A.N: Wow… how long has it been since I've written? AGES! That's how long! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in about a zillion years, but now I'm back! God knows how long for… don't get your hopes up or anything if you're actually still following this, I could disappear at any moment… strange music.

I've also gone back and edited some chapters. Descriptions that were long and irrelevant have been axed and grammar etc. is improved now!

I'm not going to bother with shoutouts this chapter because it's been so long that it really doesn't matter. It's like sending a thank-you card six months after you got the present… kind of stupid and embarrassing. blush. Thanks to all of you anyway though!

Disclaimer: None of it's mine. I tried everything… I even kidnapped Skinner… though none of the League seemed to care. I'm not actually supposed to talk about it until the law suit is over though, so… on with…

Chapter Eleven: For Queen and Country

The League wandered into the museum and stood, not exactly quite sure what to do in their new surroundings. Tom was about to march off to look for someone when their bald friend from the docks at Cairo showed up again – this time considerably less shiny and seemingly more comfortable in this, more familiar, environment.

"Ah, yes. The League. We've been expecting you. Lose yourself in the streets?" He smiled kindly.

"No." Tom cut Mina off quickly before she could say anything to the contrary.

"Forgive our tardiness." Nemo now spoke, casting a warning glance at Tom. "Shall we commence the meeting?" At this, they were led across the hall and through a door which led to the basement. Tom shivered at the sudden change in temperature as they descended into the subterranean part of the museum. His hands unconsciously moved towards the colts concealed under his jacket to check that they were within easy reach – he didn't like being led somewhere he didn't know how to get out of, and judging by the edgy looks his comrades were giving each other, he didn't think that they did either.

Their squat guide paused as he came upon a set of doors, and knocked three times before entering. The room was warm compared to the dark and dank stairwell through which they had descended, and brightly lit by gas lamps suspended on the walls. A man looked up as the League were led through into the room and gathered up some papers on the long table at which he sat. He motioned them to sit before introducing himself and dismissing the man who had led them there.

"Gentlemen, and lady," he smiled at Mina," my name is Amos Burrows – known to many simply as 'M'." The League's interest was peaked as they realized this was the man chosen to replace their previous foe Moriarty.

"No doubt you are all wondering why it is you were summoned?" When no one replied he continued. "I will be brief: there is trouble in Egypt. A kind which, I can assure you could bring the British Empire to her knees, and with her, perhaps half the world as we know it. Such fear has not been known since the last mission on which you were sent."

He paused, waiting for someone to speak. When no one did he sighed and stood – he knew dealing with these people wouldn't be easy. Gathering up the files before him, he slowly began to circle the table, handing one to each member of the League. As he walked, he explained.

"In the file before you is everything we known about one, Joseph O'Connor. We have been following his every move now for a little over a year."

"Why?" Skinner's happy-go-lucky cockney rung out in the quiet room. Glad that someone had finally spoken, Burrows pushed on.

"We first heard of him when a series of murders was carried out in London. You most likely remember them vividly – a number of the city's unfortunates were found brutally slaughtered in the streets."

"The Ripper?" Again, it was Skinner that spoke.

"Yes. The one and same. O'Connor was a suspect for a time, as you will see, his criminal record is not exactly a clean one." He motioned to the files before them all, and Mina raised an eyebrow as she looked at his list of crimes. She then spoke up.

"I don't see how this all involves us."

"In good time, my dear. We set up heavy surveillance around him, and proved him innocent of the Ripper murders… he was out of the country when two of them occurred. But what we did discover was that he was part of a much deeper, darker plot. And so we continued to watch him.

"He began to make frequent journeys around various parts of the Orient - from what we could gather, he was following some ancient quest. A mole that we planted managed to ascertain what quest this was: that for the ultimate power – a power which only the Gods of myth could yield, and the possession of which would lend a mortal such strength as the world has never seen."

Nemo looked incredulous. "Why would the Gods choose to even attempt to make their powers available to mankind? Every culture has legends telling of our failures to obey their laws, and the consequences that we were forced to pay."

"A Pandora's Box scenario?" Burrows spoke again as he resumed his seat at the head of the table.

"Precisely."

"The Gods did not willingly give their powers to mankind. They were stolen – as legend has it – by the Seth – the Egyptian God of Chaos – in a jealous rage. He was angered by the Goddess Isis's success at bringing her husband back to life following Seth's murder of him, and so plotted his revenge. He stole their powers, and stored them safe in the depths of his greatest temple – the location of which is, at present, unknown – to be guarded by his worshippers until a time came when one worthy enough arrived and released them. That one would be subjected to numerous trials and ordeals before he came even near to the room in which the powers were found.

"When Seth took these powers, Egypt's ancient Gods fell, and a new age was born. One that was ruled entirely by chaos and evil. Seth entered into a battle with mankind, who resorted to calling on heathen Gods to come to their rescue. No record remains of what followed, but the dark time did not last for long. Seth was stripped of his powers and sent to live in the underworld to be tortured for all time by the souls of those there. The heathen deities restored the heavenly Gods with their own power, but left Seth's in his temple, and made it inaccessible to even him."

"And how exactly did they do that?" Tom leant forward, seemingly engrossed in the story.

"It is not exactly known – little was recorded following this time. We believe that a password was used to guard the door. What records we do have simply mentioned the key to this password as being, 'The Power of Isis'. As to what that meant we have had no idea – until now.

"Recently, one of the British Museum's archeologists, Jonathan Hart, uncovered a new engraving in a temple that is presumed to be one dedicated to the Goddess Isis. On the engraving, 'The Power of Isis' is again mentioned. It is a legend that tells of how Isis managed to discover the secret name of the King God, Ra. As you may or may not know, Isis was particularly well known in ancient times for her magical prowess. Legend has it that she created a serpent from sand and Ra's spittle, which bit him. As Ra lay on his death bed, seemingly at the very end of his immortal life he revealed to her his most secret name. Once she learned it, she used her magic to restore him to health. We believe that this secret name is the password."

