To whom it may concern:
This story is based on the characters from the movie LXG, as I have not read the comic. I apologise to any literary readers, as the characters portrayed in the movie are not quite the same as the characters portrayed in the authors' book. This is set after the movie, I would say a month but it is not that precise. Even though the end of the movie screams "SEQUEL", in this story Quatermain does not return (sorry to any Quatermain fans) as I have not read King Solomon's Mines and know very little about the character (although it is next on my reading list!). Also I have decided to add a character to the story from my favourite book of all time, and although I am not a fan of OCs, this doesn't really count. LXG is a fan fiction in itself! I hope you enjoy his little story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Enjoy!
Chapter 1 – The Challenge is Set
Ever since Dr Henry Jekyll had been exiled to Paris, he had worked meticulously on finding a cure for his cravings to release Hyde. Even now that he had found a place for himself and Mr Hyde to be accepted as respectable gentlemen, he continued to work on this.
The League had decided to stay with Nemo on the Nautilus, and each had started a new life. Nemo had decided to take the others around to world for them to see all they could. Both Mina Harker and Tom Sawyer had become very solitary. Sawyer spent most of his time practising his shooting out at sea and Mina spent all her time in her room, studying, Jekyll presumed. Rodney Skinner was having a whale of the time, sneaking around the rooms and playing practical jokes. Jekyll thought him to be the most carefree person he had ever met. Himself, Mina and Nemo all wanted to change themselves, but Skinner seemed to enjoy his peculiarity.
This is why it came as a great shock to Jekyll to hear Skinner's plea.
It was early morning and Jekyll was working on his cure. He always started early in the morning as he felt it was when he was at his peak. The Nautilus was always quieter at this time. Only the gentle whirring of machinery could be heard. Jekyll took a moment to listen to the space around him, when there was a scratching of wood on the other side of the room. He turned to see what had caused the noise, but there was nothing to see. This meant only one thing.
"You can come out now, Skinner," he mumbled, as he turned the page of his scientific journal. "I haven't got time for your fun and games." Further noise came from the other side of the room.
"Alright, alright, Jekyll." Skinner's voice replied. "Don't get your cravat in a twist." A dent appeared on Jekyll's bed sheets as Skinner sat down. "I wasn't here for that anyway. I wanted to ask you a favour." Jekyll placed down his pen and turned to face the empty space. He was very nervous of Skinner when he could not see where he was.
"For God's sake, put something on and I may consider it."
"Easy, Jekyll. Don't let your Hyde out on me." Skinner grabbed a jacket and gloves from the chair and put them on. "Happy now?"
"Ecstatic." Jekyll replied. "Now, what is it you want? I'm very busy."
"You know I'm a reasonable man," Skinner began. "And as much as I enjoy going about unnoticed, I do believe there is more to life than this." He stood and walked over to sit on the desk. "It has been a long time since I have been able to chat with new people. Obviously, in my condition, it is difficult to get to know others properly without scaring them senseless, and I am coming to the time in my life now where I would like to meet someone to share it with." Jekyll thought about this. He was also in need of female company, but due to his alter ego this was quite impossible. There was no way he could let a fair woman into a life of danger, which is all that he could offer. Skinner continued. "Now as much as you've seen Mina beg and plead for me…" Jekyll scoffed, but Skinner ignored him and continued. "I feel as though she may not be the right woman for me."
"Look, what are you getting at?"
"Patience, my freaky darling, patience. The more you stall me, the longer I'll take." Jekyll turned back to his books; he had no time for diversions. Especially diversions in the form of annoying, invisible men. "Now, the only way I can see myself becoming familiar with one of the fairer sex would be for me to allow them to see me."
"And what do you want me to do about that?" Jekyll knew what was coming, and he was in no mood to deal with it.
"You're an intelligent bloke, I would have though that were obvious!" Skinner leant towards him. "You are a scientist. Not all that different to the one who created invisibility in the first place."
"You want me to find a cure?" Jekyll looked up from his books.
"The very thing." Jekyll pondered for a moment.
"Wouldn't it have been better to ask Mina?" He replied. "You are very friendly with her." Skinner paced away.
"Alas, no. I'm afraid our vampiric beauty is still in mourning over her dearly departed Dorian; too much to bother with such as myself. Besides, do you really think a woman is up to such a task?"
"I have known of many women who are as capable as any man I know."
"Really, Jekyll? I didn't think you were that type." Jekyll stood and opened the door.
"Are you finished? If so, leave." Skinner took off the jacket and tossed it onto Jekyll's bed.
"Almost, my friend, almost." Skinner said. "Now will you try or not?" Jekyll sat once more. He was busy enough with his own cure to bother about another one. But it would be an interesting challenge. His own cure was complex, but this was more intriguing.
"I would need a test subject." He told Skinner. "And I doubt there would be many who would risk becoming invisible for the rest of their lives."
"They would for the money," replied Skinner. "Look at me. That's all I wanted. There are many down and outs in London who would be willing to do just about anything for money. You let me advertise it and I'll get you a test subject." He held out a gloved hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Jekyll thought again. What would be the harm in letting him try to get a subject? He was very unlikely to succeed, and it would keep him out of everyone's hair for a while. And if he were successful in getting a subject, they would probably be willing enough to be a test subject for Jekyll own experiments. He turned to face Skinner.
"We have a deal." Jekyll placed his hand in Skinner's.
"Right," Skinner took the gloves off and threw the back at Jekyll. "Then I'll leave you to your business. I will return with the test subject you require." Jekyll closed the door.
"I very much doubt that." He replied, turned, and went back to his work.
