When Bardot had returned to his base, adorning several injuries on his body, Rudy knew something had happened. Something had gone wrong, but for the first time, it wasn't against him or his friends. It was against Bardot. Rudy wondered what could have happened to him. After all this time being tortured by him, it was surprising to see that it was Bardot, this time, who had been injured.
For a little while, Rudy was...well not amused, but satisfied. At least, Bardot got a taste of his own medicine. It was certainly icing on the cake when he saw Bardot looked visibly frightened and shaken up. He could have sworn, for a moment, Bardot's tail had been between his legs. Yes, this was quite satisfying. A little bit of payback for all this monster had done to him and other living beings. Not that he believed it would stop Bardot from doing what he's doing, but it was still some kind of payback.
Bardot had ordered Draow to go get Rapsheeba. Rudy's satisfaction immediately went down the drain as he realized what that had meant. It means that now Rapsheeba was going to suffer at Bardot's claws. And it also meant that Snap had to endure the final 'games' all alone.
A sense of dread welled up inside Rudy and Penny. What would happen if Snap wasn't able to complete the final games alone? What if Bardot pulled something and one of the final games would require a second person? If he did that, then Snap would be unable to finish these 'games'; he would become stuck on one game, and when time ran out..they were all doomed. Their hope for their friend still rang true, however, and they were confidend that, somehow, Snap would be able to get to them soon.
Before Draow left to fetch Raspheeba, he had tried asking what happened to Bardot. The hybrid zoner responded quite aggressively. He snarled at the bat wolf and chomped at him, missing his foot by a few inches. He was clearly not in the mood to talk. Whatever happened to him, it rubbed him the wrong way. It was as if his pride had been shattered when someone, whoever it was, had been able to injure him this badly.
Draow, not wanting to stay there much longer with Bardot that angry, had fled immediately, flapping his wings and taking off. This left the two teenagers alone with Bardot. And they were both visibly afraid. It was hard remaining defiant against this guy, with their injuries becoming infected and pain overwhelming them. It didn't help that they never seen Bardot this angry before. They thought that, at any given moment, he would jump on them and inject venom into them.
But luckily for them, he didn't. Bardot didn't bother talking to them. He simply stood in the doorway, much like Draow had been, and sat on his haunches, much like a dog. Although injured, Bardot acted more or less like he wasn't in any pain. Well most of the time. Sometimes Rudy or Penny would notice a quiver of pain from his torn ear or the tip of his tail. And when he walked, there was a noticeable limp.
This did raise some hope inside of them. If Bardot were injured like this, then he wouldn't be able to fight at full capacity when Snap arrived. He was likely still pretty fast, but with his foot injured like that, they both doubted he would be able to pick up the pace as well. He would be easier for Snap to fight now.
While that might seem like an unfair advantage, Rudy and Penny knew it wasn't so. Snap was getting hurt as well. And Bardot's whole plan seemed to be weakening Snap so he would be easier to take down. Now that Bardot is hurt, at least the playing fields are a little more even.
However, as satisfied as Rudy and Penny were with Bardot getting some taste of his own medicine, though they were happy Bardot was ignoring them for the time being, not even sparing them a glance, they were both uncomfortable with him being in the same room as them. The low growls he was uttering chilled them to the bone. Once in a while, he would strike the ground, slashing his claws against it in vain. They could see his body trembling a little in anger. It looked like the little zoner was about to explode.
Rudy and Penny felt unsafe. Even though Bardot hadn't made a move towards them, his clearly hostile behavior terrified them. He had been so calm and calculating before. Still frightening, but now...it was much worse. He looked like he had gone feral. And in a state where he likely couldn't control his actions as well, who knows what he was going to do?
It had been a little while now since Draow left. The bat wolf still hadn't returned. They didn't know how far away she was. They both silently wished he would return. If Bardot wanted to unleash his anger against another living being, they hoped it would be against Draow, who looked like he could handle the abuse better than them. So badly injured already, the last thing either of them needed was more injuries.
It didn't help that they couldn't walk anymore. Rudy was in so much pain that he had to remain on the ground. Penny could still sit up a little. But with her leg so badly damaged, it caused her too much pain to move around as much. Despite their captors' word that Penny would be their main target, it seemed the most serious injuries were inflicted on Rudy. Perhaps it was because Draow blamed him the most for his master's death and, despite Bardot's orders to hurt Penny more, Draow couldn't control his thirst for vengeance and focused on Rudy.
