Scrapped Scene for Ch. 4 of A Strangled Cooperation
Note: This version of the second-to-last scene of Chapter 4 has only been slightly edited and revised, so mistakes and possible out-of-character dialogue/actions are likely. I also tried to keep as much stuff from this version in the rewrite, so a lot of parts will be the same or similar. Though, a lot of parts are also quite different. Hope you enjoy!
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They ran until Edward cried out, "Bloody hell!" and crashed into a wooden bench.
"Hyde?!" Robert knelt beside him, "Are you al-"
"Imphfinmph," came the muffled reply as Hyde decided that life was better with his face in the dirt.
Edward blindly swatted his hand behind him as he tried to guess where Robert was, "Donphtouphme."
Lanyon remained silent for a few blissful moments before he, deciding that Hyde hadn't had enough torture, decided to keep opening that miserable mouth of his, "You do realise that there is a very lovely bench you could sit on instead, right?"
Hyde lifted up his head to spit out a blade of grass, "Shuddafuckup."
"…Are you going to hold a personal vendetta against the bench after you crashed into it?"
"Then, sit on the bench."
Hyde groaned and pushed himself up. He crossed his legs as he attempted to wipe the dirt off his face. He made no move towards the bench.
Lanyon sighed and walked over to the other side of Hyde to sit on the bench, "You're just smearing the dirt all over your face and hands. Here."
He tossed a handkerchief to Hyde who caught it and began to clean his face with it.
Still wiping his face, Hyde muttered, "Hell, I'm so tired."
"I imagine so. We've spent most of the day running place to place and escaping a psychotic phantom," Robert, apparently not caring about social etiquette around a very etiquette-breaking man, yawned.
Edward groaned, "But I shouldn't be this tired! I run place to place and from people all the time! I should be better than this!"
Lanyon raised an eyebrow at that, "You were stabbed just two days ago. Of course, you're exhausted. Honestly, it's a wonder how you managed to get through the entire day."
"It's just a stab wound. I should be fine."
"'Just a stab wound'?" Robert gaped at him. "Hell, you're almost as bad as Henry! You were stabbed. Your body needs rest."
Lanyon pinched the bridge of his nose, "You're so vastly different from Henry that I can hardly believe that you two are related, but it's things like this that proves that you are."
Edward stuck his tongue out at him.
Lanyon sighed, "At least try to get some sleep tonight. I don't want you keel over on me tomorrow."
Hyde laughed, "I don't sleep."
Robert rolled his eyes, "Everyone sleeps."
"Not me! The Spirit of London at Night does not need sleep!" Hyde gestured dramatically with his arms (if he wasn't so damn tired, he would've jumped onto the back of the bench and would've…done something).
Robert turned his attention away from him to look at their surroundings instead, "Huh-uh."
What? It's true! Jekyll was the one who slept, not him! Spirits didn't sleep.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed his shadow lengthen and change shape. Hyde narrowed his eyes at it.
"There you are. I was wondering what your sad arse was doing while I was actively dying," Hyde whispered.
Jekyll had the decency to look apologetic, 'Sorry, it was hard to project myself while you were on the constant verge of passing out.'
Hyde almost snorted at that but remembered that Lanyon was still there, "Excuses, excuses. Tell me, doctor, why are you here now? Are you going to get on my case about me hanging out with Lanyon, again?"
Jekyll shook his head, 'No. Something far more troubling, I'm afraid…'
'I - ' Jekyll hesitantly started, anxiety brimming through his being, 'Well…As you know, we can't sleep as Hyde.'
The solid of the two raised his eyebrow, "…And…?"
Jekyll closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. It would be better just to say it fast, right? Quick and simple.
'Wemightnotbeabletosleepuntilthewoundheals!!!'
Jekyll opened one of his eyes and peeked out at Hyde. The shorter of the two just stared at him.
The blond man remained silent as he continued staring forwards. Strangely, it seemed like Hyde couldn't see him. The notion made Jekyll uncomfortable as he imagined Hyde as a seperate being from him, unable to see him like everyone else. Jekyll shook himself from the thought and tried to get Hyde's attention again.
But, someone beat him to it.
Edward turned his head as he looked up at Robert, who was examining him closely, "Are you alright?"
Hyde forced a scoff, "Of course, I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be?"
Robert looked at him almost as if he was concerned, "You were staring off into the distance as if your entire world had just shattered."
Edward forced a laugh, "Oh, that? I was just…seeing my spirit animal for the first time!"
"Spirit animal?" Lanyon blinked at him, "Isn't that the thing that you were talking about with the ghost?"
Oh, Hyde thought that Robert hadn't paid attention to their conversation with his fear so prevalent. Though, maybe that conversation helped him not focus on the spider.
Edward nodded, "Sure is. I heard Maijabi explain them before, but I had never seen one before. Though, I didn't think that a giant green widow would be the first one I would see."
