Fall In Line

by DarkHououmon

"It is still sad you don't know. Sad that you aren't acknowledging what you did. That makes you all far bigger criminals than I would have expected. There's nothing I hate more than criminals who act like they did nothing wrong."

36. Going Home

Theron's eyes were wide in shock. He stared down below, unable to believe just what he was seeing. He knew things were going to get intense. But he never thought it would have been quite like this.

The metal dragon, Cychreides, had just exploded. It had several holes ripped into its metal hull, and some pieces were laying on the ground. The whole beast was mostly in tact, save for those openings. Some fire was licking up along it, mostly around its wings and feet, some on the body too.

He replayed in his head just what had happened. He never expected it to go this fast. He had thought that he would have had to fight the king a lot longer before he could get a strike in. He had come prepared, and had all kinds of inner plans and tricks in mind in order to get in close enough. And while it wasn't exactly easy and he still needed to be careful, it was still not exactly what he was expecting.

He had flown around the king, trying to keep away from him. The hippalectryon he rode on was able to stay out of the dragon's range. This hadn't been an easy task. Cychreides was able to move pretty quickly despite his size. And the blasts...they were quite hard to avoid. He couldn't believe how frequently he had fired, and the intensity of each blast.

He had started to get a little dizzy from all the flying around. Diving, twisting, turning, dodging. It was not easy fighting in the air like this. He wasn't used to it, especially in a confined space. He needed to be constantly on his toes to stay out of the dragon's way and try to find an opening.

King Zander had attempted to get him to surrender and make things easier. Theron of course refused. Why would he surrender to a coward like him? He wasn't kidding when he said he was waiting for this for a long time. He had no intention of backing down, and he made sure that the king knew this.

Some moves had been harder to dodge than others. The king was quite good for a coward. He attacked with great ferocity. Cychreides was quite a handful to deal with, and he had to admit, he did break out in a sweat.

But despite the trouble, he was still a lot easier than he thought he was going to be. Though confused, Theron had a feeling he knew exactly why it seemed so easy for him to defeat King Zander and his metal dragon.

He had more experience. King Zander was obviously not used to fights. He was used to commanding others to do the fighting for him. Rarely did he himself ever step up to the plate and do something on his own. Now there he had been, riding on the metal dragon and fighting directly that way. King Zander's inexperience is what ultimately cost him. He was good at planning, but when it came to reflexes, he was a little on the handicapped side.

Living in that forsaken jungle must have played a key role. Theron was used to having to go up against beasts, and the dragon hardly acted any different from them, minus the beam shooting of course. All he had to do was treat Cychreides like he was another animal in the jungle, and he had become quite a lot easier, though still quite a challenge.

He felt a small pang of disappointment. He had hoped that the dragon would have lasted longer. He had hoped that King Zander would have put up a better fight. He had wanted to fight him longer, rub it further into his face on how he had lost. He wanted to do so much more to him. There was so much that the king needed to answer for.

And now he was dead. There was nothing that could be done now. He couldn't help but shake his head. Such a waste. A dead body could not pay for anything. It would stop the carnage, yes, but it wasn't good enough for some people, like himself. He had wanted to see the bastard's eyes when he saw that his people had turned against him. He wanted to see that look of defeat as King Zander realized that this had been all his fault, that he could have stopped it if he wasn't such a douche. Now it was too late for that.

Theron let out a soft sigh. Well there was nothing more that could be done about that. He was just going to just going to have to make do. The most important thing was that King Zander was stopped; whether or not he was brought into a trial shouldn't really matter all that much. He had to worry about the welfare of everyone else. Not whether or not the king suffers for his mistake.

Besides, there was still someone who could take the brunt of that punishment anyway. He was certain that General Kairos was still alive. And if he was, then he would be the perfect scapegoat. He was the closest to the king from what he recalled, and he was as big of a monster, if not more. He could take the king's punishment as well as his own.

He didn't see Kairos anywhere in the arena, however. He couldn't help but feel a level of confusion. Why wasn't he here? Where did he go? He guessed that the fight in the arena may have caused him to flee. No matter. Without his precious king to hide behind, Kairos couldn't hide forever.

But at the moment, there was something more urgent on his head.

He could see some unconscious bodies down below. He recognized most of them as the same people that had been in the jungle earlier. Penny, Snap, and Barney. There was also someone else. Ah, King Mumbo Jumbo, he believed. He winced at their wounds. They looked like they had gone through hell. And Snap's leg was all bandaged up so thickly, and it looked like some of the bandages had been torn off. His leg was either badly sprained or broken. It was hard to tell. And the others had bad injuries of their own, such as Penny's arm gashes and King Mumbo Jumbo's badly swollen leg.

They weren't the only ones he could see either. All around the colosseum, he was aware of several bodies on the ground. Blood stained the ground near them, matching the cuts on their bodies. Some of the bodies were breathing shakingly, and others were just still completely, dead. The remaining were awake and quivering in pain, and looked so completely helpless.

It appeared as though King Zander's guards had started a riot. He was aware of the fighting when he had come in, but he did not bother paying much attention. His eyes were solely on King Zander.

And it would seem that the guards did not notice their fight, either. They were too focused on each other. Blade against blade. Claw gainst claw. Staff against staff. The remaining guards were still fighting one another. He dare not try to make a move; he was not able to tell which was which. How could he attack any of them when he wasn't sure which one was a side that he'd want to choose?

Plus, he didn't even know what they were fighting for. Were they fighting for King Zander or themselves? He had little reason to believe that any of them were possible allies, and he was better off treating them as enemies. But for now, he would keep his distance.

As the fighting continued on, he looked down and saw Rudy limping in one direction, holding the piece of magic chalk. He winced when he noticed some blood on his arm and realized that his broken limb had gotten burned, likely from Cychreides's attack. He immediately dove down with the hippalectryon and landed on the ground. He had the beast walk forward swiftly and it didn't take them long to reach Rudy.

Rudy took immediate notice of him. "Theron? How did you...?"

"It's a long story." Theron patted the side of the hippalectryon's neck. "What is going on here? Why are the guards fighting?"

Rudy turned his head and looked up at the guards, his eyes narrowing. "King Zander slaughtered one of them, and it caused kind of an uproar."

Theron didn't need to know any more. He could already picture in his head what was going on. He just moved his head back and nodded his head slowly a few times. That...would certainly explain a lot. He could see the guards getting all in a huffy when one of their own was taken.

So this fight was between loyalists and deserters. Those still loyal to King Zander, and those who left his side. That didn't make it any easier to tell which side was what, and he doubted that Rudy would be able to know. It wasn't like the deserters did anything to distinguish themselves physically from the others.

Theron stared at Rudy for a few moments, then he slowly narrowed his eyes. "Just...what were you going to do?"

Rudy turned to glare at the fighting around him. "I was going to stop this fighting." He looked down at the magic chalk. "I still have some left. I need to draw something to..."

"No." Theron cut him off.

Rudy stared up at him in shock. "What are you talking about?" He moved his chalk-wielding hand over towards the dueling guards. "We can't just leave them like this!"

Theron nodded his head. "Yes, we can."

"But..."

"Let me explain, kid." Theron raised his hand up to silence him. Rudy went silent, but still gave him a worried and shocked frown. "It doesn't really matter which side wins. It would have should King Zander still be around. That would have caused some kind of shift. But...the king is dead now. Those that still follow King Zander now cannot take orders from him, and those who are against him can no longer rebel against him. Their fight is pretty meaningless at this point. It is best to just let this sort of thing handle itself."

"But, if it's meaningless...shouldn't we try to..." Rudy bit his lip nervously. "I mean...we can't just let them kill each other..."

"They won't. At least, not anymore." Theron spoke up. "True, there had been some unlucky ones, but if you notice, the fighting isn't as intense as it was, and there hasn't been any further deaths."

Rudy looked around. The look in his eyes seemed to tell Theron that he understood where he was coming from. After a few moments, Rudy looked back up at him, waiting for a continuation of his answer.

"They will settle things on their own. The losing side will concede and they will negotiate on their own. The king's guards have their own internal system from what I recall. It's...complicated, but do not fret, Rudy. They will calm down and order will be restored."

"And the citizens?"

"So long as they don't try to interfere or leave and get in the middle of the fighting, they will be fine."

Rudy looked towards the ground. There was a look of reluctance in his eyes. Understandable, considering this child had no experience with this place. He wasn't even sure if there was anything like this in the Real World where he came from. He just hoped that the boy understood enough that he wouldn't try to intervene.

