Note: Well, taking a detour from chapter sixteen allowed me to think about what would happen next. As such, this chapter will continue from when we last saw the Mighty Loonatics. Before we move on, I have something to say to two reviewers.
The White Wolf named Alex: Trust me, it might take some time for the heroes to find the mysterious figure and defeat him. However, the wait might be worth it. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, and stay tuned for later ones.
Ron: Actually, a descendant of Yosemite did show up in the first episode of season 2. Needless to say, he's just like his ancestor. I hope that you like this chapter.
Now that I've done that, it's time for chapter eighteen.
Chapter 18: Vixen and the Beast (Part 2)
Diane's head hurt as she opened her eyes. Her vision blurred, being unable to make out anything in front of her. The Arctic fox wiped her eyes, which made her sight better. Now that she could see, the vixen saw that she was in a dimly-lit bedroom. Everything looked like it belonged in a medieval castle or a mansion, having a fancy tone to it. The room was being lit by candles, despite a lightbulb being on the ceiling.
Getting up from the bed, Diane got a better look at her surroundings. The bedroom she was in looked brand new, to the point where it would be ruined by a single stain. Not only that, but everything looked like it was just put into the room for decorations. There was a mirror near the door, hanging over the dresser. Walking up to it, Diane was shocked to see that she was no longer in her uniform. Rather, the Arctic vixen was now dressed in a red dress, which looked like something that would be worn in a ballroom.
In order to keep herself from panicking, Diane thought about what she had been doing before waking up in the room. Earlier, she was fighting a werewolf-like beast with her teammates. Before they could even try to defeat it, the creature let out a powerful howl that caused everyone to collapse to the ground. As Diane fell unconscious, she saw something approaching her. That something was huge, being big enough to make a shadow despite being a few feet away.
Have I been kidnapped? The Arctic vixen thought to herself. If I have, then why? Why did they bring me here?
There was a noise coming from outside the room. It almost sounded like the doorknob turning. Upon hearing it, Diane went back to the bed and lie down. She had no means of escape at the moment, so it was her only option. The Arctic vixen could only hope that her captor didn't cause harm to her. Whoever they were, they had brought her here, and she was a prisoner until they let her go, or until the others found her.
The door came open, revealing who was behind it. The person who opened the door was the beast that the Mighty Loonatics had been fighting. It held a tray with a bowl, silverware, and a teacup on it. Diane only sat in shock, feeling frightened by the creature's presence. She tried to use her telepathy on it, but to no avail. The beast seemed to have no coherent thoughts, or even the mind of a sapient being.
"Why did you bring me here?!" Diane cried. "What did you do to me?! Let me go this instant, you!"
The creature ignored her, only sitting the tray in front of the bed. Diane only sat, knowing that she couldn't take it on in a fight. As the beast approached her, she tried to get away. Before she could even run, it kissed her on the forehead. Such an action left the Arctic vixen shocked, causing her to collapse on the bed. Her captor left the room, leaving her with the tray it had brought for her.
Now that she was alone again, Diane only sat in shock. The Arctic vixen didn't know what to do. Not only was she being held captive, but her teammates probably didn't know where she was at. Left with no other option, the vulpine sent out a telepathic message. She didn't know how long it was from the castle to HQ, but she hoped that her S.O.S would reach her friends. If it didn't work, then Diane wouldn't be leaving the castle for a long time.
The Mighty Loonatics were back at HQ, recovering from their defeat. So far, it was turning out to be a bad day for them. Not only were they defeated by the monster, but Diane was nowhere to be found. It didn't take a genius to say that the beast more than likely took her. For what purpose, no one in the team knew. What they did know was that the Arctic vixen was in danger, and they needed to find her before it's too late. But how?
Slam was sulking, being much more sad than the new recruits. To him, Diane getting captured by the beast was his fault. If there was some way for him to make it up to the fox, he felt that it would be saving her. However, knowing that the monster was strong enough to take him down, the Tasmanian devil figured that he couldn't do it alone. The marsupial wasn't one to think big or come up with complex plans, but he knew not to fight a dangerous battle all by himself. For that matter, he knew that he couldn't win against something that was tough enough to withstand everything he threw.
