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Chapter 7

"Henry?"

Jekyll felt a hand on his arm.

"My god, you look terrible. Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you?" Joan asked in concern. "I guess you hadn't listened to a word I was saying right? I was just telling you more about…"

Something seemed to snap within the doctor. He flailed out, pushing Joan away from him rather forcefully. She stumbled backwards in alarm.

Jekyll crouched down, shivering against the wall. Joan stared at him in a mixture of fear and bewilderment. The doctor was acting totally different. Unable to control himself, Jekyll blurted, "Don't touch me! Get away from me! I am a monster, a hideous monster!"

I want to come out… let me out, let me out!

Jekyll's face was screwed up in a look of agony. Dropping to his knees, he pressed his hands tightly against his ears. "NO! I cannot! I will not!"

You can't contain me in you forever!

"Henry, what monster are you talking about? What's happening?" Joan's eyes were opened wide with terror. She was too petrified to run for help or even move.

That girl wants to know more about you, doesn't she? Fine… why don't we give her a proper introduction of your other side? It would be rude of me not to make an appearance, don't you say? After all, I AM part of you.

The doctor's strength was already weakened by influenza. His disappointment and anger towards the League also served to throw his already exhausted mind into even more turmoil. And so, Hyde seized his chance.

No, please… don't…

Jekyll could feel Hyde overpowering him, spreading his influence like an octopus's tentacles engulfing its prey. Jekyll's control over his own will was wrenched from his grasp. He gasped weakly. "No!"

You are pathetic.

"Henry! Answer me! What's going on? Do you want me to get help?"

Jekyll looked up at her, and Joan pressed herself against the wall behind her. Sweat had made his face shiny and spittle was emerging from the sides of his mouth. His usually neat hair was all mussed up and untidy and he looked all in all like a wild and insane man. But the features that were really scary and changed were his eyes. They burned and glared. Bulged and flamed. Eyes are considered to be the window to your soul. Joan did not see Jekyll from behind those windows. What she saw was an animal, a furious and raging caged animal that desired to be let out. "Oh my gawd…"

Jekyll felt his lips tugging upwards in a leer that was not his own. "You want to know more about me? Are you sure that's what you want? Curiosity has always killed the cat… but I will grant you that wish. However, you, like the cat, may not live long enough to get over your shock!"

Joan's face was very white. "Huh? What do you mean?"

The doctor's now slightly distorted face was lit up again by another insane smile. "Be patient my dear…I will show you what I mean very soon!"

She's innocent! Leave her be! What has she ever done to you? Jekyll pleaded.
Nothing. And that is what makes it so entertaining!

Jekyll tried desperately to regain control over his mind but Hyde was now much too strong for him. Mentally, he felt himself being thrust to the back of his own brain like so much garbage.

Hyde sneered in disgust. Garbage, that is all you are, you insignificant little worm! I am having fun now, and no one is going to stop me!

Jekyll was defeated. He watched through his own eyes helpless and powerless, as Hyde manipulated his hands to begin unscrewing the vial.

No…don't…

Suddenly, Jekyll felt the tube being wrenched from his grasp. "What the- Skinner!"

 "R-Rodney? You're here too?" Joan asked, looking at the floating tube with huge eyes.

"Yes. Now love, I need you to get help from the rest of the League. Just tell them there's something wrong and to come, quickly!"

"B-but it will take some time… we're pretty far away from them now…"

"Just go!"

Joan took one last frightened look at Jekyll before sprinting away.

The vial floated before Jekyll's wild eyes, taunting him with its brilliance, making him hunger even more for the comfort and respite it could give him. He ignored the running Joan. With Skinner finally making his presence known, an uncontrolled anger and resentment flared up in him, and suddenly, Jekyll found himself in control of his own body once again. Hyde had decided to take the backseat for a short while to enjoy the sparks that he knew will soon fly between Jekyll and Skinner.  He also knew that when Jekyll was in this state, he was mentally at his most vulnerable and can be more easily bent to his will.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Jekyll?! You're giving everything away!"  The invisible thief hissed angrily into his ear. It seemed to him as though Hyde had, for the first time, succeeded in taking over Jekyll without physically changing into himself.

