Birth of the Beast
"Okay… this is an interesting unexpected twist." Danny said.
"Who showed up?" Danielle asks as she puts another fry in her brother's mouth.
"Some dude in a black robe." Danny said while chewing.
"What's he there for?" Jazz asks.
"I'm about to find out." Danny said.
"You think you can help me?" Devereux questioned.
"Indeed. Your father reached out to us." The man in the robe said.
"Ah… that old fool." Devereux muttered angrily.
"He says he's not quite happy you've lost your status as such a proud and respected dragoon." The man said.
Danny could see from Devereux's perspective he whipped his head quickly to face the man before marching over and grabbing him by the collar of his robe.
"How did you know that?!" He questioned.
"He came looking for you… then for us. We've helped him… now it's our time to help you. Help you topple this village, this province, and soon all of France, to give it to those truly deserve it." The man said.
There was a silence, much to Danny's discomfort.
"What do you have in mind?" Devereux asks.
The scene then cuts to later, in the woods, where a group of men in robes like before.
"Is this a cult?" Danny questioned as he watched.
"Well?" Devereux asks. "What reason am I here?!"
"This is what I get for failing to teach you proper manners…" One taller man said with a groan as he approached, pulling his hood back to reveal a face.
One with a small circle beard and mustache that had grayed up, and chilling blue eyes.
"Father?" Devereux asks in surprise before his head motioned up and down. "You're walking? How?"
"They reached out to me… promised me the ability to walk again… provided I help them. I did… now it's your turn to join the Brotherhood." His father said.
"Brotherhood?" Danny asks. "Was there some kind of cult called the Brotherhood?" Danny asks.
"None that I'm aware of." Sam was heard responding.
"Why exactly should I help you?" Devereux questioned.
"Do some… simple tasks for us… and you'll be rewarded handsomely. If they can repair my leg after a bullet went through it… imagine what they could do for you." His father said.
Devereux hummed before nodding.
"What can I do?" He asks.
"There's a certain… person we need taken care of." One member said.
"So… you need me as a sort of assassin?" Devereux questions.
"Indeed. Do you wish to reject it?" The man in robes asks.
"No… I just want to clarify what I will be doing." Devereux said, his voice having no hesitation to take a life.
10 minutes later
As everyone else was getting ready, Danny was still watching. The look of his mouth made it clear what he saw was far from being okay.
"He did it. He took out that guy who was gonna expose them." Danny said.
"So, who are they?" Danielle asks as Jazz was doing her hair for her, much to the small girl's own displeasure.
"It looks like they're a bunch of magic people who want to overthrow the monarchy… but not for the reasons you might think. They look like they just want to be in charge because they think having magic makes them better." Danny responded.
Hearing that caused Maddie to cup her own chin in thought.
"Hmm… magic. Do you think they're what turned him into that monster? From what you describe of Devereux, he doesn't sound like he'd know any." She suggested.
"Maybe… because he's getting his reward from them…" Danny said.
"Well?" Devereux questioned as he met with a member in his house at night.
"You've kept him quiet about us?" One member asks.
"I broke his jaw and his hands, so that even if he survived that fall, he'd be unable to say anything." Devereux answered.
"Good." The member said before holding out a glass container, filled with a pink fluid of some kind. "This is the potion that promises to help you."
Without hesitation, Devereux drank the container dry. Once done, nothing seemed to happen.
"Well?" He asks impatiently.
"Give it time…" The man in the robe told him.
"Time?" Devereux questioned angrily. "How much time will i-" He then paused before his vision started to go out.
"Huh?" Danny asks.
Devereux seemed to be knocked out for a brief moment before awakening, shaking his head quickly.
"What happened?" He asks, pushing himself up.
"See for yourself." The man in the robe said, taking out a handheld mirror.
As Devereux reached for the mirror, Danny laughed in relief.
"Finally! I can see hi-"
The headset was yanked off his head, seeing it was held by the ghost of Marie.
"Have you figured a way in? Or are you just playing these video game things?" She asks with an eyebrow raised.
Danny frowned at her.
"First off, you insisted I get in the right way rather than sneak in." Danny said.
"It's been one of my favorite places and I will not allow break-ins during a show, no matter the reason." Marie insisted.
"And second… that thing was showing me Devereux's life before he became the Beast… and I was just about to SEE HIS FACE FINALLY!" Danny shouted.
"Oh…" Marie went, sounding apologetic. "Sorry…" She handed it back.
Danny put it back on and groaned.
"Of course… I lost count of how many times I missed seeing his face." He muttered.
Devereux walked away, chuckling to himself.
"I look 20 years younger. My wrinkles are gone, my gray hairs are colored once more, and my handsome face is back in its prime." He said.
"Continue aiding us… and we will make sure you get more." The man in robes said.
"Fine with me… but I have someone I should see…" He said.
The scene then cut to the day. Devereux was walking towards an inn.
"Is he checking into an inn in his own town?" Danny questioned.
The door opened and, at the front, was Catherine, who looked much older yet still had some of her beauty.
"Welcome t- Cedric?" She asks, shocked to see him. "You're… H-how?"
"How am I still so determined to be with you?" Devereux questioned as he stood before her proudly.
"How can you still look so young?! You look like you did back before you were drafted back in 38. It's been 23 years!" She said.
"Yes… and I hear your dear husband has had his crops do poorly, right, Catherine? And you've had few visitors to the inn or its tavern, right?" He asks as he got closer and leaned into the wall.
"What are you getting at?" She questioned with an edge to her voice.
"Have you… recognized your mistake in not choosing me?" Cedric asks. "Because, I can make it so it's like you never made that mistake, you and I can be both young together…"
"Turn my back to the man I love, the family I've made… to be with the man who didn't respect my decision and is the reason my father i-" She didn't finish as Devereux cut her off.
"If he hadn't gotten in the way, he'd be here right now." Devereux stated dismissively. "So… all these years, I can easily make it so you can fix your past mistake." He offered.