Klara was reading an article on a tablet, trying to find more information on the creature. As for Jack, he sat between Lori and Simon, not saying a single word. Teagan looked up at the ceiling, thinking about how the mission went wrong. John sat on the floor, looking at his hands. Like Slam, the buck was taking the loss the hardest. Diane was one of the few friends he had left in the world, and not knowing where she was made him feel awful.
"Anyone got an idea?" Lori spoke.
"I'd say we could go after that creep, but we don't know where it is." Jack said.
"Let's not forget that it snagged Diane." Simon said. "Who knows what it could be doing to her!"
"In that case, we need to find where it took her and take it down!" The young man said.
"Except that we were all unconscious when it escaped." Teagan said. "We didn't even put a tracking device on the creature, or Diane, to see where they went."
John was ready to say something, but he restrained himself. The buck didn't have an idea, and he knew it. For all he knew, the creature could have escaped Acmetropolis with Diane. If that was true, then the Mighty Loonatics would have to travel throughout the solar system, if not the entire galaxy, to find her. He dreaded having to do that, almost more than he dreaded giving into the darker nature of his powers. With that in mind, John's hands were somewhat tied.
Before the Mighty Loonatics could do anything, they heard a familiar voice scream.
Hello?! Can anyone hear this?! If you can, I'm being held prisoner at a castle! The monster brought me here, and I can't use my telepathy to learn what he's planning! Come quick, someone, and free me from the castle!
Knowing who the voice belonged to, the Mighty Loonatics were stunned. It was Diane, plain as day. By using her telepathy to contact everyone, the Arctic vixen had revealed where she was at. With that in mind, the new recruits knew that they had to save her. However, the fact that she was at a castle complicated things. The lack of description of what it looked like didn't help.
"That creature took her to a castle?" Lori was dumbfounded. "Where are we going to find a castle on this planet?"
"I don't know," Teagan said, "but it's a good idea to investigate."
"Where should we start?" Jack spoke. "We don't even know where the creature came from! Let's not forget the fact that we didn't see any footprints when we got back up!"
"We'll have to start somewhere, Diane's life is in danger!" Simon said.
Slam grumbled something, getting the Mighty Loonatics' attention. He called Klara over to him, asking if she had an idea. The preteen didn't know what to say. Diane being taken by the monster was something that none of them wanted, so they needed a plan to find her and save her. Klara hoped that the others had a plan, but it seemed like they were stuck. She looked over to John, but he didn't seem to notice.
"This might be a bad idea, but I think we should ask the survivors of the attack." Klara said.
"What would they know?" Simon asked.
"They might've noticed an additional detail on the Mystery Creature." The preteen said. "For all we know, they could've seen something that indicated where it came from. If we find out what the beast actually is, and why it nabbed Diane, then we can take it down!"
Slam looked over to Jack, wondering if he had any objections. The rest of the team (sans John) did the same, waiting for him to answer.
"As crazy as it sounds, Klara's on to something." Jack said. "One of the survivors had to have been awake long enough to get a full view on the monster. If they were unconscious, then how were either of them able to describe it?"
"Then we better go interrogate them." Teagan said. "Even if we fail to get the correct information, we need a lead on what castle Diane is being held at."
"Or what the beast even is." Lori said.
Getting up, John and Slam looked eager to go on the mission. The Mighty Loonatics then went to the lab, grabbing the technology that they would need. Once they had everything gathered, the new recruits ran out of HQ. They made their way to the police station, where the survivors were being kept. When they saw them, the team would ask for everything they could think of. Even if it wasn't the right information they needed, the Mighty Loonatics needed some sort of lead for where Diane was being held.
An hour after she was given food by the monster, Diane had no idea what to do. She was fearing the worst, and it seemed like she would be kept prisoner for a long time. The Arctic vixen wanted to fire one of her energy blasts at the wall, so that she could escape. However, she put that idea to the side. Chances were, if she tried that, the creature would hear the noise. From there, it would probably do something terrible to her, something that she couldn't imagine.
Getting up from the bed, Diane noticed that there was an envelope under the pillow. Curious, she grabbed it, opening it without hesitation. Inside the envelope was only a small index card. Despite that, there was text written in red ink. By reading it, Diane hoped that there would be a clue to help her escape. However, taking a look at it, the Arctic vixen felt dismayed by the writing on the card.
