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Rudy supported Snap as best as he could as he ran along behind Mr. Wilter. Running was their best option according to the teacher. If they walked too slowly, they could be more easily tracked. At least with running, they could put in more distance between them and Cosmo, in theory. Wilter was not familiar entirely with the building, so he warned both Rudy and Snap that they could end up in a trap if they aren't careful.

Running wasn't exactly the best thing to do with Snap on his back. He did his best to keep his grip on him and not letting him slip. He tried not to bounce Snap too hard. He didn't want to accidentally hurt him. He took care not to touch his feet. He could tell they were still hurting Snap.

But the running made this a little hard to do. Every time his foot pounded the ground, he could feel Snap budge upwards slightly from the force. So far, Snap hadn't cried out in pain, but he didn't take comfort in this. Snap could either be faking it, trying to be strong for Rudy, or he could have become unresponsive. His thoughts went back to when he thought he saw him sleeping on Penny's back. He had second thoughts. What if the reason he was quiet then was because of the damage the nail did to him?

He wanted to talk to Snap. He wanted to get him to show some signs that he was awake. That would have been a bad idea for two reasons. It could weaken Snap further, forcing him to use up more of his strength. And it could draw attention to them. Wilter told them to be as quiet as possible, only to speak in whispers. Draow had excellent hearing and if they spoke too loud, he just might hear them.

Soon they reached the end of the tunnel, only to be confronted by a labrynth similiar to what he encountered on the upper level. He growled in irritation. What was with this man and mazes? Did he construct them so that, in case prisoners escaped, they would have a heck of a time trying to get out? He wondered how many of these paths led to nowhere, and how many led to dead ends.

He wouldn't doubt they would be boobie trapped as well. Any one of them could have sensors lining the walls, triggering whenever he'd cross them. And if that happened, they'd be trapped in an electrified water cage again...or worse.

Wilter held up his hand. "Stop."

Rudy stopped in his tracks. "What is it? I thought we had to keep moving."

"Shh..." Wilter said as he approached the tunnels. "Knowing Cosmo, one singular path would be untampered with, so he won't get caught in his own traps."

Rudy didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before, but it made sense. There would be a safe path Cosmo would set aside for himself. If he didn't do that, than he wasn't really bright. Rudy silently wished Cosmo really was that dense. He'd be a lot easier to take down.

Wilter narrowed his eyes as he stared at each tunnel. He seemed lost in thought. He looked at the openings in front of him and scratched his chin, foot tapping. Rudy watched and waited, hoping that Wilter could pick the right path for them to go down.

Mr. Wilter's eyes slightly widened as he stared at the far left tunnel. "That tunnel may be our best bet." He said, turning his head to face Rudy and Snap. "Its coloration is slightly different from the rest of the tunnels. I am sure Mr. Cosmo altered the coloration of the tunnel slightly so he would remember which tunnel to take."

Rudy walked up behind Mr. Wilter as they headed towards the tunnel. Though he trusted his teacher's judgment, he still felt apprehensive. What if it led them down into some unknown danger? He tried to calm himself. He did have Wilter at his side now, which would make things a little easier for him.

They didn't run right away in the tunnel. Wilter wanted to make sure the tunnel was safe. He walked out ahead first. He took a few steps in. He went in a little deeper. Only when he reached about thirty feet down the tunnel did he gesture for Rudy and Snap to come down. After this, they broke into a run.

This underground place was massive. It had to have encompassed a space larger than the building on top itself. He wondered what this lower section had once been for. He had never heard of a building having such a massive underground labrynth, wider than the building. There were no signs anywhere of what this place had once been. Cosmo really had this place renovated.

He couldn't imagine how he had pulled it off. It was scary to think about. This man...he had shown a level of intelligence he was not used to dealing with. The only comfort he had right now was Mr. Wilter being with him. He dealt with Mr. Cosmo before. He would have a better idea on how to deal with him.

The running was starting to get to him. They had been running for a while now. He could hear Wilter's ragged breathing up ahead. He was getting tired too. Rudy tried to keep a running pace, but he found himself unconsciously slowing down into a slow walk. His heart pounded hard against his chest. He hunched over, mouth wide open to take in more oxygen with each breath. His throat was starting to feel dry. He was getting really thirsty. A water bottle sounded really nice right about now.

Mr. Wilter pressed his back against the wall of the tunnel. "We should take a break."

