La Nuit de la Bête: Deuxième Partie
The rain summoned by magic still poured, though it was not as intense as earlier. Yet, the storm in him right now raged on.
Ever since the incident with the C.A.T. and time travel, Danny was haunted by the idea of losing his loved ones, along with being unable to save someone's life. There was the time prior to the Disasteroid his life had become complacent, making his fears subside, but since the Goblins, and the Wendigo, that fear started to return.
Now it's happened. Someone he knew, someone he just met, he failed to save.
And so, he sat with his arms wrapped around his legs, haunted by this, his head buried between his knees, under a tent that kept the rain off as many were being treated outside the damaged hospital.
Sam, Tucker and Jazz were the only ones to approach him, knowing what he must be going through.
"Danny…?" Jazz was the first to speak up.
"Dude…" Tucker was next to. "...are you… umm…" He had no idea what to actually say.
Sam took a step forward, but paused.
"Can I… put a hand on your shoulder?" She asks, but Danny has given no answer.
She pulled back, feeling that was not an ideal action to do at the moment.
There was a long silence as the three stood by, the sounds of rain and of people being treated with injuries under the tents and other noises drowning out everything. The three gave each other a look and nodded. They then turned, thinking Danny needed time to be by himself, since they didn't know how to help him.
"He reminded me of him…" Danny was heard with his voice almost impossible to hear, yet they could hear him well. "You know…who I mean." He said.
The three each had a faint idea of who he was talking about, but only one needed clarification.
"You mean… Vlad or… him?" Tucker slowly said, being careful not to say any jokes.
"Both, I guess…" Danny slowly raised his head. "Much as I hate to admit it… I can respect that Vlad still cared about being human, even if he's a crazy fruitloop with an ego. And then there's… him." Danny's eyes shut as he exhaled out his nose. "But even then, he gave it up to stop feeling pain. But… Devereux… he wanted to not be human, wanted to be more and more of a beast… I hate how… he makes those two better by comparison."
"I don't like how you said that. But I can only imagine how much you hate it." Jazz in a gentle and understanding tone.
"I do…" Danny then exhaled before burying his head again. "Please… just leave me alone for now…"
Knowing that this was a scenario he never wanted to experience, the three respected his wishes.
They turned and walked away, pausing to give one last glance at him before walking away.
Danny remained there for a long time, staring at nothing, feeling numb. Finally, he took a breath and got up. He had no idea where to go, but he felt uncertain of what to do.
"STAR!" Stella cried, being held back by her husband not to hug her daughter, who was in an arm cast. "MY BABY!"
Star gave a small smile at her before looking away.
Her mind went back to Danny, knowing what he saw.
"I take back every awful thing I ever said about him…" She whispered to herself.
Kwan, who stood by, could see the look on her face. He knew what she thought and shared it.
"If I knew he went through making sure this never happened, I'd never have let Dash stuff him in a locker almost every day…" He said, arms crossed as his eyes were filled with guilt and shame as he remembered the times he watched Dash bully Danny.
As he reminisced about the past, Alain was sitting alone, outside the tent where both Chloe and Alicia were being treated.
So many events of the night had replayed in his mind. From learning who the boy Chloe is clearly taken with really is to a vicious werewolf on the loose. But right now, his mind was on his friend.
"CHLOE!" A familiar crone's voice called out.
Unbeknownst to Alain, Danny was walking by, next to the tent where Chloe and his aunt were being treated. There, he saw Dubois stomping towards the medical tent. He saw Alain stand in front of the old crone, blocking her way.
"She's being treated right now, you old cow! Now go bother someone else!" Alain said with anger.
"Don't hassle me, boy!" She screeched as she attempted to push him out of her way.
Danny clenched both his fists and teeth as he heard this old, useless woman whine and complain, and was about to say something before a nurse stepped out.
"Excuse me, are any of you aware of her parents or legal guardians?" She asks the two.
"I'm her employer, what is it?!" Dubois angrily said in annoyance.
"Well… the cuts she received damaged the bones and severed the nerves. I'm afraid… we'll have to amputate." The nurse said sadly.
Hearing that brought both Danny and Alain to despair, but Dubois looked unmoved.
"Ugh… that girl… she should have done her duty. Oh well…she's fired for almost getting herself killed." Dubois carelessly said, shocking the nurse.
Alain looked livid, ready to speak out before Danny made his presence known.
