Chapter 25 - An Oath of Innocence
Island X, September 24th

The Mysterious Men had, at last, arrived at Island X in the small hours of the morning. They had unpacked their things from the Albatross and had settled back in the fortress for the time being. Nemo and Ishmael were still aboard. The plan was back on track, or so Robur hoped.

He spent most of that time at the rain-soaked window of his cabin, thinking about the poisoning yesterday and hoping there were no other incidents. He watched as Nyctalope carried his things away to the fortress, talking with his friends. Lupin had made it very clear that the guilty party could be someone else. Robur understood that, but he could not help but eye him with suspicion. He mulled over the facts in his mind, considering the possibilities.

Robur shook his head. One problem was resolved, but a new one had taken its place.

He tried not to dwell any further on the matter. Not yet. More evidence would have to come to light and he trusted Lupin to find it. Until then he had other far more pleasant priorities. There was a certain someone he could not wait to see again. Deciding to waste no more time, he picked up his thick leather raincoat and left the gentle quiet of his room, heading outside into the heavy downpour.

(*A Little While Later*)

The fortress was a few miles away from the gulf of the island, but the sea was visible from the fortress. The rock had begun to erode and vegetation had snaked its way into the walls. Carved amongst it all was the fortress. It was even larger than it seemed as more of the building was underground and built into the rocky hills. The rocks were dark in colour and slippery, unscalable, and it was no mean feat to destroy them either.

This fortress was built to endure and endure it did.

Lupin, silken top hat on his head and wrapped up tight in his coat, approached Robur under one of the small shelters. The shelters, made of brick and the size of sheds, helped to keep some of the weather off the men if they were to take a break. Standing outside unprotected in this weather was intolerable.

Robur made way for Lupin so he could squeeze in the doorway of the shelter with him.

"Of all the Islands in the world, you chose one of the coldest and wettest ones in existence," Lupin pointed out. He rubbed his hands together and breathed on them to try to warm them. He folded his arms to hide his hands.
Robur answered, "It's hardly the coldest. But it means less visitors and less trouble."
"Yes, well, speaking of trouble, when would you like for me to move our guests?"
"Not yet. I've asked Fantômas to check over the rooms again. I won't take any risks."

"Do you plan on having them in neighbouring cells?"
Robur took to lighting a cigar to warm himself up. His matchbox was half soaked. There was no chance of obtaining a flame with those, so he put them back in his pocket. "No, why do you ask?"
Lupin shrugged. "I imagine you would get better working rates, that's all."

Robur furrowed his brow. "Is this something you would recommend that I do, putting them together?"
Lupin nodded, offering him a dry pack of matches from his own pocket. Robur thanked him.
"I imagine that threatening Nemo will do little good and only prove to annoy him, and Ishmael. Perhaps rewarding what he does, rather than punishing what he does not, will yield better results," Lupin explained.

Robur thought for a moment as he managed to light his cigar, but seeing Nyctalope out of the corner of his vision caught his attention. He turned to face him and puffed away, unable to break his focus on him. Nyctalope was standing on a balcony a good distance away at the fortress, watching them both.

He wore no coat and his blue shirt was becoming darker as the rain claimed it. What was he doing? Robur felt unease trying to creep up his spine. He didn't like any of this, knowing someone was potentially plotting against him whilst he remained oblivious to their name."And you don't expect Nemo to try to devise an escape plan?" Robur eventually asked, looking back to his second in command.

Lupin noticed his staring and watched too, but the winds began to increase, rattling in their ears. They were both forced to turn away as the rain pelted off their faces with the change in wind direction. Lupin brought a hand to his brow to keep the rain from his eyes. "I won't say it's impossible yet I doubt they'll try anything. They'll know there's no way out. Most of the fight already seems knocked out of them."

Robur ignored the weather and said "Well, you can try... Have you found anything new in terms of the poisoning?"
"No, nothing yet. I'm not sure what to think of the whole matter-"

A bang sounded in the distance. A bullet yanked its way through the air and smashed into the bricks beside them. Lupin ducked out of instinct with a sharp yelp of alarm, covering his head with his arms. He froze for a moment out of fear.

Robur didn't hesitate to act. "Move!" he bellowed, shoving Lupin behind the wall. Lupin lost his balance and ended up sprawled out on the floor but out of range. A secondary shot whizzed past Robur's ear as he took cover. He pressed himself against the wall. Lupin scrambled to his feet, leaving his hat on the ground.

"What the devil?" Robur hissed. He had seen no shooter. He could hear nothing, nothing but the snarling wind and the pounding of his pulse. Lupin took out his pocket watch and slowly slipped his hand out into the open, using the reflection from its case to check the coast was clear. Robur could see a clear tremble in his fingers and had to steady his arm to check it was safe.

