Making Our Mark

Chapter 27: Kickoff

The day before the second semester's classes at Monsters University began saw the return of most, if not all of its students. More significantly, in the eyes of the campus community, it was the date of the kickoff of the annual Scare Games. From what I have heard through the campus grapevine and from Johnny's numerous lectures, it brought together both competitors and spectators for a series of events that, in the end, would determine who best exemplified the true skills of a monster. I was excited to be able to watch it and see for myself why it was the most talked-about event of the school year.

Before heading to Frat Row for the kickoff, I decided to stop by the campus bookstore to replenish my school supplies and purchase the books required for my new classes this semester: Spanish Language Training II, Spanish Romanticism, Music Methodology, Technology in the Classroom, and Educational Psychology. Although the shelves in the store were organized by program and major, there were many of them, so it still took me some time to gather what I needed.

"Introduction to Abnormal Psychology, Introduction to Social Psychology..." I murmured, running my fingers along the books before me, a task that was proving challenging due to the pile of books wedged between my hands and my chin. "Where is that – "

A book suddenly dangled in front of me, halting my search. Realizing that it was the book that I was looking for, Introduction to Educational Psychology, I turned and laughed at the sight of Javier standing before me, holding it out.

"Looking for this, amor?" he asked with a grin.

"My hero," I replied sarcastically as I tried to accept the book from Javier, only for him to reach forward and scoop the stack of books into his arms.

"No, you're not lugging all of these when you have someone with muscles to carry them for you," he insisted, flexing a free arm for me to see.

"Oh, Johnny's here too?" I asked innocently, turning to search my surroundings.

"Ouch," said Javier, feigning offense, "that's what I get for helping you out?"

I laughed and said, "Just teasing you, mi cielo, but you do know that I can manage."

"I know," said Javier, "but I don't mind helping."

I smiled gratefully. "You're too good to me."

Javier grinned again. "Come on, let's drop these off at your dorm and then head over for the kickoff. We don't want to be late."

I nodded eagerly and we headed for the checkout. Fortunately, there was barely a line because most students were probably already making their way to Frat Row, so it didn't take long to pay and leave. While Javier carried the bags with my books in them, I toted the ones that held supplies like pens, notebooks, and highlighters.

"I see you found a use for that scarf we gave you for Clawsmas," Javier spoke up, his eyes travelling down my body admiringly.

"Oh, you like?" I asked teasingly, turning to give him a full view of my new ensemble in spirit of a new year and the upcoming Scare Games. After much experimenting, I had fashioned the scarf into an asymmetrical tube top that hugged my curves. A pair of black high-rise shorts and my signature leather jacket completed the look.

"Sí, amor, muy caliente," Javier remarked with a sizzling hiss.

I winked at him and spun back around, so that I was facing forward again. Even though my brother and boyfriend were both in Roar Omega Roar, my best friend Brynn was in Slugma Slugma Kappa. If I had any of her sorority's gear, believe me, I would be wearing it too, even if the colours of the two groups would clash horribly and possibly give any the Python Nu Kappas a heart attack. At least part of my hair was a shade of purple, so I suppose that would count as a show of support to her sorority.

"You excited about the Scare Games?" Javier asked.

"Oh, yeah!" I chirped enthusiastically as we crossed the troll bridge, "I heard many of the fraternities and sororities compete."

"About half of them do," Javier explained. "The ones with a lot of Scaring majors compete every year."

"Like Roar Omega Roar?" I asked, raising my eyebrows knowingly at him.

Javier hummed his affirmation. "Jaws Theta Chi and Eta Hiss Hiss do too."

"Brynn is one of the few Scaring majors in Slugma Slugma Kappa," I pointed out, "and she told me that their sorority competes every year too."

"Sí, even though they don't usually have many Scaring majors, they're a pretty athletic bunch and can hold their own," Javier explained. "The competition is open to any group on Frat Row who can prove their scaring abilities, even if they're not making a career out of it."

"So what are the events?" I asked curiously. "Johnny says they test different skills related to Scaring."

"They can be," Javier admitted, "and they're different every year. We get a message in advance, hinting what the next event will be, so you can try to get an idea of what you'll need to do. But, really, you don't know what to expect until you show up to the event itself."

"That's daunting," I remarked, "especially considering how dangerous Johnny said some of them can be."

