'I need your broken promises/ I want the guts and glory/This town is wasted and alone//But we are alive/Here in death valley//We're gonna die/It's just a matter of time/Hard times come/Good times go/ I'm either gone in an instant//Or here 'til the bitter end/I never know

- Death Valley

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"We better be going", Keres had lilted to his mother just before they left. Evelina hadn't answered, just muttered something blasphemous under her breath. Hyde had just nodded his goodbye, before opening the portal back up and stepping through it back into the Land of the Living.

"I need a drink", Hyde murmured, sliding the sword back into his belt. "Know a place?"

"Yeah. There's one around the corner that shut down a few weeks ago. Called the Empire", Keres replied, and Hyde strode off in the direction she was looking. Keres didn't bother to follow. Through her eyes that wandering beast could go and drink himself to death if she got the Instruments. And anyway, she had been rather clever about her choice in location. The Tenebrae building was only a few blocks away; she could go and surprise Captain Dance. Stheno, the Gorgon, crept out of the shadows behind her. "Is it done?" Keres asked, not turning around.

"Yes, Ma'am. It took some effort, I have to admit, but it is done. The Greater Demon Abbadon has been procured, and is in the Puzzlebox", she hissed back.

"What is their progress?"

"They have completed the final puzzle, both of them. But, it's doubtful they will get out in one piece after Abbadon has had his go at them".

"Good. Now come on. Let's go and pay Dance a visit", she exclaimed, and walked away, with Stheno skulking behind her.

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"This is the Empire?" Hyde asked himself, toying with the unlocked padlock on the front doors. Someone had been here, or someone was here. The jade coloured paint had started to peel around the handles and through the windows it looked like it hadn't been visited in ages. Pulling off the chain around the handles, he flung the doors open to see Olalla sitting behind the bar with a bottle of vintage whisky in her hand. She hadn't been home; she had come straight here, so blood was still dripping down her arms and face.

"Well I never", she chirped, spinning around on her chair to see him. "Crazy colander man was right. The Hell happened to you? You look like you haven't slept in weeks".

"And what is it to you?"

"Well since I'm your si-".

"Vampire", he murmured, cutting her off. He snuffed the air, then hurried over to sit at the bar. "I can smell a vampire in here". Olalla just smiled, leaning on the table.

"That'll be me". Hyde tilted his head to the side, then grinned back at her.

"Have to be totally honest with you, um..."

"Olalla".

"Well, I have to be honest, Olalla, I don't like your kind", Hyde exclaimed, rather bluntly. "Too judgemental. But I do have a friend whose one". Olalla's eyes lit up for a moment, hoping that perhaps somewhere in his memory she was still there.

"What was her name?"

"Keres", Hyde answered back, and Olalla just nodded, disappointed; then turned her back on him towards the towering display of various alcohols. Hyde had gone silent. Then:

"One, two, three, four, five. Once I caught a vamp alive. Six, seven, eight, night, ten. Tied her up using silver chains and pulled both fangs out slowly with a pair of pliers... something like that". His take on a nursery rhyme had turned a bit sour. Olalla could feel her fangs extending out of her jawline, but refused them, because if Hyde's little rhyme was anything to go on, they wouldn't last very long. "What about the same fate for you, hm? You'd look pretty with a bit of sunlight on your skin". Olalla just shrugged the question off, pouring herself a glass of whisky.

"So, what brings you to these parts?"

"Well, I was looking for a drink", he replied, reaching for the bottle of whisky. However Olalla got there first, smashing it on the side of the bar so the amber liquid spilt over the floor.

"Sorry, we're out".

"What are you, the landlady of this place?"

"No, just a passerby. I'm looking for my brother actually. Seen him anywhere? He used to come here often"

"Name?"

"Robert Jekyll. Know him?"

"Afraid not, Mon Cherie".

"If only you knew", Olalla murmured into her glass, thinking of the rather... incestual nickname he had just addressed her by. "Don't you remember anything at all about us?"

"Who's 'us'?"

"Ravi, and Garson, and Maggie, and Bella and Lottie. Everyone who'd risk life and limb for you, and want you home". Hyde pondered the names for a moment.

"I remember only a shadow. Living in the shade of everyone else, and looked down upon for being the monster I am", Hyde replied with his brow furrowed into frustration. "So no, I don't remember any of those names, but if they would really risk life and limb for me, where are they now?"

"I don't know..." she said quietly.

"Ah, the vampire doesn't know, does she? And there's me thinking your kind was intelligent", Hyde spat, forcing Olalla's Hyde to arise and feel like something under her skin. Silently she took the Jekyll Ring out of her pocket and placed it on her finger. Reality was now hers to control. But she couldn't bring Jekyll back; she couldn't control it without a constant supply of blood. She couldn't risk that. She'd rather have half a brother than none at all.
"Though what can you expect from a parasitical, mindless, filthy little-" Hyde started, but was interrupted by Olalla standing away from the bar, pointing the ring on her finger at him threateningly.

"That's enough, Hyde", she exclaimed, cutting him off, and he raised one eyebrow in reply. Standing opposite her, with the bar the only thing between them, he bit off the cork on a whisky bottle and took a swig of it.

"Oh, I think we're just getting started", Hyde growled.

"I don't want to fight you Hyde. I mean look at me", she lulled, gesturing to her blood-soaked clothes. It seemed these past few weeks hardly any of her clothes stayed clean for more than an hour. Being covered in blood, whether it be her own or someone else's, seemed to be a rather habitual thing these days. "Doesn't it look like I've been in the wars today already?"

"I would have thought blood came as an occupational hazard for a vampire".

"I'm not a bloody vampi-"

"Tell you what. I'll make it a little bit fun, hm? You get first punch".

