The Main Attraction

by DarkHououmon

Sequel to Shattered Doll. "It is amazing that, even after all this time, you are still so...resilient. I wonder, what will it take to break you? What will it take to make you see things...my way? No answer? Oh don't worry, we have all the time in the world. I will find out eventually..."

25. New Feelings

The Main Attraction

Chapter 25: New Feelings

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Wait! You can't even see my side. Why play yourself out that way? Why you and me always hate? Wait! Weren't you my friend?

-Lost, Korn

sss

"Did you find anything yet?" Rudy asked.

Mint shook his head. "Nothing useful, anyway. All this stuff, we either already know, or it's not going to help us."

"Well keep looking! You're bound to find something in there!" Rudy called out to him.

"Meanwhile, Rudy and I are going to check these other books." Penny said as she held a book in her hands. "It seems like these are all diaries of Skrawl. If we all look, I am sure that, sooner or later, one of us is going to find something useful."

Mint nodded his head at this before turning his attention back to the book that he cradled in his arms. A part of him did feel off about doing this. A part of him couldn't believe that he was even participating in this. But at the same time, he knew it was for a good cause.

Penny had taken a short while to convince them. Eventually, both he and Rudy agreed that it was the best course of action to take. Skrawl might have something written in here that could help them. A map of some kind, or even a secret that they could use to help themselves get out of here. Just...something.

So far, though, he hadn't really found anything of interest. He did look through multiple entries of the diary entries. Or journal entries, whichever turm that jellybean thought to use. Just like he had imagined, most of them were about plans, ones that he was thinking of and ones that he had failed at. Several of the pages were scribbled out, leading Mint to believe that Skrawl had gotten so angry about what had happened that he just...wanted to erase the pages, but was too angry to think to rip them out so he crossed them out. Wait, that didn't make much sense...though that was still what it looked like.

He pushed the thought aside for now as he kept on flipping through the pages, his eyes scanning along them, reading the lines as quickly as he could. Even though he hadn't found anything worthwhile yet, he was bound to find something sooner or later. He just needed to keep looking.

Mint immediately froze when he came across one particular page. He licked his lips slowly, feeling a dryness to them. Upon reading the words, he could tell that this entry was regarding himself. Skrawl had made a few entries on him and this was just one of many. Some were arrogant and others were bitter, and both of them were painful to read. Even in the ones where Skrawl praised Mint for being able to hold back Rudy and Penny, he knew it was just for selfish gain. There was absolutely nothing to be proud of in what he had done back then.

Mint forced himself to keep moving forward, flipping through more of the pages. It was difficult seeing those entries on himself, difficult to turn away from them. He did manage it on some level at least, and he was able to keep moving at a steady pace. He continued reading through this diary, hoping to find something that could help them.

So far, though, there was nothing. Just Skrawl complaining like a little kid when things don't go his way. He hadn't thought much on that, but that's what Skrawl seems to act like most of the time. A little kid. The teen couldn't help but give a bitter chuckle. It was funny how he had been eleven years old at the time and he had behaved rather disgustingly, and yet he still matured more than Skrawl ever had. Wasn't Skrawl supposed to be an adult?

Well, that didn't really matter right now anyway. He didn't need to stand here and criticize Skrawl's maturity levels. Instead, he refocused his attention on trying to find something that he and his friends could use to get out of here with, in some shape or form. Come on, Skrawl had a bunch of things written. Surely there must be something in here that could them. Something...anything...

Just then, as he was turning the page and going past yet another entry about his betrayal, something slipped out of the book. Mint took a step back and watched as it landed on the ground at his feet. He stared at it long and hard, wondering just what it could be. He looked over at where Rudy and Penny were. They were still busy looking through the books. They hadn't heard the paper drop. Mint looked back at the paper and, after a few moments, he reached down and he grabbed onto the paper and lifted it up. He unfolded it quickly and looked at its contents.

His eyes immediately widened. He had expected to see words written on this thing, but instead he got something else entirely.

It was a map...

