SHARK INSTINCT!

Part One

... Unruly Nature Lies Within ...

There are often two sides to a person, a sort of alter-ego or darkness that looms within, that can project itself at given times. But what if that other side was to somehow consume you ...

Grey clouds smothered the dull skies around Fission City, lingering an oncoming storm. Its presence only adding to the tensions below. The thunder grumbled silently in the distance, though it only exerted a fraction of the type of rage one man was internally experiencing...

Dr. Luther Paradigm stared in horror at what was once one of his precious Enterprise buildings, now been reduced to rubble. His purple robe fluttered violently in the gusts of wind as he stood there, surveying the ruins of where one of his hidden laboratories once stood. Now all that remained was shattered glass, blown up machinery and heaps of concrete burying traces of all else. The entire site was wreckage.

His previous encounter with the infamous Street Sharks had ended in the total annihilation of yet another of his labs. Now, he was left penniless and unfunded, and didn't possess a clue as to when he would be able to claim another. He was completely out of his element; without a lab he would be unable to pursue his goal of ridding the city of the Bolton brothers. He realized he was doomed unless he could somehow discover a place with decent facilities to work with so he could devise his next plan of action, but he almost desired to relinquish that goal as he staggered onto the site and kicked a large concrete slab till it cracked into smaller bits. Finding such a place was most likely unobtainable.

He gritted his teeth in fury as he recalled the last futile attempt to capture the brothers, yet in doing so abruptly caused his facial appearance to suddenly alter. He hung his head and started to groan in discomfort as his gruesome piranha characteristics began exposing. His petrifying fangs shot through his gums as his face morphed into its hideous, disfigured fish shape. He began to screech in full out rage, throwing up his fists.

"Curse those meddling Sharks!!"

His trio of Seavients observed him from the sidelines as he began to tear through the rubble and concrete, shrieking in all his fury. They thought it best to give the doctor his much needed space as stone and other unidentified objects were being hurled into the air.

The giant, scarlet lobster casually waved his antenna, hardly bothered by the doctor's outburst of ire. "You'd think by now he'd invest in another hobby," he stated, huge pincers crossed against his chest.

"Are you nuts?!" The squid asked irritability. "Trying to get rid those over-sized minnows is all he lives for."

The green swordfish glanced over at Killamari and hissed quietly in annoyance, "And exactly how do you expect him to do that now?" He gestured at the demolished site.

The three spoke normally as Paranoid would never hear them above his own shrieks as he ploughed through the concrete, destroying what all was left. All his mutant servants had grown accustom to his temper tantrums and offhandedly overlooked them.

The squid mimicked his annoyed glare right back at him, but truthfully, Killamari didn't posses that great of an answer. "He doesn't need a lab to take them down," he said, swiftly but casually dodging a flying chunk of rubble that was accidentally thrown in his direction during the doctor's rampage of anger. In truth, he didn't fully believe his own theory. He was simply hoping to seize a chance to do combat with the Sharks; to take revenge for all their losses against them.

However, Slash fully disagreed on his statement and knew that their facilities were their strongest weapons. He too indulged in his fair share of battle with them and the possibility to seize becoming the doctor's favored creation, but unlike the squid, Slash understood perfectly well that one-on-one they weren't much of a match against the Sharks. "All of our best equipment was in there. Just how do you think he's going to stop them now? Make us fight them till we end up on the seafood special?"

"Speak for yourself, drill-nose! It's the only place you'd end up on."

The two stared each other down with barred teeth, completely ignoring the doctor who continued on with his minor rampage. Slobster watched his so-called team mates with boredom before directing his attention towards his raging creator once again.

"Here's hoping he doesn't crack," the lobster mused to himself.

Dr. Paranoid sliced through the wreck like a weed whacker, completely blinded by his rage. At that point, he didn't heed what was to become of him in the near future ... he was going to destroy the Street Sharks and gain control over the whole of Fission City, no matter what the cost! He paused as lightning flashed behind them, adding to his mood. He tossed up his arms as the roaring of the storm echoed. "Cursed Boltons!!"

"Oops."

Bends had long since grown used to hearing the crashing and shattering sounds of his many precious possessions being mercilessly put to their end when it came to accommodating and thriving along side four giant shark mutants with unruly strength. Even in this particular case where no such sounds had been released, the infamous 'oops' statement still caused some alarm to surge through his body as he swiftly peered into the main room.

"Ah guys, not the remote again," he said in dismay, eyeing the tiger and great hammerhead shark each grasping a portion of the crushed device in one hand.

"He did it!!" They both abruptly accused, throwing a pointed gesture at one another.

Bends simply sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead as he leaned against the entrance, a tad annoyed about the remote control, but at the same time particularly relieved that it had been the only object that had met its end during the brothers' minor dispute. However, that relief slowly began to vanish as the Sharks started up again.

"Me?! You were the one who wouldn't let go," Streex blamed in deep agitation.

"It's my turn!" Jab pointed out, growling viciously at his younger sibling, "You've hogged the T.V. for the last two hours."

The tiger shark rocked back and casually folded his arms, clearly not caring. There hadn't been anything of much other importance of late, and the tedium was getting to him. "And your point is ...?"

