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My knuckles were bruised like violets
Sucker punching walls
Cursed you as I sleep talked
Tyler couldn't sleep.
Granted, he couldn't remember a night that he had properly slept through since Laurel Gates entered his life.
Since that wretched woman had lured him in with soft smiles and sweet words, reopened wounds from his mother's death, and unlocked the beast inside him.
He always felt him, just simmering under the surface until she beckoned him out. But lately that sinister creature's taste for blood had started to seep into his everyday thoughts. The more she used him, the thinner the barrier between Tyler and Hyde grew.
His father was out that night. Working, as usual. On nights like these before Laurel Gates, Tyler would have sobbed freely about the loss of his mom, the coldness of his dad, and his overall shitty life situation without fear of being heard.
But that was before Laurel Gates.
Now, Tyler rose from his bed and stormed to the nearest wall, punching it with all his strength. Pain bloomed in his knuckles. He relished in it. It reminded him that part of him was still human.
So he did it again.
Again, again, again, his fist connected with the wall, a different spot each time so he wouldn't punch a hole through it. No need to give his father another reason to despise him.
He focused on the pain and hoped Laurel Gates could feel it.
Spineless in my tomb of silence
Tore your banners down
Took the battle underground
The pain was almost all-consuming.
Tyler was chained to the walls of the cave, cowering under Laurel Gates and her torturous needle.
Hyde was clawing inside him, aching to please his master. But Tyler fought to keep control of his body, angering Laurel more.
"You need to stop letting your feelings for this girl blind you to our mission," she spat. "You could have ruined everything tonight."
She pushed him up against the wall with her foot. The scratches on his chest that he inflicted upon himself earlier that night burned under her red boot. He bit back a scream.
"If I hadn't cleared out my house before that sneaky little bitch brought your father, we would have been exposed," she continued before removing her boot from his chest and peering down to examine his wounds. "Although I admit, you doing this to yourself will throw her off your trail. That was quite smart of you, honey."
She ran a hand across his chest, much gentler than the soles of her shoes, but much more revolting to Tyler. Still, Hyde was pleased by her touch and praise.
Sighing, she put away her syringe and unlocked his shackles. "I suppose that is enough for tonight. Go home, get some sleep. We'll be busy the next few days," she said with a devilish smile.
Tyler scampered off while he had the chance, knowing full well he wouldn't be sleeping that night.
And maybe it was ego swinging
Maybe it was her
Flashes of the battle come back to me in a blur
As he predicted, Tyler couldn't sleep.
But tonight was worse than it had been before.
Violent flashbacks of the killings plagued him every time he closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep. He could still envision his victims clearly in his mind, taste the fear radiating off them, feel their guts in his hands, see the light leave their eyes.
He tried to distract himself by thinking of Wednesday instead, but that quickly made him feel worse. Though Tyler knew that Laurel Gates was the true evil mastermind behind the murders, it made him feel sick to imagine Wednesday's reaction to finding out that he was the one who ultimately dealt the final blow. That he was the monster she was searching for, and that he had lied to her.
Done with dealing with the images in his head and the troubles in his heart, Tyler sulked out of bed, resigning himself to a night of punching walls and pain that was starting to feel less and less sharp.
All that bloodshed, crimson clover
Sweet dream was over
My hand was the one you reached for
All throughout the Great War
"Is that...?"
"It's called a Hyde."
Tyler slid into the booth next to Wednesday, praying that his inner turmoil wasn't apparent on his face to either her or her uncle across from them as he stared at the drawing of a creature just like the one inside him.
"That's it. From that night."
Wednesday was silent for a moment. He felt her eyes on him.
"Your father gave you explicit instructions not to be near me," she said.
"Yeah, my dad's not here, and I'm on a break," he replied, hoping that she wouldn't pick this time to insist on following his father's rules. Despite his panic, he needed to be near her.
It seemed that she still didn't care what the sheriff said, because without pausing, she continued.
"Well, apparently a Hyde needs to be unlocked by someone. Its master."
Tyler knew this, but was taken aback hearing her say it so plainly. "Holy shit."
