"Lars! Stop this!" Rudy cried.
Lars ignored him. He gave no response except for a low growl. He had Rudy up in the air, holding his arms to his side. Rudy attempted to struggle free. Lars's grip was a vice.
The bear 'guided' Rudy town a hallway. In a matter of minutes, it looked familiar. Rudy recognized it as the same path as Cosmo took them. They soon entered the same room as they were in before when Snap was forced to fight them. Rudy was given haunted reminders of that when he saw blood splattered on the ground. Snap's blood.
Lars got him onto the platform. Instead of having to push a button, the platform rose on its own. Rudy guessed there was some kind of sensor there that caused the platform to rise and fall whenever someone stood on it. The platform made a click sound was it halted at the top.
The hallway Lars took him to was very dark. Only a bit of red lighting provided any illumination. The lights on the wall seemed to pulse. As they got down further, they got redder and brighter. It was ominous. He wouldn't be surprised if Cosmo designed it this way on purpose to warn anyone that, by entering here, they are getting in big trouble.
He wondered momentarily why Cosmo didn't come down to get him. Then he remembered that it was Cosmo he was thinking of. The man already made it clear that he wanted to use zoners as slaves. It would be just like him to send a controlled zoner down to do the work for him.
And of course it was going to be someone like Lars, with the nail driven in his head. It, too, had some blood caked around it, dried up from when it was forced into him. He couldn't pull it out without hurting him. Cosmo really thought ahead with this. He knew that if he sent one of his bracelet controlled zoners, he could just rip off the brace. But a nail controlled zoner was a whole different story.
Minutes later, they came to the end of the hallway, where it forked left and right. Lars went left and headed down that way. The hallway was completely red. Not just the lights, but the structure was a deep crimson. In contrast, likely to make them easier to see, the rooms had green lights in them.
Down this hall, there were five green lights, all of which Rudy guessed were rooms. These are probably offices of some kind. They weren't big enough to hold any big equipment. He wondered if some of the security was located here as well. As he was dragged by, he tried to get a peak inside one of them. Lars pulled him too fast, like he didn't want Rudy to snoop around.
The last door on the right opened up as they drew closer to it. With a single shove, Lars pushed Rudy into the room. The door shut behind him. Rudy got up to his feet. He didn't bother trying to open the door. He knew it would be locked. He looked around the room.
The room was about medium sized in the form of a hexagon. There was much to this room. It was mostly empty. He could see a door in the back that he guessed was the bathroom. There were a couple of file cabinets, but they were a tad dusty. It didn't surprise him as he could see a computer in the corner. Cosmo likely kept most of his records in there, locked up with a password.
He thought this was inefficient at first until he realized that, if Cosmo ever came to the point where he needed to destroy his data, best to keep it mostly in one centralized location. He could destroy the computer and no one would be the wiser. He realized what that meant. If he got out of here and tried to have Cosmo convicted, without any evidence to back up his claims, Cosmo would still be able to run free. He doubted he kept any important information in the file cabinet...
He saw what looked like a large tank next to a desk. It reminded him of when he first encountered Cosmo, trapped on the upper level. The tank there had an occupant in the form of Skrawl. This tank was noticeably much smaller, as if it were intended for a smaller occupant.
His eyes shot open as he thought of just who that occupant would be. Snap...
That's when he noticed he was not alone in the room. He heard the sound of tapping from the corner, a dark shaded part of the room. Rudy took a step back as he saw Mr. Cosmo walking up to him, standing in the light.
"I'm glad you could make it, Rudy Tabootie." Mr. Cosmo said with an amused tone. "I take it Subject #5 was able to get you here in one piece."
Rudy realized who he was talking about. He hissed, "He has a name you know..."
Cosmo simply dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Details, details...Let's get on, shall we?"
Mr. Cosmo walked close to Rudy. The teenager took a step back, gritting his teeth in hatred and anger. This did not faze the man. He reached down and touched Rudy's cheek.
