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darkdevasofdestruction · 4 months ago

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Chapter 2 - Ephemeral Aurora

Hello! I just wanted to say that I'm a huge fan of your work and uh... I searched you up on the internet and found out you have a very fascinating Forensics blog! I am left speechless by your fantasy work and by the genius experiments you show and explain through detailed videos and pictures! If you would allow me, it would be my highest honour to share a hot beverage with you, as a way of thanking you for your effort and dedication. P.S. : I work in I.T. in the same building as you. I found out yesterday thanks to Molly Hooper.~ James M.

She found this Direct Message on one of her blogs under the name of The_Notorious_JM, an eloquent IT worker who, apparently, had been in the same building as her - And she'd never met him before! Quite certain, it sounded similar to what happened with her and Sherlock, being in association with Lestrade, but not having met for years! My, she wasn't the best at making friends, but when someone so nice goes out of their way to befriend her, she's more than willing to engage! Very excited, yes she was - So excited that she immediately replied to him; The text had been sent the previous week - And what a coincidence, the very night that almost sealed her already doomed fate!

Regardless, she replied to him, setting the time and place for their meeting; A nice breakfast before work, at her favourite vintage cafe she always frequents. As per usual, she dolled herself up very nicely that morning - Nicer than usual, in fact - And she made her way towards the cafe. The weather was unexpectedly lovely for a mundane day in London - It was sunny and warm, just as she loves her days!

Entering the cafe, she lifted her sunglasses up on her hair ( she always did love how her hair looks, slicked back with those glasses, exposing her lovely features and impeccable make up ) and looked around the tables, looking for the man in cause. He had told her he's quite average and doesn't stand out - A simply tired man in his 30s, black hair and black eyes, dressed in simple and quite boring clothes also - Unfortunately, that hadn't helped much, considering the customers. Thankfully, one man lifted his hand up and smiled like a sweet, bashful dove, and Katrina was simply endeared to sit in front of him. He looked adorable and so kind, this man, and he kept his smile on his face constantly - Though she, of all people, knew not to underestimate how scary people can be, underneath all this social facade.

A gentleman in the right sense, James had gotten to his feet to help her remove her coat, and pull the chair for her - So she was right, the famed British chivalry was NOT dead! Oh, how thrilled she was to witness such gallantry! "Fancy meeting you, Miss Raven." the man spoke; His voice was gentle and rather soothing, Katrina noted. She was highly auditory sensitive, so she naturally leaned towards people with lovely voices that didn't startle or put her on edge. Simply from the calm washing over her with every word he uttered, the lady was content with the idea of making a new friend. "Eh - I'm sorry, I'm not that good with social interactions. It's a miracle I even befriended someone nice like Molly - And that's mostly because she offered to pay for my coffee one day when I forgot my wallet." he chuckled, at little embarrassed.

"oh, yes, Molly is a wonder personified! I, also, would have been friendless in this place, were it not for her being so kind to me when I was hired. We don't meet that often these days, our schedules are conflicting a little, but I always love to take her out to pubs or cafes once in a while." admitting to also being a social failure, the two found themselves unable to stifle their giggles - Were they pathetic? Were they tragic? Were they losers? Perhaps all of them! But it mattered little, in such great company.

"Oh - Forgive my manners, I completely forgot to introduce myself. Name's James, but my colleagues call me Jim. I'm fine with either." the girl smiled dearly at him, and she nodded her head. How she loved this simple fan talk.

"No need for apologies, it's quite alright! It is not your fault we had already gotten absorbed in this engaging conversation." she waved her hand dismissively. "May I call you James? I think it's a beautiful name." he chuckled timidly, looking down, but still nodding in agreement. "Say - Can I ask you something?" he urged her to go ahead. "What do you do in IT? Programming? Accountancy? Hacking?"

"Oh, I - Well, I do some accountancy, yes, but I mostly do programming. I'm not yet allowed to do too much hacking, but it's fine, I'm still learning, so I'm getting there." office work can't always be fun, Kat realised with a little sadness.

"I bet you're bored a lot at work, huh? There's few things that can beat hacking, in this industry, am I right?" James' dark eyes widened with surprise - She was a Forensics Doctor, what did she know about hacking? She couldn't... Or, could she?

"You?" she nodded, wearing the cunning smile of a vixen. "You're a hacker?!" he asked in a hushed tone. "That's wicked!"

"I've always been interested in video games and computers, so this came natural to me. I needed a hobby to pull myself through Med School." her laughter was so charming, crystalline like an angel's lullaby/

"Have you ever done anything fun with it?" he leaned over the table, completely forgetting about his latte. He had to hear more of this little mischief!

"I paid for my holidays abroad." what an innocent princess smile! It hid all the nefarious deeds she's done!

"You're insane! I could never, I -- I'd be too scared to do something like that!" he was flabbergast, yet genuinely impressed. "Say - I have this personal project I've been working on. It's a game based on hacking - Kinda like... A digital escape room? Or - Or, I guess, some puzzles and riddles, you could say? Anyway, it's a thinking game. It's still in it's beta state, but would you be interested in testing it once it's playable?" how in the world could she refuse those beautiful doe eyes of his?

"I would be honoured to! I haven't done anything that fun in so long! I am so excited! I hope it's going to be soon!" she did a little cutesy clap, making the man before her chuckle at her silliness. "Thank you for trusting me so much with your precious project, despite us just meeting for the first time!"

"I can always assume anyone who is Molly's friend is a great person, just like her." aww, wasn't he so adorable~.

