Opening Night
The intermission now set, Danny found he was now free to get to the rooftop.
"Finally. Let's hurry, we wasted enough time as it is..." Danny said.
"In case you forgot, we weren't the ones who got distracted by a pretty face..." Jazz criticized.
"Not his fault he's gained some massive magnetic powers..." Danielle said with a smile before her and Danny's ghost sense went off.
"Oh great, now what?!" Danny said.
That's when a frantic former queen appeared before them.
"THE BOOK'S MISSING!" Marie screeched at them.
Her volume alerted everyone on the floor, prompting the Fenton siblings to pull her down and hide her behind a pillar. All of them fake laughed as Danny pushed Marie into the wall.
"Someone here must have lost their library book! I guess they're so loud that we can hear them on this floor!" Jazz said loudly with a stiff tone and bad acting.
"Yup! Not anyone on this floor!" Danielle added with an equally fake cheerfulness.
"Now… my sisters and I are going to leave this floor to find it on another!" Danny shouted with a fake smile before he darted his eyes to where he hid Marie. "And so no one can see us find that book for that person…" He said through gritted teeth, eyes narrowed in anger as he had that fake grin on.
"Finally…" Marie muttered as she phased through the wall.
"Way to keep a low profile..." Danny criticized.
As they headed downstairs, two people in particular watched them, unaware of the ghost they were speaking to.
"Where are they going?" Star asks.
"Not sure… should we go help them with the book?" Kwan asks.
Star pondered.
Downstairs
Devereux, holding the book in his hands, grinned wickedly.
"Finally..." He said as he tried to exit through a nearby window that was open.
He looked around, making sure to be seen by no one. He was halfway through before he felt movement in his hands.
To his shock, the book wouldn't leave. It flew out of his hand.
"What?!" He growled as he tried again. He picked it up and, this time, threw it towards the open window. No luck. It flew back in. It was like some barrier was in place to keep the book from leaving this place. This left him furious. "Stupid book… Why will you not leave here?" He growled under his voice.
With Danny
As the three made it downstairs, they noticed two people were stretching their legs as well.
"Sam! Tucker!" Danny called out to them.
"Sup?" Tucker went as he stretched his legs.
"The book." Danny said before getting close enough to keep his voice low. "He's here… and he's taken the book." He whispered in a harsh way.
Sam gasped as Tucker looked lost.
"Who? Devereux?" He asks.
"No duh…" Sam responded flatly, losing her shock for a moment.
"We need to find him and get that book out of his hands." Danny said.
"Based on what we got from Marie, that book can't leave until a spell has been cast. So, he should still be here. Somewhere…" Jazz said.
"How do you know it was him?" Tucker asks.
"Because Marie told us on our way down here that the roof was just clawed. I'm pretty sure it was him." Danny answered.
"That or some lady got a dangerous manicure." Danielle snarked.
"So… did she see him? Devereux, I mean." Sam asks.
"Just his back in the dark. Not enough to identify." Jazz answered.
"Maybe Henri can help us?" Danielle asks.
"As much as I normally avoid the police for all the times I've been interrupted during my nature rallies…and trying to free animals from the zoo... that might be a good idea." Sam said.
Part of that is your fault for acting too extreme and releasing wild animals from their cages without permission… Jazz thought but wisely did not speak.
"Okay… so, let's split up. Each of us takes a floor. See anyone remotely suspicious, text the rest." Danny said.
"But you're forgetting something." Tucker pointed out. "We don't even know what this guy looks like."
"True." Danny hadn't considered that part. "So… anyone suspicious, even a little."
As they spoke, little did they know that the figure they were looking for was on the floor above them.
"Now… where else can I try escaping?" He asks himself.
Outside
Larisa and Razor were outside the Palais Garnier, currently staking out. Several military vans and swat trucks were in the area, waiting for them to make the call.
"What's taking him so long? The inside should be a bloodbath by now." Razor complained.
"That's what we're hoping doesn't happen..." Larisa said annoyed. "The fact that he went in and there isn't a sign of him causing trouble means there's something in there he wants."
Little did they know, someone spotted them. Someone with a grudge and a desire to help her sister.
"Razor?" Alicia questioned as she silently stalked them.
Inside
Danny and the rest of Team Phantom split up. He was on the first floor, searching for anyone suspicious.
It was then that he found Henri, doing his rounds.
