A/N: Thank you all, for the reviews! You make my life worth living (well,
that is, besides Skinner and Dorian, but that's another story). Okay, since
most of the new reviews say "HELL NO!" to Skinner taking the antidote, I'm
going to consider using a cocktail of all the suggestions I got. Well, I
won't bore you with my long note, so enjoy the story!
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CHAPTER 9
LONDON, ENGLAND ALBION MUSEUM UNDERGROUND LIBRARY SPECIAL BRANCH MEETING PLACE
Jekyll finished telling Skinner about Marie's reaction when he first told her about Hyde, just before they had gotten married. Skinner was laughing about it, and Tom, who had been listening in, was chuckling. Nemo raised a brow, the closest thing he could do to a laugh.
Allan was inspecting the elephant gun that was mounted, proudly, on one side of the massive library. The room was the same as three years ago, when the League was first formed. Skinner assumed that all was the same, with the exception of the man they were supposed to meet.
Dorian sat down next to where Mina had sat minutes ago, feeling as bored as ever, legs crossed and looking as at home as ever. Mina pointedly ignored him, keeping her back to him, and concentrated on the book tittles that she was reading.
Allan was impressed. The gun was a perfect replica of Matilda; so perfect, in fact, that he even fancied that it WAS Matilda, reconstructed after it had fallen into separate pieces when Allan had used it to defend himself, in Mongolia.
The doors opened and Mycroft and Pike walked in, causing Skinner to stop laughing and Nemo to resume his aloof expression.
"Good morning, gentlemen, Mrs. Harker," Mycroft nodded as he sat down in the seat that was in the middle of the long table. Pike nodded his own greetings, silent and watching. Focused, in particular, at Skinner, who shifted uncomfortably.
"I trust," Mycroft said, "That you have an answer as to my proposal."
"Indeed," Allan said. Beforehand it was agreed that he would speak for all of them. "And our answer is: yes. On certain conditions."
Mycroft raised a brow and Pike's expression changed.
"And these conditions are...?" Pike asked, uncertain if he really wanted an answer.
"One, that we be called in only the most dire of emergencies," Allan stated.
"You are only called in the most dire of emergencies," Pike commented. Everybody ignored him.
"Two, that you give unlimited amnesty to both Jekyll, Nemo and Skinner," Allan continued. "Three, you keep my existence as a living human being secret."
"Very well," Mycroft's brow went down. "It will be done in due time."
"Good," Tom said.
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LONDON, ENGLAND DEEP IN THE CITY
Skinner walked briskly down the chilly street in one of London's more questionable streets, headed towards a small alcove where he knew a certain friend of his lived. Reaching the door, he stood outside, contemplating whether to knock or not.
The number on the door, battered by the weather, was falling off, hanging crooked. The door was painted a dirty white, and the paint was flaking off in places. There were scratch marks at the bottom, reminding Skinner of his friend's cat.
Gathering up his courage, Skinner knocked and the expected answer came.
"Go away!" a voice came from within. "I don't want to buy anything!"
"It's me," Skinner called. "Rodney."
Silence, then the sound of footsteps and the turning of a key in the lock. A head peeped out of the slightly opened door, eyes widening at the sight of Skinner.
"Oh, god," the man, Skinner's old friend, said. "You. What do you want?"
"I need help," Skinner said. "Please."
The man regarded Skinner with suspicion, but finally let him into the cramped alcove that served as a house. Skinner entered, and immediately was struck by the feeling of oppression and the heat that came from the fireplace, too close to the books stacked haphazardly everywhere for his own liking.
"What do you want?" the man asked, nervous.
"Why, John," Skinner said, turning around to face John Seward (#1), ex-owner of the Carfax Asylum. "And I thought you'd say hello."
John fidgeted. "What do you want? I thought you were happy when you stole the serum."
John had once been the original Griffin's assistant, and had worked with him to developed the invisibility serum that Skinner stole and used. Both of them had been friends, but had lost touch when John went to work with Griffin. After Griffin's death, John lost it and became a bit like Jekyll, isolating himself from the world.
"I was," Skinner said, sighing. "But I need you to help me do something."
"What?" John asked, leading the way to his lab.
"This." Skinner produced the antidote and waved the vial around. "I need you to help me see if this works." He handed the vial to John, who stared at the clear liquid.
