Prelude

Tension filled the room, together with silence. Hyde glared down at Dance. The man was wearing the same uniform. The same mustache, the same cold, black eyes. And yet this knowing smile on his lips made Hyde shiver in anger. His breath came in fast gasps. Something was different. Something had changed.

The incubus. It was inside of Dance. How it had managed this, Hyde did not know. But what bothered him was that this undead man believed he could open the Calyx. He was holding it in his leather gloves right now. A dusty, brown jar, inconsiderable, yet so deadly.

"Nice try", responded Hyde with an angry pant in his voice, "I still don't believe that you can open this." Dance was bluffing! He had to. The mad man would only believe this if he saw it with his own eyes. However he also knew that this would cost him time. Time, he did not have.

Dance smiled coolly. "I doubt that", he responded, "We no longer need you, Hyde. I have the power to open the Calyx now. And when I do it, I will unleash its full power and potential. Destroying you and your friends." He placed his hand on the cap. Hyde's nostrils flared anxiously. No! This is impossible.

Dance's hand slowly moved sideways as he made the cap crack open. A glimmer of blood red light leaked through the slit. It flew through the air, hitting Hyde's chest, making him grunt in pain. It was as if a blade had cut through his flesh. A brief glimmer of power. Dance was about to unleash something great and monstrous.

Hyde's jaws were forced open as he unleashed an angry roar. Throwing one of the bandits down the balustrade, he started to race down the stairs. His actions had been a silent signal. Tenebrae charged. And Hyde and his friends charged back. The time seemed to freeze. Hyde hardly noticed Bella, pushing Lily out of the killing of a bullet or Ravi, ducking a bandit's fist. Up there Garson, Maggie and Hills were probably fighting as well.

The world could end in the blink of an eye in this house and no one would notice it. Hyde had only eyes for Dance, who was opening the Calyx, sending flashes of red light everywhere. His blood pumped in his ears, together with Olalla Hyde's voice: "You have to find the Calyx and open it. If you can crush the heart before a single heart beat, you will be fine. But the more it beats, the stronger it gets. Strong enough to kill. Even you. And kill all those around you."

Dance had opened the Calyx. Hyde reached him and with an angry roar lifted his hand. Blood red light streamed out of it. It vibrated as the mad man pushed a hand in it, ready to make contact with the beating organ that lied in it. A sharp pain shot through his arm as if someone had slammed a blade into the palm of his hand. Hyde crunched his teeth as he grabbed the heart. A loud explosion filled the room and the red glow blinded him. Hyde felt his feet thrown off the ground. And before he could react, the mad man hit the floor and everything turned black.

~Jekyll & Hyde~

The cool stone against his cheeks. His eyes were closed. Hyde could not move. Pain had taken over every single inch of his flesh. His muscles were burning. They felt stiff and frozen. Hyde had no idea if he could even walk.

With a groan, Hyde's lids shot open. The world was a blur. Grunting and grumbling, the mad man tried to focus on something, anything. Finally his vision stopped spinning around and he could see the jar before him. It was broken in several pieces, smoke fumed from its shreds, a fair purple shade.

And in the center of it all laid the heart. It was not really intact as blood was spilled everywhere. The flesh had a dark shade over its red skin as if it had been burned badly. An aura of villainy, bitterness and maddening rage laid over it, slowly fading away. It was as if Lord Trash had realized that he had just gotten imprisoned in this other world even more.

The sharp intake of another one's breath. Hyde grunted as he came to his feet. He watched Captain Dance, readjusting his footing as well. The mad man bared his teeth with an angry growl, preparing for another attack. His opponent was a mess. There were several bruises of ash over his clothes and even his face seemed to be covered in dust.

Dance glared back at Hyde. His eyes flashed in anger when he eyed the heart. However the Captain his composer. "You won this time, Hyde", he whispered and every word sounded like a threat, "Next time won't be this easy."

Hyde growled as a response and watched. He was ready to pounce, but Dance commanded sharply: "Retreat! All of you!" Fedora, Silas, the Vetala and bandits hurried passed him, storming towards the exit of the laboratory. Dance was the last to follow. Before he disappeared, the undead man glared back at Hyde, hurt pride, anger and selfishness in his glance.

Hyde stood up. His neck cracked as he rolled his shoulder. Soft moans, sighs and groans made him turn around. As the mad man spun around, he slowly disappeared back underneath Robert's skin like an illusion, dissolve into thine air. The cyan glow was replaced with a warm green and the veins faded, leaving soft, healthy skin.

"Is everybody alright?", asked Robert anxiously. His glance glittered in worry. Olalla's words still echoed in him. The heart had the ability to kill. If Dance had been able to kill Bella or Lily or Ravi... It made him quiver in fear. They had to be alright! They just had to be alright!

"Ouch! I have got muscle ache on parts where I did not know they even exist!" Bella Charming peeled herself out of a bunch of broken chairs and shelves. Dusting off her silky clothes, the black haired woman was busy checking her hair and arms. "This place is a mess! Really, it is like a tornado raced through it."

Robert laughed feebly. He may not really like Bella, but her directness and blunt sense of humor somehow could be really refreshing. At least one person was alright. And probably so well that she could complain like crazy. He turned his head, when a soft voice asked: "Care to help me please?"