"But..." Rudy panted. "What about Cosmo?"

"If we wear ourselves out," Mr. Wilter replied, "We will never get away from him. If he found us while we were exhausted, believe me, he would take advantage of that. We should rest and get some of our energy back before continuing."

Rudy felt relieved to be sitting on the ground again. He gently put Snap back in his arms again. He was afraid that if he set him on the ground, he would accidentally hurt him some way. Plus he wanted to make Snap feel safe and secure, and he knew he felt that way when he held him. Snap nestled into Rudy's arms comfortably, laying his head on his chest.

Rudy watched Snap's eyes start to close a little. They would only remain closed for a second before pain would wake him up. Rudy had been careful not to hurt him, but some of the injuries radiated with pain even without a touch. Despite being treated, he was certain some infection had started to enter his body. With the damage to his neurological system, infection was the last thing Snap needed.

He felt something cold against his arm. He looked down and saw a water bottle. He looked up at Mr. Wilter, who smiled at him as he held his own water bottle. Rudy looked down at the bottle, smacking his dry lips together. Holding Snap with his bandaged arm, he reached over with his right arm and grabbed the bottle. He attempted to open it with his teeth when he heard a low whine.

He looked down and saw Snap staring up at him in fear, eyes wide. No, it wasn't him he was looking at. It was the water bottle. Rudy knew something was very wrong. He knew water would kill Snap, but he had never seen Snap react this way to a water bottle. He would believe it if someone threatened him with it, but he sure hadn't done that. Something must have happened to Snap to create this reaction.

His thoughts immediately went to Cosmo. It had to have been him. He did something to Snap with water while he wasn't there, the bastard...

"Snap, what's wrong?" He said in a calm voice to his injured friend. He felt bad about wanting to get his friend to talk, but he had to know what happened. It was the only way he could provide some comfort. He set the water bottle down in a place where Snap couldn't immediately see it. He was still frightened after that. "What did Mr. Cosmo do to you?"

Snap shivered as he looked up at Rudy. "He used water to get this...thing in me..." He used a hand to motion towards the silver thing taped to his head, indicating the nail underneath.

Rudy's eyes went big. "He used what...?" Was Mr. Cosmo insane? If he wanted Snap alive, why would he risk using water? Unless he was just a psychopath who wanted to cause Snap misery, which he wouldn't doubt for a second.

Snap spoke in a shaky voice, "H-He s-strapped me to a table...Cut my head open with a s-scalpel...Then he put a drop of water on my head... It hurt so much..." He let out a sob. "He covered my mouth so I wouldn't s-scream...told me to shut up..."

Rudy felt a lump in his throat as he tried to hold back a sob. Tears filled his eyes as he listened to Snap's story.

"Th-Then he put the nail in me...He pushed so hard... I...I felt like I was being set on fire.." Snap's voice broke and he hugged Rudy tighter. "I finally p-passed out...the pain was too much..."

"He.." Rudy choked. "He did that to you while you were awake?"

Snap nodded his head once.

Rudy couldn't stop the fountain of salty tears that covered his face. He held Snap closer to himself. The nail in his head was cruel enough but did Cosmo really have to do it while he was awake? That was just...brutal and unforgiveable. He never thought he would meet someone who was that cruel and vile...Putting water on a zoner was like putting molten lava on a human. It was absolutely heartless.

"He's a terrible man." Mr. Wilter said quietly. He stared at Snap sympathetically. "I am so sorry you had to go through that, Snap."

Snap didn't reply, but he gave a knowing nod to the teacher.

"S-Snap..." Rudy whispered. He watched as Snap continued to look at him. He wanted to try to comfort him. He reached down and touched Snap's uninjured cheek. "Everything will be okay..." He used his finger to gently wipe away Snap's tears. "I will protect you from Mr. Cosmo...I will not let him anywhere near you ever again..."

Snap gave a grateful smile back.

"Oh? Is that so...?"

Everyone in the tunnel froze. Chills went up Rudy's spine. He felt his hairs on the back of his head stand up. Mr. Wilter looked just as shocked as he was. And Snap went pale and started shivering in fear. No...it was impossible. Mr. Cosmo couldn't have found them that quickly, could he? This couldn't be happening...no...

Slowly, hesitantly, he looked towards the source of the voice. His worst fear had been confirmed. There was no mistaking Mr. Cosmo. He stood several feet away from them, walking towards them with a slow, deliberate pace. He was smiling very calmly, not looking at all upset that they had escaped earlier. He must have been confident that he'd find them before they could get out.

