DiabloCat: Sorry it took so long! And I'm sorry this chapter's such a passive one. But don't worry; the story's going to really get underway soon. Enjoy!
They all stared at Nemo for a moment. Skinner broke the silence with a snort.
"Pah! We've battled tougher guys than this. There is no way we're beat."
"It is not their skill that worries me," said Nemo. "It is the lack of information. On our last mission, we knew who our enemy was and what we had to do. We knew where he was hiding."
"Correction," retorted Skinner. "The bad guy turned out to be someone else. The only reason we found out where he was was because I managed to book myself passage on the traitor express. It was practically luck! And who's to say luck won't strike again? Besides, we're the good guys. We can't lose."
"This isn't a story, Skinner," pointed out Mina. "In case you've neglected to notice, bad things happen to good people all the time. Just because we are the 'good guys' doesn't mean we're invulnerable."
"No, but Skinner's right," replied Tom. "We can't give up."
"We need to work out their motive," said Jekyll. "If we know what they're after, we can work out a way to trap them."
"Only problem is, they don't seem to want anything except to frighten people," said Tom with a sigh.
Mina snapped her fingers. "That's it! It has been staring us in the face! I cannot believe we did not think of this before! What's the one thing they accomplish by these attacks?"
"Um...they get people scared?" hazarded Tom.
"They interrupt daily lives," said Jekyll.
"They lower the population. Slowly, yes, but it's still going down," said Skinner.
"Yes! All of those things. And – nobody – knows – who – they – are! It could be your best friend, the man down the road – for all they know, the government itself is ordering these attacks!" Mina said. "What are they accomplishing? Nobody trusts anyone any more. Have you noticed the suspicious looks strangers get lately?"
"Yes," said Jekyll. "Shop owners have started boosting security. They keep a wary eye on anyone who enters. It's the same everywhere."
"Yeah, even I get weird looks," said Skinner. "Mind you, I am weird."
They've also accomplished something else," said Nemo thoughtfully.
"What?"
"They have brought us back to England. You have pointed out that the people no longer trust anyone, even their government. If these attackers manage to bring the government down AND take us out as well – they would have secured themselves a comfortable future."
"But they haven't tried to take us down yet," interjected Tom. "Except for that time in the reps' room. Otherwise, we haven't been attacked at all."
"We had best be on alert then," said Nemo. "They probably want to catch us off guard."
"Well, we at least know their motives now..." began Jekyll but was interrupted by Tom.
"And what good does it do to us? So they want to scare people. We already knew that! Nothing we know actually helps us catch them!"
"He's not wrong, you know," said Skinner. "It doesn't actually help us. We still can't catch the bastards."
"If only we had more people," sighed Jekyll. "Just five cannot protect an entire city."
"The police are doing the best they can," reminded Mina.
Nemo shook his head sadly. "But it is not enough. They are not trained to deal with strange assassins like these."
"Assassins," murmured Skinner thoughtfully. "Hmm. I wonder..."
"What?" asked Tom.
"More people...ones who deal with toughs every day...ones who would know the city like the back of their hand..." Skinner muttered, ignoring the baffled stares he was getting.
Mina finally cracked. "Are you going to tell us what you have in mind, or are you just going to sit there talking to yourself?" she snapped.
Skinner looked up, startled. His grease painted face broke into a grin. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking."
"Must be a new experience for you," said Mina crisply.
Skinner rolled his eyes, but, of course, no one noticed. "Oh, ha ha. Leave the bad jokes to me, willya? Anyway, I might have a plan."
Tom raised his eyebrows. "A plan? Go on then, let's hear it."
"Well, you were saying we needed more people, right? People who know London well, and can fight. They ain't gonna be your regular Londoner. Most of them squeal at mice! No way they'd deal with mysterious attackers. We need people who live by their wits every day."
"Are you saying you know such people?" asked Nemo. He looked rather suspicious.
"As a matter of fact, I do," said Skinner, in a satisfied tone.
"And they would be...?"
"Why, thieves o'course! It's not like I'd know anyone respectable. 'Sept you guys," he added as an afterthought.
"I thought as much," said Nemo. "And I do not think it is a good idea."
"Why not?" protested the invisible man. "Aren't we living proof that just because you've done bad things, doesn't mean you can't use your skills for good? Besides, who would know more about what's going on in the underground than members of it?"
"I agree with Skinner," said Jekyll slowly.
"You do?" said both Nemo and Skinner at the same time.
"Yes. We though we had searched everywhere, asked everyone. But we have not inquired into less – reputable places. And they would be more likely to know, as Skinner said."
"Jekyll's right," said Tom. "Face it, no one else has got a clue. They might be our last lead."
"Would they be able to scout as well?" asked Mina.
"Yep. They'd know their way around London like a fly knows its way to fresh poop."
Jekyll winced. "Charming description," he said wryly.
Nemo sighed, and closed his eyes. After a moment or two of thought, he opened them again. "Very well. We will try Skinner's – friends. I just hope we can trust them."
"You can," said Skinner, looking serious for once. "When you don't have much, honour's a big thing. Every street dweller, from the most decrepit con man to the youngest pick-pocket, knows that if you betray your mates, they'll get you back bad. If you give them your word, it ain't worth going back on it."
Mina nodded decisively. "Then it's agreed. Tomorrow, you contact your friends."
DiabloCat: Have no fear; his friends won't be Mary Sues or anything like that. I just felt like bringing in some original characters. They've been lurking in the back of my mind for ages. It's about time they stepped out of my brain and had some fun.