Do not worry.
I am not going to hurt you.
My actions are not something you should be afraid of.
Ever since I was born in the lab, I have been treated as nothing more than a monster.
But, I only wish to live and love.
I have brought you here so that I can learn how to love.
I hope that you can teach me.
Putting the note aside, Diane sat down on the bed. As soon as she did that, however, she heard a noise in the distance. The Arctic vixen's ears perked up, being drawn to the sound. It almost sounded like music. In fact, it sounded like someone was playing a piano. Hearing it surprised the vulpine to her core. Something told her that something else was going on.
I can't sense anyone else with telepathy, not even the monster! Diane thought to herself. Could this castle be haunted? If not, then someone else is being held prisoner here.
With curiosity getting the better of her, Diane got up from the bed. She walked out of the room, hoping to find out where the sound was coming from. It wasn't on the floor the Arctic vixen was being held in, but it got louder the more she walked forward. By the end of the hallway, there was a staircase leading down, as well as one that led up. For her first option, Diane walked up, but she found that the music became quieter. With that in mind, the vulpine decided to go downstairs.
After going down two flights of stairs, Diane found herself in a dark room lit only by candles. The room was nicely decorated, looking like the owner of the castle had got it ready for a special occasion. On the floor of the room was a large rug with an interesting design, resembling the culture associated with French. Below the rug was the floor itself, which was made of hardwood and tile. In the middle of the room was a piano, which was being played by an unknown person. The person happened to be much larger than the piano, but was dressed nicely.
Walking forward, Diane was eager to get a good look at the pianist. However, it didn't take long for her to see that the person in question was the monster. As much as she wanted to escape, the Arctic vixen couldn't help but feel spellbound by her captor's piano playing. The vulpine didn't say anything, only watching in anticipation. She started to get an odd feeling about the creature. Diane couldn't explain it, but now she was feeling bad for her captor.
Once it had finished playing, the monster noticed Diane standing near it. It let out a growl, becoming angered. This caused Diane to back up, with the beast coming at her.
"I'm sorry, but you have the wrong idea!" She said. "I didn't come down here to laugh at you, I was just curious! You see, my telepathy doesn't work on you, so I couldn't tell that you were playing the piano! But, the thing is, I like the song that you were playing! It's beautiful, it's really beautiful!"
The creature was beyond Diane, looking ready to maul her. Fearing the worst, she closed her eyes, believing that this would be her final moment of life. All of a sudden, the Arctic vixen felt something wrap around her, tight enough for it to hurt. However, nothing else happened after that. The vulpine opened her eyes, wondering what was keeping her captor from killing her. Its arms were wrapped around her, and its head was on her shoulder.
Once the beast had let go of Diane, she didn't know what to feel. Although she had been kidnapped by it, it was being nothing but gentle to her. It had even shown that it was able to cook and play an instrument. The Arctic vixen even thought that it had written the note she had found under the pillow. Everything felt different now that the vulpine had seen this side of her captor. She was starting to feel less like a prisoner, and more like a princess.
"That was rather sweet of you." Diane said. "I was worried that you were going to crush me, but now those worries have gone away."
Diane gave the monster a kiss on the cheek, feeling charmed by what it had shown. This caused the creature to let out a happy howl. As it did that, Diane saw something odd on its chest. It looked almost like a tag. The Arctic vixen stood on her tiptoes, noticing the writing that was on the tag. She slowly read it, her eyes going from left to right.
"Project Beast: Model L0U15?" Diane spoke.
The beast, Model L0U15, nodded.
"How about I call you Louis?" The Arctic vixen asked.
Model L0U15 shook its head.
"Well, what do you want to be called?" The vulpine asked.
The creature only pointed to the "Beast" section of its tag.
"Then I guess I'll call you 'Beast'!" She said. "I admit, I feel bad about calling you that."
Beast only took Diane's hand, leading her out of the room. The Arctic vixen didn't say anything, only waiting for what would happen next. She hoped that it wasn't anything horrible, given how kindly her captor was treating her. The vulpine still couldn't use her telepathy on it, given how it seemed to be mindless.
Well, when the others find out where Beast took me, I can tell them that he's not dangerous. Diane thought to himself. Even if they don't listen, at least I got to see that Beast wasn't bad, just misunderstood. Out of anyone in the team, I hope that John understands.
