Taken In Again
A/N: I used the Martian info from Wikipedia, taken from the LOEG2 comic.
Disclaimer: It's a fanfiction, what do you expect? I own whatever wasn't invented already.
The warm sunlight shining on my face caused my eyes to drift open, greeting the bright new day. The covers were warm and the room was dimly lit from the window, and it introduced the beautiful day. Looking over to my right, I subconsciously grabbed the alarm clock. Through my squinted eyes, it read nine am. Looking over to my left I saw nothing. I mean, I know I'd see nothing, but I saw…nothing. No crease on the bed or pillows, nothing there to feel as my hand glided over the bed to check his presence. I never thought Rodney was such an early riser. Well, you know what they say. The early bird gets the worm…
Then what does the late bird get?
…no worms?
Will I get no success if I don't get up early?
…
Stupid John Ray.
Pondering, I rose up on my feet, and I felt such in a haze it was like I wasn't even walking. More like flying, really. The window was my first instinct. Going to the window really is the first thing to do when I wake up, but something else drifted in the room. Something told me that it was very important to look out into the daylight this morning…
I tend to get that a lot.
When I opened the curtains, I had to squint my eyes even further than they already wore so I wouldn't burst my pupil. It was still dark besides the day being sunny enough to wake me up. The sky was clear, but dark, actually. How could I have seen and feel the sun, when there wasn't any. Then it was beginning to come to me.
I wonder if maybe the sun was a…
My train of thought was interrupted by a flash of light cascading from the sky, unexpectedly. I suddenly felt like Chicken Little.
It was bright, and odd colors like no shooting star I've ever seen before. Well then again, I've never seen a shooting star. But aren't they normally a yellow-white? The falling light glowed a deep green. It was an odd shape, too. It was more oval…and as it got closer it looked a little like a…oh my god.
Before I could think anything else it crashed…no, landed, I should say…in almost the exact same spot as the other crash. I heard men shouting…shelling the spacecraft. Bright lights immediately emerged from the spot, only a few miles away. The aliens must be retaliating with their heat-rays. I had to warn the others, if they didn't know already. I tuned around fastest I could go, equipped my holster, stocked myself, and shoot out the door. As I rushed to warn the others, I noticed Rodney's jacket still on the bedpost….where could he possibly be?
And ironically, guess who walked through the door just as I grabbed the handle. We bumped into each other in our collision. I was startled by his perfect timing.
"Whoa! Where you headed?"
I just simply walked out the door, heading for Nemo's room. I thought he should be the first to tell.
Rodney sprinted into the room, grabbed his coat, and sprinted back, closing the door with him.
"Henry was right."
I knocked on Nemo's door hastily.
"About?" He came up to me.
"About the Martians. They're attacking."
"What? Where?"
"At the site." By this time the door had opened by Tom, bed-headed, tired, and messy.
"Hey…"
"Hi. C'mon. Let's go."
To my surprise, Nemo came up behind us. Apparently people like to get up early in this league. Mina and Henry came up behind him as well with curious looks on their faces.
"What's going on?" Mina asked with a slight resentment in her voice. Again, didn't surprise me.
"The Martians…another ship has landed near the sight and they're using their heat-rays again. We have to fight back!" I jolted past the league but a hand caught me. I turned and it was in fact an invisible hand.
"Hey, c'mon. We cant just let them obliterate the army division, and all those people that might be there!"
But Rodney wouldn't let go.
"Are you sure?" asked Henry. By this time Tom had gotten his holster and guns from the room.
"Yeah. I saw the ship come down, and you can hear the people shouting…and the red light from their heat-rays, and…"
"Well what are we doing standing around here? C'mon, Alisha. Everyone, let's get to that site!" Tom jerked past us and I followed. This time Rodney didn't stop me. The league ran after, and all were already equipped, I would guess.
As we bolted to the front door, Sir Richenbach just simply glanced in our general direction from polishing a glass.
"Good luck to ye."
Tom pushed open the doors and I heard a screaming…very, very close.
And I wasn't the only one the sound frightened.
People furiously ran past the door openings. The streets were being invaded by horrified Englishmen and women. My face showed complete and utter alarm.
Just then, the only thing I could hear was the high pitched ringing in my ears. The only thing I could feel was the painless fire against my back. I immediately feared for Rodney.
I ducked down, crouching with my arms around my head in protection. Some league members fell. As I thought it was safe to creep a look, I saw Henry and Tom lay unconscious on the rubble of the inn. Mina and Nemo were almost in the same position as me.
"GET DOWN!" I felt a push on my body, and I went down to join Henry and Tom.
My face hit the ground with no sound. Only pain. Pieces of the rubble pierced at my skin as it sliced my body. I slightly looked up, and saw the new spacecraft slithering across the town of Woking, eliminating all in its path. It had moved on, and I was lucky enough to survive its past demolition. I felt a hand on my back.
"Are you okay?"
I looked through Rodney when my face had the courage to flip around. "Yeah, I'm fine…thanks."
"No problem." I could hear the smile.
Captain Nemo, dusted from the ruins, slowly got up behind me. I looked in back of me, and the entire inn was destroyed. It was gone…nothing was left but pieces of burnt wood, some still in flames…lying helplessly on the ground. My face never changed since the explosion. Mina began to get up as well, unharmed.
