For Rudy, there was nothing but darkness. Pain and darkness...
He couldn't see anything. He couldn't hear anything.
All he knew was the shadows and the agony that enveloped him...
Then, slowly, a light came into view. It was dull at first, shining off in the distance, of sorts, before it slowly expanded. Slowly, the light grew brighter and brighter, forcing Rudy to clench his eyes shut and look away. He let out a soft moan in response to the bright light.
He opened up his eyes. At first, everything was nothing but a blurr. Faded colors mixed together in a confusing swirl. Any shades he could see was so blurry he couldn't tell what they were at first. His vision was also pretty darkened, unable to detect that much light.
He was aware of a dull, rattling pain in his body. It was concentrated on his right side, the same one Cosmo had stabbed him in over a year ago. He let out another groan as he attempted to get up. But when he did so, a shockwave of pain swept through his body, causing him to yelp and fall back down. This was followed swiftly by a pounding headache. He shook his head in an attempt to ride it out.
He couldn't remember what had happened. He didn't know where he was. Maybe he was still at home? Or maybe he had fallen asleep in class and was taken to the principal's office. His mind was muggy and clouded and he couldn't make heads or tails of anything. He looked around, trying to get an idea of what his surroundings were.
Soon, his vision started to clear up. He started to see clearer shapes. The colors became more distinguishable, rather than being swirled together like it was dropped in a blender. The light became less intense for his eyes, and he soon realized that the light in the room was actually not that bright at all. His darkened vision wasn't the result of his eyesight being messed up. The room he was in was actually pretty dark, with only a little bit of light to illuminate it.
When he was able to see more clearly, and he got a look at his surroundings, his heart immediately started to race. It didn't take him long to realize something was not right.
This wasn't his room. In fact, he didn't know what this place was. The walls were sort of curvy and rocky. He noted the chalky texture, which told him almost right away that he was in ChalkZone. But how? He didn't remember coming here. His mind was starting to clear up and he recalled the last thing he remembered was going to sleep and Penny had been with him.
Penny... He looked around frantically for his friend. Was she here with him? If not, where was she? He wished he remembered more of what happened. If he did, he would have a better idea of Penny's whereabouts.
He attempted to move. Maybe if he turned around, he could get an overall better view of this place. But then he realized that he couldn't move. His arms and legs were immobilized. Startled, he looked down at himself and saw that he was sitting in a chair. His arms and legs had leather straps on them, holding them in place. He tried to pull himself free. He attempted to yank his arm or leg out, something to help him get free. But the straps were too tight for him. No matter how hard he pulled, he only ended up hurting himself more. He eventually gave up.
The pain in his side intensified. He began to shift uncomfortably in the chair, trying to block out the pain. He clenched his teeth so hard from the pain; he almost felt them shatter. If only he could get out of this chair... He forced one of his tear-filled eyes open and glanced towards his side, curious about just what was causing the pain.
There was blood on his side. And it was dripping a little, going over the side of the chair and onto the floor. He could see where it was starting to dissolve a little bit of chalk.
His eyes snapped open wide at the sight of his blood. Suddenly, memories came flooding back to him. It was like a lightning bolt struck him in the head.
He remembered that he had almost gone to sleep until he heard a loud thud next to him. He thought that Penny was doing something. So he opened up his eyes and turned over to ask her to be quiet. But instead, he was greeted with a horrific sight...
Rudy had no idea how it happened, but Draow had somehow appeared in their room. He stared down at them with those horrible, teal eyes. He didn't know how Draow got into the real world. He hadn't left any portals open. But Rudy hardly thought of that as he immediately jumped up and tried to protect his friend.
Draow had snagged Penny by her arm and held her up. There was a deep cut along her head, fresh blood dripping down. Her eyes were closed, a clear indication that she had been knocked out. Draow bit down hard on her arm, forcing more blood out from her body. He stared down at Rudy and gave an evil smile, silently taunting him to try to help his friend. And that's exactly what Rudy did.
Or so he tried.
Rudy jumped towards Draow, fully prepared to use his own body as a weapon. It wasn't like he had much other choice. He didn't have the magic chalk to help him this time. But if he managed to subdue Draow, then maybe...