Skinner then felt something soft and furry side up his leg: John's invisible cat. A mew came from below and Skinner bent down and picked up the cat, scratching where he thought the back of its ear is.
"Is this...?" John asked in awe, holding the antidote to the light.
"Yes, but I have no idea whether it works. Will you help me, John? For old time's sake?"
"Old times, Skinner? You stole the serum, took it for yourself!"
"My bad," Skinner smiled. "Help me?"
John scowled. "Yes. But only because it's an antidote."
"Thank you."
"Go. Leave. I'll send word to you when I have results."
Skinner turned to leave, putting the cat down. "I'll be waiting, then."
As they reached the door and Skinner was nearly out the door, John called. "And Skinner? Don't ever come here again."
Dorian watched from the shadows as Skinner left the house of John. He had been out, walking about when he saw the invisible man heading into one of the streets of questionable nature and had followed out of curiosity. *I wonder* Dorian thought *what he's up to now.*
He knew that Skinner would never do anything that would hurt Mina in any way, so that meant that he was no threat to the League - for now. Satisfied with his own answer, Dorian headed back towards the main streets where he intended to get Mina some jewelry, using the hard-earned money he had got while working on the cargo ships.
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THREE DAYS LATER.........................
NAUTILUS LONDON DOCKS
Skinner set the vial of antidote down on the table in his cabin aboard the Nautilus. Most of the crew had been given shore leave by Nemo, and the place was almost deserted. He had received the vial from John less than an hour ago, with a simple message:
It works. - John
He was elated. The antidote really worked! He could take it. Take it and be visible again. To hell with helping the League; Mina would be able to see him. A triumphant smile came over his features. He uncorked the bottle, held it up.
"Here goes," he said, downing the whole thing in one gulp as he threw his head back.
Suddenly there was acid in his stomach. Skinner grabbed his belly and nearly went down, but he grabbed the edge of the table; the pain was excruciating. The acid began to spread, and his vision blurred; his head pounded, his body was being ripped apart by tiny hooks. Falling to the floor, Skinner gave a blood-curdling wail of pain as he writhed on the floor, screaming, wanting relief from the lava that was flooding his body, entangling himself in his coat.
Suddenly, becoming invisible didn't seem such a good idea anymore.
Tom had arranged to go back with Nemo in two days' time, and was staying on board the Nautilus until then. During his free time, he practiced shooting with Allan and also went exploring the streets of London - after all, the last time he had been in Great Britain, he was tailing the League members - Allan as his guide. Allan now went under the alias of Cyrus Dale.
"I still think it sounds ridiculous," Tom told Allan as they walked down the corridors of the great submarine.
"My new name is not ridiculous," Allan defended. "It sounds -"
He was cut off by a horrible scream of pain from somewhere down a adjacent corridor. After barely sparing a glace at each other, the two ran down the corridor where the sounds of dull thumps could be heard, as if somebody were writhing on the floor.
The sounds were loudest in one of the rooms that they ran past at first; they didn't realize that it was Skinner's cabin. Within seconds, Allan had thrown open the door and they watched in horror at the scene before them.
Skinner was on the floor, thrashing about on the ground, screaming. He was phasing in and out of sight, becoming visible, then invisible again and again at irregular intervals. There was a shattered bottle on the floor; Tom had a horrible feeling it was a drug, something had reacted to it, and Skinner, a good if somewhat mad friend, was going to die.
"Oh god," Allan managed, running to where Skinner thrashed about, not daring to touch him lest something happen. "Boy, get Mina or Jekyll! Go!"
Tom nodded and ran out of the room, looking for the doctors.
Mina was helping Jekyll pack up all the bandages and medicines that they had used to fix up the injured soldiers when Tom came running into the room, out of breath.
"Skinner needs help," he said between breaths, using one hand on the doorframe to support himself. "Something's wrong with him."
Both doctors dropped whatever they were holding and followed a running Tom to Skinner's cabin. Before they turned into the hallway they could already here Skinner screaming in agony.
Allan was there, looking as worried as when he thought Tom had died in the saving of Venice.
"What happened?!" Jekyll asked Allan as he and Mina hunkered down to hold Skinner down.
"Don't know," Allan replied. "When we got here he was already like this."