"You think I've come to regret choosing the man I love over you? Even if my father were still with us… I'd NEVER choose you. If you think making yourself younger will change my mind… you're a fool." She chastised.
Cedric was heard snorting loudly and angrily.
"Let me make this easier for you…" Cedric pulled out a knife, aiming it at Catherine as she gasped and pulled back. "Be mine… or no one else's…"
"Cedric!" He heard the familiar voice of Cedric, turning his head to see him and a much younger male aiming the guns at him. "Leave… now! If I see you again, I will shoot you!"
Cedric did not answer, instead he glanced at the younger man with Jean. This young man looked a lot like Jean did in his youth, but with Catherine's eyes, hair color and nose. It didn't take long to realize this was their son.
Angered, Cedric stormed out, furious to see his former friend had a child with the woman he lusted for instead.
"That was her last chance…" He muttered.
10 minutes later
"Well?" Jazz asks.
"He's spent the last 2 years doing terrible stuff for them. It cuts away before anything really awful happens… but it doesn't take long to guess what he did." Danny answered.
"What's he up to now?" Tucker asks.
"Well… every job he does for them, which is mostly him offing someone, he drinks something that either gives him years back, makes him stronger or gives him some kind of enhancement that makes his running better. He's been offing people in secrecy to test what he could do." Danny said before he shuddered. "And he's been having fun with it…"
"Based on what you've said about him, it sounds like Cedric Devereux suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and quite possibly is a low-functioning sociopath. From what else you said, he seems to have been raised in a family that valued good looks, strength and skill over all else, creating a twisted sense of self-worth that made him prioritize himself above all to the point of no longer being able to make proper connections with others and see everyone as either an obstacle or a tool to use...or just something to possess, given what he tried to do with Catherine. It's more than likely he never loved her, just saw her as a trophy. All that forming a man who no longer has any sense of morality, assuming he ever truly had one, and takes pleasure from hurting people to satisfy his warped belief that he doesn't deserve what's happened to him." Jazz said, analyzing this man based on what her brother described of him.
"... what she said." Tucker said.
"So… it's now 1764… he's heading home." Danny said.
Cedric Devereux walked, fuming with anger at how the enhancements he's been given aren't enough.
"I'm stronger and faster than any human around… and it's still not enough. I want more… I NEED more!" He growled under his breath.
He then felt something hit the back of his head, making him grit his teeth in anger.
"You're a monster of a man!" A teenage girl's voice went.
"Good shot, Jeanne." Her mother, someone who once admired Devereux, said to her as they walked away. "All these years and you show no regret for what you did!" She was heard shouting at him.
Cedric was heard breathing heavily through his nose as he saw others giving him dirty looks as they walked past him.
"Traitors, idiots, all of them… they forget who they're dealing with. Well… after tonight… I'll show them all. Starting with that disrespectful little imp, she'll suffer for what her mother taught her…" He muttered.
He reached his home and, upon closing the door, sat and waited for those in the robes to appear.
"Question… when did the Beast make his first known kill? Like… time?" Danny asks.
"About mid-day." Sam answered.
"It's night… and he's pretty angry at a teenager named Jeanne. I'm guessing you know what that means…" Danny said, dreading what's to come.
Devereux had closed his eyes briefly before opening them. The men in robes appeared, likely due to magic.
"About time… Now, my reward? You promised to give me the best doses of your little potions." He demanded.
"We have been… working on various potions. We cannot give them to you here… but we have a spot where it will work. Tonight is a full moon… the perfect time to test them with you." One said.
"Test?" Devereux asks.
"The potions you drank weren't just to make you stronger, they were to test how the strongest doses of what we took from the wolves we've worked on can do to you." Another said.
"Wolves?" Devereux asks.
"To put it simply, Devereux… we're turning you into a werewolf." The leader of this small group said.
Devereux paused a moment before scoffing.
"You're serious?" He questioned before noting the seriousness of their tone. "I am to become an actual beast? I've been drinking traces of wolves?" He questioned with an incredulous tone to his voice.
"What do you think we've been making you drink to enhance your abilities? Apple cider?" One robed man questioned sarcastically.
"No, it doesn't taste as well." Devereux snarked.
"Well… you've taken in so much of it… but with our aid and adding more to it… we can make you do more than take in a well fed wolf's speed and strength. We've added traces of other animals from members of our group all throughout Europe and beyond. They've taken in animals whose abilities, added with those this stronger dose we've made for you, will make you unstoppable." One robed man said.
"Once you take this potion we are granting you tonight, you will gain the ability to become such a beast with your will alone. But, remember, we made you and can easily unmake you. For our potion comes with some additions to make sure you don't try to turn on us." Another said.
"Really? And my father is fine with this?" Devereux questioned.
"Who do you think insisted we make sure you don't double cross us once we do this?" One questioned him back.
Devereux scoffed angrily at this.
"Fine…" He said impatiently. "Where do we go for me to take this beast beverage?"
Then it cut to the forest, during a full moon.
Devereux looked around, seeing himself in a circle of the men in robes.
"I think this is it." Danny said.
"The part where he becomes the Beast?" Sam asks.
"No, when he learns to fly." Danny snarked.
"No need to get all snippy." Sam responded bitterly.
"Sorry, it's just… still annoyed at how I still haven't seen his face yet." Danny said.
Devereux looked up at the full moon, though his groans made it clear it wasn't out of admiration.
"How much longer?! It's cold out here! Did I have to strip completely?!" He shouted.
Danny gasped upon hearing that.
"Please don't look down… please don't look down…" He repeated urgently.
"Uh… what's going on?" Jazz asks, sounding a bit concerned.
"Don't ask…" Danny said quickly.
"Do you want your clothes to rip? No? Then yes, you had to strip." One of them said.
"Now…" Another said as he and two others stepped forward, each holding bottles of differing potions. "Are you ready to become… more than human?"