Draow kicked Rudy to the side, causing him to crash against his bed. The force was really strong and it almost knocked him out. He tried again and this time Draow grabbed him roughly by the arm and threw him against his desk, causing stuff to spill all over the place. Draow dropped Penny and raced towards Rudy, mouth agape.
Rudy recalled the jaws clamping down on his side, cutting into his flesh. He tried to let out a scream, but Draow had covered his mouth with his wing to keep him quiet. Then Draow threw Rudy into the ground. By this time, Penny did wake up. She attempted to get up, and when she saw Rudy on the ground, his side torn open, she gasped in horror. She looked up as Draow closed in on her. He raised his foot and struck down with his talons.
The blow had hit him and Penny and they both crashed into the ground. Rudy tried to keep himself awake. His vision had started to blur. He looked up and watched as Draow approached him. The last thing he saw, when he finally lost consciousness, was something red covering the ground, walls, and ceiling. To his horror, he realized it was his blood...and Penny's blood...
Then he had lost consciousness, and only now did he awaken. The pain from his other injuries started to surface. He had a few claw marks on his body where he was struck, as well as a few bruises. His clothes are slightly ripped as well. The headache he was feeling, that was from when Draow through him against his bed, or rather, the ladder leading up to his bed. The pain reminded him of what it felt like when Robot Rudy smashed him against the wall of the Chalk Mine entrance. That was an experience he had hoped he never would have to deal with again.
Questions flooded his aching mind. How had Draow gotten into the real world? How did he manage to get through his house without waking up his parents? How had he dragged him and Penny into ChalkZone without being seen? Just where were they? Why had they been brought here?
He took another look around him. Now that his vision was cleared and he had adjusted to the dimness of the room, he got an idea of what the place looked like. It was definitely a cave of sorts, or a house made to look like a cave. There were no windows anywhere. The light came from some small torches. Only a few. It gave the room a sort of spooky orange glow to it.
Off to his side, he could see that there was a small pile of materials. Random stuff like nails and hammers. The pile looked like it had been bigger. Signs of scraping and scratches, along with some pieces being bent a little or shattered, supported this. The pile had to have been bigger. But where did all the material go? And why was this stuff here to begin with? What would Draow need with it? He didn't seem like the kind of guy..er...zoner..how would need stuff like this. He could just use his own strength to do the dirty work.
Unless Draow wasn't alone...
Rudy remembered about the hybrid zoner. The hybrid zoner was the one who freed Draow, or so they thought. He still hadn't seen this intruder, so he couldn't tell if the intruder was the hybrid zoner that he had accidentally erased into ChalkZone.
He looked around some more, trying to find any signs of this mystery zoner. But so far, it seemed as though he was all alone. He must have been placed where shortly after his capture, strapped up against a chair while his captors awaited for him to open up his eyes.
When he looked out in front of him, he saw what appeared to be another chair. He narrowed his eyes. It was a bit hard for him to make out what it was. The object was placed in a darker part of the room. The torches along the walls barely shined any light on it. He continued to stare at the object, studying it, trying to make heads or tails of it. Something about it seemed familiar...
Then he realized, in horror, what it was. It was Penny...
The girl was strapped down just like him. She looked a little more bloodied than he was. He could see the deep cut on her forehead, which still dripped some fresh blood. He saw the scrapes and bruises and small cuts that now adorned her body. Her head was slumped to the side, showing that he hadn't woken up just yet.
Like him, her arms and legs were strapped down against the chair. The straps looked pretty tight, and he thought that they were almost cutting off circulation. He took notice of a leather strap across her stomach. He looked down at himself and noticed he had one as well. Their captors certainly didn't want them going anywhere.
Rudy stared at Penny's unconscious face. There was a pained look in her closed eyes. Her hair was splayed over her face, looking unkempt due to the rough treatment she got from Draow. He saw a bit of blood clumps on her hair, no doubt from something that bat wolf did to her. As Rudy's eyes trailed along her injuries, seeing the multiple small cuts, he felt anger rise up inside, as well as sorrow.
He wanted to get Penny out of here. He wanted to fight their kidnappers and make them sorry for what they did. He wanted to have Draow arrested, along with the creep that let him out, and have them brought to justice. He wanted so much to do that...
