Chapter 51 - Flint and Fuse
White Cliffs of Dover, England, Continued

The League had no idea what to expect when they made it to the cliffs. They were out in what Skinner considered the middle of nowhere. It was bitterly dark near the sea and an eerie fog had begun to roll in. The moon was full and bright like an almighty eye had come to witness whatever was to follow. The League were the only ones there. They had only flares, one of which Quatermain carried, to attract the Nautilus's attention should they require help, though it was quite useless. Even if the crew saw the signal, it would take too long for them to get to the cliffs. The League was alone, whatever was to follow. The Nautilus would likely be unaware that the League had even moved.

Sawyer decided to stop the automobile a fair distance away from the lighthouse. He didn't know what the terrain would be like and so he decided to not take any risks, should they need a quick getaway. Nemo followed suit, parking the automobile alongside its twin. For a long moment, they waited, hoping to see some sort of sign of Lupin's presence. There wasn't so much as a movement, not a whisper on the winds, nothing but the purring of the ocean far beneath them.

The light from the lighthouse illuminated the ground, making it appear they were alone. It was up to them to make the first move. Quatermain gestured through the glass to Nemo to wait for a moment.
"I'm still waiting for that thruppence, Allan," Skinner reminded him.
"Just get out there and go to scout ahead," Quatermain grunted.
Skinner groaned, taking off his coat. The cold air immediately ripped away any warmth left in his body.
"I hate being the invisible one," Skinner sighed as he climbed out of the automobile.

Just then, Skinner spotted something high above them. No one had been able to see it before due to the roofs on the automobiles. Skinner immediately opened the passenger door to the automobile and said "Above us! You need to see this, hurry up and get out. We've got trouble." Skinner quickly went to tell Nemo the same message. What Skinner had discovered was the Albatross, though it was beginning to descend near to the cliffs.
"Jekyll, it may be wise for you have your potion at hand," Nemo said, though he didn't look away from the airship.

Come on, Henry. Let me out so I can flatten these nasty little vermin, Hyde pleaded through the reflection of the automobile window.
Jekyll didn't reply to him, but Hyde didn't give in.
At the first sign of danger, you better have that vial halfway down your throat. I'm not missing this fight… I'm quite looking forward to it.
Jekyll took the potion from his pocket and held it tightly, waiting for the moment when Hyde's skills would be required. Hyde would be on a timer as soon as Jekyll drunk it. He couldn't be too early.

The Albatross lowered herself down until she was roughly level with the cliff. The League braced themselves for the worst, only to have Zenith climb off the ship and approach them. Despite him being alone, he was able to carry an interesting, if not intimidating aura. His bravery was certainly admirable at the very least.

Zenith leaned against his cane a healthy few feet away from the League.
"Good evening," Zenith greeted casually.
"Don't bother with the formalities. Where's Lupin?" Skinner demanded.
"Unfortunately, Monsieur Lupin will be unable to see you this evening. If you have a conflict to resolve you will have to content yourself with the rest of Les Hommes Mystérieux," Zenith replied soberly.
"You still didn't answer my question," Skinner pointed out.
"Nor do I have any intention of doing so."

Nemo made a very discreet signal for Skinner to stop. He acknowledged the sign and left the captain to do the talking.
"Why are you and the Albatross here, Monsieur Zenith?"
"I think you already know the answer to that question," Zenith said. He took his cane in both hands and pulled it apart slightly, revealing the concealed blade. Nemo raised an eyebrow and stared at him.

Zenith did not yield. His face remained expressionless. "Your actions on the island cannot be ignored."
"Actions?" Sawyer repeated.
"Since when were we in the wrong?!" Skinner exclaimed. "You caused all this- and we let Lupin go in one piece, what more do you want?!"
Zenith did not reply.

The flickering of lighthouse light caught Sawyer's attention and he turned sharply, ready with his gun, looking towards the source of the disturbance: Fantômas was at the top of the building, waiting silently. Sawyer lowered his gun upon realising there was no immediate threat but kept his full attention to the assassin. Sawyer found Fantômas had a talent for making the spy's skin creep. He glanced back at Quatermain, who understood they were at risk of being surrounded. The two gunmen kept the League covered.

