"Watch out, queenie!" Snap cried. He jumped into the air and pushed Rapsheeba out of the way as a red hot laser shot the space she once stood in.
Rapsheeba barely had time to glance at the burnt area before shouting, "Thanks! I just hope we can keep up the pace!"
The two zoners ran across the landscape. Several zoners watched in astonishment and horror as the two were chased by basketballs. Of all the things...basketballs. Yeah, it sounded crazy. Even Snap would admit it was farfetched. But any zoner watching could tell, if he said anything about this, that he'd be speaking the truth.
Snap had not expected this kind of deathtrap. He would have thought something like an explosion or another use of lava or poisonous gas or something. They were in a building, all that confined space. He was surprised Bardot didn't take advantage of that. And he felt grateful that he didn't seize the opportunity to do something much worse.
But he was still shocked when the deathtrap was sprung. As the timer activated midway through their basketball game, the ball they were using started to glow. Then it shifted, sprouting mechanical wings and a long stinger. It began to go after them, trying to jab its stinger into them. Snap and Rapsheeba fought back as best as they could, knocking it into the ground and breaking it. But right after they did that, the other basketballs on the rack all activated, all sprouting wings and stingers. Unlike the first one, these were equipped with lasers, and they didn't hesitate to use them.
Unable to fight back effectively and both suffering a couple of shots to their arms and back, Snap and Rapsheeba started to flee. Snap managed to grab the card for the next game before they exited the building. He had a feeling that there would be witnesses to them being chased, but right now, all he was focused on was getting as far away from this place as possible.
Relentlessly, the mechanical things chased after them. They blasted laser after laser, trying to strike them down. A few times they would catch up to them and try to ram them into the ground. The zoners managed to dodge these attacks, but they didn't know how long they could keep it up.
It was a little easier moving along now that they both got something to eat. But it was just the bare minimum. Not much water, just enough to satisfy them for a short time, and only a little bit of food. Oh well, it was something at least. Now they had a little more energy they could work with, but they still had to be very careful.
They soon came to a crowd, a busy part with a lot of zoners. Snap widened his eyes. Rapsheeba was just as shocked. They looked at the mechanical things behind them. They couldn't turn around now. They had no choice but to rush through. They pushed past the zoners, some of them accidentally knocked into the ground.
The zoners looked upset with the two, demanding to know what they were doing. But the two of them couldn't stop, no matter how loud the zoners in the crowd cried out to them. They were immediately silenced as they spotted the mechanical basketballs and realized, with cold shudders, why Snap and Rapsheeba were running away. The zoners immediately screamed and began to run away, pushing against each other, trying to disperse. A few zoners ended up trampled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Then something happened that made Snap feel horrible. He had thought that Bardot programmed the bots to just go after him and Rapsheeba. He had been wrong...
The bots, apparently tired of chasing after the two, had started going after the crowd. They hounded the trampled zoners, taking advantage of their injuries, and started to blast them. A couple others pursued the smaller zoners trying to get away. The street was soon filled with cries of pain, zoners calling for help. The scene was horrific for Snap and Rapsheeba to see, let alone listen to, but they couldn't stop to help, for three bots were still coming their way, pushing them further and further away from the crowd.
Snap hoped that the zoners there would be okay. He felt really bad for unintentionally leading the bots to them. He didn't know that Bardot would be so low as to let the bots attack innocent zoners. The spikes were one thing. They were just that. Spikes. But these were robots. Clearly sentient ones. Did Bardot think it wasn't necessary to program them to leave bystanders alone? Guess not.
The thought sickened Snap. So many zoners and humans were being hurt or even killed. And for what? This stupid experiment Bardot insists on doing on him. It wasn't like the results would even justify the means at all. The only result would be how long he could take a beating. That was it. That wasn't going to help Bardot with anything. It wasn't going to make up for the pain and suffering he had caused. But it wasn't like Bardot cared about that.
Soon, he and Rapsheeba found themselves running towards a tall building. Their eyes widened. It looked as though they were reaching a dead end. And behind them, the last three bots were coming at them, faster and faster.
"What do we do?!" Rapsheeba cried. "There's no place to turn around here!"
