"Snap? Are you sure...?" Penny asked. She stared at Snap, her eyes wide with bewilderment and confusion. Had she heard right? Did Snap really say that?
To confirm this, Snap nodded his head once. "Yeah, Penny. I am."
"But...you're back..." Penny grimaced as she stared at the back brace secured around her friend. "If you don't get back to the hospital, you could get worse."
"And if you don't go help Rudy and Mint, they might just as hurt...or worse. Don't worry about me. I'll be..." Snap winced in pain for a second. "..I'll be fine.. Just draw me some kind of shelter so I can hide. Go help Rudy and Mint, and when Skrawl is defeated, come back and we can leave together."
Penny couldn't believe it. She knew that Snap was a selfless zoner, but... no... She couldn't just leave him behind. He was gravely injured and he had to get back to the hospital as soon as possible. She couldn't leave hime alone in enemy territory. What if the Beanie Boys found him? They could easily capture him with that broken back of his and take him to Skrawl. Skrawl could force Rudy to do anything if it meant keeping Snap safe.
It was better that she find a way to get Snap to the hospital. She wouldn't feel at peace until she knew that he was on his way. Leaving him alone in a place she was not familiar with would be a disaster. She still had not found the exit yet. If she left him alone, she might not be able to find him again. There was a good, strong chance that they would be wandering through these halls for hours before they found him again. And by then, he might be in even worse condition.
She to figure out something she could do. She knew that he did have a good point. Rudy and Mint probably do need her help. With those artifacts, Skrawl had become a lot more dangerous than ever before. Rudy and Mint only had one piece of magic chalk to share. That wasn't that much. It would be used up quickly if the two are reckless in what they draw. Well, Rudy would be more conservative. Mint on the other hand, she wasn't so sure about. He was relatively new to ChalkZone and has much less experience. She could see him making some easy mistakes and using up his chalk well before Rudy did.
That would leave him vulnerable to attack. If she could find her way back, and she wasn't sure if she could, she would be able to share her piece of magic chalk to whoever needed it the most. She hoped that it would be enough. The piece she now carried and the one Rudy had were the only pieces of magic chalk they have. Once they were used up, they would be defenseless against Skrawl.
She did find it admirable how Snap was willing to give up his well being for the sake of the others. That was Snap alright. Always so selfless. It wasn't that he liked being hurt. It was that he hated seeing his friends hurt a lot more than he hated getting himself hurt.
No...no she couldn't leave him. She thought things through and she decided that no, she won't leave him behind. She would think of somethign. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she would think of something soon. There had to be a way that she could get Snap out of this place and on the way to the hospital, and still allowing her enough time to go back and help Mint and Rudy. She just...had to keep thinking.
"Go on, Buckette..." Snap said, a small smile on his face. "I'll be okay. Go help them. I'll wait here."
Penny shook her head slowly. "No, Snap. I'm not leaving you alone. I have to get you to the hospital."
Snap's eyes widened a little. "But...that might take too long and by the time you get back, something bad might have happened to Rudy and Mint..."
Penny knew he was right. She knew that Rudy and Mint may be in great danger. But then so was Snap. She couldn't just choose between the two like this. It wasn't fair. She wanted to help them all. She didn't want to abandon one in favor of the other. That just wasn't like her. She'd never do a thing like that.
"I know, Snap. But you're in danger, too. And I don't think I can live with myself if I let you be all alone here." Penny said. "What if one of the Beanie Boys finds you, even with shelter? What if they hurt you?" Penny shook her head slowly. "I can't allow that to happen..."
"Penny..." Snap started to say.
Penny gently gripped his shoulders and gave him a serious look. "Snap, please... Don't make me do this..." There was a slight hint of tears in her eyes. "Please...I don't want to leave you alone here..." She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. "I'll think of something... I know I can do it... I just need time..." Her voice became a bit of a whisper. "I just need some time..."
She felt a hand on her arm. She opened her eyes and looked down at Snap. The zoner stared up her with a smiling face. He was shaking his head slowly from left to right. Penny's eyes widened as she realized the significance of that head shake. Snap was telling her to go. He was urging her to go help the others, and leave him. But...but she couldn't do that. It wouldn't be right. She..she had to help him get to the hospital. His back...it was in dire need of treatment. If he didn't get back soon, he could...
Snap spoke up. "Listen, Buckette. I know you don't want to leave me behind. I know you don't want me to get hurt more. But right now, Rudy and Mint need your help. Just draw me something to hide behind and I'll be fine. I promise, I'll be okay." He tightened his grip on her arm. He continued to smile the best he could, in spite of a few twitches of pain. "Please...help them..."