"If we're gonna fight we'll have to get Fantômas out of there. He'll gun everyone down," Sawyer whispered towards Quatermain.
Quatermain nodded and murmured. "Nemo needs his chance."

The hunter found himself wanting Nemo to get his revenge perhaps more than what he should have. Robur had killed Nemo's family, his third in command, and almost his closest friend. Quatermain knew the devastation which that brought. He knew how much that meant to Nemo to stop Robur and there was no point in trying to persuade him otherwise. He was half-tempted to just shoot him on sight, but Quatermain wasn't in charge this time. This fight was on Nemo's terms.

Nemo looked past Zenith and towards the Albatross. He caught a glimpse of Robur as he locked one of the cabin doors. Nemo knew he had the League's support, all he had to do was give the command. His hand wandered towards his own sword.

"Then so be it."

Now, Henry, now! Hyde demanded.

Jekyll decided that what Edward said was wise. He drank down the potion.

Zenith drew his sword as Jekyll began to painfully transform.
"This is between Robur and I, Zenith. Leave now whilst you have the opportunity. None of us will follow you," Nemo warned above the noise of Jekyll's yelling.
"This is between all of us now, Captain. I won't be going anywhere," Zenith answered fearlessly, swinging his sword in a horizontal figure of eight.

Nemo glanced back towards Quatermain and Sawyer.
"You just get after Robur. We'll cover you as soon as we can," Quatermain said.
"We will deal with the others," Mina added, her voice grew hoarse as her thirst for blood made itself more known. She had come dressed for battle, giving her a frightful appearance. She wore the same black, leather-like clothes which she had worn at Mongolia. It was a good thing she came prepared after all.

"Wait!" a voice suddenly called. The League looked over to see Lupin and Nyctalope running towards them. Nyctalope slipped away to the side and left the thief alone. What was he up to?
"What's he doing here?" Sawyer exclaimed, what surprised him was that Zenith had said the exact same thing as him in unison.
"It doesn't matter. I've got him," Skinner grumbled.

Nemo was the first to leave, he barreled straight past Zenith, who seemed to have little interest in fighting the captain and towards the group of men who stood between him and Robur. Quatermain and Sawyer took off in the direction of the lighthouse to find Fantômas and stop him from gunning anyone down should that be his intention. Nyctalope was evidently to be Hyde's prey as he went chasing after the young hero with a roar of determination.

Skinner marched right over to Lupin, who was trying to hurry over to what was left of the League before they fully broke apart to fight. That left Zenith with Mina, who was staring at him with a predatory gleam in her eyes.

"You must be joking," Zenith muttered, understanding which opponent he was left with. Zenith checked his pocket for his only precaution and defence: a sharpened piece of hawthorn wood. It was still there, but he began to doubt its effectiveness. Mina snarled ferociously, baring her teeth and surged forwards. Zenith knew this would not end well.

"Well, Lupin, you backstabbing toad! Glad to see you've shown up," Skinner remarked, as Lupin approached the gathering from afar.

"Skinner, I'm not here to fight. I need your help," Lupin rushed. He stopped moving to make Skinner come to him. Lupin looked up at where Zenith and Mina were slowly stalking each other, preparing to fight.
"Not a chance in hell, but come on, give me a laugh, what do you want my help for?"
"Nemo and Robur are going to kill each other unnecessarily. We're all fighting needlessly! It's a trap against both our teams. Skinner, we have to stop them but neither side will listen to me now-"

"I wonder why," Skinner said sarcastically.
"Skinner, I did not send that message to ask you to come here, you must believe me. You must allow me to explain. We don't have time! Nemo and Robur are going to die!"
"Nice try, Lupin, but Nemo has a score to settle," Skinner said as he approached him.

Lupin could seemingly tell that Skinner was directly in front of him despite him not saying anything. He sighed and shook his head, almost as if in disappointment. "I'm not going to fight you," he muttered. Lupin tried to walk past Skinner, but the invisible thief stretched his arm out and grabbed Lupin by his blazer, stopping him in his tracks. Skinner's hand was very close to Lupin's latest cut, which he had received on the island, but he did not allow it to distract him. Lupin inclined his head towards Skinner- a silent warning for him to let go no doubt. The invisible man decided to ignore it.