But either way, the biggest concern on their minds right now were their broken legs. It meant they were much more vulnerable now. Not that they weren't before, but now it was so much more so. They wouldn't be able to get away from their captors. No more escape attempts were possible. And if the two were to approach them, they could do little to back away.
This all reminded Rudy too much of Mr. Cosmo and what he had done to Snap. The memories came back to him, causing a shudder to go up his spine as the horrific reminder flooded his head. He remembered it all too clearly...
He remembered how, the first time Cosmo took him to see his friend, Snap was curled up in the middle of the cell, and how Cosmo walked in to get him. Snap had tried to get away, but wound up cornered. Then Mr. Cosmo grabbed him by his scarf and hoisted him up like it was nothing. Snap looked so scared, so frightened... And the second time around, it was even worse.
For that time, Cosmo had damaged his feet. And with both his feet badly burned, Snap was not able to get up and walk away. That time, when Mr. Cosmo approached, Snap was absolutely terrified, laying on the ground and silently wishing for the man to go away. He looked helpless, and those scared eyes locking onto his... Rudy could still feel the pang in his heart.
And now, he and Penny were experiencing what Snap was. They were feeling the fear and helplessness their friend felt when being held prisoner by Mr. Cosmo. It was a horrible feeling, one that made them feel a little nauseous. And the more they felt it, the more sorry they felt for Snap when he had to endure being Mr. Cosmo's 'favorite' prisoner. Nobody should have had to go through something like that, least of all their best friend. He hadn't done anything to deserve such a fate.
A cold, terrifying thought entered Rudy's mind. Mr. Cosmo had used Snap as bait of sorts. He had used his own friend against him. What if...what if Bardot planned to do the same with Snap? He hadn't thought of it before, but there was a chance, a possibility, that when Snap arrived, he wouldn't even be allowed to fight. He would would be subdued as Bardot and Draow threatened to kill Rudy and Penny, forcing him to surrender...
It was true that Bardot never mentioned such a thing. But..did that really matter? Bardot could still decieve without outright lying. He only told Snap that he would have to face the hybrid zoner and bat wolf. He did not say that he wouldn't harm Rudy and Penny while doing so...
His thoughts were torn from this when he felt Penny touch his shoulder. He turned his head towards her. Her arm was still slung over his body, holding him close to her. She stared at him, her eyes wide in fear. He looked at her sympathetically, wishing there was a way he could calm her down.
Then she uttered something that took him by complete surprise. Something that hadn't crossed his mind.
"What if our parents find us here...?" Penny asked. Her voice was an odd mixture of hope...and fear.
Rudy's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that possibility. He was worried his parents would be captured. That, alone, was a terrifying thought. But the way Penny said that line...it wasn't the simple fact of them being captured she was referring to. She was outright suggesting that their parents could be looking for them, and they could have found the portal Bardot used to get into the real world.
The thought was chilling, making Rudy shiver. During one of the conversations Bardot had with Draow, the hybrid zoner mentioned the zoner-usable blue chalk, which he used to create a portal. Rudy had no idea where the blue chalk was found, and it sounded like Bardot found it by mistake. It wasn't certain if Bardot still had some blue chalk left or if he had used the rest of it creating these elaborate death traps and equipment.
"I mean, I'm sure they are looking for us." Penny whispered, a pained edge to her voice. "What if they...?" She turned her gaze towards Bardot. Rudy noticed her lower lip quivering. "It's bad enough that they would be putting themselves in danger..." He turned back to Rudy and said, "But what if they...?"
Rudy had a feeling he knew what Penny was getting at. "You mean...what if they try to do something drastic, like...keep us from coming here?"
Penny nodded her head. "Yeah. Or what if they tell other people about ChalkZone?" At this, Rudy's eyes widened. "This is where those other people disappeared to. What if they...what if they tell others about this place?"
Rudy couldn't believe he hadn't thought of this before. He didn't know how it hadn't crossed his mind before. If their parents were kidnapped and taken here, or if they found this place on their own, there was still a very real problem that existed even if they all managed to get out okay.