She was right about that. At their sides were buildings that were pressed together, with no alleyways. They weren't sure what kind of person would draw a street like this, unless they were environmentalists trying to keep everything tight and compact to avoid using so much space. But at the moment, it was going to be their death sentence. Having no choice, they could only run straight ahead.
None of the shops were open. The only direction they could go was forward. Snap wanted to try to rush towards one of the buildings to get it to open. But what would be the use? They all said 'closed' on them. And he doubted he could break the glass that easily. Even if he could, by the time he did, the bots would be upon them, blasting away with their laser stingers.
Then Snap got an idea. It wasn't a particularly smart one, but it wasn't like they had much of a choice. He looked over at Rapsheeba, touching her arm briefly as they ran next to each other.
"Head towards the wall! And on my signal, we both run to the side!" Snap told her.
"Are you sure?" Rapsheeba asked, eyeing the wall suspiciously. "What if we...?"
"Trust me!" Snap replied, staring intently at the wall. "Ready..."
They were ten feet in front of the wall. Rapsheeba looked behind her momentarily, a nervous look on her face. The bots kept shooting lasters at them.
"Set..."
Now five feet. The bots were almost upon them now. Rapsheeba now looked at Snap worriedly. She looked like she wanted to protest, but, seeing no other choice, she obligued.
"Go!"
As soon as he said that, the two of them were less than a foot in front of the wall. Maybe 10 inches at most. The two of them dodged to the side, Rapsheeba to the left and Snap to the right. They dove into the ground, landing in a thud. The bots, unable to make such a sharp turn in such a short period of time, smashed into the wall. There was a loud crunch as they hit the solid surface before they fell to the ground, robotic parts flying everywhere.
Rapsheeba and Snap stared at the debris, panting heavily. It was hard to believe, after being chased for a while by those things, they could finally take a moment and breathe. Their lungs felt like they were on fire, and they both desperately wanted something to drink. They had a little bit of water left, but they had to save it for much later. There were still four more games left to play.
The two barely had time to say anything when the radio activated. Snap growled. Now he would have to listen to more of what this monster had to say. Reluctantly, he answered it.
"Bardot..." He hissed into the radio.
"Snap." Bardot replied, sounding eerily cheerful, almost forced. "I see you did well against my basketbots. Such a clever trick you pulled, tricking them into crashing into a wall like that." Snap growled at his compliment. "But tell me something, Snap. How does it feel murdering three zoners?"
Rapsheeba's eyes widened. "We didn't murder them!"
"Oh no?" Bardot asked, sounding as innocent as he could.
Snap nodded his head and said, "All we did was jump out of the way!"
"And in doing so, you led them to their doom. They're all smashed up against the wall, dead." Bardot noted. "They were sentient, too. And I know you knew that, Snap White. If you hadn't drove them into the wall, they'd still be alive."
Snap growled, but did not reply.
"You accuse me of being a murderer. And yes I admit, I have taken lives before. I will not lie." Bardot said. "But in the end, are you really that much different from me? You've taken lives as well. Three sentient zoners. Robots, but still zoners nonetheless. And you were about to eat three chocolate bunny babies years ago. They were sentient. And yet you were going to kill them anyway. Innocent little babies..."
Snap's breath quickened and he felt his heart start to race. Intense emotion filled his chest. Who did this jerk think he was? Playing mind games with him? This was the same thing Mr. Cosmo tried to pull on Rudy over a year ago.
Bardot chuckled darkly. "I guess you are more like me than you are willing to admit."
Something went off inside of Snap. He clutched the radio tightly, his eyes widening in anger. Rapsheeba looked at him worriedly and took a few steps back. "I am nothing like you!" With that, Snap, without thinking, threw the radio into the ground. It skidded across the floor and came to a step three feet away from him.
Snap seethed, staring at the radio with pure hatred etched on his face. He felt Rapsheeba touch his shoulders to try to calm him down. He ignored her. His focus was purely on the radio on the ground. There was a few sparks and crackles, and at first, he thought it was broken.
But then Bardot's cold laughter came through, intensifying the hatred and rage Snap felt in his heart.
"Whoa there, take a chill pill. No need for such...animosity." Bardot said.
