Haunted Vistas: Hollow Hunters/ElaineXHyde "Ship of Fools"
By Sephzero

Fog draped across the city's skyline swirling around the numerous towering buildings and skyscrapers. The thick rolls made it downright hard to even see your hand in front of you in the thicker patches with only the reflected lights of the city providing the barest illumination. High above the fogs the night sky was completely obscured. Yet the fog that now hanged over the city was of no earthly origin, but merely the symptom of something far more menacing hidden amidst the fog.

---

The dull music played out of the speakers while the elevator slowly went up while the number on the display rising with each floor passed. Inside the occupants were less then amuse by the selection of music or even each other company.

Andrew wondered how much longer it was going to be before they would reach their destination. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this music or cramped confines. Glancing to his right at his partner, August hardly seemed bothered at all. Then again, she didn't show much emotions at all especially when it came to business.

Still, he could hardly think of a time when she wasn't treating everything like business. The girl seriously was too serious sometimes.

The only other occupant with them was an officer from the mayor's office. Andrew hadn't bothered to remember the fellow's name. It just didn't seem too important at the time, besides chances are August would know anyway archived somewhere in the labyrinth brain maze of her.

Tonight was going to be an unusual night for them. From the details he remembered, it seemed the strange fog which has encroached upon the city is part of some unusual happenstance. The mayor in hope of restoring public order had put an open call through the channels for any specialist in handling paranormal and supernatural activities to assist.

That nicely summarized why August and him were here. Though he wasn't too sure why the mayor's liaison insisted they go up this building. Suppose to be offices for some telemarketing firm or something.

Now that is some serious natural evil there.

"Don't let your mind get distracted," August interrupted his thoughts. She gave a stern gaze which showed through her glasses at Andrew.

"Too late," Andrew shrugged just ignoring her disapproval, "this whole elevator ride seems pretty pointless to me."

"There will undoubtedly be a reason for it. Just like why you have been hesitant in revealing any more information despite are arrival to assist." August said before she turned her attention to the mayor's liaison.

He gulped a bit, "It'll all make better sense when we arrive."

"You seem pretty nervous," Andrew noted.

"Well, it is just that this isn't something I normally deal with…" he stammered while he wiped some sweaty off his brow. "Frankly this whole thing seems unbelievable to me."

"There isn't any reason for you to worry anymore about it. You just need to provide the information we need and we'll handle the rest." August informed coldly.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" He inquired.

Andrew laughed heartily, "Don't worry, we may not look like it but we got plenty of experience handling all sorts of weird stuff. So this will probably be a piece of cake."

August didn't bother trying to note some the absent detail in Andrew's statement. While, it was true the two had tackled their fair share of supernatural critters and paranormal events. There was always a varying degree of collateral damage left in the wake. The fault of that rested almost squarely on Andrew's overzealous shoulders in carrying out their duty.

But there was no need to give the poor man's any more things to worry about either.

A sharp chime from the elevator signaled the end of the journey. Doors slide open as they stepped out and made their way outside onto the top floor of the building. Even at this height the fog was still prevalent but thankfully clearer allowing them some clear visibility. And it was a good thing, because it made things quite easier to see the reason for their little elevator ride.

Hovering in the air in defiance of gravity was a grand galley. The fog seemed to steer clear of the floating apparition and despite not even a gentle breeze the tattered sails hanging from the three masts seem to be moving on their own. Cracks and splinters could be spotted across the hull making the ship seem hardly sea-worthy much less why it would be floating in the sky amidst the buildings.

"A ghost ship," August said calmly.

"I wonder if it is a pirate ghost ship." Andrew mused.

"That would be highly doubtful; it does not seem to be the make that would be suitable. Nor does it fly any colors that would identify it as such." August reasoned.

She started to go into more detail on the general identifying specifics about ghost pirate ships, but was interrupted by the liaison. "Excuse me, about the details of this case?"

"Yes," August said, "so what information can you provide about this?"

"Unfortunately, besides knowing the location of this ship we haven't been able to figure out much besides it came around the time as the fog. It seems the fog might be an effect resulting from its presence, there is no precedence for such fog like this lasting so long."

"You got to give it points for creepy atmosphere." Andrew agreed while he rubbed his chin.

"It is common in certain forms of paranormal event to create area of cold spots, no doubt the interaction with the typical warmer front provide for the ideal conditions to create this." August said.

The two men just blinked at her.

Ignoring their stare, she continued, "So what are the others unusual occurrences? The mere presence and weather event is no enough to warrant the call we received."

"Yes, that is true. It is hard to explain, but there has also been a rash of unusual kidnappings too in the area which we believe are tied to this."

"How unusual could it be?" Andrew asked.

"According to eyewitnesses, those who were kidnapped were dragged up into the fog by what has been described as a fishing line."

Now it was Andrew who stared blankly at the liaison. August on the other hand simply absorb the information with completely calmness. Her mind was already processing and deciphering the possible things behind this.

"There been at least a dozen accounts of this and even more who vanished without a trace. It has been causing severe unrest on top of the difficult conditions from all this fog."

"So I guess this is going to be a rescue mission too. If this is anything left to rescues." Andrew remarked with a glance toward August.

