Author's note: Write a cliffhanger? Me? *looks innocent* never!! *sighs* it's fun to be evil! Consider it revenge for all the evil cliffhangers people write on this site ... Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, and to Clez for pointing out the correct spelling of Gray ... not that I will need it in this fic *laughs; looks shifty* !!
Niani: Yup; a cliffhanger in the first chapter ... maybe a sign of things to come *laughs evilly*. I love Skinner too, he's so funny.
Melanie: Glad you liked it!
Rayne: And here is the update! Thank you =)
Clez: Thank you kindly =) Hope you like this chapter ...
Foundapeanut: Well, after I saw the movie I kinda wondered whether the League would always work, and ... this was the brainchild of that wonder! Don't worry, Tom is on his way *plays marching music*
Chapter 2: Pieces of the Puzzle
Skinner hardly dared to breathe as he picked up the file from the desk, by the apparently sleeping Shadowman. He didn't know why he was doing this - why he was risking his life for a file about an group of people who he wanted to forget he had ever known. Probably your own damn vanity said the sensible part of his mind, before he hushed it. He didn't need his conscience reprimanding him at this point in time, thank you very much!
He had the file in his hand now, and was creeping ever so softly towards the door, when:
"Mr Skinner, please put that down," said the Shadowman, rising from his chair holding a gun. Skinner froze, for an instant lost as to what to do. Then he acted: holding the file as far from his body as possible he ran for the door.
A gun shot ripped past his face, so close that he almost felt it. It didn't slow him down though; if anything it lent him wings. Skinner dashed out the door and down the stairs to the front door, sped on by blind panic. He heard the Shadowman emerge onto the landing as Skinner ripped the front door open, and ran.
Carrying the files he was an easy target; Skinner knew this; but he could not drop them, not after all the trouble he had gone to to get them in the first place. He dashed down the first street he saw, and the took as many turns as he could possibly find, all the while trying to put as much distance between himself and the Shadowman as possible.
He eventually came to a halt, unable to continue. As he leant against the wall panting heavily, he failed to notice the figures in the shadows until it was too late ...
* * *
"I suppose you are going to tell me what you require from me?" Mina Harker asked of the two men sitting nervously on two chairs in the front room of her Berlin house. The younger one looked at his companion, who gave him a fierce glare by way of encouragement.
He cleared his throat. "Well, Mrs Harker, I understand that a few years ago you were a part of a group of government operatives known as the League of Ex -"
He got no further, as Mina leapt to her feet in anger, her eyes turning dangerously red. "Please leave, gentlemen, if that is your only topic of conversation."
The younger man sat, rooted to his seat in terror, but his companion kept his head. "Mrs Harker," he interposed smoothly. "I assure you, we have no desire to upset you so. If this is not a convenient time to discuss the League, we can return later."
"Your desires do not interest me," Mina snapped. "As for the League ... there is no convenient time to discuss them. I do not wish to enter into any kind of 'discussion' about them." She moved towards the door. "Gentlemen, if you will excuse me, I am a busy woman."
"Mrs Harker - the Empire needs you," said the older man. "Will you answer their call?"
"I have answered once before ... only to find myself betrayed and threatened with death. Can you tell me why I should rush to their defence now?"
"Because it is your country that calls, and it is your duty to answer."
Mina looked into the man's eyes, and saw the soul of a zealot. She grimaced inwardly - He'll learn, she thought grimly. "I gave up on my country a long time ago ..." Mina said, staring sadly out the window, "at about the point that it gave up on me. However," she continued, forestalling the man's arguments, "I will hear this call and judge whether I will answer it. I make no guarentees though. Have I made myself clear?"
"Perfectly so, Mrs Harker. Thank you," he intoned. "Can you be ready to leave for England tomorrow morning. Mina nodded.
"Very well."
* * *
Tom Sawyer sat, basking in the Sun on the hilltop. "You know, Becky," he said, "I missed the Sun, while I was away."
"Why's that," Becky asked.
