t been such deep sleepers, if only they had kept their bedroom door open at night, if only they paid more attention...

The blood all around her wasn’t helping her mood any. With so much blood loss from Rudy and Penny...she had no idea if they were...still alive... What happened to them that made him lose so much blood? Had their attacker beat them to death? She stifled a sob at that thought.

She hoped whoever did this was caught soon. She hoped they would be brought to justice. She hoped that they would be stopped before it was too late, before this...this monster could harm anymore people.

She went up to her son’s chalkboard. It still had some faint marks from his latest creation. She could mentally picture him standing there, working on something else and smiling at her. This choked her up. She reached over and placed her hand on the chalkboard, feeling the cold surface intermixing with the chalky dust that clung to it. She moved her hand up and down, tears streaming down her face. Rudy...she wished she knew where he was.

“Milly?”

The large woman turned and looked behind her. She saw her husband standing in the doorway, looking at her sympathetically.

“Oh, hi, Joe...” Milly replied, her voice soft and quiet.

Joe slowly walked into the room. He looked around at the blood stains, grimacing at just how much blood there was. He stood behind his wife, staring at the chalkboard his son loved to use. He wiped away a tear. He placed a comforting hand on his wife’s shoulder.

“They’ll find him, Milly.” He said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible to her.

“And what if they don’t, Joe?” Milly said, her voice cracked with emotion. The tears came faster. “No one knows where they are... No one knows what happened to these poor victims that have been disappearing from Plainsville. There...there isn’t enough evidence to find them...Oh Joe...”

She swung around and grabbed her husband into a tight hug and refused to let go. She started to cry into his shoulder. Joe’s eyes widened at the sudden gesture, but soon returned the hug. He patted his wife’s back, trying to do whatever he could to help her feel better.

“Let’s not give up hope, Milly.” Joe said. “Someone...someone will find out what happened. And we will find out. Whether it is for the better or for the worse...we’ll soon know what happened to Rudy. And whoever hurt him and those other people will be given the punishment they deserve. You’ll see.”

“I..hope you’re right, Joe.” Milly whispered. She continued crying, her mind flooded with thoughts of what could have happened to Rudy and Penny. “I really hope so...”

sss

Snap glared at the ominous timer. He hated it. He knew that it was a mocking reminder of how little time he had to save his friends. He knew that, once all those circles were filled up, the timer would activate the next death trap. He had been glad when he didn’t have to look at the thing in the previous ëgame’. But he should have realized that it wasn’t to last. He would have to get used to this thing appearing in most or all of these sinister games, staring at them, mocking them.

He held onto his golf club, squeezing it tightly. He stared down at the blue ball laying on the ground. He pressed the golf club against it, eyeing where he was going to hit it. The hole was straight ahead. He pulled back and he swung the club, hitting the ball.

As he made the motion, he let out a cry of pain. The motion had irritated the injuries on his leg and side. His knees nearly buckled, and he stumbled forward a little from the pain, which didn’t help alleviate any of it; it just made it worse. Blocky stood close by and he grabbed Snap, helping him steady himself before he fell into the ground. He looked at Snap sadly, looking like he really wanted to help him, but was helpless to do anything.

Blocky and Rapsheeba had done all they could to help Snap. Rapsheeba had turn off a large piece of her right pant leg and used it to try to stop the bleeding. This took some time, but it managed to work. The wounds were still exposed to the air, and while she managed to wrap up the wounds on his leg as well as his arm, his side was a different story. The cut ran along vertically and was so long that Rapsheeba doubted she’d have enough coverup left to create a make-shift bandage for that wound.

Snap felt that they would be able to find something soon to help treat his wounds, and for now, decided to just deal with it. He couldn’t ignore the raging pain, but he could try to manage his reaction to it. He focused on Rudy and Penny, reminding himself that he is doing this for them. The pain would not get better until he is treated, but he did manage to turn the pain into a motivator. This is what Rudy and Penny were going through. The pain... His determination to save them rose, knowing that this is what his friends were experiencing.

After Snap saw that his ball had gotten down the hole, he gave a small, uncomfortable smile. He looked up and he saw another dot fill up. They were on the tenth hole. Eight more to go. They were getting closer to winning the game; but they were also getting closer to another death trap they would have to survive.

He remembered what the note had said when they first arrived. The card was attached to the flag of the first hole, taped on hastily like whoever put it there was in a big hurry.

It had said:

“Welcome to the third game. All you need to do is play a nice game of chalk golf. Sounds relaxing, right? Well think again. One of these holes will activate the next death trap. I would love to see how you manage to get out of this. Be careful of the ground you stand on. It’s not as stable as it appears. Good luck!”

This had all three of them worried. It took a lot of courage for them to even start up the game. The fact that, at any time, the death trap could be activated, and the mention of the ground being unstable...it had all three of them on edge. The timer didn’t help either; the circles filled up at random, with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes getting a ball into the hole would fill up one circle, sometimes two, sometimes three. It all varied.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, there was a timer in this game. Twenty minutes was all they had to activate the death trap. And they weren’t allowed to cheat so they couldn’t speed anything up. And because this was chalk golf, they had to deal with the balls walking a foot away from the hole.

Normally, Snap loved this part of the game because of the challenge. But now all it did was frustrate him and make him angry. Now wasn’t the time for such delaying tactics like this. He could now see why Penny was so angry with this portion of the game. Snap wished that Bardot had chosen regular golf, but then again, this was Bardot he was thinking about. He would, of course, pick a harder form of golf just to make things even more difficult for him.

“It’s my turn.” Rapsheeba said solemnly.

Snap and Blocky moved out of the way for her. She took her red ball and placed it on the ground. They were at the next hole now, the eleventh. She pucked the ball and the three of them watched it roll down towards the loop that it had to go past. This hole was going to be one of the toughest to get past because of that darn loop. But it wasn’t like they had a choice.

They watched as Rapsheeba’s red ball just barely made it through the loop. It bounced a little when it fell from the loop, but it was on the other side at least. The red ball rolled towards the hole. It was getting very close. Snap, Blocky, and Rapsheeba held their breaths, watching intently as the ball got ever closer to the hole. Then, seconds later, the ball fell in.

Relief swept through the trio and they hugged each other for a second. It was rare that any of them were able to pull off a hole-in-one, but when they did, they were very excited and happy. With what little time they had remaining, about ten by now, the more hole-in-ones the faster they would be able to move. And the faster they’d be able to get this game done and over with, the better. They had little time to diddle dally. Rudy and Penny were in danger, and with only ten minutes on the clock remaining to finish this game...

Unfortunately, Blocky and Snap did not have as much luck sinking hole-in-ones on this hole. Snap’s ball rolled back, unable to make the loop. Blocky’s ball stopped immediately after the loop. And of course, since this was chalk golf, the balls walked a foot away, adding to the distance they had to sink the ball into the hole. Rapsheeba stayed with them; it was not considered breaking the rules if she waited for them before going down to the next hole. Snap guessed it was because he wanted all three of them together when they...had an unfortunate accident.

The three of them continued to advance through the chalk golf game. As they continued, anxiety rose in Snap’s heart. They were running out of time to finish this game. They still had several more holes to go through before the game could be considered finished. He kept looking up at the timer, seeing it counting down. Seven minutes...then six...then five... His heart raced. Time was running out.

They were only on the fifteenth hole. Most of the circles were filled up on the timer, but so far no sign of the death trap. With this hole and three more holes remaining, Snap knew that they couldn’t waste any time. He knew they had to get at least a couple of hole-in-ones if they want to finish this game in time.

But the odds of that were slim to none. Snap watched as Blocky hit his green ball, only to have it stop halfway down, then the ball walked back a foot. Blocky wasn’t the best at chalk golf, but he was still trying as hard as he could. That was all any of them could do. Try the best they can with these games, no matter how bad they actually are at them.

Blocky did soon get his ball into the hole, though. And so did Rapsheeba, who managed to sink another hole-in-one. Now it was Snap’s turn. He stared at the course, the barrels that moved back and forth, and tried to judge at what time he should hit the ball. As soon as he made an educated guess, he pucked the ball. It managed to slip through the barrels and headed towards the hole.

He and his friends watched it, tension rising up, knowing there was only three minutes left. The ball rolled around the hole. Their hearts pounded. If the ball missed...

Then the ball rolled into the hole. The three of them smiled, happy that Snap was able to pull off a hole-in-one. But their celebration couldn’t last. They still had more holes to take care of first. Snap glanced briefly at the timer. Only two minutes remaining...

Fear gripped him. How were they going to finish the game with just two minutes remaining? That seemed like an impossible feat. That would require them taking less than a minute on the final three holes. There was no way that was possible unless they all sunk hole-in-ones all the time. And that was not a likely possibility. Snap began to fear the worst. Had he...had he failed...?

Before he could go get his ball, something unexpected had happened. Well it wasn’t that they didn’t see something like this coming. It was just that they didn’t realize it would be this early in the game, when they hadn’t even reached the eighteenth hole just yet.

The numbers 1:30 flashed constantly on the timer. There was no glow like before, but the horrific laughter of Bardot could be heard. The ground beneath their feet started to quake. It wasn’t as bad as on the playground, but it was still enough to knock them off their feet. Snap cried out as he landed on his injured arm. Rapsheeba and Blocky helped him up and the three of them looked around. Fear rose up inside them as the rumbling started to get worse. Then they heard cracking and what almost sounded like bubbling.

Then, at a rapid pace and much to their horror, lava started to pour out of the golf course’s holes. The lava rapidly spread across the ground, melting and covering everything in the tremendous heat. The lava was incredibly runny, not thick like it usually was, meaning that it was able to spread faster than normal lava.

The trio screamed, looking all around as the golf course literally erupted, turning into several mini-volcanoes. The lava spewed from the ground, covering much of the course. And just when the trio thought things couldn’t get any worse, the sprinkler system activated. But Bardot had done something to it. Rather than spewing water in an attempt to cool the lava, instead fire spewed, raining down everywhere. Intense heat filled the air, and lava and few set the golf course ablaze, and smoke began to rise, making it hard to see too far in front of their faces.

“L-Lava? Fire?!” Blocky cried. He jumped as a small bit of flame almost hit him. “What are we going to do?!”

“I’ll tell you what we need to do! Run away!” Rapsheeba cried as she quickly backed up, her feet almost touching the lava.

Snap looked all around him, trembling in fear. The heat was intense, almost burning his skin. How was he going to survive this? He had a bad limp. He wouldn’t be able to easily outrun this. But he would slow down Rapsheeba and Blocky if he had them try to help him. He..he would have to do this on his own...

Snap turned to his friends. “Rapsheeba’s right! Run!”

With that, the three began to run away from the fire and lava. Smoke swirled around them, causing them to cough. Though it hurt him to run like this, almost falling over, Snap refused to ask his friends for help; he didn’t want to slow them down and risk letting them burn in the flames.

As the fiery flames and lava began to surround them more, Snap’s mind raced with a burning question. How were they going to get out of this?

sss

“Snap...no...” Rudy whispered, his voice laced in pain.

He had woken up about thirty minutes ago, along with Penny. Bardot informed them they had been out for a little while, though he did not give the time. He mentioned they had a good rest and thinks they will be in a better mood. It was obvious sarcasm of course. What he did to them..if anything it just made them even more nervous and afraid, as well as angry and wishing to be able to fight back.

As soon as he and Penny woke up and were aware of their surroundings, Bardot had informed them of Snap’s progress. He gleefully announced that Snap’s time may have come. He told Rudy and Penny about the lava and fire that he had placed under the course, and joked about how the three were about to be cooked alive. They were almost completely surrounded by the heat and flames, and with Snap’s limp, they weren’t going to be able to get out in time, it looked like.

Rudy refused to believe Snap would be beaten so easily. He had confidence that, somehow, he would be able to make it out alive. So did Penny. But still, knowing what kind of danger his friend was in, knowing that, any moment, he could die, Rudy couldn’t stop the feeling of dread from occupying his heart. To know he was this close to losing his best friend...He gave a shudder.

“Perhaps I should pull in a television set and hook my nano-cameras to them, so they can broadcast what is going on.” Bardot said in an eerie voice. “We could watch Snap die together.”

Rudy snarled at this. “You’re a sick bastard!”

Bardot smiled at Rudy. “I’m quite well aware that I am.”

Rudy just glared at him. The guy certainly wasn’t trying to act like he wasn’t a monster. He fully admits that he is, and then proceeds to do the most horrific things. Making them watch Snap die...that was just completely heartless. Everything this guy did was twisted and abhorrent. And every new action he committed, the worse he seemed when compared to Mr. Cosmo. Rudy never thought he’s think this, but he...really missed Mr. Cosmo right about now. He was easier to deal with than this guy.

The nano-cameras that Bardot mentioned.. He was familiar with them. And it had chilled him to the core, not just because of the use, but how similar it was to something Penny was working on. About seven months ago, Penny had been working on a project to create tiny nano-cameras for use in ChalkZone. She wanted to use them for peaceful reasons of course. Just exploring areas of ChalkZone they couldn’t normally reach very easily. She never got around to finishing it and the idea was put on the back burner.

The fact that Bardot somehow knew about these cameras that Penny thought of was terrifying. There was no way he could have known. Penny had only spoken to Rudy and Snap about the project, and it was always done at Snap’s house. No one was around to spy on them. There was no way Bardot could have known this.

There..there had to be a reason Bardot could know. But the only way he could have known was...

...was if he talked to Barney...

Rudy’s eyes flew open at this realization. Could that be the reason why? Could Bardot have paid Barney a ëfriendly visit’ and forced him to release the information? That was the only thing that made sense to him. It would explain how Bardot knew all this information despite being relatively young. He glared in Bardot’s direction, wanting to much to do something against him.

Yet he was still reeling back from the pain inflicted on him. His side radiated with agony, spreading across his stomach and up to the side of his chest. Bardot’s strike against his wound was a horrendously low blow. His side still ached with the pain, still feeling those claws hitting against him. And Penny was still in obvious pain from that as well. She had tried to touch her head a few times, only to cry out in pain before she even touched the wound. She was in obvious distress, rubbing the sides of her head in a futile attempt to relieve some pain. Rudy wouldn’t doubt Bardot did this to make them weaker.

Bardot smirked at the two teenagers. Rudy could see, behind him, Draow was approaching. The bat wolf stood behind the yellow and red zoner. Those piercing teal eyes stared into the teenagers’ eyes. The malice could practically be felt from where they were.

Bardot said, “It is a shame your parents aren’t here to see this. I’m sure they would love to know what’s going on with you two.” His voice was light and calm, like he was merely talking about the weather. Rudy snarled at him. “But no matter...” Bardot raised a claw. “I can soon take care of that... A family reunion is in order, don’t you think?”

Rudy’s heart started to race. Was Bardot talking about capturing their parents...? No..he couldn’t do that. Rudy wasn’t going to allow him to hurt anyone else. His parents, Penny’s mother..he was not going to allow this bastard torture them, too. His body shook in rage and he attempted to climb to his feet.

“You...” Rudy started to say.

But before Rudy had a chance to do anything, Penny had acted first. Ignoring the pain she was in, she had doved straight towards Bardot. She grabbed onto him and wrestled him into the ground. Rudy was amazed by this and watched as Penny grabbed Bardot’s throat and held him down. Bardot just smiled at her, taking her sudden assault in stride.

“Don’t you dare hurt my mother, you murderer!” Penny snarled, her voice filled with more menace than Rudy ever heard.

Bardot chuckled. “My, my..what a strong spirited girl you turned out to be. Maybe it’s time I..rectified that...”

Rudy watched in horror as Draow came in from behind and knocked Penny from Bardot. He pressed his foot against the girl, pinning her to the ground. Penny struggled to get free, but it was no use. Her previous anger was replaced with fear as she stared up at the enraged and vengeful bat wolf. Bardot came over and grabbed Penny’s left arm. He pressed it against the ground as hard as he could, immobilizing it. Then Draow raised his wing claw.

Rudy attempted to get up. “No! Don’t do it!” He pleaded. He only got a step closer before pain wracked his side, causing his knees to buckle down. He hit the ground with great force, smashing against his right hand again. Tears of pain flowed down his face. He lifted up his head and reached a hand out to where Penny was pinned down. “No!”

But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Draow pressed the claw against Penny’s arm, where the crook where the forearm and arm met at the elbow. Then he cut into her arm. Penny let out a yelp of pain. But Draow wasn’t finished. He slowly cut downward, taking his time. Fresh blood flowed rapidly from the new wound. Tears of pain dripped from Penny’s eyes as her agonizing screams filled the room.

Rudy watched in horror, his body shaking. “Penny! No!”

Seconds later, Penny passed out.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 22: THE ONLY WAY OUT IS SUICIDAL-



Snap coughed and wheezed as he tried to make his way through the fire. The heat was intense, and just getting worse by the second. He felt like he was a ham placed in an oven and lift in too long with the heat all the way up. It didn’t help that he had a horrible limp that just keeps getting worse as he forced his way through as quickly as he could.

His friends weren’t doing much better. Though they could move faster than him, they slowed down to make sure he caught up with them. They had a hard time dodging the flames and the fire. The crackling heat was all around them. The flames and the fire moved at incredible speed. Snap wondered if Bardot found a way to ëengineer’ them to chase them.

Because that is what it felt like. The way the fire and the lava moved...it didn’t feel normal. They were too fast, too precise. Any direction they ran in, the flames and fire followed them, as if they were giving chase. And if that’s the case, then their situation was even more dire than they thought. How were they going to escape this if the fire and lava kept cutting off their paths?

“I can barely see!” Rapsheeba coughed, covering her face with her arm. Tears streamed down her face, the smoke irritating them. Her voice was scratchy, a clear effect of inhaling the smoke. “This smoke, it’s...” She let out a few more coughs.

Blocky moved behind Rapsheeba, who had stopped while she coughed. He pushed against her. “Come on, Rapsheeba! We can’t stop here!” He managed to move her forward just as a small fireball hit where she once was. “See?! Keep moving!”

Blocky was coughing as well, but it was clear he was going his best to manage it, knowing getting through the fire and lava was top priority. If they stayed here, they would either burn alive or choke to death. The smoke all around them was getting thicker and blacker by the second. More and more of the oxygen was being taken up, making it harder for the trio to breathe.

They were still moving at a good pace, which Snap regarded as hopeful. Though his friends tried to help him with his limp, he told them not to. He didn’t want to slow them down. They wouldn’t be able to move as fast if they kept helping him with his limp. He knew of the consequences he might endure. He knew that he could get badly hurt, or worse, if he didn’t accept their help. But at least, this way, they had a chance to make it out alive and go find and rescue Rudy and Penny. If he had to take the fall, then he would, even though he didn’t want to lose his life.

He tried to hide how much pain he was in from his friends. They could already tell he was, from the way he was limping, how the limp itself was getting worse. But that only scratched the surface of how he was feeling. His open wound, which Rapsheeba and Blocky weren’t able to cover up, was irritated by the heat. He felt like his insides were starting to get cooked. He could feel the heat start to burn the wound. And as he ran, the wound had started to bleed again. He could feel it running down his body.

Snap looked all around them, trying desperately to find a way out. There was glowing fiery heat all around them. Smoke made it even harder to see. Everything looked like it was glowing. The brightness made it hard for him to focus and he had to shield his eyes. As he was looking, he failed the hear the cracking of a tree.

But Blocky did.

“Look out!”

Blocky lunged at Snap and pulled him away. Snap let out a cry of pain, the yank putting pressure on his wounds. Blocky quickly apologized and released Snap. Though twitching in pain, Snap didn’t look particularly upset with Blocky. He instead looked over at the spot where he was, and his eyes widened.

A tree had falling there. All its leaves had been charred completely off, leaving it bare. The lava spread all around it, causing the tree to start to melt very slowly. It sunk into the ground. Fire swept across it, setting it ablaze. Snap’s body shook at how fast the tree was consumed by the fire and lava. He turned to Blocky and Rapsheeba and urged them to keep moving along.

Soon, Snap’s side was hurting so bad that he couldn’t keep going. He fell to the ground, landing in a heavy thud. He tried to get himself to stand up. The pain in his side wracked through his body, forcing him to stay on the ground. The wound on his leg got worse as well. Now it was hard to bend it without shockwaves of pain spreading through.

“Snap!” Rapsheeba cried as she and Blocky ran towards him.

“Go on...the fire...” Snap started to say before the smoke irritated his throat, forcing him to cough.

Rapsheeba and Blocky refused to leave him behind. Despite what Snap told them earlier, they went beside him and grabbed his arms. They lifted him up and they started to carry him away from the fire. Just like Snap predicted, their pace was slower now that they were helping him. He appreciated the help, but he felt guilty that he was still slowing them down.

“Come on...I see an opening!” Rapsheeba shouted. She pointed forward. “The lake! We’ll be safe in there!”

Yeah...the lake... That might work. It would at least keep the fire away from them. Snap wasn’t so sure about the lava. Then again, the lake was pretty deep. It would take a lot of lava for it to rise up to touch them without cooling down much. Snap wasn’t sure if the lake water was the best thing for his wounds. He cold get an infection from it. But cool water did sound good right about now. Maybe it would help slow down the bleeding too.

The three of them rushed towards the lake. They managed to dodge the fire and lava coming in from all around them. Despite the aggravating heat and irritating smoke, they kept moving as fast as they could. The fire couldn’t get to them while in the water. They could find another way out once they got in the water. Maybe a secret tunnel or something they could use to get away from the flames. Or they could swim across to the other side, despite how steep it was. Snap could see the fire wasn’t over there.

Soon, the trio jumped into the water. The instant of feeling the cold liquid against their bodies sent shockwaves through their systems. It was such a stark contrast compared to the fiery heat they had to endure. Their heads ached from the sudden change in temperature, making them feel a little sick.

The cold water hitting Snap’s open wound felt both good..and terrible. The cool temperature did help numb the pain a little bit, but the feeling of water rushing into his insides was not a comfortable feeling. As he looked at the water, he noticed it was turning a dark red. His blood...he was losing more of it than he thought. Already he started to feel a little whoozy. He managed to shake it off and remain focused on his surroundings.

He and his friends began to swim over to the other side. The fire still hadn’t reached that spot. If they could just get there quickly, they could make a break for it and locate the next riddle. Snap had a bit of an easier time swimming than walking since the water supported his weight and he wasn’t putting pressure on his injured leg. The pain hadn’t gone away by any means, but it was a tiny bit more manageable in the cold water. And at least, in this way, they were kinda getting cleaned out, even though there was a very big chance they were also going to get infected. He wasn’t sure how clean this water was.

But of course...luck wasn’t on his side this time. There was a loud whoosh sound. They couldn’t tell where the source was, but they could tell what its effect was. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky watched in horror as a tiny yellow orange line started to travel along the remaining part of the lake’s edge. In seconds, fire shot through the air, creating a wall of flames that completely surrounded them. They looked around, horrified expressions on their faces as they frantically tried to find their way out.

Then, to add salt in the wound, the lava started to pour into the lake, dripping from one side of the lake. Thankfully, it didn’t surround the lake like the fire did. But the three of them knew that the lava was going to raise the temperature of the lake pretty quickly...

They were completely trapped with nowhere to go. A wall of fiery heat kept them locked in, the temperature rising higher and higher. The smoke grew thicker, threatening to choke them to death. Now lava was filling the lake, which will raise the temperature and pretty much cook them to death. They had to get out of there and fast. But how? There was nowhere to go. There was no secret underground tunnel in this lake they could use. And with the lava down there, going underwater would just make things a lot worse for them. It really did seem completely hopeless at this point.

Snap winced as he felt the lake’s temperature’s rising already. The coolness that kept his sides from hurting as much went away. The numbness disappeared and now the water was starting to irritate him. And it was just going to get worse as the temperatures start to soar and the water begins to burn him. He had to find a way out of here, and fast.

“We’re trapped!” Rapsheeba cried, looking all around her. She let out a few coughs. “But..there has to be some way out of here!”

“I’m sure there is!” Snap shouted. The roar of the fire made it hard for them to hear each other, so they had to practically yell to be heard. “We just need to think harder!”

“We can think as hard as we want to. I don’t think that’s going to help us get past the fire!” Blocky said, sounding absolutely terrified. “I never thought I’d go out like this.”

“No one is going out!” Snap shouted, determination laced in his voice. “Not on my watch!”

“But what are we going to do?” Blocky asked.

Snap’s expression softened. Though he wasn’t willing to give up, he had to admit, he had no idea how he was going to get them out of this mess. “I don’t know...I really don’t know...”

sss

“Hmm it seems little Snappy boy is in a bit of a pickle.” Bardot said jokingly. He paced around Rudy, staring him up and down. Rudy glared hatefully at him. “I wonder how he will get out of this mess.”

“I don’t think he will.” Draow said, snarling a little. “Which means I won’t have my chance to sink my teeth into that little blue rodent.”

Bardot chuckled and shook his head. “Oh ye of little faith. That little blue rodent is more potent than he looks. I’m sure a little fire isn’t going to stop him. Now...” Bardot said as he turned around, wagging his tail from side to side. “I’m going to go check the cameras again..see his progress. Maybe he made it out already.” He gave Draow a sideways glance. “You stay here with our guests.”

“Yes.” Draow nodded obediently to the hybrid zoner. He looked down at Rudy, his muzzle curling into a smile. He kept his distance from the boy. He settled on the ground, almost like a bird...kinda, sorta. “Just you and me now, kid, eh?”

Rudy didn’t bother answering him. He didn’t want to see Draow. He didn’t want to hear him. He wanted him to go away. His heart was filled with hate for this monster. He wished, for once, the two of them would leave him and Penny alone. He wanted some time away from them. Some time away from having to see their faces, or hear their voices. Especially after what they had done...

Rudy’s gaze turned to Penny, who laid on the ground beside him. It was hard dragging her back over here with just one arm. He managed to do it, little by little. Penny was unconscious at the moment. She would wake up soon. He was certain of that. But she was going to be in a lot of pain. Draow hadn’t exactly gone easy on her. Those screams..he’ll never get them out of his head.

“Looks like your girlfriend lost a bit of her spark.” Draow said, letting out a dark chuckle.

Rudy threw him a hateful glare. “Shut up.”

Draow narrowed his eyes. “Watch it. You’re lucky that Bardot wants you two alive for a while longer. Otherwise, I would have done much worse. You should be grateful I didn’t kill her, because I sure would have done so in a heartbeat.”

“She did nothing to deserve that...” Rudy said in a dark voice. The hostility practically glowed from his voice.

Draow’s ears pricked. “Perhaps you are right, child. Because it is you that I hate the most.” He moved his head forward a little. He curled his lips up, showing off his sharp fangs. “Oh I would love tear into you right now. But I must wait. I’ll get my chance. And besides, torturing you mentally works just as well.” He glanced at Penny’s prone form for a second, then back to Rudy. “I’ll have to settle for that, for the time being. It’s just as satisfying toying with your girlfriend most of the time anyway.”

Rudy snarled. His body shook in anger. He draped his left arm carefully over Penny in a protective manner. He stared at Draow with a determined look, clearly telling the beast, without words, that he is not going to allow him to hurt Penny anymore. It was an empty threat; there wasn’t much he could do. But he would still try to protect Penny. She had been through enough already, yet these monsters continue to inflict pain on her.

Draow had cut along Penny’s arm. Not too deeply, but it was in far enough to draw a good amount of blood from her. Penny had passed out from the pain. But the brute didn’t stop there. He continued cutting along her arm until there was a pretty long gash. Then he took her in his jaws, his mouth clamped over her shoulder, and shook her, tearing up some flesh. Then he threw her into the ground with great force. Rudy was horrified by the sight of her torn shoulder.

In desperation and anger, he yelled at the two, asking them why would they risk such serious injuries if they wanted them alive for a while. And when Bardot spoke, it was the most chilling thing he ever heard. Bardot walked up to him, put his face close to his, and and spoken in a soft voice. He told the boy that keeping them alive merely meant they still had a heart beat. He said that, even if they were beaten within an inch of their life, unconscious and unable to move, so long as they had a heart beat, he was good on his word.

That was horrifying for Rudy to hear. Bardot basically said that he could do all kinds of horrific things to them, but as long as they were at least barely alive, it would suit his needs. He also mentioned that letting them bleed out would also help with the dehydration thing. As if dying of thirst wasn’t bad enough... As he and Penny lose more and more blood, and as they grow weaker, it was speeding up the dehydration process.

Then came the most terrifying part. Bardot mentioned that, at the rate they will be losing blood, they will die of dehydration in a matter of three days from the point of their capture. This chilled Rudy to the bone, as he realized that they had been captives for over 24 hours now. It is on day 2. They only had until sometime tomorrow or the day after to live.

That gave Snap even less time to find them. Rudy still tried to remain hopeful, though. Heck, even Bardot still believed Snap would be able to pull through. That was one of the very few credits Rudy cold give to that hybrid beast. He didn’t underestimate his enemies. He fully accepted that Snap could be a threat to him, never once laughing at the idea of Snap making it all the way to challenge him. Although considering Bardot was their kidnapper and Penny’s father's murderer, he wasn’t about to give Bardot a whole lot of leeway.

He was torn from his thoughts when Draow spoke again.

“It’s going to be so satisfying if that cobalt maggot you call a friend gets here.. By the time he does, he will be so beaten up from Bardot’s games that it will be easy for me to kill him.” Draow sneered. “It might be a little disappointing..I like feeling my victims squirm as I tear into them. But it will still be satisfying nonetheless. And I will enjoy looking at your expression as I crush his skull open...”

Rudy snapped his head back and snarled, clenching his teeth tightly. He would have said something, but what could he say to this monster? It wasn’t like he had any regrets. Rudy didn’t think he even could do such a thing, as that would require having a heart. And this guy clearly lacked one.

Draow just smirked at his silence. “Your parents will be fun to toy with, too... I wonder if they even know your little secret, Rudy. I wonder how they will feel when they find out.”

Rudy’s eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in hatred. “Don’t you fucking dare touch my parents...”

Draow’s ears flattened and his eyes glowed with hate, but a smile remained on his muzzle, though it was pretty faint. “You forget who is in charge here, kid... And besides.. Don’t you miss mommy and daddy?” Draow asked in a taunting voice. “Don’t you think you’ll be able to endure this better...as a family?” He chuckled.

Rudy felt the urge to lunge at Draow, but he kept himself on the ground. He wasn’t in any condition to be jumping at anyone. And he wanted to keep his mind focused on Penny. He did his best to ignore Draow after that and focused on Penny. Though Draow made a few more cold remarks, he did eventually go quiet when he realized Rudy was no longer going to respond to him. Draow laid his head on the ground and closed his eyes.

Rudy gently ran his left hand along the back of Penny’s head, stroking her hair. He drew in a shaky breath, overlooking her arm’s horrific new injury. He looked up towards the rocky ceiling. He gave a soft whisper.

“Please, hurry Snap.”

sss

Snap kept looking around, trying to find a way out of the flames. His friends were coughing harder. So was he. The heat was getting unbearable. The temperature of the water rose greatly. It was now pretty warm, and it was going to get burning hot really soon. The pain in his injuries started to get worse, and it was starting to get a little difficult keeping his head above the water.

There didn’t seem to be any way out of this. All the paths were blocked. There was no tunnel underwater they could use. The edges of the lake were covered in flames. He looked around again, desperate to find a way out. But nothing seemed to pop up. There was no escape route. They were trapped. There was no way out of here. His heart started to race, realizing this might really be the end for them.

No... He shook his head. No, there had to be some way out. Something he was not thinking of. He looked all around. Then he started to realize something. Perhaps he needed to think a little differently. All this time, he was busy trying to find a place where there wasn’t any fire. But maybe a slightly different approached would be the better one.

And then he saw it. He saw something that just might allow them to escape. He looked at his two friends. They were in obvious distress. He looked back at what he saw. It was crazy. It was suicidal. But it was their only chance now.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, side, and arm, he grabbed Rapsheeba and Blocky. Using as much strength as he could muster, he started swimming in one direction. He moved as fast as he could, doing his best to ignore the heat and the pain. He pushed his legs harder, propelling them faster through the water.

Blocky shouted, “Snap! Are you crazy?!”

“Stop!” Rapsheeba cried in terror. “This is suicide!”

Snap didn’t listen. He didn’t answer. He was focusing his attention on swimming forward. He refused to let go of his friends. He kept them pressed up against him. Although it hurt, he did his best to manage it. A few tears of pain dripped from his eyes and he let out a few whimpers, but otherwise, his mind was focused on what was head. He was swimming straight towards the fire, to a small section where the fire was the thinnest.

He had only one shot at this. One wrong move, and they were toast. Literally. He pushed himself even harder, moving even faster towards the thin part of the fire wall. As they almost got to the right point, Snap started to tense up his leg muscles, storing more and more energy in them. And then, when the got to the right point, he leaped out of the water, holding his friends at his sides still. He closed his eyes and held his breath, praying they would make it.

