NOTE: THIS CHAPTER WILL CONTAIN AN ACTUAL CHARACTER DEATH. DISGRETION IS ADVISED.
La Nuit de la Bête: Première Partie
Being slammed through various floors before reaching the floor, Danny landed face first, debris falling on him. Pushing himself off to lay face up, he saw a certain monster about to land on him.
"Quick decision!" Danny rolled out of the way before the Beast landed where his face was.
The Beast had a sadistic grin on his face as he eyed the Ghost Boy with murderous intent.
"I will be honest… of all the people I have ever dealt with… you are zhe most fun!" He said, letting out a howl-like laughter. "Too bad I have to kill you…"
"Feeling's not mutual…" Danny grunted, clenching his glowing fists.
The Beast has compared himself to Danny earlier tonight. How they both gained paranormal abilities thanks to their fathers. But Danny himself cared for his humanity, his normalcy, his desire for human contact. Devereux, or more accurately the Beast, cared only to make humanity suffer for his perceived betrayals, and had no issue becoming more and more a monster. In short, he's become everything that Danny wanted to never be, and feared becoming thanks to his powers, inhuman.
The Beast gave an almost sad look, since he knew that Danny would be the closest thing he could ever have to a real fight, but he shook that feeling away. His primal instincts told him to kill the boy, to remain as the Beast. And he had no problem with that.
With a snarl, he lunged towards Danny, who jumped away and started sending blasts at the Beast's face. He stumbled a few feet before he swiped at another ghost ray, sending it back to Danny, sending him to the ground. He was about to stand back up, when he was pinned by the Beast's massive paws, the claws digging into his shoulder, making him yell in pain.
"Want to know my favorite way to end a life?" The Beast opened his grinning jaws, aiming for Danny's head.
He was about to bite his head off, when his mouth was filled with a piece of debris that was thrown by Dani Phantom, who glared at the Beast with glowing fists.
"Let my brother go before I housebreak you! As in… I break you by dropping a whole house on you!" She exclaimed with eyes burning with rage.
The Beast pulled his head back, but only glanced at her as if she were an annoying fly than a threat. He threw Danny at her, causing Dani to brace herself to catch him. The Beast then shut jaw with such strength that he broke the debris to smaller pieces before spitting it out.
"Two meddlesome gosses for zhe price of one? Si tu insistes…" He said with a fanged grin before lunging at them.
On the rooftop
Jazz was helping her father up. The Beast knocked all but her aside, Danny saving her in time before he was knocked through many floors.
"Dad?! Are you okay?! Get up, Danny and Dani need help!" She pulled him by the arm.
"Just a sec, Jazz-a-rincess…" Jack got on one knee. "I can't believe that, for once, I want a taste of your aunt's homemade wolf meat soup after we take that thing down…"
"If ya do that, Jack Fenton, I promise to make it as tasty as possible…" Alicia pushed herself up.
Maddie, getting on all fours, noticed the pieces of the statue that was once Cedric Devereux before it broke apart and out somehow came the Beast.
"What even is this? How can this be him when… he's down there?" She asks, using her goggles to scan the stone-like substance, only to gasp. "It… can't be…"
"Can't be what?" Jazz asks.
"This… this is human DNA." Maddie's face was that of horror and incredulity. "Not on any hair or skin… but the stone itself…"
"How can that be?" Jazz asks as her father wobbled getting up.
"Magic?" Jack suggests.
"Stupid magic…" Maddie muttered before looking at what she held with disgust. "It seems as if, to gain that greater resistance to silver… he's purged all human DNA from his body, making him more monster than before."
"Shouldn't it be… more effective?" Jack asks.
"Not unless that's what required his healing factor and resistance to skyrocket." Jazz theorizes.
"That bruise he got suggests it can still put him down… but now it'll be harder to penetrate his skin." Maddie theorized.
"So… hit him with something harder?" Jack asks, hoping it means the Beast could still be slain.
