Faust: Payback time indeed! Jekyll will continue to do the grotesque.
Samyo: I'm not british, not am I american or australlian, English is not my first language, you lost me in the 'Nan was Brit, comes inhandy sometimes' part.
Diclaimer: I do not own any of the league, Abberline, Albert, Gull, Sickert and Netly were actual people who did exist in 1888. Special thanks to for the info regarding Jack.
( i )
With Jekyll refusal to cooperate, Nemo issued his orders for the evening, after reviewing the police files from 1888, he had decided on four locations that were likely to be where the Ripper would strike next, and ordered Mina to patrol in one of those areas while a group of his men in disguise would patrol in the second and third along with Sawyer, Skinner was to infiltrate Jekyll's manor to monitor him and search for evidence, Nemo, figuring he would draw too much attention and cause the Ripper to flee, had decided to tend to a more covert matter
( ii )
Mina walked threw the corridor leading to Sawyer's cabin and entered without a knock.
"Don't you knock?" asked Sawyer.
"Why? Do you have something to hide from me?" she answered playfully.
"Humm, come here, you."
Mina came close to him and they shared a deep kiss, and a few other's, eventually, as tension rose, Mina backed off and said, "Easy there, Cowboy, we'll end making love and forget about the assignment for tonight completely.
"What assignment?"
Mina smiled as their assignment came back to his mind, "Oh, that assignment.", he frowned slightly.
"Don't worry, we'll get the Ripper soon, and then we'll have all the time in the world, I just wish Henry would talk."
Mina wrapped her scarf around her neck and went to leave, "Skinner will probably find something." said Sawyer, "That's Interesting..."
"What?" asked Mina as she stopped in the doorway.
"You just called him by his first name, you said Henry"
"Did I?" asked Mina, "Jealous"
"Yeah, you never did that, always was the Doctor, or Jekyll"
"Jealous?" Asked Mina jokingly.
"From a split-personality, multiple-murder-suspect? Hardly."
( iii )
Meanwhile, in a fine upper-class neighborhood, Skinner walked unseen towards a big Manor -where he was told Jekyll lived eleven years ago, and was now owned by Utterson, who allowed Jekyll to live there once more , and as he got near the gate, he saw in the distance several Constables staring directly at the manor, and as he reached the front door he knocked, as he hearted someone approaching, he stepped aside, the door opened and a young maid packed out to look, "Who's there?" she said with a Scottish accent.
Skinner entered the house being careful not to brush against the maid, and taking a whiff of her hair in the process, it smelt like oranges.
"Bloody Children." muttered the maid as she closed the door and went back in, Skinner stopped and looked at her as she walked up the stairs, when he'll be done he would have plenty of time to Woo her, right now he had to work.
( iv )
Jekyll stared into his empty glass of wine, he was sitting by the window, in his study, he felt rough times ahead of him, with the league back in town, of which he had only met Mina, an event in itself that stirred up his buried emotions, his attraction to her was rekindled, but what was the use? She was in love with Sawyer... or so it seamed, then there was the burden of scotlandyard watching his very step, and finally was the matter itself, his involvement it the Murders, and his knowledge of those behind it.
'Let me out, Henry.'
His dreadful creation was whispering loudly inside his head, Hyde had grown a little more docile since he had left the League, making him more bearable, or perhaps he was becoming more bearable because he was mentally growing to be more like Hyde.
The last thought made him tremble, "No, Edward, I can't, I won't."
'Why'
"You're inside my head, you should know"
'I am inside your head, but I'm outside your sole, I know you can't, but why won't you let me'
"Urgh, stop speaking mystically." said Henry as he stood up and walked to the couch and laid down, rubbing his beard as he got there, "The police are on to us, they've got bleeding Bobbies outside"
'So don't walk out the door, and they suspect you, not me'
"That's true, but still, my answer is the same."
