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Post by Bluedramon on May 23, 2015 22:37:31 GMT -5
I started to write this at random to see where it went to. I do like where it led, but I'm not sure if I should continue it and make it a full story sometime or not.
What do you guys think?
Edit: I finally came up with a title.
sss
Skrawl grumbled as he returned home from another unsuccessful attempt at defeating Rudy Tabootie. He formed a fist with his hand, shaking it, as he stormed back into his hideout. He ground his teeth so hard, he though they were going to pop out of his mouth. He did not need to say a word to any of the Beanie Boys; his whole stature and demeanor was enough to tell them that he was not in the mood to speak to them.
He stomped towards his living quarters. He pushed anything blocking him out of the way. He didn’t care how far they rolled or where they landed. Even if they smashed against something, he simply did not care. All he could think about was his failure and how stupid he was to not have seen through their clever trick.
This certainly wasn’t like him. He would normally be able to get around their tricks and be able to stop them. Okay so he was defeated regularly, but this time was worse. He had fallen due to his own stupidity, rather than the luck of the draw like it had always been before.
The plan had been so simple, and yet he had overcomplicated it. He had not been too efficient in the plan, and that allowed Rudy and his friends to get the jump on him. He had been sent packing and now he was back at his hideout, trying hard not to slap himself many times across the face. If he had only seen Rudy rush towards that tree before it was too late...
He slammed his fist against the nearest wall. The force of it caused part of it to crack, spreading upwards towards the ceiling. He glared at it for a few moments, baring his teeth. He then turned himself away and headed towards the single, dark purple couch. He sat down in it and leaned back. He could feel the cushion underneath him move down a little due to his weight. He crossed one limb over the other. He reached over towards the remote control, grabbed it, and lifted it up. He pointed it to the television and turned it on.
“Today on Snap Shots...”
Skrawl gritted his teeth. It was that annoying blue freak that liked to tag along with Rudy everywhere. After just being humiliated by him, Skrawl was not interested in hearing anything he had to say. Just hearing his voice was enough to make him want to tear something apart.
He lifted up the remote and was about to change the channel when something caught his eye. On display in the picture next to Snap was some kind of bird-like creature. Well more like a bird crossed with a lizard. It stood on two long, thin legs, the thighs a bit thick with muscle. Its wings were small with short feathers. He couldn’t tell if it could fly or not. Its head was like a rooster, complete with a red waddle and crown, and the signature thin to thick slick neck he came to associate with a rooster. The feathers stopped at its chest and the rest of the body, save for its ‘wings’ and some sparse feathering, it was scaley, with a long, reptilian tail jetting out from behind.
The creature was a blazing crimson with an orange underside and yellow tips on the feathers, along with some black eye markings. The thing looked obviously evil, and Skrawl guessed that was the creator’s intent. That was clear from the bright brown eyes with slit pupils practically staring at him through the screen.
“This is the memotrice. It has recently appeared in ChalkZone. It has the power to alter memories, and those with memory-based powers are the most susceptible. But never fear, fellow zoners. The little creature has been captured by some brave folks with helmets to fight against the powers’ effects and taken to isolated lockdown where it won’t be able to do anymore harm.”
Skrawl narrowed his eyes at this. His interest peaked, he continued to watch the stupid show to learn more about this creature. Something that could change memories... Such an ability would be powerful...but also risky. Yet if he could harness that power...
Skrawl smiled inwardly at the thought of what he could do with that power. The possibilities were endless. Often the best place to attack someone wasn’t the body, but the mind. Using that power, he could target the minds of his greatest enemies. He could remove Rudy, Penny, and Snap as obstacles. He could change their whole personalities just by tweaking a few things in their memory. It was amazing just how much could be changed with one little alteration. He just needed to pick the right one and...
He stopped himself, narrowing his eyes softly. There were still some problems with the plan. The first and foremost, he didn’t have the memotrice with him. He would need to capture it, and bring it to his lair. And before that, he needed a helmet to make sure that his own mind isn’t affected by the foul creature. And when he did get it, he would need to figure out how to make it obey him. It wasn’t going to be of much use to him if it won’t listen to his commands.
Then there was the fact that the trio weren’t that stupid. Even in his anger, he had to admit that they could be quite clever. He wasn’t sure if the memotrice’s powers worked on more than one individual at a time, and if it did, then wouldn’t one of the trio realize what was happening and try to stop it? Skrawl realized he might be a little paranoid, but after the way he was defeated, he wanted to make sure that he thought of more angles this time around to ensure a repeat will not occur.
So...how was he going to do this? How would he get the memotrice out and target Rudy, Penny, and Snap, preferably separated, and change their memories so they would not be able to fight back?
There had to be a way to do it. He just needed to think long and hard on this. He was Skrawl, the smartest zoner in all of ChalkZone. He didn’t care what anyone else said. He was the most clever and if Craniac 4 had just listened to him, then they would have won and stopped Rudy long ago. Now as for this...
It might be a little too tricky. How would he be able to single them out? Well there was Snap. He could target him first and take him here, where he could test out the memotrice’s power. Yeah, that just might work. Snap was the easiest one to get, and he was so small. He wouldn’t be able to fight back all that well.
But perhaps there was an even better way to go about this. Targeting Snap would be easy and effective. It would strike at the hearts of those two brats and it would make it harder for them to fight back. After all, how could they fight against their own friend? Yet... He started to wonder about another possibility. Yes, going after Snap was easy, but it was too easy. What if he did something else that no one would expect? What if he targeted a...much larger target?
Skrawl was aware that there were no actual leaders of ChalkZone. Not one individual that controlled everything. Yes there were areas with leaders, but only of those areas. Chalk-based kingdoms had kings and queens for example. But if there was one individual who had a strong influence on everyone, someone whom no one would dare go up against and to whom everyone listened to, it was the giant that guarded the Chalk Mine.
Biclops.
Skrawl could see why everyone would listen to him. He guarded the mystical magic chalk, which any human could use to draw with and create, make drawings come to life. He practically regulated the item that could, in a second, be turned against them should a dangerous human wind up in ChalkZone. It also helped that Biclops was huge, easily towering over the other zoners, and his own massive muscle walls made him a one zoner army. Yes, if he had that zoner on his side...
It helped that, according to Snap, a zoner with memory-based powers were the most affected. And that’s just what Biclops was. A memory-based powered zoner. He could show visions of the past in those large eyes of his, and he could also show visions of a possible future as well. He would be more easily affected by the memotrice’s powers than Snap would.
Skrawl could feel a twinkle in his eye. The gears in his head began to turn slowly as he stared out at the television, listening to what Snap said about the creature. He watched the various footage of it, listening to the people screaming, some gripping their heads as their memories were getting rewritten. He watched as the creature made a loud screech and jumped over some of the officer zoners, darting away into the distance before anyone could catch it that time.
“I know that was horrible to watch. But do not worry. You can relax. As I said before, this beast was recently captured and contained. It is currently being held at Danger Imporium, where some of the most dangerous creatures ever erased into ChalkZone are being held.” Snap wiped his brow and rubbed his head. “Geeze..doesn’t anyone draw nice things anymore...?”
The television went black as Skrawl shut it off. His mouth was ticked in a toothy grin. He raised a limb up so he could tap his digits together. He stared out ahead at nothing as he began to formulate a plan in his head.
If he could get a hold of that creature... And if he could use it to alter Biclops’s memory...
Oh the things he could do with that power. There were so many possibilities, it was hard for him to pick just one. Should he make Biclops forget who he was and let him wander around ChalkZone helplessly? Should he make him believe that they were partners at one point in time? Should he have his personality altered so he would be more difficult for Rudy and the others to work with?
Wait...he got it. He knew exactly what he was going to do. He remembered how Skrawl hated creators at first and had thought that Rudy would be just like the others. Biclops would have even hurt him if he and Snap hadn’t been clever enough to get out of there. If he tricked Biclops into thinking Rudy really was like that, that he hadn’t been helping ChalkZone as much as he thought, but instead was causing damage and destruction..
Skrawl felt a sense of twisted glee rush through his body. He felt so giddy, his body shaking in excitement. He wanted to jump up and do a victory dance to release some of the energy. But no, he had to keep himself calm. He needed to make a move soon in order to set everything in place.
It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was going to be worth it in the end. If he could successfully alter the giant’s memories and get him to turn against Rudy and the others, then he would affectively cut Rudy’s access to the magic chalk and leave him defenseless. And with him defenseless, he could go in...for the kill.
He let out a cold laughter, startling and scaring his Beanie Boys. He raised up his hand, the claws glinting in the light. Then he struck down against the couch. His long, sharp claws slashed into the couch, creating a series of three long gashes in the material. For a moment, he imagined that it was Rudy’s stomach he had clawed into, envisioning the blood spilling out, staining the ground and his claws. He took in a few heavy breaths, his dark smile still plastered over his face. His breathing transformed into more chuckles.
Oh yes, this time, things were going to be much different.
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Post by Ene-Chan on May 24, 2015 8:30:26 GMT -5
CONTINUE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
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racingwolf
Seasoned
Ever so often I twiddle my thumbs to the beat of the swaying sea sponges.
Posts: 107
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Post by racingwolf on May 25, 2015 6:04:36 GMT -5
A memory-altering Zoner? Sounds awesome. I say continue!
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Post by Bluedramon on May 25, 2015 6:20:35 GMT -5
It would be fun to write that's for sure!
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Post by Bluedramon on May 26, 2015 22:25:41 GMT -5
I wrote chapter 1 (consider the previous entry the prologue). I have not yet figured out a title for the story. I'll change the subject (if possible) once I figure it out. Until then, enjoy chapter 1.
Biclops took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was beautiful out today. Not that it made a huge difference of course. It was always like this, unless some child decided to erase a storm or something. Such things were unpredictable, which made him appreciate these calmer moments even more. He moved his arms outward, feeling his muscles stretch with them. He opened his mouth and yawned, and took a look around.
It had sometimes gotten boring standing out here, looking around for any sign of trouble. Not many dare to try to come near the Chalk Mine. Most wouldn’t want to trifle with him, given his size and strength. In fact, the only ones who had dared get close were Skrawl and his Beanie Boys. And of course, Rudy and Snap.
He had made a special exception for Rudy and his friends, though. He had learned to trust them over the past couple of years. They had proven themselves trusthworthy, and he had allowed them entrance to the mine.
He granted the most privilege to Rudy Tabootie himself. He had gone out of his way to help zoners in need, and he was the one who normally used the chalk. Penny, who had recently joined a few months ago or so, used it once or twice, but she never started to use it regularly. She usually left that up to Rudy. After all, he was the artist of the group.
He was expecting to see the trio at some point today. He had overheard a zoner state that he had used almost all of his chalk up and would need to get more soon. That was part of the reason he was standing out here, aside from guarding it from intruders who likely would never come. He found it better if he waited out here for Rudy instead of going into the mine and then being shocked at his arrival. There had been a couple of times where he had thought that it was someone else and he nearly attacked before realizing it was just Rudy. He would always apologize for it and Rudy would always forgive him, even if Biclops felt that he should do more to earn that forgiveness.
He had recently decided to try to be out more when he knew that Rudy was coming. The boy and his friends always came toward the entrance of the mine. A stark difference from past intruders who would try to get into the back. He used his height to his advantage and he would turn his head slowly from one side to the other, looking for any sign of Rudy or his friends.
So far, no sign of them. They probably won’t be here until a while later. That was to be expected. Rudy did have school around this time. Sometimes he did try to get into ChalkZone early in the morning, if at all possible. There was the chance that he wouldn’t make it in before he would be taken to school. Biclops decided to wait about twenty minutes just to be sure. If he did not see Rudy at any point in that time, it would be safe to assume he went to school and he can go back into the mine.
Biclops stood there for a few moments and waited. He occassionally looked around to look for any sign of Rudy or his friends. Left and right, his head turned, scanning the land to see any kind of movement. He jolted a little at the occassional movement, only to realize it was just another zoner, usually an animal one. There were some sentient zoners, mostly stick figures, but they weren’t heading towards the mien. They were going off in other directions, probably going to work or going fishing or some kind of trip. Biclops gave out another yawn and continued to wait for Rudy.
When twenty minutes had passed and he saw that Rudy wasn’t there, he decided it was best to head back inside. He can come out and wait later for the boy. He would most likely be in here during lunch time.
At the thought of that, he could feel his stomach start to growl. He reached down and rubbed his belly. He could feel the familiar sharp pangs of hunger pains. He flinched and gritted his teeth. He always hated this feeling. It made him feel like he wanted to throw up. He would never understand why hunger pains had to make one feel ill. Kind of counterproductive if the body wanted some food. He brushed the thoughts out of his head and he went back inside the cave.
He moved through the first room. A large room with lots of white magic chalk everywhere, hanging overhead like some kind of massive tree. The same room where he had first encountered Rudy and Snap. It sometimes brought back memories of that incident.
Sometimes, he would still feel washes of guilt at the memory of his actions back then. He had tried to hurt Rudy, who was just a child. Granted, he had a good reason. Creators before just weren’t trustworthy, nor did they listen to reason. They thought that just because they had the magic chalk, they could do whatever they wanted. He didn’t recall any of them having much of a shred of remorse. They did not understand the power that they had possessed, nor did they accept the responsibility that came with that.
Still, he could have been a bit more careful. Rudy was just a small child who couldn’t possibly have known the horrors that the other kid creators had put ChalkZone through. What he had shown him was just the tip of the iceberg. There were things they did that were so much worse... And Rudy was not a part of it at all, and yet he still tried to attack him. If he had hurt Rudy back then, wouldn’t that make him just as bad as the creators he had despised so much?
Biclops did his best to shrug it off. There was no use in crying over spilt milk. It was done and over, and he had become friends with Rudy. The boy did not hold his actions against him, and they had moved on from the incident. Besides, he had good reason to act the way he did. How could he have known that Rudy would turn out to be an honest to gawd good creator? No one in ChalkZone could have ever predicted that.
Biclops continued to walk down the lit tunnels, soon branching off to the left as he entered another large room. It was an open area devoid of most stalagmites and stalacties. He had cleaned them out himself to make it look more presentable. He didn’t build the mine; he had to dig out rooms and tunnels himself to make it feel more like home. It had been years since he had claimed this mine as his home, but it didn’t take him long to get settled in.
It didn’t take him long to reach the kitchen. It was settled in a groove in the mine, and there was a small entrance into it. Well small to him anyway. Any small zoner could get in easily. He moved between the grooves and entered the small kitchen he had dug out for himself. He looked around and soon he found the fridge. He went over and opened it up.
The sight of large bacon and eggs greeted him. They were just the right size for someone as big as he was. He had to special order them from a specific place in ChalkZone, which happened to be pretty far from here. But it was well worth it. His nostrils filled with the delicious smell of the uncooked bacon and he could feel his mouth begin to water. Breakfast, here he comes.
sss
Rudy couldn’t believe what an idiot he was. He thought he would have learned his lesson before, with the incident with Reggie, but it seemed that some things just don’t ever change. He knows how important it is to keep on top of how much chalk he had left, and he still found himself neglecting it. Oh Penny was going to be so mad at him.
He wanted to hit himself in the face for not going into ChalkZone when he had the chance. There was a delay. He had time. He could have used that extra twenty minutes or so to head into ChalkZone, visit Biclops, and get more chalk. Instead, he was too busy focusing on getting ready and he wasted that time he had working on some Real World pictures. Mostly on a new painting, even though he could just wait until he got home before he did that.
Now he was stuck with one tiny piece of magic chalk. He had no others. He wasn’t sure if Penny had anymore. She might. He hoped she did; if something happened to this chalk, then he was going to be trapped outside of ChalkZone permanently. The thought filled him with dread. He shivered at the cold, burning feeling.
He was nervous about asking Penny if she still had some magic chalk with her. She was going to wonder why he was asking and then he was going to have to confess that he forgot to keep track again. And he knew that she was going to scold him about it. He remembered the last time he had let the chalk run this low, and the situation they nearly got..no, he nearly got them into.
He had a small piece of chalk just like the one he was holding right now. It might have been a little bigger, but not by much. He had tried to open up a portal out in the open, despite Penny’s warning, and Reggie had taken the chalk from him. He and Penny tried to stop him, but Reggie was too fast, despite his hefty size, and he had crushed the chalk into the ground. The only reason they weren’t locked out of ChalkZone was because it created a small portal into ChalkZone.
He would rather not think of the crazy stuff that happened after that to get Reggie out and more magic chalk, or how close they had come to losing access to that world forever. He was just glad that they had managed to get what they needed, and he had vowed to be more careful from that point on.
What a bunch of bullcrap...
He still kept on neglecting it. He didn’t mean to. He wanted to try to change, but habits die hard, and he still found himself waiting until he was low before he got more. He really needed to break himself of this habit and visit the Chalk Mine more.
Well, at least in a couple hours, it would be recess, and he and Penny would be able to slip into ChalkZone real quick and grab what they needed. And this time, he would make sure to do it somewhere that wasn’t out in the open. He didn’t want a repeat of the incident with Reggie. He wasn’t sure if he or Penny would be able to pull it off a second time around.
Then again, it wasn’t like Reggie would try again. He was a little shaken up from what happened to him. He wasn’t hurt, but having his leg stuck, and Snap doing all those things to him and Reggie not knowing what was going on... Yeah he could see why he would be so frightened. Reggie didn’t even try to take his chalk away again after that. He probably thought that he was going to get himself trapped again.
Still, it was better safe than sorry. Better to do it in a hidden place, away from anyone else. It would be a quick trip. Just in and out, and then erase the portal before anyone saw them. Then he would try harder to keep up with this next time.
He was still nervous about telling Penny what he did. He had promised her last time that he would keep a better eye on the amount of chalk that he had. She was going to be so disappointed in him. He could already hear her speak to him. But he couldn’t lie to her. That would be wrong. There were times when dishonesty helps, and this was not one of them. He would potentially cause more damage lying about this than just admitting the truth.
Besides, Penny would be far less angry with him if he were honest and upfront about it, than to wait, and then something happens, and she finds out then. Better to just confess and get it over with.
He flinched a little as the car turned unexpectantly, most likely to avoid a pot hole that they didn’t see coming. He looked out the car window. He couldn’t see anything, but he assumed that’s what it was. He returned to his original position, placing his hands on his lap as he waited patiently for Mrs. Sanchez to take him and Penny to school.
Penny was positioned in the front seat. She was silent, waiting for her mother to drop her and him off at school. He would have tried to confess to her before about what he did, but her mother had come in too fast and it was just too much of a risk to say anything. So he had to keep himself silent, and he would need to wait until they were at school. He would just have to usher her away from the other students and tell her in a low voice, or send a note to her or something, so that she knew of the situation.
The car soon started to come to a halt. He felt the swerving of the car as it bent inwards, going into the parking lot. He could hear a bit of crunching of rocks, and then the smooth concrete as the tires graced over them. Mrs. Sanchez made a sharp turn to the left and pulled into the parking lot. She shifted gears and put it in park.
At first, Rudy was confused as Mrs. Sanchez got out along with Peny. Then he remembered that she had agreed to go to their classroom as Mr. Wilter wanted to do a class on animal care. He wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe the guy didn’t think that the students were responsible enough to take care of pets. The fact that he had left the hamster at school when he was supposed to take care of it during the weekend certainly didn’t help things.
But this was going to cause some problems. How was he going to get the information to Penny without her mom overhearing what he had to say? He better think of something fast, or he was going to wind up in a lot of trouble later.
“You two head inside.” Mrs. Sanchez said as she turned around and headed back to the car. “I need to prepare some stuff for the class. Tell Mr. Wilter I will be in as scheduled.”
“Okay, mom!” Penny called out as she joined Rudy at his side. “Rudy and I look forward to seeing your work!”
Rudy let out a sigh of relief. So he did have some time to speak to Penny after all. Talk about a miracle. He couldn’t believe the stroke of luck that hit him just then. He would need to take advantage of this. He waved goodbye to Mrs. Sanchez and he and Penny began to advance towards the school.
He stayed close to her, keeping his gaze away from her. He concentrated on what was in front of him. It seemed all of the other students had arrived. Likely in their classrooms with their teachers talking. He and Penny had their notes ready, in their backpacks, so their teachers know why they were so late. He waited until they were a certain distance away from Penny’s mom before he attempted to speak to her.
“Hey, Penny...?” Rudy said, a slight hesitation to his voice.
Penny turned to look at him. “What is it, Rudy?” She noticed his nervous expression. Her eyes widened a little. “Hey..is everything all right?”
Rudy was about to answer ‘yes’, but he soon stifled himself. He bit his lip as he looked over at her. His facial expression was filled with a level of guilt. Penny recognized that look, and he noticed the slight frown in her face. She didn’t attempt to scold or accuse him. She simply waited for him to speak and confess what he did.
“You see..I...” Rudy stammered.
“Yes...?” Penny said, her eyes frowning a little deeper. “What did you need to tell me, Rudy?”
Rudy clenched his teeth and tapped his flattened hands against the tips of one another. He looked left and right, trying to think of how he was going to word it. Maybe there was a way he could say it that would make Penny less angry and...
No, there was no other way to say it. No matter how he tried to say it, the reaction was going to be the same. He might as well get it over with now. He had time. It would be too difficult to tell her later. He should get it out of the way now before they entered the door to the building, which were fast approaching.
He gulped as he looked at Penny in the eyes, and soon he managed to speak. “I...I kind of...sort of...” His voice trailed off. Dang, this was harder than he thought it was going to be. But he couldn’t give up now. He had to tell her. He opened his mouth to speak again, but to his surprise, she cut him off before he could make the second attempt.
“You forgot to stock up on magic chalk again, didn’t you?”
Rudy stared at her in shock, his eyes widened. “H-How did you know?”
Penny gave him a wry smile, raising an eyebrow up. “I can read you like a book, Rudy.” She paused for a moment, and then she sighed and shook her head. “I can’t believe you forgot again.” She looked like she wanted to slap herself in the face. “This is what... the tenth time you did this?”
“Fifth.” Rudy corrected her. He flinched at her glare and he lowered his head. “Yeah, I know.. I promise I’ll try harder to...”
Penny growled, “You’ve been saying that every time, Rudy! The first and second time, okay I understand. But then a third, fourth..and now a fifth...” She used her fingers to count, pressing her pointer against the digits of her other hand. “This is getting ridiculous Rudy! One of these days, this is going to bite you in the...”
“Yeah, I get it.” Rudy said quickly before she could finish that unpleasant sentence. “I know I keep promising and I keep failing. I just...” He let out a sigh. He knew that a promise wasn’t going to work this time. He needed to do better this time. He looked at Penny right in the eyes. He blew out a long breath. “I will change.”
Penny cocked an eyebrow. She didn’t look like she believed him. And why would she? He had screwed up multiple times. She must be getting tired of hearing him say he would change and not doing it. She let out a sigh and looked away. It was clear she was not in the mood to argue or scold him.
“..Alright, Rudy. I believe you.” From the tone of her voice, it was hard to tell if she really did or not. “Just...be more careful, okay?”
Rudy looked at her sadly. He didn’t like making her upset or worrying her like this. He knew that the only reason she seemed upset was the danger of losing the magic chalk. If they were to get trapped outside of ChalkZone... He shuddered to think what Skrawl would do. That jellybean managed to hypnotize so many zoners with a creation of his, that he himself had built. There’s no telling what he would do if given enough time with little opposition.
As they approached the doors, Rudy found himself looping his arm around Penny and pulling her a bit close. He was careful not to trip over her feet or cause her to fall. She gave a small jerk of surprise as she wasn’t expecting this gesture. She soon settled down, giving Rudy a slightly confused look.
Rudy soon spoke the words that he wished he had said before. “Will you...help me...?”
Penny immediately stopped walking. Rudy nearly stumbled as he halted himself, not expecting Penny to just stop like that. He looked at her in confusion, wondering why she did this. Was it something he said? Did he upset her again? Why was she looking at him like that?
After a few moments, Penny gave him a soft smile. She reached over and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. Rudy found comfort in this action and his tense body relaxed.
“Of course, Rudy.” Penny whispered softly. “Why didn’t you ask me before?”
“I-I don’t know...” Admitted Rudy. He rubbed the back of his head. “I guess I should have said something before all this happened...”
Penny nodded her head. “Yeah, you should have.” Rudy flinched at the tone of her voice. She soon smiled again. “But the important thing is that you are trying now. And that’s all I can ask from you.” Penny leaned forward and pressed her forehead against him. “Don’t worry. I’ll be glad to help.”
Rudy smiled at this. He wanted to say something else when he heard the school bell ring, signaling the end of the first class. He flinched at this as he turned his head towards the school. Mr. Wilter certainly wasn’t going to be happy, excuse or no excuse. He turned back to Penny and said, “I think we better go in there before Mr. Wilter starts the next class.”
Penny nodded her head. “Agreed.” She gave a small, sly smile. “We wouldn’t want to ‘surprise’ him like we did last time.”
Rudy couldn’t help but chuckle at this. He remembered the last time he and Penny were late for class. They had apparently been so quiet that when they opened up the door, they nearly gave Mr. Wilter a heart attack because he wasn’t expecting it. Add to that the fact that the door hit against his toe and stubbed it. The trip to the principal’s office was almost worth seeing that comical reaction out of Mr. Wilter. With all the anti-art comments he tends to make, he had a little bit of karma waiting for him.
Soon they stood right in front of the door. They paused and looked at it. They gave each other a look and nodded slowly. They should really head in now before they give Mr. Wilter something new to freak out about. If there was one thing he hated more than art, it was students who were very late to class. They walked into the door and headed down the hallway.
sss
Skrawl stayed behind the large rock wall that surrounded the edge of the crater. It stretched for a couple miles around. From way up here, he could look out in the distance and see the buildings below in their entirety. He couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by the shere size of this place. Well Snap did mention that this was where some of the most dangerous creatures in ChalkZone were held, but he never imagined it would be this large.
Or this well guarded. He took immediate notice of all the guards down below. They held large guns in their hands and wore armor. He guessed this was in case any of the creatures tried to escape. Good enough, but it also meant that it would be hard for him to get past. Challenging them to a fight was not something he would want to do. He needed to figure a way around them.
Getting down was going to be challenging enough. He looked over the edge and saw how the wall slanted downward, curving slightly when it reached the bottom. He had seen this feature before. It was to create a slippery slope to make it difficult for creatures to climb out. A straight wall would work better, he would think, but he wasn’t going to judge them. He was certain they had other ways of keeping the creatures inside. If this place was meant to keep dangerous creatures in, then there were likely booby traps in various locations.
Skrawl gritted his teeth. He wondered how he was going to get the memotrice out of here if there were booby traps and guards everywhere. Perhaps if he could figure out a way to make them leave...
A smile stretched along his face. Ah... That’s it. He knew exactly what he could do. But first, he would need to get down there. He took a moment to peer over the edge of the wall again, taking care to make sure that the guards did not spot him. He looked out ahead and studied his surroundings.
There were a couple of large buildings, a detail he took notice of earlier. They appeared large, long, and single level with tall roofs, likely to house even bigger creatures. They were located in the center of a large circle, and the sparks he could detect must be indicative of an electric fence surrounding it. This took up most of the crater.
Then right outside of that, he could see a moat of some kind. Pretty cliche, but affective, at least for the non-flying zoners. He hadn’t seen it in action yet, and likely never will. He didn’t know what kind of creatures could be lurking in that water. He would have to find out on his own, and take care not to get himself caught. A part of him wished he had brought along his Beanie Boys, but he feared their noise would draw attention to him.
Outside of the moat, there were some tall rock structures. They did not seem to serve any purpose. They were just natural formations that they didn’t bother cleaning up for the construction of this prison. He could use them for cover.
Skrawl looked out at the guards again before he looked over the edge. He pushed his body over a little, reaching out with his hands and pressing his claws against the smooth wall. He couldn’t push his claws into the wall. Hmm... How was he going to do this? Without traction, he could easily slip down quickly and get himself hurt. There had to be another way down. If he could just..
Skrawl looked over and noticed someone was coming. He pressed himself in against the wall, trying to keep himself hidden in the shadows even though he was as exposed as anything else. He was lucky that the zoner in question looked to be in too big a hurry to really stop and notice him. The zoner appeared to work at that place. He had a warden’s outfit on and everything. And judging from how he kept looking at what he guessed was a watch, he must be running late for his shift.
Skrawl paused for a moment and stared at him. Hmm... This zoner did kind of look like him. Okay not exactly. If one put them side by side, they could easily tell them apart. But his body shape was a little similar to his. This zoner resembled a green potato, and even had a thinner body in the back end, matching his own. Not a total match, but if he were to obscure his face and figure out a way of explaining why he has only three limbs instead of four, he might be able to pull this off.
The jellybean smiled at this as he quickly formulated a plan in his head. He moved slowly behind the zoner, watching him carefully. He looked around to make sure that no one else was looking. Thankfully, this zoner appeared to be alone, and he still hadn’t taken notice of him. He could hear the tell tale signs of the zoner beginning to dial a number. Skrawl took advantage of this distraction and he launched himself towards the zoner.
“Hello...”
The zoner was silenced as Skrawl pushed him into the ground. The zoner struggled to get himself free. Skrawl immediately put his hand over his mouth to silence him.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” The zoner on the other line said, their voice filled with confusion.
The warden zoner attempted to call out for help, but Skrawl kept him silenced. He used his greater strength to pin the zoner down, pressing his body against him, his mismatched eyes glaring into his soul. He used his remaining limb to grab his arm and pin it down. He could feel the zoner squirming underneath him as he tried to free himself. He let out a series of confused and frightened muffles as he stared at him.
The look in his eyes suggested that this zoner might not be aware of him. Understandable. He might travel around a lot for his schemes, but it would be unlikely that all the zoners knew who he was. Despite that, he did feel a level of offense that this zoner did not know his name. Well that was something that he was going to learn fast.
“I see you don’t know who I am. Well I could explain it to you all day long if I wanted, but I am a hurry. So I will give the short version.” Skrawl said with a low growl. “I am Skrawl, the future ruler of ChalkZone! And you, my fine little starchy friend, will never forget that.” The potato zoner gave a few confused muffles as he squirmed underneath him. “Well, hard to forget a fact like that when you only have about a minute left...”
The potato zoner let out a muffled scream at this, quickly piecing together what Skrawl had meant by that. Skrawl’s mouth spread a twisted smile as he watched the zoner violently squirm, trying to get away. He gripped him tighter, pressing his claws against his arm. Realizing that he could not release him without allowing him room to manuever or scream, he used the one thing that was still available.
His mouth.
The idea of sinking his teeth in another zoner’s throat did make him feel a little queasy, but it was the only thing he could do. Keeping the zoner as still as he could, he opened his mouth really wide. The zoner’s throat was an easy fit as he set his jaws around it. Then he applied pressure.
Skrawl tried his best not to throw up as he felt the zoner’s blood enter his mouth. Such a foul taste it had, but still he kept biting the neck. The zoner was quiet annoying with his muffled screams of pain, and even after he couldn’t scream, the struggles were becoming difficult to control. The whimpering got on his nerves, and he tried his best to ignore it. He focused on biting through the neck, working his strong jaws to push his teeth through the flesh.
All the while, the zoner kept whimpering loudly, trying to push against him. He kept jerking from side to side, his legs kicking out wildly. A few times, he managed to hit him, causing him to grunt and falter for a second. Skrawl managed to regain his disposition quickly and snarled angrily at the zoner, prompting him to bite harder. This only caused the zoner to struggle more frantically, desperate to get free. He could see his eyes bulging, his mouth open to try to breathe, the blood dripping out of the corner of his mouth, intermingling with the fresh tears that were on his face. The increased struggling became a nuisance to him, but at least it would be over in a few seconds.
Tightening his jaws around his throat, feeling his teeth sunk in as far as they could go, Skrawl wrenched his head swiftly to one side. This act tore a large chunk of meat out of the zoner’s throat. Blood immediately gushed out of the wound as Skrawl let to and moved back. Skrawl kept his distance so that he wouldn’t get too much more blood on him.
He watched as the zoner spasmed and thrashed on the ground. With his vocal cords and wind pipe torn, it was hard for him to make too much loud noise. Some wet gasps and faint cries, but that was about it. He turned his body around from side to side, his hands going up to his throat to try to stop the bleeding, but to no avail. It took only seconds for the zoner to bleed out enough to lose consciousness. Death followed soon after, and the horrific yet satisfying agonal breathing could be heard, signifying the death of the zoner. His eyes remained open, glassed over by a fog-like substance.
Skrawl took a step forward, but stopped himself when he noticed how the zoner was starting to thrash again. He bit his lip. How was the zoner still alive? That bite should have killed him. Perhaps he didn’t bite hard enough?
No, wait. The zoner was dead. He was just going through his death throes. The almost unnatural twitching and spasming spread through his body. Despite his villainous nature, even he was a bit unnerved by this sight. He could not avert his eyes, however, and he kept watching, almost out of morbid curiosity, as the zoner’s body released its final tensions in death. Only after the spasming was over did he approach the body.
Although the zoner hadn’t been dead for long, Skrawl could have sworn he started to detect the scent of death on him. Nauseating. He waved his hand in front of his nose to try to move it away from him. He was going to need to hurry up and do this before he wasted too much time.
Skrawl went to work undressing the zoner. He removed his uniform with some difficulty, slipping it off his body and arms. He yanked down his uniform pants along with it. He dropped them in a pile next to him. He looked down at the now half naked zoner, his thin shirt and underwear being the last things on him. As he stared at him, he realized that someone might come this way and find this gruesome sight. He was going to need to hide the body.
He looked around, and he soon saw an indention in the ground nearby. He dragged the corpse over there. He used his claws to dig a deeper hole. Not an easy task with long, thin claws like this. It took him what felt like forever before he could get it deep enough. He thrusted the body in there, making sure he was nice and secure. He pushed him in as far as he could go. Then he started to push the dirt over his body, covering it in a thin layer of dirt. He smoothed it out a little and patted it, making sure that the dirt pile was nice, thick, and firm.
It wasn’t the best burial, and normally he would think better about this. He could think of better ways to dispose of the body. But right now, he just didn’t have time. This would do for now. The fact that not many zoners come here anyway was a comfort.
Turning his attention to the clothes, he walked over towards them. Grabbing them one by one, he slipped them on. First the shirt, then the pants. They weren’t a perfect fit, which didn’t surprise him. A little loose in some places, and a little tight on others. Nonetheless, it still fit him well enough. But whether or not he could fool the other guards was a different story. Well, he supposed now was a good time as any to test that out.
Before he could get too far, he heard a call from the phone on the ground. He stared at it in confusion. He had almost forgotten about that cellphone from before. His eyes widened. What if the person on the other line had heard the commotion? What would he do then?
“Hello? Ucto? You still there, buddy? Please, answer me...” The voice whispered. “What’s going on...?”
Skrawl gritted his teeth. If he allowed that zoner to believe that something happened, there would be an investigation sent up here. While he expected them to figure out something was wrong, he would rather they do it after he had already obtained what he wanted. He needed to think of something fast.
He grabbed the phone and lifted it up. He paused for a moment, realizing that he didn’t get to hear the zoner speak too long to know what he had sounded like. It was too late for him to ask. He was just going to have to wing it. Clearing his throat, he spoke.
“Everything is all right. I’m fine.”
There was a pause. “Is that really you, Ucto? You don’t...sound right.”
“I don’t? Well that’s because I just had surgery done on my throat. The doctor said I would sound funny for a while.” Skrawl hoped that the zoner would buy that little lie. If he didn’t, well he was infamous for being able to slip out of zoners’ grasps.
After a few moments, the zoner on the other line said, “...okay, if you say so. I’m sorry to hear about the surgery.” A pause, and a quick suck of breath. “Why didn’t you tell me about the throat issues, Ucto? I could have...”
“I just couldn’t.” Skrawl said quickly. He realized he sounded a little too harsh, and he cleared his throat again. “I mean...I didn’t want to worry you.”
A sigh. “Well okay then...” The zoner on the other line paused for a few moments. Skrawl detected scratching and he guessed the zoner was rubbing the back of his head. “Well come on in. The others are waiting for you.”
“I will be there.” Skrawl said. “Don’t worry.” With that, he quickly hung up before the zoner had a chance to reply. He growled softly as he stared down at the building below. Thoughts began to race through his mind.
He was in quite a situation right now. He did figure out a way in. He noticed where the warden zoner was going. There was a lever sticking out of the ground. He guessed that if he pulled it, it would reveal a hidden tunnel or lower him or something. Not only did he know where to go, but he also had an outfit on as well to help himself blend in.
But there was still a problem. How was he going to fool them all into thinking that he was Ucto? It was one thing to fool them verbally, using the phone. But once they see him...
How was he going to pull this off? How was he going to keep his cover long enough to grab the memotrice? How would he sneak passed all those guards without drawing attention to himself? There had to be something that he could do to give him some time. Something that would deter them from asking questions or getting in his way. He had come so far now. He was not going to give up. All he had to do was find a way to look the part and...
Suddenly, the jellybean zoner looked over and stared at the corpse on the ground. Or rather, where it was buried. His mind raced with many thoughts as an idea popped up in his head. As soon as his mind fully registered it, a sweep of chilling nausea rushed through him.
He... He couldn’t really do something like that, could he? Sure he was quite a vile villian, and he was proud of it. But even he had to second guess this. Something about it just felt...so sick and wrong. He didn’t want to demean himself that fear. It was just... How could anyone be sick enough to do something like that?
Yet..it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. He needed a way to look visually enough like the potato zoner, and what better way than...
Skrawl took in a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. He glanced at where he had just buried the zoner. He bit his lip, his expression contorting in disgust and a tinge of regret. He soon began to walk over towards it. He might as well get this over with.
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Post by Bluedramon on May 28, 2015 12:21:57 GMT -5
Here's chapter 2.
Skrawl resisted the urge to throw up as the horrible smell of death clung to him, swimming around him like he was some kind of attractive light. No matter how hard he tried to fight back against the smell, it continued to move through him, clinging to him and refusing to let him go. The sickening wetness against his body certainly didn't help things either.
Removing the skin of the zoner had been surprisingly much easier. Using his claws skillfully, he managed to peel off the skin, leaving it mostly in tact. So long as he was careful as he walked, it shouldn't tear.
But whether or not it remains in tact wasn't the only thing he had to be concerned about. It was not a perfect fit, something that did not surprise them since they were still two different zoners. Even if he did not tear the skin, there may still be enough differences that someone might notice. The lack of an arm was going to be a problem and he had yet figured out something for that.
The smell was his biggest concern. How was he going to hide this smell? It was so horrible... He had to put his hand against his mouth a few times, but that hardly did much, as that pressed the underside of the zoner's skin against his mouth, something that nearly caused him to lose it. He knew that he had to figure out a way, and fast, to disguise this smell.
The only thing he could think of is that he could claim that he had stumbled upon something horrible and the smell just stuck. Yeah, that could work. Not like he could think of anything else. So that plan would have to do.
He didn't want to waste more time. He did enough of that getting this full body suit on. He needed to get going now if he was going to get there without causing too much suspicion. He looked at where the lever was jetting out of the ground. He took in a deep breath and sighed, preparing himself. He held onto the cellphone the zoner had used, just in case they tried to call again.
He took only a few seconds to reach the lever. He grabbed onto it and he pulled it back. It was more difficult than he had imagined. It was stuck and he had to jerk it a few times to free it. There was a loud crack and then he was able to pull it downwards, which caused a slow creak sound despite how quickly he was moving it.
He stood there for a few moments and waited. So far, nothing happened. He narrowed his eyes and growled. Wasn't something supposed to happen? How long was he going to have to stand there before the lever activated? And just what was he waiting for?
A few moments later, he got his answer. There was a sudden, loud squeak and the ground around him began to shift. He wobbled to one side, holding out two limbs to regain his balance. He could see a bit of dust kick around him in a circle, and then he began to move.
The scratching of stone against stone filled his ears, sending a shiver through his body. He tried not to pay attention to it as the stone slab he was on began to sink down. The heat he felt before began to dissipate into cool air, the sunlight from the Day Zone sun vanishing as darkness crept up. After a few more moments, he was completely shrouded in darkness. He tensed up slightly and looked around.
The momentary darkness didn't last for long. A sudden bright flash of light got in his eyes. He hissed as he turned his head away, raising a hand up to block the light. He felt himself jerk as the rock slab came to a sudden stop, a loud crank sounding out. He kept his arm up for a few moments before he removed it to see where he was.
He could see that the stone had dropped him in front of an odd-shaped tunnel. A stretched oval, or egg, with a thin, almost sharply-tipped roof, with slightly rounded walls that opened up to a broader floor.
Somehow, the shape of the hallway, combined with the silver color, made him think of the Future Dome. He bit his lip at the memory of that. He formed a fist with his hand and shook it as a bout of anger washed through him. He still hadn't forgiven that stupid robot for ruining his plan. He had a thought of getting even with him, but he pushed that thought aside for now in favor of the now.
It did feel a little strange walking on this floor. So cold and slick. He constantly felt like he was stepping in water, or was going to trip and fall. He tried his best to keep his expressions minimal as he did not want to look suspicious. A pair of shows would have helped, but given his nature, he just could not wear those as he only had one true food.
Speaking of that, he needed to be prepared for the limb question. He had to make it look like he injured himself and was pressing his limb against himself. He also had to make sure he did not switch up his limbs. This was an urge that would be hard to fight as he was used to do this all the time. He had to keep only a right limb and keep his left limb firmly on the ground, no matter how much the temptation to use it rose up inside of him.
He reached the end of the hallway. He stopped and looked left and right. Which way should he go? He searched his memory and he was certain that going to the left was the best route. But this place was huge and likely had many tunnels to similar areas. Was there a better route to take?
He was about to left when he realized that he did have an option that would make this so much easier. If he could just get in contact with that one zoner...
He got out the phone and flipped it open. He navigated it easily with his claws. The buttons made loud clicks, irritating him each time, as he searched for recent calls. He soon found a number that appeared to be the most recent. He pressed on it and selected the enter button. He saw the screen go black and he saw the phone symbol. A loud ringing sound could be hard. He placed it against his ear and waited for the zoner to pick up.
A click. A clearing of the throat. Then came the voice. "Hello? What's wrong, Ucto? Why aren't you here yet?"
"Well I..." Skrawl licked his lips and stumbled over his words, deliberately giving off the feeling of nervousness and unease. "S-Something happened and I..." He paused for a few moments.
"What?" The zoner on the other end whispered. "What happened?"
Skrawl gave a shuddering breath. "I-I would rather discuss it there. Can you...give me the directions again?" He chatted his teeth. "I'm not well right now. I can't remember which way to go."
"Okay, I'll give you the directions again." The zoner paused. Then he said, "I hope I'll be able to help you."
"Thank you." Skrawl said, trying to sound as sincere as he could.
The zoner was likely giving a sympathetic smile at this. Skrawl was glad he could not see it. He waited for the zoner to give instructions.
"All you do after you get off the platform is take a left, head down five hallways, and then make a right. There will be a double door there that will lead you down a small corridor that will take you straight into the building." The zoner said.
Skrawl nodded his head, despite the zoner not being able to see it. "O-Okay. Thank you..."
"Take your time getting here. And whatever happened, I promise we'll get it sorted out, buddy."
Skrawl gave a relieved sigh at this. "Thank you... I'll be there shortly."
As soon as he shut the phone and heard the click, Skrawl let out a disgusted growl. He had to struggle to keep himself from crushing the phone in his hand. That was a rather disgusting display he had to put on. If he wasn't already fighting the urge due to the horrible smell, he would have vomited before the phone call was even finished.
The fact that he was going to have to put on another play in person, and not over the phone, was going to be even tougher for him. It was one thing to imitate the voice. But how was he going to keep himself from scowling or baring his teeth in disgust or anger?
Well he was going to have to think of how, and fast. He could not blow this up. If he got caught in here... Then he was never getting out. This place was just too well guarded. Once he got the memotrice, it should be smooth sailing from there.
He turned his head towards the left corridor. He stared at it for a few moments, then he began to walk down the hallway.
sss
"And that is how you are supposed to approach a new dog." Mrs. Sanchez said. "Before you go run up to a dog you think you like, get to know it first. And be calm; you do not want to scare the dog."
"Boring!" Reggie mumbled as he turned his head to the side.
"Reggie Bullnerd!" Mr. Wilter placed his hands on his desk roughly. "Be quiet and pay attention!"
Reggie growled softly. He forced himself to look over at where the woman was. "Yes, Mr. Wilter..."
Reggie caught the glare that Penny was giving him. He merely smirked at her before looking away. Normally he would try to make some kind of comment towards her, but right now, he just didn't feel like it.
When was this session going to be over? It felt like this lady had been here for a while now. Looking up at the clock, he was shocked to see that only twenty minutes had passed. Why did it feel so much longer? He wished that he could make time move much faster so he didn't have to sit through much more of this. This was an incredibly boring session. He didn't even know why Mr. Wilter bothered with this. He wasn't stupid.
Reggie wished that he was allowed to skip class and go do something else more worth while. What would he gave to gain from learning skills that he already knew? He did a good job of taking care of Dumpster. She turned out okay. But it seemed as if Mr. Wilter wanted him especially to pay attention.
Was this because of that stupid incident with the puppet back at the talent show? He wished the teacher would just get over it. It was just a dumb little joke. It wasn't his fault that Dumpster got a little too excited and ran. He did try to stop her, right?
Well, he knew that he wasn't going to be able to get away from this, so he might as well settle down and watch this stupid pet thing. Not like he could go anywhere. Besides, he was not interested in getting another detention. He had enough of those for the rest of the spring.
"Does anyone want to hold him?" Mrs. Sanchez lifted up the small, golden retriever puppy. Immediately a bunch of kids raised their hands, including Rudy and Penny, no surprise. "Okay then." Mrs. Sanchez chuckled. "One at a time..."
Reggie watched as the children gathered around the puppy. He was the only child to hold back. He wasn't particularly excite about petting a puppy. He did enough of that with Dumpster. He was more interested in hearing the bell ring so he could go outside and have some real fun. Like getting some lunch money from his 'friends' or something like that.
He didn't know how much time had passed since the kids started playing with the puppy. Despite Mr. Wilter's constant warnings, he could feel his mind wandering away very easily. His mind entered day dream land, and he became unaware of most of what was being said. A few comments of dog facts here or there, but not much else.
He was thankful that Mr. Wilter didn't say anything. The man must be too busy writing on the piece of paper to really notice. He wasn't well liked in the class, a fact that didn't bother him as it meant that most just left him alone. So no one came over and tried to get him to join. He found peace and solitude in his day dream, and it made this all the more tolerable.
Besides, Dumpster was far cuter and better behaved than that little mongrel the lady had brought in. He didn't know why the other students were getting all excited about it. Not like the puppy stage lasts forever and they are harder to control and maintain. At least Dumpster knows how to stay put.
Well, most of the time that is.
He resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief when he heard the bell ring. The students around him groaned in disappointment. He could have sworn he heard the puppy whimpering in sadness, and he turned his head in time to see the puppy push against another student as they climbed up to their feet.
"All right, children. Time for recess!" Mr. Wilter got up out of his seat. He placed his hands together. "We will continue this session when we get back! There's plenty more for Dr. Sanchez here to tell us about taking care of a pet." The students expressed their excitement as Mr. Wilter turned to Penny's mother and said, "I want to thank you again for taking the time to come out here."
"It's no trouble. The more people know how to take care of pets, the less...let's say, trouble, we will see." Replied the woman as she picked up the puppy and placed him back in the crate. "Don't worry, children. I brought along a bunny and a kitten as well." At this, the student's eyes brightened. "You will get to play with them after you get back."
Reggie wanted to plug his ears when he heard the children scream in excitement. His eardrums echoed and he ended up having to rub them to try to get rid of at least some of the sound. He glared off at them as they began to race out to recess.
Finally, he could have some real fun. He was going to have to savior this moment. Recess was going to feel so much shorter today. He just knew that time was going to fly by a little too quickly.
However, his hope of having some fun was immediately dashed when he heard a voice call out to him.
"Reggie!"
The large child stopped in his tracks. He shut his eyes tightly and he let out a frustrated growl. He tried to calm himself quickly as he turned his head and looked over at the man. "Yes, Mr. Wilter?"
The teacher was glaring at him. A normal sight. One that he immediately recognized. He flinched slightly, expecting the teacher to give him another detention.
"Since you were so interested in class today..." Reggie knew immediately that the teacher was referring to him day dreaming. So he had noticed? "You will be cleaning up the chalkboard." He motioned towards the chalkboard behind him. "You may go out to recess after you are done."
Reggie watched as the other students rushed out to recess, soon leaving him alone with the teacher. He turned his gaze back to the chalkboard, noting all the writing and drawing that was on it. He gritted his teeth, but he could not express his anger that much with Mr. Wilter sitting at the desk.
"Okay, Mr. Wilter..." He grumbled softly as he approached the chalkboard and began to erase.
sss
"Phew..." Rudy wiped his brow as he and Penny managed to slip through the portal. "That was close!"
Penny nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Good thing they were all too busy talking about the puppy to notice us."
Rudy couldn't agree more. The students were all clamoring together, constantly talking about the dog that Penny's mom had brought in. That had made it easier, though still in ways, tricky, to slip away from them to get into ChalkZone. They would not notice they were gone. Not like they ever did.
But he still knew that staying away from the playground for too long was going to be a bad idea, especially with the students talking to each other about the puppy. They might try to talk to him or Penny, especially Penny since Mrs. Sanchez, or Dr. Sanchez as Mr. Wilter told the students, was her mom. They had to make this trip into ChalkZone swift. In and out.
“Hey Bucko! Buckette!”
The two children turned their heads towards that familiar voice. They watched as their blue clad friend raced towards them. Concern immediately washed over their faces when they saw that it wasn’t the usual friendly smile they were used to when he came to greet them. They could tell taht something was really wrong.
It took only seconds for the panic-stricken zoner to reach them. He placed his hands on his thighs and he panted in front of them. Rudy and Penny glanced at each other. From the looks of things, he must have been running for a while. Just what happened that caused him to race all the way over here? Was it Skrawl? Was it another villain? Had there been a new dangerous creature erased into ChalkZone? The list of possibilities was quite long.