…Déjà vu?
Tom and Henry never moved from their positions scattered on the floor. The rest of us tried our best to wake them up, but neither one would budge. Nemo went over to Tom first…the closest to his position, and put his finger to the boy's neck.
"He has a pulse." The good captain scraped his strong arms under Tom's body, and attempted to lift and carry him. It looked too easy for him.
"Somebody get Dr. Jekyll."
Mina instantaneously responded. "I'll take him."
"So will I." Mina tried to hide her dirty look, but it showed.
Just then, a carriage wheeled up on the side of the street right in front of us. It scythed on the pavement, almost reminding me of my landings.
"Get in!" the driver shouted, leaning his head to us as far as it could go.
The Martians were far away now, heading south...London was south.
Nemo, carrying Tom, Rodney, and then Mina and I carrying Henry got in the carriage without haste. As soon as the door closed it took off. A shout was heard from inside.
"The name's Sr. William Samson. I am under the order of Mycroft Holmes to take you back to the HI5 headquarters. He requires seeing you under the circumstances of the attack…to give you your next order."
"Who wouldn't?" I whispered to myself. I don't think anybody heard me over the screaming. I'm beginning to get the feeling that I'm a little too sarcastic sometimes.
---
The ride was a little longer than before. Tom and Henry were still unconscious and I was beginning to get a little worried. There was no speaking during the ride, so I thought I would break the silence.
"Had anybody tried waking them up?"
The two of them sat in the carriage with their heads hanging down. Henry was on one side at the end next to Mina, and with Nemo on the other. On my side, I sat next to Rodney, who supported Tom way on the other end.
"The best way is for them to wake themselves within time." Mina said, trying to be the innocent one…ugh.
"Screw time. You don't have to teach me about that…this is just too unbearable."
I took a special vial from my holster and uncorked it. I leaned over to Tom and put it up to his nose. He woke instantaneously.
"Wha!"
Tom looked around the carriage. "What happened?" he scratched his head, but stopped when he made a face at the sharp pain in his arm.
"You were unconscious." I took the vial and did the same thing to Henry. He woke up the same way."
"Oh!"
Leaning back, I corked the vial again and attached it to my holster.
"What was that stuff?" Nemo asked with curiosity.
"Yeah," Tom added. "That stuff smelled horrible…"
Henry made a face, following Tom.
"Oh…just a little concoction I've been working on. I wasn't sure if it was going to work…" I looked at Tom and Henry. "…I guess it does, then." I smiled at the thought of a new successful potion.
"Why didn't you do that before?" Mina questioned.
"Didn't think of it." I shrugged my shoulders. "That, and I wasn't sure if it was going to wake them. Because if it didn't, there was a good chance that the smell could injure them even more."
"Then why did you do it? Did you have any concern if it went wrong?"
"No, I was pretty confident."
Tom gave me a 'I-think-I'm going-to-faint' look.
"Right, well…speaking of chemistry, I had found a curious red powder at the site yesterday. I analyzed it last night, and it seems to be of the same substance found on the surface of Mars."
"Huh. So…we know what planet they came from?"
Mina nodded.
"Uh…okay. Well how about what we're going to do to kill them off?" asked Tom.
"Well we know we can just shoot the rays off if we have to." Mina recommended.
"And the aliens themselves?" Nemo questioned.
During the conversation I was staring out the window, facing the path the Martians came from.
"Uh-oh."
"What?" Tom asked.
"There's more than one backup." The sky was flooded with bright green lights descending from the sky.
Nemo looked as well. "Gruesome...is this what the world comes too? An alien invasion?"
"A war of the worlds…" I said.
The league all turned their heads to mine. But I never lay my gaze off our descending tyrants.
---
When the league arrived to MI5, Campion was waiting in the middle of the room like they first met him. As soon as they walked he began to talk.
"Thank the gods you're all alive. You escaped the explosion at the inn just in time. I was also informed of the newest crash near the site…including the death of Major Blimp and his division. May they rest in peace."
"Hey, how do you get information so fast?" Tom plotted himself down on the floor, still a little queasy from before.
"I get my sources."
"Like?"
"That's none of your concern, Agent Sawyer."
"Shouldn't it be our concern? You have us recorded or something?"
This argument was getting a little too intense.
"Can we get back to orders now? If any of you have noticed, England's being invaded by Martians."
"Well, as of now I'd like to assign you some separate tasks. Ms. Harker…stay here in the library and find out as much as you can about Mars. Captain, retrieve to the Nautilus and update with your comrades on a battle plan. Agent Sawyer, Dr. Jekyll, I would like you to go back to the site and find any extra information you can, and heal any that may be in need of medical attention from the burns. And Ms. Dover, Mr. Skinner. I have a very special task for you two."
"Um?" this wasn't going to turn out good.
"I want you two to follow them."
"The Martians?"
"Yes, Mr. Skinner. See where they are headed exactly and what it is they want."
"And how to kill them?" Rodney asked.
"That too."
Campion took a sip of whiskey from his glass. The cubes of ice dangled inside, clinging to each other. My eyes were stuck on their pattern, and the way they flowed in the glass.
"Why South…"
"What was that?" Campion asked.
And then it hit me. I knew how to kill the Martians.