He could feel his mind spinning around in circles, excitement clutching at his chest. He and his friends were hoping to find a map, but they all thought, on some level, that it wasn't going to be that likely. After all, why would Skrawl keep a map hidden away in his dairies? It didn't make much sense.

So to find one... A part of Mint wondered if this map could be some kind of a fake. Or maybe someone else had made it and slipped it in here. Or Skrawl was just weird and did it himself. The hand writing on this thing did seem a little sloppy. Exactly the kind of writing that he'd expect from Skrawl. Well, regardless of who made the map, it was here, within his hands. Now the only question was..

...what next?

He knew the first thing that he needed to do. Turning his head over to Rudy and Penny, he immediately called them over. "Hey guys! Look at this!"

Rudy and Penny did not waste time and they rushed over towards the slightly older boy. Before they had time to say anything, Mint immediately showed them the map that he had found, stretching the unfolding paper so that they were able to see everything. The two teens' eyes immediately widened in shock at this discovery.

"You..found a map?" Rudy whispered softly, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You actually found a map? A real map?"

Mint nodded his head. "Well, I can't tell if this is fake or not..."

"It seems legit to me." Penny spoke up as she gently gripped the bottom of the paper and stretched it out towards herself. "This does all look exactly what we've been through already. Like...here's where we went up the cactus, and here's where we had been captured by Sandra..."

Rudy and Mint followed Penny's finger as she moved it along the paper, showing them exactly what she was talking about. The two boys looked at each other and then back at the map. Sure enough, Penny had been correct. All those markings did look exactly like they'd expect a map of the cactus and castle's interiors to look like, based on what they themselves had seen.

"Okay so...now that we have a map..." Rudy narrowed his eyes. "...think we can find Snap?"

Mint stared at the map intently. Viewing it upside down like this was a little difficult. But he was able to work with it just fine and he scanned his eyes all around the map. "Hmm...I'm not sure. Do any of you remember which way she had taken him?"

Penny took a step closer and pressed her finger at a certain angle. "I recall she took him this way. So maybe Snap is somewhere in this part of the castle." She drew a large circle around the castle. "Of course... that doesn't really narrow things down all that much..."

"That is a lot of area to look..." Mint said in a soft tone. He knew that the castle, combined with this cactus, was multiple layered. Who know how long it would take to find Snap? Especially when they had no idea if Sandra even kept him on the same level or not...

"Well then we should start looking." Rudy clutched his fist tightly. "The sooner we start looking for Snap, the better."

Penny and Mint nodded their heads at this. They both knew that Rudy was right. Regardless of uncertainties, they still needed to act as quickly as they could. They needed to start finding Snap as soon as possible. But none of them knew how well Snap was doing right now. All they could do was hope that Snap was able to hang on long enough for them to come save him.

sss

Snap gritted his teeth as he glared at the kennel door in front of him. He formed fists with his hands, shaking them. This stupid door... It blocked his only way out of here. He had tried to punch it again and again, but it just...would not budge one bit.

But it really wasn't the door that was the target of his anger. It was himself. He couldn't stop beating himself up internally. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have agreed to...this? How could he have let Sandra win like that? Now because of his own stupidity, he was...trapped here. And he had no one to blame but himself.

True, this was all Sandra's idea. She is the one who forced this decision upon him. But..he should have known better. He should have tried harder. He should have been able to resist... And look what happened. If only he had just tried a little harder, maybe he could have avoided this whole mess.

Snap placed his hands against the cage door. The bars were too close together for him to squeee his hand out. This fact irritated him; right before him, he could see the latch that held the door shut. If he could just squeeze his hand out, he'd no doubt be able to reach the latch and pull it open to let himself out. He lifted up a hand and he stared down at it. His eyes narrowed into slits. This was one of the few times where he was actually unhappy with the design that Rudy had given him. If only Rudy had designed him with less...bulbeous hands.

So far, he did not see any sign of Sandra. He did not hear her coming along. Maybe he could use this time to try to get away still. He didn't doubt the door was locked, but...there had to be another way out of here, right? There had to be a way that he could escape from this place. Surely Sandra had some kind of ventilation system in this room, maybe on the ceiling or something. All he had to do was pile things up high and climb up to reach it.

