The Chest
The Fentons and Alicia were in the minibus, about to reach the borders out of Paris when a police motorcycle blurred its sirens, causing it to pull over. Alicia looked at the mirror to see who it was, groaning.
"Not this guy again…" She grumbled.
"Who?" Maddie, sitting in the passenger seat, asks her sister.
The answer came when the officer arrived.
"Morning, Alicia." He said in a calm voice, one without a French accent.
Before them was a man in his 30's, who had dark hair that was clear from the patch on his chin. Based on his tanned skin and brown eyes, he appeared Hispanic.
"Mornin', Henri." Alicia said with a frown.
"So… any plans to actually pay for that parking ticket that was due yesterday?" Henri asks with a polite tone.
"I told you… I get paid tonight, hopefully. I'll pay by morning." Alicia said with a growl.
That caught Jack's attention, namely about getting paid.
"You'd best… it doubles by the end of the day." Henri reminds her before he looked at the rest of the family. "You all enjoy yourselves." He said with a friendly tilt of his helmet before leaving.
Once he went back to his motorcycle and started driving, the minibus began moving.
"You all enjoy yourselves…" Alicia mimicked under her breath as she started driving again.
"Huh… that guy didn't have a French accent. Or a fake one Chloe has." Danielle commented.
"You're right…" Danny said, pondering this.
3 hours later
"Are we there yet?" Danielle bemoaned from behind.
"For the 234th time… No!" Alicia shouted.
"This would be easier if we could fly…" Danielle whispered to Danny, who nodded.
It was a long drive and with Jack glaring at the back of Alicia, Alicia being her usual self and sending glares through the mirror. Because of what happened last time they saw her, there was a tense atmosphere.
For this I left hanging out with Chloe? Danny thought.
This is going to be a fun trip. Maddie thought before someone broke the silence.
Surprisingly, it was Alicia.
"So, Jack? Surprised my sister still got a roof over her head without you blowing a hole in it..." Alicia said, trying to sound civil, yet it came off as backhanded.
Jack glared at her.
"Helps that we have insurance, one we can afford..." He said. Intentionally angering her.
Alicia frowned slightly before turning to her sister.
"I'm guessin' yer what keeps the holes from happenin'..." Alicia said in a slightly more sincere tone.
"Heh… yes…" Maddie went uncomfortably.
The three in the back shared the same look, one that made it clear this ride was going too long.
"How much longer is this gonna take?" Danny asks.
"Mont Mouchet is about 6 hours away from Paris." Jazz answered.
"Yippee… I almost wish I were still on lockdown." Danielle grumbled.
As that went on, Danny took out his phone and typed something. He tapped his father's shoulder and passed the phone to him.
It read "Rich showed up… he says Aunt Alicia is hiding something."
Momentarily shocked, Jack looked back to see his son nodding. Jack then motioned for his daughters to see as well, they too had their eyes widen in shock.
Jack typed something and passed it back to Danny.
Danny read "What is she hiding?" on it.
He typed again and showed it to them. It read "A partner. How else did she afford our stay?"
Reading this, Jack glared holes in the back of his sister-in-law's head.
"What are you hiding?" He asks angrily under his breath.
"What was that, Jack?" Maddie asks.
"Oh, uh… eating. When are we eating?" He lied with a smile.
"Pig…" Alicia mocked under her breath.
Meanwhile, in America
Valerie was enjoying a rare day off.
She was relaxing at the park on a bench. Sam and Tucker were keeping an eye on things, while aided by a ghost. Valerie was too busy enjoying herself to care at the moment.
Dang, I needed this. Too bad Kwan and Star are in Paris. I'd envy her if I didn't know WHO she is probably dealing with right now… Val thought, feeling pity for her friend as she knew how clueless Kwan could be something.
She was getting up, stretching her arms.
I wonder what Danny is up to right now. I figure, what with Ember saying no to being his girlfriend, he'd wanna talk… She thought.
As she decided to get moving, someone walked up to her.
"Ms. Gray?" He asks.
Valerie saw for herself a man in a dark suit and with a briefcase, one who appeared to be of Asian descent.