Rudy hoped that, whatever it was, it could be managed. He didn’t want to have to spend too much time in ChalkZone today as he and Penny needed to get back. He hoped that, whatever had Snap upset, it was something that either could wait, or could be easily taken care of in a short amount of time. They were in a hurry, and they could not risk screwing this up and have people get suspicious.
“What is it, Snap?” Rudy said as he listened to his friend continue to pant.
“Yeah, it something wrong?” Penny held out her hand in gesture. “You look so...frightened.”
“Yeah, I know. And for good reason.” Snap opened his mouth and gave a few more heavy pants. “I-I recently did a report on the memotrice and...”
At this, Rudy furrowed his eyes in confusion. “Memotrice...?” He said carefully. Snap nodded his head. Rudy glanced over at Penny. She looked as confused as he did. He looked back at Snap. “What is...who is...a memotrice...?”
Snap took a few more moments to completely catch his breath. He stared at them, his eyes widened in horror and uncertainty. “It’s a newly erased zoner that can.. that can...”
“That can what? Tell us, Snap!” Penny said quickly, her voice tinged in worry.
“It can alter memories!”
With that single utterance, the trio fell silent. They looked at each other, no one saying a word. An uncomfortable quietness settled upon them. A wave of horror and shock washed through the two children as they both began to fully comprehend what this means. The meaning of Snap’s single, short, yet strong message was not lost on them. They glanced at each other, both their minds racing with thoughts.
A zoner that can alter memories... That was horrifying beyond comprehension. Rudy had seen many zoners with all sorts of powers. This was one of the worst he had ever heard. Sure, having the power to rip someone apart with psychic powers was a horrifying enough concept, but among one of the top horrors is losing one’s mind. To lose their identity and who they were. A zoner who could alter memories could in theory alter that zoner’s very personality and existence. They could make them forget who they were, alter their loyalties, make them believe things that they never would have before.
Rudy gave a shudder at this. He sometimes wondered what went through the minds of artists who would design and create such things. He knew they didn’t know any better, but he still wished that they would at least try to draw some things that were nicer. What was wrong with something that was cute an innocent? Did all drawings need an overtone of violence or potential destruction?
He knew he couldn’t just make people stop drawing such things, though. And plus they weren’t always as they seemed. He remembered all too well when he tried to fix some other kids’ drawings, and he had made huge mistake after huge mistake, and ended up having to fix the mess he made.
But there was no mistaking with this zoner. Someone had deliberately drawn a dangerous zoner One that could tear apart families and loved ones easily if it decided to use its powers for evil. Some kid, or adult, had thought this thing up and created it, and let it loose in ChalkZone. Now ChalkZone was going to have to live with this thing, whether they wanted to or not. Rudy was not one for violence or killing, but he had to wonder what he was going to do with the memotrice if he had to confront it. Would it afflict him, too? Did its powers work on humans? The thought filled him with dread.
“It’s locked away, though.” Snap said quickly.
“It has?” Penny asked. Upon Snap’s nod, she let out a sigh of relief. “Well that’s good.”
“Yeah..” Rudy felt his legs feel wobbly. He tried his best not to collapse to the ground from the shere relief what washed through him. Then he realized something. “But wait... If it’s locked up, then why are you panicked?”
“Because Biclops thought he saw Skrawl heading out towards where the memotrice is being held!” Snap cried out, raising his hands into the air. Rudy and Penny gasped in horror at this, their eyes bulging. “He wanted to speak to you two as soon as you were able to come!”
“Well... We can’t stay long. The students will get suspicious...” Rudy began to say. He looked at Snap’s frightened eyes. He bit his lip and he looked over at Penny, seeing her expression. He couldn’t just leave, he knew. He had to at least spend some time here and talk to Biclopse. “We’ll speak to Biclops.”
Penny nodded in agreement. “We’ll see if we can work something out. Rudy is right, however.” She frowned slightly. “Rudy and I won’t be able to stay here for too long. We only came in to get some chalk. We can spare some time to talk to Biclopse, but it has to be swift.”
“We can talk more later after we get back from school.” Rudy added.
Snap looked at them. He still had that frightened expression. It was clear that he was frightened by not only the memotrice, but also by what Skrawl might end up doing with it. Knowing Skrawl and his goal of taking over ChalkZone, it was a safe bet just what he was going to do with it. Rudy didn’t want to think of the damage that zoner could use with the memotrice. He knew that, as soon as they were able, he and Penny had to go to the jail that the bird was being held in to prevent Skrawl from taking it.
Snap seemed to accept what they said, and he motioned them to follow him. Rudy and Penny looked at each other, expressions of determination on their faces. They gave each other a nod, and then they began to follow their friend as they headed towards the Chalk Mine.
sss
Reggie wiped his brow. Erasing and cleaning the chalkboard took a little longer than he thought. At least there was still some time left to enjoy recess. He could locate one of his favorite 'friends' and have a little fun with them before the bell rang.
"Okay, I'm done, Mr. Wilter!" Reggie began to move towards the door.
Mr. Wilter stopped him. "Not so fast, Reggie!" The boy stopped and resisted the urge to shout at his teacher. He looked over his shoulder and stared at him. "You still have one more thing to do!"
Reggie turned himself around to see what the grumpy old teacher was talking about. He soon took notice of the erasers that the man was holding in his arms. He carried them over towards the window sill and dropped them there. The man took a few steps back and then pointed at them. "Clean the erasers."
"Yes, Mr. Wilter." Reggie felt like a parrot. How many times did he say that already? Nonetheless, he did what he was told and approached the window.
He grabbed onto it and pushed it open. The warm breeze hit his face and the sound of laughing children filled the air. He glared down at them, baring his teeth. All of them were having fun but here he was, trapped in the classroom and cleaning the erasers. He didn't even use the chalkboard; why should he be the one to do this?
He grabbed two of them and pushed himself out of the window partway. He began to slam the erasers together. A white cloud of dust immediately popped out. He turned his head to avoid the chalk getting into his mouth or lungs. He kept hitting it, trying to get all the chalk dust out. He coughed and wheezed as some of it ended up getting in his throat.
At least this got easier as time went on. The dust levels rapidly began to shrink between these two until very little chalk dust was coming out. He slowed down the collisions, feeling the eraser was going to get as clean as it was going to get. Not like he could get all the chalk dust out. That would be insane.
He did this for more of the erasers. The process was the same. Cough and wheeze as he tried to get as much of the stinking chalk out as he could. Pair by pair, he dropped them in another pile on the window sill. This was moving by a little faster than he thought. Maybe he would get some recess time after all.
Soon he was down to just one more pair. One last two erasers before he was done. He grabbed them and he leaned out the window to prepare to strike them together. He was about to when something caught his attention.
A brief glow. An unexpected flash of white or golden or something. Despite it not being that bright, he still found himself raising an arm to shield his eyes. He then looked over and he saw Rudy and Penny moving out from behind the school. He stared at confusion for a few moments, watching as they appeared to be making sure the coast was clear, and then they walked completely out.
Reggie was confused by this. Why would Rudy and Penny act like that? He never saw them do something like that before. Then again, he was always so busy 'playing' with other students that it just never crossed his mind to really look.
He couldn't understand it. Those two were among the most goody two shoes in the entire school. What would they have to hide? Why did they think they were going to get into trouble? And what was with that glow?
He narrowed his eyes as he watched them move towards the bench situated along the edge of the playground. He was going get the bottom of this, one way or another. He resumed smashing the final erasers together as he stared intently at where Rudy and Penny were sitting.
sss
“Are you sure you will be all right?” The zoner asked, his eyes furrowed with concern. “It sounds like you went through hell.”
“No, no.. I’ll be fine...” Skrawl said, raising his hand up and waving it dismissively. “I just...needed to get back to work. Get my mind off of it, you know?”
The zoner frowned slightly at this. “Strange... Normally you go eat some chocolate pudding when you feel really stressed...”
Skrawl tried not to gulp as he heard the zoner say that. Had he already screwed up? He remained frozen where he was, watching the zoner carefully as he waited for his next words. He tried his best not to look too startled or upset by his words. He couldn’t allow the zoner to know that something really was wrong with him. Namely, that he wasn’t Ucto.
“Well, I can’t hold it against ya. What happened to you was far worse than most other things.” The zoner finally said. His frown disappeared, replaced with a more sympathetic expression. He reached over and touched him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. We can get the Great Creator and his friends look at your arm. Maybe they might be able to fix it?”
Skrawl felt his blood flash hot briefly at this statement. It took all of his strength to control his facial expression. As much as he woud love to scowl and swat the zoner’s hand away, he knew that wouldn’t be a very good idea. He forced himself to smile and lightly pressed his hand on his outstretched arm. “That...would be wonderful. Thanks.”
The zoner smiled in return. “I’ll send word out for them now and...”
“Wait!” Skrawl cried out. This startled the zoner, who stared at him with wide eyes. Skrawl cleared his throat, rapidly backtracking. “I wouldn’t want to bother them right now. Isn’t time for them to return to school?”
“Oh yeah..I forgot about that. Good call, Ucto!” The zoner said, his eyes briefly wide. “I’ll get in contact with them after they return then. Later tonight?”
Skrawl thought about this for a few moments. Would that give him enough time? He would think so. He was in the facility and all he had to do was break the creature out and take off with it. If he planned this perfectly, this should be easily pulled off. He just had to keep wearing this stinkin’ ‘outfit’ for a while longer, then he could make his move.
If he remembered right, this zoner did say the memotrice’s chamber wasn’t far from here. It had to be relocated again. He wasn’t sure what the reason was. He guessed that the creature’s mind effects went straight through building material. The guards were fine so long as they wear the helmets, the same type that he was currently wearing. Hard, tall, ridged edges, a pointed tip, and made out of some kind of thick material the memotrice’s powers could not permeate. He sure hoped it worked, but the only way to find out was to test it.
Since he knew the location, it was just a matter of time of getting there. That shouldn’t take too long. No one was going to question him going there. Apparently it was Ucto’s job, the most recent one, to check periodically on the memotrice. So he should be able to slip past the others without a problem.
“That will be good.” Skrawl finally said after a few moments of silence. “Thank you.”
The zoner smiled back at him. He patted him gently on the arm a couple of times. He bit his lip and paused for a moment. Then he said, “..take care of yourself, buddy.”
“I will.” Skrawl said. He smiled as the zoner turned and left him be. Only when the zoner was out of his sight that he brushed his arm off in disgust. “Yeah and I hope you can do the same, for your sake..” He muttered under his breath. He brushed off his disgust and returned to the task at hand.
He looked at his surroundings. He was located in a pentagon-shaped room, the edges a little smoothed out to make it look almost like a circle. There were three massive hallways. The middle was the one he had initially come from, so he knew that wasn’t the right way to go. He looked at the other two corridors. They looked mostly the same, both diagonal, but the direction they went in was different, and he knew one of them was the right way to go, and the other would take him to the wrong section.
Behind him, hooked up on the white carved wall, was a large frame with a map situated in its center. The red dot indicated his present location. He took a few steps towards this map and narrowed his eyes, staring at it. He scanned his eyes around it as he tried to figure out the best path to take to reach the memotrice. The location of the memotrice was apparent. It was scribbled around with red marker with the words ‘new location’ written on it, and the letters M and T. Memotrice.
He pressed his claw against that location. It definitely wasn’t far from here. According to the legend on the map, it should only be about twenty feet away. He moved his claw around the hallways to try to see if he could locate the exact path to take. It took him a few moments, but he soon registered the exact, quickest path to get there.
He turned his head towards the right corridor. This should be the right one. He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He had to keep himself calm. No getting excited or angry. No shoving people around or telling them to get out of his way. He was able to fool them so far with this stupid disguise, especially with the lie he had come up with. He needed to keep this up. All it would take was one slip up and he would be found out.
He started to make his way down the corridor. He moved slowly, acting as if he were on duty. He kept his eyes slightly narrowed, and tried to make himself look worried or apprehensive. This was how the zoners here would expect him to look if he really were Ucto getting ready to check on a dangerous creature. And sure enough it was working; the few zoners he passed all muttered expressions of concern and wished him luck. He smiled inwardly.
As he continued on, he couldn’t help but give some admiration to the person who designed this place. The walls were made out of hard material. He couldn’t tell what it was. Marble or diamond maybe? He’d have to ask someone where. But it was clear that these hallways had to be cut into. A painstaking process to get it looking like this. Seeing how large this building was and all the rooms that laid within it, he could only imagine how long it must have taken to create such a thing. That is, if these zoners made it themselves, or if Master Tabootie had been the one to do it.
Either way, it was still pretty impressive. Skrawl looked around as he headed down the sharp-roofed hallway, looking at the different decorations that laid about this place. Flags, some small statues, but mostly frames. They were all pretty, most of them dealing with some form of nature, like a picture of a forest or something. He guessed that these were here primarily to try to keep the workers calm. Understandable, considering what they had to do.
Up ahead, he could see a tall, white marble water fountain. It rose up near the ceiling. He took note of its construction. Some kind of snake crawling up a stick, its mouth split wide open. He could see the sharp fangs curling upwards. It was from these fangs that water sprouted out, raining down and moving along the creature’s form. There was a wide, curved bowl at the bottom where the water collected. The humanoid tiger zoner lapping away at the bowl indicated that this water was safe to drink.
Moving on, Skrawl walked away from the water fountain, giving only a partial response when the tiger zoner tried to greet him. Skrawl soon ended up in a small rounded room, similar to where he was before. But this time, there were about five hallways that branched from here. A difficult design he could imagine. He shrugged off his awe as he looked at the signs hanging over, trying to locate one in particular.
He soon found the sign that said ‘MT’ written on it. He gave a small smile at this. This really hadn’t taken long at all. He looked left and right to see if anyone was watching. There was no one. Even the tiger zoner had left, likely returning to whatever job he had. He walked into the small hallway.
This hallway was a little dark, making him wonder if there was a reason for it. It was still lit enough that he could see, but it felt so much darker, the lights barely half the strength of the lights that came before. There were a few occassions where he found himself hitting against the wall because it was harder to see. He winced when he felt a rip, realizing that his outfit was going to be ruined by the time he got there.
But at least he took care of the hard part first. All he had to do was reach the memotrice and that was it. Well not completely. He would need to align with it first, which shouldn’t be hard. He was certain that bird reptile thing would want to get back at the zoners here for locking it inside.
He kept on walking slowly until he noticed an opening ahead. The light there was a tiny bit brighter, much to his relief. He paused for a moment as he was about to reach it. He could feel his heart racing in his chest. This was it. This was the moment he had waited for. He took in a deep breath and he entered the room.
The room itself was a little underwhelming. It was a tall, round, cylinder-shaped room with nothing it except the cage and a raised platform, a couple circular rings making it look a bit segmented, reminding him of an insect. There were a ring of lights around here, and something a little brighter above it, shining down on it. He wondered if this was weakening the creature’s power. He would find out soon enough.
The cage looked like a bird cage. Very similar in shape, complete with a pointed tip and a latch-style lock. The bars were a little thin, but he could see that it was also covered in a thin, clear yet strong material that prevented it from clawing its way out. There were some kind of green rings wrapped around it as well, and he guessed that these further helped kept it trapped. This made him wonder just how strong this thing was.
There, sitting on the hanging perch in the center, was the memotrice itself. Its wicked-looking talons were wrapped around the cylinder piece of wood in a rather delicate manner, keeping itself from falling down. Its rooster-like head was lowered, pressed against itself and looking all fluffy. Its eyes were closed softly, and only a few twitches indicated that it was still alive.
Skrawl spent a few moments staring at the memotrice. Like this, it didn’t look like it was too tough of a creature. It just looked too cute, like it was some kind of plushie that someone left behind. But he knew better. He remembered the reports. He approached with caution.
Despite his best efforts, his foot clanged against the ground, creating a scrape loud enough for the creature to hear. Its eyes immediately opened up, the brown eyes blazing, the slit pupils staring at him intently. Skrawl immediately froze at this, bitinig his lip slightly as he stared at the memotrice in silence, unable to look away.
Skrawl took in a few breaths, trying his best to keep himself calm. The creature could not do anything to him so long as it was trapped and he wore the helmet. If the creature could change his memory, it would have done so by now. But he felt nothing. His mind was fine. He allowed the brief wave of relief move through him before he took a step forward. He watched as the memotrice opened its mouth, allowing him to see the small yet sharp teeth that lined its beak.
He wasn’t sure if this creature could understand what he was saying. But he knew he had to give it a try. He cleared his throat and started to talk.
“Hello there, memotrice. My name is Skrawl.” He placed his hand against himself. “Oh I know I look like a guard, but this is just a skin.” He stretched the skin around his head, showing part of his true face to the creature. The memotrice tilted its head to one side. “I have come to rescue you.” He gave a smile as he watched the red creature. “Now I know what you are thinking... Why would I rescue you? Well my fine feathered...” He paused for a moment. “And scaled friend, I believe we can benefit one another.”
He approached the cage slowly, his smile spreading slightly as he got closer. He stood directly in front of the cage. The memotrice just looked at him, its eyes regarding him with curiosity. He couldn’t tell if this meant the creature could understand him or if it was just puzzled by his actions.
“I offer you a deal, memotrice. You see, I could let you out of that filthy cage. I could give you freedom again.” He held out his hand, his claws curving inward. “But only if you help me take over ChalkZone. I would have done so already, but I have some annoying..pests on my trail. I need for a way to stop them, and you can provide that.” He turned himself to the side, folding his arm behind his back. He lifted his head up and looked towards the ceiling. “I’m sure you would love to be free, right? Not trapped like a wild animal?” He looked over at the memotrice. “Wouldn’t you want to get back at those guards who tried to control you? Who trapped you in there like it was nothing?”
At this, the memotrice’s eyes gave a soft, brown-red glow. It was brief, but he could still detect it. Perhaps the creature did understand him after all. It made sense, too. If the creator intended for it to alter memories and to be, well, evil, wouldn’t they have wanted to be able to at least understand what its prey was saying? Not much fun to mess with people if one could not understand a word they said.
“So...what do you say?”
The memotrice stared at him for a few moments. It pulled its head back and let out a loud squawk. It raised its wings up as it did so, its neck feathers fluffing up slightly. Skrawl smiled, taking this as a yes. He moved over to begin unlocking the creature’s cage.
“Hey, Ucto! Do you need any...” A sharp gasp. “...what..?”
Skrawl froze. He gritted his teeth. Had he really waited that long? Was he really that unaware of his surroundings that he could not detect that a zoner was coming? He couldn’t believe it. Slowly, he turned his head and looked behind him.
He could see that same zoner from before. The one he spoke to over the phone. The one that greeted him when he came into the building. While before the zoner was concerned yet happy to see ‘him’, now he stood in shock, his eyes bulging. He could detect an avalanche of emotions rushing through him, intermixing into a singular one.
The zoner’s lower lip was shaking, his teeth clenching in fear. He took a step back, pressing his hand against the wall’s edge. He tried to speak, but at first, only incoherent stammering sounded out. He kept his eyes locked on Skrawl, shaking his head slowly as he tried to fully comprehend what he was seeing. Only after a few more moments did the zoner speak, its voice nothing but a small squeak.
“Y-You’re not...”
It was only then that Skrawl realized that the zoner had noticed the tear. He looked down at himself, realizing that there were actually more tears on its body than he thought. Most of them were small; he could see why the memotrice didn’t react to them. But the one around his face was long and the skin was pulled back, revealing a body, his body, underneath it. He knew right than that his disguise would no longer work. Now he needed to take action.
“What did...” The zoner gulped, licking his lips. “What did you do to Ucto..?”
Skrawl blinked a few times. Then he gave a wide, twisted grin. “Why nothing... He was just so generous to loan me this outfit. But if you want it back, I suppose I can’t keep it from you anymore.”
With that, Skrawl, tore off the skin. This act caused the zoner to let out a terrified shriek and jump back. Skrawl soon held the ripped up skin of the zoner he had previously disguised himself as. He gave a wicked smile at the shocked zoner, waving the skin, watching as the zoner stared at it moving to and fro. He pulled his arm back and thrust it forward as hard as he could, releasing it dramatically with wide open claws.
The skin fell on the zoner, causing another scream. The zoner scrambled back, falling on his back and flailing his limbs around and getting the skin off of him. He stared down in horror at the skin, taking in several quick beaths. He looked over at Skrawl, his eyes flickering in recognition.
“S-Skrawl...?” The zoner whimpered. Skrawl just smirked at him. Slowly, the zoner climbed up to his feet, his legs trembling as he did so. He hunched his body forward, his breathing still shaky, his wide eyes refusing to leave him. He took in more deep breaths, licking his lips nervously, his mind racing with thoughts.
“I couldn’t believe how easy you were to fool.” Skrawl commented, raising a hand up in gesture. “I would have thought you would be more suspicious. If you cared about Ucto, wouldn’t you have wanted to check the arm? To make sure it actually existed?” At this, the zoner narrowed his eyes slightly. Skrawl laughed at this. “But don’t worry. I did leave his body out there for you to find. If you wish to pay him a visit and show your respects... I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”
“Y-You...” The zoner seethed. His eyes narrowed further and Skrawl soon became aware of the emotion that now washed through him. Anger and rage. The shaking body gave this away. “You monster...!”
Skrawl took a step back, but he was not fast enough to dodge as the zoner rushed towards him. He raised his claws to try to fight back, only for the zoner to crash intot him. He was forced into the ground, the back of his head hitting against something solid. He felt the zoner grip onto his thick neck tightly, trying to strangle him.
“I’m going to kill you!” The zoner wailed, rapid tears moving down his face.
Skrawl struggled underneath the zoner. He pushed his hand against his chest and pushed upward, raising him a little up from his body. The zoner’s hands still gripped around his throat, digging his nails in. Skrawl flinched at this, a wave of pain moving through him. He pulled his leg back and struck against the zoner’s stomach, causing him to fly back. He instantly got up to his feet as the zoner rolled across the ground.
He widened his eyes slightly as the zoner barreled down towards him again, the teeth flashing in a growl. He stepped out of the way and he struck down with his fist, slamming it in the middle of his back. The zoner let out a cry of pain and crashed into the ground. He lifted his head up and shook it and growled back at Skrawl.
The jellybean hunched his back and waited for the zoner to approach him. When the zoner lunged at him, he grabbed onto his arm tightly, twisting it. The zoner immediately began to strike at him, trying to sink his teeth into him. Skrawl flinched as he felt the teeth try to penetrate his arm. He yanked back, making the zoner tumble, and then he threw him as hard as he could at the cage. He watched as the cage fell back, the memotrice flapping as it crashed into the ground. The zoner he had tossed soon laid on top of it, letting out a soft groan.
Skrawl rushed over and grabbed the zoner by his neck. He shook him hard, slamming him against the cage over and over again, not noticing how bent the bars and clear shield were getting as he did so. He soon tossed the zoner away, letting him slide on his back up towards the wall. Spreading his claws out, the tips glinting in the light, Skrawl dashed towards the zoner, letting out a loud yell of rage.
Again and again, he struck the zoner. Bloody gashes appeared all over his body as he sliced and diced him up. He could hear the zoner’s screams grow louder, echoing in his head. It hurt his ear drums, but he did not care. All he cared about was striking this zoner, wanting to make him pay for daring to try to stop him. He could soon smell fresh blood and it was then that he realized what he had done.
At his feet laid another dead zoner. He had ripped him open quite badly. He could see the puddle of blood forming, and he took note of all the gashes he had torn into him. The face, chest, and arms were the most frequently targeted. He then noticed the wound that had killed the zoner. A deep gash along his throat, a torrent of blood still gushing from it.
Skrawl stood there in shock for several moments. He hadn’t intended on killing another zoner yet. He looked down at his claws, seeing how they were all coated in blood. He looked from them and then to the body, his body rapidly registering what happened.
He soon heard the sound of footprints rapidly approaching. He lifted up his head and he could see more of the guards. He realized they must have heard the commotion.
“Is anything... What the hell happened?!” One of the guards wailed as soon as he laid eyes on the gruesome scene. He looked from the dead body to the skin, then to Skrawl. “You! Skrawl?!” He raised his gun up towards him. “Freeze!”
The other guards with him, all three of them, stood at his side and raised their guns at him as well. Skrawl froze where he stood, taking a small step back. He looked at the zoners with wide eyes, his mind struggling to figure a way out of here. He looked left and right slowly, quickly realizing that he didn’t have much of a way out of here. Not unless he tried for a distraction somehow.
“What did you do to Ucto and Rem?!” One of the zoners called out. Her voice was shaky and Skrawl could see she had a hint of tears in her eyes. “What the fuck did you do?!”
Despite his situation, Skrawl couldn’t help but contort his face in a vicious grin. “Oh what do you think?” She widened her eyes as he tilted his head. “But I do not see why you are so upset. I think I improved them...”
At this, the female guard clenched her teeth tightly, seething rapidly. The other guards looked at her nervously and took a step back.
“You... You’re dead!”
Skrawl watched as the female guard prepared to fire her gun. He tensed himself up, preparing to dodge to the side to get out of the way. He wasn’t sure if he would make it in time. But at least he could try to minimize the damage before she could hit him. A part of him scolded himself for doing something so stupid.
Before the female guard had a chance to attack him, however, there was a loud squawk, a flash of red and orange, and soon the female guard was down.
Skrawl widened his eyes in shock. The memotrice? How did it... He looked behind him and saw that the cage had been sufficiently damaged in the fight with the other guard, allowing the memotrice to escape. He looked back and watched as the memotrice slashed the female guard’s throat open, allowing the blood to spill all over the ground. The female guard thrashed about on the ground, struggling to breathe. She soon stopped moving altogether, and in seconds, her wide, terrified eyes were glazed over.
The memotrice jumped in front of her and spread out its wings. It let out a loud squawk at the guards, who stared at it fearfully, their bodies trembling.
Skrawl watched as the memotrice looked over at him. For a few moments, they just stared at one another. Slowly the memotrice’s face altered, and a small smile began to stretch behind its beak. It was in that moment that Skrawl knew that the memotrice had just agreed to this alliance. With a return smile, Skrawl pointed at the guards and said one thing.
“Kill them!”
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 2, 2015 15:13:51 GMT -5
Chapter 3.
Skrawl could hardly believe the sight that laid before him. He knew that the memotrice was quite capable, but he didn’t know just how far it could go.
The memotrice hadn’t even laid a claw on anyone. Not since it had knocked that one girl away from him and killed her. As it had stood in front of the guards, Skrawl had expected it to attack. He had given the order. He didn’t understand why the beast wouldn’t listen to him. The thought boiled his blood. How dare it disobey him already...
Now he could see why it didn’t attack. It had made a move that not only amazed him, but horrified him at the same time. It was complete and utter proof that the metal helmets do not work at all like they thought; the creature was only pretended, as if playing some kind of sick, twisted game with them. He couldn’t help but smile at this. He was going to enjoy working with this creature.
The beast’s eyes had started to glow, and Skrawl knew that its powers were being activated. The guards had almost immediately started act funny. They gripped their heads, and their helmets clanged to the ground as they swayed their heads. Then they looked at each other. Any concern they had was rapidly replaced with contempt. Snarls and growls filled the air moments later and the guards started to attack each other.
The memotrice had already replaced their memories. It was a shock just how fast it had been able to accomplish this. No, wait...it was still going. The eyes were still glowing. There was more to come.
Skrawl flinched as he saw just the amount of hatred the guards had for each other now. They were at each other’s throats, trying to choke and beat each other to death. He could see them struggling to find any kind of weapon, and when finding none, used their fists and feet. The sight would be horrifying to anyone who happened to know the guards. It made Skrawl wonder just what memories the memotrice had placed inside of them.
Skrawl placed his hand against his head, clenching his teeth in a soft whimper. What if he was next? Perhaps freeing this thing was not such a good idea after all. He was impressed that the memotrice had been able to trick them for this long, but a part of him couldn’t help but feel terrified; what if it decided to turn against him afterwards? He no longer had a way to protect himself now.
Well the creature had saved him. And it hadn’t yet tried to hurt him. So..that was a promising sign, right...?
His thoughts were torn away when he heard a loud scream. He turned his head and saw that one of the guards had managed to bash another’s head against the wall, cracking it open. Then there was another scream as another guard managed to reak the arm of another, causing him to fall to the ground. Then there was a stomp against his throat and a loud, horrific gagging sound. It was enough to send chills through his body despite the fact that he had ordered this to happen.
It wasn’t until a few minutes later that the shouts and cries died down, and all the guards laid on the ground. Some were dead, killed in rather horrific ways, like this one whose severed hand was shoved up his throat. Others were alive. Skrawl noted one of them, whose head was lifted up and whimpering something coherent at him. A request for death, maybe? The guy’s intenstines were ripped out a little, caused by repeated bitings in that area. Skrawl denied him this; he was going to die soon anyway.
Now it was just him and the memotrice. They stared at one another, neither making a sound. Skrawl found it difficult to turn his head away. He had no idea what to expect with this creature. He feared that the moment he looked away, the creature would attack him.
But so far, it was just standing there, regarding him curiously. Skrawl licked his lips nervously. Despite the fact that the creature had declared its allegience to him, he still couldn’t help but feel very nervous around it. He had seen what this creature could do. How easily it could rip into flesh, how easily it could alter memories... He could already imagine it happening to him. What kind of memories would this thing give him and how would he even know it was happening? What if it had already started to replace his memories for kicks...?
Skrawl tried to push away that horrible thought. If he kept fearing something like that, he was only going to increase the odds of it happening. He would only distract himself and he couldn’t afford that. The memotrice may decide to cancel its partnership with him if he gave it any reason to believe he wasn’t trustworthy.
Skrawl smiled the best he could, placing a hand against himself as he took a step forward. “My my... That was quite a marvelous display there.”
The memotrice nodded its head. It made no sound. Skrawl realized that it likely could not speak. He frowned slightly at this. He wondered how they were going to communicate. Well he needed to try.
Skrawl held his hand out towards the memotrice. “Why don’t we go to my place and discuss matters further? This is not the right place for such talk.”
The memotrice tilted its head to one side. It looked around the room, regarding it with its keen brown eyes. It looked back at him and it gave a single nod of its head.
“Splendid!” Skrawl tapped his fingers together, smiling. He was quite eager to get started. He had so much he wanted to discuss with this creature. But for now, they had to get a move on. “Just follow me. I’ll take you to your new...temporary home and I’ll tell you what you can do for me.”
The memotrice pawed at the ground, scraping its talons against it. Skrawl flinched at this and froze, wondering if he had upset the memotrice in some way. He calmed down when the thing wasn’t attacking, but instead motioning to itself. Its feet scraping the ground were going towards itself, the talons pushed back in the air, bending towards its body. Skrawl realized what the creature was trying to say.
“Oh, you want to know what is in it for you?” Asked Skrawl. At the memotrice’s nod, he said, “Well, I did let you out...” The memotrice narrowed its eyes. Skrawl immediately raised his hands. “Okay! You want something more, I take it?”
The memotrice nodded and let out a squawk. Skrawl bit his lip. He hadn’t thought about exactly what he could give the memotrice. He had hoped that simply freeing it would be enough. He should have thought this through more.
He tapped his chin thoughtfully and tried to think of what this thing could want. He didn’t know a whole lot about it. This would create quite the challenge when trying to figure out what he could give the creature. Just what would the memotrice want? The only way he could find out was if he asked it and...
“Why don’t we discuss it at my hideout?” Skrawl offered. “You can tell me what you want, and I will see that it happens. Is that fair enough?”
The memotrice turned its head to the side. It raised its wing up towards its head and narrowed its eyes thoughtfully. After a few moments, it turned its pupil to Skrawl, regarding him curiously. It then turned its body towards him and nodded its head a couple of times. It gave a couple of chirps of affirmation.
Skrawl smiled at this. “Well then... Let’s get going.”
The memotrice tilted its head the other way and gave a quizzical chirp. Skrawl was about to ask what it was staring at him like that for when he realized just where it was getting at. He gave a dark, twisted smile, which appeared to confuse it a little.
Raising his hand up to the side, he said, “Oh don’t worry about that. You can handle the remaining guards, right?” He paused for a moment, then a brilliant idea came to his head. His eyes glinted as he stared at the memotrice. “Better yet, why don’t we...clean this place up? I think it can serve a much better use, don’t you?”
The memotrice appeared to like the sound of that. The smile it had on before returned, and it spread its wings out, arching them over as if it were trying to hold onto something at its sides. It needed no further prompting before it raced down the hallway. Skrawl gasped in surprise, not expecting it to take off so fast. He soon took off, running after the memotrice.
sss
Well that certainly had been lucky. Penny wasn’t sure if they would be able to get back here before anyone realized they were gone. She also wasn’t sure if they could slip back into the playground unnoticed. Thankfully, no one seemed to say anything, just like how it always was. This helped her feel a little bit of relief.
But she couldn’t totally relax. Her mind was swimming with thoughts regarding their latest encounter with Biclops. Never before had things been so tense in that cave. It was so thick, she could almost feel it as she and her friends walked through it. She had never seen Biclops look so horrified before. She had wanted to do something to comfort him, but given this situation, just what could she say?
The idea of a zoner being able to warp memories was horrifying enough. But the fact that Skrawl appeared to be after said zoner made things so much worse. Biclops had relayed the information to them, telling them everything he had seen. There was no doubt in her or Rudy’s mind that Skrawl would use the creature for his own benefits. It was best that they went after him as soon as possible.
However, they couldn’t take action yet. They had to get back to school, otherwise their teacher would get suspicious. As much as they hated leaving Biclops and Snap in spite of how terrified they were, they knew they had no choice. They promised they would stop in later and speak to them more about this. They accepted, although Penny could tell that they didn’t look very comforted.
She remained seated against Rudy. Her mind was too numb and full to think of doing anything else for recess, despite there being some time left. Never before had the seconds and minutes pass by so slowly. This was going to be a long school day. There were still a few more hours left before they could go home. She gritted her teeth. This was going to take forever. She wished that time would speed up and she and Rudy could just appear in their homes so they could go to ChalkZone and deal with Skrawl already.
She turned her head to where Rudy was. She could see how his head was facing down, his facial expression contorted in concern and horror. She couldn’t help but feel a pang in her stomach and chest. She hadn’t seen Rudy look so worried before. It was one thing to not know about something and trying to fix it when this realization was known. But it was very different when the danger was known but there was no present way to do something about it. If it had been up to Rudy, she knew they would have stayed in ChalkZone longer. If only it were a day off today...
She could only hope that Skrawl hadn’t gotten to the creature yet. It was locked up in a high security prison according to Snap. That offered some comfort. Perhaps it would slow Skrawl down enough to let them formulate a plan to stop him.
But she could not dismiss the idea of him finding a way in anyway. He was an intelligent zoner who was able to pull off incredible stunts. His first appearance to them when he trapped them in the museum deserved special mention, considering just how close he came to wiping them off the face of the world so soon. She shuddered as she remembered how they could have all drowned to death. Choking on chalk.. Not exactly something she hoped to feel any time soon.
She tried to relax herself a little. She couldn’t allow this to get to her. She would do herself no favors by getting worked up about it. She and Rudy would be able to do something about Skrawl soon. She just needed to calm herself down and let the remaining hours move by so that she and Rudy could get into ChalkZone quicker. According to Snap, there had been no reported attacks yet. There was still some time.
She leaned herself against Rudy, placing her warmth against him. Rudy looked down at her, both of them sharing a gaze. She put her arm around him and pressed him against her. She wanted to comfort him the best that she could in this uncertain time. She could feel Rudy return her affection, pressing his head against her shoulder. No words were spoken. They didn’t need to be. Their gestures were enough to convey what the other wanted to say.
This was soon broken by the bell ringing. They both immediately lifted up their heads, looking at where the school entrance was. They could see the kids, many with disappointed looks, moving towards the school. They used less vigor and energy from before, something that didn’t come as a surprise considering recess was the highlight of most of their days.
She glanced at Rudy and nodded her head once. They needed to head inside as well. Even though they felt so emotionally drained and demotivated, they had to get going and head inside before they get into trouble. Paying attention with the remaining classes was going to be difficult, but it was something they had to do. At least they only had a few hours left, and when they got into ChalkZone, they could take care of Skrawl, and this whole nightmare would be over. Then they could relax.
As they approached the door, she couldn’t help but notice Reggie standing right there. He had a frown on his face. He must be disappointed that he wasn’t able to come out to recess yet. She guessed that he was stuck inside, cleaning the erasers. Penny couldn’t help but smile at this. It was a little amusing how Reggie was always the one stuck cleaning the erasers, if it wasn’t Mr. Wilter that is. She felt some level of satisfaction knowing that Reggie wasn’t going to be able to bother those kids today. That would surely put a ‘damper on his day’ now wouldn’t it?
It was only moments later that she took notice of just where he was looking. She thought he was looking out at the playground in general. But as soon as she cracked a small smile, Reggie had started to narrow his eyes more deeply. She felt her heart skip a beat. It might have been a minor detail, but it was enough to convince her that Reggie was peering straight at her and Rudy. This realization nearly made her stop walking.
Why was Reggie glaring at her and Rudy like this? What did he want? What was he going to do? She casted a nervous glance with Rudy, who looked just as unnerved as he was. There was something on Reggie’s mind, and it didn’t look like the usual bullying tactic. He hadn’t rushed over to them, made an obnoxious comment, and ran. This was something different, something much more serious. This was not the Reggie they knew, and it scared them.
Despite wanting to remain still, the bell of the school prompted them to keep moving forward. They could feel their hearts clench and speed up as they got closer to Reggie. They tried to make themselves move at normal speed, tried whatever they could to hide their anxiousness. But Reggie’s expression was enough for them to realize that he wasn’t buying it.
Soon they reached the door. They flinched slightly, expecting him to say something. To their surprise and confusion, the boy remained silent. Penny realized it must be due to the bell; he couldn’t say anything because they all had to get back to class as soon as possible.
Well, he almost didn’t say anything. As they began to move a little past him, he said, “I’ll see you after class. Both of you.”
Rudy and Penny looked at each other, and then back at Reggie. He watched them for a few moments before he started to walk forward. He moved up until he was at their side, his eyes never leaving them. He stared at them intently, his brown eyes boring through theirs. They remained locked this way for a few seconds before Reggie started to walk again, heading back to class.
Penny and Rudy watched as Reggie left them in a state of confusion. They couldn’t help but look at one another a second time, sharing expressions of confusion.
What was Reggie getting at? What did he want? Why did he want to see them after class? Their first thought would be that he wanted to beat them up, but he never called out more than one person at a time. It would be a pretty risky thing to do. He didn’t like not having the upperhand, and preferred targeting single, smaller students whenever he felt like beating someone up.
Rudy had been a target of him a few times before. It was one of two things. Either in the hallway or after school. He would pin Rudy and punch him a few times. Thankfully Reggie never went that far in his attacks and the worse Rudy ever had to go away with was a black eye or a slight limp. He had been punished for these attacks, but they didn’t stop him. It probably helped that Reggie resorted mostly to verbal threats and physical moves that didn’t really cause harm, such as seizing of the throat.
Him calling out the two of them at once was not something they had seen before with Reggie. Well there were those boys that he hung out with, but he never actually beat them up all at once. His large size was enough to stop any kind of struggle and the worst he does is drag them around and make them do stuff for him.
So what did Reggie want with them? The look in his eyes... Penny could tell there was something there she hadn’t seen before. Something that told her something was up. But what?
Well there was nothing she and Rudy could do about it now. All they could do was continue onto class. They wouldn’t be able to avoid Reggie. They might as well agree to meet up with him before they left for home. She could only hope that he didn’t keep them for too long.
Without saying another word, she and Rudy continued on their way to class.
sss
Biclops was not able to relax. No matter how hard he tried, it was just impossible. How was he supposed to relax with such a dangerous creature out there? Especially since Skrawl wanted to capture this creature for himself? It didn’t take a genius to know exactly what Skrawl would do with the memotrice.
What unnerved Biclops even more is that the memotrice’s powers were increased when it came to a zoner who also had memory-based powers. He was certain this was creator intent. That seemed to be too much of a specific ability to really be coincidence. Perhaps this creature was meant to be a character in a comic book?
He didn’t care at the moment. What the creature was initially intended for didn’t matter to him. All he knew is that this thing was definitely evil. A monster that was a menace to all of ChalkZone. Altering memories, turning loved ones against other just for kicks and giggles. How revolting... The fact that the creature would not have any qualms or shame when it came to what it wanted to do was probably the most disgusting of all.
But it wasn’t just disgust he felt for it. He also had a level of fear towards it. That whole ‘effects are stronger on memory-based zoners’ really had him worried. He was one such memory-based zoner, having stored events of ChalkZone inside of him. He feared what might happen if he were to cross paths with the little creature. What kind of havoc could it wreak upon him? He hoped he would never have to find out.
He wished that Rudy and Penny could have stayed longer. He was hoping that they could help him and Snap figure out what they could do. But he understood why they head to leave. Penny did bring up a good point about how it would cause problems if they stayed too long. He and Snap, albeit reluctantly, let them leave so they could head back to school. At least they would be back later and they could begin discussing the problem.
Snap didn’t stay for much longer. They weren’t able to figure out much of anything. Well, nothing that they already didn’t, anyway. Plus, Snap had promised that he would meet Blocky somewhere for some kind of game, and Snap wasn’t the type of zoner to break a promise if he could help it.
Biclops didn’t really like being alone right now. Normally he didn’t mind it. He was a solitary zoner and preferred his privacy. But with that zoner around, it wasn’t something that he particularly liked. He felt rather frightened right now, his bodily movements tense, his eyes wide and darting left and right nervously. Even though he knew no one was in here, he couldn’t help but constantly look around, trying to find any sign of trouble.
He reminded himself over and over that the memotrice was still locked up. There was no way that Skrawl could get it that fast. Not with how well guarded that place was. Skrawl would be foiled for a while, which gave plenty of time for them to figure out a plan. So long as they were able to stop him from laying a hand on that zoner, everything was going to be fine.
For now, there wasn’t much he could do. He tried to settle himself down. Perhaps he should try to exercise or something to get his mind off of things. Yeah, that sounded pretty good right about now. He had a nice large treadmill back in his cave. That would be perfect to work off some of the anxiety rising up inside of him. Maybe afterwards, he’ll be able to think better, and maybe he could think of some kind of plan to use against Skrawl.
He had to keep himself at least somewhat alert. He had to keep his eyes and ears open for any news regarding that memotrice. He had to be ready. He would never know when he would have to face off against the creature. He could only hope that he would be able to take it off guard and knock it unconscious or something before it could do anything. Or even kill it... Not a route he liked, but he would take it if he absolutely had to. Sometimes, there was just no other choice.
And with Skrawl around, he knew that he would have to tread lightly and remain cautious. He had seen what that horrible zoner was capable of doing. He knew that he would not be able to relax. Skrawl was a vicious, dangerous zoner who nearly succeeded in taking over ChalkZone a few times. There was no doubt that he would seize that opportunity once he got the memotrice. He could trick all the zoners into believing he had always been the rightful ruler and that Rudy Tabootie was some interloper that was trying to trick them all.
Or worse...
Biclops gulped at the thought of how Skrawl could do worse. But he was certain that he could. Even he himself could be a target. After all, he guarded the Chalk Mine. And if he was targeted...
His eyes suddenly went wide in realization, his mouth dropping open. What if that’s what Skrawl had planned? What if he was the target that he had in mind? What if, as soon as he got the memotrice, he would come flocking over to him to ‘take care of him?’
Oh why didn’t he think of this before? Of course he would be a prime target to Skrawl. He was the one who guarded the Chalk Mine. If something were to happen to him, Skrawl could try to destroy it again, which would cut off Rudy’s supply of the magic chalk and Skrawl could then swoop in and ‘deal’ with him. Without any way to defend himself, there was little chance that Rudy would last long against Skrawl. All it would take is one strike of those claws and he was done for.
Biclops bit his lip. He wished he had thought about this before he let Rudy and Penny go back to the Real World. He wished that he had warned him of that potential possibility. Yeah he had given Rudy more chalk, but if his supply was cut off, those pieces of chalk would only last him for so long. If he ran out and something had happened to him himself... what was going to happen?
He hoped that he would be able to warn Rudy and Penny in time, or at least relay in the information to Snap so he could tell them. At least if they knew what to expect, they could better prepare for it. This wouldn’t remove the challenge by any means, but at least it wouldn’t be as difficult. Knowing was half the battle, right?
Well there wasn’t anything he could do about that right now. He might as well get started on that exercise. Rudy and Penny would be here later today. He could speak to them then. Right now, he should probably get on that treadmill and try to get rid of some of this pent up anxiety. He imagined it was going to be quite difficult to speak to them if he let his anxiety rise up too much. Not a good idea to try to relay important information this way.
He took one last look around the horizon, noting the trees and grass in the distance, the sun that was hanging overhead, the few zoners that passed by harmlessly, before he turned his attention back to the cave entrance. He took in a deep breath and sighed. He began to make his way back inside and headed towards his treadmill. Never before had he looked so forward to getting on that thing. He knew that this exercise was going to do wonders for him.
sss
The remainder of the class went on pretty smoothly. Mrs. Sanchez had talked about other things regarding pet care, and had brought out a few more animals for them to play with. The students were having a lot of fun, although most of their attention were to the cute, cuddly animals, many of which were fought over.
They all had to take a quiz right after. This was not something they could escape from. They either took it or they all got poor grades added to their report cards. Since none of them wanted that, they all reluctantly stopped petting the animals and returned to their seats. The quiz was over in about fifteen minutes, and they passed up their paperwork. Mr. Wilter said he will have the grades tomorrow.
Mrs. Sanchez left the classroom about ten minutes before the final bell. She took the animals back to her car and would wait there for Rudy and Penny, as she was taking them home. With the remaining five minutes, Mr. Wilter simply relayed some of the information that had been given to them. A way to refresh their minds so they would remember more clearly the information they had been told today.
Rudy was hardly paying attention to the teacher at the moment. His mind kept wandering around to other, more urgent matters. It was difficult for him to relax and clear his mind. All he could do was constantly oversee some rather uncomfortable information that kept ringing out through his skull.
He thought back to their trip into ChalkZone. He was unnerved by the thought of a memory altering zoner. He wasn’t sure if he or Penny would be affected by it, but he knew that Snap and the others would.
And Skrawl was going after it... If he managed to get the creature...
He wasn’t sure how things could get any worse at that point. Skrawl would be able to alter the memories of any zoner he chose. Some targets would have particularly widespread effects. Rudy had some good ideas on which zoners he would most likely target. The biggest one of course was Biclops, considering his position of guarding the Chalk Mine and being the closest thing to authority in that section of ChalkZone.
He had been glad when the day zipped by a little more quickly than he had thought it would. Already, it was nearing time to leave. He turned his head and looked up at the clock. The minute hand was so close... Just a few bars away. Once that second hand went all the way around, and that minute hand went to the twelve, it would be over.
He couldn’t wait to get back into ChalkZone. He wanted to meet up with Biclops as soon as possible and try to figure out what they could do. They had a little bit of time; Skrawl would surely be too distracted by the security to be able to nab the memotrice too fast. Rudy could take advantage of that delay to come up with something.
Or would they be wasting their times going directly to Biclops? Shouldn’t they try to go to the holding area instead? He hadn’t thought about it before, but this route seemed to make the most sense. The sooner they got to that location, the sooner they could offer a defense to keep that evil jellybean away. He knew Skrawl would not be foolish enough to try anything too drastic when he had to face off against two creators.
He wondered how Biclops and Snap were doing. They must feel so afraid right now. Knowing that there was a crazed zoner who could turn them against each other, alter their entire personalities...
Rudy shuddered at the thought of that. What horrific thought... There wasn’t much scarier than losing oneself, for one to be changed beyond recognition, to forget everything they loved and held dear... Wait, he could think of something even scarier than that. Feeling it happening, and being helpless to stop it.
He stared at the clock intensely, watching how it seemed to move at a snail’s pace. He gritted his teeth. Come on, clock... Move...
After what felt like ages, the clock’s second hand passed the twelve mark enough times, making the minute hand touch the twelve. Seconds later, the bell began to ring. This caused Rudy, along with Penny, to let out exhales of relief, their breath escaping their throats. They got out of their seats, their chair’s squeaking overshadowed by the shouts of the children as they rushed out of the room.
Over the cry of the other classmates, he could hear Mr. Wilter say, “Now don’t forget, class! Read and study chapter 5! You will have an extensive test on that on Wednesday of next week!”
Rudy could see Penny writing this down in her small notebook before shoving it in her bag. Such an act did not come as a surprise to him. He and her both remembered the last time when they had gotten the wrong assignments. He flinched as he rubbed his wrist, still feeling the ache from that day. He did not want to have to go through that again.
He and Penny headed towards the door as most of the other students left. They remained silent, their eyes holding a level of determination. They did not need to speak to one another to know what the other was thinking. Now that school was over, they could begin to attend to the more urgent matter of ChalkZone.
Soon, the two children were heading down the hallway. Many of the students were at their lockers, grabbing their things or just chit chatting. He and Penny had to navigate through them, and soon, near the exit of the school, it was largely empty. Getting through there didn’t take nearly as long, save for a near run-in with one of the older students. Further outside the door, they could see the parking lot, and the tell tale yellow color that gave away where Mrs. Sanchez had parked her car.
Rudy could feel a sensation spread through him, starting from his heart and spreading outward. They were so close to finally going home. So close to finally being able to deal with Skrawl. Soon, all this anxiety clouding up inside of his chest was going to go away, and he and Penny could finally relax, and ChalkZone could breathe a sigh of relief. Soon they exited out of the school doors and headed down the steps.
They did not get too far.
As soon as they reached the bottom step, something grabbed onto them. The two kids let out a shout of surprise, only to be muffled as something gagged them. They were dragged back away from the stairs at surprising speed. They were slammed against something hard and cold. Their eyes shut tightly, they struggled against their captors’ grasp, their hearts racing in their chests. But the grasp on them only tightened.
