Prelude

Ravi was hanging in the net. His head pounded and he felt blood run down his cheek. It felt like he was all back in Ceylon, in his parent's house, laying on the floor. "If I were with the British Army, would I do this?" The sound off the pistole shots still haunted the young Indian in his dreams. There had been nothing he could do to save his parents. He could only watch and see them get shot, wounded. He could only see Dance ruin his home. He had been helpless, so very helpless. And he hated this feeling.

But not today. He would not allow his helplessness to overcome him this time. He would do something against it. Ravi carefully opened his eyes just a small slit. From an outsider's view it looked like he was still unconscious. The dark eye slowly moved around, taking everything in. Ravi had very keen eyes. He could notice details other people overlooked.

His net was hanging in the middle off the room. To his left Robert sat there and on his right was Olalla. Captain Dance stood in the middle. Underneath his net sat several Vetala. The monsters bared their teeth and roared out of dry lounges. Ravi had to avoid flinching. He hated those fragile looking skeletons. They were deeply connected in his mind with the memory off the burning house.

Behind Robert stood the table, on which laid the monocane dart gun. Ravi quickly calculated the distance between the net and the table.

That is insane, Ravi! It can never work! Or why should it not work? They needed to get out of here. Ravi could do nothing to fight monsters. But Robert and Olalla could. And for that they needed to be Hyde. Neither Robert, nor Olalla could transform right now. Ravi carefully and silently let his hand wander over his trousers. Underneath him, Dance was trying to seduce Olalla, persuading her into decoding the Jeziquel book. No one was paying attention to him.

Finally he found what he had been looking for. The pistole felt cold and hard in his fingers. Ravi kept his eyes partly closed as he tightened his grip around the weapon. Careful now... No hasty movements. He did not want to startle them until it was too late. Ravi pulled the pistole, took a deep breath, aimed and shot.

~Jekyll & Hyde~

At this moment a low shot exploded in the room. Robert gasped in shock, feeling startled. Where had the shot come from? Who had shot? He looked around in hectic. The young Doctor was unharmed, although the blow had been close to his ear. Olalla and Captain Dance seemed to be without any wound as well. And were equally confused.

It took them all several minutes, before they came up with the idea to look up. Robert's jaw dropped. Ravi! What the hell have you been doing? His brother was holding the pistole in his hand, smoke coming out off the stock. The bullet had re-thorn the net. Everyone still was partly under shock because off the loud gun shot and thus was unprepared for what Ravi was about to do.

Clinging to the re-thorn net, Ravi swung himself forwards. The Vetala bellowed in shock and scattered. Ravi flew through the air and let go. The young Indian boy catapulted himself over the heads of Robert and Dance and slammed against the table behind the young Doctor, ripping down the monocane gun with him.

That change of events lead to an immense movement through all parties. Olalla called: "Red, Ravi! We need a red dart!" She once again started to struggle against her chains. Robert too caught himself fighting. He heard Dance shout angrily: "Get me that gun now!" Several Vetala raced forwards.

Robert turned his head around. He saw Ravi struggle with the gun. It clinked and hit against his leg as he opened the magazine. He's never gonna be able to finish this in time. Robert even wondered if Ravi would be able to actually aim and shoot properly. He had never done that before.

Ravi managed to slam the red dart into the magazine. He peeked around the corner and was immediately forced to duck because a bullet raced past him. Dance had lifted his gun and was aiming at him. NO! Robert jerked against his chains once more. He shouted: "Leave him alone, Dance!"

At that moment Ravi came from behind the table and shot. Dance almost fired at the same time. Robert felt like time was freezing. The blows echoed in his ears and he saw the smoke off the gunfire curl around the stock. The red dart flew through the air. Its crimson liquid glittered in the sun. The bullet came from the other side, small and deadly, ready to shatter the glass in its way.

Robert shut his eyes close. He did not dare to see the glass splitter and the liquid spill. Somewhere by the table he heard Ravi throw himself on the ground to dodge the bullet. At that moment a quiet prick could be heard and Robert felt a stinging sensation near his leg. He opened his eyes in surprise. The monocane dart was stuck in his ankle. Ravi had calculated the flying route in a way that would make the dart avoid Dance's bullet.

"Ravi, you are a bloody genius", Robert barely managed to whisper. Then Hyde took a firm hold off him. His organs felt like someone was trying to pull them out from behind his spine; his breath got taken away, he gasped and wheezed. His veins convulsed and made his face grow dark and red around his eyes. Flaring cyan in his gaze, he could feel Hyde make himself known by forcing his jaws open into a series off roars and pants.

