Disclaimer: I do not own the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, I semi own this version of the Mad Hatter, considering he is from my story Through the Broken Looking Glass.
You may wanna read some of it to get some of the references. I'm working on a squeal that some of the same stuff happens in so forgive me. So this is kind of like an AU squeal. This is also a kind of combination of novelization universe and the movie universe. I like Skinner better in the book, he more Griffinish but not an utter bastard. Also for those of delicate sensibilities this is slash, m/m, yaoi etc… I blame my allergy medicine. Jekyll/Hatter. Yeah. Also because I'm not to smooth with the story right now it's a little bit choppy, but I will try to fix that in later chapters.
A year after being released the asylum; Hatter is now stuck in London. After parting way with Alice, he has been asked to join the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to help in the investigation of a string of murders very similar to the Ripper ones. Now the murders have reached the Nautilus, and the main suspect is Hatter.
Pairing: Jekyll/Hatter
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London, 1899
"Madigan." Jekyll mumbled, reading the bronze colored nameplate with initials N. H. Madigan.
A strange smoky odor seeped from the cracks of the door and inside Jekyll could hear the faint ticking of clocks and the grinding of gears. The doctor shivered more from nerves then the cold as he raised a thin hand to knock on the thick oak door. After the first knock, which was more of a tap, he rapped on the wood again this time a little harder, but still no one answered. " I guess no one is home." Jekyll mused, secretly glad that he didn't have to meet Madigan in person.
Then just as he was about to leave the door open and a remarkably cultured voice called from inside, " Ah you must be Dr. Jekyll! Come in!"
Jekyll suddenly felt chilled again, still slightly hoping that what the dossier had said about Madigan being Jack the Ripper. He had seen the picture of the young man and was excepting someone who had the deranged look about him, nails that ragged from scratching at asylum walls, hair that was matted, and was ready to snap at any moment, but the person standing in front of him was for lack of better words, handsome.
Like his picture the inventor was gangly and tall with pale skin, but his red hair was longish and came down to his shoulder and was anything but matted. Electric blue eyes glinted with intelligence that fringed on the madness that only geniuses could cope with. A welcoming smile played on his lips that were painted black, and a top hat rested of his head with what seemed to be a price tag that read in this style 10/6. His cloths were what was fashionable for men at the time, minus the tie and jacket.
In comparison, the thin fidgety doctor was only about 5'5 and emaciated looking. His reddish brown was short and neat and nervous gray-blue eyes darted around as if he was in danger of being attacked. He looked pale more from lack of day light then natural coloring and it gave Jekyll a slightly sickly appearance. Like the rest of him, Jekyll's clothing was also very neat consisting of a black jacket, tie, pants, a gray waist coat and severely starched white collared shirt that looked like is close to choking him.
As Jekyll entered he could that unlike its owner the laboratory was messy and cluttered. Gears and springs laid scattered over many workbenches and dozens of clocks lined the far wall. There was three chairs formed a semi circle around a fireplace that looked like it had been never been used, There were also strange doll like creations that laid out on some of the tables, their blade tipped arms pointing at the ground.
He still looks like that lunatic in the picture, Hyde snarled in Jekyll's mind as he entered the young man's laboratory, better be careful Henry, he's probably still handy with his scalpel.
"Shut up." Jekyll hissed, trying to keep the retort to himself.
I'm just trying to keep us from being gutted. You heard about what he did to those whores, Hyde snapped back, your organs could join his collection. Oh second thought I would like to watch that.
"Inner demons bothering you, doctor?" Madigan asked, seeing Jekyll's drained appearance, " I think a strong cup of tea is in order before we leave."
"Thank you Mr. Madi…." Jekyll started but was quickly cut off by the inventor.
"Please don't call me by my last name, I prefer Hatter or Nikki." Hatter said, returning with Jekyll's tea.
"Thank you, then Hatter." Jekyll said the name sound strange, taking the cup. Hatter smiled at him gently as he gathered the last of his belongings and placed them in his trunk and grabbed what appeared to be a painting.
Forget him being a snickering lunatic, he seems more like another Dorian Gray. Hyde growled viscously, the memory of Gray's betrayal still fresh in both their minds. Jekyll just shrugged his only desire at present time being to return to the Nautilus.
We'll let the others decided his fate, Jekyll told Hyde realizing that it probably be best to keep his conversations with his alter ego to himself for now. Then turning from his inner dialogues he directed a question towards Hatter, " Is it true that you were put in to an asylum for being a suspect in the Ripper murders?"