When they opened their eyes, they were shocked to see that it wasn’t Reggie or some other bully in the school, but instead it was Bobby and Harvey, the two kids that were forced to hang around Reggie. Bobby had pinned Rudy while Harvey had a hold of Penny. The two children were able to yank their heads away, and they immediately began to express their displeasure.
“What are you guys doing?!” Penny stared at them in bewilderment.
Rudy tried to yank his arm free. “Let us go!”
Both Bobby and Harvey gave them looks of sympathy. It was clear that neither of them really wanted to do this. Despite that, they did not let go of them. It was as if they were terrified of what might happen to them if they allowed them to leave.
“We’re...so sorry...” Bobby whispered. “We... We didn’t want to...”
“Just hold still. Make it easier.” Stated Harvey.
The two boys moved in closer and pushed their bodies against Rudy and Penny. This pinned them further against the wall and reduced their mobility. Rudy and Penny continued to struggle, refusing to give up. They had no idea what was going on, but they weren’t about to stand around here and find out.
Both of them were a bit unnerved by how strong these boys were. More so than any of them could have imagined. Who knew that two timid boys whom Reggie could control with a single finger would be able to hold their own like this? No matter how hard they pushed and pulled, these two boys were not budging. Their attempts of escape only seemed to increase their efforts to hold them still, and they couldn’t help but flinch as they felt their arms being squeezed tighter.
Rudy froze when he heard footsteps. He turned his head and he could see Reggie coming down the stairs. He was looking straight at them, his brown eyes nearly boring through theirs. It was in that moment that Rudy remembered their encounter with Reggie in the hallway, and how he had called the two of them out. He had been so much more worried about ChalkZone, he had forgotten about this.
He still had no idea what Reggie wanted with them. But it must be really important to him if he made Bobby and Harvey catch them like this. Normally, Reggie preferred doing things on his own. Now, he was using numbers to his advantage, as he had them outnumbered two to three.
Well, looks like he and Penny were about to find out.
“Look, Reggie. I don’t know what you want...” Penny began to say. “But I hope you don’t plan on keeping us for long. My mom is waiting and if she sees what you are doing...”
Reggie raised his hand up and moved it from side to side dismissively. “Yeah, yeah... I know. Don’t worry. I don’t plan on making this long.” He paused for a moment. Then he folded his arms against his chest. “That all depends on how well you cooperate.”
Rudy cocked an eyebrow at this. “Cooperate? With what?”
“My questions.”
At this, Rudy and Penny looked over at one another. Questions? Just what kind of questions did this guy have? How urgent did they need to be in order for this guy to go this far with getting the information that he wanted? This wasn’t like the Reggie they knew. Just what in the world did he want to ask them, and how could it be so important that he was willing to do this, instead of just outright asking them?
“Okay.. What kind of questions do you have, Reggie?” Asked Rudy. “And make them quick. We wouldn’t want something...embarrassing happening, now would we?” He gave Reggie a knowing smile.
This caused the bully to flinch; he knew exactly what he was referring to. Harvey and Bobby gave a few questioning and confused cries, but Reggie ignored them completely. Rudy knew this was because Reggie did not want to give them the slightest hint of that deep dark secret that Rudy knew about now. He didn’t really want to wield it like this, but if it makes Reggie move faster and avoid trouble...
Reggie answered almost immediately. “I saw a strange light coming from the side of the school.” At this, Harvey and Bobby exchanged confused looks. “Then I saw you two coming from that spot.” He pointed his hand towards them. “I was hoping if you could tell me what that was.”
At first, Rudy didn’t know what he was talking about. A strange light? He looked over at Penny. He and her didn’t recall ever seeing any sort of strange light from the school. Had Reggie eaten something to day that was causing a temporary hallucination. Unlikely, but it was still possible. With the appetite that boy had...
Oh no...
Something clicked in Rudy’s head. He wasn’t able to stop his eyes from widening in shock. He stared Reggie, hoping that it was something else, anything else.
But what if it was true? If Reggie was talking about a strange light they walked out of...
He could feel his heart clench at the possibility. He could see Penny was looking at him, no longer confused and having wide eyes. It seemed she had figured it out herself as well. There was one thing that they both knew would have produced the same effect. The same sudden glow and disappearance, with them being in the same spot. It was something they hoped wasn’t true, but the longer they stared at Reggie, their minds going over the clues, the more they realized that this was perhaps reality.
Reggie had seen the portal.
At least part of it. He did not make any attempt to describe a portal, but he had still seen the light, and he had seen them in the same area. This would explain why he was staring at them the way he had. He was confused and suspicious. He had correctly deduced they were behind it, and he wanted to know more about it.
Rudy struggled to find an answer he could give. What could he and Penny say that would get Reggie off of their hair? What answer would be acceptable to him? Judging from his expression, whatever he or Penny tell him would need to be very convincing. Reggie was in one of those moods, and if they say one thing wrong, he was going to jump to all sorts of conclusions.
“Well? Aren’t you going to tell me?” Reggie spoke up, narrowing his eyes at the two kids. “I’m not letting you go until you tell me.” He folded his arms against himself. “I was hoping you would be more willing to speak if I brought my ‘friends’ with.”
Rudy narrowed his eyes. “So you did plan on keeping us a while.”
“Only long enough for you two to tell me the truth.” Reggie’s voice had a strange pitch to it. Something they hadn’t heard from him before. “I know something is up, and all I want to know is what it is.” He took a few steps closer. “I don’t want to have to do anything to you guys. All I want is an answer.” He narrowed his eyes a bit further. “If you don’t give me the answer in the next two minutes...”
Penny growled at this. “What do you plan on doing if our answer doesn’t satisfy you?”
Reggie’s lip curled up slightly. A look of desperation and aggression that the two kids hoped they would never get from Reggie. A look that meant he was all serious business right now. “You don’t want to know....”
A cold shiver moved through the two friends’ bodies. They gave each other a brief, nervous glance, before they stared back at Reggie. It was clear that seeing the flash of light had spooked Reggie to the point where he was acting beyond his usual self. He must be regarding that light as something to be feared, and he was willing to do whatever it took to find out about it.
Rudy wondered if Reggie was suffering some kind of flashback. Perhaps he was recalling his time in ChalkZone, when he was used by the red chalk to wreak havoc. The thought sent chills through Rudy’s body. If Reggie remembered how he had bested up and outsmarted him...
Reggie looked at Rudy intently. He turned to look over at Penny. He noted their expressions, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. Rudy tried so hard not to gulp. He realized that he and Penny had screwed up there. Now Reggie thought that they had something to hide. And if he was really desperate to get that information... Even going as far as ignoring that blackmail he had on him...
Any hope of a teacher finding them in time would be moot. Most of the students were gone. The teachers were still inside. Mrs. Sanchez would not be able to see them from this angle. And the walls there were thick. Any attempts to shout would be quite difficult for anyone to hear. Reggie had planned this out surprisingly well.
“Still not going to answer?”
Thinking fast, Rudy stammered, “I-It was just our light show...”
Penny nodded her head. “Yeah. We were playing with a flashlight. A shadow puppet game! That’s all.”
Reggie narrowed his eyes. “Do you really think I’m going to buy into that?” Rudy and Penny winced at this. “Why don’t you tell me the truth?”
The two children fell silent at this. They exchanged nervous looks with each other. What were they going to say now? Neither of them could figure out a good lie that would satisfy the boy. All they could do was stare at Reggie, their minds’ gears rapidly turning as they struggled to think of something to say.
Unfortunately, they weren’t able to think of something in time.
“Harvey. Bobby.”
The two boys turned their head to Reggie. They gave him looks of apprehension, their teeth gritted nervously. “Yes, Reggie?” They spoke in unison.
Reggie raised his large arm up, his thick fingers snapping in the air. “Beat them up until they agree to tell the truth.” The two boys lowered their heads in submission, and turned back to their captives, their eyes holding a high level of regret.
Rudy exchanged a look of horror with Penny. Their hearts beating quickly, they tried to get away. The boys simply held them further against the wall, scraping their exposed skin along it. They gagged as their throats were grasped tightly, their eyes shutting tightly. They managed to open up one eye and they looked at Bobby and Harvey. The two boys had formed a fist with their free hand and had it pulled back. The sight of it filled Rudy and Penny with fear, and they looked at the boys pleadingly.
“We’re so sorry...”
That was the last thing Rudy heard before the pain started.
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 8, 2015 17:28:15 GMT -5
Chapter 4. Reggie narrowed his eyes as he looked at the scene before him. Many thoughts were running through his head, each one seeming to echo with each blow that was given. His lip curled up slightly and he shook his head slowly. These acts repeated themselves the longer he stared at this scene and he found himself biting his lip to keep from yelling. Why weren’t Rudy and Penny relenting? Why were they allowing this to continue happening to them? He didn’t want to do this. He really didn’t. Okay sure, he had moments where he did want to beat up Rudy, but not like this. He constantly kept his eyes and ears open to listen for the sound of an adult approaching. Someone was going to hear this ruckus soon. He would rather they all avoid the trouble, if only Rudy and Penny would just speak to him. All he wanted was to understand what they were doing. He wanted to know what they were up to. Was that so wrong? He couldn’t fathom any reason why they would continue remaining silent. After scream, after scream, he thought that they would finally give in and answer, only for them to continue resisting. It was frustrating, and he found himself forming a fist with his hand, shaking it. “Answer me!” But the two children still would not answer. They didn’t even look in their direction. All they did was keep their eyes shut and looked away, accepting each blow. The sight of this confused Reggie. Why would they be so willing to take these hits? They were both pretty beaten up by this point. Yet they continued to take it. Why? There had to be a reason for this. Reggie thought about this carefully, trying to search for anything in his head that would explain why they would. There were a few possibilities. But whether or not it was the reason was hard to say. The longer they didn’t answer, the more questions that began to emerge in his mind. The first and foremost one was: was what they were doing dangerous? It was possible. That would indeed explain why they were refusing to tell him anything. They did not want to get into trouble with the adults. He understood that feeling all too well. For him to get away with ‘playing’ with others, he often had to use stealth and be very careful of what he did or said within earshot of an adult. Even then, he still found himself getting into trouble. Sometimes for things he didn’t even do. So it made sense to him that Rudy and Penny would be paranoid if what they did was dangerous. But how dangerous? That was the important question thatt would discern the seriousness of the situation. If it was anything like what he did, then it wasn’t too bad that didn’t call for immediate attention. But if it was something much more serious... “Just tell me already!” Reggie snarled as he shook his fists at his side. “Let’s just get this over with! Tell me what you were doing!” Another punch was delivered to Rudy’s face. His head jerked to the side. He let out a few painful coughs. He looked over at Reggie and he gave a half smile. “W-We told you... We weren’t... We weren’t d-d-doing anything...” “Liar!” Reggie barked at them. He turned to Penny. “What about you? Are you going to tell me the truth?” Penny winced as she felt Harvey gripped her hair and slammed her face against the concrete wall. She gave a shudder of pain, and looked over at Reggie. Despite what happened to her, she still managed to glare at him. “We have..n-nothing to tell y-you...” Reggie growled at this. Despite all that was done to them by Harvey and Bobby, they still weren’t relenting. Despite being punched, slammed, and kicked, they were not willing to tell him what they were doing. This only made his suspicions grow even more. Whatever they were doing... It must be horrible if they weren’t willing to tell him what it was. He felt a small pang of concern in his stomach. What if what they were hiding was dangerous? What if it could pose a threat to everyone, not just them? What if their keeping it a secret made things so much worse? What if they doing something that could bring harm to so many? Reggie did not consider himself a hero. He wasn’t the type that daydreamed of saving others’ lives. But in this case, since he was included, he had to do something. Not to mention, while he wasn’t showing it right now, he did have some concern for Rudy and Penny. He wished they could just see that he was trying to keep them from getting into trouble. Couldn’t they see how an adult might react to this? They were better off telling him about it. Bobby stomped on Rudy’s foot and used his nails to slash up along his arm, leaving beyond shallow yet bloody and painful scratches. Harvey punched Penny in her throat, causing her to gag, and then drove his knee into her stomach, forcing her to caugh. Harvey then knocked her off her feet and pressed his foot against her back. He grabbed her arm and pulled it over behind her and began to bend it at an odd angle. Rudy called out for her but was silenced when his face was slammed against the wall. Bobby grabbed onto his hand and began to pull back two of his fingers, threatening to break them. Reggie watched this scene in silence. Rudy and Penny looked over at him. He could see the pleading looks in their eyes for him to call them off. He simply folded his arms, narrowed his eyes, and waited. If they want them to stop, they knew what had to be done. Yet they still didn’t speak. Reggie, not wanting to go as far as break a bone, waved his hand for Bobby and Harvey to stop. The two boys still held onto Rudy and Penny, and stared over at Reggie for more instructions. They remained silent, the looks in their eyes showing how much they were hating this. “L-Let us go... Please. We-We didn’t do anything..” Penny told him. “Y-Yeah. W-We were just p-playing...” Rudy seethed in pain. “Why can’t you s-s-see that...?” Reggie narrowed his eyes at this. “Don’t lie to me. I saw the flash of light.” He pointed a finger at them. “You were not ‘doing nothing’! And you weren’t playing with your stupid chalk, either!” He pointed a thumb against himself. “I know what I saw! I’m not stupid!” He took a step forward, slamming a fist against his palm. “You two had better start speaking the truth, or you just might need some help...” The two children stared at him wide-eyed, and even Harvey and Bobby looked shocked by this statement. A part of Reggie regretted it, but he had to do whatever he could to encourage Rudy and Penny to speak. Simply talking to them was not working, so he needed to find another way. “I-I don’t think that’s...” Harvey started to say. Reggie shot him a glare. “Oh no?” Bobby nodded his head. “We...We’ve had enough. Can’t we...?” Reggie narrowed his eyes further. The sight of this was enough to make Bobby and Harvey shut their mouths and look away from him. They both knew better than to try to question his authority. They obeyed him. He didn’t care if they didn’t like this. So long as Rudy and Penny refused to speak, he was not going to let them go. They could make this all easier if they would just speak. But they were refusing. He couldn’t give up just yet. But how was he going to get them to speak? No matter what he tried so far, nothing was working. It was clear that Rudy and Penny were determined to keep this a secret, and they were willing to endure so much in order to keep him from finding out. He had to admire their determination, but all this was going to do was cause potential problems in the future. What was going to happen if this secret they were keeping came back and created some sort of disaster? A disaster that could be avoided if they would just speak up... He stared at Rudy and Penny long and hard as his mind sifted through many thoughts. He tried ot think of something else he could try to get them to talk. He already tried having them struck and slammed. Perhaps it was time to try something different. That’s when it struck him. Something that he hadn’t thought of before. Something that just might work. He froze at the thought. Could he really have something like that done? He knew how dangerous it was and what kind of damage it could do. Even he himself didn’t dare do it so much because of the threats that it posted. As if he wasn’t going to be in enough trouble already with what he was doing to them now, if he did this... But because of its intensity, maybe it would work. Maybe after this was done to them, they would be more willing to speak. He knew he would feel the same way if this were done to him. All it would take was for one, applied right, enough pressure, then they would scream and beg him to stop. Maybe they would even blurt out their secret due to the pain. A dirty, filthy tactic, but it if it would get results, if it were to help him find out if this place was dangerous or not, then he supposed he should give it a shot. But which one first? He looked from Rudy to Penny. Which one would be more likely to crack under the pressure? Both were quite strong willed. He took a few moments to examine them to determine which one was the better choice. Rudy might be a good one, but then again he was used to getting beat up by him. Perhaps Penny? But she wasn’t one to back down easily. He had seen her stand up to him before. Which to choose...? He finally settled on Penny. He turned to her and stared at her intently. He watched as she still attempted to squirm free. The sight was almost humorous, but he had other things to attend to first. He took a few steps towards her. She watched him carefully, her eyes widening as she waited for him to speak. Reggie decided to give her another chance. “Are you going to tell me the truth?” Penny growled at this. “I told you already.. We did n-n-nothing!” Reggie frowned and shook his head in disappointment. “I would have expected better from you, Sanchez.” He lowered his head slightly, staring at her intently. “I didn’t want to have to do this...” “Leave her alone, you...!” Rudy let out a scream when Bobby bobbed him hard on the head. “Now that that little interruption is over...” Reggie glared at Rudy and then turned back to Penny. “I will make you an offer, Sanchez. Tell me what I want to know, and I will let you and Tabootie go. If you don’t, I will be forced to resort to more drastic measures.” Penny widened her eyes at this for a few seconds. In those moments, Reggie thought that maybe she would do the right thing and tell him. But instead she just frowned again and looked away. “No.” She said simply, and went silent. Reggie wasn’t really too surprised by this. These two had already proven that they were stubborn. If that’s the case, then he really did have no choice. If they weren’t going to listen to reason, and if his previous attacks on them weren’t working, it was time to bring out a much bigger gun, so to speak. He looked over at Harvey and Bobby, a glint in his eyes. They let out a whimper and cringed at this. Their eyes darted down to Rudy and Penny and then looked back them. They were clearly reluctant to continue hurting them, but they had no choice. And he himself had no choice either. It was either this or this potential danger would still continue lurking out there somewhere. Just waiting to strike... Reggie raised his hand up and he snapped his thick fingers. The sound nearly echoed on the walls. “Bite her.” Harvey nearly staggered at this. “Wh-What...?” “You heard me.” Reggie’s voice grew dark. His eyes narrowed into slits. “Bite her...” There was a stunned silence in the area. All four of the students before him had looks of horror on their faces. Although the expressions differed slightly, they all conveyed the same message. None of them could believe the order he had just given. Neither could he. But he did not relent, and he continued glaring at Harvey, pounding one fist against another, threatening him to do it. Rudy struggled and tried to cry out. But with a wave of Reggie’s hand, Bobby pinned him against the wall and silenced him, pressing his hand against his mouth. Rudy jerked his head from one side to the other, letting out muffled cries. He soon gave up and he watched helplessly as Harvey pinned Penny against the ground, using his body weight to hold her down. Penny looked up at Harvey, her eyes wide in feare. “P-Please... don’t do this...” She begged him. Harvey stared down at her, his eyebrows raising in guilt and sadness. “I’m so sorry, Penny...” “Get on with it!” Reggie barked. “And don’t hold back! Really let her have it!” Harvey’s face paled at this and he looked down at Penny. A few hint of tears made themselves known in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth. He then pulled one of Penny’s arms behind her back and hooked it there with his arm. He stared down at the skin of her arms. He looked down at Penny, looking into her terror-filled eyes. “I’m sorry, Penny...” He whispered. Suddenly his jaws slammed against her arm, his teeth pressing against her flesh. Penny tried to scream, but Harvey handgagged her as well. She continued to let out loud, pained whimpers as Harvey’s teeth began to penetrate her arm. sss “Welcome to my...” Skrawl’s voice trailed off. “..my lair? No, too cheesy. To my...oh whatever! Just welcome!” Skrawl growled at himself for botching that up. He had never welcomed another villain to his hide out before. He had met up with Craniac 4, yes, but not here. He just happened to run into him one day. This was the first time he had allowed another villain into his lair. It was only appropriate he welcomed it, but instead he slipped over his words. Oh well, it didn’t really matter anyway. The bird thing was on his side, so who cared if he screwed up his line? Right now, they had more important matters to discuss. Using his head to gesture, he proceeded to lead the memotrice deeper inside his lair. As he walked further inside, he folded his arm behind his back, tilting his head back slightly. He couldn’t help but smile to himself. This had been quite a success. After all that trouble, he had managed to come back with the memotrice. There was a problem here or there, but overall, they faired out quite well. A part of him was surprised, but the other had expected this, considering the memotrice’s powers. Along the way back here, they did run into some zoners that tried to stop them. The memotrice took immediate care of them, forcing the two zoners to fight each other over whatever made up memory the memotrice had given them. He had thought about asking what it was, but decided that it may be better off he didn’t know. He might just give the memotrice a reason to alter his memory. That was something that he would much rather avoid. The two of them continued to walk down the hallway slowly. The lights overhead moved along their bodies, casting long shadows behind them, making it look almost as if many individuals were trying to break in. But Skrawl knew better. Apparently a couple of his Beanie Boys did not. He smiled in amusement as some of them jumped to the side and let out a scream of shock. He watched one in particular who was up against a wall, staring at the shadows. Skrawl shook his head. What an idiot... Perhaps soon he should weed out the Beanie Boys again. Soon, he and the memotrice reached their destination. They walked into his living room and headed towards the couch. He sat down on it and motioned for the memotrice to get beside him. The memotrice did so, jumping up on the couch and settling down on it as if it were some kind of hen ready to lay an egg. He tried to get that mental image out of his head. “Before we start, I do need to ask you a quick question.” Skrawl asked. He motioned his hand slowly towards the memotrice. “Can you speak?” There was a prolonged silence from the creature. It stared at him in the eyes, its tail tapping against the couch like it were a cat. After a few moments, it finally gave an answer. It moved its head from side to side in a swift motion. Skrawl frowned at this. He realized that this could be problematic. If this creature could not speak, then how were they going to properly communicate for the plan? If this creature had any thoughts of its own, he did see it beneficial to at least hear what it has to say. This won’t be possible if the creature couldn’t speak. But then again, the creature could understand what he was saying. Perhaps a series of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions would work. Yes, he could do that. But just which ones should he ask? He paused for a moment to consider the questions, as well as anything else he was going to tell it. He needed to make sure he explained everything and that the creature understood exactly what he wanted. He also needed to make sure that the creature was all for this and to provide something that could benefit it in some way. He knew the creature would want something in return for helping him. Fortunately, he believed he knew exactly what it wanted. “I guess you would be wondering why I want your help.” Skrawl asked. The memotrice nodded its head once. “Well I am so glad you asked.” He tapped his claw tips together, a small smile spreading across his face. “You see, as I told you before, I have this...problem. A couple of annoying pests who will not get out of my way so I can take over ChalkZone. I have tried a few times and I always fail because of this stupid brats.” He clutched his fist tightly and growled, recalling those rather embarrassing defeats. He quickly relaxed himself and he motioned towards him. “That...is where you come in, my fine feathered friend...” The memotrice watched him curiously. Its eyes were narrowed and it gave off an expression that told Skrawl it wanted him to get on with it. Yeah, he was repeating himself a little, but he felt the need to make sure the memotrice still recalled what he had said. “I am quite aware of your powers. The ability to alter memories...” He held his hand up and flexed his claws outward at this. “Yes...that is a fine ability. Simple, yet powerful.” He leaned in a little closer, staring straight into the memotrice’s eyes. His smile grew slightly twisted. “With it, I can be assured of my victory. You will be able to help me achieve my dream of total takeover.” The memotrice turned its head to the side. It gave a quizzical squawk. Skrawl stared at it for a few moments, wondering what it was saying. He took a guess. “You walking about if I want you to go after those three?” Skrawl watched as the memotrice nodded its head. Skrawl moved its hand out in front of him and waved it a couple of times. “Oh no, no. I have something better in mind.” He got up from the couch. He motioned with his claw. “Come here. I will show you.” The two headed out of the living room, in the opposite direction than they had first came. Down the hallway they went, which curved around a little before going in a straight line again. There was nothing in the hallway except for some lights. Up ahead was a double door. It took them only moments to reach it. He grabbed the door and he pushed it open. He listened to creak as the doors swung open, moving back slightly from the force. They were now in a large, dome-shaped room made out of smooth material. He wasn’t sure what it was. Metal or smoothed out rock or something. He and the memotrice stood on a higher platform, which had a stretched circular ledge jetting out while the edges curved inward, forming points almost like fangs or something. A railing kept him from accidentally falling down. Down below, he could see the flat, almost angular floor. It was covered with several lines that criss crossed each other, each of them looking a little black in color. A couple rows of lights that stretched around in a circle helped to illuminate the room, casting light and shadow all over. Despite the whole room being silver in color, it almost looked pretty with the lights and shadows like that. Some interesting shapes had been formed thanks to his and the memotrice’s presence, and as they moved, it almost looked like these lights and shadows were dancing. He and the memotrice took position on the rounded, stretched platform. In front of them were a couple of control panels. They were raised up and rectangular, but also curved like a circle. Skrawl positioned himself right between them. He placed his fingers across each other, stretched and cracked them. He reached down and began to push some of the buttons. Down below, the black lines began to glow green. Slowly, they began to move. They began to raise up from the ground, morphing and twisting around, forming something new. They became wavy and jagged and wavey and round. They continued to move around like this, rapidly transforming into something large and almost rocky in appearance. Soon it formed into the shape of what appeared to be a cave of some kind. Then a glowing white line of light began to move from the bottom to the top rapidly, spreading color throughout the shape, giving it solidness. In a matter of moments, the Chalk Mine had been virtually replicated. At least the outside of it. “This is the Chalk Mine. It is where the magic chalk grows.” Skrawl began to explain. “It is guarded by a giant named Biclops.” At this, with another push of the button, a virtual replica of Biclops formed. “He does not let anyone except those three brats into the mines. He will drive away anyone else who dares try to enter.” A virtual image of a random zoner came up. The virtual Biclops let out a voiceless roar and chased after him. Only when the virtual zoner left did the replica giant relax and resume position in front of the entrance. Skrawl narrowed his eyes. “He is the one who supplies chalk boy... Rudy Tabootie, I mean, with magic chalk.” He looked over t the memotrice. He noticed its expression. “Ah you don’t know what magic chalk is?” The memotrice shook its head. “Well it’s a special type of chalk that only a human artist can use. It allows them to create things. Understand?” The memotrice nodded. “Good. Now moving on..” Skrawl turned his attention towards his front, glaring softly at the virtual image. “Biclops had once kept any creator out of the mines. This world used to be overrun with them, and he went out of his way to make sure that they no longer had access. You see..he hates most humans, with only Rudy and Penny as an exception. He gives them a steady rate of magic chalk, which they use to keep me from completing my plans...” Skrawl curled his claws inward, forming a fist. He again found himself being flushed with memories he would rather forget. He ignored the temptation to ask for the memotrice’s help with this and moved forward. He clared his throat and he motioned towards the giant. “However, all this can go away if we remove one simple factor...” With a brilliant flash of light, the Biclops image vanished from sight. There was a blip sound and then nothing. Skrawl turned his head towards the memotrice, giving it a twisted smile. “If you know what I mean...” The memotrice stared at him for a few moments and then back at where the image of Biclops had once been. It stared long and hard, as if trying to take all of this in. Its tail swished from side to side slowly, its narrowed eyes appearing to comprehend what he had just told it. When the memotrice nodded, Skrawl smiled. “Good you understand then...” Skrawl turned his head and stared down at the virtual image of the Chalk Mine. “If this place were cut off, then I would be able to force the boy to run out of chalk. Then he would be mine...” He smiled at the delicious thought of driving his claws into the wretched boy’s stomach. The sharp stings of pain would be worth it. “Then his friends will be next...” He looked back at the memotrice. “Then nothing will stop me!” Skrawl chuckled as he walked away from the platform. He moved down to about halfway on the long ledge before he stopped, standing on one leg and folded his limbs behind his back. He stared up towards the ceiling. Oh yes, he could smell a beautiful partnership with this creature. He could smell the victory. He could smell justice. It was all coming into his grasp now. He could almost taste it. Things were going to be quite different now. With this memotrice at his side, nothing was going to be able to stop him. He smiled at the thought of what the brainwashed Biclops would do to them. Perhaps he would even take care of the problem for him... No, he would rather he do the dirty work. He had waited for this moment for a very long time. He did not want Biclops to do much damage to the three. Just keep them out. He wanted to be the one to rip them open. He wanted to be the one to snuff them out. He wanted to be the one to look into their eyes and smile as they squirmed in their own blood. He shook his head, snapping himself back to attention as he realized that the memotrice was staring at him in confusion. He quickly cleared his throat and turned around to face the reptilian bird creature. “Using your powers, you can alter the giant’s mind. You could make him think that Rudy was just like the other creators of the past. You could make him believe that Rudy betrayed him. You can make him want to keep Rudy and his friends out of the Chalk Mine.” Skrawl raised his finger up. “And that would cut off his chalk supply, and when it runs out..” He took a step forward, clenching his claws in an ark, and sweeped upward, almost as if to bowl. “..then I will sweep in and take care of that little brat myself...!” He growled through clenched teeth. The memotrice tilted its head from side to side. It moved its wing outward and gave a questioning chirp. “You want to know what’s it in for you?” Skrawl asked. At the creature’s nod, he said, “Yeah I figured you wouldn’t do this for free. I anticipated this.” He started to walk towards the creature slowly, his head tilting down and his smile spread. “I know what I can offer you...” The memotrice took a few steps back as Skrawl walked towards it. It continued to look up at him expectantly. It gave a couple more chirps, waiting for him to continue. Skrawl couldn’t help but smile twistedly at this, staring into his eyes. He knew how to reel it in even further. “I’m sure freedom isn’t enough for you. You had freedom before. And you got a chance for revenge against those guards.” Skrawl pointed out. The memotrice nodded its head once, showing that it acknowledged what he was saying. “Well then... how about your own personal slave...?” He folded his arms behind his back, giving a knowing smile to the creature. “Someone with which to toy with, to test your powers on, someone who will be there waiting on you hand and food. Someone too...” The memotrice shook its head. “What? No?” Skrawl tilted his head to one side. “Hmm I thought you would have liked that...” At the creature’s nod, he added, “Oh you do want that? But something else too?” The memotrice nodded its head. Skrawl scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm.. Then how about free reign? Under my rule, you will be allowed to do whatever you want. You can even rule beside me.” He placed his hand against his chest. “All of ChalkZone will be at your disposal...” He took a few steps towards the memotrice. The bird creature just watched him in silence, its brown eyes filled with curiosity and temptation. Skrawl knew that he had captured the creature’s interest with his offer. Whether or not it really wanted to rule ChalkZone did not really matter. So long as it helped him achieve what he wanted, nothing else really mattered to him. Of course, he would have to make sure he gave this creature what it wanted. He knew the consequences if this ‘friendship’ ended prematurely. He would rather not be on the receiving end of this creature’s powers. He was lucky so far that the creature was willing to listen to him, but he knew that was only because he was trying to offer it something that it wanted. However, regardless of the risk, he did not regret making an alliance with this beast. “Does that sound like a good deal?” Skrawl asked after a bit of silence. The memotrice appeared to rub its throat in a thoughtful manner, its head lowered and eyes narrowed slightly. Skrawl kept silent and waited for it to make its decision. The memotrice soon turned its head back to him and it nodded its head, causing Skrawl to smile. But then it shook its head, confusing and somewhat angering him. “What?! I just gave you the offer of a lifetime! How could you...” Skrawl quickly stopped himself, realizing what he had almost done. He cleared his throat and he took a smell step back. He made an effort to try to assume a less aggressive posture, making himself appear less threatening to the creature. “I mean...” Skrawl said, forcing himself to smile. “I am just surprised you want more.” The memotrice didn’t seem to pay attention to his previously aggressiveness. It waved its wing in front of itself, giving a couple of squawks. It was trying to tell him something, but unfortunately, Skrawl was not able to understand him. “Do you want something else?” Skrawl asked, taking a shot in the dark. The memotrice nodded its head swiftly. “All right then... What do you want?” The memotrice let out a couple of squawks at him. After a couple of moments of trying to figure it out, he waved his hands in front of him. “Okay okay, hold on!” He paused for a few moments, trying to think of something they could do. “We need a way for you to communicate...” There was no way they could continue on like this. He thought that ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions, as well as explaining exactly what he wanted, would have been good enough. It was clear that, for this partnership to work, he was going to need a better way to communicate with the memotrice. Otherwise, he risked letting it fall apart. He could already imagine all sorts of ways for this plan to be screwed up if they weren’t able to communicate more efficiently. Soon something came to his mind. There was something that might work. He hadn’t thought to use it before. Now seemed like a good time to try it out and see if this invention of his worked. He was going to use it in one of his past schemes, but had decided it was useless. He was glad that he had remembered to place it in storage instead of just tossing it out. “Come with me.” Skrawl told the memotrice. “I believe I know a solution to our little problem...” With that, the two of them proceeded to walk down the hallway. sss Mrs. Sanchez looked down at the clock. She narrowed her eyes in concern. Where could Rudy and Penny be? She had thought that they went back inside to talk to the teachers about something, or maybe finish some extra work. But they shouldn’t have been gone this long. There was no way they would take half an hour to come out, not without telling her anything that is. This was odd behavior from both of them. Sure Rudy wasn’t always so punctual and he did disappear for hours, but never when it came to school. He wasn’t that irresponsible. And Penny, definitely not. If they had needed to stay longer, they would have both tried to tell her. Neither of them gave any indication that they had wanted to stay longer. In fact, both looked eager to go home. So the very fact that neither of them had come out yet... Something was going on. She had thought about remaining in the car and just waiting, hoping that they would show up. But she got tired of waiting. She had given them more than enough time. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she opened the door to her car and stepped out. After she shut it, she started to walk towards the school. She did not notice anyone coming out of the doors. No movements to indicate any students. Most of them had left. She was probably the only parent left in the premises. And even some of the teachers had started to leave as well. Even though she didn’t step inside of the school, it was feeling quite empty. Regardless, she continued on her way towards the school, heading straight toward the steps that led up into the building itself. She kept her eyes glued to the door as she moved. A part of her constantly expected the two children to show up. A few times, she thought she saw movement, only to realize she was mistaken. A part of her had a feeling that she was not going to see them coming out of those doors any time soon. Regardless, she still stared at the doors, her eyes scanning from side to side for any sign of them coming out. For all she knew, they might be coming to the doors right now and she would bump into them as soon as she got onto the top step. She hoped they had a good reason for staying in for so long. She was certain they did, but that didn’t stop her from feeling frustrated about the whole thing. She had animals to take care of for crying out loud. And Penny knew this, too. Those animals needed constant care, and she had to bring the animals she brought with back home to be fed and given water. They couldn’t sit in the back of her vehicle waiting in those crates for too long. She was most disappointed in Penny. Surely she would have understood this importance. Rudy should have known this as well. After all, he had come over a few times with Penny and even helped out. They were both going to be in so much trouble when she found them. Even if they were working on something important, that was no excuse not to come to her and tell her that they needed more time. It would have taken only a few minutes. And if it was Mr. Wilter who had held them back, she was going to give him a stern talking to as well. She was running a business at home. Many people counted on her skills to help their animals. She could not stay away for very long. Someone might notice the animals and the commotion they would be causing due to lack of food, and they might think the animals were being neglected. They could call the authorities on her and her reputation may be ruined. This may end up cutting off the only source of income that she and her daughter had. She would make that very clear to Mr. Wilter, should he be the one responsible for how late the two children were. When she got closer, she began to hear something. She stopped and looked over to the side of the building. She couldn’t discern what the noise was at first. She took a few steps closer, trying to be as quiet as she could. Then she heard it again. This time it was louder and more clear. It sounded like a thud, as if someone were striking the ground. Strange... Could one of the students be throwing rocks at the wall? No, these didn’t sound like rocks. Something was quite...off about them. She couldn’t figure out just what that was yet. She continued moving in quietly, keeping her body a little hunched. Then she heard another sound. Another thud, but this time, it was intermixed with something. She couldn’t quite figure out what this other sound was. It was somewhat low and shaky. Not enough information for her to properly identify it. For all she knew, it could just be a disgruntled growl. Perhaps there was some kind of disagreement with someone there. Perhaps some of the students had stayed behind and were trying to discuss something. A rather odd thing, but she knew some of the students could just walk home. These might be just a couple of those students. Another sound graced her ears. Something kind of wet and sloshy almost. It was very quick, and mostly fainted. Yet she was still able to notice it. Perhaps whoever was over there had spilled something. No, not spilled... It was more like they squeezed something and it just popped open. Were they squeezing some kind of fruit? No, this sounded different than fruit. What was... Suddenly she heard a loud cry. Her eyes bulged open as she recognized that voice. She immediately rushed over as quickly as she could. She rounded the steps and moved along to the side of the building. What she saw caused her to let out a scream. Both her daughter and Rudy were pinned to the ground. They appeared to be struggling, kicking her legs out at their captors. Two students, neither of which she personally knew the name of, had a hold of them. They both had their teeth set on their arms and blood was being drawn. They froze, looking up at her with wide eyes. Mrs. Sanchez breathed in and out quickly as she looked the two children up and down. They looked absolutely horrible. In addition to being bitten, she could see other bite marks as well. Deep bruises and bloody tooth marks adorned both of their arms. It was a gruesome sight to behold, yet she found it difficult to look away. She also noticed the other injuries as well. The various other bruises, the scrapes and cuts, swelling in a few spots, their clothes dirtied and slightly torn. And both wore a horrified, pleading expression. Mrs. Sanchez’s mind raced with thoughts, her eyes widening, her pupils shrinking. She opened her mouth and she breathed in swiftly. She could feel her heart pound against her chest, a cold sensation moving through her body. The emotion continued to rise inside of her, making her feel sick. “I-I can explain...” She turned her head and she could see Reggie standing there. He was positioned a little ways in front of where Rudy and Penny were pinned down. It took her only seconds to realize that he was the one ringleader of this. As soon as this clicked in her mind, she narrowed her eyes, a burning sensation starting to rise in her stomach. Her body began to quake. “What the hell is going on here?!” Mrs. Sanchez shouted, towering over Reggie. “What are you doing to them?!” Reggie took a few steps back. The other two children, obviously too frightened to want to face an enraged mother, immediately took off running. Reggie tried to get them to come back, calling them cowards for leaving. He then turned back to Mrs. Sanchez and raised his hands out in front of himself defensively. “Please, I...” Reggie started to say. Mrs. Sanchez reached out and she grabbed him by the arm. Reggie let out a yelp of pain, but in the moment, she didn’t care. She twisted his arm roughly and pulled him until she was at his side. She glared down at him. She struggled with the urge to strike the child. It was not her place to punish him. She would allow his father deal with him. She looked down at Rudy and Penny. At this point, they had sat up and leaned against the wall. She could see the looks of fear in their eyes, how they were trying to comfort each other, how they were crying. The sight of it broke her heart. She fould feel a few tears forming in her eyes. She wanted so much to drop down on her knees and pull them into a hug and tell them it was going to be all right. She wanted to take them to her place and treat their wounds and help them feel better. She glared down at Reggie. But first, she needed to take care of this little brat. She was so tempted to punch him in the face. Nobody hurt her daughter and got away with it. No one... Not even another child like this one. But she knew what would happen if she were caught attacking a child. She was not stupid. Even if she had good reason, she would land herself in jail if she struck him. Instead, she opted to keep him there as she reached out for her cellphone. “What... What are you going to do...?” Reggie whimpered. Mrs. Sanchez glared at him, showing him no sympathy as she twisted his arm again, making him wince. “I am calling your father...” “What?” Reggie’s eyes widened in horror. “N-No..please... Y-You don’t understand...! I was only trying to...” “Shut up!” She barked at him. Reggie cringed away from her, his body trembling. She did not care. “Be quiet while I get your father over here. You have a lot to answer for.” She said coldly as she started to dial the number. sss “B-But dad...I..” “Not another word from you, son! You’re in a lot of trouble!” “But if you would just listen, you...” “I said shut up!” Never before had Mr. Bullnerd been this angry at his said. Never before had Reggie done something this horrible or this cruel. He was used to his son beating up students for lunch money or whatever. He had gotten plenty of complaints about that. But this... He never would have thought his son would have one this far. It was unbelievable... How could his son have done something like this? How could he have forced those two students to brutally attack Rudy and Penny? Because of him, both were going to need stitches and antibiotics. Mrs. Sanchez believes they will recover soon only if they were lucky and didn’t get an infection from this. He had seen the injuries himself. As soon as he got the call, he left to the school. A part of him didn’t want to believe that it was true. He wanted to believe it was some sort of mistake. But when he got there and he saw those injuries, he knew that it had to be true. He could feel a part of himself break inside. This was far worse than anything else he had done. He knew that the punishment for this was going to be more dire than what they had been in the past. He knew what it was going to involve. Before, his punishments were just getting rounded and having detention. Reggie got a lot of those. It was so common, he could almost set his watch to it. It was something that he was growing weary of, but he could no longer feel much anger towards it. Reggie was just a rebellious kid and while he could try to steer him in the right direction, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to stop him from being his usual bossy self. But this... This was going to require far more than just being grounded. There was no way that he was just going to get detention this time. Reggie had really crossed the line this time. The police might get involved and it would most certainly go on his permanent record. He would definitely get suspended, even expulsion. The only luck Reggie had on his side was his age; if he were old enough, he would have been arrested. He had so much he wanted to say to his son. He wanted to yell at him. He wanted to explain to him how disappointed he is in his behavior. He wanted to do something to make sure that he never did something like this again. That would need to wait. At the moment, they were on the way to the police station. It had taken him a little while to drag his son into the car. He had been resistant and he kept trying to explain himself. It was rather sickening that Reggie would try to justify his actions. He had heard the report. The principal had told him all about it. There was absolutely no excuse for why Reggie would gang up on two students like that, let alone have them get attacked. Reggie was in a lot of hot water right now, and no amoung of trying to squirm his way out was going to help him. He was thankful that Reggie had kept quiet the rest of the way to the police station. While he knew the school had already called, he wanted to be there in person and speak to the officers. Not to squirm his son out of this, but to find an appropriate punishment. He knew that juvenile detention might not an option, but that wasn’t what he was going for. Since Reggie did not respond to confinement-based punishment like detention, then perhaps something different would work better. He could see the police station ahead now. He sped up slightly so they could get there quicker. He could hear Reggie let out a small whine and he could hear the leather of the car squeaking as he gripped it tightly. He paid it no mind as he pulled into the lot and shifted his stick into park. He unbuckled his seat belt, opened the car door, and jumped out. “Come on, Reggie.” Mr. Bullnerd growled as he glared at his son. “Get out.” Reggie was clearly reluctant, and he opened his mouth to try to protest. Mr. Bullnerd folded his arms and let out a snarled growl. This caused Reggie to cringe and widen his eyes. He did not say another word as he hesitantly stepped out of the vehicle. With his head lowered, he approached his dad. He was not able to make eye contact with him. Mr. Bullnerd pressed his hand against the boy’s back and pushed him towards the station’s doors. The two of them walked over, heading up the steps. He reached over and turned the doorknob. He walked inside and waited for his son. Reggie remained outside just outside the door. He stared at the station in worry and stared up his dad pleadingly. He shook his head a couple times and he tried to move back. Mr. Bullnerd would have none of it. He reached over, grabbed him, and pulled him into the station with him. He forced him away from the door, which he released and allowed to close. “Ah, Mr. Bullnerd!” Mr. Bullnerd and Reggie nearly jumped at that voice. After a second or two, they turned around to see where it was coming from. They soon could see Officer O’Larry coming their way. He had his hands in his pocket and his face wore a slightly surprised expression. “Officer O’Larry.” Stated Mr. Bullnerd quietly. “What are you two doing here?” Asked Officer O’Larry. Considering why people usually go to police stations, the concerned look he gave next was not a surprise. “What happened?” “My son here got into trouble in school.” Mr. Bullnerd said, his teeth clenching. Officer O’Larry rubbed his chin at this. “Oh? Another fight?” Mr. Bullnerd nodded his head. “Worse than the usual ones.” He glared down at his son. Reggie tapped his fingers together, hunched his back, and let out a small whimper. Mr. Bullnerd turned his attention back to the police officer. "I was wondering if I can hook Reggie up to a community service deal.” “Community service?!” Reggie wailed. “Father..I...” Mr. Bullnerd swung his head in Reggie’s direction and glared icily. His son shrank under his glare and went quiet. “Hmm...community service, eh?” Officer O’Larry asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “That is...different.” Mr. Bullnerd replied, “Yeah I know. My son hasn’t exactly been the most cooperative boy, and this has been the final straw. I want to try something different and see if he will respond better to this.” He casted a side glare down to the cringing Reggie. “He needs to be taught a lesson.” He looked back at the officer. “I was hoping you had something that he could do.” Officer O’Larry paused for a moment. He frowned and lowered his head and thought about this. After a couple of seconds, he snapped his finger, leveling his eyes with the man in front of him. “You know, I think there is something! Come on,” He waved his hand, gesturing for them to follow. “Come with me.” Reggie backed away, shaking his head. “No..please..” “You went well past getting off the hook, Reginald.” Mr. Bullnerd hissed. Reggie winced at his full name being stated like that. “You need to face the consequences of your actions. Now get going for I give you a reason to go.” Reggie widened his eyes. He quickly nodded his head and he moved down towards where Officer O’Larry went. Mr. Bullnerd glared at him and then he began to follow. sss Mrs. Sanchez winced as she stared at the wound before her. She held Rudy’s arm gently, having it turned over so she could see the full extent of the damage. She bit her lip. Sometimes she forgot how strong and dangerous human teeth were. This provided a good reminder of that. “Is he going to be okay...?” A cautious, feminine voice asked her. Mrs. Sanchez turned her head to where Rudy’s parents were sitting. They were looking at her, their eyes wide in fear and concern. She had already taken care of her daughter and did what she could. Now it was Rudy’s turn. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze a little. “He’s not much better off, I’m afraid. The bite marks are quite deep.” She peered a little closer to the arm. She nearly caught her breath when she noticed even more damage than she previously thought. “This... This is going to take a while to heal...” “You can help him.. right?” Mr. Tabootie asked. He had his arm slung around his wife in a comforting manner. “He will be better soon?” “If all goes well, yes.” Mrs. Sanchez told him. “But like I said, it will still take a while.” He looked down at Rudy, staring at him sympathetically. “I will do what I can to help him, but he is still going to need a trip to the hospital. As will my daughter. They need stitches.” “Can’t you provide the stitching?” Suggested Mrs. Tabootie. “Wouldn’t that be faster?” Mrs. Sanchez shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t do that legally. Only a doctor can apply sutures. I can give them a liquid adhesive to protect the wounds, but they will have to go to the hospital for the actual stitches.” “That’s stupid.” Mrs. Tabootie growled. “You work with animals all the time. I’m sure you’re more than qualified to add the damn stitches...” Mrs. Sanchez looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do about that.” She looked back down at Rudy. “Now, let’s clean up those wounds...” She focused on the nastiest wound first. The one that needed the most attention. It was located in the middle of his arm, in the front center. There was quite a chunk taking out of it. It wasn’t as deep as it could have been, but she could still see a bit of fat and muscle, which caused her to cringe. If only one would could be stitched, it would have to be this one. The sight of it sent chills down her spine. But thankfully she was able to regain her composure quickly, the result of having worked with many animal wounds in the past. She started by reaching over towards a nearby cabinet and grabbing the supplies she had gotten out for Penny earlier. Her daughter watched her apprehensively, biting her lip, as she went to work on treating her friend. She did feel sorry for Penny. It was one thing to have herself get treated, but it was another to watch her friend, with just as serious of injuries, get treated as well. “I promise I will be gentle.” She whispered to them both. Despite her assurances, both still looked worried. She could not blame them, since it was still going to sting. All she could do was try to be gentle and not let it hurt as much. Grabbing a cloth, she began to proceed. She turned the faucet on and allowed lukewarm water to coat the cloth. She squeezed the cloth to get rid of excess water. She then coated it with a thin layer of liquid soap. She rubbed it all in and then she began to apply it to Rudy’s wound. Despite her best efforts to be gentle, Rudy let out a yelp of pain as the stinging soap touched his wound. His body gave a quiver and he shut his eyes tightly. She wanted to comfort him, but she had to get this wound cleaned first. Despite his whimpering, she continued to clean the open wound. The boy’s parents looked on in worry. They wanted to come over and try to help him, but they kept their distance, not wanting to get in the way of the procedure. All they could do was try to provide comfort from where they were. “It is okay, Rudy.” Mr. Tabootie said. “She is just helping you. Shhh.. It’s all right.” “Try to be brave. It’ll be over before you know it.” Cooed Mrs. Tabootie. Mrs. Sanchez rubbed the wound carefully, making sure the antibacterial soap had a chance to clean the wound. “You’re doing fine, Rudy.” She said to him gently. “Just hold still...” Rudy didn’t respond. She noticed how tightly his jaws were clenched. He must be trying so hard not to scream, trying everything in his power to hold still. She had to admire him for his bravery. This was certainly not something many people can sit quietly for for long. Soon she was finished cleaning the wound this way. She removed the cloth and dropped it at the table beside her. Rudy let out a sigh of relief. Mrs. Sanchez looked at him sympathetically. She would be glad to tell him it was over, but there was still a little more to do. She reached over and grabbed a dry cloth and first dabbed the wound gently with it, trying to get the moisture off his arm. Then she grabbed the disinfectant spray and held it to his arm. The boy’s eyes widened at this and he turned his head away. She paused for a moment and then she sprayed. Rudy let out a few yelps of pain as she sprayed the arm a couple of times. She made sure each spray was short, only a couple of seconds. She went along the wound from one end to the other. Thankfully this part of the cleaning took the least amount of time. She set the bottle down, listening to the boy give a hiss of relief. She then grabbed onto a small bottle of liquid adhesive. She looked down at the wound and she pressed the tip against the beginning of the injury. “It’s all right, Rudy.” She said softly. “I’m almost done.” She gently squeezed the bottle and proceeded to move it along the open wound. She slowly coated it in the liquid adhesive. Once she was done, she set the bottle down and held Rudy’s arm still while the adhesive hardened. She waited a couple minutes just to be sure. She pressed her finger very lightly against the wound. Rudy gave a hiss and stiffened. She pulled her finger away and looked at him with an apologetic expression. “I needed to make sure it hardened. I’m sorry.” Mrs. Sanchez turned and got out a cloth bandage. “Just to be safe...” Just like she had with her daughter, she carefully wrapped the wound in the bandage. She made sure it was tight and secure. “You will need to wear this until you get to the doctor. We don’t want you or Penny risking infection.” Rudy looked at his arm. He looked up at her and he gave a small smile. “Th-Thank you..” Mrs. Sanchez smiled back. Then she gave a soft frown, a look that told Rudy immediately that things weren’t quite over yet. “Now let’s see those other wounds...” sss Skrawl fitted the thin, metal collar around the beast’s neck. It clicked into place. The four crystal lights instantly glowed, spreading a small luminanescence throughout the device. He took a few steps back and watched as the glow spread throughout the creature’s body. After a few moments, it stopped, and the creature’s body soon relaxed, as if exhausted. He waited for a few moments. He had no idea of this invention of his was going to work or not. He had never tried it out before. And at the moment, he could not remember why he had invented it. His mind was focused on the memotrice, waiting and hoping that it was going to work. He crossed his fingers and stared intently. The memotrice twitched a few times, swaying from one side to the other. Soon it stopped and stared at him. The silence that followed was tense. Skrawl kept on holding his breath and waiting. This invention could go either way. It may work and do as it was intended, or it may blow up. Then he’d lose his new partner and all this would have been for not. Please...let it work... Please... After what felt like several minutes, the memotrice shook its head and took a step forward. It hadn’t tried out the invention yet, but at least it didn’t blow up in its face. It moved in closer to him, its eyes level with him, watching him carefully. Skrawl tensed up as he watched it move ever closer to him, the collar continuing to glow, feeling as though it was increasing in brightness. It soon stopped and stood right in front of him. After a few moments of silence, Skrawl took a small step forward and held his hand out. “Well...?” There were a few more seconds of silence. The memotrice shook its head and body, raised up its foot and scratched itself behind its head. It then looked back up at him, its brown eyes glinting slightly. Its beak stretched into a small smile. Then Skrawl felt something crawl in the back of his mind and then he heard the voice. <Yes.