Theron couldn't feel completely content himself. A small portion of him was a little worried that this might go too far. But the slowing down that he could see happening gradually was a good sign to him. He felt it was best to just let the guards take care of their disgruntlement on their own and not try to get in the middle of it.

Theron took a moment to look over at the unconscious forms of the boy's friends. They hadn't shown any sign of improvement, and out here in the colosseum during the fighting was not the best place for them. They would need to find a way to get out of here and avoid the flying guards in the process. The citizens might be trapped for now, and there was little they could do about that. But that didn't mean that Rudy couldn't at least get his friends to safety.

"You need to get them out." Theron told him. "Try drawing some form of transportation for them."

"But..." Rudy again turned up to look at the citizens. "I can't just leave them behind."

"They are going to to be fine." Theron began.

Rudy shot him a glare. "How do you know?! What if something terrible happens and I'm not there to be able to help them?! What if the guards go crazy and..."

"Relax, kid." Theron returned the glare. "They will..."

"No! I won't leave them!" Rudy shouted.

"And what of your friends?!" Theron hissed at him. "Would you feel better if they got more hurt?!"

Rudy's eyes widened. "N-No..." He looked away. "But...I just..can't leave these people behind... I'm the protector of ChalkZone. I should be able to do something to stop this.."

Theron wanted to slap himself in the face. Rudy was such a stubborn little boy. He couldn't even understand when it is best to stay out of things. He seemed to think that he had the right to butt himself into situations that weren't his problem, nor did he seem to understand that doing such things may actually make it worse.

He could feel himself growing frustrated with the boy. He was making the situation worse for his friends by hesitating to try to think of helping the citizens here. There was nothing he could really do to help things alone. The guards just needed to duke this out on their own. All Rudy would accomplish by trying to stop them was delaying help for his friends. And he knew, based on his interactions with him, that he loved his friends too much to let something happen to them.

He didn't want to waste anymore time. He was tired of hearing the boy's excuses. He walked over towards him and gripped his shoulders. He applied pressure, making Rudy wince. He then lowered his head and moved it towards his face. Rudy turned his head to the side, looking at him with a single eye.

"Listen here, Rudy Tabootie. If you try to stay here and try to take care of this yourself...all you will do is make things worse. You don't even know which side is which. What are you going to do? Ask them politely? What if one of them lies to you? What if they trick you so they can get close and kill you? No, Rudy, you must stay out of this and let them take care of it. And do not worry about the citizens; they will be fine."

Rudy took in a few breaths. He looked uncertain of what to do. He could practically see the boy shake with adrenaline as he looked left and right. "B-But..what if they aren't...?"

Theron paused for a moment and gave an exasperated sigh. "You are really pushing my buttons here, Rudy. I am wasting time with you trying to explain this when we should be helping your friends..." He moved his head back, glaring at him. He really didn't want to do this, but it was either this, or he wasted more time trying to convince Rudy to just leave this place behind. "Either you help me transport your friends to safety, or I will be forced to euthanize them."

Rudy's eyes bulged. "Y-You wouldn't..."

Theron leaned forward, narrowing his eyes into slits. He did his best to hide his feelings of guilt as he said, "Try me..."

Rudy looked at him in horror.

sss

Rudy rested on the outside of the wall, his back leaning towards it. He stared down at the ground, looking at how his friends were bandaged up.

Well the zoners at least. Penny didn't have much; what could he give her made of chalk that wouldn't dissolve with the blood leaking out of her burns? She needed to get to the Real World for that. But sadly, that wasn't going to happen just yet. He hoped that Penny could hold out.

They were all at least secured. He had drawn a contraption that was able to hold them securely and move around via remote control. It looked a little strange and it was difficult to describe. A walking frisby kind of? He didn't really worry too much of the description; it at least works. He was going to need this to travel across the land so he could get to his submarine. It was the only way out of here.

Theron said that he was going to need to wait, though. Since the fighting was dying down, it shouldn't be too long. But it was best to wait until it stopped completely and the guards and people helped to appoint a new leader. Otherwise those up in the watch towers were still going to shoot them regardless. With no king to tell them know, they would just shoot no matter what they said.

Rudy still felt some level of anger towards Theron. He couldn't believe the low, dirty move he had pulled on him earlier. He had felt so frightened and scared for his friends. And for Theron to say such a thing...

But he couldn't really blame him. He could tell the guy was getting annoyed, and yet he continued to argue with him anyway. Theron probably wasn't going to actually hurt his friends; he was just trying to motivate him to get a move on. He doubted that Theron enjoyed what he said, either. He didn't look like he was particularly liking it.

Rudy did feel guilty about slowing things down. He had been so worried about trying to help everyone, and the fighting around him... He felt a strong compulsion to try to stop it and bring some peace back. But by doing so, he was just wasting time. He should have trusted Theron more, who understood how things were run here better than he did. And he was right; how would he know who was who? How would he have kept himself from being tricked?

At least they were out here now, and he was able to treat his friends' wounds the best he could. Theron helped, as well as the hippalectryon. Theron recommended they stay nearby; the guards would not bring the fight out here. They would be safe.

It was strange seeing the hippalectryon again. He didn't recognize it at first, but when he saw how it approached him and the way it moved, he knew it was the same one from before. It had remembered him. Maybe that was why the hippalectryon was so eager to help. Maybe it had sensed that Theron was an ally as well, and wanted to help him out in helping them.

The hippalectryon was laying down next to him at the moment, its head resting up against him. Rudy looked down and smiled at it. He was glad that Theron was able to get it out of wherever King Zander had placed it. He had feeling that the creature was horribly mistreated afterwards as 'punishment' for being nice to him and his friends.

The thought of King Zander boiled his blood. The fact that he had used his citizens like this, that he had killed them in cold blood... He just found it hard to forget. No matter how much he tried to push the thoughts of the king away to focus on the now, it was hard to just let go of that anger. He didn't think it would be possible to ever let it go anytime soon. King Zander had done a lot of damage to his kingom, and for what? What got him the most was that...he didn't fully understand the king's plans. He was never completely up front about what his goal was, and even when asked to elaborate, he refused.

That was partly why it stung him that the king was dead. He was never going to get the answers now. He was never going to understand what was running through that awful king's mind.

Well, there was nothing he could do about it now. Although it was hard, he needed to focus on what was going on right now. That was all he could do.

He looked over at where Theron was. He narrowed his eyes in confusion. Why was Theron looking at the ground like that? Was there something wrong? Had Theron spotted something important? Moving away from the disappointed hippalectryon, Rudy walked towards Theron slowly.

"Hey, what's up?" He asked.

Theron didn't lift his head up or answer at first. He just continued to stare towards the ground. He was rubbing his chin thoughtfully, his eyes furrowed. After a few moments, he turned to look over at Rudy. "These tracks... They weren't here before."

"Tracks...?" Rudy looked at the ground. He scanned it carefully, but he didn't see anything similar to what Theron was describing. He shrugged his shoulder. "What are you referring to? I see nothing."

"Of course not. You haven't done a lot of tracking." Theron stated. That hadn't meant to be an insult; just a statement of fact. Theron lowered his finger and pointed at the ground, motioning towards what looked like some really faint lines. "Something was dragged off here." He lifted his head and looked towards one direction. "And they headed off in that direction."

Rudy frowned at this. "Do you know who it might have been?"

Theron shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The track is muddled up; I can't make out enough detail. The only way to find out is to follow the tracks."

"I see..." Rudy stared at what Theron claimed to be tracks. He wasn't too sure if they were or not, but he didn't want to call Theron a liar. After all, living in the jungle, he would indeed know more about this than he would. He turned his head to look at him. "What do you suggest we do?"

For a few moments, Theron was silent. He stared at the tracks long and hard, his eyes narrowed. He looked as if he was trying to debate whether or not he should go after them. This was clearly not going to be such an easy decision.

Rudy could understand why, too. The thing that made the tracks might be important in some way. Dangerous, perhaps an ally, perhaps someone who could be in danger. They could benefit from trying to find out who this was, and if there was anyone else dangerous, capturing them and stopping them from causing further damage.

But on the other, they did have urgent things to take care of right now. They needed to move his friends to safety, which they won't be able to do until after they could get back to the submarine, and they can't do that until the situation with the guards was stabilized. It was almost funny how it seemed that, after the king was defeated, things appeared to have gotten harder; not easier.

"I will go alone." Theron finally said after a few moments. He turned to look at Rudy. "I'll leave the beast there with you for protection."

