"Mom! Dad! I can't sit here and dow nothing! I have to..."

"Now Rudy... I know you're upset. But you have to trust the police on this. They'll take care of it."

"But, dad...!"

"Settle down, Rudy. Your father is right. There's nothing you can do right now. You're too young... We don't want to lose you, too."

Rudy couldn't sit down, not now. He kept pacing in front of his parents, who were sitting on the couch. Rudy's mind was racing, twirling with thoughts. Tried as he might, he couldn't shake off the horrible images of what could have happened. He gritted his teeth, his stomach twisting in knots. How could he have been so stupid? He...he should have...

But there was nothing he could do about it now. He could sit here and mope, but it wasn't going to change what had happened. He took in a shaky breath, unable to believe what had transpired. He glanced at his parents. They gave him sympathetic looks. He turned away from them, a meek attempt to hide his own tears. But he knew he couldn't fool them. There was nothing he culd do to hide the sadness and horror that had a hold over him.

The ten year old boy turned his attention to the television set. On it, the news station was on. Pictures of the hospital, the same one that he believed Snap was taken to, was shown. He could see Penny's frantic mother, her face stained with tears, as she spoke to the reporter.

"...and then they just ran off with her!" Mrs. Sanchez cried. She made a few frantic motions with her hands, indicating a direction. "They drove off that way!"

The reporter, a young male with short black hair, nodded dutifully at her. He looked somewhat sympathetic, but he seemed more emotionally detached, perhaps as a result of being a reporter for so long. "Can you describe the people who took your daughter?"

Rudy bit his lip at this. He remembered how he had come down the steps, ready to leave for the hospital. He had noticed his parents were unusually quiet and he wondered if anything was wrong with them. He rushed into the living room and that was when he saw they had the television set on. Curious, he walked in closer to see what they were watchign. He had thought it was some kind of horror movie or enthralling comedy. And now he so desperately wished that had been the case.

The news was on, and in a few seconds, he learned the terrifying truth: His friend, Penny, had been kidnapped...

He felt as though the world shattered around him. He had lost two friends. Snap was still trapped in the hospital, and his parents wouldn't drive out there out of fear that something would happen to Rudy. His gut had burned in anger and he had tried to make them go. His parents insisted that a relative of Snap would pick him up, because surely he has a guardian while he's staying here. Rudy had nearly bit his tongue. He couldn't convince his parents to leave, and he couldn't show them the urgency of it unless he lied to them or said something that was suspicious.

And now Penny was gone. He didn't know the details yet, but as soon as he heard, he was desperate to do something to save her. He had tried to leave to go find her, but his parents stopped him. They didn't want him rushing off into danger, and they forbade him from leaving the house. Rudy felt a wave of emotion well up inside of him as the impact of losing two friends in a short time struck him. He started to shed a few tears.

But despite his despair, he did come up with a plan. He kept his gaze on the television, eager to listen to the description of the kidnappers. If he recognized them, and knew where they lived, he could use ChalkZone to go find them. Still a risk if his parents went up into his bedroom, but he knew it was a necessary risk. What if Penny was in life-threatening danger?

Soon, Mrs. Sanchez had worked up the will to respond. As she spoke, there was a clear crack to her throat, causing Rudy to bit his lip. Poor Mrs. Sanchez... He listened, hoping that she would reveal something that'll allow him to help.

"There were two of them. A man and a woman. The man was short with black hair and a large nose, oh and a black suit. The woman...I'm pretty sure I've seen her on the news a few times... She was wearing a green business suit and has curly red hair. She appeared to be the leader of the two. She was holding some kind of big bag around her shoulder and.."

"Do you know what was in the bag, ma'am?"

"I don't know, I... what the fuck does that have to do with anything anyway?! My baby has been kidnapped by those cretins! They hauled her off into their car and they sped off. They're probably miles away by now! Why don't you spend your time trying to find her, you..."

The reporter cringed away as the angered woman loomed over him. He smiled nervously, holding up a hand defensively. "Whoa there...I didn't mean to..."

Mrs. Sanchez continued to glare at him for a few seconds. Then her eyes widened when she realized what she had been dong. She turned her head away in shame, sighing softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm just.."

Rudy hardly paid attention to anything else Mrs. Sanchez said. His eyes were wide in realization, his mouth dropping open. His mind swirled with thoughts as he realized just what had happened at the hospital. He couldn't believe it. It..it couldn't have happened like that...could it...?

But then..who else could have done it? The descriptions... They matched them so perfectly. And they had the motivations to do this. They would have had reason to go after Penny. They had all the inspiration they could ever want. But if these two were involved... Rudy felt a sense of dread rising up in his stomach. Just how far were they willing to go? Just what were they willing to do to get what they wanted? They already resorted to kidnapping. What would stop them from doing worse...?

