When Bardot got close enough, he tensed the muscles in his legs and jumped towards the king. His mouth split open wide. He noticed the turtle wasn't moving. He didn't understand why. Did he want to die? Oh well, at least he was surrendering. Makes things all the easier. Soon he would sink his venomous fangs into the turtle and it would all be over.
Mumbo Jumbo was just glaring at him, his hands on his sides. The old fool looked like he believed he could take him on. He had no idea what he was in for. He would be too slow to dodge this attack. And even if he miraculously did, Bardot could easily use his speed to run circles around him and try again. No way this turtle could jump out of the way in time.
Just before Bardot could knock the tortoise down, the king suddenly pulled himself inside his shell. Bardot's eyes widened at this and ended up slamming against the shell itself. He attempted to bite down, but the shell was hard as bone. He could feel his fangs start to give way. There was no way he could break through it without shattering his fangs. He immediately let go and glared down at the shell.
"You're not getting away from me that easily!" Bardot snarled, baring his sharp teeth in frustration.
Mumbo Jumbo popped his head out of his shell, putting his face close to Bardot's. This took the hybrid zoner by surprise and he jerked his head back and lifted up a paw like he was ready to turn and run the other direction. Perhaps this tortoise isn't as slow as he had believed.
"Try to get me, then!" After that, Mumbo Jumbo pulled his head back into his shell just as Bardot attempted to take a swipe at him.
Bardot growled lowly. This turtle was really asking for it. No one plays Bardot for a fool. No one. He began clawing and biting at the tortoise's shell. He bit down on several places, attempting to gnaw off some chunks of the shell. He tried slashing his claws into it. He knew he could tear into metal contraptions with his claws, so why would a tortoise shell be any different? Again and again, he struck down on the shell, trying to cut it open.
But no matter how hard he bit, no matter how hard he struck, the shell just wouldn't give way. He couldn't even get a dent in the tortoise. Still, he wouldn't give up. As he struck harder and harder, his frustration began to rise. His pupils dilated into dots. Drool and venom dripped from his mouth. He would make this old fool pay for interrupting his kill. He could hide in his shell, but he can't stay in there forever.
Realizing that he wouldn't be able to get to Mumbo Jumbo this way, Bardot tried a new strategy. He moved towards one of the openings where the turtle's limbs came out of. He tried gnawing at it and attempted to reach in with his claws to slash into his flesh. He tried this with the other openings as well, trying in vain to cut into him. But the shell was too hard and he wasn't able to get his claws in deep enough to do any damage.
Out of anger, he pushed the shell into the ground. By this time, his mind all but forgot Barney was there. He didn't notice the centipede had backed far away from the battle, curled up in a corner. He didn't realize he had a shot at taking him out quickly. Right now, his mind was focused on King Mumbo Jumbo.
He snapped his jaws wildly at the hole that contained King Mumbo Jumbo's head. He struck it again and again. He opened his jaws as wide as he could and bit down on the hole. Being careful not to break his own fangs, he tried again to rip off a piece of shell so he could get access to skin and blood. All he needed was to insert his fangs into the turtle and it would all be over. This turtle would soon perish.
He reached down with his claws again. He pushed them into the hole, trying to slash at the king's face. This went on for about a minute before he felt something clamp down on his wrist. Eyes opening very wide, Bardot let out a screech of pain. The fur on his tail poofed up and his ears and crest pricked straight up. The king kept his grip on his paw, biting down hard. Bardot struggled frantically to get free, using his remaining free limbs to push himself away. His tail wriggled wildly from side to side.
"Let...go...of...me!" Bardot demanded as he pulled himself back as hard as he could.
Surprisingly, Mumbo Jumbo obligued. With the sudden release of his paw, Bardot fell off of him and landed on his back. Mumbo Jumbo got up, standing above him. Bardot rolled out of the way as the king tried to slam his fist down. Bardot's ears pricked as he heard the ground break and give way a little as the turtle struck it. There was a lot of muscle packed behind that slam.
Bardot immediately moved back, taking a defensive stance. Perhaps he had been too cocky. Perhaps Mumbo Jumbo was not going to be an easy prey item after all. Oh well, he did need the challenge. Someone who could at least put up a fight. He grinned evilly at the turtle. Despite his difficulties, Bardot still wasn't backing down.