"Are you… kidding me?!" He approached her, his voice loud enough to attract the attention of many passersby.
His mother, who was nearby and hoping for word on her sister, looked up.
"Oh, you're the boy who's distracting her. Well… she's all yours after this…" Dubois dismissively said as she walked away, only for Danny to roughly grab her arm and make her face him.
"She almost got KILLED because of you! You kept demanding everything from her, making her feel like she had to cut off her family just to be another obnoxious snob like you, and this is how you treat her after trying to save you sorry butt!? If you're here to whine about her, then BACK OFF!" Danny shouted, his eyes almost glowing.
Dubois, furious, roughly grabbed Danny by the shirt and lifted her other hand, which held her ugly purse.
"You watch your mouth, you low-life peasant!" She readied her purse for hitting Danny when it was caught mid-swing by Maddie.
"Hurt my son and I'll make a coat out of you!" She threatened, pulling the purse out of Dubois' hand and tossing it aside.
Dubois, gasping in shock at such a display of disrespect towards her, grew angry.
"You're going to let your boy talk to me like that?!" She demanded angrily
"If he said something I don't agree with, I'd have stepped in earlier." Maddie held fists at her hips, itching for an excuse to hit something.
Dubois, seeing this, turned her head away.
"HMPH! Savages…" She began to walk away, showing no sympathy for Chloe or guilt for getting her in harm's way.
As soon as she left, Danny huffed loudly before he started walking away. That's when Maddie reached for her son's arm and held him back.
"Son?" She slowly said. "Do you… wanna talk about it?"
"... no." He said with a low volume.
"Danny?" Alain spoke up.
Danny didn't even look at him. It was his fault he and Chloe got involved in this mess, and that caused Chloe to lose her leg. How could he even look her in the eye. Maddie, seeing the look on Danny's face, gave Alain a look before she gently grabbed Danny by the shoulder and led her away.
Danny was now far away from everyone with his mother.
"Son?" Maddie asks.
"I couldn't save him, Mom… He saved me." Danny said in a cracked voice. "He was gonna have a second kid… now that kid's not going to grow up with their dad because Danny Phantom couldn't stop that monster…"
Maddie held her son close, consoling him and comforting him.
"It wasn't your fault, sweetie." She said to try and soothe the pang of bad emotions he felt inside.
Unfortunately, the tears that were going down his face didn't stop.
"Is it wrong that… I want to find the Beast and rip him apart?" Danny asks, his voice a mix of rage and self-loathing over feeling this.
Maddie was divided on what she could say. She knew that, as a mother, she should discourage such feelings. But she also knows that, as the mother of someone who wanted to use his powers for good, she knew that he feels responsible when something goes wrong.
"...I'm not sure if there's a right or wrong answer to that…" She said softly.
Before Danny could say something, an excuse to get back to being alone, he noticed that one person was not with her.
"Where's Dad?" He asks.
"Good question." Maddie said as she scratched her head. "He said he was going to do something with Danielle and Marie…"
"...come to think of it… where are they?" Danny said as he looked for the two ghost girls.
That's when his ghost sense went off, followed by the two noticing a certain ghost girl peeking from around the corner, waving her arm at them.
"Guys! Come over here!" She said in a hurried tone before disappearing into the corner.
Mother and son looked at each other before walking to the corner, where they saw Marie with Jack and Danielle.
"Hey, Danny, how are you doing?" Dani asked in a gentle tone as she morphed back to human form.
"How do you think?" Danny asked, making Danielle wince at the bad question.
Marie hovered closer.
"Danny… I'm sorry for what's happened, what you went through… but I need you to calm down and listen. This is something you can help me with to save the people who were hurt…" Marie said gently.
"How? How can that stupid book help everyone that got hurt? Chloe's cuts are so messed up that she's going to need an amputation." Danny said in irritation.
As Jack and Maddie placed their hands on his shoulders to calm him down, Marie held the book up.
"That won't be necessary… I was going through the book to find the means to slay the Beast when I came across something more helpful for this specific scenario." Marie explained, turning to the page.
"She can heal the people who got hurt!" Danielle excitedly said.
Upon hearing that, a flicker of hope came to Danny.
"Heal? As in…?" He didn't dare to finish his question.
"No need for amputations." Marie assured him before looking sheepish. "There's just… one problem…"
"... of course." Danny and Maddie exasperatedly said in unison.