And sure enough, he had.

Mr. Cosmo stopped when he was ten feet away from the trio. He stared intently at Rudy. He folded his arms against his chest. "I would like to see you try." His eyes fell onto Snap as he said this. He gave a grin and chuckled as Snap gave a quick scream and pushed himself against Rudy to get away.

Rudy shifted his body to try to shield Snap from Mr. Cosmo's eyes. He glared hatefully at the man. "You are not going to hurt him again..." He said, his voice low.

"Hmph...we'll see." Mr. Cosmo then turned his attention to Mr. Wilter. For a moment, his eyes flashed the faintest hint of fear, clearly remembering this man defeated him before. But then, in an instant, his calm demeanor was back. "I must say, dear Wilter...I never thought I'd have to deal with you again. Maybe you aren't as stupid as I thought you had become..."

"How did you find us?" Mr. Wilter demanded.

"Did you think I left you out of this little equation, Wilter?" Mr. Cosmo said with a sneer. "Admittingly, I didn't think I was going to need to do this, but hey, it worked out in the end...for me..." He grinned darkly.

Mr. Wilter found nothing funny about this. "What did you do?!"

"I merely took something of yours and gave it to Draow so he could get your scent. He is an excellent tracker."

Mr. Wilter narrowed his eyes and growled through clenched teeth.

"Face it, you three..." Mr. Cosmo said as he started walking towards them. Rudy took a few steps back because of Snap, but Wilter stood firm. He put himself in front of Rudy. "You have no where to go..."

A low growl caught their attention. They looked behind them. In the only other direction they could go in stood Draow. He walked towards them, snarling, wings spread out. His teal eyes seemed to glow in the tunnel. They turned to look back at Mr. Cosmo.

"You are trapped." Mr. Cosmo said, his eyes sparking black for a second. He stared at Snap. "I told you, little blue creature...you will never leave this place...alive..."

The way he said 'alive' sent cold chills down Rudy's spine. He didn't take too well to Snap being called a creature. He wasn't some mindless beast. He was sentient, and the fact that this man refused to see that, or if he did, simply didn't care, infuriated him. If Snap were in a better condition, he would lunge at the man and punch him in the face.

He watched as Draow got closer. He turned around to face the beast. The blood that came from Penny still clung to his claw. He wasn't sure just how intelligent Draow was, but he couldn't help but wonder if Draow kept the blood there on purpose, in an attempt to mess with his mind and show just how dangerous he was.

Snap stared wide-eyed at Draow. His turned his head up to look at Draow's wing claw. He shuddered, clearly remembering that it was Draow who hit him in the back, that it was Draow who brought him to this dreadful place.

Rudy took a step back and found himself hitting against Mr. Wilter's back. He didn't know which direction they should go. Mr. Cosmo was unpredictable. He might have some traps waiting for him. And who knows what else... And Draow's path was no safer. The huge beast could tear into them easily. With how carelessly he had carried him to where Snap was being held, Rudy knew the beast wouldn't think twice before tearing into him if Cosmo gave the order.

"So tell me, Mr. Wilter..." Cosmo said, grinning in Wilter's direction. "Why are you helping that blue runt...? I thought you hated cartoons. That's what I heard another teacher say when I came by your school."

Mr. Wilter growled at the evil man. "I am not heartless...not like you."

Mr. Cosmo smirked at this. "You're right. You're not like me..." He took a step back. His eyes glinted. "You...are a fool..."

Rudy glared at Draow was he got closer to him. He was pawing the ground, scraping against it. Rudy winced as the sound hurt his ear drums.

"I admit, I made a mistake of not getting rid of you sooner." Mr. Cosmo said, smiling darkly at the teacher, prompting a growl as a response. He shrugged it off. He leaned back slightly, his eyes brightening. "But first, let me get rid of some...unwanted weight..."

Something seemed to click in Mr. Wilter's mind. He whipped around quickly, taking both Rudy and Snap by surprise. He grabbed them in his arms.

"Look out!"

With that, he jumped away just as Draow broke open a piece of the wall. A jet stream of water shot out. Rudy and Snap screamed in horror at just how close the rushing water had been. The two were shaken up, staring at each other in shock. They looked up at Mr. Wilter.