Bardot rushed towards the tortoise again. This time, he started to run around the king. Ah yes, his speed. This would do the zoner in. He ran around in circles around the king. Once in a while, he would strike, landing a blow on the king's face or limbs. He did this for a while, never once slowing down. Each time he landed a blow, he could hear a grunt from the large tortoise. The blows were having some kind of effect on him. Good...
Then Bardot decided to end it. He began to run faster. He was using up a lot of his stamina doing this, but in the end, it was going to be worth it. He was going to muster up as much speed as he could and bodyslam Mumbo Jumbo. The force should be enough to create some kind of crack in his shell. All he needed is one crack, and the tortoise could go down. A crack would cause considerable pain and make it easier to fight against him.
But just as he was about to jump, something happened that made him realize how much of a mistake it was to use the same pattern in runing around this guy. He should have known that Mumbo Jumbo would figure out his pattern and know when to make a move. Just as Bardot was going to make his move, Mumbo Jumbo reacted first. Bardot's eyes went wide as he felt a thick, clawed hand grasp his neck tightly and yank him into the air.
Bardot struggled wildly in the air, kicking his legs frantically. He tried to dig his claws into the turtle's arm. His eyes widened as he realized that his skin was too thick to penetrate so easily. Bardot could slice through metal, but the king's thick skin was too soft; he couldn't get a grip on it quite like he could with a metal device. The king held him up in the air, away from his body, glaring at him.
A cold chill went up Bardot's spine, a sensation so uncomfortable, so unfamiliar. He realized, as dread started to spread through his body, that he had made a terrible mistake. His venom and speed were of no use against this zoner. He couldn't even bite through his thick skin. He couldn't do anything against him, not by himself. And now he, the weaker zoner, was in the hands of this tortoise, and he couldn't escape.
In short, he was in big trouble.
His heart started to race, his eyes widening in fear, and he started to struggle even more, trying desperately to get free. He stared down at the king, his teeth clenched, and clawed at his arm again in hopes of getting free. But the enraged tortoise just tightened his grip, almost cutting off his air supply.
King Mumbo Jumbo reached down and grabbed his tail. He hoisted him up like he was just some catch of the day. Tightening his grip, he pulled outward hard. Bardot's eyes widened and he grunted in pain, feeling his body being stretched roughly. Then King Mumbo Jumbo positioned him over his knee, and, without hesitation, slammed him down. Bardot let out a cry of pain, the force being more than what Rudy managed against him.
The king wasn't finished with him yet. Releasing his grip on his tail for a moment, the king slammed his fist against Bardot's back. Then he grabbed his tail again and lifted him up. He opened his jaws and bit down on Bardot's back. Bardot's tail poofed up and straightened out as he let out another scream. After the king was done tearing into his back, leaving behind a bloody mark, he let go of his neck and started to slam him into the ground.
Groaning in agony, Bardot tried to fight back. He twisted his body and tried to bite down on his hand. The thick skin prevented the fangs from sinking in. Mumbo Jumbo narrowed his eyes and struck down with his claws, cutting into Bardot's shoulders, leaving behind three bloody marks. He picked up the yellow and red zoner again, one hand on his neck and one his tail like before. Mumbo Jumbo opened up his jaws and bit down on Bardot's tail, near his tip. He gave a twist and there was a crack.
Bardot's jaws opened up wide as he let out a howl of agony. The tortoise had just broken the tip of his tail. snapping it quite easily. His tail's fur was so poofed up tightly, he wasn't sure if it would ever go back down. He was pushed into the ground with great force, and his eyes snapped wide, another cry escaping him, as the turtle bit down on his left ear. The jaws sliced through the cartilage with ease. Stinging pain spread through his head as half of his ear was bitten clean off. Blood dripped rapidly from the wound as his ear twitched constantly in pain.
Mumbo Jumbo let go of his tail and held him up into the air. Bardot started down, his ears and crest folded down in fear. Mumbo Jumbo just snarled and threw him into the ground again, keeping his grip on his neck. He pulled back a fist and prepared to punch him.
"N-No! Please! Let me go!" Bardot begged, struggling to get free. "Please don't hurt me anymore!"
King Mumbo Jumbo snarled in disgust. "After what you've been doing to my friend, you dare ask me for mercy? Why should I let you go?"
"I promise I won't hurt you friend again!" Bardot's tail swooshed wildly. "Just please let me go! I won't come near Barney again! I promise!"
