"Oy caloy! I don't believe this!" Snap cried.

Here he was, standing on a platform directly in front of an active volcano. And to make matters worse, the path behind him was blocked. The platforms moved away, meaning he was trapped here, and had no choice but to play against this sentient volcano. He looked up at it, flinching at how big it was. It looked to be three times the size of Biclops. It was just gigantic. And something that looked like smoke, only lighter in color, was filtering out of the top.

The fact that this volcano could speak was creepy enough, especially in how its voice sounded. But doing so with no mouth, and somehow hearing and seeing him without eyes or ears was even more unsettling to Snap. A part of him wondered if this was supposed to be the deadliest deathtrap Bardot had to offer. It was a huge talking volcano after all, and he wouldn't doubt that it could make itself erupt all on its own. And it might be able to direct its magma right towards him...

His thoughts were interrupted when the ground in front of him shook a little. He thought at first that the volcano was about to blow up, another instant deathtrap trigger, but instead, in front of him, he saw a bright blue light glow. It spread all around, cutting in front of him and then all around the sides. Then it criss crossed across along, and soon nine squares were formed. Snap stared at it, wondering what kind of game they were going to play. But judging from the board that was drawn in blue light, he had an idea of what it was going to be.

"We're playing tic-tac-toe?" Snap asked, a little confused. Tic-tac-toe? Isn't that the kind of game that wasn't winnable? Why would Bardot choose that? Unless.. Snap's eyes widened in fear. "Oh no..." He looked up at the volcano.

In that same booming voice from before, it spoke. "The object of this game, I'm sure you know, is to get three in a row. The O will be yours. I will take the X."

"But..but you can't win tic-tac-toe!" Snap cried, waving his arms in the air in a panic. "Oh man...that button really was too convenient!"

The ground shook, a few short bursts of rumbling. It took Snap a few seconds to realize it was the volcano. It was laughing at him. He narrowed his eyes at the volcano. He did not see what was so funny about this situation.

"You are a fool." The volcano said. "Every game is winnable, even tic-tac-toe. You just..need the right strategy...Now..." As it spoke, something rose out of the ground on both sides of the board. "Let us begin."

Snap took quick notice of what the objects rising out of the ground turned out to be. More buttons. Well not just buttons, but levers too. There was one marked under each row. And then each one had a lever with three different settings to choose from. On the sides, there were lights. A blue light, which Snap believed was himself. And then a red one, obviously the volcano. Without even touching anything, Snap had a pretty good idea on how to use these controls. He walked over and got into position.

"I will go first." The volcano declared.

Snap stared as the lever in the middle was pushed using some twisting of the rocks. When the lever stopped, the volcano placed its mark. A red X appeared in the center of the playing field. Now it was Snap's turn. He stared at the board, trying to figure out where he should make his move. He wasn't sure if he could even win this game because, well, tic-tac-toe was a tie game, meaning it was supposed to end with no winners. If he lost the game...

He shook the thought of his head and went on to play. He moved to the lever on the far right side. He pushed it up one and placed a blue O right next to the red X. He looked up at the volcano and nodded, prompting the volcano to play its next move. With more twisting of the rocks, the volcano placed a red X just below Snap's blue O.

Snap knew this game wasn't going to take long. There was nothing indicating that they would do a rematch. So he had to make this game count. He concentrated on the board, keeping an eye on where the volcano was making its marks. If he wasn't careful and if he slipped up, it would be game over not just for him...but for all his friends too. And possibly for ChalkZone. Who knew what exactly Bardot had planned for everyone else here? He shuddered at the thought of it.

As he placed his next blue O in the upper left corner, Snap wondered how his friends were holding up. He hoped Rapsheeba and Blocky were okay. He had no idea if they were being hurt or not. Not knowing...it was scaring him. For all he knew, they were being ripped to shreds. He didn't really trust Bardot all that much. He knew Bardot could decieve without giving all information. He might have done something to his chalk friends and then found a way to lie about it without actually outright lying about it. That was worse than just straight up lying.

