Shattered Doll

Chapter 25: Truth And Guilt

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It's time to be a criminal! No time for hesitation. Time to be an animal!

-Crash, Papa Roach

sss

Snap was in absolute shock. He would have tripped over if it weren't for the fact that Rudy was holding him up. He found it hard to believe... A part of him wanted to believe that it was fake. He wanted to think that it was all some kind of lie. But the doctor's expression never changed.

His friends appeared shaken up as well. They didn't attempt to speak. Their mouths had dropped open, and they exchanged looks of horror. Rapsheeba had her hand to her mouth, staring at the doctor with a pleading expression silently begging it to all be untrue. Yet, no matter what, that expression never altered, never changed, on the doctor's face. He was absolutely serious.

Dr. Indigo let out a soft sigh. He gave them all a sympathetic look, an expression they weren't sure would have been possible from a guy who was supposed to be rather crazy. No, instead, he was rather subdued. He really did understand the severity of the situation. He had known what was going on, and was aware of the explosions in town, the death toll that had risen unexpectantly.

But then he also knew things that they did not. Things that Rudy, Penny, Snap, and Mint didn't know about, nor Rapsheeba. Then again, should they be surprised? They couldn't have known. The report had just come in. Yet it still left them all feeling a bit bitter at themselves. They could have done something to help prevent it. They could have stopped it.

"A-Are you sure? Are you positive?" Penny's voice was cracked in emotion. Her eyes appeared like they were fighting back tears. "Are they sure that..."

Dr. Indigo nodded his head slowly. "I am afraid so, my dear." The zoner turned his head so he could look at Penny with one eye as they all continued down the tunnel. "They found some footage of it happening. There is no doubt about it. It would also explain why her observatory or whatever it is called has not been used the past couple of days."

"Well, maybe she is just busy?" Rapsheeba suggested, a hopeful tone to her voice. "I mean...I don't know what the Doofi do in their spare time, but maybe Doofus Penny just...went on vacation?"

"Y-Yeah.. It could just be that..." Said Rudy.

"I'm afraid not." Dr. Indigo shook his head. "I know I can be a bit crazy at times, but for this moment, I am serious. They found footage of someone dragging away her corpse." He looked at the children again. He noted their expressions. "It was not a trick of the eye, either. Doofus Penny...is dead."

Those words rang through the tunnel, silencing everyone. The horrible feeling of dread and sadness hung strongly in the air. The group looked at each other sadly, unsure of how long they could deny it. The doctor could be lying...but what need would he have to do that? Plus, Doofus Penny was not a quiet, subtle zoner, and she usually appears in town at least once a day unless she was busy. What if she really was...?

Snap didn't want to believe it. Doofus Penny couldn't have been... But then again... She wasn't exactly one of the brightest zoners around. He did not mean that as an insult, but as a reason to worry for her. She might not realize what has been happening, and the culprit could have targeted her, took advantage of her naivity.

The thought of that caused his blood to reach its boiling point. Doofus Penny didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to be targeted this way. Even if she were still alive, the very idea that she could have been hurt by this culprit... He could feel the back of his mind crawling with emotional pain. He couldn't fathom why anyone would want to hurt her.

Okay, so she was annoying. There were a number of zoners that had some annoying qualities to them. That didn't automatically make them targets. Doofus Penny meant to harm. And she wasn't completely stupid. She had some traits of a genius to her. Maybe she got away somehow. Maybe...

"Do you have proof?"

That was Mint's voice. Snap turned his head. He could barely see the boy behind him. He couldn't see his expression. From the tone of his voice, he guessed that Mint was probably frowning in determination.

Dr. Indigo stopped. Seconds later, so did everyone else. Everyone looked between Dr. Indigo and Mint, neither saying a word. Mint stared over at the doctor, his head lowered a tad. Dr. Indigo kept his back turned to the boy, his head raised up. There was a long, awkward silence as they remained like this. Dr. Indigo lowered his head, and looked back at the boy.

"Proof? You want proof?" Dr. Indigo asked.

Mint nodded his head affirmatively. "It could have been a misidentification. Or it could have been something else that just looked like murder."

Dr. Indigo narrowed his eyes slightly. "So you think it was all some kind of joke?"

Mint took a step back, wincing at the doctor's tone. "Well, no..." He raised his shoulders, lifting up his hands at his sides. "I just..."

Dr. Indigo raised up his hand, silencing him. Mint shut his mouth, and looked up at him with a saddened expression. Dr. Indigo glared at him for a few seconds. He exhaled slowly, his expression softening up. "Very well then. I can show it to you before we get Snap's brain scanned. We've plenty of time." He looked at each of them. "Would you like that? Maybe one of you could identify the culprit."

