Rudy seethed at Mr. Cosmo. The two of them stood a few feet apart. They didn't pay attention to the fight that was going on between Skrawl and Draow. As those two chalk beings fought against each other, becoming a blur of pastel colors, the two creators stared each other down, neither making a move just yet.

Mr. Cosmo's words boiled Rudy's blood. It was almost like the man had no comprehension of him possibly losing this fight. Even though he had seen just how capable Rudy was, even though Rudy had, a few times, managed to get the upperhand, Mr. Cosmo still looked confident that he was going to win. The same smug smile was on his face, the same one he had used on Rudy several times before. Even his posture was practically oozing in his ego and arrogance.

But that's not what angered Rudy. No, it was what Mr. Cosmo had said specifically. He was used to the man saying things that indicated he felt he was going to win. And, although not happy with what Mr. Cosmo said about him, it was what he said about Saffron and Snap that made him cross the line.

To call them both weak... That was just wrong.

Saffron had more courage than this guy. She had been the one to lead the controlled zoners away. That alone is worthy of merit. She had put herself in danger so they could get out. And she had turned her back on Cosmo, despite knowing more of what he was capable of than most of them. She knew she was landing herself in hot water, yet she still swallowed her fear and did the right thing. If it weren't for her, they might not have ever gotten out of that building.

And Snap...he was never weak. The only reason why he hasn't been able to help him much was because of Mr. Cosmo's horrific treatment of him. Had Snap never been captured, he would have been by Rudy's side, helping him all the way. He would not have shown nearly as much fear to Cosmo, if any, and he would be willing to do what it takes to stop Cosmo, even if it meant putting himself in harm's way.

Now Ms. Saffron was dead...slaughtered in cold blood by this ruthless man. And he didn't stop there. Just be a cruel bastard, he had shown them the body, threw her to them like it was nothing. She had paid the ultimate price for trying to make up for what she did. And that, Rudy felt was completely unfair. She hadn't done anything to deserve what she got. She could have made something better of her life. Now she won't get that chance...and it was because of Cosmo.

Snap was at the hospital, and he had no idea what his condition is currently. He doesn't know if Snap will survive any surgery. He doesn't know if, the next time he will see him, he'll still be alive. For all he knew, Snap could be dead right now. And even if he did survive, would he recover? So much damage had been done to him, made even worse when he was kicked in the head... Snap could suffer permanent damage. He could wind up with a fate worse than death. And it was all because of Cosmo...

And Mr. Wilter...what had happened to him? Draow didn't say he killed him, but 'disabled' didn't sound much better. He had no idea where he could be. He hoped that Biclops was okay and was in the cave. If he found Mr. Wilter, he could get him to safety.

As much as Rudy wanted to help Mr. Wilter, he knew that he couldn't move from this room yet. Mr. Cosmo was still a threat. If he dared to leave, Skrawl would be in danger. Cosmo would escape and continue his reign of terror. He would hurt so many other zoners, just like how he had hurt Snap... He needed to be stopped. He needed to be dealt with now.

Rudy glowered hatefully at the man who had been the cause of all this since day one. The rage boiled through his body, making him forget about any pain he was feeling. Even as he clenched his left fist, he didn't feel the pain, or the blood dripping from the wound. He felt some strength increasing in his body, filling him up with adrenaline.

Mr. Cosmo...he was going to pay for all this. He was going to pay...dearly...

He was brought out of his thoughts as he heard a crash behind him. He turned his head and looked over with one eye. He could see Draow on the ground, Skrawl on top of him. Two of the jellybean's legs were wrapped firmly around the beast's neck, attemping to use his weight to hold him down. His remaining limb was at Draow's head. He could see his thin claws wrapped around his jaws, holding it shut, as he pushed him into the ground.

Rudy felt a bit relieved that he won't have to deal with Draow, at least for the time being. He hoped that Skrawl will be able to keep it up. He would have some luck with holding Draow down, given his pretty large size. And although Skrawl had only three limbs, that didn't really matter as he knew how to use his three limbs to his advantage. He was so good with them, it was hard to tell he was even missing any.

Suddenly, a pair of fingers wrapped around his throat. Rudy realized, too late, Cosmo had finally decided to stop stalling time and had rushed at him while he had been distracted. In a single shove, he was slammed against the wall. Rudy cried out in pain as he felt his back wound being pressed up so hard against the rocky surface, irritating it.

