A tingle went up Nathaniel’s spine. He had a gut feeling that he should look for any lurking creatures. He clasped the paper in his hand, crushing it. He got up from where he sat, trying to be quiet not to wake the sleeping madman, stifling his way into the foyer. He slammed the damaged plans on the desk and made his way to the front door. Opening the door, he peered outside, narrowing his eyes when they landed on Dorian. He scowled, although it could not be seen because the shadows covered his visage. “What could you possibly want?” He spat. His temper was dwindling into wrath and soon hysteria. He’d already helped a patron and wanted to be left in peace. He didn’t need to talk to another. “You’re the bartender, aren’t you,” Nathaniel slipped outside into his natural habitat, shutting the door behind him. The night. “What seems to be the issue?” His demeanor shifted to one that was more practical. It was not pleasant, but it was doable.
Dorian shifted to one hip, arms crossed. "I don't know what you're doing, but I would like to know soon. Or do I have to call upon the police?" he asked, looking Nathaniel deep in the eyes. He soon averted his gaze from that monstrous face, however. "What do you want, from this poor gentleman? He seemed no harm, but you seem plenty. I know faces like that, there's evil in them." he growled, withdrawing from his coat pocket a knife, a decent size and heft and enough to use as a weapon if needed, not like Dorian would ever actually but Vladimir had gifted it to protect himself from disreputable patrons who wanted nothing more than to drug him into bed.
Nathaniel laughed. It was deep and raspy as any laugh of a psycho would be. "I think we caught ourselves in a misunderstanding, my dear gentleman. The poor man was fighting off the poison you served him. I gave him something to help with his nausea, and I let him rest." He grinned, trying to put on a friendly face, keeping an eye on the knife. It was difficult when half your face was that of a monster. "You can look inside. He is unscathed. Just trying to be a helpful citizen in this world." He bowed with a twinkle in his eye. He then stood straight and turned his back to Dorian. "Oh! If you decide to follow my heal, put that weapon of yours away. I do not want to have to use mine." He went back up the steps of his home, opening the door and gesturing for the man to enter. He was not dangerous, just mischievous. Or so that's what he thought.
Dorian knew better than to enter the homes of strange men. "Poison? Sir, I would graciously tell you how wounded I feel were I feeling any grace. I would never poison anything I serve my patrons, and frankly the accusation is enough to make me suspect foul play here." he said. "Don't make me call someone."
Nathaniel stood at his door, rolling his eyes at such a lunatic. "All the scotch he drank was killing him. I had to give him chamomile to soothe the poor soul. Take my word, sir; I do not play foul. I always play fair, even if you least expect it from me. You can take my tongue's word on that, sir." He gave Dorian a little innocent smile, his burn doing him no favors. A tick comes from his pocket, and he huffs. Nathaniel pulls out a stopwatch from his pocket that once used to be the beetle. He clicks it at exactly 21:00 hours. "I will see you around, my good sir!"
But from above, there was a crash as an empty bottle of vodka was smashed over Nathaniel's head, and a figure leaped from the roof onto his now-unconscious body. It was a dwarf of a man, a dwarf Dorian was all too familiar with. "Hyde."
"Dorrrrriiiiiiaaaaaan!!! Beloved!" Hyde exclaimed, dragging Nathaniel's knocked out form with surprising strength over to Dorian. "He'll be out for a few hours, worry not. Now, dear Dori, why don't you be a dear and help me take this fellow to the theater? I didn't mean to knock him out, but I have a lovely person claiming cannibalism who could dispose of him. I don't want anyone to press charges on you, I love you too much for that." he said, and Dorian rolled his eyes.
"Hyde, no. Leave him in the street. I don't think he deserves death." Dorian said, picking a piece of glass from Nathaniel's hair.