Rudy stared at Theron, his eyes widening a little. "What do I do when..."

"When the guards come out? Do not worry. You will know." Theron raised his head up and stared over at the arena. "I sense the fighting is almost done. They will come out and you can talk to them." He paused for a moment. "...hopefully..."

Rudy felt his heart skip a beat at this. "Hopefully?! What does that mean?!"

Theron didn't bother to answer him. He had grabbed his spear and he rushed off in the direction the tracks went in. Rudy called out to him again, holding out his unbroken arm towards him. But no matter what he did or shouted, the zoner simply was not responding to him. He just continued to run until he was out of sight completely. Rudy bit his lip and lowered his hand.

Of course Theron had to go and leave him alone like this. He turned to the hippalectryon. Okay so not completely alone. But still... The way he said 'hopefully' did cause a string of cold fear to move through him. Before, the zoner had been confident that things would settle down with the guards. But now, with that single word, Rudy realized how badly things could backfire.

His heart began to race. Was Theron referring to those still loyal to King Zander's ways? If they were the ones who won the fight, what would happen if they came out and saw him? Would they try to kill him and his friends?

Now Rudy really regretted not doing something earlier. Even though there may not have been anything he could do in the end, he wished he could have done something to help turn the tides against the loyalists so that they no longer had to worry about anything King Zander related. He wondered if Theron had been so confident that he just forgot about the possibility of the loyalists still winning. Now the fight didn't seem as 'meaningless' as the zoner had told him.

Theron was probably lying to himself, and to him, in order to make it easier to leave the colosseum to help his friends. Rudy gritted his teeth at this. He wished that Theron had been more honest if that were the case.

He sucked in a deep breath and sighed. Well it was pointless to go against what Theron said now. He would have to continue doing what was asked of him. He moved towards the hippalectryon and kept his eyes towards the colosseum, waiting for any sign of the fighting ending. He could still hear the fighting on the other side. No sign of ending just yet.

He occasionally looked over at his friends to see if any of them were waking up. So far, they stayed still and quiet. He bit hsi lip. He hoped they would wake up soon. The longer they stayed like this, the more worried he got. What if... What if they don't wake up...?

Rudy shook the thought out of his head. No, he couldn't think like that. Everything was going to be fine. Soon they would be on their way leaving and they would be able to return home.

Then they would never have to set foot in this place ever again.

sss

Theron wasn't sure how long he had been following this trail. He didn't know where it was taking him or how far it was. All he knew was he just had to keep going. If he didn't follow it and find out what was going on, then he could never be fully at peace.

He did feel guilty about leaving Rudy behind. He wished he could have done something more than just leave the hippalectryon with him to defend himself and his friends with. The boy was out of magic chalk, and if the guards did try to still hurt him, then Rudy was going to have a hard time.

And his friends... What would happen to them...?

Theron shook the thoughts out of his head. Rudy should be able to hold up just fine. He was able to before without magic chalk, right? He was chalkless when he had first run into him, if he remembered right. Rudy was resourceful enough. He should be able to make do without it. He needed to have more faith in the boy.

Plus, this trail could lead to something important. For all he knew, it might be General Kairos. If that were the case, then he needed to find him and capture him before he could do anything to cause more damage. If it was him, well it was a good thing that he brought his spear. He may be in for the fight of his life in that case. He had never fought against Kairos before, but he knew, generally from rumors, how nasty that guy could be.

If there was anyone he wanted to kill right now, it was Kairos. He was such a sociopathic monster, he doubted that any amount of imprisonment was going to make him change his ways. And keeping him locked up was only going to invite future danger. No, he needed to die so that he could never hurt anyone ever again. As soon as he found him, he would drive his spear right through his chest. Then it would all be over.

He continued to follow the trail, noting how it seemed to take random turns. There wasn't a whole lot of blood either. None where he and Rudy were and only small amounts after. Maybe the person being dragged banged against something and started to bleed? A possibility. But he wouldn't know until he found them. Then he would need to...assess what he should do with them. Help them, or kill them.

He kept on walking, unsure of exactly how long this was taking him. He didn't have any way to tell the time, and of course, Chalklantis doesn't have those...what did the surface dweller call them? Ah yes. Day Zone and Night Zone. None of that down here, nor did they have cycling days like in the Real World. It had never bothered him before, but now, as he moved through the land, following this trail, he really, really wished he could see just what time it was.

Nonetheless, he kept on moving. Sooner or later, he would figure out where he was and figure out where this mystery person went. Even if he had to keep on walking for possibly hours, he would find them. It was just a matter of time.

He was starting to get a little exhausted. He had been walking at a fast pace for a while now. He had wanted to try to catch up as quickly as he could without exerting himself too much. Well that turned out to be a failure. He needed to slow down before he exhausted himself further.

He rested himself against a tall, rocky wall, panting a few times. As soon as he managed to catch his breath and get his heart rate back to normal, he looked around the rocky wall to see where he was.

He couldn't help but feel a level of shock when he realized he was getting close to the edge of the open field. He could see the beginnings of his jungle home in the distance. He took a few moments as his mind reeled form this. Had he really traveled that far? He found it quite difficult to believe. He knew he had walked quite a ways, and for some time, but still...

He looked down at the ground. Yep, the trail was still going. He looked out a head, taking in a deep breath and sighing. He had no idea how much further this was going to go, or how much longer he was going to be out here. But..he still needed to follow this trail. He needed to see where it goes and find out who was on the other end of it. If he didn't... He didn't want to think about what might happen if he didn't.

So he continued on his way. He did his best to ignore the frustrations of how long this was taking, the worries of what might be going on with Rudy and the others. He had to focus on this task. Then he could go back and help Rudy if he needed it.

After what felt like a long time, he was able to reach the edge of the jungle. He could feel a sense of familiarity and comfortableness as he stepped on its grounds once more. For the first time in a while, he did feel safe and secure. He knew this place better than he knew the city. He would rather deal with the wild animals around here than deal with the zoners of the city. He was more of an animal person, really. Animals were just, by comparison, a lot easier to control.

He could see that there were a number of animals around, but none of them made a move towards him. They were too busy with something else. Their young, hunting easier prey, perhaps finding a mate, which ever. Only a few really paid attention to him, and all they did was stare at him.

That was the reward for living here. The animals grew to...well not respect, but they know to keep their distance. It was still dangerous, and he would not ever walk through here without his trusty spear. If any of these animals decided to attack him, whether it before territorial reasons or they wanted to eat him, then he was going to make them regret it. It only took one strike in a single location to bring most of them down, or wound them enough to make them flee.

The trail continued through here. How curious. Just how far did this zoner drag this own zoner? And why through here? He guessed that it may have been purposefully chosen; whoever this was obviously wanted to murder this guy. If they were left in here, they would not last for very long. There was a strong chance that he would not find a zoner; just a ripped up body.

Eventually, he started to hear soft groaning. He froze for a moment, turning his head from one side to the other. He didn't recognize who it was, but whoever it was, it...didn't sound like they were in pain. The groan was more like...effort? Yes, he could hear the scraping now. However it was, they were trying to get away from something. He continued to move towards the sound, moving slowly, trying to listen as best as he could.

Soon he started to hear a panicked voice.

"No! Please! Let me go! I-I can't stand it! I don't want to be trapped here! Please..somebody help me! I-I don't want this... Please..."

Theron froze at this. Then his eyes narrowed into slits. He knew exactly who this person was. His lip curled up into a snarl. He readied his spear as he walked towards the sound slowly. He went around one of the thick trees, stepping over a small stream of water, and rounded the corner.

Just as he thought. It was General Kairos. The bird zoner was located a few feet in front of him. He rested on the ground with tall rocky pillars on either side of him, covering much of his body. Someone had deliberately pushed them in like that, and there appeared to be another slab of rock placed on his back to weigh him down. There was also some kind of heavy stone that his legs were attached to, which prevented further movement.

Whoever had done this was clearly trying to induce some kind of claustrophia with Kairos. And it was working. This horrid zoner, who had deemed being trapped as nothing that bad, was now freaking out because of it. He could see the utter terror in his eyes, the way his body wriggled, trying to escape. Allowing him to see out only added to his torment. Seeing freedom yet not being able to get to it.

Kairos was so panicked, he did not notice him at first as he approached. Theron walked around Kairos, eyeing him up and down. He took notice of how mangled his legs looked, and he could see, even in the shadows, his back appeared to be broken.

Theron couldn't help but smile at this. It would seem that justice had finally caught up with this monster. What a fitting punishment for this general. To go from being so in control, to having all of that taken away. With a broken back, he could never harm anyone ever again.

