N E E D
By DarkHououmon
Chapter 3: Invitations
Be mindful of the past, but be wary of the future.
sss
"Rudy...are you okay..?" Penny said to her friend in a quiet voice. When Rudy didn't answer, she pressed on. "You've been awfully quiet for a while..."
Rudy looked over at her. His eyes were wide, his pupils shrunk. He gave a shudder and looked away, not saying a word. Penny furrowed her eyes with concern. She reached towards her friend, but paused. She curled her fingers inward and yanked her arm back. She let out a soft sigh and stared at her friend sympathetically.
Rudy had been a bit shaken up since the incident with Von. Despite him being certain that Von won't be a threat, he was taken aback by his sudden presence in his house. And the way he had looked at him, spoked at him... She could just imagine how wrecked that made him feel.
Von wanted him for something. That much was clear. Chances are it had to do with the perpetual motion. But unlike last time, when he had a legal warrant and permission from Rudy's parents, this time, it sounded almost like he was willing to commit a crime to get what he wanted. The thought sent shudders through her body. If Von was willing to go that far, what would he do?
It didn't seem likely at first that he would. After all, he had been so blatant in his words that his statement alone could be used as justification to have him arrested. Von should know better than that. He should know what would happen if he were caught harrassing a child.
But then again..he wasn't always the brightest person. He was so single mindedly focused that he made the easiest of mistakes. He probably would take that risk if it meant achieving his goals. And just because he took a risky route doesn't mean that he wouldn't be careful...
Penny turned her attention back to Rudy. He was sitting on the window sill. His head face towards the window itself and he stared outward. It didn't look like he was looking at anything in particular. His eyes were almost unfocused, and he had an anxious aura around his body.
She wished she knew how to cheer him up. His parents had already tried, but not with much luck. After the man left, Rudy asked what happened. When his parents explained the situation, it only made Rudy more nervous. Despite his parents' best attempts, they weren't able to get their son to calm down. Rudy was scared, no matter how hard he tried to hide it from them. And why wouldn't he be? Von had specifically targeted him and made it clear that he was going to come back.
Rudy had eventually gone up the stairs. Penny followed suit. She didn't want to leave him alone, not while he was in that state. She hoped that she would be able to figure out something to help her friend relax.
A part of Penny was a little glad that Rudy was going to take Von more seriously. That's what they should have been doing ever since they found out about his continued research in perpetual motion. It was only a matter of time before Von tried coming after him again. But at the same time, she didn't want Rudy to get hismelf all worked up. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on much if he spent all his time worrying about Von.
Penny looked left and right, standing not far from her friend. She looked down at him, a look of sympathy etched on her features. She hated seeing Rudy this way, all scared and nervous. She wanted to do something to help him, but what could she say? She had no idea if Von would stay back or not.
But she wouldn't leave him. No, now would be a horrible time for that. Rudy needed her right now. He needed the company. Someone to stay with him and keep him calm, telling him everything is going to be okay.
And that's just what she was going to do.
Taking in another deep breath, Penny moved a little closer to her friend, closing what tiny bit of gap still remained between the two. She leaned against her friend, pushing her body next to his. Her chest and stomach was pressed against his back as she slung her arms around him. She held on, pulling him close. Rudy shivered once, startled by the sudden gesture. He quickly relaxed, allowing Penny to hold him close.
"It's okay, Rudy. Everything will be fine. You'll see." Penny whispered softly to him. She rested her chin on the top of his head. "Please don't be too scared. Von won't come after you. I promise."
Rudy was quiet for a few moments. Then he said, "How do you know?" His voice was quiet. It was almost accusatory, but that might have been Penny's imagination. "He might just be biding his time, waiting, and then he..." His voice trailed off, his eyes widening slightly as a tinge of horror seemed to hit him.
"I doubt that he would do that, Rudy. He wouldn't want to get caught." Penny pointed out.
"Yeah, and that means he could just be waiting until he has a chance to..."
Penny cut him off. "Even then, it's too risky. Plus..." She raised a finger up as she illustrated her next point. "There's your parents. You know they wouldn't let Von come anywhere near you. You'll be fine."
Rudy didn't look convinced, however. In the reflection on the window, she could see Rudy gritting his teeth. His eyes moved slowly from side to side, as if he were trying to search for something. Perhaps Von? It was likely. It had only been an hour since Von left, and it was likely that he was hiding somewhere nearby, just waiting to strike.
