Shattered Doll

Chapter 36: Exposing The Lie

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It's far from over!

-Far From Over, Rev Theory

sss

"I-Is she following us..?" Came Rudy's uncertain, terrified question, his eyes widened, filled with emotion.

Penny bit her lip as she stared down at Rudy for a moment. He looked so innocent and terrified... She couldn't believe something so cruel could have happened to him. He was in so much pain. She could see it in his eyes. What made it even more devastating for her was... she had no idea if he was ever going to fully recover...

She shook the thought out of her head. She wanted to try to stay positive. She wanted to do whatever she could to keep Rudy from panicking. That was the last thing his body needed right now.

"No, Rudy. She's not following us." Penny said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "She's still back there. The others are distracting her." She looked into Rudy's eyes, smiling the best she could. "She won't be able to get you again."

Rudy stared at her. His eyes widened just slightly, and in a millisecond, his expression went from simply terrified to being still scared but hopeful. "R-Really..? You p-p-promise..?"

Penny resisted the urge to flinch at that. She exchanged a quick, knowing look with Mint. Both of them were instantly reminded of Sandra. That dragon zoner had been using promises as an excuse to do whatever she wanted. She had outright attacked Rudy and nearly killed him all because he broke a promise to Penny. Even though Rudy's question was in relation to a good promsie, they both couldn't help but feel reminded of Sandra's atrocities, hiding behind the guise of a promise.

Penny reminded herself that this promise had nothing to do with Sandra. And unlike that dragon fiend, she was not going to abuse it, or use it as a means of hurting others. No, she was going to go through the promise like anyone else should: the path that does not cause harm to anyone, and isn't used to vicious ends.

"Yes, Rudy. We promise." Penny said. "Don't worry..you'll be safe..."

Rudy smiled at this. The smile did not last, quickly fading into a pained frown. He let out a series of moans, prompting her and Mint to look at each other worriedly. They were moving him as gently as they could, but moving along these forged tunnels was difficult. Each time their feet hit against something, Rudy let out a help of pain.

The cervical collar was doing a good job at keeping Rudy's neck still. The straps on his body, across his legs, chest, arms, and forehead, further served to immobilze him, preventing him from hurting himself more. Penny and Mint both felt reassured that Rudy would be protected from further damage.

But there was still danger. Should Sandra find out what they had done, and if she were to charge towards them down the tunnel, there was little they could do. Sandra's powers would stop them in their tracks, and in Rudy's vulnerable position, he would be easy to pick off. Sandra could use her dangerous healing powers to keep them at bay while she went to finish off Rudy. She would not have to do much to him. A quick slice in his throat would be enough to kill him, or even gouging out one of his eyes, sending him into shock.

They continued to run down the hallway she herself had forged. While Sandra was still distracted, she and the others, with Dr. Gelcro's help, forged a plan that seemed to work rather well. Sandra had been so busy, she did not notice when she drew a tunnel that arched around, going through a part of the wall that previously had no path.

She made an exit for Snap and Dr. Gelcro to use. It wound around and emptied out into the hallway they were in before, just about thirty five feet away from Sandra. Both of them headed towards where Sandra would be. Dr. Gelcro wanted to provide aid for Mosaic and Ripclaw while Snap wanted to confront Sandra. He wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone again.

Penny feared for them. She hoped that they were going to be all right. Sandra was a dangerous foe. She wasn't sure how far her healing powers extended, how many people she could use on it at once, but it was still an unfair advantage that she had. She could induce it even without touching them, making attacking her much more difficult.

But for now, she tried not to focus on that. She had to focus on the task at hand. There was nothing they could do right now to help the others. They had to focus instead on getting to the front of the restaurant, warn the zoners, and then take Rudy to the hospital, as well as Mint.

They continued to run down the hallway for several minutes more. They weren't moving as fast as she would have hoped, but they had Rudy to consider. Mint, being the strongest of the two, held the front, where Rudy's head was, and was moving backwards quickly. Penny herself was holding the back end, where Rudy's legs were. The two of them worked together, managing to transport Rudy down the hall, keeping him more or less still and level.

The path had a single, wide curve, but it was amazing how hard it still was to navigate. Penny and Mint did their best to avoid every bump and nick on the ground, but it was difficult. The lighting was rather poor. Only very small lights were available that just barely illuminated anything. Penny didn't want to draw any kind of attention to them while they made their escape.