Horrible thoughts crossed his mind. There were all sorts of torture methods Bardot could use. He had witnessed some of them during these 'games' that he had been playing. Gas...being ripped to shreds by beasts...being blasted by robotic basketballs... And that was just a couple. He had a feeling Bardot had a lot of these lethal things laying around that he's been waiting to use. And he had no doubts that he would use them on his friends...

And then there was Rudy and Penny... He had so little time to save them. A part of him was glad that this game was tic-tac-toe, which isn't a long game to begin with. He could get it finished up really quickly and move onto the next game. Well provided he survives whatever deathtrap this one had in store for him. And he had a very good idea on what the deathtrap here would be. A repeat of the one on the golf course, only this time, with a lot more lava to worry about.

Four hours left to save his friends...less now since some time passed as he and the volcano continued their game. Most of the squares were taken up now. Snap did have an idea on how to win, and had placed his Os in a certain pattern. He wasn't sure if this strategy would work, but he had to try something. The placement of his Os might ensure him victory in the next two or three moves. So long as he plays his cards right, that is.

He just hoped that he is able to reach his friends in time. Rudy and Penny were really badly hurt. Bardot's words echoed in his mind. He said they were going to die of their injuries...that meant he had even less time. They must have suffered a lot of blood loss. All those injuries they had sustained...they were really adding up and it was taking a toll on their bodies. He didn't doubt infection was settling in. He doubted that their wounds were being properly treated. Knowing Bardot, he might have been doing what he could to make the wounds worse.

The thought of infection made him remember his time with Mr. Cosmo, how his back was torn open and hardly treated. Just the bare minimum. It didn't stop the infection from spreading throughout his body, giving him a high fever and weakening him greatly. Snap remembered how horrible that fever felt. He remembered the chills that constantly spread through his body and how his head was throbbing in pain, mostly around where the nail had been drilled into his head.

And now Rudy and Penny may be going through that right now. And not just them. There was Blocky. He was badly wounded from the zombies. And he most likely wasn't getting any treatment for that. He must be really sick right now. And Rapsheeba...she wasn't as injured as him or Blocky, but she still had wounds that needed some form of treatment. And who is to say that Bardot or Draow wouldn't give her more injuries?

There was also the issue of food and water. Rapsheeba had a little bit to eat and drink. Not a lot, but it was something. So she and him weren't as bad off as they used to be. Still hungry and thirsty, but at least they had something. Blocky, however, was not so lucky. Snap realized that Blocky might be just as bad off as Rudy and Penny. Hadn't eaten or drank anything since these 'games' began two days ago, hardly rested, and was badly injured. Snap knew he had to hurry.

The realization that he hadn't slept in days made him feel suddenly tired. He stopped himself from closing his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't sleep, not now. He looked up at the volcano. Then he glanced down at the board. It seemed that the volcano had been waiting for him to make a move for the past minute, and it was growing impatient. Low rumbles spread throughout the ground, and he guessed that was the volcano growling in anger.

Snap realized there was one move he could make to complete his strategy. He went to the appropriate row and pushed on the lever until it reached the spot that he wanted. He placed his O there, and looked pleased with himself. The way he had his Os lined up was so that he had not one but two areas where he could get three in a row. The volcano couldn't win against him now. He could block one area, but not the other.

The volcano made its next move, becoming one mark away from winning. But Snap wasn't going to give it that chance. Smirking, Snap made his final move. As soon as he did so, a blue line cut through the ground, lining up perfectly through the center of the circles. Blue light shined through, partially illuminating the ground.

"I win!" Snap declared, pointing a hand at the volcano. "I guess you were right. Tic-tac-toe really is winnable!"

The volcano was silent for a few moments. Snap couldn't tell if the volcano was angry that it lost or what. He stared at the volcano, waiting for it to do something. Then it spoke again. What it said made Snap freeze in fear.