> Skrawl reeled at this. His eyes widened in shock for a few moments. Then his mouth twisted upward in a smile. The invention worked. Perfect... Now that the memotrice could properly communicate with him, they could begin to move on with the plan. Oh that’s right. He needed to speak to it further about what it wanted. He could not neglect this. Not as long as he wanted the memotrice to be his partner. So long as he kept it satisfied, there would be no reason for it to turn against him. Or at least..he hoped that would be the case. Skrawl knew the huge risk he was taking. But for the rewards at the end, he knew it would be worth it. He moved a little closer to the memotrice. “All right then. You seemed satisfied somewhat with my offer before, right?” <Indeed.> “Okay, but there’s something else that you want?” Skrawl asked, making a few gestures with his hand. “You didn’t seem completely satisfied with what I had to offer.” The memotrice nodded its head. <That is correct. I want something else.> It moved its head from one side to the other, its tail wriggling around excitedly. <Something that I hope you can provide for me. I can help you get it.> Skrawl raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh? And what would that be...?” The memotrice stared at him for a few moments. Silence spread through the room. It then lowered its body down, its claws tapping against the ground. It then leaped over at him. Skrawl did not have time to react before the memotrice slammed him against the ground. He yelped in pain as his back hit against the hard surface. He felt the creature’s full weight on him. It was surprisingly heavy for its size. After a cough, Skrawl looked up at the creature, gritting his teeth. The memotrice was stairing right at him. Those eyes, filled with so much intent... They continued to stare down at him, boring through his body. Skrawl felt his body freeze underneath the memotrice’s stare. He could feel his body fill with waves of fear and anger, his mind in inner turmoil of what to do. Should he hold still or fight? It continued stare at him, its beak gritted, its talons pressing against his body. Skrawl could feel his mind swimming as he watched the creature. He started to feel a pang of regret as he laid there, pinned down by the beast. He had anticipated something like this might have happened, but now there was little he could do. He couldn’t even raise his hand up to strike, out of fear that the beast may use its powers on him. All he could do was there and glare up at the creature, doing his best to hide his fear, and hoping that it wasn’t going to do anything serious. Suddenly, the memotrice reached out and grabbed onto one of his antennas. Skrawl let out at yelp as he was yanked forward by the creature’s wing claws, which had been hidden before underneath those feathers. The memotrice put its face and beak near his, those brown eyes having that brown-red glow from before. It narrowed its eyes and its beak twisted up, giving off a horrid expression of furious determination. <I want you to help me bring in my...> The memotrice paused for a moment. It slipped out its long, pointed tongue, and moved it across its lips almost hungrily. <...weapons...> Skrawl narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Weapons?” The memotrice nodded its head. <You did not think that my creator only meant to erase me, did you?> It tilted its head to one side, spreading a smirk further on its face. <They are smarter than that. Unfortunately, she was not able to draw the weapons there.> “Then where?” Asked Skrawl. The memotrice shrugged its shoulders. <I do not know. We will have to figure that out.> Skrawl wasn’t sure he liked where this was going. He didn’t want to sit here and wait for these weapons to appear, especially if this thing didn’t know where they were going to appear. He didn’t like the idea of wasting time searching around for these weapons when they could be planning their move now. They didn’t need those weapons to proceed. All they needed was for him to brainwash Biclops and to cut Rudy’s supply of chalk off. Why waste time on these weapons? Then again...what if these weapons come in handy? He didn’t even know what they could do. Who knows? They might be just the thing that he needed to secure his victory. And besides, he did not want to know what would happen if he flat out refused to help the memotrice with this. “All right then.. I will help you find them.” Skrawl said. The memotrice smiled at this and backed up from him, allowing him to get up. Skrawl climbed up to his feet and brushed himself off. “I will send my Beanie Boys out and find these weapons.” He paused for a moment and then he stared down at him. “That is, if you are able to describe them to me.” The memotrice nodded its head. <I will gladly do that.> It swung its wing out towards him, its claws glinting in the light. <They will be a set of swords, each one with a different color and a different gem attached to it. Each will have a different power. They can be detected with heat signature devices, as they are warm.> “Swords, eh? With different abilities...” Skrawl chuckled. “I like the sound of that.” <Indeed you would. They are truly a marvel.> The memotrice raised its head up, fluffing its feathers in pride. <They are to be a part of me. They meld into my body and I can spring them out whenever I want to.> Skrawl scratched his chin thoughtfully at this. He tried to imagine this in his head. It was a little tricky to be honest. He had never seen something like that in ChalkZone before. Then again, he hadn’t been in ChalkZone long. Perhaps some creator in the past had thought this up. He had to wonder what those different powers were. What kind of abilities could these things have, and just how good were they at combating others? Would they be enough to stop Rudy and his blasted friends should they find a way around the to-be-brainwashed Biclops? Did they have any weaknesses, and if they did, what were they? There were a number of questions he needed to ask about this before they proceeded. He decided to ask now. “What are the powers?” <That I cannot answer in full. But I can tell you a couple.> The memotrice gestured with its wing. <Two of them had Gravity and Dimension powers, respectively.> “You don’t say...” <There are three more powers were that came from. I do not know what they are, though. My creator could not think of them yet.> Skrawl nodded his head slowly. He couldn’t really fault the reptilian bird for not knowing. Even if its creator did get over her slump and finish, since the memotrice was already erased, there was no way for it to know what its creator was thinking. The only way to find out what those three other powers were was to find those weapons and fast. That is, if they had been erased. Skrawl gritted his teeth in frustration. Things were erased in ChalkZone all the time, so creating a machine to tell him this was not going to be helpful. He could try going to over to Craniac 4 and see if he would let him use that machine of his, but it was only geared towards futuristic items. What the memotrice described was fantasy-based. And even if he could get that blasted robot’s machine to work on fantasy items, there were still many things erased in that genre. It would take forever to sift through and find them. Oh well, they had time. And he had lots of Beanie Boys. He could spread them out and have them keep searching around. Not like many of the zoners would try to stop them. The Beanie Boys hardly scared anyone in ChalkZone; it was only when they were found with him that zoners began to worry. So no one was going to try to stop them as they search for the swords. And from how stupid many of the zoners were, they wouldn’t really notice they were dangerous and see little reason to get worked up about them. “So, are you ready to take on Biclops?” Skrawl asked as he motioned towards the creature. “It will be wise to take care of the big guy first and weaken the ‘Great Creator’. Otherwise, he is going to be a pain in my neck as well as yours.” <I have heard about him. I have not yet met him.> The memotrice tilted its head. <I do look forward to meeting him.> Skrawl chuckled bitterly at this. “Of course you would...” <I’m sure he isn’t as hard to beat as you say he is.> The memotrice stated, causing Skrawl to widen his eyes slightly. <Perhaps you just didn’t use the right strategy.> Skrawl gritted his teeth, feeling his blood heading up. He nearly snapped at the bird zoner before he managed to stop himself. He forced out an exhale, feeling himself calming down. He decided to just ignore the memotrice’s comment and move forward with the plan. “Ready to proceed?” <You want me to take care of him this early?> The memotrice questioned. Skrawl formed a fist with his hand. “Well of course I do!” He said through clenched teeth. “The whole point was to get him out of the way quickly so that Rudy Tabootie and his girl friend are weakened!” The memotrice nodded its head. <Ah I see. Well okay then. I will do this for you.” The memotrice took a few steps forward. It glared intently at him. <Then you will help me get what I want...> Skrawl nodded his head in agreement. “You will have your swords back. I can promise you that.” He tilted his head back and he smiled up towards the ceiling, thinking about the glorious victory ahead of him. “Then we will be the rulers of ChalkZone.” He gave the bird a sideways glance. “No one will ever try to lock us away again.” The memotrice nodded in agreement. It walked over towards him, joining him at his side. <Oh and I do have a request...> “Oh? What is it?” The memotrice raised an eyebrow and gave a smirk. <Call me Thoughtless.> |
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 9, 2015 19:27:24 GMT -5
Chapter 5. Rudy found it difficult to stop shaking. No matter how hard he tried, it just seemed to get worse and worse. He could feel his teeth chattering, the clicking sound appearing to get louder as time passed by. He constantly looked left and right, as if he thought he was going to be attacked at any given point. He just could not relax, and after what happened to him, who could blame him? He had been assaulted by Reggie. Okay not by him directly. But he was the one giving those orders. He was the one who orchestrated the attacks. He was the one who had them trapped and cornered and made those students do those horrible things. Never before had Reggie done something like that, a fact that left Rudy feeling quite frightened and confused. What could possess Reggie do to that? Well he did know it had to do with that glow he had seen. This worried Rudy. How could that bully had seen the light? He and Penny had been so careful, and it was such broad daylight out that there wouldn’t have been enough shadow and... ...except there had been some cloudiness when he and Penny had come out. That must have casted enough shadow that even the dim light of a portal in daylight could be easily seen. He gritted his teeth, feeling his gut twist. If that were the case, then there was little way they could have avoided this. There was just no way that he could have opened up a tiny portal to see if anyone was watching. Not at that angle. There would have been simply no way to tell when it was safe to come out. It was all a bargain. It wasn’t just the fact that Reggie saw the portal that had him concerned. He was worried about what he might do now. He hadn’t seen Reggie since the incident and he was too scared to ask his parents what was going to happen to him. He guessed that he was going to get some form of punishment. Suspension for sure, so at least he won’t have to see hi mfor a while. But that did little to help him feel better. After all, wouldn’t Reggie want to get back at him? There was no doubt in his mind that Reggie would find a way to seek vengeance on him. He would blame him for what happened, even though he and Penny did not do anything, even though it was Reggie himself who had done those terrible things that got him in trouble in the first place. Rudy had a feeling that Reggie might be believing he’s doing something right. He appeared to be convinced there was something dangerous about that glow, and him and Penny resisting was of course going to be offputting to him. But this very thing is what was going to make him so dangerous. He believed he was doing the right thing and he was not going to stop, not until he achieved his goal. How were he and the others going to handle this kind of threat? It didn’t help that Reggie was in the Real World, where magic chalk won’t work. He can’t just tie down Reggie and make him listen. He can’t as easily defend himself from him. If Reggie decided to atack him physically, he could do a lot of damage. He had felt enough blows from that boy to know that his attacks would hurt worse than what Bobby and Harvey were forced to do. Speaking of those two, he felt really bad for them. He wondered what was going to happen to them since they were involved, albeit unwillingly. He held no ill will against them, since they were forced into it. But he couldn’t say the adults would have the same kind of sympathy for them. He could only hope that, whatever the punishment may be, that they would at least go easy on them. Hee turned his mind back to Reggie. He bit his lip. He wondered how far that boy was going to go. Just how low was he willing to sink to in order to get what he wanted? He could feel his heart thump at the thought. He thought he had known Reggie’s limits, then this happened... How much further could he possibly go? He looked down at his arm and winced at the sight of the stitched gashes. Even with them treated, he could still feel the horrible sting spread through them. All five of the wounds, three on his right arm and two on his left arm, radiated in agony. Help from Penny’s mom and the doctors did help out, but he was still tormented by the pain. He was tempted to clutch his arm to himself, but he would have to let go quickly. His arms were just too sore. How he got them was just as horrible. He could still feel those teeth in his arms. He could still feel the flesh tear away from his body, that horrible, disgusting sound. He could feel a cold rush move through his body just thinking about it. He tried to get the images out of his head, but they just wouldn’t leave him. He couldn’t believe that Reggie went that far. Punches and kicks were bad enough, but to get bitten... That took a whole new level of low. That took a darker, more twisted mind. That took a darker intent. Biting was the worst non-weapon thing that could be done to another person. It was a line that most did not dare cross. And Reggie, through Bobby and Harvey, did just that. And he told them not to hold back, resulting in horrific bites that surely got some infection in them, and required deep cleaning and stitching. To make it worse, Penny got bitten too. Even more so than him. Sure it was just one extra bite, but it was on her right arm, dealing more damage to it than his own. And Penny was right-handed; those bites were going to cause her more problems than what he knew would happen to him. His gut twisted at the thought of Penny suffering because of Reggie. She... She didn’t do anything to deserve that. How could Reggie have done this? He could feel his blood heating up. It was bad enough that Reggie had hurt him for no good reason. But did he really have to go around hurting Penny, too? What the fuck did she ever do to him? He could have been much more civil about this, but instead he chose this rather morbid path. At least he was getting punished for it. He tried to shake thoughts of Reggie out of his mind as he turned his head towards the chalkboard. He fidgeted with his feet as he tried to think of how he was going to tell Snap. He had been home rather late due to the doctor’s visit and the extra cleaning and the stitching... Snap was going to be wondering where he was, and he felt bad for remaining out even longer. He wasn’t meaning to do this, but he just... He needed time to figure out how he was going to tell him. This was worse than the other times he got attacked by Reggie. Oh so much worse... How was Snap going to react? He was worried that he might try to get him to take him into the Real World, and confront Reggie himself. This could lead to more problems. His heart twisted at the idea of something happening, either to his friend or to make things worse. Things were bad enough already. There was also the matter of using the magic chalk. The doctors didn’t want him using his arms too much as they needed time to heal. Holding something right now hurt him because of the damage done to his arm. It would hurt him any time he tried to use the chalk. Just the mere act of drawing a circle would cause him pain. But he knew he couldn’t just sit here forever. He needed to get into ChalkZone and tell Snap of what happened. He deserved to know. He was his best friend after all. And he was Penny’s friend as well. He would continue to feel worse the longer he hesitated to fight against the pain and draw the portal. But it wasn’t just that. There was also the matter of his parents. Ever since the attack earlier today, they had been keeping a closer watch on him. He couldn’t blame them, especially after what Reggie had done to him. But this also meant that it was going to be hard to slip into ChalkZone, as his parents may come up and try to talk to him. He soon realized he only had one option. He would need to write a message to Snap and detail what happened. At least Snap was in ChalkZone and could not directly interact with the Real World. He won’t try to squeeze his way through the portal to get at him or anything. And this would require no use of the magic chalk. Just simple, ordinary, everyday chalk would work just fine. He got up from the window sill and he made his way over. Almost immediately he felt a rush of pain through his body. He stopped and he stumbled back. He held onto his stomach and he let out a sharp groan and whimper. This horrible whirlwind of pain that was giving him a headache and slightly blurred vision served as a reminder to him about how it hadn’t been just his arms that were attacked. He rubbed his stomach gently, remembering vividly how it was punched and kicked and stomped. The gentle apologies from Bobby did little to soothe the pain and the fear of what happened to him. His stomach had a little bit of bruising. Though the doctor believes that it wasn’t as bad as it appeared, that did not comfort him all that much. The pain still ripped through him like a chainsaw. His legs had been a little damaged as well. Some light bruises had formed in a few spots where he had been struck. He could still walk, but with a very slight limp. He was glad that Penny did not get attacked in the legs as much as he was. At least there was a little bit of pain that she had been spared. Their folks hadn’t noticed the damage to their legs at first. Adrenaline had been pumping through them and it looked as if there wasn’t much, if any, damage there. It wasn’t until the danger passed and they were at the doctors that the adrenaline’s effects wore off and he and Penny could feel the pain there. This had alarmed their folks and they stayed at the doctors longer to ensure there weren’t any other injuries they had missed. He made his way over towards the chalkboard carefully. He took light, gentle steps, doing whatever he could not to put too much pressure on his injuries. He wasn’t completely successful and a few times, he found himself suddenly lurching forward. He let out a few cries of pain as he struggled to keep himself from falling. He tried to hold out his arms for balance, only for him to experience a rush of pain and he stumbled even worse. As soon as he reached the chalkboard, he grabbed onto it and leaned against it for dear life. For a few moments, he did not let go. He continued holding onto the chalkboard, gritting and seething through his teeth as he waited out the bouts of pain. It took a few moments before the pain slowly began to die down, and he started to relax. He started to shiver again at this. A sickening feeling rose up inside of him. A haunting question continuously plagued him, forcing him to shut his eyes and try to endure the feeling of sickness eating away at him. How was he going to be able to protect ChalkZone in this state? Skrawl was not stupid, and there were some rather intelligent zoners in ChalkZone as well. They would take full advantage of this and he knew it. This was not something he could just bounce back from; it would take some time. All it would take is for Skrawl to see him limp just once for him to know that now was a good time to scheme. And with that memotrice on the loose... He shook his head. He was wasting enough time as it is worrying about this. He needed to write that message to Snap now and let him know what happened. He and Penny would have to try going into ChalkZone later, when their parents were not at risk of hovering over their shoulder. He managed to steady himself. He hissed as he still felt that continuous pain. He bit his tongue and tried to endure it the best he could. He reached over and he grabbed a piece of chalk. Trying to control his bouts of pain, he began to write a message for his friend. He took his time in spite of the pain, writing what he needed to, what he think Snap should know. Once the message was finished, he drew a box around it to ensure it would remain in one piece. He then put the eraser next to it and he scrubbed it back and forth, obliterating the message from the board and allowing it to enter ChalkZone. As soon as he was finished, he released the chalk and relaxed his arm. He felt an almost immediate sense of relief at this. He let out a soft sigh as he stared at the chalkboard. At least now, Snap was going to get the message. sss “Snap! Wait!” Called out Blocky as he reached for his friend. “Don’t do this!” Snap growled. He turned his head around and glared at Blocky, gritting his teeth tightly. “Don’t do what, huh? Don’t go help my best friend?!” Blocky paused for a moment, taking in a few quick breaths. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. He just continued to stare Snap, wide-eyed. Soon, Rapsheeba, who was standing right there, placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded to him once. She then turned her eyes to Snap, frowning softly. “There’s nothing you can do about it right now, Snap.” She said. Her voice was filled with reluctance. “You can’t get into the Real World and you know that.” “I don’t care.” Snap growled. “I’ll find a way...” “Look, we know you’re upset with Reggie...” Blocky froze when Snap glared daggers at him. He took a step back and he gulped. “B-But... Try to be rational about this. He is being taken care of as we speak, and Rudy and Penny are fine and...” “They will let him off too easy because of his age.” Snap narrowed his eyes further. He clutched his round hand into a fist. “He will not get the proper punishment that he deserves.. I can give it to him...” Blocky could hardly recognize Snap. He had never been like this before. He had seen him angry, sure. But never to the point of wanting to out and do something like...like this.. It just wasn’t like Snap. The fact that Reggie was dealing with the consequences should be enough for him. But no, Snap wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more. Reggie’s actions had pushed him over the edge, and he craved retribution. He was honestly shocked that his eyes weren’t glowing red at this point. After he had heard what happened, it was as though something broke something inside of him, and now he was a whole different person. He wasn’t sure how much of the Snap he knew was still in there. He looked into his eyes and tried to find any sense of that sarcastic yet friendly zoner he had come to know and love. But there was nothing there except anger and hatred. There was no telling how far Snap was willing to go at this point. He bit his lip and looked over at Rapsheeba with a concerned look. He could see, from the look on her face, she too was worried about him. He could see the fear in her eyes, the concern she had for her friend. She had tried earlier to calm him down, but her efforts failed. The fact that even Rapsheeba herself could not get Snap to stop sent more than enough red flags through Blocky’s mind. This was more serious than anything they had seen with Snap before, and he knew what this may lead up to. He thought back to when Reggie got his foot stuck in ChalkZone. At the time, he had only played with him. He didn’t hurt him; only messed with him. He drove Reggie insane for quite a while, and even put on a show for some other zoners who enjoyed his antics. But after this... What would Snap do if given the opportunity? Would he go as far as...hurt Reggie? The thought chilled him, but he couldn’t rule that out as a possibility. After all, Reggie had gone much further this time than ever before. He had used two lackeys to hurt his friends and went as far as have them bitten and chunks of flesh ripped out. They both had to go to the hospital to get stitched up, and they would need some time to recover. And all because he wanted information... It was no wonder Snap was so furious. Not only did Reggie hurt his friends much worse than ever before, but he was now becoming a potential threat to ChalkZone. He recalled, with uncomfortabled chills, the last time he was in ChalkZone, how he had used the red chalk to spread chaos throughout the city. The only reason they got out of trouble then was because Rudy had been clever enough to trick Reggie out of ChalkZone and then fool him into believing it was a dream. But now that Reggie was getting an inkling of its existence... What was going to happen? What would he do if he ever got back in? If he were furious enough at Rudy and Penny, how far would he go to get back at them? These questions and others troubled the scared rectangular zoner. “Look, if you two don’t want to come with me, that’s fine.” Snap growled as he narrowed his eyes. “But I’m going to see Biclops.” He turned and began to stomp away. “I’m sure he has a way to get into the Real World. He has all that chalk, right?” “Wait..!” Blocky cried out, reaching his hand towards him. “Come back! We...” But it was useless. Despite his best efforts, Snap was no longer listening to him. He continued to walk away, leaving behind his confused and startled friends. Blocky was about to rush after him when Rapsheeba gripped his shoulder tighter and shook her head. “Let him go.” She said gently. “He needs some time alone.” He looked after Snap with a worried expression. “He needs to cool down. Right now, he’s too caught up in his rage to think properly. He will not listen to us, no matter what we say.” “I don’t want to leave him alone...” Blocky whimpered. “He shouldn’t go to Biclops like that...” “I know. I want to stop him as much as you, but... There isn’t much we can do while he’s in that state. You and I both know that he can be quite strong when emotionally motivated enough.” Rapsheeba stared at Blocky in the eyes, pulling him closer to try to comfort him. “Don’t worry, though.” She gave a gentle smile. “Biclops can keep him out of trouble.” Blocky lowered his head for a moment. He then looked out at towards where the blue zoner had run off to. “I hope you’re right, Rapsheeba.” He closed his eyes. “I hope you’re right...” sss Biclops found it difficult to relax. Even slumped in his large, custom made couch, given to him by the Great Creator himself, he still couldn’t calm himself down. He could feel his mind constantly ticking and working, sifting through many thoughts, unable to stop. He had been like this for a good hour, and he knew it wasn’t going to stop any time soon. On occassion, he would turn his head over to where the cave entrance was. He would see no one coming in, and he’d look away. But then he thought he’d see movement, causing him to look again. But just like all the other times, it was met with nothingness. He was alone in the cave, but he was just not able to relax. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not calm himself down, even if he reminded himself that he really was alone in this cave. The lack of Rudy and Penny was troubling. Where could they be? He had been waiting for them for a while now. They should have left school by now, right? What could be keeping them? He recalled Rudy promising to meet him here after school. Did something happen? The thought filled him with dread. The barrier between ChalkZone and the Real World meant that it would be really hard to communicate with him. Rudy could send notes to him, but he could not return them. And what if Rudy was not able to write notes? What would he do then? He shook those thoughts out of his head. Right now, that didn’t really matter. There was something else of more concern to him at the moment. That darn memotrice was still out there. Despite zoners being sent out and looking for it and Skrawl, there was no report of anyone finding something. Not even a trace of the creature had been found, and they hadn’t seen Skrawl either. Not seeing Skrawl was nothing unusual, but accompanied with a dangerous creature, it was really quite worrying. Even more alerting was the fact that he didn’t even get too many updates. He hardly had the television on and he did not dare leave the Chalk Mine alone. He was certain there was more information about the memotrice; he was just unaware of it. And that lack of knowledge, that ignorance, made him feel even more worried and concerned. He could feel his mind swimming with thoughts as he tried to imagine what else might be going on with that thing. He tried to keep himself as relaxed as possible. Rudy Tabootie would come into contact with him eventually. If not today, then tomorrow. There was a bit of time. No way Skrawl could have gotten the memotrice already. Yes, he could try to relax a little and wait. He heard a scraping sound. Biclops lifted up his head, his body tense. All other thoughts exited his mind as he looked left and right, trying to find the source of that sound. His large eyes scanned the cave carefully, his eyes narrowing. The scrape sound didn’t come back, but he was certain he heard it. But..from where...? There it was again, from above him. His eyes bulging, he tilted his head back, scanning the stalactites across the ceiling. He still couldn’t see anything. There wasn’t even a tiny bit of dust coming down to indicate anything was there. Not a single shadow moved along the walls. Just...nothing. But that was impossible. He was certain he had heard something. He knew something was going on. He was certain of it. He gritted his teeth, pressing his nails against the couch. It might be something as harmless as a bird or tiny insect, but..he had to be sure. It was his duty to protect the Chalk Mine. He had to look for this...this thing, and make sure it doesn’t cause any problems. Especially if it turned out to be the memotrice... He froze at that. He felt his heart skip a beat. The memotrice... His mind flashed back to what he had been told before. Snap told him, he believed. The memotrice’s powers were stronger against zoners who had a memory-based power. Which was exactly what he had... He narrowed his eyes in determination. That just meant he was going to need be more diligent and careful. If he at least made it look as if he wasn’t doing anything in particular, maybe the memotrice would think he was just wandering randomnly and therefore wasn’t a threat. The beast may be able to alter memories, but it couldn’t very well read minds, now could it? With that resolve in mind, he began to make his way through the Chalk Mine. He could hear that sound again. It was getting a little louder now. Longer and more deliberate. Someone or something was in the Chalk Mine. He gritted his teeth. He would take care of this intruder in no time. If only he could figure out just where they were... He continued to head down the tunnel. He recognized this particular tunnel. It was the same one that lead up to the red chalk chamber. His gut twisted at the memory. He soon shook his head and did his best to focus on the task at hand. He continued walking down the tunnel, listening to the scrape intently, trying to see just where this intruder had slipped off into. But no matter how loud the sound got, it only felt as though he was being moved further away. Still, despite that, he kept on walking. Sooner or later, he would run into that intruder. This tunnel was a one-way. Soon the intruder would be boxed in, and he would be able to deal with them personally. He did notice something stranged as he moved along the ground. Something that just felt...rather out of place. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Something with this ground.. It just felt strange and off. He couldn’t tell why. He had walked along this ground so much, and he never thought anything of it. But now, for some odd reason, it just felt different. As if someone had changed it somehow. But that was impossible. It looked just the same. He could see the shapes on the walls, the colors. He could even feel the coldness even when he wasn’t touching them. What was going on? He tried to shake off his uneasiness and he continued to follow the noise. By now, it had gotten quite loud for scraping. He felt a shudder each time he heard it. Something with sharp claws was in here. He briefly thought of the memotrice, but he quickly shook his head. No, the scraping sound didn’t mean it was here. Loads of zoners had claws. Perhaps it was Skrawl? He narrowed his eyes. Of course. It must be Skrawl. He had invaded the mine before when he tried to coerce Penny to his side. Surely he would see reason to invade the mine a second time. Well if he wanted another fight, then he got it. This time, he was not going to be so merciful. Then he saw it. A flash of green. An antenna. Claws. Skrawl... Biclops curled his lip back into a snarl. So, it was this guy again. He thought he taught him a lesson the last time he was here. Seemed like he didn’t. He clenched his fists tightly and he began to rush down the tunnel, heading right for Skrawl. The figure moved rather quickly. A little too quickly than he recall Skrawl could run. It mattered not. He was not going to get too far. Soon he was going to be cornered and he would make sure he never comes back in here again. Skrawl would rue the day he decided to mess with him. And most importantly, if he took care of him now, it would prevent him from getting the memotrice. ChalkZone would be safe. With that hope in mind, he continued running, trying to go as quickly as he could. All he had to do was get within range of the little beast and strike him once. One single blow was all it was going to take to incapacitate Skrawl and he would be able to catch him. For the first time, Skrawl would be sent to jail for his crimes. Something that he knew many zoners would have loved to see. He would be hailed a hero. He soon rounded a corner and he could see Skrawl there. He was standing in front of the dead end. The red chalk chamber doors had been left far behind. The jellybean had made a mistake not trying to go in there to hide and throw him off the trail. Oh well, at least his job had been made easier. He began to approach Skrawl. He watched as he continuously tried to claw at the rock, trying to escape. What a pitiful sight... Didn’t that jellybean know that those walls were too thick for this claws to go through? Did he not know there was absolutely no way out except where the direction he came from? Judging from his frantic searching, it didn’t seem like he did. “Stay right where you are.” Biclops said, despite the fact Skrawl didn’t have much of a choice anyway. “You are coming with me.” Skrawl didn’t respond. In fact, he didn’t even look at him. He just continued looking around frantically, desperately clawing at the wall, even biting it at one point. He did not do anything to even acknowledge him. Not even to try to gloat. Biclops narrowed his eyes. This was rather strange. Nonetheless, he continued to approach. “For far too long, you had been a thorn in our side. I’ve had enough!” Biclopse seethed through clenched teeth. “I will make sure you never bother us again!” With that, he rushed towards Skrawl, rapidly closing the space between them. He reached out with his fist and, with not an ounce of sympathy for the zoner that made all their lives so miserable, he struck out at him, his fist colliding with his body. A child’s scream sounded out. Biclops stiffened at this. He stared at Skrawl, noticing his mouth was open. But... that’s not the way Skrawl would scream. What was...? Then the image began to flicker. Skrawl’s body waved in and out like some kind of glitch. Then a new image showed up. Biclopse took a step back, shaking his head in horror. No... it wasn’t possible... He...He couldn’t have... There laid Rudy Tabootie. He was sprawled against the wall, his mouth open and taking in ragged breaths. Blood pooled out of his mouth and nose. His eyes were bulged open in pain. He was looking at him. There was a flash of recognition in those eyes. Rudy was silently pleading with him, questioning him why he would do this. No matter how many times Biclops tried, the image before him never changed. This...This was happening... Biclops could feel his heart race against his chest, his mind swirling with thoughts, his body shaking. He..He had just attacked the Great Creator... But...But how was that possible? He knew what he saw. It was Skrawl. It had to have been. Skrawl and Rudy looked nothing alike. When he struck, he knew it was Skrawl. But...what was going on here then...? Why did Rudy suddenly get here? Did he dress himself up like Skrawl? No, that wouldn’t be something that he’d do. ...would it..? Gah, he couldn’t think like that. He knew Rudy. He wouldn’t do something so stupid. What reason could he possibly have to put on a Skrawl suit and invade the mines? Those two were clearly not allies. He had seen them together. He had seen them fought. He had seen the murder in Skrawl’s eyes. There was no way those two would work together. Then again... He did recall how he tried to make Penny work for him. And Penny was clearly loyal to Rudy. Skrawl had attempted the impossible before. Perhaps he had tried the same thing again and succeeded with Rudy? No, impossible. He shook his head furiously a couple of times. He needed to stop thinking like this. He needed to stop fooling himself into thinking this of Rudy. He was an ally. The protector of ChalkZone. He would never do anything to deliberately put it in danger. Any time that he did, he would do what he can to correct it. After all he had seen of Rudy, there was absolutely nothing he saw that would make Rudy do something like this. It...It had to be a trap. His eyes widened at that word. A trap... Had this been a trap...? At that moment, the image of Rudy faded away in an almost pixelated manner. Zipping up into the air, disappearing into nothingness. The sight of it shocked him, causing him to take a step back. Before he could take another step, he felt himself touch against something cold and hard. He turned his head. There was nothing there. His eyes widened. What was...? Then all around him, a voice spoke in his head, causing him to jolt. <Well well... I didn’t think it would be this easy...> Biclops narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He formed a trembling fist with his head. He looked around for any sign of the intruder, darting his eyes from side to side. He couldn’t see him, but the chuckling in his head gave away that someone was there. <I had been told that you were smart. I see that he was mistaken.> The voice taunted him. <Even a small child would have seen through that little cheap trick. Then again... given the type of zoner that you are... Maybe I should be glad of this reaction of yours.> “Who are you? What’s going on?!” Boomed Biclops. He rose up his fists, ready to fight. “Come down and face me!” <Ah, eager to get started I see. No worries. You will be seeing me soon enough.> The voice said. All around Biclops, the image continued to warp, sizzle, and pixelate. Soon it began to gave way into a new image. Just like with the image of ‘Rudy’, he could see the present view around him began to be sucked away, revealing where he actually was. A large cage. His eyes bulged at this. He looked all around. He was still in the mines, but in a deeper section. Another large room, big enough for this cage that was now holding him. Instinctively, he rushed over to strike it, only scream as he was electrocuted. He fall back, clutching his arm together. He got back up and he looked around. As he noticed the vastly different shapes, his mind began to flashback to when he was chasing what he thought was Skrawl. If he had been heading down this way instead... That would explain why the ground felt so different. He thought he was running to where the red chalk was, but instead, he had managed to be tricked to heading down here. His mind was fooled, but his body had not been, and that first sensation of strangeness... He should have realized something was wrong then. “Where are you...?” He asked carefully. “And how did you do this...?” <Ah, let me introduce myself...> He could hear the scraping again. It came from his left side. He turned his head there, watching carefully. He could see a shape moving along the wall. Long and slender and having a pointed tip. Wait...a pointed tip...? Could this possibly be..? Before he had a chance to finish that question, he could see the red form of the memotrice come into view. It moved along the ground in an almost grace-like manner, its head held up high. Its beak was stretched into a smile, and it gave him a look with those brown eyes. A look that made him shudder. “Y-You’re the...” Biclops’s voice trailed off. <You have heard of me. I’m sure many have. I did make quite the impression.> Biclops stared open-mouthed at the creature before he shook his head and tried to put on a brave front. “What do you what, memotice?” The memotrice’s expression changed to that of mock sadness. <Is that anyway to treat your guests, Biclops? Come now, we’re all friends here, right?> Biclops growled at it. The memotrice moved its wing towards him. <My name is Thoughtless.> “I don’t care.” Biclops said. He fought against the urge to try to escape again. “Just tell me why you are here.” Thoughtless raised its foot up and began to scratch the side of its head with its talons. <Why, to have a little fun, of course. Did you enjoy the show? I made it up myself.> Despite his anger and fear, Biclops could not fight back the curiosity that was clinging to his mind. “How did you do this...?” <Oh that is easy. You are a memozoner, just like me.> Thoughtless said. <You are able to show others the past. What you have seen. Such a wonderful talent. But that same talent makes you more vulnerable to me.> It tilted its head to one side. <I can change the long term memory of any zoner I choose. But with zoners like you, I can go even further...> Biclops did not like the sound of its voice at that. He was already aware of him being more vulnerable. But to have this zoner explain just how much... It was making his heart race, his stomach filling with toxic bile. He struggled to keep his glare on as the memotrice began to pace in front of his cage. <I can alter your short term memory. But not even that.> The memotrice stopped pacing and it raised its foot again. It looked down at its talons, flexing them. <I can alter your working memory as well.> “My working memory?” Biclops asked. “What do you mean?” Thoughtless titled its head to one side and eyed him with one, shining brown eye. <How do you think I was able to trick you into running down here? Into thinking you were chasing Skrawl? That you had struck Rudy?> Thoughtless let out a series of quick chirps, laughing. <Working memory is the most current memory that you have. I merely tap into it, and I can make you remember something that wasn’t there.> Biclops could feel his heart beat faster at this. The memotrice’s words continued to echo in his head. This... This was much worse than he had imagined. This beast... This thing... It had much more control over his memory than any other zoner. It could delve much further into his mind and really screw with him. No memory was safe from this memotrice. This thing even trick him into believing he was somewhere he wasn’t. What else could it do? What was the full extent of its powers? <It was quite a show. All it took was altering a couple small segments of your working memory, and you were convinced you were chasing Skrawl. Just imagine what fun I’m going to have when I start to play with your long term memory.> Biclops gritted his teeth. “I’ll never fall for your tricks.” Thoughtless shrugged its shoulders. <Say that as much as you like. No one has been able to resist me before.> “You weren’t out that long.” Biclops reminded him. Thoughtless narrowed its eyes at this. <No, of course not..> The smile returned. This time it grew a little more twisted. <That is about to change. And it will start with you.> It raised one of its small wings upward and motioned it towards the giant. <You, my friend giant, will have the honor of being the first memozoner I get to play with.> “But I thought that...” <Oh no...> The memotrice shook its head. <I never got a chance to play with a memozoner before. I told other zoners I could do that, yes. But you are the first one.> It lowered its head, its brown eyes staring at him intently. <I wonder how your long term memory is going to feel. Oh I’m sure it’ll feel...delicious...!> Biclops tried his best to continue being brave. He couldn’t allow this zoner to see any weakness from him. He couldn’t let his fear show. He couldn’t allow the memotrice to have any kind of satisfaction. Yet, despite his best efforts, he just could not stop shaking. How could he stop? His very mind was in danger. His core, his personality, everything that made him who he was, it could all be changed at the whim of this memotrice. Whatever it decided, its will would conquer over him. No amount of struggling was going to help. <What I had you do before, that was but a taste of what is in store for you.> Biclops was confused by this at first. But then his mind began to flash back to what he had done. When he struck Skrawl, it had become Rudy. Was... Oh no... “You’re not...” <Oh yes. Soon you will hate Rudy with enough fury to do the same thing to him.> Thoughtless gritted his beak in amusement, looking as if he was struggling not to laugh at the sight of the giant’s paled face and wide eyes. <Now hold still why I pry open those pretty little folds that you call long term memory...> |
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 12, 2015 19:05:22 GMT -5
Chapter 6: Snap wasn’t aware of how long he had been storming away like this. Nor was he aware of how long it had actually been since he stopped his stomping, or when he had begun to cool down. Right now, his mind was too distracted to really notice. He could only think of one thing. His destination: the Chalk Mine. He reread that note Rudy had sent over and over again. He had read how Reggie had bitten both him and Penny. He replayed that in his head again and again, his body quaking in anger. Reggie had gone way too far this time. He had never liked the kid before, but now, he was tempted to punch him in the face and break his jaw. He wasn’t sure if he could hold back that emptation if or when he ran into him again in the Real World. He remembered the words of his friends. They had tried to calm him down and get him to listen to reason. Bah, they don’t know what reasoning was. There was no way he was going to allow Rudy and Penny be wronged by this guy. If Blocky and Rapsheeba understood, then they would be supporting him and helping him make Reggie pay. But instead they were hanging back. Instead, they tried to make him stop. He couldn’t believe how unreasonable they were being. They just didn’t get it, did they? If he didn’t do something, then Reggie was not going to get the proper punishment, and his friends would not have their justice. And that just wasn’t fair. Rudy and Penny deserved something for what had been done to them. If this had happened when they were older, they’d sure get something. Reggie would have been punished more severely. But the only thing he would get now is a damaged grade, which he already has plenty of, and possibly community service or some bullshit like that. He clutched his hand into a fist tightly. No, that boy deserved a lot more than that. He deserved prison time. He deserved getting sense knocked into him. He deserved something worse than a mere suspension and community service. If the Real World officers weren’t going to do that, then he would be glad to step up to the plate and do it for them. He would love to get back at Reggie for what he had done. A part of him gave pause. He had been complaining of the justice system not being fair, but..was he? Did he really have the right to waltz over into the Real World and try to give Reggie the punishment he felt he deserved? Would that really help Rudy or Penny? Would it make things better? He realized the answer to that very quickly. It was a ‘no’. He might be making things worse doing this. He might upset Rudy and Penny. They might not want him to do this. He might jeopardize a lot more than he could possibly imagine by doing this. But in the moment, he just didn’t care. His body still heated from the previous anger, his body still having some tension, he moved along the ground at a steady and brisk pace. He stared out ahead at his target, his teeth clenched. He ignored any zoner that tried to speak to him or ask him what was going on. His anger was easily read, indicated by some zoners that backed away from him worriedly. Snap continued to zigzag around the zoners, keeping his attention on the path in front of him. He didn’t other to spare a glance to anyone, not even if he was familiar with them or they tried to wave hello to him. He was in no mood to sit down and chitchat. The sooner he got to the Chalk Mine, the better off he was going to feel. At the moment, there was only one zoner he really wanted to talk to and that was Biclops. He was glad when he left the city and was out in the open fields. It was nice being in a place with few zoners so he wasn’t nearly constantly interrupted. In contrast of the city, this place was pretty nice and quiet for the most part. Rather peaceful. But the peacea round him did little to cheer him up, and he continued concentrating on locating the Chalk Mine. It shouldn’t take him too long to get there. Indeed, it didn’t. He may have been walking for fifteen minutes, but it felt so much shorter than that. Maybe five at most. He didn’t really care how long it took him. At least he was here now. He could see the towering rock face that he knew made up the mine, and the river that cut around it, providing only a small barrier between any zoner trying to visit and the mine itself. Snap walked close to the canal as he made his way towards the mine, walking up the small hill and then down again, soon finding himself at the edge of the river. After crossing it, he started to make his way towards the entrance of the mine. He was about to call out to Biclops when he noticed something quite odd. Where was Biclops? This didn’t strike him as too strange after a while when he remembered that there were times when he would come near thet mine and Biclops wasn’t there. But then his concern rose again when another memory came which reminded him that it was very rare that Biclops wasn’t near the entrance. Due to the time, Biclops should have been here, guarding the mine from any intruders. But he wasn’t there. Snap knew in that moment that something must be wrong. Many questions ran through his mind. Was Biclops injured? Was he not feeling well? Did he get caught up in something and had to leave? What had happened? A part of him wanted to leave and tell his friends about the giant’s absense. But...what would they be able to do? They could help look for him but... Biclops is a giant. How difficult could he be to find? If he was in danger, he didn’t want to endangere them either. It might be better if he just went himself, despite the risk. At least that way, his friends won’t be in danger. The tension as he approached the mine was strong. He had to force himself to keep moving forward, each step feeling heavier and heavier. The atmosphere around the entrance itself was thick, and despite it looking the same as usual, he couldn’t help but get an air of fear around there. A sensation he hadn’t felt around the mine since.... since he and Rudy had first come and encountered the giant. But that was silly. He didn’t have a reason to feel like that here. Biclops was a friend. He wouldn’t, out of the blue, attack them. That first encounter was just a misunderstanding. One that had a good explanation. He couldn’t blame Biclops for being upset after he showed them ChalkZone’s history. He had come to realize how good Rudy was after he helped him, after he helped other zoners, and he had become an ally since. Biclops had always been pretty friendly and a pleasant guy to talk to. That wouldn’t change on a dime. But then..why did the mine’s atmosphere suddenly change into something so...foreboding? Why did it feel as though he shouldn’t get any closer? He bit his lip, staring out ahead towards the entrance, his body giving a few slight shakes. Despite his best efforts, he wasn’t able to feel particularly safe about entering the mine. There was just something so...off about it. He stood in front of the entrance for several moments, staring at it. He looked at the twisting paths that immediately greeted him, and the ones in the distances. He could see the dark shades that obscured parts of the cave, and the lights that Biclops set up so that he could navigate the caves without much problem. He could see parts of the overhanging chalk on the ceiling, and the many rock formations that created many uneven walls and floors. But the one thing that he could not see was Biclops himself. Not even his shadow moving or the feel of his foot vibrations to indicate that he was there. Snap struggled to think of what he should do. Should he just leave and come back later? Should he wait until Rudy came into ChalkZone? Should he go in and figure out what’s going on himself? So many possibilities... Yet he couldn’t get himself to do any of them. He felt...stuck, so unsure. He had never felt so frustrated before. He soon realized what he had to do. He was here now. He had come all this way. Rudy and Penny weren’t in danger anymore and they had been treated. But Biclops... What if he needed his help? As a friend, he knew he should at least check. Taking a few steps closer, he paused for a moment outside the mine. Then, taking in a deep breath, he entered the mine. It felt even worse on the inside. He could feel his body practically freeze with how much tension was circling around him, gripping him in an unrelenting grasp. He felt his teeth clenching unconsciously as he looked left and right, looking for any signs of the giant or any signs of danger. He wanted so much to speak out and yell for clarification. But if someone else was in here and if they were hurting Biclops, it was best he did not make himself known. Otherwise, who knows what else they might do to him. He wasn’t sure where he was going to go. He didn’t know which tunnel to take. But the cold tension... It almost felt as though it was coming down from this tunnel, the one that was located the furthest away. He took it. As soon as he stepped into it, he felt his body shiver. Yeah, this must be the one. He continued to move down it, taking care to avoid any small rocks or grooves that were in the ground so he didn’t make any noise. He kept his body hunched, continuously moving his head left and right. He could feel the glow of the torches move along his body, creating a slight warmth along it. But despite the warmth and light the torches provided, for some reason, it still felt so dark in here, as if someone had dimmed the lights, even though he could clearly see it was not. Was this the work of his fear? His thoughts were interrupted when he took notice of a strange shadow up ahead. There was a room here. The opening was quite large like all the others. Yet it still appeared a bit smaller than the usual ones. His attention was not focused on the entrance, however. But instead it was on that shadow. It didn’t look like any shadow he had seen here before. There was no way it was Biclops’s. The head was too small and there was a slender neck and... He wasn’t able to identify who this zoner was at this angle. The shadow did not provide enough detail. The one thing that he was certain of is that this zoner was the reason for Biclops’s absense. He must be doing something to Biclops in there. Snap narrowed his eyes in determination. He wasn’t going to let this creepazoid get away with this. He moved forward slowly, keeping himself near the wall, eyeing the slender shadow. “No... You’re wrong... He’s not...” Snap froze at that. He tensed up and stared out ahead expectantly. “I would never hate him! I..” That was Biclops. There was no doubt about it. But..who was he talking to? It sounded as if he were carrying out a conversation. But he could only hear Biclops’s side. Why couldn’t he hear his captor speaking? And just who is this ‘him’ and ‘he’ that he mentioned? Who would Biclops never hate? There were a number of zoners that fit that, as well as Rudy himself. Which one was Biclops talking about and just how was this intruder trying to make him hate him? The only way to find out was to get closer. So he began to slink his way over, listening intently as Biclops continued to shout from within the room. “He’s my friend! He.. He never hurt me, he...” Biclops’s voice began to grow weaker and less sure, as if he were having second opinions. “He did tie me up... He... did leave me there... He...” At this, Snap widened his eyes. He knew exactly who he was talking about. Whoever was in there, he was trying to convince Biclops to hate Rudy. This did not give away the intruder’s identity, but he already had a very good idea of who it was. As he continued to sneak on through, listening, he could hear Biclops continuously fight against some unheard voice, but he was slowly giving in. His voice went from determination to being confused and uncertain, and he could finally hear some anger in it as his comments became less defensive and more offensive. And whene that happened, Snap realized that the intruder had completed his mission, or whatever mission that was. “He is the enemy.” Snap felt his blood freeze at this. Never before had Biclops used such an aggressive-sounding voice when referring to Rudy. Not even when they first met, and he had been pretty nasty then. This...This almost sounded murderous. As if Biclops wanted to rip Rudy in half and.... Just how did this happen? His blood ran cold even further, nearly bursting out of the veins and arteries, when he flashed back to that news broadcast he had created not too long ago. The one about the memotrice. Could... could it be possible that it had come here...? Did Skrawl successfully free that beast and turn it to his side? His heart thumped heavily at the mere thought. He took in a few quick breaths, and as he stared out at the opening, it felt as though it was getting darker, the air around him becoming tighter. He clutched at his throat and rubbed it as he took a small step back. He looked down at the shadow before him and as he stared, he could see the features of the memotrice easily. His nonexistent pupils shrank into dots. His ears were soon filled with the sound of loud squeaking. Something was opening up. It sounded almost like metal. A cage perhaps? That would explain how the memotrice was able to hold Biclops while he did his nasty work. But how did he even get him in there in the first place? How did he sneak into the Chalk Mine undetected? So many questions ran through his head, clouding his skull with multiple thoughts. He managed to snap himself back to attention when he heard a loud thud. Then there was a dark shadow moving along. Biclops was coming forward. Snap backed away quickly. He..he had to get out of here. If Biclops spotted him now... There was a thunk behind him. The sound of a pebble skipping across the ground. It sounded so much louder in this cave tunnel. He nearly stopped breathing when he saw the shadows froze. His hopes for them to miss the sound were dashed, and he could hear the giant growling lowly. The shadow of what must be the memotrice raised up. He thought he could see those horrid brown eyes glowing. Then he heard something in his head that nearly made him jump. <An intruder... You are Snap. I can see your shadow. I know who you are. Isn’t this just perfect?