A/N: Well, here is chapter two, although I have barely started chapter three but I am now getting a vague idea of how the rest of the story will play out. Thanks again to all who reviewed!
Accendo Caliendrum: Thanks for your review! You will love this chapter! But you have to read all the way to the end! stares that's right...you have to wait for the end!
TARilus: You will find out a BUNCH about Nightingale here, mainly the powers but later is when you find out the past and everything.
Silent Bob 546: Nope, not really evil, just bad person with good intentions...yeah that's the ticket...Hope you like this chapter!
Funyun: Thanks for the tip! If you liked McCarthy then just wait till you get to know Nightingale!
Ryn-Nightfall-Noctem: Well THANK YOU!!!! Your review made me smile! I'm glad you like it, hope you like this one!
Raven Silvers: Thank you so much! I feel honored. I hope this chapter is as good as the last!
Disclaimer: I still own nothing, except Nightingale, McCarthy, and the future villian.
Night of Broken Wings
Recruiting
The sea outside of London Harbor was calm, not a ripple disturbed the beautiful water with groups of seagulls bunched, swimming along trying to find a drop of sunlight on the cloudy afternoon. One seagull suddenly jerked its head up and cawed, lifting out of the now bubbling water underneath it. The other birds began to sense danger and took off as well, setting up a cacophony of noise as a giant ship emerged from the depths of the water.
The Nautilus rose from the water in a surge of pure beauty, the silver on her sides glinted brightly from the reflection of the water beneath it and her bulk gleaming brightly with its pure white metal shimmering. The seagulls settled down as the Sword of the Ocean pulled into a nearby dock, away from the other ships so as not to cause a great disturbance. Silently, a hatch sprung open and a silver drawbridge slowly clanked onto the wooden dock, revealing a small group of travelers. Slowly a man began to walk briskly down the drawbridge, a man near the age of twenty, with shaggy blonde hair dangling around his eyes and ears, his piercing green eyes scanning the area with a playful smirk on his face.
"Well...welcome to London." Agent Thomas Sawyer, or Tom as he preferred to be called, stretched his arms above his head and shut his eyes as his back popped. God it feels good to be out of that sub. He thought.
Another man followed the young agent from his perch in the vessel, dressed for an elegant day in London's streets, his starched collar held by a thin tie, his coat button tightly against his torso with a small gold chain hanging from the pocket. Dr. Henry Jekyll mad his way toward Tom as he looked into London's dreary sky.
"And it looks like London is welcoming us with a bit of rain?" A ghost of a smile appeared on Jekyll's lips as a lady walked down with an older looking gentleman with a beard as black as the night sky, his suit of Indian cloth the color of dark indigo, an ornate sword dangled from his belt with its silver glinting as that of his lady. Captain Nemo turned toward Mina Harker and offered a slight bow to allow her to continue in front of him. She nodded her head in thanks and let her dark red skirt billow as she gracefully stepped from the platform. She tripped slightly and fell onto...nothing.
"Oy, there Mina, you could just say you love a bloke instead of throwing yourself into his arms, eh?" A voice rang out with a Cockney accent, laughter following his words as Mina pushed what seemed like air away from her.
"Skinner you are absolutely insufferable!" Mina flushed, a deadly gleam in her eye, "Not even one minute on dry land and you're already causing trouble. Just put on your clothes!" Mina hurried off toward the town streets, Sawyer following faithfully behind her while Rodney Skinner retrieved his black tribly and black coat pulling them on dutifully.
"Well, it's not like I made her jump into my arms did I? I'm just trying to be a good bloke and help a poor lady in distress." Skinner began applying white grease paint to his face as Jekyll shook his head. "Skinner, one of these days Ms Harker will release her bats on you and I doubt she will be gentle." Skinner shrugged. "Humph, so much for trying to help a poor lady." Skinner began to stalk off muttering about ingratitude toward a noble act.
Nemo sighed, Skinner was getting a bit worse everyday, and he heard so from almost every member of his crew and from the League. He walked beside the good Dr. Jekyll, who slipped the chain from its pocket, revealing a dazzling gold pocket watch. He began to click it open and close nervously, glancing about the streets as they continued their walk toward the alleyway.
"Something troubling you Dr. Jekyll?" Nemo's dark eyes shifted toward the pale doctor as he jumped slightly at Nemo's sudden words. "No...no, it's just...nothing, I suppose I am nervous...being back in London...By the by, what are we truly here for?" Dr. Jekyll tried desperately to change subject, Hyde was buzzing in his head with his thoughts of how he would enjoy being loose in the city.
