Inmates Quarters

Dr Jekyll was taken aback by Jack's words. He couldn't understand how Jack was so able to ignore the atrocities committed by the other inmates. A semblance of struggle could be seen in his eyes as he maintained composure, although stood up to turn away as Jack spoke "-or just the two of you?"
Facing away Jekyll spoke quietly in defeat, just loud enough for Jack to hear "I'm trying to be genuine. If Mr Hyde is what I really am then it's my duty to reject that."

Holding his hand over his eyes, the head nurse Vitas Warmoon approached him, offering to take over, Jekyll's approach to Warmoon was one of respect but restrained trust. He could tell she wasn't entirely forthright about her intentions. "Vitas, there won't ever come a time where I will ask to mend one of your patients. I have faith in your abilities, and I only ask that you have faith in mine."

Jekyll listened to Jack take jabs at Miss Warmoon, sighing in frustration. Jack's stubbornness in believing he sees the truth in people makes him an extremely formidable nut to crack. If he could see the true Peter Banning, for instance, he wanted not see the dangerously insane patient they were trying to cure. It was almost insulting to Jekyll, a man who had spent so much of his time in understanding the very chemical makeup of the human psyche. Heck, he split his in two. At the same time his studies proved that he could change Jack. When compared to others Jack's crimes weren't too horrendous, All he needed was to see that this institute is here to work with him rather than against. However, with staff like Vitas, Jekyll struggled to hold that integrity. A lurking thought resided in Jekyll's mind, perhaps pushed forward by Hyde that suggested that maybe Jack has a right to be fearful. If the staff were taking advantage of their positions to manipulate inmates... The thought made Jekyll sick.

"Jack, you need to work with us. I promise, there's a way out of here. But it takes time. Co-operation. I am your doctor, yes. And I have hope that like me, you will master your own demons. I don't want you to fall further into the rabbit hole, as it were."

As he finished speaking, and orderly approached him. "We have our new patient from evaluation. Belle LeFaun. Doctor's appointment." Jekyll recalled receiving the new inmate, and had already read her report from the police. With all the chaos during the day he had almost forgotten."Yes, I'm aware. Miss Warmoon, it appears you've lucked out. I want you to stay within your boundaries. I'll be studying the transcript tonight."

After receiving a response from Jack or Vitas, Jekyll would head to Belle's cell. He was actually relieved. Jack seemed intent on bringing out his Hyde. And as head psychiatrist, Jekyll didn't feel comfortable with someone other than himself or Alice attending Belle. Maybe this inmate would be a little more courteous. Reaching her cell door, Jekyll knocked. He knew only he could open it from his side, but he felt it was better than barging in.

"Miss LeFaun? I'm here for your appointment. My name is Doctor Henry Jekyll. May I come in?"

Belle's attention was focused on the bookshelf, who at the moment was ranting to the light fixture about how underappreciated Edgar Allan Poe's works were. The light obviously didn't care, but still listened anyway. Belle was about to make a comment to them about how most every author gets underappreciated at some point or another, when a knock at the door caught her attention and caused the furniture to return to their original, inanimate states. A middle-aged male voice faintly came through the thick material of the door, asking permission to enter. That was strange, considering everyone else here treated Belle like an object or a burden rather than a human being.

"A-absolutely sir..." She said softly, pulling her legs up to her chest and sitting at the far corner of the bed next to the wall, balling her hands into fists and pulling the sheet around her ankles out of sheer nervousness. The last encounter she had with a doctor was during evaluation, where they poked, prodded, measured and tested her so much that she was physically exhausted by the end of it.

Belle listened to the faint beeping of the keypad that unlocked the door as Dr. Jekyll typed an unknown combination into it. With growing apprehension, she watched the door slowly swing inwards, greeting her with a cold rush of air from the hallway that smelled like dust and disinfectant.

As the doctor entered the room, it was as if he had a
different aura about him than the initial doctors who had examined Belle during evaluation. Jekyll seemed to walk with a sense of honor, not the sort of honor thats given, but the sort that one builds up over time on their own.

