Theo eagerly awaited as the area around his fireplace, bookshelf and chair still rushed and twisted as if reality itself was warping.
"So where's the third part taking place?", he wondered, "And who am I interacting with when I get there?"
As if to answer him, a book on the upper middle shelf floated out and fell as light as a feather to Theo's open hands. It's cover felt a bit damp and the smell of ocean air was there as well.
"Tell me it isn't a pirate story.", Theo muttered(mostly to himself), "I've read plenty of those to last a lifetime."
The book opened and the area around Theo's things became still and formed what looked like a room in a ramshackle house. A radio nearby on the stand beside the bed came on instantly.
"And it's a beautiful sunny day in Fission City. We're expected clear skies and occasional breezes with the sun rising at five thirty this morning and setting around seven fifteen."
Theo instantly had a feeling where he was as he went to the window and opened the curtain to reveal a metropolis similar to San Francisco or New York City.
"So I'm in that reality huh?", he guessed, "Looks like my third story is playing out here. Guess I better get moving."
He turned to walk out the door nearby and saw that his bookshelf and chair had remained, but now looked as old and dusty as the rest of the stuff in the room. Without giving it much thought(he had gone through this multiple times) he got up and headed down the creaky staircase to the bottom and down the hall to the front door. He got it open which wasn't much effort and a clear breeze whipped his face as the first lights of dawn broke out over the horizon. Theo then turned to see himself in blue jeans and a black tank top underneath a brown leather jacket all worn on a human body.
"So it looks like I'm being human in this one huh?", he guessed running a hand through his dark hair, "Well, time to get things moving along. And I know a certain someone who is overdue for a family reunion."
With a snap of his fingers, Theo warped down below into the sewer system and the rank got to his nostrils, but he was beyond caring. He had a mission, and he was going to see it through.
"I really hate to cause this to an innocent man, but he's not really doing anybody any favors by staying in the shadows all the time. Besides, we never really saw him anyway and I think it's time we did."
Theo leaned down and touched the floor with a finger. Instantly a little patch of light the size of a gumdrop formed and slid across the floor as fast as a bolt of lightning and was out of sight in seconds. He then pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.
"Fission City hotline."
"Yes, can I get a line to the marine doctor of Fission City University?", Theo asked, "A Dr. Ivan Malcolm by name?"
/
While that was going on, back in Shark Central, four familiar faces were stirring and getting up for the day.
"Well another beautiful day after kicking some serious fin.", Ripster stated.
Jab however looked a bit miffed.
"What serious fin? After Paradigm got sent to jail, we barely have anything left to fight."
Streex yawned revealing his rows of sharp teeth which gave way to a friendly smile.
"Hey, at least now I have time to work on my looks."
Slammu chuckled though he then looked a bit disappointed.
"Did the Dino Vengers have to go back to space? They really grew on me."
"They had to chase Bad Rap and his goons who fled into space bro.", Ripster said plainly, "Luckily for us we hardly got any bad vibes going on around here."
These four were the Bolton boys, but since Dr. Paradigm mutated them, they were known as the Street Sharks who had been fighting and thwarting Dr. Paradigm's evil schemes. Although they didn't do it alone. Lena and Bends were their close friends who were in fact human though they hung back and let the sharks do most of the fighting. The hideout was pretty decent with the make shift kitchen, living room and garage although the new tech that helped make the morning meal was running as Bends came in looking cheerful as ever.
"Morning guys."
"Morning Bends.", the sharks all said just as cheery,
"So thanks to us the city is nearly crime proof thanks to Paradigm being behind bars.", Bends said as the plates came out loaded with the usual things one would pass on though they were larger than usual.
"Hey, just doing our job.", Slammu answered before chowing on his waffles.
Streex then looked a bit awestruck.
"You know, now that we have some free time, why don't we try and find Dad?"
That made the others pause and ponder.
"Yeah, with Paradigm gone and us now being somewhat normal to everyone, why not?", Jab agreed.
Ripster smiled.
"I guess. I wonder how he's doing?"
That was when the television came on and the morning news was instantly replaced by a shot of a crowd of police and officials as they were lifting something from the sewer system and loading it into an ambulance.
"We interrupt this broadcast for a special report. Some kind of monster was found nearly unconscious just near Fission City Square. The details of this monster are unknown, and it seems to have been living here for some time. Luckily this creature will be sent to the Fission City University where Dr. Ivan Malcolm will study and determine if it's safe."
That got the sharks' attention.
"Could that monster be Dad?", Slammu asked eagerly.
Bends smiled and whipped out a cell phone and speed dialed Lena.
"What's up?", Lena asked when she picked up.
"Lena, you near the university?", Bends asked.
"Yeah, I'm helping Dr. Malcolm.", she answered, "You guys better get up here and don't worry about Ivan. He's a friend of Dr. Bolton."