"'Cause that's all you want is it, fun?" Olalla asked with a slightly disbelieving look. Hyde nodded back, making Olalla let out a scoffed chuckle. "You're an arse, you know". She laughed, taking out a fresh bottle of gin from the alcohol rack. She had only just realised how much alcohol she had actually consumed; Maggie would kill her if she knew.

"Oh, I've been told that more than once", he answered, grinning from ear to ear as if it was something to be proud of. "Now, Miss Olalla". He slid the Hyde Sword out of his belt and slowly pointed it across the bar at Olalla. "I think you've been a bit of a naughty girl. Because I'll tell you something now. That ring belongs to me". Slicing a long gash along her finger up to the Ring, he chuckled when Olalla didn't react at all.

"So did you steal it?" Hyde asked. "I've heard vampires are infamous for it".

"I did", Olalla lied. She didn't know why she fibbed; all she could guess was that it was the easier option.

"If you hadn't had stolen from me, then I might have been proud of you, but since you did..." he started, sliding the Sword back into his belt. He tilted his head to the side curiously and then, in a moment, put his hand on the back of Olalla's head and smashed it into the stone side of the bar. She choked, holding on to the side, then slipped down to the ground, smashing into various bottles as she went down.
"Sorry about that", Hyde murmured under his breath, jumping over the bar next to her. "You seemed like a nice girl, but..." He grabbed hold of her hand, pulling the Jekyll Ring off her finger. "This is mine". Laughing, he left, leaving Olalla out cold on the Empire floor.

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It had been five hours. Five long hours at that. Maggie had tried everything to keep her eyes off the time, but to no prevail. Now she was gazing into the sparks flying away from the fire and could only see the similarities to her situation. Ringing her hands in her lavender skirt, she jumped faintly when Garson pressed a hand to her shoulder.

"It'll be okay", he murmured.

"Will it?" she replied, not turning away from the fire.

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Becoming conscious again, all Olalla wanted to do was swear. And she would have; if she could remember any curse words. Man, she had taken more of a bump than she thought. Or maybe the bottle of whisky were catching up on her. Staggering to her feet, she held onto both her wounded head and the side of the bar for support. She swung open the Empire doors and swiftly moved, not noticing the loss of the Jekyll Ring.

"One day Hyde, I'll get you back for this", she muttered under her breath and lurched into the London street.

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"I'll get it", Garson exclaimed when he heard the doorbell ring. Maggie mumbled a reply back, but an incomprehensible one at that. All he could think was how broken she looked without her grandchildren by her side. Swiftly, he opened the door to Sackler and Lily, standing on the porch.

"Mr... Um, Garson", Sackler started, who looked just as shattered as Maggie over Lottie's disappearance. "We're pleased to say that Joshua Silverlight has returned to London. We have set a date for Wednesday, two days from now, and I, uh..."

"We hope you will be there to witness it", Lily finished. Garson looked back towards Maggie, then nodded.

"I'll be there", he replied, and the two MIO agents then started to walk away. "Sackler", Garson added, making the Welshman spin around to see him. "Lottie will be okay. She's a brave girl". Sackler smiled weakly, slightly uplifted by his optimism.

"I know", he answered simply, and strolled away. Closing the door, Garson sighed, and returned to his seat, not realising that Olalla was only just around the corner.

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"Just one more block", Olalla thought, limping her way through the variously decorated houses. And by God she was elated to finally see home again. Stumbling over to the porch, she finally fell onto her knees at the last hurdle, then struck the door with her palm.

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Ravi answered the door, unknowing that it was his adopted sister lying face-up on their porch. Opening the door slowly, he was surprised to see nobody there.

"Look down and don't scream", Olalla murmured weakly, which he did, and she was met with a rather shocked gasp.

"Oh dear God", Ravi exclaimed, grasping the attention of Garson and Maggie who soon came to his side. They let out similar gasps when they saw her bloody body.

"Here", Garson said, picking her to her feet and resting her arm across his shoulder. "The Hell happened?"

"Oh, you know", Olalla answered, voice dropped to an almost whisper. "Siblings decided to beat me up".

"I'm just glad you're home", Maggie lilted, a bittersweet smile crossing her face.

"She needs rest", Garson said, half carrying her up the stairs. "Let her heal".

:/:

"Two down, two to go, eh?" Maggie chirruped to Ravi when Olalla had disappeared into one of the bedrooms.

"Since when did you have four grandchildren?" Ravi replied.

"Olalla, Lottie, Robert and, well, you".

"Me?"

"Well, why not?"

"Grandchildren means blood relatives, and... I'm not".

"You're as much a grandchildren as any of 'em. And at the moment, probably more".

"Thank you Maggie", Ravi said quietly. "For being my family".

:/:

"Now stay there", Garson instructed to Olalla, who was lying in bed, still dressed in her bloody clothes.

"How can I stay here when I've got Hyde on the loose, Lottie God knows where, and Tenebrae vying revenge on MIO?" Olalla answered sternly.

"Because I said so". Olalla sighed, putting her head back on her pillow. "You saw Hyde?"

"Yeah, he was in the Empire. Looked like he hadn't ate or slept for weeks. Was after a drink, but he was probably after something el-". Olalla suddenly noticed the Jekyll Ring not being on her finger. "Uh oh..."

"'Uh oh'? What's happened?"

"He may have pinched the ring off me", she murmured, pursing her lips into the beginning of a curse word then stopped herself. "Can you do me a favour Garson?"

"Course, what?"

"Grab me a monocane aerosol. This is tomorrow's problem". Rubbing his chin, Garson dove into his pocket and brought out a red monocane "Thank you", she whispered, taking it from him and then spraying it repeatedly into her face. Within moments she had fainted onto her pillow; images of angels and demons filling her head.

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