This idea all started after I had seen Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, and I got it into my head to write a crossover fanfic that combined Hansel & Gretel, Van Helsing, and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (as I believe that they all exist in the same awful-but-fun universe). This story may very well eventually become that, but for the time being my muse got stuck on the idea of Mina and Jekyll and their platonic relationship. There is at least one more chapter in the works for this particular story arc.
Hardcore fans should be aware that while this heavily relies on the LXG movie, the graphic novels have also influenced how I view the characters.
All comments and criticisms are welcome and encouraged.
The League had dissolved; although, the more Mina pondered over it, the more it seemed the League never really existed in the first place. They had been brought together by the same person they were supposed to defeat. After Quartermain's funeral, Nemo had offered to allow the others to travel with him aboard the Nautilus if they wished, but each member ultimately opted to go their own way once the submarine brought them north of the equator. Captain Nemo belonged to the Nautilus, far below the ocean surface and away from imperial civilization. Sawyer had returned to America and his post as an agent of the Secret Service. No one knew where Skinner had disappeared to, although it was assumed he would be somewhere nearby as there had been talk of the two scientists, Wilhelmina Harker and Dr. Henry Jekyll, trying to develop an antidote for his invisibility. Skinner was a wanted man in London, as was Henry for the crimes Hyde committed, so neither felt entirely comfortable with the idea of returning to their homeland. However, Dr. Jekyll had offered to accompany Mina on her trip back home for as far as he could. She accepted, if only because a woman travelling alone might draw unnecessary attention. And she would be lying if she said she did not enjoy the doctor's company.
Although, neither had said much to the other for much of their train ride. They sat in silence across from each other as the train car rattled down the tracks toward a small town in northeastern Spain, close to the French border. Henry supposed there was not much to talk about. He certainly missed and mourned his fellow League members, but they had all feared Hyde too much to really reach out to the doctor on a personal level. Except Mina. Perhaps that was why he offered to go with her; not for her safety or to keep up appearances, but because he was not fond of losing a friend, especially one who seemed to actually understand him, even sympathize with him.
With a shaky, uncertain breath, he closed the book he had been only staring at for some time and broke the silence. "I am sorry for your loss."
Mina blinked up at him from the book in her lap. "Pardon?"
"I'm sorry, I should have prefaced that," he stammered, searching for the next words to say.
"Do you mean Dorian?" She supplied, and he nodded. Closing her book and setting it beside her on the seat, she clasped her hands together and rested them demurely in her lap. "He was a selfish man who betrayed us all, and I killed him. I do not regret it," she explained coolly, as if she had read this bit of information in one of her scientific journals.
Henry seemed to shrink at her words, feeling immensely foolish for even bringing it up, but upon seeing his evident discomfort, Mina offered a small smile. "His betrayal stung, but our love had died long ago, and I was a fool to think to rekindle it or to think him a changed man." Her toned softened a bit as she added, "I appreciate your sentiment, though."
As he relaxed in his seat and looked out the window somewhat sheepishly, Mina's perfectly smooth brow creased ever so slightly with concern. "What will become of you?" Startled, Henry regarded her quizzically. "I'm free to return to London and continue with my profession as long as I keep my peculiar habits in check. But what of you?"
The doctor nodded in defeat and opened his hands in a shrug. "I don't know." The original deal with M running the game included amnesty. With M dead, and the whole arrangement a sham, amnesty was out of the question, even if Henry had helped to stop a world war. "I had hoped to find somewhere outside of the control of the British crown to settle down, restart my practice and life anew, once I figured out how to control Hyde, or do away with him forever." Fool, the beast snarled.
"Then consider staying with me, Doctor," Mina offered simply in the same tone as one might use to comment on the weather. Henry's eyes jerked up from the floor to meet hers, but she was leisurely gazing out the window. "I think we have a clear understanding of each other that no other being is capable of. Let us help each other to keep our demons in check." He stuttered and stammered, completely taken aback by the offer. "Oh, come now, don't try to make excuses. We are both people of science. We'll work together, and no one ever need know that Hyde has returned to Europe."
Hyde chuckled darkly at this. "But what if I can't get control of him? What if, in a moment of great weakness, I drink the elixir and set him loose?" Henry hated to admit this feeling of helplessness, even to her.
