Author's Note: This story is moving along a little faster than I thought. I don't know how many more times I can do an "update per day" though, and at some point soon I may return to updating every other day or every three days.

sss

"What are..." Rudy stammered. "What are you trying to say...?"

There was one thing Rudy thought the man meant, and it sickened him to think about. How could Mr. Cosmo even think of such a thing, especially all that he had done? He'd have to be insane to think that... But then again, the man had already proven to be quite insane in the short time he spent trapped in this room.

Ms. Saffron, who rarely said a word in all this, was the one who replied. She had started walking towards Rudy and he didn't notice until she started to speak to him. "Kid, please..." Rudy swerved his head towards her. "Just listen to what he says. He has a great offer for you and I suggest you consider it."

Rudy took a step backwards. His eyes focused on Saffron. He still had no idea where she stood in all this, but she seemed like she was a loyal follower of Cosmo. And that was a good enough reason not to trust her.

"I am not interested in anything you two say." Rudy said to her. "You two kidnapped my friend. You hurt my parents."

"Well hurt is an exaggeration..." Ms. Saffron said.

Rudy ignored her. "And even after that, you still expect me to just sit down and take whatever offer you're going to hand me? Think again! There's nothing you can offer me that will make me turn a blind eye to what you did!" He turned his attention back on Cosmo. "What can you possibly offer me that would make it worth threatening those I care about?"

There was silence at first. Cosmo stared at him. His face was still blank. He didn't look angry or surprised. If Rudy didn't know better, Cosmo would have been a statue. If he had that thought, it would have been short lived as Cosmo turned his head to Saffron, who tapped him on the shoulder.

Ms. Saffron looked almost hesitant. She turned to look at Rudy briefly. Rudy wasn't sure what to make of her expression. It looked slightly worried, but there was a mix of something else...something he couldn't quite get. Then he thought he realized what it was.

Doubt.

A second glance, and this look in her eyes was gone, as well as the worry, as she turned her attention back to Mr. Cosmo. What replaced it was the same icy expression as the man had. Rudy was a little confused by what appeared to be mimicry. This made him wonder. Was she really one of the bad guys, or was she acting this way to impress Mr. Cosmo?

Perhaps, within time, he would find out.

Ms. Saffron spoke in a soft voice. "Are you going to tell him or just leave him hanging?"

"I will tell him..." Mr. Cosmo's smile returned. "That is why I brought him here, wasn't it?"

Rudy felt himself tense up as the pressure of suspense began to wrap around him. In a few seconds, he was about to find out just what this reporter wanted with him. The moments where Cosmo was silent were unnerving. He looked at the smile on the reporter's face, and understood what it meant. Cosmo took pleasure in drawing things out, to prolong the suspense and dread that gripped Rudy by his heart.

Mr. Cosmo stared at the 15 year old. Draow, who still stood next to him, had gone silent, but his eyes still bored into Rudy's. This time, they held a brand new message. Stay still or be attacked. Rudy gulped as the message was delivered via Draow's body language. He could see the legs were tensing up to get ready to dash towards him if he dared move away. Rudy's heart began to race as Mr. Cosmo took a step to close the gap between them.

The teenager couldn't hold back the shudder that shook his body as Mr. Cosmo placed a hand on his shoulder, gripping it gently. The smile was still there, relaxed and cool despite the seriousness and intensity of the situation. Rudy wanted to run away, but his legs were frozen in place. Draow's animalistic glare was not helping.

"As I said, Tabootie..."

Rudy winced as the man referred to him by last name. He didn't like the way he said it. It sounded almost...like a threat.

"You have a lot of potential. Yes, I foresee great things for you, but as you are, you will never achieve them. You're too blinded to see where your true path lies. But I guarantee you that once you accept this, and embrace it, the better off you will be. No longer would your talents go to waste. No, your talents hold much power, much promise." Mr. Cosmo said, holding out his hand and slowly forming a fist to emphasize his point. "I truly hate for you to continue to live your life without your full potential being realized, Tabootie..."

Rudy wanted so much to run away right then and there. He wanted to rush out of the room, find his parents, and go home. He wanted to call the police and report Cosmo's unusual behavior. Though it may not get him arrested, him trapping a person, young or old, against their will might be enough to get Cosmo off his back for good.

But in here, he had nowhere to go. He could try to run, but he wouldn't get far without Draow jumping on top of him and biting him with those jaws. And who knows what other traps lay in wait here? He had no choice but to stand there and listen to what the man had to say to him. From the sound of it so far, he wasn't liking where it was going.

"It might not seem like it, but I do like you. A lot, actually. You kinda remind me of myself when I was young. Of course," Mr. Cosmo chuckled. "I understood my use at a younger age, and took full advantage of it. But it's not too late for you to turn around and fix yourself."

