Welcome to the third chapter of The Multiverser of the League and the grand finale of the first arc!
Let's begin.
Voice Cast (how I envision characters being voiced)
Sherlock Holmes = Benedict Cumberbatch
The Gold-Eyed Man = Crispin Freeman
M./Mycroft Holmes = Mark Gatiss
BGMs
Gravity – Tom Player
London Town – Miracle of Sound
Dishonoured Dead – Randy Dominguez
Resurrection – Shades of the Abyss
Czar – Jo Blankenburg
Stone - Ninja Tracks
Chapter Three: The Bombing of London
Third Person POV
Reichenbach, Switzerland, 4 May 1891
The roaring of the waterfall beside them seemed not to exist as Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty faced each other. Their focus was so intense on one another, in fact, that the entire rest of the world seemed to melt away, leaving only them. Sworn enemies, rivals, nemesis to nemesis. Everything that had happened so far had been building up to this moment and neither of them would be taken out of it for a single second.
"Well … here we are, then," said Moriarty. He was already balding, his dark hair only remaining on the back and sides of his head, but his blue eyes were strangely youthful and excited in this moment.
"Yes," Sherlock agreed. He was tall, lean, and confident as always, with his long face black hair. "Here we are. Clearly, the 'sick Englishwoman' who lured my friend the doctor back to our inn in Meiringen was of your devising?"
"Clearly," Moriarty agreed. "Surely you realised?"
"Yes. Frankly, I was relieved. He's newly married. There's no need to endanger him. May I write him a note?"
Moriarty smiled. "Why not? Neither of us are going anywhere."
"I suppose not." Sherlock took a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket and started writing. "Nonetheless, the courtesy is very much appreciated. Thank you."
"Not at all." Moriarty threw his hat and cane over the side of the outcropping they were stood on, down into the rock-filled water below. "This view and this occasion both are too magnificent to mar with pettiness. You do know, don't you, that there's nothing personal in this?"
"Why, naturally. Our situation has the disaffected beauty of a chess game."
"Exactly!" Moriarty laughed. "Ha ha ha! Exactly right! I'm so glad that you understand. It's meaning, isn't it, that lends such blessed joy to life? This spray, these sunlit peaks, the golden, mathematic logic of it all. Ah. Ah, what it is to be a man below so blue a sky."
"Indeed. As closing acts go, I'll allow the scenery is more than adequate."
"Why, sir, it is Olympian! We tread the very borders of mythology!"
"I rather think you flatter both of us." He folded the letter and put it in his cigarette case. "There. I am done." He lodged the case between a pair of rocks.
"Sham modesty. It ill becomes you. What is leaving alpenstock and a silver cigarette case on a lonely mountain pathway, if not playing to your legend?"
"It's a keepsake to a dear friend. Nothing more. I'm tired with talk, Professor. So, then. To the death?"
Moriarty's face turned grim and serious. "Oh, yes. Yes, absolutely."
Moriarty withdrew a dagger from his coat and charged at Sherlock. The great detective responded in kind, charging forward with his fists raised. Moriarty swung his dagger, but Sherlock ducked it and grabbed both of Moriarty's arms in his hands. Moriarty fought viciously against his adversary's grip, trying to swing his arms around but not quite managing to free himself. Using Moriarty's movements against him, Sherlock ducked down and released Moriarty's arms. Moriarty continued to push forward for just a bit too long, felt himself falling forward …
… and then Moriarty felt nothing but air as he plummeted, screaming, into the rock-filled river below.
Sherlock stared down as Moriarty vanished into the frothing waters below and hummed. He had expected it to take longer than that. He stood there, looked around for a few moments, and then turned around and started the long process of climbing up the rock face and out of this fall.
Below, on the rocks, the soaked, twisted, broken, yet still very much alive body of James Moriarty groaned in pain.
"May … God strike you … Owwhhh … May God … May God rip your bowels out, you … you sodomitic, drug-addicted … Ahh. Ahh, God … God."
Speaking was difficult with the hard, uncomfortable, jagged rock against his back and the savage river whipping against his unmoving body. Moriarty had never before been in a situation where literally everything hurt, but by God, this was very much that kind of situation. If he didn't take so much pride in his ability to survive, he would have welcomed death in place of this pain.
"Professor?" came the voice of his associate, Campion Bond. He was not as overweight as he would become in just a few years, but his obnoxious look was already present. "Over here, Moran! I think I see him!"
Moriarty felt hands grip him on the undersides of his arms and he was pulled out of the water by Bond and the fellow he had been working with, Sebastian Moran.
"Damnable mess," said Moran. "Is he alive?"
"Just," said Bond. "It's all right, sir. Colonel Moran and I saw you fall. We'll get you to safety."
Moriarty made a noise in his throat as he tried to speak. "Bond … my … my injuries … just ribs, I think. And my legs. The detective. Important you get the detective."
"Where is he, sir?"
"Climbing. Do you … Do you see? Up there, making for that ledge. He's … he's going to fake his own death. That's … that's what I'd do."
"Don't worry," said Moran, loading a rifle. "I'll get up above him. Pick him off with my air-rifle."
"No," said Moriarty. "Shot too difficult. Use boulders. Bury him."
"You can depend on Moran, sir," said Bond as Moran moved to take the shot. "He's the best we have in Military Intelligence Group Five. The detective is as good as dead."
"I know … Strange. He thought me … an enemy … of the state … Never reasoning … that it might suit the state … to create … its own enemy." Despite the pain he was in, Moriarty smiled. "Shadowboxing, Bond. We're all just … shadowboxing …"
Vauxhall, London, August 1898
"'We're all just shadowboxing,'" the aged, white-haired, wrinkly-faced Moriarty said to Bond. "You'll recall, I trust, my words to you beneath the Falls of Reichenbach? They're true, Bond. They're as true now as they were then. British Intelligence created me, Bond. They recruited me while I was at university, just as they did with you. Naturally, I excelled at espionage. When the idea arose that MI5 should manufacture a crime-lord through whom they could control and monitor the underworld, I was the obvious choice. After Reichenbach, I was recalled here, where I rapidly ascended to become director, despite spluttering objections from embittered toads like Mycroft Holmes. Meanwhile, able underlings like Moran maintain my criminal empire. You see, when you begin shadowboxing, sometimes the shadows become real. Isn't that odd?"
"I'm not sure I follow you," said Bond.
"I mean our characters take on a life of their own," said Moriarty. "In espionage's twilight world, all shadows have substance. Am I, for example, a director of military intelligence posing as a criminal … or a criminal posing as a director of military intelligence … or both? Luckily, as concerns our current enterprise, both my personas are of one accord: both have an enemy in Limehouse who must be destroyed. Fu Manchu. I rule London's west end. He controls the east." He picked up the Cavorite case from his desk. "The Cavorite offered me the power to eliminate him, so he stole it. He wanted to use it against me, by building an airship. That's destroyed now. We have the Cavorite back … and he's defenceless. I must strike swiftly. How fares my own war-chariot?"