Mumbo Jumbo narrowed his eyes. He clearly didn't believe the hybrid zoner. "Why should I trust you? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart."
At this, Bardot's heart pounded against his chest. His struggles increased, not that they were doing him any good. His body started to tremble in terror. His horrified eyes stared up at the king. Before this, Bardot never knew what real fear felt like. Now he knew exactly how his victims felt. He had gotten a taste of his own medicine. And he didn't like it.
Realizing there was no way he was going to get out of the king's grasp, Bardot laid still on the ground, minus the trembling. He let out a few low whimpers of fear and shut his eyes tightly. "Please...don't hurt me..." He pleaded silently, awaiting for the king to make a blow.
Mumbo Jumbo glared angrily down at him, clearly upset that he dared to plea for mercy. But rather than finish the job, which he could quite easily, the king decided to show mercy, even though the hybrid clearly didn't deserve it. He threw Bardot against the door, releasing his grip on him.
Bardot climbed up to his feet. He wobbled a little, the pain from his new injuries causing him to limp a little. His ears flattened against his head, as well as his crest, he stared at Mumbo Jumbo. His eyes widened in fear. His mouth was partially open, his lower jaw trembling. He watched as the king pointed his claw at the door.
"Get out." Mumbo Jumbo demanded, his voice firm and cold. "And if I ever catch you near my friend again, I will rip out your eyes. And I clear?"
Shaking, Bardot nodded his head. He backed away slowly from the tortoise, his body low in self defense. His injured form trembled from both the pain and the fear he was experiencing. He kept his head low in submission and his tail tucked between his legs. He slowly moved towards the door, opening it up while not taking his eye off the king. Low whimpers escaped his throat.
As soon as the door opened, Mumbo Jumbo did a mock charge, his fist raised in the air. Bardot let out a cry of fear and rushed out as fast as he could, letting out terror-filled yips as he went, like a frightened dog. Soon, he was out of that hospital.
sss
"No...Rapsheeba..I won't let you do it!" Snap protested. His eyes were wide in desperation. "There's got to be another way!" He looked around the platform. "Maybe there's..."
"Snap, listen to me." Rapsheeba grasped the blue zoner by his shoulders. "There is no other way. Either you climb on my shoulders and you hoist yourself up, or we both die." The ground beneath them trembled. "This platform isn't going to hold out much longer."
Tears formed in Snap's eyes. He shook his head in denial. "No..."
Rapsheeba gave a small smile. "I know you don't want to leave me behind. But you are going to have to, Snap. You must go find Rudy and Penny and rescue them. You can't do that if you fall into the acid." She glanced down at the rising acid. "We're almost out of time, Snap. Please, just listen to me."
Snap shook his head again. He didn't want to do this. He had promised himself he wouldn't let Rapsheeba fall like Blocky had. He wasn't going to leave her behind. There just had to be another way around this. There just had to. Something that he was missing. Something that he wasn't thinking of.
He didn't want to go this alone. He..he needed her help. Just like he needed Blocky's. He wasn't sure if he could go this alone. There were still three more games... Could he really go through them without the help of his friends? He needed Rapsheeba by his side. He needed her help in the rest of the games. It was a big enough blow without Blocky. But losing Rapsheeba...it was a loss he didn't want to bear. No, there had to be another way.
But Rapsheeba was persistant. She insisted there was no other way. And as the acid rose and the platform became more unstable, he knew they were running out of time. They couldn't sit here all day and discuss this. They had to make a decision fast. And as much as Snap hated it admit it...Rapsheeba might be right. The only way any of them could survive was if one of them took the fall. And Rapsheeba bravely volunteered herself, offering to get him to safety so he could go find Rudy and Penny.
"Rapsheeba..." Snap whispered.
She touched his cheek gently. "Don't worry about me. Just focus on saving our friends. I believe in you."
With that, Rapsheeba wrapped her arms around Snap, hugging him. Slowly, Snap returned the hug. Tears streamed down his face as he whimpered. This was it. This was really it. He was going to lose Rapsheeba, too. There was just..no way around it. She was right. It was either this or they both fall.