Mina ripped the new coat of Skinner's to prevent him from strangling himself. As Skinner phased in and out again, she noticed the shattered remnants of the antidote bottle nearby.
"It could be that," she told Jekyll, jerking her head to where the bottle lay. "But we need to get him into the Infirmary."
"I agree," Jekyll nodded, concerned. Allan and Tom rushed forward to help. Allan grabbed Skinner's armpits and Tom lifted his ankles. They ran all the way to the Infirmary and set him down on one of the cots there. Nemo came in when he heard the commotion.
"What happened?" Nemo exclaimed.
"That is what we're going to find out after we stabilize him," Mina told him, grabbing a sedative. Jekyll caught her wrist.
"Too risky," he shook his head, no longer nervous or stuttering. He was definitely in his element. "We don't know what caused this; the sedative might worsen it."
Dorian came in as Mina and Jekyll found some straps and secured Skinner down. "I heard a commotion outside. What's wrong with him?" He gestured at Skinner.
"We have no idea," Allan said. "But it's bad."
Skinner continued to thrash about, struggling, waiting for sweet relief. His strangled cries were horrible to bear; he sounded a bit like a dying cat being dragged under a carriage. He still phased in and out, but his visibility periods began to last for a few more seconds.
They could only watch as Skinner suffered and screamed his lungs out. No doubt, if he survived, then Mina would have to treat him for a sore throat.
Well, that is IF he survived.
Mina sincerely hoped so. Although she was sometimes cold to Skinner, she cared for him as a friend. *I don't know what we'd do without him* she found herself thinking. *He is invaluable to us.*
Skinner's torment finally began to subside, because he quieted down and finally passed out, fully visible. Jekyll found a blanket and covered him as Mina shooed the rest of the men out, to let her and Jekyll treat their now-visible friend.
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(#1) For those of you who have no idea who John Seward is, he's one of the men in Dracula (the same story that Mina comes from!). He owns the asylum next to the estate Dracula brought.
A/N: Okay, people, Skinner is fully visible now! *ducks and dodges the flames that come from the readers* Wait, wait, let me finish. Expect a twist in the next chapter, and please, if you review, tell me roughly or in detail how you want Skinner to look like. Redhead, blond, dark-haired, that kind of thing. Waste no space in doing so; I might use them. Hope you enjoyed the story, and be patient, chapter 10 will be up soon.
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CHAPTER 9
LONDON, ENGLAND ALBION MUSEUM UNDERGROUND LIBRARY SPECIAL BRANCH MEETING PLACE
Jekyll finished telling Skinner about Marie's reaction when he first told her about Hyde, just before they had gotten married. Skinner was laughing about it, and Tom, who had been listening in, was chuckling. Nemo raised a brow, the closest thing he could do to a laugh.
Allan was inspecting the elephant gun that was mounted, proudly, on one side of the massive library. The room was the same as three years ago, when the League was first formed. Skinner assumed that all was the same, with the exception of the man they were supposed to meet.
Dorian sat down next to where Mina had sat minutes ago, feeling as bored as ever, legs crossed and looking as at home as ever. Mina pointedly ignored him, keeping her back to him, and concentrated on the book tittles that she was reading.
Allan was impressed. The gun was a perfect replica of Matilda; so perfect, in fact, that he even fancied that it WAS Matilda, reconstructed after it had fallen into separate pieces when Allan had used it to defend himself, in Mongolia.
The doors opened and Mycroft and Pike walked in, causing Skinner to stop laughing and Nemo to resume his aloof expression.
"Good morning, gentlemen, Mrs. Harker," Mycroft nodded as he sat down in the seat that was in the middle of the long table. Pike nodded his own greetings, silent and watching. Focused, in particular, at Skinner, who shifted uncomfortably.
"I trust," Mycroft said, "That you have an answer as to my proposal."
"Indeed," Allan said. Beforehand it was agreed that he would speak for all of them. "And our answer is: yes. On certain conditions."
Mycroft raised a brow and Pike's expression changed.
"And these conditions are...?" Pike asked, uncertain if he really wanted an answer.
"One, that we be called in only the most dire of emergencies," Allan stated.
"You are only called in the most dire of emergencies," Pike commented. Everybody ignored him.
"Two, that you give unlimited amnesty to both Jekyll, Nemo and Skinner," Allan continued. "Three, you keep my existence as a living human being secret."
