The Monster Is Loose

The energy blast hit him squarely in the chest, flinging him backwards onto the floor. He lay there, trying to gather his thoughts as his torn and battered body tried to regroup to continue the fight. It was hard, so hard. It hurt to breathe even the most shallowest of breaths and every beat of his heart forced a little more of his precious out of his body through the variety of cuts and slashes that had been inflicted on him in the battle. As a man he had nothing left to call upon, nothing left to give and he refused to surrender himself to win this fight.

"Jaden, no!!!"

Through the roaring in his ears he could he a boy cry out his name. Danny, Kate's son. He closed his eyes, picturing the boy who wanted nothing more than to have a father as well as a mother. A father who wanted a son like Danny. A father like him. But that was never going to be. His curse prevented that from happening. The beast inside him rumbled but he subdued the call.

"Jaden, get up! You have to get up!" The distress in Danny's voice tore at Jaden more than the wounds on his body. He would give anything not to cause Danny pain. Anything but the one thing that would end all of this. He tried to move, get to his feet, do something but the pain was too great and his strength was all but gone. He was dying, slowly fading away into a blackness that eased the pain the deeper he went into it.

"You killed him!" He heart the sound of feet running, not to him but to somewhere off to the side, where Tabor had been standing when he blasted him. He wanted to tell Danny to stay away from Tabor but it was beyond him.

A laugh sounded, cruel and cold, causing the beast to stir once more in a restless unease. Jaden forced himself to control the rising. He was not going to give in to its call. He was not like the others.

Suddenly there was a cry, startled and hurt, closely followed by the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Something fell to the floor as a woman screamed a name, Danny's name. Her fear and distress triggered the beast inside him, making him more agitated and angry, wanting freedom.

Jaden slowly opened his eyes to see what was happening. He pushed past the blurred vision and focused on the still form lying before him, a pool of blood slowly forming beneath the head of an innocent boy. Danny. His eyes were closed, the lashes dark against the pale complexion. He appeared to be not breathing.

The beast inside him roared his anger and pain at Danny's death. Danny was an innocent who should not have been harmed in any way. Jaden closed his eyes and tried to gather his failing powers to see how badly Danny was hurt. Focusing on the boy's still form he looked inside him and saw the fractured skull and internal bleeding. Danny was still alive, just. With the last of his powers he could heal the injury but it would bring about his own end. Unless....

The beast roared again and this time Jaden did not suppress him. Instead he let the power of the beast take control of his battered body. The time for controlling him, denying who he really was, was over. Now was the time to embrace who he was and use those powers to help those who truly mattered to him. Hopefully, he would have enough strength to regain some control when this was over.

His body felt as though it was burning as the power of the beast flooding along his veins like molten liquid. He could feel torn muscles healing, broken bones mending, the wounds on his body closing. Strength flooded through him making him stronger than before. Stronger and more powerful.

He opened his eyes, noting the sharpened vision, the heightened senses. He looked over at Danny, his powers locating and healing the injury before slowly climbing to his feet. His hand reached out and clasped his sword as it flew to his hand.

"Tabor!" he called, his voice a deep and raspy growl. "Let's end this, now!"

Tabor turned and saw Jaden standing there, seemingly unhurt after their long battle. His face paled as he saw the fire swirling in Jaden's eyes and recognised it for what it was. Jaden had unleashed the beast within and now it was time to pay...