But Penny knew it would be useless getting too worked up over that. They couldn't let himselves be ruled by fear. For all she knew, that's the effect Von wanted when he made that statement. Nothing more than an empty threat considering it would be too hard getting Rudy, or her, without someone noticing. He might be crazy, but he wasn't that crazy.
"Look Rudy...why don't we go into ChalkZone now? We still need to speak to Snap about what we are going to do regarding Von." Penny suggested. "Plus, you and I both know that he needs to know about this."
"Yeah...I know..." Rudy said, nodding stiffly. "I know.." He went quiet after that, making no attempt to answer Penny's question.
Penny sighed, pulling her friend even closer to her, pressing her head against his. She could practically feel his heart beating, an abnormal pace, a sign of the worry that gripped him. It was confusing, startling for Penny to see Rudy in this state. A far cry from how he was earlier.
At the cafeteria, he had shown great certainty that Von would not be any sort of threat. He didn't think much of the man trying to do something. He had just dismissed him, and hardly gave the man a second thought.
But now that Von had shown up... Rudy's outlook had changed. He now knew that the man would indeed come after him again. Considering how swiftly and suddenly he had been able to take the entire family, one must shudder at the consideration of what would happen if he were to try now. Would he succeed? Even if he didn't, just how far would he be able to go?
But right now, they shouldn't worry about that. They should be focusing on coming up with solutions, not dwelling on the past that they could not change. She hoped that Rudy would break out of this trance soon and return to the confident boy he had been earlier. He hoped that Von's appearance hadn't shaken up Rudy for long.
"Come on, Rudy." Penny said as she leaned beside Rudy. She took his arm and pulled gently. "Let's go see Snap now."
Rudy offered no resistance as Penny got him off the window sill and guided him towards the large chalkboard in his room. Rudy practically leaned on her, the shock of the earlier events zapping him of some of his strength. She could almost feel him slipping down, forcing her to hold onto him tighter so he wouldn't hit his face on the ground.
She pushed against him gently as she steadied him. She encouraged him silently to use his own strength to hold himself up. Luckily, Rudy wasn't too far gone in his emotions, and he was able to right himself quickly. She motioned towards the chalk board.
Slowly, Rudy took out his piece of chalk. He looked at the board. He gazed back at Penny, as if searching for help. She gave him a nod, gesturing him to proceed. After a moment's hesitation, Rudy leaned forward and began to draw the portal, granting them access into ChalkZone.
Penny hoped that Snap would be able to help them come up with a plan. And she hoped that Rudy felt better soon. If Von really isn't going to give up, they needed to be ready. And being distracted by fear would only leave them open to a move...
sss
Rudy did his best to push back his fear. He didn't want to let himself be ruled by it. He knew that wouldn't do him any good. Yet he found it hard to completely forget the worry that was struck into his heart a short time ago.
He found it unbelievable that he had let himself get into his state. He knew that Von wouldn't be much of a threat to him. It wasn't like he could make a move against him, like his parents and Penny said. It was too big of a risk. He knew his parents would keep him safe, and it wasn't like the school was going to let a random person come and take one of the students.
Yet he couldn't completely push aside his fear. The mere fact the man had shown up in his house uninvited was scary enough. Even though it wasn't like he just waltz in like he owned the place, his presence there alone was enough to unnerve him.
And the way he looked at him, too... He felt a cold shiver along his spine at that thought. He just wanted to curl up in a ball when he had seen the man stare at him with that expression. His eyes seemed to twinkle, spewing out a hidden, unheard message. There was some unspoken promise in there, and it didn't help that looking at the man's eyes then was like looking into the abyss.
He was glad that he listened to Penny's idea of coming into ChalkZone. He was still aware of the possible danger, and that it really wasn't over yet. He was aware that one slip up was all it would take for the man to find out about ChalkZone, and he knew that Von would want want to test them for all kinds of things. Painful tests that he would rather not have any zoner endure. It was just way too cruel.
But just being in here helped him feel more relaxed. It helped him realize that he was safe, that nothing bad had happened yet. It helped him wash away that anxiety through his spine, leaving his body like a cold yet hot vapor. It reminded him of happier times, of when he is exploring in ChalkZone with his friends, having a great time.
And most of all, it reminded him of hope. There was still a chance to make sure that ChalkZone stayed safe. The man didn't even know for certain of the place's existence, far as he knew, so there was much less of a threat of him coming in here, trying to take it over or exploit it.
However, they couldn't dismiss this probable threat. And that's just what he and his friends weren't going to do. Swallowing his fear, doing his best to look brave, Rudy proceeded with the discussion of what to do about Von. The results of this meeting would determine what they were going to do regarding Von. He hoped that they would be able to come up with a sensible solution.