"Henri!" Danny called out.
"What happened?" Henri asked.
"We have a problem..." Danny began to explain the situation.
At the same time, on the floor upstairs, Sam and Tucker were both on the lookout together.
"Any sign of him?" Sam asks.
"No but we don't even know what the guy looks like, so how do we find him?" Tucker asks her back.
"I wish I knew…" Sam responded as she stroked her chin.
"Maybe we can help?" Kwan's voice spoke from behind.
Both of them turned around, and they then saw two familiar faces.
"Star? Kwan?" Sam went.
"You guys are looking for some stolen book, right? We heard Danny and his sisters talk loudly about someone screeching over their missing book." Star said.
"Oh… uh…" Sam tried to think of an excuse. "You don't have to… I mean… you guys don't wanna...miss the show."
"It's no trouble." Kwan said with a clueless smile.
Sam kept a straight face, unsure how to get rid of them.
At the same time, upstairs, the two sisters were also looking for Devereux and the book.
"Can you tell us anything about who stole the book?" Jazz asks the invisible Marie, pretending to hold her phone to her head so it doesn't look like she's talking to thin air.
"Only that he was tall and seemed to have a somewhat fit build." Marie whispered to her while invisible.
"Well, that narrows it down to… what? A quarter of the human population." Jazz sarcastically thanked her.
"Well, excuse me for not gathering much from the brief glance that was less than a second long." Marie responded with an equally sarcastic tone.
"Maybe he's holding the book in his hands?" Danielle suggests.
"Good thinking. Let's find someone holding a book." Jazz responded before almost bumping into a man with a purple suit and messy red hair. "Oh, excuse me…" She said to him.
"Pardon." He said with a nod before walking away. As he did, he had his hand covering his stomach, as if something was in his coat. "Now… if jumping out won't work… how else do I get this book out?"
He headed for the stairs.
Back on the first floor, Danny has caught Henri up to speed.
"I understand. Still, with no idea what this man looks like, our search will be difficult." He said to Danny.
"I know… but we gotta look for it." Danny said.
"The intermission will end soon though." Henri points out.
"Nothing against your wife's performance, but making sure a werewolf doesn't get a magic upgrade so that he's harder to put down is kind of a bigger deal." Danny said.
"Fair." Henri responded.
With that, both of them went off to find this mystery figure, unaware that he just came downstairs and saw them walking off.
"Perhaps they might know a way out…" He said under his breath.
With Frostbite
The leader of the Far Frozen had returned to the Ghost Zone to report what had been going on in France. Right now, he was being interrogated by a certain group of one-eyed specters.
"You had best be speaking the truth to us..." The observant leader demanded with arms crossed.
"Devereux IS in Paris right now, brought back to life." Frostbite explained.
"Brought back? What fool would dare try to revive that monster?" One Observant questioned.
"Never fear, for the Great One is currently in Paris and is seeking to defeat that Beast as we speak." Frostbite explained.
"That does not fill me with much hope..." Another Observant said, ready to step in, as were the others.
"Send any available ghost under our employ to stop that accursed Beast!" The Leader ordered.
"That won't be necessary..." Another voice was heard.
The ghosts in this room of the Observants' Lair turned around, only to see that it was a familiar time master.
"Lord Clockwork, I greet you..." Frostbite said as he bowed, showing respect while the Observants did no such thing.
"What are you doing here, Clockwork? We gave no orders or requests to you! Now step aside while we organize an attack force!" The lead Observant snapped.
However, Clockwork waved it off.
"Devereux will be dealt with soon enough if all goes as intended...but this is something Danny Phantom must handle without your interference..." Clockwork said.
"Even if Phantom is not a weakling, do you seriously expect us to do nothing while that monster adds to a new body pile he no doubt has already gained?!" Another observant argued.
"It's important that we don't intervene, for he'll need to experience what is next." Clockwork said vaguely.
With Danny and Henri
Danny wasn't as anxious as Henri while the two walked through the halls. They stopped at an intersection on the first floor.
"This is the best place where we'll find the one who stole the book..." Henri said. "If we wait a while, we might see the thief."
"Well, let's hope the thief comes here before the play starts..." Danny said as they stopped by the wall, trying to look casual, eying the passersby.
As they waited, they began to talk some more.
"You know Danny...I never did have a chance to say this, but it has been a pleasure to meet you..." Henri said.