"Is that all?" August asked.

"Yeah, that is it. Guess I'll be leaving you then to take care of things. Just give a call to the Mayor when you taken care of everything."

"There is one more thing I'd like to ask." August added.

The liaison flinched at the question. He was already in mid-turn to head back to the elevator. "What might that be?"

"Has anyone else responded to the request besides us?" August asked.

"Nope, you were the only one that I know of at the time."

"Excellent," August said in a brief flash of glee before she gestured for the liaison to depart something he did gladly, "then we don't have to worry about anyone else getting in the way."

"You just don't want anyone else to get a cut in this." Andrew said.

"There is nothing here that should require any additional help. If we have anyone else involved it will simply mean that Control will split the payment for this." August remarked while she looked up at the ship hovering above them.

There was no stopping her acute sense of business. Since this was case was an open call, it was possible for anyone to assist in this case. This was general intended so that any active personnel could pick it up, but also means any share would have to be split upon completion and submission of the report. That put some time pressure on completing this before anyone else shows up.

He looked back up toward the floating galley above and wondered what exactly might be up on that ship. The whole fishing angle was a bit strange method, but with a floating ghost ship he'd guess it sort of fit. Oddly, he caught the flash of something glowing up on the deck for a moment before it vanished from his view.

"You saw it?" August remarked.

"Yes, something was up there for a moment." Andrew said. It was only briefly, but that was definitely something. "So what's the plan?"

"Simple, I want you to board the ship and scout to see if you can find any of the missing people. Once you confirm any presence, then we'll figure out a safe mean to extract thing before we handle whatever it is running that boat." August explained.

"Leave all the work to me again?" Andrew noted with a sigh.

"I am simply allowing you to excel at what you do best. This situation is not very appropriate for someone of my talent." August replied. She crossed her arms in a gesture which meant that she wasn't going to shift in her position.

What she said of course was true. Andrew definitely did not think he probably had any problems in handling the task. It was just a sore point between the two on how their business relationship tends to play out. August being more of the brain of the operation, when she wasn't having certain feral moments but that was something she prefers to keep at a minimum. This whole partnership came around to help her not rely on such methods in handling cases.

Now only if she gives me more respect. Andrew sometime wishes August could be a bit nicer given all the things he goes through for her.

"As an added bonus given the circumstances of this case," August added, "if you complete things without causing too much 'problems'. I will give you a kiss."

Andrew's face light up immediately as he dashed up to her. "Are you serious?"

"Completely, you'll get one Hershey's Kiss." August stated. She held the piece of candy up in her hand to show him.

His heart immediately plummeted at the revelation. On his hands and knees away from her, he couldn't let her see the look of depression and despair on his face. Why did she play him like so at times? It just wasn't fair that he got to be stuck with someone like her.

Looking at the dismal state of Andrew, August simply shook her head. The idiot should have realized things would never be that simple between them. It was not very professional to mess with him like that, but it was necessary at times to deflate him. That would be better for the both of them if they could keep things more professional.

"If you're done loafing, you should get moving. Time is money if anyone else gets in on this case before we can close it." August said while she glanced at her watch.

Picking himself up, Andrew grumbled, "Alright, I'll get to it, any qualms about me busting some ghosts or ghouls in the process?"

"Avoid it," August stated while she gestured to the ship, "any case of large scale manifestation and levitation is obviously powered and anchored to a specific master entity. If something happens to it, which can cause the whole thing to collapse."

A moment passed at the thought of that scenario playing itself out.

"Guess that get us in a lot of trouble." Andrew remarked before August tugged his ear.

"And may I remind you of the trouble we are already in cause of your actions. So try and keep this discreet?" August insisted with another tug.

"Okay, I get it." Andrew scoffed with a step away from her. "So any idea on how I should get aboard that thing might be a tricky jump."

"Use the anchor." August pointed across the roof.

Sure enough a rather sizable anchor had lodged itself into the roof of the building while a large link of chains connected it back up to the floating ship above. Andrew just looked down at the anchor and then up at the ship. He glanced toward August who simply gave him that look and with a sigh. He started to walk to the anchor.

It was a bit of a harrowing climb. The chains, while large enough for him to use as a grip for his hands and feet, did swing around while he climbed up them. Not to mention there was a severe case of vertigo looking down too. Despite it all, he somehow managed to plump himself onto the deck of the ship with only some rattled nerves and rough palm for his trouble.

The deck was hardly in any better condition then the hull looked down below. Numerous broken planks left gaps across the deck and a few warped pieces gave it a hazardous look. It wouldn't be a surprise if the wood didn't just give way at the slightest amount of pressure on it.

Glancing around, Andrew didn't notice anyone else on top besides him. He conjured his visor across the face with a wave of his hand. Through it, he could spy some weak spectral trail which wind its way across the deck before seemingly fading through the floor.

No doubt, it was some ghost that was the source of the glow from before. It probably simply glided through the deck down below to hide itself.

"Guess I should change into something more appropriate," He mused to himself with a crack of his knuckles.

