Chapter Three: Run Wild and Run Free, Part Two

“Hello, welcome to the three o’clock news; and in the last hour everything went down. First off New York is on the brink of war and it is believed that one of the groups has attempted to delay the situation by trapping children in schools.” Tom Eccleston said as he read off the teleprompter “Luckily thanks to the action of a few good students rising up and overtaking the bounty hunter.”

“However, as the egos rages on in the UN peace conference the further and further the ball gets closer to bouncing out of the trampoline and beginning all-out war. Based on “expert” examination, if war does break out, Chinatown, midtown and everything and one on Manhattan; so yeah.” Sally Sparrow said as she improvised and waved her hand over the large map of New York.

“Now then as such we have a few precautions in order to save yourselves from massive supervillains deciding to attack your building. First we suggest gathering supplies and going into your basement.” Tom Eccleston said as he stood up and walked to the second part of the sound stage, switching to camera B.

“Now then in order to convince you the viewing audience, we have spent CNN levels of money and built this model of a normal building. Follow me to camera two.” Sally Sparrow said as she walked over to the second part of the set. She and Tom looked at the large building set they built.

“Now then you want to put yourself in the basement, as far away from the superhero. As represented by this wreaking ball.” Sally Sparrow said as she backed up and the camera zoomed out, showing the large sphere hung on the ceiling. Tom looked at her with a nervous grin on his face, stepping out of the way and making sure the camera got a good look at the building.

“Now then, in the best case situation this is what the destruction of your apartment building will most likely look like.” Tom said as he pulled the switch and the wrecking ball was released. As such the building before them collapsed and shattered.

“And that’s about all the interesting news for this hour, please return in fifty minutes after more character pieces, will we ever run out, will anyone care, does anyone watch them or are they just wasting electricity, find out next time.” Sally Sparrow said as she walked back towards the desk.

…

“Why do you get Chinatown, how will we get all of our food? We’ll die if we can’t gouge ourselves” Wildebeast said as he argued over the table. They were in the clear sun lit room, two tables on for the Environmental Bunch and the other for the Superbeasts. They sat opposite from each other, neither side enjoying having to look at the other.

“You already have hell’s kitchen, eat there. Or give us Hell’s Kitchen and you have the whole of Chinatown, do whatever you want to it.” Treehugger, the leader of the environmental bunch said as he looked at Wildebeast hoping the man would at least compromise.

“Fine then, I suppose we don’t have to be so uppity over a little food, most people won’t even let us into the buildings at those fancy restaurants. Fine then I suppose we can give you that, you heard them.” Wildebeast said as he put his head on his hands and put a pouty look on his face. One could argue that he was being more Oscar Wilde than Wildebeast; the lack of action was boring.

Meanwhile, a large model of New York was displayed; red parts meant that the Superbeasts controlled it and green was the Environment bunch’s. A third party or in this case, an unaffiliated fourth party adjusted the borders and made sure Hell’s Kitchen was given to the Bunch, while the Superbeast’s gained the province of Chinatown.

“Ok, now onto the next point of contention. Bidders put up your prices for Little Italy.” The forth party said as he highlighted the district in south Manhattan. Treehugger groaned knowing that they would have to go through out all of food based neighborhoods before they could get down to the nitty-gritty.

“I think that we should perhaps keep Little Italy, as such if we continue to give you the fast food based neighborhoods, this map will start looking more like a salamander than a reasonably spilt map.” Treehugger argued, nearly as soon as he said it he covered his mouth.

“Why what are you going to do about it, we’re more powerful than you; we have more members, and we aren’t just based on Al Gore.” Wildebeast said remaining calm throughout the whole of his speech. Treehugger took a breath of relief and leaned back in his seat.

“I don’t know what you’re going to do about it but I think we can help you decide that.” Riptide said as he pushed open the door and walked in, Moe and Nightshifter behind him.

“Now then Riptide, make sure this place is secure we wouldn’t want any complaints would we now?” Nightshifter said taking control of the situation. He pushed Riptide off to the side and allowed Moe to stand equal to him, no matter how much it hurt.