But first, he had to figure a way out of this thing. The latch might be secured, but there was a chance that...maybe he could break it open or something. He just needed to hit it at the right angle with the right amount of force, and perhaps he'd be able to break it open. He just needed to find the weak point. The spot where, if hit with enough force, he'd be able to bust it open.

Gritting his teeth, Snap straightened himself up the best that he could. His body trembled a little from the emotion surging inside of him. He struggled to push aside his uncomfortable thoughts and focused on the door before him. He hunched his body and he kicked at the ground underneath his feet. Then, his eyes narrowed deeply, he charged forward.

When he got close enough, he shifted himself to the side and struck into the metal door with his shoulder. He ignored the wash of pain racing through him upon impact. He moved back a little and, after giving himself a couple moments to take in a breather or two, he charged again. His shoulder almost seemed to echo in pain as he struck it a second time. He repeated this process over and over again, ignoring the growing pain in his shoulder as he desperately tried to break the door down.

No matter how hard he tried, it just was not working. The latch on the door was secured too tightly and it absolutely refused to budge. Even when he tried striking from other angles, it still was not good enough. It was as if the door was glued into place, and the glue only got stronger the more that he struck out against it.

He refused to give up, however. He continued trying to break the door off its hinge. There had to be a way to weaken it. There had to be a way to make the latch open or break or something. He just needed to keep striking. Sooner or later, something had to give...right?

So far, nothing. No matter how hard he hit against the door, it did nothing to budge. It just stayed put, as if nothing had happened. And the kennel itself just wasn't moving either. His body weight was not enough to shift things thing around. It was just so heavy. So there goes any plans on trying to tilt this thing over.

Not that such a thing would have helped. This door was the only exit. There were no other openings. No areas that he could try to pry apart. Even if there were, this material was quite tough and hard. How would he be able to tear the openings further when this kennel was so hard and thick that he would end up breaking his leg first before he could even create a dent in the thing? So far, it seemed the only way out was to break open the door. And he had no idea how he was going to do that.

He could feel his head spinning and aching. He really wanted to try to find a way out of here, but...how was he going to escape this place? If the only way out was this stupid door, and if he couldn't even get out of the door because of the latch...

No, he couldn't be fully trapped. There had to be a way out. There was always a way. He just...needed to think of this from a new angle. He needed to search more deeply. Look around and try to see if there was anything here he could use to get himself out. There had to be a way out of here. There just...had to be...

...but who was he kidding? He was utterly trapped in this place. At the moment, there was just..no way out. He didn't want to give up. A part of him just wanted to keep going. But... oh, his head hurt so much from trying to think so hard. He clutched his head tightly, gritting his teeth. It took him several moments before he could even settle himself down and he leaned up against the wall as he tried to calm himself.

There was still a way out... He just hadn't thought of it yet. For the time being, he just...needed to lay low for a while. Try to stay quiet and calm so that he could think of something. Sandra would slip up sooner or later. He just needed to wait until the right moment, and then take the first given opportunity to escape.

Speaking of Sandra, just...where was she...?

He hadn't seen her since he had woken up. He hardly remembered what happened at first. It took him a while to realize what Sandra had done to him, and their little 'deal' prior. His stomach twisted for a moment as he recalled what Sandra had told him and the way she had acted. He was able to push that aside for the time being while he tried to figure out where she had gone.

He couldn't really remember. He didn't recall Sandra saying where she'd be or when she would be back. He just knew that she would be back at some point, and when she did...

Snap couldn't help but shudder as he felt the stinging feelings return ten fold. He huddled against himself as he slid down to the ground. He held his knees against himself, resting his head on them. He wasn't able to push back the feeling this time around and he couldn't help but give a few shudders as he tried to warm himself up. Nothing he did seemed to work, and it felt as though the temperature around him dropped dramatically.

Just...what had he gotten himself into...? It wasn't like Sandra had given him much of a choice, but still... He licked his lips nervously, feeling his heart twist in his chest. Things were bad enough before, but now...