"I am disappointed you haven't been able to listen to reason."
Rudy twisted himself away from the man. "It is you who won't listen. I told you once. I will tell you a thousand times. I will not join you!"
This caused Mr. Cosmo to let out a half-hearted laugh. It was clear he was confident his plan would ultimately succeed. He was taking all of this in stride. He began to walk around Rudy, examining him as if he were on display.
He continued to circle the boy as he spoke.
"You know...I was a lot like you once..."
A cold chill came up Rudy's spine. So he had been right. And now, he wished that he wasn't.
"Always so noble, willing to help..." Mr. Cosmo droned slowly. "Yes, my time in ChalkZone was a...what would you say, one large 'hero's tale'. Okay so I wasn't as helpful as you seem to be towards these creatures. But I can assure you that, at one time, I saw them the same way you did."
Rudy felt his heart start to race. Cosmo's expression slowly changed. At first, it was just a calm smile. But soon it broadened. There was a twinkle in his eye.
"That all changed when I happened to find the black chalk. As I picked it up, it told me its secrets. It opened my eyes to a whole new world, whole new possibilities." Mr. Cosmo stopped circling Rudy. He rounded on the boy and started to back him up towards the wall. "From that day forward, I used my newfound knowledge. I realized how fruitless my 'heroics' had been. I realized that, because chalk creatures were created...should they not be used? So...I began a path of progress. I even managed to purify some fellow artists to follow me."
By this point, Rudy's back was pressed against the wall. Mr. Cosmo got close to him, enough so he couldn't run off. He gripped Rudy's arm roughly and pressed it against the wall to secure him even more. Rudy looked into Cosmo's eyes with fear and shock.
Rudy managed to say something when he broke out out of his stunned silence. "You...you didn't purify them...You corrupted them..."
Mr. Cosmo's eyes flickered. Rudy swore he saw a flash of black in them, and it wasn't the pupil. "Oh how naive you are. The black chalk doesn't corrupt. It merely opens your mind to the truth, and the possibilities that come from it."
Rudy cringed as Mr. Cosmo's voice began to grow darker.
"You...you have a lot of potential. I can see it in your eyes. I love your determination. You would make a fine apprentice." Mr. Cosmo said as he moved his face closer to Rudy's. He smirked as the boy jerked his head to the side, trying to avoid eye contact. He merely grabbed the boy's face and forced him to look at him. "You're so clever you probably realized that I intend on you to use the black chalk, haven't you?"
He took Rudy's expression as a yes. He laughed coldly before he gripped the boy by his shirt collar and pulled him away from the wall. He put his forehead against Rudy's, forcing the boy to stare into his cold, menacing eyes.
"Sooner or later, Tabootie..." He said in a hissing voice. "You will be mine..."
Rudy's eyes widened in fear. There was more menace in that threat than he ever heard spewed from Skrawl or any other bad guy he had encountered.
Mr. Cosmo released Rudy and started to walk away from him. Rudy watched him with anticipation and confusion. What was he going to do? He mentioned something about a bigger incentive. So far, Mr. Cosmo hadn't brought any such thing up. He knew the man wouldn't have just dragged him here to chit chat. If he wanted to do that, he could have just done so while he was in the same cell as Skrawl.
No, there was another reason he was brought here. He looked around the room, trying to find something that would give him a clue as to what was going to happen next.
Mr. Cosmo gestured for him to follow. Not having much of a choice, Rudy followed him towards the door he had spotted. Even before he entered the room, he soon realized it was not a bathroom like he thought. Instead it was another pretty decently sized room. A tad smaller than the office.
Unlike the first one, which felt pretty empty, this one did have more space used up. Rudy could see pillars rising up from the ground, similar to the cell that kept in him and Skrawl. He could hear crackling and swishing of water. This was another cell. Rudy wondered for a moment if he was to be kept here. Was this his new cell?
