There's More Than One Way to Catch Mr. Hyde
“How will we know him when we see him?” Aurora asked as she carefully walked down a wet deserted street in Paris.
“You’ll know him.” Allan shouted at her making her pause and sigh.
“Yes, just like the time I was supposed to know a Mongolian beast when I saw him, but instead almost let him rip my heart out during sex.” Aurora said to herself as she continued to walk down the street. A chuckle to her right made her stop and turn. A man stepped out of the shadows and looked at her. Aurora’s eyes slid down his body then back up again. He was perhaps two or three good inches taller than she was, his hair was dark and messed with the ends curling slightly, his features were dark and cold as were his eyes that had taken in Aurora a couple of times now. “Mr. Hyde I assume.” She said with her hands on her pistols. The man gave her a smile that did not reach his eyes and a slight bow. Then with lightning speed he had her by the throat pinned against the opposite wall.
“Why don’t you scream?” Hyde snarled at her and Aurora smiled.
“I’m not the screaming kind. Outside of the bedroom that is.” Aurora said and watched his lips turn up into a smile.
“Pity I don’t have the time to have you prove that fact.” He said giving her throat a small squeeze.
“All that running taking up your time Edward?” she asked and before he could answer her, the wall above them exploded and rained small debris down on them. A look to her left proved what she already knew. Her grandfather and Sawyer had caught up to her. Hyde growled deep in his throat making Aurora turn her attention back to him. He looked at her and leaned in real close their noses barely touching.
“Something tells me we will meet again.” He growled then quickly released his hold on her throat and ran down the street as Allan and Sawyer ran up to Aurora.
“I told you to catch him, not flirt with him.” Allan said looking at Aurora as she watched Hyde run down the street. She turned to him and smiled pushing herself off the wall.
“Only you would think the two were different.” She told him and Allan looked at her.
“He’s heading for the roofs.” Sawyer said pointing with the barrel of his gun.
“The chase is on then.” Aurora said still looking at Allan.
“By all means, after you.” Allan told her with a smile that simply suggested ‘Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know.’ Aurora led the way as they followed Hyde on the street as he ran among the chimneys on the rooftops of Paris.
“I don’t see what we need this guy for.” Sawyer said as they rounded a bend.
“Well, this guy has terrorized the Rue Morgue for months.” Allan said then smiled. “Imagine the mayhem he’ll give the enemy.” Aurora smiled as Hyde jumped over them onto another rooftop. Allan raised his gun and shot. The bullet hit a chimney in front of Hyde making him turn.
“Missed!” Sawyer said to which Aurora just smiled.
“I’m not trying to hit him.” Allan said and took aim again. “Turn left Mr. Hyde.” He shot another chimney in front of Hyde again and again Hyde turned. They continued to run along the streets and Sawyer took out his pistols and began firing. “Make him turn left boy!” Allan urged him as Sawyer kept belting out the bullets not hitting anything useful.
“If you can’t do it with one bullet, don’t do it at all.” Aurora said and took aim with her pistol and made Hyde turn with one shot. Allan smiled at her as Sawyer sighed.
“He’s doubled back.” Sawyer said and watched as Aurora took off down the street.
“Precisely.” Allan commented then began to follow his granddaughter. “Come on!” He yelled back at Sawyer who with a deep breath took off after them. Aurora was only a few paces ahead of Allan and Sawyer and only slightly ahead of Hyde. He growled and Aurora smiled. “Look out!” She heard over her shoulder and stopped to see Allan grab Sawyer just as some bricks and part of a chimney came crashing into the street.
“That was naughty.” Aurora said looking up at the figure of Hyde who chuckled and began to run once again.
“Thanks.” Sawyer said to Allan who turned and looked at him.
“Eyes open boy hmmm? I can’t protect you all the time.” Aurora smiled at the all too familiar words and Allan sniffed the air and looked at her. “He’s afraid.”
“Indeed.” Aurora confirmed. Sawyer sniffed the air and gave them both a look.
“I can’t smell anything.” He said as Allan and Aurora began to run down the street again. Allan rounded a corner and shot some brick work making Hyde slid to a stop and look at him. A couple more close shots made Hyde jump kiddy corner to another roof. Aurora shot the chimney to keep him from running on down the roof and Hyde turned and gave her a look to which she smiled sweetly as Allan shot the gutter making the tiles on the roof begin to slide and Hyde to lose his footing and slide down the roof with the tiles to the street below. He landed on his side and Aurora side stepped to keep a good eye on him as Allan took out a flare gun and shot into the night sky. Hyde stood and looked at Aurora and she mouthed ‘You were right Mr. Hyde’ to which a look of confusion crossed his face moments before the net he was standing on unawares closed around him and pulled him through the streets to the docks and into the Nautilus. Aurora winced as a turn made Hyde slam into a wooden box.
