"Hey look! It's the kid that pulled that fire alarm!" One of the students cried.
"Maybe he'll pull it again!" Another said. "Come on, kid. Why don't you pull it? Scared?"
Another shouted, "Maybe his 'girlfriend' is keeping him on a leash this time!"
A few of the students started to laugh. Others simply smiled, some with big grins on their faces. Others stared with blank expressions. Only a small handful weren't paying any attention and were too busy eating to really care what was going on.
Rudy narrowed his eyes as he and Penny walked along the cafeteria food line, getting their food. As they went, Rudy flinched as he saw a lot of students looking at him again. And this time, he could make out some of the things they were saying about him. They were speaking louder because they clearly wanted him to hear. He tried his best to ignore them. But it was kind of hard to do, especially when some students passed by spoke directly into his ear, calling him things like 'troublemaker' and 'delinquent'.
To make it worse, even the lunch ladies were giving him weird looks. They never said anything or behaved differently towards him. But those looks...their narrowed eyes and spreading frowns. It was clear that they weren't very happy with 'his' stunt a few days ago. And Mr. Wilter had been more cautious around him lately. He could tell the teacher was trying to keep more of an eye on him lately, which made it harder to speak to Penny while in class.
Rudy hated being treated this way. Everytime he walked down the halls, the cafeteria, anywhere in the school, he couldn't escape the feeling of being watched. Students would look at him and make comments about him. They would sometimes wonder out loud what would make a usually well behaved kid like him cause so much trouble out of the blue. Others were making comments about how he'll do it again, or he'll do something much worse.
It was hard coming to school lately. With the students and even teachers treating him differently, he sometimes wanted to call in sick just so he didn't have to deal with it. But he knew he couldn't keep playing sick or his parents would try to take him to the hospital, and there they'll find that he was lying. And in addition to that, he would get a lot of make up work to do. It wouldn't be worth it to use the 'I'm sick' excuse too many times. So as much as he hated it, he would have to put up with it.
He had never hated Principal Stringent before. She usually didn't cause much of a problem. She was usually in her office or in her house that was somewhat secluded, so it wasn't like they had to run into her often.
But that had changed lately. Ever since the day Mint made him pull the fire alarm, he had started to develop a hatred for the large woman. Stringent had purposely gotten him into more trouble with his parents, telling them things that he didn't do, such as saying he was being defiant and deliberately trying to 'evade punishment' by running away. She blamed him for the chalk water incident, which yeah she was right. It was him. But no one else knew that. There was no evidence. Everyone else thought it was just a leakage somewhere. Using that as a reason to give him a harsher punishment...that was just cruel.
Everytime he saw her in the hallways, she would give him a triumphant smirk, and at least once, she told him how she would do worse if he gave her a reason to. She said she would not tolerate any students causing trouble and she would do what it takes to keep him in line, to keep him under control. Yeah, Rudy could definitely say he hated her now.
And it wasn't just her that he hated. He was really hating Mint now. It wasn't just because of the fire alarm incident either, although that did play a role. It was because Mint was getting more and more dangerous and wreckless lately. He had destroyed parts of ChalkZone City. Though Rudy and Penny began to repair those places, due to the excessive damage, it would take them a while to fix up everything. A week perhaps, if they're lucky, due to Mint's presence in the chalk world. That boy was lucky he didn't end up killing any innocent civilians...
Rudy didn't doubt that, one day, unless that boy is stopped, he would end up killing someone, whether it be accidental or not. And the day that happens...he wasn't sure what he was going to do. Rudy had a feeling that he would become so enraged with the boy, he wouldn't be able to control his actions as well. He might end up hurting him if he didn't control himself. He would have to be careful with his temper. He did not want to be the bad guy.
Talking to Mint in the real world yieled no results. He and Penny had tried again earlier, but the chat did not last very long. They only got a few words in before Mint got tired of them and walked away into a larger crowd. He was clearly tired of them trying to talk him into leaving ChalkZone, and he knew exactly how to get them to be quiet, too.
This was a reason why he wasn't sure if the idea of getting information from Mint was going to work. He does believe ChalkZone is a game, and telling them information would, to him, be considered 'cheating'. The only reason he gave some information to them before, when he was attacking ChalkZone City, was because he admitted the fire alarm trick was really low. Rudy was still mad at him for it, though. After all, the kid never really properly apologized for it. So he wasn't sure if he really felt bad about the fire alarm thing, or if he was just saying that to lower their guards a little.