"Assumin' we can hit that hard…" Alicia dusted herself clean. "Well? Anyone got a plan? Maddie? Jasmine? Even you, Jack? What about Queenie and Hernandez?" She asks, looking around, seeing them absent. Her scowl faded. "Where'd they go?"
Downstairs
Sam and Tucker were both busy helping evacuate Star, Kwan, Chloe, and Alain. They were left behind to keep the remaining four safe and make sure they get out of the hospital before they could get hurt.
"If we make it through this… I am NEVER coming back to France! No matter how many babes there are!" Tucker vowed as they ran through the hall.
Ever since they got here, all they had was drama, danger, and not one single girl even looked at him. At least not the way he wanted them to. After a murderous werewolf, he was ready to never return.
"I'm considering crossing this off my list of places I want to go back to myself…" Sam agreed. "Look, the exit!"
The teenagers looked relieved as they saw the exit sign glowing on the ceiling. They were about to get out when Star suddenly stopped, causing everyone to slow down and look at her.
"What's wrong, Star? Is your leg hurt?" Kwan asked, looking worried.
"We can't leave here." Star said, looking at them. "Danny is out there, fighting that monster. We can't just leave."
"Star, liking this new nice side of you, but that is a terrible idea." Tucker said. "Danny's got this."
"But that thing looks like it'll eat him alive!" Star said. "You saw how strong it was before it did that weird spell. If its that strong before, imagine how strong it is now!"
"Star, Tucker's right, we need to get to safety." Kwan said. "We'll only get in the way."
"Wait, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Star's right." Sam said. "We can't leave Danny fighting that monster. We need to help him."
"But Sam!" Tucker protested.
"I wanna go with them." Chloe said, dropping her fake accent. "Danny saved my bacon many times since I met him. I can't live with myself if I don't repay the favor."
"I'll be a poor gentleman to let three ladies fight a monster alone, count me in." Alain said.
Seeing that the majority wanted to go and help Danny, Tucker and Kwan looked at each other before they sighed in defeat and joined them. With their minds made up, they went back to the stairs, to go back up, where Danny and the Beast are.
"So, how are we gonna help, exactly?" Chloe asked as they ran towards the stairs. "I wanna help him, but I don't think my nails can do much."
"Perhaps I can help." Marie said, appearing beside them, holding the book.
"HUH!?" Star, Kwan, Chloe, and Alain screamed out as they all hugged each other while Sam and Tucker looked at her in surprise.
"Marie? What are you doing here?" Tucker asked the ghost.
"I'm here to help." Marie said, holding out the magic book. "We could find a way to defeat the Beast with the book."
"You mean the same book that made him an unstoppable monster?" Sam said as she crossed her arms.
"I know…I have slightly blundered, but I assure you, the solution is in the magic book." Marie pleaded to them.
"I mean…it's not like we have anything useful around." Star commented as she untangled herself away from the others, warily getting closer to the ghost. "What do you have in that book?"
Marie gave her a grateful smile as she opened the book.
Elsewhere
As Henri made his way down the stairs, his phone rang.
"Si?" He answered in Spanish.
"Henri?" Came the concerned voice of his wife.
"Lexi? What's wrong? Where are you?" He pauses his run to ask.
"I made it to where we're staying but... there is trouble. Henri, it's raining without stopping and the city's become a warzone against some... monster. It's all insane.."
"I know, my love... but for now, just do what the authorities say and stay safe. It's very dangerous out there. Besides, won't this be a fun story to tell Maria or Hector, whichever it becomes..." Henri lightly said, only for the sound of his wife being upset in response.
"Please come back..." She pleaded
"Not before I help out a friend. It's that Fenton family and their... friends." Henri said.
"Ah... you said you were there at the North Pole when it happened. But... will you be alright?" Alexandra's growing fear for his safety was evident in her voice.
"I will be alright. I promise. Can you make sure to tell Miguel I'll be alright? I promised him I'd introduce him to Danny Phantom... going to make sure I keep that promise." Henri masked his own fears with a calm tone.
