The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
The Cabbala.
"When you were young and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
But if this ever-changing world in which we're livin'
Makes you give in and cry, say live and let die
Live and let die, live and let die, live and let die
What does it matter to ya
When you've got a job to do, you gotta do it well
You gotta give the other fella hell. (…) – The Wings "Live and Let Die"
Warning: Violence, explicit language, possibly gore.
Timing: 2015, for particular timing of the characters original universes, see footnote of their respective chapters.
Rating: M, possibly MA.
Pairings: Wilhelmina and Allan (past). Wilhelmina and Orlando (friends with benefits).
Disclaimer: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen original comic books © Allan Moore and Kevin O'Neill. Neverwhere (in character of Lady Door) © Neil Gaiman. Atomic Robo © Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegner. Stargate Atlantis (in character of Spike the Wraith) © MGM Studios. Hellboy (in character of Karl Ruprecht Kroenen) © Michael Mignola. Slenderman © Eric Knudsen (as Victor Surge). The story © Czarna Archer.
Dracula (in character of Wilhelmina Murray) by Bram Stoker. Allan Quatermain by sir Henry Rider Haggard. Orlando (or his/hers alike) by Virgina Woolf.
We Care a Lot.
"(…) We care a lot about the gamblers and the pushers and the geeks
We care a lot about the crack and smack and whack that hits the street
We care a lot about the welfare of all the boys and girls
We care a lot about you people 'cause we're out to save the world
YEAH!
And it's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it
We care a lot about the army navy air force and marines
We care a lot about the SF, NY and LAPD
We care a lot about you people, about your guns
about the wars you're fighting gee that looks like fun (…)." – Faith No More "We care a lot".
oOo
London. The next (late) morning.
The night passed all too fast, at least for Lady Door. The bed was comfortable and she felt that she has barely closed her eyes when a loud knock to her door awakened her. As it happened it was Robo who took it upon himself to make sure everyone would be ready for the next day of their mission.
Door already knew that he didn't sleep – he didn't have need for that.
"You know, it's almost 10." He said walking in. "Everyone else is already in the lobby."
"Uh?" She asked sitting in her bed. Her hair was twice as messed as it usually looked like.
"We'll be waiting for you in the bistro." He said observing her trying to figure out which side is up and how to get out of her bed. "Tanner should be here shortly."
"Okay." She replied falling off the bed with loud thud. Before she untangled herself from the treacherous bed sheets Robo already left. Door sighed and limped to the bath room.
oOo
When she got down to the bistro, Bill Tanner was already there. He and Robo were talking about something while Kroenen listened patiently. Spike seemed to be meditating and Slenderman wasn't even sitting with them, instead he was standing at the window staring at whatever was happening outside.
"We ordered you some tea." Robo was the first to acknowledge her. "But you need to choose your breakfast." He added as she sat down.
Slenderman didn't even twitch while Spike slightly opened one eye only to close it. Kroenen pushed her tea closer but said nothing.
"I'll get myself some sandwich and eat it while we'll be on our way." She decided. "No point in wasting the time."
"You may as well waste some time, Lady Door." Tanner shrugged. "You still have to choose where to go."
"I believe we have agreed previously to just go after them." Door took a long sip of her tea. It was good and she was thirsty. "Stop them as fast as possible before they will cause any damage?"
"Yes, but do you want to intercept them or just give them pursuit?" Tanner asked.
"Setting up an ambush would be better, but we'd need to be sure that they won't change their plans leaving us sitting and waiting for nothing." Robo pondered out loud. "Chasing them would solve that little problem, but we'd need to get to them first without them noticing that they have a tail."
"That is a valid point." Kroenen nodded. "Still, we need to choose. Or rather, Herrin Door has to choose." He nodded his head toward Door.
"What would you do?" Door asked Tanner.
"If I was involved I'd have local police cooperating." Tanner admitted. "But this is different job."
"Wraith favour chase, it is our preferred way of hunting. We delight in the challenge it provides us." Spike spoke in calm, multi-toned voice. "In this case however it is not the challenge but the result we're after."
"What is Wraith preferred way of getting the desired results?" Door asked, curious of Wraith perspective.
"It is to get it by any means possible." Spike answered with blunt honesty. "Usually we use our technological and military superiority. If that is not applicable, then we use deception."
"Oh." Door deflated. That was not something she expected to hear, the Wraith perspective sounded way too earthen.
"And Slenderman says that he personally always liked a good ambush." Spike spoke again.
"Yes. But he hunts naughty children who wander whey they shouldn't." Kroenen pointed out earning a 'glare' from the Slenderman who turned sharply from the window. It was hard to decide if what Kroenen said was a jab or just stating the fact, so the faceless entity reacted just in case.
"Fine, and what would you do, Robo?" Door sighed.
"Apply science." Robo answered boldly. "And probably Jenkins."
"Aye, Jenkins." Tanner grinned.
"You know Jenkins?" Robo stared at the man.
"I've met him." Tanner admitted. "It was back in the days, before he joined you. Pretty skilled lad he was."
"Still is."
"And we do not know how they travel because they choose their methods randomly." Door furrowed her eyebrows, remembering the previous night's briefing.
"That would mean a chase, but they're terrorists, so if they will notice they're being followed they might panic and do something stupid." Robo pointed out. "That leaves us with an ambush, better get them unprepared."
"That means that we must know where to set the trap." Spike leaned back. "Which we do not because their travel pattern makes no sense."
"Unless we learn where they are at a moment and I could get us there… "Door proposed.
"No way!" Robo protested.
"Oh, just because you don't like… "Door started.
"It has nothing to do with how I hate it." Robo interrupted. "It has everything to do with the fact that you might be walking us into a situation when they're armed and prepared to fight?"
"Oh." Door's eyes grew round.
"Indeed. It is us who should be waiting for them, not the other way around." Spike nodded slowly.
"We must face the fact that we have no other choice but to follow them." Kroenen finally voiced what everyone knew. "But do so with extreme caution. If we will fail to capture them safely then at least we have a chance to learn more about their objectives which in turn will make our mission easier."
"Then why not start with going to where they were seen last?" Spike asked. "Search for what they were looking for, there is a chance that we would find clues about where they might be heading to."
"Let's split." Robo proposed. "Two of us go to where they were seen and gather some intel on what they're after and the rest follow the two birds."
"Agreed. Then we will meet and see if we have enough to decide where to set the trap." Door decided. "I will take Doctor Kroenen to places where they were visiting. Robo, you will take Slenderman and Spike and follow the Jihadists."
"Why split us like that?" Spike asked. He hoped that he and Slenderman could search for clues. He would prefer to be on his own.
"Because Dr Kroenen is an occultist, his expertise will be the key to determining of what exactly they're looking for and I am an Opener so I will be providing us the means of fast travel." Door explained. "While you and Slenderman are hunters and Robo is a war combatant, you should do best with tracking."
"Can't see a flaw in this reasoning." Tanner admitted.
"Splendid." Door stood up. "Mr Tanner, if you would be so kind as to provide Robo's team with means of travel and me with list of places the Jihadists staid during their travel, we would be on our way."
"Give me half an hour." Tanner looked up at the young woman. "You can use this time to eat some breakfast." He added.
Door sat down and sighed. She hoped they could start right away. At least she would have a chance to get some food.
TBC
OK. Since while LoEG fic, the LoEG is in itself a crossover, so do not worry if you won't be familiar with any of the characters, if the need will arise it will be explain and if you will have any additional questions or something won't be clear, you can also contact me and ask and I will answer you to the best of my abilities.