Rudy's litter was pretty long, which added to the difficulty of turning. They had to constantly move in a turn due to the pathway's shape, but this was difficult holding Rudy. Mint almost never could look at Penny as his eyes were constantly glued to behind him, making swift, constant adjustments as they headed down. They could easily just make another tunnel to cut straight through and get back in the main hallway, but they dared not to, not until they felt it was safe to do so.

They could simply go to the end. Penny was certain the tunnel would eventually empty out near the front where the restaurant most likely was. She just wasn't sure how long it was going to take.

After some running, Penny noticed something out in front of her. It was pale at first, and she thought she might be seeing things. But the more she looked, the more she realized where they were heading. Her eyes brightened up at this.

"We're nearing the end, Mint! Get ready!" Penny called out.

Mint gave a muffled cry, reminding Penny that, right now, he couldn't talk. He then nodded his head, showing her that he understood what she was talking about.

At this, they quickened their pace a little. It became a little harder to turn, and to dodge the cracks in the ground. They hit against them a few times, but they were able to hold onto Rudy tightly, preventing him from being tossed around so easily. They focused their attention on that exit, making sure Rudy was secured.

Soon they reached the exit of the tunnel. There was no door, and it was shaped in a hexagon. Penny didn't recall wanting this kind of exit, and wondered if this door had led somewhere initially. Perhaps there had been some kind of path here after all, but was blocked off by Sandra. She pushed the thought aside for the time being as she and Mint, carrying Rudy, headed out...

...and back in the tunnel they were in before. Penny looked over to the right, down where they had initially come from. She could hear some faint snarling, and some shouts, suggesting that Sandra was a good ways away. This offered them a good chance to get away, as Sandra would not be able to run fast enough to stop them.

Penny froze, her eyes widening. She realized that Sandra might be able to. She had moved quite siftly before, much faster than any of them had expected. This realization made their mission even more urgent, and, as they got into position, she started to move faster, prompting Mint copy her.

As they headed down, going towards the door they could see up ahead of them, Penny listened to the growls and screams that echoed faintly further down the tunnel. She was unable to discern them, so all she was able to do was hope that it meant that Snap had gotten the upperhand, and not the other way around...

sss

Snap hissed at the pain in his ankle. A part of him was surprised he was still in pain even after Sandra healed him. He had concluded that she wasn't as thorough as she thought she was, and the running he did before irritated the wound. After all, sprains are harder to heal than breaks.

But he didn't waste time thinking about that. He cast aside the pain he was feeling as he glared at Sandra. The two of them were pacing around each other, eyes locked onto one another. So far, Sandra hadn't attempted to use her powers on him. Perhaps it was out of reluctance? Perhaps she really didn't want to hurt him?

He doubted it. She didn't hesitate before. She was just playing with his mind, toying with him. Besides, if she didn't want to hurt him, she wouldn't have tormented him these past few weeks. She was a hypocrite, and a liar. He was going to make sure she didn't get a chance to keep hurting zoners the way she had.

Sandra seemed to take notice of his limping. A small smile spread across her face. It wasn't particularly malicious, but it wasn't very friendly either. "I see you are still in pain. Have you been careless when you ran?"

Snap growled at her. "Why would you care?"

Sandra's smile broadened. "Dear Snap, you know that I do care about you. But you are too blinded by your emotions to see the truth right in front of you." She stopped circling him, Snap following suit, wanting to keep her in front of him. She spread her arms out. "You are so certain you understand, yet you never take the time to consider my perspective..."

Snap's eyes narrowed at this. His teeth were bared as he gave his answer. "You aren't trying to listen to mine either!" Sandra tilted her head at this. "You complain so much about us not listening to you..." He pointed a rounded hand at her. "But you do not do the same for others! You're such a hypocrite!"

Sandra blinked her eyes a few times. Then she smiled, giving a soft chuckle. "Well it would all make sense if you'd just listen. But..." She held up her hand in gesture. "I suppose that isn't going to work. You are too angry right now. Perhaps I'll wait until you have cooled down and..."

"No! Do you think I'm going to let you get away?!" Snap cried before Sandra had a chance to turn around. He was not going to let her get away with this. He didn't care if he was hurt again in the process. He just wanted her to stop. "I'm going to stop you!"

Sandra tilted her head to the other side. She raised up an ear as a curious expression became present on her long, blue muzzle. "Whatever did I do?" Snap widened his eyes in shock at this. "What have I done to deserve the label of criminal? I think you are jumping to conclusions too easily, Snap."