"Thank you..." Rudy whispered, stunned by what had happened. He shuddered at the sound of the water just in front of him. He moved back, getting Snap away from the water. "How did you...?"

Mr. Wilter said, "I know the way this man thinks. It would suit him to set up a trap like that." He turned back to Cosmo. "When facing him, expect the unexpected."

The water slowly stopped running. Draow kept back, snarling at the thin wet line that formed in the water's presence. Great relief hit Rudy and Snap as the sound left their ears. Rudy pressed his chin on Snap's head. He was shaken up by how close he was to losing Snap for good. Had it not been for Mr. Wilter, Snap would have...died. He choked back a sob.

"Oh you shouldn't have done that." Mr. Cosmo said, sneering. "That would have been the less painful way out."

Rudy's body started to shake from rage. "You said you wouldn't kill Snap if I..."

"Considering that you left," Mr. Cosmo said with a smirk, "That means you declined my offer. And as part of my little deal with you, if you were to decline, your friend there would meet his end..."

Mr. Wilter placed a hand in front of Rudy. "Stay away from them." He warned.

"Oh I will. It is not I who will be dealing with the blue thing..." Mr. Cosmo said. He raised a hand and snapped his finger. "Draow...kill Snap."

Rudy held Snap protectively as he glared in Draow's direction. The wolf/bat beast let out a roar and was walking towards them slowly. His feet were able to step away from the wet stream on the ground. Rudy took a few steps back. He could feel Snap shaking in his arms. He was not going to let anything else happen to him. He made a promise that he would keep him safe, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

He heard a grunt sound behind him. He looked over and he saw Mr. Wilter beind pressed against the wall by Mr. Cosmo, no doubt to leave him alone to deal with Draow. Rudy took another step back as the beast drew closer. Rudy tried not to take any more steps. The more he took, the closer he got to...him... If Draow didn't get him, Mr. Cosmo sure would.

Draow pawed at the ground. His chalky drool hit the ground as he opened his jaws. He lowered himself on his haunches. His tail swished back and forth in anticipation. It wouldn't be long now before he would make the lunge.

Rudy gritted his teeth. He tried to weigh his options. He could try to run past Draow, but he could risk getting attacked. That would also put Snap in harm's way. He couldn't allow that creature to bite him, not in his state. He looked behind him. He could run towards Mr. Cosmo, but that came with its own risks. Cosmo could have traps waiting for him, or more controlled zoners. Or he could release Wilter and seize Snap. He remembered the knife he had. He cut slit his friend's throat open...

Things weren't looking good for him. He was trapped, utterly trapped. There was no way he could go that he knew was safe. His only open was to try to keep Draow away from Snap, but how was he going to do that?

Draow let out a screech. He flapped his wings once, then he jumped at the two, jaws split wide open. Rudy closed his eyes, hugging the whimpering Snap for dear life.

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash. The wall caved in, causing dust to rise from the ground. Something large and green slammed into Draow, pressing him hard against the wall. As the dust cleared, Rudy was shocked to see it was a pterosaur. The same one that helped to save ChalkZone years ago. He watched as Draow struggled to get free, but the pterosaur had him firmly pinned with its body.

"What?!" Mr. Cosmo cried in disbelief. "Tsere? What is he doing here?!"

"Surprised?" Mr. Wilter smirked. "Do you think you're the only one who has a few tricks up their sleeve?"

"Rudy!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Rudy looked up and saw Penny on the back of the pterosaur. She jumped off Tsere's back and rushed over to her friends.

"Penny! I'm so glad to see you!" Rudy said with a grin.

Penny smiled back. "I'm so happy to see that you are safe." She glanced down at Snap. Her eyes widened. "Snap..." She whispered softly.

"H-Hello, B-Buckette..." Snap said, trying his best to smile. "I'm sorry for..t-tossing you down that hole."

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault." Penny whispered.

"Save your reunion for later!" Mr. Wilter cried. "You need to get out of here!"

With that, he slammed his knee against Mr. Cosmo's stomach. The reporter stumbled backwards, holding onto his stomach. Before he could react, Wilter slammed against him, pressing him into the ground. He hooked his arm around his neck while the other held one of his arms behind his back.

"Run! Tsere and I will keep these two busy!" Mr. Wilter ordered.

The trio wasted no time. With both Cosmo and Draow distracted, they made a break down the tunnel.

