Snap had rushed towards his home as fast as he could. He did run into a couple of zoners, whom he quickly apologized to. But he didn't stop moving. Every second, every minute that went by...that was more time for his friends to be tortured, hurt, killed... He didn't have time to waste. He had to get back to his sleeping quarters, and he had to do it now.
He wanted to go there to get his detective stuff. And he also wanted to spend sometime thinking about what he should do. A quiet place was what he needed, and though he could have just stayed out in the field, he felt like he could think better if he was alone. He needed a bit of time to think about what he was going to do next, where to go first. There were many places in ChalkZone he could start looking. Once he got his detective gear, he would go back to the blue portal and see if anything around there could tell him something.
Draow was a large zoner. And a little heavy too. He would have left footprints behind, even just slight ones. Using the magnifying glass, he would be able to find these footprints and get an idea of which direction his friends were taken in. He had thought about finding a zoner with a great sense of smell to help him track Draow down. Surely some artist made a drawing like that. ChalkZone had all kinds of citizens with different abilities. Kids liked drawing dogs, so if he found a dog zoner, he'd have a better chance of finding his friends.
He did not plan on staying at his sleeping quarters for too long. Though he still had more planning he had to do, like what he is going to do when he faced the hybrid zoner, he had little time to waste. He planned on spending no more than ten, twenty minutes at his place before he would get a move on.
He thought about his friends. His mind flashed briefly with scenes of their blood everywhere. It made him shudder. Everytime he thought about it, it made him do that. He could only imagine the kind of attacks Draow gave them to create so much blood splatter. With all that blood, he knew they were very badly injured, possibly bleeding to death. And he had no doubt in his mind that Draow would go even further with them.
Draow clearly had the cruelty intent that Mr. Cosmo had. He was that evil man's creation. He shared traits from him. He was a lot like him. Maybe not so much a good planner, but that didn't make him any less dangerous. Despite not being as good at scheming, he was good at decieving. Being able to trick everyone for years that he couldn't talk...that took skill. It made Snap wonder why Draow decided to break his vow of silence. Maybe he just got tired of not saying anything.
Snap still wasn't certain about the hybrid zoner and what part they played. The idea of him being more dangerous than Cosmo did frighten him. Cosmo was terrifying, a monster. He still had nightmares of him. He couldn't fathom how anyone could be worse than him. It made him afraid to encounter this hybrid zoner. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know just how far this intruder would go.
Not knowing what the hybrid zoner's plans are was going to make this investigation more difficult than he thought. Draow was clearly listening to this guy. And he had no doubts in his mind that the hybrid zoner had ordered Draow to capture his friends. Whatever plan this guy had involved his friends, but just what he wanted to do with them, he wasn't sure.
A thought was revenge. But Snap had his doubts about that. The problem with that theory is that it would require the hybrid to actually care about Mr. Cosmo. Draow certainly did, viewing him as his master and equal. He had followed Mr. Cosmo willingly, not because he was being forced to. But...the first hybrid zoner Cosmo made recently didn't care about what he had to say. What were the odds the second one would care? If the second recent hybrid zoner was anything like the first recent one, then revenge couldn't be a very likely possibility.
And it made sense. The red chalk drawings weren't known to be loyal, and would turn on their creators on a dime if they saw fit. Both Rudy and Reggie had suffered from this when they used the red chalk. Even though Mr. Cosmo created the hybrid to override this, the red chalk half of these hybrids would still not want to take orders, and it may be enough to override the white chalk halves. Red chalk was strong, and Snap knew that the red half would be the most dominant part.
Snap found it pretty ironic. The purpose of the red chalk was so that Mr. Cosmo could create violent, obedient zoners that would do whatever he said. It was an attempt to take over ChalkZone, to control it. But instead of helping him, it did the exact opposite. The red chalk revolted, forcing Mr. Cosmo to seek alternative methods. It was a failure. Snap sometimes wondered if Mr. Cosmo had some fear of the red chalk that he created and that was why he was so desperate to control it.
The man was obsessed with control. He loved being in power. He loved being able to call all the shots. Everything for him, for a time, had been all under control, planned out. And even when something different happened, he adjusted accordingly.
