Disclaimer: Not mine. The concept goes to America's Best Comics and Alan Moore and Fox 20th cent., the characters come from their classics. I don't make any money off this, and as a starving student, neither will you if you sue me.

Felicia's Angel – yeah! Marlowe is from Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness"

            South America. It reminded Jekyll of some long ago dream of the exotic far off, when he was a boy. There was something disappointing, though, about finally reaching that far off place that caused it to shed its exotic flavor and feeling. Especially when one was in a dressing gown (threadbare, held tight with one hand to ward off a rather chilly draft) contemplating chess against an unseen opponent. More than one, actually. Hyde had informed him on the second day, when he'd been well enough to eat with the others that the Marlowe fellow was a bad sort and not our bad sort at all, Henry.

            Which had confused Jekyll to a certain extent as to why when all the man did was sit there and smile genially at everyone. Though once he did catch Sawyer shuddering.

            Now he sat in the parlor section of his room, across from Skinner in his trench coat holding a pawn. Hyde had apparently decided that Jekyll in his room playing poncy games was better than Jekyll outside with the likes of Marlowe and his crew wandering around.

            "'enry?" Skinner said, "Sometime today, ducks?"

            "I'm thinking," he answered. Then he smiled slightly, "these things can't be rushed, you know."

            Skinner sighed loudly and leaned forward to look at the clock on the mantel.

            "I'm sorry, do you have somewhere to go?" Jekyll sat forward now, he hadn't realized that Skinner probably had better things to do, another planning session maybe. Charity only goes so-

            Hey, you shut it, Hyde snarled. Jekyll winced. Then there were these moments when he just felt confused. His voice or Hyde's voice or whatever third voice – he set the pawn down harder then he meant.

            "No, ducks, I don't." Skinner was watching him, greasepaint applied rather thickly, hurriedly, giving a mock outline of a face. And another thing, now Skinner was using a quiet reasonable voice, incredibly out of place with the thief.

            Jekyll's headache came back and slid behind his eyes. He sighed. Days like these he just wanted someone to tell him what was happening. The who, what, why of everything but now he was getting maudlin and that would start Hyde if he wasn't careful.

            "Are you alright, ducks?" Skinner was still bent forward just so in a way that made Jekyll want to scream.

            "I'm fine," he said. He rubbed his eyes with one hand and swallowed. "I think I need to rest for a little while."

            He looked up and the thief scrutinized his face for just a moment longer, then Skinner sat back. "Certainly. We'll just pick up later, then," he said. Jekyll nodded and didn't open his eyes until he heard the door close.

            Henry, get off your lazy arse, Edward demanded. Jekyll had been sitting on the edge of his bed, contemplating his slippered feet for the past five minutes.

            "Why?" Jekyll asked out loud. The mirror was still relegated to its place under the bed, so he couldn't see Hyde, but he could feel the brute ever-present.

            You're moping.

            "No, I'm not."

            Yes, you are.
            "F…fine. What am I moping about, Edward?"

            Just because we had a rough time doesn't mean you need to hole yourself up and pout like some noncy –

            "I ate people." Henry stated like one may say I died or something equally tragic.

            Hyde snorted. Not that much, besides, I thought we agreed that I did the eating people bit and you're A Good Man. Henry clenched his teeth. He tilted sideways until he could lie on the bed.

            "I'm not," he whispered.

            Yes, you are, Hyde sighed dramatically, I do the killing bit, you do the whining bit, the pathetic little moralizing bit.

            "I've killed."

            …what do you mean?

            "I killed Francis." There. It felt so good to say it aloud, to acknowledge the greater sin, though maybe, not as great as creating Hyde, but near enough.

            What are you talking about? His old man killed 'im. Then I killed him, lovey all around. It had yet to occur to Jekyll to ask why Hyde had suddenly taken the course of the sane reasonable one, but he was too caught up in his own sense of pity and hopelessness. He closed his eyes and didn't say anything more.

            Skinner slipped out once it became clear that Jekyll had fallen asleep. If the monster had sensed him, he hadn't said anything or Henry'd have been up in arms in a second. He closed the door silently, holding the flat of his palm against the side to ease it in – "Skinner!"

            Thunk!

            "Dammit, boy, what the 'ell are you tryin' to do t'me?" he glanced back at the door which had closed somewhat louder than he'd intended. "What the hell do you want?"

