Diva obsessively stirred some bubbling clear stuff in four of the spare tanks as Paradigm and his seaviants observed.
"I suppose you're feeling bad about destroying your creations?', Paradigm asked.
Diva didn't answer. She just kept working.
"I guess the sharks will be worn down by the feeling of losing love eh?", Slobster guessed.
Diva gave him a cold glare.
"Those four were my magnum opus.", she said coldly, "Love to me is a means of control, but until I'm off the ground, I'm reduced to working with you foul sea vermin."
Paradigm didn't flinch.
"I know that feeling. The Street Sharks-"
"Will know pain.", Diva snapped cutting him off and still glaring, "Though I am grateful for the gene slamming you have done to bestow such abilities on myself, I have a game to play and win I might add."
Paradigm's smile widened.
"Amazing what you can do with a few spare gene samples from the university biology labs and a willing volunteer."
"That and the latest batch of mind control serum.", Repteel muttered under his breath.
Diva went back to working and soon the four girls that had appeared to have been dissolved were slowly reforming.
"They'll be revived in a few days.", Diva answered, "And this time, I will supervise the doings they commit."
Paradigm raised an eyebrow.
"In what way?"
Diva's glare darkened.
"Vengefully."
The seaviants shuddered as Diva's form looked a bit frightening, but Paradigm held his ground and nerve.
"And have it you will my dear.", he assured, "And if I recall, the university is having a beech party this week and I have another plan that will ensure the sharks will be under my sway as well as make a little amusement on your part."
Diva's expression melted into one of malice and determination.
"Those fools won't even know what hit them.", she said firmly as her tentacles brought down four helmet like devices, "And once my creations have their minds properly conditioned, they will slaughter their prey with us not having to lift a fin."
/
Streex rolled over to the door with his towel and trunks all packed in a little bag over his shoulder with the rest of the family along with Bends and Lena bringing up the rear.
"Son, I know you're excited.", Dr. Bolton said calmly, "But we need to help out before we have our ocean fun."
"I can't believe we actually get to head to the beach.", Ripster put in, "What are we helping out with anyway?"
"We're helping the big beech celebration the university throws to help boost school spirit.", Lena answered, "Luckily Rox said he got a gig and could attend."
"Rox is preforming live at the beech celebration?", Jab asked getting excited, "Jawsome!"
"Yeah, I wonder how he's been these last few days.", Bends put in.
The rest of the family had brought their beach stuff as well and after a brief drive, they arrived at the seaside where the place was being set up by school staff and volunteer workers as the Bolton family got out with Bends and Lena.
"Well time to lend a hand.", Dr. Bolton said brushing his hands together.
Ripster and Jab helped out with setting up lights while Slammu and Streex got the tables set up in the appropriate order.
"If I could go shark, we'd be done in no time.", Jab complained.
Dr. Bolton gave his son a look that told him that they would talk in a minute. Lena and Bends helped out too and soon the whole place seemed pretty put together as a fancy looking trailer came out and a familiar guitar sound rang out grabbing the Bolton's attention.
"I'd know that sound anywhere.", Streex said brightly.
The trailer door opened and Rox stepped out and adjusted his sunglasses as the sharks came over.
"Hey my fintastic friends.", he said brightly.
"Nice to see you too Rox.", Ripster answered, "How's the rock life going?"
Rox's expression fell to one of disappointment.
"Well I have a bit of a problem here. My fellow players got a bad case of the flu so they're out for the rest of the week and the gig is only tomorrow night. I need some spare band members in less than twelve hours and-"
He paused a moment as he pondered.
"Hey, you guys mind lending me a helping fin?"
"We'd love to.", Streex said with enthusiasm.
Rox could see the others were on board too and he had a feeling this gig was gonna hit the big time.
/
Diva slipped back as the four girls finished forming and fell out of the tank in their leotards and heels, but looking confused.
"Where are we?", Amber asked sounding like she got off a really fast ride.
Diva pressed a button and four helmet like devices strapped on and lit up. All four girls stood at attention, but said nothing as if they were mere robots awaiting orders. Slash and Kilamari noticed this as they finished cleaning up the elevator, but looked unsure.
"How exactly are they going to remember what happened at the dance last week?", Kilamari asked, "It's not like-"
Diva gave him a cold glare which silenced him.
"I know what I'm doing.", she said plainly, "Programming the artificial mind for someone of my caliber is child's play. With the memory altered to one of a mean student playing a mean practical joke and getting in big trouble to keep them in line, these four little sets of eyes and ears won't recall a thing."