Description
Rudy supported Snap as best as he could as he ran along behind Mr. Wilter. Running was their best option according to the teacher. If they walked too slowly, they could be more easily tracked. At least with running, they could put in more distance between them and Cosmo, in theory. Wilter was not familiar entirely with the building, so he warned both Rudy and Snap that they could end up in a trap if they aren't careful.

Running wasn't exactly the best thing to do with Snap on his back. He did his best to keep his grip on him and not letting him slip. He tried not to bounce Snap too hard. He didn't want to accidentally hurt him. He took care not to touch his feet. He could tell they were still hurting Snap.

But the running made this a little hard to do. Every time his foot pounded the ground, he could feel Snap budge upwards slightly from the force. So far, Snap hadn't cried out in pain, but he didn't take comfort in this. Snap could either be faking it, trying to be strong for Rudy, or he could have become unresponsive. His thoughts went back to when he thought he saw him sleeping on Penny's back. He had second thoughts. What if the reason he was quiet then was because of the damage the nail did to him?

He wanted to talk to Snap. He wanted to get him to show some signs that he was awake. That would have been a bad idea for two reasons. It could weaken Snap further, forcing him to use up more of his strength. And it could draw attention to them. Wilter told them to be as quiet as possible, only to speak in whispers. Draow had excellent hearing and if they spoke too loud, he just might hear them.

Soon they reached the end of the tunnel, only to be confronted by a labrynth similiar to what he encountered on the upper level. He growled in irritation. What was with this man and mazes? Did he construct them so that, in case prisoners escaped, they would have a heck of a time trying to get out? He wondered how many of these paths led to nowhere, and how many led to dead ends.

He wouldn't doubt they would be boobie trapped as well. Any one of them could have sensors lining the walls, triggering whenever he'd cross them. And if that happened, they'd be trapped in an electrified water cage again...or worse.

Wilter held up his hand. "Stop."

Rudy stopped in his tracks. "What is it? I thought we had to keep moving."

"Shh..." Wilter said as he approached the tunnels. "Knowing Cosmo, one singular path would be untampered with, so he won't get caught in his own traps."

Rudy didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before, but it made sense. There would be a safe path Cosmo would set aside for himself. If he didn't do that, than he wasn't really bright. Rudy silently wished Cosmo really was that dense. He'd be a lot easier to take down.

Wilter narrowed his eyes as he stared at each tunnel. He seemed lost in thought. He looked at the openings in front of him and scratched his chin, foot tapping. Rudy watched and waited, hoping that Wilter could pick the right path for them to go down.

Mr. Wilter's eyes slightly widened as he stared at the far left tunnel. "That tunnel may be our best bet." He said, turning his head to face Rudy and Snap. "Its coloration is slightly different from the rest of the tunnels. I am sure Mr. Cosmo altered the coloration of the tunnel slightly so he would remember which tunnel to take."

Rudy walked up behind Mr. Wilter as they headed towards the tunnel. Though he trusted his teacher's judgment, he still felt apprehensive. What if it led them down into some unknown danger? He tried to calm himself. He did have Wilter at his side now, which would make things a little easier for him.

They didn't run right away in the tunnel. Wilter wanted to make sure the tunnel was safe. He walked out ahead first. He took a few steps in. He went in a little deeper. Only when he reached about thirty feet down the tunnel did he gesture for Rudy and Snap to come down. After this, they broke into a run.

This underground place was massive. It had to have encompassed a space larger than the building on top itself. He wondered what this lower section had once been for. He had never heard of a building having such a massive underground labrynth, wider than the building. There were no signs anywhere of what this place had once been. Cosmo really had this place renovated.

He couldn't imagine how he had pulled it off. It was scary to think about. This man...he had shown a level of intelligence he was not used to dealing with. The only comfort he had right now was Mr. Wilter being with him. He dealt with Mr. Cosmo before. He would have a better idea on how to deal with him.

The running was starting to get to him. They had been running for a while now. He could hear Wilter's ragged breathing up ahead. He was getting tired too. Rudy tried to keep a running pace, but he found himself unconsciously slowing down into a slow walk. His heart pounded hard against his chest. He hunched over, mouth wide open to take in more oxygen with each breath. His throat was starting to feel dry. He was getting really thirsty. A water bottle sounded really nice right about now.

Mr. Wilter pressed his back against the wall of the tunnel. "We should take a break."

