Silent Bob 546: Hehehe...I love her wings!!! They are my favorite part about her! I'm sorry you don't like her though but here's the long awaited chapter 5!!

Krisian Rose: You are the best at reviewing! Yours makes me smile so much! Teehee! yay! That's weird that my chapter did that... Bad chapter! slaps chapter on nose chapter growls hehehe...ah well...I've been really trying to write Nemo and Skinner just right because it would make me mad if I didn't! Thanks for your review and this chapter is now officially dedicated to ya!

Funky in Fishnet: Thanks! I love writing the banter! Hope you like this chapter!

The Nightingale

Close Call

Carmen was the first to respond, she jumped up, forcibly pushing Skinner from her and opening the conning tower door. She turned and helped Skinner onto his feet urging him to hurry, "Come on! We need to get to get to Nemo!" Just then the torpedo hit the ship, throwing them both down the ladder into a heap on the bottom floor. Skinner held his arm and gritted his teeth, swearing loudly.

"Damn it all! I think it's broken!" Carmen looked over in mock pity and picked him up by his good arm, examining the damage on his other, even though it was quite difficult. She saw part of the coat stinking out at an odd angle and nodded slightly, "It's dislocated not broken, by the way...never caught your first name?"

Skinner looked at her slightly awkward and began to stutter, "Uhh...well its Rodney...AAAGGGHH!"

Carmen had been lightly stroking his arm and as he said his name, quickly twisted it back into place, Skinner screaming loudly, "What did you do that for?!?" She smiled, "I had to have you thinking of something to make it less painful."

Skinner mumbled under his breath as the League came around the corner, Nemo in the lead with a cut on his brow, Sawyer with his Winchester rifle slung across his back and Colt pistols drawn, Jekyll dashing behind him with what looked like a vial of clear liquid in a dark bottle in his hand, and finally Mina with her eyes blazing and her hair disheveled.

Nemo quickly ran by climbing up the ladder toward the conning tower, "Come on, we must stop whatever is attacking my lady!" The League quickly followed, racing with urgency at the thought of their only ship, their only home, being attacked and destroyed.

The looked at what faced them; it was almost identical to that of the Nautilus, only dark grey metal instead of shining white, and black, pearl- like designs instead of the intricate silver of Nemo's grand beauty. Men were also assembled on the conning tower and were slowly beginning to fill up the small area and drawing their guns steadily, aiming right for the League.

"Get down!" Nemo shouted.

The League ducked behind the tower, while Nemo's men fired off bullets, as did Sawyer, taking out many of the men as possible. Mina slowly pulled a thin metal sheet and slowly tucked it away in a pocket surrounding her heart, closing her eyes as she gave in to her vampirism instincts and let her bats surround her, the air filled with their screeching as her eyes snapped open, revealing her pupils surrounded by blood, her teeth lengthening as she flew off into the air, toward the other ship.

Carmen smiled and looked to see her belt still on, but her sword was still in the infirmary. She grabbed two daggers and let her wings rip through as she ran, her wings nearly done and threw herself from the ship, her body arched in a swanlike dive. Before she hit the water her wings arched, dragon-like in the blue sky, while bullets zipped past her in the air.

She dodged as quick as she could, one bullet scratching her side, too close for comfort and smiled as she let loose her two daggers, both hit their intended targets, the hearts of two cronies on the other ship. She landed and pulled the two daggers as she quickly dispensed into shadow, dodging amongst the men like a dark cloud carried by the forbidding wind.

Mina's teeth found many a man's neck, blood spurting from the bite marks in some, others completely drained to the point that even their wounds could no longer bleed. Carmen stole a quickly glance toward the ship, Sawyer was still firing as were Nemo's men, and Skinner was no were to be seen, she smiled at her own stupidity. Of course he can't be seen, he is after all invisible. Her mind was quickly brought back to attention as she realized the men were focused more on maneuvering their ship than killing the League aboard their ship.

They are moving toward the Nautilus! Carmen's mind screamed. She raised her voice over the din toward Mina, "Mina! Stop the controls! They're trying to board the Nautilus!" Mina's eyes widened and quickly turned and hissed, her bats gathering and lifting her up and shooting forward toward the group of men standing and blocking her path toward the controls.

Carmen slid into her shadow form and silently slit the controller's throat. Smiling toward the others she licked her dagger clean, her way of intimidation, "So...who else hungers for my blade?" The others drew their guns as her wings branched out, knocking them into the water along with the men holding them. She turned to the controls, and quickly pushed a few buttons and pulled a few levers, hoping it would send the ship in the opposite direction.

"Mina! It's done! Let's get off before we go down with their ship!" Carmen shouted. Mina nodded her head and with one last burst of energy, forced her bats to flee in the direction of the Nautilus.

