Skrawl sat down in his office, located on the highest level of his high security prison. He pulled his chair up to his dark-colored desk. Covering it were a few thick folders, filled with information that had been gathered regarding this mystery zoner that had broken Draow out of prison. Along with that, there were also photographs of the crime scene, as well as other things, such as blurs of yellow and red that had been spotted recently.

Skrawl still could not identify the zoner. It didn't look familiar to him. None of his wardens could come up with any answers either. More investigating was required, but things were getting really hectic lately. Investigating anything was becoming really hard. More and more zoners are taking notice to the strange occurrences lately, and were trying to figure things out for themselves. This complicated the investigations; his Beanie Boys often came back with little to no information because the panicked zoners would shove them aside so they could look for...well whatever was there.

Skrawl looked at the images strewn down before him. He picked up one. It was the clearest shot of the zoner. Red and yellow blurs, and a slight shape. It looked four-legged and he thought he spotted a tail. But that was all he could see. This zoner moved too quickly for cameras to catch him. He didn't know if it was because the zoner knew where the cameras were somehow and could zip by them, or if the zoner was always running really fast anyway and the camers were just lucky enough to get a shot of him.

But there was something else he was noticing about this zoner. He could see a bit of his outline. It was heavily blurred and distorted, but he could still make something out. And he noticed something off about it. Reddish markings it looked like. They adorned the outline, striping in random places. He had never seen this in a zoner before. Something was really off about this.

He couldn't think of why the outline would be striped. He narrowed his eyes and rested his head against his three digit hand. He thought for a while, trying to make some kind of connection. There had to be a good reason why it was striped like that. None of the other zoners he's seen had something like this. And even if there were, the striping would be based on the coloration of the zoner. This one, however, was random and erratic. There was no rhyme or reason for it.

Then something came to his mind. He thought about magic chalk. He was aware of the normal white type, the evil red type, and the corrupting black type. He also knew there were other types, such as orange, blue, green, and purple, but he had no idea what their powers were. What he did know is that those drawn with red chalk were always red in color, with a red outline. Black and white produced zoners of different colorations, not just red. But with red chalk, always red...

He looked back at the blurred picture, staring at the striped outline. He didn't think it was possible... He had never heard of such a thing before. But was it possible that this zoner was half white chalk, half red chalk? If that was so, maybe that would explain the striped outline. If it were a hybrid of white and black, there would be no striped outline. But because red chalk always produces red drawings, if it were paired up with white chalk, the outline would become striped like a candycane.

This revelation startled Skrawl. He was well aware of how vicious red chalk was. That was why, when he used to scheme, he never touched the stuff. He knew it always backfired on creators who dared to try to use it. He had never considered exploiting red chalk for his own personal use. And he couldn't fathom why someone would try to merge white and red chalk together.

Although he had never met any hybrid zoner, he already had his own ideas on what a hybrid zoner of white and red would be like. Traits of both mixed in together like that. A zoner who could think, decide for themselves, combined with the ruthlessness of red chalk, the willingness to attack completely unprovoked without sympathy or hesitation. Such a zoner would be very dangerous. He doubted even Draow would be able to face a hybrid zoner.

He was certain that it was a hybrid zoner that freed Draow. It would explain why the zoner was so disproportionately vicious, why they were so intent on Draow, the most aggressive zoner locked up in that jail. But what it doesn't explain is why it so hard to find. It shouldn't be hard to spot a zoner that had a striped outline. They would stick out like a sour thumb. So this zoner...it must have a way of getting around without being seen. Maybe it knew when zoners would be out and about. And if that were the case, all Skrawl had to do was be somewhere the zoner did not expect him to be, and he could get it that way.

But wait...that might not work. How does this zoner know where everyone was going to be, and when to go to certain places? The more he thought about it, the more he realized there had to be cameras. They must be positioned in random places in ChalkZone. If that was how this zoner was figuring out when it can make moves without anyone knowing, Skrawl knew he was going to have to be very careful in how he handles the rest of this investigation.