"Obviously. I wouldn't be completely naked if I didn't want to be! Now hurry up before I die of cold!" Devereux shouted in rage.
"Very well…" They approached him with the bottles as he continued speaking. "Drink. Brothers… let us chant."
The men began chanting something odd as Devereux began chugging one of the bottles that was handed to him.
"Aliquam quis ante nobis efficitur. Da ei potestatem extra se. Sit invehitur bestia. Potestas acquirit sub imperio nostro…" They chanted in latin as he drank the other two bottles.
"Okay… major creepy vibes." Danny said as he kept watching.
Once it was done, Devereux dropped the bottles, not caring that they broke to pieces. The same chant repeated as the winds blew stronger than before. He ignored the cold as he raised his arms, awaiting the change.
The chanting stopped.
"It is done." One of them said.
Devereux looked at his arms. There was no change.
"What?" He questioned.
"Okay… this is weird. He's not changing." Danny said.
"What's going on?!" Devereux questioned.
"Just a moment." One said.
"A moment? How long of a moment?!" Devereux questioned angrily. "I spent YEARS aiding you! You promised me power!" He shouted as he reached for one and grabbed them by the neck
"And it's coming… just wait!" The one he grabbed insisted.
"Don't lie to me!" Devereux shouted. "This was all some ploy, wasn't it?! Make me think I'd gain power of a beast, when all along this was some elaborate ruse and clean up your messes! Did Jean Chastel set you up?! Don't lie! I smell the soup from his tavern on you!"
One member's head whipped in his direction.
"You… smell our dinner from hours ago?" He asks.
Devereux pulled back, seeing that what he just said made no sense.
Suddenly, he felt something that made his body vibrate.
He gasped as he got on his knees, feeling something that caused him to yelp in pain. Then he felt something almost pop out of him from behind. He looked to see something on him.
"A coat? No… some kind of mane and…" He saw something else. "Is… that a tail?!"
A long, black tail was now coming out of him as his body became hairy.
Looking down, he saw cream colored hair sticking out of his chest, making it difficult to see anything below his chest.
His breathing grew more and more ragged as he got on all fours. He saw his hands become hairy, russet in color, while dark hair started to grow on his head, blocking his vision slightly.
"It's working. I believe we're owed an apology, Devereux." One said knowingly.
"Show… show me a mirror!" Devereux demanded, his voice deepening as he looked up.
One of them held up a handheld mirror as Devereux got up, finding he's grown in size a bit. He walked over and took the mirror.
He looked to see his eyes turned red, his mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, his nose now that of a canine's, and russet hair growing around his face as it slowly closed in to cover the rest of it.
Devereux, for a moment, was panting in shock before he started laughing. It was small, simple, and somewhat deranged before it erupted to a maniacal, rather terrifying insane cackle as his face became hairy. He was now what is known today as The Beast of Gévaudan.
Danny lowered the Memory Viewer, having a somewhat haunted look on his face. All eyes were on him as he went from shocked to annoyed.
"Really?! The one time I see his face and he's turning into Clifford the Big Red Devil Dog?" He questioned in annoyance.
He rolled his eyes to everyone in the room who made him miss moments earlier to see the face. His parents, younger sister and Marie were all whistling innocently as they looked away.
"So…" Sam went, trying to keep them on topic. "What's going to happen now?"
Danny put the headset back on.
From Devereux's perspective.
He was going through the bushes, finding his way to see a herd of cows.
"Here they are…" He said in a low growl. "Boulet's cattle… which means that woman or her mouthy girl are here."
That's when the sound of someone speaking to the cows was heard.
"Come now… little one." A girl's voice went. "Join your mother…"
Devereux, now the Beast, followed the sound of the girl's voice before spotting Jeanne Boulet, the daughter of the couple, was herding the cows.
"There she is…" He said with a sinister growl.
"Oh no…" Danny went, dreading what he was likely about to see.
"What's wrong?" Jazz asks.
"He's about to add his first body to the pile the Beast had…" Danny said.
"You…" The Beast growled, getting Jeanne's attention, causing her to gasp in shock and horror.
"What?! A wolf?! And it talks?!" She screamed.
"Not a wolf… a MONSTER!" He said with a sinister laugh as he stood up.
"CUT AFTER THIS! CUT AFTER THIS!" Danny begged as the Beast ran towards the girl. Then the screen went blank. "Oh that goodness…" Danny muttered as it then cut to the Beast in the presence of the group who transformed him at night.
"Well… you enjoyed your first day with this power?" One asks.
"Of course!" The Beast went as he looked down at his claws with a smile. "This is even greater than I ever imagined! I can't wait to see what other things I can do!" He said with a wicked grin, revealing his sharp teeth as his breath was exposed to them, causing them to stare for a moment.
"Well… glad you enjoyed it. So, you are free to go. You can will yourself back to human form." One said.
"Do not assume you can tell me what to do." The Beast snarled at them.
"Do not forget who granted you your power." The same one said.
The Beast snarled, reaching out for him before his hand started to shake violently, causing him to pull back.
"What?!" He shouted in outrage and anger.
"Need we remind you… you cannot harm us." That same one said again.
The Beast snarled before turning around and getting out of the forests. As he did, his heightened sense of hearing picked up what they were saying.
"Our test is finished. Not only did his ability to eliminate others improve… he did it so quickly." One said.
"I can't believe we got away with that... and he's talking like he's the one who should be in charge, daring to try and attack us..." Another said, shaking their head.
"Well... we did warn him..." One said, looking at the other two. "Now... what shall we do next?"
"Experiment on another person?" One asks.
The Beast's ears perked up.
"I'm working to see if we can make wolves themselves stronger after breeding them with dogs. I brought one near Soissons who I think could work…" That one said.
The Beast snorted as he willed himself to human form.
"I'll play along for now… Once I find a way to get around that little restraint… I'll show them not to think they can control me." He said angrily as he found his clothes and put them back on.