"Alright, Dear. Please... be careful, I love you." Alexandra said.
"I love you too, Lexi..." He said as he hung up before taking a breath, his face dropping the mask of false composure. "As long as I'm an officer... I have a role to play, people to save... a friend to look out for..."
With the Phantoms and the Beast
Both Phantoms slammed into the wall, groaning in pain. Danny was the first to recover, so he quickly pushed Dani away as the Beast slashed at them, destroying the wall. The two rolled back to their feet. Danny blasted him with ice while Dani fired ghost rays at the Beast.
Both Phantoms nodded to each other as they swung their fists in unison to uppercut the Beast by the head. They successfully land their blow, lifting him off the floor.
His head whipped back, a look of pain on his face before he grinned instantly. Using the momentum to swing his body to land after a somersault.
"Pas mal." The Beast said. "Now, it's my turn."
In a blur, the Beast was in front of the two. They quickly made a shield to block his claws. The claws broke the shield, and the force sent the two Phantoms flying and sent them to the ground. Before they could recover, the Beast was upon them, swinging his claws. He slashed at the two Phantoms, sending them flying across the room. They both tried to get up, but they couldn't. Both of them were forcibly changed back to human form.
The Beast snickered as he approached the unconscious Danielle and lifted her by the collar.
Danny, waking up, saw his younger sister being lifted up by the lycanthrope, panic in his eyes.
"DANIELLE!" He called out, holding his arm out as he struggled to get up.
"I did say it's been a long time…" The Beast said, licking his lips before opening his jaw, drool spilling from his maw.
"Put her down! It's me who's been giving you trouble!" Danny exclaimed as he managed to get on his knees.
The Beast lowered her, seemingly agreeing with him.
"You are correct. You are zhe one who has gotten under my skin zhe most…" His smile grew. "Which is why I'm saving you for last… to make you suffer zhe most before I end you…"
He lifted the unconscious girl up once more, his jaw opening.
"NOOOO!" Danny cried out as he reached his hand out, trying to transform.
That's when something hit the back of the Beast's head, causing him to pause as he turned to see six teenagers choosing to act brave.
"Get away from them!" Sam shouted, having thrown a chunk of debris.
"That's rather attractive…" Alain said, finding her bravery rather alluring.
The Beast snickered at this.
"I prefer my prey conscious anyway…" He drops Danielle and makes his way to the group.
The teens held their debris at the ready, but before they could throw it, the Beast was in front of them and used his arm to knock them to the ground.
"Ow! That hurt…" Tucker said, rubbing his head. "What the heck are you?"
"I am an animal… pure and simple…" The Beast replied as he stalked towards the teenagers on all fours, slowly, like he was teasing them.
"Don't say that! Animals are gentle, majestic, intelligent, sympathetic creatures!" Sam said, only for the Beast to laugh mockingly, pointing one finger at her. "What's so funny?!"
"Petit imbécile naïf. Animals… BEASTS, do not play nice. We take what we want when we want… Especially when that beast is a god amongst simple people like you…" The Beast declared before he lunged at them.
The group screamed before Danny appeared, back in his ghost form, and flew down towards the Beast tackling him away from the group, sending the Beast tumbling on the ground. Danny then kicked him in the back of the head, only to see him get back up.
"No wonder Catherine had to keep rejecting you! Nothing gets past your thick skull!" Danny snarked with a smile.
Hearing her name enraged the Beast. Despite ridding himself of his humanity, reminders of the life he once held was still something he despised.
With a big snarl, he backhanded Danny, sending him crashing to a wall, making a big hole.
"Please tell me your ex is holding back for some reason?" Star asks.
"I really wish he was…" Sam whispered in terror as she realized they were severely outmatched.
The Beast then turned back to the group. The boys quickly got in front of the girls, despite their terrified expression. The Beast easily slapped them away before he turned to the girls. In a blink of an eye, he pinned all three girls to the ground.
