Charge of the Shadow Brigade Chapter 23: The Shadow Mutiny Concludes, a lxg fanfic

L.H.Q.

Dorian was in his office, looking out through the opened portion of his wall and sipping some gin, celebrating his personal defeat of Logan, his old friend and enemy.

"Gray."

Dorian couldn't hide his surprise as he heard the cockney accented voice demanding his attention, he turned around and looked in surprise upon Skinner who stood in the doorway, his expression filled with detest and determination.

"Mr. Skinner, I'll have to say, I'm genuinely surprised you're here. Did you happen to notice that little surprise at the front door?"

Skinner said nothing.

"I guess you did. So, as it turns out, Mr. Kemp wasn't really a turncoat, was he? Is there really an attack in Crawley?"

"Yes, and in Greenwich, and in East London."

"And we're facing off here to settle it all once and for all."

There was a pause as the two starred each other down.

"I'll have to say something for your benefit, Mr. Skinner, you are without a doubt the worthiest opponent I've had in a long time; you've rejuvenated something in me I thought was long gone."

"Coming from you, Gray, that means fuck all."

"Right, so, should we get on with the battle?"

"Certainly."

"How is your swordsmanship?" asked Dorian as he tossed Skinner a katana sword and took one for him.

"Don't worry; I can manage to give you the castration you deserve."

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East London Docks, Warehouse 64

Judas never begged for mercy, he screamed and yelped in pain as Trick and Nomak cut off his limb, shattered his bones and crushed an eye of his.

"Why?" asked Trick, "Why are to doing this to yourself? We've shattered your body, whatever happens, you're not going to live to see next week. The smartest thing you can d is ask for mercy, and you'd die quickly. Why? Why subject yourself to this misery?"

"You don't fucking get it, do you?" said Judas as he was being held up by Nomak, "I'll never stop fighting you, I fought you back in '88, I've fought you in that cell in Rome for eight years, and I'm fighting you now, I'll never stop fighting you."

Judas' limp body suddenly had a renewed surge of power as he whipped his head back, bumping into Nomak's nose and causing him to let go, then burying a fist into his got before spinning in the air before landing a kick with his only foot to Trick's jaw which knocked out a couple of teeth.

As Trick fell down, Judas grabbed a piece of wood from a shattered club he had used earlier in the night and went to burry it into Trick's heart.

One more second was all he needed, one more would have been sufficient to turn Trick into a cloud of dust, had Nomak not pull his foot back and the stake punctured Trick below the heart with one measly inch.

"You've got heart, I'll give you that." said Trick as he got up and removed the stake while Nomak started brutalizing Judas once more.

"Mr. Nomak, we may be needed back in Headquarters, finish him."

Nomak's bottom jaw spread sideways to reveal a disgusting leech like organ; he stuck it to Judas neck and started to drink him dry. Judas fought the urge to slip into the dark abyss and used his good hand to reach into his pocket for the last solution.

"Any last words?" gloated Trick.

Judas raised the object he took out of his pocket, looking like an iron rube with a button on top, with his last breaths he managed to hatefully say,

"No. Do you?"

With his last bit of power, Judas pressed the button before Trick could react.

"Motherfucker, what did you do?" said Trick as he went to pray the device out of Judas' hands, but the vampire was already dead.

Nomak stopped drinking as he realized something had gone amuck, he though he felt an increase in heat and smelt burning flesh.

In horror, the two looked up at the Spotlight Judas had mounted atop the rafters, there were some that were now emitting an eerie blue light, a light which was causing their skin to sizzle.

"The little punk!" said Trick as he watched himself burst into flames, desperately he tried to cover himself up with his jacket, but the UV lights' intensity had maximized and started to burn all three vampires to smoldering ash.

"NO!" cried Trick, "This can't be happening."

The last thing Trick saw before his eyes melted out, was Judas Kemp's face, he had died no more than a minute ago, and yet right now, he seemed to be grinning from ear to ear.

Greenwich, London

Dr. Cain felt a sudden presence, so he looked to his side as he let go of Natalya's neck, he could make out the figure of a man standing on the blown vault's doorway and then he saw the face, a face of a man he thought he killed over two months ago.

The bullet hit him in the nose and blew the back of his head, sending a spray of invisible brains and blood onto the Eye's screen.

Bond ran through the rain-like drops to Natalya's aid.

"Natalya, are you alright?"