Turning around, he spotted Lily, squeezed between the table and the wall. "Of course", the Doctor responded. Robert hurried and pushed the table away. He offered her his hand. "Are you alright? Nothing broken, hurt or anything?" She laughed feebly, her clear eyes sparkling. Taking his hand, Lily Carrew allowed Robert to help her on her feet. "I am fine", she reassured him, "Thank you, Robert. Oh" - she turned around to face Bella - "and Bella, thanks for pulling me away from that shot. Fedora almost got me." The bar owner simply lifted her shoulders. "No problem", she replied with the typical soreness in her voice, "Anyone else would have done the same."

Robert turned around. His face remained a frown. He would only calm down when he was sure that everyone was alright. "Ravi!", he shouted, "Where are you?" Please God, tell me, he is alright! "I am over here!" Robert looked up and felt the air leave his lounges as he sighted in release. Ravi's messed up hair surrounded a shocked and surprised looking face.

Robert smiled and whispered more to himself then to anyone else: "Thank goodness everyone is alright." He looked around. It seemed Tenebrae had taken a greater loss then he had. In their fight they apparently had destroyed several Vetalas, judging from the black dust and re thorn clothes, and the bandit Hyde had thrown over the balustrade had broke his neck.

"Alright", the Doctor nodded, "Let's go and check on Garson and the others. I only hope they are just as alright as we are." The others nodded in agreement and the small group raced upwards the stairs, out of the laboratory and into the lobby.

The place looked almost as demolished as the lab downstairs. Broken chairs, re thorn carpets, and pieces of wood laid around, scattering. The fire in the chimney had died down. Parts of ash, still glowing softly, glimpsed on the carpet. Several dead bandits and remains of Vetala clothing showed that Maggie, Garson and Hills too had been forced to stand their ground.

When Robert, Lily, Ravi and Bella entered the main hall, they got greeted by the tip of a flowering sword. It was held by Hills, who now lowered the weapon. It might only serve decoration purpose, but from the blood on its blade Robert could tell that it had been tested in a new fashion this evening.

"Thank goodness it is you", called Hills and smiled, "I thought it was one of the boney guys." "The Vetala are mostly dead", responded Robert, "It's over, Hills. Hyde, I, managed to destroy the heart." She did not looked too happy about that. Her smile was feeble and her eyes clouded. Robert felt his heartbeat quickening. "Are you alright?", he asked, "You are not hurt, are you? What about Garson? And Maggie?"

Hills merely stepped aside and revealed Garson who was kneeling over someone in front of the fireplace. No!  "Maggie!" Robert pushed himself passed Hills and sprinted over towards the old man and his grandmother.

Garson had placed Maggie on his lab. The old lady was breathing in fast and tired gasps. Her grey hair was a mess and her skin had the colour of marble. Robert could not spot any visible injury, but he saw the life, flooding out of her like blood, streaming out of a wound.

Garson had pressed his hands on Maggie's chest. He looked incredible old. The white haired man whispered: "Maggie, please stay with us. Robert is here. He can help you." Everything started to spin around Robert. He felt the tears in his eyes. Sobbing, he fell on his knees. His hands were shaking as he took Maggie's hands.

"Maggie", he whispered desperately, "Stay with us. I can help you. I can heal you." No! She could not be taken away from him. He had just found his real family and now death wanted to take away his grandmother. Robert wanted to scream. He kept crying and whispering words, praying that they could keep Maggie in the world of the living.

A quiet sigh made him look up. It took Maggie a great effort, but she slowly turned her head. Her lids fluttered as her wise, brown eyes looked at him. "Robert..." Her voice was a faint whisper. "Schh", responded Robert, although his voice choked on tears, "Be still, Maggie. You don't have to say anything. It can wait."

Maggie responded: "It is already too late for me, Robert." "No!", called Robert, "I save you! I won't let you die!" The old woman lifted a hand and guided her grandson's hand towards her belly. He sensed an incredible heat, reminding him of the feeling Hyde had had when a flash of red light had hit him; the feeling like a blade ran through your flesh. "The Calyx' power has hit me", she explained, "You cannot do anything against it."

"No.....no...", whimpered Robert. They had cheated death once with Hyde's blood. Surely they could do it again! He would not just sit here and let Magarete die. He would be a monster if he did this. Maggie swallowed and took another shivering breath. "Louis would be so proud of you", she whispered.

The dieing lady lifted her hand again in an attempt to lay it on Robert's cheek. The young Doctor caught her hand and softly placed her palm against his cheek. He was still crying. Maggie smiled at him and it was the friendliest face of her he had ever seen. "I am proud of you. It...is such an honour to have you as a grandson."

Robert cried and squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Robert...Garson..." Maggie looked at her old friend and lover. "Thanks for finding me." Her eyes slowly closed and in a last shivering breath her chest sunk down.

"Maggie?", asked Robert and patted her cheeks, "Maggie!" A dreadful cry left his lips and for a brief moment he feared that Hyde might just come back. But his alter ego remained deep in the wombs of his subconsciousness, silent, but just as remorseful as he was.

Robert buried his face on his grandmother's chest and started to cry. He hardly noticed Garson patting his back. The old man too was crying. Very slowly Hills, Bella, Lily and Ravi moved closer, shock, dismay and grief in their faces.

Hyde had destroyed the Calyx. But its deadly powers had gotten one victim. Margarete Hope. Robert did not know what he felt more. Remorse, sadness, grief, shock, anger, helplessness. He was an emotional wrack, a complete mess. He had not wanted this to anyone. Hyde had destroyed the Calyx. But maybe the price they had paid for their victory was too high.