"It's completed, in its hangars near Battersea fun-fair," said Bond. "It only awaits the Cavorite."
"Good. Let's hurry there. The raid can take place tonight. All of my loyalist followers have already evacuated the city, I suggest you do the same."
"Sir?"
"Oh, didn't I tell you? As per a request from our new friend, the plan has changed somewhat. It would be unwise to stay in London."
"Why?"
"Because what's going to happen soon is going to wipe out much more than London's east end," a voice came from the shadows.
(Play "Gravity" by Tom Player)
Bond jumped in surprise. All that was visible to him of the man in the shadows was a pair of bright golden eyes.
"You're a jumpy man, Campion Bond," said the gold-eyed man. "That doesn't exactly speak well of you, you know. If you're as afraid of dying as you look, then I suggest getting out of London as soon as you can. Preferably not downwind. Don't want the nasty leftovers to catch up with you after you narrowly managed to escape, do you?"
"N-No, I suppose not," said Bond, though he did not understand what the gold-eyed man was talking about. Bond looked at Moriarty. "Sh-Shall we get the Cavorite to your ship, then, sir?"
"Yes, I think we will," said Moriarty.
Moriarty and Bond left the room, and the gold-eyed man seemed to vanish.
(End "Gravity" by Tom Player)
"Aheheh." Griffin laughed to himself.
He left the office, making sure to close the door behind him, and walked through the building until he got to the front door. This would be the tricky bit for anyone else what with the constable outside and all, but Griffin wasn't most people. And anyway, he was starting to feel a chill …
"Hm?" the constable outside the gate hummed as the door opened and closed seemingly on its own. "Blimey. 'Oo's there?" He got no response. "Come on, I know I 'eard somebody. 'Oo is it? I've got a pistol, y'know." He didn't notice the spade lifting off the ground behind him. "I'm not muckin' about."
CRACK!
The spade was brought across the back of the constable's head with a sickening crack and a ring of metal. His hat came flying off his head as he tumbled to the ground.
"Oh, God," the constable groaned. "Oh, God, what …?"
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Each sickening crack indicated the impact of a brick hitting the poor man in the head. He stopped grunting in pain after the second, and the sound was joined by a crunch as the third shot spread the constable's brains all over the pavement.
Griffin stripped the dead constable down and put on his clothes without so much as blinking at what he'd just done.
"You're a brutally efficient man, I see, Mr Griffin."
Griffin near jumped out of his skin when the voice spoke up seemingly out of nowhere. He whipped his head around to find the source only to make eye contact with the same pair of golden eyes he'd seen in Moriarty's office minutes before.
"Y-You have me at a disadvantage, sir," Griffin said in an attempt to seem tough.
"Yes, I do," said the gold-eyed man, still not bothering to introduce himself. "But I see you're at a disadvantage, anyway, aren't you, Mr Griffin? Being on a team with a man like Dexter Verser, who definitely hates you, can't be a very comforting feeling. Luckily for you, I've got a little something to offer you."
"… All right, sir, you have garnered my interest. How do you propose I deal with Verser?"
The gold-eyed man was suddenly holding a dagger, a dagger that was blacker than anything Griffin has ever seen. "This dagger is made from a little something that'll sort Dexter Verser out if you use it right. You can wound him, you can even kill him if you're quick enough. How about it, Mr Griffin?" He waved the dagger around a bit. "You want this?"
Griffin grinned. He was sure that his invisible eyes were dancing with the unrestrained glee he was feeling. "Yes, I want it. Aheheh. I want it very much."
The gold-eyed man held it out to him. "Then it's yours to kill Dexter Verser with whenever you see fit."
(Play "London Town" by Miracle of Sound)
Opening Instrumentals
We are treated to a view of London docks. There is no wind or rain, thus the sea still other than the usual waves.
… But there is one area that is being disturbed …
The Nautilus emerges from beneath the waves, its mass causing quite a stir in the streets.
The camera pans down to the streets, where the workers are all gawking at the huge ship, their skin and clothes black with dirt.
Slaves in seas of soot we drown
Come on down to London town
The Nautilus opens up and out steps Dexter Verser.
Susan Dalian
The cogs they creak and pistons pound
Come on down to London town
Following Dexter out of the ship is Captain Nemo. He glares around at his surroundings bitterly, scowling.
Irrfan Khan
Power cloaked in progress
Smoke in Eden's eyes
The camera cuts to London Bridge where awaiting the two gentlemen, Mina Murray stands, making sure to keep as far away from passers-by as possible. Her red scarf is blown to the side in a sudden gust of wind.
Winona Ryder
A million choking chimneys burn
And blacken out the sky
We are suddenly in Paris, in a small flat. Dr Henry Jekyll has his hands clutched against his face tightly, his face cringing. In the mirror he is facing, Mr Edward Hyde grins out at him maliciously.
James Nesbitt
So grab your mates and join us
Where the rats rejoice
Standing over a dead police officer, Hawley Griffin wears the dead man's clothes and smokes a cigarette he no doubt took from the man's pocket. He is completely invisible but pays no attention to the horrified looks of the people he passes.
Claude Rains
The brazen brass of the working class
Are here to find their voice
In an extravagant office, Professor James Moriarty, otherwise known as "M," sits in a chair behind a desk, looking down at blueprints for an airship. Standing dutifully beside his boss, Campion Bond awaits instruction.
With Andrew Scott as Moriarty
and
Ralph Fiennes as Campion Bond
Revolution holds us bound
Come on down to London town
Break your back for class and crown
Come on down to London town
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen stands atop the Nautilus, Hyde being superimposed over Jekyll, and all of them stare out at the camera. Blue Heart is shown superimposed over Dexter.
Guest Starring: Rebecca Riedy
Steam train running on a reckless rail
Speeding right into the rising gale
The screen fades to black. A pair of golden eyes appear in the blackness and linger for a moment.
and
Crispin Freeman
The screen fades to black completely and fancy white text takes up the screen.
The Multiverser of the League
Shovel harder 'cause we're on your tail
London's bloody cry
(End "London Town" by Miracle of Sound)
Dexter Verser's POV
Mina wasn't pleased that Nemo had gone behind her back and sent Griffin off after Bond. Nor was she pleased that I knew and never said anything.
"Captain, Dexter, this is most irritating," she said. "I can't believe that you'd send Griffin off upon this harebrained mission without first consulting me. Was it a calculated insult, or merely simple habitual rudeness?" She turned her glare entirely on me, and was it me, or did she look … hurt? "From Captain Nemo, I think I could have taken it, but I never expected anything like this from you, Dexter."