"Hey, can I be nosy a little~?" the lady giggled, playing with a strand of her long, blue hair. "You and Molly... You are dating, aren't you?"

"How... How'd you know? Did she say anything to you?" she simply shook her head, smiling enigmatically.

"You're just - You know... I guess you could call it a girly hunch. You're very cute when you mention her name. I just guessed - You're the one who confirmed my theory." the two remained in a glowy silence, smiling at each other dearly, sipping from their coffee.

"I didn't... I didn't realise I was so obvious." his voice went even softer. "I am really like, you know. I'm like to have someone like Molly in my life. She is... She is very kind."

"Yes, I can completely agree with you. The world is a better place with her around." Katrina placed her hand over his own, squeezing it lightly. "I hope the two of you will have your happily ever after."

"How romantic..." he smiled, nodding in gratitude. "Yes, I - I hope the same also. Thank you, Miss Raven. Thank you - For being such a special friend. I know it may sound pathetic for a man my age, but I've never had anyone being so kind and understanding with me. You, and Molly - I thank you both."

"You have nothing to thank us for - If you weren't a lovely person, neither of us would have bothered with you." with a playful wink, the bluenette chuckled charmingly and leaned back in her seat, ordering another caramel mocha.

"This Sherlock figure - He must be a lucky man." the girl couldn't help but arch an inquiring eyebrow. "Molly spoke about him... A lot." a lot...? Why would she... Oh! Oh... It was only then that it clicked to her - The man Molly has been having a crush on for YEARS and years on end; The gorgeous young man, a genius like no other, handsome, with a masculine jaw and lovely cheekbones, with sharp sky-like eyes and adorable dark curls - And quite possibly, the most dazzling smile in the world - Or so she said; That man... That man WAS Sherlock! And she probably didn't want to say his name, in case she'd make a fool of herself! Goodness - What a coincidence! "Said you'd just meet recently, and he's been praising you for how much you helped with the last case." Sherlock Holmes praised her? In front of the woman who has a massive crush on him? Poor Molly must have been devastated!

"He - He praised me? Truly? I - I'm flattered! That's not something I hear too often." she was surprised, very surprised. "I'm undeserving - Though yes, it was an insane case - Very, very scary, and I'd rather not go through something like that again. I almost died, you see - I was unnervingly close to death. I don't understand why I got entangled in this mess - I'm not smart like Sherlock, I'm just a little intuitive, if anything - So why... Well, I can't tell!" she took out her lace fan from her purse, making a little air for herself. Remembering that whole case and how close she was to death always seemed to make her feel a little suffocated. "I had a lot of fun unveiling the mystery, don't get me wrong - But I'd rather leave Sherlock to unmask the criminals. I don't like being in the line of fire like that."

"That must have been scary. I heard some rumours about it - People talk a lot around the office; And then there's Doctor Watson's blog detailing that case - A study in pink - He called it. The gun, and the two pills - I heard you played that game - How did you know which was the right one?" that nervous smile of hers stirred feelings inside his heart.

"I didn't." she whispered. "I thought the gun was a fake - I've never seen a gun before - So I asked if that was the true way out. The killer said yes, for the others, but not me, I had to play. That's why I thought - Maybe it's not the pills that are poisoned, but the water you had to take them with - So I waited to see if he took his pill with water, and my theory was half-confirmed. I took mine without water also - Bloody awful ordeal - And I was perfectly safe. Whether it was luck or not... I don't want to think about it too much." folding her fan, she tapped it softly to her lips, half-dissociating from reality as she remembered that night.

"That must have been horrible. I hope you're feeling a little better by now." he sounded sympathetic towards her; Before he could say more, however, the girl's phone rang, revealing a most interesting ringtone; The chorus of a Scorpions song, 'Still Loving you'. Fascinating taste in music. "Please, excuse me." she looked at the caller ID; It was an unknown number. "Hello, Sherlock. What is it?"

"How did you know it was me?" came the very man's amused voice. "I never gave you my number."

"You just did." the lady huffed with glee. "Nobody calls me - And I have all my acquaintances' numbers registered in this phone." she explained casually.

"Smart." he noted dully. "We have a date tonight." how could he say something so outrageous, with so much nonchalance?

"Say that again?" she was, in all senses of the word, flabbergast.

"Chinese circus. I'll pick you up at 7." came his explanation. She needn't any more details - This was clearly for a case. A most intriguing case.

"Are we faking, or should I take it as a proper date, then?" perhaps she wasn't even realising, James thought as he was the beautiful woman before him, but as she was speaking of the phone, her fingers were twirling around a velvety strand of blue hair, just like a lovestruck schoolgirl would, speaking with her crush. Fascinating how one's eyes could sparkle, and a smile can become so dazzling; A woman in love with emanating beauty and charm, just like a Goddess of the Sun.

"There's nothing to say it can't be both." he hung up, without allowing room for protest or a continued conversation; Katrina's cheeks were warm, and a huge pinker than usual.

He almost felt bad for interrupting, but he simply had to break her unknown reverie. Their shift was going to start soon, unfortunately for both of them. "Let me guess - Sherlock?" he smiled cheekily at her, almost like an elder brother teasing his little sister.

"Sound deduction, Special Detective M!" she exclaimed all of a sudden. "You won't try to steal our job, will you? First, a hacker, and now, a detective? Ha! What can you not do!"

James simply chuckled, shaking his head. Her theatrical replies amused him greatly. "I'm good, I'm good - I think I'm better at working in the shadows, anyway. I don't consider myself too much of a front guy."