Two long shadowy arms erupted out of his shadows behind him. They stretched and expanded before wrapping around him. The black cocoon quickly shrunk before it dissolved in a flash revealing two long flapping ends of the scarves wrapped around his neck while it flapped against the red coat which now replaced his civil attire. The once black hair on his head had shift to a shocking white and red eyes blaze from beneath the visor across his face. He adjusted his gloves slightly, before he grinned.

"It's show time!" He grinned before charging through the doorway into the lower deck.

---

Two rooms later and one broken door too, Andrew could say he was positively disappointed so far in this whole ghost ship. There didn't seem to be much of anything going on in here besides a cry for someone to repair this floating wreck. Not even any signs of any kidnapped people either, though he wondered how well they could hold up in this place.

The scarves end simply waved about behind him not the least bit interested in anything. The spectral trails were completely useless to him too. Whoever made it had floated through so much of the ship it was impossible to decipher which trail was the most recent. To put it simply, he was walking blindly through here.

Casually kicking a chair, Andrew cursed to himself. This whole quietness was just annoying. No doubt whoever behind this was having fun at his expense.

"Hello evil phantoms, come out, come out wherever you are?" He called out.

There was no response besides the groaning creak of the wood around him.

It was worth a try. He guessed if they weren't going to cooperate then he was under no obligation to spare them any more courtesy. That'll teach them to ignore him.

Reaching another stairwell down, Andrew proceeded downward. Not like he was having much luck elsewhere. At the bottom he found himself at the bottom of the hull in one massive chamber which seemed to serve as the cargo hold for the vessel. Placed messily throughout the chambers were numerous barrels.

"I wonder if there is anything good in any of these." He wondered. The chances were pretty slim given the condition of about everything else here. He knocked on the top of the lid. Surprisingly it sounded like there was something inside.

Curiously he pulled open the lid.

Inside was filled with brine and a single stuffed body. Guessed he found out where all those missing people had gone. A bit morbid to his taste, but then again potential vengeful specters were not known for their pleasantries. A sudden stirring of the body caught him a bit by surprise before the head suddenly burst out from the brine.

"Thank goodness! I thought I was-"

A swift punch from Andrew interrupted the cry of relief sending the speaker tumbling back onto the floor with a crash. The barrel too tumbled down and spilt the brine into a large puddle around the twitching body.

"Oh wait, were you still alive?" Andrew asked.

The body could only still twitch in spasm on the floor in the puddle of brine.

Guess he wasn't going to be responding any time soon. Checking on the body, Andrew could feel a pulse. A weak one, but a pulse still. Guess the brine somehow was able to preserve them in some sort of preserved state maybe for transport.

That does mean he just clocked one of the people he was suppose to be saving.

"How about we keep this our little secret?" Andrew offered to the twitching body.

He took a slight spasm of the neck as a sign of agreement, before he decided it probably be best to put the guy back in the barrel for safe-keeping. There was considerable more room in the barrel without much of the brine, but Andrew figured it gave the guy more room to relax. Closing the lid back down, he carefully navigated around the puddle while he pondered about how to inform August about this.

The cell phone was in his civilian attire, which was somewhere else. Actually he never quite figured out where his clothing goes when he shifts to his hunter form. Just that everything returns back when he revert back. Except that one time when his coupon packet vanished, August told him to forget about it but that disappearance still vexed him.

He had plans for them. Plans that would involve two for one special, but it was not to be.

Silently at night he sometimes weeps about what if. Then usually August says he's being an idiot and to get back to work. She could be so heartless most of the time, but then he guess a miser liker her could never appreciate the struggle of a working class person like himself must go through either.

She should count herself fortunate he thinks she's so pretty to stomach all of this. Too bad about her attitude, but she had her moments still.

The sound of a helicopter broke his little inner thought train, he glance his head up toward the ceiling toward the deck above. It was definitely the sound of a chopper, but that didn't seem right. There were extreme fog conditions, who would even consider flying in such terrible conditions.  

Actually, he could guess the kind of people who might try it. August wasn't going to happy if that was the case.

He could hear the sound getting steadily louder. Guess he ought to take a look at who the competition might be. Taking one last survey at the sitting barrels around him, he figured there was no harm in leaving them all here for a bit longer. Not like it makes any difference to most of them.

"Don't worry. I'll be back for all of you." Andrew announced before he turned to leave.

The barrels made no reply at all.

---


Back on deck, there was heavy swirl of wind from the furious spinning of the helicopters rotors causing the tattered sails to flap violently. Luckily his visor shielded his eyes from any of the wind and dust being kicked about by the proximity of the helicopter. It was barely a hundred feet or above them with a spotlight underneath shining down upon the ship deck. The spotlight stopped over Andrew when it passed over him.

He could clearly see it looked to be some sort of police copter. But he couldn't imagine any of them would want to fly anywhere close to this place given the easily frighten nature of most people with the supernatural.  Though his questions were soon answer as a loud laughter from a megaphone by someone on the copter.

"Prepare to be boarded!" The sultry voice called out.

"What in the world?" Andrew questioned before he saw someone leaping out of the helicopter toward the ship's deck.