"We'll be up in a jiff.", Ripster replied before Bends hung up.
/
Up above in the university, Lena was getting into helping her new client with setting up a medical bed and storage tank. He stood her height and looked well fit though his lab coat and glasses suggested otherwise. His denim pants commented his plaid shirt and he checked the clock on the wall.
"Are you sure the ambulance is on it's way?", he asked in a caring, but firm tone.
"I'm sure they are Dr. Malcolm.", Lena answered, "By the way, how did you know about Dr. Bolton and where he was in the first place?"
"I got a tip from someone.", Dr. Malcolm told her, "Didn't tell me his name though, but he sounded like it was urgent."
The sounds of sirens came up and then Dr. Malcolm opened up the back doors allowing the ambulance to get close. The doors opened and the medics wheeled to Dr. Malcolm something on a stretcher which Lena helped him wheel into his lab.
"Thanks for the help gentlemen.", Dr, Malcolm said as the ambulance rolled away and turning to Lena, "So are the boys coming?"
As if to answer him, the Street Sharks came in from the door and all four sets of eyes locked on the stretcher.
"Is that Dad?", Streex asked eager to know.
Dr. Malcolm nodded as he and Lena got the stretcher to the bed and slightly green slime was seen leaking down the sides and staining the floor, but they managed in the end. Dr. Malcolm lifted off the damp and slightly seaweed scented cloth off to reveal a creature that was hard to describe, but I'll do what I can. It's serpentine body came up to the torso where strong muscles ran along the arms and chest area, the back had fierce looking fish fins and webbed claws on each arm's end. The face seemed fish like though the human eyes gave it a more entrancing feel. It didn't take long for the sharks to know who this was as Dr. Malcolm and Lena worked on what looked like scanning.
"This is Dad?", Slammu asked.
"He seems different.", Jab added.
Dr. Malcolm read the results of his scan and looked unnerved.
"What's up Doc?", Bends asked as he came in, "Is Dr. Bolton okay?"
"No.", Dr. Malcolm said solemnly, "Robert's mutation has grown to unstable levels of toxicity."
"Which means what?", Streex asked getting a little scared.
"Robert's mutation with several aquatic life has seriously warped his internal structure and slowly over time, the body began rejecting the changes too fast to the point of cellular collapse."
"What do you mean?", Ripster asked.
"Sadly, Dr. Bolton's mutation is slowly growing more and more unstable which will cause severe pains and migraines before it reaches the chest area."
"And then what?", Lena asked.
"Death.", Dr. Malcolm answered gaining a shocked gasp from everyone else, "Instantaneous."
"So you're saying Dad is dying and we can't save him?", Slammu asked getting teary eyes.
Dr. Malcolm looked thoughtful.
"Well, there may be something you can do. If I could get a hold of Paradigm's gene slamming technology as well as the DNA of some aquatic life, I may be able to stabilize Dr. Bolton's form and prevent the instability from getting any worse."
"How much time do we have before he dies?", Ripster asked.
Dr. Malcolm sighed as he contemplated.
"A day. Two at the most."
/
Far off in a high security prison, Dr. Paradigm sat upon his bed in a sour mood. All his great plans brought to heel after four of his mutations had turned on him.
"It's all over.", he thought bitterly, "Soon my seaviants will be found out as well and nobody will ever respect me."
He paused a moment to place a scaly claw on the wall and scratch a deep groove into it.
"I thought those raptor aliens would at least even the score, but instead they betray me and now the Street Sharks are now as respected as I once was."
He caught sight of himself in a dirty mirror, but didn't freak out. His once prominent human features warped by iguana DNA that Bad Rap had used when their bargain was struck.
"Oh I would kill for a chance to put those sharks in their place.", he murmured.
His tail swished as the sound of a helicopter was heard outside the barred window. It was faint at first, but then got louder followed by heavy fire. Dr. Paradigm got to his feet immediately and hit the floor as the side of his cell blew open to reveal a helicopter going sideways and opening it's side allowing the doctor to climb aboard as the alarm rang out through the air. As he got in, he found Slash and Slobster his first two mutations waiting for him with Killamari and Repteel manning the controls and firepower.
"Great to have you back Doc.", Slash said slyly.
Dr. Paradigm was about to object when Slobster took out a ray and fired it at him. There was a flash and Paradigm turned to a mirror and saw his usual human form again before Slash came over with his robotic exo-skeleton.
"Took you long enough.", Dr, Paradigm said firmly as Slash helped him dress, "I've been in that prison for the last four months."
"Hey, it's not easy to run from the law and plan Doc.", Killamari griped, "You might want to show some gratitude that we came at all."
Dr. Paradigm took a breath and calmed down.
"How did you come up with this at all?"
"We got a tip.", Repteel answered, "Just showed up and left a note. We didn't see him, but it read that he'd take care of some business for us."
