The Main Attraction
Chapter 8: The Next Course Of Action
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Everybody's looking for something.
-Sweet Dreams, Emily Browning
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Cripple...
That word continued to echo inside Rudy's mind. No matter what he did or tried, he could not get it to stop ringing in his head. He continued to feel it keeping him in its grasp, refusing to let him go, refusing to allow him to think more clearly. If it weren't for Mint pushing him, he'd probably have ran into several obstacles by this point.
Rudy had learned to tune out what the other students say about him. He had already been used to being sort of 'invisible' there. He was used to having few friends. It didn't matter if he still walked or not; they still would have found some way to make fun of him. Especially Reggie.
But hearing it from a zoner... That was a lot harder for him to ignore. He just could not get over the fact that someone whom he was, on a regular basis, protecting daring to say something like that about him. Bell likely owed his very life to him. And yet because he was in a wheelchair now, suddenly he was not any good?
Rudy let out a pained sigh. Unfortunately, that was something that he had to get used to. A large number of zoners started to treat him differently ever since he was crippled by Sandra. They still showed happiness that he returned, but some seemed to have started to get this mind set that he was less capable. Even if some of them were likely just nervous of making him try to do something he was not as capable of doing, it still hurt.
Most of the time, it was not meant as an insult. Such as Officer Samuel. Him ignoring him was distasteful, but he was not intentionally malicious about it. It still stung, but Rudy did his best to take these in stride.
But Bell was one of the more dark cases. Bell knew exactly what he was saying and doing. And he didn't care. He had deliberately insulted him and the look on his face strongly indicated that he didn't care if he hurt him or not. Bell was definitely being hostile there and calling him 'cripple' was a direct attack on him.
"Come on, Rudy. Don't let what that guy said get to you."
"Yeah, he has no idea what he's talking about."
"He's just being a jerk. Don't listen to what he said."
Rudy recalled the words of his friends. He licked his lips slowly, comprehending everything that they said. He knew they were right. And even if they didn't say anything, he was fully aware of the truth of the words on his own. He really could not let this get to him. They had other, more important things to worry about.
But still...it was not going to be easy. He could not easily dismiss the harsh words from a zoner. Those always had a bigger impact on him, especially harsh ones like from Bell not too long ago. He just...found those harder to let go. He may have learned to deal with what was said about him by other students. But a cruel phrase from a zoner was still able to bring him to tears.
He could feel a comforting hand on his shoulder. He turned his head a little, and he could see that it was Penny. Her gentle, reassuring smile did help to settle him down. He was still quite shaken from what happened, but seeing Penny's face did help him feel a little better. His friends always helped to make things all right.
Rudy struggled to push those thoughts aside for now to focus on the more urgent situation. Since Bell...that guard...was refusing to offer them any information willingly, they would need to try something else. It was important that they get whatevere information so that they could properly deal with the situation regarding Skrawl.
It did seem strange, though. Why would...that guard...deliberately hide such information? Why would that be confidential? Well sure from other zoners, he could see. But from him and his friends? The human creators? The ones that could help take care of this situation? Why were they excluded?
Rudy narrowed his eyes at this. Something really wasn't right...
He wondered if any of this friends had an idea. It certainly didn't seem like it; none of them were speaking a word. They were just...utterly silent. They did give him a few flances, either to reassure him or to silently communicate with him their concern of what they were going to do. If any of them had any ideas, they were sure keeping quiet about it. But Rudy had doubts about this; it seemed more likely that they just had no ideas at all.
It would not surprise him in the least. With how stuck they were before, and just how long it took for them to even start coming to The Speculum, it seemed to make a lot of sense that his friends were just as stumped as he was. These were going to be frustrating times, he could tell. They were in for quite a ride, and the only thing he could hope for...
...is that they are able to make it out with everyone else in one piece.
But perhaps things will change once they get back to the treehouse. Maybe spending time there, trying to relax and collect their thoughts, would help them think of something. Maybe...
Well it was just wishful thinking. Rudy had his doubts that it would really change much. But still, being with his friends in the quiet and comfort of the treehouse would help him think better, as it would with his friends. Though they might not be able to think of a solution right away, they might be able to think of something to at least miminize the damage.
Perhaps they could propose something to help the zoners feel safe. Increase the security, maybe. Make it harder for Skrawl to attack them. That could at least be something so they aren't sitting around and doing nothing to stop this guy. He had his doubts the zoners would be attempting to get them to deal with another accused restaurant owner; there are much more serious things going on right now...
