Now

Gotham City, Maryland

"Try not to move anything." said Nemo as he and Priest stood inside Mandy's loft.

"She's bound to find out we were here anyway." said Priest grimly as he looked around.

"If that were true, it would have made all the precautions pointless, wouldn't it? Look, league officials rely on their anonymity being intact to protect themselves, finding out who they are is the hard part."

"Okay, so, when we find out who Josephine is, what are you going to do? Kill her?"

"And waste a lot of effort learning who her successor is? No. Know thy enemy, Mister Priest, that's he key."

"Whatever, boss. What are we supposed to be looking for?"

"Any clues regarding Hughes and Josephine's relatioship."

"Care to narrow it down?"

"I brought you here for a purpose, Priest," quipped Nemo who was running out of patience, "You used to be a spy, didn't you? Employ some of your experience."

"Fine, you don't have to yell." said Priest as he stepped away from Nemo, heading to a different part of the apartment.

Nemo went to work on the walls and furniture, looking for hidden compartments, while Priest stood at the bedroom's doorstep, scanning it with a lack of interest. There was something about it that sounded a bell within him, but he couldn't place it, after a few seconds of consideration, he realized it was the smell rather than the sight. He closed his eyes and took a big whiff, held it within his rarely used lungs and analyzed the aroma.

Priest exhaled and cracked half a smile, before advancing in and carefully opening the closet, he shut it and went to the dresser, he opened the top drawer and took a look; there was nothing of interest but some underwear and an Uzi.

He stepped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet and took a look at the jars of medicine and feminine products that were stacked on the tiny shelves; there were some bottles of aspirin, painkillers, sleeping pills among an assortment of other drugs, some illegal, there was also a bag of cotton balls that Priest, despite having lived for hundreds of years during which he knew many women, never found the use of those cotton balls. He closed the cabinet and stepped out of the bathroom and into the living room.

"Did you check her speed dial?" asked Priest as he stood by a table behind her sofa on which the phone rested next to a bowl that Priest dug into with a couple of fingers, it was filled with those things one inevitably finds in one's pockets upon returning home; spare change, pieces of gum, a matchbox and so on.

"I have, nothing useful." answered Nemo, "Just a few restaurants, the super, her dry cleaners. The League needs to have direct contact with all employees, so they employ cell phones mostly."

"Did you find anything?"

"She's in a relationship, with a woman possibly." said Priest as he headed into the open kitchen opened the fridge to peek in, "What kinds of restaurants?

"Pizza parlors and Chinese takeout, what do you mean she's in a relationship with a woman?"

"Well, you see, Nemo; when young boys and young girls grow up, they start to have certain ideas about each other, and sometimes the boys have them about their own about boys and girls have them about girls, sometimes boys and girls have ideas about both boys AND gi-"

"Priest."

"Okay okay," said Priest as he looked at the shelves of the fridge, illuminated by a the yellow light coming from a bulb, which were mostly empty except for some light beer and a bag of raw lamb chops, "I couldn't find any birth control, the bedroom didn't smell too saintly, if you follow my drift. In the bathroom, there was two toothbrushes, but not razors, now I know what you're thinking, maybe it's a man who is steril and grown a beard. But I found this."

Priest closed the fridge and tossed a matchbox at Nemo who caught it and looked at it, it was a small red matchbox, custom made for an establishment, the logo on it was in black and white and it read 'Anactoria'.

"'Anactoria'." said Priest, "Ever heard of Sapho? Ancient Greek poet who lived on the island of Lesbos, which is where the words 'Saphist' and 'Lesbian' come from, she wrote love poems directed at some women, including one maiden by the name of Anactoria, who some believe was her lover. That matchbox came from a lesbian bar."

"I don't know what to say, Priest. That's rather useless, but I wouldn't mind you using more and more of your powers of observation rather than your patented Punch-Kick-Lunge-for-the-neck method."

"Don't count on it."

Nemo tossed the matchbox back into the bowl and kneeled down to look under the couch, finding nothing he went to search between the cushions, eventually finding a black leather-bound planner, he opened it and placed it on the coffee table, then started taking pictures of the pages with a camera he had.

"This, however, may prove to be extremely valuable."

"Kudos, I'll bake you a cake."

Melbourne, Australia

George Costas smiled out of the left corner of his mouth, as he straightened his coat and looked at the man that lay in a heap on the ground, covered with tiny shards of glass from the shattered bottle which's neck was still in Costas' hands. The man on the floor started to stir so Costas tossed the bottle neck aside, then reached into his coat and took out a sawn-off shotgun which he aimed at the fallen man's head.

"This didn't have to happen," said Costas in a Greek accent, "But I'm glad it did. It's been a long time since I've given a man a face full of bottle. I felt nice."

The man on the floor looked at Costas angrily, and then turned to look at his boss who was being approached by a tall menacing man of fifty, wearing a long black coat.

"Your gun, two fingers." Ordered Costas.

The man on the floor reached slowly into his jacket and took out his pistol, holding it from the handle with his thumb and index fingers then tossed it away.

"Sit down." said the tall man in the black coat.

"Please," said the boss, a man of advanced age as he stumbled back onto his seat, "We can work out a deal."

"Oh, you better believe me when I say we will." said the man in the black coat in a British West county accent, "We had an accord, Mister Litton, we agreed that you would give us the location of the sunken vessel and I would have the valuables lifted, and we'd split the loot fifty-five\forty-five. You were there, right?"

"Yes.. I.."

"When was it that we agreed that after I had my men meet you at our rendezvous point that you'd steal my share and try to blow up my men?"