'You may not want to, but you NEAD TO!' barked Hyde, 'You have to go out there and do they job they expect you to do, you may have been able to keep your hands clean so far, but sooner or later, you will go out there and once again, you will kill, mame and RIP! Otherwise they'll toss us both in jail... '
Hyde had more to say, but Jekyll was infuriated by what he was hearing and bolted up form the couch and sat, and told furiously Hyde, "LISTEN YOU APE-SHAPED PEACE OF SHIT! You will not tell me to take the elixir, you cannot make me do it, I'm the one calling the shots, the league are on the job, and the second they catch me, you think they'll let me of for old' times sake? They will turn me in, and we'll both be executed. And let's take a short stroll down memory lane, Edward, it was you who killed 12 years ago, it was you who started this cycle of murder."
'Splitting Hairs are you?' scoffed Edward, 'But let's take a few steps back, it was you who brought me to existence, it was YOU who wanted someone to indulge in degenerate acts on your behalf... What did you think? That I was never going my own way?'
Jekyll couldn't say anything, all Hyde said was true, 'You made me because you needed me, and you still do'
"No I don't"
'You couldn't even gather the nerve to tell Mina how you felt, till she fell for the American, who unlike you was a real man.'
Henry felt helpless as though he was tied to a post, and each of Hyde's word were like a thousand arrow, shot by Hyde and plunging into his soul, till he was like St Patrick, but he said,
"Be that as it may, remember that I become you, YOU DO NOT BECOME ME.'
Hyde spoke no more, perhaps he was silenced by Jekyll's answer, or maybe he felt that he already prevailed and didn't need to respond, either way, Jekyll was crushed, he felt like a ghost, like a fraud, like someone who was once a man and now became noting, and he poured himself a drink.
( v )
A flock of bats soared threw the air before blending into Mina who crouched on top a rooftop, observing the street where she saw a young whore who prowled the streets looking for a paying client, several minutes passed till Mina broke into a hundred bat and flew off again, reforming herself a few streets away where a mysterious man was talking to a whore, she watched preparing to lunge in to attack if it turned out to be him, but it didn't, she took him to a back ally where they did what they did and he paid and left, Mina was disgusted and flew off.
The same thing happened a few times, till eventually she spotted a man wearing a hat and a long coat, she decided to sink to street level and confront him, and she did.
"Jesus!" said Sawyer, "You scared me"
"Sorry," said Mina, "What are you doing out of your area"
"People were getting suspicious"
"I don't think he'll do it tonight, it's almost Dawn"
"You can go back to the Nautilus"
"I don't have to, how about I stay with you till Dawn and then we'll head back together"
"No, go home"
"Okay, then."
Sawyer was slightly bothered she didn't want him to stay, and as he walked away he turned and said, "Are you sure you don't want me t do anything for you"
"Well, now that you've mentioned it," said Mina, Sawyer came closer and as Mina continued, "I need a favor"
"Anything." he said genuinely.
"I need you to talk to He- Jekyll."
For a second Sawyer really hated the word Jekyll and all people and things related to it, "About what?" he asked after he got over it.
"I want you to convince him to tell us what he knows"
"What makes you think I can do anything about it? He didn't want to speak to you"
"Well, He was in jail and grumpy, and of what I've heard he doesn't think much of Skinner, and Nemo is rather dry when it comes to such issues"
"And you think he'll warm up to me?"
Mina pondered for a second and said, "He did refer to you as my lover, can't imagine what's behind that, but you're all we've got."
Tom looked at Mina for seconds, watching her beautiful face in the moonlight, and said, "Fine, first thing I'll do when I wake up."
"Humm, my prince." said Mina with a smile, and then turned into bats and flew.
"Not even a kiss." muttered Sawyer as he walked towards the East Docks.
( vi )
Skinner walked down the stairs frustrated, he searched the entire upper floor looking for any sort of evidence, but couldn't find a thing, all that was left was the study, which's door was ajar, Skinner snuck in and saw Jekyll as he sat at the desk, with his chin resting on his interlocking hands, staring into space, Skinner sat on the ground.
A few minutes later, Jekyll poured scotch into a couple of glasses and said, "Have a drink, Skinner."
Skinner froze; he couldn't fathom how Jekyll knew he was there he.
"You see, one of the upsides of having a thick rug in one's study, is that when someone invisible sit on it make and impression."
