This takes place after the movie. Obviously I don't own what's not mine. Enjoy!
May, 1900. London.
The remains of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen had returned to the old museum on a typical dreary British afternoon. Nemo had docked the Nautilus expertly, his crew almost as well rehearsed and employed as the machinery they worked every minute. Since their travel in Mongolia, the members of the team had been staying mostly to themselves, with the odd meeting every now and again for dinner on the second deck or in a hallway. Nemo donned a white jacket and turban, a sign of mourning in his culture. He left his scimitar on private altar. Kali's grace had come at too high a price this time. He salaamed in forgiveness as he locked the door silently.
He approached the door of Mrs Harker and knocked quietly.
"Come in, it's open," came a soft voice. He turned the silver knob slowly, knowing she liked a little time to arrange herself before actually allowing visitors. Was standing over her boxes of vials and powders, wrapping them for safe transport, her black veil covering her icy blue eyes, a state of permanent mourning.
"We have arrived in London," the captain stated, clearing his throat slightly. "I should like to go ashore at one o'clock, if that is permissible, Mrs. Harker." Mina stood for a moment in some other place, perhaps remembering the departure that brought all of this about.
"Thank you, Captain," she returned, facing him out of respect. "I expect I shan't be more thanfifteen minutes here."
"Please, take your time," he assured her. "We shall all meet in dining room." He bowed and left to tend to his other passengers. Mina blinked back a tear as the door clicked shut. Sure, Quartermain was one of the most misogynistic egotist she ever had the misfortune of meeting, but it was wrong to speak ill of the dead. And he did have his strong points; a strong and capable leader, damn good shot, she thought to herself, and the only one among them who, for the most part, had no supernatural abilities. All his talents and attributes were what he was born or blessed with.
She came out of her memories, a bit renewed and set back to the task at hand. A wayward tear dropped onto the tissue paper she had been holding. The poor boy had lost his only light and now fumbled blindy in the dark. She felt as if she had as well.
Nemo next came upon Mr Rodney Skinner, only seen by the familiar floating black hat and leather slicker. An empty sleeve rose up and hailed Nemo as he approached. "Are you all packed, Mr Skinner?"
"Not like I have much with me, but yeah, I'm ready to get off this thing as soon as the time merits," came the wry cockney response, as always. "I'd rather like to get back to work in my old neighbourhood."
Nemo begrudgingly nodded. Even in his new compatriot's "occupation" consisted of midnight robberies and pinching women unseen in broad daylight, he was more noble than all of them had first thought in Venice. "Well, we shall be leaving in an hour or so. Please make an appearance on the dining deck before departure."
"Leaving me with all the silver, Nemo? That's not like you."
"Mr Skinner, where would you hide them?" The Indian took his leave and turned the corner once more, to gaze on the room that was Quartermain's. He made sure none of his stewards removed anything and none of the League were strong enough, even the young Sawyer, to go inside. He felt his heart sink a little at the remembrance of the man and continued past the room solemnly. The old tiger had been his most fierce at the end, he said to himself.
The door to Agent Sawyer's room was wide open, light flooding the hall. Nemo stood silently and observed the young man unnoticed. His shaggy blonde hair fell in front of his eyes, braces trailing behind him shirt sleeves rolled up, collar undone. Even if American, he seemed more disheveled than usual. A knock on the doorjamb brought him out of whatever thought was running through his mind. He turned quickly like a little boy to the visitor at his door. His face fell a little when he saw it was Nemo.
"Hello, Captain," he drawled brightly nonetheless. "Haven't seen much of you lately. What's the occasion?"
Nemo simply said in a softer voice, "We have arrived, Agent Sawyer."
The young man's eyes darkened and turned down. "Oh, …um, thank you."
"We'll disembark at one o'clock. Dining room."
"Right." The captain stood there for a moment, regarding him and turned to inform the last surviving member. Sawyer sat back down in his chair, out of breath. The terrible event played through his head every minute of every day over and over. There was more I could've done. I wasn't fast enough, he choked to himself. Even in his own head, he couldn't breathe. Allan, his hero, sat, breathing his last, bequeathing the new century to him. Something could've been done.
His pistols sat on the bureau in the tattered holsters, the modified rifle lay on his bed. Allan Quartermain, leader of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen was gone. He got to his feet only to close the door and cried silently to himself with the ghost of regret standing at his side.
Nemo had come to the final room. It was far removed considering the proximity of the other rooms, but Doctor Jekyll didn't seem to mind, or at least did not voice his disappointment. Captain Nemo carefully listened at the door. The was no "discussion" coming from the interior, which was a good sign. He knocked on the door. "Doctor Jekyll?" There was the sound of the sudden movement, a chair being pushed back, and a lock being undone. There had been no installation of locks on the others' doors, but he said it had been done for everyone's well being. Henry Jekyll was, needless to say, a nervous individual.
"Yes, Captain?" He stood taller than his host, but with was now slightly stooping over. His hand absently went for the pocket watch in his vest pocket.
"Doctor Jekyll, we've made to London. Shall I send a steward to collect your things for departure?"
His eyes widened slightly. "No I'll take care of it. Th-thank you though," he managed to get out.
"We'll all be meeting in the dining room in an hour, Doctor. Until then." The doctor smiled, glancing downward at the watch, open already. Nemo returned the smile and made his way back to the helm. He had learned over the past six months to make sure he always addressed the man by his title, not just out of respect, but to help remind him who he was. Doctor Jekyll suffered greatly, supporting two personalities in the thin frame. He also knew the man never allowed another to do for him what he was capable of doing himself, but always asked. After silent dinners, he was the last one out, helping to clear dishes. A kind man who helped others. His other side was not so charitable.
