Do You Remember?

Here's chapter 13. I made this one a very long chapter (39 pages, 20k in length) to try to get the plot moving some more. I will not be doing these super long chapters much. Only once every great while if I feel like it. So next chapter will be much shorter.

Chapter 13:



“How...how did this happen...?” Mrs. Sanchez whispered as she looked over the two children. “What did you do?”

Rudy lowered his gaze. “We were just playing and....things fell and...” He flinched at the uncomfortable memory.

“It was just an accident.” Penny spoke up. “We were playing outside and we fell out of the tree and this happened.” She looked down at her own injuries. Her eyes focused mostly on her hand, which appeared to have been slashed, possibly by a tree branch. “We aren’t hurt too badly.”

Mrs. Sanchez couldn’t really completely buy that. She took note of Rudy’s limping earlier and she knew that it was a little more serious than that. But she didn’t want to argue with her daughter. She wanted to instead focus on treating these two children. They needed to be cleaned up, and they likely needed yet another trip to the hospital. The doctors were going to think they were accident prone or something.

She could see Mrs. Tabootie standing quietly behind them. She had been the one to bring them over here. Mr. Tabootie was nowhere in sight. He was still working. But he was informed of what happened and he would be over as soon as he could. It won’t be for another couple of hours, however. In the meantime, she would treat the injuries.

She was happy to see that they didn’t get too many new injuries, so she didn’t have as much areas to cover. These wounds were also on the surface. She could see them, note how bad they were, and determine in her head how long it would take for them to heal up. At least the wounds had stopped bleeding, but that was of little comfort to her. The wounds could still attract germs and if the infection spread, they would be much worse off than they presently were.

She guided the children into her exam room, the same place where she provided initial treatment after Reggie had attacked them. It didn’t take them long before they reached it. She shut the door behind her, allowing some sense of privacy, even though there was no one else on her property except for the animals. She then motioned for Penny to sit up at the table first while Mrs. Tabootie and her son sat down on the nearby seats.

Mrs. Sanchez reached up to the nearby cabinets. She grabbed some supplies, the same ones she had used on them before, and she sat them on the table. She picked up the dry, clean cloth and went over to the sink to wet it warm water.

As she did so, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander a little. She started to think about how this could have happened. Penny and Rudy did already explain it, but she still couldn’t help but try to piece the puzzle together. As she watched the water drip through the cloth as she wrung it out, she began to realize that something just didn’t make complete sense to her.

Those injuries that they had... They didn’t seem to be very constistent with the story of falling out a tree. The cuts appeared too deep and weren’t at the right angle for falling out of a tree. She had fallen out of trees herself in the past, and she never got anything like what Rudy and Penny had here. Neither did any of her childhood friends growing up. Especially not that deep. Not to mention, none of the trees in Rudy’s yard would have been suitable to make the cuts, or even in her yard. Most of the branches weren’t sharp enough and the ones that were couldn’t have been fallen from and result in the same injuries as these kids had now.

The most baffling injury was the one she had seen on Rudy’s side. Those were puncture wounds. Rudy had to have landed on something at his side in order to produce that wound, and there was nothing in either yard that had such a thing he could have crashed up against. Something else caused that injury, and the others on top of that.

She had no idea why the children were lying about their wounds. Don’t they know how much she and the other parents care about them? Why would they feel the need to lie about where they were getting these injuries? What were they afraid of?

At the thought of this, she froze for a split second, her eyes widening. Afraid... That was it. She knew exactly what was going on. She could feel her blood start to heat up at the realization.

She thought they were done there. She thought that they wouldn’t have to worry about it again. But it would seem she was wrong. And now another blow had been delivered against her daughter and against Rudy. Don’t people ever learn their lessons nowadays? She tried her best not to growl; she did not want to disturb Penny or Rudy more so than they already were. She looked over at them sympathetically. Those poor, poor kids... What did they do to deserve this?

She tried her best to push those thoughts aside. She would take care of it later. Right now, she wanted to focus on treating them again so they could feel better. After, she was going to make a phone call, and this time, she was going to make sure that this comes to an end.

With the dampened, warm cloth in her hand, Mrs. Sanchez approached her daughter. “Hold up your hand, Penita..” She cooed gently. “I need to clean it off.”

Penny was a little reluctant at first, but she needed no further prompting. She raised her hand up, motioning it towards her mother. Mrs. Sanchez gently gripped her wrist from underneath and steadied it. She then brought over the piece of cloth and and she pressed it against the wound. Penny let out a quick hiss, gripping the table with her hand. She soon relaxed as her mother gently began to rub along the wound carefully, cleaning it.

sss

“But...but dad...!”

“No buts!” The man hissed at the boy, his arms folded against his chest. “I thought that the suspension and community service would have been good enough to teach you a lesson. Well I see I was wrong.” He pressed two fingers against his forehead and rubbed it. “I thought I raised you better than this...”

Reggie felt his heart starting to race. No... This couldn’t be happening. He had to be dreaming. This had to be some kind of nightmare. A confusing, horrible nightmare. He had no idea what was going on or what happened. The only thing he knew was that his dad thought that...

“According to what Mrs. Sanchez told me over the phone, you had attacked Rudy and Penny again.” His dad glared down at him. “How could you do that, son? After what happened before...”

“But...” Reggie gripped the sides of his face. He pressed his nails against his skin. His eyes bulged open. “I’m telling you! I didn’t do it! I hadn’t even gone near their house! I don’t know where they live! I was here, playing with Dumpster, I swear!”

His dad didn’t seem entirely convinced. That same glare remained on his face. He could see a bit of redness in it. This caused the boy to take a few steps back, unable to tear his eyes away from his dad’s face. He could see the anger raging on behind those orbs. A firestorm concealed inside the skull. A part of Reggie was glad that his dad was still managing to hold back. He didn’t want to start to think about what might happen if his dad totally lost it.

His thoughts swirled inside his head as he tried to make sense of the situation. He had been just informed that Rudy and Penny were hurt again. His dad didn’t elaborate too much, other than mentioning a few new gashes that appeared on their bodies. Reggie was shocked to hear that news and it made him worried that there was some sort of psycho out there, and that he might be next. But then his dad said it was his fault...

But how could he have done those things? He had been in this house the whole time during when the attack would have taken place. He wasn’t due to go to his assigned community service until a couple hours from now. Not to mention, he doesn’t even know how to get to Rudy’s or Penny’s. He will be the first to admit that he’s not too bright and cannot contain most information well unless it suits him. And knowing where those two lived wasn’t a top priorty. So...how could he have been involved at all in the attack?

And why would he do something like that? True, he had them hurt badly before, but that time, he had allowed his paranoia and fear get the better of him. He felt some level of guilt of having them hurt that badly, even if he didn’t show it all too well. He had no interest in going after them a second time. Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to get any new information from them.

“I promise you, father, I did not do anything to them.” Reggie pleaded with his dad, hoping that he would come to understand. “I swear, I was home the whole time. And even if I did know how to get there, their home is pretty far from where we live. How do you think I got over there, hurt them, and come back without anyone noticing, especially you? You were home all day too.”

His dad continued to glare at him for a few moments, but then, slowly, his expression softened up. Reggie felt a sense of relief wash through him. It seemed that his dad was finally starting to understand that there were some holes in the story that needed to be filled up.

But exactly what those holes might be, and where they would take them, only time would tell.

His dad raised his hand up and began to rub the side of his head, his eyes darting left and right. “Y-You’re right... The story, it doesn’t make much sense...” His voice trailed off as he began to mumble softly to himself. At the end, Reggie could hear him say, “Did she lie?”

Reggie shook his head. “I don’t think she would lie. That doesn’t sound like her.”

It would be easy to think that Rudy and Penny were trying to get back at him. This wouldn’t surprise him too much. He did cross the line and he did hurt them badly. They did have every right to be mad at enough that they would seek to try to teach him a lesson. But at the same time, it didn’t seem to be within their character. He hurt Rudy before and he didn’t really try too much to get even with him. Especially not in such a blatant, dishonest way. That just wouldn’t seem like them.

But Rudy and Penny not being responsible still yielded some equally uncomfortable results. If they hadn’t lied about him, if this wasn’t a scheme to get back at him, then what had really happened? He doubted that Mrs. Sanchez would lie about their injuries. So something must have happened. But what?

He wasn’t aware of anyone else who would want to hurt Rudy or Penny. None of the other students appeared to take interest in them. Maybe some teasing, but nothing physical. He was the only student in the school that had even punched Rudy. And since he wasn’t even present to hurt him or Penny this time around, then that could only mean one thing.

There was somebody else in town.

The nature of the attacks concerned him the most. Slashes... Reggie had never done anything like that to anyone. With anyone he beat up, he just used his fists, and occasionally his foot. He never used a knife on anyone, nor would he ever want to. That was just...no, he’d never do that.

But then...who...?

“This is serious.” He could hear his dad say. He noticed how his dad’s face appeared to be drained of color, horror etching deeply in his face. “I-If you weren’t the one who... Then...” His voice trailed off, unable to finish.

Reggie gave a few nods. “I know. But...” He raised his shoulders up. “Who could have done that? Do those two have enemeis that we aren’t aware of?”

His dad rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well there is a fellow I know that has a grudge against the Tabooties. That Marty fellow...”

“Marty the Steer King?” Reggie asked. At his father’s nod, he said, “Why would he want to hurt them?”

“Because he’s angry that they won that meat fair thing. You know, the one I attended while you said with your grandmother’s.”

Reggie shuddered. He didn’t want to think about his visit with his grandmother’s. His uncomfortableness with that faded away quickly as he let this information digest in his head. If what his dad said was true, then Marty would have a reason to try to get even. He had heard about this guy before and the big ego that he had. He didn’t know for sure if he would really go far enough to hurt a child, but if he did, then...

“Come on, son. We need to head down to the station.”

Reggie stared up at his dad in shock. “But...dad..I didn’t...”

“I know you didn’t.” His dad cut him off. “We need to tell the police about what Marty potentially did. They will send out an investigation team and, if Marty is responsible, they will apprehend him.”

Reggie thought about this for a moment. A question soon made itself known inside his head. He took a small step forward, staring at his dad in the eyes. “And...what if they don’t match him up? What if it was someone else..?”

His dad was quiet. His eyes soon furrowed as they closed. His head lowered slightly. “Then...we will just have to hope that this guy gets caught before he hurts anyone else.”

Reggie shuddered as he saw the look his father gave him. It was clear that his dad feared that he might be the next target. This made Reggie shiver in fear at the thought of this horrible man, or even woman, coming after him with a knife. What happened to Rudy and Penny was but a preview of what might happen to him.

He tried his best to look brave. He didn’t want to give into his fear. He straightened himself up and managed to make himself stop shaking. He stared at his dad with a stern look, his hands forming into fists. Determination washed over his face. If there really was someone else out there, if he were to be the next target, well one thing was for sure: he was not going to give them an easy time. He was not going to be a pushover target.

Without saying another word, his dad turned his back to him and began to head towards the door. Reggie didn’t need any prompting as he followed his dad close behind. After shutting the door and some walking, they were in the care. He could hear his dad turn the keys and shift the car, and soon they were on their way to the police station.

As they drove along the road, Reggie couldn’t help but stare out of the window, watching as the scenery flew by. He couldn’t stop thinking about what happened to Rudy and Penny, and Morty’s possible connection to it. He bit his lip. Whatever happened, he hoped that, soon, it’ll be resolved, and if Morty really was responsible, that he is stopped before someone else gets injured.

An uncomfortable thought entered his head. If Morty turned out to not be responsible, and if Rudy and Penny weren’t lying to get back at him, then...

...then what else could have happened?

Could...could those kids’ parents have a part in this?

He shook his head. No, they wouldn’t do something like that. They were their parents. They loved them. They would never hurt them like that.

...would they..?

sss

Skrawl decided to go on a short walk on his own. He had little fear of any zoner trying to stop him. Especially not out in the open like this, with few zoners being available. His size was certainly an advantage. Most zoners were pretty small and he towered over many of them. This alone acted as a good deterrent. Not to mention he had sharp claws that could tear into them easily. Yeah, no one was going to interrupt his walk.

He moved along the grassy ground slowly, keeping his eyes forward, his frown etched on his face. He kept one arm folded behind his back while his remaining two limbs carried him along the ground slowly. He soon walked into a nearby forest, and he could feel the cool shade of the trees all around him. He ignored the sounds of the wild, zoner animals as he continued his walk, his mind deep in thought.

How was he going to find those swords? He did like Thoughtless’s compliment, about him figuring out a way. But the truth was, he had no idea if he was going to succeed or not. This was going to be quite the challenge, and he really wasn’t prepared. He needed some way to allow for them to find those blasted swords, but so far, he couldn’t really think much of anything.

Especially with the heat signature idea... That was the only method that Thoughtless would provide. Its only hint at what he could do to find them. But... ChalkZone had lots of heat signatures all over the place. Even out here, in the middle of nowhere, there were plenty of zoners that would show up on a heat signature device and would mask up any attempt to find the swords. He would need for a way to make the swords stand out much more. But just how would he be able to pull that off?

Well, he was going to need to figure something out soon. He didn’t want to stay out here that long, and he didn’t want to delay finding those swords for much longer. As soon as he got his hands on them, he would be able to increase his power. Soon he would have enough power to take over ChalkZone on his own. A one man army, or in his case, a one jellybean army.

But first, he would need to get those swords...

How was he going to make them stand out more? How was he going to be able to use the heat seeking device and be able to bypass all the other heat signatures and focus on just the swords themselves? It would help if he knew what to look for. If he knew how Gravity and Dimension power heat would show up, he could look for that. But the others... He wasn’t sure where to begin. Thoughtless admitted that its creator wasn’t sure about the other powers, at least at the time of its erasing. As a result, he couldn’t even begin to prepare for...

He stopped himself when he heard a loud screeching sound coming not too far away. He lifted up his head and looked left and right. He thought at first that it was just another wild animal. They were often pretty noisy. But when he heard the sound again, a little closer now, he could tell that it wasn’t the same kind of sound he had grown accustomed to hearing around here.

He walked towards the sound, being careful to keep himself in the foliage, providing a buffer of sorts between him and whoever or whatever was coming this way. His red and blue eyes stared out ahead, moving slowly from one side to the other, trying to find any sign of what was making that noise. He didn’t see anything, but he could see the other animals reacting. They must have heard it too, and judging from how they were moving away, whatever was coming, it was rather vicious.

Skrawl wondered if he could use this thing to his advantage. He wasn’t sure yet what he could use it for. He didn’t even know what it looked like or what it was capable of doing. But..just perhaps..it could help turn the tides and bring him one step closer to achieving domination over ChalkZone.

Soon, a long, golden body came into view. Skrawl widened his eyes at the sight of what appeared to be a snake-like zoner, equipped with four feet with two claws and a blade on its tail and long, sharp teeth. It wasn’t like anything he had seen in ChalkZone before. He would remember seeing something like this. He guessed that this zoner was very new.

It was running about, thrashing and crashing against anything in sight. Its legs flailed around, scratching at its head, its mouth open, releasing more and more screeches. Blood appeared to be caked around its head, on its left eye. It didn’t take Skrawl long realize that this thing was thrashing about in pain. It wasn’t even realizing where it was; all it wanted to do was get away from the pain. Its violent thrashes must have been what was scaring away the other animals.

At first, Skrawl felt some level of disappointment. This creature was injured and probably wouldn’t be of much use to him. Especially half blind, which he was most certain that it was. But then again... It did still have sharp claws, teeth, and tail. It might still have some usage left in it. If he were to just treat the eye perhaps, then he could...

He wasn’t able to finish his thought when the golden snake thing came over in his direction. He let out a scream as he jumped to the side. He narrowly missed getting hit by those claws as the thing crashed behind him, its body wriggling around as it continued to screech painfully, blood continuing to seep down the left side of its long face. Skrawl whirled himself around and watched the beast with thoughtful, stern eyes as it became tangled in the vines, now unable to go anywhere.

Hmm, yes... This thing could come in use. It was pretty large in size and looked strong. Those natural weapons it possessed definitely made it quite dangerous. Depending on how smart this thing was, if he did something to help it, perhaps it would feel like it owed him and help him out with his current mission. Even if that doesn’t become the case, he didn’t have much doubt that Thoughtless might be able to do something. Even if its thing was just an animal, Thoughtless could still get inside its mind and alter its memories until it became loyal to them. Such a thing would be easy on a dumb animal like this.

His mouth curling into a smile, he reached down into his leather waist pocket that he brought with and he brought out his small walkie talkie, similar to what he used to communicate with Craniac 4, except without a screen. He pressed the large, red button on it and he immediately hurt a bit of static and radio-like sounds. He could soon hear the familiar sound of one of his Beanie Boys picking it up.

“Yes, boss?”

“Tell Thoughtless I want it to meet me somewhere. I think I found something that may help us.” Skrawl gave a small chuckle as he stared down at the trapped snake-like zoner.

“Sure thing. Where should I tell it to go?”

Skrawl lifted his head up towards the sky. “Tell it to meet me at these coordinates.”

sss

“All right now, Beanie Boys! Listen up!” Snap paced back and forth as he stared at the four Beanie Boys with narrowed eyes and gritted teeth. “You are going to follow this drill exactly how I had told you. Any questions?”

One Beanie Boy raised his hand. “What makes you think that we are going to do it?”

“Yeah.” Another Beanie Boy said. He folded his arms against his chest. “We listen to Skrawl, not you.”

Snap chuckled, a smile spreading across his face. “Well he is the one who put me second in command. You either listen to moi...” He placed a hand against his chest. “Or you can just wait until Skrawl gets back and you can explain to him why you weren’t listening to one of your superiors...”

Snap’s words were enough to get through to the Beanie Boys. They immediately huddled closer and they raised their hands, placing them against their heads in salute.

“Sir, yes, sir!” They cried out in unison.

Snap smiled at this, a sense of twisted satisfaction moving through him. For the first time, he felt in power. Strong, invincible. He had a whole army of Beanie Boys at his command. Not just these four. All the Beanie Boys had to listen to him. He was their superior, ranking higher than them. They all knew what would happen to them if they didn’t listen. Skrawl would take care of them, and he knew these Beanie Boys would rather face him than go up to their boss when he was really angry.

He watched as the Beanie Boys took off, going through the obstance course that he had just designed. A rather strange, unorthodox one, but he still believed that it would be useful. Plus, he had to make sure that these Beanie Boys were in good shape when it came time to deal with Rudy and Penny. Being able to dodge quickly, dive quickly, change course quickly, all that was going to be really important.

But despite the difficulty and challenge this was going to bring, especially considering the girth of these zoners, which makes him wonder how they could even fly, he was still certain that, with the proper training, they could go up against Rudy and Penny if need be. They were going to need to restrain them somehow, for whenever they manage to trap them. By training them to be prepared, even if those two manage to have magic chalk by then, the Beanie Boys would be able to outmanuever them and get the chalk away from them before they could draw anything too dangerous.

He stood there, his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, his foot moving back and forth in a constant motion. He watched as the Beanie Boys ran through the course that he designed. He smiled as he watched them flail, fall, get back up, and try again. He couldn’t help but think of the set of traps he had made for Biclops for when Rudy and Penny tried to steal more magic chalk. He felt a strong sense of pride fill up inside of his chest.

He couldn’t wait until he could finally get his revenge on those two. He was doing his best to be patient. So far, he was doing pretty well. But as time continued to pass, he couldn’t help but feel some sense of impatience move through him. He knew he couldn’t take action now, but how long was he going to have to wait before he could finally make his move?

He had been wronged by those two. He had been hurt by them. Betrayed and experimented on. They had competely shattered his trust. Now when was it going to be his time to break them? He hoped soon. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out.

ooo But did they really do anything to deserve this? ooo

Snap let out a soft hiss as he heard that pesky voice return. Didn’t he banish that voice out of his head already? What was it doing back? He clenched his teeth tightly, doing his best to fight against it. He could feel a dull ache spreading through his head. He tried to ignore it. He knew full well that Rudy and Penny were guilty. He wasn’t going to allow his mind to fill him with doubts like this.

ooo Some of the memories don’t match up. How could I be certain that what I was told was the truth? ooo

He shook his head, trying to get that thought out of his head. He felt his hand move towards his head and he gripped it. He rubbed it back and forth as he struggled to regain himself. He lifted up his head and he looked over at where the Beanie Boys were. He was glad they didn’t see him in his moment of weakness. He felt a sense of shame wash over him. He shook his head a second time and tried to regain his composure.

He wasn’t sure what was going on or why he was having these thoughts. But he knew he needed to keep it under control. If he allowed himself to go insane, then he could inadvertantly contribute to Rudy and Penny getting away. Then their reign of terror could continue and more zoners could get hurt. He shuddered at the thought of that. He could not allow that to happen. He had to keep himself from falling into doubt.

He straightened himself up, closing his jaw tightly, feeling his teeth grinding together. He narrowed his eyes, his hands clutched tightly into fists. He kept his eyes glued on the Beanie Boys, keeping his mind focused on them, and only them. As they began to approach the finish line, he couldn’t help but smile. A single thought rushed through his head.

Rudy and Penny had best prepare themselves. Because soon, their mistakes were going to come back to haunt them.

sss

Thoughtless watched the training with Snap and the Beanie Boys from a distance. It switched its tail from one side to the other, its brown eyes gleaming. The Beanie Boys hadn’t taken notice of the blue clad zoner’s face, but it did. It narrowed its eyes slowly.

This could be a problem later on. If Snap was starting to see through the memories it had implanted and altered, then it would only be a matter of time before Snap breaks down, and then, eventually, turns against them. For now, the zoner appeared determined to fight against these doubts. A positive thing, but how long was it going to last? If this keeps up, it may need to step in and provide some assistance to Snap.

For now, it wasn’t going to do anything. Snap didn’t seem like he was going to become a threat to them anytime soon. The anger associated with the false memories it had given him were enough to provide some stalling for now. Snap was more determined to get revenge on Rudy and Penny than trying to figure out the validity of the memories given to him.

As Thoughtless watched, it allowed its mind to start thinking of other things. He thought back to Skrawl. It remembered how he had come for information regarding the swords. It wasn’t sure what else it could tell him about that to keep him satisfied. It had already told him anything it could think of. Although it did manage to keep him satisfied, it didn’t know how long this was going to last before he came back to try again.

But at least for now, Skrawl appeared to be satisfied. It wasn’t going to have to worry about him coming back to try to get more information, or even questioning its methods. Skrawl hadn’t done that yet, which was a relief. So long as Skrawl continued to believe in its methods, then everything was going to be fine. It didn’t want to think of what might happen should Skrawl start to question it too much.

Even though it did not ever say it outright or try to admit it, the memotrice knew it still needed Skrawl. It couldn’t allow Skrawl to leave it or try to turn against it somehow. It knew it was being a little paranoid, but it had good reason to be like this. It had its own plans for what it wanted to do, and it didn’t know how Skrawl was going to react to it. It had kept this part a secret and just went along with what the jellybean had suggested thus far. For its own plan to work, it was going to need Skrawl’s help. Keeping Skrawl on its side was a top priority, even over keeping Snap with them.

Its own thoughts were interrupted when it heard someone coming in from behind it. It turned its head around and it could see a Beanie Boy coming in its direction. There was a look of urgency on its face.

<Yes? What is it?>

“Skrawl wants you to meet him here.” The Beanie Boy said as he held out a piece of paper to the memotrice. “He would like you to come as soon as possible.”

Thoughtless grabbed the paper with its foot talons. It held it up and leaned its head in, reading the paper that it clutched in its toe claws. <And why does he want me to come here?>

The Beanie Boy immediately replied with, “He found something that might be able to help us.”

sss

Skrawl was pleased when Thoughtless had arrived quicker than he had expected. He raised up his hand and shielded his eyes from the bright sun as he watched the Beanie Boys carry the memotrice down towards him. He was momentarily confused and wondered why the memotrice didn’t just use its flight until he remembered that Thoughtless was flightless.

As soon as Thoughtless was on the ground, it made its way over towards him slowly. Its small head and long neck moved in a rapid, bird-like way as it stared down at the tangled zoner behind him. Curiosity filled the memotrice’s eyes, its pupils focused on that snake-like zoner that Skrawl had captured. Or rather, the creature that ended up capturing itself, since Skrawl played little part in that.

He remained silent as the memotrice got closer. He took a few steps back and allowed the memotrice to get a closer look at the zoner. He watched as Thoughtless stood a few feet away from it, looking at it up and down. Thoughtless then began to pace back and forth in front of the zoner, trailing its eyes over the zoner’s body a little. Its eyes slowly blinked a few times before it turned its attention to Skrawl.

<How did you find it?> It asked.

Skrawl shrugged his shoulders. “I wasn’t even trying to look for it. I was just walking through here to think about, you know, those swords...” His voice trailed off for a moment as he thought about those swords. He gritted his teeth a little, frustrated he still hadn’t figured out a way to find them. He shook the thought out of his head and he said, “Well anyway, I was taking a walk and all of a sudden, I see this...this thing running about, screeching like it was in pain.”

<That is because it is in pain.> Thoughtless pointed a toe claw over at where the snake’s left eye was. <See the burns?>

“Well I know that! I mean...” Skrawl growled in frustration, rubbing his hand against his face. “Let’s just move on, shall we?” He lifted his head and stared back at the memotrice. “I was wondering if you think that this thing could come in handy for something?” He took a few steps closer. “Perhaps it could help us out with those words you mentioned.” He raised his hand up in gesture. “Or perhaps it could help us with Rudy and Penny?”

At this, the snake zoner appeared to respond. It let out a few smaller screeches as it struggled to get itself free. Skrawl and Thoughtless stared down at the zoner while it did this. They glanced at each other, each one expression the same thought.

<I think...we can...> Thoughtless gave a small smile as it began to pace around the snake-like zoner slowly. Its brown eyes moved all around as it visually examined the zoner. <It doesn’t seem badly hurt, except for that eye. I think if it were treated, we might be able to get some use out of it.> A pause as Thoughtless went around to one side. <...her.>

Skrawl raised an eyebrow. “It’s a female?”

Thoughtless nodded its head once. It didn’t dwell on that topic for long and it added, <I am going to need to assess her first. See if we can use her.> Thoughtless turned its head over so it could stare over in Skrawl’s direction. <I would like to seek into her mind, if that isn’t a problem for you. I need to assess why she reacted poorly to the mention of those kids. I have a feeling we can use this to our advantage.”

“Go right ahead.” Skrawl said, motioning a hand in its direction. “Be my guest.”

Skrawl stood there for the next several minutes, his arm folded and silent. He watched as Thoughtless placed its foot against the head of the snake zoner, its eyes starting to glow. Skrawl wasn’t sure just how long such a method would take, with or without altering memories. He noticed how the zoner was squirming a little, causing Skrawl to place a hand against his head. It looked so uncomfortable. He couldn’t imagine that would happen if he ended up on the receiving end.

Despite the uncomfortable imagery, he still felt a sense of excitement rise up inside of him. After this was taken care of, they may have information that they need, and a new ally, to help go against Rudy and Penny. The thought of it delighted him. With Thoughtless’s powers, that zoner’s fear of those two, whatever that may be, could be increased, and the memotrice could ensure the thing’s loyalty to them. They could make use out of this zoner.

After a while of just standing there, Thoughtless finally stepped away from the zoner. It moved back a few steps before turning its head in his direction. Its tail swished slowly from side to side as it stared at Skrawl for a few moments. <Her name is Cornerstone. And she was created by Rudy Tabootie recently.>

Skrawl stared down at the creature. “Master Tabootie...made this?”

Thoughtless nodded its head. <Indeed.>

Skrawl had a hard time believing that. This thing didn’t look anything like he imagined that boy would create. Rudy was such a goody two-shoes. Anything he drew would be to help people with. What purpose did he have with drawing this? Cornerstone did not look friendly or cuddly and she was equipped with dangerous, sharp natural weapons. She looked like she was ready to tear someone apart. Hardly something he could see Rudy doing.

Another thing that confused him, now that he thought of it, why was Cornerstone afraid of Rudy? If he was her creator, wouldn’t she know that he wouldn’t harm her? Zoners typically had some inkling of what their creators were like. He was the only exception as he technically had many. But Cornerstone only had one creator far as he could tell. If that is the case, then she should know that...

His thoughts trailed off as a realization started to make itself known. He was aware that a creator could give any kind of mindset to whatever zoner they wanted, and how much power they have when it comes to creating something. The impossible would become possible with just a few strokes of the chalk. Could it be possible that...? He clenched his teeth tightly.

“That sneaky little brat...!” Skrawl hissed as he clutched his fists together, straightening them towards the ground. “This zoner is a trap!”

Thoughtless whipped its head over and stared at him. <You think so?>

Skrawl glared down at Cornerstone, curling his lip up into a snarl. “It’s so obvious! Rudy must have gotten her to think that she was abused so that she would hate him and... Oh I bet they were hoping that she would lead them to our hideout or something!” He seethed, clenching his teeth.

Thoughtless stared at him for a few seconds before glancing down at Cornerstone. It lifted up a foot and began to scratch the side of its head. <Hmm... You don’t say...>

Skrawl growled, “Well I’m not going to let them! Step aside. I’m going to take care of this problem before it gets out of hand...”

Skrawl moved towards the snake-like zoner. She was still trapped in the vines. Good. That would make the next task fairly easy, or so he hoped. He just needed to get a good shot at the neck, which was partially exposed. Slice through a thick blood vessel and voi la. The problem would be taken care of.

But when he got a little closer, he noticed the memotrice stepping into his path. This was not something he had expected. He stared down at the zoner, blinking a few times. He then tried moving over to another side, only to have the memotrice move again, keeping position in front of his path. Skrawl growled softly at this, growing more and more frustrated as the memotrice kept getting in his way.

“Step aside!” Skrawl barked. “You might be one of the most feared zoners around here...” He pointed a long, sharp claw in the memotrice’s direction. “But you are still one of my underlings! You will do as I say!”

But still Thoughtless didn’t move. It remained here, staring at him with an unblinking expression. Skrawl soon lowered his head, his eyes widening a little. But soon anger took him over and he let out a low, rumbling growl. What was Thoughtless thinking it was doing?

<Pardon me, but I don’t think you see the potential here.> Thoughtless said as it placed a foot against the snake zoner. <We shouldn’t throw away this opportunity.>

“Opportunity for what?” Skrawl raised his hands up into the air. “For Rudy and Penny to track us down?!”

Thoughtless was quiet for a few moments and then it gave its answer. <Precisely.>

Skrawl widened his eyes and his mouth dropped open in shock. Just...what was Thoughtless thinking? Where was he going with this? “Pardon...?”

Thoughtless gave a small, squawking chuckle. <If they wish to be led by this thing... I know how we can help...>

Skrawl blinked a few times. And then, slowly, Thoughtless’s words finally got through to him. Unable to stop himself, his mouth began to tick upwards into a broad, dark smile. He was liking where this was going. He took a few steps closer, his eyes focused on this clever beast. “Tell me more.”

sss

The man watched in horror as the two policemen grabbed onto his son’s arms. They didn’t hold him too tightly nor did they try to drag him off anywhere. But the sight of it was still uncomfortable, especially considering what this was going to lead up to. He turned back to the head officer with a pleading expression.

“Please...there has to be some other way. This...this can’t...” He attempted to plead.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bullnerd. But we just got a call recently from Mrs. Tabootie. She is certain that your son was responsible for what happened.” The officer said. His voice was sympathetic, though his expression a little hard. “We just want to detain your son for questioning. That is all.”

Mr. Bullnerd wasn’t about to give up. He looked at his son, noting his pleading expression, then he looked back at the officers. “Please.. Officer O’Larry... You have to listen to me. My son is innocent! There’s a madman going around...”

Officer O’Larry raised his hand up to stop him. “I understand how you must feel, Mr. Bullnerd. I don’t like this anymore than you. But...” He adjusted his pants, keeping his hands on his hips, as he looked over at where Reggie was. The child, large for his size, was staring at him with wide eyes. “...if your son is innocent, then we will have a good idea for sure after the questioning. We will not arrest him if that’s what you’re worried about.” The pudgy man stared back at Mr. Bullnerd. “Just let us do our jobs and this will go over a lot more smoothly.”

Mr. Bullnerd wasn’t sure what to do. It would be easy for him to just give into the police officer’s commands and let his son be interrogated. It might be the smoothest road, and if Reggie really was innocent, he was certain that he could prove it during the questioning. Officer O’Larry did know his son pretty well, after all, and he would know what answers make sense and what don’t.

But...

There was still a chance that it won’t work. Still a chance that his son could end up in big trouble. Still a chance that it was all going to go downhill.

It all depended on what Reggie ended up saying, and how the other officers took this. He recognized one of the officers as..what was his name... Keb? Whoever was the one that found Rudy and Penny. He had met his guy before and he knows how strict he is. He might drill Reggie so much that he ends up saying something that was either not true or worded in such a way that would guarantee him being suspected as guilty. Then the whole process would become much more complicated than it needed to be.

He had a strong urgency to just grab his son and flee, and then speak to those children’s parents. He wanted to talk to them directly and try to get them to understand that Reggie couldn’t have been involved with this. But such an action would only get him in trouble. There was punishment to be dealt to those who tried to flee from the law.

He did have one idea. He didn’t know if it would work, though. It might create problems. It could interfere with the questioning in some way. He didn’t know if he should try to do it.

But maybe if he alternated it a little... Then maybe he could...

Yes, it might work.

Mr. Bullnerd took a few steps closer to Officer O’Larry. “Can I ask you something?”

“We’re wasting time, Mr. Bullnerd...” Officer O’Larry started to say.

“Yeah I know. But it won’t be long. I promise.” Mr. Bullnerd told him. “Please... I have something I really need to ask you.”

Officer O’Larry sighed. “Well all right. I don’t normally do this, but...okay.”

“Can we step away from the others for a moment?”

The two men walked away from where Reggie was being held. They didn’t stop until they were on the other side of the long room. Mr. Bullnerd didn’t want the others hearing this. He regarded it as a potentially controversial question, and he would feel most comfortable if he only spoke to Officer O’Larry about it. Perhaps he would understand.

“Is it all right if I come in?” Mr. Bullnerd asked.

Officer O’Larry looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “You know you’re not allowed... I’m not sure how other police stations do it, but you know our rule. A friend or parent can’t be allowed in or else it might interrupted the interrogation. It might make the interrogated feel comfortable enough to think of suitable lies and...”

“Yes, I know. But..I’d feel better if I could come in. I’m not sure about how you run everything here, but... can you at least think of something?” Mr. Bullnerd looked towards the ground, biting his lip nervously. “I care about my son. I just...want to make sure that he will be all right. I don’t feel comfortable leaving him alone here...” He lifted up his head and stared in his direction. “Please...just..let me come. Please.”

Officer O’Larry narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. “Well, I don’t like doing this, but I suppose you can come.” Mr. Bullnerd smiled at this. Before he could say a word, Officer O’Larry pointed a finger in his direction. “But...you need to stay in the backroom with me. We are going to watch from behind a one-way mirror. You are to remain quiet and not say a word during the entire thing. Even when my boys get a little rough, you cannot interfere.” He leaned his head towards the man. “Do I make myself clear?”

Mr. Bullnerd stared at him for a few moments, and then, slowly, he nodded his head. “Yes. I understand.”

“Good.” Officer O’Larry turned around and headed towards the other police officers. “All right, boys!” He gestured with his head. “Bring him to the back!”

“Dad...!” Reggie cried as he was being forcibly guided down one of the hallways.

Mr. Bullnerd gave his son a reassuring smile. “It will be okay, son. I promise.”

Soon, Reggie and the two police officers disappeared down the hallway. Mr. Bullnerd turned his attention to Officer O’Larry. He watched as the man wordlessly began to go down the same hallway. He looked over his shoulder and motioned with his hand for him to follow. Mr. Bullnerd did so, and he kept following the man as he led them towards the room had described before. It didn’t take them too long before they made a turn and they entered a small room.

Mr. Bullnerd made himself comfortable on the chair provided for him. Officer O’Larry took the other remaining one after he shut the door. They looked over at the long mirror which allowed them to see into a small, white room where Reggie was being guided into. He was made to sit down in one of the chairs as the two men took position on a couple chairs in front of him.

Then the interrogation began.

sss

“But mom.. I swear, he didn’t do anything to us.” Rudy told his mother. “I just fell out of a tree and...”

“Don’t try to lie to me, Rudy.” Mrs. Tabootie glared down at her son. “I know you are scared. You can admit to that. But please, don’t lie.”

“But I’m not...! I...”

“Now, now son.” Mr. Tabootie placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Everything is all right now. Don’t worry about Reggie. He won’t hurt you again. I promise that.”

“He didn’t do anything!”

Mrs. Tabootie couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh. She didn’t know why her son kept lying about what happened. She didn’t know why he kept trying to convince them that he fell out of a tree. She and her husband both knew better, as did Mrs. Sanchez. Rudy didn’t have to worry about Reggie coming back for him. That little brat had been apprehended and was going to get what he deserved.

But even with this reassurance, Rudy still continued to lie. He was trying to convince her and the others that they merely ‘fell out of a tree’. Such a thing was nonsense, as Mrs. Sanchez had explained over the phone. The details just don’t add up. Especially Rudy’s side wound. A couple of punctures that couldn’t have been formed from falling out of a tree. They were consistant with bite marks, she noted, and it was possible that Reggie decided to bite Rudy. After all, he did make those two children bite him and Penny.

Well she was certain that it was probably just the result of Rudy still thinking that he was in some sort of danger. He needed a little time to recover from what happened. That is understandable, after what he had been through. She decided not to further argue with him and just continue to offer her condolences. Over time, Rudy would come to realize what happened and he would be grateful for what she and the others did for him.

Mrs. Tabootie wrapped her arms around Rudy and pulled him close. “Everything is going to be okay... You’ll see...”

As she held onto her confused and shaken son, she glanced over at her husband, locking eyes with him. The two of them both shared a silent message with one another. Neither of them had ever thought something like this would happen, but they would be determined to make sure that it didn’t happen again. There was no way Reggie would ever be able to get to their son again.

They would make sure of that.

sss

When Rudy was finally able to see Penny, he immediately told her what had taken place. The look in her eyes was exactly what he had expected her to give. Well not exactly; she looked even more shocked than he had predicted.

He rested on her bad, his legs crossed. He had his head pointed downwards, his mind going a million miles per hour. He had a hard time lifting up his head to look at Penny. He was in such a state of shock that he found it difficult to move at all. His mind kept replaying what happened over and over as he struggled to make sense of it all. He couldn’t help but continuously ask himself various questions. The most notable ones that he kept repeating over and over again were questions about how and why this had happened.

This isn’t what he wanted. He never wanted to get Reggie in trouble. He never wanted to see him get sent to the police station, especially for something he didn’t do. He couldn’t believe that his own mother didn’t believe him when he tried to tell her that Reggie wasn’t responsible. She just took at as him being too afraid to speak the truth. He clenched his teeth tightly. Just how was he going to be able to convince her, convince anyone, that Reggie was actually innocent?

“I never thought I would ever say this, but..poor Reggie...” Penny whispered softly. “He didn’t do anything wrong this time, and he still gets punished.”

Rudy flinched at this. “Well it wouldn’t be the only time.”

Painful memories began to resurface in his head as he recalled a few times in the past where Reggie was punished for something he didn’t do. Pulling out Mr. Wilter’s chair, the dumpster situation, that ‘rude drawing’ from a couple years ago.. These were some examples of times when Reggie really didn’t do anything and he still got punished for it. And what did he do? What course of action did he take?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He had allowed for the punishment to take place simply because of karma. He enjoyed seeing Reggie getting punishment because it always felt good when bullies got what they deserved.

But he couldn’t feel any such happiness this time around. He couldn’t look at this situation and feel Reggie deserved it. This wasn’t the same as a detention or getting yelled at by Mr. Wilter. No, this was much worse. He was getting involved with the police. There was no way he could ever feel happy about this.

“We have to do something.” That was Rudy’s only statement.

Penny let out a soft hiss at this. “What do you propose we do? March down there and try to get him out? You know that won’t work.”

“Yeah, I know.” Rudy managed to turn his head enough to stare over at Penny. “But we have to do something, don’t we?”

“Right now, there isn’t much we can do. Our parents what us to stay away from Reggie because they think he will hurt us again somehow.” Penny narrowed her eyes, looking a little annoyed. Most likely because of her mother’s unwillingness to believe their story of falling out of the tree, and jumping to conclusions about what happened. “Besides, we have something a little more urgent to take care of first.”

Neither of them liked the idea of ranking someone above another as more important. It made them feel too judgmental. But in this case, they both knew that this was correct. Trying to help ChalkZone was presently a higher priority. There were many people in danger in that world. They couldn’t just abandon them for the sake of helping one person, even if the idea of leaving said person made them feel awful. They had to first take care of ChalkZone. They could try to clear things up with Reggie later.

They hadn’t been out of ChalkZone for very long, but aready it felt like many days. During their time out, they couldn’t help but keep thinking about the zoners and what might be happening to them. That golden beast that Rudy had drawn.. she was still there. She was still roaming around, doing who knows what. She was not created with any good purpose. The only thing she’d know how to do is attack.

Rudy felt a bitter taste in his mouth at the memory of Cornerstone. He could just imagine her chasing down a few zoners and shaking him in her mouth. She could see her tear apart any zoner that dare get in her path. And itw as all because of him. Why did he have to create such a dangerous zoner? This was a huge mistake.

Well it was too late now. The zoner had been created and he was going to have to live with the consequences of that. At least she couldn’t take so hopefully she wouldn’t be able to spread the word that she was his creation. He wasn’t sure how he could explain this to the other zoners, and he knew full well that if Biclops, in his state, found out, then he would be even harder to convinced that he was a good guy. But him being exposed as Cornerstone’s creator wasn’t the most urgent thing on his mind at the moment.

What was she going to do if Skrawl gains control over her? What was he and the memotrice going to do? What lives were they going to alter and ruin? What happened to Snap? Is he alive and if he is, what is Skrawl doing to him right now?

Rudy could feel his heart clench at the multiple thoughts. He could feel his fingers tingling as he felt the urge to just rush back into ChalkZone, find that evil jellybean, and rescue his friend. But he forced himself to hold still, in spite of a few slight quivers. He couldn’t do something so risky. He might make things worse.

He turned his head towards Penny. She had been thinking this whole time. He could tell from her expression alone. Perhaps... perhaps she had thought of something? He hoped that she did. She was the smart one of the group. He hoped that she figured out a course of action that they could take. Surely she had thought of something that he didn’t think of or...

“I know what you are thinking. And my answer is I’m not entirely sure.” Penny said to him, her eyes filled with sympathy and worry. “We hadn’t been in a situation like this before.” She paused for a few moments, clenching her teeth. “It is tough to figure out where to begin first.”

Rudy felt a little disappointed. But he couldn’t be too mad or upset with Penny. It was true. This was not a situation either of them were used to. It was not going to be easy figuring out how they were going to get out of this. “We could always split up. I go after Skrawl and you go after Cornerstone.” He stopped himself before he continued. “But...that might be what he wants. That leaves the memotrice more open to attack us and...”

“I agree. Normally I’d agree on this, but with that memotrice running around, it is best we stick together.” Penny rubbed her chin thoughtfully. After a few moments, she said, “Well we could start by trying to stop Cornerstone. We have to keep her from getting in the clutches of Skrawl and that memotrice.”

Rudy straightened himself up on the bed. “Yeah... And she does have that tracker in her. We could just draw another machine and we could find her and trap her.” He paused, and held up his hand in gesture. “But..where could we take her? That one jail was...”

“We’ll think of something I’m sure.” Penny cut him off. “Right now, we have to stop her before she hurts anyone else.”

Rudy nodded in agreement, narrowing his eyes. “All right then, let’s get going.”

sss

Rather than going all the way to Rapsheeba’s new place just to fix the machine already drawn, Penny decided it was best that they just create a whole new one. That would save time in trying to find that snake zoner. All they had to worry about was finding a suitable spot to create the machine.

One of Snap’s old homes wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. But it would do. That small zoner was always moving about in ChalkZone, always living somewhere else different. She doubted he would mind too much if they used this track down a dangerous zoner. Yeah, he would understand if they explain the situation to him.

If they get a chance to, that is.

She tried her best not to dwell on the uncomfortable fact that she and Rudy had really no way of knowing if Snap was safe or not. She was still leaning towards him being okay, but there was always that chance that something had happened. Knowing Snap, he might have said something to Skrawl that made him angry and... She tried not not to think about it. Just like Rudy had mentioned before, until they found evidence confirming it, she wouldn’t give up hope that Snap was okay.

She and Rudy worked together to create the new machine. This one was smaller and more compact; it had to be in order to preserve their chalk. Even despite this, with the controls needed for it to work and the screen size needed to use it affectively, they still ended up using quite a bit of their chalk. They both had only one piece left after this. It used to be more, but since Rudy split it up, it cut it down by half for both of them. Once the machine was finished, she and Rudy placed what remained of their chalk in their pockets and looked up at the machine.

It was roughly half the size of the previous machine, standing only about as tall as they were. It had fewer buttons, being more efficient and compact than the last one. It still worked well enough for them to track down the zoner. The screen was certainly large enough to show them as much detail as possible. It was even upgraded to show more than just lines. This had been Rudy’s suggestion, enabling them to be able to figure out more about where the zoner was and figure out a path to get to her as quickly as possible.

Penny hoped that this would work. A part of her wondered if it would even connect to Cornerstone, or if the tracker would even still be in her. She was a smart zoner. She might have figured out about the tracker and clawed it out of her body, regardless of how much pain that would have come with. But there was only one way to be certain. She and Rudy exchanged looks before they looked down at the machine. It was now or never. Penny watched as Rudy leaned forward. He grabbed the lever and pulled. Then they waited.

The screen blipped to life. The cool, blue glow spread across the dimly lit room. They leaned their heads back and watched as images began to pop up on the screen. Contour lines, but in addition, some color and some basic shapes. It wasn’t anything too spectacular. More like something from an old gaming system. But it was still good enough that they could get an idea of what areas of ChalkZone were being represented.

And there, blinking around one of the corners, was a red dot.

Cornerstone.

The sight of this was enough to make them give small smiles. It worked. Their efforts in getting the machine running and locating Cornerstone had worked. They took this moment to smile at one another, giving each other a silent, gratified message. But these smiles soon faded as they turned back to the screen. That was just one part of the problem. They now had the task to figure out the next step.

Rudy took a step closer and looked at the machine. His eyes moved left and right as he took in its details. He reached over with his hand and touched the screen lightly, trailing his fingers downward as his face contorted with determination and thoughtfulness. After a few moments, he turned back to Penny.

“It looks like Cornerstone is deep in the Noodle Forest.” Upon seeing Penny’s expression, he added, “It’s one of those very new locations. Snap told me about it, but we hadn’t yet gotten to visit it.” The mention of Snap caused him to look towards the ground with a somewhat depressed look. He shook it off and said, “It shouldn’t take us too long to get there. We should leave now before she decides to move.”

Penny looked over at the screen at this. She did notice how the creature wasn’t moving. She was just...remaining so still. It seemed quite odd. She recalled how Cornerstone had wriggled and squirmed all around. She had been in so much pain. It was unlikely that she was completely fine at this point. Not with what she had done to her. She fought off the feelings of guilt as she tried to think of why she wasn’t moving. There had to be some sort of explanation. But what could that be?

She would have to think about it while she and Rudy walked there. She often did her best thinking while she was moving, and she knew Rudy was the same way. From the look in his eyes, she could tell that he, too, was questioning why Cornerstone was remaining perfectly still. Something about it just seemed..off. But they couldn’t waste anymore time on the offchance she does move. They could think of what could be going on on the way there, and prepare accordingly.

“Let’s get there quickly.” Penny began to walk towards Rudy. “Before she has a chance to get away.” The two children nodded to each other, and, without another word, they took off.

The journey there was thankfully not interrupted too much. There was the occasional zoner that asked them questions, but for the most part, she and Rudy were left alone. A part of her was worried that this might be due to some lies being spread about them. She tried to relax herself. She shouldn’t get too worked up over this. The zoners were just giving them some space so they could get to their destination faster. They could tell that they were quite busy. Zoners usually knew when to stay out of the way.

As they walked, Penny could feel her mind clearing up a little, allowing her to think better. With the time that they had between here and that Noodle Forest that he mentioned, she took the time to try to think of why Cornerstone wasn’t moving.

