The Main Attraction
Chapter 38: Something Even Better
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Change my attempt. Good intentions. Should I..? Could I..? Here we are with your obsession. Should I..? Could I..?
-Wasteland, 10 Years
sss
Dr. Crobot wasn't sure how long it had taken him to get here. Even riding on the back of Ripclaw, it seemed to take ages. And she was the fastest mode of transportation that he had. Not like Bicops was going to carry him; he was adament about staying in that cave system of his.
Well regardless, at least he was finally here now. He couldn't begin to imagine just how hard his heart had pounded, or how many times it had beat since he started on his way. He thought it was going to claw its way out of his chest or something. It had been a miracle that he was able to remain standing at all. Or rather, sitting upright in this case.
Ripclaw hadn't slowed down yet. They weren't exactly in town yet, but he could see it up ahead. He knew they would only get there in a few moments. So as Ripclaw closed the gap rapidly, he clung onto her feathers tightly to ensure that he wouldn't fall down or anything. And he thought about what Biclops had told him earlier.
He was utterly horrified by what he had learned earlier. The idea that he would have done such dreadful things... He couldn't help but shudder at the very thought of it, his blood running cold. It was not something that he wanted to believe. But at the same time...did he really have that much of a choice? He never knew Biclops to lie and he sounded so...sincere, so truly horrified by what he himself had been telling him.
Could the Signal really be back? Could Sandra have somehow reactivated it? Or someone else? He couldn't imagine anyone who would want to use such a horrible device. But...he wouldn't be surprised if someone like that existed. He couldn't help but gulp nervously as he remembered what happened the last time that this city had to deal with the Signal. To think that it was back yet again...
But that wasn't the only thing on his mind. He had also been informed that he had been affected by it himself. Dr. Crobat didn't want to believe it, but...why else would they have locked him up? In that moment, that whole situation had suddenly made a ton of sense. And that would explain why he was so confused of where he had been previously before he woke up, and didn't know how he had gotten there. He had been a slave to the Signal, bound to its whim.
Biclops had told him what he knew happened, but he hadn't witnessed much. No, he saw nothing actually. He had only been told what happened. So whatever he knew happened, it had been relayed to him by the creators, which he then relayed to him.
While he had a feeling that information was missing, Dr. Crobat was already pretty horrified by the very idea of what he could have done. He couldn't imagine deliberately hurting his friend like that... He wondered how Dr. Gelcro had felt when he was strapped down like that. He wished he could see him again. He really wanted to apologize to him.
And the two humans as well. He had harmed Penny and Mint, didn't he? Yes, he remembered Biclops mentioning that. They were probably mad at him, weren't they? He didn't think that they'd want to see him any time soon. And he wouldn't blame them at all. Even if he could not control himself, he still felt responsible. He shouldn't have been so weak-minded...
Regardless of his own feelings however, he knew he still had to warn the police department here about what had been going on. He had to get to the police building as quickly as possible and tell them what Sandra may have been up to. And either way, they all needed to know about the Signal's return. It would be utterly cruel of him to not tell anyone about that. He'd never leave them hanging like that.
It had taken quite a while for him to convince Biclops to let him go. The giant was adamant about trying to keep the promise that he made Penny and Mint, about keeping him there and watching over him. It had been a personal request by Dr. Gelcro specifically.
He could feel his heart twist at this. Just by being here, he had forced Biclops to break a promise for his friend. And he felt as though that he was letting his friend down as a result. He couldn't begin to imagine what Dr. Gelcro would think of him now. Would he feel betrayed? Hurt? Angry? Just the mere thought just...
Dr. Crobat was certain that he would understand at the very least. He..he had to understand to an extent, right? There was just no way that... He was his best friend. They had been through so much together. He would be understanding if he told him why he had left. What if Dr. Gelcro had forgot to tell everyone about this? He needed to...
Dr. Crobat's eyes widened and he yanked on Ripclaw's feathers, causing her to let out a small screech in response. Once she had come to a stop, the dog-like zoner began to look left and right as he surveyed the area. Something...wasn't right here.
He was certainly in the city now. There was no doubt about it. He recognized this area. It was near one of the edges of town. He had just arrived here, and he and the green dinosaur had just exited out of the alleyway and were on the streeth. There was no doubt in his mind just where he was at this very moment in town.
It was the same area that had been rampaged by Mint back when he was the Enemy Creator. The memories still brought back cold shudders to him. He had been one of the victims. Thankfully he wasn't badly hurt, but just being in this area made him feel uneasy. He could still see that darn sauropod dinosaur smashing the buildings around here.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he tried to focus on what was going on here. Confusion settled in his mind and he could feel himself licking his lips slowly. He turned his head side to side once more as he tried to figure out one thing: Just where was everyone?
He had never seen it this vacant before. Everyone was just...gone. There wasn't a single zoner in the streets. It was as if everyone had just decided to skip town and go somewhere else. Is that what happened? Were they hiding? Just what was going on here...?
Despite his uneasiness, he did slowly, surely, make his way into town. Ripclaw took slow, steady steps. It seemed that she, too, was cautious about the suddenly empty city. She was quite intelligent, despite Mint designing her as 'just an animal'. Sometimes he wondered what went on inside that mind of hers... But for now, he had other things he needed to focus on.