There was one question that kept haunting Rudy's mind ever since they had left the jail. It had nothing to do with that...guard's words. It instead had to do with Skrawl himself. He hadn't really thought about it until a short while ago, but...wasn't The Speculum supposed to be well guarded? Skrawl had apparently tried to escape before and he kept failing. What would have been so different this time around?
...unless he had help...
This thought caused Rudy's blood to freeze. If that truly were the case...then...
...just who helped him out?
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Although she had trouble believing it, although she wasn't really sure if it was possible, Penny just couldn't really argue with what Rudy was saying. It did make a lot of sense. And that's what was so scary about it. If he was correct then...
"But, Rudy... do you have any idea of what you're even suggesting?" Snap asked, his voice tinged with uncertainy but, most notably, fear. "For just one person to get out of that place is crazy enough. But two?"
"I'd have to agree with Snap here. It doesn't seem much of a possibility." Mint folded his arms against his chest. He looked towards the ground, his eyes furrowed deeply. "It would require a skill level that is unprecedented." He looked back at Rudy. "I am sure that Skrawl is smart enough to figure a way out of there. But..." He motioned towards Rudy. "..it's unlikely that more than one person could have gotten out of there."
Snap nodded his head. "Yeah and besides, I don't think Skrawl would attempt to take anyone out of here."
"Not unless he needed to help." Rudy commented. "But guys..." He fumbled with his hands nervously, his teeth clenched. "I can't shake this feeling off. I really do feel that there is...something off about this whole time. I don't think Skrawl could have gotten out on his own no matter how hard he tried."
"And how would getting help from someone else benefit him?" Mint asked, raising an eyebrow. "We all know how selfish that jellybean is. And we know how determined he is. If he was really capable of getting out of that place, he would have done so by now. He's not stupid. He'd be able to pull it off."
Rudy narrowed his eyes. He gripped the wheels of his wheelchair tightly. "Are you saying I don't know my own..."
Mint's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. He made a few quick gestures with his hands attempting to diffuse the situation before it got any worse. "N-No...not at all.." He paused for a moment and cleared his throat. Then he continued, "I was just saying that..I..." Mint's voice trailed off, and he was unable to say anything more.
Penny gave a soft sigh to herself as she leaned back against the wall of the building. They hadn't yet reached the treehouse. They had decided to take a small break here. A little rest never hurt anyone. Well it was supposed to brief anyway. That is, until Rudy mentioned the thing with Skrawl...
And now they've been stuck in this alleyway discussing this for... Penny couldn't even remember how long it's been. All she knew is that it's been a while now and they were still talking about it. She herself had hardly sadi anything about it; she was just too stunned by what Rudy had suggested to even think to talk. Her mind was abuzz with many thoughts and she couldn't help but allow them to penetrate her mind, keeping her focus, not allowing her to do anything except think about them.
Penny didn't want to think it was possible for another prisoner to escape. The idea sent cold shivers down her spine. It made her pull her arms to herself and rub her hands along them. But even this pitiful attempt to keep herself warm was not enough to fight off the chill that was overtaking her. She clenched her teeth tightly and narrowed her eyes further. While the boys kept on tlaking with one another, she took a trip inside her own mind, and tried to think of something else that would make sense. Anything else...
No...there was nothing else that would make sense. She could try as hard as she wanted to. But nothing she thought of would make as much sense as what Rudy had proposed. Even if she hated it, even though the thought made her sick, the idea of someone helping Skrawl get out...it was the closest thing they had to figuring out just what had happened.
But if someone helped him out...
Penny felt her heart skip a beat as she realized that this other prisoner must have had terrific skills to get out of there. They were apparently far more talented than Skrawl himself. The idea of someone better than Skrawl being out there was...disturbing. The jellybean was bad enough. But now they had someone like this to worry about? Oh no...
Penny tried to think of just who would break them out. There were a number of other prisoners there. Some that she and her friends knew. Others, they were unaware of. There were a number of them that would have wanted to get back at them. Any of them could have played a role in Skrawl getting away. The very thought nearly caused her to tremble in fear.
There was really only one good thing to come from this.
At least Sandra was not involved.