The figure seem to be glide in the air for just a moment, a great mane of crimson hair waved in the air, before dropping into a dive. Plunging downward the figure did several rolls before landing in a thunderous crash. The entire ship itself shuddered from the impact causing it to pitch slight to one side before it manage to stabilize once again.

As the dust kicked up from the landing settled, Andrew could only gape at the figure it revealed.

A tall extremely curved body though showing some strong muscular power beneath the shocking teal skin while a crimson mass of hair flapped in the wind. Long pointed ears stuck out from beneath her hair only further accented her inhuman qualities along with the sharp bone spurs emerging from her lower forearms too. What accounted for clothing was either too small and too torn to be consider anywhere close to decent instead just barely clinging across her body in a rather risqué fashion.

Despite her obvious inhuman nature, there was something sensual about her too. It was a strange sense of attraction and repulsion which was evoked by her very appearance and even presence too. Then again, he still wasn't sure what she was planning to do here.

When she turned to look at him, her black eyes with golden iris glowed with wicked intent while she gave a hint of fangs with her smile. "So I take it you're the one in charge of this ghost wreck?"

Blinking, Andrew remarked, "You're looking at the wrong person?"

"Is that so?" She said not sounding entirely convinced. Sauntering up to him in a very suggested manner, she leaned forward to examine him closely. "And what if I said I don't believe you?"

"That's not my problem," Andrew managed to gulped. While his gaze took a quick survey at the rather generous shot of her deep cleavage, which he heartily approved, he found himself unable to completely avoid her gaze. Those eyes were almost transfixing to him.

She seemed to take amusement to his response before she whispered into his ear, "What if I make it your problem then?"

Andrew was feeling quite conflicted about where this was all going. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know or not too. Thankfully, the little discussion was interrupted when another voice called out through the megaphone down toward them.

"Helen, would you stop messing with him? I don't know how long I can keep this thing up in these conditions."

Making a cross face that her fun was ruined, Helen leaned back and turned annoyingly up toward the helicopter. Flashing him a rather inappropriate gesture, she snapped, "Don't be such a wuss, Leon. I do whatever I want, besides I have no obligation to be nice to anyone."

"Please remember that Elaine strictly needed to get this case settled." Leon reminded the sound of his voice was filled with exasperation.

"Didn't say I wasn't going to do it," Helen retorted with a snort with hands on her hip. "A girl can't have a bit of fun in the process too? All work and no play, makes Elaine a very dull girl."

Andrew wasn't quite sure where this whole conversation between them was going. But it did seem to strike a familiar chord. Almost eerily in fact, when he thought about how August might think about this little situation.

"You had your fun when you decided to rope us into stealing this weather copter. I like to return this before we get into anymore trouble." Leon complained.

That raised an eyebrow for Andrew.

"Wait a minute, you stole a weather copter?" Andrew interrupted while he glanced up at it.

Sure enough, he could clearly see the label of some news channel logo on the side. It was probably likely the thing was sitting grounded for interim due to the weather. They probably weren't going to be too happy to find it missing.

"Of course," Helen replied with a smirk back to Andrew, "there wasn't any police ones available."

"Oh I guess that makes sense." Andrew agreed when he thought about it before he realized something else. "That still doesn't make it right."

Helen just laughed at his flabbergasted reaction. It looked like the whole legality of the situation didn't seem to bother her one bit.

"Are you going to chastise me like Leon did?" She questioned while dropping her voice to ooze like she was innocent little girl. That just made her seemed even creepier.

"Really, what is wrong with you?" Andrew questioned. It was really a rhetorical question by this point, but an answer too would be nice one that hopefully didn't take too long to explain or understand.

"I'm just a very bad girl," Helen winked with a smile with one finger tapping her lips.

Okay, that was a bit too short. Andrew seriously felt a chill go down his spine from that answer and something else too. But the whole creepy factor was winning out on him too. Seriously this girl was messing his mind up more then this ghost ship.

"Just to warn you, she's a Hyde. So that's just her nature." Leon informed from the copter.

"A Hyde," Andrew repeated before he remembered it.

The Hyde, a name derived from the old story of Jekyll and Hyde. Though some scholarly type suspected the story was more of a warning about the practices which created the Hyde. Others simply didn't care about the fine detail and more about the creatures themselves. Birthed supposedly from the dark vices in a person and given an inhuman form, they represented the wanton and sinful desires unshackled by any personal inhibitions or social restraint.

Once periodically some foolish scientist or alchemist would delve into this study and release their inner Hyde upon the world. But in the advent of the modern age, the propagation of the formula had lead to an alarming spike in their appearances. Already shaped uniquely by their own inner desires, some of the Hyde entities have been showing additional abilities too. Only further increasing the dangers these terrible beings could work to satisfy their twisted desires.

If she was a Hyde, then this was bad news. Andrew immediately stepped back taking a stance uncertain about how to face her. In his career, he hadn't faced any of them before so he had no inkling about what they could do.

Noticing his aggressive stance upon realizing her nature, Helen pouted back to the captor. "Ah, you gave away my little secret. Now he's all suspicious of me."

"You're someone that everyone should be suspicious." Leon replied back.

"Oh you flatterer," Helen teased back at him before she turned her attention back toward Andrew.