> The beast said. <Biclops... Why don’t you bring our ‘friend’ over? I would like to speak to him.> Snap cowered as he saw the giant come out of the room. No sign of the memotrice, but at the moment, that didn’t bother him. His eyes remained glued to the giant that came into view. Biclops didn’t look physically different, but somehow, given the new mindset that he had, along with that horrible, twisted scowl on his face, how his eyes appeared to radiate contempt, he looked far darker and more terrifying than ever before. Snap squeaked out, “B-Biclops...?” Biclops loomed over him, each step feeling heavier and heavier. “You’re coming with me.” This wasn’t a suggestion, but a command, the voice laced in venom. Snap didn’t bother trying to speak again. His heart nearly bursting open from fear, he whipped himself around and he began to run away. He could hear the giant’s pounding feet behind him. He didn’t bother to look where he was going or try to figure out where he was. All he could think of was getting out of the cave. He stared out ahead, seeing the light in the distance. He looked behind him, seeing the giant. He pumped himself to move faster, his heart pounding in his chest. If he could only get out of the cave... Suddenly he tripped against a small rock. He let out a yelp as he felt the leg twist a little. He sat up and he grabbed onto the leg, feeling the swelling already starting to appear. He suddenly heard a foot fall right beside him, causing the ground to shake. Shaking, he looked up just in time for Biclops to reach down and grab him in his large hand. The force that Biclops used was more than he normally would allow. He had been picked up by Biclops before, but never like this. He could feel his ribs nearly snap under the pressure. He could feel his air supply almost get cut off, causing him to open his mouth wider to breathe. He tried to speak, but his voice was so weak from the lack of air. All he could do was struggle to breathe as he looked up at Biclops, those hatred-filled eyes boring through him like he was something disgusting. Without a word, Biclops turned and began to take him back towards the room he had just been in. Even in his dazed state, Snap could see the memotrice standing there, recognizing its features from his last Snap Shots show. The memotrice motioned for Biclops to take him into the room, in which he did. Snap was thrown against the ground. He smacked against the rock face as he tumbled and rolled. He coughed a few times as some of the dust got in his throat. He pushed himself up with his arm and grabbed onto his throat. He gently rubbed it as he coughed and wheezed, eventually regaining his breath. There was a thud and he lifted his head to see the memotrice right in front of him. Before he could respond, Snap could feel the talons and toes wrap around his neck and push him down into the ground. He let out a pained grunt as the back of his head thudded against the rocky cave floor. He grabbed onto the memotrice’s leg and started to push back against it. The memotrice’s grip was like a vice. Despite this, he continued to kick out his legs, push against the memotrice, gritting his teeth, his eyes shut tightly. <Just stop already. You aren’t going anywhere.> Snap opened his eyes and glared up at the memotrice. “If you think for one minute that... I’m staying...here...” <Oh I know you’re not. However, you haven’t gotten your new assignment.> The memotrice spoke, its voice sounding cold despite there being now actual sound. It was a unnerving sensation. <You see, despite working for Skrawl, I do get lonely myself. I need some company. Someone who will follow my every command, who will be as loyal to me as a dog...> It lowered its head towards his face. <And you, my blue friend, will be perfect.> “N-No.. I won’t...” Snap tried to push harder. “I would never betray Rudy!” The memotrice tilted its head to the side. Its one brown eye stared down at him, twinkling. <We will see about that. Now...let’s get started..> Snap began to let out screams as he felt parts of his skull begin to heat up as the memotrice invaded his mind. sss The class felt so strange without Reggie in it. Rudy knew that this wasn’t much of a change. Only one student gone. But without that bully sitting near him, it just felt so....different somehow. It was almost as if the classroom had lost a part of itself when Reggie was taken away. Despite being angry at Reggie, a part of him couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. The kid already got himself into so much trouble. With this added on top of it, he couldn’t imagine what his life in the future would be like. How would he be able to function once he had gotten out of school? Where would he go? He shook the thoughts out of his head. He shouldn’t think about him. Reggie had gone too far this time. He was asking for this kind of punishment. If he didn’t want to get kicked out of school for two weeks, then he should have thought more about that when he had used those two students to attack them. Speaking of Bobby and Harvey, he realized they weren’t in this classroom either. He looked around, barely listening to Mr. Wilter’s words, as he noticed that those two students were gone. Vanished. He recalled that, despite not being the instigators, they were punished for submitting those attacks against him and Penny. Their punishment wasn’t as bad by comparison. They hadn’t been kicked out of the school at least, but they were expected to go to anothere classroom for a while. A sort of detention. Rudy felt sorry for those two. They had never wanted to hurt him and Penny. They were only doing those things because Reggie was making them. They had clearly wanted to let them go and leave, but Reggie was forcing them to stay. The memory of it heated up Rudy’s blood. How dare he force innocent students to do his dirty work... Well at least he wouldn’t have to worry about it for a while. He won’t have to see Reggie until after his two week suspension is up. Or his community service time was over. Whichever one came first. He was a little worried about what might happen once he returned, but he would concern himself with that when it came close to when Reggie would return. He kept his eyes straight, making it look as if he was watching Mr. Wilter write the stuff regarding math on the chalkboard. The teacher occasionally would look out this way. Not once did Mr. Wilter speak out towards him or give any indication he thought he wasn’t paying attention. He just went on as if nothing was wrong. Unbeknownst to Mr. Wilter, however, Rudy’s eyes were occasionally darting around towards Penny. He could feel his body stiffen up as he stared at her, biting his lip. His eyes trailed over her treated arms, seeing the red marks that were still left behind from the attack. The sight of them made him quiver, and his own injuries ached as well. He and Penny were both lucky that the attacks weren’t as bad as they could have been. But they still had a lot of recovering to do. What would happen if Reggie decided to try again? Would he go as far as attack them just like before? Would he sic his ‘minions’ on them and do much worse? Rudy wasn’t sure how far Reggie could go. He wasn’t sure what his lowest point would be. He thought he knew, but Reggie had proven him wrong in that attack. He no longer knew the boy’s limit, and that made him far scarier in his mind. Despite telling himself to wait to worry, that nothing good will come out of stressing out over this now, he could feel his mind clawing away in that direction. He could feel his heart clench tightly in fear as he thought of what Reggie might do once he got back. If Reggie decided to go for broke, to not care anymore about how he was punished, if he allowed nothing to hold him back, what would he do? Considering how large that boy was, Rudy was all too aware of all sorts of things that Regie might do to him. He turned his eyes down to his portable chalkboard. He bit his lip as he stared at it, recalling the danger that was going on inside ChalkZone as well. The memotrice and Skrawl... He had no idea what was going on with them right now. He didn’t know the status, and not knowing was driving him insane. He kept asking himself multiple questions. Were the zoners okay? Did something happen? Was anyone hurt or injured? Did the memotrice get them? Did Skrawl get them? He felt his head start to ache and swell as he tried to figure out what was going on. He couldn’t help but shiver a little as he imagined all the horrible things that might be going on with Snap and the others. He wanted to get into ChalkZone so badly and talk to them, see if they are okay, help anyone that was in need. He couldn’t continue wasting his time in here, listening to the teacher speak. The urge to jump through the portal was increasing with each second. He... “Rudy Tabootie!” Rudy let out a yell of surprise, nearly dropping his portable chalkboard as Mr. Wilter shouted at him. He looked up over at the teacher, giving off a nervous smile. He tried to ignore the chuckles from the other students. “Y-Yes, Mr. Wilter...?” “If you’re done staring at your desk, can you please answer the question on the board?” Mr. Wilter slapped his long stick against the chalkboard, creating a loud snap. Rudy hunched his shoulders and flinched as he imagined how that must sound like on the other side. “Well, Mr. Tabootie?” “I...” Rudy stared at the board, reading the sequence that was stretched a long it. It was such an easy answer, yet his stunned mind couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He ended up staring at Mr. Wilter like he had been frozen with some ray. “...I...” Thankfully, Penny raised her hand. “Yes, Penny Sanchez? Do you mind informing the class, and Rudy, what the answer is?” Penny nodded. “The answer is sixty-two.” “That is correct! Thank you, Ms. Sanchez.” Mr. Wilter said as he praised Penny. Penny smiled and said, “You’re welcome.” She turned and gave Rudy a small, concerned glare. Rudy flinched and looked away from it. “As for you, Rudy...” Rudy lifted up his head and looked over at Mr. Wilter. He gritted his teeth nervously as the teacher glared at him. He knew Mr. Wilter was not going to let up on him that much just because he and Penny were attacked. He still expected them to pay attention in class, especially since the worst of it was over. “I expect you to keep your eyes up here. Understand?” Mr. Wilter asked. Rudy nodded his head. “Yes, Mr. Wilter.” Mr. Wilter lifted his head up. “Good.” He turned himself around and returned to the chalkboard. “Now class, when we take this number and...” Rudy gave a quick glance back down at the chalkboard that he held. He stared at it longingly as Mr. Wilter’s voice echoed in the back of his head. He wanted to check on Snap so badly, to ask him how everything was going. But he would have to put that off for now. He had to turn his attention back to the board or Mr. Wilter will be quite upset with him. He set the portable chalkboard down. He made a note in his head to check during recess. sss “Rudy, are you sure this is safe?” Penny asked cautiously. “I’m sure. We just have to make sure we are further away this time.” Said Rudy. He looked left and right. “I don’t think any of the children will see us from here. Besides, we’re not going into ChalkZone; we’re just going to try to talk to Snap and see if there’s any updates. He usually waits around here for me.” Penny stared at Rudy, still not so sure about this. She remembered what happened as a result of earlier, how Reggie had seen them creating a portal. Well not directly, but he still saw the light. If they made the same mistake again... But she couldn’t lie and say that she wasn’t just as determined and curious as he was. She too would love to hear any new information from Snap. He might have some information that they could use, and even if it wasn’t useful, just some reassurances would be nice. She was frightened by the prospect of a memotrice going around in ChalkZone. If Snap had any positive update, she would like to know as well. “Okay then. Make the portal quickly.” Penny said. “Let’s get this over with before someone sees us.” Rudy nodded in agreement. He took out the magic chalk and he drew a portal around the small chalkboard, as wide as the black surface was. The light flickered for a moment and as soon as the portal opened up, Rudy leaned into the board and called out in a hushed whisper, “Snap? Hey Snap, are you there?” Penny expected to hear Snap call out with his usual ‘Bucko’ comment, even try to drag Rudy into ChalkZone despite them not having the time for it. But oddly, this time there was nothing. Just silence. Rudy and Penny looked at each other for a few moments, silently contemplating what their next move should be. It was not unusual for Snap to not be there. He wasn’t always waiting for Rudy. There were times when he was off doing something else. Maybe he had a date with Rapsheeba or he agreed to take Blocky to a game or maybe something else happened. Neither of them were particularly worried. But they were both slightly frustrated and eager. They both really wanted an update on that memotrice. They wanted to know if the zoners were okay. It might seem quiet, but this didn’t mean much. The danger could be happening much deeper in ChalkZone. Neither of them had planned to go directly into ChalkZone right now after the scare with Reggie. But with the absense of Snap, they knew that if they wanted any answers, the fastest way was to head directly into ChalkZone. It shouldn’t take long before they would find someone who could help them or hopefully run into Snap. They didn’t bother wasting time figuring out if going in was such a good idea. They didn’t have any time for that. All they had to do was go in and out. All they wanted was an update on the memotrice, and then they could come in when they got home. Hopefully their parents would let them have some time alone so they could do some exploring in ChalkZone. They did not want to have to wait even longer to help do something about that blasted memotrice. They were supposed to help do something about it earlier and... At that memory, Penny froze. She recalled how they were supposed to meet Biclops the other day to discuss what to do about the memotrice. She hoped he wasn’t too upset or worried about them not showing up. She hoped that them not coming over when they said they would didn’t make the giant feel any more afraid than he already would have been. She and Rudy didn’t mean to not come. How could either of them predicted that Reggie would have stopped them and beat them up like he had? Well perhaps he would understand. Biclops always was an understanding fellow. She was certain that, if he were angry, he’d calm down after hearing the story, unless Snap already told him. Yeah, as soon as they showed up at the cave, Biclops would be there waiting for them, waving to them and looking relieved. Once inside ChalkZone, the two children began to head out. Their first destination was ChalkZone City. Snap was often in here if he wasn’t out waiting for Rudy. There was so much to do in this place, and so many zoners to interact with. It made an ideal place for Snap to hang out when he was bored and didn’t know what to do. The same thing went for any zoner in the area, really. It was a lot nicer here than in a Real World city, which was too crowded and cluttered and noisy and... ugh, Penny tried to shudder the thoughts out of her head. She and Rudy spent some time looking around the city. They didn’t go anywhere in particular. They just headed down the streets, looking left and right as they tried to locate Snap. So far, they didn’t see him anywhere, or anyone immediately familiar either. There was no shortage of zoners here, but none of them were the ones they were hoping to find. But they didn’t give up. They kept on searching. They eventually came to the beginning of a Night Zone. They had to stop and turn around. Snap might very well be in the Night Zone partying, maybe at that Mother Tongue place, which Penny would be glad she never got around again. But first, they felt they should search more in the Day Zone section. After all, he might be hanging out with Chalk Dad, or he might be performing a trick with Howdy, or maybe he was on a picnic or something. But so far, no sign of him. No matter how far they traveled, no matter how hard they looked, there was no sign of their friend. They scoured all over the Day Zone section of the city. No change. No sign of a certain blue and white zoner. Many other zoners, but not the one they were hoping to find. If Snap wasn’t located anywhere in the Day Zone section, then they had to move onto the Night Zone portion. It didn’t take long to find the Night Zone, and good thing too. They would need to leave soon in order to get back to school before their teacher and fellow classmates realized they were missing. They pumped their legs as quickly as they cold as they ventured further into the Night Zone, looking around to try to find Snap. They passed by a couple of large buildings that appeared to have some major partying going on inside. They walked over towards each and asked the zoners standing outside on watch if a small, super hero zoner clad in blue and white had went into the building. Both times, it was a no, much to their disappointment. Neither of them were costume parties, but even if they were, Snap most likely wouldn’t have tried to change his outfit to go to one. So they just continued on their way, searching around. After a couple of minutes and still no sign of their friend, they walked over to a building and leaned against it. They didn’t speak, both lost in their thoughts. They had to wonder how they were going to find Snap before they had to leave. Perhaps they should have just asked the many random zoners for any updates instead of just if they had seen their friend. True, they might not have known anything, but they may have eventually found someone who could have told them something. Well it wasn’t too late to keep looking. Recess was going to still last for another... ten minutes perhaps? Okay, not a lot of time to do searching. But in that small time frame, they might be able to find someone who can tell them what they need. “Rudy? Penny?” The two children immediately stopped and turned their heads. They could recognize the forms of Rapsheeba and Blocky heading right for them. Rudy and Penny were relieved for a few seconds, only to be bombarded with worry when they saw the look in their friends’ eyes. Penny had never seen them look this scared or frightened before. Even from this distance, she could see the horror plastered in their eyes. She wondered what they must have seen. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about the possibility of them having encountered the memotrice. She immediately rushed over to them, Rudy following close behind her. As soon as they reached them, she spoke up. “What happened? Is it the memotrice?!” Penny cried out, a little louder than she had expected. She could see Rudy’s shocked expression out of the corner of her eyes. When the two zoners shook their heads, she felt relief, but concern was still present in her mind. “Then...what is it...?” Blocky panted, looking exhausted as if he had ran for miles. “S-Snap... We...” Rapsheeba, who appeared to have already caught her breath, spoke up in his place. “Snap is missing!” Rudy and Penny gasped at this. They glanced at each other, and then back at them. “Missing?” Penny asked carefully. “When was the last time you saw him?” “Yesterday, not long after Rudy here sent a message.” Rapsheeba pointed at the boy for a second. “Snap was so angry about what happened to you guys, he stormed over to Biclops to try to find a way into the Real World.” “He did?” Penny whispered. Considering neither of them had see him, it was a safe bet he found no way in. Not that she thought he would. But that still left an important question. “Why?” Blocky looked at them with fear-filled eyes. “He..he wanted to teach Reggie a lesson!” “What?” Rudy and Penny called out in unison. They were both aware that Snap would be angry. But to want to come into the Real World just to get back at Reggie... That didn’t seem like something Snap would do. Why would he take a risk like that? Rapsheeba said, “We waited for him to come back, but we hadn’t seen him since then! He hadn’t even shown up for any of the parties going on here in Night Zone.” She held up her hands at her sides. “You know how much he loves parties. But he didn’t show up for either of them.” “Yeah that is strange...” Penny’s voice was slightly shaky. She tried her best to calm herself down. There had to be a reason for this. “The first place we need to check is the mine.” Rudy looked at the two zoners. “Have either of you tried to look there?” The two zoners shook their heads. “We were going to...until...” Blocky’s voice trailed off. He rubbed his arm nervously as he looked away. “Until...” “Until what?” Rudy pressed. “What happened?” Asked Penny. Blocky didn’t look like he was going to be able to respond anytime soon. Thankfully, Rapsheeba appeared better able. She took a step forward and she gave a slightly narrowed expression. The fear that dripped from those eyes was unmistakeable. The next word she whispered out caused Penny and Rudy to nearly stop breathing. “The memotrice was spotted in that direction.” sss “So...you’re finally back...” Skrawl couldn’t hide his anger that much when he saw the memotrice finally walk back into his lair. He had expected the memotrice back a lot sooner than this. He had helped bring in the cage for Biclops, but then he left as Thoughtless had wanted absolute concentration. It had promised to be back soon, but it was the following day. “What kept you...?” Skrawl growled softly, his hands tense, claws gripping the couch’s arm tightly. <My apologies. There was a delay.> Skrawl raised an eyebrow at this. “I thought you said your powers don’t takel ong.” The memotrice just stared at him. Skrawl narrowed his eyes. “Don’t look at me that way. I saw exactly what you were capable of!” He pointed a long claw at it. “I saw what you did to those guards!” Thoughtless nodded its head once. <Indeed that is true.> The memotrice continued to move towards him. It did not look very phased by Skrawl’s anger. <However, perfection can’t be rushed.> “Oh don’t give me that...” Skrawl rolled his eyes. “It shouldn’t have taken you this long! I thought you had gotten captured or something!” The memotrice let out several squawks of laughter. <Capture me?!> It placed a wing against itself, its beak stretched up in a smile. <Please! The only reason they caught me before was because they got lucky!> Its eyes narrowed as it opened its beak enough to show its small sharp teeth. <I can assure you that it will not happen again..> Skrawl growled at this. He had so many things he wanted to say to the memotrice. He wanted to make it understand the consequences of what it did. There was a reason why he wanted it back as soon as possible. It had wasted too much time in the mines. Biclops, once...altered...didn’t need any help. He would have known what to do. There was no reason for it to stay behind with him. He just couldn’t fathom any reason for why he did this. Well, at least it was here now. That’s all that mattered. Thoughtless would be safe from capture here. Or at least, attempted capture. At this point, he and Thoughtless no longer needed to be directly involved themselves. They can just wait here and watch the fireworks via..something. He hadn’t quite thought of how he was going to watch, but he would find a way. He wanted to see the look on the Great Creator’s face once he had seen that Biclops was now his enemy. He wanted to see Biclops try to kill the boy he had once called ally. Oh that would be fun. He wanted to just move on. Biclops had been swayed to their side. He knew this just by looking at the memotrice’s expression. That look of triumph was unmistakeable. Not to mention if it had failed, he was certain it would have told him. But he couldn’t help but remain curious about one thing: just what caused the delay in the first place? Skrawl motioned his hand forward, gesturing towards the memotrice. “Do you mind explaining yourself...?” The memotrice shook its head. <Oh not at all. I..did kind of want to introduce to you our new...teammate.> At this, Skrawl raised an eyebrow. “New teammate..?” Thoughtless nodded. <Yes. In fact, he is the reason for the delay. You see...> It motioned its wing in gesture. <He thought it would be useful if we set up some traps in the Chalk Mine. You know, in case those two children decided to come over. Biclops loved the idea.> Skrawl narrowed his eyes a little further. A part of him did not appreciate the fact that Thoughtless recruited someone without his permission. But on the other hand, it did make things a little more interesting. He couldn’t believe he didn’t think of setting up traps for Rudy and Penny for when they try to get into the mine. Because surely they would try to do that once they found out Biclops was their enemy now. He had one more question to ask. “And who is he?” <I thought you’d never ask.> The memotrice took a step back. <May I introduce our new teammate...> It continued to move back until it revealed a certain blue and white zoner. <Snap White.> Skrawl’s eyes widened in shock at this. “That little blue pest?!” Skrawl gritted his teeth as he pointed over at the zoner. “Get him out! He’s...” <On our side now.> Thoughtless told him. Skrawl immediately quieted down at this. He stared at the memotrice for several moments. Despite knowing about his power, despite the memotrice’s look of assurance, he couldn’t help but remain skeptical. He turned to look at Snap. He noticed the zoner looked a little angrier than usual. Not his normal anger. But something more deep-seated. As if he felt betrayed. For once, all that anger was not directed at him, despite Snap looking up in his direction. This look of betrayal had Skrawl intrigued. But he had to be sure. So he asked the most obvious and important question that needed to be gotten out of the way first. “How do I know he won’t betray us for Rudy and Penny?” Skrawl held up his hand in gesture. “After all... he is Rudy’s creation.” Snap raised his head up slightly at this. His facial expression appeared to harden. “Tsch... Why would I do anything for them? After the way they cut me open and experimented on me after I ate those tainted cookies?” Skrawl looked at him for a few moments, and then back at Thoughtless. They shared a small, knowing smirk. He then looked back at Snap. “So...what are you going to do about it, Snap?” The blue zoner took a few steps forward. He then placed himself onto his knee and he lowered his head. A gesture of respect and loyalty that Skrawl never thought he would get from this zoner. “I will follow you.” “You will?” Skrawl asked. Snap nodded his head. “After all...” Snap looked up. This time, his expression was replaced with brief gratefulness. “You saved me from them.” Skrawl chuckled at this. Oh how this was so perfect. The two zoners that had the strongest connections to Rudy and Penny were now on their side. Things couldn’t go any better. “Why don’t you come with me, Snap? I’d like your...opinion on how we should deal with Rudy and Penny.” Snap’s eyes flickered at this. He gave a snarl, his eyes narrowing into slits. “I’ll be glad to...” |
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 14, 2015 16:41:48 GMT -5
Chapter 7:
“Penny! Let go of me!”
“No! We need to think this through!”
“But there’s no time for...”
“If we rush in unprepared and get captured, then what?!”
Rudy couldn’t think of anything else to say. A part of him knew that Penny was right, that they should just fall back and think of a plan. He knew how foolish it was to just rush in there uninvited and unexpected. He knew the risks of diving inot a situation unprepared.
But he just couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stop pulling against Penny, trying to dislodge her. He couldn’t stop trying to rush towards the Chalk Mine. If Biclops was in danger, he had to be there to help him. He couldn’t just sit here, doing nothing but twiddling his thumbs. No, if Biclops needed his help, then it was his duty to help him. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe if they hurried, they might be able to save him.
No matter how hard he pulled, Penny was not letting go of him. She tightened her grip and, with a sharp pull, she managed to get Rudy back over towards her. He let out a grunt and he tried to wriggle out of her grasp. Penny clearly wasn’t having any of this and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.
“Penny! Let me go!” Rudy wailed, jerking himself from side to side. “Can’t you see we are wasting time?!”
Penny grunted and held onto him tightly. “We wouldn’t be wasting time if you would just listen!” Rudy continued trying to escape. “If we rush in there without a plan... We may run into that memotrice’s trap... and then what? Rudy, what would we do then? You aren’t thinking ahead!”
Rudy’s racing mind could hardly hear her. His eyes remained focused head, staring out into the distance where he knew the Chalk Mine was. His struggles grew frantic as he tried to squirm his way out of Penny’s grasp. He pushed against her, his legs kicking out in desperation. He reached his hand out, as if to grab something that wasn’t there. His eyes remained closed for a few moments before he reopened them and he stared out ahead. His eyes bulged open, his pupils shrinking into dots. He took in a few shaky breaths and he let out a scream.
“I need to help them! Biclops! Snap! No!”
With another yank, Penny pulled him away further. This time, she had help from Rapsheeba and Blocky. They came over and they grabbed onto Rudy’s arms. They tightened their grip and helped Penny to pull him back away against a tree. They pushed him against the wall and held him there as he struggled frantically to escape. His wide, horror-filled eyes stared out ahead as he continued to call out in desperation.
This continued on for a few minutes. Him trying to get away. His friends trying to hold him in place. He could hear their pleas and shouts. He could hear his own cries. It became a blur; he could hardly make out anything that was said. Not even from himself. All he was aware of was a loud, booming chorus in his head that echoed in his skull. All he was aware of was that sickening feeling in his stomach of raw worry, twisting his gut into knots, making him feel ill. He could feel his body trembling due to the rush of energy through his body. He wanted to run. He wanted to pump his legs as quickly as he could.
But he couldn’t get away. His racing mind figured out it was these three that were holding him back. He had to get away from them. He had to get free. He had to run. He just had to...
But his efforts were in vain. Penny, Rapsheeba, and Blocky refused to let go of him. They gave him no room to escape, no weakening grasps, and he found he was not able to outpower them all. Even with adrenaline, his body wasn’t able to get away from them, and he found his energy rapidly depleting. His legs felt wobbly and he went down to the ground. His friends continued to hold onto him, not daring to release him out of fear of him getting hurt.
He stared at the ground for several moments, panting heavily. His racing mind finally began to slow down a little and he started to see the bigger picture. He soon realized that Penny was indeed correct. They couldn’t just rush into this. How could he have thought that?
This realization wasn’t of much comfort to him, nor did it help calm him down completely. If anything, it had the opposite effect. He could feel that bitter sensation of worry eat away at his stomach, threatening to make him throw up. His heart clenched and sped up, making him dart his eyes left and right. He could feel a brief wave of panic strike through his body and it took him so much of his mental strength to hold himself back.
He wasn't sure how long it took before he cooled down. He didn't know how much time had passed before he started to regain some of his senses. He wasn't sure how long he had been like this. Slowly, he began to loosen up, his body relaxing. He felt his legs get wobbly and he dropped down onto his knees. His friends went down with him, gently holding onto him so he wouldn’t fall down.
The waves of emotion still rushed through him, however. They still stung his heart, still clawed at his chest. Despite the whispered assurances from his friends, he couldn’t let go this horrid feeling that was making him feel sick. His body continued to quake with emotion, and his grip on the chalk grass tightened, threatening to tear them out of the roots.
“It’s not fair... This shouldn’t be happening...” Rudy whispered in a shaky breath. “I’m the Great Creator! I should have been able to prevent this!” He formed a fist and he slammed it against the ground, startling his friends.”
He couldn't stop the hot, stinging tears from emerging from his eyes. He felt like an idiot crying like this. But he couldnt shake off the guilt. He felt responsible for what happened. If anything happened to Biclops... It was his fault.
If only he had been more careful... If only he and Penny had just waited until they got home before they went into ChalkZone that day... If only they had been smarter with Reggie and gave him the slip before he could grab them... This and so many other thoughts rushed through his head, making his chest tighten in coldness.
He soon felt hands upon him. He lifted his head up and he could see Penny sitting in front of him. Her hands had been placed on his shoulders. She was staring at him sympathetically. At her sides were Rapsheeba and Blocky. They looked down at him sadly, their eyes glistening as they, too, tried to fight against their tears.
“Rudy... We will find a way to help them." Penny whispered gently. “Don’t worry...”
Rudy trembled, unable to tear his mind away from the uncomfortable thoughts that zipped through. He had no idea what was happening with Biclops or Snap. And that terrified him. All he knew was that the memotrice headed down that way. There was no telling if they had encountered the creature or not. He didn’t know if Biclops was even targeted or if he were taken over, or worse. He didn’t know if Snap was still there, or if he went somewhere else.
Despite Penny’s words, he couldn’t fully relax about this. He couldn’t be assured of his friends’ safety until he went there and saw for himself that they were all right. He wanted to see their smiling faces. He wanted to see that they were fine and had managed to escaped the sight of the memotrice.
But what was he going to do? He realized, deep down, that Penny was right. If they rushed into this too quickly, it might indeed cause a problem. He might land himself in hot water. He might end up trapped or worse. He couldn’t rush into this, especially if Biclops had been turned. And what of Snap? What would happen to him? His heart clenched as he realized that Skrawl could just kill him off or use him as bait. Would he make Snap’s situation worse if he rushed in ill prepared?
“I have an idea.”
Rudy turned his head and he could see Blocky had repositioned himself. He now stood right in front of him. That same, worried look was still plastered over his face. “Yeah, Blocky...?” Rudy managed to choke out.
“How about you draw something? Like a little spy camera or something?” The rectangular zoner pointed towards the direction of the mine. “Use it to scope out the area?”
Penny widened her eyes slightly. “You know...that’s not a bad idea actually.” She moved back, releasing Rudy from her embrace. She stared at him in the eyes. “Why don’t you try that? It would be our safest bet to determine the threat level. Then we can plan based on that.”
Rudy couldn’t believe he didn’t think of that before. It did make sense. If he were to draw some kind of small camera, silent and stealthy, he could use it to head to the Chalk Mine and record footage of what was going on. He could keep it out of sight and see the situation on Biclops. He could also use it to see if anything happened to Snap. He wasn’t sure how much information it would reveal, but anything would be wonderful at this point.
He sat up on the ground. The others moved a little away from him, giving him room. He pulled out the magic chalk, watching it sparkle for a few seconds. He then began to quickly sketch a small camera. A long, cylinder shaped device equipped with a cloaking mechanism. He didn’t want anyone to hear it. Not even Biclops, if he had been tainted by that zoner’s memory alteration properties. He continued working on the sketch for a couple of minutes before he pulled the chalk back and the thing rapidly came to life.
Now there was a small, hovering camera in front of him. It almost reminded him of that thing in Pong. He shook the thought out of his head and refocused his attention. He sketched another device. Two more to be precise. He drew an adjustable video camera so he could see what this thing saw. There were a few buttons that allowed him to see in different perspectives, including infrared. Then he drew a small remote that allowed him to control the device so it would reach its destination.
He turned on the video device, Instantly he could see a pixelated version of himself and his friends, since the device was looking in their direction. He grabbed onto the controller sitting on the ground next to him. He sat down on the ground, crossed his legs, and he began to control the video camera.
The images zipped by rapidly as the camera made its way towards the mine. Behind him, Penny, Rapsheeba, and Blocky sat down behind him. They watched in cautious eagerness as the camera began its journey.
As the camera continued on its way, as Rudy continued to control it steadily, staring intently at the screen, he couldn’t help but feel a sickening pang of worry claw its way inside of him. He hoped that, whatever had happened, he and his friends would be able to deal with it. He hoped that, no matter what happened, they would be able to reverse its effects and return everything to normal.
But only time would confirm this.
sss
“Ah, so the chalkboy is quite sensitive with his art, is he...?” Skrawl scratched his chin thoughtfully as he finished listening to one of Snap’s explanations. “I would have thought he would be so proud and stubborn to think...”
“Oh he is. Trust me, I know.” Snap interrupted him. “But that is why it’s a weakness. I’ve seen what happens when his ‘precious talent’ is threatened. He nearly lost it when anyone praised his little cousin’s art instead of his own!”
“I see...” Skrawl turned his gaze to one side as he let this information flow inside of him. “I’m surprised I didn’t think of this... It would have proven most useful before.”
“Yeah? Well now you know.” Snap affirmed.
Indeed he did know now. Skrawl now knew something about Rudy Tabootie that he could very easily use against the boy later on. He had always tried to attack him physically. He had never tried to play mind games with Rudy. He had heard that mental attacks could be so much worse, leaving much longer lasting pain. If he used the right kind against him, he may be able to bring the brat to his knees, shake up his confidence, or toy with his emotions to make him slip up.
Bringing Snap to their side had been an excellent idea. Firmly convinced that Rudy and Penny had betrayed him, Snap had no qualms about telling him anything he asked for. That zoner had been with them for a long time, and would have all kinds of dirt on them, especially of Rudy. Now, all that knowledge was for him. Things he never knew before, he now had access to. Oh the possibilities...
Snap’s suggestion proved to be quite interesting. The zoner had told him about the time when he was trapped in Sandman’s world. In it, their nightmares would come true and mock them. He would not discuss what happened to himself, but he did tell him what happened to Rudy and Penny. Rudy was taunted by some art critic in the form of a three-headed turtle, while Penny’s head swelled from too much information. Skrawl didn’t know how he was going to make use of that, but with Rudy, that was a different story.
He had usually tried more physical approaches to stopping Rudy from using the chalk. But striking at him mentally may work much better. Yes, he could shake up his confidence, make him think that his efforts were worthless, make him believe that he isn’t as good as he thinks he is. Yes, that would be one way of keeping Rudy from securing victory.
But...there was still the matter of his friend, Penny. Thoughtless had mentioned that he didn’t believe his powers will work on the humans, so the girl would be able to help Rudy. She might even figure out a way to bring his confidence back. If he were to go with this plan, or any plan for that matter, he would need to do something about Genius Girl. Maybe Snap would have some kind of suggestion. Perhaps even a way to drive a wedge between them.
He turned his attention back to the blue zoner. He was leaning against the wall, his arms folded against his chest. He could see that his eyes still shined of bitterness towards his, well, ‘former friends’, courtesy of Thoughtless. In some ways, Snap was a little intimidating like this. He had never seen him look so bitter before. He had seen him be sarcastic and brave, but never like this. Never so moody, so gloomy, so...calculating. It was almost unnerving.
Snap appeared to notice him staring at him. He narrowed his eyes softly. “Yes? May I help you?” He seemed to quickly realize just what he wanted. “Ah, you want to ask me another question, I take it?”
Skrawl nodded his head. “Yes. I was wondering if you knew a way to...well..disrupt the teamwork between Rudy and Penny? It would be easier dealing with them if they were separated.”
Snap gave a bitter chuckle. “Those two are quite close. It be hard to separate them. But...” A corner of his mouth twisted up into a smile. “..if you want a really good way to interrupt their teamwork, I can tell you a little story that may prove very useful to us.”
Skrawl’s eyes twinkled at this. “Okay, tell me.”
“Do you remember the time when you used that robot to try to destroy the Chalk Mine...?”
“Yes...” Skrawl growled. “I remember.”
Of course he would remember that day. How could he ever forget it? There was no way he would forget who he nearly won, how Craniac 4 messed everything up, how the robot was turned against them by Penny. He could taste victory and it was snatched away from him. He still had nightmares about that day. They would often end with him winning, then he’d wake up and realize that, no, it was all just a dream.
“I don’t think you realize where that robot came from...”
Skrawl lifted his head and stared at Snap. He noticed the look in his eyes. The sight of it was unnerving and yet... It also seemed to be telling him something else. Something unknown and yet still important.
Upon seeing his look, Snap continued on, “That robot was designed by Rudy and Penny.” He said those two names with a layer of venom. “They had been working on it for some kind of project, but they kept disagreeing. It eventually built up and they went their separate ways. They wound up erasing it before they gave it a purpose.” He motioned a hand towards him. “It landed in your hands of course.”
Skrawl blinked at this. He looked upwards thoughtfully, tapping a claw against him. “Well...that would explain why the robot looked like Rudy and talked like Rudy...” When the comment fully registered, he looked back down at Snap. “So you’re telling me that they can be competitive with each other?”
Snap nodded his head. “Oh yes they can. The whole reason they were fighting was because Rudy wanted the robot to be a fighter and Penny wanted it to be a helper. They couldn’t agree on what to do, and instead of compromising, they fought. They wouldn’t speak to each other for a while, if I remember right.”
“They couldn’t agree and they fought and they separated from each other...” Skrawl thought about this. “How very interesting...”
“Those two claw at each other when they’re angry more than Penny and I or Rudy and I ever had.” Snap said in a somewhat gleeful tone. Then his eyes narrowed and he growled, “At least before they betrayed me...”
Skrawl was honestly surprised by this. He would have thought that those two got along quite well and were hard to separate. He remembered all too well when he had tried something to separate them, and it didn’t work. Penny only pretended to be on his side, and he ended up being made the fool. He growled and clenched his fist tightly. He would never forget that day. He looked forward to the day that he made Penny pay for what she had done to him.
But according to Snap, it was possible to turn those two on each other. He knew how powerful anger was, and if it were to pull them apart, even just for a short while, that would be enough to strike. All he need is for them to be alone for a little while, and then he could move in and take at least one of them. Penny most likely, as he wanted Rudy to suffer the longest. Without Penny being there to comfort him, he could begin the mind games, shake up his confidence, and make it harder for him to win. Then once the magic chalk was gone, it was time to strike.
Unless, of course, Snap wanted to ‘play’ with his former friend. He hadn’t asked him yet. He didn’t believe now was a good time. But the idea of Snap attacking Rudy was too fun to pass up. He would bring it up later.
“Thank you, Snap. I appreciate the information.” Skrawl said as he placed a hand on the small zoner’s shoulder. “That will be all for now. I will come to you later when I need something.”
Snap stared at him for a few moments. Then he smiled and nodded his head once. “You’re welcome, master.”
Skrawl felt himself stiffen a little at that name. Snap had never called him that before. He soon recovered and his own smile stretched for a bit. Then he turned around and he began to walk away.
sss
The images on the screen zipped at a rapid rate as Rudy continued to guide it towards the Chalk Mine. It zipped and zagged around, avoiding the trees and the zoners and anything else that happened to get in the way. He could soon see the canal that he knew would head towards the mine itself. He followed over the top of it, his eyes focused on the mountainous structure in the distance that he knew was the Chalk Mine.
As it drew closer, he could feel his heart skipping several beats. The anticipation for this moment ate away inside of him. The anxiety was getting stronger, making his palms feel sweaty and slippery. He knew that so much rid on what he was going to find. Despite knowing that they needed to find out, a part of him was almost terrified to find out. They had never faced a threat like this before. What were they going to do if... if....
He tried to keep himself calm. He tried to remind himself of why he needed to do this. With Penny and the two zoners at his side, he did feel some courage return. Especially when Penny placed a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it for reassurance. He smiled at her before turning his attention back to the monitor. He continued to move the small camera forward, trying to get to the mine as quickly as possible.
Soon the small camera zipped up into the sky, raising over the hills and land and down below, there it was. The Chalk Mine. He let the camera hover there for a few moments, staring at the mine intently. Then, pushing the stick down, he guided the camera towards the mine.
The first thing he noticed was the absense of Biclops. He wasn’t present at the front. He looked over at the others, exchanging looks of confusion with them. This was certainly out of character for the giant. Why would he be absent? Did the memotrice have something to do with this? Or was this the result of Biclops just getting breakfast? There was only one way to find out.
Into the mine the small camera went. Rudy opted to stay up towards the ceiling. Biclops was tall, but even he couldn’t touch the roof of the ceiling of this cave system. At least not without jumping, and he wouldn’t dare do that unless he didn’t mind the sharp rocks falling from the ceiling. Rudy had to navigate through the various stalactites and the overhanging magic chalk, but it was worth it, on the off chance that Biclops had been corrupted. He continued to move the camera along, scanning the area for any sign of Biclops or Snap.
The longher he didn’t see them, the more worried he got. He thought for sure they would have been here, especially Biclops. But no matter which path he took, which direction he went, he didn’t find anything. Not a single piece of evidence to provide a clue as to where they could be. This was quite strange. He tried his best to keep himself calm, but that was growing more and more difficult as time passed.
Soon he began to notice a shadow moving a long the wall. He immediately perked up, staring at it intently. Pushing the stick forward again, he guided the spy camera along the wall, zigzagging around the overhanging rocks as he followed the shadow.
He stopped only when Blocky cried out, “What’s that?”
Rudy stopped the camera. He backed it up slowly and, watching as the rectangular zoner waved his hand rapidly in one direction, he turned it around. He looked out ahead and he noticed what Blocky did.
It appeared to be some kind of large room. He hadn’t seen this room before, he didn’t think. Then again, there were plenty of places in the mine that he had never been to. But what kind of room could this have been? And why was there a large cage in it? How strange... He never saw Biclops as the type to hold prisoners. His eyes widened. That’s because he wasn’t. This cage... It must have been used on him. Had this been the memotrice’s doing? Did it somehow trick the giant into walking in there?
A glimpse of red caught Rudy’s attention. Upon Penny’s gesturing, he dove down towards it. He moved the camera close to it, allowing the lense to bring it into focus. It appeared to be a red feather of some kind. This immediately caused them all to gasp. This was all the confirmation they needed to know that the memotrice was here. After all, that creature was covered in crimson feathers.
Rudy wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue. It would be quite risky. It was already a given that Biclops had been changed. If they stay there for too long, he might notice the camera some how. Despite its design, he still feared discovery. If Biclops figured out they were onto him, would he take drastic measures? That was something they couldn’t afford right now.
But what of Snap? They hadn’t found him yet. He wasn’t anywhere in the mines so far. But maybe he hid somehow? He had to be around somewhere. Biclops wasn’t anywhere in sight. They had time to keep looking. Seeing the expression on his friends’ faces, Rudy knew that the best thing was to keep searching and try to see if they can find any sign of their friend. This might be their only chance. If Biclops finds them after they figure it out, well at least they could know where Snap was as well.
He kept the camera low to the ground this time, as evidence for his friend’s appearance here would be around these parts. At least there was no sign of Biclops still, not even a thunderous footfall. So it made it safe to move the camera near the ground, looking left and right as he tried to find something, anything to confirm that his friend was there. So far he found nothing, but he knew if he just kept this up...
Suddenly, Rapsheeba gasped. She pointed at the video feed. “I-Is that...?”
Penny’s eyes bulged as she saw it too. “No...”
Rudy looked at where Rapsheeba was pointing. There was something blue there. He froze, gulping nervously. Then, slowly, he moved the camera forward, staring intently at that blue object. When he got close enough, he could see what it was.
It was a piece of Snap’s cape.
It wasn’t a large piece. Just a small rip. Bu it was also accompanied by a small speckle of blood. This caused Rapsheeba to put her hands against her mouth, Blocky to take a step back, and Penny to look at Rudy sympathetically as the boy stared in horror at it. It was so small, not much detail. But it spoke volumes.
He didn’t want to believe it. He wanted to think that Snap got away somehow. He wanted to believe that they weren’t seeing the full story. But...there was nothing else here. No sign of a struggle. No sign of leaving. Just the piece of torn cape and the blood. Despite how little there was, this painted a very horrific image in their heads. The friends looked at each other, each of them on the verge of tears. Each of them were thinking the same thing, each of them sharing the same doubts and suspicions.
Snap...he had been... No, it couldn’t be true... There had to be more here. There just had to. Rudy refused to give up. He wasn’t going to leave this cave structure until he found something that proved that Snap was still alive.
He didn’t know how long he had continued searching after that. He kept scouring around the Chalk Mine going down any tunnel he could think of. He didn’t run into Biclops, but he also didn’t find any evidence of Snap. No matter how long he looked, he couldn’t find anything. His friends had already accepted the truth, but Rudy... he wanted to hold onto the belief that there was something. Anything...
His earnest attempts began to slow down and weaken as reality finally began to settle in. He stoon stopped moving the stick altogether, allowing the camera to remain still as well. He stared at the video screen, looking at the images of the blue chalk chamber as his mind went numb, racing with thoughts.
“No... Snap... No...” Rudy managed to whisper. He shook his head slowly. “H-He couldn’t have been...”
He could feel Penny place her hands on his shoulders, looking at him sympathetically. She tried to put on a brave face for him. “He..He might have escaped but...with that... I-I don’t know...” She couldn’t speak anymore and she put her arms around him, pulling him into a hug. “I’m so sorry, Rudy...”
Rapsheeba and Blocky joined in. After all that time searching, after all the time that had passed, all of them, including Rudy, had to face the harsh reality of what had happened. The lack of a good struggle, the blood, and the lack of a trail leading anywhere meant that the memotrice must have gotten Snap. He was either captured or...
...or he was dead...
This realization struck through their hearts like a lightning bolt. Their bodies stiffened, swelling up with emotion. They struggled to hold back their tears, but they found they couldn’t do this for very long. The emotional dam soon busted open, and their tears poured out in rapid seccession. They hugged each other tightly, pressing against one another, keeping close to each other. They tried their best to comfort one another.
The fact that Rudy and Penny stayed in ChalkZone for much longer than the recess limit did not find its way into their minds at that moment.
sss
“What do you mean he’s gone...?” Mrs. Tabootie whispered as she held the phone to her head. A part of her couldn’t believe the words she was hearing. “Are you sure that he...?”
“Yes.” Mr. Wilter’s voice cut through the air. There was an edge of bitterness to it. “Both Rudy Tabootie and Penny Sanchez vanished from school. They left for recess and now they are gone.”
“Maybe they...” Mrs. Tabootie trailed off. What could she think of to defend her son? How could she justify this behavior?
Mr. Wilter was none too happy about this. She had never heard him this angry before. He had to deal with a lot of misbehaving students. His patience had always been tested. And now two students had gone missing. Two students whom he had more respect for than most of the others, even in spite of Rudy’s obsession with drawing cartoons. She could only begin to imagine how this had affected him.
Mrs. Tabootie looked out of the nearby window. The driveway was still empty. Her husband hadn’t come home from work yet. She bit her lip when she thought of him. Oh what was she going to tell him? Joe was going to be so mad when he found out that Rudy ditched school. And yet..she knew she would have no choice. Either she told him or he’d find out some other way.
But wait... There was another possibility. One that made her tense up, gripping her throat tightly as she struggled not to gag. If Rudy and Penny had both vanished, and if both of them are the type of kids who wouldn’t do that, and she’d know as she knew them, especially her son, well, then the only other explaination was... No, she didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to consider the possibility that something like that had happened to her son and to his frirend. But...what if it was true...? What if...they were kidnapped...?
“I know what you must be thinking.” Mr. Wilter’s voice caught her attention. “You’re not the only one who thought of that possibility.” This time, he didn’t sound as angry. Instead, he sounded more concerned than anything. “I also informed the police of their disappearance. If they find anything, they will let you know.”
Mrs. Tabootie let out a sigh of relief at this. “Thank you, Mr. Wilter...”
“Mmm hmm...” She could imagine the man nodding his head at this. “Whenever they are found, please alert the school to the cause of disappearance. That will let the principal know if any action is required. If they were captured, then we won’t do anything. It wouldn’t be their fault, and we would just be glad to have them back. But if they left on their own accord... Well... I’m sorry to say this, but they will have to be punished.”
“I know...” Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head. “I understand...”
“I knew you would.” Mr. Wilter paused for a few moments. Then he said, “Well I need to get going. And Mrs. Tabootie?”
“Yes?”
“I’m...so sorry that this happened...”
With that, both of them hung up. Mrs. Tabootie stared at the phone for a few moments before she turned her attention to the outside. She watched as the trees swayed, the sun shining overhead. She eyed the empty driveway once more, imagining her husband coming home and her having to deliver the bad news.
She still flinched at the idea, but she would have to do it. As soon as he came home, she could tell him the news. The faster she told him, the better. Then they could comfort each other while they waited for word on their son, and on Penny. She hoped that they were both okay. Whether or not they ditched or they got kidnapped, either way, all she was hoping for right now was for their safe return. She would worry about punishments later.
The thought of Penny made her heart twist. She was certain that Mrs. Sanchez had also gotten a call about this. She wondered how she was taking it. The poor woman... She already had a lot of stress revolving around work. Now add to that the fact that her daughter was missing. And unlike her, she had no one she could console with. No husband to speak to. Without Penny, she was all alone in that household. Well there were the animals, but...they weren’t going to be able to provide the comfort that woman needed.
With that resolve in mind, Mrs. Tabootie lifted the phone back up. She dialed the number and she listened to it ring. It rung a couple of times before she heard the click of it being picked up. In a matter of moments, she could hear the depressed-sounding voice of Mrs. Sanchez speak into the phone.
“Hello?”
Mrs. Tabootie, despite not being there to be seen, found herself giving a comfortabing smile. “Hey... would you like to talk?”