Rapsheeba positioned herself, putting her hands against the metal surface. She lowered herself a little so Snap could climb on. As the small blue zoner got on her shoulders, Rapsheeba hoisted herself up, standing on her tip toes. Snap reached up towards the edge of the higher platform. It took a lot of effort, but he managed to grab on. Rapsheeba grabbed his feet and gave him a push, managing to get him over the edge.
Snap laid on the higher ledge for a few moments. He took a moment to realize what this meant. The game was almost over...and Rapsheeba would be taken away from him. He crawled over towards the edge and looked over. Rapsheeba stared at him, a tearful smile on her face. She was too far down for him to reach, even if she jumped up to try to grab his hand.
Then, suddenly, the ground beneat Rapsheeba gave way. Snap's eyes opened wide in horror.
"Rapsheeba! No!" He cried, reaching his hand out towards her as if he could reach her.
He watched as Rapsheeba screamed, falling down towards the acid below. In seconds, she was going to go right in it and die a slow and painful death. His eyes watered and his lips quivered. No, she couldn't die. Please..no..
As if someone decided to grant his wish...and his nightmare all at once, the shadow of Draow casted over them. The bat wolf dove down, easily avoiding the falling debris. He reached down with his feet. His talons wrapped around Rapsheeba's body. In an instant, Draow then flew upwards. He flew high into the air, squeezing Rapsheeba tightly in his talons.
Snap's breath quickened as he watched Rapsheeba be carried away. Just like how Blocky was... He knew that, while she was saved from the acid, she wasn't out of the woods yet. He knew, as Draow disappeared into the horizon, that she was being taken to hell, more or less. She would be locked up by Draow and Bardot, and she could easily be subjected to the same torture his human friends were enduring.
The idea of more of his friends suffering caused Snap's body to tremble in intense emotion. Tears poured from his eyes. He spent a few seconds on the pillar letting out a few sobs. This was all too much for him to handle. He couldn't believe it. Now he was all alone. His closest friends...all being held prisoner by those monsters... And he had no idea if he would ever see any of them again.
Rudy...Penny...Rapsheeba...Blocky... He was the only one left. And if he failed, then they would all die...
Suddenly the pillar he was on started to crumble apart. Snap let out a scream. He immediately jumped towards the rim of the wall. He grabbed on and held on tightly. The acid rose up faster now. He struggled to get over the edge. His feet kept slipping, unable to get a grip.
"Come on...come on..." Snap whimpered, trying as hard as he could to hoist himself over.
He looked down and let out a scream of fear. The acid was only five feet away from his dangling feet. And as each second past, the acid rose by a quarter of a foot. He pushed his feet against the wall, trying to get traction. He pulled himself up as hard as he could. Soon the acid was almost touching his feet. He could practically feel the burns already.
He finally managed to get over the edge. But not before the acid touched the very tip of his left foot. He let out a scream of pain as the front was badly burned. He pulled himself over the edge and landed on a small platform that jetted out from the side. He laid there for a few moments, ignoring the confused zoners down below that hadn't vacated the area yet. He didn't see them pointing up at him and murmuring to each other. The only thing he was aware of was the stinging pain in his foot.
Snap looked at it and winced. Only a small portion of the front was burned, but it was still very painful. The skin took on a deep red shade, and a little bit of blood dripped from the wound. He touched it lightly and reeled back in pain instantly. He seethed in agony. The pain...it was just like he had felt when Mr. Cosmo had...
Before Snap could think more on that, he heard a low rumble that shook the ground. He looked at the acid, which had reached the top by now. He screamed and looked away, expecting it to spill over. But instead, the acid just stopped. Then, unexpectantly, the acid started to lower back down again.
Snap was confused. Bardot didn't have any qualms about hurting innocents. He let the robot basketballs shoot innocent zoners. So why would he stop the acid from overflowing? That didn't seem like something he would do...
Snap climbed down the side of the walls, using the platforms to lower himself. As he got lower, the acid drained more and more. He wondered what was causing it. It couldn't have been Bardot. He would have just let the acid overflow. Then he wondered if someone in the Future Dome had done anything. He looked all around, but found no one that looked like they would have known how to stop the acid.
Then, just as he reached the bottom, a familiar shape came into view. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted someone approaching him. Snap realized that this was the zoner who had stopped the acid. He didn't know whether to thank the guy or run away from him.
"Rudy's best friend..." The zoner said, his voice clearly robotic. "What are you doing here?"
Snap glared at the zoner. "Craniac 4..."