Disclaimer:- Part Eleven folks! I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Hawker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. Glad everyone's enjoying it and I promise that next chapter the identity of Mr. Big will finally be reveled! Now, the shout outs;


Clez:- *hobbles away as fast as she can* ... I'm going take that to mean you like it. *had started to sleep with her eyes open after your threat*


Angharad:- Promise, next chapter...


Capt.Cow:- Hopefully you'll know what's going on with dear old Tommy after the next part... well, kinda.


LotRseer3350:- ha! You have to do chemistry! *shudders at the memory* Don't worry... all we become clear... very soon.


Graymoon74:- You're getting the chills? That's a good thing right? You think Tom's in for more abuse? Wow, how do you do that? Gonna have to start calling you psychic. ;)


Freeformchick:- *Blushes* aww... thanks.


Silent Bob 546:- Trust me, you will be saying poor everyone after this part. And sadly no, you can't control Mr. Burns... *grins*


Rayne:- The plot just keeps getting thicker and thicker! You'll just have to wait and see what happens to Tommy! ;) Hope you like this part.


And now... on with this chapter!


The Bodyguard.


~~~


Part Eleven:- Gilded Mask


~~~


The men who worked for Mr. Big were silent, each working on the job that had been allotted to him. They were putting up a raised stage in the main hall, a gold throne facing the main double doors. The stage had been placed so it was near two side doors - handy for entrances and exits. It had also been placed in such a way that light from the high windows behind it would stream down onto the floor, blinding anyone looking at the stage. Throughout this operation Smith was standing on the stage, barking orders at the men and yelling at any that paused in their jobs. In the background stood a shadowy figure, clocked in black, his hood up to prevent anyone seeing his face. It wouldn't have mattered if the hood had been down - a gold mask had been placed on top of the skin of the face.


Smith had also ordered the number of guards outside to be doubled. The best of Smith's lackeys had all vanished, after being called to see Smith late last night. It was as if Mr. Big was planning something - in keeping with his name - big. The men knew better than to question their orders or to even think at all. As they put the finishing touches to the stage they were preparing the braver of the men sent each other sideways looks. The shadowy figure had stepped forward and was talking quietly in Smith's ear. Smith was nodding and pointing at various points in the room and answering the shadow quietly. His answers seemed to please the clocked figure and he stepped back, allowing Smith to continued to shout orders to the men, who all went back to their work, making themselves forget what had just happened. They were not told about what Mr. Big was planning - they never were. But one thing was clear.


Mr. Big was expecting guests.


~~~


The League were all silently getting ready, each checking there own brand of weapon.


Skinner was the only exception. Besides his invisibility he was taking no weapon to defend himself with. The reason for this was simple - just like the last time, Skinner's mission was to scout out the castle, and try and find out everything he could about Smith, his boss Mr. Big and why he had taken such care to kidnap Agent Sawyer. Skinner was taking his long black jacket but he planed to take it off as soon as they neared the Castle.


Mina was standing in her cabin, dressed in her fighting outfit, having abandoned her shirts for leather and trousers to give her more movement. Her auburn hair curled about her head as it seemed to do when she let the Vampire in her out. She picked up her twin silver daggers and slipped them into her duster, a flash of demonic red pulsing in her eyes as she thought about what she was going to do to Mr. Big - get rid of Mr. Big and you get rid of this new threat.


Captain Nemo was going over the list of his crew. He ran his finger down the paper, stopping every now and then and writing the name he had stopped at on another bit of paper. When he had chosen enough names he stepped over to the door of his Captain's cabin and passed the paper to his first mate, Patel. The first mate nodded and ran off to Colette everyone on the list. They had been chosen to help in the mission. Nemo calmly picked up his sword and placed it in it's sheath. His hand hovered over his gun, then with a slight shrug he picked it up and put it in his belt as well. There was no need to be foolhardily.


Dr. Jekyll was also in his cabin - trying to work out how many bottles of the elixir to take. He picked up two of the tiny bottles and shoved them inside his jacket, planning to give Nemo one to look after in case he ran out before the mission was completed. Inside his skull he could hear Mr. Hyde yelling to be let out and to give him a chance to take his revenge on Smith. The twisted monster had not forgotten his first meeting with Smith and the injuries that had been inflicted on his own body.


//This time, you pathetic little worm, I will not stand between Smith and the brat, nothing is going to stop me getting to the Egyptian. I am going to pull that man's still beating heart from his chest and watch him die. I promise you, the last image he will ever see, will be his own bloody heart.\\ Mr. Hyde said. Jekyll shuddered at the imagery Hyde had conjured up. Sometimes his alter ego had such a way with words.


~~~


Mina was the first member of the League to be ready and waiting at the ramp of the Nautilus. She tapped her foot, the only outward sign of what she was feeling. After a few moments a floating coat descended the ramp to stand next to the battle ready Vampire.