Snap took a step back, staring at her. Had she really said what he thought she did? Was she really going to keep pulling that innocense card? Was she going to continue to deny the fact that she had been hurting people for a stupid reason?

Snap was shocked not by her being in denial like this, but by her persistance of it. He and the others had told her time and again what she had done, and why they hated her so much. Yet she had the gall to act as if she never heard them say those things, and had questioned him why he felt she deserved to be locked up. This realization made his blood heat up rapidly. If there was one thing he hated more than bad guys, it was criminals who continuously questioned the hostility against them.

"Well if you are going to continue being unreasonable..." Sandra said, ignoring Snap's glare. "..and if you want to continue fighting me.." She placed a hand against herself, and then motioned towards Snap. "I suppose I could reheal your ankle. I guess I didn't do a good enough job as I thought I did." She took a step forward. "But this will be the last time. After this, I fear you are on your own."

"Keep it to yourself..." Snap said. "I don't need your help."

Sandra merely chuckled at this. "Oh sorry, but I insist."

Snap was about to protest, but Sandra acted immediately. With a wave of her hand and a glow of her symbol, she sent a signal to his ankle. The same feeling before came back. Tingly and somewhat warm, it spread through his ankle, spreading up his leg. He could feel the pain fade away like it had before, seeping out almost like vapor. Then Sandra closed her fist and yank back, and Snap gave a quick shudder before his body relaxed.

Sandra said, "Now..isn't that better...?"

Snap didn't answer her, just glaring at her. If she was trying to butter him up through healing him, it wasn't going to work. He was not going to cast aside the memories of what she had done to him, and how she had betrayed him. Those feelings of bitter betrayal and hurt weren't going to go away anytime soon. Though a small part of him was grateful that the pain in his ankle was gone again, he couldn't bring himself to express gratitude towards Sandra, not after all the pain and misery she had forced him through.

Sandra cut him out of his thoughts. "I just hope that you learn to be more careful. Don't irritate your ankle." She stared at it long and hard. "Sprains are harder for me to heal. I may not have been thorough enough..."

The superhero zoner widened his eyes at this. He took that comment as Sandra pretty much telling him that she had purposely held back on the healing, or she was going to undo any healing she had done for him, or she was going to do something else entirely. She seemed like she could be the type of zoner to do something that cruel and unusual. He gritted his teeth, taking a small step back as he tried to weigh his options.

He knew he had to fight her, regardless of what she said. Even if he hurt his leg again, he couldn't back down. Sandra was going to turn all of ChalkZone City into a food fest. She would continue hunting down zoners, killing them for their flesh. He had to do what he can to stop this.

He also had to remember that one of his jobs was distraction. Sandra didn't know where the others were, and as long as he kept her attention on him, then she may not try to leave and stop his friends from escaping. Even if he ended up losing the fight, so long that he succeeds in keeping her here long enough for them to warn the zoners, then he had succeeded.

"What? You're not going to thank me?" Sandra asked. She had something of a shocked look on her face, but it was rather subdued, showing Snap that she wasn't really all that surprised. "Well that was just plain rude."

"You're the reason I got hurt in the first place..." Snap hissed at her. "You are the reason why I'm so hated in the city right now. So many zoners want to lynch me.. Do you have any fucking idea what that feels like, you bitch?!"

Snap ignored Sandra's face contorting in anger at what he had called her. He looked towards the ground, shutting his eyes as tears fromed in them. He remembered all too well what the zoners had said about him. He still had haunting nightmares focusing on how the mob of zoners had showed up in the front of the hospital, demanding his death. He would never get those awful voices out of his head, and how they had made him doubt himself.

Now much of his negative feelings were now being projected towards Sandra. She was the cause of all that. She was the reason those zoners wanted to lynch him. She was the reason why all of this had happened at all. It was her fault, and the worst part of all of it was... she had pretended to be his friend.

Snap considered himself a friendly zoner. He liked to help zoners out. He liked to help them find their purpose in life in ChalkZone. He had done the same for Sandra. And for her to take that and break it like it was nothing, to hurt him despite the fact that he had done what he could to get her business started at all... It hurt him on so many levels.

"Well then... since you aren't going to answer, I am going to assume that you want to get this battle started." Sandra said. She then casually turned her head to the side, her eyes focusing on something else. "I wonder how long you can keep me away from them."

Snap's eyes widened in horror. He swiveled his head to where Sandra was looking. He noticed she was staring straight at Dr. Gelcro, who was providing aid to Mosaic and Ripclaw. His heart froze when he realized just what Sandra was indicating. He shot her a glare. "Don't you dare.."