The two of them made their way towards the middle of the street and stopped there. With a gentle tug against her back, Dr. Crobat was able to get Ripclaw to rear herself back, raising her head up into the air, lowering her tail towards the ground as though her body was on a folcrum. Dr. Crobat was able to raise himself up as high as he could go and he tried to see if there was anything down any of these roads. It was a four-way intersection after all. Surely he'd see something.
But there was nothing. Even as far down as he could look, he still saw absolutely nothing. As far as the eye could see, there was just no one here at all. At least, no one on the streets. But what of the buildings?
Dr. Crobat looked around at the buildings in the vicinity. It was really hard to tell if they were abandoned or not. Perhaps he should consider rummaging through them. Perhaps he might find an answer to all of this mess. Maybe he'd be lucky and he would find a citizen who was hiding, or he would learn that this was just a horrible misunderstanding. Without hesitation, he set out.
He approached the first building. It was a tall white one. A building that was torn down by Mint's long necked dinosaur and rebuilt a few years ago. A massive building where he knew several zoners would come in and commune together. He never did remember the name of this place. But that was not important.
Once he got close enough, he had Ripclaw stop a few feet away and jumped off. He looked up at the building, placing his wings on his hips. This seemed like a good building to start with. Out of all of them, this is the one he imagined would most likely have someone hiding in it. So without further hesitation, he entered the building.
It was well lit inside. It seemed like almost all the lights were on. It was not intensively bright or anything, but he found that was brighter in here than he would have expected it to be. And it really confused him. Considering how bright it was in here...why wasn't anyone in here?
It just made no sense to him at all. This place is usually not this well lit unless there was someone else here. They wouldn't want to waste energy like this so easily, now would they? But seeing how things were here now...it was almost as if they were in the middle of doing something and then they just..left. Something caused them to just get up and leave.
This caused the bird zoner to freeze. What would cause these zoners to just...flee like that? What could possibly chase them all out like this? Was there another danger here? Had Sandra struck when he was still under her control, or the Signal's control or whatever? Or could something else be going on around here?
He approached the long table in the next room. He could see the frill cloth there, with multiple silverware and cups and plates set on it. He could see that food was still out and some of the plates still untouched, and others only partially eaten. The smell of the food hung strongly in the air, and it didn't seem like that the food was abandoned that long ago. Moving in closer, he went up to one of the plates and, with a feather finger, rested it lightly against the food.
It was not just warm. It was still hot.
Withdrawing his finger, Dr. Crobat could feel his heart twitching in a knot. This all but confirmed one thing to him for certain. This place had been recently abandoned. Like...the moment he had stepped into the city, if not even earlier than that.
But why? He hadn't seen anything going on. Even from a distance, he did not see anything that was really all that suspicious. With no visible threat, he could not fathom what could have made the zoners leave so quickly. Perhaps it was an early warning system? Maybe Sandra was on the way here? But the timing was just too perfect, wasn't it...? What if...
He barely had time to wrap his mind around this sudden idea when he heard a clicking sound behind him. His body immediately stiffened up, his blood running cold. He knew immediately what that meant.
The door had been locked.
"I was wondering when you were going to show up..."
Dr. Crobat nearly jumped at that voice. He whirled himself around, half expecting to see that penguin officer from before. The voice sounded very similar. But to his surprise and worry, it was another cop. One that he did not recognize.
He remained still for several moments, unable to look away from the cop. He rubbed his hands together nervously, his teeth clenched tightly against each other. He struggled to think of something to say, but his mind was just drawing an utter blank. It was as if the cop's eyes were just freezing him in place, refusing to allow him to even think of an answer, let alone give one.
The cop, who appeared to be an anthro lizard of some kind, her tail swishing from side to side, just stood there, glaring at him. He noted how her hands were folded behind his back and she had dark marks under her eyes, making it look as if she were permanently tired. The half closed eyes didn't help. The mottled skin and long sharp claws only served to complete the image.
"You may not know who I am. Well of course you don't..." The lizard cop said, motioning her paw towards him in gesture. "But I have taken the place of..." She narrowed his eyes as she scratched her chin thoughtfully. "..I don't remember the name of that penguin zoner.. I hadn't known him long..." She closed her eyes and motioned her hand to the side. "Not that it matters. He's gone and I took his place. That's as much as you need to know right now."
What? That zoner was...dead? But when? How? Questions flooded Dr. Crobat's mind. He wanted so much to just grab onto the zoner in front of him and shake her and demand answers. The only thing preventing him from moving was the fact that, considering this was a cop, he might end up making things worse for himself. So he remained still.
The thought did not leave his mind, however. He could feel the question still echoing in his mind over and over again. He could feel his head start to spin and ache as he tried to imagine what could have happened. Heck, he didn't even know if he was dead at all; the lizard had never actually confirmed that.
"Anyway, my name is Officer Polych. I do hate that we had to meet like this, but you will have to come with me." The lizard cop motioned her hand to herself, her tail swishing out to one side. "It is of dire importance."
Dr. Crobat took a small step back, licking his lips nervously. "What...What do you mean? What is going on?"