Skrawl turned his attention to the strange occurrences going on. He had gotten reports from his Beanie Boys about a sinkhole destroying a playground, strange movement involving male chocolate rabbits, and, the strangest of all, the golf course erupting in fire and lava. All of them were really odd, out of place. The places were clearly tampered with. But why? What was the purpose? The only thing he could think of was that they must be death traps. But...just who were they for?

He didn't have to think about that long. One of his Beanie Boys reported that he spotted Snap somewhere in the Candycane Forest. So Snap was involved with this. Skrawl didn't think for a moment Snap was causing all of this, or whoever was with him. No, he was certain this hybrid zoner was behind it all. And Draow. He would have tried to contact Snap, but Skrawl wasn't stupid. If this zoner was watching many places in ChalkZone, then he would see him try to contact Snap and try to do something about it.

No, he had to be smart about this.

He was also certain that this hybrid zoner thought ahead and had at least one spy. Someone to scout ChalkZone, acting all innocent, ready to carry out orders when it was given to them. And Skrawl already had an idea on who it was. One of his own men...

Skrawl has his suspicions that one of his own wardens under his command wasn't who he seemed to be. His story involving how Draow escaped was the most confusing one, and didn't add up with the others. Skrawl didn't bother calling the warden out or say anything, though. If his suspicions proved to be right, then he had to act like he didn't know anything. That way, if the warden truly was a spy, he wouldn't be able to tell the hybrid zoner that he, Skrawl, knew anything. For now, Skrawl had to act oblivious.

There was something else that was cause for alarm. He hadn't seen Rudy or Penny for a while now. It was day two. He would have thought that they would be back here by now to tell him anything else they found out. It wasn't like Master Tabootie to sherk his responsibilities like that. The genius girl wouldn't be like that either. It didn't take long for Skrawl to know something was wrong with them.

He was able to put two and two together. The hybrid zoner that seemed to appear out of nowhere. The death traps that were set up, where Snap was forced to fight for his life. The disappearance of Rudy and Penny. They were all connected. He conclude that Rudy and Penny must have been captured. He had little proof. It wasn't like he could go find them and confirm it. But that was the only thing that made sense to him. That was the only reason why Rudy and Penny would vanish without a trace, without leaving behind anything, not even a message. And it would explain why Snap was running through these deathtraps. Whoever made the death traps...

...must have Rudy and Penny captured and held hostage somewhere. And he guessed it was in ChalkZone. His eyes widened in horror at the realization. They couldn't eat or drink chalk stuff. The two of them would die slowly and painfully if that were the case. Something had to be done...and fast.

The door suddenly flung open. Skrawl raised his head. He saw one of his Beanie Boys flying in, an uncharacteristically shocked expression on his face. Skrawl immediately straightened up in his seat, staring at the Beanie Boy expectantly.

"What is it?" Skrawl asked cautiously, worried about what the Beanie Boy was about to say.

The Beanie Boy stopped, hovering in the air. He panted heavily. He must have come a long way. Skrawl could see the sweat pouring down his face. He looked incredibly thirsty. Just how far had he gone? Where had he been? And what did he see that shocked him so much?

"Sir..I was...I was able to..." The Beanie Boy panted even more, swallowing in a futile attempt to hydrate himself. Skrawl handed the Beanie Boy a glass of water. He drank it up immediately and wiped his mouth. "Thanks, sir." Now his voice sounded less raspy and more clear.

"Now what are you going on about?" Skrawl said, his eyes slightly narrowed. He made a gesture with his arm for the Beanie Boy to continue. "Out with it!"

The Beanie Boy said, "Skrawl, I was searching around the jungle, trying to find evidence of more traps like you told me to."

"Did you find any?" Skrawl asked.

The Beanie Boy shook his head. "I didn't look too far. I...found something else."

"Something that made you fly all the way back here to report it?" Skrawl asked. The flying zoner nodded his head once to confirm. Whatever he had found, it must have been very important to cause him to abandon his duty and come back to report to him. "What did you find?"

"An injured zoner!" The Beanie Boy cried, his eyes wide.

Skrawl's eyes widened slightly. "An injured zoner? What happened to him or her..?"