Her first thought was that maybe she was hurt worse than it looked. Perhaps she had gone into shock and collapsed. Or maybe she ran into something dangerous and hurt herself more. The thought of it made her heart twist. She never had wanted to cause her that much pain. She just wanted to get her to stop hurting her friend. It wasn’t her fault that she was created this way. But she also couldn’t blame Rudy either; he didn’t know what else they could do try to stop Skrawl.

There was still the less terrifying conclusion that maybe she was just sleeping. She could have gotten tired from all that running around and decided to get to some sleep. She might have went into the Noodle Forest because she thought no one was going to find her there. If that’s the case, she and Rudy would need to be as quiet as they could so they could get over there without waking her up. She didn’t know how well they’d fair if Cornerstone managed to get the jump on them.

There was a third option that came to her head. It was rather uncomfortable for her to think about or even consider. Yet she couldn’t help it. Cornerstone was an intelligent zoner that could make plans. That was a deliberate part of her design. She might be baiting them. Luring them into a location so that she could attack them when they least expected it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get that possibility out of her head or think of anything to reassure herself. The only things he and Rudy could do in that case was keep their guard up to reduce the chances of Cornerstone surprising them.

Up in the distance, she began to see what she believed were the first details of the Noodle Forest. Tall trees with long, noodle-like leaves could be seen. The closer they got, the more of this they could see. The way the branches were bending over made them look kind of like weeping willow trees. And there was more than one type. Some had egg noddles, others ritoni, some macaroni, some shells, and there were different colors. Pale yellow was the most common, but there were also browns, reds, and greens.

As they continued to get closer, more details were revealed. She could see that this forest was quite hilly. More so than any other she recalled being in. In fact, there was few large flat lands that could be seen. Maybe one open field, but other than that, the ground itself rolled up and down, the trees sticking out at the sides, not just straight up. Its very appearance almost defied what she would see in the Real World. Even the lake that she could see from here looked off. A deep red color. The color of sauce. Considering this forest’s nature, this made sense.

She and Rudy soon entered the forest. Going up and down the hills was tricky, especially in areas where there was a sudden drop off. They soon got the hang of it, however, and, taking care to keep themselves balanced, they moved up and down the hills, entering deeper into the Noodle Forest.

Penny turned her head left and right as she and Rudy walked through the forest. It was pretty quiet here. She guessed that due to it being so new, not many animal zoners had come to claim this place yet. A part of her was relieved. That meant they had fewer zoners to worry about. It also meant fewer distractions; it would be much easier hearing Cornerstone in a place like this. Though a small part of her couldn’t help but be worried. She hoped that this wasn’t implying that something was wrong here.

She paused when she came across a small, red creak. The sight of it horrified her at first, thinking that it was blood. She soon relaxed when she realized that it was just the blood red water this forest had. She quietly wished whoever drew this place had picked a different color. Like the normal blue or something.

After a few minutes of walking, they soon came to a small clearing. One of the only ones this place had. It corresponded with what was marked on the map. She looked over at Rudy, giving him a soft glare to indicate that they should approache with caution. He nodded his head and, hunching their backs a little, they proceeded out into the open.

There didn’t seem to be anything here. It was just a small patch of ground. A small field with not much on it aside from grass and the occasional yellow flower. It did seem rather strange that there was nothing here. But they weren’t deterred and soon determined the reason why there didn’t appear to be anything was because Cornerstone must be underneath. She likely dug a hole somewhere and was hiding just beneath the surface. Odd that the map didn’t pick this up, but it wasn’t that advanced really.

“If she’s underneath her, I don’t think digging down will work.” Rudy noted as he looked down at the spot where Cornerstone’s signal was coming from. “We might startle her and, even if she doesn’t attack us, she can use that hole to get out away.”

Penny nodded. “Good point. We may need to go around. Dig underneath her. One of us goes down that way while the other stays up here. That way, she has no where to go.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes softly. “Well nowhere except to one of the sides.”

Penny didn’t think of that. She folded her arms against her chest and tried to think. What would be a good way to ensure that Cornerstone only went in one of two directions? What could stop her from going off to the sides? There was one thing she thought of, but it would be rather risky. “We could try to form a sort of cage around her. Something hard that she can’t bite through.” She wasn’t surprised by Rudy’s response.

“I’m not so sure about that, Penny. That may just get her attention faster.” Rudy let out a sigh. He looked back at the ground. “I think we’re just better off going with the initial idea and hope for the best.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” Penny had to admit that Rudy made another good point. They had to at least give this a try. If they did it correctly, they may very well succeed and avoid the need for more complicated plans.

With nothing more than a nod to each other, the two children approached the spot more closely. They kept their eyes glued to it, watching for any sign of movement. They looked all around, making sure that Cornerstone wasn’t making her move already. They took position on different sides, reducing the chances of the snake zoner getting away. They lifted up their pieces of magic chalk, preparing for a potential fight.

When they got to the middle, they still couldn’t hear or feel anything. No sign of Cornerstone anywhere. It was really confusing. They would have thought that she’d hear them by now. Either she was a deep sleeper, she didn’t care, or she was waiting to make her move. The two children tensed their bodies up as they realized that Cornerstone might attack them at any moment. Slowly, they came in closer, not daring to take their eyes away from the ground. They gritted their teeth tightly, clutching the piece of chalk in their hands. Soon they made it to their assigned positions on either side. With a nod to each other, they looked down, preparing to draw shovels to initate the next part of the plan.

As soon as the chalk was lifted up, they heard a snap down below them. The ground gave a slight rumble. They looked at one another in confusion. Then, seconds later, long, yellow metal bars jetted out of the ground, kicking dirt and grass everywhere. With a few clangs, it ensared them completely, forming a rounded cage with a ring of bars all around them.

They backed up against each other, their backs touching one another, as they looked left and right, their eyes wide in shock. What was going on here? Where did this thing come from? Why was it placed right there? It was almost as if...

“I knew you two would come here sooner or later.”

Penny shuddered at that voice. No...it couldn’t be... They had fears of this, but to hear and see it for themselves... It was too much to bear. Though reluctant, she forced herself to turn her head to see the source of the voice.

She and Rudy watched in stunned silence as Biclops, who had somehow managed to hide himself, walked towards them slowly. He did not carry his usual smile. The smirk on his face was more cold than anything. No welcoming features could be found. He stared down at them as he approached, his eyes blazing with contempt.

“I didn’t think it would be this easy, though. I thought you two were smart.” Biclops shook his head. “Oh well. Maybe I just overestimated you.”

“B-Biclops?!” Rudy stared from the cage they were in, and then up at the large zoner again. “But...but you’re too big to make something like this!”

Penny stared over at Rudy for a few moments, and then she also examined the cage and Biclops’s size. He was right. Biclops’s large, stubby fingers wouldn’t allow him to make such a thing, let along bury it so perfectly under the ground. There was only on way that he could have had this set up. “Who helped you?” Rudy stared at her.

Biclops stopped several feet away, his height making it easy for him to see them in the cage clearly without having to get too close. “I don’t think you have any right to know. You will probably go after them and ‘take care of them’, am I right?”

“What? No!” Rudy cried out. “We’d never...!”

“I don’t believe you.” Biclops hissed through clenched teeth. “I have no reason to believe you...”

The two children watched in fear as the giant, their former friend, walked towards them slowly. Even with light footsteps, the giant’s steps still shook the ground. Rudy and Penny huddled closer together as they watched Biclops draw ever closer to where they are. They had no idea what to expect. What was Biclops going to do to them? Was he going to destroy them or was he going to kick them out of ChalkZone? The look on his face was not very comforting and hinted at something quite terrible.

A part of Penny just wanted to lay down and cry. Not out of fear, but in mourning for the loss of their friend. She couldn’t imagine what it was like for Biclops to be forced to have his memories altered like that. The big guy probably fought really hard to maintain the truth, but he ultimately fell in the end. The idea of his mind being manipulated liek some kind of toy by that memotrice made her blood heat up partially.

Soon Biclops got close to them. He now stood only about five feet away. He was close enough that all he had to do was take one more step forward and he could slam his foot down on the cage. He could crush them and end their lives here and now. Once he did that, ChalkZone would be left completely vulnerable to whatever Skrawl wanted. The thought terrified the two children.

“Now...what should I do with you two?” The children winced at the giant’s taunting voice. “Should I just stomp on you? Or should I do something else? I suppose tearing out your brainstems might be a good way to stop you.”

Penny found her hand going to the back of her neck. She saw Rudy put his hand against the side of his face, his eyes wide in horror. It was clear he was thinking the same thing as her. They were both thinking uncomfortable thoughts about the giant going through with that threat.

“I don’t know. What do you two think? Maybe you two know the best way to deal with you...” Biclops folded his arms against his chest. He gave a small, sly smile to them. “I’m a sport. I’ll let you two decide how you will be dealt with.”

Rudy gave a nervous smile. “Y-You could just let us go...”

Biclops narrowed his eyes at this. “Err... nope.” He shook his head once. “Nice try, Tabootie, but I’m not stupid. I’m not falling for your tricks again. Now...” He leaned himself a little forward, his large eyes boring thorugh them. “Choose...”

Penny knew it was useless, but she gave it a shot anyway. “Please, Biclops. You have to try to remember.” She raised her hands up. “We aren’t the enemy! We are your friends! You have helped us and we helped you! You’ve been our...”

“Lies!” Barked Biclops.

“Please...” Penny whispered softly. She lowered her head, clasping her hands together. “R-Rudy gave you another eye.. Don’t you remember...?”

At this, Biclops did seem to falter a little. There was a tad bit of recognition and confusion in those eyes. Penny felt some hope swelling up in her chest. Maybe Biclops would remember... Maybe he could begin to fight back... This vanished almost as quickly as it began, though, when Biclops shook his head, his eyes almost glowing with hate. He formed a fist with his hand and he slammed it near the cage, causing it to wobble a little and knocked the children to the side.

“Rudy Tabootie didn’t draw me another eye! He stole one of them!”

At this, Rudy and Penny couldn’t help but look at each other in confusion. What was the giant talking about? Rudy never did anything that cost Biclops another eye. He only ever had one before, until Rudy drew a second eye. What was this third eye that Biclops was speaking of?

“Two years ago, when he first came into ChalkZone, his first act was to put out one of my eyes!” Biclops pointed at his face. “It was located above these two!” There didn’t seem to be much room, but that didn’t stop the giant. “I remembered that horrible day, and it’s because of that that I know that Rudy is no good!”

“But...that never happened...” Rudy started to say. He stopped when Biclops growled at him.

“Please, Biclops... Look at your memory information.” Penny wasn’t sure if that was altered or not. She hoped that, since the information was recorded inside of him like a tape player and not just stored in the brain, the memotrice hadn’t been able to change that. “Do you remember, Biclops? If you look at your own internal database, you will find that...”

“Shut up!”

Rudy and Penny each let out a loud scream as Biclops struck the ground again, nearly striking them in the process. This caused them to be flipped onto their backs from the force. They collided with each other, letting out small groans of pain. They helped each other up slowly and turned to look up at the angered zoner, their bodies shaking. How will they convince the giant that he was wrong? That he was mistaken?

“That’s it! I’ve had it! I know exactly what I am going to do with you two!” Biclops raised his hands up, the fingers arching and flexing. “As soon as I get my hands on you two, and when I am doing wiht you two, no one will be able to recognize you.” Rudy and Penny held onto each other and whimpered softly at this. “Not even your...”

Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a bright flash. Rudy and Penny turned their heads away to shield their eyes. A few more bangs and flashes, and they could hear the giant letting out a few cries of pain. The thuds on the ground indicated at he was backing away. The two children could not see this happening, though, neither daring to open their eyes to be assaulted by the bright light.

They soon became aware of some clanging and jiggling. They could hear grunting of some kind, as if there was someone near them that was frustrated about something. Then a small bang of something against metal and a long squeak. They then felt something warm grab onto their hands and start to pull them out.

“Come with me! I don’t know how much longer Biclops can be distracted!”

That voice... Could it be...?

“Snap?!” The two kids cried in unison, their voices filled with shock and elation at seeing their friend alive and well right before them.

Snap didn’t return the smile. His face was etched in worry as he looked over at where Biclops was. “We’ll worry about the reunion later. Let’s just get out of here!”

Snap didn’t need to say anything else. Hearing the giant let out an angered roar behind them, Penny and Rudy exchanged looks. They gave each other a nod before they turned and started to run with Snap.

sss

Skrawl couldn’t help but smile as he watched the camera pan along with Rudy, Penny, and Snap, who kept on running. Just like they had planned. Biclops was chasing after them. But not in any normal way one might expect. To the untrained eye, this looked like any average chase. Blindly trying to catch those trying to run off. But to Skrawl, he could see some subtle differences in the giant’s gate, which matched perfectly to the path that they had agreed upon.

The same thing could be said about Snap. He occassionally looked behind him. Rudy and Penny must think he was making sure Biclops wasn’t too close, but in reality, he was making sure that Biclops was staying a certain distance. At least for a while. It would be time to part soon, but for now, they had to make it look interesting.

He was glad he thought of the idea of sending a single Beanie Boy out there with a camera to record this. It wasn’t something he was going to do often, but for this plan, it was for the best. It wasn’t like Rudy or Penny were looking up towards the sky. They weren’t going to notice a Beanie Boy high above the ground with a video camera taping them. Even if they did see something, the Beanie Boy was too high up for them to recognize what it was. All they could do right now was run.

“This is going quite splendidly.” Skrawl tapped his claw tips together, his mouth twisted upward in a smile. “My brilliant plan is going well.”

Around him, a few of his Beanie Boys had gathered up near him to express their approval. They each gave those almost dopey kind of smiles at the screen as they watched the two children going along the designated path. It wouldn’t be long now before...

<You mean our brilliant plan.>

Skrawl jolted at this sudden interruption. He whipped his head over and he could see Thoughtless coming over towards him. The bird-like zoner moved with a confident, almost arrogant gait, with an expression that fit it all. This caused Skrawl to curl his lip upwards into a snarl. Thoughtless reminded him of that unpleasant Craniac 4 with that statement. A part of him wondered if Thoughtless was going to do show him a series of failed experiments next, just as Craniac 4 had.

Skrawl kept his mouth shut and watched as Thoughtless moved further towards him. It looked over at the screen that he and the Beanie Boys were watching. It walked to the side of the screen. It turned its body in an arch, turning its head in a semi circle so it could look at the screen more closely. It watched what was going on with great curiosity for a few moments before it pulled back.

<I see it is going well...> Thoughtless raised its foot up and began to scratch at its head a little. <I see that those two really do remember instructions quite well.>

“When given the proper motivation...” Skrawl held up his hand in gesture, a half sneer on his face. “...so much is possible.”

Thoughtless nodded. <Indeed it is.> It turned around and walked closer to Skrawl. <About how long do you think before they get here? Do you think they will arrive at our agreed time?>

Skrawl scratched his chin. “Unless Rudy or Penny do something stupid, then we should be fine.” He looked at the screen, taking a few moments to watch as the two children screamed and ran for their lives. He couldn’t help but chuckle at this. “That was a really clever idea you had, by the way.” He looked down at Thoughtless with a sideways glance. “Using Cornerstone to lure them there.”

<I told you it would work.> Thoughtless fluffed up its feathers in pride. <It worked like a charm.>

“I cannot deny that.” Skrawl said. This was one intelligent little chicken...reptile...thing. He wouldn’t admit it too much, though. He wanted to keep most of his pride for himself. Admitting another was as good as he, if not better, was not something that make him feel very comfortable. “Thanks to me,” He paused for a moment, and then added, “..and you, we will have both creators within our grasp.” He rubbed his hands together in an eager manner.

<Hmm perhaps there should be an extension to the plan a little.> Thoughtless mentioned abruptly.

Skrawl stared at it in confusion. “Why? Once they are trapped...”

<What fun is it to just keep them locked up? Why not...toy with them a little?> The memotrice suggested. It brought its wing forward, gesturing to Skrawl. <I can tell you hate them so much. Perhaps we could take advantage of that?>

Skrawl blinked a few times. He then smirked. He had little reason to resist the memotrice’s suggestion. It wasn’t like he had anything he was going to do in the meantime. This whole plan was mostly targeting them anyway. “And what do you suggest?”

The memotrice leaned in his direction, raising an eyebrow in an almost suggestive manner. <Remember what Snap said about driving a wedge between them?>

sss

Rudy’s mind went a million miles per hour. He had a hard time piecing everything together. He found it difficult to fully believe that this was really happening. He had to keep staring ahead, locking his eyes on the blue zoner that was leading them to safety. He kept rubbing his eyes to make sure that he was really, truly there. No matter how many times he tried to clear his vision, it always remained the same.

Snap was here. He was with them. Somehow, he had escaped the clutches of Skrawl and that memotrice. He was safe now. This realization caused his chest to swell in happiness. A part of him just wanted to rush over and give his best friend a big hug.

But he had to refrain from doing so. Containing his excitement wasn’t an easy thing to do, but with the brainwashed Biclops coming their way, it was just too dangerous to engage in too much conversation with either of his friends. He focused his physical effort on getting longer and longer strides, trying to keep himself as far ahead of Biclops as he could. He looked behind him, seeing how dangerously close the giant was getting. The sight of this caused his gut to wrench. He wished there was a way to get Biclops to remember. If only they could figure out something...

His mind turned back to Snap, his pupils focusing on the blue boy. He could feel questions arise inside of him.

How did his friend get away? What did Skrawl and the memotrice do to him? How did Snap know they were here? How did he get here? How did he get that injury on his eye? How frightened was he when he was locked away from them for a while?

As soon as they were able to rest, he would ask him those questions. He would sit Snap down and get him to talk of what happened. He wanted to be there for him when he recounted the horrible things that must have happened to him. He didn’t seem too upset right now, but at the moment, the zoner’s mind was focused on running. As soon as he relaxed, as soon as the realization of what happened came over him, Rudy wanted to be there to comfort him and tell him it was all right. He knew Penny felt the same way.

The trio continued to run as fast as they could. Biclops kept shouting behind them. They winced as they heard him pound against the ground, shaking it. Some of the things he called out to them made their blood freeze and hearts clench. In this state, he was hardly recognizable. It was hard for any of them to believe that this was the same Biclops who had been their ally before. Just what did that memotrice do to his memory? What sort of things did he have him believe?

Rudy could feel his chest lighting on fire. He wasn’t sure how much more of this running he could take. He couldn’t remember how far they had traveled. He wasn’t even aware of how far into the Noodle Forest they were. All he was aware about was the giant was still chasing them and the only thing that was keeping him from catching them were this hills. The way they moved up and down, it caused them all to exert more pressure, and they could feel it in their legs. Heavy panting filled the air, and mouths were getting dry.

Soon it began to hurt to breathe. Rudy found his hand clutching his throat. He needed a glass of water. He cursed himself for not bringing any food or water with him. He thought he wasn’t going to need any, but he had been incorrect. Oh what a fool he had been...

“I’m going to crush you!”

No time to dwell on that, though. Biclops hadn’t worn out too much yet. This realization made Rudy wince. He recalled Snap stating that Biclops sometimes goes out jogging. Which means that the giant may be in better shape than them. That combined with a wider stride meant that, unless something happened up ahead, they could very well get captured.

Rudy thought of using the magic chalk against Biclops. Such a thing would never have crossed his mind before. The only time he had ever used it in the past was to prevent Biclops, then Cyclops, from hurting him or Snap; he never used it to outright attack him. Well, now seemed to be the perfect time to use it again. Perhaps draw something that would slow down Biclops. But what could he...

“Draw a banana!” Penny cried.

Rudy looked over at her. How did she know what he was thinking? He didn’t dwell on it too much, though, and he looked behind him. Biclops was getting even closer. Though he hated the idea of potentially causing injury, he knew that he had no choice. Raising his chalk, he quickly began to sketch out a large banana and quickly fled as soon as he was finished.

As he and his friends got further away, he could hear Biclops let out a scream as he slipped on the banana peel and fell down. The loud thud could be heard for miles, Rudy was certain, and he could feel the ground shake underneath his feet. He felt his heart clench and he hoped that Biclops was going to be okay. He dare not look behind him, though, instead keeing his eyes on Snap as the small zoner continued to lead them away.

He didn’t know how much longer they ran. He wasn’t aware of where they were. If they had exited the Noodle Forest and went elsewhere, he wasn’t aware of it. All he could do was focus on Snap and keep running, Penny not far away from him. He tried his best to ignore the burning sensation in his chest. He didn’t want to stop. Not until they put as much distance as possible between him and that brainwashed giant.

Finally, after even more running, after nearly passing out from the pain in his chest from the running, Rudy, along with his two friends, came to a stop at a slanted hill. They stood at the edge of it, their hands on their thighs, their bodies parallel to the ground, panting heavily. They looked at each other, expressions of relief washing over their faces. It took a few moments, but soon they all began to catch their breath. When they did, they took a moment to look out at the landscape below them.

Rudy didn’t recognize this place. Looking behind him, he could tell they were on the edge of the Noodle Forest. They were standing beside one of the noodle trees, which appeared a little smaller than the ones deeper in the forest. Down below them, there weren’t any trees, but instead some tall grass and bushes. The bushes themselves were quite large and colorful, and some of them were shaped kind of, almost like trees. This land seemed to stretch on for a while, and, as he lifted up his head to look at the horizon, he could see the beginnings of another forest.

No, jungle. It was the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. The sight of this made Rudy smile. At last, they were getting closer to familiar territory. Once they got there, they could make their way back to ChalkZone City.

After he and his friends moved down the slant carefully, trying their best not to trip and fall, Rudy looked over at Snap. He could see a slightly jaded look in his friend’s eye. It was a bit of a surprise to see, but considering what happened to him, he couldn’t really blame his friend. Since they were now out of danger, now was a good time to begin asking him some questions.

“Hey Snap...” Rudy said in a gentle, caring voice. Snap looked at him with one eye. “How are you?”

Snap shrugged his shoulders. “Eh, I’m doing alright.”

Penny moved a little closer to him, her eyes filled with concern. “What did Skrawl do to you?”

Snap looked at her for a few moments. He didn’t answer right away. Rudy guessed he was trying to think of how to put the answer into words. It didn’t take Snap too long. “Oh they treated me quite well.”

This answer came as a shock to Rudy and Penny until they realized the sarcasm nature of their friend. This answer was tinged with a bit of bitterness, and they realized that Skrawl and the memotrice must have been awful to their friend. The injuries plain to see on his body, especially the one going over his eye, were enough physical evidence. But to have Snap confirm it..that was a different story.

Rudy took moment to stare at Snap’s eye injury. The sight of it made him flinch, clenching his teeth. He could just imagine Skrawl slashing him, or even the memotrice. He guessed that he got these injuries after he was captured from the Chalk Mine. That may also how part of his clothes had been torn, leaving behind the pieces back in the tunnels. Rudy tried not to let his anger get the better of him. Sooner or later, Skrawl and the memotrice would be brought to justice.

For now, he wanted to focus on helping his friend get home. He was certain that Snap wanted a nice place to stay where he could relax and recover mentally from what was done to him. What better way than to go back to familiar territory? His home? It shouldn’t take too long to get there, or so he hoped.

As they began to move along the tall grass, Rudy made his way closer to where Snap was. He could hear footsteps behind him and he could tell Penny was following him. He soon got close enough to reach out and touch Snap. He was a little surprised by the jolt Snap gave, but it was probably just out of surprise. He quickly withdrew his hand and whispered an apology. Snap stopped and looked at him.

“Did you want to ask me something?” Snap inquired, his eyes looking at him with curiosity. “You look like you have something else you want to say.”

Rudy paused for a moment. There was indeed something he wanted to ask, but for some reason, it slipped out of his mind. He wasn’t sure why he had forgotten. He normally wasn’t this bad with questions. But no matter how hard he fought mentally, he couldn’t get that question to come back.

Penny, however, seemed to have something of her own she wanted to ask. “Snap, how did you get away?”

Yes, that’s exactly what Rudy wanted to ask.

Snap stared up at the two. He then looked down, turning his gaze away. “It....wasn’t easy. They kept me locked up in a cage. Couldn’t go anywhere. I was hardly fed or given anything to drink. And they kept trying to drill me for information. They wanted to hurt you and they wanted me to help do that.”

Rudy and Penny stared down at their friend sympathetically. They reached out with their hand and touched his shoulders reassuringly. Snap gave them a grateful smile, but even with this attempted comfort, all he could do was keep his gaze to the ground. He was trying his best to look brave, but it was clear that he was more shaken up than he looked.

“I..I was starting to lose hope. A part of me wondered if I should just give in..” Snap’s voice trailed off. Upon seeing their expressions, he quickly added, “But I never did. I fought against them. I refused to hurt you. After all, you two are my best friends.”

The smile he gave was a little shaky and off, but considering what he had been through, this made sense. Rudy and Penny smiled the best they could at him. Although both of them felt anger for what was done to their friend, they were glad to see that he was okay now. They moved in a little closer to him and pulled him into a group hug. They remained like this for a few moments before they parted.

Although they didn’t want to cut this short, they all knew they had to start getting out of here. There was no telling if Biclops was going to come after them again. And there was the case of Skrawl and the memotrice. What if they came after them, too? With Snap gone, they might be coming to try to reclaim him and milk him for more information. They had to get away, to somewhere the memotrice was unaware of. It wouldn’t guarantee that it won’t find them, but it would at least buy them some time.

They continued on their way, venturing through the tall grass. The tall blades occasionally got in their way, making them have to swat them so they could move through. Even then, some green blades still managed to hit them in their faces and other times even get in their mouths when they weren’t careful. The bushes were a little easier to handle, although their needle sharp leaves irriated their skin. They tried to walk around them with some good distance, but the tall grass disguised much of them, and they would sometimes nearly run into a tall bush.

Rudy looked left and right, keeping an eye on everything here. He felt nervous for being here. He had no idea when or where someone might strike. This place, it was perfect cover for an ambush. If someone decided to strike now, they could all be in danger. The thought of it caused his blood to chill.

He continued moving foward, though, just like his friends. There was no time to just sit around and worry about what might happen. The most important thing was getting out of here as soon as possible. So long as they kept going straight, they should be able to make it to the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. It woul be safer there; they’d know the landscape much better. They would be able to take advantage of some of the shortcuts that they knew there and they could keep ahead of their pursuers.

A few more minutes later, Rudy could see Snap heading towards one of the bushes. He noticed that there was an opening in it. Snap was motioning for them to follow him there.

“Let’s rest here for a bit.” The blue zoner said.

Rudy and Penny did not argue. Their legs still felt a little weak and their lungs hadn’t yet truly recovered from all the running. They needed to sit down and rest for a while. The spot Snap chose was perfect. With the grass in front and enough room on the inside, they could hide from their pursuers for a while as they regained their bearings.

Rudy and Penny sat next to each other while Snap sat on the other side, his legs crossed. He looked over at them with a sympathetic and worried expression, which the two humans returned. They glanced over at the entrance, their minds racing as they kept an eye out for potential ambushers.

For the next few minutes, Rudy and the others relaxed. They didn’t speak anything or anything. They just enjoyed the cool calmness of this place. So much better than being chased around like they were vermin. This place was just so peaceful. If they hadn’t been chased, if they weren’t hiding, they could have sworn that they were on vacation or something. Rudy couldn’t help but smile a little. He wouldn’t mind resting here for a long while. After all this was over, he had plans on coming back here. He’d have to make note of it.

However, their resting was short-lived. Without warning, Snap raised his head up, looking left and right as if he were trying to find something. Rudy and Penny could see the urgency in his eyes, and any sense of peace they had quickly melted away as their stomachs twisted with worry.

“What is it?” Penny whispered softly. She reached her hand out towards him. “Snap..?”

“Did you guys hear that?” Snap whispered softly as he looked back at them with wide eyes. “It sounded like a snake...”

At this, the kids’ eyes bulged in horror. They glanced at one another, their minds racing. There was only one thing they could think of. Although there were many snakes in ChalkZone, they both couldn’t help but wonder if it was Cornerstone. Had she found them?

“I’m going to go check it out.” Said Snap.

“Wait..Snap!” Rudy called out. But he was too late. Snap had already left the safety of the bush. He lowered his hand and gritted his teeth as he watched the entrance with wide eyes. “I wish he would have listened..”

“You know how Snap is.” Penny sighed with worry.

“I’m going after him.” Rudy started to get up. Penny grabbed him and pulled him back down. “Penny...”

“Rudy, just stay down. Snap will be fine, I’m sure.” From the tone of her voice, it didn’t seem as though Penny fully believed her words. “We will be able to hear anything that happens. You know Skrawl and Cornerstone aren’t exactly stealthy.”

“And the memotrice?”

Penny wasn’t able to answer that.

Rudy didn’t have time to argue with Penny when he suddenly heard a loud hiss. He lifted his head up in a jolt, looking left and right. That hiss, it must have been the same one that Snap had heard. Penny was looking around as well, her eyes darting to try to find the source of the sound. The hiss remained prolonged, a fact that began to confuse them more than it terrified them. What was going on?

Rudy started to feel a little strange. He felt a slight headache began to spread through his head. No, not a headache. A tiredness. A heaviness that weighed down on his eyes and head, making him tilt forward without meaning to. Well he had been running for a while. Perhaps he was more exhausted than he had previously thought.

He struggled to keep his eyes open. He reminded himself that he had to remain awake, just in case something happened. Yet, despite his efforts to fight, the heaviness just grew and he could feel his eyes starting to burn. He blinked a few times, each time, getting longer and slower. Each time it got progressively harder to reopen his eyes. They wanted to remain shut, concealing light away from him, keeping him in the shadows.

Rudy felt himself losing the fight, but for some reason, it didn’t fill him with any sense of terror. Instead, only relaxation. His eyes remained droopy and he was not able to open them up any further, a fact that did not scare him. His vision started to blur. He could see Penny starting to slump down against the wall, and he followed suit. He pressed his shoulder against the wall and let out a yawn. He momentarily thought of Snap, but simply shrugged it off. Snap would be fine. It was just so peaceful here. So...peaceful...

Rudy closed his eyes and allowed the warm, comforting darkness to encroach all around him.

sss

Mr. Bullnerd kept his hands on the wheel tightly, his foot on the pedal, going faster than normal. He kept his eyes on the road, both of them narrowed into slits. He did not pay any attention to the honking horns or the people shouting at him. He had a particular destination he needed to get to.

“Uh..dad...? Can you please slow down...?”

Reggie was in the passenger seat next to him. The seatbelt kept him firmly in place. The man did not spare the boy a glance as he kept his eyes on the road. But even with his face turned away, he could tell that the boy had a worried expression on his face. Indeed, his driving right now must be frightening him. But in the moment, the man didn’t care.

He was not pleased with how Reggie had been treated at the police station. The fact that he was let go due to lack of confirming evidence was not much comfort to him. There was no doubt that they would keep looking, perhaps even going to his house to try to confirm it. This fact heated his blood up to a boil. He couldn’t get why they didn’t understand that his son was innocent. How could he be in two places at once?

Well he was going to do something about that here and now. He kept his eyes focused on the road, kept up the speed he was going on, ignoring the complaints. If they want to arrest him later, then so be it. Right now, the most important thing on his mind was defending his son against wrong scrutiny. He would see to it that this misunderstanding was cleared up.

He soon came to his destination. He came up to the sidewalk and he parked nearly on top of the concrete platform. He slammed the door shut and he began to walk over to the house. He turned his head and told his son to stay in the car, and then he proceeded to walk towards the house. With each step closer, he could feel his blood heating up more and more. By the time he reached the door, his teeth were clenched and his fists clutched tightly. It otok a lot of mental will for him to relax enough to knock on the door. He took a step back and waited.

It didn’t take too long for the door to open up. He was immediately greeted with the sight of a large woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. He knew this woman all too well.

“Hello, Millie...” Mr. Bullnerd spoke, his voice barely containing his anger. “We need to talk.”

sss

<You performed very well.> Thoughtless stated. <Quite admirably.>

Snap nodded his head slowly. He didn’t reply and instead kept his eyes on Rudy and Penny. The two children had been successfully captured and were presently locked up in a cage. Their magic chalk had been taken away so they wouldn’t be a threat any longer. Even with that security measure, however, there were still some concerns that they would escape. But at least, for now, they were helpless and trapped.

The memotrice watched Snap’s expression. It could see the look of grim satisfaction on his face. It was intermixed with some level of disappointment. The zoner was likely upset that he wasn’t able to gave a good blow at them. That wasn’t part of the plan, though; he was only to lead them, which he did very well. The memotrice couldn’t help but feel impressed by this. Even Skrawl, who seemedl ike he was hard one to please, was quite happy with the results. Their plan had been foolproof and the two children weren’t able to realize what was going on, even at the very end. How delightful.

The memotrice soon stood next to Snap. Its long neck bent down and it peered down at the short, blue zoner. Its bright brown eyes flickered with interest as the zoner placed his hands against the glass that separated them from the creators. The memotrice truned its head and looked down at the cage below them, staring at the two humans.

It was almost hard to believe that these were the two humans Skrawl was so worked up about. These were the two that had foiled him time and again. These were the thorns in his sides. These two. Small children who were, what, ten, that somehow got the better of Skrawl. While it would never admit this outloud, this did seem pretty pathetic. Just how was it possible that Skrawl, who claimed to be so smart, and even in his mind, it saw quite a lot of intelligence, could lose to these two? Oh if only it could peer into their minds...

But it could not. Thoughtless had already tried to do that. These children were out of its grasp. But perhaps that could be a good thing. It allowed it to try to figure out other types of plans. It didn’t need to rely solely on its mind manipulation powers. There were other ways of getting what it wanted. It had already discussed to Skrawl about what they should do when their ‘guests’ arrive, but perhaps now would be a good time to bring it up with Snap.

It could just use its knowledge of the zoner’s mind as is, what it recalled, but it didn’t want to be too suspicious. It took a step closer to the zoner and stared at him with curiosity gleaming in those eyes. <Did you say that they turned on each other before?>

“If by that, you mean they fought, then yes.” Snap sounded slightly irritable. “I thought I told you that already.”

<Yes, my apologies.> Thoughtless moved around the zoner in a tight circle. <I was just wondering if you had any suggestions on how we can go about this.> Thoughtless looked down at the cage. <They will be awake soon. Perhaps we could take this time to....toy with them a little.>

Snap’s frown stretched into a smile. “I like the sound of that.”

<I knew you would.> Thoughtless gave a small smirk. <Now...look down there and tell me what you think would be best.>

Snap did as he was told and he looked down at where Rudy and Penny were being held. The two children were still unconscious, but it would only be a matter of time before they wake up. If they were going to make a move, it would have to be very soon.

Thoughtless did and said nothing as it watched Snap stare at the children, his mind’s gears clearly turning. It watched in curiosity as Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully, making facial expressions that indicated deep of thought. Even as the minutes began to pass, Thoughtless still refused to interfere. It was certain that, given enough time, Snap would be able to think of something. It just needed to be patient.

And it paid off.

Snap looked up at him with a twisted smile. “I think I know something.”

<Oh? Do tell.>

Snap leaned his head in forward a little. “Do you have another cage?” Thoughtless nodded. “Get one of them out and place them in that cage and separate them.”

<What is the point of that? Except to break their spirits.> Thoughtless scratched the side of its head. <How will that make them turn on each other?>

“Well, you can manipulate memories, right?” Snap inquired, motioning with his hand.

<Yes, but not humans. I told you that.> Thoughtless wasn’t sure how Snap could have forgotten. It had told him this not too long after Rudy and Penny first arrived. <Did you forget?>

“Well no.” Snap said.

The memotrice tilted its head to one side. <Then how will it help?>

Snap gave it a grin. “You and I might know that you can’t change memories of humans...” He motioned to himself and the memotrice as he said this before making a broad motion to where Rudy and Penny were. “But they don’t.”

Seeing where Snap was getting at, the memotrice gave a small smile. <Oh I get what you’re saying...>

sss

The first thing Rudy became aware of was fear. Raw terror clutching at his chest. He was on his feet as soon as his senses were regained. He looked left and right, seeing nothing but metal bars all around him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he tried to make sense of where he was.

Instinctively, he reached into his pocket to try to draw his way out of here. But the magic chalk, it was gone... He fumbled around in his pocket, whispering ‘no’ over and over again, not wanting to believe that he was defenseless. But no matter how hard he looked, no matter how hard he fumbled around in his pocket, there was nothing. The magic chalk he had really was gone.

He tried to keep himself calm. He tried to relax and think clearly about how he was going to get out of here. But his efforts were in vain. He was not able to stop his heart from racing and he couldn’t help but look back and forth constantly, trying to find a way out only to find nothing. There wasn’t even a door here. He had no idea how he had been placed in the cage, but he couldn’t try to make sense of that. His racing mind focused on trying to locate a way out of here, despite how hopeless his efforts were.

He was in some kind of large, dome-shaped room. It was mostly dark save for some light rings that went upwards along the dome above him, arching up as if tracing along the sides. He looked all around him and saw there was only one hallway not too far from him. It was mostly dark, but he was certain he saw some faint light.

Wait, the light was getting a little brighter. He watched, his eyes squinting, trying to make out the figure. Someone was getting closer. Someone tall, large, bulbeous...

It was Skrawl.

Rudy narrowed his eyes into slights, his teeth bared. Of course. He should have known that this jellybean was involved. All of this, it had been his doing. Skrawl must have ambushed him and his friends and trapped them here. And as Skrawl entered the light, exposing his face, the expression alone was enough of a guilty admission to make Rudy clutch the bars of the cage and shake them.

“What have you done?!”

Skrawl didn’t answer. He didn’t even react to his outburst. He just approached him calmly and slowly, eyeing him up and down. “I am glad that you are finally awake, Master Tabootie.” He motioned his hand towards him. “I was hoping that you would be up by now. If you weren’t, I’m sure I could have thought of a way to get you to open up your eyes.” His smile grew twisted. “Though they would not have been so much fun for you.”

Rudy hissed through his clenched teeth. “What did you do to my friends?!”

“Friends...? Oh yes, well they are fine.” Skrawl paced in front of the cage, his arm folded behind his back. “You need not worry about them. However, if I were you, I would think very carefully.”

“Right now, I’m thinking about stopping you.” Rudy narrowed his eyes.

Skrawl leaned his head back and he let out a laugh. Rudy flinched at this. He had never heard Skrawl laugh like this, especially for so long. Soon Skrawl stopped and he looked down at Rudy with a sideways glance. “Well yes. But what I mean is... how did you think you ended up here...?”

“You ambushed us.” Rudy growled softly. “Don’t try to confuse me, Skrawl. I remember what happened.”

“And so quickly too! I’m so impressed!” It was hard to tell if Skrawl was being sarcastic or not. Either way, his tone of voice irritated Rudy and he couldn’t help but let out a low growl. Skrawl just smiled at this, looking amused by his expression. “Well you are a bright child. I’m sure you can figure it out on your own.”

Those words sounded so stilted and insincere. Rudy growled at them, showing Skrawl in a nonverbal way that he didn’t believe what he was saying. Skrawl just chuckled at this, making Rudy feel his blood heat up even more, almost to a boiling point. He formed a fist with his hand and he pounded it against the cage. “Let me out, Skrawl!”

“Oh in due time I’m sure...” Skrawl motioned a few times with his hand. “It would be a shame if my nemesis were kept in a cage the whole time. Not much fun after a while.” Rudy just glared at him. “Of course, this does give us a chance to answer a question that I’ve been rather curious about myself.”

Although Rudy didn’t want to ask, his mouth responded before he could stop it. “What could you possibly want to know?”

Skrawl gave him a look. “Which one of you two humans is the true Great Creator...?”

Rudy widened his eyes in confusion. He then narrowed them. “I don’t know where you’re getting at, Skrawl, but...”

“Oh it’s just a simple question... Nothing more than that. If you want to think I’m up to something asking it... well...” Skrawl shrugged his shoulders. “That’s all up to you. I am just wondering which of you is the most deserving of that title.” Skrawl motioned towards him. “Oh I’m sure you’ll win. But... Penny is quite clever herself...”

“Knock it off, Skrawl..” Rudy hissed.

Skrawl chortled softly. “Do I detect jealously?”

“Shut up!” Rudy had no idea where Skrawl was getting at or what he was thinking, but he was not going to let him manipulate him like that. “It doesn’t matter which one of us you think deserves to be the Great Creator! We have more important things to worry about than that!”

“Touchy, touchy.” Skrawl shook his head. “Okay, whatever you say. I have some important work to take care of.” Skrawl gave him a nice, long sneer before he turned around and began to walk away. “Have fun in your cell, Tabootie. Don’t worry. You won’t be alone for too long...”

Rudy just glared at the large zoner as he walked away, disappearing out of sight. He clenched his teeth and growled. How dare Skrawl say those things... How dare he try to turn him against Penny like that... He couldn’t believe that Skrawl would try such a thing. He had already attempted to drive them apart before and it didn’t work. What made him think that it would work this time?

He pushed aside his anger as worry and fear came over him. He rested on the ground, his legs crossed, as he looked left and right. He couldn’t help but feel his heart clench as a question moved through his mind.

Where were his friends?

Chapter 15:




The first thing Rudy became aware of when he hit the ground was sheering pain in his leg. His limb had been bent in an odd way. It did not break, but the stres of the impact on it this way was enough to tear something inside. The pain radiated around his knee, stretching up into his thigh. A pain that, no matter how hard he tried to ignore, it would not go away.

The next thing that came to his mind was the smell of this place. It was pretty danky and disgusting. Rusted metal and rot and who knows what else lingered in the air, assaulting his nostrils. He looked left and right. The light of this place seemed to fit the smells quite well. It was quite dark and difficult to see too much outside of the spotlight that he was in. He looked up towards where he had fallen, shocked that he was still awake.

And that’s when another thought entered his mind. It caused his stomach to twist and churn in horror.

Snap had betrayed him.

Rudy felt a sharp jolt of pain in his chest. He clutched it tightly as he struggled to come terms with what had happened up there. He tried to find some kind of excuse for why Snap did that, a way to make him believe that it wasn’t really Snap at all. But absolutely nothing really added up, except... except that Snap really had turned on him. The thought caused his blood to freeze.

He couldn’t understand it. Why? Why would Snap do something like this? Why would he hurt him? Why would he turn against himl ike that? He had never done anything like that before. He...he was his best friend...wasn’t he...?

Rudy shut his eyes tightly, allowing the hot tears to pool out of his face. He remained on the ground, huddling himself together in a tight ball, and he started to cry. All the emotions that swirled in his head, fast and confusing, were released in the tears, staining his cheeks a deep red. He took in several shuddering throughs, loud sniffles filling the air, his body shaking harder as time passed. He soon found himself falling to his side, feeling the cold ground against his body, which almost seemed to embrace him, complimenting the feelings he was having right now.

The sting of betrayal... It hurt so bad. He always knew that being betrayed would hurt. He was just never prepared for just how badly. He trusted Snap. He and Penny trusted him. They had so much fun with him. All those adventures and the laughter... Did they really mean nothing to the zoner? Had Snap been using them this whole time? Had he only pretended to be concerned so that he could get the jump on them? Had it all been fake?

For a while, these thoughts were dominant in the boy’s head. As he laid there and cried, he cursed himself for actually trusting Snap. He cursed himself for coming to this place. He should have just ignored him. He should have erased the portal. He should have stayed out of ChalkZone. Then he wouldn’t be in this mess. To think, he could be spending some time on the playground or in his backyard and playing with Penny. They could have been testing out some of her projects and doing all sorts of other things. What things those were, he wasn’t sure yet. But he was certain that they could have come up with something.

But then a jolt of electricity shot through his body. Something jolted in his mind as he yanked his head up, his eyes wide and staring out at nothing. His mouth slowly opened up, a wave of realization slowly, no, rapidly rising up, filling the inside of him with its feeling.

His mind flashed back to what he had seen on that live feedback. He and his friends were already certain that the memotrice had taken a part, that it had been the one to pin Snap down. But there was an outcome that neither of them would have believed. They thought that Snap would have been useless to the memotrice, but they had forgotten to consider one important factor: Snap was their best friend. The one zoner with the closest connection.

That memotrice... It was the one responsible for what had happened. It was the reason that Snap was like this. It had pinned Snap down and...

A burning sensation swelled up inside of him. He found his teeth grinding against each other, the bony structures nearly crushing under all that pressure. He pushed his trembling body off the ground, swaying himself from side to side as he regained his footing. He stumbled forward, his hand reaching out for a cold, wet pipe to hold onto. Though it sickened him to touch it, he did nothing to remove his hand. His burning anger was enough to make him forget all of that, his mind focused on the realization of what happened.

Snap had been brainwashed by that memotrice. That....that foul creature did....something to him. Changed something in his memories to turn him against them. He had no idea what it could be. There were too many memories to choose from. Or maybe it could even create whole new memories to throw off the zoner with. Whatever had happened, the end result was the same. Snap hated him and for reasons that never even happened.

That did not lessen the pain of what happened too much. Even if they all got this fixed, even if they fixed everything, he would still end up having to live with happened. He would still see that horrid face in his mind. He would still feel uncertainty when Snap was nearby, his mind constantly flashing back to this horrific event. It was going to take a long time to recover mentally from this, he knew. And that was with just him. He couldn’t begin to imagine how Snap will feel once he’s out of the spell, once he fully realizes what he did. The pain associated with knowing that you tried to kill your best friend.... Snap was going to know that pain well, and there was nothing he could do to prevent that.

Rudy couldn’t keep dwelling on this matter. Even though it hurt him, caused him to get a headache, made him want to punch the walls until they broke, he knew there was nothing he could do at the moment. Trapped down here, wherever this place was, he was helpless to do anything. He needed to push back his negative thoughts as much as possible and focus on getting himself out of here. If he remained trapped down here, then he wouldn’t able to warn Penny in time of Snap’s...condition. He had to get there before it was too late.

The first thing he needed figure out was which way to go. He turned his head from one side to the other, scanning the area. With so little light, he wasn’t able to discern too much around here. He hardly moved from the spotlight that he was in. And looking up, he could tell there was no way to simply climb up out of here. He could see no pipes here that had openings, no matter how rusted they were. There were also too many paths to take. He could see at least three ways the pipes were going other than just up. Without any proper illumination, every step would be a gambit.

He then noticed a few large rocks laying about, possibly left there during construction. They looked pretty thick and heavy. He looked from them, to the rusted pipes, and back again. He had to wonder...

He wasn’t sure if it was going to work. But he had to at least try. He grabbed onto the rock and lifted it up in his hand. He examined it carefully, noting its strange heaviness in spite of it looking a bit thin. He stared at it for a few moments before turning his attention to the pipe. Without another hesitation, he narrowed his eyes determinedly and walked over towards the pipe. Once he got into position, he raised up the rock and he struck down.

sss

Mr. Tabootie sat in the chair, one of his legs crossed over the other. His eyes, narrowed and practically glowing with anger, were pointed towards the table. He had the newspaper laying before him, but though he was looking right at it, he could hardly read what was on there, as if his eyes were preventing it. His finger was pressed against the paper, moving back and forth. He had done this so much that the paper had torn a little.

He looked over at where the door was. He couldn’t see it from this angle, but he could tell that it was there from the shadow that was being casted out. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he stared at it, clenching his teeth tightly. Even though it’s been at least an hour how since it happened, he could still hear those words echo in his head.

“You’re behind this, aren’t you?”

“Why did you do it? Tell me! Why!”

“My boy is innocent!”

“I swear this isn’t the end, Tabootie! I’ll expose the truth, one way or another!”

Mr. Tabootie shook the thoughts out of his head. Their stinging and burning still penetrated him, and he struggled not to think about it. He knew that, no matter how hard he tried, there was no way he was going to be able to forget those words, nor could he stop the churning anger from rising up inside of his chest.

He had never seen Mr. Bullnerd that angry before. He was usually a calm, placant man. The opposite of Reggie, from what Rudy said of him. It was almost a shock to him that he really was that boy’s father. Sure he wasn’t too mad at first, but even right from when he first walked in, he could tell that something was wrong. The words he chose, his tone of voice, all of it led him to realizing that things were going to escalate soon.

And they did.

Mr. Tabootie couldn’t even remember how it had happened, but seemingly out of nowhere, it appeared that the man was starting to think that he and his wife and Mrs. Sanchez were involved with what happened to Rudy and Penny. The very idea appalled them, but they were in too much shock to really stop the man from going on his rant. He believed that his son was innocent, and was confused by what had happened, and somehow, he got it in his head that they were responsible. That they had hurt their own children.