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 17, 2015 22:02:47 GMT -5
Here's chapter 8: Rudy felt like such an idiot. He couldn't believe it took him this long to realize that he and Penny had been in ChalkZone for too long. They had been so caught up with what was happening, so worried for their friends, they failed to realize that time had been ticking too far. By the time they realized they were gone so long, it was already well too late. According to Penny, they would have been missing from school for at least an hour. Rudy couldn't believe that much time had past already. He thought it was only a short time. Maybe at most fifteen minutes. Time really does fly when you're having fun..or in this case, when you're panicking and trying to find a friend. But he tried his best not to beat himself up over it and opted to just return to school as soon as possible. He wasn't sure yet what the consequences were going to be. He and Penny had never done something like this before. He knew that Mr. Wilter was going to be so mad, and Principal Stringet wasn't going to be too happy with them either. He knew that, in some shape and form, they were going to get punished for this. Not as bad as Reggie as he did something much worse than skipping out on school. But this would surely turn up on their permanent records. And that wasn't even getting into their parents. His stomach churned as he thought about them. What would his mom and dad say when they find out? It wasn't a matter of if; but when, as the school would have contacted them. His dad wasn't home yet but his mom was. If he went home and confronted his mother, what was she going to say? What about his dad? What were they going to do with him once he got home? The thought made him unnerved, but he knew there wasn't much of a choice. He would have to confront them about this. He could only hope that he and Penny figured out something to tell their folks that they would buy, and that their folks would be understandable. He hated the idea of worrying their folks. That was not something he had ever wanted to do. He felt awful at the idea of hurting them so much. He hoped that all this will be cleared up soon. Even if it was going to be rocky at first, he hoped that things would clear up soon and everything would be just fine. He and Penny were on their way back to the portal now. Going back to the school would be the right thing to do. Even though neither of them had come up with a story yet, they still needed to at least get to the spot where the portal had been before, back at the school, and then figure out a plan from there. They did consider the option of staying to take care of this problem first, but neither of them wanted to torment their parents for longer, so the decision to go back was made, even if it was going to be difficult figuring out an explanation. Rudy had remembered to take the spy cam out of the Chalk Mine. Even though Biclops would not be able to see it, Penny felt it would be best if he took it out, on the off chance that the giant figured out something. It was best to keep making the giant believe that he and Penny hadn't attempted to go near the Chalk Mine. For now, they still had enough chalk, but now they had to conserve it. They had split the chalk given to them before the incident between themselves, and both of them could now only use the chalk when they absolutely needed to. If they ran out, it meant going to the Chalk Mine. With Biclops most likely turned against them, tricked into believing they were his enemies no doubt, they would have a much harder time. No longer could they just waltz in, greet the giant, and get some chalk. If they show up, the giant would attack them. Rudy shuddered at the memories of Biclops's attack on him when he first came to the Chalk Mine. Granted, the giant didn't really hurt him, but he remembered that almost villainous look in his eyes. If given the chance, the giant would have hurt him. No doubt that Biclops would try the same thing again, only this time, he wouldn't pause or hold back. He'd try to pound him into the ground. He was grateful that Penny had thought of drawing a map of ChalkZone before. A bit more detailed than the one he had. They had done plenty of exploriating around these parts, as these were the sections he and his friends most often visited. So they had a lot of details of the area around the Chalk Mine itself. Penny proposed that they could use an alternate route to get to there. Perhaps sneak in from behind or below. Then they could sneak into the main white chalk chamber and take some pieces. This was easier said than done, however. Biclops would keep a sharp eye out for them and would look for anything out of place. He may very well have excellent hearing, too, and come storming in before they could even get that far into the mine, let alone get any new chalk. For now, they decided to focus on conserving the chalk and only coming into ChalkZone after school to reduce the number of portals created, and talk with each other then about what they were going to do. There was little they could do for Biclops; even if they could restore his memory, the memotrice could always change it right back to the corrupted version. They would need to find a way to stop the memotrice itself. Such an act was not going to be easy, but Rudy and Penny were both determined to stop it before it hurt anyone else. At this, Rudy couldn't help but think of Snap. His heart twisted at the memory of finding the torn piece of cloth and the blood. They weren't really sure if Snap were dead or captured. Either way, it left a bitter taste in his mouth. His heart twisted at the thought of Snap being hurt by that fiend, or even by Biclops influenced by the memotrice. The only thing he could be sure of was that Snap couldn't have been changed as well; the fact that the memotrice had him injured was proof of that. Whatever happened, he would make the memotrice pay for it. He made a silent promise to himself. He would avenge Snap, whether he was dead or alive. He didn't deserve what happened to him. Nobody messed with his friends and got away with it. Absolutely no one. Rudy stopped when he noticed Penny had abruptly haulted. He was about to ask what was going on when he realized they had finally made it back to the spot where the portal was. She looked over at him, giving him a certain look that he recognized the hidden meaning of. It was now or never. It was time to head back. Raising up the magic chalk, Rudy pressed it against the air, where the side of the building would be present. He drew a circle slowly, allowing the portal to flash with light and form. In seconds, he and Penny could both see the playground, the fence, and the street and buildings beyond that. They looked at one another and, giving a reassuring nod, they both climbed through. Rudy turned and erased the portal using his hand, a method he usually didn't try often. It took seconds for him to realize that he and Penny hadn't thought of any plan yet. His eyes widened at this realization and he was about to open up another portal. But by that point, it was already too late. "Hey!" A voice called out. Rudy and Penny stiffened at the voice, their eyes widened. Neither of them had expected to get spotted so quickly. Neither of them thought they had this little time to think of something. But as they turned to face the source of the voice, they realized the hard way that they should have stayed behind longer to figure something out. There, standing not far away, was an officer. Not Officer O'Larry, but someone else they didn't recognize. A tall, boxy-looking man that seemed middle-aged. He had stern features on his face and he looked like he would take no nonsense from them. His hands were placed against his hips firmly and the glare he was giving them seemed to almost cut right through them. They saw the way his brown eyes were glinting, complimented by the thin mustache on top of his upper lip. "Hello, children..." The man spoke in a low voice. "I am Officer Keb. And you two..." He took a step forward, eyeing the two children in an almost cold manner. "...must be the brats that escaped this school." Rudy and Penny remained frozen. Although all instinct was telling them to run, they couldn't bring themselves to move. Both of them knew what would happen if they tried to run away from the police. All they could manage was a small step backwards, but neither attempted to bolt into a run. Not even as the man came close to them, adopting that posture. "You two are in so much trouble." "W-We... That is...we..." Rudy stammered. He couldn't think of anything to say and his voice trailed off. Penny took a step forward and made her attempt. "It's not what it looks like. We were just..." She struggled to find the words to say. "W-We were..." But even she couldn't think of anything. They glanced at each other, wishing that they had stayed in ChalkZone first before coming out. They let out a yelp of pain as the officer grabbed them roughly by the arms. They instinctively pulled themselves back as the man began to drag them towards the building. Any attempt to get free was futile. The man's grasp was just too strong for them. The man wasn't being particularly gentle either, not bothering to slow down for them, forcing them to pick up the pace as they headed towards the school building. The fact that this officer was being so rough on them shocked them. They were being treated as though they were criminals. Sure skipping school was bad, but that was better than, say, pulling a gun to someone's head. But neither of them tried to argue against the man, and they eventually gave up the fight and allowed him to continue dragging them like this. Getting up the steps was the hardest part. Officer Keb would just yank them and expect them to make the steps with ease. He did not care if their legs hit against the edge of the steps and cause them to cry out in pain. He just continued yanking them roughly, even going as far as drag them along the ground for a few seconds after they lost their footing. The fact that no one was around to witness the rough treatment likely encouraged this behavior. "Please stop this!" Rudy cried when he couldn't take any more. "We... We can walk!" "You're being too..." Penny started to say. "Shut up!" Officer Keb suddenly yanked them up into the air, letting them dangle. "You two should have thought more clearly beforer you decided to ditch school!" "This isn't very professional..." Penny said. Officer Keb narrowed his eyes. "I don't care..." The two children widened their eyes at this. "Now shut your mouth and let's get going." The two children didn't dare try saying another word as the man resumed dragging them. They soon reached the entrance of the school building, entering the empty hallways of the school. The fact that no one was around to see this did little to comfort them. This man obviously didn't care if he was caught being rough with them. The fact that there were cameras around was likely the only reason he didn't take it a step further. When they got to the principal's office, Rudy and Penny had never felt so relieved to be there. The man's grip on them loosened up and he shoved them forward. The lack of tension on their arms felt good, and they rubbed their arms gently to try to get some of the uncomfortable sensation off of their skin. Officer Keb leaned forward and pounded on the door, causing Rudy and Penny to move aside. When the door opened up, revealing the principal, he said, "I found those two brats you were looking for." At this, Principal Stringet narrowed her eyes. "You don't have to call them that." The man didn't answer. She turned her attention to Rudy and Penny. Her eyes flashed a mixture of relief and anger. "There you two are! Do you have any idea how much you had your parents and us worried?!" Rudy and Penny didn't say a word. They lowered their heads, both feeling a pang of shame. Neither of them had ever wanted to worry their folks or anyone that cared about them. They both wished they had been more careful. They could have avoided this if they weren't so...so stupid. But then again, finding out more of what happened in ChalkZone was important, wasn't it? Their friends there were in trouble. If they didn't look for answers then, would they have found enough to piece together what happened to Snap? Or Biclops? Would Rapsheeba and Blocky still been on their side or would they have been corrupted as well? In the end, they both had to admit, despite not wanting to worry their folks so much, things could have been so much worse if they did not take this risk. Sometimes, there wasn't much of a choice. That didn't make this situation any easier, however. "You are dismissed, Officer Keb. Thank you." Principal Stringet said. Her tone was polite, but her soft glare at him showed how much she still disapproved of his treatment of them. "Hmph. Whatever." Officer Keb gave one more hard glare at Rudy and Penny before he turned and left. Once he was gone, Principal Stringet turned to them. Her glare softened up slightly, but the anger and disappointment was still there. "Don't worry about him." She said, attempting to reassure them. "Now...come in my office." She motioned with her hand. "We need to talk. You two are in so much trouble." "Yeah..we know..." Rudy lowered his head. "We're sorry." Penny added. "It's going to take a lot more than 'sorry' to fix this." Principal Stringet said to them, folding her arms against her chest. She watched as the two students walked into her office, their heads hanging low. "You two should be ashamed. I would have thought you two would know better than to skip out on school." As Rudy and Penny entered the office, they looked back at her sadly. "We can explain..." Rudy whispered, despite the fact that he and Penny still weren't sure what they were going to tell the woman. Principal Stringet remained silent as she shut the door behind her. She motioned for them to sit down in the chairs near her desk. She then walked over around the desk, taking her place in her swinging office chair. She placed her hands on her desk, the fingers curving inward as she flexed them. She stared at them long and hard for a few moments before she finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "I'm sure you can." Her tone didn't make it sound like she believed them too much. "Now..." She leaned herself forward slightly, her dark eyes boring through theirs. "Tell me. Why did you two ditch school?" sss Biclops let out a low growl as he did a third patrol around the front tunnels of the Chalk Mine. He had sworn he heard something earlier. Like a low buzzing sound. Like some annoying fly, or some nasty trick Rudy was trying to pull on him. Even with the absence of any such device, he couldn't feel safe until he looked around again, just to make sure. He did feel some level of satisfactory when he found that, indeed, there was nothing. He may have just been hearing things. Or perhaps it was just a fly zoner or something. It was possible. He tried not to get himself too worked up. He needed to be vigilant and alert. Rudy and Penny could try coming to the mine at any time. He needed to prepare for them. If he were too busy thining about the what-ifs and all that, then how was he going to properly deal with them? He couldn't allow them to take advantage of his situation. He knew how creators were. He knew how they were. They could strike without mercy. He had to prevent that, no matter the cost. He did feel a little safer with the traps that Snap helped set him up with. He was glad that Snap was finally able to get away from those two. He couldn't imagine how hard it must have been for him. Those two had him on a practical leash, so to speak. Well at least he was free now. All that burden now lifted up from that small zoner's shoulders. Now he could help him get back at them and stop them before they hurt anyone else. He felt so sorry for the small zoner. He had recounted his encounter with Rudy and Penny not too long ago. They had apparently fed him a tainted cookie only about... a couple days ago if he remembered right. They waited until he was unconscious and they stripped him to a table. They performed unspeakable experiments on him. He was lucky to have escaped. If Skrawl hadn't shown up and gotten him out of there, then Rudy and Penny likely would have went much further. The thought of it made him cringe. He had dealt with many dangerous creators in the past. But from what he was seeing, Rudy and Penny were the most dangerous and deranged of all. This made him bite his lip nervously. He would do what he could to keep them from getting more chalk, but he wouldn't be able to stop them from hurting another zoner; they had some pieces of chalk still. He would go after them himself, but he feared abandoning the mine would only encourage them to take more. And then what? Skrawl's plan seemed to be the best thing they could do. Wait until they used the chalk. Those two would eventually run out at some point. The idea of letting more zoners suffer at their hands was uncomfortable. He knew that Snap as well wanted to rush over and do something about it, especially when it came to protecting Rapsheeba and Blocky, whom he was particularly close to. But they both had to admit that it would be less dangerous if they waited for them to run out. Then once they were out, they could go after them. Well Skrawl was anyway, as well as Thoughtless. They would capture the fiends and bring them to his lair to be dealt with swiftly before they could cause any more problems. Although trapping them outside of ChalkZone might be a safer option, he didn't really care how they were dealt with, so long as they couldn't hurt ChalkZone anymore. A public execution might be a good option in that case. He was certain that many zoners would love to see the two trouble makers get what they deserved. He decided that he had done enough patrolling. There was no one in there. He was thankful for only one entrance into the mine. He began to head towards the entrance of it. It didn't take him long before he reached the white chalk chamber. He paused and he stared at it. His large eyes trailed over them, feeling a sense of bitterness rise inside of him. He formed a fist with his hand, shaking it. Oh all the pain and suffering that the magic chalk had caused ChalkZone... With its granting humans the ability to create anything, including any form of weaponry... He was tempted to swat the chalk and crush it. The only thing preventing him was his promise years ago. The promise to guard the chalk from anyone who dares to use it. Maybe not the best reason to most, but it was enough to prevent him from destroying the chalk. Besides, it wasn't its fault that this was happening. The magic chalk doesn't mean to hurt anyone. It was those blasted humans. Filthy disgusting humans... So many of them caused much grief to ChalkZone. Now two more were roaming around, doing who knows what... He wished he could grab them in his hands and crush them into dust. But no. He had to follow Skrawl's plan. Wait for them to run out before taking action. And he needed to stay in the Chalk Mine to keep them from getting more. He felt grateful for Skrawl's help. He had been doing what he could to stop Rudy and Penny. He was the only one brave enough to stand up to them. He had been beaten time and again, but he still went after them. What a trooper... What a brave guy he was... He hoped that he'd be able to keep this up long enough so they could finally get rid of them once and more all. He would be glad to repay Rudy for how he had rearranged his eyes rather painfully. He could still feel the dull aches from that. But for now, he would continue guarding the mine. It was all he could do. He soon reached the entrance of the mine. He walked outside and stepped in front of the opening. He folded his arms against his chest, his narrowed eyes looking left and right as he tried to find any sign of those two. So far so good, but he knew that could change in a heartbeat. He waited, looking, watching. Those two won't get by him. He will count his life on that. sss Snap tried his hardest not to throw up at the smell of raw meat as Thoughtless ate its meal. Despite his attempts, the smell continued to move through his nostrils, forcing him to breathe through his mouth for a while. Thoughtless was a carnivorous beast. It preferred hunting prey, killing with its savage-looking claws. It used its sharp beak and teeth to tear off pieces of meat from the small body of a chalk mouse it had caught earlier. The poor thing had been scurrying about and the memotrice had found it. It was no contest and the thing died as soon as the talons were pressed into the body. Well, it was better it than some sentient zoner. He remained seated in Skrawl's couch. He leaned against the back, keeping his head turned away from the sight. He could still hear the sound of slippery, wet meat being ripped up and swallowed, the slight crack of pieces of bone. He could feel a cold shudder move through his body at this. At least the process would be over quite soon, and he would be free of this noise for a while. He tried to refocus his attention on other things of his surroundings. For instance, the place he was located at right now. It was rather strange, sitting in the couch of his savior. He knew that Skrawl didn't really like company all that much. He was never too friendly a zoner to being with. But when it came with dealing with Rudy and Penny, he could see why he would be so embittered. Snap couldn't really believe himself for trusting those two for so long. How could he have been so...so blind and stupid? The others had seen the warning signs. Especially Skrawl. That was why the jellybean had been going up against them. He knew they were evil. And he was trying to deal with them. He felt a sting of guilt for not realizing this sooner. Well, the memory of what happened to him recently, which he had pushed aside due to the trauma of it, that was enough to make him realize that he had been wrong about those two. He could still feel cold shudders move through his body at the memory of that day. He tried so hard not to scream, forcing his jaws against each other tightly, clenching them. It had been a regular day. He and his friends...no, his former friends.. had been going up to this tree that grew cookies. They had been excited to get some samples. No more than he, as he had been eyeing them up, but never got a chance to try one. After they managed to get a few, Rudy had given him one. It smelled weird, but he didn't think anything of it and he ate it. He didn't remember much after that, other than feeling a little nauseaous. When his vision cleared of the blackness, it must have been about an hour or so later. He was strapped down to an operating table. And there were Rudy and Penny, wearing gloves and doctors' outfits. He had asked them what was going on, but they only smiled at him before getting out some instruments. He dare not recall the full details of what happened after that. He remembered the pain of the fluids Penny put on him. He remembered the cuts Rudy had given him. He remembered their laughter, their excitement over the results they were getting. They were no longer treating him like a friend, or even a fellow sentient person. They were treating him only as a specimen. An animal they had caught to be used for their sick, twisted purposes. All his trust had melted away, replaced only by fear, and later, hatred. He swore at them, told them that they would regret betraying him. They didn't care. They just got out some more instruments, and showed intent on vivisecting him. He struggled to get himself away, but nothing he did worked. He was trapped. All he could do was watch in fear and horror as the spinning blade was lowered to his chest, Rudy's smile looking more twisted than anything he had seen Skrawl muster up. And speaking of that jellybean, it was he who had burst through the doors and swatted them away. It was he who had pulled him from the table and took him here to be treated. It was he who had been his savior. The one that he had hated before and thought was the enemy...had ultimately saved his life. He owed a great deal to him. That was why he had pledged his loyalty to Skrawl. He needed to pay him back. He had a debt that he owed to him. For saving his life, he would make it his life's mission to stop Rudy and Penny before they could experiment on another zoner, or even himself again. He looked down at his arm, which had long healed from what happened. He could still feel the pain of the scalpel in there. He shuddered, trying to push the uncomfortable memory aside. He could hear the clinging of claw tips against the ground. He took the chance and turned his head. He could see that the memotrice had finished its meal. The bones, cartiledge, and some pieces of meat and skin still remaining of the mouse caught the attention of his eyes. He immediately turned his eyes away from it, not wanting to feel sick again. The memotrice moved towards him, its eyes filled with curiosity. <You look troubled.< Snap stared at the memotrice for a few moments. He then turned his head away. "I must look like a lot of things." He answered simply. Thoughtless nodded its head. <Indeed. Being betrayed by those you trust is not an easy thing to deal with.> Snap didn't say anything to this. Thoughtless jumped up next to him, its slit pupils staring at him intently. <You do not need to fear. You are safe here.> Snap growled at this. "Yes I know that!" He raised his hands up at this. "But those two are still free, aren't they?! They might...!" He stopped talking after that. He could feel himself getting worked up. He couldn't let his anger cloud him. He knew what would happen if he did. "I'm sorry..." He finally said. "I guess I just...don't understand. How...how could they do this to me?" Thoughtless furrowed its eyes in sympathy. <It can be hard to understand. Some people are just... I'm not sure what the right term would be. Not right in the head?> "After the way they tried to dissect me, that would certainly fit those two." Snap said bitterly. <I do not doubt that.> Thoughtless moved in a little closer. It lowered its head and pushed up against him, almost a show of affection. Snap didn't do anything in return. If anything, it caused him to lean further away from the beast. He could still smell the gore and remnants of blood and pieces of flesh still remained on the beak. Thoughtless seemed to understand and immediately pulled its head back. My apologies. It jumped back a little further, and it continued. <I can recognize that look in your eyes. You would like to go after them yoursef.> "Since I spent the most time with them, it would make sense for me to be the one to do something about them." Snap answered. <That is true. But we can't put you at risk. Try to control yourself.> "I am under control!" <You harbor much anger, which can be useful. But do not let that turn into rage. You might walk into another of their traps.> Snap growled at this. He didn't need this memotrice telling him what to do. He wasn't stupid. He knew better than to approach a freaking human. A species not of this world, who can use the magic chalk. He had seen what Rudy could do with it, and Penny that one time. If they decided to use it against him... Unless he was lucky, he'd stand no chance. "Do you think I'm a moron?" Snap asked, his voice embittered. The memotrice shook its head. <Not at all. I just don't want you running in blind. I'm concerned for you.> "I'm flattered." Snap's voice took a sarcastic tone there. Thoughtless ignored the tone and took a small step forward, lowering its head slightly as it stared at him with great intent. <I do sense a lot of strength in you. For one like yourself to endure all that and still function normally...> The memotrice paused as it listened to Snap's snort. <..almost normally... that is truly incredible.> Snap scoffed at this. "If you say so." He looked away. After a few moments, he looked back. "Do you think we will be able to stop them? Keep them from hurting anyone else?" Thoughtless nodded its head. <As long as we stick to the plan, for sure.> "That means I can't go out yet." Snap stated simply. <Unfortunately, no. I know how much you want to get back at them, but the risk is too great.> Snap nodded his head quietly at this. <However, once Skrawl and I catch them, we will bring them back and you can have your way with them.> Snap looked at the memotrice intently at this. He could envision it all in his head. Imagine after image came flooding to him, encircling around his head like a storm cloud. Thoughts that made his hands tingle in anticipation. Those two screaming. Those two being cut open. Their blood. Their pain. Retribution. That made him ask a simple, yet powerful question. "So I can do anything I want to them?" Thoughtless was quiet for a few moments. A few seconds later, it nodded its head slowly. <Yes.> Snap didn't answer as he felt his mouth curve into a smile. Oh how he was going to enjoy making those two pay... sss "Do you two realize what you have done?!" "You were lucky you didn't get hurt!" Penny kept her head low as Principal Stringet and Mr. Wilter yelled at them after they mentioned what happened. Or at least, the story she had given, which ended up not being all that great. She had panicked at the last second and did not make things any better. She had tried to take it back and reexplain, but would it even work at this point? She looked over and she could see Rudy's head lowered, his face flinching as the adults kept scolding them. She could see the hurt and shame in his eyes, the belief that he should have known better and had been able to prevent this. She hoped that he would come to understand that this wasn't his fault. They were both so caught up that it was easy for them to overlook this. Besides, it wasn't like they had ditched their family for something unimportant. The safety of ChalkZone was kind of a high priority. That didn't mean that she didn't feel guilty for worrying her mother. Their parents had been called and would be picking them up. She could only begin to imagine the look on her mother's face when she came in. She was going to be relieved at first, but after that wears off, then what? She looked back up at the two adults. She could see that they were not yet done with them. A fact that did not surprise her. "We would have expected better from you two! You're a couple of my better students, especially you, Penny!" Mr. Wilter glared at the girl. "And then you two and do...do this!" He raised his hand up. His face was etched in anger. "How could you do something so stupid?!" Penny flinched at this, as did Rudy. Neither of them could answer that. What could they say to that? "I don't want to do this, but I'm going to have to take action." Principal Stringet got out a couple of folders. The two children immediately recognized it as theirs. "I hate doing this. But you two have left me with no choice. I'm going to have to put you two on suspension." "Suspension?!" Rudy and Penny cried in unison. "Yes." The large woman narrowed her eyes at them. "If you two didn't want this, then you shouldn't have ditched school. I'm very disappointed in you two. I can only begin to imagine what your folks are going to do." Mr. Wilter nodded his head. "Be grateful you don't live in my childhood. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week." The children didn't need further elaboration to know what this man was talking about. They weren't really worried about something like that happening anyway, however they were concerned about what else they might do. There was something that could be done that would really put a hamper on things. And that was if they barred them from ChalkZone. All they'd have to do is take away their chalkboard and that was it, and if they couldn't go to school... The thought chilled Penny's blood, and she knew that Rudy was worried about this same scenario as well. At the moment, there wasn't much to hint that their parents would do this. But there was still that possibility and if they ended up trapped outside of ChalkZone, then that would leave Skrawl and the memotrice free to do whatever they wanted. They could brainwash more zoners to do their bidding or to just turn them against them or even give them false information to lead them into a trap. Without her and Rudy in ChalkZone, there would be little resistance for Skrawl to worry about. So much damage could be done, and there'd be nothing they could do about it. Her ears soon filled with the scribbling of Principal Stringet's pen. The woman was writing on a blue slip of paper. She had two of them out. She had that same disappointed frown on her face and a look of reluctance. She clearly didn't want to do this, but she was the principal and it was her job. Penny couldn't be mad at her for doing her job, but she knew that, in the end, she was going to make it harder for her and Rudy to protect ChalkZone. "Here." The large woman said after she finished writing on them. She placed the slips down and pushed them forward. "Give these to your parents when they come." "I'm sure they will be quite proud." Mr. Wilter said in an almost bitter tone. Penny ignored it while she and Rudy took the paper. She looked down at it and scanned it side to side with her eyes. The slip was for a suspension of a complete school week. Not as long as she thought it was going to be, but she knew it was going to damage her grade. She could only just imagine how disappointed her mother would be, especially after all the hard work she put into keeping her grade as high as possible. She looked over at Rudy and watched his worried expression. His grades were already not great. Well they weren't horrible. He wasn't flunking or anything. But some of his grades weren't the best, and this was going to hurt them even more. She knew that his parents wanted him to try harder and study more and get better grades. But when they see this... She already knew that they were going to be more upset than her mother was going to be with her. She couldn't imagine what his parents are going to do when they find out. The only thing she could think of doing is offering to tutor Rudy during their suspended week. If she did that, maybe the Tabooties would be a bit lighter on their son's punishment. And maybe that would also offer a small window of opportunity for them to help out ChalkZone. This time, they would take care not to disappear for such a long time. She doubted their folks would be so merciful this time around. The sound of distant footsteps filled the air. They were getting gradually closer and closer. Penny knew what this meant. Her mother and Rudy's parents had arrived at the school. She could feel her heart speeding up as the sound got louder. She and Rudy watched nervously as they watched a shadow forming along the wall. Then the door opened up, and in came their parents. Rudy and Penny couldn't help but flinch when they saw their parents' expressions. They could see the glares etched deeply on their faces, the narrowed eyes, the pained worry. They had never seen their parents like this before. They had hoped they never would have to see them with those expressions. But as they learned the hard way, life didn't always go the way they had hoped. They remained silent as their parents walked over towards them, their arms slowly folding as they glared at them with such great disapproval. The lack of them speaking only seemed to make the whole thing worse. Penny had thought that their parents would yell at them, but they did nothing. Just glare at them in silence, standing by them, but no words were spoken nor any action taken. The looks they were giving them hinted at so many different punishments, making her fear even more about what was going to happen to them. She kept her attention on her mother. She saw how upset she looked. She could see her eyes practically glowing behind her glasses. What hurt the most were the red stains on her cheeks. Her mother had been worried sick about her, only to find out that she had ditched school. She could only imagine how angry her mother must have been when she found that the reason she was missing was because she had left school on her own accord. Even if she tried to tell her mother otherwise, she doubted it would do any good at this point. "So..." Mr. Tabootie finally spoke after a long, uncomfortable silence. "What's the punishment for them...?" "They are to be suspended for five school days." Principal Stringet said. She pointed at the two children. "I had given them the slips." "Give them to your parents, children." Mr. Wilter said, his eyes narrowing. "Now." The two children did what they were told. They handed their slips to their mothers, who took them away from them with a little too much force. The two children cringed slightly at this, turning their heads to the side. They found it difficult to keep eye contact with their parents. Even when reading the slips, the parents still didn't seem to react much. They were glaring, yes. They were clearly mad, but they only made this apparent in their facial expression. The rest of their body language and their voices were quite calm and almost serene. Even as they made a few comments about the punishment, including how it was going to hurt them academically, they did so in such a calm voice. It was really uncomfortable. Penny almost wished that their parents would do something, anything. They were like a walking time bomb and they were only making things worse by not saying anything. "I see..." Penny heard her mother say. She nodded her head slowly. "We understand." Mr. Tabootie, who now held the note his wife gave him, stared at it long and hard. He looked down at Rudy for a few moments, giving him a brief, disappointed look, before he turned back to the principal and teacher. "We will take care of the rest." The two kids flinched at this. They gave each other nervous glances. They already had a good idea of what Mr. Tabootie was referring to when he said this. "We are sorry it had to come to this." Mr. Wilter said, his voice tinged with genuine remorse. "We had hoped something nothing like this ever happened." "Yeah...? So did we." Mrs. Tabootie said quietly, almost bitterly. She glared at the two children as did the other three adults, making Penny and Rudy turn their heads away in shame. She let out a sigh. "We do thank you for getting our children back." Mr. Wilter nodded his head. "You are welcome." "However, if they do this again, we will have to look into a more severe punishment." Principal Stringet warned. "Understand me?" She addressed this to Rudy and Penny. The two children nodded their heads quickly. "Good." She looked at the parents and nodded her head once. "You can leave now." Mr. Tabootie glared down at Rudy and Penny. "Come along, children. We will discuss your punishment when we get back..." Rudy and Penny didn't try to say anything. They simply nodded their heads and began to follow their parents out of the principal's office. They kept their heads lowered in shame as they walked down the hallways between their parents, who took position on either side of them as if they thought they were going to run off again. They soon came outside of the building. They were guided down the steps, and soon they came into the parking lot. The parents had come in separate cars. They were parked in different locations in the lot, a bit far away from each other. Rudy and Penny stared at each other one last time before their parents forced them to separate, following their respective parents to their own car. Penny climbed in the passenger's seat of her mother's car. She felt the car shift and she looked over to see her mother sitting there. She gave her mother a nervous smile, which caused her mother to scowl at her, wiping away her weak smile. Penny gave a small shudder and she looked away from her mother. She looked out the window depressively as her mother began to drive them home. sss “How could you do this?! We raised you better than this!” “Dad, I...” “And to make it worse, you dragged Penny with you, too! Did you want her to get into trouble as well so you wouldn’t be alone?!” “No...dad...please...” “I just can’t believe you!” Never before had Mr. Tabootie been so angry with his son. Never before had his blood heated up to this temperature because of Rudy. He had been angry before, whether it was at that arrogant Marty or at something else. He had even been upset with Rudy in the past. But none of that compared to the anger and disappoint he felt when he found out what his boy had done. He never thought that his son would be the type to ditch school. His grades were already in trouble in some areas as it was, and to ditch school and to get suspended... He couldn’t believe Rudy would do something so stupid and hurt his academic career like this. Why would he do something so stupid? He only wanted what was best for him. He just wanted Rudy to see how important it was to get good grades in school so he could get into a good college when he gets older, so he could get an actual good job. This is going to hamper that. He knew that, somewhere down the line, this was going to come bite him back in the butt. And it could have been avoided if he had just stayed in school. Instead, he chose to wander away from school with Penny, doing who knows what. Although Rudy tried to explain, at the moment, he didn’t care. He didn’t want to hear excuses. All he could see before him was his idiot of as on who left school, disobeying the law in the process, got caught by the police, and got suspended. Nothing Rudy told him was going to make what he did okay. “Rudy, I... I’m trying so hard not to be so mad at you.. But it’s so difficult.” Mr. Tabootie pressed his fingers against his scalp. His fingernails dug against his skin, nearly piercing right through it. “I never thought you’d do something like this.. Do you have any idea how lucky you were that it didn’t get any worse?!” Rudy let out a soft whimper, lowering his head. “Dad..I’m...I’m sorry..” Mr. Tabootie growled softly at this. “Well sorry isn’t going to fix this, now is it?” His voice was a little colder than he had intended, but in the heat of the moment, he couldn’t really notice. “You already need some help in school to get a couple of those weak grades up. But now your grade point average is going to suffer tremendously because of all the work you’re going to miss. All those zeros, Rudy...” “Dad...” Rudy started to say. “Just imagine all those zeros!” Mr. Tabootie spread his hands outward. “They’re going to add up, Rudy! And if you have an important test that work, that’s going to be even worse!” Rudy shivered under his father’s loud voice. He took a small step back, going closer to his bunk bed. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but he soon closed his mouth. Perhaps he had finally realized that there was nothing he could say right now that was going to help him feel any better about this. In fact, any word his son was saying to him only made him feel angry about this. Perhaps he should leave now, but he couldn’t get himself to do anything except glower down at his son. His wife was sitting downstairs. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to Rudy right now. She was so disappointed in Rudy. She probably had a lot of things she wanted to tell him, but she decided to leave it all up to him. He would decide the punishment. He didn’t want to ground Rudy. That would be too easy. He didn’t think that would be good enough to show him how much he had screwed up. He wanted to do something that Rudy would remember very easily. Something that would stick to him, that he could call back upon whenever he tried something crazy like that again. Something that would affect him deeply. His eyes soon settled upon the chalkboard. His eyes gave a twinkle. The chalkboard. Of course. That would be perfect. Rudy loved to draw on that thing. If he took it away from him during his suspension, then he would guarantee that Rudy would remember this day. Besides, Rudy could use a few days without that thing anyway. With that in mind, he began to make his way towards the large chalkboard. “D-Dad...? What are you doing..?” Rudy asked softly. Mr. Tabootie didn’t answer as he got closer. Rudy took a few steps forward, reaching out towards him. “Y-You’re not...” A pause, a shaky breath. “Dad...” “I’m sorry, Rudy. But it’s for your own good.” Mr. Tabootie grabbed onto the large chalkboard. “Maybe this will teach you not to skip school next time.” The man began to make his way towards the door holding the chalkboard against himself. He was about to reach it when he felt the chalkboard suddenly yank back. He let out a grunt and he felt himself being moved slightly to one side. He looked down and he could see that Rudy had grabbed onto the board. “Rudy! Let go!” Mr. Tabootie demanded. “Give it back...please!” Rudy pleaded with him. He pulled back as hard as he could, his teeth clenched tightly. “Y-You can’t do this!” Mr. Tabootie bared his teeth at this. How dare his son try to tell him what to do... He wasn’t the one in charge here. He wasn’t the one who goes to work to earn money and buys the groceries. He wasn’t the one who was worrying about the bills of the house and keeping everything running around here. Rudy was the one who had skipped out on school and got himself suspended. Did he really think that he had authority to tell him to do anything? With a single hard yank, he ripped the chalkboard away from Rudy, forcing it out of his hands. The boy let out a grunt and he stumbled forward. Rudy quickly regained his footing and he rushed over towards him. Mr. Tabootie narrowed his eyes and he tossed the chalkboard out of the door. He heard the loud thud of the thing hitting the ground, but he did not pay attention, his eyes glued to his son. He reached over and he grabbed Rudy by the arm and pulled him back into the room. Rudy struggled against his grasp. He kept shouting at him about how it wasn’t fair and that he shouldn’t be doing this. Mr. Tabootie struggled to keep himself as calm as possible as he dragged his son further into the room, away from the door. He held onto his shoulders tightly and soon stopped in the middle of the room. Rudy jerked himself from side to side, yelling to be freed. But Mr. Tabootie only tightened his grip. “Rudy! Cut this out!” Mr. Tabootie growled at his son. “You are making this harder than it needs to be!” Rudy stared up at him with wide, desperate-filled eyes. “Please...bring it back! Please! Y-You don’t understand...!” “Oh, I don’t? Then tell me, Rudy. Why do you need that chalkboard so badly?” Asked Mr. Tabootie. When Rudy failed to answer that beyond a few ‘ums’, he narrowed his eyes slightly. “I thought so. Rudy, you need to accept responsibility for what you’ve done, and this is the only way to make you see. If you love your chalkboard so much, then maybe this will be a lesson to you. Maybe now you will not do something stupid like this again.” “But it was only one time...” Rudy started to say. “Once is all it takes for you to get in trouble!” Snarled Mr. Tabootie. “What if someone had taken you?! Do you think your mother and I would have been happy to get news like that?! How do you think we would have felt?!” Rudy lowered his gaze at this, looking to one side. “I...” His voice trailed off. “And the fact that you dragged Penny down with you just makes this whole thing even worse! She is in trouble now because of you! I don’t know what you were thinking when you left school, but I... Gah!” Mr. Tabootie’s hands trembled, his fingers arching into almost claw-like formations. His teeth were getting a little exposed as the anger underneath was boiling its way to the surface. “I just..don’t get it... Where did we go wrong with you?!” Rudy flinched at the shere volume of his voice. He took a small step backwards, his body hunching forward, his head lowering a little more. A part of Mr. Tabootie was feeling a little guilty at this. But the anger boiling inside of him was preventing him from taking the appropriate action. “Please...I learned my lesson. Please give it back...” Rudy’s voice was a little softer than before. He stared up at him, his green eyes staring straight into him. “Please...” But Mr. Tabootie had no intention on backing down from his punishment. He simply folded his arms and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Rudy. But that’s the way it’s going to be. You can say goodbye to your chalkboard for five days. You will do fine without it.” He made a dismissive gesture towards his various sketchbooks. “You still have that you can play with anyway.” Rudy shook his head. “No! Please! You can’t...!” He grabbed onto his sleeve and tugged on it. “Y-You just can’t...” Mr. Tabootie growled at this and he yanked his arm back, freeing himself easily from his son’s grasp. “Don’t you dare tell me what I can’t do, Rudy! I’m your father! I’m the provider of this house! You do nothing to contribute! Don’t sit there and try to tell me what I, the head of this household, can and can’t do! That is not your place! You are my son and you will do what I say!” Rudy took in a few deep breaths, staring at him with wide-eyes. Then his eyes narrowed a little, and he noticed his lip curling up a little. “Y-Yeah... you sure do a lot! You just stand there and sell meat!” Mr. Tabootie’s eyes widened at this. “What could you possibly know of taking care of...” Clenching his teeth tightly, Mr. Tabootie snapped, “You ungrateful little brat! Do you have any idea how hard it is working at that shop! Or any shop?! Do you know how many hours I work just to put some food in front of you, keep a roof over your head, keep clothes on your body?! What do you know about taking care of a family?!” “But you could never....” Mr. Tabootie did not let the boy finish. In a seething rage, he struck Rudy across the face, his palm colliding with his cheek. The boy let out a cry of pain as his head was jerked to the side roughly. The boy held his head there, his body giving a quick shake, before he slowly turned it and stared up at his father slowly. For several moments, silence fell upon the room. The only thing that could be heard was ragged breathing, some of it with a slight growly tinge. Mr. Tabootie glared down at his son, his pupils likely shrunk into dots at this point. His mouth was open and he constantly seethed his breaths in and out. His eyes bore through his son’s, locking in a glare that was difficult to look away from. The air around him was growing thicker and heavier. He was almost amazed by how he was still able to lean forward like this without toppling over. The back of his mind burned, feeling as though something had set it on fire. He continued glaring at his son, his vision unable to see anything except the small child. How dare his son speak to him in such a manner... How dare he try to trivialize what he does for this family... Did he have any idea what he goes through on a day to day basis just to keep this family fed? Did he have an inkling of what he was implying? His mind burned with these and several more questions. He was only broken out of it when he heard a strange sound that took him a little while to recognize. Whimpering. His son’s whimpering. The man took a closer look at his son’s face, and he noticed the tears that had started to form in his eyes. A tiny one trickled down one side, stopping about half way. Rudy opened his mouth and there was a noticeable tremble in it. He gave a small squeak, “D-Dad...” It was at this that Mr. Tabootie realized what he had done. His eyes immediately widened as his anger washed away like a runny faucet, replaced with shock and horror. He couldn’t help but take in a quick intake of breath as he stared down on Rudy, watching as the frightened boy shivered. Oh no... What... what had he done...? He had never struck Rudy before. He could still feel the sting on his palm from when he hit him. He stared at it for a few moments before turning his attention back to Rudy. His mouth hung open as his breathing quicked for a few moments. He.. he hadn’t meant to do that. He hadn’t meant to go that far. He... “Rudy, I...” His voice trailed off. He took a step forward and reached out with his hand. His heart stung when he saw Rudy cowering before him. “Rudy, please... I-It’s all right... Shhh...” His words did not do much to calm down the scared and shocked little boy. Rudy let out a whine when he got closer, cringing away from him as if he thought he was going to strike him again. Mr. Tabootie tried to reach out and touch his son to console him, but that resulted in Rudy baring his teeth out of fear. Any attempts to get closer only seemed to result in Rudy whimpering louder, his eyes glistening more. Before he could do anything, Rudy immediately ran away from him. Startled, Mr. Tabootie tried to catch him. He missed entirely and the small boy managed to slip away from him and out the door. He could hear the pitter patter of the boy heading down the steps, but everything else after that faded away into nothingness as shock took him over. He stared long and hard at the door where Rudy had run out of. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from it, his breathing becoming shakier and shakier as his mind constantly replayed his horrible actions. He couldn’t believe he had actually done that. How...how could he have let himself lose control like that...? Mr. Tabootie found his legs growing weak. He collapsed to the ground on his knees, leaning his body against the window sill. He kept his head down, his face pointed at the ground. His mind raced with many thoughts. He could barely shut his eyes for any length of time without seeing that boy’s face floating there in the blackness of his closed eyes. Oh Rudy... He looked at his hand once more and he thought one more thing before he let out tears of his own. What had he done...? sss Thoughtless remained roosted on the branch that one of the Beanie Boys had provided for it upon its request. Skrawl didn’t really know why he wanted it, but he permitted it anyway and had sent the Beanie Boy off to find it with a wave of his hand. This was a fine branch. Thick and strong. Good for thinking. Thoughtless watched as Skrawl and Snap were walking away towards...well it wasn’t sure where. But it did know that they were talking about Rudy and Penny, and likely other things they could do in the meantime. Judging from Snap’s gesturing, it was likely that the small blue zoner was coming up with some stuff that they could do. Thoughtless didn’t do anything to contribute to that part of the conversation. It allowed them to speak on their own and make their own decisions. It didn’t really care at the moment. It had other things it wanted to think about that don’t concern them. Besides, it didn’t really care if it missed out on the conversation. If it really needed to, it could just alter their memories to suit what he needed. Such a thing would be quite easy. For now, it kept its attention elsewhere. It wondered how long it could keep Skrawl entertained with that mission to find those swords it had mentioned earlier. Skrawl hadn’t yet sent out any Beanie Boys to find them. Or if he did, it was unaware of the act. Skrawl seemed a little too distracted by Snap’s joining of them to really pay attention. Not that it cared; it could wait for him to start. It just hoped that Skrawl was able to remember the plan and not get too caught up in Snap’s storytelling of Rudy and Penny. Although admittingly, that information might be useful later on. It did have some growing irritance towards Skrawl and his minions. Sometimes they were quite the nuisance. Especially the Beanie Boys’ constant cries of ‘we’re the boys that Skrawl employs’ and Skrawl’s arrogance. The only reason it put up with it is because, well, they were a source of entertainment most of the time. Besides, they could prove to be very useful to it. For now, they were providing excellent cover. It was not interested in getting locked up again, and with them, it was safe. It would stay with them for as long as it deeped fit. It did not yet know when it was going to leave, or if it would for that matter. Just where would it go anyway without Skrawl? It had gotten caught when it was out on its own, all alone. It had its doubts that Skrawl would try to save it a second time. He might dismiss it as a worthless cause. Something it was certain that many attributed to the misshapen jellybean himself. It tightened its grip on the branch, preventing itself from falling over. Its gleaming brown eyes stared intently at Skrawl and Snap, watching as they continued their discussion. It pulled its head back, bending it in an ‘S’ shape, pressing its chin against the front of its neck in a bird-like manner. Well it was part bird, wasn’t it? It closed its eyes part way, allowing its nictating membrane to cover over its eyes. Its black pupils still managed to shine through even with the flap of skin covering its visual orbs. A small nap would do it some good. It had performed its task with Biclops, and it even did an extra one with Snap. Such intensive rewriting of memories was difficult, more so than it ever let on with Skrawl. It needed a bit of time to relax and recover from that. After a rest, it could resume helping Skrawl with this plan of his. Before it could begin to fall asleep, it turned its mind to those two children. Rudy and Penny. When it had peered into Snap’s memory, as well as Biclops’s, for the rewriting, it had seen countless memories featuring those two. They seemed like nice children. A trait that it felt at first would make them easy targets, but it did see enough in those memories that those two were quite formidable themselves. It wondered if it should attempt its powers on one of them. Perhaps even try Snap’s advice and influence their weaknesses, or even do something to turn them against one another. Provided its powers even work on them of course. It was certain that its powers would be useless against them. But there was no harm in trying, was there? It would give it a shot later, if the two prove to be persistent. A trait that, after what it had seen, it knew those two had. It opened its eyes all the way and took one more look at Skrawl and Snap. It narrowed its eyes slightly as it watched them, its mind now going numb and emptying of all thought. It simply stared at them intently, its pupils following them, especially Skrawl. It then turned its head away and shut its eyes. Now was time for its rest. |
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 19, 2015 20:48:23 GMT -5
