Forever Bat (The final story to my Bat Trilogy)

Chapter 4: John

...

After I was done telling my college days and my regular life to the monsters, Link frowned and spoke up. "That Kenneth guy is a loser."

Susan and Doc narrowed their eyes and nodded in agreement. "You didn't deserve to be treated that way...I'm sorry your first love was a jerk." Susan said. Doctor Cockroach nodded his big head, his anntennae moving as well.

"But don't think all men are like that, Bat. There are men out there who will treat you right. You deserve better...and you'll find the right guy someday," he said. At the corner of my eye, I saw Link's head move. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me and turned away or the other way around. Either way, I could hear his heart beat a little faster.

I just sighed and nodded. I thankfully was over that asshole of an ex, but scars never heal.

B.O.B. was oblivious to the whole conversation and started talking about what they did at the base during the years I was gone. Some things I already knew because of the internet and the news. Other things completely took me by surprise. Like when Susan had a boyfriend for a while. She had an ability to change sizes for a while, i remembered that from the Monsters Vs Aliens TV show, but then she told me that that ability wore off, and her boyfriend at the time had a hard time getting used to her giant size. Susan didn't feel too upset about it.

"It was nice while it lasted," she said. I wasn't sure if she meant her size changing ability or her short lived relationship but I decided not to ask.

Lately, its been very slow for the monsters. The alien tracker hasn't gone off for a few months. Doc has been busy lately with a few inventions he was keeping under wraps about. B.O.B. and Butterflyasaurous have been hanging out more and creating their own secret language. (Don't ask me how it works, I don't even understand it myself).

Link says he has been working out more, but from the looks of Doc, Susan and especially Butterflyasaurous, he's been to himself lately.

Susan has been in contact with a fashion brand who want to design clothes for her to help with selling their products. The monsters have been celebrities for the past handful of years. Being asked to be on talkshows, podcasts, etc. B.O.B. was on a talkshow for an episode, but wasn't asked back on again because he ate all the food and tech equipment, and the conversations with him and the hosts was like watching Abbott and Costellos' 'Who's on First' skit.

After two houra of us catching up, my monster friends invited me to watch a movie with them. They were going to watch The Wolfman.

I thanked them for the offer but told them I wanted to talk to Monger about something. They all gave curious looks. Me and Monger never usually got along when I was here as a teen monster. We had our little tiffs and bickers here and there. Hopefully that was past us and we were on better terms. With that, i opened my wings and flew up to the are where Monger usually entered and exited with his jetpack. The large doors opened up automatically and I flew down the long dark tunnel till I made it to a closed office door. Monger's office.

I knocked on Monger's office door. It took him a few minutes to finally answer. He clasped his hands behind his back and smiled.

"Hello, Bat. What do I owe the pleasure-" he started, but I had no time for beating around the bush.

"Why didn't you tell me that John was here?" I asked Monger, trying to keep my voice level. Monger's eyes widened and he hesitated. Then he relaxed and waved my words away dismissively.

"Slipped my mind," was all Monger said. My fangs grew while I gritted my teeth. "Slipped your mind?? John. The most dangerous man on the planet, who fucked up my life and killed October, and that all just "slipped your mind," I snapped. Monger frowned.

"Don't be so dramatic. John has been unconscious for a decade now. He's not going anywhere. The place is heavily monitored and he's surrounded by scientists almost every day," Monger pointed out. That still didn't ease my mind.

"I still would have liked to be informed or warned beforehand!"

Monger clenched his teeth.

"Well I've been busy running a secret underground facility. I didn't think you would still have a grudge against him. I know he's a bad person, but you need to move on from the past and look forward towards the future."

He started closing the door. My eyes widened. "Wait! I-" Monger closed the door in my face. I took a deep breath and got ready to scream down his door-

"If you are thinking of screaming down my door, its coming out of your savings," I heard Monger's muffled voice from the other side of the door. I exhaled out a frustrated huff.

"I don't like knowing that the man who is constantly trying to get me to work for him is in another room, possibly pretending to be unconscious!"

Silence...then the door opened back up and Monger stepped out.

"You want to see John's vegetable of a body?" he asked, irritated. I hesitated. I wasn't expecting Monger to actually show me John. Before I could respond, Monger stepped out the door and started walking down the hallway. I followed after him, hearing him mutter about me still being an annoying child, even though I was now an adult.

After walking down so many hallways, stairs, elevators etc, I realized that Monger didn't take his jetpack. If he had his jetpack, I couldve used my wings to fly after him. We could've gotten there in half the time; maybe even less.