Rudy opened one eye and saw Cosmo sneering at him, his eyes big with demented glee. It was scary to Rudy that, after all this time of being relatively calm, some of that persona was breaking down here as Cosmo was getting more and more determined to get rid of him and the others. His insane grin sent chills down his spine. The snickering caused his stomach to wrench in knots.

Then, without warning, he felt a sharp pain in his left hand. He cried out, tears of agony streaming down his face. He forced himself to turn his head and he saw that Mr. Cosmo had balled one of his hands into a fist and struck right on his wound, the knuckles crashing up against it. He could see the blood oozing out, covering Mr. Cosmo's hand.

Then he did something that would horrify and haunt Rudy for a long time. Cosmo pulled his fist back and looked at the blood now staining his hand. Slowly, he licked the blood off his hands. Rudy watched in absolute horror as Mr. Cosmo did this. His face paled quickly at the sight of Cosmo tasting his blood. His heart started to pound as Mr. Cosmo turned back to him and smiled.

"You taste good..." Mr. Cosmo said, in a voice so much creepier than he had ever used before. "You might try to hide it...but the fear runs through your blood so thickly..."

Rudy's body started to tremble. "You...you..."

Mr. Cosmo chuckled darkly. "Oh don't worry. I don't plan on eating you...I'm not that crazy." He grinned. "But I do still enjoy the taste of blood..."

Rudy trembled, then shook his head. He shouldn't let Mr. Cosmo get to him. He was only doing this to freak him out. Yeah, that was the big reason. He wanted to unnerve the boy so he could get an attack in, so he could get an edge over the boy. Well, Rudy was not going to allow him that opportunity. He would not let him get the better of him.

Turning the fear inside of him into anger and disgust, Rudy pushed back against the man. He gripped his wrist and squeezed tightly. He attempted to pry the hand off. Mr. Cosmo's smile vanished and he glared at the boy, as if he weren't expecting him to fight back so easily. The two pushed against each other for dominance. Despite being smaller, Rudy managed to give Cosmo a run for his money.

Mustering up as much strength as he could, Rudy pushed hard into Mr. Cosmo. The man released him at least and tumbled backwards. He managed to stay on his feet. He narrowed his eyes at Rudy and raised his black chalk. He didn't draw anything yet. Instead he was just holding the black chalk in a menacing way. The black glow danced around the chalk and over part of Cosmo's hand, making it all seem so foreboding.

This would have disturbed Rudy not so long ago, but now he was so determined to beat Cosmo, it no longer fazed him. Gritting his teeth in anger, he held out his white chalk, prepared to draw a defense for whatever Cosmo had to throw at him.

"I don't know why you continue to fight..." Mr. Cosmo said, wielding his black chalk. "You are outmatched, boy... You don't have the same level of knowledge about creation as I do... I can whip up anything twice as competent as you can...If that fails, I can just draw a new one."

Rudy narrowed his eyes at Cosmo. "You really don't get it, do you? It's not just about knowledge...it's about skill too. You may be able to draw things more advanced than me or Penny can ever hope to imagine... But that doesn't mean you can defeat us. Your horrible treatment of zoners is where your downfall lies, Cosmo. You have the loyalty of only one zoner, Draow, and he isn't able to help you now. Whereas I have Skrawl, who is willing to help me defeat you."

Rudy took a step towards Cosmo. The man hunched his back in a defensive stance, taking a small step back. Rudy realized that, though he tried to hide it, Cosmo was starting to fear him, probably out of surprise at how well he was holding up. He just had his hand injured further and watched him lick the blood off, and yet he was still determined to fight him. Cosmo apparently hadn't been expecting that kind of will from a teenager.

But he wasn't naive. He knew he couldn't bargain with Mr. Cosmo. He couldn't leave. He knew Cosmo was still going to fight him. And, until he was defeated, he had to keep fighting back. He was not going to allow Cosmo any openings to get at him.

"And as for you," Rudy said. "You don't have anyone to help you right now. If you had treated the zoners better, you could have won some loyalty outside of Draow. And while he is a terrifying beast...he is still just one zoner. And I see that, without him, you're at a great disadvantage. So perhaps..." Rudy narrowed his eyes as his magic chalk sparkled. "..it is you who should be surrendering."