Probably just to lower their guards..yeah that's probably what it was. Rudy had seen what the kid was capable of doing. Acting or not, he was just plain cruel, a big jerk. He was reminding him more and more of Reggie Bullnerd. He recalled the small amount of havoc that bully wreaked on ChalkZone. And now here was Mint, who was just, more or less, an upgraded Reggie. Rudy was starting to believe that Mint really was just a jerk and that a lot of the things he did wasn't acting. After all, he still treated them poorly in the real world.
He and Penny sat down at a mostly empty table in the cafeteria, away from the other students. He didn't feel like listening in on what they were saying about him. He had heard enough gossip and he just wanted to have his lunch. He also wanted to talk to Penny a little more about what they were going to do the next time they went into ChalkZone. The plan was to head over to meet with Biclops as soon as they were able.
But there was Mint, who, chances are, would be causing some kind of danger. And that could draw all their attention to him, giving them no time, or very little time, to talk to the giant. So he thought maybe they should split up. He would deal with Mint while he would send her to go to Biclops and talk to him. That seemed to be the best move he could make. They could also reverse it and he could go to Biclops while she dealt with Mint.
He wanted to talk to Penny about it and ask her which way she thinks would be best, or if she had another plan on what to do. Neither of them doubted that Mint would be causing some kind of trouble when they go into ChalkZone. He always, somehow, got there before they did. They don't know how he was pulling this off, but there was no doubt in their minds that it was going to be a problem.
He didn't get a chance to say a word to Penny before he caught a glimpse of someone coming towards them. He narrowed his eyes as he realized who it was. It was Mint. The sixth grader was approaching them, just like he had before, this time with a tray full of food. He must have just gotten it. He came right over to them and he sat down. Rudy and Penny glared at him, their bodies tense. They did not feel comfortable with their enemy sitting so close to them.
Mint sat across from Rudy, staring straight into his eyes. That dark smile of his became quite visible. There was some sort of twinkle in his eyes. It was a similiar look he gave Rudy when he did that fire alarm trick. It was clear that Mint was up to something. Rudy tensed up even more, waiting for Mint to do something else to get him in trouble. But so far, as the minutes passed, all he did was stare at them. He hadn't even started to touch his food yet. It was almost like Mint just came over to see how quickly he could freak him and Penny out.
Not able to take the silence much longer, Rudy said, "What do you want, Mint?"
Mint's smile slightly softened up, an attempt to look a little more innocent. He tilted his head to the side, hand his chest, and he said, "Oh me? Nothing... Nothing...that big anyway. I just wanted to say hello.."
The way Mint tried to sound so innocent as he spoke grated on Rudy's nerves. He clenched his teeth as he glared at the boy. Here, sitting so close to them, was that menace that has been wreaking havoc across ChalkZone. Here is the Enemy Creator who had been terrorizing that chalk world and scaring their friend, Snap, even trying to 'delete' him. Rudy and Penny did not let their guard down around him. And Mint just smiled at them like it was nothing more than a casual conversation.
Penny glared at Mint. "Don't lie to us. We know you're up to something." She said, her voice laced in anger. "So what are you up to this time, Mint? Going to attack ChalkZone City again with your 'disappearing apatosaurus'?"
Mint laughed at this. The laugh was cold but quiet, not drawing attention from the other students. "You still haven't gotten over that, have you? Calm down." He picked up his fork and pointed it in her direction. "You are still taking this time way too seriously."
Growling, Penny leaned forward and spoke in a hushed whisper. "And you are not taking it seriously enough! Do you know how many zoners you could have..."
Mint reached forward and clamped his hand over Penny's mouth, silencing her. "Enough with that. I'm getting tired of you trying to guilt me over something that isn't a big deal." He tightened his grip on Penny. "So I am going to prove to you two that I am right."
Penny pulled Mint's hand away, glaring at him. Rudy was not happy with what Mint did, either. It was disrespectful what he had done. He had deliberately tried to silence Penny when all she was doing was making a good point. How dare Mint try to shut her up like that.
"Don't you dare touch her again..." Rudy said, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
Mint just smiled at him and shrugged his shoulders. Again, he was acting like this was no big deal. He just sat there, eating his lunch like it was nothing more than a casual meeting. While Rudy and Penny ate as well, they didn't take their eyes off the boy. There was a reason he came over here, and it wasn't just to sit down and chit chat. There was a motivation here. Rudy truly believed that it was either Mint wanted to land him in more trouble, or he was targeting Penny this time.
