Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky didn't waste any time going towards the next game. The fact that they wasted two hours, even if it wasn't their fault, scared them. That was two hours they no longer had to find Rudy and Penny. Two hours that they would no longer get back. Snap believed they could still make it, but now they'd have to really hurry.

Snap had a hard time moving with his injuries now worsened. Even bending his leg was a problem. But he did his best to fight against the pain. He didn't want to slow his friends down. As long as he kept his mind focused on finding Rudy and Penny, he could manage the pain...somewhat. It still hurt so much to walk, and the burn on his side was going to give him problems later, he could tell.

But he had a feeling it was just going to get worse from here. If he couldn't even manage this pain, how would he be able to stand up to Bardot? That zoner, from what he could tell, was downright vicious. He was going to have be prepared when he faced him. Was he scared? Oh yes. He was terrified of the idea of going up against this guy, a zoner who seemed to be doing all this just for fun. He wasn't even sure what to expect in their upcoming fight. But for Rudy and Penny..he would do it. If he had to lay down his life so they could be safe, he would.

Rapsheeba and Blocky noticed he was limping terribly and they took action. Snap expected them to grab his arms again like before and carry him with them. But they seemed to take the hint that he wouldn't want to slow them down. They still wanted to help, however. So they came up with a compromise.

They located a stick that was laying nearby. It looked black, most likely charred from the fire. They tested it to make sure it was safe to use. Judging from their expressions, Snap could tell that it was cool to the touch. They picked it up and carried it over to him. They handed it over to him. Snap grabbed it and looked at it. The stick was a good size, just the right height for him. It was pretty thick and he guessed he could put his weight on it without it breaking.

Snap tested the stick out. He held it in his left hand, since it was his left leg that was giving him problems. In fact, all his bad injuries were on his left side. His arm, his leg, his side...all he needed now was an injury on his face to complete the picture. He hoped that, by the time he gets to where his friends are, he'll still be in some condition to fight.

He started to walk with the stick. Though it didn't help alleviate much of the pain, it was an improvement. He found it was easier to walk using the stick to help support some of his weight. He thanked his friends for the help, and they continued on their way.

They walked away from the charred landscape. It was a total mess. The ground burned to almost pitch black. Dark-colored smoke continued to rise from the ground, wisping and dancing in the air. The smell of it still hung strongly in the air, causing them to wrinkle their nose and turn away, remembering how they were almost burned alive.

Looking at the destroyed golf course chilled Snap. He recalled that, not so long ago, he and his two human friends were having a good time here. It was hard to believe it was the last time they would ever be able to have fun before something serious had happened. It was here, in the spot they were now walking away from, that they learned about Draow's escape. It was where all the trouble began for them. All because of some insane zoner who was clearly out of his mind.

Figuring out the next clue wasn't exactly easy. But unlike the others, Snap did have a bit of an easier time figuring it out. He half wondered if that was because Bardot saw his frustration and made them easier, or maybe he was merely getting better. Nah, it couldn't be because of Bardot. He wouldn't lighten things up at all. No, this was because he was just getting a little better at solving them. Each riddle had something to do with him.

The riddle was:

"A place you have been to before
Although you weren't the one settling the score
One so delusional forced your friend to fight
And made you to watch in fright
As you traverse through this land
Beware of the many passages at hand"

They did spend some time trying to figure out this riddle. Blocky didn't really have much of a clue. He reread it over and over, but he was unable to come up with anything. Snap wasn't surprised. It wasn't like Blocky followed him everywhere he went in ChalkZone. So there would be some riddles that the teal-colored rectangle would not be able to figure out.

Rapsheeba had some idea. She said that the riddle did remind her of something that had happened. It was ringing a bell, but like Blocky, she had a hard time figuring out. She did look over the riddle one more time, and she continued to think until she had to sit down for a bit and rubbed her head for a little while.

Snap had a feeling that whatever this riddle was talking about referred to something that happened to both him and her. Something that they may have forgotten about or just weren't thinking of. A lot of things happen in ChalkZone. It was easy to, eventually, kinda forget some of the things that happened. It was understandable. It's not like it's gone from their memories entirely; a quick reminder was usually all that was needed for them to remember.