He moved around towards the front and made his presence known by stomping on the ground. Kairos jolted a little in surprise and raised his head up. He widened his eyes when he saw Theron.

"Looks like karma decided to pay you a visit..." Theron said, his teeth gritted as he struggled to hold back his fury. "I had been hoping it would strike you at some point. I just never thought it would be like this." He motioned his hand towards him. "Look how pathetic you are... Trapped and unable to go anywhere. I could do so much to you right now and you couldn't do a damn thing to stop me.."

Kairos shivered at this. "P-Please...just kill me..." He whispered in a cracked voice. "Just finish me... I would rather die than face this. P-Please..."

Theron was at first tempted to 'honor' Kairos's wish. But he stopped himself. He had wanted the death thing to be a punishment, but it won't be if that's what Kairos wanted. No, he had a much better idea. He shook his head and said, "No...I think you'd be fine remaining like that. I think this suits you quite well. A little bird in his cage."

Kairos let out a wail at this and shook his head. "No! Please!" He shook harder as he stared at Theron pleadingly. His eyes were glassy with tears, which stained his cheeks. Low cries escaped his throat. "Please kill me! I-I can't take it!"

Theron narrowed his eyes coldly. "Why should I show you any mercy? After all that you have done?" Theron's voice was laced with disgust. He stared at the zoner in contempt as he listened to him sobbing on the ground. "You deserve this, you know. If you hadn't been such an asshole, maybe you would have been given spared a harsh punishment."

"I-I'm sorry!" Cried Kairos. "I know I shouldn't have done those things! I-I understand now! Please...either kill me or help me!"

"Help you?!" Theron was appalled by the very idea of General Kairos asking him for help. He raised his spear up, poised to strike. "I have no reason to help someone like you!" He noticed the way the bird was shutting his eyes, as if in anticipation for the blow. Not wanting to let him off easy, he lowered his spear. "You don't deserve my help. And you sure don't deserve to die."

Theron moved in closer. Kairos cringed away, his body trembling harder as he got near him. His cheeks shined with his tears, and Theron could see the flow was not going to stop any time soon. He reached out and roughly grabbed him by his lower beak. He lifted it up, listening to Kairos whimper and sniffle as they locked eyes with each other.

"You deserve to live like this, knowing exactly what you have done." Theron whispered to him harshly. Kairos whimpered at this and shut his eyes tightly, letting the tears flow. "You deserve to spend every minute here, knowing that you had brought yourself into this position. You deserve to rot here..."

Kairos's body wracked in sobs at this. "N-No... Please... I-I'm begging you..."

Theron was tempted to smash Kairos's head in the ground, but he refrained from doing so. He remained quiet, listening to the bird zoner continue to sob like this. It was so gratifying seeing him like this after all the trouble he had caused.

But he knew that this wouldn't last for long. Now he had a decision to make. He could just leave Kairos like this, but he would end up dying. Yes, a slow, painful death. But that is what Kairos wanted. To die so he didn't have to endure being trapped like this. Theron didn't want that. He wanted him to suffer for however long possible.

Yet he didn't want to help him. He didn't want to lend any sort of helping hand to this monster. He didn't deserve it, and it was, again, something that Kairos wanted. He either wanted help or to die. In his position, Theron could not do anything else except what Kairos requested. He could just leave him, but that would doom him to die, which is, again, something Kairos wanted.

He needed to think of another option. And fortunately, such a thought did cross his mind. He smiled down twistedly at Kairos. He watched as the zoner looked at him in fear, cringing in anticipation of what he was going to do with him.

"I know exactly what I could do with you.." Theron said, chuckling. "A way to keep you alive...but trapped like a rat in a cage forever..."

Kairos's eyes bulged in horror at this. He shook his head. "N-No..please...a-anything but that...!"

Theron ignored him. He turned his attention in one direction, the twisted smile remaining on his face. He looked down, giving Kairos a look of grim glee. "Now just stay right here. I won't be gone for long..."

With that, he started to run, leaving behind the frightened and crying Kairos behind him, ignoring his pleas as he disappeared further into the jungle.

sss

Rudy turned his head when he heard the sound of the doors openings. He immediately tensed himself up, readying for a possible fight. He wished that he had brought out that sword with him. Even though he wouldn't really want to use it against someone if he didn't have to, it would make him feel safer.

He felt the hippalectryon stand behind him. He would hear its low growling and noticed that its ears had been flattened against its head. The beast was glaring over at the door. Its fur was hackled, a clear indication that it would attack any of the zoners that tried to hurt him.

Rudy hoped it wouldn't come to that. He hoped that Theron's words might have held some truth to them, and that these zoners wouldn't actually hurt him. There was still a chance that everything was going to work out in the end.

But he still could not rule out the fact that King Zander's followers might have won the battle, and they might be the ones to now take charge of the situation. Even with no king to follow, despite Theron's attempted reassurances, Rudy had a feeling that things might not be as over as he thought. He may need to fight longer before he and his friends could go free at last.

He took a step back as a small group of zoners came out slowly. It was a handful of the guards. He noted that they were covered in blood, and many had bruises, cuts, and chipped armor. They took immediate notice of him and they began to walk towards him. Rudy took another step back, gritting his teeth nervously. This seemed to go unnoticed by the zoners as they kept approaching him.

Rudy could feel his body start to shake a little. He tried not to be afraid. He tried to keep glaring at the zoners, but he just couldn't help it. Even with the hippalectryon at his side, he could see that these guards still all had their weapons. They could easily subdue them, and he was left without any defense. He was bitter at Theron leaving him at first until he remembered that he would likely not stand much of a chance against these zoners if he was forced to go up against them.

He didn't try to run. He couldn't move his legs. The fear inside of him was growing stronger, and it forced him to remain where he was, unmoving. It felt as though his feet were caught in quick drying cement and he was knee deep. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't move.

The hippalectryon growled lowly, baring its teeth. Rudy grabbed onto it with his one arm, looping it around its neck. He leaned against the hippalectryon, hoping to try to control it a little before it did anything hasty. He still wasn't sure of these zoners' intentions. He did not want to soil anything in case these zoners weren't actually going to attack.

Soon the guards stopped and stared off in his direction. They all held soft glares on their faces, but none of them showed any obvious signs of aggression. They remained silent as they stared at him. Rudy stared back, breathing heavily as he waited for them to say something.

The silence was unbearable. Rudy could feel his heart pounding in his chest. When were they going to say something? How long were they going to keep him waiting? Rudy felt his body shake more, anticipation intermixing with the fear. What should he do? Run? Hide? Remain here? Fight?

One of the guards started to walk closer. Rudy held onto the hippalectryon as it began to growl. Rudy couldn't help but bare his teeth nervously. He didn't try to make a move or say anything as the guard got close.

Soon, the guard stopped in front of him. They stared at each other for several moments. Silence hung strongly in the air, making the situation feel increasingly tense. Rudy looked at the guard up and down, looking for any signs of a possible attack from him.

The guard finally spoke. "Rudy Tabootie..." The voice was stern and gruff, but not exactly aggressive. "We would like to...offer our most humble apologies." The guard placed a hand against his chest and lowered his head. "We were wrong about you."

Rudy watched as the other guards followered suit. They lowered their heads in his presence, a sign of respect that they had never given to him before. Rudy didn't need to ask to know which side had the most voices now.

"We were wrong to follow King Zander. He claimed he wanted what was best for his people, but it is clear to us now that he was a corrupt bastard who may have had good intentions in the beginning, but he had lost his way." The guard's expression softened up, a hint of regret staining it. "We are sorry for what we helped King Zander put you and your friends through."

Another guard nodded her head. "We would like to...make it up to you. If it is at all possible."

"Yes. Tell us what you would like, and we will give it to you." Another male guard said.

While Rudy did feel a level of relief that these zoners were finally starting to see reason, and he was glad that they felt bad about what they did, he still couldn't feel entirely safe around them. He couldn't fully let go of his anger towards them. They had all played a part in his and his friends' suffering during their stay here. And it was because of them that their parents were worried sick about them right about now.

Rudy winced as he thought about his parents. It must be really late in the Real World now. His parents would now he was gone. They would know he ditched school. They were going to be so worried about him. At least he was finally going to be able to return home to them soon.

He couldn't stay too angry at these zoners for long. After all, how could they have known what a bastard King Zander was? It was likely that only General Kairos had gotten the whole story, or the most of it at least, and he of course had kept it away from the guards. They had simply been wielded like puppets, and had only done what they truly thought was right. That was more than what he could say for King Zander.