The thought was sickening. He had no idea how this man got that idea. He couldn’t help but feel something snap inside of him in the moment, and he had slapped Mr. Bullnerd across the face. He hadn’t meant to, and he immediately regretted it. He knew this was going to bite him back somehow, but he still couldn’t bring himself to apologize. He was just as disappointed in Mr. Bullnerd as he was shocked at him. He had trusted this man before and they were on good terms, for the most part. Now that seemed to have broken under the weight of confusion and suspicion. He couldn’t help but wonder if it could be ever mended.

That wasn’t the only thing troubling him, nor was it the most pressing matter on his mind. He remembered how the man told them it wasn’t the end. He wasn’t sure how serious his words were, but he knew that it was best not to dismiss them. He was a town counsel member after all, and he very well had some power to do....something. Although he wasn’t sure just what he would do, that didn’t stop the fear from growing inside of him.

He was tempted to call the man and try to talk to him. But in his current state, trying to reason with the man would be hopeless. If Mr. Bullnerd was that angry, then it was best to wait a little before he attempted to talk to him. But how long would he have before he tried something? He couldn’t be sure.

He turned his head and he could see his wife doing the dishes. She hadn’t spoken a word since Mr. Bullnerd had left. Her movements weren’t as fluid as they usually were. They seemed almost...robotic. Uncertain. Like she was forcing herself through this. It was clear that she was more affected by what happened than she initially led on. Mr. Tabootie wanted to say something to her, but he kept his mouth shut. What could he say admist all of this?

For now, there was nothing they could do. Well nothing except prepare themselves mentally for what was to come. Surely, sooner or later, there would be a huge uproar over what happened. They might have more people accusing them of hurting their son. They might end up getting hauled away by the police. They might be scrutinized, hated, blamed for something they didn’t do. Even the words of their children might not be taken into account because the people might think they threatened them into silence.

But he knew one thing. No matter what happened, he and his wife would stick together. They will figure out a way to clear their names and get Mr. Bullnerd to see that they weren’t blaming their son as a way of hiding their own guilt. They would never hurt their little boy. It was not something they would ever fathom.

Well...there was that slap...

Mr. Tabootie shook it out of his head. That had been in the head of the moment. And Rudy did forgive him for what happened. He had to stop worrying about it so much. What good would worrying about something like that, something that he already apologized for and could never change, do him anyway?

But in place of that worry came another. He thought back to what the man had told them before regarding Reggie. Mr. Tabootie, his wife, and Mrs. Sanchez were all convinced that Reggie had attacked their son again. But the information that Mr. Bullnerd had given them gave him pause. What if they had been wrong? What if it really wasn’t Reggie at all? If he really was at home the whole time, or at the community service thing, whatever, then...

...then who had hurt their children?

The realization that he didn’t know filled him with dread.

“I wonder how Rudy is doing.”

The man turned his head to see that his wife had spoken. She hadn’t turned to look at him, her face still down at the sink, doing the dishes. “I’m sure he’s fine. He’s probably playing with Penny right now. It will be all right.”

“I’m sure you’re right, dear. I just can’t...” Mrs. Tabootie paused for a moment. “I can’t just shake off this feeling that something might happen soon.”

Mr. Tabootie looked at her sympathetically. “I know. It’s been a rough few days for both of us.” He clenched his teeth tightly. His mind wandered a bit as he remembered what had happened recently. “But I’m sure it will be all right.” He finally said. “Rudy’s playtime with Penny will probably do him some good. Get his mind off of what happened.”

Mrs. Tabootie didn’t seem comforted. “Then he will be dragged into the confusion. It’s only a matter of time before Mr. Bullnerd makes his move and...”

“Millie, please...try not to worry about him. I’m sure Mr. Bullnerd won’t do anything rash.” Mr. Tabootie tried to comfort his wife the best he could. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but feared that skin contact would make her striked out against him, with how nervous she seemed. “Besides, even if he does do something, I don’t think he would want to drag Rudy in, if he really thinks we....put him through stuff.”

“Did we really jump to conclusions with Reggie?”

Mr. Tabootie snapped his head up at this question. He stared over at his wife for a few seconds, his mouth open in silence. He struggled to find the right words to say. For some reason, for the next few moments, he couldn’t seem to bring himself to say anything. His wife noticed the silence and took it as an answer. She let out a soft sight. The sound of it was enough to wrench the man’s heart.

“I... I wish we had tried...something.” Mrs. Tabootie finally spoke. Her voice was soft and quiet. “Maybe there was something else that we had missed. Maybe we really weren’t paying enough attention. Maybe...”

“Millie... Please stop.”

Mrs. Tabootie set the dishes down. The clang that was heard ached in the man’s ears, but he did not try to cover them. He remained still as he watched the woman turn her head to look over at him. He could see the glistening in her eyes. The sight of this immediately made him soften up and he leaned himself back. Although he hadn’t yelled at his wife, he somehow thought that maybe he had taken a step too far.

Regardless, he held his ground. He wanted his wife to see that there was no point in beating herself up over this. What was done was done. They could sit here and blame themselves all day for jumping to conclusions about Reggie, or they could try to get to the bottom of what really happened.

“There is someone out there, Millie. Someone who had hurt our boy and Penny. It wasn’t Reggie, but you cannot blame yourself or me for thinking that he was. He did hurt them before. We had a reason.” Mr. Tabootie got up from his seat. He ignored the screech of the chair legs against the hard ground as he made his way towards his wife. “But now that we know that he isn’t responsible, we need to figure out just how was. Someone out there has hurt these two and we need to figure out who it was.”

Mrs. Tabootie stared in silence for a few moments. She turned her head away, her pupils staring at the floor beside her. “I know that, Joe. But...” She tightly clenched her teeth, a harsh puff of air moving between them in exasperation. “But how are we going to find out who did it? We have no leads.”

Mr. Tabootie knew that his wife was correct. They didn’t really know anyone else who would hurt Rudy. Neither of them could think of a soul that had it out for their son, or Penny. No one that seemed to fit the bill, who would be crazy enough to even try. Without any knowledge of a suspect, it was going to be much harder figuring out what happened. The consequences of what might happen if they didn’t figure out...something, made him feel cold.

The man’s eyes widened suddenly. A flash bolted in the back of his mind as a series of memories returned to him. There was something that he had forgotten about. There was someone who might have something to do with what happened. He hadn’t thought of that man since the day of their encounter, but even after all this time, his dark feelings towards him hadn’t lessened all that much.

Dr. Von Doktor.

He remembered how obsessed that man had been in interrogating their son to learn about perpetual motion. That man was absolutely crazy, as some of the other scientists could attest to. He had shown anger towards both Rudy and Penny. Perhaps... perhaps he was the one responsible for this.

But it was all just mere speculation. He had no proof of it whatsoever. That man might be nuts, but he also seemed like the type that didn’t want to draw negative attention to himself. Considering how the other scientists laughed at his supposed discovery of perpetual motion, and the news articles that came after, it did seem unlikely that Dr. Von Doktor would risk coming after the children and garner even more negative publicity.

Still, who else did they know who would have it out for these two children? He was the perfect suspect. He had a reason to hate both of them, and he had shown he was quite nutty. Perhaps even nutty enough to capture the children or try to hurt them. He did already take them from their home to his laboratory. It seemed within reasonable deduction that he just might take such another risk to get what he wanted.

That settled it. Mr. Tabootie knew what they were going to do. As his wife looked at him in confusion at his change in demeanor, the man turned his head over and he glared off into the distance, unseeing anything, just drawing a blank in his visual field. But his mind was moving along rapidly as if it were on some kind of steroid.

They needed to speak to Dr. Von Doktor themselves.

sss

“Ah so you took care of him?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Exactly where we marked?”

“Exactly.”

Skrawl couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face as he smirked down at Snap. The small zoner had arrived a short time ago to present the wonderful news to him. He felt a sense of pride for his little prodigy. He was learning quite fast. And he had commanded the Beanie Boys well. Even without words, they followed him exactly, enabling them to spring the trap on the unsuspecting little boy.

There is still more to be done. They weren’t yet done with the chalk boy. But they were going in steps in the right direction. It was only a matter of time before all the pieces were set in their proper places. If Rudy thought that this stung so much, if he thought this was the worst of it, he was in for a nasty surprise later on. Oh the fun they were going to have with them. Oh so much fun...

“What should I do now?”

Skrawl stared down at the little zoner, who was looking up at him expectantly. “Nothing...for now.”

Snap looked disappointed by this answer. “Oh come on... There has to be something I could do!” He stared at Skrawl with wide eyes that almost seemed to glimmer. “I never felt so good in my life! That can’t possibly be it!”

“You know very well that it isn’t.” Skrawl interrupted him before he could speak another word. “But you and I both know that we need to right for the right moment.” Skrawl turned his head away, his arm folded up behind his back. “It will take a while before Rudy is able to leave the pipe system. If he does what I think he will, and I’m always right...” He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at this comment. “...then he is going to take the pipe that will lead him up not too far away from Penny. But even this route will take him a while.”

Snap grumbled softly. “I know... But still.. I have to do...something! I...” He looked left and right as he tried to figure out what he was going to say. The frustration just leaked all over his face. “I can’t just sit here while Penny is all nice and cozy in her cage!”

Skrawl gave a small nod, an attempt of showing Snap that he understood. “I know, Snap. She is not feeling the pain that you were, and I’m sure that Master Tabootie, inspite of the fall, only felt a fraction of what you did.” He held up his clawed hand in gesture. He watched as Snap lowered his frown, seeing his eyes narrow. “I assure you, however, they both will get what they deserve. After this is over, they will both be wishing for death.”

Snap was silent, allowing this information to sink in. Skrawl watched as the zoner softened up his facial features a tad. He lifted up his head and looked back at him. The glare was still on his face, but weakened. The spark that was in those eyes before was gone. Then something else came. A small twisted smile, a glint in the eyes, a hidden desire. The sight of this smile made even Skrawl feel a little unnerved. Those eyes seemed to almost sparkle and glow with intent, and Skrawl had a feeling that if they were set upon Rudy or Penny, they would practically be lit on fire. It almost made him feel sorry for them.

Keyword: Almost.

Skrawl managed to tear his gaze away from the zoner and he proceeded to walk away from him a little. He didn’t go anywhere in particular, didn’t look at anything in specific. He just stood there, his arm still folded behind his back, as he tried to think of what they could do in the meantime.

He felt a small, tingly sensation in his head and hands and even his chest. He identified it as frustration. He was getting frustrated at all the waiting himself. He hid it well from the others, or so he hoped, but he was feeling the burn of just not knowing what to do. He had just told Snap to wait, but that didn’t mean that he should be without something to do. He wanted to pass the time somehow. At least until that small alarm he had set up would go off. That wouldn’t be for a while. So...what to do in the meantime?

He thought about talking to Thoughtless again, but he opted not to. He wasn’t really interested in a conversation with it at the moment. It wasn’t like it was going to tell him anything different. There was no more need to modify the plan. All they had to do was stick with it and everything was going to be fine.

But... for some reason, he felt..compelled to seek out that memotrice again. To go it and talk to it. He wasn’t sure what it was. He didn’t know just what was drawing him to the creature. There was really no reason why this should be happening, no reason for him to want to go back and speak to the memotrice. Yet he couldn’t help but feel a strong wanting to go find Thoughtless and talk to it. It was a strange sensation that he had never felt before. Just what was this feeling that was making him want to do it? Was it...companionship?

No, it couldn’t be. He didn’t feel this way about Snap, and yet Snap was following his every command while the memotrice usually kept to itself. Why would the memotrice hold such a stronger feeling of him than Snap? Oh he felt pride for Snap and happiness of having a use out of him, and excitement at how well he was able to carry about the plans. But something felt different about the memotrice. Something that he could not fully place. It couldn’t be companionship. No. It was...something else. Something that he could not identify.

He tried to fight against this strange feeling. He tried to remain where he was, remaining in this room with Snap, or at the very least, trying to find some place to be alone and rest. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t keep his gaze from turning up in the direction that he knew the memotrice’s room was at. He tried to fight it for as long as he could, but nothing could stop his body from starting to walk in that direction. He couldn’t stop himself. He had to go. Now.

“Skrawl?” Snap asked, surprise by this sudden leave. “Where are you going?”

Surpisingly, Skrawl was able to stop himself from walking further. He remained frozen there for a few moments, his eyes wide in confusion and uncertainty. Just what had caused him to begin walking like that? He was under no spell and yet he still walked despite wanting to stay here. He shook his head a few times, trying to get that strange feeling off of him.

“Oh, nowhere, really. I was just...stretching my legs.” Skrawl told him quickly. Not the best kind of lie, but he hoped that it would get Snap off his back.

Snap looked up at him with uncertainty, raising an eyebrow. He didn’t look entirely convinced, but soon he nodded his head slowly. “I see... Yeah my legs are a little stiff, too.” It was hard to tell if the zoner was being serious or if he was saying it as a way of comforting him, showing him that he wasn’t alone. “Perhaps we could play a game?”

At this, the jellybean forced his head to look down. “A game? I haven’t reall played too many of those.”

“I can see that.” Snap folded his arms against his chest. “You take things a little too seriously sometimes. You should loosen up a little more.”

The idea sounded preposterous. Him? Loosen up? Waste his time playing childish games? Please, the only games that he would ever want to play are those which had to deal with messing with lives. He enjoyed the idea of watching Rudy and Penny suffer underneath his claws. He was growing a little impatient and it was too tempting to go up to Penny and rip out her stomach and throat. The only thing preventing him is that new plan he and the memotrice devised, the one that would prolong their pain and suffering for their enjoyment. Breaking their spirits and shattering their hope was more satisfying than just simply doing them in.

He was shocked that Snap would even think about games, well games in that sense, at a time like this. He would have thought that the zoner had lost all sense of innocense with the new memories that had been given to him. Yet there he stood, his smile, now softer than before looking up at him, his invitation still open to play. It came as quite a shock to the jellybean that Snap could even want to play a game, or even suggest it to him.

He was tempted to reject the invite. He had no intention on wasting his time with something so stupid and useless as that. He would rather spend his time planning and..

But what was there to plan? At the moment, there was really nothing. It would take Rudy a while to get to his appointed destination and there was no way Penny could ever escape. And even if she did, the Beanie Boys could restrain her very easily. Binding her arms behind her back was a good idea if she tried something like that. And while there was a chance that Rudy might end up going the wrong way and end up in the wrong part of the hideout, Skrawl had a backup plan for that, too. He wouldn’t want to have anything done to Penny, so if he threatened her, he could lead him right into a trap. Rudy was such a goody two-shoes. Even if there was more benefit in fleeing, he would never turn his back on his friends.

It would be so much fun turning that around against him. He would love to see the look in his eyes, the emotional hurt aching from those visual orbs of his, as his own friendship with Penny was used to tear him apart. Even after they succeed in flipping them on one another, he knew that there would still be some sense of loyalty to the other. Loyalty that could be exploited and used to his advantage.

As his mind turned back to the small zoner below him, he gave a soft sigh. He realized that, since there was nothing to plan, and he did need a distraction from finding himself walking back towards the memotrice, as he did not want the memotrice to find him creepy, he decided that perhaps it was a good idea to take Snap’s advice. After all, if he sat here playing some sort of silly game with him, it would keep him distracted. He would be focused on winning the game rather than on the memotrice. And it would help the time move by a lot faster.

Sure, why not? He had nothing to lose really. Well other than a bit of his pride, but all that would be brought back when the plan resumed in a while. It wasn’t like anyone was going to see him do this and even if they did, would they really be less afraid of him? He would think not.

“All right then.” Skrawl said as he moved over towards the small zoner. He sat down on the ground, his two limbs crossing over one another. “What did you have in mind?”

Snap folded one arm while his hand rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his gaze turned the side, frowning. His eyes almost seemed to sparkle when an idea struck him. “I know! We could play Chinese Chalkers!”

Skrawl stared him blankly for a few seconds. “What?”

“Chinese Chalkers.” Snap said again, motioning his hand in his direction. “Rudy and Penny used to play it with me before they...” His eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched. “...before they betrayed me..” He shook the memory out of his head and continued, “It’s a really fun game actually! I know you wouldn’t have all the right pieces here, but we could improvise!” He looked left and right. “Now what to use...”

Skrawl remained silent as he watched Snap walk all around the room, grabbing some various stuff to play the game with. He wasn’t entirely sure of what to make of this. He had never heard of Chinese Chalkers before and a part of him wondered if he even wanted to. It sounded like such a stupid game. He almost worried about what the Beanie Boys would say to him if they caught him playing something like this.

After a few minutes of watching Snap gathering some stuff, coming over, walking away to grab more stuff, Skrawl soon found himself presented with a makeshift board, some colorful balls of various sizes, and broken pieces of pencil, both with graphite endings to write with, paired up with green-colored paper. He blinked a few times as he looked from him and then to Snap. The full realization of what was happening weighed down on him and he looked back at the board.

Yep, this was stupid all right.

But he didn’t back down. A part of him felt like this was almost a challenge. A test of his intellect. He never backed down from one of those. He felt like he had to prove something to someone. He wasn’t sure why. He just had this strange urge.

He lifted up his pencil, clutching it tightly in his long claws. He looked from it and then to Snap. After a few moments, he said, “Okay...what do we do?”

Snap moved himself forward, never taking his eyes off of the game before him. There was some kind of look in his eyes. A longing and familiarity, but also a spark of painful nostalgia, as if he was remembering how he played this game with Rudy and Penny, only for them to betray him. Or specifically, before Thoughtless had screwed up with his memory and made him think differently.

But despite that, Snap seemed willing to move on. Such a trait was almost..admirable, Skrawl had to admit. He shrugged the thought aside, disgusted that he thought such a thing. Yet he couldn’t help it. While Snap’s rejection was fake, all in his head, somehow it still made him feel almost...connected to him. A sick feeling but strong, one he could not shake off. He felt as if he shared something with the small zoner now. Someone whom he could relate to in some way.

The blue zoner leaned himself forward, his arm reaching out towards one of the pieces. He grabbed onto it with his rounded hand tightly. He tilted his head up and looked over at Skrawl. Making sure he was looking, he sais, “This is how you play...”

Skrawl sat in silence as he watched Snap move the piece, all the while explaining how to do it. He nodded his head in understanding as the words flowed out. After Snap was done, the zoner let go of the piece and leaned back. He looked up at Skrawl for a few seconds before he began to speak again.

“Do you understand?”

Skrawl nodded his head once. “It seems fairly simple.”

Snap smiled at this. “Okay then, let’s begin!” He moved the piece back so he could get started for real. A playful smile spread across his face. “I bet I will win.”

Skrawl widened his eyes at this. He then let out a low growl. “No way!” He raised a fist in the air. “You are no match for my intellect!”

“Heheheh... perhaps. But you’re a noobie at this, Skrawl.” Snap said a with a smirk, placing a hand against his chest in a prideful manner. “Are you sure you can take on a champion?”

Growling, Skrawl leaned in, staring at Snap right in the eyes. “I’ll show you!”

Snap smirked at him playfully. “Bring it on!”

sss

Where was it? It should be in here somewhere. It knew that he had flipped by it awhile ago. Darn this old book and its stickiness and faded words. So difficult to properly navigate. Nonetheless, it kept at it, pushing against the papers quickly, flipping them over vigorously as it struggled to find that one page.

Ah yes, here it was. It had almost passed it again. Such luck that it was able to find this page again. It looked down at the paper intently, its bright brown eyes looking over the words. Such odd words. They’d appear like scribbles to anyone else. But to it, they were as clear as day, their meanings and implications practically jumping off the page. It remained settled on the ground, pressing its body against the floor, as it peered down at the words underneath its gaze.

It could practically hear these words in its head. It had read them before, practically memorizing them. It was these words that kept it going, what helped it never wafer its position. It was the one thing that gave it a sense of hope.

‘To those who want it, you must dare to seek it. But to dare to seek it, you must first want it. Hidden inside these walls lies something you want. But you must first understand the meaning. Search around and seek forth something you don’t want, and only then will you find it.’

A strange series of sentences. They baffled the memotrice at first. It took it a while studying this while at Skrawl’s hideout to finally understand what it was talking about. It was hard to say if its guess was even remotely correct or not. It could be wrong. But..no, it had to be right on this. It just had to. There was nothing else it thought it could be.

Thoughtless stared at the series of sentences for a few moments, its toe claws pressing against the paper to keep it open. The longer it stared at it, the more it started to sense something. A sense of belonging...no not that. Something else. Similar but... longing. Yes, that’s what it was. This sentence was calling out to it in a way. Guiding it towards something. It could not ignore this call. It would need to do something about it soon.

But first, it had to wait. It was not yet time to make its move. It still had something else to take care of first. There were those human creators after all. They needed to be dealt with properly, and given the plan it had, that would take some time. It had needed a bit more time to read this book, which was why it suggested some of these things to Skrawl. To give it more time to figure things out.

Speaking of Skrawl... Thoughtless turned its head and peered down the hallway. The jellybean hadn’t shown up like it had expected he would. It wondered if something was wrong. It thought of getting up and finding him. But...no, it best not. It would leave the jellybean be. It had a feeling that the jellybean would eventually come.

It turned its beak back down towards the page. It was then it noticed the last sentence on the page. It didn’t know how it had missed this before. It had read this page many times, and yet it didn’t recall this last part near the bottom. It stared at it for few moments, narrowing its eyes and its pupils shrinking a little as it read what it said.

‘To those who dare try, something unpleasant will await. Be careful of what you seek and be wary of that goal. Underneath you may be a void, unrelenting and swirling. Beware the icy cold that will seep in through the cracks and through the invisible walls. They may bring you down, all for the sake of wanting the flame.’

Thoughtless pulled its head back, its beak managing to curve upwards a little despite having no lips. Its first thought was to comment on how ridiculous that statement was. It wanted to shake its head from side to side and just shut the book. But it couldn’t bring itself to do something like that. No, it was just a stupid sentence. Not everything here was meant to be taken literally. It could simply ignore that and move on.

Besides, it had other things to keep its mind on right now. It lifted its body up off the ground, leaving behind the book. It walked forward, its piercing brown eyes staring out towards the door. It turned its head away and headed back towards the bookshelf. It stopped in front and it raised its foot up, moving its claws along the bottom row. It stopped when it came across one book in particular. It grabbed it and it pulled it out.

The memotrice lifted the book up with its foot, perfectly balancing on its remaining leg as it stared at the book’s title. It read ‘Geomites: Secrets Of The Colored Stones’. A small smile spread across its beak. Yes, this is what it was looking for. It placed the book down on the ground, opened up to one of the pages, and it began to read.

As it did so, it kept lifting up its head and looking around for any sign of Skrawl. The jellybean still hadn’t shown up like he always did, almost on schedule. But it did not bother it too much. It knew that Skrawl would come to it at some point.

He always did.

Chapter 17:




Rudy grunted as he grabbed on the ledge. He pulled himself up, mustering as much strength as he could. He let out a few grunts through his efforts, his feet slipping on the pipe’s backside as he tried to get on it. It took a lot of effort, but he soon managed to pull it off. Above him, he could see another pipe. He clenched his teeth tightly as he realized this was going to require a jump. He stood up, wobbling a little as he nearly fell. He moved his arms, hands clenched tightly, back and forth as his legs bent. Then with as much power as he could push through his legs, he jumped, his hands stretching out for the pipe.

He managed to grab onto it, but his face slammed against the pipe. He pulled his head back and, holding himself up with one arm, he used his other hand to rub his face a little. He was surprised there was no blood coming out of his nostrils. He had hit against the pipe pretty hard. He quickly shrugged it off as he turned his attention back to climbing.

After some more effort, grunting, slipping, wriggling, the boy managed to climb up this next pipe. He took in a few breaths as he stared down at how far he’s climbed up. Down below, he could practically see darkness all the way down, and all those pipes that he climbed. It was a dizzying thing to see and he nearly collapsed against the pipe in exhaustion.

He hadn’t been able to open up the rusted pipe like he thought he would. No matter how hard he hit it, it just wouldn’t budge. It was as if the rust itself was made of hard stone. He didn’t waste too much time trying to open it up, knowing that he’d just waste his time. So instead, he focused on climbing up the pipes. They seemed sturdy enough for him, and he has climbed up things before. This should be a piece of cake.

Or at least, so he thought. As he climbed up, he did run into some trouble. Falling nearly happened a few times, and he had some trouble getting a grippage. It was a constant struggle getting up, and looking down was problematic, too. He had to turn his head away to avoid getting a dizzy sensation and falling over.

At least he was getting near his target now. He wasn’t going to where Snap shot him. He didn’t want to risk it. He had no idea if his brainwashed friend was waiting for him, ready to shoot again. No, he needed to go elsewhere, and thankfully, on his way up, he did notice something shiny. As he got closer, he realized it was some kind of barred opening to a shaft. He guessed that the pipe had been removed. He turned out to be partially correct when he saw the torn pipe there. He winced at the jagged edges, but at least they were a bit far so he could squeeze in without getting himself hurt.

He made his way over. He just needed to climb over a few more pipes. At least he didn’t have to climb up too much, and soon he would get out of this dank, horrible smell. He had gotten used to it, but every so often, he’d get a whiff of something and he would be reminded of where he was.

Soon all he needed to do was cross a small bridge of thin pipes pressed closely together. He took in a deep breath and he carefully set his foot down. As soon as he determined it was fine, he put his full weight on it and he began to walk over. These pipes were not too slippery, although he could feel some slight wobbling. They were clearly weaker than the other pipes and he made sure to move himself quickly towards the pipe on the other side. As soon as he reached it, he grabbed on just behind the jagged edges and pulled himself over so he was sitting on it, legs splayed at his sides, as if he were riding a horse.

He then began to slip himself to the other side, stepping on a very thin pipe just behind him. He used this pipe as leverage and he began to make his way over, nice and easy and slow. He stared at his intended destination just before him, licking his lips in determination. Soon his hands began to feel the ragged, razor edges and he winced as he nearly pricked his finger. Knowing that he had little space behind him and had little leverage, for the remainder of the time, which thankfully was short, he had to balance himself on the pipe, holding his arms outward and carefully inched his way to the left.

It took a while, and he nearly fell backwards once on his way over, but he did eventually make it over. He bent his legs and jumped over, landing on the small platform that was here, likely left there by whoever had ripped off this pipe. He wasn’t sure how much sense it made, but he didn’t care. He just took a moment to appreciate that his ground was a wooden platform and not slippery, rusted metal pipes. He ignored the slight wobbling as he turned his attention to the ventilation lid. He grabbed onto the ledge around it, ignoring the cobwebs and slipperiness, and peered inside.

He couldn’t see too much. He could see there were some faded lights and moving shadows. He thought he would see details of something square-ish and barry, if that is the right term for it. And shadow, he could tell there was someone moving in there. Small, very vertical in shape. He pressed himself closer, trying to see through the thin spaces between the bars. It took a while, but he eventually saw enough information to identify who it was.

“Penny...?” Rudy whispered softly. He didn’t know how, but he had reached the holding chamber of his best friend. His heart racing in excitement, he made his move.

He grabbed onto the metal edges and he yanked them as hard as he could. He let out a groan and grunt as he struggled to get it open. He soon exhaled loudly and leaned himself forward when it wouldn’t budge. He took in a few breaths, then he grabbed again and tried once more. He yanked back as hard as he could, and soon he could feel the screeching of it coming loose. Soon it was broken free from where it was originally and he held it in his hands. He stared at it for a few moments before he tossed it away and began to crawl through.

It seemed that his noise-making had attracted Penny’s attention. She was standing in front of the ventilation opening a few feet away. He could tell by the way her legs shook and were hunched that she thought someone dangerous was coming through. He worked his way through the narrow opening as quickly as he could, hoping to get through before Penny had a chance to take any drastic actions.

“Who is there?!” Penny demanded.

“Penny! Wait!” Rudy cried when he saw Penny hold up what looked like a long pole. “It’s me! Rudy!”

Penny immediately lowered the weapon and her voice went from tense and guarded to shock and welcoming. “Rudy...?” She immediately came closer, dropping down onto her knees and looking in. Upon seeing him, her eyes immediately lit up. “Rudy!” She crawled closer and said, “Here, I’ll help you!”

Rudy reached his arms out towards her. Not an easy task in this narrow space. He could feel Penny grab onto his arms and held on tightly. She then started to pull him back as hard as she could. Rudy wriggled his body forward to try to assist her. He pushed his legs out from behind him, his feet scraping against the ground, trying to move forward as quickly as he could. It took a while, especially with how tightly the walls seemed to hug him, but with one hard pull, Penny yanked Rudy out. The boy let out a cry as he hit against the ground, but soon he was back on his feet.

After brushing himself off, Rudy turned his attention to Penny. He looked at her up and down, making sure she was all right. He was relieved to see that she didn’t appear to be hurt worse than she already was. But he could see the fear and worry in her eyes. He wasn’t sure if it was only for him, but a part of him told him that there was a lot more to it than him. It made him wonder if Skrawl or the memotrice had bothered Penny and what they had said to her. Had she learned something unsettling about their plans?

“Rudy, how did you get here?” Penny asked in a soft voice. “Did you really come in here through the pipes?”

Rudy nodded. “It wasn’t easy, but I managed.”

“How did you know I was here?” Came her next question. There was something a little off by the way she said this, but Rudy paid it no mind.

“I didn’t.” Rudy told her. “I needed a way back in, and I saw this and...” He trailed off. He took a moment to stare at Penny. He couldn’t stop the smile from climbing up in the corner of his eye. He took a step forward, spreading his arms out and put them around her. “I’m so glad to see you. I’m so glad you’re all right.”

Penny froze for a moment, and then gave him a hug, albeit weak, back. “Yeah... I’m glad to see you’re okay, too...”

Rudy took notice of her demanor and he pulled back. He stared at her, noticing her expression. She was worried about something, he could tell. He bit his lip, contemplating if he should ask her what the problem was. It might be important, and he had a feeling if he ignored it, he could end up in big trouble.

But he realized there was little time to sit around and chat. He and Penny needed to get out of here quickly. He had no idea when Skrawl or the memotrice or Snap would show up. He didn’t know exactly what that jellybean had planned for them. He knew that Skrawl wouldn’t just lock them away and leave them be. No, he would do something much worse. Especially if he sees that Penny was out of the cage. They needed to use this chance to flee. If they missed this chance and Skrawl or the memotrice caught them... He didn’t want to know what the consequences would be.

He thought about going back through the pipes, but he soon decided that might not be a good option. It was hard enough going up. He didn’t want to imagine how it would be going down. Plus, where would the exit be? He didn’t now that place very well and it was just too dark, especially with no magic chalk to use. So that meant the only way out was...

“The door is locked.”

Rudy froze before he could reach the door. He looked over at Penny, who gazed at him sadly. “What?”

Penny let out a sigh. “I said it’s locked.” She walked over towards it swiftly. She reached out and she grabbed onto it and tried to turn it. It jiggled and clanged, but did not open. “See?”

Rudy could feel his spirits dropping rapidly at this. Now what were they going to do? He bit his lip as he looked back where he came. That was too big of a risk. He didn’t know if he would be able to find another way out, and while he could probably try to climb back through that hole, it was just not worth it. Especially if Snap set up a trap for them there. But the door won’t open and he doubted that he and Penny could break it down themselves. This left only one conclusion surging through his head.

He and Penny were trapped.

But..no... There had to be a way out of here. He just needed to look at this from a new angle. Perhaps if he tried looking around there, maybe they could find something that they could use to loosen the door open. He knew that it had its own share of risks, but if it meant having a chance at freedom, he was willing to take it.

He began to rummage through the items that were in here. There were some shelves in here and some boxes. Some were dusty, as if they hadn’t been used in a while. He wasn’t sure if they would have anything that he and Penny could use, but he wouldn’t know unless he looked. He dropped down onto his knees and grabbed onto a box and flipped it open. He looked at its contents for a few seconds, not noticing anything that could help. He pushed his hands into the box and he began to rummage through it.

He was soon joined by Penny. She got down onto her knees in front of him and she peered inside and began to look around as well. Her hands pushed the various items aside, most of them looking like nonsense and didn’t seem to have much of a purpose. Judging from her expressions, Rudy guessed that Penny might recognize some of this stuff. If any of them would be able to find something useful in this pile of rubble, she would.

So far, neither of them were turning up anything useful. Most of these seem to be parts to something, but most were so old and rusty, they would not be of much use to them. Rudy clenched his teeth as he stared into the box for a few moments, his eyes scanning around. It was like one big jumble of colors and shapes, and after a while, they almost seemed to swirl together. He felt a bit dizzy and wobbly, and he had to shake his head to regain his senses. He looked back at the box, biting his lip. He had wonder, would they ever find anything useful in here?

He returned to rummaging. He knew that sitting around doing nothing would not help. Surely, there had to be something in here that he and Penny could use. Something...anything...

As they kept searching, Rudy could hear Penny’s small voice speak up.

“I hope Snap is all right.”

Rudy could feel a pang in his chest. His heart tightened up and he felt a nauseaous feeling. He lifted his head and turned it towards her. He could see the worried expression shining those eyes of hers. He took in a deep breath and he sighed softly. “Yeah...me too.”

“Skrawl took him somewhere... I don’t know where...” Penny said, her breath slightly shaky. “I just hope that..we will be able to find Snap and help him.”

“Yeah...me too...” Rudy said quietly.

The thought of Snap made his heart sting. He couldn’t ever forget the look in the zoner’s eyes when he had shot him and knocked him down. He could never forget that horrible laugh he gave as he did so. The idea of having go up against his best friend made him feel sick. It was not something he ever thought would happen. And yet Skrawl and that memotrice made it happen. They brainwashed his best friend. They weren’t going to get away with it. He swore it.

He wasn’t sure how he was going to break the news to Penny, but it seemed like she already knew. That sad look in her eyes, the way she had spoken, yeah she must have known about Snap’s ‘condition’, courtesy of Skrawl and the memotrice. He wondered how badly Snap was forced to hurt her. He sucked his lip. He could only hope that the reveal was more gentle on her than it was for him.

He returned to rummaging through the items. A little more slowly with the uncomfortable thoughts weighing down on him, but he was making good progress. He continued to look through, his eyes shifting around as he struggled to find something of use. Penny continued looking as well, but like him, she didn’t seem to have much good progress. Regardless, they continued on looking, both hoping that they would find a way out of this mess sooner or later.

Just then, they heard a rattling sound. They turned their heads over to see what it was. They could see that the door was moving now. The knob turning slowly, the door easing open cautiously. They watched in silence, holding their breaths as they waited for the person on the other side to come in. There was no point in trying to put the stuff away; they would not make it in time. All they could do was just hold still and wait as the door opened up all the way, revealing the person on the other side.

It was Snap.

Rudy’s eyes bulged open as he locked eyes with the zoner. He could see that glint in them he did before, but his facial expression was different, holding none of the malice he had seen before. His body tensed up, his teeth clenching tightly. He had no idea what Snap was sent in here for, but he knew he couldn’t keep his guard down. He stood up, adopting a somewhat defensive posture as he stare at Snap. He turned to Penny, expecting her to do the same.

To his surprise and confusion, Penny’s posture was much more relax. There was no tension on those eyes. Instead she looked almost...relieved to see Snap. A little too relieved for the situation before them. He couldn’t help but feel so confused. Didn’t Penny know what was going on? Why wasn’t she preparing herself for a fight?

Rudy turned his attention back to Snap. He gave a soft glare at him, showing him that he wasn’t going to fall for his tricks again. He expected Snap to give a smirk back, but all he did was stare at them with that same face from before. One that appeared to be filled with worry and concern and relief. Normally such a look was welcoming, and it would inspire him to come over and give his friend a hug. But given the situation, all it did was make him tense up more.

“Rudy...what’s wrong..?” Penny whispered softly as she took notice of his posture.

Rudy stared at her in disbelief. How could she be asking something like that? Was she really...

His train of thought was interrupted when Snap suddenly rushed forth. Rudy tensed his body up to prepare for an attack, but instead of colliding with him, Snap did something else that took him off guard.

He ran straight for Penny. Rudy’s eyes bulged and he lifted up his hand to call out for Snap to stop, but he wasn’t able to do so in time. The zoner lunged at Penny. Rudy watched, expecting Snap to pull back a fist to punch her, but instead he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. He started to shiver as if afraid. Penny looked down at him sympathetically as she pulled him into a hug.

“Oh Snap...” Penny whispered as she rubbed her head against him. “How did you escape?”

“Skrawl looked away and I seized the chance. Kept running, kept trying to find you again...” Snap snuggled up beside her as much as he could. “He...he was going to hurt me...”

“It’s all right now. He’s not going to get you again. I promise.” Penny told him in a gentle voice.

Rudy stared at this scene in shock, unable to move or speak for what felt like minutes. All he could do was just stand there and watch as Snap held onto Penny in a hug. And Penny... she...she didn’t know what was going on. She didn’t know about Snap being brainwashed. Why else would she be hanging onto Snap, trying to reassure him like this? He thought that she knew, but she didn’t, but...but if she had seen Snap earlier, wouldn’t she have figured it out?

Rudy could feel a headache surging through his skull. He could feel his heart begin to pound heavily in his chest, his teeth clenching, breaths seething in and out quickly as he struggled to try to keep himself calm and not react out of too strong of emotion. But he wasn’t sure how long he could hold out. He stared at the scene with bulging eyes, mixed with shining fear. When he was not able to stay silent anymore, when he was broken out of his shocked state, he immediately began to rush over towards them.

“No! Penny! Get away from him!” Rudy called out. “He’s not what he seems!”

At this, the two looked over at him. Penny was in disbelief while Snap put on a distraught expression.

“Wh-What do you mean, Bucko...?” Snap whispered in a low voice. “How could you say that?”

“Yeah, Rudy. What’s the matter with you? This is Snap, remember?” Penny narrowed her eyes at Rudy. “Your best friend, the last I checked.”

Rudy pointed a finger at Snap. “He’s been brainwashed by that memotrice!”

“That’s impossible!” Penny cried. “He was here not too long ago and he freed me! If he were under their control, then how would he have been able to help me?”

“He’s deceiving you! Get away from him!” Rudy felt bad about how high his voice was raising, and he felt bad for scaring Penny like this. But he had to get her to see. He had to get her away from Snap before he tried something. He knew Snap couldn’t have been that easily or quickly. He was still under those zoners’ control. Why couldn’t Penny see that?

Penny still refused to move. She narrowed her eyes further as she pulled Snap in for another hug. The zoner looked shaken, at least to Penny. She looked down at him sadly before lifting her head up to shoot a glare at Rudy. “How do I know you aren’t the one whose memory was altered...?”

Rudy felt a sharp gasp shoot through his throat. Did...did she really just say that? He could feel his heart begin to break. How could Penny say such a thing? “Penny...” He took a small step foward. “Please... I-I’m fine.” He put his hands to himself. “He’s the one who was changed.” He pointed at Snap, though less accusatory than before. “I’m not saying it was his fault. But Penny...he was forced to hurt me. He knocked me down.. He was forced to betray me...”

Penny’s glare softened up just a tad as she turned her head down to look at Snap. “Is this true?”

Unsurprisingly, Snap shook his head. “He’s lying! I never did that! The...the memotrice...it must have gotten him!” Snap looked at Rudy with wide, fright-filled eyes. “He was probably sent here to trap us!”

“No!” Rudy cried. “Please, Penny... I-I didn’t...”

But Penny didn’t seem keen on listening to him anymore. She glanced sadly at Snap and turned a hardened glare over at Rudy. There was some level of sadness in those eyes, but it also had some sort of grim tint to it. Penny began to approach him, her body adopting a defensive stance, her hands raising up. Rudy took a few steps away from her, his eyes widening.

“Penny...” Rudy whispered as he felt his heart race. His body arched and his teeth clenched defensively.

“I’m sorry, Rudy.” Penny said. Her voice was filled with regret and sadness. “But...I have no choice...” Before Rudy knew it, Penny charged at him.

It took only seconds for Penny to collide with Rudy. There was a loud thud and a cry of pain from Rudy as he was forced into the ground. He felt his back slam against the cold hard ground as Penny weighed him down. She gripped his shoulders and pushed him down, trying to keep him from getting up. Rudy turned his head to the side, gritted his teeth, and stared up at Penny.

She didn’t look deranged. She didn’t look as if she had been brainwashed. Rudy couldn’t really spend much time thinking about this. Right now, it didn’t really matter to him why Penny was doing this. Right now, he had to try to get out of here. If he allowed Penny to hold him down for too long, then Skrawl or the memotrice might come in, see what’s happening, and they would... He let out a yell of frustration as he began to push back against Penny, trying to force her off.

As if in desperation, Penny started to press her nails against his shoulders. Rudy’s eyes widened at this and he let out a yelp as a pain began to spread through his shoulders. He looked up at Penny, feeling a slight sense of betrayal as she did this to him. He couldn’t tell if this was on purpose or if it was just a frantic act by her to keep him down. Whatever it was, it resulted in him feeling a pang in his chest and he felt an energy start to rush through him. He wriggled one of his feet backwards and he slammed it against Penny’s stomach.

Rudy rolled over onto his stomach and started to crawl towards the door, which was still open. His racing mind kept pleading for him to move faster. Instincts overtook him and he struggled to try to rush out of the door before Penny could grab him again. But he wasn’t quick enough. As soon as he grabbed onto the door, he could feel Penny grab one of his legs and yank it back. He let out a cry as he slipped up on the ground, his face smashing against the hard surface.

“Rudy, I’m sorry, but this is for your own good!” Penny told him as she yanked his arms behind his back and secured them there. As Rudy jerked from side to side, Penny turned her head to Snap and called out to him. “Get some rope! We need to keep him from going to Skrawl or Thoughtless and warning them of our escape!” Rudy guessed that Thoughtless was the memotrice.

“I’ll get right on that, Buckette!” Snap scurried away to the open box.

“Wait! Stop! Please! Y-You’re making a big mistake!” Rudy called out, hoping that Penny would listen to him. “You’ve got to stop this, Penny! Please! If you do this, you’re going to regret it!”

Penny apparently took this as a threat. She pushed him down a little harder and said, “I know you’re still in there, Rudy. I just wish that you could understand that I’m just trying to help you.”

Rudy felt his heart speeding up speed as he heard Snap coming back. He started to wriggle harder on the ground, hoping that he could, somehow, crawl away before Penny had a chance to use that rope on him. But with a shout from Penny, Snap was upon him. He gripped onto him and held him down firmly, holding his arms in place. Struggle as he might, Rudy was not able to jerk his arms away, and he could feel the rope wrapping around his limbs. Penny looped and zigzagged the rope until his arms were trapped behind his back. Penny released him and moved away, as if to check to make sure they were good and tight.

Rudy tried to get his arms free. He pulled left and right. He tried to get his right arm free, and then his left. He pulled and yanked with increasing strength. But his efforts were futile. He ended up pulling so hard that he nearly felt his arm leaving its socket. Even then, as he winced in pain, he knew he wasn’t going to get freed. He turned his head and looked up at Penny with wide, pleading eyes, but she could only stare down at him sadly. Rudy attempted to get away, but Penny leaned against him, using her weight to hold him in place.

“How are we going to transport him with us?” Snap asked as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “He’s a bit big, and with him squirming around like that, he would make it more difficult for us to carry him.” He paused for a moment, and his eyes widened, as if something clicked in his head. “We also need to make sure he doesn’t try to call for help.” He looked at Penny as he said this. “He will draw Skrawl and Thoughtless right to us!”

“You’re right...” Penny breathed. She looked down at Rudy, biting her lip. She then turned to the box. “I think I found something in here that could work...”

Realizing what they were about to do, Rudy began to thrash on the ground wildly. “No! Don’t! Please don’t!” His voice was filled with fear and desperation. “Please not that! Please!”

He couldn’t allow it to happen. He couldn’t let them do this to him. If he couldn’t talk, and he couldn’t move his arms, he’d be helpless. He wouldn’t be able to continue warning Penny. He wouldn’t be able to draw attention to whatever Snap was going to do. Penny would think he was just begging to be let go or issuing threats or something. He needed to do something to keep her from gagging him.

He soon saw her approaching with a long piece of cloth. He shook his head in desperation, calling out to Penny for her to stop. She just stared at him sadly as she knelt down beside him, Snap holding him down in place. Rudy tried to turn his head and bite at Snap to make him let go, but he stayed out of his range. He looked up and saw that Penny had stretched the cloth out, showing how long it was. She looked at it and then at Rudy. She gave him a sad expression, showing him that she really didn’t want to do this. Rudy tried to talk her out of it, but as soon as he opened his mouth, Penny pushed the cloth in.

Rudy immediately jerked his head back and side to side, trying to avoid the gag. He wasn’t able to resist for long when he felt warm hands against his head. Snap had grabbed onto him and was holding his head still for Penny. Rudy let out a series of muffled cries and protests as Penny applied the gag. He kicked his feet out behind him frantically, trying to get Snap off of him. His legs missed entirely and soon Penny had secured the cloth behind his head tightly. She double knotted it to make sure that it wouldn’t slip off and she then moved her hand away.

Rudy disliked the taste of the cloth in his mouth and he struggled to get it out. Nothing he did worked and he ended up working his tongue over the cloth more, tasting it further. He wretched and shook his head. But no matter how hard he shook his head, the cloth stayed put.

He looked up at Penny with widened eyes. He felt a sense of helplessness wash over him as he realized the position he was in. Though futile, he yelled at Penny, trying to warn her of the mistake she made and how it was Snap who was brainwashed. But none of his words were getting to Penny. Not that she could understand him at this point.

“We’ll need to move him somehow.” Penny spoke, her voice saddened. She looked down at the other boxes in the room. “I’ll see if we can build something to get out with.” She said. “Make sure he doesn’t go anywhere.”

“Sure thing!” Snap said.

Rudy narrowed his eyes as Snap walked up to him slowly. Penny wasn’t looking, so Snap was no longer attempting to fake an expression. The one he was showing him right now, filled with contempt, contorted in a twisted smile, was real. Rudy let out a series of muffled curses as he tried to get at Snap. He just ended up making himself look pretty pathetic.

Snap chuckled at his attempts to get closer. “Struggle all you want to. You aren’t going to get away this time...” His voice was soft enough that Penny could not hear, but loud enough so that Rudy could detect it.

Rudy screamed as loud as he could through the gag, “Let me go!”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Bucko.” Snap spat at him, his face wrinkling in disgust. “You and Penny are not escape justice this time. I know you two think you had forgotten about how you had knocked me out with those cookies and then performed experiments on me.” Rudy stared at Snap in confusion at this. The zoner took this as admission to guilt as he smiled. “Yes, Rudy, I remember everything you did to me. You and Penny... I trusted you, but I see that you two were only using me. Well then...” Snap leaned in closer and whispered into his ear. “...if you want to play that game... I’m all for it...”

Rudy widened his eyes in horror at this. He struggled harder to get free, letting out a series of loud, muffled cries. Snap just chuckled at this as he stood there and watched him.

sss

Reggie looked at his dad warily, unsure of what to make of this new demeanor that he was displaying. He was used to his father being a rather calm, straight-to-the-point kind of guy. But now, it was like he was a whole different person.

It was scary, really. Normally, he was the one with the attitude problem. It was normally he who would want to do something to seek justice for what he had considered a wrong. It was he who would be pacing around angrily, trying to come up with ways to come out on top. He was the most dominant student in his class and he did whatever he could to keep it that way. He needed to maintain dominance. That was the only way life would ever work out for him.

But seeing his dad doing this... his own father who was usually more level-headed than him as he would grudgingly admit, it left him feeling uncomfortable inside. He found his hand against his stomach, gently rubbing it as he took all of this in. He did not dare speak a word as he watched his father rummage through some stuff in the dressers, pulling out some clean suit and pants.

He didn’t want to say anything. He didn’t dare speak a word to interrupt his father. He was too afraid of what his dad might say to him. Even though he knew that his dad was just defending him, even though a part of Reggie did appreciate this and felt miffed at being wrongfully accused, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry as he saw his father like this. He couldn’t help but begin to wonder if his dad was starting to take this a little far. Those parents did have a right to be angry at his own accusations....right?

According to his father, this did not seem to be the case. He wasn’t sure how civil his dad really was with the parents, but he could tell, from the expression on his face, that he didn’t take the meeting too well. He grumbled to himself about how they must be hiding something, and how they weren’t going to keep it that way for long, that he was going to do something about it. Reggie hadn’t spoken a word even then; the sound of his dad saying such things made him shudder. He couldn’t help but wonder if his dad was going to shoot a glare in his direction, his pupils piercing into his own, enough to make him fall down.