“Now then boys, we are simply going to decide who gets whose districts, due to the location of your bases; the Superbeasts are going to be more inclined to northern and eastern neighborhoods, while the Environmental Bunch will get more southern and western neighborhoods.” Nightshifter said getting into the nitty-gritty as he walked forward.

“Any problems?” Nightshifter asked, to unanimous groaning throughout his captive audience. “Good then, if there were I would have to had my boy Moe here speak, he has a few words to say later. Now then my dumb-dumb sheep, I shall herd you to the land of peace and trade negotiation.”   

Feeling the water vapor against the window, Riptide checked to make sure the room he was in was completely sealed as he walked against it. So far he felt good about it, no one was threaten each other and behind him he couldn’t hear Wildebeast yelling or screaming, so someone must have wised up and slipped him a chill pill.  

Feeling that the room was completely sealed from the outside, he walked over to the airvent and felt the water vapor in there. He ran back through the pipes, following it all the way into the basement and its compressor. It felt like a natural extension of his arms and while he couldn’t control the basement vapor, he could feel.

The metal pipes he felt though were cold and constricted, to travel through it was like a massive maze and he never seemed to know really what way to go. Still as he searched through the compressor, it seemed to be that nothing was connected to it.

So he walked over to the elevator and stood still, taking some of the vapor through the door; he quickly went the other way and froze the water in the door. While some would argue that he trapped them, others would say that he was simply protecting them. He stood guard at the front of the door, no one in the build without a password could get on to the floor and even still he was the master of who got in and out.

“Now then let’s change our tropic to something else.” Treehugger stated as he took control from Nightshifter and stood up. “I have reasonable proof that you hired the bounty hunter who; trapped the children of the New York education system.”

“Whose said you didn’t, you are just as apprehensive about this conference about us and rescheduled it as many times as we did.” Wildebeast said standing up, Riptide cringed as he realized control was starting to be lost. Fingers were starting to be pointed and once that happened, so were guns and super empowered hands.

Riptide stood still as he realized that the school would be the deal breaker, and while he more than a reasonable amount of evidence that it was the Superbeasts who hired the bounty hunter. He couldn’t exactly come forward with that theory without complete proof and even doing so would allow them to pinpoint which school he went to.  

“Yes, but if we wanted to trap the children we would have actually shown up. We would have at least taken responsibility of our dirty work, unlike you who hides behind bounty hunters that are taken down by children.” Treehugger argued as his side broke out into argument. The Superbeasts did so as well and the room descended into madness as everything went to hell, until Nightshifter decided to have his way however. 

“Shut up, because I am talking!” Nightshifter yelled into a microphone, he blared out over the speakers. Both sides suddenly went into a reasonable silence as they looked up at the Outsider who decided to take control. “Now then all of you want control, unfortunately neither of you have it because I do, and whoever has control of the room decides the faith of New York.”

With a few boos from both side, Nightshifter continued to realize his speech onto his captive audience. He stood in the middle and tried to make himself appear bigger, he wanted to keep the control. He wanted to make sure both sides knew who they were really dealing with.

“Now then, I have control of the room and nothing. No weapons, no backup, no powers worth a damn to you, yet I have control. I don’t have anything to lose, no boyfriend, no people, I am here because I want to work towards peace, so if you want this city to descend into war, remember every faithful night where the Outsiders showed up and you didn’t and then do something smart, let the other side go first.” Nightshifter said as Riptide started to clap behind him trying to make it seem more than a quickly planned boast.

“Yeah no I think we’re going to go, Environmental Bunch please prepare for an attack on your base in about two hours, let’s see if we can destroy you in one go.” Wildebeast said as he stood up and so did his group. As they stood they saw Riptide and the frozen door.

“I do believe it will be best if you move out of the way Outsider, these talks are over we shall be taking our leave.” Wildebeast said, staying strong Riptide stood still as the beast towered over him. Riptide said nothing staying still and resisting movement as the Superbeasts gathered near the elevator.