Nathaniel's entire body shook. He shuttered awake, blinking as the sun peaked above the horizon. It was no longer 21:00 hours but 06:30. He groaned, getting himself to his knees, his hands on the cobbled street and head hanging. What that HELL! What was that guy's deal? He coughed, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. Standing to his feet, his mind tempted him to track the men down. He could guess where they were. He decided against it, limping inside his home and slamming the door shut. Anger shook his entire body, along with the cold air wafting off of him. He entered the kitchen, gripping a counter and hanging his head. The cuts from the glass pained him, but he did not care. He didn’t even care that his tailcoat was wrinkled. Nathaniel wanted to work on his plans, plans to overrun England. He brewed himself some tea to soothe his body and made his way over to his bureau desk. Nathaniel put the cup down and picked up a pencil. He started doodling intricate designs onto a piece of paper, scribbling away like a madman writing Don Juan Triumphant. Nathaniel slammed his fist down on the desk, "GODDAMN!"
Edward exited the shadows in favor of leaning over Nathaniel, smug grin on his face. "Whatcha doin'?" he asked as the man's fist hit the desk. Voices, soft ones, could be heard from the sitting room, as Victor and Dorian conversed. "He's dangerous. You don't have a face like that and have a clean history." Dorian said. Victor mumbled something back, and Edward leaned onto Nathaniel. "Soooo… bitch boyyy, how'sabout we take this outside? Dorian told me he suspected you of unsavory motivations towards this Victor fellow, and I've reinforcements waiting outside ready to bash down the door. Admittedly, I met the giant last night in the theater, drunk as a peach. But the brute seems likable." he laughed.
Nathaniel closed his eyes, squeezing them shut and gritting his teeth. It turns into a twisted smile. "If you do not get out of my face, I will hit you. I will not be kind to a man threatening my life." He laughed like a madman and caught his breath after a small hiccough. Nathaniel gripped his pencil with his pointer and middle, pushing up the end with his thumb, snapping his pencil in half. He grabbed the teacup, slamming his desk closed, trapping all the papers and mechanics inside. Nathaniel lifted his head and turned toward Edward, staring him deep into his eyes. His scars twisted, forcing the left half of his face into a snide look, his eye squinted. The other side was just a normal smile with a wide eye. He put the teacup on the top of his desk and stood. "Now, believe me when I say—I HAVE NO GODDAMN ILL INTENTIONS. GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE, OR I MIGHT DO SOMETHING I WILL REGRET!" His fist was balled—it seemed he was about ready to punch Edward.
A startled noise came from the other room, it came from Victor. It was like he had been startled awake and indeed he had, waking as soon as the shouting started. Dorian whispered soft murmurs of reassurance to him, it was as if they had been conversing while Nathaniel was out cold. Hyde slipped out like an eel, and went to check on Victor. At the same time, the door opened, quietly. "I heard shouting. Mr. Hyde, are you alright?" a soft, almost angelic voice carried into the hall.
Nathaniel turned his head slowly, glaring at the door. He backed away, placing each foot behind the other methodically. He needed to slip out of the light—the limelight. A memory flooded his mind, and he wanted it to go away. Each step was closer and closer to the shadows, the only thing that gave him strength. He shook his head rapidly in a mindless rage.
"What have you done, Nathaniel!?" His mother cried. He had yet again beaten up another school kid. His mother's broken sobs scared him. It was as if he murdered the child.
The house distorted, leaving moving shadows, red clouding his eyes. The lights blinded him, and his scar started to burn. He stifled a pained scream as hot pain burned up his face. He was so close to the shadows that encompassed his entire body. Nathaniel never felt safe around himself, hoping to find peace in the man from the bar. Others ruined it for him, and now he was driving himself mad. His head spun, his right foot moving back and displacing the hallway rug. Alarm flashed across his face. He knew what was about to happen. His body came crashing to the ground, leaving him defenseless to anyone who was to check on the madman.
A giant, eight foot tall monster, covered in stitches and scars, stepped into where Nathaniel was hiding. They shrugged, and placed him on a chair to rest. This thing seemed evil, but harmless. The true harm, true evil, was within beauty that hid something. The monster, which had no name outside the theater, slunk into the next room, where machines lay in piles, half-formed carcasses, not unlike what the monster had seen in their creator's journal. They were half machine, bones simply metal structures meant to bend and sway and snap and break and heal. Enchanted, so as to never die. Even their brain, they knew, was not made for anything but calculations. And yet.