But the straps on his limbs and the realization that he had no magic chalk with him put a kink in those plans. If he couldn't even get out of here...how was he ever going to save Penny? He wouldn't even be able to protect himself. If he could just figure out a way to free himself, he would stand a better chance. The binds, however, were too tight. Like with Penny, his straps were tight enough to almost start interfering with blood circulation. And they cut into his skin a little, leaving a deep indention.
And Snap... His friend had no idea what had happened to them. He knew that if Snap knew where they were, he would come and find them. But would it be enough? Draow was much larger and quite strong. And this intruder was venomous...
It wasn't that he had little confidence in Snap. No, far from it. He knew Snap was quite competent. But he almost lost him to Mr. Cosmo over a year ago. That was a horrible feeling... He didn't want to experience it again. He didn't want to see his best friend beaten and killed by these two...monsters. He hoped that, if Snap were able to come save them, he would bring back up.
"Urrgh..."
Rudy looked out in front of him and saw that Penny had started to wake up. She lifted up her head slowly. She shook her head a few times. Her eyes opened up slowly. She blinked a few times and looked around the room. When she locked eyes onto him, she paused, staring at Rudy with a puzzled expression.
"R-Rudy...what's going on...?" Penny asked in a weak voice.
She tried to move. She attempted to lift up her arms, and then her legs, to no avail. Her sleepy, confused look quickly replaced to one of panic. Her eyes flew open and she stared down at her bound limbs. Her struggles increased. She tried to jerk herself free. She only managed to rock the chair from side to side. And she could only barely manage that.
When she stopped struggling, her breathing quickened. Rudy could see her chest rise and fall at great speed. She looked around the room, taking notice of the same features Rudy did. And, judging from her expression, she, too, realized that this isn't place they've been to, and it certainly wasn't the last place they were in before they both slipped out of consciousness.
Penny, now fully aware thanks to the scare, stared at Rudy with a frightened expression. "R-Rudy...where are we..?" Her voice was shaky and low.
Rudy bit his lip. He wanted to say something to comfort her. He wanted to tell her where they were and that he had a plan to get them out. But that would be lying, for he didn't know himself. He was as much in the dark as she was.
He lowered his head. He said, "I...I really don't know..."
Then a dark chuckle rattled through the room. It rumbled through his heart, shaking him to the core. He saw Penny shiver in fear, having the same reaction as him. That cold laughter... It sounded terrifyingly familiar. They know who it was that just laughed. They looked around, desperately trying to find the source of the voice.
They heard something walking towards them. Something large and heavy. The footfalls hit the ground with a thud each time the individual took a step. They heard the scraping of claws against stone ground. They could hear a low, gutteral growl intermixing with the laughter. They could see a shadow forming on the wall, darkening the already dark room. Even the torches seemed to flicker at the presence of this individual.
When the individual stepped into the light, Rudy and Penny immediately knew how it was. It was Draow... Upon seeing him, they cringed back in horror. Strapped down, there was nothing they could do to defend themselves should the beast decide to attack them. They watched fearfully as Draow moved in closer to them, an evil smile plastered on his long jaws.
Draow started to pace around the two teenagers. He first circled around Rudy. He went around him a few times, eyeing him up and down like he was dinner. He put his face close to Rudy's, an obvious attempt to scare him. Then he moved towards Penny and started to circle her like a vulture. Unlike with Rudy, Draow went a little further with Penny. He brushed his tail against her tauntingly. Rudy watched, in horror, as Draow lowered a claw and gently pushed it against her cheek, doing nothing more than lightly scrape her. This was obviously done to distress her as they both know how sharp those claws are.
Draow walked away a little and then turned around to face the two teenagers. He placed himself off to the side, his body partially light by the torches. The dark shadows over his body and face made him look more terrifying than ever before. The glowing teal eyes certainly didn't help.
"It is nice that you two are finally awake." Draow said, grinning viciously at them. "I was getting tired of waiting."
Althoug he was afraid, Rudy tried his best to hide it. He threw a hateful glare at Draow. "Where are we?" He demanded.
Draow tilted his head, his ears swiveling briefly. "I don't think you are in any position to ask questions, Tabootie..." Draow took a step towards Rudy, lowering his head. His ears flatted against his skull. "But I am sure you already know why I brought you here..."