"The process of mixing the ingredients requires that we do so… for hours." Marie said before hiding behind the book.
"Hours?!" Danny exclaimed. "We don't have hours!"
"UNLESS we speed up the process…" Danielle spoke up. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" She winked.
Danny took a second before nodding, realizing what Dani meant.
"Let's get that thing!"
Elsewhere
The truck containing the Beast drove out of Paris, heading far away from the city.
Inside, the Beast still contained, his body wrapped in military grade heavy chains and inside a prison of electrified silver bars.
He did not bother to even try to break free from his bonds. He could only think of the last thing he saw before being brought inside, the sight of Danny Phantom being broken over being unable to save someone.
The thought brought a smile to his face. The truck came to a sudden stop, making him perk his ears up as he looked at the soldiers in front of him.
"We're far enough…" The driver announced as they slowly pulled to a stop.
"What iz zhiz? Iz this where you try to kill moi?" The Beast asks with an eye wide in interest.
"We have someone… who wishes to speak with you." Larissa angrily approaches him as she sets the laptop ready, the screen facing him.
"Hmm? What is zhis? Another of your new age contraptions?" The Beast was intrigued at the idea of meeting the man in charge through an object around the same size as the spell book. "I have not seen one of these devices in person…"
On the screen was the man who ordered her to capture the Beast alive, the man who sent her after her ex, the man who had one soldier watch the event of Danny Phantom being awarded for saving Amity Park from the Wendigo. A man with a bald head, dark skin and a very serious look, so serious that his scowl seemed almost like stone.
"Cedric Devereux, I presume?" The man in charge said through the screen.
"...not anymore." The Beast said, looking more intrigue than annoyed at the weak looking man.
"My name is General Solomon Maxxon, United States Military. I'm the reason the lieutenant was sent after the one who intended to sell your pelt… the same man whose eye you've… rendered useless." General Solomon Maxxon said.
"...so, what do you want? For me to stew into coq au vin? If so, you better prepare the highest quality vin you have." The Beast's sarcasm was heavy, but the man on the screen didn't react to it, unlike Larissa, who clenched her fists in irritation.
"As much as it pains me to… I'm willing to… make a deal with you." General Solomon Maxxon looked disgusted to say this, yet he didn't look away from the Beast.
The Beast smiled on one side.
"... go on…" He said with amusement in his voice.
The General huffed before standing straight, to give some aura of authority.
"So… I don't know if you're aware of this but… the reason the chest that held your pelt was unburied was due to an asteroid that almost hit the Earth until, to save the planet, the Earth was made intangible…" The General began explaining.
"By Danny Phantom…" The Beast added, not bothering to hide his smirk at the irony.
"So… you know…" General Solomon Maxxon had hoped to hide that little bit of intel. "Well… it seems the chests'… magic or whatever… made them not intangible and the force of the asteroid going through the Earth pushed them up and, once the planet was tangible again, made for a safe landing. At least, that's what our men have deduced. In any case… the incident has convinced… some interested parties… that the world is need of more… supernatural resources for combat and protection. They find the idea of adding you to our military ranks intriguing, even more so since you have bested Earth's only known supernatural hero. So... this is where you come in. Agree to work with us, and we'll give you... immunity. All crimes before and after that gunshot will be... pardoned. As well as regaining and even gaining more prestigious titles from your time. Refuse... and I've been instructed to... finish what was started."
"Ah... so... you wish to weaponize me, my, how intelligent to weaponize a creature that wants to kill every human there is..." The Beast smiled.
"Well... what's your answer?" General Solomon Maxxon had his fingers steepled while awaiting a response.
"Ah... I'm afraid I'll have to decline." The Beast said in a faux apologetic tone.
General Solomon Maxxon maintained a stone-cold face as he waited for the Beast to elaborate, but the Beast remained silent.
"...you are aware, of course, we are not giving you a second chance. You can either work with us... or we can dissect you and learn from your DNA what your mouth won't say..." General Solomon Maxxon warned. "Just to make it clear... we'll go as far as to skin you to your bone to learn how you tick."
The Beast only snickered with a low growl.
"You can try...imbécile chauve." The Beast goaded, showing no fear whatsoever due to his healing factor.
General Solomon Maxxon maintained a scowl.
"I did say no second chance." General Solomon Maxxon reached for the off button. "Lieutenant... do what you can to see what will make him an animal to be skinned again."