"Whoa..."
That had been Snap. Rudy looked out in front of him. Standing not far away was Snap. He and Penny had just delivered the news to him. As they had expected, he did not take it well. He looked a bit shaken by what they told regarding Von.
"I don't believe it.. Him..of all people..?" Snap's eyes widened as he saw Rudy and Penny nod their heads. He gritted his teeth, lowering his gaze slightly. "That's exactly what we need..another nutjob trying to get into this place." He shook his head slowly.
Rudy couldn't blame Snap for how he felt. From what he had been told, Von wasn't exactly the best person to be around. He was another possible creepazoid that they will have to watch out for. It was tough enough with Terry and Vinnie. Now there was this guy. To an extent, he was worse than Terry or Vinnie and the reason was...
"Do you have any plans on how you are going to outwit a genius, Rudy?" Came Snap's question. It was blatant, short, and to the point. It was not accusatory, but rather it opened his eyes to the reality of the situation, and made him realize how difficult this really was going to be.
"I'm...I'm not sure..." Rudy said in a low whisper, his eyes widened slightly. "I really don't know.."
"Come on, there has to be something..." Penny said. "We've never given up before. Why start now?"
Rudy stared at his female friend. He admired her determination and spirit. He wished he could be as certain as Penny was about the situation. She wasn't willing to give up, and neither was he. Yet, he still felt uncertain about what they were going to do.
Going after the man wasn't an option. It would be too difficult to pull off. And too dangerous as well. They were better off thinking of a new strategy. But so far, none of the new thoughts they had made enough sense to even be brought up. As he looked around, seeing his friends' expressions, and the reflexion of his own in Snap's mirror, it became increasingly clear that none of them had been able to think of a sensible solution.
Rudy feel his gut start to twist in frustration as more time passed with no one speaking up. Were they really at this amount of loss of what to do? Did they really have no plans on how to deal with Von? It certainly seemed that way. He looked at his friends, and none of them looked close to being able to think of any kind of answer.
He let out a sigh, leaning himself back, tilting his head up. His mind went deep into thought. There had to be some kind of angle he hadn't thought of. A pathway they could choose that would benefit them. Von had shown enough that he wasn't going to be just sitting around, twiddling his fingers. They needed to figure out something soon, before he had a chance to make his move.
But...what could they do...? The man hadn't even done anything that major yet. Sure he showed up at his house and had tried to get to him. And when he left, it sounded as if he was willing to do whatever it took to get to him. It was clear that he was not going to give up. Yet...he hadn't done anything to him outside of what could be interpreted as a threat, and that might be seen as a stretch to the authorities.
Without knowing what the man was up to, outside of perpetual motion, they had little to go on to figure out how to deal with him. He didn't even know about ChalkZone, so trying to figure out a defense here was going to be a waste of time. Plus he did not want to panic the zoners over something that might not happen. Von was not yet a threat to ChalkZone, and he hoped it would stay that way.
He could feel his mind go numb, almost shut down, as the frustration began to take its toll. A wave of cold and hot energy swept through him, concentrating in his hands and fingertips, as he tried to figure out what they were going to do.
He exhaled slowly, loud enough to get his friends' attention. He could feel Snap and Penny's stares on him. He knew they were looking to him, hoping that he had figured out a plan. He glanced at them. They looked as frustrated as he had. He sucked on his lip and turned away. He gave another sweep of his mind, hoping to find something, anything... But in the end, he found nothing, and he glanced over at his friends.
"I...I can't think of anything.. I'm sorry." Rudy lowered his head. "I'm at a loss of what we can do. There just..." He raised his hands up at his side. "..just not enough that we could use to help devise a plan."
Penny frowned at this. "Well I'm sure we can think of something. We just..."
Rudy stared over at Penny. "We are probably better off just not doing anything for now." He paused for a moment. He couldn't believe the amount of disappointment he felt flow from his own mouth as he spoke those words. He usually was able to think of something, and the fact that, for the moment, he could not, it was an uncomfortable feeling. "...and just wait and see what happens. Cautiously of course."
Penny shook her head. "I'm not sure if it's a good idea to put this off, Rudy." She held up her hand in gesture. "Keep in mind of what Von could do. He's a scientist, Rudy. Yeah, he might be a bit of a nut, and he isn't well respected anymore. But the mere fact that he's a scientist, and not just some business man like Vinnie Raton or a newsreporter like Terry Bouffant, this means that he isn't going to be as easily tricked. If he were ever to find out about ChalkZone..."
