Rudy found it difficult to stop shaking. No matter how hard he tried, it just seemed to get worse and worse. He could feel his teeth chattering, the clicking sound appearing to get louder as time passed by. He constantly looked left and right, as if he thought he was going to be attacked at any given point. He just could not relax, and after what happened to him, who could blame him?
He had been assaulted by Reggie. Okay not by him directly. But he was the one giving those orders. He was the one who orchestrated the attacks. He was the one who had them trapped and cornered and made those students do those horrible things. Never before had Reggie done something like that, a fact that left Rudy feeling quite frightened and confused. What could possess Reggie do to that?
Well he did know it had to do with that glow he had seen. This worried Rudy. How could that bully had seen the light? He and Penny had been so careful, and it was such broad daylight out that there wouldn't have been enough shadow and...
...except there had been some cloudiness when he and Penny had come out. That must have casted enough shadow that even the dim light of a portal in daylight could be easily seen. He gritted his teeth, feeling his gut twist. If that were the case, then there was little way they could have avoided this. There was just no way that he could have opened up a tiny portal to see if anyone was watching. Not at that angle. There would have been simply no way to tell when it was safe to come out. It was all a bargain.
It wasn't just the fact that Reggie saw the portal that had him concerned. He was worried about what he might do now. He hadn't seen Reggie since the incident and he was too scared to ask his parents what was going to happen to him. He guessed that he was going to get some form of punishment. Suspension for sure, so at least he won't have to see hi mfor a while. But that did little to help him feel better. After all, wouldn't Reggie want to get back at him?
There was no doubt in his mind that Reggie would find a way to seek vengeance on him. He would blame him for what happened, even though he and Penny did not do anything, even though it was Reggie himself who had done those terrible things that got him in trouble in the first place.
Rudy had a feeling that Reggie might be believing he's doing something right. He appeared to be convinced there was something dangerous about that glow, and him and Penny resisting was of course going to be offputting to him. But this very thing is what was going to make him so dangerous. He believed he was doing the right thing and he was not going to stop, not until he achieved his goal. How were he and the others going to handle this kind of threat?
It didn't help that Reggie was in the Real World, where magic chalk won't work. He can't just tie down Reggie and make him listen. He can't as easily defend himself from him. If Reggie decided to atack him physically, he could do a lot of damage. He had felt enough blows from that boy to know that his attacks would hurt worse than what Bobby and Harvey were forced to do.
Speaking of those two, he felt really bad for them. He wondered what was going to happen to them since they were involved, albeit unwillingly. He held no ill will against them, since they were forced into it. But he couldn't say the adults would have the same kind of sympathy for them. He could only hope that, whatever the punishment may be, that they would at least go easy on them.
Hee turned his mind back to Reggie. He bit his lip. He wondered how far that boy was going to go. Just how low was he willing to sink to in order to get what he wanted? He could feel his heart thump at the thought. He thought he had known Reggie's limits, then this happened... How much further could he possibly go?
He looked down at his arm and winced at the sight of the stitched gashes. Even with them treated, he could still feel the horrible sting spread through them. All five of the wounds, three on his right arm and two on his left arm, radiated in agony. Help from Penny's mom and the doctors did help out, but he was still tormented by the pain. He was tempted to clutch his arm to himself, but he would have to let go quickly. His arms were just too sore.
How he got them was just as horrible. He could still feel those teeth in his arms. He could still feel the flesh tear away from his body, that horrible, disgusting sound. He could feel a cold rush move through his body just thinking about it. He tried to get the images out of his head, but they just wouldn't leave him.
He couldn't believe that Reggie went that far. Punches and kicks were bad enough, but to get bitten...
That took a whole new level of low. That took a darker, more twisted mind. That took a darker intent. Biting was the worst non-weapon thing that could be done to another person. It was a line that most did not dare cross. And Reggie, through Bobby and Harvey, did just that. And he told them not to hold back, resulting in horrific bites that surely got some infection in them, and required deep cleaning and stitching.
To make it worse, Penny got bitten too. Even more so than him. Sure it was just one extra bite, but it was on her right arm, dealing more damage to it than his own. And Penny was right-handed; those bites were going to cause her more problems than what he knew would happen to him. His gut twisted at the thought of Penny suffering because of Reggie. She... She didn't do anything to deserve that. How could Reggie have done this?