"Oh~!" she made mysterious noises. "M, the Notorious Hacker of London, strikes again! What will he do next - Steal the Queen's Jewels?!"

"I rather like the sound of that - Just like my username! Has a nice ring to it!" he laughed at her silliness. "Perhaps I will do just that! I will stay on the throne, and then - You should see me in a crown!"

"Yes, yes, just that!" she encouraged his villainy. "Then - The Swiss Bank - It's the easiest; Book yourself and Molly a nice honeymoon trip abroad! Maybe the Maldives!"

"The Swiss Bank? You joke! That's too much for me, I'm just a small programming guy who wants to make a game -- I couldn't possibly have the skills for that!" the girl's smirk widened, yet said nothing. "No -- Really? You? Ha! You're far more dangerous than the Notorious Hacker M! Nobody would suspect you!" "I'll let you figure that out on your own, James. We've got to go clock in soon." the man offered to pay, and before they split ways inside the building, he promised to hand her the USB with the game soon enough.

In the meantime, however, she couldn't help but think - How in the world could a Chinese Circus intertwine with a case worthy of the Great Detective Sherlock Holmes?

Since it was a Chinese Circus, Katrina thought she'd fit in; She had always appreciated the culture - Partially thanks to the introduction into Chinese Imperial dramas that opened this whole new and impressive world for her; In her mind, the hanfu was the prettiest outfit, and although she wouldn't dare wear it on the dirty and wet streets of London, she would be more than honoured to become a Chinese Princess, at least for one day, running through the gardens of the Forbidden City.

For this date, however, she'll choose something a little more tamed, yet still in theme; First, she styled her hair coquettishly yet still appropriate for her age, long and flowing with the wind, yet with some cute flowery accessories pinning two soft braids. She chose a long skirt, pink like a peony and tied tightly to her waist - It was delicately embroidered with the patterns of plum flower branches in blood. The blouse, white with bell sleeves and a small collar, was tucked neatly in the skirt - It, also, had soft petals embroidered across the hems. For once, she had no jewellery, and only sported a small pink purse filled with all necessities. She couldn't wear pot shoes with the troublesome cobbled streets, unfortunately - Though she had a perfect pair of pink and thick mary jane shoes that matched well with her white stockings.

As promised, come 7 o'clock, Katrina heard a knock on her door; She got up from the couch, and she answered. Sherlock was standing tall in front of her. It was the first time he peered into her apartment, and he couldn't help but analyse - He wanted to know more about this genetically successful specimen.

"If you want to get a glimpse into who I am, how about you come in for a cup of tea? I am sure that would be enough time for you to analyse just about the whole place." she opened the door wider, welcoming him inside.

"Have I really gotten this obvious?" he asked, though he knew the answer. He sat down on the couch in the living room, and waited to be served tea. "Lovely place. Suits your tastes very well." indeed, you wouldn't say this apartment once was identical to his own - In fact, it hardly even looked British at all, were it not for certain elements that couldn't be so easily removed or changed.

"Thank you! I am very happy with this safe haven." she replied, smiling charmingly. "Mrs. Hudson also loves it - She's given me an offer to buy it. Said she'll only give me this offer - So I've been going out of my way to decorate it to my tastes... And save enough money to get the whole thing for myself."

"Great deal indeed." he muttered, straightening up back a little to get a better look at the place - Although, his eyes couldn't help but dart towards the lady who was humming along to the softly-playing melody from the background, and preparing the tea. Just like her outfit, the song was Chinese - Who knew she would be interested in the culture. What a scary coincidence!

"Do you know Chinese?" he found himself asking, watching as she carefully placed the tray on the table. The porcelain set was Chinese; White, and painted with pink flowers and gold. Manually, he deduced. Well painted, but still, not an expert. Did she do it herself?

"Yes, I've been learning it for the past few years." even more of a coincidence. "I can't say I'm an expert - I haven't dedicated my time entirely to learning it - But I think I'm at least around mid-level. I can hold a conversation well enough, comprehend phrases, and even understand and write some of the easier symbols."

"I see... That's useful." he hummed to himself, watching her slender fingers pour him tea with such grace, as if she was recreating the sacred tea ceremony. "What do you suppose is a book that everyone would have at home?"

"Lord of the Rings?" her joked earned a small exhale of amusement from the man, though he didn't deny it. "Back home, every household had two books - The Bible, and a Dictionary. Don't ask why - Take it as it is."

"Duly noted. Good insight, as always." he nodded to himself, leaning to grab the foreign tea cup. "Did you paint these yourself?"

"Oh, yes, I did! It was a lot of fun! I've seen this design in one of the dramas I watched, and I simply had to recreate it." her joy seemed to amp up immediately, he noticed. "I only use this set on special occasions though, it's very precious to me. Usually, we just use Lea's set. It's very cute and fancy - I'd say it has Versailles influences."

"Fascinating." yes, and not quite. He might appreciate art, but he couldn't say he was that much of a die-hard enthusiast. "What about the fan on the table? I suppose you're taking it with you? It matches your skirt."

"Well remarked - Yes, I also embroidered it - Just like with this outfit. I love embroidering. I'm not the best, I know, but I found it relaxes me. Mrs. Hudson saw me embroidering on the window pane one day, and that's how we got so close." he wasn't surprised a doctor with nimble fingers would be dexterous in other crafts also - One needn't create a masterpiece, you create quality products.