Whatever Mint was planning, he was not going to allow him to succeed. He wasn't going to give Mint the chance to pull off this plan. He would keep an eye on him and prevent him from making such a move. There was no way Mint was going to get him into more trouble, and he certainly wasn't going to allow Penny to get blame pinned on her as well.
The silence after that, while they ate, was eerie to them. The way Mint looked at them the entire time... Even when he picked up his drink, or got another piece of chicken steak, he still refused to look away from them. His eyes felt like they were drilling right through them. It made Rudy and Penny very uncomfortable. They don't know what Mint was trying to accomplish. If he wanted to freak them out, he was succeeding in that.
It wasn't until the three of them were halfway done that Mint decided to speak again. He sat the fork on the table and leaned back, staring at the two intently. He folded his arms against his chest. That arrogance that he has shown in the past few days really shined here. Despite being defeated, he was still clearly confident he was going to win.
"If you two are wondering why I came over..." Mint said, the smile never leaving his face. Rudy and Penny's glares intensified. "..It's because I wanted to..." He held out his hand, making a gesture to indicate the two students sitting in front of him. "...issue a challenge with you two."
"Challenge?" Rudy hissed at him. "You...want to challenge us?"
Mint nodded his head. "Yes. I have chosen the perfect location, too. Skrawl said I could choose my target this time." He rested his elbows on the desk, his chin against his hands. He leaned forward a little. "I have chosen the Impenetrable Forest as the location." He smirked as Rudy and Penny's eyes widened at this. "I am aware there is a way in to that place. I know how...and I know you two do as well. I know you have been there before."
Rudy couldn't believe it. How...how did this kid know about the Impenetrable Forest? He had just recently started coming into ChalkZone. The Impenetrable Forest wasn't a place spoken by many. Even less so is how to get in it. Rudy was one of the very few that managed to get in. How did Mint figure out how to get it himself? And how did he learn of the place to start with? Did Skrawl mention something about it to him?
Issuing a challenge there..was that really a smart thing to do? Did Mint have no inkling of the dangers that lurked in the Impenetrable Forest? Rudy knew there would be gola monsters there. His friends were almost swallowed up by one. It was hard enough dealing with just one, but the fact that there were more, according to what he was told, was a frightening thought. Mint's fighting style was surely going to attract those beasts and they would all be in trouble. Or maybe the added danger was the reason why Mint chose the place. Maybe he was on an ill-guided quest to increase the challenge of 'the game'.
Rudy said, "And what if we don't accept?"
Mint stared at him. He gave a light chuckle. "I guess I could just entertain myself by causing some destruction there." He said nonchalantly. "Who knows? Maybe I'll find that information bug and toy with him for a bit." Rudy and Penny's eyes widened in horror at this. "Maybe I'll infect him with a virus. I'm sure that's possible."
Infecting Barney with a virus..? That was plain cruel... Rudy couldn't believe Mint would do such a thing. Even if there was a chance he wouldn't know how to do it, he couldn't let him have that opportunity. Barney's entire intelligence and behavior derived from all his body parts being attached. As he loses them, he gets dumber and dumber. When he had all of them gone, he was, as Snap put it, a babbling moron. A virus would wreak havoc on him... Mint could warp Barney's entire intelligence.
But then Rudy realized something that gave him some hope for Barney's safety. He was not in the Impenetrable Forest anymore. No one there had seen him. Then again, he might still be there... Rudy realized he couldn't be cocky about this. He had to assume that, somewhere, Barney might still be in the Impenetrable Forest. He could just be in a new hiding spot. He hoped that King Mumbo Jumbo was with him. If Mint did try to get at the centipede zoner, having some backup would help.
"You better not..." Penny said in a low voice, pointing a finger in Mint's direction. "If you do, I'll..."
"Yeah I know. You'll make me sorry." Mint said, waving his hand dismissively. "I think we've had this song and dance before." Penny growled at this, her eyes narrowed. Mint turned his attention to Rudy. "So...what do you say? Meet me in the Impenetrable Forest for our next duel. Don't show up and I'll find that centipede friend of yours and have my way with him."
"You..." Rudy started to say.
"Oh and before I forget!" Mint said, interrupting Rudy. He leaned a little closer. His sneer broadened. "Bring Snap with. If you don't, I'll set fire to the Impenetrable Forest."
"You wouldn't..." Rudy's eyes widened.
