Chapter Eight: Party of the Ages

And thus with the end of the mantle bunker, the Outsiders went back to a stranger life. They all knew who each other were, and that made somethings stranger and somethings better. Ronan's ego had been reduced a bit to a more bearable amount. Elias, once known as Bright, had joined the team and started to guide Colin around, so that he was able to join them on more missions.

Elias himself added another offensive member to the team and meant they could be properly balanced. Elias joined their school and during the day they were friends, bantering and enjoying each other; but during the night they were Outsiders using their powers to screw up physics and save people.

…

“So then tonight's mission; at the Rockefeller Center tonight, there will be a science symposium and there is reasonable relief that the Neuroseekers will be attacking tonight; there are two entrances to the symposium, the front door and a sewer transport." Ronan said as he read off a text message sent to him detailing the night.

“We know that, we were all sent the text." Elias said pulling out his new toy, a nice cellphone that Colin happened to have left over. Ronan glanced over to him, he always got to read the text messages to the group and from their reactions they would vote and or decide to take the mission or not; it they did then some other team; probably North Manhattan, would take the mission.

“Well I have nothing to do, and I say this seems simple enough. I'll go." Dustin said as he nodded as well, sending his response to the text message and assigning in himself. The phone beeped back at him and he was sent to the credentials he would have needed to enter the building.

“My first mission on Planet Earth's surface; well there is going to be a first time for everything." Elias said as he responded back to the text message, in a second he had the brightest smile on his face as he received the response message. He clapped for himself as he saw the message.

“Ok, don't get ahead of yourself; I can't let this idiot go without supervision, ironically." Colin said as he handed his phone over to Elias and heard the sound of the Kagen Shark typing on the message pad and making his involvement true as well. Colin's lizard ears perked as he heard the sound of the returning message.

“And I'm the leader, so now then." Ronan said as he texted back and the message was sent back. He smiled as he received the message back from his peers and knew that he and his friends would get to work together tonight. He rubbed his hands and carefully put his fork into his lunch meal.

As the excitement from the mission disappeared, the sound of the lunchroom behind and around become much more noticeable to Ronan; students screaming and yelling over their lunches and typical and atypical subjects at the high school lunch. He looked at Dustin and smiled, he couldn't see the shark in the way he once saw him.

Dustin was once the wimpy, un-confident, poor and simply sad shark; now he wasn't Riptide, king of the sharks, master of water and all the bullshit like that. Now he was simply Dustin, his friend who night lighted as Riptide, the experience at the bunker had changed them for the better.

Dustin seemed different; he didn't seem so pale; he seemed a bit happier and had the look of twenty elephants being taken off his chest. He was laughing with Colin and Bright, and he seemed so happy and that made him happy. He smiled and bit more, seeming everything was right and no price had to be paid.

It seemed all most too good to be true, everything seemed right; the Environmental Bunch and the Super Beasts were getting along fine and there had been no breach to their treaties. The Neuroseekers had been keeping themselves on the down low, and besides strange shadows in the subway tunnels and sewers they seemed to have disappeared. Mission control didn't give them any flack for inviting a new member on their team and everyone seemed so happy.

Ronan took another bite of his lunch as he reflected on how everything got so good, he was unofficially the most powerful Outsider in the world due to his infusion of werewolf powers and while he was able to resist the Path Web of Werewolves, it only helped them track down a bunch of werewolves. His ego seemed controllable and he didn't want to hurt Dustin anymore, he felt the Dustin was now confident.

Still the question remained, why did he want to make Dustin more like him. It appeared on everyone's minds, ever so often but he would push it away, perhaps he was afraid of the answer himself, but either way maybe just thought that seeing Dustin as more confident would make him happier, which it did.

“Maybe you couldn't have stood to see yourself going out with an uncomfortable, unconfident, week fool, and now that you see Riptide and Dustin as one; you can't wait to pounce on him." The little negative voice of a werewolf spoke to him trying to get him to believe false lies and rumor, but now it seemed a bit truer.

Still Dustin put it off as rumor and heresy as he tried to wonder why he wouldn't act like that. His ego was once too big for that; he wouldn't put it behind old Ronan to do something like that, still Dustin was a very handsome shark and his new self-found confidence only served to attract him more. 

Still he liked their bantering friendship and he tried to put it off as he didn't want to ruin what he had. So he pushed it off into the corner of his mind as he saw that the group was already moving to discuss strategy and their positions without him.

“Ok, so this is what is going to happen, me and Ronan will go on the inside of the building; we will guard the transition from sewer to building and make sure no one strange or Nueroseeky, stays in for long." Dustin said as he started the plan, Ronan nodded agreeing with Dustin's plan as they all huddled together.