They didn't speak more, through the duration of them drinking tea; Normally, this was a time to be sociable, but he was far too lost into the ocean of information, to come up with word-riddle plays, a game of chess, create poems or even indulge in old-lady gossips.

An eccentric woman this one, even if she doesn't quite realise it herself; No wonder Donovan hates her. Few people would step on their normalcy, to indulge in their niche love for another culture, or anything that isn't quite the socially acceptable norm. Does that mean she's brave? Confident? Or simply that she's come to a point where she just wants to find her own happiness without caring for others' erronated opinions?

The whole place was impeccably clean, and tidy; There was nothing out of place, not a single thing. Very meticulous and attentive to details. The apartment was big, and had the stairway to upstairs - Who knows what kind of personal wonders are hiding up there also? All artefacts that would showcase her passions and love for whatever she's interested in.

There is one thing, however, that he noticed, and that is the lack of any family pictures, or anything to remind her of personal relationships she has - Most people have that, don't they? Anything to remind them of home? He could find, in his sight, nothing of the sort. That would correlate in a peculiar way with his own theory - That she is wallowing deep in loneliness. He's never had a problem with that - He doesn't find it a nuisance, in fact, he enjoys his personal space and the ability to be as quirky as he needs; But ordinary people are desperate for interhuman relations.

This impeccable specimen before him was wearing a passive smile, looking at him; Surely, she doesn't always carry herself with such grace, does she? She looked like a scroll painting depicting one of those tragic Four Beauties from the myths. They say, the more beautiful a woman, the more she suffers. What a silly fortune-telling. "Alright, Magnolia flower, shall we?" at once, Sherlock rose to his feet, offering his hand in a gentlemanly way.

He played cheeky, Katrina thought, immediately smiling with joy; He called her magnolia flower - That was Hua Mulan's name. A most valiant beauty, known throughout history. If she didn't know better, she'd call him quite romantic! Or, perhaps he was hinting towards her tragic fate - That sounded more of a Moriarty route though.

"Much obliged, Zhang Heng." oh, the stellar look on his face! Katrina placed her hand over his own to raise to her feet, then left the house together, hooked to his arm. They passed as quite the lovely couple, she'd go as far as to say that, once they passed by a mirror.

Sherlock called a cab and opened the door for her, just like a gentleman would, and told the driver the location to this Circus. Katrina wondered what this circus was all about - Would it have acrobatics? Gymnastics? Traditional dances? Or some curious kind of entertainment she was unaware of?

She remained hooked to his arms as he guided her up the stairs, and into the building. At the booth, she spotted John with a lovely-looking lady. Was Sherlock's plan to crash John's date? Or was he trying to blend in and investigate without being suspected. John went to pay for his tickets, two, for him and his date; But Sherlock butted-in with an innocent smile. "I phoned back and got one for myself and my date as well." John's face screamed murder. "Hi. I'm Sherlock, and this is Raven, my date."'

"Hello! It's lovely meeting you!" the blue haired lady stood out a little too much, she realised, not that it would let her politeness waver.

"Erh... Hi! I'm Sarah." the two ladies shook hands. "Sorry, I'll be right back." she must have fled for the toilet.

"So... I know you're investigating a case, that much was obvious, but are you also going to tell me what's going on, or did you just take me as your trophy wife?" the serenity with which she spoke almost surprised the detective, yet he didn't hesitate to reply.

"We are here on a date, of course, I promised you that much." he spoke as a matter of factly. "Investigating the case is just entertainment for us. A bonus, if you will." "No, you're not here on a date, stop using Raven as an excuse to ruin my real date just for an investigation!" John immediately snapped at his flat mate. "It was the perfect opportunity." Sherlock answered plainly. "You couldn’t let me have just one night off?" the poor medic was exasperated. "Yellow Dragon Circus, in London for one day. It fits. The Tong sent an assassin to England ... " so they've got a secret society and assassins from China. Should be fun. "Dressed as a tightrope walker. Come on, Sherlock, behave!" came the veteran's exhaustion. "We’re looking for a killer who can climb, who can shin up a rope. Where else would you find that level of dexterity? Exit visas are scarce in China. They need a pretty good reason to get out of that country. Now, all I need to do is have a quick look round the place ... " the mystery thickens - Oh, how she'd have liked to have been able to have helped with the investigation from the very beginning! "Fine. You do that; I’m gonna take Sarah for a pint." John completely dismissed him. "I need your help." begrudgingly, Sherlock admitted. "You have Raven! She's more than capable of helping you in your blind chase! In fact - I'd say she's better than me! Now leave me alone!" poor John was at his wit's end. "I couldn't possibly - What if she messes her outfit? It would be a tragedy, John, have some empathy!" what a jokester, using her coquette style against his flatmate. "I do have a couple of other things on my mind this evening!" the detective didn't get it. "You are kidding."

"I don't think he is kidding, John. I don't think he understands." Raven smiled, showing pity to the poor man. "What - What are you two talking about? What’s so important? We've got to solve this case!" Holmes was frustrated with the lack of cooperation. "Sherlock, I’m right in the middle of a date. D’you want me to chase some killer while I’m trying to ..." John tried to explain, but without being so forthright with his intention.

"He wants to pursue Sarah in the future a little more in depth; Romantically, or more." Katrina tried to explain it as diplomatically as she could.

"For God's sake, John - We've got three dead bodies and a running criminal, and all you think about is to get off with--" seeing Sarah approaching, the blue haired lady wrapped her hands around Sherlock's arm, forcing him to shut up as she cuddled into his side.