Belle's hands slowly relaxed and she smoothed out the wrinkles in the tattered sheet of her bed. She shot a glance at the nightstand, hoping for some reassurance. Her friend returned nothing.
"Well? Say something!" She whispered urgently to the nightstand, who now seemed to be blatantly ignoring her. She knew how shy the furniture could be around other people, but she thought they could at least do some of the talking for her to help ease her anxiety.

The day was coming to an end.

Jekyll slowly opened the door, and quietly stepped in. Closing the door behind him, he could feel Belle tense up. Jekyll wondered if his presence was truly beneficial to this place, or if he was merely holding back the floodgates that would inevitably break apart and devour him whole. The chemical split between Jekyll and Hyde meant that he could be unwavering in his virtue, but Jekyll understood that didn't make him any less flawed. He was just a fragment of himself, and how could someone that isn't even 'whole' try to fix all that was wrong with this place?

Taking a deep breath, he added a gentle smile to his face and turned to Belle. Hers was a case of tragedy, one that had slowly twisted her mind out of self control over her entire life. Jekyll found it extraordinarily distasteful. The vices of men bring out their beasts, and are brought out by others. Perhaps it was easier to have inmates who brought about their own downfall into madness, such as Jekyll's own, as it was cases such as these that heralded innocence despite the horrific losses.

Dr. Jekyll's sense of dread was interrupted as Belle appeared to turn away and whisper something. As per usual he thought. Schizophrenia brought its own storm of problems by itself, and if the patient didn't believe they had it then it would become even more monstrous to deal with. Jekyll found it best to move slowly, and delicately. If Belle had to stay here, he wanted to be sure she wouldn't be treated like Hyde. Or, God forbid, the Cheshire.

He let out an exasperated sigh, leaning against the door with his hands in his pants pockets. His eyes held sympathy.
"I hope they weren't so hard on you. This place is... Relentless, I think would be the best word for it. Either way," Jekyll took his hands out of his pockets and waved to the other side of the room with his right."Hi. I'd like you to know that I was an inmate here once. Or rather, my other self. So I'm not trying to belittle you when I say I know what this part feels like." He took a moment to turn on the recorder on his tablet before placing it back in his pocket.

The room was so white. So bland. No wonder the inmates become absorbed in their imagination to get by. Jekyll could sense Belle's reluctance like an inverse lighthouse, trying to stay so dark it leeches light from the moon. He hated the negativity this institute produced. Anything else he thought, and his face faded to match the friendlier tone in his voice "Most call me Jekyll. I'm a fan of Victorian architecture and European literature. A snob, I know." He gave a short laugh and produced his tablet, displaying it to Belle. "Everything's becoming digital nowadays, eh? So, Belle. Do tell me about yourself. What do you like?"

Jekyll aimed to make loose eye contact with Belle that moved between the tablet in his palm and her. If she were to speak, Jekyll would occasionally note a key word or two down but never dictate.

Several minutes of silence passed by. A faint, muffled scream came from the wall left of them, followed by a thud and a scrape. That was nothing unusual. Belle locked eyes with Jekyll for a solid five seconds before speaking.

"I like books. And science." Her eyes shifted to the right, focused on a cracked peice of plaster jutting out from the wall. "Mostly biology and physics. I used to want to be an inventor until Ga-..." her focus broke and her words stopped in her throat,"...Until I changed my mind."

Belle made solid eye contact with Jekyll once more, sliding her legs off the edge of the bed and letting them dangle over the side. "Science is a waste of time. Besides, all of my friends say i'm not smart enough for it." said Belle resolutely, listening to the bookcase chuckle at that last statement. She glared at it, hoping it wouldn't decide to mention to the doctor that she didn't actually have any real friends. Between fits of laughter, the bookshelf and the wall clock began to mock Belle's lies, speaking in high, falsetto voices about "the little social butterfly" named Belle.

Jack lied down on his padded bed, if you could call it that. They were so dead-set against him hurting himself or others that all he had was just a small padded mat barely bigger than a yoga mat with more padding. He didn't get any blankets or pillows. Apparently the staff had found out about his multiple suicide attempts.