Lanyon raised an eyebrow at him, "A 'green widow'?"
Hyde shrugged, "I don't know what it would be called. It's a black widow spider, but it's green, so wouldn't it be a green widow?"
Robert thought about it for a moment, "…I don't know, either."
Hyde snapped his fingers, "Oh, I should've just asked Emily Gonzalez when I had the chance. She would've known."
Lanyon squinted at him, "…You better not be planning on trying to talk her, again."
Edward scoffed and crossed his arms, "I'm not stupid! I just meant that talking with her was really enlightening and - OH, SHIT, I FORGOT TO ASK HER ABOUT HER GHOST HUNTS!"
Robert failed to stifle a laugh as Hyde buried his face into his hands.
"Whyyyyyyyyyy?" Edward groaned.
Robert struggled to control his laughter as Edward continued to stew in his misery. Hyde knew better than anybody that Robert Lanyon lived to watch his enemies suffer.
He lifted his head up and pointed at Robert, "This is all your fault."
As his laughter died down, Robert looked at him with mocked aghast, "My fault? How so?"
Hyde pointedly stuck his chin into the air, "You were the one who broke the ghost's belongings."
Lanyon winced, "Oh, right. That."
Hyde turned to face him again, "What did you even break?"
The gentleman paled, "…It was a glass sphere that had a transparent skull floating in it."
Hyde smiled and shuffled closer, "Truly? Do you have any idea where it came from?"
Now Lanyon truly looked aghast, "How the bloody hell would I know?"
"…Fair point. I forgot who I talking to for a moment," Hyde crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against the bench. "Stuck-up gentlemen like you with all your delicate sensibilities are the least imaginative people in the entire world."
Lanyon shrugged, "You're probably right."
What? Hyde turned his head slightly to get a better look at Robert through his hair. Edward had thought he would get angry at him or at least offended. He wasn't expecting him just to accept that.
Edward examined Lanyon's face, trying to find any traces of anger or annoyance but found nothing of the sort. In fact, Robert looked almost wistful as he looked off into the distance.
Before Hyde could find another way to insult him, Robert spoke, "I've found that the most creative people I know are also the most open-minded and determined people I know."
"I - " What was he going on about?
Hyde huffed, "Clearly you need to take some lessons from them. It was difficult to drag your arse across that furniture."
Robert awkwardly coughed at that, "Well, I haven't ran since university."
"How about whenever a Lodger blows something up?"
Hyde snickered at that. If Jekyll wasn't so busy repairing damages and checking for injuries, Hyde would've loved to see Lanyon's horrified face after an explosion.
"…Didn't something explode earlier?"
Lanyon nodded, "The fireplace exploded back when we were leaving the ghoul's bedroom." Robert paused and examined him again, "Do you not remember it?"
Hyde frowned as he thought about it, but all he could remember was a swirl of colours, "Not really."
Hyde racked his brain for something more concrete to hold onto, something like -
Mortification stained Hyde's face, "Did you really have to drag my carcass out of the room?"
Lanyon paused, "…In a manner of speaking."
Hyde cursed underneath his breath. He had acted weak. No, no, no, that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that he had been weak in front of Robert bloody Lanyon.
What the hell was wrong with him?
"But, you had to drag my carcass across that furniture, so I say that makes us even."
Hyde startled and looked up at Robert, who was adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves.
"Hell, right, it does!" Hyde crowed, reinvigorated. "You and your liver of a pigeon would've melted in that ectoplasm without me!"
Lanyon rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for you. Next time you get stabbed, can you at least try to keep your bloody body far away from me. I'm still trying to get the stains out of my coat."
Edward made a show of thinking about it, "Hm, I think I'll just pop up at your doorstep and bled out there, instead. As the blood seeps into the ground, I'll bang on the door, crying bloody murder in the dead of night. How about that?"
"I'll just call the police."
Hyde leaned forward towards Robert and smiled smugly, "'Cos having your best friend's cousin arrested is the most jackass, cold-hearted thing you could do."
He smiled wickedly, "Unless you want to ruin your friendship with Jekyll…"
Lanyon stared at him for a moment before sighing, "You are incredibly lucky that you're related to Henry. This is the most I've ever helped someone so brash and unpleasant."
Hyde gasped with mock offense, "'Brash and unpleasant'? Is this how you treat the man who saved your life?"
"I have no reason to trust or like you. Your mood keeps flipping like a coin, and you have proven yourself to be violent," Lanyon narrowed his eyes at him. "I was half convinced that you were going to leave me to the ghost, for God's sake!"
Hyde frowned at that, strangely offended, "But, I didn't. If it weren't for me, you would've never gotten to those stairs."
Lanyon glared at him, "You think that's going to convinced me? You PUSHED me down the stairs just hours ago! If you weren't so tired, I was sure that you were going to push me down those stairs straight into that molten green monstrosity!"