"Sí, some can be as simply as an obstacle course," Javier explained, "and others are a little…uh…riskier."

I blinked up at him. "Like skin-marring riskier?"

Javier paused in hesitation before he said, "Well, Chip did take a nasty cut to the chest last year – "

"Well, that makes me feel loads better," I said sarcastically.

Javier chuckled, "Amor, we'll be fine. We RΩRs are tough as claws. There's nothing that they can throw at us that we can't handle."

"Doesn't mean I won't be a nervous wreck come competition time," I mentioned with a nervous laugh.

"You will be there, right?" Javier asked, giving me a light nudge.

"For every event," I promised, "even if watching may make me go prematurely grey."

"Well, even if you do, you'll still look as gorgeous as ever," said Javier fondly, earning him a kiss for his compliment.

Upon arriving at the dorms, I led Javier upstairs to my dorm where we dumped my new books and other school supplies onto my perfectly-made bed, and then left to head over to Frat Row. We encountered many groups of students on the way down the street, chatting animatedly about the kickoff. Some of them who were not members of the Greek community were sporting the colours of the fraternity or sorority that they were supporting.

The end of the cul-de-sac was crowded with students surrounding a giant stage that had been set up between the RΩR and JθX houses. A sky blue backdrop and balloons of dark blue and white decorated the stage. A blue banner with white letters reading 'Scare Games' in capital letters was suspended above the stage. Brock and Claire stood a short distance away from a pair of microphones, discussing something on the clipboard in the latter's hands.

An area in the middle of the cul-de-sac was cleared for the fraternities and the sororities interested in competing during the Scare Games to stand. Bruiser, Chet, Chip, and Johnny stood together proudly. Johnny appeared to be scanning the crowd and when his eyes fell on Javier, he quickly motioned him over.

Javier turned to me and said, "I'll see you after."

"Okay," I told him before giving him a kiss. "I'll wait here."

Javier winked at me before gently nudging monsters aside on his way to reunite with his frat brothers. He pulled Johnny in for a one-armed masculine hug, squashed Chet's hat by giving him a noogie, high-fived Chip, and then slapped Bruiser over his back.

Finally approaching one of the microphones, Claire removed it from its stand and drawled, "Welcome to this year's Greek Scare Games kickoff!"

The crowd roared in cheers and applause at the official announcement of the biggest event of the semester.

"Yeah!" Brock bellowed, his enthusiasm amplified by his own microphone.

"Okay, relax," Claire told her colleague before continuing, "We have a special guest, the found of the Games: Dean Hardscrabble."

I held my breath as a dark red monster with dragon-liked features scuttled past Brock and approached his microphone. She gracefully raised a hand to silence the cheers, her entire demeanor calm and composed. She seemed like a strict and no-nonsense professional by the manner which she carried herself and the way that she intimidated me in mere seconds. I was glad that I was not a Scaring major. Living up to the expectations that I set for myself was pressure enough; living up to the ones that she probably set for her students would probably kill me if I was in her program.

"Good afternoon," Hardscrabble greeted the crowd. "As a student, I created these games as a friendly competition. But be prepared – " she added in a daring tone – "to take home the trophy, you must be the most fearsome monsters on campus."

At that moment, a sky blue monster stepped forward with a camera to capture a photo of the RΩRs in varying poses; Johnny was smiling pompously with his hands on his hips, Javier crossed a pair of arms and pointed his free claws towards the camera, Chip raised his hands in victory, Chet leaned back with his cap backwards, and Bruiser growled ferociously towards the lens. Whether they were trying to come across as cool or cocky was a debate in my mind.

"Good luck, and may the best monsters win," Dean Hardscrabble finished before slowly turning away from the microphone.

"Alright everybody!" Brock announced after grabbing his microphone again. "We're closing down sign-ups, so we'll see you all – "

"Wait!" a green hand shot up.

My eyes, as well as those of the monsters in attendance, darted to the one-eyed green monster standing on top of a car whose colour matched the backdrop of the stage. I recognized him immediately as the monster who was arguing with Sulley in the middle of the cul-de-sac shortly after the former rode a pig through the JθX house during the first party of the school year.

"I'm signing up!" the ball-shaped cyclops announced.

I raised my eyebrows so high in shock that I was sure that they had flown off of my face. The crowd around me started howling with laughter and even Hardscrabble was stunned enough by the declaration to pause her retreating steps and turn to regard him with an expression of curiosity.

