Smash! A tremendous weapon cleaved the earth of the Training Grounds. It missed.

With crazed hair flaring wildly, Hyde landed in a plume of powder flakes. The wind tore past the berserker, causing his still partially pressed formal attire to flap in its grasp. With a blank yet concentrated expression, he raised his head to look at his opponent. The snowflakes fell at an angle between them in a dense veil thanks to the snowstorm. Only twenty meters away and they were mostly silhouettes to the other.

It was an interesting setting, but Hyde didn't think too much about it.

With a burst of prana and a roar, the large silhouette charged forward, completely unveiling Heracles as his blade tore through the snowy shield. Hyde leapt over it casually. He flipped through the air over Heracles and launched a kick at his back-

The attack was halted. Hyde sighed and bent himself in the air to dodge a counter swing of a bare fist from the hulking berserker. He cursed as he felt his side get nicked by a swift kick, one he should have been able to dodge clearly if he hadn't been a tad distracted. He leapt under the berserker's newly made gap before sending a flurry of punches into the Greek hero's side. They did very little damage against the monstrosity of a man, who merely turned and swung his blade viciously to-

With a quick redirection, it curved back to deflect three thrown daggers from the smaller berserker. They had been rather sloppily thrown, but that wasn't the real intention anyway. With his vision partially blocked from the defense, Hyde charged forward and launched a flying sidekick into the flat end of the weapon. He impacted, causing Heracles to skid backwards. As he landed, Hyde swung a roundhouse kick into the berserker's legs, but the Greek Hero merely jumped over it.

Their spars were usually more charged and exciting than this.

Hyde jumped back with a grunt, barely managing to dodge the counter-attack kangaroo kick from the behemoth. He held still as Heracles landed. With a grunt, the larger berserker took a new combat stance with his blade at the ready in front, but Hyde paused any further action. These gaps were common, but they had been happening more often lately. Thankfully, Heracles was a rather patient sparring partner.

Though he mostly sparred with Heracles, the other large berserkers were also rather fun companions to fight. Spartacus in particular was always enthused to see the crazed man 'freed from the oppressive mind of the gentleman,' which was always a comical greeting of his. Occasionally someone else would even spar with him, such as the newly arrived Li. Yes, he loved being out and about, doing whatever he pleased. He had been rather respectful if only to keep this little sparring luxury since it always brought a grin to his face.

It stopped doing that recently.

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Fragment 46: Churlish Mercy

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

There was far too much on his mind, or best he say, Jekyll's mind. The sorry sod was endlessly sulking, and allowing himself to be trampled by his own emotions. It was an absolute insult for the berserker to view and hear, especially considering how much progress he seemed to make. Jekyll drinking alcohol? That had actually been quite the admirable step had it not been the direct cause of his total depression.

Those thoughts plagued Hyde. He was beyond infuriated Jekyll had actually managed to make himself more pathetic than he was before he met Mordred. That spineless philanthropist whose only daring, bold step was to attempt to tear him out like a weed, actually got worse. It almost seemed like the assassin was content to fall into a dark corner of the mind and let him roam freely. Was Jekyll that miserable to prefer letting Hyde out more often instead of doing anything for his own sake?

As Heracles casually dodged a punch from Hyde, the hulking berserker stopped moving. With a slow and casual turn, he faced Hyde and tilted his head. The small blonde sighed and scratched the back of his head with an annoyed expression. "Aye… sorry, muscles… I'm just feeling off today. Crappy first day of the month, you know?"

The larger berserker grunted and shrugged his shoulders. With an easy heave, he lifted his large weapon onto his bare shoulders as the snowflakes brushed both of them. Hyde reached into his vest and pulled out the potion Jekyll developed a long time ago. "I'll make it up for us another time. It'll be fiercer, I swear…"

'I'm feeling as trashed as Jekyll…' Hyde thought to himself as he uncorked the bottle and brought it to his lips. He scowled at the thought. 'He's likely seeing this too… Not that he'd likely give a shit I'm off cause he's off…'

He didn't know when, but he knew Jekyll has managed to discover how to completely view his counterpart's actions when they switched. Hyde had confirmed it in a spontaneous, mental meeting, but did not delve on the details. All he knew, was that Jekyll could now see the full movie instead of the limited, random snippets, but it didn't bother him in the least. Hyde watched him whenever he wanted, so if the doctor wanted to see what it was like to be a real man, then he was free to do so. It's not like- wait.

'That's it…' Slowly, Hyde pulled the still full bottle from his lips, gaining Heracles' wary attention.

Hyde was fairly certain even if Jekyll could see what he was doing, he had yet to discover how to read the other's thoughts. It would be a pain if this were the case, but he was going to follow through on his spontaneous thought anyway. He was the infamous Hyde. He did whatever he wanted without a care for the consequences, and everyone knew this. It was time to do something about this god-awful moping that's frustrating him as well.

"You know… On second thought…" he spoke out loud as he placed the cork back on the bottle.

With a sinister chuckle, he lowered the bottle-holding hand further, making sure to center the action he performed next in his eyesight; The doctor needed to realize the decision. Heracles stiffened upon seeing Hyde pocket the potion. "Sorry, not sorry, Jekyll... I'm afraid I can't do that yet."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ III ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Hyde slowed his pace down as he walked through the corridor. He had somewhere to get to because patience wasn't his virtue, but the nervous doctor gaping at him had his attention. They hadn't spoken any words, but Roman still stood with wide eyes at the intersection like Hyde was about to tear his throat apart. That was hardly his intention, but no one else knew that but him. It was his first time wandering the halls of Chaldea, so it was to be expected.

As the doctor clutched his stack of paperwork closer to his chest, Hyde came to a quiet stop. With a blank expression, Hyde merely leaned in slowly towards the doctor. With a tilt of the head, he observed Roman as he quickly glanced around for support, but the hallways were empty save for one cleaning robot. Hyde made a show of inspecting his usual doctor's coat out of boredom before letting out a sigh. He fixed his posture, and slowly began walking away, making Roman breathe a sigh of reli-

With a devlish smirk, Hyde quickly turned back around. "Boo!"

Roman shirked and flinched. His fear was replaced by a glare as Hyde began laughing hysterically. With a slap of his hand against the side of his leg, the berserker began walking away as a red-faced Roman also did the same. Hyde passed the lone robot before recollecting himself. With a grin, he continued on to search the intended area for his first-

"Oh right. I was considering narrating this… but on second thought, that's a little too much effort. What do you think, muppet? Should I be… kind?"

