"Reality Check"
The Leauge is called in to investigate and stop a series of bizzare murders across Europe, with the help of another American agent. But the murderer is the last person anyone would expect... Kinda a crossover with X-Men.
Disclaimers: I don't own anybody, except for Maggie and (Fredrick) Stryker, so nobody sue me, okay?
Note: This is only a semi-crossover with X-Men, so don't get your hopes up. There will be no time travel, epic battles, etc. Fredrick Stryker and Andrew Xavier are Prof. X and William Stryker's ancestors.
* * *
Fredrick Stryker smiled politly, but almost absently, at his dinner guests. He found it endlessly fasinating the way they emerged themselves in idle chitchat and boring conversation at a time like this. It was New Year's Eve, 1899. Stryker's London estate positivly glowed with gay couples and groups in their elaborate costumes. The decorations were over the top, to say the least. Only the very best for London's finest. However, their gayiety came at very high price. A World War had nearly broken out only a few months before. The safty of the world was owed to some mysterious force that Her Magesty's government wouldn't even name. However, he had contacts throughout the government, and he knew they were known as the "Leauge of Extraordinary Gentleman". Rumors spread like wildfire among the citizens of the world, however, and many were curious about that force. Some told of rather infamous figures, including the "creature" that terrorized areas of both Paris and London and a very peculiar young woman Stryker had had the pleasure of meeting several years ago. Wehelmina Harker and her husband had attended one of his father's balls long ago. He had been positivly smitten with her as a boy, but no one had seen her in years.
"Ah, Mr. Stryker," a distinguished-looking older man greeted him,"It's wonderful to see you agian. An absolutly smashing party."
"Ah, yes, Gardener, it's delightful to see you, as well. How have you been, old friend?"
"Fine, fine. I don't believe you've met Margaret, my granddaughter?" A very pretty young woman came up behind Gardener. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in several elaborate twists. Her dress was a shining gold affair with purple accents that matched a purple half-moon pandant hanging around her neck. Her eyes were a beautiful and very unusual shade of violet.
"No, I haven't had the pleasure..." Stryker smiled at the young woman.
"The pleasure is all mine," she smiled back, her sultry accent revealing her father's American heritage,"Margaret Thatcher."
"Miss Thatcher," Stryker took her hand.
"Sir?" a servant came up meekly behind him.
"Will you excuse me, Miss Thatcher, Mr. Gardener?" he turned to the servant at their nodds.
"Yes, well, what is it?"
"Mr. Xavier is waiting in your study. He wishes to speak with you immedeatly."
"Alright, then," he smiled at his guests,"I wouldn't want to keep him waiting. If you will excuse me?" Margaret and Gardener nodded and turned to speak with another guest. Stryker didn't notice the girl's sharp eyes watching him leave the room.
"Well, Fredrick, it's good to see you," Andrew Xavier smiled at Stryker.
"And you, Andy. How are you?" Stryker asked as he filled a glass with brandy,"Brandy?"
No, thank you. I am fine, but I wanted to discuss something with you. A rather, unusual, development over at Scotlandyard. Apparently, there have been a string of suicides all over Europe."
"Suicides are usually self-explainatory," Stryker pointed out.
"These victims aren't predisposed for this kind of behavior. They had no suicidal tendencies until now. Most didn't even have a reason to commit suicide. We did catch one before he killed himself, and he seems to be delerious, out of his mind."
"And what help do you think I would be?" Stryker asked,"That is your reason for telling me this, is it not?"
"It's not just the victims that are strange. Parisan police determined that there were reports of five of these suicides within a week. Then they stopped. Another week later, Berliners began reporting simular deaths. Agian, after a week, they stopped. Agian in Rome. The same thing as been happening in London for the past week, the last one happened in the East End earlier today."
"Must I repeat my question?" Stryker snapped testily,"I have guests to attend to."
"The point is that all of these "suicides" happened during your tour of Europe. I have a letter from you in each city on the dates of the deaths. I think they were murders."
"And you think I something to do with them?" Stryker said, outraged.
"No, of course not," Xavier sighed,"However, you were there, perhaps you saw something, overheard something, anything, that might help us."
"No," Stryker amended,"I was rather busy most of the time. I don't recall hearing anything about strange deaths... I am sorry I cannot be of more help. Now, if that is all, I need to be going. Henry can show you out."
"Of course, Fredrick. I suppose I should tell you that the Americans have sent agents to investigate. And her Magesty had rerecruited the Leauge. They aren't saying much else, but if you know the rest, you might as well know that. Good-bye old friend. Enjoy your party." Xavier stood and left the room, followed by the servant. Stryker glared at his friend's retreating form. He knew. He knew that he was responsible for the murders.
"Don't be rediculas," he scoffed himself, "He can't know. No one could connect me... Damnation, I should have covered my tracks better. I'm getting sloppy. I'll just have to take care of Mr. Xavier the old fashioned way. I can make it look like suicide easily. And it will throw the police off my trail if he did voice his "concerns" about me." As Stryker plotted, he didn't notice Margaret Thatcher hidden just outside his study. Nor did he go back to his party.