"Uh…you have to be in a fraternity to compete," Claire pointed out dryly.

"Behold!" the cyclops declared with both hands now in the air in a dramatic fashion. "The next winning fraternity of the Scare Games, the brothers, my brothers…of Oozma Kappa!"

All eyes looked to where the cyclops was gesturing and found Oozma Kappa standing together, smiling sheepishly. Clearly, they were not used to being the center of attention. Squishy, surprisingly, bravely mumbled a hi before a blue balloon nearby popped and landed on his face.

"What is this guy doing?" I mumbled, baffled at the scene unfolding before me.

The crowd of students parted to form a clear path leading from the front steps of the stage, down which Hardscrabble descended, and the car on which the green cyclops stood.

"Mister Wazowski, what are you doing?" Hardscrabble questioned suspiciously, voicing what everyone in the cul-de-sac was probably thinking.

"You just said the winners are the most fearsome monsters on campus," the green monster, Mister Wazowski, explained. "If I win, it means you kicked out the best Scarer in the whole school."

"That won't happen," said Hardscrabble confidently and haughtily before turning her back to him.

"How about a little wager?" Mister Wazowski suggested, causing Hardscrabble to stop in her tracks once more. The look on her face told me that she was interested in the details of the proposition. "If I win, you let me back in the Scaring Program."

Hardscrabble slowly turned around again to face Mister Wazowski. "And what would that prove?"

"That you were wrong," said Mister Wazowski accusingly.

Shocked gasps echoed throughout the crowd while I gaped at the boldness that this Mister Wazowski was displaying. Part of me was impressed by his courage, but the other part of me was alarmed by his determination to go against someone as terrifying as Hardscrabble. Was he trying to get back into her program or sign his own death warrant?

"Very well," said Hardscrabble with an amused smile. "If you win, I will let your entire team into the Scare Program."

All of the Oozmas? I thought with a smile. Wow, that would make them so happy!

Stepping closer to Mister Wazowski, Hardscrabble added, "But if you lose, you will leave Monsters University."

Holy freaking fangs, she means business. Hardscrabble wouldn't state those terms if she wasn't certain that this Wazowski guy and Oozma Kappa wouldn't win the entire Scare Games. If they lose, she will follow through with her terms. Is it even worth it to risk your education and future career on some sort of competition? Goblin knows I wouldn't.

I watched Mister Wazowski look down for a moment, as though he was considering the stakes, and then look back up at the Dean. "Deal."

Shit just got real, I thought with widened eyes.

"Now," said Hardscrabble, turning back around. "All you need to do is find enough members to compete."

"We need six guys, right?" Mister Wazowski asked, pointing to the Oozmas again.

"Sorry, chief, we count bodies, not heads," Brock interrupted before pointing to the Perry twins. "That dude counts as one."

Terri and Terry exchanged embarrassed looks as the crowd laughed, which set off an alarm in my head. A quick flick of my claws confirmed that my calculations were correct, that Roar Omega Roar only had five members competing too: Johnny, Chet, Javier, Chip, and Bruiser. How come there were no objections to their eligibility?

Unless the sixth spot was filled…

"A-anyone else want to join our team?" Mister Wazowski asked the crowd. "Anyone at all?"

Monsters started looking at each other, wondering if anyone was going to volunteer and it did not surprised to see that no one wanted to. My heart broke for the Oozmas. The opportunity for them to get back into the Scare program was knocking, but the metaphorical door was go unanswered unless they had enough team members. All they needed was one, just one more monster and their frat would be eligible.

While I was silently pleading for someone in the crowd to speak up, I spotted Randy slithering his way through the crowd, mumbling some apology about being late and asking to squeeze through.

"Randy!" Mister Wazowski called out to him, causing the serpent to spin around to face him. "Randy, thank goodness! I need you on my team!"

Oh, they know each other?

Randy, whose face fell, said, "Oh…sorry, I'm already on a team."

I watched as Randy stepped out of the crowd and into the open area, revealing a RΩR sweater buttoned snugly around his slim frame. I couldn't help but smile brightly at the revelation unveiling before me.

"Boggs!" Johnny hollered, nodding for him to join the group.