Reggie thought back to Rudy and Penny. He felt a pang, a mixture of two actually. One was anger. They were hiding something and all he wanted to know was what it was. They could have been doing something really dangerous that could affect others. While he might be a bully and proud of it, it wasn’t like he’d ever want anything seriously bad to happen to himself or others. He wouldn’t want things to go that far, and he did feel rightfully miffed when Rudy and Penny would not tell him what was wrong. They saw that light. They know what it was, and for them to not tell him what it was...

But at the same time, he did feel some guilt. He hadn’t meant to hurt them that badly. He had only wanted information, but he had let his emotions and desperation get in the way, and he ended up causing them so much pain. He could understand why the parents would think he did something else, and he could understand his father’s anger about that. Though Reggie knew that he could start to mend things if he apologized, he wasn’t sure if he ever would; he had too much pride to admit when he was wrong.

“Here.”

Reggie was stirred from his thoughts when his father tossed him a shirt and pants. They were around his size, though a little fancier than what he would normally wear. He was tempted to raise his nose in disgust at them, but he resisted; worried that his dad react poorly to that. He grabbed onto the shirt and lifted it up. “What do you need me dressed in this for?” He asked.

“We’re going down to the town counsel house.” His father replied. His tone was somewhat embittered. It was difficult to say if he was feeling any better or not. “I called a meeting.”

Reggie felt a jolt in his chest at this. His mind swirled. Did his father really call a meeting to talk about Rudy and Penny’s parents? Even he would consider this going a little too far. He bit his lip nervously, feeling a sickness in his stomach. He fought against that toxic feeling to keep himself from throwing up. When he found his voice, he said, “Wh-Whatever for, father...?”

His dad’s reply was different than he had expected. “We need to discuss what is happening. If those parents aren’t the ones responsible... Then we have a problem.”

Reggie blinked at this. He hadn’t expected his dad to change his mind so quickly. Perhaps he had cooled down enough to realize how silly he was being during his period of anger? It seemed that way. Reggie felt a little more relaxed knowing that his dad was entering a more rational, understanding state of mind.

But worry still clung to his chest. He hadn’t thought about it too much, but the idea of someone out there, going around hurting people, it left him feeling at unease. No, worse than that. He was utterly terrified. He wasn’t sure if he could walk down the street anymore without worry of being attacked. After all, Rudy and Penny were hurt in one of their own backyards, and nobody witnessed anything. What if this person came for him next? What if they hurt him worse?

He realized that it must have to do with that light. Rudy and Penny saw it, and they dismissed it... and now whatever or whoever came from that light had targetted them. Reggie wasn’t sure how realistic or believable this was, but in the moment, he didn’t care. All he knew for certain is that Rudy and Penny should have spoken the truth earlier, but now because of their unwillingness to speak, the whole town might be in danger of some crazed maniac going around, beating people up.

There wasn’t much that could be done now except have this meeting. He wasn’t sure if any of the grown ups could think of something, but at least people would be aware of the problem. And hopefully, whoever or whatever was done this would be caught and brought to justice. Then the city of Plainsville would be safe again.

Reggie said not a word as he followed his dad solemnly out to the car.

sss

Hmm, now this looks interesting...

That was Thoughtless’s first, well, thought when it laid his brown eyes upon one of the other books. It hadn’t noticed this one before, and it was surprised that it took it this long to realize that this was here. Perhaps this might be what it was looking for after all. Oh the other books were quite useful to get it started. But this... Yes, this might be what it truly wanted.

It had a feeling that Skrawl would have lots of information. He had certainly seemed like the type to horde information, especially considering his obsession with ruling over this chalky world. It knew that staying here long enough would ultimately pay off, and now it was approaching the proof of that. It would keep the information it had read before stored in its mind. After all, they’re important too. But it needed to save room for this. The big guns, as it’d like to call it.

The book was pushed far back, crammed up against the wall, behind some of the books there. It approached slowly, moving its head in so that it could look inside. It peered into the dark shadows, its pupil moving around as it looked at the details. It recognized this book from the slight reddish glow and the almost welcoming sparkles. It reached in with its food and pulled it out slowly.

Thoughtless examined the book. The cover reminded it of that one book from before. The gem or crystal one. It couldn’t think of the title off the top of its head. But that wasn’t important right now. What was, was this book right here that it held in its talons. The other books were simply small fries. Books filled with metaphors or small bits of facts that may or may not prove useful. Books of phrases that it should probably heed.

But this is the book that it truly required. This was the book that was going to truly make this all worthwhile. It couldn’t help but smile, its beak stretching out to its sides. It couldn’t stop the small chuckle from eminating from its throat. It didn’t know why Skrawl had it stashed away in the back, but perhaps that was because Skrawl realized that it was dangerous.

Oh, if only he knew to throw it out...

Thoughtless moved away from the shelf, skipping along the ground as it struggled to hold the book and walk at once. It soon settled down on its nest once more. The other two books that it was mostly interested in, including the one about gems or cystals, laid there with it. Now the third book was dropped in place, making a loud thud as it hit against the straw-like material. It settled down onto the ground, bending its neck forward so it could peer more closely at the pages before it. Lifting up its foot, its talons began to push the pages to the side, flipping through them as it struggled to find one particular page.

Its eyes caught sight of something. It immediately stopped and it backtracked a couple pages to locate the one it had just passed by. The page itself had some decorative lettering, like one might find in a medievel book. The information written on here was scrawled sloppily, and was almost unreadable even to those who understood this langauge. Well, that wasn’t a problem for a zoner like Thoughtless, who had pretty good vision. It read the lettering carefully.

‘History of Weaponry’ it read across the top. Pictured was a long, sparkling blade with embedded diamonds. Yes, it was getting a little closer. But it wasn’t quite there yet. It needed to read along a little more. What it wanted was among this chapter. But how far down would it be? Only one way to find out.

Thoughtless started flipping through the chapter slowly, taking its time. It looked over the information, but mostly skimmed it. It wasn’t interested in knowing every bit of history or how some of these weapons were formed or how many were killed. No, it was after something much better. For it wasn’t numbers that it was interested in. It was progress. It wanted progress, efficiency, something straight to the point. Statistics were good, but it didn’t need to read page after page of them. Where was that information that it truly needed?

Was it here? Yes, it was here. It had almost flipped the page after it, but here it was. It was in the fifth section of this chapter. There were a few paragraphs dedicated to one type of weapon. Something that didn’t look like a weapon at first glance, but to those who know more about it, it was among one of the most dangerous weapons ever to be created.

The section had a simple, three word title.

‘The Red Chalk’.

Its eyes twinkled when it saw these three words. The same three words it had been trying to find for a while. And next to it, a picture of confirmation. A photo of red chalk. The red on this page seemed to glow, a statement of the power the red chalk held, but also intermixed with other things. Stuff that it alone may know, but others would overlook.

Thoughtless wanted read all of these paragraphs. It wanted to search through its contents, look around and find out what it wanted to know. There was something it just...needed to know. It heard about it. It saw evidence for it. But before it could even be conclusive, it...it just needed to read about it. Memories weren’t always so accurate, a cold hard fact that it had learned very quickly. But the written record...that couldn’t be a fallacy. Not when it’s a historical document, the writing down of things that came to pass.

If it turned out to be correct, then it would need to add on a few...things. It had some extra things to take care of. It knew that the task ahead, if that is the case, would be difficult. But, to achieve what it needed to in the end, it would be worth it. It could just feel it in its bones.

But...not now. Despite the urge, Thoughtless could not read more now. It had this strong feeling that Skrawl might show up at any time. Skrawl would intervene with the reading. Judging from his personality, Skrawl might be in his ‘go go go’ state. That was how he was with the plan with the robot, as it recalled as it searched his memories. No doubt he would get like the again.

Giving a sigh, it took a moment to stare down at the books it had gathered. The two older ones were pressed on top of one another near a pile of straw that it had set up. It then looked down at the book it was now holding in its talons. It closed it and pushed it over, letting it slide over until it hit against the other two books. It walked over and jumped up into the air. Using the few seconds it had, it used its feet to claw at the straw, knocking it over. This caused straw to spill all over the books, successfully sealing them up inside.

As soon as it was finished using its head to smooth out the straw, it heard footsteps coming its way. It moved its head to the side and noticed that it wasn’t Skrawl like it thought it would be, but one of the Beanie Boys. This took it by surprise as it never seen any of the Beanie Boys walking around before. It shrugged this off immediately and nodded its head in acknowledgement and addressed the Beanie Boy.

<Yes?>

The Beanie Boy was quick to reply. “General Snap wanted me to let you know that he’s managed to succeed in the next part of the plan. He contacted me via the tiny walkie talkie that you suggested Skrawl and him use.”

<I see. So I take it that he succeeded in turning Rudy and Penny agaisnt each other?> Asked the memotrice.

“Well...kind of.” The Beanie Boy rubbed the back of his head in a slightly nervous fashion, as if he felt that any deviation to the plan was a failure. “He did make Penny believe that Rudy was brainwashed by you. But I don’t think Rudy thinks Penny is; he thinks she’s being used.”

<And he’d be right about that.> Thoughtless stated simply. The Beanie Boy looked a little surprised that it didn’t react with more anger. <Do not worry. This is fine. So long as those two are at odds’ ends, this should pan out well enough.> Thoughtless took a few steps forward, its gaze never leaving the Beanie Boy’s. <I thank you for reporting this to me. Did you tell Skrawl?>

“Yes.” The Beanie Boy said, nodding his head once. “I reported to him first. Then I came to report to you.”

Thoughtless nodded in return. <Good, good.> Thoughtless then turned around and began to walk away a little. It paused for a moment, raising a wing up and moving it along the bottom of its beak. It then looked over its shoulders, a brown eye bleaming in the Beanie Boy’s direction. <And one more thing.>

The Beanie Boy stared at it and waited.

Thoughtless lowered its head slightly and stared intently at the Beanie Boy. It spoke to him softly, using a low, barely audible mind voice. This took a lot of power, as it was difficult controlling a voice inside the head rather than one’s own verbal voice box. As tough as it was, it still managed to utter the sentence in a hushed whispered-like tone, and when it was finished, it raised its head back up and stared at the Beanie Boy, waiting for a reply.

The Beanie Boy pulled his head back in surprise. “But I thought that he....” His voice trailed off as Thoughtless moved closer to him.

<Really?> Thoughtless straightened himself up, peering directly at the Beanie Boy, its eyes not shifting away. <I was certain that’s what Skrawl told me.>

After a few moments of staring, the Beanie Boy blinked his eyes a few times, and then he moved his head back and nodded his head very slowly. “Oh...I see. Yes, I remember that now. My apologies.”

<Do not worry about it. Just go do it. You wouldn’t want to make him upset would you?> Thoughtless asked as it tilted its head to one side. <I don’t think I need to remind you of how Skrawl can get when he’s upset.>

“That is true.” The Beanie Boy flinched as he said this, no doubt remembering an uncomfortable situation that had occurred before. “Well I better go do that then.” The Beanie Boy raised his arm and waved at the memotrice. “So long, sir! Oh, and don’t forget to go meet up with Skrawl soon. Since General Snap took care of his next part, Skrawl will...”

<Yes I am quite aware.” The memotrice cut him off. <Now run along. Besides....> The memotrice pulled its head back, forming a somewhat S shape. <Snap isn’t quite done yet. He still has another task to perform.>

“Oh? And what’s that?” Asked the Beanie Boy.

The memotrice resisted the urge to slap itself in the face. <You should know this.> It said simply, its voice rigid and stiff and unrelenting.

The Beanie Boy looked unnerved by this and took a step back. He appeared to quickly calm as realization struck him. “Oh, that is correct. My bad.” The Beanie Boy soon gave a bow to the memotrice. “Well I’d better go back to my duties. Skrawl is going to wonder where I am if he doesn’t see me at my station.”

<All right then. Goodbye. Oh...> The memotrice raised a foot up. <Don’t forget about the...>

“I won’t. I promise.” With that, the Beanie Boy turned and left the room, leaving behind the memotrice. Thoughtless watched him fly away for a few moments before the corner of its beak ticked up into a small smile. It whispered its reply lowly.

<Good.>

sss

Mr. Tabootie felt some level of luck. It would seem that Dr. Von Doktor did have an opening after all. One of his afternoon meetings got cancelled, which meant that he could be fit in very quickly. It still meant waiting about a while, but he believed that, in the end, it would be worth it.

When it had come time for him to meet the man, or in this case, meet him for a second time, he had been escorted into his room. A middle-aged man is who had taken him. A bit bulky and almost brooding, the man hardly said a word to him as he led him to where Dr. Von Doktor would be waiting for him. Mr. Tabootie did thank the man out of politeness, but he only got a soft growl in response. He wasn’t sure if it was something he did or if the man just didn’t like Dr. Von Doktor.

Shrugging it off, he turned his attention to the door. He was about to open the door until he had looked down and noticed the lock. He bit his lip, remembering the last time he was here and the man’s obsession with locks. It seemed to be a tradition around here, making him wonder if something had happened to make these scientists paranoid.

He had knocked on the door and the scientist had allowed him inside. He seemed surprisingly pleasant for someone who was recently humiliated. Perhaps he had gotten over the silly perpetual motion nonsense after all. It seemed to be that way, as during the initial conversaion, the old man hadn’t mentioned it once.

But his demeanor seemed to be slightly altered when Rudy was brought up. He could see the way the man’s eyes darkened slightly, as if recalling a poor memory. Mr. Tabootie didn’t need to pry for more information to know that the man clearly hadn’t fully gotten over what happened with Rudy. A part of Mr. Tabootie was almost happy to see this. It was something that he could regard as a possible connection. But it was just one thing. He still needed to talk to him more to be sure.

The talk went on for a short while. Mr. Tabootie relayed to the man what had happened to Rudy and Penny. Although the man did express some concern, it was clear, in his eyes, that the man.... well he wasn’t amused by what happened, but he didn’t seem overtly worried, as if something else was on his mind. He seemed a little too eager to get the conversation over with. Mr. Tabootie did his best to hide his anger and annoyance as he did not want the man to know that he might be onto him.

“I am terribly zorry for what happened.” Dr. Von Doktor said softly. “But I don’t really know why you wanted to talk to me about ziz.” He spread his hands out at his sides in a small shrug. “What would I be able to do for zat?”

Mr. Tabootie had to choose his next words very carefully. “I was just wondering if you knew...well anything. You’ve been around town a lot, haven’t you?”

“Repairing my reputation zat your boy...” Dr. Von Doktor stopped himself, realizing he might have overstepped his bounds there. He immediately retracted and said, “Yez, I have.”

“Have you seen anything suspicious?” Mr. Tabootie pretended not to have heard that comment Dr. Von Doktor made before. “Anything that might lead to the identity of that person going around....”

Dr. Von Doktor shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I’m zorry.”

“I see.” Mr. Tabootie said as he leaned back. He watched the old man carefully for a while. Many thoughts ran rapidly through his head. He tried to think of what he should make of this. Something wasn’t adding up here, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. And yet, he was running out of things he wanted to say and ask. A part of him couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Surely he could think of something else to say, right?

Dr. Von Doktor appeared to notice his dilemma. His expression was a frown, although not one that was very upset or anything. He opened his mouth and let out a low sigh. “I...know what you muzt feel about me.” He placed a hand to his chest. “And I know zat your boy izn’t exactly one of my favorite people.” Mr. Tabootie narrowed his eyes slightly at this. The old man then motioned his hand towards him. “But I wouldn’t wish zomezing like zat on him. I am zorry about what had happened to him. I do wish I could tell you more, but I.... I juzt don’t have anyzing elze zat I could tell you.”

Mr. Tabootie stared at him in silence for a few moments. He tried to think of something else to say. For the moment, he just couldn’t think of anything. So all he could do was stand there and watch the man quietly, the silence spreading through the large room like a heavy set fog.

He still hadn’t been able to gather anything conclusive from this man. He wasn’t sure if this man could have been really involved or if he was just getting jumpy. Dr. Von Doktor hadn’t really said anything that proved he did it. He might have said something that indicated something like this, but that didn’t mean that he was involved. He hadn’t even told anything that appeared to contradict itself, even in spite of the long talk. His stories appeared to be consistant with one another.

“If it’z of any condolenze...” Dr. Von Doktor spoke up, cutting through the silence that had settled in the room. “..I will let you know about anyzing ztrange that pops up if I do zee anyzing. Would that be all right?”

It took Mr. Tabootie a while before he could answer. “...yes. That would work. Thank you.”

Dr. Von Doktor nodded his head slowly. He stared at the man with some level of sympathy. “I do hope you find out who hurt your zon.”

“Yeah...” Mr. Tabootie replied. He hardly noticed when his eyes began to narrow. “I hope so, too...”

sss

Penny couldn’t believe what she was forced to do. She had never wanted to do something like this to her best friend, but...what choice did she have? If she allowed him to walk free, he might do something to jeopardize her and Snap. There was really no other available alternative except to tie him up. At least she had done it humanely enough so he shouldn’t be in too much pain. But her heart ached seeing him like this, and how she would love to release him and help him up.

But until the spell on him was broken, there was no other choice. He needed to remain gagged and tied up like this for now. His arms secured behind his back and his legs tied together and the cloth in his mouth to keep his noise low, this was to both keep him from calling forth Skrawl, whom he believed was his ally now, and to keep him from hurting them or himself.

She shuddered to think of what the memotrice had done to him. She wondered just what of his memories had been altered, and what pain Rudy was forced to feel. She felt so bad for Rudy. He didn’t deserve that. He didn’t deserve to be tormented in such a way. She wanted to give him a comforting hug. The only thing stopping her was the reminder that, for now, he was on Skrawl’s side.

She looked down and noticed Snap. The poor zoner had his head down and turned away as he walked. She noticed a few shakes of his shoulder. She bit her lip tighter than before, feeling a few tears crawling up in her eyes. She would just swoop in and give her friend a hug if he didn’t ask her to leave him be. Poor guy must be taking this really hard. Rudy had apparently threatened him earlier, and Snap was still reeling from that. She couldn’t blame him for acting this way. It was never easy when a friend threatened another friend, even if said friend was under a spell like Rudy was.

But Penny wasn’t completely hopeless. As she continued to carry Rudy along in the makeshift wagon, looking left and right to make sure that no one was following them, she remembered what Snap had said. He was certain he saw soemthing down here that might help them somehow. It was tough to say if it would or not, but given their situation, Penny was just glad they had something they could try.

During his travel through this place, avoiding getting caught, Snap mentioned about this one room that seemed to have something that they could use. Some kind of teleportation structure, he thought. This came to Penny as a shock. She never recalled Skrawl having such a thing at his disposal, but then again, that jellybean did build a working zoner out of his own parts. That big brain thing.... If he could do that, then a teleporter should be a cinch, right? She just hoped that it worked better than the one Rudy had made a while ago.

They continued to move down the hallway. Rudy had, thankfully, gone silent, giving up any attempt to free himself. He must have ran out of lies to tell. Penny glanced down at him sadly, sucking her lip into her mouth, her gaze filled with nothing but sympathy and worry.

“Don’t worry, Rudy.” She told him gently. “We will fix this. I promise.”

Rudy looked up at her. She flinched as she saw his expression. Narrowed eyes, reddened slightly. He looked as if he had been crying, and that expression told of a sense of betrayal. She forced herself to look away. She knew that those looks were fake, but she couldn’t help but feel a horrid sting of toxins in her stomach. It reminded her of the deed she had been forced to do. She would love to get this over with and have her friend back. She knew that Snap felt the same way.

The sooner they got out of this horrible place, the better. Penny wasn’t sure if there was anyone that could help. She would go to Biclops, but he was still hypnotised himself. But Snap mentioned he overheard Thoughtless say there was someone who might be able to shoot through his powers. Obviously not a memory-based zoner as those are the ones most easily affected by it. But whoever it was, it was obvious they had some kind of power in order to be helpful to them.

She felt herself give a small sigh of relief as she noticed the designated room ahead. Just like Snap had described, its doorframe was slightly pointed, slanting inwards a tad. Snap had already picked up the speed and he pointed at the room with his rounded hand, obviously to make sure that she didn’t pass it.

The room itself was a bit smaller than she had expected. That was probably due to the fact that this place was a little crowded. More so than the room she had come in from. She had to nudge the wagon harder in order to pull Rudy with her. She wasn’t afraid of Rudy falling off, since he was strapped on, but she feared that she might accidentally hurt him if she wasn’t careful enough.

It didn’t take her too long to find the machine. There, she could see it, in the far corner of the room, looking kind of dusted. She frowned slightly at this. She thought that Snap said it had been working. Or at least, that’s what he had overhead them say. Was it Skrawl or Thoughtless who said it?

Oh well, she pushed the thoughts aside for now. She took in a deep breath and she moved closer to the machine. She managed to keep the ride steady for Rudy as she approached the machine. She lifted her head up, staring at it up and down. It didn’t seem like much, but it still brought to her a sense of hope. With this machine, they could escape.

Snap quickly rushed up to the machine. He reached over and brushed the dust off of it. He curled his lip up in slight disgust. “This thing is filthy!” He commented.

“Yeah but it’s our only way out.” Penny said solemnly.

Snap sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Why don’t you stand watch over Rudy? Make sure he doesn’t try to hurt himself.” Penny said. She stared at the machine intently, her eyes swimming over it as she took in all its detail. “I want to take a closer look at this thing myself.”

“I’m not sure why you’d want to get close to this thing. But okay.” Snap shrugged his shoulder. He gave the machine one more disgusted look before he moved away, positioning himself near Rudy. At this, Rudy appeared to try to yell at him again. Snap simply shook his head. “Oh Bucko...”

Penny looked at this sadly before she turned her head and started to make her way over to the machine. This thing would make it all better. It would help them find way to begin turning things around. It was their ticket to being able to stop Skrawl and Thoughtless. Sure, it couldn’t do anything itself to them. But once they get out of here, they had a chance. They could keep Rudy somewhere safe and she and Snap could find a way to reverse the spell. She just hoped that they could pull it off soon. Otherwise....

She looked over at Rudy, watching him sadly as he started to struggle. Poor Rudy... She would help him the best she could. That, she could promise him.

Chapter 19:




Penny struggled with all her might to get free. She jerked her body around, thrashing with her arms and legs, trying to force the Beanie Boys to release her. But they held on tightly, and she winced as her right arm was twisted roughly as a warning. Eventually, realizing that there was no escape, she stopped altogether and just scowled at them.

They were moving down a long corridor that twisted and winded towards the bottom, deep underground. It was poorly lit with just torches and small lights, but it was enough that she could make out the shape of this place. As they continued going in deeper and they reached the bottom step, it was then she realized that they were in some kind of dungeon. Whether or not Skrawl built it, she didn’t know. But it was not out of place; Skrawl would have something like this. It suited him quite well.

There was a main corridor that had multiple cages. She could barely see it in the light. It was then she realized that the Beanie Boys must have some good night vision. How else would they be able to navigate such a dark and gloomy place?

To her surprise, they didn’t take her to that big corrider with the multiple cages. Not even towards the one that was open, which was where she thought she would be going. Instead, they turned to another side, this one having a narrower hallway with no flickering lights, unlike the other hallway, and ended with a split on either side. As she was being forced to move through here, she couldn’t help but feel her dread rising up inside of her. She wanted to get away, but she couldn’t bring herself to even struggle.

Soon they reached the end of the thin hallway. Penny took a moment to look left and right. One hallway was bathed in darkness, while the other had a red tint to it. She didn’t know which place was worse. She shut her eyes, not wanting to see which way the Beanie Boys ended up taking her.

Reluctantly, her eyes opened up as they gave a turn. She couldn’t help it. A morbid curiosity prompted her to open her eyes to see which direction she was being taken in. She looked left and right and it took her only moments to realize that she was being carried down to the red side of the hallways. She gritted her teeth, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. There was something about this place that seemed almost permeating, like it was going through the inside of her, freezing her solid. Something was just...off.

The Beanie Boys continued on their way, seemingly unaffected by the red light. Soon, as they headed deeper still, their whole bodies seemed to glow with red. Penny looked down and was horrified herself to find her skin aglow as well, bathed in the horrid red light. Looking around, she struggled to see where the red light was coming from. Even as she craned her head almost beyond its capacity, she couldn’t see anything that told her much. She clenched her teeth tightly. What was going on here?

After about five minutes of walking down the hallway with a red glow that seemed to come out of nowhere, she and the Beanie Boys soon came to a door on the end. The only door that was present here. Penny pondered in humorless amusement of why they would have such a long hallway if it only led up to here. She didn’t have time to seriously ponder this question before the door was opened up and she was brought inside. Once inside, Penny looked around and she couldn’t stifle her gasp of horror at what she saw.

Red chalk...

This place was filled with red chalk...

Fear clutched at Penny’s throat. Her struggles increased greatly as she was being carried towards the center. There were two dark red poles here, likely made of metal, with silvery red loops around them with chains hanging down. It almost reminded her of a sacrificial altar. If this is anything like that...

Letting out a few terrified screams, intermixed with determined shouts, the girl struggled to get away. She fought against her Beanie Boy captors, her growls intermixing in the air. She tried to pull one of her arms free so she could strike. She tried to wrench a foot free to strike at another Beanie Boy. She went as far as try to bite them. She could hear her teeth clanging in the air as she struggled to sink them into a Beanie Boy’s arm.

But her attempts were futile. Even if she could land a bite on a Beanie Boy, it was meaningless as there were several with her. The ones that weren’t holding her were hovering close, ready to move in if she caused problems. Once she started to struggle, they joined in, aiding their fellow companions in holding her still. One even held her mouth shut so she couldn’t attempt to bite anymore, or turn her head for that matter. All she could do now was watch as she was being carried towards the altar.

The Beanie Boys weren’t exactly gentle as they hooked her up to it. Her arms were the first ones to go. The painful metal pinched her skin as the cuff was clamped around her wrists. Her arms were then stretched upwards at at their sides. Her legs followed suit. She winced as she felt the tight cuffs around her ankles pulling her legs down and out with some weight. Then a third shackle around her stomach attached her to both poles, and finally, her head was immobilized by a thin metal band that, like the waist band, attached to both poles. Well not totally immobilized, but her head movements were quite restricted now.

As she struggled to free herself, her mind’s eye sifted through the images she had seen here. No blood or gore. No dead bodies. But something about this place just smelled wrong. She just couldn’t quite place it. And the red chalk was everywhere. It grow mostly on the ceiling, but some also grew on the ground in bunches, almost like bushes she would see outside. The walls were red, or at least they glowed red thanks to the red chalk.

The room itself was round. Mostly anyway. It had a point at two ends, one in front of her and one behind her. The ceiling arched inward above her, creating a round tip. She thought she could see a flash of day light up there, indicating just how deep the hole is.

No...it wasn’t daylight. She realized that it was light from a chalk chamber. But it was colored different from the main Chalk Mine that she and Rudy had visited. Her mind raced, struggling to come to terms with what this meant. How could there be another Chalk Mine? Was it possible that there were rogue patches in different spots? The thought of this filled her with conflicthing thoughts. A part of her was elated, but another was suspicious. What could lurk in these rogue mines?

The only thing she knew for certain is that this, no doubt, is where the red chalk here was growing from. She could traced the pattern of growth back up there, twisting around in small circles. Her thoughts began to piece together what must have happened. Skrawl must have known about this and he drilled up there but...why would he want red chalk?

Furthermore, why would he want her tied up like this, almost like a sacrifice? There was nothing to feed here, and though the red chalk was vicious, it was harmless unless a creator was touching it. Chained up here in midair, far away from the red chalk, she could feel relieve knowing that she would not have to worry about having to touch one of those vile things. But then a thought clicked in her mind.

How long would this last?

It was then that she heard a loud hiss. She turned her head and, to her horror, she could see something long and snake-like slither into the room. Even before those horrible red eyes were upon her, Penny recognized that it was Cornerstone. But...what was she doing here?

“I see you are confused.”

Penny turned her head to the source of the voice. She could see a Beanie Boy situated near the center. The other Beanie Boys parted away from him to give him room. Though he looked no different than any other Beanie Boy save for the small scar visible on his cheek, Penny could tell there was something more significant about him. She glared at him as he got closer.

“My name is Delta, if you are wondering.” The Beanie Boy said. His voice was surprisingly a little deeper and more pleasant to listen to than the other Beanie Boy’s. “I know you are wondering why you were brought here.”

Penny tried to be quiet, but her curiosity got the better of her. She struggled to move her chained head up and down. “I thought Snap told them to lock me up.”

“Well technically yes... But Snap isn’t the only high ranking general here.”

Penny felt toxins in her mouth when she heard him refer to Snap as ‘general’. Her mind swam back to what Rudy was saying before, about how it was Snap who was altered. She felt her heart beating and twisting at the thought of having been tricked. Could both of her friends had been so twisted? Or had it been just Snap all along?

She didn’t have time to fully register this when Delta suddenly grabbed her chin. She hissed at the contact, but could do nothing as the Beanie Boy’s face was put close to hers. He had a nasty grin spread along that rounded face. Unlike most, this was not a goofy smile. But one filled with pure malice and intent. He certainly wasn’t like the other Beanie Boys. It was little wonder that he seemed to be in charge here.

“Snap outranks me...for now. I do plan on winning back Skrawl’s favor.” Explained Delta. “But enough about that. Let us talk about you...” He tilted his head to one side. “We’ve got plans for you.”

“What are you going to do?” Penny asked. She did her best to sound brave. But her fear still rattled through her voice. “What did Snap tell you to do?”

Delta was silent for a moment. Then he said, “Snap has nothing to do with this. He did not order you to be taken here. But...” He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not like he’d care anyway.”

“So this is Skrawl’s doing?” Spat Penny.

Delta smirked. “Well...him and Thoughtless, if that’s what you mean...”

Penny couldn’t take it anymore. She was tired of listening to this Beanie Boy talk this way, like this was no big deal. She struggled against her chains, gritting her teeth. She tried to pull her arms out of the cuffs, only to yelp when she nearly tore her arm from its socket. She didn’t give up just yet. She continued to struggle as hard as she could, trying to get the cuffs loose.

All the while, Delta just watched. The Beanie Boys watched him carefully, awaiting orders. But Delta did nothing but smile as Penny struggled. His arms folded behind his back, looked quite content, he did not appear concerned that she would break free.

And he was right. After what felt like many minutes of struggling, Penny’s body finally gave out. Her heavy pants filled the air as she just hung there, several feet in the air, her head lowered. Her face was flushed from the effort and she could feel sweat moving down her forehead and cheeks. She found it difficult to move her eyes away, locked into a vicious glare with Delta. The smile creeping on his face unnerved her, but she was forced to remain staring into it.

“Why don’t you stop struggling? You’re only going to waste your energy.” Delta said in a calm, quiet voice. “Then how could you be...” He raised his head up. “...accepted..?”

Penny stared at him in confusion. What was he talking about?

Catching the look in her eyes, Delta chuckled softly. “You really have no idea where you are, do you?” His voiced carried a false sympathy and confusion. “I thought you were the brains of the group. I thought you would piece together exactly what you are here for.”

Penny hissed at him. “You going to sacrifice me to the red chalk?”

A pause. Then another chuckle. “Well...not quite that.” Then his eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t tell me that dear old Biclops didn’t tell you!”

“What are you saying? Tell me what?” Penny demanded. She was about to continue speaking when a loud hiss from Cornerstone below her stopped her in her tracks. She looked down at the beast, her eyes slowly widening, and then she turned back to Delta.

The lead Beanie Boy folded his arms against his chest, looking all smug and proud. “I am confused by this plan myself, but Thoughtless insisted this is what Skrawl wanted. For you to be chained here in the... Travergence Circle. One of these hasn’t been used for...oh how long has it been...?” He tapped his finger thoughtfully. “Tell me, do you remember how long ago Biclops was created...?”

Although she had no idea just where Delta was getting at, that didn’t stop the chilling feeling from rising up inside of her. Penny felt a lump in her throat, licking her lips nervously. Just what was this zoner implying? What was this place? What were they going to do to her here? What was going to happen?

Many thoughts swam through her head rapidly. She struggled to turn her head right and left to look around the room again. She looked at all the red chalk around her, watching how they sparkled and glowed a menacing crimson. It was then she started to realize that the red chalk seemed to glow a little brighter now that she was inside. What significance did any of this have?

She looked back at Delta, whose expression and posture never changed. He just smirked at her darkly, a knowing expression on his face. It was clear that he knew what was going on, and he was deliberately withholding information from her, as if to torment her. The thought sickened Penny but also worried her. The fact that she didn’t know what was going to happen ate away at her stomach and made her feel nauseaous. She almost wished that Skrawl would burst in here and explain his ‘evil plan’ to them all. At least he was a bit more direct than this.

Delta stared at her for a few moments, and then he flew in around behind her. Penny shuddered as she felt his hands on her shoulders. His mouth was placed next to hears and she could hear the harsh whisper in her ears. “Haven’t you ever wondered where the red chalk came from...?”

Penny tried to jerk her head away. But the metal strap kept it in place. She forced her eyes to one side so she could look at the horrid Beanie Boy out of the corner of her eye. “No. Why should I care where this...this disgusting stuff came from?!” She ignored the angry flare of the red chalk around her when she said that.

“Well neither did I...for a time. But Thoughtless had made quite an interesting discovery.” Delta said. “It hasn’t yet told Skrawl, although it won’t be long I imagine. After all, Skrawl was the one who ordered the research.”

Penny wasn’t sure how much of this was true. She had a feeling that this was Thoughtless’s doing alone. It might be manipulating everyone around it to get whatever it wanted. She still wasn’t sure what the beast’s goal was in the end. All she knew was that it was an untrusthworthy creature that needed to be locked up. But she wasn’t about to say that to the Beanie Boys. It wasn’t like they were going to believe her.

She thought back to Snap. She felt a sting in her chest. She couldn’t believe she had thought he was all right. She should have realized something was off quicker. Yet she had been so happy to see him again, it just never crossed her mind that he was corrupted. And Rudy...

She struggled not to cry at the memory of him. Regardless of his state, she still hurt him real bad. She had likely, most definitely, caused permanent damage to his right eye. She couldn’t even tell if it was there anymore. There was just too much blood from that deep gash. It was an accident, but she couldn’t help but wonder if they would ever remain close friends after this.

Delta placed his hand on her cheek, now directly in front of her. “Don’t worry about your friends. Right now, you will have so much more to worry about.” His grin darkened. “I can guarantee that you will never forget this.”

With a low growl, Penny attempted to bite Delta. Her hand missed, her teeth clanging together, but she still continued to snarl at him, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Delta only looked at her with mild surprise. This casual reaction only seemed to increase her anger, and she felt her lips curling back into a snarl.

“My, my... quite a primal reaction you have there. I never thought that the most intelligent one could revert to such an animalistic state.” Mocked Delta. “Could it be that you really aren’t as ‘together’ as you like to think?”

Penny hissed, “Oh shut up, you floating piece of filth!”

Delta only chuckled at this, a fact that increased Penny’s growling. “It would seem it’s working already.”

Penny immediately stopped at this, confusion replacing her previous anger. “What do you mean?”

“Take a look around you, Penny Sanchez.” Delta spread his large hands and arms outwards, indicating the room that they were in. Penny looked around the best she could, but she still couldn’t see what he was talking about. She looked back at him. Delta smirked at this. “You really don’t see it, do you? You cannot see the red chalk clawing for you? Into your mind and body?”

“The only thing I notice is the bright glowing.” Penny replied, her voice surprisingly calmer than she thought it would be. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Delta gave her a serious, stern look, though a smile still graced his face. “You mean you haven’t noticed your skin?”

Confused, Penny looked down at her arm the best she could. It was hard at this angle, but she was able to see enough. She had to move her hread over as much as possible before she coud get a clear view. She ignored the pain in her head and neck as she did this, and soon she saw her skin a bit clearly. It was then that she noticed the small glow that appeared to be spreading through. Her heart nearly stopped beating.

“I-I’m...” She choked unable to finish. She looked at Delta in horror.

“Yes...” Delta smirked darkly. “You are going to become one with the red chalk.”

“N-No! I-I won’t...!” Penny immediately started to struggle. Delta hardly react, acting as if this was just a minor annoyance. “Please...I can’t...!”

“Well, not without proper help of course.” Delta clapped his hands a few times.

In that instant, Cornerstone slithered over towards her. The beast’s jaws held something that Penny soon recognized as white chalk. She then began to climb up one of the poles holding Penny. The girl watched with apprehension as the long, snake-like zoner managed to place the white chalk against one of her hands. Her paws closed around it, forcing her to grip it tightly. With the cuffs, Penny couldn’t draw anything even if Cornerstone wasn’t holding onto her hand.

“This will help things along.” Delta moved around in a slow circle, watching Penny’s horrified face the whole time. “Soon, you will join the others.”

Penny’s frozen mind began to process what this meant. She thought of all the red chalk around her. A terrifying realization creeped along her. She didn’t want to believe it. A part of her wanted to keep denying it. But she couldn’t fight back the truth for long. And once it reached its toll, all she could do was collapse, her head hanging low. Tears from the intense emotion began to stream down her face.

“Oh don’t be too upset.”

Penny looked up and stared at Delta. She couldn’t even muster up the strength to frown at him. Her face held only despair and fear.

“I’m not too sure of this myself. This is quite a...strange thing to do.” Delta admitted. “But if this is what Skrawl wants, then it’s what Skrawl will get.” He looked over at the other Beanie Boys and nodded to them, saying, “Report to Thoughtless. Let him know the Altar Ritual has begun.”

Penny watched as the other Beanie Boys left. They flew out of the room rather swiftly. A part of her dimly wondered if this was because they were afraid of what was going to happen here. Most zoners seemed to carry an innate fear of the red chalk. She wondered momentarily why Thoughtless didn’t seem afraid, or Cornerstone. Those thoughts were fleeting as she shut her eyes, not caring if her captors saw her cry.

“Oh Penny, Penny... It’s not going to be so bad...”

Penny looked at Delta, letting a few tears stroll down her face.

Delta smiled at her. “You will be immortal soon, in a sense. That should make you happy, right?”

Penny didn’t bother replying. She just looked downward the best she could, keeping her eyes shut. She didn’t want to listen to this zoner anymore. All she wanted was to be alone for a while, to contemplate what happened, to make sense of all of this. She just wanted to be alone. Almost fortunately, Delta seemed to see it that way, too. Almost.

“I will leave you here. It shouldn’t take too long, I promise. Oh it will hurt eventually, but then you will feel no more pain. And don’t worry, you will have Cornerstone here to keep you company. I’m sure she will be most pleased to help make this process so much easier. And don’t worry about what will happen to your body. We have a place for it.”

Penny didn’t bother looking when she heard the footsteps retreating. She didn’t bother opening her eyes when the doors were slammed shut, leaving her in the heavy red glow. All she could do was remain silent, her mind becoming a blank as despair and horror gripped her tightly. Uncaring about Cornerstone being there, no longer able to hold back, she opened her mouth and she began to sob.

sss

Pain and agony..

Darkness and misery...

That’s all Rudy could feel at the moment. His world was dark all around. He could see no shapes. He could percieve nothing. He could feel nothing. Well, nothing except the powerful pain in his head, and the crushed emotion that now occupied his mind.

He laid on the ground, not daring to move. He had been a wake for a while, but in that time, he could only see darkness and feel pain, both physical and emotional. He wasn’t sure where it was coming from, the emotional pain. He felt as though someone had done him a great injustice, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint what that was. Did it have something to do with his head? Maybe if he opened his eyes...

Suddenly he let out a loud scream and clutched where his right eye should be. He could feel something soft there. Something was tied around there. Was this causing the pain? No, it was too soft. He felt nothing sharp in his eye. A previous injury? He removed his hand and stared at the red blood that now clung to his palm. The sight of it caused his mind to flash.

Snap...his corruption..

Penny, who didn’t believe him...

The struggle... the fight...

Trying to save Penny...

Penny trying to stop him...

The collision with the shelf and the pain that followed...

Rudy shut his good eye tightly as the horrible memories came flooding back to him. Along with that, a mixture of puzzling emotions. He felt something warm coming out of his left eye and he realized that it was tears. Not just of physical pain, but emotional as well. When he reopened his left eye, he could see that he was...somewhere. But where, he didn’t care to think about at the moment.

Penny.. She..she was the one who hurt him... She was the reason he was like this... She was the one who attacked his eye.

No...it was an accident, wasn’t it? He vaguely remembered her words. It was an accident. She had only been trying to get him away from Snap. She didn’t understand what was really going on. He couldn’t blame her for what happened, could he? It was just an accident...

But he couldn’t stop the burning, sickening feeling of anger and betrayal from rising up inside of his chest. He couldn’t stop the burning sensation from spreading throughout his head, fighting back any positive feeling he had for Penny. The anger was stronger than the happiness, and it soon won out. All he could do now was thinkg bitterly of Penny and hope that she eventually got some karma to strike her for what she did. How could she have betrayed him like this...?

Rudy pushed himself up from the ground. He ignored the pains in his body, from both old and new injuries, and sat himself up. He pressed his back against what he realized was a rocky, cold surface. He turned his left eye upwards towards the ceiling, looking at the pretty rock formations before him. The sight of them was a bit pleasant, and it was enough to start ebbing at his previous anger towards Penny. He lightly shut his eye, feeling some moment of peace amidst his pain.

This was short-lived when he heard footsteps somewhere in the cave. Rudy looked left and right, trying to find the source. The footsteps were a bit far away, but this was of little comfort to him. With his mouth drying, his mind snapping back to full reality, he looked around the room again and he quickly realized where he was.

He was in the Chalk Mine. With a corrupted Biclops not too far away.

But..how did he get here? He didn’t recall walking here at any point. He didn’t remember trying to seek this place out, and certainly not all by himself. Just..how did he get here? His mind swam rapidly as he struggled to find the answers. Somewhere in his skull, there had to be answers, right? There just had to be an explanation for all of this. He just had to think harder and maybe it would come to him.

Then he could feel a memory coming in from the back of his head. It floated up towards the front of his forehead, pulsating, helping him remember another detail that he had nearly forgotten about. At this realization, his eyes widened.

There was a machine in the room he was in before. He couldn’t recall all the details, but he did remember that it was a teleporter. Snap, he was trying to get them in that teleporter, wasn’t he? He had succeeded with him. And he was brought here, in the center of the Chalk Mine, no doubt riddled with traps now, since Biclops no longer saw him as a friend. And Penny...she might be in here as well.

He felt a conflicting sensation grip his chest. A part of him felt fear for Penny. He wanted to find her, wherever she might be in here, and help her. He wanted to be there with her, and the two of them could work together to get out of here. They had always made a good team before. Why should this be any different?

But then he froze, and a dark glare moved across his face. Why should he care about Penny? She was the one who half-blinded him. Even if he had a piece of white chalk now, it would be hard for him to draw anything as he no longer had any depth perception. And it was all because of her. He felt his teeth baring as he thought about her, and her traitorous act. He tried to remind himself it was an accident, but those thoughts were banished by his burning anger.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to do if he saw Penny in here. Would his rational side win out and help her? Or would he be too consumed by his own anger to even begin to help her? He wasn’t sure, and in the moment, frankly, he didn’t care. All he wanted to do right now was begin to walk, to traverse through this danger-filled cave, and hope that he found a way out of here and soon.

His biggest concern right now was Biclops. He knew that he had been altered. There was no doubt about that. He remembered their last encounter. The memory still chilled him. He gave a small shudder, trying to push back the image of such a vicious Biclops out of his mind. After so long of seeing Biclops’s friendly smile and his gentle disposition, to see him in such a dark state frightened him to his very core. He didn’t fancy the idea of running into Biclops deep in the caverns, the tunnels that he didn’t know well but Biclops did.

Now on his feet, steadying himself against the wall, Rudy swallowed nervously. He could taste the bitterness in his saliva, and he could feel the fear situated in his stomach, making him want to throw up. He had to force himself to hold it together, reminding himself that he needed to focus on getting out of here. All he had to do was try to find a familiar tunnel and he could probably sneak through the caves without Biclops noticing.

There was something else he realized that caused his eyes to light up. The magic chalk... He could finally get some magic chalk.. All he needed was a single piece and he could finally defend himself. He could subdue Biclops safely, keeping him from hurting anyone, and he could do something about the memotrice, and of course Skrawl.

But before he could, of course he would need to figure a way out of this place. There wasn’t much he could do while he was trapped over here, unsure of which direction to go. He didn’t recognize this part of the Chalk Mine, which meant that getting out was going to be quite tricky. How was he going to be able to pull this off?

Then he realized, he did have some sort of guide. Biclops’s voice just might work. He could finally tell where it was coming from. It wasn’t getting any quieter or louder, indicating the giant had at last stopped. If he could just locate Biclops and stay out of his sight, he might be able to find his way out of this place. He could follow the giant until he was near the entrance. After that, all he would have to do was wait until the giant came in, and then he could make his move. Grab some chalk and flee.

With that plan in mind, Rudy began to make his way down through the tunnels. Moving along was a bit slower for his taste, and he couldn’t help but wince in pain as he felt the throbbing in his body, strongest in his damaged eye. Trying to walk through here without depth perception was difficult, and the boy found himself using his hands as guidance, allowing him to know just how close he really was to the walls.

But despite the difficulty, he was able to make slow, albeit painful, progress. He kept moving down the tunnels at a steady pace, making his way ever closer to wherever Biclops was. He tried to move quickly yet quietly. He didn’t want to lose Biclops’s location, but he also didn’t want to give himself away. In his state, Biclops could easily get him.

So far, the trip down seemed to be pretty easy. He hadn’t had too much difficulty. Even with the pain rattling through his body, making progress around here wasn’t too bad, and he was able to keep up the pace. He stared ahead intently, looking for any signs of shadow or traps along the walls and ground. He didn’t know if Biclops had any allies in here, but he was not going to take the chance. Rudy occasionally did a full visual sweep of the area, looking for anything that looked dangerous. Even when he was sure he was alone, he was still quite unnerved.

Miraculously, he soon came to a familiar tunnel. He remembered this one, back when Snap had first shown him the red chalk chamber, before they even knew what it was. The memory made Rudy grit his teeth. He wished he hadn’t gone into that stupid chamber. If he hadn’t, then he and Snap could have avoided that whole mess. But on the positive side, it was that very incident that allowed him to figure out that he was near the front of the mine. He slowed his pacing and continued forward, soon coming to the end of the tunnel that stretched out in large expanse of a room, one that he instantly recognized.

It was the front of the cave, as well as the white chalk chamber. There was no mistaking it. This was the one room he had been in when he first arrived at the mines. He knew this place quite well. As if to confirm, he could see the colorful sparkles that indicated the white chalk’s presence. He lifted his head up and stared up at the ceiling, which was decorated with overhanging structures of white chalk.

The sight of them made him smile. He could feel his chest flutter, filling with hope. All he had to do was walk over to one and take a piece of chalk, and he no longer had to fear being defenseless. The chalk was right there, ripe for the taking. All he had to do was walk out there and...

He stopped himself, his eyes going wide. He had nearly forgotten about Biclops. The giant was still present. He could see him off to the side. He looked like he was cooking something. Perhaps some kind of meal or snack most likely. The giant’s back was turned to him. There was no indication that Biclops even know that he was there. His two large eyes, hidden from Rudy’s view, were focused only on whatever he was cooking. Rudy watched him warily for a few moments before turning his attention to the nearest bunch of white chalk.

It was such a huge risk. He knew that if he messed this up, he was in big trouble. The entrance might not be far, but would he even make it over there before Biclops grabbed onto him? Just how far was he going to get before Biclops’s huge strides carried him over? Just how was he going to pull this off?

He couldn’t wait too long. He needed to act swiftly. There was no telling if the giant was going to go outside or not. For all he knew, he might come over this way, and then he’d spot him for sure. At least if he grabbed a piece of white chalk, he could try to create some cover for himself so the giant wouldn’t notice him. He just had to be quick on the draw with it. A difficult task when he had only one eye, but he still needed to try.

He looked over at Biclops for a few moments and then he turned his head back to the white chalk batch that was close to where he was. Licking his lips nervously, casting aside the pain, he began to make his way over to it slowly, carefully. He made sure that each footstep was a tiptoe. A soft touching of ground, his fingers sliding along the wall silently, his presence creating no noise for Biclops to catch up on. His eyes focused at the batches of white chalk, getting closer and closer to them as he moved along.