The three of them soared through the air. They went past the flames. Screams of pain filled the air as the fire hit them, starting to burn them a little. But they went through so fast that not a whole lot f fire managed to get on them. They hit the ground in a heavy thud and roll across the grass. The few flames that managed to light on them were immediately put out.

They laid on the ground, coughing and wheezing. All of them sported a few burn marks from the fire. Snap’s side wound looked even worse now. The wound looked a little burnt. Not much. Not enough to be life threatening, but his side hurt even worse now. And the wounds on his leg and arm faired no better, the cloth burnt from the flames.

But though they were out of the flames, they weren’t out of the woods just yet. They all had inhaled so much smoke that their minds were unable to function properly at the moment. Dizziness overwhelmed them. Their heads swayed back and forth before they finally collapse on the ground, going unconscious.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 23: HE IS THE UNKILLABLE-



Judging from the outside of the rhino-shaked entrance, it doesn’t seem, at a glance, that there would be too much inside of it. There was the room where Rudy and Penny were being held, which was a decent size itself, looking like it was “manmade” in a sense. However, looks are deceiving, as there was a lot more inside this structure that meets the eye.

There were some tunnels, twisting and winding that went further down. Each level had a thin floor made of stone and wood. Whoever had built the place sure knew what they were doing. The structure looked like it took years to built, but with the blue chalk, it might have only taken a few hours. There were multiple rooms that were well hidden. Most of them were empty, like it wasn’t yet decided what they were going to be for.

In one particular room, it was completely dark with no source of light, unlike most of the other rooms. The room was half the size that Rudy and Penny were being held in. There were multiple machines stacked together, black in color with multiple colored lights. There was the steady hum of a machine, the whirring of machinery inside.

Lining the walls was a honeycomb of square domes with rounded edges. There looked to be at least twenty of them. And each one had a line down the middle, so technically there were fourty of these objects. There was a slight shine to them, reflecting the imagery of the cave. It was faint, yet anyone who took a closer look could see it. And when a certain yellow and red zoner would show up, the bright colors showed up very clearly.

In a matter of seconds, the objects flickered, revealing that they were screens. Monitors all lined up in multiple rows on the rocky wall. A few of them showed nothing but static; the cameras for them not activated. But a few in the center were on. Images of a section of ChalkZone came into full view, illuminating the dark room.

The room wasn’t empty of occupants for very long. Slowly, Bardot walked up, his body partially hidden in shadow. The only bit of light shining on him were the monitors. His green eyes fixated on the center monitors. He narrowed his eyes a little, his pupils moving slightly as he studied what the monitor was showing him. Then, seconds later, his crest and ears pricked up. Something had caught his eye.

Bardot moved up to the monitor. He had a feeling that this system was going to come in handy for what his plans were. Keeping track of everything; that was an important aspect of any plan. And that was something that Mr. Cosmo never fully implimented. He was not going to make the same mistakes that man did. He would not underestimate anyone.

Bardot took notice of what the monitor was showing up. He could see his three game players on the ground. They didn’t look like they had gone far from the golf course, yet there were no flames. Bardot simply shrugged it off. Some kid must have drawn a storm and erased it near this area or something. It wasn’t against the rules, so he wasn’t going to charge it against the trio. As he looked more closely, he could see that the trio weren’t simply laying down; they were unconscious. His eyes widened just a tiny bit at this. He hoped they would wake up soon; he didn’t want to have set up all these games for nothing.

All three of them looked as though they sustained some injuries. Just like he predicted, Snap was enduring most of the pain. He smiled at this. Just like how he had planned. All this...it was simply a test. A test to see just how good this guy really was. He knew that it was so easy to underestimate the blue boy. Indeed, looking at him, he doesn’t seem like much. But Bardot wasn’t stupid. He knew Rudy had designed him to be a hero, so Snap’s competence must be pretty high.

He had been glad he gone through with this plan in the first place. He did have some doubts, an unfortunate side effect of being half white chalk. Recruiting Draow was a very smart choice. Though Draow couldn’t possibly understand his entire line of thinking, the bat wolf was so determined to get revenge on Rudy, Penny, and Snap that he was willing to go along with anything. The bat wolf was impulsive, but his brute strength made this scheme all the easier to execute.

Revenge...what a silly concept. It was nothing more than a sucker’s game. An infection of sorts that plagues white chalk drawings. It something that amused him. One would think that red chalk drawings were more vengeful. That wasn’t so much the case, as they were just more vicious. White chalk drawings are the ones who are capable of choosing to get back at someone. Red chalk drawings are just nasty to everyone and have no sense of loyalty; revenge was far removed from their minds.

He would have told Draow that getting revenge on the three for what they did to his master, but then that would have lost him a valuable ally. Though Bardot didn’t currently have interest in seeking revenge, or at least he never saw much of a reason for it, and never experienced a time when he felt vengeful, he knew how to exploit one’s desire to seek revenge against another. It might be a silly idea, one that would bring about no real results, but it was useful in one way. It made it so much easier to recruit allies for whatever he himself had wanted.

Being half white chalk, Bardot is aware that he could start feeling vengeful at some point. In fact, there were a few times during his talk with his ëguests’ that he did feel some anger. When Penny had knocked him down, that was when he was hit with it the worst. He had, luckily, managed to control himself. He wasn’t going to allow his white chalk half to poison his motivations.

Bardot had an excellent memory and he recalled what Barney had told him. He had paid him a visit not long after he was first erased, so he could have time to plan these games. The zoner was reluctant at first, but a little bit of torture and threats go a long way, and he was soon able to force the zoner to relinquish any information he could ever want. And as Bardot was not the kind of zoner to lie, he let the zoner go after he got all the information he wanted. But not before threatening him again if he dared tell anyone else about what he was going to do.

From what he was able to learn, Mr. Cosmo had lost against Rudy because he was foolish enough to let his anger get the better of him. Blinded by this emotion, he had attempted to murder Rudy, but only ended up killing himself. Bardot shook his head at this. The man might have won if he hadn’t been such a fool. If he really wanted to kill Rudy, he should have just drawn a gun and blasted his brains out. But in the end, his pride did him in. How typical...

Yet, Bardot was no fool. Being part white chalk, again, he knew of the risks of being affected by that side. While having a white chalk half was beneficial, it still came with its own risks. And knowing how Mr. Cosmo was when he snapped and lost it, Bardot was well aware that he would be much worse if he finally snapped, if he was unable to control his anger.

His red chalk side, the natural viciousness he had, combined with vengefulness and anger, Bardot guessed that, if he had finally lost it, he was going to go into an animal-like state. A beastly mind replacing his intelluctual one, and he would behave a lot more like the pure red chalk drawings. Unable to stop, he would go on a rampage, trying in vain to kill whoever he was angry at. While this might be efficient if there was someone he really wanted to get rid of, it was not something he could afford happening now.

In that state, he would not be able to think properly. He would simply attack blindly. And with all the planning he had been doing, he just couldn’t afford snapping like that. So far, he had been managing his anger quite well, keeping on an eerily calm mask and fighting back any urge to strike simply out of spite. If he wanted to remain in control of the situation, he first needed to learn to control himself.

Bardot grew bored of watching the monitor. Nothing had changed. Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky were still unconscious. If they didn’t wake up soon, he would just have to contact them via radio and hope they would answer. If worse came to worse, he might even show up in person and shake them awake. They were wasting precious time, and he still wanted to have fun with them. He wasn’t done torturing them or their human friends just yet.

He looked at some of the recorded footage. He needed to know exactly what happened in order to properly relay it to the teenagers. He didn’t always catch everything, so the nano-cameras he created were designed to playback footage at his command. As the images flashed in front of him, a dark smile spread across his face. He was impressed by just how brave Snap was turning out to be.

Bardot headed down the tunnels. He decided it was time to check on the two human guests, as well as give them an update on their little blue friend. He smirked a little. This was one of his favorite parts. He liked seeing the looks on their faces as he described what had happened, especially all the bad things. Emotions can be a powerful thing, and it was his primary weapon in keeping Rudy and Penny in line. Their injuries helped with that, too.

After he checked on those two and made sure Snap and his two friends were awake, he might just decide to call his spy. He had little use for him now, though having him place the cards that he and Draow forgot to do was handy. And he still hadn’t thanked him for his cooperation in helping him break into the jail. The children weren’t aware of this, but it was also an inside job. He wondered how long it would take for Skrawl to realize he was working with an enemy.

Speaking of Skrawl, his investigation might cause some problems. He was certain that he would be aware of the sinkhole and the lava and fire that suddenly appeared and no doubt he would want those looked at. If Skrawl became a problem, Bardot would have him dealt with. No one was going to interfere with his plans. No one...

He stood in the entrance of the room where Rudy and Penny were held. He just stood there, looking around, studying the three occupants. Draow was asleep, or at least that was how he looked at a glance. A closer look revealed that he just had his head turned to the side. His eyes were open and he looked like he was staring intently at Rudy and Penny. This guy really was obsessed with those two.

Bardot turned his head to the two teenagers. He could see that Penny had woken up. She looked shaken from the pain she experienced, which was understandable. Draow did do quite a number on her. Not that it mattered. His time torturing, playing with, and killing those five other humans did teach him a bit on how durable the humans were, and he knew how to inflict the most pain and damage without outright killing them. If Penny thought what Draow did to her was bad, she hadn’t seen anything yet. Soon...oh so very soon...she would experience a nightmare.

Rudy had spotted Bardot in the doorway. He responded by growling lowly and holding Penny closer to him with his left arm. Bardot smiled at his clear loyalty. He must really care for the female human if he is holding her protectively like that. But behind his determination, he could clearly see pain. His hand was broken badly by Draow. A blow that was meant to attack his mind, make him feel helpless. And yet, somehow, he still remains hopeful. Impressive...

He decided not to keep his two ëguests’ waiting any longer. He started to make his way towards them. Rudy narrowed his eyes as he got closer. Though Penny still looked defiant, it was clear that Draow’s attack did have some effect on her. There was a bit more fear in her eyes this time around.

Bardot continued to walk forward until he stopped five feet away from the teens. His tail swished around, much like an excited cat ready to pounce. “Your friend made it through the fire. I must admit, I am quite impressed by him. It...must have taken a lot of courage to jump through a wall of fire like that.” He smirked at the shocked expressions on the humans’ faces. “All that fire dancing around them, threatening to burn them alive... They did catch on fire, but no worries. They survived...though Snappy boy may have just made things worse for himself. Seems his open wound suffered some burns. That..is going to be a problem.”

Though the two humans looked clearly angry at them, neither of them replied. They must have learned that responding to him won’t do them any good. Bardot didn’t mind. That just gave him more time talk about what happened.

“And infection is a likely problem. It’s going to be worse now that his side injury is worse from being charred in the fire.” Bardot paused for a moment. This reminded him of something. He looked over at Rudy. “Does this remind you of anything, boy? Oh yes..it should... Your friend suffered burns before, on his feet I believe. I wonder if this burn is going to slow him down much.”

Rudy snarled in response. Penny glared at him hatefully, looking like she was ready to spring at him again. But a quick glare from Draow made the two humans abandon these plans. And a good thing, too. Bardot didn’t want them dying on them just yet. They were already badly hurt, and they weren’t yet ready to do more damage to them. Everything was spaced out. If they did everything to them at once, well, they’d be dying prematurely.

Bardot walked slowly around the two teenagers, keeping his distance so they wouldn’t be able to strike at him. He studied their expressions. His eyes moved across their wounds, taking into account their severity. After circling them three times, he moved back and headed towards Draow. He sat in front of the bat wolf and cocked his head to the side.

They had lost quite a bit of blood already. Dehydration would soon start to settle in. He could tell that they were already thirsty and very hungry. Yet he was not going to allow them a bite to eat. Allowing them to die of dehydration wasn’t his favorite methods as he really wanted to eat them right now. He loved the taste of humans. But for the purpose of these games he came up with, waiting around for them to die was something he was going to have to endure.

“Your friend is performing admirably...” Bardot said. “He must be really skilled to have survived three games so far. And there’s still more left he must endure.”

“Toying with lives..how despicable...” Penny muttered under her breath.

Bardot cast an eye on her. “I see the bit of torture you recieved has done little to put out your fire, little Penny. But don’t worry. I’ll have that taken care of soon enough. I don’t think you’ll have much fight left in you when Draow...”

He was cut off before he could finish.

“Bite me.” Penny growled.

Bardot’s eyes widened a little at this. Even Rudy looked surprised by what Penny said. So it seemed Penny still did have a lot of spirit left in her. Yes, something would need to be done about that soon. The more Penny was hurting, the more Rudy would hurt as well. And the more pain he was in, the easier it would be to control him, and keep him from fighting back. He wanted both him and Penny to be at their absolute worst when Snap arrived. He wanted to see the look on his face when he sees what condition his friends are in.

Rudy recovered from his shock and said, “If you hurt Penny again, I swear, I’ll make you sorry.”

Bardot turned to face him. “Oh really now? Well don’t worry. You’ll be in the same boat as her.”

After that, the two humans stopped talking to him. They continued to glare hatefully at him. He just smiled back. These humans can be so amusing sometimes. He turned his attention over to Draow. The bat wolf stared at him. Judging from his expression, he was confused.

Bardot said, “What is it?”

“I just don’t understand.” Draow said, moving his tail to one side, curling it up. “I don’t know why you can’t just send me out to finish the job. The blue rodent is injured and weak. Now is the time to attack.” His pupils shrank into dots. “I want to make him sorry for taking out my master’s eye.”

Bardot shook his head. “Oh my dear Draow, if I did that, then I won’t know exactly what Snap is capable of. I won’t know how far his reputation will go.”

Draow tilted his head, confused. “Reputation? What reputation?” Even Rudy and Penny looked confused by this statement and were staring at Bardot, expecting him to explain further.

“You see, I have come up with my own nickname for Snap. The Unkillable.” Bardot said, putting emphasis on the nickname. “And as I’m certain you want to know why...well..it’s because of how he miraculously survived against the odds. The Dark Creator put him through so much pain, gave him so many injuries. He almost died...and yet he still stands. Alive. So I thought to myself...” Bardot glanced at Rudy and Penny, giving them the creepiest of smiles, his eyes glinting with malicious intent. He turned back to Draow. “...just how ëunkillable’ is he? How much of a beatdown can he take before he finally falls? I want to see how far I can make him crawl before he dies...”

Draow picked his head up higher, his ears straight in the air. “So what you’re telling me is that the primary purpose of these games is to...”

“These games are nothing more than an elaborate torture machine, designed to test his limits, and by the end, you or me will put him out of his misery.” Bardot said, giving a dark laugh.

Draow chuckled in response. “You really are more twisted than my master.” His eyes glinted. “I like that...”

Rudy and Penny clung to each other a little tighter, staring at the two in fear and horror at what they had just heard.

sss

Snap slowly opened up his eyes. Everything around him was a haze. For a moment, he had forgotten where he was. As he raised his head to look around, seeing nothing but a blur of colors, he realized he was feeling really whoozy and tired. His head was hurting him, and he reached up to rub it.

As his vision started to clear, he looked around and saw Blocky and Rapsheeba on the ground. They had just woken up as well, but they hadn’t tried sitting up. It was like they were too dazed or in too much pain to move. He wondered why they were here with him. He didn’t recall bringing them with anywhere, at least not at first.

He attempted to get up, but a horrible pain in his left leg caused him to fall back down. What the? What did he do to his leg? He held onto his left leg and looked at it. Pieces of what appeared to be cloth covered the leg. He gingerly pressed his hand on it. Seering pain forced him to pull his hand away. He then noticed that his left arm had cloth wrapped around it too, and he could now feel a dull pain eminating from it. Fear started to well up inside of him. How did this happen?

When he tried again to get up, a shooting, jabbing pain in his side forced him back down. He looked at his left side and was horrified by what he saw. There was a gaping hole in his side, a deep gash that ran along vertically. He could see a bit of his flesh was charred and it constantly stung him even when he wasn’t touching it. Even just moving slightly sent an assault of pain throughout his body. He felt something warm drip from the wound.

Blood.

Snap looked at the ground he laid on and realized, trembling in horror, that he had lost a ton of blood. The entire ground was covered in blood, colored a deep red. And that was when memories came flooding back to him. Bardot, the games, the chocolate bunnies tearing him apart, the fire, jumping through the fiery flames...

The smoke...they must have been knocked out by the smoke. Oh no... His eyes widened in fear. Just how long had they been out? How much time did they waste just laying around here?

Snap looked over at Rapsheeba and Blocky. He saw that both of them were now sitting up. They groaned in pain, both of them having suffered a few minor burns on their bodies. “What...what time is it...?” Snap asked, his voice laced in fear.

Rapsheeba glanced down at her watch. “Six in the morning...”

Snap’s body started to shake. A cold realization froze his heart. “Oh no...”

They had been out cold for two hours.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 24: SURVIVE HIS MAZE-



Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky didn’t waste any time going towards the next game. The fact that they wasted two hours, even if it wasn’t their fault, scared them. That was two hours they no longer had to find Rudy and Penny. Two hours that they would no longer get back. Snap believed they could still make it, but now they’d have to really hurry.

Snap had a hard time moving with his injuries now worsened. Even bending his leg was a problem. But he did his best to fight against the pain. He didn’t want to slow his friends down. As long as he kept his mind focused on finding Rudy and Penny, he could manage the pain...somewhat. It still hurt so much to walk, and the burn on his side was going to give him problems later, he could tell.

But he had a feeling it was just going to get worse from here. If he couldn’t even manage this pain, how would he be able to stand up to Bardot? That zoner, from what he could tell, was downright vicious. He was going to have be prepared when he faced him. Was he scared? Oh yes. He was terrified of the idea of going up against this guy, a zoner who seemed to be doing all this just for fun. He wasn’t even sure what to expect in their upcoming fight. But for Rudy and Penny..he would do it. If he had to lay down his life so they could be safe, he would.

Rapsheeba and Blocky noticed he was limping terribly and they took action. Snap expected them to grab his arms again like before and carry him with them. But they seemed to take the hint that he wouldn’t want to slow them down. They still wanted to help, however. So they came up with a compromise.

They located a stick that was laying nearby. It looked black, most likely charred from the fire. They tested it to make sure it was safe to use. Judging from their expressions, Snap could tell that it was cool to the touch. They picked it up and carried it over to him. They handed it over to him. Snap grabbed it and looked at it. The stick was a good size, just the right height for him. It was pretty thick and he guessed he could put his weight on it without it breaking.

Snap tested the stick out. He held it in his left hand, since it was his left leg that was giving him problems. In fact, all his bad injuries were on his left side. His arm, his leg, his side...all he needed now was an injury on his face to complete the picture. He hoped that, by the time he gets to where his friends are, he’ll still be in some condition to fight.

He started to walk with the stick. Though it didn’t help alleviate much of the pain, it was an improvement. He found it was easier to walk using the stick to help support some of his weight. He thanked his friends for the help, and they continued on their way.

They walked away from the charred landscape. It was a total mess. The ground burned to almost pitch black. Dark-colored smoke continued to rise from the ground, wisping and dancing in the air. The smell of it still hung strongly in the air, causing them to wrinkle their nose and turn away, remembering how they were almost burned alive.

Looking at the destroyed golf course chilled Snap. He recalled that, not so long ago, he and his two human friends were having a good time here. It was hard to believe it was the last time they would ever be able to have fun before something serious had happened. It was here, in the spot they were now walking away from, that they learned about Draow’s escape. It was where all the trouble began for them. All because of some insane zoner who was clearly out of his mind.

Figuring out the next clue wasn’t exactly easy. But unlike the others, Snap did have a bit of an easier time figuring it out. He half wondered if that was because Bardot saw his frustration and made them easier, or maybe he was merely getting better. Nah, it couldn’t be because of Bardot. He wouldn’t lighten things up at all. No, this was because he was just getting a little better at solving them. Each riddle had something to do with him.

The riddle was:

“A place you have been to before
Although you weren’t the one settling the score
One so delusional forced your friend to fight
And made you to watch in fright
As you traverse through this land
Beware of the many passages at hand”

They did spend some time trying to figure out this riddle. Blocky didn’t really have much of a clue. He reread it over and over, but he was unable to come up with anything. Snap wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t like Blocky followed him everywhere he went in ChalkZone. So there would be some riddles that the teal-colored rectangle would not be able to figure out.

Rapsheeba had some idea. She said that the riddle did remind her of something that had happened. It was ringing a bell, but like Blocky, she had a hard time figuring out. She did look over the riddle one more time, and she continued to think until she had to sit down for a bit and rubbed her head for a little while.

Snap had a feeling that whatever this riddle was talking about referred to something that happened to both him and her. Something that they may have forgotten about or just weren’t thinking of. A lot of things happen in ChalkZone. It was easy to, eventually, kinda forget some of the things that happened. It was understandable. It’s not like it’s gone from their memories entirely; a quick reminder was usually all that was needed for them to remember.

And Rapsheeba’s familiarity along with the phrase ëone so delusional’ did give Snap a good idea on what the riddle was talking about. He told them it must be talking about Jack-O-In-The-Box. As soon as he said that, Rapsheeba had snapped her fingers and said that was what she was thinking of. Blocky was confused, so the two of them quickly explained to him what happened, how Jacko was obsessed with getting a bride, how he mistook Rudy’s jack-o-lantern as a bride and wanted revenge on him for stealing ëher’ away, how he trapped him in a maze in hopes of killing him.

Snap concluded that Bardot wanted them to traverse through Jacko’s maze. Although they hadn’t gotten there yet, and though he knew it would be something else entirely, he was inclined to think that is what the riddle alluded that they were going to do. The talk of ëmany passages at hand’ and being cautious of them made it sound like they’d have to go through the zombie maze, where there were all sorts of dead ends and circles they could wander into.

As they headed towards night zone, Snap felt a warm stickiness in his side. He looked down and winced. His side wound was getting worse, and he thought he could see the start of an infection. And, to his horror, the wounds on his leg and arm were starting to open up again. He could see bright red staining them. All this walking around wasn’t good for his wounds. He needed some way to get proper bandages. But it was against the rules to ask for any help. And the fact that he was getting a little hungry and thirsty didn’t make the situation any better either. He tried his best to ignore it; they might find something soon.

Walking through the graveyard in their situation was chilling. Most of them were empty since zoners did not die of natural causes. Well not in the same sense as humans. Zoners were still mortal, and it wasn’t just water that could kill them. They can still be beaten to death, stabbed to death, crushed to death, etc. So some zoners were indeed buried out here, the ones that weren’t so lucky. And given their current situation, how he and his two friends and two human friends were fighting for their lives, a graveyard...wasn’t the best place for them to be.

Yet they had no choice. They soon found a note that confirmed that this was the location. Snap read the note out loud.

“Welcome to the fourth game. The objective of this game is similar to what you went through in the Candycane Forest. Try to get to the end of the maze without being mauled by zombies. They are hungry and they want your flesh. If you aren’t careful, this is where you will be buried. And beware; this game may require a sacrifice.”

They shuddered at this. That was not such a pleasant thing to read in a graveyard. They could see the maze was already set up for them. They weren’t sure where Jacko was. Had he been forced to work with Bardot? Or did he do this willingly? Or was he killed or driven out by Bardot?

Snap looked around and he couldn’t find any sign of Jacko. He expected him to come in and introduce himself like he usually does, even give some ëpointers’ or mock them as he activated the maze. But the maze was already up and he was nowhere in sight. Snap wasn’t sure if he felt reassured by this or frightened. He looked left and right. Just what happened to Jack-O-In-The-Box?

They didn’t get too far when they noticed another note. They were confused. They already found one for the riddle, and one for the game itself. But none of the other games had a third card to go along with them. So why was this place so different? Snap guessed the card might be additional rules, or maybe just a taunting note from Bardot.

He hobbled over, careful not to let himself slip, gripping the stick in his left hand tightly. He lowered himself towards the note, which was staped to a tombstone not far from where the maze itself began. He picked it up and read it.

“Since I do not want you dying so early, here is something to help you along. Do not worry. I did not taint or poison them in any way. Do not expect me to do this again. Use this wisely and sparingly. And don’t mistake this to be from the ëkindness of my heart’; I am merely doing it to offset the two hours you wasted taking a little nap. And to ensure that you last at least a little longer.

-Bardot”

Snap growled as he finished reading the note. Leave it to Bardot to think lightly of them having passed out from the smoke inhalation, and relegate it something trivial like ëfalling asleep on the job’. He crumbled the note and threw it to the ground in anger. His two friends approached him and looked at him sympathetically.

Blocky reached over and pulled out what Bardot had been talking about. It was a first aid kit. It did look untampered with. Snap was still skeptical. He wasn’t sure if he could trust anything left behind by Bardot. But a burning pain in his side told him he may be better off giving it a chance and having his wounds treated before they continued.

Rapsheeba opened up the kit and proceeded treating Snap’s wounds. She took care of the one on his arm first. She took off the cloth wrapped around his arm and cleaned it. She managed to stop the bleeding, pressing a cloth against the arm. She then wrapped clean bandages around it, sealing it tightly. His leg was next, which was harder to do. It hurt even more than the arm. When Rapsheeba went to stop the bleeding, as soon as the cloth touched him, he started to whimper from pain. Rapsheeba apologized as she continued to press the cloth against him. Once the bleeding stopped, she cleaned it and then wrapped bandages around it, replacing the cloth she had used earlier.

The worst one to clean was his side. Rapsheeba had to use disinfectant for it due to the infection, and that hurt like heck with the burn marks and exposed flesh. Snap cried out in pain and started to struggle. Blocky had to hold him still to keep him from hurting himself more. Rapsheeba felt so bad doing this and she constantly apologized. She looked at him sadly as tears of pain streamed down his face. Snap looked up at her with clenched teeth, giving a gesture with his head for her to hurry up and finish.

After cleaning out the wound, applying disinfectant and some ointment for the burns, Rapsheeba placed a thick gauze against his side and held it there with surgical tape. She then wrapped bandages around his side, holding the gauze tightly in place, hoping that the pressure would help stop the bleeding. Once she was done, she picked up the kit. She knew that they may need that in the future.

Snap also knew it wasn’t going to last. She already used up more than half the supplies just on him. Bardot wasn’t that generous. If they weren’t careful, they would use it all up by the end of this game or the next game. Because of how little they had to work with, Rapsheeba and Blocky refused to treat their wounds. Their injuries were more mild compared to Snap’s. They decided it was best to save it for emergencies only, and Snap’s bleeding injuries were definitely a high priority. Though he felt guilty for having most of the medical supplies used on him, he did still thank Rapsheeba for her help.

Even though the wounds were treated, Snap was still in a lot of pain. So as they entered the maze, the blue boy still had to use the stick to support himself effectively. He still wouldn’t be able to run very fast, but he could still move a little faster with the stick than he could on his own.

Snap took a look around the maze. His eyes widened a little. He realized that this wasn’t the same maze Rudy went through. He may not have had been in the best position to see all of it, but he still had a bird’s eye view, being held up in the air by that tentacle and all. And he could tell, as soon as he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky stepped into the maze, that this was not the same one Rudy had used. Which means that he wouldn’t be able to use his memory of the old maze to navigate this one. Bardot really thought ahead on this.

The trio walked a little further into the maze. They looked all around, cautious of where they walked. Being in a maze in a graveyard caused the wind to feel much more chilling to them than usual. The appearance of the maze didn’t help either. Randomnly placed tombstones. A few bones laying here and there. Twisted thorny bushes forming the paths. The ground being grayish in color, looking almost sickly. Cobwebs everywhere. To top it all off, a few large spiders that hung down from the pushes, staring at them as if they were giant insects.

They tried to decide which way to go first. There were multiple paths they could take. They decided to try left first. They went down a winding path. It cut off sharply to the right, and, after what seemed like half an hour, they ended up back where they started. Confused, they tried the right path this time. This one seemed to take them along the edge of the maze. But like the first one, the paths they were taking seemed to lead them in circles.

But if there was one positive thing about going around in circles, it was that they began to get familiar with the area and remembered which way they took. Using this knowledge, they managed to narrow down their choices to the center one, then taking off to the right. This was the only path they didn’t try yet, and, sure enough, it led them to a new area of the maze. They felt accomplished finally reaching somewhere new in this maze of doom.

Snap realized something. They hadn’t yet run into any zombies. He looked all around them. Yet..no zombies... Where were they? They had to be here somewhere. It wasn’t simply because of what Bardot’s note read. Snap had been here before. He knew there were zombies lurking in this maze somewhere. But where?

“I don’t get it.” Rapsheeba apparently read his mind. “Where are Jacko’s zombies? This place was filled with them before!”

Blocky trembled. “I’m personally glad they aren’t here.”

“That’s what scares me.” Snap said. He stopped walking, and so did his friends. They looked at him. He steadied himself with his walking stick. He had his gaze faced away from them, looking at the multiple paths strewn before them. “Even if Jacko’s not here, his zombies should still be in this maze. This is their...home pretty much. So...” He looked at his friends, his eyes wide with fear. “...where are they?”

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked at each other. They turned back to Snap and shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know. Snap expected that answer. He let out a soft sigh.

“Neither do I.” Snap started to move to the left. “So let’s...

Click.

Snap’s eyes widened at this. He looked down. He saw that the tip of his walking stick had touched some portion of the ground, which sunk in. A hidden button? What was that for? Then, seconds later, he felt a low rumbling. It wasn’t intense, like with the sinkhole and the fire and lava. But he could feel something...moving underneath.

Then he and his friends heard what sounded like multiple gates opening. The low growl of zombies filled the air. Menacing, cold, vicious. And they were growing louder. The trio pressed close to each other, looking around for the source. It sounded like it was coming from all directions.

But it wasn’t over. There was a twisting sound in front of them. The tall bush, which looked kinda like an arch, was shifting around. Something was rotating underneath it, causing it to turn. And when it was turned all the way, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky backed away in horror. What they saw caused their stomachs to churn. They felt like throwing up, a mixture of nausea and fear and dread.

“Well...now we know what happened to Jacko...” Rapsheeba whispered in utter disbelief.

Jacko was hanging against the tall, arch-shaped bush. His hands and feed were nailed in place, stretching his arms and legs to his sides. His head was lolled to one side, his eyes partially open. But there was no glow in them. His mouth hung open and, just like with his eyes, no glow. It was like his fire had been put out...and that may have been what happened to him.

He looked absolutely horrible. His body had suffered a lot of injuries. They could see multiple fractures in his limbs. His left arm was broken in three places. His right arm had been torn from its socket and broken at the elbow. His right leg was broken in ten places, almost looking unrecognizable. His left foot was even worse. Twisted until it faced the other way and looking crushed.

Jacko’s face was beaten and smashed up. There were so many bruises it was hard to see a speck of orange on him. Blood stained the corner of his mouth. And judging from the amoung of redness along his mouth, they guessed he had lost a lot of blood through his mouth. They shuddered to think what could have caused that. The multiple gashes in his head didn’t help. And the top of his head was ripped open...

There was a sign hung around his neck. It read:

“If you do not want to end up like me, run as fast as you can. The zombies are coming.”

Snap’s breathing and heart rate quickened. His body shook. He took a few steps back, nearly absent-minded with his stick. It took him a few seconds to digest what had happened. His friends were just as shocked as he was. None of them had expected something like this to happen.

Jacko...was dead. Jack-O-In-The-Box had been murdered. No doubt by Bardot. And he had been set up like some scarecrow just to send them a message.

Snap gritted his teeth and clutched his free hand in a fist. He may not have liked Jacko. The guy was a jerk. But he didn’t deserve something like this. He didn’t deserve to be tortured and beaten to death. He didn’t deserve to be used like some toy in Bardot’s sick little game. Bardot..that name burned in his mind. He would make him pay. Jacko had nothing to do with his twisted ëgames’. He had nothing to do with Mr. Cosmo or Draow. He was an innocent bystander...and Bardot ruthlessly murdered him... He would not get away with this.

He didn’t have long to stay angry. He started hearing heavy footsteps. They had gotten louder. The screams of the zombies...they were definitely getting close. No words were spoken from them. No ëbrains’ or ëfood’. Just growls, grunts, and snorts. They sounded hungry. And he knew what was going to be on the menu.

Just then, a bulky zombie crashed through the hedge behind them. The trio turned around and screamed as the green-skinned zombie tried to slash at them with its long nails. They barely dodged in time. Snap almost tripped as he tried to run away from the zombie. The bulky zombie roared in frustration and started coming after them, holding its hands out in front of it.

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky slowly backed away. Another rustle, and another zombie came jumping out. This one was skinnier and faster. It leaped onto Snap knocking him into the ground. Snap cried out as the zombie’s nails cut into his shoulders, causing him to bleed a little. It opened its jaws wide, preparing to bite him.