"Really? Why?" Danny asked out of curiosity.
"Well, believe it or not, you saved me before. I'm not sure if you recall, but about two months before the Disasteroid, I was heading towards Chicago for a work trip and made a quick stop in Amity Park. I and you were in the same street when that giant globby ghost was rampaging downtown and you pushed me out of the way of falling debris..." Henri explained.
"Hey, don't worry about it, anyone would have done the same if they had the chance..." Danny said.
"Well, if it wasn't for you, I'd be flattened. So, I owe you. I don't mind helping you out here like I did back in the North Pole..." Henri said, meaning it.
Danny smiled at that, glad to see that someone outside his family and friends was on his side for a change.
The intermission was said to be finishing, the two watched as people entered the theater, none of them holding any books in their hands.
"Time's up. But I can't give up, he might try to leave the building." Danny said.
"If he's here, he's probably already inside. I'll go look inside, say that there's been a theft, which is true." Henri offered.
"Thanks." Danny said as he watched Henri go in.
Glad to have an adult outside of my family on my side for a change… Danny thought.
He turned around and heard two voices down the hall.
"You're making a mistake, Chloe." He heard Alain say.
"Stop it, Alain. I don't want to hear it!" Chloe was heard yelling.
Danny paused, wondering what was going on, but also debating if he should stop his search to go and see what it was about. Curiosity took over.
He can't leave without the book, so I guess I can go there… He thought.
As he left, one figure hid behind the doorway to the bathrooms and watched him go.
"Let's see where he's going…" He whispered to himself before hearing others.
"He's probably down here." Star was heard saying.
"Won't your parents notice us not there?" Kwan asks.
"I'll text them later. Besides, if she knew the reason, my mom would probably ENCOURAGE this." Star said flatly.
Devereux remind where he was, figuring he will make sure no one spots him before he goes.
With Jack and Maddie
Back in their seats, the Fenton parents waited for the intermission to be over.
Jack had just noticed his daughters slowly coming back to their seats, but his son was missing.
"Where's your brother?" He whispered to them.
"Good question." Jazz whispered back.
Maddie was too engrossed with the play to notice.
"Well, go look for him." Jack whispered to them.
"On it." Danielle said as the two nodded and snuck away.
Meanwhile, Stella notices her own daughter was absent from her seat. Noticing Danny's absence as well, she let her mind go wild with theories.
"Those two are ditching the play to be with each other… I just knew it." She gushed.
"I'd be a little worried what they're doing behind our backs…" Johnathan whispered to her.
"Oh, hush dear. They probably went somewhere private, like what we did at their age." Stella whispered back.
"That's EXACTLY what's worrying me..." Her husband whispered back.
With Sam and Tucker
"Is the creep even still in the building?" Sam whispered as she and Tucker made their way back to their seats.
"I mean… this building isn't dripping with red, so I think we're safe to assume he hasn't left or lost his temper…" Tucker whispered to her.
"Fair." Sam responded as she noticed a seat several rows behind them was empty. "Huh… that redhead with the messy hair is missing…"
With Danny
Danny followed Chloe through the hall, deciding whether to talk to her or not. Suddenly, a hand touched his shoulder, making him jump.
"Woah, easy there, friend." Alain said as Danny looked at him with a surprised expression. "You seem distracted.'
"Oh, Alain, sorry about that." Danny said, calming down. "Just a lot on my thoughts."
Alain looked at Danny and then at Chloe before giving Danny a knowing look.
"You know, maybe you should talk with Chloe, Danny." He suggested to Danny, who looked at him. "It seems like both of you need to. She's been…tired lately."
"She is? Why?" he asked, confused.
Alain just gave him a wink and pushed him towards Chloe. Seeing him being encouraging, Danny decided to talk to Chloe, to sort everything out.
"Well, here we go." Danny said as he took a breath before quickening his pace. "Chloe?"
Turning her head, Chloe saw Danny and she lost the frown on her face, replaced by a surprise look.
"Danny?" She asks, lightening up a bit before she schooled her expression. "Umm… you should be watching the play. Alexandra Auclair as Beauty is… well… a beauty." She wanted to talk to him, but now wasn't a good time.
"Actually… I'd rather talk to you. Alain tells me you're tired lately. Care to share?" Danny asks.
"Oh… uh… well…" Chloe stammered, sweating a bit as she wasn't too sure on what to say.