Soon he reached the batch of white chalk. He was only a few feet in front of it now. He stared at it intently. The sparkly rainbow bits that bounced off were both exciting and calming to look at. He slowed his pace and took his time getting over there. He knew that he should hurry, but a part of him didn’t see the reason. After all, he was right here, wasn’t he? Right in front of the chalk. There was no way Biclops could get to him before he grabbed a piece.

Speaking of the giant, he turned his hand and he looked behind him. The giant didn’t even seem to know that he was there. A small smile came over the boy’s face. He was so close now. He could almost taste it. He turned his attention back to the white chalk. Licking his lips, he reached over, preparing to grab a piece.

But when his hand came to touch it, something unexpected happened.

His hand went through.

Rudy’s eyes bulged open. What..? What was going on here..? He tried to reach for the chalk again, only to have his hand move through the pieces of chalk once more. It was a weird, tingly sensation as he moved his hand through the empty space that he could have sword had magic chalk in its presence. He moved his hand around almost frantically, trying to see if he could grab at least one piece of chalk. But try as he might, he just couldn’t.

He withdrew his hand and stared at the batch of white chalk. Why couldn’t he grab onto any of them? Why was there nothing solid here? He could see the chalk. It was practically beckoning him to grab and pull. But there was...there was nothing there. Just a blank space.

Suddenly a chuckle ripped through the room. Rudy stiffened up, feeling his blood run cold. He knew that voice all too well. The voice that he’d normally be happy to see, but now was terrified of. He looked left and right, hearing Biclops’s laughter bounce off the walls.

“You really think it would have been that easy, Rudy Tabootie?” The voice scowled with a mixture of harshness and amusement. “I didn’t think it would be this easy. Then again, Snap did design these traps for me. I must say, he did a good job, don’t you think?”

As Rudy looked around, trying to undersatnd how the voice could be bouncing this way, he began to notice that everything around him was starting to ripple and shake. His eyes widened as he looked left and right, noticing the imagery around him being to fall down like someone had sprayed it with a water bottle. As it all came down, he soon realized that he wasn’t where he thought he was.

He was in a large, dome-like prison.

“The Illusionary Receptors worked surprisingly well.” Biclops said. Rudy turned his head and saw that the giant was leaning against the structure, a smug smile on his usually amiable face. “He is quite the genius, smarter than I ever gave him credit for.” He could see the questioning look in Rudy’s eyes and he pulled his head back, that same smile still on his face. “You were being decieved, Rudy Tabootie. You were being led right into a trap. You fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. I thought you would be tougher than that. I see that I was wrong. A little disappointing, but it does save me the trouble.”

Rudy’s mind raced as he processed what had happened to him. He looked all around, seeing the thick glass that now encased him, the brilliant lights above him indicating that they could show him anything the giant wanted him do. Including things out of his nightmares. He breathed heavily as he realized this, taking a few steps back. The fact that the room he was trapped in was empty did little to alter his opinion of the situation. He looked back up at the giant, his mouth having dropped open in fear and shock.

“Wh-What are you going to do...?” Rudy found himself whispering softly.

Somehow the giant was able to hear this, and he sneered at Rudy, “Exactly what you deserve.” His glare grew colder and harsher. “You’ve caused enough trouble. I think it’s time that you suffered some karma. And I believe I know just where to start...”

Rudy was silent as he watched Biclops go towards a panel that was hooked up to the dome. It was near one of the walls of the cave. The dome was located in what Rudy guessed was one of the largest rooms in the deepest part of the cave tunnels. This dome just barely fit. He didn’t pay much attention to that as he watched Biclops press something. He could hear varying clicking sounds and he realized the giant was crunching in a number of some kind.

No. He realized he wasn’t a number. It was some kind of command. His eyes widened. Just what was this giant going to do?

“There. It will take a few moments to warm up, but I believe this will keep you entertained for a while, Rudy Tabootie.” Biclops said as he took a few steps back, his arms folding against his chset. “Don’t mind me. I’m just going to...watch.”

Before Rudy knew it, everything around him began to grow bright. He had to shield his left eye from the light, which seemed to penetrate and burn his pupils. He could hear the sounds of whirring and clanging as the device began to create a new scenario for him. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and he took a look around. As soon as he did, he instantly regretted it. His neck hairs raised, a shiver went through his body, and his pupil shrank into a tiny dot, almost invisible on his face.

He was surrounded by zoners from the Night Zone. The zombie zoners who could tear their limbs off with ease. The same zoners that had nearly tried to kill him not so long ago. And there, standing in front of them, gleaming viciously in his direction, was the zoner who led them. White claws glistened in the light as they were raised, a nasty grin spreading across the orange head, glowing yellow eyes staring into his soul.

It was Jacko.

Rudy found himself taking a few steps back. His racing mind remembered what happened during his last encounter. Despite him having defeated Jacko, any confidence he had before was gone. For some reason, all he could feel towards him right now was fear. It was as if the cold icy grip of terror had him by his throat. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t free himself. He couldn’t even attempt to run when Jacko, or the illusion of Jacko, started to walk towards him.

“Well, well, well... look what we have there. It’s Rudy Tabootie!” Jacko sneered. He looked at Rudy up and down, examining him, before he spread his hands outward. “I knew you would come! I’ve been hoping that you’d be joining us. We are going to have so much fun...you and I...”

Rudy only gulped and looked up at Jacko with a wide, terrified left eye as Jacko came even closer. He stared at his claws and his mind flashed to when Jacko had tried to use them against him. As they were being raised again, all he could do was watch, his shivering body glued to its spot.

At first, he thought he would feel nothing. After all, this was just an illusion, right? Surely it wouldn’t be able to do anything...

Suddenly the claws struck and Rudy let out a cry of pain. The claws passed through his body, leaving behind no mark. But the pain... Oh gawd, the pain... It really felt like Jacko had just ripped into his side with his claws. He knew they would hurt, but he never thought just how badly. He dropped down onto his knees and clutched his side, tears dripping down his face.

“If you think that was painful, Rudy...” Jacko chuckled. “Wait until I target your head!”

The boy forced himself to look up and he stared at Jacko in horror.

Chapter 21:




Biclops watched from a distance as Rudy laid down and appeared to be going to sleep. The smile never left the giant’s face as he saw this show of submission. He tried his best not to smile too much. There was still more work to be done. He was glad that things were going well so far, though.

He had been worried that Rudy would have resisted a little too much. He didn’t want to hurt him too badly right away. He wanted to prolong this. He didn’t feel that Rudy deserved a quick punishment and be let off just like that. He wanted to make this process slow, to give the boy more time to fully comprehend his situation and realize just how much he has fallen. He wasn’t going to have the magic chalk to help him out this time.

He already had an idea of what he was going to do to the kid after he was finished with him and got bored. The visual replicator thing that Snap built for him, with Skrawl’s help of course, was only going to be good for so long. Eventually he will tire of it and want to do something to get rid of Rudy once and for all. He was going to make sure that his demise was going to be as painful as possible. The other one, Penny, won’t get off so easily either. But Rudy, he wanted to pay special attention to that little brat.

But for now, it was time for a break. He found that he was getting a little too worked up, and he needed to relax. Otherwise, he might end up killing Rudy too early. He needed to keep himself calm so he could get as much enjoyment out of this as possible.

He decided the best thing to do was to go for a short walk around the outside of the mine. He had no one to guard Rudy, but what was the point? The glass was strong and even dug into the ground, leaving the boy no escape. He had also broken into his spirit. He doubted that Rudy would have the courage to try to escape even if he had the means to. Yeah, it was going to be all right.

Once he was outside of the Chalk Mine, he began to pace around. He stretched out his legs, which felt quite good, and looked up at the never-moving Day Zone sun, which shined brightly down upon him. He couldn’t help but smile. With Rudy’s capture, it felt as though the day had gotten brighter, much cheerier than before. He couldn’t begin to imagine what it was going to feel like once he got rid of him and Penny. That was just...inconceivable... Which made it all the more exciting for the giant.

Then he froze. A realization dawned on his mind. This day, how bright the sun was, it was starting to remind him of something. The day that he had tried to push out of his mind, but sometimes the horrible memories still reigned over his brain.

The day Rudy took out his third eye.

The giant shuddered at this. He placed his hand where he knew the eye had been, rubbing it back and forth. He still had phantom aches and pains from that day. He could still feel his eye that was once there moving around, struggling to see. He still had flashes in his mind of Rudy gouging it out, tearing it from his body completely.

He gritted his teeth at the horrible memory. He could feel the tears froming in his eyes, beginning to move down his cheeks. Oh gawd the pain... He would never forget it. He’d also never forget the look in Rudy’s eyes when he had done the deed. He had looked so...so proud of himself, as if it was some kind of huge accomplishment. That sick, twisted smile, that glint in his eyes... Oh if only he hadn’t been so wracked in pain, he would have taken care of the brat then.

But at least something was being done about him now. He was amused by how helpless Rudy had acted. He didn’t see an ounce of that evil child he did in the past. He was a great actor, and he was looking for sympathy from someone he knew wouldn’t give him any. It was quite pitiful. A part of him wondered if he should have shown some pity just because of how pathetic he was. No, he deserved this.

It did seem pretty strange that Rudy would even dare seek his pity in the first place. He was begging and pleading with him and the look in his eyes was way too genuine. Rudy knew he had already broken his trust with him, so why was he trying to fake it now? What would be the point? Did Rudy suffer amnesia or something?

ooo Or was it me who has the amnesia? ooo

Biclops nearly jolted at that thought. He didn’t know where it came from. It was just so...sudden. He looked left and right, wondering if someone had spoken it to him. No, there was no one here. It really had been himself.

Although unnerved, he tried to push it away so he could focus on those previous thoughts. He started to think of the punishment was going to be for Rudy. He smiled at the very idea of it. It was the same punishment he was going to do when he first met Rudy at age eight, that age when his eye had been taken away from him. He wondered how much Rudy would be able to defend himself if he had that other eye taken out.

ooo Do two wrongs really make a right? ooo

Biclops gritted his teeth. He wasn’t sure why he was having doubts about that. Rudy was the one who took out his eye, so why shouldn’t he do the same to him? Eye for an eye right?

ooo And that will leave the whole world blind. ooo

The giant gripped his head, trying to shake that voice out of his mind. He wasn’t sure why he was being assaulted by it now. Everything had been just fine. He didn’t feel this voice so much when he was playing with Rudy earlier. Why was it pestering him now? He shook his head from one side to the other, and eventually, he was certain he could hear the buzzing voice stop completely. Now he could focus on what he was thinking about before.

Yes, the thought of ripping out that boy’s left eye seemed like perfect karma. Blinding him completely. He would be helpless then. He couldn’t use the magic chalk if he couldn’t see what he was doing. Then it didn’t matter where he left him, even out in the open. He could try to draw, but any attempts would be in vain.

Once again, he found himself feeling confused by something. He still didn’t get why Rudy would try to seek pity from him. That...just didn’t seem very likely. He knew that he had taken out his eye. Why would he be stupid enough to think that he would trust him enough to let him go?

Then another thought came to his mind. He recalled Rudy had done this at age eight, but Rudy was clearly ten now. It wasn’t something that came to his mind much. He had been so angry about what he did that he didn’t stop to think about some of these details all that much. Before, the fact that Rudy was eight didn’t seem too significant. But now as more thoughts entered his mind, he couldn’t help but start questioning himself. A single question most prominently encircled his mind.

If Rudy had hurt him at age eight, then why did he let him roam around ChalkZone for about two years before doing anything?

It just didn’t make any sense. He had made himself a promise, to keep out any new creator that dares try to get him. And yet for some reason, he had let Rudy roam around for a couple of years. Why would he do that if he knew that he was dangerous? What would possess him to trust him with the chalk? No, he didn’t trust him with the chalk, but then... what else did it look like?

Or...maybe the event took place at a later date? Maybe the betrayal was recent and it only felt so long ago? No, that was impossible. He felt around his head to make double sure. There would have been stitches. An injury like that wouldn’t have healed itself that quickly.

So then...what was going on? What had actually happened, and when? Why weren’t his memories making any sense anymore? What was the truth? These questions and more clouded his mind, giving him a pounding headache. He rubbed his hands over his head, massaging it, trying to chase away at least some of the pain. The effort worked a little bit, but he could still feel the pounding headache spread through his skull.

ooo Perhaps..it didn’t happen like that. ooo

He gritted his teeth at the thought. Well if it didn’t happen like that, then what did? How did the memory actually go?

ooo Maybe Rudy was..is actually a nice kid, and I let him have the chalk because he had proven himself? ooo

The thought made the giant growl in almost bitter amusement. Him? Willingly give a fucking creator magic chalk? Deliberately letting one roam around ChalkZone for their own amusement? Yeah, right.

But then...it would actually explain why Rudy stuck around for so long, and why he hadn’t taken action until now. It would fill in that loophole in his memory, if Rudy had actually been nice and helpful enough that he’d trust him with the chalk. It was the only thing he could think of that would make any kind of sense.

But why would Rudy take out an eye? Why would he suddenly turn against his old ways to hurt him? That didn’t make much sense. It would seem....out of his character. He clearly remembered that he was eight when he did it, but... No, he had to have done something to earn that trust. There just.. There had to be an explanation for this. Why would Rudy briefly turn aggressive and yet he himself still allowed him to roam around in ChalkZone?

ooo That’s because he never did anything harmful to me. ooo

The thought made him freeze. He tried to shake it off, but it kept circling around his head, wrapping him up tightly around the skull like a headband. He felt the words repeating themselves over and over inside his head.

Rudy...didn’t do anything.

The thought seemed so foreign and so strange. A part of him had a hard time believing it. His more emotional half continued to want to think that Rudy was responsible. He had taken out his eye for crying out loud. He could never forget that. The memory of it, the memory of the pain, it was way too vivid for him to just have made it up. He’d never make up a memory so twisted and disturbing.

But with that previous thought came a realization. That perhaps he had been remembering wrong this whole time. That maybe Rudy had never took out an eye... Maybe he never had a third eye at all. Maybe Rudy did give him an eye. Yes...he remembered having vision problems then... No depth perception.

“Gah!”

Biclops gripped his head even tighter, applying pressure. He gritted his teeth tightly, gnashing them together. The thoughts in his head swam rapidly. He could feel his mind going to war on itself. One side believing Rudy was the culprit, and the other believing that he had been mistaken. He struggled to deal with the pain, even as it ripped through his head and threatened to split it wide open. He clenched his teeth tighter, nearly popping them out of his jaws. Unable to take it, he pulled his head back and he let out a scream.

“Aaaaaaahhhh!”

As the scream dissipated, he dropped down onto his knees. He held himself up with one hand, the other rubbing his forehead. He took in a few heavy breaths, in and out slowly. His eyes remained shut for a few moments, but then soon, they opened, locked on the ground, on nothing in particular. Even as he tried to relax, his mind continued to have rapid moving thoughts invading his skull, and he could feel his body shivering.

Rudy Tabootie... Had he been wrong about him? These memories no longer added up as much as they did before. He wasn’t even sure what caused it. But something...his intuition maybe, was telling him that something was wrong. Something about the memories felt off.

He didn’t have much time to think about this when he noticed something coming towards him. He lifted up his head and squinted his eyes, trying to make out the shape. Something was moving in the sky and it was coming in his direction. As he watched, the shape began to become more and more recognizable. And soon he realized who it was.

Skrawl and his Beanie Boys.

Briefly, the back of his mind set off an alarm, red flags. It told him that the sight of Skrawl was bad news and he should get away.

And yet he remained put. A part of him couldn’t help but feel some relaxation at Skrawl’s presence. A part of him wanted to keep believing that Skrawl was, although grumpy, a good guy. He had been trying to stop Rudy and Penny. That made him an ally...right?

Biclops watched in silence as Skrawl, who was being carried by his Beanie Boys, came over towards him. It took only a few moments for the jellybean to reach him. The Beanie Boys lowered him down to the ground, where it gently made touch down. The jellybean jumped out of the chair he was in, and he began to make his way over towards him.

He often forgot how large Skrawl was. Not his size of course, but he was still larger than many other zoners he tended to see. The zoner was tall enough to reach around his chest. Yet the way the zoner carried himself as he came over, and the way he looked at him, it was as if Skrawl felt he was so much larger. Not that this worried Biclops too much. He could easily seize the jellybean in his hand if he decided to get out of line too much.

“Greetings, Biclops.” Skrawl was quick to begin talking. “How are you on this fine day?”

Biclops cocked an eyebrow. “I’m fine. I’m not sure why you came all the way here to ask me that.”

“That’s because I didn’t. I just didn’t want to be rude, you know?” Skrawl said as he spread out his hands. “After all, you are the guardian of the Chalk Mine.”

This felt strange. There was something about his words that felt off. But he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why that is. “Why have you come here? And don’t tell me it was just to wish me a good day. You never usually come here. You have a reason.” Biclops folded his arms, giving the jellybean a frown. “So spill it. What do you want?”

“I’ll go right into it.” Skrawl motioned his claws inward towards himself. “I came here for Master Tabootie.”

“Rudy Tabootie?” Biclops narrowed his eyes in confusion, turning his head to one side. “Why do you want him? I already have him in custody.”

“Thoughtless wants to see him for some reason. I don’t know exactly why.” Slight hesitation. The jellybean might be lying about that. Biclops said nothing and let the jellybean continue. “I’ve come to take him off your hands for you. I’m sure you did a great job with punishing him. Let Thoughtless handle things from here.”

But still Biclops didn’t step aside. He could see how much this was irritating Skrawl. Even if he didn’t say anything, the expression alone spoke enough. It made Biclops almost want to move. And yet he was compelled to keep himself in front. He wasn’t even sure why. Maybe he had an attachment to Rudy that he never realized before? Was that their true relationship?

“I’m sorry, but I already have plans for the boy. I’m not about to deviate from them now.” Biclops’s voice was soft and tinged with the best regret that he could manage. “But if it would like, I could get Penny and bring her to it. I don’t care how it punishes her. But Rudy Tabootie is mine.” He placed a hand against his chest. “I’m not giving him up.”

Skrawl lowered his head slightly, growling softly. “I would reconsider if I were you, Biclops.” The Beanie Boys around him gave a confirmative nod. “I don’t want to do anything, but Thoughtless, it’s...really convincing. And it will not take no for an answer. It wants Rudy, and it wants him now.”

Biclops knew he was taking a risk by still resisting. He knew that he was better off handing the boy over than risk whatever Thoughtless or Skrawl might do. Despite knowing that they were allies, and they had been trying to keep ChalkZone safe, he still couldn’t help but feel uneasy around them. There was something about them that just...didn’t mix in very well in his mind.

And then there were those other thoughts, the ones that were telling him that they weren’t to be trusted, that Rudy was not the monster he thought he was. These thoughts intermingled together, giving him a headache. He gritted his teeth and tried to ride this out. It took a few moments before the thoughts would subside, and he could feel himself returning to normal. Or rather, a sense of normal; there was still that buzzing in the back of his head, telling him that something was wrong.

A part of him wasn’t sure why he was even resisting. What did it matter what Skrawl did to Rudy? Why should he even care? Rudy was the enemy, right? Whatever Skrawl and Thoughtless were going to do, he deserved it, right? Why was he hesitating about this? Why not just hand the little brat over?

ooo Because he is innocent and I know that for a fact. ooo

No, he wasn’t innocent..was he? Those thoughts from before, the ones filled with doubt, came rushing back to him. He found his hand shooting for his face, rubbing it back and forth, his teeth clenched tightly once more.

The other part of him didn’t want to do this. There was some small part of him that was clawing its way up, telling him that this was a very bad idea. This part couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for Rudy. It felt...strangely compelled to protect him. He froze at this thought. Him, protect Rudy? That was absurd...and yet somehow the feeling felt...right.

Without fully realizing it was happening, Biclops narrowed his eyes and he took a step forward. The Beanie Boys looked unnerved and they immediately draw back. Skrawl, however, remained perfectly still, his hands pressed against his hips as he seemed to be waiting expectantly for him to do what he wanted. Biclops raised a hand and pointed a large finger in the opposite direction they had come. “Why don’t you just turn around and leave? I’m not in the mood for you.”

Skrawl cocked an eyebrow. “So....you’re saying no? To Thoughtless? To me?”

Biclops remained silent for a few moments. Then he nodded his head. “Yes.” A single word. Simple, yet firm and strong.

Skrawl stared at him for a few moments. His expression never changed, a look of mild surprise. Then they slowly narrowed, and he shook his head from side to side, shutting his eyes softly. “That is...too bad. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to resort to this. But...” He reopened his eyes and glared at Biclops’s own. “..you left me with no choice.”

Before Biclops could react, there was a sudden shockwave of pain coming from his leg. He looked down and he could see something red stuck in his leg. He stared at it for a few moments, watching as it sparkled. He threw his head back and let out a scream and he dropped down onto his knee. He quivered as he felt the pain spreading through his body rapidly, feeling as though it was tearing him apart on the inside.

Looking over at Skrawl, he could see that the jellybean’s hand was pulled back and his body was in a posture that revealed what happened. Skrawl was the one who threw the piece, using amazing speed that he didn’t even know the jellybean had. As the pain overwhelmed him, the pale yellow giant found himself falling onto his side, gripping his leg tightly.

“Come on, Beanie Boys.” Skrawl said, snapping his claws together. “We have a little gift to bring to our...benefactor.”

Biclops watched, his vision blurring due to the pain, as Skrawl and the Beanie Boys began to go inside. Though he could not fully explain where it came from, a strong feeling of dread and horror washed through him. For some reason, he just...couldn’t allow them to get to Rudy. Something inside of him was compelling him to go and stop them.

But the pain...it wouldn’t let him go anywhere. It got progressively worse, his whole body shaking violently. He could see blood beginning to ooze rapidly from where it was stuck to him. He stared at the leg in horror and then he looked back to the cave. He took in a few shaky breaths, and then he let out a terror-tinged scream that surprised even himself.

“Rudy Tabootie!”

Before the giant could process the confusing thoughts in his head and why he had screamed Rudy’s name like that, the agony had finally taken its toll on his mind. He collapsed in a heap on the ground, his world entering darkness and silence.

sss

“Rudy Tabootie!”

Rudy nearly fell out of the simulated bed. He instantly rose up, looking left and right frantically for any sign of that giant. He took in several quick breaths, struggling to slow down his breathing and calm down. He looked in the direction he heard the scream in, questions rushing through his skull.

What was going on? Why did Biclops scream like that? Why did he sound almost...worried? That didn’t make any sense. Why would Biclops care about what happened to him? Wasn’t he a monster? Wasn’t he some disgusting piece of filth that deserved to get punished? His mind was altered and he had lived thinking that he was some sort of hero, but now he knows that’s complete garbage. And Biclops knew this.

So why did he scream like that? The way it sounded...it was so urgent. It was as if Biclops was trying to...warn him of something. The thought made Rudy scoff and he blew a stray hair strand away. Warn him...what a joke. Biclops wouldn’t care what happened to him. And frankly, a part of himself didn’t either. This was karma after all. Why shouldn’t he just face it? He deserved it.

It didn’t take him too long to realize who was coming. He could see the shadow moving along the wall. Tall and round, but he knew it wasn’t Biclops. The footsteps weren’t nearly heavy enough. And this shadow was followed by four other ones. He could hear a low buzzing sound that was steadily getting louder. It sounded almost like a propeller. A few small propellers working together to make a larger sound. His left eye instantly widened. He knew of only one type of zoner that made that sort of sound.

“Ah Rudy Tabootie...” An all too familiar voice chortled, rippling through the air. “How nice to....see you again...”

Rudy could feel his blood chilling at that voice. He looked around frantically as he tried to see the source of that voice. It took a while, but he eventually could see the familiar shape of the jellybean zoner emerging, and floating behind him, those large, overweight zoners that could somehow fly.

Rudy immediately jumped to his feet and he took a few steps back. He adopted a defensive posture and gritted his teeth. “What do you want, Skrawl?” He demanded. He paused for a moment. He turned his body to the side as he tried to look behind Skrawl. “And where is Biclops.”

“He is....busy at the moment.” Skrawl tapped his claws together. “That leaves us to spend some quality time together.”

Rudy narrowed his eyes. “What do you plan on doing with me?”

Skrawl smiled at him. An eerie, disturbing smile filled with promises. It was never a good sign when Skrawl smiled like this. Rudy prepared himself for anything. He looked up cautiously at the Beanie Boys. They didn’t seem interested in moving any time soon. He looked back at Skrawl, who was just standing there, smiling, his hands behind his back. He was planning something, he could tell. But exactly what, it was difficult to say.

After what felt like too long of silence, Skrawl finally spoke again. “Biclops has relinquished you to our custody.” Skrawl motioned to himself. “You see, Thoughtless wants you.”

Rudy scrunched up his nose. “It what? Why?” He bared his teeth defensively, a way of showing Skrawl that he wasn’t backing down without a fight.

“I’m not sure why it wants you so much.” An obvious lie. Skrawl was hiding something, trying to make this sound not as bad as it really was. Rudy narrowed his eyes at the jellybean, who didn’t seem fazed. “But I’m not about to deny it. Thoughtless had done so much for me and my Beanie Boys. I do think I deserve to give him some payback, right?” He rubbed his hands together. “I do look forward to what he does to you, chalk boy.”

Rudy grimaced at this. A part of him knew that something was off about this. Skrawl wasn’t the type to willingly payback someone else like this. The Skrawl he knew wouldn’t be this grateful. He would still be selfish, caring only about his own goals.

But regardless of this out of character moment, what alarmed him most was what Skrawl planned to do. Bring him to Thoughtless? What was Thoughtless going to do to him? What did that thing have planned for him? Rudy had some ideas, and they kept racing through his head, each one worse than the next. He gritted his teeth as he tried to keep the thoughts from overtaking his mind too much. He tried his best to look brave.

But it was clear that some fear was showing on his face. Skrawl’s broadened smirk revealed this. Rudy couldn’t stop his heart from pounding in his chest. He couldn’t stop the feelings of fear from washing over him. He was chalkless against Skrawl. Defenseless. He could try to defend himself, but there was little he could do agains the large jellybean zoner. And as Skrawl took a few steps towards him, Rudy couldn’t help but take a few steps back, despite his bravado he tried to display.

“You are coming with us, Master Tabootie.” Skrawl sneered at him. “And don’t even try to say ‘no’. Thoughtless doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer, and neither do I.” He pressed his claw against his dome. “Even think of doing that, and I will let my Beanie Boys ‘play’ with you for a while. And trust me, you don’t want to know how they play.”

Rudy felt a cold shiver rush through his body as he saw the Beanie Boys take on malicious expressions he had never seen on them before. He stared at them for a few moments and then he looked at Skrawl. The jellybean had started to cut a hole into his dome, the loud scrape filling the air. The boy took in several quick breaths, his eye darting left and right, and then back at Skrawl.

What was he going to do now?

sss

Snap leaned back in his chair, looking up and chuckling at the sight of Delta. A part of him was glad that Delta went behind Skrawl’s back. This provided for him a source of entertainment. Skrawl had allowed him to do anything he wanted to Delta as punishment, and that’s exactly what he was doing.

Of course, he didn’t really hurt Delta. No, that would have been too easy. It might have gotten old too quickly, and besides, Delta would have been expecting that. He wanted to take the Beanie Boy by surprise. He was his rival after all. Why not have a little fun with him? Play with him for a while? Yes, that would be grand. It didn’t take him too long to decide what he wanted to do with him either.

Delta hung overhead, a thick rope binding his arms and forcing him to hang in the middle of the room like some kind of ornament. Snap couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched the Beanie Boy struggle to get free, only to cause himself to swing around a little. It was quite a comical sight. One that only he would get to see; he had ordered the other Beanie Boys to leave so he could spend some time with Delta.

His rival was screaming at him to let him go. He didn’t quite give up yet. His voice sounded scratchy and Snap knew it was only a matter of time before he would give in, if only because his throat couldn’t handle it anymore. A part of Snap hoped it didn’t come to that. He would miss hearing the sound of his rival’s accursed voice.

He looked at the long pole that he had been given. He stared at it, a smile spreading across his face. Another part of Delta’s punishment. He had thought of the idea after he told the others to hang Delta. It completed the image quite well, and it provided him with some more fun than just watching him swing helplessly in the air. Not that that wasn’t fun, but seeing him swing around more when he struck him with the pole, like he was some kind of pinata, that was even more fun. Especially considering that he was upside down.

“Ow!” Delta cried out when Snap hit him in the face. “Will you quit that?!”

Snap chortled at this. “And why should I? It’s fun!” He raised the stick and hit Delta again, causing him to swing away wildly, back and forth. “See? Isn’t this fun?”

“No! You little runt! You better let me go!” Delta struggled to free one of his arms.

“Uh uh uh...” Snap waved his hand from side to side, his tone like that of a mother speaking to a child. “You should cool your temper. Skrawl allowed me to do this, and until he says to stop...” He narrowed his eyes, a malicious glint in them. “You’re mine...”

“That’s not fair!” Delta screeched, strugging wildly. “I didn’t do anything wrong! I swear, he really did give those orders and....” Snap struck him again, this time in the face. Delta shuddered from the pain and he fell silent.

Snap shook his head from side to side. “Tsk tsk tsk... Still making up stories, I see. That is a shame. I would have thought you’d be smarter than that.” Snap looked at the pole, a fake look of disappointment on his face. “You can’t just admit that you made a mistake. I’m sure Skrawl would understand that more than you lying to get out of trouble.” He continued to examine the pole before giving Delta a sidewas glance, a single eye staring out at him. “But...if you’d like to keep lying, go right ahead.” He grinned. “I haven’t had this much fun in a long time...”

Delta growled at this. “You stupid little....!” He was struck in his side. He let out a yelp, turning his head to one side. Then he focused back on Snap. “I will get you for this! Someday! I will!”

Snap laughed at this. “Yeah sure! Like that will ever happen!” He waved his hand dismissively.

“You will see! Someday Skrawl will find out that he made a mistake in you! And I will be on your sorry tail!” Delta’s voice was slightly higher pitched than normal, adrenaline pumping through his body. This adrenaline wasn’t enough to free him of the ropes, but it was enough that Snap could see his body shaking. “I will shred you!”

Snap leaned back in his chair. He crossed one leg over the other. He let go of the pole, allowing it to lean towards him. A smirk spread across his face. “Yeah, sure... If you say so.” He folded his arms behind his head. “If that ever happens, then by all means, tear off one of my arms or something.”

“Be careful what you wish for, punk!” Delta jerked himself from side to side. “I will make it come true!”

Snap chortled at this, but said nothing. He leaned back in his chair and watched as Delta continued to struggle. It was really quite fascinating just how much spunk was in this one zoner. He could hardly believe just how much he could keep this up and how long he was willing to struggle. It was as though Delta were not fully aware of the situation; he just kept struggling as if that would somehow get him free. Not a chance. If anything, all he was doing was tightening the ropes.

But regardless, it was still quite fun to watch. Even though he didn’t hurt the zoner too much other than with some whacks, watching him struggle like this was more fun. Seeing him stripped of his power, even if it was just temporary, and seeing him tied up and helpless, it was so enjoyable. This zoner was his rival and he knew that Delta wanted to usurp him and reclaim the title of second in command. Perhaps this will encourage him to abandon that silly goal. Snap would remain Skrawl’s second in command. Nothing would change that.

Speaking of Skrawl, he wondered where he had gone. He hadn’t seen him since he went to speak to Thoughtless. Where could he have gone after that? Or was he still with Thoughtless? He hadn’t known meetings between those two to be this long but...it was still a possibility. Or perhaps Thoughtless had sent him out on a mission. Maybe to find those swords that were mentioned earlier. He recalled how much Skrawl and Thoughtless wanted those items. Perhaps Thoughtless finally figured out where they were? Snap hoped so. It would be nice to have some weaponry like that on their side. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought of using one against Rudy and Penny.

The thought of them made him flinch, his heart tightening. Not because he cared about them. No, they were the enemy. They hurt him. Why would he give a fuck about them? But...there was something else that had him concerned. He recalled what Delta had said before, about Penny and the red chalk. He couldn’t help but wonder one thing.

Why would Delta think that this plan was a good idea?

Snap had his doubts that Thoughtless approved of it. He was certain that Delta was just looking for someone to blame. Thoughtless wouldn’t be stupid enough to try to merge someone with red chalk. That idea was just ludicrous. It wouldn’t even work; they would waste all that time for nothing.

But even if it did work, why would Penny, or gawd forbid, Rudy, be chosen? Those two were dangerous enough as regular children. Why would Delta want to risk making them even more dangerous by having one turned into red chalk? Rudy with a piece of red chalk that was Penny... He shuddered. That would be a horrific thing to witness. And to think, this plan was to be executed by Delta, one of Skrawl’s own. He couldn’t help but shake his head at this.

Why would Delta want to do something so crazy? Why would he risk so much on a ridiculous and dangerous plan? Did he not consider what might happen if it all went wrong? What did he plan to do if it went right? He did have a thought on what that was, and it made his gut burn.

Delta might be trying to usurp Skrawl and Thoughtless. That had to be it. The zoner was feeling miffed about losing his second in command spot, and he decided to take it out on them by fulfilling this plan. He would have then tried to find a way to gain control of them, and he would have used them against Skrawl and Thoughtless and force them to back down, letting him be the leader. Although he knew that such a thing was unlikely, considering the memotrice’s powers, the very idea of such an attempted usurp boiled Snap’s blood.

How dare he... How could Delta do something like this? How could he betray the one who took him in and took care of him? How could he do this to Skrawl? What had that jellybean done to deserve this kind of reaction from him? Sure Skrawl was tough, but for good reason. That wasn’t an excuse to try to attack him like this.

Snap glared harshly at Delta. At this point, the Beanie Boy froze as he stared into Snap’s eyes. It seemed that he was unnerved by his expression. Good. He was glad he was unnerved. He had a lot of explaining to do. He looked over at the pole, staring at it for a few moments. Then he grabbed onto it and began to walk closer to him. There was time. Skrawl wouldn’t be back for a while. He might as well take this opportunity to interrogate Delta. And when he found out more information, he will give it to Skrawl so he understood the full extent of Delta’s betrayal. Skrawl would award him quite well.

Delta widened his eyes as he watched Snap get closer with that long bat. He struggled a little, but he soon stopped, knowing full well he couldn’t escape. He took in a few quick breaths before he attempted to put on a brave face. He narrowed his eyes at Snap and said, “What do you want now, you little runt?”

Snap bared his teeth. “I want to know what you were planning with the red chalk...”

“I already told you!” Delta rolled his eyes. “Thoughtless and Skrawl wanted to use it for... Ow!” Snap had struck him. “Hey! What was that for?!”

“I don’t want to hear any lying. Now why don’t you be a good Beanie Boy and tell me what you’re really up to?” Snap’s voice was a growl. “Or do you want to meet this pole on a more..personal level...?”

At this, Delta’s face paled. Any sign of bravery was gone as he shook his head desperately. “No! I’m telling the truth! Please...don’t!”

A twisted smile spread along Snap’s mouth. “I’m sorry, but that is not what I wanted to hear...” He raised the pole up, pulling it back as if he were about to strike. “I will give you one more chance. Fail to answer me appropriately, and you are going to know this pole even more so than I do...” He raised the pole, his arm muscles tensing up. The zoner’s eyes widened in horror. “So..are you going to...”

Snap was interruped when he heard someone smashing in through the door. He whipped his head around and he could see a Beanie Boy hovering there. Snap stared in shock for a few moments and then he narrowed his eyes dangerously.

“What are you doing here?!” Snap dropped the pole as he headed towards the Beanie Boy, who cowered a little in his presence. Snap stood up as straight as he could, a sign of how much higher he ranked above this Beanie Boy. “You shouldn’t be here! I told all of you to stay out!” He wasn’t sure what gave this Beanie Boy the gall to interrupt him, the second-in-command, but he was about to find out. “What is going on?”

“I’m sorry, s-s-sir...” The Beanie Boy lowered his head, his hands fumbling together. “I-I was sent here by...”

“By whom?!” Snap hissed. “Tell me, you piece of shit!”

The Beanie Boy moved away from him, his head turning to one side to avoid direct eye contact. “S-S-Skrawl...”

At this, Snap’s body immediately relaxed, his frown dropping. He stared down at the zoner with a softer expression. If it was Skrawl who sent him, then that was a different story. He couldn’t exactly fault him for following the orders from the one who was first-in-command. “Okay then...” He spoke more gently this time. He was still a little pissed, but he made an effort to sound calmer. He wasn’t going to get much out of this guy if he continued to act hostile, he realized. “What does Skrawl want?”

The Beanie Boy turned his head towards Delta. “He..He wants you to let him go.” At this, Delta’s eyes twinkled in relief.

Snap frowned in disappointment. “I was about to interrogate him. Can’t it wait?”

“Interrogate him for what?” Asked the Beanie Boy.

Snap rolled his eyes. Did the zoner really ask such a stupid question? “For information, you dolt.” He paused for a moment and sighed. Might as well go into more detail, since he knew that was going to be this zoner’s next question. “He was plotting against Skrawl and I wanted to figure out just what he was doing.”

“What?! But I wasn’t...!” Delta started to say.

“Shut it!” Snap warned him, shooting him a hard glare. He then turned his attention back to the lower ranking Beanie Boy. “As you can see, he’s gotten a little defiant. He is upset that I am second-in-command and he wants to get revenge on Skrawl for basically dumping him.” His lip pulled up into a snarl. “And he thought he could get away with it...”

“Well...actually...”

Snap stared down at the Beanie Boy in confusion. He noticed the look in the Beanie Boy’s eye. He clearly wanted to say something, and it looked quite urgent. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was. He knew it likely related to Delta in some way. But how? Was this zoner in deeper hot water than before? Or was it someone else who panned this hostile take over and Delta was nothing more than a pawn?

Well there was one way to find out.

“What is it?” Snap asked when the Beanie Boy didn’t continue. “Come on. Speak up!”

The Beanie Boy remained silent for a few moments. He looked pretty nervous about talking, as if he was a little unsure. Snap used his hand to try to urge him to speak, but he did not say another word. Due to his growing frustration, he was worried that any attempt to encourage him to speak would result in a growly, anger-tinged voice. But thankfully, the silence was short-lived and the Beanie Boy did finally speak up.

“It turns out Skraw really did have that planned. He had just forgotten about it.” The Beanie Boy said. Snap’s eyes widened at this. The Beanie Boy looked up at Delta. “That means that he was only doing his job, and therefore, didn’t deserve punishment.”

Snap’s mouth nearly dropped open at this. His mind went numb for a brief second before he started to stammer. “Wh-What...?”

“Yes! I told you!” Came Delta’s gleeful voice. “I told you I wasn’t lying!”

Snap hardly paid attention to him. He felt something close in all around him. A strange sensation that he never thought he would feel at this point. He knew this sensation was guilt. It clung to him tightly, threatening to rip him apart. He could feel the reality of what he had done crash in all around him, and he could feel his breath intakes increasing in speed. He let the Beanie Boy’s words ring through his head, his eyes widening further as he understood what they were implying.

He had punished Delta for no reason. He had been telling the truth, and yet he had still struck him around like some kind of rag doll. Granted, a part of him still enjoyed it. But another part couldn’t help but feel sick at himself. He knew right away that he had done wrong. Even though he couldn’t have known any better, that screw ups and mistakes happen all the time, he couldn’t help but feel some level of guilt for this. He looked over at Delta and he momentarily saw himself in that position, with Rudy and Penny striking him. He shuddered and ripped his eyes away.

Well, there was no use crying over spilled milk, as the saying goes. He couldn’t undo what he had done. But he still needed to take responsibility for what he had done. That is what all good commanding officers had to do. He was a general here and he needed to start acting like one. He looked over at Delta and decided to begin. Swallowing his pride, he said one thing.

“My apologies, Delta.”

He tried to ignore the arrogant sneer that came over Delta’s face. He turned his head away and he focused on the Beanie Boy that delivered the news. “What does Skrawl want me to do?”

“He wants you to release Delta and the both of you to report to his office.” The Beanie Boy explained. “He has an assignment for you two.”

“An assignment with him?” Mocked Delta. “Oh this oughtta be interesting!”

Snap glared at Delta, but he didn’t say another word. If this is what Skrawl commanded, he couldn’t simply go against his wishes. He took in a deep breath and he headed over towards Delta.

Once he was there, he reached up and he grabbed onto the rope that held him up. He worked his hand over the knot. A little difficult, especially with how tight it was. But after a few moments of fumbling, he was able to loosen it up. He raised it up as high as he could go, in turn lowering Delta to the ground. Then, having no choice, he let go, and the zoner dropped down the rest of the way. There was a loud thud and several coughs.

“You idiot!” Delta gagged as some of the dust on the ground got into his mouth. “You couldn’t have thought of a better way to get me down?!”

Snap didn’t reply. He simply went over towards the fallen zoner and he worked on the ropes. Slowly, he was able to untie Delta. Once Delta had enough ropes removed from him, he simply flexed his arms out enough to cause the remaining ropes to snap. He locked eyes with Snap for a few moments before he smirked and hovered above him.

“Well, what are you waiting for, ‘general’...?” Delta said with a sneer. “Let’s go over and see what our leader wants!”

Snap grumbled softly, but he obligued immediately. He began to follow behind Delta slowly as they were led by the lower ranking Beanie Boy to where Skrawl was waiting for them.

sss

Rudy let out a grunt as the Beanie Boys dropped the dome into a large, open room. He wobbled from side to side as he tried to keep his footing. Desperate for leverege, he gripped against the wall of the dome. It wasn’t much, but what little it offered did help to brace him as the room slammed against the hard floor. He jerked a little, but was soon able to regain his posture. After he had recovered, he took a moment to look around the room.

Skrawl had the Beanie Boys take him into what looked like a tall, cylinder-shaped tower with no top. It didn’t look too large, but the dome he was in was small enough to fit in. The Beanie Boys had lowered him most of the way. Good thing, too. The tower itself was quite tall. If they had dropped him, there was no way he would have survived the impact. He was still shaky from the drop that he had to endure, but at least he was no worse for tear.

He looked over and, not to his surprise, Skrawl was standing there, his arms folded behind his back and a smirk spread across his face. “I hope you enjoy your new accomodations, Master Tabootie.” His smile spread a little further. “I would get comfortable if I were you. Things are going to get less pleasant later on.”

Rudy scoffed at this. “Like hell you would ever be pleasant.”

Skrawl chuckled. “I am going to miss your defiant attitude, Rudy Tabootie. But at the same time, I will relish in your demise. And then you will be of more use to me.”

Rudy blinked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh I do wish I have time to tell you.” Skrawl said as he turned his head as if to look at some clock that wasn’t there. “But I really have to be going right now. I will come back later, though, and speak to you about what will happen. I will give you a hint, though.” He leaned himself closer, staring Rudy right in his eye. “It’s the same fate your dear friend, the genius girl, is going through right now.”

At this, Rudy’s eyes widened. “What’s happening to her?!”

“Uh uh... You will find out later. I think I will give you some time to think about that.” Skrawl motioned towards the illusion bed that was positioned behind Rudy. “Go ahead. Kick your feet up, relax, and think!” He turned his back to Rudy. “As for me, I’ve got to get going. I will give you some time to accomodate yourself more with your new, temporary home.” With that, he began to walk away.

“Wait! Come back!” Rudy called out. “What are you talking about?!”

But it was no use. Skrawl had quickly disappeared from his sights, leaving him alone. The dome overhead was closed. So there was a lid after all. But he didn’t pay much mind to that. All he could do was stare in the direction Skrawl had left. Even as most of the room went dark, save for some light in the dome itself, even when he could no longer see Skrawl, he couldn’t tear his eyes away, his mind reeling from the small bit of information he had given him.

What was going on with Penny? When did Skrawl catch her? What did he plan on doing with her? He knew that the fate wasn’t a good one, if Skrawl’s voice was anything to go by, as well as the things he said before. He knew that this fate was one that he would have to endure himself. Just what kind of fate awaited him when Skrawl decided that it was time?

Wait, why was he worried about Penny? He let out a low growl, baring his teeth. She had hurt him earlier. She took out his eye. He reached his hand up and laid it upon his injured right eye. The bleeding had stopped, although the blood was still a little soft. Just a light touch was enough to make him yelp and recoil. He was glad for the cloth tied around his head, but this did little to stop the pain that was coursing through his skull. He clenched his teeth tightly as he tried to endure the pain.

A part of him, a darker side that he did not expect, was almost glad Penny was captured. Not that he would ever wish death upon her, but he felt that she deserved a little pain for what she had done to him. Perhaps now, she would understand the full amount of suffering she had caused him when she betrayed him like that. She could have avoided this whole miss if she hadn’t thrown him against that shelf...

But then again... it was an accident, right? She sounded really upset by it and she had tried to help him. If she had deliberately meant to hurt him, she wouldn’t have tried to make up for what she did. And being happy that she would be in pain... that was a pretty disgusting thing to feel. Penny didn’t deserve the suffering that Skrawl would likely dish out upon her.

But regardless, trapped in this cage, there was little he could do. He sat hismelf on the bed and leaned his head back, staring up towards the ceiling as his back rested against the soft blankets. His mind swirled around, thoughts intermixing with others. A feeling of dread and worry came over him as he thought of Penny. Despite his anger towards her, he still cared about her. He didn’t want her to get badly hurt, and he still felt a desire to want to go help her. If only he wasn’t trapped in here...

His left eye closed lightly as he let his thoughts overtake him. He began to ask himself one question over and over again.

What was going on with Penny?

sss

Rudy... What was happening with him?

Penny couldn’t help but think that thought while she hung there, suspended in the air, her head lowered. Her eyes were half-closed from exhaustion; she had struggled so hard to get herself free but ended up overexerting herself. She felt as though her arms were going to rip right from their sockets. She could feel her muscles and joints burning, threatening to tear right out of the sockets themselves.

She could feel the scaly paw of Cornerstone as she continued to hold onto her, preventing her from being able to let go of the red chalk. Penny could feel its burning energy pump through her body, into her veins, spreading up. She flinched, trying hard to push the sensation out of her mind. But it was so invasive. It kept violating her mind, threatening to take over her entire skull, causing it to practically radiate with burning heat.

A sickening feeling settled in her stomach as she smacked her lips together. She was starting to feel so sick. The fear swelling up inside of her was getting to be too much. She struggled to keep herself from throwing up, but she wasn’t sure how long she coud keep this up for. The strange energy pulsing through her was contributing to this feeling of nausea, making it much harder for her to control. She sucked in a deep breath, trembling as the raw power kept burning into her, and she could feel tears well up in her eyes as she realized she couldn’t escape it.

In the midst of her thoughts, she couldn’t help but think about Rudy. What was happening with him? What was being done to him? So many thoughts raced through her head. It was making her feel even worse. This, combined with this burning sensation, it wasn’t a good combination. She found it difficult to hold herself still, and wracks of shivers kept shooting through her body.

She felt a horrific wave of guilt strike her in the stomach. She flinched, struggling to keep it under control. But she found it to be impossible. She couldn’t fight the burning tears that came from her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t fight against the guilt that held her in its tight grasp.

Poor Rudy... Despite it being an accident, she still couldn’t help but feel stinging guilt in her stomach whenever she thought about him. She could still see the event in her mind’s eye, causing her to shake and quiver. She wished she had been more careful. She wished that she had watched what she was doing. She had been so determined to get Rudy off, she didn’t even start to think of what she was doing, and by the time she realized it, it was already too late. That scream....she would never forget the scream...

Perhaps, in some way, this was a twisted form of karma. A punishment that she was being forced to endure to teach her a lesson about taking action with no plan. A punishment to get back at her for hurting Rudy. A part of her was almost accepting of this. She felt that she deserved a little payback, despite knowing it was an accident. She wasn’t sure if Rudy would ever forgive her, but at least he could live with the knowledge knowing that she was willing to make up for her mistakes somehow.

But the rational side of her knew that this wasn’t going to solve anything. She couldn’t obsess over punishing herself. And she knew, even if she had doubts, that Rudy would, somehow, forgive her. It might not be any time soon. But he was her best friend; he would understand the situation if he calmed down enough to let her explain. She would never do anything to deliberately hurt him, and he would understand that. At least, she hoped he did.