What if their parents came to distrust ChalkZone so much...that they would help expose it? What if they were to ban them completely from the place?
The thought was scary. To think that they might not ever be allowed to come back to this place... Rudy didn't want to think about it. And he could tell neither did Penny. They both wished for the best case scenario. That their parents never find out...or if they do come here, that they would be understanding and help hide ChalkZone. They were their parents after all. Wouldn't they trust their own children when they tell them ChalkZone is harmless?
Then Rudy thought, with a shudder, that they might not believe them. If their parents found out, then a lot of their lies would be exposed. Their parents would learn about all the lies that they told, all the fibs they made, all for the sake of keeping this place a secret. They had been lying to their parents for so long... And while it was for a good cause, Rudy couldn't imagine what that would feel like to their parents, for them to believe that their own kids didn't trust them enough...
Their parents might feel betrayed and angry. Another dimension was a huge deal to keep secret. And it's made worse by the fact that he and Penny had been hurt here before. They had been in so much danger, and yet they never told their parents any of it. They just lied to them, did whatever they could to cover up their injuries. And now it seemed, all that might be biting them back hard.
Rudy refused to let himself give into despair, though. He wanted to hold onto some hope. He wanted to believe their parents would either never find ChalkZone...or they would be understanding. He didn't want to believe that it was all hopeless. He didn't want to believe that, even if Bardot and Draow were defeated, ChalkZone would have to face a much bigger threat. Being exposed to the real world would be very damaging. The lives of everyone living here, compromised and exploited.
Rudy gave Penny the best smile he could in spite of his pain and worry. "I'm sure...it'll work out for the best..." He winced, a pain shooting up his various injuries. Despite this, he kept smiling at Penny. "We just...have to hold onto hope..."
Tears flowing down her face, Penny hugged Rudy a little tighter. "I know. I'm still worried, though."
"I'm sure that we will get out of this." Rudy tried his best to sound hopeful.
Penny gave a smile of her own. A small, faint one. But a smile nonethelss. "As soon as Snap gets here..." Penny said in a soft voice. "We'll be fine."
Yes, Snap. He was their only chance now. He was their hope. And they had to hang onto that hope for as long as possible. No matter what Bardot or Draow did, the two refused to let go of their hopes for Snap. They still believed in him. Even though it was starting to seem hopeless, they wouldn't let their faith in their friend waver.
And if there was one small comfort in all this, they still had each other. Being in each other's company really helped. Rudy didn't know how well he or Penny could manage against their captors mentally if they were separated. He bit his lip as he stared at Bardot. He wondered if Bardot really did plan on doing something like that to them soon. The thought frightened him. He...he didn't want to be separated from his friend...
"I see you two are still holding onto some..lingering hope..."
Rudy and Penny sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of that voice. They looked over. Bardot's head was turned to the side. One of his bright green eyes was staring at them. His torn ear was flicked in their direction, showing that he was listening to their every word.
"Well then..." Bardot slowly turned to face them. His tail moved slowly from side to side, like he was a cat and they were his prey. Rudy shuddered as he realized that is probably how this zoner saw them. "Perhaps it's time I fixed it, don't you think?"
The smile had come back. The same creepy smile they came to know and hate. The anger seemed to be mostly gone. But the tone of his voice as he spoke, little gestures like him digging his claws into the ground, suggested he was far angrier than he let on. He was doing a good job hiding most of it.
In response, Rudy and Penny felt their hearts beat faster and they held onto each other a little tighter. They were scared, but instead of whimpering in fear, they still showed some defiance against their captor. They didn't want to give him the satisfaction of being completely dominant over them. They, despite their fear, were going to do whatever they could to give them a hard time.
Bardot smirked at their bravery. "I am impressed that you two still have some spirit in you after all this time. Usually my victims break down long before this. In fact.." He took a step towards them. He stared intently at Penny. He placed the tip of his claw against the human tooth still slung around his neck and tapped it a few times. "Your dear old daddy fell apart after just six hours of torture."
At the mention of her father, Penny's eyes went wide. For a moment, she was petrified with horror. Her eyes stared at the tooth, the same tooth she knew belonged to her father. Then her face contorted into anger. She clenched her teeth, glaring daggers at the hybrid zoner.