"Sherlock, darling, I think the show is about to start soon - Shall we go take a look? Sarah's returned also." how inconspicuous, the detective noted, offering a wry smile followed by a nod as he guided her towards the room with the stageplay.

They approached the play, surrounded by candles on the ground. Everything was nicely decorated, and Chinese instrumental music played. "You said circus. This is not a circus. Look at the size of this crowd. Sherlock, this is... Art." John didn't sound too happy about seeing art. Why though? She couldn't understand. "This is not their day job." the detective looked around, his keen eye scanning every inch of the chamber. "No, sorry, I forgot. They’re not a circus; they’re a gang of international smugglers." why in the world are they dealing with smugglers?! As the show began, a Chinese woman in her middle ages took the spotlight. She was wearing a red outfit reminiscent of a Qing dynasty Peking Opera, embellished with gorgeous jewellery; And even her make up was fantastic! "Her outfit is marvelous! I've always loved Peking Opera!" she watched with complete focus as the woman showed off a large arrow, and then stepped towards a veiled object about as large as her; She took the sheet off, revealing a huge crossbow-like mechanism decorated like a lion, or a serpent dragon. She gracefully placed the arrow in the mechanism, before taking a feather from her head ornament - And as soon as she placed it on the metal plate that activated the mechanism, the arrow was shot at incredible speed, lodging itself into the wooden wall in front. "How wonderful!" Sarah had also gasped in awe, looking at her date.

The assistant, a man wearing a typical male mask painted with the same Peking Opera allure, got chained, and put against the wooden wall. "Classic Chinese escapology act." Sherlock explained to them. The crossbow’s on a delicate string. The warrior has to escape his bonds before it fires."

The gong was hit once, startling Sarah enough to jump on her date; John seemed thrilled being so close to her; Sherlock looked at them with a certain boredom, then looked at the blue haired lady; She was clutching her embroidered fan, hiding that mesmerised smile of her. It seemed, seeing such rare art before her very eyes, got her quite euphoric. In spite of how easily startled she usual was, she hadn't flinched a bit from the sudden loud gong; And it was no surprise, coming from a Peking Opera enthusiast. Those were the perfect cues for the actors to perform certain moves. He was more intrigued whether or not she knew how to perform. The performer lady took a small dagger, showing it to the audience. "She splits the sandbag; the sand pours out; gradually the weight lowers into the bowl." she did just that. The audience watched the man struggle, and the weight descend swiftly towards the bowl. "Stay with John and Jean and make sure they're alright." the detective softly tapped his date's shoulder.

"You're leaving me to third-wheel their date?" she looked like a distraught kitten, looking up at him like that. "You can't just abandon our date - You have to take me with you. I already missed most of the investigation." she tried to convince him, but it was in vain.

"Not this time." he seemed very sure of himself. "I'll make it up to you." placing both hands on her shoulders, he turned her back towards the performance. "Don't mind me - Just enjoy yourself. I know you're into this." and he left without another trace.

Just as expected the escapologist just narrowly escaped; Nevertheless, a round of applause welcomed the performers. How fascinating! "Ladies and gentlemen, from the distant moonlight shores of the Yangtze River, we present for your pleasure the deadly Chinese bird-spider." as she walks away, a masked acrobat descends from the ceiling, rolling through the air as the broad red textile wrapped around his waist unravels. The audience applauds and he stops a couple of feet above the ground, holding his body parallel to the floor. "Did you see that, Sarah?" John looked at his date, fascinated. "Yes, it was awesome!" Sarah replied back with just as much glee.

Katrina, however, was mute; She was far too busy enjoying the show to realise the black curtains at the very back of the chamber fluttering - Until Sherlock was thrown out, and a Chinese warrior right after, ready to annihilate him. John was the first to rush in and push the enemy off of his friend; Katrina followed soon after, hitting the man with a masterful kick to his mask; And Sarah came last, hitting him with some wooden sword or something. The enemy was on the ground, unconscious; Sherlock took off his shoe, revealing a lotus-like tattoo on his heel.

They didn't wait too long around - They grabbed each other and ran away, taking a cab towards the police station. There, they weren't greeted by Lestrade, but some inexperienced punk who didn't seem to have any clue what was going on. Katrina wasn't quite sure what the international smuggling operation meant, or who the people involved were - She was missing all the pieces of the puzzle; All she knew was that a precious item was stolen, and the Chinese troupe came to get it back - Problem was, no one had any clue what they were looking for.

Finally, they returned home to their flat, and stood straight in front of a wall filled with evidence. There was talk about a rendez-vous spot, and how the troupe won't leave without the stolen item retrieved; For once, Katrina felt as useless and out of place as any person who ever stays around the genius Sherlock Holmes, and has no insight into his brilliant brain. She felt awful.

Sarah was the first to speak up - She asked whether she should leave or not; Frankly, Katrina felt the same, she just didn't have the heart to voice it. Thanks to John, she remained, and agreed to order takeout. The medic went to grab something from the fridge - It was empty. In the meantime, Saraj was looking at the evidence board and felt compelled to make light conversation with the detective. "So this is what you do, you and John. You solve puzzles for a living." she found herself wondering. "Consulting detective." came Sherlock's mindless reply. "Oh. And you, Raven?" she tried again, hoping her fellow lady would be more talkative. "I'm a forensics doctor for the police. Part time hacker and blog runner." Katrina tried to make small talk, but was unallowed, for the detective reached for her wrist and pulled her to his side.

