The thundering had begun. After a few months of the routine, most League members could go about their usual activities with the pounding. Mina periodically extended her arm out, catching a falling tube, while still reading her book. Tom opened one eye, glaring perturbed at the floor before returning to his 'nap'. Skinner managed to keep his balance as the thief snuck down to the storage tank, curiousity getting the better of him.

"Good evening, sir," a young man said, taking up step beside him.

Skinner looked at him in suprise. If he hadn't known better, he could have sworn he heard a bit of cockney in the young man's voice. The very young man's voice. The boy looked hardly older then eighteen.

"Something wrong, sir?" the boy asked, a bemused smirk in his eyes despite the controled professional look of the rest of the face.

"No, you just...startled me," Skinner replied lamely.

"Sorry, sir," the boy said, "Won't happen again."

For a couple minutes, only their footsteps made any sound. Skinner couldn't help but feel he'd heard the boy's voice from somewhere, though.

"How old are you, boy?" he finally asked, thinking it may help him recognize when he'd seen him.

Before the youth answered, however, they had reached the lower storage area. The groans from a few of the men could be heard over Hyde's extremely irritable pacing.

"You're coming in here?" Skinner asked, pointing towards the room.

"Aren't you, sir?" the boy asked.

"Yes, but..."

"Then it shouldn't matter if I come or not," the boy replied annoyed.

"Alright, it's your funeral," Skinner replied.

He stepped into the hatch unsuprised to see a furious, pacing Hyde trying to pull off his unsuprising was the fact that the crewmen were standing against the walls, as far back as they could manage. He noted, with some amusement and slight worry, that the young crewmember he had talk to was moving close to the beast.

Hyde seemed to notice it too, because he took a massive swing at the boys head. A swing strong enough to knock a few men off their feet. The boy merely ducked, however, and continued his motion to the wall unscathed. Furious, Hyde took another swing at him. Again the boy merely ducked.

By this time, the others had noticed something was very different about this particular boy.

"Boy!" yelled Ashanti, suprised he couldn't remember the youth's name, "Get away from him! Are you trying to get yourself killed!"

The boy smirked.

"He's not going to harm me," he said, "Why should I be afraid of him?"

He turned back to Hyde. The monster gave him a wicked grin that chilled the marrow of even Skinner's bones.

"You're a bold one," Hyde snarled, "A little to confident for my 's hard to decide. Should I tell them who you really I should beat some humility in you."

"You can try," the boy commented, not batting an eye, "Not that you can."

"Why you," Hyde threw another swing at the boy. Again, he ducked, but he forgot about the chains. In a split second, the metal made a painful connection with flesh. Skinner could hear the snap of what he thought could only be bone.

The boy let out a moan and crumpled to his knees, clutching his arm and side. The men stood in shock, a second needed for their brains to comprehend what to do. Skinner watched as Hyde approached the body. The boy, who was still awake, looked up at Hyde. The monster was suprised to see a look of angry defiance glaring back at him. He rose his hand to make the final strike. It came down hard, striking only floor. The boy, with a pained cry, had rolled to the side. He had barely missed being killed. Unforunately, he was now trapped in a corner with no way out.

Hyde moved towards him, preparing to finish him off, when he stopped. Grabbing the top of his head, as though in pain, he shot one last spiteful glare at the boy and began to transform. As the disfigured levels of the transformation began, the men started to move again. Skinner and Ashanti, ducking behind the chains, madetheir way over to the fallen boy. Skinner noted, with secret satisfaction, the look of horror as the boy watched the painful looking transformation. A minute later, the thin, half-way naked form of Dr. Jekyll collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Instincts kicking in, he pulled off the chains and made his way to the boys side.

"Let me through," he demanded, croutching down next to Ashanti. He stared speechessly.

Instead of the boy, a young woman with short black hair and brown eyes, dressed like one of Nemo's men, sat there clutching her side.

"Hey, your the Canodor girl," exclaimed Skinner.

"How very clev-ahh," she clutched her side again. Jekyll noticed a long black band, like a belt, going across her rib cage.

"Let me see," he said, leaning in to check for injuries.

She pulled away from him.

"No," she said through gritted teeth, "You've done enough thanks."

Jekyll pulled back from the didn't really blame her for it. He himself was more then willing to take the blame of Hyde's actions. After all, Hyde was merely the evil within himself. He was already forced to relive Hyde's nightmarish acts every night. Yet, the comment stung just the same.

"Listen, girly," Skinner said, "I don't know what you're doing here exactly, but you are injured. You're going to let him look at you."

"Whose going to make me?" Carmine responded, "I can take care of it my-my-m..."

Her face went pale as a viscious wave of nausea struck. Immediately, everything blacked out as she collapsed into someone's arms.