N E E D
By DarkHououmon
Chapter 25: Returns
So...I've heard you've done a bad thing...
sss
Snap rested on the ground. He opened up one eye, the solace of sleep already over. For a brief moment, he forgot that he was sleeping inside a large, glass container with two of his friends, Howdy and Blocky. The cold surface and the unfamiliar lighting were enough to reaquaint himself with his present reality.
He lifted up his head and looked over at the others. They were still asleep. Tired, eyes closed. Even in their sleep, he could see just how terrified they were. He bit his lip, wishing there was something he could say or do to help them feel better. He then placed his head back down, chin against the hard, cold ground. He gave a shudder, finding it hard to come to terms with his reality.
He had spent a night in the Real World, something he had never done before. The Real World was a dangerous place for him, for any zoner. It was an act he did not think he'd ever do, especially given these...circumstances.
Terry had forced this upon him. She had threatened him into submission. He couldn't believe how weak he was. He should have resisted more. He should have stood up for himself. Now he was left with a feeling of remorse. He wondered how Rudy might feel, if he found out. Surely, he'd understand, but... Snap couldn't help but fear what the boy's reaction might be.
Snap didn't bother trying to get out of the containment. Save for the few holes, which he'd never be able to fit through, there were no openings in this thing. He had a good enough look at it to know that no such exit existed, keeping ihim trapped in the glass container.
It wasn't all bad, though. He at least got to see Blocky again. The reunion was rather bittersweet. He wished he could have seen him again under better circumstances. But at least he was with him again and could see what condition he was in, and learn what he had gone through. The stories were horrible, and he found himself wanting to throw up out of rage, but a small part of him was comforted at no longer being in the dark about what happened to him.
He tried his best to control the rage-filled thoughts growing in his mind. The mere idea of those humans hurting Blocky just for 'science'...it was disgusting. Blocky hadn't done a dang fucking thing to them, and yet, they still found it necessary to hurt him like that. The stretching, the Real World water, the cold, the heat... Did they stop at nothing to get what they wanted? Were there no limits in what they would do to his friend?
Poor Blocky...he was so scared... Snap could tell that he was going to be traumatized for a long time. The zoner had hardly left his side, or Howdy's. He could still feel the rectangular zoner pressed up against him, his breathing slow and steady. Howdy laid on the opposite side of him, his hand lightly pressed against Blocky carefully, an attempt to comfort him even while he slept.
Another good thing is that at least he was trapped with his friends. Von nor Terry had thought about separating them from the container into different ones. At least they could be with each other for comfort. That was something at least.
Snap yawned and closed his eyes. He didn't know what time it was. He couldn't even tell if it was truly morning yet. Right now, he just wanted to go back to sleep and pretend that this didn't happen. He wanted to, for an extra hour or so, dream that he was back in his own home, or getting a visit from Rudy and Penny, of him being anywhere except here.
Unfortunately, life didn't always pan out that way. He didn't have a long time to rest before he heard the scraping sound of the enclosure being opened up.
"Time for your breakfast, blue boy."
Snap opened his eyes, but didn't get a chance to look at Terry before the evil woman grabbed him by his cape. He gagged as he was thrust upward, the cloth pressing against his neck. He dangled up in the air, pushing his hands against his cape, trying to get some more breath, as Terry shut the enclosure.
Snap looked over and saw that Blocky and Howdy had woken up from the sudden motion. Remaining on the ground, they lifted up their heads and looked over at him, their eyes wide in horror and shock. Snap opened his mouth to speak to them, but he was suddenly pulled through the air as Terry began to carry him out of the room and down the hallway.
Snap tried to struggle and squirm out of her grasp, but it was useless. His cape was secured too well around his neck, and the cloth itself was too thick; he'd never be able to tear through it. He eventually stopped trying and dangled in the air. He growled softly, displeased at being carried around like a cat. He would try to strike at her, but he held back. The last thing he needed was to make Terry angry.
The woman remained quiet as she carried him down the hallway. He didn't know where he was going, and everything looked so similar here, it was hard for him to keep track of where they had been. He realized that the only thing keeping him from being too nervous was the fact that Terry wanted him alive and had announced it was feeding time.
It took a little longer than he had hoped, but they soon arrived in another room. This one appeared to be the dining hall of this facility. It looked a tad dirtier than he'd expected, and it looked as if it was barely used in quite a while. He wondered if this had anything to do with Von losing his reputation. He was surprised the man could still keep this place at all. Perhaps he still had a ton of money to spare.
Snap took a moment to look around. The ground was white with some pale blue, tiled although having lost its shine. There were several rows of round tables with simple looking chairs pulled up to them. Not far away, he could see a food bar that was mostly barren, a register that was tilted to its side, and a small fridge that still had some bottles of soda in it.
Terry took him over to the nearest table. She dropped him in the chair. Snap didn't have much time to regain his bearings before he felt a click. He looked down and found that his leg had been cuffed to the chair. He narrowed his eyes. So much for an attempt at escape, not that he would have tried to with Terry around anyway. He didn't know this place and frankly, he didn't want to try his luck at getting lost.
"Stay right here. Let me go get you your grub." Terry said before turning and walking away.