Snap's eyes widened at this and he looked at his friends. Was it possible? Could it be true? Was the culprit actually caught on camera? For the first time? The realization made adrenaline pump through their bodies, making them shake, making them want to jump for joy.

But they held back. It could still lead to disappointment. It may not contain the information they were looking for. It might even be a different zoner entirely. They couldn't get their hopes up. They could not allow themselves to get worked up for what might be another disappointment. They knew just how hurtful it was to get so hopeful for a change, only for it to be dashed. They calmed themselves down and turned to Dr. Indigo. They looked at each other, then back to the doctor, each one giving a stern nod.

Dr. Indigo sighed. "Very well then. Come along with me."

Dr. Indigo turned down a new hallway on the left. Snap and his friends followed close behind. Judging from the sign they just passed, this was the film editing hallway, likely where Dr. Indigo kept records for his experimentations. The thought sent shudders down their backs, but they were able to push it aside, knowing what might be awaiting them at the end.

They didn't take too long to reach a room labeled Storage. They looked at each other for a few seconds, and watched as Dr. Indigo entered the room. He gestured for them to come in.

The room was pretty small and crowded. There were cabinets upon cabinets of film. The black tape filled with moving pictures practically filled the room. There was hardly room for them to manuever around. They crashed into each other, brushing up against one another and grunting as they tried to move forward. Snap had to be careful especially, with his damaged legs and all.

Dr. Indigo stopped in front of what appeared to be a cluttered desk. He rummaged through it, pushing away papers and pens and moving a monitor across the table. He leaned forward, one leg raising up into the air. He gave a few grunts as his arms moved left and right. Soon, he pulled back, and he held up a small film reel in his hands.

He then moved towards a small screen located in the back corner of the room. Getting there was rather tough. Stuff was strewn all over the floor, mostly garbage and empty cases. Snap and his friends had a heck of time trying to move around the stuff.

"Do you ever clean in here?" Mint's comment echoed in their minds, and they all shared his sentiment. "It wouldn't hurt to pick things up you know."

Dr. Indigo ignored him as he placed the film in the projector. He made a few more adjustments before he gestured for them to come closer. "It'll be ready in a few minutes. Just gotta let the machine get warmed up."

"And this is going to show us, for sure, what happened?" Rudy asked.

"Are you sure this is the film that shows..." Penny stared to say.

Dr. Indigo raised his hand up again. "Oh sure! I guarantee it..." His tone got a little scary at that moment, making the children cringe back. Rapsheeba narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. Dr. Indigo noticed this and cleared his throat. "Well, anyway..." He turned his attention back ot the projector screen. "In a few minutes, I'll fire this baby up and you'll see that I have been telling the truth."

Snap stared at the screen, eagerly waiting to see what it had to offer. He did not like the idea of watching a zoner die, friend or not. He didn't like the idea of seeing a corpse, either. However, he still felt some tinge of excitement, because they might have caugh the culprit on tape. If they did, then they were a step closer to stopping them. They could place a positive identity, have them arrested, and have his name cleared.

He hoped that something could come out of this. He had no idea what else the culprit might do. The thought of the possibilities terrified him. If this film could show who had done it, they might finally have a name to the culprit. Will it be one of the suspects, or someone they did not know? In the end, they all knew that they might, finally, be close to solving this mystery.

But it all hinged on what this film was going to show them. He and his friends waited patiently, hoping and praying that the film would show them something worthwhile.

sss

Doofus Rudy kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, staring out ahead at the blue dragon zoner. He did his best to look brave. After all, the kid he was based on was brave, so shouldn't he be as well? Yet he couldn't stop himself from shaking, his mind reeling, trying to figure out what he should do. He was torn between running away and directly confronting her.

He didn't know what to expect today. He never did. He wasn't a planner. He didn't think that far ahead into the future. About the only thing he aspired to do was try to be more like that kid, Rudy, whom he was based off of. He may not be gifted with the boy's intelligence, but he still wanted to try. He had an innate desire to try to help others.

And stopping this dragon zoner would be the biggest way he could help them now.

He tried to call upon Rudy's courage as he stood there, adopting a somewhat hostile stance. Not a position he normally found himself in, but he had never met someone like Sandra before. His eyes locked onto hers, glaring at her as the awkward seconds passed by.

Sandra's ears twitched a little. She stared at him with a blank expression. Although she did not threaten him yet, he still felt quite unnerved by her presence. There was something in the way she moved, the way she looked at him, that screamed danger. When she turned around completely, her cape moving slightly, the light shining off the metal plate on her chest, Doofus Rudy took a step back. But he did not run. He held his ground, his glare never leaving her.

Sandra slowly smiled, tilting her head slightly to one side. "...what makes you think I did anything?"