When Rudy told him what happened when Cosmo finally realized everything was falling apart, Snap wasn't surprised. Someone who enjoyed that much control would surely snap like that when they realized things weren't going their way anymore. Despite all his planning, all his preparation, Mr. Cosmo had still lost and he hadn't taken it well. According to Rudy, the man had suddenly abandoned his calm, creepy persona and just went beserk. It was something that Rudy and the others thought they would never experience from this guy.
There was a terrifying thought Snap had as he made his way towards his sleeping quarters. Red chalk drawings seemed to attack with no purpose. They just..went about destroying things. In fact, the sentient, horrific chalk seemed the only crave destruction. That was its goal; to spread chaos thoughout ChalkZone. Nothing more than that. No scheme, no plan, no nothing. Just...wanting to cause as much pain as possible.
What if this hybrid zoner is like that? What if, despite having the intelligence of white chalk, the hybrid zoner really has no big plans? What if he isn't doing this because of grand scheme? What if he is only doing this...for fun...?
If that is the case, if the hybrid zoner really is only doing this just for the heck of it...if he is causing his friends so much pain simply because he 'feels like it'... Then Snap can easily see just where he would be worse than Mr. Cosmo. Though that man was pure evil, his actions often had a motive behind it. But if this hybrid zoner is only interested in causing pain just because he wants to...that would be so much worse...
Snap soon reached his place and went inside. He looked around his place, trying to find where he put that detective outfit and magnifying glass that Rudy drew for him years ago. He remembered he put it in a box in his closet, so maybe it would be there. He went into his bedroom and checked his closet, but he didn't see it. He narrowed his eyes. Where could he have put it?
He tried looking under the dresser. He didn't watch where he was going and he banged his had. He winced and rubbed his head. Something fell on his head. He looked down and saw it was the plushie of himself Skrawl had given him. He picked it up, smiled briefly at it, and then put it back up on top of the dresser.
When he did so, he had noticed something else underneath the dresser. He knelt back down and saw a small box. He pulled it out, careful not to bang it against the dresser. He placed it on his bed and opened it up.
It was his detective outfit and magnifying glass. He didn't recall putting it under his dresser. But with all that has happened, he may have just forgotten. He took the two items out and brushed the dust off of them. Even after he did that, they still looked kinda dirty. It didn't surprise him, considering he hadn't used them in years. And there was a funny smell to the detective outfit, but he could manage. It was just a smell after all.
In a weird sort of way, it was almost like Skrawl was helping him. If he hadn't been hit in the head with the Snap plushie and had to go pick it up, he may never have noticed the box underneath his dresser. Of all the places, that would have been the last place he'd check. So, in a way, Skrawl did make things a lot easier for him.
Now that he had his outfit, it was time he tried to figure out exactly what he was going to do next.
Finding a dog zoner would be a priority. Tracking would be the best way to friend his friends. He didn't have anything with their scent on, but he may be able to find some strands of hair at the portal where he was certain they were dragged through. He hoped that would be enough for the dog zoner to get the scent and take him to his friends.
But then, what if it wasn't enough? A few strands of hair might not have enough scent for the dog zoner to follow. It was better than nothing, sure, but there was still a chance that the scent was long gone by now. Draow may have found a way to cover the scent, or make it weaker somehow. If that were the case, Snap needed to think of a plan B, and fast.
Someone with a stronger sense of smell might also work. Some zoners did have really strong sense of smell, stronger than usual, and could pick up any scent. But finding these zoners was hard. Most of them are too far away; he couldn't risk going to them. There was one zoner relatively close that did have such a power, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to ask him for help.
Boorat.
The giant rat that had tried to expose ChalkZone. He had been taken to the same prison that Draow had been locked up in. He hadn't seen him during their visits there, but that was because he was in another level. He had been sent there after his arrest. When he had gotten free, he had tried again to expose ChalkZone and had harrassed Rudy and his friends. Biclops had quickly put an end to it and Boorat was caught and jailed.
Snap knew that Boorat had a terrific sense of smell, probably the best that he knew of. Boorat was very likely able to track down where his friends are, where Draow and this mystery zoner went. He could help capture the two criminals and bring them back, and in exchange, he would get something. But he didn't know if Boorat would even take that offer. It wasn't like he liked him and his friends very well, and his whole purpose of being created was to fetch the magic chalk. Once freed, he would go straight back to that.