“You can’t leave, they’ll defund you. If you start this war the public will never forgive you.” Nightshifter said trying to boast and convince them to stay. He could feel that they were so close to peace and working it out. All he needed to do is find a way to make them stay.

Yet he sulked as he looked at Riptide and gave him the signal to move out of the way. The shark looked sad and defeated as he melted the ice and moved in the main room. The elevator arrived and the Superbeasts piled into the elevator, only the environmental bunch remained.

Yet even as they did so, suddenly a green light engulfed them and they too disappeared, presumably teleporting into their base. The three were alone, Moe didn’t even get to speak on the behalf of them. They all stood defeated.

“Maybe we weren’t forceful enough, maybe we should have let them know the stakes.” Nightshifter said as he sat down on the table, swinging his legs as he tried to figure out what he did wrong. He had to change it, looking up at the forth party and the map of Manhattan, even he too disappeared into the elevator.

“No, they knew the stakes. The Superbeasts want this war, this is their plan. They either need all of New York or no one can have it.” Riptide said as he jumped up on the desk as well as and started to swing his legs. “Let’s let them war, they’ll defund themselves maybe we’ll get ourselves funded.”

“Still another war, will happen again. More children will lose their parents as the city is destroyed, this is all happening again.” Moe said depressingly as he walked towards the elevator, putting his head down perhaps in shame that he couldn’t help or perhaps that he didn’t help.

“Oh dear, I feel terrible. He didn’t, who would I be kidding no one wants this to happen. New York is going to war and the city will destroy itself from the inside out.” Nightshifter said as he stood up, he looked around he needed somewhere more causal. The Superbeasts didn’t feel comfortable with giving up their land but Environmental Bunch didn’t want to live with such a small portion of the island.

Suddenly as he swung his legs, Riptide smiled Nightshifter turned towards him and looked at him.

“How can you possibly be smiling at a time like this, New York is about to go into hell; we’re probably going to be fired for incompetence, there will be no city to protect and we’ll all be dead in the end anyway.” Nightshifter said as he questioned Riptide newfound happiness.  

“I have an idea, it’s a stupid idea but Moe, I’ll text you the ideas. And I’ll text you the plan Nightshifter, go to Elias Island. I go to the Superbeasts, come on team move out.” Riptide said jumping up and down off the table and looking at the two.

“The hell are you talking about, explain if you may. I’m sure you can spare a few minutes before our inventible destruction.” Moe said as he looked at them.

“Well we need to show that we can beat them, we need to show them what they are trying to do. Moe go down the museum of art, there should be an exhibit there we need you to go and reserve it for us, you’ll know what I’m talking about.” Riptide said as he started to make assumptions and as such an ass out of himself.         

“Riptide calm down, you need to explain yourself.” Nightshifter said as he put his hands on the shark’s shoulders and held him down to the ground before he lifted off. 

“Ok, your right, your right. Nightshifter, get Treehugger and only Treehugger to the Museum of Art, no matter what you have to do get him into the building. Now Moe, they can’t say no to this.” Riptide reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, imbedded into its side was a tiny chip. “Outsider credentials, they can’t say no to that.”

…

Standing at the entrance to Roosevelt Island, he looked at the aerial tramway over to the Superbeast’s base. While anyone could traverse from one island to the other, the only real other attractions there were the old pneumatic tube systems and the hospital that took up a portion of the island.

Getting onto the tram, he felt immutably smaller. The traps and the wires seemed to be almost comically enlarged obviously to have enough room for the Superbeasts. He sat down on the seat and as he did the gel of it nearly engulfed his body.

He looked at the massive field and saw why they bought the island. Besides being isolated and cut off besides the tram, it still seemed massive. In the center of their base there was a massive field with freshly cut grass that carefully invaded his nose. He could see some of the younger members playing with in, seeing them free and having fun almost brought a smile to his face, before he remembered what he was here for.       

The tram descended into the base, the carriage shaking and rocking as a northern wind from the Goldsboro Bridge intercepted. It docked and a blast of pneumatic steam greeting him as he arrived. The door opened as he walked forward, no one was there to greet him and he was inherently at their base.   