She glanced back at Cornerstone. The snake zoner hadn’t broken eye contact with her much since she came over. Despite her face looking blank, the expression in her eyes alone told her that she was clearly enjoying this. She could almost see the smile spreading across her scaly face as she continued to hold onto her hand, preventing her from letting go of the red chalk. No matter how hard Penny tried, she just couldn’t get the red chalk out of her hand.

But she knew she had to get it away somehow. She remembered that Beanie Boy’s words all too well. They echoed in her skull, radiating throughout her head. She gritted her teeth as she struggled to keep those haunting words out of her head. But try as she might, the words just wouldn’t stop. They would repeat themselves over and over again.

‘You are going to become one with the red chalk.’

No...no she couldn’t allow that to happen. She didn’t want to have any part of this red chalk. She didn’t want to partake in its destruction, its evil ways. She didn’t want to become the enemy. Nor did she want to be killed for this thing. She wanted nothing to do with it.

But despite her attempts at getting away, she could still feel the red chalk continuing to invade her body. She could feel it moving through her arm and throughout her chest, stomach, and everywhere else. She could feel it pulsating through her. The red chalk all around her appeared to be glowing even brighter, an indication that its connection with her was getting stronger. She struggled to fight it, but she wound up feeling horrified as she felt a tingling in her head. The red chalk was starting to invade her mind. It was only a matter of moments before she could feel her thoughts start to alter.

When it first happened, when she thought a bit darkly of Rudy, she was horrified. She could feel her stomach sting and her blood chilling. She shook off the thought and managed to keep it at bay. But more thoughts soon came. They weren’t her own; they were distorted thoughts the red chalk was trying to pump into her and make her believe. They kept coming in. Wave after wave. They just wouldn’t stop. She shut her eyes tightly, struggling to cope with them. They crowed her mind, giving her a headache. Unable to take it, she threw her head back and let out a scream.

After the scream dissipated, she hung her head, her eyes opening partially. She could feel a few frustrated tears move down her face. She took in a few shaky breaths as she felt her self weaken. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could take. She was exhausted, having spent much of her energy on all this struggling. And while she panted, she could see the smirk on Cornerstone’s eyes, that look of satisfied, gleeful revenge, and she could feel the energy from the red chalk creep in further.

She hadn’t bothered trying to speak to Cornerstone. What was the point? She would never listen to her. She couldn’t speak anyway, and besides, it’s not like anything she said would make her let go. Cornerstone was more interested in getting revenge on her and Rudy than she was getting out of here where she was apparently prisoned, clearly. Why would she waste her breath on her? And then the red chalk..

Her eyes widened slightly at this as something clicked in her mind. She remembered something that Delta had said. Something about how she shouldn’t spend her energy or else she wouldn’t be accepted. She still had some energy left, and the red chalk was working faster because...

...because it might be losing its grip on her. It was working harder so it could get her in and.... That’s it.

Penny wasn’t entirely sure how long she could keep doing this. She still had some energy left in her. If she kept this up, push herself as far beyond her limits as she could, maybe the red chalk would eventually let go of her and release her from its grasp. Or... it might just speed up the process and she was sending herself to her fate even faster. But what other choice did she have? She needed some way to deter the red chalk from taking her, and if she could somehow manage to convince it that she wasn’t worthy of it, then perhaps it would leave her alone.

Taking in a deep breath, she mustered up as much strength as she could. Giving a smirk to a confused Cornerstone, she began to struggle vigorously.

Chapter 23:




“Still no word on the children?” Mrs. Tabootie tentatively asked, looking at heer husband with worry.

The man shook his head. “I’m afraid not.”

“They haven’t been searching for too long.” Tilly said, raising a hand up in gesture. “Give them time. The police will figure out something.”

Mrs. Tabootie looked over at her sister. She was glad that she could come over at a time like this, despite the hour. Tilly had gotten a babysitter for Sophie and came over to provide some emotional support, as well as help them figure out what might be going on. Although it might not be apparent to anyone who didn’t know her, Tilly was pretty smart at thinking things through. As a child, she was always the one to solve problems. Perhaps she could help with this, too.

So far, Tilly hadn’t been able to think of anything. She tried, but so far, she was just coming up with a blank. She needed more information. She needed more time. But she wasn’t giving up just yet. Tilly had promised that, as soon as something came to mind, she would let them know right then.

Mrs. Tabootie found herself often looking at her sister during her stay. She didn’t want to be rude and she felt embarrassed that she couldn’t look away. She tried her best to keep her eyes averted. But she couldn’t help herself. She felt that, at any second, Tilly would speak up. She felt the need to keep looking, to see if that mouth of hers opened up in speech. Even as she kept getting disappointed, she would still look over, still watch in hope and curiosity.

She could hear her husband let out a disgruntled sigh. She looked over at him, giving him a sympathetic look. He had been this way for a while, ever since he had come back from seeing Dr. Von Doktor. She remembered the look in his eyes when he came home, that almost brooding determination. He hadn’t spoken too much, other than he was certain that Dr. Von Doktor was responsible. Mrs. Tabootie wasn’t sure if she believed it. But she dare not say anything to her husband. He was mad enough already. She felt it was best to wait until evidence presented itself.

Surely, something would turn up, right?

“I sent them on the right trail...” Mr. Tabootie’s voice was slightly embittered. He had stopped pacing and now he faced the window. “Why haven’t they called and told me that they...”

“Dear, you know it takes time.” Mrs. Tabootie tried to pacify her husband. She wasn’t sure what luck she would have with him in this state, but she figured she’d give it a try. “Besides, there isn’t enough evidence to link Dr. Von Doktor to...” She flinched when her husband turned to glare at her.

“Are you saying he’s innocent?” Mr. Tabootie hissed.

Mr. Tabootie shook her head. “I’m just saying that the police might not feel obligued to search someone’s home based on a hunch.” She bit her lip. She leaned forward, gesturing her hand towards him. “Please, try to sit down and relax. The police will call if they find something. If they find any reason to suspect Dr. Von Doktor, then they will search his premises.”

Mr. Tabootie glared at her for a few seconds, his eyes scrunching up a little more than usual. He turned away from her and continued staring out the window. He made no attempt to come towards the couch. Mrs. Tabootie sighed at this, but said nothing. If her husband didn’t want to sit down, well she couldn’t really change his mind. She leaned back against the couch and casted a glance over at Tilly.

Her sister shook her head slowly. “You aren’t doing yourself any favors staring outside like that.”

Mr. Tabootie scoffed at this. “You have a better idea? I don’t see you coming up with anything.”

Tilly blinked at this. Then she sighed. “Yes, I know. But your strategy isn’t any better. You’re just going to keep worrying yourself to death and that’s not going to bring you any closer to finding your son. Please....” She raised her hand up, her eyes remaining locked on the man. “....please just...come sit down.”

Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head in agreement. She gave a quick smile at Tilly, a silent ‘thank you’ for her attempting to help her. She then casted a worried glance over to her husband. “Please, Joe. Sit down with us. I know you’re worried. So am I. But we need to try to relax and...”

“Relax?!” Mr. Tabootie whipped his head around so fast it was a blur. The glare he shot towards them was so intense, Mrs. Tabootie was surprised it didn’t set anything on fire. “How can any of us relax when our son is missing?!”

Mrs. Tabootie pulled her head back, staring at her husband with wide eyes. She exchanged glances with Tilly. Realizing that she might have gone a little too far, she looked over at him, soft eyes meeting narrowed hardened ones, and she said, “Sorry, Joe. I didn’t mean it like that. I just...I just don’t want to see you fall apart...” She closed her eyes and lowered her head. “Please..just don’t... We need each other to be strong on this and you...” Her voice trailed off. She couldn’t speak anymore.

“It is okay to worry. I am not saying that was wrong. I just don’t want you to get so worked up that you end up making yourself sick.” Tilly used the gentlest tone of voice she could muster up. She tried her best to look non-judgmental and non-confrontational, even keeping her eyes somewhat averted so it didn’t look like a challenge. “Your wife needs you right now. And you need yourself. Please...try not to lose control.”

Silence fell upon the room. Mr. Tabootie didn’t say anything. He just looked at them. The two women stared back, keeping their mouths tightly shut. Their faces were plastered with a mixture of worry and uncertainty and sympathy. None of them had any idea of what to expect. Mr. Tabootie’s angered expression hadn’t gone away, and the way his eyes were widening and pupils shrinking, the two women both feared that he was going to snap.

But so far, he remained silent. He did shake a little in emotion, but he hadn’t attempted to bite their heads off or anything. He was just...staring at them. At first, this was kind of okay, as the two women thought this meant that he would soon come to his senses. But the longer this went on, the more unnerved they got. Only a few moments had passed, but it felt like hours. And as the man kept staring at them, it felt like the air around them was getting thicker and stickier, almost as if Mr. Tabootie’s anger was spreading even through the air.

Then at last, Mr. Tabootie finally moved. He raised his shoulders up, sucking in a long, slow breath, his nostrils flaring outward. Mrs. Tabootie looked at him, her own eyes growing in size. She clenched her teeth tightly and waited for her husband to blow his top...

...but then he exhaled and his shoulders slumped. The frown all but disappeared as his mouth hung open almost in exhaustion. He lowered his head, staring at the ground with half open eyes. He took in a few slow breaths, remaining silent for a few moments. Mrs. Tabootie and Tilly watched this in confusion. They still braced themselves just in case the man went back to how he was before. But as soon as he spoke, they realized that they didn’t have to worry about that.

“...I’m sorry.” Mr. Tabootie spoke. “I...I didn’t mean to, I...” He shook his head slowly. “I just want Rudy to be safe...”

“Oh Joe..”

Mrs. Tabootie got up from the couch. She paused for a moment, watching her husband up and down warily, wondering if he was going to flip back any second. When he just kept looking at her sadly, any signs of anger gone, she approached him slowly. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Mr. Tabootie stiffened up a little at her touch, but he soon leaned himself against her, his arms slinking around her large form.

“It’s going to be okay... You’ll see...” Mrs. Tabootie whispered to her husband. This felt like a role reversal. It’s usually her doing all the worrying and her husband trying to help her calm down. “The police will find something. I’m sure of it...”

“I know, Millie. I know they will find something eventually..” Mr. Tabootie told her.

Mrs. Tabootie smiled at this. “That’s the spirit, Joe.”

Mr. Tabootie let out a worried sigh. “But...it’s that ‘eventually’ thing that worries me.” Mrs. Tabootie pulled back and stared into his worried eyes. “What if he doesn’t get found until...until...” He bit his lip. The faintest hint of tears came to his eyes.

“Joe...please...don’t think like that...” Mrs. Tabootie pulled him into another hug. She rubbed her cheek against his face. “Please.. It will be all right...”

Mrs. Tabootie didn’t want to think the possibility of Rudy being found too late. She didn’t want to think that the next thing she saw her son, it would be in a morgue or in a grave. He was..too young for that. He was way too young... He didn’t deserve that to happen to him. She didn’t want to haunt her mind with the image of her dead son being presented to her. It...It was going to be all right. She wanted to believe it would.

She continued to hold onto her husband, gently rubbing his back. He was crying softly. Not too heavily, but she could feel him shaking a little and she could feel the tears staining her shirt now. The man had been doing a good job with holding it in, with trying to look strong for her. But now he was letting loose, releasing the emotion he had packed away before. A part of her wondered if at least some of this was from when he had struck Rudy. He still hadn’t quite gotten over that.

She whispered soft, comforting words to him. She didn’t let go, not willing to leave his side. She could feel him slowly start to relax in her arms and she found herself leaning back a little to support part of his weight. After a while, she began to lead him back towards the cough slowly. She helped him sit down on the couch between her and her sister. The two women huddled close to him, providing emotional support for the man.

They were all thinking the same thing. They were all hoping that something would turn up soon. They had lost almost all track of time, and no longer remembered how much passed. All they could do was stare at the phone and wait for someone to call. But they also tried their best to keep their spirits up. Even if no one calls tonight, surely someone soon would.

They nearly jumped when they heard the door start to open. Mr. Tabootie immediately thought it was the phone and he practically lunged towards it. He fumbled with the receiver and kept calling out ‘hellos’. It took him a few seconds to realize that it was the door. Smiling sheepishly, he placed the phone shakingly down and he and the women watched as Mrs. Sanchez came walking in.

Mrs. Tabootie immediately got up and went to greet her friend. “I’m so glad you could make it!”

Mrs. Sanchez nodded her head, sharing the sentiment. “I think it’s better to worry together than to worry alone, right?”

Mrs. Tabootie couldn’t argue with that logic. At least together, they had each other to cheer one another up and keep themselves from falling into too much despair. It wasn’t perfect; her husband nearly lost it. But she knew that he would have been even worse if he were alone. Yes, it really was better to be together.

She guided Mrs. Sanchez over towards the couch. She let her sit down next to her, at the very edge. Soon the couch was occupied by four worrying folks, all of them parents. They went dead silent for several minutes, listening to each other breathing, giving each other understanding, worried looks. They placed their hands against each other as a way of reminding themselves that they weren’t alone, that they were in this together. Somehow they knew...they just knew...they were going to get through this.

But exactly how or when, they didn’t know. And there was still a chance that... No, they had to try to remain hopeful. There was still a chance. And so long as there was still a chance, they weren’t going to give up.

That was how their children would have wanted them to be.

It was Mrs. Sanchez who finally broke the silence.

“So...how have the cameras worked for you?” She asked in a soft, tentative voice. She must have seen the look in Mr. Tabootie’s eyes and she had quickly realized she was already treading on thin territory. She paused when she saw him shudder. She forced herself to continue. “I...haven’t seen anything. Yet.”

“Neither have we.” Mrs. Tabootie took it upon herself to reply. She could tell that her husband was in no mood for a speach. “But it hasn’t been that long...” She struggled to remain positive. “I’m...sure something will turn up soon.”

“Yeah.” Tilly nodded her head. “We just need to wait.”

Mrs. Sanchez seemed to agree, but then she looked away from them. She stared out into the distance, a faraway look in her eyes. Mrs. Tabootie couldn’t help but feel her heart clench at this. She had seen her friend give this expression before and it was hardly a good thing. It meant that she had thought of something important. Something serious.

Something...dangerous.

“...Inez...?” Mrs. Tabootie whispered in a low voice. She watched as the vet stared over at her, that somewhat vacant look still in her eyes. “...what is going on...? Why are you looking at us like that...?”

She, Tilly, and Mr. Tabootie locked yes with the woman. Mrs. Sanchez looked back at them, staring at them with great sympathy and something that was almost like fear. They remained in this deadlock stare for a few moments, the long, dead silence gripping them, tearing them apart on the inside. Soon Mrs. Sanchez curled her lip up enough to briefly show her teeth, and then she looked away from them. The lack of a response was unnerving.

Just...what was going on here..?

sss

Thoughtless wondered how everything was progressing. It hadn’t really heard the results yet, but then again, it didn’t really know how long it should wait. It didn’t know how long it would take for the red chalk to take to the girl, or if they would even accept her. If it had tried with Rudy, perhaps the red chalk would have been more...eager.

But even then, it might still have taken time. There were no records of how long the red chalk would take, and this was more of an experimental phase. It wasn’t entirely sure if what it read was correct. It seemed unbelievable and it had no idea how it could have worked. It hoped that by giving Penny to the red chalk, it would be able to find out for itself.

There was a chance that it was a bust. But...no, it didn’t think so. Everything else seemed so professionally written. It was a book of records of course. Why would they put something that hadn’t actually happened in some shape or form in the book? It would think that the stories would be checked out and scrutinized to make sure that they were as accurate as could be. Or perhaps it was just giving them way too much credit and perhaps this book had a bunch of lies written in it.

No matter. It wouldn’t be too hard to separate the truth from the lies. It would be able to quickly learn if this book spoke the truth about the red chalk’s origins. All it needed to do was wait and see what would happen to Penny if she were forced to stay with the red chalk long enough. Of course, she may not survive the procedure...but eh, it could live with that. It could always then turn to Rudy Tabootie, whom had recently arrived, if it wanted to do something else in regards to the red chalk.

Thoughtless was glad that Skrawl was able to act so quickly. It didn’t think that Skrawl could get Rudy here so fast, but it had been proven wrong. As soon as Skrawl had reported to him that the task was taken care of, it couldn’t help but feel a sense of delightment. That was quite an impressive feat for Skrawl. It would have thought that it would take longer than that. Perhaps it didn’t give that jellybean enough credit.

It paused at this. It remembered how Skrawl had confronted it before. Skrawl had realized something was wrong with it and went to challenge it. Thoughtless hadn’t yet learned of how Skrawl got suspicious in the first place. It had its ideas, but nothing absolute.

It narrowed its eyes. It would need to figure out just how the jellybean learned of this, and it would need to do something about it. It needed someway to rectify this situation before a repeate occurred anytime soon. It was vital that it kept things under control. It couldn’t have another incident like that happen again. It had been lucky it was able to act and ‘tame’ Skrawl before the jellybean had a chance to rip it apart. Despite its powers, it knew that all it would take was one well aimed blow and it would be down for the count. It was not immune to physical attacks.

But at least it was able to stop him before it was too late. Well, at least for now. It didn’t want to count its lucky stars just yet. Skrawl might have another incident ike that. It might break out of its spell and come back after him. So in the meantime, while it waited for any word on Penny’s... ‘condition’, it would need do some memory investigation and figure out just who had planted it it in Skrawl’s mind that it was up to something.

It felt stupid for not looking hard enough before. It had been so worried about covering up its tracks that it failed to look for any sign of whoever had caused the suspicion in the first place. Or the thing; it might have been something unrelated to any zoner. It hoped not; that would be harder to take care of. Then again...it wasn’t like this was going to be easy, either.

Then there was Biclops...

It had rewritten that giant’s memories so deeply, but it couldn’t help but fear this zoner. It never showed it before. It didn’t even realize it itself until later. But Biclops just seemed...special in some way. It didn’t really fully understand why. Even searching through his memories didn’t yield the answer that it had hoped for. It couldn’t help but wonder if Biclops could fight against its powers somehow, despite being a memory-based zoner. This didn’t seem possible. After all, its powers were strongest against memory-based zoners like Biclops.

And yet.... There was just something different about this giant. Something that made him special. It wondered if there was another part of him that it wasn’t aware of. Perhaps something in his creation, or in a part of his life that it did not see. It gritted its beak. It had taken all the time in the world to corrupt the giant, but it never thought to look at his past more? Now that was pretty sad.

It did give Skrawl permission to hurt the giant. It had found a sliver of red geomite and it was painful to the touch. It was amazed Skrawl could handle it without hurting himself. It actually had no idea if it would kill Biclops or just slow him down. It hoped that it killed the giant. Despite being curious about how the giant might be able to overcome its powers, it would much rather the giant be dead so it would no longer have to worry about him. A dead enemy was a good enemy.

There was a change that Biclops was alive. And if he was alive, then he might remember how Skrawl had attacked him. He might piece the puzzle together quickly and he might realize that he had been used. The attempted attack would so easily backfire on them, something that Thoughtless dreaded. And it couldn’t help but ask itself a question.

What if Biclops flipped the tables on it? After all, was it not a memoy-based zoner as well?

But in the end, after all was said and done, it knew that this was going to be worth it. This was all going to culminate in something grand, something great. It could feel its chest swelling up in pride. It couldn’t wait to see what all its work was going to lead up to. It still needed to be careful and take light steps. It still needed to keep reading, keep learning. It still need to show the patience of a saint, but in the end, it would all be so worth it.

After all, shouldn’t everyone experience life?

sss

As his vision opened up, everything was a blur. Fuzzy and distorted. He could see some shadows and plenty of lights. Color slowly seeped in. He soon saw images of blue and green. He couldn’t really make any sense of them. He wasn’t able to tell what they represented, just that they were there, and they were rapidly filling his vision. A headache spread throughout his head, which was making his vision even worse. Every so often, his head almost seemed to pulse, which wobbled the image slightly as if something big was walking towards him.

It took several moments for him, but his vision did eventually start to clear. He felt strength slowly return to his aching body. He slowly crawled up from the ground. He leaned against some large rocks, trying to support himself. His hand rested against his head as he let out a groan. He blinked his eyes a few times and his vision did eventually sharpen.

His head was still swimming. He felt so lightheaded and dizzy. He struggled to keep his eyes open, struggled to stay awake. He blinked a few times, his vision slightly blurring again. He shook his head, trying to clear it. It didn’t seem to work too well. If anything, it almost seemed to be making it worse. Though exactly why, he wasn’t sure. Heck, he didn’t even remember what happened. Just that he woke up feeling so sore and painful.

Just what had happened? The last thing he recalled was standing outside, greeting someone and then...bam, this. Even in his confused mind, he knew that waking up like this just wasn’t normal. Something was really wrong. But what would cause him to wake up like this? Just what could have happened that led up to this? Did that person who visited him have anything to do with it? Yeah....that was a possibility. Yeah, something about that guy wrong so many wrong bells in his head. A red flag had risen up, and his subconscious was screaming at him ‘danger, get away’.

But for now, Biclops couldn’t do anything just yet. He needed some time to relax and recover. He didn’t have the strength to move. It felt as if almost every pore on his body had been shocked by something. He could feel a dull ache almost everywhere, and a few times, he had to flinch and clench his teeth. He couldn’t even register much fear yet; his mind hadn’t yet fully woken up. He knew he should be afraid, but he was too groggy to even think of it feeling it yet.

It took some time before his mind began to remember some of the details. He rested himself on the ground, his legs out in front of him, as he allowed the memories to flow through him, filling in the blanks of his mind. He shut his eyes, allowing them to move in front of his mind’s eye, watching them carefully. The images seemed strange at first, but the more he watched them, the more familiar they started to get. Shapes were coming into view, their appearance coming into focus. He waited and watched, allowing everything to come into the fold.

Yes, he remembered this now. Skrawl... It had been Skrawl. Was he an enemy? Part of his mind was telling him yes, but another was saying something different. He was left with conflicting signals, which worsened his headache. He tried not to think about Skrawl’s loyalties and just allowed the scene to play before him.

He could see Skrawl’s mouth moving, but for some reason, the words just weren’t coming. It was as if his memory had been muted. Try as he might, he could not hear the words. But he could see what was going on. It seemed as though Skrawl wanted something from him. Something important. What was it? It couldn’t possibly have been magic chalk, right? Skrawl would have no used for that. But there was something else he knew Skrawl wanted, although he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet he was not able to spit it out.

It was a person.. Yes, it was someone. But whom could it be? Didn’t he live alone? Yes, he did. Then who... A visitor maybe? No, why would Skrawl be interested in that? A prisoner? He didn’t have prisoners and... wait, he remembered something about a prisoner. Yeah, it was starting to come back to him.

Rudy Tabootie...

But why would he have the Great Creator prisoner? It didn’t make any sense. Didn’t Rudy protect ChalkZone? Or perhaps he was a traitor and... Yeah, he remembered now. Something about how Rudy wasn’t trustworthy. Or...was that it? A part of his mind was telling him that Rudy was still an ally, but...he wasn’t sure he should listen to it. The giant rubbed his head, trying to soothe his massive headache.

He decided it was best to just push aside the thoughts for now. His mind was too muddled to decide if Rudy was an enemy or an ally. When he would wake up more, he would think more on that and decide. For now, he allowed his memory to keep flowing, unlocking more of what happened.

He remembered Skrawl took out something long, red, and sharp. He remembered those specific details. And he remembered that Skrawl had chucked it and...

In that moment, the giant felt a shockwave of pain shoot through his leg. He let out a scream and immediately clutched his leg to himself, seething through his clenched teeth as he struggled to keep himself from screaming. His leg felt almost as if it were swelling up, threatening to burst open and spill his blood everywhere. He could practically feel the pulsating echoing and rumbling through his leg. It took a lot of concentration for him to try to will this pulsing down, but even then, he could feel it ripping through him.

The pain.. He couldn’t believe how intense that had been. Short, but that was some of the worst pain he’s ever felt. It was like someone took a blender and stuck it inside his leg and just let it run. He wouldn’t be surprised if his leg popped up and the disgusting, slushified material would spill out all over the ground.

It was then that he realized that Skrawl couldn’t be an ally then. Why would an ally hurt another ally? And another thing that didn’t make sense. If they were allies, why would Skrawl forcibly take Rudy, if Rudy was the bad guy? Why wouldn’t he just simply ask for the boy? And why would he himself resist? Biclops was certain that he remembered being angry at Rudy, and yet he could not remember being willing to just hand over the boy. Was he worried about something or was there something else going on?

And why did he remember having some fear for Rudy? It was fleeting and he nearly missed it. But he clearly remembered being a little afraid of what was in store for Rudy. This conflicted with his earlier thoughts of hatred towards the boy. It intensified his headache, causing him to clutch it and struggle to deal with the confusing thoughts. It ripped through his body, spreading down his shoulders and arms, and settled deep in his stomach, making him feel sick.

Something wasn’t right here. There was something very wrong. He needed to do something about it and fast. So many red flags were raising up, and so much confusion was gripping him. He had never felt this confused before in his life. It was as if he had been gripped in amnesia for most of his life and he was only just now starting to get his memories back. Even the ones about Rudy and Skrawl felt..so far away.

There was something else that came to his mind. He had images of this strange bird-like creature. He couldn’t quite remember what it was, but its appearance seemed really important. As if it played some huge role. Biclops could feel himself being drawn to the image of the bird. There was something...both fascinating and horrifying about it. Just what significance did this bird have? He thought as hard as he could, trying to think of what possible role it had played in his recent past. There had to be something that...

The memotrice.

Biclops found himself looking left and right when that name popped into his head. It sounded almost as if someone had spoken that into his head, whispering it as a reminder. That name, memotrice, it did sound very familiar. Yeah, that’s what the creature was called. The memotrice.

But what significance did this thing have to him? What important part did it play in his past? Was it the one that had warned him about Rudy? That part seemed familiar. But he also remembered something about struggling and screaming and something this thing was doing and...

Biclops clutched his head tightly, seething through clenched teeth. He struggled to keep himself from worsening his own headache. Yet he was not able to stop the compounding thoughts from rushing through him, gripping him tightly, twisting his gut. He was becoming victim of two contradictory points of views and he wasn’t certain which one was accurate and which one was not. It was like he was being pressed between two sandich halves, both sides pining for his attention. He felt himself being ripped apart internally, and his mind ached from struggling to figure out just which side he should listen to.

All the while, the pain in his leg was getting worse. The more he struggled to figure this out, the more pain spread through the limb. It increased in intensity as time passed, which only confounded his mind even more, making it harder and harder for him to concentrate. He found himself nearly keeling over, his body being assaulted both physically and mentally. Just which side was the correct one?

Soon he slumped over, pressing himself against his good leg, gripping his bad one. He looked down at it, seeing that the red sliver was not in there anymore, although he was aware of something sparkly and read spreading through it. He flinched at the sight of this, as well as the horrified swelling and the pus seeping out. It was enough to knock his mind off the confusing subject for a few moments. The next couple of seconds, he was just looking at his leg, realizing just how bad it really was.

But soon his mind turned to the confusing topic of Rudy, even in spite of this causing an increased pain in his leg. He tried his best to remain calm and collected and he tried to think of why these views were so confusing. How was he going to figure out how to clear this up?

The memotrice reentered his mind, as did Skrawl. He knew they would hold the answers to the truth. Perhaps if he went to them, if he located them, he would be able to talk to them and figure out what happened. He wasn’t sure if they would be willing to tell him, and he had a feeling that Skrawl would struggle to keep silent. But..he just had to talk to someone about this. If neither of them wanted to speak, then he’d find some way to make them talk. He was not going to take no for an answer.

Wincing, he climbed up to his feet, taking tentative steps to make sure he didn’t cause a stronger bout of pain in his leg. He felt a sharp pain and he seethed, stumbling forward before he was able to regain his posture. Once he balanced himself, he shook his head and he looked out into the horizon. Choosing one particular direction that just felt right to him, he began to lumber through.

sss

“N-No... wait...please! D-Don’t do this..” Rudy pleaded.

“Too late for apologies, Bucko.” Snap hissed at him, his eyes narrowed in contempt. “You should have thought about that before you backstabbed me.”

“But I didn’t do that!” Rudy twisted himself from one side to the other. He was desperately trying to escape the grasp of Delta, but the Beanie Boy was holding him tightly. “I swear! You’ve got to believe me! I...”

Snap’s snarl cut him off. The boy gave a quick shudder at this, staring at Snap in fear. “I’ve had enough of your lies. I know what I remember. Do you think I would make something like this up?”

Rudy shook his head. “Well no...”

Snap gave a bitter smile at this. “Well that’s good. At least you’re learning.”

“But..” Rudy started to say.

Snap’s frown returned. “But what?”

“But... But I still didn’t do it. I don’t... remember doing any of that...” Rudy whispered softly, his head hanging low. He averted his gaze from both Snap and Delta, his left eye closed, his right eye still crusted shut from the slash wound. “I’m telling the truth.. I don’t remember doing that.. I’m certain I didn’t. But I...” He fell silent after that. It was as if he had run out of gas.

Snap frowned at this. He didn’t take his eyes off of Rudy. He watched as the boy remained slumped forward, with only Delta’s grippage of his arms being the reason why he wasn’t falling forward. He could see the confusion and uncertainty written in Rudy’s face. Such a good actor... Snap had to almost admire how much Rudy was trying to pretend like he didn’t do anything. It was still a sickening act, but at the same time, one must be impressed with how long he was keeping it up.

But he was getting tired of this little game. He had tolerated Rudy pretending not to know for far too long, and now that he was starting to weaken, perhaps he could finally shatter this facade and force him to face the reality he had given himself. Without further words, he took a few steps towards Rudy. Delta held the boy still to ensure that he didn’t get away.

Soon, the blue and white zoner stood in front of him. Rudy’s gaze was still down to the ground. He could see that the expression was mixed, but mostly fear shined in that left eye of his. Slowly, Rudy looked up at him, letting Snap see a better view of them. The sight of those tear stains was almost amusing enough to make him laugh. How fitting that Rudy would look at him the same way he did when he and Penny had started to torture him. It was only fair that Rudy get to experience a fraction of that horror.

“So..you really don’t remember?” Snap tilted his head to one side. His narrowed eyes locked with Rudy’s, trapping them in his gaze. The boy looked as if he wanted to turn away, but he found it impossible. “Are you sure you don’t remember? Or are you just lying to me?”

“I..I don’t remember. I...” Rudy paused for a moment. He looked left and right. “A-At least..I don’t think I do.. Maybe the memotrice did something... Made me forget...” Rudy’s eyes filled with horror at this. “Maybe I did...” He sighed and lowered his head further. “I don’t know... I really don’t know...”

“I see...” Snap paused for a moment to consider. He had his doubts that Thoughtless played a hand in this. He had a feeling that Rudy was making it up to try to shift the blame. Such a disgusting thing... But it did seem like the tides were turning this time, and he pressed on. “Perhaps you did a lot more horrible things that you just don’t remember. I wonder how many zoners you tortured before you were struck with amnesia as you claim.”

Rudy stared at him with a horrified expression. His breathing came in quicker and deeper. “I-I...”

Snap smiled at this. “Yeah. Maybe you even killed some zoners too.”

“No..I-I wouldn’t...” Rudy shook his head in denial, a hint of tears in his eyes. “Please..I wouldn’t...”

Snap’s smile spread further, growing slightly twisted. “Oh but we don’t know, now do we? We don’t remember everything. That is a fact. But our strongest memories.. They are the trickiest of all. Sometimes they stick and sometimes they leave us.” He tilted his head to one side. “And for you, it’s both.” Rudy’s eyes widened. “I can see it in your eyes, Bucko. You do feel a torrent of guilt for what you did to me. You just don’t want to remember...”

Rudy shivered at this. He tried harder to get away from Delta’s grip. The Beanie Boy had remained silent the whole time, a request by Snap. The Beanie Boy grudgingly listened as he was of a lower rank than him. Snap didn’t want him to ruin the moment. This was simply between him and Rudy. And watching his trembling reaction, he was glad that he was alone to enjoy it.

He could feel some of the memories coming into his head. He could feel his blood heating up as he remembered what Rudy had done to him. He remembered the sharp needles and the pain and the horror and the blood. He clenched a fist tightly, his eyes clinched and teeth gritted, as he struggled to cope with those terrifying memories. And the way Rudy had looked at him, with that hideous smile and glinting eyes and sick, morbid curiosity... He reopened his eyes and glared daggers in Rudy’s direction.

“But you do remember, don’t you, Bucko?” He spat at him, his voice laced in venom. “You remember all that you had done. You remember my pleas for mercy. You remember how you had cut me open. You remember how my blood had spilled the ground... And yet here you are, acting like you don’t... But I think you do..”

Snap gave Rudy a dark, twisted smile as he leaned towards him. His face was close to his, white eyes locking onto green. His smiling, infuriated look bore through his terrified one. Rudy looked like he wanted to speak, but his voice was stammered and slurred. This caused Snap’s smile to spread further.

“Oh yes..I am sure you remember...” He tilted his head. “Don’t you? Try to think real hard. Maybe my screams in your head will jog your memory...”

“I don’t know...I..I think... I really don’t know...” Rudy stammered.

Snap gave a bitter chuckle at this. “Still playing this little game? Oh Rudy..” He shook his head slowly. “I thought that we were done with this. I thought you would have finally confessed...” He held his head steady, his smile fading slightly. “But I still see that we need a proper..reminder for you..”

He exchanged a grin with Delta. The Beanie Boy, despite needing to be silent, smiled back at him eagerly. Rudy’s own face was the portrait of horror and fear. He began to struggle harder, hoping to get away from them. But all that happened was that Delta, upon hand motion from Snap, shoved him into the ground. Rudy yelped and Snap wondered if he had bitten his tongue.

Snap smirked down at Rudy. He knew that Skrawl had only wanted him and Delta to blind him, which would be fun enough itself. But he wanted to have a little more fun with Rudy. His drive for revenge was compelling him to do so. He couldn’t just leave it at blinding. He wanted to toy with him a little while longer. And what better way than to force the brat down the memory lane he pretended didn’t exist?

“How about I...” Snap held up the small knife that Skrawl had given him. It was a pocket knife that slide in and out easily, and it also had a few other blades situated there of varying lengths and types. Some were more serrated while others looked stronger, almost as if they could scrape off bone. “..help you remember..?”

Rudy’s eye was wide in terror. He jerked himself from side to side. “N-No..please...”

Snap ignored him. He felt his body burning and shaking as he continued to remember what this human boy had done to him. He also felt a wave of excitement. Now, finally, he was getting to do something back at him. Something better than just merely shooting him and knocking him down those pipes. Something that would truly be an eye for an eye.

He motioned for Delta to keep him still. The Beanie Boy did his best to use his body to prevent Rudy from getting away. Once Snap was satisfied that Rudy could not escape, he knelt down in front of him. He grabbed onto Rudy’s left wrist and pressed it down so that it was palm facing up. Snap smiled down at the flesh located on the boy’s hand. This smile slowly dissipated into anger as he remembered what this hand was capable of doing.

“S-Snap..”

The blue zoner ignored this. He continued to glare at the palm, his teeth gritting. He slowly began to raise the knife up. Already he could anticipate the sight of blood drenching the ground.

“Please...don’t...” Rudy whimpered, his body shaking. “No! Don’t!”

It took only seconds for Snap to slash the knife across the center of Rudy’s palm. He could hear the boy let out a scream at this, his body tensing up. Rudy’s cries of pain filled his eyes, giving him a strong sense of satifaction. He kept his eyes on the hand, watching the blood flow from the quick yet deep cut he had given him. Even the fingers trembled.

Snap lifted up his head and smiled at Rudy. He watched as the boy squirmed on the ground, struggling to get away from the pain. Such a beautiful sight to see, especially when he himself was not on the recieving end. He could almost see Rudy’s mind filling with thoughts. A part of him wondered if Rudy would dare deny the truth still after this. He had a feeling that it would, but in the moment, it didn’t matter. The fact that he was screaming was providing enough satisfaction for him right now.

But he wasn’t done yet. No, he needed to do more. He needed to make sure that this brat never used the magic chalk against him again. He needed to cause more damage to this hideous, disgusting hand. He bared his teeth and clutched the knife tighter. Despite knowing that it would dull in blood, he did not care. He raised it up again to strike.

“No! No! Please! Stop this! Please!”

Once again, Snap ignored him and he plunged the knife deep into Rudy’s palm. The boy let out an echoing screech of pain at this. His voice bounced off the walls of this dome room, intensifying the sound. Delta flinched at it, but Snap ignored it. He glared down at Rudy with a cold expression, uncaring of the pleading look Rudy gave him, simply returning it with a snarl, curled up lip.

For the next few moments, no one said a word. The only sound that could be hard was Rudy’s crying and whimpering, his eyes shining with the question of ‘why’, that same word repeated under Rudy’s breath a few times. He was staring down at his hand, his eyes going over the damage, his fingers trying to flex. The internal damage caused by the attack was enough to keep his fingers from bending in all the way, pain stopping him. Rudy shut his eyes and allowed the tears to flow.

All the while, Snap watched this with a cold expression. He didn’t even smile in satisfaction, despite feeling it coursing through his body. His anger towards this boy was too strong right now, and he was trying his best not to lose all control. It was too easy to want to stab Rudy in more places, and the only thing preventing him from doing that was the reminder that all Skrawl wanted done to him was the blinding.

As he listened to Rudy cry his cruel little heart out, Snap felt the smile and glee returning to his face. He could feel some of the anger melting away, flushing through his body like someone had pulled the drain. He could feel himself rapidly cooling down, and the temptation to strike Rudy’s hand again went away. He smirked in satisfaction at the bloodied hand, now rendered useless. Even if Rudy were to find a piece of magic chalk, it would be useless to him now. And as he stared into Rudy’s terrified left eye, noticing the deep gash in his right, still crusted red, he knew that Rudy realized this as well. Especially considering his right hand was also damaged from an earlier event.

“I think we delayed this long enough.” Snap finally spoke after several minutes of silence, his voice cutting over Rudy’s pathetic whimpering. Noticing Rudy’s expression, he smiled. “Oh no, if you thought I was done with you, think again, Rudy. I am not finished. You see, Skrawl gave me a very specific instruction.”

“Wh-What are you going to d-d-do...?” Rudy whimpered as he pulled his head back away from him.

Snap sneered and leaned himself forward, putting his face close to Rudy’s. He didn’t answer him straight away. Instead, he just looked at Rudy’s left eye intently, seeing how it glistened in tears. “Eyes are so..delicate...” He reached over and he placed his hand against Rudy’s cheek. “I wonder what would happen if I placed this here...”

Rudy’s eye bulged as he realized what was going to happen. He let out a terrified scream and struggled frantically get free. He kept moving his head from one side to the other, trying to force Snap to let go of him. Snap gritted his teeth at this. He struggled to try to hold onto Rudy, but even with Delta’s help, the boy’s fear was overflowing, giving him more adrenaline, more strength to fight back.

Working together, they were eventually able to secure him down. Rudy didn’t speak; he just kept letting out shouts and screams, his heart practically echoing inside his chest. The fear of losing his sight was strong; he knew how vulnerable he was going to be without it. All the more reason why it should be done. And as he prepared one of the knife’s curling blades to strike, he made sure that Rudy knew this as well.

“You made me feel helpess. It is only fair that you get to experience this as well.” Snap sneered at him. He listened to Rudy’s low cries and his panicked breathing. He could see that he was still struggling, his legs still kicking out in desperation. “I wonder how will you’ll be able to draw now, Bucko...” Snap hissed through clenched teeth. “Would you be able to create anymore of your shitty drawings to hurt me with? I do have to wonder that... Why don’t we find out?”

Rudy took in several quick breaths, his left pupil locked onto Snap. “P-Please! D-Don’t do this! I-I’ll do anything! Just please...let me go!”

Snap chuckled at this. He looked down at the twisted knife running his hand over it. “It won’t be all bad... At least you will have another cut to match mine.” He motioned towards the scar that still adorned his eyes. “Remember this?”

Rudy stared at it for a few seconds. He soon shook his head. Snap narrowed his eyes at this.

“Wrong answer.”

“But...”

Snap slammed his arm against Rudy’s head, causing the boy to cry out. “Shush!” He hissed at him. “And hold still! Let’s get this over with.” With that, he began to move the knife towards the frightened boy’s head.

Rudy’s struggles increased. It was as if he was injected with a syrum of energy. He thrashed on the ground wildly, yanking his legs and pulling his arms. It was becoming harder and harder for them to hold him still. Despite the difficulty, Snap and Delta did their best to hold him still so the task could be done. Snap struggled to hold onto Rudy’s hair and he positioned the knife to his eye. This only seemed to increase Rudy’s terror and strength to try to escape.

Soon one of his legs managed to break free. Pulling it back, Rudy struck it against Delta. The Beanie Boy was thrown back. He hit the nearby wall and soon clutched his stomach tightly. With his legs free, Rudy scrambled up to his feet. He moved forward, and Snap found himself being pushed backwards. Rudy rammed him against the wall. Snap hissed as he felt the knife knick him a little. He yanked his arm upwards, aiming it down at Rudy. His left eye wide, Rudy grabbed Snap and he threw him in Delta’s direction. The two collided together.

At that point, Snap had lost track of what was going on. He could faintly hear Rudy’s footsteps, but he couldn’t tell where he was going or if he was getting closer or further away. The only thing he was aware of for sure was the look in Delta’s eyes. Wide open and almost blank, a tint of shock in them. Snap was then familiar with something warm and sticky staining his shirt. He took in a few slow breaths as everything came into focus, and he took a small step back to look at what happened.

He couldn’t help but gasp when he saw the blood on Delta’s belly. He couldn’t see exactly where it was coming from. There was just too much red everywhere. So much red, almost like an invasion on the Beanie Boy’s body. And that breathing..so horrid and scratchy, as if he was sucking on non-existent air.

The Beanie Boy locked eyes with him, any sign of anger or hate towards him gone, replaced with shock and horror. He seemed to try to speak, only for blood to leak out of the corner of his mouth. Snap found it difficult to look away. It was as if those eyes held the power of captivity, pulling his own to keep looking. Snap thought of trying to speak, to ask him what was wrong, but all he could do was stare at him with an open mouth. Then the Beanie Boy slumped forward and fell into the ground and all went silent.

sss

So far, nothing out of the ordinary happened, nor did she run into any enemies. The hallway was eerie, yes, and she shuddered as she continued to feel some of the red chalk’s presence even here. But at least there were no enemies to try to strap her, which was definitely good. Penny wasn’t sure how well she could defend herself in this one-way hallway. There was literally no place for her to hide here.

The red chalk in her hand had gone quiet. She wasn’t sure how much she could relax, knowing that it could activate itself at any time. Then again, didn’t Rudy mention something about how he had drawn a few things first before the red chalk activated? Perhaps the red chalk needed to be used first before it could start to gain control of bodily movements. Penny wasn’t certain and she wasn’t really in the mood to try to test this out. Not while she was here in enemy territory. So she opted to just hold the red chalk still and not use it.

She continued to make her way down the hallway slowly, constantly looking left and right, looking for any sign of danger. At any moment, the Beanie Boys could come in and stop her. Who know how long it would be before they would realize she was gone. For now, she used this opportunity to continue putting space between her and that horrible room she had been placed in earlier.

She suddenly froze when she heard a loud scream echoing through the air. She turned her gaze around, looking in all directions. The scream was too distorted for her to make out, but the sound of it caused her blood to run cold. There was so much pain and horror in that scream. She couldn’t help but wonder if it was Rudy. Another terrifying thought came to her. If it was Rudy, then was Snap responsible for the scream?

The thought was horrifying. Her two best friends fighting each other... Both suffering in their own way... She paused for a moment, shutting her eyes to allow the chilling feeling of horror move through her body. Once it was done, she gave a quick shudder and shook her head once. Narrowing her eyes in determination, she continued to walk forward.

She would find them and she would get them out of this situation somehow. She still wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to pull that off, and she did fear that it would all fall apart. And yet she refused to let go of that hope. She couldn’t give up. Not on her friends. They needed her, and she needed them. She refused to allow some hideous jellybean and monstrous bird reptile creature to rip them apart.

She knew that Rudy probably wouldn’t want to see her right now. And she understood why. She had hurt him badly. She did shove him away, which resulted in the injury he now adorned. She would be lucky if the injury wasn’t permanent. She knew that she was going to have to live with the guilt for a long time, even if Rudy did recover.

She tried her best to push aside her feelings of guilt for now. She couldn’t let herself get consumed by it. All that would do was hinder her performance. She needed to focus on trying to find Rudy and get him out of his present situation. She could only hope that Rudy would be smart enough to put aside his own feelings of anger towards her so they could work together to get out of here. They could work on their feelings towards each other later. Right now, it was more important to try to get out of here.

And then there was Snap...

She flinched at the thought of his name. She recalled how he had acted before, when he had tossed Rudy in the teleporter. She still had no clue where he was, and she wasn’t even certain if he was here or not. Her mind was so jumbled, she couldn’t remember if this was confirmed or not. But somehow...she couldn’t help but be certain that he was, and a part of her was almost sure that it was Rudy’s scream that she heard. Snap must have done...something to him.

That memotrice had really screwed her friend up. She didn’t know how deeply it had changed his memories. She didn’t know how far they went. All she did know for sure is that Snap is now convinced that she and Rudy were the bad guys. This thought stung her horribly, filling her with sorrow. The thought of Snap hating them.. It was almost too much to bear. He was her best friend, but to him, she might as well be another Skrawl. No, worse...

She didn’t waste anymore time thinking of how everything would be all right. She didn’t stop to remind herself of how this would all get through fine in the end. None of that was going to help her right now. Hope was fine, but just hoping wasn’t going to get the job done. Keeping her eyes narrowed, pushing her guilty feelings out so she wouldn’t be hammered down by them, she made her way further down the tunnel.

Suddenly she saw something in front of her. Something had flashed before her. She tried to locate it, but she didn’t see it again. At first, she wondered if it was just a trick of her eye. She shrugged her shoulders and she continued on down slowly, her eyes focusing on what was in front of her.

There it was again. This time, she managed to whip her head around, trying to follow the flash. She couldn’t get enough view to see what shape or size it was. It seemed big, but then again, it might also be small and just looked big due to the movement. About the only thing she could really notice was the fact that it seemed like it was gold in color.

Gold... Just like...

“Oof!”

Penny felt herself being flung back as something collided with her. She felt her back being pressed against the ground as something gripped onto her. She felt something cold and hard wrap around her arms, immobilizing them. She opened her eyes and looked up and found herself staring into the blood red gaze of an all too familiar figure.

“C-Cornerstone..?” She whispered. In that moment, she really regretted allowing this plan to come full circle. If she and Rudy hadn’t been so stupid...

She let out a yelp of pain as Cornerstone tightened her grip on her. She felt blood nearly being drawn from her. She turned her head to the side as more pressure was applied, hissing through her teeth. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the zoner, a look of fear painted over her face. She watched as Cornerstone lifted her head up, allowing Penny to see that horrified red blotch on her throat that looked like some great wound. Cornerstone then opened her mouth and let out a loud, low hiss. Penny could practically hear the contempt in her airy voice.

Although she knew it was useless, she tried to reason with Cornerstone. She had some intelligence, right? Surely, she would come to understand what was going on if she just explained it to her, right? She...she just had to try.

“Please, Cornerstone.. I-It wasn’t what you think.. Rudy and I... we..we didn’t...” Penny flinched as she felt Cornerstone squeeze her harder. “We didn’t mean to...We... We just needed to find Skrawl and...” She looked up at her pleadingly. “Please..try to understand. That past you think we were a part of...we weren’t. It was a lie... Rudy lied to your memory so..so you’d have no reason to help us..so Thoughtless couldn’t...”

But despite her pleas, it didn’t seem like Cornerstone was listening. Not much of a surprise. Penny widened her eyes and she cringed back as she watched the snake-like zoner release one of her arms so she could raise a twin pair of claws up in the air. Penny looked at the paw with a terrified expression, her eyes going over the sharp tips constantly. She gave one last pleading look to Cornerstone before she shut her eyes and waited for the blow.

Suddenly there was a loud clang and a growl of surprise. Penny reopened her eyes to see what was going on. She looked down and she saw that her right hand, which was the one that Cornerstone released, was raised up in front of her. A long, sharp blade had been drawn and was placed in front of her, shielding her from the blow. Penny stared at this in shock for several moments. Before she had time to fully register it, Cornerstone let out a loud hiss and knocked away the knife, hitting it against the wall and causing it to shatter.