"Him. I found him in the jungle. It looked like he sustained multiple injuries. Some of them looked to be treated, but there were others that weren't." The Beanie Boy explained, his voice saddened by the report. He paused for a moment, and then said in a remorseful tone. "Skrawl...this zoner has clearly been the victim of multiple attacks. Whoever was hurting him, they did it again and again. This zoner has been horrifically abused. I'm...surprised he is still alive..."

"Abused..?" Skrawl said. His mind flashed back to the horrible treatment Snap got from Mr. Cosmo. "Who is the zoner? Were you able to confirm his identity?"

"Yes, sir." The flying zoner nodded his head slowly. "It is Barney, that centipede zoner that has the entire history of ChalkZone inside of him."

At this, Skrawl's eyes widened in shock. He responded in a low voice. "Barney...?"

sss

Snap, Rapsheeba, and Blocky pressed their backs against the stone wall. There was nowhere for them to go. Nowhere to run. The horde was getting closer each second that passed. Snap looked around, his heart racing. If they didn't figure out a way out of here, they were going to be goners.

Some of the zombies had tried to attack them. They fought back. They worked together to get the horde to move back a little. But no matter how many punches, kicks, and throws they dished out, it was never good enough. There were too many zombies, and they found themselves the ones being pushed back. They were using up so much strength fighting off the zombies. Their muscles ached from the fatigue. Hunger started to settle in, becoming more prominent now that they were using up so much energy just trying to survive.

They had to do something to finish this game, and quickly. Snap thought back to the note. This game may require a sacrifice...His eyes widened at this. Could it be talking about one of his friends getting left behind? No..no he wouldn't allow that to happen. There had to be a way out of here that wouldn't involve him having to leave behind one of his friends. He couldn't let them get ripped apart. No, he wouldn't allow it.

He looked behind him and glared at the stone wall. If only this wasn't here. If only there was a path here. They could make a run for it. But no, someone had to put this stupid wall here, trapping him and his two friends while flesh-eating zombies were cornering them. They were running out of time. And so were Rudy and Penny.

A zombie lunged for Rapsheeba. He ran over and lifted up his walking stick. He swung it at the zombie, knocking it into the ground. Another one grabbed at Snap, pulling him away. Rapsheeba returned the favor with a kick to the zombie's chest, throwing them back into the horde approaching them. Blocky fought off another zombie, pushing them back. And yet still, more came, and the three were getting exhausted. They wouldn't be able to keep this up forever.

"It's no use. They keep coming..." Blocky said, his body trembling. He already sustained a pretty bad bite mark on his arm. And he knew that wasn't going to be the last one. "We need a way out of here."

"But the only way out is through the zombies." Rapsheeba said, staring in horror as the zombies got closer. More and more of them just kept showing up, and quickly the passageway they were in was getting smaller and smaller, feeling more like a prison. "How are we going to get past them? There's too many! They'll rip us apart if we get close!"

Snap looked around frantically. No cheating was allowed. They could go through the hedges. And even if they were allowed, the hedges were thorny here. Going through them would tear into them. And they were thick. They wouldn't be able to make it to the other side without wasting considerable time.

"Well...we have to think of something, and fast." Snap said, clenching his teeth in fear.

Once again, he looked behind him. The stone wall seemed to be mocking them. He could picture Bardot's face on it, laughing at their pitiful progress. He could practically hear Bardot's voice now, taunting them on how they would never make it out alive. He could hear him flaunting on how much pain and misery he put Rudy and Penny through. The wall..it was laughing at them...

Snap walked up to the wall and scowled at it. He pulled his right foot back and kicked the wall. He winced a little at the pain, but the scowl remained on his face. He stared back at his friends. They were looking at him, shocked.

"Rudy and Penny are in trouble. They need our help." Snap said through clenched teeth. His body shook in anger. "But how can we save them if we can't even save ourselves? And it's all because of this stupid wall!"

"Snap...we'll find a way out." Rapsheeba said. She went over and put her hands on his shoulders. "We'll think of something."

"Stupid wall...?" Blocky whispered. He stared at the wall.

"Blocky...?"

Snap and Rapsheeba watched in confusion as Blocky went over to the wall. He stared at it intently. He put his hand on it, feeling it up and down. He formed a fist and pounded on it a little. He stood there for a few minutes, pondering something. His two friends looked at each other in confusion. What was Blocky up to?