Penny stared at Snap, her body trembling with emotion. She felt a few tears escape her eyes, letting the gravity of the situation weight down on her. Snap was still so willing to sacrifice his well being for others. That selflessness part of his nature really shined here. Snap knew he was in big trouble if he didn't get back to the hospital to resume treatment, and to have those gashes looked at. Yet he was still willing to halt going there so she could go and help Rudy and Mint fight against Skrawl. It would be too dangerous to take him back, hence why he suggested drawing him a hiding spot.
There was still the chance that it wouldn't work. He could be inadvertantly putting himself in more danger. The Beanie Boys weren't stupid. If they searched hard enough, they would find Snap, no matter what kind of shelter she drew. She had no idea how good their senses were, but she didn't have any doubts in her mind that they could, possibly, find her friend.
And what then? There were a lot of things the Beanie Boys could do to her friend. Horrible thoughts filled her mind. They could beat him up. They could torture him. They could take him to Skrawl. They could kill him. She didn't feel comfortable with leaving him alone, with no way to defend himself. He couldn't take on all those Beanie Boys alone before, but now the odds were ridiculously against him with a broken back. He wouldn't be able to run, even. He'd be completely defenseless against them.
She wanted plan this out better. She wanted to think of something she could use to help them all. Something that would get Snap to the hospital and help Rudy and Mint as well. She wanted to help Rudy and Mint, but she also wanted to make sure Snap was safe. She couldn't very well take him back with her; that would be putting him in the line of fire again. It was too risky. Skrawl could sneak in a cheap shot and kill him, or at the very least, maim him further. She couldn't allow him that opportunity. She couldn't leave Snap where he could be hurt. He...he had to get back to the hospital and fast.
Penny was not giving up. She understood Snap meant well, but all this talking was just going to slow them down in getitng him to the hospital. If she could just concentrate and think, she might be able to come up with something that would help them.
"I'm not leaving you." Penny said firmly, her eyes narrowed slightly.
Snap looked up at her with a pleading expression. "Penny...please... They might need your help. With those artifacts, Skrawl is a force to reckon with. They might be just barely able to hold him off. Please go help them."
"And what about you?" Penny gazed down at his back brace, biting her lip. "If they found you, they might..."
"Draw me a place to hide. I've been telling you that." Snap said, cutting her off. "I'll be quiet and they won't find me." Before Penny could say anything, it seemed that Snap knew what she was going to say next. "I know you'll be able to find me in this place. I trust your skills." He smiled gently at her. "I know you can do it, Penny. You'll see. Everything will work out just fine."
When Snap flinched in pain, Penny felt her heart skip a beat. The pain was still plaguing her friend. Snap was trying to hide it the best he could, and for a little while, he was succeeding. But Penny was never fooled and Snap could not hold that 'I'm okay' facade for long. Twitch after flinch, she knew he was experiencing agony. It was a wonder he could talk more or less okay, with just a strain in his voice.
Penny gripped Snap's hand on hers. She pressed her face against it, letting out more tears. She didn't think she could bring herself to leave him. It was going to be so hard to do... She just wanted to make sure he was okay. She wanted him to get to safety. She didn't want to lose any of her friends. Not like this...not here...
"Snap, I..." She said in a soft voice. "I don't want to lose you..."
"I know you don't..." Snap said. If he could move more without hurting himself, she bet that he would be attempting to pull her into a hug right now. "But..."
He never got a chance to finish that sentence. As he attempted to say the next word, there was a loud, echoey scream bouncing off the halls of the hideout. It started out soft at first, but then it increased in volume. As the seconds passed, it got louder and louder, until it finally started to fade again. Remnants of the scream echoed off the walls for a while before it faded into silence.
Penny and Snap were frozen in shock. They stared towards the door of the power room, which was still closed. They didn't know what to think or say at that point. The scream had come so suddenly, so abruptly, they weren't sure how to react at first. It took them a while to realize just whose scream that was.
"Mint...that was Mint!" Penny cried in horroric realization. It quickly dawned on her that, in order for Mint's scream to be heard all the way over here, he had to have been in enough pain to emit such a cry. And from the sound of it, he was in pain. A lot of pain. Penny swerved her head in Snap's direction. "Skrawl must have done something to him!"
"Oy caloy!" Snap cried, his eyes wide with horror. "Go help him! Quickly!"