Randy hissed something discreetly to Mister Wazowski that I was unable to make out, but it couldn't have been pleasant since Mister Wazowski's face fell once he heard it. At that moment, my feelings became torn; I was thrilled for Randy getting initiated into Roar Omega Roar, but I was also saddened because that meant there was one less monster available to join Oozma Kappa and ensure that they had a chance at changing their educational and career futures. Whatever relationship Randy and this Mister Wazowski had going into the Scare Games, it was certainly severed now.

"Do the thing," Johnny instructed with a proud smirk.

With a pop, Randy vanished into thin air, causing my heart to jerk to a stop. Did he just invisible? If so, it was definitely an asset to have as a Scarer and I could understand if that was one of the major reasons why he was recruited as the newest member of the frat.

"Oh, where did he go?" Chet questioned dramatically, eliciting chuckles from his frat brothers and the surrounding crowd.

"Please, anybody?" Mister Wazowski asked pleadingly. "I need one more monster. Just one more!"

"Yeah, sorry, doesn't look good," said Claire, her tone making me wonder if she was even apologetic about the words that she spewed. "We have to move on. Your team doesn't qualify."

"Yes, it does!" a familiar voice chimed and the sight of Sulley climbing onto the car next to Mister Wazowski. "The star player has just arrived!"

"Goblin help us all," I muttered, shooting an exasperated look to the sky above.

"No way!" Mister Wazowski objected, glaring at Sulley. Clearly, there was still some beef between the two of them since the beginning of the first semester. Turning to the rest of the crowd, Mister Wazowski begged, "Someone else, please! Anyone else!"

"We're shutting down sign-up, okay?" said Claire, watching him expectantly. "Is he on your team or not?"

Sulley shot Mister Wazowski a cocky smile as the latter turned back to him and proceeded to weigh his options in his mind. He obviously wasn't doing it fast enough and several monsters in the crowd were freely voicing their displeasure.

"Come on, let's go!" a voice in the crowd rang out.

Mister Wazowski stared at Sulley for another moment before relenting and turning back to Claire and huffing, "Fine! Yes, he's on my team."

"Good luck," said Hardscrabble with a smirk before turning her back to him and walking off.

Once the crowd began to disperse and the gossip of the kickoff began making its way through the rest of the campus, I walked up to the RΩRs and smiled as one of Javier's upper arm wrapped around my shoulders and tucked me against him.

"Well, the Scare Games just got a whole lot more exciting," Chip remarked.

"No kidding," I said before beaming at Randy. "I see congratulations are in order."

"Yep, it's official," Johnny declared, grinning at Randy. "Boggs is the newest member of RΩR."

Bruiser, Chet, Chip, and Javier cheered simultaneously, causing Randy's cheeks to flush pink.

"The sweater looks good on you, Randy," I complimented. "Congrats."

"Thanks," said Randy meekly.

"I say we celebrate over lunch," said Johnny, shooting me an expectant look. "Are you cooking?"

"Ask nicely and I'll consider it," I told him, but I couldn't deny that Johnny's question sparked a good idea. What better way to celebrate the start of a new semester and Randy's successful initiation into RΩR than with a home-cooked meal?

"Please cook something," Johnny wheedled overdramatically.

"Fine, but only because you said please," I answered with a playful wink at Randy.

Within moments of the conclusion of the Scare Games kickoff, the RΩRs followed Randy away from Frat Row and towards his dorm building to help him pack up his things to bring over, leaving me to head over to their frat house by myself to get a head start on preparing lunch. A quick scan of the kitchen told me that it was recently restocked with a plethora of ingredients that inspired me not only to cook a delicious lunch, but also a sweet treat to enjoy afterwards.

I had just finished pulling out the ingredients for everything and laying out the tools that I needed when I heard the front doors to the house swing open, and footsteps thunder up the stairs and back down shortly after. The kitchen started to feel a bit cramped when Bruiser, Chet, Chip, Javier, and Johnny filed in to grab some drinks from the refrigerator. They got excited when they saw what I was doing, only for me to shoo them into the living room, so I could get work done in peace. They ended up making themselves comfortable in front of the television in the living room and the sound of tires screeching and fiery explosions told me that they were occupying themselves with video games.

Randy tentatively poked his head into the kitchen just as I finished ladling some sauce onto seven round plates sitting on the counter next to the stove.

"Hey, Randy," I greeted, gesturing with a free hand for him to enter. "Did you settle in okay?"

