Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own any of the characters in Monster's, Inc. or
Randall Boggs. They belong entirely to Pixar Studios.
Chapter Five: A Visit and a Touched Nerve
It had been several days since the incident with the dog and Slike at Monsters, Inc. with still no sine of her. Slike hadn't come into work since. Most of the more gossiping monsters had spread rumors about her having died, severely injured, blah, blah, blah, ya get the idea. Thrasher had kept coming in and helping other Scarers since he had no one to work for.
Randall thought she would have been back sooner, most reptiles healed very quickly. As the lunch bell rang and the Scare Floors were deserted Mr. Waternoose met him in the hallway and asked him into his office.
"Randall, could I ask a favor from you?" He asked sitting down in the chair behind his desk. Randall had no idea how he was sitting in that chair, but he appeared to be. Pushing the thought out of his head he said,
"I guess so." He crossed his top pair of arms and put the second set on his hips, well sort of.
"Slike was researching something for me, and since she's been gone I haven't gotten a report on it."
"If it's a scare report, shouldn't her assistant be doing it?"
"No, its not a scare report, something else." Randall raised an eyebrow at this, not really raising an eyebrow but you get the idea. (Erg, this is confusing, I'm just gonna say raising an eyebrow and you guys know what it mean right?)
"What's the favor?" Randall asked.
"I need you to go to her house, collect the report from her, and bring it to me."
"Couldn't Thrashing or whatever that things name is! I have no idea where she-"
"I'd trust you with it more." Sighing, Randall ran a hand through his fronds.
"Alright." Mr. Waternoose's face lit up.
"Thank you. You'll get that new door first thing tomorrow." Randall nodded and turned to leave. "Oh and Randall, promise me you will not read the report."
"The thought hasn't even crossed my mind." Randall lied. The thought of looking at what Slike and Waternoose were up to had come across him mind many a time.
At the end of the day, Waternoose told him to get directions from Thrasher and as much as he hated doing it, Randall was forced to ask the feather- brain where Slike lived. Funny thing is, Thrasher was very protective of whom he worked for. After much prying he finally gave in but not without many questions being asked.
Randall stood in front of an old brick building on Reptilian Way. He looked down the street and saw the lamppost he had seen Slike standing under when he took her on a 'tour' of Monstropolis. He took the stairs that were, thankfully, designed for more than two legged monsters, two at a time. He stared at the door momentarily before raising a hand and knocking. There was a clicking noise and the door opened.
"Yessssss?" Asked a snake like creature with two arms and long black claws at the end of each of its eight fingers. It was banded with bright blue and green and had spikes ran from the tip of its nose to its tail. "May I help you?"
"Yeah, is Slike in?" Randall leaned up against the doorframe glaring back at the snake in front of him.
"Yessssss ssssssshe issssssss."
"May I ssssssssspeak with her." He put heavy emphasis on the 's' in speak deliberately to annoy the snake.
"Ssssssure, right thisssssss way." The snake moved backward opening the door wider. Randall stepped though stopping once inside and looking around him. The he felt a sharp pain in his tail. "Ssssssssorry, my fault." The snake had slammed the door 'accidentally' ::hint, hint:: on his tail. It smirked, revealing three or four-inch long fangs, as Randall rubbed his tail with his bottom set of hands.
It was dark inside the building and very hot. If another monster, non- reptile, had come in they would have probably died of heat stroke. But hey, reptiles like it warm so Randall wasn't complaining. The snake coiled around forming a circle then crossed over itself and slithered up a flight of stairs. It got to the top and pointed down the hall.
"Lasssssst door on the right." The snake said as Randall passed him and began down the hall. He stopped in front of the door and groaned slightly. If Slike was home, she would most probably be in crabby mood, with that cut and accident and all. The last monster she'd want to see was him. He lifted his hand, hesitated a second, then rapped the back of his knuckles on the door.
"Coming!" Slike's voice yelled from the other side of the door before opening. It was nearly pitch black inside her room and she winced at the light coming from the hall, even though it was barely any light at all she did. Her eyes were closed, all three of her fronds were curved, lying limply over her left eye, and her head was leaning on the door. From what he could see, there was a long black scar behind her right eye. "Yeah?"
"Well you look happy to see me." Randall said, nearly dying of laughter from her reaction of hearing his voice. Slike's fronds stood on end and her eyes flew open. Standing up straighter she crossed her arms and stared at him in shock.
"What are you doing here!" She growled.
"Easy, calm down! I'm here to get something for Waternoose." He explained leaning back curving his body into an S position.
"He sent YOU?"
"Yes, listen I don't know anything about what you two are doing so, don't bite my head off."