The question would not be answered. He couldn't hear Jekyll's panicking, but he knew the doctor had to be panicking. His berserker self was doing whatever it wanted, and there was nothing the doctor could do to stop him. It was a question voiced completely for his own amusement as a way to terrorize the doctor. He's do exactly what he wanted, but he'd make it more interesting my racking Jekyll's poor nerves; At least he likely wasn't depressed at the moment.

Hyde only hoped other servants would be at least a tad cooperative and accommodating; This didn't need to be a bigger headache.

Thankfully Heracles seemed to have accepted his explanation before taking his leave. "No worries, muscles! I'd like to keep sparring with you, so I'm going to be a good boy! …or at least, as good as I'd ever allow myself to be. Nothing paperwork stacking if it calms ya'! You can follow if ya' want, mate!"

Heracles hadn't followed, but he could already sense one or two servants shadowing him out of curiosity. He scoffed, but simply kept walking even as a group of employees eyed him in confusion and concern. With a wave and an unnerving chuckle, he freaked them out as well. Sadly, this was all the terrorizing he could likely get away with or both of them would be in a lot of hot water; The Peacekeepers were certainly no joke, and he was likely going to get swarmed for anything borderline aggressive.

"Relax, Henry boy… I'm not refusing to take the potion to have a little fun. I'm just enjoying myself while I can before I get down to the real business. I can be decent too. No one wants to believe that, but I can be! I just choose not to. Because it requires… effort… Be glad I'm making a rare exception, Doc."

It was irritating to say the least. He was his own person, yet because he was seen as a reckless, abrasive berserker, he wasn't given any sort of leeway. He hadn't targeted any civilians when Jekyll made the switch during the last primary anomaly; Too bad his identity had fallen unconscious due to the inflicted injury, else he could have vouched for him. He would at least tell the truth even if they hated each other, right?

With a roll of his eyes, he turned down the next, more populated hallway. Jekyll likely had a good idea where they were going now.

Jekyll was allowed to roam freely because he was a philanthropist and upstanding gentleman. Hyde says the blunt truth and takes his own pitch with things and he gets glared at like he's the devil. It's like no one can handle the truth like many did back home, where almost everyone he encountered at the opium dens had been welcoming to him. Was basic respect and consideration that hard to get for him? It really did make him want to just start striking at people or bedding anyone willing just to calm his mood.

A lone employee passed, shooting a suspicious yet worried glance his way. The berserker grunted but did nothing further. "I mean… It's like I can't get any credit around here because my more famous half takes all of it… ain't that right, fake Jeanne?"

The pair of avengers had been walking towards him, appraising the berserker with curiosity rather than any outright suspicion. That had been broken by his choice comment, admittedly. Dantes observed him quietly as they walked, arms calmly at the sides of his grey tuxedo. Joan's fists were shaking with frustration. Hyde only glanced her black, strapless dress without additional worry. "Watch the rage. You'll get wrinkles."

"Address me again and I'll roast you…" Joan growled out with a vicious glare as the pair passed Hyde. She turned her chin up with a scoff while Dantes gave a last, blank glance at the berserker. Hyde only shook his head and kept walking, not paying them any further heed.

"Sheesh. Someone's got a bad attitude..." As they disappeared down a previous intersection, Hyde glanced around. The hallway was empty save for another robot.

"Right then. On to business. I'm going to remedy this cringe-worthy headache by any means necessary," Hyde proclaimed quietly with a serious glint in his eyes. "Watching you fumble around like an idiot has gone on long enough, so it's time I show you what men with spines really do. So. I want you to pay close attention, muppet, because… wait."

As much as he wanted to get this over and done, a fleeting thought passed his mind. He was outside to do whatever he wanted within reason. Anything he wanted to do, he could. Sleep with women, get into a mutually-agreed fistfight… the possibilities were there. However, what Jekyll didn't know, was that Hyde did have a sense of control over himself. He did whatever he wanted, but he needed an interest to pursue it in the first place.

It would likely floor the doctor for a year to learn Hyde's sex drive wasn't overclocked, but he would never reveal why. He had his reasons and purposes, but while he was out here, there were a few things he actually did want to do. One was on a completely different side of the spectrum than when Jekyll expected of him. As angry as it made him that Jekyll only believed he was the embodiment of his evil desires, Hyde was his own person, and there was something he really wanted at the moment over anything else.

Jekyll had been skipping meals, and the spar was during lunch today. Maybe he could still catch the tail end for some good food.

"You know what… You've been holding this off for a week. Screw you. You can wait a few minutes more. I'm going to try some modern food for the hell of it. I heard it's plate-licking delicious, so… here's hoping this doesn't disappoint! Don't worry, muppet! I swear I won't overeat and ruin your womanly figure!"

With that, he quickly rerouted his course towards the cafeteria. Lunch was ending soon.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IV ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

As he exited the cafeteria doors, nearby employees took a step back. He eyed them with a snicker before turning back to his prize. Hyde bit into the large Twix bar and savored every bite like it was his last few minutes alive. His taste buds lit up with satisfaction, noting that he should try modern candies and food more often. After quickly downing the candy bar, he crumpled up the wrapper and shoved it into his pockets without any regard for the crumbs.

"Ah… that hit the spot. Now then! On to business once more!" Hyde announced to himself. "Be happy I may occasionally narrate for ya', Henry. It's annoying, but if it means I can berate you while doing so, then I'll take the trade. Now then, as you've probably guessed by our previous route, let's see where we can find someone who knows where little' ol' Mordred is hiding."

With a bored expression, his head looked around before spotting a pair of employees who had been staring at him. He stopped and gazed at them, making them increasingly uncomfortable. He blinked. "What? You never seen someone talk to themselves before?"

"H-Hyde?" the female asked with growing fear. Since he didn't walk around much, his aura of malice was likely starting to unnerve her.

The berserker rolled his eyes. "Nooo… Caster-class. Mary friggin' Poppins, at your serv- Of course I'm Hyde, you nitwit. Now move along before I get annoyed."

"I hope that's all you're going to do, Hyde."

As the employees scurried off, Hyde turned to see one of the Peacekeepers quietly approach. He quickly eyed George's black formal suit and white tie, causing him to raise an eyebrow. The man's usually unruly brown hair was combed straight, indicating he had an important meeting of sorts. As he finished his approach, Hyde crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. George only stood still and observed, so the berserker broke the silence.

"Who's funeral you going to?"

"It's not of your concern where I'm heading. All you need to know is that Okita has ordered us to keep you under a watchful eye."

"So I got a lapdog following me? Greeeat," Hyde groaned as he shook his head incredulously.