Snap watched her leave, his eyes narrowing. He took this time to try to figure out what he was going to do once allowed back into ChalkZone. Rudy and Penny might be able to figure out what to do once he delivered the message that Terry wanted him to. They were smart kids. They could figure something out, right?
That is...if he was going to see them at all. He was aware of the issue with Rudy's aunt finding out about ChalkZone. He wasn't sure if that had been truly resolved yet or not. And the idea of possibly having to deal with Rudy's aunt... He could only hope that it would be easier than dealing with Von and Terry.
Snap realized he had to consider the possibility of Rudy and Penny not being able to help at all. If their folks cut them off from ChalkZone... He shook his head, not willing to believe such a possibility. Yet he couldn't shake it off. It would be smart if he tried to figure out something on his own, just in case he was not going to have the input of his friends backing him up.
But how was he going to deal with Von and Terry? For the moment, they had the upperhand. They barely left him and the others unguarded unless they were in the enclosure. And the enclosure was not going anywhere, and it was rather solid despite being hollow. Pushing it over wasn't going to work; Howdy had apparently tried something similar.
He refused to believe it was hopeless, however. There was a way to get out of this mess. He just..had to figure out a different angle at looking at this. A weak point that Terry and Von had missed.
He stifled his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Terry coming towards him. He turned his head and he noticed that she was carrying a small try. On it was a sandwich and a small cup. The drink itself and the sandwich were clearly made of chalk, as he could tell from this distance. This was probably some bit of that food that Howdy had been forced to bring.
Terry walked up to the table and, nonchalantly, dropped the tray onto the flat surface. Snap winced as he heard the loud clang. He stared at the food and drink for a few seconds. Then he looked up at Terry, who folded her arms against her chest and glared down at him.
"Go on.." She made a gesture with her head. "Eat up. This will be your only chance. You'll get nothing else today from us."
Snap shuddered at the thought. He hated the idea of having to go so long without food, and especially without water. This, however, provided him with an incentive to eat what he could now. Turning his attention to the sandwich, he tentatively picked it up and sniffed it.
"Oh just eat it already!" Terry snarled.
"Okay! I will! I just..." Snap looked at the sandwich, lifting up the bun. "Is that...?"
"Look, you little runt," Terry growled at him. "Either you eat the food now so we can get going, or I'll take it from you and you will have to wait until tomorrow morning to get anything."
Snap flinched at that. He pressed the bun back down. He looked up at Terry for a few seconds, watching as she crossed her arms against her chest. He froze under her cold glare, and for a moment, he couldn't move. A further narrowing of the eyes prompted him to start eating. As he took his first bite and swallowed, Terry gave a small, eerie smile.
"That's a good zoner..." Terry cooed softly. She reached over and gently patted Snap on the head. He hissed at this, but Terry was not deterred. She rested her hand on him, her fingers moving back and forth. "Just eat up now. You have a job awaiting you. And remember, I will not leave while you eat..."
Snap winced as he felt Terry grab onto his head a little tighter. Her fingernails pressed against the thin cloth, pressing against his scalp. He tried to move his head, but it only resulted in her driving her nails further against his skin.
"So don't try anything funny..." More pressure down on his head. "Do you understand me?"
Snap nodded his head swiftly. "Y-Yes, ma'am..." He winced in pain as the nails practically broke the skin. He thought he could feel something leaking on his head, but maybe it was just his imagination.
Terry smiled at this, satisfied by his answer. "Good." She moved her hand away. Snap sighed with relief. "Now hurry up. I need to feed the rest of you zoners before we can get started." She motioned with her hand before refolding her arms. "So come on! Eat up already!"
"All right! Hold on!" Snap called out to her. He took a quick sip of his drink, enjoying the sweet flavor, and then turned to his sandwich. He gave Terry a small glare before he started to consume the sandwich.
sss
Rudy stood outside of his house, not far from the driveway. He was positioned next to his aunt, who kept her arm around him to keep him there. Sophie stood beside her mother, holding onto her other hand and making some excited squeals.
This was it. This was the day that he had been dreading. The day he had been waiting for.
His parents were returning.
While Sophie was excited to see her aunt and uncle again, Rudy was nervous. While Aunt Tilly did promise that she wouldn't speak a word about ChalkZone to them, he knew that could easily change if she decided it was best if she said something. He was nervous about how his parents would react. If his aunt went nuts when she found out, he could only begin to imagine just how his parents might be.
Even if she didn't tell them about that incident, there was still something else he had to worry about. No doubt his aunt would tell his parents about what happened with Penny. The thought of it made him bit his lip nervously. Would his parents keep with the punishment his aunt figured out for him, or would they come up with one of their own?
He tried to have a little faith in his parents. Perhaps they would react more calmly than he was imagining, and understand that he was already being punished. That didn't stop him from worrying, however.
He could feel his heart skip a beat when he saw the car in the distance. His heart clenched, increasing its beating, as it drew closer. In seconds, the car, which he instantly recognized as his parents' pulled into the driveway. He heard the telltale signs of screeching as the car came to a complete halt. There was a clanging as the driver's door opened up, and out stepped his father.
"Unkie Joe!" Squealed Sophie as she rushed over towards his father.
