Snap wasn't aware of how long he had been storming away like this. Nor was he aware of how long it had actually been since he stopped his stomping, or when he had begun to cool down. Right now, his mind was too distracted to really notice. He could only think of one thing.

His destination: the Chalk Mine.

He reread that note Rudy had sent over and over again. He had read how Reggie had bitten both him and Penny. He replayed that in his head again and again, his body quaking in anger. Reggie had gone way too far this time. He had never liked the kid before, but now, he was tempted to punch him in the face and break his jaw. He wasn't sure if he could hold back that emptation if or when he ran into him again in the Real World.

He remembered the words of his friends. They had tried to calm him down and get him to listen to reason. Bah, they don't know what reasoning was. There was no way he was going to allow Rudy and Penny be wronged by this guy. If Blocky and Rapsheeba understood, then they would be supporting him and helping him make Reggie pay.

But instead they were hanging back. Instead, they tried to make him stop. He couldn't believe how unreasonable they were being. They just didn't get it, did they? If he didn't do something, then Reggie was not going to get the proper punishment, and his friends would not have their justice.

And that just wasn't fair. Rudy and Penny deserved something for what had been done to them. If this had happened when they were older, they'd sure get something. Reggie would have been punished more severely. But the only thing he would get now is a damaged grade, which he already has plenty of, and possibly community service or some bullshit like that.

He clutched his hand into a fist tightly. No, that boy deserved a lot more than that. He deserved prison time. He deserved getting sense knocked into him. He deserved something worse than a mere suspension and community service. If the Real World officers weren't going to do that, then he would be glad to step up to the plate and do it for them. He would love to get back at Reggie for what he had done.

A part of him gave pause. He had been complaining of the justice system not being fair, but..was he? Did he really have the right to waltz over into the Real World and try to give Reggie the punishment he felt he deserved? Would that really help Rudy or Penny? Would it make things better?

He realized the answer to that very quickly. It was a 'no'. He might be making things worse doing this. He might upset Rudy and Penny. They might not want him to do this. He might jeopardize a lot more than he could possibly imagine by doing this.

But in the moment, he just didn't care.

His body still heated from the previous anger, his body still having some tension, he moved along the ground at a steady and brisk pace. He stared out ahead at his target, his teeth clenched. He ignored any zoner that tried to speak to him or ask him what was going on. His anger was easily read, indicated by some zoners that backed away from him worriedly.

Snap continued to zigzag around the zoners, keeping his attention on the path in front of him. He didn't other to spare a glance to anyone, not even if he was familiar with them or they tried to wave hello to him. He was in no mood to sit down and chitchat. The sooner he got to the Chalk Mine, the better off he was going to feel. At the moment, there was only one zoner he really wanted to talk to and that was Biclops.

He was glad when he left the city and was out in the open fields. It was nice being in a place with few zoners so he wasn't nearly constantly interrupted. In contrast of the city, this place was pretty nice and quiet for the most part. Rather peaceful. But the peacea round him did little to cheer him up, and he continued concentrating on locating the Chalk Mine. It shouldn't take him too long to get there.

Indeed, it didn't. He may have been walking for fifteen minutes, but it felt so much shorter than that. Maybe five at most. He didn't really care how long it took him. At least he was here now. He could see the towering rock face that he knew made up the mine, and the river that cut around it, providing only a small barrier between any zoner trying to visit and the mine itself. Snap walked close to the canal as he made his way towards the mine, walking up the small hill and then down again, soon finding himself at the edge of the river.

After crossing it, he started to make his way towards the entrance of the mine. He was about to call out to Biclops when he noticed something quite odd.

Where was Biclops?

This didn't strike him as too strange after a while when he remembered that there were times when he would come near thet mine and Biclops wasn't there. But then his concern rose again when another memory came which reminded him that it was very rare that Biclops wasn't near the entrance. Due to the time, Biclops should have been here, guarding the mine from any intruders. But he wasn't there.

Snap knew in that moment that something must be wrong. Many questions ran through his mind. Was Biclops injured? Was he not feeling well? Did he get caught up in something and had to leave? What had happened?

A part of him wanted to leave and tell his friends about the giant's absense. But...what would they be able to do? They could help look for him but... Biclops is a giant. How difficult could he be to find? If he was in danger, he didn't want to endangere them either. It might be better if he just went himself, despite the risk. At least that way, his friends won't be in danger.