"I keep telling you, I don't know anything!"
The Mighty Loonatics were at the police station, speaking to the sole survivors of the attack. So far, it wasn't going well. Currently, the new recruits were interrogating the wolf who would've been mugged or killed had the beast not shown up. Teagan was in charge of the interrogations, so she was as gentle as she could be. However, neither of the survivors were giving a clear answer on if they saw something on the monster. In fact, they seemed like they would be in trouble if they said anything.
"Look, I understand that you're scared, but we need to know if you saw anything of note on the creature that attacked you and the thugs." Teagan said. "Our friend has been taken by that beast, and we need to find her before it's too late."
"I'm sorry about your friend, ma'am, but I don't remember seeing anything that could help you!" The wolf said. "All I remember was that monster killing those guys while I was unconscious!"
"Well, this is going about as well as I expected." Lori said out of sarcasm.
"We can't give up, everyone, we need to find Diane!" Jack said.
"Even if the survivors noticed anything on the monster, that doesn't change that we don't know where it took her." Simon said. "Face it, Jack, we're in a rut!"
Before anything else could happen, Klara rushed into the room. She had stayed behind moments prior, due to the officers telling her to wait by the desk. The police force had forbidden children from going to the interrogation room, unless if they were witnesses or convicts. However, Klara had disregarded that, given how she was quick to approach her teammates.
"Klara, what's wrong?" Jack asked.
"Guys," she said, "you might want to see this!"
The Mighty Loonatics followed Klara to the main room of the station, wondering what she had seen. As she stopped in her tracks, the team noticed that there was a news broadcast on the screen. One by one, they saw the report that was being covered. The report was about the monster, so they figured that it would reveal new information. However, what was being revealed shocked them. They all stood in disbelief.
"Authorities are still on the search for Project Beast: Model L0U15." The reporter said. "Having broken loose a few months ago, this creature was made by a group of scientists with the intent of creating a being that would replace mankind. However, during his creation, Model L0U15 had read stories from the days of old. From there, he became obsessed with finding a happy ending, so he broke loose from captivity and escaped into the woods."
Knowing that the reporter was describing the beast that had attacked them and taken Diane, the Mighty Loonatics had a lead. They were ready to go out and find Model L0U15, but they still had a conundrum: Where was the location Diane was being held at? Not wanting to leave just yet, the new recruits continued to watch the news. By doing so, they saw the reporter getting a notification from someone.
"What's that, Johnston?" The reporter spoke. "We have now gotten footage from an anonymous source. This footage shows an unidentified creature, presumably Model L0U15, making its way to Castle Valli with an unknown female in its clutches. Some say that its captive is none other than Diane McAllister, a new member of the Loonatics, while others say that it's a coincidence."
On the screen came a video showing Model L0U15 carrying something in its arms. That something turned out to be Diane, who was unconscious. Shocked, the Mighty Loonatics now knew who the creature was, and where it took their teammate. Slam in particular had gasped, loud enough to frighten the others. They shook it off, knowing that they had to save their friend. Now, they were eager to fight Model L0U15 for Diane.
"Alright, we need to head to Castle Valli!" Jack said.
"Problem is, we don't know where it is." Klara stated.
By seeing the news report and hearing the name of the castle, Slam started to remember it. He had been on a field trip as a boy, and two of his classmates dared him to approach Castle Valli. The Tasmanian devil didn't set foot inside the castle, but the building's structures and eerie surroundings were something that he couldn't forget. Even after the meteor struck, the marsupial couldn't get his memories of that place out of his head. He had hoped that the meteor had leveled such a building down, so that he could move on. Now that he heard it being mentioned, Slam knew that his hopes were for naught.
Opening the door to the police station, Slam gestured for the Mighty Loonatics to move out. The new recruits complied, although they were curious as to why he did so. Upon getting out of the station, the team faced the Tasmanian devil. He grumbled out some words, trying his hardest to explain himself.
"So, you know where Castle Valli is?" Simon asked.
Slam nodded his head.
"Then lead us to it, big guy!" Jack said.