His dad, dressed in a more casual outfit like he was still on vacation, walked around and lowered himself down. "Sophie!" He stretched his arms outward. He let out a grunt as the girl lunged into his arms. He grabbed onto her and held her up. "So great to see you!"
His mother now stepped out of the car. She was wearing a similar outfit as his father. She walked over and greeted Sophie. "Did you have a great time with your cousin?"
Sophie nodded her head swiftly. "Playtime! Green paper! Green paper visited us!"
Rudy flinched at this. He soon relaxed when he noticed his parents didn't react to that. He tried his best not to show signs of great relief; he didn't want to tip his parents off that anything was wrong.
"Oh you've such an active imagination!" His mom said.
"Yeah. That's what makes you a good playmate for our boy!" He ruffled the girl's hair before setting her down. As Sophie skipped around a little and then headed towards her mother, his dad straightened himself up, turning his attention now to his aunt. "So, how have things been here while we were gone?"
Aunt Tilly smiled, though Rudy could tell that she was having a bit of a hard time holding back her more negative feelings and worry. "They've been splendid! I made quite a bit of money earlier. Rudy and I sold his chalkboard, as someone was willing to pay a ton of money for it."
"That's strange..." His mom said.
"Yeah. Who would pay that much for a chalkboard?" His dad pondered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
Aunt Tilly said, "I'm not sure. But the money was real and I was able to cash it. Here..." Aunt Tilly walked over and handed her sister a couple hundred dollar bills. "I think you guys could use this more than me."
"Wow, thanks!" His mom said as she stuffed the money into her pocket. "I'm glad that you and Sophie enjoyed your stay here. I take it that Rudy was just fine with you guys?"
Aunt Tilly nodded her head. "Yeah. Everything just went swimmingly!"
Rudy looked up at his aunt. She gave him a swift, knowing look. He was glad that she was not going to bring up that...unpleasant incident where she struck him. He wasn't sure how well his mom and dad would take that. Especially her mom, seeing how she had known Aunt Tilly for a longer time than she knew her dad. That horrible incident... yeah there was no need for his parents to know about that.
"That's good!" His dad said, a wide grin on his face. "I knew you would all get along well while we were gone!"
"And everything is exactly how you left it. I think you'll find everything in tip shape!" Aunt Tilly said.
His mom wrapped her arms around her sister. She pulled her into a hug. His aunt's eyes widened for a few seconds before returning the hug. The two stayed in this embrace for a few seconds before his mom let go of her.
"Thank you so much." His mother said. "We greatly appreciate you holding down the fort for us."
"Let us know if you ever need someone to housesit. We'll be glad to return the favor." He heard his dad say.
"I will!" Aunt Tilly said with a smile. Then she frowned a little, turning her head down. She looked over at Rudy, and he flinched. Her expression alone was enough for him to know what was coming. She looked back at his parents, who were staring at her in confusion.
"Tilly...?" His mother said tentatively, reaching her hand out towards her sibling. "I-Is something wrong...?"
Aunt Tilly nodded her head a few times. "Well...I..." She rubbed the back of her head nervously. "There's...there's something I need to tell you..."
Rudy flinched nervously. He hung his head slightly. He ignored the expressions he got from his parents. He just stood there and waited for his aunt to deliver the bad news. Even if his aunt didn't tell, Mrs. Sanchez or Penny might. And his parents would question the bandages he had on him sooner or later. In fact, he could see them eyeing them right now with suspicion and concern.
He waited for his aunt to finish. He waited for his parents' reaction. He wanted for them to question why he had done such a stupid thing. This was a moment he had hoped he'd never have to deal with, but now here he was, being forced to confront it. He looked up at his aunt, watching as her mouth opened up to respond. Shutting his eyes tighter, he waited for the inevitable outcome.
"You see...The other day.. Rudy and Penny, they..." Aunt Tilly paused. She sucked on her lip. She looked to the left, as if to try to figure out what she was going to say. She turned back. Her expression alone was enough to make his parents look even more worried. "Something happened between them..."
"Did they get into another argument?" His dad asked. "If it's just that, I'm sure they can make up for it. They..." He stopped when he saw Aunt Tilly shake her head slowly. This made his eyes widen further. "What...what are you...?"
"It couldn't have been that bad..." His mom turned to stare at him for a few seconds. Rudy flinched at his mother's expression, the way her eyes seemed to bore into his, the way they silently prayed that his aunt was not going to say what she thought she was. "...right?"
Aunt Tilly closed her eyes. "I'm afraid so. This fight was much worse than the others."
"H-How...how bad...?" His dad asked cautiously.
Aunt Tilly stared at him, as well as her sister, for a few moments. Silence fell upon the area. Even Sophie had gone quiet, as if she could detect the tension that was filling up the room. Exhaling slowly, she said, "Well...to start off, both of them are going to need antibiotics."
This made his parents gasp, pulling their heads back. They stared at Rudy in disbelief. Their eyes trailed to his arm, where the bandages wrapped around it. They then looked back at Aunt Tilly as if looking for clarification. The woman nodded her head once, causing his parents to shoot him another disbelieving look.