Dr. Paradigm then seated himself into a seat and looked out on Fission City coming up over the horizon.
"So what's the plan to capture the sharks boss?", Slobster asked.
Dr. Paradigm frowned.
"Not capture Slobster. I want those sharks dead."
/
Bends and Lena shifted through the DNA samples in the university's storage units while keeping contact with Dr. Malcolm.
"Anything that might work?", Dr. Malcolm asked.
"We're looking.", Bends reported, "But finding a match is like searching for a needle in a sea of kelp."
"Well I'm sending some samples of Dr. Bolton's DNA that's stable.", Dr. Malcolm reported, "See if that will turn up anything."
A short while later, a printer nearby dinged and a piece of paper came out. Lena retrieved it and went back to looking with Bends.
"Judging by the helix, a sea serpent and the other sea life samples don't make the cut to stabilize it."
Bends took a break to look at the paper too.
"How about shark DNA?", he asked.
Lena looked thoughtful for a minute and compared notes with Dr. Malcolm's.
"Worth a shot. I'm not sure we'll find any shark DNA here though."
Bends did another look in the drawers and came back out looking a bit disappointed.
"Sorry Lena, fresh out. Guess the university called off shark DNA after the guys became heroes."
Lena called in to Dr. Malcolm.
"We think that shark DNA will do the job, but we're fresh out."
"Darn it.", Dr. Malcolm answered, "I'm not going to lose my best colleague."
"You know Dr. Bolton?", Bends asked.
"Since kindergarten.", Dr. Malcolm said proudly, "I even helped him and Dr. Paradigm develop the original gene slammer device."
"Funny. He never mentioned you.", Lena put in.
"Sure he didn't.", Dr, Malcolm said, "You know how much he loves his privacy. Anyway, I'm pretty sure shark DNA will do the trick and I know where we can find some."
"Where?", Lena asked.
"I have a friend who works in an aquarium a few towns over that specializes in shark care.", Dr. Malcolm answered, "They're known for having the biggest collection of shark DNA around these parts and I have the phone number."
Bends and Lena returned to the lab where Dr. Malcolm was finishing writing on a piece of paper before checking with Dr. Bolton. His condition had not improved and his heart reading had gone down a couple levels.
"Well, the shark DNA is being picked up along the way.", Dr. Malcolm said, "The boys got some of the stuff from the old lairs of Dr. Paradigm and thought they'd stop by the place and check it out. Luckily for them I had finished my call when they got there."
/
Then the ground rumbled as the Street Sharks came out carrying a bunch of busted looking parts and panels.
"Shark Attack!", they called out.
Dr. Malcolm looked over the stuff they had.
"Sorry if it's like this.", Ripster said apologetically, "It's what we could dig up."
"It'll have to do.", Dr. Malcolm said smiling, "Did you bring the DNA?"
Slammu pulled out a little cartridge from his pocket and handed it over to Dr. Malcolm.
"Will it work Doc?", Slammu asked.
"Call me Ishmael.", Dr. Malcolm said, "I gotta say this is a good sample of bull shark."
A while later, Dr. Bolton was now on a stretcher before a large ray with Dr. Malcolm and Lena typing in the sequence. Before long, the serpentine part of Dr. Bolton shifted into a strong pair of legs luckily with a dirty pair of jean shorts.
"How'd he do that?", Streex asked.
"Guess that's how he got around.", Ripster guessed.
The machine started to light up and make loud sounds.
"Goggles on please.", Dr. Malcolm instructed.
Everyone did so and Dr. Malcolm gripped a lever.
"Here goes something.", he said before he pulled the lever.
A bright beam shot out and struck Dr. Bolton's body and clearly it hurt cause Dr. Bolton thrashed wildly even though he was bolted down slowly the light got brighter and the lights outside dimmed even though it was early evening and in less than a minute, the light disappeared and a thick smoke cloud formed.
"You may remove your goggles.", Dr. Malcolm said calmly.
The sharks did so, but each looked a bit worried.
"Did it work?", Jab asked.
"Is Dad okay?", Slammu put in.
Dr. Malcolm came through the smoke and after a while it cleared out. Dr. Bolton was still on the table though Dr. Malcolm was removing the straps before he did a reading then turned to everyone else smiling.
"Gentlemen, we have successfully stabilized Dr. Bolton's DNA."
Dr. Bolton by now had stirred and got into a sitting position as the sharks came over.
"Boys?", he asked.
"It's great to see you Dad.", Ripster said beaming.
And before Dr. Bolton knew it, all four of his sons had him in a group hug while Theo observed it in his book back at his house while the other side showed Dr. Paradigm and his seaviants building a new lab.
"And so it has begun."
(A/N: I'd like to thank GoldGuardian2418 and hope he/she enjoys it.)