His careless reply only appeared to infuriate the hammerhead further as he bared his teeth and seized up as if he were about to lunge at his little brother.

Luckily though, Bends had also grown skillful at intercepting small bickerings such as these that didn't involve a high risk in being caught in the middle of jagged teeth and flailing fists.

"Whoa, chill!" he tittered, walking over towards them with arms wavering. "Look, whatever the reason, I'm afraid that duck-tape isn't gonna save it this time," he stated, now almost sounding as if he was humorously unconcerned about it, retrieving the two fragments from them. Keeping things intact around them was no simple task, as Bends had realized from the start, yet attempting to repair damaged appliances was apart of his daily life and something he enjoyed performing, even if such things were beyond his repair and needed to be replaced. His suppressed emotions however made the Sharks glare at him momentarily in confusion before redirecting their attention back to each other.

"Moron," Jab denounced the tiger shark under his breath.

Streex flashed him an offended expression, but before he was able to return the insult, the sudden appearance of his eldest and youngest brothers entering the room made him pause.

"Oh boy," the great white cautiously began. "What did they break this time?"

"Ah man, not the remote again," the whale shark observed in dismay before anyone seized the chance to reply, eyeing the crushed device in Bends hands as the blond ploddingly walked past, and he acknowledged the fact that asking who the culprit was would be a lost cause. "It was my turn too."

"Ha! Told you so," Streex swiftly pointed out at Jab in a childish manner.

But the hammerhead simply swatted at him and began to gradually move off. "Oh whatever," he irritably replied in a low voice, grasping his brother's fib but surprisingly choosing to drop the disagreement and walk up to his elder. "So, did we miss out on anything?"

Ripster shrugged teasingly. "Only us fighting off a bunch of giant mutated sewer rats," he said, only to receive a light cuff on the shoulder.

"As if," Jab sniggered, but decided to play along with his brother's teasing. "And you didn't bother to call us in?"

"Ah, we kinda figured you were ... busy," he joked, glancing over at Slammu and Streex who had drawn their attention towards the television and muttering comments along the lines of 'how are we suppose to change channels now' and absurd responses like 'Just use a broom, or someone's pool cue'. Streex grinned mischievously at his oldest brother, but the great white could only smile in return, almost ignoring him in a sense.

The Sharks made regular surveillances around the underground steam tunnels surrounding their base in case of any unwanted guests intruding. At the same time it allowed them the sort of freedom to move about over vast areas as they desperately required and not be spotted rather than to wander around anxiously back at HQ awaiting any news of Paradigm causing mayhem and a chance to go set him straight. However, they had chosen to take shifts in pairs instead of all together at once, especially since the doctor had now been out of action for over a couple of weeks and the tensions had seemed to ease slightly, but that also meant the other pair would remain at the base and most likely become bored and destructive.

But even with that type of free reign, Ripster couldn't shake the fact that they needed to vacate the base and taste fresh air every once in a while. He despised admitting it for the public and safety reasons, but he could see it in his brothers and feel it within himself. The desire to surface and move around freely was almost overwhelming. It was embedded into their shark mindset and in their species particularly. Shockingly though, his brothers had also restrained that need up to a certain point, which caused Ripster to wonder if it was because they finally grasped the seriousness of their situation. Even so, he could still notice their irritation.

"Man I'm bored," Jab turned and muttered under his breath, but wanting his brother to catch his hint, which confirmed Ripster's observations.

The great white sighed heavily, feeling the exact same way. "I know. We all are, but we can't go top-side." He read between Jab's comment, and was particularly grateful when his brother made no attempt to argue, even though he too longed for it. He then remained silent when he detected the oncoming presence of a familiar female ally.

Lena leisurely entered the room moments later, still dressed in her lab coat. She had taken her previous job back at the university since Dr. Paradigm had insanely suspended all his employees, but still kept eyes peeled for any activities on the doctor.

"Evening boys," she greeted.

"Hey, hey Lena. What's cookin'?" Streex welcomed cheerfully.

"Any news on Paradigm?" Slam asked hopefully.

She sighed, quickly becoming the centre of attention. "Afraid not. He's kept a low profile ever since you destroyed his last building. I haven't heard anything lately."

The Sharks' expressions were almost unreadable - somewhat caught between discouraged and heavy pondering, as if they weren't quite sure what to make of her reply. While they were pleased about him not causing any known mayhem to the city, there was also the possibility that he could be devising something sinister and releasing it at any given time, but they also acknowledged that his funding had been renounced which did put them at ease in a sense.

"You think he's just given up then?"

"Or left town?" Streex added to his little brother's question.

Ripster suddenly scowled, "Or planning something."

"But we demolished his lab," Jab pointed out rather humorously. "What's the worst he could do without it?"

"Bro, even without the city on his side anymore, the guy's still loaded," Streex affirmed. "He could just go out and buy another one."

Lena however seemed to disagree on that statement, "I'm not so sure about that," she said gently, but kept the rest of the details hushed for she knew they'd soon catch on. And they did, but continued to ponder on the former topic.