"Not just me. We will all be keeping an eye on you in the event you threaten Chaldea's peace. We do not need any disruptions when the researchers are close to finalizing the Rayshift upgrades."

"Really? Have I warranted this already for walking to the cafeteria and eating leftovers? What next? Arrest warrant for scuffing Jekyll's shoes?"

George only narrowed his eyes and remained silent. The berserker groaned in irritation. "Fine. Whatever. I'm not wasting time explaining myself to a bunch of do-gooders with no ears. Watch me if you want, and no, I don't care what you think. I have a headache to cure…"

With a sarcastic wave, Hyde walked around George and continued his short stroll with hands in his pocket. The rider turned to watch him walk way before pulling out his radio. Hyde could already hear him giving a tiny report and a heading, making the berserker chuckle at the absurdity. He only walked on, ignoring the occasional stares from employees and random servants. There were people he needed to find, or better yet, Mordred herself if he got really lucky.

It's not like the Camelot Room was very far from the Cafeteria to begin with.

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Since the Camelot Room was completely empty, Hyde had decided on the Game Room next. Approaching the vicinity of the Residential Area would likely make the Peacekeepers suspicious, so he intended to find alternate means of meeting with Mordred. It irked him that many didn't see him as an intellectual like Jekyll; Hyde knew what he was doing, he just did it in a far more selfish and insensitive manner. It was simply a matter of getting what he wanted, and as he peeked into the video game section, the berserker knew he was getting warmer.

"Ah. Good. Someone who knows her."

The berserker looked up at the uncommon yet familiar voice. Kintoki had been browsing a small album of game discs in an attempt to pick one. With wary eyes behind his sunglasses, the muscular berserker closed the album and placed it next to him. He quickly stood with clenched fists beside his black slacks to stare at Hyde, who simply leaned against the doorway between the room's sections. With a casual wave, Hyde smirked.

"Hey there, Golden Zerker. You wouldn't happen to know where the rambunctious, blonde knight is, would you?"

"What have you done with Jekyll, Hyde?"

"Yeesh… Is this going to be half of the greetings?" Hyde grunted as he rolled his eyes. "He's fine. No worries. Now, an answer if you so kindly please?"

"You're not doing a great job of convincing me," the berserker calmly replied as he crossed his arms. "Mordred is our friend. How do I know you aren't going to attempt-"

"Alright. Look, kid. I'm had it about up to here with this bullshit run around Jekyll and Mordred have been doing, and that little mishap over a week ago sealed it. I'm fixing this crap directly because Jekyll's too much of a coward to do it himself. Now, would you mind telling me where Mordred is so I can tell her outright that Henry Boy is in love with the girl and he made a stupid, drunken mistake?"

His plan was now in the open for Jekyll to hear, and he was likely in outright panic. It was common knowledge that being a messenger for someone's feeling was controversial and often morally wrong, but that's why he was the perfect courier; Hyde didn't give a rat's ass about morals. If it was going to solve the problem, then that's all that mattered. Easy solution with instant results, and the headache would be gone faster than anyone could say 'pass the aspirin.'

Kintoki's mouth was hanging wide open. The silence grew long until Hyde chuckled. "What? Sphinx kitten got your tongue? Do you have an answer or do I have to look elsewhere?"

To his surprise, Kintoki recollected himself and shook his head. "I don't know where Mordred is. She only really comes here on fighter days, and that's tomorrow."

"I see," Hyde noted with a shrug. "Shit. The search continues then."

"I didn't know Jekyll actually… Don't hurt her or anything, okay, Hyde? And, uh, if you talk to her… Be- Be good about it, please." Kintoki would always be the considerate and good-natured berserker, it seemed. The look he gave him was sincere and serious, even through his shades.

"I'll say what I want when I get there. I won't hurt her though. Defeats the purpose, even if I do kinda want to slap her," Hyde admitted with another shrug.

As he turned to leave, Kintoki spoke up one last time. "Does he really? You're not making it up? … Shuten was talking to me about it like the other girls, but I never paid attention to it."

"First. Yes. Second. No. Third. Good... Don't pay attention to girl talk. It's a stupid, gossip-riddled mess," Hyde quickly shot him a thumbs up, confusing the berserker. With one final smirk, Hyde waved goodbye. "Well, see you. Maybe we can spar sometime in the future, Goldie."

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The soft light from the windowed hallway illuminated the two arguing figures. Thankfully, no crowd was forming since most employees were busy. If they got any louder, Hans may appear from the doorway of the nearby library, but he had yet to do so. They were a respectable distance from the doors as they continued to argue at an intersection. Though they appeared almost alone, a few peacekeepers watched silently in case the need escalated.

However, the lone, arguing member of the Chaldean Defense Force wasn't motioning for reinforcements. He only glared. "As if I would divulge her whereabouts to you!"

"For all the bloody- I'm walking around not attacking anyone! I started this talk rather nicely too! What more do you want, you glorified armor stand?"

There was a growl of outrage. "I know not if you subjugated Jekyll, but regardless, I will not trust Modred's safety to you!"

To be fair, Hyde could have done a much better job talking to Gawain at this point. He had the luck of having the blonde knight as one of the Peacekeepers tailing him, so he approached in hopes of getting an answer. He was met with instant escalation, as the knight's semi-formal wear vanished in favor of the gleaming silver armor and cape. Since then, it had been rather back and forth, but Gawain was great at being stubborn. Jekyll would have been impressed at how protective the judgmental Gawain was to Mordred, but he was not the doctor.

Hyde was just flat out annoyed this had dragged on for ten minutes. "Would you react the same way to Jekyll? Outright hostility?"

"No, but I would not let him approach either," Gawain admitted while keeping his eyes narrowed. One hand clutched Excalibur Galantine firmly. "Mordred has made it very clear Jekyll never wants to see her again, so I will ensure the opposite also happens as she desires."

"And here I thought you were only the king's lapdog. Guess the bratty son-daughter-whatever gets the same privilege now that she's accepted, huh?"

"Mordred has proven herself. You, however, have not, and I will gladly stand defiant to your foolish request!"

Hyde groaned with increasing frustration. This was going far worse than he imagined, and he even considered throwing in the towel. Finding an elixir to become immune to second-hand embarrassment seemed preferable at this rate. "This is pointless… I might as well just look for her myself."

"What's going on here, Gawain?"