The tension as he approached the mine was strong. He had to force himself to keep moving forward, each step feeling heavier and heavier. The atmosphere around the entrance itself was thick, and despite it looking the same as usual, he couldn't help but get an air of fear around there. A sensation he hadn't felt around the mine since... since he and Rudy had first come and encountered the giant.

But that was silly. He didn't have a reason to feel like that here. Biclops was a friend. He wouldn't, out of the blue, attack them. That first encounter was just a misunderstanding. One that had a good explanation. He couldn't blame Biclops for being upset after he showed them ChalkZone's history. He had come to realize how good Rudy was after he helped him, after he helped other zoners, and he had become an ally since. Biclops had always been pretty friendly and a pleasant guy to talk to. That wouldn't change on a dime.

But then..why did the mine's atmosphere suddenly change into something so...foreboding? Why did it feel as though he shouldn't get any closer? He bit his lip, staring out ahead towards the entrance, his body giving a few slight shakes. Despite his best efforts, he wasn't able to feel particularly safe about entering the mine. There was just something so...off about it.

He stood in front of the entrance for several moments, staring at it. He looked at the twisting paths that immediately greeted him, and the ones in the distances. He could see the dark shades that obscured parts of the cave, and the lights that Biclops set up so that he could navigate the caves without much problem. He could see parts of the overhanging chalk on the ceiling, and the many rock formations that created many uneven walls and floors. But the one thing that he could not see was Biclops himself. Not even his shadow moving or the feel of his foot vibrations to indicate that he was there.

Snap struggled to think of what he should do. Should he just leave and come back later? Should he wait until Rudy came into ChalkZone? Should he go in and figure out what's going on himself? So many possibilities... Yet he couldn't get himself to do any of them. He felt...stuck, so unsure. He had never felt so frustrated before.

He soon realized what he had to do. He was here now. He had come all this way. Rudy and Penny weren't in danger anymore and they had been treated. But Biclops... What if he needed his help? As a friend, he knew he should at least check. Taking a few steps closer, he paused for a moment outside the mine. Then, taking in a deep breath, he entered the mine.

It felt even worse on the inside. He could feel his body practically freeze with how much tension was circling around him, gripping him in an unrelenting grasp. He felt his teeth clenching unconsciously as he looked left and right, looking for any signs of the giant or any signs of danger. He wanted so much to speak out and yell for clarification. But if someone else was in here and if they were hurting Biclops, it was best he did not make himself known. Otherwise, who knows what else they might do to him.

He wasn't sure where he was going to go. He didn't know which tunnel to take. But the cold tension... It almost felt as though it was coming down from this tunnel, the one that was located the furthest away. He took it.

As soon as he stepped into it, he felt his body shiver. Yeah, this must be the one. He continued to move down it, taking care to avoid any small rocks or grooves that were in the ground so he didn't make any noise. He kept his body hunched, continuously moving his head left and right. He could feel the glow of the torches move along his body, creating a slight warmth along it. But despite the warmth and light the torches provided, for some reason, it still felt so dark in here, as if someone had dimmed the lights, even though he could clearly see it was not. Was this the work of his fear?

His thoughts were interrupted when he took notice of a strange shadow up ahead. There was a room here. The opening was quite large like all the others. Yet it still appeared a bit smaller than the usual ones. His attention was not focused on the entrance, however. But instead it was on that shadow. It didn't look like any shadow he had seen here before. There was no way it was Biclops's. The head was too small and there was a slender neck and...

He wasn't able to identify who this zoner was at this angle. The shadow did not provide enough detail. The one thing that he was certain of is that this zoner was the reason for Biclops's absense. He must be doing something to Biclops in there. Snap narrowed his eyes in determination. He wasn't going to let this creepazoid get away with this. He moved forward slowly, keeping himself near the wall, eyeing the slender shadow.

"No... You're wrong... He's not..."

Snap froze at that. He tensed up and stared out ahead expectantly.

"I would never hate him! I.."

That was Biclops. There was no doubt about it. But..who was he talking to? It sounded as if he were carrying out a conversation. But he could only hear Biclops's side. Why couldn't he hear his captor speaking?