Silence fell upon the room. Penny stared up at Cornerstone with wide, terrified eyes. She was so confused. What was going on? She thought that Rudy had to use the chalk before it did anything with him, and wasn’t Reggie the same way? Had they all been wrong?

Her questions were cut off when she was suddenly yanked into the air. The red chalk in her hand was glowing, sparking, as it raised her up, helping her to her feet. It then forced her arm to move out towards Cornerstone, a clear threat to the snake-like zoner. Cornerstone’s reptilian eyes registered raw horror and it started to cringe back away from Penny. But the red chalk had other ideas, and it forced Penny to walk towards the snake zoner, despite the girl’s attempts to back away.

No..no this couldn’t be happening... She had to fight it. She couldn’t let the red chalk control her like this. She wasn’t some pawn for it to use. She struggled to pull herself backwards, trying the best she could to fight back. Maybe if she kept this up, the red chalk would stop trying and...

She felt her mouth start to tingle a little. She felt a warm yet cold embrace around her. She realized that the red chalk’s crimson light was wrapping itself around her, concentrating on her mouth, throat, chest, and diaphram. The tingly sensation grew stronger, and she could feel the muscles begin to twitch. And then, to her horror, her lips began to move on their own and her lungs and diaphram contracting, forcing air through her mouth in a hideous message.

“I am going to rip out your throat...”

Penny was petrified. Was that her own voice? It sounded like it, but it also sounded hissy and growly. She didn’t have time to let the meaning of this sink into her before the red chalk took control of her legs and forced her to rush towards Cornerstone. It forced her to let out another statement, even more chilling than the first. A single word, yet so powerful. The one word that would scare anyone if directed at them.

The word she thought she’d never say.

“Die!”

I decided for another long chapter. This one ended up being a little longer than my previous attempt.

Chapter 25:





When Penny first woke up, the first thing she noticed was the dizzying pain in her head. It almost felt as if she had been smashed against some huge, hard rock, which somehow wouldn’t really surprise her. She sat up slowly, trying her best to regain her senses. Her eyesight took a while to clear up and when it did, she looked at her surroundings.

She appeared to be in some sort of large, clear dome situated in a tall tower. She looked up and she thought she saw the tiniest bit of light. The lid was open, not that it did her much good. The walls were thick and hard, and she couldn’t see a way out. Even if she could get out, she was still stuck. Surely the door leading to the hallway was locked. Climbing up wasn’t possible either; the walls were so slick there was simply no grippage available.

Just how did she get here? She had difficulty remembering what happened recently. Oh she did remember something about red chalk and a strange energy and she was certain she was controlled... Or was that all just a dream? She placed her hand against her head, feeling her mind swim. It was all so confusing. Maybe if she sat down and thought about this long enough, she would begin to remember what actually happened.

There wasn’t any place in here to sit down in. The room was empty. She let out a soft groan. Well there was no use complaining. She already knew she was a prisoner. Why would she expect hospitality from her captors? She pressed her back against the nearest wall and slid down. She brought her legs up, her knees pressing against her chest, and she remained in this position while she continued to think.

Despite her confusion, she knew the most likely culprit who had captured her. That much she remembered. It had to have been Skrawl or...what was his name... Thoughtless. She had no idea what she was in for, but knowing them, it wasn’t going to be anything pleasant. Knowing Skrawl, she wouldn’t be kept in the dark for very long. She could almost see that zoner waltzing in right now to brag to her on capturing her. Or perhaps he wouldn’t waste time on that and just move forward with his plans for her.

When the door opened up, she could see that she had been correct. Well mostly. The figure that came in wasn’t Skrawl, but it was that other villain she recalled was involved. She narrowed her eyes, remaining silent as Thoughtless walked towards her, stopping in front of the glass wall.

<You are awake now. Good.> Thoughtless smiled. <How are you feeling?>

Penny growled at it and turned her head away. It took all her strength not to retort back at the zoner. It was so easy for her to snap at it, to tell it off. She knew that would only make things worse, though, so she did her best to keep quiet. She refused to make eye contact, knowing that doing so would only make it so much harder for her to keep her mouth shut.

Thoughtless wasn’t going anywhere. She couldn’t hear the footsteps of it leaving. She wasn’t sure what expression it wore, but she imagined it was that same smiling one. She could almost hear it chuckling at her, as if this whole thing was amusing. She could feel its eyes boring through her head, as if it were trying to make her turn around and look at it. No, she had to keep her gaze away. If Thoughtless wanted to speak, then it can. But that didn’t mean she had to look at it while it did so.

Thoughtless appeared to grow a little tired of waiting for a reply. <I see you need a little time alone.>

Penny struggled not to reply ‘yes’ to that. She did want this zoner to leave her alone. She had no desire to be anywhere near it. She would be happy when it finally left her alone. But of course, no surprise, she wasn’t that lucky.

<But not just yet. First....a little bit of a talk.> Thoughtless didn’t seem to mind too much that she wasn’t looking at it. Perhaps it was because, no matter how hard she tried, she would still hear its voice. It echoed inside of her head. <My apologies for knocking you out. It was, however, necessary.>

At this, Penny recalled the memotrice’s actions. She remembered it slamming against her. She recalled something that it used to send shockwaves of pain through her body. At this memory, she could feel some phantom pain moving through her body. She couldn’t help but shudder, especially around the areas that had been attacked by the memotrice. She instinctively looked down at her arm when she felt a surge of pain there. She was both relieved and horrified that there was no mark there.

But why did the memotrice use that object against her? That was a dumb question. It was to capture her, obviously. She narrowed her eyes. She turned her head slightly, glancing just barely at the memotrice. She couldn’t see its details all that well. Not that she cared. She immediately turned her head away and snorted. The memotrice didn’t seem to like that very much and she was certain that it was arching itself up.

<You should be thanking me.> Thoughtless’s hissing mental voice zipped through her skull. Penny merely shut her eyes and took a few steps away. <If it weren’t for me, you’d still have that red chalk stuck to your hand!>

Penny froze. Memories flashed in the back of her mind. She could see the mental pictures zipping through her skull constantly. The images wouldn’t leave her alone. She found herself being forced to watch these memories unfold in her head, almost as if someone had found the play button in her brain and pressed it.

Yes, she remembered now... The red chalk was put in her hands by...what was his name... Delta? Yes, that was it. He put it in her hand and Cornerstone had been there to make sure it remained in her hand, but then she broke free and there was a chase and...

...she had attacked the zoner.

Her eyes widened in horror when she remembered how the red chalk had taken her over. And not just in the ‘forcing her to draw against her will’ sort of way. But it had actually made her talk, too. She had threatened the snake zoner. She had given her more of a reason to hate her, to be afraid of her. If Cornerstone wasn’t convinced before, she sure was now. And those horrible things she was made to draw... She could feel her blood running cold at the memory.

Thoughtless was correct. If it hadn’t shown up when it did, she would have killed Cornerstone... And there was no way she would be able to live with that. She would never forgive herself for hurting a zoner. Even though Cornerstone had been trying to hurt her, she would never want anything bad to happen to her. She didn’t deserve it. It wasn’t her fault she was created that way. It...it was hers... She and Rudy did this to her. True, it was meant to help them locate Skrawl and Thoughtless, she still felt rather dirty about it. There had to have been a better way. Maybe if she and Rudy ahd thought hard enough, they could have figured out something and...

No, there wouldn’t have been enough time. She had to remind herself that they had little choice. Sometimes the good guys have to do bad things for the benefit of others. This was something that she had to accept, although that didn’t mean that she had to like it. She could only hope that she and Rudy would, in the end, be able to stop this whole mess.

<It wasn’t easy removing the red chalk from your hand. It required surgery. Well if you could call it that...>

Penny stared down at her right palm. She noticed a big cut in it. It looked like someone had slashed a cylinder shape in her hand. It was stitched up tightly and she could see the redness from the stitches themselves. The skin felt a little tighter than usual and she realized that they had to remove a bit of skin from her hand. At this realization, she felt tingling, sharp pain move through her palm. She clutched her hand tightly, trying to cope with the pain.

She then realized something. Forcing herself to let go of her hand so she could raise it up to see it better, she stared at the palm. She looked carefully at the needle that had been moved through her palm to help hold the skin together. But..she was in ChalkZone... How was this possible...?

Before she knew it, she had looked over at Thoughtless. The memotrice was watching her in silence. It appeared to notice her questioning expression and it simply smiled. Penny kept staring at it for several moments, thoughts rushing through her head. Just how did this zoner...do this...? It shouldn’t have been possible. She was from the Real World. Her blood would have dissolved the needle and the threat...

Just what was going on here?

<I can tell you are confused.> Thoughtless motioned towards her hand. <You want to know how I did that.> Penny managed to nod her head jerkingly. <Simple. The needle and threat didn’t touch the blood. Human skin doesn’t dissolve chalk. Those stitches are quite shallow.>

Penny looked down at her wrist. That would explain why it seemed more red than it should be. But something about it didn’t seem right. “Yeah but still...”

Thoughtless cut her off. <No need to worry about it. It’s fine now.>

Penny was tempted to try to press on and find out more. She couldn’t help but wonder if Thoughtless was hiding something from her. That wouldn’t really come as a shock to her. It seemed to be a rather mysterious zoner whose true motivations are unknown. She doubted even Skrawl knew what this thing wanted.

And now here she was, trapped in here with Thoughtless right outside. Even with its smile, its intentions seemed hidden underneath. She couldn’t read its thoughts. She couldn’t pry into its head and see what it was thinking. That expression... it was reminding her of how much she feared Thoughtless more than Skrawl. An enemy with an unknown goal is scarier than one with the most horrible of plans. Skrawl, she could predict. Thoughtless? Who knows what was going on inside that bird’s skull.

She decided to drop the topic. She knew she wasn’t going to get any answers from this beast. Anything she’d try to ask it, it’d just toss to the side like it was nothing. So she decided to focus on something else.

“Where is Cornerstone?”

<Ah yes. That snake beast. Don’t worry, she’s fine. I have no intent on hurting her.> Thoughtless said. <She and I are...quite similar really.> It motioned to itself as it said this. <Both were trapped like animals not long after we were created. I see a lot of myself in her.>

Penny narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I bet you can.”

<I can sense sarcasm in you. Don’t worry. I understand your frustrations.> Thoughtless paced back and forth in front of the glass cage. <You have little reason to trust me...> It paused for a moment. <Just like Cornerstone has little reason to trust you.> It tilted its head to the side, leaning in towards the cage’s clear walls. <After all, you and Rudy did create her with quite a tragic backstory.>

Penny widened her eyes at this. She stared at Thoughtless in shock. “Y-You..?”

Thoughtless nodded its head. <I was aware the whole time that she was created with the intent of infiltration. I knew she wasn’t harmed by you or Rudy; you just made her think that way so that I would deem her an ally and bring her in. I could have just killed her, but I saw too much of myself in her. So I thought instead to just let her come and deal with you and your friend accordingly.> Thoughtless gave a smile. <It is working out pretty well, don’t you think?>

Penny felt her heart clenching at this. Her mind flashed back to what happened before. She recalled how things hadn’t gone exactly as they had hoped. Back then, she thought it was just a stroke of bad lack. They were still able to find this place, but they were still caught in the process. They had run into Biclops, who had tried to hurt them, and then Snap led them somewhere and..

She realized now that Snap had been under the control of Thoughtless. In addition to the hurt that she felt, it also left her feeling confused. If that were the case, why did Biclops chase after him? She had thought it was because Biclops was in on the whole thing. ...well yeah he still was, but she still recalled how it was Cornerstone’s signal that led them there in the first place. Now knowing this, it all started to make sense now. Cornerstone leading them to that one spot hadn’t been a stroke of luck. It wasn’t just a clever plan. It was a sign that Skrawl and Thoughtless knew all alon what they were up to and they had played them for fools.

Penny clenched her teeth tightly. Why didn’t she realize it before? Why didn’t she foresee Thoughtless seeing through the fake memories? It was a memotrice, for crying out loud. Memories were its specialty. She had been so stupid. She was the smart one. She should have figured it out. Why did she not...

..then again, she didn’t realize Snap was brainwashed until it was too late...

<Well I need to leave for now. I’m sure Skrawl is wondering where I am. But I do want to tell you one more thing before I go. Since you are my guest, it is only fair that I tell you what I have in store for you.> Thoughtless pulled its neck back into an S shape. Penny glared at it, but made no attempt to keep the memotrice quiet. <You recall how the red chalk was glued to your hand?>

“That is a feature of the red chalk, yes.” Penny grumbled. “That isn’t anything new. You just wanted me to run rampant or something.”

Thoughtless chuckled at her statement. <Well true, the red chalk does make creators go nuts. Or at least, their creations. But..have you ever thought of where the red chalk comes from?> It tilted its head to one side. <I’m certain you were curious at one point.>

Penny shot it a glare. “If I were ever curious, it would be to stop the red chalk in its tracks.”

Thoughtless nodded. <Of course. You see the red chalk as the enemy. You would want it to be stopped.> Thoughtless took a step towards Penny. Its eyes narrowed slightly. <But dear Penny... That is not what is meant to happen. The red chalk is far more valuable than you think. It has...potential that you are not willing to see.> It raised its wings up. <It was not created for destruction, but as an experiment to ‘breathe life’ as they say.>

Penny couldn’t help but give a bitter laugh at this. “Oh please! The red chalk is nothing more than a menace!”

<I can see why you’d think that. But like I said, there’s so much more to it.>

Penny shook her head. “Like what?”

<Life, my dear Penny. Life!> Thoughtless raised its wings almost like it was going to give one great flap. Despite its size, it looked like it would be able to pump a great wave of air at her, slamming her against the wall. <The red chalk is the result of an experiment gone right! Or...wrong, depending on how you look at it.>

Penny didn’t understand what this creature was trying to tell her. Nothing it said was making sense. How could the red chalk be related to life when all it did was destroy? She had yet to see a friendly red chalk creature anywhere. She shook her head. She knew Thoughtless was crazy. But this was taking the cake.

<A powerful geomite was fused with ordinary chalk. Not the magical kind, but regular ones. Duds if you want to call them that. The result was the red chalk. Due to the fusion, it was bestowed upon with great power. It was supposed to be a way for zoners to use chalk. It was created around when there were no more creators in ChalkZone, and some disgrunteld zoners wanted to bring that element back. They say that it was wrong to kick out the creators, that ChalkZone was meant to have creators running around. Creators were part of our circle of life, and without them, ChalkZone was incomplete.>

“There’s a good reason to keep humans out. The last time there were a bunch of humans here, ChalkZone nearly fell into dissaray!” Penny glared at the memotrice. She formed a tight fist with her had. It took all her willpower not to strike against the glance. “How could you say it was a good idea to have more of them...?!”

<I didn’t. But the point is, they did. Those zoners who created the red chalk. They wanted to bring back that element. They failed; the red chalk would only work for humans.> Thoughtless told her. Its tail slowly swished from side to side behind it. <But it still had an effect on them. Studies show that red chalk was able to bond with their creator that held them. A genuine friendship was formed left and right.>

“Psh! Yeah right!” Penny rolled her eyes. She felt her blood heating up. She couldn’t believe that Thoughtless was even suggesting such a thing. The red chalk was dangerous. There was nothing good about it. She refused to believe that any zoner would be dumb enough to create something that dangerous. “If that’s the case, why did the red chalk start controlling the creators then? How come it uses them like toys? How come when Rudy tried to fight back, the red chalk attacked him?” She folded her arms against her chest. “Why don’t you explain that to me?”

Thoughtless remained silent. It appeared, at first, to have some difficulty answering this. Penny did her best not to smirk. She knew that she would be able to call its bluff. Maybe now it would tell her the truth. Not that she was too interested in hearing this stuff. But she would rather hear the truth than some kind of fabricated lie.

Thoughtless simply smiled at her, taking her a little off guard. <I know it’s hard for you to believe. But it’s the truth. There were many old records you could look through if you don’t believe me. Now as for your question...> Penny watched the bird-like zoner carefully. A part of her was almost morbidly curious to find out just what Thoughtless believes to be the case with red chalk. <The red chalk was an ally at first, until it was infected.>

“Infected?” Penny blinked at this. Thoughtless nodded its head. This wasn’t what she was expecting to hear. “How? With what? The geomite?”

Thoughtless shook its head at this. <No, something else.> It paused for a moment. Then it added, <You recall those creators that used to run around? The ones that Biclops had shown Rudy?> Penny nodded her head cautiously. <Did you ever wonder what happened to them?>

At this, Penny’s head tilted to the side as she stared at Thoughtless in confusion. What could it be talking about? What did the red chalk have to do with the children’s disappearances? What did it have to do with them at all? None of those children were using red chalk. Whether or not it existed back then wasn’t the point. There simply was no red chalk in those visions that Biclops had shown.

There had to be something else. What was she missing? What was she not seeing? She thought as hard as she could, looking through those memories, struggling to try to see what point Thoughtless was making. She could feel her had give off a dull ache as she thought harder and harder about the situation. There had to be something that she was overlooking. Something that may be so very obvious that when she did realize it, she would feel like an idiot. There had to be something that connected those kids to the red chalk. But what was it? The only thing was that they were both....

She paused at this. Her eyes widened in shock. She stared at the memotrice in disbelief. She shook her head slowly, not wanting it to be true. There...there had to be something else. Anything else... She had already thought of many terrible things. But this... This was beyond what she thought was possible. The implications were terrifying.

And as she looked into Thoughtless’s eyes, seeing the way it was looking at her, seeing that smile... She knew that it was true.

<You never thought of why the behavior of the red chalk and those children were so similar?> Thoughtless asked in a taunting voice. It turned its head to one side. <You never once thought that was suspicious?>

Penny stammered at this. “B-But...but how...?”

Thoughtless chuckled. <Oh wouldn’t you like to know? I think you might know it already, if you think hard enough.> Thoughtless motioned a wing towards her. <I will be leaving soon so you will have plenty of time to think of what I said.>

Penny felt her had being flooded with thoughts. She tried to make sense of what Thoughtless was talking about. What was it trying to imply? She searched her mind frantically as she tried to locate something that... But nothing came to mind. Her head was too swollen in confusion. She had never felt so confused in her life.

<One more thing.>

Penny looked over at the memotrice. It was clear it wasn’t quite done talking yet.

<One of the effects of the red chalk, the thing about life... Well, the red chalk prolongs that. It makes the creator impervious to serious wounds.> Thoughtless noticed her expression and it just continued to smile. <Why else do you think Rudy could survive being launched like that? Why do you think his arm didn’t break when that machine I saw in Snap’s memories was shaking him?>

Penny stared at the memotrice in shock at this. She wanted to say something, anything. But she was in too much shock to say anything. She remained silent, her mouth hanging open. Her mind began to slowly process this information.

<I will give you time to think about what I told you. But do not worry. I will be back to tell you a bit more.> Thoughtless chortled at this. <After all, considering what will happen to you... it is best if you learn as much about the red chalk as you can.>

Penny widened her eyes at this. Before she could think to say anything to Thoughtless, the memotrice had veered away from her and began to walk away. She was soon left alone, the only sound being the earthquake of thoughts that were colliding together in her skull.

sss

“So let me get this straight...”

Snap tried his best not to whimper. He couldn’t show any signs of weakness. Especially not in front of his boss, or the other Beanie Boys. They would question his quality as second-in-command and he would lose that title.

“Not only did you allow Delta to be killed...” Skrawl’s voice was an odd mixture of emotion. The only one that he could positively identify was anger. “But you allowed Rudy Tabootie to escape?!”

Snap flinched at this. He did his best to keep himself standing up tall, regardless of how he was feeling. He opened his mouth to speak in protest, but he thought better of it. Doing so might just make the jellybean angerier. So instead, he opted to just nod his head slowly. He could hear gasps and murmurs among the Beanie Boys. He tried his best to ignore them as he lowered his head slightly in a submissive bow to Skrawl.

“It was an accident.” Snap managed to say. “I never meant for it to happen. Rudy, he was just too....”

“You should have known how he would be! You should have seen it coming! You should have been able to stop him before he got that far!” Skrawl’s voice boomed in the air. Through his top vision, Snap could see the jellybean was holding out his hand, the claws flexed inward as if to pierce through him. “But instead you...you...” He stopped himself, his breaths coming in heavy puffs through his teeth. It was clear Skrawl was trying to calm himself down.

“I’m sorry. It will not happen again.” It was all Snap could think of to say.

“I sure hope not...for your sake...” Skrawl glared at him harshly.

Snap couldn’t stop the brief shiver that went through his form. “Does this mean that...?”

Skrawl regarded this for a few moments. He looked as if he was contemplating the idea. Snap remained frozen, a part of him silently begging that it not be the case. But he dare not try to speak up and make Skrawl do anything he didn’t want to. Then, slowly, he saw Skrawl shake his head. Snap resisted the urge to smile. “No. I will give you another chance. We do still need you to track down this little brat.”

Snap saluted Skrawl. “You can count on me! I will find him and I will bring him back!”

Skrawl stared at him for a moment. A small, faint smile appeared on his face. It was hard to tell what this smile was for. Out of amusement or something else? “I’m sure that you will.” He lifted up his head and looked over at the other Beanie Boys. “I want four of you to accompany Snap! Hunt down Rudy! I do not want you five coming back until you have found him!”

The Beanie Boys looked at one another. They gave each other nods and then, at random, four of them, two in the front, and two in the back, walked forward. They made their way silently over to where Snap was standing. The zoner remained silent as they approached him. They soon took position on either side of him. Their expressions showed they were a little reluctant to follow him after his failure, but they dare not contradict Skrawl. They would help him find Rudy and bring him back to his cage.

Snap’s eyes narrowed as he thought of that boy. He could feel his blood heating up at the memory of what he had done. He could still see Delta’s face in his mind’s eye. He could see him slumping forward, collapsing to the ground. He could see him looking at him with those pleading, pain-filled eyes. Snap bit his lip. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. Sure he was his rival. But something about seeing him in so much pain...

...and all because of Rudy. Snap’s teeth clenched so tightly, he thought they would pop from his jaws. It was Rudy who had caused his death. He had made sure that Delta would be stabbed. It was his fault that he was gone. Snap had witnessed another act of cruelty by the person whom he thought was a friend.

ooo But he is my friend. It was just an accident. I was the one who... ooo

No, he couldn’t let those thoughts dissuade him. He reminded himself that Rudy had also grabbed his leg and burned it. Although it was patched up by another Beanie Boy, it still hurt to walk. Even now, it took a lot of his willpower not to scream. He looked down at the leg, flinching at the mere sight of it. He could see some red staining the bandages. He flinched at them.

This was Rudy’s doing. He had done that on purpose. Just like he had hurt him in the past, he did so again. There was no way that Rudy could defend himself from that. That had been a deliberate act.

ooo Only because he was defending himself. I know him well enough. He would only hurt if he was defending himself. ooo

Bah, he said to that. If that were the case, then how come he tricked him that one day? What about those experiments? How was Rudy defending himself then?

ooo Or did those experiments really happen? I kind of remember waking up and they were helping me and there was a beast and... ooo

Snap felt a headache spread through his skull. He put his hand against his forehead and gently rubbed it. He wasn’t really sure why he was having these thoughts again. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, they wouldn’t stop coming. And lately, they had been getting stronger and more persistant. He wasn’t sure what was going on. Maybe he needed to lay down or something?

It was then he noticed that the Beanie Boys, and Skrawl, were staring at him. Snap looked left and right, noting their expressions of confusion and uncertainty. He said nothing as he looked around, meeting their gazes. He wondered just why they were doing that. Was he making expressions during his internal struggle? Was he remaining unusually silent and they were wondering why he wasn’t talking?

“Is there something on your mind, Snap?” Skrawl said after a few awkward seconds of silence.

Snap quickly shook his head. “No, not really.”

Skrawl raised an eyebrow. “Then what were you doing?”

Snap rubbed his hands together nervously. He struggled to find something to say. “I was just...thinking about what I’m going to do to Rudy when I find him. Yeah, that’s it.”

“I see.” Skrawl didn’t sound entirely convinced. But the jellybean was clearly more interested in results than finding out what was going on inside Snap’s head. “Well enough taking trips down inside your own mind. You will get your chance at Rudy soon. Don’t worry.” He placed his hands against his hips. “However, I don’t want you hurting him. Just capture him.” Upon seeing Snap’s disappointed expression, Skrawl added through clenched teeth. “It was your unauthorized torture of Rudy that caused this.”

Snap looked at Skrawl in shock. “B-But I...”

“Enough!” Skrawl raised his hand up. “If you had just blinded Rudy and left him be after that, this wouldn’t have happened! Now quit trying to come up with excuses! If you want to redeem yourself in my eyes, capture Rudy and bring him to me!”

Snap couldn’t believe that Skrawl was blaming him for this. He wasn’t the one who killed Delta. Not deliberately that is. He wasn’t the one who burned someone else’s foot. He wasn’t the one who performed experiments in the past and mentally tortured someone who was supposed to be his best friend. That had all been Rudy. Why couldn’t Skrawl see that this was entirely Rudy’s fault? Surely, since the jellybean had saved his life, he would be able to understand this.

ooo He wasn’t the one who saved me. ooo

Snap was startled by this thought. For a moment, he regarded Skrawl with a sense of confusion and fear. In that second, his mind briefly questioned why he was taking orders from this guy.

This was thankfully shortlived, and Snap returned himself to normal without causing much of a distraction like last time. Despite wanting to argue with Skrawl, he merely nodded his head slowly, caving into the jellybean’s wants. Despite his disgruntlement, he knew he had to do exactly what Skrawl said. He couldn’t afford doing something else to get on Skrawl’s bad side.

Snap turned his head to the four Beanie Boys beside him. “All right everyone!” He gave a dark smile as he rubbed his hands together. “You heard him! Time to hunt us down a creator...” The Beanie Boys returned his smile. Not wasting anymore time, they immediately took off.

sss

Terry couldn’t believe that Dr. Von Doktor wanted her to start working now, despite how late it was. Well he was willing to pay her a lot of money for this, so it would be all worth it in the end. She had never been paid that much before. Well technically she hasn’t; Dr. Von Doktor would only pay her once she completed her deed. That shouldn’t be too tough. She was good at snooping around. It should be easy to figure out something that would help that crazy old man.

A part of her felt compelled to help him anyway. He suffered like she had. His reputation torn apart because of something that he knew he saw. She could relate to that. She suffered the same way. She would never forget the words that her fellow coworkers called her, or how she had lost one of her reporting jobs because of her ‘crazy chalk world theories’. And what connected her to him the most was the fact that they were both humiliated by the same person. Both of them suffered at the hands of Rudy Tabootie.

She gritted her teeth the memory of that brat. She couldn’t believe that she was the one who was supposed to help find him and prove Dr. Von Doktor’s innocense. Then again, despite her hatred of the boy, he was still a child. She couldn’t very well just leave him to a horrible fate, could she? She knew her reputation would be further ripped in half if that were the case.

She wondered where he and Penny could have disappeared off to. Wait, why was she wondering? She knew exactly where they were. Those two sneak off into this world of chalk place and..she had no idea what they did there. Not selling anything or advertising or anything like that. They were probably off doing stupid little children’s stuff. Those two were sitting on a gold mine. They had made the discovery of a century. Did they not know how much scientists would pay to have access to a place like that? And yet those two continue to selfishly hide it like it was nothing more than a playground to them.

She knew the parents didn’t know. They never acted like they knew anything. She guessed that they felt their kids were just going to a hideout or something to play for hours. Terry couldn’t help but shake her head. The fact that these adults weren’t curious enough to know where their kids go in the day was truly something. She never met adults so calm about their kids being missing all day. She wondered how they were feeling now. Pretty stupid, she would imagine.

She didn’t know yet how she was going to handle the situation if she did end up finding Rudy and Penny. Right now, she wanted to focus on finding clues on where they could be, and gather evidence against Dr. Von Doktor being responsible. That’s mainly what the man wanted. Finding them was a bonus. She wasn’t expecting it. But... she still had to prepare herself for what she’d do if she did locate them.

The first thing she’d have to do is resist the urge to be snippy with them. She might end up making it look like she was the one who kidnapped them. That’s not something she needed right now. So she would have to stay calm with them and try to coax them into following her. She hoped that they would be smart enough to follow her and not stay wherever she’d find them.

Then she would have to make sure the coast was clear. If they were kidnapped and they weren’t simply lost, she would need to look around and make sure their kidnapper was nowhere in sight. She decided to bring a small knife with her for self defense if it came to that.

But first and foremost, in addition to getting them to safety, she had to try her best not to discuss that chalk world with them. They would think that she was trying to trick them for information. While that was something she would definitely do, she was more interested in that large sum of money. She could use it to help expose this chalk world later down the line. She could use it to buy better equipment which could be used to help aid her in this quest. She smirked at this. Those brats might have this world hidden for now. But that won’t last forever.

Up ahead, she saw that she was getting close to her destination. She wasn’t sure what the law said about being on school grounds after school, but the gate was open. Terry recalled how those two seemed to disappear a lot during recess. All she needed to do was do a sweep of the playground. Maybe she would find some clues.

She pulled her van up to park on the sidewalk. She recognized this place as the same area where where she tried to ‘interview’ Penny Sanchez. She had retreated to the safety of her mother. Terry grumbled at the memory. Of course she was not able to do anything to stop Penny. Not while her mother was there. Not while there were witnesses. She was able to bag Snap but only because he was not around any adults. She doubted she would have gotten away with it if Mr. Wilter had been there.

She slowly made her way over, taking her time. She looked around to see if there were any signs of a camera. If there were any, she didn’t see them. But just in case, she held up a written piece of paper and moved it around slowly, allowing any hidden camera to see it. The paper had a note on it, which was pretty much a short statement of how she was just on an assignment. Unconventional and probably not good enough. But she was on short time, especially with how pushy Dr. Von Doktor was being. Once she felt she had held it up long enough, she turned herself around and she began to walk around the playground.

There didn’t seem to be anything special here so far. It was just a playground. Nothing out of the ordinary. She could see some chalk marks where children were drawing pictures and playing games. She could see some playground equipment, such as a slide. She could see a bench off in the distance where tired children could rest.

But there was nothing here that seemed suspicious to her. She narrowed her eyes. She didn’t want to leave empty-handed. Surely there’s got to be something here that...

Ah there it was. Hard to see, but it was there. She saw something very faint on the wall over here. She approached it slowly. She wasn’t sure why she was taking her time, but due to her recent past with Rudy and Penny, she learned she could never be too careful. Once she reached the wall, she stared at it and examined it carefully.

Yeah there was definitely something different about this part of the wall. The rest of the school walls were pretty clean for the most part. There was some dirt and marks in several areas, but that’s to be expected. There were even chalk markings all around. But these markings... She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something...different about them. Something that stood out over all the other markings.

She stared at it long and hard. Just what was it about this that seemed different? She couldn’t think of what it was, but this marking was definitely different. She wasn’t sure yet if it was connected to Rudy and Penny, but there was a good chance that it was. Those two usually keep to themselves during recess. It would be just like them to sneak around here to play by themselves. And this would be a perfect spot for...

At this realization, her eyes twinkled. She finally realized just what it was that made this marking different. She peered in a little closer to confirm her suspicions.

Light.

She could see light.

It wasn’t much, but it was there. A small light shining among the chalk stains on the wall. A portal that was not fully erased. A tiny, dot fracture into that elusive world. Her first peak into that place ever since she had lost her hair to that stupid frog beast. The very sight of it caused her mouth corners to curl up into a broad smile. At long last, she had physical proof of that place’s existence.

She knew she had little time to act. This may be her only chance to do something with it. But...what was she going to do? It was getting late and no one was going to want to listen to her, not at this time of night. Not unless it was an emergency, and to them, this wasn’t an emergency. Plus if she left, what if something happened that would erase the portal? No, she’d need to do something about it now, before she left. She thought of a picture, but they might think she editted it. Her camera..yes that would do.

As Terry went to get her camera and brought it over, she could feel her smile becoming broader, excitement pumping in her chest. She had waited so long to find a piece of physical evidence of that chalk world. And now she finally got it. She would love to see those idiots who mocked her try to explain a small light source when there were no lights on here save for the street lamps.

Soon she returned to the wall with her camera. She lifted it up, mounting it on her shoulder. She pointed it at the hole and zoomed in on it. Then she began to speak softly into the camera as she narrated.

“This is Terry Bouffant bringing you a rather interesting discovery. You see this small light here? Want to know what it is? I will tell you...”

As soon as she was done speaking, she turned the camera off and she placed it in her back. She picked it up and she stared at it, chuckling softly. She would love to see those brats try to stop her now. Slinging it over her shoulder, she proceeded with her assignment.

sss

Rudy couldn’t stop panting. He couldn’t stop running. His feet pounded the ground heavily, the force of each step feeling like they could send vibrations through this whole place. His mouth hung open and he could feel his throat drying up. He licked his lips slowly, struggling to keep them moist in this sticky atmosphere.

He wasn’t entirely sure how long he had been running. All he was aware of was his pounding heart, which continuously pumped blood through his body, trying to bring much needed oxygen everywhere. He could hear the distant noise behind him. He didn’t dare look back, for fear that he might end up tripping on the ground. Such an act would end up dooming him as there would be no way for him to get up before...

“Gotcha!”

Rudy suddenly felt something collide with him. He let out a scream as he was pushed up against the wall. His left eye widened as he stared into the hideous face of a Beanie Boy. His mind raced. How did they get to him so fast? He soon took notice of the other Beanie Boys coming in from behind, propelling themselves faster and faster in the air.

Rudy pushed himself against the Beanie Boy. His hands grappled with the zoner’s despite the agony this caused him and, mustering up as much strength as he could, he shoved the Beanie Boy aside. The Beanie Boy wobbled in the air a bit before turning himself around and trying to grab him. Rudy used this temporary window of opportunity to get back away from him. With a small leap, he evaded the Beanie Boy. He then turned and continued running down the hallway.

By this point, the other three Beanie Boys had nearly caught up with him. Rudy could practically feel their breath against him as he struggled to run as fast as he could. He just barely managed to evade another tackle and soon he began to put some distance between him and the four pursuing Beanie Boys.

Up ahead, he could see a crosswords. Two ways to go. He wasn’t sure which one was the correct path, but he had little time to contemplate. Soon he would be upon the point and then...

Wait, just how far away was it? Without his right eye, he couldn’t judge distance all that well. His depth perception was gone. He tried to focus on the size of the intersection to help him determine distance. Even then, it was still too difficult and he feared that he would smash into the wall before he would realize just how close it really was. He would have to time it. As he heard the Beanie Boys shouting at him, drawing closer, he prepared himself to make the turn. He watched carefully, waiting for the right time.

Almost there...

Just a little more..

Now.

Rudy turned to the left. He felt his shoulder bang a little against the wall. He realized just how lucky he was to turn in this moment. He soon found himself barreling down this new hallway. But just a few seconds running down, he soon realized just what a mistake it was to turn here.

The hallway here winded. It twisted from side to side. It looked so out of place for this building that it made Rudy wonder for a moment if it was a deliberate trap or if this place hadn’t been finished being constructed yet.

He didn’t wonder for too long. He turned around to try run down to the other hallway. Perhaps the right one would be better. He couldn’t get that far, though, as the Beanie Boys suddenly emerged, their hands outstretched as they prepared to grab him. Rudy skidded to a stop. He turned himself around and tried running down the other way, his feet pounding the ground once more.

Running down this hallway turned out as well as he thought it would. As soon as he had come to one of the turns, he immediately slammed into it, unable to realize how close he was until it was too late. He could feel his mouth push against it and a pounding ache spread through his jaw. He stumbled back and rubbed his mouth. He looked behind him and saw the Beanie Boys had practically closed in on him now. Scrambling to get away, he rushed further down the twisted hallway. The Beanie Boys easily manuerved through, zipping around, gaining on him.

Rudy struggled to keep ahead of them. He tried to avoid hitting against the walls, but this was impossible. He kept timing his turns wrong. His face and shoulder got hit multiple times and he could have sworn bruises were starting to form. On top of that, all this hitting on his face and the stress was irritating his eye injury. He could feel himself slowing down, his body wanting him to curl up in a ball and try to protect his damaged eye. But he knew he couldn’t stop. Not here, and certainly not now. He had to keep running. He had to find some place to hide. If he didn’t... He shuddered to think of the possibilities.

Eventually the tunnel began to straighten out, much to Rudy’s relief. However, this relief was rapidly short-lived when he heard scraping from above him. He stared at the ceiling as he ran, and he could see something wobbling in front. A makeshift vent, and someone was using it. The clang of the rock-based lid fell down and out came an all too familiar blue and white figure. Rudy immediately skidded to a hault.

“Why hello there, Bucko.” Snap said in a fake pleasant voice. “How nice it is to see you.”

Rudy stood there, staring at the zoner with a wide left eye. He took a small step back. He slowly turned around to try to head down the other way. But to his shock and horror, the Beanie Boys were upon him now. They didn’t try to touch him, but they blocked his only way out. They moved in closer towards him, forcing Rudy to get nearer and nearer to Snpa. It took only seconds for him to be completely sandwiched between them.

Snap stared up at him, that same sickenly pleasant smile on his face. He was silent for several moments, as if he wanted to unnerve Rudy a little. Well it was working. Rudy wasn’t sure just what Snap was going to do with him. All he could do was stand there and wait for him to say something.

When Snap finally took action, his first move was to place his hand on Rudy’s shoulder. This caused the boy to stiffen up at his touch. He looked down at the hand nervously, biting his lip. He was tempted to push it off. Something inside his head told him not to, however, and he remained still, watching Snap warily for any sign of movement or threat. Snap could shift at any moment and then he...

“Such a clever boy.” Snap commented. He sounded almost genuinely impressed. “Trying to go down that tell, tricking us to think you went down another. And then the way you suddenly shifted direction before and ran down the opposite direction.” Snap chuckled. “That was impressive.”

Rudy would usually thank Snap for such a compliment. But the way he was saying them now made him feel so unnerved and fearful. Then again, he had never had to be so fearful of Snap before. He had never been brainwashed like this. And what of himself? Was he brainwashed? The fear of this, combined with Snap’s condition, was enough to make his head feel like it was going to split wide open.

“But all good things must come to an end.” Snap’s grip on him tightened enough to cause a bit of pain. Rudy flinched, one of his arms raising up on reflex. “We tired of this running around, Rudy. It’s time that you come with us and face the consequences of what you have done.” At this, Snap’s eyes narrowed, now showing the anger hidden underneath. “You might have evaded justice before. But that has come to an end...”

“Please Snap...” Rudy found himself saying. “We...we can work something out..right?”

Snap stared at him blankly for a few moments. Rudy wondered if he was considering the suggestion. But the rapidly returning glare showed that this wasn’t the case. Before he knew it, Snap’s hand was at his throat. Rudy let out a gasp for air as the zoner tightened the grip. “It’s too late for such things, Bucko.” His face close to his, breath hitting his face, Rudy struggled to turn his head to the side. He could hear Snap’s growly, hissy voice in his ear. “Far too late...”

Before Rudy could respond, Snap shoved him backwards. Rudy felt his arms and legs being grabbed by the Beanie Boys. His ankles and wrists were twisted roughly and he let out a yelp of pain. The Beanie Boys held him still, his legs and arms stretched outward away from his body. This deprived him of any way to defend himself should Snap decide to attack him.

The zoner hadn’t made a move towards him yet, nor had he given any orders to the Beanie Boys. He just stood there, glaring icy sharp daggers in his direction. Rudy could feel his body running cold just from the mere sight of those white eyes. The same eyes that used to look upon him kindly, but now held nothing but contempt for him. He thought he could see Snap’s body giving a few slight shakes, indicating that there was a torrent of emotions rushing through him. Likely a combination of anger and excitement.

Rudy took a moment to look down at his leg. He flinched as he saw the damage he had caused to the zoner’s ankle. He couldn’t really blame Snap for being angry about that. This was a deliberate act. Even though he had only been trying to escape, that move was still pretty harsh. His blood had burned a deep wound in that leg and he could tell the zoner was having a hard time standing. This was likely why the zoner chose for an ambush instead of outright chasing him.

“Come on.” Snap finally spoke. He straightened himself back. He showed some physical effort in pushing back his emotions, any temptation to strike against him himself. “Remember what Skrawl said?” The Beanie Boys nodded their heads.

Rudy squeaked out, “What does Skrawl want with me?”

Snap glared at him. He arched his shoulders up. He appeared to hesitate for a few seconds, but then Rudy felt something collide with his face. Snap’s palm struck his cheek, forcing his hand to the side. Rudy let out a yelp of pain at this. He looked back, his left eye widening in pain and shock.

Snap turned to the Beanie Boys as he shook his hand. “This never happened.”

Rudy was confused by that comment until he saw the Beanie Boys nod their heads around him. Rudy quickly pieced together that Skrawl likely didn’t want him to be attacked. He wasn’t sure why. Then again, that jellybean likely wanted him all for himself, the sick, twisted fiend.

“Let’s go.”

Rudy felt himself being roughly carried back the way he had come. He tried to struggle, but the Beanie Boy’s grips were iron tight. He yanked himself from side to side, trying to do something to free himself. It was useless, but he still tried. Maybe if he kept trying, he would be able ot loosen their grip a little and then he could try to escape.

But eventually he gave up. He used up most of his strength in the running and it was really showing now. His muscles tired quickly and he soon hung limp in the air. His head fell forward. He opened his mouth a little wide and he panted heavily, struggling to regain some energy. He watched as Snap limped slightly in front of the Beanie Boys, leading them down the hallway and towards wherever Skrawl was waiting for him. Rudy’s left eye filled with fear and then it slowly shut.

sss

<Well that will give you some food for thought.> Thoughtless sneered at her.

Penny shook her head in disbelief. “No..you’re lying!”

<Well believe what you want.> Thoughtless merely shrugged its shoulder. <But don’t say I didn’t warn you.>

Penny glared in the zoner’s direction as it walked away from her. It had just finished its second meeting with her, where it had told her more things regarding the red chalk. She had barely had much time to piece together what it said before when it delivered even more information. If she wasn’t horrified before, Thoughtless had laid down a bombshell.

She didn’t want to think it was possible. She was already terrified enough by what she had learned. The fact that the red chalk and those kids could be linked together, even one and the same, was unnerving. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about. She had hoped that the memotrice was lying. Perhaps it was, but she had yet to see anything to contradict those words. It just..made too much sense.

And the whole ‘adding strength to the creator’...while she hadn’t seen proof of it, it did make sense. She remembered how Rudy was flung away by that machine Snap tried to use to free him. Such an act should have left him bruised, but he came out unscathed. And red chalk drawings did seem as though they had more stamina than a regular zoner.

But nothing could have prepared her for the shock that Thoughtless had just delivered to her now. It was something so chilling and so terrying...and yet there was absolutely nothing that would prove it not to be the case. It was terrifying because of how much such that it made, not in how improbable it seemed. She had spent the conversation and these few minutes alone trying to think of a way to deny that possibility.

But all roads seemed to lead in this direction. No matter how hard she thought, she was just unable to come up with any evidence that led to the contrary of the memotrice’s statement.

The red chalk possessed the soul of creators. Mostly child creators, wrongfully placed there. This would explain their irratic and aggressive behavior. They were angry. Permanently angry at the world that had shut them out and trapped them. Forever trapped as an inanimate object, in a form they couldn’t even communicate in unless another creator held them.

And who had put them there? Who had punished those children so severely? Who would have done the same thing to Rudy and her if they hadn’t won his trust?

Biclops.

The very idea of that zoner being capable of such..such cruelty..wasn’t something she wanted to ponder. She had talked with that large zoner many times, and he always seemed like he was so nice. He had never tried to harm them or anyone, and while he had shown anger, it was never to the point where they felt they should run for their lives. Biclops was just...too friendly. To think he could be capable of this barbaric act...

Then again, it didn’t seem all that farfetched. She recalled how he had been when Rudy first met him. He wasn’t the nicest of guys then. He was trying to hurt Rudy. She had seen the look in his eyes. She had seen the malice that shined in them. This zoner was trying to actually hurt Rudy. This realization dawned on her, causing a cold shiver to go up her spine. If he was willing to hurt someone who was only eight years old....then perhaps he really did do something to those other children. Biclops never did say what happened to them...

She shook her head. No, she couldn’t let herself think like that. She couldn’t let herself believe that Biclops would be capable of such a cruel act. Something else happened to those children. She wasn’t sure what, but she knew that it had to make more sense than Biclops doing anything about them. Thoughtless was just trying to confuse her, to mess her up. Perhaps to make her an easier sacrifice to the red chalk.

Then it dawned on her. Why was the memotrice so determined to do that to her? Why did it want her to fuse with the red chalk? Perhaps it was just merely confirming it? Maybe it really didn’t know what it read was true and thus it was just checking? That was the only thing that made sense to her. It did mention something about an experiment, didn’t it? She was certain that it had.

The question was, if this experiment turned out to be a success, what was the memotrice planning? It hadn’t told her what it wanted to do with the red chalk, or at least its powers. Never once did it hint on anything of what it wanted to do.

Her only thought is that it wanted to harness the durability of the red chalk, its raw power that it displayed. But...then what? What was it going to do with that power? Take over ChalkZone? Or did it have something else in mind? She clenched her teeth, her mind spinning from all the possibilities. She had already tried to ask the memotrice to elaborate, but it had merely dodged the question by asking one of its own. And she doubted Skrawl would be of any help. That jellybean probably doesn’t know what the memotrice is really planning.

She slumped down to the ground, her mind swimming with thoughts. Now that she knew all of this...what was she going to do about it? She had no magic chalk to try to escape. She had no help. She was all alone. Even if she did have help, this dome was sealed up tightly. There was no escape route for her. Even as she looked around carefully, she couldn’t see anything that would help her. It was all just glass, too thick for her to break with her fists and there were no solid objects in here for her to use.

But though she felt despair cling to her chest, though she felt too weak to get up, there was still a part of her that held onto hope. There was a way out of here somehow. She and Rudy had been able to squeeze out of trouble before. They could do it again.

At least...that’s what she hoped.

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching. She whipped her head around, expecting to see Thoughtless returning, or Skrawl. Instead she was greeted by the sight of Snap. Seeing him immediately made her heart freeze and her body stiffened up. The fact that he wasn’t even smiling at her, he was just staring out ahead into nothingness like she didn’t exist, did little to calm her nerves down. She wondered what Snap wanted her for.

But she soon realized he wasn’t here for her. He was bringing someone with him. As the zoner limped, which she finally took notice of, there were four figures..no, five, behind him, getting closer. As soon as they got into the light, Penny recognized the fifth figure she had nearly missed.

“R-Rudy...?” Penny whispered softly, her voice barely audible.

Rudy was secured in the air by the Beanie Boys. He didn’t look badly hurt, but he looked exhausted and almost mentally defeated. His head hung low, his bandage covering his right eye loosened up a bit, his left eye drooped and staring at the ground. His mouth hung open and she could hear his pants from over here. It was clear he had exhausted himself trying to escape the Beanie Boys’ grasp.

Snap motioned to one of the Beanie Boys to fly up and open the door. The one holding Rudy’s leg let go. To Penny’s shock, the boy didn’t even try to squirm when the zoner let his leg go. The Beanie Boy immediately flew up and pressed a button, allowing the door to open. Penny scrambled back as Rudy was thrown into the dome roughly after Snap gave a gesture of his hand. The door was immediately shut.

Penny locked her eyes onto Snap. He finally seemed to notice her and he stared at her blankly for a few moments. Despite the lack of an expression, Snap’s eyes almost seemed to be smiling at her evilly. She could sense the anger burning inside those visual orbs and it was enough to make her blood run cold.

Wordlessly, Snap turned and began to walk away. The Beanie Boys followed close behind him. Penny was confused by the lack of action, but she didn’t really complain about it. She turned her head down to Rudy, who laid slumped on the ground, not bothering to get up. She dropped down onto her knees next to him and reached her hands out towards him.

“Rudy? Are you....?”

Suddenly, before she could touch him, the boy struck out at her, letting out a hiss. She could see his left eye wide in horror. It was as if he had just finally figured out where he was and who he was with. She leaned away from him, holding her hands against her chest, as she watched Rudy scramble up to his feet. He immediately moved back away from her, his teeth bared at her fearfully. She could hear his growling filling the air.