Sandra was locked in one of the dimensional cells. She was kept so far away from the others and she was alone about ninety-nine percent of the time. There was very little chance of her getting out. Not with the measures of securey that they had in place to ensure that she never left that room.
But even though she was able to rule out Sandra, that didn't change the fact that there was someone out there. Either a blast from the past or a total stranger. She had no idea which of these was worse. She had no idea which one that she should be more cautious for. The only thing that she did know is that someone else out there was with Skrawl. The two of them were together, likely working as a team.
And they all had to be prepared for what was about to come.
Penny wished there was a way to narrow down the contendors who may have been involved in the escape. But she knew there was very little chance of doing this. She'd have no idea to where to even begin with this. There were just...too many prisoners there that would be happy to get out, happy to get some payback against some citizens in the city. Any one of them could have been involved with this.
The only way to find out is probably through security cameras. But...weren't those destroyed? That's what she remembered hearing about by one of the zoners. Something about how the guards were trying to figure out how Skrawl escaped, but the cameras were destroyed. Though of course, the cameras weren't the only way they could have learned and they might have known all along...
As much as Penny didn't want to believe that the police would hide something, she could not forget what happened years ago. The police were hardly any help then. It had been the result of the Signal, but she did not doubt that some corrupt officials still existed. Maybe her friends' suspicions were indeed correct. Maybe the police really were hiding something.
"Okay so let me get this straight." Snap suddenly spoke up, breaking Penny from her thoughts. "You saying that there is really a chance that this creepazoid had gotten help from someone else.." He motioned with his hands, slightly raising them at his sides. "And none of you have a clue of who it could be?"
Rudy flinched at this. "Well...yeah..I mean..." He paused for a moment before making a few quick gestures as he continued to speak. "It would have increased the likelihood of him getting out. And we all know that there were plenty of criminals that would have been eager to get out."
"Yeah and how would they have convinced Skrawl?" Snap raised an eyebrow. "You know how selfish he can be. You still hadn't fully answered that question."
"Well we know that he teamed up with another zoner in the past for his benefit." Rudy pointed out, raising a finger. "Is it really much of a stretch that he would do it again?" He looked from Snap to Mint and then back at Snap. "I know it sounds crazy and I know Skrawl probably wouldn't have wanted to do it either. But if it means getting out..."
Mint sighed and leaned against the wall next to him. "Maybe you do have a point, Rudy." Rudy seemed to give a very faint smile when Mint finally seemed to acknowledge that he had a point. "But still...who would have helped him to start with? Who would have wanted to take such a risk just to get out?"
"Oh I'm sure a way would have been found." Rudy narrowed his eyes and glared towards the ground. His fist formed tightly in his hand and he shook it. The frustration was practically radiating off from his body. He raised his fist up and he struck down hard. "But I just don't know what!"
"Whoa there, Bucko!" Snap raised his hands up and moved them back and forth. "Take it easy there.."
Mint reached over and placed his hand on the panting Rudy's shoulder. "It will be all right. We...We will think of something..." He gave the best smile that he could muster. "W-We promise."
Penny wasn't really sure if they could live up to that promise. She had no idea just what they were in for. A part of her wanted to believe that it will all work out and they will be able to stop Skrawl before he could do too much damage. After all, they have succeeded in the past before, halting him before he could get too far.
But she also had to remind herself of the times when this just didn't pan out so greatly for them. There were, after all, times when they did not stop him. The worst of it all was during the artifact hunt. Skrawl had been able to outsmart them and get all the artifacts, using Mint like his litte attack dog for a time. Under Skrawl's command, Mint had wreaked havoc all across ChalkZone. To this day, she still shuddered to think just what one little boy had been capable of doing. The fact that Mint had changed sides and helped to repair the damage did little to push out the horrible, chilling thoughts that came to her mind.
She also could not forget how they had nearly lost to Skrawl when he had partnered up with Craniac 4. She could not believe that they had gotten so close... She recalled how shaken she felt when she sat down and really thought about the implications that this had. And if Skrawl had paired up with someone else...
"I sure hope he hasn't joined up with that Blakorn fellow." Snap shuddered at the memory. "He was quite the firecracker, that one."
Mint flinched. "Don't remind me."
Rudy looked uncomfortable for a moment. Then he said, "I'm more worried about Tlano. She was not exactly happy when we sent her to jail, either." His eyes widened, as though recalling how Tlano had nearly ripped out his eyes. "I'll never forget..."