Rudy swallowed, and asked in a frightened voice, "What are you suggesting?"

"I wish to help you..." The voice took on a more formal tone, as if he were speaking to a potential employee. "I don't think you understand your potential, Tabootie. You waste your talents on creating useless friends, prancing around as their 'hero'." His voice got a little darker as he kept talking. He leaned in closer to Rudy, locking eyes with him. "But you can be more than that. Oh so much more..."

Rudy's eyes widened. Was this man suggesting what he think he was? As the anger started to rise inside of him, now mixed with disgust and horror, he glared at Mr. Cosmo. "You want me to be like you?"

Mr. Cosmo gave a wry smile, this one more eerie-looking than the first one. "I want to take you under my wing, boy. I want to teach you what I know. I want you to fulfill your true potential. There's so much more you can be, so much more you can do. And I want to help you."

Despite the warning glare he was getting from Draow, Rudy slapped Cosmo's hand away and jerked back. He bared his teeth, grinding them together. "How dare you... I will never be like you...Never!"

Mr. Cosmo raised an eyebrow. "I see you have a misplaced sense of duty. Don't worry, I can fix that too..." Rudy took another step back, the glare intensifying. "I understand your hesitation. You don't know how to handle the truth. That is expected. Don't worry, I will make sure you understand in the end. Then you can do what I was not able to achieve. You are going to..." He paused for a moment. "..finish what I started..."

"What...?" Rudy asked, looking at the reporter in confusion. Any signs of anger were, at least momentarily, washed away, replaced with a look of confusion. Where was this man getting at? What did he start? How long ago? Where?

"I think you know the answer to that..."

Rudy glanced his eyes downward, his thoughts becoming intermixed with new ones. The way he said it, there had to be something Mr. Cosmo was trying to tell him without outright saying it. Rudy searched his thoughts, taking into consideration what the man said. There was something that was coming to the forefront of his thoughts, a thought so shocking, he didn't want to consider it.

But what else could there be? Nothing else seemed to fit into place. Nothing else really made sense. If...if this was true...then that would explain a lot. It wouldn't give all the answers Rudy wanted, but it would give him answers, albeit quite chilling ones. The implication weighed down on him like a heavy stone. It made the man's offer that much more terrifying. He didn't want it to be true. He begged in his mind that it wasn't true, that the man was lying.

Then..what if it was true? What if Mr. Cosmo was being quite honest in all this? Rudy knew that, if it were true, he was in trouble. And it wasn't just him...there was going to be quite a conundrum, one that would make his interactions with Vinnie and Terry seem like nothing more than child's play.

"You...you..." Rudy struggled to find his voice. "No it's not possible... you were..." A hard swallow. The man's smile broadened ever so slightly, as if he enjoyed the boy putting the pieces of the puzzle together. "You were...in ChalkZone before...?"

Mr. Cosmo didn't answer. He stared at Rudy before giving a grin. A low chuckle came out of his throat, sending chills down Rudy's spine. It wasn't a joking laugh either. It sounded quite serious...

"You're...you're lying..." Rudy whispered, taking a few more steps back. Draow was about to go after him, but he stopped when Cosmo blocked him with an arm. "You're just trying to trick me... I won't fall for it!" Rudy took a defensive stance. "I will not be like you..."

Mr. Cosmo said, "So I take it you are rejecting my offer... Such a shame. You really could have been something, boy. But maybe within time, you'll..."

"Shut up!" Rudy snapped. He surprised himself with how forceful he sounded.

"My, my..." Mr. Cosmo chuckled. "You really need to learn to control your temper, my child."

Rudy narrowed his eyes. "I am not going to let you play me for a fool any longer, Mr. Cosmo..."

"Oh no?" The tone in Cosmo's voice did little to hide the man's amused state. This was all a game to him, just a joke. "And just how are you going to accomplish that, my boy?" He turned his back to the boy and took a few steps away. "Do you think you can...stop me?"

"I will stop you!" Rudy declared, forgetting his previous shock. "I'll stop you!"

Mr. Cosmo gave him a sideways glance. "Is that so?" He didn't get a response from the 15 year old. "Such determination is very admirable, Rudy...That's part of what I like about you. I, too, was filled with confidence at your age. No, even younger than that..."

"Whatever your evil plan is..." Rudy hissed through clenched teeth. "I won't let you get away with it!"

Skrawl chortled from his tank. He had been watching the scene and had been largely silent. He stared at Rudy, or what he can make out of Rudy since Cosmo blocked part of his view, shaking his head slowly.

"Of course you would be such a stupid hero boy, Master Tabootie..." Skrawl said, glaring at Rudy. "I can see why I should work harder to destroy you... Even when you are at the disadvantage, you have a lot of fight in you. Such an annoying pest..."

Rudy retorted back, "At least I'm not trapped in a giant glass bowl!"