"Deathtrap activation." The volcano said. "Target: Snap White."

As soon as it said this, there was a loud rumbling. The ground shook violently. The platform he was on started to crumble a little. The line that went through the Os he lined up broke and started top pull apart. A deep crevice formed and bright blue light shot out violently, going up in the air and exploding. Then the cracks spread to Snap. He backed up until he could go no further. He stared down at the cracks, then looked up at the volcano in fear.

More smoke came pillowing out of the volcano's top. Soon it filled the skies. The light-colored smoke swirled overhead. A few boulders shot out of the top, crashing into the tar all around him. One landed just a few feet away from where he was trapped. Then there was a loud bang and he knew the volcano was erupting.

But what came out took him by complete surprise.

Instead of lava like he had expected, it was ice. A stream of white ice came spilling out over the edge, heading straight for him. The whole front of the volcano was covered in ice, sparkling. If Snap weren't scared for his life, he would think that this was such a beautiful sight. He realized that this was no ordinary volcano. He heard Penny talk about these things once. It was a cryovolcano. A volcano that spilled molten ice rather than lava.

Snap looked around, trying to find some way to escape. The ice was building up, taller and taller, until he was certain it was higher than himself. And it was continuing rolling down towards him. He tried to find a way to escape it, but he realized, in horror, that there wasn't. And in a matter of seconds, the wall of ice struck him head.

Crying out in pain, Snap flung through the air and landed hard on the ice, bending his leg at an odd angle. He hissed and immediately straightened his leg. It didn't break, but man did that hurt. The way he landed on the ice had caused him to stretch his cuts. He felt something break and now hot blood started to spill out of his once closed wounds. He climbed to his feet carefully, trying his best to bear the pain. He took one step, but lost his footing immediately and fell down.

The ice was very slippery, even more so than the usual ice he'd run into. At least it wasn't hurting him. It wasn't hot or anything. It was cold. And pressing his leg against it did feel good. Maybe he could just ride this out and jump off whenever he found a nice, soft place to land.

Then he realized that wasn't going to be possible. The ice wall he was riding was veering off in a new direction, away from where he had landed. He wondered where he was going. Where was the ice taking him? He tried again to stand up, and this time, he managed a little better. He wobbled, but soon managed to keep his footing. He put his hand over his eyes to try to get a better view. He looked up in front of him, where the ice was rolling towards.

It was hard to tell at first. He could barely see it. Then he saw what looked like a rocky landscape. He could see plateus all around. And then up ahead, it looked like it was a... His eyes widened in horror as he realized what was going to happen. The ice it was...

...it was going to take him right over a huge cliff...

Almost as a way to show him what he was in for, the cryovolcano shot out a boulder in his direction. It landed next to him with a heavy thud. It rolled down, moving ahead of the ice wall. Snap watched as the boulder went over the edge. Seconds later, the boulder hit bottom, and he winced at the sound. The boulder clearly broke in half, like something had cut it apart. That was when he realized there had to be something sharp and hard at the bottom of this cliff. Oh no...he had to get out of here...

Snap turned and tried to run off the ice wall. The ground was so slippery that he could barely move towards the edge. But he still had to try. He ignored the pain in his leg as he tried to run over to jump off the edge. He knew the fall might hurt him, but it would hurt him much less than going over this edge would, that's for sure.

The cryovolcano, however, had a different idea. More boulders were shot in his direction. They weren't aimed directly at him, but at the ground in front of him. The boulders smashed down, almost crushing his feet. He screamed and moved back, falling down onto his behind. He got up to his feet once more and tried again, only for more boulders to smash down all around him.

This happened no matter which direction he went. If he tried to head along the back of the ice wall, back towards the source of the eruption to jump off from there, more boulders would smash down in front of him, blocking his path and driving him back. And if he tried to jump off the edge, more large rocks would prevent him from doing so. Snap had no idea how many rocks this cryo thing had stored inside, but he didn't have doubts that it had plenty more with that came from.

