{Chapter II}

Suddenly the lights flicked on, and I blinked. My rat eyes blinded for a moment, before they grew used to the light. The room that used to look like a blank gray with a table-was now a blank white, with a table. My head rested on one of my paws, well hand-paws. I was drowsy, yet I did not care. My sleep could wait, I needed answers. I watched as the creatures walked out-I saw four.

One was a giant woman, with white hair. Another was a blue blob with a red eye. The third was a fish like primate. And the last-well it was like me. Only it was a he, and instead of being a rat, it had the head of a Cockroach. Its body was human though, and I wondered how he could have gotten here. Stem cells..well they were new. How could it already be done? I also saw that the Cockroach wore the same sort of clothes that I did. He had a lab coat on, but unlike me he only had two buttons buttoned, while I had three. His undershirt was a light blue, while mine was black. And, as for pants-well they were plaid, while mine were, well, gray. He had socks-probably shorter then mine, as mine covered my whole leg. But the shoes-well the shoes were the same. Outdated.

"Well now." The reptile-like ape said. "I see we got a new one."
"Less then a year after you, Susan." The Cockroach observed, "that is really odd."
The blue mass seemed oblivious of seeing me.

The Cockroach seemed to wonder at me, how a new monster had come about, when suddenly, it dawned on him. "How long have you been sitting there?"
"Two hours." I said. It was easy to guess, as my tail had tapped the seconds, and enough went by for two hours.
"How on earth did you get out of your cell?"
I pointed to the hole of my cell, and the Cockroach was soon over observing it. "Amazing."

I knew, simply by the way he said 'amazing' that I was not the first genius to wind up here, and knew at least, I was not as odd.

When the Cockroach returned, I asked them, "why exactly are we here?"
"Well." The one called, 'Susan' said, "its because we're monsters."
Well I knew that, but I wanted to know more, and so I looked at the other three.

"Sent here to keep us out of the public eye." the Cockroach said.

"For how long?"
They were silent, unwilling to answer that, and so I believed the worse.

"We can see what is wrong." Susan said, "but why on earth are you—a rat?"
The question started me, and I placed my hands on the table. I'd rather not answer that, I needed to know more about these other, older monsters then me. Still, I decided it would be best to answer then remain silent like I usually did. If I was going to remain here until my death, I'd rather do so without enemies. "I was trying some Stem Cell research, trying to help the human race. The effects you see were somewhat expected-but the head and the paws..not so much."
The monsters nodded, understanding.

"And-your name?" The fish-monkey thing asked, and as I went to say it, my tail flicked.

"I'd rather know yours, first."
The monsters then went to introduce themselves. Susan was the only one who seemed to have a normal name, but BOB, still didn't seem to see me.

"And my na-"

It was then I heard a buzzing. No-not a buzzing. But a movement. A jet pack? I turned around in my chair, and looked around for the sound. "Whats that?"
The monsters didn't seem to understand at first, until the sound was picked up by The Missing Link and Dr. Cockroach.

"Hopefully the one who will explain this to you better." Missing Link said.

Soon, a human-on a jet pack, arrived. He was only a few feet shorter then myself. I learned his name to be General Monger.

And so, I was to start my day with a tour. A tour of my cage, I guess.

"You, are a monster. Hidden away from the public so that they do not have to worry about you."
"And-?" I wasn't very impressed by this. "Where am I, exactly?"
"Can't tell you that."
Typical. Alright, so I asked a few more questions. "How long have those others been here?" BOB, Dr. Cockroach, and Missing Link had been there for the last fifty years. While Susan had been here for about six months.
"Alright, and why exactly am I treated like a hamster?"
The General didn't answer that, but I didn't say anything.
"I should mention-what is your name?"
"Dr. Salk; Dr. Jennifer Salk."
"Well, now its Dr. Rattus."
"You give me the latin name of the rat?" Well, the originality of the names they had given Dr. Cockroach wasn't much better.

"We could call you Verminist."

The last thing I needed was to have my name be something about vermin, something that needed to be exterminated. So, now I was Dr. Rattus. I didn't like the name, but it was better then the other. So, I guess, I'll have to deal with it.

I soon found myself in the white hall again, with the four monsters. They each sat at their chairs.

"Do you know your name yet?" Missing Link asked.

"Dr. Rattus."

"Doctor?" Dr. Cockroach asked, "so you are a--"
"Scientist. PHD."

"Ah-" Dr. Cockroach seemed somewhat irked by that, however only his antenna showed that, not so much was emotion shown in his British Accent. "So, you're smart."
"Yes." I said simply. "However I don't doubt you are."
"He's not just smart." Missing Link chimed in, "he's a Mad Scientist."
And I simply nodded, not doubting but not not doubting it. "So, did you also get a box of junk?"
"What?" Dr. Cockroach asked.

"A box of junk, random pieces of garbage that somehow fit together."
"Yes, I do."
"So we are equal. Only, I don't see a hole in your wall."
Dr. Cockroach said nothing, but I sensed a glare. What was wrong with some competition?
"So, are there any other Monsters?" I asked, wanting to make sure I had each one in my brain. I am not a social creature, but I decided that I should know these.

"Insectasaurus." Missing Link said, "or, Butterflyasaurus, as we call him now."

Suddenly, I heard wing beats, and a roar, and I saw a furry insect standing near us. I moved out of my chair, my tail hovering around me, and I scampered-literally scampered, I swear I was on four legs, and went up to the giant beast. I touched it-and it was furry. I didn't find the thing to odd, however its wings looked to small to be useful. I found my way back, and looked at the others.