There was a glint in the lizard's eye as her tail curled up into a few circles. "I'm quite certain you already know what is going on. You do not have to hide it." She straightened herself up as she folded her hands behind her back. "It is not like you have any thing to gain from lying to me anyway. So why don't you just quit the acting and come along with me?"
Dr. Crobat wasn't sure how to respond to this. A part of him had a feeling he knew why Officer Polych was doing this and what she wanted. But another part of him wanted to think it was something else. But there was also the lingering fear that... He tried not to let his mind get too wrapped up in that.
"Now, if you would be so kind as to stop gawking like that and just come along with me." Officer Polych said. She tilted her head slightly to the side. "There is some important business that we must attend to." She flicked her tongue out as she said this. "I insist we get going as soon as possible."
"Okay but...can you at least tell me why you need me to follow you?" Dr. Crobat moved his hands in front of him. "I mean...I'm not sure where you're getting at here. Am I an eye witness or..."
Officer Polych narrowed her reptilian eyes. "You, my fine good friend, are under arrest."
Dr. Crobat immediately froze at this, his mind going numb for several seconds. When he was finally able to do anything, he took a step back, his movements so stiff he thought that his muscles were going to shatter. "Wh-What...?" Though he already had a good idea on the reason, he couldn't help but ask, "Why...?"
Officer Polych curled her lip up into a snarl. "How dare you ask such things..." She pointed a sharp claw in his direction. "You should know very well what you have done!"
The bird zoner cringed at this. He couldn't think of anything to say, and even if he could, he'd just remain silent. He didn't think he could say anything at this point without accidentally provoking the lizard zoner further. So he just cringed back, watching as she took a few steps towards him, her taller stature making him feel smaller than he really was.
He could feel his heart start beating faster as the lizard zoner continued to get closer to him. He found himself backing up a little. He couldn't help but stare at her claws, nothing the tips glinting in what light was available in here. He tried not to gulp, keeping his eyes glued on hers. He could feel his mind racing in his head as he struggled to figure out just what he was going to do now.
He flinched when he felt himself hit against an empty table behind him. The edge pushed up against his side. He placed his hand against it and rubbed it carefully. He did not take his eyes off the approaching lizard, however, and he pushed himself against the table as she towered over him. He could almost feel her body against him, those eyes glaring down at him intently.
Eyes that looked as if they had seen so much...
..such as loss...
Dr. Crobat widened his eyes at that, struggling not to take in a sharp breath. He couldn't bring himself to ask for confirmation, but it just seemed...all written there in her eyes. Like she had lost something near and dear to her... He realized immediately this was potentially a conflict of interest, but it was clear that she didn't care. Not that there was anything that he could do about it anyway.
"For the last time, bird..." The lizard zoner spoke, her teeth clenched, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Come with me now...or I am going to drag you there by your fucking tail feathers!"
Dr. Crobat cringed at this, raising a wing over and looking away, gritting his beak. There seemed to be only one option that he could take. Not like Dr. Polych was giving him much of a choice, now was she?
sss
What a boring day. There wasn't really much to do out here. Just stand around and stare at nothingness. Oh, how exciting. She could hardly contain her excitement.
She had thought that, when they entered this place, there would be something for her to do. If there had been anyone else here, she would have at least some interaction. Or even a challenger. Fighting was fun when she found the right opponents. And those were rather tough to come by.
But all she could do right now was just wait here for that doctor to return. She had nothing better to do but just lay on the ground, lowering herself against the floor, keeping her head positioned like an S. She could feel her feathers press up against her chin, sending out a comforting warmth. It would have helped her relax a little if her mind wasn't constantly marching, constantly wanting to be on the move.
It was quite tempting to get up and do a little searching around for herself. Not like she had much to do here anyway. That Dr. Crobat wouldn't miss her for that long, right? Besides, she was larger than him and thus took larger strides. She could outpace him even when he was at his healthiest. The thought was quite amusing to her. She's seen prey moving faster than him.
But it didn't really matter now. She was trapped here. She knew better than to try to leave. If she did so... Well, not that she was afraid of being hurt. But it was in her own creation DNA, if that made any sense, to remain loyal. And that is exactly how she has been. No way she was going to change that now, and all because of boredom.
Normally she was able to handle these types of situations. But she just could not stop feeling so...restless was the only term that she could think of. She wanted to run to jump, to hunt. Anything to relieve this built in tension inside her body. She wasn't sure how long she'd be able to handle this.
She couldn't understand how these other zoners, even her own creator, were able to sit around for hours and not do anything. Why could they not see that life was always on the move? That they should always be on the move to catch up with it? A part of her couldn't help but wonder if they were going to become slow and lethargic. She wouldn't even be surprised if they started to act all mopey and demotivated; she's already seen it before.
Well, at least here, she could...
Suddenly, she heard something. A banging sound. She immediately raised her head up and she whipped her head over. She couldn't see anything yet. She lifted her head in the air and gave a few whiffs. Her eyes immediately widened. She might not see anything, but she could certainly smell something...
Immediately she snarled, baring her teeth as she curled her lips up. There was an intruder in there. Someone was with that Dr. Crobat fellow. Finally, a target for her to go after.
