A/N: It's all getting a bit tense, isn't it? (As always, thanks for the reviews, especially Sethoz, who bugged me relentlessly for this chapter!) I had to make a tough decision in this one...
Startled, Tom only just avoided being impaled on the sword, frighteningly similar to that of Dorian Gray's, and stumbled back. He raised the rifle as the blade came down at his head and heard it collide with his gun. The blade slipped down the surface of the rifle towards his hand, and he drew it back and away shortly before it reached him.
Swinging the stock of the rifle out like a club, Tom heard it slam against Evans' wounded shoulder with a resounding crack. There was a cry. But in lashing out blindly at the man, Tom had left himself open to enemy attack, and he gave a shout as the tip of the sword found its way into his left leg.
Using his right leg unsteadily, he kicked Evans in the stomach and fell away, landing on his back, trying to ignore the pain from the shallow wound. Before he realised what was going on, Alessandro was looming over him, snarling furiously.
Instinctively, Tom raised the rifle over him and fired. Alessandro was blown back, and crashed to the floor, dead. Not many people would survive a rifle shot to the face.
Shaking his head, Tom rose from the floor, seeing Evans doing the same across the room. The Englishman started throwing things at Tom blindly, intending to knock him off balance perhaps.
It was annoying more than anything, and Tom ducked and dodged to avoid being struck by the objects, several of which actually collided with the dying figure of the other werewolf, who shouted out in a foreign language that he expected was Spanish.
Favouring one leg, Tom raised the rifle and fired it again, missing as Evans dived out of the way. The painting on the wall behind him splintered at the frame where it was struck.
Tom loaded another round, and fired again at where Evans was ducking away from the flying shards of wood. This bullet managed to clip him along the back, and the man gave off a shout.
Crazed now, the look in his eye mad and almost frightening, Evans lunged, flying at Tom, sword raised.
Tom did not waver as he rose the barrel, cocking the lever, and pulled the trigger again, hopefully for the final time.
Everything fell silent, save for the final gasps of the Spaniard, as Tom looked directly at Evans. The Englishman held a hand to his right side, where there was a generously bleeding hole. Evans' light eyes met Tom's, shortly before he stumbled and then fell to the floor.
Tom stood there for a moment, before he winced openly at the pain in his leg. The blade had not managed to sink in too far, but it was still noticeable nevertheless. He hissed through clenched teeth, and looked down at his leg, where the wound was bleeding slightly.
He hobbled over to the body of Evans, and shouldered his rifle on the left side. He stared down at the lifeless figure for a long time, blood still oozing from the bullet wound Tom had inflicted, shortly before he heard a sound behind him, whirling.
Bleeding from a dozen different wounds, and holding her left arm, Anise stumbled into the doorway of Evans' room, seeing Tom Sawyer facing her, startled. Perhaps he had not expected -or wanted- to see her alive again.
She was amazed to have survived herself. Jacques had been at his most ruthless before she had managed to tear his throat out, thus killing him. The taste of blood was still strong in her mouth, and it made her want to retch.
Anise was badly wounded, she knew. She didn't care anymore. She wanted Tom to raise his gun and end it. He simply stood, amazed, staring at her, and she noticed he was favouring one leg slightly. Evans lay at his feet.
Tom had killed him... he had done what she had longed for someone to do for two years. She had never had the strength of will or mind to do it herself.
As she moved to take a step into the room towards him, something had a hold of her tightly, and had thrown her back against the wall near to the dead body of Paulo. She gasped at the agony it caused in her, but did not move from the position.
Twin blades emerged from inside the long leather coat of Mina Harker, and in the blink of an eye, one was pressed against her chest over her heart, and the other to her neck.
"No!" Tom shouted, but almost stumbled when he moved to stop his companion.
The others emerged after that, and Jekyll had moved to Tom at once, who made to shove him away. There was a jacket floating near to him that symbolised Skinner, and Nemo brought up the rear, taking in the scene with dark eyes. He finally settled them on Anise.
"She must be destroyed like the others," came his calm voice.
"I agree," Harker said quietly, staring right into Anise's eyes. Anise looked right back, no longer afraid, though she did not know why.
"Don't kill her," Tom called, although with less enthusiasm than before.
Jekyll looked his friend in the eye, and there was a clear expression on his face that spoke volumes. He wanted to check his companion was all right. "But, she tried to kill you."
"No she didn't," Tom retorted, and pushed the doctor again. He was angry now. Anise didn't understand. Why was he doing this? She had betrayed him... she didn't deserve his efforts.
"She handed you over to Evans and his men, and that is all we need to know," Harker voiced coldly, and raised an eyebrow knowingly at Anise. There was an air of triumph about the woman.
"C'mon, Sawyer," Skinner began, and there was a sincerity in his voice that seemed to shock all, "how can there be good in her? You've seen what these things can do."
Skinner was right. "Let them, Tom," Anise said, staring Harker in the face now, "I've done enough terrible things. There is very little good left in me now, as Mr Skinner says. Jacques drained that all out of me over the last two years."
"How very noble," sighed Harker, and she almost sounded bored. "You heard her, Tom... she wants to die.
"God dammit," Tom muttered angrily, and looked to them all in turn. How could they do this? True, he may not love her as he thought he had, but she had still spared him when she could have killed him. She had turned down the oppurtunity to turn him into one of their own as well... that had to stand for something.