And just who is this 'him' and 'he' that he mentioned? Who would Biclops never hate? There were a number of zoners that fit that, as well as Rudy himself. Which one was Biclops talking about and just how was this intruder trying to make him hate him? The only way to find out was to get closer. So he began to slink his way over, listening intently as Biclops continued to shout from within the room.

"He's my friend! He.. He never hurt me, he..." Biclops's voice began to grow weaker and less sure, as if he were having second opinions. "He did tie me up... He... did leave me there... He..."

At this, Snap widened his eyes. He knew exactly who he was talking about. Whoever was in there, he was trying to convince Biclops to hate Rudy. This did not give away the intruder's identity, but he already had a very good idea of who it was.

As he continued to sneak on through, listening, he could hear Biclops continuously fight against some unheard voice, but he was slowly giving in. His voice went from determination to being confused and uncertain, and he could finally hear some anger in it as his comments became less defensive and more offensive. And whene that happened, Snap realized that the intruder had completed his mission, or whatever mission that was.

"He is the enemy."

Snap felt his blood freeze at this. Never before had Biclops used such an aggressive-sounding voice when referring to Rudy. Not even when they first met, and he had been pretty nasty then. This...This almost sounded murderous. As if Biclops wanted to rip Rudy in half and... Just how did this happen?

His blood ran cold even further, nearly bursting out of the veins and arteries, when he flashed back to that news broadcast he had created not too long ago. The one about the memotrice. Could... could it be possible that it had come here...? Did Skrawl successfully free that beast and turn it to his side?

His heart thumped heavily at the mere thought. He took in a few quick breaths, and as he stared out at the opening, it felt as though it was getting darker, the air around him becoming tighter. He clutched at his throat and rubbed it as he took a small step back. He looked down at the shadow before him and as he stared, he could see the features of the memotrice easily. His nonexistent pupils shrank into dots.

His ears were soon filled with the sound of loud squeaking. Something was opening up. It sounded almost like metal. A cage perhaps? That would explain how the memotrice was able to hold Biclops while he did his nasty work. But how did he even get him in there in the first place? How did he sneak into the Chalk Mine undetected? So many questions ran through his head, clouding his skull with multiple thoughts. He managed to snap himself back to attention when he heard a loud thud. Then there was a dark shadow moving along. Biclops was coming forward.

Snap backed away quickly. He..he had to get out of here. If Biclops spotted him now...

There was a thunk behind him. The sound of a pebble skipping across the ground. It sounded so much louder in this cave tunnel. He nearly stopped breathing when he saw the shadows froze. His hopes for them to miss the sound were dashed, and he could hear the giant growling lowly.

The shadow of what must be the memotrice raised up. He thought he could see those horrid brown eyes glowing. Then he heard something in his head that nearly made him jump.

(An intruder... You are Snap. I can see your shadow. I know who you are. Isn't this just perfect?) The beast said. (Biclops... Why don't you bring our 'friend' over? I would like to speak to him.)

Snap cowered as he saw the giant come out of the room. No sign of the memotrice, but at the moment, that didn't bother him. His eyes remained glued to the giant that came into view. Biclops didn't look physically different, but somehow, given the new mindset that he had, along with that horrible, twisted scowl on his face, how his eyes appeared to radiate contempt, he looked far darker and more terrifying than ever before.

Snap squeaked out, "B-Biclops...?"

Biclops loomed over him, each step feeling heavier and heavier. "You're coming with me." This wasn't a suggestion, but a command, the voice laced in venom.

Snap didn't bother trying to speak again. His heart nearly bursting open from fear, he whipped himself around and he began to run away. He could hear the giant's pounding feet behind him.

He didn't bother to look where he was going or try to figure out where he was. All he could think of was getting out of the cave. He stared out ahead, seeing the light in the distance. He looked behind him, seeing the giant. He pumped himself to move faster, his heart pounding in his chest. If he could only get out of the cave...

Suddenly he tripped against a small rock. He let out a yelp as he felt the leg twist a little. He sat up and he grabbed onto the leg, feeling the swelling already starting to appear. He suddenly heard a foot fall right beside him, causing the ground to shake. Shaking, he looked up just in time for Biclops to reach down and grab him in his large hand.

The force that Biclops used was more than he normally would allow. He had been picked up by Biclops before, but never like this. He could feel his ribs nearly snap under the pressure. He could feel his air supply almost get cut off, causing him to open his mouth wider to breathe. He tried to speak, but his voice was so weak from the lack of air. All he could do was struggle to breathe as he looked up at Biclops, those hatred-filled eyes boring through him like he was something disgusting.