He could feel his blood heating up. It was bad enough that Reggie had hurt him for no good reason. But did he really have to go around hurting Penny, too? What the fuck did she ever do to him? He could have been much more civil about this, but instead he chose this rather morbid path. At least he was getting punished for it.
He tried to shake thoughts of Reggie out of his mind as he turned his head towards the chalkboard. He fidgeted with his feet as he tried to think of how he was going to tell Snap. He had been home rather late due to the doctor's visit and the extra cleaning and the stitching... Snap was going to be wondering where he was, and he felt bad for remaining out even longer. He wasn't meaning to do this, but he just... He needed time to figure out how he was going to tell him.
This was worse than the other times he got attacked by Reggie. Oh so much worse... How was Snap going to react? He was worried that he might try to get him to take him into the Real World, and confront Reggie himself. This could lead to more problems. His heart twisted at the idea of something happening, either to his friend or to make things worse. Things were bad enough already.
There was also the matter of using the magic chalk. The doctors didn't want him using his arms too much as they needed time to heal. Holding something right now hurt him because of the damage done to his arm. It would hurt him any time he tried to use the chalk. Just the mere act of drawing a circle would cause him pain.
But he knew he couldn't just sit here forever. He needed to get into ChalkZone and tell Snap of what happened. He deserved to know. He was his best friend after all. And he was Penny's friend as well. He would continue to feel worse the longer he hesitated to fight against the pain and draw the portal.
But it wasn't just that. There was also the matter of his parents.
Ever since the attack earlier today, they had been keeping a closer watch on him. He couldn't blame them, especially after what Reggie had done to him. But this also meant that it was going to be hard to slip into ChalkZone, as his parents may come up and try to talk to him.
He soon realized he only had one option. He would need to write a message to Snap and detail what happened. At least Snap was in ChalkZone and could not directly interact with the Real World. He won't try to squeeze his way through the portal to get at him or anything. And this would require no use of the magic chalk. Just simple, ordinary, everyday chalk would work just fine. He got up from the window sill and he made his way over.
Almost immediately he felt a rush of pain through his body. He stopped and he stumbled back. He held onto his stomach and he let out a sharp groan and whimper. This horrible whirlwind of pain that was giving him a headache and slightly blurred vision served as a reminder to him about how it hadn't been just his arms that were attacked.
He rubbed his stomach gently, remembering vividly how it was punched and kicked and stomped. The gentle apologies from Bobby did little to soothe the pain and the fear of what happened to him. His stomach had a little bit of bruising. Though the doctor believes that it wasn't as bad as it appeared, that did not comfort him all that much. The pain still ripped through him like a chainsaw.
His legs had been a little damaged as well. Some light bruises had formed in a few spots where he had been struck. He could still walk, but with a very slight limp. He was glad that Penny did not get attacked in the legs as much as he was. At least there was a little bit of pain that she had been spared.
Their folks hadn't noticed the damage to their legs at first. Adrenaline had been pumping through them and it looked as if there wasn't much, if any, damage there. It wasn't until the danger passed and they were at the doctors that the adrenaline's effects wore off and he and Penny could feel the pain there. This had alarmed their folks and they stayed at the doctors longer to ensure there weren't any other injuries they had missed.
He made his way over towards the chalkboard carefully. He took light, gentle steps, doing whatever he could not to put too much pressure on his injuries. He wasn't completely successful and a few times, he found himself suddenly lurching forward. He let out a few cries of pain as he struggled to keep himself from falling. He tried to hold out his arms for balance, only for him to experience a rush of pain and he stumbled even worse. As soon as he reached the chalkboard, he grabbed onto it and leaned against it for dear life.
For a few moments, he did not let go. He continued holding onto the chalkboard, gritting and seething through his teeth as he waited out the bouts of pain. It took a few moments before the pain slowly began to die down, and he started to relax.
He started to shiver again at this. A sickening feeling rose up inside of him. A haunting question continuously plagued him, forcing him to shut his eyes and try to endure the feeling of sickness eating away at him.
How was he going to be able to protect ChalkZone in this state? Skrawl was not stupid, and there were some rather intelligent zoners in ChalkZone as well. They would take full advantage of this and he knew it. This was not something he could just bounce back from; it would take some time. All it would take is for Skrawl to see him limp just once for him to know that now was a good time to scheme.