And Rapsheeba's familiarity along with the phrase 'one so delusional' did give Snap a good idea on what the riddle was talking about. He told them it must be talking about Jack-O-In-The-Box. As soon as he said that, Rapsheeba had snapped her fingers and said that was what she was thinking of. Blocky was confused, so the two of them quickly explained to him what happened, how Jacko was obsessed with getting a bride, how he mistook Rudy's jack-o-lantern as a bride and wanted revenge on him for stealing 'her' away, how he trapped him in a maze in hopes of killing him.

Snap concluded that Bardot wanted them to traverse through Jacko's maze. Although they hadn't gotten there yet, and though he knew it would be something else entirely, he was inclined to think that is what the riddle alluded that they were going to do. The talk of 'many passages at hand' and being cautious of them made it sound like they'd have to go through the zombie maze, where there were all sorts of dead ends and circles they could wander into.

As they headed towards night zone, Snap felt a warm stickiness in his side. He looked down and winced. His side wound was getting worse, and he thought he could see the start of an infection. And, to his horror, the wounds on his leg and arm were starting to open up again. He could see bright red staining them. All this walking around wasn't good for his wounds. He needed some way to get proper bandages. But it was against the rules to ask for any help. And the fact that he was getting a little hungry and thirsty didn't make the situation any better either. He tried his best to ignore it; they might find something soon.

Walking through the graveyard in their situation was chilling. Most of them were empty since zoners did not die of natural causes. Well not in the same sense as humans. Zoners were still mortal, and it wasn't just water that could kill them. They can still be beaten to death, stabbed to death, crushed to death, etc. So some zoners were indeed buried out here, the ones that weren't so lucky. And given their current situation, how he and his two friends and two human friends were fighting for their lives, a graveyard...wasn't the best place for them to be.

Yet they had no choice. They soon found a note that confirmed that this was the location. Snap read the note out loud.

"Welcome to the fourth game. The objective of this game is similar to what you went through in the Candycane Forest. Try to get to the end of the maze without being mauled by zombies. They are hungry and they want your flesh. If you aren't careful, this is where you will be buried. And beware; this game may require a sacrifice."

They shuddered at this. That was not such a pleasant thing to read in a graveyard. They could see the maze was already set up for them. They weren't sure where Jacko was. Had he been forced to work with Bardot? Or did he do this willingly? Or was he killed or driven out by Bardot?

Snap looked around and he couldn't find any sign of Jacko. He expected him to come in and introduce himself like he usually does, even give some 'pointers' or mock them as he activated the maze. But the maze was already up and he was nowhere in sight. Snap wasn't sure if he felt reassured by this or frightened. He looked left and right. Just what happened to Jack-O-In-The-Box?

They didn't get too far when they noticed another note. They were confused. They already found one for the riddle, and one for the game itself. But none of the other games had a third card to go along with them. So why was this place so different? Snap guessed the card might be additional rules, or maybe just a taunting note from Bardot.

He hobbled over, careful not to let himself slip, gripping the stick in his left hand tightly. He lowered himself towards the note, which was staped to a tombstone not far from where the maze itself began. He picked it up and read it.

"Since I do not want you dying so early, here is something to help you along. Do not worry. I did not taint or poison them in any way. Do not expect me to do this again. Use this wisely and sparingly. And don't mistake this to be from the 'kindness of my heart'; I am merely doing it to offset the two hours you wasted taking a little nap. And to ensure that you last at least a little longer.

-Bardot"

Snap growled as he finished reading the note. Leave it to Bardot to think lightly of them having passed out from the smoke inhalation, and relegate it something trivial like 'falling asleep on the job'. He crumbled the note and threw it to the ground in anger. His two friends approached him and looked at him sympathetically.

Blocky reached over and pulled out what Bardot had been talking about. It was a first aid kit. It did look untampered with. Snap was still skeptical. He wasn't sure if he could trust anything left behind by Bardot. But a burning pain in his side told him he may be better off giving it a chance and having his wounds treated before they continued.