"Screw you!" Snap snarled.
"Snap..." Rapsheeba said calmly. "Please settle down. This isn't going to help anyone."
"Yes, Snap. You should listen to your girlfriend there." Bardot said mockingly. "You never know when your words will land your friends in danger."
Snap's eyes widened at this. His hands shook in anger. "What have you done to them now...?"
"Right now, they have been brought back to their holding chamber." Bardot said. Snap was shocked by this. Brought back? What happened? "The two of them had decided to attempt an escape. It didn't take us long to find them. They obviously had no idea where they were going. They will be punished very soon. And once we are done with them, they will not try to escape...not that they'll even be able to walk afterwards..."
With that, the radio cut out.
Snap stood there, his body shaking. Not being able to walk...that brought back horrific memories. He remembered when he couldn't walk for a while. And now, it seemed that his friends were going to suffer the same fate. No longer able to walk... He felt tears form in his eyes. No...please..not them...
Rapsheeba wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "Shh..it's okay. We'll find them and everything will be all right..."
Snap wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe everything would be okay in the end. But how could he be certain? He..he didn't even know what Bardot and Draow were going to do. What if they...what if they rip his friends' legs off?
What then...?
sss
Skrawl entered Barney's room, paying him another visit. He had left for a short time so the centipede could be treated. He was still on the bed, but now any new injury he had recieved was bandaged up. The legs that were broken were now covered in casts to keep them still. His wings were stitched up, though it was doubtful they'd ever be useful again. More bandages wrapped around his body, several of them covering up his body monitors.
Barney definitely looked better, more stable, than the last time he saw him. It was still hard to tell when he was awake or not, though. With his eyelids sealed shut, it always looks like he's asleep when he's laying down. The only reason he knew he was awake now was because part of his body was raised up and he had his head turned in his direction, as if to say 'yeah I know you're here'.
Skrawl recalled what else Barney had told him before he left him alone to be patched up. He had mentioned that King Mumbo Jumbo had helped him with his old injuries, bandaging them up. He had been forced to lie to his friend, telling him that he had been clumsy since he became blind. But, because of Bardot, he coudn't allow Mumbo Jumbo to move in with him; he was fearful Bardot would try to attack him in his sleep.
The jellybean zoner wondered how suspicious Mumbo Jumbo had become in regards to his friend's strange behavior. Being clumsy wasn't a very good excuse for a year of injuries like these. Some of the wounds were so bad they would never fully heal right. One leg was permanently mangled and would never be very useful again. He did understand that becoming blind was a big change, but blind folk weren't stupid and it sure as heck wouldn't take years to adjust to blindness.
So yeah, the king had to have suspected something. He might have tried to get more information out of Barney. Due to Bardot's threats, Barney had been forced to stay quiet. Skrawl had plans on visiting Mumbo Jumbo and telling him himself. He had to know about this. Maybe he could convince the king to stay with his friend. Skrawl had a feeling that Barney might be attacked again, so having a bodyguard around would be a good idea. And who better than his own friend, who happened to be a turtle, or tortoise as Barney would insist, whose shell would protect him from the hybrid zoner?
Skrawl had to know something more, though. If this hybrid zoner was part red chalk, then maybe there was something in the centipede's database he could use. A way to subdue Bardot. He had never thought of this before. But maybe there was something that could be used to weaken Bardot, something that affects red chalk zoners. If he could just figure out what Mr. Cosmo used to create the red chalk...
"Hey, Barney?" Skrawl asked.
"What is it?" Barney replied. There was a bit more strength in his voice from before. He was definitely feeling a little better.
"I know you don't to talk about Bardot, or giving out information in general. I know you already told me a lot, but..there's still more I have to ask you." Skrawl said. "Do you know anything about the red chalk? Do you know what Mr. Cosmo used to create it?"
Barney didn't reply. The fear-filled look returned. Skrawl could tell he was being reminded of Bardot. Normally, he would be a bit more forceful, even a little hostile, to get answers. But with Barney, he thought it best to be more gentle with him. He had been through a lot already.