Without a word, Biclops turned and began to take him back towards the room he had just been in. Even in his dazed state, Snap could see the memotrice standing there, recognizing its features from his last Snap Shots show. The memotrice motioned for Biclops to take him into the room, in which he did.

Snap was thrown against the ground. He smacked against the rock face as he tumbled and rolled. He coughed a few times as some of the dust got in his throat. He pushed himself up with his arm and grabbed onto his throat. He gently rubbed it as he coughed and wheezed, eventually regaining his breath. There was a thud and he lifted his head to see the memotrice right in front of him.

Before he could respond, Snap could feel the talons and toes wrap around his neck and push him down into the ground. He let out a pained grunt as the back of his head thudded against the rocky cave floor. He grabbed onto the memotrice's leg and started to push back against it. The memotrice's grip was like a vice. Despite this, he continued to kick out his legs, push against the memotrice, gritting his teeth, his eyes shut tightly.

(Just stop already. You aren't going anywhere.)

Snap opened his eyes and glared up at the memotrice. "If you think for one minute that... I'm staying...here..."

(Oh I know you're not. However, you haven't gotten your new assignment.) The memotrice spoke, its voice sounding cold despite there being now actual sound. It was a unnerving sensation. (You see, despite working for Skrawl, I do get lonely myself. I need some company. Someone who will follow my every command, who will be as loyal to me as a dog...) It lowered its head towards his face. (And you, my blue friend, will be perfect.)

"N-No.. I won't..." Snap tried to push harder. "I would never betray Rudy!"

The memotrice tilted its head to the side. Its one brown eye stared down at him, twinkling. (We will see about that. Now...let's get started..)

Snap began to let out screams as he felt parts of his skull begin to heat up as the memotrice invaded his mind.

sss

The class felt so strange without Reggie in it. Rudy knew that this wasn't much of a change. Only one student gone. But without that bully sitting near him, it just felt so...different somehow. It was almost as if the classroom had lost a part of itself when Reggie was taken away.

Despite being angry at Reggie, a part of him couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The kid already got himself into so much trouble. With this added on top of it, he couldn't imagine what his life in the future would be like. How would he be able to function once he had gotten out of school? Where would he go?

He shook the thoughts out of his head. He shouldn't think about him. Reggie had gone too far this time. He was asking for this kind of punishment. If he didn't want to get kicked out of school for two weeks, then he should have thought more about that when he had used those two students to attack them.

Speaking of Bobby and Harvey, he realized they weren't in this classroom either. He looked around, barely listening to Mr. Wilter's words, as he noticed that those two students were gone. Vanished. He recalled that, despite not being the instigators, they were punished for submitting those attacks against him and Penny. Their punishment wasn't as bad by comparison. They hadn't been kicked out of the school at least, but they were expected to go to anothere classroom for a while. A sort of detention.

Rudy felt sorry for those two. They had never wanted to hurt him and Penny. They were only doing those things because Reggie was making them. They had clearly wanted to let them go and leave, but Reggie was forcing them to stay. The memory of it heated up Rudy's blood. How dare he force innocent students to do his dirty work...

Well at least he wouldn't have to worry about it for a while. He won't have to see Reggie until after his two week suspension is up. Or his community service time was over. Whichever one came first. He was a little worried about what might happen once he returned, but he would concern himself with that when it came close to when Reggie would return.

He kept his eyes straight, making it look as if he was watching Mr. Wilter write the stuff regarding math on the chalkboard. The teacher occasionally would look out this way. Not once did Mr. Wilter speak out towards him or give any indication he thought he wasn't paying attention. He just went on as if nothing was wrong.

Unbeknownst to Mr. Wilter, however, Rudy's eyes were occasionally darting around towards Penny. He could feel his body stiffen up as he stared at her, biting his lip. His eyes trailed over her treated arms, seeing the red marks that were still left behind from the attack. The sight of them made him quiver, and his own injuries ached as well. He and Penny were both lucky that the attacks weren't as bad as they could have been. But they still had a lot of recovering to do.

