by Joy
NOTE: I'm already in the process of thinking of a sequal. I'm also thinking of doing a different romance/action/adventure/suspense plot for that one, something unexpected, something that isn't the typical 'boy monster meets girl monster' thing like this one is. The character development of Leia isn't coming along as I would have liked, too typical (like everyone has already done this kind of thing) and she seems a bit simple-minded. lol. She doesn't seem to do much either. So, their kinda-blooming romance thing might diminish through the future chapters so I can maybe introduce someone new and interesting in the sequal.
I'd like to know what you guys think. I know you all like Caylin and he's gonna return in the sequal, but Leia I'm not too sure about yet. The sequal will definately (I hope) be just as exciting as this one. New characters, new storyline, new suspenseful cliff-hangers and whole new places. Now, on to chapter nine. . .
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Chapter Nine - Face Off
"Hold this," Randall said to Leia, handing her the flashlight he was holding. "I'm going to try and pick the rest of these locks."
"Hey, Randall, buddy," Mike's voice said from a cage nearby. "You're gonna let us out of here too, right?"
"It depends. . ." Randall replied, already working on the lock of another monster's cage.
"Depends on. . . .what?"
"A number of things."
Inside his head, Randall was still wrestling with the idea of letting them out. What Sulley did to him earlier still kept his mindset focused on leaving them there. Sulley had called him a lunatic and had him arrested! Not to mention previously getting him banished and foiling all the plans he had made to become sucessful in Monsters Inc - for once. He definately wouldn't let him out just because he asked to. As far as Randall was concerned, he belonged in that cage.
Suddenly, there was a loud thump on the roof of the truck's cab. Randall froze to listen and looked at Leia. "Did you hear that?"
"I sure did," she replied. "Where's Caylin?"
Then it occured to him that the gecko-monster never made it inside. He handed the lock pick to her. "I'm gonna go check it out," he said. "You let them and the others out." He motioned to Sulley and Mike, before turning towards the open flap.
"Them?" she asked with surprise. "But I thought. . ."
"Sullivan's the only one big enough to do anything useful if the humans find us," he said. His mind was made up. Sure, he hated Sulley's guts, but if he'd get it in his mind to help him then maybe Randall would have an advantage.
Leia gave him a nod and got to work with the lock pick. Randall got out the open flap and into the gusty wind again. He took ahold of the ladder and slowly crawled up it. Caylin was edging towards the edge of the truck roof as Trevor began closing in on him with the hunting rifle.
Caylin looked frightened, lowering down onto all fours as the poacher beared down on him. Trevor's back was turned to Randall, so being seen was the least of his problems. Randall slunk on all eights onto the roof behind the poacher and disappeared.
"Well, well, well, looks like we have a stowaway here," Trevor smirked, cocking his gun and getting ready to shoot. "I don't remember paying those scientists for you, but that makes it even better. One more trophy for my wall."
Caylin gulped. "You aren't - uh - planning to actually use that on me are ya?"
Trevor just sneered at him and aimed. "You figure it out."
He closed one eye, ready to pull the trigger, when a purple lizard-monster began to materialize in front of his eyes. Surprised, he lowered his gun and stepped back. Randall smiled a toothy grin, his fronds blowing around in the wind. Caylin smiled with relief.
"You weren't planning to. . .y'know, shoot my friend here were you?" he asked calmly, putting his hands together and looking at him convictingly. "Because if you were, you'd be dealing with me. . . And you don't want to be doing that - believe me."
Trevor looked the five-foot-tall, purple lizard over and laughed loudly. "So what if I was? I've killed rats bigger than you."
Randall smirked and within the blink of an eye, he slithered over to him and grabbed his shirt, shoving him until he was only an inch from the edge. He would have toppled off if Randall hadn't been holding onto his shirt as firmly as he was. His lower arms held the poacher's gun securely in his hands. He got in the human's face and glared at him fiercely.
"And I've fought monsters seven times bigger than you," he shot back, his voice turning hostile. "Now hand over the gun and I won't push you off this edge."
"I don't trust cold-blooded monsters," Trevor said in return, glaring back.
"Looks like the only cold-blooded monster here is you," Randall replied evenly. "Now hand it over."