Rudy stared down at where his friends where, biting his lip. He thought about the guards' offer. He knew exactly what he wanted.

"Is there a hospital nearby?" Rudy asked as he stared back at the guards. "Please...my friends..."

The guards didn't need any further statement. They nodded their heads in understanding as they walked over towards his fallen comrades. The hippalectryon growled, but Rudy managed to hold the creature back and calm it down.

The first guard who spoke to him remained where he was. He watched as his fellow guards grabbed onto the device Rudy had created and lifted it up, carrying his friends with them. He then turned back to Rudy, giving him a sympathetic look.

"We will do what we can for your zoner friends." There was some hesitation in his voice. Rudy guessed this was because of the awkwardness. It is a little hard to go from being nasty to someone to being nice, even just civil. "We won't be able to do much for Penny Sanchez, however."

Rudy nodded. "I understand. Just...can you help her however you can?"

Rudy was aware that this meant staying here even longer. He felt horrible about it, knowing that he was worrying his parents because of this. But he needed to make sure that his friends were treated enough to make the trip back up to the surface.

The guard nodded his head. "We will try whatever is possible." He suddenly frowned as he stared at Rudy's arm. "You need some help, too."

"What?" Rudy glanced down at his left arm. He placed his right hand over it gently. "No, I'm good. Really, I..."

"Don't try to lie to me." The guard glared softly at him. "I can tell you are in pain, too. Come along." He raised his hand and gestured for him to follow. "Come with us. We will get all of you admitted."

Rudy wanted to protest. He was less interested in his own injuries, and more concerned for the condition of his friends.

But in the end, he knew he should go with them to the hospital and be admitted as well. His friends would be worried if they saw that he wasn't getting some form of treatment, even if it was limited due to being in ChalkZone. He didn't want them to worry, and he knew that it was best that he got some form of help as soon as possible.

He wordlessly nodded his head. He climbed on top of the hippalectryon. Trying to hold on with just one arm wasn't easy, but he managed. He began to follow the guards as they began to lead them down the same path that King Zander had took them on near the beginning of this whole mess.

sss

Snap let out a groan as he opened up his eyes slowly. His mind was muggy, a pounding headache rippling through it. He grabbed onto his head as he tried to push himself up.

But for some reason, he couldn't move much. He felt some kind of pressure against his body. He didn't react in fear at first; he was just confused. He couldn't remember what had happened at first. All he could see was darkness around him, blurriness, and the only feeling he was aware of was stiffness, maybe a little ache.

He attempted to sit up again. No luck. He was just too weak. He let out another groan as he laid there, his mind pounding with the ache that spread through it. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.

It took him seconds to become aware of some other stimulation. A bright light. Some faint voices. Footsteps. A low beeping sound. At first, they were all faint and distant. Soon, they spread, becoming more pronounced and accentuated. He was not able to ignore them anymore, and he opened up his eyes.

He immediately recoiled when he suddenly became aware of another sensation.

Pain.

Snap turned his head towards the source. His vision had brightened and sharpened at this point. He became aware of another sharp jab as his eyes settled on his arm. Was this where the pain was coming from? No... It was down lower. His leg... It had to be one of his legs. He needed to take a look. He needed to see what had happened to him.

He lifted up his head to try to find the source of the pain. As soon as he did, he noticed that there were straps holding him down. This had been the reason why he couldn't move earlier. He had been restrained.

His eyes bulged, his heart starting to tighten and race. He could hear the beeping sound increase. He hardly paid attention to it as his mind started to race dramatically. He turned his head from side to side, noting the bands that were restraining his arms down. He took in a few shuddering breaths as he tried to make sense of what happened. There had to be a reason he was here. But...where was here...?

And how did he get here? He couldn't ever remember coming to a place like this. Just..how was this possible? The last thing he remembered was..

King Zander.. He had a hold of him. He had grabbed him, and he had... The leg. That was how he had his leg broken... It was King Zander. That monster had done this to him. The king must have had him locked up afterwards. He had him fully restrained, unable to do anything to escape. No matter how hard Snap tried to pull and tug, he was not going anywhere. He was trapped here for however long King Zander wanted him. And then who knows what he would do afterwards.

Snap felt a jab of fear as he wondered where his friends where. He didn't see any of them here. They were nowhere in sight. What had happened to them? Were they also captured by King Zander? Were they taken somewhere else? What did the king plan on doing with them?

Snap tried to struggle again. He had to get out of here. He jerked himself from one side to the other. He fought against the binds. He didn't care how strong they were; if he kept on pulling, maybe he'd be able to break himself free. These restraints had to have some kind of weakness, right? There had to be a way to take advantage of that and get free. If he just kept launching himself from side to side, then maybe...

He was suddenly aware of a door opening up. He turned his head, and he could see a couple of figures rushing in. He noticed how they were both dressed in white. The designs looked familiar, like something he would see in his own home. But at the same time, there was something different about them. He couldn't quite put his hand on it.

"Looks like the patient is awake." One of the figures said.

"And he's going to try to break himself free." The second figure turned to the first one. "Tighten them! We can't let him get out!"

Snap took in a few quick breaths at this. These zoners, they must be working for King Zander. They were trying to keep him trapped. No, he wasn't going to allow that. He narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth as the first zoner approached him.

Waiting until she got close enough, he suddenly lurched forward, ramming his head against the zoner. She let out a grunt as she staggered back. Snap ignored the throbbing ache in his head as he snarled at the zoner.

"Do not touch me..." He growled at her.

The zoner rubbed her head as she took a small step back. She glared at him in annoyance. "Stubborn little fellow, ain't he?"

"Well he did just wake up. He is just confused." The other zoner said. "Just restrain his head and give him a shot. We don't want him trying to climb out of bed again."

No...he couldn't let that happen. He would never allow those two creepazoids get close enough to inject him with gawd knows what. He bared his teeth and let out a series of growls as the zoner approached him again, this time accompanied by the other.

He attempted to head butt again. They dodged the attack easily, leaning away to avoid getting hit. One tried to reach out towards him. He lurched his head forward again and tried to bite, snapping his jaws at them. The two zoners stared down at him, their eyes narrowed. He returned the glare, his mouth open and his lips curled back to show his teeth. Not something he'd normally do, but without use of his arms, he was desperate.

One of the zoners disappeared behind him. He hissed as he leaned his head back, trying to look at them. He could barely see them. He growled and tried to snap. He could feel hands slipping underneath his jaw. He tried to bite, but pressure was quickly applied.

With his mouth held shut, he was no longer able to bite, or even articulate words. His heart speeding up, he tried to struggle. The zoner managed to keep his head still as well as his jaws closed. No matter how hard he struggled, he was not able to break himself free. He let out a series of whimpers, his anger replaced with raw terror.

He opened ups his eye and watched as the other zoner came over towards him. His eyes bulged as they leaned towards him. He made a few more weak attempts to struggle, but he was not able to get himself free. All he could do was whimper softly as the zoner began to put the head restraint in place. He could feel the cool leather against his head, and then a click, and he knew it was hooked up.

As soon as he was released, he started to struggle frantically. With more vigor than before, he tried to get himself out of this situation. He pulled with all of his might. But soon, he banged his leg, where the pain was coming from, and he let out a scream of agony. He shrank down, shivering from pain. A few tears strolled down his cheeks as he stared up at the zoners, silently asking them why they would do this.

The zoner he had head butted earlier was coming towards him with a needle. She flicked the tip a few times, and he could see that it was recently filled with something. His heart rate increased as he watched her get closer with the needle.

Snap tried to shake his head in desperation. "N-No...please don't... I..."

Snap suddenly couldn't speak anymore when he felt a cloth against his mouth. He looked up and he could see it was the other zoner. He was not paying attention to him; he was looking over at the female zoner who was still approaching. Snap kept on trying to protest, but his attempts were muffled.

"I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." He said softly.

Snap let out a series of muffled whimpers as he tried again to struggle, despite the pain he was causing himself. He only stopped when he felt a sharp, shooting pain in his leg, and he screamed into his gag. His body gave a few thrashes and he let out more tears of pain, crying softly.

His eyes bulged as he felt the pinch of the sharp needle against his neck. He turned his eyes over and he could see the female zoner push her thumb against the needle, pushing the fluid into his body. Only after the whole thing was pushed in was he released. The zoners took a few steps back and watched him.