"Your talents are wasted on them." he grumbled. "You said you know some Chinese - Look at this. It's a Hangzhou dialect. A cipher. Any ideas?"

"It's Suzhou." the lady corrected him immediately as she bent a little to look at the pictures depicting yellow graffiti symbols. "It's Suzhou dialect. The term 'Hangzhou' was a misnomer of the time. All accord of the term being used, as far as I'm aware, have been corrected to 'Suzhou'." Sherlock turned his face up to look at her, quite flabbergast.

"Fascinating knowledge you have sometimes - But does it have any relevance in breaking the code?"

"Nope." he could only groan. "I only know a few symbols - Like here, the single symbols on the paintings - That is the symbol for 1 and that is for 5. Together, they make a 15." the man nodded in agreement. "The numerals on the wall are the same - Two symbols put together and you make a whole number. But you don't need me to know Chinese - Your symbols have already been translated. Look at this -- 9 MILL -- Does that mean anything to you? Does it stand for... 9 million in some currency? Chinese people use the Yuan and the Dollar for international commerce."

Sherlock immediately shot up to his feet, yelling for John and pushing the photograph into his face. "John, look at this. Soo Lin at the museum – She started to translate the code for us. We didn’t see it! “NINE,” “MILL.” Nine million quid. For what? We need to know the end of this sentence." he hurried to put on his coat. "Where are you going?" the medic asked, frowning in confusion. "To the museum; to the restoration room. Oh, we must have been staring right at it!" Sherlock was already almost half-way out of the door. "The book, John. The book – The key to cracking the cipher! Soo Lin used it to do this! Whilst we were running around the gallery, she started to translate the code. It must be on her desk." just before he rushed out, the lady called out his name.

"Sherlock!" she cried. "Wait!" this time, in spite of her soft voice, he did hear her, and stop, albeit a little impatiently.

"I don't have time right now, and I can't take you with me. It's too dangerous. Just stay here with John and Linda. I promised I'll make it up to you." though he tried to leave, the girl gripped the sleeve of his coat. "What is it?!"

"Sherlock, listen to me!" her gorgeous eyes looked up into his own, as if pleading to be heard. "You asked me two questions today - If I knew Chinese, and about that book - We already figured out the code, but what's it applied to? A book. What book? The most common book that could be in London, right? A London guide of sorts, a dictionary, something like that - It wouldn't stand out to anyone who'd see it. It's completely natural and harmless. So, perhaps, every number corresponds to a page number, a paragraph, a specific word -- You can't go there and search blindly, while you're being hunted down by professional assassins - At least know what you're looking for, find it, and then get out of there quickly before you get hurt."

"You're worried about me?" he found himself smiling almost tenderly at the lovely lady before him.

"Of course I am!" she exclaimed without the least bit of hesitation.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." he reassured, kissing the top of her head once again. "You've given me all the information I needed to narrow my search. I'll be quick." and thus, he bolted out of there, searching for a cab. What a brilliant young woman.

Katrina was a little lost in her reverie while Sarah ordered takeout - While the two were chatting, however, the doctress had a frightening eureka. Those people were professional assassins, and Sherlock Holmes just thwarted their plans. Surely, they'd want the enemy eliminated, yes? So... What was to say... They weren't already going for their flat? In a panic, Katrina went outside; There were still a few people around, but not much. She quickly dialed Sherlock's number. "I'm busy, make it quick."

"I think we're in danger." the line was silent. "I just realised - These guys aren't just ordinary smugglers right? They're the Chinese Mafia. They're among the best when it comes to silent assassinations, aren't they?"

"Just stick to John and Martha. I'll be back soon." he reassured her briefly. "Call Lestrade if you're anxious." Before the lady could answer back, however, a tall bulky man wearing black clothes and a hoodie spoke to her from behind, making her yelp loudly. "Raven? What is it?"

"Th-There's this creepy Chinese guy who's asking me if I have it - I think he's referring to the thing that was stolen from them, right?" she gulped, making small backward steps. "Wh-What do I do? Quick, What do I do?" her legs were trembling violently like two flowers in the breeze. "Sherlock, I am terrified." her whispery tone, completely petrified, sent a shiver down his spine.

"RUN!"

His command came in vain - Before she could even react and sprint away, the enemy lunged her way, grabbing her by her long flowing hair, punching her to the ground; Her phone fell to the ground, but Sherlock could still hear her cries of pain and alarm - Nobody came to her aid, not even when she was on the ground, with an assailant choking her to death. Soon, her mind slipped away, and darkness veiled her vision and consciousness entirely.

But before I could do anything, the man attacked me, making my phone fall from my hand and holding me in a choke hold as I struggled and struggled to breathe, but to no avail. Sooner than later, I could feel my mind slipping away at a rapid pace and darkness soon veiled over my whole consciousness.

Once she finally awoke, she was painfully bound to a chair next to John and Sarah. Just as she expected, the criminals burst into Sherlock's flat and took them hostage. Neither of the three even dared to speak to each other for they were far too frightened.