Trevor seemed to hesitate for a moment and shoved it in his lower hands. Randall dragged him back to a secure place on the roof and set him down. Caylin then joined his buddy and took the gun as Randall handed it to him. He was keeping a close eye on the poacher. Every fiber of his being suddenly told him this guy had something else up his sleeve. 'I should have pushed him off that edge,' Randall thought to himself.
Caylin leaned over to whisper something in his ear. "Do I run into the back with this thing??" he asked, worry showing up in his voice.
Randall glanced at him. "No, just smash it now," he whispered back. "I'll take care of Mr. Smarty Pants if he makes any sudden moves."
But, in that split second of conversation, the poacher was nowhere to be seen. Randall took up a fighting stance and disappeared, leaving Caylin to destroy the gun. He looked at it and threw it to the roof, raising his foot to stomp on it. Trevor's hand came up from the side of the vehicle and snatched it out from under him. Caylin grabbed it too and both began wrestling for it.
But Caylin had the wrong end, the barrel of the gun was pointing right at his chin. Trevor smirked and pulled the trigger. Then he climbed up onto the roof of the truck. He looked down at the gecko with a satisfied smile. He laid on the roof not moving a muscle. Suddenly, one eye popped open and Caylin sprung on the human, knocking him down with a mighty growl.
Trevor was caught off-guard and used his gun to throw the gecko off of him. Caylin slid towards the back of the truck and hung on tightly, so he wouldn't fall off. Trevor rose to his feet again and something invisible punched him in the stomach. He fired his rifle at where the invisible thing was, but hit nothing. He spun around aiming with his gun, totally clueless about where this creature could be or where he could strike next.
Caylin took this opportunity to move down the ladder and out of sight. He knew Randall could take care of himself. Suddenly, Trevor got an idea. He waited for the next strike and swung his rifle like a baseball bat at the location. He hit something and Randall appeared falling to the tarp of the roof, wincing in pain with the blow to his side. Trevor, surprised at his luck, smirked evilly and aimed his gun right at the lizard-monster's chest.
"Any last words, monster?" he sneered.
"Nothing. . ." Randall began slowly, glancing down at Trevor's feet. "Except. . .Think fast!"
With that, he swung his tail underneath him and tripped him. Randall sprang onto him and pinned him to the roof, a deep, intimidating growl emerging from his throat. Trevor tried to aim his gun towards the lizard-monster, but Randall was hanging onto it as well. Trevor then let go of the gun and punched him across the side of the head.
Randall wasn't expecting this move and fell off of the poacher, letting go of the gun himself. He slid to the very edge of the back of the truck uncontrollably and only caught the edge of the tarp to prevent himself from falling onto the quickly moving asphalt road below. He looked up to see the poacher smirking proudly.
"Not so tough now are you?" Trevor jeered mockingly. "If this was a game. Sorry, looks like you lost."
Trevor then aimed his gun at Randall's head and pulled the trigger. In a desperate attempt to get away, Randall let go of the tarp, letting himself fall. Trevor threw back his head and laughed. Either way the monster would get killed, just as he had planned. . .
When he looked again, the lizard was gone. Killed by the impact, no doubt.
He turned around to head back for the cab of the truck, when suddenly Randall appeared again rising towards the roof again, as if floating on air. Trevor's eyes widened in disbelief. This monster was alive?? And he could fly too?? But then, Sulley appeared underneath him, reveling the source of this "illusion". He had caught the color-changer and was now lifting him up to the roof again. Sulley let him jump off of his hand and climbed up on the roof, towering behind Randall with his arms folded.
"What the-?" he muttered. "How you get out of your cage?!"
Caylin joined the three up on the roof, a smile on his face. "We're smarter than you, that's how."
Randall stepped towards Trevor and chuckled, folding all four of his arms. "If this was a game. Sorry, looks like YOU lost," he said, imitating what the human had claimed earlier.
"Not yet," Trevor replied, pointing the gun at Randall again. "And this time I won't miss."
Randall just stood there, holding his ground. Sulley's eyes widened in disbelief. He wasn't really going to let this human shoot him was he? After all they had been through, he was just going to end it here? That wasn't the Randall he knew. Trevor pulled the trigger. . .but nothing but an empty click could be heard from the barrel.