"You should talk to him, Chloe." Alain said from a distance. "And maybe drop the fake voice?"
"Fake voice?" Danny questioned, his eyebrow raising and looked at the panicking girl. "Why does everyone keep saying your voice is fake?"
Chloe stammered and kept shifting her eyes as she tried to find some excuse to go before recalling what was in her hands.
"Uh… I must take these to Dubois, right away!" She said hurriedly.
"Chloe." Alain called out. "Just tell him." He crossed his arms and shook his head disapprovingly.
"Tell me what?" Danny asks.
"That she likes you… and she's not as fancy as she tries to present herself." Alain said as he walked closer, frowning. "Let's start with why you're determined to make that old crow so happy, to the point where you're willing to break your promise to your parents that you're going home after this."
"What?" Danny asked in surprise as he looked at Chloe, not believing she was the kind of person to break a promise like that.
"You were not to hear that!" Chloe snapped before seeing Danny's confused look on his face. Not wanting him to think she was a horrible person, Chloe winced before giving in. "I come from… a very… poor family. In fact, do you remember when I said I won the opportunity to be Dubois' assistant? Well… my parents helped me, but I didn't tell her that. Still, it was because of them and their faith in me that I'd got the job. I promised them I'd be home… but Dubois is insistent on making me stay longer. I need that letter of recommendation. I can't go back to how things were… hoping to get a lucky break, working in my father's store…" She took a deep breath. "... or talk the way we do back home too." She suddenly said with a thick Midwestern accent.
Danny's eyes widened.
"Huh?" He went.
"I love my family, who couldn't? But I don't want to just be stuck there forever, there's more to life, doncha know?" She went.
"W-wait…" Danny blinked several times before looking confused. "Why are you talking like that again? That voice you made when you were pretending to be people who didn't have much faith in you?"
"Slow, is he not?" Alain suddenly spoke up with a smile. "That's her real voice."
"It is?" Danny said in surprise as Chloe blushed and scratched her cheek.
"It is. This is definitely my real voice. I'm from Minnesota." Chloe revealed. "The voice I've been usin' was one from old movies my folks had in their collection. It wasn't a very spendy collection, but it was wonderful to see those outfits. I knew that, much as I liked my dad's store, sellin' ol' junk like sweepers and tennis shoes wasn't the kind of life I wanted to spend the rest of my years here havin'."
"So… you think Dubois would help you lead a better life?" Danny said with a raised eyebrow, remembering how Dubois was.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I love my folks… but this is the expressway to a better life for me and for them. They'll understand." Chloe said, looking resolute.
"Even though Dubois clearly is making you so busy that you can't spend time with your family?" Alain questioned her.
"I gotta make a change if I want to improve my life." Chloe said before clearing her throat. "Even if it means tossing aside who I was before she met me." She added, going back to the fake British voice of before, followed by her taking her necklace off. "Which reminds me. I must be rid of this. Madam Dubois has ordered me to be rid of this. Take it, sell it if you'd like." She said.
"Is that not an heirloom of your mother's?" Alain questioned with a shocked tone.
"It is?" Danny asks, realizing why she was so attached to it.
"It's… not for someone under her tutelage. It's only about… $1000? Too common for her, as she says." Chloe insists as she hands it to Danny.
"Chloe?" Danny asks, shocked by this. "Are you sure about this? About what you're doing?"
"There's nothing wrong with who I have become. So what if I do things you would consider terrible? If it will help me in the end, so be it." Chloe turned her back to them and marched away. "Au Revoir." She went into a room, her expression cold before closing the door.
Danny and Alain glanced at each other before looking at the door, not wanting her to change and be unhappy.
"Chloe?" Danny asks, attempting to reach out to her.
"I knew it!" Star was heard snapping.
Danny looked over his shoulder. There, he saw a furious Star with a nervous Kwan standing next to her. For whatever reason, Star looked at Danny like she wanted to punch him.
"Star?" Danny asks.
"So that's why you're acting so against that kiss! You're into her, aren't you?!" Star questioned.
Alain and Kwan blinked as Danny blushed from the reminder before shaking his head.
"What?! No! That's not it!" Danny went.
"WHAT?!" Chloe, hearing that, stormed back, slamming the door open. "You don't like me like that?!" She looked hurt as she glared at Danny, her fake accent nowhere to be heard.