Sandra gave him a sideways glance, smiling. "Oh don't worry, Snap. I wasn't going to kill them for any senseless reason." She waved her hand dismissively. "I just thought that Mosaic might taste good on a burger."

Snap looked at Sandra in shock before he growled at her. "What has she done to deserve that?"

Sandra glared at him. "I think it would be rather simple for you to know. But then, it's not like you are up to date with everything that happened, am I right?" She began to pace around Snap again. Snap followed suit, glaring at her, tensing his body up. "Well in case you were unaware, Mosaic here has been a thorn in my side." She motioned over at where the crocodile zoner was. "I need to make sure that she doesn't interfere again. She knows too much."

Snap said, "Are you aware of what your actions will cost you, then?"

Sandra nodded her head. "Yes." At first, Snap thought this meant that she had some kind of guilty conscience, but this was shattered with her next line. "Someone will steal my ideas. I am the only restaurant in this city that uses actual zoner meat, and I'll be damned if anyone exposes that secret. I will not tolerate anyone stealing from me."

Snap felt like he wanted to throw up. Did Sandra really think that her actions were socially acceptable? Did she really believe that no one would see her actions as atrocities, and actually try to copy them? The reality of this sunk into his heart, twisting it. He could feel his blood's heat reach tremendous tempers, his lip curling up into a snarl.

Snap couldn't understand just how Sandra thought all of this was okay. It was as if her morality system got screwed up at some point in creation. What could possess anyone to think like this? He had never met someone with such a twisted and confusing way of seeing the world. Jacko and Skrawl never really hid their motivations much; they were up front and honest about what they wanted to do, Jacko more so. And Mint...well he wasn't lying when he said he though ChalkZone was a game, and while he did act like he did nothing wrong, unlike Sandra, he had a better reason. He really did think he was in a virtual world, and it took a nasty wake up call to make him realize he was wrong.

But Sandra... She did admit that she was killing zoners and using their flesh in meat recipes. But unlike the others, she only kept it a secret because she thought that someone would steal her idea, as if it was a legitimate practice or something. Sandra seems to honestly believe that what she is going is normal, and that no one has the right to complain.

That's what makes her more disgusting than someone like Skrawl. At least Skrawl didn't hide the fact that zoners would be miserable under his rule. He didn't pretend or give off any benevolent persona.

As the anger swirled through his chest and head, as he glared over at Sandra, he could feel his mind begin to cave in. He was already furious with her before, but now she just kept pushing him over the edge. The realization that all those zoners in ChalkZone City were going to be harvested like animals by this monster began to eat away at him. Now, even more so, he was determined to stop her.

Without saying a word, he charged at her.

Sandra widened her eyes, looking a bit surprised by the sudden movement. Then she simply side stepped at the last second, watching as Snap tumbled past her, nearly hitting against the wall. He growled and turned around. He came at her again, pulling a fist back and trying to punch her.

Sandra narrowed her eyes and, with a glow, Snap let out a cry of pain. He held his arm to himself, a strong ache spreading through it, attacking his joints. He didn't let it deter him for long and he resumed his attack on Sandra. But he had been distracted long enough for her to make a move on him. She had rushed towards him, moving around so that she was at his side. Snap looked over just in time for her head to slam against him. He let out a cry of pain as her hard skull hit against him, sending him flying to the side.

Snap winced as he rubbed his shoulder, which had hit against the wall, and he glared over at Sandra. She stood a few feet away from him, smiling. She raised up her hand and motioned for him to come back. He growled at this. The bitch must be toying with him...

He did not hesitate to rush at her again. He was not normally a violent zoner, but Sandra's atrocities were pushing him over the edge. His determination to stop her had opened up the doors to opportunities he normally would not take. Snarling, he lunged at her when he got close enough and this time, managed to push against her. He got her pinned against the wall, glaring hatefully at her.

But it would seem that she had simply allowed this to happen, because seconds later, she grabbed him by his neck with relative ease, taking advantage of his blind spot as he was too focused on her. Snap gagged as she lifted him up into the air, staring at him in the eyes, grinning. He struggled in vain to get free, but she merely squeezed his neck, causing him to gag. He remained suspended in the air, his legs dangling.

It didn't take him long to realize that Sandra was close enough for an attack. He pulled his foot back and he slammed it against her stomach. Her eyes bulged as she let out a cry of pain. She staggered back, releasing him. Snap immediately put a bit of space between him and the dragon zoner.