"I know, Penny..." Rudy cut her off. "I know..."
Rudy was well aware of what Von could do. Being a scientist, he may try to figure out the inner mechanics of the magic chalk and learn how it works. He might even be able to replicate it, and find a way into ChalkZone without the need of magic chalk. The thought sent a cold chill down his spine. The very idea of something like that being created...
"Let's not forget what he might do to zoners..." Came Snap's grim, small voice.
Rudy's eyes widened at this. He exchanged a horrified glance with Penny. Another detail that they were all too familiar with. They only ever got a taste of zoner treatment when Terry stuffed Snap into her bag and when Vinnie showed interest in forcing zoners to be slaves in his amusement park. But they all knew, deep down, that only scratched the surface.
They all knew that scientists would be very interested in ChalkZone's mechanics, and the zoners themselves would be such an oddity to them. They would want to study them, learn about them. And while that in of itself wasn't bad, they were aware that it would likely involve the zoners being killed...or even tortured through various experimentations. Science was sometimes harsh when it came to learning.
And this harshness could very well be increased tenfold by the fact that zoners were often one of a kind, not to mention zoners usually don't die and could live forever provided they got enough to eat and drink. So there would be no corpses for the scientists to study; they'd have to make their own.
The three of them couldn't let that happen. Regardless of whatever good could come out of it, they wouldn't feel right letting the zoners suffer at the hands of scientists. Especially not at Von's. Sure, they understood most scientists wouldn't be doing it to be malicious, but they had little trust in Von. His quest to become famous, as well as his personality, may lead him to abuse his knowledge and any zoner that may end up trapped in his clutches.
Rudy shuddered at the horrific thoughts that entered his mind. There was so much that man could do to a zoner, and since a zoner wasn't human, he may not be so inclined to exercise restraint. An average scientist might be merciful enough to render a zoner brain dead before performing experiments on it. But Von, as well as some scientists, may not be so thoughtful.
"I hope he doesn't get a chance to..." Snap's voice trailed off. He looked at his friends, his expression alone finishing what he was going to say. It took Rudy and Penny only seconds to figure out what he was implying.
"Don't worry, Snap. He won't..." Penny said, her voice laced in determination.
"Does this mean you figured out what you are going to do?" Snap asked hopefully. "Because I can't think of anything. Well..." He rubbed his chin. "Except what you two normally do. Keep an eye on things, watch out for any suspicious actions or people..."
Penny nodded her head. "Yeah, that's what we'll do." She looked over at Rudy. "That...seems to be the best we can do..."
Rudy noticed a slight falter in Penny's voice. She seemed disappointed that they weren't able to come up with any better plans. The idea of sitting and waiting didn't sound particularly exciting or efficient, but at the moment, it was all they could do. The more the three thought about it, the more they realized this to be the case.
As much as Rudy didn't want to, as much as he wanted to figure out something better, he realized that this was likely their best option. Wait and see, and hope for the best. But being careful to be on their guard in case something does happen.
"Yeah...I agree." Rudy said. He looked at Penny sympathetically. "I'm sorry we couldn't..."
"It's all right. I should have realized sooner that we would just be wasting time." Penny said. Though she smiled, Rudy could detect a bit of sadness behind it. "There isn't anything we can do now, since Doctor Von Doktor hasn't done enough for us to work off of. So..." She stood up from the couch, straightening her back. She glared softly at Snap and Rudy. "..let's just give him time to do something so we can better counter him."
Rudy and Snap nodded in agreement at this. They both knew it was best they could do for now. They just had to keep their guard up and prepare for any move the man may make. Even if he didn't do anything, they could not simply dismiss him and the threat he could pose for ChalkZone. It just wasn't worth the risk.
Rudy and his friends could only hope that their alarm raised on Von was going to be short lived.
sss
"That was some party!" Blocky exclaimed, a wide grin on his face.
Rapsheeba nodded at this. "Yeah, it sure was."
Blocky twiddled his fingers together, excitemen racing through his body. Rapsheeba could see it practically dripping from his face. Though the party had ended the other day, Blocky was still reeling from excitement. She hoped he would settle down soon before he ended up giving himself a heart attack, despite how little sense that made.
"I can't wait until next year!" The rectangular zoner cried. He made no attempts on taming down the happiness that was still swelling inside of him. "I'll bet it'll be even bigger, better...!"
"Blocky, please settle down." Rapsheeba said cautiously. She looked left and right. "Don't disturb these people, please."