Gawain looked down the intersecting corridor to see the two approaching servants. Now a newly minted Peacekeeper, Arthur approached with a sense of caution and duty as he eyed the berserker carefully. The dust around the saber faded, revealing the shimmering armor of the male King of Knights, though Brynhildr, who walked quickly to catch up, remained in casual wear behind him. With crossed arms over her white sundress and a scrutinizing glare, it was evident she was also just as ready to act.

Gawain stood a little taller and nodded to Arthur as he approached. "Arthur. Hyde is in search of Mordred, and I have adamantly refused to reveal where she is. I do not trust the berserker to be anywhere near her."

"I see. You're a lot different from the Hyde I encountered last time," Arthur noted with a firm glance.

The berserker rolled his eyes incredulously. "Ah. Well you see… I got myself a shave to look prim and proper before meeting with-"

"Lose the sarcasm, Hyde," Gawain growled. The berserker only scoffed and shook his head.

"Down, boy. I was trying to lighten the mood…" That was a lie, but he didn't care. Hyde only grunted. "I'm a lot saner if that's what you're wondering. A perk of ol' Henry getting summoned as an assassin. I trust you're not going to just run me through with Excalibur?"

"Depends on your actions and intent, but as of now, no," Arthur noted as Brynhildr stopped beside him. The tension in the air was thick, but not as much as Hyde's frustration. "Why do you want to see Mordred?"

"To put an end to this god-awful charade of cat and mouse. They need to kiss, make up, and do whatever the hell else they must to repair this dumb situation."

Gawain raised an eyebrow. "You? Trying to help Jekyll and Mordred?"

"I would have been able to say this sooner if you hadn't kept interrupting me," Hyde reminded with a glare. Gawain scowled back.

"Easy, Gawain. Though coarse, he doesn't seem to be lying at least," Arthur observed as he kept his eyes firmly on Hyde. "Still… I do not trust your intent. Even if somehow pure, you will make it worse."

"Perhaps not, Arthur," Brynhildr interjected as she took a step forward. With calm eyes, she glanced at Hyde. "Maybe being blunt is what they both need. The two can be very difficult in certain ways. Maybe Hyde is on to something."

"Come now. I'm not that dumb, babe," Hyde declared with a small gesture with his hands. Gawain glared at Hyde with increased ferocity.

Brynhildr ignored the comment. "You're honestly not if you're approaching others for minor assistance. Chasing her directly would have gotten him in serious trouble… Perhaps he does have good intent, which would be a first."

"I still do not feel comfortable letting him near my niece," Arthur proclaimed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Arturia would not feel comfortable either. It's taken her many meetings to comfort Mordred."

"Is she still…" Gawain asked quietly. He purposefully trailed off and gave a glance to Hyde, but Arthur shook his head as a silent response.

"Crying?" Hyde interjected, making the two knights gaze at him with scrutinizing expressions. His face remained blank, but he knew he had his confirmation.

Hyde was not stupid. Merely listening to that, he's already pieced together what that meant, and Jekyll likely had as well. Mordred was in pain, and going to the next closest person to try and vent. Arturia likely did a fine job with their newly forged bond, but she was no replacement for Jekyll. She went to him for nearly everything, and it was almost obvious to anyone else how she felt based on reactions solely given to the doctor. The only remaining question was if these past few days removed any confusion she harbored with her own feelings.

Arthur had removed the only lingering doubt. She had finally realized what she was feeling, but in one of the more painful ways to do so. If Hyde were to be honest, and of course he was, he didn't actually care how she learned it. It was the idea she actually understood that would hopefully make this easier, which meant less arguing, explaining, and other annoying barricades. All he had to do now, was bluntly get the big point across that everyone sees except them.

"Mister Hyde." The berserker curiously looked to Brynhildr, just as the knights did. Her gaze was firm yet judging. "How do you intend to help them?"

He did not cut the corners. He never did. "Honest truth. I'm going to flat out tell Mordred Jekyll's stupidly in love with her. The idiot is too much of a coward to act on it."

Gawain and Arthur stared at him incredulously while Brynhildr murmured in astonishment. "I knew it… Serenity and I were right."

"I'm not letting you do that! Even if it's true, that is something for Jekyll to say!" Arthur declared firmly with renewed vigor.

"Hey, hey, hey... Theoretically I am Jekyll, right? Just his more impulsive and better looking side," Hyde offered with a shrug and a smug smirk.

It made Arthur angrier. "I will not stand for this!"

"Arthur. Please…" Brynhildr started, making the king turn to her in surprise. "While I have many hesitations… I do not wish for this to drag on any longer either. Seeing our friend in such heartbreak tears at my being. I want him to be happy, as you want your niece to be."

"Brynhildr. Perchance, you're not actually entertaining the idea…" Gawain began but to his surprise, the shield maiden slowly nodded.

"I reluctantly agree, Gawain. Arthur. What Hyde intends to do is not proper conduct or well-mannered. It's not right… but it might be best we turn a blind eye this time," Brynhildr relented. Arthur was about to argue, but stopped himself to let her continue. "We should keep watch as he does so, and act accordingly should he be lying. It's dangerous… but I say we give him one chance, Arthur. Jekyll already shows some trust by letting him spar, I feel as if we should too."

There was truth to that. You can't exactly break social morals if you had none to begin with. Still, he was surprised Brynhildr was taking his side. He was expecting an uphill battle, but this was a nice change of pace. It certainly made the task less annoying.

"How kind and understanding of you…" Hyde noted, but it lacked any of his usual sarcasm or tone. It made Gawain look at the berserker curiously. Hyde glared back at him. "What? I can say plain shit too."

"However…" Brynhildr continued as a glare quickly formed. "If you do anything to forfeit that trust, I shall be the first to make you regret it."

"Without hurting Jekyll in the process? That threat doesn't mean anything to me," Hyde waved off. Brynhildr and Arthur flinched, realizing he was well aware of his technical immunity with them. With a grin that startled the three, he simply shook his head and chuckled. "Whatever. As long as this whole headache is over, I'm good."

"Might they talk in the Camelot Room? It should keep Mordred from doing anything rash herself for fear of damaging any of our mutual belongings," Gawain offered to the two before eyeing Hyde carefully. "It would also mean more room to subdue him if the need arises, which it may very well."

"I don't give a shit you don't trust me, but time's burning. I like my outside strolls with less headache," Hyde admitted as he simply shrugged. To their incredulous stares, he started walking down the hallway. "Just get Mordred to the Camelot Room and tell me when it's all set. We need privacy, but you can watch if ya' want. I'll be in the cafeteria browsing any leftovers until then…"

"The nerve of…" Gawain growled, but Arthur held him back lightly.