"I-I, um …" That look on her face hit me hard enough that the stoic demeanour I try to keep up slipped and I stumbled over my words for a moment.
"Madam, please do not take that tone me, aboard my own ship!" Nemo snapped. "It is simply that having provided Mr Bond and his employer with the Cavorite, I find I do not trust them."
"But you trust Griffin to spy on them?" Mina questioned. "The Invisible Man?"
"Oh, God, no," I said. "I may not trust Bond, but I loathe Griffin. If Nemo hadn't already got him hiding around, I'd have tried to figure out some way to do it myself."
Mina held her glare on me for a few moments, then turned to Quatermain. "Did you know of this, Mr Quatermain?" she accused.
"Look, don't start on me!" said Quatermain. "No, I didn't know, but for your information, I think Nemo's idea was the right one and Mr Verser was right to let him go about it. I don't trust Bond, either. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go up on deck!" He started to climb the ladder that would take him to the deck on top of the ship.
"I'll join you," Nemo said, following.
"Oh, how typical!" said Mina. "Are you men, or little boys? You play your games with your elephant guns and your submersible boats, but one raised voice and you hide like little children!" She turned her glare back to me. "I don't suppose you're going to join them up on deck?"
"I hadn't planned on it," I said.
"I-I think you're being rather unfair to them," Jekyll stammered out. "I mean, do you trust Bond?"
"Well … of course I don't," Mina admitted. "But that isn't the point! The point is that I'm supposed to be the person organising this … this menagerie! But that will never do, will it? Because I'm a woman! They constantly undermine my authority …"
"I'm not undermining your authority, Mina," I said. "Believe me, that's the last thing I want to do. But I've been in enough of these Leagues to know that everyone will do what they think is best, regardless of what the appointed leader says. It's just best to play the cards that fall into your lap. I hate Invisibitch – I've made it no secret that I've hated him since the second I met him. But the way I see it, so long as he's got a job to be doing, at least he isn't off doing God only knows what to some poor sod. Though to tell you the truth, I would much rather kill him."
"Then why haven't you?" asked Mina. "Come to think of it, why did you not kill him when you had him by the throat earlier? You clearly intended to and have the strength to do so."
"… Because you told me not to." In response to her surprised look, I added, "Don't look so shocked. I do respect your authority and the fact that you think I don't is hurtful. I'm sorry I kept Nemo's plot from you, but with Bond around, I didn't dare talk about it."
Mina's face softened a bit, then she sighed and smiled. "Apology accepted."
"Y-You two are rather adorable together if you don't mind my saying so," said Jekyll. Mina and I both stared at him. "Y-You are together, are you not?"
"N-No!" Mina denied, red-faced. "No, not at all!"
"We just work together," I said. "I'd like to consider us friends, but that's as far as it goes, Henry."
"Oh, m-my apologies." He paused. "You just called me Henry."
"Yes, I did. That's all right, isn't it?"
"Y-Yes, of course. Thank you, Mr Verser."
"Please, call me Dexter. I'd like to think we can be friends despite my … less than pleasant introduction to your other half."
"I wouldn't worry about that. Hyde … well, he doesn't react positively to anyone, really."
I noticed Mina smiling at us. "What?"
"Oh, nothing," she waved off. "It's just nice to see a conversation that isn't just a massive argument. It's almost as if we're an actual team."
"Y-Yes, I suppose it is at that," said Henry.
"Quickly!" Nemo said suddenly, climbing back down the ladder frantically. He was followed shortly by Quatermain. "We must open the main hatch and let him in before someone notices him!" He moved toward the main hatch and started to do just that.
"What?" asked Mina. "What's going on? Who are you talking about? I won't have you keeping me in the dark about everything!"
"Oh, for God's sake, woman!" said Quatermain. "Must you turn everything into a shouting match? It's Griffin! We have to let him in before anyone sees him!"
"Sees him?" Mina asked in confusion. "Griffin? Well, forgive me if I'm being dense, Mr Quatermain, but isn't that rather a contradiction in …" the hatch opened and in walked Griffin in a constable's uniform, "… terms?"
Nemo immediately grabbed the front of Griffin's coat and pulled him in. "Griffin, you madman! What's the meaning of this? What is the reason for this policeman's costume?"
"I was cold," Griffin argued. "It's getting rather chilly out there, you know. Besides, I've heard that ladies find the uniform quite irresistible. Don't you agree, Miss Murray?"
"He's harmed someone," Mina said, eyeing Griffin's clothes uncomfortably. "He's hurt a constable …"
"I can't say I'm surprised," I said grimly, glaring at Griffin. "Did you kill him?"
"'Oh, heavens, he's harmed a poor policeman'!" Griffin mocked, throwing his arms into the air in faux despair. "Well, forgive me, I'd rather thought we were a covert military unit, but it seems we are instead a knitting circle!"
You haven't got the slightest idea how tempted I was to just kill him. No, it wasn't just temptation, I wanted to kill him. It wasn't a common occurrence, having to work with somebody this disgusting, this sadistic, this abhorrent a human being, and every moment I spent with Griffin made me glad of the fact. But I knew I had to keep him alive at the very least until he made his deal with the Molluscs. I had no intention of letting him hurt Mina, though – the day the attack on her came would be the day I ripped this invisible bastard's fucking spine out.
"Griffin, you were sent to find out about Bond and his superiors!" said Quatermain. "Did you learn anything, or just go on a murder spree?"
"Oh, I think I did rather well," said Griffin. "I trailed Bond and sat in while he reported to his superior."
"Was it Mycroft Holmes?" asked Mina.
"No. The chap's Christian name seems to be James. Tall, thin chap with eyes like a lizard. Very prominent brow …"
"Hmm. Pray continue."
Griffin lit a cigarette before he started speaking again. "Well, they reminisced about a waterfall in Switzerland for a while. Something about a fight with a policeman or detective … Rather dull, really. Anyway, it seems this 'James' fellow leads a double life: He's head of intelligence and a west-end criminal mastermind to boot!"
"That's preposterous!" said Quatermain.
"Isn't it?" Griffin seemed downright giddy to be reporting all this. "What's even more amusing is that the retrieved Cavorite will be made a weapon in his war against the Chinaman."
"But …" said Mina, "… the lunar expedition we were told …"
"We were told lies," said Griffin. "He spoke of a 'war chariot' and 'raids' starting tonight."
"Raids?" asked Quatermain.
"Yes," said Griffin. "Some sort of aerial raid, I imagine, directed at Limehouse. Though …" He seemed to hesitate.
"What?" I asked.