Rapsheeba and Blocky weren't out in the open, or in a park or anything. They were enjoying a meal together in a packed restaurant. Blocky's excitement had already gotten them a few stares from some other customers. And some of the workers were distracted from doing what they should be because of Blocky's high pitchd voice. She didn't want it to escalate any further than that.
"Oh..I'm sorry.." Blocky said as his body went lax. "I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry about it." Rapsheeba waved a dismissive hand. "I ain't mad at you. I just don't want to you to get too exciteable. Just relax and let's enjoy this dinner. I know it's not much of a birthday gift, but..."
"Are you kidding me?!" Blocky cried excitedly. He then stopped himself when he realized he was speaking up too loudly. He covered his mouth, looking around sheepishly. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time, taking care to be quieter. "Are you kidding? I love this! I've always wanted to come to this restaurant. This is a great gift!"
Rapsheeba smiled at this. "Well I glad you appreciate it, Blocky." She furrowed her eyes a little. "I still wished I had remembered to get you a present before the party..."
Blocky grinned at her. "No worries!" Noticing Rapsheeba's expression, he gave her a sympathetic look. "Although...if you do feel that bad, you could make up for it during the holidays in the winter."
Rapsheeba looked at him with a confused expression. "The holidays in the winter?"
"Yeah! You know..." Blocky held out his hands, waving them around as he tried to explain. "With the singing, and the gifts, and the decorations and..."
"Oh...! That one!" Rapsheeba nodded her head. "Okay, that does sound like a plan. However..." She put a hand on her hip and her smile broadened. "You have to give me something extra special." Her tone was somewhat playful. "You won't forget that, will you?"
Blocky shook his head. "Nope! I promise!"
Rapsheeba smiled at this. She knew Blocky would fulfill his promise. He always does. And she wouldn't really get angry at him if he didn't get her anything. Just him showing up for the party or concert or whatever she decided to do was good enough. Blocky knew this, too.
She was glad that Blocky enjoyed the party that was set up for him the other day. It had been a lot of hard work, especially finding a particular location. Not to mention finding a band to play, getting all the food, among other things. But it had all been worth it in the end. They were able to set things up faster than they thought, and they found a lovely space in the Candycane Forest that was large enough to house everyone involved.
Blocky's reaction had just been what they were hoping for, and then some. He was enthusiastic about everything in the party, and so happy to be there. He had been taken aback by the mount of work that went into the party. But he never once tried to hold himself back or try to be modest. He had enjoyed himself, playing games, laughing, even singing. It was exactly how they all had hoped the party would go. In the end, they all knew it had been a success.
But though Blocky was happy with his gifts, and he was happy with what she was giving him right now, she wished she could think of something else she could do for him. She felt obligued to do more for her friend. Perhaps she was overthinking it. Perhaps she might be overdoing it. But she couldn't help it. Blocky was such a nice person, and he was one of her closest friends. He deserved it. She started to search her mind, trying to think of something else she could give him.
Something more than a simple meal. Something more than a mere box of chocolates. A gift that meant something. A gift that he would not likely forget anytime soon, nor would anyone else. Something that she could be more proud of.
That's when it hit her. The perfect gift for her friend. It was almost like an avalanche of inspiration struck in her in the face. She knew exactly what she could get for her friend. It would be perfect.
"Hey Blocky?" Rapsheeba waited as Blocky turned to look at her. "You enjoy my parades, right?"
At this, Blocky cocked an eyebrow. "Of course I do! What makes you think that I don't?"
"Oh no, it's not that." Rapsheeba waved her hand in front of her. "I was just think that..."
"Your food, sir and ma'am."
Rapsheeba and Blocky went quiet as a voice cut them off from their conversation. They looked over and saw an insectoid zoner standing there, holding a couple trays in his three clawed hands. Seeing the food on the trays, they knew that their orders had just come in. They leaned back to give the waiter some room. The insect zoner wasted no time in setting the plates down carefully.
"Enjoy your meal." The insectoid zoner said as he started to turn and make his way to the next table. He moved too fast for them to properly thank him.
Rapsheeba looked down at their food to make sure they got the right meals. A quick sweep over eyes confirmed that their orders were correct. She immediately picked up her fork to begin eating.
After a few moments of dining in, Blocky said, "So...what was that you were talking about before?"
Rapsheeba swallowed her piece of food as she stared at Blocky. For a few seconds, she wasn't sure what he was talking about. This only lasted a second before she said, "Oh! Thanks for reminding me!" Rapsheeba took another bite of food before she set her fork down and leaned back against her chair. "Well there is an upcoming parade coming up soon in ChalkZone City. A big one that I'm organizing myself."