"With pleasure..." Larissa growled as the feed went out.
With the Fentons
"Now add a pinch of rosemary and a sprinkle of the dust from a rabbit bone." Marie instructed.
Maddie added the last bit of ingredients into the blender that Danny was using his ghost stinger and minimum power to turn on by holding the plug.
"Good thing I gave it that option for being powered by ghosts!" Jack grinned.
"Also a good thing some people are loony enough to sell rabbit bones in this city… for once, it's a good thing there's a criminal underworld." Danielle added.
Danny didn't pay attention, he just watched as the blender was sealed before being turned on.
"And this should work?" Danny asks.
"Indeed. The bullets worked, after all…" Marie's expression became less joyous. "Before he drank that potion…"
"About that…" Danny spoke up. "You mentioned a way to still stop him, right?"
"I'll look for it as soon as this concoction is ready." Marie then hovered over to the blender and examined the inside. "Hmm… it looks liquified enough."
The lid is removed, revealing the ingredients have become a green smoothie-like substance with only bits of the ingredients sticking out.
"Looks almost drinkable." Danielle said with a slight cringe on her face.
"They're not meant to drink it, you pour it over their injured parts." Marie corrected her before pulling back. "Okay, Jack Fenton…"
"Right." Jack is handed the book.
As he reads the incantation while having his hand over the substance, Danny looks to Marie.
"Will this really save Chloe and everyone who got hurt?" He felt a degree of uncertainty in this situation.
"It should." Marie said flatly.
"No offense, but you're not filling me with much confidence." Danny deadpanned.
"It's better than just saying something super blunt like "your girlfriend's about to lose her leg" or anything like that." Marie responded with an eyebrow raised.
"... I can see why you were so treasured back then." Danny snarked with a sour face.
Marie rolled her eyes.
"...and… all done!" Jack said as he gestured to the liquid.
Maddie, who looked unsure and unhappy to rely on magic, eyed the green substance.
"Shouldn't we test this to prove it can do the job?" She asks.
"Like this?" Jack asks as he stuck out his tongue and bit down on it as hard as he could. "AAAAHHHH!" He went before smiling. "HHHSSSHHHEEE?!" He went before taking a dab of it and placing it on his tongue. "GUH!" He shuddered.
"I said you're not supposed to drink it…" Marie said. "You saw what was added, why put it on the part of your body that can taste?!"
Jack spat out the green substance, smacking his lips before his eyebrows raised.
"Huh… it worked. My tongue's not hurting anymore." He said.
"See?" Marie crossed her arms and smiled.
"Okay… it works." Maddie rolled her eyes.
Danny eyes the strange substance, his thoughts drifting back to someone.
"Will it… work on Henri?" He held hesitancy in his voice as he said that.
Marie, losing her smug victorious feeling, turned her head and adopted a more sympathetic tone.
"I'm sorry… but now that he's… um… well… it won't work on him now." Her shoulders drooped as she darted her eyes away.
Danny's moment of hope was shattered as he heard her words.
A moment of silence came before Sam and Tucker were heard racing towards them.
"Guys!" Sam went.
"We found you!" Tucker panted as his knees buckled.
"What's wrong?" Danny asks.
"It's Chloe!" Sam and Tucker shout in unison.
In the van, lights were flashing from the windows. All while someone was walking towards the parked military vehicles.
The Beast's body convulsed from another electric shock to his body.
"Well?" Lieutenant Larissa Headley demanded, her voice echoing in the cold, steel-walled van.
The Beast's response was but a mocking laugh.
"Mon chère. You'll have to do better zhan zhat!" His French accent through his beastly grin was unmistakable, as was how he had no interest in showing her any fear.
Her frustration mounted as she pressed the button, causing another intense shock.
"Laugh all you want, monster..." She said through gritted teeth. "But you'll fry soon enough."
"Oh... you are... upset with me, yes?" He couldn't help but grin further.
"All those people you've killed? Obviously. Thanks to you, I had to hospitalize that piece of garbage, Razor..." She paused, trying to keep her anger in check.
The Beast's eyes grew darker, his grin turning into a snarl.
"Razor... he's a mere... idiot... compared to what I can do." The Beast's muscles tensed, straining against his restraints. "Let me loose and I'll show you what fear truly is..." Came as a growl.
The sound of his voice was a deep rumble, a promise of the horror he could unleash.