"Bastard..." Penny hissed. "You will pay for that..."
"Hmm... I see you sound so confident in that." Bardot was amused. "I hate to burst your little happy bubble, deary..." He lifted up his uninjured paw and flexed his claws. He stared at the tips, glinting slightly in the light of the torches. "But life can be cruel sometimes."
"Oh shut up will you?!" Rudy snarled.
At this, Bardot turned his head towards him. His eyes were slightly widened and his smile gone. Instead, he stared at the boy with an almost sense of curiosity. He let the boy continue.
"You think you can keep us down? Well you can try and try all you want! But we have been in terrifying situations before, and we always came out okay! And you want to know why? Because we're a team! My friends and I, we will do whatever it takes to help each other! I can trust on their backup. I can trust that they will be by my side. And guess what? I don't use fear or pain to motivate them!" Rudy shouted at the hybrid zoner. "The only reason Draow listens to you is because you threaten to hurt him if he doesn't! If he wanted to, he could take you down very easily...and you know that, don't you?"
Bardot narrowed his eyes a little. Then Penny spoke up.
"Yes, we are afraid of you. Yes, we are both injured and weak. But we are here for each other every step of the way. You can crush our bodies, but you can't crush our spirit! Not completely!" Penny told him. As she spoke, she subconsciously pulled Rudy even closer to her. "You are so confident that you are going to win, so confident that everything will go your way...but judging from those injuries, you aren't invincible, are you? In the end, you are just a bully who uses intimidation to get his way. You...you are the one who is truly pathetic!"
Bardot's ears flattened a little as Penny said that. He growled softly, but didn't make a move towards the two teenagers. Whether or not he was going to attack them was anyone's guess, for the reason Bardot didn't do anything was because footsteps could be heard in the tunnels. Draow had returned.
Draow walked into the room. He folded his wings against his side like a bird, and then walked over to where Bardot was. He stopped in front of the hybrid zoner. His teal eyes did not look in Rudy or Penny's direction.
"I have taken the singer zoner like you told me to." Draow said. "She has been placed in a holding cell. I kept her separated from the rectangular zoner like you ordered."
Rudy and Penny stared at each other. They knew who Draow was talking about. Rapsheeba...they hoped she was okay. They weren't sure if Draow had hurt her while he carried her over here.
"Good, good..." Bardot said, smiling at the winged wolf. "So now Snap is all on his own. I wonder how well he will do now that he doesn't have anymore help." A dark chuckle escaped his throat. "It will be most amusing watching this."
Rudy growled at this. Penny narrowed her eyes in disgust. Bardot still saw Snap as a source of entertainment. He enjoyed watching the pain and suffering of others. It was like a game to him. Even after whoever managed to hurt him got him all banged up, Bardot's willingness to hurt others hadn't been damaged much, if at all. He was enjoying his time toying with lives, with them, and there was no sign of stopping any time soon.
Rudy silently wished that karma would strike back at the guy, and this time, leave a more impressive mark on him than a torn ear. Whatever karma would throw at him, Bardot would deserve it. He was a monster. He had gotten away with way too much. The fact that this guy considers everything he does acceptable and... 'fun'...it was truly disgusting and make him and Penny feel sick to their stomachs. Whenever this guy finally pays for what he did, it could never be done too soon.
"Are you going to contact Snap?" Draow asked, staring towards the radio on the ground.
Bardot scratched his chin thoughtfully. Then he waved a dismissing paw and shook his head. "No, not yet. I want to have a little..." He turned his gaze towards Rudy and Penny. "...fun first..." A smile spread across his face.
Draow turned his cold, teal eyes towards the two. A small smile came onto his face. "What did you have in mind?"
The way Bardot was looking at them...Rudy didn't like it. He did his best to put on a brave face. Penny did likewise.
Bardot said, "It seems their time here wasn't...sufficient enough to break their spirits. They are still quite defiant. For when Snap arrives, I want them to be on their last foot, so to speak. My other victims gave in much sooner. But these too...they seem so hard to break."
Rudy growled at this. Bardot was still determined to break their spirits. He wanted them to feel hopeless. The monster... He would not allow him that satisfaction. He and Penny could continue to defy him mentally. No matter how much pain they are in, as long as they had each other, they could endure practically anything this guy threw at them.