"Tyler?"
The boy in question turned at the sound of his father's voice, torn between being upset or thankful at the interruption.
"What'd I say?" Sheriff Galpin asked, annoyed. Tyler stood to face him, with Wednesday quickly following. He noticed that Wednesday's uncle had disappeared.
"For the record, Wednesday was trying to keep her distance. I was the one that sat down with her," Tyler said. Despite all he had done, he still felt an urge to protect her.
The sheriff glared at them for a moment before taking out a stack of flyers. "All right. Putting these up around town. It's a bank robbery suspect, and he's a real creep. You haven't seen him, have you?"
"No," Wednesday said quickly, despite the flyers featuring a photo of the uncle that had been sitting with them mere seconds before. Tyler decided to follow her lead.
"Yeah, he'd be pretty hard to miss. I'll pin it on the bulletin board."
Sheriff Galpin glanced at Wednesday one more time before shaking his head and turning to leave. Tyler thought he heard him mumble something about wasting his breath.
Glad that his dad had left without incident, he turned to face Wednesday.
"Thank you, but you didn't have to do that," she said.
"Yeah, your family's very... colorful."
"Ironic, considering Fester's the black sheep. He's harmless."
"So, about rescheduling our date..." Tyler paused. He wasn't prepared to ask her about that, or bring up the night at the Gates house at all. It left his lips without input from his brain, but now that it was out there, he decided to go with it. He wouldn't pass up the chance to spend time alone with Wednesday, especially as Laurel's plan progressed and his secret became more and more difficult to hide from her. He wasn't sure how many chances he'd have left.
"Between the monster and my uncle-" she started to protest, but Tyler cut her off. He was committed now, an idea already blossoming in his brain.
"Hey, no excuses. Figure after what happened last time, you owe me." He internally winced. She did not, in fact, owe him. What happened last time was his fault. He tried not to think about how many other things were his fault.
"I can't sneak off of campus. All eyes are on me."
"You won't have to. I'll come to you. Nine pm, Crackstone's crypt."
Always remember
Tears on the letter
I vowed not to cry anymore
If we survived the Great War
Tyler had never been in any real romantic relationships.
Even before Laurel Gates, he had been too preoccupied with his own shit to even think about committing to someone else like that. Sure, he had gone on dates and had a few hookups, but his heart was never in it. And once Laurel Gates entered his life, romance was out of the question. His heart was being squeezed by claws and manicured nails.
Enter Wednesday Addams.
He already had one foot in the door of falling for her when she tried to bribe him into leaving his shift early to help her escape. After finding out Laurel's plan for her, he tried to convince himself that he really was just getting close to her to manipulate her. That's what Laurel wanted, but they both knew it wasn't true. He truly did care for Wednesday, and not just in a I hope I don't have to kill her way. He wanted to keep making her quads and chatting with her during his breaks. He wanted to learn about all her hobbies, their unusualness making them all the more charming. He wanted to take her on cute dates that she would outwardly scoff at but internally squeal over. He wanted to hold her hand, cuddle her, kiss her. He wanted her to trust him.
Which is why, at present, he was perfecting his appearance in front of the mirror before their date and trying not cry at the thought of losing her.
Despite his best efforts, his eyes were turning red and watery. He took a few deep breaths, wiping the tears before they could fall.
He grabbed his brown jacket and promised himself to show Wednesday a good time before it was all over.
You drew up some good faith treaties
I drew curtains closed
Drank my poison all alone
That night, Tyler was cursing both Laurel and his father.
If it wasn't for Laurel, Tyler would actually be able to pursue a more-than-friends relationship with Wednesday. It if wasn't for his father, Tyler would have kissed Wednesday. Maybe they would still be in the crypt together, instead of him lying awake in his bed once again.
Maybe her kiss would have been the final push for him to break free from Laurel. He really didn't know. Despite her promises to teach him about his outcast roots, Tyler still didn't know much about being a Hyde. The knowledge she kept from him gave her more power over him.
All he knew was that Hydes needed a master, and Hydes wanted to kill.