Hyde rolled his eyes, "Are you still on that? That was hours ago."
Robert spluttered, "Y-You-!"
"Oh, nevermind!" Lanyon buried his face into his hands. He sighed with the most agony Edward had ever heard in his entire life, "You are going to be the death of me."
Hyde cackled, "Oh, I am! And a most horrible death it will be! Your blood and sinew will be all over the London streets by the time I'm through with you."
Robert massaged his face, "If I can barely survive you, I'd hate to imagine how meeting this thief is going to turn out."
Noticing the worry in his voice, Edward laughed.
"Eh, you'll be fine," he waved his hand dismissively. "You showed that giant spider what's for, that's for sure."
Hyde turned his body so that it was facing the gentleman cowboy, "How the hell did you of all people manage to lasso a giant-ass spider?
"Honestly, I have no idea," Robert awkwardly laughed.
"You were paralysed with fear before." Edward titled his head slightly to the side, "What changed?"
Robert gave him a strange look as he examined him for a moment before looking away.
"…I don't know," he answered lamely.
"How can you not know?" Hyde asked, bewildered. "You fucking lassoed an enormous spider lady that was trying to eat me! Do you really expect me to believe that just came out of fucking nowhere?!"
Lanyon shrugged, "Maybe it was adrenaline kicking in."
Edward found himself dissatisfied with that answer, yet he couldn't fathom why.
Hyde scoffed, "Maybe your fickle brain saw the human parts grossly connected to the spider parts and got so overwhelmed that your arachnidphobia malfunctioned."
Lanyon thought about that for a moment, "That could be it. She was absolutely terrifying." He turned to face Hyde, "I mean, did you see that green goo oozing out of her face?! I don't think I'll ever forget that disgusting image long as I live!"
Hyde winced at that and saw his shadow do the same.
"Hahahahahahaha. Yeah….." Hyde picked at the grass.
Lanyon gave him a strange look, "Are y-"
"What the fuck was with that butler, by the way? He knew about the ghost, and, yet, he still went back into the house!" Hyde tore a large chunk of green out of the ground, "He must be raving mad!"
Robert frowned, "…He's probably alright. He seemed to know about the ghost beforehand, so I assume he's used to her."
Hyde shook his head disbelievingly at that, "Most people would've dirtied their knickers and ran like a headless chicken at just a single hint of a ghost! I gave that man way too little credit."
Robert nodded, "I did, as well. He handled everything very well."
"Almost too well," Hyde scoffed. "Did you notice how he was carrying the lantern on a tray? Does he carry that fucking thing around with him everywhere?"
"I think that was because you placed the lantern onto the tray when you left it with him."
Hyde didn't remember that at all, but the look on Lanyon's face told him that it was the truth. Robert looked like he was about to question him, again.
"W-Well, that didn't mean that he needed to carry the tray! He could've just picked up the lantern!" Edward quickly cut him off, hoping that was enough to placate Robert.
However, at the reminder of picking up the lantern, he spared a glance at it. It was currently lying on its side, unfortunately not broken, with the fire still going. In the pitch black night, it glowed with a bright intoxicating green.
Despite the endless problems it caused him, Hyde still found himself fixated on the lantern, "You know, we never found out the thief's connection to the lantern."
Without turning around, Edward could still tell that a myriad of swears were running through Robert's head by the silence alone.
At long last, Robert groaned and, Hyde assumed by the muffledness, buried his face in his hands, "So, this was all a waste?"
Hyde didn't know how to respond to that, so he decided to point out another problem instead, "We also never got our cloaks and top hats back."
Hyde hadn't noticed it before, but the chill was beginning to get to him. However, Edward's attempt of distracting him from the whole time-wasted thing seemed to make Lanyon more frustrated, instead.
"This entire day has been awful," Robert groaned. "In fact, I think that it quite possibly might be the most absolutely awful day of my entire life."
Hyde turned to roll his eyes, "It wasn't that bad. Quit being an overdramatic bitch."
Lanyon glared at him, "I've spent the last two days searching for a blond menace, got threatened because of said blond menace, got PUSHED down the stairs by said blond menace, and nearly died to a ghost of all things for said blond menace, only for it all to be a waste! How is that not 'that bad'?!"
…Robert had been searching for him? Edward thought that he had just coincidentally found him. That was…strange. Hyde shook himself off from that train of thought.
Hyde put on his best cheshire grin, "Are you saying that all of this was worse than when Simon Stride hosted that tea party that was just an excuse for him whine like a little bitch about how rogue science was going to be the end of us all! And it's against God's will! Then tried to claim that all the Lodgers were sleeping with each other like some sort of sex cult while you had sit there politely."
"How did y-" Robert cut himself off. Then, recomposing himself, he continued, "I stand corrected."