And it seemed Draow understood this as well. "Humans can be so...stubborn in groups. It is hard to coerce them into anything so long as they have the support of another."
As much as Rudy and Penny hated Draow, they had to give him some credit for realizing that. Perhaps, with Draow having said that, Bardot would realize that his techniques wouldn't work against them. Perhaps Bardot would stop trying to hard to crush their hopes.
But when Bardot's eyes glinted, a cold chill ran up Rudy's spine. A horrible fear swept through his body. There was another dangerous side effect of Bardot understanding this. He could use it to his advantage...
"So that has been my biggest blunder with these two." Bardot said, a broad smile spreading across his muzzle. "My past victims, they were always...alone..."
Rudy felt his heart start to race.
"And since these two draw so much strength from each other..." Bardot licked his lips. "...maybe we should do something about that."
"I couldn't agree more." Draow replied.
Rudy and Penny tightened their grip on each other. They watched as the two zoners began to approach them. Their minds filled with dread and they stared at each other, fear overtaking them. No, they would not allow themselves to be separated. They would put up a fight. Even in their weakened states, there was no way they would go down without a fight.
As the zoners got closer, taking their time just to torment them more, Rudy and Penny started shivering. Not from cold, though that was an issue here, but from fear. The fear of losing each other. They would constantly look back at each other, as if that was the last time they were going to see each other. Rudy didn't know how he was going to be able to function without Penny by his side. He didn't know how he was going to handle the torture without Penny there to reassure him.
And he knew Penny felt the same way. He knew that she drew strength from him as well. She loved him, and he loved her. They were very close friends. They needed each other. Bardot and Draow couldn't do this to them. No they couldn't... There had to be a way to stop them.
"Don't do this..." Rudy spoke to the zoners, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they'll bargain with him. "We...we won't talk back anymore...Please don't separate us."
But his pleas fell on deaf ears. Draow now reached them. He reached down with his jaws and snagged Penny by her arm. He bit down hard, drawing blood and causing her to cry out in pain. Then she was lifted up. In desperation, Penny hung onto Rudy, dragging him a little with her.
"Rudy!" Penny cried out, her eyes wide.
"Penny!" Rudy tried to grab onto her arm with his left hand. But he could barely get a grasp.
Clearly annoyed by the boy hanging onto the girl, Draow narrowed his eyes and lifted up his foot. He pressed down on Rudy's body and, using his weight as anchor, yanked Penny away, making her lose her grip on her friend. He then started to back away from the boy, holding Penny firmly in his jaws. Rudy reached out towards her, his eyes widened. Penny struggled to get free, her frightened eyes focused on her friend.
"No! Penny!" Rudy cried out. "Bring her back! Please! Penny!"
Rudy felt Bardot sling his front limb around his neck and press against his throat. Rudy was yanked back a little and he gagged. It wasn't necessary to hold him in a headlock; it wasn't like he could get up and rush towards Draow. He glared at Bardot before looking back at Penny.
"Rudy!" Penny called out to him. She banged her fists against Draow's head, trying to force him to let go. He just snarled in response. "Let me go! Put me down!"
Tears now formed in Rudy's eyes as well as Penny's. They struggled to get back to each other. Rudy fought against the pain in his shattered limbs to get to her. Bardot kept him still, keeping him from moving even an inch towards his friend. Penny's punches did little to hurt Draow and she was being taken further and further away from her friend.
When Draow had taken Penny halfway across the room, he turned around slowly. Penny jerked even harder, trying to pull her limb out of the monster's mouth. She struggled to look at Rudy as she was being taken towards the door.
Tears streaming down her face, she called out to him. "Rudy!"
Rudy reached out towards her, wanting to pull her back. "Penny!"
Then, seconds later, Draow disappeared out of the door, carrying Penny with him. The last look the two of them saw of each other was one of fear, dread, and sadness. The wolf bat continued to walk down the halls and soon his foot falls could be heard no more. Penny's cries and pleas for Rudy continued to echo on the tunnel walls, each one striking a chord in Rudy's heart.