The woman performer from the show spoke in the same melodic voice as before, though now, it made the hair on the back of their necks stand up. "A book is like a magic garden carried in your pocket. Chinese proverb, Mr Holmes." Holmes...? Was she mistaking John for Sherlock? John tried to explain himself, but it was for naught. "Forgive me if I do not take your word for it. Debit card, name of S. Holmes." "Yes; that’s not actually mine. He lent that to me." they were so doomed. "A cheque for five thousand pounds made out in the name of Mr Sherlock Holmes." she continued voicing her reasons behind believing John was actually Sherlock. "Yeah, he gave me that to look after." their only real saviour would be the very man's genius, or him tracking her phone down - Again. "Tickets from the theatre, collected by you, name of Holmes." they were in deep trouble. "Yes, okay ... I realise what this looks like, but I’m not him." no one was going to believe such an unconvincing man. "We heard it from your own mouth." oh, damn his sarcasm! “I am Sherlock Holmes and I always work alone because no one else can compare to my massive intellect.” it would have been hilarious, were they not in such a precarious situation. John soon realised any attempt at persuading the woman were completely hopeless. "Did I really say that? I s’ppose there’s no use me trying to persuade you I was doing an impression."

Before he could finish the sentence, the woman rose a small pistol and pointed it at his head, making John cringe away from it, blowing out a panicked breath and in turn, making the woman grin. She loved tormenting her victims... What a sadist. "I am Shan." that name spoke nothing to the girl, though John seemed to have heard that name before. "Three times we tried to kill you and your companion, Mr Holmes. What does it tell you when an assassin cannot shoot straight?" she cocked her gun, and with a very long tension moment, she pulled the trigger -- Thankfully revealing it to be a blank. This scenario was a million times scarier than the cabbie from before. Kat was so scared, she wanted to cry - She was good at thinking under stress, but she had no clue how to escape a Chinese gang pointing their firearms at them! "It tell you that they're not really trying." Shan continued her terrifying speech. "If we wanted to kill you, Mr Holmes, we would have done it by now. We just wanted to make you inquisitive. Do you have it?" she cocked her gun again, warning them this one wasn't a blank anymore. "Do I have what?" John asked, completely clueless. This case, once again, quite eluded him in many ways. "The treasure." Shan specified, approaching the barrel of the gun to the army vet. "I don’t know what you’re talking about." poor John was trying to struggle against the restraints, but it was no use. Nothing worked.

"The treasure...? John - The man who attacked me asked me the same thing. Is it about the 9 million thing? Is that what they were searching for?" Katrina asked, hoping he would know more - Alas...

"Ah, Miss Black, what a delight. A sight for sore eyes, just like my client suggested." Shan's comment made Katrina's head shoot up with revelation.

"Your client - Moriarty?!" the Chinese woman smiled sardonically.

"And as clever as expected." her henchman stomped to the victims' side, and took the blue haired lady up by the chair - Shan took the sheet off the ceremonial crossbow, and Katrina was placed in front of it. Great. She's in danger again. When will this end? Hopefully not with her life. "Everything in the West has its price... And the price for her life... Information." Shan turned back to John, threatening him. "After you, Miss Black, if your beloved doesn't tell us where the treasure is, that one is going to die next, facing the same execution." she pointed towards the terrified Sarah.

Faced with such imminent danger, Katrina would do incredibly poor; She was panicking and thinking irrationally, or rather, not at all. How could she think of a way out, when she can't balance her chair to the side and escape the arrow, she can't undo the ties, and there's no one to save her? It is an equation with no solution! Only Deus Ex Machina could save her.

Shan continued her interrogation of poor frantic John - The treasure was revealed to be a hairpin. "The Empress pin valued at nine million sterling. We already had a buyer in the West; and then one of our people was greedy. He took it, brought it back to London and you, Mr Holmes, have been searching." if Sherlock didn't tell her what the case was all about, Shan summarised it perfectly well. "Please. Please, listen to me. I’m not ... I’m not Sherlock Holmes. You have to believe me. I haven’t found whatever it is you’re looking for." John was getting desperate, and rightfully so. There was no getting through with Shan. "I need a volunteer from the audience!" the medic was begging her to stop this execution. "Ah, thank you, lady! Yes, you’ll do very nicely." she pointed towards the bluenette, before stabbing the sand bag - The victim trio were watching the sand swiftly fall into the metal bowl of the crossbow. "Ladies and gentlemen. From the distant moonlit shores of NW1, we present for your pleasure Sherlock Holmes’ pretty companion in a death-defying act." As John tried to plead for everyone's lives, trying to make the woman understand he wasn't actually Sherlock, she only ignored his words and put a black origami on Katrina's lap; It was a black lotus, masterfully done; But the doctress had no time to analyse the pretty origami - She was close to death... And quite the gruesome death. To think she wanted to be pretty on her death day...

"You’ve seen the act before. How dull for you. You know how it ends." Shan taunted the blue haired woman.

"I’m not Sherlock Holmes!" John's voice boomed loudly through the echoing underground, but no one reacted. "I don’t believe you!" Shan snapped at the veteran. "You should, you know!" unexpectedly, Sherlock's voice resounded from somewhere behind Katrina. "Sherlock Holmes is nothing at all like him."

"Sherlock!" she cried out for the first time since she'd been abducted. "Sherlock, please, hurry!" Shan rose her pistol, cocked it and aimed it towards him. He immediately dodged to the side of the tunnel, disappearing into the shadows, making one of Shan’s thugs start to hurry toward the end of the tunnel. "How would you describe me, Raven? Resourceful? Dynamic? Enigmatic?"

"Dramatic!" the terrified bluenette wailed. "And incredibly late!" "That’s a semi-automatic. If you fire it, the bullet will travel at over a thousand metres per second." Sherlock spoke to her, at the same time he knocked out one of the thugs. "Well?" Shan still kept her pistol aimed that-a-way.