It was still quite unnerving, the way that Sandra had been acting earlier. Not that he preferred being eaten alive. He could do very well without that. But...how could Sandra just..suddenly get attracted to him like that? Why did she kiss him out of the blue? Why did she pin him down and talk about wanting to keep him forever? Well, she already did want to do that before, but that time, when she spoke it, it felt as though there was...another meaning behind it. A different tone that he just barely detected.

Snap could feel his heart racing against his chest and he put his hand against it. He could feel each thump, and he noticed how it was getting a little faster as time went on. And it only got worse the more he thought about his present situation and Sandra's sudden change in attitude. He just...what the hell was going on...?

There had to be a reason behind these newfound feelings she seemed to have for him. Or perhaps they weren't new feelings, just another way for her to try to control him. Or maye there was even something else going on. He didn't know what, but he...

He heard the sound of footsteps approaching just outside of the door. He immediately stiffened his body and he glared in the direction of the door, baring his teeth. He already knew who was coming. He could tell from how the claws tapped against the ground. He could see the shadow through the space in the door, and he noticed four points on something moving. A tail with sharp spikes on them, just like Sandra had...

Then the door opened up.

Sure enough, it was indeed Sandra. A little tired-looking and a bit worn, but still her nonetheless. She shut the door behind her and, no surprise, locked it up good and tight. She then moved further into the room. Snap growled softly as he waited for her to come over towards him.

But that's not what she did. To his confusion, she had veered off to the side, getting out of his line of sight. Snap tilted his head in confusion, wondering just what Sandra was up to. He moved himself forward and pushed against the metal door keeping him in side. He kept flattening his face against the door as he tried to figure out where Sandra had gone.

He could only see enough to tell that she was standing off to the side. She seemed to be just...standing there and he couldn't tell what she was doing. What was Sandra up to? What was she...

A few moments later, Sandra started to return. Snap immediately moved his head back and looked up at her, his eyes moving up and down as he noticed that something had changed about her. The marks..they were gone... Hadn't Sandra come in with some cuts and such? Where did they go? He realized that Sandra must have healed herself.

Now that she no longer looked scrappy and didn't seem to have any more diverting thoughts, Snap got her full on attention. That set of red eyes stared directly at him as she moved in towards the cage. He hunched his body down and gritted his teeth tightly, letting out low growls. This seemed to only amuse Sandra, noted by her chuckling, but Snap refused to let up. He was not going to allow her to get close to him without some sort of fight.

Sandra stopped in front of the cage door, her hands folding behind her back. Her tail swished slowly from side to side as she regarded the shivering, frightened, and angered zoner inside. "So...did you enjoy your name, my little sweetheart?"

Snap felt a cold shudder rush through his body at that disgusting comment. "Bite me!"

Sandra's red eyes twinkled as she leaned herself back, placing her fingers against her lower jaw. "Oh, you're one of those? Into the pain? I wouldn't have guessed!"

Snap felt his face pale at this. Then he narrowed his eyes and gripped the bars tightly...or at least tried to. "Let me out of here, you backstabbing little...!"

"Me, a backstabber? Oh my, I think you got it all mixed up." Sandra lowered her head slightly as her eyes narrowed. "As I recall, it was you who had forsaken my trust." Snap just growled at this. Sandra gave a soft chuckle. "But don't worry. I do think we can...mend it somehow. I am more than willing to give you another chance."

Snap shuddered at the way that Sandra had said that. He cringed back further from the door, forming fists with his hands just like he did before. He did not appreciate the tone that she had given, and he couldn't help but get a series of disturbing images through his skull. Each one was more horrendeous than the last. And he knew that Sandra would attempt at least one of them on him.

Sandra seemed to take notice of the look in his eyes and she tilted her head to one side. "I don't see why you are so upset. I have given you...quite the opportunity..." She raised her hand up gesture. "You know that I would never back down from a promise. And when I told you that I promised that you wouldn't regret the decision...I meant it." She curled her fingers inward as she yanked her arm back. "You will never find a more...powerful loyalty than from me."