"I don't fear you... I just hate that he can't talk now because of you..." Larissa stepped back, keeping her distance.
The Beast took a deep, slow breath, his chest rising and falling dramatically.
"You should fear me..." He said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Fear what I am capable of."
The Beast's eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, she felt a shiver down her spine.
But she was a soldier. She had faced fear before, and she wasn't going to let a creature like him get the better of her.
"Keep dreaming." She spat back, her hand on her gun.
"Odd that you're upset about what I did to a man you hate. Do I detect... a hint of protectiveness?" He asks knowingly.
Her hand tightened around the gun.
"You don't know anything about me, Beast." She said, her voice low and steady.
The Beast's smile grew wider.
"Ah... I'm hitting a sore spot, yes? He seems quite fond of you. Were you... lovers?" He chuckled, his tongue lolling out like a dog's.
Larissa's grip on the gun tightened, her knuckles turning white.
"We were nothing." She said, her voice as cold as ice. "He's just a criminal. And you... you're going to pay for what you've done."
The Beast's eyes gleamed with amusement.
"We shall see, chère." He said, his voice filled with a dark promise.
She scowled at him before a knock at the door was heard. With an annoyed eye roll, she looked to the driver of the van.
"Answer it." She ordered.
With a groan, the driver got up and went to the door. Upon opening, his eyes widened.
"Lieutenant? Come see this…" He managed to say.
With an eye roll, she made her way to the side door of the van. Turning her head, she raised an eyebrow at the soldier in full gear that covered his face.
Then she saw his name on his vest.
"Williamson?" She asks, seeing the name of the soldier whose uniform was all that was left when he disappeared.
The Beast, at the same time, smiled with anticipation as he sniffed the air.
"So it's you…" He said.
Outside the destroyed hospital
Under the tent she shared with Alicia, Chloe was unwilling to look at her leg due to how terrible it looked, as she can still feel the searing pain of the Beast when he clawed her.
Her tears from the pain were spent, all she can do now is look up at the ceiling, hearing the rain as she wished she never re-entered the hospital or helped Dubois.
"I shoulda listened to Alain... that old bat isn't even here to face up to what happened to me." She muttered bitterly to herself.
Her eyes fluttered closed, trying to block out the world around her. Unfortunately, she couldn't even do that when one of the doctors entered.
"Miss Garnier?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with fear and anger. He cleared his throat, trying to sound professional but failing. "We've done everything we can. But I'm sorry to say that your injuries are too severe. We need to move you to a hospital with better facilities."
"To... fix it?" She asks hesitantly.
"To amputate..." He said suddenly.
Her heart sank. She had hoped that her leg could be saved, that she could walk again. But it seemed like fate had dealt a cruel hand to her.
Her dream to be a fashion designer and all the sacrifices she did, from not connecting with her family to pushing away a boy she actually liked, have been all for naught as she now had to face the possibility of never walking again and would be going home with one leg gone.
Alicia, who was on her belly, looked up at her with a sad look on her face, but she didn't say a word. She knew nothing she could say could help her.
"Poor girl..." She whispered to herself.
Before the doctor could say anything else, Danny came running into the tent.
"Hold it!" He said, holding up a cup of the substance. "I can save her!"
The doctor turned his head and lowered his glasses slightly.
"Young man... this isn't a game, it's serious. We are talking about a serious procedure and-" He held a flat tone before being cut off.
"I know!" Danny exclaimed, holding the cup out. "But this can fix her. It's magic!"
"Don't mock me..." The doctor responded.
"Mock? Did you not hear about the werewolf?!" Danny questioned quickly.
"I don't have time for this..." The doctor shook his head. "Miss Garnier's leg is beyond saving. It's either amputate it or have her deal with even worse complications of-"
Danny ignored him and turned to look at Chloe.
"This can save your leg. Marie helped me make it, so you know it's true." He said hesitantly.
Chloe looked at Danny. The boy she had been taken with yet had to push away because of her mentor Dubois and her distaste for anything that didn't fit her standards. It filled Chloe with hope yet concern.
"But... is it safe?" She asked, her voice shaky.
"It is." Danny said, his voice being serious.
"What could be worse than this?" She whispered to herself, then nodded to Danny.
The doctor was about to protest but was interrupted by Alain, who walked in.
"Let him try." Alain said, his voice firm. "If it fails, it's not like her leg can get worse..."
"This is absurd..." The doctor stated.
