As Mike and Sully entered, they realized they were in a very large room, with a very large table, in which all parties seemed to be at the opposite end of where Mike and Sully were.
"Please, both of you, come forward." said a voice with a slight accent, which appeared to the to the left of whomever was head of the table.
Mike and Sully felt as though they were walking an even longer hallway than the corridor that Dave drove them down. As they approached the figures, they began to see who was towards the end of the table.
The head of the table was in an enormous chair, turned in the opposite direction as everyone else. To the right of the head of the table, there sat a large, elderly, gray-haired, blue-green slug-like monster, with a large eye in the middle of his forehead, and two protruding appendages, all four with one eye, on each side of his head. He seemed to be the voice of the proceedings thus far.
"Please, have a seat." said the blue-green monster.
Mike and Sully sat, taking note of the rest of the participants.
To the left, Dean Abigail Hardscrabble sat, and right next to her was a monster neither of them recognized. It was a gray-haired, close to 6-foot, pink monster with glasses and curved horns, and he did not look pleased at all by their presence.
The blue-green monster looked at them with all 5 of his eyes, and began to speak.
"Allow me to introduce myself. " said the monster. "I am Dr. Nabil Al-Faraz, Provost of Monsters University. To your left, you will find Dean Abigail Hardscrabble, Dean of the Monsters Scaring School, which I'm sure you are already aware of. Next, you will find Dean Ernest Grimsley, Dean of the Monsters University School of Scream Engineering; and at the head of our table, I introduce last but not least, President of Monsters University, Dr. Maurice Q. Krummhorn."
The enormous chair at the head of the table swung around to face Sully and Mike. In it, sat an enormous, older, yet wise with age, monster. His fur gray with the years, two prominent horns on either side of his head, and green skin. His fingers were clawed yet frog-like, and his feet were webbed. With a grave look on his face, he stared down both Mike and Sully, looking far from amused from anything. Mike and Sully looked at the towering behemoth; Sully with fear, and Mike with awe and admiration.
"Well then…" said Dr. Krummhorn. "You must be Mike Wazowski, and James P. Sullivan."
"You are correct sir." said Mike quickly. "And might I say, you are a legend in the Scaring Industry! It took me forever, but I finally found your Scare Card!"
"Oh really?" said Krummhorn, looking amused. "Thank you young man, it's always nice to meet a fan of my life's work."
Dr. Krummhorn thumbed through a stack of papers within his hands.
"Nevertheless, it appears you gentlemen are in a lot of deep water." said Dr. Krummhorn, with a dreadful look on his face, facing both Mike and Sully.
Dr. Krummhorn's mouth stood wide open, drooling, with tall, razor-sharp teeth staring both Mike and Sully in the face, and both of them taken aback, with a dreadful look on his face, facing both Mike and Sully.
"Are the two of you…PLAGIARISTS?!" growled Krummhorn, with a hungry look on his face.
"N-no sir!" sputtered Sully. "Neither of us are plagiarists!"
Just as soon as the display started, Dr. Krummhorn's demeanor turned back to normal.
"Oh, well that's good to hear." replied Dr. Krummhorn. "Lucky for both of you, because plagiarism is the worst crime on campus. Provost Al-Faraz, please read me the charges."
"Yes Dr. Krummhorn." replied Al-Faraz. "Destruction of University Property, Illegal Door Entry, Monster and Student Endangerment, Reckless Scaring Activity, Non-Academic Scaring Without A License, and Academic Dishonesty."
"Hmmm, I see." said Dr. Krummhorn. "I shouldn't have to tell either of you, these are very serious charges! Today, we are going to hear from Ernest Grimsley, Dean of Monsters University's School of Scream Engineering, and Abigail Hardscrabble, Dean of Monsters University's Scaring School, then, we will hear from the two of you, and I will render a decision."
Dr. Krummhorn faced forward, then turned toward Dean Hardscrabble, a long-time protégé of his and trusted confidant.
"Dean Hardscrabble." said Dr. Krummhorn. "What do you have to say in regards to this matter?"
Dean Hardscrabble stood up straight and elegant, clearing her throat before she spoke.