Doofus Rudy growled softly at this. He took a step forward and pointed accusingly at her. "You were going to do something to them, weren't you?! I saw the look in your eyes! You're...you're a bad guy! A villain!" Sandra looked shocked by this accusation, placing a hand against her chest. "Why else would you be here? Why else would you look so angry that Snap was getting an MRI done here?"

Sandra took a small step back. "You know about that?" She folded her arms against her chest. "Heh... And here I thought you were too stupid to grasp the basic concept..."

Doofus Rudy narrowed his eyes. "I will not lie. I am...not smart. I don't know a lot of things. I do annoy the other zoners around here. I can't help it." He raised his hands up in gesture. "I try not to be annoying. I just want to help people. I inherited that much from the real Rudy."

Sandra chuckled at this. "Riveting speech, dear boy." She pointed a feather finger at him. "But you still don't have any evidence to suggest I did anything!"

"Why were you so angry at the idea of Snap getting an MRI? I saw the look on your face when you saw him being taken into that underground hospital. I thought you would have been happy." Doofus Rudy took a step forward. "Perhaps you are hiding something?"

Sandra stared at this. She did not say a word for several seconds. Then she slowly folded her arms, grinning at Doofus Rudy. "I am hiding nothing. Why should I have to hide something?" She tilted her head further to one side, to the point where only one of her red eyes could see him. "Why do you think I could be hiding something? Where is your proof, little one? Tell me...where it is...?"

Doofus Rudy growled at this. He took a step back. He realized that Sandra had a point. He tried to think of something, but he couldn't think of anything. He was not analytical like his Real World counterpart. Already, his head was aching, stress spreading throughout his body as he tried, in vain, to think of a way to expose Sandra.

He just...couldn't help it. She just didn't...look right. Something was wrong with her. He knew this to be true. She was dangerous. Something was really wrong with her. He couldn't just stand here and do nothing. He had to take action. He had to prove, somehow, what Sandra was doing. And he would not give up until he had succeeded.

That was one advantage of his...state. He was so single-mindedly focused on a task, and he would remain that way until he got some kind of success. He would not be swayed from his goal. He would not allow Sandra to intimidate him and drive him away. What would Doofus Penny think of him if he ran off like a coward?

Doofus Penny... The thought of her name made him choke up inside. He felt tears form in his eyes, and he tried his best to fight them back. They were too powerful for him, and they cascaded down his face like a waterfall. Sandra cocked an eyebrow at this, but he paid no attention.

He knew full well what had happened to Doofus Penny. He had heard the news earlier today. The fresh memory stung him, like a knife going through his heart. He shivered as he tried to control the intense feeling of loss and sorrow swelling up inside of him. He had lost his closest friends in ChalkZone. No, they weren't just friends. They were closer than that. And she was ripped away from him.

And there in front of him...her killer. The realization of this caused his blood to heat up. He wished he could use the magic chalk to draw. He had all kinds of things he could do to her if he could. His vision darkened, and soon all he could see was Sandra, just floating there in space. And she still had the gall to tell him she wasn't involved... He may not have seen the video, he may not have any proof of her actions, but with the way she looked at Snap and the others as they entered this underground hospital, that was enough for him to get suspicious of her.

It all made sense. Didn't he overhear one of the zoners in town mention how there were strange occurences with electronical stuff sometime ago? If he remembered right, it corresponded to when Sandra first came into ChalkZone. He would remember; he and Doofus Penny met her when Snap was helping her out.

Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. Maybe he was thinking about this all wrong. Maybe he was just a lunatic. But until he was proven wrong, he was going to remain convinced that Sandra was the culprit all along.

Sandra narrowed her eyes, noticing that his determined expression did not falter. She shook her head slowly, placing a hand against her snout. She looked rather perplexed. He guessed it was because she never thought that someone like him could have figured things out. "You really are something. You waltz in here, acting so sure of yourself, thinking that I am going to do something horrible to Snap..." She held her hands out at her sides. "And yet you show no proof!" She jabbed a finger in his direction. "You're just paranoid! Why don't you go home and rest?"

Doofus Rudy shook his head, glaring defiantly at her. He puffed up his chest, attempting to look brave. "Then why did you look pissed when you saw Snap getting help? Why do you look so afraid? What do you think they are going to find, if you have nothing to hide?"

Sandra took a step forward. Her hands shook in fists at her sides. She clearly didn't like being accused like this, but Doofus Rudy did not care. He was certain she was involved somehow. Maybe if he kept this up, he could cause her to make a mistake, and she would expose herself.