He wasn't thrilled about the new changes that the staff had made to his cell. While he was out in one of his sessions with Dr. Warmoon, they took his door off the hinges and replaced it with one that had no window. He was still able to keep the shard of glass from the broken window by slitting the side of the mat as cleanly as possibly and slid the shard into it. The time was going by slower than it usually did today as Jack awaited his usual visit from Dr. Warmoon.

As he was lying there, looking up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but think about the confrontation he had with Dr. Jekyll. He couldn't understand the guy. Not only was he denying and suppressing his real self, but he was trying to impose his false beliefs on the others in the asylum. It was crazy and he knew that Hyde believed what he said, but Hyde was actually someone who belonged in here as a patient and trying to make him surface was not a good idea. But Jekyll was a vile person. "Who the fuck does he think he his bringing up my demons?" Jack sneered. "He has no idea the demons I've seen; the boogie man, the big bad wolf, evil witches, evil wizards, dragons, monsters and even actual demons! Hell, one of those guys is even being held right here in the damn asylum. And unlike that babbling nitwit a few rooms down, the shit I've seen was real, not some stupid windmill. You don't spend four hundred years,give or take, as the anthropomorphic personification of winter without seeing the real demons of the world."

He hoped that Dr. Warmoon would be coming in soon. Her use of the mirror dimension was interesting. While he was in there he was able to use all his powers, even the ones he had lost, but it just didn't feel quite right. He knew that Dr. Warmoon was tying to unlock his past, but he wasn't going to give it up easily. He had never told anyone what had really happened that day with him and his sister. Never told anyone what he saw, how he pretended not to see it because "big boys didn't believe in monsters", or how he froze with fear and couldn't do anything to but watch as that THING picked up his screaming sister and threw her into the ice cold lake. He never told anyone about the countless times he tried to kill himself but couldn't because the powers that be had predestined him to be a guardian of the children of the world. There was a lot that he hadn't told anyone. It was a weight that no one but himself should be allowed to bare.

Dr. Jekyll noted down the word 'friends' and Belle's distraction in regards to the furniture. Nothing deadly, though possibly harmful if these schizophrenia induced friends of hers are discouraging her. Also of interest was her aversion to speak about Gaston. Jekyll understood that even if Belle didn't suffer from any mental illness, it would take time for her to feel comfortable talking about it.

"Preposterous, young Miss!" He gave a light chuckle, "Surely the only way to get smarter is by practicing science, no? I'm quite proficient in chemistry, you know. But when I started it I was a wide eyed psychologist with little nerve for understanding atomic structure."

Jekyll moved toward the bookshelf, sliding his fingers against the wood. He sighed a sigh of disappointment. "I'm not going to lie to you. This place is rough. It can be cruel." Turning to look Belle in the eyes, his gaze was determined, as if they were struggling to search for hope within her. "I want to help. And I know it won't be easy, but you have a friend in me." Losing the eye contact, Jekyll returned to his naturally friendly tone as he gestured towards the bookshelf. "What do you say about this poor thing, then. If you'd like it filled, I could have any number of books brought in. My shout, if you will. Ahahah."

Jekyll felt a buzz from his pocket. Time was coming to a close.

Theodora paced around in her office, or at least that's how it would seem to an outsider. In reality, she was checking out all the crystal balls in her office they were windows into the patients' cells. She observed the younger patients for the most part, after all she was the resident child psychiatrist. She checked in on Dr Jekyll having a conversation with the newest young woman to enter the asylum, Belle she believed her name was. She listened in on the conversation for a little while only to hear the young woman prattle on about her books and science and imaginary friends.
"Oh, she's That Belle. Probably best to keep her away from the beast we keep here. I hope she doesn't break into song."

She then went to the next crystal ball which was focused on Scarlet. She heard her start to sing. She then realized that she was singing to the big bad wolf in the next cell. "I didn't think I was going to have to worry about her singing. An eating disorder maybe, being around all those goodies all the time, but not singing. They seem okay for now."

She moved on to the next ball. It focused on one of the more troublesome youths. Jack Winters was believed to be a danger to himself and others. He was waiting for Dr. Warmoon. She began to listen in on him. He seemed to be quite angry at Dr. Jekyll, something he had said had apparently hit a nerve with the young man. His delusions were strong,he seemed to truly believe he was Jack Frost, probably because he was. Theodora knew he was going to be difficult.