What would happen if Reggie decided to try again? Would he go as far as attack them just like before? Would he sic his 'minions' on them and do much worse? Rudy wasn't sure how far Reggie could go. He wasn't sure what his lowest point would be. He thought he knew, but Reggie had proven him wrong in that attack. He no longer knew the boy's limit, and that made him far scarier in his mind.

Despite telling himself to wait to worry, that nothing good will come out of stressing out over this now, he could feel his mind clawing away in that direction. He could feel his heart clench tightly in fear as he thought of what Reggie might do once he got back. If Reggie decided to go for broke, to not care anymore about how he was punished, if he allowed nothing to hold him back, what would he do? Considering how large that boy was, Rudy was all too aware of all sorts of things that Regie might do to him.

He turned his eyes down to his portable chalkboard. He bit his lip as he stared at it, recalling the danger that was going on inside ChalkZone as well. The memotrice and Skrawl... He had no idea what was going on with them right now. He didn't know the status, and not knowing was driving him insane. He kept asking himself multiple questions.

Were the zoners okay?

Did something happen?

Was anyone hurt or injured?

Did the memotrice get them?

Did Skrawl get them?

He felt his head start to ache and swell as he tried to figure out what was going on. He couldn't help but shiver a little as he imagined all the horrible things that might be going on with Snap and the others. He wanted to get into ChalkZone so badly and talk to them, see if they are okay, help anyone that was in need. He couldn't continue wasting his time in here, listening to the teacher speak. The urge to jump through the portal was increasing with each second. He...

"Rudy Tabootie!"

Rudy let out a yell of surprise, nearly dropping his portable chalkboard as Mr. Wilter shouted at him. He looked up over at the teacher, giving off a nervous smile. He tried to ignore the chuckles from the other students. "Y-Yes, Mr. Wilter...?"

"If you're done staring at your desk, can you please answer the question on the board?" Mr. Wilter slapped his long stick against the chalkboard, creating a loud snap. Rudy hunched his shoulders and flinched as he imagined how that must sound like on the other side. "Well, Mr. Tabootie?"

"I..." Rudy stared at the board, reading the sequence that was stretched a long it. It was such an easy answer, yet his stunned mind couldn't bring himself to say anything. He ended up staring at Mr. Wilter like he had been frozen with some ray. "...I..."

Thankfully, Penny raised her hand.

"Yes, Penny Sanchez? Do you mind informing the class, and Rudy, what the answer is?"

Penny nodded. "The answer is sixty-two."

"That is correct! Thank you, Ms. Sanchez." Mr. Wilter said as he praised Penny.

Penny smiled and said, "You're welcome." She turned and gave Rudy a small, concerned glare. Rudy flinched and looked away from it.

"As for you, Rudy..."

Rudy lifted up his head and looked over at Mr. Wilter. He gritted his teeth nervously as the teacher glared at him. He knew Mr. Wilter was not going to let up on him that much just because he and Penny were attacked. He still expected them to pay attention in class, especially since the worst of it was over.

"I expect you to keep your eyes up here. Understand?" Mr. Wilter asked.

Rudy nodded his head. "Yes, Mr. Wilter."

Mr. Wilter lifted his head up. "Good." He turned himself around and returned to the chalkboard. "Now class, when we take this number and..."

Rudy gave a quick glance back down at the chalkboard that he held. He stared at it longingly as Mr. Wilter's voice echoed in the back of his head. He wanted to check on Snap so badly, to ask him how everything was going. But he would have to put that off for now. He had to turn his attention back to the board or Mr. Wilter will be quite upset with him. He set the portable chalkboard down. He made a note in his head to check during recess.

sss

"Rudy, are you sure this is safe?" Penny asked cautiously.

"I'm sure. We just have to make sure we are further away this time." Said Rudy. He looked left and right. "I don't think any of the children will see us from here. Besides, we're not going into ChalkZone; we're just going to try to talk to Snap and see if there's any updates. He usually waits around here for me."

Penny stared at Rudy, still not so sure about this. She remembered what happened as a result of earlier, how Reggie had seen them creating a portal. Well not directly, but he still saw the light. If they made the same mistake again...

But she couldn't lie and say that she wasn't just as determined and curious as he was. She too would love to hear any new information from Snap. He might have some information that they could use, and even if it wasn't useful, just some reassurances would be nice. She was frightened by the prospect of a memotrice going around in ChalkZone. If Snap had any positive update, she would like to know as well.