"It … it may well be more than just Limehouse in danger. There was another chap hidden in the shadows, just sort of appeared there and disappeared afterwards. It was most odd. He said something about London being 'wiped off the map.' Advised Bond to get out of the city as quickly as he could manage."
I feeling of dread settled in my stomach. That didn't happen in the comic … and it did not sound good.
"W-We've been used …" said Mina.
"But …" said Quatermain. "Look, this doesn't make sense …"
"Yes it does," said Nemo.
"You've figured it out, too, then?" I asked.
Nemo nodded. "Moriarty?"
"Moriarty."
Nemo sighed. "My friends, the man we have been working for is one James Moriarty, sometimes known as the Napoleon of Crime … and I'm afraid he plans to bomb London."
"Moriarty?" Mina asked in shock. "You mean Professor Moriarty, the arch-enemy of Sherlock Holmes? But … but he's dead. They both are."
"Evidently not," I said. "Granted, I could have told you Sherlock is alive and well, I just didn't think it was relevant. It would seem that both survived and both think the other is dead."
"But London may not survive," said Nemo.
"Then … he had us retrieve the Cavorite from Fu Manchu to use in his own warship," said Mina.
"Aerial warfare," Quatermain said grimly. "There's no defence against it …"
"On the contrary," I said. "There's us."
"And I may have something here on the Nautilus that could be of some use," said Nemo.
"Better we prevent him from getting airborne in the first place …" said Quatermain.
"Agreed," said Mina. "Where is this 'war-chariot' kept?"
"Well, they mentioned the Battersea fun-fair …" said Griffin.
"I'll head there right away," said Quatermain. "I'll hail a cab …"
"Dexter and I will come with you," said Mina. "The Captain can stay here and work on his contingency plan. I just pray to God that we're not too late …"
"Why?" Mina asked, frustrated, as we walked along the pavement, looking for somewhere we might find a cab. "Why didn't I realise? Now all of London's to have horror rained upon it. All because of my ridiculous female naivete!"
"Careful, Mina, your 19th Century is showing," I said. "You being a woman has nothing to do with it. No, nobody trusted Bond, but there was never any indication that London was in danger from anyone other than Fu Manchu. You can't blame yourself for not knowing something you couldn't possibly have known."
Mina nodded. "Yes, you're right, I'm sorry. I still can't believe we're facing Professor Moriarty."
"We must believe it," said Quatermain. "This whole affair is part of a war between Professor and Doctor; between London's east and its west." An empty cap turned the corner and headed toward us. "I say there! Cabby!" The driver pulled the horses pulling the cab to a stop just by us. "Take us to Battersea, and the amusements!"
"Right you are, sir," said the cabby. "Can't be beat, sir, can it, when you're stepping out with a couple of young ladies? All the thrill of the fair …"
"A couple of …?" Quatermain started to ask, then he seemed to realise. "Oh! No, no, no, he isn't—"
"Just leave it," I said, opening up the cab and climbing inside. "It's nothing new. Come on, we've got something more important to be getting to."
Third Person POV
Having spent the time since a couple of minutes before Dexter, Mina, and Quatermain left searching for something in his ship, Captain Nemo seemed to be getting frustrated. "I know I had the damnable thing stored around here somewhere," he growled in frustration.
"I've just realised something," said Jekyll. "Moriarty plans to wipe out London. Well, we're in London …"
"You just noticed?" Griffin asked with a biting tone. "Are you sure you're a doctor? Your brain seems awfully dulled for that sort of profession."
"That's not what I mean. I mean, Moriarty knows we're here, doesn't he?"
"Well … yes. I suppose he does. What are you suggesting?" Griffin had a feeling he knew, but he didn't want to think the gold-eyed chap who gave him a way to deal with Verser would let him walk right into that sort of situation.
"Well, isn't it obvious?" asked Jekyll. "He's hoping we'll be killed, as well. All potential witnesses removed at a stroke. My God, it's all so calculated …"
The dread in Griffin's stomach bloomed into full-blown panic as the words he feared left Jekyll's mouth. "I-I hadn't thought of that," he said. "Nemo, can't you take the Nautilus up the estuary and out to sea?"
"No need," said Nemo. "I've found what I was searching for. Tonight, gentlemen … tonight, London shall witness war in heaven."
Griffin didn't much care about "war in heaven" at the moment. He was livid. The gold-eyed son of a bitch had plenty of opportunities to tell him that the hope was for the League to get caught up in everything when it went straight to hell, yet he had said nothing. Hell, the man had encouraged him to act as though everything was normal, to tell the League everything he had heard without leaving out a detail (except for the dagger, obviously). He had sent Griffin off knowing there was a chance he would die during all this!
Griffin looked down at the pocket he had kept the dagger in. He suddenly had a strong urge to take the thing and throw it out to sea … but he wouldn't. As much as the gold-eyed man had pissed him off, he would not give up the only advantage he had over Verser.
It was only a matter of time before an opportunity to use it would present itself.
Dexter Verser's POV
The cab was moving very slowly, to the point where it was just barely moving at all. There were people outside, I could see through the windows, all gawping up into the night sky in amazement. I knew that they were looking at Moriarty's airship. I couldn't see it myself just yet, but I could see the green light shining down on London from where the Cavorite was being allowed to propel the ship upwards.
"We shall never get to Battersea at this rate!" Mina complained. "Oh, whatever is the matter now? The coach seems to be stopping …"
"Well, I'm not an expert, but I think it'd be bad form to ram the cab through all these people," I said. "Especially with these horses pulling it. I doubt people'll appreciate having hoofprints stomped all over them."
"Driver?" asked Quatermain. "I say, fellow, what's all the delay?"
"I'm sorry, sir," said the cabby. "I'll have to let you and the ladies off. The traffic seems to be blocked up all Cheapside to St. Paul's, for some blessed reason."
"Well, really!" Quatermain said, getting out of the cab. Mina and I followed. "This is too bad!"
"He's right," Mina said, looking around the crowded road. "The streets are teeming! Whatever's going on?"
"I think it might have something to do with that," I said, pointing at the black thing flying through the night sky.
(Play "Dishonoured Dead" by Randy Dominguez)
I had to give Moriarty credit, it was a very nicely-designed ship. It was a great behemoth of black metal with a bat motif. It was shaped like a blimp, with a bat-shaped construct on the top that looked as though it was carrying the rest of the machine. It was actually rather creative. There were little windows all along it with light shining from within. The main reason the ship was fully visible to everyone this late at night, however, was the green beam of light projecting out through a massive round hole right at the bottom, which was the excess Cavorite energy helping to keep the ship in the air.
"I think we definitely have a problem," said Quatermain.
(End "Dishonoured Dead" by Randy Dominguez)
Third Person POV
On the bridge of the airship, Moriarty was singing.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
"How I wonder what you are?