Finally he slowly readjusted himself. Hyde replaced Robert's fear and worry with cold coolness, composer and confident. Grinning to himself, he rip apart the chains from his wrists. A flick off his fingers and the ring around his neck broke apart. Chuckling darkly, Hyde got up. He brushed off the dust from his cloths and cracked his neck. "Thanks, Ravi", he said, "I would have hated to miss the party."

He walked towards Olalla and grabbed the chains. One fast pull, the crunching off metal and she was free. "You're never number two for me, sis", he murmured with an assuring smile. Hyde took Olalla's wrist and pulled her up. She smiled happily at him. "I know", she responded.

However the joy did not last long. Hyde, Olalla and Ravi looked around. They were surrounded. Before them stood Dance, Fedora and several Vetala. The rest off the room had bandits and more Vetala in every corner. They all were on the go, ready to attack them, should Dance give the command.

Hyde decided to not give them the advantage off the first move. Instead he unleashed an angry roar, his face crunching in anger, veins pulsating, and launched forwards. His fist swung through the air, ready to bash itself into Dance's face. However before he could do so a leather gloved hand caught his fist.

Hyde's smile vanished upon the grip. There was something in this touch. Power. Something was wrong. Dance's eyes glittered and he gave him a knowing smile. Tightening his grip around Hyde's wrist, the undead man jerked his arm around and flung Hyde across the room. The mad man roared in shock when a polished shoe slammed itself into his stomach and he slammed against the next bookshelf.

Books and newspapers clattered upon him. Hyde felt a sharp pain in his back. Fire in his spine. That...that was impossible. "How could you do this?!", shouted the mad man in disbelief. He came to his feet and bared his teeth in an angry snarl. "I am a Hyde! You cannot defeat me! Impossible!" However Captain Dance's cold smile showed him that it was indeed very possible. It made his blood run cold. The undead man's eyes were flaring blue and mist emitted from the corner off them. "Can't you see it, Hyde?", asked Dance, "The odds are no longer in your favour."

~Jekyll & Hyde~

Ravi had grabbed the book for Olalla had dropped it in the chaos. He know stood there and looked around in panic and fear. The Vetala and bandits were angrily marching towards him, Robert and Olalla, ready to tear them to shreds. And he had nothing to defend himself with! Unless you counted the empty pistole and a heavy book. He felt the strong desire to hide in a closet.

Silas was angrily strolling towards him. His arms swung from side to side, he had a mean grin in his face. His healthy eye focussed on the book. "Give me that thing, boy", he snarled, "And I am not gonna hurt you." "No!" Ravi's voice trembled in his fear. He half turned away as if he could protect the book in this way. "You cannot have it!"

Silas bared his teeth in an angry snarl. "I heard in Germany people don't hit little girls. But you aren't one." He lifted his fist. Ravi shrieked and heard Olalla shout behind him. What it was, he could not really understand, however he assumed that she had said duck, and thus threw himself on the floor. Silas' fist shot over him and he could hear the crunching off knuckles as they hit flesh, followed by Olalla's howl.

Silas' look changed from dump villainy and aggression to panic and he muttered something along the lines "Oh, shit! That backfired!" Ravi turned to look at Olalla. She had pressed her hand over her eye. However now her body stretched and she let out a quiet and pleasant growl, almost like someone had petted a tiger. Turning her face, her eyes flared alive in cyan fire, the veins convulsed and Ravi saw a dark ring around her left eye, where Silas had hit her.

Olalla launched forwards and grabbed Silas by his colour. "Pop quiz, sweetheart", the blonde woman purred, "Ever heard off a déjà vû?" The bandit hung half in the air and clenched to her wrist with both hands. He gagged a "No." Olalla grinned. "It is the re experience of an event you have seen before", she explained. Silas seemed to get what she meant. "Oh, Jesus Christ", he managed to mumble, before he got thrown across the room.

By now two ravels had formed in the office. Olalla and Ravi were fighting against the bandits and Vetala that charged at them. Which meant that Olalla punched and hacked her way through the masses of bodies and ducked attacks, while Ravi tried to avoid getting in her way. Despite clearly being outnumbered, Olalla still managed to held her head high and stand her ground.

Ravi had clutched the Jeziquel book to his chest like some teddy bear. "What do we do?", he called as Olalla send another man flying. She turned around and broke somebody's nose with the back off her hand in the movement. Her hair was a mess and Ravi could hear her pant quietly. The blonde woman responded: "We try to move to the exit." Gazing into Hyde's direction, she added: "And hope that we meet Robert there."