These two crooks... Vinnie Raton and Terry Bouffant... He felt a cold shiver in his spine as he realized that if those two were the ones who kidnapped Penny, then they would have taken Snap as well. And he knew exactly why they would have taken him. They wanted information about ChalkZone. They wanted a way in. And they were going to force him and Penny to help them out.

The realization of his friends being used like this boiled Rudy's blood. How dare those creepazoids use his friends this way... How dare they take Snap away from the hospital, delaying the help he so desperately needed... How dare they take Penny with them like she was their property...

Rudy turned his attention to his parents. They both looked equally worried. They were listening to Mrs. Sanchez' words. They had been a bit disturbed by the temper she displayed momentarily, but they had an understanding expression. The woman had every right to be angry. Her daughter had been kidnapped and the reporter was asking some unrelated question that would do little to help them find Penny, or Snap for that matter. Rudy wanted to say something, but he held his tongue when his dad looked over towards him.

"Rudy...why don't you go up to your room?" Mr. Tabootie said.

Rudy stared at his dad in confusion. "Huh? Why?"

"Just..please, do it." Mr. Tabootie said, raising up his hand. "Go into your room and don't come out until I say so. Just..trust me."

Mrs. Tabootie looked at her husband in confusion. "Joe..." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you think that's a little..."

Mr. Tabootie jerked away, causing his wife to pull her arm back. "I know what I'm doing, Millie." He stared at his wife, who just continued on giving him a puzzled look. "This is...for the best." He turned his attention back to Rudy. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Now go to your room. Now."

A part of Rudy was still confused. He had never heard his father speak to him like that before. He had never had his dad send him up to his room unless he did something wrong. It confused and startled Rudy. For a brief moment, he wondered just what had triggered this change. It was so strange. His dad had never done this before...

..then again, he and Penny hadn't been kidnapped before.

Suddenly, Rudy widened his eyes in realization. Now his dad's behavior was starting to make sense. He was worried that he might be kidnapped next. Because of his connection to Penny as a friend, his dad must realize that there was a good chance he might be targeted next. His dad must realize it was a long shot, but he was still willing to take this step anyway to ensure his safety. Slowly, he gave his dad a small, understanding smile.

Not wanting to keep his dad waiting, and knowing this could be his one chance, Rudy turned around and walked away. He headed towards the stairs and began to climb up them. He soon reached the top and headed towards his room. As he headed towards his room, he began to think of what his course of action would be.

He realized that he didn't have much of a plan. Yeah he knew who the kidnappers were, but how was he going to know where they went? Unless they had a chalkboard in their car that had some kind of writing on it, he was stumped. He could feel his stomach fill up with bile, his walking slowing down, as he realized he was back to square one again. He couldn't waste all that time in ChalkZone if he didn't know what he was doing. He needed to do...something. But what?

Then, suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. He recalled some time ago, a zoner named Boorat had tried to steal the magic chalk. He hadn't thought much of the incident since then, but now he had to wonder... Just how had sent him to find the magic chalk? Snap said that he had gone into the real world to try to bring it to his creators. But the only ones who would have known something like that and be able to send a minion would have been...

Terry and Vinnie... Of course... Why didn't he think of it before? Those two...they were Boorat's creators. If they were the ones who had drawn Boorat...

Then maybe Boorat could lead him straight to them. His eyes narrowed in determination. It was a long shot, but it was the only lead he had to go on right now. He knew what he had to do: he had to get into ChalkZone and find Boorat.

Rudy rushed into his room and shut the door behind him. He ran towards his chalkboard and pulled out his magic chalk. He quickly drew a portal. As soon as it opened up, Rudy jumped through it. He landed on the soft grass below. He immediately made a dash in the direction where he knew Boorat would be.

The prison.

sss

Snap let out a grunt as he was shoved against the chair. Terry removed his binds, having no fear that he would escape. How could the little runt get away from her? It was clear that he was weak, and she kept the doors to her van locked. She had taken the precaution of making sure any small crack was sealed up. Yes, the brat wasn't going to escape her this time.

Terry gritted her teeth as Snap weakly struggled against her. She pushed him harder against the chair, bringing out some old but strong rope to secure him. She managed to get rope around his waist, tying it tightly, pressing his small, shivering body against the chair. This kept him in place, allowing her to work on his legs next. She grabbed his left and secured it, wrapping rope around it a few times. As soon as she was done, she turned to the other leg. The zoner attempted to kick her in self defense, but she caught his leg and pressed it firmly against the chair. Soon that leg was taken care of.

Now for his arms. She grabbed his right one first. She knew that his other arm was too injured to do anything. Perhaps it wasn't necessary for her to rip off the bandages... Oh well. Probably best to secure the other arm after this anyway. She circled rope up and down his right arm and tied it as hard as she could. She took a step back, making sure that his arm and two legs were secured. As soon as she was certain, she looked at his left arm.