"But..." Rudy panted. "What about Cosmo?"

"If we wear ourselves out," Mr. Wilter replied, "We will never get away from him. If he found us while we were exhausted, believe me, he would take advantage of that. We should rest and get some of our energy back before continuing."

Rudy felt relieved to be sitting on the ground again. He gently put Snap back in his arms again. He was afraid that if he set him on the ground, he would accidentally hurt him some way. Plus he wanted to make Snap feel safe and secure, and he knew he felt that way when he held him. Snap nestled into Rudy's arms comfortably, laying his head on his chest.

Rudy watched Snap's eyes start to close a little. They would only remain closed for a second before pain would wake him up. Rudy had been careful not to hurt him, but some of the injuries radiated with pain even without a touch. Despite being treated, he was certain some infection had started to enter his body. With the damage to his neurological system, infection was the last thing Snap needed.

He felt something cold against his arm. He looked down and saw a water bottle. He looked up at Mr. Wilter, who smiled at him as he held his own water bottle. Rudy looked down at the bottle, smacking his dry lips together. Holding Snap with his bandaged arm, he reached over with his right arm and grabbed the bottle. He attempted to open it with his teeth when he heard a low whine.

He looked down and saw Snap staring up at him in fear, eyes wide. No, it wasn't him he was looking at. It was the water bottle. Rudy knew something was very wrong. He knew water would kill Snap, but he had never seen Snap react this way to a water bottle. He would believe it if someone threatened him with it, but he sure hadn't done that. Something must have happened to Snap to create this reaction.

His thoughts immediately went to Cosmo. It had to have been him. He did something to Snap with water while he wasn't there, the bastard...

"Snap, what's wrong?" He said in a calm voice to his injured friend. He felt bad about wanting to get his friend to talk, but he had to know what happened. It was the only way he could provide some comfort. He set the water bottle down in a place where Snap couldn't immediately see it. He was still frightened after that. "What did Mr. Cosmo do to you?"

Snap shivered as he looked up at Rudy. "He used water to get this...thing in me..." He used a hand to motion towards the silver thing taped to his head, indicating the nail underneath.

Rudy's eyes went big. "He used what...?" Was Mr. Cosmo insane? If he wanted Snap alive, why would he risk using water? Unless he was just a psychopath who wanted to cause Snap misery, which he wouldn't doubt for a second.

Snap spoke in a shaky voice, "H-He s-strapped me to a table...Cut my head open with a s-scalpel...Then he put a drop of water on my head... It hurt so much..." He let out a sob. "He covered my mouth so I wouldn't s-scream...told me to shut up..."

Rudy felt a lump in his throat as he tried to hold back a sob. Tears filled his eyes as he listened to Snap's story.

"Th-Then he put the nail in me...He pushed so hard... I...I felt like I was being set on fire.." Snap's voice broke and he hugged Rudy tighter. "I finally p-passed out...the pain was too much..."

"He.." Rudy choked. "He did that to you while you were awake?"

Snap nodded his head once.

Rudy couldn't stop the fountain of salty tears that covered his face. He held Snap closer to himself. The nail in his head was cruel enough but did Cosmo really have to do it while he was awake? That was just...brutal and unforgiveable. He never thought he would meet someone who was that cruel and vile...Putting water on a zoner was like putting molten lava on a human. It was absolutely heartless.

"He's a terrible man." Mr. Wilter said quietly. He stared at Snap sympathetically. "I am so sorry you had to go through that, Snap."

Snap didn't reply, but he gave a knowing nod to the teacher.

"S-Snap..." Rudy whispered. He watched as Snap continued to look at him. He wanted to try to comfort him. He reached down and touched Snap's uninjured cheek. "Everything will be okay..." He used his finger to gently wipe away Snap's tears. "I will protect you from Mr. Cosmo...I will not let him anywhere near you ever again..."

Snap gave a grateful smile back.

"Oh? Is that so...?"

Everyone in the tunnel froze. Chills went up Rudy's spine. He felt his hairs on the back of his head stand up. Mr. Wilter looked just as shocked as he was. And Snap went pale and started shivering in fear. No...it was impossible. Mr. Cosmo couldn't have found them that quickly, could he? This couldn't be happening...no...

Slowly, hesitantly, he looked towards the source of the voice. His worst fear had been confirmed. There was no mistaking Mr. Cosmo. He stood several feet away from them, walking towards them with a slow, deliberate pace. He was smiling very calmly, not looking at all upset that they had escaped earlier. He must have been confident that he'd find them before they could get out.

