Terry stood in front of the Tabootie's house. She stared at the door for a moment. Then she reached up and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Mr. Tabootie answered the door, a forelorn look on his face.
"Hello, Ms. Bouffant." Mr. Tabootie said sadly. He stepped aside and moved his arm out to the side, a gesture that clearly meant she could walk inside. "Come on in. My wife and her friend are in the kitchen."
"All right then." Terry wasn't sure what else to say. She didn't want to say quiet; that would have been rude.
She followed Mr. Tabootie into the kitchen. Sitting in the chairs, just like the man said, were a large woman she recognized as his wife and another woman whom she recognized as Penny's mother. The two women were trying to console each other. Their faces were red with tears. She wondered how long they had been crying before she got here. Losing your children...not an easy thing to go through. She felt sorry for them.
Mr. Tabootie didn't look much better. He, too, had been crying. Maybe not as much as his wife, but his face showed clear signs of constant tears. She saw him at least once wiping his nose and giving a sniffle. She couldn't blame him or the women for being upset. Their children had been missing for over forty-eight hours now, with no signs of any evidence being gathered to find them. She had known worse cases, of children missing for much longer, but even just a day of not knowing where their children were was heartbreaking, and not an easy thing to deal with.
When Terry had gotten the phone call, she was in complete shock. She had been in the restroom washing her hands when she heard someone knock on the bathroom door. When she opened it, she found her boss standing there with the studio's phone in his hand. He gave it to her and told her someone wanted to talk to her. This surprised her. Ever since the whole 'world of chalk' thing, hardly anyone called to speak to her directly about anything.
Then she found out it was Mr. Tabootie calling. She was confused, unsure of what to think. Why had he called? Maybe a new piece of evidence surfaced that he wanted her to report on? Hmm unlikely. If that were the case, the man would have contacted the police, and through there, she might have been chosen to go back to the house to report. This wasn't how evidence was reported. So it had to be something else. But what? She couldn't think of anything.
Even now, she still had no idea why she had been brought over. On the phone, all Mr. Tabootie said was that he wanted her to come over to meet with him, his wife, and Mrs. Sanchez. He didn't say why exactly, just that he'd feel more comfortable talking about it in his own home.
Terry wanted to ask more about why he wanted her over, but realized she wasn't going to get any answers over the phone. So she agreed to come over as soon as she could. She spoke to her boss to work something out, and he let her take an early leave. She packed up her things, got in her news van, and headed over to the Tabootie's as quickly as possible.
And now here she stood in their kitchen. Mr. Tabootie had went over and pulled up a chair to the table, sitting next to his wife. He put a comforting hand over her shoulder, pulling her close. Mrs. Tabootie turned her head and pressed her cheek against his shoulders. Terry looked at them sympathetically.
Terry took the spare chair and pulled up to the table. She positioned herself so she was on the opposite die of the table, like she was the boss and these people were her clients. She spent a few silent moments staring at them, waiting for one of them to speak up. When no one did, she decided to break the silence.
"What is it you wanted me to come over for?" Terry asked. She tried her best not to sound too forceful. She knew this was a bad time for that. "I know you didn't want me to come all this way unless it was really important."
At first, she got no response. The parents looked at her, sad expressions plastered on their faces. They looked like they really wanted to tell or ask her something, but from the way they were looking at her, they seemed...worried. But why? It was almost as though what they wanted to ask...would make her laugh or something.
There was a sense of nervousness she was getting from these people. Not just worry and sorrow for the loss of their children. But apprehension. They were looking at her with a wanting expression. It made her feel like they believed she knew something they didn't. A horrible thought crossed her mind. Did they think she was responsible for their children going missing? Sure, she didn't like Rudy or Penny, but hurting them wasn't high on her priority list, and was far removed from her mind.
But..no...they weren't accusing her. Their expressions didn't yield anything that suggested they blamed her for anything. And if they did think she did something, they would have reported her to police, not invite her over to the house. No, something else was going on.
Mr. Tabootie was the one who finally spoke up. "Ms. Bouffant...the reason we called you over here was...well.." He stammered over his own words. "We think we found something."
So they had found something to report. Something about this seemed strange. Why would they call her over here into the house then? Why hadn't they called the police? Or had they? She wasn't psychic. Maybe they had called the police and they told them to...no even that didn't make sense. She would have gotten the report from her boss and given the order to come over here. She wouldn't have been called by Mr. Tabootie. That wasn't the way things worked.