Snap's eyes bulged in fear, his breathing increasing. No...this couldn't be happening. He couldn't allow this to happen. He couldn't let himself fall prey to its effects. He struggled to fight against them. He clenched his teeth tightly, fighting with his mind not to lose control.

But a few minutes later, as the drug started to kick in, he found it increasingly difficult to fight back. The drug's effects were just too powerful. They stretched over his brain, coating it in its influence.

"N-No.." Snap's muffled voice came as he tried to shake his head. "I-I won't...No..."

No matter how hard he tried to fight, no matter how much he tried to regain control, it was just no use. The drug was winning him over swiftly, and he could feel exhaustion spread through him quickly. It grabbed onto his mind and pulled him down, and he couldn't do anything to get himself out.

As the drug began to go into full effect, Snap could feel his eyes start to close. He struggled to keep them open, but his eyes were just too heavy. His vision began to go, becoming blurry once more. No amount of blinking would clear it up.

Just before he fell into darkness completely, he looked up at the two zoners before him. He let out a few small whimpers, tears staining his cheeks. He could feel one of them take the gag off of his mouth as he was about to fall unconscious. Snap said one thing before he lost touch with the world around him.

"Wh-Why...?"

He suddenly shut his eyes and his body went limp. A few tears trickled out of his eyes and dribbled down his face.

sss

"What did you mean they had to knock him out?" Rudy's eyes were wide in shock. "Couldn't they just...talk to him?"

The doctor shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Snap was delusional. Likely a side effect of the..."

Rudy cut him off. "But he is okay, right?"

The doctor gave him a slightly annoyed look. He took in a deep breath and sighed. He nodded his head. "Yes...he's okay. For now at least." He held his hand up in gesture. "If they didn't knock him out, he would have kept on struggling and hurt himself more."

Rudy could feel his heart clench at what it must have been like for Snap. To wake up in a strange place. Not knowing where he was, or how he got there, or where anyone was. He must have been so scared and frightened... And he hadn't been in there to help him. Maybe if he were in Snap's presence and he reassured him, maybe Snap could have calmed down more easily.

He was a bit unnerved at the idea of him being knocked out via drugging. But he did understand there may not have been much of a choice. If Snap really was convinced he was in the hands of the enemy, no amount of reassurances would have helped. He'd just keep struggling harder, and end up hurting himself.

He was glad that the nurses were able to help him without causing too much distress. Now Snap could relax and be calm while the doctors did what they could to help him a little. Enough that he could make it up to the surface without being in too much pain.

He wondered how the others were going to react. Snap had been the first one to wake up and now he was asleep again. Penny, King Mumbo Jumbo, and Barney, all in their own rooms, were still out cold. Rudy bit his lip. He hoped that they would remain calm when they woke up. Especially Penny. If she panicked the way Snap did, then they couldn't do anything given that she's from the Real World like him.

He had already been looked at. There was little the doctors could do for him, which didn't surprise him. The most they could do was give him a stronger cast for his arm. It would not last long, but it would be enough for now.

He stood beside Penny's bed. He had insisted on seeing her as soon as the temporary cast was in place. He stared down at her, watching her as she slept. He bit his lip, wondering when she was going to wake up. He looked at her up and down, wincing as he took note of her injuries. Very few had been covered up due to the blood.

"Will she..?"

"I don't know." The doctor said solemnly. "We couldn't do much with her." He looked down at him. "Or you for that matter. It's...hard for us to work with non-zoners."

"I understand..." Rudy nodded his head slowly. "Well..thanks for the help anyway."

The doctor stared at him for a few moments. He then looked down at his chart. "I am going to see how Barney is doing." He looked at him with one eye. "I will inform you when you can visit your other friends."

"Thank you." Rudy said softly. He said no more as he listened to the doctor walk away, leaving him alone with Penny.

Rudy continued to stare down at Penny, watching as she took in weak breath after weak breath. He couldn't help but feel tears form in his eyes. He felt guilty about what had happened to her. Why wasn't he more vigilant? Why didn't he try harder to protect her and the others? He should have been able to do...something to prevent this from happening.

He tried his best to fight back the tears. He was not able to stop a few of those tears from streaming down his face. It was difficult to fight back the guilty feeling that was twisting his gut into knots. No matter how much he tried to tell himself this wasn't his fault, the guilt just kept eating away at him. He still felt like he could have done more to help her, and the others.

But...there was nothing he could do about that now. All he could do was just be here for her, as well as his other friends. He could help them, and they could help each other, get through this.

At least the worst part was over now. They no longer had a crazy general or an evil king hanging over their shoulders. They no longer needed to fear getting chased or tormented or forced to fight. They could finally relax here, and actually begin to enjoy it instead of constantly worrying about some insane zoner rearing their ugly head at them.

Suddenly he could hear a soft groan. He turned his head down. He could see that Penny's eyelids were...moving. His own eyes widened and he could feel his chest fill with elation. Penny was finally waking up... He did his best to remain still, controlling his excitement as Penny's eyes began to flutter open.

Rudy smiled down at her. "Hello, Penny." The excitement was quickly replaced with concern. He furrowed his eyes and he whispered softly. "How...How are you feeling...?"

Penny looked confused. She looked up at him, her eyes unfocused. She pushed herself up, but soon fell back down, a rush of dizziness clearly striking her. She placed a hand against her head and rubbed it. She took a moment to look left and right, her blinking eyes barely registering where she was.

"Rudy?" She gave a small cough. "Wh-Where am I...?"

"You're in a ChalkZone hospital." Rudy said softly. He reached out and gently grabbed her by the arm. "It is okay. You're safe. We're all safe now."

"B-But..." Penny's eyes widened as flashbacks were starting to come forth. "K-King Zander..."

Rudy said, "He is dead." Penny blinked at him a few times. He couldn't tell if she was just confused in general, or if she couldn't understand how King Zander could be gone. Of course she'd be confused. She did not witness what had happened. "He was caught in an explosion."

Penny stared at him for a few moments. Her eyes blinked, her expression changing to indicate that the information was sinking into her head. She shut her eyes and lowered her head, rubbing it gently. She turned back to him, confusion plastered over her face. "How...did that happen..?"

Rudy paused for a moment. He wasn't sure if now was a good time to tell Penny. She was clearly still confused and muggy. She had just woken up now, and, judging from her flinches, she had started to register some pain. Her mind was to crowded to think clearly. She might not even remember anything that he was going to say now.

Yet...he couldn't just leave her in the dark. It wouldn't feel right. Even if she didn't fully remember anything he was about to say, he felt the need to tell her anyway. He could always explain again later if it came to that.

He grabbed onto Penny's hand as she began to writhe a bit in pain. The doctors couldn't give her any pain meds. She was going to suffer the worst out of all his friends. He held her hand in his, gently rubbing it as he tried to soothe her.

"It's going to be okay, Penny." Rudy whispered. "You will be fine. It's all right..."

Although he normally didn't like doing this with anyone except for family members, he made an exception with Penny. She was starting to feel so much pain, he just..needed to something to help her feel better. So he lowered himself down and planted a quick kiss on her forehead. Penny did not protest, and she appeared to relax a little.

As Rudy began to stroke her hair gently, he said, "Here's what happened..."

He began to relay to her what had happened at the colosseum.

sss

"And that's what happened." Rudy concluded the story.

In front of him, he could see Snap staring at him in shock. The zoner was clearly trying to digest the story he had been told. The look in his eyes suggested he was trying to figure out whether or not he should believe him. Rudy remained quiet, allowing Snap to think.

This had been the second time he told someone the story of what happened. Penny had been just as stunned as Snap was now. After all they had been through, it was hard to believe that King Zander could be dead that easily. It was hard to believe that it was finally all over. He wouldn't blame them if they remained on edge; he kind of was too. It just seemed...too easy.

But life could be surprising like that. Life may be cruel at times, but there are moments when it just hands stuff on a silver platter. They had to learn to appreciate those moments instead of questioning them just because they felt 'off' or odd in some way. Questioning them only seemed to sap away their importance.

Snap had been the first of the zoners to wake up. King Mumbo Jumbo and Barney would wake up soon, he was certain. As soon as they would, he would go speak to them on what had happened. They deserved to know the story as well.

He was glad to see that Snap was feeling a bit better from before. This time, when he had woken up, they were able to calm him down without him freaking out and without resorting to injecting him again. After he finished speaking to Penny, one of the doctors had come and informed him that he would be able to speak to Snap now.