"Very well," Mycroft's brow went down. "It will be done in due time."
"Good," Tom said.
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LONDON, ENGLAND DEEP IN THE CITY
Skinner walked briskly down the chilly street in one of London's more questionable streets, headed towards a small alcove where he knew a certain friend of his lived. Reaching the door, he stood outside, contemplating whether to knock or not.
The number on the door, battered by the weather, was falling off, hanging crooked. The door was painted a dirty white, and the paint was flaking off in places. There were scratch marks at the bottom, reminding Skinner of his friend's cat.
Gathering up his courage, Skinner knocked and the expected answer came.
"Go away!" a voice came from within. "I don't want to buy anything!"
"It's me," Skinner called. "Rodney."
Silence, then the sound of footsteps and the turning of a key in the lock. A head peeped out of the slightly opened door, eyes widening at the sight of Skinner.
"Oh, god," the man, Skinner's old friend, said. "You. What do you want?"
"I need help," Skinner said. "Please."
The man regarded Skinner with suspicion, but finally let him into the cramped alcove that served as a house. Skinner entered, and immediately was struck by the feeling of oppression and the heat that came from the fireplace, too close to the books stacked haphazardly everywhere for his own liking.
"What do you want?" the man asked, nervous.
"Why, John," Skinner said, turning around to face John Seward (#1), ex-owner of the Carfax Asylum. "And I thought you'd say hello."
John fidgeted. "What do you want? I thought you were happy when you stole the serum."
John had once been the original Griffin's assistant, and had worked with him to developed the invisibility serum that Skinner stole and used. Both of them had been friends, but had lost touch when John went to work with Griffin. After Griffin's death, John lost it and became a bit like Jekyll, isolating himself from the world.
"I was," Skinner said, sighing. "But I need you to help me do something."
"What?" John asked, leading the way to his lab.
"This." Skinner produced the antidote and waved the vial around. "I need you to help me see if this works." He handed the vial to John, who stared at the clear liquid.
Skinner then felt something soft and furry side up his leg: John's invisible cat. A mew came from below and Skinner bent down and picked up the cat, scratching where he thought the back of its ear is.
"Is this...?" John asked in awe, holding the antidote to the light.
"Yes, but I have no idea whether it works. Will you help me, John? For old time's sake?"
"Old times, Skinner? You stole the serum, took it for yourself!"
"My bad," Skinner smiled. "Help me?"
John scowled. "Yes. But only because it's an antidote."
"Thank you."
"Go. Leave. I'll send word to you when I have results."
Skinner turned to leave, putting the cat down. "I'll be waiting, then."
As they reached the door and Skinner was nearly out the door, John called. "And Skinner? Don't ever come here again."
Dorian watched from the shadows as Skinner left the house of John. He had been out, walking about when he saw the invisible man heading into one of the streets of questionable nature and had followed out of curiosity. *I wonder* Dorian thought *what he's up to now.*
He knew that Skinner would never do anything that would hurt Mina in any way, so that meant that he was no threat to the League - for now. Satisfied with his own answer, Dorian headed back towards the main streets where he intended to get Mina some jewelry, using the hard-earned money he had got while working on the cargo ships.
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THREE DAYS LATER.........................
NAUTILUS LONDON DOCKS
Skinner set the vial of antidote down on the table in his cabin aboard the Nautilus. Most of the crew had been given shore leave by Nemo, and the place was almost deserted. He had received the vial from John less than an hour ago, with a simple message:
It works. - John
He was elated. The antidote really worked! He could take it. Take it and be visible again. To hell with helping the League; Mina would be able to see him. A triumphant smile came over his features. He uncorked the bottle, held it up.
"Here goes," he said, downing the whole thing in one gulp as he threw his head back.
Suddenly there was acid in his stomach. Skinner grabbed his belly and nearly went down, but he grabbed the edge of the table; the pain was excruciating. The acid began to spread, and his vision blurred; his head pounded, his body was being ripped apart by tiny hooks. Falling to the floor, Skinner gave a blood-curdling wail of pain as he writhed on the floor, screaming, wanting relief from the lava that was flooding his body, entangling himself in his coat.
Suddenly, becoming invisible didn't seem such a good idea anymore.