"I know it is strange to call you over here like this but..." Mr. Tabootie paused for a moment. "We...given what we found, we felt it was best to talk to you..in private. We know what kind of reputation you had for a time, so..."
Terry raised an eyebrow. Reputation? What reputation was he talking about? There was nothing she could think of except... Her eyes widened a little at the realization. The fabled world of chalk she had been trying to report on for so long. Was this meeting about that?
No, it couldn't be. It had to be a coincidence. No one had ever taken her world of chalk story seriously. In fact, the only ones who would believe her were Vinnie, who had been there himself, and Rudy and Penny, who did whatever they could to keep her and Vinnie from exposing ChalkZone.
"Let me cut to the chase." Mrs. Sanchez said, cutting off whatever Mr. Tabootie was going to say. "We were wondering...if you could tell us anything about this 'world of chalk' you kept trying to report in the past. This ChalkZone."
Terry was in complete shock. Were they being serious? Did they really want to sit down and listen to her blab on about that place? From the looks of it, they were being completely serious. They weren't doing this to make fun of her. They weren't doing it for a laugh. No, they were really serious about wanting to hear about ChalkZone. A part of Terry had never been happier.
"Sure but...why?" Terry asked, unsure of what else to say.
"We found some tapes left behind by Mr. Cosmo. He kept talking about this world of chalk. Then Reggie told us how our kids would disappear for extended periods of time...they'd disappear at home as well. The things Mr. Cosmo talked about...the way he talked about our kids..." Mr. Tabootie said. He paused, taking in an uneasy breath. "It was..."
"It was horrible. He was absolutely insane!" Mrs. Tabootie cried, her body shaking. "I'll never be able to unhear those words, or unsee those eyes..."
Terry nodded her head. She had heard about Mr. Cosmo, and how he went crazy and killed Ms. Saffron. Or at least, that was the cover story Rudy and Penny came up with. Terry wasn't as easily fooled, and she guessed that the murder was linked to ChalkZone. She was frustrated that the two kids wouldn't give her any information, but then she had come to expect that from them. Just like Rudy and Penny to hide information even if said information could lead to proper justice and help keep others safe.
She had only met the man once. It wasn't for very long, but in that brief moment, she knew something was off about him. He was giving off a weird vibe that she didn't like. And the way he spoke to her, it wasn't necessarily degrading, but he did act a little too high and mighty of himself. Like he could do no wrong.
A part of her wondered if these tapes were still in tact. Maybe she could use them for... Hmm, no. They probably wouldn't work. She didn't really think he'd have any video evidence of zoners, and even if there were, it could easily be dismissed as just an animation project. That was why she wanted to bring a newscaster down into ChalkZone so they can see for themselves that it really was real. With actual physical evidence, there was no way anyone would dismiss her as being crazy.
"We tried to talk to Mr. Wilter, but he..." Mr. Tabootie paused. He was rethinking his words. "He wasn't able to provide any information."
"We were hoping you could." Mrs. Tabootie said, looking intently at the reporter. "We know how much you obsess over this 'world of chalk' thing, and, after all we found out... We wondering if it's...if it's really real...and if our children could be there."
Terry looked at her, surprised. Mrs. Sanchez spoke up next, and Terry turned her head to look at her.
"Please tell us everything you know. What is...ChalkZone? What do you know about it?" Mrs. Sanchez asked. A few tears welled up in her eyes. "Please, you're the only one who can help us. Please...we just want to find our children..."
Terry stared at the family. She was feeling mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was excited that someone finally believed her. They sounded really serious, too. They really wanted to know more about the world of chalk she and Vinnie tried to expose before. It was nice to finally talk to someone about that world and not be laughed or scoffed at. It was nice that, for once, someone was taking her seriously.
On the other, she knew how serious this was. Now wasn't the time for her to gloat. Now wasn't the time for her to toot her own horn. No, that would be inappropriate for now. Terry pushed aside her feelings of excitement. She could feel happy later, when lives weren't on the line.
"Can you tell us anything?" Mr. Tabootie asked.
As he asked this, the parents looked at her expectantly. She could see their sorrowful expressions tinged with a bit of hope. She realized just how much they were relying on her now to find their children. For once, Terry felt important, like she could really make a difference, rather than just reporting the usual stuff or standing idly by.
She thought about showing them her evidence she had gathered but...that would ring all the wrong bells. She would come off as a stalker to them, and they might not accept her help again. Heck, they might think she was the one who kidnapped their children, or was working with that Teddison Cosmo fellow. No, she would keep that evidence a secret. It was for the best.
