BEASTLY || CHASE STEIN (EDITING)

chapter twenty-four

A wave of agony crashed over Garfield, engulfing him in searing pain, as if every cell was being forcibly rearranged. He clutched at his chest, his muscles convulsing excruciating intensity against his will. Bones snapped and rearranged themselves with sickening cracks, while his skin rippled and twisted into a new form. His friends gasped in horror, their eyes widening in shock as they watched their friend writhe in pain. They could hear Garfield's anguished cries mingling with guttural growls as he fought against the overwhelming force taking control of him.

Nico's heart pounded in her chest as she witnessed Garfield's transformation. She reached out a trembling hand, wanting to help him, but knowing there was nothing she could do to ease his suffering. "Garfield!" she cried out, her voice filled with anguish.

The parents looked on with a mixture of shock and concern, their carefully composed facades momentarily slipping. Besides them, Mr and Mrs Yorke exchanged uneasy glances, their faces pale with guilt. They knew too well of the extent of the experiments on Garfield Logan, having been complicit in their efforts in harnessing his DNA for their own personal gains. But as they watched the boy succumb to the code words, they couldn't help but feel a twinge of remorse for their role in his suffering.

Meanwhile, the rest of pride looked towards the trio for answers, their eyes pleading for an explanation. But they were ignored, each of them shook their heads in disbelief, their minds reeling with the revelation of something so important.

As Garfield's body contorted and shifted, his features morphing into those of a panther, the other teens backed away, their faces pale with fear. They had no idea that Garfield had special abilities, but witnessing this transformation firsthand was a terrifying reminder of the danger their parents were to the community. The fact that one of them could do that to their own son. When Garfield finally emerged from the haze of pain, he stood before them as a magnificent panther, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity. The air around them seemed to crackle with tension as they stared at their friend, now a creature of the wild, trapped in a form not his own.

"Come to me, Garfield," she commanded, her voice laced with an unsettling mix of authority and malice.

Garfield's eyes flashed with wild intensity as he struggled against the overwhelming pain coursing through his body. But despite his best efforts, he found himself unable to resist the primal urge to obey his mother's command. With a low growl, he staggered to his feet, his body trembling with the effort of suppressing the animalistic instincts that threatened to consume him. Step by agonising step, he stumbled towards his mother, his movements jerky and uncoordinated as if he were no longer in control of his own body.

The other teens looked on in shocked disbelief, their eyes wide with horror as they witnessed their friend being manipulated against his will. They had never seen Garfield like this before, transformed into a creature of the wild, his instincts overridden by the sinister forces that sought to control him.

As Garfield finally reached his mother's side, Dr Logan reached out a hand to stroke his fur, her touch sending a shiver down his spine. With a satisfied smirk, she turned to the other parents and teens, her gaze cold and unyielding.

"Behold the power of Science," she declared, her voice dripping with disdain. "With Garfield at my disposal, we can bend even the strongest wills to our command."

"Holy shit, okay, shit." Chase stumbles in shock before activating his fistigons ponting them squarely at PRIDE. "If this is how you wanna play, then let's do it!" The rays of energy are halted as Tina commands a forcefield to shield them.

Chase attempted once more to breach Tina's forcefield, but Tina swiftly erected it once again, prompting Karolina to step forward. With only her hands emitting a radiant glow, Karolina unleashed beams of light towards the parents, catching them off guard as they recoiled from the dazzling brightness, cowering away to shield their eyes from the blinding rays.