I wasn't much for talking, really. And as the group of monsters began to eventually chatter amongst themselves-about me, but nothing bad-I simply sat idle. That was, until BOB blurted out.

"What rat?"

"That one, BOB." Missing Link pointed to me.

"Thats not a rat, thats a Cockroach."
"No. BOB, that is me." Dr. Cockroach corrected. "That, is Dr. Rattus."
BOB seemed confused, and I heard Dr. Cockroach whisper to me, "he has no brain."

Well, that was fine with me. In fact, this whole place was okay with me. I had some competition, and possibly other monsters. I only wondered really, why none of these monsters had tried to figure out where they were, and really-how to get out? Not like I wanted to, but I wondered.

"I've never heard of you." I said, suddenly, after about an hour of silence amongst us. "I mean, I've heard of aliens-but never of Monsters. Why doesn't the-" I glanced at Dr. Cockroach, who nodded, knowing I was on the right track, "government trap them, too?"

They shrugged. "Guess they think we are more of a threat. Not able to control our powers." Susan said.

"Alright..but I'm not much of a threat."
"No?" Dr. Cockroach asked, "do you know how many rats carry disease?"
I said nothing, because I didn't know.

"Many wild ones do. They don't need an outbreak."
"And-and you? Why-I'd bet we're two of the brightest minds out there."
Dr. Cockroach liked the compliment, "Cockroaches are not well liked, my dear."
"hm.." I found it odd, really. Something about this place didn't add up, and it seemed like no one else sensed this. Yet, I couldn't find any holes in the set up of this place.

Another hour passed, and soon plates of food were drizzled from the ceiling. I looked at all the plates, and wondered what I would get. I thought I would get garbage, but I didn't have any cravings for it-I was still human in that way. Either way, I waited for the food-and none came down. When the others were almost done, I assumed I was not getting mine.

"Thats odd." Dr. Cockroach said, "well, I guess they don't know what you like."

He didn't offer me any of his garbage, and I wondered then why he never ate any of the junk they gave us to work with. I mean, it was still garbage, and its not like his was any different in food form or in item.

So the day was uneventful. Pretty much to be expected, but as we were sent to our cells for the night, and I lay awake, blindly fitting together the junk to try and cover the hole so I could keep it there, yet hidden, I heard a scampering, and soon I found Dr. Cockroach in my cell. He looked around.

"Why exactly, do you have a hamster wheel and water?"
I shrugged.

The Doctor looked around the blank and dark walls of the cell-the cage which was now my home.

"You have more furniture then the rest of us."
"I do?"
"Yep. Susan only has a poster with a cat on it, and 'Link only has a water-filled area with a dumbbell."
"And, yourself?" I asked, not really thinking that BOB had anything in his.

"Pretty much nothing." He then looked on my bed, and he walked over to my reports, and sat on the bed. His eyes looked at the long extensive reports like others read a novel. "This is quite detailed."

I stood there, watching him, my hands behind my back, my tail twitching, but overall laced along the floor. "I've never seen such reports like this."
"Never?" I asked, finding it strange.

"They are more exact then a text book."

I realized that Dr. Cockroach had not been out into the world of Science, and so I only nodded. Taking it as a compliment, and nothing extraordinary.

"Doctor, why are you here?" I asked sternly. "I doubt you illegally escaped from your cell just for the sake of it."
"No, no I didn't, my dear."
I waited for his reply, now crossing my arms across my chest, yet no emotion shown throw my rat face or eyes. And I could tell he tried to see it, yet it was impossible.

"I came here, to ask you-to invite you, to take a challenge."
My ears flicked forward, and I nodded, "for what?"
"A challenge between you and myself. A competition."
"Oh, I guess being locked up in a place where your brains can only be matched by strength is very damaging?"
"Yes, in a way."
"How smart are they?" I asked, not really being mean, simply curious, wondering.

"BOB, is undoubtedly the lowest. 'Link and Susan seem to be about average, and I'd say Insectosarurus is pretty smart for his species." Dr. Cockroach stood up, and set my records down. He walked over to me, and held out his hand, "do you accept it?"
Undoubtedly, my answer was yes.

As he turned to go, however, I did not wish him to leave. I needed questions answered, and so, luckily, he spoke up for me.

"You may want to get this covered up soon. Or the General will have you."

"And I suppose you should to, unless you have a spare cell door laying about."

Dr. Cockroach chuckled, "your point is noted, and I'll get right on that."
"Doctor." I then began, before he could move half a step. "Where are we?"

"My dear, what do you mean?"
"Where is this-p-I mean, facility located?" I had almost said prison. "I know we are still within the United States."
"How would you know that?" He asked.
"The drugs they gave me had little effect, I woke up in a truck, somewhere in a desert, and then was on a plane, going West. Not North, East, or South. We are still within the United States."
"Interesting.." Observed Dr. Cockroach, "I never looked into it before."
"And Doctor," I kept my questions short, because I knew the later he stayed up, the better chance I have of annoying him. "Why are you here?"
"Well my dear, the same reason you are."
"No, not that." I stated, "you are an Englishman, aren't you?" And he nodded. "Well why on earth are in a United States facility?"

As he went to answer that, I saw him draw back. He had no answer to that question. "I never thought about that either."
"For a genius-I'm sorry-a mad scientist, you seem to forget the little details."

"Just be glad I'm not a villain, my dear. Villains make the largest mistakes because they forget those things, while the hero doesn't need to know them." And with that, he slipped out and I heard him walk across the dark floor. I sat back on my bed, and worked on a cover to replace the hole in my cell.