He had greeted Snap and asked him how he was feeling. The poor guy was still in some pain. It would seem the painkillers they gave him were wearing off and he needed more. Though he had been given some strong painkillers a little while ago, it would take some time for him to feel it's effects and feel better. But at least for now, he was stabilized and relaxed. That was something.

He could see that he had been given a cast on his leg as well. Temporary just like his, intended for short time use so he could get to a hospital on the surface. Rudy had made it clear that he had no intention on allowing his zoner friends to stay here for much longer. They wanted to go back to the surface. They were only staying here for a short time, enough to provide some treatment before being taken to a surface hospital. And, in the case of him and Penny, a hospital in the Real World.

"So...that creepazoid finally got what was coming to him..." Snap's voice was bitter. "Served him right..."

Rudy couldn't really argue with that. King Zander really did have it coming to him, with the way he had acted and treated them and his own people. He was a complete and utter monster. He would certainly not be missed.

Snap's expressions suddenly softened up. "I wonder who is going to run this joint in his place."

Rudy hadn't really thought of that. He had been so busy with other things that he hadn't stopped to really consider what the zoners here would do about the king situation.

He was certain they had an idea, though. They must have some kind of protocol for this sort of situation. They might already have a king lined up and waiting to take the throne. And this time, he knew that they would be more careful about whom they put on that throne. Surely, they would pick someone much more noble and trustworthy this time.

"I wonder where that other creepazoid is..."

Rudy looked down at Snap. "You mean Kairos?"

"Yeah..." Snap nodded his head once. "Him..."

Rudy shrugged his shoulder. "I honestly don't know. I hadn't seen him since the incident in the colosseum." He paused for a moment. "But with a broken back, he would not get far. I'm sure someone has found him."

Snap said, "Good. I hope they can think of an appropriate punishment for him. Nothing I can think of seems to be good enough."

"Having his back broken and being helpless was good enough punishment for me. But I can see what you mean." Rudy said. "I'm sure whoever finds him will think of something rather fitting for him."

"I hope so." Snap growled softly.

Rudy lifted his head up and turned his eyes up towards the ceiling as he entered a thoughtful state. He, too, wondered where General Kairos might be. What could have happened to him after he was knocked out of the arena? There was the chance he was dead, but if he was alive...

He was not worried about Kairos getting too far. With that busted back and paralyzed legs, he wouldn't really get all that far. He could try to flee all he wanted to, but he would not be able to put in a lot of distance. Once someone found him, they could easily catch up to him and capture him before he could get away. Then he would have no choice but to face justice.

He really wasn't sure what more could be done to him, however. He was never going to be able to walk again. He would remain helpless. Even a wheelchair would do him no good as his wings could not grip the wheels properly for movement. He was completely immobilized. What more could be taken from him after that point?

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a creak behind him. He turned his head and saw that the door had been opened up. A female doctor zoner peered her head in through the door and stared right over at him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Tabootie?" She asked.

"Rudy." He corrected her.

"Yes..." She nodded her head once. "I just wanted to inform you that your other two friends are awake now, and you can visit them in a few minutes if you wanted to."

What an odd choice of words. Of course he would go speak to King Mumbo Jumbo and Barney. He decided not to bring that up. He waved his hand at her and thanked her. She quickly scurried off, likely to give him some more private time with Snap, or to hurry to a patient that was in need of help.

Rudy would visit them in a few minutes. Right now, he wanted to spend a little more time with Snap. A part of him felt compelled to do this after learning of his panic attack earlier. He couldn't help but fear that, if he left too soon, he would go ballistic and try to escape again. He wanted to make sure that he really was okay.

His eyes turned towards his broken leg. He could feel a sharp pang of guilt as he remembered how the injury came about. King Zander snapping it like a toothpick, Snap's screaming...

"What's wrong, Bucko?" Snap whispered softly. "Is something wrong?"

Rudy stared at his friend, then slowly he shook his head. "No... I just..." Rudy gritted his teeth, trying to think of how to put it in words. "I still feel really bad about letting King Zander break your leg."

"Letting him?" Snap looked shocked by this. "What do you mean?" He held his hand up. "You didn't let him do anything."

"I know, but... It still feels like I...let you down." Rudy lowered his head. "I'm the Great Creator. I should have been able to stop it."

"Rudy. Look at me."

Slowly, Rudy lifted his head and stared into his friend's eyes. Snap was glaring at him. Not harshly, but an expression that was filled with concern and worry.

"You are the Great Creator, yes. But...you're also a child. You cannot possibly be able to do everything all the time. Remember that." Snap motioned to himself. "At least I'm still alive." He then motioned out towards him. "We are all still alive. And soon, we are all going back home." He smiled softly. "If that's not worth celebrating, then I don't know what is."

Rudy smiled at this. Snap always seemed to know what to say to help cheer him up. He was right. It wasn't his fault that this happened, and at least they had made it out alive. They had beat the odds, escaped a ruthless tyrant, exposed him for what he was, and turned the tides for Chalklantis. Everything else seemed easier by this point.

There was still the matter of his parents, however. He wasn't sure what he was going to do about them. How was he going to explain where he was? Or Penny? How would she deal with her mother? Could they come up with any sort of convincing lie?

The fact that they were going to stay in the hospital for at least another two hours wasn't going to help. They were already likely worried sick. A few more hours would be like torture for them.

But it was something that needed to be done. He and his friends needed some treatment as soon as possible, some more than others. Even if they might have made it to the surface just fine without any medical help, he would feel better knowing they got more professional help before heading back up and going hours through the water to get back to the continent. The sooner they got some level of treatment, the better.

Despite his worry, he did feel some level of confidence that he and Penny could work something out. It was going to be hard yes, but so was trying to escape this place. So was trying to keep a step ahead of King Zander and getting away from his hell hole of a trap. If they could manage that, then trying to convince their parents of whatever story they decided to weave could surely work.

"Hey, Bucko...?" Snap called out to him. Rudy looked down at him. "Why don't you go talk to the others? Barney and King Mumbo Jumbo?"

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah, good idea. I don't want them to be in the dark for too long about what happened." Snap bit his lip for a few moments, then he looked at Snap and smiled. "Get well soon."

Snap winked at him. "Would you ever doubt me?"

Rudy gave a small chuckle at this. Then he got up from his seat to go see King Mumbo Jumbo and Barney.

sss

It was hard to believe that the moment had finally come. After all these long, grueling hours being trapped here, they were finally getting ready to go home. Penny thought it was too good to be true. She wanted to pinch herself. This couldn't possibly be real, right?

But as they headed toward the submarine, which floated in the water, waiting for its occupants, he knew that it really was true. It was actually happening.

She and her friends were finally going to go home.

Well some of them. King Mumbo Jumbo and Barney decided to stay behind. She and her friends were confused by this decision. They couldn't understand why they would want to live in the same place that had imprisoned them for longer than they had been here. Then again, most of that was caused by King Zander, and with him gone, Chalklantis had become a much better place.

King Mumbo Jumbo explained that his citizens in the jungle had gone for so long without a king, that they no longer really needed him. He had never really gotten the hang of ruling again. He had been so out of practice. He felt more comfortable as a citizen. That was why he removed the 'king' in his name, although he didn't mind if friends like them still referred to him as King Mumbo Jumbo.

Barney wanted to stay because this place was one of the most isolated locations in all of ChalkZone. Sure there were zoners here, but there were sections that they wouldn't dare go in. He could get some more privacy, and he would be out of range of anyone who may want to try to misuse his information. That, and he didn't want to leave his best friend behind. He had no intention on abandoning him like he felt he had during the first balloonemia outbreak.

Speaking of outbreaks, she and her friends did want to help with the whole head deflator disease, but they had to get back before their folks worried too much. They had been gone for way too long. If they wanted to help, they would need to come back later, after they set things straight and after they did some research on the surface regarding the disease. Then they could come back and provide as much help as they could.

Soon, she and her friends stood at the edge of the water. She could feel her feet getting a little wet as the water splashed on them. She stared at the water for a few moments, taking her time to remind herself that, yes, this was real. They really were standing on the very ground they first came on hours ago, that they really were about to leave Chalklantis and return home.

She and her friends looked at each other, each letting all of this sink in their minds. It was hard to believe what had happened today. So much went on, it was unbelievable. They had come here for a visit, it was a trap, they struggled to survive, and they triumped over it all. They couldn't feel prouder of themselves.

And now Chalklantis could finally be a place it was meant to be. A place of true wonder and joy, where anyone who ended up visiting could feel welcomed, and the Chalklantians could feel safe. It would take some time to get there, but with the new king, Penny and the others were certain it would get to that point.