"Ehh," said Skinner, "'Don't mind if I do then"
"Then put something on." said Jekyll, ushering towards a house robe draped on a chair.
Skinner put on the robe, and sat on a chair by the desk and took a sip of the scotch.
"It's excellent." said Skinner.
"It should be, it's from 1845."
Moments passed with nothing but silence between the two, till finally Jekyll said, "Did you really think I'd keep evidence of the murders in here?"
"So you DO have something to do with it"
"Did you expect to find a bloody knife? or maby my journal with something written in the likes of '21st of January 1900: Had excellent lunch, got bored in the evening and killed a whore"
"I suppose not"
"Well, feel free to report that to Nemo."
Skinner ignored the dismissal, and crossed his legs, and said, "Why did you quit us"
"Take a wild stab." answered dryly.
"Mina?"
Jekyll didn't expect Skinner to know about it, but his face failed to show his surprise.
"That's a good stab."
"That's it? You quit because she was getting fleshy with Sawyer on a regular basis"
"She was 99 out of 100 reasons that led me to stay with the league, The 100th was the pardon from the government, since I lost 99 and fulfilled one, I didn't see why I should stay there?", Jekyll said, "Besides, He's young, he's relatively normal, he can have any woman he wants, why her"
"Well, she's the only woman we have on the ship"
"How convenient!"
There were many minutes of silence before Skinner slyly asked, "So, you live here alone"
"Her name's Pat." answered Jekyll, figuring Skinners motives.
"Think she doesn't mind someone like me"
"How would I know?"
( vii )
Nemo walked threw the empty church early at dawn, and made his way to the confession booth, where he sat down and waited till he heard someone come in and speak to him, saying, "When was your last confession"
"1888." answered Nemo.
"Good, Fred Abberline1." the other man said, introducing himself.
"Captain Nemo"
"What do you want to know"
"Who do you think carried out the first murders"
"It was the work of Sir William Gull, the queen's physician in ordinary"
"For what purpose"
"Prince Albert"
"What about him"
"He was a womanizer, and had a liking for unfortunates of both genders, and had even had a marriage with a whore by the name of Anne Crook, and had fathered a child. Unbelievable isn't it"
"I would say so"
"So, naturally, the Queen wouldn't bear having an Heir to the thrown with a whore for a mother, and she was a catholic as well"
"Such an event emerging into the public arena could rip the British empire to shreds"
"Indeed"
"What had happened to him now"
"He died soon after the murders"
"Did he work alone"
"Hardly," said Abberline, "He was working with a coachman named John Netly3, he was drowned in the Thames in early 1889, he also had backup from the Police, as well as some others high government officials"
"What was your proof"
"Well," uttered Abberline awkwardly, "I didn't exactly have proof, I found out what I did through bits from different sources, mostly from Walter Sickert, the artist4"
"Thank you Inspector"
"My Pleasure Captain, give my regards to Bond."
Nemo then walked out the confession booth, and received odd stares from parishioners who had arrived, seeing an Indian Man in Nautical-Military attire with a sword in church was not an everyday event.
( viii )
The door to Jekyll's house was opened and Jekyll and a naked Skinner staggered out, they were both very drunk after hours of drinking and could barely stand up straight, "Well Skinner, Goodnight!" said Jekyll as they were hit by the morning rays of sunlight.
"I good you a bid evening"
"And remember," Said Jekyll as he almost fell down, "Any more of you people and I'll slit your throats."
Skinner said something unintelligible, "I agree, now bugger off!"
And so, Jekyll slammed the door as he went back in, while Skinner staggered home.
Author's Notes
1 Cheif Inspector Frederick George Abberline(1863 - 1929): The lead Inpector in the Ripper murders that occured in 1888.
2 The theory is one of the most popular among Ripper fans, however Sir Gull reportedly died in 1882, but some speculate that documents were doctored to sheild the conspiracy. See 'From Hell(2001)', and 'Jack the Ripper(1988.
3 John Netley(-1889): An actual Coachman who was in fact drowned in the Themes after he tried to run over Anne Crooks child.
4 Walter Sickert's son, Joseph, did provide the bassis for the Royal Theory, and the artists painting did front certin clues to his involvement.