"Up above the world so high … like a diamond in the sky.
(Play "Resurrection" by Shades of the Abyss)
"A diamond in the sky. Do you know, sergeant, I almost fancy that I love this Cavorite. This wonderful, celestial material … It's given me the sky, this element that I was surely born for!" Moriarty threw his hands into the air in reverence as Sergeant Moran stood, silent, awaiting his orders. "Ah, Sergeant, does your soul thrill as mine does to these seas of cloud, to this God-like perspective? To this God-like power?"
Moriarty walked over to the railing and looked down on London. "Look at it down there. London. Just look at it. The Thames a marvellous piddle-stream of silver 'neath the August moon. Those huddled lights, those countless tiny lives. The poor-but-honest folk of Spitalfields, of Hackney, Shoreditch, Wapping … Limehouse. Oh, I simply cannot bring myself to destroy such a city in one fell swoop as my new ally advised me to. I'll not be satisfied until I see it all burning. Sergeant … commence the pyro-explosive bombardment."
(End "Resurrection" by Shades of the Abyss)
Dexter Verser's POV
BOOM!
The first of the bombs exploding soured what little of my good mood remained, though I found myself grateful that whatever they had which would "wipe London off the map" wasn't being used yet, though I had a feeling we would have to be quick if we were going to stop it from being let loose. Yet even with that small comfort in mind, the sight of the yellow-orange smoke rising from behind the rows of buildings set me on edge. We were going to have to hurry if we were to avoid an obituary that would take up the entire newspaper.
"Oh dear God!" Mina exclaimed. "This is horrible!"
"Yes," Quatermain agreed. "We have to get back to the Nautilus."
"I couldn't agree more," I said grimly. "And we'll want to get back there quickly. Tell me, how do you two feel about flying?"
"After being blasted through the Thames by that Cavorite, not very fondly," said Quatermain.
"Besides, how do you propo—"
I cut Mina off by grabbing the shoulder of the boy who had just brushed past her. "Purse," I said, holding a hand out in front of him. "Now."
He looked up at me and gulped, then put Mina's purse in my hand.
I handed it back to Mina, smiled at the kid, and then put a bag of money in his hand. "There you go, lad," I said. "Make sure you share it with the other kids, okay?"
"Yuss, sir!" he said with a grin on his face. "Thank you, sir!" He turned to look at the old man who stood near us. "Look, Mr Dodger, this gentleman's just 'anded me some dough!"
"I can see that, lad," said the Artful Dodger of Oliver Twist. He was an old man now. He looked at me, then his eyes and mouth opened wide. "By God … you're that bloke what did away with Bill Sykes when I was but a tot!"
"Yep, that'll be me," I said, smiling. "It was very nice to see you again, Dodger, but I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a hurry. You keep taking care of those kids, you hear?"
"Y-Yes, sir."
"Good man." I looked at Mina and Quatermain. "Now then, about flying …"
"Again, how do you propose we …?"
The black and red Dragon wings sprouting from my back startled her into silence. I grabbed her and Quatermain by an arm each. "Try not to scream," I said. "We're going to be moving pretty quickly, and I'd hate for you to choke on the air."
I started flapping my wings and took to the air before either of them had a chance to respond. There were several startled yells and gasps from below, as well as cries of "Demon!" (which weren't entirely inaccurate), as my sudden growing of wings and subsequent flight took all the civilians surrounding us by surprise. In the air, Mina started clinging to me for dear life out of shock, and Quatermain yelled obscenities for the first few minutes.
I did warn him not to scream, but okay, I thought, rolling my eyes.
A few minutes later, we landed just by the Nautilus. I don't think Quatermain felt he could get away from me quick enough.
"Don't ever do that again!" he yelled at me. "Good God, man, you near enough gave me a heart attack!"
"Don't exaggerate," I said. I noticed that there was still a weight on my left arm. Mina was still clinging to it with her eyes closed. "Mina, you can let go now. We've landed."
"Oh, thank God …" she said, releasing her grip on me and opening her eyes. "Some warning would be appreciated if you ever attempt such a thing again, sir."
"Noted."
The sound of Nemo laughing drew our attention to his presence. "It's just like you to make such a dramatic entrance," he said to me. "Just in time, too. We're about ready to go."
"Go?" asked Mina. She looked past Nemo. "My God! What on Earth is that?"
"Hold her fast, Mr Mate!" Nemo ordered his first mate, Ishmael. "She was bequeathed to me by a Dr Ferguson of my acquaintance. Her name is Victoria."
Sitting on the docks, right by where the Nautilus was, was a hot-air balloon. Specifically, the balloon Victoria from Jules Verne's Five Weeks in a Balloon. Henry and the still-clothed Griffin were already stood in the balloon, waiting for the time when we would leave to invade Moriarty's airship.
"She's … she's incredible," said Mina. "But surely, you don't propose we …"
"Yes, madam," said Nemo. "If you, Dexter, and Mr Quatermain would board, that is exactly what I propose. Mr Mate? You're in command while we're gone."
BOOM!
Another bomb fell. The smoke was now starting to block out the view of the sky. Luckily, it still seemed like it hadn't spread from the east end.
"Th-That bombing must be nearing Limehouse …" Henry said nervously.
"We need to hurry," I said. "Everyone in the fucking balloon!"
Nemo, Mina, and Quatermain got into the balloon. Then I, with my wings still out, grabbed onto one of the ropes attaching it to the dock. I nodded at Ishmael, who nodded back – I liked Ishmael; you may know him as the main character of Moby Dick – and untied the end of the rope attached to the docks. The balloon took to the air and I started to pull it in the direction of Moriarty's ship. I knew for a fact that the wind was just right for it to carry Victoria there, but we were in a hurry, so I thought I'd speed things along a bit.
BANG!
That one wasn't a bomb. It came from Limehouse. Looking, I saw that it was a massive cannon pointing toward the sky. There were Chinamen gliding through the air with gliders, too. It looked like Fu Manchu was taking their little war to Moriarty.
A battle in the skies over London, I mused. I won't lie, that's still pretty awesome.
"Dear God, look at that," Quatermain said, observing the chaos unfolding around us. "Fu Manchu has war-kites and an aerial cannon. Can London survive this?"
"Perhaps …" said Nemo. "Although from all I've read it is a city that is very vulnerable to fires. We shall attempt to bring down Professor Moriarty's airship. That is all we can do."
"Aheh," Griffin laughed. "And that's your plan? An unarmed balloon against that thing? Now I see how you chaps did so well in your Indian mutiny …"
"Shut up, Griffin," Quatermain said at the same time as I said, "Shut up, Invisibitch."
"… Although he has a point, Nemo," Quatermain added. "Nemo, that airboat's armed to the teeth."