"If...if you do that..the fire would have little place to escape. It would..." Penny said, her voice shaky. "The pressure would build up...and..." She couldn't finish. She shook her head in denial. "You couldn't possibly be crazy enough to...not while you're in there..."
Mint chuckled at this. "Do you want to take that risk?"
Rudy and Penny were horrified that Mint would do such a thing. He was blackmailing them, forcing them to do what he wants. He really wanted to fight them in this forest, and he was going whatever it took to make sure they accept his challenge. It could very well be a trap they'd be walking into. But with the threats...there was no way they could back out of it.
They couldn't let the forest get destroyed. They couldn't allow Barney to be hurt by this crazy boy. Even if he was lying and he was trying to trap them...what choice did they have? None... It was either take the chance and go face this guy, or risk more zoners getting hurt and letting another place get utterly demolished.
Rudy's eyes narrowed, clenching his teeth hard. He leaned forward on the table, jabbing a finger towards Mint. He spoke in a low voice, his breath escaping through his teeth. "We'll be there..."
Mint smiled. "Excellent... I'll see you then.."
After Mint was finished, he got up from his seat. He took his plate with him. Rudy and Penny watched, their eyes narrowed, as the boy disappeared from their sights. Rudy realized they might have made a big mistake accepting the challenge. But there was no way around it. They were forced into it. They would just have to be on their guard when they get there. They couldn't allow to succeed in whatever plan he was unleashing.
It was worrying to them that Mint wanted them to bring Snap along. He usually came with them anyway, but the fact that Mint specifically requested that they bring him with...something about this whole challenge did not feel right. Rudy had a feeling that something unpleasant was going to happen.
sss
Mint was pleased when he saw that Rudy, Penny, and Snap had accepted his challenge and were all in the Impenetrable Forest. He watched as they moved along, looking all around, waiting for him to strike. He was amused when he saw Snap walking between Rudy and Penny for protection. The NPC guide must be programmed to show fear in a situation like this, and recognize when he was the target. This meant pulling off the attack would be harder, but he was ready for the challenge.
Mint had done some reading on this place during his attack on ChalkZone City. And it was there, after interrogating a zoner at gun point, that he learned how Rudy had managed to get through. Using the boy's same method, he had gotten in. He took a look around the place and decided on a good ambush spot. He wanted the trio to know he was in the forest, but not when or where he would strike. That would give him some element of surprise.
The whole thing with tormenting the 'information bug' was largely a bluff. He really didn't know if that AI was still around, if it had been deleted or even relocated. The fire was also a bluff. He wasn't stupid enough to start a fire in an enclosed area. He wasn't suicidal. He just needed a motivator for those two to come into this place. There was the chance that they would know it was a trap and avoid it. So it was necessary to use a little...incentive...to make them come here.
He picked one particular location, which he felt was perfect for an ambush. It was a large, circular area in a deep part of the forest. There was a tall mountainous section in the middle, covered in thick foliage and moss, with plenty of jetting rocks to stop on. Tall trees and grass covered the corners, pressing against the thick, hard trees that made up the 'outer shell' of the forest, so to speak. The place had only one entrance, and that was a small opening, somewhat narrow. If the hard trees were pressed close enough, this would be an enclosed area of the Impenetrable Forest.
It was a decent size, too. He imagined that, if closed off, this area could still support some forms of life with no problem. It even had its own water source. There was some water dripping in steadily from above. It was hard to tell what the source was being on the inside, but oh well. The water formed a small creak that went along the back of the tall structure. There was also a large, raised mount of hard rock and foliage sitting in the corner.
Overall, it was a nice place. And a good spot to launch an ambush from. He had Ripclaw ready to block the entrance once they got in here. And then it was just a matter of getting Snap away from Rudy and Penny. That shouldn't be too hard if he played his cards right.
Since Rudy, Penny, and Snap weren't going to arrive right away, he took this time to lay out his trap. It was difficult setting everything up, forcing him to draw things he was not as good at as dinosaurs. But he knew he had to branch out a little more if he wanted to remain a competent fighter in this game. Once the trap was set up, he waited for the trio to arrive.
Mint lay low to the ground, keeping his body covered by the foliage. He waited until those three would come to this spot. Sooner or later, they'd have to show up here. He didn't care how long it took. Even if it cut into time at school, he paid no mind. He just wanted to get this over with. He wanted to capture Snap and delete him. He would do that today. Finally, he was going to find out how the gibs works...he was going to prove to himself he isn't crazy, and he would prove to Rudy and Penny how wrong they had been this whole time.