“Oh no you don’t!” Rapsheeba rushed over and delivered a punch against the zombie, knocking it away from Snap. She helped Snap to his feet. “Are you okay?”

Snap rubbed his head. “Yeah..thanks..” He turned to give her a smile. But then his eyes widened in horror. “Oi calloy! Look out!”

Rapsheeba looked around. A pissed off zombie was about to strike at them. Before the two could react, Blocky dove in. He pushed the zombie out of the way. He waved his hand to them, gesturing them to get a move on. The trio had no time to think of what path to take. More zombies were coming and they had to get out of there and fast.

As the trio rushed down the hedge paths, they had to constantly be alert. Multiple times, zombie hands stuck out of the bushes, scratching at them, trying to grab them. A few zombies rose out of the ground. As they ran over them, stepping on their heads to daze them, the zombies rose out of the ground completely and began to follow the three panicked zoners.

One medium-sized zombie tried to go for Blocky. Snap rushed over as fast as the stick could carry him. Using his free hand, he delivered a punch against the zombie’s jaws. There was a sickening crunch and the zombie fell down. Blocky quickly thanked Snap before continuing the run. And as they kept running, it seemed like more and more zombies were rising up. Just how many zombies did this place have?

And just when they thought things couldn’t get any worse...it did.

As they turned a corner to the left, they found themselves in a dead end. A stoney wall. They slowed down, almost tripping over. They stared at the wall. They looked all around them, trying to find a way out. They saw nothing. Their hearts pounding, bodies filling up with dread, they slowly turned around.

A large horde of zombies was coming right for them. They were walking very slowly, almost like they were deliberately messing with them. They were closing in the gap. The trio looked all around them, trying in vain to find an escape route. There was none.

“What are we going to do?” Blocky asked, whimpering in fear.

“I don’t know. There’s no way out of here.” Rapsheeba said. She turned to Snap. “What about you? Do you have any ideas?”

As much as Snap would have loved to say yes, as much as he wanted to know that there was a way out of here, unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. He looked up at Rapsheeba sadly, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, queenie...I really don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“Well whatever it is..” Rapsheeba’s wide eyes looked at the oncoming zombies. There was too many to fight. “It must be done quickly...”

Snap nodded in agreement. “Or we’re all dead...”

sss

“You...you did what...?” Rudy’s voice was laced in horror.

“You’re a monster...” Penny whispered, equally terrified by what she had been told.

Bardot just smiled at them. “Hey, I let him go, didn’t I?”

Bardot was sick. Absolutely sick. Rudy was convinced of this more and more the longer he spent time with him. The levels he would go to get what he wanted..it was despicable. Everything he did was monsterous, horrific, disgusting. This...this was just as disturbing as anything else he has heard of or seen this zoner do. And Rudy almost regretted even asking.

After Bardot mentioned about Snap being in the zombie maze where Jacko had Rudy trapped with a broken arm, Rudy had finally had enough. He and Penny wanted to know how he knew all these things from years ago, when he wasn’t even ëborn’ yet. There had to be a reason why he knew all of this. There was no way Cosmo knew any of it. And it was unlikely Bardot went around asking random zoners to tell them. If he had done that, then he would have been recognized by Skrawl’s crew and he would have been dealt with sooner.

Rudy didn’t know if Bardot would tell them or not. But it wouldn’t hurt to ask. So he did. And much to his surprise, Bardot agreed to tell them how he knew. Finding out the reason filled both of them with horror.

Bardot had sought out Barney in his own home. He had found a way in and trapped Barney inside, blocking any attempt for him to escape. And he had forced Barney to relinquish the information. Bardot didn’t say exactly what he did other than he had inflicted some pain on Barney to force him to talk, and eventually the centipede zoner gave in.

The fact that Bardot had tortured Barney, an innocent zoner who had nothing to do with his plans, a zoner that only wanted to be left in peace, infuriated Rudy and Penny. If they weren’t so badly injured themselves, they would attack Bardot and make him pay for what he did. Barney didn’t deserve any of that. And yet here stood Bardot, acting all proud about what he had done, acting like it was no big deal. He had tortured an innocent zoner and he didn’t think it was anything major. He was..disgusting...

“Oh you should have heard him crying, pleading for mercy. Especially when I threatened to kill his turtle friend, King Mumbo Jumbo, right in front of him.” Bardot sneered, baring his teeth in an evil grin. “If he had just reliquished the information as soon as I had asked for it...if he had told me, showed me, everything he knew about you two and your blue friend, plus anything else I would find useful..then I wouldn’t have harmed him. But he was...reluctant..so I had no choice but to make him more cooperative.”

“You’re sick!” Rudy spat, holding his left hand in a fist as tight as he could. “You’re just a coward who uses intimidation to get what he wants!”

Bardot shrugged his shoulders. “If it gets results, I will use it. It certainly worked for me. Barney was more willing to talk after I started slowly breaking his legs one by one.”

Penny gasped, her eyes wide. “You did what?!”

Laughing, Bardot added, “But that wasn’t good enough, so you want to know what I did? This is what made him more willing to talk, along with the threat of his best friend being murdered before his eyes.” Bardot moved closer to the two teenagers. He put his face close to them, staring first into Penny’s eyes, and then locking onto Rudy’s. “I ripped out his eyes...” A gasp from the two teens made him smile broader. In a low whisper, he continued, “It was so easy with my claws, too...” He flexed his claws in front of their faces to emphasize his point.

Bardot had blinded Barney? He...took away his sight... The realization filled Rudy with rage. He gritted his teeth, snarling at the yellow beast.

Bardot moved his head back, a pleasant smile on his face. “After that, he was more cooperative. Having your eyesight taken away does cause a lot of emotional damage. And after he gave me what I wanted, I let him go. I made sure to leave him out somewhere so someone could find him and help him. But I didn’t leave without warning him I would kill King Mumbo Jumbo if he dared blab to anyone about what my plans.”

That was it. Rudy couldn’t take it anymore. He felt his anger reach a boiling point. He felt his body shaking in rage. Penny looked up at him, her eyes just as intense as his. What Bardot told them had angered them both. He blinded an innocent zoner...He had permanently maimed someone who didn’t do a damn thing to him...

While Bardot was smiling at him, Rudy pulled his foot back. Mustering as much as strength as he could, he kicked at Bardot. His foot slammed against the zoner’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Giving a yelp of pain, Bardot skidded across the ground and landed on his stomach. Draow, who was watching from a distance, widened his eyes in surprise at this unexpected attack.

Bardot lifted the front part of his body up with his left paw. His right one pressed against his stomach. For the first time, the two teenagers saw a pained look on his face. His eyes were closed tightly, his teeth clenched in obvious distress. As he opened his eyes to look at Rudy and Penny, he coughed up a little bit of blood. The expression on his face as his eyes fully opened was one of shock. He looked genuinely surprised by the attack, clearly not expecting it.

For a brief second, his pupils dilated and his lips curled upward. He looked, for a moment, like a wild beast, drool dripping from his jaws. Rudy and Penny cringed back in fear and braced for an attack. But instead, Bardot shook his head, regaining his original composure. He gave the teens a small smile before getting up and walking away from them.

When Bardot came up to Draow, he gave the teens a sideways glance before giving Draow an instruction. “In one hour...” He gave Penny an evil smile. “..break the girl’s leg...”

Penny’s eyes widened in fear and she hugged Rudy tighter. Rudy put his left arm over her protectively, glaring hatefully at Draow and Bardot. He was going to do whatever he could to protect Penny. Even with a broken hand and one weaker hand, there was no way he was going to let them hurt you.

“I won’t let you...” Rudy hissed under his breath.

Bardot’s ears swiveled, catching what the boy said. He turned his head, his intense green eyes boring into Rudy’s soul. “You shouldn’t have kicked me... You must be punished...” Rudy growled at this. Bardot looked away. “Do not make me angry...you won’t like me when I’m angry...” He said in the most threatening, non-pleasant voice the zoner ever spoke in.

Rudy and Penny looked at each other, dread filling their hearts. They hoped Snap would make it on time.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 25: YOU ARE DOWN BY ONE, SNAP-



Skrawl sat down in his office, located on the highest level of his high security prison. He pulled his chair up to his dark-colored desk. Covering it were a few thick folders, filled with information that had been gathered regarding this mystery zoner that had broken Draow out of prison. Along with that, there were also photographs of the crime scene, as well as other things, such as blurs of yellow and red that had been spotted recently.

Skrawl still could not identify the zoner. It didn’t look familiar to him. None of his wardens could come up with any answers either. More investigating was required, but things were getting really hectic lately. Investigating anything was becoming really hard. More and more zoners are taking notice to the strange occurrences lately, and were trying to figure things out for themselves. This complicated the investigations; his Beanie Boys often came back with little to no information because the panicked zoners would shove them aside so they could look for...well whatever was there.

Skrawl looked at the images strewn down before him. He picked up one. It was the clearest shot of the zoner. Red and yellow blurs, and a slight shape. It looked four-legged and he thought he spotted a tail. But that was all he could see. This zoner moved too quickly for cameras to catch him. He didn’t know if it was because the zoner knew where the cameras were somehow and could zip by them, or if the zoner was always running really fast anyway and the camers were just lucky enough to get a shot of him.

But there was something else he was noticing about this zoner. He could see a bit of his outline. It was heavily blurred and distorted, but he could still make something out. And he noticed something off about it. Reddish markings it looked like. They adorned the outline, striping in random places. He had never seen this in a zoner before. Something was really off about this.

He couldn’t think of why the outline would be striped. He narrowed his eyes and rested his head against his three digit hand. He thought for a while, trying to make some kind of connection. There had to be a good reason why it was striped like that. None of the other zoners he’s seen had something like this. And even if there were, the striping would be based on the coloration of the zoner. This one, however, was random and erratic. There was no rhyme or reason for it.

Then something came to his mind. He thought about magic chalk. He was aware of the normal white type, the evil red type, and the corrupting black type. He also knew there were other types, such as orange, blue, green, and purple, but he had no idea what their powers were. What he did know is that those drawn with red chalk were always red in color, with a red outline. Black and white produced zoners of different colorations, not just red. But with red chalk, always red...

He looked back at the blurred picture, staring at the striped outline. He didn’t think it was possible... He had never heard of such a thing before. But was it possible that this zoner was half white chalk, half red chalk? If that was so, maybe that would explain the striped outline. If it were a hybrid of white and black, there would be no striped outline. But because red chalk always produces red drawings, if it were paired up with white chalk, the outline would become striped like a candycane.

This revelation startled Skrawl. He was well aware of how vicious red chalk was. That was why, when he used to scheme, he never touched the stuff. He knew it always backfired on creators who dared to try to use it. He had never considered exploiting red chalk for his own personal use. And he couldn’t fathom why someone would try to merge white and red chalk together.

Although he had never met any hybrid zoner, he already had his own ideas on what a hybrid zoner of white and red would be like. Traits of both mixed in together like that. A zoner who could think, decide for themselves, combined with the ruthlessness of red chalk, the willingness to attack completely unprovoked without sympathy or hesitation. Such a zoner would be very dangerous. He doubted even Draow would be able to face a hybrid zoner.

He was certain that it was a hybrid zoner that freed Draow. It would explain why the zoner was so disproportionately vicious, why they were so intent on Draow, the most aggressive zoner locked up in that jail. But what it doesn’t explain is why it so hard to find. It shouldn’t be hard to spot a zoner that had a striped outline. They would stick out like a sour thumb. So this zoner...it must have a way of getting around without being seen. Maybe it knew when zoners would be out and about. And if that were the case, all Skrawl had to do was be somewhere the zoner did not expect him to be, and he could get it that way.

But wait...that might not work. How does this zoner know where everyone was going to be, and when to go to certain places? The more he thought about it, the more he realized there had to be cameras. They must be positioned in random places in ChalkZone. If that was how this zoner was figuring out when it can make moves without anyone knowing, Skrawl knew he was going to have to be very careful in how he handles the rest of this investigation.

Skrawl turned his attention to the strange occurrences going on. He had gotten reports from his Beanie Boys about a sinkhole destroying a playground, strange movement involving male chocolate rabbits, and, the strangest of all, the golf course erupting in fire and lava. All of them were really odd, out of place. The places were clearly tampered with. But why? What was the purpose? The only thing he could think of was that they must be death traps. But...just who were they for?

He didn’t have to think about that long. One of his Beanie Boys reported that he spotted Snap somewhere in the Candycane Forest. So Snap was involved with this. Skrawl didn’t think for a moment Snap was causing all of this, or whoever was with him. No, he was certain this hybrid zoner was behind it all. And Draow. He would have tried to contact Snap, but Skrawl wasn’t stupid. If this zoner was watching many places in ChalkZone, then he would see him try to contact Snap and try to do something about it.

No, he had to be smart about this.

He was also certain that this hybrid zoner thought ahead and had at least one spy. Someone to scout ChalkZone, acting all innocent, ready to carry out orders when it was given to them. And Skrawl already had an idea on who it was. One of his own men...

Skrawl has his suspicions that one of his own wardens under his command wasn’t who he seemed to be. His story involving how Draow escaped was the most confusing one, and didn’t add up with the others. Skrawl didn’t bother calling the warden out or say anything, though. If his suspicions proved to be right, then he had to act like he didn’t know anything. That way, if the warden truly was a spy, he wouldn’t be able to tell the hybrid zoner that he, Skrawl, knew anything. For now, Skrawl had to act oblivious.

There was something else that was cause for alarm. He hadn’t seen Rudy or Penny for a while now. It was day two. He would have thought that they would be back here by now to tell him anything else they found out. It wasn’t like Master Tabootie to sherk his responsibilities like that. The genius girl wouldn’t be like that either. It didn’t take long for Skrawl to know something was wrong with them.

He was able to put two and two together. The hybrid zoner that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The death traps that were set up, where Snap was forced to fight for his life. The disappearance of Rudy and Penny. They were all connected. He conclude that Rudy and Penny must have been captured. He had little proof. It wasn’t like he could go find them and confirm it. But that was the only thing that made sense to him. That was the only reason why Rudy and Penny would vanish without a trace, without leaving behind anything, not even a message. And it would explain why Snap was running through these deathtraps. Whoever made the death traps...

...must have Rudy and Penny captured and held hostage somewhere. And he guessed it was in ChalkZone. His eyes widened in horror at the realization. They couldn’t eat or drink chalk stuff. The two of them would die slowly and painfully if that were the case. Something had to be done...and fast.

The door suddenly flung open. Skrawl raised his head. He saw one of his Beanie Boys flying in, an uncharacteristically shocked expression on his face. Skrawl immediately straightened up in his seat, staring at the Beanie Boy expectantly.

“What is it?” Skrawl asked cautiously, worried about what the Beanie Boy was about to say.

The Beanie Boy stopped, hovering in the air. He panted heavily. He must have come a long way. Skrawl could see the sweat pouring down his face. He looked incredibly thirsty. Just how far had he gone? Where had he been? And what did he see that shocked him so much?

“Sir..I was...I was able to...” The Beanie Boy panted even more, swallowing in a futile attempt to hydrate himself. Skrawl handed the Beanie Boy a glass of water. He drank it up immediately and wiped his mouth. “Thanks, sir.” Now his voice sounded less raspy and more clear.

“Now what are you going on about?” Skrawl said, his eyes slightly narrowed. He made a gesture with his arm for the Beanie Boy to continue. “Out with it!”

The Beanie Boy said, “Skrawl, I was searching around the jungle, trying to find evidence of more traps like you told me to.”

“Did you find any?” Skrawl asked.

The Beanie Boy shook his head. “I didn’t look too far. I...found something else.”

“Something that made you fly all the way back here to report it?” Skrawl asked. The flying zoner nodded his head once to confirm. Whatever he had found, it must have been very important to cause him to abandon his duty and come back to report to him. “What did you find?”

“An injured zoner!” The Beanie Boy cried, his eyes wide.

Skrawl’s eyes widened slightly. “An injured zoner? What happened to him or her..?”

“Him. I found him in the jungle. It looked like he sustained multiple injuries. Some of them looked to be treated, but there were others that weren’t.” The Beanie Boy explained, his voice saddened by the report. He paused for a moment, and then said in a remorseful tone. “Skrawl...this zoner has clearly been the victim of multiple attacks. Whoever was hurting him, they did it again and again. This zoner has been horrifically abused. I’m...surprised he is still alive...”

“Abused..?” Skrawl said. His mind flashed back to the horrible treatment Snap got from Mr. Cosmo. “Who is the zoner? Were you able to confirm his identity?”

“Yes, sir.” The flying zoner nodded his head slowly. “It is Barney, that centipede zoner that has the entire history of ChalkZone inside of him.”

At this, Skrawl’s eyes widened in shock. He responded in a low voice. “Barney...?”

sss

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky pressed their backs against the stone wall. There was nowhere for them to go. Nowhere to run. The horde was getting closer each second that passed. Snap looked around, his heart racing. If they didn’t figure out a way out of here, they were going to be goners.

Some of the zombies had tried to attack them. They fought back. They worked together to get the horde to move back a little. But no matter how many punches, kicks, and throws they dished out, it was never good enough. There were too many zombies, and they found themselves the ones being pushed back. They were using up so much strength fighting off the zombies. Their muscles ached from the fatigue. Hunger started to settle in, becoming more prominent now that they were using up so much energy just trying to survive.

They had to do something to finish this game, and quickly. Snap thought back to the note. This game may require a sacrifice...His eyes widened at this. Could it be talking about one of his friends getting left behind? No..no he wouldn’t allow that to happen. There had to be a way out of here that wouldn’t involve him having to leave behind one of his friends. He couldn’t let them get ripped apart. No, he wouldn’t allow it.

He looked behind him and glared at the stone wall. If only this wasn’t here. If only there was a path here. They could make a run for it. But no, someone had to put this stupid wall here, trapping him and his two friends while flesh-eating zombies were cornering them. They were running out of time. And so were Rudy and Penny.

A zombie lunged for Rapsheeba. He ran over and lifted up his walking stick. He swung it at the zombie, knocking it into the ground. Another one grabbed at Snap, pulling him away. Rapsheeba returned the favor with a kick to the zombie’s chest, throwing them back into the horde approaching them. Blocky fought off another zombie, pushing them back. And yet still, more came, and the three were getting exhausted. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up forever.

“It’s no use. They keep coming...” Blocky said, his body trembling. He already sustained a pretty bad bite mark on his arm. And he knew that wasn’t going to be the last one. “We need a way out of here.”

“But the only way out is through the zombies.” Rapsheeba said, staring in horror as the zombies got closer. More and more of them just kept showing up, and quickly the passageway they were in was getting smaller and smaller, feeling more like a prison. “How are we going to get past them? There’s too many! They’ll rip us apart if we get close!”

Snap looked around frantically. No cheating was allowed. They could go through the hedges. And even if they were allowed, the hedges were thorny here. Going through them would tear into them. And they were thick. They wouldn’t be able to make it to the other side without wasting considerable time.

“Well...we have to think of something, and fast.” Snap said, clenching his teeth in fear.

Once again, he looked behind him. The stone wall seemed to be mocking them. He could picture Bardot’s face on it, laughing at their pitiful progress. He could practically hear Bardot’s voice now, taunting them on how they would never make it out alive. He could hear him flaunting on how much pain and misery he put Rudy and Penny through. The wall..it was laughing at them...

Snap walked up to the wall and scowled at it. He pulled his right foot back and kicked the wall. He winced a little at the pain, but the scowl remained on his face. He stared back at his friends. They were looking at him, shocked.

“Rudy and Penny are in trouble. They need our help.” Snap said through clenched teeth. His body shook in anger. “But how can we save them if we can’t even save ourselves? And it’s all because of this stupid wall!”

“Snap...we’ll find a way out.” Rapsheeba said. She went over and put her hands on his shoulders. “We’ll think of something.”

“Stupid wall...?” Blocky whispered. He stared at the wall.

“Blocky...?”

Snap and Rapsheeba watched in confusion as Blocky went over to the wall. He stared at it intently. He put his hand on it, feeling it up and down. He formed a fist and pounded on it a little. He stood there for a few minutes, pondering something. His two friends looked at each other in confusion. What was Blocky up to?

Slowly, Blocky looked back at them. He had an expression like he knew something that they didn’t. He rushed back over towards them, his eyes wide with realization.

“This is a secret exit!” Blocky cried.

“What?” Snap asked. “A secret exit?”

Blocky nodded his head. “Yeah! The stone wall opens! Well it should..it seems to be locked in place.” He looked back at the wall. “From what I read, Jacko usually has a second exit to the maze. It’s all part of a game he used to hold. Prizes were given to anyone who could find the randomnly placed secret exit."

Snap and Rapsheeba were surprised Blocky knew this. They didn’t think he was a fan of Jacko. Or maybe he just heard from a fan or something. They stared at the wall. If this was a secret exit, then why wasn’t it opening? It’s almost as if Bardot purposely blocked it off. Of course Bardot wouldn’t make things easy for them.

So they were still back to square one. The horde was getting closer. They were getting tired of fighting back at them. It was only a matter of time before the zombies tore into their flesh. This secret exit was going to do them no good. They had to think of something else.

“Blocky, that was interesting information and all but...” Snap stared at the wall and shook his head. “It’s not going to help us.”

“Oh yes it will.” Blocky said.

“What do you mean?” Snap asked, confused.

Blocky stared at Rapsheeba and Snap. His eyes were narrowed yet wide at the same time. They were filled with determination, intent. He looked back over at the wall. His hands formed into fists, shaking from emotion. He then looked back at his friends. And he gave the most knowing smile he could ever give. It took seconds for his two friends to realize just what he was suggesting.

“What...?” Snap cried in horror. He shook his head. “Blocky..no...you can’t!”

“There’s got to be another way!” Rapsheeba cried.

Blocky shook his head slowly. “No. There isn’t.” He glanced at the wall. “This is the only way.” He stared at his two friends. Tears formed in his eyes. “I’ll...miss you guys.”

That hit Snap like a ton of bricks. His body shook. He couldn’t let it happen. No, the sacrifice wouldn’t take place. He rushed over to Blocky and grabbed him. He shook him, hoping to knock sense into him.

“No! You’re not going to do it, Blocky! I won’t let you!” Snap cried.

Blocky stared at his blue friend. He said, “I’m sorry Snap...”

With that, Blocky grabbed Snap in his arms. He rushed over to the wall. Before Snap could protest, he was flung over with as much force as Blocky could muster. Snap landed just outside of the hedge maze. He rolled across the ground, his walking stick still gripped tightly in his hand. He skidded to a stop and coughed, mud and dirt covering his costume. He shook his head and looked back towards the maze, his eyes wide in horror.

Seconds later, he saw Rapsheeba being thrown over the edge. She landed a foot in front of him. She hit against her back into the ground. She grunted in pain as a rock scraped against her back. She sat up, hissing in pain and rubbing where she was hit. She then looked over at the maze in in fear. She looked at Snap, thinking the same thing he was.

The two rushed over to the maze. They pounded against the wall, attempted to climb up, anything to get back to Blocky. But it was no use. The only way back in was through the entrance, and that might be against the rules. And even if it weren’t, they quickly realized they would not have been able to make it in time.

Blocky’s pain-filled cries echoed through the air, filling their hearts with dread. For the next few minutes, all they heard was Blocky’s blood-curdling screams, his pleas for mercy. They heard him get ripped apart, claws tearing into flesh. And then, nothing. There was silence. No wait..not silence. Blocky was whimpering in misery and pain now. There was still time. If they could just get over the wall...

Just then, there was a shadow casted over them. Something flew in real low, causing air to rush past Snap and Rapsheeba, almost knocking them to their feet. Dead lives were kicked up into the air, swirling around like they were just dancing. The two zoners coughed and looked up to see who it was.

Snap’s eyes widened. “Draow...? What’s he doing here?”

Draow flew into the maze. He landed on the ground. Snap and Rapsheeba could feel the thud as he hit the dirty floor.

“Off him!” Came Draow’s dark voice.

For a few seconds, Snap and Rapsheeba could hear the gnashing of jaws, crunching of bone, and the throwing of bodies. This only lasted a brief time before Draow suddenly surfaced again, flapping his wings, steadily rising. And in his talons, he held a badly injured Blocky.

Rapsheeba rushed forward. “Blocky!”

Draow took a moment to sneer at the two remaining zoners before taking off. The two zoners wanted to rush after him, but Draow was moving too fast. They watched as they carried their friend away. And soon, they were completely out of sight.

The full weight of what happened hit them heavily. The impact crashed down on them like a broken house. They continued to stare at where Blocky had been taken. No, it couldn’t be, no... They had lost Blocky... He was still alive, but...for how long? What did Draow plan on doing with him? What did Bardot want to do to him?

Their bodies shook. Tears filled their eyes. They turned to each other. They were the remainders. They were what was left. They hugged each other and cried. They couldn’t believe they had just lost one of their own. And they had no idea what was going to happen to him. They don’t know what was to become of their fallen comrade. Would he be alive for much longer? What was in store for him?

They had little time to grieve. The radio beeped, signalling Bardot contacting them. Snap gritted his teeth hatefully. Of all the zoners to talk to right now, he was the last one he wanted to hear right now.

“What do you want?” Snap asked, mustering as much hostility in his voice as he could.

“It looks like you are down by one, Snap.” Bardot chortled in an amused tone. “It’s a shame your dear friend Blocky had to take the fall. That was...pretty brave of him though. To give himself up so you two could continue. He must be really brave...or really foolish.” Snap and Rapsheeba snarled at this. “But now that you have lost a party member, Snap, it is down to just you and Rapsheeba. You must be careful with the remainder of the games. You never know when you will lose Rapsheeba and you will be all alone.”

Snap growled. “You’re a monster...”

Bardot chuckled at this. “Perhaps you are right...”

Rapsheeba spoke up. “What are you going to do with Blocky?!”

“Temper, temper...” Bardot scolded her almost like he was her father. She hissed at this. Bardot said, “He is fine...for now. Draow was just retrieving him for me. He will be locked in one of my chambers until the games are over. After that, his fate will be decided by you, Snap. Defeat me, and he’ll go free. Lose, and he’ll be killed off.”

“That’s sick and twisted...” Rapsheeba growled, her eyes narrowed hatefully.

“What kind of monster gets kicks out of messing with, endangering, and taking lives for no reason?” Snap snarled at the radio. He was so tempted to smash it, but that wouldn’t be a smart move.

Bardot chuckled darkly. He didn’t bother answering Snap’s question. Instead, he apparently decided to taunt Snap some more. “I hope you plan on picking up the pace..because time is running out for your little friends.”

Snap’s eyes widened a little as he said that. “Rudy...Penny...”

“You better hurry up, Snap. I hope you are truly confident you can save them from me. Because they are going to need all the help they can get soon enough. Even if you beat me, they will still be in trouble. By the time I am done with them, they will be barely alive...”

As he said that, there was a striking sound. Screams from Rudy and Penny could be hard. Snap and Rapsheeba took a startled step back, their eyes wide in horror. Another strike, another couple of screams filled their hearts with dread and fear. Rudy and Penny sounded like they were in a lot of pain. Then whimpers...just what had Bardot done to them?

Then Bardot apparently struck them again. Louder, sharper screams...Snap and Rapsheeba were horrified by this.

“Leave them alone!” Snap cried, tears filling his eyes. “Please..leave them alone!”

“Stop it!” Rapsheeba joined in, just as emotional about this as Snap. “They’re just kids!”

Surprisingly, Bardot did stop. They heard their friends’ ragged breathing. They sounded almost relieved, thankful that Bardot was leaving them alone.

“That is just a taste of what they’ve been through here... and what they will endure soon.” Bardot said in a threatening tone. “And if you don’t speed things up, Snappy boy...their blood will be on your hands.” After that, the radio cut off.

Snap stared at Rapsheeba in horror, the full weight of what happened crashing in all around him. He had lost one of his friends, taken away by Draow, and now Rudy and Penny had been tortured right in front of him, in a sense. Bardot’s threat was terrifying. There...there wasn’t much time to spare.

Urgency filling his heart, he turned to Rapsheeba. “We’ve got to hurry!”

Rapsheeba nodded in agreement. “We’ll get to them. Don’t worry, Snap.”

Snap gave a small smile. “I know...”

With that, the two went over to locate the note so they could locate the next game.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 26: DANGEROUS ICE-




“You may not remember well this place
But you must keep up the pace
So cold will you be, but never fear
You only have to do this once a year”

That riddle was a little harder for Snap and Rapsheeba to figure out. Now it was just down to them to figure these out. They no longer had Blocky’s help. Seeing him being taken away by Draow still stung their hearts. While they were happy that Bardot and Draow weren’t going to let him die, having him imprisoned wasn’t much better. They hoped that Bardot wouldn’t start subjecting him to torture like he was to Rudy and Penny. Then again, it was Bardot and they wouldn’t put it past him.

All the riddles so far involved Snap in some way. So Snap tried to think of some place cold that he only goes to once a year. The first thought was the polar bear bowling, but he scratched that thought, as it was held many times a year. Sure there were special tournaments that were held just once a year, but he doubted that is what the riddle was talking to him about.

So he tried to think of another. Something else that he wasn’t thinking of. Some place cold...once a year... It was on the tip of his tongue. He knew he had to know this. It was so obvious, wasn’t it? It was practically screaming at him, and yet he couldn’t think of the word.

Then it hit him. It was so obvious. It must have been talking about the Secret Society Of Elves. Or rather, their usual location. They are usually located in the north pole during most of the year. Once a year, they relocate their base in a different part of ChalkZone for the holidays. So the fifth game must take place in the north pole somewhere. If he and Rapsheeba went there, they were certain to find the note.

Snap wasn’t sure, at first, what the riddle meant by ënot remembering the place well’. But then he realized he hadn’t been to the north pole that much. Oh he’s been to the Secret Society Of Elves, but only during the holidays. The north pole he been to...maybe three times in the past seven, eight years. So the riddle was right that he wouldn’t remember it too well.

He told Rapsheeba, and she agreed that going there was their best bet. Their biggest worry was the travel, though. It wasn’t exactly around the corner, and they couldn’t ask anyone for help. They would need to walk there, but it would take several hours to get there unless they found another mode of transportation. Food and water was also going to be an issue. They were both hungry and thirsty from their recent endeavors, and no doubt they would need more energy if they were going to travel to the north pole.

They didn’t waste any time getting started. They began to walk in the direction they knew the north pole was in. At least it wasn’t hard to figure out. All they had to do was go north. It was the journey that was going to be a problem. If they could just find something on the way there they could use without asking anyone for help, then they might have a chance in getting to the north pole in a quicker amount of time.

But for the first half hour, all they could do was walk. They didn’t see anything that would be helpful. Oh they did run into a zoner or two who were willing to help and asked them what was wrong. But they had to decline their help. Some of the zoners looked a little miffed that they rejected their help. Snap and Rapsheeba were unable to apologize, though. They couldn’t say or do anything that made the other zoners suspicious of what was going on. And they didn’t doubt some of them already had an idea; surely someone started noticing these death traps and them going into them...

As they walked through ChalkZone, Snap’s mind went back to Blocky. His horrific screams still filled his head. He bit his lip, fighting back tears. He wished he had done something to save his friend. He wished he had moved faster, or done something to prevent Blocky from sacrificing himself like that. Even though he ended up living in the end, the reason why he survived wasn’t much cause for celebration. Draow was not going to be gentle with Blocky, he knew, and Bardot...even less so.

Now poor Blocky was locked up somewhere, alone and injured, and there was nothing Snap or Rapsheeba could do about it. They couldn’t run off in the direction Draow flew. Not only were they not sure if that was the right direction, but following would be breaking the rules. They were certain of that. Bardot would realize they were leaving the games and have Draow do something terrible to their captive friends. They had no choice but to continue the games without their fallen friend.

The only on left with Snap now was Rapsheeba. Losing Blocky made him realize how much he needed his friends on this journey. He knew Rapsheeba would help him in any way possible. And he was grateful for that. He wasn’t sure how well he’d survive these games alone, and Bardot’s warning of ëwhen he may lose Rapsheeba’ was down right bone chilling. He made himself a promise that he would be extra careful in the upcoming games so she won’t get hurt like Blocky had.

He started to feel a little foolish. Up until now, he had been feeling guilty about his friends helping him through these dangerous games. He felt bad that they had to help him walk. He had believed that he was slowing them down. But after what happened to Blocky, he got a good slap in the face by reality.

There was no shame in his friends helping him. There was no reason for him to get upset. Them helping him out did not slow them down as much as him trying to do things on his own. His friends were here to help him. They were in this together. And yet he had been trying so hard not to let them help him too much because he had felt guilty of them having do that in the first place. He was the one Bardot wanted and he wound up dragging his friends into the mess. He had been beating himself up and he thought that trying to do things on his own would protect his friends.