With his freedom he walked forward looking at the almost comically sized hallways. He barely stretched up to the middle of some of the room’s windows, but that was how the base was built. Members, transformed and untransformed were accustomed to using it, everything built for two heights using it.

In their untransformed stage, most of the members seemed to average around six feet five inches, as was the average for most of New York City. However, transformed most members were at least thirteen feet high, a good rule of thumb was that nearly everything doubled in their transformative states, and a blush came to his face as he wondered if that was true for their undercarriages.

Still he admired the beauty of the local, fresh grass lined the hallways and some of them were seen to be admiring flowers and picking weeds. Had he been blindfolded and taken here he swore he was on Ellis Island. Flabbergasted he still shamed himself for what he was going to do.

Following the smell of grass he walked through few more brightly lit hallways and found himself in the hallway ring that surrounded the activity area. He leaned against the window and looked out as a few untransformed teenagers played some soccer while the transformed members were playing a massive sized game of basketball with a hoop that seemed to be equal with the roof.

“I figured you would come here, you Outsiders are always so darn enthusiastic.”

While his senses had already alerted him to the beast’s presence, he still allowed Wildebeast to have the first word. Looking behind him he saw the large brown creature for once standing equal to him, a smiling black wolf.

“Wow, I’ve never seen you untransformed. There were rumors on what you were.” Riptide said before he was interrupted.

“And it would be vastly more of a help of you to not tell the media what I really am.” Wildebeast said, still he sensed the ego more or less with that statement. Walking forward Wildebeast looked out in the play yard and at all the members training. “I ask myself daily if this war is what we really want or if it is just years of doing so urging me to.”

“I’m not sure sometimes, I hate, hate, hate, hate, the Environmental Bunch. They see nature as a potted plant, its leaves thin and steam breakable; but to us nature is the tree they have in their base, weathered, strong and study.” Wildebeast said, “I want to talk to them but they seem so set in their ways, they don’t want us to help them; we’d be fine sharing the island but they seem so set in that tradition.”

And it was perhaps in that moment that Riptide saw both teams in a new light, but even a new lamp couldn’t undo years of feuding and war.

“I’m sorry, I am so, so sorry, but I am going to have to take you.”

…

Getting to Ellis Island was no simple parade for Nightshifter, swimming down of the end of New York and braving through the cold waters of New York harbor, he luckily found himself at the tiny island of New Jersey’s coast. Climbing up onto shore, he quickly spread out his molecules and with a breath he let go of all the water that he didn’t have before jumping in. Quickly stepping out of the tiny pool of water he made, he walked forward.

The Environmental Bunch had procured the once great Immigration Center and they made it their own. While by the time they had bought the building it was in rough condition, years of ivy already stacked on, they themselves had made it worse.

Layers of thick thorny ivy was grown over the building, that had the bunch not made themselves known, the building would have been knocked over like the eyesore it was. Still walking forward, Nightshifter tried to tell himself the dark clouds over the building weren’t for him, but the knowledge that they had weather controlling machine told him they were.

Wasting no time in the creepy outsides of the building he walked forward and phased through the wall and into the creepier insides of the building. The word murder mansion had never been used so accurately, the vines covered up any natural light and the aging old wall paper stunk, while it slowly wrinkled off the walls. 

Despite everything in history, and every horror movie and every single piece of true crime on TV he had watched telling him to go further into the murder mansion, he pushed himself forward. As he passed into the main hallway he made himself invisible and snuck forward.

Every once in a while, a vine grew up through the floor and located on them were strange little three leafed plants. They glowed providing a natural low light and a horrible atmosphere and ambiance. Getting lost in the mix of building and vines, he tried to find his way around but the more he did the more lost he felt.

Looking around he finally located someone to follow, running through a hallway and keeping his mouth shut as he made a bit more noise than he should have, he found himself following a man wearing a kilt made out of leaves. Trying to ignore the possibility of wandering off or letting his mind wonder off, he kept on the straight and narrow path.