Elsewhere
He chewed his steak slowly, savoring it.
"It's been so long since I've had cooked meat." He said to himself.
As he continued to eat, he couldn't help but reminisce about the past. He remembered the times he would hunt down his prey, feel their warm blood running through his claws. The taste of their flesh was intoxicating, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. But those days were gone, and so was the forest that he once called home.
Gévaudan is no more. Well... I guess zhat means I should expand my domain to all of France. He thought.
He smiled menacingly, using the money of the man he got rid of to get the best food he can.
As he ate, he didn't know he was being spied on from outside.
Razor had gotten upset and went to find something to eat before he spotted this familiar looking man through the window.
"Found him..." Razor said, pretending to be on the phone so that he could speak into his ear piece.
"You don't have to pretend to do that." Larisa's voice went from his right.
Turning his head, he saw her standing before him.
"What are you doing here?" He asks.
"Making sure you're doing your job. So, you found him?" She questioned harshly.
"In there." He pointed inside.
"Hmm... Looks like he's enjoying himself. Let's see how long that lasts." She glared, making a fist.
With that, they made their way inside, only to be stopped by the restaurant's staff.
"Apologies... but zhis is a 4-star restaurant and you do not fit zhe dress code." The waiter informed them, pointing to their casual attire.
"Oh, come on! We just want to talk to our friend." Razor tried to reason.
"Y-Yes... like he said." Larissa said, going along with his lie.
"I'm sorry, but you will have to leave." The waiter replied firmly.
"So... what if my wife and I want to eat here?" Razor questioned as he wrapped an arm around her, ignoring the look from Larisa.
"Again, you do not fit zhe dress code. Please leave or we will call zhe police." He said.
The two shared the same look as they left the restaurant.
Once out, Larisa ribbed him.
"Do not tell anyone that I w-" Larisa started.
"Please tell me you found something we could use against him." He said under his breath.
Larisa rolled her eyes.
"If you must know... the legend says he was taken out by a silver bullet. Since he's a werewolf, that's probably the truth." Larisa said. "We'll just wait until he's finished and we'll find a way to get him somewhere where we can finish the job." Larisa said.
Little did they know, their target overheard them and smiled.
"Good to know I can focus my sense of hearing like before..." He said with a sinister tone from his smiling mouth before putting more of the steak in his mouth.
Back with what Danny was watching.
The Beast hunted at night, snickering to himself. It has now been 3 months since what he did to the girl. Now, he's taken out more people, some on behalf of the brotherhood, others just for fun.
He was going through the Mercoire Forest before he noticed a carriage passing by with people inside and being pulled by two horses. He laughed to himself, seeing some fun.
He made his way, running towards the carriage when he saw the driver noticing him and pulling out a blunderbuss.
"I found it!" He said as he aimed.
The Beast stopped, seeing the carriage open and revealed it had 3 men aiming their own blunderbusses.
"Shoot that thing! Now!" One of the men shouted.
The Beast grinned at seeing them dare to face him.
"Oh, you're all so brave." He snarled.
Two of the men shared a look.
"Did it just talk?" One asks.
"I can talk AND tear you all apart." The Beast said, laughing.
"Then do it!" The third man shouted, holding his weapon steadier.
All of them fired their guns. Their bullets would hit the Beast, yet he did not move. He remained still, not even bothering to get out of the way, much less block the shots.
Eventually, the gunfire stopped.
To the horror of the men, the Beast stood still, not looking remotely hurt. The sounds of something small and metal hitting the ground caught their attention. The Beast himself looked down, seeing the bullets were suddenly ejected from his body and fell, the tiny injuries that failed to piece his skin healing almost instantly. The Beast grinned at the men as they stood back in horror.
"Run..." One said.
"What?" Another asks.
"RUN! THAT IS A DEMON!" The first man shouted.
"Not exactly, but I am flattered by your mistake..." The Beast said.
The men tried to get out of the carriage, only for the Beast to make his way to them and grabbed one of them out and slam him to the ground.
"No! Please! I have a family! I just need the money to help them!" He begged.
"Oh? Then I will pay them a visit..." The Beast said, readying his claws.
"Cut away! Cut away!" Danny, still watching this, begged the machine.
It did as instructed, cutting to the Beast chasing after carriage while looking back. He didn't see his handiwork, but he did see legs and arms sticking out of the bushes. Witch a chuckle, he resumed his hunt before leaping on to the carriage and climbing to reach the back of the driver.
"Going somewhere?" He asks.
The driver turned his head and, upon seeing the Beast, let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Go away again! Go away again!" Danny went.
It cut again to the Beast walking away from the carriage with a sinister smile on his face, hands stained with blood.
"Now, we'll see how many I can eliminate..." He muttered, his voice dripping with malice.
"And then...?" Danny asked, curious.
The camera kept on the Beast as if following his every move.
"And then, I will show them how foolish they are to turn their backs on me..." The Beast's voice echoed, fading into the night.
"And yet... you forget your role." Someone said, causing the Beast to turn his head to see a robed figure.
"Well, well, well...look who it is. It's the brotherhood's messenger. I am so honored." The Beast said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Drop it, Devereux." The robed one said. "You haven't been killing every person you've attacked."
"It's not fun eliminating all of them. I let them think they warded me away, really just to spread word of me, spreading fear or idiocy in being able to defeat me... before I showed them how deadly their stupid mistake truly is." The Beast explained, chuckling.
"And these rumors I hear of a smaller beast?" The robed one asks.
"That was me making more high-pitched howls to make them think there's another. It's fun to mess with them… make them more afraid." The Beast responded with a laugh, his shoulders bobbing.
"Now, it's time to stop this foolishness and return to the fold." The robed one said.
The Beast looked at the figure, eyes narrowing.
"You really think I'm that stupid?" He asked.
"Devereux..." The robed one warned.