This story is based on the characters from the movie LXG, as I have not read the comic. I apologise to any literary readers, as the characters portrayed in the movie are not quite the same as the characters portrayed in the authors' book. This is set after the movie, I would say a month but it is not that precise. Even though the end of the movie screams "SEQUEL", in this story Quatermain does not return (sorry to any Quatermain fans) as I have not read King Solomon's Mines and know very little about the character (although it is next on my reading list!). Also I have decided to add a character to the story from my favourite book of all time, and although I am not a fan of OCs, this doesn't really count. LXG is a fan fiction in itself! I hope you enjoy his little story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Enjoy!
Chapter 1 – The Challenge is Set
Ever since Dr Henry Jekyll had been exiled to Paris, he had worked meticulously on finding a cure for his cravings to release Hyde. Even now that he had found a place for himself and Mr Hyde to be accepted as respectable gentlemen, he continued to work on this.
The League had decided to stay with Nemo on the Nautilus, and each had started a new life. Nemo had decided to take the others around to world for them to see all they could. Both Mina Harker and Tom Sawyer had become very solitary. Sawyer spent most of his time practising his shooting out at sea and Mina spent all her time in her room, studying, Jekyll presumed. Rodney Skinner was having a whale of the time, sneaking around the rooms and playing practical jokes. Jekyll thought him to be the most carefree person he had ever met. Himself, Mina and Nemo all wanted to change themselves, but Skinner seemed to enjoy his peculiarity.
This is why it came as a great shock to Jekyll to hear Skinner's plea.
It was early morning and Jekyll was working on his cure. He always started early in the morning as he felt it was when he was at his peak. The Nautilus was always quieter at this time. Only the gentle whirring of machinery could be heard. Jekyll took a moment to listen to the space around him, when there was a scratching of wood on the other side of the room. He turned to see what had caused the noise, but there was nothing to see. This meant only one thing.
"You can come out now, Skinner," he mumbled, as he turned the page of his scientific journal. "I haven't got time for your fun and games." Further noise came from the other side of the room.
"Alright, alright, Jekyll." Skinner's voice replied. "Don't get your cravat in a twist." A dent appeared on Jekyll's bed sheets as Skinner sat down. "I wasn't here for that anyway. I wanted to ask you a favour." Jekyll placed down his pen and turned to face the empty space. He was very nervous of Skinner when he could not see where he was.
"For God's sake, put something on and I may consider it."
"Easy, Jekyll. Don't let your Hyde out on me." Skinner grabbed a jacket and gloves from the chair and put them on. "Happy now?"
"Ecstatic." Jekyll replied. "Now, what is it you want? I'm very busy."
"You know I'm a reasonable man," Skinner began. "And as much as I enjoy going about unnoticed, I do believe there is more to life than this." He stood and walked over to sit on the desk. "It has been a long time since I have been able to chat with new people. Obviously, in my condition, it is difficult to get to know others properly without scaring them senseless, and I am coming to the time in my life now where I would like to meet someone to share it with." Jekyll thought about this. He was also in need of female company, but due to his alter ego this was quite impossible. There was no way he could let a fair woman into a life of danger, which is all that he could offer. Skinner continued. "Now as much as you've seen Mina beg and plead for me…" Jekyll scoffed, but Skinner ignored him and continued. "I feel as though she may not be the right woman for me."
"Look, what are you getting at?"
"Patience, my freaky darling, patience. The more you stall me, the longer I'll take." Jekyll turned back to his books; he had no time for diversions. Especially diversions in the form of annoying, invisible men. "Now, the only way I can see myself becoming familiar with one of the fairer sex would be for me to allow them to see me."
"And what do you want me to do about that?" Jekyll knew what was coming, and he was in no mood to deal with it.
"You're an intelligent bloke, I would have though that were obvious!" Skinner leant towards him. "You are a scientist. Not all that different to the one who created invisibility in the first place."
"You want me to find a cure?" Jekyll looked up from his books.
"The very thing." Jekyll pondered for a moment.
"Wouldn't it have been better to ask Mina?" He replied. "You are very friendly with her." Skinner paced away.
"Alas, no. I'm afraid our vampiric beauty is still in mourning over her dearly departed Dorian; too much to bother with such as myself. Besides, do you really think a woman is up to such a task?"
"I have known of many women who are as capable as any man I know."
"Really, Jekyll? I didn't think you were that type." Jekyll stood and opened the door.
"Are you finished? If so, leave." Skinner took off the jacket and tossed it onto Jekyll's bed.
"Almost, my friend, almost." Skinner said. "Now will you try or not?" Jekyll sat once more. He was busy enough with his own cure to bother about another one. But it would be an interesting challenge. His own cure was complex, but this was more intriguing.
"I would need a test subject." He told Skinner. "And I doubt there would be many who would risk becoming invisible for the rest of their lives."
"They would for the money," replied Skinner. "Look at me. That's all I wanted. There are many down and outs in London who would be willing to do just about anything for money. You let me advertise it and I'll get you a test subject." He held out a gloved hand. "Do we have a deal?"
Jekyll thought again. What would be the harm in letting him try to get a subject? He was very unlikely to succeed, and it would keep him out of everyone's hair for a while. And if he were successful in getting a subject, they would probably be willing enough to be a test subject for Jekyll own experiments. He turned to face Skinner.
"We have a deal." Jekyll placed his hand in Skinner's.
"Right," Skinner took the gloves off and threw the back at Jekyll. "Then I'll leave you to your business. I will return with the test subject you require." Jekyll closed the door.
"I very much doubt that." He replied, turned, and went back to his work.