"Touche..." Skrawl said. He put his hand on the glass and moved it around, hoping to find a weak point. But he was no expert on glass. It all felt the same to him. He didn't even know how much force it would take to break this glass. "But you are too soft... If I were in your shoes, I would have..."

Draow dashed towards the glass container and kicked his foot against it. He let out a roar, causing Skrawl to recoil back, almost falling down. Draow began to scrape the glass lightly. The loud screech filled the container and forced Skrawl to press his hands against the sides of his head, trying to block out the sound. He led out a pitiful yell, filled with more distress than Rudy ever heard him unleash.

Rudy watched as Skrawl squirmed on the ground from the horrible sound. It didn't take long for the sound to reach new levels in pitch and now Rudy began to feel the pain Skrawl was in his ears. He fell to his knees, clamping his hands to his ears. The inside of his ears felt like they were being ripped open. Unable to hold it back, Rudy let out a cry of pain at about the same time as Skrawl did.

"Make it stop! Please!" Both Rudy and Skrawl shouted at the same time.

"That's enough, Draow." Mr. Cosmo snapped his fingers, calling back his beast. He smirked at Skrawl and Rudy. "You witnessed my creation's...talents. I knew making his claws emit a terrible noise when scratching glass would come in handy. Not sure what I was thinking when I first made him, but hey it all paid off in the end right?" He walked over to Rudy, knelt down, and gazed into the boy's green eyes. "You still have so much to learn, Rudy. If you knew half of what I do, you wouldn't be in this mess."

Rudy glared at him, clenching his jaws shut. He didn't want to hear anything more this man had to say. He wanted to get out of here. There had to be some place here he could use as a means of escape. Surely Mr. Cosmo had overlooked something, anything at all.

He would call Penny, but in here, it was too risky. The second he pulled out his phone, he wouldn't doubt Cosmo would snatch it from him, or Draow bite it from his hands, similar to what Boorat did with his magic chalk. He recalled he did sneak in a piece of magic chalk, hidden deep in his pocket. But what good would that do him right now? He didn't see any chalkboard around here.

He was at a loss of what to do. For one of the few times, he wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this. There was no way out. The way he had come in was blocked off by thick bars. He couldn't break them even if he were a buff fully grown man. There was no visible chalkboard he could use as a means of escaping into ChalkZone. Normally, he wouldn't consider ChalkZone as an option if adults were around. But if Cosmo already knew about ChalkZone, what would it matter? So long as he didn't have any magic chalk and so long as Rudy himself remembered to erase the portal...

...wait, did Cosmo have magic chalk? No, that was impossible. He couldn't have it. There was only one place to get magic chalk and Rudy very much doubted Biclops would let a shady man like Mr. Cosmo get any chalk. Biclops could easily take care of Draow; he was a giant after all, and among one of the strongest zoners he knows of.

But then...how did Draow get back into the real world? If Mr. Cosmo didn't create his own portal, how did Draow get out of ChalkZone? Rudy's head ached as he tried to think of a logical answer. The only thing that would make sense...is if Mr. Cosmo really had been in ChalkZone before. How...how was that possible...? Didn't Biclops say humans were banned from ChalkZone before Rudy himself came along? Cosmo would have been booted out before he got close enough to...

"Master Tabootie!" Skrawl's voice snapped Rudy out of his trance. When the jellybean saw he had Rudy's attention, he continued. "I saw a way out of here when they were bringing me in! Free me and I will take you there!"

Rudy looked at Skrawl suspiciously. "Why should I trust you?"

"Why should...look we're both in the same pickle together! As much as I hate to admit it, I do need your help! And I know you need mine! So let's continue this...truce thing...and let me out of here!" Skrawl yelled at him, pounding on the glass a couple times.

Cold laughter filled the room. Rudy turned to the source, which was Mr. Cosmo. "I would be quite interested in seeing you breaking him out of there. Go on child...just try." He took a step away from the boy, ushering Draow to move away as well. "Impress me."

Rudy paid no attention to Mr. Cosmo. His mind blocked him out so he could instead focus on looking at Skrawl. He still felt a little uneasy around the jellybean who had tried to kill him in the past. He knew that Skrawl was right. They were both in danger. And despite their hostility towards each other, Rudy and Skrawl had worked together effectively a couple times in the past. This shouldn't be any different.

And he couldn't just leave him there. He had to get Skrawl out of here and back into ChalkZone where he belonged. He couldn't allow him to be used like some inanimate object for whatever sick agenda Cosmo had. And he wasn't going to allow Mr. Cosmo to get into his head. Not anymore. There was no way he'd ever become like him. He would never abuse his power as a creator. He was a guardian, not a tyrant.

