Ch. 35

It was time to go, and the men were scared. Not the visible scared you see on the faces of people in a panic, but the scared that people show only in their eyes. I was scared to, and had ceased to look into the League's eyes. I had been in fights before, but never anything like this. Never one so unpredictable and seemingly hopeless that I felt that there was a possibility that not even Captain could save me in a bind.

I did not like this one bit.

Why would my confidence abandon me now? It could not, it was not allowed! I needed to be the bravest I could possibly be and even more. I was the youngest, I was a girl.

I had to prove myself!

Swallowing deeply hurt, and I grabbed my throat and held it as I walked to Captain's side. Skinner stood before me, still in his heavy jacket. I looked at the back of his head quietly, tired of looking at the ground and not wanting to bring attention upon myself by looking at the ceiling.

Mina's red hair caught my eye as she moved across the room towards the mouth of the cave. Without thinking I opened my sack and pulled out Ishmael's precious last gift and my quill-with-ink and hurried over to her. She looked down at me as I quickly scrawled two simple words, underlined them, and turned it for her to read.

No mercy.

Mina stared at them for a much longer amount of time then required for reading them, and slowly her eyes met mine. She nodded, holding her gaze to mine. She said one word, and the assurance that she held in her voice was more than comforting.

"Never."

"Let's head out!" Allan said as he walked out of the cave's exit with his gun ready in his hands, Tom at his heels. I smiled softly as I watch Mina take off after them. My mother, my Ishmael would be avenged. Skinner, his head wrapped in a spare insulator and his grease paint gone went next. Apparently he wasn't willing to trek through the snow naked again until absolutely necessary. My smile grew as I heard him grumbling as he went.

Suddenly a white cloth was being passed over my nose and mouth. In a panic I reached backward and grabbed the hands holding the ends of the cloth and squeezed tightly. "Ow!" I heard Henry mutter in pain, and I quickly dropped my hands. After a moment he continued and tied it at the base of my neck. When he was done I turned to him and waited for an explanation.

He looked down at me and pointed to his own throat. Ah, he wanted me to protect my throat from the cold. He gave me a small smile and waited with me as the crew filed out. Maitreya and Prabir took a place at either side of me. I looked at the both of them with raised eyebrows, yet they just stared forward. Great, looks like they were taking their contracted obligations to a new level.

With my bodyguards and Henry in tow, feeling surprising more confident, I hurried to Captain's side and we began our forceful walk down the mountain path. The pain in my throat was considerably better thanks to the cloth, which captured my warm breath and held it there.

Hidden behind large boulders, we were getting ready. The blade from my right boot was in my hand, and I fingered it carefully as I waited for the others to be ready. Jackets were piled as they prepared to fight, and Henry's potion was in his hand. I watched him drink it, but had to look away as he changed. I had never asked if it hurt him, but I could imagine by his grunts that it did.

When the noises stopped, I opened my eyes and looked at Edward with a smile. "Welcome back," I told him, and he smirked back at me. "Forgetting something?" he asked with a smirk, making me snort a laugh. Setting my dagger on a small level area of the boulder, I took the three steps I needed too towards him and stood in front of him. I spread my arm wide and hugged him. Well, I tried to at least, my arms still only wrapped around his front side. It is the thought that counts, right?

His massive hand covered my head and back as he used one arm to hug me back. When he let go I did as well, and I heard Skinner huff. "Ya hugged him willingly enough," he grumbled, not yet out of his jacket. I grinned, was dear Skinner jealous? Oh, how I wish I could have teased him. However, considering he did not know my signs, the moment was lost. So instead, I stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "Tha's better," he told me as he hugged me back.

"Let us down, you big lunk!" I heard Maitreya gasp, and I pulled away as quickly as I could. Edward had taken Maitreya and Prabir by the front of their shirts and lifted them into the air. Prabir grabbed at Edwards large hand as he kicked and squirmed in his grasp.

"Or what, Nancy boy? You'll blackmail me into marryin' you?" Edward sneered. I felt myself blush as he said it, and I rushed forward and slapped his arm. "You're both lucky I ain't gonna-"

He ignored me and I smacked him again and again until he finally looked at me. "What?!" he asked in obvious displeasure, his arms flailing, sending the lovers into a whip-lashed state. "Edward, this is not the time!" Captain was at my side, speaking the words I could not. Prabir managed to convey a look that said quite clearly, 'only now isn't a good time? You'd let him do this if it were anytime else?!'