"Why are you here?" Andrew demanded.

"Didn't you already hear? I'm just acting in place of Elaine to handle this little ghost ship affair, perhaps the question should be why are you here?" Helen replied before she pointed a finger at him.

"This ship is my business. I am Andrew Dyson, acting as an agent of the Paranormal Control in providing assistance in this case."

"Helen, he is part of PC that means you shouldn't be picking a fight with him." Leon reminded.

Snorting at the remark, Helen rolled her eyes, "Please; only Elaine is part of that thing. I'm just a tag-along who enjoys having some fun too."

"You're the same person…" Leon muttered over the megaphone.

This whole situation was becoming clearer to Andrew. It seemed Elaine must be the Jekyll to Helen the Hyde. The fact that Control would allow such a dangerous entity as one of their agent was a bit baffling. Still if they allow August too despite her rather wild and feral nature at times, he guessed it wasn't too much of a stretch.

He just wondered how bad things might get whenever Helen got involved.

"So are we going to stand around all night like this or are we going to do something?" Helen challenged Andrew with a crook of her finger.

"August isn't going to like that another agent got onto this case. She doesn't like to have the payment split." Andrew muttered as he thought about August's face when she found out about this.

The name caused a visible darkening on Helen's face before it twisted into a sly grin that spread across her face. Apparently the name had struck a chord in her mind and her eyes glittered with untold wicked possibilities.

"You wouldn't mean August Ingrid by chance?" She asked in a slow deliberate manner emphasizing each part of the name.

This did not seem good. Obviously, she somehow had some past history with August. Not sure how since Andrew didn't think someone like August would even tolerate being in the same vicinity with Helen. Maybe it had something to do with Elaine?

"I don't see what you're getting at…" Andrew started before he was cut off by her laughter.

"So she is here, how delightful. It's been many years since Elaine had last seen her and I would enjoy seeing why she's here now. Yes, this has me completely brimming with excitement." Helen grinned while she almost shook in anticipation.

"How did you?" Andrew blinked.

"Your eyes betrayed you all the time. People so often think they can be so sneaky, but your eyes can betray you all the time." Helen explained with a wag of her finger. "Especially from someone who knows how August's starling personality can be I bet she's still the same crass as always. How I will love to meet her now."

Andrew was a bit torn on whether that be a bad thing or be interesting to see what happened. But he figured for August's sake, it probably be better not to let such a dangerous person like a Hyde to meet her. He honestly wasn't sure how bad things would turn out.

Suddenly a loud chime rung out across the deck, the bell slowly started to swing back and forth releasing a loud chime with each swing. Both of them turned to look at it in surprise for a moment, before they quickly realized that wasn't the only thing strange happening around them. Glowing fish bones slowly swam around them before it was joined by others. Soon an entire school of spectral fishes swam around the ship to some unknown pattern.

"Something's happening," Andrew warned while he looked around.

"That's rather obvious," Helen said before her ears twitched at a sound, "I guess it is time for the big boss to finally show himself."

A wet sloshing sound echoed from the aft of the ship like something heavy and wet was slowly stepping across the wooden planks. The low groan of the wood rumbled while an eerie glow hovered in the air before revealing its source.

Standing above them on the aft of the ship before the railing was a bloated figure garbed in the yellow coat and hat of a fisherman. Water seemed to continuous drip from the body onto the deck accounting for the wet sloshing sound. The glow came from a long filament extending from the forehead; the face was that of an anglerfish. The dreadful fisherman looked down at the intruders with his beady eyes filled with contempt.

"Aren't you an ugly one?" Helen blurted out with no regard or care.

"You have no compunction there." Andrew remarked by her outburst.

"I say it like I see it." Helen smirked.

Yup, the Hyde has absolutely no sense of restraint or dictum.

The fisherman didn't seem to take their idle chatter well, he croaked, "It seems you have overstayed your welcome. I will not tolerate any stowaway on my ships. I especially dislike ones who messes around with my prized catches."

Helen blinked at the comment, before she shot a glance toward Andrew. "I take it that was your fault?"

"I may have stumbled on a few things." Andrew admitted while he pressed two fingers together in an apologetic stance.

"Neither of you two is good enough for my needs. Begone from this ship at once!" He ordered with a firm slam of his webbed fist onto the railing.

"Just try and make us!" Helen challenged in return.

"Hard to port!" He ordered.

Before either of the two could question who he was calling out toward, the steering wheel behind suddenly swirled to life as it twirled to the left. The entire ship immediately started to roll as well, causing it to flip completely upside down. The deck was now fully suspended above the ground down below.

Andrew cursed from the tilting causing him to slide toward the railing when the ship started to rotate. It was only thanks to his scarf ends grabbing onto one of the mast which kept him from plunging down to the ground, but it did leave him suspended in the air. Hanging only by the grip of his scarves onto the mast of the ship, it was rather precarious position.

Helen on the other hand didn't have any prehensile article of clothing to help her. Instead she simply had dug her claws into the deck of the ship and clung to it tightly to avoid the pull of gravity. Her hair hanged from her down to the ground, while she glared annoyingly at the fisherman who still remained where he stood unfettered by the different orientation of the ship.