"You're not alone in your struggle, Doctor. Together we can figure out what triggers him, and if he does get loose," Henry marked her use of a more passive verb phrase that avoided placing blame on his shoulders as she shrugged and continued, "then he'll be my problem."
Yes, Henry, let her handle me; we would have so much fun, Hyde jeered. Henry shook his head emphatically. "No. I couldn't let you shoulder that burden. Hyde is my creation, and I will deal with him myself."
It was Mina's turn to be taken aback, and this time it was at the firmness and resolve in the doctor's voice. "Very well, Doctor," she conceded, "I shall respect your wishes." She shifted in her seat away from the window to pick up her book and resume reading.
"Please," he interrupted apologetically, meaning no insult in his refusal, "call me Henry."
She smirked at him from behind her book. "I shall consider it," she replied simply before returning to her reading.
"As I will your offer," he assured her gently, and then they fell back into companionable silence.
He did consider it; for the next several moments, he mulled over what life might be like with Mina as a cohabiter. Henry was a medical doctor; he studied biology while also dabbling in psychology and philosophy. Mina was a chemist, and while the subjects were two distinct areas of study, they were not mutually exclusive. It might be nice to have a partner in the lab or someone to discuss abstract concepts or the latest scientific developments, especially since Hyde had caused him to become a recluse and isolate himself from the friends he once had. And Mina was correct in her assessment of their situation; they both understood what it was to have a darker half that society rejected and to be an outcast because of it. But Mina's situation seemed a bit more delicate than his own. While Henry may not have been able to silence Hyde's voice within his head, as long as he did not imbibe the elixir, the world was safe from Hyde's evil. Mina, on the other hand, required blood to live. This thought brought to light that he really was not all that familiar with the specifics of Mina's condition.
"How much blood do you require?" he spoke the thought aloud before he could stop himself and come up with a more appropriate way to phrase such a question.
A finely shaped eyebrow quirked upward as Mina regarded her companion with masked amusement. "You grow bolder by the moment, Dr. Jekyll."
Gathering his scattered wits and confidence, he replied, "It is a valid question, in light of your proposal. I should be fully aware of your particular abilities and needs."
She now allowed him to see the smirk she hid behind her book. "My needs," she began with a pointed look, "are few and moderate. Human blood is ideal, but animal blood will suffice for a time. But you needn't worry about me."
"I see," Henry replied, casting his eyes downward. She did not mean to be equal partners, then, but his warden, to ensure that Hyde stayed under the control of someone seemingly more competent than himself. Did you think someone had taken a genuine interest in a dullard like you, Hyde sneered. He had; after all, he and Mina shared certain qualities beyond their unnatural abilities that made such a thing plausible. And yet, Mina felt no need to fill the silences with friendly small-talk or lively banter, but had already returned to her book one more.
Rising to his feet, he straightened his waistcoat and turned to the little door of their compartment. Startled by the movement, Mina asked, "Is something wrong?"
"No, no," he assured her. "I'm just feeling a bit peckish. I'm going to the dining car; would you care for anything?" He could not recall seeing her ever eat a conventional meal while aboard the Nautilus, but that did not mean it was not possible for her to eat the fare of common mortals.
If her hunger for blood had any effect on her stomach, it would have rumbled in response to his question. Instead, she smiled politely and said, "No, but thank you."
He turned away to hide his increasing dejection. Then again, he had grown accustomed to dining and generally being alone. Cheer up, you sod; you're never alone thanks to me, Hyde taunted. I wouldn't mind at all if you ever decided to take the night off, Henry countered. Hyde just chuckled darkly as Henry exited.
Meanwhile, Mina ground her teeth together in frustration with herself. Her adventure with the so-called League had supplied her with plenty of human throats to feast on, but since the adventure's conclusion, she had become careless. It had been too long since her last decent meal of substance, and for the time being, she was trapped on a train where a person experiencing strange blood loss or going missing altogether would cause a great stir. Eating uncooked meat might hold the bloodlust back for a short while, but she dared not order such a thing in from of Henry, who was a proper Victorian gentleman, or at least tried to be. Though they both had darker sides, she did not wish to flaunt hers in front of him, especially when he fought so hard to keep his darker nature in the shadows. And Mina was sure the cook on the train was growing suspicious. She would just have to keep her chin up, stiff upper lip, and all that, until they reached the train station. Then maybe she could get away from the crowd long enough to snatch a quick bite of the local wildlife.
