It's a very short chapter for me, I know. Please bare with me as I get this story completely together. It might take some time for me to complete it because I'm having a little trouble with ending my other story, In The Limelight. Please, please, please be patient with me and my writing. Thank you all!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my own characters and made up places, tragedies, ideas and thoughts.

{~||~It's My Forlorn Hope~||~}

Heavy boots clanked against the white marble of the floors inside the great submarine that sailed swiftly through the calm ocean of autumn. A blue jacket flew as the person rounded the corner, walking into a large dinning room full of people. He looked upon his new friends, which he had been through so much with in the last years working together on missions supplied to them. He made his way to the other side of the long mahogany table and instructed his first mate to close the doors on his way out.

Once the doors were closed tightly a groan sounded from someone at the table.

"Ay! I was sleepin', you know, when you had your men come and get me for this meetin'." A man in a black hat scoffed, throwing his legs up on the table and crossing them.

"My apologies Rodney." The man standing bowed slightly, showing his understanding to the other man.

"Yeah, yeah, alright..." Rodney readjusted himself in his chair feeling slightly uncomfortable with the attention on him, "So, what's goin' on with you Nemo?"

The white paint that covered his face moved as each word passed through his lips. The man named Nemo looked at him once more and then moved to look on at the rest of the League. Nemo sighed and stood straighter as he looked on. His arms folded behind his back and he felt his composure fall slightly with the news that had been brought to his attention was still filtering trough his head.

"Nemo, are you alright?" A man with neatly parted dark, almost brown, hair, dressed in a suit questioned, worried about the look that Nemo had on his face. Nemo nodded, lifting a hand to signal that he was truly fine.

"Yes, I'm alright Henry." He responded, taking another long breath before moving on to explain for his sudden need for the meeting, "I got a message a little while ago."

"A message...?" A woman with crimson hair and pale flesh asked in a small voice, "From whom?"

"From a very old friend of mine...His name is Athanasius and he is the high priest to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi." Nemo took a few steps away from the table and over to stare down at a small white leather bound book he had sitting on top of a marble stand. He laid a hand down gently on it, feeling the coolness of the leather beneath his fingertips. His eyes slowly glazed over as he became deep in thought.

How long had it been since he had last heard that named uttered? 10 years? 20? No...It must have been at least 40. 40 years to the day since he heard the name of the Celestial Guardian from Athanasius. He remembered word for word what the letter from the priest had said. Word for word the instructions it had for him and the League of Extraordinary Gentleman.

"So," A voice caught Nemo off guard and he quickly snapped around to face the rest of the League. A young man with shaggy brown hair looked on at Nemo, "What did this message say?"

"It was a letter explaining to me a situation that Athanasius had encountered in recent years." Nemo moved back to the table and placed his hands, palm down, against the top, "A situation that he doesn't think he can handle on his own."

"What sort of situation, might I ask?" Nemo looked over at Henry and gave him a blank stare for a moment. He looked down at the tabletop where his hands were and thought for a moment. When he raised his head the entire League could tell he was obviously emotionally attached to what ever the situation was.

"For you to understand everything with this delicate situation, I think we will need to take a trip to visit my old friend in Delphi." Nemo swallowed the lump that had somehow found its way into his throat and looked around the table, "He has much more knowledge of what is going on than I do."

The League exchanged looks of uncertainty; each one presenting their own air of confusion about what was happening to and with their beloved captain and friend. Rodney let his feet drop to the floor with a loud thump and looked on at Nemo.

"I'm all for it a little side trip. What about you Mina?" He commented, a slight grin finding its way onto his white painted lips. He looked over at the woman with crimson hair, waiting for her answer.

"A vacation in Greece does sound quite lovely." The woman gave a small attempt at a smile and looked over to the man with shaggy hair and then to Henry. Both the men nodded at the thought, not knowing what else to do.

"Then it's settled!" Rodney blurted, standing up from his chair, "We're goin' to Greece. Can I go back to my room now? Or is there another surprise meeting you wanted to throw us into?"

"You may all leave. Rest and relax because we should arrive in Greece within two days." Nemo looked to the others and gave them the same nod of his head before walking to grab the book from the marble stand, "because when we get there it may become very uncomfortable for some of you."

With that said Nemo marched to the doors of the dinning room and swung them open, exiting down the hall. He quickly passed his men, not caring to give them a sign he noticed them as he went. Once he made it to his door he swung it open and walked in, closing the door to his chambers. He locked it before heading to the large oak desk in the back.

Gently he placed the leather bound book he carried onto the desk and then walked away to the small cot of a bed against the far wall. He let himself fall back onto the bed and sat there for a moment, contemplating on the situation that he had read about in the letter from earlier.

He quickly shook his head and cursed under his breath when he felt a tinge of pain shoot through his chest at a memory that had found its way into his mind. Carefully he leaned back and laid his head on the pillow that sat there, waiting for him. His eyes slowly began to close and soon he found himself in a deep slumber of memories...