A Monstrous Mistake

Chapter 6: A Reveal

Whenever the entire company needed to be briefed on something, Waternoose usually held an assembly in the lobby. That was normal. What wasn't normal, and what made Sulley a little apprehensive, was that the meeting had come out of nowhere. The fact that the CEO was being flanked by CDA agents didn't make him feel any better. 

Everyone's attention was drawn by a projector and white screen, which were set up on a podium. A CDA agent, who had the number 0002, got onto the podium to address the employees. 

"This building has been placed under quarantine until further notice. You all must be informed that we received reports of a possible human breach within this factory--"

"It was me! I saw the human!" Sulley suppressed a groan as a Scarer from his floor, recent hire Grady Grimelson, put his hand in the air. Sulley did his best to be nice to his fellow co-workers (especially the ones he didn't like) but Grady was probably the most egocentric monster he'd ever met. The fact that he'd blown the whistle didn't surprise anyone. Most of them, including Sulley, were more concerned with there potentially being a human child in the factory.

The agent continued. "It is mandatory when we receive such reports to survey security camera footage. While we were surveying the footage of the past twenty-four hours, we discovered something."

The entire staff of Monsters, Incorporated waited. Sulley thought that a majority of them were holding their breath. The agent turned on the projector. The screen began showing a black-and-white image. It was Scare Floor G, from the night before. As they watched, a Scarer (was that Lanky?) stumbled through the door he'd been scaring in. It looked like his feet were tangled up in something. Whatever it was, it caused him to drag in two creatures. The camera was too far away for them to see any details, but they saw them quickly duck behind a cart of scream cans.

"Last night at 17:50 hours, two creatures entered the factory. At first glance, they resembled aquatic monsters. But closer inspection revealed that, after an amount of time exposed to the air, they underwent...changes."

The entire staff gasped as, on the screen, the camera zoomed in on the two as they shed their monster forms and turned into humans. Many were stunned into silence. Mike and Sulley were in shock, but for different reasons. 

The camera kept playing, showing one of the human/monster things, as soon as the Floor was clear, dumping an abandoned water bottle over his head. As soon as he was wet, he looked like a monster again. The footage then skipped ahead to the two of them taking water packs from the storage room. 

The screen froze on a shot of their faces. Sulley couldn't deny it: it was the boys. Luca and Alberto. Confused and terrified whispers made their way through the crowd. They might've erupted into a full-blow panic if the agent hadn't started speaking again.

"A search through our records has revealed what these two are. They are, in fact, monsters. Specifically, a rare sub-species of aquatic monster that was collectively banished almost a century ago. The reason for such drastic measures was obvious: they appeared human whenever they were above water. They are not truly human, and thus not toxic." A collective sigh of relief spread across the room. 

"However, it is imperative that these intruders be captured and turned over to CDA custody. We ask that anyone who sees or knows the whereabouts of them inform either Waternoose or a member of the CDA immediately. This building will remain under quarantine until they are caught. That is all." The agent stepped down from the podium, which two other agents began to disassemble. 

Grady was immediately the center of attention as his coworkers peppered him with questions. He was clearly enjoying his five minutes of fame. The CDA agents also found themselves bombarded with questions about the intruders. 

The only ones not shouting questions were Mike and Sulley. They found themselves leaving the lobby. They didn't run, so as not to attract attention, but they knew without saying anything that they were headed for the door warehouse. Their intentionally slow pace (which they had to keep up due to Mike's suspicion that the security cameras were still being watched) meant that they were wandering the halls for nearly thirty minutes.

Sulley felt a little overwhelmed. He'd begun to suspect that Luca and Alberto were hiding something (what monster over the age of five didn't know about scream energy?) but the fact that they weren't even from the monster world? That they were a new kind of monster all together? No wonder they never took off those water packs...

"Hey, Sulley!" Mike shouted under his breath. Sulley's train of thought was interrupted, and he realized that he'd stopped walking. He started again, jogging a little so he could catch up with Mike.

"Sorry, Mikey. I just...I can't believe that--"

"I know. The second we see those kids again, we're going to get some answers. I knew that there was something weird about them."

"Let's worry about that when we get to the door warehouse."

"Wait. Sulley, what are we going to do? Turn them over to the CDA?"

"I-I don't know. What does the CDA do with kids they catch?"

"I don't know. No one does. I'm mad at the kids for lying to us, but do we really want them to be locked up forever? Or worse?"

"So what do you think we should do?"

Before Mike could say anything, an alarm went off for the second time that day. The voice of a CDA agent came through the intercom.

"All CDA personnel to the door warehouse. All CDA personnel to the door warehouse."

Sulley, hearing running feet headed in their direction, grabbed Mike and ducked into an alcove. At least a dozen agents in matching yellow hazmat suits ran past, not acknowledging the duo. They hid for a minute before emerging from the alcove. 

"Mike," Sulley started, "I think they found Luca and Alberto."

"Don't worry," Mike said, "they'll be okay. I think I have a plan."