"Because England doesn't get the Sun," Tom said with a laugh.
"Doesn't get the Sun?" Becky exclaimed.
"Nope. It's always raining and cloudy over there - it's very dull; you'd hate it." He lay back, pulling Becky down beside him, her laughter echoing in his ears. "You, Becky, are like a Sunflower ... bright ... happy ... beautiful ..." He leant towards her slowly, gazing into her upturned face. His hand caressed her face, tucking her hair behind her ear, while her hand slipped over to his shoulder.
"Rebecca Thatcher! Where are you?"
Tom broke off, leaning back and turning away. Becky coughed and sat up quickly, embarressed. "That's my mother," she said. "So, I ... um ..."
"You should go," Tom said helpfully, though with a touch of sadness in his voice. Becky nodded.
"I'll - I'll see you later then," she said, half-smiling as she backed away.
Tom nodded, and flashed a grin. Becky laughed, and turned and ran down the hill towards the village.
Tom sat back. Smooth, Sawyer, very smooth, his mind told him. Why didn't you just scream it out for all the world to hear? Tom shook his head angrily. 'She - she won't know," he told himself hopefully. You just nearly kissed her, for God's sake, his mind told him. Sawyer got to his feet abruptly. 'You really need help,' he told himself - 'don't want to end up like Jekyll'.
The thought amused him, and he pushed Becky from his mind.
When he reached the village, he saw a sight that well and truly pushed Becky from his mind. Standing in the High Street - looking slightly bemused - was Captain Nemo, with about six crew members in tow.
Sawyer resisted the temptation to turn, walk away, and pretend he hadn't seen him, but this plan was foiled by the fact that the Captain was looking straight at him. So, Tom gritted his teeth, and walked over to greet him.
"Mr Sawyer," Nemo said, bowing his head.
"Captain Nemo," Tom retorted, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. "Why are you here?" he asked, not bothering to couch it in polite terms.
Nemo paused. "Perhaps this should be discussed somewhere more private."
Tom nodded. "Follow me," he said, turning on his heel and heading back up the hill.
"So," he continued when they reached the top, "to what do I owe this unexpected - pleasure?"
"The league is being reformed," Nemo told him.
Tom felt the blood freeze in his veins. "Why? Are you sure?"
"I received a message from Dr Jekyll a few days ago. My spies tell me also that Mina Harker has been visited by agents of the British Government, and has traveled to London with them, so I think it likely that some moves are afoot to reform the League. Dr Jekyll is on board the Nautilus. He wishes to find out the answer to your first question; why the League is being reformed - that is why we are going to London."
"And you want me to come with you?" Tom asked, feeling his anger rise. There was something so infuriatingly calm about Nemo; so - unshakeable. Tom had a pet wish that he had harboured ever since he had met Nemo : to - somehow - break that unshakeable look, and force a look of surprise onto Nemo's face.
"Yes," Nemo replied quietly. "I believe that it would be best to find out why we may be -"
"We?" Tom said, cutting across him, anger finally taking control. "There was no 'We' when you abandoned us in New York a year ago. There was no -"
"Mr Sawyer, this is neither the time or nor the place for these sentiments to be aired," Nemo said sharply, and Tom had the impression that he had finally managed to rile Nemo.
"Then when is the time? When you abandon us again?"
Nemo's face retained a cold expression. "I can appreciate your anger, Mr Sawyer, but -"
"Can you? Can you really? You know, I've moved on from the League. I've got a new life now, and one of the best parts about it is that the League is not a part of it. Too much went wrong with the League, you know?" He paused, turning away and trying to calm himself enough to think properly. "So ... I don't want to go to London. The League doesn't need me, afterall."
"If that is your opinion, Mr Sawyer, then nothing I can say will change it." Nemo signalled to his crewmembers, and they turned and began making their way down the hill. "I'm sorry you will not be joining us, Mr Sawyer. The League will be - different without you." He bowed his head. "Good day."