Chapter 9: Rudy kept on running. He didn’t know where he was going, or how long he had been doing this. He hardly remembered bursting through the doors. He hardly remembered the faint words of his mother when she tried to stop him. All he could think about was propelling himself forward, his eyes focused only on what was in front of him. He became aware of blurs of green and grey as he ran along the sidewalk. He was vaguely aware of dodging around the neighborhood kids, ignoring their cries of confusion. He continued down the street, not bothering to make a turn, not even when there was a chance to. He ran out into the streets, crossing them, without looking both ways. He heard a loud beeping sound as he ran in front of a car, which barely stopped in time for him. Yet this did little to slow him down. He soon to a stop at long last. Up ahead of him stood a large tree. It grew pretty close to the sidewalk, nearly tearing into it. He slammed himself against it. The loud thud radiated through his body, although this wasn’t enough to subside the emotional pain that wracked through his head. Pressing himself against the tree, he found his body sliding down, trembling in fear and shock and pain. He was not able to stop the tears from flowing. He couldn’t believe that his own father had struck him like that. He knew he was angry at him. He understood why. But...but how could he do this to his own son? How could he smack him like that? Maybe he was overreacting like this. Maybe he was being childish. Maybe he should take this in stride and go back. Maybe running off like this was a stupid idea. He had done this before and he had worried his mother to death, who had ended up calling all the neighbors to find him. After the scare with disappearing today, he didn’t want to subject her to that. And as much as he was angry and fearful towards his dad...he didn’t want to wish that upon him either. But at the moment, his legs felt like jello. He didn’t think he’d be able to get back home like this. The emotion whipped through him and prevented him from doing anything. All he could do was lay there and let himself cry. Perhaps..this was for the best. Let out his emotion now so he could better confront his father later. With this resolve, he pressed his cheek against the tree and let himself cry. He was not aware of the two figures who were coming towards him. He did not see the glints in their eyes. He did not see the shadows moving over him. He was unaware of it until it was already too late. A loud thud, a tight grasping of his throat, a slam against the hard surface of the tree. This was enough to jolt Rudy out of his current state, new fear washing over him as he opened his eyes and saw the figures standing before him. It was hard to tell as they stood in front of the light, which made them appear much darker, but he recognized who they were. It was Bobby and Harvey. “Wh-What are you....” Rudy started to say before Harvey, the one holding his throat, tightened his grasp. “We want to ask you some questions...” Harvey spoke in a low, hissing voice. Rudy took in a few breaths as he stared at the two boys in shock. His mind raced rapidly as he tried to make sense of this. Despite neither of the boys looking particularly angry, he could feel his gut twisting in nervousness. How did they manage to find him so fast? And why did they want to talk to him? Did this have anything to do with what happened at the school? Yes, it had to be that. The thought made him clench his teeth. Had what Reggie said got through to them? Were they merely curious? Did they believe the words that Reggie had spewed out? Whatever the reason, it still resulted in his heart pounding against his chest. Nonetheless, he still managed to squeak out a question. “What did you want to know?” Harvey paused for a moment, and turned his head left and right, as if to make sure no one else could see him. Bobby, too, looked around, likely as a way to ensure that they would be alone. Harvey leaned in towards Rudy, his eyes furrowed in curiosity, his head turning to one side. He hissed out, “What was Reggie said true...? About that light...?” Rudy knew this would be what they’d ask. Despite the anticipation, he still found it difficult to answer him properly. All he could do was choke out one word. “I...” Then it devolved into stammering and gibberish. Bobby narrowed his eyes at this. “So you do know...” “Tell us what you know.” Harvey said, his voice a little firm. “I...already told you guys what we knew.” Rudy told them. He grabbed onto Harvey’s hand and started to push back. “Now please let me go. I need to go back home now. I...” Harvey tightened his grip. Bobby helped him by grabbing onto one of Rudy’s arms and pressing it firmly against the bark. This made it even harder for Rudy to push back against them. Bobby looked up at him and said, “Don’t make this harder on yourself. We just want to know what the big deal of this place is. We can all return to our business quicker if you just cooperate.” Rudy gritted his teeth as he stared at the two boys. He realized in that moment he was not going to be able to get them to listen to him and make them release him. They looked determined to find out more about what he and Penny were doing. It was clear that they were no longer convinced that they did nothing. They appeared to have no intentions on letting him go unless he told them what they wanted. But how was he going to be able to do that without jeoparding ChalkZone? It was already in enough danger as it was with that memotrice running around. If he told these kids about it, all he would be doing was introducing even more threats to it. Something else for the zoners to worry about. Considering Biclops’s recent corruption, this would only add to the memotrice’s attempts, making things even harder for him and Penny. But he wouldn’t be able to do anything unless he figured out a way out of here. What could he tell these two that would satisfy them? How could he make them let go of him and let him be on his way? He didn’t know what the answer was going to be. But he’d have to think of something fast. Otherwise, he was trapped. sss “I do hope you feel proud of yourself, young lady.” Mrs. Sanchez hissed softly as she picked up the chalkboard. “I am very disappointed in you.” Penny flinched at this and lowered her head. She was silent for a few moments. Then she said, “I know. I’m sorry, mother.” Mrs. Sanchez softened up her expression. She looked down at her daughter sadly. She did come to realize that she and Rudy didn’t mean to worry them or cause trouble. That didn’t make what they did right. But at least they seemed to understand what they did was wrong. That reduced the chances of them repeating this incident. Still, they needed to be punished. She didn’t know what Rudy’s parents would do with him. She trusted that they would figure out a fair enough punishment. She imagined it would be similar to what she was doing with Penny. Taking away the chalkboard. Their children both loved their chalkboards and they used it often. It seemed like the perfect thing to go after in order to teach a valuable lesson. Penny was clearly upset by it, but she did not try to protest and had, even if reluctantly, accepted it. If that is what Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie did with Rudy, she wondered if he would react the same way, or in a more negative manner. Based on what she had known about the boy, he might take it immaturely at first, but learn to swallow it later on. She remembered his behavior at the Christmas party they had a couple months ago. She had arrived late, but they did tell her some of the things that happened, including Rudy’s bratty behavior initially and how he warmed up later on. Yeah, that’s probably what happened. She turned her attention back to Penny. Her daughter still hung her head low, her eyes likely shut. Mrs. Sanchez bit her lip. She set the chalkboard down and she moved towards the little girl. She lowered herself down, pressing a knee against the ground. She reached over and she placed a hand against her shoulder. This prompted Penny to look up at her. For a few moments, they just stared at each other, neither saying a word. Soon Mrs. Sanchez reached out with her other hand and gripped her other shoulder. “Penita...” She gently pulled her closer to her, staring at her in the eyes. “You do know I love you, right?” Penny nodded her head slowly. “Yes, mama.” “And you know I’m just doing this because I love you...” Mrs. Sanchez moved her head closer to Penny. She pressed her forehead against her. “Am I right?” “Yes. I understand.” Penny said softly. She bent her head down even lower. She then leaned in forward, pressing her head against her mother’s chest. “I love you too, mama.” Mrs. Sanchez felt warmth spread through her chest. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and pulled her close. In that moment, the anger she felt towards her actions faded away, and now she could only feel gratefulness that her daughter was still around. She held this posture for several moments before she pulled away and continued smiling down at her daughter. Before any of them could say another word, she felt a rumbling in her pants. She straightened herself up and pulled out her phone. She noticed that it was the Tabooties. She immediately flipped the phone open and she spoke into it. “Hello?” “Hey, is Rudy there?” It was Mrs. Tabootie. At this, Mrs. Sanchez immediately frowned. She looked down at her daughter, who stared up at her in confusion, wondering what was happening. Mrs. Sanchez kept silent for a few seconds, wondering why Mrs. Tabootie was calling her about Rudy. “N-No...” She finally answered. “Why?” “Because he’s...he’s not home...” At this, Mrs. Sanchez felt her gut twist in a knot. Her eyes widened and it was hard for her to hide her look of shock from Penny. She could hear her daughter asking her what was going on. She could feel her tug at her arm, try to listen in. Mrs. Sanchez had to hold out her arm and push her away just so she could continue the conversation with Mrs. Tabootie. Her mind reeled at this information. What a terrible thing to happen right after they got their child back. What had happened when they got home? What ahd transpired that resulted in Rudy not being there? She tried to keep herself calm and reasonable. Maybe he just went outside to play or something and... No, he wouldn’t do that. Not after he had scared his parents like that. They wouldn’t let him out of their sight. So what... “His father hit him.” Mrs. Tabootie’s voice was slightly bitter at this. Mrs. Sanchez gasped, placing a hand against her mouth. “He didn’t mean to, but...” An exasperated sigh. A low growl. “..it still caused Rudy to take off. I thought he would have headed down to your place to see Penny.” Mrs. Sanchez was tempted to ask what caused Mr. Tabootie to snap at his son like that. After all, he had never done anything like that. At least not during the time she and Penny had moved in here. But she resisted the urge to ask; that wasn’t really important right now. Wanting to move things along, she asked, “How long ago was this?” A pause. “I’d say about half an hour ago. I know that’s not long, but my little boy just rushed out, not looking, not stopping... He had done this before...” Mrs. Sanchez blinked. “He did?” If she could see her, she was certain she would have seen the large woman nodding her head. “When he got upset when his father and I weren’t taking him with us on our honeymoon. He got upset and left and he didn’t come home for hours. I was so worried about him...” A small sniffle. “I just..hope he’s okay.” Mrs. Sanchez couldn’t believe she had forgotten about that incident. She had been among the first people called. Not wanting to dwell on past events, she tried to think of a solution. She hadn’t seen Rudy, but perhaps she could make an offer that would help her friend feel better. “I can go out and look for him. Maybe he’s almost here?” “Could you do that?” Mrs. Tabootie asked, sounding hopeful. “Please...I would appreciate it.” “Will do.” Mrs. Sanchez was about to say goodbye, but she needed to do one more thing. “Did you call the police?” “I will do that now. Thanks.” Mrs. Tabootie said. “...goodbye.” Although reluctant, Mrs. Sanchez brought herself to hang up. She stared at her cellphone in silence for a few moments, her rushing mind trying to make sense of the whole thing. She had been hoping that it was all over and they could begin to recover. But it seemed that fate had other ideas. She bit her lip. She hoped that Rudy didn’t do anything too extreme, like run into town by himself or anything. If he wasn’t heading here, then where else could he go? He didn’t really hang out with many other children aside from Penny. On occasion, yeah, but mostly Penny. So it did make sense that he’d come here. But if he didn’t, then they’d have to look elsewhere. But where else could he go? She looked down at Penny. She could see that she was still staring at her, eagerly waiting to know what happened, her eyes wide in confusion and uncertainty. She might know where else Rudy could have gone. Surely Rudy would have confided in her the places he’d like to be. Maybe she’d even know his secret hideout he disappeared to for hours during the day. That must be where Rudy had gone to, especially if he was too angry and upset to see his parents for a while. She had no idea if Penny knew or not, but...there was only one way to find out. “Penny...” She said in a gentle voice. “Do you know where Rudy goes to when he’s upset?” Penny’s eyes widened at this. “Why...? What happened?” Mrs. Sanchez bit her lip. She hesitated for a moment. She soon brought herself to speak. “Rudy...ran off.” Penny gasped at this. “What...?” She took a few steps back. “Wh-Why would he do that...?” “His father got mad at him and hit him.” Mrs. Sanchez made to attempt to hide that bit of information. “He’s sorry about it, but I guess he couldn’t apologize in time and Rudy just ran off.” She closed her eyes and her voice took a solemn tone. “His mother was hoping that he was here.” Penny stared at her mother in shock. She lowered her head. “Oh Rudy...” Mrs. Sanchez gripped her daughter’s shoulders gently. She stared at her in the eyes, locking onto them. She paused for a couple of moments before she attempted to speak. “If you know anything... Any place he might have gone... Please, tell me.” Penny stared at her in silence, her eyes wide, her mouth open. They remained this way for a while, just looking at one another. Penny looked uncertain, unsure of how to answer. She looked left and right, clenching her teeth tightly. It looked almost as though she was debating internally of what to say. As if she was going to betray her best friend if she said too much. Mrs. Sanchez kept silent and waited for her daughter to speak. Mrs. Sanchez hoped that her daughter would choose to do the right thing. Even if Rudy made her promise not to tell, sometimes secrets had to be exposed. Especially during times like this, when trouble as at hand. Rudy might have gotten himself into more danger. The sooner they find him, the better. His safety was more important than some secret. And she knew Penny was aware of that as well. Penny would not keep a secret if keeping that secret potentially meant more harm being placed against her and those she cared about. It took Penny a long while to answer, but at last she spoke. “Let’s just go find Rudy...” Mrs. Sanchez widened her eyes at this. She felt a small pang of disappointment. She looked down at her daughter, watching as she wriggled herself free and began to head towards the door. “Penita... you didn’t answer my question.” Penny looked over at her. She looked a little regretful, sucking on her lip. But she did not look like she was going to answer her question any time soon. “Let’s skip the questions and find Rudy. That’s what’s important right now.” Mrs. Sanchez couldn’t argue with that. It was true that they were going to waste time if they continued to stand here and talk. But the question she was asking her daughter wasn’t one such waste. It was a crucial piece of evidence that would help them find Rudy. Just rushing out there wasn’t going to solve anything and might make things worse. They needed a plan. A location to go in. An idea of where to look. But she didn’t want to waste time trying to convince Penny to tell her. Right now, finding Rudy was of the utmost importance. She decided not to argue with Penny and simply nodded her head. She followed her daughter close behind as they headed down the stairs. sss There it was. Up ahead. His target. He kept his eyes focused on it, not daring to look away. Although it looked small and insignificant, he knew there was much more to it than met the eye. Only the untrained would see it as worthless. But he...he could see a lot more than just a simple piece of chalk held between that space. He saw opportunity. Beside him, he was not alone. He looked left and right, noting the other participants. He watched as their large butts hung highly in the air, their goofy faces narrowed in determination, an act that was hard to take seriously with those beady eyes and strange, unusual smiles. They, too, were eyeing this object, all looking equally determined to grab a hold of it. He tried his best to ignore them as he turned to stare at the piece of chalk, his own eyes narrowing into slits. He hunched his back and prepared to run. He could hear the loud bang. He immediately bolted forward. The others around him also took off, using the air to their advantage. It took only seconds for them to gain ahead of him. He watched as they zipped down towards the chalk, their puffy arms moved foward so they could grab the item. He narrowed his eyes at this. No way he was going to lose to them. He pushed himself to go faster. He pounded his feet against the ground. He could feel his chest setting on fire, jaws open and panting. He flinched as he hit his foot against something. One of the others that didn’t get off the ground. He managed to ignore the hapin as he moved himself as quickly as he could, his eyes focusing on the target straight ahead. But no matter how hard he pumped his arms, no matter how fast he launched his feet from the ground, into the air, and back again, he knew he was not going to be able to keep up with them, let alone get ahead of them to get to the chalk. He needed a plan. He needed to think his way out of this. As he kept running, he scanned the land for anything he could use. Something, anything at all. He soon saw what appeared to be a long, bent log that went upwards, to a cliff overhead. That’s it. It was risky, but he knew what he could do. He headed towards that way, veering off from the others. The competitors didn’t really seem to notice his change of direction, let alone question it. They were more focused on the task at hand, zipping in a straight line to get to the chalk. He used this to his advantage as he began to climb up the log. It was slippery and kind of wet. But it also had plenty of grooves and hooks and branches and stubs sticking out to act as footholds. He gripped onto the log tightly and shimmied his way up. He pressed his feet against the holds, keeping himself from falling down. He slipped a few times, and he winced as the wood scraped against his underside. But he managed to prevent himself from falling down and he continued on his way up. After a few moments he managed to reach the top and now he was on the cliff. He immediately rushed over towards the edge and he looked down. He could see his flying competitors not far. They were just about completely passed underneath. They were gaining speed, getting ever closer to the target. He narrowed his eyes further, still determined to get there first. And he knew of one way to do it. A tricky, almost suicidal way. But if he timed it right, it should work. He tightened his leg muscles, looked down, and waited for the right moment. And when it came, he launched himself. Down he fell, feeling the rush of air all around him. He tried his best not to let fear get a hold of him. He pushed that aside the best he could, his eyes focusing on his intended target below. He stretched his arms outward at his sides, clenching his teeth in determination. Soon he landed on the back of one of his competitors, the impact causing the competitor to weaken and lower towards the ground. “Hey!” He ignored the call as he grabbed onto the competitor’s ears. He held onto them tightly and then yanked them back. The competitor let out a screech and pulled his head back, trying to grab onto him. His arms could not reach him, no matter how hard he tried. He took full advantage of this, then, holding on even tighter, he pushed forward. This act caused the competitor to dive downwards. The increased pain in the ears made him move even faster, a vain attempt to get away. He slammed against the others in the process, dodging left and right, his eyes sometimes shut, sometimes widened. The passenger did not relent; he continued squeezing and twisting the ears roughly, forcing the competitor to scream and try to move faster to get away. He could practically hear his heart pounding despite riding on his back. Soon they were gaining towards the front. He narrowed his eyes in determination. Just a little longer and they would be able to get past the others. He leaned himself forward, pressing his stomach and chest against the back of the competitor’s head. He ignored the pain of the hard cap tip against his belly as he struggled to get a good look at the situation ahead of him. He looked out at the landscape, turning his head from side to side. The back of his mind rapidly calculated the distance of the two, and he soon leaned towards the one on the right, which was closer. Another hard yank, another yelp of pain, and the flying competitor charged even faster, still trying so hard to get away. He didn’t know if he even cared of the target at this point. But it didn’t matter. So long as he kept heading in this direction, it would work out in the end. He waited until they got closer, and he soon released his grip on his ears. He stood up on his back, stretching out his hands and arms to keep himself from falling down. He wobbled slightly, but before the competitor could regain his senses and try to knock him off, he leapt off of him and landed on the one in front. “Ouch!” Cried this new competitor. “Get off!” He did just that. But not right away. He first grabbed onto one ear and yanked it, prompting him to fly to the side in an attempt to alleviate the pain spreading through half of his face. This act allowed the passenger to get close enough to the other competitor. He paused and looked over and saw that they were getting ever closer to the object at hand. He had to act quickly. Off he went, just in time to feel a rush of something behind him. He realized that the competitor had tried to grab onto his leg. He tried to brush off how lucky he was and focus on the task at hand. He glared out ahead at his target, spreading out his arms. The target looked up at him and widened his eyes. But it was too late to react. He collided with him and the two spun in the air for a few seconds before some ear pulling prompted the flyer to keep moving forward quickly. They were so close now. The passenger didn’t need to stay on for very long. A good thing, too. The one he was standing on looked ready to tear into him. He knew jumping off was going to be tricky, so he would have to do it fast. He waited until they were practically on top of the chalk. He waited until they were close enough he could reach it by a mere leap. Only then did he made his move. He placed his hands over the competitor’s eyes, temporarily blinding him. The head jerked from side to side. But it wasn’t enough to knock him off. Steadying himself, he leapt into the air, kicking his feet off against him. The forced caused the flying competitor to be knocked back, letting out a grunt. The former passenger was now flying down towards the piece of chalk. Or rather, falling towards it. He did not pay attention to the fast growing ground nor did he worry about how much it was going to hurt when he impacted. Right now, all he cared about was getting that chalk. But just getting there didn’t mean that it was over just yet. There was still a little more. He had landed right in front of the contraption he spotted before. Tall, human-like in shape, holding the piece of chalk tightly. The eyes glowed green. A normally comforting color, but here it made him clench his teeth in fear and anger. The contraption raised the chalk up as if to strike, but instead a small glow eminated from a small cannon-like stucture underneath its wrist. It was quite easy to dodge the attack at first. The blast came in slowly, without much pressure, and it didn’t seem like it could move well. But then suddenly it spun itself around and struck him harder. He let out a cry as he was tossed back. He didn’t allow this to deter him for long. He got up to his feet, determined to keep himself moving forward. He dashed back at the contraption, this time, running around it to avoid getting struck by the blast of energy. For the next several moments, he used his speed and agility to his advantage, keeping himself balanced with his arms stretched out. He danced around the contraption, his eyes glued to the item. If he didn’t act soon, one of the others was going to take it. He couldn’t allow for that to happen. He gritted his teeth, nearly biting his tongue in the process. He watched as the contraption raised up its free arm and struck out at him. He dodged, whipping himself around to behind it, and then he struck out with a foot, banging it against one of the metal poles that worked as its leg. He managed to dislodge it. With the contraption falling forward, he took advantage of this. He grabbed onto the limb that held the chalk. He got a hold of it and he wrenched it free. He then jumped back. Before the contraption could turn around to get him, or even to take another shot, he raised his foot up and he kicked forward. The force of the impact was enough to break the leg further, causing the contraption to fall forward, the break sparking a little. With the chalk in hand, he rushed forward and stepped into a circular pattern on the ground, its edges glowing brightly. He stood there firmly, holding up the chalk as proof of what he had accomplished. The other competitors stared at him in shock, not one of them speaking a word. Not even a congratulations. But he didn’t care. For now, this was his moment. He had accomplished this. He was going to enjoy this few seconds. Before he knew it, the circle around him shined more brightly as something from above was pointed down at him. Everything else darkened up, making it look almost like night time. He looked left and right as he watched the light fading away from everywhere except the spot that he stood on. It soon became as though he was in the spotlight on a show. “Well well well... Congratulations, Snap.” A voice boomed through. “I didn’t know you could do it.” At this, everything around began to fade away, melting like it were being held near something really hot. This revealed the true landscape, the virtual room owned by Skrawl. Snap watched in curiosity as the room, which was smaller than it had appeared to be before with the hologram on, lit up. High above him, he could see Skrawl standing there, positioned in front of the controls. He was smiling down at him in approval, his claw raised above the controls, likely there from when he had shut off the simulated environment. Even the contraption from before was gone; only the piece of chalk remained with him as proof of his accomplishment. Snap did not say a word and he merely bowed in Skrawl’s direction. “Yes...You will do just fine.” Skrawl said with a smile. “You really are quite talented. Thoughtless was right to have recruited you. This might be just the first test, but you still managed to beat my Beanie Boys on your first try. You are quite a clever little zoner, aren’t you?” Snap turned his head to stare at the Beanie Boys. A couple of them, the ones he had ridden, were rubbing their heads. They glared at him softly, clearly annoyed by what he did. None of them appeared happy that he had shown them up. He responded to this with a smile, raising his head up in a haughty manner. He folded his arms against his chest, his hand still holding onto the piece of chalk. He smirkd smugly at the Beanie Boys before he looked up at Skrawl. “Why thank you.” Snap said, puffing up his chest in pride. “I told you I could handle it.” Skrawl nodded his head. “That you did.” His smile spread wider. “Congratulations.” Snap felt a warm swell in his chest as he heard his savior and new partner say that. It made him feel even more proud of what he had accomplished. He knew that if he kept this up, he would be the favorite among his ranks. He would outrank all those stupid Beanie Boys. He was a better fit to be Skrawl’s parter than any of them. He would prove it too. He’d prove it by helping Skrawl take down the ones that had been a thorn in his side for so long. Rudy and Penny. The thought of them made his gut burn and twist, making him feel sick. The contraption he had faced before was a sort of model of Rudy. It was way too imperfect and did not account for everything. But after some adjustments due to his advice, it would soon be a perfect replica. It would be used by him, and by the others of course, to prepare for a physical fight with Rudy if it came to that. There was no telling how the fight might go. Best be prepared. Not only that, but it would serve as a good outlet. He had buried that horrible memory inside of him for too long. Okay so it wasn’t as long as it could have been. But he had allowed the feelings to accumulate overtime. He could feel his body shake with adrenaline. He could feel eagerness to sweep through him. He wanted to get back at those two for betraying him. He wanted to lunge on Rudy’s back and tear off his face. He wanted to beat him to a pulp. He wanted to make him cry and plead for mercy. But such a time wouldn’t come soon. He had no idea when the boy would dare try to sneak back into ChalkZone. So he would need an alternative. He could not use the Beanie Boys for it. Not unless he wanted to get on Skrawl’s bad side, which he did not want to do, nor did he dare want to use that memotrice. However, that contraption that was used for the simulation... That had worked out just fine. He could remember how good it felt to strike it. To slam himself against it, his foot, watching as it toppled down... It felt so gratifying. It might have been metal instead of flesh, but it did well enough. He could easily picture Rudy’s face. So scared and horrified... Snap smirked at the thought. He couldn’t wait for the real deal. Sooner or later, he would make them pay for what they did. They had hurt him badly. He would get back at them. He would shed their blood. He would make them scream and plead and beg for mercy. He knew exactly how he was going to deal with them when it was time for him to make his move. But for now, he continued his training. sss “Look, I’d love to tell you more, but there really isn’t anything else to say.” Rudy said as he stared at the two boys before him. “I know you must think something was going on, but really, it was nothing that big. Reggie was overreacting.” The two boys glared at him softly. Neither of them looked entirely convinced. Their expressions alone were enough to tell him that they intended on remaining here until he told them what they wanted. Rudy couldn’t help but sigh at this. He didn’t know what else he could say to make these two listen to him. He wasn’t worried about getting beaten up by them a second time. They were reluctant to do anything serious, and he doubted they would even try after what happened earlier. However, they were still getting in his way and they refused to move. He needed to get back home before his parents call the police again. Which, in hindsight, they might have already done. He felt more guilt twisting up inside of him. He should have known better than to just run off like that. He immediately regretted doing so. He never wanted to worry his parents even further. But before he could even get back, he needed to figure out a way to get away from these two. “Come on, Harvey... Bobby... You know me better than this. Why would I hide anything?” Rudy asked them, giving a soft smile. Bobby shrugged his shoulders. “We aren’t sure. Why do you think we’re asking?” “I know you and Reggie are well acquainted. But he ‘hangs out’ with us more than you.” Harvey narrowed his eyes slightly. “We know him better than you. We know what he gets paranoid over and what he doesn’t. For him to be so convinced of this.... There has to be a reason.” Harvey leaned in closer. “We know you are hiding something. It is better that you just tell us. We don’t want to keep you here all day.” “Then just let me go.” Rudy said, raising his hand up in gesture. “You will gain nothing by keeping me here. I have nothing more I can tell you.” Harvey shook his head. “You really are stubborn.” He paused for a moment, and tilted his head slightly to one side. “Then again, so are we.” Bobby nodded his head in affirmation. “How do you think we can handle being around Reggie all the time?” He folded his arms against himself. “It requires a certain...personality type to handle him.” Rudy growled softly at this. He certainly wouldn’t deny that fact, but it was going to make things tougher for him. If they were as stubborn as they claimed they were, then no lie he could drum up was going to make them let go. They would see right through his attempts and keep holding onto him until he relented the information. He could simply wait for an adult to come by to make them let go. But this would only last a short time. They would simply come back for him at a later date. What he needed was to tell them something that would satisfy them enough to let him go. If he satisfied what they wanted now, they wouldn’t come back for him another time. They’d leave him alone. But how would he figure out an answer that would please them? What could he say to make them let him go? Or, perhaps, there was another option. There were times when honestly was not the best policy. Sometimes lies needed to be spoken in order to protect something or somebody. This was something that he and Penny needed to do for ChalkZone. But perhaps this time around, he could go for something completely different. Something that he never tried before. Something that was incredibly dangerous and risky, but may just be good enough to keep these two from actually finding out about ChalkZone. He told the truth. Rudy sighed and lifted up his head. He gave them the most dead serious look he could muster. “Okay, if you really want to know, the light that Reggie saw was a portal into another world. This world is made of chalk and all sorts of drawings live in there. Anything erased ends up here. They are called zoners.” Bobby and Harvey stared at him with wide eyes. They remained in shocked silence as Rudy continued speaking. “There are all kinds of zoners in that world and all kinds of creations. A talking jellybean bent on world domination. Areas that are always day or night. Many suns and moons. Plants that die in contact with the light. Zoners that can take off their heads. Zoners that can show you television in their eyes. A large runny nose for an attraction. Walking smiley faces.” Rudy gave a small chuckle at this. “And that doesn’t even scratch the surface.” The two boys frowned slightly at him in confusion. They glanced at one another, many questions running through their heads. They looked back at Rudy, looking at him up and down, looking for any sign of him lying. Rudy continued to stare at them with a serious expression. Bobby breathed out, “You’re kidding, right...?” Rudy shook his head. “Nope! One time...” He motioned with his hand. “I met this huge chinese dragon that needed wings, so I drew large butterfly wings on him. He was so happy he stopped destroying the city and flew off.” At this, silence fell upon the area. The two boys stared at him, blinking a few times. Rudy looked back at them in silence, doing nothing to indicate he was joking. Not even a smile graced upon his face. He believed he had spoken enough. Now all he had to do was wait and see how they would react. Bobby and Harvey had never looked so confused before in however long he had known them. He had never seen them make these sorts of faces before. Their expressions were like a cross between perplexion and almost horror. As if they never thought he would say something like this to them. Neither did Rudy. He just hoped that this risk taking was going to pay off. He knew the horrible consequences if he ended up making a huge mistake here. At long last, after what felt like many minutes, Bobby and Harvey did something other than stare at him. Bobby took a few steps back, raising his hands up as if he thought Rudy was something dangerous. Harvey’s own grip loosened up, his eyes widening for a few seconds before they returned to that confused frown. His lip curled back into a partial snarl and he shook his head slowly. “I never thought you would be a loonatic, Rudy.” Harvey said softly. He let go of the boy and took a few steps back. “I’m not sure if I’m that curious anymore about what you were really doing.” Bobby leaned in towards Harvey and spoke sideways, “Anyone who can say those things with a straight face has something seriously wrong with them.” Rudy did not say a word to that, despite how it stung him. He had enough problems with bullies; he didn’t need to worry about a whole new reason for him to get targeted. But he kept the straight face, remaining silent. He didn’t want to do anything that would lead Harvey or Bobby to think that he was hiding something. If he did so much as chuckle, that might give them reason to think that he was lying, and they might keep him here long for further interrogation. So he remained there in silence and waited. “Yeah, uh... I think we’re just...going to go...” Harvey managed to say, pointing down to one of the streets. “We...we are late for an appointment anyway.” Bobby looked up at him in confusion. “We are?” Harvey elbowed him. “Ow! Er, I mean...yes...” He raised a pointer finger up and smiled. “We are so, so late.. We’re sorry we have to cut this short.” The two boys began to back away slowly from Rudy. He simply watched as they stared to leave him. He did not try to run. He instead gave them a fake perplexed look and he motioned with his hand for them to come back. This prompted the boys to shake their hands and move their hands from side to side. “You can just...go back to what you were doing.” Bobby told him. “We will see you later.” Harvey nodded. “Yeah.. So have fun with that..chalk world thing you spoke to us about..” “Yeah.” Bobby agreed. “Don’t let us stop you!” “Are you sure?” Rudy called out, placing his hands out forward, at his sides. “I could show you guys if you want to!” “Uh, no thanks!” Harvey called out. Bobby grinned nervously, his head looking over as if looking for an escape route. “You can...do that on your own, yes. Don’t worry about us! We’re just...” He turned his head and looked at Bobby. “Lets get out of here before he tries to invite us to a whiteboard world as well...!” Rudy watched as the two boys turned around and immediately sprinted away. They looked back at him and he waved, prompting them to move faster. Harvey and Bobby didn’t bother looking back another time and focused all their energy on just running and getting away from him. It was only after they disappeared completely that Rudy smirked. This worked out better than he had expected. They both thought he was so crazy and luny that they had lost all interest in that light Reggie had seen. They must think that he and Penny were doing something quite crazy. And many people preferred to leave the crazy ones alone. Rather than try to prompt him to tell more, they just wrote him off as nuts and ran. This might all come back to bite him later. Unexpected consequences and all. But for now, at least he was free. He will worry about problems later. Besides, if they were that sure that he was crazy, then it wasn’t like they were going to actually search for evidence of it being true, right? Of course, he would need to make sure that he didn’t do something this crazy again. This tactic would not work on everyone. It only worked on Harvey and Bobby because they already thought he was nuts. If he tried this with someone like, say, Terry or Vinnie, they would take him more seriously and he may end up making things worse for ChalkZone. At least here, only Harvey and Bobby heard it. He shuddered to think what might happen if one of those two creepazoids heard his little speech. He shrugged it off. Perhaps now was a good time to start heading home. His parents would be worried sick about him. He was still hurt by what his dad had done, but his frustration and near-scare with Harvey and Bobby and ChalkZone made him forget about that. Besides, he knew his dad would never hurt him on purpose. He probably felt horrible right now. He needed to help fix this before their relationship got any worse. He didn’t get too far when he heard someone shouting for him. He raised his head up and looked left and right, trying to find the source of it. He turned his head to the street he had just run down on, and he could see a couple figures in the distance. They weren’t Harvey or Bobby. They looked like... “Penny? Mrs. Sanchez?” Rudy called out as he took a few steps forward. He watched as the two females approached him quickly. “What are you....?” He didn’t get a chance to finish when Penny, despite her injuries, ran close to him and wrapped her arms around him. Rudy grunted in pain as his injuries were slightly irritated. It was a wonder Harvey and Bobby didn’t do this earlier. “Penny...?” Rudy managed to say in his state of shock. “Oh Rudy... I’m just so glad you’re okay!” Penny told him as she held him close. “We...we found out what happened and...” Rudy’s eyes widened. “You did..?” “Yes.” Rudy looked up at Mrs. Sanchez as the woman walked towards him. “Your mother called and told us. They even called the police to try to find you.” Rudy lowered his head in guilt at this. Mrs. Sanchez placed herself onto one knee and grabbed his shoulder gently. “Come on. Let’s get you home. Your parents are so worried about you.” Rudy nodded his head, not bothering to reply. Penny released him, much to his relief. They began to head down the sidewalk. Mrs. Sanchez stood behind them while Penny walked alongside Rudy. She continued to stare at him in sympathy as they walked. Rudy hung his head, feeling guilt wash over him. He hoped that his parents were okay. He hoped that they would be able to forgive him for scaring them like that for what must have been the third time in a row. He got beat up and he got in trouble with the school, and now he ran off. What kind of son was he? What kind of immature brat was he becoming? He needed to fix this. He needed to reassure his parents that nothing like this was going to happen again. And as soon as he got home, he would fulfill that promise. sss “I’m so sorry, mom...dad...I-I didn’t mean to...” Rudy whispered softly as he pressed himself further into his mother’s arms. “I didn’t mean to scare you...” “Oh Rudy, it’s all right.” His mom said gently. Her hand moved up and down his back in an attempt to comfort him. “Shh...it’s all okay now...” Mr. Tabootie watched in silence as his son and wife hugged each other. He hadn’t said anything to Rudy yet, or even tried to move towards him. All he could do was stare at him sadly, biting his lip. He still felt tremendous guilt for what he had done. He couldn’t bring himself to do anything except watch as the scene before him played out. It was his fault this happened. He was the one who lost his temper. He was the one who hit his own son, despite the fact that he was injured previously. Oh gawd... how could he have lost control of himself like that...? Rudy was already in pain and he... He could only hope that Rudy would forgive him for being an idiot. But he would understand if Rudy couldn’t do it. He did really screw up this time after all. Even if Rudy was somehow not angry at him, there was still his wife. She was not exactly happy with him, and he couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t like during the whole honeymoon thing. He hadn’t actually struck Rudy that time. He left on his own, due to his own anger. But time, he had hurt Rudy. Not intentionally so, but he still did it. There would be a lot more healing to do than just telling him he was sorry. He never hit him before. This was something none of them had experienced as family. But despite the difficulties, he was still willing to do whatever it took to mend what he had done. He owed it to them, as a father and a husband, to help set things right. At first, he remained frozen where he was. He still felt unsure about moving forward. A part of him didn’t want to mess this up. He didn’t want to do something stupid that would cause Rudy to feel worse. He had already hurt him enough. He didn’t need anything else added on top of that. But... he couldn’t just stand there. His family needed him right now, and he needed them. With that resolve, he took in a deep breath and he moved forward. He stopped when his wife looked over at him. She gave him a somewhat stern look. He lowered his head and looked away in shame. She was still made at him. Why shouldn’t she be? He was the reason their son ran away. He was the one who struck their son while he was already injured. He was the idiot. He had... He was confused when he saw that his wife was motioning towards him. He looked at her hand, seeing how it indicated for him to come closer. He leveled his gaze with her, looking into her eyes to see if he was just seeing things. The stern look from before was gone, now replaced with a look of sympathy, a small, sad smile spread over her face. Mr. Tabootie stared at this for a few moments, wondering what to do. Then, not wanting to waste this chance, he licked his lips and he moved over towards her and Rudy. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around his wife and son, joining in the embrace. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like this. He didn’t know how much time had passed. But he didn’t care. He just held onto his family. He let a few tears of remorse move down his cheeks. He felt his chest sting as he remembered how he had treated Rudy earlier. He clinched his eyes shut tightly, taking in a few shaky breaths. But here, trapped in the warmth of his wife and son, he did start to feel a little better. He could feel his sadness start to melt away, especially when he felt his son place an arm around him, gripping him as tightly as he could. Mr. Tabootie felt the corner of his mouth curl up into a small smile. This prompted him to hug his wife and son a little more tightly and snugly. They stayed like this for a good long while before they finally broke apart. Mr. Tabootie looked down at Rudy. The boy met his gaze, and he could see how they were shining. He reached down and touched Rudy on the shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Rudy did cringe slightly as if he thought he was going to hit him again, but the boy quickly relaxed. “Son... I’m... I’m so sorry... about what I did.” Mr. Tabootie said quietly. “I-I didn’t mean to do it. I just...lost control and I...” He lowered his head. “Oh Rudy... I’m so sorry.” “I know you are.” Rudy said. Mr. Tabootie lifted up his head and looked at the boy. “I admit, I got carried away, too.” Rudy shifted his gaze from side to side. “You’re not the only one who lost control there. I’m sorry, dad. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He looked up at him, biting his lip. “I’m sorry, too.” Mr. Tabootie stared at this in surprise. He didn’t expect Rudy to apologize. In his mind, he was the only one at fault. He should have been more careful. To hear Rudy apologize as well... It caused a few more tears to stroll down his face. “Rudy... you have nothing to be sorry for. You...” “I was an idiot!” Rudy snapped. “I shouldn’t have run off! I should have just accepted the punishment, but I went on and on and I provoked you and...” Mr. Tabootie gripped Rudy’s other shoulder and gave him a firm shake to snap him out of it. “No, Rudy. It was my fault.” He placed a hand against his chest. “I should have controlled myself more. I hit you. I chased you away.” He let out a sigh as he leaned in closer to Rudy. He planted a quick kiss on his forehead. “I hope you know that I love you very much. Let’s...try to put this behind us, okay?” Rudy stared at him for a few moments. Then, slowly, he smiled. The sight of this made Mr. Tabootie’s chest warm up, stretching his mouth into a smile. Rudy suddenly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around him. “Oh dad... I love you...” Mr. Tabootie didn’t say a word. He kept his son pressed against himself in a hug. Next to him, Mrs. Tabootie watched and smiled for a few moments, allowing them to enjoy their father and son moment. Only after a while did she take a step forward and joined in the second family hug. sss “Rudy...are you sure about this? Remember what happened last time...?” Rudy looked over at Penny. He knew that she meant well. But he knew that if they didn’t take action now, the worse everything was going to get. They couldn’t afford to go another day without going into ChalkZone. Not with what was going on there right now. “Blocky and Rapsheeba will be wondering about us, Penny. And what of Snap?” Rudy felt his gut twist at the mention of that zoner’s name. “He might still be alive. He might be their prisoner. We have to go in and rescue him.” Penny nodded her head. “Yes, I know, but Rudy...” She turned her head and looked towards the door. “What if your folks come up and wonder where you were?” Rudy paused at this. He had already scared his parents three times recently. He didn’t want to do something like that again. If he did, how much more damage would he do to their relationship? It was by shere luck that they were able to fix things the other day. Granted he still felt some soreness towards his dad. But at least it was over. And his dad even let him keep the portable chalkboard. Not that he had to, but he guessed his dad must have felt horrible for what he did. This portable chalkboard was going to come in handy. Although quite small, he could fit through it if he wriggled himself around enough, and so could Penny. They could use it to get into ChalkZone. Although he understood her concerns, he just couldn’t remain here and do nothing forever. It was time to take action. “My dad will be gone all day. He’s at work, remember?” Rudy told his friend. “And my mom will be downstairs all day doing cleaning. And your mom...” He pointed at Penny. “...won’t be back until this afternoon to pick you up.” Penny nodded. “It was a good thing she let me spend the night.” “Yes it was.” Wanting to move on, Rudy said, “We need to go in now, while we still have a chance. We can meet up with Rapsheeba and Blocky and see if they have any news. Then we can discuss a plan to figure out where Skrawl and the memotrice harding. Then we can save Snap.” “If he’s still alive...” Penny said solemnly. Rudy felt his heart clench at this. He knew it was very well possible that Snap was gone. He could feel a tear starting to form in his eyes. He struggled to push them back. No, he couldn’t give into the sadness just yet. He narrowed his eyes in determination. There was still hope, still a chance that his friend was okay. “And for that ‘if’, we owe it to Snap to try.” Penny said, “Yes.. you are right, Rudy. You’re absolutely right.” As the seconds passed, all except for a tinge of doubt and worry faded away. She looked sternly at Rudy and she nodded her head. “Let’s go.” With that, the two friends turned to the portable chalkboard. Whatever was going to happen. They knew one thing for certain. They would stop Skrawl and this memotrice partner of his. No matter what it takes, no matter how long it took. They were going to stop them, and save ChalkZone. sss “Ah...you are ready now.” Skrawl said with a smile. “What? But he...” One of the Beanie Boys tried to say. A glare from Skrawl shut him up. Skrawl turned his attention back down to Snap. “I had always seen you as nothing more than a nuisance for a while, Snap. But... you have changed my mind about you.” He began to walk towards Snap. The blue and white zoner stood in the center of the room. His posture was quite stiff, his eyes were narrowed, and he stared out into nothingness. He did nothing as Skrawl approached him, allowing him to look all around him and judge him, as if this was a normal, everyday affair. Snap looked so cunning and intimidating like this. Even some of the Beanie Boys were looking at him with caution spread across their facial expressions. Skrawl had never thought he’d see Snap like this. This was certainly a welcome change from his usual behavior he had grown accustomed to over time. This Snap would certainly be much more useful. Especially considering that he had outperformed his Beanie Boys despite having little training beforehand. How impressive... “You performed admirably in the tests. You showed skill, grace, and determination. You showed me that you aren’t just some ‘comical sidekick’ as you had been called before.” Skrawl said, his smile spreading. “No... you are so much more than that.” “It fills me with honor to hear you say that, master.” Snap said as he bowed his head. “I know it might be early now, but I really do think that you have earned this.” Skrawl moved around in front of Snap. He reached forward, holding something in his hand. “This is for you. It is the mark that shows that you are one of my loyalists. An ally, and someone I can depend upon. A symbol of your utmost dedication to me.” Skrawl reached over and placed the small gold band around the zoner’s wrist. This was supposed to go to one of the Beanie Boys after he ran rigorous testing. But he felt that Snap had done more to earn it than any of these Beanie Boys had. Most of these Beanie Boys had taken weeks to train. It took Snap only a day to rise up in the ranks and be his top performer. If that wasn’t deserving of praise, he wasn’t sure what else would be. Plus this would be a good way to keep on Snap’s good side. He knew all too well how dedication that was soured could be the biggest influence when it comes to allies turning against each other. So long as he gave a reason for Snap to want to keep working for him, he could prevent or at least delay the process. This would give him time to think of something to do to Snap should he begin to change loyalties somehow, in case Thoughtless’s grip on him didn’t last for long. But for now, Snap was his. He watched as Snap looked down at the golden band now around his wrist. He turned his arm around, examining it further. He then looked up at him, the look on his face indicating that he was waiting for him to continue. Skrawl did not disappoint. “Congratulations, Snap.” Skrawl said, his mouth twisting up into a grin. “You are now my second in command.” Although the Beanie Boys were not all happy about this, none of them dared to protest. As Snap turned around to look at them, each of the Beanie Boys immediately bowed to him. They lowered their heads and went down onto their knees. Snap looked all around and, slowly, he began to smile. It was clear that he fully accepted this new position. <I hate to interrupt...> Skrawl turned his head away to see Thoughtless approaching. Skrawl took a moment to look at Snap. The zoner was busy basking in the glory of the new position he had given him. He decided to leave him at that and he turned his attention back to the memotrice. “What did you need?” He asked. <I wanted to inform you that Rudy and Penny are now back in ChalkZone.> The memotrice said. At this, Snap immediately stopped what he was doing. His teeth clenched, he walked towards them, his fists clenched and his body posture clearly hostile. “Let me at them... I’ll...” Skrawl grabbed onto his arm and kept him from going any further. Skrawl shook his head. “I can see you’re still working on your anger. Sorry, but you can’t go after them yet.” Snap hissed at this. “I deserve this more than anyone...” “Yes, I know.” Skrawl nodded. “Just...wait, okay?” He looked over at the memotrice. “What would you recommend?” Thoughtless raised a wing towards itself, scratching its beak thoughtfully. <Well, perhaps now, nothing. Let them start to piece the puzzle together. Let them get a few steps closer to uncovering what to do. We will just have to keep a good eye on them to see what their progress is.> “I don’t understand.” Snap tilted his head to one side. “How is this going to help?” “I’m with him.” Skrawl said, frowning in confusion. “What do you propose this will do? Why not just focusing on how to keep them from getting far? Wouldn’t that make more sense?” <In some ways, yes. However, there is something you are leaving out.> Thoughtless stated, a twinkle developing in its eyes. <You see, nothing hurts more than to make all this progress, only to be stopped in the end. We wiggle something in front of them, wait, and pull the rug out from underneath. They will be devasted. Mentally weak. Easy to capture.> Snap’s smirk returned. “I’m liking this.” Skrawl scratched his chin thoughtfully. Yes...this sounded really good. He hadn’t thought of something like that before. He wasn’t sure why. He was glad that Thoughtless had figured something out. “This could be a lot of fun.” The memotrice turned its head towards Snap. <And I believe I know just how we can pull this off...> |
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 21, 2015 13:36:51 GMT -5
Here's chapter 10. Rudy was thankful that it didn’t take them long to find Rapsheeba and Blocky. They had been nearby when he and Penny came through. The two zoners were happy to see them, and they asked if they had any updates. Rudy and Penny relayed to them what happened in the Real World earlier, but weren’t able to provide anything about Snap. Rapsheeba and Blocky weren’t upset. After all, why would they be? They were quite sympathetic and were eager to help them figure out what to do. They all agreed to go to Raspeeba’s New Place. Blotz and Zibble were away at the moment, leaving the place all to themselves. They preferred it that way. Not that they hated the two children, but they needed to concentrate on coming up with a plan; they couldn’t afford to get side tracked by their antics. Okay so maybe they would understand and try to help. But at the moment, Rudy would feel better if it was just him and these two zoners. The less zoners he involved, the better. This was a dangerous mission. He didn’t want to put any more zoners in danger than what was required. If something were to happen to Blotz or Zibble, or to any other zoner... He shuddered to think about it. Rudy looked all around as he stepped into the large living room. It still remained mostly the same ever since that day they had arrived there. His eyes focused on the large piano. He remembered what had transpired here, how he and his friends encountered what they thought were ghosts, but instead zoners stuck between worlds. He remembered the piano song that Rapsheeba played afterwards, and the fun they had and... He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on the past right now. He looked out ahead and spotted the couch. He moved over towards it, Penny following close behind. The two of them sat down in the couch, side by side, and leaned against one another for comfort. Raspheeba and Blocky took position in two chairs situated not far from them, even scooting closer so they were near their human friends. For a while, they were silent. They stared at one another, giving each other an understanding look. No words needed to be spoken to know what was on everyone’s minds. Anxiety and worry filtered through the air, making them all quite nervous and unsure of what was going to happen. There were a number of things going on they had to be concerned with, and who knows how many more will make themselves known? There was that saying, how everything that can go wrong will go wrong. They could only hope that it didn’t become so. First and foremost, they had to stop that memotrice. Right now, that’s what was giving Skrawl a dangerous edge. He had no idea how many zoners he used that thing on. Was Biclops the only one or was there someone else? Rudy wouldn’t know unless he encountered these zoners, or if he got the truth from the monster’s mouth. What he did know for sure is that once he had the thing recaptured and sent back to jail, Skrawl would be greatly weakened. Then he just had to take care of Skrawl. A comparitively easy task. He was used to fighting Skrawl. He and Penny could easily take him down. There was the question of the jail. He and Penny had heard news, he forgot when, of zoner deaths. The subject made his blood chill. He was certain that was related to the memotrice’s escape. He wasn’t sure how many of the guards were still alive. He would need to do something to make that place more secure and to protect the guards more. The fact that the one thing they thought was the monster’s weakness didn’t work... Rudy wondered if the thing had any weakness at all. The thought chilled him. Then, once he got the memotrice taken care of, once he took care of Skrawl, then he and Penny could rescue their friend. He would normally do this first, but with that memotrice running around... He wanted to at least stop it first so it couldn’t be used against Snap. That is, if he’s even still alive... He tried not to hink about it, but he knew full well there was the chance that Snap wasn’t around anymore. But he wanted to hold onto the belief that he was still alive. Until he found proof of Snap’s...demise... He would hold onto the plan to rescue him. “So...” Rudy turned his head so he could see Blocky. The green zoner had gotten a little nervous of the prolonged silence and decided to break the tension. “What are we going to do?” “That is the question, isn’t it?” Penny furrowed her eyes with concern. “We have a memory-altering zoner roaming about. We have no idea what Skrawl is going to use it for. We are certain at least Biclops is a victim, but we have no reason to think that Skrawl would target anyone else.” Rudy looked over at Penny. “You think Skrawl would only target Biclops?” Penny nodded her head. “Without Biclops’s support, it’ll be much easier to get into the Chalk Mine.” “That does make sense. I had similar thoughts.” Rudy furrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Skrawl knows that, sooner or later, we’ll use up the magic chalk that we have. Or it will rot. Whichever comes first.” Rudy held up one of his last pieces of magic chalk, staring at it intently. “It does work in Skrawl’s favor to simply brainwash the most important zoner and sit down and wait for everything else to fall into place.” Rudy closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “Skrawl can be quite clever.” Rapsheeba looked over at the two children worriedly. “How do you plan on getting more magic chalk if you run out?” Rudy and Penny glanced at each other. They gave each other a wordless statement, spoken only through their eyes. They both knew what the answer to that was going to be. “We will have to sneak in.” Rudy looked downwards. “A hard task. Very risky.” He looked back at Rapsheeba. “But we have no choice, no do we? It’s either that, or we lose all access to it...even get trapped here...” Penny clenched her teeth nervously at this. “If that happens, then it doesn’t matter if Skrawl gets us or not. Rudy and I would eventually starve and dehydrate to death.” “Oh my...” Blocky stared at them with frightened eyes. “We can’t let that happen!” “Indeed, we can’t. Otherwise...” Rudy’s voice trailed off. He paused for a moment as he let the reality of the istuation sink in. “...other wise, Skrawl may win...” None of them wanted to think of what things would be like if that mad zoner took over. They had seen how ruthless he could be, the cruelty levels he’d sink to. And they were certain he could be a lot worse. There was nothing to suggest that he would do much worse than he already has done. None of them wanted to imagine what Skrawl’s rule was going to be like. They had to stop him before things got that far. But first, they needed to figure out a plan. And that wasn’t going to be easy. Especially since none of them know where Skrawl was hiding right now. Without a location, it didn’t matter what kind of plan they came up; it would fall flat if they didn’t know where the memotrice was. Rudy let out a low growl of frustration. The others looked at him with concern etched on their faces. “If only we could figure out where they are hiding..” He pressed his back against the couch further. “Then we could figure out a plan and get those creepazoids and..” “But how are we going to find out where they are?” Blocky questioned, biting his lip nervously. “We can’t just go up and ask someone.” “True. But...perhaps there is a way.” Rapsheeba said, scratching her chin thoughtfully. She looked over at Rudy when she noticed he was staring at her with curiosity. “Rudy, do you still have that spy bot thing?” Rudy sadly shook his head. “I lost it earlier. I don’t know what happened to it.” “You could always draw another, right?” “Well yeah, but Skrawl might have the whole place rigged. He might have figured out that I’m onto him and taken precautions. He’s quite intelligent. He might have a little trap set up or at least set up jammerse so my creations won’t work.” Rudy didn’t mean to sound like a downer. He hadn’t meant to put down Rapsheeba’s idea. He thought it was quite a good idea. But before he could even accept it, he couldn’t help but realize that Skrawl might have done something about that. He didn’t want to underestimate that jellybean. Past experience provided a painful reminder for why he shouldn’t. No, best to act as if Skrawl had thought of everything and figure out the loophole in that. “I know this is unconventional... and even morally questionable...” Penny paused for a moment. The look in her eyes told everyone that she going to regret what she was about to say. Yet there was also understanding in her eyes, as if she truly believed this was the better option. Whatever that option was going to be. “But maybe we could...send someone to...” “You mean find a zoner and see if they could find Skrawl? Send them into danger?” Rudy asked. Penny nodded her head. “Penny... We can’t deliberately put another zoner in danger. That’s...that’s horrible...” “I know. I’m not happy about it either.” Penny hung her head in shame. “I really...really don’t want it to come to that. But..” She looked at Rudy in the eyes. “We might not have a choice. If what you say is true, then getting a camera to fly around won’t help. As soon as it would get close to the hideout, Skrawl might destroy it. Then he’d be alerted and he could move or take some other course of action.” She paused for a moment to allow everyone around her to understand what she was saying. “But if we were to send a zoner in our place... Create a sentient zoner that hates us, who doesn’t know that we are its creators, put a tracking device inside of it before it realizes, we could follow it.” “Deliberately create our own villain...” Rudy whispered as he exchanged worried looks with Rapsheeba and Blocky. The thought was uncomfortable. He still remembered his own encounter with Skrawl, and how bad and scared he had felt then. “I can see your point, but...” He raised his hands up. “I’m not sure if I’d feel comfortable with that.” “It does seem..risky.” Blocky placed his finger tips against his lower lip. “If you go through with this...what would you do with the zoner later?” Rudy flinched at this. He really couldn’t think of an answer to that. What else could be done? He knew there were only two options. Arrest or death. And both of them, he’d feel incredible guilt about. It would be his fault the zoner was like that. He would have created a zoner that was purposely too dangerous to have roam around, that would hate his guts. It would be his fault that the zoner would end up trapped or destroyed. He wished there was another way. There had to be another thing they could try. Something..anything else... He turned over to Rapsheeba. Surely she had thought of something, right? But Rapsheeba had a small frown on her face. Not out of anger, but out of sympathy. She was looking at him that that expression that told him many things in one go. The sight of it was enough to make his stomach twist. She did not need to speak a word for him to realize what she was going to tell him. He looked away, lowering his head and letting out a soft sigh. “This might be our best chance.” Whispered Rapsheeba softly. “I...I know you don’t want to... I wish you didn’t have to either... But if we could feel Skrawl into thinking he has another viable ally...” She raised her hand up in gesture. “..and if we put a tracking device...” She lowered her hand and intertwined her fingers. She shifted her feet nervously. “Well...we could finally put an end to this.” The more Rudy thought about it, the more he realized that Rapsheeba and Penny might be right. He didn’t want to admit it, but...this might be their best chance. After all, there was really no way Skrawl could know the newcomer was a phony, in a sense, and the memotrice wouldn’t figure out where the zoner came from as it would be created without memories. Well none other than a hatred of him and Penny. He was going to feel incredibly filthy after all this, but... There wasn’t much of a choice, now was there? “All right then... I’ll do it.” Rudy whispered. “I’ll use this plan of yours.” Blocky placed a hand against his mouth and tried not to gasp. “A-Are you sure...?” “No, I’m not. But...” Rudy looked out the window. He stared at the outside, noting the portion that shifted into the nearby Night Zone. The darkness of that area only accentuated his uncertainty. “We need to find them. And this is the safest way.” He looked back at Blocky, giving him a saddened expression. “I’m sorry.” Blocky stared at him for a few moments. He sucked on his lip a little. Then he slowly nodded his head once. “I-I understand...” He gave Rudy a nervous smile. “I’m with you all the way.” “Yeah, me too.” Rapsheeba said. “Me three.” Penny placed a comforting hand on Rudy’s shoulder. “Do what you have to do, Rudy.” She pulled him a little close. She comforted him with her warmth. “Everything will work out in the end.” Rudy wanted to believe her. He wanted to feel comfort in his friends’ words. But a part of him still felt horrible for doing this. He didn’t want to use a zoner as a tool like this. He would have preferred using the camera. At least that didn’t have thoughts or feelings or anything of the sort. But if there was the chance that Skrawl could figure a workaround, if there was a slight concern that Skrawl could see through that plan and stop him in some way, whether it be jam the device or whatever, then he knew that it wouldn’t be a good idea to go for that route. He could end up making things worse, even just by taking the route he assumed to be the most moral. He looked down at the magic chalk. Well, there was no time waiting any longer. He needed to begin drawing the zoner now. Get it done and over with before he felt too much regret and stopped himself. He gave one more glance at his friends. They each gave him a reassuring nod. He smiled at them the best he could, but that smile soon faded as he remembered what he was going to draw. He took in a deep breath, steadied his arm, and he began to draw, lines rapidly filling the air. sss “So let me get this straight.” Skrawl rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You want to allow Rudy and Penny to figure out where we are. You want them to be able to come over here, and make them believe that they gained the upperhand?” The memotrice nodded its head. <Exactly.