"Huh?" Danny went, finding himself now between the two girls, both glaring at him before at each other, sparks flying between them.
"Wait… you kissed?" Kwan asks Star, who swung her arm out and raised a finger up.
"Not the time!" She snapped before going back to addressing Danny and Chloe. "So, you prefer making out with plastic chicks, huh?!"
"Woah, woah, woah! Who are you calling plastic, you hussy?" Chloe shouted back.
"At least I'm not using a fake accent!" Star shouted, the two looking ready to trade arms.
"GIRLS!" Danny shouted. "Look… Let's all take a deep breath and count to ten."
"I doubt she can count past three, from what I have seen." Chloe mumbled, but Star heard her.
"At least I'm not a fake girl." Star shot back, making Chloe flinch.
"Hang on, Star!" Danny said, feeling like Star crossed a line. "You don't even know why she's doing this. I mean, what if you were in her shoes?"
"Oh please… There's nothing wrong with who I am! I don't have to change how I am just because someone I have a thing for doesn't like how I am!" Star exclaimed, the last part aimed at Danny.
"Well, seeing how you talk, I can see why he wouldn't want to go out with you." Chloe said, making Star glare at her.
While the two girls were getting ready to go at each other, Devereux watched the teenage drama unfold a few feet away from him with deadpanned eyes.
"What nonsense is this? I should kill them all once I get this book out of here. Maybe I'll use one or two of these spells…" He said under his breath before spotting the men's washroom down the hallway they were in. "There must be a way out through there."
Danny was stuck between two girls who were shouting at each other, throwing insults at each other, as well as insults towards him, with the two other boys deciding to watch from a safe distance.
"You have some nerve to disregard how I felt about you!" Chloe snapped at Danny.
"You shut up, you wannabe little princess!" Star shouted.
"I'm yelling at him, wait your turn!" Chloe said.
"Shut it, unless you want a knuckle sandwich!" Star snapped.
"Obnoxious little pest!" Star shouted
"Uneducated hussy!" Chloe shouted.
"Danny's got bad taste if he wants to go out with you!" Star shouted
"If he kissed you, then that must be true!" Chloe shouted.
He could feel his eye twitch in annoyance.
How did I end up here? He thought. I left my seat…to look for the book! How'd I end up in this mess?!
He could feel his head aching from the continued fighting, and soon, he lost it.
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Danny shouted, getting everyone's attention. "LISTEN HERE!" Danny pointed to Star. "YOU'RE JUST LOOKING FOR ANY EXCUSE TO PICK A FIGHT AND REFUSE TO GROW UP AND BECOME A BETTER PERSON, AND JUST TRYING TO FIND A SCAPEGOAT BY INVOLVING ME IN YOUR SILLY LITTLE IDENTITY CRISES DRAMA! YOU WERE MEAN TO ME SINCE MIDDLE SCHOOL SO I CAN'T JUST LIKE YOU LIKE THAT AFTER A KISS AND TRYING TO BE NICE SUDDENLY!" Star is visibly dumbfounded by this as Danny points at Chloe. "AND YOU'RE A BRIGHT GIRL BUT YOU'RE TRYING TO BREAK A PROMISE TO YOUR FAMILY TO WORK FOR A TERRIBLE PERSON, EVEN IF IT IS TO HELP YOUR FAMILY! DON'T CALL ME OUT ON IF I LIKE YOU OR NOT IF YOU CAN'T EVEN DECIDE THE KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE!" Chloe looked visibly hurt by that. He then took a deep breath. "Why do you feel entitled to act like I'm two timing you when I'm not even sure I like you like a friend, much less a potential girlfriend?" He asks Star. "I admit that you're cute and I did enjoy talking to you. But I can't respect someone who isn't even capable of seeing how wrong a person her boss is making her into..." He tells Chloe. "Look… I get that change can be scary for one of you… and I get that some of you are so eager to change that you're willing to do what it takes… but right now, you two need to figure out whether you really want this change or not!" As everyone eyed him in shock, he groaned. "Now… if you all don't mind…" He turned around. "I-"
It was then he spotted Devereux, holding the book in his hands.
There was a long pause as Danny's eyes went from the book to the man who held it.
Devereux's eyes darted from Danny to the book in his hand, adopting a false smile.
"Bonjour, children." He said, attempting to act calm and civil. "I couldn't help but overhear what you were up to. You must be the ones who have been searching for this book."