But that didn't mean she still couldn't help. She was no expert on ChalkZone, and she admitted there was a lot she didn't know. She had hoped that Rudy and Penny would, eventually, turn around and give her information willingly. After all, they go to ChalkZone all the time; they were bound to be filled with knowledge on how that place worked and everything. But she had, long ago, accepted that they would never willingly tell her anything. Due to that, all the knowledge of ChalkZone she had was minimal. But she could still try to help.
Terry realized she could do more than just tell them about ChalkZone. She knew that she could just sit here, telling them what she knew. But there was something else she could do that was even better.
Terry slowly smiled at the parents. Not a triumphant or gleeful smile, but a sympathetic and reassuring one. "I've got a better idea. Instead of just telling you about the world of chalk... why don't I take you there?"
Mr. Tabootie's eyes widened at this. "You mean you can..."
Terry nodded her head. She looked at each of the parents, noticing the hopeful expressions grow more dominant on their faces. Sadness was still there, but now, even more strongly, was hope. "If you come with me, I can take you to ChalkZone. I have a way in. And from there, we can look for your children."
The parents stared at Terry. Then one by one, they all smiled gratefully, a few tears escaping their eyes.
"Thank you..." Mrs. Tabootie said, relieved, wiping away a tear.
sss
Bardot smirked to himself as he traveled through the hospital. Their security wasn't up to snuff. With no cameras to worry about, it was easy for him just to scale the walls. As of now, he was walking on the ceiling, avoiding all the motion detectors this place had installed. He was pretty much invisible to anyone working the security. And it wouldn't be too hard to disable the sensors in the room he was headed to, leaving him plenty of time to do this.
He had left Draow in charge of Rudy and Penny while he was gone. This time, he made sure the bat wolf didn't leave his post. He had threatened to rip out his eyes if he dared leave them alone for an extended period of time. The bat wolf, clearly frightened, at obligued.
It wasn't like the threat was even necessary. With broken legs, Rudy and Penny wouldn't go far. But it wasn't about just efficiency. It was also about control. He had to keep a leash on that bat wolf, for the moment he turns against him, he was in trouble. Sure, he could bite him with his fangs to inject venom, but that was only if he managed to land the first blow. It wouldn't take much for Draow to crush him in his jaws. He had to keep control over the beast.
Bardot wasn't pleased with the recent turn of events. Looking at one of his cameras, he began to suspect that Skrawl really was sticking his nose where it didn't belong. He was getting a little too close to discovering everything that was going on, and no doubt he was going to send his Beanie Boys to look for Rudy and Penny.
On top of that, he had found out that he brought Barney to the hospital. There were some cameras he did try to watch, but they had gotten corrupted, so a lot of important information of what else happened, he didn't have access to. But what he did know was that Barney had told Skrawl about what had happened, and he was certain Barney even told Skrawl his weakness against the purple chalk, which was so rare that even Biclops wasn't sure if it really existed.
Bardot's lips curled back into a snarl. He was not happy at all. Barney was supposed to be dead. He knew that pathetic insect was going to do something to ruin his plans. He should have gotten rid of him a long time ago. He should have ripped out his throat, rather than just beat him like he had. He should have snapped his neck, tore his stomach open, something to ensure the centipede would die before he got any help.
Well now he was going to correct this little oversight. The bug was in this hospital, injured and banged up. He would be too weak to fight back. He would be easy to pick off. All it would take is a single bite from his fangs...and then it would all be over. He would be finished with Barney in just a few minutes. Just bite and run. The people in this hospital wouldn't be able to save him. They didn't have enough knowledge to create an antidote. And after this, he could go after Skrawl.
Bardot soon found the centipede's room. He pushed it open slowly, being as quiet as he could. He stared at Barney laying on the beds, and shut the door behind him. Barney shifted his head a little, but otherwise made no reaction. He was awake. Bardot could tell. He had interacted with him enough while he had no eyes to know when he was asleep or not.
Bardot found a small switch on the side, which he knew controlled the sensors of this room. He pressed his claws against it and tore it off as quickly as he could, being as quiet as he could about it. Only after he knew that the sensors of this room were deactivated did he make his next move.