Rudy felt immense guilt when he saw the way they looked at him. What a thing to come home to... He was usually more well behaved than this. They were probably thinking things like 'where did we go wrong' and 'we raised him better than that'.
Rudy couldn't help but lower his head, not even attempting to say anything to his parents. Aunt Tilly had gone silent as well, as if to give his parents some time to let this horrific information sink into their heads. She understood that such information was rather shocking, especially for parents of a usually well behaved child. They had such a great time on their vacation, and now they were forced to face the reality that their only son had gotten into a fist fight with his closest friend.
At last, his mother seemed to catch her voice. She bit it softly, sucking on it. "You're...you're kidding...right...?" She turned to her sister, her eyes wide and pleading. "Rudy wouldn't..."
"I'm sorry, but he did." Aunt Tilly confirmed. She stared at her sister sympathetically. "He and Penny got angry at...something, and it was bad enough that they just...lost their tempers and they attacked each other." Rudy watched his parents' faces become even more shock-stricken. "They beat each other up pretty badly, though most of their wounds are pretty minor. The biggest concern is that they bit a piece of each other off in the fight." She looked down at Rudy's arm. "That's what needs treatment."
Aunt Tilly turned to Rudy's parents. She watched as they fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of their son being that violent. Rudy remained silent, worrying that he might accidentally make things worse if he said anything.
Aunt Tilly appeared to want to put his parents' minds at ease. "Mrs. Sanchez already did what she could to help them. The worst part is over, but she still wants them to see their family doctors and get some antibiotics. Just in case you know?"
More silence. More just standing around, waiting. Rudy wasn't sure what was going on his parents' minds. They were unusually quiet, less responsive than he thought they would be. He wasn't sure if he was going to get off more easily than he thought, or if they were just having a delayed reaction. He hoped that they would remain understanding, and wouldn't do anything too drastic. But then he remembered how his parents reacted to him going to a concert when they specifically told him not to and he found himself involuntarily swallowing.
"So..you're saying that our boy...got into a fight with Penny...?" His dad asked carefully. His expression, the way he spoke those words, he was still in denial about what his son had done, making Rudy feel even worse.
"And they hurt each other?" His mom asked nervously. She bit her lip for a few seconds before continuing, "They bit each other?"
Aunt Tilly nodded her head solemnly. "I'm sorry to report such bad news to you two. But I felt it would have bene wrong for me to withhold such information from you." She motioned her hand towards them. "You're his parents, and you have every right to know about this."
"Yes...Thank you." His dad said. "We appreciate it..."
Then his parents looked over at him. Rudy winced when he saw their expressions now. They were no longer just simply shock or fear. Now anger was starting to show. His parents were usually not so easily angered, so when they glared at him like that, he knew that he was in some deep shit. Involuntarily, he let out a soft whimper and took a step back.
To his surprise, as well as his parents', his aunt took a step in front of him, in an almost protective manner. She raised her hand up, silencing the two adults before they had a chance to speak. Rudy remained behind his aunt, staring warily at his parents. He wondered if a fight was going to break out. He hoped not. He had enough of intense emotion lately.
"Please, don't be too hard on him. He feels bad for what he's done and he's going to make up for it." Aunt Tilly said.
"He still needs to be punished." His dad said, his voice anger-laced.
"I know. That's why I already taken the liberty to do that." Aunt Tilly took a few steps towards the two adults. "I can lay out for what you what I had decided. Then you can..."
"You punished Rudy without our permission?!" His dad snapped. "You have no right to do that! He's our son, not yours!" He pointed a finger at her. "So why don't you just..."
His mom silenced her husband by grabbing onto his arm and forcing it down. She frowned at him, clearly disappointed at his behavior. His dad lowered his arm and uttered a quick apology. His mom then turned to her sister and said, "I'm not exactly happy you did this without contacting us first. But..I understand why you did it, so let's just not press this matter further, okay?"
His aunt nodded her head. Her expression hinted a bit of guilt, as if she knew she crossed some line with his parents. "Shall I relay to you what I did?"
His mom said, "Yes, please."
Rudy watched as his parents and aunt spoke to each other. He felt a tinge of nervousness in his stomach. How was this all going to turn out? Would his aunt be able to convince them to keep her initial punishment? Only way to find out was to wait.
Rudy wasn't too surprised by the way his parents, especially his dad, reacted. They were pretty touchy when it came to his parenting. They usually prefer doing things their way, and the idea of someone else...well... They took offense to it, even if it wasn't intended to be. Unfortunate, but that's just how it was with his parents.
He stood with Sophie, feeling her grip his hand, as he watched the adults converse, waiting for it to be over. So far, his parents hadn't tried to protest against what his aunt proposed. They hadn't tried to change it to make it worse or longer. So far, so good... But he still prepared himself for the worst. He'd never know with his parents; they might approve of Aunt Tilly's punishment idea, or they might tear it apart.
In the end, he hoped that, whever happened to him, it would not leave him barred out of ChalkZone longer, or even permanently. Right now, he did not care if he was grounded; at the moment, ChalkZone was more important.
After a while, it seemed to finally be over. His parents nodded their heads with Aunt Tilly. There were some shaking of the hands, some nods of approval. Overall, it appeared to have been successful, with maybe one or two hiccups here or there.