Still, he needed that information as soon as possible. He knew that more talking about Bardot and red chalk may not be what the centipede wanted to do, but it was still important. This information could save ChalkZone from this hybrid menace. And the only one who could give such advantageous information was the injured centipede laying on the hospital beds before him.
"I understand you are frightened. But you must tell me more." Skrawl said, trying to reason with him. "This information could stop Bardot. Don't you want to get back at the zoner who did all this to you? Don't you want the zoner who had abused you for so long to be brought to justice?"
A few tears streamed down Barney's face. Slowly, he nodded his head. "Y-Yes... I want him to leave me alone..."
"And he will if you tell me more. We can use the information against him. You can help us stop him." Skrawl said. "After what you've been through, you deserve a chance to get back at this guy. So please...tell me." Skrawl hoped that Barney would be more cooperative now. "What did Mr. Cosmo use to create the red chalk?"
Though Barney was still shaken up, he still responded, albeit with a shaky voice. "He..he used the inflatamice... the tiny vicous red bats..."
Skrawl's eyes snapped wide open. "The ones that caused that one disease? Balloonemia or what?"
Barney nodded his head. "Yes.. Cosmo found out about them and used the black chalk to create more of them, as many as he wanted, and then ground their bodies up and used their dusty remains to create the red chalk. As you would imagine, it didn't have the results Cosmo wanted."
Skrawl couldn't believe it. The red chalk was created from the inflatamice. Those vicious little red bites that attack anyone unprovoked. A sudden wave of realization hit him. That would explain why red chalk drawings were so evil. That explains why they would turn against even their own creators.
Barney continued, "Cosmo never bothered to figure out how to subdue the red chalk creations that he had unleashed, choosing instead to just erase them. But there is a way to stop red chalk drawings without having to kill them."
"And what way would that be?" Skrawl asked.
"The purple chalk." Barney replied.
Skrawl blinked at this. "Purple chalk?"
The centipede nodded. "Yes, the purple chalk. Anything drawn with it, if it touches a zoner of red chalk, it has a nullifying effect, calming them and even stripping them of some of their powers. I imagine if used on Bardot, he will lose his speed and venom capabilities."
The purple chalk... So now they had a weapon they could use against Bardot. But the question was... was there even any still left in the Chalk Mine? And would they be able to get the purple chalk and locate Bardot in time to save Rudy, Penny, and Snap?
Skrawl knew there wasn't much time to spare.
sss
Rudy screamed in pain as he was lifted off the ground. Draow's jaws clamped over his right hand once more. He felt the sharp teeth tear into the makeshift bandage Penny had put on it. The pain was intense, unbearable. Tears of pain streamed down his face. He stared into Draow's eyes pleadingly.
He looked down at Penny, who laid not far from him. She was pinned on the ground, Bardot laying across her so she can't move. His claws pressed into her shoulders and he could see a little bit of blood coming out. She looked at him with a horrified expression. She really wanted to help him, but there was nothing she could do.
Rudy looked back at Draow. He let out a few whimpers. He had already tried pleading for mercy. But the bat wolf didn't care. He felt himself being thrown into the ground. He let out a cry of pain as he was hit against the hard floor again and again. Then he was pressed down by Draow's foot. The grip on his broken hand tightened. Then Draow started to bite down harder, and he realized, in fright, that Draow was going to rip his right hand off.
He attempted to struggle. He was unable to get free. He screamed loudly as Draow's teeth started to cut into his hand, tearing into his flesh. He felt hot blood pour from the wound as veins and arteries were sliced apart. Draow started to twist his wrist, preparing to shatter it and cause his arm and hand to get a 'divorce'. The pain intensifying, Rudy thrashed on the ground, kicking his legs wildly.
"No please! Don't do it!" Penny cried, tears streaming down her face, staining it red. "Let him go! Please!"
Draow paused for a moment, only to glare at her, and then he went back to work twisting Rudy's right hand. Rudy's screams echoed off the walls of the room. The boy was hyperventilating in pain, his eyes wide open.
"He should have known better than to try to escape. And that goes for you, too." Bardot said. There was no smile on his face this time. Just anger, a subdued rage. He was not happy that they tried to leave before his 'game' was over. "He will be punished. And don't think you will get off that easily either." His voice was filled with malice.
