Skinner gingerly opened one eye and suppressed a moan as pain throbbed through his skull. He lifted an arm and felt the back of his head, wincing as his fingers brushed the enormous lump there.

He slowly sat up, the room swimming before his eyes. He recognised it instantly, having been there before.

He was in a holding cell. The place where they put you before they decide to lock you away. Skinner had once spent two months in prison, and wasn't keen to repeat the experience.

Footsteps suddenly echoed out. Skinner snapped his head sideways, then immediately wished he hadn't. He clutched his head with a groan. A single thought flooded his mind. He lowered the hand and looked at it in horror. He was invisible! Well, duh, but he wasn't covered! All he was wearing was his coat.

"Ah, Mr Skinner, I'm glad to see you're awake."

Skinner's eyes widened. He knew that voice! "You!"

The man from the house smiled at him. "I see you remember our little encounter."

Skinner marched over to the bars. "Let me out!"

The man shook his head. "Tsk tsk, such impatience. You didn't let me finish my talk last time. Will you do me the courtesy now?"

The thief folded his arms and glared at the man, although he couldn't see it. "What do you want?"

"You, Mr Skinner. I want you. You see," he went on, sitting down on a chair nearby. "You are not the only one with extraordinary abilities. There are many others."

"Well go get one of them."

The man chuckled. "That is the plan. Do you care what happens to England?" he said suddenly.

"Depends, don't it," said Skinner slowly. Where was this heading?

"England is heading into a war. A war like nothing ever seen before. A war against the rest of the world."

"So?"

"So we need to stop it, Mr Skinner. And to do that, we need to catch the culprit behind it all."

"Who's he?" Despite everything, the man had caught Skinner's interest.

"A deranged maniac who calls himself the Fantom. To combat him, we need a special force. A force made up of people like you."

"No," said Skinner firmly. He wasn't going out and risking his life for a bunch of arrogant paper-pushers.

"You haven't heard all I have to say."

"I've heard enough."

"There's a bonus in it for you."

Skinner opened his mouth to say he wasn't interested, then suddenly paused. "What's in it for me?"

"You find being invisible tiresome, don't you?"

"It's not a barrel of laughs, but what do you expect?"

"We can reverse the process."

"What? That's impossible! It's permanent."

"We have brilliant scientists, Mr Skinner. Work for us, and we'll find you an antidote."

"And if I don't work for you?"

"Then we will let the law deal with as they see fit. I believe you are a thief?"

Skinner winced. Since his last arrest, he'd clocked up enough thefts to put him in jail for several years.

"If you join, we'll grant you amnesty, and also provide the antidote. On one other condition."

"Which is?"

"You behave. It is as simple as that. Work for us, keep your hands to yourself, and you'll walk out a free, visible man."

Skinner thought for a moment. The decision wasn't actually that difficult. To be visible again, to be able to walk around without having to apply the blasted greasepaint – bliss.

"Alright, I'll do it."

The man beamed. "Excellent. Welcome to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Mr Skinner."

THE END

DiabloCat: Hoped you enjoyed. Pete was my own creation; I have no idea where Skinner lived before he joined the LXG. Many thanks if you got this far.