“London’s finest lover, not that it would matter to you but I thought I’d make the offer anyways, ye never know. Ow!” he shouted as his ear was flicked by Anna, but he seemed a bit more comfortable when she sat him down on the other side of the table. “You won’t speak that way to my brother-in-law. He already has one idiot running around he needs to reign in, he doesn’t need another. Now, name and occupation.”
“Edward feckin’ Hyde. And I’m Jekyll’s bloody associate alright? Never mind what for.” he said petulantly, he was trying to get a rise out of Anna and it seemed to be working.
“The murderer in the news? I was wondering if you’d get caught by London’s bumbling police force, but it seems we did the work for them. What’s one reason I have not to turn you in?” Anna said, “because I will turn you in if you give me a good enough reason too. They’re hardly effective people but I think in this case, it might be worth it.”
“Hold onto your panties, love, I’ve barely startedohgodnottheface-” the newcomer said as he curled up to avoid a straight up beating from Anna, one that would be well deserved given what he’d just said.
“I’ll give you one more chance to be civil, but if you aren’t I’m throwing you to the dogs next. You know what they feed those things? Neither do I, but they seem to have a hell of an appetite left over.” Anna said, releasing the man’s collar.
Hyde sank in the chair and shook his head. “I have no idea what yer gabbling about, but I can understand it’s a threat.” he said, looking up a bit more and giving a fuller view of his face. It was… clearly misshapen in some way, although you’d be hard-pressed to find it easily. He had clear blue eyes, they were almost beautiful but were offset by how rotten looking-and smelling, for that matter-Hyde was. “Listen, yer man Frankenstein, he’s not well. He’s in a detestable place, one not even Jekyll often visits but often forces me to. I do the work there he can’t, and at the end of the day he’s himself and I’m all the worse for it.” he shrugged. “Not that it matters. The place dinna have a name, but it does have a reputation, of people… staying, and going missing in the same. He hasn’t been passed around or some shite, he’s just been taken… there. For all I know, he’s alive, but he might not be in one piece.” he shrugged, a bit nonchalant.
“I’ve heard of the place before, sort of. I thought it was a weird rumor, but it makes sense Victor would be taken someplace ridiculous and presumably false.” she shrugged. “Alright. Take us there, and we’ll have no more business together, you’ll be free to live your life and I’ll be free to not have to spend a moment more around you. Understand?”
“Ah, haud yer weesht. I know you aren’t gonna let me go if you can afford to, and you can afford to. The only way I’m getting out of this is if I’m away from Jekyll’s whole city life, laboratory and all. I only just escaped him last time.” he spat, “and I am not going to risk him coming back on me. Either get me out of here or don’t, but know I won’t trust ye until ye do.” Hyde said, expression firm. Anna had nothing to say to this. Not really. There were so many unanswered questions in that statement, how could she ask them all?
Meanwhile, Victor still had many unanswered questions, mostly as to why his two best friends still loved him when he’d destroyed them utterly. Secondly, Henry’s lungs had rotted out but he could still talk, what was that even? None of this seemed real, but he had to believe in it.
Henry pushed back a strand of hair from Victor’s face, curled up next to him in the small nook by the window. There was light forever here, Victor couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept but he didn’t need to here. The light was warm, kind, beautiful. Everything was clean here, perfect here. The Father had been right. This was a good place, a perfect place. Elizabeth was off doing rounds helping the sicker patients, the ones who wouldn’t believe, she’d been busying herself quite a bit lately. It was for the best, Victor didn’t know how to talk to her anyways. There was a new arrival here, apparently she was a real piece of work and Victor thought that some of Elizabeth’s gentle care would help in some way.
“I love you. You didn’t let me say it before I, you know, got murdered. But… I do, really.” Henry said, laying the half of his face still covered in skin on Victor’s chest. “You’re beautiful when you’re happy, I hated seeing you in pain. Now I know why. You can’t blame yourself for what happened though, your creation is nothing but a soulless monster and you were right to destroy him.” right, he’d told Henry that he’d killed the beast in the Arctic, and somehow the man had believed him.
“Right. Henry, I… I’ve been meaning to tell you… I don’t… I can’t…” Victor stumbled over his words, putting his book down. “It doesn’t matter, I was just being silly. I’ve forgotten it already.”