Danny, however, did not react as he should have. Instead, he stared at the man, trying to piece together how he knew him as Star spoke up.
"That's the book?" She asks, looking at it. "It's so old..."
Danny blinked, looking at the man.
Where have I heard that voice before? He thought.
Star, meanwhile, recognized the man's clothes.
"That looks like the suit the guy who tried to steal my mom was known to wear all the time..." She glances at Devereux with suspicion, before her eyes widen. "Wait... are you him?"
"Oh no... that man... couldn't make it." He said with a strange smile on his face.
"I see..." Star said.
"Anyway..." Devereux closed the book and offered it to Danny. "Here. I shall not need this anymore, Danny."
Danny studied the man, snapping out of it when he heard what he said.
"How do you know my name?" He asks.
"Oh... I..." Devereux thought quickly. "Heard your name spoke earlier..."
"From down there?" Kwan asks, pointing how far down he was.
"Indeed. I am a skilled hunter, so my senses are quite good." Devereux boasted with a grin. "But enough about me. I'm sure you have important things to do, and I should let you get on with them."
Danny stared at him more. He was reaching for the book slowly.
Hunter? Good senses? Come to think of it... he's 6 ft too. Just like Cedric Dev- WAIT A MINUTE!
He pulled his hand as he realized why he sounded familiar.
Danny's mind flashed as he recalled the brief look at Devereux's face during his first transformation. The skin tone and hair color, not unlike the fur of the Beast. This man had those. Now that he was close enough, he realized his height and build matched what he knew of Devereux. But more importantly, he now realized why his voice sounded familiar.
If a person heard their own voice, it wouldn't sound the same. To them, it's deeper due to hearing it from the perspective of who was speaking. He was hearing Devereux's voice from his own perspective, causing him to also hear the vibrations inside his skull caused by his talking. Without that, Danny realized this was the voice he heard.
He saw Devereux raise his hand slightly, slowly shifting.
Without thought or consideration for who was there, Danny raised his hand and aimed with his finger, firing a shot of cold energy that hit Devereux's wrist, freezing it to the wall.
The four there, unfamiliar with his secret, stared in disbelief. Star and Kwan watched with jaws dropped, Chloe blinked, Alain's eyes darted from Danny to his hand. Danny himself didn't bother to think about that part, only to prevent a threat.
Devereux's hand, which was halfway to changing, slowly reverted back to human form. He himself looked at this hand a moment before slowly turning his head.
"Zhat's a neat little trick you have..." He said before closing his eyes. "... zhose Phantom powers of yours are quite amazing..." His eyes opened, revealing the same red of the Beast's.
"Uh... what just happened?" Star asks, stepping back.
"A real Beast is among you... milady..." Devereux said as he grinned his pointy teeth at them, the red in his eyes disappearing.
"What in the world?" Alain questioned as he stepped back.
"You're Devereux..." Danny growled. "You're the Beast of Gévaudan..."
"And you're Danny Phantom... of course, I recognized your scent..." Devereux said as he casually leaned back into the wall.
"Wait... what?!" Star and Kwan asked in unison.
"Danny... Phantom?" Chloe asks.
"That boy who saved the planet?" Alain asks.
"How stupid..." Devereux couldn't help but open his mouth. "You're among such ants and yet you let zhese little tramps talk down to you. You could destroy zhem or subjugate zhem to do what you want, but you're too weak to use zhat power of yours." He had disdain and mockery in his voice.
"You don't know me..." Danny responded.
"I know much, for tales of you came even to me... not that I had a choice but to listen to those one-eyed imbeciles complain about you being allowed to roam free... Even knowing what you're capable of." Devereux said, hinting he knows about Danny's former future.
"I'm not like you." Danny said, fists clenching.
"No... and zhat's zhe problem. We've been given gifts... thanks to the idiocy of our fathers... and yet you waste yours on playing hero. I was the hero of Gévaudan... and yet they turned on me." Devereux said angrily.
"They didn't turn on you... they just realized what a horrible person you were. You could have left Catherine alone... you could have taken time to recognize what you were doing was wrong... what happened was your own fault." Danny responded as the rest looked completely lost at what was going on.
"Oh? And who raised you to zhink like zhat? Your mother? Another woman who tossed away a chance at one wizh reputation and power for an idiot, from what I hear?" Devereux asks with a mocking smile, hitting a nerve with Danny.