The door closed and was relocked, out of habit. Jekyll sighed, half worried, half contented. London. Home. I'm home. It had been so long since he had seen the bustling city. The gold watch was his only link to it, the only thing aside from his supplies he had stolen from his own home fleeing the jurisdiction. Quartermain-Allan rather- had given Hyde and himself a reason for joining: a chance to come home.
"Ah, home sweet home," growled the voice inside him. Hyde was the reason for leaving, but he blamed himself for finding him. "I can still hear the screams, Henry. Like violins." His other half was disturbing and primal, but always knew how to express it's macabre sense of humor. "Can you hear them, Henry? Can you?"
"Yes I can, Edward." The darker force laughed uproariously as the physician tried to block it out. He picked up a couple of his valises and stacked them atop his steamer trunk, now outfitted with small ball-bearing wheels, another of Nemo's small, but time-saving devices, and rolled it down the hall, trying to decide how to get it down the flight of stairs.
The hour passed slowly on the ship, like they were all deep underwater, moving at half speed. Skinner, who had been in the dining room most of this time, was reading a newspaper one of the stewards had purchased at the wharf. The headline read "WORLD SAVED!" in big block lettering. "Leave it to the British to take all the surprise out of everything," he grumbled to himself, putting the paper down. He saw Mina coming down the passageway, statuesque and tragic.
"Oy, Mina!" he greeted her jovially, trying to make her smile. She hadn't fed in quite some time, a couple of weeks, so provoking her was not on his list of things to do.
She tried her best to be cheerful under the circumstances. "Hello, Mister Skinner." She spotted the large print of the paper and her gaze softened a bit. A couple of stewards behind her brought her bags and her trunk with them, struggling with them. The parade continued with the good doctor on his third trip down with his belongings. His black waist coat was sitting over his arm, newly-pressed shirt already rolled up to his elbows and his hair was shiny with a bit of sweat.
Mina thanked the stewards and they quickly grabbed Jekyll's jacket, sleeve the only thing hanging over his arm as he set down the last two bags. He plucked the white handkerchief from his vest and dabbed his face. As he brought it down, he had the fortune to met Mrs Harker's sky blue gaze. Jekyll nodded politely in her direction and blushed slightly as it was courteously returned. Hyde's face in the cool reflection of the large glass inlay smirked, but went unnoticed. His other side had other things on his mind.
The familiar step of boot clicks came down the passageway as the young agent stepped into the dining room. The older members looked on him, inwardly pitying the apprentice with no master. He had only his brown leather duster and his hat with him and had brought nothing down stairs.
Skinner felt it was his duty to break the silence. "Hey, get a load of this," he called to the boy, tossing him the newspaper. He caught it and scanned the headline.
"Good news travels fast, doesn't it?" he said at length, finishing the article. Mina had been standing behind him reading over his shoulder. He turned the other way, unable to even look the beautiful woman in the eye. He's just depressed, she thought to herself. You are intimidating. He just needs his time to grieve. Her thoughts turned to her husband. God rest his soul.
Nemo came from the bridge and met with the rest of the League. Jekyll was the first to shake his hand. "Well done, Captain, we've made it home in one piece."
The Indian said proudly, "Nautilus saw that we did. I merely tell her where to go."
The old clock on the faux mantle chimed the hour and the large room echoed. The five looked among themselves and stood silently, a makeshift moment of silence for their fallen leader. Even the invisible man's grease paint make-up ran from a missed tear. There was a rumbling deep within the gargantuan submersible, as if Nautilus herself was voicing its sorrow.
"We should be on our way," the Captain said at length. "We have much to do today." The rest nodded in agreement and began the hike down to the cargo bay, two decks downward. To whom would they be reporting? The thought had crossed more than one mind . There was no league, according to the maniacal genius Moriarty. Were they even a League now, or just a collection of "freaks" as Skinner reminded them often. A different sort of mystery, wasn't it?
Nemo ordered the door opened, it shuddered for a second before successfully falling into position as a reinforced gangway plank. A pair of carriages, emblazoned with the mark of the secretive order stood waiting in the rain. Mina sighed inwardly, looking skyward. Typical London day. A squat man in a twill jacket managed to stop gawking at the ship long enough to wave the carriages closer to the pier. The group had brought only one umbrella between them, Mina's. Being them gentlemen they were, they allowed her the privilege of staying dry underneath it's canopy. Skinner adjusted his hat and brought the collar up higher and started out.
The little man had jumped down from his perch with the driver to meet them. Skinner looked him over. Upon closer inspection, the little man had a very British moustache just under his slightly bulbous nose. His hair was graying, but something in his eye said he was still keen. "I take it you're the welcome wagon, then?"
He smiled tightly as the rest of the group approached. "Mrs Harker..gentlemen, introductions will be made upon arrival. Please." He motioned to them to get into the carriages, which they gladly took. Mina took the carriages in the lead, as well as Sawyer and Jekyll. Jekyll offered the younger man the door first, all too well knowing where he would have to sit while Nemo, Skinner, and the squat, albeit unknown man took the second. The two drivers cracked their whips and the large horses trotted off into the city proper. Traveling at sea for half a year had made them forgot the cobblestone streets of civilization. Nemo looked like he was about to be sick. The man across smiled as he looked out the fogging glass window into the rain. "Ah, London." Nemo kept his gorge down by sheer force of will.
"Yes, London."