"Is that the best, you can do?" She barked at him.

"You are both tenacious one it seems. I'll have to try something different then." He remarked with a puff of his gills in annoyance.

"Try this first!" Helen said back. Her hair seemed to move at their own will, several of them extending forward in the form of bladed extensions that slashed at the fisherman.

He didn't even flinch, simply floating away while the hair tore apart the area of the ship where he had stood previously. The bits of wood and debris rained downward to the ground from the massive chunk of the poop deck which was sliced apart from the attack. Annoyed at the damage, the fisherman merely gestured to the steering wheel as it swirled again to right the ship up again.

This unfortunately shifted the center of gravity sent Andrew back swinging around to the deck in a painful crash. He felt the wood buckle under his weight from the impact. Picking himself back up, he noticed Helen had stood back up again while her hair was swirling around ready to strike again.

"You got some freaky hair there…" Andrew muttered while he dusted himself off.

"That's not the only thing freaky about me," She teased with a wink.

"You're a super freak indeed," Andrew replied before he flexed his left hand, "but I can't sit around and let you take all the pot shots at our elusive specter."

"Going to show me what sort of things you can do?" Helen smirked. Her voice betrayed nothing on her interest in seeing what he could do.

"Of course, this whole outfit is not just for show." Andrew replied with a step forward.

The glowing filament swung lazily in front of the fisherman, "It is time for you to sleep with the fishes!"

Immediately the lazily swimming ghost fishes all froze in their movement before suddenly veering in one direction above the fisherman. They swam faster and faster creating a massive sphere of swimming fishes which soon became indiscernible. In one brilliant flash, they all vanished instead being replaced by the massive form of a ghost shark with a jaw which could easily swallow a truck.

"Just to nitpick, but a shark isn't a fish." Helen said toward the fisherman.

He simply scowled at her remark.

"I doubt he is someone who cares about semantics." Andrew responded to her. She simply gave him a teasing grin in return.

The ghostly shark didn't wait for anything from them. It opened its massive jaw up wide and swam down toward them. Helen simply stood patiently while giving Andrew a nod. He stepped forward to face the approaching shark, while his left hand blazed with eldritch flames. Squeezing it into his fist, he braced back and with a single punch dispersing the incorporeal ghost into bits fading motes of light.

"Too easy," Andrew gave a thumbs down, "if that is all you got then let's finish this up. I got other things to do tonight then hang around with a smelly ghost fisherman."

"I'm afraid I too must be leaving soon." He remarked. "I know better when to cut my losses and be satisfied with my current catch. It is more then enough for my needs."

"Think you're just going to get away from us like that?" Helen asked and was about to step forward, before Andrew held out his arm to stop her.

"That's another thing, why have you been kidnapping those people?" Andrew questioned.

"Because he wants to eat them?" Helen suggested annoyed at being interrupted.

The fisherman laughed, his entire bloated stomach shacking from beneath the yellow jacket which covers it. Both of them could agree the sight was rather revolting before he finally stopped and slowly started to hover upward.

"Like I want to eat such disgusting things, the taste of humans disgusts me."

"How surprising for once a monster that hates to eat us, it almost makes you feel insulted." Andrew mused at the notion.

It seemed when you are in the supernatural and paranormal business, almost everything tends to want to eat you. Zombies want your flesh and/or brain. Vampires want to drink your blood. Goblins want your meat and your stuff. The tooth fairy has a really creepy obsession with your teeth. It was like everything had some odd hunger for humans.

"If he's not going to spill anything interesting then I say let's just slice him up here and now." Helen said while she flexed her claws.

"So are you going to tell us why you're doing this?" Andrew asked not really expecting any cooperation at all.

"Of course not," he chortled back.

"How uncooperative, guess there is no point in bantering any longer." Andrew said with a reluctant shrug.

"Great, I was getting bored with it too." Helen said as she got ready to pounce toward the floating fisherman.

"Don't be so hasty," he warned with a flick of his webbed digit, "there was one last catch I manage to snag before I decided to greet you."

Ropes spun while part of the mast above them rotated to reveal a net suspended from them with a struggling occupant inside. It swung overhead above them before it turned and held the net suspend over the side of the ship. The rope holding it up lowered slightly to drop the net down to their level giving them a clear view of the person inside.

"August!" Andrew called out, before he felt Helen lean herself over him to get a look too. This pressed her bountiful bosom on the back of his head, which was a position he couldn't completely complain about except for the look August was giving him.

Her eyes seem to read that he was a dead man. He tried to respond in his own eye language that it wasn't his fault. But her eyes simply seem to respond that she didn't care. Frankly this whole visual conversation was weird.

"My, my, it is August just like I thought. You haven't changed a bit or have you?" Helen said while she leaned down on Andrew.

August just looked at Helen before she remarked, "What is a Hyde doing here?"

"She's apparently another agent from Control." Andrew managed to reply while he felt his shoulders buckling under the weight.

"Great, I'm going to have to split this case with a Hyde. I'm definitely going to send a letter of protest about this situation." August complained bitterly.

"Still the same cold August that I remember," Helen grinned wickedly.