"Yes?" She asks.
"I'm looking for the Fentons. I understand you're acquainted with their son and youngest daughter?" He asks.
"Yeah. But they're not home." Valerie said.
"I figured as there was no answer at their door. Do you know where they are?" He asks.
Valerie eyed the man before her vision fell to the briefcase he held.
"Lemme guess? Lawsuit?" She asks with a smile, pointing at the briefcase he held.
"Heh… sure does give you the idea, doesn't it?" He asks with a light smile.
"Well… from what his other friends told me, they're off on a family trip, in France." Valerie said.
"I see… thank you…" He said with a nod before going off.
"No problem." Valerie said. Once he was gone, her stomach grumbled. "Well, let's see what's fresh as Crusty's today."
Little did she know, once Valerie was gone, the man she spoke to looked around to make sure there was no witness. He hid behind a tree and opened the briefcase, revealing a camera and a monitor.
"Well?" A voice from the monitor asks.
"The briefcase idea was a success, Director. As for the information, Danny Phantom is in France. I'm told it's for a family trip." The man said.
"Maybe… maybe not… Keep an eye on his friends. If they disappear, let me know. We've already made contact with the bespectacled one, and the Goth is the most likely to raise suspicion, so continue using Ms. Gray for now." The voice went before the call disconnected.
Meanwhile, back in Paris
Star was in a miserable mood as she leaned on the wall, already dressed.
She was in her room with her parents, who were getting themselves ready for something.
"Eleanor and I were discussing what Gayle had been working on. I can only hope it lives up the hype..." Her mother said.
"Thar or I flew just to fall asleep..." Her father said snarking.
"Jonathan." She said in a low voice.
"Sorry, Stella. You know I love you…" He said with a laugh as the two hugged.
Star saw this and groaned.
I think I'd rather be in detention with Tesslaff right now. Beats this... She thought.
She recalled what Danny said earlier, about how he spoke to her and how it got under her skin.
"Why am I still thinking about that? I shouldn't let his words make me feel like this..." She said under her breath.
"Whose words, Princess?" Her father asks.
Star looked away.
"No one, Dad…" She said.
"Star?" He asks, getting up.
"Star?" Her mother asks.
Star looked away while her father grew impatient.
"Estelle Joy Greatley-Armstrong, answer when you're being spoken to." Her father said.
"Okay! Look!" Star went in defeat. "I ran into… someone from school."
"Was it Danny Fenton?" Stella asks.
Star was surprised.
"How'd you know?" She asked.
"We encountered his parents today. Nice people… despite the lawsuits I've had to handle against them." Jonathan said.
"Oh…" Star went.
"Star, darling." Her mother went. "Your father and I are happy you've got friends… not that I enjoy hearing what you've done to earn those friends." She went from a smile to a disapproving frown.
"Your mother didn't legally change her name before we married to escape her less than stellar family just so our daughter can cause trouble like they did." Jonathan said with a knowing wag of his finger.
"Oh yeah… Greatly is a very humble name for her, Dad." Star snarked.
"Estelle Joy…" Stella went, sending her daughter a disapproving scowl.
"Sorry…" Star said under her breath.
"Why not invite the young man to the show tomorrow? Kwan's… nice… but he clearly isn't the theater type." Stella said, knowing how dense he can be.
"He said he wasn't interested in spending time around me. Also, why should I care what he has to say? I mean… it's not like I like the guy." Star said with a shrug and a laugh. "R-Right?"
Jonathan and Stella shared the same unconvinced look.
"You have a crush on him, don't you?" Stella asks.
"W-What?! No!" Star went with a blush.
"Let's see… someone you demeaned saving you from being bitten by that girl I never liked seeing you with has said something that upsets you far more than when your mother got you that overpriced lizard skin bag for your birthday." Jonathan pointed out.
"It was snake skin! And I thought she would love it!" Stella defended herself.
Jonathan shook his head before looking at Star.
"Besides… your friend Valerie seems to like being around him, that should at least give you an idea he's worth getting to know." Jonathan said.