"I am now." said Natalya as she crawled away from the invisible corpse, then started the shutdown for the third time.

"Thank you." she said in genuine gratitude as she hit the confirmation key.

"Don't mention it."

They both sat on the floor as water kept raining down on them, and watched as Cain's body started to gain color and become visible. First the ivory bones, then the blood vessels and internal organs, then layers of tissue, flesh and skin. Finally the brown haired Sebastian Cain was there for all to see.

"You know," started Natalya, "Six months ago, seeing this would have been strange."

"I know the feeling." said Bond with a smile.

There was a brief silence once more before Natalya mustered the nerve to say what she needed to say.

"You know James, that night, I mean when we kissed."

"It was a test, I know."

"I though you did, it's just… It wasn't just a kiss, at first I thought it was, I wanted to really believe it was, but Turkish made me see that it wasn't. I.. I know it won't last, but that doesn't mean…"

They found themselves kissing each other, violently and deeply, kissing like they've never did before, together or otherwise.

They shortly stopped as the sounds from the Eye's drives quieted down and a single electronic bell was heard.

The screen now read,

The All Seeing Eye have been Shut Down, Hard Drives Have Been Wiped.

And then in blinked shut as all quieted with the exception of the sprinkling water.

"You did it." said Bond.

"No," said Natalya with a smile, "We did it."

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Turkish watched from the room leading to the Eye bitterly as Bond and Natalya kissed passionately, he hesitated between alerting them to his presence or simply leaving them alone.

He couldn't help but feel jealousy and regret, he should have been more understanding towards Natalya, but instead he pushed her back to him.

He sighed in frustration, then suddenly heard a click from behind, a click he recognized very well, one he has made several time in the past; A click which came with thumbing back the hammer of a Desert Eagle Handgun.

"Are you going to shoot an unarmed man, in the back no less?" asked Turkish quietly without turning to look back.

There was a long silence before the man with the gun said, "No. "

Turkish turned around to look at Silas as he lowered his gun.

"You're Silas?"

"Yes. You're Turkish?"

"Does it matter?"

"I'm supposed to kill you."

"I figured you had to."

"Are you going to stand there and take it?"

"As I said, I'm unarmed. I'd shoot me if I were you."

Silas sat down on a nearby folding chair, putting the gun at his side.

"I don't think I'm going to kill you."

"Yippie." said Turkish emotionlessly as he sat on a similar chair.

"Do you ever get tired of killing?" asked Silas.

"I killed thirty men in less than four hours, and now I can't be arsed to fight for my life, down that answer your question?"

Silas smiled sadly.

"We're not too different you and I, you know."

"How come?" asked Turkish as he lit a cigarette and offered another to the ex-monk, who waved it away.

"We both have deserted who we were and have assumed names we know are not of us. We're both seen as mere killing machines, devoid of humanity. Look at those two lustful sinners inside, I don't think they're even pausing to wonder what have become of you."

Turkish looked at Bond and Natalya as they made out.

"You're right, those Randy Bastards!"

"I'll make you an offer." said Silas, "I'll let you go."

"Much obliged, Brother Silas."

"That goes for you, and you only."

"And you'll still kill them?"

"Yes." said Silas coldly.

After a beat, Turkish said, "Why just me?"

"I have walked miles in your shoes and do not see you as irredeemable, but they are sinners, and they will be judged. I hope you accept."

"Sorry, but no. I won't allow you to kill them." said Turkish as he reached for his back pocket in discretion.

"I though you said you were too tired to go on."

"Oh, that was before this little stimulating conversation."

"You are unarmed."

"That never stops a real killer."

With amazing speed, Turkish sprang from his seat and hurled a knife he had taken out of his pocket at Silas's hand as he reached for the gun.

Silas didn't shout, but looked with angry eyes at Turkish as he jumped forward to reach for the gun.

Silas grabbed the smaller man by the throat and raised him with one hand with daunting strength and started to choke him.

Turkish instinctively kicked him in the crotch which made the albino let go then double over in pain, he then grabbed him by the jaw and snapped his neck with his bare hands.

Turkish picked up the gun and shot the already dead Silas in the head, then walked into the other room as Bond and Natalya were suddenly alerted.

"What happened?" asked Natalya.

"A crouching gunman was about to get the drop on you. I took care of him, are you done?"

"Yes."

"We must get out." said Bond.

"I'm right behind you, chief." scoffed Turkish.