Sandra sighed, her face softening up. She stopped her advancement towards Doofus Rudy. She smiled at him, leaning back. Her expression became more bemused than anything. This did little to make Doofus Rudy change his mind about her. "How sweet... You are worried for Snap, aren't you? Maybe that's why you are a little...jumpy." She looked towards the tunnel. She then turned back to him. "I guarantee you, I care about Snap just as much as you do. I did not come here to hurt him."

"Then what did you come here or?" Doofus Rudy asked her, folding his arms. When Sandra didn't answer right away, he pressed on, "I don't think this should be a difficult question to answer. Even I could..." He gestured to himself. "And that's saying something."

"Nice insult to yourself." Sandra chuckled.

Doofus Rudy ignored that statement. "Just please...tell me what you intend to do here." He took a small step forward. "It can't be that hard to explain it to me. If you didn't come here to hurt anybody, then what do you have to hide?"

Sandra glared at him softly, but she did not answer. She just stared at him. They kept their eyes locked on one another, neither daring to move. It was the most intense staring contest Doofus Rudy had ever been in, and it was getting rather uncomfortable. It felt as though Sandra's crimson eyes were staring straight through his soul. He wanted to look away, but a part of him kept him froze in place. He needed to show Sandra that he was not going to back down from this. Not until she provided him with proof of what she is doing, proof that it isn't what he thought it was.

The longer Sandra didn't do anything, the more Doofus Rudy became convinced that she was involved. Sure she may say that she was peeved with him and wasn't able to concentrate on anything due to this, but that did little to deter him. He was convinced that, if she really wasn't involved, she would have said something to convince him.

She seemed a bit too guarded. He found it hard to believe that she would act this way if she really didn't do anything wrong. If she was innocent, if she wasn't here to cause any trouble, then she would have told him. She wouldn't act so defensive.

Doofus Rudy eventually got tired of the silence and spoke, "If you really didn't do anything, then why are you refusing to tell me anything? What's to stop me from thinking that you are up to no good?"

Sandra rolled her eyes. "Sure, the little idiot knows all about situations like this. You are so smart, aren't you?" The sarcasm in her voice echoed in the air as she spoke. "I can tell you are just so full of information!"

Doofus Rudy narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so defensive? Why are you acting this way?"

Sandra's body shivered. Her eyes narrowed further. She raised her tail up in the air. "Because I did not kill Doofus Penny!" She slammed her tail into the ground, as if to emphasize her point. But she had already exposed herself, causing a bitter smile to come onto Doofus Rudy's face. Sandra snarled, "Why are you smiling, you runt?"

Doofus Rudy folded his arms against his chest, smirking at her. "I did not say anything about Doofus Penny."

Sandra's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. All signs of anger fell from her face in that moment. She took a step back, clenching her teeth as she stared at Doofus Rudy. She did not say a word, utterly speechless.

Doofus Rudy smiled at this. He puffed up his chest again, feeling proud of himself. He had managed to make Sandra slip up. She had spilled the beans. Now she knew there was no way she could back out of this now. She could not longer deny it. Now all he had to do was wait, and the truth would flow forward.

Sandra remained where she was, frozen in place. For several seconds, her expression remained that of shock and disbelief. She tried to say something a few times, perhaps attempting to defend herself. But nothing would come out. She had nothing to defend herself with. Soon, as she realized that she couldn't justify what she said, she took a step back, her eyes widening further. She looked left and right frantically, as if trying to make sure that no one else was seeing this.

This further cemented her guilt in his mind. If she wasn't the culprit, why would she care if anyone else saw this display? She was hiding something, and it would seem he had hit the nail on the head.

Sandra stared at him in the eyes, red orbs locking onto green. After a few seconds, they narrowed, and some kind of unidentified emotion radiated from them. Doofus Rudy felt his heart clench, realizing that he was probably in danger. Yet his desire to help ChalkZone made him stay, even as Sandra adopted a more aggressive stance, her tail raising straight up into the air.

"Congratulations... You've figured it out. What a brilliant deduction..." Sandra's voice was cold. "I suppose you want a medal now?"

"Aha!" Doofus Rudy declared, his voice having a victorious tone to it. "I knew you were up to no good! Tell me, fiend. What do you plan on doing?"

Sandra chortled at this. She moved closer towards him. She moved slowly, taking her time. Doofus Rudy remained where he was, glaring at her. "It is quite simple, really. I would think that you would have figured it out on your own, if you're so smart." Doofus Rudy narrowed his green eyes at this. "Snap ruined my machine...and I am just repaying the favor."

Doofus Rudy widened his eyes at this. "How..how could you do that?! Snap helped you! Why would you hurt your helper?"

Sandra lowered her head at this, her ears drooping. "I know that it is..extreme. It is not like I enjoy this." She lifted up her head, staring directly at him. "But it is too late for that. I had already made a promise to make the one who ruined my machine regret their actions. So even after finding out it was Snap, I knew I had no choice but to keep my promise. I..."