Tom stood, watching him walk down the hill. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had just made a terrible blunder. But why should I want to rejoin the League, afterall? he asked himself. Afterall, that last mission was the mother of all disasters ... Suddenly, he began running down the hill after Nemo.
"Captain! Wait," he called. Nemo stopped, and turned slowly, as Tom came to a halt beside him.
"Mr Sawyer?"
"I'm sorry," Tom said. "I - I will come to London with you."
Nemo bowed his head to hide a smile. "Very good, Mr Sawyer."
"Just give me a moment to grab a few things, OK?"
Nemo nodded. Tom put his head to his head, trying to think of what he would need. "Tell you what," he continued, "meet me in the main street in twenty minutes. I have to talk to someone ..."
Nemo nodded again, and Tom continued running down the hill. He knew he had to talk to Becky before he left her again - even if this absence wasn't for as long as the previous one had been.
He went via his house first, to pick up his Colt pistols, and his Winchester rifle - "Modified: American style" ... "American style shooting too" ... Tom shook his head, and forced himself out of his reverie. He couldn't afford to think about Quartermain ... not now ...
He went to Becky's house after that. She was sitting on the front porch reading as he entered the yard; her face brightened into an smile as she saw him, and he forced himself to smile back. As he approached the porch, she got to her feet, putting the book down on her chair. "Hi Tom," she said, shaking him by the hand with a painful squeeze to remind him not to mention what had happened - had almost happened on the hilltop.
"Becky ..." He stopped, and her face fell as she instantly realised what he was going to say.
"No, Tom," she murmured, turning her head away. "Not again."
"Look Becky -"
"Don't! - don't even bother," she said, trying to halt the tears. "Just go - GO!" She pushed him away with all the strength she could muster her.
Tom looked at her gently. "I'm sorry Becky, I really am." He sighed. "I didn't need this ... I didn't want this." He took her by the shoulders. "I'll be back for you Becky. I promise."
"How many more times are you going to tell me that Tom?" Becky asked, looking at him with real pain in her eyes. "How many more times will I stand on this porch in tears watching you walk away, not knowing if you'll ever come back?"
Tom sighed; he had no answer except; "I'm sorry Becky." He held her in his arms, stroking her hair. "I'm sorry," he murmured, again and again.
Sometimes this can get so confusing, Tom thought angrily.
* * *
London, 1903
"Does it ever do anything but rain in this damn city?" Sawyer asked peevishly as they disembarked from the Nautilus.
"Really, Tom, you should try to lighten up," Jekyll told him. "Being such a pessimist at such a young age cannot be healthy."
Tom rolled his eyes. "So where are we going?"
"A Government operative will meet us here," Nemo told them, "and that - I believe - would be him there." He nodded at a suited gentleman approaching them from the other end of the quay.
"Captain Nemo?" the man asked, his accent fresh and his manner bouyant. "My name is Roger Barnes; I work for the British Government. Welcome back." He turned to Jekyll. "Dr Jekyll, I presume." He shook Jekyll's hand. "A pleasure." He turned lastly to Tom. "You must be Tom Sawyer," he said with a grin. "I've read all your files; you were my favourite." He stepped back. "Follow me, please gentlemen." He turned and walked back down the quay, leaving Sawyer, Jekyll, and Nemo, to trail - very confused - in his wake.
"His favourite?" Tom muttered. "What the ..." He shook his head. "Idiot ..."
Jekyll stifled a laugh, and even Nemo looked amused at the American Agent's obvious anger and confusion.
* * *
Mina waited. She was in a large room, of which the middle was occupied by a large table surronded by chairs. Around the outside of the room were many bookcases full of books. Mina found that it reminded her uncomfortably of her first meeting with the rest of the League, after M had brought them together.
She sat at one of the chairs, drumming her fingers gently against the table, her mind flying back to that day - the day she had met Quartermain, Nemo and Skinner ... the day she had been dragged into a battle that did not belong to her.
She looked up as the door at the opposite end of the hall opened slowly. Mina got to her feet, and stared ...
* * *
Wow; that's a long chapter ... enjoy J
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