Randall raised an eyebrow, smiling smugly, he knew he had run out of ammo all along. Trevor growled and reached into his pockets for the extra ammo he had stored, but there wasn't anything but a few breathmints. Randall held up the ammo he had snatached from his pockets in the brawl and tossed them over his shoulder, letting them fall to the asphalt.
Sulley chuckled and Caylin winked at Trevor. "You're going down," he said with an amused grin. "No one messes with my buddy and gets away it it."
Soon, Randall vanished and Trevor dropped his gun, opting to scramble for the safety of the truck cab. He didn't reach it before something hit him upside the head - hard. He fell towards the edge and Randall appeared, giving him the last shove off the roof. He stood up, the wind blowing his tail and fronds around, and gave a mock salute.
"Nice workin' with ya!" he said, turning back to his 'crew'.
"I have to admit, Randall," Sulley said, patting the purple monster on the back. "That was pretty good."
Randall glanced back at his old rival for a moment. "You don't really mean that."
"No, really, I think that was pretty clever taking the ammo from him," Sulley insisted.
Randall's hardened expression softened a bit and he shrugged. "Thanks, I guess."
"Leia and Mike are busy trying to get the rest of the monsters out," Caylin informed him. "What do we do now?"
"We get control of this vehicle and drive it back to the scientist's place," Randall replied. "I've seen the other human. He's a sinch compared to the one I just knocked off the roof."
"I can take care of him," Sulley offered, climbing down towards the cab area. His fur blew wildly in the wind as the truck made a turn.
Randall gave him a nod of confirmation, though he couldn't believe for himself that he was actually working to help his former enemy. "I'm driving this thing once you've got him under control," he declared, following the big, blue CEO. He stopped to glance back at his best friend. "You help Leia and Wazowski, Caylin."
"Now THAT I can do," Caylin replied, saluting the two and climbing back down the back.
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Inside the cab, Stan was humming to a tune that was on the radio, oblivious to what had just gone on right on top of the truck. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the country music. Suddenly, Sulley's face got in the front window and he gave the human the fiercest roar he could. It apparently worked, because Stan practically jumped out of his skin and slammed his foot down on the brakes. The truck skidded to a stop and Stan dove to hide under the dash, covering his head with his hands.
"AGHH!! Trevor! One of the monsters is trying to get in!" he yelled, locking the door of the cab for fear the thing would get in. There was no answer whatsoever. "Trevor. . .? I need help here!"
Randall faded into view from one of the woven seats. He took a rope and grabbed Stan. He screamed like a girl and tried in vain to get away from the 'slimy, purple creature' as it tied him up. Randall smirked and unlocked the door, hopping out with the tied-up and gagged Stan in his grip. Sulley jumped down from the roof and took the human, heading for the back.
"We saved a cage just for you," Sulley smiled.
Randall got back in the cab and slid over to the driver's seat. He looked over all the controls on the dashboard and rubbed his chin, as if trying to figure it all out. 'It's just like a monster car, just more. . .human,' he told himself. He took a look down at the brake and acceleration pads on the floor and stretched his short legs to reach them, he couldn't. This was going to be a bit harder than he had barganed for. . .
But soon he had figured it out. Mike was now in the cab with him, on his hands and knees below Randall's feet. Randall had, abviously, assigned him to control the brake and acceleration pads. Mike grumbled a bit. It was cramped in there, but he knew they also had to get back home. So, he kept his mouth shut.
Caylin hopped into the passenger seat next to them and put his seatbelt on. "So, you're sure you can drive this contraption?"
"Yeah," Randall replied. "I think."
"Oh great," Mike complained. "We're all gonna die. He's probably going to run us off the road."
"Well, I'm not GOING to run us off the road if YOU just listen to instruction," Randall snapped back.
Caylin put up his hands. "Guys, guys. Calm down. And Mike? Chill dude," he said. "Now, let's go before World War III breaks out between you two, shall we?"
Mike rolled his eye and put his hands on both pads. "Ready when you are, Lizard Boy."
"Okay, go," Randall instructed, two of his hands on the wheel.
Slowly, Mike pushed down on the accelerator and the truck slowed to a start. The truck did a u-turn on the road and they were off - heading back to the scientists' headquarters. They soon disappeared into the distance, the rising sun lighting their way.