"Excuse me, petites filles…" The Beast said as he looked at three girls, sniffing at them.
Sam gritted her teeth while Star and Chloe held onto each other in fear.
"I don't like how he's looking at us…" Star said in a shaky voice, with Chloe nodding in agreement.
"Now… who to kill first? Which of you will get under his skin the most?" The Beast asked as he looked at the girls, seeing their reflection in his inhuman eyes.
Danny recovered from the wall and saw the Beast pinning the girls. He quickly threw himself towards the Beast, tackling him off them.
"Get away from them!" Danny shouted.
The three took advantage of the situation and ran for it, Sam holding out a blaster to try and provide cover fire as they kept their distance.
"Tell me... which of those little tramps do you enjoy most? The grumpy one in black who has such a naïve view of beasts? The blonde who seems to alternate between infatuation and irritation? Or the redhead with the fake accent? I might just kill one, two or all of them just to make sure you learn... Or just to kill some time...maybe both." The Beast grinned.
"You would... you would do that just because I brought up the two people who you think betrayed you?! Because I called you out?!" Danny exclaimed in an angry, appalled and even disturbed tone at just how inhumane and petty this act was.
"Oui..." The Beast's tone sounded as if he were stating the obvious.
"You're... you're just too cruel..." Danny's look of absolute horror and disgust said it clear how wrong this act of petty vengeance is, especially with how the Beast laughed it off.
"Garçon fantôme... cruel is a word for the weak... used only to complain about things that have happened to them because they lack strength..." The Beast scoffed.
Meanwhile, Henri panted as he made it to the room, seeing the damage done to it. He sweated, both from exhaustion and fear. He was just a normal human, after all.
"Look, it's Henri!" Star exclaimed as the girls ran to him. "Officer, you gotta help us grab the boys!"
Henri looked in the room and saw the three teenage boys still on the ground. Steeling his nerves, he went with the girls into the room towards the boys.
"Grab them and follow me," he said as he grabbed Kwan's arm and placed it over his shoulders to support him, with Star helping. Sam went to Tucker while Chloe supported Alain. Henri then left the room, leading the girls to somewhere far away from this.
"Henri! Kids!" A voice exclaimed. They turned and saw the Fentons running towards them. Maddie then saw the boys and looked worried. "Are they okay?'
"They're only unconscious." Henri said.
"Quick, we need to check on them." Maddie said as she led them away.
Danielle, waking from the noise, shook her head to see the battle between the two.
"A shame you cling to such a sickness of humanity. If you were more like me... you wouldn't have hesitated to destroy me in my human form... If you were more of a monster... you'd have finished me by now. But you are too weak to do any of that..." The Beast scoffed.
It was at that moment, Danny knew he hated this monster.
He always treasured his humanity, more so since the incident with the C.A.T.s. The irony is that the future version of himself only became that way because he wanted to stop feeling pain from sadness, whereas this man simply wanted to spite the world out of a petty ego. As much as he despised Vlad Plasmius, he could at least say that his father's former friend valued his humanity, even in a selfish and egotistical manner through pride and false benevolence to convince people he wasn't walking garbage. But to hear the monster that was once Devereux be proud of what he's become, and actually criticized others for not being as horrible as he is, Danny had only one emotion for it.
Hate.
Clenching his fists and eyes burning with green fire, Danny Phantom only had this to say.
"NO! I AM NOT A MONSTER!" He flew towards the Beast.
Blinded by rage, Danny rushed towards the Beast, throwing wild swings and kicks. The Beast had an amused look on his face as he just let Danny's punches and kicks hit him. It hurt, but he endured it thanks to his new body, even enjoying it.
He then caught Danny's fist with his hand, stopping his assault. With a fanged grin before he threw Danny onto the floor, causing it to break and for the two to fall. Dani weakly crawled towards the hole and saw the Beast choking Danny, who was holding on the claws, trying to get free. The Beast then threw Danny towards a wall, breaking it down before being crashed through another, sliding and ending up in the hospital's lobby, where the rest were.