It didn't help that Snap had frozen the guy into a 'living statue' after their first encounter. It was clear, from their second encounter, that Boorat held contempt for him. There was no way the giant rat would ever agree to help him and his friends.
So Boorat was out of the picture. Snap tried to think of another zoner with that kind of smelling power, but no one came up. Everyone he could think of was just...too far away. He couldn't take the risk and find them. By the time he could find them and bring them back here, his friends might already be... No, he had to hurry.
Snap decided to get a drink of water. His throat was still dry from all the running he had done. He closed the box and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass and turned the sink on, filling the glass with the water that sprang from the faucet. He took a few sips as he headed into his living room. He sat down on his recliner and leaned back.
Normally, he would relax in here. He enjoyed a little relaxation once in a while and this was a good place for him to do it. After all that running, his body did want some rest.
But he couldn't rest for long. Not while his friends were in danger. He would rest only for a short time, to regain some of his energy back. He needed to focus on figuring out where his friends could be. He needed to get started with his own investigation. He knew that Skrawl might not be happy with him doing detective work on his own, but he didn't really care what Skrawl thought at the moment.
It was one thing when they were simply trying to find Draow and his hybrid zoner. But the moment that they had kidnapped his friends, it had become personal... No one gets away with hurting his friends. He was going to do whatever it took to find his friends and make the culprits pay for what they did. He was not going to allow them to get away with this. When someone messes with his friends, they mess with him.
Snap held up the glass in the air. He stared at his reflection, rippling as the water moved to and fro in the glass. He continued to stare at his reflection as thoughts swam through his mind.
"Rudy and Penny..." He said in a soft voice. "I will find you. I will make those creepazoids pay for what they did to you. I will make them sorry. I promise."
He could just imagine what the criminals' response was going to be. He could imagine it so vividly, he could practically hear it.
"Oh, do you really think so?"
Yes, something like that. That is what he imagined that they would say. And he would have a few choice words for them. And then he would give them exactly what they deserve. Normally, he was not a violent person, but he would gladly make an exception for these two. They deserved a few good punches.
Snap continued to stare at his reflection, watching it wobble. He then noticed something strange. Something that wasn't there a moment ago. Something was moving. It didn't look familiar. It almost looked like a dog of some kind. He could tell it was furry, but the overall shape, he couldn't tell exactly. The ripple of the reflection was distorting the image. He thought, at first, that a dog zoner got lost in his house. He wouldn't have minded that, since he could still use the help of a dog zoner, even if the chances of finding his friends with one weren't very high.
But as the shape started to get larger, he began to notice features that he didn't think there on most dog zoners. The muzzle looked more reptilitian. They didn't have a black or pink colored nose like dog zoners typically had. And the shape of the nose was, again, something he would expect from a reptile zoner. He also never recalled any dog zoner having a spikey crest like this one had. And the paws, which he caught a brief glimpse of, didn't look like dog paws. Three large claws that looked pretty sharp.
Then Snap took notice of the coloration. He narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look. Red and yellow...where he had seen that before? There was something familiar about that color. Then, realization hit him like a freight train. Red and yellow...were the same colors as the intruder...
Before Snap had time to turn around, there was a flash of color. A swift motion that caused wind to rush past him. His glass was knocked out of his hand. He heard it breaking on the ground, the water spilling all over the place. But he paid little attention to that as his senses were overwhelmed with the sensation of something..no someone, pinning him down against his chair. The force was so great, the chair fell backwards. Snap yelped in pain as his head hit against the ground.
When Snap opened his eyes, the first thing he was aware of was that the intruder was so close, he could see the chalky details of their outline. He also noticed, really fast, that the outline was striped. He realized, in horror, this really was the hybrid zoner that Ms. Saffron had warned them about.
He stared up at the hybrid zoner, who was sneering down at him, a grin on his face. The way he was looking at him..it reminded him so much of Mr. Cosmo... His heart racing, Snap tried to get away from him. But he quickly realized he was immobilized. In the few seconds the hybrid zoner had to knock into him, he had wrapped his furry tail around his legs, securing them, he used his hind legs to hold down his thighs and stomach, and he used his front legs to hold his arms at his sides.
Snap tried to get free. He pulled his legs and arms, trying in vain to get them free. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't free them. This zoner was not too much larger than him, but he certainly possessed a lot more strength. Snap continued to struggle, all the while the zoner just smiled evilly at him.