And sure enough, he had.

Mr. Cosmo stopped when he was ten feet away from the trio. He stared intently at Rudy. He folded his arms against his chest. "I would like to see you try." His eyes fell onto Snap as he said this. He gave a grin and chuckled as Snap gave a quick scream and pushed himself against Rudy to get away.

Rudy shifted his body to try to shield Snap from Mr. Cosmo's eyes. He glared hatefully at the man. "You are not going to hurt him again..." He said, his voice low.

"Hmph...we'll see." Mr. Cosmo then turned his attention to Mr. Wilter. For a moment, his eyes flashed the faintest hint of fear, clearly remembering this man defeated him before. But then, in an instant, his calm demeanor was back. "I must say, dear Wilter...I never thought I'd have to deal with you again. Maybe you aren't as stupid as I thought you had become..."

"How did you find us?" Mr. Wilter demanded.

"Did you think I left you out of this little equation, Wilter?" Mr. Cosmo said with a sneer. "Admittingly, I didn't think I was going to need to do this, but hey, it worked out in the end...for me..." He grinned darkly.

Mr. Wilter found nothing funny about this. "What did you do?!"

"I merely took something of yours and gave it to Draow so he could get your scent. He is an excellent tracker."

Mr. Wilter narrowed his eyes and growled through clenched teeth.

"Face it, you three..." Mr. Cosmo said as he started walking towards them. Rudy took a few steps back because of Snap, but Wilter stood firm. He put himself in front of Rudy. "You have no where to go..."

A low growl caught their attention. They looked behind them. In the only other direction they could go in stood Draow. He walked towards them, snarling, wings spread out. His teal eyes seemed to glow in the tunnel. They turned to look back at Mr. Cosmo.

"You are trapped." Mr. Cosmo said, his eyes sparking black for a second. He stared at Snap. "I told you, little blue creature...you will never leave this place...alive..."

The way he said 'alive' sent cold chills down Rudy's spine. He didn't take too well to Snap being called a creature. He wasn't some mindless beast. He was sentient, and the fact that this man refused to see that, or if he did, simply didn't care, infuriated him. If Snap were in a better condition, he would lunge at the man and punch him in the face.

He watched as Draow got closer. He turned around to face the beast. The blood that came from Penny still clung to his claw. He wasn't sure just how intelligent Draow was, but he couldn't help but wonder if Draow kept the blood there on purpose, in an attempt to mess with his mind and show just how dangerous he was.

Snap stared wide-eyed at Draow. His turned his head up to look at Draow's wing claw. He shuddered, clearly remembering that it was Draow who hit him in the back, that it was Draow who brought him to this dreadful place.

Rudy took a step back and found himself hitting against Mr. Wilter's back. He didn't know which direction they should go. Mr. Cosmo was unpredictable. He might have some traps waiting for him. And who knows what else... And Draow's path was no safer. The huge beast could tear into them easily. With how carelessly he had carried him to where Snap was being held, Rudy knew the beast wouldn't think twice before tearing into him if Cosmo gave the order.

"So tell me, Mr. Wilter..." Cosmo said, grinning in Wilter's direction. "Why are you helping that blue runt...? I thought you hated cartoons. That's what I heard another teacher say when I came by your school."

Mr. Wilter growled at the evil man. "I am not heartless...not like you."

Mr. Cosmo smirked at this. "You're right. You're not like me..." He took a step back. His eyes glinted. "You...are a fool..."

Rudy glared at Draow was he got closer to him. He was pawing the ground, scraping against it. Rudy winced as the sound hurt his ear drums.

"I admit, I made a mistake of not getting rid of you sooner." Mr. Cosmo said, smiling darkly at the teacher, prompting a growl as a response. He shrugged it off. He leaned back slightly, his eyes brightening. "But first, let me get rid of some...unwanted weight..."

Something seemed to click in Mr. Wilter's mind. He whipped around quickly, taking both Rudy and Snap by surprise. He grabbed them in his arms.

"Look out!"

With that, he jumped away just as Draow broke open a piece of the wall. A jet stream of water shot out. Rudy and Snap screamed in horror at just how close the rushing water had been. The two were shaken up, staring at each other in shock. They looked up at Mr. Wilter.