"All right then." He heard his father say. "We'll do things that way. I think the punishment is..for the most part, reasonable." He turned to Rudy, and addressed him. "And I hope you learned your lesson, young man..."
Rudy nodded his head quickly. "Yes, dad."
His mom folded her arms against her chest. "Attacking your friend like that. For shame..."
Rudy flinched at this. He could just practically hear the disappointment off his parents' voices. Not that he could blame him. He was usually better behaved at this. He could feel his stomach twisted at the memory. It was worse than the time when he tried to 'punish' Michelle by doing a rude picture of her. So much worse...this time, he had actually hurt someone...
Aunt Tilly appeared to want to clear up the tension that was developing. She cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Well, why don't we come inside and have something to drink while we listen to your stories?" She suggested, motioning towards his dad and mom. "I'm sure you two have quite a bit you want to say about your trip."
At this, his dad's expression lightened up a little. "Oh yeah, I've got stories for you all right!" He nudged his wife, a grin spreading across his face. "Ain't that right, Millie?"
His mom smirked at him, giving him a sideways glance. "I'm sure you would know all about that, Joe."
Aunt Tilly motioned with her arm, arching it through the air. "Come on, let's go inside!"
Rudy was relieved when his parents listened to Aunt Tilly's idea and headed inside. Their faces no longer glared and they were no longer focused on him. They had already vented their anger and frustration with Aunt Tilly when they were speaking earlier, and her reassurance at him already being punished appeared to take a load off of them, even if they didn't fully approve it at first.
But he knew this was just a temporary reprieve. His parents were going to talk to him about his behavior later on. He knew his parents well enough to know this.
He also remembered that, pretty soon, he would have to be heading off to school. Was he willing to face Penny after what had happened between them? Would she even want to see him? Would they get into another fight? This fear had him worried, and he could feel a sense of nausea rise up in his stomach. But he did realize that, in the end, he was going to have to talk to Penny. He just hoped that their next encounter was not going to be particularly bad. Not like what happened yesterday.
"Rudy, come on!"
Rudy lifted up his head at the call of his mom's voice. He realized he had fallen behind. "Coming, mom!" With that, he hurried to the door and walked inside.
sss
Rapsheeba was growing increasingly nervous. She sat beside herself in her home, her blanket wrapped tightly around her. She realized that it was morning. Her clock was flashing at her, telling her it's time to hea back into Night Zone so she can begin her day. Yet she reamined where she was, curled up, uncertain of what to do.
She was trying to make sense of what happened lately, what had been going on. She couldn't believe just how fast things had been doing downhill lately. She had hoped that things would improve by now. After all, Rudy and Penny usually were able to turn things around fairly quickly. But in this case...
The twister had been the start of it all. Appearing out of nowhere, just like any other twister, destroying parts of the city. It had been contained, but some zoners were worried it'd break out again, or that more would appear. Normally, she would question the zoners, since random acts of nature, if it can be called that, were normal. But then she started to wonder if it was because this twister was...different. After all, it did deliberately chase her and the others. Were the zoners worried that its creator would strike again?
It was possible, and, unfortunately, there was no way of knowing when or if it'd happen again. They were at the mercy of fate. All they could do was wait for the next one. In the meantime, they just had to keep their guards up and wait.
But the twister wasn't ChalkZone's only problem.
There was also that open portal, the one that they had learned about not too long ago. The zoners had been scowering the area, trying to find it. So far, they didn't have much luck on that. Not one zoner had reported seeing anything suspicious. Rapsheeba knew that, the longer this portal remained open, the more likely that it was going to be used against them, somehow. Whether by a human or even another zoner.
Then there was the incident with Howdy. Him pushing her down. Him shocking Penny, knowing her out. There were some rumors going around about the guy, and now more and more zoners had gotten suspicious of him. Rapsheeba feared for him. If he wandered through the city now... She had no doubts in her head that he'd be chased, this time with more ferocity.
The dog's appearance was quite chilling. It had appeared at the location of Penny's usual portal placement, which alone was enough to make some zoners talk. The fact that the dog was looking for Penny was also suspicious. But most zoners remembered it for its ferocity. It just...attacked anyone who got in its way, and it had such a single-minded goal, hardly considered anything else.
And the zoners that it had killed... Granted, there wasn't too high a casualty rate. But the fact that any zoner had been killed was enough to shake her to her core. Just what was that dog's creator thinking...?
All of this, Howdy's actions, the tornado, the dog, the portal, the prospect of humans getting into ChalkZone, it all swirled in her head in a combined thought cloud. It left her feeling on edge, and she constantly felt a cold chill on her shoulder. That alone was enough to make each day anxiety filled for just about anyone, not just herself. Yet there was something else to add into the mix.
Snap appeared to have gone missing as well...
Rapsheeba figured this out earlier, when she had made a phone call to Lars. Apparently Snap was going to speak to him about something, though she couldn't remember what. Likely to do with their current dilemma. But when the bear told him that Snap never showed up...