Penny remained quiet as she looked at her friends sympathetically. She would have loved to say that things were entirely at peace after Sandra was locked up. But that was not the case. In addition to the restaurant issue, over the years, even before Snap's framing, they ran into a bunch of other villains and villainesses that they had to lock away. Most of them didn't get far and didn't cause much damage. Heck, some caused no damage at all as they were haulted before they could even get that far.
But a small handful, like the two that they had just mentioned, were far worse. They didn't exactly reach the same levels as Skrawl or Sandra did. But gawd did they come so close...
Blakorn was similar to Skrawl in that he wanted to take over ChalkZone. But he was slightly smarter about the whole thing and worked mostly behind the scenes. Manipulating zoners, influencing them with his powers, gaining something akin to political ground... It was only when his less than admirable traits, such as drug dealing and underground violence, came to light that he was eventually stopped.
Then there was Tlano, who had been obsessed with 'improving' zoners. She worked as a nurse in the hospital. Behind the scenes, she would study zoner DNA and at first, this seemed fine...until she started taking patients away to toy with them, try to make them better. When she was confronted, her first act was to try to blind Rudy. If Mint hadn't reacted when he did...
One thing could be said about both of them:
They both served as a reminder that some nasty villains will always exist, and that they should never turn their backs on them.
Penny struggled to not allow herself to shiver too much. She didn't want to worry her friends. She wanted them all to focus on the task at hand. They still needed to figure out just what they were going to do. They needed to figure out the next course of action, and fast. Before it was...
"Oh hey look..." Snap called out. He motioned his hand towards one direction. "Maybe he could help us?"
Penny turned her head, along with the others, to see what Snap was pointing to. It didn't take her long to recognize who it was. "Snap, I'm not entirely sure if he could help us."
"Yeah. I mean, he works at a...different jail." Mint had hesitated slightly when he spoke. And for good reason, too. "He wouldn't really know what was going on at the Speculum."
"It wouldn't hurt to try, though." Snap shrugged his shoulders. "He might have heard at least something. And he is a warden. He has the right rank to.."
"That's not the way it works, Snap." Rudy commented, his eyes narrowing slightly. "At least...I don't think that's how it would work..."
Penny raised her hand up as she leaned slightly towards her friends. "And besides, Snap, we don't have much of a reason to think that Okoth will help us. I still remember how reluctant he was to help us before. That warden had did what he could to make it hard to let us get you in for a brain scan. I doubt he..."
Snap nodded his head in understanding. "Yeah, I understand. But this situation is different." Snap motioned his hands out towards his friends in determination. "Surely he'd be more willing to cooperate now..."
That was a very real possibility, Penny had to admit. Maybe Okoth would be more willing to listen to them if the fate of ChalkZone was at stake. Before, it had been the life of only one zoner, their best friend, that was in the most immediate danger. At the time, they were unaware of Sandra hunting zoners. In fact, no one really knew about this. So as far as Okoth was concerned, it was only Snap whose life hung in the balance. And almost no one cared about Snap's life at that point.
But still, Okoth was a pretty strict warden. Even if they didn't see it for themselves, Snap had stories to tell from when he was trapped in that guy's prison. And nothing any of them heard suggested that he would be willing to divulge such information.
But they could at least try. What did they have to lose? And besides, there was a chance that he could give away some rather...interesting information that they could use. Any amount of information would work at this point. Just as long as they provided at least a slight hint of what...
"Hey..what are you guys doing here...?"
Penny's eyes widened at this voice. She could see her friends flinching. She could see Snap's eyes suddenly bulge in fear. None of them could ever forget that voice. Penny found her hands naturally curling inward, forming a fist. After a bit of silence, they all managed to turn their heads over.
And of course, there, standing not far from them, was a rather...familiar stick figure zoner. One that they all, especially Snap, had engrained into their skulls.
It was Taima.
"Wh-What.. What do you want..?" Snap was the first one to speak, much to everyone's surprise. The blue and white zoner had immediately huddled close to Rudy's side for comfort, his body pressing up against the cold metal of the teenager's wheelchair.
Taima flinched visibly at this reaction, his face contorting into regret. He looked away from Snap, his eyelids lowered and focusing on nothing. He began to fumble with his hands a little. "I just..saw you guys from a distance and you looked so..confused and worried about something. I just..." He looked at the group as a hole, raising his head up slightly. He clenched his teeth for a few seconds, giving off a small, shaky breath. "...I was just curious..."