He felt uneasy traversing through the base, he swore the vines could see and they were watching him and listening in on his thoughts. It was very creepy, not that it needed to be said. He walked forward following the line of bio-illuminant plants and seeing where they were going to be led.  

Walking forward and threw the natural base, he finally found a moderately lit area and knew he had to go there. As the light entered his invisible eyes, he walked towards and found himself in the amphitheater of the base. With all twenty of so of the Environmental Bunch gathered below him, one would think that it was some sort of meeting however, he was wrong.

Treehugger was right below him, inspecting the tree. All he needed to do is capture the super and then he needed to bring him along. Doing some math with his hands, he figured he could jump onto Treehugger.

He looked below him, all he would need to do is jump. Looking below him, he pulled his feet back and threw himself off. Falling down, he became visible and before he landed, he grabbed onto Treehugger. For a second the super screamed but quickly Nightshifter joined them together in the invisibility matrix and they passed through the ground. 

…

“I’m sorry you want to fight me, the leader of Superbeasts. I’m don’t mean to frighten you but this isn’t a position you get honorary.” Wildebeast walked forward, his suit turning into something more akin of what he normally was seen wearing.

His fur started to grow, turning wild and growing out; it paled turning a color more akin to brown. His legs suddenly exploded with muscles as veins and blood vessels rushed to meet new demands. His entire body expanded as his muzzle were out, large and sharp teeth expanding and replacing the previous.

He hunched over, large bumps growing out of his back and large black claws grew out of his hands. Backing up, and staying strong; Riptide made sure to move out of the way as Wildebeast charged forward. The large mass of muscle and fur rammed into the window, nearly breaking it as it attempted to expand and resist change.

Quickly Riptide became more afraid, he was without a source of water. He couldn’t feel any around him, he felt entrapped by the buildings. He ran out into the field as Wildebeast gained his bearings. He felt around and could feel something nearby.

Jumping up, he gave the water in his body a little push. As he completed his ballistic arc, he barely managed to latch on to the top of the roof. Riptide pulled himself up and flipped onto the roof. Looking around he saw the source of water that he felt, the East River.

Behind him, Wildebeast roared out and nearly interrupted the games on the field. Quite easily, he grabbed the top of the roof and pulled himself up on. Knowing he was about to chased, Riptide decided to set his course for the East River. Running to the edge of the building, he gave Wildebeast the evil eye, taunting him and ensuring their chase would last longer.

He jumped onto the next building, landing on the roof he made sure that Wildebeast was following him. He saw the leader of the Superbeasts jump out of home territory. Nearly stumbling over as the building shook, Riptide stood still and saw he was right near the river.

“Oh come on wouldn’t think it’d be better for you to set your base in a waterless place, but then a Roosevelt Island isn’t exactly as wide as it is long.” Riptide said as he rose his arms and below him the waters of the East River rumbled. Pulling it up, a tornado of water formed behind him as he summoned the water.

Throwing a wave of water forward, he splashed it into Wildebeast who didn’t seemed bothered by a bit of water wetting his mane. So he splashed some of the water down and quickly threw some forward, freezing it along his way. Wildebeast knocked the icicle out of the way and roared.

Throwing a layer of water onto Wildebeast he started to freeze the water, but still the massive beast pulled the ice apart. Riptide took a breath and raised his arms. He threw all the water he could forward, and started to splash Wildebeast with the torrent of a tsunami. And quickly before he could escape, he froze the water. Nearly ecstatically he looked as he managed to beat the leader of the Wildebeast.

“So then looks like your plans are put on ice.” Riptide said as he walked forward and knocked on the ice window. He knocked off some of the ice and started to pull it with him. He summoned all his power and tried to lift it off the ground, he couldn’t.

…

Wildebeast opened his eyes as he started to defrost. All the water swarmed down his body and he was left completely dry. In front of him was a sort of panel, multiple buttons and analog switches and knobs. But in the center were two large red buttons.

“All ready sir.” An engineer said as he backed away from the machine and shut a side panel, he passed through a bubble and suddenly it became soild. He stood up and rammed the bubble, but he bounced off.