Hyde snickered at that as he leaned back with his arms behind his head, taking in their surroundings. There wasn't much of interest with trees too far away from them in the wide plain of grass. In the distance, he could see a giant body of water.
"Is that the Serpentine?" Hyde squinted.
Robert similarly squinted as he looked at the river, "I think it is. I didn't realise we were in Hyde Park. How far did we run?"
Edward shrugged, "Probably not that far. Emily Gonzalez's house must've just been closer to it than we realised."
Lanyon scoffed, "Well, it's a lot nicer than her house. Unlike that hellhole, I wouldn't mind visiting this place again."
"Really? I thought you didn't like dirt or bugs," Hyde spared a glance at him.
"I don't, but Henry always enjoyed our carriage rides on Rotton Row back in university. He would always point at whatever bird or animal he thought was interesting," Robert looked off into the distance with that weird expression from before.
"…Huh-uh," Despite the cold, Edward's face felt strangely hot.
"He told me once that there was a street in Glasgow named Rottenrow," Robert continued. "I imagine you know about it."
Turning to face him, Hyde nodded, "Yeah, it's not a street in a park like this one, though." He propped his arm onto the bench and layed his head upon it, yawning, "It's surrounded by buildings instead."
"So, I guess it's not as interesting as a ride through this one."
Hyde shrugged with his left shoulder, "Eh, it's one of the streets that forms our medieval burgh." He would've added more, but tiredness poisoned his brain, leaving him with disoriented thoughts.
Robert sat up, looking interested, "Really?"
"Mhm, it's one of our oldest streets," Hyde began mumbling into his arm. "It has this old church that almost everyone hates."
Edward tried to look at Robert's reaction, but he didn't have the strength to lift up his head. His eyes narrowed on the ribbon floating around Robert instead.
The obnoxious handwriting wrote, "Everyone hates the church? Why?"
"It's ugly as fuck, that's why," Hyde yawned. (…That was odd. Why was he yawning? He never yawns.) "Some people think it's amazing and wonderful."
Edward opened his mouth to say more but a low and loud growl interrupted him.
Hyde nearly hopped to his feet, but exhaustion kept him rooted in place as his eyes danced around them frantically, "What was that?!"
He looked over at Robert, expecting the extravagant coward to pale and panic. However, the gentleman remained strangely calm. What the hell?! There was no way he was more freaked out than stupid bloody Lanyon!
"Hyde," Lanyon addressed him calmly, "that was your stomach."
"I - What?" Hyde paused, having no idea what Lanyon was talking about.
Suddenly, Edward became aware of the pain in his stomach and how the aching made him almost nauseous. Now that he noticed it, the pain seemed to get worse.
A look of horror dawned on Robert's face, "Oh, hell, you never got that meal from Rachel. We completely forgot because the Lodgers were so damn insistent on pestering us."
Edward gave a weak laugh, "Ha! I'm completely fine! The Spirit of London at Night doesn't need to eat!"
Lanyon continued as if he hadn't heard Hyde, "You haven't eaten in two days. You've been running around London, running from ghosts while starving."
Hyde scoffed, "It's not a b-"
Robert cut him off indignantly, "You were stabbed just two days ago, and you haven't eaten anything since then! Even if you were the second runner up for Jekyll's record of longest time spent pretending that food doesn't exist, you need energy to recover from your injury! Even more energy than what you need regularly!"
Lanyon stood up and pulled Hyde up to his feet.
"What the fuck?!" Hyde pushed Robert away from him. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!"
However, the moment he pushed Robert, Edward lost balance and fell backwards. Before his head could hit the bench, Robert caught him and pulled him back up.
Positioning himself so that Edward was leaning against him, Robert answered, "I was helping you up because I didn't think you had the strength to stand on your own. It seems like I was right."
Hyde opened his mouth to protest, but all the words in his mind drifted out of his reach. Instead, he placed his head onto Robert's arm as his vision flickered.
"I'll hail us a carriage."
Edward dimly remembered picking up the lantern as they left.
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I really loved this scene. I loved a lot of the interactions between Lanyon and Hyde, especially at the very beginning. It was incredibly painful to rewrite this scene because there were so many things that I didn't want to lose. Fortunately, I was able to keep the things I really liked (except for the very beginning). The reason why I had to rewrite this scene was because Lanyon and Hyde were too comfortable with each other. They were acting as through this wasn't their first rodeo (hehe, get it?). Like this wasn't their first time getting out of a dangerous situation together. But, that's not the case. They're not comfortable around each other, and this was Lanyon's first time in such a dangerous situation. They shouldn't have been this nonchalant. This took me some time to realize. In fact, I almost didn't realize that I needed to rewrite this scene. I feel like the rewrite fits a lot better, but I will always miss this version.
Anyhow, thank you for reading! I'll see you for the next fic in the new year!