Rudy nodded his head slowly. He knew Draow was out for revenge. There was no doubt about it. The fiery look in the bat wolf's eyes told all. His heart was racing, and he was breathing more quickly. But he fought the urge to struggle. He was afraid that if he did so, Draow would hurt him, or Penny.
Before Rudy and Penny could say anything in response to Draow, they heard another step of footsteps. Compared to Draow's, it was like night and day. Where Draow's footsteps were heavy and strong, these were light and fleeting. The pitterpatter of feet came towards them quickly. They could hear the brief clanging of claws against the ground, and then they both saw a brief flash of yellow and red.
Their eyes widened in horror. They knew who this had to be. The intruder that freed Draow...
The smaller zoner zipped around them. They could barely make out the shape. They could tell it was a four footer, just like the investigator thought. But they could make out very little else. This zoner had incredible speed. It was no wonder the jail wardens were unable to stop him.
Then the zoner stopped zipping around. Slowly, he stepped into the light, standing between Rudy and Penny. When he came full into the light, the two could finally make out exactly what he looked like. He wasn't what either of them had expected.
At a glance, he looked relatively harmless. He looked a bit like a furry reptile. A jagged crest adorned his head and appeared to be flexible. He had bright green eyes which almost seemed to glow. His body was covered in yellow fur with a crimson underside. His tail looked like a cross between a wolf tail and a dinosaur tail. He had pointed ears that were currently perked, much like a happy dog. He looked really cute, like he wouldn't harm a fly...
...that is until they saw his claws and fangs. His claws were large and thick, with pointed tips. It was clear that these claws were meant to shred through something harder than just mere flesh. And from the damage they saw at the jail, they could believe it. His claws alone were intimidating, especially with the way he tapped them against the hard ground.
But his fangs certainly didn't help put them at ease. They stuck out of his mouth, long and thin, and were slightly curved. They rested neatly against his jaw. They could see some liquid drip from them and onto the ground. Steam rose high from it. They realized that it was his venom. Boiling venom that, if he dared to bite them, would burn them on the inside.
And around his neck, he wore a simple necklace. Attached to it was a small object. They couldn't tell what it was at first. But when Rudy and Penny looked harder, they realized what it was.
A human tooth...
Rudy pressed his head back, staring at the yellow zoner in horror. His mind reeled, thoughts running through his head at lightning speed. The disappearances they heard on the television...they must have been linked to this zoner... He...he was responsible...
And now he had him and Penny at his mercy...
The zoner smirked at Rudy, as if he had somehow heard his thoughts, like he knew that he had made the connection. He moved towards Rudy until he was just a foot in front of him. He rose onto his back legs and placed his paws onto Rudy's hands, being gentle with his claws so he wouldn't cut him. He put his face close to Rudy's and grinned. His lips pulled up so Rudy could see more of his fangs as well as his other razor sharp teeth.
Rudy tried to look away. But he found himself glued to the zoner's eyes. Something about them made it hard for him to turn away. His heart beat quickly. He breathed faster. His eyes were filled with terror. He tried to push himself away, tried to get away from the venomous zoner. But he couldn't go anywhere. He knew that, and so did the zoner.
The zoner stared into Rudy's terrified eyes. He licked his jaws slowly, deliberately. His tail swished from side to side before wrapping around Rudy's leg in an almost affectionate manner. Rudy wanted to scream and push him away. He had barely met the zoner and already he was creeping him out.
He moved his head to try to see Penny. She was looking at him with a horrified expression. It was clear she wanted to do something to help him, but with her strapped down, there was nothing she could do.
With the zoner so close, Rudy could see his outline. He started to tremble as he realized that the outline was striped, just like what Ms. Saffron said to watch out for. Part of the outline matched what color the zoner was. Dark yellow and dark red in their respective areas. But then, along with that, bright red stripes adorned the outline, with no rhyme or reason based on the zoner's color. They were just there.
Rudy knew, without a doubt, that the intruder was indeed the hybrid zoner that freed Draow. The same hybrid zoner that Mr. Cosmo started to create, but never erased. The same zoner that had the potential of being worse than Cosmo.
And he and Penny had been trapped by him. They were completely at his mercy, and he knew they were going to get little of that while here. His heart was racing quickly, feeling more terrified than he ever did before. This...this couldn't be happening... They had to get out of here somehow. They just had to. But how? There was no magic chalk, there was no way to tell Snap where they were, and they were both tied down, defenseless against anything this guy threw at them.