Then he realized, as his blood turned cold, that this wasn't the case. He could hear someone whimpering from inside the area cast off by the bars. He rushed passed Mr. Cosmo, who just smirked evilly at him as Rudy came around one of the pillars to see who the occupant was. He froze.
Laying on the ground in a ball in the middle of the cell was Snap. Rudy couldn't believe how horrible he looked, even worse than he remembered. He could see blood staining the ground from his hand and back injuries. What else that shocked him was the fact, though it was a little hard to tell, he could see a fresh cut on Snap's left arm.
Fists shook in rage. Mr. Cosmo had injured Snap again, just for the 'fun' of it. The cut didn't look very deep. Rudy had to fight every instinct not to turn around and punch Cosmo in the face. That would not be a very good idea. He was in the middle of this madman's lair. One punch and he could be rounded on by a bunch of controlled zoners, or even Draow.
His anger melted away to anguish when he saw Snap raise up his head and look over at him. There was no hint of courage in Snap's eyes, nothing that indicated his confidence. Just a broken shell is all he could see. Fear, sadness, agony. He could tell Snap was happy to see him. He could see him start to smile. But the smile was forced, and he guessed it was because of the pain.
Rudy wanted to get closer to Snap. He wanted to reach out and try to help him feel better. The bars kept him from getting too close. He could only watch and stare at his poor, battered friend laying in the middle of the cell.
"H-Hello...B-Bucko..." Snap managed to say.
Rudy felt his heart start to break as Snap struggled to his feet. He was so messed up it was hard for him to coordinate himself. He kept tripping over his own feet. Finally, he had to place his hand on a pillar and lean against it for support.
"Snap..I'm...I'm so sorry this happened..." Rudy said as tears began to form in his eyes. "I-I promise I'll get you out of there..."
"Don't be s-sorry..." Snap's voice sounded very weak, like it took a lot of effort for him to talk. "You...you didn't mean for this to happen..."
"Snap..." Rudy said softly.
Suddenly Snap let out a weak terror-filled cry. Rudy looked behind him and saw that Mr. Cosmo was approaching slowly. Rudy growled and held his arms out, determined not to let the man pass any further. Cosmo stopped and stared at the boy. He raised up a hand and snapped his fingers.
Before Rudy could react, Lars grabbed his arms and held him back. Rudy tried to pull himself away. There was nothing he could do. All he could do was watch with tear-filled eyes as Mr. Cosmo opened the cell and went inside.
Snap's body shook as the man drew closer to him. Rudy felt his heart shatter. He had seen Snap show fear before, like with Skrawl's first encounter. But this...this was different. It was so much worse. Snap's face paled from fear, his eyes were wide. He swore he could see tears streaming down. Cosmo had made Snap absolutely terrified of him, even more than he himself was.
"N-No...get away from me..." Snap said with a whine, his eyes glistening even more.
Mr. Cosmo just smiled as a response. He held out his hand, his fingers slightly hooked as he reached for the zoner.
Snap scrambled back away, trying to get as far as he could from the man. He pressed himself up against the wall. His body continued to tremble as he turned his head over to Rudy.
"P-Please...Make him go away..." Snap begged, his eyes wide with desperation. "I don't want him to h-hurt me again..."
"Snap!" Rudy called out as he reached out his hand towards his friend. But he was too far away to do anything. He tried to get free. Lars just tightened his grip.
Cornered, Snap cringed and started to whimper as Mr. Cosmo reached behind his head. He grabbed him by his scarf and lifted him up slowly. Too weak to fight back, Snap just hung there, almost limp save for a constant shiver. He stared at Mr. Cosmo with terror as he carried him outside of the cell, holding him like a cat by the scruff.
"Let him go!" Rudy shouted at Mr. Cosmo, desperately trying to pull away from the mind-controlled Lars.