"Just this once, Gawain. Just this once," Arthur reminded, though his own scrutinizing glare remained.

Unknown to them, Hyde heard it all and chuckled, surprising them as he yelled back. "Got that right! Bloody glad I only need to do this shit once."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Even as he sat and tasted the flavors of untried candies, he could feel the eyes of many bore into him. With hard stares from Rama and Martha upon entering, the welcome itself had been rather expected. There were a lot more than expected in the cafeteria at this hour since they were setting up some sort of baked sampler before dinner. Devoid of nearly all employees, it was just a group of servants occasionally passing him attention. Thankfully, none approached his table in the corner.

However, after what appeared to be a quiet warning from Amakusa and Hector, one master did.

Without looking up from his snacks, he grunted as the trio finished their approach. Mashu walked beside Gudao while keeping wary eyes locked on Hyde. Fou was perched neatly on the shoulder of her Chaldean sweater, staring longingly towards the baked smells emanating from the kitchen. Gudao held a surprisingly curious and friendly expression, making the berserker pause as he glanced them. When they stopped at his table, the berserker held back a rude comment or ten due to his own intrigue.

"Hello, Hyde. Mind if we sit here?"

"I would but, it's not like I can stop you or anything…" the berserker noted with a bored expression. He glanced at the two who took the comment in stride and sat down. He sighed. "So... What kind of warning am I going to be getting for the nineteenth time?"

"None. I just wanted to get to know you while we had the chance," Gudao admitted with a calm smile. Hyde froze before taking a bite of the Granola bar.

Mashu watched the exchange carefully, though her expression softened. Hyde put the candy down. "Tch… What is there to know Jekyll hasn't already told you?"

"I'm sure there's a lot. You're your own person, so it's only right to ask you directly. It would be rude otherwise," Gudao noted as Fou jumped onto the table to eye Hyde's candy.

The berserker paused in perplexity. As he eyed the masters incredulously, which did not make Gudao's smile falter, Hyde repeated the words in his head. Nearly everyone had been treating him with outright suspicion on first glance, yet here was the male master, being his usual, overly-accepting self as always. Despite their origins and dispositions, he always gave any servant a chance. Though a tad wary when he's fought an incredibly hostile servant in a previous singularity, he even treated summoned enemies with the same regard. It was unusual…

…yet, rather welcoming. It was a pleasant change to his day, dare he say. "Huh. You're a tad too trusting, aren't ya?"

"It's what got me into trouble several times in my childhood, but I can't help it. You've been given so many opportunities by Jekyll to attempt something, yet you haven't. Am I wrong to place trust in you too, Hyde?"

The berserker paused to consider the statement. He chuckled, making Mashu a tad nervous. "You could be. Who knows? Maybe I'll try something right now, mate, and maybe I won't."

"But you haven't. So my decision to trust you stands," Gudao dared to partially smirk back. It made Hyde raise an eyebrow and smirk as well.

There was one thing that bothered him though. "Just you and the shielder though? What about Gabby?"

"I didn't want to drag her away from beach games with the Irish heroes. Don't think too much about it," he answered plainly. "That said… Do you mind if we have a nice talk? Unless it bothers you, of course. If that's the case, we could leave you alone."

Hyde had to admit, the male master sure was as accommodating as he was led to believe when dealing with any servant under the Chaldean roof. He glanced at the wary stares from other servants who had placed a lot of trust and respect with the male master over the months. They were ready to pounce on him if he so much as tried anything, but he wasn't about to. He had no reason to pounce on someone for approaching him in a civil manner. As much as he wanted to vent some frustration, he figured a talk would be passable. It was better than just acknowledging stares to pass the time.

"Alright, mate. What do you want to know about bad ol' Hyde? I guarantee I've got a lot more exciting experiences than the four-eyed Jekyll."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VIII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Thirty minutes later, they finally pulled him out of the cafeteria. Sadly, the snack variety left much to be desired.

"She's in the room. We'll be keeping an eye on you, so don't do anything suspicious." Arthur ordered with a firm look. Hyde rolled his eyes as Gawain handed the male king an elegant presence concealment cloak that matched his own. Arthur thanked him quietly. While Hyde put on Jekyll's cloak, obtained during the long gap, he smirked.

"Voyeurism is not very becoming of knights, but your efforts are appreciated. You won't see me after, so, you lot have an average evening now!" Hyde merely declared outright before giving a sarcastic wave. Arthur and Gawain narrowed their eyes.

He didn't even acknowledge Brynhildr bringing Arturia and Bedivere into view further down the hallway before he left. The berserker made his way down the hallway towards the Camelot room. After checking his concealment cloak briefly, he slowly shifted into spirit form to mask his approach. He passed through a robot to get a small chuckle before glancing into the salon out of curiosity; It was nearly empty as expected since dinner was in two hours. Returning his gaze forward as he turned down the hallway, he nodded in approval at the closed door.

"At least they got the privacy thing right. So far so good."

Going through the door, he locked his eyes onto the unsuspecting Mordred. The blonde knight sat in her usual chair while wearing a tight, white shirt and red sweatpants. Her expression was solemn as she kept her attention locked on a motorcycle magazine. It was mostly pictures with little text, making Hyde roll his eyes as he approached the empty seat beside her. What was with the Camelot knights and looking at motorcycle magazines lately? At least she didn't see this coming.

The other chairs were slightly pulled out after being cleaned, so Hyde simply took a proper seated form in the pristine room. In order to make Jekyll a tad more uncomfortable during the wait, for sheer chuckles, Hyde went through the exaggerated motion of trying to pick a cool posture to reveal himself in. Several absurdly over-masculine poses later, he merely went with a bored posture. Facing Mordred with one arm draped over the back of his chair, he began materializing, shocking Mordred out of her focus. He casually and quickly removed the cloak to discard it on the table.

The knight's eyes quickly narrowed before opening in confusion. "…Hyde!?"

"Ah! So you remember me! Henry boy talk about me often?" The berserker replied with a sarcastic wave and smirk. Mordred growled back as he rolled his eyes. "Yea. Guess the scaredy cat wouldn't be doing any of that too often, now would he? Which brings us to the point. We're getting right to it, don't you worry about that, kid."

"This better be good…" she grunted as she crossed her arms. If things escalated, he hoped her concern for her father's gifted room would far outweigh her need to assault him. Her eyes remained viciously latched onto Hyde, and for a split moment, he realized she was partially intimidating.

Only partially, and just a split second. "Calm down. Shit. Is that any way to treat someone who brings you information about Jekyll?"