"Please let him go! It was...it was my idea to try to escape!" Penny pleaded. "Do what you want with me! Just please...don't rip his hand off...please.." She closed her eyes and started to sob, her body shaking with emotion. "It was my fault...not his...please let him go..."
Bardot stared at her. He then turned his head towards Draow. By now, Draow was almost done twisting the wrist, and in seconds, he would rip it off completely. Bardot glanced down at Penny, a thoughtful expression mixing in with the anger. Then he lifted up his paw and waved it dismissingly.
"Let the boy go." Bardot said.
Though disappointed, Draow obeyed, releasing Rudy. The boy breathed in sharply, pulling his right hand to his body, gently cradling it with his left arm. Bardot gestured for Draow to come over. The bat wolf slowly walked over to where Penny laid on the ground.
Though his mind was muggy from the pain, the world around him still swirling, Rudy was aware enough of what was going on. He kept whispering 'no' in a pained voice as he looked over at Penny. His eyes were wide, mixed with fear and pain. He tried to get up, but he was in too much agony from his twisted wrist. There was nothing he could do.
Rudy laid on the ground helplessly as Penny was pinned to the ground like she was before. Draow gripped her leg and started twisting it again. Penny screamed, struggling against the wolf's grasp. Rudy's body shook in horror as the leg was being pushed towards its breaking point just like before. And this time, there was nothing that would stop Draow from completing the task. Bardot wouldn't speak up this time; he just stood there, watching, his cold glare practically piercing Penny.
Penny struggled and kicked her other leg, punching Draow with her hand, trying to get free. She begged and pleaded with them. Rudy wanted to speak up, but his voice was temporarily taken from him due to the pain in his wrist. If he tried to open his mouth, all that would come out were moans and cries of pain.
A second later and there was a loud crunch sound that reverberated around the room. Rudy's eyes widened, his heart freezing, veins running cold. As that snap echoed in his mind, another sound came with it. A bloodcurdling scream from his best friend, her eyes opening up so wide it almost looked like they would fall out. Then, moments later, the pain was too much for Penny to handle and she collapsed on the ground in a heap.
Draow picked her up in his jaws and threw her towards Rudy. She hit the ground in a heavy thud. Rudy looked at her with a horrified expression, now able to see the extent of the damage. Her leg had been twisted completely in the opposite direction, her toes now facing the wrong direction. The leg did twisted back, but it looked very loose. The skin had been torn and he could see a bit of bone starting to peak out. Blood poured profusely from the bite mark wounds Draow inflicted on the leg.
Rudy hyperventilated, this time in utter horror at what he was seeing. No, Penny...no... Tears flowed down his face. He couldn't believe it. He stared at her leg, his body shaking. Why her? What did she do to deserve this? Anger overwhelming him, he shot a glare at Bardot and Draow.
"Fucking monsters! Cowards! I'm going to..."
He didn't have time to finish that sentence. Bardot rushed towards him. Rudy's eyes snapped wide and he let out a scream of pain as Bardot slashed his claws against his already wounded side, inflicting even more damage to it. He fell to the side, writhing in pain.
Bardot glared down at him, baring his sharp teeth at the boy. "Watch your tongue, human! You and your girlfriend there brought this on yourself!" He glared at the boy with dilated pupils for a few seconds. Then the pupils returned to normal and he raised his head slowly, glaring at the boy with contempt. "May this be a lesson to you."
Rudy glared hatefully at Bardot. Tears covered his face. He wanted to say something, but he was in too much pain.
Bardot turned his head to Draow. "Break his leg, too."
Rudy felt Draow's jaws clamp around his leg. The teeth crushed into it, blood pouring from the puncture wounds. Pain immediately radiated from the leg as he felt the bat wolf start to twist it. He was already so overwhelmed by pain, he could barely register this new pain. His wrist...his side...they were hurting him so badly. His head started to spin.
As he started to register the pain in his leg, spreading all throughout his limb, as he heard his leg start to give way, his world was darkening. Agony was pushing him into darkness, robbing him of his sense of reality. He tried to stay awake, but it was no use.
And as he lost consciousness, the last thing he heard was a resounding snap.