Penny still wasn't sure what she should do, but right now, she didn't have time. Mint was hurt, and quite possibly Rudy. She had to help them. She had to come up with a plan, and right now. Her thoughts reeled, ideas swirling in her head as she tried to quickly think of something. No time to argue or sift through her doubts. She had to act now. She raised up her magic chalk and set to work. She hoped that she wasn't going to be too late.
sss
Rudy knew it wasn't a smart idea. He knew that, without the magic chalk, he was at a disadvantage against Skrawl. The zoner was larger and stronger than him. He had already been stuck with Skrawl chalkless before, in their first encounter. He bore witness to how strong he could be, or at least a taste of it. Skrawl could easily have killed him right then and there. There was nothing stopping him. Heck, the zoner was strong enough to lift him off the ground with one arm no problem. It wouldn't take Skrawl much to break his neck.
He had never wanted to experience a situation like that again. Rudy felt defenseless without his magic chalk. He could still fight, but he was greatly weakened. If Skrawl, or any enemy, decided to hurt him and he had no magic chalk, he wouldn't be able to defend himself that well. And it wasn't just Skrawl he had to worry about hurting him. There was that crazy Jacko guy, the Halloween-esque zoner who is obsessed with getting a bride.
Jacko had taken advantage of him when his arm was broken. There was no way that zoner could have known he was coming into ChalkZone with a broken arm, but it seemed like Jacko felt it worked into his favor. Rudy had been weakened and, though he could still use the magic chalk, he had trouble fighting back because his left arm was not very good at drawing. And when Jacko had pressed that bony claw into his chest, it hurt. It thankfully didn't draw blood, but it still caused him pain, enough to make his left hand twitch.
It was at that moment that Rudy realized just what big of trouble he was in. Jacko was larger than him and definitely stronger. Those claws were very sharp; Jacko had to show a lot of constraint not to cut him when he poked him like that. He knew, when Jacko started to advance on him in the maze, that he was fully intending on using those claws against him. He could have done some serious damage if Jacko really intended on killing him.
And now he was going up against another zoner with sharp claws, Skrawl. He had no magic chalk to help him. He just had himself and his wits. He had to watch out not just for the artifacts, but Skrawl's claws, and to avoid getting grabbed by him. Skrawl's claws might not be as large as Jacko's, and they might not be able to cause as much damage by comparison, but they were still dangerous had to be avoided. Getting caught in those hands would be worse, as Skrawl could then use his physical strength to cause internal damage.
But he wasn't going to back down now. Mint needed help and Skrawl needed to be stopped. He couldn't find his magic chalk anywhere, and if he spent too much time looking, Skrawl might kill Mint or try to injure him. He had no choice but to fight him chalkless.
He dodged Skrawl's attacks. The crown was still active, but as time went on, it started to fade. If he could just keep dodging the attacks, he might be able to make Skrawl lose power to them. And then he could fight him head on. It wasn't a decision he enjoyed; attacking others was not something he wanted to do, even if they were someone like Skraw. But in this situation, he didn't have much of a choice. He had to neutralize Skrawl before he could get the power on and reactivate those artifacts.
And he had a limited time in doing this. If he took too long, Mint would die. The cloths didn't stop the bleeding; it only slowed it down. If the bleeding didn't stop soon...
He moved to the side as Skrawl shot another electrical beam in his direction. It coiled and arched along the ground, trying to wrap around him. Rudy jumped into the air and landed a foot away. The arch came back towards him. It snaked along the ground like a serpent, and raised its head, about to strike. Rudy pressed his back against the wall. Skrawl smirked evilly and the electric 'serpent' struck forward. Rudy moved out of the way, letting the electric coil crash into the wall, becoming stuck for a moment. Rudy ran off in a different direction. The electric coil soon freed itself and went after him.
Rudy wasn't sure how long he could keep dodging the electric coil. He was hoping he would last long enough for the crown to drain. But he could already feel himself getting tired and worn out. He couldn't keep this up forever. Skrawl wasn't likely going to run out of energy any time soon. He was just standing here, letting the artifacts do all the work. And that's when Rudy realized something that nearly caused him to freeze in place.
What was his plan after the artifacts wore out? It was very unlikely Skrawl would just stand there while he apprehended him. He would need to fight back. But if he didn't stop the crown from powering the rod before he wore himself out, he was in trouble. Even the sword, which was rendered powerless thanks to the blood, could still be used against him. So could any of the artifacts more or less. Skrawl could use them as blunt weapons. And with Rudy's energy used up so much, and Skrawl hardly moving, the jellybean was going to have more energy left to fight him than he did. Rudy was in trouble no matter what.