Terry wondered for a moment if she should feel guilty about this. She had just kidnapped what others would see as a child. She knew better, but something still felt a bit...wrong about this. Would it be right to tie down his left arm, even though it was clearly in bad shape? What could Snap do with it anyway?

Terry shook those thoughts out of her head. She reminded herself that he was just a zoner, a chalk creature. He was not a kid; he only looked like one. She couldn't underestimate him. She couldn't allow him a chance to get away. She was not going to lose this shot at getting into ChalkZone. Mentally resolving her hesitation, she continued on. She reached over and grabbed Snap's left arm tightly.

The zoner's eyes widened and he let out a yelp. He attempted to pull his arm back, but unlike with his right, he was more hesitant with this. Probably because of the gaping wound, Terry thought. All the more reason to take advantage of this. She slammed the arm against the chair, making Snap cry out in pain. She kept the arm firmly placed as she began to secure it. The tight rope looped around his arm, and soon it even went over the wound itself.

The pressure on Snap's wound caused the zoner to scream in pain, his eyes bulging and watery. He struggled harder, trying to use whatever strength he had to get free. Terry ignored his cries of agony as she continued securiing his left arm. Suddenly, out of desperation, Snap did something that Terry didn't expect.

He bit her.

Terry let out a painful shout, her eyes widening and body stiffening for a second. She looked down towards Snap, narrowing her eyes at him. Snap had leaned forward and bit down on her arm, pressing his teeth against the skin. Low whimpers emitted from his mouth. Terry growled at him, realizing she had made a mistake in removing his muzzle so soon.

She attempted to move her arm away from the zoner, trying to dislodge it from his mouth. Snap bit down even harder and Terry winced, feeling the teeth push against her flesh. She contemplated tightening the rope on his arm to make him scream, but decided against it, realizing such an act might make him bite even harder. She needed another way to make him let go. She tried pulling again, but Snap was so terrified that he refused to let go of her. Pain wracked through her arm, which only served to anger her more. This filthy little...

Unable to take it anymore, Terry took action, not bothering to come up with a well though out plan. She just wanted to make him stop biting her. She grabbed his face and pulled it back as hard as she could. "Let go of me!" She managed to rip Snap's head away from her arm, but at an unexpected cost.

Terry was unable to hold back her scream of pain as Snap's teeth tore through her skin. She released the zoner right away and took a few steps back, her body shaking in pain. She felt a few tears stroll down her cheeks as she looked down at her arm, examining it carefully. She was horrified to see that the zoner had managed to tear a small part of flesh from her. It wasn't a big bite, but blood now dripped down her arm. Terry stared at her arm in horror before shifting a hateful glance at Snap. The zoner cringed, gritting his teeth in fear as if he realized what he had just. But it was too late now.

Then suddenly, Terry smiled. A thought crossed her mind. As she stared at Snap, who was unnerved by this sudden change in demeanor, Terry realized something. She could use this bite to her advantage. She could use it to sway people to her side, and be behind her when it came time to go into ChalkZone. After all, people are going to want wild animals taken care of, right? They'd want them...to be tamed or caged.

And zoners were a different species altogether. They weren't human. And anything that's not a human, anything that was not domesticated by a human...was a feral animal.

"I sure hope you don't try to bite me again, Snap." Terry said in a sickenly calm voice. She didn't bother tightening the ropes more. They were good as they were. She folded her arms behind her back. "Wouldn't want the dogcatchers seeing it and try to take you to the pound." She circled around him. She noted the look of confusion and fear in his eyes. She smiled at this and said, "If you don't know the penalty of a dog bite, it's death."

"What...what does..." Snap managed to speak. His voice was shaky and dry. "...have to do with... m-m...me...? I'm...not...a..."

"You're still an animal." Terry said.

"I'm not..." Snap started to say.

Terry cut him off, raising her hand. "You're not a human, and you aren't a plant. So therefore..." She came around from behind him, going over to his other side. "You're an animal. I could use this bite as proof as you being too wild and unpredictable. If we're going to make the ChalkZone theme park, we can't have any unruly animals getting in our way." She placed a hand on Snap's shoulders. The zoner flinched and looked away. "I trust that you won't attempt to do that again...am I right?"

Snap looked up at her fearfully. He gave a shudder and he looked away again, turning his gaze downward. He soon submitted to her. "...yes..."

Terry grinned. "Good little zoner. So long as you behave, this won't have to be so difficult." She paused for a moment, realizing something. "I will speak to you later. I meed to check on my other guest."

Snap's eyes widened. "P-Penny...?"

Terry ignored the zoner and headed off to the back part of the van. There wasn't that much space, so it didn't take her long to reach where Vinnie and Penny were. The short man was pressed up against the back door, down on his knee. His hand was on Penny's head and he was stroking it back and forth. To anyone who didn't know any better, it looked almost like a sign of affection. But Terry knew better.