The two of them paced around each other slowly, glaring at one another. Snap did not dare turn his eyes away. He watched her, waiting for her to make a move. But all she did was stare at him, pacing around him. He tried to match her every move.

On occassion, Sandra would move swiftly to one side. She'd then rush at him. Snap would let out a cry of fear, jumping back, only for Sandra to recoil. His heart quickened its beating as he snarled at her. Sandra did this a few more times, each one unexpected, and just an attempt to mess with him. With each one, she'd smile, as if she thought this was supposed to be a joy or something. This made his heart twist hard in emotion.

Suddenly, as he kept moving around to match her, and to keep her always in his sights, his heel hit against something on the ground. It didn't twist it, but instead caused him to fall into the ground, on his back. He let out a yelp of surprise. Before he could get up, there was a flash of blue, and in seconds, Sandra was on top of him.

Snap stared up at Sandra, who held his arms at his sides, gripping them tightly. Her tail wriggled around like a snake, her feet planted at either side. He felt her rest on his stomach, applying just enough pressure to keep him on the ground, but not too much as to not suffocate him.

Snap began to struggle on the ground, jerking himself as hard as he could from side to side. He snarled, "Let me go!"

Sandra just smiled at him. "Oh I don't see why I should. After all, you were going to wrongfully hurt me."

Snap gaped at her. "What do you mean wrongfully?!" He struggled harder, wriggling underneath Sandra's weight. "You're the one who..."

"Oh please! Enough of that!" Sandra snarled, rolling her eyes. "You know very well you brought this on yourself! If you hadn't ruined my machine, none of this would have happened!" She put her face close to his, her sharp teeth inches away from his face. "You are the one who hurt me! I thought I could trust you, Snap! But you stabbe me in the back and ruined my machine! Now you must be punished for that! But since you don't seem to have learned your lesson, I will just have to try harder..."

Snap felt his blood boiling, practically dissipating in his veins. Sandra thought he betrayed her? That he was the one worthy of punishment? All this in light of her being the one killing zoners and feeding them to other zoners? How sickening...

He thrashed on the ground, kicking his legs wildly. Sandra hissed at him, holding him down harder. She began to use her healing powers on him again, causing him to yelp as pain snaked through his arm. But he didn't let it detract him for long. Glaring her direction, Snap jerked from side to side with as much force as he could muster, and he soon managed to free his arm. He pulled his fist back and punched her on the forehead, square on her mark.

Sandra's eyes bulged and she pulled her head back, letting out a screech. Snap pulled himself from underneath her, jumping back to put distance between them. He adopted a defensive stance, glaring in Sandra's direction.

The dragon zoner's body stiffened, quivering in pain. Snap stared at this, surprised that the punch had this much of an effect on her. He wondered if it had something to do with that mark on her forehead. Realizing that he may have just figured out her weakness, Snap narrowed his eyes in determination.

While she was still incapacitated, he shouted, "I can't believe you! Is that what you think? That I destroyed your precious machine on purpose just to hurt you?! You really don't know me that well, do you?! And instead of confronting me about it, instead of trying to hear my side, you jump to conclusions, assume I did it on purpose, and you started to punish me!"

Sandra spoke through a pained voice, her teeth clenched. "Y-You knocked a sh-sh-shelf onto it... That was n-no accident!"

"It was an accident!" Snap shouted, his voice raising in volume. "I didn't even know what the dang thing did at the time! I hadn't meant to destroy it!" Snap hunched his shoulders, his glare against Sandra intensifying. "I still would have hated you after I found out what you did, but I would have hated you less if you had just told the truth up front. Instead, you chose to torture me!" He took a step forward. "How could I ever forgive you for that?!"

Sandra rolled her eyes. "I told you, I was not torturing you."

"Oh enough of that! I've had it with you!" Snap barked. "Come on..." He gave a playful sneer, motioning his hand, daring her to make a move. "Let's continue on, shall we...?"

Sandra looked at him in surprise, then her ears lowered and she furrowed her brow. "All right then, friend..."

The two resumed their fight.

sss

"There..that should do it..." Dr. Gelcro said softly as he finished up the bandages. "Now you're all patched up."

Dr. Gelcro looked left and right, taking note of his handiwork. Both the animal zoners were bandaged up from their fight with Sandra. Much of their bodies had been turned white due to the bandages that now covered them. The tightness of them stood out the most in Ripclaw, the bandages causing her fur to seemingly poof up at the edges.