"Easy, Arsène," he murmured to him.

Damn them! Whoever it was, startling Lupin like that, scaring the life out of him! Oh, how easy it had been to scare him after everything he'd been through. Robur needed Lupin to have his thoughts about him. "Take your time."
Lupin licked his lips in apprehension. He slipped out from behind the wall first, then after an uneasy moment gestured for Robur to follow. The pair of them dared to move out further from behind the wall to look. Nyctalope was now on the roof of the fortress, carrying a gun in his hand. He was running as fast as the weather would permit him to. For a moment they both stood and stared.

Robur could feel the anger rising in his veins. What was he doing?! He couldn't further the thought; Nyctalope slipped off the roof, clawing at the slates to find a handhold. "Get a man up there," Robur ordered. Someone who'd been drawn out by the shooting took off running to help.
Relief washed over them when Nyctalope was able to grab a handful of guttering. He still slipped off the roof and hit the wall hard, holding on with only one hand. He wouldn't let go of the gun.

Nyctalope fought to climb back up. Lupin couldn't help but mutter words of encouragement, as though it would somehow stop him from falling to a likely death. With his strength failing, Nyctalope threw the gun back onto the roof, freeing his hand to find extra grip. He flailed his legs around, desperate to find a foothold but met only air.

There was no other choice; using brute strength, he had to lift himself up. Once he was most of the way up he was able to swing a leg around to take the pressure off his arms. It was only then he was able to clamber up and roll to safety. Lupin heaved a sigh of relief. Robur released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding.

For a few moments, Nyctalope lay on the roof, letting the rain bounce off him, catching his breath.

Robur turned to look at Lupin. No words needed to be exchanged, they were both baffled, both suspicious- both concerned. Had he just tried to shoot them in broad daylight? Robur tensed his jaw, his gaze falling onto the great dent in the wall beside him. It was then that Nyctalope began to head back to his balcony, where the man he had sent up met him.

"By Jove," Lupin murmured, "this... puts a pretty twist on things."

Lupin hurried over to the worn-out hero. Hero. Could Robur even call him that now? Had he ever called him that? Nyctalope was dripping wet and chilled to the bone. He had collected a cut on his head and lip. Robur guessed the gash on his head had been from when he hit the wall. He couldn't help but notice how Nyctalope kept one hand on the wound on his chest with a deep wince. Robur decided to keep his distance for the time being. He tucked his hands behind him, squeezing his knuckles on one hand.

"What happened?" Lupin exclaimed, taking a handkerchief out of his pocket to give him to apply to his cuts and grazes.
Nyctalope put it straight on his chest with a slight groan. "I'm not sure. I was on the balcony. There was a shooter above me. He fired two shots and I went after him but it was no good. The winds were bad and I slipped. But he dropped this on the balcony, although I didn't get a good look at him," he explained, gesturing to the gun. He stayed alert, his gaze creeping away from the two of them and up to the roof.

"Are you alright?" Lupin asked. Nyctalope nodded though Lupin wasn't convinced. He handed the gun to Lupin who opted to examine it, hoping to find something of interest.

The story did not satisfy Robur. He stepped in. "Why would he drop the gun, so conveniently at your feet, Saint-Clair? Why should I trust what you say?" Robur asked. His voice was heavy and carried danger. He made no attempt at hiding it. Nyctalope couldn't help but swallow hard. Lupin frowned and dipped his brow. Whether it was disapproval or realization of his point, Robur didn't know. It didn't matter.

"I have just been running across rooftops trying to catch the person responsible for this. How else do you think I got all of these scratches?" Nyctalope answered, being sure his tone carried no defiance. Robur didn't trust the almost docile and innocent look. He had no faith in the look of betrayal in his eyes. He knew how easy it could be to lie.
"Yes, we both saw you, but I most certainly did not see any other gunman," Robur said.
"If you are accusing me of this, then say so, Monsieur. I did not do this and I am insulted that you think me capable of it!" Nyctalope countered. He was beginning to shiver and was in great pain. Lupin looked eager to get him inside and patched up. There was little doubt that Nyctalope had reopened his bullet wound.

"Nyctalope, come along. Now is not the time," Lupin said, hoping to blow out the candle before it grew into a wildfire.
"No, Monsieur Lupin. I think now is a perfect time. Why would I shoot at Robur? Why would I run on the roof, especially seeing the state of it? If I wanted to hide I'd have gone into my room."