It hadn’t. If anything, it made things worse. He realized that it was he who had been slowing them down, but not in the way he would have thought. It wasn’t his injuries that did it. It was his attitude. His whole ëgo on without me’, where he tried to keep up on his own. That was what did it. He only wished that he had realized it sooner.

Well no more. He still wanted to keep Rapsheeba safe, but he won’t hinder her like he had tried with her and Blocky before. He won’t feel guilty anymore of her helping him. He was going to need all the help he could get to reach his friends. And to reach them now, he was going to have to accept her help, rather than try to ëprotect her’ by doing things on his own. For if he kept doing that, if he kept trying to do all this on his own as much as possible...

...Rudy and Penny would be goners...

Soon Rapsheeba spotted something and grabbed Snap’s hand. “Hey look!” She said, pointing.

Snap quickly saw what she was referring to. Laying in the ground, covered in mud, was some kind of motorcycle. Snap rode something like this before. It didn’t look like it belonged to anyone. It was just..discarded. It might not be the best thing to use going to the north pole, but it was something at least.

The two of them rushed over to it. They looked around to make sure no one was watching them. Working together, they managed to pull the motorcycle out of the ground. They brushed it off the best they could. Rapsheeba got in the front since Snap had a bad leg.

Snap realized something. He looked at his walking stick, which he held in his left hand. “What am I going to do with this? I can’t hold on tightly enough with just one arm.”

“Here.” Rapsheeba extended her hand. Snap gave her the stick. She pressed it in a groove between her and him. It was a tight fit, but it soon stuck. With the walking stick taken care of, she turned around. “Okay, Snap. Hold onto me tightly!”

Snap did so. He wrapped his arms around her and held on as tightly as he could. He wasn’t sure how well Rapsheeba could ride a motorcycle. But now wasn’t the time to be wasting minutes questioning that. He heard Rapsheeba turn the motorcycle on and it started to move. It was a bit of a rocky ride, but it still ran at least. They headed towards the north pole, hoping that the motorcycle would cut some time and get them there faster.

At least using the motorcycle wasn’t against the rules. They hadn’t been contacted by Bardot. Snap theorized that, while they couldn’t ask for help themselves, they could still take items that may help them provided they find them on their own and take them without asking for permission. Rude, yes. Snap would normally want to get permission if he knew something belonged to someone. But this time, much worse would happen if he asked. He had no choice.

Snap was happy about one thing. With this motorcycle, they should reach the north pole within a much shorter time frame. He wasn’t sure exactly how long, but it was better than walking. Maybe if the motorcycle holds out, they could use it to get to the remainder of the games.

But then, knowing Bardot, this wasn’t going to last. Bardot would do something to prevent them from using the motorcycle for all of the remainder games. Snap was certain of that.

sss

Rudy and Penny were laying on the ground. No longer were they standing up or leaning against the wall. No, they were on the ground. Rudy was on his side. Penny on her stomach. They were groaning in pain. They were still in pain from what Bardot recently did to them.

When he was on the radio with Snap, the two of them were confused when Bardot started to approach them. He still spoke, but his gaze was fixated on them. There was that eerie smile, the smile that told them that something was on his mind. The smile that told them something was about to happen to them. And when Bardot reached them, seconds later, they had learned just what it was that he had in store for them.

He started to hit them with his claws...right on their old wounds. He hit Penny on her head wound, and Rudy, his side wound. He cut into the flesh, drawing out more blood. The pain was horrific, unbearable. They writhed on the ground in pain. They couldn’t even try to fight back. The pain was so horrible...it was hard for them to focus. The pain debilitated them for a while, making it hard to do anything, even breathe.

He was sadistic. Penny’s eyes narrowed. Not only did he deliberately strike their weak spots, but he did so just to frighten Snap. She knew that was the only reason he was doing that. Her head throbbed from where she had been struck. Her face had a few red streaks on it, from where the fresh blood had dripped along the skin. She glanced over at Rudy, her eyes softening.

He had it worse. His side wound was already bad enough to start with. Infected, deep, and it was already causing him a lot of pain. When he had resisted when she asked to see it earlier, she knew it was causing him a lot of distress. And Bardot...the bastard had struck him there. It was so bad that Rudy went pale and almost passed out. And he fell onto his good side. Penny fell to the ground as well, from both the pain and the force of the strike.

After Bardot left them alone, the two remained quiet, quietly whimpering from the agony. Penny kept wanting to press her hand against her head wound in an attempt to get it to stop bleeding. Yet every time she just barely touched it, waves of pain were sent throughout her body, forcing her to take her hand away. And it wasn’t like Rudy had it any better. He couldn’t even move from his spot on the ground without triggering pain. Even now, he was still whimpering from the pain, unable to move.

Once in a while, she could see him shudder. And she knew it was from the agony he was in. She wished she could do something for him. She hated seeing him like this. But not only did she have nothing that could help him, but she was in the same boat as he was. Her body was battered just like his. Both of them were losing a lot of blood. Thirst settled in deeply, and so had hunger. She could feel herself getting weaker.

It was only a matter of time before they would be so weak, they could hardly fight back. The only thing that remained somewhat strong was their will. They still tried to defy Bardot and Draow whenever they could. They refused to show fear all the time towards them. They would still retort whenever they could. They would not allow them the pleasure of completely breaking them. They would not give them that satisfaction.

Draow was annoyed by how strong their spirits were. He had expressed anger that, even in their beaten states, they still had the courage to mouth off to them or even try to strike back in an attempt to defend themselves, or simply out of anger. He kept throwing threats that, if they don’t stop it, he would do much worse to them. Yet that did little to stop Penny and Rudy from continuing to resist.

Bardot, on the other hand, was rather calm. He was certain that, sooner or later, they would break. He complimented on their spirit, saying how impressed he was that they were able to last this long. He went as far as tell them that they reminded him of Barney, and how hard he was to break.

The mention of Barney enraged Rudy and Penny. Despite the pain they were in, they cursed out Bardot for harming an innocent zoner. Bardot merely shrugged it off, and he went on to tell them about how Barney endured the breaking of half of his legs and still would not tell him the information that he wanted. Barney was hard to break, but Bardot reminded the two that everyone had a point where they can’t take anymore. He had found Barney’s, ripping out his eyes and threatening his turtle friend, and he turned to the teens, an eerie smile on his face. He promised them that he would find their breaking point as well.

If they weren’t in so much pain, they would have done something to retaliate against Bardot. The pain kept them frozen on the ground, unable to do anything. Bardot just sneered at them before he left them alone for a time. This relieved the two teenagers. Some time away from...that guy...would do them both some good.

Penny’s mind drifted to their parents. She hoped they were going to be okay. Draow’s promise of a family reunion had her really worried. She already lost her father. Her mind and heart still ached from that. She still couldn’t believe that it had happened. Her eyes filled with tears just thinking about it.

And to know her mother and Rudy’s parents might suffer the same fight... It terrified her. Bardot had access to the real world. That was how he was able to get to them, and those other people. Their parents were not safe. No one in the real world was safe. Bardot and Draow could go in there at any time. They could capture anyone they wanted to, and drag them back into ChalkZone. While discovering their secret was a worry on her and Rudy’s minds, a more pressing matter was...

..what would happen to their parents when they got here? Would they be tortured, just like the other victims? Would Bardot, just to be sadistic, force them to watch the misery that their children were going through? The thought was chilling.

And it wasn’t just their parents they were worried about. Blocky was in danger as well. Bardot revealed to them that he had been captured after having lost a game and has been locked up in one of the chambers in a level below them. Bardot said he won’t do anything to Blocky until the games are over. If Snap succeeds, Blocky will live. But if Snap fails, he promised to kill the zoner as slowly and painfully as possible.

That was just sick... Rudy and Penny couldn’t believe that Bardot would do such a thing. Rudy had tried once to get up to find Blocky, but Penny told him he was in no condition to go anywhere. And it didn’t help that Draow was blocking the exit. As much as it hurt, they couldn’t do anything to help Blocky. They could only hope that Snap will make it on time.

“Ding dong...”

That cold voice...no it couldn’t be... Penny’s eyes widened as she looked over to see Draow standing up. A smirk spread across his mouth, his lips curled upwards in an evil grin.

“Guess what time it is?” Draow asked coldly. He took a step forward, his talons clanging against the ground. The sound echoed off the walls.

Penny started to shiver. Rudy head lifted up his head, his eyes widened in a mix of horror and anger. He tried to get up, but he was still in too much distress to move quickly enough. Draow had noticed him trying to get to Penny and he acted quickly. The bat wolf charged Rudy and smashed him against the wall. Rudy’s howls of pain echoed in the small room.

Penny screamed in horror, her eyes locked onto Rudy’s, as he fell into the ground. He collapsed onto his side, moaning and groaning in pain. He looked over at her, tears filling his eyes. They were from the pain, both mental and physical. He looked like he wanted to try to get up again, but Draow’s presence prevented him from doing so. There was no way he could dodge an attack from the bat wolf, and another blow might do a lot more damage.

Bardot slowly walked into the room. He smirked as Draow headed towards Penny. Bardot himself went over to Rudy. He stood beside him and pressed his paw against Rudy’s head. His claws dug into his scalp. He pulled the boy’s head up to force him to watch what Draow was going to do to his friend.

Draow pressed Penny into the ground with his foot. Then he lowered his head. His jaws clamped around her right leg. He started to slowly twist it, taking his time. As he started doing this, Penny’s eyes shot open. The pain quickly spread up and down her leg. She started to scream in pain, struggling to get free.

“No! Please! Don’t do this! No!” Penny cried out, tears of pain flowing down her face.

Draow ignored her pleas and continued to twist her leg slowly. Penny’s breathing started getting ragged, the pain becoming unbearable. Her eyes widened, her pupils tiny. She clenched her teeth and tried again to get free. As Draow continued to twist her leg, her free one was kicking out wildly, hoping she would land a blow. But Draow stood off to the side, where she couldn’t get at him. And her arms were pinned down by his foot.

Rudy tried to crawl over towards her with his weak left hand. Bardot stopped him by stepping on his crippled right hand. Rudy let out a cry of pain and laid still on the ground. He looked over with wide eyes, reaching his hand out towards Penny.

“No!” Rudy cried, tears in his eyes. “Penny!”

Bardot put his face close to Rudy’s. “Now isn’t this such a lovely show? Let’s continue watching, shall we?”

Rudy watched in horror as Penny’s leg was continuously twisted. He looked at Bardot with wide eyes. “Please...stop this! It was me who kicked you, not her! Do what you want with me! Just please...stop hurting her!” He begged.

Bardot’s eyes narrowed. He stared at Rudy thoughtfully. He looked back at Draow. At this moment, Draow was going to reach the bone’s breaking point soon. And even then, it was clear he was still going to take his time, wanting to make Penny suffer for as long as possible. Penny herself was thrashing wildly on the ground, crying out in pain and pleading for mercy.

The pain Penny was in was indescribable. She felt like her entire leg was on fire. It was like someone was constantly hammering into her leg slowly. She kicked her free leg against the ground constantly. Her hands trembled from the pain. She tried to strike at Draow, but it was no use. She stared up into Draow’s eyes with her own fear-filled one. She silently begged him not to do it, but it was clear Draow was enjoying her misery.

Penny’s eyes widened as she felt something start to give. This was it. Her leg was reaching its breaking point. The bone was not going to be able to handle much more of this. The pain got even more intense. Her mouth flew open, ragged breaths moving in and out faster. Her heart race sped up and she thought it was going to jump out of her chest. She felt her head start to swirl. She knew that she would soon pass out from the pain.

Draow’s grip tightened a little, and she could feel him muster up more strength. He was preparing to break her leg in the most ruthless way possible. She closed her eyes and waited for it to happen.

“Release her.”

This command came as a shock to everyone. Rudy stared at Bardot unbelievably. Penny looked surprised, though it was hard to tell with her face contorted in pain the way it was. Draow stared at Bardot with widened eyes, frozen in place.

Bardot lifted his paw from Rudy’s head and pointed at Draow. His green eyes were narrowed. With a claw pointed at Draow’s direction, he said, “You heard me. Release her.”

Still looking confused, Draow did as he was told. He let go of Penny’s leg. As soon as he did, there was a cry of relief and pain from the girl. Penny sat up slowly and stared down at her leg. She could see the puncture marks from where she was bitten. She gently put her hand on her leg and rubbed along it. There was a lot of pain in the bone from where it was being twisted. It wasn’t broken, but she didn’t think she could use the leg for a while.

She looked over at Bardot. Why had he stopped the attack? He had given Draow the order to break her leg, did he not? So what made him stop? Was there something else he had in mind? And judging from Draow’s expression, Bardot’s actions surprised even the bat wolf. But at least it was over. The pain slowly radiated off of her. She never felt this much instant relief in a long time. She looked over at Rudy and gave him a small smile to show that she was okay. He smiled as well, faintly, glad that she was okay.

The two of them turned their attentions on Draow and Bardot.

“What was that about?” Draow said, his ears lowered. His voice clearly sounded disappointed. “I was just about to get to the good part.”

Bardot moved away from Rudy. He headed towards Draow. “Perhaps...I was a little too hasty when I ordered you to break her leg in an hour. After all...” He turned his attention to Rudy. “I did provoke the child.”

“But he needs to be kept in line.” Draow said, growling softly.

Bardot nodded his head. “Yeah, that is very true. And don’t worry. You’ll have a chance to finish the job.” Penny’s eyes widened in horror at this. “I just don’t feel right now is the best time for that. And besides...” His eyes now locked onto Rudy’s. “The boy did say we could...do what we want with him in exchange for letting Penny go...” A dark chuckle escaped his throat.

“Oh really now?” Draow’s expression brightened. He glared down at Rudy. “The one who killed Mr. Cosmo...” His voice was dark and growly as he said that. He began to make his way towards Rudy.

Penny struggled to get up. Her leg pain caused her to fall back down. “No! Rudy!” She cried out. She could only watch with tear-filled eyes as Draow closed the gap between him and Rudy.

sss

“Where did these things come from?!” Rapsheeba cried. She ran as fast as she could, but she kept slipping since it was icy.

“I don’t know!” Snap was fairing no better. He already fell down a few times. Even with his walking stick, he had a hard time. “Just keep running!”

Snap had no idea that something like this was going to happen. It seemed to have come from nowhere. Then again, he had to realize to expect the unexpected. That’s what happened in the other four games. Why should this one have been any different? Still, he was genuinely taken aback by what happened with this game.

They had arrived about twenty minutes ago. Like some of the past games, there was a timer. Multiple circles adorned it just like before. They knew that it was going to activate the next death trap. But when, they would have no idea. And they doubted Bardot would give them a clue as to when to expect to fight for their lives. No, Bardot would think that it would ëspoil his fun’ if he told them everything.

The card they found upon arrival had said:

“Welcome to the fifth game. Let’s try for something more relaxing, shall we? A simple game of checkers. No letting the other side win. I hope you get the point.”

One of the shortest cards they found so far. The last line was cause for worry. They had a feeling that it was a hint to what the death trap was going to be. They carefully surveyed the icy land, looking for any traps hidden under the ground. Thankfully, there didn’t seem to be any.

The game here, just like the note said, was checkers. But it was different from any checkers they had played before. The board was massive, slowly rising out of the ground and into position. Huge checkers pieces laid on top of the board. They wondered, at first, how they were going to use them. But on both sides were platforms they could stand on. There were buttons that were clearly meant to control the checkers pieces. They got into position and began to play.

They played the game for ten minutes with nothing happening. Just a seemingly normal game of checkers. Well almost normal if they didn’t take into account the fact that they were playing with gigantic versions of checkers pieces. Once in a while, they would see the circles on the timer get filled up. And as time went on, they got closer and closer to activating the death trap.

And then it happened. As soon as Rapsheeba moved her king to a certain spot, there was a flash of red glowing lines. The timer began to glow red like it did had in the first death trap. Bardot’s distorted laughter. And then they heard a rumbling below the ground. Bardot really had a thing for attacks from below, Snap realized. Before they could see anything, he grabbed Rapsheeba and started running.

As soon as they started to run, huge spikes started to strike from below the ground. They came up with pairs or groups of three. Long, sharp, and jagged. Even their edges sliced, as they found out the hard way. And the spikes came up quickly, ripping through the ground to try to skewer them.

Snap and Rapsheeba continued to run for their lives. Everywhere they went, the spikes would follow. It was like either Bardot knew the path they would take or the spikes really were following them. A few times, he cried out in pain as a spike sliced into them. A few cut into the bandages, causing some of the old wounds to reopen. Rapsheeba didn’t escape unscathed either. Her legs and arms were cut open by spikes that appeared where she wasn’t expecting them.

A few times, a spike was about to hit them from below. This happened to Rapsheeba twice, with Snap pushing her out of the way just in time, intent on making sure she didn’t get more injuries. Rapsheeba returned the favor a few times when it was Snap in danger of being punctured through the body by a spike. They continued working together like this as they ran as fast as they could, running towards where they kept the motorcycle parked.

As they reached the motorcycle, they saw the note was attached to it. Their eyes widened. Had Bardot been here? Or Draow? They looked behind them. The spikes were moving even faster now. They didn’t have time to ponder this. They got onto the motorcycle and started speeding off away from the spikes. After they got forty feet away, the spikes stopped.

Snap took a moment to overlook the damage as they drove away. Spikes didn’t just come through the ground. Some of the buildings they ran past..they were also affected. He bit his lip. What of some zoners were hurt...even killed...? He wanted to do something to help them, but he had no time, sadly. He could only hope that those zoners, if they were hurt, would get help as soon as possible.

Snap started to realize something. These games...there was no pattern to them. They weren’t taking him in a singular direction. They were all in random spots. He began to wonder something. The thought filled him with dread.

Was Bardot just leading them around in circles?

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 27: I WILL STOP YOU-



Although it didn’t rain constantly, although there were some breaks, that didn’t do much to stop the water from filling up the abandoned home. The rain dripped in from the window. The puddle that had started to form when Terry left had grown by now. Much of the bedroom was now covered in five inches of water. With so little breaks between the rain, the water didn’t have much time to evaporate before more rain came crashing in, adding to the liquid mass on the ground.

Terry had made a mistake when she had put the cloth over the chalkboard. A mistake that she would soon learn to regret. She had been so intent on proving ChalkZone’s existence...she had failed to take into consideration what her actions might cause.

The cloth would make it hard for anyone on the other side to erase the portal. It would leave it open. That would make things easier for her when she came back with a reporter to reveal her discovery. She may have thought that this was a good idea. She may have not realized any negative side effects of forcing the portal to remain open.

But there was something she didn’t take into account. And that was the weather.

Almost constantly, there had been rain. Few breaks in between. The hole in the window allowed for the water to get into the bedroom. The water was spreading, getting higher. And water washes away chalk. Normally, this wasn’t a problem as water erased the portal, like it had the time when there was a small portal in ChalkZone via the playground, from when Reggie smashed the magic chalk into the ground. But now...something was different.

The heavy cloth blocked the chalk outline. Which meant that the water could not touch it. And if it could not touch it, then the portal would not be erased when the water washed over it, or if the chalkboard fell to the ground. And if the portal could not be erased...

...then ChalkZone was about to get a very nasty surprise.

sss

Snap paced back and forth. He hadn’t bothered reading the next clue just yet. His mind was plagued with all sorts of questions. He was filled with anxiety. Rapsheeba looked at him sadly. She had tried to cheer him up, tried to encourage him, but Snap was too distressed to listen to her. They were standing on the edge of the icy region, looking down on the green, rolling hills that came after it. He would have admired the beautiful view if it weren’t for the sense of urgency rising inside of him.

What if his suspicions were right? What if Bardot was just leading him in circles? He had thought, when he started the ëgames’, that Bardot was slowly leading him to where his friends were. But instead, they’ve gone off in completely different directions. At least one of the games involved a total backtrack from where they were headed.

Snap was worried. What if his friends were located much further away in an opposite direction of where the final game was? What if Bardot set up the games this way to waste his time? What if he did things this way so that he would use up more energy, use up more time, and to make it harder for him to get to his friends before it was too late? Those were real possibilities. It was possible that Bardot did the games like this just to mess with his head and body.

Snap knew he couldn’t spend that much time pacing, though. He was wasting enough time as it was. But with this revelation, he was really worried that he was being thrown for a loop. He wondered if Bardot was hiding some things from him. What hasn’t he told him? Were his friends as ëokay’ as Bardot indicated, or were they much worse than the screams let on?

He looked at the radio. He had never done this before since the games began. He wasn’t sure if it was possible. For all he knew, Bardot made it a one-way radio so only he could contact him. But it was worth a try, wasn’t it? He glanced over at Rapsheeba, who seemed to understand what he was about to do.

Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically. “It’s worth a try.” She said softly. “Maybe he’ll answer you.”

Snap nodded his head. “Keyword there is maybe.” He glanced down at the radio. “But it’s about time he gave me some more answers. I have to know how long I have left to find our friends... And I have to know if he is just leading us in circles.”

“I don’t know if he’ll answer those questions.” Rapsheeba said, shaking her head sadly.

“But I’ve still got to try.” Snap said, glaring at the radio.

“Yeah.” Rapsheeba said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know.”

Snap smiled at this, feeling a little better knowing he has Rapsheeba’s support. He continued to stare at the radio. He looked around on its sides, looking for a button he could press that he felt would do something. He found one such button, the red one which he usually used to answer Bardot. He put his hand on it, and hesitated. He had no idea if this would work, but he was still going to try.

Slowly, he pressed his hand on it. He didn’t talk right away. He hesitated, licking his lips in anticipation. What could he say? He tried to think of something he could say that wouldn’t backfire on him. He had a feeling if he sounded too demanding, Bardot would really hurt his friends.

Finally, he spoke.

“Are you there?” Snap asked.

At first, there was just silence. He could only hear static feedback in return. He groaned and shook his head. Of course it wouldn’t work. Why would Bardot make this radio two-way? He may have done it like this so that he couldn’t accidentally overhear any of his planning.

“Hello?” Snap tried again, just in case.

But like before, there was nothing. The only sound he could hear that wasn’t static was breathing. He thought it was Bardot at first, but he recognized the sounds as coming from him and Rapsheeba. It was pretty quiet where they were. Not many zoners were nearby, and the ones that were, well they were silent. And they paid him and her no mind.

Snap sighed in disappointment. Well there goes that idea. Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically.

“It’s okay. It didn’t hurt to try. “Rapsheeba said.

“Yeah, I know. But I wish that...” Snap started to say.

There was a quick crackle from the radio. It sounded like something was scraping against the speakers. They looked at the radio. At first, it went silent again. But then they heard a few more scrapes. It almost sounded like someone took the radio and was dragging it along the ground attached to a string.

“I really hope you weren’t using this radio to call for help.” Bardot’s cold voice came through the radio. “Because that would be against the rules.”

Snap narrowed his eyes. “No. I wanted to contact you.”

“Of course you did.” Bardot said in an almost dismissive tone. “And let me guess. You have some questions for me?” A low chuckle. “About your friends I take it?”

Snap snarled at this. “How many more games do I have left?”

Bardot didn’t reply. There was a laugh, but that was it.

Snap said, “Why won’t you answer my question?”

And again, Bardot didn’t answer. There was a ëhmm’ sound, but that was it. Nothing else. Just silence. Snap growled at this. He wasn’t sure if Bardot really had no answer or if he was doing this just to mess with his head. He almost gripped the radio tightly and shake it, but he refrained from doing so.

Rapsheeba didn’t look much happier, either. She glared at the radio. From the way her hands were clenched, Snap guessed that she wanted nothing more than to grab the radio and toss it away. They were both sick of hearing Bardot’s taunting, his laughter, his cold nature in general. Bardot’s refusal to answer when he’ll get to his friends irritated them both. They could practically see that bastard with his smug smile staring at them now.

“Are you taking us in circles?!” Snap cried. He froze, realizing that sounded a little too demanding. After what happened to Rudy and Penny the last time Bardot talked to them via radio, Snap knew he had to be extra cautious when speaking to Bardot on this contraption. What if he decided to hurt them just to ëteach him a lesson’?

But instead of the screaming of his friends, he was greeted with the cold laughter of Bardot. That didn’t mean that he hadn’t been approaching his friends, though. Snap and Rapsheeba tensed up, awaiting to see what would happen.

Bardot replied after a minute. “The order of the games are...random.”

Snap and Rapsheeba looked at each other. Rapsheeba looked at the radio and asked, “Random?”

“Why yes. They are not in an any particular order. I just randomnly chose the order via...well..rolling the dice more or less. I did it this way so the difficulty of the games doesn’t steadily get tougher, but instead, you are left to guess how much skill you’ll need to survive. It was to..keep you on your toes.” Bardot sneered at them. “It would have been too boring if I just let the games get steadily and progressively worse, now wouldn’t it?”

Snap’s eyes widened at this. The games were randomized so that he could easily jump from a relatively easy game to one that was insanely hard, then to one that was a tad easier, all just to mess with him? To make him and his friends worry constantly about how they were going to make it through the next game?

That was twisted. Snap and Rapsheeba were already on edge every time they came to a new game, unsure of what the death trap would be. Bardot’s words just made them feel even worse. That meant that, any time, they would have to deal with Bardot’s toughest death trap to date. And they weren’t even sure when that would be, or if they already finished the hardest death trap.

Snap would have asked about that, but he doubted Bardot would answer. He glared at the radio. It was just like Bardot to mess with them like that. He couldn’t wait until he reached this guy and made him eat his own words. If Bardot didn’t understand the meaning of regret, he was going to learn it as soon as he got his hands on the bastard.

“And as for your friends...”

Snap and Rapsheeba stared at the radio expectantly. They heard Bardot laugh coldly. Then he cleared his throat and began to speak.

“Perhaps...I will be a little generous. I cannot tell you how long it will take to get to them... It all depends on how fast you move through the remainder of the games.” Bardot said. He paused and then said, “You are at the halfway mark. But do not take that into comfort. As I said, how fast you move determines when you will get here, not the number of games left to play.”

Okay that answered one of their questions. Five games left to play. It was a sense of comfort that the nightmare was halfway done. But as much as they hated to admit it, Bardot was right. They couldn’t celebrate, not yet. They still had to complete these five remaining games to take care of. And if they wasted too much time, then they would be too late to save their friends.

“Of course, I hope you don’t finish the games too fast... I’m not done testing you, Snap.” Bardot said.

“Testing me?” Snap growled. “What am I to you? A test subject?!”

A cold, menacing chortle, and then came Bardot’s answer. “Yes. You are...nothing more than an experiment, Snap. And I am your tester.”

Snap hissed at this. “I am not your experiment!”

Bardot laughed, but he ignored that outburst. Instead, he said something else that took Snap by surprise. “The reason I chose you, Snap, is because you are...well...The Unkillable.”

Snap’s angered face was replaced with one of confusion. “What?”

Rapsheeba asked, “The Unkillable?”

“Yes. After all, you did survive the odds against the Dark Creator...what was his name...ah yes. Teddison Cosmo. Or just known as Mr. Cosmo or even just Cosmo. I was amazed to hear all that had happened to you and yet you survived. So...I have to wonder... Just how ëunkillable’ are you?”

Snap’s body started to shake. Was this the reason for the ëgames’? Was this why he kidnapped his friends? Just for some sick experimentation where he wanted to test his limitations? Bardot really did think lowly of other zoners. The way he brutally killed Jacko for no reason other than to display a message... And now knowing that he saw him as just a mere test subject... Not that he would have put it past him, but it was chilling hearing it from him.

He stared at Rapsheeba. She looked at him with worry, her eyes widened. She looked visibly insulted that Bardot saw him as nothing more than an experiment to be tested and messed with. She slowly glanced at the radio, her face contorting in disgust. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she chose to be quiet. Snap had a feeling that was the smartest thing to do at this moment.

“Soon or later...you will go down.” Bardot said. “The question is...just how long will it be, before you do fall? How far can I make you drag yourself before death overcomes you? I would love to see that.”

“You asshole!” Rapsheeba snarled, mustering as much hostility as she could.

Snap stared at her in shock. Rapsheeba wasn’t the type to curse like that. Bardot must be really getting under her skin to make her snap like that.

But Bardot pretended like her curse had never taken place. “I know what you may be thinking. I kidnapped your friends just to force you to run a giant, torturous maze. Well...not entirely. You see, I have my own plans for your friends. Unlike Draow, who is motivated by revenge...I am motivated by something else entirely.” He went quiet for a moment. Snap and Rapsheeba stared the radio, their hearts clenching in anxiety. They were dreading what he would say, and when he did speak, they realized quickly they were right to be worred. “I am motivated by hunger.”

Hunger? Snap’s eyes slowly widened in horror. Rapsheeba looked just as shocked. Was Bardot going to...did he just say he was going to...?

“Yeah, that’s right. After the games are complete, fail to stop me...I am going to eat your friends.” They could hear Bardot lick his lips in anticipation. “I love the taste of humans. The other humans I had were good.. I can’t wait to see what your two friends will taste like after they’re all nice and dehydrated.”

“S-Sicko...” Rapsheeba said through clenched teeth, her body shaking in anger.

Snap’s body was shaking as well, strong emotion overwhelming him. He glared at the radio, his eyes narrowed into slits. He clenched the radio tighter. He was tempted to smash it against the ground, crush it under his feet. But if he did that, there may be consequences afterwards. As hard as it was, he had to refrain from smashing the device.

Rage and anger filled his body. He felt his head get hot. It was warm to the touch. His teeth were clenched so tightly he thought they would break off. He hadn’t spoken a word, and he could hear Bardot’s cold laughter on the other line. He was clearly enjoying this.

This monster...he was going to eat his friends... He had kidnapped them...just to put them on the menu. And those other humans that disappeared, the ones Mr. Wilter mentioned...they had also been killed. Bardot had been going into the real world and kidnapping humans and eating them. He was truly despicable... Now he knew just how important it was to stop him. If he didn’t stop him, then not only would he lose his friends, but other humans would be brutally and painfully murdered and devoured by this creature.

Stopping Bardot had become an even bigger priority. He was not going to allow him to get away with this. He was not going to let him kill his friends. He was not going to let him make any other innocent humans suffer at his claws. He would stop him. Somehow, someway, he would stop him.

“I will stop you...” Snap finally said. His voice was strained, laced in hatred. “Not only will I stop you...” His body shook in anger. “...I will make sure you regret everything you’ve done. You will pay for everything you did.”

“I look forward to it.” Bardot sneered before hanging up.

sss

Skrawl walked into the hospital. He was alone. He told his Beanie Boys to wait for him. He thought it would be better if he went in alone as he felt he would look less suspicious to this mystery zoner if he went in on his own. At least this way, it looked like he was just paying respects to an injured zoner. If his Beanie Boys came with him as he went to the hospital, the mystery zoner, if he truly had cameras all around, would get suspicious.

At least he would be able to talk in peace in the hospital. Cameras didn’t work in this particular hospital. It seemed counterintuitive. But this hospital cared a lot about privacy, so there no cameras. It still remained pretty secure. In place of cameras were sensors that would alert the hospital people if someone had past a certain point and use a digital map to reveal their location. This did allow for a lot more privacy in comparison to cameras as they wouldn’t be able to see exactly what the people are doing in this locations.

He had chosen this particular hospital for Barney to be sent to. He needed to speak to him. If Barney had been attacked by the mystery zoner, he may be able to provide valuable information. He did know that he would have to be careful getting the information from him. When he was found in the jungle, he was in horrible shape. Asking for information while he was in that state wouldn’t be a good idea, not unless he took great care in doing so.

Barney’s mental state was a concern. When the Beanie Boys returned, carrying Barney with them and placing him on the stretcher provided for him, Skrawl could see he had suffered many injuries. Some were pretty old and had healed up. A few were treated. Then the remaining ones, which looked to be very recent, were left untreated and looked like they started to get infected. The most startling injury Skrawl could see were his eyes. They were..destroyed more or less, and his eyelids had long swollen shut. He wasn’t sure how long ago this injury had occurred, but losing one’s eyesight did a lot of psychological damage. What state would Barney be in when he woke up?

It was clear that Barney really had been attacked more than once. It was hard to tell how many times, but whoever did this, and he guessed it was the hybrid zoner, they had come back multiple times and beat him up. If he were still a bad guy, he would find amusement in that. But since turning over a new leaf, all it did was disgust him.

Skrawl went up to the receptionist’s desk. “What floor is Barney the Encyclocentipedia on?”

The receptionist looked at him with a perplexed look. Skrawl forgot that some people in ChalkZone were still wary of him. Understandable. He had done a lot of bad things in the past.

“He’s on the second floor. Room D24.” The receptionist said, narrowing their eyes at Skrawl like they expect him to strike them.