Good, bad, stop, go on? Please R&R!!! ~Neffy
The Leauge is called in to investigate and stop a series of bizzare murders across Europe, with the help of another American agent. But the murderer is the last person anyone would expect... Kinda a crossover with X-Men.
Disclaimers: I don't own anybody, except for Maggie and (Fredrick) Stryker, so nobody sue me, okay?
Note: This is only a semi-crossover with X-Men, so don't get your hopes up. There will be no time travel, epic battles, etc. Fredrick Stryker and Andrew Xavier are Prof. X and William Stryker's ancestors.
* * *
Fredrick Stryker smiled politly, but almost absently, at his dinner guests. He found it endlessly fasinating the way they emerged themselves in idle chitchat and boring conversation at a time like this. It was New Year's Eve, 1899. Stryker's London estate positivly glowed with gay couples and groups in their elaborate costumes. The decorations were over the top, to say the least. Only the very best for London's finest. However, their gayiety came at very high price. A World War had nearly broken out only a few months before. The safty of the world was owed to some mysterious force that Her Magesty's government wouldn't even name. However, he had contacts throughout the government, and he knew they were known as the "Leauge of Extraordinary Gentleman". Rumors spread like wildfire among the citizens of the world, however, and many were curious about that force. Some told of rather infamous figures, including the "creature" that terrorized areas of both Paris and London and a very peculiar young woman Stryker had had the pleasure of meeting several years ago. Wehelmina Harker and her husband had attended one of his father's balls long ago. He had been positivly smitten with her as a boy, but no one had seen her in years.
"Ah, Mr. Stryker," a distinguished-looking older man greeted him,"It's wonderful to see you agian. An absolutly smashing party."
"Ah, yes, Gardener, it's delightful to see you, as well. How have you been, old friend?"
"Fine, fine. I don't believe you've met Margaret, my granddaughter?" A very pretty young woman came up behind Gardener. Her long, dark hair was pulled back in several elaborate twists. Her dress was a shining gold affair with purple accents that matched a purple half-moon pandant hanging around her neck. Her eyes were a beautiful and very unusual shade of violet.
"No, I haven't had the pleasure..." Stryker smiled at the young woman.
"The pleasure is all mine," she smiled back, her sultry accent revealing her father's American heritage,"Margaret Thatcher."
"Miss Thatcher," Stryker took her hand.
"Sir?" a servant came up meekly behind him.
"Will you excuse me, Miss Thatcher, Mr. Gardener?" he turned to the servant at their nodds.
"Yes, well, what is it?"
"Mr. Xavier is waiting in your study. He wishes to speak with you immedeatly."
"Alright, then," he smiled at his guests,"I wouldn't want to keep him waiting. If you will excuse me?" Margaret and Gardener nodded and turned to speak with another guest. Stryker didn't notice the girl's sharp eyes watching him leave the room.
"Well, Fredrick, it's good to see you," Andrew Xavier smiled at Stryker.
"And you, Andy. How are you?" Stryker asked as he filled a glass with brandy,"Brandy?"
No, thank you. I am fine, but I wanted to discuss something with you. A rather, unusual, development over at Scotlandyard. Apparently, there have been a string of suicides all over Europe."
"Suicides are usually self-explainatory," Stryker pointed out.
"These victims aren't predisposed for this kind of behavior. They had no suicidal tendencies until now. Most didn't even have a reason to commit suicide. We did catch one before he killed himself, and he seems to be delerious, out of his mind."
"And what help do you think I would be?" Stryker asked,"That is your reason for telling me this, is it not?"
"It's not just the victims that are strange. Parisan police determined that there were reports of five of these suicides within a week. Then they stopped. Another week later, Berliners began reporting simular deaths. Agian, after a week, they stopped. Agian in Rome. The same thing as been happening in London for the past week, the last one happened in the East End earlier today."
"Must I repeat my question?" Stryker snapped testily,"I have guests to attend to."
"The point is that all of these "suicides" happened during your tour of Europe. I have a letter from you in each city on the dates of the deaths. I think they were murders."
"And you think I something to do with them?" Stryker said, outraged.
"No, of course not," Xavier sighed,"However, you were there, perhaps you saw something, overheard something, anything, that might help us."
"No," Stryker amended,"I was rather busy most of the time. I don't recall hearing anything about strange deaths... I am sorry I cannot be of more help. Now, if that is all, I need to be going. Henry can show you out."
"Of course, Fredrick. I suppose I should tell you that the Americans have sent agents to investigate. And her Magesty had rerecruited the Leauge. They aren't saying much else, but if you know the rest, you might as well know that. Good-bye old friend. Enjoy your party." Xavier stood and left the room, followed by the servant. Stryker glared at his friend's retreating form. He knew. He knew that he was responsible for the murders.
"Don't be rediculas," he scoffed himself, "He can't know. No one could connect me... Damnation, I should have covered my tracks better. I'm getting sloppy. I'll just have to take care of Mr. Xavier the old fashioned way. I can make it look like suicide easily. And it will throw the police off my trail if he did voice his "concerns" about me." As Stryker plotted, he didn't notice Margaret Thatcher hidden just outside his study. Nor did he go back to his party.
Good, bad, stop, go on? Please R&R!!! ~Neffy