"We have been called once again doctor; there have been recent disturbances in Romania. Men and women are disappearing in small, remote villages. It started about four months ago, now they have escalated and even children have become victims to these crimes." Nemo stared strait ahead as Jekyll's mouth dropped.
"Do the others know of this?" Jekyll looked ahead toward where Skinner walked concealed in the shadow to hide the fact he had no legs underneath his coat and grease painted face, Mina talking to Tom as Tom tried unsuccessfully to offer his arm over an upturned trash can, which she walked around without difficulty. "Yes they do, I have told each of them singularly, but you are a harder man to catch alone." Nemo looked earnestly toward Jekyll as he chuckled at the captain's pun.
"Ye...Yes I believe I am." Jekyll smiled for the first time in days. Ever since Quatermain's death, not everyone had been all cheerful grins and laughs, besides Skinner, but then again, Skinner was always the acceptation to the rule when it came to seriousness. "So what are we doing here in London?" Jekyll somehow knew the answer as soon as he asked the question.
"There are matters of a new member to recruit, who seems to be causing quite a disturbance around the alleyways of London. I believe Mina spoke with Mycroft about the matter. We are to capture our next recruit to have on our League, while allowing the people of London to sleep well in their beds." Nemo walked on leaving the doctor following silently behind him.
Capture Henry? Oh what fun, perhaps we will be the hunters this time around.
Hyde chuckled in the back of Henry's mind, taunting him at the option of having to be let out. Now they had a member to recruit...or in Nemo's words...capture.
Moments later, the League found themselves in a small meeting room; the long oaken table quite similar to the one they had when first recruited by James Moriarty. Skinner lounged with his feet propped up on the table and his chair leaning far from the table, threatening to tip and send the invisible man flying. Mina sat straight and dignified between Sawyer and Henry, Sawyer sat with his arms crossed about his chest staring intently at the short, pudgy man standing at the end of the table, file in hand and smiling toward the League. Mycroft Holmes greeted them all with a warm welcome before becoming quite solemn and addressing them in a low tone.
"The person you are here to collect is known on the streets as the 'Nightingale,' he is a master thief but more importantly he is an assassin for hire." Mycroft threw the file, a very thin one, down in front of the League. The first page contained a lone photograph of a slightly short figure, very thin and slightly built only scrawnier than anything. The picture showed Nightingale in dark boots, black suit-like trousers and a starched black shirt with the collar turned up hiding even his neck from view. The long coat billowed behind him and the black hat pressed firmly against his shaded face. The picture showed him running toward some unknown destination; obviously the police were trying to have a figure to base their searches on.
Sawyer was the first to speak, "If he's a no account assassin then why on earth would we want him in the League? Quatermain would be turning in his grave to know we replaced him with this murderer." Tom stood up staring Mycroft down with fire burning in his eyes, while Mycroft merely stared back pointing toward the file.
"We have noted that, but the fact is Nightingale has never taken an innocent life in all the reports we have filed. All were common murderers, thieves, drug dealers, and gang leaders. He has possessed talents that can prove useful to you in your endeavors in Romania." Mycroft's expression hardened more as he faced Sawyer.
"Really? And what on earth makes you believe that?" Sawyer smirked defiantly and slumped back down into his seat.
"Because of this Agent Sawyer..." Mycroft pulled another picture from the file, along with sketches on small bits of parchment. Sawyer picked up the photograph as his eyes widened at the sight. "That thing has...wings?" Mycroft smiled as he led the League out.
"You are the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen are you not? Now Grimers Galley would be the best place to start, its Nightingales apparent headquarters. Good luck." Skinner sighed, "Yeah, we'll need it. And here I thought we were taking a lovely vacation before Romania, now we're chasing flying monsters...what next?"
Skinner and Sawyer headed toward down the long alley way toward Grimers Galley, they were the two elected to go on the recruiting mission, although Mina was watching close by and Nemo and Henry stood by outside near the building in case the need arose. Sadly, the thieves around the Galley had already been instructed to keep certain "strangers" away from the Galley.
The second they were spotted they were immediately set on by thugs. Skinner shed his clothes and ran inside while Sawyer battled through toward the door, firing shots left and right, wounding many, but not killing anyone. Once inside they ran up the stairs avoiding the thieves and murderers rising from their drunken stupors at the intruders, or intruder for all they saw. They raced into the depths of the hallway into the final room near the fire escape toward the roof, only to find no one there. Sawyer suddenly heard something creeping behind him.