"Those sorts of odds have never stopped me before," I said.
"Indeed," Nemo agreed. "And it's not like I came unprepared. I have here service revolvers for Mr Griffin, Dr Jekyll, and Miss Murray. For you and I, Quatermain, there are mechanical harpoon guns of my own device …"
"I … I don't think Edward will require a firearm," said Henry. "Th-That is, he's too big to need one. At least, he is these days. Do you know, I was once taller than he was?"
"You can tell us the story over dinner, Dr Jekyll," I said. "I don't suppose any of you would mind a little get-together after all this is over and done with? Hell, I might even let Griffin in on it."
"I'm delighted," Griffin said dryly.
"That all sounds very well and good, Dexter," said Mina. "But as you've no doubt noticed since you're pulling us along, we are approaching the airship."
"Nemo," said Quatermain, "this harpoon thing, it's extraordinary. How do I fire it?"
"Simply keep the trigger mechanism depressed and it will fire itself," said Nemo. "There are one hundred bolts upon each ammunition belt. Don't fire them all in the first minute."
I landed on the outer-rim about halfway up the airship and tied the rope on Victoria to a bit of railing. Everyone started climbing out of the balloon.
"Quickly!" Nemo said as everyone moved. "We must board before we are noticed! I do not doubt that this vessel swarms with the professor's agents …"
"Thank you, doctor, but I can manage perfectly well by myself," Mina said in response to Henry trying to help her off the ship.
"Y-Yes, of course," said Henry. "I do apologise."
"I can hear fighting going on up ahead," said Quatermain.
"I hear it, too," I said. "Sounds like Manchu's men beat us here even with me pulling us along. Can't be helped, I suppose. Still, that means this is going to be a lot messier than I'd like … I suppose it would be a waste of time to ask that you wound rather than kill as much as possible?"
"What would be the point?" asked Griffin. "We're going to crash this awful thing, aren't we?"
"On the contrary, Griffin." I threw a cocky grin at The Invisible Man. "I intend to land it."
"… You know what?" asked Quatermain. "I've seen Mr Verser do enough utterly insane things these last few days that I honestly believe he can do it."
"Glad to see you've got faith in me."
Quatermain and Nemo went ahead and look into the ship through one of the many windows that were scattered around.
"They're too busy fighting to notice us," said Quatermain.
"We need to find whatever controls this sky-ship if Dexter is to land it safely," said Nemo.
SMACK!
"Come on, Jekyll," Mina said after slapping Henry in the face. "It's time. We need you."
"Ow!" Henry said, wincing. "Please, don't …"
I wasn't very fond of letting Mina hit Henry like that, and I would likely tell her so later … but we needed Hyde for this, and the only way to bring him out was to stress Henry out, so I stayed my hand.
"Heheh," Griffin sounded that little verbal tick of his. "You know, once we have the Cavorite, we could sell it."
"Is money-making another 'lower urge' of yours, Griffin?" I asked him.
"Come on, you damned coward!" Mina snapped at Henry. "Do you call yourself a man?"
Henry let out a distressed yell. "Stop it! Miss Murray, please, I … I …" Henry released a low, guttural growl as he started to grow and his clothes started to rip. His now significantly larger hand grabbed the hand Mina had been about to slap him again with. "Urrrnnghhh … I told you … Hrrrnnhhhh …" Hyde glared down at Mina as he gripped her arm tightly. "I told you to STOP IT!"
"Hyde!" Quatermain shouted. "Hyde, let her go! I'm warning you …"
"That will not be necessary, Mr Quatermain," Mina said calmly. She levelled Hyde with a glare. "My Hyde, you are hurting my hand, sir, and I will not allow that. I should be grateful if you would release me."
There was a tense silence. The sounds of battle from within the airship seemed to not exist. Everyone – especially Hyde – was surprised to see Mina tell him to release her so calmly. Hyde stared her down for a few moment … and then calmly released her hand from his grip.
"Thank you." Mina started walking, and we followed. "Now, I suggest we head back this way and attempt to locate some ingress to the vessel. I imagine the Cavorite will be within …"
"Fighting, eh?" said Griffin. "Aheheh. Then I'm getting undressed."
"Just don't try to cut and run, or I will shoot you," I said.
We came across a metal door. Mina tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "Dash it!" she said. "It's locked from the inside!"
"Hurrgh," Hyde grunted in annoyance. "Well, what did you expect? I'll see to it if you'll get out of my bloody, pissing way … please."
Mina did so.
CRASH!
Hyde punched against the door so hard that it went flying to the inside of the airship along with a rather large chunk of the wall. I'm pretty sure several people were hit by it, but it was impossible to tell, the inside was such a bloodbath already. Fu Manchu's men and Moriarty's men were brutally massacring each other. Well, they were. The second that door went flying through them, everyone's attention turned to us. There was no moment of silence or pin drop – they started charging immediately.
Hyde roared at them.
"Everybody get down," said Nemo, who then fired his machine gun (he called it a mechanical harpoon gun, but other than the form of ammunition, it was just a machine gun) into the charging crowd. Blood and bits of bone and flesh flew from man to man as our adversaries were rapidly brought down. "Come forward! Come forward, men of England! Tell the gods that Nemo sent you!"
"Where's Griffin?" asked Quatermain.
"Probably cutting and running," I said. "Just like I told him not to."
"Who cares?" asked Hyde. "We don't need Griffin! Just leave these scuttling little blood bags to me and the darky!"
Nemo's massacre of the men created a gap, and through that gap, I caught a brief glimpse of something that left a pit in my stomach. Suddenly, I knew exactly what "wipe London off the map" meant. It looked like a small rocket and was gunmetal grey in colour. That in itself made it look like just a missile, which while not making any sense in 1898, wouldn't have been much worse than the bombs already being dropped on the city down below. No … The thing that made me sweat looking at it was the yellow circle with the three black semi-rectangles connected at the centre by a black circle with a yellow outline.
It was a nuke.
"As much as I'd love to leave all the bloodshed you the two of you," I said, "that's not really an option anymore. Nemo! Try to avoid shooting at that thing!" I pointed past the men and at the nuke. "You hit that, you'll not only kill everyone on this ship but an absolute fuckload of people down below, too! I'm going to need to work my way over and deactivate it … Shit, disarming explosives isn't my thing …" I groaned. "I suppose I'll just have to improvise. You can fire that gun, right, Mina?"
"I … I must confess, I've never used one before, so I don't know," she said.
"Okay … then I suppose just pointing and shooting will have to do." I looked at Quatermain. "You two, come with me. I could take out all these bastards if I had to, but I'll be busy disarming that bomb. You two are going to cover me and make sure no fucker gets in the way. We'll deal with Moriarty later."
