Title: Never Anger Powerful Red Heads
Rated: T for coarse language and mild violence
Fandom: League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Character Focus: Mina Harker, Henry Jekyll, and Rodney Skinner
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, this is just a fan made crazy story.
Author's Note: Okay, the idea to write this was very strange. I read some news report that ginger haired students were being bullied due to a new Facebook Group called Kick a Ginger Kid. The idea originally came from a South Park episode, which was only a joke, but it seems that a joke can go too far. I know that in LXG, three of members are ginger heads, Mina has auburn hair, Henry has dark coppery red hair, and even though he's invisible, Skinner does have ginger hair. I thought it would be a good idea to write about never crossing red heads.
Rodney Skinner, the League's invisible thief, was walking down the streets of London on an autumn evening. He had just gone for some fresh air and drinks at the pub, now Skinner was on his way back to the Nautilus at the docks. Wearing white face paint, tinted glasses, black hat, trench coat and gloves, he kept his invisibility decently disguised.
As he rounded the corner to head back to the docks, Skinner heard a woman shriek. Curious, and thinking something bad was happening, Skinner dashed to where he heard the sound. He came across a scene that was disturbing to his eyes in the faint light of the street lamps. A young woman with long red hair, wearing a worn down dress and shawl, was being harmed by a drunken thug. The man had the woman's back against the wall of a building, attempting to force himself upon her.
"Red haired wenches are never worth a penny," growled the thug, grabbing a handful of the woman's hair with one hand, the other hand grabbing the woman's wrist. "I should just do what I want with you and go! Miserable flame head!"
Skinner clenched his gloved hands into fists. It was not right to harm a woman, and harming a woman for having red hair was awful. The invisible man remembered having red hair back when he was visible, a trait he was teased for and it became one of his reasons for becoming invisible. He could not let that thug get away with brutality against a defenseless woman for having red hair.
Immediately, Skinner removed his coat, gloves, glasses, hat and face paint. He ran as fast as he could and pulled the thug off the red haired woman.
"What in the Hell?" the startled thug grunted. Glazed over eyes darted side to side, searching for the unseen foe.
Skinner slammed several punches into the man's unshaven face. The thug stumbled back several steps before tumbling unconscious to the ground. After dealing with the drunk, Skinner glanced at the woman as she recovered from the assault. She did not seem hurt, but the expression on her pale, freckled face revealed her nervousness.
"Are you alright?" asked Skinner.
The woman, still feeling frightened, could only nod in the direction of Skinner's voice. She wrapped her shawl around her bony shoulders, shaking from the out door chill and the fright.
"It's best you find some place safe, jack-asses like him roam these streets at night. A girl like you could get hurt from them."
"Thank you," the woman whispered. She quickly ran down the street to where her home was located.
Skinner gathered his discarded clothes, thinking about the days when he was teased for his red hair. It was not nice for people to tease or bully others for having certain appearances like the red hair, dark skin, or short height. Shaking his head, Skinner continued on his path back to the Nautilus, trying to forget the intolerance in the world.
Mina Harker was spending the evening out in the streets of London as well, mostly for hunting to satisfy her vampiric needs. When she was hunting, she took the caution to avoid being discovered. Her best chances of getting appropriate prey was in the darker places where the worst sort of folk would dwell.
"Hey carrot top," she heard a man's voice shout, "walking at night to avoid the sun?"
Mina saw with her keen night vision, in the alley where she was walking, a group of men in the corner. The vampire noticed that the men were shouting at and attacking a young man with bright red hair. She frowned at the sight, Mina realized that it wasn't right to harm someone just because of the red hair, being red haired herself.
"Come on, weakling," one of the men shouted, punching at the red haired man. "Are you gingers such pussies or what?"
Mina couldn't stand it any longer as she watched the red head trying to cover himself with his arms against the punches. Thinking over the situation, she decided to take action, she might as well get a meal while she was doing something right.
Taking long strides as her black skirt would allow, she walked with fluid motion. Her auburn hair was curling, her fangs extending, and her eyes glowing red.
"Break it up," she called out, her voice cutting air like a blade. If she could draw the attention of the bullies onto her, she could take one down and perhaps the others would be frightened off.
"What the bloody Hell is this?" asked one of the men, probably the leader of the group.
"Looks like another freaky ginger head," said another one of the bullies, "walking at night to avoid the sunlight."
"I do not need to avoid the sunlight," Mina said coldly, "and I don't walk at night because I'm red haired. I walk at night for a more better purpose!"
"Get her," barked the group leader, "she'll be more fun to pester than the ginger head whelp!"
One of the group members ran at her, reaching out to grab her. Mina remained calm as the man came close enough to grab her hair. She caught the man's wrist and pulled him against her.
"Hey!" the man cried angrily. His angry shouts were cut off as Mina tore out his throat with her fangs. The man's body fell limp to the ground.