"That's chalkdust and you know it!" Doofus Rudy yelled, his voice filled with more anger than he ever thought he could muster. Sandra froze where she was, her eyes bulging at his sudden outburst. "You had a choice all along! You didn't have to do any of this! You could have left him alone, but instead you chose to hurt him!"

Sandra lowered her ears, flattening them like an angered dog. She growled, "Of course someone like you couldn't understand..." She took a step forward. She hunched her back, her neck bending in response. "You were not created with the complex intelligence of someone like me. Your pitiful brain couldn't began to comprehend such matters."

"Pitiful, am I..?" Doofus Rudy grinned at this. "At least I'm not the one who thinks that a promise cannot be broken for a good cause."

"Why you little...!" Sandra breathed, her pupils shrinking. She rushed towards him, doing a mock charge until she stopped about a foot in front of him. She bent her head downwards and put it close to Doofus Rudy's. She was attempting to use her height advantage to intimidate him, but still he did not back down. "Are you trying to say that I'm pitiful?"

"Hey, you said it, not me." Doofus Rudy said with a smirk.

Sandra looked like she was about ready to explode. Her face tinted a red color. Her pupils shrank into dots. Her teeth were bared, showing off how sharp they were. Doofus Rudy felt his heart skip a beat and he took a step back. He did not run away, however. He could not. Not now, not ever. No matter how angry Sandra got, he was not going to allow her to make him surrender.

Then, without warning, just as suddenly as she got angry, she relaxed. Her smile returned, looking eerily peaceful. She straightened herself up and moved a few steps away, giving him some breathing room. Doofus Rudy looked at her in confusion. He wondered what she could be up to.

"Well I must admit, you are smarter than I thought you were. I'll give you that much." Sandra said. "I do not wish to cause harm to Snap. I do like him, I assure you. You can relax now. Calm down and enjoy your life. You do not need to worry for Snap. He will be fine, I promise. I don't plan on hurting him forever." She leaned back a bit further. "As soon as I am certain he learned his lesson, I will set him free, and everything will go back to the way it was." She folded her arms. "So go on. Run along and play..." She made a few dismissive gestures with her hand. "..whatever it is you do."

Doofus Rudy stared at her in shock. Was she serious? Did she really think that he could just dismiss something like this? Did she think that everything would be hunky dory after all of this was over, if it went the way she thought it would? His heart twisted in his chest, feeling his body begin to shake.

How could she be so blind? How could she be so stupid? He was considered pretty stupid among other zoners, and even he knew that Sandra's logic here was clearly broken. Doofus Rudy understood enough of the situation to know that Snap was suffering, and he knew now it was because of this zoner standing before him. She couldn't expect everything to be just fine after all of this... Not with what she had done.

"No! You're wrong! Things won't go back to normal! You don't understand the consequences of what you just did! Do you really think Snap would want to remain friends with a bad guy like you?!"

Sandra narrowed her eyes at this. "If Snap truly cared, he would see that I had no choice. He would understand."

"And if you had any common sense, you'd know that Snap would turn his back on you the moment he realizes what you were doing!" Doofus Rudy shouted at her, pointing an accusatory finger in her direction.

"Well then..." Sandra growled, clearly fighting back rising anger. "It's a good thing that he won't find out then... I can just not tell him, and say it was someone else. Someone who was..killed in an accident or something. That way, he'll never know the truth."

Doofus Rudy smirked at this. "What makes you think he won't find out?"

Sandra tilted her head, raising one ear up slightly. "What makes you believe that he will know about this?"

"I'll tell him!" Doofus Rudy declared, pressing his thumb against his chest. He realized his mistake too late.

Sandra let out a cold chuckle, throwing her head back. Doofus Rudy winced at this, taking a step back. After a few seconds, Sandra moved her head back forward, staring at him intently. There was a wild look in her eyes, her teeth flashing in a nasty grin. "Oh you won't be able to tell Snap anything. You see, I cannot allow him to find out. It would...ruin everything..."

Doofus Rudy's mind raced. He knew he had to get out of here. He couldn't stay here, not any longer. But he found it hard to move. His legs would not obey his command. His feet were practically glued to the ground. He looked left and right, hoping that someone was nearby to help him. But to his horror, there was no one. He turned his attention back to Sandra.

Though that wild look was gone from her eyes, she still looked rather intimidating. Her teeth were still bared, her eyes still narrowed. She was raising a fist into the air, and he realized she was going to attack. He had to get out and fast. His frantic brain sent signal after signal, trying to get his rigid legs to move. Slowly, but surely, they began to move. He turned around and started to run away.