Slowly, Blocky looked back at them. He had an expression like he knew something that they didn't. He rushed back over towards them, his eyes wide with realization.

"This is a secret exit!" Blocky cried.

"What?" Snap asked. "A secret exit?"

Blocky nodded his head. "Yeah! The stone wall opens! Well it should..it seems to be locked in place." He looked back at the wall. "From what I read, Jacko usually has a second exit to the maze. It's all part of a game he used to hold. Prizes were given to anyone who could find the randomnly placed secret exit."

Snap and Rapsheeba were surprised Blocky knew this. They didn't think he was a fan of Jacko. Or maybe he just heard from a fan or something. They stared at the wall. If this was a secret exit, then why wasn't it opening? It's almost as if Bardot purposely blocked it off. Of course Bardot wouldn't make things easy for them.

So they were still back to square one. The horde was getting closer. They were getting tired of fighting back at them. It was only a matter of time before the zombies tore into their flesh. This secret exit was going to do them no good. They had to think of something else.

"Blocky, that was interesting information and all but..." Snap stared at the wall and shook his head. "It's not going to help us."

"Oh yes it will." Blocky said.

"What do you mean?" Snap asked, confused.

Blocky stared at Rapsheeba and Snap. His eyes were narrowed yet wide at the same time. They were filled with determination, intent. He looked back over at the wall. His hands formed into fists, shaking from emotion. He then looked back at his friends. And he gave the most knowing smile he could ever give. It took seconds for his two friends to realize just what he was suggesting.

"What...?" Snap cried in horror. He shook his head. "Blocky..no...you can't!"

"There's got to be another way!" Rapsheeba cried.

Blocky shook his head slowly. "No. There isn't." He glanced at the wall. "This is the only way." He stared at his two friends. Tears formed in his eyes. "I'll...miss you guys."

That hit Snap like a ton of bricks. His body shook. He couldn't let it happen. No, the sacrifice wouldn't take place. He rushed over to Blocky and grabbed him. He shook him, hoping to knock sense into him.

"No! You're not going to do it, Blocky! I won't let you!" Snap cried.

Blocky stared at his blue friend. He said, "I'm sorry Snap..."

With that, Blocky grabbed Snap in his arms. He rushed over to the wall. Before Snap could protest, he was flung over with as much force as Blocky could muster. Snap landed just outside of the hedge maze. He rolled across the ground, his walking stick still gripped tightly in his hand. He skidded to a stop and coughed, mud and dirt covering his costume. He shook his head and looked back towards the maze, his eyes wide in horror.

Seconds later, he saw Rapsheeba being thrown over the edge. She landed a foot in front of him. She hit against her back into the ground. She grunted in pain as a rock scraped against her back. She sat up, hissing in pain and rubbing where she was hit. She then looked over at the maze in in fear. She looked at Snap, thinking the same thing he was.

The two rushed over to the maze. They pounded against the wall, attempted to climb up, anything to get back to Blocky. But it was no use. The only way back in was through the entrance, and that might be against the rules. And even if it weren't, they quickly realized they would not have been able to make it in time.

Blocky's pain-filled cries echoed through the air, filling their hearts with dread. For the next few minutes, all they heard was Blocky's blood-curdling screams, his pleas for mercy. They heard him get ripped apart, claws tearing into flesh. And then, nothing. There was silence. No wait..not silence. Blocky was whimpering in misery and pain now. There was still time. If they could just get over the wall...

Just then, there was a shadow casted over them. Something flew in real low, causing air to rush past Snap and Rapsheeba, almost knocking them to their feet. Dead lives were kicked up into the air, swirling around like they were just dancing. The two zoners coughed and looked up to see who it was.

Snap's eyes widened. "Draow...? What's he doing here?"

Draow flew into the maze. He landed on the ground. Snap and Rapsheeba could feel the thud as he hit the dirty floor.

"Off him!" Came Draow's dark voice.

For a few seconds, Snap and Rapsheeba could hear the gnashing of jaws, crunching of bone, and the throwing of bodies. This only lasted a brief time before Draow suddenly surfaced again, flapping his wings, steadily rising. And in his talons, he held a badly injured Blocky.