Snap realized, in a cold chill, that the cryovolcano was ensuring that he wouldn't try to jump off the ice wall as it flowed towards the edge. Snap's eyes widened. There wasn't much distance left now. He had to do something, and fast. For if he didn't get off of this ice wall soon, he was going to be crushed and sliced apart.

sss

Terry tried to struggle against her binds. She attempted to pull her arms free, but no matter what she did, it was useless. Nothing would get her out of here. She was chained securely against the cold wall. The metal dug deeply into her wrists, causing them to ache. Her arms were secured over her head. Her body was covered in several minor injuries. Her green business suit was a little torn, and she had a few bloody scratches all over her, mostly on her arms and legs. A few deeper ones in her side.

She looked over at the parents. They were chained up as well, in the same manner as her. All of them with similar injuries. None that were too severe, but most of the injuries were still bleeding and weren't treated. She wasn't sure how infected they would get in the chalk world. That was one bit she did not know. She was going to go the safe route and assume that they will need to be covered up. Some of the wounds were a little deeper, and in a strange world, best not to take chances with that kind of stuff.

She couldn't believe how careless she had been. She hadn't thought of the possible dangers of ChalkZone. She knew that they existed, no doubt about it. But she didn't know ChalkZone that well, and hadn't realized that some places of this world were more dangerous than others. This jungle had some pretty nasty animal zoners roaming about. A few of them had given chase and they had to run for it. But it wasn't the animal zoners that had done this to them.

This was where she had made her biggest mistake. Not remembering that some zoners were downright evil. She knew that zoners were sentient, capable of choice. And she knew that some had to be nasty and violent by their own will, not just because they were a predator looking for prey. She had forgotten to take that into consideration when they started looking for someone to talk to. If she had just remembered, they might not have wound up in this horrible mess.

They had been wandering through the jungle, escaping what looked like a cross between a panther and a giraffe, when they were suddenly confronted by what appeared to be a large wolf with bat wings. The creature introduced himself as Draow. Since he was a talking zoner, Terry thought that they might get some answers from him, so she tried to do the talking. The parents, though reluctant, joined in, attempting to make conversation with this Draow zoner.

But they soon realized that Draow wasn't the friendliest person to talk to. He immediately roared at them and gave chase. Using his claws, he started to attack them. He hit them with his talons, scraping against their skin, and drew blood. They all screamed in fear and horror as the massive wolf gnashed his jaws at them, and knocked them into the ground. They had attempted to escape, but the bat wolf thing was too fast for them. Any direction they went in, he would just cut them off.

Despite their best efforts to get away, Draow managed to capture them. He pinned them all on the ground and threatened to bite their heads off if they didn't cooperate with him. With no one else around to help them out, they all had no choice but to obligue. Draow took them all and carried them over here.

Once in this room, they did try again to escape, only to be attacked. Draow used his legs to slash into them, tearing into their sides and knocking them into the ground. He shut the door behind him to ensure no one tried to escape, and then he went to work pushing them against the walls, making sure their feet didn't touch the ground. The chains moved on their own and clamped down on their arms, securing them in place. Then Draow left them alone.

Draow had been gone for ten minutes now. None of them were sure where he was going. There was some belief that he was getting more of his wolf pals and they were going to eat them. Terry had doubts about that theory. Zoners couldn't eat real world food. She came to this conclusion when she realized that real world liquid dissolves chalk. Real world food might kill a zoner or make them very sick. But just because Draow wasn't going to eat them didn't mean they were out of the woods yet. They didn't need to be eaten in order to be killed...

Terry looked over at the parents. They were terrified, and she couldn't blame them. She wondered if they were upset with her. She wouldn't be surprised if they were. After all, they had trusted her to help find their kids, only to get captured not long after they first arrived. She wondered if they were thinking more on what to do after they rescue their children. Would Draow's attack convince them that ChalkZone was too dangerous for their children to be in?