And with that memotrice on the loose...
He shook his head. He was wasting enough time as it is worrying about this. He needed to write that message to Snap now and let him know what happened. He and Penny would have to try going into ChalkZone later, when their parents were not at risk of hovering over their shoulder.
He managed to steady himself. He hissed as he still felt that continuous pain. He bit his tongue and tried to endure it the best he could. He reached over and he grabbed a piece of chalk. Trying to control his bouts of pain, he began to write a message for his friend. He took his time in spite of the pain, writing what he needed to, what he think Snap should know.
Once the message was finished, he drew a box around it to ensure it would remain in one piece. He then put the eraser next to it and he scrubbed it back and forth, obliterating the message from the board and allowing it to enter ChalkZone.
As soon as he was finished, he released the chalk and relaxed his arm. He felt an almost immediate sense of relief at this. He let out a soft sigh as he stared at the chalkboard. At least now, Snap was going to get the message.
sss
"Snap! Wait!" Called out Blocky as he reached for his friend. "Don't do this!"
Snap growled. He turned his head around and glared at Blocky, gritting his teeth tightly. "Don't do what, huh? Don't go help my best friend?!"
Blocky paused for a moment, taking in a few quick breaths. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. He just continued to stare Snap, wide-eyed. Soon, Rapsheeba, who was standing right there, placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded to him once. She then turned her eyes to Snap, frowning softly.
"There's nothing you can do about it right now, Snap." She said. Her voice was filled with reluctance. "You can't get into the Real World and you know that."
"I don't care." Snap growled. "I'll find a way..."
"Look, we know you're upset with Reggie..." Blocky froze when Snap glared daggers at him. He took a step back and he gulped. "B-But... Try to be rational about this. He is being taken care of as we speak, and Rudy and Penny are fine and..."
"They will let him off too easy because of his age." Snap narrowed his eyes further. He clutched his round hand into a fist. "He will not get the proper punishment that he deserves.. I can give it to him..."
Blocky could hardly recognize Snap. He had never been like this before. He had seen him angry, sure. But never to the point of wanting to out and do something like...like this.. It just wasn't like Snap. The fact that Reggie was dealing with the consequences should be enough for him. But no, Snap wasn't satisfied. He wanted more. Reggie's actions had pushed him over the edge, and he craved retribution. He was honestly shocked that his eyes weren't glowing red at this point.
After he had heard what happened, it was as though something broke something inside of him, and now he was a whole different person. He wasn't sure how much of the Snap he knew was still in there. He looked into his eyes and tried to find any sense of that sarcastic yet friendly zoner he had come to know and love. But there was nothing there except anger and hatred. There was no telling how far Snap was willing to go at this point.
He bit his lip and looked over at Rapsheeba with a concerned look. He could see, from the look on her face, she too was worried about him. He could see the fear in her eyes, the concern she had for her friend. She had tried earlier to calm him down, but her efforts failed. The fact that even Rapsheeba herself could not get Snap to stop sent more than enough red flags through Blocky's mind. This was more serious than anything they had seen with Snap before, and he knew what this may lead up to.
He thought back to when Reggie got his foot stuck in ChalkZone. At the time, he had only played with him. He didn't hurt him; only messed with him. He drove Reggie insane for quite a while, and even put on a show for some other zoners who enjoyed his antics.
But after this... What would Snap do if given the opportunity? Would he go as far as...hurt Reggie?
The thought chilled him, but he couldn't rule that out as a possibility. After all, Reggie had gone much further this time than ever before. He had used two lackeys to hurt his friends and went as far as have them bitten and chunks of flesh ripped out. They both had to go to the hospital to get stitched up, and they would need some time to recover. And all because he wanted information...
It was no wonder Snap was so furious. Not only did Reggie hurt his friends much worse than ever before, but he was now becoming a potential threat to ChalkZone. He recalled, with uncomfortabled chills, the last time he was in ChalkZone, how he had used the red chalk to spread chaos throughout the city. The only reason they got out of trouble then was because Rudy had been clever enough to trick Reggie out of ChalkZone and then fool him into believing it was a dream.
But now that Reggie was getting an inkling of its existence... What was going to happen? What would he do if he ever got back in? If he were furious enough at Rudy and Penny, how far would he go to get back at them? These questions and others troubled the scared rectangular zoner.