~Jekyll & Hyde~

Hyde did not have it as easy as Olalla. He was only fighting Dance. However their fight was so intense that most bandits and Vetala backed down as if they wanted to give their master the honour of finishing his nemesis off. Hyde did not blame them. In fact he was rather glad. Dance alone, with the power off the Incubus inside him, was a serious match.

They were angrily circling one another like two bears. Sometimes one off them would charge forwards in an attempt to make the other one fall over. This someone was mostly Hyde. However no matter from which angle he charged, Dance countered with ease. The mad man had lost count on how many times he had smashed against a wall, into a shelf or got thrown over the table.

It felt like his first fight with Olalla all over again. Hyde had felt incredibly stupid in that situation. He first had thought Oh, this is gonna be easy. I am gonna grab her and drag her away, while she is kicking and screaming. He had been proven so wrong in that fight. Olalla had fought in a way that was so much like his own and yet so different. She had always been two steps ahead and thus had beaten him up.

The same thing was happening with Dance. Whenever Hyde managed to grab the senior officer and try to push him around, he would either feel Dance's iron grip around his wrists or a knee in his stomach. If Hyde didn't have healing abilities, the Captain would have beaten him black and blue by now. In fact it felt a lot like that.

Hyde could not understand it. What was he lacking? He clearly had enough strength and speed to be Dance's equal. And yet here he was, getting beaten like a naughty school boy by a bully.

Hyde barely had time to turn his head when Dance's fist hit him again. The mad man grunted in shock as he buckled over and fell on the ground. Behind him he could hear the crunching off Dance's shoes. The senior officer's deadly gaze burned in his neck. "Enough playing around", he whispered darkly, "Time to end this. You really are a disappointment, Hyde."

Hyde groaned. His head was spinning. He had to do something. Looking for a weapon he could use, the mad man spotted a walking stick made off black wood with a silver head, leaning against the table. It probably belonged Prothero.

Hyde launched forwards and grabbed the cane. He swirled around and trashed behind himself, hoping to hit Dance in any way. Bullseye! Hyde sighed in relief when he heard Dance scream in shock and pain as the cane hit flesh. The mad man could hear shuffling footsteps. Hyde stumbled to his feet. He weighed the cane in his hand. Grinning, the mad man called: "I have to get me one off those."

He turned to Dance. The undead man was massaging his shoulder and glowered at him. "Lucky you", Captain Dance whispered in disdain. He slowly reached for something that leaned near a weird, empty tube. It turned out to be an iron cane. Smaller then Hyde's wooden cane, but it still looked like it could do a lot of damage. Dance slowly rolled his wrist like a swordsman. "Fine", he stated with a cold smile, "Let's have it your way."

Hyde roared as a response and took a great step forwards, swinging his cane. There was a low thud as the cane was met by the iron bar. The sound repeated itself several times as Hyde and Dance swirled around one another and duelled each other like two swordsman. The cane gave Hyde a wider range and with it the ability to catch his breath.

And he discovered something: Hyde was damn good at fighting with a cane. The dark wood swirled in his hand – zzz, zzz – like the rapier of a swordsman. It was like an extension of his own arm! Hyde knew by instinct how to step to avoid getting hit, with which angle he could apply the most pressure and most off all, thanks to Robert's knowledge off anatomy, he knew where to hit to cause fireworks off pain for Dance.

This seemed to turn the fight even. For it was clear: Dance had not picked this iron bar if he did not know how to use it. It might be heavier, however the undead Captain too wielded it in a way that made Hyde guess he knew how to use a sword. By now they both had several hits in mid-air, crossings off their canes and a few minor injuries at arms and legs.

"Tell you what", shouted Hyde as he met Olalla in their swirling around, "this is the most strangest thing that I have ever done!" At that moment there was another loud clong and a clattering sound. Dance had swung the iron bar and had smashed Hyde's wooden cane in two. Hyde looked at his hands and then up at Dance. Oh, shit...

The next thing he knew was Dance pressing him against the next wall. "You did not think you were getting away", whispered the undead man. He pulled off one of his gloves. A dark fire enlightened his eyes and a sadistic smile filled his lips. "Greet Doctor Najaran and his wife from me." And with these words Dance placed his bare hand on Hyde's face.

~Jekyll & Hyde~

Olalla had just turned another Vetala into dust when a blood curling scream filled the air. Her head jerked around and her eyes widened. "Robert!", called Olalla. Her brother was screaming. He was backed in a corner and Dance had his hand on his face. Blue mist emitted between his fingers and the young Doctor twitched in agony and howled.

