A Monstrous Mistake

Chapter 10: Scare Floor Showdown

Just as Mike had predicted, Scare Floor J was empty. Sulley led the boys to a door station, and paused to catch his breath. Luca dropped to the floor, panting. Alberto, having better stamina than the other two, looked around. 

"Where's Mike?" 

No one needed to answer his question, as the green cyclops came running towards them, a file in hand. He looked both terrified and happy. 

"Roz almost ripped my head off for asking for this, but I got it!" He waved it triumphantly in the air. 

"Great job, Mikey! Now let's get these two home before the CDA shows up."

"You don't need to worry about the CDA." 

Everyone turned at the sound of a fifth voice. Luca's heart rate tripled. The big green monster from the bathroom and the door warehouse had just walked onto the Scare Floor. Somehow he looked scarier now than he ever did before. Alberto tensed up and moved closer to his friend. Mike groaned under his breath, and rolled his eye. 

"Grimelson, what are you doing here?" Sulley asked, sounding more annoyed than worried. Luca realized that neither he nor Mike knew that Grimelson had been trying to catch them all day. He was furious with himself for not telling them sooner. 

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to be the hero that saves our world from the invading human/monster things. And," he said, throwing a glance at Mike and Sulley, "for stopping the two traitors that tried to help them."

"If you think catching two harmless kids is going to make you a hero," Sulley said as he took three steps to the left, "then you're insane." Luca realized that Sulley had deliberately moved so that he was between Grimelson and the boys. Alberto seemed to realize this, too, and put his hand on Luca's shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mike pressing a button on the panel.

Grimelson grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp, yellow teeth. His eyes were full of malice. "Who said I was going to capture them?"

"Mike." Sulley whispered to his friend, not taking his eyes off of Grimelson. "Get the door."

Grimelson charged. Sulley ran forward, letting out a roar. The two monsters began to fight. Sulley wasn't as big as Grimelson, but he was able to hold his ground. 

Mike, having swiped the door key on the panel, set the file on a nearby table and addressed the boys. "As soon as that door lands in the station, run through it. Don't worry about us." With that, he ran over to help Sulley. And was sent flying backwards by Grimelson.

Luca looked over his shoulder and saw Francesca's door approaching. Then he turned back to the fight. Even with two against one, Mike and Sulley were losing. The young sea monster's fear turned to anger. If last summer had taught him anything, it was that he couldn't watch people (or monsters) get hurt. He glanced at his friend, and knew that he felt the same way.

"We can't go yet," Luca decided. "We have to help them."

"Agreed." Alberto looked around, and saw a blue hardhat that someone had left unattended on a table. He picked it up and threw it at Grimelson.

It hit the villainous green monster right in the upper left eye. He roared in pain, and looked at the boys. His three good eyes burned with anger.

"What's wrong with you, stupido!" Alberto yelled as he grabbed Luca's hand. The boys took off running across the Scare Floor. Roaring in anger now as well as pain, Grimelson took off after them. 

"We really should have thought this through!" Luca yelled as Grimelson got closer.

"Quick! Split up!" Alberto yelled. He dropped Luca's hand and turned right. Luca followed his lead and went left. Grimelson hesitated for a moment, then went after Alberto. He quickly changed his mind when a second hardhat hit him in the side of the head.

"Stupido!" Luca yelled. 

The monster stopped following Alberto and went after Luca, only to be stopped by Mike and Sulley jumping on his back. 

This went on for several minutes. Every time Grimelson was close to catching someone, either Mike, Sulley, or one of the boys would grab his attention. He got punched, kicked, hit, and called "stupido" a dozen times before he finally snapped.

"Stop it!" He roared so loud that the boys froze. He then smacked Sulley across the face, knocking him into a pile of empty scream cans. Mike, when he tried to help, was sent flying across the room. Luca quickly realized that Grimelson not only stood between the boys and Francesca's door, but blocked the exit from the Scare Floor. 

"I am a hero," he uttered as he approached the boys. Luca glanced at Sulley. He could hear the monster groaning, but he wasn't moving. Grimelson continued speaking as he got closer. 

"I've spent my whole life being ignored. Not anymore. All I have to do is get rid of you four, and I'll be a bigger hero than Sullivan. Bigger than Waternoose! Bigger than...whoever's bigger than Waternoose! And nothing is going to stop me!"

There was a sudden loud noise, like something metallic hitting flesh. For a moment, Luca thought that Grimelson had thrown a harpoon at him. Then the monster fell on his face, and he realized what had actually happened.

While ranting, Grimelson had been too busy to notice Celia running onto the Scare Floor. She had snuck up on him with an empty scream can, and promptly knocked him out cold. 

"That's what you get for trying to hurt kids!" 

She was followed by at least thirty CDA agents, who started pulling Grimelson to his feet while simultaneously putting him in handcuffs. Celia, seeing that Luca and Alberto were okay, quickly went over to Mike and Sulley. Both were heavily bruised, but otherwise unhurt. 

"Thanks, Celia," Sulley said as he got to his feet. "But how'd you know to come here?"

"I called her through the intercom when things started getting ugly," Mike admitted.

"Thanks a lot, Celia," Luca spoke up. "I think you saved our lives."

"My pleasure, boys." Her snakes chirped happily.

"Uh, Luca?"

Alberto grabbed Luca's shoulder, and pointed at the CDA agents making their way towards the boys.

Not again, Luca thought, trying not to panic.