The two animal zoners were on their feet. Though they weren't capable of a large range of human-like expressions, he could tell that they were in pain. The look in their eyes gave it all away, as did the wobbling as they tried to stay up. But there was something else in their eyes, too, that he could not dismiss.

Anger...and determination.

The dog zoner turned his head at where Snap was, fighting Sandra. He watched as the two exchanged blow after blow, knocking into each other, throwing each other away. It was a pretty violent display, despite there not really being much, if any, blood shed. It took him a few seconds to realize something, causing his eyes to widen and his teeth to sink into his bottom lip.

They were both holding back. Well he knew Snap was. He couldn't imagine him deliberately doing anything to hurt Sandra that much. He just wanted to incapacitate her so she could be arrested. But Sandra... Even though he did not know her that well, even though he had no idea what her full capabilities were, he couldn't help but notice her movements, the way she attacked.. It all indicated that she was not fighting at her full strength.

While part of him was relieved at this, another was horrified. Sandra was handling Snap quite well, able to match his moves. Snap was able to counter most of the time. But Dr. Gelcro noticed he was a tad slower in reaction, and Sandra was managing more hits against Snap. The realization that she was holding back chilled Dr. Gelcro. If she could manage this at only part of her strength, then once she unleashed her full potential, then even without her powers...

..Snap stood no chance...

Dr. Gelcro wanted to shout at Snap and warn him, but he worried that might prompt Sandra to do worse, even kill him. He looked over at Mosaic and Ripclaw. They both wanted to get back into the fight, but he couldn't permit that. He couldn't allow them to get hurt.

The dog zoner's mind ached as he tried to think of something he could do. He felt at a loss. He wanted to help Snap, but they were in a constant flurry with each other. He didn't think he'd be able to land a blow without hurting Snap in the process. And he couldn't simply distract her. She may not buy it and she may instantly retaliate against him. His body ached, recalling what she had done to him before.

But he couldn't just sit around here and do nothing... He wasn't sure how long Sandra was going to wait before she pulled the rug out from under him. And he didn't think he could hold back the animal zoners for long. They were clearly looking for a fight. Despite their wounds, they wanted to go back after Sandra.

Dr. Gelcro gripped his head, pressing his claws against his scalp. This was such a hard decision... He had to think of something he could do. There had to be away he could help Snap. He...

Suddenly he heard a loud scream. Dr. Gelcro shot his head up, looking at the scene in shock. To his horror, Sandra had raked her claws across Snap's shoulder, leaving behind four gashes, blood dripping from them. Snap was staggering back, clutching his arm against himself. He looked up at Sandra, baring his teeth.

"I...will not admit...I betrayed you.." Snap growled softly.

Sandra flattened her ears at this, her pupils shrinking slightly. "Wrong answer..."

The dragon zoner zipped across the tunnel, closing the gap between her and him in a second. Dr. Gelcro gasped as the dragon zoner seized Snap by his arm. The supehero zoner screamed as Sandra shook him like a rag doll for a couple seconds before tossing him into the ground. Then she went into a stalking position and began to slowly walk over to Snap.

Dr. Gelcro realized that Sandra was beginning to use more of her skill against Snap. His breathing increased, his heart clenching tightly, ice running through it. He watched as Sandra was about to lunge at Snap. Unable to take it anymore, Dr. Gelcro took action.

"Get the fuck away from him!"

Sandra looked over. Her eyes widened as she saw a paw coming straight down. It struck her in the face, producing bloody marks. She screamed as she toppled across the ground, landing on her back.

sss

Penny felt relieved when she and Mint finally reached the door. She then realized that they needed a way to open it up. The door was shut and their hands were kind of full. She attempted to slow down, thinking Mint would get the hint. But the boy was not slowing down; instead he was speeding up.

"Mint! What are you doing?!" Penny cried in horror.

Mint gave her a quick glance, a look that told her to trust him. Penny wasn't sure how to respond to this. Not wanting Rudy to get hurt, she had no choice but to increase her speed to match his. The two of them headed towards the door, moving faster. Penny's heart sped up as they got closer. She looked at Mint with wide eyes, wondering what he thought he was going to do.

They collided with the door seconds later. Penny felt herself jerk forward, nearly tripping over herself in the process. She heard Rudy give a loud cry of pain. Penny lifted her head up after she recovered, glaring at Mint.