"I am afraid I can only speak the facts in this situation." replied Dean Hardscrabble. "Did at least one potential for the Scaring School tamper with the simulator to result with a positive outcome for a teammate in the Scare Games? Yes. Did the student, realizing the results were not his/her own, steal an access card to break into the Door Lab? Yes. Were the University Rules violated by at least one of the suspects present here today? Yes. Was it 'I' who responded, and not Professor Norfleet nor Dean Grimsley, to the distress call at Monsters University's School of Scream Engineering? Yes."
As Dean Hardscrabble said this last piece, Dean Grimsley grimaced negatively, knowing she meant to humiliate him. For not many monsters knew, but Dean Hardscrabble and Dean Grimsley had a brief, romantic love life, which ended when Dean Hardscrabble chose her career in Scaring over a life with Ernest Grimsley.
"That is all I have to say, Dr. Krummhorn." said Dean Hardscrabble.
"Very well then." replied Dr. Krummhorn. "Your statement will be taken into account. Next, Dean Ernest Grimsley of the Monsters University School of School of Scream Engineering, will give his statement to these matters."
Standing up, Dean Grimsley started by clearing his throat, before beginning to speak.
"The Monsters University School of Scream Engineering has been subject to a grave series of violations, by these two delinquents!" said Ernest Grimsley, with teeth gritted. "They entered a highly dangerous and volatile door that was scheduled for destruction, which not only could have resulted in multiple child breaches, but unparalleled exposure to our world! This was a deliberate, malicious act, which put the University, and the entire Monster World at risk!"
Dean Grimsley handed several sheets of paper to the Provost, who began looking at them with all 5 of his eyes.
"Thousands in damages to the Door Lab!" sputtered Dean Grimsley. "Including a state-of-the-art door port, floor, ceilings, and countless unusable Scream Cans!"
Provost Al-Faraz nodded, as he looked at the papers.
"The damages are quite astronomical." replied Provost Al-Faraz.
"Therefore, it is my official recommendation that both of these perpetrators receive the maximum possible punishment!" said Dean Grimsley. "Expulsion, full financial retribution to the University, and that the University presses full charges, resulting in Banishment!"
The last word seemed to echo throughout the room. Mike and Sully stood there with mouths agape, stunned at the ramifications facing them. Provost Al-Faraz simply sat expressionless, ready to consult the paperwork and the University manual. Dean Hardscrabble looked on almost stoically, yet showed a twinge of distaste in her eye expression towards Dean Grimsley. Dr. Krummhorn sat in his chair, twiddling his fingers, with a terrifying scowl on his face, aimed in Mike and Sully's direction.
"Thank you, Dean Grimsley that will be all." said Dr. Krummhorn, his attention focused on the two students. "Now, young men, we will here from the both of you."
Dr. Krummhorn pointed a froggy finger in Sully's direction.
"Mr. Sullivan." said Dr. Krummhorn. "We'll hear from you first. Let's see if your verbal defense can live up to the notoriety of your family name."
Sully began to step forward. As big of a monster as he was, he felt only inches tall in the face of impending doom. His mouth opened to speak, but he was abruptly cut off.
"It's all my fault Dr. Krummhorn!" said Mike, practically jumping in front of Sully before the gigantic University President. "I'm the one who went through that door, Sully was only trying to stop me! You see…"
"SIT DOWWWWN Mister Wazowski!" roared Dr. Krummhorn. "You'll have your say after we've heard from Mister Sullivan!"
Mike grinned sheepishly, and took a seat.
"Now, Mr. Sullivan." said Dr. Krummhorn with a re-gesture. "Proceed."
With a large gulp, Sully started to speak.
"Well…." started Sully, at a loss for words. "It's really all my fault. Oozma Kappa was one of the finalists in the Scaring Games, and with the wager Mike and Dean Hardscrabble made, failure wasn't an option. If we didn't win, Oozma Kappa wouldn't get into the Scaring School, and Mike would be forced to leave Monsters University. I knew Mike wouldn't be able to stack up against Johnny Worthington, so I tampered with the difficulty setting in the simulator, setting it to the easiest level for when Mike came up to Scare. I cheated, and that's the only reason we won. When Mike found out, he was furious, and he went to the Door Lab to prove he could be scary, choosing the most dangerous door there was. I found out and went after him, and we were both locked from the outside, and were only able to get back by scaring all those other adults together so the door would open from the other side."