"I don't recall having any prior acquaintances with any Hyde." August said. Despite her predicament in a net, she still managed to ooze the same composure as earlier.

"Elaine definitely still remembers you and therefore I do too." Helen explained with a grand mocking gesture.

The icy composure of August broke for a moment at the sound of that name, before it was replaced with an almost contemptuous look. "Elaine is it? I see you've fallen quite far to have become one of the Hyde."

"Like you are one to act so high and mighty," Helen challenged, "what sort of affliction forced you into this world of supernatural and paranormal?"

"That is none of your concern," August replied back.

"Don't think you can hide anything from me." Helen leered with a revealing grin.

The two glared at each other with contempt and disdain, it really made a person wonder what sort of past these two shared before. Apparently one that took place before either had inadvertently plunged into the frightful world of the supernatural.

"Aren't we forgetting someone?" Andrew interrupted while he attempted to keep himself from being buried under the weight of Helen.

Said forgotten person, the fisherman was absolutely fuming with rage at being ignored. The glowing filament had turned a bright right while his scales had shifted to the slight tinged of red. He seemed to have even swelled a bit larger some visible gaps between his clothing showing the scaly bloated hide pressing outward.

"I will not be unsubordinated on my own ship!" He roared with anger.

"You know, I really stopped caring about you awhile back. I'm more interested in August here so why don't you just go away." Helen remarked with a dismissive wave for him to leave.

"If she doesn't care for the case, then there is no reason she should get any split for it." August remarked from the net.

"Silence, this girl's life hangs in the balance." He warned them.

The rope suspending August jostled a little causing her to drop a few inches before stopping.

"If you don't want her to die, then you best pay me a little more respect and listen." He said with a wide grin. With a hostage at his hand, he was certain to have taken control of the situation. At least that was his expectation.

Smirking, Helen said, "What you think holding her hostage means anything to me?"

Andrew and August both gave Helen a suspicious look. That little question doesn't really bode too well. Almost reflexively, Andrew pulled himself away from her as he took a few cautious steps to the edge of the ship. The fisherman still engrossed with what Helen had said didn't notice the movement.

"I know your interest in her. If you don't listen to me, then she'll die a rather messy death unless any of you can fly?"

"Nope," Helen shrugged.

"It be nice, but sadly no." Andrew sighed.

"I wouldn't be in this situation if I could do it." August added.

"Then you better listen to me else I'll drop her!" he laughed at them.

"Why bother waiting for you do it?" Helen replied.

This brought his laughter to a stop immediately. In barely a blink of an eye, Helen shot a piece of her hair outward as it easily sliced the rope holding the net. August's eyes widen in shock at the action, before she started to drop.

The fisherman could stand with his mouth agape, while a quick glance at Helen only received a shrug from her followed by a smirk. Andrew on the other hand had an inkling of this and leaped off the ship's side after the net. One end of his scarf stretched out and managed to grab onto the net halting its descent. His other end of the scarf rose up to grip the side of the ship leaving both of them hanging from the side of the ship.

"Are you okay?" Andrew asked down toward August.

"I'm going to file a letter of complaint against her."

Back on deck of the ship, Helen said, "So now that you're little hostage is gone. What are you going to do now?"

"How could you just cut her like that?" He protested angrily.

"You're forgetting something, I am a Hyde." She winked before her eyes glittered with delight.

"To think such a despicable person would come before me." He muttered to himself. Fishing into his coat, he pulled out long harpoon which no way could have been hidden in there normally.

"Like you're one to talk," Helen scoffed at his comment. "A ghostly fisherman who been kidnapping people, that doesn't exactly make you a paragon of virtue."

"I'm not going to argue with that." He stated while he hoisted the harpoon ready.

"Show me what you got." Helen smirked at him.

The fisherman simply waggled his finger at her. The wooden deck beneath made a low moan, before the plank in front of suddenly lifted upward. Before she could react, it smacked her straight in the face knocking her back a few bits. Her face twisted from the sharp burst of pain from the blow as she gripped her nose with one hand and scowled at the fisherman.

"You're dead now," she hissed between her teeth in rage.

"I'm already dead, but soon you'll be too." He retorted. "It is time I call in some help to handle you pests, something more appropriate for you."

A sudden shift in the temperature was all the warning, before the fog around them suddenly parted to reveal the night sky above. Something however was dreadfully wrong with the sky shining down on them for hovering there was a huge blood red moon. Far larger and closer then the moon should ever possibly be while its full surface bathed them in a red light.

"Is this little night show supposed to impress me?" Helen scoffed completely unimpressed by it.

The light from the blood moon did sort of making her skin tingle strangely and a strange taste crossed her lips. She licked her tongue across the lip trying to get the taste, but it was elusive. Deep within herself she could feel another impulse stirring in her. A wanton bloodlust and violent drive that was far different from any she felt normally and she had some pretty serious moments too.

"Great, this is just what we needed." Andrew complained at the sky above.

He could already see in the distance several dark shapes approaching that were growing larger against the backdrop of the blood moon behind them. There was no way he could keep a grip on both August and the ship at this rate. No to mention, he was sure the effect of the blood moon which elevated bloodlust and rage in people would be having some unfortunate effect on a Hyde. It was just fortunate thanks to his nature he was immune to such things.