"Okay then. Make the portal quickly." Penny said. "Let's get this over with before someone sees us."

Rudy nodded in agreement. He took out the magic chalk and he drew a portal around the small chalkboard, as wide as the black surface was. The light flickered for a moment and as soon as the portal opened up, Rudy leaned into the board and called out in a hushed whisper, "Snap? Hey Snap, are you there?"

Penny expected to hear Snap call out with his usual 'Bucko' comment, even try to drag Rudy into ChalkZone despite them not having the time for it. But oddly, this time there was nothing. Just silence. Rudy and Penny looked at each other for a few moments, silently contemplating what their next move should be.

It was not unusual for Snap to not be there. He wasn't always waiting for Rudy. There were times when he was off doing something else. Maybe he had a date with Rapsheeba or he agreed to take Blocky to a game or maybe something else happened. Neither of them were particularly worried. But they were both slightly frustrated and eager. They both really wanted an update on that memotrice. They wanted to know if the zoners were okay. It might seem quiet, but this didn't mean much. The danger could be happening much deeper in ChalkZone.

Neither of them had planned to go directly into ChalkZone right now after the scare with Reggie. But with the absense of Snap, they knew that if they wanted any answers, the fastest way was to head directly into ChalkZone. It shouldn't take long before they would find someone who could help them or hopefully run into Snap.

They didn't bother wasting time figuring out if going in was such a good idea. They didn't have any time for that. All they had to do was go in and out. All they wanted was an update on the memotrice, and then they could come in when they got home. Hopefully their parents would let them have some time alone so they could do some exploring in ChalkZone. They did not want to have to wait even longer to help do something about that blasted memotrice. They were supposed to help do something about it earlier and...

At that memory, Penny froze. She recalled how they were supposed to meet Biclops the other day to discuss what to do about the memotrice. She hoped he wasn't too upset or worried about them not showing up. She hoped that them not coming over when they said they would didn't make the giant feel any more afraid than he already would have been. She and Rudy didn't mean to not come. How could either of them predicted that Reggie would have stopped them and beat them up like he had?

Well perhaps he would understand. Biclops always was an understanding fellow. She was certain that, if he were angry, he'd calm down after hearing the story, unless Snap already told him. Yeah, as soon as they showed up at the cave, Biclops would be there waiting for them, waving to them and looking relieved.

Once inside ChalkZone, the two children began to head out. Their first destination was ChalkZone City. Snap was often in here if he wasn't out waiting for Rudy. There was so much to do in this place, and so many zoners to interact with. It made an ideal place for Snap to hang out when he was bored and didn't know what to do. The same thing went for any zoner in the area, really. It was a lot nicer here than in a Real World city, which was too crowded and cluttered and noisy and... ugh, Penny tried to shudder the thoughts out of her head.

She and Rudy spent some time looking around the city. They didn't go anywhere in particular. They just headed down the streets, looking left and right as they tried to locate Snap. So far, they didn't see him anywhere, or anyone immediately familiar either. There was no shortage of zoners here, but none of them were the ones they were hoping to find. But they didn't give up. They kept on searching.

They eventually came to the beginning of a Night Zone. They had to stop and turn around. Snap might very well be in the Night Zone partying, maybe at that Mother Tongue place, which Penny would be glad she never got around again. But first, they felt they should search more in the Day Zone section. After all, he might be hanging out with Chalk Dad, or he might be performing a trick with Howdy, or maybe he was on a picnic or something.

But so far, no sign of him. No matter how far they traveled, no matter how hard they looked, there was no sign of their friend. They scoured all over the Day Zone section of the city. No change. No sign of a certain blue and white zoner. Many other zoners, but not the one they were hoping to find. If Snap wasn't located anywhere in the Day Zone section, then they had to move onto the Night Zone portion.

It didn't take long to find the Night Zone, and good thing too. They would need to leave soon in order to get back to school before their teacher and fellow classmates realized they were missing. They pumped their legs as quickly as they cold as they ventured further into the Night Zone, looking around to try to find Snap.

They passed by a couple of large buildings that appeared to have some major partying going on inside. They walked over towards each and asked the zoners standing outside on watch if a small, super hero zoner clad in blue and white had went into the building. Both times, it was a no, much to their disappointment. Neither of them were costume parties, but even if they were, Snap most likely wouldn't have tried to change his outfit to go to one. So they just continued on their way, searching around.