Olalla ripped the Jeziquel book out of Ravi's hands. "Wait here!", she shouted and dived through the Vetala and fighters, aiming for Dance. The closer she came the better she could see what was going on. Her brother was ageing. The Incubus was greedily sucking the life force out of him. No! She could not let this happen!

"Hey, Dance!", Olalla roared and sprinted forwards. Her shout made Dance turn around in surprise. "You want me to decode the book?" The young Hyde swung it in mid-air. "Decode it yourself!" There was a loud clonk and Olalla slammed the Jeziquel book against Dance's head. Her father groaned in shock and fell down.

Hyde turned around and gave her a baffled look. He was panting. A long, grey strand curled over his face. "Is it your new hobby saving my ass in the last minute?", asked Hyde and shook his head with a dry laugh. Olalla grinned. Now it was her, who grabbed the other one's wrist and pull him up. "Guess that runs in the family", she joked.

There was a low shot and Olalla and Hyde ducked. Turning their heads, they spotted Fedora. She was pointing her pistole at them. Hyde growled: "Guess not everybody likes your sense of humour, sis." Captain Dance too was getting back on his feet again. He inhaled sharply and when his gaze fell on Olalla, she could see a dark bruise over the left side of face. Olalla nodded in agreement. "I guess, we overstayed our welcome anyway."

~Jekyll & Hyde~

Hyde and Olalla raced back to Ravi. "Everything alright, Ravi?", asked Hyde. The Indian boy nodded. He was trembling and his skin pale like bad cappuccino. Olalla handed Ravi the book. They heard a sharp and angry hiss. Dance had given a command. The remaining Vetala and bandits, lead by a very peeved Silas, advanced towards them. "Okay", stated Olalla, "I think, we delay the reunion for when we are out of here."

Olalla, Hyde and Ravi raced towards the lift on the other side of the room. Right at this moment the lift opened and a sore looking, angry Prothero entered, followed by several security members. The newspaper owner pointed at Hyde and shouted: "He locked me in the toilet!" Ravi, Olalla and Hyde slowed down in a rapid movement, arms waving to keep their balance. "Eh, left!", shouted Hyde and barged through the next door.

There was only a staircase that lead upwards. Hyde, Olalla and Ravi were racing over the stairs, around edges and over floors. They were trying to get as much distance between them and their hunters as possible.

As they ran, Olalla called: "You locked Prothero in the bathroom?! Have you lost your mind?" Hyde growled: "What else was I suppose to do?" "Kill him of course", responded Olalla. Her brother threw his arms "Yeah, right! Nobody would have noticed that!" His exclamation caused the blonde woman to laugh. Her smile was mischievous and amused at the same time. "Glad to have you back, Robert."

They finally reached the end of the staircase and ran into the next corridor. Hyde guessed that they know where in the thirteen floor. A sharp pain in his side forced him to stop. Panting, he looked at the others. They all knew they could not continue running like this. They needed to find an exit. Fast!

"Did I already mention that I hate the size of this building?", asked Hyde and looked at Olalla and Ravi, "Where is a lift when you need one?" He stood there and angrily turned around on the spot, looking for a door, a lift or anything that could be an exit.

Ravi had been staring out of the window for the last few minutes. Hand near his chin, the Indian boy asked: "Robert, Olalla, how far can you jump off the cuff?" Hyde asked: "How is this gonna solve anything?" Ravi responded: "Let me redefine my question: Do you think you can reach that tree over there if you were to jump out of the window?"

Hyde and Olalla turned their heads. Through the window, they could see a large oak with many leaves. The mad man crinched. He was not sure. Olalla whispered: "This sounds so insane, it might actually work. Ravi, you are a genius." Hyde growled: "Well, then why are we standing? Let's get out of here." Steps near the stairs told them that their hunters were closing in. Time was running short.

Olalla took the Jeziquel book. Sticking it under her arm, she climbed on the sims. Olalla laid a hand on the window's wall. "See you two later", she muttered. Then swinging her arms, she bent down and took one great leap. Hyde watched his sister fly through the air, a wave of golden hairs behind her head, and disappear in a bunch of leaves.

Hyde hurried over to the window. Before he could climb on the sims, he felt Ravi jump in his back and wrap his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist. Hyde stood on the sims. He heard steps and thought he felt Dance's mad gaze in his neck. "Oh no, you don't!", the Captain shouted and started to sprint.

Hyde peeked at Ravi and growled: "If we die because of this, I am gonna kill you, I swear." With these words, the mad man dived forwards and shot through the air. He heard Ravi scream and he too was screaming as he fell and fell, before a large, green wall of leaves took his sight away.