"Oh yeah?" Blocky asked. "I think I heard about it from a zoner passing by. I didn't know you were organizing it, though."
Rapsheeba nodded her head. "I am. It's something I worked really hard on. It's going to be bigger than any other parade I have ever been in charge of." She waved her hands outward to emphasize her point. Blocky's eyes widened in awe. "It's going to be spectacular!"
"I'll bet!" Blocky concurred, nodding his head. "You always hold the best parades!"
Rapsheeba blushed a little at this. "Thank you."
Blocky smiled for a few seconds. Then a look of curiosity came over his face. "So...why were you asking? Were you going to give me a great seat or something?" He spluttered at this. "I realize how stupid that sounded and..."
"It's quite all right." Rapsheeba said. Although the idea of giving Blocky a great seat to one of her concerts sounded like a splendid idea, she had something much better in mind. "How would you like to be in the parade itself?"
Blocky's eyes widened at this. "Really...?" Rapsheeba smiled and nodded her head. Blocky's eyes brightened and a smile stretched along his face. More excitement dripped from his voice as he gave his reply. "That sounds wonderful! I would love that!"
"I had a feeling you would like it." Rapsheeba said.
"Love it? I don't just love it. I adore it!" Blocky sounded more excited than a kid in a candy store. He loved her parades so much already, and the idea of actually being in the parade itself increased his excitement even more. "I can't believe it. I'm going to be in a parade!"
Blocky froze at this, realizing his voice was too high again. He and Rapsheeba looked left and right. Several zoners were looking at them now. They carried expressions of confusion and perplexion. Some looked as if they were whispering to another zoner about the rectangle's behavior. A few looked angry or annoyed that Blocky's outburst was distracting them from their own conversations or work.
Blocky gave a few quick chuckles, muttering some apologies to the zoners. He shrank himself down, embarrassment creeping along his face. He looked down towards the table, sheepishly eating a few pieces of food. The tension of zoners staring at them lasted for a little while before the zoners, one by one, looked away, resuming what they were doing before.
After clearing his throat a bit, Blocky spoke again, trying to sound calmer. "I would love that, Rapsheeba. But I would understand if you aren't able to put me in. Just watching the parade would be good enough for me. I wouldn't want you to waste your time on..."
"It's not a waste, Blocky. You're my friend. I'm doing this because I care about you." Rapsheeba said with a smile on her face. "If I didn't consider you a great friend, I wouldn't be doing this. I'm giving you this offer because you are my friend and I want to do this. So please, don't think you are forcing me into this or anything. I'm doing this on my own free will."
Rapsheeba was not surprised that Blocky was a bit concerned about her offer. He wasn't the kind of guy to try to inflate his ego or anything like that, so it would be natural that he wouldn't want to take her gift offer if he felt that she was only making the offer because she thought she had to. That was how much of a nice guy Blocky was.
There was no reason for him to feel guilty about accepting the gift. She hoped he would come to realize that soon. She had a feeling he would, considering he had initially been taken aback by the amount of work that went into creating his party, but soon had come to enjoy it and had a really good time. The parade would be no different.
Yeah, maybe she was overdoing it a little. After all, getting him a nice place to watch the parade from would be easier. It would take a lot of convincing the rest of the marching parade to let an extra person in. This wasn't something they did all that much. Considering she was the leader, though, it would still be plausible, and she was willing to go the extra mile for a friend. Blocky was no exception.
Realizing she forgot a small detail, she added, "Oh and you are going to be in the front of the line."
Blocky nearly spat out his food at this. He coughed a few times Rapsheeba looked at him sympathetically, uttering a soft apology. She hadn't meant to make him choke on his food like that. He looked at her, his eyes wide in shock. "The f-f-front..?" He whispered softly. The shaking in his body told Rapsheeba how much he was fighting not to explode in excitement. "Are you sure?"
Rapsheeba nodded. "Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't have it any other way." She reached over and touched him on the shoulder, or rather, the best she could considering his design. "I would be proud to march alongside you in the parade."
Blocky stared at Raspheeba for several moments. He then smiled. "Thank you..." He said softly. "You too." He reached over with one of his hands, and soon Rapsheeba could feel his hand on her shoulder. He then pulled back and asked, "When is the parade?"
"It will be coming up soon." Rapsheeba said. She thought for a moment, trying to remember what day she had it scheduled for. "A couple days. I'll come find you the day before. How does that sound?"