Yet he wasn't going to give up. He formulated a new plan in his head quickly. He stared at the crown as he dodged another attack from the golden rod. If he could somehow get the crown knocked off of Skrawl, then he might stand a better chance. The crown powers the artifacts. If it were knocked off or damaged, Skrawl would be weakened. There was still the chance that Rudy would be exhausted by the time he manages to pull this off. But it would be faster than simply waiting for the crown to drain. That worked in his favor, especially since he had no idea how long it would take for the crown to completely drain of power.
Suddenly, the electric coil struck against the ground in front of him. He tripped forward, falling into the ground. He hissed in pain as his chest injury was irritated. He pushed himself up and put his hand on his chest. He pulled it back and he looked at his hand. It had a thin coating of blood. The bleeding had stopped earlier, but that knock into the ground caused them to start bleeding again. Ignoring the pain in his chest the best he could, he started to climb up to his feet.
Before he could get up, the electric coil struck him in the side. Rudy let out a scream as he was tossed into the ground. He rolled across the hard floor a couple of times before landing on his back. He sat up, clenching his teeth as pain shot up and down his side. He glanced down to examine the damage.
There was a large bruise, with a little bit of burning, on his side, visible thanks to a tear in his shirt the coil had given him. He gingerly touched it, only to pull his hand immediately back. It stung him horribly. He attempted to get up, but the pain in his side made it difficult to do this. And when he did manage to get to his feet, the act of taking a step forward hurt him. It would irritate that side injury and he found himself staggering a little. He glared over at Skrawl, who was smirking at him.
"Give it up, Master Tabootie! Without the magic chalk, you stand no chance against me! You're just a little boy...you're mortal, just like everyone else here." Skrawl sneered. "It won't take much for me to kill you. I'm just toying with you right now. I could end your life here and now, with a simple twist of the neck. It will be like breaking a tooth pick..." He raised the rod a little higher. Electricity danced all around it. "I might run out of power soon, but I'll have more than enough energy and time to finish you off!"
Rudy took a fighting stance. "I'm not backing down, Skrawl.. I'll beat you..!"
"Oh really?" Skrawl chortled at this, sounding amused. "And if you do beat me, do you think it'll be fast enough save him?" Skrawl pointed a claw in Mint's direction. The older boy was still out cold, breathing slowly. "He doesn't have a lot of time, you know."
"You're the one who put him in that position!" Rudy snarled. "You're not getting away with that!"
"Why do you care so much about him?" Skrawl inquired. He contorted his face into a nasty, evil smile. "He was the one who hurt Snap. So doesn't he deserve some retribution? Doesn't he deserve to feel some of the pain your friend felt?"
Rudy took a step forward. "No...I would never wish harm like that upon anyone!"
"And yet you had. Angry yes, but you still did. And you got your wish." Skrawl sneered at the boy. Rudy's glare deepened. "Deny it all you want to, Rudy." He turned his attention to Mint. He glanced at the rod, stroking his claw up and down it slowly. "It is a shame it had to come to this. Mint really was a good addition. It's too bad he threw it all away. If he had just stayed by my side, he would not be in this position."
"That's bullshit and you know it, Skrawl! He's in that position because you chose to put him there!" Rudy fumed, baring his teeth. "Don't you dare try to shift the blame onto him!"
Skrawl stared at Rudy for a few moments. The smile stayed on his face. He kept quiet, looking like he was in silent contemplation. Rudy expected Skrawl to come back with a retort of some kind. That's what he would usually do. That's something that he had expected of him in all their times they had fought. This time, however, Skrawl surprised him with something else.
"You're right..." Skrawl said softly. "I did put him in that position..."
Rudy was confused. Skrawl admitting fault? That didn't seem like him. He detected something strange about that tone. It filled him with apprehension. There was something there, something hidden. What was Skrawl going to do? Rudy took a step forward, preparing himself for a surprise attack.
Skrawl turned his head away from Rudy. His mismatched eyes stared at the rod up and down. It looked like he was simply admiring the reflection of himself in the golden rod. But Rudy knew better. The jellybean was up to something. But what?
"And it was indeed my choice.." Skrawl traced a claw down the rod. The scraping sound irritated Rudy's ears, causing him to flinch. Skrawl, however, remain unaffected. He slowly turned his head to Rudy as he raised the rod a little higher. He moved in a new direction. A nasty smile spread across his face. "Just like this is my decision..."