"Well, since Dr. Warmoon is going to be working with him next. I suppose I should go see how Peter is doing. Dr. Hook obviously wasn't able to get through to him." She mocked as she left her office.

She walked down the halls until she got to Peter's room. She hoped he was more lucid than the other day, but she wasn't going to hold her breath. His door had recently been replaced by a new high-tech one that require the hand print of a staff member in order to unlock. In addition, she had put a ward over this door as she did to Jack's. She knocked on the door. "Peter, it's Dr. Verde, I'm here for today's session. Is it okay if I come in and talk to you for a little bit?"

Two weeks had passed since that first inital day of sessions with the young man. Two weeks of interesting experiemtns and for the young mans eyes, fun.

Of course he knew the truth of her something off about her. But it didnt matter. No. what mattered was information to be had, he knew her name. He'd seen her face. Her true face. Scales of silver and black were around her eyes in the Mirror Dimenesion.

In one of their sessions his door was replaced, no window. But honestly she didnt care either way and through the Mirror Dimenesion had created a window for him to look out at the world. She knew where he was at all times even if the place was ever shifting kalaediscope of movement and landscapes.

the young mans magic worked perfect there. In some cases it was, like her own, magnified greatly. Allowing him to do what he once was able to without need of a stick, or otherwise.

But the only hope Vitas really had of finding his past, was to get him to make a piece of ice in a certain place. And in the Mirror Dimeneion what better way to get to that place than to open a window into memories ?

So that was what she did

As was typical of their sessions the last two weeks, well befoer she neared his room the walls started to crack or mirrors floating in the air. This time however it didnt happen, instead. A spark of blood red swirled upon the wall in the place of his door. there was no mirrors, no cracked walls. Nothing. And briefly, not even she was seen beyond the portal But something else strangely, hauntingly familar was beyond the portal.

But then again she didnt want to be seen. Which was long enough to give the boy the chance he needed to grap a certain sharp item he'd kept hidden, just waiting to use it as he slid it up his left sleeve....

Vitas never noticed his movements as she finally simply, appeared in his room mere feet away. "Did you have a nice rest ?" She had no idea what he was planning. All she wanted from him was information, ontop of that she could help him with his case. He may have killed a innocent, but he didnt do it out of cold blood or fear, but something else entirely. Infact to her, he did it right, just.... sloppy at the time due to the many witnesses seeing him doing the deed. Had he done it secretly, or unseen at the time it'd be easier. But no. That wasnt the case. Which suited her just fine

Jack had slid the shard up his sleeve when he thought that Vitas wasn't looking. He wasn't sure what he expected to do, but he wanted to be prepared given that things were not going as they usually did this session. "I'm trapped inside of a fucking asylum while there are children suffering all over the world. Children I could be helping. So no, I didn't exactly rest well, I never rest well."

The swirling portal seemed to open up into the past. Not just to the past, to the day that changed him forever. "This isn't funny." He growled at her. "This isn't fair. Why are you doing this to me? Don't tell me you don't believe my story, we both know that's bullshit." He started crying, his tears freezing and falling to the floor. She remained silent as he stood outside the portal. "Fine you wanna see this, let's go." He walked through the portal and waited for Vitas to follow.

Suddenly they were in Plymouth, Maryland in the 1600's. They were outside of Jack's family's lake house in late December. There was a little boy, only about ten years old, playing in the snow with his sister. They were having a snowball fight. The little girl was on the dock of lake. "That's me." he said dryly to Vitas. Then it happened. Out of the forest came a figure that looked like it was made of shadows. The figure's shape was continuously shifting. Young Jack froze in his tracks, he closed his eyes and started chanting "I don't believe in monsters." over and over.

"My father told me one time when I was scared that if I said that, the monsters would go away." He explained to Vitas. "Yeah a lot of good that did."
The creature swirled around his screaming sister before forming into a giant clawed hand, picking her up and throwing her into the lake. It then began circling young Jack. "You think lying will save you boy?" it hissed at him.