Slash looked confused.
"And the memory of how Paradigm found them was-"
"Fake.", Diva answered cutting him off, "Another set of artificial memories I crafted and the Sharks may remember them and I plan to use it for our advantage."
At that moment, the helmets dinged and came off and each girl blinked several times before looking confused.
"Why are we here?"
Diva thought fast and shifted into a stunning middle aged woman wearing fashionable clothes and glasses while sporting light brown hair with gray highlights along the side. Slash and Kilamari hid in the shadows before the girls noticed anything.
"You had an accident at the dance and were unconscious for a week.", Diva explained, "Fortunately nothing too severe happened and your dates are unharmed also."
Diane looked a bit unsure.
"I don't recall anything like-"
Diva quickly gave a slight smack to Diane's head and Diane smiled.
"Thanks. Mind's a bit fuzzy I guess."
Diva smiled.
"That's what I'm counting on.", she chuckled.
/
Rox got out his guitar and strummed a few chords while Streex did his drum part. With Jab on the lights, Ripster on the fog machine and Slammu on the keyboard, the rehearsal got underway. After a couple hours, they all took a break and Rox was smiling.
"We sounded great.", he said giving a thumbs up.
Ripster then took a drink of water before answering.
"Thanks Rox. We're happy to help out."
Rox then looked eager.
"So what's all this shark form talk you keep mentioning?", he asked.
"We're in school now.", Streex explained, "Unfortunately they don't allow sharks to attend so Dad made us these watches so we can assume our human forms and shift back whenever Paradigm tries anything."
Rox looked inspired.
"Mind showing me?"
They did and once they resumed their human forms, Rox was in a state of awe.
"I see what you mean dudes.", he said, "Well, I'm off to check the stage area. Then we'll meet back here for another practice session."
He left and the sharks went out the other way while getting their shirts back on.
"Rox took that really well.", Jab stated.
Ripster nodded.
"Hey, he was human once too remember?"
They took the time to get some of the setting sun just as four familiar faces came out from around a bend.
"Hey girls!", Streex called out.
The four girls stiffened, but then calmed down when the sharks came over.
"Where did you go during the dance?", Slammu asked, "You disappeared."
Diane, Amber and Harriet looked nervous, but Sarah kept her cool.
"Biology experiment.", she said quickly, "We were on a group project on making water copies to make our lives easier, but it turns out we still need to work on it."
The other three caught on and slapped on straight faces.
"Yeah.", Harriet put in, "Sorry we gave you a bit of a scare there."
"Hey, it happens all the time.", Jab answered, "So you four going to the big beach party this weekend?"
Sarah gave a sneaky smile.
"Are you guys asking us on a date?"
"Actually we were hoping that you could be in attendance when we rock out with Rox.", Slammu put in.
"Rox?", Amber asked, "Who's he?"
"A friend of ours.", Ripster answered, "Maybe we could introduce you cause we need to head back for practice."
They left, but the girls all held back a bit as Sarah gave the other four a knowing look.
"We have our orders."
/
Dr. Bolton finished grading his papers and filed them into his desk as the final class of the day was let out with the bell. He had gone back cause he still had classes though Lena and Bends stayed behind in case help was needed.
"Dr. Bolton sir?"
Dr. Bolton looked up to see a student of his standing by the door looking a little stressed.
"Yes?", Dr. Bolton asked gently.
The student took a breath before speaking.
"You know those girls that vanished during our Earth Day dance?"
Dr. Bolton frowned.
"What about them?"
"They've returned to campus.", the student reported, "Isn't that a bit weird?"
Dr. Bolton could see his student was feeling uneasy from his expression so he lightened it up.
"I'm sure there is a logical explanation for it. Thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to look into it.", he told her giving a friendly smile.
The student nodded and looked less stressed as she left, but the moment she was gone, Dr. Bolton got up from his desk and made a call on his watch.
"What's up Doc?", Bends asked when he picked up.
"We got a problem.", Dr. Bolton answered, "You still got that sample from the Earth Day dance while the janitors were cleaning up?"
"It never left my pocket.", Bends answered, "Why do you ask?"
"Call it a theory, but I think that slimy bottom feeder that tried to gene-wash the campus is gonna try again which means my sons are in danger. Keep an eye"
He hung up and headed to the door just as a cloud of smoke billowed under it and it didn't take Dr. Bolton long to realize what kind it was. Quick as a wink, he took off his jacket, and shirt before turning his watch and shifting into his shark form, gathered his discarded clothes and dived into the floor vanishing just before the smoke got to him. In less than a minute, he arrived outside the dorm and shifted back to his human form before going inside and headed for his room.