"What's going on?" Kwan asks as he looks around at the rest.
"I have no idea..." Star responded.
"I became zhe most feared beast to walk zhis land... and yet I'm remembered as a story... some zhinking I was some escaped circus animal. My name... Cedric Devereux... forgotten to time." Devereux angrily growled before snickering. "Fate has given me a second chance... I'll even take your life... you waste it and your powers anyway." He said as he gave another animalistic sound.
"You don't know anything about me..." Danny responded.
"I've heard of you zhrough the voice of zhose one-eyed cowards... a boy who would razher get zhe strength to talk to girls and hide his identity... instead of making your claim on zhis land and have zhem fear you and do as you wish..." Devereux responded.
"We're not gods, dude..." Danny responded.
"Really? Compared to zhem... we may as well be. And now that I have zhis book... I'm going to find a way to get it out and use it to achieve what may as well be godhood. Until zhen... I should kill some time." Devereux's mouth grew to an inhuman grin.
"Guys..." Danny looked back to the four, knowing what was to come. "Run!"
"Run fr-" Chloe's question was cut off as Devereux pulled his arm free of the ice.
That's when it happened.
His eyes were wide open, showing how his pupils changed, becoming more beast-like with a bright red. He started hugging himself, grabbing his stolen clothes tightly. He slowly grew bigger as his nails turned to sharp claws. His gritted teeth turned sharp as drool flowed out of his mouth before he snarled. He then started tearing on his clothes, shredding them to pieces, before he started tearing his flesh off. The teenagers behind Danny all watched in horror as the man tore off his shirt, revealing gray muscles that slowly became covered in fur. He fell on all fours, his back becoming hunch, his legs becoming more lupine, a large tail sprouting below his spine, his face horrifically morphing to look like a wolf before he released a loud howl.
Before them was the Beast of Gévaudan, looking at them hungrily with bloodthirsty eyes.
Thinking fast, Danny morphed. Raising his arms, he creates a ghost shield that blocks the Beast from slashing at him.
All remaining stare, jaws still dropped upon seeing what just happened.
"Wait… Danny Fenton… is Danny PHANTOM?!" Star exclaimed as her hands were to the sides of her head.
"Dash is gonna flip if he finds out…" Kwan shouted, something Star heard loud and clear.
"Huh?!" Chloe went, using her real voice.
"Amazing…" Alain went. "Your boyfriend is a superhero? Zhat's quite t-" The Beast growling at them with his mouth in a vicious grin caused them to snap out of it and run away. "AH! Not zhe time to marvel over zhis discovery and be amazed!" Alain added as they made a break for it.
The Beast pushed off the ghost shield, landing on his hind legs as his smile grew.
"I'm going to enjoy zhis!" The Beast declared as he readied one claw before charging at Danny.
Before Danny knew it, the Beast made a quick drift to the right, going around the shield. Then the large body of animal fur collided with him, hitting the wall with enough force to cause it to break.
"I knew I heard that!" The voice of Jazz was heard as she came running down while holding her skirt up with Danielle at her side, who was also holding her skirt up but looked very frustrated.
"I so hate these stupi-'' She paused upon seeing Danny being pressed into the wall thanks to a clawed hand that held him by the face. "Get off of him!" She shouted before morphing, not caring if anyone saw them.
Dani flew in and grabbed the Beast by the tail, trying to pull him off. However, getting attention would prove to be a rather terrible choice as he looked back and grinned.
"Ah... I haven't added such a small one to zhe pile in over 200 years!" He said before pulling away from Danny to march over towards Dani.
However, Danny Phantom grabbed him by the arm, which was followed by a punch and swinging a kick to the back of his head.
"Don't even think of going near her!" He shouted.
"Okay... if you insist..." The Beast said before he tried to slash him with his claws.
In the theater
"Of course I came back, Beast. I love you..." Alexandra, playing Beauty, said to the actor playing the beast.
"I never zhought you would." The actor in costume said before a loud smashing sound was heard from outside the stage, getting everyone's attention. "Uh..." He looked to see the stage manager backstage motioning him to continue. "Umm... I... I had hoped zhat after all our time together, you would come to see that I never wanted to force you into loving me, but to earn your love. Know zh-" The sound was heard again, getting everyone's attention. "WHO IS DOING ZHAT?!" He shouted, breaking character.