"Let him try." Chloe suddenly said.
The doctor raised an eyebrow.
"You cannot be serious..." The doctor said in an exasperated tone.
"Do it." Alicia added her voice to the mix.
The doctor was about to speak up when Danny pushed past him and raised the cup above Chloe's leg.
"Do you trust me?" He asks.
Chloe looked at Danny with a mix of hope and fear. After taking a breath, Chloe nodded.
"I trust you." She nodded.
And with that, Danny poured some of the substance over her leg, and the room waited with bated breath.
"If this works... it'll work on everyone with serious injuries..." Danny said.
"Even for me?" Alicia gestured to her back.
"Yes, Aunt Alicia..." Danny said as his eyes were still on Chloe's leg.
After seconds, the wounds began to close. Chloe hissed as she felt a burning sensation, but she kept still. The pain was nothing compared to what she felt earlier. If anything, the fact she could feel it close was a relief to her.
The doctor watched in disbelief, his eyes wide as the wounds on Chloe's legs began to shrink before his very eyes.
"What is this?" He said, his voice trembling slightly.
"It's a gift from my ghost friend." Danny said, a smile beginning to form on his face.
"Your ghost friend...?" The doctor asks.
The pain stopped as Chloe sat up. She observed her leg.
It had no cuts.
"I... I don't believe it..." She said, touching her leg.
She felt her smooth skin, seeing no sign of damage. Not even scars.
"How does it feel?" Danny asks with a smile.
"...it's… it's like it never happened!" Chloe said with a smile as she swung her feet off the bed to stand, only for her to lose her footing with the repaired leg. "OPE!"
She fell towards Danny, who caught her.
As that went on, Sam entered with Star, still with the arm cast, entered.
"You're sure you can walk?" Star asks, not seeing what happened yet.
"I'm used to it. Just a twist and-" Sam looked up and paused, her jaw dropping.
"What?" Star asks as she turns her head. "What're you-"
The two saw Danny seemingly hugging Chloe. Both of them felt their jaws drop as Danny held Chloe, whose face turned bright red before she stood up.
"S-Sorry there…" She rubbed her arm nervously. "My leg ain't fully there…"
Danny, seeing her able to stand and reacting to such a close proximity to him in a way, felt his anger at himself for not saving Henri start to fade. His smile actually reached his eyes as he managed to save Chloe.
Chloe, seeing this for herself, smiled back.
Both Danny Fenton and Chloe Garnier looked each other in the eye, both of them were silent for a moment, smiling and blushing slightly as they seemed to be lost in their own little world right now.
That's when a loud cough caught their attention.
"That's cute and all… but can you PLEASE pour that stuff on me so I can get up?!" Alicia snapped.
"Huh? Oh… s-sorry, Aunt Alicia…" Danny said as he went to pour some of the contents on her back.
As that went on, both Sam and Star couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy after witnessing that moment between Danny and Chloe. That was, however, until Chloe noticed them and smiled.
"You know… he might be able to help ya, Star. You'll have your druthers soon enough." Chloe said without a hint of sarcasm
That caught the blonde by surprise.
"Really?" She asks.
"Yeah…" Chloe looked back to see Danny helping his healed aunt up. "He's a really great guy…"
Star, seeing Chloe being very honest, couldn't help but agree with her.
"It took me a long time to realize… he sure is…" She said quietly with a smile.
Sam, seeing these two girls who have feelings for Danny start to get along, looked away. She knew this was not the time to act overprotective or relapse into being jealous. They had more serious matters to deal with right now.
Such as saving everyone from that monster.
"How are you, Aunt Alicia?" Danny asks as his aunt looks back to see the scratches gone.
"I'm feeling better than a rabbit who just outwitted a fox. Nice goin' there, nephew!" Alicia graciously said, actually looking happy right now.
Danny nodded before turning to see Star, still with the arm cast.
"Want some of this? My dad and the rest are making more, so there should be enough." Danny offered.
Star's smile grew as she nodded.
With the parked vehicles.
All of the soldiers, including the lieutenant, were out cold all around the area. The rain on their faces did nothing to wake them up.
The Beast stepped out of the van, the cage he was in was broken down from within before he tore out of his restraints.
With a breath, the Beast's smile grew.
"So… zhanks to him… I can have my fun…" He looked back to the knocked-out Larissa. "I could take care of zhis jolie petite douleur… but I wish to have a little more fun with zhat Phantom…"
He looked out at the city, eager to lure him out and make him suffer even more for getting in his way and reminding him of the people of his existence.