Doofus Rudy didn't dare look back. He didn't dare divert his gaze away, terrified that he might slow himself down somehow. He had to get away from Sandra, and find someone who can help. He had to tell the other zoners about Sandra's treachery, that she, not Snap, was the one who had killed those zoners, and how she had framed the poor blue guy.

Without warning, a sudden, intense pain gripped him in his left arm. He let out a scream as he felt his arm begin to bulge. The pain...oh gawd the pain... He started to cry, tears streaming down his face. He clutched his arm to himself. It felt as though his muscles were being ripped apart from the inside out. He seethed, grinding his teeth together.

Then, to his horror, he could feel something warm and wet forming on his arm. He dared to open his eyes and he gasped in horror at what he saw. His arm had bulged up so much that some of the skin was starting to pull and tear. He could feel...something...under his arm. Hard and tender, with the slightest pressure causing him to scream in agony. Blood dribbled down his hand like a leaky faucet.

He collapsed to the ground, his swirling mind trying to cope with the immense pain. What happened to him? Why was this happening to his arm? He hadn't been hit by anything. The only one around was...

Through his blurred version, he could see Sandra approaching him slowly. It was hard to tell, but it looked as though she was smirking at him.

"Do you like it? I am quite proud of this power of mine." Sandra's triangular mark was glowing, her raised hand forming into a fist. "Healing can be quite a useful, and helpful, ability. But you know..when used in just the right way, it can be..quite the potent weapon..." She frowned, tilting her head. "Wouldn't you agree?"

As she made a gesture with her hand, Doofus Rudy threw his head back and screamed. He felt his arm rip open, a long gash spreading from his wrist towards his elbow. The interior of his arm was partially exposed, allowing him to see some kind of strange..growths inside. He stared over at Sandra in horror, in too much pain to try to speak.

"Healing requires the use of cell division. Things like cancer and tumors..they are caused by healthy cells gone awry...and the more a cell divides, the more likely things will screw up. I simply...give that a helping hand..." Sandra said. "I can completely reverse it, too, if I really wanted to. But for now... enjoy the pain. For your interruption, you deserve to go out in a way that..no one will forget... And besides..." She narrowed her eyes. "..no witnesses allowed..."

Doofus Rudy's eyes widened in horror at this. His mind raced, his breathing increasing rapidly. He swallowed nervously, his body wracked in horrific pain. He looked left and right, trying to figure out how he was going to get out of this. It couldn't end like this. No...

As he struggled on the ground, as he fought against the increasing pain, his growing weakness from blood loss, he could feel something fall out of his pocket. With one pain-filled eye, he looked down and he could see that it was the piece of chalk that he tended to carry around with him. He stared at it long and hard, his mind racing, desperation grabbing a hold of him. He looked back at Sandra, and then at the chalk.

Gripping it tightly, Doofus Rudy shifted himself around. He ignored the immense pain he was in as he pulled his arm back, the muscles in his undamaged arm tightening up. He threw it as hard as he could.

"What are... Aaaaahhhhh!" Sandra screamed as the chalk hit her in the left eye. She tumbled backwards, putting her hand over her eye. She seethed, her body shuddering in pain.

Doofus Rudy felt some relief come to him as Sandra's hold on him was broken. His arm still radiated in agony, but he could now make his attempt to escape. Ignoring the terrible pain in his arm, he got up to his feet. He stared over at Sandra, who was still holding her eye. He then looked around, trying to find an escape route. He soon heard a hiss, and he looked back at where Sandra was.

The blue dragon glared at him, her eyes narrowed dangerously and teeth bared. Her left eye was in tact, but appeared a tad swollen from the chalk attack. She raised her body up, taking on a dinosaur-like posture. She began to stalk towards him, her intent rather clear.

"You fool... You are going to regret that..."

She broke off into a chase. Doofus Rudy let out a scream. He turned and ran as fast as he could. He looked left and right, hoping that someone would spot him in time. He looked behind him, realizing in horror that the dragon was giving chase. He pushed himself to go faster. The two of them disappeared over the grassy plains of ChalkZone, heading straight for the city.

sss

Rudy, Penny, and Mint wait patiently as the MRI scan was being performed. They all hoped that, if the culprit was involved with messing with the results, they would see something different this time, since they were underground. With the general secrecy of this test, along with the shield of the chalky earth above them, blocking out the signal from the machine, they were confident that things would turn out differently this time.

But they were also still worried that things were going to still go wrong. They had grown so accustomed to things going horribly, they were expecting something to happen this time. Even though the doctor never came out and said anything, even though there was nothing happening to indicate something had gone wrong, they were still nervous.

Rapsheeba had done her best to cheer them up. She had assured them that Dr. Indigo knew what he was doing and could get fast MRI results. She assured them that things would be better this time.