"Well -" he hit another henchman over the head with a crowbar. "The radius curvature of these walls is nearly four meters. If you miss, the bullet will ricochet. Could hit anyone. Might even bounce off the tunnel and hit you." out of nowhere, Sherlock kicked away a dumpster-fire, distracting Shan whilst he lunged to untie the damsel in distress. She could feel his warm fingers touching her own - Every touch on her skin gave her hope, it gave her vitality - Though every glimpse towards that descending weight quickly erased any of that. Unbeknownst to her, a henchman took Sherlock by surprise - He looped a long red textile around the detective's throat and joints multiple times, wrestling him away from the chair, from rescuing the victim. Katrina couldn't see the struggle behind her, only hear Holmes' pained grunts and groans of struggle, fighting off the enemy. "Sherlock, please...!" she couldn't look anymore - She didn't want to see the arrow shooting off and piercing through her skull. That was too macabre to even think about. Instead, she hung her head down, letting the tears fall down her cheeks in river.

With her eyes closed, she couldn't see that John managed to get up, struggling with his chair, and kicked the crossbow trajectory elsewhere; Sherlock, also, headbutt the criminal and, with his pocket knife, swiftly cut off her restraints, jumped forwards, dragging her off the chair, and onto the ground. The arrow shot the criminal in the chest, killing him instantly.

Katrina could feel two strong arms embracing her tightly; She was pressed against his chest, shielded and protected. Sherlock, her hero, saved her once again.

To think she'd be trembling and weeping so much - The detective was looking down at the girl he was holding so dearly, how she was practically nestled like a kitten in his pocket, how she was clinging to him, but couldn't calm down, even knowing she was safe? Normal people, faced with such imminent death, with close calls - They're so pitiful.

"There should be Five Beauties in China, instead of four." it took some straining from the girl to actually hear what he was saying. "You're safe now." his hands found their way cupping her cheeks, wiping away her rolling crystal tears. "I've got you. You're safe." the most response she managed was a nod of her head. He noticed the evident prints of the assailant's hands around her neck, and the burns on her wrists caused by the rope - But he doubted she would be worried about that, above all. "What kind of monster would dirty a lady's outfit?!" he gasped theatrically, knowing it would do the trick.

"THEY DID WHAT?!" as expected, Katrina's head shot up, and Sherlock could see her shocked expression, it was almost comical. She almost had a most grotesque death, and she's worried about her outfit. What a fascinating specimen. "They are quality textiles - This dirt will be horror to clean off! Oh, that Moriarty owes me a new outfit!"

"Moriarty - Again?" Holmes sombered immediately.

"Yes... Shan said Moriarty was her client. We would have been targeted regardless of the hairpin problem." Katrina finally found her words again.

"Things are getting more complicated." the man hummed to himself. "Can you stand up?" she shook her head. Poor darling was still trembling hard. "I'll help you out, come on." he dragged her up, but didn't account for her weakened state - Katrina collapsed in his arms, fully lax, as soon as she was standing up.

"Sorry, I... I really... Can't feel my legs." she muttered softly.

"Well - A damsel in distress deserved the proper treatment, I suppose. Can't bypass the British gentleman chivalry -- That is what you said, didn't you?" in one swift move, Katrina was, once again, being carried like a princess by the cheeky detective. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you quite enjoyed this."

"I do like it." her honesty was bewildering to the detective - Such genuine yet heartfelt honesty... For some reason, he found it endearing. He couldn't stand Molly's evident crush on him - Exploitable, but for the most part, mundane, irrelevant and borderline annoying. Katrina's kindness, however, felt... Different. He found it... Acceptable. Well, more than acceptable, actually. "I'd just rather not have to go through an incident that thrown me an inch away from my death. I don't think my heart can take this much."

"Well - I promised I'd make it up to you for that failed date, didn't I?" he had a half-smile on his face. "I'll try to downgrade the death chances, and up the ordinary. So - A coffee, perhaps?"

"Yeah, coffee sounds amazing. I know a nice to-go place next to this park." finally, her smile was back, albeit, still wavery and uneasy.

"We can do that." his voice remained calm, soothing even.

They soon returned back to their flat after briefly speaking to the police and the newbie detective. Katrina, in spite of her exhaustion, needed to take a long bubble bath and scrub away the disgust from her body; She needed to relax somehow, to wipe away her fears and anxieties. She'd been through enough - She deserved a break already.

Still, after performing the self-care routine with all of its steps, she finally flopped on her fluffy bed, opening her laptop to watch some movie and pass out. Sometime through the middle of the movie, she heard her phone buzzing twice. She received two messages - One from James, and the other... From an unknown number called M. Moriarty. In a flash, she took a screenshot of the lockscreen, capturing both messages in the same picture, before finally reading them both properly.

"Hello, Raven! Sorry for disturbing at this hour, but I needed some advice. I don't really have many friends, so if it's okay with you, can we meet up for a warm drink and walk through the park? Heard the weather's going to be lovely tomorrow at noon. I'll bring the game USB stick for testing also. - Jim from I.T. "

Moriarty's message, however, sounded quite different - And in a rather teasing, playful manner.

"I hope you enjoyed our little game of Fan-Tan. Next time, let's make it less dangerous, and more fun. After all, I wouldn't want the little black bird to bring her own death before we get to meet and play The Game - M "

They already started playing the game, Katrina thought to herself, all fear vanished as she plugged in her hacking devices and began tracking down the mysterious Moriarty, her #1 fan.

Oh, Mr. Moriarty, I am more than eager to play this little game of Tag with you~.

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