"No...no..." Snap whimpered. "This can't be happening..."
His mind was brought back to when Mr. Cosmo had strapped him to a table. His legs and arms pinned down so he couldn't get away. The water droplet that fell on his head... This was the same way he had felt back then, so helpless, so desperate to get away, but being unable to do a thing about it.
Snap stared up at the intruder in horror. His eyes widened as he saw the fangs drip with heated venom. He saw it drip down and land right next to him. Steam rose up. He let out a scream and cringed back. His body started to shake in fear. He watched anxiously, waiting for the intruder to do something.
But the intruder did nothing but smile down at him. It was clear he was enjoying his torment. He bared his teeth, showing off more of his long fangs. Snap stared, trembling, into the intruder's bright green eyes. He could have sworn he saw Cosmo staring back at him through those eyes. And that just made him even more afraid.
In this moment, Snap realized the voice he heard earlier...it hadn't been from his head. He didn't imagine it. It was from this zoner. It had been him who said that, which means the intruder heard what he said about making him and Draow pay. He gulped, shaking in fright. He wondered if this zoner was angry about what he said and was going to retaliate against him. He didn't know why the hybrid zoner wasn't doing anything yet, unless he wanted to watch him squirm for a little longer.
"At last..." The zoner said, speaking in a voice that sounded too sweet for the way this guy was acting. He raised up his head a little. "We meet face to face... I would have waited, but I really just had to introduce myself before we...continued."
Snap struggled a little more. He stared up at the zoner. "What...what have you done with my friends?" He demanded.
The zoner tilted his head to the side. "They're...alive." The evil smile became broader. "Now as for fine..that's a different story."
Snap narrowed his eyes. "If you hurt them, I swear I'll..."
The zoner laughed darkly. He looked amused by Snap's attempt at bravery. He repositioned his paws. Before Snap could do anything, he soon found his arms now positioned above his head, held down by one of the intruder's paws. Now with a free paw, the zoner used a single claw to gently trace a line down his face and under his chin. He was very gentle, careful not to scratch him.
"You really are something. So brave. So noble. Now I understand why it was so hard to..break you completely." The zoner said, giving another dark chuckle. He traced his claw down the middle of Snap's chest before he suddenly pressed harder, drawing a little bit of blood. He smirked as Snap gave a quick yelp. The intruder looked at the blood on his claws and licked it off slowly. "But you are still mortal. Just how far can you go? How much can you take before you fall down?"
Despite his fear, Snap growled at the intruder. "I'll last long enough to save my friends and send you and Draow to jail."
"Perhaps you may succeed..." The intruder said, scratching his own chin thoughtfully. "I am not one to lie. I agree that maybe...you can stop me. But only time will tell, don't you think?" He sneered, smiling down at Snap. "And before I forget, since I know you will want to call me by name in the future... My name is Bardot."
"Well then Bardot," Snap said, glaring hatefully at the zoner that conspired in the kidnapping of his friends. "You better watch out. I will save my friends, and you are going to pay. You are going to be brought to justice, and after they are through, you will regret everything you have done."
Bardot laughed at this. "Oh, so full of spirit. I like that. I shall look forward to our battle...if you are able to make it." Snap snarled at him. "For you see, if you wish to find your friends, you must play a game with me."
"I'm not playing any game with the likes of you!" Snap spat.
Bardot said, "Oh but you'd want to play this game. It's called 'Can You Find Your Friends Before They Die?'. It's really all the rage. I'm surprised you don't want to play."
Snap's eyes widened in horror. He felt his heart clench. Did Bardot just threaten his friends' lives? Was he really that cruel that he was using them as mere toys in some forsaken 'game'? And he was going to force him to play this sinister thing? Was that all this was to Bardot? A game?
He had only seen this guy for a few minutes, only spoke to him for a short time, and already he realized this guy really did have the potential of being worse than Mr. Cosmo. That man never regarded his plans as entirely a game; everything had a purpose. But with Bardot, it seemed he really was only doing this for fun. Perhaps he was wrong, but that was how it was shaping up. Bardot was giving him no reason to believe otherwise.