Skrawl immediately left to go locate the room. It didn’t take him long to reach it. There was a sign on the door that explained how critical Barney’s condition was. It seemed that he was going to need surgery to try to fix some of the wounds that were really bad. There were a few deep gashes in his back and underside. And a few of his legs looked like they almost ripped off entirely, from what he recalled. Slowly, he opened the door and shut it behind him.

Barney was laying on his side, his body lined across multiple beds to accomodate his long body. His wings were ripped to shreds, no doubt by the hybrid zoner. There were many more scratches on him than just the ones he saw initially. His face looked a little bruised and his face was contorted in pain. Skrawl could only imagine what he had gone through before he finally passed out.

With Barney’s eyelids permanently swollen shut like that, it was hard to tell if he was asleep or not. The steady beeping of the hard monitor suggested that he was sleeping, but he could just be relaxed, feeling safe to be out of that jungle and somewhere far away. There were multiple IVs attached to him, keeping him hydrated. His wounds were not yet treated, but Skrawl knew that they were going to be here soon to treat them. They had to go get the supplies first.

They wouldn’t be back for a while, so he wanted to take this time and talk to Barney. He had to know as soon as possible about what this hybrid zoner did to him, why, as well as the zoner’s name. Barney might know more of what was going on. If this hybrid zoner kept coming after him, there had to be a reason. He just hoped that Barney would be able to tell him without getting too scared.

Skrawl moved over to Barney’s side, staring at his face. When he reached over to touch his face to see if he was awake or not, the centipede zoner instantly stirred. Barney lifted his face up a little, like he was desperately trying to see. His legs wriggled nervously and he started to move back, or at least he tried to. He was clearly in too much pain to move, and soon he laid back on the beds, his body shivering violently.

“N-No..please..not again...” Barney whimpered, putting his hands in front of his face in a desperate attempt to protect himself. “..leave me alone..I told you everything you wanted to know...why won’t you leave me alone? Why?” Tears managed to stream down the little space left open from his eyelids, staining his face.

“Whoa there, calm down!” Skrawl said. “I’m not the one who hurt you!”

Barney froze, his fearful expression replaced with one of shock. “You’re..you’re not Bardot...?”

Skrawl shook his head. “No, I’m not.” He paused for a moment, taking into consideration what Barney had just said. “Bardot...was that the name of the zoner who hurt you?”

Barney’s lower lip quivered. He nodded his head up and down slowly. “Yeah...A hybrid zoner...” Skrawl’s eyes snapped wide open at this. So he had been right. “He..he kept coming after me for information... I thought it would just be one visit...no, he came again and again. And every time...he hurt me...”

Skrawl asked, “Why did he hurt you?”

Barney said in a shaky voice, “At...at first it was just because I wouldn’t tell him what he wanted... I-I wasn’t going to betray Rudy, so I resisted, but...he was persistant and he..tortured me...”

Skrawl’s eyes widened in horror at this. “He tortured you?”

“Y-Yes...” Barney said, whimpering at the memory. “But even after I...gave in...everytime he came back, he would torture me again..just for the ëfun’ of it, as he said.”

Skrawl was shocked by this. What kind of sick zoner would keep torturing another even long after they had submitted? Even when he was villain, he wouldn’t have thought of such a thing.

“How long has he been doing this?” Skrawl asked, afraid to know the answer.

Barney’s body shook with emotion. His eyebrows narrowed and he clenched his teeth. More tears came strolling down his face. He spoke in a feeble, terrified voice. “It’s been going on for over a year...”

Skrawl gasped at this. This has been going on this long? Suddenly, Barney’s absense was starting to make sense. Master Tabootie and his friends thought that Barney was just busy. Whenever they had tried to visit him, he would keep saying he was working on something. None of them knew how he could be busy for that long on the same project. Something else was going on, and now Skrawl knew what it was.

The true reason why Barney had been busy, why he hadn’t been seeing Rudy or Penny or Snap or anyone...it wasn’t because he was actually busy. It wasn’t because he started a new project and was just caught up in it. It wasn’t because he decided to take a trip somewhere, or because he was busy exploring new places. No, the actual reason he had been ëbusy’, why he hadn’t been able to contact Rudy or Penny in all this time....

....was because, for the past year, he had been constantly abused by Bardot...

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 28: YOU MUST BE PATIENT, DRAOW-




Draow growled softly, his lips curled up to show off his fangs. He had his ears flattened against the side of his face. His pupils had shrunk a little as he stared intensely ahead. There was nothing really to look at. But he wanted to fixate his gaze on something since Bardot wasn’t there. He had gone off somewhere, probably to ëcheck’ on their new prisoner, Blocky.

He wasn’t interested in seeing Bardot, at least not now. He could feel the anger inside growing stronger. He had thought he made a good choice with teaming up with the little beast. He was vicious, just like his master, if not even more so. And he loved the idea of finally getting revenge on the brats who took his master down. He loved to see them suffer, to pay for what they had done. He had dreamed of not much else for over a year, brooding in that cell, hoping that one of them would get close enough so he could slash them open.

He enjoyed the pain he inflicted on Rudy a little while ago. After Bardot told him not to break Penny’s leg, at least for the time being, he was allowed to hurt Rudy instead, who had offered himself up in exchange for not breaking the girl’s limb. Rudy was the one who ultimately killed Cosmo, so Draow did feel much more satisfaction from attacking him. He had pushed Rudy onto his back and started to slowly cut into his back with his claws. He did this slowly, applying pressure as he went. Oh how the boy screamed and struggled, and Draow just kept going, relishing in his cries of pain, his pleas for mercy.

Then after he had his fun tearing the boy’s back open, he grabbed him by the shoulder, ripping into it, drawing blood. He shook the boy hard, and then, mustering as much strength as he could, threw Rudy into the ground, landing close to Penny. Draow stared as Penny tried to wake up Rudy, who had passed out from the pain. Pity... Draow had hoped he would be awake. He wanted to hear the boy cry. Oh well, it was still satisfying giving him what he deserved.

Yet, despite that satisfaction, Draow was still getting angry, and it wasn’t the two kids who were upsetting him, strangely enough. No, it was Bardot. He had recently been getting peeved with him, although he never spoke up.

It was this plan of his. He was growing impatient. He was all for drawing things out. He liked increasing the amount of pain and the duration inflicted on his enemies. But he really wanted to get his teeth into Snap. He has had his fun with Rudy and Penny, and he looked forward to hurting them more. He looked forward to hearing Penny scream when he finally gets to break her leg completely.

But he still wanted to get to Snap. A part of him was screaming for Snap to hurry up. He wanted the little runt to make it all the way to the end to face him. Draow kinda hoped that Snap, by the time he arrived, would have enough energy to scream. Draow really wanted to hear him scream as he tears into him and rips him apart. And yet, he wasn’t sure if he would ever get that chance. From what Bardot said, Snap is getting really beat up by the games anyway. It sounded like he was going to be barely alive if he arrives at all, and that is not what Draow wanted. He didn’t want Snap to drop dead before he had a chance to torture him.

He had suggested once for Bardot to let him go fetch Snap so they could hurry up and get this over with. He wanted Snap to be in the same room as his friends. He wanted Rudy and Penny to be awake and to bear witness to what was to become of their friend. He was growing weary of these games. His talons pressed into the ground in anticipation. He wanted a chance to attack Snap, and he wanted it now.

Draow turned his head so he could see the two humans they have captive. Penny, despite her injuries, had managed to hold Rudy in her arms. She had long ago stopped trying to wake him up. Instead, she was crying, hugging him. She wasn’t paying attention to Draow. She wasn’t even looking in his direction.

Draow could see the blood from Rudy’s wounds cover Penny. Her shirt and skirt was covered in the stuff. The whole room had many blood stains, now that he thought about it. He and Bardot had done a number on the two teenagers. The scent of blood clung strongly in the air. The teens might not be able to smell it with their weak sense of smell, but Draow could. It filled him with satisfaction. With Bardot, he noticed it made him look more visibly excited. He knew it was because he wanted to eat them.

Eating humans...what a disgusting thought. Draow snarled a little at the mention of eating human flesh. Or anything in the real world for that matter. It couldn’t possibly taste very good. Not to mention it was highly dangerous. He had to give Bardot credit. He was pretty brave and adventurous for eating something that most zoners would normally not be able to stomach. That alone showed that Bardot was not someone to mess with.

And yet, Draow’s patience was being tested. He had even considered this was part of Bardot’s plan. He had once stated that he saw Snap as just an experiment. Did he see him the same way as well? Was Bardot experimenting with him, and just seeing how long it takes before he snaps? If that were the case, Bardot was doing a great job so far in making him angry and impatient.

He continued to watch Penny for a few more minutes. He grew tired of watching the two. He wanted to hear something different. He wanted to hear Snap’s crying and screaming accompanying them. Or at the very least, he wanted Rudy to wake up so he can hear his moans and groans of pain. It was getting boring for him to see the same thing, Penny holding and crying over Rudy, for the past half hour. And it wasn’t like he could do anything to her anyway. For the time being, he was to leave Rudy and Penny alone.

Perhaps...perhaps now was a good time to talk to Bardot about this. Maybe he could convince the smaller zoner to speed things up a little. Or maybe he could at least get a better understanding of what more Bardot has in store. And he also wanted to know why Bardot often disappeared. Just where does he go? It’s not like Bardot tells him much of where he is, just that he’d be back. In fact, he was surprised that Bardot even told him about ëvisiting’ Blocky. One of the few times he’s told him anything.

He glanced back at Penny. Of course, he had been told to stay here and watch the two teenagers. He was not to leave his post. But still...what’s a few minutes going to hurt anyway? It wasn’t like he was going to be gone that long. And it wasn’t like the two teens were in any position to go anywhere. Penny’s leg likely still hurts from when he twisted it. And Rudy is in too much pain to stand up. Yes...they weren’t going anywhere.

Keeping that in mind, Draow shifted himself, putting his feet in the position to push himself up off the ground. There was still the worry that Bardot might not be too happy with him leaving his post. But he kept reminding himself, there was no way these two were going to able to go far in their condition. It’s not like they haven’t left them alone for a time before, and they always remained in the room when they got back. And if the little brats tried to leave, they will both be taught a very painful lesson.

With that, Draow got up to his feet. He took a quick glance at Penny once more. Just in case, he figured he would give her a warning.

“You... Stay here with your little friend. I am going for a little bit.” Draow said. His voice was growly as he spoke. “If I come back and find that you have moved from that spot, I will make you regret it.”

He smirked as Penny glared back at him. She held her tongue and soon turned her attention back to Rudy. Draow turned and walked away.

He began to make his way down the tunnels. There were a good number of them. Some of the tunnels were pretty narrow and he could barely fit through. He wasn’t sure how this place was built, but one thing he did take notice were some pieces of wood sticking out of the ground. It was clear that this place wasn’t all solid rock; a few areas were made with wood and then just covered by rock.

Interesting... He wondered if this meant that Bardot didn’t build all of this place like he had thought. Maybe some of it was just naturally formed this way and Bardot just added to it later on. If he had been planning all this for over a year, then he would have had plenty of time to do something like this.

He kinda wished that he varied the place a little more, though. Much of the areas looked the same, making it hard to tell if he was navigating to the right spot or not. Luckily, Bardot did at least mark the tunnels, labeling them. And it didn’t take long for Draow to find the one marked for prisoners. He headed down that hallway.

He walked down the hallway, heading towards where Bardot said he would be. The tunnel wound in circles a few times before then becoming jagged, as if Bardot wanted to put in some stairs. They were narrow and hard to walk down. Draow would have just used his wings and fly down, but there wasn’t enough room in this narrow tunnel to do that, so he had no choice but to walk down, almost tripping a few times.

Once he reached the bottom, he was at a three-way intersection. He looked at the symbols written at the top. One was a circle, one a triangle, and one a square. Odd choices, but perhaps it was for the best. This made it a little harder for intruders to know which tunnel to take to find their friends. Draow knew for a fact that Blocky would be down the middle tunnel, the one marked with a triangle.

This tunnel was completely straight. Lining both sides were multiple rooms, empty ones that were to be used for prisoners. Bardot mentioned that these holding cells would keep both zoners and humans restrained. The yellow and red zoner had taken a note from Cosmo and had used electrified water bars to keep anyone from getting out. These rooms, as Bardot said, were for any and all future prisoners that he would end up capturing.

Soon, up ahead, he found who he was looking for. At the far end, on the left side, he could see a small cell that was holding Blocky. The green zoner was on the ground, bleeding. He couldn’t tell if it was from the injuries he got from the zombies or if Bardot changed his mind about not hurting him and decided to toy with him a little.

And there was Bardot. He was just standing there, smiling at Blocky on the ground. The venomous zoner didn’t speak a word. He just...stared at Blocky with those bright green eyes. It looked kind of creepy, especially with how Bardot was in shadow, illuminated just barely by the torches lining the walls. Draow stared at this scene for a moment, and then started to walk forward.

After Draow worked up the courage to speak, he shouted one word to get the hybrid’s attention.

“Hey!”

At this, Bardot’s ears swiveled. He turned his head. The look in his eyes was intense. The expression he gave, the way he curled his lips up to show more of his fangs, it struck fear in Draow. He did his best to hide it, but he found himself taking a step backwards. Still, he did not run away and he stood his ground.

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”

Although Bardot looked visibly upset that Draow was down here, rather than chew him out, Bardot spoke in a pleasant voice. “Dear Draow...what brings you down here? And why aren’t you watching our guests like I told you to?”

Draow’s ears twitched a little. He detected an underlining threat in that last sentence. If there was one thing Bardot was really good at, it was being passive aggressive when he saw fit.

“I have some questions for you.” Draow said, taking care to get rid of the tone of voice he used before. “If you don’t mind...”

Bardot smiled. He turned around so he was facing Draow. He sat on the ground, similar to how a dog would. “Okay then...” He tilted his head to the side, letting out a soft chuckle. “Ask away.”

sss

“P-Penny...I don’t think this is such a good idea...” Rudy said, groaning in pain.

He was on his feet, being supported by Penny. They were headed towards the door, being very close to it by now. Every step he took sent shockwaves of pain through his body, and the lack of food and water made things even worse.

Penny said, “I know, Rudy. But we’ve got to try...”

Rudy had just barely woken up from being knocked about by Draow like that. He found that he had lost a lot of blood, both on the ground and on Penny. His body had seering pain spreading throughout it. And there was nothing he could do to make it go away. Any position he put himself in, some area of his body was being agonized by pain.

Penny had managed to stop the flow of blood the best she could. She used more of her skirt and part of her shirt to make more bandages. She pressed against his wounds, apologizing as he cried out in agony, and did her best to stop as much bleeding as possible. She found that she stopped enough that it prevented a very noticeable blood trail. That, combined with the absense of their captors, gave her a daring but very risky idea.

Rudy thought it was crazy to try to escape. They were both too badly injured to go anywhere. And even if they got out, how far would they go before Bardot or Draow would find them? And Draow...he had a keen sense of smell. He’d be able to hound them very quickly. And he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the punishment for trying to escape.

But Penny believed it was worth a try. If they could just get out of this cave thing they were trapped in, they could figure out where they are and go from there. Their knowledge of ChalkZone would make it easier to figure a route of escape. Rudy still wasn’t sure if it was going to work or not. Again, his main concern was Draow’s sense of smell. And neither of them knew how well Bardot’s sense of smell was. For all they knew, it could even be better than Draow’s, which would be very worrying if that were the case.

He did have to admire Penny’s spirit, though. It still wasn’t completely shattered. If she believed that there was hope for escape, if she truly thought that, if they took the chance now, they could get out of here and find help and get Snap out of the ëgames’, then she really did still have a fire going on inside of her. He just wished he had the same enthusiasm.

Rudy still had hopes for a rescue. It wasn’t that he truly gave up. But this escape...in their condition...he wasn’t sure if it could work. If he had some magic chalk, it might help. As weak as his left hand was, he could try to force himself to use it. If he was careful and went slowly, he probably could draw something at least. Nothing fancy, but something that could help them out of here.

But despite not knowing if this would work or not, he was still willing to go with Penny. There was no way he wanted to stay behind, alone with those monsters. And it wasn’t like Penny was going to abandon him either. No, she would have been upset if she had been forced to do that.

Penny was doing her best to support him. She slung his arm over her shoulder and held on tightly. She did her best to ignore any pain she was feeling as they walked towards the door. She made sure not to hit his right hand, which still stung horribly from pain. The side she let Rudy leaned on was his injured one, which hurt even worse and the investion was clearly spreading. Little by little, they got closer to the door. Each agonizing step got them closer to freedom, or to be specific, out of the room.

Rudy’s stomach felt like it was burning. Hunger settled in deeply. He felt like he was going to be sick. His body shook a little from how weak he was, and his mind was craving food and water. His mouth was a lot dryer than before, to the point where just trying to talk took a lot of effort. Walking like this was taking up more of their remaining energy, another reason why he didn’t want to risk leaving while they were in this condition. Maybe of some zoner happened by and helped them...

Penny wasn’t in the greatest condition either. Like him, she hadn’t eaten or drank anything in all this time. And it was starting to show. Her movements were a little slower and more delayed due to the lack of energy and nutrients. Whenever she spoke, her voice sounded a little scratchy and dry, and sometimes she would smack her lips in thirst. They both needed food and water and fast.

After a few minutes of painfully walking, they managed to reach the door. They stopped, looking left and right. Thankfully, neither Draow nor Bardot were in sight. But how long it would stay like that...neither of them could tell.

“Which way should we go?” Rudy asked. He wasn’t sure which way Draow or Bardot had gone. He hoped Penny would.

Penny thought for a moment. It took her a little longer to respond, again due to the lack of food and water. Her head must be starting to feel a little muggy. “Draow went to the right...” Penny turned her head. “So we will go left.”

With that, the two headed towards the left. Rudy realized quickly that they had no idea where they were going. They weren’t even sure if this was the way to the exit. He would have asked Penny to turn him around and head back. Both of them were moving painfully slowly due to their injuries. But they had come so far already. They managed to get out of the room. It might not be a wise choice to just turn back after all that. And it did feel nice to be finally out of that hellhole of a room, away from the stains of blood and memories of their torture.

As they limped down the hall, Rudy took notice at how big the place really was. It was hard to tell from the little room he and Penny were kept in. But there were a lot of tunnels here, barely marked. It was like Bardot was afraid of intruders, so he had minimal marking, as little as possible. He must have the whole place memorized. Rudy was reminded of Mr. Cosmo’s lair, with all the hallways and how confusing it was to everyone except for him. Rudy half wondered if Bardot got the idea from him.

The two tried their best to quicken their pace. This may be their only chance to escape. They couldn’t afford to waste any time. Rudy prayed that they would have enough time to get out of the lair. He hoped that someone would be on the outside, someone who could help them get away. Then they could end this nightmare.

And yet there was still that worry that often crossed his mind. A thought that sent cold shudders down his spine. A thought he did his best to push back and ignore, yet, despite all his efforts, despite what he kept telling himself, it was still a worry.

What if they couldn’t win this time?

sss

Bardot couldn’t believe it. He just couldn’t believe it. He had given Draow a simple order. To stay and watch Rudy and Penny while he was gone. Anytime he gave that order, he meant it; only rarely did he let Draow leave their side and let them be alone. Those times would be pretty brief, or when the two were unconscious and wouldn’t wake up anytime soon.

And yet, here stood Draow before him. He had wanted to ask questions regarding his plan. He didn’t know why the beast couldn’t wait. He didn’t recruit him to have him ask questions while leaving his post. Bardot was considerably angry, yet he did his best to hide it. He knew what he would be like if he had snapped. No, it was best to keep it all hidden inside. And even if he did allow himself to lose it, Draow was the last zoner he wanted to unleash that anger against.

Draow was too valuable of an ally to dispose of. Bardot couldn’t even bring himself to hurt the bat wolf. He was worried that if he hurt him too badly, he wouldn’t be able to perform his duties that well. It was so much easier capturing victims with the aide of a large winged wolf who could crush bone with his jaws. It also served as a sort of protection for him. Despite his speed and venom, Bardot knew very well of his frail body compared to Draow’s. Having someone large, heavy, and strong by his side did solve this issue.

His stomach still ached a little from the kick Rudy delivered to him. The boy must have a lot of guts to do something like that. He hadn’t expected him, especially in his weakened state, to do that. It had been a very big mistake; he almost lost his temper there. At least the boy wouldn’t try something like that again.

But it did still serve as a reminder. He was a small zoner. His shoulders only came about as high as Snap. His body was not built to handle as much as abuse as someone like Draow or Tsere could take. That was where his speed came in handy. He was going to need it for when Snap came to confront him. If Snap ever found out that his body wasn’t as durable as one might think, and if he found a way around his venom and his swiftness, he knew he would be in trouble.

That was part of a reason, though not a very major one, why he was torturing Snap with these games. It was to ensure that Snap would be very weak by the time he reaches him, to make it harder for Snap to get an edge over him. Though mostly, it was just for fun.

“I understand your impatience.” Bardot said calmly, pacing back and forth in front of Draow. His long tail swished from side to side. “But you still must calm yourself. Be patient. Everything will fall into place soon. Snap is already halfway done with the games. I have confidence he’ll survive the rest. And then you can have your way with him.”

“But the way you talked about ëlooking forward to facing Snap’...” Draow’s ears flipped back. “Does that mean you believe he will beat me?”

Bardot stared at Draow. Then he laughed. “There is a chance he will, yes. I will not underestimate him, and neither should you.”

“He won’t get by me...” Draow growled, baring his sharp teeth.

“Well then...” Bardot said as-a-matter-of-factly. He walked by Draow, tracing his tail along his leg as he went. Draow turned his head and watched him, an irritated look on his face. “...you best get your act together for when he does come. If you believe you will beat him...then prove it to me when the time comes.”

The two zoners started to walk down the tunnel together. Draow kept some distance behind Bardot, like he wanted to follow him wherever he went. Bardot ignored this. The bat wolf probably wanted to ask more questions. He had done his best to answer the ones he gave him, and it seemed to satisfy the bat wolf to some degree. Yet it seems clear that Draow’s impatience was getting a little too strong. He would have to satisfy him with something to keep Draow under his finger.

He thought about letting Draow toy a little more with Rudy and Penny, but he wasn’t sure how long that would keep him happy. The winged zoner really wanted to get his claws into Snap. Though he hated Rudy the most, he clearly wanted to hurt all three of them.

Bardot wasn’t about to sabotage his plan just because the big wolf can’t control his appetite for blood. But maybe he could think of something that would work, even just for a little while. He recalled how Draow was excited to break Penny’s leg. Yes...yes that would do nicely. As soon as they got back, he would let him do that. And this time, he wouldn’t stop Draow as Penny’s leg was about to snap in two.

But when they got back to the room, both Bardot and Draow were shocked at what they saw. Or rather, what they didn’t see.

Rudy and Penny were...gone. Nowhere in sight. The two of them rushed into the room and looked around. They looked left and right. No, it was impossible. They have to be in here somewhere... Oh who was Bardot kidding? They were gone. There was no place in this room for them to hide.

Draow growled softly under his breath in irritation. “Those brats...!”

Bardot breathed in and out slowly. He could feel his anger rising again. His pupils dilated into dots and he began to snarl, drool and heated venom hitting the ground. He turned his head to face Draow. When the bat wolf caught sight of him, he immediately backed away, tail between his legs. Bardot backed Draow into a corner, ignoring the wolf’s whines as he raised his claw.

Bardot hissed under his breath, “I told you to...watch them!”

Draow winced and his ears pressed against the side of his head. “Sorry!”

Then Bardot stopped himself and shook his head. Instead of striking Draow, he swung his paw towards the direction of the entrance. “Come along. They couldn’t have gotten far.”

Draow, though still shaken up, took on a ferocious stance and followed Bardot down the tunnels in pursuit of their prey.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 29: TELL US WHAT YOU KNOW-



Snap hardly paid attention to the riddle. It barely registered to him. Rapsheeba had already solved it, deducing that they had to go to the place where Rudy drew her a new set. Snap did show gratitude that she managed to solve it, because he didn’t think he could do it himself, at least not at the moment. His mind was too preoccupied to think about the riddle, or what it could mean. His talk with Bardot had affected him more than he realized.

He was sick to his stomach. To think that Bardot wants to eat his friends...it didn’t settle with him. He had no idea that was part of his plan. It never registered to him that he was going to do such a thing. And that made his plans all that much more worse. That made him angrier than before.

That meant that Bardot saw his friends as nothing but walking piles of meat. He saw them as just food. How disgusting... And those other people that he ate... Did Bardot not think once about what he was doing? Did he not realize that he was killing sentient beings just so he could stuff his face? Did he not take into consideration any of that?

Of course not... Why would he? Bardot had shown just how nasty he can be, and Snap wouldn’t doubt he had even more nasty surprises ahead of him in the future. It was like Bardot thinks this is all a game. Oh wait, he does. He made it quite clear. Everything he does is part of some big ëgame’, and he and his friends are just pawns for him to move around and toy with. Bardot thinks he can do whatever he wants with no consequence. He believes that everything he does is logical and acceptable. Snap would see to it that he realizes just how wrong he is.

That wasn’t the only thing that Bardot said that upset him. The randominization of the games was another concern. It wasn’t as dire or as enraging as finding out Bardot wanted to eat his friends, but it was still a concern nonetheless. Without knowing how difficult the next challenge would be, how could he and Rapsheeba be prepared for it? And Bardot’s deadliest death trap...when would they run into it, or have they already?

These games, the way they have been set up, it had been taking them in circles. Bardot confirmed that, more or less. He made everything random so they would always be playing a guessing game. They never knew how much worse the deathtraps could get. They never knew how far they’d have to travel until they get the card that gives them a riddle, which they then must solve to get to the next game in order to activate the next deathtrap and so on and so forth.

Snap realized Bardot was trying to wear them out completely. Not just physically, but mentally, too. Not only was he depriving them of food and water for most of the trip, but he was making them travel great distances in all sorts of directions to reach the next games. All that walking was taking a toll on them. The riddles were wearing them out mentally. It took some time to figure them out, and Snap’s head hurt a few times from thinking too hard. He wondered if Bardot was doing this so his mental reaction time would be compromised when he finally reaches him.

Snap was getting very hungry, and he knew Rapsheeba was hungry as well. Neither of them had eaten in all this time. He knew he was going through what Rudy and Penny were. This gave him some motivation to push himself a little harder, but he knew if he overexerted himself, he wouldn’t have much energy left to face Bardot. He needed to find something to eat or drink and fast. Maybe there’ll be a stand near where the next game is. It was a possibility.

He was feeling much weaker. He was still able to walk just fine with the stick, and he was able to fight back against the coming tiredness. At least for now. His stomach rumbled loudly and he smacked his lips in thirst. His injuries aggravated his thirst and hunger, making them more prominent. His bleeding had stopped, which was a good sign, but he had already lost a ton of blood. That wasn’t making things any easier. Grogginess spread across his head. He did his best to ignore it.

But it was a fruitless effort. There was no way he could ignore this, not for long. He could still do as best as he could. But determination can only get him so far. His body still had the final say. He could believe that he could do it all he wanted to, but once his body falls apart, no amount of ëI can, I can’ will help him. With each step he took, he could feel himself growing weaker. Looking over at Rapsheeba, he could tell that she was experiencing the fatigue as well.

There was a small chance Bardot would leave them something to eat and drink at the next game. Or there would be something somewhere they could use. Bardot seemed determined to make sure Snap survived the games without actually making things all that easy for him. He did provide the first aid kit, which Rapsheeba still carried, which hadn’t been used since Jacko’s maze.

Snap suddenly got a cold realization. In just a few hours, it would have been almost forty-eight hours since his friends were captured. Or had it been longer? It was hard to keep track of the time. He often forgot to ask Rapsheeba. They were so focused on the games, it was hard for him to remember what time it was. And that scared him, not knowing exactly how much time has passed. What he was certain of was that his friends were running out of time.

As much as he wanted to hope they were okay, he knew that wasn’t the case. Bardot and Draow were abusing them both. The screams he heard, that was just a taste of what they had been through there. He had no idea just how bad off they were. And with them not being able to eat or drink...their condition was even worse.

The fact that Bardot refused to elaborate on just how ëwell’ his friends were doing was irritating. He would only go as far as say they were alive, and maybe hint at how much pain they were in. But never once did he tell everything about what they were doing to them. Bardot was deliberately withholding information just to mess with him, to keep him in the dark. He wanted to call him again to demand answers, but he knew Bardot would not be straight with him.

It might be very well true that he never lies. Bardot hinted that he wasn’t one for lying. But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t give misleading information. It didn’t mean that he couldn’t withhold information. He could be just giving him the bare minimum, and keeping everything else a secret unless something came up and he had to reveal it. He was keeping him in the dark about almost everything. Snap was certain of this.

And because of his little habit of keeping some data to himself, Snap had a feeling there was a lot about these ëgames’ and Bardot’s plan that he hadn’t considered. At the moment, he couldn’t really think of anything. But he had to wonder if there was more to these games than met the eye, if there was more to Bardot’s plans than he let on. Was there something that Bardot didn’t want him to find out?

Before he had time to think more of this, he realized Rapsheeba had stopped. He almost ran into her. He was able to stop himself before that happened. He looked at her, confused. Why did she stop walking? They hadn’t even arrived yet had they...?

He looked out ahead and he was shocked. They arrived at the place. This was it all right. Snap would have recognized it from a distance. This was the place where he met Rapsheeba personally. Well not just him. Rudy and Penny also met the singer here. It was during her Rapunzel performance. Snap felt a sharp pain at the memory. It just further reminded him of the danger the two were in.

He was still surprised they managed to get here that fast. They had lost the motorcycle a while back, so they could no longer use it. It had broken down about...he would say an hour ago. Or at least it felt like an hour. He wasn’t sure. The point of the matter was that they were back to walking.

Rapsheeba grabbed not one, but two cards taped on the side. One of them had the description of the next game. The second card was of a pinkish shade to differentiate it from the other one. Rapsheeba read the pink one first.

It read:

“So tired from your travels you must be. I will give you a little something to alleviate that. It is not poisoned in any way. Oh I know how you must be surprised, Snap, not taking this chance to hurt you more. But with the torture you’re going through, what with knowing your friends are in danger and the deathtraps you must avoid, I see no reason to poison the food.

Love, Bardot”

Snap growled. Love... Bardot deliberately wrote it like that just to piss him off. And it worked. He wanted to crumple the note, but he refrained from doing so. He took in a deep breath to regain his composure. He looked over at Rapsheeba as she held up the second note.

“Okay...what kind of game are we in for this time?” Snap asked.

sss

Mr. Wilter relaxed in his recliner and turned the station, trying to find something for him to watch. He wasn’t interested in watching the news. He didn’t want to feel even more depressed. While there hadn’t been any new missing reports since Rudy and Penny were taken, much of the news covered the investigation to try to find the people that had gone missing the past few days. And of course, there hadn’t been any new leads, or even any evidence they were still alive.

It was frustrating for him to know more about what was going on, or rather have an idea of what was happening, and not being able to tell anyone. In fact, the only two people he could talk to about this were Terry and Vinnie. Rudy had told him about how they found out about ChalkZone and have been trying to expose it. Thankfully, they’ve been thwarted everything, though they were still a big concern.

These two people were the only ones he knew, besides the corrupted artists whom he hadn’t seen in years, who would take his story seriously. He could tell them he believes the people were being taken into ChalkZone, and they would believe his every word. But telling them would be disastrous. It was too risky to do.

They could use that as an excuse to have ChalkZone more thoroughly explored to make sure it was ësafe for the public’. And it’s not like they’d be of much help either. Even if they did want to help find the missing people, they were still a couple of humans who had no idea what they were in for. They had little knowledge of how ChalkZone worked, evident from how they weren’t able to tell their giant rat not to scream ëI must find the magic chalk!’ as soon as he was ëborn’ into ChalkZone, from what Snap had told him once.

Mr. Wilter wanted to get in touch with Snap, but what could he do? It wouldn’t be wise to try to get into ChalkZone. He had no idea what kind of danger Rudy and Penny were in. What if Draow found out he was coming? He knew how much the wolf hated him. He might kill the two teenagers in front of him out of spite. And he had no idea how dangerous this other zoner was. Obviously more so than Draow if the bat wolf was following him. Jumping into action without considering the danger would be a dangerous move, and one that he could not afford.

Still, it was frustrating knowing something was wrong, having an idea of just what was wrong, and not being able to confirm it or get any updates. He had no idea how Rudy and Penny were. He didn’t know if they were badly hurt, if they were even alive. The thought was distressing. He really wanted to know how they were doing and if Snap managed to find them yet, or if he was close to getting to them. The only way to know was to head into ChalkZone, but his rational side told him that might make things a lot worse.