"Look, if you two don't want to come with me, that's fine." Snap growled as he narrowed his eyes. "But I'm going to see Biclops." He turned and began to stomp away. "I'm sure he has a way to get into the Real World. He has all that chalk, right?"
"Wait..!" Blocky cried out, reaching his hand towards him. "Come back! We..."
But it was useless. Despite his best efforts, Snap was no longer listening to him. He continued to walk away, leaving behind his confused and startled friends. Blocky was about to rush after him when Rapsheeba gripped his shoulder tighter and shook her head.
"Let him go." She said gently. "He needs some time alone." He looked after Snap with a worried expression. "He needs to cool down. Right now, he's too caught up in his rage to think properly. He will not listen to us, no matter what we say."
"I don't want to leave him alone..." Blocky whimpered. "He shouldn't go to Biclops like that..."
"I know. I want to stop him as much as you, but... There isn't much we can do while he's in that state. You and I both know that he can be quite strong when emotionally motivated enough." Rapsheeba stared at Blocky in the eyes, pulling him closer to try to comfort him. "Don't worry, though." She gave a gentle smile. "Biclops can keep him out of trouble."
Blocky lowered his head for a moment. He then looked out at towards where the blue zoner had run off to. "I hope you're right, Rapsheeba." He closed his eyes. "I hope you're right..."
sss
Biclops found it difficult to relax. Even slumped in his large, custom made couch, given to him by the Great Creator himself, he still couldn't calm himself down. He could feel his mind constantly ticking and working, sifting through many thoughts, unable to stop. He had been like this for a good hour, and he knew it wasn't going to stop any time soon.
On occassion, he would turn his head over to where the cave entrance was. He would see no one coming in, and he'd look away. But then he thought he'd see movement, causing him to look again. But just like all the other times, it was met with nothingness. He was alone in the cave, but he was just not able to relax. No matter how hard he tried, he just could not calm himself down, even if he reminded himself that he really was alone in this cave.
The lack of Rudy and Penny was troubling. Where could they be? He had been waiting for them for a while now. They should have left school by now, right? What could be keeping them? He recalled Rudy promising to meet him here after school. Did something happen? The thought filled him with dread.
The barrier between ChalkZone and the Real World meant that it would be really hard to communicate with him. Rudy could send notes to him, but he could not return them. And what if Rudy was not able to write notes? What would he do then?
He shook those thoughts out of his head. Right now, that didn't really matter. There was something else of more concern to him at the moment.
That darn memotrice was still out there. Despite zoners being sent out and looking for it and Skrawl, there was no report of anyone finding something. Not even a trace of the creature had been found, and they hadn't seen Skrawl either. Not seeing Skrawl was nothing unusual, but accompanied with a dangerous creature, it was really quite worrying.
Even more alerting was the fact that he didn't even get too many updates. He hardly had the television on and he did not dare leave the Chalk Mine alone. He was certain there was more information about the memotrice; he was just unaware of it. And that lack of knowledge, that ignorance, made him feel even more worried and concerned. He could feel his mind swimming with thoughts as he tried to imagine what else might be going on with that thing.
He tried to keep himself as relaxed as possible. Rudy Tabootie would come into contact with him eventually. If not today, then tomorrow. There was a bit of time. No way Skrawl could have gotten the memotrice already. Yes, he could try to relax a little and wait.
He heard a scraping sound. Biclops lifted up his head, his body tense. All other thoughts exited his mind as he looked left and right, trying to find the source of that sound. His large eyes scanned the cave carefully, his eyes narrowing. The scrape sound didn't come back, but he was certain he heard it. But..from where...?
There it was again, from above him. His eyes bulging, he tilted his head back, scanning the stalactites across the ceiling. He still couldn't see anything. There wasn't even a tiny bit of dust coming down to indicate anything was there. Not a single shadow moved along the walls. Just...nothing.
But that was impossible. He was certain he had heard something. He knew something was going on. He was certain of it. He gritted his teeth, pressing his nails against the couch. It might be something as harmless as a bird or tiny insect, but..he had to be sure. It was his duty to protect the Chalk Mine. He had to look for this...this thing, and make sure it doesn't cause any problems. Especially if it turned out to be the memotrice...
He froze at that. He felt his heart skip a beat. The memotrice... His mind flashed back to what he had been told before. Snap told him, he believed. The memotrice's powers were stronger against zoners who had a memory-based power. Which was exactly what he had...