His body shaking from emotion, Snap found himself yelling at Sandra before he could even hope to stop. "Fuck you! You're the one who betrayed me! You made me suffer for weeks, making everyone think that I was a murderer! Why the hell should I trust you?!" He panted heavily after this statement, glaring directly into Sandra's eyes, waiting for an answer.

Sandra stared at him blankly for several moments. It was hard to tell just what kind of emotion she was feeling right now. Was it disappointment? Anger? Amusement? Just...what was she thinking?

He soon got his answer when Sandra gave a smile. Not a friendly one at that. It was quite dark and twisted, and the sight of it made his heart skip several beats. He took a couple of steps back away from Sandra, his body hunching, his hands clasping against one another. He struggled to look brave, but he was not able to stop his eyes from widening.

Sandra motioned her hand towards herself and she gave a grin, her sharp teeth exposed. "Because I'm the only reason you're still alive..."

Immediately, the superhero zoner froze where he stood. It almost felt as if even time itself had stopped. And all the while, he could not tear himself away from Sandra. It was like she had managed to grab him with invisible hands and was holding him in place. He couldn't even think to struggle. The only thing that he could do was just stare at Sandra and really think about just what it is that she told him.

Despite wanting to deny it, he knew that she was right. She really was the only reason that he was still alive. She was the one who was going to ensure that he lived day to day after this. If his friends were unable to save him, and if he were to remain trapped in this kennel, then Sandra really would be the only one who could keep him alive.

And even without that, Sandra still had an influence over the fact that he was alive. She could easily kill him at any given moment. The only reason that he didn't keel over was that Sandra wished it. He didn't want to admit this, but he knew that it was true. The fact that Sandra was now tolerating him was the only reason he wasn't dead...or at the very least, in a lot of pain.

Regardless of this, however, Snap still kept his body stiff, ready to fight. He glared daggers in the direction of the evil dragon, not allowing her out of his sight. Even as she paced back and forth, he still did not allow her out of his sight. He kept his teeth bared, and he felt the muscles in his legs tighten as if to prepare to launch himself at her, despite being blocked. He was not going to allow this zoner to catch him off guard. Not if he could help it.

He could feel the emotion swelling up inside of him and his body shook in rhythm to it. He tried to keep himself calm, but he just...found himself unable to. And before he knew it, he released his confusion in one short anger-tinged outburst.

"Just...what the fuck do you have planned for me?! Why are you doing this?! Why are you suddenly acting this way?! What is the purpose of all this?! Just...why?!"

Sandra tilted her head slowly to one side. "Oh my dear little child... You really want to know..?"

Snap nodded his head furiously. "Yes! I want to know!"

Sandra gave a few chuckles at this, her lips curled back into a dark grin. She took a few steps towards the cage, staring intently at Snap. "Okay then, my little Snacks." Snap flinched at this. "Since you really want to know.. I will tell you. I think you will find it quite...interesting..."

And with that, Sandra began to explain.

sss

"I have spent years in that hell hole of a prison. Years in isolation. Years by myself, with no one around except for my caretakers. And even they only visited me when it was feeding time, not to interact with me. I was utteraly alone, Snap. So completely alone... My only company was my own thoughts. So I thought and I thought, replaying scenes over and over in my mind. Plotted and schemed, thought of all the things that I'd do if I got out. Really, it was all that I could do there. All that I was able to accomplish. But it wasn't so bad; it was through this that I was able to plan ahead so well like this."

Sandra paced from side to side as she spoke to Snap. Her eyes never left him. Either one or both were upon him, her mouth curling back into a dark grin. She made sure that he heard every word that she said.

"But you know... I did started to realize something. I was thinking a little too much about you. Not even dear Rudy got this much thought out of me. It was you, my dear little Snacks, that got the bulk of my attention. I was not really surprised by this, really. After all, you were the one who betrayed me the most. Rudy might be the promise breaker, but I was closer to you than him. Your betrayal of me hurt me more than Rudy's promise breaking."