Penny, along with Rudy and Mint, didn't stop glaring at the stick figure zoner. They didn't really attempt to say anything to him. Not just yet. None of them had truly recovered from what Taima had done to their friend. None of them, especially not Snap, had truly forgiven him. The mere sight of him was enough to trigger all those unwanted memories.
The only thing that prevented them from being more hostile towards him was the fact that Taima really did feel sorry for what he did and he did strive to be a better person. He hadn't attempted to cause anymore trouble, and it wasn't like he tried to pester Snap all that much. But still, even the kindness that he displayed was not enough to make them all that comfortable around him.
Still, it didn't really hurt to tell Taima what they were doing. After all, maybe he could help. True the idea of getting help from someone who had hurt their best friend was not something that she or her friends enjoyed. But when it came to ChalkZone's safety, information from anyone was important.
Even if it came from someone like Taima.
After the awkward silence lasted for a while, Penny decided to speak up. After all, someone had to get the ball rolling, right?
"We are trying to figure what to do about Skrawl." Penny stated. Short and to the point. It was more than enough to allow Taima to realize just what was going on.
His eyes widening, the stick figure whispered, "You mean he's...out?"
This ignorant reaction did not go over well amongst the group of friends. Almost immediately, their bodies tensed up, their eyes narrowing, including Snap. They didn't say anything right away, but their body language and their facial expressions were clearly enough to tell Taima that he should consider backing off pretty soon.
"How could you not know?" Came Snap's shaky voice. "I-It's all over the news!"
"Well sorry but I was busy and..." Taima fidgeted nervously, rubbing his arm, clenching his teeth. He appeared to be struggling with what to say next. This only made him look even guiltier, causing everyone's eyes to narrow further. "I was out of town and..."
"Doing what?" Mint cut him off. His arms folded tightly against himself. "Just what were you doing that was taking you so long?"
"I was visiting my sister's grave..."
Almost immediately, all pretense of aggression dropped. Their frowns vanished, along with their narrowed eyes and snarls. Almost in unison, they were all struck with a strong, sharp pang in their stomachs. They looked at each other nervously, and then stared back at Taima. The shame that they were feeling inside made itself quite known on their faces. Even when they attempted to hide it, it was no use.
Penny struggled to cope with the sting that rose up inside of her chest. She placed her hand there and rubbed it. Even that wasn't good enough to stop the sensation from clawing its way up inside of her. She knew, from their guilty expressions alone, that Rudy, Snap, and Mint were also feeling a similar way.
Penny couldn't believe that she hadn't taken the late Galena into consideration. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten that the grave site she was in was located far outside of town. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten just how deeply affected Taima was by all of this. She knew how the other zoners were still recovering, so how did she and her friends forget this?
She realized it wasn't so much that they forgot; it was that their anger had pushed the memory down momentarily. Seeing Taima so suddenly, without warning, triggered terrible memories and that caused them to momentarily not realize just why Taima might be unaware of Skrawl's break out. Especially considering the fact that he was no longer very social nowadays. Most zoners didn't like him after his involvement with the mob that nearly lynched Snap, or when he abused Snap when he was locked up with him.
"I'm...I'm sorry about that..." Mint spoke up. His voice had grown so soft and quiet. "I didn't.."
Taima raised his hand up, silencing him. "It is okay. You didn't know." Taima gave a short pause, exchanging glances with the four friends. The silence that started to creep along them was tense and uncomfortable. Thankfully Taima didn't allow it to say quiet for too long. "So what did you figure out for Skrawl?"
It did feel rather strange talking with Taima. They hadn't done this in a long time. They usually just avoided him, or he avoided them. Now here they were, starting a serious discussion to him related to Skrawl. None of them could have seen something like this coming.
Penny was amazed when he heard Snap start talking. Out of all of them, she would have thought that Snap would be the least likely to speak to Taima after what he did to him. This was nothing short of amazing and courageous.
"...you wouldn't have happened to notice anything..strange with the police, have you, Taima...?"
This question cause Taima to blink several times. He stared over at Snap. He did take a step back when he saw how uncomfortable his staring was making Snap. Yet he still could not look away, as though too confused to do anything. "What do you mean...?"