"Yeah, it's going to take a while to get used to," Randy admitted, moving closer to the stove. "I went from having a tiny dorm room with a roommate to a room that's three times bigger and has a walk-in closet and bathroom."

I laughed and said, "I guess those are the perks that come with being a RΩR."

"I guess," said Randy, studying the two pans still sizzling on the stove. "What are you making?"

"A pan-seared cod on a bed of corn succotash and a side of roasted baby potatoes," I answered.

"It smells good," Randy commented. "Are you baking too?"

I smiled, knowing that his eyes had fallen onto the various baking ingredients sitting on the marble island. "I plan to after lunch. Your initiation into Roar Omega Roar deserves a treat and I think a nice meal and chocolate claw cookies fit the bill, don't you?"

Randy blushed and said, "You didn't have to go through all of this trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," I insisted kindly, shutting off the part of the stove that was cooking the spiced potatoes. "I love to cook, but baking is something I don't get to do often. If anything, you gave me an excuse to get back into it and learn more. I just hope it can live up to your standards."

"My standards?" Randy repeated in surprise.

"Your clawberry cheesecake and then your mini cupcakes with butterscream frosting," I reminded him of the desserts made by his own claws that I had the utmost privilege of tasting. "You're a great baker, Randy, and I hope you don't mind sharing your expertise with me."

Randy smiled genuinely. "I don't mind at all."

"Great!" I chirped enthusiastically as I began scooping potatoes onto each of the sauce-coated plates. "It'll be nice to learn some new recipes and techniques. Javier is the only RΩR that cooks, but he doesn't bake much. The rest of the RΩRs are apparently useless in the kitchen too."

"Oh yeah?" Randy perked up.

I nodded, flicking a claw out to begin a list. "Bruiser eats the ingredients before they can even be cooked, Chip thinks a pinch of salt actually means the whole shaker, Johnny can't even boil water, and don't get me started on Chet."

"Why, he cut himself?" Randy guessed.

"No, he set the curtains on fire," I revealed with a silly grin.

"Really?" Randy howled with laughter.

"That's what Javier told me," I replied, setting the now empty pan in the sink, "and Chet was only chopping carrots, so I'm not too sure how that escalated so quickly."

"Wow," Randy exhaled with an amused grin.

"Trust me, Randy, the RΩRs love your baked goods," I told him. "If you want to score any brownie points with them, no pun intended, that would be the way to go."

"Thanks for the advice," said Randy, now watching me add the corn succotash to the plates next. "You're a lot nicer than your brother is."

"So I've been told," I said with a laugh. "Johnny doesn't exactly have the greatest reputation on campus, but he does have his sweet moments."

"Sis, is lunch ready yet?" Johnny called from the living room. "We're starving over here!"

I shook my head and sighed, "Today is not one of those days."

Randy simply chuckled, seemingly more at ease in the house since he first stepped into it.

It was around five in the afternoon when I approached Oozma Kappa's house off campus. When I ran into the Perry twins on the way to the bookstore earlier in the morning, they invited me over for dinner with them and the rest of the frat and I graciously accepted. It was a good thing that I did because today's Scare Games kickoff changed the course of the semester for them and I wanted to check in with them to see how they were feeling about it.

Balancing a covered plate in one hand, I knocked on the door and, a few seconds later, it opened.

"Ah, Danica!" Don greeted cheerfully and stepped aside. "Glad you could make it! Come in!"

"Thank you, Don," I responded politely before walking through the doorway. I barely had time to register that Sulley, Squishy, and Art were in the living room when a figure descending the staircase paused at the sight of me, the figure of none other than Mister Wazowski.

"What is she doing here?" the green cyclops questioned, narrowing his eye at me.

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I know who you are," said Mister Wazowski venomously as he reached the bottom landing. "We all know who you are. You're a RΩR's girl."

I grimaced. "I assume that was an insult."

"It's okay, Mike," Don assured him, resting a hand on my back. "She's a friend."

Shooting the frat's president a look of bewilderment, Mister Wazowski, whose first name I just learned to be Mike, said, "Really?"

"She is," Terri spoke up as he and Terry walked in with a tray of steaming mugs. "We've known her since the start of the school year."

"But she's a Worthington and she's dating a RΩR!" Mike protested.

"Her name and who she's dating aren't reasons not to trust her," Don told him firmly.

"How do you know she's not a spy for them, huh?" Mike questioned, jabbing a claw at me. "She's sporting their colours for crying out loud!"