When they finally arrived at the provincial train station, Mina kept her eyes fixed on the ground before her as she and Henry made their way through the small crowd gathered. She dared not meet the gaze of anyone for fear of betraying her current condition. "Excuse me, Doctor," she muttered to her travelling companion in a strained voice that struggled for composure. Henry spared her a concerned glance, but when met with her retreating back, he continued onward to arrange the next portion of their journey. The two were solitary by nature, it seemed, and he felt no need to intrude on her privacy.
Mina breathed a sigh of relief as she left behind the little cluster of civilization. She had been a fool to think she could go so long eating only rare meat before her darker nature forced her to succumb to the bloodlust. She needed to get away, and she needed to feed. Once clear of mortal eyes, she flitted from shadow to shadow between the trees, making her way deeper into the wilderness, and hopefully closer toward food. With her strength waning, she elected to hide among the bushes and overgrown underbrush near a stream with the hopes of ambushing a wild animal. Her body trembled with the effort she exerted to keep herself planted where she was, while the demon inside raged at her to return to town and feast. But this was her mistake, and she refused to let innocents pay her price.
Back at the train station, Jekyll strolled aimlessly after he had made arrangements at an inn for the night, since their next train would not depart until the next afternoon; so he merely surveyed the surrounding area until Mina returned from wherever. That is, until he caught a strange scent in the air. Mina, Hyde purred within Henry's mind. She's afraid, Henry corrected, his eyes scanning the crowd in an attempt to zero in on the vampiress. Few things would scare a vampire, and Henry's worry increased with every passing second that he could not find Mina. The closer he got to the edge of town, the stronger the scent grew, at which point he burst into a sprint, letting Hyde's senses guide him.
A distant sound pricked Mina's ears, the rustling of leaves and grass growing louder. To her dismay, she recognized it as not the source of an animal; neither predator nor prey would travel with such gracelessness. "No," the whisper of dismay slipped from her throat.
"Mina!" Henry called as he neared her hiding place. "Mina, where are you?"
"Leave me be," she snarled and dug her heels into the ground while her nails clawed at the bark of a tree to keep her rooted in place.
He started at the unexpected response, but spotted her, and the frown creasing his concerned brow deepened. "Mina, what's wrong? Why are you out h-"
"Go, Henry," the snarl deepened into a growl as the edges of her vision darkened.
The doctor refused to heed her warning as her fear became a sharp stench and the irises of her eyes reddened. "How long has it been since you last fed?" He sounded too much like a disapproving father and was answered with a hiss that bared her fangs as he stepped closer, removing his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "Here, Mina," he extended his wrist to her as he knelt toward her.
She jumped away as if he were made of fire, vigorously shaking her head. "No. I can't. I'll kill you." The words came out in a tumbled panic.
Frustrated by her stubbornness, Henry loosened and removed his tie before undoing the top buttons of his shirt. "You should know better, Mina, after all we've been through. I'm not backing down, so take it."
The demon needed no further permission; it snapped the thin leash Mina held on it and lunged at Henry's throat.
A sharp, startled cry escaped Henry's mouth before a scream erupted from it as fangs sank and tore into flesh. She punctured more than just the vein and panic set in as he began to claw and push against her, while his own blood bubbled up through his throat. Let me out, Hyde demanded. But even in the midst of his panic, he could not bring himself to set his foul other half against Mina. You'll shortly die unless you let me out, Hyde raged, his will to live overriding Henry's weakening resolve. His elixir. Where was his elixir? Henry's mind swam with pain, the loss of blood, and ever increasing panic. How was Hyde supposed to save them if Henry did not have the elixir that allowed Hyde to take control? Fool, Hyde sneered.
A deafening roar and a familiar white hot pain filled his body, and Hyde flung Mina off of him like a limp piece of cloth. "No," was the only thought ringing in Henry's mind as Hyde's vision turned to red.