Mr. Cosmo widened his eye briefly, surprised that Rudy would suggest such a thing. But the glare came back and he gritted his teeth slightly. "I will do no such thing..."

Rudy narrowed his eyes. He had expected this response from him. He knew Cosmo would not be able to resist the urge to keep fighting him. He knew that he would never be willing to admit that he had been wrong the whole time. He would just keep pushing back and do whatever it takes to get an edge.

"I understand that you won't surrender." Rudy said. When he took another step, he saw Cosmo had taken yet another step back. His confidence had finally started to wane a little. And Rudy could use that to his advantage. "I fully expected it...which is I why I plan on finishing this fight." Rudy held up his magic chalk, looking at it sparkle for a second before turning his gaze back to Cosmo. "So come on. Let us continue."

Mr. Cosmo just stood there for several seconds. He stared at the boy, never moving his gaze from him. He tightened his grip on his black chalk, wincing a little as if he felt the sharpness of the chalk. After about a minute passed, he took a step towards Rudy, his eyes narrowed. It was clear that he was not about to surrender to a teenager.

And again, Rudy expected this. Mr. Cosmo had so much determination to win. It would take a lot to make him stop fighting. And he wouldn't be surprised if Cosmo continued to fight until the very end, until he could no longer move. Rudy was fully prepared for this, and once Cosmo was finally disabled, unable to continue the battle, he would take him into the real world where he will be tried and sent to jail. From there, he'll never be able to hurt anyone ever again.

"I still find it hard to believe that you, one person, could cause so much trouble." Rudy said. He stared at his injured hand, the blood having dried up a little by now. He looked back at Mr. Cosmo. "Well not anymore...that all ends here. Right now."

Slowly, a twisted smile spread across Mr. Cosmo's face. Rudy flinched and took one step back. It seemed some of Cosmo's confidence came back.

"You are something, child... You really think you can beat me...? I had fought many artists in the past. Wilter was not the first... He did manage to defeat me, but only he... What makes you think you can fulfill what he pulled off...?" Mr. Cosmo jeered, snickering. "And besides...do you really think that I'm...the only one who caused all this to happen?"

Rudy's eyes widened at this. His scowl slowly vanished.

"Come now, even you can't be that stupid. You had opportunities to..prevent this. You could have used your brain, boy...and avoided all my traps. You could have spared Snap his fate..." Mr. Cosmo said darkly, his voice raising in pitch slightly as he continued. "You could have fulfilled your promise with Snap and saved him from me...and you failed to do that..."

At this, Rudy's eyes narrowed dangerously. Cosmo did not look fazed.

"Both Snap and Ms. Saffron could have stopped their fates too... If Ms. Saffron hadn't shown weakness, if she had just followed my lead like she was supposed to...she'd still be alive. She put herself in danger... She deserved what she got...And as for Snap...The little runt should have thought twice before he attacked me... And now, because of his stupidity, he will die... He has earned that fate."

Rudy let out a low growl and clenched his right hand into a fist. He squeezed so hard, he thought he was going to snap the magic chalk into two pieces. He wouldn't have noticed if he had. His eyes, almost glowing in the dark light of the room, stared straight into Cosmo.

Mr. Cosmo grinned evilly. "Face it, Tabootie...you all had your chance at preventing all of this. You think I am the only one to blame? No...you are all to blame... And to think, this all started when I tricked you into opening a portal in that classroom..." Seen the look in Rudy's eyes, Cosmo went on, "If you hadn't done that...I wouldn't have gotten access to ChalkZone...I wouldn't have been able to get the remainder of my memories back...and I wouldn't have been able to capture so many zoners." His eyes glinted. "So you could say...you caused all of this... It is your fault this happened..."

Rudy scowled at this. The blame game...it would have worked on him a while ago. He had, for sometime, blamed himself at least partially for what had happened. He felt he should have figured things out sooner, that he could have done more to prevent all this from happening. If he had worked harder, he might have found out Cosmo sooner and been able to stop him before his plans went too far.

But now, as he thought about things more clearly, as he re-examined the evidence in his head, he realized one thing. He was not the one to be blamed. He didn't cause all of this happen. He wasn't the one who orchestrated this invasion of ChalkZone, or what happened to Snap. Neither Ms. Saffron nor Snap asked for what happened to them, nor was it their faults.