Terry narrowed her eyes. She hoped that Vinnie would be able to give her some good news. If something went wrong with this, then they were going to be in big trouble. It was his idea to bring the little brat along. Perhaps she should have listened to her instinct and just leave her unconscious body at the hospital. She hoped that she would not regret agreeing with Vinnie to kidnap her. If things are screwed up because of that idiot's plan, then next time, she's just going to go this alone. Screw his amusement park. It's not work that much trouble.

"How is she?" Terry asked, her voice devoid of any genuine concern for the girl. She glanced coldly at Penny, hoping that Vinnie would give her the right answer.

Vinnie moved his hand away and looked up at his partner. "She's fine. I didn't hit her that hard."

"Good." Terry said, her voice icy cold. "If she had gotten a concussion from what you did, well..let's just say it would have complicated things."

"Hey, you wanted me to knock her out." Vinnie raised his hands in the air, shrugging dismissively. "And I gave you your wish. No need to complain. We got away didn't we?"

Terry scowled at this. "And now we have the police on our tail. We were lucky to get away at all. If you hadn't botched things up, we would have..."

"Hey, sister! Don't pin this whole rap on me! You had as much to do with this as I did! And if I recall correctly, it was you who initiated this whole scheme. So if it blows up in our faces, it's going to be your fault!"

Terry and Vinnie growled at one another, their glares piercing the other's. The two of them remained this way, glaring at each other like it was some kind of contest. Terry could feel her blood start to boil. A part of her wondered why she kept this idiot around anyway. She could do all this on her own. Maybe she should have left alone. She would have gotten Snap out quietly.

Soon her expression softened up. There was no reason to get so angry with Vinnie. It just wasn't worth it. And besides, she still had some kind of use for him. It was nice having him around as he was the only person she could speak to who treated her seriously. And ultimately, he was correct. She was the one who came up with this plan. It was as much her fault they were nearly caught as it was almost his. She had to remind herself that they did get away and the police didn't know where they were. Instead of moping around, they both had something more productive to do.

And she was going to start being productive before the police somehow find them.

"Hmmph..." Terry glanced down at Penny. Pretending that her little argument with Vinnie never happened, she said, "I hope the little brat wakes up soon." She straightened her head up. "She may be useful to pry out some information."

Vinnie said, "What if she doesn't cooperate?"

Terry furrowed her eyes a little more. "I'm sure we can get her to..talk."

Vinnie raised a fist in the air. "Shall I 'motivate her' when the time comes?"

Terry shot him a soft glare. Vinnie lowered his fist and took a step back, not wanting to start another argument. Terry didn't press the matter further. She hoped the idiot didn't try to do anything to hurt Penny seriously. The punching and the slamming was risky enough. She couldn't imagine the lawsuits if they permanently damaged the girl or even killed her. They had a human child hostage now. She knew they were going to have to tread lightly. One wrong move and it was game over for them.

There wasn't as much concern revolving around the zoner. They could do whatever they wanted to him. No one was going to care. He was feral, and worse, he was made of chalk, from another world. People aren't going to be bent over backward if he was hurt. But even then, Terry wanted to show some restraint. They had to be careful not to kill the zoner, at least not before they got the information they want out of him. Penny certainly wasn't going to be very cooperative if her friend died because of their actions. Terry knew she had to be smart about this. Good thing she made herself the leader. Vinnie would have messed things up by now.

Terry shook her head. "We'll find a way to motivate her to talk, and it's not going to involve fists. You had your fun with that."

Vinnie gave a small nod. "Yeah I guess you're right. Punching the little tyke wasn't exactly what I thought I was going to be doing to day anyway." He rubbe the back of his head. He made a small flinch, as if imagining the pain for himself. He turned his attention to where Snap was tied up. "So should we start talking to him?"

Terry paused for a moment, tapping her finger against her chin. She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, why not? I was going to wait until Penny woke up, but I see no harm in asking that runt some questions now." She paused and looked down at the unconscious form of Penny. "Tie her up first. We don't want her trying to escape."

Vinnie nodded his head. He pulled out rope and proceeded to tie up Penny. As he did that, Terry walked back over to Snap. The shivering zoner had long stopped struggling, and just sat there in the chair helplessly. He noticed Terry walking over and he let out a small whine. His eyes looked at her, shining with a silent plea for her to free him and let him go. She ignored it completely as she stood in front of him, only about a foot away.

She glared intently into his large, white eyes. "Listen here... We are going to ask you some questions about ChalkZone. You, and your friend here, are going to help us gain access to that world. I suggest you cooperate."

Snap choked out, "...wh-what if...we don't..."

Terry gave a bitter smile. "I'll think of something, but trust me, you won't like it." Snap widened his eyes at that. "As soon as Vinnie gets over here, we'll get started. And Snap..?" The zoner looked up at her, afraid to look away. "Do please be truthful." She placed her hand on his cheek lightly. "I'd hate to think of what would happen if you lied..."