Something told him that the zoner Draow is working for might not like it. He wasn’t sure what gave him this feeling. Maybe it was from facing off against his ex-best friend, Cosmo. He remembered how hard it was when he lost Cosmo as a friend when the black chalk took him over, how painful it was to fight him the first time around. It wasn’t as hard a year and a half ago when he had long accepted that the real Cosmo was gone, replaced by that twisted monstrous version the black chalk had created.

One thing he had learned when facing off against Mr. Cosmo is that people like him, they don’t like their plans being messed with. They don’t like it when someone else barges in, and chances are, they would do something about it. Though Mr. Cosmo had hidden it well, he was not happy to see him when he stopped his effort at ërecruiting’ Rudy. And no doubt this strange new zoner had a similar line of thinking.

As much as he wanted to help, he had no choice but to wait instead. Wait and hope everything would turn out all right. He realized that this made him look like a coward. He knew that his help may be required. But he had so little information about this new zoner, he wouldn’t know what to do even if he did decide to go into ChalkZone. Where would he begin? What would this new zoner do when he saw him wandering around? Would he kill off Rudy and Penny out of anger?

These things plagued the teacher’s mind.

As he tried to relax a little bit, his doorbell rang. He looked over, a little confused. Who would be visiting him at this time? Sure, it wasn’t that late. But he wasn’t expecting any company, especially not in the evening. Oh well, he might as well go answer it.

He got up out of his recliner and went over to answer the door. The doorbell rang a few more times. Whoever wanted to see him, they were getting impatient. He wasn’t sure if they were just excited to see him or if it was something else entirely. He was a little annoyed by the repeated buzzing of his doorbell. Did they have no sense of patience?

When he opened the door, he was surprised by who he saw.

“Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie!” Mr. Wilter cried in surprise. He paused as he noticed they weren’t the only ones who came over. “Mrs. Sanchez! What brings you three over here?”

“We’re sorry.” Mrs. Tabootie said.

“Is it okay if we come in?” Mr. Tabootie asked, a sad expression on his face.

“Okay.” Mr. Wilter said. He stepped aside. “Come on in.”

“Thank you.” Mrs. Sanchez said.

Mr. Wilter led the three into his living room. He gestured for them to sit on his long choice. He pushed his recliner so he could more easily face them. He shut off the tv so they could focus on whatever it is they wanted to talk about. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie sat down next to each other. They looked very upset and were trying their best to comfort each other. Mrs. Sanchez sat close by. She looked at the other two parents sympathetically but it was clear she was suffering as well.

He knew the reason they were upset. He would be an idiot not to know. They were worried about their children. He couldn’t blame them. If he were in their shoes, he would be very upset as well. Rudy and Penny had been missing for nearly two days now. And there were no signs of them coming back any time soon.

But the one thing Mr. Wilter couldn’t figure out is...why had they come here? It wasn’t like he knew anything about where their children were. He wasn’t anywhere near their homes when they were abducted. And it’s not like he hangs out with Rudy and Penny a lot outside of school. So why had they sought him out? There was the possibility that they were out for hours looking for Rudy and Penny, found nothing, and just wanted a place to rest. That would make sense, but that may not be the case here.

After a few minutes of silence, Mr. Wilter decided to speak up.

“Was there a reason you came to see me?” Mr. Wilter asked.

“Actually yeah.” Mrs. Sanchez said. She wiped away a few tears. Her face was really red from all the crying she was doing. When she spoke, her voice cracked a little. “As you are aware, our children are missing.”

“Yes, I know.” Mr. Wilter said, his voice and expression filled with sympathy. “The police are trying to find them, and the others that have gone missing. But far as I know, unless there’s been a new report, they haven’t been able to find them. I’m so sorry about that.”

“It’s not your fault.” Mr. Tabootie said. He glanced at the ground. He sniffled. It sounded like he had been fighting the tears for a long time. He glanced back at Mr. Wilter. “None of us...would have known something like this would happen.”

Mrs. Tabootie let a few tears stream down her face. “I wish we knew if they were okay... I wish we knew where they were...”

Mr. Wilter sympathized with the parents. It was hard not knowing where their children were. He wished he could say something to help them feel better. But what could he say? He was just as in the dark as he was on this whole thing.

He still wondered why they were here. Mrs. Sanchez hinted there was more to them coming here than just telling him how much they missed their children. That was something they could have done over the phone. So why did they come over? There had to be a reason for this visit. But what?

Mrs. Tabootie turned her attention to Mr. Wilter. As if she knew what he was thinking, she said, “I think it’s time we...we told you why we come over here.” She paused for a moment. Mr. Wilter looked at her expectantly. She finally spoke again. “Have...have Rudy and Penny..disappeared during school?”

This question took Mr. Wilter offguard. “What?”

“Reggie mentioned to us, when we ran into him earlier, that sometimes he notices Rudy and Penny gone for extended periods of time.” Mr. Tabootie said. “This behavior isn’t surprising. Our boy would disappear for hours. We thought it was because he just has a hiding place he liked to escape to. But during school?” He shook his head. “That was when we realized something was up.”

Mr. Wilter felt a pang in his heart. After all this time, Rudy and Penny’s parents were finally becoming suspicious. Just how far did they get? How much did they suspect or figure out? He dared not speak, for fear he might confirm their suspicions.

“Since you’re their teacher, we were wondering...” Mrs. Sanchez said. She bit her lip for a second, and then looked at Mr. Wilter with slightly widened eyes. “Do our children go missing during the school day? Have you..noticed at any point where they just vanish?”

Mr. Wilter quickly shook his head. “No. I haven’t.”

“Are you absolutely sure?” Mrs. Tabootie asked. “Because if they did, we were hoping that you could tell us where to go...maybe that is where they were taken. Maybe someone figured out where they’ve been going...or maybe this has been going on for a while..” She paused. She wiped away a few more tears. “We know it’s a stretch. But...but we have no other leads.”

“I wish I could help. But I’m afraid I don’t know anything.” Mr. Wilter said, shaking his head sadly. “If I did, I would be sure to tell you. I’m as confused about all this as you are.”

There was a moment of silence. The parents stared at them. They looked a little disappointed. But he noticed something else. There was more behind their expressions than just sadness. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was. But whatever it was, it was making him feel uncomfortable. There was just something about the way they were looking at him... What did more did they want to ask of him?

“Why don’t we believe you?” Mr. Tabootie finally said, staring intently at Mr. Wilter.

Mr. Wilter’s eyes went wide at this. He looked at each parent. Though they were still sad, their focus was now solely on him. He tried to speak, but no words would come out.

“We spent some time together, grieving for our children. And in that time, we came to realize something. Something we hadn’t thought about before.” Mrs. Sanchez said.

Mrs. Tabootie spoke up next. She slowly folded up her arms. “And that was... well we remember a year and a half ago, Rudy went missing. And Penny. They were gone for many long hours. And from what we heard from one of your neighbors...so were you.” She took a step towards Mr. Wilter. “On top of that, our children were injured...and so were you. And you both got back at around the same time.”

“Just a coincidence.” Mr. Wilter said quickly. “Besides, we weren’t gone for the same reasons.”

“Oh really?” Mr. Tabootie said. He reached onto his pocket and pulled out a photograph. He showed it to Mr. Wilter. “Then how do you explain this? It was taken on the day our children went missing, as well as you.”

Mr. Wilter couldn’t believe it. It was a photograph of him driving his car. Ms. Saffron and Penny could clearly be seen in the car with him. He stared at the parents, their eyes practically screaming at him to give more information. He remained quiet, knowing he couldn’t tell them anything.

“We don’t think you were the real culrpit.” Mrs. Sanchez said quickly. “I hope you don’t think that we do.”

“But the guy who took that photograph said that you were heading towards the late Mr. Cosmo’s news station.” Mrs. Tabootie said. She paused, as if to allow that to sink in. “Why was that?”

“Well...I...” Mr. Wilter really had no answer for that. He felt his heart start to race, realizing how close the parents had gone. How much did they find out?

“You see, we’ve done a little investigating after we found out where our children were. We went to that building ourselves, and we did some looking around.” Mr. Tabootie said. His voice had become more stern, though not accusatory, tone. “And we found something...really interesting.”

Mr. Wilter flinched. “Oh? What did you find?”

“Some video logs left behind by Mr. Cosmo.”

Mr. Wilter felt his heart start to race faster. Oh no...was it possible that they... He thought the information was all destroyed. Were there a few functional computers left? How much information did Mr. Cosmo leave behind?

“So let me ask you one thing, Mr. Wilter.” Mr. Tabootie said.

Mrs. Sanchez said, “And please, tell us what you know.”

Mr. Wilter looked up as Mr. Tabootie got closer. The man gripped his shoulders, holding him tightly. Mr. Wilter stared into his eyes, feeling very apprehensive. He dreaded what the next thing that came out of the father’s mouth was going to be.

And when he did say something, Mr. Wilter’s heart all but stopped.

“What is ChalkZone?”

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 30: YOU WILL KNOW PAIN-




“Watch out, queenie!” Snap cried. He jumped into the air and pushed Rapsheeba out of the way as a red hot laser shot the space she once stood in.

Rapsheeba barely had time to glance at the burnt area before shouting, “Thanks! I just hope we can keep up the pace!”

The two zoners ran across the landscape. Several zoners watched in astonishment and horror as the two were chased by basketballs. Of all the things...basketballs. Yeah, it sounded crazy. Even Snap would admit it was farfetched. But any zoner watching could tell, if he said anything about this, that he’d be speaking the truth.

Snap had not expected this kind of deathtrap. He would have thought something like an explosion or another use of lava or poisonous gas or something. They were in a building, all that confined space. He was surprised Bardot didn’t take advantage of that. And he felt grateful that he didn’t seize the opportunity to do something much worse.

But he was still shocked when the deathtrap was sprung. As the timer activated midway through their basketball game, the ball they were using started to glow. Then it shifted, sprouting mechanical wings and a long stinger. It began to go after them, trying to jab its stinger into them. Snap and Rapsheeba fought back as best as they could, knocking it into the ground and breaking it. But right after they did that, the other basketballs on the rack all activated, all sprouting wings and stingers. Unlike the first one, these were equipped with lasers, and they didn’t hesitate to use them.

Unable to fight back effectively and both suffering a couple of shots to their arms and back, Snap and Rapsheeba started to flee. Snap managed to grab the card for the next game before they exited the building. He had a feeling that there would be witnesses to them being chased, but right now, all he was focused on was getting as far away from this place as possible.

Relentlessly, the mechanical things chased after them. They blasted laser after laser, trying to strike them down. A few times they would catch up to them and try to ram them into the ground. The zoners managed to dodge these attacks, but they didn’t know how long they could keep it up.

It was a little easier moving along now that they both got something to eat. But it was just the bare minimum. Not much water, just enough to satisfy them for a short time, and only a little bit of food. Oh well, it was something at least. Now they had a little more energy they could work with, but they still had to be very careful.

They soon came to a crowd, a busy part with a lot of zoners. Snap widened his eyes. Rapsheeba was just as shocked. They looked at the mechanical things behind them. They couldn’t turn around now. They had no choice but to rush through. They pushed past the zoners, some of them accidentally knocked into the ground.

The zoners looked upset with the two, demanding to know what they were doing. But the two of them couldn’t stop, no matter how loud the zoners in the crowd cried out to them. They were immediately silenced as they spotted the mechanical basketballs and realized, with cold shudders, why Snap and Rapsheeba were running away. The zoners immediately screamed and began to run away, pushing against each other, trying to disperse. A few zoners ended up trampled on the ground, groaning in pain.

Then something happened that made Snap feel horrible. He had thought that Bardot programmed the bots to just go after him and Rapsheeba. He had been wrong...

The bots, apparently tired of chasing after the two, had started going after the crowd. They hounded the trampled zoners, taking advantage of their injuries, and started to blast them. A couple others pursued the smaller zoners trying to get away. The street was soon filled with cries of pain, zoners calling for help. The scene was horrific for Snap and Rapsheeba to see, let alone listen to, but they couldn’t stop to help, for three bots were still coming their way, pushing them further and further away from the crowd.

Snap hoped that the zoners there would be okay. He felt really bad for unintentionally leading the bots to them. He didn’t know that Bardot would be so low as to let the bots attack innocent zoners. The spikes were one thing. They were just that. Spikes. But these were robots. Clearly sentient ones. Did Bardot think it wasn’t necessary to program them to leave bystanders alone? Guess not.

The thought sickened Snap. So many zoners and humans were being hurt or even killed. And for what? This stupid experiment Bardot insists on doing on him. It wasn’t like the results would even justify the means at all. The only result would be how long he could take a beating. That was it. That wasn’t going to help Bardot with anything. It wasn’t going to make up for the pain and suffering he had caused. But it wasn’t like Bardot cared about that.

Soon, he and Rapsheeba found themselves running towards a tall building. Their eyes widened. It looked as though they were reaching a dead end. And behind them, the last three bots were coming at them, faster and faster.

“What do we do?!” Rapsheeba cried. “There’s no place to turn around here!”

She was right about that. At their sides were buildings that were pressed together, with no alleyways. They weren’t sure what kind of person would draw a street like this, unless they were environmentalists trying to keep everything tight and compact to avoid using so much space. But at the moment, it was going to be their death sentence. Having no choice, they could only run straight ahead.

None of the shops were open. The only direction they could go was forward. Snap wanted to try to rush towards one of the buildings to get it to open. But what would be the use? They all said ëclosed’ on them. And he doubted he could break the glass that easily. Even if he could, by the time he did, the bots would be upon them, blasting away with their laser stingers.

Then Snap got an idea. It wasn’t a particularly smart one, but it wasn’t like they had much of a choice. He looked over at Rapsheeba, touching her arm briefly as they ran next to each other.

“Head towards the wall! And on my signal, we both run to the side!” Snap told her.

“Are you sure?” Rapsheeba asked, eyeing the wall suspiciously. “What if we...?”

“Trust me!” Snap replied, staring intently at the wall. “Ready...”

They were ten feet in front of the wall. Rapsheeba looked behind her momentarily, a nervous look on her face. The bots kept shooting lasters at them.

“Set...”

Now five feet. The bots were almost upon them now. Rapsheeba now looked at Snap worriedly. She looked like she wanted to protest, but, seeing no other choice, she obligued.

“Go!”

As soon as he said that, the two of them were less than a foot in front of the wall. Maybe 10 inches at most. The two of them dodged to the side, Rapsheeba to the left and Snap to the right. They dove into the ground, landing in a thud. The bots, unable to make such a sharp turn in such a short period of time, smashed into the wall. There was a loud crunch as they hit the solid surface before they fell to the ground, robotic parts flying everywhere.

Rapsheeba and Snap stared at the debris, panting heavily. It was hard to believe, after being chased for a while by those things, they could finally take a moment and breathe. Their lungs felt like they were on fire, and they both desperately wanted something to drink. They had a little bit of water left, but they had to save it for much later. There were still four more games left to play.

The two barely had time to say anything when the radio activated. Snap growled. Now he would have to listen to more of what this monster had to say. Reluctantly, he answered it.

“Bardot...” He hissed into the radio.

“Snap.” Bardot replied, sounding eerily cheerful, almost forced. “I see you did well against my basketbots. Such a clever trick you pulled, tricking them into crashing into a wall like that.” Snap growled at his compliment. “But tell me something, Snap. How does it feel murdering three zoners?”

Rapsheeba’s eyes widened. “We didn’t murder them!”

“Oh no?” Bardot asked, sounding as innocent as he could.

Snap nodded his head and said, “All we did was jump out of the way!”

“And in doing so, you led them to their doom. They’re all smashed up against the wall, dead.” Bardot noted. “They were sentient, too. And I know you knew that, Snap White. If you hadn’t drove them into the wall, they’d still be alive.”

Snap growled, but did not reply.

“You accuse me of being a murderer. And yes I admit, I have taken lives before. I will not lie.” Bardot said. “But in the end, are you really that much different from me? You’ve taken lives as well. Three sentient zoners. Robots, but still zoners nonetheless. And you were about to eat three chocolate bunny babies years ago. They were sentient. And yet you were going to kill them anyway. Innocent little babies...”

Snap’s breath quickened and he felt his heart start to race. Intense emotion filled his chest. Who did this jerk think he was? Playing mind games with him? This was the same thing Mr. Cosmo tried to pull on Rudy over a year ago.

Bardot chuckled darkly. “I guess you are more like me than you are willing to admit.”

Something went off inside of Snap. He clutched the radio tightly, his eyes widening in anger. Rapsheeba looked at him worriedly and took a few steps back. “I am nothing like you!” With that, Snap, without thinking, threw the radio into the ground. It skidded across the floor and came to a step three feet away from him.

Snap seethed, staring at the radio with pure hatred etched on his face. He felt Rapsheeba touch his shoulders to try to calm him down. He ignored her. His focus was purely on the radio on the ground. There was a few sparks and crackles, and at first, he thought it was broken.

But then Bardot’s cold laughter came through, intensifying the hatred and rage Snap felt in his heart.

“Whoa there, take a chill pill. No need for such...animosity.” Bardot said.

“Screw you!” Snap snarled.

“Snap...” Rapsheeba said calmly. “Please settle down. This isn’t going to help anyone.”

“Yes, Snap. You should listen to your girlfriend there.” Bardot said mockingly. “You never know when your words will land your friends in danger.”

Snap’s eyes widened at this. His hands shook in anger. “What have you done to them now...?”

“Right now, they have been brought back to their holding chamber.” Bardot said. Snap was shocked by this. Brought back? What happened? “The two of them had decided to attempt an escape. It didn’t take us long to find them. They obviously had no idea where they were going. They will be punished very soon. And once we are done with them, they will not try to escape...not that they’ll even be able to walk afterwards...”

With that, the radio cut out.

Snap stood there, his body shaking. Not being able to walk...that brought back horrific memories. He remembered when he couldn’t walk for a while. And now, it seemed that his friends were going to suffer the same fate. No longer able to walk... He felt tears form in his eyes. No...please..not them...

Rapsheeba wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. “Shh..it’s okay. We’ll find them and everything will be all right...”

Snap wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe everything would be okay in the end. But how could he be certain? He..he didn’t even know what Bardot and Draow were going to do. What if they...what if they rip his friends’ legs off?

What then...?

sss

Skrawl entered Barney’s room, paying him another visit. He had left for a short time so the centipede could be treated. He was still on the bed, but now any new injury he had recieved was bandaged up. The legs that were broken were now covered in casts to keep them still. His wings were stitched up, though it was doubtful they’d ever be useful again. More bandages wrapped around his body, several of them covering up his body monitors.

Barney definitely looked better, more stable, than the last time he saw him. It was still hard to tell when he was awake or not, though. With his eyelids sealed shut, it always looks like he’s asleep when he’s laying down. The only reason he knew he was awake now was because part of his body was raised up and he had his head turned in his direction, as if to say ëyeah I know you’re here’.

Skrawl recalled what else Barney had told him before he left him alone to be patched up. He had mentioned that King Mumbo Jumbo had helped him with his old injuries, bandaging them up. He had been forced to lie to his friend, telling him that he had been clumsy since he became blind. But, because of Bardot, he coudn’t allow Mumbo Jumbo to move in with him; he was fearful Bardot would try to attack him in his sleep.

The jellybean zoner wondered how suspicious Mumbo Jumbo had become in regards to his friend’s strange behavior. Being clumsy wasn’t a very good excuse for a year of injuries like these. Some of the wounds were so bad they would never fully heal right. One leg was permanently mangled and would never be very useful again. He did understand that becoming blind was a big change, but blind folk weren’t stupid and it sure as heck wouldn’t take years to adjust to blindness.

So yeah, the king had to have suspected something. He might have tried to get more information out of Barney. Due to Bardot’s threats, Barney had been forced to stay quiet. Skrawl had plans on visiting Mumbo Jumbo and telling him himself. He had to know about this. Maybe he could convince the king to stay with his friend. Skrawl had a feeling that Barney might be attacked again, so having a bodyguard around would be a good idea. And who better than his own friend, who happened to be a turtle, or tortoise as Barney would insist, whose shell would protect him from the hybrid zoner?

Skrawl had to know something more, though. If this hybrid zoner was part red chalk, then maybe there was something in the centipede’s database he could use. A way to subdue Bardot. He had never thought of this before. But maybe there was something that could be used to weaken Bardot, something that affects red chalk zoners. If he could just figure out what Mr. Cosmo used to create the red chalk...

“Hey, Barney?” Skrawl asked.

“What is it?” Barney replied. There was a bit more strength in his voice from before. He was definitely feeling a little better.

“I know you don’t to talk about Bardot, or giving out information in general. I know you already told me a lot, but..there’s still more I have to ask you.” Skrawl said. “Do you know anything about the red chalk? Do you know what Mr. Cosmo used to create it?”

Barney didn’t reply. The fear-filled look returned. Skrawl could tell he was being reminded of Bardot. Normally, he would be a bit more forceful, even a little hostile, to get answers. But with Barney, he thought it best to be more gentle with him. He had been through a lot already.

Still, he needed that information as soon as possible. He knew that more talking about Bardot and red chalk may not be what the centipede wanted to do, but it was still important. This information could save ChalkZone from this hybrid menace. And the only one who could give such advantageous information was the injured centipede laying on the hospital beds before him.

“I understand you are frightened. But you must tell me more.” Skrawl said, trying to reason with him. “This information could stop Bardot. Don’t you want to get back at the zoner who did all this to you? Don’t you want the zoner who had abused you for so long to be brought to justice?”

A few tears streamed down Barney’s face. Slowly, he nodded his head. “Y-Yes... I want him to leave me alone...”

“And he will if you tell me more. We can use the information against him. You can help us stop him.” Skrawl said. “After what you’ve been through, you deserve a chance to get back at this guy. So please...tell me.” Skrawl hoped that Barney would be more cooperative now. “What did Mr. Cosmo use to create the red chalk?”

Though Barney was still shaken up, he still responded, albeit with a shaky voice. “He..he used the inflatamice... the tiny vicous red bats...”

Skrawl’s eyes snapped wide open. “The ones that caused that one disease? Balloonemia or what?”

Barney nodded his head. “Yes.. Cosmo found out about them and used the black chalk to create more of them, as many as he wanted, and then ground their bodies up and used their dusty remains to create the red chalk. As you would imagine, it didn’t have the results Cosmo wanted.”

Skrawl couldn’t believe it. The red chalk was created from the inflatamice. Those vicious little red bites that attack anyone unprovoked. A sudden wave of realization hit him. That would explain why red chalk drawings were so evil. That explains why they would turn against even their own creators.

Barney continued, “Cosmo never bothered to figure out how to subdue the red chalk creations that he had unleashed, choosing instead to just erase them. But there is a way to stop red chalk drawings without having to kill them.”

“And what way would that be?” Skrawl asked.

“The purple chalk.” Barney replied.

Skrawl blinked at this. “Purple chalk?”

The centipede nodded. “Yes, the purple chalk. Anything drawn with it, if it touches a zoner of red chalk, it has a nullifying effect, calming them and even stripping them of some of their powers. I imagine if used on Bardot, he will lose his speed and venom capabilities.”

The purple chalk... So now they had a weapon they could use against Bardot. But the question was... was there even any still left in the Chalk Mine? And would they be able to get the purple chalk and locate Bardot in time to save Rudy, Penny, and Snap?

Skrawl knew there wasn’t much time to spare.

sss

Rudy screamed in pain as he was lifted off the ground. Draow’s jaws clamped over his right hand once more. He felt the sharp teeth tear into the makeshift bandage Penny had put on it. The pain was intense, unbearable. Tears of pain streamed down his face. He stared into Draow’s eyes pleadingly.

He looked down at Penny, who laid not far from him. She was pinned on the ground, Bardot laying across her so she can’t move. His claws pressed into her shoulders and he could see a little bit of blood coming out. She looked at him with a horrified expression. She really wanted to help him, but there was nothing she could do.

Rudy looked back at Draow. He let out a few whimpers. He had already tried pleading for mercy. But the bat wolf didn’t care. He felt himself being thrown into the ground. He let out a cry of pain as he was hit against the hard floor again and again. Then he was pressed down by Draow’s foot. The grip on his broken hand tightened. Then Draow started to bite down harder, and he realized, in fright, that Draow was going to rip his right hand off.

He attempted to struggle. He was unable to get free. He screamed loudly as Draow’s teeth started to cut into his hand, tearing into his flesh. He felt hot blood pour from the wound as veins and arteries were sliced apart. Draow started to twist his wrist, preparing to shatter it and cause his arm and hand to get a ëdivorce’. The pain intensifying, Rudy thrashed on the ground, kicking his legs wildly.

“No please! Don’t do it!” Penny cried, tears streaming down her face, staining it red. “Let him go! Please!”

Draow paused for a moment, only to glare at her, and then he went back to work twisting Rudy’s right hand. Rudy’s screams echoed off the walls of the room. The boy was hyperventilating in pain, his eyes wide open.

“He should have known better than to try to escape. And that goes for you, too.” Bardot said. There was no smile on his face this time. Just anger, a subdued rage. He was not happy that they tried to leave before his ëgame’ was over. “He will be punished. And don’t think you will get off that easily either.” His voice was filled with malice.

“Please let him go! It was...it was my idea to try to escape!” Penny pleaded. “Do what you want with me! Just please...don’t rip his hand off...please..” She closed her eyes and started to sob, her body shaking with emotion. “It was my fault...not his....please let him go...”

Bardot stared at her. He then turned his head towards Draow. By now, Draow was almost done twisting the wrist, and in seconds, he would rip it off completely. Bardot glanced down at Penny, a thoughtful expression mixing in with the anger. Then he lifted up his paw and waved it dismissingly.

“Let the boy go.” Bardot said.

Though disappointed, Draow obeyed, releasing Rudy. The boy breathed in sharply, pulling his right hand to his body, gently cradling it with his left arm. Bardot gestured for Draow to come over. The bat wolf slowly walked over to where Penny laid on the ground.

Though his mind was muggy from the pain, the world around him still swirling, Rudy was aware enough of what was going on. He kept whispering ëno’ in a pained voice as he looked over at Penny. His eyes were wide, mixed with fear and pain. He tried to get up, but he was in too much agony from his twisted wrist. There was nothing he could do.

Rudy laid on the ground helplessly as Penny was pinned to the ground like she was before. Draow gripped her leg and started twisting it again. Penny screamed, struggling against the wolf’s grasp. Rudy’s body shook in horror as the leg was being pushed towards its breaking point just like before. And this time, there was nothing that would stop Draow from completing the task. Bardot wouldn’t speak up this time; he just stood there, watching, his cold glare practically piercing Penny.

Penny struggled and kicked her other leg, punching Draow with her hand, trying to get free. She begged and pleaded with them. Rudy wanted to speak up, but his voice was temporarily taken from him due to the pain in his wrist. If he tried to open his mouth, all that would come out were moans and cries of pain.

A second later and there was a loud crunch sound that reverberated around the room. Rudy’s eyes widened, his heart freezing, veins running cold. As that snap echoed in his mind, another sound came with it. A bloodcurdling scream from his best friend, her eyes opening up so wide it almost looked like they would fall out. Then, moments later, the pain was too much for Penny to handle and she collapsed on the ground in a heap.

Draow picked her up in his jaws and threw her towards Rudy. She hit the ground in a heavy thud. Rudy looked at her with a horrified expression, now able to see the extent of the damage. Her leg had been twisted completely in the opposite direction, her toes now facing the wrong direction. The leg did twisted back, but it looked very loose. The skin had been torn and he could see a bit of bone starting to peak out. Blood poured profusely from the bite mark wounds Draow inflicted on the leg.

Rudy hyperventilated, this time in utter horror at what he was seeing. No, Penny...no... Tears flowed down his face. He couldn’t believe it. He stared at her leg, his body shaking. Why her? What did she do to deserve this? Anger overwhelming him, he shot a glare at Bardot and Draow.

“Fucking monsters! Cowards! I’m going to...”

He didn’t have time to finish that sentence. Bardot rushed towards him. Rudy’s eyes snapped wide and he let out a scream of pain as Bardot slashed his claws against his already wounded side, inflicting even more damage to it. He fell to the side, writhing in pain.

Bardot glared down at him, baring his sharp teeth at the boy. “Watch your tongue, human! You and your girlfriend there brought this on yourself!” He glared at the boy with dilated pupils for a few seconds. Then the pupils returned to normal and he raised his head slowly, glaring at the boy with contempt. “May this be a lesson to you.”

Rudy glared hatefully at Bardot. Tears covered his face. He wanted to say something, but he was in too much pain.

Bardot turned his head to Draow. “Break his leg, too.”

Rudy felt Draow’s jaws clamp around his leg. The teeth crushed into it, blood pouring from the puncture wounds. Pain immediately radiated from the leg as he felt the bat wolf start to twist it. He was already so overwhelmed by pain, he could barely register this new pain. His wrist...his side....they were hurting him so badly. His head started to spin.

As he started to register the pain in his leg, spreading all throughout his limb, as he heard his leg start to give way, his world was darkening. Agony was pushing him into darkness, robbing him of his sense of reality. He tried to stay awake, but it was no use.

And as he lost consciousness, the last thing he heard was a resounding snap.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 31: HOPSCOTCH ON THE PILLARS-





Pain...horrific pain... Blinding agony...

That was the first thing Penny was aware of when she woke up. Fluttering her eyes open, she immediately began to moan in pain. Her mind was a little muggy, but that only lasted a split second. The pain that shot through her body reminded her of what had happened. She felt intense pain from where her right leg was. When she tried to move it, she was instantly paralyzed by the pain, seething through her clenched teeth.

She realized she was laying on her stomach. She pushed herself up on her elbows. Her hair, messy and having some blood caked on it, splayed in front of her face. She used a finger to push her hair away, wincing when she accidentally grazed the gash on her head. Her eyes were barely open, almost completely shut from the pain. She looked around, the room coming into focus now. Her eyes shot open when she saw Rudy on the ground.

Unlike her, he was on his back. She could see his chest rise and fall unsteadily. Each breath was shaky. She wondered if it was from the pain... Yeah it had to be from the pain. She saw his leg. There were deep bite marks in the thigh. She could see nothing but redness from where the skin was torn up. The leg was twisted to the side, broken almost all the way to the hip. The leg rested at an odd angle, further away from the body than normal, cementing the fact that it was broken.

Rudy’s face was contorted, like he had wanted to scream when he fainted, but never got the chance to. He looked so...weak and helpless.. She wanted to do something for him. But in her state...what could she do? She couldn’t walk. She couldn’t move her leg without feeling so much agony.

But seeing Rudy like that...it made her heart ache. What had he done to deserve it? What had she done to deserve this either? Nothing... None of them asked for this to happen. And yet here they were...being tortured and starved to death. The lack of food and water was getting to her even worse now. She would love to sit back and eat one of her favorite meals that her mom cooks.

Her mom... Penny’s eyes welled up with tears. She hoped she would be okay. Her mother must be worried sick about her by now. She must be looking everywhere for her. And Rudy’s parents...they were surely going through the same thing. She knew they would do whatever it took to find them. Even if it means having to investigate themselves...

...which brought Penny to an uncomfortable realization. A crossroads, and she wasn’t sure which path was the right one. If their parents investigated long enough, if they poked their nose in enough places, then they might find out about ChalkZone... The thought was chilling. Penny had no idea how they would react. They could cut off access to ChalkZone, or help expose it, or see it as a threat and want it destroyed. There were so many things that could go wrong from them finding out.

But on the other hand, if they found out, and if they accepted ChalkZone and understood why they kept it a secret, that would be more burden lifted from them. She remembered how much of a relief it was when she and Rudy found out Mr. Wilter had known about ChalkZone this whole time and was just putting on an act to make it seem like he didn’t know. When they found out, it was much easier visiting ChalkZone during school hours, and now they had a new ally to discuss ChalkZone matters with.

If their parents accepted ChalkZone, then they no longer needed to hide it from them. No longer would they have to lie to their parents when they went off to visit. No longer would they have to feel guilty about staying late; their parents would know they were in ChalkZone. Maybe they could even bring their parents there. There was so much she wanted to show her mother. And Rudy had expressed the same longing; he, too, wanted to take his parents to all sorts of beautiful and unique places in ChalkZone that he felt his parents would love.

But the risk of what might happen if their parents don’t like ChalkZone was too great for them to take the risk. If their parents don’t want them going, they would do whatever it took to keep them separated, even going as far as taking away their chalkboards and chalk, cutting off any possible access point into the chalky world. Penny could only hope that, if their parents did find out, they would be understanding.

Penny attempted to shift herself on the ground. She accidentally brushed her leg along the hard floor. She let out a small cry of pain. Although she was scared to look, she still forced herself to glance at her leg and survey the damage that was dealt. She was horrified to see her leg had been horribly twisted and seemed to just dangle there, attached only by whatever skin and muscle hadn’t been ripped apart. Looking very carefully, she could see a bit of bone sticking out.