“Now then Colin, Elias you two are going to standing outside, posed as paparazzi. Colin you'll will mark anyone with a strange aura, with a photograph and if I can get cameras that do so it will automatically go to me and Ronan's phone." Dustin said as he imitated a clicking camera and the photo going to his phone.

“Isn't it Ronan and I?" Elias said as he decided to add to the conversation. Everyone groaned at him and they looked at him embarrassed. “What did I do?"  

“Does it really matter, we're high schoolers, not prolific English writers here; please don't correct us." Colin said as he put his hand on Elias shoulder. “We understand you're a two hundred thousand year old shark, but do try to act like a highschooler."

“I'm not sure that highschooler is even a word." Elias said before realizing he was at it again. He shut up and turned back to the group. “I'll shut up now."

“That's better, now then we took out a good of their projected forces when we first met them, so Ivorphax might have twelve or so soldiers if he comes in and leaves through the sewer, but if he enters through the front door he might only have three or four with him.

“Good point, he will have a darker soul on him, then again so might the scientists, I'll have to be careful, but Elias we will be looking for a Rhino, check any Rhinos and be careful." Colin said as he made his plan for the symposium tonight.

“Ok, Dustin in the Rockefeller center, there is an overhang over the floor, we can hide behind their and hopefully hide it with a perception filter, that why we can divert any flights into that area. One of us can stand guard and make sure that any doors to the main floor are locked." Ronan said as he came up with a plan.

“Ok, but shouldn't one of us stand on the floor?" Dustin said as he attempted to make a more reasonable plan to come up with. Ronan tilted his head and looked at Dustin as he tried to figure out what he was thinking.

“What do you mean, if we're on the overhang, we can easily overlook the entire crowd and not have to worry about getting through the mosh pit the entire symposium floor would be." Ronan said disagreeing with Dustin's plan.

“Yes, but on the floor we can overhear thinks, here the plans of madmen being discussed and make sure everyone on the floor is who we think they are." Dustin said making his point, seemingly Ronan had to at least agree with that. Coincidence was a very powerful tool and villains always seemed to spill their plans right when the heroes were around.

…

It was a different time for New York; here were the days of the Outsiders. They no longer handled Supervillians; it was too much for a single group to handle. The moral and ethical reasoning of having young teenagers, barely out of high school handling such problems was finally brought up years ago and still no one cared.

Today the Outsiders still exist, protecting those who need it and are willing to pay, barely surviving and scrapping their funding from those who believe they are slowly dying off. Unlike good shampoo only a few people though they were worth it and some kept them alive and floating.

As it would be the Neuroseekers, their new arch enemies, a group formed by the acquisition of the Deathseekers and it would be with that their enigmatic leader they would establish dominance in the New York Underground, in both terms of the word.

…

“I still can't believe you forgot about the second ego-showing this month, Dustin." A young wolf, wearing a black jacket; no older than seventeen said to his friend, the perception filter working on both them and the crowd, placing a random word in the crowd and preventing them from seeing the Outsiders.

The other a blue shark, he wearing a black hoodie and white cargo shorts, walked forward holding a large bag in his hands trying to pass through the crowd of idiots. To them a wolf and a shark, the smell of the Chinese food in the bag was near torture that they couldn't dig in.

“Well I'm sorry, it's not like we exactly keep track of these for reference, one centi-helen is a very powerful force, but now it looks like the treaty is working out well, if they can share a float maybe they can share New York."  Dustin said as he squeezed through the crowd, holding the Chinese food close to his chest so that it didn't spill.

The crowd went into an uproar, as the first parade float went by. This time there seemed to be a theme of nature and animals. Trees and bushes surrounded the edge of the parade and each held a transformed Superbeast and a member of the Environmental Bunch. Both of the groups seemed happy to be working together and everything seemed all right.       

Quickly they pushed through the crowd and crossed the street before the parade could interrupt their pathway and they stood there. They stood still and looked as the parade floats started to turn onto the next street.

“Now then I would like to speak a few words on behalf of the Superbeasts and Environmental Bunch." Dustin froze, the biggest idiots were about to speak. Turning around he looked as Wildebeast and Treehugger the leader of the Superbeasts and The Environmental Bunch respectively, both probably the strongest of their groups stopped there float and pandered to the crowd.

“We don't ask for much, we look over you we take care of you and we wish to protect you, so today I would like to speak our option on the end of damnable war with the Environmental Bunch." Wildebeast said his brown shaggy fur waving in the wind as he spoke to the crowds. “Today we stand in an age of peace and acceptance as we work to end any threats that want to hurt you."

Dustin groaned and knew he didn't have enough time to deal with a speech from two groups. Grabbing Ronan he pulled the wolf forward, away from the street corner and they continued forward going towards the Rockefeller Center.

“So then, there is no place I'd rather be than with you right now." Dustin said laughing as they moved down the street and away from the ego parade. Ronan laughed a bit more nervously as he continued down the stretch of sidewalk.