Star heard this, thinking about what their parents said.
Both about inviting Danny and regarding her own feelings for him.
"I mean… I didn't think he wasn't cute or anything…" She said under her breath.
"Knew it!" Her mother went with a childish smile. Star grunted before storming off. "Oh, to be young and in love…" Stella gushed.
"Stella…" Jonathan muttered.
"Oh, pish posh." Stella said as Star left the room.
"It's partially our fault, y'know? Seeing as we don't have as much time with her as he used to. That's why she fell into that crowd." He said.
"I know… but it's not like we can just turn back the clock." Stella said in a quieter tone.
Jonathan groaned and shook his head.
"She's not wrong to snark though. Finding out what your real maiden name was and what you replaced it with was almost as surprising as learning that I was living with my grandma's maiden name this whole time." Jonathan said.
"Indeed… the only difference was an "Arm"." Stella commented before she saw the time. "I should see how Gayle's doing…" She said before taking her phone out.
At the Palais Garnier
Chloe had arrived to drop off some important folder at the desk of Madam Dubois. Once that was done, she was about to leave, only to see Madam Dubois, who was putting her phone away, entering the room.
"One moment, Chloe..." Madam Dubois ordered.
"Oui. Madame Dubois. .." Chloe said as she remained still.
"I take it you got the photos I asked you to retrieve from the hotel?" Dubois asks.
"Oui. Here zhey are." Chloe said, gesturing to the fold.
"Wonderful." Dubois said before holding her hand out to keep Chloe from leaving. "I have something else I need to speak with you."
"Y-Yes?" Chloe asks.
"I saw the breakfast you had with that… boy, earlier today as I was on my way here." Dubois said with a disdainful look on her face.
"Danny? I was simply returning a favor to him for returning my necklace when I dropped it from my bag." Chloe insisted.
"Chloe, you must be rid of that thing, such a thing is not fit for a student under my tutelage. And cease spending any time with him. You do not have time to be distracted by silly boys, especially when you have a career to build and a letter of recommendation to earn from me..." Dubois said, tilting her sunglasses forward to glare at the young girl.
Chloe sighed.
"Oui Madame. I understand..." She said.
Deep down, she is frustrated. However, she cannot speak her mind.
"You may go, but be here tomorrow morning and on time." Dubois ordered.
Chloe left and, once outside, she looked around as if looking for something. Seeing people around her, she seemed to flinch.
"Ironic... I meet a nice guy after what feels like forever and I can't even be friends with him…" She said, looking almost as if she had to speak so elegantly.
With the Fentons
After another 3 hours, the minibus soon arrived at the destination.
"This is the place..." Alicia said as she parked near a cottage of some kind.
Looking outside, the family saw Mont Mouchet in the distance.
"This? I thought we were going to the mountain?" Danielle asks.
"Technically… we're here for something I found from the mountain. I brought it here." Alicia said.
"Where's here?" Danny asks.
"We're about a mile away from the town of Auvers." Alicia said.
"Auvers-sou-oise?" Jazz asks.
"Yeah, that one." Alicia said.
"I know that place! That's where Van Gogh died." Jazz said.
"More to why you're here, it's also where that fancy statue of some gal stabbed the Beast in the chest." Alicia said.
"Yeah… I think Sam mentioned this to me. There's a statue of a woman stabbing something that looks like a hairless dog, which I'm guessing is supposed to be the Beast." Danny commented.
"Okay, so what is it that you dragged us all the way here for?" Jack asked, hoping it was worth it.
"This is..." Alicia said as she motioned them to go around the house
Upon entering the backyard, the 5 were presented with something unexpected.
"A chest?" Maddie asked, confused.
"Chests." Danny corrected, pointing to about 5 chests in total, all in a U formation.
"I found this thing when I was huntin' and they were covered in dirt. Not just any dirt, I took it to a science guy nearby and he says the dirt comes from underground." Alicia explained.
It was then Maddie noticed some dirt was still on the chest. Putting her hood on, she used the goggles to scan the dirt.
