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.
I excitingly proclaimed my discovery in the secret annexe, leaving the league and Campion with bewilderment.
"What is it, Alisha?" Tom asked.
I turned to him, then back around to Campion with a humongous smirk stretched on my face.
"I know how to kill the Martians!"
"What…? But, how?" Campion stood up to face me.
"The Martians are heading south, correct?"
"Yes."
"And they use their heat ray to destroy their enemy?"
"Correct."
"Well then they can't stand the cold! They must not be stable enough to withstand the arctic. If we head them north, I think we would be able to kill them. They might freeze easily…they're better in the heat."
The league's faces slowly turned into consideration.
"It just might work." Rodney said.
"But we don't know for sure if that's the reason why they're headed south. Isn't outer space supposedly cold anyway?"
"Well," I said. "If they're headed south anyway, it must not be good they're up to. Leading them in the opposite direction could be our best bet."
Mina regretted her words.
"I'll lead the Martians to the north of Scotland if I can make it that far."
"And if they don't freeze up?" Tom proclaimed.
"Then I'll lead them off the island…into the sea."
Campion sighed. "Worth the shot."
"Then what do we do?" Tom asked.
"You'll stay here."
"What?"
"I can't risk any of you getting hurt."
"We're in this together whether you like it or not, Alisha. We're going to follow."
I've never seen Tom get this serious ever before. Apparently the league had, because I was the only one in the room who seemed surprised. So I nodded, and the mission was set.
---
Outside the British Museum the league stood together in silence, with Campion by their side, as they watched the Martians a few miles away terrorizing the streets of London. They could see the heat rays beam in all different ways and the metal tentacles from the ship squirm in every direction above the craft. The screams were faint sounds, yet very strong in their ears. Terror roamed in the streets; every man, woman and child rushed to carriages in order to get out of town in the fastest route possible. Families…with hurt and pain on their faces from loss of loved ones and possibility of more.
"You ready to do this?" Rodney glimpsed at Alisha.
"Absolutely."
With the broomstick at her side, Alisha slowly rose into the air with a goodbye. Henry watched as she flew to the direction of their enemy with caution.
Just as Alisha left, the automobile sped up to the curb and the league swiftly got in. The car drove fast in the direction Alisha flew.
Wind rushed on each of the witches' side; her dress and hair flew in every direction as the sound of passing breezes penetrated her ears. She flew over the rubble of buildings, houses, and hundreds of corpses within. Within seconds she caught up with the ships, and the sounds and light from the beams got louder and brighter. As the spacecrafts were within reach, the witch circled around it, and rapidly the tentacles attacked the broomstick, but the witch was too quick. Becoming somewhat dizzy, its focus took off from the attack and to the current distraction as below the intervention the automobile drove close by.
Once the Martians were distracted, Alisha flew in the opposite direction; north. Not seeming to notice, they followed without hesitation. In order to keep them sidetracked, Alisha threw a few potions at the head of the craft, making it more aggressive. After a while however, Alisha became to be too fast for the Martians. Her flying was no match for the ship's swarming. After hearing a strange sound, the witch turned around to see the tentacles retrieve inside the head, and above ground it stayed. It grew faster and faster as the distance between the two grew smaller.
"Shit!" Alisha gave focus on the direction ahead of her, and flew off with the most speed she could go, growing the distance by a small bit. However the craft got closer than ever and time was running by fast before they had begun to catch up.
The automobile sped as much as it goes on the London streets. The roof was off and Tom peaked out above the rest and viewed the situation, cut off from everyone else's view from the remaining buildings.
"Oh this is bad…this is really bad."
"What, what is it?" Rodney asked. He attempted to get up like Tom in order to see the situation.
"The Martians are flying like her now…and they're catching up." Tom could see the many other Martian spacecrafts from the other direction, realizing the chase. They began to follow; recovering their tentacles and taking flight as well.
For about an hour the fight for the lead went on, and within time the automobile was left miles behind. The attack was far within view from Tom.
"I've lost sight!"