Rapsheeba opened up the kit and proceeded treating Snap's wounds. She took care of the one on his arm first. She took off the cloth wrapped around his arm and cleaned it. She managed to stop the bleeding, pressing a cloth against the arm. She then wrapped clean bandages around it, sealing it tightly. His leg was next, which was harder to do. It hurt even more than the arm. When Rapsheeba went to stop the bleeding, as soon as the cloth touched him, he started to whimper from pain. Rapsheeba apologized as she continued to press the cloth against him. Once the bleeding stopped, she cleaned it and then wrapped bandages around it, replacing the cloth she had used earlier.

The worst one to clean was his side. Rapsheeba had to use disinfectant for it due to the infection, and that hurt like heck with the burn marks and exposed flesh. Snap cried out in pain and started to struggle. Blocky had to hold him still to keep him from hurting himself more. Rapsheeba felt so bad doing this and she constantly apologized. She looked at him sadly as tears of pain streamed down his face. Snap looked up at her with clenched teeth, giving a gesture with his head for her to hurry up and finish.

After cleaning out the wound, applying disinfectant and some ointment for the burns, Rapsheeba placed a thick gauze against his side and held it there with surgical tape. She then wrapped bandages around his side, holding the gauze tightly in place, hoping that the pressure would help stop the bleeding. Once she was done, she picked up the kit. She knew that they may need that in the future.

Snap also knew it wasn't going to last. She already used up more than half the supplies just on him. Bardot wasn't that generous. If they weren't careful, they would use it all up by the end of this game or the next game. Because of how little they had to work with, Rapsheeba and Blocky refused to treat their wounds. Their injuries were more mild compared to Snap's. They decided it was best to save it for emergencies only, and Snap's bleeding injuries were definitely a high priority. Though he felt guilty for having most of the medical supplies used on him, he did still thank Rapsheeba for her help.

Even though the wounds were treated, Snap was still in a lot of pain. So as they entered the maze, the blue boy still had to use the stick to support himself effectively. He still wouldn't be able to run very fast, but he could still move a little faster with the stick than he could on his own.

Snap took a look around the maze. His eyes widened a little. He realized that this wasn't the same maze Rudy went through. He may not have had been in the best position to see all of it, but he still had a bird's eye view, being held up in the air by that tentacle and all. And he could tell, as soon as he, Rapsheeba, and Blocky stepped into the maze, that this was not the same one Rudy had used. Which means that he wouldn't be able to use his memory of the old maze to navigate this one. Bardot really thought ahead on this.

The trio walked a little further into the maze. They looked all around, cautious of where they walked. Being in a maze in a graveyard caused the wind to feel much more chilling to them than usual. The appearance of the maze didn't help either. Randomnly placed tombstones. A few bones laying here and there. Twisted thorny bushes forming the paths. The ground being grayish in color, looking almost sickly. Cobwebs everywhere. To top it all off, a few large spiders that hung down from the pushes, staring at them as if they were giant insects.

They tried to decide which way to go first. There were multiple paths they could take. They decided to try left first. They went down a winding path. It cut off sharply to the right, and, after what seemed like half an hour, they ended up back where they started. Confused, they tried the right path this time. This one seemed to take them along the edge of the maze. But like the first one, the paths they were taking seemed to lead them in circles.

But if there was one positive thing about going around in circles, it was that they began to get familiar with the area and remembered which way they took. Using this knowledge, they managed to narrow down their choices to the center one, then taking off to the right. This was the only path they didn't try yet, and, sure enough, it led them to a new area of the maze. They felt accomplished finally reaching somewhere new in this maze of doom.

Snap realized something. They hadn't yet run into any zombies. He looked all around them. Yet..no zombies... Where were they? They had to be here somewhere. It wasn't simply because of what Bardot's note read. Snap had been here before. He knew there were zombies lurking in this maze somewhere. But where?

"I don't get it." Rapsheeba apparently read his mind. "Where are Jacko's zombies? This place was filled with them before!"

Blocky trembled. "I'm personally glad they aren't here."