"Skinner, he's not here let's just try and..." Suddenly he felt a rush and a blow toward his head; he rolled from his fallen position and stared at the black clothed figure brandishing a throwing dagger, ready for the release, when suddenly the figure had another knife about its neck. Thank god for Skinner. Sawyer thought, at least Skinner would never here him say it, that had been twice his life was saved. The figure relaxed its hand on the dagger as Sawyer stood up and pointed his Winchester directly at the assassin's head.
"Are you going to cooperate and listen now?" Sawyer spoke breathlessly. He heard a soft sound coming from the assassin's mouth, and soon realized Nightingale was laughing.
"Do I look like I would cooperate?"
Suddenly Skinner was thrown back as Nightingale twisted the wrist holding the knife and kicked back forcefully, hitting Skinner square in the gut. Sawyer heard the loud thud as Skinner hit the ground, winded. Nightingale suddenly raced toward the exit heading toward the roof, but Tom had already had him in his sights. He let one bullet fly, catching Nightingale in the arm, but Nightingale didn't slow down. He grunted and raced through the doors and up the lone flight of stairs to the roof. He locked the door behind him and barred it with anything he could find and chuckled as he turned around...only to be met by Mina.
"There's no where to run now Nightingale, you can't escape. Now just listen to reason and stay still." Mina gracefully walked toward him; Nightingale chuckled again and slowly collapsed to the ground. Mina stared in shock, he wasn't moving, she heard bashing around the door and quickly removed the objects barring the way as Sawyer and a floating knife burst through the door.
"Where's Nightingale?" Tom breathlessly asked. He looked and saw the figure lying on the ground, carefully aiming his Winchester toward the limp body, he slowly crept toward it. Suddenly, Nightingale jumped and...disappeared. Sawyer and Mina looked around dumbfounded. "Where...it's like the shadow's swallowed him whole." Skinner looked about and suddenly heard the clanging of steel upon steel.
"This way!" Mina's eyes began glowing red as she let her bats surround her, flying off toward the sounds. She looked down upon the entrance toward Grimers Galley, where Nemo had been stationed and Jekyll; just in case they had needed Hyde. Jekyll was passed out on the ground, suffering from a slight head wound; Nemo had taken his sword and was dueling with the Nightingale.
The Nightingale smiled as he drew one long cross-hilt sword next to his trusty dagger, "Might as well make this a fair fight, eh?" Nemo nodded as the thing lunged forcefully with its sword. Nemo blocked it and spun, trying to bring the flat of the blade upon Nightingales back; unfortunately Nightingale was a formidable opponent and twisted away, quickly dispersing into shadow. Nemo looked about him, in awe of the spectacle he had just witnessed; suddenly he felt a sharp kick in the back as he spun to see Nightingale facing him with his sword once again.
"What in Shiva's name are you?" He gazed as Nightingale slowly began to disperse in shadow again.
"Same as you captain...I'm no one." Nightingale took one slicing stroke toward Nemo as he side stepped and sent Nightingale sprawling with one spinning kick. Nightingale disappeared once again into a hazy shadow, re- appearing behind Nemo her dagger raised toward the captain, when suddenly he was tackled from the side by an unknown force.
Skinner had been watching as the hazy form began to grow into the shape of Nightingale again and took his chance when he seemed fully formed by rushing into him and forcing him to the ground. He heard a sickening thud as Nightingale's head connected with the cobblestone road. He quickly saw the opportunity and wrenched the glasses and bandanna from Nightingales face, while pulling off his hat with the other free hand. He slowly got up and for once had no cunning remarks at what lay before him.
Mina and Nemo rushed beside the floating glasses and hat as they looked down upon Nightingale. Mina went pale and Nemo, as always, showed no signs of emotion other than a slight intake of breath as Nightingale slowly looked about before slipping away into unconsciousness.
Tom was helping Henry up as he came around from his injury, "Well? Is he dead or alive?" Sawyer made his way over toward the League.
Skinner finally regained himself and smiled cheekily toward the young American, although he couldn't see it, "Mind the way you talk about a young lass that way Sawyer, you might hurt her feelings." Tom stared at the raven haired woman lying before them, the dagger still clasped in her hand.
A/N: Alright there is chapter two!!! Hope you guys liked it! Yes, Nightingale is actually a woman; I just liked using the "it" and "he" to fool people! Please R&R and tell me what you think!!! :-)