Rudy realized, in horror, what Skrawl was doing. The rod had been moved to face Mint. The tip of the rod began to glow with electricity. In seconds, it would be fired at Mint. Rudy didn't hesitate for a second. He rushed towards the fallen boy just as Skrawl fired his shot. The coil sizzled in the air as it zipped towards Mint at an alarming rate. Rudy pushed himself to go faster, his feet pounding against the ground. He ignored his pain the best he could.
He jumped in front of Mint and stood there, arms out, protectively. He narrowed his eyes as the electric coil came. He didn't move from his spot, even while knowing full well if he got caught in the coil, he wouldn't be able to get out of it without help. He was not about to let Skrawl hurt Mint again.
The electric coil slammed into him. Rudy let out a horrific scream as the electricity arced over his body, leaving small minor burns on his skin. The coil wrapped around him tightly. He was lifted off the ground quickly. His feet kicked in the air and he jerked himself left in right to try to free himself. It was of no use and he found himself being pulled in the direction of Skrawl. The jellybean smiled at him triumphantly. Rudy glared daggers at Skrawl as he was positioned a foot in front of him.
Skrawl reached forward and pressed the tip of his claw against Rudy's throat. "Your concern for others may be an admirable trait, Rudy Tabootie..." He pushed his claw a little harder, causing Rudy to wince. "But it can also be a weakness to be exploited."
"Fuck you..." Rudy growled under his breath.
Skrawl's eyes narrowed at that comment. He growled lowly, "You will not speak to me that way." The electric coil tightened around Rudy further, prompting the boy to let out a cry of pain. "It's time you learned a little bit of respect."
"Why would I respect you...when you...don't respect anyone...but yourself?" Rudy said through clenched teeth. He stared at Skrawl with one hate-filled eye. "You're a monster...I'll never bow down to you..."
Skrawl gave an eerie smile. "Just as I would expect from you, Master Tabootie." He rose the boy a little higher into the air. "You are so caught up in your erroneous sense of justice that you decide you will defy someone like me instead of doing the smart thing and doing whatever it takes to save yourself. That is how the world works, Rudy. There's a reason they say only the strong survive..." At this, Skrawl shifted his gaze towards Mint's limp body, and then back at Rudy, his grin broadening to deliver a silent message.
"You're a monster..." Rudy snarled at him. He struggled against the coil, but it was too tight. Once in a while, an arc of electricity would go over his body. "Mint's stronger than you'd ever be..." His eyes tightly squeeze shut as more electricity was shot through his body. He stifled a scream, barely able to hold back. Tears of pain began to form in his eyes.
"Stronger than me? Oh sure... That's why he's laying on the ground dying!" Skrawl said with heavy sarcasm. A cold laughter emitted from his throat, making Rudy growl in anger as a response. Skrawl tilted his head slightly to the side, grinning maniacally at Rudy. "Don't you worry, chalk boy..." He pulled Rudy closer to him. He pulled his free hand back, the claws glinting in the light. "...you will soon be joining him...He won't be dying alone!"
Rudy's eyes widened in fear as he stared at Skrawl's claws, poised to slice into him. He knew there was no way he could escape the blow. As Skrawl tensed up his arm and struck down, Rudy closed his eyes and turned his head, waiting for the blow.
But it never came.
Rudy opened his eyes as Skrawl let out a scream. The claws were so close to his face. So close... Rudy shuddered at how close he was to having his neck and throat torn open. The claws just barely touched his neck. He barely had time to register this. Whatever caused Skrawl to cry out like that resulted in the jellybean losing his grip on him, and of the rod as well. There was a clang as the rod fell and a loud thud as Rudy hit the ground. Standing up shakingly to his feet, twitching a little as a result of the electricity being pumped into his body earlier, he looked over to see what had caused Skrawl to cry out like that.
His eyes widened at what he saw. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. There, standing right behind Skrawl, was Penny. She was holding what appeared to be a pipe, similar to what Mint had used at the temple. It was positioned in such a way, Skrawl bending in such a way, that he knew that she had struck him in the side.
"P-Penny...what are you doing here...?" Rudy asked, incredulous. "What about Snap?"
"Don't worry, he's safe!" Penny told him. "I..."
She didn't have time to continue. Skrawl, who recovered from the blow, seized her by her neck. Penny let out a gag as she was lifted off the ground.
"Penny!" Rudy called out in horror.
Skrawl put his face close to Penny's, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Hello... my little chalk queen." He said with dark contempt and sarcasm. Penny glared at him, struggling in his grasp. "If you wanted to die first, you should have just told me. Because I'll be happy to obligue..."