But despite her words, the children couldn't help but feel terrified. They still had no idea who the culprit was, or if the culprit had even found out about this scan. The video of Doofus Penny, as horrific as it was, did not show them a clear picture of the culprit, much to their dismay. They were still in the dark, and they could feel their hearts tighten with the idea of the culprit being somewhere nearby, just ready to screw things over.

Or maybe they would get revenge another way. The machine, the messing with zoners' minds... They hadn't heard much of that lately, though they had been so focused on helping Snap that they may have overlooked it. Could the zoners' actions lately have been at least somewhat influenced by this machine? If that were the case, what would the culprit do if they decided to use it again? The thought sent shudders down their spines.

Rudy knew that, if the culprit decided to, they could do a lot of damage with that machine if they used it to mess with the zoners' minds. He knew that they would need to tread lightly until they could destroy it, and stop the culprit for good.

He still couldn't believe that those cops had insisted that nothing had been going on until recently. He remembered what the zoners had said. There had been recurring incidents of electrical issues, mostly in the hospital. Security systems and machines had malfunctioned. This was known across ChalkZone City. Yet..no one told them. Not the cops, not the other zoners. Why?

A sudden cold chill rushed up his spin when he realized something. Could it had been the machine the whole time? Could it be the reason why the cops had lied to them, why the zoners never told them until the incident had been witnessed by them?

It was all making sense now. The culprit must have used the machine to mask their actions. They did something to the zoners' minds to make them forget, or not notice, or behave differently. They did not want to get caught. If they were a serial killer, claiming lives left and right, then they must have realized the trail would eventually lead to them. So they decided to use the machine to prevent the zoners from taking action.

The thought of the zoners being messed with like that heated the pit of Rudy's stomach. It also frightened him. It made him wonder just what else this culprit was doing. What else had they been hiding from ChalkZone City..?

"Rudy...?" Penny's voice caught his attention. "What's wrong?"

Rudy looked over at her. He bit his lip. He couldn't hide anything from her. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain this to her, or to Mint, who was also looking at him curiously. Yet..he knew he had to try. Letting out a sigh, he said, "I'm just...thinking about that culprit."

"What about him..or her?" Mint said. He held out his hand. "As soon as we are able to prove Snap's innocense..."

"We don't know what else this culprit has been up to. We have ideas...but no proof." Rudy said. He lowered his head. He didn't want to feel pessimistic, but with all that's happened, there was still that sense of uncertainty. He turned back to his friends and said, "What if the culprit has been messing with the police and the other zoners this whole time?"

At this, his friends widened their eyes.

"That is a possibility." Said Mint.

"But that won't be a problem once we expose the culprit." Penny repiled. "We are already certain that Sandra is the one behind this. And we have two other suspects we can check out."

Mint nodded his head. "Yeah. Don't worry, Rudy. We'll figure things out." He smiled the best he could.

Rudy smiled at this. He knew his friends were right. They would find a way to stop the culprit. They were underground, where the signal could not reach them. The equipment here could not be messed with. And if there was any suspicious around here, someone would have spotted them. There was no way the culprit could mess with the machines here without their own.

Although he was still nervous about what could happen, Rudy did start to feel a bit more confident. He was now more certain than ever that they would find out, for certain, what has been going on with their friend. And from there, they would begin the steps in capturing the culprit and bringing them to justice.

Sooner or later, the culprit would pay for their crimes. He would see to that.

"I hate to interrupt you guys..." The children looked at Rapsheeba. She was leaning forward, her eyes facing something in a direction they were not looking in. "But Dr. Indigo is coming back." She used her finger to point.

The three children turned their heads. Sure enough, Dr. Indigo was coming back towards them. The zoner, which Rudy finally figured out was a tasmanian devil crossed with a zebra, came towards them, his tail swishing from side to side. He had an unreadable expression on his face. The kids weren't sure if this was good news or bad news, considering who this was.

Dr. Indigo stopped in front of them. Beside him, the guard from before, as well as Snap, approached from the side. The guard was glaring down at Snap, looking eager to have him locked away. Snap, however, didn't seem afraid. He looked more hopeful than anything. Rudy hoped that this would not be dashed by a cruel reality.

Dr. Indigo said, "The results will be here in two days." He gave them a small smile. "I will have the results in by then."

Rudy smiled at the zoner. "Thank you."

"You know, you're not as crazy as we thought you would be." Mint said.

Dr. Indigo chuckled at this. "I can be well behaved when I want to be. After what you have been through, I don't think I should let my true self be exposed. You don't need anything else crazy added to your life right now, do you?"