"Pity, I would have enjoyed doing it so much. Come on." She opened the door and closed it behind him. Randall kept his tail curled around his side just in case she got the same idea as the snake had. "Did Parker lead you up here?"
"Who?"
"Parker, snake, two arms, blue and green, spikes?"
"Oh yeah, him. How could you tell?"
"You were holding your tail when you walked through the door." Even though he could barely see her, Randall knew she was smirking. Then she turned on a lamp and the room lit up and Randall was knocked over by what he couldn't describe other than a ball of fuzz.
"Get off!" He growled pushing the, whatever away. It was licking him all over the face. He didn't like animals, he never had, probably never will.
"Chill out, that's just Jake. Come here!" 'Jake' looked at Slike then jumped up into her open arms. Randall was finally allowed to right himself back onto his feet and get a good look at this Jake. It was a black ball of fuzz basically, with three beady black eyes, a yellow beak, two pointed ears coming out of the top of its head, and two yellow scaly legs.
"You have an, er, pet?"
"Yes, now don't get too cozy, because you're leaving as soon as you get what Waternoose wants. There are enough creeps in this building without you." She set the creature down and disappeared into another room.
While waiting he looked around at the room he was standing in. There was a bookcase, with many books piled into it, a chair over in one of the corners next to a window, and a small table beside it. Sitting on that table was lamp, a glass with several purple flowers sticking out of it, and a picture. Stepping closer Randall looked at the picture and saw that it was another lizard like reptile that resembled Slike, except the picture was of a boy and he was older than her. He had the same pattern as her with blue and black rather than red, blue eyes, and still three fronds. He was smiling, showing off about four rows of sharp needle teeth.
"What are you doing?" Randall turned around to see Slike across the room.
"Whose this Slike? Your boyfriend?" Then he knew he'd hit a nerve. She growled quietly and glared coldly at him. "Aw, what's wrong, touchy subject? He dump you or something? Because I can see why he would."
"No Randall," Slike hissed crossing the room. "That is my brother, my dead brother. I'll take it to Waternoose, you get out." She pointed toward the door. "Get out now."
"Slike I-"
"Get- out- now. How hard is that to comprehend?" Slike snarled her voice cracking slightly. He stared at her without moving. "What are you waiting for!" Backing up, Randall turned and left quickly. He heard the door slam loudly behind him.
Thank you everyone who reviewed! You guys are great, all of you! ^_^
Chapter Five: A Visit and a Touched Nerve
It had been several days since the incident with the dog and Slike at Monsters, Inc. with still no sine of her. Slike hadn't come into work since. Most of the more gossiping monsters had spread rumors about her having died, severely injured, blah, blah, blah, ya get the idea. Thrasher had kept coming in and helping other Scarers since he had no one to work for.
Randall thought she would have been back sooner, most reptiles healed very quickly. As the lunch bell rang and the Scare Floors were deserted Mr. Waternoose met him in the hallway and asked him into his office.
"Randall, could I ask a favor from you?" He asked sitting down in the chair behind his desk. Randall had no idea how he was sitting in that chair, but he appeared to be. Pushing the thought out of his head he said,
"I guess so." He crossed his top pair of arms and put the second set on his hips, well sort of.
"Slike was researching something for me, and since she's been gone I haven't gotten a report on it."
"If it's a scare report, shouldn't her assistant be doing it?"
"No, its not a scare report, something else." Randall raised an eyebrow at this, not really raising an eyebrow but you get the idea. (Erg, this is confusing, I'm just gonna say raising an eyebrow and you guys know what it mean right?)
"What's the favor?" Randall asked.
"I need you to go to her house, collect the report from her, and bring it to me."
"Couldn't Thrashing or whatever that things name is! I have no idea where she-"
"I'd trust you with it more." Sighing, Randall ran a hand through his fronds.
"Alright." Mr. Waternoose's face lit up.
"Thank you. You'll get that new door first thing tomorrow." Randall nodded and turned to leave. "Oh and Randall, promise me you will not read the report."
"The thought hasn't even crossed my mind." Randall lied. The thought of looking at what Slike and Waternoose were up to had come across him mind many a time.
At the end of the day, Waternoose told him to get directions from Thrasher and as much as he hated doing it, Randall was forced to ask the feather- brain where Slike lived. Funny thing is, Thrasher was very protective of whom he worked for. After much prying he finally gave in but not without many questions being asked.
Randall stood in front of an old brick building on Reptilian Way. He looked down the street and saw the lamppost he had seen Slike standing under when he took her on a 'tour' of Monstropolis. He took the stairs that were, thankfully, designed for more than two legged monsters, two at a time. He stared at the door momentarily before raising a hand and knocking. There was a clicking noise and the door opened.
