PROLOGUE The old monster quivered with fear. "Thank . . . uh, thank . . . you for seeing me," it stammered while bowing low.
A dark, hooded figure slowly approached the old monster. His long, shimmering cape extended past his feet, and he appeared to be floating a few feet off of the ground. In his long arms he held a purring cat. The figure stroked the cat with gloved hands. A hiss-like voice came from within the dark hood. "You''ve come a long way. I hope for your sake that the journey was worth it. Speak.
But prove to me why I should listen." From somewhere deep underground, a massive roar shook the ancient throne room. White dust from the high ceiling slowly rained down on them, causing the cat to hiss. "There, there," said the figure soothingly to the cat. "You''ll feast soon." The old monster brushed the dust off of his shoulders, trying to fight through his fear. "I can get you into their new facility," he said. "I can give you all of them.
" "You offer me nothing. I''ve already weakened their defenses," said the floating figure. His eyes glowed from somewhere deep in the hood. The cat hissed in agreement as its eyes, too, began to glow. "Their old facility has been destroyed. Their spirits have been crushed--they will be easy to pick off. I have already won. Those old monsters just haven''t realized it yet.
As for you, I will have you drained of every last drop of lebensplasm for wasting our time." The cat hissed at the monster as the hooded figure motioned to two guards who had appeared at the door. The figure floated up toward a massive hole in the stone ceiling. The cat growled ominously as they rose. The guards, cloaked in red, moved toward the old monster. "No, wait!" screeched the old monster as he fell to his knees. "They''re stronger than you think. They''re the strongest ones left, thanks to Paradise Island.
The Director has chosen a new, secure facility. You''ll never be able to defeat him without my help." The hooded figure ignored the monster''s pleas. "And you''ll never find his pendants without me," added the monster. The hooded figure paused his rise and extended his hand. The cloaked guards immediately halted their advance. "Did you say ''pendants''? That fool has more than one?!" howled the hooded figure. The old monster rose to his feet as the guards backed away.
"You have my attention," the hooded figure said as he hovered just above the ground. "Now tell me everything you know about the location of these pendants." "He has one piece that he wears around his neck," the old monster replied confidently. "And the other he keeps hidden. I can find it and bring them both to you." "And what do you ask for in return?" asked the hooded figure. "I''m sick of being eternally old," said the old monster. "I''m sick of being weak.
And I know how this all is going to end. If I don''t do something now, you''ll just drain me like all the rest. I need you to promise you won''t harm me." "Very well," said the hooded figure, "you have my word. You shall be considered one of us. Now, I have--" "Wait," the old monster cut him off. "It''s not just about me. There''s something more I need you to do.
" "SOMETHING MORE?" the voice hissed from deep within the hood. "You dare to ask me for more than your pitiful soul? What more could you want?" "My sister," choked the old monster, holding back tears. "I need you to bring my sister back. You can do that, can''t you?" "Yes, but why should I?" hissed the hooded figure. "This talk of family disgusts me." "I would rather die right now, at this very spot, than keep on without her," said the old monster. "But I''m much more useful to you alive, am I not?" "For the time being," said the hooded figure. "But don''t dare to disappoint me.
There are fates worse than being drained of your energies until you gasp your last breath, I can assure you. "I don''t trust you to do this alone," the figure added as he dropped the cat onto the floor. He clapped his hands, and the two guards once again stood at attention. "Bring me Test Subject Q," demanded the hooded figure. "Q?" asked one guard. "But, Master, I thought you had deemed Q unworthy." "Did I ask you to think?" threatened the hooded figure. "If I wanted you to think, I''d have you working in the lab--now bring me Test Subject Q!" The guard left and returned a short time later with a huge woolly monster with terrible fangs--like a mutated buffalo mixed with an abominable snowman.
He held it with a glowing leash that crackled as the monster rose and swiped its huge paws in the air. "Let it loose," said the hooded figure. "Master?!" the guards yelled. "DO IT!" The old monster watched, horrified, as they let the beast loose, and it immediately turned on them. It grabbed the closest guard. There was a screech as it shoved its furry face into the guard''s hood. CRUNCH. "Oh, wonderful.
" The black hooded figure chuckled and clapped his gloved hands. "Is this the creature you want me to use?" the old monster asked. "I''ll never be able to control it!" The woolly monster, finished with the guard, turned to the old monster and the hooded figure. It galloped at them. "No," said the hooded figure over the roar of the terrible woolly creature. "This is." He pointed at the cat, which took off for the advancing monster. The monster stopped in its tracks, shrieked in terror, and turned around.
The cat chased it out of the huge doorway, and the old monster could hear a terrible struggle, the sound of splashing and hissing, tearing flesh, screaming, and then utter silence. The cat quietly padded its way into the room and licked a bit of blood off of its muzzle. "I give you . . . the SANGALA!" said the hooded figure. "THIS is the tool that you shall unleash upon the unsuspecting. THIS is the tool that shall tear you to shreds if you dare disappoint me.
" Once again, the eyes of the cat glowed ominously like the eyes of the hooded figure. The old monster was very afraid. "Now, bow down!" The hooded figure''s voice boomed throughout the room. The old monster bowed down and slowly backed out of the massive chamber. CHAPTER ONE: IN THE BEGINNING . "All right, smell test," said Shane. He had created a three-point test for Lunch Lady''s cafeteria food. We all leaned in and began to sniff.
"I think I''m good," said Ben. "It doesn''t make me feel sick or anything." He sneezed. "But you are sick," said Gordon. "Can you smell anything but your own boogers?" He leaned in and took another mega-whiff of his food. "Poor habibi has a cold," said Nabila, Ben''s not-girlfriend from Egypt. Her nerdy brown eyes looked sadly at Ben through her thick glasses. Nabila put her tray and Ben''s tray in front of Gordon.
"Would you mind smelling ours?" she asked. "As you know, I have--" "Yeah, yeah," said Gordon as he snatched the trays. "You have no sense of smell. I remember. How convenient." After two more mega-whiffs, Gordon gave a thumbs-up. "Okay, visual check," Shane continued. We all grabbed our forks and began moving our food around to make sure nothing was hiding in the folds.
I slowly lifted off the top of my Blandburger and peered inside. As I replaced the bun, I saw some kid headed our way. He had a full tray of food and it looked like he was planning on sitting at our table. I hated to be cruel, but we couldn''t have outsiders listening in on our conversations. It was for their own good. "Ben," I said while elbowing him. "Someone''s coming." "Not again," said Ben, and he started to make himself gag.
The kid looked at him strangely, but still tried to put his tray down. Ben''s whole body began to spasm as he returned the boy''s look. Then it happened. BLAARRP! Ben spewed a small splatter of barf onto the table. The kid slowly backed away and then ran off. "Okay, now are we free to discuss saving the old monsters from monster juice drainage?" yelled Ben as he wiped a few leftover chunks from his mouth. "You don''t have to yell it," said Nabila as she cleaned up his mess. "There are still kids at other tables.
" "Sorry," Ben said. "My ears are all clogged." "Good barfin'', buddy," said Gordon, patting Ben on the back. "Perfect targeting. Always the right amount." "Half the time, I really do need to barf, you know," Ben said, snotting. "Speaking of barf," Shane added as he poked at his food, "the thought of what''s in here makes me want to hurl." "Are you sure we have to search ou.