He narrowed his eyes in determination. That just meant he was going to need be more diligent and careful. If he at least made it look as if he wasn't doing anything in particular, maybe the memotrice would think he was just wandering randomnly and therefore wasn't a threat. The beast may be able to alter memories, but it couldn't very well read minds, now could it? With that resolve in mind, he began to make his way through the Chalk Mine.
He could hear that sound again. It was getting a little louder now. Longer and more deliberate. Someone or something was in the Chalk Mine. He gritted his teeth. He would take care of this intruder in no time. If only he could figure out just where they were...
He continued to head down the tunnel. He recognized this particular tunnel. It was the same one that lead up to the red chalk chamber. His gut twisted at the memory. He soon shook his head and did his best to focus on the task at hand. He continued walking down the tunnel, listening to the scrape intently, trying to see just where this intruder had slipped off into. But no matter how loud the sound got, it only felt as though he was being moved further away.
Still, despite that, he kept on walking. Sooner or later, he would run into that intruder. This tunnel was a one-way. Soon the intruder would be boxed in, and he would be able to deal with them personally.
He did notice something stranged as he moved along the ground. Something that just felt...rather out of place. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something with this ground.. It just felt strange and off. He couldn't tell why. He had walked along this ground so much, and he never thought anything of it. But now, for some odd reason, it just felt different. As if someone had changed it somehow. But that was impossible. It looked just the same. He could see the shapes on the walls, the colors. He could even feel the coldness even when he wasn't touching them. What was going on?
He tried to shake off his uneasiness and he continued to follow the noise. By now, it had gotten quite loud for scraping. He felt a shudder each time he heard it. Something with sharp claws was in here. He briefly thought of the memotrice, but he quickly shook his head. No, the scraping sound didn't mean it was here. Loads of zoners had claws. Perhaps it was Skrawl?
He narrowed his eyes. Of course. It must be Skrawl. He had invaded the mine before when he tried to coerce Penny to his side. Surely he would see reason to invade the mine a second time. Well if he wanted another fight, then he got it. This time, he was not going to be so merciful.
Then he saw it. A flash of green. An antenna. Claws.
Skrawl...
Biclops curled his lip back into a snarl. So, it was this guy again. He thought he taught him a lesson the last time he was here. Seemed like he didn't. He clenched his fists tightly and he began to rush down the tunnel, heading right for Skrawl.
The figure moved rather quickly. A little too quickly than he recall Skrawl could run. It mattered not. He was not going to get too far. Soon he was going to be cornered and he would make sure he never comes back in here again. Skrawl would rue the day he decided to mess with him. And most importantly, if he took care of him now, it would prevent him from getting the memotrice. ChalkZone would be safe.
With that hope in mind, he continued running, trying to go as quickly as he could. All he had to do was get within range of the little beast and strike him once. One single blow was all it was going to take to incapacitate Skrawl and he would be able to catch him. For the first time, Skrawl would be sent to jail for his crimes. Something that he knew many zoners would have loved to see. He would be hailed a hero.
He soon rounded a corner and he could see Skrawl there. He was standing in front of the dead end. The red chalk chamber doors had been left far behind. The jellybean had made a mistake not trying to go in there to hide and throw him off the trail. Oh well, at least his job had been made easier.
He began to approach Skrawl. He watched as he continuously tried to claw at the rock, trying to escape. What a pitiful sight... Didn't that jellybean know that those walls were too thick for this claws to go through? Did he not know there was absolutely no way out except where the direction he came from? Judging from his frantic searching, it didn't seem like he did.
"Stay right where you are." Biclops said, despite the fact Skrawl didn't have much of a choice anyway. "You are coming with me."
Skrawl didn't respond. In fact, he didn't even look at him. He just continued looking around frantically, desperately clawing at the wall, even biting it at one point. He did not do anything to even acknowledge him. Not even to try to gloat. Biclops narrowed his eyes. This was rather strange. Nonetheless, he continued to approach.
"For far too long, you had been a thorn in our side. I've had enough!" Biclopse seethed through clenched teeth. "I will make sure you never bother us again!"
With that, he rushed towards Skrawl, rapidly closing the space between them. He reached out with his fist and, with not an ounce of sympathy for the zoner that made all their lives so miserable, he struck out at him, his fist colliding with his body.