Unlike Rudy’s, her leg had been broken at the shin, not the thigh. Not that it really mattered. Her leg was completely useless now. Just a tiny movement sent shockwaves of pain, forcing her to freeze, tears escaping her eyes as she tried to ride out the pain.

She looked back at Rudy. Her eyes trailed along his leg once more. She couldn’t believe those bastards still hurt him, even after she pleaded with them not to. They would pay for this. Somehow, someway, they would both pay dearly for what they have done. She shifted her eyes to his other injuries. She could see his side wound, which looked even worse now. It looked like one of those monsters had raked their claws against his side, just to be sadistic. And his wrist...it looked so horrible. The bone in the wrist had been crushed, making it useless. If there was little hope before for his right hand to recover...now it seemed like a complete healing of that hand was an impossibility now...

She knew it was a bad idea. But she still felt like she had to. She began to crawl over towards Rudy. Each movement forward was like crawling across fiery, heated coals. Even using her good leg to try to keep some weight off her broken one, it was still impossible to move without crying out in pain. She was leaving behind a trail of blood, and that was when she realized her leg wound was still bleeding. Yet she paid little attention to that as her mind was focused on Rudy.

When she finally reached him, she positioned herself at his side. She stared at his tightly shut eyes, her lower lip quivering. She wondered if, even knocked out, he could feel the pain. She wished she could take away the pain somehow.

“Rudy....please...” She whispered to him. “Wake up...” There was no reply. She tried again, a little more desperate. “Come on...wake up...please...” A sharp pang spread in her heart when he still didn’t move. She reached over and gently shook him, careful to avoid his injuries. “Open your eyes, Rudy... If you stay asleep too long, you could go into a coma...please...wake up...wake up...”

His eyes shuddered. Penny looked at him, a sense of hope welling up inside of her. Slowly, his eyes opened up, and Penny silently rejoiced that he managed to wake up. He turned his head around. He looked up at Penny. He was confused at first, but a second later, pain had registered in his head, and he cried out. He tried to move, but Penny gently held him down.

“No, don’t move around too much. You’re badly wounded...” Penny said softly.

Rudy’s memory had came back quickly, as the next thing he said was, “So...so are you...” His eyes shifted and Penny could tell he was looking at her twisted leg. “I’m sorry...I couldn’t stop them...”

“Shhh...” Penny whispered. She reached over and touched his cheek gently. “It’s okay...none of this was your fault... Please don’t blame yourself, Rudy.”

Rudy’s eyes shifted up towards the ceiling. He looked deep in thought. Once in a while, he would wince from the pain. It seemed that he could manage it a little better so long as he didn’t move around too much. He turned his attention back to Penny. “I’m sure Snap is...almost here by now...”

A shuddered breath escaped Penny’s mouth. Rudy sounded so much weaker now. The pain was finally starting to get to him. Yet some hope still remained inside of him...as it did with her. One thing she would fight to keep until her dying breath...

...was the hope that Snap would find them in time.

“Yeah...I’m sure he is too...” Penny said. She gave Rudy a small smile. This only lasted for a second as a shockwave of pain rushed through her leg when she accidentally moved it. “I just...hope it’s soon...” She said, her teeth clenched tightly and eyes shut.

Rudy smiled the best he could through the pain. “I’m sure he will...”

Penny let it all sink in. They were both still hopeful that Snap would save them. They both tried their best to hold onto that hope. Yet, she realized, with an icy chill, that just sitting around hoping would not ensure their rescue. As the mental clock in her head ticked, she knew they were running out of time. They were growing weaker as each minute passed by, their bodies starved of food and dried from the lack of water.

And the injuries they just keep recieving...

They had lost a lot of blood already. Her mind was already aching, a side effect from the loss of too much blood. Their bodies would start shutting down soon as energy is not able to reach to the various parts of their body anymore. And as their bodies start to shut down, they would get worse and worse. And that’s not even getting started with infection. None of their wounds had been cleaned. Infection would or had already settled in. And with their bodies so weak...there wasn’t much to stop the infection.

They were indeed running out of time. They had very little time left. Snap didn’t have long left to find them. And even if he did find them with just barely enough time left, he’d still have to face Draow and Bardot. As much as Penny wanted to hope that they could still make it, a part of her was starting to realize that maybe...just maybe...they wouldn’t make it out this time...

The realization hit her hard. Suddenly, all the horrific things that happened to them came crashing in on her. It was too much to bear. Unable to stop herself, she started to sob. She pressed her head against Rudy’s, slinging her arm across his chest, doing a sort of half hug. Emotion had also overwhelmed Rudy for he, too, started to cry.

As the two teens cried, laying close to each other for comfort and reassurance, they both were thinking the same thing.

They both hoped that Snap would find them in time. And that, soon, this nightmare would be over.

sss

Snap and Rapsheeba leaned against an old tree as they looked at the note for the next game. It was a little longer than the other riddles. They both read it out loud together.

It read:

“Insanity seems to run throughout this world
A story you should know was told
You’ve been trapped here once before
And it was your friend who had to endure
To reveal a secret that wasn’t even there
A new enemy was born that you had to bear
An enemy that wouldn’t listen to reason
An enemy that committed treason
In this world, everything is failure and a success
Bizzarre things here you will find in excess”

Just when he thought the riddles were becoming easier to understand, this one baffled him. He looked at Rapsheeba. She looked like she was having a hard time figuring it out. Far as he knew, this riddle involved something Rapsheeba wasn’t a part of. The remaining riddles, Snap guessed would be things Rapsheeba couldn’t help him with. Just like Bardot to make things harder for them.

He thought about the long riddle. He analyzed each line. They had to be telling him something. They were giving off hints of where the next area was. He stared at the card, rereading each line over and over again. His head was starting to hurt as he thought too hard. Unlike the other riddles, so far, no line here was jumping out of him. None of them were giving him an idea of what was being talked about here.

He started to panic a little. If he didn’t figure out this riddle soon, Rudy and Penny would be... He had to keep trying. He kept rereading the riddle. There had to be something he missed. Something he hadn’t even considered. But the more he read it, the more frustrated he became, and the harder it was to concentrate on figuring this out.

There had to be something he was missing, something he wasn’t considering. He rubbed his head, trying to get rid of the headache that was taking him over. Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically. She wanted to help him, but it was clear she had no ideas herself.

Snap couldn’t give up. As hard as it was to figure this riddle out, he couldn’t give up. He had come so far already. After this, there was only three more games left to play. They were over halfway done. They could do it...they could do it... He glanced at the paper again, rereading each line carefully. Slowly and deliberately... Then something caught his eye at long last.

An enemy that wouldn’t listen to reason...an enemy that commited treason... There was one zoner Snap thought of that might fit that bill. There was Skrawl, but considering he changed sides, he had a feeling that wasn’t what Bardot was referring to. There was still another that fit that description. One that Snap hadn’t seen much of lately.

Craniac 4...

After that, everything else came like a lightning bolt in the back of his mind. Suddenly, the rest of the riddle started to make sense. Being trapped there before, yeah he and Penny were captured along with Rudy. But it was Rudy who ended up suffering, being interrogated by Craniac 3, though thankfully he wasn’t injured in the process. Things being a success and a failure...that describes the Future Dome in a nutshell. A lot of things there worked but kinda didn’t work.

A secret that wasn’t there, that must have been referring to how Craniac 3 thought there was a secret to using the magic chalk, no matter how much he was told that only a human could wield it. Treason..when Craniac 4 was created, he immediately trashed Craniac 3 rather than team up with him. And then he, too, wouldn’t listen to reason and tried to get Rudy’s ëmater materializer’.

The Future Dome...that must be their next location. But it was raised above the ground. Just how were they going to get up there?

Snap turned to Rapsheeba. “Well...good news and bad news.”

Rapsheeba looked at him worriedly. “What is it?”

“The good news: I know what the riddle is talking about. Bad news: I have no idea how we are going to get there.” Snap said. He shifted his eyes skyward. “The next place is in the Future Dome.”

Rapsheeba blinked at him. Her eyes widened a little. “But that place floats high above the ground. How does Bardot think we can...?”

“Maybe he has provided us a way to get up there.” Snap said, his voice slightly bitter. “He wouldn’t want his little ëgame’ ruined, so he probably thought ahead, now that I think of it, and provided a form of transport we can use to get up there, into the ëcereal bowl’ as Rudy had called it.” His mouth ticked slightly into a small smile.

“Cereal bowl?” Rapsheeba asked, looking confused.

“Rudy had a Dumb Dart in him.” Snap said. “And oh boy did it work a little too well...” Snap recalled how stupid Rudy got the longer he had the dart in him. As funny as Dumb Dart Rudy was, he was glad they never had to experience that again.

“Oh I see...” Rapsheeba stared out ahead. “So which way is that?”

“It’s this way.” Snap said. He began to walk towards the left. He waved his hand at Rapsheeba, gesturing her to follow. “Let’s hurry up and get there.”

sss

“What? What happened?!” King Mumbo Jumbo stared at Skrawl, his eyes wide in absolute horror.

Skrawl knew he was going to react like this. Why wouldn’t he? Barney was his best friend. When they were separated for so long, it had been hard on both of them. They missed each other so badly. Poor Barney even though his friend had died after all that time, and he blamed himself for it.

Since Master Tabootie had freed the king, that gave the long lost friends a lot of time to catch up and to spend some time together again. Skrawl had learned that Mumbo Jumbo had started to take care of Barney after he had gone blind, treating his injuries, but, thanks to Bardot, he was forced to believe that they were inflicted accidentally by Barney himself. And no matter what the king said, his friend never told a different story.

Being best friends for so long, Mumbo Jumbo had no reason to believe Barney would lie to him. He trusted his word, and did whatever he could to help him. He was clearly worried about how badly hurt Barney was getting. He kept an eye on him, but, from what Skrawl was told, it seemed any time he was away for a short time, he’d come back and find Barney injured again, sometimes rebreaking his legs or old wounds reopening. It was so bad that the king had suggested following Barney wherever he went, and was confused when Barney had turned it down.

And now, here stood Skrawl. He had just delivered to Mumbo Jumbo the truth of what was really going on. And just like he predicted, the tortoise didn’t take the news very well. In fact, he was horrified, his green skin having lost a couple shades of color.

“I...I knew something was wrong... but I...” Mumbo Jumbo stammered, his voice shaky. “I had no idea it was...something like that...”

Skrawl nodded his head. “It came as a shock to me, too. I had never known anyone to seek out Barney to...hurt him like that... And this abuse has been going on for over a year.” He shook his head. “Truly disgusting... At least he’s safe for now.”

“How is he...?” King Mumbo Jumbo asked, his eyes shimmering as tears started to form.

“Physically, he’s a wreck. He was found out in the jungle by one of my Beanie Boys, barely alive. I guess Bardot didn’t have a need for him anymore and tried to torture him to death.” Skrawl said. Mumbo Jumbo gasped at this. “Mentally, he’s not that well off. He’s very shaken up and terrified by what happened, and I don’t blame him. He doesn’t want to be left alone for long periods of time. He says he’s afraid that Bardot will come back to get him.”

That was a real concern Skrawl had for the centipede zoner. He did convince one of the doctors to stay in the room with Barney after explaining the issue. But he didn’t think that would be enough. He knew how close he and Mumbo Jumbo were, and the tortoise was a pretty strong zoner...

“I would like to take you to go see your friend.” Skrawl said, looking at the king sympathetically. “He needs you right now. You can stay with him and help him feel safe.”

Mumbo Jumbo nodded his head. He took in a shaky breath. The horrific news of his friend had affected him deeply. “Take me to him...” He said softly. A spark of anger flashed in his eyes. “And if I see Bardot....”

“I trust that you will make him regret ever laying a claw on your friend.” Skrawl said, reading the king’s mind.

“Yeah...” The tortoise zoner said, nodding his head. “You can bet on that.”

sss

“Welcome to the seventh game. For this, let us go back to a childhood favorite. A simple game of hopscotch...but beware. Things aren’t always as they seem. And if you aren’t careful, you may lose another.”

That was what the card had said. The last sentence terrified Snap. It was hinting, strongly, that in this game, he will lose Rapsheeba, and the remaining games, he’ll be completely on his own. He didn’t want Rapsheeba to suffer the same fate as Blocky. He would do whatever it took to ensure that Rapsheeba didn’t lose this ëgame’.

Hopscotch seemed like a too simple of a game. He thought Bardot could do better than that. But then his thoughts traveled to the first game. The scavenger hunt...and how easy the items were to get there... Snap’s eyes widened. What if this game also hid a very horrific and surprising deathtrap? Several of the deathtraps came from below. He was careful of where he stepped.

Getting into the Future Dome wasn’t too hard. Just like he had predicted, Bardot had left them a way inside. Not surprising. He wanted to continue the pain, the bastard...

The dome was still inhabited. He could still see many zoners living here walking around, enjoying their lives the best they could. But he didn’t spend a lot of time looking at them; his mind was focused in reaching the location the next game would take place in. Luckily, none of the zoners here really talked to him or Rapsheeba, too preoccupied with trying to work an invention or crashing into things due to malfunctioning devices.

In the very center of the dome was where they found the card. And not long after reading it, the ground shifted just a little, revealing square shaped indentions that raised up a tad. Lines quickly formed, soon taking the shape of a hopscotch board, looking much like what a kid would draw. This time here was no timer, but the eerie glow of the hopscotch board made Snap apprehensive about starting.

A small rock rolled against Snap’s foot. He knelt down and picked it up. He stared at Rapsheeba. “Are you ready to start this, queenie?”

She paused for a moment. Then she nodded. “Y-Yeah...”

With a flick of his wrist, Snap tossed the rock over. As it landed on a square, he went forward. It was hard with his bad leg, even worse since he couldn’t use his walking stick to play effectively. But he managed, albeit slowly, to complete the hopscotch all the way to the end. He gestured for Rapsheeba to follow him.

Rapsheeba hopped along, taking care not to touch the square with the rock in it. Soon, she made it to the other side. And now it was time to go back. Rapsheeba went first, and then Snap. He had to fight against the pain as he knelt down to grab the rock without touching the square, and he made it to the other side. Snap wasn’t sure how many times they’d have to do this before the deathtrap activated. But he had a feeling he would soon find out.

And he did.

When Rapsheeba tossed the rock and it landed on the dead center of the hopscotch board, something had activated. The whirring sound of machinery could be hard, things twisting and turning under their feet. Walls rose up all around them, blocking the bystander zoners from witnessing what was happening. The metallic ground rumbled and started to give way. With a scream, the two jumped onto the hopscotch board.

The hopscotch board began to break apart and separate, creating tall metal pillars. They each clung to one, barely enough room for them to stand on. They looked around, watching in horror as something began to fill the bottom of the floor up, going halfway. Something bubbling and clearly heated. It wasn’t lava; it was the wrong color. It was too clear.

Snap’s eyes widened in horror. It didn’t take him long to realize what the stuff was. It was acid... Chalk acid but still acid nonetheless. And it was slowly rising...

He looked at Rapsheeba, horror etched on his face as well as hers. They looked at the pillars. They did form an escape route, but they were still so far apart... It would take all their strength and physical prowess, whatever was left of it, to get out of this one. And as Snap stood up, he cried out in shock as a piece of the pillar he stood on broke apart, landing in the acid below him. The sizzline sound sent chills through his body, causing his body to tremble in fear.

He heard cracking all around him. Slow, deliberate cracking... He realized, in horror, that they had a time limit to get out of this thing.

He turned to Rapsheeba and cried, “Hop! Hop for your life!”

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 32: TRAPPED ABOVE THE ACID-





The acid below Snap and Rapsheeba bubbled menacingly. As it slowly crawled upwards, it was eating away at the pillars they stood on. As seconds passed, the metallic pillars were becoming more and more unstable. The only thing not affected were the walls that surrounded them. Snap wasn’t sure what they were made of, but he was glad the acid couldn’t seep through and harm innocent zoners.

Snap wasn’t sure if jumping from pillar to pillar was the best course of action. It seemed like the only logical thing to do. They couldn’t stand around. The pillars were becoming more and more unstable. They had to reach the other side, where the final pillar, looking more stable than the others, was pressed against the side. It was their only clear shot out of here. But jumping on the pillars seemed to irritate them, and cause them to break apart faster. Then again, just standing around was going to cause problems.

Seeing no choice, the two zoners proceeded to jump from pillar to pillar. A few pillars, they managed to reach without much difficulty. Landing was usually rough, but they managed to balance themselves before they fell down. They would wait for the other to come and help them stand on the pillar with them before they continued. They were in this together and they would do what they could to keep it that way.

They had a few scares where they would almost miss the pillars. They would wrap their hands around the pillar and skid to a stop. Hanging from such a precarious location was terrifying; one slip up and they would fall to their doom. And behind them, what was going on didn’t make them feel any better.

The pillars they had passed were starting to break apart. Huge chunks of metal plunged downward, splashing into the rising acid below them. The weight distribution caused the acid to rise up a tad faster each time something fell in it. That gave the two even less time to escape. They would quickly pull themselves up and continue jumping from platform to platform.

Snap had to wonder if this was the most dangerous deathtrap. It certainly seemed like it. While it didn’t involve lava like the golf course did, the acid was still quite dangerous. And it wasn’t like they had a lot of room to run. They were trapped on thin platforms with very little space to stand on. And they only had one direction they could go. Not to mention, they were completely surrounded by walls; the only way to get out of here was managing to climb high enough to get out. The acid eating away at the very ground they stood on was problematic; if they wasted too much time they would fall down and die in one of the most painful ways imaginable.

The acid would likely have the same effect on them as vinegar did on him. Snap shuddered at the horrific memory. Sometimes his feet still ache as he thought about the vinegar that Cosmo pushed his feet into. The seering, burning pain... And now it was going to happen all over again. As he glanced back down, his imagination got the better of him and he thought he could smell vinegar. He shook his head, realizing he was letting his imagination run wild. This wasn’t the time or place for that.

But he was not able to shake the feeling that, somehow, someway, Mr. Cosmo was taunting him from the grave. The acid reminded him so much of the vinegar, the very thing that he was going to be killed with. The stinging pain came back, clinging to his mind. He closed his eyes and shook his head again. No, he couldn’t let himself get distracted like that. Yet, he was unable to stop Cosmo’s haunting laughter to leave his head. No, not now...

“Snap!”

Snap realized that Rapsheeba had grabbed him and threw him aside. He sailed in the air and landed square on the next pillar. The thud from the fall knocked some of the air out of his lungs. He groaned and looked up just as Rapsheeba jumped over and grabbed onto the ledge with her hands.

Behind him, Snap heard the crack of metal falling apart. He realized, with a chilled heart, that the pillar he stood on had broken apart. He had been staring into space for so long that....if it weren’t for Rapsheeba...he would have...

His body shook at the realization of that. That meant that they couldn’t waste much time with these next pillars. There was little time to work with now. Already he could feel this pillar start to break apart. If they could keep jumping without interruption, they might be able to make it...

From pillar to pillar they jumped. They saw that there wasn’t many pillars left. Just a couple. They were getting close...

They screamed as the pillar they were standing on rapidly fell apart. They started to fall downwards, down towards the acid. Snap managed to grab onto the edge of the pillar. He eached down and grabbed Rapsheeba’s hand before she fell too far. The two froze there, Rapsheeba dangling several feet above the rising acid. Snap could feel this pillar break up, too, and he knew he had to hurry. He realized, in horror, that the acid was starting to rise even faster.

He started to climb upwards. It was hard climbing up without his walking stick. He no longer had that. It fell into the acid below was the ground underneath them broke apart. His leg was practically on fire. But his fear of the acid overrode the pain in his leg, at least for now. He pulled himself upwards more, keeping his grip on Rapsheeba, refusing to let go.

Soon, he reached the top of the pillar and pulled her over. The two of them stared at each other, panting heavily. Their eyes were wide in horror, both realizing just how close to death they had just been. But they didn’t have time to just sit there. They had to get moving. Wasting no time, they climbed to their feet and jumped onto the next pillar. Seconds later, the one that they were just one broke apart and the pieces fell into the acid below them. The sizzling and bubbling sounds chilled their hearts, making their bodies tremble in fear.

They jumped across two more pillars. And each one crumbled apart seconds later. They were running out of time. But they were almost to the end. Just a few more pillars and they would be home free. Well almost. Snap snarled mentally as he realized there were still three more games left to play. And after that, it was fighting off Draow and Bardot, and then getting Rudy and Penny help. It would be a while before any of them were ëhome free’.

“Look, Snap!” Rapsheeba cried. She pointed ahead. “We’re almost there!”

Indeed, she was right. They were almost there. So close...just a few more...

“Let’s go!” Snap shouted.

Working together, they jumped across the remaining pillars, going as fast as they could so they couldn’t fall into the acid below. They were so close to the end. They could practically taste their freedom out of this boxed in hell hole. And before they knew it, they were on the final two pillars...

....only for them to freeze in horrific realization. They hadn’t noticed it until they jumped onto the final pillar to see it. But now Snap knew why the note told them to be careful or else he’ll lose another.

“No...” Snap whispered, shaking his head in denial. Rapsheeba remained quiet, staring at the scene before her in horror.

The pillar had broken up in such a way that the only way for any of them to get over...was if one of them stayed behind and pushed them up. It was an impossibility for them to be able to reach over and pull the over over. That wasn’t possible. Snap realized, as a chill went up his spine, that he should have moved faster. If he had just kept going, instead of stopping and thinking about Mr. Cosmo, they could have made it before the pillar broke apart like this.

He glanced over at Rapsheeba. She realized the same thing he did. It was a thought neither of them wanted to think about. It was something they didn’t want to experience since Jacko’s maze. But it was something that they realized, deep down, they really didn’t have a choice.

The only way any of them would make it to the next game...

...was for another one to take the fall...

sss

Mr. Tabootie opened up the refrigerator door. He got out a large bottle of soda and poured himself a drink. After he took a few sips, he began to think of what happened recently. His thoughts were a little clouded, confusion settling in. But also anger. He had never been this upset with Mr. Wilter before. His blood wasn’t exactly at a boiling point, but it had gotten close to it.

He could hear his wife crying. She was in the living room, staring at the television. It wasn’t even turned on. He wished he could comfort her, but he had said all he could. After what they learned...her fears had grown even more. She, no..they all felt helpless about the situation. Mrs. Sanchez was with her, trying to comfort her, but she, too, was at a loss.

They had went to Mr. Cosmo’s old place and found a computer with a lot of video logs. They had sifted through them, wondering if there was any reason why Mr. Wilter was driving towards this place with Penny. There had to be a reason. Something about the whole thing seemed off. It didn’t help that the guy who took the picture, a police officer, had tried to arrest Mr. Wilter for speeding. But the teacher had clearly been in a hurry and evaded police. The officer never mentioned if they ever arrested Wilter afterwards, but that wasn’t what mattered to them at the moment.

Going through the video files, they found something that shocked them. Over and over again, Mr. Cosmo had talked about some place called ëChalkZone’. It reminded Mr. Tabootie of that Bouffant woman...and Raton too... They had both claimed to have seen a world made of chalk. And at first, Mr. Cosmo seemed like he was going to be another one of these loons.

But then the video logs became...disturbing...

A few of them, they could catch glimpses of what looked to be children’s drawings, but they were moving around like they were real. They were marching down the hallway behind Cosmo. The man never put any of them on screen directly, though, so it was hard to get a good look at any of them. They could barely make out any shapes. One of the few...they could have sworn it was a white bear of sorts.

More and more, the video logs talked about ChalkZone. Cosmo grew more and more insane as the video logs went on. He raved about how the ëzoners’...Mr. Tabootie guessed that is what Cosmo named what appeared to be living drawings, would revolutionize humanity’s life. He talked about how they could be used as slaves to make every household task easier, be used as weapons, and what not. The whole thing was so disturbing that Mrs. Tabootie had wanted to turn the logs off. Mr. Cosmo was clearly a lunatic. Mr. Tabootie had never suspected that from a guy who was supposed to be a renouned reporter.

Then things had gotten personal. Very personal... They soon found video logs mentioning Rudy...and then Penny. The things Cosmo said about them, it was very unsettling. He had talked about breaking Rudy, forcing him to do what he said, and then talked about corrupting him, making him just like him. He said how Rudy had potential, but how he would always be a failure because no one knew of his heroics in this place called ChalkZone. And Penny... the man had talked about how he tried to have her killed off by his ëright hand man’, whom he referred to as Draow. This man...he was a monster...

Suddenly, what happened to their children made sense. Mr. Tabootie, Mrs. Tabootie, and Mrs. Sanchez all realized, with cold horror running down their spines, what really happened to their children a year and a half ago. They had been captured by this crazy man...they had been harmed by him. It wasn’t some mugger who attacked Rudy. It had been Mr. Cosmo the whole time. He did that to him. And he had tried to bring Penny down.

They were in utter disbelief. Why...why would their kids lie to them about this? Why would they tell them one thing, when something else really happened? Why had they hidden this from them? They thought their kids knew they could trust them with anything. They were there to help them, to guide them through life. To know that their kids didn’t trust them with something like this...it was heartbreaking for them. There had to be a reason they didn’t tell them. There had to be.

That was when they sought out Mr. Wilter. When they found out he was with their kids on the day they were missing for so long, they knew that he had to know something. And from the way he reacted to their questions, how uncomfortable he was getting, it was clear he knew something. And they had done what they could to make him talk without being downright threatening about it.

But perhaps threatening would have yieled better results. Mr. Wilter had tried to dismiss ChalkZone as a ëfantasy game’ that Mr. Cosmo was obsessed with and tried to say that he was just working on a movie and needed Rudy and Penny’s help. His story...they knew it was complete bogus. It contradicted the stories their children told them. The pieces of the puzzle didn’t add up.

Even though they had pointed it out to Mr. Wilter, even though they told him that it didn’t make sense, still the man would not budge. His voice was stammering, and they knew that he was indeed hiding something. There was something he was refusing to tell them. But no matter how much they asked, he would not truthfully answer their question on what ChalkZone was. He was dodging the question the best he could. He had even tried to change the subject more than once to get away from the ChalkZone topic.

Mr. Tabootie was angry at the man. Their children were in danger. If ChalkZone existed, if there was a way to get there, they had to know. That might be where their children were. They had no other leads. The police found no evidence of where they could be. And from the way Mr. Cosmo had spoken, Rudy and Penny had a strong connection with this ChalkZone place. They had to find out more about this place...They had to find a way in...somehow....

They may have found a way in if Mr. Wilter was more cooperative. Mr. Tabootie couldn’t tell if he really cared about their children or not. If he did, he would have told them about how to get into ChalkZone, and where this place was located at. Though he didn’t seem particularly cold as he spoke to them, and he did seem genuinely worried about their children...still...he should have told them the truth...

But he realized that they haven’t run out of options. Not yet. There was still one other person who could help them. Someone who had been ranting and raving about the ëworld of chalk’ for years. There was one person who might have the knowledge they need to find out more about ChalkZone and how to get into it.

Terry Bouffant...

He wasn’t thrilled about the idea of calling her. He thought she was a little crazy, and a little too obsessed with this ëworld of chalk’. But in this situation, her obsession is exactly what they needed. She must have a good amount of knowledge of this place. And she seemed so eager about exposing this chalky world that she wouldn’t hold back information from them. She had expressed how tired she was about people not listening to her. Well..now he, his wife, and Mrs. Sanchez wanted to listen to her.

Terry just might be the key to finding their children. Mr. Tabootie looked at the phone. Yes...he would make the phone call. He would call Terry over for a visit. And maybe she could, at last, provide them with some answers that they have been so desperately searching for.

Mr. Tabootie got up and reached for the phone. He dialed the number for the studio Ms. Bouffant worked for. He waited for someone to pick up. As he heard the click, and heard the person on the line speaking to him, Mr. Tabootie said, “Hello? My name is Joe Tabootie. Is Terry Bouffant available? I would like to speak to her on an..important matter.”

sss

King Mumbo Jumbo was in complete disbelief at the sight before him. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He knew his friend was bad off. He had tried to prepare himself as he opened the door. He told himself how horrible his friend was going to look. But nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. He never imagined it was going to be like this.

Barney laid on the multiple hospital beds, covered in bandages and casts. The injuries looked absolutely horrible, some even worse than the injuries he saw on him the past year. The same injuries that he had been told were just from ëclumsiness’...

...clumsiness hadn’t done this... That thought burned into his head as his eyes scanned his friend’s body, looking at the various injuries that adorned his body. They had all been treated, thank goodness. But even with the bandages on, he could tell just how severe they were. He flinched visibly, wondering just how much pain his friend was in right now. He wished he could do something to take the pain away. And his friend’s expression...the fear...he could tell just how scared Barney had been...

Why hadn’t he seen this before? Why hadn’t he seen the signs? He was Barney’s friend, for pete’s sake...he should have known something like this was going on. More tears formed in his eyes as he choked back a sob. Guilt started to overwhelm the tortoise. If he had just been more persistant...if he had just done more investigating...he could have stopped this. He could have saved Barney from this horrific fate.

He had been told his friend was resting. With his eyes long gone, his eyelids forever sealed, swollen shut, there was no way Mumbo Jumbo could tell. He always looked asleep now, or sleep walking. But the heart monitor did support the claim that he was asleep. He decided not to disturb him. His friend needed his rest.

As he stared at his face, looking at those sealed eyes, Mumbo Jumbo’s lower lip quivered. He recalled what Barney had told him about that injury. He had told him that he had made a miscalculated step and wasn’t able to stop himself from ramming against a tree branch, gouging out his own eyes. But now, Mumbo Jumbo realized the truth. That isn’t what happened at all. What really happened was that his best friend had been assaulted by some evil zoner named Bardot...he had been purposely blinded.

King Mumbo Jumbo kicked himself mentally for not being able to see through that story. He wished he had paid more attention to how Barney spoke. If only he had paid more attention, if only he had heard the fear in his voice...he could have done something about it.

His hatred for Bardot had already gotten intense the moment he realized the sick zoner had been torturing his friend for a year. It was even more sickening when Skrawl told him that the torture was mostly just for ëfun’; that was what Bardot had apparently said. Initially, the torture was just to make Barney spill the beans about Rudy and whatever else he wanted to know...but then when he came againd and again...he still tortured Barney even after he relinquished the information... This zoner was truly a monster.

And when Skrawl told Mumbo Jumbo about what else Bardot had done, such as break out a dangerous criminal, killed two of his wardens, and kidnap Rudy and Penny, the tortoise’s hatred had grown even more. Now, more than ever, he wanted to tear that bastard a new one and make him regret what he has done. If that monster dared to try to hurt his friend again....

King Mumbo Jumbo went up to his friend’s face. He put his hand gently on his cheek, minding the cut there. He gave a shaky smile. “It’s okay, Bardot...” He said in a soft voice, doing his best not to wake him. “Soon, everything will be all right. You’ll see...”

With that, King Mumbo Jumbo sat in a chair next to Barney. He leaned back, pressing his head against the wall. He stared at his friend, watching him breathe in and out slowly. If there was one thing he was not going to do again, it was leave his friend’s side. No, this time, he was going to stay with him the whole time. And if Bardot dares show his mug here, he would teach him a lesson he will never forget.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 33: WHAT CAN YOU TELL US?-





Terry stood in front of the Tabootie’s house. She stared at the door for a moment. Then she reached up and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Mr. Tabootie answered the door, a forelorn look on his face.

“Hello, Ms. Bouffant.” Mr. Tabootie said sadly. He stepped aside and moved his arm out to the side, a gesture that clearly meant she could walk inside. “Come on in. My wife and her friend are in the kitchen.”

“All right then.” Terry wasn’t sure what else to say. She didn’t want to say quiet; that would have been rude.

She followed Mr. Tabootie into the kitchen. Sitting in the chairs, just like the man said, were a large woman she recognized as his wife and another woman whom she recognized as Penny’s mother. The two women were trying to console each other. Their faces were red with tears. She wondered how long they had been crying before she got here. Losing your children...not an easy thing to go through. She felt sorry for them.

Mr. Tabootie didn’t look much better. He, too, had been crying. Maybe not as much as his wife, but his face showed clear signs of constant tears. She saw him at least once wiping his nose and giving a sniffle. She couldn’t blame him or the women for being upset. Their children had been missing for over forty-eight hours now, with no signs of any evidence being gathered to find them. She had known worse cases, of children missing for much longer, but even just a day of not knowing where their children were was heartbreaking, and not an easy thing to deal with.

When Terry had gotten the phone call, she was in complete shock. She had been in the restroom washing her hands when she heard someone knock on the bathroom door. When she opened it, she found her boss standing there with the studio’s phone in his hand. He gave it to her and told her someone wanted to talk to her. This surprised her. Ever since the whole ëworld of chalk’ thing, hardly anyone called to speak to her directly about anything.