After a couple of minutes and still no sign of their friend, they walked over to a building and leaned against it. They didn't speak, both lost in their thoughts. They had to wonder how they were going to find Snap before they had to leave. Perhaps they should have just asked the many random zoners for any updates instead of just if they had seen their friend. True, they might not have known anything, but they may have eventually found someone who could have told them something.

Well it wasn't too late to keep looking. Recess was going to still last for another... ten minutes perhaps? Okay, not a lot of time to do searching. But in that small time frame, they might be able to find someone who can tell them what they need.

"Rudy? Penny?"

The two children immediately stopped and turned their heads. They could recognize the forms of Rapsheeba and Blocky heading right for them. Rudy and Penny were relieved for a few seconds, only to be bombarded with worry when they saw the look in their friends' eyes.

Penny had never seen them look this scared or frightened before. Even from this distance, she could see the horror plastered in their eyes. She wondered what they must have seen. Her heart skipped a beat when she thought about the possibility of them having encountered the memotrice. She immediately rushed over to them, Rudy following close behind her. As soon as they reached them, she spoke up.

"What happened? Is it the memotrice?!" Penny cried out, a little louder than she had expected. She could see Rudy's shocked expression out of the corner of her eyes. When the two zoners shook their heads, she felt relief, but concern was still present in her mind. "Then...what is it...?"

Blocky panted, looking exhausted as if he had ran for miles. "S-Snap... We..."

Rapsheeba, who appeared to have already caught her breath, spoke up in his place. "Snap is missing!"

Rudy and Penny gasped at this. They glanced at each other, and then back at them.

"Missing?" Penny asked carefully. "When was the last time you saw him?"

"Yesterday, not long after Rudy here sent a message." Rapsheeba pointed at the boy for a second. "Snap was so angry about what happened to you guys, he stormed over to Biclops to try to find a way into the Real World."

"He did?" Penny whispered. Considering neither of them had see him, it was a safe bet he found no way in. Not that she thought he would. But that still left an important question. "Why?"

Blocky looked at them with fear-filled eyes. "He..he wanted to teach Reggie a lesson!"

"What?" Rudy and Penny called out in unison. They were both aware that Snap would be angry. But to want to come into the Real World just to get back at Reggie... That didn't seem like something Snap would do. Why would he take a risk like that?

Rapsheeba said, "We waited for him to come back, but we hadn't seen him since then! He hadn't even shown up for any of the parties going on here in Night Zone." She held up her hands at her sides. "You know how much he loves parties. But he didn't show up for either of them."

"Yeah that is strange..." Penny's voice was slightly shaky. She tried her best to calm herself down. There had to be a reason for this. "The first place we need to check is the mine."

Rudy looked at the two zoners. "Have either of you tried to look there?"

The two zoners shook their heads.

"We were going to...until..." Blocky's voice trailed off. He rubbed his arm nervously as he looked away. "Until..."

"Until what?" Rudy pressed.

"What happened?" Asked Penny.

Blocky didn't look like he was going to be able to respond anytime soon. Thankfully, Rapsheeba appeared better able. She took a step forward and she gave a slightly narrowed expression. The fear that dripped from those eyes was unmistakeable. The next word she whispered out caused Penny and Rudy to nearly stop breathing.

"The memotrice was spotted in that direction."

sss

"So...you're finally back..."

Skrawl couldn't hide his anger that much when he saw the memotrice finally walk back into his lair. He had expected the memotrice back a lot sooner than this. He had helped bring in the cage for Biclops, but then he left as Thoughtless had wanted absolute concentration. It had promised to be back soon, but it was the following day.

"What kept you...?" Skrawl growled softly, his hands tense, claws gripping the couch's arm tightly.

(My apologies. There was a delay.)

Skrawl raised an eyebrow at this. "I thought you said your powers don't takel ong." The memotrice just stared at him. Skrawl narrowed his eyes. "Don't look at me that way. I saw exactly what you were capable of!" He pointed a long claw at it. "I saw what you did to those guards!"

Thoughtless nodded its head once. (Indeed that is true.) The memotrice continued to move towards him. It did not look very phased by Skrawl's anger. (However, perfection can't be rushed.)

"Oh don't give me that..." Skrawl rolled his eyes. "It shouldn't have taken you this long! I thought you had gotten captured or something!"