If she could give one of those smiles that those zoners could make, she would be doing that right now. With her back parallel to the ground, her tail swinging from side to side, her leg muscles tightening. She stared intently over at the door, watching, waiting for something to happen. A low growl eminated from her mouth.
Suddenly, the door was opened up. It happened so quickly that the green dinosaur jumped backwards. She immediately stifled herself upon seein what colors that they were sporting. Blue. Not something that she was supposed to touch. She could feel her heart tighten up in disappointment. There was no target here for her to go after.
She was about to turn and walk away when she realized something was wrong here. She did not understand much of what was being said; it was too garbled and they were talking at the same time. But she was able to understand enough that there was a lot of distress and anger being expressed. Something more was going on here but what was...
She remained where she was and just watched, trying to make sense of what was going on. She could see a whole group of cops moving about. Judging from the way they were moving, it would seem that they were in a hurry to go somewhere. They also seemed like they were crowding around something. There was something clearly of interest to them and they looked determined to keep it from getting out, if that made any sense.
Not like she could understand what there was of interest around here. Mostly just stoney stuff. Not even a good place to run around on, or any nice prey to chase. Just what did those zoners find appealing about this place? She doubted she would understand them at all.
But wait...there was something...off about that whole thing. Something just didn't feel right to her. What were those people crowde around for? Why was there a familiar scent among the group? Why was...
Her eyes immediately widened when she saw that the one being taken away...
...was Dr. Crobat.
She froze where she stood as the blue marked zoners moved past her without even paying attention to her. No one spared her any attention, not even Dr. Crobat himself. He was too busy yelling at them, probably demanding that they let him go. He was twisting and turning as the other zoners held onto him. They were treating him quite roughly, like he was some kind of criminal.
Then she saw how he was tossed into one of those moving metal things. What did her creator call them? Beehickles? Something like that. He had been thrown into one of those like he was nothing more than saggy organ dripping with fluid. It took only moments before they were on their way.
Ripclaw simply stood there and watched, seeing how they were rapidly disappearing into the horizon. She didn't move at first. She couldn't; all that she could do was just watch this scene play out. Even as the remaining blue marked zoners were dispersing slowly, ignoring her completely, she could not avert her eyes away from the beehickle that was rapidly getting away.
She felt her mind filling with a conflict, and she realized she had to make a decision fast. She could remain here and stay out of this. She could simply wait for her creator to come over and pick her up. Surely he'd be here soon, right? She just needed to be patient and wait, just like a true predator.
But she had been tasted to watch over Dr. Crobat. She did not want her creator to be disappointed in her, to think that she had purposely abandoned him. Standing here was not going to do anything to keep that bird zoner safe, now was it? And she did feel the urge to start rushing forward. Even before she could stop herself, she could feel her hands raising up, her clawed digits flexing.
She couldn't take it anymore. She could not stand here for any longer. She was responsible for Dr. Crobat. Her alpha, her creator, had given her a task and she was going to fulfill it. She had no intention on letting him down, regardless how difficult the task was going to be.
Without any further hesitation, ignoring whatever anyone else around her was doing, the green dinosaur launched herself forward, her feet pounding the ground, and she went into hot pursuit of her hard, metallic and fast moving prey.
sss
Dr. Crobat barely had time to react before he was shoved into the room. He fell into the ground, feeling his shoulder crash into the hard surface. He flinched, gritting his teeth, as he picked himself up. He looked down at his arm, noticing how ruffled his feathers looked, before glaring back at the zoners who had put him in here.
At this point, the door was already shut. But that did not stop the bird zoner from climbing up to his feet. He wobbled a little, feeling a sore achiness in his legs from his previous treatment, and he moved over towards the door. He placed his hand on it to brace himself and he started to yell out at the cops.
"You can't do this! You aren't supposed to arrest someone without a warrant!" Honestly, Dr. Crobat wasn't entirely sure if this was true or not. But he didn't care; he just felt like venting. "This isn't fair! I didn't do any of that!" He jumped back when he heard one of them bang against the door as hard as they could.
"Oh shut up!"
"Yeah! Be glad worse isn't being done to you right now!"
The bird zoner hissed at this, baring his teeth. But he couldn't bring himself to say anything. It wasn't like they were even going to listen to him. So why bother even trying? He might as well just sit here and wait for them to bring over the head warden of this place. That was really all that he could do.
He put his back to the door and he slid down. He tried his best to ignore the words that the cops were saying on the other side. It was difficult, but he knew that he couldn't allow them to get the better of him. No, he would show them that he was stronger than they. He would pull through this. He just had to.
He still had to remain on his toes, however. There was no way that he could let his guard down. Not here and certainly not now. It was just too risky. Especially after how he was treated...
Turned out there were other cops in that building. Officer Polych hadn't been the only one. They were simply waiting for her to give the signal. As soon as he showed any strong resistance, which was quite loose with her, a simple wave of the hand ensured that he was covered by several cops. He had tried to fight back, which turned out to be a mistake. He was lucky that they didn't break his bones with what they did in retaliation.
The whole thing just seemed overexcessive. And it was this that worried him the most. They weren't behaving exactly like how he thought they would. The fear following this realization was enough to make him struggle even more, which only ended badly for him yet again. He was eventually subdued, but even as they carried him out, he still fought for his release.