They were completely, utterly trapped and left vulnerable...
The hybrid zoner finally spoke after an uncomfortable silence. "Rudy Tabootie... I'm so glad that you and your friend, Penny Sanchez, are awake. I was getting bored of waiting for you..." The zoner moved on top of Rudy. He laid himself across Rudy's shoulders, pressing his front claws against his chest, causing Rudy to wince a little. The zoner pressed the side of his head against Rudy's and said, "Why, I almost thought about waking you up myself, but now..I don't have to worry about that..." The zoner jumped away from Rudy, landing in the same spot he was in just moments earlier.
"Who...who...who are you...?" Rudy stammered.
The hybrid zoner swiveled his ears slightly and cocked his head to the side. "My name is Bardot."
"What..do you want from us?" Penny asked with a shaky voice.
Bardot turned his head, giving the girl a sideways glance. "A lot, actually..." He eyed both Rudy and Penny up and down, studying them. He said, "I hope you are comfortable. Because you will be here for a while. Don't like it here? Too bad. Get used to it."
Rudy tried to be brave. He narrowed his eyes. "Let us go, Bardot."
Bardot moved quickly and in seconds he was in Rudy's face again. Rudy, taken aback, let out a quick cry of surprise and moved back. "I wonder how you will make me do anything...when you have no magic chalk, boy." Bardot hissed in his face, that eerie smile staring back at him, mocking him. "And even if you did, without the use of your arms, the chalk is useless to you."
Rudy knew Bardot was right. He couldn't do anything without the magic chalk. And tied up like this, he couldn't even use the chalk. He was completely defenseless. If Bardot decided to attack him, there was no way he could avoid the blows or fight back. He glared hatefully at Bardot, but kept quiet.
He looked over at Penny. His heart stung as he saw how frightened she was. Just as scared as him. They were somewhere they didn't recognize. An unknown part of ChalkZone. They were tied up, without magic chalk, and now they were in the company of a crazed hybrid zoner and a vengeful winged wolf. They were in serious trouble.
A cold chuckle escaped Bardot's throat. "I wonder how long you two will last..."
As he said this, Draow's eyes gleamed with anticipation. He pawed the ground eagerly, the claws scraping against the ground.
Rudy sucked in a sharp breath, feeling his heart almost freeze to the point of stopping. He suddenly felt very cold. His body shook. He stared over at Penny in horror. She returned his expression. Fear of what will happen to them filled his mind. It was clear that, unless a miracle happened, they were both going to die here, and, judging from how Bardot spoke that line, it wasn't going to be a quick death either.
Rudy's eyes darted around the room. He tried in vain to find a way to escape. There had to be something here. Anything at all that could help him and Penny. But there was nothing. There was nothing here that would be of use to him, not while he was tied down. Not even a radio he could use to contact Snap...
"Where's my dad?" Penny asked.
Rudy watched as Bardot walked over to his friend. He began to circle her like Draow had before. He finally stopped behind her. He got onto his hind legs and placed his paws on her shoulders. He put the side of his face against hers, like how he had done with him. It was creepy how gentle he was being, especially considering just how vicious he really was.
"Oh my dear.." Bardot said in a sweet sounding voice. "Daddy is a little...broken apart to talk to you right now."
Rudy and Penny's eyes widened in horror at this.
"But don't worry..." Bardot put his mouth close to Penny's ear. He whispered into it, "You will soon be joining him..."
Penny's face went pale. Tears started to drip from her eyes. She shook her head in denial. "N-No..it can't be..no...papa...no..." She started to shudder. She closed her eyes tightly, clenching her teeth. She let out a scream. "No!"
Rudy looked at her sympathetically. Penny started to break down, crying. The sight of this broke his heart. He wanted to do something to help her feel better. But...what he could say about this...?
He shot a hateful glare at Bardot, whose cold laughter sliced through the air, chilling his heart. "You will pay for this..."
Bardot just smiled at him. "Perhaps I will, kid. Perhaps I will. But first...let us have some fun..."
Rudy flinched at that. He didn't like the way he said the word 'fun'. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what Bardot was implying. But he was certain that, sooner or later, he was going to find out, whether he liked it or not.