But to her surprise, they were still moving. Ramming against the door had somehow managed to open it. Penny wondered how that was possible, but she pushed the thought behind her as her ears filled with the noise that she had wanted to hear.

The sound of other zoners.

She and Mint rushed from behind the back of the restaurant, the register with the filthy blood money in front of them. The restaurant had a couple of zoners sitting down, eating what appeared to be left overs, possibly from this restaurant, something that Sandra had apparently allowed. There was a line of zoners in front of the register. There were at least ten of them.

The chattering that had echoed in the room and in their ears faded away. The zoners all looked over, noticing the children. They froze in shock, some of them with food close to their mouths, preparing to eat. They did not attempt to close their mouths to eat, instead watching the two warily, in confusion. This was the same for even the zoners in line, or just hanging around.

As they came around from behind the register, Penny and Mint could see the zoners' expressions flash with fear and horror as they took notice of their condition, particularly Rudy. The sight of the Great Creator in a stretcher like this, a stiff collar around his neck to keep it in place, was truly a shocking and frightening experience. The zoners murmured softly, looking at each other, whispering softly. None of them dared to make a move towards them, their expressions enough to show that they weren't certain what they should do.

Penny didn't waste any time. She glanced at the zoners, giving them all a look of great urgency. This expression alone was enough to make the zoners look even more worried than they had been. They could tell something was very wrong, even without looking at Mint and Rudy. Before any of them could say anything, Penny shouted, "You have to get out of here! It's not safe for any of you here! Run!"

This caused nervous exchanges among the zoners. They looked at each other, and then back at Penny. But none of them tried to get out. They just stood there, or sat there, staring at her in confusion and shock.

Penny didn't bode with this well. "What are you waiting for?!"

"...what's going on...?" One of the zones asked.

"Yeah..." Another asked nervously. "Why should we leave..?"

At that moment, as Mint shot her a look as well, Penny realized she had forgotten to tell the zoners what was going on. She felt so stupid. How could she have forgotten? Had she been that urgent on getting out that she had neglected to tell the zoners this important piece of information? Oh well, she couldn't spend too much time beating herself up over it, so she quickly remedied the situation.

"Sandra is not who you think! She is not your friend! She would tear you all apart! Just look at what she did to my friends!" Penny cried, her voice laced in desperation.

"...you mean Sandra did that?" A female stick figure asked, pointing a finger at Mint. "Are you sure it wasn't self defense?"

"And what about Rudy? Do you think this was self defense?" Penny snarled, angry that the zoners would even think to consider Mint being the culprit despite him being injured. "He wasn't the one who did this to Rudy. Sandra was!"

This caused a ripple of shock and horror to race through the zoners. Penny and Mint looked around, watching as the zoners talked to each other nervously. The room filled with the echoes of the zoners' voices, and soon it was hard to tell who was saying what, and what was even being said at all.

As the zoners talked to each other, Penny looked down at Rudy to see how he was doing. She let out a gasp of shock when she saw that he had passed out. She looked at him, her eyes darting around, looking for any sign of life. Rudy's eyes were shut softly, and he didn't move. No matter how long she looked at him, he didn't move an inch. The only movement at all she could see was the rise and fall of his chest as he took in shaky, thin breaths.

Penny turned her attention to the zoners, who were still talking with each other. It was clear that finding out that Sandra had hurt the Great Creator had startled them deeply. They were trying to figure out why she would do such a thing.

Penny cleared her throat. Once she got the zoners' attention, she said, "Listen to me, everyone! Sandra has been..."

She was cut off when a gruff voice sounded out in her direction. "She had done what, ma'am?"

Penny looked over and saw what appeared to be a giraffe dressed in some kind of a suit. From the looks of things, especially that badge on his suit, he was some kind of cop.

Penny shouted, "She has been murdering zoners!" This was enough to cause the zoners to gasp in horror. But Penny wasn't done yet. There was more. She looked over at the zoners eating their left overs, giving them a sympathetic look. This caused them to look at her in confusion. Penny did not leave them wondering for long. "Sandra has been slaughtering zoners and she used that machine of hers to..."

"You mean the one that Snap destroyed?" Asked a nervous zoner.

"How is it destroyed if Sandra used it?" A female zoner asked, confused. "Did Snap help her rebuild it?"

Penny shook her head. "No! Snap has nothing to do with this!"

"Please calm down, girl." The giraffe said. "And please..tell us what you think Sandra has been up to."