It felt like he was hiding here for a long time, but soon, he heard footsteps. Ah there they were. Rudy, Penny, and Snap... they were walking right in. They were moving slowly, deliberately. They looked all around, trying to find any sign of him. Snap was keeping himself behind Penny, pressing up against her in an attempt to feel safer. As he watched, he could hear a bit of their conversation.
"I don't like this..." Penny said softly, her eyes looking around. "This place feels off.."
Rudy nodded. "Yeah. I...I don't think we should be here..."
Snap looked over towards the other side of the nearly enclosed area. "There's no other way out of here. Let's turn back.."
Rudy said, "Good idea. If Mint caught us in here, he'd..."
Mint took that as his cue. He snapped his fingers and, from her hiding spot, emerged Ripclaw. The trio jumped back in absolute shock as the dinosaur jumped in front of the narrow passageway that let him into this place. She let out a screech and raised her clawed hands threateningly at them.
Rudy and Penny put themselves in front of Snap. They raised their magic chalk in preparation for a fight. Ripclaw narrowed her eyes and snarled at them. She started to advance on them, her sickle claws tapping the ground in anticipation. She lunged at them, landing a few feet in front of them. She snapped at the air wildly, drool flying everywhere. The trio moved back, with Rudy and Penny keeping their fighting stances.
Mint walked out of his hiding spot. He smirked at the trio was they were being harrassed by his utahraptor. He ignored their glares as he went over to the entrance. Instead of drawing, he lifted up a hand and put two fingers in his mouth. He whistled, and seconds later, the pteranodon he had drawn before, the same one that nearly caused the trio to crash in the Mondo Desert City, flew in, having hid well among the foliage despite not being the best camouflaged. It landed on the ground in front of him, staring at him intently, waiting orders.
Mint could see the look of shock on the trio's faces. They weren't expecting to see this pteranodon again. There was some sign of fear from them. At first, he didn't understand way, but then he remembered that this pteranodon nearly caused them to crash. Although it was just a game, he could see how they could shake them up a little.
Turning his attention on the pteranodon, Mint pointed towards the narrow opening. "Guard that spot. Make sure those three don't get out." The pteranodon immediately moved towards the opening and placed its body at the entrance. Mint then looked over at the three. "I see you accepted my invitation."
"I don't know how you expect to win, Mint." Rudy said. He raised up his magic chalk. "There are two creators now. You are outnumbered."
"Yeah. We'll be able to take care of your...pet. And then we will beat you!" Penny said.
Mint smirked at them. They had so much confidence. They believed they would win. They had no idea what they were in for. They don't have an inkling of what he was about to do. If they had a clue of what was going to happen, they wouldn't be so cocky. They wouldn't be so certain that they would win.
He watched as Rudy and Penny both drew lassoes. They tossed them at Ripclaw, and the ropes looped around her neck. They pulled hard, trying to keep her still. He could see that Penny was attempting to draw another tranquilizer dart. He narrowed his eyes. It wasn't going to work this time. And sure enough, as Penny tried to complete the drawing, Ripclaw took notice and raised her head and body in the air swiftly, yanking the two off the ground. Thrusting her head from side to side, she sent the two flying through the air and crashing into the ground.
No surprise, the two didn't give up. He was glad they didn't. It would have been boring if they did. Rudy and Penny moved on different sides of the orange utahraptor. This time, Rudy kept the dinosaur's attention on him. He made noises and made sure Ripclaw's head was turned towards him. Penny moved behind and started to draw the tranquilizar dart again. This time, she managed to finish. She was about to jab it into Ripcalw when the dinosaur knocked her aside with her long time.
Mint laughed at this. "You two will have to try harder than that to stop Ripclaw!"
"Oh don't worry. We will!" Rudy said, narrowing his eyes in determination.
Rudy and Penny backed up away from Ripclaw. They never took their eyes off of her. Their magic chalk was never lowered. Rudy said something to Penny that Mint couldn't quite hear. He raised an eyebrow when Penny moved back and looked at the ground. She seemed to be testing it for something. Snap went over towards her and...it was hard to tell what he was saying. Oh well, Mint didn't really care, just as long as his plan came into full circle.
Penny drew something on the ground. Something large and circular. Mint couldn't tell what it was at first. He turned his eyes towards Rudy. He had drawn what appeared to be a steak of some kind. He was waving it in front of Ripclaw. He was waving it back and forth. And he was heading straight towards whatever Penny was drawing. It was only when Penny finished drawing it that Mint could finally tell what it was.