“Pounce on him, he's perfect for you; confident, bountiful and powerful; you two are perfect for each other, do it." Ronan tried to shut off his negative voice, but it seemed to be something that he would live with so long as he was a werewolf. So instead he decided the voice to be true and he made his move.

“I agree and maybe I bullied you because I didn't think you were confident, or that my feelings were confused and I was stressed but now I want to show my true feelings." Ronan said as he stopped Dustin in his tracks and held onto him, grabbing Dustin he pulled the shark in and they started to kiss.

Dustin took a breath of relief as he felt Ronan's lips finally touch his, after years of crushing on Nightshifter his dream was coming true. He started to kiss, back putting his arms around Ronan and feeling the warm embrace of the wolf that he waited for.

“I'd like to say after four years of putting you through hell I am sorry." Ronan said formally apologizing. Dustin said nothing but instead pulled himself closer again and started to kiss the wolf. He ruffled his hands through Ronan's hair and felt his ears twitch, he felt so happy and everything seemed right.

“Message received; now then let's get to the center before Bright starts to eat Colin." Ronan said smiling as they walked forward. They started to hold hands and Dustin put his head against Ronan's shoulder, above them the sun was starting to set. A snowflake touches his shoulder and he shivered a bit.

He leaned up against Ronan and felt the warmth the wolf was giving him. He snuggled in as they crossed another road and entered the busy New York crowd of the night. Even in the surrounded heat of the entire crosswalk, he could tell fell Ronan's and to him everything felt perfect.

…

“So then how are you and Ronan?" Colin asked as he, Dustin and Elias were setting up for the red carpet, Colin smiled, he knew something was happening, there auras were shining brightly and their seemed to be something better about them.

“Oh, you know; he admitted his feelings, and he kissed me on the sidewalk and then we held hands." Dustin said excitedly as he spoke to Colin. Elias turned and looked at them strangely. Colin smiled a bit, seeing Dustin's aura radically change was amazing.

“I never felt so loved, nothing can ruin this!" Dustin said as he laughed a bit seemingly so excited, and just not able to hide his happiness and need to share it with the world. He and Colin smiled as a few other camera men gathered.

“I can hear you from here, you might want to focus on the event soon." Elias said as he adjusted his camera and quickly saw Ronan coming into the frame. He pushed the camera out in front of him and snapped a photo. Turning it around he looked at the photo and signed a bit.

Dustin felt his phone vibrate as he pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it. He had gotten a picture from Elias's camera feed. He opened it and smiled; everyone was in it and they were the only one in the camera. When time had passed and he was on his deathbed he was sure that he would remember theses day in the Outsiders with Ronan as his best. Ronan approached him from behind and put his arms around him. 

“Come on you silly shark, we have to set up; prepare some of the traps we have on the sewer entrance. “Ronan said, Dustin liked how Ronan acted but without that edge to him, he seemed different, more like plain break. He didn't like it, but he felt that Ronan would always have an edge, he was just hiding it.

“Heh, have fun taking photographs." Dustin said as he instead turned around on Ronan and laid on the wolf's back, he felt Ronan pull him up on his back and he laughed as he was giving a medieval piggyback ride.

“Don't have too much fun, get us some good photos." Ronan said holding up his phone, with Dustin doing the same and like that they were let back into the Rockefeller Center. The main floor was set up into a ballroom, a band setting up their instruments and preparing for the evening.

“So then what's the plan?" Dustin said getting off of Ronan's back and starting to walk towards the back end of the room, towards a tiny door. They passed through it as their hands unlocked the door and they stood at a staircase, as they walked down the staircase, surrounded by concreate walls the grey bland look continued forwards the sewer entrance.

They looked at the large locked door on the wall and knew that was the entrance to the sewer. It was the result of a subway crazy area where underground building was improved so much that once the New York Subway was controlled by a massive supercomputer, traffic became so unordinary and trains so managed, they built VIP Train lines to many important buildings, and many in old sewer lines. After this failed massively, owners were all given a massive lock door as to prevent break-ins and the tunnels converted back to sewers.

“Well then, let's see how this door is working." Dustin said as he walked forward and knocked on the door; he heard it each through and felt the vibrations return to him. He smiled feeling the water behind the door. He backed up and looked at the arms of the door lock. He jumped up and felt it, they seemed to be easily moved.

“Ok, let's try this out, freeze the lock." Dustin pulled the water behind the door and rose it up against the door. He started to breathe a bit harder, and clenched his fist as he froze the water into the lock and made sure it had weaved itself through the locking system as he locked it into frozen form.

“What you froze the door, how is that going to?" Ronan said as he jumped up onto the bar and felt it attempt to move at the ice but it failed to do so, the door was completely locked. Dustin put his hand against the door and took a few breaths in and out as he seemingly connected with the water. As he finished his ritual, Ronan looked at him strangely.