A child's scream sounded out.
Biclops stiffened at this. He stared at Skrawl, noticing his mouth was open. But... that's not the way Skrawl would scream. What was...?
Then the image began to flicker. Skrawl's body waved in and out like some kind of glitch. Then a new image showed up. Biclopse took a step back, shaking his head in horror. No... it wasn't possible... He...He couldn't have...
There laid Rudy Tabootie. He was sprawled against the wall, his mouth open and taking in ragged breaths. Blood pooled out of his mouth and nose. His eyes were bulged open in pain. He was looking at him. There was a flash of recognition in those eyes. Rudy was silently pleading with him, questioning him why he would do this. No matter how many times Biclops tried, the image before him never changed. This...This was happening...
Biclops could feel his heart race against his chest, his mind swirling with thoughts, his body shaking. He..He had just attacked the Great Creator... But...But how was that possible? He knew what he saw. It was Skrawl. It had to have been. Skrawl and Rudy looked nothing alike. When he struck, he knew it was Skrawl.
But...what was going on here then...? Why did Rudy suddenly get here? Did he dress himself up like Skrawl? No, that wouldn't be something that he'd do.
...would it..?
Gah, he couldn't think like that. He knew Rudy. He wouldn't do something so stupid. What reason could he possibly have to put on a Skrawl suit and invade the mines? Those two were clearly not allies. He had seen them together. He had seen them fought. He had seen the murder in Skrawl's eyes. There was no way those two would work together.
Then again... He did recall how he tried to make Penny work for him. And Penny was clearly loyal to Rudy. Skrawl had attempted the impossible before. Perhaps he had tried the same thing again and succeeded with Rudy?
No, impossible. He shook his head furiously a couple of times. He needed to stop thinking like this. He needed to stop fooling himself into thinking this of Rudy. He was an ally. The protector of ChalkZone. He would never do anything to deliberately put it in danger. Any time that he did, he would do what he can to correct it. After all he had seen of Rudy, there was absolutely nothing he saw that would make Rudy do something like this. It...It had to be a trap.
His eyes widened at that word.
A trap...
Had this been a trap...?
At that moment, the image of Rudy faded away in an almost pixelated manner. Zipping up into the air, disappearing into nothingness. The sight of it shocked him, causing him to take a step back. Before he could take another step, he felt himself touch against something cold and hard. He turned his head. There was nothing there. His eyes widened. What was...?
Then all around him, a voice spoke in his head, causing him to jolt.
(Well well... I didn't think it would be this easy...)
Biclops narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth. He formed a trembling fist with his head. He looked around for any sign of the intruder, darting his eyes from side to side. He couldn't see him, but the chuckling in his head gave away that someone was there.
(I had been told that you were smart. I see that he was mistaken.) The voice taunted him. (Even a small child would have seen through that little cheap trick. Then again... given the type of zoner that you are... Maybe I should be glad of this reaction of yours.)
"Who are you? What's going on?!" Boomed Biclops. He rose up his fists, ready to fight. "Come down and face me!"
(Ah, eager to get started I see. No worries. You will be seeing me soon enough.) The voice said.
All around Biclops, the image continued to warp, sizzle, and pixelate. Soon it began to gave way into a new image. Just like with the image of 'Rudy', he could see the present view around him began to be sucked away, revealing where he actually was.
A large cage.
His eyes bulged at this. He looked all around. He was still in the mines, but in a deeper section. Another large room, big enough for this cage that was now holding him. Instinctively, he rushed over to strike it, only scream as he was electrocuted. He fall back, clutching his arm together. He got back up and he looked around.
As he noticed the vastly different shapes, his mind began to flashback to when he was chasing what he thought was Skrawl. If he had been heading down this way instead... That would explain why the ground felt so different. He thought he was running to where the red chalk was, but instead, he had managed to be tricked to heading down here. His mind was fooled, but his body had not been, and that first sensation of strangeness... He should have realized something was wrong then.
"Where are you...?" He asked carefully. "And how did you do this...?"
(Ah, let me introduce myself...)
He could hear the scraping again. It came from his left side. He turned his head there, watching carefully. He could see a shape moving along the wall. Long and slender and having a pointed tip.
Wait...a pointed tip...? Could this possibly be..?