Considering the fact that he ended up here, however, it was easy for anyone to tell how well that ended up for him. They hadn't cuffed him or chained him or anything. They just tossed him in here and locked the door. A dark room with no light except for the little window above him on the door, and the space between the door and the floor itself.
The bird zoner hugged himself, spreading his wings over his own body. He realized just how chilly it was in here. No surprise. They probably didn't see the purpose of it. This room did not look like a permanent accomodation; just a temporary abode for what he guessed was going to be further interrogation. The thought made him shudder. If that was how they were going to treat him earlier, he could only imagine what their ideas of interrogating would be.
And it wasn't like he could even say anything to defend himself. He really didn't know what he did beforehand. He didn't have any sort of memory of what happened when he was under the control of the Signal. For all he know, he really did do those awful, horrible things. After all, he did torture his best friend and those two human teenagers...
Suddenly, he heard the door knob starting to turn. Dr. Crobat got up to his feet and he backed away slowly, watching the door carefully. He tensed his body up as though getting ready for a fight. He watched as the door was pushed open all the way, revealing a thickly muscled zoner standing in the door way.
He immediately recognized it as Bell. He was not too acquainted with the bull zoner, but his appearance was unmistakable. He narrowed his eyes a little and took a nother step back, waiting to see what Bell was going to do.
Behind him, there was another zoner, who looked eager to get into the room and get some 'action', so to speak. "Can I have a go at him?"
"Yeah, I'd like to try as well!" Squealed another zoner who attempted to clamor forward.
"Me too!"
"Silence!" Bell swung out a large arm, nearly knocking those other zoners away. He turned his head and looked down at them, his eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted. "I am going to talk with him! You all just stay back!"
The zoners sounded so disappointed at this. "But, Bell..."
Bell raised his hoof hand so quickly, it was almost impossible to see anything for a second except for a blur. "Just go do your jobs! I don't want any of you crowding around here! If I hear so much as a scrape, you're all in trouble, no matter which one of you caused it!" He snorted as he seethed at the cringing, smaller cop zoners. "Do you all understand me?!"
They quickly nodded their heads.
"Y-Yes sir.."
"We promise we'll stay out of trouble..."
Bell just glared at them, baring his teeth. He kept watching them, keeping his hand pointed in one direction, and just waited for them to leave. It was only after the cops finally fled and went about their business that Bell finally shifted his attention back towards the bird zoner.
Dr. Crobat found himself taking another step back as Bell just smirked, shutting the door behind him. Not a single word had been spoken to him yet, but those few seconds, a very strange and uncomfortable vibe had been set. He licked his beak nervously, gritting it firmly, as Bell locked the door behind him. Then he started to make his way over towards him, rapidly showing just how more massive he was compared to him.
For a brief moment, Dr. Crobat thought that he recognized this situation. Maybe not this same intensity, but he couldn't help but feel as though he had found himself in this zoner's presence before. Other than that other time that he recalled, that is. A moment when he was locked up and...
Wait...was it true that...? He had a very fleeting moment of this earlier, and he had forgotten about it, but now...
Oh gawd no...
"I wonder how much you remember." Bell commented softly. His voice was low, as though he feared that he would be heard. "You seem like you have put some of the puzzle pieces together. I am glad for that. I did not want to waste too much time on introductions..."
Dr. Crobat hunched his body, spreading out his wings in an attempt to make himself look larger. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Bell paused his walking, staring at the bird zoner with a somewhat amused expression. "You see..." He raised his hand up and moved it along his face, the tips of his hooves carefully grooming along his ears and fur in that location. "I have...ideas that I've been wanting to try for a long time. Of course, I never had the means to. It was so frustrating you know?" He held up a hand in gesture. "I could really improve things around here I'm sure, but if only I had the proper tools for it..."
"I'm not your tool!" Dr. Crobat scratched at the ground, feeling his emotions rise up inside of him. It took all his effort not to launch himself at the bull zoner, knowing full well that he could hurt. No, not could. Would.
Bell laughed at this, causing Dr. Crobat to flinch. "You? My tool? Oh come now, it was never like that!" Bell moved a little closer. "You were nothing more than experiment." He motioned himself to the side slightly. "Just a stepping stone, really. I admit you had performed admirably...until recently that is." He narrowed his eyes a bit, his expression contorting into what seemed to be like disappointment. "It really is such a shame..."
Dr. Crobat could feel his body start to shake. He had no idea how to take any of this. He wasn't sure what he should say or do in response. Bell wasn't making any complete sense, yet he could already get the feeling that he was in some serious trouble. And he had a feeling that, no matter what he did or said, he was not going anywhere anytime soon.
"Wh-What are you..." Dr. Crobat managed to say. He raised his wings a little higher, hunching his body. "What are you getting at? Why did you capture me then?" He took a few steps back, getting closer to the wall behind him.
Bell raised a hoof up and put it underneath his chin. He started to chuckle, his breath hitting against the top of the hoof. It was almost like how a scheming little girl would laugh. Seeing a massive bull like him doing the same thing was quite unnerving. "I needed to make sure that you didn't warn anyone. As soon as Sarando told me that this is what you were planning, I knew I had to take action. So I had set up a little trap for you."