"Well..." Snap hesitated. He struggled to keep speaking. Yet only a bit of gibberish would come out of his mouth. Poor Snap. He must be a lot more nervous than any of them initially thought.
Rudy took over. "We have a feeling that the police are keeping something from us."
Taima tilted his head to one side. "Why in the world would they do something like that?"
"We don't know." Mint shrugged his shoulders. "Other than to stop a potential riot of course. But to keep it from us..." He motioned to himself. "It reminds us so much of what happened when..." His voice trailed off as he glanced over at Snap. No words needed to be spoken to let everyone know just what was running through his mind.
Penny took a few steps towards Taima. Motioning towards Rudy, she stated, "And Rudy here believes that at least two prisoners escaped." Noticing Taima's eyes go wide and how loud he gasped, Penny narrowed her eyes, complimenting the severity of the situation. "We need to figure out as much information about this breakout as possible."
"Did you try..." Taima started to say.
"Yes, we did." Snap spat angrily. Taima took a sharp step back at this. Snap did not seem to notice as his gaze was towards the ground. "The creepazoid chased us out."
"He was..." Rudy paused for a moment. He licked his lips slowly. "...not very cooperative."
Penny looked at Rudy sadly. Poor guy... He must still be remembering what Bell had said to him. She wanted to say something to him, anything, to help him feel better. But at the moment, no words would come to her mind. At least Snap and Mint were able to comfort him.
Penny nodded in Taima's direction when she noticed the expression in his eyes and face. "Even knowing that this information could help save ChalkZone faster, he still wouldn't help us."
"Gee...that's tough..." Taima rubbed the back of his head. "I wish I could have..." Suddenly he gave pause, his eyes widening. "Wait...I think I do know something."
In an instant, everyone's eyes were on him. No words were spoken. Only eager yet cautious glances were aimed towards the zoner. They waited for him to continue.
"I'm not really sure if this will help you all any..but.." Taima rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes furrowing deeply as though in deep thought. "I did see something strange not too long ago. I'm not sure if it's anything related to what you want though."
"Can you tell us anyway?" Rudy asked. "Anything could help, even if it seems unrelated."
Taima gritted his teeth. "Well..I did see some zoners gathered around that one new restaurant... Ha...something..."
"Haney's Diner?" Penny inquired. Taima nodded his head at this. Immediately, Penny's eys furrowed. She could feel a pang in her chest. Something told her she was not going to like what she was about to hear next. But regardless, she still spoke. "What about Haney's Diner..?" Her friends stared at Taima along with her, waiting for a response.
"Well...you see..."
That was when they heard the sirens.
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Snap could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the blood sweeping through, making his chest feel like it was going to swell up in flames. His mouth was open as he struggled to keep himself breathing. He could feel his tongue flapping against his face. He ignored it completely as he kept on running.
He did feel bad about going out so far ahead of his friends. Especially Rudy. He could hear him panting far behind him as he struggled to keep up with him. He could hear his friends' feet pounding the ground as they tried to reach him. Snap wanted to slow down so badly and let them catch up. Yet he was driven to just keep on running. Nothing was going to stop him.
That news that Taima had delivered...it couldn't be true, could it? There was just no way that... But the sirens that they heard... He didn't fake hearing them. And he knew the direction that they were going on. There was really no way to explain this except...
...except if something really did happen at Haney's Diner...
Snap's gut twisted into knots. He just had to get there quickly, before something insane happened. He and his friends had to arrive as quickly as possible before those zoners could od anything. They were already having enough trouble as it is. They did not need any freelancing zoners causing problems.
Snap had recently visited Haney's Diner. He would admit, he was quite nervous at first. He wasn't really sure what to expect with that place. He had half expected to see Sandra coming out from a hiding spot for some reason, and he had no idea why. He was just a nervous wreck. If he were attached to a lie detector, he would have caused it to explode.
And when Haney had brought out some food for him, he recalled how hard it was for him to even eat any of the stuff at first. It looked appetizing yes. He could feel his mouth dripping with saliva. He must have looked like such a darn fool, staring at food like that. And when he could not take it any longer, he grabbed a fork and began to eat it.
And it was delicious. Probably some of the best food that he has had. Haney had even joined him with a meal of his own. They chatted for a while, got to know each other a little better. Snap had forgotten about his fears and worries soon after. He did not have any regrets in going into that diner.