"Oh no...I can't do that." Mr. Cosmo said. He lifted Snap a little higher and smiled at the little blue boy. "You see, this thing is still good for one last bargaining effort..."
"He's not a 'thing'!" Rudy snapped.
Mr. Cosmo ignored him. He back into the first room. Lars shoved Rudy along behind. Rudy watched as Mr. Cosmo started to carry Snap over to the small tank.
"You see, Rudy, I think I found a way to get any deal I want out of you..." Mr. Cosmo sneered. He stopped half way to the tank and looked behind him. He stared intently at Rudy. "I know how much you care about your little friend here. And that you would do anything for him...am I correct...?"
Fear gripped Rudy's heart. The way he said it...he didn't like where this was going.
Mr. Cosmo chuckled at Rudy's lack of a response. Still holding Snap in one hand, he picked up what looked like a large soda bottle. There was some liquid inside. It was clear, almost like water. But when Mr. Cosmo opened it with his teeth, a familiar smell filled the room. The man started to pour it into the tank.
"Do you know what this is, my dear boy?" Mr. Cosmo asked with a dark smile.
"No...oh no..." Rudy's heart started to pound. "V-Vinegar!"
This was worse than believing it was water. At least water dissolved chalk quickly so they didn't have to suffer long. But vinegar...it did it much more slowly. Mr. Cosmo...the sick twisted man...he had deliberately chosen vinegar to prolong the suffering and the pain. He could drop Snap in the tank and it would take hours for him to completely dissolve. The process would be nightmarish.
And it was clear that was what the man was intending. Rudy's heart froze as Mr. Cosmo carried the terrified and injured Snap over to the tank slowly, taking his time as if he wanted to extend the fearful anticipation.
Mr. Cosmo hovered Snap over the vinegar. The blue boy started to weakly thrash, trying to get away from the smelly liquid. He looked over at Cosmo, silently begging him not to do it. He was ignored and he was lowered towards the vinegar. Soon the tip of his feet touched it.
Steam started to rise as Snap let out a bloodcurdling scream. He lowered Snap a little further until half his feet were submerged. He held him there for a few seconds, smiling at his cries of pain.
"Stop that!" Rudy cried, tears flowing down his eyes. "Please...let him go!"
Mr. Cosmo rose Snap back up again. His screams of pain soon slowed down into low, constant whimpers. Steam still rose form his feet where the vinegar started to burn into him.
"You have one hour to make up your mind, Rudy. Either you agree to join me..." He lifted Snap up a little higher and stared into his scared white eyes. "...or your little friend here won't see the daylight ever again...alive..."
Rudy froze in shock and horror. Was this man really that cold? Was he going to kill his best friend just to...that was sick... Rudy stared at the trembling Snap. He wanted to hold him, tell him it'll be all right, protect him from Cosmo. The thought of losing him...it was unbearable. Snap was like a brother to him. He couldn't..no...he wouldn't let Snap die...
Through his tears, he glared hatefully at Mr. Cosmo. This was a low blow. This was an unreedemable act. How dare this man threaten the life of his friend? How dare he purposely extend his pain and suffering just to make him crack? This man...he was a complete and utter monster...He was disgusting...vile...
"Don't you...don't you dare hurt him...he's already been through enough..." Rudy said with a warning tone. "I'll...I'll kill you if you do!"
"My, my...how dark of you..." Mr. Cosmo sneered. He made a gesture with his hand. "Take him to the isolated room. He needs some time alone to think about his choices. And believe me..." He reached down and gently gripped Snap's chin, tilting his head upwards. "...I trust he will make the right one..."
Rudy felt himself being yanked back. Lars picked him up and slung him over his shoulders like a potato bag. He began to walk out of the room. Rudy reached out his hand, as if he expected his arm to be long enough to pull Snap with him.
"Snap! No! Let me go!" Rudy struggled as they started to walk out of the door. He stared at Snap with wide eyes, tears dripping from them. "Snap!"
The door shut.