"You were the one who betrayed me..." Snap growled.

Sandra lowered her ears slightly and shook her head sadly. "You don't get it, do you?" She lifted her head up, staring at Snap with a downwards glance. "Do you have any idea how much it hurt me? To have you turn on me like that? I had been trying to remain a good friend to you. I had tried to give you many chances. You still turned against me."

"Because you were killing people!"

Sandra decided to ignore that comment. No use arguing over that right now. Not like Snap was going to listen anyway. With a single dismissive wave of the hand, she looked to the side at nothing and said, "I kept on thinking about you more than the others...because out of all of you, I would have wanted to keep your friendship the most. Why do you think I gave you so many chances before? I wanted you to listen to reason, to listen to me. I never betrayed you. I only wish that you could have seen that."

No surprise, Snap did not react very well to that. Sandra could feel a slight sting in her chest, old feelings from before returning as Snap ranted off at her. This time, she was able to handle them better, and she just stared at him with narrowed eyes. Snap was such a fool; she had gotten used to these responses.

Eventually Snap did settle down. She had allowed him to yell as much as he wanted to until he ran out of strength. Now she listened to him cough, watching as he heaved in and out quickly. The sight of it was almost amusing to her. A part of her found it hard to believe that anyone had that much to say against what she believed. She had always thought that everyone would side with her once she had told them everything. Oh how wrong she had been...

Snap's long rant was nothing new. He did not bring up any further points. It was more just rehashing the same old stuff over and over, intermixed with a few insults here or there. Snap was reacting on pure emotion right now. Not logic. So naturally, his rant was nothing more than just emotional rambling rather than more logical, thoughtful speech.

It was only after Snap seemed to have settled down that Sandra started to continue. "Anyway, to get on with it, like I said, I was thinking a lot about you." She leaned herself slightly to the side as she raised her hand up in gesture, her pacing having long since stopped. "...a little too much..." She formed a small fist with her hand and turned her head downwards towards the ground. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I never realized how much I thought about you...until recently that is, when I really began to think about it."

"...it was when you kissed me, wasn't it...?" Snap's voice was low and tentative.

Sandra nodded her head at this. "Oh yes. You see, that was...rather unplanned, really. When I saw you like that, something just...finally clicked in my mind. And that is when these new feelings arose, which..." She chuckled a little, staring down at Snap with a glinting, almost insane red eye. "..changed my plans for you. A little."

Snap narrowed his eyes and his body tensed up. It looked almost cute, the way that he seemed to be preparing for a fight that he surely stood no chance in. A part of her was almost tempted to let him out just so he could try to take a swing at her.

But she digressed. Not wasn't really the time for something like that. Maybe she would give Snap a chance later on. It probably would be a little bit of fun letting him try to get at her. And after she's toyed with him that way, she could get ready for the...real fun...

"I really thought about it. How much I thought about you... and then I realized something." Sandra took a step forward. This caused Snap to flinch and move back from her. "...I still want you, Snap. Despite the fact that you betrayed me so wholeheartedly... I still want you. On some level, I still want to keep you around. Not just as a food source, but...as a companion."

Snap gave a visible shudder at this as his face contorted in disgust. "Y-You're a..."

Sandra chuckled as she raised her hand up. "I know it's...unconventional. But I am serious, Snacks." She formed a small fist as she continued to stare at Snap, her tail swishing from side to side slowly. "I want you back. I want you to stay with me. I will inflict both pain and pleasure on you. You will be both my food source and my source of companionship. I will see to it that no one else harms you, and you will not be killed. I will make your experience with me...a rather unique one..."

Snap let out a low growl at this. His body quivered immensively, moving back away from her as his wide, white eyes refused to leave her. She could practically see his mind's gears turning around as he struggled to process this information. She could tell that this was going to be a lot for him to swallow, and she could understand why.

After all, she had attempted to kill him before. In the back of her mind, she remembered how she had attacked him during the court after her ruling had been in place. She would admit, she had lost control over herself at this point. And she had knocked him down, tried to hurt him. If it hadn't been for Jyker's intervention, she probably would have killed Snap then and there. A part of her did feel relieved that she did not go through with it. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be having this kind of moment with Snap.