"No!!! Leave him alone!" Jack screamed at the creature before showering it with icicle spears. It did nothing to the creature these were all just illusions. He watched helpless as young Jack dove into the water to get his sister, but she couldn't swim and the water was so cold. She died there on the shore of the lake. The scene shifted to Christmas morning when young Jack woke to find his parents hanging from the rafters. He said nothing and just walked outside and into the lake. The scene changed again to later that day when he woke up on the shore, confused and depressed. "After I hit eighteen, I stopped aging." Older jack explained. "I discovered my powers soon after. I tried killing my self at least a hundred more times after that, always woke up perfectly fine."

The scene shifted a final time to the day that landed him in the asylum. He was in a parking garage and he looked exactly the same as he did now. He had been chasing a creature that looked like the same thing that had killed his sister. He had found out from other beings that this was the creature commonly known as the boogy man. He had thrown an ice spear at the creature piercing it through the chest. The shadows swirled and drained away to reveal a human being. The creature swirled back around Jack. "You'll never win, you can't save them all." it laughed before fading away into the shadows of the night. Then the cops came.

The portal appeared behind them and they walked through again.
"Why, you fucking bitch? Why did you make me relive that horror again?" He pulled out the shard of glass and began furiously stabbing at her chest over and over. He knew she'd be fine, but he didn't care. He wanted to hurt her like she hurt him. "What do you gain by this? You didn't earn the right to see that! Get the fuck out of my room! Get out of my head!" He screamed at her before falling to his mattress in a fetal position, the glass falling out of his hand. His own blood spilled to the floor as the edges had cut his hand as he grasped it.

Vitas watched the events unfold around them, the memories Jack wanted to keep to himself. But she couldnt remember them at that moment, no, she ewas focused on the creature that killed his sister, the creature he tried to kill that possessed a human being. A creature that for all intents and purposes, was not to exsist in reality or at least outside the Dark Dimenesion or even the Ancient Diemnesion.

Stepping out of the portal as it reappeared with Jack by her side she was about tospeak when he stabbed her dead in the heart, the glass going deep and just barely missing her heart itself, breaking through bone as the sheer force of willpower alone not to mention his sheer cold touch to the glass made it freezing cold that for a brief moment.. a very brief moment...

The raw power that corrupted her faded from her, briefly, Jack could see in the Mirror Dimenesion that she trukly was a beautiful young woman. Her bright amber eyes shining from within before the corruptive magic returned as he pulled the glass to stab again. She brought her arm up, he stabbed into it. then let go of the glass and fell upon his bed, the glass lodged in her arm as she stared at herblooded hand where the glass tore bone and muscle.

For a long moment she said nothing, simply staring. It had been a long time, too long, since anyone had drawn blood on her. She removed the glass from her arm, and gently lifted his hands one after the other, healing the injuries even inflicted upon himself. "Your case is a dangerous one child. What I wanted to see was the creature, the darkness you have hunted, and nearly destroyed when you took that mans life. I think I have recognsied it. I understand that you want to keep memories of certain nature to yourself. But it had to be done in order to see what truly haunts you. That creature of shadows....."

"Jack Frost.... Old Man Winter.... locked away..... I remember you now" By then Vitas voice had changed, the world shifted in a tangled landscape around them as they were suddenly in the Mirror Dimenesion. Her voice grew deeper, corrosive as the corruptive power she used darkned her tone. Long ago you hunted it. The shadows haunted you.... pitch black shadows were your enemy... nightmares...."

Her voice returned to normal then as she healed herself of the wounds inflicted. "I can help you with your case Jack. Do you want out of here or not ?" She could see him as her ticket to getting her own tasks ended. But it was him that was going to want to get out of there. They had to find him mentally complaint for trial after all. And if she could prove him mentally compliant and also not guilty then it would pave the way for her revenge on certain parties. "Provided we get you close enough, I can even take you outside...." The landscape around them shifted in a plexus of color and ever changing landscapes as she spoke. Finally it shifted once more and it seemed like they were in ther hallway of a grand victorian home "For example I could take you here.... to my home... To safety asway from this place... away from your worst fears"

The option was there. The pitch was tossed, it was hit or strike. Would he swing ?