"Checks out. The soil sample here is dark and the texture suggests it's not from the topside." Maddie said before pulling the goggles up. "Where did you find these?"
"At Mont Mouchet. People say they's seen these things sometime after that whole Monsteroid thing happened." Alicia said.
"You mean Disasteroid?" Jack asks.
"Whatever. Point is, someone says they saw these things fall out of the mountain when it happened… so that leads me to thinkin' something not very Earthly is at work here." Alicia said.
That caught Danny's attention.
Did I cause these things to come out of the mountain? He thought.
"I wants to check what's inside, but the stupid things won't open!" Alicia complained.
"You called us over to open these things?" Jack asks with apparent disbelief in his voice.
"See for yourselves how tough it is." Alicia said, stepping back.
With that, both Fenton parents pulled out their blasters and fired at one chest.
Their children pulled back in surprise at this.
Maddie and Jack both examined the chest, surprised by how it didn't seem remotely harmed..
"Strange. It's somehow blast proof..."Maddie said.
"Let's just bust the stupid thing open..." Jack said, pulling out a Jack o Nine Tails.
He used the weapon on the chest to break it open, only for the cables to break off from a failed attempt to crush it, much to Jack's horror.
"You think I haven't tried that already? I broke my good ax trying to get that stupid thing open. My ax broke into tiny pieces..." Alicia said bitterly.
Maddie raised a brow.
"How odd. It doesn't even look like it has a scratch on it..." Maddie said as she examined it closer.
"There's some writing on this one." Danielle said, pointing to one chest.
"Same here." Jazz said, point at another.
"Try pushin' em." Alicia said.
Confused but curious, the girls tried pushing said chests, only to make little motion.
"Something heavy in here." Danielle strained to push as she said this.
"But try this one." Alicia said, gesturing to the one she stood next to.
Danny walked up to and pushed it, making it move slightly.
"Why is it lighter?" He asks.
"Now look at what it says here." Alicia said, pointing to the writing on the top.
"Lee Betty of Gevaudan?" Danny read in mangled French.
"It is pronounced "Le Bete du Gévaudan". It means The Beast of Gévaudan..." Jack explained
Everyone sans Maddie stared at him funny.
"How'd you know that?" Jazz asks.
"I had Jack read up a bit on the legend last night before bed." Maddie said.
"Now… take a look at what they say in order from left to right." Alicia said as she stood at the center of the U shape and pointed to them in order. "The Knowledge is Yours So Long As It's for a Good Change… Do Not Misuse What You Learn From What's Inside… Our Mistake Most Not Be Repeated… Avoid The Return of the Monster… The Beast of Gevaudan." Alicia said, reading off each chest's writing one at a time.
Hearing that, Maddie nodded to the kids.
"Oh… is that the time? We gotta call and… make sure that thing is ready." Jazz said, winking to her siblings.
Realizing what she means, Danny plays along.
"Right. Come on, Danielle… we should… go to." He said.
"Go where?" Danielle asks absentmindedly.
Danny motioned his head away, confusing her further.
"Let's go…" He whispered.
"Huh?" Danielle went.
Rolling their eyes, Danny and Jazz pulled Danielle by the arms out of the backyard, the smaller girl still confused.
"Where are they goin'?" Alicia asks.
"Oh… to… to stretch their legs. I was a long drive here." Maddie said.
Before Alicia could speak, Danny Phantom soon appeared before them.
"Hi." He went.
"WHAT IN TARNATION?!" She exclaimed.
"Uh… glad I could… find you all after that message left by your son, on the fridge." Danny said with a convincing lie.
"Y-Yes." Maddie said, going along with it.
"Good of you to have told me about this… before leaving." Danny said, sending an unamused look at his mother, who laughed sheepishly.
"So… the chest?" Jack said, gesturing to it.
"Start with the heavy ones." Alicia said.
Danny examined the box and raised a brow..
"Maybe I can phase it out. Mind if I try..." Danny said.
"It's worth a shot. It can't do any worse than finding it blast proof..." Jack said.
"Get on with it. I don't got all day here..." Alicia said impatiently.