A tar pit... Likely not a very deep one. These two seemed determined not to bring harm to any zoners, even ones that he himself had created. He made the connection in a second and he knew that Rudy was going to lead Ripclaw straight towards the tar pit. If he was successful, that would disable Ripclaw for a time. She could get out. She was strong enough. But it would, momentarily, put him at a disadvantage. He would need to do something to turn the tides in his favor again.
And he knew exactly how he was going to do that. It was time to spring the trap.
Taking out his magic chalk in his left hand, he rushed towards a spot in the enclosed area, now standing far behind Snap and Penny. Snap did take notice of him and his eyes widened. Mint smirked at him but said nothing. He turned his attention to drawing. In the corner of his eye, he could see that Snap tugged at Penny's arm and was showing her what was going on. Penny did rush forward to try to stop him, but by then, it was too late.
The lines had already taken shape and filled with solid color. And standing beside him was a therizinosaurus, a massive plant-eating dinosaur with huge claws. The large beast, colored white with black stripes, let out a screech at the trio. Rudy stopped momentarily to look. The distraction was enough to allow Ripclaw to snag the steak from him and swallow it hole. It also caused his magic chalk to drop from his hand. Mint didn't bother going to get it this time, instead keeping his eyes on his newest creation.
Mint took a moment to admire his handiwork. Then he pointed a finger towards one part of the wall, near where Rudy, Penny, and Snap were. Letting out a screech, the beast stomped over, each footstep shaking the ground. It raised its hand in the air, the claws glinting in the light. Penny raised her magic chalk to start to draw as Snap backed away. The therizinosaurus struck a portion behind the foliage and there was a loud scraping sound, like something was being pushed in. Mint grinned. The trap has been activated.
Seemingly out of nowhere, large spikes shot through the air. The whistling sound as they sailed sliced the air filled their ears. They crashed into the ground, cutting in deeply. The trio let out a scream as they tried to dodge the spikes. They attempted to run away, but spikes would land just inches in front of them, forcing them to turn around, only for another spike to make them change direction.
Mint folded his arms and watched in amusement as that area of the place was being sprayed by spikes. A line was starting to form. A wall of spikes was being created. Some still landed by the trio, forcing them to jump in different directions. Mint climbed on top of the tall structure to get a better view of what was going on. And when he got on top and smiled down, he was satisfied to see that the spike trap worked. The therizinosaurus moved a few steps back, its purpose served.
A ring of spikes now engulged Rudy, Penny, and Snap, and a few spikes still came. One landed mere centimeters away from the two, causing them to jump back and right into their own tar trap. Mint laughed at this. How fitting they would get stuck in the trap that they tried to reserve for Ripclaw. The utahraptor was already by his side. He stared down at the trio and folded his arms. He watched as Rudy and Penny tried to get out. Snap tried to help them, but it was no use. The tar was too thick and sticky.
"Looks like I win this round." Mint said. He chuckled when the two kids glared up at him. He closed his eyes for a moment. "I won't be taking your magic chalk this time." He reopened his eyes and saw that Rudy and Penny were confused by this. A nasty smile appeared on Mint's face. "I am going to take something else from you... Something a little more..." He raised his hand and snapped his finger. "...important."
With that, Ripclaw jumped down towards the enclosed trap. She laned in front of Snap, forcing him on the ground. Snap let out a scream and started to back up from the dinosaur. She advanced on him, flexing her claws in anticipation.
"No!" Rudy cried out in horror. "Leave him alone!"
"Don't hurt him!" Penny shouted, her voice laced in panic.
Snap couldn't speak. He was too afraid to speak, or at least he acted like he was. The NPC guide was so convincing... Mint watched in satisfaction as Ripclaw snagged Snap in her jaws. Snap let out a cry as Ripclaw lifted him up off the ground. She jumped up towards the top and landed next to Mint. Snap started to struggle in her jaws. Ripclaw just tightened him, prompting another cry for him as her teeth pressed against him.
Mint took a few steps towards the trapped Snap. When the zoner saw him, he let out a panicked scream and struggled harder. Mint took out a newly drawn laser pistol, this one with a shining red dot so he could see where he was aiming. He kept the dot in the middle of Snap's head, watching as the zoner stared at the dot the best he could before looking back at him. He shook his head in protest. Mint ignored this and reached out with his hand. He grabbed Snap's chin tightly and held it in place.