That would explain his casual attitude to his threat. If Bardot sees this all as a game, just something to do for fun, then any threat he is given would be percieved as just a consequence of 'playing the game wrong'. He growled at this. He couldn't think of a punishment that Bardot would take seriously, which would mean that bringing him to justice wouldn't change much. He would simply shrug it off and, if he escaped, he'd continue doing terrible things.
Still, Snap was not going to let him get away with this. Even if he had to do it himself, he would make sure he gets the justice he deserved. He would find a way to make him sorry, to make him feel actual regret for what he did to his friends.
"You aren't going to get away with this." Snap said in the bravest, most determined voice he could muster. "You have no idea who you're messing with. Do you know who I am?" Snap was taken aback when Bardot put his face very close to his.
"I know very well who you are...Snap White."
At this, Snap's eyes widened. He wasn't surprised that the zoner knew his first name. He might have heard it around town, somewhere in ChalkZone. But the fact that he somehow knew his last name, the one Penny gave him... It was nerve wracking. There was no way he could have known that.
Bardot smirked at him. "You are the zoner that beat the odds against the Dark Creator." Snap wondered who he meant at first, but then he realized that he must have been referring to Mr. Cosmo. He tried to push himself back when Bardot's face got even closer, to the point where he could feel his nose against his face. "But can you save your dear friends...from me?"
At this, Bardot's eyes seemed to brighten and twinkle a little. It usually would look pretty on anything else, but seeing this in Bardot's eyes was horrifying. Snap felt the courage he had mustered up fade away as Bardot talked to him in such a casual but very menacing way. Having him so close, with those fangs, wasn't helping either.
"Time is running out, Snap. You better hurry." Bardot whispered in his ear before pulling his head back.
For a moment, there was silence. Snap could only hear the sound of breathing. No one said a word. Bardot stared down at him, those gleaming eyes and sharp teeth practically staring into his sould. Suddenly, without warning, Bardot struck forward.
Snap let out a scream as Bardot slammed his face against something solid. He closed his eyes and looked away. He trembled and clenched his teeth. He opened up his eyes and looked to his right side. Bardot had bitten down on his couch, his fangs sunk in deep. He was utterly horrified by this. Those fangs...so close... He started to whimper in fear.
Hyperventilating, Snap watched as Bardot released his couch and threw his head back in a maniacal laughter. The red chalk portion of him was really shining through here. When he stopped laughing, he grinned down at Snap, some venom clinging to the tip of his fangs. Snap stared at him, unable to stop his body from shaking.
Fear overwhelmed Snap. He was feeling as helpless as he did with Mr. Cosmo. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he sucked in each breath quickly. He could hear his heart pounding against his ribcage, so hard that he almost thought it was going to burst through. His teeth started to chatter as his body shook even harder. He let out a whine as Bardot lowered his head again. He turned his head to the side, staring up at Bardot with one fear-filled eye.
Bardot placed his mouth next to Snap's head. He whispered, "I have placed the items to begin the game in your bedroom. Look for them. You will find two cards. One explaining the rules. The other, with information on where to go for the first game. You will be playing multiple games, and, if you pass, you will locate your friends and you will have a chance to save them. I can promise you that."
Snap didn't respond. He just continued to stare at the hybrid zoner, too afraid to speak a word.
"I also gave you a radio so we may...communicate." Bardot added. "But don't bother tracing it. I made sure that it cannot be used to find me. That would be cheating." He waggled his finger like a scolding parent. He jumped off of Snap, landing a couple feet away. "I am eager to get started. Don't diddle dally, Snap White. And I wish you..." His voice darkened, sounding even more menacing than before. "..the best of luck..."
With that, he ran off, becoming a flash of color before vanishing from sight, leaving behind a frightened and shaken up Snap.
Snap laid there for a few seconds, breathing in and out quickly, trying to digest what had just happened. He got up to his feet. Each step he took was shaky, and he almost fell over a few times. He made his way towards his door and swung it open. He looked left and right.
There was no sign of the hybrid zoner. And nobody walking around was reacting differently. It didn't seem like anyone had seen this guy. It was like he wasn't even here.
Snap took in a few shaky breaths, his mind racing. He looked down at his chest. He gingerly placed his right hand there. He winced as he felt it sting. He pulled his hand away and saw a little bit of blood. He looked back out into the streets. Realization began to sink in.
Bardot was right. He needed to hurry.