“I can feel the water now, if the neuroseekers come in and say explode the door, I'll feel that explosion and can know to come back down here and we can react as such." Dustin said as he knocked on the door again and walked away from the door, smiling. He looked forward at the door and knew that it could probably stand against the explosion, especially with the frozen water.

“Come on, let's get back up to the ballroom; the guests should start to arrive now." Ronan said as they walked back to the staircase, climbing up as they rose up to the top level past where they originally came in and instead climbed up to the top level of the staircase.

So they pulled up to the top level of the ballroom and they started to lean over the railing to look down on the ballroom and check the guests entering down on the floor. A large perception filter, attached by them previously would make sure to any Neuroseekers guests wouldn't notice them but they could notice them.

Smiling him and Ronan held hands as they enjoyed each other and the music, as the band started to play below them. Ronan backed up and held out his hand, Dustin smiled as he took Ronan's hand and was pulled in. Coming close to Ronan, the wolf put his hand on his shoulder and Dustin put his hand behind Ronan's back.

Ronan started to move to the music, leading them; in a nearly cheesy way as Dustin couldn't resist to giggle a bit. Still he was being led as he followed Ronan's footage and they moved across the balcony. Ronan raised his hand and Dustin spun around and showed himself off to the wolf.

“You're so cheesy sometimes." Dustin said giggling a bit more as he stopped spinning and instead bowed down to Ronan. Both of them giggled a bit and laughed at each other as suddenly Dustin felt his phone vibrating. He and Ronan got the last of their funny bones out and instead focused at the mission at hand.

“Ok first strange aura of the night." Dustin said as he pulled out his phone and looked over the ballroom below, he searched over the crowd as he opened the image and looked. Some strange shark in a tuxedo that looked to be a bit big on him and he seemed to have some strange points where it was a stuffed.

Looking down on the ballroom, he found the shark in the strange tuxedo looking up at the perception filter. He wondered if the shark could notice them, if that was in possible. He looked away and didn't know if they were being watched, he smiled a bit at Ronan knowing that some sort of gig had been happening.

“I think, I think that shark can see us; he's looking up here with a strange smile on his face; it's like he noticed us and I think he might be alerting the other neuroseekers to us." Dustin said whispering as he took a look over the edge and saw the shark still staring at them and now it was beginning to worry them.

“Oh come on it can't be that bad." Ronan said as he looked over Dustin's shoulder and looked down into the ballroom. Suddenly Dustin felt Ronan shiver as he looked down on to the floor. “Ok, this might be bad; I think they might now who and where they are."

“I just said that, ok what do we do?" Dustin said as suddenly, a shotgun blast interrupted the entire ball. Everyone turned as the shark pulled out a large shotgun and pointed it in the air. Behind them, they looked as the perception filter was broken and a large series of wall holes were behind them.

“Now then, Outsiders stay up there; hello scientific symposium; as it seems the neuroseekers have taken a certain interest in your minds and if you'd come with me, in five, four, three, two, one…" The shark said as he smiled, looking down at his watch. Suddenly Dustin was knocked against the floor as he felt a pain, a second after that the sound hit the ballroom as the sound of an explosion knocked everyone back.

Before the Outsiders could react, the doors were seemingly locked and blocked Elias and Colin. Through the door in the front, a group of neuroseekers swarmed the area. Two of them coming up, as the center shark laughed. He took off his tuxedo and instead appeared in an old robe, he walked forward as the Neuroseekers surrounded them.  

“Now then I am Master Sidorous, lightning master." The old shark said as he put his arms out and arcs of blue lighting surged out of his hands onto the crowd of the scientists. “Come on then Ivorphax, the Outsiders are right up on the balcony make sure they go nowhere."

“Ello mates, sorry bout this." The Rhino said as he walked forward, and summoned a sword with his power and pointed it at Ronan. With a smirk on his face, he smiled as he pulled Ronan up into the air. The wolf squirming as he was pulled into the air and handcuffs placed, bounding him.

“Leave him alone." Dustin said as Ronan was trapped, suddenly the Neuroseekers threw a grenade shaped device, it exploded but instead of killing him in an efficient manner they formed a forcefield around him. He was trapped, in the forcefield as he saw Ronan taken away.

“No, no you can't take him; stop this!" Dustin yelled as he tried to connect with water, try to find any sort of water to control and stop them before they took Ronan away. He screamed as they took people below, he could see Elias and Colin trying to break in but he knew that he was stuck in the forcefield, and it felt like it was limited his powers.

He couldn't find any water and he screamed as the Neuroseekers started to take Ronan and the other people away and as they cleared out of the way, he realized that the neuroseekers had taken Ronan.