Bardot slowly crept towards the bed. He was being as quiet as he could. There was no one else in this room. None that he could see. He smiled evilly as he got closer to the centipede. Oh how easy this was going to be. He froze when he made a slip up and accidentally kicked some piece of trash on the ground. And at this, he saw the centipede's antennas stretch out. He had heard that.
"Who's there?" Barney asked.
In response, Bardot let out a dark chuckle. He got the reaction he wanted. Barney immediately reacted in fear. His antennas curled up tightly. His long body started to tremble. He looked around, desperately trying to find the source of the sound. If he still had eyes, Bardot would imagine they'd be wide open in fear right about now.
Bardot jumped onto the beds. He slowly walked beside Barney, rubbing himself against the centipede to let him know he was there. His tail grazed along him, occassionally wrapping around a leg or his side. Then he finally reached Barney's face. He reached down and pressed a claw against his cheek. He pushed the claw in a little, causing Barney to yelp in paw. He scraped along, giving Barney a cut to match the one on his other cheek.
"B-Bardot..." Barney whimpered. He turned his head towards Bardot. He couldn't see him, but he knew he was there. "Wh-What do you w-want?"
"Your suffering..." Bardot hissed through his sharp teeth.
With that, he suddenly seized Barney's throat with his claws. As he did so, Barney struggled. He grabbed his paw and tried to yank it off. The centipede had lost some of his strength from the year of abuse he had given him, and Bardot was easily able to keep a vice grip on him. As he started to yank him up, Bardot put his face close to Barney's, making sure the zoner could feel his breath against him.
"Knowledge is power..." Bardot started to say mockingly. "Power is pain.."
He suddenly drove his claws into Barney's side, slashing into a recently patched wound. Barney tried to let out a scream of pain, but he was silenced when Bardot kicked him in the stomach hard, knocking the wind out of him. He dragged Barney off the bed and slammed him into the ground as hard as he could. Barney let out a few groans and tried to get up. Bardot rushed over and swung out with his paw. His claws collided with Barney's face, giving him three deep gashes that spread from his chin to his forehead.
The force knocked Barney to the side, causing his head to slam against the wall. Bardot stood there, smiling at the downed zoner. This was going to be such a satisfying kill. He moved over and stood on top of Barney, using his weight to hold him down. He pressed his claws deep into him, uncaring if he were cutting into healing wounds or not. He put his face close to Barney's.
"Isn't that right, Barney...?" Bardot whispered in a growly voice.
"N-No...please..." Barney begged. He gagged when Bardot gripped his neck again and held on tightly.
"You should have just stayed in the jungle, Barney..." Bardot growled softly. "It would have been a less painful death. But since you're still breathing..." His pupils shrank a little, giving him a look of insanity. "I will just have to correct that!"
Barney struggled as Bardot opened his jaws. He positioned his fangs so they were over Barney's shoulder. Heated venom starting to drip from the fangs, Bardot kept this position for a few moments, just savoring every second, glaring down gleefully at his victim. He struck downwards.
Suddenly, Bardot felt something grab him from behind. A large hand wrapped around his front limb. He was yanked up into the air so fast, he wasn't able to react. Then another hand grabbed his other front limb, and he quickly realized who it was that pulled him off of Barney.
It was King Mumbo Jumbo.
The tortoise looked clearly enraged. His eyes were filled with hatred and anger. He glared at Bardot, holding him above his head a little, and, after two seconds of this, he let out a roar, which sounded ferocious even coming from a tortoise zoner. Bardot stared into the tortoise's eyes, his own eyes widening and ears lowering as he realized what kind of trouble he was in. For the first time, he felt an emotion he'd never thought he'd be the one feeling.
Fear.
Mumbo Jumbo threw Bardot against the ground. Bardot tumbled across the ground a few times. He let out a small groan of pain. His shoulder started to hurt a little. That had taken the brunt of the impact. He looked back at the tortoise. He had taken a stance in front of his injured friend. He slammed a fist into an open palm. His eyes practically glowed as he glared down at the hybrid zoner.
"I have been waiting for you..." Mumbo Jumbo hissed. "I will make you sorry you ever set foot in here..." His voice was filled with anger and vengefulness. "And I will make you pay for what you did to my best friend."
Bardot got up onto his feet. He brushed off the previous feeling of fear. What was he so worried about? Mumbo Jumbo was just some tortoise. What could he possibly do to him? An evil smile spread across his face. Looks like he was going to have some turtle soup later today. This old fool was going to be easy to take down.
"Bring it on..." Bardot growled as he made a dash towards Mumbo Jumbo.