[Writing this while I'm in some hot springs]
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Jericho doesn't have a big variety environmentally wise, one could say the difference between one forest and another is the fact that one has fog and others don't, maybe the ocasional wolf howls and Hyde attacks, aside from that, every single part is the same in here.
It's hard to hide a Hyde, much harder to hide it around a school with people who could actually beat it together with some team work.
So Laurel Gates always took precautions, attacking only normies that wouldn't be missed, but also a good reason behind this could be how Crackstone wouldn't want to come back using outcast body parts.
So there's a big question she didn't want to answer to herself, why did she left all of the other parts.
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Sheriff Galpin thought today was going to be like another regular day at work, normal headache, normal go to your son workplace and grab coffee, normal try to solve a monster out there killing people out there.
So at the morning, just when he started his shift, in that exact moment he recieved a phone call from an unknown number he knew something bad happened, for his surprise it didn't.
Wednesday with the other troublesome kid and what he would can a bright rainbow showed him how in that old house he never set foot again there was a mayor win, Wednesday had photos, dates and even videos of that same boy holding up a brain and saying how "Frankenstein project" was done.
He rushed to the place with his partner Ritchie Santiago.
Donovan looked at the medium sized trapdoor, and then looked at Ritchie, a genuine smirk of amusement.
"You make a single joke and you're falling down that hole." She said before be was able to say a dad joke, so Donovan didn't have anything to do before going down alone.
After going down the ladder there they were.
"Hi sheriff, I'll only take signed apologies and full credit." Wednesday said instantly, she didn't even bother to look away from her camera.
Enid was there looking traumatized after looking all the organs and other parts, and for Dante's case he was taking a nap next to a severed hand.
"Care to explain how did you stumble upon this place then?" Donovan asked, his firm tone wasn't going to allow any of the kids slip away.
"This place was the house of direct descendants of Crackstone, everything pointed here, also, there's an hiden altar for Joseph on the office and someone lives here." Wednesday said with a matter of fact voice, finally looking up from her camera.
"Yeah sheriff you better put some work, will you let miss Addams solve every mistery in this town?" Dante said behind Donovan.
"Just take the L, now the only thing left is to uncover the killer, because all the missing parts are here." Dante said pointing at all the body parts.
"Well..." Donovan seemed conflicted with himself, he already didn't know how to feel because of the solved murder that was supposedly done by Gomez Addams.
He didn't have a reason to think Wednesday was mad, she was rather just a girl with weird interest in Donovan eyes.
"And what about breaking in private property, or the skipping school to be in here?" Donovan said like he just found a new accusation for their child.
"We followed someone with a shady look in here, and today we don't have classes, the last participants of a tournament can have the free morning before the big event in the evening." Dante replied this time, he already talked with Wednesday their story.
"Is a shady look enough to break into private property?"
"You tell me, with Nevermore around..." Dante said, and he was rightly so, Jericho was one of the few normie places which co-exist with outcast, afterall their society is too scare to even form a country.
"Ok yeah, just get out out here and don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, leave it to the grown-ups." Donovan said, trying to show some authority, his hand resting on Dante's shoulder.
Dante's smug grin faltered as he brushed away the sheriff hand.
"See you later sheriff, once we find the killer..." Wednesday said walking away with Enid at her side, only Dante remaining.
"You know... your son feels something for Wednesday..." Dante said, his voice dropped a scale while he got to a serious tone no one has seen, no one alive at least.
"So...?" Donovan seemed genuinely perturbed now.
"I know my question may sound insensitive, but please tell me, your wife was an outcast?" Dante said, his tone was flat, almost devoid of emotion.
"You're stepping in dangerous territory if you're implying my son is that monster." Donovan said, a paternal feeling of protection only a father could showcase, a sense to put your life on the line for your child.
"Do you know what's a Hyde?"
And with that question the resolvance Donovan had in his eyes crumbled down as he heard that single word, and that was all the confirmation Dante had.
His suspicion for Tyler started almost like a jealous one, a sense that Tyler didn't deserve the attention Wednesday gave him, but he understood something Wednesday didn't.
She earlier suspected the Hyde was Xavier because he was in the festival, but she didn't take in mind another one, another who as soon as she lost track of, appeared like a monster.
It was a really simple suspicion, almost based on instinct, but he didn't brush it off, neither he told Wednesday about it.
"If you're so sure he isn't, then I could fix my accusation against him in the cafe he works..." Dante said, his voice still didn't change, the clear threat didn't even feel powerful, it felt like a chore said by the teenager.
"You don-"
"I can and I've already beaten the shit out of that monster, and that was when I was really a skinny shit, you don't understand the difference between him and me, I'm miles away." Dante said, his voice finally had conviction on his voice, a confidence that couldn't be compared.
