"In those vermin slums, there's no future for you." The man shouted and then reddened with guilt.

"My gratitude," the beast-turned-rat said, walking away.

Those eyes were familiar. "Thomas - Tallulah?" he said in disbelief.

The Rat paused.

"Thomas Tallulah?" he repeated.

The rat jogged, his feet pattering against the linoleum.

"Stop!"

The rat froze, swiveling his head. Indeed, it wasn't a delusion! The two cousins had grown up in an orphanage outside the old city limits.

"Thomas! Why didn't you--?"

"What did you think, Jeffrey? I'd buy flowers, head to the waterfront, and make a speech?"

In a flash, scientists rushed into the lab with guns. In a wordless understanding, Jeffrey launched Thomas

into the chamber of brilliant light.

The scientists opened the metallic door in stony silence to find them gone.

Jeffrey directed Thomas to a courtyard with a sewer entrance - to their dismay, it was too small for the beast.

Inspecting the hole, the beast hissed, and in response, hordes of rats swarmed out of the walls and began excavation.

So this is what the rogue life feels like? thought Jeffrey as he crawled beneath a swarm of rats into the entrance. Rats to the right and left and then a rat over his head. Rats on either side, then a couple more rats in front of him. He could hear them breathing.

The sewers felt freeing.

"They will be waiting for us," Thomas said. He sounded ready to sleep for the rest of his life. "At the city's edge."

"They?"