Snap gulped and said nothing, staring at her in fear.

sss

Rudy felt so strange about this. Usually, he never visited the jail. Actually, now that he thought about it, he never visited the jail except to drop off any criminals he had and his friends caught. He recalled that they had wheeled Boorat into this prison after Snap managed to stop him and freeze him. He had never been on the interior of this place, and he didn't really know what to expect inside.

But it wasn't that, that made him nervous or uncomfortable. It had to do with something else. Something that he could not shake out of his mind no matter how hard he tried. He had this on his mind the whole time as he walked over, and the closer he got, the worse he felt about it.

Rudy had always been a good kid. Always helpful. Always looking out for the zoners. Always doing what he could to aid them in their time of need. But one thing he hated to do was do anything against the unwritten law here. He didn't like going against the zoners in any shape or form. He hated the idea of breaking the law, doing questionable things in stealth. Even if he had a good reason for it, it always left a bad taste in his mouth.

And today was no different. He was going to do something he never thought he'd do. Something that went against his nature.

He was going to sneak into the jail and free Boorat.

It was not something he saw himself doing a few days ago. Boorat had caused the zoners so much trouble. But he was the one zoner that might be able to help him find his friends. This all rested on a hunch. He had the thought that Terry and Vinnie may have went to a particular location when they drew Boorat. They may have went there again. If they did, then Boorat could take him there. Once he would arrive at the location, he could then start to figure out exactly how he was going to free his friends, as simply jumping into the room wasn't going to help.

But to get Boorat out, he would first have to sneak into the jail. This wasn't going to be an easy task. Not because it would be hard. True, even with the magic chalk, there would be a bit of bumps in the road. No, what concerned him, instead, was the morality portion of it. Could he really break into this jail to free one of the most notorious criminals in ChalkZone history? Not like Boorat really cares about other zoners, and he was a large zoner. What's to stop him from just running off to find more magic chalk?

Rudy knew he was taking a huge risk. Boorat could agree to take him to his creators, but he might still pull a fast one and steal his chalk when he wasn't looking and give it to Terry and Vinnie. Yet despite the risk, Rudy knew he had little choice. With little else to go on, only Boorat could lead him on the right track.

With his eyes narrowed deeply, determined, he began to make his way towards the jail.

The jail wasn't far in front of him. It was larger than the one Butch had been sent to during Penny's first visit. It was on an open field, save for a few hills. This would provide good cover for him as he walked around towards the back, where there weren't as many guards. The jail had a silvery edge to it and looked like it was two-stories tall. With the sharp edges and the shine, it looked so...intense.

In the front of the jail, he could see several guards. They were all holding forked weapons, the ends sparkling, indicating they were used for electrocution. Rudy bit his lip. He knew he had to be careful he wanted to avoid getting hit by those. He heard the guards here don't discriminate and attack anyone who gets close, save for those with a special permit.

Rudy shook off his fear and continued to walk around. He kept his distance, his body low. He used the tall grass areas to his advantage, allowing him to sneak closer without getting spotted. He kept his eyes on the jail. He was able to avoid tripping and kept as quiet as a mouse. His eyes were locked on the jail as well as the guards present. He cautiously turned his eyes from side to side as he positioned himself between two large hills. He rested down on one knee, and looked through.

Rudy drew a small telescope and held it in his hands. He placed his eye against the end and looked through. With everything magnitized, he could now see the faces of the guards. They were both humanoid zoners, quite muscular. Even without the weapons, they looked like they could stop just about any criminal from escaping. That presented a problem.

How was he going to get Boorat out without triggering trouble from the guards? Well, Boorat did have that trendy bounching mechanic to him. Maybe that could work? No, that would draw too much attention. What to do...

He had no time to think about that, he had to get inside. With so little time, and his mind racing, wondering what was happening with Penny and Snap, he could only think of one way to get in.

After a few seconds of sketching, Rudy held up a tranquilizer gun. He leveled it up, pointing it straight at one of the guards. He took careful aim and began to pull the trigger. He hesitated for a moment, scolding himself mentally for doing such a thing. He pushed those thoughts aside, reminding himself that Snap's life was on the line, and perhaps Penny's, too. He pulled the trigger and the tranquilizer dart hit its mark.

The guard let out a cry of pain. Rudy felt his heart twist as the zoner swayed back and forth and crumpled to the ground. He lowered his head as the other guard looked his way, and he peaked through the tall grass the best he could. He pulled out his telescope and used it to see what was going on.

"Red? Red! Wake up! What's wrong?!" The guard cried out in a gruff voice. He was holding onto Red in his arms. He shook him a few times, his eyes wide in horror. He examined his comrade's body and found the cause. "A tranquilizer dart...?"

Rudy watched as the guard pulled the dart out of Red's neck. He turned it around a few times, examining it. Rudy could practically see the wheels of the guard turning. The guard's eyes narrowed in contemplation, and then they widened.