Rapsheeba rushed forward. "Blocky!"

Draow took a moment to sneer at the two remaining zoners before taking off. The two zoners wanted to rush after him, but Draow was moving too fast. They watched as they carried their friend away. And soon, they were completely out of sight.

The full weight of what happened hit them heavily. The impact crashed down on them like a broken house. They continued to stare at where Blocky had been taken. No, it couldn't be, no... They had lost Blocky... He was still alive, but...for how long? What did Draow plan on doing with him? What did Bardot want to do to him?

Their bodies shook. Tears filled their eyes. They turned to each other. They were the remainders. They were what was left. They hugged each other and cried. They couldn't believe they had just lost one of their own. And they had no idea what was going to happen to him. They don't know what was to become of their fallen comrade. Would he be alive for much longer? What was in store for him?

They had little time to grieve. The radio beeped, signalling Bardot contacting them. Snap gritted his teeth hatefully. Of all the zoners to talk to right now, he was the last one he wanted to hear right now.

"What do you want?" Snap asked, mustering as much hostility in his voice as he could.

"It looks like you are down by one, Snap." Bardot chortled in an amused tone. "It's a shame your dear friend Blocky had to take the fall. That was...pretty brave of him though. To give himself up so you two could continue. He must be really brave...or really foolish." Snap and Rapsheeba snarled at this. "But now that you have lost a party member, Snap, it is down to just you and Rapsheeba. You must be careful with the remainder of the games. You never know when you will lose Rapsheeba and you will be all alone."

Snap growled. "You're a monster..."

Bardot chuckled at this. "Perhaps you are right..."

Rapsheeba spoke up. "What are you going to do with Blocky?!"

"Temper, temper..." Bardot scolded her almost like he was her father. She hissed at this. Bardot said, "He is fine...for now. Draow was just retrieving him for me. He will be locked in one of my chambers until the games are over. After that, his fate will be decided by you, Snap. Defeat me, and he'll go free. Lose, and he'll be killed off."

"That's sick and twisted..." Rapsheeba growled, her eyes narrowed hatefully.

"What kind of monster gets kicks out of messing with, endangering, and taking lives for no reason?" Snap snarled at the radio. He was so tempted to smash it, but that wouldn't be a smart move.

Bardot chuckled darkly. He didn't bother answering Snap's question. Instead, he apparently decided to taunt Snap some more. "I hope you plan on picking up the pace..because time is running out for your little friends."

Snap's eyes widened a little as he said that. "Rudy...Penny..."

"You better hurry up, Snap. I hope you are truly confident you can save them from me. Because they are going to need all the help they can get soon enough. Even if you beat me, they will still be in trouble. By the time I am done with them, they will be barely alive..."

As he said that, there was a striking sound. Screams from Rudy and Penny could be heard. Snap and Rapsheeba took a startled step back, their eyes wide in horror. Another strike, another couple of screams filled their hearts with dread and fear. Rudy and Penny sounded like they were in a lot of pain. Then whimpers...just what had Bardot done to them?

Then Bardot apparently struck them again. Louder, sharper screams...Snap and Rapsheeba were horrified by this.

"Leave them alone!" Snap cried, tears filling his eyes. "Please..leave them alone!"

"Stop it!" Rapsheeba joined in, just as emotional about this as Snap. "They're just kids!"

Surprisingly, Bardot did stop. They heard their friends' ragged breathing. They sounded almost relieved, thankful that Bardot was leaving them alone.

"That is just a taste of what they've been through here... and what they will endure soon." Bardot said in a threatening tone. "And if you don't speed things up, Snappy boy...their blood will be on your hands." After that, the radio cut off.

Snap stared at Rapsheeba in horror, the full weight of what happened crashing in all around him. He had lost one of his friends, taken away by Draow, and now Rudy and Penny had been tortured right in front of him, in a sense. Bardot's threat was terrifying. There...there wasn't much time to spare.

Urgency filling his heart, he turned to Rapsheeba. "We've got to hurry!"

Rapsheeba nodded in agreement. "We'll get to them. Don't worry, Snap."

Snap gave a small smile. "I know..."

With that, the two went over to locate the note so they could locate the next game.