"DANNY?!" Everyone went.
The Beast stepped through, eager for more pain and violence. When he saw the room was full, he grinned widely.
"Oh good… more heads to dislocate!" With a loud howl, the Beast rushed into the room, claws ready to cut.
Jack and Maddie attempted to stop the Beast by jumping in front of him, only to blown away as the Beast bulldozed through them. Jack and Maddie fell to the ground, dazed and groaning from the pain. Alicia tried to shoot him, but the Beast was in front of her before she could blink and backhanded her away.
The Beast then turned his gaze to the person closest to him. Locked in his gaze was Chloe, making the Beast grin. Terrified, Chloe made a break for it, but the Beast was quicker.
His claw reached for her before she could reach the door, slashing at her right leg.
"AACCKK!" Falling to the floor, Chloe lifted her right leg and saw that she was badly wounded. "My leg!"
There, through her boot, were nasty cuts by the Beast, who laughed.
"Now… my little redhead… let me deal with that asymmetry!" He readied to attack her again.
He then felt rubble from the wall he broke when he knocked Danny through it and hit the back of his head. Twice.
"Leave her alone!" Sam gritted her teeth as she and Star both threw the rubble at the Beast, which only annoyed him.
"Yeah!" Star agreed before she paused in disbelief. "Can't believe I'm actually agreeing with you…"
"Trust me, it's weird for me too." Sam said in a deadpanned tone.
"Ah… jealous? Okay… I will devote time for you two as well…" He said with a calm voice before he seemed to disappear in a blur.
Before the two could react, the Beast backhanded both of them, sending them towards the wall, crashing into it. Star cried out in pain as she curled into a ball, holding her right shoulder. Sam, having been used to getting hurt more than Star, merely hissed as she held her left ankle.
"Manson, if we live through this, I'll never make fun of your choice in lipstick color again…" Star said, wincing from the pain.
"I'm down for us living regardless…" Sam hissed in pain.
"Hmm… which of his little harem should I remove first?" He scratched his chin in thought. "Am, stram, gram… YOU!" He points at Star.
The Beast lunged at her, making Star scream at the top of her lungs, before the Beast was violently pulled away by his tail.
Danny Phantom swung over his head and sent the Beast several feet back.
"Everyone out!" He shouted.
"Here, Star." Kwan said as he picked up Star, being careful not to aggravate her injured shoulder. "That looks bad."
"Easy does it, now." Henri said as he carried Sam, making sure to avoid jostling her twisted ankle.
"Chloe! Here!" Alain said in an urgent tone at seeing his friend's state. He picked her up so she won't have to walk. "We need to get out of the building."
"That'll take too long." Tucker said as he supported Maddie while Alicia and Jazz was supporting Jack. "And we have too many injured people here."
"Then allow me to help." Marie said, appearing from the ground.
"She can help us?" Henri asked.
"Kinda." Sam replied.
"Brace yourselves." Marie said as she turned the wall intangible, letting them pass through.
The Beast saw what she was doing, so he quickly kicked Danny away and rushed at them, but Danny grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back.
"Dani, help them!" Danny exclaimed as the Beast started punching him, trying to get him to let go.
"What? But what abou-?"
"Help them, now!" Danny exclaimed as he kept the Beast back.
Startled by his shout, Dani flew towards the group and pushed them through the walls Marie turned intangible, gently bringing the group outside.
They found themselves outside in the rain, away from the fight.
"I need to go ba-ugh..." Dani suddenly fell on her knees as she turned back to human. "So…tired…"
"Are you okay?" Jazz asked in a worried tone as she knelt next to her.
While they were looking at Danielle, no one noticed Henri quickly making his way to the window, going back in.
The Beast saw his prey escape, making him growl in annoyance before he punched Danny again, finally making him let go.