"Ready for the off dear?" Skinner asked. Mina raised an eyebrow, the displeasure written on her face.


"If you call me dear one more time Mr. Skinner, you will not live to see the sun rise." she answered calmly, brushing a stand of her hair away from her unblemished face.


"No need to get your knickers in a twist." Skinner muttered as another figure moved down the ramp towards the waiting two. It was Dr. Jekyll, his fingers twisting a bottle of his potion as he reached them. With a slight nod he hunched over and waited. They did not have to wait for long. A minute had passed, two at the most before Nemo joined them, a small group of his sailors behind him.


"Are we all ready?" The Captain asked. "I am afraid we will have to walk to the castle, to avoid being spotted before we are ready." Mina nodded at the wisdom in that though Skinner sighed.


"Dr. Jekyll, it might be best to let Mr. Hyde out now." Captain Nemo added. The good Doctor nodded and pulled the top off the little glass bottle, tossing the potion down his throat. He began to pant rapidly as the potion did it's work. A tiny scream of pain escaped Jekyll's throat. No matter how many times he did this, the sheer amount of pain was always a surprise. There was a loud 'crack' as bone and cartilage snapped, to form the body of Mr. Hyde. After a few more painful sounds, Dr. Jekyll had vanished and Mr. Hyde was standing in his place. Now ready to face Smith, the League set off, the Castle in the distance.


"What is the point of having an automobile, if you don't even use it?" The invisible man asked the air, trailing after the group, who disliked long walks.


Skinner cast a longing look at 'The Slaughtered Lamb' as they passed the pub. Without looking behind her, Mina seemed to know what he was thinking.


"Later Mr. Skinner." She said sharply. Skinner nodded, knowing the life of Agent Sawyer was more important than getting drunk - besides he could drown himself in drink any time he wanted after they saved the young American. After all, Skinner was planning a party to celebrate Tom Sawyer's rescue. One that involved drink. Lots of drink.


~~~


By the time they reached the Castle the sun was shining fiercely down on them. Close up the castle looked even more dark and foreboding. The empty looking windows seemed to glare down at the League, looking like eye sockets with the eyes removed. Mina shuddered slightly, the skin on the back of her neck tingling as if someone was watching them. The sheer amount of windows meant that there was no hope of knowing for sure.


Yet Mina was sure that any hope of surprise was now lost. She made eye contact with Nemo and nodded slightly, giving the signal to attack. Nemo nodded back to show that he understood. He raised his arm, the sword he was holding glinting in the sun. He lowed the sword, the blade cutting threw the air. The League and Nemo's sailors charged threw the open gates into a deserted courtyard. They slowed to a walk, glancing about wearily. They all now believed that they were indeed expected. Which could a few things - the most likely being Agent Sawyer had been re-captured and Smith was waiting for some kind of rescue attempt.


The only way forward was a set of large doors, slightly ajar. Skinner slipped off his jacket and passed it to one of Nemo's sailors.


"I'm going to have a look around, see if there is another way in." Skinner whispered. Nemo nodded and the rest of the League moved slowly towards the open door, as if it was a bomb or dangerous animal. Skinner walked over to one of the other doors in the courtyard. Finding it locked he bent down and picked up a loose twig, using it as a lock pick. The door swung open and he slipped inside.


Meanwhile the rest of the League had reached the open doors. Mr. Hyde lumbered in first, Mina and Captain Nemo a few steps behind him and Nemo's sailors a few steps behind them. The sunlight pored though the open windows, hitting the League and blinding them for a few seconds.


When they could see, the sigh chilled them to the bones. Rank after rank of men stood between the League and a raised platform. Standing on the platform was Smith and a cloaked figure. Smith smiled.


"You have witnessed your last sunrise." He said. Hyde growled, eager to attack him. Smith half turned to the figure in black. The other man gave a nod and Smith turned back to face the League, a smirk on his face.


"Attack!" Smith yelled and the men sprang, attacking the League with the strength of men driven forward for fear of what was behind them.


Skinner in the meantime had not come across any of Smith's men. He wandered through the empty corridors, sticking his head into empty rooms. He was stating to despair of ever finding anything when he entered the room with a desk and chair in it. Skinner tiptoed over to the desk and pulled open one of the drawers. The first two were empty but in the last one Skinner struck gold. There was a stack of papers, the first half covered in some kinds of pictures, the second half in some foreign language. Skinner didn't understand what he said but he took the papers anyway. Skinner turned and went back the way he had come, entering the courtyard and hurrying across the paving stones, his bare feet slapping against them as he went.


As Skinner entered the room where the League were, he was faced with utter confusion. The battle was in full swing, each member of the League giving as good as they got. In the background, Skinner could just see a hooded figure who seemed to be getting frustrated at the lack of progress the Smith's men were doing. Smith looked furious.


"You outnumber them four to one!" he yelled at his men. Skinner moved quickly over to the sailor he had give his coat to, aware that floating papers were an easy target. He tapped the sailor on his shoulder and stuffed the papers into a spare pocket of his long jacket.