But despite how afraid he was, despite how bizarre this situation had become, Sandra realized that she could use this to her advantage. Keeping Snap close to keep him from becoming tainted further, and she could start to...turn things around a little. Without his so called friends to interfere, maybe she could finally get Snap to see reason. She realized in that momet, it wasn't just Rudy that she could retrain.

She could educate both Rudy and Snap. She could get them on her side. Two people with a high influence over ChalkZone. And with them convinced of her worldview, the rest would follow suit...

She wasn't really sure how probable this was going to be. A part of her wondered just how far gone everyone was. It would be insanely difficult... Yet at the same time, if there was a chance to save this world, this would be a first good step to take. And if there was anyone that she felt was...unworthy, anyone that she did not think would ever see reason, she could just kill them off. She already had a plan for how to do that, and it involved Skrawl.

The thought of him immediately made her mouth corners spread slightly. She wondered how Skrawl was doing after she had her little 'fun' with him. He was back in his cage, secured good and tight. After what she had done to him, she doubted that he was going to have the energy or will to fight back for a while. It might have seemed like...an extreme thing to do, but hey it worked, didn't it?

As for the four Beanie Boys, she had gotten them under her control now. One might think that her doing it so fast was an impossible feat. But when you have super healing powers, there was just so many possibilities. She didn't even have to alter their memories; she wound up just messing with their amygdalas. A few tweaks here and there, and now those stupid zoners were too terrified to disobey an order. Right now, they were going after Rudy and his friends. She wondered how well they were doing with that.

"I-I'll never be with you!"

Those words broke Sandra out of her train of thought. She stared blankly in Snap's direction, raising an eyebrow at this. "Oh really now...?" She tilted her head to one side. "And what makes you so sure of that?"

"After what you did to me..." Snap growled through his gritted teeth. "...why the hell woud I ever consider being with you?!"

"Well, you did agree..." Sandra pointed out.

"Only because you forced me into it! B-But it won't last! Y-You will see! I will get out!" Snap's body shook with emotion as he shouted at Sandra. She detected a few emotions in there, including fear, anger, and sadness. "I will find a way out of here and I will reunite with my friends! I swear it!"

Sandra shook her head slowly. Judging from Snap's emotional outburst, it was going to take some time to get Snap to settle down...at least the slower, more in depth way. She could speed things along, like she did with the Beanie Boys. But...no, she wanted to take her time with Snap. Move in at a slower pace. This way, she could be much more..thorough with him.

And sure, Snap could say that he was not going to remain with her. That was only emotion talking, however. He was just scared of her. Frightened... just like she wanted him to be. This would ensure that he was less likely to leave her. She just needed to properly utilize it, and find ways to stimulate Snap in a less...unpleasant manner. Give him a reason to want to stay that was not entirely rooted in fear. Complicate things a little. After all, a more affective means of controlling someone goes beyond just simple mind control.

"Oh you poor, naive little Snap..." Sandra cooed softly as she made her way even closer towards the cage. "You are so..."

"Get away from me! Don't you dare touch me!" Shouted Snap as he moved even further away from the cage door. "I-I'm warning you...!"

Sandra simply chuckled at this as she continued getting ever closer to the frightened and shivering zoner. She then hooked a finger on the latch, flipping it open. She moved it open, putting her body in the way of the opening so that Snap could not try to escape. She made her towards Snap, making sure to keep using her body as a deterrent so he couldn't attempt to get out.

Snap scrambled to get away from her. Despite his previous show of bravery, it was quite clear to her just how terrified of her that he truly was. He kept trying to move away, keep some distance between her and him. And as that space rapidly decreased the closer that she got, the more...antsy and desperate Snap seemed to get.

It eventually culminated to a point where Snap attempted to launch an attack against Sandra. A bold move, but still a rather foolish one. Sandra simply narrowed her eyes as she watched Snap rush over at her with his fist ready to strike. She waited until the right moment, and then she began to arch her feather fingers and twist them downward at an angle. The effect was almost immediate.