"Didn't think I would have to use this, but I guess it's better now or never.", he muttered to himself as he put his shirt and jacket back on.
/
Nothing out of the ordinary happened the next few days, but soon the day was over on Friday and everyone on campus was swarming to the beach for the big event. Rox had his stage set up and was just getting his costume on for the night.
"Do I make an entrance or what?", he asked as he admired himself in the mirror.
A stagehand peeked behind the curtain and gave a tap on the clipboard he had.
"Ten minutes til curtain Rox. Ten minutes."
Rox snapped out of his daze and gave the stagehand a thumbs up.
"Got it.", Rox told the stagehand before turning to the sharks, "Ready for your first live performance?"
"You bet.", Streex said as he brushed his hand over his blue and purple streaked head, "Oh I miss this form so much."
"Well I'm digging this look.", Slammu stated as he did a once over on the costume that the group would have, "I feel like I'm about to give a speech in British Lit and you know how I get when it comes to that class."
At that moment, the mic on the stage rang out and the sharks gathered with Rox on the side to see Mr. Garcel at the mic with Dr. Paradigm alongside him.
"On behalf of myself and our new sponsor Dr. Luther Paradigm, I am thrilled to announce that our student grades have improved by leaps and bounds in the last three weeks alone making this year the most promising of all FCU(Fission City University)."
A round of applause rang out before Mr. Garcel continued.
"And now before we get underway, Dr. Paradigm would like to say a few words."
He stepped back as Paradigm stepped forward to the mic, but the sharks flinched.
"Ugh, what's old Piranoid going to say that won't make me throw up?", Jab asked sarcastically.
Luckily Paradigm didn't' hear him and started his speech.
"I am pleased to be the sponsor of such a glorious event. As a former student myself, I have the most heartfelt wishes to all of you to excel and accomplish the best that you are able. And as a token of my appreciation, I am pleased to announce our entertainment for this event, the stage sensation: Rox!"
The crowd applauded as Paradigm and Mr. Garcel stepped away to let the curtain part to reveal the sharks just getting into place. Streex tapped his sticks three times and Rox lead the whole band into a blast of rock music that got everyone moving.
/
Paradigm smiled as he made himself scarce and radioed his seaviants.
"Is it ready?"
"All set.", Repteel answered proudly, "Link up and set to fire on your mark."
Paradigm flipped a panel on his arm and looked out to see Diva's creations in the crowd clearly in pain from the music, but nobody was noticing.
"So Diva brought them back early it seems.", he muttered to himself before smiling devilishly, "Well, time for screaming."
He pressed a button and a blinding light erupted from the lights above the stage and hit all four girls who fell over and started shifting into their shark forms just as Rox wrapped up the stage performance getting everyone's attention. Paradigm then pressed another button, but an explosion from the lights above got him to see Dr. Bolton tearing the device apart. The girls then had crazed looks on their faces as they began to lash out, but the sharks jumped into the fray and tried to restrain them.
"That's it.", Paradigm said picking up a portable gene washer he had brought along and aiming, "Keep them right there."
He was about to fire, but he didn't get the chance as Dr. Bolton landed right in front of him and chomped the thing in half with his shark jaws.
"I don't know how you brought back your little drones Paradigm, but I pulled the plug.", Dr. Bolton said firmly, "Now call them off or the next thing I'll bite off is your head."
Paradigm frowned.
"This isn't over you know. I'll be back for a rematch."
He pressed a button and a blinding light went off which brought the whole fight to heel and calmed everyone down, when it lifted, Paradigm had vanished while the girls had resumed their human forms, but had been moved as the sharks came to.
"What was that?", Streex asked.
"Probably a gene slamming device that Paradigm used.", Jab guessed before noticing the girls in the sand, "Oh no."
A while later, the girls were carted in an ambulance while the sharks looked on in their human forms along with Dr. Bolton(also in his human form) and Rox.
"Sorry about the gig Rox.", Dr. Bolton apologized.
"Don't worry, had it happen to me a few times.", Rox answered, "I just hope those ladies are okay."
The ambulance drove away while the driver who was Diva shifted into her seaviant form and radioed Paradigm.
"It worked.", she purred, "My creations accepted the gene slam longer this time. After a brief rest, they'll be ready again."
As soon as she was a good distance away, she cackled like a witch as the ambulance headed to Paradigm's latest lab and not the hospital.