"Well then," the Tiger Shark amusingly carried on, forcedly breaking the abrupt silence, "I guess we just have his little minions left to deal with."

"Let's hope so," Slammu said.

"Ah yeah, we are so gonna make chum out of those lowlifes," Jab stated lowly but enthusiastically, thrusting his fists together before moving off with his younger brothers.

Lena managed to giggle at their eagerness. Their antics had always seemed to amuse her, but she swiftly paused when she witnessed the oldest still remaining, leaning back up against the wall with arms crossed in deep contemplation. That kind of posture had always concerned her, and without hesitation she grinned and moved towards him.

"Not so enthusiastic are we?"

He looked up at her momentarily in surprise before glancing back down again. "I'm concerned, Lena," he said quietly, sounding slightly dejected, "I know the chances of him actually planning something big are slim, but I just can't help assuming that he's up to no good, wherever he is."

She stared at him in silence, fully aware and agreeing on that very notion. The Doctor's plots were not to be taken lightly, whatever they may be, and it annoyed her to even consider what maddening plans the doctor might have for them and the city. She looked away and sighed mutely, not really aware on how to answer, but despite her speechlessness, he carried on.

"I mean, he is the Doctor."

His musing and suppressed irritation troubled her. She desperately wished she had answers, but they were all left in the same boat now…but through all that uncertainty, she also managed to pick up that Paradigm wasn't the only thing that was bothering the Great White.

"Looks like someone needs to clear his head," she eventually said in a rather comical way.

Her observation unexpectedly shocked him, and he blinked at her with complete attention and puzzlement. "Come again?"

She slowly turned to face the other three who had gathered around the flashing television screen once again and gently smiled. "Take them out for a while," she suggested, and before he could get a response out, she continued, lifting back her sleeve and peering at her wrist watch. "Just after seven. The roads aren't usually busy around this time, and it's already dark outside. You shouldn't run into any trouble."

That offer was just too tempting. His desire to taste the open air was like a thorn in his side that he couldn't seem to retrieve, but concern won Ripster over this time and he was reluctant. "But what about back here?" he didn't make eye contact with her. The threat of Paradigm causing something while they were away lingered in his mind and was far too grave to ignore. Ever since the Seavients had discovered the base, the Sharks had been on their guard and rarely ventured away from it.

"We'll be fine," she assured him. "And if anything comes up we'll call, alright?"

"But what if-"

"Boys, shake a leg! You're going out for a while," she suddenly called out to them, cutting him off, and within a split second becoming the main attraction once again. The expressions they wore were almost as excited as when she brought back burgers for dinner.

"No kidding?!"

"Alright!"

"About time!"

Lena chuckled at them as they hurried past and headed for the exit like a trio of overly enthusiastic puppies about to be taken for a walk. All they needed now was the walker with the leashes, who apparently wasn't too thrilled by the sudden job.

After a look of distress, Ripster then turned to the woman and frowned. "Lena..."

"Oh, go on already! Take a breather!" she encouraged him, giving him a light push on the arm. "Besides, you can't stay cramped down here all the time."

Even though it was as if trying to shove a statue that wouldn't budge, he seemed to accept the effort and took a couple steps forward before pausing again to peer over his shoulder at her. "You sure?"

"Positive. And I'll tell Bends you went out."

Besides her skills in keeping tabs on the ruthless doctor, it was also times like these that he had come to appreciate Lena's keen observations. She knew them all too well.

After a brief time of silence, he eventually gave her a gratified smile. "Thanks Lena."

She flashed him one in return, but was interrupted before she could say anything.

Jab abruptly appeared around the corner. "Hey c'mon bro! We don't wanna hit traffic," he stated thrillingly, and the Great White just seized enough time to throw Lena a sheepish gaze before the hammerhead nearly grabbed him and dragged him off to the vehicles.

She mutely laughed again as she saw them off at the entrance. "Don't be gone too long!" ...

This was finally the moment they'd been waiting for; just a brief chance for some fresh air and open road to settle the raging shark instincts for space and movement.

Streex had already started up the engine on his motorbike by the time the others had merely entered the garage. "Come on! Let's go already!"

"Keep your skates on!" Jab responded, climbing into the driver's seat.

Streex clenched the handle bars firmly and eyed the steel door impatiently, as if he was about to ride directly through it if it didn't open within the next couple of moments, but suddenly paused when his vision unexpectedly began to blur. The suddenness scared him as he desperately tried to clear it, blinking rapidly.

"Wha-?" he muttered silently before an unexpected jolt of some sort surged through his entire body. He twitched momentarily before his sight suddenly returned, yet it wasn't regular. His mind all of a sudden went completely blank and for a moment, he couldn't grasp where he was, almost like a short burst of amnesia. He swayed very gently as his eyes dramatically began to alter, seizing a sudden shade of very pale bronze around the edges and his pupils began to expand, almost covering his entire eye. He felt woozy, like vertigo, and almost lost his balance, but just as this bizarre feeling struck him, it mysteriously left. He shook off the dizziness, and his consciousness returned to normal.

Streex blinked and gently rubbed his head in confusion, muttering to himself. "Whoa, that was weird."