Hello all! This is my first ever Fic, the prologue to this one was originaly written by Saint Apthy and titled UXG, but he decided to scrap it and focus on his ither uncompleted fic so he kind of allowed me to do what I wanted with it, and so, here it is. Please review so that I know what you think or who do you want to see get paired. I'm very open to suggestions.
The premiss is, the members of the league were not exisiting in the nineteeth century but the early years of the twenty-first, they haven't been reincarnated. And they will experience the angst and stuff that comes with being a full fledged college student in the fictional Gull University, at the same time they will each be exposed to a chain of events that will transform them to creatures of extraordinary natures. ENJOY!
Rodney Skinner, a young man of nineteen dressed casually walked out of the Student's Services Department, or kicked out to be precise after making a big fuss about the fact that the department had screwed with his papers and gave away his designated dorm room that he had signed up for several months ago.
He got behind the wheel and started driving through the streets of London, he'd just drove into London all the way from Manchester to start college when he found out about the cock-up, filled with frustration he started contemplating what to do.
He had to get an off campus apartment, it was the only solution. But it would take forever till he found an affordable residence, he could get a roommate, but finding an available compatible roommate in London would take even longer..
He was driving through a relatively empty part of London when he saw a young man of similar age was standing by his car, waving cars for help as they passed.
Seeking a distraction, and perhaps hoping that Karma would reward him for a good deed, he pulled up and got out of the car.
"Hey mate," said Skinner, "Need a hand?"
"Aye, I've got a flat tire and no Jack." said the other man.
"I have one in my boot." said Skinner as he got the jack out the trunk of his car.
"Thanks." said the young man as he changed his tire, "You look familiar, have I seen you before?"
"I don't think so, I'm new here."
"What's your profession?"
"I'm a student, Hill University."
"Me too! I must've seen you around campus."
"Oh, really? What's your major?" asked Skinner.
"Law."
"You're kidding! Me too!"
"Really? I haven't introduced myself, have I?" said the man as he wiped his hand on a cloth and shook Skinner's hand.
"Gabriel Utterson."
"Rodney Skinner, It's a pleasure."
"Why so glum?"
"Oh, the wankers at Student Services screwed me out of a dorm room."
"You should have registered months in advance."
"I did, it's their fault."
"What do you plan on doing?"
"I think I'll be crashing in my car and hope the cops leave me alone."
"Don't you have any relatives in town?"
"No. Well, I've got this cousin, he's a couple of years older than I, he's a physicist, but he's slightly off the rocker."
"Well," said Utterson as tightened the screws of his spare tire, "It's your lucky day, I'm in a band you see, and our front man has just kicked out his roommate and is looking for someone to split the rent with. Are you interested?"
"I don't know..."
"He's a fine bloke, a little bit psychotic, but not really bad once you get to know him. You'd be hard pressed to find a better roomie."
"Alright, I'll give it a try."
"Perfect," said Utterson with a grin as he scribbled an address on a little piece of paper.
"Meet me today at this address, this afternoon at four o'clock sharp, and we'll see if we can fix you up."
Surely enough, Skinner met Utterson at a Wembley apartment building, after they greeted each other they headed on to the top floor where electric guitar playing could be heard.
"Open up," Utterson yelled as he rang the doorbell, "It's Gabriel, and I've brought a guest."
The guitar playing was cut short followed by footsteps nearing.
"Look, he might be a little cranky so try to be cool."
The heavy wooden door opened up to reveal a tall pale young man with red hair who walked out and joined them both.
"Hey," said the guitarist, "I was just practicing, whose he?"
"I'm..."
"His name is Rodney, he goes to Hill too. I told him about the apartment."
"How come I've never heard of him before?"
"We just met this morning."
"I helped him change a tire." said Skinner.
"So he helps you with a flat and you're ready to toss him at me, you don't even know him!" objected the young man.
"Listen, ol' son. The chap's from Manchester, he's got no where to stay and he's been screwed by students services. And you do need a roommate, plus he has a car." elaborated Utterson.