"That's what scares me." Snap said. He stopped walking, and so did his friends. They looked at him. He steadied himself with his walking stick. He had his gaze faced away from them, looking at the multiple paths strewn before them. "Even if Jacko's not here, his zombies should still be in this maze. This is their...home pretty much. So..." He looked at his friends, his eyes wide with fear. "...where are they?"

Rapsheeba and Blocky looked at each other. They turned back to Snap and shook their heads, indicating they didn't know. Snap expected that answer. He let out a soft sigh.

"Neither do I." Snap started to move to the left. "So let's...

Click.

Snap's eyes widened at this. He looked down. He saw that the tip of his walking stick had touched some portion of the ground, which sunk in. A hidden button? What was that for? Then, seconds later, he felt a low rumbling. It wasn't intense, like with the sinkhole and the fire and lava. But he could feel something...moving underneath.

Then he and his friends heard what sounded like multiple gates opening. The low growl of zombies filled the air. Menacing, cold, vicious. And they were growing louder. The trio pressed close to each other, looking around for the source. It sounded like it was coming from all directions.

But it wasn't over. There was a twisting sound in front of them. The tall bush, which looked kinda like an arch, was shifting around. Something was rotating underneath it, causing it to turn. And when it was turned all the way, Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky backed away in horror. What they saw caused their stomachs to churn. They felt like throwing up, a mixture of nausea and fear and dread.

"Well...now we know what happened to Jacko..." Rapsheeba whispered in utter disbelief.

Jacko was hanging against the tall, arch-shaped bush. His hands and feed were nailed in place, stretching his arms and legs to his sides. His head was lolled to one side, his eyes partially open. But there was no glow in them. His mouth hung open and, just like with his eyes, no glow. It was like his fire had been put out...and that may have been what happened to him.

He looked absolutely horrible. His body had suffered a lot of injuries. They could see multiple fractures in his limbs. His left arm was broken in three places. His right arm had been torn from its socket and broken at the elbow. His right leg was broken in ten places, almost looking unrecognizable. His left foot was even worse. Twisted until it faced the other way and looking crushed.

Jacko's face was beaten and smashed up. There were so many bruises it was hard to see a speck of orange on him. Blood stained the corner of his mouth. And judging from the amoung of redness along his mouth, they guessed he had lost a lot of blood through his mouth. They shuddered to think what could have caused that. The multiple gashes in his head didn't help. And the top of his head was ripped open...

There was a sign hung around his neck. It read:

"If you do not want to end up like me, run as fast as you can. The zombies are coming."

Snap's breathing and heart rate quickened. His body shook. He took a few steps back, nearly absent-minded with his stick. It took him a few seconds to digest what had happened. His friends were just as shocked as he was. None of them had expected something like this to happen.

Jacko...was dead. Jack-O-In-The-Box had been murdered. No doubt by Bardot. And he had been set up like some scarecrow just to send them a message.

Snap gritted his teeth and clutched his free hand in a fist. He may not have liked Jacko. The guy was a jerk. But he didn't deserve something like this. He didn't deserve to be tortured and beaten to death. He didn't deserve to be used like some toy in Bardot's sick little game. Bardot..that name burned in his mind. He would make him pay. Jacko had nothing to do with his twisted 'games'. He had nothing to do with Mr. Cosmo or Draow. He was an innocent bystander...and Bardot ruthlessly murdered him... He would not get away with this.

He didn't have long to stay angry. He started hearing heavy footsteps. They had gotten louder. The screams of the zombies...they were definitely getting close. No words were spoken from them. No 'brains' or 'food'. Just growls, grunts, and snorts. They sounded hungry. And he knew what was going to be on the menu.

Just then, a bulky zombie crashed through the hedge behind them. The trio turned around and screamed as the green-skinned zombie tried to slash at them with its long nails. They barely dodged in time. Snap almost tripped as he tried to run away from the zombie. The bulky zombie roared in frustration and started coming after them, holding its hands out in front of it.

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky slowly backed away. Another rustle, and another zombie came jumping out. This one was skinnier and faster. It leaped onto Snap knocking him into the ground. Snap cried out as the zombie's nails cut into his shoulders, causing him to bleed a little. It opened its jaws wide, preparing to bite him.