The Beast smirked.
"No, you know what? You're right. I am that stupid. To think I wasted so much time playing with these pathetic ants when I could be working for something greater." He mockingly bowed. "Lead the way, your highness." He said sarcastically. "Let us return to your kingdom of darkness and serve our master."
The robed one looked surprised, but nodded.
"Follow me, then." He said.
It then cut to another gathering, where the brotherhood was, including Devereux's father.
"Cedric..." He said. "It's been months and most of your kills weren't targets we instructed."
"Do not assume you can tell me what to do because you are my father." The Beast said, his voice cold. "I am my own master now."
"Don't forget, Cedric, you cannot harm us. I'm willing to convince them not to try and take care of whatever problems you cause. But if you step out of line again, I will have no choice but to cut you off completely." He said.
The Beast looked at his father, anger and hurt burning in his eyes, but he didn't react.
"Of course, father." He said through gritted teeth.
"Take care of? Does that mean they could get take him down?" Danny asks.
From outside the headset
Everyone was watching from afar as Danny was still watching.
"What's going on now?" Tucker asks.
"I'm getting a montage of him... well, it cuts away before he... y'know." Danny went, gesturing cutting off his head and doing the cutting sound with the back of his mouth.
"How many people did he... off?" Danielle asks.
"A 1987 study suggests 210 people... but for all we know, it was more." Sam says, making a face at the idea.
"So, what do you think is going to happen?" Tucker asks, looking back at the headset.
"10 bucks says something rated R." Danny said as he watches the Beast in the headset. Danny took off the headset and looked at the others. "Well, I guess we know what happened next."
"Yeah, but what about now?" Tucker asked. "Where is he now? What's he doing?"
"Let's just say he's been pretty busy, Tuck." Danny said with a rather haunted look on his face. "...and leave it at that."
"Maybe he has a weakness? Surely someone had to find something that worked on him back then?" Maddie suggests.
Hearing that made Danny think.
"Good idea, Mom. Maybe I'll see something..." Danny said as he put it back on.
The Beast watched from afar as a group of dragoons were together, with one man he found familiar.
"Everyone!" Captain Duhamel shouted. "The Beast is here, somewhere! We've set traps all around the village of Le Malzieu! We will not let this monster wolf anywhere near here!" He insisted.
The Beast grinned.
"That's what you think, old friend…" He said under his breath.
It then cut to the Beast about to cross a river. Looking back, he saw the town behind him in fire, causing him to snicker.
"I'm guessing that's the village they set traps to keep him out." Danny reasoned.
"Those traps were so simplistic, it's funny they still think I'm a simple animal." He said under his breath.
As he was about to cross the Truyère river, he heard a guy being shot. Looking to his left, he saw his old friend, Duhamel, aiming his weapon that was just shot.
"Stop, monster! Your reign of terror ends now for the families you've ruined!" He shouted.
The Beast, seeing a bullet fall from his shoulder before looking back at his former friend, grinned maliciously as he leapt at him, backhanding the gun before grabbing Duhamel by the collar and holding him up. Duhamel gasped as the Beast laughed.
"Looks like I'm just as deadly as ever. And just as you said, I do take too much enjoyment out of hurting others…" He said with an amused tone.
Duhamel recognized those words, causing recognition to hit his face.
"D-Devereux?" He asks.
"Good guess…" The Beast responded with a sinister grin.
"What… what have you done to yourself?" Duhamel asked, not seeing his old friend in the face of this monster.
"Only what was needed to take my revenge on those who betrayed me… from the woman who rejected my love, to the people who dared to stop thinking highly of me, to all France for no longer seeing my worth!" The Beast said.
"You must be proud of yourself… you're finally a monster… inside and out." Duhamel spat at him.
The response to that was a mocking laugh.
"I could kill you now… but I want you to let everyone know… I am no mere animal." The Beast then tossed his former ally aside, letting him hit the ground and hurt his arm. "I think I'll pay the next town a visit…"
As he crossed the river, the scene cuts to June 11, 1765.
The Beast was behind the bushes once more as he watched two hunters.
"Ready, son?" The elder man said.
"Ready, Father."
"I've heard of them… Jean Charles d'Enneval and his son Jean-François, professional hunters who took out other wolves, unknowingly giving me a cover." He said under his breath.
"Are you certain we should still be hunting? The King replaced us with Francois Antoine, and threatened to have us banished if we interfere like he did when Duhamel claimed the Beast wasn't just a wolf." Ths son said.
"We'll be fine…" He said.
The Beast scoffed as he made his way towards the bridge.
"That idiot Antoine couldn't find a fish if he stuck his head in the water…" The Beast said as he took notice of a group of young women crossing the bridge. "Ah… this should be a fun way to spend my night…"
The Beast got closer until appearing before the women, causing most of them to scream and run for it. The one remaining, a blonde woman with a spear, refused to go.
"Beast of Gévaudan! I refuse to let you hurt these innocent people!" She shouted.
The Beast smirked.
"And what will you do, fair young lady?" He asked, licking his lips. "I am not the one who should be afraid at this moment." He chuckled darkly.
"You speak?" She questioned.
"Indeed. Now... just so you know, the flesh of young women like yourself is my favorite to play with. Come closer!" He shouted as he ran towards her.
In response, the young woman raised her spear and struck him in the chest.
"Die, beast!" She shouted as it pierced him.
It took a second, but suddenly, to his own shock, the Beast started to scream in pain.
"WHAT?!" He shouted in agony.
The girl pulled her spear back, her eyes filled with intensity.
"Remember this name! Marie-Jeanne Vallet! I refuse to let you take my life or the lives of these women!" She shouted.
"Marie-Jeanne Vallet? That name mean something?" Danny asks as he watches.
"That's the Maid of Gévaudan." Sam answered.
"The lady who stabbed him in the chest?" Danielle asks.
"Well, she did." Danny said as the Beast ran away, clutching his chest.