When Laurel had first approached him, explaining that his mother had been a rare type of outcast, he was scared, of course, but also hopeful that she would teach him. Now he knew that because Hydes were so rare, there was likely no one who could help him escape her control.
Even if Wednesday was understanding about his situation and forgave him for all the damage he'd done, which was already next to impossible, there was no way she would be able to help him.
That's what he told himself was the reason for not telling her the whole truth.
You said I have to trust more freely
But diesel is desire
You were playing with fire
"You want me to what?"
Laurel sighed, annoyed at having the repeat herself. "Go to the train station, capture Wednesday, and bring her to me."
Hyde was clawing his way to the surface, eager at a chance to please his master. Tyler, on the other hand, was stricken with the horrifying realization that tonight was the blood moon. The night that they had been preparing for. The night that Wednesday would be sacrificed so Laurel could destroy all outcasts.
He had known for a while now that the killing spree would come to this, but he had pushed it to the back of his mind so he could enjoy the time he was spending with Wednesday as himself. But now the blood moon had come for them both, and he was losing himself to Hyde.
Laurel approached him, placing one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. Hyde stopped Tyler from jerking back at her touch.
"Trust me, honey," she said. "You've been so good so far. Help mama with this one last thing."
Hyde took control.
And maybe it's the past that's talking
Screaming from the crypt
Telling me to punish you for things you never did
So I justified it
As Hyde drove to the train station, he reflected on the events that led up to this grand moment. His moment to please his master.
He thought about what Laurel had told him about his mother, the woman who had made him who he was, what he was. He thought about all the things Laurel had said that the outcasts did to his mother and other Hydes, and how this was his chance to avenge them all.
Wednesday was just another outcast, so she had to pay.
All that bloodshed, crimson clover
The bombs were closer
My hand was the one you reached for
All throughout the Great War
With a giant mental shove, Tyler regained control of his mind. He knew that Hyde was too strong to be held back for long, but he could at least delay the inevitable.
He pulled over and parked the car on the side of the road. Taking deep breaths, he could already feel Hyde struggling for control again. So he did the only thing that could bring him comfort before the slaughter: he thought of Wednesday.
He thought about her dark braids and piercing eyes. He thought about her taste for quads and blood. He thought about her hands tending to his wounds. He thought about her dancing at the Rave'N. He thought about their date in the crypt and their almost-kiss. He thought about their actual kiss.
He tried not to think about how she had collapsed in his arms and took off running.
Always remember
The burning embers
I vowed not to fight anymore
If we survived the Great War
Tyler knew that Wednesday had feelings for him, or at least did at one point. After all, she had come all the way to the Weathervane to kiss him. She had said that she trusted him. And he, or rather Hyde, would reward her by taking her to her death.
Tyler tried to hold on to a glimmer of hope that they would both survive this. It was minuscule, but it burned strongly in the part of his heart that was still his. If he had his way, they would both escape and kill Laurel together.
In this fantasy, he would work to earn Wednesday's forgiveness, and after that, her love.
It turned into something bigger
Somewhere in the haze
Got a sense I'd been betrayed
Your finger on my hairpin trigger
Hyde was growing restless.
He had been waiting at the train station for some time now and there was no sign of Wednesday.
Between Hyde's doubts that he would never please his master and Tyler's hope that Wednesday had escaped, Tyler was able to wrestle back control for a moment.
In a last ditch effort, Tyler tried to think inward and reason with Hyde. He tried to tell the monster that they were an outcast too. Laurel hated all outcasts, so once he was no longer useful to her, why would she keep them around?
He couldn't tell if his message was getting through when his phone buzzed with a text from Laurel.
"I have her. Come back now."
Hyde's worry subsided and his appetite for violence surged, giving him the strength he needed to shut Tyler down for the night.
Soldier down on that icy ground
Looked up at me with honor and truth
Broken and blue
"Yes, listen to your master and be a good little Hyde."
Wednesday's words would have cut deep if Tyler was the one hearing them, but Hyde was merely annoyed. Of course he was going to listen to his master. He was a good Hyde, though he was certainly not little. He just wanted the girl to shut up.