With this, Nemo stepped on the pedal hard, and towns flew by in a blur all too much.
Every few minutes Alisha looked behind her to see how close the craft was. It was her second to last potion she threw when it came too close, which made it once more retrieve further back. By now the shores of Scotland came into view.
The automobile had just reached the outskirts of Scotland, and came up to a sort of toll-booth; a small edifice stood on the side of the street, and a man waited outside for the automobile. The car was going too fast, and the man hastily leaped aside as it broke through the fragile gate in its path.
"Ahh…Scotland." Rodney greeted as in between his stretched out arms he laid his head.
The shores were close; Alisha could smell the saltwater from her position. Still alert by the closer-than-ever spacecraft, the witch took all her might in going any faster if possible…she was so close she could just feel it. Then something strange happened. A strange glow came from the broom…or the person along for the ride…and suddenly the flying broomstick struck the speed to light and left the Martians behind on land, as once the sea waved underneath the witch; and her speed then decreased enough for her to only hover over the sea.
Suddenly, once the Martians were within throwing distance, the last potion was taken from her holster, and in a slow motion it felt the back-throw the witch made unexpectedly underneath the craft near the engine. The acid burnt away the metal fiercely, and once the engine was exposed to the potion it incinerated instantly. Tentacles abruptly pierced through the sides and attacked the hovering witch right before the malicious explosion. By then the league had caught up to the shores, and the car swerved a few feet from the shore. The league filed out swiftly right as the blast sent the two in opposite directions.
The spacecraft flew in the air past the league, and burst the ground with a puff of dirt only a small distance from the league. In reaction, they hovered themselves to the ground right as Tom lifted his head only to see a body and broomstick fall into the distant waters.
"NO!" Tom began to unclothe himself while Rodney, Nemo, Mina and Henry lifted their heads to faintly see an empty sky and ocean.
"Alisha!" Henry proclaimed. He got up, and rushed to the edge of the shore and watched as Tom jumped into the freezing cold waters wearing his plain white shirt and tan pants to retrieve his witch.
Halfway between their distance; a quarter way from sight of the horizon, Tom used all his might to catch up, but Alisha was all too far away from where he was, and by now her body would be miles down beneath the water. Tom noticed Alisha's broomstick float by him. And as much doubt for survival hit his skull, Tom never gave up catching up to the spot where the witch fell. Before long however, his view became unaware as to how far away he was, and where the fall took place. Floating in one place, aggression finally hit as Tom looked around to the calm, empty sea. The league watched from shore as Tom swam in place in the middle of the ocean, with Alisha no where to be seen. Loss spread from each face, especially in Henry's…where the angst of not being able to do anything hit him.
Suddenly, only a few feet in front of Tom bubbles began to form and Alisha rose from the sea, swishing her long wet hair behind her.
"Bwah…" Tom attempted to get the water out of his mouth to speak. "How…wha?"
Alisha swam in place beside Tom, the two of them staring at each other. Alisha's eyes began to glow lighter than normal. A couple minutes passed as disclosure sank in Tom's skull.
"We thought you were gone…but I could have thought as much for you to save yourself." Tom turned around and made way to the shore.
---
By the time Tom and Alisha retrieved to the shore the league had taken bliss of the survival, and the soaked agent ascended from the water to the shore and rushed past the league, taking his remaining attire off the ground hastily. Off in the distance he sat down on a large boulder facing the opposite direction, and wiped off his face with his jacket, and removed his soaking white buttoned up shirt. Henry and Rodney squat down beside Alisha as she kneeled down on the sand soaking wet and slightly faint.
"Are you alright?" Henry asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Blood slowly began to appear on Alisha's forehead as they stared into each other's eyes.
"You're bleeding."
Henry took the handkerchief from his pocket and tended Alisha's wound as Rodney walked over to Tom.
"You alright, lad?"
"Fine."
"You don't look fine…"
"I said I'm fine!" Tom angrily looked a Rodney for a minute, until realizing the utter betrayal to his friend.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't want to talk about it, I see." Rodney got up about to walk back to the rest of the league.