He made sure that he and Ripclaw were standing in a spot where Rudy and Penny can clearly see what's going on with their NPC guide, or 'friend' as they liked to refer to him as. Mint smiled down at them, enjoying the look of shock and horror in their eyes. Oh how deluded they were..oh how serious they were... It will be most amusing to see how they would react when Snap is finally shot and deleted.
"This whole thing was a trap, as you can tell. You see..." Mint said as he stared down at the two kids below him. "...I am getting a little tired of this run around. I'm tired of seeing you treat a piece of data as if it were a person. And since your parents don't care enough to break you of this habit..." He smiled evilly at Snap. "..I will..."
Snap whimpered, his eyes wide. "No..don't do it..please..."
Mint ignored Snap. He pressed the tip of his laser pistol right between Snap's eyes. He put his finger on the trigger. He gave the NPC guide a nasty grin and then he started to appy pressure to the trigger.
"No!" Rudy shouted. He struggled harder against the tar. Mint could tell he was crying from the way his voice sounded. "Snap! No! Please!"
Penny pulled as hard as she could against the tar, trying her hardest to free herself. "Mint, let him go! I thought you weren't going to threaten him again!"
Mint turned to her. "I'm not threatening him. I'm going to delete him..."
Rudy and Penny's eyes widened in horror at this. Penny shook her head frantically. "No! Don't do it! You're making a huge mistake! Let our friend go, please!"
Rudy cried out, "Please don't hurt him! Let him go, Mint! Put Snap down! Please!"
Mint laughed coldly at them. He turned his eyes to Snap. He watched as the NPC guide whimpered as he pushed the trigger harder against him. He gripped his chin even tighter, making sure that Snap couldn't move his head free. He pushed on the trigger harder. He stared intently in Snap's eyes, amused by the tears escaping the zoner's eyes. Soon, he would be deleted. Soon, he would show Rudy and Penny that he was right.
But then something happened. Something that Mint had hoped wouldn't happen, but it did. He hesitated again. Just like before... He hesitated. He still smiled evilly at Snap. His hand was still tight around the laser pistol, the finger still pressed against the trigger. And yet he could not move. He continued to stare at Snap, trying to get himself to pull the trigger and get it over with.
That pang was returning, this time stronger than before. He could feel a slight shiver in his body. He couldn't tear his eyes away from Snap. There was something about how he was looking at him.. The fear in his eyes, it felt so real. Rudy and Penny's cries for him to stop. That felt genuine, too... No...no it wasn't real. It was just an illusion. He narrowed his eyes deeper and attempted to pull the trigger, gritting his teeth. Yet he still couldn't do it. He couldn't get himself to apply the extra pressure required to delete Snap. It was so simple...it was so easy...why couldn't he do it?
Slowly, as that pang increased, he felt his expression soften up. His frown disappeared as well as his evil smile. He soon stared at Snap with an expression that was more shock and bewilderment than anything else. Snap still looked at him in fear, his body trembling. Despite knowing Snap wasn't real, there was a sense of..guilt rising inside of Mint. That part of him that told him shooting him wasn't a good idea, it had gotten stronger now. Mint tried to fight off this feeling, but he was unable to.
"I..." Mint said in a low whisper. Rudy and Penny couldn't hear, but Snap could. "I-I...can't do it..." Mint lowered his laser pistol a little bit. "I just can't do it..." Mint pulled the laser pistol away completely. He turned his head to the side, his eyes closed. He raised a dismissing hand at Ripclaw. "Release him."
With that, Ripclaw dropped Snap on the ground. The zoner stared up at Mint in confusion. Mint looked down at Snap. A look that could only be described as guilt was on his face. Mint only looked at Snap for a few seconds before looking away again. Rudy and Penny were also confused by Mint's actions. He could hear them try to say something, but he wasn't paying any attention.
Just then, there was a loud roar and something shook the ground. Mint's eyes snapped wide open. That didn't sound like any of his creations. He looked over and he saw the ground was starting to rise up. Something big, reptilian, and rocky emerged from the ground. Mint's eyes widened in shock. What...what was this thing? It was huge...about as large as the therizinosaurus he had drawn. No...it looked almost bigger.
The shaking of the ground caused the needles to pop out of place, knocking some of them doing and creating an opening for Rudy and Penny to see. The two of them screamed in horror at the sight of the thing. Judging from their reaction, Mint guessed they knew what this thing was.
