Title: Prologue part II

Fandom: LXG

Rating: R

Summary: Hyde assumes complete control of the body.

Warnings: may develop into some mild slash in the future. There will also be graphic descriptions of violence, casualties and graphic talk of sexual crimes in the future too. It's going to be a very dark fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own LXG. I just like angst and Jekyll/Hyde seem to attract it as much as … well, Doctor Stephen Maturin. What is it with Doctors, huh?

Prologue part II: another death prevented but another life lost

Skinner was fighting for breath, fighting for life, but was still in shock at how the hand that crushed his throat looked so much like his friend's. The hand was bruised, bloody and broken yet it was immensely powerful. Even though the man was killing him, Skinner still couldn't bring himself to hurt the body of Doctor Henry Jekyll. Despite the fact it wasn't Henry controlling it.

"Skinner what's the… Henry?" Tom Sawyer entered but stopped in his tracks as he saw what appeared to be Doctor Henry Jekyll, strangling the invisible Rodney Skinner. It took Tom several seconds to acknowledge that the sinister smirk on Henry's face and the sadistic look in his eyes didn't belong to Henry. "Eddy." The cocky boy said.

Normally Edward Hyde would have attacked the smarmy bugger for not giving him the respect he deserved, but he already had a victim in the grip of his hand. He heard Skinner's alcohol-scented breath coming at irregular intervals. He toyed with Skinner, crushing the windpipe so it would allow no air through at all, and then loosening his grip. Hyde controlled how much air Skinner received. He laughed as he had the power over life and death and he was loving it.

"Edward, put him down!" demanded a female voice, who had just entered the room. Hyde laughed but did as she said. Why terrorise Skinner when he could have the lovely Mina Harker as a victim instead? "Are you all right Mister Skinner?" She asked. Skinner nodded, unable to speak. Hyde almost killed Skinner there and then but he showed remarkable constraint.

"He'll live." Sneered Hyde; revelling in how Skinner was still gasping for breath. "I wasn't going to kill him. I was just seeing how long he could go without air." He roared.

"This body is stronger than it looks." The body looked broken but Hyde was still moving towards Mina. "Shame it's so… fragile." Hyde ran a finger over the forehead of his host. It came away dripping with blood. He offered the blood to Mina but she refused. He sucked the blood from his own finger, leering sat Skinner as he did so. Skinner looked away.

"There's no way you could have survived an attack that left your body in THAT state." The blonde American said. "How come you're alive?"

"It isn't MY body. This body and its soul are dead."

"No." the invisible Skinner croaked out.

"I am the only survivor!" screamed Hyde.

"No!" Skinner yelled. Hyde moved towards Skinner so he could tower over him. He knew that the next few words would cause Skinner more pain than half-killing him did.

"The Doctor exists no more: there is only Hyde!"

"It's not true," the tears leaked from his eyes. His voice was thick with fear, denial and anger. Skinner was in agony. And Hyde decided to give one final twist of the knife.

"Doctor Jekyll is dead!"