Crawley, West Sussex

"You have to help him," said Mina, "He's back in London and he needs your help."

"Doctor, are you alright?"

Jekyll slowly opened his eyes, Max Zorba was crouched next to him.

"What happened?" asked Jekyll as his eyes were adjusting to the light.

"You were unconscious for an hour and a half." said Zorba as he helped Jekyll up, "We won."

"Come again?"

"The Agents surrendered. We seized their weapons. We won."

Jekyll looked to his side and saw Caine Marko wrapped with layers of ropes, chains and padlocks. He was desperately twisting trying to gather enough momentum to brake out of his bonds to no avail.

"It's all a little fuzzy," said Jekyll, "I did that?"

"No, you knocked him out, we tied him."

Jekyll looked all around him, he couldn't believe they had won. One of Zorba's men brought him some clothes instead of his that had shredded and were on the verge of revealing his privates to everyone.

Jekyll got changed then headed out with Zorba, it was the late hours of the night, and the Agents had indeed surrendered. The surrounding pastures were covered with corpses of men, Gangsters and Agents alike. The League helicopter was shot down and it was crashed by the facility after it was hit with one of Zorba's missiles.

He got changed while Zorba asked, "You're supposed to head to Gatwick Airport, right?"

"That's the plan."

The dream that Jekyll had prior to waking up was odd, he'd dreamed about Mina practically every night for the last hundred and two years, but it was never lucid like this.

He looked at Gatwick Airport which was visible on the horizon, then made his mind.

"No."

"Pardon?"

"I need to get to London."

Zorba looked Jekyll in the eyes and smiled for once, "Of course, do you need any of my men?"

"No, just a car."

He soon was in the possession of one of Zorba's cars, and he was heading towards London breaking every speed limit there was.

L.H.Q.

Dorian fell into his couch, having been struck back by Skinner, he kicked out and charged back at Skinner, their swords clashed like the very things those who wielded them stood for.

Skinner tried to cut Dorian's throat out, but the latter ducked out of the way, turned around and sliced Skinner in the back.

"What were you planning on doing? You've already tried blowing my head up and that didn't work. Why do you think you'd achieve what Logan didn't?"

Skinner ignored the sharp pain in his back and stood up, holding his sword up high, "Shut up and fight!"

Skinner went to attack, and was able to inflect great damage to Dorian before he was punched back, by the time his eyes fell back on Dorian, he had already recovered.

The fight continued with each fighting with utter and wholly ruthless aggression, wanting to inflict as much damage as possible, but they were both swordsmen of great caliber, and they rarely allowed an opening long enough for the opponent to desecrate their flesh.

Suddenly, Skinner lost his grip, allowing Dorian to knock his sword away, then promptly ran his sword through Skinner's stomach till it stuck out of his back.

"Did you honestly not expect that?" asked Dorian, his arrogance reaching new heights.

"You vain prick," Skinner hissed through gritted teeth and a knowing smile, "I was COUNTING ON IT!"

Dorian was feeling suddenly insecure, he looked upon Skinner's confident grin and stepped back. Something was wrong, something was… different.

"Son of a whore, What did you do!"

"Do you like my jacket?" asked Skinner as he pulled Dorian's sword out of his own gut, then sliced at Dorian's flank, jamming it sideways then pulling the sword out causing a deep and wide wound in his abdomen.

Dorian staggered back, something was wrong alright; the wound in his side hurt like the dickens and what was worse is that seconds passed and it showed no signs of healing.

"I'm… I'm…."

"A mortal." said Skinner.

Both then collapsed, their wounds taking their tool, neither could go on.

"How did you do it?" asked Dorian who was feeling a variety of emotions, fear, confusion, despair, vulnerability, rage.

Skinner unbuttoned his jacket and took a folded piece of cloth out the lining, it was the portrait of Dorian Gray, it showed him as young as he was right now, and it had a rip right through it caused by Dorian's own sword.

"What! Sofie… why did she…?"

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"What do you mean?"

"That night at the Farraday club. We'd arranged it all, ruined you car, took your picture, arranged for the curtain fall, we'd even caused the traffic jam."

"You bastards!" cursed Dorian, "You treacherous, sneaky, conniving bastards!"

Skinner laughed hurtfully, spitting out some blood as he did.

"Yes we were, we had to. Believe me, even if the League is rebuilt tomorrow and this was all for nothing, I'd die happy after seeing that look on your face."

"Shit." cursed Dorian as he felt a sudden coldness started to creep up on him.

