CHAPTER IX
SCREAM FACTORY NIGHTMARES
Mike ran at a full tilt down the main corridors connecting to the factory. It was an amazing sight – a huge screen with pictures of assorted monsters, and what seemed to be a large scoreboard. Next to that was a map of some planet none of them recognized…
"Where are we?" Donald demanded, trying to keep up with the little green man.
"Yeah, this ain't Timeless River…" Goofy added.
"Ya see, this is Monstropolis," said Mike over his shoulder. "We power our city through the energy of screams. This is the scream factory, and we can access any door in the universe simply by putting the copy in these machines and stepping through."
"Why would you want to access any door in the universe?" Sora asked.
"I'm getting to that. Mostly we keep closets on file…but we have a few special ones like the door that led me to your castle. After we go through the door, we scare whatever little kid is inside and use the screams for energy," Mike replied.
"Sounds kind of…mean…" Riku trailed off, keeping up with Mike as they rounded a corner into what looked like a reception area.
"Oh, yeah, let's take morality lessons from the species that eats pretty much anything lower than it," Mike rolled his eye. "C'mon, the troubles out on the street! We're almost there!"
Mike stopped at the large double doors leading into the factory and pushed them open, to reveal a huge city full of colorful buildings and even more colorful monsters. But most of the monsters were running from the scene in the center of the street – about fifty neo-shadows and fifty large bodies were bouncing around the street, causing much mayhem.
The worst part of the scene, though, had to be the ominous figure standing in the center of the street, directing heartless all around him. He was tall and spindly, wearing a silver and black suit and a mask. The mask bore a frown…deep, dark eyes…and Sora knew that he was in league with The Unsmiling Man and the Masked Man from the Destiny Islands.
He turned and saw the five friends coming from the building and raised both his hands. At that moment, every heartless in town stopped, turned on their heels and proceeded to run directly at Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy and Mike.
"Whoa! I hope you guys know what you're doin'!" screamed Mike as he hid behind Riku's legs.
"Hmph. For a monster, you sure scare easily…" Riku and Sora extended their hands to call forth their keyblades…but only Sora's came. Riku dropped to his knees and cried out in pain.
"Ah! I can't summon my keyblade again! Just like on the Islands…I don't know what it is…" Riku said, pounding his fists on the ground.
"It must be those guys with the masks…" Sora decided. "Just stay back, Riku. Donald, Goofy and I can take care of these guys."
"You know, just in case you cant…I should know who at least tried to save my butt," Mike said, quietly.
"Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku."
"Thanks, guys. Great to meet you. Now attack!" Mike pointed at the heartless like a general during war.
But that was easier said than done. The large bodies kept reflecting attacks, while the neo-shadows melted and spawned behind them. It was a lethal combination that left the three heroes outmatched.
Mike bit his lip. "I'm gonna regret this…" he said, as he ran into the fray to help the three friends. He was brandishing two small nunchakus, spinning them around himself and almost taking out his eye several times. When he made it to the center, where Sora, Donald and Goofy were panting, having nearly taken out half of the threat, he stood back to back with Sora.
"I hope there's a plan b…" Mike said nervously.
Then, out from an alley next to the scream factory, came a loud crash and the sound of a cart being pushed at a rapid speed. The friends looked to the sound to see a huge blue and purple monster with shaggy fur running at them at full speed. He was snarling and pushing a cart full of yellow canisters. He had two small yellow horns and teeth that could rip through metal.
"Is this guy on our side?" said Donald.
"Sully! You bet he is!" Mike cheered and pumped his fists in the air. "Sora, just follow my lead, okay?"
Sora nodded. Goofy and Donald flattened themselves out on the ground, protected under Goofy's Bounce Shield.
Sully stopped the cart about one-hundred feet away. "Ready, Mike?" he yelled.
"Ready! Sora, start spinning with that funky sword!"
Sora went into a rapid spin, like a top, while Sully threw the yellow canisters toward Mike.
Sora and Mike unleashed a powerful limit attack, and they screamed "PLAN B!" as the canisters flew overhead, Mike rapidly knocked the locks off of them with his nunchakus and sent them into Sora's spin, sending them into all directions of the crowd of heartless. Piercing shrieks and screams filled the city, as the heartless seemed stunned and in pain as they got hit with the shockwaves.
As soon as all the canisters were gone, Sully signaled Mike with a thumbs up and Sora, Mike and Sully yelled "SCREAMING SMASH!"
Mike held his nunchaku into the vortex formerly known as Sora, got picked up and spun around rapidly as Sully ran around the outside in the opposite direction. Mike let go and flew like a boomerang, smashing heartless while Sully rammed them from behind. As Sora stopped spinning and regained his balance, the last of the heartless were wiped out by Mike and Sully.
Mike started doing a victory dance, but Sully tapped him on the shoulder and he looked where Sora, Riku, Donald and Goofy already were looking. The Frowning Man walked up to them with a familiar sway in his step, and cackled.
"What do you want?" Sora said intensely.
The Frowning Man pointed at Sully.
"Strong. He'll make an excellent heartless. Master Maximilian will be pleased."
"One of them? No way, pal. I ain't going nowhere," Sully growled.
"You know, I think your attitude will change when I show you that I have the upper hand," he said as he snapped his fingers. A neo-shadow rose from the ground, clutching a little purple monster with googly eyes and a big mouth…something looked odd about it…
"Boo!" Sully said.
"Gawrsh, it's gonna take more than that to scare 'em away!" Goofy said.
"No, Boo! The little girl! Put her down!" Sully snarled.
At that point, the little monster opened his mouth to reveal…a girl. It was a little girl with black ponytails inside the monster costume, and she reached out, making sounds that nobody could understand.
"Give her to me," Sully said.
"On one condition…you come with us to become a heartless slave," the Frowning Man bartered.
"Fine. I'll do whatever you want."
"Are you nuts? Sully, you can't go with them! They're gonna turn you into one of those…those things! C'mon, pal, let's just fight him for her!" Mike yelled, putting up his fists.
"And risk hurting Boo? No," Sully said calmly, as he walked straight up to the neo-shadow, took Boo and handed her to Mike. Immediately after his hand was off the little girl, the neo-shadow seemed to melt around Sully, sucking him down into a black hole.
Echoing in the streets, they heard Sully yell out "Don't worry, I'll fight my way out!"
"I wouldn't count on that, street-rats," said the Frowning Man, as he vanished off into a black portal that had opened up behind him.