"It's in the shop," he told me. I never knew there even was a "shop" in the base. Even if there was, I doubt Monger had only one jetpack. Maybe I was wrong and he he only had one, and this was the first time it needed being worked on. He did use his jetpack a lot. This had to be the first time I had seen him without it here.

We arrived in a huge white room that reminded me of a waiting room at a hospital, complete with chairs and a front desk. Monger and I walked up to the front desk to talk to the receptionist. I stopped in my tracks when I saw the receptionist. It was a robot. A real robot. It was a chrome humanoid robot with a flat round screen for a face, glowing blue eyes and a happy smile. It was dressed up in a black vest and pants.

"Hello! I am Clark. How may I help you today?" Monger hesitated for a second before straightening up and squaring his shoulders. "We are here to see John Thorson."

Hearing that last name made my stomach twist. My high school friend, Hunter Thorson. John Thorson's son. It still rattled my soul to this day. I never stayed in touch with Hunter ever since that night. I had no idea how he was doing...mentally.

The robot named Clark stood there for a moment, his face rotating around on his flat screen face. Then it stopped and smiled at us. "Yes! I can help you. Please place your thumb on my screen to scan so I can allow you access." Clark's happy face changed to a blank screen for Monger to place his thumb on.

Monger glared at the robot. "Come on, you tin can. You can recognize me without the scan. I'm General W.R. Monger."

Please place your thumb on my screen to scan so I can allow you access." Clark repeated.

After a few minutes, Monger pulled out a card and slid it down Clark's side. Clark's happy face came back.

"Welcome, General. John Thorson is in room 113 A." Clark said.

Monger sighed in annoyance and walked away from the robot. The door to our right opened up.

"Have a nice day, General," Clark said smiling and waving. Monger mimicked the robot as he walked through the door, me following close behind. Monger gave a loud sigh.

"Robots. Never should have been created. It was fine when they weren't around," Monger muttered.

I never thought Monger would be against robots. I mean I know he was...90? 100 years old now? but he always seemed to get excited whenever me and the other monsters had to fight a giant alien robot during our missions. Always saying he wanted to bring it back and tinker with it. Maybe he was just getting to that age where he was grumpy about everything.

We walked down an insanely long hospital hallway. Pure white, clean, and eerily empty. We finally reached room 113 A. Another touch screen pad waited for us. Monger didn't even bother with the scan and pounded his fist on the door.

"Open up! its Monger!" he shouted. The door slid open and two doctors and a scientist stood at the doorway.

"Are you still having trouble with the scanners, generaI?" the scientist asked. Monger didn't answer as he moved past them into the room. The doctors and scientists didn't say anything. Their eyes looked towards me instead.

"Bat? Is that really you?" one of the doctors asked in shock. I had no idea who they were, I never had any acquaintances of the people who worked here, other than Patrick, my temporary driver during my first semester of high school because his daughter went to the middle school a couple blocks away. I wondered how they were doing.

"Bat!" called Monger from inside the room. "Excuse me" I said softly, folding my ears down and pressing my large bat wings against my back as I moved past the two doctors and scientist into the room. I could feel the three of them staring at me.

The room looked exactly like a hospital room, so many monitors, beeping and humming. There were about twenty to thirty of themz all surrounding one small hospital like bed with white sheets and pillows. In the center of all the machines and wires was John. John Thorson.

The John.

Monger and I stared down at John's unconscious body. He looked a little older, his hair longer with streaks of grey. He was very gaunt in the face and torso. Tubes snaked everywhere all over his body, making him look very alien.

His eyes were closed. I could tell because he wasn't wearing his sunglasses. This was the first time I was seeing him without his sunglasses. It made him feel more human. More...mortal. Not this nightmare that haunted my life every waking moment.

"Happy now?" Monger asked. I didn't answer. I just watched the tube in his mouth force air into his lungs, and exhale them for him.

"Why don't we just unplug him?" I finally asked, staring at the black electric cord in the socket at the base of the bed.

Monger sighed. "He is still important to us. He has information we need. That's why he was transported here."

"Excuse me," said a female scientist as she walked by us with a syringe. I looked away. I hated needles, so I'm not going to tell you what she did with it. After she was done, she walked away.

I turned back to John's unconscious, thin body. It scared me to see him in this state. At least he couldn't do any harm to anyone anymore...depending if he woke up soon.

I had seen enough.

I left Monger and John. I didn't want to be in that hospital like room any longer. I found my own way out of the place, walking back to the front desk. At the corner of my eye, I swear I saw his happy blue screen face glitch to red for just a second. He waved his robot hand. "He is still alive," I heard Clark say.

I stopped in my tracks and turned around. "What?" I asked.

Have a good day!" Clark said, blue eyes glowing brightly.