Dr. Krummhorn's eyebrow rose upon hearing this.
"Come again?" said Dr. Krummhorn.
"It's true sir." said Sully. "I'm very, truly sorry for everything, and I'm not fit to be a student at this University. I'll gladly pay for any damages, no matter how long it takes, and I deserve to be punished."
"Aha, see?!" said Dean Grimsley. "He admits it!"
"Enough Ernest!" said Dr. Krummhorn, holding his hand up. "Did I hear you correctly, Mister Sullivan? You and Mister Wazowski, together, scared several adult humans so fearfully, that the Scream Energy opened the door from the other side?"
"Well, yes sir." said Sully. "It was the only way out."
Dr. Krummhorn paused, not sure what to make of the situation.
"Abigail." said Dr. Krummhorn, turning to Dean Hardscrabble. "Has anything like this ever happened before with any of your other students? It surely hasn't in any of my years of academia."
"Not at all sir." said Dean Hardscrabble. "The theory has always existed, however it was the actions of these two monsters that proved it valid. A first for Monsters University."
Dr. Krummhorn sat there, looking stunned, an expression that he hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Remarkable." said Dr. Krummhorn.
"But sir, the damages?!" said Dean Grimsley. "The University's integrity?!"
"Ernest, SILENCE!" bellowed Dr. Krummhorn so loudly, the walls and fixtures shook.
"F-f-forgive me Dr. Krummhorn." said Dean Grimsley, slinking down into his seat.
"Thank you Mister Sullivan, you may be seated." said Dr. Krummhorn. "Mister Wazowski, now we will hear from you."
Mike stood up, taking a deep breath, ready to deliver his testimony.
"I should be the one paying for the damages sir." said Mike. "Sully is right! I found out the simulator was tampered with, so I went to the Door Lab, swiped a passkey from one of the students, and entered the Conway Door that I've heard everyone talking about! It was full of children, and on my own, I couldn't scare one, not one. Sully came in to my rescue, and with the door shut on the other side, there was no way out. All I could think of was a potential chink in the Laws of Scream Energy, where we might be able to get the door open from the other side with enough scream power. So together, me and Sully put on a display so scary, we scared those adults out of their shorts, and were able to get that door open with their screams. Because of this, all the Scream Cans in the Door Lab went completely full, about a third of them were so full they exploded, and the door burst into several pieces. So there you have it, if it wasn't for my actions, Sully and I wouldn't be in this predicament. I'm truly sorry, and I'm happy to take full responsibility for everything. Sully was just trying to help me."
President Krummhorn stood wide-eyed at Mike's account, hardly believing what he just heard.
"It's true." chimed in Dean Hardscrabble. "I was witness to the Scream Cans overfilling, and the exploding door."
"And the damage assessment here lists an enormous burst of Scream Energy as the cause for the damages." said Provost Al-Faraz.
Speechless, another emotion that Dr. Krummhorn rarely encountered within himself, he motioned for Mike to sit down.
"That…will be all…Mister Wazowski." said Dr. Krummhorn.
"Well then, I think this case is pretty well open and shut." said Dean Grimsley cockily.
"Not quite." growled Dr. Krummhorn. "Mister Sullivan, Mister Wazowski, please step outside, and Provost Al-Faraz will inform you when we have come to a decision."
The two monsters, nervous yet somewhat hopeful, did as they were told, and exited the room. A long bench could be found outside the door, and both monsters sat on the bench.
"Well pal, I guess this is it." said Sully, patting Mike on the back.
"Yeah." said Mike. "In case we don't get out of this alive, I just want to say you're the best friend and Scaring partner a guy could ask for."
"Thanks buddy." replied Sully. "You're the best friend, Scaring partner, and teacher, I've ever had. No matter what happens today, you can count on me to stick by you."
"And me to stick by you." said Mike. "No way I'm letting this team break up!"
"You said it!" said Sully. "I guess all we can do now, is wait."
"And pray" replied Mike.
The two monsters sat on the bench, as the powers that be deliberated inside on both of their futures.