Now they were finally able to go back to the surface. Snap would be able to go the hospital to get further help, and she and Rudy could go into the Real World for the same thing, and of course reunite with their families.

Right now, they were all bandaged up to some degree. Rudy had a makeshift cast and she had some bandaging, although parts of it were dissolved by her own blood. Snap was the most bandaged up of the three of them. Given his status as a zoner, they could do more for him. His side was all patched up and his leg covered in a cast similar to Rudy's. He balanced himself using a crutch. His burns were also treated as well.

The thought of that made her flinch, reminding her that she and Rudy didn't have much done with their burns yet. They weren't too bad or too numerous, considering what had happened. But they still needed them treated as soon as possible.

At least they were near the submarine now. At least now they could finally be on their way and...

"Hey! Wait!"

The trio froze before they continued. They looked behind them. This served as a reminder that they didn't come alone. They had been escorted by some of the guards. Some of them were the same ones that helped imprison them before.

The guard that had spoke was Cyd, the same guard that had brought them their meals. A supporter of King Zander. Or at least, he used to be until he had seen him attack one of his own guards. Cyd refused to follow a kind that didn't appear to care for even those who were loyal to him.

Cyd stood before them, looking at them with mixed emotions. There was still some level of distrust in them, intermixed with awkwardness. It must be difficult for him to be civil with topsiders like this. The fact that he was trying at all was quite impressive. It must be taking all of his willpower to not treat them with contempt like before.

"I know it's been said already, but I...we are really sorry for how we treated you. It had been wrong of us to do that. We should have never listened to that...monster."

Snap gave him a smile. "Hey, do not fret. Everyone makes mistakes."

Cyd contorted his face at this. "Yes, but not everyone's mistakes nearly result in the deaths of innocents."

"True, but you still admitted you were wrong and you are striving to change. That's something, right?" Rudy said.

Cyd paused for a moment. Then he said, "Yeah...I suppose so." He shut his eyes softly. "I..uh.. still wanted to give you something... To remember us by, and as an apology."

He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It appeared to be some kind of solid, golden statue of a serpentine dragon. It wasn't very large in size. He handed it over towards Rudy.

"Here. Keep this." Cyd said. He worked up a smile, which clearly didn't look very easy for him to make. "It is of great value here. Keep it. A token of our apology and gratitude."

Rudy took the small statue from the boar zoner. He stared at it, his eyes wide in amazement. Penny and Snap also stared at the statue as well. It looked absolutely beautiful. All kind of engravings and details on it. This must have taken a long time to make.

"Thanks, but we..." Penny started to say.

"No, I insist. Keep it." Cyd held his hand out in gesture. "It is yours now."

"We...thanks.." Rudy whispered softly, his eyes not able to be torn away from the statue.

"What are you guys going to do about a king?" Snap asked. Rudy and Penny looked at him, and then stared at Cyd. They were all quite curious about this. "You can't go on for much longer without a king to lead things, can't you?"

Cyd shook his head. "No. This place was meant to be a monarch. A place ruled by a king or queen. We haven't yet decided who will take...his place. But rest assured, we will find somebody." He gave a small smile to them. "And he will not be like...him."

A guard behind him spoke up in agreement. "You got that right!"

Another raised up her finger. "No way would we choose a king so foolishly again!"

Penny and her friends were glad to hear this. They wouldn't want Chalklantis to fall under the horrible rule of another king like that. They wouldn't want the citizens to be terrorized by someone who was supposed to be taking care of them. They were confident that they would pick someone more worthy of the throne, someone who could be trusted to do what a king or queen was supposed to do.

A third guard was approaching them slowly. "Do you...need any help?" The guard looked at Snap's broken leg and his crutch and he gritted his beak. "It seems like you could use our assistance."

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah...that would be greatly appreciated."

"I hope it's not too big a deal or you..." Penny started to say.

"Oh no, not a trouble at all!" The third guard waved his hand dismissively. "We would be glad to do it! Right, guys?"

The other guards nodded their heads, saying things like 'sure' and 'correct' and 'yes'.

"Thank you." Rudy said.

With that, the guards approached them slowly. They began to assist them back in the submarine.

sss

No, it couldn't end like this. This wasn't fair. He had to get out of here, before that madman of a zoner came back. He didn't even need to go that far. He just needed to crawl away a bit further, perhaps find a thick patch of foliage to hide in. Then he could wait to heal and...

Who was he kidding? He was never going to regain use of his legs. That was an impossibility. His legs were horridly broken and his back snapped in two. Even if the wounds heal, he would never be able to walk again. He would just be dooming himself to a slower death. Could he really doom himself to that, all just to avoid that zoner from before?

Perhaps not. But Kairos was desperate. All instinct was telling him was flee. Get up and run. But he could not run. Not anymore. He could only crawl. And that's what his body was driving him to do. Just crawl away as quickly as he could.

The fact that he could not feel physical pain was hardly a comfort anymore. Before, he prided himself in that detail. Before, he would use it to taunt his victims just before making their own world explode in pain and misery.

But now...he would rather feel pain. He could not tell how much worse it was getting back there. He could not tell if he was doing anything to make the injury even more bad than before. Without pain, he was unable to detect the extend of the damage. And without pain, his broken back and limp legs suddenly became a whole lot scarier.

Was this what his victims felt? Is this how they viewed pain? Is this what they had gone through when he tortured them? Is this what physical pain was all about?

He pushed the thoughts aside. It didn't matter now anymore, anyway. All that did matter was that he was injured and was about to recieve the most terrifying punishment of his lifetime. He knew that Theron was going to strike at his heart and mind. The way he had looked at him... There was no doubt in his mind that, whatever Theron did, it was going to be horrifying.

Kairos could feel his heart race in his chest. He had a strong hunch of what it was going to be. The thought of it send cold chills through his body, making him shiver.

He... He didn't want to be trapped. He didn't want to be locked up. He didn't want this. He had never thought too much of being trapped before, but now he saw just how terrifying it was. To be stuck in a single spot, unable to move, unable to get away... He wouldn't want to wish that upon himself. Others, maybe. But not himself. He needed to get away.

Unfortunately, he was not able to move fast enough. He could hear footsteps approaching him quickly. He let out a soft groan as he lifted his head and turned it towards the source.

Not far away, he could see the rustling of foliage. It didn't take long for the plants to part to the side, allowing for not one, but two figures to come through. He immediately recognized one as Theron. The second one, who had a limping gait and a somewhat pained expression in his eyes, he recognized even faster.

His eyes widened and his face paled. No..it couldn't be... Not him... It's not possible. How did he...?

Theron stopped a few feet in front. He was smirking down at Kairos, his eyes glinting with glee, his teeth showing in a smile. "See? What did I tell you? Exactly where I told you he was going to be." He turned his head to the side, looking over at the other figure. "Since he is your brother, I think you should get to choose what we do with him."

Kairos looked up at Cameo. The two locked eyes with each other, not daring to look away. The silence that followed was unbearable. Kairos wanted to fly away, run, anything. But he was helpless, and could only stare into his brother's narrowed, icy blue eyes, which seemed colder now than they had ever been.

That look in his eyes... It was clear that Cameo was interested in a little payback. After what he had done to him, after how he had put him in this bandaged, limping position, needing a crutch to support himself, how could he be surprised with this?

As Cameo started to walk towards him, Kairos immediately let out a fright-filled shriek. He started to flap his wings furiously, desperately trying to get away. He must look so pathetic right now. Writhing around on the ground like a bird with a broken wing. Yet he still flapped, clinging desperately to the hope that he could get away and not give his brother any chance of payback.

But it was useless. He could feel his brother's foot against his neck, the talons pressing against it. He immediately froze, knowing that, with just a little more pressure, his vital blood vessels in the neck could be severed. He looked up at Cameo, his bronze beak open and breathing in and out shakingly.

For a split moment, he could see a flashback in his head. He could see how he and him had similar looks back then, only now it was reversed. It was Cameo's turn to stare at him coldly, with the sadistic intent of getting even. And there was nothing he could do about it.

"Say, dear brother..." Cameo finally spoke, his voice a low hiss. "Do you remember that thing you told me about before? About me feeling pain..." He tilted his head slightly to one side. "But you can't...?"

Kairos nodded his head meekly. "Y-Yes...I remember that.."

Cameo's beak twisted in a wicked smile. "Well then... This should make things quite..." He leaned in closer. "Interesting."

Kairos widened his eyes in horror at this.