> “And you want to...yank their chains, so to speak... At the right moment, launch the trap?” Skrawl added on. At the bird creature’s nod, he scratched his chin more, his claw moving back and forth. “An interesting idea...” He had already gotten the gist of the memotrice’s plan. But he wanted a repeat of it so he understood where he was coming from. He wanted to make sure it was still practical. He didn’t want to go through with this plan just because of the temptation of knocking Rudy and Penny down a peg. He needed to make sure that it was functional, and would be worth it. He didn’t want to waste all this time, only for a slip up to be caused by something as stupid as just wanting to see their reaction. It turned out that the memotrice’s plan did seem pretty solid. It ahd mentioned that it didn’t want to launch the trap until there really was no way out. At that point, it didn’t matter if Rudy and Penny still tried to get out. They would be helpless, at their mercy. They could then reveal what they had done without worry of those two getting out. Oh how much that would be fun... He could see the look in Snap’s eyes. He could see how the little zoner was very eager to get started. He felt almost bad for him. He wouldn’t be able to make his move for a while. It was too early for him to go anywhere just yet. He would need to stay here and wait. He trusted that he wouldn’t do anything insane. Snap had shown understanding to the plan. Even if he were eager, a little impatient, he did understand the importances of sticking to what was decided. If he were taken away by those two children, it would be difficult to lure them where they want them to be. But there was still one part of the plan that Thoughtless hadn’t yet gotten around to. “How do you propose we do this?” Skrawl asked, motioning towards the memotrice. “How do we get Rudy and Penny here? Without them getting suspicious?” The memotrice raised a foot up and began to scratch behind its head. <I suspect they might try to figure a way to find this place anyway.> “Well no shit.” Snap muttered under his breath. “We all know that.” <I know. I was just pointing out the obvious. Now...> Thoughtless placed its foot on the ground and shook its head and body once. <We just need to have someone lead them here...rather discretely of course. How about your Beanie Boys?> Thoughtless stared over at Skrawl. <I assume they are pretty fast, right?> “That is true. I did use them to lead Rudy over to my other hideout once.” Skrawl took pause at this. He frowned deeply. “And for that reason, I think we should consider something else.” He raised his hand up in gesture. “Rudy has seen that trick before. He may figure something out if we just...lead him to where we are.” Thoughtless furrowed its eyes at this. <I see. Well yes, that could be a problem, then.> Snap folded his arms against his chest. “Perhaps you have another way? I’m sure there’s more than one way to...trap a mouse..” He clasped his hands together, rubbing back and forth. “If you catch my drift...” Snap was indeed correct. There were multiple types of traps they could try. They just had to think really hard to try to figure out which one would be the best fit. He took a moment to think about the circumstances that were presented to them. They needed a way to get these two children from point A to point B, a long distance, without them getting suspicious. Leading them here directly, via some kind of chase, might not be a good idea. So what other options were available to them? What else could they try? Well, there was the option of setting up a fake location. They could find a place that was easy to locate and put some stuff there to make it look like a hideout. Then do little to actually hide it and hope that Rudy and Penny would stumble upon it. Hmm, no... That might not work very well. Wouldn’t those two brats get suspicious if a hideout was just...out in the open like that? He knew if he were in their position, it would certainly seem strange to him. No, he needed to try to figure something else out. Would teleportation work? No... A bit risky. He remembered hearing rumors of what happened to Snap when he went through such a machine. Hmm...but what else could he try...? His eyes suddenly twinkled when an idea came to him. A smile spread across his face. He stared at Snap and at Thoughtless, both glancing back at him, waiting for him to speak up. He believed he finally figured out a solution to their little dilemma. And it may be easier than trying to force Rudy and his genius girl friend to give chase. “Thoughtless!” Skrawl took a few steps towards the memotrice. “You mentioned before that Snap here could be helpful in ‘yanking the rug’ so to speak?” The memotrice nodded its head once. “Well, think he would be useful a few steps earlier?” Thoughtless tilted its head. <What is your plan?> “I’m with the bird on this one.” Snap stared over at Skrawl. “What are you thinking? I thought I needed to wait before...” “Yeah you did, but...” “Then why are you making this suggestion?” Snap asked, his eyes furrowing in confusion. “I’ll explain if you just shut up!” Skrawl snarled at him, hooking his fingers inward. He glared down at Snap for a few seconds, who was staring up at him with widened eyes. Skrawl forced an exhale out of his mouth, trying to force himself to calm down. “Okay, look, I understand this is going against what Thoughtless suggested, but... It’s really not all that different. It would make it even better actually.” “Uh huh...” Snap, who had quickly recovered from the little scare earlier, folded his arms against his chest. “I’m listening.” “Well, what I’m suggesting is that we tear off a part of your clothing. Like say...your cape for instance.” Snap lifted up his cape and stared at it, frowning. He looked back up at Skrawl, who continued, “Give it to one of the Beanie Boys and send them out to do some discussion. Have them talk about you and the name of a new location. I haven’t yet decided where, but somewhere secluded, a place where a hideout would more likely be, and we can set up the trap there. Perhaps a pit or something.” <What did you want the cape for? To entice Rudy and Penny?> Asked Thoughtless. Skrawl nodded his head once. “Exactly. You know how determined they would be to get back at Snap. Their idea of a rescue mission...” “Don’t call it a rescue mission.” Snap hissed through clenched teeth. “We both know that’s not what they’d be trying to do.” <Regardless, they’ll still call it that.> Thoughtless pointed out. Upon seeing Snap’s expression, Thoughtless took a step back. <My apologies. I did not mean to upset you.> Thoughtless raised its head up, forming an S shape, its brown eyes narrowing slightly. <Nonetheless, on some level, they might still care enough for you to be emotionally affected. Perhaps out of the pain of losing control, but an effect regardless.> Thoughtless placed a wing against itself. <Which is what I am hoping for...> Snap rolled his eyes. “Well if they felt sorry for what they did, they hadn’t done a good job with convincing me.” He turned his head away. “Besides, I could never forgive them for what they’ve done to me.” He shut his eyes tightly. “I don’t care how sorry they are.” He seethed through clenched teeth. “They’re not my friends anymore.” Skrawl smiled at this for a few seconds. Then realizing they were getting a little sidetracked, he said quickly, “My idea was that they would be determined to get you back. You and I both know how they are. This would give them a bigger reason to try to find the hideout. The Beanie Boys would slip out just enough information that they could use to find us. Then we get the trap ready and we could get them!” Snap stared at him for a few moments. Slowly a smile spread across his mouth. “That...could work. Except or one thing.” Skrawl stared down at Snap in confusion. “What would that be?” Snap narrowed his eyes. “You’re still having the issue of trying to outsmart them. Rudy and Penny are clever. And your Beanie Boys aren’t usually out by themselves. Don’t you think they would notice?” “Well they might have noticed them flying around, trying to find those swords...” Skrawl looked down at Thoughtless at this. “Which, by the way, they hadn’t yet found.” Thoughtless shrugged at this. It was not the kind of response Skrawl had expected, but he didn’t question it. <Just keep looking. You’ll find it.> The memotrice took a step towards Skrawl, motioning a wing out. <So what are you going to do now?> “Yeah.” Snap looked up at him. “Sure you have another brilliant idea in the back of your head, right?” As much as Skrawl would love to say yes, at the very moment, he did not. He furrowed his eyes and scratched his chin as he tried to think of another plan. He thought he had it with this one, but Snap did remind him of that one flaw he was trying to avoid. How could he get past Rudy and Penny’s cautiousness? There had to be something he could do. Despite the frustration eating away inside of him, he continued to think as hard as he could. Sooner or later, an idea would pop into his head. He then recalled that they didn’t have just Snap on their side now. There was also the matter of Biclops. For the moment, the giant was staying in the Chalk Mine, guarding it. The chances of Rudy and Penny having to deal with him as is were low, especially with the plan to capture them and deal with them quicker. But...perhaps it was time that they put Biclops into good use. After all, what was the point of having a giant on their side if they weren’t going to use him? The giant could chase them around, try to attack them. He knew that Biclops likely wanted to crush both of them. He would need to make sure he didn’t do that. A meeting with the giant was in order. He could speak to him and get him to understand just what he needed to be done. He had a feeling that Biclops would be willing to listen to him if it involved stopping Rudy and Penny. He didn’t want Biclops to chase the two children to his hide out. That would take a little too long, and the children may get too exhausted and resort to drawing. They could get away unless he figured out how to get rid of their magic chalk faster. He needed to figure out a solution to that as soon as possible, as well as some way to get them to the right location, either here or in that spot he was thinking about, and trap them. But he needed a way that Rudy and Penny wouldn’t be suspicious of. He needed... He glanced down at Snap. All of a sudden, many thoughts rushed through his head. His mouth ticked into a wider smile. Yes... that just might work... He looked over at Thoughtless, his eyes narrowing and his lips curling back into a grin. “I hope you don’t mind, Thoughtless. But...” He looked over at Snap, giving him a similar look as Thoughtless did before. “I have a better idea...” <Oh? And what might that be?> Thoughtless asked. “I think we should use a little...” Skrawl reached over and place his hand on Snap’s head. “...live bait...” “Bait?!” Snap took a step back. “Look, you might be my savior, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to walk around like a worm on a hook!” Skrawl waved his hand in front of him. “No, that’s not what I meant. What I mean is...” Skrawl leaned in towards him, staring at him in the eyes. “...Rudy and Penny would probably be less defensive around you. They probably think you’re weak, unable to defend yourself...” Snap clenched his teeth at this, breathing in shakingly. He spoke again, his voice slightly growly. “Yeah... and what is your point...?” Skrawl smiled at this. He glanced at Snap, then at Thoughtless. He saw their looks of confusion. Neither of them fully understood where he was getting at. He tried not to laugh at this. He instead stood in an almost prideful manner, folding his arms against himself. He leaned backwards, giving them a look that told him he was up to something. He couldn’t help but feel some sense of pride of what he had thought of. Yes, only a true genius could have thought of something like this. He couldn’t be more proud of himself. He doubted that Rudy or Penny would see through this clever plan. He couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they find out they had been tricked. He would love to see how they would react when they find out that they had fallen for a trap. He wanted to see their expressions when they saw that their own friend, whom they thought they could rely on, had utterly betrayed them. Oh how rich that was going to be... But for now, he needed to relay his plan so these two understood it. He grinned broadly, tapping his fingertips together. He gave a soft, low chuckle, his body rattling slightly with each laugh. He shifted his eyes left and right, giving himself an almost mischevious kind of look. Snap smiled at this; he could tell he was scheming. “I think....we can use this to our advantage...” Skrawl said, his eyes mostly focusing on Snap. “If we play our cards my way, we will have both of them on a silver platter.” He gave a short chortle. “Then, Snap...you could have your way with them...” Snap grinned darkly at this. sss Countless thoughts ran through Snap’s mind. They circulated around, swimming as if his mind was one big ocean. Even as he stared at Skrawl and Thoughtless, even as they continued their discussion, he still couldn’t help but get stucked into his own mind. He couldn’t believe his luck. After all this time waiting, he was going to get his revenge on those two kids. Okay so he needed to wait first. That was fine. He could wait. So long as he was able to get them at some point, he was fine. All good things come to those who wait, right? Or something like that. Despite his growing impatience, he was able to keep himself calm. The prize of getting those two back was worth waiting for. He wondered how he was going to react when he was able to come across them again. Would Rudy and Penny pretend to care? They did that before, after they tortured him. They acted as if everything was fine and dandy. The memory heated up his blood. How dare they pretend everything was okay... How dare they pretend they did nothing wrong.. If they tried it again, he wasn’t sure how well he could hold back. But for the plan to work, he was going to have to. He needed to play dumb, make them believe he didn’t know anything. He needed to make them believe that he still thought they were friends. He can pull the rug out from underneath them later. Oh how satisfying that was going to be... His mind became swumped with memories of that horrible day. He could still see their sadistic smiles, still feel the pain of the experiments, still feel the fear that they struck in his chest. He still found it hard to believe he had actually trusted those two. How could he have been so naive? He should have listened to Biclops. He knew what he was talking about. If he had just let Biclops take care of Rudy two years ago, none of this would have happened. Instead, he chose to be an idiot. Well, soon it was going to be time to correct that. Soon, they wouldn’t have to worry about those two anymore. If they played their cards right, as Skrawl had put it, then they would no longer have to fear them. And Rudy and Penny would finally get the punishment they deserved. ooo Then again, did they really do anything? ooo Snap jolted at that thought. He looked left and right. At first, he thought someone had spoken it. The sentence had been quite clear. But when he stopped to think about it, he realized that it was...from himself... No, that wasn’t possible. Why would he think such things? He knew Rudy and Penny had betrayed him. He recalled what they had done to him. Why would he even think of questioning this? They were the enemy. He needed to remind himself of that. If he didn’t, he would end up in another trap set up by them. The ones he thought he could trust... ooo Why would they wait so long to make that kind of move? ooo Snap hissed at this new thought. He couldn’t tell if Thoughtless or Skrawl were looking at him. He didn’t know how well he was hiding his frustrations. He focused on what was going on inside his head, not really caring in that moment who saw him. He let that thought repeat itself a few times, each time making him grit his teeth harder. What kind of stupid thought like that? It was obvious that Rudy and Penny had waited so they could build up trust with him. He had heard about how some bad guys operated that way. They pretend they are good and friendly and then they backstab the person who had trusted them so much. It was actually not all that uncommon. As a result, it was quite easy for Snap to see Rudy and Penny doing something quite similar. He had to admit, it did come out of nowhere. But then that’s the way it plays out sometimes, right? There was the saying ‘expect the unexpected’ when it comes to villains. Or well anyone really. You never know who you can trust these days. ooo So am I trusting Skrawl? ooo This thought caused his gut to twist. He felt a sense of nausea briefly wash over him. How could he think that? Skrawl had saved his life. Of course he would feel comfortable around him. He wasn’t like Rudy or Penny. He hadn’t tried to hurt him in the past. Well okay there were a few times, but that was back before, when he was still an idiot. That didn’t mean anything. He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head and focus on what they were discussing. He tried his best to listen to Skrawl and Thoughtless’s input on the plan. He tried to listen for them calling out his name. Such a task was difficult, but eventually he found that he seemed to have banished the thoughts, allowing him to focus on the plan making. “I imagine that Rudy and Penny will still act like they care, and they would follow you to keep up the mask.” Skrawl said. Snap nodded his head. “Yeah, that sounds like them.” He narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the ground. “They probably think I’m stupid... just like when they had tricked me...” Suddenly another thought came in, striking him like a sledgehammer. ooo If they had already betrayed you, why would they pretend to be your friend again? ooo Snap tried his best not to hiss or growl at this comment, not wanting to draw attention to himself as Skrawl turned to Thoughtless for more ideas. His eyes shifted left and right. He was thankful for not being created with pupils; that made it impossible for these two to tell what was going on. <That sounds good. Perhaps we could...> Snap hardly heard the memotrice’s mental voice when his own clouded over it. ooo Something about this seems odd. Something is not adding up. ooo Snap tried his best to push the thoughts out of his head. He couldn’t let himself give into doubt. That was only going to cause problems later. It was not good to begin to doubt his savior and go back to those..those traitors. They were the reason that he was hurt. They were the reason that he nearly died. ooo Well one of the Beanie Boys briefly called Rudy the Great Creator... ooo It was just a Beanie Boy. That didn’t count. Snap heard all kinds of weird stuff from those zoners. It didn’t really matter what they thought. They weren’t a reliable source of information. He had to stop having these doubts and fast, otherwise they were only going to cause problems later on. He shook his head a few times, trying to get the thoughts out of his mind. “Snap, is everything all right?” Skrawl asked, his voice having a slight tinge of concern. <You look upset.> Stated the memotrice as a matter of factly. <Is anything wrong?> Snap looked at his two allies, his two real friends. He was silent for a few moments, his eyes wide as he realized he had accidentally pulled their attention away from the planning process. He rubbed the back of his head nervously and gave a soft chuckle. He couldn’t believe he had done that. He thought he had been so careful. A wave of guilt struck him as he realized he hadn’t been as careful as he thought. He hoped he didn’t distract them for too long. “I’m fine. I’m sorry.” He said quickly. <Are you sure? I could...> Thoughtless took a few steps closer to him. Snap took a small step back, waving his hands in front of himself. “No, I’m good! I just...got distracted by what Rudy and Penny did to me, that’s all.” Thoughtless narrowed its eyes slightly. <I...am sorry to hear that.> Skrawl gave Snap a sympathetic look. “I know what it feels like, being duped by Master Tabootie.” To this, Snap nodded in agreement as he looked at Skrawl’s design. Such a cruel joke by Rudy. “I understand you completely. That is why we are in this together.” He reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. They will pay for what they did.” Snap nodded his head. “I know..” Skrawl gave a slight smile before he stepped back. “Okay that’s enough of that...” Snap chuckled at this. That was Skrawl for ya. “Let’s get back to our planning. We need to get everything ready before...” Snap listened intently to the jellybean’s words. His comfort and reassurance helped him push away his previous doubt. He was no longer plagued by those annoying thoughts, feeling them vanish from the back of his head. He was grateful for those two’s kind words. It allowed him to refocus on the task at hand, and soon he joined in on the conversation. As he did so, one brief thought ran through his head. By the time that they were able to get Rudy and Penny, it would not be quick enough. sss Rudy stared at his latest creation. He was silent, unable to think of anything to say. Normally, he would be proud of his newest creations, using them to help ChalkZone. Even sentient zoners like Howdy, he felt pride and happiness for. But not this time. This zoner was not created for any purpose he would have liked. He didn’t like creating deceitful zoners, or ones that he had to lie to even since the creation day. This zoner’s whole life was going to be messed up because of him. And there was nothing he could do to change that. If he dare do anything to help this zoner feel better, it may ruin their plans. Despite knowing he was doing the right thing, despite knowing that this would eventually help them stop Skrawl and the memotrice, Rudy couldn’t help but feel sick. Wave upon wave of guilt kept striking him, reminding him of what he had done. This zoner was his creation. This zoner’s whole life was his creation. His doing. It was through his fake memories he gave the zoner that this zoner was going to be troublesome. None of the others spoke. They kept quiet, hanging back as Rudy finished up his creation, allowing it to sift into life. Rudy watched as the zoner immediately began to struggle against the binds he had made for it. An attempt to make sure that the zoner still saw him as an enemy. And it worked. He could hear the zoner’s curses underneath the binds that held the jaw shut tightly. Listening to it made his heart sting, but, remembering the plan, all he could do was glare at the zoner and act like he didn’t care. He looked over at Penny, Rapsheeba, and Blocky. They gave him expressions that were mostly blank, but he could detect a hint of sympathy in them. He focused on Penny, searching her eyes for any kind of statement. She simply nodded her head, gesturing for him to bring the zoner to the location they had agreed upon while he had been sketching the zoner. Rudy stared down at the zoner, pretending not to care as the creature squirmed about. Rudy fought back the stings of guilt as he lowered himself and scooped the zoner up into his arms. He struggled to hold on as the zoner thrashed left and right. A few times, Rudy flinched as he felt the zoner’s claws threaten to cut into him. He briefly regretted adding that feature. Turning to the others, he said, “Let’s drop this zoner off. Hopefully someone will stumble upon it.” Rudy felt sick for saying such a line, especially in that tone. But he knew it was necessary. And so did the others. They nodded in agreement and they began to leave. There was a place not far from here where almost no one goes. That would be the place to leave this zoner. The claws should be useful in escape later on, after they leave. And, if all went according to plan, this zoner would head straight for Skrawl. The tracking device, which the zoner knew nothing about, would then reveal where that jellybean was hiding. “Don’t worry. You will be fine, Cornerstone...” Rudy said softly as he stared down at the zoner. Despite it being a truth he really hoped would come to fruition, the way he had spoken it made the zoner believe there were hidden promises underneath. The effect Rudy wanted, but not one he was proud of. Without saying another word, they all disappeared out of the house and began to head towards the designated location. |
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Post by Bluedramon on Jun 22, 2015 19:47:39 GMT -5
I got chapter 11 ready.
Although he had no fear of being stopped or trapped on his way, after all not many would dare try to go after him, Skrawl still exercised caution as he headed towards the giant’s cave. He didn’t want to do anything stupid that would cause him to lose control of the big guy or jeopardize the plan. It’d be one thing if one of his minions messed things up, but for himself to do it... No, he would not allow himself to mess up one of his own plans and taint his record.
He decided to go this alone. He didn’t want his Beanie Boys doing anything to mess things up. Besides, he knew some were jealous that he had given Snap such a high rank even though he had only been with them, what, a day at least? They might try to do something to win back his favor and that was not something they could afford right now. No need to waste time. He was better off doing this alone.
He could see the Chalk Mine straight up ahead, across the river, which curved around it partially. And there, standing just outside the entrance, was the giant himself. He stood there with his arms folded and his eyes narrowed. He looked more determined and aggressive there. Likely a side effect of his memory beieng altered.
The sight of it made Skrawl smile. He kind of wished that Rudy would try to come in now and get more magic chalk. It would be so entertaining to see the boy realize that he no longer had access to the magic chalk and would now have to fight through Biclops to get it. That would certainly be a sight to see. A shame he didn’t think of doing something like this back when he and Craniac 4 were working on that plan. That would have made things even easier.
Well back then, the memotrice didn’t exist. Thoughtless was a very young zoner, at least in terms of human years. Plus making Biclops think Rudy was the enemy would have jeopardized that plan, as it revolved around Biclops trusting Robot Rudy to go into the mine, after which it would have been destroyed.
The memory of that failed plan made him clench his teeth. If only Craniac 4 hadn’t been such an idiot, they would have been able to stop Rudy. It was all his fault that his brilliant plan didn’t work. Well, this time, things were going to be so much different. He would see to that.
As he got closer, he could tell the giant had spotted him, but gave no aggressive reaction. No smile though, but nothing that indicated he wanted him to leave. A positive sign. Before, as soon as Biclops would see him get close, he would try to chase him away. This time, he remained put and watched as the jellybean came ever closer. Skrawl did not utter a word as he walked over, his face remaining stern and serious. Almost as if he were going to propose some kind of business deal with Biclops. Which, in a way, he kind of was.
Skrawl crossed the river. He ignored the chills and cold water that splashed all over him. He hated swimming, but he ignored this distaste as he made it to the other side. He shook himself off, getting some of the loose water droplets off. He combed his claws through his purple hair, drying it out a little in the process. He then turned his attention to Biclops, who was staring down at him with a look of curiosity. Not wasting more time, Skrawl made his way over.
“Greetings.” Skrawl raised his hand up and waved at the giant. Biclops didn’t say a word. Noticing no attempt to send him away, Skrawl moved in a little closer. “How are you today?”
Biclops scoffed at this. “I’m not sure why you’re asking that.”
“Oh I was curious, is all.” Skrawl said, giving a small smile. “I know you feel hurt about Rudy and...”
Biclops hissed, “Don’t even talk about it.”
Skrawl nodded his head. “Yes, of course.” He paused for a moment. “Well actually, that is what I came here to talk to you about. I was wondering if you were interested in a little...proposal?”
Biclops raised an eyebrow at this. He stared down at the jellybean for a few moments. His facial expression squinted as he entered deep thought. This lasted for a few seconds, and then the giant took a small step towards him. “A proposal?” He questioned. At Skrawl’s nod, he said, “Hmm I’ll have to think about that. I know you had tried opposing Rudy before, but I’m still unsure of just...how trustworthy you are.”
Skrawl looked to the ground, making a sad look. “Yes I know. Him being my creator already puts me at odds’ end.”
“Indeed.” Biclops nodded in agreement. He softened up his expression and let out a sigh. “But..I suppose I can’t hold that against you.” He turned away, staring off into the distance. “Not like you can control who draws who and who doesn’t.”
Skrawl said, “Yeah, that is true. Of all the people who could have been my creator, it had to be that guy...”
Biclops looked at him with sympathy. “Tough luck I suppose...”
Skrawl nodded. He took a moment to look around at himself. No words were needed for him to convey the message to Biclops. He didn’t need the memotrice to alter his memories to believe that Rudy still blamed him for his looks. Skrawl still held him responsible for what had happened to him. Oh he might not have ever mentioned it to Rudy in a long time, but he still held hatred for his appearance and still blamed him for this.
He took a moment to raise up his arm and stared at it. He looked down and saw part of his body. He could feel his insides burn in anger. He was so ugly, so bizarre, so... He didn’t fit in anywhere. He was nothing more than a monster. That’s how he was treated. The mean looks, the dirty comments... Well if everyone was going to treat him like he was a monster, then he was going to be the monster. He was going to be the biggest monster they had ever seen, and once he took over, he would find all those who had bullied him the worst and have a little fun with them.
That was part of the reason he wanted to take over ChalkZone. It would give him power and dominion over those who had tried to squash him. Once he was king of ChalkZone, he would order those who had given him the worst trouble and make them do whatever he wanted. Perhaps even ‘play’ with them. And they’d have to do it; he would be their king after all. He could do much worse to them if they dare tried to leave.
But for now, he focus on this plan. Getting rid of Rudy would be the first step in achieving his ultimate goal. This would be the hardest part. The kid was a creator after all. Then there was Penny, whom had been even smarter than he’d imagine. He had been duped by her and made into a fool. Oh how joyous it’ll be if he ever gets his claws into her...
“What did you have in mind?” Biclops’s voice cut through the air, interrupting him. “You hadn’t spoken anything about your plan yet.”
Skrawl realized he had been quiet a little longer than he had thought. He cleared his throat and he began to move towards the giant. “Yes, well, are you aware that Rudy and Penny are presently in ChalkZone?”
Biclops’s eyes widened at this. Then they narrowed into slits, gritting his teeth. “Tell me exactly where they are...” His eyes practically glowed with hatred. He raised up his fist slightly, shaking it. “..and I will be glad to take of them for you. It’ll be doing me a favor as well.”
Skrawl smiled inwardly at this. He then frowned slightly. It was very tempting to allow the giant to go after the two children. Depending on how fast Biclops was, he might be able to get to them quickly enough that he could strike them before they could do anything. But that wasn’t part of the plan, and he had no choice but go against it. Besides, what he did have planned was going to be so much better.
“Are you aware that they betrayed Snap?” He asked the giant.
Biclops immediately took on a look of horror. “Oh I’m so sorry...” A pause. “How is he?”
“He’s fine. But very angry as you might well imagine.” Skrawl brought his claws together, clasping them carefully. “They hurt him badly. Experimented on him. I did manage to save him before it got too bad. He’s walking around now.”
“That’s good.” Biclops said, giving a look of relief on his face. “It would be awful if another zoner fell into the hands of the creators. I’ve seen a lot of creator-related violence long ago.” He narrowed his eyes, his nose scrunching up. “I would rather die than to allow it to fall into such chaos again.”
At this, Skrawl had a fleeting though. Perhaps he could arrange for the giant to die too? That would eliminate any guardian for the mine, which could save him trouble later on and...
No, best not. There was no need to kill Biclops. His memory had been tampered with and he saw him as an ally. Even if he somehow remembered the truth sometime, by then it would be far too late. Rudy and Penny would be long dead since then. And ChalkZone would finally be his.
“He and I have been discussing a plan to trap those two. I think you might be interested in participating, right?” Skrawl looked at the giant in the eyes. “After all, I know how much you want to get even with them for what they have done...”
Biclops let out a low growl at this. It rumbled in his throat and seemed to almost cut through Skrawl’s chest. “You...have no idea...”
That was what he liked to hear. A clear threat, forged of hatred and anger. The same emotions that would be used as a weapon, a sharp spear to cut those two off and prevent them from leaving. Skrawl tried not to let his mouth tick into a twisted smile, despite the temptation and excitement rising up inside of him. Oh the things that could be done to those two... Oh the things that he could come up with..
And it was all going to start right here.
He hunched his body and began to rub his hands together. “Would you be interested in hearing the plan...?”
Biclops narrowed his eyes into slits. “You should already know the answer to that...” The giant took a few steps towards him. For a moment, Skrawl felt so small and powerless in the shadow of the huge zoner. He was able to stand his ground and return the glare with the giant. “Tell me what you have in mind. I’ll be more than happy to help take care of those...vermin for you...”
Skrawl’s mouth stretched into a smile. “Excellent...”
Skrawl could feel his chest filling up with excitement. He couldn’t believe that, at along last, Biclops was acting as an ally for him. This was something he never thought would happen. Even though Biclops had been tainted since the other day, it still had taken him a while to fully accept it. It felt so surreal, like it was nothing more than a distant dream. He wanted to pinch himself to see if he would wake up, but he knew this was real.
That was how he knew that things were going to be different this time. He knew that, after all was said and done, Rudy and Penny would be taken care of. There would be no more creators in ChalkZone. No one left to opposte him. He’d be free to do whatever he wanted. And most of all, he’ll be able to take revenge against those who had wronged him, and Rudy would finally pay for making him look like a monster.
“Snap has taken a strategic position in a specialized location. It took us a while to figure out a good spot. I will give you the coordinates there. He will remind you of the plan that I am about to explain, and he will leave, but stay close. You are to then locate Rudy and Penny. Don’t worry, I will give you their location once it becomes aware.” Skrawl explained. “You are to chase them to where Snap is hiding. Snap will pretend to rescue them and will lead them into a trap set up for them.”
Biclops allowed this information to digest inside his large skull. He rubbed his chin back and forth along his chin thoughtfully as he analyzed the plan given to him. Skrawl waited for him to respond. There might be more to the plan later if something happened, but this should be enough for the giant to follow.
“Where is this trap? And what do you want me to do after?” The giant asked.
“Don’t worry, you will know where the trap is.” Skrawl said with a grin. “It will be easy to recognize. Now as for what to do...” He raised his hand up in gesture. “I don’t care if you hurt them a little while chasing them. But after they are trapped, leave the rest to me.” He placed a hand against himself. “I will make sure they have no more magic chalk and they will remain my prisoners. Well at least until they give into dehydration and starvation.”
Biclops’s eyes flashed with horror at this. “That seems rather harsh...”
“But necessary. They have Real World blood, wish could dull weapons and hurt anyone who is too close. No poison will work on them. This is simply a better way.”
“Perhaps electrocution then?”
“That is an option. I will consider it.”
Skrawl knew that Biclops’s concern wasn’t really involved with any care of Rudy and Penny. It was simply due to the giant having a discomfort towards prolonged pain. The giant might try to admit that he wants to see them suffer, but due to his nature and his past, he would never feel fully comfortable with the idea. Fair enough. Just as long as the two children were eventually dealt with, he would be fine with it.
The idea of starvation and dehydration had been his first and foremost plan. Not that he wouldn’t torture them beforehand, but he did like the idea of prolonging the pain and watching them wither away. But Biclops’s suggestion of electrocution did sound pretty good as well. It would kill them faster but it would look so much worse than just depriving them of food and water. It would look more satisfactory, even if it would be a bit too short for his taste. Well, he could always have them repeatedly electrocuted.
But there was also his claws...
He still intended on using them on the children at some point. Perhaps after they were captured and rendered chalkless. He knew the first thing he was going to do. He would love to see the boy’s reaction when he tore up his arm and took away his ability to draw. He could just imagine him bawling like a baby. So satisfying...
“So...you okay with the plan?” Skrawl asked as he gestured to the giant. “Do you have any questions?”
Biclops shook his head. “No. I’m good.” A pause. A thoughtful expression. “Well then again...” He looked upwards in deep thought for a moment. He then looked back down at Skrawl. “There is something.”
Skrawl folded his arms behind his back. “All right. Ask me.”
Biclops paused for a moment, biting his lip. Whatever he wanted to ask, Skrawl could tell it wasn’t an easy question. He did not try to rush the giant and gave him all the time he needed to speak. At long last, Biclops forced out the question, “What do you plan on doing after they are gone?”
Skrawl froze at this, staring up at the giant with wide eyes. He seriously hadn’t expected this kind of question. He had to resist the urge to say ‘take over ChalkZone’, as that might make him an enemy again in the zoner’s eyes. No, he had to think of something else. Another way to answer this that would satisfy the giant. But, as an ache spread through his head, one question remained dominant in his thoughts: How was he going to do that?
sss
It was with a heavy heart and guilty conscience that Rudy left Cornerstone in the desired location. He had help from Penny. The zoner was a little big and a little heavy, and it was easier for both of them to carry it over...
No, not it. Her. Rudy felt a pang of guilt for referring to the zoner as an ‘it’, like it was some mere object.
Cornerstone was a fine creation. Well in everything except the mind of course. She was a long zoner with a snake-like face, long sharp barbs on the back of her neck, and feet that terminated in two sharp claws, almost blade-like in appearance. Her hide was bright gold, almost solid save for a bit of red underneath her throat, as if splashed there by some great weapon. Her bloodshot eyes had constantly darted around, seeking something to bite.
Rudy had never intentionally created a monster like this before. Pound for pound, Cornerstone was quite malicious. In some ways, she might be a bigger threat to Skrawl than he was to him. He felt a level of pity for when she would eventually find him. If Skrawl wasn’t careful, Cornerstone might rip him apart. She would have very little trouble doing that with those claws of hers.
But there was still hope. She was also keen of mind. She might be ferocious, but she still had some intelligence in her. She could be negotiated and reasoned with. She may listen to Skrawl and join up with him. He would have to hope so, otherwise this plan was going to fall apart. He had no trouble believing Skrawl would take her in; her dangerous status and her hatred of him would make her a perfect partner in his eyes.
The rest would be up to him and Penny. Things were going to be quite tricky. They would need to monitor the zoner from a distance and determine with their machinery creations if she was even with Skrawl. Then they would have to devise a plan to get over there without, or at least before, Skrawl discovered the tracking device. He was certain that he would figure it out eventually. So speed was key here.
Then there was the matter of Snap. If Skrawl was keeping him prisoner, which Rudy had little doubt of, he would have to get to the hideout before Skrawl thought of sicking Cornerstone on him. Rudy would not be able to wash away the guilt of that, even if he was forgiven. It would be one thing if Skrawl, a zoner he barely had any participation in, hurt Snap. It would be a whole new ballpark if Cornerstone would be the one to hurt him. Snap would be injured by his own engineering. The thought made him sick. Almost to the point of throwing up. He felt a cold shudder, and he shivered, trying to get the feeling out of his head.
Now that his monster of a creation was set free, left in the forest, tied up and gagged, all he could do was wait. She would get free eventually and begin to move. Or someone would find her and untie her. His gut twisted when he realized that they might find out he was the one who drew her and put her in that position. He only relaxed when he realized he did not give her the ability of speech. But still, someone might find out.
If they did, he could only hope that they understood why he did it. It was for the good of ChalkZone. There were simply too few options handed to him. Stopping Skrawl was top priority. Even if it meant doing...uncomfortable things...he knew it had to be done.
He turned over at Penny. He could see the guilt wracked in her face. She had not been the one to draw the zoner. She did not engineer Cornerstone. But..she had helped in the decision. She had encouraged him to draw such a deranged zoner. In many ways, she felt responsible for how the zoner was. Considering her gentle nature, so much like his, he could sympathize with her and understand what she was going through. None of them should have been forced into this situation. Yet here they were.
He moved closer to her as they walked away. His body lightly brushed up against her. She looked over at him, giving him a sad look. He responded by reaching over and looping an arm around her. He pulled her close, pressing his head against hers.
“Don’t worry.” He said, trying to be as gentle and comforting as he could. “It will be all right.”
Penny let out a sigh. “I know it will. I just...” A pause. “I just wish it didn’t have to come to this. That zoner...didn’t deserve this...”
Rudy winced as he felt his heart pang. “I know...” He briefly thought about Cornerstone and what her thoughts must be right now. “I wish there was another way. But as you said...we need to find Skrawl. And the memotrice.”
“Yes.” Penny’s eyes narrowed slightly. “They need to be stopped.”
Neither of them could disagree to that comment. How could they? They both knew it to be true. Skrawl and the memotrice were the most dangerous threats to ChalkZone right now. They needed to be apprehended before they did any further damage. The thought of what they had done to Biclops sickened them and they didn’t want anymore zoners hurt by them.
Especially their friend. They both knew, with a twisted gut, that Skrawl might decide to torture Snap, if he wasn’t already dead by now. Just to get back at them, he could rip Snap apart and leave his body for them to find. They tried not to think about such a possibility. If Snap was alive, they would rescue him before Skrawl managed to get that far.
Rudy still felt guilt over Snap’s capture...his possible...death... He flinched at that last word. He felt he should have kept a better eye on things. He felt he should have been able to stop the capture. If he had just fought against Reggie harder and got away... if they had been more careful and avoided Reggie seeing the light... if they hadn’t gotten themselves in trouble... Then maybe, just maybe, things would have been so much different.
But there was little they could do about that now. Wishing for Snap to be okay, wishing that he had done something, anything, different, that was going to do little to help Snap right now. Rudy and Penny both knew they needed to focus on trying to finding Skrawl.
And find him, they will.
“How long do you think it’ll take Cornerstone to get out of her binds?” Rudy found himself asking.
Penny looked over at him, looking slightly surprised he asked that question. They had already figured this out before, but Rudy just wanted to make sure. “I believe we calculated, with the ropes, that she would get free in about twenty minutes. She’s strong enough to cut through the ropes with those claws.”
“And after...?”
Penny let out a sigh. Her pacing slowed down, as did Rudy’s. “That I’m not sure of. We can only hope that she goes to wherever Skrawl is. Attracted by his power and anger.” She lifted her head and looked towards ChalkZone City in the distance. “But....” She bit her lip nervously. “There is still the chance she will instead head into ChalkZone City and wreak havoc.”
“I had a feeling about that... Equal chance of her going back here, right?” Rudy said, his question almost retorical. Penny answered it anyway with a nod. “We will have to stop her if it comes to that.”
“Yes. Before she hurts any zoners.” Penny stated, nodding her head.
“At least I know her design and her weaknesses and everything.” Rudy said softly. “That’s of some comfort.” He paused. “I’ll still feel guilty if any innocent bystanders were hurt by her.”
Penny stopped. She gripped Rudy’s shoulder tightly. She whirled herself around and stared at him in the eyes. “Let’s just focus on the plan right now. We need to worry more about stopping Skrawl, otherwise there would be a lot more hurt zoners.”
As much as Rudy would find it difficult to focus more on Skrawl than on victims of Cornerstone, he knew that Penny was correct. They couldn’t split their efforts up too much and had to remain focused on the most important problems. And that would be Skrawl and the memotrice. If they spent too much time worrying about preventing all zoners from being hurt, then they would only make things harder when it came to stopping Skrawl. Even Penny, whom he could tell was wracked in guilt, understood this, as did Blocky and Rapsheeba.
He thought about those two. They were still at Rapsheeba’s New Place, waiting for them to return. He had drawn the parts to the scanning machine they were going to need. He asked them to put it together. Or at least Rapsheeba. She was smart enough to figure out the parts and she said she’ll have it put together by the time they got back.
“Come on... Let’s head back to the others.” Penny said. It was as if she could read his mind.
Rudy nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” Without saying another word, he and his friend began to head back to Raspheeba’s New Place.
sss
Run. Run. Run.
That’s all she could think about.
Run. Get free. Run.
She struggled on the ground, her long body whipping this way and that. Her elongated jaws struggled to open up. The tight rope held her jaws shut. Muffled hisses filled the air. This intertwined with her thrashes, hitting against the nearby rock and tree in a fury.
That human. That boy. Her creator... He was responsible for what had happened to her. He had created her just so he could toy with her. He had intended on coming back with some kind of torture device. But she will make sure he didn’t get far enough. She would not only be well away by the time he dare showed his face here again, she would be coming after him. Her teeth would sink into his flesh and she would soon taste his blood.
Her long tail, tipped with a blade, clanged against the ground. She tried to bend it over, tried to use it to slice herself free. But her attempts were futile. Her tail just wouldn’t bend that far. She tried to arch her back, but this did little to make things easy. She hissed as she felt her backbone ache in that area. She had no choice but to stop. If she continued like this, she would end up breaking her tail and she would still remain like this.
Her claws might help. If she could just get a certain angle.... She kept on working one of her paws over. She ignored the pain and ache she felt as she tried to get it out of the ropes. It was wrapped up tightly, her circulation nearly stopping. She could feel it cut into her skin a little. Despite this, she kept on trying.
She refused to give up. She was determined to get herself free. Her reptilian mind kept racing, kept telling her, urging her, to struggle and free herself. Instinct began to take over, clawing its way in the back of her mind. Her eyes widened as she felt this primal urge move through her body. Every pore, every portion of her body, it was telling her to free herself and she was determined to do that. She would make her creator pay for toying with her like this. She didn’t care who she hurt in the process. So long as she brought down Rudy Tabootie, nothing else mattered.
And nothing else will ever.
Soon, she could feel her paw loosen up a little. The rope was still wrapped around it tightly, but now she could move her limb a little. She twisted it around and bend her claws downward. She could feel it slip between her two digits. She closed her claws together. She could feel the rope bend to her whim. She rubbed the fingers from side to side, and soon she could feel something snap and break away.
Almost instantly, she felt some relief. With some of the pressure now gone, her wrist wasn’t hurting as much and there was more movement available for her. With a determined hiss, she wrenched her limb about, taking full advantage of this newfound freedom. She snipped at the other rope, allowing it to be cut and fall down. More and more rope was cut, she got more and more movement back. Soon her other limb was free, and it became much easier, and much faster, to cut at the other rope.
At last, the only thing remaining on her was the rope that tied her mouth. Before she took care of it, she stood up on her legs, her long body arching upwards. She reached up with her paw and she grabbed onto the rope, her two claws slipping underneath it easily. She pulled on it hard, ignoring the pain of the rope snapping behind her head as she ripped away the final pieces of rope. She let it drop to the ground in a thump. She smashed her foot down on it as she moved forward, her blood shot eyes staring out ahead. A low rumble escaped her throat as she turned her head from left to right.
Now...where did Rudy Tabootie go...?
From her previous angle, she was not able to see exactly where he had gone. It didn’t help that the bastard drew her without a sense of smell. Such a curse for a snake. She had only her eyes to rely on. And they weren’t going to be of much use for her to figure out which way the boy had gone.
Would he have gone to the city? Hmm no... That would seem too obvious. Too much cover. Too many zoners. She would have a hard time getting to him. She would have too many zoners to fight. She wasn’t sure if any of them would defend the boy, but she would rather try to avoid that. She wanted to save as much of her energy as possible going after and fighting Rudy. He was the one who deserved the most out of her sharp teeth and sharp claws. Oh what she was going to do to him...
She didn’t waste too much time fantasizing. She had work to be done. She whipped her head towards what appeared to be more empty plains. He would have gone this way, perhaps? Yes. It was the most bare. He would think she wouldn’t try that way, as there wasn’t much cover. He thought she wouldn’t think that he’d go that path. Well she was smarter than he gave her credit for. She stretched her snout in a long smile. She raised her foot up and she flexed her pointed claws. Soon, she was going to dine on his flesh.
Letting out a long, low, primal hiss, she zipped along the ground swiftly. Her body moved from side to side, her belly low to the ground, her long tail flying out behind her. She kept her mouth open, exposing her long, sharp teeth. Her eyes began to glow with determination. Her body became a golden blur as she picked up the speed. Soon she would set her eyes on her target and she would strike.
sss
“So looks likes he’s on the move.” Rapsheeba said.
“She’s moving faster than I thought.” Blocky commented.
“Well she was supposed to be smart.” Rapsheeba told him.
Blocky clenched his teeth nervously. “Yeah, but she wasn’t supposed to get out of the rope until about about fifteen minutes later. She got out a lot faster than we thought.” He gave a shiver. “Do you think she’s going to....?”
Rapsheeba held her breath at this. She realized that Blocky was making a very good point. This creature, she really did get out quickly. Rudy may have been her creator, but she was still making progress even the Great Creator himself hadn’t predicted. Still, she tried to be as positive as she could be. Swallowing hard, she said, “It’s still within acceptable parameters. Everything will be okay.”
“I sure hope you’re right.” Blocky said softly.
So did she, Rapsheeba admitted to herself. She did not say it outloud, however. She didn’t want to worry her friend. She wanted to have him focused on this mission’s success. They got this far. She was sure that, somehow, they would be able to get the end result that they wanted. The creature might have gotten free faster, but that’s no reason to believe that she would think to go after Rudy. She wouldn’t know where to begin. Skrawl had a better chance at finding her than she did finding Rudy.
At least...she hoped so. Rapsheeba knew that so much could go wrong here. She was aware that if they weren’t careful, they could end up messing things up quite badly. They hadn’t prepared as much as they should have. This fact annoyed her. She wished they had taken time to think of alternatives, in case Cornerstone didn’t behave how they wanted. But then...time was of the essence. The faster they acted, the better.
Nonetheless, she kept her eyes glued on the machine before her. A tall, obsidian black box with a black screen was situated in front of her and Blocky. There were multiple buttons that could be pressed, each one wielding a different ability. The monitor itself was curved, as if to give it a more panoramic view. The screen was lit up, a slightly red glow curving all around it. And displaying on the screen for them to see was a blue contour map, a bright yellow dot, sticking out like a swollen eyeball, moving about it.
She and Blocky situated themselves in front of it. They focused their attention on the dot. They watched as it moved around quickly, going at speeds that they weren’t even thought were possible for snake zoners. Then again, she had been designed by the Great Creator and she did have those thickly muscled legs to carry her across the landscape. Perhaps they shouldn’t be too surprised by this.
Rudy and Penny would be back here soon. Rapsheeba was amazed that they were able to put this together so fast. Well, her anyway; Blocky had a hard time reading the instructions Rudy gave them. While they waited for those two to get back, it was their duty to keep an eye on the zoner and see where she was going. If she went off course, they would have to alert Rudy and Penny when they got back.
At first, she seemed to be heading in the right direction. Her path was consistant with what Penny believed would be the most likely course she’d run into Skrawl. At least, based on data where one of his minions would most likely appear. Some Beanie Boys had been spotted earlier. Not causing any trouble; just kinda floating around. While this was troubling in of itself, after all they were Skrawl’s minions, they decided to use this to their advantage. After all, why try finding Skrawl directly when they could have the Beanie Boys take her here? They were loyal to Skrawl; surely they would be smart enough to see potential in her, right?
However, it soon became apparent that something was wrong. Rapsheeba narrowed her eyes slightly and she moved forward, staring intently at the screen. She watched the dot as it began to move in a different direction. She noticed there was a few moments pause before the change, as if the snake zoner was thinking about her destination. This caused her to clench her teeth tightly. What had gotten the zoner’s attention...?
Blocky noticed her expression. He looked up at her, tapping his fingers together nervously. “What is it...?”
Rapsheeba didn’t answer. She kept her eyes glued onto the screen before her. Many thoughts were running through her mind. Just what was it that this zoner had seen that caused her to go in a different direction? Had there been a Beanie Boy out that way? Perhaps Skrawl was there? Without any more detail on the map, she had little way to tell for certain.
She kept watching the dot as it moved. Before she was moving up north, the pathway they had wanted. But now she was headed in a different direction, to the right. And now she had slowed down to almost a crawl. It only took Rapsheeba a few seconds to realize what she was doing.
She was stalking.
But what was she stalking? Had she spotted some prey in the distance? Was she listening in on a conversation? Had she... Rapsheeba cringed at the thought. Had she found Rudy and Penny already, and was she preparing to rip into them?
Now the zoner was moving in a broad circle. She was arching around something, coming around to another area to strike. Typical predatory behavior. She kept her eyes on the screen, her heart clenching as she wondered what the zoner was up to. This wasn’t the behavior that they had hoped for. It was an anomoly. If they could just figure out what she was going to do, then...
Blocky got up and he took a few steps forward. He lifted a finger and pointed it at the screen. “Say, Rapsheeba...?” Blocky spoke softly. “Isn’t that....?” His voice trailed off as his eyes bulged in horror. Rapsheeba had never seen the color drain from him so fast.
Her heart skipping a beat, Rapsheeba took a closer look at the map. Her eyes shifted from one side to the other constantly. It took her a few moments, but she soon started to see what Blocky had been worried about. These lines, these contours.. They matched up perfectly with... She placed her hand to her mouth and gave a sharp gasp of horror. Her blood turned to ice as she turned her head and stared down at Blocky in horror. He stared up at her, clearly thinking the same thing. In order for the dot to be moving here, that means that Cornerstone was...
Suddenly there was a loud crash and a bang. Portions of the wall spilled over. Dust kicked up into the air. Rapsheeba and Blocky turned their heads away, hiding their faces from the pillowing smoke and dust that swept through the room they were in.
After she managed to clear her throat, Rapsheeba, her arm still covering her face partially, her eyes darting around. She could see a wavy shadow forming on the dust cloud before her. Then a second later, she saw the head of Cornerstone pop out, her jaws split open wide. She had little time to call out for help when the snake beast slammed against her, knocking her into the ground. She wheezed as the air was knocked out of her chest. She struggled to catch her breath as the beast pressed her foot against her chest.
“Rapsheeba! No!” Blocky called out as he rushed to her. Cornerstone merely struck him away with her tail like he was some kind of nuisance.
For a few moments, Cornerstone stared down at her, her senseless tongue flickering in and out wickedly. Rapsheeba stared up at her in fear, her teet clenching tightly. She grabbed onto the foot and tried to push it back. This earned her a low hiss from Cornerstone. Her head reared back and she struck.
“Aaaaaahhhhhh!”
Rapsheeba’s scream echoed in the air. She could feel blood rapidly pooling down her shoulder, the beast’s teeth sinking deep into it. Pain washed through her swiftly, freezing her body, making her unable to move. The more she struggled, the more the teeth tore into her body. Rapsheeba’s mind became clouded and muggy in pain.
As she stared up at Cornerstone, her vision starting to blur, a chilling realization rushed through her.
Rudy had made Cornerstone venomous.
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