Jack scowled at her for that, only for Maddie to act as mediator.
"Alicia, Dan- I mean Phantom is here to help." Maddie said.
"Okay, here goes everything..." He said, as he tried to use his powers.
He tried to make the chest intangible, only for something to happen.
He felt a strong force from the chest appear out of nowhere before it started pushing him back. He hit the back of the house.
"Danny! ...Phantom!" Jack and Maddie both shouted, adding his last name quickly to hide their concern for their son from the one family member present who doesn't know his identity.
"Hey, watch it, Punk! That thing's a rental!" Alicia snapped angrily.
Jack snarled and looked ready to fight back before Maddie pulled him away.
"She doesn't know it's him…" She whispered.
"Like she cared at all." Jack responded sharply.
Maddie shook her head in disapproval at this as Danny walked towards them, hand on head.
"Okay… I'm guessing this is a magic thing." He said.
"Magic. Science's greatest enemy." Maddie said with disdain.
"Maybe you can just phase yourself through to see what's in there? Or feel what's in there?" Jack suggests.
Thinking quickly, Danny split into four. Each of them phased their hands through the chests on the left and right sides, feeling what's inside.
"Books." All of them said in unison.
"Books?!" Alicia questioned in outrage and confusion.
Jack shook his head in disapproval at this before Maddie ribbed him to stop.
"Try the middle one." Jack said.
The four Phantoms merged back into one.
The one Phantom phased his hand through, feeling something unusual.
"A blanket? No wait… something hairier." He tries to pull it out, only to find his hand won't go through. "Okay.. whatever's keeping me from phasing the stuff out won't let me take it out either." He said.
He continued to feel the material in his hand. It felt shaggy, almost like a dog's fur. It almost felt unpleasant, like he was touching something that was wrong or unnatural.
"Maybe you can scan it?" Maddie suggests, taking her goggles off and handing them to Danny.
With that, he phased his upper body through the chest, seeing nothing but darkness.
"Light." He said, his hand causing a shock sensation when he tried to do that. "ACK! Okay… all but one power is not acceptable." He said before deciding to take whatever it is he held and keep it close to the goggles as they scanned it.
He soon moved out, handing the goggles back to Maddie.
"Well?" She asks.
"It felt like… animal fur." Danny said.
Meanwhile, Alicia looked almost elated.
So what the note said was true... that's gotta be the monster's pelt. She thought.
30 minutes later
The adults were still examining the scans taken of the strange pelt. Or rather, Jack and Maddie were and Alicia was complaining they were taking too long. Eventually, they had an answer.
Jazz went to the minibus, only to see Danny and Danielle drinking their gross beverages.
"Where did you get those?" She asks.
"I made them before we left, as per Danny's instructions on how to make them." Danielle said as she sipped.
"So, which delights your pallet this time?" Danny asks.
"I was gonna say tomato and cheese, but I think it's banana and bacon." Danielle said.
"Good choice." Danny said as they continued drinking.
As Jazz held in her vomit, she was able to swallow.
"Mom and Dad have something…" She said.
With that, the three rushed back. Danielle, however, returned to finish her drink entirely before going. But before she left, she saw something sticking out from underneath the seat. She pulled it out.
"What's this?" She asks.
In the backyard, Jack and Maddie used their laptops to check what her goggles scanned.
"We're detecting faint traces of Canis lupus DNA." Maddie said.
"Uh… huh?" Danny and Danielle went in unison.
"That means wolf." Jazz answered them.
"So... it's a wolf?" Danny asks.
"Yes and no." A response with a look of uncertainty was made. "It has wolf DNA... and hyena... and lion... with small bits of human. Whatever this thing was can't be natural..." Maddie further explained.
"I'm a C student and even I know they don't mix." Danny said.
"Good to see you paid attention to some things." Jazz snarked.
"And they can't be removed. We'll have to find some way to break whatever magic is keeping these boxes sealed. Something this dangerous can't fall into the wrong hands, we'll have to destroy it." Maddie said.
"But... I don't wanna destroy it!" Alicia went quickly.
All eyes were on her.
