Author's Note: This is a rather small – as in very – chapter, but it is, sadly, the penultimate. The next one will be the last; the conclusion of this story :(
Sawyer Fan: Heh, nope, you didn't miss a chapter; remember Tom crying out in pain at the end of 16? Insane jealousy… I like XD And for the most part, I think he just found him an annoyance. Thank you!
Marcus Lazarus: Wow, quite an insult for Marvel there… hehehehe. Scary that you and Raven Silvers started your reviews exactly the same way… heh.
Raven Silvers: Déjà vu with your first line there XD Long live Skinner! Thanks, buddy!
LotRseer3350: The biological weapon is lifted directly from the graphic novel, so, in the LXG-verse, the answer to your question would be yes :) Good thing Marvel missed badly, 'eh? His aim sucks as bad as mine ;) XD
queerquail: More to worry about, yup; the worrying never stops! Heheheh. Hero!Skinner, yay! Glad you liked Marvel's crazy thoughts…
Ten Mara: Hmm… good point… XD
Drakena: o.O Having fun with that urn? Don't worry; they won't forget about Henry, and he'll get a memorial.
So here you go; have a new chapter. Hope you like :)
"A hybrid disease? What is this fool talking about?" Nemo looked positively perplexed, but somewhat livid as well, he knew. He looked to his fellow League members in confusion, to try and understand. Skinner was reclaiming his sling at least, and Quatermain – apparently having dressed Sawyer's wound as much as he could – helped the thief don it properly.
"The place we visited," the hunter began darkly, understanding lacing his tone, "there were hybrids. But we didn't know…"
"Bond, there must still be people in London!" Mina declared furiously, reluctant to move from beside the agent. Nemo was staring straight at the bureaucrat in anger and disgust; he was actually wishing Mrs. Harker would move, and punish this filthy English pig… if he understood correctly, then they had just literally wiped out South London's population with a man-made virus. Never had Nemo felt so sick to his stomach.
"Officially, the Martians died of the common cold." Bond struck a match and lit his cigarette almost triumphantly if not nonchalantly. "Any humans died of Martians."
There was a sound from Nemo's left, and in his fury-clouded mind, he registered it as Sawyer either gagging or actually being sick. He didn't even turn his head to find out, pointing a finger accusingly at the rotund man before him, and declaring in a snarl, "England has disease bombs?" His eyes flashed with pure, unadulterated rage, and he bared his teeth before continuing, "And you have made me party to their use?"
Tom had woken up considerably now, and as he sat, doubled over to the side on the floor, shaking and nauseous, he felt Mina's hand on the back of his head. He cursed quietly under his breath, drawing in a shaky mouthful of oxygen before lifting his face to look at what was going on. He half expected to see Nemo with his sword withdrawn, but thankfully, it hadn't gotten that far.
"You are a dog!" Nemo snapped in Bond's face with enough venom to strike down a cobra. "I resign from this League of yours!"
"It doesn't matter." Bond shrugged indifferently, blowing a circle of smoke up into the air. "We've won. And even without you, sir, there are still four." There was a smug little smile on that face, and Tom didn't know whether to be sick, or walk up to him and punch it right off his features.
Even as Nemo turned to leave, Quatermain caught up to him, and took him by the arm. "Nemo, listen to me. I swear we knew nothing of this horror. We were used, just like you." Never breaking his gaze from the captain's face, he added, "Trust me, as you have before."
Nemo stared straight into Quatermain's dark eyes, and even as Mina helped Tom to his feet, Skinner came over beside them. There was some sort of silent agreement between the two oldest men, and Tom swallowed dryly.
Bond watched all of this impatiently, and Tom summoned his voice, speaking with as much fire and confidence as he could muster, "I'm out."
The round man looked to the wounded American, furrowing his brow. "Excuse me?"
"I quit… I'm with Nemo."
"As am I." Mina lifted her chin in defiance, a flicker of red shown in her eyes for just an instant.
"And me." Quatermain puffed out his chest angrily, scowling at Bond.
A duster and trilby was the only other sign of Skinner save for his sling, and after only a moment, he said, "Me too."
Bond looked from defiant face to defiant face, looking for any sign of alteration in their decision, but when he didn't find any, he huffed quietly, grinding his cigarette into the ground with his heel. "Very well. As I said… it does not matter. We've won, after all, and all we need do now is wait. Our use for you is through." With a mocking little wave of the hand, he turned, saying simply, "I bid you all farewell."
"Never seek us again," Nemo snarled after the large man as he walked away.
Tom leaned against Mina, who supported him with her own body and her arm, holding him up gently and making sure to avoid his injury. "Jesus… why didn't we realise? The sick… damn them."
"We were used," Mina said grimly, looking briefly to Tom, and then to the rest of the wounded League. "And we fell for their scheme. Never have I been more ashamed of this country than I am now."
"I was fool enough to have faith…" Nemo shook his head, sighing angrily with hatred in his eyes. "But it has been destroyed once more." Looking to the others, he let his shoulders sag somewhat, before saying, "Come; we should board my Lady. I will not even abide this soil beneath my feet any longer."
Tom frowned; looking across the river and hearing the flames eat the buildings away at the foundations. One of the tripods, even as he watched it, wavered and wobbled. As he stared, one of its legs failed it, and it teetered to the side, as if limp. With a crash of metal and machinery, it fell completely to the ground. He didn't even have the heart to show the others, though he knew Mina had seen it as well. It was a victory, yes, but at a terrible, terrible price.
"Come on, Tom," Mina urged quietly, looking to him miserably. He nodded, and together, the five remaining members of the League limped towards the Nautilus.
"As soon as this weed is cleared, we will leave, but until then, I am afraid we must remain…" Nemo stood at the side of the dock as they boarded the vessel via the conning tower.
Tom, for one, knew that leaving England couldn't come quick enough. After the recent revelation, it would be a relief to get as far away from this country as swiftly as possible.
But where would they go? And what would they do now?
They were back where they had started again, with no real power; puppets in a terrible game.