"Run, Beast! My silver spear hungers for more of you!" She called out.
"Silver?" Danny asks. "Duh... werewolf. Like the movies."
"So... silver hurts him?" Danielle asks.
"Well, old legends say monsters like werewolves are hurt by silver." Maddie said analytically.
The Beast ran far, clutching his chest hard. He snarled hatefully at how, for the first time after becoming the Beast, this form of his felt actual pain, driving him mad with murderous intent.
"I can't believe they found something that hurt me!" He growled under his breath. "That wolf that one fool bred to potentially replace me died in Soissons, I won't join it!"
"Was there a wolf in some place called Soissons?" Danny asks.
"Yeah, but it lasted 2 days." Sam said.
"Looks like someone from the group made a normal wolf scarier to try and take his place, but it didn't work." Danny said.
"But still… it sounds like you found a weakness, Son." Jack pointed out.
"Yeah… but I figure I should catch the rest." Danny said.
10 minutes later
It was now November 1765.
In his human form, Devereux approached the brotherhood in the woods.
"Well?" He questions.
"Well what? It looks as though our plan to use more of those wolves like the one in Soissons to take your place as their target worked. Now… we can begin our plan." One said.
"What plan? Am I to target the king himself?" Devereux asks.
"Not at all… you have proven… better than we expected. Yet, as we speak now… we are working on a way to improve your form, make you less vulnerable to silver as you demanded." One robed man told him.
"Good! Do it now!" He demanded.
"This will take time." The figure told him.
"What?!" Devereux snapped.
"Do not respond so poorly, son." His father stood out, taking his hood down to speak with him. "You've been getting too overconfident, too reckless. You need to calm yourself, slow down."
"Excuse me? I don't think you've noticed, but I've gotten even the king of France to know of me! He thinks I'm dead! This is the perfect time to take him out! Be rid of your cowardice and let us go and remove him from power! Then all of France will know of Cedric Devereux, or what they've been calling, the Beast of Gévaudan!" He proudly declared to them.
"You fool! You're supposed to be doing this in secrecy! We had a spy that told us of Duhamel's attempts to convince the King you're not some kind of animal! We're trying to keep our actions secret before we take France for ourselves!" His father snapped.
"Pathetic… you were a soldier! A warrior! You've grown soft…" Devereux dismissed his father's concerns.
"I've gotten smarter! We need more than brute force! We need a plan for when we overthrow him!" The senior Devereux insisted.
"Maybe we don't need a new king… we don't need any leadership…" Devereux suggested.
"What the devil are you talking about?!" One member questioned angrily.
"I am the most powerful creature in all of France now. It is thanks to you I am the most feared and dangerous man alive. Clearly, what is needed is for France, or even the world at large, to be ruled by the fear that one like me could just show up and end them if I felt like it. And I do feel like it. The woman I desired, my former friend, my village and even the army all turned on me… so I will make the lands soaked in blood to punish them for what they did to me." Devereux stated.
"We're trying to reshape this land! Not make it a wasteland!" His father shouted.
"Why should I care what you all want? I have become something more than human… what you want is irrelevant to me." Devereux stated.
"Cedric!" His father shouted at him. "We made you… and we can unmake you!"
"Really?" Devereux questioned, not sounding the least bit scared. "Don't forget… you need me."
"We can always make more…" One said.
"Especially those who don't have the same amount of hate you do. We chose you because of your skills and your father's word, nothing more…" Another added.
Hearing that caused Devereux to snort loudly.
"I'd kill you all right now if I could." He responded.
"The potion you drank had it so you cannot touch us to hurt us." One said.
Hearing that caused Devereux's head to cock in interest.
"That so?" He asks.
"I don't like where this is going…" Danny said.
Devereux walked away, going deeper into the woods before hiding behind a tree.
"Let's see if my hearing alone can change…" He said as he willed himself to change only his ears. Danny could see his shadow growing larger ears, showing it worked. "Now… what do they have to say?"
"Your son has let his power go to his head." One said.
"I know… he's more vicious than he was when we started. I fear… that potion has changed him. Either it's made him as savage as the beasts we used or… it's brought out a beast that was already in there." Devereux senior said.
"So… we agree that it's best that we rid ourselves of him? We'll find another, more suitable warrior for our plans? And give that one the improvements he demands of us?" One asks.
"We'll have to. Thankfully… he can't directly hurt us. That's how it works, yes?" Devereux senior asks.
"Indeed. His fangs and claws can't touch us. Nor can he use a knife on us, or any weapon, for that matter." Another said.
Hearing that, Devereux chuckled quietly.
"Let's test the limits of that… shall we?" He whispered as he left.
"I don't like where this is going…" Danny said with a bit of dread.
It cuts to another night, where Devereux met with the Brotherhood once more in his house. It now reads July 1766.
"You idiot! You've been killing non-stop again! We told you to stop!" One snapped.
"You're fools. You can't stop me from doing what I am best at anymore than you could tell one to stop breathing. It's what I do… Why stop that?" Devereux questioned as he looked to his lit fireplace.
"Because the king still thinks you're dead! He thinks these are just random animals but once he suspects you're alive, he'll bring an army!" One of them shouted.
"Let him bring one. More to play with…" Devereux said with a sinister snicker.
"Have you forgotten our goal?!" One approached him, reprimanding him.
"Your goal is to replace him and crown yourselves as leader… mine was always to get more powerful, to make the world pay for turning against me! Now that I have it… I don't need to work with any of you anymore… If you won't make me stronger… then I have no further need to work with you…" He said before turning away.
Devereux walked away, not bothering to look at them.
"Get back here!" One of them shouted.
Devereux stopped by the door.
"No… if you won't help me… then you will die here." Devereux said.
"You can't kill us! Besides… this is your house." One said, sounding overconfident.
"Not anymore… and besides, your potion prevents me from killing you directly…" Devereux's hand became that of the Beast's. "But it never said anything about saving you… or making this house fall.