"Mmrmm…" Larissa muttered while unconscious.
The Beast stepped away from the van, the rain soothing his fur. He took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the area, searching for any sign of Danny.
"Where are you, mon ami?" He chuckled.
Larissa, who was starting to regain consciousness, reached for her sidearm, but it was gone.
"You..." She spat, trying to get up.
The Beast looked back at her, his smile growing with his laugh.
"You'll get your chance, chère... But for now, let's leave the heroics to the heroes, shall we?" He said before making his way into the city, disappearing into the rain.
Her head pounded as she looked around for her radio. Spotting it under one of the knocked-out soldiers, she managed to crawl over to it.
With a grimace, she picked it up.
"We have a problem!" She shouted, pushing herself up. "Get the police to help if needed, that thing is on the loose!"
With the Fentons.
"And… that's the last of it…" Jack poured the contents of the blender into a bottle, handing it to Danielle.
"Do we have time to get more ingredients?" She asked, looking around the mess that was their temporary lab.
"I don't know, but we should get going and help out while we can." Danny's voice grew urgent.
"Good point, Son." Jack nodded as he grabbed the bottle. "Let's fix 'em up!"
With that, the Fentons, along with aid from Star, Kwan, Alain and Chloe, went around pouring the green substance all over wounds, healing them almost instantaneously.
As Danny administered to one person, he heard a woman crying from afar, one whose voice he found vaguely familiar.
Turning his head, he saw Henri's wife, Alexandra, who was informed what became of him. Turning away, she pressed her head into the side of an ambulance that was parked, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs.
Danny felt his heart break even further, knowing he couldn't bring Henri back, but he had to save the others.
As he was halfway done, Jazz approached him and pulled his arm.
"Marie's got something for us..." She said.
Going around the corner to meet with his family and two best friends, Danny noticed Marie was there, still holding the book.
"You found a way to put the Beast down for good?" He asked with hope in his voice.
"... yes and no." Marie responded as she pointed to the book. "I skimmed through it and... well..."
"Well what?" Danny asks.
"I thought it was a spell... but it's... more like an instruction manual." Marie said.
"What do you mean?" Danny asks.
"Well... I wasn't too sure at first but then it goes into a degree of detail on how his enhanced durability and healing factor work now." Marie explained.
"From what she told us..." Jazz spoke up. "Devereux's human DNA was purged to effectively make room for more of that... whatever's in him now."
"Can we... remove it? Maybe, make him human again?" Danny asks.
"No... his humanity is gone. We can't change him back." Marie said.
"... and you think there's a way to still beat him?" Danny questioned.
"Maybe..." Marie shrugged, her face hardening. "It's a very slim chance but... it's better than nothing. It's all in the brain."
"Huh?" Danny asks.
"Turns out..." Sam spoke up. "The brotherhood used this on some poor animals to test what it could do. And the notes they left said that it gave them better healing... but made them super violent."
"We talking... 'guy who didn't like a movie' levels of violence or genuinely scary violence?" Danny raised an eyebrow.
"Genuinely scary." Sam responds, her voice grave.
"But if it gave them a healing factor-" Danny spoke up.
"Guess?" Marie spoke. "Here's a hint, we're in France..."
"... made them eat snails?" Danny asks absentmindedly.
"Here's another hint. How did I become a ghost?" Marie asks, gesturing to her neck, a subtle but telling movement.
Danny stared at her, trying to make the connection. Then, it hit him.
"... Oh..." He said, the realization dawning on him.
"Oh yes." Marie said with a grim nod. "We're going to have to cut off his head."
"Fitting, since we're in France." Tucker remarked, his voice dry.
"That sounds... like overkill." Danielle winced.
"Actually..." Maddie rubbed her chin thoughtfully as she turned to Danny, her eyes serious. "There is some science to this voodoo madness for once. The brain—especially when it comes to beings with healing factors—operates differently. With an enhanced healing ability, the body can regenerate almost anything, as long as the brain continues to function. But if you sever the head, the brain can no longer control the body. Without the brain in charge, it won't be able to heal. Meaning, he can't grow back another head."
"It's the only way." Marie said, her voice unwavering.
The rest looked at each other, looking uncomfortable. Despite how monstrous, how inhumane, how vile Devereux became, the idea of decapitating someone didn't sit well with them. Even Danny, who wanted to kill him, seemed hesitant.