She tried to rationalize it. Maybe Snap just didn't get up yet. Maybe he was just sleepy. Maybe he had gone out earlier to look for the portal on his own. He didn't seem like the type that would just lay down with this sort of threat on the horizon. He was a zoner that took action. It would be out of character for him to just sit around and do nothing, even if Rudy and Penny are not in ChalkZone.
But she wasn't content enough, and she had called more zoners. Each time, she got the same answer. No one had seen him around. She bit her lip, feeling her stomach twist. She tried to remain hopeful. Despite what this was adding up to, she wanted to believe that there was a chance that he was fine, that nothing had happened to him, that things hadn't gotten worse than they already were.
But..what if something did happen to him? There was an open portal in ChalkZone. What if he was kidnapped? The idea left her with a feeling that was heavy like a stone in her stomach. If something had happened to him...
Her eyes widened when she realized that the zoners would likely blame Howdy for that. Especially a certain few that had been more hostile about it than others. She herself had been recieving some negative intention from the more extreme zoners. Her stance towards Howdy, despite being pushed by him, were more favorable. She insisted that Howdy had a good reason for what he was doing. Even though she herself couldn't really understand it, she refused to label Howdy as 'bad' or a 'traitor'. She did her best to ignore such comments.
She thought back to the Pencil Sharpener, where Howdy had been going towards before. She started to wonder something. Was it possible that this was where the portal was? Was Howdy truly involved with it? It made her feel sick, but she was certain that there was a good reason for this. Perhaps she should go there and find out for herself what was going on.
She narrowed her eyes in determination. Yeah... that's exactly what she was going to do. None of the other zoners appeared to want to investigate. They were too terrified of that location. But it's not like she could blame them. The place already had a terrifying reputation, and most zoners avoided it for a reason. But she would take the chance and search for herself. She will do what most zoners were too afraid to: explore Pencil Sharpener.
She knew the risks involved. She knew that any zoner who found out were going to want to stop her, or they'd label her suspicious as well. She didn't care. She wanted answers. If she could find out why Howdy was so secretive, and if she found the location of the portal, she could relay this information to the others. She could lead them there, and they could erase the portal themselves.
And perhaps...they would find Blocky. She hoped so. She missed the little guy. The poor thing must be so scared and frightened wherever he was. She hoped he would remain safe until help arrived.
But she knew, deep down, life didn't always work that way. Life can be quite...unfair. She had to keep this in mind.
Not sparing more time to contemplate what she was about to do, Rapsheeba got out of her bed and walked over towards her dresser. She began to change, preparing herself for the task ahead. She made sure to grab a few things that could be used to defend herself with. She never knew what or who she might run into out there.
Once she got what she thought she'd need, she immediately exited her home and headed towards her car, which still looked pretty good despite having to drive a lot of zoners in it the other day from the dog incident. She turned it on and immediately sped off.
sss
"No! Let him go!" Snap demanded. "Release him at once!" He pounded against the glass shield over and over, as if he thought he could break it down.
Howdy, on the other hand, simply placed his hand on the cold surface. He stared over, his eyes filling with fear and pleadiness. "Please..let him go. Stop doing this. Can't you see how much it's hurting him...?"
Terry paid the zoners no mind. She focused instead at the task at hand. Since Von was too untrustworthy to do this without risking the death of their captive, she opted to do it herself. She felt it was pretty stupid that she would have to be the one in charge of this. She wasn't the one with knowledge of anatomy; Von was. At least, more so than her. The fact that this had to happen at all...
She did her best to shrug it off. There was no use complaining about it now. They had a new thing scheduled up and she planned on following through with it. At least this way, she was able to satisfy the man and didn't have to worry about the state of the zoners.
She held Blocky still. This was quite easy, considering how weak he had become. She was able to use some of the medicine that Howdy managed to get from ChalkZone to create a kind of tranquilizer. This zapped the zoner of his strength and numbed some of the pain, making it much easier to do this.
In spite of the drugs, however, Blocky still squirmed. He whimpered softly, kicking his legs out weakly, trying to get her away. She merely just leaned to the side, avoiding the meek attacks. She tightened her grip on him and snarled at him.
"Hold still, you little runt! This will go faster if you just hold still!"
"No..please..." Blocky whimpered. His voice was so low, so weak... It was enough to make Terry wince slightly. She shook it off immediately. "Don't do this... Please.. I-It hurts..."
Terry rolled her eyes. "I gave you painkillers, so suck it up!" Before she could resume, she heard pounding on the glass container not far. She glared over at where Snap and Howdy were. She could hear them shout at her, telling her to stop. She growled at this. "Oh shut up, you two!" Ignoring Snap's protests and Howdy's pleas, she turned her attention back to Blocky.
She held the scissors up to his side. She focused on the area that was already damaged. As much as she didn't want to cause further damage to the area that had been dissolved, she would much rather do this than damage another area. At least here, she could keep it more contained and localized to one spot. She placed the blade against the zoner's side and pressed down.
Blocky screeched at this, prompting more energized reactions from the other two captives. Terry winced, feeling the scream echo in her ears. She did her best to ignore it, raising her shoulder up to try block at least some of the sound, and continued to cut a small piece of flesh from the zoner. If Von wanted a piece of zoner flesh, she'll give it to him as long as it kept him from doing more of those reckless experients too fast.