Dr. Crobat widened his eyes a tad. "So you're the one behind the..."
Bell nodded his head once. "Oh yes. I told them that the 'monster' was returning. Namely you..." He motioned his hand towards the rattled bird zoner. "It really is quite amazing how motivated you can make people with a simple faked video..."
"Faked...?" Dr. Crobat breathed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You were willing to resort to..."
"For the greater good, yes." Bell said, cutting him off. Dr. Crobat growled at this. Bell made a dismissive gesture with his hoof-like hand. "Deception is frowned upon by many. I myself am not too fond of it either. But when it comes to the greater good, a greater accomplishment... Then I am more willing to go for it. The ends justify the means, you know that?"
Blood boiled within the bird zoner's body. He hadn't yet heard what this bull's ultimate plans were, but already he felt like scratching his eyes out. He didn't care what his plans were at this point. Nothing could justify what he was doing, or what he was implying.
Never before had he ever thought that Bell could be so...malicious. So despicable... If he had known this earlier, he would have done...something to make sure that he didn't cause trouble to anyone else. But he had been slow and foolish. Too trusting like everyone else. It was clear that Bell was a menace to ChalkZone City, wielding an obviously dangerous plan.
True, he didn't know yet what this plan entailed. But if he could go by Bell's previous words, it was quite clear that the plan was dangerous and risky and something that most zoners would be apalled by.
Why else would he use deceit to try to get his way...?
"But why the Signal...? Why would you use something so horrible? Y-You know what happened b-before..." Dr. Crobat spoke, his voice shaky and overflowing with emotion. "Why would you even think to..."
Bell chortled at this. "Oh that? I do not plan on using the Signal for anything terrible. But I do feel that it has its purpose." Bell lifted his head up slightly. "Sandra may have been using it for evil purposes. But I can assure you, my intentions with it are much more noble."
Dr. Crobat seethed at this, snapping his head back. "Noble?! What is so noble about making me hurt people?!"
"That was just a side effect. I was still trying to control it." Bell narrowed his eyes. "Of course, it wouldn't have been a loss if you got rid of those so-called 'protectors'. Because really, they would have just been in the way." He curled his lip up slightly. "I know for a fact that they would have tried to put a damper on things."
"Because what you're doing is wrong!" Dr. Crobat snapped back at him. He pressed his talons against the ground and pulled back. This released a loud scraping sound, ringing inside his ears and against the walls. "You disgusting bull... You call yourself a warden?! This isn't protecting anyone! You're just a tyrant! You just want to take over the city! You're acting just like Skrawl!"
After his voice stopped echoing, Dr. Crobat panted. He continued to glare at the bull zoner as silence fell upon the room. The shock of what he said appeared to have struck Bell in the face, as the massive zoner hadn't moved or spoken since. Dr. Crobat kept himself silent, trying to catch his breath and giving Bell time to really think about what he had said.
Of course, he did not fully expect his words to make much of an impact. Bell would probably just dismiss his words and say that he was nothing like him and try to justify his actions. There really wasn't much that he could do at this point. His words ould not go through; he would have to think of a way to get out of here and fast.
But a part of him still hoped that something would click in Bell's mind. Surely he would not want to act like how Skrawl did, trying to conquer the city, even the whole of the chalk world. Bell might truly have the best intentions in mind, and if he really did care, then realizing that he was becoming like Skrawl shuld be enough to make him back down. Or was he so drunk with the possibility of power that he was going to dismiss that entirely?
Well, perhaps he would...wait, was he...laughing?
Dr. Crobat gritted his beak and took a step back as he watched Bell give off a small yet cooled laughter. Confusion settled upon his mind, and he could feel his brain start spinning. He could feel tips of his body start to burn. Just what the hell did Bell find so hilarious?
"Well, looks like you hit the nail right on the head..."
Dr. Crobat's body loosened up at this, a dread starting to creep along. No, he couldn't mean that... "Y-You're not saying that..."
A dark, twisted smile spread across Bell's face. A smile that was filled to the brim with eagerness and determination and one hundred percent seriousness. "That's right... I am trying to help Skrawl take over."
For a split second, Dr. Crobat felt a bit of relief. "I thought you were going to..." Then the realization of what he just said struck him in full force. A rush of coldness swept through his blood vessels and he thought that he was going to fall into the ground. "You're what?!"
"Oh I know it comes as a shock. But I can assure you that I am quite serious about this." Bell folded his arms against his chest. "I want Skrawl to lead this place."
"B-But...why?! You know how he is!" Dr. Crobat stammered, his mind racing. He just...couldn't fathom what he was hearing. Why would Bell even think that this was a good idea? "Skrawl is an absolute monster! We're lucky that we have protectors who can stop him from achieving his goals! We..."
"Something needs to be done about them. Those creators are simply pests. Trying to stifle on a system that would work so much better..." Bell brought his hands together and started to tap his claws against one another. "I thought about this for a long time, and I think it's time for a change. We need a more permanent caretaker. And I feel that Skrawl is the best qualified for this job."
Dr. Crobat felt shivers rushing through him. At this point, his back was fully against the wall. He could feel his legs knocking against each other, his beak grinding gainst itself. He had nowhere left to go. Bell started to make his way towards him, and all the bird zoner could do was push his back further against the wall.