            "I need you to come with me," Sawyer answered, craning his neck slightly. It was no use, the door was firmly shut. Jekyll's room, he noted with some interest. But not as much interest as he had with his new mission. "We gotta check out Marlowe's ship. Something ain't right with his crew."

            "Something 'ain't right' wid Marlowe in the first place," Rodney mocked, "But what do you 'ave in mind?"

            "I was talkin' to one of 'im, and he said that they were in Africa before they had this whole slave kidnapping thing to worry about, and that they got some more crew to round themselves out before leaving and that one of them – "

            "Don't."

            "But he said Africa wouldn't let him die. It could be Qu-" Skinner placed a bare hand over the boy's mouth. And he was still a boy. Skinner could feel the softer flesh over his jaw, yet to be hardened by scruff of a beard, and held his hand there for a moment, reveling in the rare contact with another human.

            "Don't," he whispered. He dropped his hand. "Don't," he repeated in a normal voice, "get your hopes up. Just makes it harder, Tom." Sawyer's jaw tightened and his nostrils flared in anger or frustration but then he exhaled slowly, and nodded.

            "I just think we oughta check it out. For – safety's sake, if nothin' else." And he would need an unseen spirit to get over and get back without causing a stir.

            Skinner nodded.

            The two ships were joined at one side, with several lines so that the Nautilus could pull Marlowe's ship with her to go even faster. All one had to do was go topside on the Nautilus and jump over to the other ship. To get back, just go hand over hand one of the lines or walk across, no big deal for an experienced sailor. Skinner, completely invisible, and completely naked, landed with a small whump and curse. It wouldn't be the first time he got a splinter in his bare foot. The damn thing would probably be invisible in a minute anyway, Lord knew why.

            He opened the door to belowdecks and slipped inside. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust and prayed that humidity made the wood underfoot damp and not…something else.

            Skinner continued down the stairs and hall, pausing to check inside each room as surreptitiously as only the invisible man (the second) can. He was at the end of the hall, and the end of his nerves as the fifth obliviously crew member strode past, nearly trodding on his toes. He wrinkled his nose. Something smelled familiar.

            He heard a click, like a gun barrel opening, click again, shut, sight, swipe twice more and set aside. Sure enough he heard something hard lain down against something soft, like a cloth on a table. He bit the inside of his cheek to quell the hope that Sawyer must be giddy with by now.

            He crept closer.

            "Two more days, give or take," a deep baritone said.

            "If the weather holds. Your move, Rollins," answered a lighter unknown.

            "Storm or no, two days." And there it was. Skinner slid against the wall, limp with relief. There.

            He opened his eyes after a moment. Sawyer would never be content with hearing a voice, and neither would the rest of the League. Especially not a doctor like ducks. He worried – and even Hyde worried – about Jekyll, but there are more pressing matters right now.

            He took two steps and tipped the door back oh-so-slightly and saw –

            Quatermain's eyes lifted to meet his and Rodney felt his heart stop.

            "It's a quarter past one, Rollins. Stop procrastinating and take your damn move," he said. Somehow, Skinner remembered to breath. It was him.

            Allan is alive. The League is whole.

            Hand over hand was all well and good for the experienced sailor, but the inexperienced invisible man dearly missed his gloves at a time like this. There were only two feet to really be in danger of falling and not catching something, and even then, one would be hard pressed to actually drown. Still, Skinner was much gladder to be helped over the rail on the Nautilus by Sawyer.

            "So," the river rat said, casually, not looking at, or at least, in the general direction of the invisible thief.

            "So."

            "Did you, uh, did you find anything useful?" he asked.

            Skinner nodded, slowly, and said, "Maybe." Tom's eyes flicked back to Skinner's and he raised an eyebrow.

            "Is he or isn't he."

            "He is," Skinner said.

            Sawyer nodded thoughtfully and then demanded, "Is he alive?"

            "Yeah, it's Allan alright." He grinned and the boy whooped and everything was just right for a moment.

Author's Note~

So it took me a little longer than I expected to get this part out. I feel like I need to hear the characters' voices again before I lose them entirely, but oh, well. Do let me know if they start sounding too off, okay? I was going to unmask the third this round, but I figure, one big secret is good 'nough. Next time.

            Anyway, keep reviewing!