With that, he pieces his clawed hand through the wall before running across the wall, causing it to break apart and all.
The Brotherhood gasped in horror before the house came tumbling down.
Devereux walked away, sniffing the air with delight. Turning his head, he saw smoke coming from below.
"Looks like the fire is spreading…" He said, warm light coming from underneath the wood.
"Whoa!" Danny went, pulling the headset off.
"What happened?" Danielle asks, approaching him.
"He's found a loophole. He can't hurt them directly, so he made his house fall on them and set it on fire." Danny said before looking to see her in a dress that was a bit more fancy looking than she usually dresses. "Uh… what's that?" Danny asks.
Danielle looked down at the dress and scowled.
"I gotta wear this for the play." Danielle said.
"You should get ready." Jazz, in her own appropriate dress, said as she did her hair. "You ready to change?"
"Not just yet." Danny said, putting it back on.
Devereux was in the woods, snickering to himself as he turned into the Beast. It read May 1767 at the bottom of the screen.
The Beast took in a deep breath, observing the moonlight that made the area as bright as day.
"So… who's next?" He asks before seeing he was close to the village he once called home. "Perhaps it's time Catherine pay for what she did to me?"
However, as he got closer to the village, he heard the familiar voice of his father.
"Good… keep your voice down as he might be able to hear us. And do what you can to hide this as there's a select few not in the Brotherhood who weren't there who still wish to use these concoctions to create another, or worse, bring him back to life…" He heard him say, followed by another's hum in agreement.
The Beast stopped in his tracks, turning away to see a robed figure on horseback making his way from the village, with a horse and carriage leaving in the opposite direction.
The Beast whipped his head back and right before deciding he wanted a word with his father.
With a growl, the Beast sprinted through the forest, quickly catching up to his father who was leading the way. The horse and carriage had already disappeared from sight, leaving only the sound of crickets and the rustling of leaves.
The Beast reached out and grabbed his father by the shoulder, spinning him around and off his horse. His father, a man now pushing 80, was terrified to see the Beast's monstrous form.
"Hello... Father." The Beast said.
"What is it you wish to say, boy?" His father stammered, trying to maintain his composure.
The Beast leaned in close, his breath hot and foul against his father's face.
"What are you doing, Father? What was this about bringing one back to life? Are you implying you've found a way to kill me?" The Beast said before clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "Such a poor way for a man to think of his son."
"This wouldn't have happened if you had just done what you were supposed to do and nothing more!" Devereux Sr. pointed out.
"Well... your plans were ruined, as were my plans... But from where I see it..." The Beast grinned evilly. "I'm the only one here with a future."
"You forget! You can't kill me! I was a member when you were granted these beastly powers!" His father pointed out.
"True..." The Beast said. "I can't kill you..." His father looked relieved before the Beast flashed a smile. "Not directly, at least..."
With that, he left his father on the ground before leaving. Devereux Sr. sighed for a moment of relief before he heard the sound of something breaking. Looking up, he saw that his son, several feet away, had slashed a tree and rendered it too heavy to stay up, causing it to fall on another tree, which toppled the tree closest to him.
The old man had a moment of terror before the tree fell on him. There was a sickening crack.
The Beast chuckled darkly as he walked away, leaving the forest behind and returning to the village. It was time to claim what was rightfully his.
"Now... for Catherine..." He said to himself.
The scene then cut to The Beast arriving at the Chastel's Inn, only to find it empty.
"Good... they're gone..." Danny said in relief as he watched the scene.
"Where are they?" The Beast angrily questions before seeing something in the dirt. "Wait... those look like..."
There on the ground as the indents of wheels from a carriage.
"Huh... I wonder if that's the same carriage that he heard leaving?" Danny questioned.
The Beast looked in the direction they went, which was towards where his father met with whoever he was talking to. It seemed to Danny he thought it was someone with the Brotherhood, but now he came to a different conclusion.
"My father must have reached out to my treacherous old friend and given him something from me... No doubt something that would make me invincible..." The Beast said in a snarl before taking off after them.
"Please tell me he doesn't find them..." Danny said as the scene cut to The Beast confronting another member. "Oh thank goodness..."
"You will tell me where the Chastels went!" The Beast demanded.
"No. Though I do not side with those who choose to leave the Brotherhood and aid in taking you down... I can see their reasoning. As hollow as his rule is, a lifetime serving King Louis is preferable to letting you roam free. You have caused nothing but pain and suffering to this entire province, something we did not want! We just wanted you to test your skills so that you could help us, instead you use it to hurt innocent people for the weakest of reasoning, and I will not be the one to help you add to it!" The member replied.
"Nobody's innocent... they just haven't had the chance to turn on me like the rest have!" The Beast snarled before breaking his way out of the man's house.
"Well... that didn't go well..." Danny said. "So where to now?"
The Beast paused for a moment, thinking. He had no idea where to go now. Catherine and her husband could be anywhere. He could try going back to the inn, but they may not return there.
"I guess I'll just kill some time... and people... until I find them..." The Beast said with an evil laugh.
"Oh no..." Danny said.
In the room, Danny felt his arm being lifted up.
"Uh… what's going on?" Danny asks.
"Applying deodorant." Dani said, having morphed so that she could give him a quick application of it to his armpits, phasing through his shirt as she did so. "You don't have time to bathe and I wanted an excuse to morph and get out of that dumb dress."
"Oh. Well… it's May 1767 in this thing, so it looks like things are about to end." Danny said.
"Open your mouth." Dani said. "Your breath could use a way to disguise what you're eating from Chloe."
"Hardy har har…" Danny said before opening his mouth, letting Dani spray into it.
"In any case, how soon do you think until he ends up as a pelt in the chest?" Dani asks as she lands and morphs back to human form.
"Well, the Beast was supposed to have met his end in June. That probably means it's almost over." Danny said.