Haney was not really a bad person after all. He had been arrogant before, but rightfully so after he was so wrongly accused before. He was shy and soft-spoken when they initially met him. But again, those other zoners didn't exactly make the whole thing easy for him. Snap couldn't help but feel sorry for the little guy. At least he was able to see through to the real him. Haney was...quite a funny guy actually.
But it would seem that not everyone felt the same about Haney as he did..
He soon could hear some screaming in the distance. Snap's eyes bulged as he pushed himself to go faster. Every time he heard a cry, every time he heard a shout, he struggled to move quicker and quicker. His narrowed eyes focused on what was in front of him. They shifted around, looking for the tiniest detail. And when they saw a bit of shadow, Snap immediately turned to follow it.
Snap stopped in his tracks, staring out ahead with wide, horrified eyes. He did not notice the breeze behind him when his friends nearly ran past where he stood. Nor did he hear their collective gasps join in with his own as they stared out at what was before them.
Deep in this alleyway, they could see a large group of zoners congretated at one spot. There were two types of zoners that they could see right away. There were obviously citizens of all different types. Some were bakers, others farmers, others store clerks, and whatever else that you could think of. Joining with them, or rather, fighting against them, were some cops. They were attempting to get the citizens away from something around the middle. It was difficult to tell what it was at first, but there was no mistaking that loud whimpering sound.
"Everyone just back away!"
"Give him some room!"
The citizens showed no interest in listening. They growled in response. Some lashed out at the officers. Others made obscene gestures. Others tried to threaten them to move aside.
"Back off! He's ours!"
Snap and his friends stared in shock, unable to move or breathe. They couldn't even try to talk. The only thing that would come out of their mouths was heavy gasping, each one tinged in shock. Seeing the zoners act this way brought back horrific memories of the past. Back when the zoners had been afflicted by the Signal...
Snap tried to shake off the memories as he focused on the center of the attacking and struggling zoners. He could see something moving there, trying to get away. Something quite tall and long and...
"Haney!" Snap shouted in horror, his fears having been confirmed. Without thinking, he rushed over towards the crowd. "Back off! Leave him alone!"
"Snap! Wait!" Penny shouted.
"Get back here!" Rudy demanded. "You're going to get yourself hurt!
Mint lunged forward and attempted to grab onto the fleeing zoner. "Don't take another step!" His attempt to grab onto Snap failed miserably, and he ended up falling into the ground. "Snap!"
The blue and white zoner, though feeling guilty, ignored the words of his friends as he rushed towards the crowd. Despite his fear, he knew he couldn't allow the zoners to keep hurting another innocent. He knew what it felt like to be unfairly targeted like this. He would be damned if he allowed it to happen to someone else.
When he got close enough, he lowered his head and he rammed himself against one of the zoners. He could hear them grunt as they were pushed back. However, they did not remain started for long. Before he know it, he felt something strike him and he was flung back.
"Back off, shrimp!" The attacker shouted. "You are not our target! Now leave!"
Snap laid on his back and he gave a soft grunt as he pushed himself up. He rubbed the side of his face and glared over at the zoner who pushed him. He could not see them for very long; they had already disappeared into the crowd. He growled softly as he pushed himself up.
He suddenly felt an arm grabbing onto him. He looked up and he could see that it was Mint. The teenager tightened his grip on him and then pulled him up to his feet. He looked at him up and down, his eyes filled with great concern. Rudy wheeled in and Penny rushed over soon after.
"Are you okay, Snap?!" Rudy shouted as his wheelchair skidded along the ground from how fast he was moving.
Snap swallowed hard and he nodded his head. "Yeah..I'm fine.." He turned and glared over at the crowd. "You think that I am going to let that creepazoid get the better of.."
"Snap, wait..." Mint spoke up, tightening his grip on him. "I don't think you should try that again. We don't want you getting hurt."
"Yeah, Snap. Take it easy." Rudy agreed.
Snap felt conflicted at this. On the one hand, he wanted to just say 'fuck it' and rush in there and stop the zoners. He could hear Haney continue to cry out as the officers tried to get the citizens off of him. Each scream caused his heart to tighten and he could feel his body shaking.
And yet, he knew his friends were right. He couldn't just rush in there and try to force the zoners away. There were just too many of them. He risked hurting himself in the process. He should have thought better than to do something so brash. He would not be able to do anything to help Haney if he got himself a few broken bones from doing something stupid.
