Nemo lead us out to the street where the single most odd machine I have ever seen awaited us on the curb.
"What in God's name is that?" asked Skinner. I cringed at the use of God's name in vain. (James was a good Christian man.)
"That is what I call an Automobile." He said the last word very slowly, as if he were trying to explain something to a very young child.
We walked down the steps to the curb where the automobile was waiting. A short, muscular man in a black turtleneck was waiting next to it.
"My first mate." Said Nemo entering the right side of the automobile.
"You can call me Ishmael." Said the man shutting the door behind Nemo and opening the rear door for Mina and I.
The inside of the vehicle was rather roomy given it's cramped outward appearance. We rode along for a while in silence. I had no idea who or what we were going to go get next.
"So," said Skinner, trying to break the silence "what's the Phantom got against you?" looking at Mina.
She just glared at him and said, "Mind your own bloody business."
Skinner just stared at her in wonder. Then turned to Allan and said
"What's-" but was cut off when Allan said
"Skinner, shut up."
"Well sorry. Kill me for tryin' t' be friendly." He said pretending to be hurt.
I just stared out the window, wondering what I had gotten myself into.
We rode on in silence until we came to a large, old, gray house. We all walked to the door, I wondered why we all had to go to do one person's job. But we all went anyway. Allan knocked on the door and a very hansom; middle-aged man answered the door.
"Mr. Dorian Gray?" asked Allan.
"Yes?" said Mr. Gray
"We are in need of your services."
"No thank you," said Dorian quickly "I will serve no one." And started to shut the door. But Allan put his foot in the way.
"Mr. Gray-" Allan was cut off by a voice from the back.
"Dorian." Said Mina
"Mina."
"You've met?" asked Allan, a little peeved that she didn't mention this before.
With a nod, Mina said "Dorian, don't be so rude." And walked into his home, followed by the rest of us. Dorian looked a bit flustered at all the intruders, but merely shut the door and lead us upstairs.
The house was large, square, and about as Gray as Dorian's last name. The walls all around the stairs were covered in portraits. Except for one spot, where you could tell that their was a picture missing.
"Looks like you're missin' one, eh?" said Skinner.
"I daren't look upon it, might I perish at the sight of the painting." Said Dorian, a little rehearsed. Everyone just shrugged and followed Dorian up the steps and into a grand, bookshelf-lined room.
What is it with these people and libraries?
We all dispersed, Allan took a seat across from Dorian in a couple of leather armchairs, who was followed by Mina who merely stood next to Allan. Nemo and I just stood in a corner watching all of the comings and goings. I had a feeling that Nemo and I would get along just fine. Skinner, on the other hand, went to a table holding some sherry and glasses and helped himself to a glass.
"Please," said Dorian as Skinner served himself "help yourself."
Skinner looked over to Dorian, raised his glass, and then drained the glass as if it were a shot. Dorian turned his well-disguised, hateful glance from Skinner to Allan and asked "So, tell me why I should help you."
Allan explained what was going on with M and the Phantom, and this whole global Armageddon.
Before Dorian could say anything for Mina to wittingly counteract, armor plated riflemen, dressed in black, surrounded us from the second floor of the library. There was an evil laughter as we all entered our own little "battle stances". Nemo drew his sword, Allan readied his gun, Dorian stood gripping his cane like some sort of weapon, and I fingered my explosives pocket. But Skinner just kept his drink in hand, cool look on his face, and Mina stood there, looking like a scared little girl.
I didn't know why they wouldn't show their powers openly to these men to scare them away, but I had no time to ponder that. A man dressed in a heavy, fur, winter coat, with a metal mask covering most of his face stepped down the stairs and stopped, addressing us.
"So this," he spoke with a raspy voice and heavy Russian accent "is the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
Allan glared at the masked man, asking in a dangerous tone,
"What do you want?"
"The world."
Then it hit me, this man, this masked man, was the Phantom. The man who sent one of his soldiers to kill James. This man deserved to die.
"I will give you one last chance," he said slowly, "join me."
"What?" said Allan angrily "And start the war that will never end? I think I'd rather die."
"And so you shall." Said the Phantom leaving.