~~~


As the fighting continued Mina kept her eyes on the clocked figure in the background. Even when she was fighting one of the men she watched the figure. The resistance to the League was starting to fade away, the number of enemies rapidly demising. The clocked figure seemed to notice this as it turned and fled through a side door, leaving his men to their fate. Mina let out a feral growl and ran after the figure, determined that he should not escape. She pushed the men who moved in front of her aside as if they were made of air. She passed through the side door and chased after the retreating man.


The rest of the League carried on fighting Smith's men, though the Egyptian had long since vanished - he had fled before the cloaked figure had and in the other direction. Captain Nemo was not thinking about Smith at the moment though. He was a fury of fists and legs, kicking out at everyone who came close to him. The men fell like trees in a gale. Skinner had joined the battle by now, using a discarded dagger to attack the men. The sailor, who he had given the papers he had found was fighting as well, taking out man after man.


Mr. Hyde was enjoying himself enormously. He roared, using his large bulky arms as bats, swatting the men away from him. He only stopped when he found out he had run out of men. The League all looked at each other then at the room - empty of any standing enemies.


"Where is our female bloodsucker, the wonderful Mina?" Skinner asked, taking his jacket, with the papers he had stolen in his pocket, off the sailor and putting his jacket on. "Has anyone seen her?" Mr. Hyde gave a roar of pain that sounded like a wounded animal before starting his painful transformation back into the shy Dr. Jekyll.


Above them - where the walls met the ceiling - five little slots opened and the barrel of five guns slid out, making no noise what so ever. Captain Nemo tensed, sensing something, though he was unable to locate where. Soundlessly the guns aimed, three pointing at the main League members, the other two aimed at the first two sailors they could fix on. As one the guns fired, sending there deadly little missiles down to the helpless League. The gunmen's aim was true, each of the five hitting there intended target. Quickly they all re-loaded and began to shoot the other sailors in the room. Each fell to the ground, each hit.


Out of the shadows Smith, stepped forward and bent down by Dr. Jekyll, pulling out the dart he had been struck with. The Egyptian rolled the dart between his figures, admiring how potent the drug was.


"Hurry up." He barked. "We must be ready before they wake."


~~~


Mina was oblivious to the fate that had befallen the rest of the League as she ran after the clocked figure. The stone passage she had found herself in was only lit by the odd flaming torch. The figure in front of her seemed to be able to find his way forward even in the dark patches. He waved through the labyrinth of passages, trying to loose the Vampire on his trail.


Mina however, was slowly gaining on him. The shadowy figure seemed to know this and sped up, taking turn after turn in his vain attempt to get her off his scent. The figure darted into a open doorway and closed the wooden door behind him. The room he was now in was empty save for a few torches on the wall to give light. The rays lit up the stone room as the figure spun to face the door, his arm reaching inside his cloak.


The door was thrown off it's hinges, the splinted wood flying into the room. Instinctively the figure threw his arm up to shield his face. At the same time Mina erupted into the room, her fangs at the ready. In two steps she had crossed the distance between herself and the figure, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him against the wall.


"Now." She growled. "Let us see who you really are." As her hand reached up to pull the hood away, the figure pulled out an open bottle, containing some kind of white liquid. Faster than Mina thought it was possible for a human to move he had poured into her open mouth, her fangs still glinting in the light. Mina swallowed without thinking about it.


The liquid ran down her throat, entering her insides. They began to get cold and she let go of the clocked figure, using her hand to hit away the bottle. It flew through the air and smashed against the wall. However the damage had already been done as Mina staggered backwards, doubled over, clutching at her stomach. Mina regained her balance and straightened back up, her senses becoming cloudy. She took a step towards the figure, moving like someone drunk. The shadowy figure took a few steps backwards, not wanting to be in her way.


Mina reached out towards the man, her limbs suddenly heavy and useless. Her fingers began to lock together and it became darker, her mind becoming sluggish. She took a few steps towards the shadow, her stiff fingers locking on the gold mask under the hood. Using the last of her strength she pulled the mask away and stared at the face under it. Her eyes registered the surprise and shock she felt as she looked at the face that was cooly staring back her, no remorse on the face. She gasped in horror as she tried to say something.


"You..." Was all that Mina was able to force out between her frozen lips, before the awaiting darkness claimed her mind as its own. Her body sank to the floor, taking the man's gilded mask with it and the hooded figure watched it for a few moments before bending down and prizing his gold mask from her tightly clenched hand. He lifted the mask, the light of the torches on the wall bouncing off it and carefully placed it back on his face.


"Yes 'darling' Mina." He said coldly, looking down at the crumpled form of the female Vampire, carefully brushing the broken glass and splintered wood away with his foot.


"Me."


TBC...


Now that you have all read, please, please leave a review. *puppy dog eyes* Pleaseeeeeeeee.


~Sethoz