"Sounds great." Blocky smiled. "I'll see you at the parade then!"
"I look forward to it." Rapsheeba smiled back at him before she resumed eating.
sss
Dr. Von Doktor stood in front of his table, various empty tubes sitting on it. He gripped the table with his hands tightly, a growing burning energy rising up inside of him. He felt his blood start to overheat as he failed to fight back his emotions.
His mind raged as he thought about the events that had happened to him as of late. Only a few months ago, he had been a distinguished scientist. He had been respected, on some level, and taken seriously enough that even the more famous scientists would stop by and see something that he had created or found out.
But now he was a laughing stock. Often, he would see his name in some story on the internet making fun of him, and he had found more than enough uncomfortable pictures on art sites to fill many tens of comic books. His name had been drug through the mud more than once, and it showed no signs of slowing down. Most of his fellow scientists turn their back to him now, not wanting to associate with a 'madman' who thought that a mere toy with a plug had replicated perpetual motion.
He had tried to defend himself. He had tried to look into other areas of science. He tried to buld up his credentials again. He tried to show everyone that he wasn't some crazy nut job. But he failed. None of his efforts had a long lasting effect. He knew he was not going to live this down. No one was going to allow him to.
So he had only one option that he could see. He had to go back to the one topic that had everyone turn against him in the first place. The subject that made him the source of ridicule.
He had to prove perpetual motion. Only then could he get his dignity back.
This meant that he had to turn to Rudy. That boy was the key to figuring all of this out. Rudy had been resistant to his interrogation technics before. But maybe he had to look at things from a new angle. Maybe if he thought of a new strategy, he could get the boy to spill the beans on how he accomplished such a tactic.
The emotions already rising inside of him increased at the mere thought of Rudy. His attempts at getting information earlier had failed thanks to his parents' interruption. But it wasn't them he was mad at. It was Rudy himself.
He was the one who caused all of this. He was the one who had created that wonderful machine, which could have made him famous, only to take it away and replace it with a replica with a plug. That must have been what happened. Yes, there was no other way it could have happened. The boy replaced it, all just to humiliate him in front of the scientists.
It was because of that little brat that he had lost any amount of respect he had garnered over the years. It was his fault that even the news stations were wary about putting him on for any length of time. He remembered, with bitterness in his mouth, how the television folks had switched too quickly from him. He barely had a few minutes time, despite being told he would be on for much longer.
Rudy... The very name made the old man's blood boil. That name became so hated in his mind, that just merely thinking about it was enough to set off a chain reaction in his mind. If he didn't have to worry about the law, he would slap that child up so bad, he would feel it for a week.
Recalling all the humiliation that Rudy had caused him made him form a fist with his hand. He shook it as the negative emotion surged through him. His eyes locked onto the empty vials, his angered mind envisioning Rudy's face on it, he suddenly lashed out, striking the objects with his fist. The vials were knocked across the table. A few of them rolled off, smashing on the ground. The sound of breaking glass filled his eyes, and he did not flinch.
It took him a few moments to calm himself down. His buzzing mind slowly settled into a more tranquil state of mind. He exhaled slowly, breathing out as much of the negative energy as he could. He looked down at the shattered glass, and, after a couple seconds, shook his head.
He was being immature about this. He couldn't let his hatred for Rudy cloud his judgment. He couldn't waste time on getting revenge on him. That would get him nowhere, and is more likely to result in him getting into more trouble.
No, instead, he should focus on what really mattered right now. He needed to keep his attention on unlocking the secrets of perpetual motion. As much as he hated Rudy, he would get a lot more out of talking to the boy than trying to threaten him or even hurt him. He knew he slipped up when he gave that thinly disguised threat to Rudy earlier. He would need to be more careful next time and focus his attention on perpetual motion.
There was another reason that he knew he shouldn't tangle with Rudy. One that he made sure to remember whenever he thought about him.
The boy had been able to figure out perpetual motion. He was able to piece together some puzzle, some formula, that enabled him to create a machine that had no power source. That would have taken no less than a stroke of genius. And not only did the boy figure out perpetual motion, but he treated it like a toy, making a little plaything with it, and bobbleheads. If he could dismiss this discovery as an 'accident', then what other genius lay within the boy? Von knew better than to mess with a child of that kind of intellect. He would need to tread lightly with him.
He turned his gaze towards the other table in the room. There was an object on there. It was very much like the one that had exploded. He had went back to the drawing board and created a new one, this one sturdier and hopefully far less...explodey than the last one. He walked up to it, his eyes moving up and down as he investigated its design.
