Chapter Text
London, City of Westminster, Soho, 1896.
Have you ever thought about the future? To death?
Was it possible to resume the course of his life after a great trauma?
In 1873, Dr. Henry Jekyll devised a formula for the purpose of sucking up all the evil that a Man could possess in order to turn him into a person.
He tested this experiment on himself and created the strangest person I have ever known:
Edward Morgan Hyde.
1.
For Edward, the two most important things in his life were his cane and his hair. Unfortunately, today his hair was tangled in his red silk scarf as he made his way to the Tens Bells.
He pushed open the heavy wooden doors and entered, causing mortuary silence in the pub.
- "Good evening everyone!" He said happily, smiling before the conversations resumed, he went to sit at the counter and greeted the bartender.
- ”Good evening Tony…”
- "Here, it was astonished to me that you did not come yet! As usual?"
- "As usual…"
The bartender filled a glass of gin and passed it to his customer.
- "thank you."
- "There is nothing, by the way"…. "Do you know this guy?" He said indicating a man sitting at the corner of the room.
- "No…."
- "He's been here since this morning and ... But Edward is waiting!"
Before the end of the sentence, Hyde had already stood up to meet this mysterious client.
When he was nearby, he managed to make out a man, in his twenties, tall, wearing a black cape and top hat leaning over his face.
He swirled whiskey around in his glass with almost terrifying calm and looked up at his interlocutor.
- ”Hey!” Edward sat down and continued, sporting a mischievous smile.
- ”How are you, Jack Aedan…?”
- ”Don't call me that here!”
The stranger took off his hat, finally giving Edward the chance to see her entire face.
He had brown hair, almost black. Beautiful emerald green eyes and muscularity worthy of the name.
- "Ha ... The Ripper, it's been a while since we've seen you around! So, is business working? Do you have enough ovaries like this?"
- ”Tss….” He plunged his lips into his glass and swallowed it all in one gulp.
- "What do you want, Edward?"
- "I need you!" Said the incubus bringing his hands closer to those of Jack who immediately pulled back.
- "Need me? Why? I kill prostitutes not the next door neighbor because he ate your toast!"
- ”Rhaa! But wait! "Hyde took a deep breath and continued:
- "So there you go, I need you because I have a plan ... I would like to reunite the best criminals in London ... Make an order and take the crown of England!"
There was a silence, a very long silence before, unsurprisingly, The Ripper broke into a sinister, mocking laugh.
- "The crown of England ?! Haha!"
- ”But it will be well paid!”
- ”HAHAHA! Ha ... Stop taking yourself for an expert, go back and play with your cane… ”
Aedan stood up, making him even more impressive than he already was.
He picked up his hat and put on his large cloak.
- "It's the adults here, Edward" He left, repeating mocking slips before disappearing into the night and the darkness of the streets of London.
"Piss off" Edward thought as he returned to sit at the counter.
- "Who was it?"
- “Jack.”
Tony sighed and turned around as a young man stepped out from the back of the pub.
- "Hold Edward, let me introduce you to my new assistant, Arthur, introduce yourself to Mr. Hyde."
The two young men shook hands, exchanging a smile.
- “Arthur Dinckley.”
- ”Edward Hyde.”
- "I've heard from you before."
- "Really?"
Edward put down his glass and looked at Arthur.
- "And where are you from Arthur?"
- "From Birmingham, I was a waiter in an Irish pub and things got out of hand…."
- “hmm…”
Morgan carefully recorded all the information the new assistant gave him, he found it interesting and maybe he, unlike Jack, would accept his offer.
- "Nice to meet you Arthur."
He looked at his pocket watch and left, lighting his last cigarette.
The sun was slowly starting to go down, the street lights were going on one by one, the workers and husbands were coming home from work and for the men of the night, the day was beginning. Cabarets and bars opened their big warm doors, haa .. London, a city so cold by day, so hot at night.
Edward walked through the streets of the capital as he made his way to Soho and entered an apartment.
-Good evening Lucy.
He kissed the young woman who hugged him back, he sat down on the sofa.
The apartment was sparsely furnished and equipped with a wood-burning stove from at least the last decade.
Lucy brought two glasses of gin and sat down next to Edward.
-So, your project is progressing?
- Rather yes…
-Well, what's up then?
-Well I have some people in visuals ...
-Who?
-Jack.
Lucy almost spit out the gin she had in her mouth and exclaimed:
-Him ? That bloodthirsty heartless bully !?
- Yes well done you understand what I'm looking for.
-But
- He saved my life, Lucy, if he hadn't come to save me when I drowned in the Thames…. I certainly wouldn't be here today…
That's why, I think he has more than enough skills.
-Very good ... and there is only him?
- No, Tony introduced me to his new assistant, a certain Arthur Dinckley ... he looks reliable to me and saw the marks on his knuckles I guess he's not the passive type.
Edward finished his drink and resumed after a pause.
-I must bring them together ... I must bring us together, with you!
-Hey? What do you mean with me?
-Tomorrow at the Ten Bells at 11 p.m., spread the word! I count on you !
-Edward I never said that I-
Hyde slammed the door and left for Bolton Street. When he got home, he walked into the mansion and greeted the butler.
- ”Hi Alfred.”
- "Good evening sir…"
Hyde hesitated, then opened the door to the lab.
- ”Hey Jekyll…”
- "Good evening Edward." Said the doctor with his head buried in his books, not having bothered to look at his now independent alter ego.
- "you come home late tell me ...
- "And I will come out again later in the evening" said the little man, taking off his silk scarf.
- "Tell me, you don't want to…. Finally, I know that now we're parted, but… can you stay in the mirror until, you go?"
Edward stared at the doctor and sighed, tapping his fingernails against the Erlenmeyer.
- "Okay ... But at 11pm I'm leaving."
Henry smirked and watched Hyde walk into the mirror.