Tom had arranged to go back with Nemo in two days' time, and was staying on board the Nautilus until then. During his free time, he practiced shooting with Allan and also went exploring the streets of London - after all, the last time he had been in Great Britain, he was tailing the League members - Allan as his guide. Allan now went under the alias of Cyrus Dale.
"I still think it sounds ridiculous," Tom told Allan as they walked down the corridors of the great submarine.
"My new name is not ridiculous," Allan defended. "It sounds -"
He was cut off by a horrible scream of pain from somewhere down a adjacent corridor. After barely sparing a glace at each other, the two ran down the corridor where the sounds of dull thumps could be heard, as if somebody were writhing on the floor.
The sounds were loudest in one of the rooms that they ran past at first; they didn't realize that it was Skinner's cabin. Within seconds, Allan had thrown open the door and they watched in horror at the scene before them.
Skinner was on the floor, thrashing about on the ground, screaming. He was phasing in and out of sight, becoming visible, then invisible again and again at irregular intervals. There was a shattered bottle on the floor; Tom had a horrible feeling it was a drug, something had reacted to it, and Skinner, a good if somewhat mad friend, was going to die.
"Oh god," Allan managed, running to where Skinner thrashed about, not daring to touch him lest something happen. "Boy, get Mina or Jekyll! Go!"
Tom nodded and ran out of the room, looking for the doctors.
Mina was helping Jekyll pack up all the bandages and medicines that they had used to fix up the injured soldiers when Tom came running into the room, out of breath.
"Skinner needs help," he said between breaths, using one hand on the doorframe to support himself. "Something's wrong with him."
Both doctors dropped whatever they were holding and followed a running Tom to Skinner's cabin. Before they turned into the hallway they could already here Skinner screaming in agony.
Allan was there, looking as worried as when he thought Tom had died in the saving of Venice.
"What happened?!" Jekyll asked Allan as he and Mina hunkered down to hold Skinner down.
"Don't know," Allan replied. "When we got here he was already like this."
Mina ripped the new coat of Skinner's to prevent him from strangling himself. As Skinner phased in and out again, she noticed the shattered remnants of the antidote bottle nearby.
"It could be that," she told Jekyll, jerking her head to where the bottle lay. "But we need to get him into the Infirmary."
"I agree," Jekyll nodded, concerned. Allan and Tom rushed forward to help. Allan grabbed Skinner's armpits and Tom lifted his ankles. They ran all the way to the Infirmary and set him down on one of the cots there. Nemo came in when he heard the commotion.
"What happened?" Nemo exclaimed.
"That is what we're going to find out after we stabilize him," Mina told him, grabbing a sedative. Jekyll caught her wrist.
"Too risky," he shook his head, no longer nervous or stuttering. He was definitely in his element. "We don't know what caused this; the sedative might worsen it."
Dorian came in as Mina and Jekyll found some straps and secured Skinner down. "I heard a commotion outside. What's wrong with him?" He gestured at Skinner.
"We have no idea," Allan said. "But it's bad."
Skinner continued to thrash about, struggling, waiting for sweet relief. His strangled cries were horrible to bear; he sounded a bit like a dying cat being dragged under a carriage. He still phased in and out, but his visibility periods began to last for a few more seconds.
They could only watch as Skinner suffered and screamed his lungs out. No doubt, if he survived, then Mina would have to treat him for a sore throat.
Well, that is IF he survived.
Mina sincerely hoped so. Although she was sometimes cold to Skinner, she cared for him as a friend. *I don't know what we'd do without him* she found herself thinking. *He is invaluable to us.*
Skinner's torment finally began to subside, because he quieted down and finally passed out, fully visible. Jekyll found a blanket and covered him as Mina shooed the rest of the men out, to let her and Jekyll treat their now-visible friend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------
(#1) For those of you who have no idea who John Seward is, he's one of the men in Dracula (the same story that Mina comes from!). He owns the asylum next to the estate Dracula brought.
A/N: Okay, people, Skinner is fully visible now! *ducks and dodges the flames that come from the readers* Wait, wait, let me finish. Expect a twist in the next chapter, and please, if you review, tell me roughly or in detail how you want Skinner to look like. Redhead, blond, dark-haired, that kind of thing. Waste no space in doing so; I might use them. Hope you enjoyed the story, and be patient, chapter 10 will be up soon.