Then she found out it was Mr. Tabootie calling. She was confused, unsure of what to think. Why had he called? Maybe a new piece of evidence surfaced that he wanted her to report on? Hmm unlikely. If that were the case, the man would have contacted the police, and through there, she might have been chosen to go back to the house to report. This wasn’t how evidence was reported. So it had to be something else. But what? She couldn’t think of anything.

Even now, she still had no idea why she had been brought over. On the phone, all Mr. Tabootie said was that he wanted her to come over to meet with him, his wife, and Mrs. Sanchez. He didn’t say why exactly, just that he’d feel more comfortable talking about it in his own home.

Terry wanted to ask more about why he wanted her over, but realized she wasn’t going to get any answers over the phone. So she agreed to come over as soon as she could. She spoke to her boss to work something out, and he let her take an early leave. She packed up her things, got in her news van, and headed over to the Tabootie’s as quickly as possible.

And now here she stood in their kitchen. Mr. Tabootie had went over and pulled up a chair to the table, sitting next to his wife. He put a comforting hand over her shoulder, pulling her close. Mrs. Tabootie turned her head and pressed her cheek against his shoulders. Terry looked at them sympathetically.

Terry took the spare chair and pulled up to the table. She positioned herself so she was on the opposite die of the table, like she was the boss and these people were her clients. She spent a few silent moments staring at them, waiting for one of them to speak up. When no one did, she decided to break the silence.

“What is it you wanted me to come over for?” Terry asked. She tried her best not to sound too forceful. She knew this was a bad time for that. “I know you didn’t want me to come all this way unless it was really important.”

At first, she got no response. The parents looked at her, sad expressions plastered on their faces. They looked like they really wanted to tell or ask her something, but from the way they were looking at her, they seemed...worried. But why? It was almost as though what they wanted to ask...would make her laugh or something.

There was a sense of nervousness she was getting from these people. Not just worry and sorrow for the loss of their children. But apprehension. They were looking at her with a wanting expression. It made her feel like they believed she knew something they didn’t. A horrible thought crossed her mind. Did they think she was responsible for their children going missing? Sure, she didn’t like Rudy or Penny, but hurting them wasn’t high on her priority list, and was far removed from her mind.

But..no...they weren’t accusing her. Their expressions didn’t yield anything that suggested they blamed her for anything. And if they did think she did something, they would have reported her to police, not invite her over to the house. No, something else was going on.

Mr. Tabootie was the one who finally spoke up. “Ms. Bouffant...the reason we called you over here was...well..” He stammered over his own words. “We think we found something.”

So they had found something to report. Something about this seemed strange. Why would they call her over here into the house then? Why hadn’t they called the police? Or had they? She wasn’t psychic. Maybe they had called the police and they told them to...no even that didn’t make sense. She would have gotten the report from her boss and given the order to come over here. She wouldn’t have been called by Mr. Tabootie. That wasn’t the way things worked.

“I know it is strange to call you over here like this but...” Mr. Tabootie paused for a moment. “We...given what we found, we felt it was best to talk to you..in private. We know what kind of reputation you had for a time, so...”

Terry raised an eyebrow. Reputation? What reputation was he talking about? There was nothing she could think of except.... Her eyes widened a little at the realization. The fabled world of chalk she had been trying to report on for so long. Was this meeting about that?

No, it couldn’t be. It had to be a coincidence. No one had ever taken her world of chalk story seriously. In fact, the only ones who would believe her were Vinnie, who had been there himself, and Rudy and Penny, who did whatever they could to keep her and Vinnie from exposing ChalkZone.

“Let me cut to the chase.” Mrs. Sanchez said, cutting off whatever Mr. Tabootie was going to say. “We were wondering...if you could tell us anything about this ëworld of chalk’ you kept trying to report in the past. This ChalkZone.”

Terry was in complete shock. Were they being serious? Did they really want to sit down and listen to her blab on about that place? From the looks of it, they were being completely serious. They weren’t doing this to make fun of her. They weren’t doing it for a laugh. No, they were really serious about wanting to hear about ChalkZone. A part of Terry had never been happier.

“Sure but...why?” Terry asked, unsure of what else to say.

“We found some tapes left behind by Mr. Cosmo. He kept talking about this world of chalk. Then Reggie told us how our kids would disappear for extended periods of time...they’d disappear at home as well. The things Mr. Cosmo talked about...the way he talked about our kids...” Mr. Tabootie said. He paused, taking in an uneasy breath. “It was...”

“It was horrible. He was absolutely insane!” Mrs. Tabootie cried, her body shaking. “I’ll never be able to unhear those words, or unsee those eyes...”

Terry nodded her head. She had heard about Mr. Cosmo, and how he went crazy and killed Ms. Saffron. Or at least, that was the cover story Rudy and Penny came up with. Terry wasn’t as easily fooled, and she guessed that the murder was linked to ChalkZone. She was frustrated that the two kids wouldn’t give her any information, but then she had come to expect that from them. Just like Rudy and Penny to hide information even if said information could lead to proper justice and help keep others safe.

She had only met the man once. It wasn’t for very long, but in that brief moment, she knew something was off about him. He was giving off a weird vibe that she didn’t like. And the way he spoke to her, it wasn’t necessarily degrading, but he did act a little too high and mighty of himself. Like he could do no wrong.

A part of her wondered if these tapes were still in tact. Maybe she could use them for... Hmm, no. They probably wouldn’t work. She didn’t really think he’d have any video evidence of zoners, and even if there were, it could easily be dismissed as just an animation project. That was why she wanted to bring a newscaster down into ChalkZone so they can see for themselves that it really was real. With actual physical evidence, there was no way anyone would dismiss her as being crazy.

“We tried to talk to Mr. Wilter, but he...” Mr. Tabootie paused. He was rethinking his words. “He wasn’t able to provide any information.”

“We were hoping you could.” Mrs. Tabootie said, looking intently at the reporter. “We know how much you obsess over this ëworld of chalk’ thing, and, after all we found out... We wondering if it’s...if it’s really real...and if our children could be there.”

Terry looked at her, surprised. Mrs. Sanchez spoke up next, and Terry turned her head to look at her.

“Please tell us everything you know. What is...ChalkZone? What do you know about it?” Mrs. Sanchez asked. A few tears welled up in her eyes. “Please, you’re the only one who can help us. Please...we just want to find our children...”

Terry stared at the family. She was feeling mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was excited that someone finally believed her. They sounded really serious, too. They really wanted to know more about the world of chalk she and Vinnie tried to expose before. It was nice to finally talk to someone about that world and not be laughed or scoffed at. It was nice that, for once, someone was taking her seriously.

On the other, she knew how serious this was. Now wasn’t the time for her to gloat. Now wasn’t the time for her to toot her own horn. No, that would be inappropriate for now. Terry pushed aside her feelings of excitement. She could feel happy later, when lives weren’t on the line.

“Can you tell us anything?” Mr. Tabootie asked.

As he asked this, the parents looked at her expectantly. She could see their sorrowful expressions tinged with a bit of hope. She realized just how much they were relying on her now to find their children. For once, Terry felt important, like she could really make a difference, rather than just reporting the usual stuff or standing idly by.

She thought about showing them her evidence she had gathered but...that would ring all the wrong bells. She would come off as a stalker to them, and they might not accept her help again. Heck, they might think she was the one who kidnapped their children, or was working with that Teddison Cosmo fellow. No, she would keep that evidence a secret. It was for the best.

But that didn’t mean she still couldn’t help. She was no expert on ChalkZone, and she admitted there was a lot she didn’t know. She had hoped that Rudy and Penny would, eventually, turn around and give her information willingly. After all, they go to ChalkZone all the time; they were bound to be filled with knowledge on how that place worked and everything. But she had, long ago, accepted that they would never willingly tell her anything. Due to that, all the knowledge of ChalkZone she had was minimal. But she could still try to help.

Terry realized she could do more than just tell them about ChalkZone. She knew that she could just sit here, telling them what she knew. But there was something else she could do that was even better.

Terry slowly smiled at the parents. Not a triumphant or gleeful smile, but a sympathetic and reassuring one. “I’ve got a better idea. Instead of just telling you about the world of chalk... why don’t I take you there?”

Mr. Tabootie’s eyes widened at this. “You mean you can...”

Terry nodded her head. She looked at each of the parents, noticing the hopeful expressions grow more dominant on their faces. Sadness was still there, but now, even more strongly, was hope. “If you come with me, I can take you to ChalkZone. I have a way in. And from there, we can look for your children.”

The parents stared at Terry. Then one by one, they all smiled gratefully, a few tears escaping their eyes.

“Thank you...” Mrs. Tabootie said, relieved, wiping away a tear.

sss

Bardot smirked to himself as he traveled through the hospital. Their security wasn’t up to snuff. With no cameras to worry about, it was easy for him just to scale the walls. As of now, he was walking on the ceiling, avoiding all the motion detectors this place had installed. He was pretty much invisible to anyone working the security. And it wouldn’t be too hard to disable the sensors in the room he was headed to, leaving him plenty of time to do this.

He had left Draow in charge of Rudy and Penny while he was gone. This time, he made sure the bat wolf didn’t leave his post. He had threatened to rip out his eyes if he dared leave them alone for an extended period of time. The bat wolf, clearly frightened, at obligued.

It wasn’t like the threat was even necessary. With broken legs, Rudy and Penny wouldn’t go far. But it wasn’t about just efficiency. It was also about control. He had to keep a leash on that bat wolf, for the moment he turns against him, he was in trouble. Sure, he could bite him with his fangs to inject venom, but that was only if he managed to land the first blow. It wouldn’t take much for Draow to crush him in his jaws. He had to keep control over the beast.

Bardot wasn’t pleased with the recent turn of events. Looking at one of his cameras, he began to suspect that Skrawl really was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. He was getting a little too close to discovering everything that was going on, and no doubt he was going to send his Beanie Boys to look for Rudy and Penny.

On top of that, he had found out that he brought Barney to the hospital. There were some cameras he did try to watch, but they had gotten corrupted, so a lot of important information of what else happened, he didn’t have access to. But what he did know was that Barney had told Skrawl about what had happened, and he was certain Barney even told Skrawl his weakness against the purple chalk, which was so rare that even Biclops wasn’t sure if it really existed.

Bardot’s lips curled back into a snarl. He was not happy at all. Barney was supposed to be dead. He knew that pathetic insect was going to do something to ruin his plans. He should have gotten rid of him a long time ago. He should have ripped out his throat, rather than just beat him like he had. He should have snapped his neck, tore his stomach open, something to ensure the centipede would die before he got any help.

Well now he was going to correct this little oversight. The bug was in this hospital, injured and banged up. He would be too weak to fight back. He would be easy to pick off. All it would take is a single bite from his fangs...and then it would all be over. He would be finished with Barney in just a few minutes. Just bite and run. The people in this hospital wouldn’t be able to save him. They didn’t have enough knowledge to create an antidote. And after this, he could go after Skrawl.

Bardot soon found the centipede’s room. He pushed it open slowly, being as quiet as he could. He stared at Barney laying on the beds, and shut the door behind him. Barney shifted his head a little, but otherwise made no reaction. He was awake. Bardot could tell. He had interacted with him enough while he had no eyes to know when he was asleep or not.

Bardot found a small switch on the side, which he knew controlled the sensors of this room. He pressed his claws against it and tore it off as quickly as he could, being as quiet as he could about it. Only after he knew that the sensors of this room were deactivated did he make his next move.

Bardot slowly crept towards the bed. He was being as quiet as he could. There was no one else in this room. None that he could see. He smiled evilly as he got closer to the centipede. Oh how easy this was going to be. He froze when he made a slip up and accidentally kicked some piece of trash on the ground. And at this, he saw the centipede’s antennas stretch out. He had heard that.

“Who’s there?” Barney asked.

In response, Bardot let out a dark chuckle. He got the reaction he wanted. Barney immediately reacted in fear. His antennas curled up tightly. His long body started to tremble. He looked around, desperately trying to find the source of the sound. If he still had eyes, Bardot would imagine they’d be wide open in fear right about now.

Bardot jumped onto the beds. He slowly walked beside Barney, rubbing himself against the centipede to let him know he was there. His tail grazed along him, occassionally wrapping around a leg or his side. Then he finally reached Barney’s face. He reached down and pressed a claw against his cheek. He pushed the claw in a little, causing Barney to yelp in paw. He scraped along, giving Barney a cut to match the one on his other cheek.

“B-Bardot...” Barney whimpered. He turned his head towards Bardot. He couldn’t see him, but he knew he was there. “Wh-What do you w-want?”

“Your suffering...” Bardot hissed through his sharp teeth.

With that, he suddenly seized Barney’s throat with his claws. As he did so, Barney struggled. He grabbed his paw and tried to yank it off. The centipede had lost some of his strength from the year of abuse he had given him, and Bardot was easily able to keep a vice grip on him. As he started to yank him up, Bardot put his face close to Barney’s, making sure the zoner could feel his breath against him.

“Knowledge is power...” Bardot started to say mockingly. “Power is pain..”

He suddenly drove his claws into Barney’s side, slashing into a recently patched wound. Barney tried to let out a scream of pain, but he was silenced when Bardot kicked him in the stomach hard, knocking the wind out of him. He dragged Barney off the bed and slammed him into the ground as hard as he could. Barney let out a few groans and tried to get up. Bardot rushed over and swung out with his paw. His claws collided with Barney’s face, giving him three deep gashes that spread from his chin to his forehead.

The force knocked Barney to the side, causing his head to slam against the wall. Bardot stood there, smiling at the downed zoner. This was going to be such a satisfying kill. He moved over and stood on top of Barney, using his weight to hold him down. He pressed his claws deep into him, uncaring if he were cutting into healing wounds or not. He put his face close to Barney’s.

“Isn’t that right, Barney...?” Bardot whispered in a growly voice.

“N-No...please...” Barney begged. He gagged when Bardot gripped his neck again and held on tightly.

“You should have just stayed in the jungle, Barney...” Bardot growled softly. “It would have been a less painful death. But since you’re still breathing...” His pupils shrank a little, giving him a look of insanity. “I will just have to correct that!”

Barney struggled as Bardot opened his jaws. He positioned his fangs so they were over Barney’s shoulder. Heated venom starting to drip from the fangs, Bardot kept this position for a few moments, just savoring every second, glaring down gleefully at his victim. He struck downwards.

Suddenly, Bardot felt something grab him from behind. A large hand wrapped around his front limb. He was yanked up into the air so fast, he wasn’t able to react. Then another hand grabbed his other front limb, and he quickly realized who it was that pulled him off of Barney.

It was King Mumbo Jumbo.

The tortoise looked clearly enraged. His eyes were filled with hatred and anger. He glared at Bardot, holding him above his head a little, and, after two seconds of this, he let out a roar, which sounded ferocious even coming from a tortoise zoner. Bardot stared into the tortoise’s eyes, his own eyes widening and ears lowering as he realized what kind of trouble he was in. For the first time, he felt an emotion he’d never thought he’d be the one feeling.

Fear.

Mumbo Jumbo threw Bardot against the ground. Bardot tumbled across the ground a few times. He let out a small groan of pain. His shoulder started to hurt a little. That had taken the brunt of the impact. He looked back at the tortoise. He had taken a stance in front of his injured friend. He slammed a fist into an open palm. His eyes practically glowed as he glared down at the hybrid zoner.

“I have been waiting for you...” Mumbo Jumbo hissed. “I will make you sorry you ever set foot in here...” His voice was filled with anger and vengefulness. “And I will make you pay for what you did to my best friend.”

Bardot got up onto his feet. He brushed off the previous feeling of fear. What was he so worried about? Mumbo Jumbo was just some tortoise. What could he possibly do to him? An evil smile spread across his face. Looks like he was going to have some turtle soup later today. This old fool was going to be easy to take down.

“Bring it on...” Bardot growled as he made a dash towards Mumbo Jumbo.

[DarkHououmon]

CHAPTER 34: AND ANOTHER ONE FALLS-




When Bardot got close enough, he tensed the muscles in his legs and jumped towards the king. His mouth split open wide. He noticed the turtle wasn’t moving. He didn’t understand why. Did he want to die? Oh well, at least he was surrendering. Makes things all the easier. Soon he would sink his venomous fangs into the turtle and it would all be over.

Mumbo Jumbo was just glaring at him, his hands on his sides. The old fool looked like he believed he could take him on. He had no idea what he was in for. He would be too slow to dodge this attack. And even if he miraculously did, Bardot could easily use his speed to run circles around him and try again. No way this turtle could jump out of the way in time.

Just before Bardot could knock the tortoise down, the king suddenly pulled himself inside his shell. Bardot’s eyes widened at this and ended up slamming against the shell itself. He attempted to bite down, but the shell was hard as bone. He could feel his fangs start to give way. There was no way he could break through it without shattering his fangs. He immediately let go and glared down at the shell.

“You’re not getting away from me that easily!” Bardot snarled, baring his sharp teeth in frustration.

Mumbo Jumbo popped his head out of his shell, putting his face close to Bardot’s. This took the hybrid zoner by surprise and he jerked his head back and lifted up a paw like he was ready to turn and run the other direction. Perhaps this tortoise isn’t as slow as he had believed.

“Try to get me, then!” After that, Mumbo Jumbo pulled his head back into his shell just as Bardot attempted to take a swipe at him.

Bardot growled lowly. This turtle was really asking for it. No one plays Bardot for a fool. No one. He began clawing and biting at the tortoise’s shell. He bit down on several places, attempting to gnaw off some chunks of the shell. He tried slashing his claws into it. He knew he could tear into metal contraptions with his claws, so why would a tortoise shell be any different? Again and again, he struck down on the shell, trying to cut it open.

But no matter how hard he bit, no matter how hard he struck, the shell just wouldn’t give way. He couldn’t even get a dent in the tortoise. Still, he wouldn’t give up. As he struck harder and harder, his frustration began to rise. His pupils dilated into dots. Drool and venom dripped from his mouth. He would make this old fool pay for interrupting his kill. He could hide in his shell, but he can’t stay in there forever.

Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to get to Mumbo Jumbo this way, Bardot tried a new strategy. He moved towards one of the openings where the turtle’s limbs came out of. He tried gnawing at it and attempted to reach in with his claws to slash into his flesh. He tried this with the other openings as well, trying in vain to cut into him. But the shell was too hard and he wasn’t able to get his claws in deep enough to do any damage.

Out of anger, he pushed the shell into the ground. By this time, his mind all but forgot Barney was there. He didn’t notice the centipede had backed far away from the battle, curled up in a corner. He didn’t realize he had a shot at taking him out quickly. Right now, his mind was focused on King Mumbo Jumbo.

He snapped his jaws wildly at the hole that contained King Mumbo Jumbo’s head. He struck it again and again. He opened his jaws as wide as he could and bit down on the hole. Being careful not to break his own fangs, he tried again to rip off a piece of shell so he could get access to skin and blood. All he needed was to insert his fangs into the turtle and it would all be over. This turtle would soon perish.

He reached down with his claws again. He pushed them into the hole, trying to slash at the king’s face. This went on for about a minute before he felt something clamp down on his wrist. Eyes opening very wide, Bardot let out a screech of pain. The fur on his tail poofed up and his ears and crest pricked straight up. The king kept his grip on his paw, biting down hard. Bardot struggled frantically to get free, using his remaining free limbs to push himself away. His tail wriggled wildly from side to side.

“Let...go...of...me!” Bardot demanded as he pulled himself back as hard as he could.

Surprisingly, Mumbo Jumbo obligued. With the sudden release of his paw, Bardot fell off of him and landed on his back. Mumbo Jumbo got up, standing above him. Bardot rolled out of the way as the king tried to slam his fist down. Bardot’s ears pricked as he heard the ground break and give way a little as the turtle struck it. There was a lot of muscle packed behind that slam.

Bardot immediately moved back, taking a defensive stance. Perhaps he had been too cocky. Perhaps Mumbo Jumbo was not going to be an easy prey item after all. Oh well, he did need the challenge. Someone who could at least put up a fight. He grinned evilly at the turtle. Despite his difficulties, Bardot still wasn’t backing down.

Bardot rushed towards the tortoise again. This time, he started to run around the king. Ah yes, his speed. This would do the zoner in. He ran around in circles around the king. Once in a while, he would strike, landing a blow on the king’s face or limbs. He did this for a while, never once slowing down. Each time he landed a blow, he could hear a grunt from the large tortoise. The blows were having some kind of effect on him. Good...

Then Bardot decided to end it. He began to run faster. He was using up a lot of his stamina doing this, but in the end, it was going to be worth it. He was going to muster up as much speed as he could and bodyslam Mumbo Jumbo. The force should be enough to create some kind of crack in his shell. All he needed is one crack, and the tortoise could go down. A crack would cause considerable pain and make it easier to fight against him.

But just as he was about to jump, something happened that made him realize how much of a mistake it was to use the same pattern in runing around this guy. He should have known that Mumbo Jumbo would figure out his pattern and know when to make a move. Just as Bardot was going to make his move, Mumbo Jumbo reacted first. Bardot’s eyes went wide as he felt a thick, clawed hand grasp his neck tightly and yank him into the air.

Bardot struggled wildly in the air, kicking his legs frantically. He tried to dig his claws into the turtle’s arm. His eyes widened as he realized that his skin was too thick to penetrate so easily. Bardot could slice through metal, but the king’s thick skin was too soft; he couldn’t get a grip on it quite like he could with a metal device. The king held him up in the air, away from his body, glaring at him.

A cold chill went up Bardot’s spine, a sensation so uncomfortable, so unfamiliar. He realized, as dread started to spread through his body, that he had made a terrible mistake. His venom and speed were of no use against this zoner. He couldn’t even bite through his thick skin. He couldn’t do anything against him, not by himself. And now he, the weaker zoner, was in the hands of this tortoise, and he couldn’t escape.

In short, he was in big trouble.

His heart started to race, his eyes widening in fear, and he started to struggle even more, trying desperately to get free. He stared down at the king, his teeth clenched, and clawed at his arm again in hopes of getting free. But the enraged tortoise just tightened his grip, almost cutting off his air supply.

King Mumbo Jumbo reached down and grabbed his tail. He hoisted him up like he was just some catch of the day. Tightening his grip, he pulled outward hard. Bardot’s eyes widened and he grunted in pain, feeling his body being stretched roughly. Then King Mumbo Jumbo positioned him over his knee, and, without hesitation, slammed him down. Bardot let out a cry of pain, the force being more than what Rudy managed against him.

The king wasn’t finished with him yet. Releasing his grip on his tail for a moment, the king slammed his fist against Bardot’s back. Then he grabbed his tail again and lifted him up. He opened his jaws and bit down on Bardot’s back. Bardot’s tail poofed up and straightened out as he let out another scream. After the king was done tearing into his back, leaving behind a bloody bark, he let go of his neck and started to slam him into the ground.

Groaning in agony, Bardot tried to fight back. He twisted his body and tried to bite down on his hand. The thick skin prevented the fangs from sinking in. Mumbo Jumbo narrowed his eyes and struck down with his claws, cutting into Bardot’s shoulders, leaving behind three bloody marks. He picked up the yellow and red zoner again, one hand on his neck and one his tail like before. Mumbo Jumbo opened up his jaws and bit down on Bardot’s tail, near his tip. He gave a twist and there was a crack.

Bardot’s jaws opened up wide as he let out a howl of agony. The tortoise had just broken the tip of his tail. snapping it quite easily. His tail’s fur was so poofed up tightly, he wasn’t sure if it would ever go back down. He was pushed into the ground with great force, and his eyes snapped wide, another cry escaping him, as the turtle bit down on his left ear. The jaws sliced through the cartilage with ease. Stinging pain spread through his head as half of his ear was bitten clean off. Blood dripped rapidly from the wound as his ear twitched constantly in pain.

Mumbo Jumbo let go of his tail and held him up into the air. Bardot started down, his ears and crest folded down in fear. Mumbo Jumbo just snarled and threw him into the ground again, keeping his grip on his neck. He pulled back a fist and prepared to punch him.

“N-No! Please! Let me go!” Bardot begged, struggling to get free. “Please don’t hurt me anymore!”

King Mumbo Jumbo snarled in disgust. “After what you’ve been doing to my friend, you dare ask me for mercy? Why should I let you go?”

“I promise I won’t hurt you friend again!” Bardot’s tail swooshed wildly. “Just please let me go! I won’t come near Barney again! I promise!”

Mumbo Jumbo narrowed his eyes. He clearly didn’t believe the hybrid zoner. “Why should I trust you? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t rip you apart.”

At this, Bardot’s heart pounded against his chest. His struggles increased, not that they were doing him any good. His body started to tremble in terror. His horrified eyes stared up at the king. Before this, Bardot never knew what real fear felt like. Now he knew exactly how his victims felt. He had gotten a taste of his own medicine. And he didn’t like it.

Realizing there was no way he was going to get out of the king’s grasp, Bardot laid still on the ground, minus the trembling. He let out a few low whimpers of fear and shut his eyes tightly. “Please...don’t hurt me...” He pleaded silently, awaiting for the king to make a blow.

Mumbo Jumbo glared angrily down at him, clearly upset that he dared to plea for mercy. But rather than finish the job, which he could quite easily, the king decided to show mercy, even though the hybrid clearly didn’t deserve it. He threw Bardot against the door, releasing his grip on him.

Bardot climbed up to his feet. He wobbled a little, the pain from his new injuries causing him to limp a little. His ears flattened against his head, as well as his crest, he stared at Mumbo Jumbo. His eyes widened in fear. His mouth was partially open, his lower jaw trembling. He watched as the king pointed his claw at the door.

“Get out.” Mumbo Jumbo demanded, his voice firm and cold. “And if I ever catch you near my friend again, I will rip out your eyes. And I clear?”

Shaking, Bardot nodded his head. He backed away slowly from the tortoise, his body low in self defense. His injured form trembled from both the pain and the fear he was experiencing. He kept his head low in submission and his tail tucked between his legs. He slowly moved towards the door, opening it up while not taking his eye off the king. Low whimpers escaped his throat.

As soon as the door opened, Mumbo Jumbo did a mock charge, his fist raised in the air. Bardot let out a cry of fear and rushed out as fast as he could, letting out terror-filled yips as he went, like a frightened dog. Soon, he was out of that hospital.

sss

“No...Rapsheeba..I won’t let you do it!” Snap protested. His eyes were wide in desperation. “There’s got to be another way!” He looked around the platform. “Maybe there’s...”

“Snap, listen to me.” Rapsheeba grasped the blue zoner by his shoulders. “There is no other way. Either you climb on my shoulders and you hoist yourself up, or we both die.” The ground beneath them trembled. “This platform isn’t going to hold out much longer.”

Tears formed in Snap’s eyes. He shook his head in denial. “No...”

Rapsheeba gave a small smile. “I know you don’t want to leave me behind. But you are going to have to, Snap. You must go find Rudy and Penny and rescue them. You can’t do that if you fall into the acid.” She glanced down at the rising acid. “We’re almost out of time, Snap. Please, just listen to me.”

Snap shook his head again. He didn’t want to do this. He had promised himself he wouldn’t let Rapsheeba fall like Blocky had. He wasn’t going to leave her behind. There just had to be another way around this. There just had to. Something that he was missing. Something that he wasn’t thinking of.

He didn’t want to go this alone. He..he needed her help. Just like he needed Blocky’s. He wasn’t sure if he could go this alone. There were still three more games... Could he really go through them without the help of his friends? He needed Rapsheeba by his side. He needed her help in the rest of the games. It was a big enough blow without Blocky. But losing Rapsheeba....it was a loss he didn’t want to bear. No, there had to be another way.

But Rapsheeba was persistant. She insisted there was no other way. And as the acid rose and the platform became more unstable, he knew they were running out of time. They couldn’t sit here all day and discuss this. They had to make a decision fast. And as much as Snap hated it admit it...Rapsheeba might be right. The only way any of them could survive was if one of them took the fall. And Rapsheeba bravely volunteered herself, offering to get him to safety so he could go find Rudy and Penny.

“Rapsheeba...” Snap whispered.

She touched his cheek gently. “Don’t worry about me. Just focus on saving our friends. I believe in you.”

With that, Rapsheeba wrapped her arms around Snap, hugging him. Slowly, Snap returned the hug. Tears streamed down his face as he whimpered. This was it. This was really it. He was going to lose Rapsheeba, too. There was just..no way around it. She was right. It was either this or they both fall.

Rapsheeba positioned herself, putting her hands against the metal surface. She lowered herself a little so Snap could climb on. As the small blue zoner got on her shoulders, Rapsheeba hoisted herself up, standing on her tip toes. Snap reached up towards the edge of the higher platform. It took a lot of effort, but he managed to grab on. Rapsheeba grabbed his feet and gave him a push, managing to get him over the edge.

Snap laid on the higher ledge for a few moments. He took a moment to realize what this meant. The game was almost over...and Rapsheeba would be taken away from him. He crawled over towards the edge and looked over. Rapsheeba stared at him, a tearful smile on her face. She was too far down for him to reach, even if she jumped up to try to grab his hand.

Then, suddenly, the ground beneat Rapsheeba gave way. Snap’s eyes opened wide in horror.

“Rapsheeba! No!” He cried, reaching his hand out towards her as if he could reach her.

He watched as Rapsheeba screamed, falling down towards the acid below. In seconds, she was going to go right in it and die a slow and painful death. His eyes watered and his lips quivered. No, she couldn’t die. Please..no..

As if someone decided to grant his wish...and his nightmare all at once, the shadow of Draow casted over them. The bat wolf dove down, easily avoiding the falling debris. He reached down with his feet. His talons wrapped around Rapsheeba’s body. In an instant, Draow then flew upwards. He flew high into the air, squeezing Rapsheeba tightly in his talons.

Snap’s breath quickened as he watched Rapsheeba be carried away. Just like how Blocky was... He knew that, while she was saved from the acid, she wasn’t out of the woods yet. He knew, as Draow disappeared into the horizon, that she was being taken to hell, more or less. She would be locked up by Draow and Bardot, and she could easily be subjected to the same torture his human friends were enduring.

The idea of more of his friends suffering caused Snap’s body to tremble in intense emotion. Tears poured from his eyes. He spent a few seconds on the pillar letting out a few sobs. This was all too much for him to handle. He couldn’t believe it. Now he was all alone. His closest friends...all being held prisoner by those monsters... And he had no idea if he would ever see any of them again.

Rudy...Penny...Rapsheeba...Blocky... He was the only one left. And if he failed, then they would all die...

Suddenly the pillar he was on started to crumble apart. Snap let out a scream. He immediately jumped towards the rim of the wall. He grabbed on and held on tightly. The acid rose up faster now. He struggled to get over the edge. His feet kept slipping, unable to get a grip.

“Come on...come on...” Snap whimpered, trying as hard as he could to hoist himself over.

He looked down and let out a scream of fear. The acid was only five feet away from his dangling feet. And as each second past, the acid rose by a quarter of a foot. He pushed his feet against the wall, trying to get traction. He pulled himself up as hard as he could. Soon the acid was almost touching his feet. He could practically feel the burns already.

He finally managed to get over the edge. But not before the acid touched the very tip of his left foot. He let out a scream of pain as the front was badly burned. He pulled himself over the edge and landed on a small platform that jetted out from the side. He laid there for a few moments, ignoring the confused zoners down below that hadn’t vacated the area yet. He didn’t see them pointing up at him and murmuring to each other. The only thing he was aware of was the stinging pain in his foot.

Snap looked at it and winced. Only a small portion of the front was burned, but it was still very painful. The skin took on a deep red shade, and a little bit of blood dripped from the wound. He touched it lightly and reeled back in pain instantly. He seethed in agony. The pain...it was just like he had felt when Mr. Cosmo had...

Before Snap could think more on that, he heard a low rumble that shook the ground. He looked at the acid, which had reached the top by now. He screamed and looked away, expecting it to spill over. But instead, the acid just stopped. Then, unexpectantly, the acid started to lower back down again.

Snap was confused. Bardot didn’t have any qualms about hurting innocents. He let the robot basketballs shoot innocent zoners. So why would he stop the acid from overflowing? That didn’t seem like something he would do...

Snap climbed down the side of the walls, using the platforms to lower himself. As he got lower, the acid drained more and more. He wondered what was causing it. It couldn’t have been Bardot. He would have just let the acid overflow. Then he wondered if someone in the Future Dome had done anything. He looked all around, but found no one that looked like they would have known how to stop the acid.

Then, just as he reached the bottom, a familiar shape came into view. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted someone approaching him. Snap realized that this was the zoner who had stopped the acid. He didn’t know whether to thank the guy or run away from him.

“Rudy’s best friend...” The zoner said, his voice clearly robotic. “What are you doing here?”

Snap glared at the zoner. “Craniac 4...”