They didn't understand. He had to make them understand.
"She could have killed me a dozen times already, but she hasn't," he said urgently. "How can you justify killing her now?"
"She has done many terrible things," Nemo offered. Why did he always have to sound so damn certain?
"You're not listening to me!" Tom blurted loudly. "She saved my life... she..." He stopped, looking at Anise. There was a resignation in her eyes that made Tom's heart sink. She wanted to die; she wanted it to be over.
Sighing lightly, saddened now at the defeated look in those brown eyes, he asked, "Can't you help her?"
"There is no cure," Anise told him with the ghost of a smile. "It's all right, Tom... this is what I want. I've hurt too many people, done too many terrible things. I want it to end."
Mina looked to him, as if for verification, and he lowered his gaze. After all he'd been through, why was this so difficult? He had just heard Anise say the words to him... what choice did he have? He gave the smallest of nods, and then looked Anise in the eye finally.
"All right," he mumbled. "Do it."
"Very well," Mina acknowledged, and Tom thought he detected a hint of sadness in her voice. There was no triumph on her face any longer.
Anise closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath. No fear marred her features, though she did carry an air of sadness. This was for the best, he knew.
Watching Mina prepare herself, none of them caught the movement on the floor.
Anise felt every muscle in her body go taut, ready for the inevitable. She felt relaxed, oddly, despite her physical condition, and knew Mrs Harker would end it soon.
That was when she felt the blade that had been held to her chest thrust into her, and she gasped with the sudden overwhelming pain. She felt it slide into her body, the aim perfect. The blade was silver, she knew.
She opened her eyes, and looked to Mina, Nemo, Skinner's jacket and Jekyll. Anise turned her gaze upon Tom, but there was no strength in her to utter a warning to him. He just stood staring at her with a kind of sadness and appreciation on his handsome face.
Wishing she had waited just a moment longer, Anise felt her life bleed away once and for all.
Tom closed his eyes, and lowered his head as Anise stopped moving and breathing, her head lolling forward in death. Though he felt deeply saddened, he understood it was what she had wanted, and sighed resolutely.
Before he could move with Jekyll and Skinner to the door, he felt a hand grip him tightly and roughly by the arm and spin him. He came face-to-face with Evans, on his feet and breathing raggedly, but alive nevertheless.
Tom's eyes went wide as the intent on Evans' face became clear, shortly before he felt the blade slip into him, knocking all the breath out of him. He glanced down to where Evans' bloody hand gripped the ornamental hilt of a squat dagger, before staring back into his face disbelievingly, seeing the maniacal grin on his smug face.
"Now we're even, boy..." Evans rasped.
Tom gasped for breath, suddenly struggling in the attempt, and swallowed dryly, still staring at Evans in amazement that the man was not dead. By all rights, he should be.
Mina was ripping Evans away from him madly in the blink of an eye, taking a hold of him chokingly by the throat and snarling in a rage. Did she know he wasn't a werewolf?
Jekyll's hands went round Tom to stop him falling to the floor, and lowered him gently to the ground, trying to inspect the wound at the same time. Skinner knelt before him, cursing in shock.
Mina held Evans by the throat, her eyes red with fury, her fangs elongated, and she looked back at Tom and the others wildly.
Tom shook his head, and managed to say, "Human..."
With a snarl, she turned back to Evans, and tore into him, biting down hard on his neck and drinking from him hungrily. The man uttered a short cry before choking and slumping to the ground, Mina still on top of him.
Tom closed his eyes, trying to stay awake, hearing Jekyll bark an order to Skinner for him to swap positions. The invisible man did as he was told, and came round behind Tom to support him whilst Jekyll moved to look at the dagger. He mumbled something to himself, closed his eyes, and then opened them quickly.
Mina and Nemo stood over them, the former still wiping the last traces of blood from her mouth. She had fed quickly. Nemo said, "Doctor?"
"We need to get him back to the Nautilus," Jekyll told them, "now."
Tom's focus was starting to fade, and he gritted his teeth as Skinner shifted against him, aggravating the blade where it protruded from his right side at the front. He trusted Jekyll and Mina... they would help him... or at least he hoped they would.
Mina crouched down to the side of him, and looked him right in the eye, saying, "Stay awake, Tom. You'll be all right, do you hear me?"
Tom tried to say something along the lines of 'of course I hear you', but no sound came from him. All he managed was a nod, and a slight groan as Skinner shuffled again.
"Skinner, keep still!" Jekyll chided, and his hand went around the dagger's hilt. He looked Tom in the eye. Tom knew very well what he was going to do, and that it was going to hurt like hell. He clenched his jaw, and closed his eyes, ready for it.
Jekyll tightened his grip, saying, "I'm sorry... we've got to get it out."
Tom nodded; eyes still closed, and felt the doctor pull on the hilt of the dagger. The blade came free, and Tom managed to stifle some of the cry at least, cutting short what came from him loudly. Mina touched a hand to his arm.
Dizziness and nausea overcame him suddenly, and as Skinner and Jekyll tried to help him to feet after the latter had covered the wound temporarily, Tom felt his grip on consciousness falter.
"Doctor!" Nemo called, alerting Jekyll to the problem, even as he lunged forward to catch Tom as he fell.
He remembered nothing else.