Now

The Island

Priest didn't have much in the way of possessions; all he had was what he wore. And while the entire camp were gathering their belongings from their tents, all he did was put on his brown leather coat, that he got from the Maroni mafia all those months ago in Gotham, and put on the motorcycle helmet he wore in the daytime.

It was yesterday that Captain Barbossa gathered everyone at the beach, the operatives and the submarine crew alike, and told them of what he had only then learned from his colleagues. He told them of what Phoenix was and what was to come. He made a long and spirited speech about how the opposition was not going stand for it, and how they were planning to wage war upon the League to prevent them from achieving their agenda. He told them of the long and hard road that lay ahead, and how it would by fraught with danger at every turn and an increasing certainty of death with each day.

Barbossa then gave them a choice, to leave then, and wait with the rest of the world for the next four years, and see if the world would plunge into war, or they could be with the opposition, remain for the long haul, face the impossible odds and be prepared for the ultimate sacrifice.

Priest was one of those who chose to leave. He walked out with his hands in his pocket, walked across the camp toward where the Black Pearl and the Yellow Submarine were docked. As he did so he passed the Saints, Connor and Murphy McManus and Jimmy Saint; the New York Cell. Connor and Murphy shot him a glare before returning to their conversation.

"So long, boy-o." said Murphy as he shook hands with Jimmy.

"I'm sorry to see you two going," said Jimmy, "Are you sure about this?"

"Aye. We're sure." said Connor, "It's too grand to handle, ennit? We can't be doing this for ever, Jim. We wager its best for us to get back to Boston, try and clean up the City like we used to in the old days."

"Good luck with that." said Jimmy, "When its over, if I'm still standing, I'll come by and see you."

"You're welcome to do so, brother. We'll have a pint of Guinness, and make an Irishman out of you."

The Boondock saints parted Jimmy, as each went to a different submarine. The brothers walked along the same path as Priest.

The Cairo cell paid Priest no mind as he walked past them. Each was shaking hands with Almasry, who apparently had decided to quit, much like the Boondock saints.

"I'm an old man, Robert." said Almasry as he and Barnes shook hands, "This is a young man's game. I'm going back to Cairo, and I'm going to see my grandson, even if I have to risk getting caught by the League."

"Good luck, Fareed."

"Take care of Aladdin, will you? He is one of us, and we are all he has."

Almasry walked along the same path, Lee Gaum-Ja joined them too, saying goodbye to no one as she had no one to say goodbye to.

In a few minutes, the convoy of those wishing to return to civilian life had reached the Yellow Submarine, which was bound to deliver them all to South Africa, where each would depart to their own destinations, before heading to the headquarters. While the Black Pearl was directly bound for the opposition's headquarters. Priest was the first to step onto the pier, and walked up the gang plank where Shears and a few men waited.

"You may not board, Mister Priest." said Shears as he stood in Priest's way, "Everybody else, get in."

"You may want to step aside, Bill." said Priest as the rest of the convoy got onboard.

"No, I will not." said Shears with a sigh, "Sorry, I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" asked Priest in frustration, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this it the boat to south Africa, right? If you want to get away from this whole circus, this is where you get on, right?"

"Precisely, sir. However, Captain Nemo has washed his hands from you."

"Nemo isn't here."

"It doesn't matter; you are under no circumstances allowed to set foot in the Yellow Submarine."

"So what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Captain Barbossa has no qualm with you; you may join him if you wish."

"But Barbossa is heading your fucking secret lair! I don't ant to get anywhere that isn't away from the rest of you."

"Too bad, Mister Priest. You should have thought about that before you went and got everyone killed."

Priest contained his desire to rip Shears' head off.

"Bill, please." said Priest, "My friends are on that boat, I have to be with hem. I've sworn to take care of Shaun."

"Miss Sax is with Mister Collier, sir. You needn't worry about him."

"Shears," hissed Priest, "One way or another, I'm getting on this thing!"

At that, the crewmen surrounding Shears raised their pistols and shotguns.

"Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Yes, it is." said Shears confidently, "There's silver in those guns. Silver will kill you, won't it? Now, I'm aware of your reputation and I know you can kill me before any of them fires. I know you can even kill me and attack a few of them before anyone can fire. However tell me this;

"Can you attack me, then attack everyone and take them out before anyone can fire? Because I'd bet you can't... Stand back, Mister Priest, the Black Pearl is waiting for you."

The Red October

"Good evening, Captain." said al-Sheikh as he sat in Raimu's study as Nemo walked in.

"Actually, in these waters, evening is about three hours away."

"Where is this place we're going to?"

"Back in the nineties there was a terrorist plot, to vaporize major cities with a remote weapon of mass destruction unless the governments of the world paid a ransom. Masterminded by the organization of a Belgian terrorist."

"Doctor Stavro Eavell."

"That's the one. He maintained a secret base on a volcanic island, equipped and fitted with the necessary facilities and technology. Now, following his arrest and imprisonment, the British ministry of defense granted the contract to decommission the facility to an American company who were the lowest bidder.

"However, the company found that they could not perform the job at the initially estimated budget, the necessary founds were actually more than what they were getting paid. The company was already in the red and on the verge of collapsing. They were desperate, and that's where Jack Mason came in.

"He made a deal with the company, we would pay them one million dollars, and help them fool the ministry of defense's inspectors, and in return we would get the island, with all the equipment still intact."

"Hmm. I assume you have leverage over them, correct?"

"Incriminating pictures of three board members, plus the chairman, ones of a most insidious nature."