Robur noted how his calm attitude didn't last long. As soon as he'd been challenged he'd grown defensive. Would an innocent man do that? Robur was determined to have the truth. "Both attempts on my life have had you nearby along with an ample opportunity to test your luck against me. I don't believe in coincidences."

"Of course I've been nearby- there's nowhere else I could be! You have no evidence whatsoever pinning me to either attempt, only poorly based assumptions," Nyctalope pointed out. He tensed his jaw. He stepped a little closer to the captain. Robur was not phased by the increasing tension. He was not in the least intimidated or uncomfortable, but he was annoyed. He stood fearlessly, looking Nyctalope in the eye. He had no intention of backing away from this. Neither did Nyctalope.

By this point, a small crowd was beginning to gather. Fantômas and Nyctalope's two friends had come to see what was wrong. Rene Coqui's blond hair looked brown from the water. Jean Degains was Nyctalope's second companion present, his reddish hair was plastered to his face due to the rain. His green eyes seemed to glint like lightning as he braced himself for some sort of upcoming conflict. Robur didn't know if Nyctalope would make this physical, though he doubted it. That would suggest guilt. Still, he could hold his own if anything happened.

Robur settled his gaze back on Nyctalope. "Then why are you so defensive?"
Nyctalope scoffed in disbelief. "What do you expect? You're the one throwing accusations at me after I tried to catch the real culprit! Why would I kill the man who is the only reason I am here in the first place? Robur, why are you turning against me?" Nyctalope's voice betrayed him. Robur could hear the disappointment in his voice as it faltered. That final question almost caught him off guard but he wiped it aside- it could easily be a guilt tactic.

"Enough, the pair of you," Lupin spoke up, stepping between the two of them. Whilst the commotion had stilled, he began. "Neither Robur or I saw any other shooter on that roof-"
"But-" Nyctalope began.
"But, we also never saw you aim that gun at us. As a result, we cannot trust what we witnessed. There is no efficient evidence that Nyctalope shot at you, Robur."
"There is also no evidence that he didn't," Robur observed. His beard and moustache had changed colour and into a darker grey due to the rain. He could feel little droplets dripping from the wiry hair and down his collar.

"I did not do this!" Nyctalope shouted.
"Enough I say!" Lupin softened his tone. "Coqui, Degains, would you be so kind as to take Nyctalope inside and get him cleaned up? Make sure Champeau treats his chest again. Please, go inside until we get this sorted."

Degains stepped up and began to lead his friend away with Rene's help. Nyctalope seemed a little dizzy on his feet but could still walk by himself. Nyctalope did not resist but he was still aggravated by what was happening.

Just as Nyctalope was almost out of earshot, Robur shook his head and grumbled "I'm beginning to trust that boy less and less."
Nyctalope heard what was said and he was not the kind to let things settle. "The feeling is mutual," he shouted over his shoulder.
Robur was about to speak but Lupin intervened, putting his hand on Robur's chest for a second. "Leave it. Let's get out of this wretched rain. Lèon, I won't tell you again- inside!"

The two men went their separate ways with great reluctance. Robur went back to the Albatross, leaving Lupin in the rain alone. Lupin followed neither of them straight away. Instead, he turned around to see Fantômas leaning against the shelter, keeping himself somewhat dry. He still wore that mask which was beginning to annoy Lupin. What he'd give to see the face of that man.

"What brought all that on?" Fantômas questioned, with a curious tone to his voice. "I heard shots and ended up amongst an argument."
Lupin headed back under the shelter with Fantômas and explained what little he knew about what had happened. The news surprised him.
"The disagreements were to be expected. But do you suspect Saint-Clair of attempted murder?"

Lupin sighed. He couldn't ignore the facts suggesting guilt. They were growing in number. "I don't know. I need the full story. Nyctalope is not the kind to lose his head like that, although I can hardly blame him. Perhaps something happened whilst we were away. We heard Robur had placed a few flags while we were gone," Lupin wondered out loud. He ruffled his hair to get some of the rain off. Seeing his hat on the floor, he tried to dust it off. He mumbled a complaint at its condition, before tucking it under his arm.

"Speaking of which, Nemo and his first mate are ready to be moved off the Albatross," Fantômas reported.
"I'll take them soon. You ought to tell your men to be on the alert. Someone wants Robur out of the picture and I can't help but wonder if they're using Nyctalope to mask their scent."
"Don't let his act fool you. You're growing soft, Lupin, and you very well may make a mistake which costs someone their lives."
"I'll look into it."

Fantômas nodded to himself and walked away, back towards the buildings. Lupin followed soon after, taking his time to get there. Nyctalope needed time to calm down and the sharp droplets carried on the wind helped to clear his mind. He was already wet so the extra rain made little difference. When Lupin arrived he locked the gun in a cupboard in his room, left his hat and coat to dry, and got changed into a new shirt and trousers.