They had never laid eyes on Victor Frankenstein. He had ran before they even had the chance to ask for a kindred soul, a companion, a sister even, in this misery of existence. And with that, they had made the resolution to kill Victor. They did not recognize the man in the sitting room, who looked so weak, so tired, so miserable. The drunken idiot had told them that they were rescuing a friend of Dorian's, nothing more.
Victor, however, very much recognized the monster, and promptly fainted into Dorian's waiting arms. This couldn't be happening, this nightmare could not have returned to torment him.
Nathaniel's vision went in and out. It made everything wonky. It was as if we were looking through a periscope. His eyes threatened to close on him. He got up, stumbling after the creature. He wanted everything and one out of his home. His heart beat against his throat as he grabbed a dagger from the wall. He swayed and veered in many directions, trying to follow in the monster's footsteps. He held the dagger promptly out in front of him, wandering closer to the doorway to the sitting room. When he reached the doorway, he leaned against it, turning his head towards the patrons occupying his sitting room. Laying eyes on the creature, he let out an audible, terrifying scream. Nathaniel thought he was the monster of this dreaded tale, but he was mistaken. He looked as if he was near ready to pass out—was it from the sight of the beast or his tumble? He did not know. "Wh—what the hell is going on?" he panted before sliding down to the floor, unable to stand on his own. The dagger fell to the floor with a metallic clank.
Dorian looked on, a tad disgusted at both monsters. "Hyde, this is who you bring in to help? He seems just as rotten as this… Nathaniel." he said. "Actually, she's a she or a they. And-" Hyde was cut off.
"Hyde, whatever it is, it's clearly nothing like a woman. And they is a plural, or singular as to refer to an unknown."
"They are the unknown, babydoll. Now, your buddy seems to be pretty passed out, and Victor here-"
"Victor? As in, Frankenstein?"
"Uh, according to his tab, yes." Dorian said. "Why?"
The monster's face darkened, and she approached Victor, stretching out a hand to brush against his forehead. "Skinnier than I first thought."
Nathaniel heard little bits of this conversation, his head swaying from side to side. He scrambled to pick up the dagger, but his body had other plans. His vision narrowed into a small tunnel. The first instinct to his body shutting down was to let out a monstrous laugh. The burnt side of his face was once again shadowed. That's how he got people. He collapsed to the ground with a small thud, fighting himself internally. He wasn't about to let the lights go out and have his unconscious, vulnerable body around people who hated him. Who thought him a monster. Unfortunately for Nathaniel, he couldn't fight the urge to close his eyes, so he did. He let out one last heavy breath before passing out in the doorway, the dagger in his hand.
Hyde looked behind him. "Babes, catchup is for later. Let's deal with this little creep before he wakes up. You claimed to be a cannibal, yes?"
"No! You just said I had teeth sharp enough for one, and went with the assumption." the monster said, ruffling her hair anxiously. They dragged Nathaniel to the sofa, and Dorian stood up. "Vladimir will want to know why I didn't show up at home last night. You know how he gets…"
Hyde shot Dorian a worried look, but quickly masked it with a look of teasing. "Oh, and what would he be waiting for from you? I'm sure you two will get up to all sorts of things the same as any confirmed bachelor would with his man toy." he said, and before Dorian could respond Hyde pushed him away. "I'll take care of these." Dorian seemed satisfied with that, and left.
Nathaniel blinked his eyes open, letting out a small groan. What the hell happened? "Where am I?" he mumbled. His vision was blurred, and he couldn't make out the scenery of his own home. Something happened to him, but the blow to his head wouldn't allow him to remember. He gripped the side of the sofa for stabilization, managing to sit himself up. He looked fevered. The burned side of his face looked more lively, the other was pale. Nathaniel put a hand to his temple, audibly mumbling questions about what happened to him. The past day had become a fuzz in his own mind as if he wasn't in control of his own body. Something about him seemed friendlier than the night before, but if anyone knew him well—his wrathful tendencies would flare up again at the sound of someone's voice. He would regain those memories, and this period of gracefulness would be over.
Hyde shrugged at Nathaniel, and turned to the monster. She seemed in a frightful state, their pacing practically driving a path into the floorboards. They looked to Victor, it wouldn't be fair to torture him whilst unconscious nor would it be when he was awake. They didn't know what to do.