"Holy shit!" another member of the gang shouted. "That ginger head bitch killed him!"
"If you don't wish to meet the same fate," Mina snarled, blood trailing the corners of her mouth, "then you should leave." Her eyes flashed red, her fangs glinting in the faint light. If her plan worked, the other men would leave, the appearance of a red haired vampire should at least be frightening enough.
"Damn it," the leader growled to his group, "lets go before more of these ginger freaks show up to suck out our souls!" The group of bullies retreated, leaving behind the corpse of their comrade and the cowering red haired man.
Suck out souls indeed, the vampire thought. Mina calmed down and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. Once she cleaned the blood away, Mina approached the young man, kneeling down before him.
"Are you alright?" she asked, gently touching him.
The ginger haired man lifted his face to her. He was a young man, around the same age as Tom Sawyer, only he had red hair and freckles across his face.
"Y-yes," he answered. "Just a bit bruised, but I'm not hurt badly." His face flushed red as his hair, noticing that a beautiful woman had been the one who helped him.
Mina helped him to his feet. "Come, I'll walk with you to your destination. No one will bother us if we walk together."
"Thank you, I appreciate it. Those men were attacking me because of my appearance, I don't know why they did that."
"They were being cruel and intolerant, eventually they'll regret their actions." Mina gave the corpse of her prey a cold glance before leaving with her new friend.
Also out in the streets of London, Henry Jekyll was getting fresh air and some time by himself, or at least with his other half named Edward Hyde. His hands deep in his pockets, he walked down the streets, keeping his thoughts and the voice of his alter ego in his mind. Since he was paying no attention to the people around him, keeping his eyes on the ground before his feet, he stopped with a startled breath as a heavier man stepped in front of him. The man seemed more plainly dressed compared to Henry's formal black outfit, and the man had an agitated expression across his broad face.
"We don't like your kind here, red hair," the big man sneered, sending a gust of hot, putrid breath into Henry's face.
"Sir," Henry started, trying to sound calm and respectable, "I do not wish to cause trouble here tonight. I did not do anything wrong to anger you, I am just taking a walk by myself, and I would appreciate it if you don't argue with me." His statement did not seem to effect the man and already Henry could hear Hyde's voice demanding to be unleashed.
"You red hairs think you're so clever," the man remarked, "showing up in your fancy clothes, and talking like you know everything when the sight of your red hair is a disgrace! I ought to teach you to learn some fucking respect!" The man slammed one dirty fist into Henry's jaw, sending the League member stumbling back.
Henry rubbed his jaw, Edward began howling for freedom and carnage. The blow to the face did hurt, but it was the remark of his red hair that was offending. He never really minded his dark copper red hair, sure it wasn't as attractive as having blonde or black hair, but having red hair wasn't as bad as having a psychotic alter ego with a murderous appetite. Why would people give him such a hard time for having red hair?
More men were arriving on the scene, circling Henry, rolling up their sleeves and muttering something about 'teaching the red head a lesson'. Henry reached into his pocket for the vial, Hyde will have to deal with the men since Henry was outnumbered.
"Any last words red head?" the man who punched him asked.
"Only this," he answered, holding up the vial. Henry removed the top of the vial and poured the contents down his throat. Then, he began to change, his bones twisted and his clothing ripped.
"What in the blazes is he?" one man cried.
"I knew them gingers were freaks of the unnatural," shouted another.
"Do any of you want to fuck with me?" Hyde asked mockingly. He grinned to reveal his crooked, yellow teeth.
"Just get him!" shouted the man who punched Henry. "It's one less ginger freak to see in this world!"
The men all jumped on Edward at once, trying to take the huge red haired beast down. Yet, their combined strength was not enough to stop Edward. The brute snatched one man by the arm and twisted the limb with a sickening crunch. He flung another to the ground with extreme force as more tried to grab on. Grabbing two men, one with each hand, Edward slammed their heads together.
The last man was attempting to flee, but Edward showed remarkable speed for his size and grabbed the man's throat.
"This is why you never fuck with me," Edward snarled, crushing the man's neck with a squeeze.
Dropping the lifeless body to the ground, Edward climbed to the roof tops. He might as well return to the Nautilus by his preferable fast route. Henry would have to explain the transformation and the deaths of several men, at least convince everyone of the self-defense story. The men started the fight anyway, and it was because they wanted to punish Henry for his red hair.
Punishing a man for being red haired, Edward thought, so bloody ridiculous!
Eager to make his return quick, Edward Hyde set his thoughts on hatred against red haired people aside and leaped across the roof tops. Hopefully after tonight, hateful actions against red haired people would stop.
Fin.
End Note: That's my story, that hate crimes are bad and you should never screw around with gingers. It seemed right to write this in response to the bullying against red heads, that it's just down right mean. Besides, Jason Flemyng and Tony Curran are gingers, and they are so sexy!