"So hang on just a minute," Skinner said, pulling Lupin towards him so that they were face to face instead of side to side. Lupin didn't fight back as he was forcibly guided to the side. He just stared at the air in front of him.
"So you're trying to tell me that you didn't set this up? You send a message asking for help and the next thing we know we're getting ambushed. That's very coincidental."
Skinner still did not let go of him, his fist actually clutched the material tighter. He wasn't going to let him slip away to attack someone else or whatever he had planned.

For a moment, Lupin waited, staring hard at the invisible hand that seized him. His arms stayed down by his sides almost patiently. Skinner could almost picture the cogs turning in his head. The invisible thief braced himself, knowing to expect a trick.
"Of course I didn't. As I've already told you I did not send that message. Let me through, you're just wasting time- and you're creasing my suit," Lupin answered calmly.
"You've got more to worry about than your suit. Sorry, but I'd rather let Nemo get on with it. He deserves that much. Just like I'd rather get on with our own fight. Don't pretend you care about us lot," Skinner growled.

"I'm trying to help Nemo before he gets himself killed! You need to trust me. Robur feels confident he can kill Nemo, so he must have some sort of trick up his sleeve unless he just shoots him. Even if Nemo were to win, Fantômas is going to kill them both. He's the traitor amongst the Mysterious Men, not Nyctalope."
"Oh, so you're going to blame Fantômas for all this. Why? To try to save Robur's backside?" Skinner snorted. Every word, every line that came out of that man's mouth was a lie. It was like watching a snake stick out its forked tongue when he spoke.
"I'm not lying, Skinner. I heard it from his own mouth. You are just being a half-wit, blinded with hatred. I swear I-"

When Skinner heard Mina snarling at Zenith as they battled a good distance away, Skinner decided to fight his own battle. The longer he waited, the more opportunity he was giving Lupin to think of a plan of attack. Skinner swung a mighty punch at him. At apparently being able to feel what Skinner was intending to do with him holding onto him, Lupin threw his arm up, managing to take the force out of the punch that was aimed towards his head.

Before Skinner could try again, Lupin struck out with the opposite hand, hitting him in the chin. Skinner staggered back, unharmed, but startled. Skinner actually got the impression he was pulling his punches, making them weaker than what he was capable of.

"You little-" Skinner muttered, touching his face to check he wasn't bloodied. Lupin wouldn't have been able to see it either way, but he wanted to be sure. As of yet, he wasn't.
"Tu es un imbecile," Lupin muttered. "Skinner, please. I'm not here to fight you! Listen to me, Fantômas-"
"You've already lied once. I know what you're like, Lupin. You don't give a hell about Nemo, you're just trying to defend Robur," Skinner explained, silently circling him. He lashed out, punching from all angles, and Lupin was struggling to keep up, to know where he was.

"Robur is innocent!" Lupin exclaimed. "He didn't kill Nemo's family. Your stubbornness will end up being the death of Nemo. Listen to me!" Lupin argued, looking around for signs of the invisible thief. His focus wandered down to the grass, the flattened footprints. It was enough to go by.

Taking his chance, Lupin tried to hurry in the direction of the Albatross, knowing speaking to Skinner would be pointless at this rate. Skinner could see Nemo was already making his way over to the ship, cutting down any man who tried to stand in his way of getting to Robur. Skinner wasn't a killer, but he couldn't deny Nemo the right to avenge his family. He had to keep Lupin busy until Nemo had done what he needed to do.

Skinner ran at Lupin, and dived at his knees. Lupin fell to the floor in a heap and quickly began to struggle with Skinner. The ground beneath them was wet due to recent rainfall. It immediately snatched Skinner's stealth from him. He was getting covered in dirt. Lupin seemed to be deliberately trying to make him as visible as possible as they rolled about the floor. The only thing Skinner hadn't been aware of was Lupin's skill in ju-jitsu. Going to the ground was the worst thing he could have done.