Jack watched shifting room and listened to Vitas speak. Their wounds healed now, yet Jack was still sobbing. "Yes of course I want out of here." He finally spoke. "But you missed something. I never stopped hunting that thing. I don't want to be safe and hidden from it, I want to destroy the thing. It took everything away from me and I will not rest until I make it pay." Jack's eyes began to glow a haunting pale blue, his teeth clenched and the air in the room went freezing cold. Snow even began to form and drift through the air.

"Can you really get me out of here? If so I'll do whatever you ask, but you got to help me destroy that thing." He responded as he looked around. "This is a nice place you got here. I wish they had places like this when I was growing up, my parents were wealthy by the standards of the time. If I had been born into a different era I could have had a nice place like this." He said. "Wait, am I older than you?" he chuckled a little at the thought of it. "So what do I have to do, tell them I don't believe in fairy tales, that I'm not 400 years old, that I'm not the spirit of winter? I can do that. But what's in this for you? I saw the vengeful thing that's keeping you alive, you need my help for something. You aren't planning on using that shadow thing to get revenge on someone are you? That thing can not be reasoned with or controlled, please don't go messing with it."

"Good. I can get you out of here, but you only have to do one thing. You simply need to show progress during our sessions. Even if it means lying to other staffers here, we both know the truth. I can alter reality only so far. But what I can alter will help you in the long run. Show enough progression through our sessions up to now and I can get you off this property to my home free and clear."

She smirked at his question of being older than her, it was possible. But she didnt care. that wasnt her agenda. She could easily prove his age as under eighteen if she had to do so. She smiled then "The thing you saw depart briefly from me, and the creature you hunt endlessly, are from the same place. They're Nameless Ones... Zealots. They're from their own master, a creature in the Dark Dimenesion. But my power is not from there. the Nameless One bonded to me I feed off for its sheer power even outside the mirror dimenesion we stand within right now."

"My power comes from an older, darker, more dangerous dimenesion. You want your happy ending ? I can help you get it. what I want is simply that creatures raw power. Seeing it escape you when you killed the Man showed me the truth. You need my help. and even though I dont want to admit it, I need yours" Normally Vitas did things on her own, or with Spike or with her countless thugs and underlings. Every dead body she had left in her wake werent sutible for Spike to return to the living.

But now, this boy, Jack Winters, could help her achiev that goal. If she had to she could even tell the courts she'd take full custody of him. Because she knew he was geared towards life without parole for murder, or worse, the hotseat. But with her poltiical pull.... and his own aid in proving complaint to stand trial and pleade crazy if they hasd to getting him off and into her custody, only paved the way for her to achieve her goal

Bringing back Spike

But she also needed Aldric for that to find the correct body

(OOC: Many apologies for the bad timing on my part. I was just swamped with plans all the sudden and haven't found a chance to post until now! I'll try to make this one very eventful as an effort to compensate.)

Belle slid off the edge of the bed and sat on the cold tile floor. There was a deep vibration that was coming from underneath, and if she sat still enough, she could almost make out a voice. She slid her hand forward until it stopped at a place where it was particularly strong. Now she could understand it.

Hello, little beast. Won't you come out to play? Ive missed you so! I'm sure the lovely doctor would love to meet you, sweet little beast. Come on now, don't be shy. I'm a friend! Please show us the beast, Belle.

The sides of consciousness were battling each other inside of Belle's brain. She didn't want to let the beast out, it scared people. She gripped the leg of the bed with white knuckles. It had been months since the Beast last resurfaced, and it was growing restless. A low growl escaped her throat, and her hands clutched her neck in fear, trying to subdue the ever-strengthening urge.

Beastie, beastie! You've been sleeping for so long! You've had your rest, now its time to play!

That was it. Belle snapped. The Beast took over.
All the muscles in her body went rigid, and a devious smile spread across her face. Slowly pacing towards the doctor, the real Belle screamed from the back of her brain, trying desperately to stop herself. It was futile. In an instant, she shot forward and leapt upwards, wrapping herself around his shoulders. Her no-longer-delicate hands clasped his neck with enough force to probably crush his trachea if he didn't act fast. They both tumbled to the floor, and Belle's head hit the tiles with a crack, however she seemed unphased. Her nails drew marks of blood across the man's face and neck. If he wanted to survive, the time to act was now.