"Is that supposed to be a scarf?" Art asked, alluding to my top.

"Yeah, it was a gift from the frat," I explained to him with a smile.

"More like a bribe to do their dirty work," Mike grumbled loud enough for the entire room to hear.

"Okay, that's enough!" Don snapped, causing me to stare. It was the first time hearing him raise his voice. "You're being very disrespectful, Mike, and to someone who doesn't deserve it."

"Besides, we've known her longer than you have," Terry pointed out gruffly, "so you have no right to judge. We made that mistake once and we almost lost her."

If only Mike knew how serious the statement made by the Perry twins was. Not only did they almost lose me due to poor judgement, but they also almost lost me to appendicitis. No doubt the gravity of those situations still weighed heavily on their minds and hearts.

"You know," I said, nodding towards the door that I just walked through, "I can just go if that makes everyone feel better."

"No, make yourself comfortable, Danica," said Don before Mike could speak up again, the former's voice having returned to its normal octave. "We invited you for dinner and that invitation still stands."

I nodded, slowly peeling the aluminum foil off of the plate. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought dessert."

Mike mumbled something about minding, but it was quickly drowned out by Art's eager exclamation.

"Are those your famous chocolate claw cookies?" the arch-shaped monster asked, leaping off of the ottoman.

"Oh, I don't think they're famous," I laughed humbly, "but I did make them. I know how much you guys dig them."

"Wait," Mike spluttered as Art and Squishy waddled over to me to help themselves, "you're actually going to eat them? You don't know what she put in them!"

"Sure we do," said Art through a mouthful of crumbs and chocolate. "Sugar, chocolate, and a whole lot of love."

"Just one for now guys," I advised. "Ms. Squibbles will be upset if you spoil your appetite for dinner."

Sulley looked surprised when I offered the plate to him, but he accepted a treat anyway.

"Seriously?" Mike questioned the blue behemoth.

"This wouldn't be my first time eating her cooking," Sulley revealed, meeting my eyes. "I actually miss it."

It was my turn to be stunned at how weird today was getting. Firstly, Oozma Kappa got roped into competing in the Scare Games because Mike bet his enrollment at Monsters University that he would win with them. Then Mike accepted Sulley, a monster he loathed, as a member of his team just to ensure that they qualified for the Scare Games. Now Sulley just offered me a sincere compliment about my cooking rather than my body?

Has the whole world gone mad?

"If you're not gonna eat any, Mike, it's no fur off my skin," said Art, popping another cookie into his mouth.

"Yeah, it just means more for us after dinner," Terri chirped before taking a cookie for himself.

"You're going to love it, Danica," Terry told me. "Ms. Squibbles is making her famous Shepherd's pie."

"She must be, considering I can smell the minced meat from here," I remarked, inhaling the aroma of herbs and spices that floated into the living room from the kitchen. "I can't wait to try it."

"After the crazy day we had today, I think we're all looking forward to a good meal," said Don with a loud exhale.

"Yeah, how are you guys feeling about that?" I asked, looking around at each of the Oozmas. "The whole Scare Games thing must have come as a bit of a shock, huh?"

Don nodded, glancing hesitantly at a grumpy Mike. "It's definitely not something we anticipated, that's for sure."

"Are you able to change your mind and back out?" I asked.

Don shook his head. "No, the sign-up is official. As long as we have enough members, we're required to see it to the very end."

"Are you nervous?" I asked the entire group.

"We were at first," Squishy admitted, "but having an opportunity to get back into the Scaring program is just too good to pass up."

"Besides, we have this guy on our team," said Don, giving Sulley's shoulder a light punch. "We'll be back in the program before you know it."

I watched Mike glare at Sulley's smug grin and sighed. Putting these two unstable enemies under the same roof, let alone on the same team, was just asking for trouble. On top of that, Squishy was undeclared and the Perry twins, Don, and Art got removed from the Scaring program because Dean Hardscrabble believed that they do not have what it takes to become monsters. Throwing all seven of them into a series of scaring-related events that even Scaring majors find intense was going to take a huge physical and mental toll on their well-being individually and as a group.

They might not be scared of what was to come, but given what I learned about the Scare Games and what its participants would be subjected to, I feared for these seven monsters now more than ever and could only pray that no harm would come to them during the events that lay ahead.