"Thank you..." Rudy whispered, stunned by what had happened. He shuddered at the sound of the water just in front of him. He moved back, getting Snap away from the water. "How did you...?"

Mr. Wilter said, "I know the way this man thinks. It would suit him to set up a trap like that." He turned back to Cosmo. "When facing him, expect the unexpected."

The water slowly stopped running. Draow kept back, snarling at the thin wet line that formed in the water's presence. Great relief hit Rudy and Snap as the sound left their ears. Rudy pressed his chin on Snap's head. He was shaken up by how close he was to losing Snap for good. Had it not been for Mr. Wilter, Snap would have...died. He choked back a sob.

"Oh you shouldn't have done that." Mr. Cosmo said, sneering. "That would have been the less painful way out."

Rudy's body started to shake from rage. "You said you wouldn't kill Snap if I..."

"Considering that you left," Mr. Cosmo said with a smirk, "That means you declined my offer. And as part of my little deal with you, if you were to decline, your friend there would meet his end..."

Mr. Wilter placed a hand in front of Rudy. "Stay away from them." He warned.

"Oh I will. It is not I who will be dealing with the blue thing..." Mr. Cosmo said. He raised a hand and snapped his finger. "Draow...kill Snap."

Rudy held Snap protectively as he glared in Draow's direction. The wolf/bat beast let out a roar and was walking towards them slowly. His feet were able to step away from the wet stream on the ground. Rudy took a few steps back. He could feel Snap shaking in his arms. He was not going to let anything else happen to him. He made a promise that he would keep him safe, and that was exactly what he was going to do.

He heard a grunt sound behind him. He looked over and he saw Mr. Wilter beind pressed against the wall by Mr. Cosmo, no doubt to leave him alone to deal with Draow. Rudy took another step back as the beast drew closer. Rudy tried not to take any more steps. The more he took, the closer he got to...him... If Draow didn't get him, Mr. Cosmo sure would.

Draow pawed at the ground. His chalky drool hit the ground as he opened his jaws. He lowered himself on his haunches. His tail swished back and forth in anticipation. It wouldn't be long now before he would make the lunge.

Rudy gritted his teeth. He tried to weigh his options. He could try to run past Draow, but he could risk getting attacked. That would also put Snap in harm's way. He couldn't allow that creature to bite him, not in his state. He looked behind him. He could run towards Mr. Cosmo, but that came with its own risks. Cosmo could have traps waiting for him, or more controlled zoners. Or he could release Wilter and seize Snap. He remembered the knife he had. He cut slit his friend's throat open...

Things weren't looking good for him. He was trapped, utterly trapped. There was no way he could go that he knew was safe. His only open was to try to keep Draow away from Snap, but how was he going to do that?

Draow let out a screech. He flapped his wings once, then he jumped at the two, jaws split wide open. Rudy closed his eyes, hugging the whimpering Snap for dear life.

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash. The wall caved in, causing dust to rise from the ground. Something large and green slammed into Draow, pressing him hard against the wall. As the dust cleared, Rudy was shocked to see it was a pterosaur. The same one that helped to save ChalkZone years ago. He watched as Draow struggled to get free, but the pterosaur had him firmly pinned with its body.

"What?!" Mr. Cosmo cried in disbelief. "Tsere? What is he doing here?!"

"Surprised?" Mr. Wilter smirked. "Do you think you're the only one who has a few tricks up their sleeve?"

"Rudy!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Rudy looked up and saw Penny on the back of the pterosaur. She jumped off Tsere's back and rushed over to her friends.

"Penny! I'm so glad to see you!" Rudy said with a grin.

Penny smiled back. "I'm so happy to see that you are safe." She glanced down at Snap. Her eyes widened. "Snap..." She whispered softly.

"H-Hello, B-Buckette..." Snap said, trying his best to smile. "I'm sorry for..t-tossing you down that hole."

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault." Penny whispered.

"Save your reunion for later!" Mr. Wilter cried. "You need to get out of here!"

With that, he slammed his knee against Mr. Cosmo's stomach. The reporter stumbled backwards, holding onto his stomach. Before he could react, Wilter slammed against him, pressing him into the ground. He hooked his arm around his neck while the other held one of his arms behind his back.

"Run! Tsere and I will keep these two busy!" Mr. Wilter ordered.

The trio wasted no time. With both Cosmo and Draow distracted, they made a break down the tunnel.