"Yessssss?" Asked a snake like creature with two arms and long black claws at the end of each of its eight fingers. It was banded with bright blue and green and had spikes ran from the tip of its nose to its tail. "May I help you?"
"Yeah, is Slike in?" Randall leaned up against the doorframe glaring back at the snake in front of him.
"Yessssss ssssssshe issssssss."
"May I ssssssssspeak with her." He put heavy emphasis on the 's' in speak deliberately to annoy the snake.
"Ssssssure, right thisssssss way." The snake moved backward opening the door wider. Randall stepped though stopping once inside and looking around him. The he felt a sharp pain in his tail. "Ssssssssorry, my fault." The snake had slammed the door 'accidentally' ::hint, hint:: on his tail. It smirked, revealing three or four-inch long fangs, as Randall rubbed his tail with his bottom set of hands.
It was dark inside the building and very hot. If another monster, non- reptile, had come in they would have probably died of heat stroke. But hey, reptiles like it warm so Randall wasn't complaining. The snake coiled around forming a circle then crossed over itself and slithered up a flight of stairs. It got to the top and pointed down the hall.
"Lasssssst door on the right." The snake said as Randall passed him and began down the hall. He stopped in front of the door and groaned slightly. If Slike was home, she would most probably be in crabby mood, with that cut and accident and all. The last monster she'd want to see was him. He lifted his hand, hesitated a second, then rapped the back of his knuckles on the door.
"Coming!" Slike's voice yelled from the other side of the door before opening. It was nearly pitch black inside her room and she winced at the light coming from the hall, even though it was barely any light at all she did. Her eyes were closed, all three of her fronds were curved, lying limply over her left eye, and her head was leaning on the door. From what he could see, there was a long black scar behind her right eye. "Yeah?"
"Well you look happy to see me." Randall said, nearly dying of laughter from her reaction of hearing his voice. Slike's fronds stood on end and her eyes flew open. Standing up straighter she crossed her arms and stared at him in shock.
"What are you doing here!" She growled.
"Easy, calm down! I'm here to get something for Waternoose." He explained leaning back curving his body into an S position.
"He sent YOU?"
"Yes, listen I don't know anything about what you two are doing so, don't bite my head off."
"Pity, I would have enjoyed doing it so much. Come on." She opened the door and closed it behind him. Randall kept his tail curled around his side just in case she got the same idea as the snake had. "Did Parker lead you up here?"
"Who?"
"Parker, snake, two arms, blue and green, spikes?"
"Oh yeah, him. How could you tell?"
"You were holding your tail when you walked through the door." Even though he could barely see her, Randall knew she was smirking. Then she turned on a lamp and the room lit up and Randall was knocked over by what he couldn't describe other than a ball of fuzz.
"Get off!" He growled pushing the, whatever away. It was licking him all over the face. He didn't like animals, he never had, probably never will.
"Chill out, that's just Jake. Come here!" 'Jake' looked at Slike then jumped up into her open arms. Randall was finally allowed to right himself back onto his feet and get a good look at this Jake. It was a black ball of fuzz basically, with three beady black eyes, a yellow beak, two pointed ears coming out of the top of its head, and two yellow scaly legs.
"You have an, er, pet?"
"Yes, now don't get too cozy, because you're leaving as soon as you get what Waternoose wants. There are enough creeps in this building without you." She set the creature down and disappeared into another room.
While waiting he looked around at the room he was standing in. There was a bookcase, with many books piled into it, a chair over in one of the corners next to a window, and a small table beside it. Sitting on that table was lamp, a glass with several purple flowers sticking out of it, and a picture. Stepping closer Randall looked at the picture and saw that it was another lizard like reptile that resembled Slike, except the picture was of a boy and he was older than her. He had the same pattern as her with blue and black rather than red, blue eyes, and still three fronds. He was smiling, showing off about four rows of sharp needle teeth.
"What are you doing?" Randall turned around to see Slike across the room.
"Whose this Slike? Your boyfriend?" Then he knew he'd hit a nerve. She growled quietly and glared coldly at him. "Aw, what's wrong, touchy subject? He dump you or something? Because I can see why he would."
"No Randall," Slike hissed crossing the room. "That is my brother, my dead brother. I'll take it to Waternoose, you get out." She pointed toward the door. "Get out now."
"Slike I-"
"Get- out- now. How hard is that to comprehend?" Slike snarled her voice cracking slightly. He stared at her without moving. "What are you waiting for!" Backing up, Randall turned and left quickly. He heard the door slam loudly behind him.
Thank you everyone who reviewed! You guys are great, all of you! ^_^