“That had to hurt.” She whispered and Allan patted her on the back and smiled.
“Perfect.” He said as he started walking towards the Nautilus. “Welcome aboard Mr. Hyde.”
Edward Hyde was none too happy about the capture, and it wasn’t very long before all aboard the ship knew it. He was chained in the hold with very heavy chains, but that didn’t stop him from throwing crew members around the hold making such terrible noises. Soon the other members of the League began to head to the hold. Aurora was walking along the corridor when she stopped suddenly and spun around. Standing behind her was a man she could have lived the rest of her life not seeing again.
“Albert.” Aurora said with distain. Albert smiled at her and then pouted.
“You don’t look happy to see me Aurora.” He said as Aurora turned and began to walk to the hold.
“I’m not.” She said as Albert fell in step beside her.
“After all this time I’d thought you would be delighted.” Albert said and Aurora looked at him.
“You thought wrong.” She said and turned into the hold door walking towards her grandfather and Sawyer as they stood watching Hyde throw more crewmen around. Albert had stopped at the door staring at Hyde.
“When did he get here?” Aurora growled at Allan. Allan looked over his shoulder at Albert.
“Last night.” Allan said simply and looked back to Hyde.
“And you were going to tell me when?” She asked sidestepping to keep from being hit by a flying man.
“I figured you’d know soon enough. I needed your head clear for the hunt.” Allan said clasping his hands behind his back. Aurora looked over at him then back to Hyde.
“Hello Dorian.” Skinner said as they met in the corridor heading to the hold. “Sounds like the great white hunters bagged their prize.” They came to the hold door as a man went flying out. Mina who was walking there from the opposite direction stopped short and looked down at the man.
“Or the prize bagged them.” Dorian said walking into the hold followed by Mina and Skinner. They all stopped near Albert and watched as more crew went flying. Allan turned then nudged Aurora softly and winked at her when she looked at him.
“Stay back if you value your life.” Allan said to the group and Aurora rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. She stepped to her right as Hyde threw another crewman in her direction; Skinner however was not so quick to react. Albert turned and offered Skinner his hand and pulled him up.
“Ow! You scratched me!” Skinner remarked looking at Albert.
“Better me than him.” Albert said and turned back to watch Hyde.
“Well, this is nice.” Dorian said walking closer.
“Mr. Hyde.” Allan said making the man look at him. “You’ve done terrible things in England. So terrible that you fled the country.” Hyde growled and paced a little his eyes darting from Allan to Aurora then back again. “And I am ashamed to say that Her Majesty’s government is willing to offer you amnesty in return for your services.” Hyde stopped pacing and breathed in deeply staring at Allan.
“Don’t you want to go home?” Aurora asked softly earning Hyde’s full attention.
“Home.” Hyde said with a snarl. “Home is where the heart is. That’s what they say. And I have been missing London so.” He looked at Aurora carefully before continuing. “Its sorrow is as sweet to me as a rare wine.” He looked around at the people standing around him then back to Aurora and took a couple steps closer to her. Aurora stood her ground. “I’m yours.” He said making Aurora blink and turn to look at Allan who only smiled at her. Hyde’s eyes roamed the room again and fell on Albert. He smiled and glanced quickly at Aurora. “Don’t be afraid.” He told Albert and Albert snorted making Aurora turn.
“Who says I’m afraid?” Albert asked chuckling nervously.
“YOU DO!” Hyde yelled pulling a chain from the wall and whipped it towards him. Everyone ducked then stood as the chain came to a rest. “You stink of fear.” Hyde said glaring at Albert.
“To bad you missed.” Aurora muttered under her breath making Hyde look at her. Dorian smiled.
“Quite the parlor trick.” He said crossing his arms across his chest. Hyde looked over Aurora’s shoulder at him and smiled.
“You wait till you see my next one.” Hyde said then took a step back. With a look to Aurora he began to growl. The growl turned into a gasp and then a low scream as right before all their eyes Edward Hyde changed dramatically into another man entirely. Gone was the black curls, replaced by brown ones. The cold dark eyes that had almost frozen Aurora’s heart turned into a warm soothing brown, his features became soft and kind. The height and physical stature remained the same but the transformation made him tear at his shirt and when he fell to his knees, not much of the shirt was left. Aurora stood there shocked to see a man she quite recognized. She stepped over the chains walking to his side.