Letting out a confident grumble, Slam entered his Tornado Maximizer. He sped down the street, with the Mighty Loonatics following him. As they followed the Tasmanian devil, the new recruits watched for the next direction he would travel in. They were careful enough to do this, even though it was somewhat tiring. Jack, in particular, felt dizzy every time it happened. Nonetheless, the team kept on following Slam, knowing that he would be instrumental to Diane's rescue.
Back at the castle, Diane had eaten dinner with Beast. The creature had made it all by himself, so the Arctic vixen was somewhat suspicious of it. Given how the food was made by a being that was more than likely made in a lab, she hesitated at first. However, with some gentle guidance from Beast, the vulpine ate the food that she was given, worried that it would be full of something. To her relief, nothing happened when she ate it. This allowed Diane to swallow her pride and sit down with her odd captor. After all, why would he drug the food, or poison it, if she was already in his company?
After dinner, Diane found herself being led to another room by Beast. The Arctic vixen couldn't help but feel curious again. She had already gotten finished with eating dinner with her captor, so she wondered as to where they were going now. They were traveling down a hallway, so it was only a matter of time before they reached their destination. Nonetheless, Diane couldn't help but feel a little worried. Her mind circled through several scenarios, and none of them were pleasant.
Stopping in his tracks, Beast opened a door. Once it was opened, Diane gasped. In front of her was a ballroom, complete with a chandelier. The room was huge, looking big enough to be a gym. Beast led the Arctic vixen inside, where she got a better look at her surroundings. The walls of the ballroom were red, with large windows making up most of the back wall. There were even potted plants and decor in the room, as to make it more beautiful.
Taking Diane by her hand, Beast began to dance with her. She felt somewhat awkward, as she was not one for dancing. However, the Arctic vixen decided to play along, worried about angering the creature. As the two danced, music began to play, sounding like it was blasting from a record player. It almost sounded like an actual band was playing, despite it being a recording. Diane only smiled, with Beast smiling back at her.
Hopefully, the others will listen to me when I tell them not to attack. Diane thought to herself.
Outside of Castle Valli, the Mighty Loonatics were standing at the entrance. It had taken them half-an-hour to get there, but they had managed to find it. The castle itself was massive, looking like it was 75 meters high. Slam stood before the new recruits, getting a good look at the structure that haunted his mind since childhood. He still couldn't believe that Castle Valli was still up, even after the events that could've ended Acmetropolis. The team was just as perplexed as he was, noticing how the building was still in one piece.
Stepping forward, Slam gestured for the Mighty Loonatics to follow him again. He led them away from the entrance, as if by instinct. The new recruits (sans John and Teagan) were flabbergasted, seeing as they wanted to take the entrance. Now that they were being taken to a different part of the castle, they all thought that Slam had lost his mind.
"Hey, why can't we just go through the entrance?!" Jack whispered.
"I think that he's on to something!" Lori whispered.
"Like what?!" The young man harshly whispered.
Slam shushed Jack, bringing his finger up to the latter's mouth. The Mighty Loonatics stopped in their tracks, wondering why the Tasmanian devil had done so. Looking ahead, they saw that they were facing the back of the castle. By looking up, they saw a balcony in front of a room with large windows. In that room were a large silhouette and a small silhouette, looking like they were dancing. It didn't take long for the new recruits to see who was in that room.
"They're they are." Klara said.
"And Diane's still alive." Lori said. "Now, all we need is a way to get up there."
"How?" Jack spoke. "We didn't bring a ladder, or the Zoomatrixes."
Entering his Tornado Maximizer, Slam used the air currents to blow Jack up to the balcony. The young man landed on his feet, quietly enough for no one to hear him. Seeing that, the Mighty Loonatics allowed Slam to propel them to the balcony. One by one, the new recruits made it to the balcony. Slam was the last one to get on the structure, using a tornado to launch himself in the air. Once they were near the window, the team was ready to enter the room.
Back in the ballroom, Diane was still dancing with Beast. The creature was holding her close to him, as if to protect her from danger. However, the Arctic vixen felt her telepathy sense something. She groaned as this happened, getting a minor headache. Concerned, Beast looked down at the vulpine. He let out a murmur, attempting to ask if she was okay.
"I'm alright," Diane said, "my telepathy's just acting up."
