Dash was ecstatic. He was floating on air, flying on joy. For he had found the perfect pet, and he had gotten her for less then thirty bucks!

Dash forced the door to the house open and threw his bag to the ground. You wouldn't really call that silent as a mouse. Which is why Helen decided to check it out.

"Dash, you know you shouldn't-" It was a valiant effort but nothing can beat a freshmen on a sugar high.

"Heymomdoyouknowwherethatoldfishtankwehaveis?Wheredoesdadkeeptheoldnewspapers?Honestlyshefoundme,canIkeepher?Please?" Within about three seconds Dash had ran about the house twice and had shoved a large hairy rat in Helens face.

The rat twitched her nose and blinked up at Helen, who blinked down at the rat. Both thought the same thing. Disgusting. Helen jerked back in surprise and the rat ran down Dash's arm and into his pocket.

Helen really wanted to ask multiple things, but her state of shock reduced her to a polite demeanor.

"Oh," Helen said in an overly happy voice, "And what is her name?" Helen then wished she would think before acting.

"Her name is Anita." Dash said proudly. "She had that spicy Latin attitude. And Anita is such a hot name!" Dash could think of over two hundred people who would want to kill him for that one.

All earlier shock was gone. It was mom time. "Dash, where did you get it?"

Dash looked hurt. "I found her at a pet shop. I wouldn't pick a rat up off the street. Wanna hold her?" He once again shoved Anita in Helen's face.

"No. We can't keep her either. Your father he's…well, he won't be happy." Helen tried her best to not nock Anita away from Dash, but found it too tempting and took a step back.

"Why not? Dad's the one who always said I could have a pet! And now that Violet's in college you can't say it will make her go nuts from allergies." Dash had this conversation while running about the house, having found the fish tank he'd cleaned it out, put sheets of newspaper in it. After which he installed a water bottle that he'd bought. "Looks good huh?"

Helen blinked multiple times at the rat cage that was now fully assembled and complete with rat. "Uh…" Dash smiled and in a few seconds several toys and food appeared for Anita out of thin air. She looked happy. Helen was horrified. "Ok, stop! I don't mind you having a rat. I have nothing against Anita. I'll talk it over with your father. In tell then keep her out of site and make sure that dad doesn't-"

Bob had always had a knack for showing up at the wrong time. Today was no different. Helen only had enough time to jump directly in front the cage. Bob looked at her, then at Dash, and then he settled on the cage. "Hi honey," she began, " would you like a drink? You look hot, lets moved to the kitchen!" Moving quickly she grabbed his arm and steered him in the right direction.

Bob was not fooled. Glancing over his shoulder he saw his worst nightmare played out. "A rat! Holy hell, a rat!" Bob had hopped on the sofa even though she was in a cage. "What is that doing here? Helen get rid of it!" Dash had never seen his father so frightened.

"Dad…are you afraid of rodents?" Dash couldn't hold back a laugh as his father let out a yelp when Anita grabbed a pellet of food and began chomping on it. She then stopped to stare at Bob who by this point had jumped behind the sofa while Helen tried to coax him out. "I'm so glad that no super villain ever found out about this!"

Bob let out a groan of agony as Dash preceded to very carefully pull Anita back out of the cage. "She won't bite you dad. Honest! Scouts honor." Dash took a very small step towards Bob, but this only ended in him sinking down behind the couch with a death groan. "I never liked the scouts." Bob hissed. Dash quirked an eyebrow. "Dad, you were a scout." Bob's forehead and eyes appeared above the couch. "That is besides the point!"

"Ok!" Helen said to loudly and step in front of her approaching son. "We have established that Anita is not a pet that your father wishes you to keep." Dash looked crestfallen and Bob...well he was still watching Anita as she crawled on top of Dash's head. "Put her into your room in tell we can further discuss this." As if to close the deal Helen moved over to pick up the former fish tank.

"Rats," Bob grumbled, "Why couldn't you want a nice fish?" Dash dropped Anita back in her new home and turned to his father. "The last time we had fish we over fed them and they died." Helen meanwhile was struggling to not drop the cage as she made her way to Dash's bedroom.

"Why do I always move the unpleasent things?" Helen huffed as she put the tank down on Dash's dresser. Crouching down Helen watched as Anita began to watch her. The rat paced back and forth on occasion placing her paws against the glass. "You are pretty cute when you want to be." She added and left to go inform her husband that the threat was secure.

Anita began to get cozy in he new home and began to hope she would see less of that terrifying big creature and more of the one who bought her. As she chewed on her forgotten pellet she decided to name him Sun, because his hair was bright yellow and potentially hazardous. Hopping on her wheel she looked about Sun's room and decided that he really need some new nesting material and some sort of water bottle.

After all, even the strangest of creatures needs to have some sort of humane environment.