But something in the way she was looking at him made something, or someone, deep inside him pause. She was chained up with no hope of escape, but her eyes still held the same strength and pride they always did. If Tyler were there, he would have realized how deeply he felt for her, how much he admired her for having so much strength when he had none.
But Hyde was in control, so he listened to his master and left the crypt like a good little Hyde.
So I called off the troops
That was the night I nearly lost you
I really thought I'd lost you
"Laurel said you were dead."
Hyde was seething. But somewhere deep inside, where he was starting to wake up, Tyler was in awe that his girl was still alive.
"I'm feeling much better now," Wednesday said, glaring.
"You're like a cockroach." Hyde stalked up to her, but she stood her ground.
"Please, flattery will get you nowhere."
Hyde seized the lapels of her jacket and stared her down. Tyler wondered if she saw the boy she once cared for or the monster at the helm. Or if she saw them as one and the same.
"This will not end will for you," she said, animosity seeping into her monotone voice.
Hyde did not take that threat lightly.
We can plant a memory garden
Say a solemn prayer
Place a poppy in my hair
Their shared body was straightjacketed, but the minds of Tyler and Hyde were stirring. For the first time, Tyler went looking for Hyde.
He found his counterpart in a hazy vision of a cemetery, curled up in an open grave surrounded by dead plants. He wasn't in his monster form. Instead, he looked just as he had after being sedated in the forest: dirty, bloodied, broken, and deceivingly human.
"What the hell are you doing?" Tyler asked, trying to keep his tone level.
"Master's dead."
"Aren't you at least a little glad? You're free."
"I don't want to be free. I want Master," Hyde said, half pained and half angry. "It wasn't supposed to end like this."
There's no morning glory
It was war
It wasn't fair
"Well it didn't go exactly how I wanted it to either, but at least it's over."
"It's not fair," Hyde growled. "Laurel deserved a better Hyde. Not one who would fail her."
"None of this is fair."
Hyde seemed appeased by what he understood to be an agreement between him and Tyler, but Tyler continued.
"It's not fair that the outcasts of Jericho were subject to so much stigma and discrimination because of the Gates family. It's not fair that we killed so many innocents. It's not fair that Dr. Kinbott had to die for just trying to help kids who were hurting. It's not fair that Xavier had to go to jail because of our deception. It's not fair that Enid had to fight a Hyde during her first transformation. It's not fair that the first boy Wednesday kissed betrayed her so viciously. And most of all, it's not fair that Laurel preyed on me and used my trauma to serve her own twisted revenge plot."
Rage swirled in both Tyler and Hyde. Tyler felt dizzy with how upset he was about all the wrongs that had occurred. Hyde fumed at Tyler's words against his master.
Tyler's eyes finally opened, but it wasn't Tyler behind them.
And we will never go back to that
Bloodshed, crimson clover
The worst was over
Hyde couldn't maintain control for long. The exhaustion from the previous battles, the lingering sedative in their body, and the exertion of breaking free from the restraints gave Tyler the opportunity he needed to force Hyde into dormancy.
He woke up on the side of a road next to a van that had been torn apart. The smell of gasoline and blood surrounded him. He saw body parts scattered on the asphalt. More innocents whose lives he had taken. He felt sick.
Tyler wanted to be optimistic and believe that, with his master dead, Hyde would stay dormant, but he knew that was too much to hope for. Instead, he chose to hope that Laurel Gates was the worst thing that could ever happen to him, and that when Hyde came back, the damage he did wouldn't be as bad as when a genocidal psychopath was pulling the strings.
My hand was the one you reached for
All throughout the Great War
Always remember
We're burned for better
I vowed I would always be yours
'Cause we survived the Great War
In his distress, one thought kept him going.
After all of the pain and suffering, Laurel was finally dead. He could only hope that that meant Wednesday had survived, that she had made it out stronger than ever. Even better if she had been the one to kill her.
Tyler knew exactly who he wanted to be his new master.
I will always be yours
'Cause we survived the Great War
I vowed I would always be yours