Title: An Odd Acquaintance
Rating: R for mild gore, violence, rape and some male/male content
Disclaimer: I don't own the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and all literary characters belong to their respective creators.
Note: I was inspired to write this when I heard of this new film about Van Helsing. From the rumors I've been searching through, there is a cameo of Mr. Hyde at the beginning, which put in a good idea for a Pre-LXG story. In the new VH movie, the main character is Gabriel Van Helsing and Mr. Hyde gets killed off which is why I'm not following the movie. Abraham Van Helsing is from the original Bram Stoker novel, but he is going to be a few years younger than he was in the book, perhaps his mid fifties, of course I imagined him to look similar to Hugh Jackman at an older age. Dr. Jekyll in the original R. L. Stevenson novel was about fifty, but in the LXG film he looked forty, so he's probably in his thirties since this is a Pre-LXG story.
He stood on the side of the street, smoking a cigar, his long travel coat wrapped tightly around him to keep out the breeze of a chilly evening in Paris. The sky was cloudy, leaving only a few lampposts for light. The streets, which were usually crowded during the day, were silent and empty except for a few drunks and prostitutes. Abraham Van Helsing inhaled the tobacco smoke of his cigar, waiting to make his move; he was on a mission to capture a threat in the Rue Morgue.
He remembered examining the bodies of the victims in the police station, all were prostitutes with patches of flesh torn off and bones snapped. Whoever or whatever was making all the killings, Van Helsing was keen to find out. Dropping and stamping out his cigar, Van Helsing loaded the rifle that was strapped across his back. All what he had to do was wait for any sign of the killer.
A prostitute stood on the corner of the street several blocks from Van Helsing's position. She stood under the shadows of the tall, dark town houses, her skirts rugged and stained with mud, tangled hair pinned up at the back of her head. Little did the prostitute know that she was being watched from the alley across the street.
He was haunch over in the darkness, watching his prey in the street; the prostitute's scent tickled his nostrils. Licking his lips in an animal like manner, he waited for the prostitute to turn away. When his target turned to walk away, he dashed out to make his kill.
He pounced upon her back, bringing both of them to the ground. The prostitute shrieked out as he tore up her skirts to shreds. She struggled to get up and flee, but her attacker had her pinned to the ground.
"Go ahead and scream," the attacker hissed into her ear, his breath hot against her neck. "There is no one to help you."
The prostitute felt a hand with long fingers wrap around her small throat and another around her arm. She was pulled and turned onto her back by brutal strength. The attacker forced the weight of his body onto the prostitute's slender frame, keeping her from escaping. When the face of her attacker came into view, the prostitute screamed. Looking straight back at her were bloodshot eyes, the attacker's nostrils flared as he sniffed the air, the mouth was stretched into a snarl revealing yellowed teeth.
He enjoyed the scent of her warm flesh, licking his lips; he tore open the front of her dress. Tearing off her undergarments, he uncovered her soft breasts. He started to lick the flesh of her breasts, enjoying the taste, his hands gripped her arms as she squirmed and sobbed. Sliding his hips against hers, he forced himself into her, his legs entangled around hers. He licked up her neck, her bony jaw, and he began to suckle on her lower lip.
Van Helsing ran to where he heard the screams come from. He slowed down as soon as he discovered a small figure was sitting on top of a woman. In the dark of night, Van Helsing could see that the attacker had an unpleasant appearance, rather ape like than human. There was a sickening sound of bones being snapped, as the attacker gave the woman a brutal beating.
'That must be the fiend I am looking for,' Van Helsing thought. Taking his rifle, he aimed and fired.
The brute jumped off his prey with a yelp; there was pain in his arm where he was hit. Blood from the wound soaked his sleeve. He looked to see the one who fired the shot approaching. He snarled and ran back down the alley he hid in before.
"Damn it!" Van Helsing cursed. He ran to the carcass to see that the brute had done the killing. The victim's clothes torn and scattered, the skinny neck was broken, and blood foamed from the lips. Realizing that he was delaying the hunt, Van Helsing dashed into the alley where he saw the killer head.
He was running hard, the pain stung in his arm, he had to get back to his house before his pursuer caught up. The alley he ran through was dark, dank, and had a foul odor of filth that littered the ground; the only sign of life were scurrying rats. Looking over his shoulder, he could see the figure of his pursuer coming after him. He shrank down into the shadows, waiting for the pursuer to come close.
Van Helsing ran after the figure ahead of him, trying to keep up in the chase. When the figure disappeared into the shadows, Van Helsing slowed down, rifle ready in hand. In a second, something leaped at him; he quickly jumped out of the way. Van Helsing aimed at his opponent, ready to fire. His opponent glared back with blood shot eyes, face darkened by the shadows, Van Helsing could see the dark shape of the short, broad stature.
"Who or what the hell are you?" Van Helsing demanded. His opponent did not answer, only snarled, ran down the alley and turning a corner with great speed before Van Helsing could fire.