"That's rather a dreary question, considering how little the public really knows about the case," Hatter said, "but the answer is yes, I was."
"Oh."
"Don't worry about that, I was released because of the double murder and the Kelly girl's savage attack happened while I was put away. So I'm not the Ripper."
Jekyll let out what almost sounded like a sigh of relief. Good, He thought, that is the last thing we needed was Jack the Ripper stalking the halls.
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The Nautilus later that day"So this is the infamous Jack the Ripper?" Skinner teased, "Nothing like the pictures is he."
Ignoring his comment Hatter quickly turned to Jekyll and agitated look on his face, " Do have any idea where my cabin is?" he asked, his earlier calm voice now tinged with impatience.
"I believe it is down a few hallways,' Jekyll said, " I'm not really sure, ask one of the crew if you get lost."
" Thank you." Hatter said, as he hurriedly brushed past the invisible man, who was semi visible thanks to his grease paint and cloths. Despite this the young inventor still seemed rather unperturbed by the thief's appearance, and like Gray had in his manor, quite uninterested.
"What's with you, mate?" Skinner asked, "you've act like seeing a invisible bloke is nothing new."
"I've seen stranger." Hatter replied rather coolly as he started down the submarine's hallways, dragging his trunk behind him. Whatever was in it made a loud, almost desperate sounding knock on lid, and Jekyll felt a familiar sense of dread wash over him. Something was in that box, and what ever it was, it wanted out.
Thinking of me, Henry? Hyde chuckled; maybe he has something for me to play with.
"What's his problem?" Skinner asked, breaking into the doctor's thoughts and Hyde's ramblings.
"I rather not know." Jekyll said, then turned and headed for his cabin.
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"Shut up," Hatter hissed at his trunk, the scratching noise growing more desperate as he moved through the corridors, "just be quiet a little while longer and I let you out."
The noise stopped after its master had spoken, and like a mother, whose child had just obeyed her, Hatter let a small, loving smile cross his face. "There now," he said, still speaking to the creature in the trunk, " I think this League will like you, my dear. I sure you want to show them what you can do."
A small scratch came in answer, then ended by silence. "Calm your self, we're almost to our room." he whispered again, as he reached what he believed to be his room. Turning the knob, he entered a rather impressive room. "At least it's large enough for me to work in." he mumbled quickly, shutting the door behind him. At the sound of the slamming door, the scratching started again.
"Patience, patience." Hatter said, first hanging up the covered object Jekyll had mistaken for a painting. Then once his first task was done, he busied himself with unlocking the trunk. With each new lock snap the noise sound more excited, until the finally snap gave way. "Now that wasn't so bad was it?" Hatter asked lifting the thing out of its prison. It his arms appeared to be a doll that was almost human size. It was made of wood and clockwork, its limbs and head attached to the torso by metal joints. The automaton twitched in its master's arms, the blades that served as its arms swinging limply as was carried to the bed.
"Maybe I shouldn't have packed you so tightly." Hatter mused, as the thing started to regain some of its movements. The mask was its face turned and looked at him, its eyes staring desperately at him. Another amused motherly smile appeared on Hatter's lips, as he placed the automaton on his bed, then watched as it started to stand, its wooden limbs quaking as moved. Then as it raised its full height a small series of squeaks echoed from somewhere from within its body.
"You liked the doctor didn't you?" Hatter laughed, as the creature walked towards him, " I rather like him my self. Reminds me of Alice when I first met her. So nervous and delicate."
The automaton let out another series of squeaks, only these sounded more excited. Its swung one of its bladed hands out as if pointing towards the closed door. Hatter tilted his head, and thought on what the squeaks had ment.
"Oh you want to actually meet the others?" Hatter said, touching the porcelain mask of the creature, " we will, don't worry. Our meeting with the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen shall be an interesting one."
The creature made another strange vocalization, this one sound something like the laughter of a child. Hatter's smile widened at the automaton's amusement. I glad you are enjoying your self, Hatter mused, as the marionette started to explore the room. When the creature was about to remove the sheet that covered the hanging object, its master rushed forward. Grabbing it wrist and lowering the bladed hand. "Don't you remember what is behind this covering?" Hatter asked, only to get a blank stare in return.
"I guess you don't," Hatter sighed, "it was so long ago. I was in there a long time, so I'm surprised you remembered me."