All of his men readied their guns and aimed down at random members of the league. I could tell that they were ready to fire when, suddenly, one of the men (now that I noticed, dressed slightly different) started shooting the other riflemen. At that moment, everyone scattered. Allan ran up the steps, after the Phantom, Nemo ran to meet the men that were coming in at ground level, Skinner threw off his jacket and ran, splashing sherry on his face to get rid of the white paint, Mina was gone before I could see her leave, Dorian drew a long blade from his cane (I knew it), and I grabbed some explosives and flew up to give Allan some cover.
But the mystery man was already there. I was so blinded by my own fighting that I could hardly notice anyone else's.
I figured that since Allan already had some cover, I could just take them out and not worry about anything else. I grabbed the nearest man and shoved him to the ground, then brought out a small dynamite stick and, igniting it, shoved it down another man's throat. I flew to my next victim and started pelting him with fireballs until he burst into flames. One minute into the fight, and I had already killed three men. Every one of them was the face of the man that grinned evilly and ran away as I held James dying in my arms. I was out of control.
In my blind fury, I killed three more men in inexplicably painful ways, was nearly shot twice, was scraped by a bullet on my left arm, nearly snapped Skinner's neck, and was nearly slashed by Nemo's blade. Only after the ten-minute fight did I come out of my blind fury. I landed on the floor amongst the rest of the league, only to see Dorian pelted by many bullets in his chest. He didn't look like he was in pain, and there was no blood. It simply baffled me.
Then he stabbed the soldier who shot him. The man sank to his knees at Dorian's feet, but no without ripping his shirt so that his hole filled chest was exposed. I held my breath; I didn't like sights like that. But then, they all turned to ashes and blew away in some invisible wind, leaving completely unmarked skin where the many, grotesque bullet holes had once been.
The dying man was still on his knees, gaping at the sight before him.
"What are you?" he rasped.
"I'm complicated." Said Dorian, ripping the sword out of the man's body, cleaning it off as the man fell and died.
Okay, so I'm thinking that he's an immortal. I looked around everyone but Allan was stunned (I couldn't see Skinner's face). There was also a new face that I hadn't noticed before. A young man, wavy blond hair, about eighteen, holding a rifle and standing proudly next to Allan. Dorian looked at the group of stunned faces, with an expression that said, What? Haven't you ever seen an immortal before? We all turned to Allan to see what would come next.
"Well…" was all he could say before a surviving soldier popped out from behind one of the bookcases, and grabbed Mina by the throat, pressing a knife against her jugular. All of the men raised their weapons and started for the man. I was stunned, I couldn't believe what was happening. Oh please, I prayed not Mina.
In response to the aggressive behavior of the men, the soldier pressed the knife even harder and shouted, "Put down your weapons, NOW!"
The men knew that it was the only way to save Mina, so they dropped their weapons to the floor. The soldier laughed a cold, heartless laugh,
"That's
what I thought," he said smiling "all the gentlemen; rushing to
save the lady."
"So," said Mina, calmly "that's what you
think, that I need them, to save me."
And with that(and a feral snarl), she spun around and lunged at the soldier's throat. Needless to say she proved her point. Once the soldier had stopped screaming and squirming, and Mina had had her fill, she stood up and quickly pulled out a pocket mirror, fixing her frazzled, vampiric appearance. I was fascinated; in my panic, I had forgotten about her vampirism. And I had never seen a vampire in action. Simply fascinating.
Dorian walked over to Mina and helped her fix her appearance. I looked over to Allan, who was talking to the young man.
"Secret Agent Tom Sawyer, at your service." The young man said, handing a rather impressive looking rifle to Allan. The old man weighed it, and tested it, however gun people like to judge their guns. He handed it back to Sawyer and said
"Very impressive-"
"I brought two." Allan's face lit up.
"You're in." I'm guessing that's what Sawyer was up to.
"Wait," said Dorian, flustered "I thought there were only supposed to be seven members of the league."
"Well, as I recall" said Mina walking over to Sawyer "you declined your invitation."
"Well, I assume that I have no choice, now, seeing as my study and probably the rest of my home is destroyed, and a madman now knows who I am and is willing to make the rest of my immortal life miserable."
"Good point." said Skinner who now had his coat back on and was standing in a corner with another glass of sherry.
"Well then," said Allan, cutting to the chase "that only leaves one more member."
I looked at Nemo who was standing next to me and shared my look that said,
Oh dear God, what's next.