No, Rudy realized, as rage rose up inside of him, there was only one person who was truly at fault. And that person was standing right in front of him. He was not going to allow himself to be driven into guilt...No, he would not allow that. Cosmo was not going to toy with his mind, or with anyone else, anymore.

"Shut up!" Rudy cried.

That was the only warning Cosmo had before Rudy suddenly let out a shout of anger. It was loud enough that both Skrawl and Draow stopped fighting. They turned their heads and watched what was going on.

Rudy bolted towards Cosmo, his eyes burning with absolute rage. Cosmo's remaining eye filled with fear in an instant. He started to move backwards, desperately drawing a weapon to try to combat against the enraged Rudy. He drew a long katana and wielded it in front of him defensively. Rudy responded by drawing his own katana and, when he got close enough, swung it at Cosmo.

For a while, the two fought with the katanas, the metal clanging against each other. But Rudy's rage made the fight much shorter. He managed to get Cosmo in his blind spot. The blunt side of his katana struck against the side of Cosmo's face, causing him to stumble to the side. Rudy managed to knock his katana, as well as his black chalk, clean out of his hands. Then he rammed the man against the wall, keeping him pinned there with his adrenaline-enhanced muscles.

Mr. Cosmo glared at the boy and struggled only briefly. He stopped when Rudy slammed the katana just inches away from his face, sticking it into the rocky wall. He stared in shock at the katana before turning his gaze to the boy. Horror and fear replaced his anger and determination just seconds ago.

"How stupid do you think I am, Mr. Cosmo?! All your lies...why should I believe anything you say?! You're wrong about everything you've said! This isn't my fault! It isn't Snap's fault! And while I'm at it, it's not Ms. Saffron's fault! It's all you! It's always been you! You are the one who decided to invade ChalkZone and kidnap zoners! You are the one who put me and others through so much pain! You are the one who killed Ms. Saffron for no good reason, and you are the one who tortured my best friend! And now he is laying on his deathbed!"

Mr. Cosmo remained frozen. He didn't move or speak. He just stared at the boy, his right eye growing a little bigger as Rudy shouted each word at him.

Rudy knocked Mr. Cosmo into the ground. He grabbed his shirt collar and pulled on it tightly. Mr. Cosmo didn't try fighting back. He turned his head to the side, starting up at Rudy with his right eye, his teeth clenched in fear.

"And it is all...because...of you!" Rudy snarled as he put his face close to Cosmo's. The man flinched in response, but didn't say anything. It was clear he was uncomfortable with having to deal with the wrath of a teenager he had clearly underestimated. "You are the only one at fault here! So don't you ever...ever trash talk my friends again!"

Mr. Cosmo was not the only one shocked by Rudy's outburst. Both Draow and Skrawl were surprised as well. Skrawl's eyes were widened, his mouth partially open. Draow's pupils were a tad smaller and his ears were pricked straight up. Neither of them moved, as if they had no idea what to do or say to this situation.

Mr. Cosmo stared at Rudy in dread for several seconds, before he forced himself to glare. "What are you waiting for? Finish me..."

Rudy's eyes widened slightly at this. "No..I will not. I am not like you, Mr. Cosmo." With that, Rudy released the man and took a few steps back. "Defeating you is good enough. I do not need to finish the job."

Mr. Cosmo rose to his feet. He furrowed his brow further, his right eye glinting black. If he was still afraid, he was hiding it quite well. "That is...a shame..."

Without warning, Mr. Cosmo rushed at Rudy at lightning speed. Rudy was shocked by this and found himself moving back. Before he could react, Mr. Cosmo grabbed his arm and plunged his knife into Rudy's side.

Rudy cried out in agony as the knife cut deep into him. Cosmo twisted the knife around inside of him, causing more damage, before he pulled it out. Blood flowed from the wound like a runny faucet. Rudy clutched his side, eyes shut in pain, as he fell to his knees.

"Rudy! No!"

He heard Skrawl shout at him in horror, but he barely paid attention to it. His side was practically on fire and he found it hard to stand back up.

Rudy slowly looked up and saw Mr. Cosmo advancing towards him with his knife. Trying his best to ignore his pain, Rudy stood back up. He wobbled a little, but managed to stay up. He stared at Cosmo as tears of pain streamed down his face.

"You botched up your chance, Tabootie..and now you are going to pay for it..."