"Just great!" Van Helsing muttered. He chased after the brute.
As he turned at the corner, Van Helsing could see the brute running down the street in the shadow of the houses. The area was silent except a rush of wind and the footsteps of the pursuer and the pursued. Van Helsing saw his opponent disappear into one of the houses. Slowing down to a quiet trend, Van Helsing crept up to the house where the attacker hid. He walked up to the door and tested the knob learning that the door was locked. Taking a skeleton key out of his pocket, he placed it into the keyhole. The door unlocked with a click, Van Helsing placed his key back into his pocket and stepped inside.
The room he entered had no light; Van Helsing could get a glimpse of a table and shelves in the darkness. Taking a match out of his coat pocket, Van Helsing made a small light that revealed the room to be a lab. On the shelves and table were lab equipment and containers of chemicals. On the floor of the lab, Van Helsing found a piece of clothing. It was a linen shirt, blood soaked one of the sleeves, and Van Helsing examined the shirt.
"The blood is still warm," Van Helsing said as he knelt down and touched the blood. He stood up and walked to the door that lead to the next room Van Helsing remained silent, he could hear footsteps on the floor above. Killing out the light, Van Helsing crept out of the lab and found his way to the stairs, he then climbed up to the second floor.
When he got to the second floor, Van Helsing kept his rifle ready in hand. Being cautious not to make any creaking in the floor, he tiptoed through the corridor, listening for any sound coming from any room. He heard a thud as something fell to the floor, along with heavy gasps and sobs. Van Helsing found the room where the sounds came from; he burst through the door and aimed his rifle at the figure in the dim light of a bedroom.
Van Helsing had his rifle aimed at a man on his hands and knees on the floor, his frame was thin with a few muscles, clad only in black trousers, and skin was pale as if never been touched by sunlight. He tilted his head up showing his face to Van Helsing. A nervous expression was on the stranger's pallid face, eyes were wide, streaming tears, dark hair plastered to the forehead with sweat, and the pale lips encrusted with blood trembled. The stranger's heavy gasps filled the silence of the bedroom. Blood trickled down one arm from a wound in the clammy flesh.
"My name is... Dr. Henry Jekyll," the stranger gasped out, his accent sounding British. With that, he passed out from the blood loss.
Setting his rifle down, Van Helsing used the strength in his arms to pick up the unconscious man, named Henry, off the floor. After he placed Henry on the bed, Van Helsing examined the injured arm. The wound was not very deep, but there was a heavy amount of bleeding.
'That wound will need some patching,' Van Helsing thought, looking back on his medical skills. 'How did he get that injury? Was he attacked by that fiend? I will have to ask him when he recovers. Blast, I don't have my medical kit with me. There has to be something around here I can use.' Taking a handkerchief from his coat, Van Helsing wrapped the fabric firmly around the wound to stop the bleeding. Grabbing the oil lamp from the bed stand, Van Helsing searched around the second floor for where a medical kit was stored.
Searching throughout every room, Van Helsing found a box of bandages and tools for treating injuries in a closet. He quickly brought the medical kit and a wet cloth from the bathroom back to the bedroom where Henry lay unconscious.
Placing the oil lamp back on the bed stand, Van Helsing gently removed the handkerchief from Henry's wounded arm. After he cleaned away the blood from Henry's arm and lips with the wet cloth, he wrapped the bandages around Henry's arm to seal the wound.
When Van Helsing was done, he cleaned up and placed the medical kit back into the closet. He returned to the bedroom with a blanket and draped it over Henry's still form. Van Helsing looked at the unconscious man; Henry seemed to be recovering. There was a steady rise and fall of Henry's flat chest, some pinkish color was coming into his oval shaped face, and there was little movement under the heavy eyelids as Henry struggled in his subconscious.
He was in the dark, all he could remember that he last saw someone staring down at him before all went black. Opening his eyes, he saw that he was in his bed, the room lit by the oil lamp on his bed stand, Henry turned his head to one side to see a familiar face. The man he saw before passing out was sitting next to him on the bedside. The man was clad in brown trousers and vest with a long travel coat; dark hair dropped to his wide shoulders around his hard featured face, the dark eyes under the thick brows watched Henry's every movement.
"Who are you?" asked Henry as he sat up, the cover slipping down his bare chest. He noticed that bandage around his arm. "How did you get in? Why did you help me?"
"Easy now," the other said calmly. "I am Professor Abraham Van Helsing, I came in using a skeleton key. The reason why I treated your injury was because I may need some explanation from you."
"An explanation?"
"Yes, Doctor, I was tracking down some brutish fiend who may have come to hide in your home. Can you tell me what happened?"
Henry's heart was pounding against his rib cage, sweat beaded his forehead. How could he explain the event? Memories flashed before his eyes, the prostitute, and the fear in her face as she was raped, the hands of Henry's alter-ego Edward Hyde touching the prostitute's bare flesh.