"Aaaahhh!" Snap screamed as he fell into the ground, clutching his side. "What are you doing?!"

"Such a foolish question... You know what I'm doing." Sandra spoke softly as she calmly made her way over towards Snap, her tail swinging about. "Do not worry. I will not cause permanent damage. I just want to...discourage you from trying to get out. I take it you won't try running out if your spleen is close to bursting, am I right?"

Snap looked up at her in horror at this statement. "B-But that would..."

Sandra grinned. "You know I have incredible healing capabilities, right? I could do so much to you..and so long as I heal you before death takes a hold, you will be fine. Case in point..."

Sandra twitched her hand back and as soon as she did, there was a loud cracking sound. Snap froze for a brief moment before he released a bloodcurdling scream and dropped to the ground. He clutched at his leg, where a dark red spot was forming. Snap let out a series of whimpers and cries as he struggled to cope with the immense pain. He looked up at her with wide eyes, silently asking her 'why?'.

Sandra just sneered at this. "The pain of a broken leg is quite much, isn't it? Would you like for the pain to end now? I can stop it, just as easily as I started it." She took a step forward. "What do you say, Snap?"

The zoner, tears spilling out of his eyes, nodded his head slowly. "Y-Yes...please...just..." He sniffled. "M-Make it stop... Please..." Tears flowed down his cheeks, any ounce of dignity that he had gone, his mind consumed with pain. "I-I can't take it...Just make it stop... Please...m-make it go away.."

Sandra lifted her head up slightly. "As you wish, my dear sweetie." Then, with another flick of the wrist or two, the damage she had caused to Snap's leg reversed. In a matter of seconds, the injury had completely healed with no sign of breakage or bruising. It was like nothing had even happened. "There, do you feel better now?"

Snap didn't bother to answer. He just laid on the ground, curled up in a small ball. His body quaked as he whimpered softly. Even with the pain gone, in some ways, he could still feel it. All he could do was just...stare at her in fear, his hand still clutching his leg where the pain had previously radiated. Another hand rubbed his side, which she was still messing with a little. She stopped that, but even he kept laying down as if she was still tearing him from the inside out.

Sandra watched this with narrowed eyes. She watched him with narrowed eyes, waiting to see what he would do next. So far, he just laid there, whimpering and crying, his body still shaking like a leaf. When it was clear that Snap was not going to get up, Sandra let out a soft sigh and she began to stride her way towards him.

This time, Snap did not try to run off. He did stare at her fearfully and he did cringe. But any attempt of getting away, he did not make. Even though his leg was fully healed and he would have no trouble getting up and running, it was as if his mind still thought he was in pain, still thought that the leg was busted, and really, truly believed that there was no way out. Sandra couldn't help but give a soft, inward smile at this. It certainly made it easier for her to get close to him this time.

And now he stood over him, staring down at his shivering form. Her red eyes bored through his frightened ones. With a grin exposing her sharp teeth, she lowered herself towards Snap and rested herself on top of him, using her body as a sort of cover for him. She felt their bodies touching each other as she settled down, making sure that she did not put too much weight on his shivering form.

"Oh don't cry, little Snacks. It will be all right."

Sandra looped her arms around Snap to pull him into a sort of embrace. Her tail curled inwards, pressing lightly against his body, her tail spikes pointed harmlessly in the opposite direction. She lowered her head and she pressed it against Snap's.

"I will keep you safe. No one else will try to harm you." Sandra could hear Snap let out a low whimper at that. She grinned. "And don't you worry. I promise I will help you see the light eventually." She lifted her head and stared down at him. "Everything will become clear to you. I promise." She lowered her head once more and pressed her cheek firmly against Snap's, nuzzling him. "Do not worry..."

Snap did not respond with anything except for a whimper and cringing. Sandra kept her arms looped around him, making sure he could not escape. She curled her tail around his body as she kept her face pressed against his. She enjoyed the feeling of power and control that this brought to her.

Oh yes, Snap will not escape her this time...