"... there's just one problem..." Danny brought up. "You saw Aunt Alicia's bullet. it barely did anything before it bounced off him."
"Hmm…" Marie pondered. "That part is true… He's certainly much more powerful than the dogs they experimented on…"
All of them were lost in thought, questioning this incredibly doubtful plan as they stared at the Ghost.
Danny, meanwhile, turned his head to see that while many people were getting up, he saw Chloe gesture to the bottle in her hand, which was nearly empty.
"We should probably get more of this stuff… looks like a few people still need it." Danny spoke up.
"Hmm…? Oh… y-yes…" Marie said, snapping out of her thoughts. "I don't think we need the same amount as before…"
"I'll help out." Danielle offered.
As the two went to produce more, that left the rest to discuss the plan to deal with the Beast.
"Any ideas?" Danny asks.
"... push him into lava?" Tucker suggested with a small grin and shrug, trying to lighten the mood.
Everyone stared at him, seemingly in disapproval before Sam snapped her fingers.
"That can work." She said as everyone but Danny smiled. "Danny could just do… whatever he did to destroy the Wendigo."
"Yeah!" Jack went. "The Beast isn't that different from the Wendigo. Just do what you did and sent that puppy back to the pound. What do you say, Son?" He asks his boy with a grin.
"...actually…" Danny spoke up. "I've tried a repeat of that before we came here on some rocks and stuff. I can only do it for a split second, not enough for anything to go through, not even lava."
With that, their moment of clarity faded away.
"Back to square one…" Maddie muttered.
"Well…" Jack sighed. "Better go get the blender ready…"
As he and Maddie walked away, Danny was left with his two best friends and his elder sister.
"Maybe... we won't have to worry?" Tucker asks.
"He was taken by the Government, Tucker." Sam, ever the anti-establishment one, said. "What do you think they're going to do to him?"
"I don't know..." Danny said, feeling a strange mix of fear and hope. "But we can't just let him out there, you know?"
"Yeah, you're right." Sam nodded. "If we don't take care of him, who knows what'll happen."
"Well... maybe he'll refuse to comply, and they'll do the job for us?" Jazz suggested with some hope in her voice.
Before they could say something else, one police officer nearby was speaking to a group of people when his communicator went off.
"Attention! Le monstre loup a été aperçu en liberté ! Cap vers le Nord, direction la Tour Eiffel !" The voice on the other side said.
"What was that?" Danny overheard with the rest.
"He said... the monster wolf has been spotted. Heading North... towards the Eiffel Tower." Jazz translated.
Their heads snapped to look at each other, the reality of the situation setting in.
They didn't have much time.
"... can we... actually get his head off, even if we wanted to?" Sam asked, a hint of doubt creeping into her voice.
"... I don't know." Danny said, his eyes shut in doubt. "But we're going to have to try."
As they considered what to do, one of them noticed a puddle of water from the rain nearby and it hit her.
"Maybe we won't have to." Jazz spoke. "Another way to make the brain not wor?. A lack of oxygen." She smiled. "There's a certain stream of water we could submerge him in... it's a risk, but it's worth a shot."
Danny looked at her, then up to the sky.
"But we need to get him there first." He said, his mind racing.
"And keep him down long enough for it to work." Tucker added.
"We'll figure something out." Danny said with a newfound determination. "We have to. It's either us, or a bunch of innocent people."
They nodded, ready to face whatever was coming next.
With renewed determination, they turned towards the North, the Eiffel Tower standing tall in the distance.
They didn't know what they were going to do, but they knew they had to do something. The weight of their decision was heavy on their shoulders as they set off, to put the Beast down and ensure he returns to being among the unliving.
A special thank you to Flower Princess11 and TheWhiteTitan.
Chapter 17 of 25. Yes, 25. 8 more to go.
RonaldM40196867: Maybe. I guess. To show how big the threat is. Yes. We shall see. Because they don't have a way to tame him yet.
Invader Johnny: Indeed, and his battle with The Beast isn't over yet.
Daniel6: Yup.
Luiz4200: I don't necessarily think they should thank the Beast.
Guest: He got at least one. We will see. She does get nicer here. I have, but I had Danny take the Wendigo down already, so too late to add anything... darn.
Leonardo: That hate is going to be hard to handle when they face each other once more.