Penny looked at the zoners all around her, feeling their stares boring through hers. This was a little harder than she had imagined. She wished that Mint could help her. But there was little he could do. It was up to her to deliver the terrifying news.

Penny did not hesitate for long. "Sandra has been using the machine to grind up zoners, and then she used their meat in her recipes!" She saw the horrified looks on the zoners' faces. They were looking at her expectantly. They clearly knew what this meant, and she decided to confirm it for them. With a grim nod, she said, "Yes... all her specials have had sentient zoner meat in them. She's been feeding you all the flesh of your own kind!"

Almost immediately, the zoners reacted in great disgust. She and Mint watched them sadly as they wretched, holding their mouths, resisting the urge to throw up. Many of them fell to the ground, trembling too much to stand up. Some had to lean against a table or the wall for support. The ones who had been eating immediately spat out their food, wiping their tongues to get the taste out. Two of them began to vomit, spilling their stomach's contents all over the table and chair.

After a few seconds, the zoners began to help each other. Penny could see that many of them had begun to cry, emotion taking a hold of them. Zoners comforted other zoners as they tried to cope with the weight of this horrible news. They already held a haunted look in their eyes, and it was clear that this was going to leave them traumatized for a long time.

"I-I can't believe it... I-I was eating..."

"How could she do something so disgusting...?"

"What if I was eating my friend?!"

"How long has this been going on? Why couldn't we see this?"

"This..this is just a bad dream... I'll close my eyes and wake up and this would all have been just a nightmare..."

Penny and Mint stared at the zoners sympathetically. They could tell they were having a hard time digesting this uncomfortable information. Penny wished she could say something to cushion the blow, but how could she do that with news this horrible? All she and Mint could do was watch as the zoners cried and tried to comfort one another over this startling and horrendeous discovery.

To find out that they were unintentionally cannibals...eating meat from their own kind... That was a horrible and terrifying discovery. They couldn't begin to imagine just how torn up they must feel inside. Their guts must be wrenching, watching to free themselves of any trace of the wretched meat that Sandra had been using. Mint and Penny could not blame them. If they themselves had found out they had unintentionally ate meat from other humans, they would feel rather sickened as well.

The giraffe zoner, who had looked a bit stoic before, was now frightened, his body trembling. "I-I...You mean.. Sandra had...?"

Penny nodded her head a few times. "Yes. She had been killing zoners to use as food."

The giraffe zoner took in a few shaky breaths. "I don't believe it."

Penny lowered her gaze. "There's more..."

At this, many of the zoners looked at Penny, their eyes wide in fear. The giraffe zoner took a step forward, staring at Penny and waiting for her to continue.

"Sandra was the one who killed those zoners several weeks ago. She was the one who rigged the explosives at Snap's party." Penny looked at the zoners, and noticed their expressions. She narrowed her eyes softly as she remembered many of the harsh things the zoners had said about Snap. "She had framed Snap, and she tricked you all into thinking he was the culprit."

The zoners cringed at this. A few of them lowered their heads in shame, their eyes flashing with guilt. They looked at one another, some of them asking themselves multiple, emotion-fueled questions.

Penny could not blame them for this reaction. She recognized many of the zoners in the room as a few that had been in the mob, accusing Snap of being a murderer. Now the truth had been exposed, laid bare before them. Even if some of them disbelieved her, they couldn't deny how horrifying a discovery this was. The ones that did believe her, Penny could imagine them feeling very guilty, knowing that they had been tormenting the wrong zoner.

Penny looked over at the policeman. She watched as he took a few steps towards her. His body was shaking like a leaf at this discovery. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it, licking his lips nervously. Then he tried again, and this time, he managed to succeed.

In a faint voice, he asked, "Where is Sandra?"

Penny gestured her head towards the door. "Snap is back there fighting her now. He's doing what he can to keep her occupied." There was a murmur all around her. Penny could tell the zoners were reacting in surprise and guilt at how selfless Snap was being. She continued, "Call for backup. Mint and I need to take Rudy to the hospital. Sandra bit down on his throat and snapped his neck."

The giraffe looked down at Rudy, lowering his ears. He then turned to Sandra and, frowning in determination, he nodded his head. "Will do."

With that, the giraffe zoner pulled out his walkie talkie. Penny kept quiet, as did the zoners. Anxiety and tension rose in the air as the giraffe pushed a few buttons, the sound of static ringing out of the speakers. He brought it to his elongated mouth and spoke harshly into it.

"Hello, police station? I request backup."