"Ah. Well, I'm fairly certain that we can rebuild your...our entire network within two months, and that includes rectifying all cells in the seven major cities. However, this time we will keep them off the books, much like your Gotham cell."

"Interesting, but won't that by tiresome?"

"We will issue each operative a two digit designation, and all communication would go through you and your associates."

"I see. What about the operatives whose identities have been discovered?"

"We can still use them as roving operatives of sorts, operating in special assignments in countries where we have no cells. This is all rather fresh in my mind, and is subject to change of course."

"Well, I like what I'm hearing right now, and if you can improve upon that, even better. Anything else?"

"Yes. Now, this is just a thought." said al-Sheikh as he lit a cigarette, "But it occurs to me that, with the increase in confrontational operations that are inevitable if e are to tackle Project Phoenix, there will no doubt arise such a situation where one special operative will not suffice, a situation so complex and difficult that it would require a team to undertake. A team of our men with varying skills."

"Much like the original League, right?" asked Nemo with a faint smile of amusement, "I appreciate the irony."

"Such a team would be run and coordinated by myself, if you will allow it and will be comprised of around half a dozen operatives, maybe eight but no more. Their assignments will be the grittier dirtier kind, so our operatives will have to be of a certain type."

"I guess you have a few candidates in mind?"

"Oh," said al-Sheikh as he looked at a pair of photographs in his hands, clipped together with a paper clip, one of a certain man in a gas mask, while the other was of a tall blond woman, "You can say that."

One Day Later

The Volcano

"Look," said Mona, "There's Priest."

"God, it is..." said Shaun as he picked up his bag and walked down the gang plank along with Mona, "I thought he said he was quitting."

"Apparently he changed his mind." Mona said quietly.

"Changed my mind? Hardly!" Priest shouted as he stood on the pier, fifty feet away, "I was shanghaied into staying, darlings."

"...He can hear us? From there?" asked Shaun.

"Yeah, really annoying, right?"

Mona and Shaun walked down the plank and onto the dock, then headed in a straight line to their friend.

"Hey, Shaun. Good to see you, buddy." said Priest as he hugged Shaun.

"'Llo, Jude."

"I thought I'd seen the last of you, Priest." said Mona.

"No such luck, cup-cake." said Priest, "It's safe to say that I'm no longer in Captain Nemo's good graces. Nemo can go screw himself. But when I tried to board old yeller here I was politely asked, with about a dozen shotguns aimed at my chest, to fuck off."

"What?" asked Mona, "But you were going to leave, you said you were done."

"Yeah, I know." said Priest, rolling his eyes, "I was there. Anyway, I didn't feel like staying on the island and keep fighting bears and wolves every night, so I got onto the Pearl. Next time the Pearl ot the October head to civilization, I'll be onboard, until then I'll stay out of everyone's way and sit on my hands.

"What about you?" asked Priest, "I thought the deal was that we would all get off together?"

"Umm...We changed our minds." said Shaun.

"Why?"

"Its complicated." said Mona, "We'd like to drop it, please."

"Consider it dropped." said Priest as he hung his head, "One day, I'll be dead and you'll be sorry since we dropped every subject worth discussing... Well, welcome the secret volcano lair."

"God..." Shaun said incredulously, "This place is mad."

Mona and Priest raised their heads to look all around themselves.

"Yeah, it sure is something."

The opposition's headquarters was a secret facility built into a long dormant volcano. Upon approaching the island, the Yellow Submarine has entered through a cave below the sea, and emerged in this place, a massive cave within the volcano, seventy feet high, with powerful spotlights built into the rocks that formed the roof. The cave had been converted into a state-of-the-art dock where both the Yellow Submarine and the Black Pearl were docked. There was room for two other submarines as well, though the opposition had only one more.

"The bosses aren't back yet?" asked Mona.

"No, not yet."

"What are they doing in the middle east anyway?"

"Fetching Sands' replacement, I am told. Some Saudi spymaster."

"Christ..." Shaun whispered, still amazed by the place, "How's the rest of the place?"

"Eh. Seen one military installation, you've seen them all. Pretty standard stuff, really. Barracks, canteen, gym. Oh, there's a shooting range. There's lots of high-tech hardware, lots of fire power. There's a bunch of people who stay here all year long, maintenance crew. Do any of you have any Vodka? 'Cause I ran out and I had been drinking brake fluid all morning."

"Christ, Priest, you look miserable."

"Well, shot in the neck by my boss, forced to live in a volcano with no women, Vodka or stuff to beat the hell out of. What the hell do I have to be happy about?... Still, were here, we might as well make the best of it. So tell me, Shaun, are you ready to get back to school?"

"Umm. Yes, definitely."

"Good."

"I'll catch up with you guys later," said Mona, "I'm going to get settled down."

"Sure thing. Try and get a room in the K. barracks, that's where I'm at. And if a big Russian chick gives you any shit, just take at crack on her B.O., that'll make her cry and get her out of your hair."

"Err. Thanks. So what are you going to teach him now?" asked Mona as she picked up her bag and started walking away, "How to get kicked in the balls?"

"There's no proper way to get kicked in the balls, the proper course is to avoid it altogether. No, I'm going to teach him Savate."

"Cool. See ya around."

Priest started walking away with Shaun following.

"Savate?" asked Shaun, "What's that? Like Karate, or something?"

"It's French kickboxing."

"French Kickboxing?"

"Yes it is, Shauny, French Kickboxing." said Priest, "You are going to learn to kick ass like the French kick ass!"

R&R.

Next Chapter: Shaun learns to kick ass like the French kick ass. The return of Lord John!