"Pardon?" Maddie asks.
"I want you to get it out and give it to me. Imma sell it to a feller offering 100 mill." Alicia said with a smile.
The Fentons went silent, save for one who felt betrayed.
"What?!" Maddie asks in anger.
"You heard me." Alicia said with a grin and a thumb up. "We're gonna make a killing."
"Alicia...explain yourself...right now!" Maddie said, teeth gritting as she stomped towards her.
"I found this thing while I was huntin' with some guy from England. I found it with the writing on it and learned about the whole story of the Beast. I don't know what was actually in the boxes, all I know is that it's worth big bucks..." Alicia said.
"Who?" Maddie asks.
"The guy who paid for your stay when I promised him that I knew someone who could get the thing opened. I promised if I could get him what's inside quick." Alicia said.
"Who? Is? It?!"" Maddie asks.
"Just some guy who sells animals and their parts to the highest bidder." Alicia said without a look of remorse.
Hearing this filled Maddie with
"Are you kidding me?! You brought us all the way here just for getting cash from a crook?!" Maddie shouted.
"I knew she had something in mind." Jack grumbled.
"Actually… I needed your superhero friend." Alicia admitted, much to everyone's surprise. "I told him I knew the family that works with him, so they'd come on over and get the box to open, seeing as we don't gots the magic to do it."
"So, this was just so Danny Phantom could help you?" Danny asks, feeling upset.
"Now I know I gots the pelt and can sell it once you figure out how to open it!" Alicia stated proudly.
"This thing is dangerous and should be destroyed! Who knows what someone can use it for!" Maddie argued.
"Like what? Clone it? Don't be so naive, it's just a pelt that some rich feller is gonna put on his wall. The books are useless, I'll probably burn 'em..." Alicia said stubbornly, unintentionally angering Jazz for what she said on books.
"What?! You are serious on selling this pelt to some black market scoundrel?!" Maddie shouted.
"I had a feeling she planned on making money not so legally..." Danny whispered to his sisters.
Maddie and Alicia kept yelling and arguing.
"You don't get it, Maddie! This is huge money you and your kids and even Jack can live off of forever! Don't throw away a chance like this! You can have your keep!" Alicia yelled.
"Excuse you, but some of us make a living doing things in a legal way..." Maddie said.
"How is running around shooting ghosts while some kid with powers do things for ya a job?" Alicoa argued.
To hear this upset Maddie greatly, angering her enough to disregard their sisterly bond.
"UGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE I DEFENDED YOU!" Maddie yelled before storming off.
Alicia raised an eyebrow.
"Maddie?" She asks.
"You don't change?! Do you?! You're my sister and yet you're the same bitter fool you were when Wilfred left you!" Maddie shouted.
"Don't you say his name around me!" Alicia snapped.
"Like I care how you feel!" Maddie said once she stormed her way to the minibus.
Seeing this, the rest of the Fenton family followed, with Jack sticking his tongue out at Alicia on the way.
Alicia was fuming angry when her phone went off.
"WHAD YOU WANT?!" She shouted.
"Best hold your temper, Alicia." The cockney accented man from before spoke. Alicia gasps, calming down. "So, what'd they say?"
"Well… uh… all but one is full of books. One of 'em gots the pelt like you said it would." Alicia said.
"Of course. Did the superhero do his thing?" The man asked.
"Yes… and no. He can't take it out and he won't do it. My sister won't let it happen." Alicia said.
"We can't have that. Bring the chests to me." He ordered.
"But… what about my sister and her family? Well, Jack I don't care for, bu-"
"You want your money… and to pay off your debt… you'll do as I say." He ordered.
Alicia gulped, feeling less than confident as she knew the consequences of saying no.
On the others side of the phone
The man in the shadows hung up, grunting in frustration.
"Guess we need to eliminate any risks to my operations." He said to himself in his Cockney accent.
"And… us?" A loud, guttural voice asks.
He looked over his shoulder and three cages, with differing figures inside.
One was large and ape-like, one was on the ground with multiple legs, and one had a water tank inside.