"Please talk to him, the only reason I didn't rush to kill is because he's somehow controlled by a person."
"If you help me to find that person, I'll spare your son's life." Donovan frowned, not only to know his son was the monster all along, the thing he feared the most, but also that he was being controlled.
It brought a sense of relief, to know his son wasn't that monster willingly, but knowing that also brought the price, he was being threatened by a kid that was barely taller than him, maybe 5 centimeters.
"You're sure it's my son?" Donovan asked, he seemed to finally calm down as he reviewed his options, he didn't have many.
"I could be completely sure if I touched him, a long handshake would be enough to confirm he can transform, in theory if hydes worked like other outcast that transform." Dante said as his voice gained life, knowing he didn't have to threaten an innocent life took away that weight off his conscious.
"The person that understands his struggles about his mother is me and the psychologist, no one else truly knows except from her, it's like a switch, in a moment he's normal, as soon as his mother is mentioned." Donovan said like an admission, he couldn't bring himself to confront his son about the trauma, because he also couldn't, but his coping mechanism was being a sheriff, his son didn't have the fortune or misfortune to have a coping mechanism, and Donovan preferred a psychologist over drugs.
"Are you sure? No shady company, or even a sniff of drugs? Some chemicals can bring out the transformation." Dante said, a need to clear out information as he learned from Wednesday.
"No, I make sure he takes drug test every month, he's cleaner than some of my friends at work." Dovonan said, he was completely sure his son was healthy, he may be absent, but at the end he cared for him, he was the most precious thing he had left.
"Good, I'll talk with her as soon as possible, she may be that person who controls him." Dante said turning around, he was already done with all he needed.
"Wait." Donovan said desperate, now he was the one that needed something.
Dante stood in front of the ladder, he didn't need to know what was Galpin going to ask for.
"I won't kill him, unless it's the right decision, I'll take every chance before that one." Dante said as he took the ladder.
As soon as him and the sheriff got out the air felt lighter around them, the promise Dante made to Donovan felt less heavy as people were around them again.
"Yeah?" Santiago was on the other corner of the shed, receiving a call.
Then after a second she put her hand over the phone and said to Galpin something he wished he didn't.
"Dr.Kinbott has been found dead in her consult room."
Donovan instantly massaged his temples, and that made made Dante instantly ask.
"Is sh-"
"Tyler's supposed to have an appointment today, right now..." Donovan said.
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"You had suspicion of him all this time, we're about to completely make sure he's the Hyde, and you hid that from me?" Wednesday said to Dante, she sounded annoyed, truly annoyed.
"I have shown a side of me to you I've never shown, and you didn't keep that promise, you told me we'll equals, yet you decided to keep that to yourself."
"Because I never had a real reason to, it was like a gut feeling..." Dante said looking down on the sheriff car, for some reason Donovan thought it's the best for them come along.
"You just told me reasoning behind that, it was a solid one, why not then?"
"It's isn't as smart of structured as yours, also I didn't want you to think I was possessive over your attention or anything like that..."
With that, Wednesday face seemed to soften up, her shoulder being patted in a calming gesture by Thing, and other by Enid.
"Stop arguing you both, Dante I want you to come with me." Donovan said as he was driving.
"But sheriff it's a gory mess in there." Santiago said at his side, no teenager should look at a traumatizing scene.
"I'm sure I'm seen worse than both of you combined." Dante said, he somehow felt Wednesday words worked more to scold him than the sheriff's.
They stopped in front of the white building, other police cars were parked nearby, most of them were setting a restricted area thar civilians or the press couldn't pass.
Dante opened the car's door, but he was stopped midway as Wednesday grabbed him by the arm firmly.
"We're not done." She said as she let go of his arm.
Dante followed Donovan into the building, and before they opened the door, both could smell the scene.
Donovan swung open the door, the bloody scene was one he has seen too much recently, Dr.Kimbott opened by huge claw marks like a monster.
"You should look for your son." Dantw commented as he stepped in the room, the blood at his feet wasn't one of bleeding, it was one that came from laceration.
Dante put his hand on the head of the woman analyzing her body, and another fear he had was made truth.
'Whoever is doing this realized my heart is all they needed...' The thought only came yesterday's night, as soon as he saw all the body parts he rummaged looking for his heart, but he didn't find it, the person who took it realized his heart was enough for whatever they wanted with it.
Donovan already left the scene, he was going to take Dante's suggestion anyways, this was enough confirmation for him.
"I need to be prepared..." Dante said under his breath to himself, not only the Hyde was out there, whoever was that woman who's related to him is also out there, he was starting to get progressively anxious about it, because if she's just like him, then there's no doubt she's stronger.
"I thought myself an immovable object, but seems like there's an immovable force out there lurking..."