The memotrice let out several squawks of laughter. (Capture me?!) It placed a wing against itself, its beak stretched up in a smile. (Please! The only reason they caught me before was because they got lucky!) Its eyes narrowed as it opened its beak enough to show its small sharp teeth. (I can assure you that it will not happen again..)

Skrawl growled at this. He had so many things he wanted to say to the memotrice. He wanted to make it understand the consequences of what it did. There was a reason why he wanted it back as soon as possible. It had wasted too much time in the mines. Biclops, once...altered...didn't need any help. He would have known what to do. There was no reason for it to stay behind with him. He just couldn't fathom any reason for why he did this.

Well, at least it was here now. That's all that mattered. Thoughtless would be safe from capture here. Or at least, attempted capture. At this point, he and Thoughtless no longer needed to be directly involved themselves. They can just wait here and watch the fireworks via..something. He hadn't quite thought of how he was going to watch, but he would find a way. He wanted to see the look on the Great Creator's face once he had seen that Biclops was now his enemy. He wanted to see Biclops try to kill the boy he had once called ally. Oh that would be fun.

He wanted to just move on. Biclops had been swayed to their side. He knew this just by looking at the memotrice's expression. That look of triumph was unmistakeable. Not to mention if it had failed, he was certain it would have told him. But he couldn't help but remain curious about one thing: just what caused the delay in the first place?

Skrawl motioned his hand forward, gesturing towards the memotrice. "Do you mind explaining yourself...?"

The memotrice shook its head. (Oh not at all. I..did kind of want to introduce to you our new...teammate.)

At this, Skrawl raised an eyebrow. "New teammate..?"

Thoughtless nodded. (Yes. In fact, he is the reason for the delay. You see...) It motioned its wing in gesture. (He thought it would be useful if we set up some traps in the Chalk Mine. You know, in case those two children decided to come over. Biclops loved the idea.)

Skrawl narrowed his eyes a little further. A part of him did not appreciate the fact that Thoughtless recruited someone without his permission. But on the other hand, it did make things a little more interesting. He couldn't believe he didn't think of setting up traps for Rudy and Penny for when they try to get into the mine. Because surely they would try to do that once they found out Biclops was their enemy now.

He had one more question to ask. "And who is he?"

(I thought you'd never ask.) The memotrice took a step back. (May I introduce our new teammate...) It continued to move back until it revealed a certain blue and white zoner. (Snap White.)

Skrawl's eyes widened in shock at this. "That little blue pest?!" Skrawl gritted his teeth as he pointed over at the zoner. "Get him out! He's..."

(On our side now.) Thoughtless told him.

Skrawl immediately quieted down at this. He stared at the memotrice for several moments. Despite knowing about his power, despite the memotrice's look of assurance, he couldn't help but remain skeptical. He turned to look at Snap.

He noticed the zoner looked a little angrier than usual. Not his normal anger. But something more deep-seated. As if he felt betrayed. For once, all that anger was not directed at him, despite Snap looking up in his direction. This look of betrayal had Skrawl intrigued. But he had to be sure. So he asked the most obvious and important question that needed to be gotten out of the way first.

"How do I know he won't betray us for Rudy and Penny?" Skrawl held up his hand in gesture. "After all... he is Rudy's creation."

Snap raised his head up slightly at this. His facial expression appeared to harden. "Tsch... Why would I do anything for them? After the way they cut me open and experimented on me after I ate those tainted cookies?"

Skrawl looked at him for a few moments, and then back at Thoughtless. They shared a small, knowing smirk. He then looked back at Snap. "So...what are you going to do about it, Snap?"

The blue zoner took a few steps forward. He then placed himself onto his knee and he lowered his head. A gesture of respect and loyalty that Skrawl never thought he would get from this zoner. "I will follow you."

"You will?" Skrawl asked.

Snap nodded his head. "After all..." Snap looked up. This time, his expression was replaced with brief gratefulness. "You saved me from them."

Skrawl chuckled at this. Oh how this was so perfect. The two zoners that had the strongest connections to Rudy and Penny were now on their side. Things couldn't go any better. "Why don't you come with me, Snap? I'd like your...opinion on how we should deal with Rudy and Penny."

Snap's eyes flickered at this. He gave a snarl, his eyes narrowing into slits. "I'll be glad to..."