All of a sudden, the windows to the ballroom came open. This caused Beast to growl in defense. He held Diane closer to him, not wanting her to get hurt. A few familiar faces came into the ballroom, looking angry. The creature knew that these people were Diane's teammates, but he wasn't willing to let her go. Diane, on the other hand, was dreading a fight.
"Hey, you big creep, get your hands off of Diane!" Jack shouted.
In response, Beast let out a powerful roar. This caused the Mighty Loonatics to cover their ears, not willing to let the creature get the drop on them again. The new recruits got their powers ready for use, their eyes becoming stern with determination. Beast lie Diane down, not wanting for her to get caught in the crossfire. The Arctic vixen helplessly watched as he raced towards her teammates, intent on fighting them for her. She wanted to use her telepathy on her friends, but she feared that they wouldn't listen.
Seeing that Diane was free, Slam ran over to her. He scooped her up and wrapped her in a bear hug. The Arctic vixen let out an embarrassed chuckle, almost taken by surprise. The Tasmanian devil grumbled at her, showing concern in his voice. He tried to ask if she was okay, but he couldn't speak clearly. However, the vulpine was able to understand him.
"Oh, Slam, I'm perfectly fine!" Diane said. "I just need you to take me over to the team!"
The Mighty Loonatics were violently fighting Beast, not holding back. However, the creature was quick enough to dodge their attacks. In addition to that, he was strong enough to shrug off their punches and kicks. That didn't stop John from forming a knife with his dark energy manipulation. He was more than willing to kill Beast to save Diane. Before the buck could even plunge the knife into his enemy, someone grabbed it.
"Stop!" Diane screamed, being the one to stop John's attack. "Guys, that's enough! He's not evil, he's just lonely!"
"But he abducted you!" Simon said.
"That's only because he's lonely!" The Arctic vixen said. "Please, stop attacking him!"
The Mighty Loonatics reluctantly ceased their attacks. As they did that, Beast looked at Diane, checking to see if she was alright. He licked her in the face, giving her a kiss. Seeing that, the new recruits were cautious. They were worried that Beast would maul or eat Diane. However, the creature didn't do anything malicious, only showing the Arctic vixen affection.
"He might be showing her affection, but that doesn't explain why he killed those guys." Klara said.
"Maybe he just wants to protect the innocent in his own way?" Simon asked.
"Odd, considering how he was told fairy tales during captivity." Jack said.
After Beast had shown Diane affection, he sat down like a dog. This allowed the Mighty Loonatics to approach him, where they saw how gentle he really was. Slam in particular wanted to rub the creature's belly, but decided not to. However, Beast let out a yawn and fell asleep. The new recruits stepped back, not wanting to be in his way.
"He's cute, but we can't let him run around." John said.
"And taking Diane away will only start this all over again." Teagan said.
"There has to be something we can do." Diane said.
The Mighty Loonatics looked at each other, trying to come up with a solution. They were now in a conundrum, where one solution would lead to a new problem. However, Slam was the first to speak. He let out grumbles, trying to give his solution. Despite his words not being clear, the new recruits listened to him. Once they heard him out, they knew what to do.
Back at HQ, Diane was heading to the lab. The Arctic vixen had changed back into her uniform, having put the dress in her room. Along with that, she had gotten some rest after last night. Now that she was back at HQ, the vulpine was alright. However, she had to take care of something, and that something was in the lab. Diane carefully opened the door, being as quiet as she could.
Sitting in the lab was Beast, who was drinking out of a water bowl. Once he saw Diane, he approached her. The Arctic vixen found herself being hugged and licked by the creature, smiling at how affectionate and gentle he was. Beast sat down, allowing the vulpine to run his belly. He let out happy growls, showing how pleasured he was.
"I'm glad that they came up with this too, Beast." Diane said. "I hope that the other veteran Loonatics don't mind."
As Diane walked out of the lab, Beast fell asleep. He was glad to be in safe hands. The creature had spent most of his life in captivity, wanting to be free. Once he escaped, he wanted to get a happy ending. Now that he had gotten it, Beast couldn't help but feel happier. As he slept, he wished for nothing to take this feeling away from him.
Note: Okay, odd ending. However, I had to find a way to end it. It wouldn't be happy if Beast got killed or was rendered lonely again, would it? Definitely not, considering how he was a lab-created creature who wanted a happy ending. Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!