Rudy couldn't believe it. His body trembled as his mind registered what happened. Penny...she was gone... She was truly gone. And he didn't know if he'd ever see her again. He was all alone now. The feeling of loneliness started to settle in. He took in shaky breaths, unable to stop the tears from flowing down his face.
Then things got worse. Suddenly, he heard screams. Penny's screams... They echoed off the walls of the tunnel. Again and again, he heard her scream. They were cries of agony. Draow...he was torturing her. She was being hurt and this time, Rudy couldn't do anything to comfort her.
The realization filled him with enormous sadness...and anger. He turned his head to face Bardot, who had let go of him and moved around to the front of him. He sneered at the boy, looking sickeningly happy. This beast, was there no place too low for him to sink?
"Bring her back!" Rudy shouted at him. His eyes widened in anger. Tears continued to stream down his face. With his weak hand, he gripped Bardot by the skin of his neck and pulled on it a little. "Bring her back here, or I'll...!"
Bardot simply stared at the boy, laughing. He barely paid attention to the hand gripping him. "You two need some time apart. A little privacy never hurt anyone." Rudy growled at this. "But in the mean time...why don't we pass the time? You see...I am still a little angry about my mishap earlier."
"You mean when someone beat you up?" Rudy said, a sly smile on his face. "That would have been great to see."
Bardot's ears flattened in anger. "I assure you, it was a fluke and it will not happen again." He put his face close to Rudy's, his pupils slowly shrinking. Anger was coming back to the zoner's mind. "And since I need a way to...vent my frustrations, and I can't take it out on that old tortoise..."
Rudy realized that he was referring to King Mumbo Jumbo. So the old king was the one who did this to Bardot. How satisfying it is that Barney's old friend would be the one who unleash a little karma on this monster. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Bardot lightly trace his left cheek with his sharp claws.
"I think I will take it out on you." Bardot said, his voice a little darker than usual. He pulled his paw back and struck down.
Rudy let out a scream as the claws raked across his face, placing deep gashes in the skin. The gashes bled swiftly, and soon the blood started to pour into his eyes a little. He let out a frightened, pained scream as he shut his eyes tightly. He lifted up his left hand and tried to wipe the blood away. But there was just too much.
Unable to see, Rudy's heart started to race. Panic started to take him over. He didn't know where Bardot was, or what he was about to do. He attempted to open up his eyes, but all he could see before he had to shut them from the pain was a wall of redness.
Then, without warning, Rudy felt Bardot's jaws clamp on his shoulder, the same one Draow had already damaged. The fangs sank in deep. Rudy's eyes grew big as he felt the burning venom injected into him. He let out cries and whimpers of pain as, even after Bardot released him, the venom started to burn his already damaged flesh. He tried to move away from the pain, but he felt Bardot holding him down.
"Why?" Rudy demanded, furrowing his eyebrows. He turned his head, trying to figure out where Bardot was. "Why are you doing this?"
Bardot's answer sent chills down the boy's spine. It confirmed what he and Penny had suspected all along. It confirmed what Bardot himself had been hinting this whole time.
"Do I need a reason to hurt you, Rudy?" Bardot's voice came like ice. Foot steps...Bardot was circling him now. "How pitiful of you to believe that every action needs a cause. I don't have such a worry. I do not care if my actions aren't based on any logical reason. I do what I want for fun. That's it. I need no reasons to hurt you or your girlfriend or Snap."
Rudy felt Bardot's hot breath against his ear. He shuddered as Bardot spoke into it.
"And know this. Even if I wasn't going to eat you, even if I wasn't testing Snap, I would still have hurt you. Life is but a game. And we are all players. The only thing that matters is winning the game." Bardot hissed in a low whisper. "You are just a toy, Rudy. You are my play thing, and you are here to entertain me. Now...I want to hear you scream..."
With that, Bardot struck again. This time, his claws struck against Rudy's right arm. He sliced his claws into the injured hand before going up slowly. He cut up Rudy's arm, drawing blood. Rudy let out screams and squirmed frantically on the ground. This caused Bardot's eyes to widen in insanity, smiling psychotically.
"Yes, that's it! Scream for me!"
He continued cutting Rudy's arm, digging his claws in very deeply, tearing into his flesh. Rudy's screams continued to echo on the walls. They became intermixed with Bardot's evil laughter.