As she cut, she could see the blood oozing out, moving along her finger. She noticed just how warm it felt. Well duh, she already knew the zoners were warm. She held them enough. But something about feeling the blood..it was different, somehow. She wasn't sure why. And the look on the zoner's face as she cut him, the way his cheeks were stained with tears, the way he was emitting whimpers...
For a moment, she froze. She was, in that one second, unsure if she wanted to continue. That pang of empathy she felt before, it returned.
She soon shrugged it off and continued, cutting into the green zoner's side. She couldn't believe she hesitated like that. This was no big deal. She was just doing a small biopsy. That was all. No big deal. The zoner was just over reaction. It was just a little snip...
At least, she disconnected a small piece of flesh. She held it in her hand, staring at it. She was amazed and almost horrified by how realistic it looked, despite being made of chalk. She nudged the jar she had got out towards herself and placed the flesh in there, ceiling it up tightly. She then looked down at Blocky.
The zoner was thrashing on the ground, louder cries coming out of his mouth. Despite the drugs, he was moving around quite a bit, still in clear pain. She wondered if she should have tried for something stronger. If the zoner continued to squirm like this, he was going to hurt himself more. Taking action, she seized the sobbing zoner and held him still.
"Hold still, you little crybaby!" Terry growled at the zoner. "You're fine! Stop being so..."
"How can you be so heartless?"
Terry looked over and glared at Snap, who had spoken to her. She returned his scowl with one of her own. "I'm not. You zoners are just..."
"He's in pain!" Wailed Snap, raising his hands up in the air. "Of course he's going to cry like that! He's in terrible pain! Look at what you've done to him!"
Terry raised an eyebrow, curling her lip part way up. "It's no big deal." She said. "He's going to be fine."
"How can you do this to another living person...?" Howdy asked. His voice was softer than Snap's, and his expression was more of shock than anger. "Please...at least think about what you're doing. If you just..."
"Oh pipe down! You're wasting my time!" Terry looked down at Blocky. "If you'll excuse me, I need to patch up your friend before he bleeds out."
Ignoring the zoners again, she carried Blocky over to the nearby table, placed there just recently. The bag of medicinal supplies was placed in it. She laid Blocky on the table and reached into the bag. She pulled out some disinfectant and bandages, and she began to patch up the hole she had cut into the zoner.
As she did this, she couldn't help but think about what Snap and Howdy had said. She couldn't help but remind herself that these zoners were indeed alive, and, although she tried to push it aside, she could still remember the pang of guilt and sympathy that she had been having lately. She tried to tell herself that it was no big deal and that she shouldn't really feel all that bad for the zoners.
After all, they were just drawings, right? It didn't really matter if they got hurt. They could be healed easily, right? It didn't matter if they died. They can just be redrawn. Isn't that how it worked in ChalkZone? Weren't the zoners, on some level, immortal? At least, a type of immortality that humans could never hope to achieve? True, there was still much she didn't know. But... there couldn't be that much consequence in killing a zoner, right? They weren't as valuable as human life. So why should she care?
Then...if this was the case..why did she feel any kind of guilt at all? Why was she letting herself feel this way? Could it be that, in some part, she didn't feel that this was right? That she was starting to think that there was something more to them?
She tried to shake it off. She tried to focus all her attention on bandaging up Blocky. But no matter what she did, or how hard she tried, this pang wouldn't leave her alone. For the first time, she began to have something she never thought she'd have.
Doubts.
She tried her best to push it out of her mind. Right now wasn't the time for doubts. She needed to finish up fixing Blocky so she could deliver to 'the highness' Von. He had been demanding the piece of flesh for a while and she wanted to give it to him before he lost his patients and tried to get it himself.
Soon she finished up, wrapping the final layer of the bandage around the zoner's side. She could see the red stain spreading, and then stopping. She smirked at this, knowing that it meant that the blood leakage had stopped. She quickly added an extra layer just in case and carried the zoner over to where his pals were.
After nonchalantly dropping him inside, ignoring his yelp of pain, paying no heed to the glares from Howdy and Snap, she said, "I'll be delivering the sample to Dr. Von Doktor. After that, blue boy, I'll be sending you and Howdy into ChalkZone to deliver the message. If you're not back within an hour..."
"I know, I know.." Snap muttered. "You're going to erase Blocky."
Terry smiled at this. "That's it. You're getting it!" She looked down at Blocky, noting his fearful expression. She broadened her smile. "Though I'm sure that death sounds really good to him right about now..."
At this, Blocky gave a loud whine and cringed. Snap and Howdy moved in front of him. Terry smiled at this show of bravery and protectiveness.
Not wanting to prolong this...meeting, Terry turned her back to the zoners and headed towards the table, where she left the jar with the piece of flesh. She grabbed onto it and headed towards the door. She stopped for a moment and looked back at the zoners. With a glint in her eyes, she grinned nastily at them, and then proceeded down the hallway.
sss
Penny remained quiet as her mother started to drive her off to school. She wasn't looking forward to it, and she had tried to convince her mom to let her stay home, but nothing she said worked. Her mother told her that her fears regarding Rudy weren't a good enough excuse to skip out on school, so she was forced to come, regardless of what she said.