"I'll follow your lead," Quatermain said with conviction.
"I shall do what I can to help," said Mina.
(Play "Czar" by Jo Blankenburg)
"Good." I lowered my mask over my face and pulled my revolvers from their holsters at my hips. "Let's get to it, then."
As Nemo reloaded his machine gun, I ran past him and took aim with my revolver. I landed a head-shot on one of Moriarty's men, who was aiming his own revolver at me; it clanged to the floor less than a second before his body hit the ground.
I took aim at one of Manchu's men, who was charging at me with a cutlass … only to not get a chance to shoot him because Hyde leapt over, landed on him, and ripped his arms off in a bloody mess.
Hearing some footsteps rapidly approaching me, I whipped around and shot one of Manchu's men right between his eyes. He seemed to almost do a back flip as the sudden pushback of his head conflicted with the momentum of the rest of his body moving forwards.
A bullet ripped through one man's ear. I finished him off with one to the forehead.
Well, her aim isn't good, but at least she's hitting something, I thought in regards to Mina's aim.
Another round of machine gun fire turned another torrent of enemies in front of us into bloody paste. This time it came from Quatermain.
Feeling slightly sick with myself, I leapt over the mounting pile of corpses and delivered a kick to a charging man's face, knocking him flying back and into a small group of others, who all fell down. For a small moment, I hoped they would be down for long enough that I could just move past without having to bother with them again … but then Hyde jumped over my head and landed on them, so it was safe to say they'd be nothing but a pile of bloody bits in a few seconds.
Another man charged toward me, yelling, so I lifted my revolver without so much as glancing in his direction and pulled the trigger. The bullet went into his mouth and exploded out through the back of his head.
A bullet flew into a man's chest and knocked him away, exploding his ribcage.
"Getting better, Mina!" I congratulated.
It really didn't take very long at all before I got to the nuke. The weight of every life taken along the way hit me like a truck – something that wouldn't have happened a few years ago – but I had reached the nuke and could now attempt to disarm it. My breathing was slightly heavy as I gingerly raised my hands to it, unsure. I have a basic understanding of explosives, but they aren't exactly a speciality of mine. One of the others (NOT MIKE!) would have been better for this, but they weren't here; I was.
I searched for a panel on the side – it wasn't hard to find. I opened it up and found a number of buttons, dials, wires, and lights. My nervousness increased tenfold. The odds were that all but one of these would just set the damn thing off, knowing my luck.
"It's okay, Dex," I muttered to myself nervously. This sort of behaviour is why I try not to show my emotions openly. "It's just a, uh … it's just like a video game. Yeah, just one big, explodey video game. Just … just cut a wire. The worst that could happen is … uh … everyone in London could end up dead … so just do it and get it over with. Yeah … fuck."
I licked my lips anxiously.
I lifted a hand and moved it inside the open panel …
… and then I remembered something Benedict Cumberbatch had once said in Sherlock series three.
"There's always an off switch."
An off switch, I thought, a nervous, but less nervous, smile working its way onto my face. Okay, I can work with that. I know that was just for a regular bomb, but it makes sense – don't want something as big as a nuke going off in the wrong place. Let's just … have a look and see if we can find it …
It helped that my mental roommates started encouraging me.
{You've got this, Dexter} said Rick Grimes.
{Go for it, Dex} said Michael Thorton.
{You can do it, dude} said Issei Hyoudou.
{You think you can't do this? Please, bitch, get real! You're me, so you must be smarter than that!} said Kazuto Kirigaya. (Yes, the Abridged version.)
{Ka decides all. Do what you can and let it work its will} said Roland Deschain.
Thanks, guys, I thought to them before the rest could chip in and waste too much time. All right … here I go …
As I pressed my finger against one of the many switches in the nuke – a little red one near the end – I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes as I waited for what I thought would be an inevitable fuck-up.
I flipped the switch.
Nothing happened.
I opened my eyes and saw that all the lights that were on inside the panel had all switched off.
(End "Czar" by Jo Blankenburg)
"YES!" I yelled at the top of my lungs in triumph. "Oh, yeah, who's the fucking boss, assholes!?"
"I, uh, assume you were successful, then?" asked Quatermain.
"You can bet your sorry old ass I was!" I said. Then I realised what I was doing, went red, and cleared my throat. "I-I'm sorry, that was rude. But yes, yes, I was successful. Now, who wants to go and say hello to Professor Moriarty?"
I didn't wait for a response as I stalked off toward the ladder that would take us up to the deck of the ship. Then I stopped suddenly.
"Where's Mina?" I asked.
Quatermain seemed to only just notice her absence, too. "I … I don't know," he said, confused.
Then it hit me. "She thought she could …" I didn't finish the thought out loud. She thought she could reason with him, I remembered from canon. "Oh, fuck." Then I took off in a run.
"P-Professor Moriarty," I heard Mina's voice from above when I reached the ladder that would take me to the deck, "I have the greatest respect for you as a mathematician. I-I had hoped I might convince …"
"Yes, yes, yes …" said Moriarty's dismissive voice. "Sergeant? Throw this smelly little lesbian over the side."
BLAM!
One shot from my revolver sent Sergeant Moran's brains flying out through the back of his head.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
The other four men up there got the same treatment.
"You'll forgive me, Professor Moriarty," I said dangerously, "if I don't think words like that are the proper way to address a lady."
BLAM! BLAM!
Moriarty cried out in pain as I sent a shot into each of his kneecaps. Unperturbed by the man's screaming, I walked over to him and knelt down.
"You've lost, Professor," I said coldly. "That little party gift you were going to destroy London with is switched off. Though I am curious about where you got it. Care to share?"
"F-Fuck off!" he growled at me.
I stood up and drove one of my feet into his bleeding knee. He cried out in pain.
"I'm already planning on killing you, but there's still time to hurt you. And believe me, I can really hurt you if I put my mind to it. I'm not as good with torture as some of my colleagues – I have no doubt that Alexis would have you begging to give up the information in seconds – but I know how to break you in my own way. And you know what? I haven't even started yet. Do you want to tell me what I want before we get started?"
"I'm telling you nothing," Moriarty growled out through gritted teeth.
I sighed and knelt down by him again. "Fair enough." I put my hand to his head. "See your failures, 'Napoleon of Crime.' See them very well."
And then I sent images through his head.
It was Sherlock Holmes. He was down in Sussex, alive and well. He was wearing all white with a net-like mask over his head, but his face was visible through it. He was going through a large white box in a field of large white boxes, carefully scooping honey out so that he didn't hurt the insects that made it. Beekeeping. Sherlock Holmes was living peacefully out in Sussex as a beekeeper, and I was showing Professor James Moriarty proof that he had even failed at bringing an end to his greatest enemy.