"You're right about one thing, the league will be rebuilt. Professor Moriarty used to say you can't kill the future, and he was right. You can knock us down, kill us, blow us up. But the League will eventually resurface."

"Maybe, but I have two solaces," said Skinner as he closed his eyes, "One, there will always be some of us who will stand up to your lot. And Two, neither of us will ever see that happen."

Dorian looked down at his wound and chuckled as he could clearly see some of his innards.

"Mr. Skinner," said Dorian as he straitened his tie, "I'm ready for my coup de grâce."

"Good."

Skinner got up, picked up the sword and stood by Dorian who closed his eyes as if though he was praying.

Skinner swung the word one final time, and then it was all over.

One Hour Later…

Jekyll hit the brakes as he reached L.H.Q., everything was silent, the sun was rising, as a matter of fact the only odd thing around was a car that's been smashed as if something was dropped on it vertically from a considerable height.

Jekyll armed himself with a shotgun and entered, once again he was met by solitude, there was no one there. He advanced to an elevator and hit a button that would lead him to the tenth floor.

He was getting anxious as the elevator made it's trip, the roof of the elevator was shattered and there was some blood as well.

Finally, Jekyll came bursting in through the wooden doors of Dorian's office, and as he entered, he saw signs if a ferocious struggle, there was blood everywhere, and the canvas of Dorian's painting was laying on the floor with a rip in the middle of it.

The light from the exposed panel in the wall fell upon the bodies of Skinner who held a sword in his hand and Dorian, who was throat was cut open and almost decapitated.

"Oh, Skinner!"

Jekyll crouched next to his old friend who slowly opened his eyes.

"Jekyll…" said Skinner in a near whisper, his voice raspy as he lay dying.

"Yes, it's me."

"I did what I had to do…. and sought it through without exemption. Did we..?"

"We beat them in Crawley, I don't know about Greenwich or East London."

"You're supposed… be on your way out of the country by now."

"I had to come back for you."

"That wasn't the plan."

"Are you saying you wouldn't have done it for me?"

"You're right…I would have. Now get out… while I die."

"You're not dying, Skinner. I'll get you to a hospital." said Jekyll as he grabbed Skinner's arm.

"No," said Skinner as he waved him off, "I won't make it. I must stay here."

"What about your vision, what about us standing above a heap of rubble that used to be the League?" asked Jekyll with tears in his eyes.

"What I plan and what happens isn't exactly similar, really, I'm surprised we got this far by following my lead."

There was a moment of silence.

"Jekyll," said Skinner with a smirk, "I can see Quatermain... He looks pissed!"

"I'm sure he is." said Jekyll with a heartfelt chuckle, amused at how Skinner was being his humorous self to the very end.

"This dieing thing, Jekyll... There's nothing like it, you should try it one day."

"Dieing? Well, that's the last thing I'd do."

"Bloody Hell!" said Skinner with a painful chuckle, "You cracked a joke, is the Halley comet passing again?"

"Skinner, I just want to tell you..."

"Don't fret, let's not make this a sad goodbye. Time for you to go, the bombs are going to go off soon."

Jekyll wished he could talk him out of it, but knew Skinner was always a stubborn Ass. So he stood up and extended his hand for a final handshake.

"So long, Skinner."

Skinner grabbed his hand and shook it.

"I'll catch you on the flip side, Jekyll."

Jekyll tossed the shotgun on the sidewalk, for he had no more use for it. He got into the car and inserted the key into the ignition, rotated the key so the engine would start.

Jekyll drove away from the building, as soon as he was a hundred meters away, the plastic explosives were set off after Skinner pressed the detonator. A series of explosions occurred, and within a minute the windowless building came down, ending a reign of dominance and oppression that the League had always upheld.

Jekyll didn't even bother to look in the rearview mirror to see the exclamation point that marked the end of the Charge of the Shadow Brigade. He simply pressed the radio button as he headed on to Heathrow Airport, and listened to the DJ as he spoke,

"….It's the start of another beautiful Sunday in London. I'd go out for a picnic with the love if I were you, or stay in and look out the window and enjoy the day. And now, here is one of me all time favorites. The End by The Doors…"

"This is the End, you took a Friend… This is the End, my only Friend, the End.

Of all elaborate plans, the End… Of everything that stand's, the End.

No secret or surprise, the End… I'll never look into your eyes... Again."

----- The End, The Doors