Another series of squeaks followed, as the marionette started towards the door again, Hatter nodded in reply as he gathered up a journal. " Yes, I know we must be going," he said, as he opened the door, " we mustn't dawdle. The League awaits."
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"So this is your creation, Mr. Madigan?" Wilhelmina Harker asked, her dark green eyes studying the inventor with a steady gaze. She was slim, but not delicate looking. Her dark hair was tied into a stylish bun on the base off her head. Her black dress was anything but gaudy and was accented by a red velvet scarf around her neck; both did well to set of her pale skin.
Next to her was Tom Sawyer. He kind of reminded Hatter of a puppy, with trusting optimistic brown eyes, an easy going smile and dirty blonde hair. He was dressed in his usually attire of old white short sleeved shirt and brown work pants. His suspenders still hung down like his overalls would have as a kid. Skinner just looked around uninterested by the automaton in front of them. He still had his grease paint on so Hatter could see the bored frown that was tugging on his mouth. Once in a while his black gloved hand would pick at the collar of his jacket as if he was deciding whether or not to remove the paint and clothing and slip out of this little meeting. Next to him still as nervous as ever was Dr. Jekyll, scratching away at something in what Hatter thought was a journal.
Captain Nemo seemed to be the only that was truly interesting in the technical marvels that had suddenly graced his ship. Like Sawyer, Nemo reminded Hatter of an animal, but only a more predator one like a tiger or a shark. It wasn't hard to pick what marked his Indian heritage, with his dark tan colored flesh, almost black eyes and the blue turban that rested nobly on his head. His blue and silver clothing gave the image of both a aged wearied sea captain and a rebel of Indian royalty. Full dark bread extended to his chest, a blue sash tied around his waist and a sheathed rapier complete the captain's strong presence.
"Yes, it one of the few surviving Marionettes I created. I have other things as well that might be of interest to you." Hatter said, a little unnerved by her voice that seemed to have an almost unearthly tone to it. Gingerly he handed her the leather bound journal from his cabin. The chemist thumbed through the book, making sure not to tear any of the pages.
"This is quite amazing Madigan," Mina said, her eyes never leaving the pages as she spoke, " you made all these things your self?"
"Yes, Ma'am." Hatter said, looking at his marionette that started to wander around the room. Every once in a while it would stop and tilt its head as if something had caught the marionette's normally short attention span. Now it was turning towards the group, gazing at one each in turn then started towards the nervous doctor.
"How do these things work?" Nemo asked, his gaze also following the shaky automaton.
"Their original designs were based off clocks," Hatter said, trying to bit back a small giggle as the Marionette started to stare intently over Jekyll's shoulder at what ever he was writing, " they are still mostly clock work now. I came across the journal of a Victor Frankenstein while in Germany…for a holiday. Later, I integrated some of the less unsavory parts into my own work."
Suddenly Jekyll let out what sounded like a small shriek as he realized that the Marionette was looking over at his work. " Ex…. excuse me." he stammered, trying to creep away from the mechanical creature. It tilted its head again, a little confused as the doctor tried to escape it.
"Apparently it likes you." Tom chuckled, a little bit bored from all the tech talk and slightly glad that something a little bit different had happened.
"Come back here." Hatter called sternly to the Marionette. The Automaton turned away from Jekyll, once again looking confused. It looked between the two men for a moment before starting back to its master's side. It started back in to its series of clicks and squeaks as it walked; each of the noises sounding slightly embarrassed.
"Good marionette," Hatter said, then turned back to the League, "it said it is sorry for startling you Dr. Jekyll. It was curious about what you were doing. It also apologizes if it frightened the rest of you as well. It just wanted to know what you looked like so it knows who not to attack."
"Extraordinary," Nemo said, " it communicates to you with those sounds and it can learn. Quite impressive young man."
"Thank you captain," Hatter said, bowing, " since I am working for you now, the Marionette is yours to do with as you please. Since it recognizes each of your voices you should be able to give it commands."
"Thank you Mr. Madigan," Mina said, standing up to leave, " and welcome to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
Even with those words, Hatter could still feel a palpable sense of mistrust in the air, as each of the members filed out of the library, Mina never gave him a second glance. Nemo just nodded at the inventor as he passed like he was given him a little credit for his skills. Tom just gave him another friendly smile and Skinner just brushed by him as Hatter had done to him in the hallway. Dr. Jekyll was the last to leave the room, clutching his notepad to his chest, leaving Hatter and the Marionette to themselves.