Danny stood on shaky legs, panting heavily as he tried to steady himself. He's been fighting non-stop for hours while the Beast was barely winded. He threw a punch, but the Beast caught it and lifted him up. The Beast backhands him, causing Danny to skid on the floor before his back hits broken pieces of the damaged wall, the force of it causes him to forcibly change back to human form.
"Too…tired…" Danny panted as he gets up, though pain and exhaustion made him slow and wobble.
The Beast stood before him, sneering maliciously.
"Now… to finish you!" The Beast raised his claw.
Time froze as it seemed his end had come.
So…this is it…At least they're safe…I'm sorry… If I knew it'd end like this... I'd have said something to Star or Chloe... I'd have talked with Sam... I'd have... done more I could do to stop this...
"NO!" Henri was heard shouting before running in and pushing Danny from his right.
Danny only had a moment to register before he was sent rolling on the floor and heard a sickening sound.
He finally stopped, landing face down. He got a cut on his head, which bled a lot. His hands hit the floor, barely having the strength to look up before seeing someone falling backwards. It took a moment to register who it was.
On the floor was the police officer that had been nothing but nice to them and became a friend who showed genuine gratitude to Danny Phantom. And one look at his neck made it clear the state he was in.
"HENRI!" The Ghost Boy cried out in shock and horror, desperate to get up and save him.
The Beast only scoffed at this.
"If I knew anyone would do… I'd have done it quicker…" He said before a sound was heard outside.
The sound of tanks and trucks under the heavy rain seemed to deafen the sound.
"Cedric Devereux, you are under arrest!" Larissa shouted through the megahone. "We have the building surrounded! Come out or we will take you in by force!"
The Beast scoffed before a smile came to his face as he turned to see lights and several soldiers running in after they managed to make their way through the debris.
Larissa herself stood amongst the men in military armor, her stoic face quickly breaking upon seeing who was on the floor near the Beast. Danny Fenton and Henri Hernandez, and the state one of them was in.
Her fists clenched as she redirected her attention to their target.
"Be thankful my orders are to take you alive…" She pointed at the Beast. "Kid! Move aside! Everyone! Take aim and fire once he's out of the way!"
Danny, snapping out of it, quickly rolled out of the way as he heard shots being fired.
The Beast wasn't hit by bullets as expected, but electrified bolas that wrapped around him.
He was momentarily stunned and immobilized as he fell to the floor.
"Que diable!?" He asks as he tried to get free.
With the Beast immobilized and on the ground, the soldiers had an easy time to drag the monster out of the building.
As the Beast was being pulled into one of the trucks, he momentarily turned his attention to Danny, who stared at what was once Henri.
Danny's face was broken with shock, fear and anger. He failed to save someone he knew, and it was his fault. The sight of his broken face filled the Beast with great joy.
All the Beast could do was laugh at him as the truck's heavily secured doors closed.
Danny just stood there, too drained of power and of any emotion to make any reaction. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Larissa, who did not have the same stone-cold reaction she usually had.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Kid…" She apologized with a rare display of sympathy.
Danny didn't react. He just fell on his knees, looking at nothing. Not even noticing his friends and family running towards him.
He failed to save someone.
A thank you to FlowerPrincess11 and TheWhiteTitan.
RonaldM40196867: I have and yes. No spoilers. Never played Assassin's Creed. No spoilers. Lost their jobs. I'd rather not, to be honest.
Fiction Realm: That was my intention. Also, it's not wrong to want that.
Invader Johnny: It was a punch to the gut a few people needed.
danifan3000: No spoilers.
Luffy is king: More as if he is trying to talk her out of it. Not sure? That depends since the Wendigo himself was too powerful for Kitty's kiss and the Fright Knight's sword to work on him, so for the Beast, I say not likely.
Matt: Yeah, paying my bills.
Luiz4200: Yup.
Daniel6: That stone was more a cocoon, so that wouldn't have worked.
guest03: Thanks for the idea.
Leonardo: I have not.