By Jove, those gunshots had almost scared him silly. He was lucky Robur had the sense to drag him out of the way. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He thought to himself. He should have been better than that. His nerves were more frayed than he thought.

After making sure he'd calmed down, he went to find Nyctalope. Lupin knocked on the door to Nyctalope's room. Degains opened it. "Monsieur Lupin."
"May I come in?"
Degains glanced back into the room before opening the door wide and gesturing for him to enter.

Coqui was not there. He was no doubt looking for Robert Champeau. Nyctalope looked to be waiting for him. He had changed from his soaked clothes to fresh dry trousers. He left his shirt off as the blood was oozing down and would have needlessly stained the fabric. The wound on his chest had opened more than Lupin expected. He could see blood had trickled all the way down to his waist.

Lupin stepped inside and Degains closed the door behind him. Nyctalope had taken to washing his hands and face with a bowl of warm water, getting the thick of the grime and blood off. He kept wiping his lip to get the blood off and washed his bleeding head. The endless amounts of cuts on his hands had him wincing as he worked. His skin was red from where the hot and met the cold, but his temper seemed to be cooling off. The number of faint circular burns on his neck, under his arms, and his torso in general were too great in number to go unnoticed. He tried his best not to look.

"What is it, Monsieur?" Nyctalope asked though he seemed uninterested. He took to drying himself with a towel and then using the other side to hold against his chest. "I'm not here to accuse you if that's what you expect. I do require certain details, however." Degains leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
Nyctalope shrugged. "You know as much as I."
"You're usually a level headed lad, so where did that outburst come from? Don't try to tell me all that anger was from an accusation, despite its seriousness," Lupin asked. He went further into the room, closer to him.

"We've had a few disagreements recently. It's nothing," Nyctalope answered, turning to face away from the thief, pretending to be preoccupied with his wound.
Lupin needed answers. He wasn't getting out of it that easily. "Well, if it's nothing you won't mind telling me about it, will you?"

Nyctalope sighed and looked up from his work. "Robur placed a flag or two when you were away." Then he looked down again. "I tried to tell him that the League would notice it but he wouldn't listen. The discussion turned more personal and heated up a little."

"How personal?" Lupin asked.
"I told him he was being foolish and putting his whole Island at risk. He told me to keep my nose out and that…"
"Go on."
Nyctalope took a deep breath. "He made comments about my… leadership, and it felt like he was trying to put me at fault for some of what happened the first time my friends and I had a mission- to get my father's work back that is. He made it clear I wasn't welcome in the Mysterious Men. I'm not sure if Robur knew how angry he made me. How angry he made all of us." He looked at Degains, who nodded in agreement.

"I was annoyed," he continued. "He's risked all our lives now, including my friends. I admit I lost my head when he argued the first time but I've been trying to make up for it. We haven't talked all that much since. I don't care if we have different opinions, but he is not accusing of such serious crimes which I did not do!"
"I admit I didn't think Robur would be so… well, stupid. But still, you must calm yourself."

It was then Champeau and Rene came to the door and entered. Nyctalope was told to lie on the bed whilst the young nurse took to treating Nyctalope's injuries, particularly his chest and hands. For a while, they were quiet, save for Robert scolding Nyctalope for getting himself into this state.

Lupin decided then was the best time to resume the conversation.

"When you were on the roof, what did you see? Be as specific as you can if you don't mind."
"I didn't see much. I heard a tile slide and could hear something, someone loading a gun, I now realise. I jumped out of the way after the first shot was fired, thinking it was aimed at me. I tried to get after him after the second but then I slipped. I didn't see much of him, though I'm sure he wore dark clothes and had dark hair."

"Do you suppose that the shooter saw you?"
"I should say so. The balcony goes out quite a far way out whereas the roof doesn't. When I was climbing down I could see the balcony well before I was at the edge."

Lupin nodded; his forehead revealed two slight little wrinkles as he concentrated and made heads and tails of the situation.

"Do you suppose someone is trying to frame him, Monsieur Lupin?" Rene asked.
"It is possible. However, I cannot say who is responsible yet. I need you four to keep your heads down for now. Be careful and look out for each other. Nyctalope, try not to argue with Robur. I'll do whatever I can to clear your names but I need you to try to help yourselves. I will answer for everything, so long as you do exactly as I tell you."

The four young men nodded to the thief. Lupin nodded back with a reassuring smile and a spark of life in his eye. He then took his leave, knowing there were many questions in need of answering.