"Oh no you don't!" Rapsheeba rushed over and delivered a punch against the zombie, knocking it away from Snap. She helped Snap to his feet. "Are you okay?"

Snap rubbed his head. "Yeah..thanks.." He turned to give her a smile. But then his eyes widened in horror. "Oi calloy! Look out!"

Rapsheeba looked around. A pissed off zombie was about to strike at them. Before the two could react, Blocky dove in. He pushed the zombie out of the way. He waved his hand to them, gesturing them to get a move on. The trio had no time to think of what path to take. More zombies were coming and they had to get out of there and fast.

As the trio rushed down the hedge paths, they had to constantly be alert. Multiple times, zombie hands stuck out of the bushes, scratching at them, trying to grab them. A few zombies rose out of the ground. As they ran over them, stepping on their heads to daze them, the zombies rose out of the ground completely and began to follow the three panicked zoners.

One medium-sized zombie tried to go for Blocky. Snap rushed over as fast as the stick could carry him. Using his free hand, he delivered a punch against the zombie's jaws. There was a sickening crunch and the zombie fell down. Blocky quickly thanked Snap before continuing the run. And as they kept running, it seemed like more and more zombies were rising up. Just how many zombies did this place have?

And just when they thought things couldn't get any worse...it did.

As they turned a corner to the left, they found themselves in a dead end. A stoney wall. They slowed down, almost tripping over. They stared at the wall. They looked all around them, trying to find a way out. They saw nothing. Their hearts pounding, bodies filling up with dread, they slowly turned around.

A large horde of zombies was coming right for them. They were walking very slowly, almost like they were deliberately messing with them. They were closing in the gap. The trio looked all around them, trying in vain to find an escape route. There was none.

"What are we going to do?" Blocky asked, whimpering in fear.

"I don't know. There's no way out of here." Rapsheeba said. She turned to Snap. "What about you? Do you have any ideas?"

As much as Snap would have loved to say yes, as much as he wanted to know that there was a way out of here, unfortunately, that wasn't the case. He looked up at Rapsheeba sadly, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, queenie...I really don't know what we're going to do."

"Well whatever it is.." Rapsheeba's wide eyes looked at the oncoming zombies. There was too many to fight. "It must be done quickly..."

Snap nodded in agreement. "Or we're all dead..."

sss

"You...you did what...?" Rudy's voice was laced in horror.

"You're a monster..." Penny whispered, equally terrified by what she had been told.

Bardot just smiled at them. "Hey, I let him go, didn't I?"

Bardot was sick. Absolutely sick. Rudy was convinced of this more and more the longer he spent time with him. The levels he would go to get what he wanted..it was despicable. Everything he did was monsterous, horrific, disgusting. This...this was just as disturbing as anything else he has heard of or seen this zoner do. And Rudy almost regretted even asking.

After Bardot mentioned about Snap being in the zombie maze where Jacko had Rudy trapped with a broken arm, Rudy had finally had enough. He and Penny wanted to know how he knew all these things from years ago, when he wasn't even 'born' yet. There had to be a reason why he knew all of this. There was no way Cosmo knew any of it. And it was unlikely Bardot went around asking random zoners to tell them. If he had done that, then he would have been recognized by Skrawl's crew and he would have been dealt with sooner.

Rudy didn't know if Bardot would tell them or not. But it wouldn't hurt to ask. So he did. And much to his surprise, Bardot agreed to tell them how he knew. Finding out the reason filled both of them with horror.

Bardot had sought out Barney in his own home. He had found a way in and trapped Barney inside, blocking any attempt for him to escape. And he had forced Barney to relinquish the information. Bardot didn't say exactly what he did other than he had inflicted some pain on Barney to force him to talk, and eventually the centipede zoner gave in.

The fact that Bardot had tortured Barney, an innocent zoner who had nothing to do with his plans, a zoner that only wanted to be left in peace, infuriated Rudy and Penny. If they weren't so badly injured themselves, they would attack Bardot and make him pay for what he did. Barney didn't deserve any of that. And yet here stood Bardot, acting all proud about what he had done, acting like it was no big deal. He had tortured an innocent zoner and he didn't think it was anything major. He was..disgusting...