He wished he could do something for Snap. He wanted so much to confront Cosmo, back him into a corner, and force him to tell him where Snap was. But there's times for confrontation, and times for retreat. And right now was a time for retreat. He was at a disadvantage. Even with Skrawl on his side, Draow would be too much for them. And the traps that he was sure were hidden here, and Mr. Cosmo's deceptiveness... He needed help. And when he would get it, he will come back for Snap.

Rudy spotted something on the ground in the distance. It took him a few seconds to realize it was a hammer. He couldn't believe he didn't see it before. He looked over at Cosmo before he rushed for the hammer. As he grabbed it, he narrowly dodged Saffron diving for him. She missed and landed on the ground.

He rushed over to the glass tank, shouting for Skrawl to stand back. Rudy pulled back the hammer and slammed it against the glass. He pulled the hammer back for another blow when Draow swiped in his direction, missing the boy just by an inch. Rudy rammed the hammer against Draow's chest, causing him to fall onto his back. This wouldn't distract him for long. Rudy slammed the hammer in a couple more times as fast as he could.

There was a loud crack, then the glass shattered, leaving a large, jagged opening. Skrawl stepped out just in time for Draow to try to attack Rudy. Skrawl rammed into the beast before he could get too close to the boy. He grabbed Draow and threw him into the ground.

"Thanks Skrawl!" Rudy said as they started to run away.

"Don't waste your breath on manners, chalk boy! Run!" Skrawl said as he knocked Mr. Cosmo away. "That was for locking me up like some kind of wild animal!"

Mr. Cosmo's eyes narrowed dangerously as he watched the pair run down the hallways. He got himself up and brushed himself off. He looked over at Ms. Saffron and Draow. "Don't just stand there! Get them!"

Rudy and Skrawl ran down the hallway, rarely daring to look back and seeing the trio chase after them, Draow in the lead. Skrawl looked around, as if trying to remember the layout of the building, or at least the portion he had seen. Rudy let Skrawl be a little more in front and he watched the jellybean for any signs of which direction to go in.

The hallway was just about as dark as the room he was in. There were a few extra lights, but many were flickering, in need of changing. It was hard to see any doors. Usually the only hint of a door would be a tiny glint of the doorknob due to what little light there was reflecting off of it.

Rudy could have sworn he heard a sickening machine-like sound in these halls. The sound bounced off, echoingi n his ear. Skrawl didn't seem to react. Rudy didn't know if that meant he was just hearing things, or if Skrawl simply wasn't paying attention. Whatever the sound was, it was eerie and uncomfortable. All the more reason to get out of this twisted evil place.

"In here, chalk boy!"

Before Rudy could reply, he felt Skrawl's hand yank him to the right. The two of them entered what looked like a lab of some kind. A bunch of vials were placed on the desk, most empty, some filled with reds, blues, and greens. There was a chalkboard placed on the side of the room, covered with some formulas and equations.

"A chalkboard!" Rudy said, ecstatic. He looked over towards the open door, hearing Cosmo, Saffron, and Draow not far behind.

"Hurry!" Skrawl cried. He stood at the door, as if preparing to wrestle with the trio if they got too close. "Draw a portal! Now!"

Rudy quickly drew a portal on the chalkboard. He ushered Skrawl to come with him. The pair jumped through the portal. As soon as they were on the other side, Rudy made sure to remember to do the most important step, which was erase the portal. He grabbed the eraser and wiped the portal clean from the surface, completely destroying Mr. Cosmo's chance at getting at them.

Rudy and Skrawl landed on the chalky grass with a loud thud. Several zoners ran out of the way so they wouldn't get hit. They moved in a little close, surprised to see Rudy so close to his archenemy, Skrawl. They were equally surprised that they weren't fighting.

One of these zoners was Rapsheeba. She approached the two cautiously. "Rudy? What happened?"

"Don't ask." Skrawl said, sounding slightly disgusted. "I just hope I don't have to ask for hero boy's help again..." Skrawl didn't bother to give even a thank you to Rudy as he stormed off.

Rapsheeba stared as Skrawl disappeared into the distance. She looked back at Rudy. "What's up with him?"

"It's a long story, Rapsheeba." Rudy said as he picked himself up from the ground. "Sorry I can't stay and chat, but I have to find Penny and..."

"Hey Rudy, before you go, can I ask you a question?"

"Okay, what's your question?" Rudy asked.

"Have you seen Snap? He was supposed to show up for a date a couple hours ago. It's not like him to leave me hanging like that." Rapsheeba took a step towards Rudy. "I thought that maybe you saw him somewhere."

Rudy stared at Rapsheeba, silent.

"Rudy...?" Rapsheeba whispered. "What's wrong? Is Snap with you?"

Rudy grimaced at that question. He couldn't think of how to answer it. Closing his eyes, he looked away. That was all the answer Rapsheeba needed to see to understand what Rudy was saying.

"No..." Rapsheeba said, her eyes starting to glisten.