That was a real possibility. While they had witnessed the beauty of ChalkZone, they also fell victim to it. They found out, first hand, that not all the locals are so friendly. Heck, they hadn't even seen a single nice zoner since they got here. Terry wondered if most zoners stay out of the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle, and if so, she could definitely see why.

Her thoughts were interrupted when they heard footsteps. They didn't sound so loud. It couldn't be Draow. But then..who could it be? Perhaps an associate of Draow? As a shadow casted on the wall, she knew they were about to find out very soon.

She was surprised when something kind of cute walked in. Red and yellow, all furry and kinda like a cross between a reptile and a dog. It looked like it had been injured. It was bleeding a little and its left ear was torn. There was also a slight limp in its walking. It came walking in, and when it looked up at them, suddenly it didn't look so cute anymore. Sharp fangs...hideously sharp... And an evil, contorted smile, one that showed clear intent to harm. And those eyes...they glowed with malice. Around its neck, a human tooth...

"Welcome...welcome..." The zoner said. He looked at each adult, smirking at their expressions of fear and confusion. "My name is Bardot and I will be your...host you could say." A dark chuckle escaped his throat. He paced around the front of the adults, eyeing them up and down, licking his licks creepily. "I must say, you saved me the trouble of coming after you myself."

Despite her fear, Mrs. Tabootie spoke up. "A-Are you the one who h-has been causing the disappearances of so many people?"

Bardot looked up at her. A grin spread across his face. "Guilty as charged." He walked up to her, stopping a few feet in front. He stared up at her intently with those eerie green eyes. "It wasn't easy figuring out how to get those humans into this world, but once I figured it out, everything fell into place. And I am sure you are wondering, so I will tell you. The first five of my victims...they're all dead. You see, I have gained a tasted for human flesh and found a way to eat your kind without experiencing side effects."

At this, the adults paled, horrified by this news. Terry couldn't believe it. A zoner that could eat humans... And all the other victims, they were dead. Did that mean that Rudy and Penny were...?

The parents were clearly thinking what she was. They looked at each other, their eyes wide in terror. Their faces went paler than hers, almost white as sheets. This zoner hadn't even confirmed if he had killed their children or not. He hadn't even mentioned them yet, but he seemed to imply it all too well. Terry had a feeling that, if they waited, they would be told what happened to Rudy and Penny.

Mr. Tabootie spoke in a shaken voice. "You...you killed all those people...?"

"Yes." Bardot licked his lips again. He turned his head to the side and gave Mr. Tabootie a sideways glance. "They were all really tasty too. I still have some of their parts stored. They need to be kept dry. Real world water is a...bit of a bummer for me."

Silence fell upon the room. No one knew what to say. Terry and the others were filled with fear. They had barely met this guy and already he was turning out to be a monster. Some deranged serial killer in the form of a beast. And now they were trapped, completely at his mercy, and they had no idea what he was going to do to them.

Bardot turned his head towards Mrs. Sanchez. He grinned evilly at her and walked over to her. He rubbed the side of his face and body against her like he was a cat. As he walked over a little more, he wrapped his tail around her legs almost affectionately. Mrs. Sanchez looked like she wanted to kick him away, but she refrained from doing so. Terry thought that was the better move. They had no idea what this guy was going to do with them. And kicking him, well it might end up disasterous for them...

Bardot sat down on his haunches and said to Mrs. Sanchez, "Since all my victims are dead, I guess you know what that means, hmm?" He leaned in a little closer, that eerie smile spreading even more. "Your ex-husband is gone. I made short work of him." Mrs. Sanchez's face paled at this. "But don't worry, I kept a piece of him right here..." He pointed his claw at the tooth around his neck.

"You...you..." Mrs. Sanchez said in a low whisper.

Bardot laughed and walked away. He took notice of Terry and looked up at her. He grinned darkly at her. Terry didn't like the way he was looking at her. It was like he knew something about her, something that he could use against her. But what? She would have asked, but she was afraid to speak up.