“Dr. Jekyll.” She whispered kneeling down beside him, pulling a chain off his shoulder as he stared at the floor gasping for breath.
“Aurora don’t.” Albert said and she looked up at him.
“Bugger off Albert.” She said none too kindly as she slid her hand under Jekyll’s fore arm and helped him to his feet. The man looked at her and then to the others.
“Dr. Henry Jekyll at your service.” He said with a weak smile.
“So,” Allan said turning his back on Jekyll and Aurora with a smile. “The league is set.” A small bell clanged and some clicking followed. Nemo stepped over to the wall and pulled a strip of paper from a device spitting it out.
“So is the date for the conference. We have three days.” Nemo said reading the paper.
“Three days?” Sawyer said tearing his eyes away from Jekyll. “Can this canoe do that?” Nemo raised an eyebrow but smiled.
“You underestimate the Nautilus, sir. You underestimate her greatly.” Nemo said proudly. Aurora rolled her eyes letting them fall on Jekyll’s now exposed and defined chest. She quickly adverted her eyes and they met with Mina’s who smiled at her and Aurora couldn’t help but to return the smile. They began to file out of the hold and Aurora slid Henry’s arm around her waist.
“Come.” She said to him softly. “I’ll show you to your quarters. Can you walk?” Henry nodded and allowed her to gently lead him out of the hold and down a few corridors. She let him set the pace as she tried to ignore the muscle definition in his back and along his side that was pressed up against her. She thought of Albert and any of the number of reasons he could be there when Henry gently pulled her to a stop. She looked at him and felt a nice shiver run through her as her green eyes met with his brown ones.
“You know who I am?” Henry asked her leaning against the wall so he could get a better look at her. Aurora smiled as she stepped away from him half disappointed and half relieved.
“Yes.” She said leaning against the wall opposite of him. “Although we’ve never been properly introduced. I attended a lecture you gave at Eden College a couple years back. You were speaking about the duality of good and evil and how the world could be changed if mankind could separate them.” Henry smiled.
“We still haven’t.” He said and Aurora looked at him.
“Haven’t what?” She asked looking at him curiously.
“Been properly introduced.” he replied and Aurora laughed softly.
“Oh.” She said looking at the floor before looking back at him. She pushed a stray lock of hair back behind her ear. “Aurora Quatermain, Dr. Jekyll. Not but one in a sea of a thousand students who had come to hear the great doctor speak.”
“And what did you think of the lecture?” Henry asked as he pushed himself from the wall and watched Aurora gracefully do the same and they continued to walk down the corridor.
“Well,” Aurora said thinking. “You may have the right idea, but perhaps you’re going about it in the wrong direction.” Aurora stopped at a door and turned to him.
“Wrong direction?” Henry asked and Aurora nodded. “How so?”
“Instead of housing them in separate identities, why not just eliminate the evil entirely?” Aurora suggested to which Henry smiled.
“If you’d remember Miss Quatermain, I had said that completely removing the evil would destroy a person’s foundation.” Aurora nodded and smiled seductively.
“Yes, what would a person do if they couldn’t be naughty from time to time?” She said then glanced over Henry’s shoulder to her grandfather further down the corridor giving her a strange look. “Here” She said looking back to Henry.
“I’m sorry?” Henry asked blinking.
“Your quarters Dr. Jekyll.” Aurora said opening the door and with a glance back at Allan she walked in followed by Henry. “I do hope you’ll find everything satisfactory.” Aurora walked past the large bed to stand in the middle of the room close to a table. “All of your things have already been brought aboard.” Aurora told him. Henry nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Quite certain I was going to join where you?” He stated to which Aurora smiled and walked towards him and placed her left hand on a case.
“My dear doctor, a Quatermain always gets their man.” Whether or not he heard her she didn’t know for he was staring intently at her left hand. Aurora followed his gaze with her own and slowly moved her hand across the top of the case. “Is this it then?” She asked softly. Henry blinked and looked at her. “The formula you created?” Henry slowly nodded, his eyes traveling up her arm to meet hers. “Would you mind?” to this he stared into her green eyes for a moment before answering.
“Go ahead.” He told her ignoring the voice in his head. He watched as she carefully opened the case and looked at the vials within. She removed one of them and turned it over in her hands. She quickly moved from beside the case to sitting beside Henry on the bed. He was slightly startled by her quick movements and how close she sat to him. “What—" She began but stopped and almost looked at him shyly.
“What’s it like?” Henry asked for her and she pulled her left leg onto the bed so she could face him properly leaving her right to hang over the side.