"You'll have some fun soon, boys…" The man said with a grin.
With the Fentons
Angered, they didn't bother to wait for Alicia. They look off with the equipment to the nearby town of Auvers, stopping at a restaurant to eat a late lunch.
"I cannot believe Alicia." Maddie said, slamming her fist onto the table. "I've stuck my neck out for her and now this?!"
Eyes of other patrons were on her, despite that most did not speak English.
"Maddie, while I'm all for you finally seeing your sister as the bitter old bat she is, maybe not so loudly?" Jack suggests.
Maddie groaned as she ate her chocolate croissant.
"I don't even care how much this is… I'm eating it to ignore my issues." Maddie said.
"That's stress eating, Mom." Jazz said.
"How could I be so blind?" Maddie asks.
"Mom, you want to believe in the best when it comes to your sister. Nothing wrong with that. If I were in your position with Jazz or Danielle, I'd do the same." Danny said.
"This is different. Alicia… has been the same person for years. She's still hunting to make a quick buck, and now I find she's doing it with someone committing crimes. We're using evil money at that hotel we should check out of now." Maddie said.
"Has she always been like that?" Danielle asks as she wants to be sure.
"Ever since her divorce with her ex-husband. She'll never change, she'll always be the same miserable person who causes trouble…" Maddie said.
"I've changed." Danielle pointed out. "I used to cause trouble for Danny."
"That's different, Danielle. You were manipulated by a psychopath who wanted a woman who doesn't love him." Danny points out.
"Exactly!" Maddie went before groaning and face palming. "Maybe you're right, Jack. Maybe I should cut her out of our lives if she refuses to change her ways."
Jack grinned in victory, though that was short lived when Jazz spoke.
"You're giving up on her? But Mom? She's family." Jazz said, not to defend Alicia but to question her mother.
Jack wordlessly asked her to stop.
"Family that I've defended and has said and done things I don't condone. I don't condone nice things said about Vlad and I don't condone working with illegal hunters." Maddie responded sharply before her face turned sorrowful. "I think this time, she's on her own..."
As the family felt sorry for Maddie, someone approached the Fentons. The woman in the trench coat.
"Excuse me, Fentons?" She asks in an American accent.
"Yes?" They asks.
"Lieutenant Edge, United States Military. I believe we need to speak."
Outside
As the Fentons walked with the woman, she maintained a distance from the restaurant so that they can speak clearly.
"Okay… uh, Sergeant Sharp?" Jack asks.
"Lieutenant Edge." She responded as she took off the hat, revealing long blonde hair underneath, and sunglasses, revealing dark blue eyes. "We have reason to believe the woman you know as Alicia is working with a wanted criminal."
"We figured." Maddie said with a disdainful look on her face.
That's when the woman before them showed a photo.
"This is the man she's working with…"
What they saw was a muscular bald man with a Van Dyke style beard and mustache, an X-shaped scar on his forehead. He wore a ripped muscle shirt with black short-sleeved jacket, cargo pants, gloves, sunglasses, a snake tattoo on his left arm and a nasty grin.
"Who's he?" Jack asks.
"Rex Callahan, goes by Razor, he's a poacher, bounty hunter, black market dealer and terrorist for hire. We-" Edge shuddered a moment. "The US military was keeping him as an informant and link to the British Military until we found out he wasn't who we thought, having hacked his way in to steal secrets for a third party. We've been tracking him for the past 13 years and we have reason to believe he's the man Alicia has come in contact with." Edge informed them.
"And.. you're telling us because…?" Maddie asks.
"Tell us where she went, and inform this Phantom person you're aligned with, so we can hunt Callahan down and bring him in." She stated flatly.
The Fentons flinched and Jack and Maddie tried to come up with an excuse.
"It's not like we have a Phantom hotline or anything… but we do know where Alicia is." Maddie said.
"That'll help." Edge responded with a scowl as she raised her phone. "Tell me where and I'll have the place stormed in seconds."
At the cottage
Several soldiers were waiting for Edge to inform her the bad news. The chests were gone, as was the minibus.
"Well?" Edge asks.