With that, Mr. Cosmo rushed towards Rudy, brandishing his knife. Rudy clenched his teeth, his eyes halfway shut in pain. He brought up his magic chalk, hoping that he could draw something fast enough to stop the man.

sss

Penny and Rapsheeba waited in the eerily quiet waiting room for what felt like hours. Penny knew it hadn't been that long, but it certainly felt like it. Everytime she heard the drill going, she shuddered. And to add to her already aching nerves, at least two more times, the alarm had gone off, either from Snap's heart not beating anymore or his breathing stopped. And each time, it took a lot of effort to revive him.

Penny wished there was something she could do to help. She wished that she knew of a way to save Snap, a way that would not run him into any risks. Yet she knew this was impossible. Snap was in a grave situation and the only way to save him was by risky surgery. And she could do nothing to help. She could hope all she wanted to, but hope was not going to ensure her friend's safety.

As much as she and Rapsheeba didn't want to sit around and do nothing, they both knew, and acknowledged, that they had to trust the doctors. Snap's life hung in their hands now. If anyone can save him, if anyone can keep him from dying, it was these doctors. They were his only hope. And Penny knew that, if the doctors failed, she would never see Snap alive again...

The thought hung heavily on her mind, and she couldn't hold back her tears. Ms. Saffron's death had effected her deeply, even though she hadn't known the woman long. She was horrified when she saw her dead body, especially knowing that, just a short time ago, she had been fine. But the idea of losing Snap, someone whom she had known for years... She didn't think she could handle it. She didn't want to see anyone else die. She didn't want to have to glance at another poor soul who lost their life to the horrors that Mr. Cosmo had unleasehd. It just...it just wasn't fair...

"Hey Penny...look..." Rapsheeba said through her cries. Penny looked at her. Rapsheeba wiped away her tears and pointed her finger towards the double doors.

Penny saw that Dr. Urso was coming out again. This time, his expression wasn't as grim, but it still looked like it held some bad news. She bit her lip and prepared for the worse as he walked up to them, his thick fingers interlocking together.

"How is he?" Rapsheeba asked, not caring if she sounded too demanding.

Dr. Urso paused for a moment. Penny didn't like this. The lion bear pulled out a clipboard and flipped through the papers, as if looking for something. Penny felt her heart race faster as each silent second went by. Although Dr. Urso replied seconds later, to Penny and Rapsheeba, it felt like years.

Once Dr. Urso found the paper he wanted, he turned his head to the two girls.

"I am happy to report that your friend has pulled through. The surgery was ultimately a success and we have that thing out of his head. We have done what we can to shield the hole in his head that it left behind. He is being put into a recovery room at this very moment." Mr. Urso said with a small smile on his muzzle.

This news took a few seconds for Penny to let sink in. She had been expecting more bad news. She was not expecting this. A strong sense of elation overwhelmed her. She stifled a scream of joy and she wrapped her arms around Rapsheeba.

"However..."

Penny and Rapsheeba's eyes widened at that. There was more?

"Due to the damage done to his neurological system, we are not certain if he will fully recover. He might regain some feeling back, but as for his legs..." Dr. Urso's ears lowered. "They might be permanently damaged."

Penny shook her head in disbelief. "No..."

"You can't fix them?" Rapsheeba said, fresh tears returning to her eyes.

Dr. Urso shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We can just hope that a miracle happens and he gets use of them back. But the damage is so severe...I'm not sure. Please don't mistake this as him having no chance at full recovery...I just want you to prepare for the worst."

"I understand..." Penny said solemnly.

Dr. Urso said, "And we aren't sure when he will wake up... The blow he got to his head caused further brain damage. Right now, he is in a comatose state."

This sent chills down Penny's spine. Any happiness she felt seconds ago had been overwhelmed by fear and sorrow again. Rapsheeba's hands were over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock and horror.

"You may go visit him, if you wish." Dr. Urso said sympathetically. "Maybe being there with him, will help him recover faster. I do wish the best for you all, and I am sorry we couldn't do more to help him."

Penny got up from her seat. She gestured for Rapsheeba to come with her. The two walked down the hallway, being led by Dr. Urso. As they walked, Penny felt her heart wrench tightly. She didn't want to believe that Snap could be like this for the rest of his life.

No..he would recover... He was Snap. He would bounce back...wouldn't he...?