Jekyll held an eye on Belle, taking note of her distractive nature. While he waited for her to respond, he noticed something serious was about to surface. He had read her medical history, and knew about her alternate personality. It was why Jekyll held an interest in her, as with other patients with dissociative disorders. He slowly turned towards her, preparing to head to the door if things got serious. As she growled and Jekyll grew increasingly concerned, he spoke.

"Belle? Are you alright?"

That was when she started pacing towards him, appearing to have no concern for the words he spoke. Jekyll's heart beat fast. Is this what it was like? He could feel Hyde's red eyes open in the back of his head. This is new.

Momentarily distracted by Hyde's dreaded voice, Belle made her pounce. Her hands applied immense pressure, causing Jekyll to panic further. As they fell to the ground she drew his blood, as red as Edward's eyes.

She's beautiful! Hyde called out.

"Belle!" Jekyll struggled to enunciate, choking on the air that fought to enter his lungs.

Come on, you chicken shit. I will not die like this!

Unable to think and acting on instinct, Jekyll produced a syringe filled with a bubbling green liquid. Instantly he thrust the needle into his forearm and pressed hard. I apologise, Alice.
Henry's eyes become filled with a bright red colour, and his skin darkens to the point of turning grey. He is overcome by a great sense of horror as his thoughts are ripped into the deep corners of his mind, as Hyde's pass him and quickly take over. The grip she maintains would become considerably less effective, and what was a grimace of pain turned to a smirk of superiority to match Belle's grin.

"Didn't Gaston teach you manners?" he laughed, attempting to throw her aside and come to a stand. Hyde's voice boomed, ever dreadful. An orderly known as Brenda sent to fetch him caught sight of what was going on inside, and in utter terror ran to Alice's office. "Oh, but you are so very pretty. I would have killed him if I were you. Ripped him to shreds. Gave him what I deserved!" He would keep an extremely keen eye on Belle, reflexes willing to beat her away if need be. "Your eyes shine like mine, girl. I wonder if you can sense it too... Oh how it feels to breathe the scent of fresh blood and passion in the air."

Hyde was struck by a moment of realisation, and from his coat came the key that would open almost every door in the institute.

"However the good doctor's blood is mine to take. If you want out," He gestured towards the door and jingled the keys. "You're gonna have to behave, Beastie."

Keeping on guard for another strike from Belle, Hyde quickly moved through the door into the ha-
SLAM the door went shut and Jekyll's standby orderly pierced Hyde's neck with one of his syringes. As the door to Belle's cell locked, Henry's transformation begun again as he fell to the ground. A female orderly turned a hallway and located Jekyll. Mildly confused by the circumstance, she asked "Doctor? Might not be the best time, but Alice called for you." to which Jekyll struggled to acknowledge.

The Beast rolled out from under the fallen doctor, and slid underneath the bed. She sat the dark, listening for an opportunity to attack again. Suddenly she heard it. The name.

Gaston.

That was it. Her clawed hands clamped over her ears and she reeled in agony, shrieking and rolling out from under the bed. Split-second flashbacks flooded her brain one after the other, and the Beast writhed and jerked violently until she was distracted by the sound of jingling keys. They looked so shiny and happy. She crept forward on all fours and leapt upwards, trying to grab them from his hand. She missed, and smashed into the closed metal door, leaving a sizeable dent. In an instant she was back on her feet, completely unphased.

"GIVE." She growled, baring her teeth and clawing violently at the air. "GIVE GIVE GIVE."

Suddenly the door opened, and three orderlies walked in. The Beast slid underneath the bed once more and waited until they were distractedwith Hyde. All at once, she pounced on the male orderly with the labcoat and took him to the ground, smashing his skull against the tiles repeatedly and then biting into his jugular. Effortlessly flinging him into the opposing wall, she then lunged for the Nurse with the syringe and snapped her neck, afterwards prying her jaw open until it dislocated. The third orderly was able to escape, but only managed to close the external door. The Beast collapsed, exhausted, and laid flat on her back, blood covering her face and arms.