"Wait a minute..." The guard whispered. There was a flash of recognition in his voice. "I know this art style anywhere..." The guard's voice was filled with disbelief. He stood up, whipping his head from side to side. "I know you're out there, Ru..."

The guard never got a chance to finish. A dart lodged itself on his neck. He let out a yelp of pain and yanked it out. But by then it was too late. The drug went to work fast and the guard dropped out like a fly. His body collapsed on his comrade's. He twitched a little, as if trying to keep his consciousness. But he quickly lost that battle and he became still as stone, save for his breathing.

Rudy lowered the tranquilizer gun. When the guard was examining the dart, he took that chance to draw a second dart. He couldn't allow him to sound the alarm, and he couldn't let him tell everyone what he had done. Not before he had a chance to get his friends back. Not before he had a chance to explain himself. He knew, after this, he was going to have a lot to answer to. But now was not the time.

Rudy looked left and right to make sure the coast was clear. The other guards didn't seem to hear anything. He walked out slowly, remaining cautious the whole time, knowing that all it was going to take is one mistake.

As soon as he reached the two guards, Rudy bent down. Wanting to remove the evidence before anyone found them, he plucked the second dart out of the second guard and took it and the first dart with him. He drew a small bag and placed the gun and the used darts in there. He slung it over his shoulders and stared at the wall in front of him. He reached forward and touched it. Cold and rocky, and made of bricks. Taking this chance to look left and right again, Rudy lifted up the magic chalk and pressed it against the wall, slowly drawing a small opening. He peered inside.

Much to his luck, a hole in this wall was going to lead him into the janitor's closet. He was somewhat surprised, but then again, they had to keep at least some parts of the jail clean right? He drew a larger hole and stepped inside. After drawing a small light for himself, Rudy recreated the wall behind him, erasing his tracks.

Rudy knew he couldn't just leave the janitor's closet. It was too risky even just opening the door. As soon as a zoner spotted him, they were going to sound the alarm. Great Creator or not, what he was doing was violating the zoner law. They might not have a government like in the real world, but there were things they were stern about, and jail was one of them. Instead, he was going to have to be stealthy again about this. And Rudy had just the thing.

Being quick about it, he whipped up a small mechanical bug with a small camera. It was a simple design, but it would do. He then sketched out a small monitor wrapped around his wrist with simple controls. He pressed a few buttons until he could see what the bug saw. He soon assumed control and began to guide the bug bot through the crack underneath the door, and began to explore the inside of the jail.

It took Rudy a few seconds to get used to not only the controls, but the perspective of the bug bot as well. Everything looked distorted, like it was being pulled through some hole he could not see. Once he got a handle on everything, however, it was smooth sailing, and he operated the bug, moving it forward.

The bug bot was in some kind of stone hallway. No cells, just a few torches to light it. Rudy was surprised. This made it look more like a dungeon than anything. Oh well. He couldn't question its creator's design process. He continued on. So far, he was really lucky to not run into any zoners. But at the same time, it had him a little worried. What if he went too far in the wrong direction? What if he...

He stopped himself when the metal bug came to a two-way intersection. Rudy turned the bug left and right to see if any zoners were coming down. He soon saw a tall shadow. Quickly, he navigated the bug behind a trash can. Moments later, the zoner came into view.

With the angle and stretched perpective, it was hard to tell what the zoner was at first. Rudy soon could tell it was the warden. He didn't appear muscular like the guards outside, but he still looked pretty menacing. He hoped he wouldn't have to deal with him. Rudy looked around, hoping he would have a set of keys on him, but there was nothing. He gritted his teeth in frustration, but he knew he couldn't have expected the warden to be that stupid as to carry the keys with him. He probably had them locked up somewhere. If he could just get a visual...

The warden soon walked by him and headed down the corridor. Rudy had no idea if he was going in the right direction or not, but it wasn't like he had much choice. He raced the bot bug towards him. With a press of the button, the bot bug jumped and clung to the zoner's dark blue uniform. The zoner stopped and looked around. Rudy winced, wondering if he had been figured out. But thankfully, the warden shrugged it off and kept walking.

The warden kept walking down and turned right. He walked down this hallway for a few minutes until he reached a flight of steps on the right side. He walked up them and entered yet another hallway. More torches lined it. Seeing some intermixings of more modern technology, such as overhead lights, Rudy concluded that the torches were more decorative than anything, which gave him a sense of relief. Bad zoner or not, he wasn't sure he would feel comfortable trapping Boorat in some kind of deranged dungeon.

Rudy soon took notice of the change in room design, and it took him seconds to realize the warden had passed through a door opening. The bug bot jumped off and, on Rudy's command, scurried towards a corner of the room, hiding behind a small box. He peered out, turning the bug's camera so he could see the warden approaching another zoner.