"I don't need a roommate; I can afford this place just fine, thank you. What I can use is a drummer for our band before our gig."
"Drummer?" asked Skinner.
"Yeah," said Utterson, "Our drummer has went Christian all of a sudden and renounced our music as an instrument of Lucifer, and now were a three man alt-rock band with post-punk and classical influences with no drummer."
"Exactly, goodbye, and welcome to London."
Utterson smiled apologetically at Skinner as he was about to accompany him outside.
"I drum." Skinner said suddenly.
"Do you?" asked the man wryly.
"Yeah, tell you what, I'll audition, if you like what I do, I get to move in."
"And if I don't?"
"Well, then I'll pay half of this month's rent without even living here."
"Skinner," said Utterson as he grabbed Skinner by the arm and took him aside, "This is a bad idea. He has what you would call 'insanely high standards'. He'll take the money and you'll have to sleep in a barrel."
"Don't fret, mate. I'm not!"
The inhospitable guitarist was contemplating the offer, and then said, "Done."
Skinner and Utterson were allowed in for the first time, it was a spacious apartment with hard wood floors and all the staples of a Bachelor pad, a plasma TV and a stereo system surrounded by shelves choke-filled with CDs, Records, Books and DVDs, Couches slightly stained with onion dip and beer, an autographed guitar mounted on a wall besides come movie posters of foreign films... etc.
At the center near a massive window were a set of drums with an electric guitar nearby.
"Those belonged to Lanyon; I doubt he'll be back for them. Now show me what you can do."
Skinner was slightly nervous, for it's been some time since he last played a set. He assumed his place on the stool with his back to the window and facing the man who would decide if he was going to have a decent roof above his head tonight or not.
He brushed his sweaty palms on the fabric of his trousers, tightly clutched the wooden sticks, gently placed his left foot on the iron pedal, closed his eyes and took a magnanimous breath, then unleash the craziest four minute of improvised drumming, it wasn't the best drumming ever, not the best piece ever, but the best thing ever. It was like something long forgotten and newly explored, Utterson and the Guitarist couldn't help but wonder what had possessed the Manchester man to play like such, and they couldn't look away as he played and played, and ended it with a violent clobber to the high hats to rule all violent clobber to the high hats.
Utterson grinned widely while his friend was silent for a long spell, till he finally said, "Well, you know what you're doing. You're in."
"Fried Gold!" cried Skinner in jubilation, "You won't regret it."
"You're in the band, not the flat. I still have a few questions for you. Utterson, you look in a hurry, you can leave if you like."
"Alright, I'm out." said Utterson as he headed out, "I'll come by later and we'll all have a pint at the king's head."
"Go ahead." said Skinner.
"Are you gay?" asked the young man as he crossed his arms on his chest.
"Eh!"
"Are you a homosexual? It's all cool with me, but I really don't feel ike waking up in the morning and walking on naked men in the shower."
"No, I'm as straight as they come."
"Do you do any drugs?"
"Errr. I smoke a little weed every now and then, but I've never did anything heavy, nor do I intend to."
"How do you feel about the war in Iraq?"
"Oh, I'm against it."
"Will you do your shares of the cleaning, dish washing, grocery shopping and sleeping with my women?"
"Yes, except for the last part."
"Hmmm, that was a trick. You've answered very well."
The young man was silent again for a long period, till a smile broke out eventually and he extended a hand which Skinner shook.
"Welcome to 29Stevenson Street, apartment 11. I'm Henry Jekyll, Medicine."
"Rodney Skinner, Law."
Author's notes:
1. Gabriel John Utterson is Jekyll's attorney friend from R. L. Stevenson's 'Jekyll + Hyde'.
2. Skinner's cousin will play a significant part later on. (Guess who is he?)
3. All the characters live on streets or Buildings named after their creators. (ecample: Jekyll lives on a fictionalStevenson street)