Those inside the theater were given a rude interruption as a certain teenager in a black and white jumpsuit and a slender yet tall bipedal wolf with a reddish color came through the wall, breaking it down as the two tussled on the floor.
As the audience gasped and screamed at the sight of the two rolling on the floor before the Beast pushed Danny off, Sam and Tucker watched from a distance and shared the same knowing look.
"It's time…" She said as Tucker nodded.
People were now pushing out of the way, climbing over the seats and each other to get away from what was going on. Those on stage, seeing something that is clearly not part of the play, chose to evacuate to save themselves.
All but one.
"Henri?!" Alexandra called out. "Henri! Where are you?!" She called out for her husband.
Madam Dubois, however, looked less terrified and more furious at what was going on.
"Who dares ruin this opportunity for my work to shine?!" She called out as she stepped foot through the curtain, only to gasp in shock before running back.
On one of the upper floors, however, Stella looked down, looking lost.
"What is happening down there? I don't remember allowing audience interactions in the pamphlet." Stella questioned, wondering if this was part of the show.
"Let's go!" Johnathan said, pulling her by the arm.
As that happened, both Jack and Maddie nodded as they headed out the door.
Before Danny knew it, the Beast grabbed him by the shoulder and tossed him down the aisle, where he rolled on the floor for several seconds before coming to a stop. Pushing himself up, Danny wiped some of the drool off his face as the Beast came walking towards him with claws ready for slashing.
"Hmph… you are about as sturdy as zhat Silver Bridge in 1967. Oh, how I wish I could have seen zhat carnage…" The Beast said with a laugh. "Oh, perhaps zhe violence seen in wars like in Vietnam. I've also heard of your little encounter wizh some monster zhat attacked your town. I wish I saw for myself…"
Danny got on one knee as what he just heard registered. Looking up, Danny raised one eyebrow.
"How do you know about any of that? You were dead for over 200 years." Danny was confused at his awareness of more recent topics.
"I spent 6 hours in a limousine wizh zhe cell phone of the man whose suit I took, learning as much as I could about what's occurred in the last 50 years before I came back to life." The Beast explained as he slowly took remaining pieces of the suit off his body. "Zhat limo driver was helpful… before his use to me ended and I sent his vehicle off zhe bridge. Pretty sure he's still alive… mostly because I was in a hurry to locate zhe Palais Garnier. Lost his job and likely his ability to walk wizhin 6 hours."
As the Beast snickered at his sinister actions, Danny got back on his feet.
"No respect for the working class, huh?" Danny asks.
"Obviously not…I just needed him at zhe time, is all." The Beast said. "I respect only one… Me!" He gestures to himself.
As Danny's fists clenched, Sam and Tucker quickly joined him at his side.
"Sorry it took us a while, we were kind of pushed out of the way by people running for their lives." Tucker said.
Sam took a moment to look at the tattered remains of the purple suit on his body.
"That looks like what that guy with the messy red hair was wearing…" She pointed out.
"That was him." Danny answered her. "He was Devereux the whole time."
"Whoa… we sat not far from him the whole time?!" Sam questioned, feeling relieved he didn't transform then and there.
At that moment, Dani flew in to stand by her brother's side.
"Jazz went to find Mom and Dad." She said.
"Good… we're gonna need all the help we can get." Danny said.
The Beast's grin grew as he laughed, ready to fight even more.
"Who to kill first?" He asks as his claws readied.
Special thank you to Flower Princess11 and TheWhiteTitan for aiding me.
RonaldM4019: 1) He's not thinking of that for now. 2) He just doesn't like things going "out of order" if that makes sense. 3) Busy. 4) She picked on him, what did you think his reaction would be? 5) None, I just needed them to learn Devereux's past. 6) Does it even matter? They're all from Canada and 6Teen had a sports girl who had snowboarded.
Daniel6: Me too.
Invader Johnny: I'm glad you think that.
danifan3000: It was a 2000's cartoon, so it kind of meant the main character would get treated poorly by others if he was in high school, especially if he wasn't very popular.
Luffy is King: Sorry, but I already have plans.
Leonardo: Was not aware of it.
Guest: 1. No. 2. He technically has, just Rich was wearing a mask. 3. No spoilers. 4. No comment. 5. Not plans yet. 6. Doubt it. 7. Dunno.