The zoner the warden walked up to looked pretty tall and skinny. Not stick figure skinny, but pretty close. The zoner was clearly female. She was located some sort of machine. When Rudy peered closer, he realized that it was a monitor room of some kind. There were multiple screens, and every few seconds, the camera would change. The female zoner was keeping an eye on them, and he imagined she was darting her eyes around so she could be aware of what was happening at all times.

The warden tapped the security zoner on her shoulder. She raised her head up and gave a nod of her head, but did not turn around. That was when the warden spoke.

"How is the progress going with the security system?"

Rudy flinched, jerking his head back. He was glad he designed this thing to be attached, because otherwise he was going to drop it. The warden's voice, through this speaker he had drawn, sounded horrible. Distorted, like it was a bad recording that spent a few years to rot. He smacked the side of his head, and then continued to listen.

"It's going fine." The female zoner's voice was just as bad. "I installed the new cameras, and they are working splendidly."

The warden nodded his head. "And what of the outside cameras?"

Rudy's eyes widened at this. Outside cameras? Would that mean that...?

"Yes. I took care of that first thing. I made sure they were hidden, too." The female zoner beamed with pride. "It was difficult making them invisible, but all it takes is a few tweaks here or there and..."

The warden cut her off. "So the cameras outside are operational then?"

"They have been for at least a day now."

Rudy sucked in a sharp breath.

"Let's test them out. I want to make sure these outdoor cameras work. We almost had a raid the other week when Sylvester attempted to have one of his buddies break him out." The warden's voice was laced in bitterness. "I don't want to have another incident like that happening again. So flip the switch, Vanessa. I want to see those cameras shine."

Rudy felt his heart twist. They were going to figure out something happened with Red and his comrade. He had to act now while he still had the chance. As the warden and security officer checked the monitors, he made a dash towards one part of the room that had looked promising.

Located not far from the monitors was a large table. There was some kind of paper spread out on it. He cursed to himself as he noted he didn't design the metallic bug with wings, so he was forced to climb up what looked like to him a massive leg to get up on the equally large table. He winced as the bug's legs pitter pattered on the table, but it didn't seem to draw the attention of the two zoners.

It was hard to tell what this paper was at first. After backing away and looking at it carefully for a few moments, he soon recognized it as blueprints for the jail. No, not blueprints...an up to date map. Rudy realized that the security officer must have drawn this herself as she was installing the cameras. It did make sense; she needed the visualization to know where she was going to put what camera. Rudy began to examine the map.

He could hear the zoners to his side speaking.

"Incredible... These cameras work better than I thought." Said the warden. "You really do deliver."

"Why don't we check out the south wall?" The security officer said. "I know it's of least concern but..."

"Show me."

His mind racing, Rudy continued looking at the map. He could see where he had started, and he looked at the path that he had taken. He then moved the bug along the map, looking through the different cells. It would seem they keep the prisoners on the upper level. It seemed strange at first, but it made sense. Most zoners weren't stupid enough to jump out of a window, and this would delay their escape long enough for someone to catch them.

Rudy began to look at the different cells. There were four rooms filled with cells. He guessed there was at least a hundred. He bit his lip. It was going to take a long time to find Boorat. So he better start looking now.

"What is this?!"

Rudy stifled a cry as he heard the warden shout. He turned the bug's head a bit for a second. The warden was staring at the monitor, his back turned to him. Judging from the tone of his voice before and the way he was clutching his head, Rudy could tell he had seen the mess. He turned his attention back to the map, frantically looking for Boorat's cell.

"Red and Green are knocked out!" The warden cried.

"I think they're just sleeping, sir, I.." The security officer attempted to calm him down.

"No, they're not!" The warden snaped at her. "I know my boys better than you! They would never do this! Something must have happened!"

The security officer tentatively said, "Well I could check the feedback footage. Maybe that'll tell us something..."

"Do it! I want to know who is responsible for this!"

Rudy worked as fast as he could. He moved the bug along the map, up and down, left and right. He saw names of all sorts of criminals, including a couple he recognized. But he couldn't see anything for Boorat. He wondered if Boorat had been released earlier and.. No, it couldn't be. This was where he sent him, and there was little reason they'd let him go. They would...

Suddenly Rudy noticed something. He paused and turned the bug to the left. He noticed there was a cell off by itself, located not far from the first bunch of cell rows. He didn't know why the cell was by itself, but he didn't have time to think about that. He moved the bug closer to the cell and peered at it. Rudy felt his heart swell when he noticed the name 'Boorat' written on it. He let out a sigh of relief. He found the cell. Now he had to write down the coordinates so he knew where to go.

He drew a notebook and a pencil for himself. He moved the bug back and positioned it the best he was able to so he could begin to sketch out the map. Not in detail. Just enough so he had an idea of where to go. It didn't take him long to make a loose, quick, but workable copy of the map, with a line of the path that would lead him to Boorat's cell. As he put the finishing touches on the map, a loud screech caught his attention.