In provincial France, it was now June 19, 1767. The setting was in the forest by Mont Mouchet. Snow was falling,
The Beast watched as several hunters journeyed through the woods, all of them looking for him in particular.
With a snicker, he followed two in particular.
"Snow? How is it snowing so suddenly?" One asks.
"Rumor is some dark wizards are making it snow so that it would be easier to find his tracks." The other answered.
"Wonderful… even those who fell down the path of evil think he should be no more…" The other said in a laugh.
"So… it's true. Some of them have decided it better to be rid of me? Well… once I am done with these idiots…" He said before seeing the men set up a trap with a dead rabbit, coating it in some kind of poison in the form of liquids. "Hmph… how basic." He dismisses before going around the two, unaware of his presence.
"Now… we just wait for the monster to come… let him eat this. He'll be too sick to run away." One said with much confidence.
His partner laughed in agreement before the Beast stepped out and made himself known.
"It's him!" The second said as they stepped back and watched the bipedal wolf walk towards them, looking at the dead rabbit.
"Come on… take it… take it…" The other insisted.
"Hmph… no." The Beast said, cutting it down and letting it hit the ground.
The two hunters started with eyes wide open at this human-like action it did.
"You can talk?" They asked in unison.
"And more…" The Beast said before lunging at them.
The scene cuts to the Beast walking away, belching. He turned back and the legs of the two hunters were seen, sticking out from behind the trees. Their upper bodies were not visible.
"Sam? Are you still there?" Danny asks.
"Yeah." Sam said.
"Remind me… what part of the body did the Beast like eating the most?" He asks hesitantly.
"The heads." Sam responded in a haunting way.
The Beast continued on as he heard a familiar voice.
"Cedric!" Jean's voice called out.
The Beast was quiet, silently keeping to behind a tree as he saw someone walking down the trail.
"There he is..." He growled under his breath, seeing a familiar face.
Someone he knew full well. His former friend, Jean Chastel. The Beast purposefully steps on the snow as hard as he could, alerting his presence to Chastel.
"Cedric?" He asked, raising his gun. "Is zhat you?"
"I am more zhan zhat name now..." The Beast said in his old, human voice. "But yes, it iz me."
The Beast slowly made his appearance from behind a tree, teeth baring.
"I warned you..."Jean said angrily. "You should have respected Catherine's rejection and moved on."
"You took her from me! You two turned everyone against me!" The Beast snapped before growling viciously like a guard dog.
"She was never yours! And you did that to yourself!" Jean said, aiming at what was once his former friend.
The Beast only scoffed at this.
"Goodbye... old friend." He said before leaping from the tree and running on all fours at his target.
"I was about to say zhe same zhing..." This man said before pulling the trigger.
A gunshot was heard and the Beast fell to the ground. The Beast tried to get in, only to find he can't move his arms or legs.
"W-What?! What- What is happening to me?!" He questioned.
"Your old friends enchanted a bullet for me. A silver bullet. Enough to cause your heart to stop beating." Jean said, now standing before him with a cold glare from his eyes.
"I… I will kill you…" The Beast said.
"Unlikely." Jean said.
The Beast snorted as life started to leave him.
"At least… the world will remember me…" The Beast said, taking some satisfaction in what he's done.
"No. Cedric Devereux's name is going to be forgotten. your house is gone and the village has agreed to never speak of your name again. The majority of the people think you were but an animal, and I will tell the story of how it was indeed one, and that it would then sit on its haunches in fright, awaiting an inescapable death." Jean said with a laugh.
Hearing that, the Beast snarled angrily.
"No!" The Beast said as he weakly raised his head. "You…" His vision went blurry. "You will…" His vision became darker. "...pay for…" His head hit the ground. "...this…"
Danny took the headset off. He looked equally as disturbed as he did content with what he's learned.
"So… that's how it went. They buried his name and spread the idea that it was just an animal…" Danny said, putting the headset down. "Too bad this thing only goes forward so I could go back and see his face."
"So, how'd he… y'know? Die?" Tucker, now in a suit, asks.
"Looks like a silver bullet some former members of the Brotherhood did some hocus pocus on. Makes sense, they figured out how to make the Beast, they'd try to find out how to put him down." Danny said.
"So, anything else you found out?" Sam, now in one of Jazz's dresses, asks with a scowl as she scratches her side.
"Do any damage to it, you're paying." Jazz said to her, causing Sam to lower her hand with a frown.
"It looks like he knows they were gonna do something to make him stronger… but I don't get how he could know it's in that book and where the book is." Danny said, noticing something amiss as he noticed his clothes were ready for him. "In any case… may as well go in case he does show up."
Elsewhere
The Palais Garnier was now surrounded by people coming to see a performance in this opera house, headed by several wealthy people across France.
All the while, someone stood in line. Someone with a purple suit and messy red hair. He had a sinister look on his face, smiling as he darted his eyes to all of the people here.
"It's been so long since I've been around this many people. Still, they have no idea the most powerful man and monster in France lives again. I'll let them enjoy this performance as I seek to find that book and make it so I can finally get what I've waited too long for…" He said under his breath with evil intent.
New chapter with thanks to Flower Princess11.
Fiction Realm: He's not the only one I took cues from.
RonaldM40196867: I wanted the readers to decide it was him or just someone similar. Maybe? Dunno. Not yet. Impulse. Somehow, it didn't finish, I meant to say You'll See.
danifan3000: Indeed. Probably, or a coincidence for them.
Luiz4200: It only goes forward. Also, assume Colette doesn't exist in this world.
Daniel6: I needed some levity, so that made sense.
Invader Johnny: He and Star will indeed have a talk later.
Guest: 1. Thanks. 2. We shall see soon. 3. I am considering her getting a job. 'll see if they become one. 5. Well, they are at least friendly now. 6. Maybe?
Leonardo: I have.
Luffy is king: I needed a victim... and I ask for permission from FP11.