"P..please..."

"I'll tell you when, it was Never. We made no such agreement, but you did it. Now, you have two choices, either I kill you and spend some time looking for the money. Or, you live and give me the money."

"Yes, yes! Whatever you say! You can have the money."

"All of it?"

"What?"

"By the money, I assume you mean all thirty-nine million euros, correct?"

"But..."

"You can either keep the money or walk away, you can't do both. "

"Yes. You can take the money, all of it! Just please, don't kill me."

"Good," said the man wryly, "Cough up the dosh."

"It's in the safe."

He took out a gun and aimed it at the already frightened Litton, and said, "Remember, I'm immortal. Do don't do anything... stupid."

Within a few minutes, Litton was handing his former associate a suitcase filled with money and small pouches of diamonds.

"For what it's worth," said Litton, "I'm sorry I've crossed you."

Hector Barbossa smiled warmly before shooting Litton in the kneecap. Litton buckled to the floor, screaming bloody murder and holding the lower part of his thigh, as Costas smashed the heel of his boot into the bodyguard's face, knocking him out.

"When I aid you could walk away, I was really taking the piss." said Barbossa as he headed to leave Litton's office as he slipped the gun back into his coat, Costas caught up with him as he hid his own weapon.

"To the Submarine, Captain?" asked Costas.

"The Black Pearl can wait, I'm in a mood for a drink. After all, I'ts ot everyday that I become a millionare."

"I could go for a Rum and Coke."

"Rum and Coke? Why, that's so passe, Mister Costas."

One Day Later

Alexandria, Egypt

A uniformed seaman allowed Barnes into one of the sleeping quarters aboard the Red October, the door was shut behind him as Bond stepped in to look at the small room's only occupant.

Aladdin Sane was a man of his late twenties, tall and thin, olive skinned and sandy blonde haired, the son of a Palestinian mother and a Welsh father was a private investigator and a former student of political science. In recent years he had been investigating the assassination of a leading politician that he admired, his investigation were met by much hardship and obstacles, at time he faced the threat of death if he didn't stop, but he soldiered on, determined that the truth had to be fought for by tooth and nail.

He eventually learned of the league, and how they orchestrated the demise of the politician, finding him too popular, unpredictable and likely to cause complication that didn't best suit their designs.

That was when General Raimus came knocking on his door, and introduced him to Robert Barnes, a former US army Colonel and former CIA Agent working in various Middle Eastern countries over the years. They were the first members of the Cairo cell of the movement dedicated to disrupt the League's operations.

It was a little over three months ago that Aladdin had split away from the Cell when they were in Yemen attempting to foil an arms deal between the League ands Insurgents, he said in a phone call that he was investigating a major lead on his own and claimed that it would make all the difference, that was the last they heard of him for some time. Two weeks later he contacted them asking them to meet him in Jordan, claiming that he has made an amazing discovery. When they got there, they learned through local contacts that he was apprehended by the League.

They tore through he country looking for him, but Raimus ordered them to return to Cairo and that Sane had acted on his own and thus had dug his own grave. They complied with his demands, but continued to search for him and learned a little over a month ago that he was being held in Syria. The rest was History.

Aladdin Sane was sitting on the floor by the wall opposite to the door, facing Barnes and hugging his folded legs to his body. Barnes took a look around the room and saw that his food was merely picked at and that the bed has not been slept it for some time.

"Hi, Aladdin," said Barnes as went to sit on a chair by the younger man, "Remember me? It's Bob, Bob Barnes. We worked together."

"This is just another one of your tricks," said Aladdin as he hung his head, "You're not here, or maybe you are but you are not yourself. A hallucinogen in my food, to make me see things."

"Aladdin, you've been saved. We took you out."

"Lies, I'll never tell you anything!"

Aladdin lunged at Barnes, yelling, "I'll die before I tell you anything!"

Barnes quickly got up, ducking out of Aladdin's reach and grabbing him in a full nelson.

"You're name is..." whispered Barnes into Aladdin's ear as he raved, "Is Aladdin Sane."

Aladdin thrashed as he tried to escape Barnes' hold.

"Your favorite Artist is Salvadore Dali, your favorite musician is David Bowie and your favorite poet is Nizar Qabani."

"Let me go you filthy bastard!"

"You have a woman in Beirut, her name is Najlaa and she's a teacher."

Aladdin started to sob as he was overcome with emotion, unsure whether or not he was saved.

"You and Aisha don't get along very well, and on some nights you play chess with Almasry, trying to get him to talk, the only time you managed to do it is when he scolded you for taking to long to make a move."

Aladdin stopped his thrashing and quieted down, Barnes let go of him and lay him on the bed.

"Your name is Aladdin Sane," said Barnes, "My name is Robert Barnes, I was your friend. I AM your friend."

Aladdin sobbed silently as he sat up on the bed, holding his head in his hands. Barnes knew his friend wasn't about to start talking, and he couldn't find it in his heart to press any harder, so he simply turned around and headed to the door.

"I'll come by latter, Okay Al?"

"Five years."

Barnes froze in his place as he heard those two words, and contemplated if he really heard them or not. He turned around slowly to look at Aladdin still in his same position, shaking slightly and holding his head in his hands.

"Five years? Did you say Five year? You did, didn't you?"

Barnes went and sat right next to him, asking, "What do you mean? Five years what?"

"Five years," said Aladdin with a shaky voice, "We've got Five years... Before... the world... will end."

Boot, hope you liked your apperance, It won't be the last.

Keep those Reviews coming.