"Rudy Tabootie?!" At this, Rudy felt his heart clench, horror sifting through his body. He had been figured out. "I don't believe it..." The warden's voice sounded like it was laced in a mixture of disbelief and betrayal.

"What shall I do, Stone?" Vanessa asked.

Stone was uncomfortably quiet for a few moments. Rudy could practically feel the weight of tension from that room. He didn't even dare turn the bug bot around, afraid that doing so might cause something worse to happen. Rudy could feel his heart pounding against his chest. He had the information he wanted, and yet the silence from Stone made it impossible for him to move. It felt like an hour before Stone spoke again.

"Get him..." Stone's voice sifted through his teeth, making it sound strained and forced. "You know where he is... Bring him to me!"

Rudy took in a few quick breaths, doing whatever he could to keep himself from panicking. He had to remain calm. He couldn't afford mistakes. He began to guide the bug out of the room. He didn't get far when suddenly the camera shifted, swerved, and went in a new direction. Rudy was startled, taken aback by this. He stifled a scream as he saw the upclose image of a cornea and iris. The bug was lifted up and away and Rudy found himself looking at the face of Stone.

The warden contorted his face in anger as he stared at the small metal bug. "This is Rudy's..." He looked down. His eyes widened. "And he was looking at the map!"

"But why would he do that?"

Stone turned his head to Vanessa. "Breaking out one of our criminals I'm sure!" He looked back at the map. "I don't know why he's doing this, but I'll soon find out." He looked down at the metal bug, his face twisting into fury. "Do you hear that, Rudy? We're coming for you. If I were you..I'd stay there. Don't make this harder than it has to be."

Rudy's body trembled in fear as Stone crushed the bug, severing his connection. Rudy remained there for a few seconds, his mind numb, unable to process what happened. He soon shook his head, knowing that he couldn't stay here for long. He climbed up to his feet and began to think of what the next course of plan should be. He asked himself an important question: how was he going to get Boorat out now?

sss

Mr. Tabootie was concerned. He hadn't heard a peep from Rudy in a while. He tried to settle himself down. He had to remind himself that he sent Rudy up to his room only about an hour ago. He was probably entertaining himself with some new drawing of his. He knew how much his son loved art.

But something just didn't feel right. And he didn't know why. Rudy often disappeared for hours, going to his secret hiding place. It was not unusual for this to happen, and he always came back. Everything was always fine. So why was he worried this time? Rudy had only been gone and hour and he was already starting to freak out over the silence.

It didn't take him long to realize the answer. It was because of those kidnappers. A part of him realized how absurd it was to think that the kidnappers would go after Rudy when there was little reason for them to do that. But the fact that they took Penny shook him up. What if they would come after Rudy once they find out they were friends? And just what did the kidnappers want? Why were they in the hospital at all? What were they up to? These thoughts and more shrouded his mind, filling him with a strong sense of apprehension.

"I'm going to check on Rudy, dear." Mr. Tabootie spoke up after so much silence.

His wife turned her head towards him. "I'm sure he's fine."

Mr. Tabootie took a moment to reflect how it was usually him who would say Rudy was fine and his wife was worried. It was kind of amusing how the roles were reversed. But he didn't want to dwell on that now. He looked over his shoulder and said, "I know..I just..want to make sure."

Millie gave him a sympathetic look and nodded her head in understanding. She said not another word as Mr. Tabootie got up from the couch and scaled the steps. He soon reached Rudy's room, the door tightly shut like it always was. He stood in front of it and took a deep breath. He raised up his hand, turned it around, and began to knock on it.

"Rudy?" No answer. He knocked a few more times. "It's me, your father. Can I come in?"

After a few seconds of knocking and waiting, there was no reply. No footsteps coming to the door. No voice telling him to wait. Nothing. Mr. Tabootie didn't immediately panic. He merely narrowed his eyes. Rudy was probably too enthralled with his work to notice he had been calling out to him. He tried again, pounding the door.

"Rudy, open up!" Mr. Tabootie demanded. But Rudy still refused to answer. The man felt his heart clench slightly. He tried to shake off the feeling of dread. His son was fine, he told himself. "Rudy, come on..."

When Rudy still didn't answer, the man resolved to do the only thing he could think of. He grabbed the knob and twisted it around. The door opened up with ease, squeaking as it moved towards the wall. The man took a step inside the room.

Mr. Tabootie froze, taking a quick look around the room. He widened his eyes, shaking his head in denial. Rationality tried to calm him, but his raging paranoia brought on by Penny's kidnapping overruled his mind's attempt of logic. It couldn't be... No, this has to be some sort of mistake... But who was he kidding? He couldn't deny the truth that was laid right before him.

Rudy was gone.

sss

Author's Note: Since Catch A Brief Reflection is finally done, this story will begin updating much more frequently. I'll be trying to update it once every other day, or once every three days, depending.