Carmen flapped her bat-like wings, a bullet zipping through her thin leather flesh. She bit back a cry and tried to duck and weave away toward the ship, and quickly landed on the conning tower, ducking behind the barricade of the door with the rest of the men and Mina. She saw only two of Nemo's men shot down, but only one had gone on to the gods of heaven for his final resting place. Carmen sighed, sorry for the poor soul but glad that no one else was killed, she scanned the men and still saw that only Skinner was missing.

"Skinner? Where are you?" She looked trying to sense any movement or voice that was unaccounted for.

"Awww, what's the matter luv? You can't stand to be away from me for too long eh?" Carmen couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at his boldness.

"Skinner even on you dying day I will never say those words."

She heard screaming suddenly and the shots stopped as Skinner was pulling on his black trench coat. The crew and League raced toward the side to see the other Nautilus diving, the men unaware of the coarse Carmen had set was a straight dive into the ocean.

The League cheered before suddenly, one lone gunshot was heard and Carmen heard Skinner gasp behind her, blood flowing seemingly from the side of the trench coat. Skinner immediately toppled on, and over the railing, making a loud splash in the ocean below. The League rushed to the side, Mina screaming out Skinner's name and searching the waves below.

"He's gone...There's no way we can find an invisible man in the ocean!" Sawyer stared into the water, his eyes beginning to drain from all emotion. Carmen looked toward the others, Nemo was muttering a small prayer to the fallen friend while Jekyll turned away, the color quickly draining from his face and turning it to a pale shade. Mina touched a hand to her lips, her eyes locked on the water in disbelief, all this passing in a matter of seconds.

"Not if you're up to the challenge..." Carmen looked up toward the sky and sighed quietly before taking a determined step forward, quickening her pace and leaping from the Nautilus once more. It's not even night yet and I've already risked my life more than I care to think of. Carmen thought as she spread her wings, skimming over the water, her eyes searching for any sign of the floating trench coat.

She saw what looked like leather bobbing amongst the waves, spray spouting from what appeared the space above the floating leather. Carmen smirked slightly glad her friend was safe, suddenly the leather sunk and the spray stopped completely so Carmen sped up her wings pounding against the air, knowing every moment was precious and one moment to late.

She took one gulp of air and dove down into the water; her wings clung protectively around her body for a clean dive. She opened her eyes and felt the current of something falling past her, she reached out and felt the leather and human skin, she spread her wings in the water and pounded as hard as she can, water beginning to seep in her nose and mouth as she struggled for air.

She pounded with all her strength trying to puller her and Skinner from the water, she arched her neck breaking the surface of the ocean and taking in the life giving air. She quickly brought her wings from the water and pumped them up and down, slightly raising herself and her cargo from the swirling water until she was finally airborne.

Carmen flew with ragged breaths toward the Nautilus and thankfully landed with a loud thump onto the conning tower deck along with Skinner. She coughed out water and breathed in more and more air as she looked toward the League. Dr. Jekyll was bending down toward Skinner, "He's not breathing...You may have been too late Miss Valance."

Carmen dragged herself toward Skinner and smirked at the good doctor, and with a surge of strength, proceeded to thump Skinner in the stomach. Skinner lurched upward, water cascading from his mouth in ragged coughs, everyone on the ship breathed slight sighs of relief to know their friend was out of harms way.

"Skinner? Are you alright? That was a nasty fall." Sawyer's eyes brightened, although he was hiding his joy of his dear friend being safe.

"Yeah, that was quite a rush...I think the bastards got me though." Skinner had slightly labored breathing; Dr. Jekyll glanced down and saw the blood on one side of the invisible man. He leaned down to take a closer look, smiling slightly.

"Well, it only grazed you though you are bleeding quite profusely, come on to the infirmary and I'll stitch it."

Skinner grimaced at the thought of a needle sewing through his skin, "Oh how lovely...Would you mind stitching the initials of the fair maiden who save me while you're at it? It seems I owe her that much." He turned toward Carmen and patted her arm; she smiled slightly and struggled to stand, aware that the League was now looking toward her. She cast her eyes down as Nemo suddenly walked stiffly in her direction and held out his hand.

Carmen looked into the eyes of the captain, the cold, hard black orbs that had been there before were gone, and were replaced by somewhat fatherly glint in them. "It seems I owe you an apology Miss Valance, I think we were all a bit hasty in our judgment of you. You are not as cold hearted as you appear." Carmen was stunned but slowly a smirk played on her face as she shook the captain's hand.

"Well, we all make our mistakes." The rest of the League smiled toward their newest recruit. Perhaps for once, they can all learn to trust.

A/N: Oh my goodness! That wasn't that great of an ending, sorry guys!!!! I've been gone for the past week so I haven't been able to update for a while! Hope this is good! My other chapters will be a bit better, I hope! Reviews are welcome!