Penny took a small step back as she watched Rudy’s fearful reaction of her. It was clear that he was still afraid of her after what she did. She could feel her heart clenching up in guilt. She lowered her head slightly. Her eyes never left his. Poor Rudy.... He was shaking so hard. He looked like he wanted to leave, but the realization that he was trapped with her was making his heart race, his head turning left and right as he tried to find a way to get out of here. But just as she realized before, Rudy knew there was no escape.

Then Rudy stopped growling altogether. Penny watched as his facial expression relaxed a little. She caught a glimpse of guilt in his eyes. It was as if Rudy never meant to react like that to her. She noticed how he was looking at her now. Almost longing, like he wanted to be near her, but he couldn’t bring himself to move towards her. In an attempt to comfort him, she started to walk towards him...

...only for him to cringe and give a soft, quiet hiss. Penny immediately backed away, which helped Rudy to relax again. Realizing that she couldn’t get that close to him yet, Penny opted to sit down not too far in front of him. She looked at him with a sympathetic expression, eyeing his injuries and flinching at them. She wished she could do something to help him.

For now, they just sat in silence. Penny tilted her head up, looking towards the ceiling and that small dot of light up there. She narrowed her eyes softly. Somehow, she and Rudy would escape.

Somehow, someway, they would.

sss

The five zoners before him remained in their bowing position. Their heads lowered, their eyes closed, they showed nothing but utmost respect for him. They were silent, awaiting for their next orders. None of them dared to make move until they were told to, out of fear they might upset him.

They performed quite admirably. He was inspired. He was glad that they hadn’t made the same mistake as before and waste time doing something they weren’t supposed to. Now they had that boy in custody as well as the girl. Things couldn’t get any better. Any previous anger he had for them was replaced with a genuine smile. He no longer doubted his choosing of second-in-command.

“Great job, boys!” Skrawl complimented as he smiled down at the five zoners. “Now we have both creators in our midst and they are defenseless!” He clutched his hand tightly at this as he imagined ripping into them. He had to remind himself that Thoughtless had other plans. “And I know you couldn’t have done it without his help.”

Skrawl stared directly at Snap as he said this. The zoner seemed to instinctively know that he was being looked at. He lifted up his head and stared up at Skrawl. He slowly climbed up to his feet as Skrawl gestured for him to come over, his claw bending back and forth. Snap soon reached Skrawl, but he kept his head lowered in respect. He smiled a little, but still held an air of uncertainty. Skrawl was pleased with this. Snap learned fast.

He reached over and he placed his hand on his shoulder, his claws lightly touching. “I must commend you on a job well done, Snap. I am pleased to see that you not only learned quickly, but you were able to capture Rudy in record time. Impressive!”

Snap’s smile spread slightly. “Thank you, sir.” He closed his eyes lightly, his head once again lowering. “It was my pleasure.”

Skrawl removed his head and took a step back. He raised his hand up and pointed a claw in one direction. “You are dismissed!”

The sudden dismissal came as no surprise to the Beanie Boys. Snap, a little, but he was still new. It would take time for him to fully adjust. It didn’t take him too long to get the hint, though, and soon he joined the other Beanie Boys as they left. They walked down the hallway. Skrawl didn’t look away until they had disappeared from sight. Only then did he turn around and move towards the nearby seat.

He sat himself down and he leaned back in the seat. He tilted his head up slightly, thoughts running through his mind. He could feel a strong sense of elation move through him. Things were working out quite well. Better than he had expected. Sure they had hit a snag, but thanks to Snap’s intervention, they were back on track. No longer did they have to worry about a little child roaming around, potentially causing problems. Not even Biclops could do anything, and the other zoners weren’t really aware of what was happening.

Despite it not being how he wanted to get rid of them, at least Rudy and Penny would soon be taken care of. Thoughtless already figured something out. He was surprised that he didn’t remember the plan. But oh well. There was so much going on that it was easy to lose track of something.

ooo I am Skrawl. I don’t lose track of anything. ooo

Skrawl lifted his head up in surprise when he heard that voice. He looked from side to side to try to find the source. He couldn’t see anything. He blinked a few times and then he shrugged. Must be his imagination.

He took a moment to smile and appreciate how easy everything was going to be after all this is done. Without Rudy and Penny getting in his hair, nothing was going to stop him from taking over ChalkZone. Nothing was going to prevent his enslavement of the zoners. No zoner would dare try to stand up against him. And he even had a new recruitment. Snap might be Rudy’s creation, but under Thoughtless’s control, he made quite the ally. A part of him hoped that this brainwashing stayed permanent. He would hate to lose such an ally.

But he’d still need to wait for everything to come through. The plan wasn’t yet finished. They still needed to initiate the next step, which was to fuse Rudy and Penny with the red chalk. He wasn’t entirely sure why Thoughtless wanted to do that or what significance it would have. The bird reptile hadn’t been too open about what it wanted.

ooo Because it might use that against me. ooo

Skrawl was surprised by that thought. It didn’t seem likely that Thoughtless was going to turn against him. He had been with it this whole time and never once had been altered. If Thoughtless wanted to do something with him, then it would have done so by now.

ooo It already has. That plan was never approved. It was trying to trick me. ooo

Skrawl shook his head at that uncomfortable thought. It was a scary notion, the idea of being controlled secretly. He couldn’t help but shiver as he stared down at his hand. For a moment, he started to wonder if he really was controlled to some extent. And if he was, just what had Thoughtless done with him?

He had to struggle to push the thoughts away. This must be just related to his nerves. Yeah, that’s all it was. He was getting really excited about this plan coming through. He could feel his heart burning and thumping. He could feel the energy rushing through his body. It took him so much to prevent himself from shaking too much. He couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. In that moment, he had no more doubts. The uncertain thoughts left him completely.

But he was still curious about this plan. He wanted to know more. He would need to go talk to Thoughtless. He would need to tell the zoner that enough was enough, that if it wanted his continued cooperation, it would need to tell him what it was trying to do. Or else, he...

<Hello, Skrawl.>

The jellybean jolted at the sudden voice from within his head. He looked around to find where Thoughtless was. With mental voices like that, the direction was so hard to determine.

<Behind you.>

Skrawl could see Thoughtless standing not far from him. He couldn’t tell how long it had been standing there, waiting for him to turn around. Had it just arrived or was it waiting for a while? Skrawl didn’t bother apologizing, though, as he turned his full attention on the memotrice. What perfect timing.

<I take it that Snap was successful?> Asked Thoughtless.

Skrawl nodded his head. “Rudy is locked up with Penny right now.” He smiled as he raised his hand up in gesture. “Without their precious chalk, they will not be able to escape. So we no longer have to worry about them.”

Thoughtless repied, <That’s good... I was beginning to worry that we wouldn’t be able to get them together. But now we have the problem of trying to keep the red chalk on them this time. I had to remove the one on Penny’s because it was trying to attack Cornerstone.>

Skrawl frowned at this. He didn’t really care too much about Cornerstone. But he also didn’t like any discrepancies among his followers. The fact that Cornerstone and the red chalk were going to fight was not a good sign in his eyes. He would need to do something in the future to ensure that this didn’t happen.

<Further more, the recruitment apparently takes longer than I thought. I was not prepared for this. If I had known, I would have done something about it.> Thoughtless frowned, turning its head to the side. A thoughtful expression plastered over its face. <We will need a way to make sure they don’t escape..> It pressed its wing against its lower beak. <There is tying them up...that could work to keep them still.>

That would certainly work. Although it was a little mundane for what he was hoping they’d do. Skrawl would like to make their immobilization more terrifying and painful. Snapping their limbs would surely keep them from going anywhere. Besides, it’s not like the red chalk needs their bodies to be in tact, right? Or did it? He wasn’t sure. And didn’t Thoughtless indicate that it wanted them to be as little injured as possible?

“I have plenty of rope stashed somewhere.” Skrawl told it. “I can bring some over if you want.”

<Not right now. We have some time.> Thoughtless tilted its head to the side. <Not like our ‘guests’ are going to get away any time soon.>

That was indeed true. Rudy and Penny had no where to go at the moment. They were trapped here with them. They had no hope of escape. Skrawl could relax, something that he usually couldn’t do during a plan in progress. “When are we taking action with them, then?”

<In time, Skrawl. In time.>

Thoughtless’s simple comment was filled with a sense of mystery. Which reminded Skrawl of what he had wanted to ask him. He decided to ask now before he forgot again.

“What is your plan?”

Thoughtless blinked a few times at this, its eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. <I do not know what you mean. I told you what I was planning on doing. Fusing those two children with the red chalk. Well at least Penny. I am still considering keeping Rudy around for more experiments.> It raised up its wing in gesture. <That might be the better option, actually. It would help with...>

“Can you just answer my question?” Skrawl was surprised at himself, but he did little to stop the glare from coming over his face. “Why do you want to sacrifice them...I mean, Penny, to the red chalk? What did you have in mind?”

Thoughtless remained silent for a few seconds. Then it said, <I don’t know why you’re so interested.>

“Because I’m part of this plan, too.” Skrawl hissed. He pointed a finger at himself. “And I deserve to know.”

Thoughtless looked like it wanted to protest. But then it deflated itself before it could speak. <Yeah..I do suppose that you make a good point there.> Thoughtless lifted its head slighlty, pointing its beak down. <I could tell you later. After we get those two...>

Skrawl was having none of it. “No!” He slammed his fist against the wall. This was enough to startle the memotrice. “I want answers now!”

Thoughtless was quiet, staring at the jellybean. The silence that fell upon the room was almost unnerving. Yet the jellybean hardly paid attention to it. He just stared at the memotrice, his glare piercing through the air, practically cutting through the memotrice’s head. He made it clear through his expression that he was not taking ‘no’ for an answer. He wanted an answer and he wanted it now.

Thoughtless’s eyes soon began to gleam a little. This was enough to snap Skrawl out of his momentary trance. He took a small step back when he saw the way Thoughtless was looking at him. He could have sworn the pupils became more blade-like and he could see Thoughtless’s eyes narrowing into slits. There appeared to be a slight brown glow eminating from those eyes. Realizing that he might have gone a bit too far, Skrawl waved his hand in front, moving back a bit further. He was glad that his Beanie Boys weren’t here to see this.

“Now...I just wanted to better understand this whole plan. I...”

Thoughtless took a step towards him, raising its wings slightly. Skrawl could see the small sharp claws on the wings, and they almost appeared to be pointed towards him. <You are a bit too inquisitive for your own good sometimes, Skrawl. If you want to know more about my plan, you will wait.>

Skrawl attempted to protest. “But...”

Thoughtless silenced him with a low, unearthly screech. It permeated through his soul and made him freeze. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. He just stared at the memotrice, not daring to make a move at this point. He couldn’t help but wonder if one more move would provoke the memotrice into doing something with his memory. That was an experience he hoped he never had to find out.

Thoughtless opened its beak a little, its small, sharp teeth exposed. <Do not worry. You will find out in due time. But for now, do not ask me that question again. I need more time to make sure that it pulls through first. I will not tell you about it if I think that there is a chance that it will be upturned. Otherwise, you might end up slipping, making mistakes. And that is not what we can afford right now. Understand?>

Skrawl hesitated for a moment. “Yes.” He finally said.

Thoughtless smiled at this. <I am glad we are on the same page now, Skrawl.> Its eyes started to glow. <I’d hate to think what would happen if you did something to..mess that up.>

Skrawl shuddered at this. Then he felt something tingling in the back of his mind.

sss

The memotrice had to work fast to fix that memory. It realized that it had gone a little too far with its threats. It might have done something to make Skrawl suspicious. So it worked quickly to alter his memories so that Skrawl would not remember those threats. A quick and easy adjustment to make.

Skrawl had left a few minutes ago. It couldn’t remember exactly where he was going. But that did give it some time to think alone. It began to wonder if it should have told Skrawl what it planned. It knew that Skrawl was going to just keep asking. Even if it had told Skrawl to wait, it knew him pretty well, and it knew that Skrawl was going to make another move at some point. He was going to do whatever he could to get answers. Maybe it should have just told him to avoid the headache.

But it knew it couldn’t have done that. There was still work to be done. Plus, it didn’t know how Skrawl would react to such a plan. It was fine with experimenting on those human children. But how would he react to his idea regarding the red chalk? Its uncertainty made it less willing to tell Skrawl about it. It couldn’t have him being unruly during these times.

But it wasn’t just Skrawl it had to worry about. It couldn’t help but get suspicious that Biclops might still be around. This would definitely prove problematic. If its hunch is right, Biclops might be the first one to break free of its spell, and if he managed to do that, then he might... Well it wasn’t sure entirely what he was going to do. Either take action himself or recruit more help. Not that it couldn’t easily take care of that, but it would much rather avoid these problems before they started.

Perhaps it should send out a couple of the Beanie Boys to scout for him. It wouldn’t be too hard to convince a couple. Most of them were just laying around doing nothing anyway. They were probably bored. Telling them to locate Biclops would give them something to do. Once it learned of where the giant was, it could then figure out a plan based around this. Perhaps it needed to trap Biclops or something. Perhaps lock him in his own Chalk Mine. Yeah, that should do the trick.

It then remembered that it wasn’t just Biclops who might be problematic. It was starting to get suspicious of Snap as well. It had watched him from a distance and it noticed the look in his eyes. A few times, Snap would get this certain expression that indicated he was having an internal battle. It had seen this look in only one other victim of its, and if it remembered right, said victim was able to fight back against the mind alteration and his true memories came to the forefront.

Could this be what is happening to Snap? That would certainly be a major problem. It would need to do something to prevent any lose of control over Snap. Perhaps another further rewiring of his brain would help solidify things. It didn’t want to do that just yet, however. It wanted to see if Snap starts acting strangely. So far, the superhero zoner hadn’t really tried to challenge it nor did he try to do anything to mess with it. He still appeared loyal to Skrawl. So long as he remained this way, there was no need to take action.

Ah well, there was really no point in doing anything about him right now. That zoner was knee deep in this place. Even if he did somehow regain his memories, he had nowhere to go. Someone would catch him and prevent him from going anywhere. Then it could take care of him again then. For now, it wanted to focus its attention on its plan.

It thought about perhaps reading more of those books to see if there was anything that it missed. Yeah, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. It never knew if there was an important detail missing. It was determined to make its idea become a reality. It had come too far to fail now and it would be damned if it ended up failing all because it didn’t read the fine print or any extra details that would be important.

Thoughtless immediately headed towards its room. It didn’t meet much opposition in the way. It had found a couple of Beanie Boys and it momentarily stopped to give them the orders to find, but not engage, Biclops. The Beanie Boys immediately left. It hadn’t run into anymore on the way to its room.

It didn’t take long to reach it. Once it was there, it moved towards its nest where it had stashed away the books. As it went over, it couldn’t help but be amazed that Skrawl hadn’t done anything with these ideas yet. Perhaps the jellybean zoner felt they were out of his league or were useless or something. Go figures. That zoner didn’t seem to have a good idea on what was a good idea and what wasn’t. Obsessed with simply ruling ChalkZone... What a primitive idea. Any nutjob can do that.

But it would take nothing short of geniusness to pull this off. After all, not just anyone can pull off what it was about to do. It was going to do something truly remarkable. Something that it was certain no one had ever thought of before. It would be spectular. Sure the attempts at making zoner useable chalk failed. But the red chalk still had another use. Something far more useful than just giving zoners the ability to draw.

After all, wouldn’t it be far more impressive to grant sentience to all chalk? Wouldn’t it be far more interesting if chalk could draw on its own? And most of all...

...wouldn’t it be just fabulous to open the gap and bring ChalkZone and the Real World closer together?

But first, onto reading. The memotrice perched itself down, curling its tail inwards against itself. It opened up one of the books. Once it got itself comfortable, it pointed its head down and it began to read the passages.

It spent a few minutes reading, moving its eyes from side to side. Most of this stuff, it had read already. But it wouldn’t hurt to reread them. It never knew when there was something that it had overlooked. Something incredibly important. It did come across some interesting information it didn’t know, but none of it was going to help speed up the plans or anything, so there was no need to worry about them.

It was about to put the book down and move onto another one when it noticed a passage it didn’t see before. It pressed its foot against the page to keep it from slipping away as it leaned its head closer. It focused its eyes intently on this paragraph, reading and rereading to make sure that it wasn’t mistaken. After it finished reading for the sixth time, it narrowed its eyes into slits. Well, this was going to be a problem.

Thoughtless hadn’t realized this before. It wasn’t sure why it didn’t. It wanted to smack itself for not noticing it earlier. How could it have missed such an important detail, especially with how important it was to its goals?

Well, there was no use complaining about it right now. At least it knew now, so there was still time to correct this oversight before it potentially became a problem later. It decided it was best to do that now before things slipped away from it. It was often better to take care of things first thing, especially if they were important. And this was quite important indeed. It lifted its head up and looked towards the door, its eyes narrowed in determination.

Now..where was that jellybean?

sss

Well that was it. There was nothing else here. Nothing that would neither confirm nor deny that Dr. Von Doktor was involved. Then again, what did she expect when she came here? That scientist hadn’t been here since that science fair months back. But then, perhaps someone else could have come here and...

No, she saw nothing. No signs of those brats being followed by anyone or harrassed. Just the usual ‘markings’ of sorts left by regular children. There was that bully...she forgot his name, but she had seen him pick on Rudy and Penny a few times. Could he have had a hand in it? No, she doubted it. He didn’t seem smart enough, or nasty enough, to do something like that.

Perhaps she had placed too much hope in finding something here. But it was the one place she knew those two hung around the most other than their own home. And she doubted she could get permission this late to go there. She might need to get permission tomorrow in order to come down to their place and speak to them or look around. They probably won’t be happy to see her, especially if they get an idea that she blamed them for the children’s disappearances. Which certainly wasn’t the case; she had little reason to suspect the Tabooties or Mrs. Sanchez, or Dr. Sanchez if she wanted to go by her official title. They didn’t seem like the sort that would do something like this.

...then again, she was aware that some parents may act and look loving, but do terrible things in order to garner attention. And she knew that Mrs. Sanchez was always looking for new customers with her home business, and Mr. Tabootie was constantly trying to get attention for his meat. So was it possible that they were involved with their own children’s disappearances just to gain attention for business?

As sad as it was, she realized it was still a possibility. Perhaps she should regard them as suspects. But not say it outrigh, of course. She knows how defensive people can get, regardless if they were truly involved or not. She would lay off it for not. But if she did find something that led in that direction....

Then she might not have a choice.

But this day wasn’t a complete waste. Terry smiled as she looked down at her bag. She gently patted her hand against it. She did finally get some piece of evidence for that world of chalk. And this time, those brats didn’t know she had it. They couldn’t do anything to stop her. She had the upperhand.

She wouldn’t show it right away of course. She wanted to get this business with the kids taken care of. She would first store the camera at her place, where it would be completely safe. Then she would keep her mouth shut about the chalk world so the children wouldn’t think she was trying to pry them for information regarding that. Then once the children were back with their parents, safe and sound, and once she got that large sum of money from Dr. Von Doktor, she would then take that footage and bring it to someone to look at. Surely they wouldn’t think she was making it up if they saw that odd light that should not be there. Especially if they saw the raw footage straight from the camera itself.

She looked up at the sky. It had gotten dark out already. The stars were shining and the street lights had long been on. She could see the crescent moon shining above her, providing a little bit of additional light.

Now was a good time to start heading back. She would have to resume her investigation later. She was limited with what she could do at night and she didn’t want to press her luck. She needed to get some rest anyway. She hadn’t had a good night sleep in a while. She sometimes had bad dreams revolving around that day she nearly exposed that chalk world. She clenched her teeth as she recalled the horrific images of that frog thing, and how it caused her to be bald on national television.

The laughter...

The jeering...

The mockery...

She remembered it all. And with each memory, she could feel a burning stab in her stomach. She could feel herself growing sick by the second. She let out a hiss through her teeth. That little brat had gotten inside her head more so than he realized. Although the nightmares had shrunk in number, she still had them. Some days were better than others.

She tried her best to shake the thoughts out of her head. There was really no use in getting upset over it. At least now she had an upperhand over Rudy and Penny. They wouldn’t be able to pull a trick like that on her anymore. With this evidence that she head, she’d be able to get all that she wanted in one easy swoop. She would get back the reputation that she deserved. She would be able to get back at those who mocked her by proving them wrong. But most of all, she would be able to get revenge on Rudy and his two pals for what they did to her. After all, what better revenge would there be than to expose that world they were so selfishly guarding?

She slung the bag’s strap over her shoulder and she began to make her way towards her parked van. She opened up the back and swung her bag inside. She flinched as it clanged against the stand the computer was attached to. She let out a sigh of relief when it didn’t fall over. She then shut it and went towards the driver’s seat. Once she was in, she put the key in the ignition, turned on her van, and soon she was off.

As she drove off, her thoughts went to Rudy and Penny. She felt her expression softening up slightly. Despite hating them, she did hope they were all right. They were just children, and any desire to hurt them herself was borne out of anger. Justifiable anger, but it wouldn’t be enough to excuse her behavior if she actually did something to them.

Besides, she could use them. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she thought about this. They knew that world of chalk really well. They had been to it more times than anyone. Their knowledge could prove useful for when plans to explore that world was put into effect. But she wouldn’t ask them right away. No, she’d wait until after that world was exposed. Because by then, it’d be too late for them to stop her. Perhaps they’d be more willing to cooperate after their ego is smashed and humbled.

A smile twisting along her face, Terry continued her drive home.

sss

Reggie had a hard time getting to sleep. No matter how much he tossed and he turned, no matter what he tried, he just couldn’t close his eyes and get to sleep. He let out a frustrated groan as he pushed his head underneath his pillow, hoping that, by some miracle, he’d get to sleep.

But of course nothing happened, and he knew why. He was still thinking about what happened lately. From seeing that thing of light on the wall, to trying to get information from Rudy and Penny, only to hurt them in the process, to getting in trouble, to the punishment, to the interrogation, then his dad’s anger and temporary accusing of Rudy and Penny’s parents, and then the realization that there was someone out there hurting people...

Needless to say, it was realy hard to feel relaxed knowing all of that. His dad tried to calm him down, tried to tell him there was really no use in him beating himself up over something that couldn’t be changed, but Reggie couldn’t really relax. He was used to hurting Rudy, but never like that. He hadn’t meant to go that far. And how could he not worry about that mysterious guy? The one that assaulted Rudy and Penny right under everyone’s noses?

He had already tried to relax himself and try to tell himself the police will figure it out. The parents had supposedly set up cameras to see if that man would return. Chances are he wouldn’t, but he could see the need for security. There was that saying he heard his dad say at least once. Better safe than sorry. And nowadays, he felt it would be better to cling to that and be diligant than to let it go and then have something horrible happen. He wasn’t sure how he’d react if his lack of action resulted in himself or his dad getting hurt.

True, there was little reason to think that he’d be targeted next. But...who would target Rudy and Penny? He couldn’t really think of anything himself, outside of any his dad had suspected. But even them.. he couldn’t think of a reason why they’d take such a risk. The attack had taken place at one of their yards. He forgot which one, but this still didn’t change his point. It would take a lot of skill and guts to get into someone’s yard to hurt their child.

He felt like he should do something. He didn’t know if he could just sit here, doing nothing. His mind was spinning around too much. His teeth were clenching too tightly. His thoughts were swimming. He couldn’t think of anything that he could do in order to calm himself down...except to take action and actually go try to find out answers.

He felt like he owed Rudy and Penny for what he had done to them. And this would be a perfect way to do that. If he could find out who had hurt them, and who had taken them, if he could get them to safety or at least bring to light who was responsible so he could be dealt with, that would be the most affective apology, wouldn’t it? After all, actions speak louder than words. That was a saying he took to during his bullying. Now he had another use for that saying.

But he couldn’t do anything right now. Even though it was tempting to climb out the window and do something now, he didn’t want to do anything to freak out his dad. He knew that his father was already in a rut as it was. His emotions were all over the place and he often shifted quickly because of the confusion and the stress. He didn’t want to do anything that would make that worse.

So as much as it pained him, he didn’t have any choice other than just sitting here and hoping that he’d fall asleep soon. He was going to need his strength for tomorrow if he was going to figure anything out. Maybe things would be easier if he had help...

But who would want to help him? Who would believe him? He had never been too nice to anyone. He couldn’t see anyone, not even his ‘friends’, wanting to help him out. And none of the adults would either, he didn’t think. He might be on his own with this.

Wait, wasn’t there that one woman? What was her name... Bouffant? Yeah, Terry Bouffant. She tended to follow those two around a lot, right? He had seen her around here, trying to interrogate those two. Maybe she would know how to track those two down? Or perhaps, she even had something to do with their disappearances? There was only one way to find out for certain. Tomorrow, he would start.

sss

“Rudy...come on...” Penny whispered softly as she tried to get closer. “Let me look at it...”

Rudy hunched his shoulders and hissed at her. He didn’t mean to. He wanted so much to put all of this aside and forgive her. He still wanted to be her friend. He still considered her a friend. But the pain in his eye kept reminding him of what she had done, and his brain was telling him to keep her away from him.

He partially blamed himself. Penny seemed content on hanging back and leaving him alone, but when he showed too much discomfort regarding his eye, she had sprung into action. Or at least, she tried to until he swatted at her, hoping to keep her away. Penny looked determined to try to help him. He could see the look of guilt in her eyes, which easily explained her determination. But he would have none of it. Not while he was like this. If she got any closer...

There, she took another step. Rudy felt his body tense up. He was struggling against himself not to make another move. But she had gotten too close to him again. He couldn’t stop himself from instinctively striking out against her. Penny moved back, staring at him with wide eyes. He gritted his teeth and hissed a single phrase.

“Go away....”

Penny’s expression softened up more at this. He could feel a pang in his stomach at this. He felt a little guilty for acting this way towards her. A part of him realized that he was being irrational. But emotion often won over logic, and in this situation, his fear had a strange hold on him. He couldn’t help but envision her taking out his other eye.

His racing mind kept interpreting Penny as some large, shadowy figure with red eyes and a gleaming, evil grin. He could almost see her pull out a knife and rushing towards him with it. Her voice sounded less sincere at times, clouded by a laughter he kept thinking she was giving. This was how his deepest, darkest mind was interpreting her, even though his eyes were telling him quite different. In addition, he could still see her striking at him, plunging that nail into his eye and laughing about it. Again that wasn’t what happened, and he knew this, but he hardly paid attention to it as his fear overrid his judgment.

He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. He was doing his best not to strike out against her. He did his best to keep away from her, and focus on his own pain. But her just being in the room, being unable to escape from her sights, it was starting to work him up. He could feel his body shaking as he struggled to keep himself as calm as possible.

But sooner or later, something was going to give. The question was, just how bad will it be when he finally snapped?

“Oh Rudy...I wish you wouldn’t be like this. I’m just trying to help...” Penny whispered as she stared at him longingly. She looked down at his hand, flinching at the bit of died blood still present. “I want to help...” She lifted her gaze and stared over at what he guessed was his eye. “...please. Give me a chance.”

Rudy was not able to stop himself from grinning almost viciously at her. The sight of it must have been bone-chilling for her to see. He felt a pang of guilt, but that did little to stop him from what he said next. “Yeah sure... The last time I gave you a chance, you took out my eye!”

Penny looked at him with the most guilt-ridden eyes that she could muster. It almost made Rudy stop glaring at her. Keyword: Almost. “Rudy... You know that was an accident. I-I didn’t mean to.... I was just trying to get you away from Snap and...”

“Yeah, Snap... Because you thought that he was telling the truth! You wouldn’t listen to me, whom you had known longer!” Rudy snapped at her, using more sharpness than he had intended.

Penny bit her lip for a moment. She looked as if she was having a hard time thinking of something to say. Although he’d be ashamed to admit it, he was glad she wasn’t responding right away. That gave him a few seconds to cool down. But he had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be enough.

“I realized that I was wrong about Snap. But..you can’t really blame me, can you?” Penny raised her hand up in gesture. “I mean...with this memotrice business..I...” She looked to the side. She shut her eyes and sucked in a breath through her clenched teeth. “I had no way of knowing what happened. How could I have known that you weren’t...changed by the memotrice?” She looked back at him, her eyes widening as if she was finally realizing the full weight of her assumption. “Oh gawd, Rudy.. I’m so sorry...”

A part of Rudy wanted to forgive her. He wanted to put all of this behind them and forget that it happened. He wanted to move on from this. He wanted them to return back to how they were before. He wanted them to be best friends again. He didn’t want his mind to be ruled by fear for the person he cared about so much.

But he couldn’t stop the lingering bitterness inside of him. He had never been able to fully cast that aside. It remained with him, burning his stomach, making him sick almost everytime he tried to think about Penny. He was not proud of this, and he felt like slapping himself in the face. But he couldn’t deny that his anger still loomed over his head, and he was getting a growing temptation to strike out at Penny. He just hoped he’d be able to control himself enough to prevent that from happeng. The last thing they needed right now was for a deeper wedge to be placed between them.

“I know you’re mad at me. I don’t blame you. I still made a horrible mistake. Your eye is damaged because of me. Perhaps even permanently...” Penny sniffled at this. “I...I can’t believe that my actions had..done so much harm. I-If I had known...” She looked down towards the ground. Tears began to emerge from her eyes. “Please, Rudy... Let me try to make up for what I’ve done to you... Let me look at your eye... Please...”

Rudy felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to bristle at this. He couldn’t stop the defensive growl from escaping his throat along with the following statement, “No way... Why don’t you go make yourself useful and go....” His voice trailed off.

Her voice stinging with emotion, Penny asked tentatively, “..go do what, Rudy?”

He turned his head away from her. He shut his left eye slowly. Despite his anger, he knew he couldn’t finish that sentence. It would have been going way too far. “Nothing. Just...just leave me alone... Please..”

He could still feel Penny’s eyes staring at him. He could practically feel them cutting through his soul. He could sense her heartbreak and sorrow even from here. It intermixed with his guilt, making it stronger. He couldn’t help but take in a shuddering breath, but for all Penny knew, he did this to try to mask his anger. He soon heard her let out a soft, defeated sigh.

“...okay then, Rudy. But just remember, I’m here for you. When you are ready to have that eye checked out, just...let me know, okay?”

Rudy didn’t answer her verbally. He did give a weak jerk of the head, but nothing more. He didn’t even bother looking at her. He kept his gaze away, trying to get his swimming emotions to calm down. He gritted his teeth as he struggled the best he could to relax. Yet he could still feel his negative emotions ripping through his head, threatening to rip him apart mentally. He wished he had some kind of bucket laying around. It was so tempting to use one.

He couldn’t believe all that was going on lately. What had started as a hopefully quick operation to stop the memotrice, which was only supposed to take a few hours at most, had turned into a nightmare. He and Penny were prisoners here without magic chalk and their best friend had been turned against them. They had even been turned against each other because of that stupid eye incident. He wanted to cast aside his anger of that, but..he just couldn’t help it.

And then there was the memotrice, whose plots he had no idea what they were. He had little idea of what it was planning, and he guessed Penny was in the dark as much as he was. He bit his lip as frustration swept his body. If he had an idea just a slight idea, of what the memotrice wanted, then that would be of a great comfort. He already knew about what was nearly done to Penny, but he had little idea of just what that zoner wanted to do with her should it have been a success.

Oh how he longed for everything to be back to the way they were. He wished the memotrice didn’t exist. He wished that Skrawl was back to losing. He wished that he and Penny didn’t have this wedge between them. He wished Snap was still their friend. He wished that they were exploriating new places in ChalkZone, having fun, enjoying themselves, meeting new zoners. He wished that all this strife was over, that the zoners didn’t have this monster to worry about, that Biclops hadn’t been targeted by such a fiend. He wished none of this had happened.

All these thoughts soon overwhelmed him. He brought his legs together, hugging them against himself. The horrible sting of his wounds hardly fazed him as much as his memories and emotions did. He curled his lip down a little and, unabled to take it any longer, he allowed the tears to flow as he cried.

sss

She couldn’t blame him for not being willing to forgive her just yet. She couldn’t blame him for being so angry, so unwilling to speak to her. After all, she had hurt him quite badly, and frankly, she was angry at herself as well. She wished she had seen through Snap’s lies, the memotrice’s lies, and avoid this whole thing.

Instead she was such an idiot, so naive. If she had been watching Snap’s behavior more closely, she would have noticed something off about him. If she had gotten herself to look more thoroughly, she could have avoided this whole mess. She couldn’t help but blame herself for this. She had little reason to be angry at Rudy in that regard.

But still... she wished that he would listen to her. She wanted to resolve this. She wanted to push it behind her and him. She wanted them to move on from this. But Rudy was having none of it. He didn’t seem interested in reconciling. He just wanted her to stay away from him. He showed absolutely no desire to listen to her apologies. He didn’t make any attempt to try to work this out with her. Despite understanding why, she couldn’t help but feel a level of disappointment in Rudy. He was usually willing to try to fix problems that he caused. Why couldn’t he do the same for her?

Probably because it was her, and not him. He seemed willing to try to fix problems he caused, but when it came to other people, he seemed to have a harder time. She never really noticed this before, and perhaps she was overreacting a bit. But Rudy just wasn’t being all that fair to her. He seemed willing to try to make up for what he did wrong before, so why couldn’t she?

Oh well, there was really nothing she could do make him talk. He was determined to give her the silent treatment and she was better off just keeping quiet herself and wait for Skrawl or Thoughtless to make their next move against them. Rudy was in no mood to speak to her right now, and if she tried to get him to talk now, she might provoke him and get a more nasty response. So for now, she went silent and waited.

Her mind went to what Thoughtless told her before regarding the red chalk. Her mind was still swimming and swirling from those thoughts. She wanted to believe that it was all a lie still, but she knew that she couldn’t just pretend it wasn’t a possibility. As much as it hurt her, she needed to keep it in the back of her mind. It was best to err on the side of caution than to pretend something didn’t happen, only for it to bite her back. Sure, she had made a miscall with Rudy, assuming that he was altered, but this...there was something about this that she just couldn’t dismiss completely.

The idea that Biclops could do such a thing... It was too much to think about. She never thought that Biclops could be capable of doing that to children. And yet at the same time, she could see it. He had hated creators before. He had good reason to. He had suffered so much and seen so much... Why would it surprise her at all that he would do something like that?

But then...why wouldn’t he tell them? Why couldn’t he confide in them what he did? It was clear, from when she and Rudy met him as a friend, and their interactions with him after, that Biclops would not do something like that again. He seemed to have gone beyond the savagery and the barbaric acts of his past. He could have just fessed up to them and they would have not held it against him. Honesty was the best policy in many situations.

Even if he couldn’t tell them that...he could have at least told them about the red chalk. He could have spoken to at least Rudy about chalk that shouldn’t be used. If he had done that, then Rudy would have known to avoid the red chalk and those horrible incidents revolving around Rudy and Reggie never would have happened. She couldn’t believe that Biclops thought that keeping it a secret was a good solution. If he had that sign up about keeping out, then he must have known Rudy would have eventually traveled there. If that’s the case, then why didn’t he just tell Rudy up front?

Her frustration and anger regarding Biclops soon faded as she started to think about the memotrice again, regarding something else that it had said. Sacrificing her to the red chalk, fusing her with it... The thought made her shudder. She didn’t know if it was possible. She didn’t know if Thoughtless’s talk of Biclops, what he did regarding the red chalk, was even true. She had to admit, the connections were pretty strong, yet she couldn’t be entirely certain if it could happen. Regardless, she still felt cold terror with the idea of becoming red chalk.

She didn’t even know yet what Thoughtless wanted with the red chalk, other than it involved life somehow. This, she didn’t think she’d ever understand. The red chalk didn’t create life; it destroyed it. Well okay so it allowed its creations to come to life, but the first thing they all did was attack and destroy and try to kill. She refused to believe that the red chalk had any value or purpose other than destruction. She refused to believe that it was created by zoners to help them make their own creations. Why would the zoners want something so destructive? Surely they would have known the dangers of red chalk before they used it and....

...or would they?

She had to remember that neither Rudy nor Snap, or even Reggie, knew the dangers of the red chalk until it was used. It had actually taken Rudy a while before he realized what was going on, and Reggie had fallen under the red chalk’s influence. All this had taken time, and by then, it was already too late. They were both under the red chalk’s control and it took a lot of effort just to get the crimson menace to stop.

So perhaps she should start to consider the possibility. If that was how red chalk was created, maybe there was some way to track down the zoners who made it. Maybe if they found at least one of them, they could figure out how to undo it. Maybe they could even release the children’s spirits, provided there were any.

Yeah, that could be...

“Aaaaahhhhh!”

Penny nearly jumped at Rudy’s scream. She put her hands to her mouth when she saw that Rudy had his hands to his covered right eye. The back of them anyway, keeping the wounds away from it. She could see that he was shivering and sniffling, struggling not to cry more.

She quickly determined what was going on. It must be the tears. She had heard him crying moments ago. Tears had salt in them. The salt must be irritating his eye. He must have cried enough that some of the tears went down and... She shook her head. She didn’t have time to ask herself just how this was happening. She had to do something to help him. She couldn’t just...

But would he let her close enough now? Or would he try to strike her away like before? Could she get near enough to him to be able to help? Would he allow her to be that close? Or would the pain cause him to push her even further away? She knew there was only one way to find out.

“Rudy...?”

At this, Rudy looked over at her with his good eye. His teeth were bared, but out of fear or pain, it was difficult to say. He was still making noises of discomfort, but his screams had quieted down when he looked over at her. It was almost as if, in addition to scaring him, the sight of her had a calming effect. And yet she knew he was still afraid of her... She moved slowly and carefully towards him.

“It is all right, Rudy.” Penny whispered softly. “I’m not going to hurt you. Shhh.. It’s going to be all right. I know you’re in pain. Please...let me help you. I can help make the pain go away...”

She wasn’t entirely sure if she could. But she had dealt with more injuries than Rudy. She could do something to at least help him be more comfortable. She could reduce the pain for him and help the eye to heal quicker. But first, she needed to get close to him. Based on his earlier behavior, she didn’t think he’d let her too close. But she had to try. He was her best friend.

She took a few slow, tentative steps towards him. Rudy cringed away from her, and his teeth clenched tighter. She could see his body shaking a little harder, likely from a mixture of emotions. He didn’t attempt to speak, but she guessed this was due to the pain. She could hear a low whimper once in a while come from his mouth. He was trying his best not to cry. She could see the pain shining in that left eye of his. But he couldn’t stop; it only seemed to be getting worse. This caused her to bite her lip and she continued moving towards him slowly.

Rudy cowered away from her, drawing his body back. He scrambled up to his feet and he backed away from her slowly. Each step she took forward, he took one back, his teeth bared at her as if he was going to bite her. His fingers flexed a little, showing eagerness to strike and defend himself. Despite these clear threats, Penny understood that Rudy was reluctant to actually hurt her if it didn’t have to come to it, and his expression shoed that he did actually want her help; he just couldn’t bring himself to relax.

She stopped herself from advancing. She could tell that she was scaring Rudy too much and they would not get anywhere if he didn’t relax. So she moved herself back a little and kept her head low to make herself look as non-threatening as possible. She looked at him with great concern, trying to keep eye contact with him so that he understood that she only wanted to help.

“Rudy...” She whispered as she moved her hand towards him a little. “Please.. I want to help you. I want to help you feel better. I know you are hurting right now. And I know you are scared. I understand why you feel that way. I know I wasn’t a very good friend when I pushed you. I should have known better. I’m so sorry for that, Rudy. Please...let me make it up to you. Let me help you. I don’t expect you to forgive me so quickly. All I want right now is for you to feel better. Do you understand?”

Rudy glared at her, looking somewhat disbelieving of her. The sight of this caused her heart to sting. But she couldn’t really blame him for it. She stood her ground and waited for his response. When he gave a slow, uncertain nod, she continued.

“I can help you feel better, Rudy. If you let me look at your eye, and your other injuries, I promise I will do what I can to help you feel better.” She did her best to ignore the pain in her own palm where the red chalk was ripped out. “Please give me a chance to make it up to you. I really am sorry for what I did, Rudy. I feel so horrible... I can’t imagine what you had gone through. You must have been so scared and frightened...and you’re in so much pain. I want to help take away the pain for you.”

Rudy seemed to relax more at these words. She could see that his body was not as tense as it was, and his fingers stopped curling eagerly. His frown slowly faded a bit, and he straightened himself up. He still looked rather guarded, but he no longer looked as if he wanted to jump at her and bite her head off.

Now she needed to get closer. But this was going to be tricky. If she did it too fast, she might trigger a reaction and she’d back down to square one. She first needed to be sure that Rudy wasn’t going to attack her out of fright. And she knew one way of doing that.

“May I come closer?”

Rudy stared at her with uncertainty written in his left eye. He turned his head to the side, watching her warily. She made not another sound, letting Rudy have all the time in the world to decide. She did nothing to speed him up, knowing that this was a delicate moment, and if she rushed him, she would break her chance to help him. Then Rudy started to move his head to give his answer.

He nodded.

Penny gave a small, caring, sympathetic smile as she began to make her way over towards Rudy. She took slow, careful steps as to not alarm him. Rudy got a little tense as she got closer, but she was glad to see that he was able to keep himself calm. The sound of his sniffling alerted her he was still in a lot of pain, causing her heart to sting. She hoped that she would be able to do something to help him.

Once she got close enough to him, she looked intently at his bandaged eye. She flinched when she saw the stained blood on it. Poor Rudy... If only she hadn’t... She shook the thought out of her head immediately and she focused on trying to help him.

Before she reached out towards him, she asked, “May I look at your eye, Rudy?”

When Rudy gave the hesitant, slow nod of approval, Penny immediately placed her left hand on his right cheek. Her other hand went to work gently peeling back the bandage so she could have a look at the eye.

sss

Biclops wasn’t sure how long he had been walking. He wasn’t even sure where he was going. He just kept going in one direction, lumbering slowly. He didn’t pay attention to anyone around him. He didn’t respond when someone tried to speak to him. All he focused on was walking, trying to reach the destination that he wasn’t sure of.

He did feel stupid for leaving behind the Chalk Mine unguarded. But something told him that it was going to be fine. Nobody goes there anyway except Skrawl and he had gone down this way. If he kept following this path, surely he would run into him.

Or would he? Why would he even think that Skrawl would keep going in one direction? For all he knew, the zoner had went somewhere else, or had a hidden passageway that he wasn’t aware of. He may have just made the biggest mistake of his life by going down this way, pursuing after Skrawl despite knowing that leaving the Chalk Mine alone was a big mistake. He couldn’t believe he had done that. Oh why....why did he do something so...so stupid...?

It was this confounded headache. His judgment had been affected by it. The pain spread through his skull, interrupting his thought processes, making him more prone to making a mistake. Yeah that had to be it. And...no, he couldn’t blame it on that. He should have known it was stupid even then. But then..it hadn’t been the only time he made a mistake.

He did allow those humans to roam around in ChalkZone despite the threat they obviously showed. All those humans, running around, destroying everything, being utter monsters... If he had just done something about them sooner, if he had just tried to act more quickly, then perhaps he could have prevented those disasters.

Sure he did finally get rid of the humans. He managed to do something to ensure they would never harm them again. Those humans were powerless now, stripped of their ability to bring damage to this world. Their callousness had been put to an end. But it had taken so long... Just how many zoners had been harmed in the process? How many died before he corrected his error and did something? He felt at fault for what happened. If only he acted sooner...

And Rudy and Penny... What possessed him to let them into ChalkZone? Why would he ever think that they would have been different? They had been doing terrible things behind his back, all while pretending to be the good guys.

But just like before, his thoughts were interrupted by those same doubts. The ones that told him that those two were innocent, that Rudy had been the one to fix his eye, not take it. Those thoughts clouded up the inside of his skull more, making his headache even stronger. It was almost like someone had taken a blade and was trying to plow it through his cranium. He struggled to push aside the doubts, but he was having an increasingly difficult time, and it forced him to consider that one possibility again.

Had he been wrong about them? What if they really were innocent? Despite all the sharp images in his head, despite the vivid memories, could they actually be wrong?

There was just something..nagging in the back of his head. Something telling him that there was something wrong here, something that he should be wary of. He couldn’t help but think that there was something important that he was supposed to remember. But...just what was it? What was he forgetting?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard some zoners speaking. He looked left and right and he soon hid behind the nearest large mountain. Thankfully he fit behind it quite easily. He watched as a couple of stick figure zoners were walking down, both looking very worried. One even looked heartbroken.

“I can’t believe that it happened... It was so sudden. I mean..I know it was a while ago, but still... I can’t...” The crying stick figure said. He wiped his nose, cleaning off the clear fluid that was stainding his face.

“I know, but...but something will be done about them.” The other whispered to him. “It will be all right. You’ll see. They will be brought to justice for what they did.”

Upon hearing this, Biclops narrowed his eyes. So it seemed that Rudy and Penny really were the culprits after all. They had done something awful to these poor zoners. Oh once he got his hands on them, he was going to...

But the talking wasn’t done yet. As soon as the crying zoner managed to calm himself a little, he started to speak again.

“Y-Yeah, but... You heard the news lately... You heard what happened to Blocky and Rapsheeba. You heard what the Great Creator is dealing with.”

Great Creator... Why does that title sound so familiar? It was like a far away name that he had forgotten about until now.

“He will do something to stop them, I’m sure. I mean...I know he’s missing, but...but Rudy wouldn’t let us down, right?” The other stick figure responded.

The sound of this nearly caused Biclops to gasp in horror. How could these two think that Rudy and Penny were their allies? Did they forget what they had done to them? They were talking about damages, which those two most certainly caused. But in the next breath, they were talking as if Rudy and Penny were their heroes. How could they think like this? Unless...

...unless they weren’t talking about Rudy and Penny. But someone else... But who..?

“That stupid memotrice will pay for what it had done to my friends.” The crying stick figure stated. He formed a fist with his hand and he looked ready to punch something. “I want to go find him...and I want to tear him apart! And Skrawl, too! I don’t know what that monster wanted, but the fact that he wanted to take the memotrice with him.. We can’t afford to let him get far with his schemes!”

The other stick figure shook his head. “We don’t even know where that thing is. How could we be expected to find it? Besides, you and I both know that it can alter memories. You told me what happened to those guards, how the memotrice so easily turned them against one another just by tweaking their memories. You know that it’s too dangerous to get close to it...”

Biclops’s eyes widened at this. His mind began to flash. He had been familiar with the word memotrice and he had recalled seeing it. But he hadn’t remembered what it was capable of exactly until he heard it for what felt like the first time from these two zoners. The memotrice...yes..he remembered something about bad news of its existence, how it was terrorizing ChalkZone briefly before getting caught, and then Rudy had...

He shook his head. No, that couldn’t be what happened. What of the vivid, colorful memories of Rudy and Penny causing trouble? What of all that he had seen that proved that Rudy was the enemy? But..if the memotrice really was the culprit in that unfortunate attack, and it was working with Skrawl, then...perhaps Rudy really was innocent.. Perhaps his memories had been faked and...

He struggled not to scream as a sudden, pounding headache came over him. His body trembled as he dropped down onto his knees. He clutched his head tightly, his teeth gritted. He struggled with his memories. They swam about constantly, zipping this way and that. They constantly fought for dominance, making his headache worse. He tried to rub his temples to make it go away, but it seemed to only make it worse.

He slowly opened up his eyes as he struggled to push those thoughts aside. He took a step forward, but flinched when he felt the sheering pain zip through his head. He put his hand against his forehead once more, rubbing it instinctively. He put his other hand on the mountain side and braced himself against it. He shut his eyes once more and tried to ride out the pain.

It was then that he heard something off in the distance. It was faint and he couldn’t exactly identify it. But something told him that he should look. Despite still being in some pain, he forced his eyes open and looked over to see what it was. At first, he saw nothing. He kept looking, scanning the land for any sign of...

There. He saw something. It was moving at an elevation in the air. It was oddly shaped. It was both squarish and roundish and it had some kind of weird, round protrusions at the sides. What was...

No, those weren’t protrusions. They were other zoners. Flying ones, but without wings. As he put his hand over his head to block out the sun to get a better look, he realized there was some kind of chair there, and someone was riding in it. He saw a rounded shape that tapered off near the bottom, and he also noticed some kind of greenish color...

It was Skrawl...

And he was headed straight for...

The Chalk Mine.

His eyes wide in horror, Biclops immediately took off after the evil jellybean. He hardly noticed the two confused stick figures shouting at him as he passed by. He just focused on getting to Skrawl, hoping to stop him before he got close enough to the mine.

If only he had been watching more carefully. Otherwise he would have noticed another group of pairs of eyes staring at him, their owners snickering and preparing to make their own move.