It wasn't that she was afraid to come to school, nor was she trying to keep away from Rudy permanently. She just...wasn't sure if she could face him this quickly. She still felt horrible about what happened between them, and she feared that they might end up getting into another fight.
She did feel guilty for thinking that. She wanted to have a little more faith in their friendship than that. But she just couldn't help it. They never had a fight that bad before. She had never actually strike someone like that before. She could still feel the impact against her fingers, making her wince and rub them lightly. She couldn't believe just how..violent she and Rudy had been towards each other. It was like they had turned into a pair of wild animals...
Would they be the same after this? Could they really make up for what they did to each other and be able to focus on what was important? Would they still be able to work as a team to find Blocky, to stop Terry and Von, and to close the portal?
She hoped so. Saving ChalkZone was a top priority at the moment. She knew that, and she hoped that Rudy knew that as well.
But even so, she knew that it was going to be awkward seeing him again. Especially since the last time...didn't exactly go well... She shut her eyes as she heard the mental echoes of the cries and snarls she and Rudy made during the fight. Her body still had some phantom pangs of the pain she had recieved from Rudy, and she could feel the sensation of hitting him right back. Even her teeth felt as though they were biting into flesh, Rudy's skin... She tried her est to shake it off, but the feelings remained, tormenting her as she sat in the passenger's seat on the way to school.
Her mother said not a word. She knew what she was going through, and she understood that this was a problem that only Penny herself could solve. Her mother could give advice, but it was up to her to take the step. Apologizing to Rudy was going to be difficult, but it was something that had to be done. She hoped that he would forgive her for her foolishness. She really should have controlled her temper more. She had punched him...and that started the fight. She couldn't help but feel responsible for that.
As hard as this was, this had to be resolved. She realized that she and Rudy likely won't function very well as a team if they are still harboring bitter feelings towards one another. She hoped that they will be able to ease the tension soon, and before their adversaries catch wind and use it to their advantage.
"Remember, Penita." Her mom called out as she made a turn onto the road the school was on. "I will pick you up early from school today for the doctor's appointment."
"Yes, mom." Penny said, nodding her head. She remembered that her mother scheduled an appointment with the family doctor to look at her arm, just in case. There was a chance that an infection could settle in, and they needed to get antibiotics. Her mother has some, but not for humans.
Her mother remained quiet for a few seconds. Then she said, "Rudy will be joining us."
Penny nearly choked at this. She clutched her throat and swallowed. She then turned to her mother, staring at her with wide, shock-filled eyes. "What?" She spluttered, not expecting her mother to say that.
Her mother stopped a red light. She used this moment to glare softly down at her daughter. "His appointment is at about the same time as yours, and his doctor is in the same building, too. His parents felt it would be more convenient if I picked him up as well."
Penny remained silent at this. She could feel her heart clench. Normally, this wouldn't bother her, and she'd welcome the company. But with what happened between them lately...
"I know you're nervous, Penny. But trust me. It's going to be fine." Her mother said reassuringly. "Plus, the time in the car will give you two a chance to speak. If you aren't able to during school that is." She resumed driving the car after the light shifted to green.
Penny remained silent at this, unsure of what to say, or how to feel about what her mother had said. The idea of sitting with Rudy at the moment sounded...awkward, with what happened between them and all. And she wasn't sure if she liked the idea of them apologizing and trying to make it up with each other in the car. She had wanted to do it somewhere more..private, where they could talk to each other one on one.
But she knew there was nothing she could say or do to change her mother's mind. She was just going to have to accept it and be prepared to face Rudy, in case it doesn't go over as well during school.
Speaking of which, she could see the school up ahead now. Her mother drew closer to it very quickly, and in no time, her mother parked the car on the side of the school, the edge of the car nearly touching the sidewalk. Penny hopped out of the car, bidding her mother farewell. She watched her mother leave and she turned towards the school entrance. She began to walk that way when she noticed movement in the corner of her eye.
It was Rudy. His parents' car just left, but she hardly paid attention as she looked at Rudy. The boy's head was hung low and he averted his gaze from her. His expression was unreadable. She couldn't tell if he was angry or if he was nervous or what. But the way he was moving so slowly... It was clear he was feeling just as guilty as she.
The sight of him made her feel nervous, and she took a step back. She tried to think of something to say, but no words would come out. Rudy made no attempt to speak to her, and never once did he try to look at her in the eyes. Soon he got close enough that he nearly brushed up against her, and he began to make his way towards the school entrance like she was.
"Rudy..." Penny finally managed to say, holding up a finger. Rudy stopped and looked over at Penny. She winced at his expression. "I...um.." She looked down at his arm. "..how are you feeling...?"
Rudy gave a soft grunt. "I'm fine..." He looked down at her arm in return. "And you?"
"I'm fine, thank you." Penny said. She thought she could see a smile in Rudy's face, but it was rather faint. "So, when did you want to start..." She stopped when she noticed that Rudy began to walk away from her. "..talking. Hey, Rudy! Wait!"
Rudy ignored her. He just kept going, his gait rather off, his head remaining low. Penny watched him for a few seconds. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. This was going to be harder than she thought.
Without further delay, she went into the school.