“Yes actually.” She said looking again at the vial in her hand. “What does it feel like to be someone else? Do you have memories as Hyde? Can close friends and family see the difference between the two of you? Does anyone actually know what you’ve done?” Henry placed a hand on hers the one that was holding the vial and that simple action made Aurora stop talking, like he had hoped.
“You’re not the curious one now are you?” He asked smiling at her. Aurora might have blushed, he wasn’t quite sure for when she looked down at his hand on hers a bunch of red curls tumbled down and covered her face.
“I’m sorry. It’s just ever since I heard you talk of it I had wondered what it’d be like.” Aurora said then she quickly looked up at him. “Not that I’d ever have the courage to try it for myself.” She looked around the room as she continued. “Of course I’m no scientist or doctor for that matter. Oh, I’ve dabbled here and there with chemicals; you know to see different reactions. I once blew up the lab back home, I was fine of course, but it made a horrible mess…” Aurora trailed off as her eyes met Henry’s. He smiled as he was certain that this time she had indeed blushed.
“I didn’t realize you were so into science Miss Quatermain.” He said and she smiled slightly. “Especially since you were the only one at the lecture not taking notes.” Aurora’s eyes showed her surprise and Henry smiled again. “Yes, I remember you. How could I not? In a sea of thousands, you were the only woman there sitting boldly front and center.” Henry softly tucked the curls on the left side carefully back behind her ear and in doing so lightly brushed his fingers against her cheek. Aurora gazed into his inviting eyes for a moment, Henry’s fingers touching the side of her neck. She smiled then stood and looked down at him and swallowed.
“I should be going.” She said. “You need your rest.” Henry smiled and nodded then as Aurora walked to the door he laid back into the bed feeling the warmth of the spot she just vacated. Aurora stopped suddenly looking at the hand still clutching the vial of Henry’s formula. She turned and slightly started at seeing him lying across the bed. Her imagination suddenly switched on and began to run when Henry noticed her standing there staring at him.
“Something wrong Miss Quatermain?” Henry’s voice broke through her sudden fantasy.
“Wha-? OH. No. Umm here.” She about stuttered holding out her hand with the vial.
“Keep it.” Henry said watching her. “Study it. Tell me what you think of it. Just don’t…”
“Drink it.” They said together. Aurora smiled.
“I am more interested in hearing you tell of your experiences than to make my own Dr. Jekyll.” Aurora said regaining some of the authority in her voice. “But thank you.” Henry gave her a tired smile and mouthed ‘You’re welcome’ and curiously found he was quite pleased to see her smile again as she closed the door as she left him to lay there listening to the voice in his head.
She laid on her bed in her own quarters holding up the vial above her watching the oil lamps light play in the formula when a sharp knock rapped at her door. She lowered her hand and raised herself on her elbows and watched as her grandfather entered her room without needing an invite. Aurora gave him a smile as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of her bed. He sat there looking at her for a moment before smiling.
“You look so much like your mother.” Allan said with a sigh. Aurora sat up carefully tucking the vial under a pillow.
“Did you come to reminisce in the past grandfather?” She asked pulling her legs to her chest. Allan laughed and ran a hand through his hair.
“No. I didn’t.” He said then looked at her. His eyes took in the sight of his only granddaughter and sighed. “I did this.” He said still looking at her. Aurora couldn’t help but smile.
“Do you really believe that I would any different had my parents lived?” She asked and Allan met her eyes and laughed.
“No, probably not. A bit more careful though I am afraid.” Aurora looked at him strangely and Allan smiled.
“You’re walking on dangerous ground when you tease Hyde.” Allan said in all seriousness.
“I’m always walking on dangerous ground Allan. Every moment of everyday there is danger. But I tend not to think much of it if I can.” She replied and Allan nodded.
“Just becareful Aurora. And keep an eye on Albert if you can. I don’t trust him.” Allan looked to the floor and Aurora snorted. Not her most lady-like action.
“What is Albert doing here?” She asked and Allan sighed.
“He said he was sent by M to see that we stay on track.” Allan informed her.
“And now that he knows, why does he stay?”
“To keep an eye on us I suppose. Or rather an eye on you.” Allan said flatly and Aurora shivered. “I don’t pretend not to know how you feel about Albert.” Allan continued. “But don’t let his presence here or anyone else’s make you forget that we’re on a mission. And do try to behave.” Allan stood and kissed Aurora on top of her head and smiled at her then took his leave.
Aurora curled up on her bed and slid her hand under the pillow and fell asleep with Henry’s vial clutched in her hand.
Links
Next Chapter
Fan Fiction Home
Aurora Quatermain Home
Home