Nathaniel's face turned to displeasure. "Why the hell are you still here? I thought it told you to leave!" His shoulders tensed and swung his legs over the sofa. He tried to get up, but his vision blurred, making it insanely hard for him to walk. All he could do now was spit insults and threats. "When my creatures overrun this city, I will make sure—" He stopped himself from speaking. He cursed himself for speaking. His delirious state made him speak about things he wouldn't. Now he needed to make sure they never left, maybe assimilate these people into his creatures. He gritted his teeth, his face twisting into a psychotic expression.
Hyde groaned. "Spare me, buddy. You're just as insane as Dorian's lover is, thinking you can take over the city. Fortunately, you don't have a pretty little boy toy to manipulate like V does my Dorian." he said bitterly. "Oh, wait, that's what Victor was for, wasn't he?" he said, stepping forward, withdrawing a knife from his coat pocket. Unlike Dorian, Hyde was willing to kill.
Nathaniel was unfazed by the knife being withdrawn. He got close to Hyde, grabbed him by the wrist, and threw him to the ground. He put his foot on his chest. "Try me. You're not scary or threatening. I don't just use people just for the purpose of my plans." He pressed his foot harder on Hyde's chest. "At least I was there for Victor before he was torn apart by the savage monsters that are Darion's patrons. And I'll keep that monster from killing him too. I'm not the real monster here, buddy. Look around you." Nathaniel made a low snarl in his throat. His smile was twisted, and so were the scars on his face. "If you're lucky, I might let you live."
Hyde used this as his chance to knock Nathaniel's smug grin off his face. His knife hadn't slipped out of his hand, and he slashed through Nathaniel's Achilles Tendon with the knife quickly and efficiently, as if he had prior medical knowledge. This would probably give Nathaniel a bad limp at best, at worst he'd have to get rid of the whole leg. He pushed Nathaniel off of him, and bared his teeth, pearly white like a noble's would be. The creature picked up Nathaniel and threw him to the side, slamming him to the wall like he was a ragdoll, unfazed by the violence. Victor chose that moment to wake up, and boy did he regret it.
Nathaniel hit the wall with a loud thud. He fell to the floor, managing to get on his hands and knees. His leg gave him a great deal of pain, making him wince in between his panting. "GODDAMN YOU, HYDE! YOU LITTLE BASTARD." Nathaniel had no choice but to stay on the ground. He couldn't get himself back up on his feet with a bleeding wound such as this. He needed a way to close it up. "I should have killed you when I had the chance! I should have driven my dagger through your sorry little heart. You have awakened the red death, and it will kill all." Nathaniel's eyes had nothing but pain in them. He looked up to see Victor was awake. He quickly changed his act. "Why would you hurt an innocent bystander? What good does it do to you? Why would you strike a good man? That would make you the evil monster here."
"I am a monster. But at least I'm not absolutely fucking batshit. And-"
"Hyde…" Victor said faintly. "Let me fix this. I don't… I wouldn't hurt an innocent, nor would you, I know."
"I already have! Shut up!" Hyde shouted, brandishing his knife at Victor. But then, the monster that had no name stopped him, clutching his small arm tightly.
"No. We've done enough. I don't think this man truly is trying to take advantage of Victor, and if he is, so be it. He's the real monster." they said. Hyde was on the verge of tears. "But, but Dorian said…"
"Dorian is not always right. Let us leave, now. I'm sure Victor can repair anything we've broken, let it serve as penance." the monster said, and with that she ushered Hyde out the door.
Nathaniel's breathing slowed as he squeezed his eyes shut. The pain was unbearable, even for a man like him who was used to pain. "Thank God they have gone," he muttered. Another memory from his past flooded him. His sister had just confronted him about the person he murdered. She grabbed his wrist and started violently twisting it. It snapped in two, leaving him to stifle his screaming while she walked off. She didn't even glance back at her bastard of a brother.
Nathaniel gritted his teeth. "I do not know how much of this pain I can take!" he whined. He clawed at the floorboards, achieving nothing in turn. "That man is stupid and uses too much violence to get his way." He winced as he moved his bad, slashed leg.