He couldn't believe it... He knew that Bell was doing something, but he never thought that he would do something like this. He... He had truly gone off the deep end. Oh why didn't any of them see this sooner? He had been acting a little strange lately...
"I can see you are confused. I knew you would be. Not everyone fully understand my view. I was lucky to be blessed with some companions who see things my way..." Bell paused for a moment. "Or at the very least, they are willing to help me regardless."
"Why are you doing this?" Dr. Crobat breathed. "Why would you think it would be a good idea to..."
"Oh I have my reasons. Don't worry. This isn't something that I woke up one day and decided it'd be a great idea. I have thought about this for a while and I do think it's what's best for ChalkZone." Bell tilted his head to one side, tapping his hoof finger tips together. "I will be more than happy to explain why, if you want."
Dr. Crobat shakingly nodded his head, swallowing nervously. As much as the idea is terrifying him... He was morbidly curious about just what this zoner had in mind, morbidly curious to know just why the hell he thinks this is a good idea.
So with a slow, reluctant nod of his head, he hissed, "Go right ahead..."
sss
Bell couldn't help but sneer as he stared into Dr. Crobat's eyes. He didn't initially have any intention on telling him anything further. It was quite tempting to just call his bluff and leave him. He had only wanted to make sure he had arrived here anyway. He hadn't intended on staying long and chit chatting with him.
But since he wasn't going to leave any time soon, or rather never, then there was no point in holding back this information, now was there? It wouldn't really put a damper on things. It would not change a damn thing about his fate. Oh no, he would remain here for the rest of his life, unable to tell anyone just what he was up to.
So sure, why the fuck not? And who knows? Maybe he would get lucky and it would turn out that this bird was one of the more understanding types. Maybe he would see where he was getting at.
Nah, that wasn't likely. He knew what most zoners were like and how they felt about Skrawl. He doubted anything he said would sway Dr. Crobat. He knew fully well how the conversation was going to end, no matter what he did or said. Oh well, no matter. Not like the stupid bird could really do anything about it anyway.
So he began.
"It is really quite simple. I'm surprised someone of your...intelligence, hasn't figured it out yet." Bell commented. He ignored the hiss that he got from the bird zoner as he continued, tilting his head slightly upwards. "I only want what is best for this world. Did you not think that I really thought about this? Did you not put the pieces of the puzzle together?"
Oh how he loved to be vague. Not just straight up say something. He wanted to draw it out just a little bit. He wanted to see the bird zoner reacting to all of this, see him try to guess just what he had in mind.
Dr. Crobat was already squirming it seemed. He hadn't yet gone into detail and already Dr. Crobat was wriggling around as if he had delivered the worst news possible. The sight of it almost made him grin. He did manage to keep himself under control, but just barely. Only a small smile managed to tug at the corners of his mouth.
"I am aware about all the... 'good' that Rudy and the others have brought to this world. Indeed, we do seem lucky to be blessed with multiple 'saviors'." It was a struggle to say that line. Bell tried his best not to sound too sarcastic with those words. It wouldn't really do well to show his point if he was too condescending about it. "They have helped us out many times before and they had helped to keep everyone safe. I'm sure many are grateful for that."
"But obviously not you..." Hissed Dr. Crobat. His talons curved inward on the ground, making it look almost like he was forming a fist there. "If you did care, you wouldn't be doing any of this stuff!"
Bell sighed and shook his head. "Oh how naive you are... You really aren't looking at the bigger picture, are you?" He closed his eyes softly. "It does sadden me that someone as intelligent as you has not yet figured out the most obvious of answers."
He could hear Dr. Crobat growling at this and he smirked in response. Dr. Crobat was struggling to speak, but it would seem that he was unable to. Perhaps he was fearing what could happen to him if he stepped out of line. Well that was good at least. It would be a darn shame if something too bad happened to him before he was finished.
Bell started to pace back and forth in front of Dr. Crobat, keeping his side to him, keeping one eye looking down at him. They regarded him with an intense glint, his lips curled up, teeth exposed. "Are you really forgetting one important thing?" He stopped and he turned himself around to face the bird completely. "...they're human. Aside from Ripclaw and Snap, they're all human."
"Y-Yes...that is true. But.." Dr. Crobat leaned his head back. "Are you insinuating that they would..." He swallowed nervously. "Betray us..?"
Bell shook his head. "No, that's not really my concern." He moved in closer, turning his head down and staring at the bird in the eyes. "No, my concern is something else entirely. Something that I do not think anyone here has really thought about. It's something that is so obvious, something that warrants at the very least preparations."
Dr. Crobat turned his head to the side, staring at him with one eye. His body shook a little from the emotion that was clearly racing through his mind. He was struggling to breathe it seemed, frantically trying to find something to say to that. Bell kept quiet and gave him all the time that he needed to reply. And when he did, it was a small, simple response.
"What might that be..?"
Bell tried not to let out an exasperated sigh. He had not yet met any zoner who realized what could happen. No one realized or took into account the implications of humans being their guardans. It was so frustrating. He had thought that at least once he'd find someone who understood, who felt the same way that he did.
But no, there was no one. Even Sarando and the others, they had to be spoken to in order for them to understand. Other than that, no one seemed to understand at all.