"You're on my spleen," Skinner wheezed, fighting to try and get up.
"You don't even know where your spleen is," Lupin retorted.

Skinner cheated somewhat, nipping him, giving him the chance to wrap his arm around Lupin's neck as he tried to cut off his air supply. Lupin was lying face down on the floor and initially could do very little. Skinner needed to be quick about this, Lupin wouldn't be so easily beaten so he needed to fight him whilst he would have an advantage. Skinner could see from the light of the lighthouse beacon that Lupin's face was turning red. His body was tense as he struggled. Skinner gritted his teeth as he waited for him to pass out. However, Lupin was not so easily defeated.

Seemingly helpless, Lupin tried to get Skinner off him by pulling at his arm. However, he was able to use this as a way to feel for Skinner's elbow. Lupin fiercely dug his thumb into the inside of the joint- the pressure point. Skinner yelped in pain, the only way he could get the pain to subside was to straighten out his arm and consequently release him.

Gasping for breath, Lupin scrambled to his feet. He didn't appear to be too fazed, only out of breath.
"That hurt," Skinner grumbled, rubbing his now sore arm. He was going to have to be very careful if he was going to beat the thief. He had too many means of escaping.
"How long is it going to take for you to realise that this is pointless?" Lupin panted.
"About as long as it takes for Nemo to finish Robur," Skinner remarked, deciding to go in for another try at overwhelming Lupin whilst he was still winded.

Due to the mud that was on his arms, hands and legs, Lupin could tell he was coming for him. Skinner wasn't a big fighter and so he didn't really know what he was meant to do. He decided to swing for his head, hoping power would make up for his lack of skill. Skinner's punch proved too slow and was too wide of a swing. Lupin managed to lean back to avoid the strike and, seeing the opportunity, kicked him in the side.

"If you're going to try to punch me then at least do it properly," Lupin remarked soberly.
Skinner almost fell onto the floor due to the force of the blow. Lupin stepped towards him, ready to hit him again if it meant Skinner staying down. Predictably, he got back up to punch him again but Lupin managed to catch his wrist. Within an instant, Lupin bent Skinner's hand down towards the inside of his arm and thus locked the wrist in a painful position. Skinner shouted out again but he couldn't free himself this time.

He attacked Lupin's sprained wrist and although he was in obvious agony, he did not let go. Lupin forced him down to the ground, pushing harder the more he fought. Lupin was perfectly composed and focused now, as though he was merely putting an ornament down onto a table.

With a simple movement of capturing his wrist, Skinner was under his control.
"Ow, that's cheating," Skinner could help but exclaim.

It made no difference. A moment later, Lupin had him on the floor and pinned in some sort of body lock. Lupin held onto him firmly and did not release the wrist lock either. Skinner felt like he was threatening to break his entire arm over his hips should any more force be applied. His entire arm was burning in pain for all there wasn't so much as a mark on him. He was stuck.

"This is an armbar, and I will use it to hurt or even break your arm if you do not listen to me! This has all been Fantômas' trick! Who do you think left the clues on the Nautilus, or set off an explosion on the island? Who tried to kill Robur over and over and attacked me? I can leave you here unconscious or you can get up and help me make sure Fantômas doesn't get to Nemo or Robur. I am begging you, monsieur! One word, yes or no?"

An increased amount of force helped him to decide quickly.
"Ow! Yes- fine, fine. Just get off my bloody arm!"

There was a slight hesitation on Lupin's side, but he released Skinner. Skinner immediately rolled away from him. The two got their feet, staring hard at one another. Lupin showed no signs of wanting to resume a fight. Maybe he was actually trying to tell the truth. He winced and cradled his wrist that Skinner had hurt in his struggles.

"So, you honestly mean it was Fantômas who did this?" Skinner clarified wearily.
'Yes, and I don't have time to explain," Lupin answered.
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because Nemo's life is at stake; are you really willing to risk it? Where is- Zenith!"

Skinner turned to see Zenith and Mina struggling on the floor. Mina was going to kill him, but she couldn't see Zenith reaching for a sharp piece of wood. With each wanting to save their own, the two thieves sped towards them.