"No," Moriarty said in a weak voice. "No, no, no, no, no …"
"Do you see?" I asked calmly. "Do you see your greatest failure in front of you?"
"Lies! It's all lies!"
"Is it? Come on, Moriarty, stop kidding yourself. Just accept that you failed."
"No …"
"Do you want it to stop?"
"Yes …"
"Then tell me what I want to know!"
"He …" Moriarty hesitated. "… I never saw his face … He always kept to the shadows, made sure to keep hidden … but he knew you. Said he'd 'deal' with you, get you out of the way …"
"Well, that worked out well, didn't it?" I took my hand away from his head and stopped the images. I stood up and took out my revolver. "Anything you want to say before you go?"
"… Just get on with it, you swine," he growled at me.
"As you wish."
BLAM!
Moriarty's blood, skull, and brain-matter painted the deck of his airship.
"All right," I said, holstering my revolver. "Now to figure out how to steer this thing."
As it turned out, it was relatively simple. There was an old-style wheel which I deduced was for steering the ship. I took the wheel and turned it to the left. With the deaths of all the men down below, the bombs had stopped falling. I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my face as all the destruction came to an end and I flew the airship away from London and out to the English countryside.
"Someone do me a favour," I said. "Can one of you gradually close the Cavorite container? If we slowly close it up, we'll probably land rather than crashing."
"I'll do it," said Mina.
A few minutes later, we had made a textbook landing just outside London.
We had done it.
The city was saved.
Quatermain, Mina, and I went back down to the bowels of the airship and met up with Nemo and Hyde.
"It's done," I told them. "We can go now."
"Then we shall take Victoria," Nemo said.
"Will Hyde even fit?" asked Quatermain.
"He'll fit, but he'll probably weigh it down," I said. I glanced at Hyde. "I don't suppose it's too much to ask for Henry back?"
Hyde glared at me for a few seconds. "Fine," he grunted, displeased. "But don't expect me to change back at your beck and call every damn time you're in a pickle, ladyboy."
"That's perfectly fair."
Hyde closed his eyes for a moment, grunted, then started to shrink. His skin returned to the pale colour, his teeth unsharpened, and his claws returned to nails. Henry stumbled a bit as he rejoined us, but managed to keep his balance. He had to hold up his trousers so they wouldn't fall off, them having been ripped and stretched to the point where they no longer fit properly.
"Shall we go, then, gentlemen?" Mina asked.
"Yes, I think we'd best," said Quatermain.
We all walked out to where Victoria was tethered to the ship … and there was a machete floating next to the rope, about to cut into it.
"Aheheh." Griffin's laugh came out awkward and nervous. "I, ahh … I didn't think you were coming back."
I jumped into the basket. "Griffin, would you do me a favour and bugger off?" I asked, then punched him in the face. He landed on his piled clothes on the floor, so it can't have been that hard a landing.
Pity, I thought. Wait, why did he go to the trouble of bringing his clothes back on board …? Eh, maybe he just thought he'd get cold. I don't give a shit.
And with that, we took Victoria back to London.
We were back in the British Museum sometime later being faced by the new M., Mycroft Holmes. He was a very fat fellow, to say the least, and balding on the top of his head with sharp blue eyes. Griffin was dressed in a suit, hat, and a pair of glasses, and Henry was back in his black and white suit.
"Well done," Mycroft said without feeling. "You've done me rather a good turn. With Moriarty's death, I become head of intelligence. This situation benefits both myself and certain other parties, who shall never know of its intricacies."
"Ah," Mina said awkwardly. "You're referring to your late brother. A tragic loss."
Mycroft made a "Mm" sound, uncaring. "Regarding the six of you, it would suit me if you might remain here at England's call. A significant retainer would, of course, be provided. I believe we could double my predecessor's offer."
"Bloody hell …" said Quatermain.
"Th-That would, of course, be very generous and most acceptable," said Mina. "Might I ask of what's become of Mr Bond?"
"Nothing," said Mycroft. "It is often useful to have employees one knows to be treacherous."
"I'm not sure that's wise," I said. "If he betrayed us once, he'll betray us again. Surely you realise this? And to leave him unpunished, it's … well, it's not exactly doing much justice, is it?"
"I don't believe you have any say in who I appoint as my underlings, Mr Verser. Now, gentlemen, Miss Murray, I must bid you all adieu." He walked off.
Oh, I'll have a say, you fat little toad, I thought angrily.
"Aheh. Well, that solves the mystery of the detective's disappearance," said Griffin. "His brother ate him."
A laugh slipped out from my lips before I could stop it. "All right, Griffin, I'll give you that one. That was actually pretty funny."
"He's paying us an awful lot of money to sit about doing nothing," Quatermain pointed out.
"We'll see," said Mina. "These are tumultuous times, Mr Quatermain … I'm sure something will turn up."
We all stood in silence for a few moments.
"So …" I said after an awkward pause, "… dinner?"
(Play "Stone" by Ninja Tracks)
THE MULTIVERSER OF THE LEAGUE
…
…
…
…
…
Written by:
Anime PJ
…
Starring:
Dexter Verser
…
Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray
…
Captain Nemo
…
Allan Quatermain
…
Dr Henry Jekyll/Mr Edward Hyde
…
Hawley Griffin/The Invisible Man
…
Co-Starring:
Campion Bond
…
Auguste Dupin
…
Blue Heart
…
Rosa Coote
…
Quong Lee
…
Shen Yan/Shanghai Charlie
…
Fu Manchu/The Doctor
…
M./Professor James Moriarty
…
The Gold-Eyed Man
…
M./Mycroft Holmes
…
Special Guest Appearances:
Sherlock Holmes
…
(End "Stone" by Ninja Tracks)
Well, that's the first arc over and done with, folks! And there are no awful translations in this chapter! I'd say that's an accomplishment, wouldn't you? XD
There'll be a little filler chapter in between this and the second arc just to let things cool down a bit, so I hope you don't mind that sort of thing. The next arc will be a lot more exciting, as those of you who read the comic will no doubt know, what with the Mollusc invasion of Earth and all. I also plan on having one of the other Multiversers join me in the next arc – I won't tell you who, though, as I don't know myself at this point.
Now, before I go, I'll answer the reviews from last time.
Dis Lexic: You really should, it's a great comic. Since I already PMd you all that, I won't put it here, but still, good luck with it.
ZenithBloodedge: Actually, you'd be surprised. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen takes place in a world where all of our fiction is their reality. The fact that Bloodborne seems to be heavily inspired by Victorian London is why Dexter didn't really react other than his initial confusion. Granted, you're right in thinking it didn't get there on its own, but the logic of this universe dictates that it actually could.
Well, I hope you all enjoyed this, and I'll see you next time.