Go on… rip into him…tear into him…he is not a friend, he is just a spy! A friend would not follow you around like that…

Jekyll's voice was full of suppressed anger. "So what if I am? Do all of you even treat me as part of the League? Do you? Following me around like a dog as though I cannot take care of myself or be trusted?"

"Who says that we don't treat you as part of the League?" Skinner replied rather shakily, after he had gotten over his shock at Jekyll's unnatural outburst.

Jekyll laughed bitterly. "If you treat me as part of the League, and as someone that can be trusted, you would not try to follow me! Did you really think that Hyde cannot sense you?"

"Now see here Jekyll… you're just being overly paranoid! And anyway, I think Mina was right in telling me to follow you, considering the way you are acting right now…"

"I would not have lost control if I had not sensed your presence he-" Jekyll was speaking when he suddenly realised something.  

"Wait…did you say Mina sent you? Mina?"

"What does that matter to you?"

"Just answer the BLOODY question, you invisible freak!" The doctor screamed, sounding exactly like Hyde.

Skinner was very much taken aback. The doctor was losing it, fast. "Much as I don't appreciate being called a freak, if the answer will calm you down then… yes, Mina sent me."

The doctor's face contorted even more. 

You see? Now you know the truth…she does not trust you at all. You are just a stupid little weakling to be made use of by others.

 Jekyll snarled dangerously, baring his teeth. "I tire of this talk and you are wasting my time. Give my formula back, Skinner. Now."

Skinner was very worried. He had never seen the doctor in his normal self act this way before. Of course, there WERE frequent outbursts, but none of them even came close to this magnitude.

"Jekyll, what is happening to you? Don't let Hyde control you like this!"

"Hyde is NOT controlling me!" Jekyll spat. "Why do all of you think that when I am angry, it is through Hyde's influence and not mine?! I have taken more than I can take… and what do I get in return? Not even a single modicum of support and trust!" He glared at where he thought Skinner's face was, judging from the position of the floating vial.

They don't take you seriously. They never do. You are nothing.

Shut up!!

Joan is not here now… you are now free to do what you really want… get the vial! I will teach them a lesson they will never forget…

Jekyll's line of reasoning soon caved in to his burning craving of the drug.

I want it…I need it… They won't listen to me… but they'll listen to you…Tell them from me that I tire of their deception…

Get me the elixir, NOW!
With a growl, the doctor suddenly lunged for the glittering serum. "I SAID, give that back!!" The invisible man quickly dodged out of the way in time and Jekyll fell to the floor in a heap. Groaning, he struggled to get up. "You bloody swine, I'll kill you!" His eyes burned even more with hatred as he stood, focussing on his vial. Once he had it, he would be unstoppable…

Roaring, he lunged at it again.

Skinner sighed. "I'm sorry, Jekyll, but you are forcing me to do this."

With a sickening crack, Jekyll felt something hard smash into the side of his head. A swirling darkness enveloped him, and he could feel himself falling into some dark abyss and spiralling down and down and down...

***

"While Joan is getting some more warm water, we've got to talk. This is very pressing. Skinner, what exactly happened?"

"I don't know. He was acting normally, and then he suddenly went all…strange. That happened when he suspected that I was following him and the girl. When I was forced to make myself known, because he was about to gulp down that liquid of his, he went all berserk."

"What do you mean by 'berserk'?"

"He acted really stranger than usual. Started screaming about us not trusting him and whatnot. He became aggressive and so I was forced to subdue him. What was funny was that he only became very violent when I mentioned that it was you who sent me."

"Why were you so careless as to let Jekyll know that you're following him?"

"Hey, it's not my fault! Jekyll mentioned that Hyde can sense me."

"Really…"

"I don't see what the fuss is all about. It is just Hyde up to his old tricks again."

"Be quiet, Sawyer."

Jekyll awoke to the soft murmuring of voices. He opened his eyes blearily, taking in very indistinct shapes around him. As his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, the figures of Mina, Tom and Skinner swam into view.