"A gola monster!" Rudy cried. He tried to get himself free. "You have to get out of here! Run! Get away!"
Mint couldn't tell if that warning was for them both or just Snap. Either way, he was going to take that advice. The beast slammed against the structure he, Ripclaw, and Snap were on. The whole thing shook violently. Mint looked at the thing with a sense of dread rising in his chest. Despite not being real, this gola monster thing was terrifying. It opened up his gapin maw and snapped at them. It raised his stone paw and struck towards them.
The beast tore out a chunk of the side, causing rocks to crumble downward. The ledge started to break off. Ripclaw let out a surprised screech and took a several steps back. The ground below Snap broke loose and he started to slide downwards, right towards the gaping creature's mouth. For reasons he couldn't understand, Mint looked on in horror and tried to reach out towards Snap, but he was too far. He didn't know why he cared if something happened to him. He was just data, right?
"Snap!" Rudy and Penny cried in fear and horror.
Watching Snap slide down towards the gola monster's open mouth, Mint turned his attention to Ripclaw. He made a motion with his hands, pointing downwards to where Snap was. "Ripclaw!"
The utahraptor wasted no time. She rushed forward and ran down the side of the cliff. She spread out her arms and flapped up and down to keep her balance. She rushed down, gaining speed fast. She made a turn and rushed towards Snap. She snagged him in her jaws again and jumped out of the way just as the gola monster struck against the side of the cliff. The utahraptor, following Mint's hand gestures, jumped back into the trap and dropped Snap there.
Snap looked up at Ripclaw in absolute shock. "You...you just..."
Ripclaw moved towards his trapped friends. She lowered her head and grabbed them by their shirts. She lifted them out one and a time. After they were out, she jumped back up towards Mint, staring at him and awaiting his command. "I have to get going." The smile was back on his face, though a little more faltered than before. "Skrawl needs me back at the hideout right about now. So I'll leave you three to play with your...friend there."
As Mint started to leave, he noticed the trio taking a defensive stance as they stared at the gola monster. The one thing he didn't notice was that someone was watching him. Hiding in the corner, propeller spinning around, was a Beanie Boy. A shocked expression on his face, the Beanie Boy immediately took off, unseen by anyone.
sss
"Mint did what?!" Skrawl cried out, smashing some glass cups off the shelf and onto the ground. The startled Beanie Boy moved back away from him. "Are you sure?!"
"I-It's true, boss..." The Beanie Boy said. He shielded his face like he was expecting to get hit. "I saw it with my own eyes! I swear it's true!"
Skrawl let out an angry roar, his arms stretched out at his sides. The Beanie Boy took off, getting far away from the enraged jellybean. Skrawl smashed another glass object against the ground, not caring how much of a mess he was making.
Things had been going smoothly. He had gotten almost all the artifacts now. Only three left. And then he could proceed to take over ChalkZone with them. And Mint had been doing a great job of distracting. He was looking forward to his report on today's battle. The boy was so eager to face them. He was always excited to face off against those three. And Skrawl had always enjoyed hearing how he managed to defeat them, how he made a fool of Rudy.
But now...the unforgiveable happened. In direct violation of his orders, Mint had...shown mercy. One of his Beanie Boys he sent to spy on Mint to see how this battle would play out informed him of what had happened. Mint had the chance to kill Snap, but he let him go. And not only did he let him go, but he had Ripclaw save Snap from a gola monster and freed Rudy and Penny from the trap he had sprung.
Sure, he still abandoned them to deal with the gola monster themselves, but the fact that he had shown them mercy at all...That was unacceptable. He couldn't allow this to happen again. He couldn't allow Mint to get all buddy buddy with them. If he kept this show of mercy up, he might end up liking Rudy and Penny as more than just fellow gamers. He might become...friends with them..They might sway him to their side. They might get him to betray him.
No, he wasn't going to allow that. He was not going to let Mint go unpunished. He was going to pay for his show of mercy. He was going to get what he deserved. As soon as Mint came back, he was going to give him a better reason to follow his orders.
Skrawl stared at his hand, flexing his long, sharp claws. Oh yes, after this..Mint would never disobey him again. He was not going to lose his hold on the boy. Mint was his. Mint belonged to him. Mint was a tool that he wielded. And he was not going to slip away from his control. Skrawl glared at the wall in front of him and struck at it. A loud scraping sound and there were three claw mark indentions in it.
Mint will not betray him.