"Oh you should have heard him crying, pleading for mercy. Especially when I threatened to kill his turtle friend, King Mumbo Jumbo, right in front of him." Bardot sneered, baring his teeth in an evil grin. "If he had just reliquished the information as soon as I had asked for it...if he had told me, showed me, everything he knew about you two and your blue friend, plus anything else I would find useful..then I wouldn't have harmed him. But he was...reluctant..so I had no choice but to make him more cooperative."

"You're sick!" Rudy spat, holding his left hand in a fist as tight as he could. "You're just a coward who uses intimidation to get what he wants!"

Bardot shrugged his shoulders. "If it gets results, I will use it. It certainly worked for me. Barney was more willing to talk after I started slowly breaking his legs one by one."

Penny gasped, her eyes wide. "You did what?!"

Laughing, Bardot added, "But that wasn't good enough, so you want to know what I did? This is what broke him, along with the threat of his best friend being murdered before his eyes." Bardot moved closer to the two teenagers. He put his face close to them, staring first into Penny's eyes, and then locking onto Rudy's. "I ripped out his eyes..." A gasp from the two teens made him smile broader. In a low whisper, he continued, "It was so easy with my claws, too..." He flexed his claws in front of their faces to emphasize his point.

Bardot had blinded Barney? He...took away his sight... The realization filled Rudy with rage. He gritted his teeth, snarling at the yellow beast.

Bardot moved his head back, a pleasant smile on his face. "After that, he was more cooperative. Having your eyesight taken away does cause a lot of emotional damage. And after he gave me what I wanted, I let him go. I made sure to leave him out somewhere so someone could find him and help him. But I didn't leave without warning him I would kill King Mumbo Jumbo if he dared blab to anyone about what my plans."

That was it. Rudy couldn't take it anymore. He felt his anger reach a boiling point. He felt his body shaking in rage. Penny looked up at him, her eyes just as intense as his. What Bardot told them had angered them both. He blinded an innocent zoner...He had permanently maimed someone who didn't do a damn thing to him...

While Bardot was smiling at him, Rudy pulled his foot back. Mustering as much as strength as he could, he kicked at Bardot. His foot slammed against the zoner's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Giving a yelp of pain, Bardot skidded across the ground and landed on his stomach. Draow, who was watching from a distance, widened his eyes in surprise at this unexpected attack.

Bardot lifted the front part of his body up with his left paw. His right one pressed against his stomach. For the first time, the two teenagers saw a pained look on his face. His eyes were closed tightly, his teeth clenched in obvious distress. As he opened his eyes to look at Rudy and Penny, he coughed up a little bit of blood. The expression on his face as his eyes fully opened was one of shock. He looked genuinely surprised by the attack, clearly not expecting it.

For a brief second, his pupils dilated and his lips curled upward. He looked, for a moment, like a wild beast, drool dripping from his jaws. Rudy and Penny cringed back in fear and braced for an attack. But instead, Bardot shook his head, regaining his original composure. He gave the teens a small smile before getting up and walking away from them.

When Bardot came up to Draow, he gave the teens a sideways glance before giving Draow an instruction. "In one hour..." He gave Penny an evil smile. "..break the girl's leg..."

Penny's eyes widened in fear and she hugged Rudy tighter. Rudy put his left arm over her protectively, glaring hatefully at Draow and Bardot. He was going to do whatever he could to protect Penny. Even with a broken hand and one weaker hand, there was no way he was going to let them hurt her.

"I won't let you..." Rudy hissed under his breath.

Bardot's ears swiveled, catching what the boy said. He turned his head, his intense green eyes boring into Rudy's soul. "You shouldn't have kicked me... You must be punished..." Rudy growled at this. Bardot looked away. "Do not make me angry...you won't like me when I'm angry..." He said in the most threatening, non-pleasant voice the zoner ever spoke in.

Rudy and Penny looked at each other, dread filling their hearts. They hoped Snap would make it on time.