"A-and how exactly do we fit in?" Henry Jekyll spoke up meekly from his seat.

Burrows opened his file to a page which had another photograph on it, the League did the same, searching through numerous papers until they found another, shorter profile than that of O'Connor.

"The person at which you know look is Khenematisis Williams." Skinner hummed appreciatively at the picture, at which Mina looked up and scowled slightly. Ignoring the silent interchange between the two, Burrows again spoke.

"She lives with the archeologist that uncovered the engraving in the Temple of Isis. Her parents were family friends of his until they were killed – under somewhat mysterious circumstances I might add, although we never uncovered the truth. He took her in – she was very young at this time, only about five or so – and cared for her as a daughter.

"Several years ago, she was working at the Temple of Isis with him, when she mysteriously disappeared. After an extensive search, she was found in a chamber previously unnoticed by the excavators. She was unconscious, but when she came to she had changed. No one knows exactly what came to pass in that chamber – not even her, her memories of that day are vague."

"How exactly did she change Mr. Burrows?" Tom was speaking again.

"Strange things began to happen around her: fires ignited seemingly from nowhere, strong winds were conjured on a clear day, objects levitated… there is a list in the file – we monitored her closely for a time. She has since learned to control these new… talents of hers. Previously they simply occurred when she was angry or upset.

"Ultimately, what we believe is that somehow, in that temple, she may have obtained some form of supernatural powers. Perhaps as a direct gift from the Goddess Isis. If this is indeed true, then it is entirely possible that she has been gifted with Isis's control of magic, in which case, she could potentially hold the power to discover the password that would open the temple of Seth to anyone that would want to try and obtain the powers hidden within."

The room was silent as each member of the League sat and absorbed this new information. The story seemed far-fetched, but they had seen stranger things in their lives: each one of them was a testament to that.

"So what exactly are you asking us to do?" Skinner cocked his head in Burrows's direction.

"Khenematisis needs protection. We are asking you to be her bodyguards for a time until we can stop O'Connor. He will come after her if there is even the most significant chance that she could be of use to him. He cannot – must not, get a hold of those powers: the consequences would be terrible. The entire world could suffer for it."

"You want us to babysit her?" Skinner's tone was almost snide. "Given that the Government hasn't been too friendly to us in the past, I'm not terribly inclined to run off and risk my life trying to save its arse again."

Burrows almost coloured. "I understand that you were mistreated previously, but you are the only ones that we could possibly call on. O'Connor's men raided the same temple from which she obtained her powers: many of his minions now possess similar powers to her, and, although not as strong as her, they do nonetheless pose a significant threat which requires each of your unique talents to overcome." At the skeptical looks he received from the League he hurried on.

"They are not immortal, and so are vulnerable to attack – their newfound powers simply give them a better means of defense."

"I'm still not convinced." Skinner was blunt.

"Me neither". Tom voiced his own opinion. Burrows looked to the remaining three members of the League, who said nothing. A look of despair came over him as he continued.

"Her Majesty is willing to pay you each a sum of one eight hundred pounds upon the successful completion of the mission. Mr. Skinner, the offer for the key to your visibility still stands as it previously did, and Captain Nemo, should you agree, you will be pardoned of all accusations held against you – including piracy. Dr. Jekyll will likewise be pardoned and permitted to enter England once again and he will have the backing of our topmost scientists to attempt to reverse his own potions. Miss Harker, a cure for your abilities can also be sought out should you wish for it."

"So you mean to buy us?" Mina's eyes flared red momentarily and Burrows was taken aback.

"Those are the terms of Her Majesty." He gulped, and a thin sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. "As the saying goes, 'take them or leave them'."

Again, everyone was silent as they thought over the proposal. Her Majesty's offers were generous… surely the League would accept the proposal? Skinner was the first to speak.

"Well, I can't rightly see how we can let the world possibly end, and a little darling like this one," he picked up the photo of Khenematisis, "be captured by the enemy. Plus, the prices for our services aren't too shabby."

"You mean to say that you agree?" Mina seemed incredulous.

"As much as I hate to admit it Mina," Tom grinned at Skinner, " he's right. We really are the only ones that can stop them."

"We cannot simply sit by and watch the world possibly be threatened and destroyed… I will offer my resources to the cause." Nemo sat back and looked to Dr. Jekyll.

"I suppose I can't rightly turn down an offer from the Queen, no less." Jekyll smiled tentatively at his thin attempt at humour, then straightened slightly and looked at Burrows. "I will come. Hyde may prove useful in our endeavors."

Everyone turned to look at Mina. Without a doubt, there was no way any of the League would accept the mission without a unanimous vote from all of them. Mina quickly considered her options: on the one hand, she could agree and following the League to what could be almost certain death, in which case it wouldn't matter if they were to be paid eight-hundred pounds apiece – they wouldn't live to see it; on the other hand, she could walk away from the proposition, turn her back as the world suffered mercilessly around her, and she could live on forever in her immortality and watch.

With a face like thunder, she nodded. "I will come."

Burrows looked relieved. He again began to collect the papers on his desk and put them in order. "Excellent, excellent." He pushed a button on the wall, at which point the short bald man again entered. "Jeeves, show our guests out." He turned to the League. "I will join you shortly, after which I will take you directly to Miss Williams. Your work begins now."

A.N: Oh my God! This is the longest chapter I have ever written. I think my fingers are starting to cramp… anyway, R&R please!