And it hurt him to an extent. He thought that at least someone would realize the dangers that laid ahead. Surely he couldn't possibly be the only one. He couldn't be the only one who saw the issues with all of this. He couldn't be...alone. But in the end, he knew that he was. Truly and utterly alone... He thought for a moment if this is how Sandra felt.
Baring his teeth a little, Bell spoke throug his clenched teeth. "They age, you numbskull."
Dr. Crobat stared at him long and hard. His eyes slowly blinked, narrowed slightly to demonstrate confusion. Then it seemed to eventually dawn on him and he raised his head up, his eyes widening in response. "...that is correct. Those three, they do age." Bell gave a small smile at his realization. "But..." Dr. Crobat stared towards the ground a little. "But that would take a long time, and we could pick someone better than Skrawl if it came to that... I mean..."
"Better? There is no one better." Bell replied. "Skrawl wants to take over ChalkZone to make it a better place. He is more devoted to it than you might think. And he is among the smartest here. Heck, the guy even created a sentient machine!" He spread his hoof hands into the air, moving them outward. "You can't possibly tell me that there is no one better. He is the perfect replacement."
"But we still have the creators now!" Dr. Crobat wailed, spreading his wings outward. "There is no need for..!"
Bell shifted his head towards him quickly, his eyes locking onto his. "You can keep saying that all you want to. But you shouldn't deny the cold hard fact. It is hard for people to change into something new if it's introduced too late." He tilted his head upwards, glaring down at him. "What if they got into an accident soon? What if something were to...happen..?"
"Like what? I..." Dr. Crobat's voice trailed off. He sucked in a sharp breath, cringing away from him. "You meant for me to kill them..."
Bell merely shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care if you regard that as my plan or not." He moved in even closer, and at this point, he had pushed the zoner up against the wall completely. There was nowhere for the bird to go. "But in the end, well, now you know. You know that those three will die one day and when they go, they will be without a savior, without someone to protect them." He raised a hand into the air, forming a fist with it. "And what will we do then?"
Dr. Crobat shook his head rapidly. "No! There has to be someone else!"
Bell grabbed onto his beak to seal it shut tightly. He yanked his head down and moved his face close to his. Only about an inch away, if not less. He spoke through his gritted teeth. "There is no one else! It has to be Skrawl! And mark my words, bird..." He yanked his head painfully to the side, causing him to let out a loud yelp. "..if you try to stand in my way, I am going to take great pleasure in tearing you down..."
And he meant it, too. He would not tolerate anyone standing in his way. He was not going to allow anyone to ruin his plans. He wanted what was best for ChalkZone. He wanted to save as many as he could. And if one person tried to stop him from doing that... Well, why shouldn't he try to do something about it? It would be their fault for getting in the way, after all.
He watched as Dr. Crobat stared at him fearfully. He watched as his avian body shivered, his feathers almost looking as if they were getting drenched by something. Dr. Crobat had remained silent save for a few small whimpers and incoherent sentences, likely him attempting to understand why he had said those things, or if he had meant them. He narrowed his eyes at the bird, confirming to him that he was being quite serious.
Eventually, Dr. Crobat did start to struggle against him. Oh what a stupid little bird... Though Dr. Crobat managed to partially squeeze in one direction, he never got that far. Grabbing into his neck, causing him to gag, the bull zoner rammed him against the wall, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Oh you're trying to get away, aren't you?" Bell chortled darkly. "Well then... perhaps I will just..." He raised his hand up, pointing his pointed tips at the thin, flexible neck that was Dr. Crobat's. "..let you go."
Dr. Crobat widened his eyes in utter terror. He struggled against his grasp, trying to twist his body from side to side. "N-No...please!" He watched as the sharp tips pressed against his neck. He shut his eyes tightly as he prepared for the pain. "Somebody...please...help me!"
Bell couldn't help but release a laugh at this. He paused for dramatic effect, watching as Dr. Crobat squirmed about. A part of him felt a little bad for doing this, but he reminded himself that it was for a really good cause. So, deciding not to draw it out any longer, he began to press his claws into the screeching, terrified bird's neck.
Suddenly there was a flash of green. Something soft rammed against him in full force. He let out a cry of pain as he rammed into the ground, the side of his head hitting the hard floor. He laid there, dazed for several moments, before picking himself up.
Turning his head around, he could see that something...large, green, and feathery was grabbing a hold of Dr. Crobat. He could see the bird's still frightened body against the back of the creature. Then it turned and looked over at him. Upon seeing the set of reptilian eyes, he let out a gasp, realizing just who this thing was.
"Ripclaw?! You...!"
A million questions raced through his mind. How did she get here? What did she do to the others? But he hardly had time to dwell on any of them as the raptor zoner had immediately started to race out of the room. Baring his teeth, he tried to stop, launching himself at her. But he lost his grip almost immediately and he crashed into the ground, ramming his chin and causing himself to bite his own tongue.
Bell pushed himself onto his hands and shook his head. He looked at where the dinosaur zoner had fled and he pushed himself off the ground. He grabbed onto the doorway and, opening his mouth wide, he began to shout, "Someone! Stop her! She's taking away our prisoner!"