But they still had to do something. He stared out ahead, his eyes furrowing, his gut twisting, his teeth clenching. He didn't know how much longer he could handle this. He couldn't even tell how badly Haney was hurt. He looked over at his friends, giving them a silent plea to do something.
And they did.
Penny glared out at the zoners, fighting one hand into a fist while the other pulled out a piece of magic chalk. She turned her head to Mint and gave him a single nod. Mint returned it and he pulled out magic halk of his own. Snap and Rudy looked on as their friends silently approached the crowd.
sss
"Are you sure about this?" Skrawl asked as he raised his hand up in gesture. "I'm not entirely sure if this is the...smartest plan I have heard of."
Sandra chortled at this. Skrawl couldn't help but growl. "Of course it isn't. That is why they would not expect it." She tilted her head to one side, staring off at Skrawl with her blood red eyes. "You want to keep the element of surprise, don't you?"
"Yes, and that's why we shouldn't do this! Why don't you listen?! This plan is going to blow our cover!" Skrawl curled his claws inward, his large teeth gnashing together. "Why can't you just..."
Sandra raised her hand up. Skrawl stopped himself and he glared at her in suspicion. "Do not fret, dear Skrawl. Everything will work out in the end..." She turned herself around and started to walk away. Her tail wished as her hand raised up, her head tilting to the other side. "You will see."
Skrawl shook his head, struggling not to do anything that he would soon regret. He watched as the dragon zoner stood a few feet away from him, her head tilting upward as if going into deep thought. Not the first time she had done this. He did question her about it, but she never did give a straight answer. He quickly gave up trying to get her to talk.
His mind ran abuzz with several thought as he recalled what she had told him earlier, about her plan. It seemed...pretty crazy. No, very much crazy. Even he would never have done something like this, and he had taken a few risks in the past himself. He didn't think Sandra would be dumb enough to do something like this. It was just asking for trouble. There was no way that they were going to be able to achieve their goals at this rate.
But Sandra was utterly determined to go through with what she had in mind. She insisted that things would work out better if they just go with what she said. Skrawl was not entirely sure if he could really believe her. A part of him had to question her sanity. She had been locked away for too long, hasn't she...?
But then..he did have to remind himself of what she had been able to accomplish before. She wasn't just some insane dragon zoner. She was the zoner that had gotten away with far more than he himself could ever hope to dream of. She had taken out several zoners while under the guise of a restaurant, and no one suspected a thing. She had influenced many zoners with a machine, and still no one realized what was going on. And most importantly, she had nearly taken care of these brats that had gotten in his way for far too long.
Skrawl couldn't help but smile at the memory of what Sandra informed her. He relished in hearing about how she had broken Rudy's neck, ripped out Penny's throat, tore apart Snap's stomach... He wished that she had done worse to Mint, though. A dislocated jaw didn't sound like much. Though at least she did cause him other pain, like she did with the others. A single zoner did all of that.
That was why he had agreed with work with her. It wasn't only because they shared the same goals. It was because she was quite capable. More so than that idiotic Craniac 4 that he had the displeasure of having to work with years ago. No, Sandra made a much better partner.
His smile faded as he returned into deep thought. He still was not sure of this plan. He thought that something more subtle would be more affective. Then again, Sandra did make it clear that she cared not what the zoners thought of her anymore. And she did have a lot of pent of rage, he could tell. Even more than he himself did. That lone made her quite uneasy to be around. Despite the partnership, he couldn't help but feel nervous and he had to fight to keep himself from backing away.
The only thing that was keeping him here, really, was his own desire for revenge. He had been wanting to pick a bone with these guys for a long time. And now, with Sandra's help, he was finally getting that chance. He..
"Say Skrawl..."
The jellybean turned his head and he could see the blue dragon zoner walking back towards him. She was giving him a knowing expression, which caused him to shift his mismatched eyes from side to side. Even though his collar had ben removed and he could defend himself, he could not bring himself to risk even a defensive stance.
"Yes?" Skrawl asked carefully, doing his best to keep his voice low. "What do you want?" He did not know yet what she was fully capable of.
Sandra gave a small smirk. "Didn't you say you had some large dog named Fido somewhere?"
Skrawl blinked his eyes a few times. Why was she curious about that? What did she think Fido was going to... Suddenly it dawned on him. His eyes widened and he took a small step back. "Are you going to...?"
Sandra sneered. "Take me to him."