“A forcefield, you attempt to trap me but eventually the Superbeasts will find my location and they will come in swarms!” Wildebeast attempted to boast himself and hope that they would let him out. However, for the time he was completely trapped within the bubble. 

“The Environmental Bunch will not wait to track this facility.” Wildebeast looked behind the console and saw Treehugger sitting at his own console. Looking through the green tinted bubble, he saw statues and paintings hung from the wall. If he were to make an educated guess, he might say they were in the Museum of Art.

“Well then welcome to the Museum of Art, what you are looking at is a thermonuclear missile console from the olden year nineteen eighty-four. Either way if you click one of the buttons, your war will begin will the explosion of your enemy’s main base.” Riptide said as he walked forward and leaned against the forcefield looking into the current situation.

“Easy, which one does that?” Wildebeast said as he looked over the console and tried to see which one would do such.

“Oh but here’s the catch the other one will release a massive thermonuclear missile on the city.” Nightshifter said as he coughed a bit and decided to play a bit of fun by going into television host mode. “Put your hands on the buzzer and decide which door to open, who will be the quickest, which will be the luckiest?”

“So then Outsiders, you put everything I need right in my hands.”

While the Outsiders were expecting Wildebeast to do something similar, they all turned their heads in confusion to Treehugger saying that.

“I destroy New York and the forest starts anew, I press the other and the Superbeasts die, why shouldn’t I press this?” Treehugger argued as he put his hands on both buttons and prepared to press them both in.

“You shouldn’t do that, you call this silly little thing a war. You never even compare to the first superhero war, you known the stories, you’ve seen the picture but you weren’t there. You didn’t see your parents die in front of you as you were abandoned and placed in an orphanage.” Moe said stepping up and pushing Nightshifter out of the way and standing before the two.

“You didn’t feel tears freezing on your checks when you were cryogenically frozen because no one wanted a child of war, so if you think that you are getting somewhere with this war, ask yourself how willing you are to separate parent and child?” Moe said as he told his story.

 Riptide stood in place, he knew Moe was frozen through time; a real time traveler before him but he never knew where Moe had come from, he stood still in respect.

“And what if I press this button, what if I decide not to change and continue this millennium long war instead of ending it.” Treehugger yelled as he put his hand on one of the buttons and prepared to press it in.

“Then you will die stupid, ashamed that you couldn’t move past the idioiticness of your ancestors.” Moe said seemingly desperate and exhausted of this futile debate. “I’ve seen buildings burned down because a superhero wanted to see the sun every morning, I’ve seen an entire town burn because two superheroes didn’t like each other, and why did I see my parents burn in my apartment, why!”

“I’m sorry.”

Once again they turned to seeing the most unlikely things, Wildebeast stood up and backed away from the buttons.

“We will find a way towards peace, the forest and her animals can work together again.” Wildebeast said seemingly ashamed of what he and his ancestors before him had done.

“And you?” Moe said turning towards Treehugger, hoping it would change his mind as well.

“Would they let us go, after all we’ve done. All the stress and division we’ve caused to the people of this city. Would they care about us getting away without punishment?” Treehugger said as he tried to stand up but everything his parents told him, his instincts told him; everything he knew told him to stay down.

“Who cares, worth together prove to the people that you won’t cause the destruction of the city on a bi-yearly basis.” Moe said as he nearly fell on his knees exhausted of everything.

“These consoles they’re empty, they don’t control anything; why would the Outsiders have access to a thermonuclear missile.” Treehugger said turning to Moe and he saw the human smile.

“And do you know how you know that, because you’re thinking; you’re starting to become better and that is the path to improvement.” Moe said as he let the shields down and the two were know free to go. “Thank you for ignoring idiots and letting common sense and thinking infect your brains; you’ll find you’re much better with it.”    

 “Treehugger, we have never gotten along with you; our teams haven’t and we sure as hell haven’t but I believe that we can work together.” Wildebeast said as he transformed back turning into the friendly wolf with a smile on his face, he held out his hand and Treehugger looked at it.

“I do believe that nature can benefit from us working together, so let’s find a way to do it.”