Before he had a chance to finish that question, he could see the red form of the memotrice come into view. It moved along the ground in an almost grace-like manner, its head held up high. Its beak was stretched into a smile, and it gave him a look with those brown eyes. A look that made him shudder.
"Y-You're the..." Biclops's voice trailed off.
(You have heard of me. I'm sure many have. I did make quite the impression.)
Biclops stared open-mouthed at the creature before he shook his head and tried to put on a brave front. "What do you what, memotice?"
The memotrice's expression changed to that of mock sadness. (Is that anyway to treat your guests, Biclops? Come now, we're all friends here, right?) Biclops growled at it. The memotrice moved its wing towards him. (My name is Thoughtless.)
"I don't care." Biclops said. He fought against the urge to try to escape again. "Just tell me why you are here."
Thoughtless raised its foot up and began to scratch the side of its head with its talons. (Why, to have a little fun, of course. Did you enjoy the show? I made it up myself.)
Despite his anger and fear, Biclops could not fight back the curiosity that was clinging to his mind. "How did you do this...?"
(Oh that is easy. You are a memozoner, just like me.) Thoughtless said. (You are able to show others the past. What you have seen. Such a wonderful talent. But that same talent makes you more vulnerable to me.) It tilted its head to one side. (I can change the long term memory of any zoner I choose. But with zoners like you, I can go even further...)
Biclops did not like the sound of its voice at that. He was already aware of him being more vulnerable. But to have this zoner explain just how much... It was making his heart race, his stomach filling with toxic bile. He struggled to keep his glare on as the memotrice began to pace in front of his cage.
(I can alter your short term memory. But not even that.) The memotrice stopped pacing and it raised its foot again. It looked down at its talons, flexing them. (I can alter your working memory as well.)
"My working memory?" Biclops asked. "What do you mean?"
Thoughtless titled its head to one side and eyed him with one, shining brown eye. (How do you think I was able to trick you into running down here? Into thinking you were chasing Skrawl? That you had struck Rudy?) Thoughtless let out a series of quick chirps, laughing. (Working memory is the most current memory that you have. I merely tap into it, and I can make you remember something that wasn't there.)
Biclops could feel his heart beat faster at this. The memotrice's words continued to echo in his head. This... This was much worse than he had imagined. This beast... This thing... It had much more control over his memory than any other zoner. It could delve much further into his mind and really screw with him. No memory was safe from this memotrice. This thing even trick him into believing he was somewhere he wasn't.
What else could it do? What was the full extent of its powers?
(It was quite a show. All it took was altering a couple small segments of your working memory, and you were convinced you were chasing Skrawl. Just imagine what fun I'm going to have when I start to play with your long term memory.)
Biclops gritted his teeth. "I'll never fall for your tricks."
Thoughtless shrugged its shoulders. (Say that as much as you like. No one has been able to resist me before.)
"You weren't out that long." Biclops reminded him.
Thoughtless narrowed its eyes at this. (No, of course not..) The smile returned. This time it grew a little more twisted. (That is about to change. And it will start with you.) It raised one of its small wings upward and motioned it towards the giant. (You, my friend giant, will have the honor of being the first memozoner I get to play with.)
"But I thought that..."
(Oh no...) The memotrice shook its head. (I never got a chance to play with a memozoner before. I told other zoners I could do that, yes. But you are the first one.) It lowered its head, its brown eyes staring at him intently. (I wonder how your long term memory is going to feel. Oh I'm sure it'll feel...delicious...!)
Biclops tried his best to continue being brave. He couldn't allow this zoner to see any weakness from him. He couldn't let his fear show. He couldn't allow the memotrice to have any kind of satisfaction.
Yet, despite his best efforts, he just could not stop shaking. How could he stop? His very mind was in danger. His core, his personality, everything that made him who he was, it could all be changed at the whim of this memotrice. Whatever it decided, its will would conquer over him. No amount of struggling was going to help.
(What I had you do before, that was but a taste of what is in store for you.)
Biclops was confused by this at first. But then his mind began to flash back to what he had done. When he struck Skrawl, it had become Rudy. Was... Oh no... "You're not..."
(Oh yes. Soon you will hate Rudy with enough fury to do the same thing to him.) Thoughtless gritted his beak in amusement, looking as if he was struggling not to laugh at the sight of the giant's paled face and wide eyes. (Now hold still why I pry open those pretty little folds that you call long term memory...)