"The place is empty, Ma'am." One soldier said with a salute.
"The chests?" She asks.
"Imprints on the ground suggest they were there, but not anymore." He responded.
"Keep finding a clue. We're not even supposed to be here." Edge stated.
The Fentons were on edge as the agents kept searching.
"What are they looking for?" Danielle asks.
"A clue to see where Alicia went." Jazz said.
That's when Danielle recalled what she found.
"Like this?" She pulls out the strange note she found. "It was written in French, so I can't read it."
Jack was handed it as he read it fast.
"Uh oh…" He said.
"What's it say?" Maddie asks.
"I don't know! I can't read it! I just started reading French, after all!" Jack went in a panic.
As everyone else rolled their eyes, Jazz pulled it out of his grip and read it.
Her eyes widened.
"This is a warning… judging from the dirt on it and how old it is, it must've been with the chests." Jazz said.
"What's it say?" Danny asks.
"It's a list of what's inside the chests." She said.
"Wait so… she knew all along?" Jack asks.
"No… it doesn't say what has what… but it does say the books are a collection of spells… some of which… could bring the Beast back to life?!" Jazz questioned loudly.
"Well, we know they just want the pelt. So, that's not really something to worry about…" Maddie said.
Jazz's shouting got Edge's attention.
"It also says the seal on the chests weaken during the full moon because that's when the magic used was made." Jazz said.
"Hence why they buried them." Danny said.
"When's the next full moon?" Jack asks.
"In Parisian time, that's tonight." Edge answered them suddenly. She then approached. "Ideas where it might take place?"
"Well… if it was buried here, then it must be somewhere close by? Night will fall in 2 hours, Alicia couldn't drive far." Maddie said.
"Tell us what you can on the van and my men will find it. In the meantime, get in touch with your ghosts." Edge responded sharply before having Maddie follow her.
As that went on, Danny and Danielle nodded, knowing what they're to do soon.
Elsewhere
Alicia had brought the chests to a location not far from where the rest were, taking deep breaths as she arrived at an abandoned looking chalet built off the road. Here, she brought the minibus to the front and knocked on the door.
"I gots the thing! We still got time to do it!" She said, looking terrified.
Opening the door was Razor himself, the man who she spoke with.
"Bring it inside, my boys will make sure no one touches them until it's time." He said with a grin.
Alicia gulped, fearful of who he has employed before doing as she instructed.
In the Ghost Zone
In the Observants' Lair, things got tense as the container holding the soul meant to be banished is being picked up.
"In roughly a few hours, you will be banished to the Unworld, never to be seen again!" One Observant said.
"Prepare the machine!" Another stated.
The container was being carried off, the sound inside's red eyes squinting in anger.
Special thank you to Flower Princess11.
Let's pretend that it's like how the multiverse in the Arrowverse works, hence where I got the whole using a maiden name thing.
RonaldM40196867: Already chosen. Yes. Yes. I already picked, please do not ask this again. Dunno. I guess. Because I wanted to and it's not her or inspired by her.
danifan3000: Wrong Chloe. Probably not as I want to focus on fighting non-ghosts.
pokemon fan 1991: Not named after her. Which? Because I want to focus on creatures with real world appearances and are well-known in the alien/cryptid/paranormal circle. I was talking about Frightmare.
Invader Johnny: We shall see.
Luiz4200: Yup.
CMR Rosa: Thank you. To answer: For starters, they're still married and changed their names to avoid their families for reasons undisclosed. Indeed, mostly they're busy, but there might be more to it. 3. We'll see how well he forgave them and see how well they play in the theme.
Daniel6: Got it.
IrishKatana: I've already chosen all of the monsters who will be the villains. Maybe Cujo returns? We'll see.
Leonardo: I'm not naming them after any actors. As for Chloe, we'll learn later because if I said it now, it'd be a giveaway.
SoundVenom: Thanks for reading.
Guest: 1. I think so. 2. Thanks. 3. Maybe? 4. Glad you like them. 5. Definitely respects them less. 6. Indeed. 7. I have a few ideas. 8. Probably.