"Afraid of what he'll do to you when he finds out?" The voice chuckled evilly at the back of Henry's mind.
"Shut up, Edward." Henry answered to the voice.
"Nothing s-serious h-happened," said Henry in response to the professor's question.
"You were injured when I found you here," said Van Helsing. He gently grasped Henry's bandaged arm. "It's strange, you were wounded in the same spot where I shot that brute. Not that I'm accusing you, it could only be a coincidence."
"W-what are you g-going to do to this m-murderer?" Henry asked, eyes wide and anxious.
"Just capture, the fiend wasn't described to be human-like from witnesses of the attacks that have happened in the Rue Morgue, so I was called in to capture this thing. I did get a glimpse of the brute myself, seemed to have a similar appearance to a wild ape. Was the wound on your arm from an attack?"
Henry closed his eyes, finding some explanation. "I h-have s-some information I c-can t-tell you, Professor. The b-brute's name is Edward Hyde, I know him. He only came into my house to stay, and then things became... v-violent. He escaped." He stared at the bandage on his arm.
"Some excuse!" Edward's voice grunted in Henry's mind. "Let me out! I'll rip his throat out and beat the bloody shit out him!"
"It's the best I can do to avoid trouble for the both of us." Henry swallowed hard, trying not to let his altar ego get to him.
Van Helsing used both of his hands to cup Henry's lower jaw. "It's going to be alright." He kissed Henry's sweaty forehead, hoping to provide some comfort. The professor slid his hands down Henry's neck and smooth chest, wrapping his arms around Henry's torso in an embrace.
Henry nuzzled his nose along Van Helsing's jaw as he placed his hands on the professor's shoulders. "This acquaintance with you, Professor..." he murmured, "it's a bit odd."
"I know it's odd," said Van Helsing, "embracing and kissing another man." He kept his face close to Henry's, their noses brushing together. "You don't seem to be native to France, are you from England?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I'm curious because your accent sounds British."
"He's having his way with you, Henry!" Edward Hyde's voice hissed. "He's doing it to pump information out of you! Don't let him fuck you, don't take this shit!"
Henry sucked in a deep breath without responding to his alter ego. Remembering the horrible things Edward had done back home in England, Henry tried not to break down in tears as he spoke. "I used to live in England, I had practice as a doctor there. I came to France when I wanted to leave my old life behind and start over."
"It's alright," Van Helsing whispered softly. He kissed Henry gently on the lips, and slowly set the doctor back down to a lying position on the bed. "Rest and save your strength, I will be on my way." After he pulled the blanket over Henry's chest, Van Helsing set one of his broad hands flat over Henry's heart, feeling the vibrations.
Henry clasped one of his cold hands over Van Helsing's, "Where are you going?"
"To find this Edward Hyde, if I can't catch him, I will be off to find other fiends and supernatural demons, maybe I may return to my own practice in medicine." The professor lifted Henry Jekyll's hand and kissed it. "Take care of yourself, we may meet again one day."
Van Helsing placed Henry's hand down, stood up and walked to the door. Before he left, he looked back at Henry. "Farewell," he said and he left.
When Van Helsing was gone, Henry looked up at the ceiling, deep and thought. Edward stirred within the doctor's mind. Closing his eyes, Jekyll focused on Hyde.
"You are fucking pathetic!" Edward grunted.
"At least Professor Van Helsing does not know that I can transform into you," Henry exclaimed. The doctor thought on Van Helsing's words on meeting again, Henry had a deep feeling that Van Helsing will sooner or later learn about Hyde.
"He had his way with you, he fucked you!"
"He did not, he was being affectionate, but I fear I took advantage of his affection when I deceived him. I will regret it when he finds out about us."
"Then pray that he doesn't!" Edward's words haunted Henry's mind. Would Van Helsing ever discover the truth of Jekyll and Hyde?
"I'm afraid that I cannot let you out for a while," said Henry. "It's too risky for the both of us, I'd wish to avoid such conflict."
"Damn!" The conversation between the two counterparts ended that night as Henry dozed off into slumber.
Van Helsing exited the house, back onto the dark, chilly streets. He thought about his hunt for Edward Hyde and his acquaintance with Henry Jekyll. The blood stained shirt found in the lab puzzled the professor; the sleeves of the shirt were slightly short for Henry's arms, so it belonged to Edward. The name of the brute was also familiar to Van Helsing.
"This is strange," Van Helsing said to himself, "Edward Hyde was the fiend who terrorized London and then committed suicide. Henry said he knew Edward, it could be possible that the suicide was false and Edward came to France where Henry is living." Shrugging his shoulders, Van Helsing ventured on to what lay ahead of him.
End Note: I was inspired by the new VH movie, not following it, but I can't wait to see that film. I set the story before Hyde became the hulking ape thing in LXG. Who knows, Van Helsing and Jekyll may meet again in another story, only time will tell.