Still, he wasn't sure how to get out of this before he felt the net below starting to shift as it started to swing back and forth. That was when he remembered something else. His gazed turn back to the full moon above them. This was not good he noted looking down at the net.

The net swing became increasing violent as the occupant was going through a change of her own inside of it. Growing larger and furrier, the sounds of her protests soon turned to growls and snarls within the confines of the net. All that swing was not making it easier for Andrew to keep his grip, not to mention the increasing weight too.

Down below an arm hanging out from the net grew increasingly larger. Sleeves growing taunt and drawing back to reveal the developing arm which quickly became covered in brown fur. The hands twisted as pads grew across the palm and black claws expanded from the finger tips. More and more the net was becoming far too cramped for the growing and growling beast within it. More limbs start pushed their way through the openings in the nettings too.

A leg shoved out showing the crumbling pieces of her shoes, which split open to reveal black claws upon the toes. Hairy legs twisting and reshaping themselves to a form more appropriate for the beast emerging forth where there was once a girl. A long bushy tail stuck out too wagging freely while bits of net started to snap under the pressure.

Tearing through a portion, the emerging snout and face of the Jackal snarled outward. The long pointed ears perking upward from a thickening mane of black hair which spread down the back. Crimson glowing eyes of fury opened as she let out a defiant howl before she craned her head upward toward the ship and moon above.

Still just hanging on to both ends, Andrew muttered, "You know August, you could really stand to lose some weight."

She merely snarled at his utterance before with amazing agility leaped upward from the net using Andrew to scale toward the deck. He made a slight sound of protest when she bounded off of him with a leap that carried her up over the railing to land on the deck with a loud thud. Helen and the fisherman both paused in their little battle at the sight of her.

"Is she's one of yours?" Helen questioned curiously.

"I am a fisherman, why would I need a mangy dog creature?" He protested back.

The Jackal merely growled at them, before springing on top of the fisherman. He dropped the harpoon in shock which simply clattered out of reach across the deck. Not even giving him a moment, she immediately began to ravage him. She tore into his spectral hides in a frenzy readily consuming him with amazing speed.

Watching the whole grisly affair with bemusement, Helen laughed, "Guess she doesn't like what you think of her."

Andrew managed to pull himself onto the deck in time to see the Jackal finish consuming the last of the fisherman. Only his torn yellow jacket remained which laid scattered about the deck and one large piece still caught in her mouth. Before he could say anything the entire ship suddenly shuddered in a massive groan which sounded more like a person screaming then the wooden structure.

"What now?" Helen asked about the sound.

"Oh boy," Andrew said grimly, "since we took down the one who was animating this ship. There is nothing left keeping it together or afloat anymore."

"Is that all?" Helen remarked with a shrug. "I thought it was something more unexpected."

"This whole thing is going to come crashing down." Andrew stated.

"Not like that'll hurt me," Helen said with a snap of her finger.

The sound of the chopper came loudly overhead as a long rope ladder came dangling down from the sides. With a simple leap, Helen grabbed on to it while the chopper slowly started to pull away from the collapse ship. She gave Andrew a little salute as she watched the ship start to slowly sink downward the power which kept in the sky fading fast.

Along with the ship collapse the dreadful night sky above too started to waver away, fogs quickly filling into to obscure the sight. The last bits of red illumination leaking forth faded as the masts of the ships started to wrap and break apart. Pieces of the ship rained down in debris before the final bit of power gave up and the ship simply crashed down hard on the roof of the building which it had been anchored.

That spelt the end of the hull which simply disintegrated upon impact. A large pile of wooden pieces and other broken parts of the ships lay in one massive pile upon the roof. The smell of brine filled the air much to the Jackal's disgust as she shook off some pieces from her coat. Andrew just shook his head before he looked around at the wreck. Thankfully the brine and barrel had protected the people from the crashed. Most of them were still moaning in a daze soaked in brine while scattered all over the rooftop.  

"I guess we can consider this case settled," Andrew sighed toward August.

She didn't even bother to look at him, instead turning her head upward. The chopper from before carefully maneuvering itself through the fog above them as Helen came jumping down. Landing nearby, she brazenly approached them.

"Looks like you two managed to make it out alive," Helen noted with a tinge of amusement.

"No thanks to your effort." Andrew reminded.

The Jackal merely growled in agreement glaring angrily at Helen.

"Whose your little beastie friend?" Helen inquired back.

"That's just August." Andrew remarked.

Helen looked for a moment at the glaring Jackal, before she burst out laughing. "So this is August's little secret, oh that is so rich. Always so obsess about being impersonal and discreet. Now just look at you, a big snarling hairy beast."

The Jackal didn't take her amusement well, baring her teeth and slashing her claws at Helen who merely skipped away to dodge. Unfettered, she gave chase as Hyde happily skipped ahead continue to verbally mock August all the while. Watching those two chased across the roof of the building, Andrew figured this was good enough as any ending to this case.

Up above, Leon just shook his head at the trouble Helen got herself into this time. He only hoped this would be the limit of tonight's madness.