"It's just..."
"I'm listening." Rodney retrieved his spot.
"Alisha's our friend. And friends help out friends, am I right?"
Rodney nodded.
"Well she just seems to be saving herself all the time like she doesn't need any one to help her…any friends."
"Tom you can't blame her for recovering on her own."
"It's not just this Rodney…sure, I wouldn't like to get wet for nothing, but…"
"But?"
"But she never lets us in on anything…are we her friends or her comrades, Rodney?"
Rodney took this in as he gazed out into the deep blue horizon.
"Thanks." I gazed into Henry's eyes as he pat the blood away from my face. Every so often he would glimpse back and smile slightly. I could almost see the glitter in his eyes as he pretends not to notice my stare. I found my broomstick out at sea and inspected it; it seems as if it's fine, with only a few minor adjustments to be fixed. It's capable of flying, however.
I glimpsed over to Tom and Rodney talking by a large boulder. I couldn't help but wonder if Tom was mad at me. It definitely seems like it…although I couldn't imagine why. The only possible reason I could think of is that he didn't get the chance to be today's hero…either that or he was upset for getting all wet and tired for nothing. Well I couldn't blame him…I was freezing cold…more than usual at least. And when I thought nothing could make me feel worse, I proved myself wrong.
"Ugh. And here comes the back up again." I began to get up and power my still-wet broom. I seriously need a new name for this thing…the word 'broom' sounds all…normal for a non-normal thing. I'll think of something…eventually. I got on and hovered above the ground as the league saw what I was talking about.
The rest of the Martian ships, well…most of them, at least, were now coming toward us.
They looked angry.
Just then, on the east shore the Nautilus rose out of the water in great glory. Very good timing…I'll give it that.
The Martians got closer and closer, ready to attack.
"All right, let's get em once and for all. I'll continue to head north?" I directed to Nemo for consultation. He nodded, and joined the others by rushing inside the magnificent ship.
---
They were pretty close, the Martians. Although we got a head start and they were far behind only to be fairly seen, I could tell they were getting closer by time. The Nautilus glided through the waters below me; I wasn't even sure which waters they were. After a bit of flying I could see land up ahead…and I presumed it was Sweden. At least the Martians were out of England and Scotland, but I didn't feel any better just to relocate the Martians to Sweden in particular…I am part Scandinavian and I very much respect the people, country and culture. I have to say, if they damage any towns there, I'll smash their little alien heads…I swear. Well, at least I'm getting dry.
The Martians followed Alisha over the Swedish towns and cites…leading towards the mountains. The Nautilus docked at the ports and tagged along in the automobile while so. As the mountains got closer, the cold seeped in hard to the Martians, the league, and especially the witch. Everything seemed to go slower…the league stopped the car for they couldn't drive through the heavy, thick snowy mountains…the Martians ships began to freeze up which stalled their flight…and the broomstick began to slow as well, for its passenger wasn't feeling so hot.
Flying right into a fjord of deeply frozen water, the league rushed out of the automobile and passed over the lake to the side of the mountains in the freezing cold, wearing their normal clothes. Alisha reached the end of the fjord to a shallow mountain with a visible cave. She flew inside, and fell off her broom to a weak faint on the hard, cold, icy stone floor.
The league watched as the Martian ships slowly halted their flight due to a frozen engine, apparently. One by one, their eyes watched amazingly through the thick falling snow the ships fall, crashing onto the lake and cracking the ice…causing it to break and the ships to drown.
The league rejoiced in triumph.
"We did it!" Tom proclaimed.
"Yes, and we couldn't have done it without Miss Dover." Nemo said.
The league then all frantically searched around themselves and the sky as the thought of their missing member sank in.
"Hey, speaking of her…" even Mina's sharp senses could not detect her near.
"She's gone."
The league grew anxious. Henry took out a vial of his potion and forced it down. The transformation had begun and Edward appeared in a matter of seconds. Mina evolved into a flock of bats, and flew away in search of Alisha…alive or dead.