Bardot turned and walked away. He gave her one last glance before he focused his attention back on the parents.

"In case you are wondering..." Bardot said. His voice was cruel and icy. "Draow is the one who kidnapped dear Rudy and Penny." The way he said 'dear' was in a definite mocking voice. "I sent him to nab them. You see, he has a bit of a grudge against them, and capturing the two did work in my favor."

Mr. Tabootie narrowed his eyes. "What could our children have done to that...that winged monster?!"

"Oh quite a lot. Oh!" Bardot put his paw over his mouth. "You don't know do you?" He feigned surprise, his eyes widened. Then he started to laugh. "Oh that's right. Your children tell you lies to keep this place secret. I'm sure you want to talk to them after this is all done, don't you?"

Terry narrowed her eyes at the zoner. So did the parents. This guy was shaping up to be a real asshole. Mocking them like that...

Suddenly, something clicked in the back of Mrs. Tabootie's mind. "Draow...wait a minute! That's the beast that worked for Mr. Cosmo!"

The other two parents gasped in horror at this, realization settling in. They looked each other, their eyes wide and faces growing paler by the second. Terry realized, from looking at their expressions, that they have dug a little further than they should have.

"Why yes, you are correct on that. Draow did work for Mr. Cosmo. He was his creator...as he is mine. Mr. Cosmo is long dead, and Draow, well..." Bardot turned to each parent and then said, "He blames your children for that, but none more so...than Rudy Tabootie..."

"Rudy..." Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie whispered in a frightened voice, their eyes growing big.

"Draow really wants your son to pay for what he did, or rather, what he blames Rudy for doing." Bardot stared intently at the couple, chuckling darkly. "Draow is too obsessed with revenge, but hey, I can use it to my advantage. He helps me with capturing more victims, and he gets his revenge on both Rudy Tabootie..and Penny Sanchez."

"What have you done to them...?" Mr. Tabootie asked, narrowing his eyes. "Tell us!"

Bardot turned and started to walk towards the door. "We had a little fun with them. Well fun for us..." He looked back, giving the adults a sideways glance. "Not so much for them." He smirked at the horrified reactions from the parents. "Why don't I show you?"

He disappeared out of the door, but that lasted only a few seconds. He came back in, pushing a squeaky television set on wheels. He moved it into the middle of the room. He positioned it so that they all could see the screen just fine.

Terry watched as Bardot went to the front of the television and pressed a single button. She was immediately horrified by what she saw.

The screen was split down the middle, and was a little out of focus. Just one color, a pale blue. And there were wavy lines going up and down. But there was no doubt what they were seeing on screen. Rudy and Penny...and they were both barely conscious on the ground. Darkened areas that they knew was blood, and the injuries...oh man the injuries...

Terry was in absolute shock. How...how could anyone be this cruel? She stared as Rudy and Penny writhed on the ground in agony, a clear sign that they were still awake, but in great pain. She looked over at the parents. They were staring in horror, tears flowing down their faces.

"Penny!" Mrs. Sanchez cried.

"Rudy!" Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie shouted in unison.

"Oh and guess what?" Bardot said, moving his face close to the screen. He took his talon and pressed it against the monitor. He traced along, cutting through the image of Rudy and Penny. "They only have a few hours left to live... After that, their injuries will kill them. Draow and I were having a little...too much fun with them."

Terry and the parents glared hatefully at Bardot. But none of them spoke. The revelation of what happened to Rudy and Penny was too much of a shock and too emotionally damaging. The parents just looked back at the screen, weeping as they saw their children in such great pain, and there was nothing they could do to save them. And knowing they were going to die soon...

"I will leave you four here. In the mean time, I think I will keep the monitor in here." Bardot said. As he stood in the door way, he looked back at them again. "That way...when your children die...you will be able to witness it." His pupils shrank as a psychotic smile spread across his face.

Then he left, leaving behind the horrified adults.