Edward glared at Captain, and I slapped his arm again for doing it. He glared at me then, and I glared back. After a moment Edward growled deep in his throat and rolled his eyes as he dropped Maitreya and Prabir into the snow. I hurried forward and grabbed Maitreya's arm quickly, pulling him up. He continued to do the same with Prabir as I turned to Edward and put my hands on my hips.

Edward snorted and wrapped his large hand around my upper body, pulling me close to him. "Stay with me," he muttered, not looking at me, and I stared up at him. Was he…blushing?

I could not understand it, but it gave me a warm feeling inside. Edward wanted to keep me safe, he did not want me to be hurt. I smiled up at him and nodded my head softly. He grunted again and started walking towards the edge of the rock. Grabbing my dagger off the ledge, I glanced behind me to see Prabir and Maitreya watching me warily, before hurrying to Edward's side.

"Is everyone ready?" Allan asked, and everyone nodded. "Yeah yeah can we get on wit' it?!" Skinner asked, once again naked. "Let's move," Allan said, and I took a deep breath.

'Here we go,' I thought, and we began our assault. As we approached the guard, I heard Skinner say, "Do you mind?" The guard groaned as he bent over his gun, only to have it ripped from his hand a moment later. The floating gun swung around and hit him twice, making him grunt as Skinner said, "Night-night."

Bats flew from behind us, and as I looked behind me I saw that Mina was gone. I heard another grunt and bang and turned in time to see the guard fly backwards into the packed snow. Another guard had seen the commotion and ran to his aid, only to gasp as Edward walked up behind him growling.

Edward made fast work of the guard, and I almost felt sorry for him as we headed past his crippled body. "Over here!" Skinner called, and beyond the pillar was a large black door. Edward reached up and pushed the heavy door open slowly. We assembled inside, and I saw the dynamite Kamlesh had transfer from his shoulder to float on the invisible shoulder of Skinner.

I gasped as Mina dropped from the sky in front of me. She smiled up at me and I gave her an amazed look back. Apparently she found a better entrance than the door. Edward led us down the hall until Skinner said, "Here," and tapped on another door. Edward pushed it open and charged through it. He stopped, and his head looked from side to side, before he moved out of our way and let us pass.

Captain and I followed; I pulled the cloth from my face and shoved it into my sack as Captain signaled for the men to inspect the deserted hall. The men (with raised guns) carefully followed his orders. Looking up and around the incredibly large room. It was filled with great statues I could not identify due to the erosion on them. The ceiling was curved, and had a large crack following the length of the room. I could only imagine what had caused it as I followed Captain to inspect the immediate right of the hall.

Eventually the League assembled by a large carving that looked like a stone casket of the ancients. Edward, after a look of debate, stuck his large left hand into the middle of the group. Fighting a smile, I set mine lightly on his. Mina's hand covered mine, and then the weight of Captain's on hers. Tom was next, followed by the weight of Skinner's invisible palm. Finally Allan set his on top, and after a moment he pat the group, and we disbanded.

Captain, Edward, the men and I turned and headed down the long hallway. Captain eventually took the lead and motion our direction by signals. Down the dark, morbid hallways we went, I flanked by the lovers, searching for the captured families of the scientists. After a few halls Edwards could not fit, and had to find another way through. He tapped my back and gave me a look that said, "Careful, "before taking off. After three more halls we turned a corner and met suddenly with two guards, whom Captain decommissioned with two solid sweeps of his arm.

We were close, and as we came to a cell beneath the floor Captain ordered, "Release them!" With the end of his gun Baadal broke the chains holding together the bars. "Quietly," Captain warned as Jai quickly leaned down and started pulling the chains off as hands raised up through the bars. Kadamb and Tahir grabbed the bars and lifted it as Captain ordered Ijay, Chaitan, and the twins, Aapt and Aalok to, "Get them back to the ship."

As the women, children, and a couple men rushed out they followed the four back the way we had come. As the last hurried past us, one of the guards must have awoken, for suddenly someone was yelling, "Intruders!" over and over again. Captain swore softly in Hindu and took of at a run down the hall.

We met Edward at an adjoining hall two halls later, and Captain slowed and turned into it so we could meet him. "We have trouble," he told Edward. "Trouble?" Edward asked, "I call it sport." I rolled my eyes as we turned and hurried back towards the hall which would take us to the still hostage scientists.

A door blocked our path, and Edward pushed it so hard it flew off its hinges, bounced off a column and landed against the wall. His hulking body bended to get through and we followed him in. Captain pulled out one of his guns and cocked it in anticipation. A moment later shots rang out as mad laughter filled the room. The men and Captain returned fire, and I watched in horror as some of the men fell. Without thinking I dropped my dagger and grabbed the extra gun Captain kept at his waist.