A part of him was still flabbergasted that the boy achieved perpetual motion with this design. It seemed so ineffecient...yet somehow it worked. Somehow, the boy managed to make it function. Yet his attempts to replicate it had always failed. The boy had some kind of secret... An interior portion perhaps. Something that he could not see. If only he had gotten a look inside that machine, he...
He shook his head. He felt himself start to get angry and frustrated again. He couldn't allow that. He would figure it out sooner or later. He just needed to about this the right way. He had to approach the problem from the correct angle. It would take a lot of trial and error, but he'd figure it out eventually. Even if that little brat refused to help him, he would figure out his secret. And then no one would dare make fun of him again...
He approached the machine, taking a small step forward. He reached towards it, folding his fingers against his palm while extending out his pointer. He pressed it against the button, and hoped for the best. He watched the machine intently, waiting, watching, crossing his fingers that something would happen.
...and it just remained still as stone. No churning of the wheels. No rattling of inward gears. No bobble heads of a weird blue kid coming out. Just...nothing. Nada. Zilch. It took him only a second to know that his experiment had failed. Again.
He growled softly, fighting back the urge to scream in frustration. This had been the twentieth time he had failed. Twenty times trying to get this experiment right. Or maybe it had been more. He had lost track, a testament to how many times he had tried to replicate the boy's results. This machine might look just like the one the boy had made. But it was clear it was far less than stellar. He picked it up and threw it away in disgust.
He had to figure out how the boy accomplished this. He had to figure out how he managed to discover this ability, something that had eluded scientists for so long. It would revolutionize the way machines were built. It would change everything. How...how could a little child like Rudy outsmart the best of scientists? How could he outsmart him, of all people?
Then something entered his mind. Something, or rather, someone he hadn't thought of for a while.
Terry Bouffant.
He remembered when that woman had come over to interrogate him. Well she called it an interview, but to him, it was an interrogation. He hadn't been happy with her sudden intrusion, and how forceful her questioning had been. It felt as though she was boxing him into a corner, and she seemed rather...obsessed.
He recalled that she had been trying to prove the existence of a chalk world. He had heard, from an off hand source, that she had used him as one of her witnesses in her case for this chalk world. The idea made his blood boil. Just what he needed. More reasons for people to mock him. His name was ruined enough; he didn't need that crazy woman distorting it further.
And a world made of chalk...? How ludicrous. No creature could survive being made entirely of chalk. It just wasn't possible. The mere act of standing in the rain would be enough to cause their bodies to break down. Why would nature devise such a poor construct? No world could last that long being made of chalk, let alone a single species. Terry was just spewing out nonsense. Yet she got less ridicule compared to him. She gets more time on television than he does, and he sees far less jokes about her than of himself.
It just wasn't fair. Terry was absolutely insane, bragging on and on about that stupid chalk world that everyone knows isn't real, while he had been shown a genuine scientific discovery, and made the blunder of not realizing the machines were switched out, and yet he is the one who is being ripped apart in the media, while Terry is given a much tamer response. He chalked it up, no pun intended, to her being a woman, and young. To them, he was a more acceptable target. And the thought burned his mind.
A thought crossed his mind. He thought back to what Terry had said to him, and what he had heard she was talking about. Apparently in this world of chalk, the laws of physics would be...quite different. Namely, they could be distorted to benefit the drawing itself, resulting in seemingly impossible creations functioning as they had been intended to.
If he understood this statement right, this meant that something like a giant dragon with tiny wings could fly, or a crawling baby could outrun a full grown human, and that was just scratching the surface. The possibilities were practically endless. If this were the case, then maybe it was possible for...
He shook his head. What was he thinking? He was getting himself caught up in that stupid chalk conspiracy that Ms. Bouffant came up with. His reputation did not need him to get involved with something like that. He was already a big enough laughing stock. The last thing he needed was to sound as crazy as Ms. Bouffant did. That wacked out news reporter must have been smoking crack when she thought of this whole 'expose the chalk world' nonsense. He was not going to get involved with that.
He turned his attention back to the broken machine on the ground. He had to admit, a drawing version would answer the question of perpetual motion, but he knew that wasn't the case. The boy did not make that machine out of chalk. He had felt it himself. It did not feel like chalk, therefore it wasn't chalk. It was real. The boy had made it with his own bare hands. He had discovered perpetual motion and he had gotten it to work.
He would figure out the boy's secret sooner or later. It was just a matter of time.