"He doesn't want anything to do with me… What else is there to know?" she growled. The sadness in her voice was just as potent as her frustration.

"A lot, maybe? Jekyll and I are roughly the same person, so I have no need to hedge anything or pay attention to irritating social ethics… As if I'd listen anyway, mind you…" Hyde stated offhandedly before looking back into Mordred's angry eyes. "But you're going to listen, because I'm only going to say it once."

"I thought you said you were getting to the point!" Mordred was quickly getting on Hyde's nerves. He second guessed doing this for Jekyll, but he decided against that. He didn't need a chronic headache, so dealing with a temporary migraine would be a cost he'd accept… begrudgingly and angrily.

"Fine. Here you go. Jekyll never hated you. He's been in love with you. In. Love. As in, stupidly in love with you. "

Mordred faltered as Hyde kept his serious expression. With confusion and anger filling her eyes, she growled. "You're lying! He'd never say anything if-"

"He meant everything. Hell, everyone sees it. You're childish. Stupid as hell. Pretty damn selfish. Abusive to him- but hey, I applaud you for that one. Good stuff!" Hyde momentarily smirked with a thumbs up. The expression was quickly dropped seeing as she was not amused, and looking even more livid in a clear attempt to hide her pained heart. "He said that, right? Here's the thing. He loves it. Maybe he's a masochist or something. Hell, he lives with me, right? Maybe that's why he's completely head over heels for you and can't get enough of that shit."

"But he…" Mordred faltered again. Her anger gave way to total confusion. This time, it stuck, so Hyde took the opening to continue his blunt assault.

"He's spent months keeping you company. As opposites, you've brought out the best in each other! You've both become less ridiculous because of all the times you've been together! Why would he throw it away in an instant? Have you seriously forgotten the dumb things people say when they're drunk? Especially a first-time lightweight buffoon? He mumbled the mushy stuff like an idiot and it made me cringe hearing it. I'm not going to repeat that for you, but it was really mushy and heartfelt. The kind of stuff I hate, mind you."

Hyde took a second's pause, letting some frustration melt away. He could see the gears in Mordred's head turning after spelling things out for her. It was ridiculous one had to be this specific to ensure she didn't get any strange ideas, but if there was anyone good at being blunt, it was him. Whether he wanted it or not, Hyde was his wingman for this, though forced and unintentional. Anything to get rid of the damn headache and have some peace and quiet.

Mordred finally looked at him with a hopeful expression. Hyde knew Jekyll was seeing all this and likely going bananas. Good. "…So he… Henry…?"

"Don't ask me to explain it. As much as I can see what's going through our head I can't make heads or tails of it. Hell, shit for brains can't even understand why he's been so cringey, awkward, and terrible at handling this whole mess. I say it's because he's a dumbass who's too scared to upset or hurt you further. The whole gentleman thing. The one who's always listening to your requests with only voiced hesitation. He still always does anything for you. Sounds like him, right?"

To his surprise, Mordred gave an extremely faint, but pleasant smile. She nodded slowly. "He always does go out of his way for me-"

"Oh no. Hell no. I'm not a vent," Hyde interrupted immediately while crossing his arms and standing up. Mordred glared at him incredulously as he quickly took the potion out of his pocket. He lifted the familiar vial in the center of his vision so Mordred, and the trapped Jekyll, could see it. With a small shake, he caused her eyes to soften. "You want to say mushy shit? You do it directly. This is the first and last time I'm doing crap like this for both of you, and being a bounce board was not part of the self-prescribed contract."

After unbottling the potion, Hyde glanced at Mordred in case she had any last note to spit. He raised an eyebrow as he noted her anger had faded, marveling at how fast she can just shift through emotions. Temperamental really is a proper description, though not perfectly fitting. Slowly, she nodded and smiled. "… Thank you..."

Hyde blinked at the difficult admission, but he only shrugged and rolled his eyes. "Eh, whatever… Oh, and as a final note. Both of you seriously… seriously need to work on the idiocy. It can't be said enough, you're both unbelievably stupid... Which means you're perfect for each other. Just stop being stupid about each other already for fuck's sake."

With one final smirk and a wave, he downed the potion. The taste was as unpleasant as always, but he didn't care. As the bottle dematerialized and he felt his consciousness trading places with Jekyll, he made one final act that made Mordred gasp. With a chuckle and a smirk, he raised one fist and rammed it against his cheek as hard as possible before everything faded away.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IX ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Once more, Hyde was surrounded by the familiar, silent darkness of Jekyll's mind. It was his prison, and while he had loathed every second of it before, he had grown accustomed to its embrace. Even if he raised his hand, he could not see it. His body was nonexistent in the blackness, though he was free to think and feel whatever he wanted.

Which is why he grumbled upon feeling the pain on his unseen cheek. "Shit… got the timing off on that one… Damn that smarts…"

As he waited for the pain to subside, the silence held firm. It was just a matter of time until the potion finished the transformation, then he would get to see through Jekyll's eyes again. He wasn't looking forward to it, but he was interested in ensuring this was going to finally end; This stupid goose chase had gone on long enough. If it dragged on further, he'd have to wrench Jekyll into that little mental study of his in order to-

Sound finally echoed among the darkness, softly at first. "Jekyll…? Jekyll…!"

"Oh good. I was getting bored of waiting for this. Ten seconds is far too long to wait…"

It continued to grow louder as the blackness before him faded away. The fringes of his vision remained heavily shaded, like a terribly vignette photograph with artistic intent. Though his peripherals remained clouded with the blackness, there was a rough oval in front that acted as Jekyll's sight. This was all Hyde got to see whenever he was watching his host, but at least he could hear and any of the doctor's thoughts were filtered in with his own. It certainly helped make things less boring in the beginning.

The vision was blurry, but the clarity steadily increased. Jekyll was finally coming to, and it was clear from the perspective of the ceiling he was prone on his back. He slowly sat up, showing the displaced chair Hyde had pushed back before drinking the potion. Mordred sat as Jekyll's side with a near blank expression, though she was leaning close to his face with concern in her green eyes. Sitting on her knees, her hands remained tense and on her lap as one of Jekyll's hands momentarily blocked his vision. It was clear he was rubbing his cheek out of slight pain.

"… Mordred…"

"… Henry… are you okay?"

His vision slowly turned back to Mordred. "… You… used my first name again…"

Hyde rolled his eyes… or at least made the attempt to. "Oh! Your ears sure are working fine there, mate! Off to a great start…"

"I… Hyde said…" Mordred began as some sadness seeped into her voice. It was only momentarily, before her expression filled with frustration. Hyde grew curious before Jekyll's vision quickly shot to the side as Mordred's hand impacted his face. The berserker identity was quickly consumed by laughter, and he attempted to clap as Jekyll rubbed his other cheek.