"Come on, you..." The guard growled as he pushed against Snap's back. "It's time to head back to the jail, where you belong."

"All right, I'm moving." Snap winced as he hobbled forward the best he could. Rudy could see now he was using a cane. One of the doctors must have given it to him to help him walk better. "No need to get so pushy." The guard growled, but said nothing.

Rudy and his friends glared at the guard as he began to take Snap away. They wanted to say something. They wanted to do something. But all they could do was bid their friend farewell. A deal was a deal and Snap had to be taken back to jail. And they couldn't talk back to the guard or they might risk bestowing their friend a worse fate.

After they disappeared, and Rapsheeba went with Dr. Indigo to talk to him about something, perhaps arrangements on how he was going to deliver the news, the three friends looked at each other.

"Two days..that's going to seem like a long time." Mint said. He looked up towards the ceiling. "I wonder what we can do in the meantime."

"Same thing as we always did." Penny said. "Look for clues. Try to understand what could have happened. And we hope."

"Yes." Rudy nodded his head. "We must keep doing that." He looked down the hallway where Snap disappeared, and then turned his head to where Dr. Indigo and Rapsheeba went down. "We must keep hoping."

sss

The next two days went by at a snail's pace. The three children, despite trying to be patient, couldn't help but feel as though the days dragged on for years. They kept on doing what they could, finding more clues and whatever else they could. They were unable to find anything else useful, and dealing with some of the zoners had begun to be quite stressful.

They eagerly awaited the day that the results would come in. Everything hinged on this. They all hoped and prayed that something would show up. Only then could they begin to make things better. They could use the information to show the zoners that Snap really was innocent after all. They could use it to get Snap out of jail, and back with them. They couldn't wait to be with him again. They all missed him so much, and the thought of him being in that horrible jail...

But soon the day had arrived. The day that they would finally get the results. They could feel the adrenaline and anxiety rush through their bodies. They could feel their stomachs burn with excitement. This was it. This was the moment they all had been waiting for. It was the day that Snap's MRI results had finally come in.

Afterschool couldn't come any sooner for the trio. They had waited impatiently for school to end. Each subject the teacher taught them felt like it lasted for hours. The bus seemed to drive much slower than usual, especially taking them back home. Inside their heads, they were screaming for the bus to move faster. The sooner they got home, the sooner they could all get into ChalkZone.

Before they knew it, they were back in ChalkZone. They all met up with each other very quickly. They all ran as fast as they could to meeting spot. They were pretty worn out when they got there, but Rudy was still able to fly the hovercraft that he had left in that spot.

But even with the hovercraft at top speed, it still felt like it took forever to get to Rapsheeba's New Place. They knew that she would have the results from the doctor. She said that Dr. Indigo would send them to her via her fax machine. They all wanted to be there right away. They were all excited to hear what the results were. But they knew that, even at the hovercraft's top speed, it would still take them at least several minutes to reach Rapsheeba's home.

When they got there, they immediately jumped from the hovercraft. They rushed towards the house as fast as they could. They didn't bother knocking. Too anxious to hear the news, they barged through the door, startling Rapsheeba.

"You guys! You scared me!" Rapsheeba cried, placing a hand against her chest. The pot she held in her hand suggested that she was about to cook. "I didn't expect you all to just rush in like this."

Penny panted heavily. She felt a tinge of guilt. She realized that she and her friends could have behaved better than this. They could have calmed down and come in more politely. She felt bad and lowered her head. "Sorry, Rapsheeba. We were just so..."

"We didn't mean to, we swear." Rudy said, a stammer to his voice.

"We just..." Mint started to say.

Rapsheeba chuckled. "Oh don't worry you guys! I understand!" She placed the pot down. She turned to them and gestured for them to follow her. "Come on, I have the sheets in the living room. I'll tell you what the results said."

Penny resisted the urge to ask right away. They were all going to find out soon enough. Although her heart beat quickly in anticipation of the results, she managed to keep herself from trying to force an answer out of Rapsheeba. She turned her head to her friends for a moment, noting their expressions.

They all knew this was it. These were the results they had been waiting for days for. The results that could change things around for them. Their hearts beat so loudly, they practically echoed in the room. Hopefully, things would turn out better this time.

Rapsheeba sat down on the long couch. She patted on it, encouraging the three human children to sit down next to her. They did so without a second prompt. She then reached behind her, where a small table was. She pulled out a sheet. They knew right away it was the doctor's papers.

"According to Dr. Indigo's findings, from the MRI scan they did on Snap's brain..."

Penny, along with Rudy and Mint, leaned forward. Their hearts clenched tightly in anticipation. They stared intently at Rapsheeba, waiting for her to finish the sentence. It felt like hours passed before Rapsheeba finished her sentence.

"...they found something."