Title: Outward Appearances

Fandom: LXG

Rating: R

Summary: An attack on Dr. Jekyll results in Hyde taking control of Jekyll's body, claiming Dr. Jekyll is dead and only Hyde exists. The League seems to be okay with this and accept it. Only Skinner refuses to.

Warnings: may develop into some mild slash in the future. There will also be graphic descriptions of violence, casualties and graphic talk of sexual crimes in the future too. It's going to be a very dark fic.

Author's Note: I apologise for my portrayal of Skinner's speech in my last fic. I didn't meant to make it that bad, I just got carried away. I'll try to stick to Standard English from now on.

Prologue: The fateful attack

The battle was still raging, casualties on both sides. The League and Nemo's men were winning, even though they were outnumbered. Hyde's formula had run out hours ago. Jekyll did have more but the League decided it would be more profitable for Dr. Jekyll to take the casualties to the Nautilus and attend to them there. Jekyll gladly agreed, more comfortable with helping and healing as opposed to the hurting fighting in a war brings. Hyde liked the hurting all too much.

Skinner fought better knowing Henry Jekyll was safe. He knew how much guilt Henry felt over the fact Hyde enjoyed killing, but Henry still trusted the League; he let them use Hyde. Skinner sometimes felt that the League abused that trust, not thinking of the pain they caused Henry. But Henry was safe now, and using his skills as a Doctor would help him fell less guilty for Hyde. Happy about this, Skinner could push aside his fears and doubts and concentrate on fighting.

It was quite a bizarre bunch of people the League were fighting this time. Skinner had scoffed when he first heard: military personnel from all countries claiming they must destroy all life on Earth to make way for some extraterrestrial beings who fancied the planet for themselves. Skinner never believed in aliens. Mind you, he also hadn't believed in vampires, (almost) invincible men and Americans before joining the League either. But he was learning how serious this army was. That didn't matter though, because so was he.

Jekyll was onboard the Nautilus, up to his elbows in blood. One man had already died under his care; two others were still critical; five were bad, but out of fatal danger; over a dozen were moderately to mildly injured, unfit to rejoin the battle though. As luck would have it, they weren't needed. The battle was almost won. The opposition was retreating, gaining their own personalities back. They were unwilling to die to destroy the world. Nemo figured that the Aliens' brainwashing technique was fading. He didn't realise that instead of having a weaker control of the masses, the Aliens decided to have absolute power over on man: Subhas Chandra. Unfortunately for Dr. Jekyll, that man was onboard of the Nautilus.

Dr. Jekyll leant over the unconscious man, checking the gash on his forehead. The wound looked nasty, but wasn't really. There was no reason for him to be unconscious.

He wasn't. He was just waiting.

Dr. Jekyll turned around to tend to another one of his patients. He felt a sharp pain pierce his back; he saw the sword that protruded from his stomach. Subhas Chandra withdrew the sword then used his fists to finish off the good Doctor, before sneaking out of the Nautilus, unnoticed.

Skinner was the first man to enter the Nautilus. He'd left the aftermath of the battle early, so he could check on his best mate. The sight he saw made his heart leap into his mouth. It seemed forever until he was able to shout for help.

Henry was lying on the floor, a mass of bloody flesh and bruises. His copper-coloured hair was crusted with blood. Blood was pouring from both his stomach and back, even though there was more of his blood outside of him than in. His white shirt, with the arms rolled up, was now soaked with blood.

Skinner knew there was little chance but he checked for a pulse anyway. There wasn't one. He couldn't prevent the tears from leaking out and falling down his invisible face. "Oh Henry." He sobbed.

Skinner felt a bloodstained hand grab his throat and crush it. Skinner should have been in pain, but all he could feel was numb. "Henry!" He tried to choke out, but Henry gave a cruel smirk and tightened his grip.

"Henry isn't home!"