"I deserved that…" Jekyll answered firmly as Mordred glared at him.

"You idiot!" Mordred roared. "Why did you give up before saying anything!? Why didn't you come begging to me or something!? Why are you too considerate!? You said I'm stupid, but you're just as stupid, Henry!"

"Did I not just say that to you!? You two, I swear to shi-"

His vision bobbed up and down as he shook his head slowly in agreement. Hyde rolled his eyes upon seeing the tiny tears forming in Mordred's eyes. The last thing he was expecting to see was a tear-filled, emotional apology scene with the generic slow kiss, but it seems that's only par for the course. Mordred allowed Jekyll to reach out with his hand and brush the one, escaped tear away. She didn't frown or cry further, but smiled back at him fondly.

"I am. I definitely am… I'm stupid for making you cry. I never wanted that... I only want to help wipe your tears away."

She sniffled briefly, but kept her smile. "I should have talked… I'm sorry for being stupid and hurting you too."

He heard Jekyll chuckle. "I guess Hyde's right… We're perfect, huh?"

"Stupid Henry..." Mordred playfully insulted one last time before she launched herself at him. As her eyes closed, their lips crashed together when Mordred's sudden attack forced Jekyll onto his back once more. Without any hesitation, Jekyll wrapped his arms around the knight to pull her closer.

Judging by the pleased sounds from both of them, he was already kissing back as his vision slowly closed. He whispered softly between sloppy kisses as his hushed declaration dripped with pure emotion. "I love you, Mordred."

They pulled away momentarily so he could view her flushing face. He brushed one bang behind her ear gently as she grinned that toothy smile. "I love you too, Henry."

"Forgive me... I'll never do that aga-"

Mordred pressed her forehead against his with a pleased smirk to silence him. "Talk later, stupid. Shut up and keep kissing me."

Jekyll quickly followed the command, but surprised her by seizing control of the next round of affection. Her pleased chuckles answered him.

"Aaaaaaand this is where I change the channel, because… Holy. Shit." Hyde groaned as the clear sounds of their impassioned reunion made him cringe. He really hated romance stuff. It's just days upon days of foreplay before the sex from his point of view. Why would anyone go through all that when you could just get to the bed in the first place? But… If it made Henry happy, and less cringe-worthy to watch and hear, so be it.

"Now then. What shall I do today?"

Once more, he was surrounded by the silent blackness, but it made Hyde happy. In the beginning, he could do nothing with it, and it was his prison. Being able to view each other's sights was practically instinct, and he felt that was all he could do. However, Hyde was not one to be patient with terrible accommodations, so he attempted to liberate himself from the situation in different ways. After many attempts of escaping, he learned it was impossible, but found something far more rewarding instead.

As he currently was, Hyde was just a collection of floating thoughts in the back of Jekyll's mind, but that was the key. Just like any person could have an imagination, Hyde retained his since it was just another facet of thoughts and feelings. Being in Jekyll's mind, he found it came with a significant advantage that could be manipulated after careful training. It was nothing that could manipulate or influence Jekyll, but it was almost as good as being free to roam the real world.

After all, when imagination was involved, there were no limits. Hyde smirked. "Let's go with a Pyramid today!"

In an instant, the shadowy prison was torn asunder in a flash of light. As it slowly faded, his vision was not marred by the dark vignette in his peripherals. Instead, it was as if he was viewing the newly minted room within the sandstone pyramid. Complete with columns, the beautiful ray of sunlight from the ceiling, and the luxurious feast table, it originated from the viewed memories of the Jerusalem Singularity. Ozymandias really did know how to live in style, and the golden tinted room embodied that idea.

Hyde raised a now visible hand in front of his face, noting how he now sported his battle attire as expected. He sat pleasantly at the high point, on Ozymandias' golden throne that overlooked the room. As he glanced his clothes one last time, he shrugged. "Eh. It'll do. No need to get too fancy with it."

He gazed down at the table and noted it was empty. With a snap of his fingers, it was filled with luxurious food from all reaches of the globe. The freshest of apples sat in a golden bowl beside newly cooked and steaming ribs. Among the many meals were the finest of wines scattered about the table, enticing him to descend and indulge in gluttony. It was a decent walk, and he didn't feel like doing it. He smirked happily, because he never did do it anyway.

This was the hidden power of being locked in a mental cage with direct access to imagination.

The only limitation was that he had to experience it with the senses first to make it come to life. Sight, sound, touch, smell, taste… the more the senses identified it, the more realistic it became. It was the reason the taste of modern food was on a higher priority than anything else. He could hear and see things through Jekyll's mind, and likely replicate it through similar means. There was no mimicking the taste of something without direct consumption, however. Thankfully, it was the only info he ever needed to collect anymore.

After all, he's already had plenty of direct information regarding his favorite subjects.

With a smirk, he snapped his fingers again, and already he could feel the sensual touch of a few female servers at his side and feet. Looking down, he noted the two olive-skinned, black-haired women who held trays of food for him as they sat at his feet. Their sultry looks were matched by the two at his side, who gently ran their hands to entice their master. These Egyptian beauties were all clothed in translucent, frilly attire of belly-dancing exotics, a visual choice he had not decided on in a few weeks.

It made him smirk further as the one to his left offered him an ornate smoking pipe for his Opium, while the one on the right teased kisses on his neck. Hyde could only laugh as the girls around him giggled. "Sorry about the wait, girls… Miss me? It's been a while, but I intend to make up for that in a big way."

His servers giggled more. "Ah, Henry boy… you have no idea what you could have if you spent some time experimenting while trapped in here…"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ X ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

With a nod of approval, Hyde finished mentally setting up the dimly lit study. A gas lighting fixture hung from the center, giving a soft glow to the surrounding, luxurious room. The berserker calmly walked across the room to sit in his usual chair near the warm fireplace. With the curtains open beside the windows across from him, behind the doctor's vacant chair, Hyde quickly toyed with the idea of making it daylight. Upon getting blasted by beams of sunlight, he mumbled a few choice curse words before reverting it to a dark night.

"Alright… now to get that twat in here. He should be asleep by now, so…"

The berserker closed his eyes momentarily to mentally picture a fishing hook. It was a rudimentary way to do it, but it did the trick every time. Imagining it casting a line and snagging the assassin identity, he reeled it in as he opened his eyes. With a small flash, Jekyll was in the chair across from him with closed eyes, still sleeping silently with a pleasant smile. The battle-clad assassin would not be asleep too much longer after being pulled, so Hyde merely double checked himself for any lingering sinful odors; Tonight's conversation needed to be straightforward and void of distractions.