Cocking it, I aimed at the men at the top of the stairs and shot. I hated guns; I hated how they could make your arm numb from the backlash of the shot. I preferred my knives, but the satisfaction as I saw their own men fall was worth it. Bracing my arm, I shot again and again, yet the one with a gun that kept shooting without stop was in a giant suit of metal, and would not fall. He stayed standing even though my men fell. Anger consumed me, until the gun was empty, and then there was nothing.

Then Edward was there, with the massacred door in his hands, the bullets ricocheting off the metal and was sent flying back to their makers. "Nemo, get the scientists!" Edward shouted. Dropping Captain's gun, I reached down and grabbed my dagger as the others ran past the raining bullets, I heard him yell, "Is that all you've got?!" as I hastened to follow them.

By the time I made it to Captain's side in the 'lab,' men were in a panic. Captain was fighting off the minions in black, and I dropped down and pulled out my left dagger to assist. Guns went off, glass shattered, and I ran past Captain to go after the men holding the scientists. They were about as useful as most men with guns. Once I had knocked the guns from their hands, they became children playing solider.

It was rather pathetic how quickly they fell. A wrist break here, a sleeping grab there. They were not trained against pain. Their job was to intimidate, not to endure in a true battle. Yet they were persistent, and several used their size against me. One leapt on top of me, trying to pin me to the ground. He most likely thought I was still just a weak girl underneath it all.

He was wrong, and when I had slid my leg out from under him and wormed my way out, I stabbed him in the arm, and ripped my dagger down the length of it. He screamed in no doubt unexplainable agony as I jumped away from him. His cries summoned three more men, and I faced them all with a sneer.

Grabbing the gun of the first man, I pulled him forward diagonally. His equilibrium off balance, he fell, and as he did I kicked the gun out of his partner's hand. As I regained my balance I felt a searing pain in my left arm as I heard the gun of the third man go off, my dagger fell to the ground.

The bullet had just missed grazing, and had gone in just enough for the bullet to be completely covered by skin. It had fired at such a close range that the bullet had almost passed through. Only it had not, and the end was still in. I clenched my teeth tightly and grabbed the tip of the bullet. Ripping the bullet from my bloody arm, my silent scream went unnoticed. Dropping the bullet, I turned to the man who had shot me.

Glaring daggers at him, I kicked the fallen man before me in the ribs, feeling them shatter under the power of my assault. Using his back as a spring board I rammed into the gunman, digging my knife into his stomach. Pulling back, I ripped the dagger from his stomach as he yelled. Someone had my hair, and I dropped my dagger, reaching up to push the man's fist to my head. "What the-?!" he yelled as I grabbed his pinky and pulled it.

I felt the bone snap in his hand, and sent my fist into his nose as he tried to get away. He fell in a faint, and I dove for my daggers. Sheathing the first in my right boot, I picked the other up and held it before me. It was unneeded though, as the men and Captain had taken care of the rest of the men. Clenching my teeth to the pain in my arm, I bent again and wiped my dagger clean on the shirt of a fallen man. Then I stuck my dagger awkwardly into my left boot. Digging my hand into my sac, I pulled out the cloth Henry had given me and with my teeth, managed to tie it on my injured arm.

Hurrying to Captain's side, I stood by him as he directed the scientists. Edward must have joined us, for I could hear his voice saying, "keep moving! Go! Go over! Go! Quickly!" Then he stopped, and over the chaos I heard him roaring. Then he was gone and we were going, leading the scientists down the hall as we hurried to escape. I made it to the front, ready to defend them and clear the way.

That is, until I heard Edward calling for Captain.

Captain ran towards him without hesitation, and my eyes widened. Captain was gone, and Edward was in trouble. Henry! I started towards his calls, before I heard Maitreya shout, "Marina!"

I froze. The men were without a leader, it was my duty to take over and lead them. Yet Henry and Captain and Edward were in danger. My breath sped in indecision as panic filled my mind.

Oh Kali, what should I do…?

Side Note:

Hey everyone!

First off, consistancy error! Sorry, but there is no logical reason for Skinner to be invisible during the break in, only to become fully clothed and painted for the 'hands in,' only to become completely invisible again to lay the bombs. Sorry film makers, I understand why, but I'm not buying it. SO... Skinner stays invisible during the 'hand's in.'

...

Just in case anyone tries to say I'm not consistant with the movie, lol.

Second, I'm putting up a poll, so please vote pretty please ^^

XOXO,

WitchWhoLovesHim (Or 'Alius' for short ^_-)