Slowly, Jekyll opened his eyes. They shot wide open after he noticed Hyde waving at him with a smug smirk. "You're bloody welcome, mate, but if you make me do that shit-"

"Why did you do it?" he interrupted firmly, eyes filled with confusion. Hyde blinked upon being interrupted before groaning.

"Are we really going to have this conversation again? As much as it'd be nice to punch and choke you out like that time, I'm not wasting my breath."

Hyde knew he was right, because they had been over this over two months ago when he first dropped the idea Jekyll had a crush. He thought it would be interesting to see what the newfound Jekyll did with this information, yet it turned out to be one of the longest chases he's had the cringe worthy honor of witnessing. At least it was finally at an end, though he would be infuriated if he had to go over everything agai-

"I understand you do it partially for your own advantage. You declared it. Watching me is cringeworthy."

"Not as much anymore… until you fucked up and realized what kind of a drunk muppet you are. Then you actually became worse than when we first met, so I had to fix it or risk the greatest migraine in the world," Hyde spat out with a roll of his eyes. "As proud as I was you got drunk, don't do it so recklessly again. Leave the crass drinking to me and not your unrefined liver."

Jekyll didn't narrow his eyes, but he did scoff. "I promised Mordred in front of the other knights that I'd only drink in her presence. I made other promises for Arturia too."

Hyde blinked and paused. With a slow nod he shrugged. "Huh. Strange promise, but I couldn't care less. I actually forgot the knights were watching."

"Yes… you were rather focused from what I observed…"

"All clear with them, or do I have more headaches incoming? There's no aspirin in here or anything, you know."

The doctor narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "I thought you said you could see everything I do…"

"I can turn viewing it on and off, but darkness is hardly entertaining," Hyde quickly covered. He didn't need Jekyll to know he was actually pretty content just imagining whatever he wanted in the dark corner of his mind; He'd lose any real leverage on him! "It's better than dying from second hand embarrassment though."

"Enough. I understand," Jekyll relented with a huff. With a newfound silence, the doctor chuckled softly, grabbing Hyde's attention. With a slowly forming smile, he nodded towards the berserker. "Thank you… Hyde. You could have done anything in that time, but you… restrained yourself for the most part. And then… You didn't have to, but you did… even if it was for your sake, you helped me more than I could repay."

"Oh? Repay, huh? Sounds like I get some debt leverage!" Hyde eagerly pointed out as he rubbed his hands together. Jekyll sighed at the moment's instant destruction, making his counterpart chuckle. "Kidding, Mister Jekyll. Relax. You already let me out to spar. I figure I could toss you a bone to forfeit any lingering rent-debt."

Suddenly, there was a small smirk on Jekyll's face as he eyed the berserker. "That's all? Not because you've changed even the slightest bit yourself, Mister Hyde?"

The berserker frowned at that insinuation. He the embodiment of everything that Jekyll had suppressed of his sinful desires. Endless lust, a thrill for violence, and enough greed to ruin a country flowed through his veins. It was a miracle he had walked through Chaldea so complacently and not hurt anyone or done anything for his own entertainment and pleasure. Does he realize what kind of self-control that takes from a berserker that doesn't have any to begin wi-

Hyde's mind suffered from a small panic attack, but he stubbornly refused to show any signs.

There was no possible way he could change considering he had no contact with others until the past two months. All he's had was spar sessions and occasional chatter with anyone eager to fight him, which were usually berserkers. There was absolutely no reason he needed to be kind to Jekyll, nor even care for him in the slightest more than necessary. He was his host who stumbled around in the dark like a lost mutt sometimes, and he felt it necessary to point the way for a dumb mutt. It was only to make sure Jekyll lived so Hyde wouldn't die…

Okay. Maybe he did care more than that. Just a little. The doctor was kind enough to let him out every now and then, after all.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Henry boy," Hyde scowled and scoffed. To his aggravation, Jekyll laughed. To the doctor's surprise, the berserker didn't really care any further. "That's all then. Nothing else to say, so… Feel free to leave when you want. I don't feel like talking anymore tonight. Have fun sleeping with Mordred in your arms, though I still say you should have had makeup sex. Your call I guess, you prude, muppet."

Jekyll blinked. Though a clearly a tad insulted by the suggestion, he was more confused at the revelation. "Leave?"

"Yes, genius. As in, get up and walk through the study door to go back to La La Land?" Hyde groaned as he made a sweeping motion to the door.

"You're suggesting that… all I ever needed to do to escape your meetings was to… merely leave?"

"Consider it a last courtesy. Yes, Henry. Walk out the door and you're back to sleep. I could pull you back in, but being in your company is annoying enough most of the time…"

After a moment's pause, Jekyll slowly got up. Hyde made no glances towards him as the assassin walked towards the door. He was about to groan as the doctor stopped beside his chair. Instead, he glared at Jekyll as the man looked at him. It quickly vanished in a sea of surprise as the assassin held his hand out for a shake. Hyde only stared at the outstretched appendage.

"Once more… thank you, Hyde. If you want anything respectable, I'm willing to listen in future conferences. I owe you more than I'd like to admit… but you've made me beyond happy."

After glancing at Jekyll's sincere smile, the berserker stared at the hand again. They've been through so much together, yet this was the first real genuine show of respect between them. It wasn't masked by ulterior motives, nor hidden behind overly arrogant words meant to deter the thought. This was a gesture of respect that Jekyll had never given Hyde ever since his inception.

They were one in the same. The yin and the yang of the same being, yet he was the one who only momentarily existed after being suppressed for so long. Of all the times Jekyll had tried to get rid of them, with the culminating potion as his hopeful finisher, the assassin had never recognized Hyde as a person. With a simple outstretch of his hand, and more gratitude than he's ever heard before, he finally did. It left the berserker partially speechless.

Still, in the silence that followed, Hyde found himself slowly reaching to shake his hand. He watched as Jekyll's smile grew surprised and happy. The two halves would finally-

Without shaking, the berserker quickly turned the outstretched hand into a pointing gesture aimed at the doctor's face. "Remember, Henry. Leave the heavy drinking to me. Shit, you're one hell of an embarrassing lightweight."

Jekyll rolled his eyes as Hyde chuckled. Moments before dropping his unshaken hand, the berserker grasped it firmly.

Their now mutual laughter filled the room.