Rest In Peace, Sherrinford Holmes
The black screen came to life and a black haired man was seen sitting on a chair. He wore a grey suit with white shirt and his black hair was gelled back. His two top buttons were unbuttoned. There was nothing special on the room he was in. It was a small room since the white walls on both of his sides could be seen on the screen. The chair he was currently sitting in was the only furniture seen in the room. The man looked really bored, as if this was the last thing he wanted to do.
"I really don't think my brothers would care to watch this video. Can we just skip it?"
"It's a standard procedure, sir," said another voice, probably from the cameraman. "No exception."
The man in front of the camera sighed, looking very annoyed for a brief. But the next second, his face expression morphed into a blank one as he straightened himself and stared right to the camera.
"Dear brothers, this video will be delivered to you if I have the misfortune to be gone from this world during my mission as you obviously will have already predicted. I hardly think any of my missions will go unnoticed by you, Mycroft, which meant Sherlock will also find out soon enough. Alric will definitely know if he keeps hacking into the network whenever I'm away. He really needs to stop doing that or else people here will notice him. I think we all agree our baby brother should be kept away from this business, don't we? Mycroft, do find him something else to do.
But, since it's apparently mandatory, here it goes..."
-o0o-
Sherrinford cursed under his breath as he dove behind a big rock, covering himself from another bullet rounds. Why did he agree to this mission again? Oh, right. Mycroft. His oldest brother was notorious of being always right. And he took this mission just because he wanted to prove him wrong. Just for once.
Obviously, it had backfired on him.
He took a deep breath─ this was not the time to play who to blame. There would be time to get on it later when he got home, as he was sure Mycroft was already prepared for. The list was already obtained and all he needed was a way out to get to the extraction point. If he remembered it correctly, it should be three blocks away from where he was now.
Sherrinford slid closer to the rock's edges and took a glance on his surrounding. Immediately shots were fired towards him when they caught a sight of him and he quickly positioned himself back to his previous spot. There were only four of them there. That's good. Two of them he could get a good shot at. But the other two… Sherrinford calculated in his mind how many bullets he had fired. There should be enough bullets left to get him out of here.
His hand gripped tight on his handgun.
In a speed he never knew he had, Sherrinford jumped out of his hiding spot and fired twice towards the shooters he had good visual at. Then he immediately ducked his way towards the pillar on his left side while let out another three shots at the general direction he knew the other two were. He pressed his back against the pillar, focusing on his hearing.
There were only two different footsteps now and one of them seemed to falter slightly. Good. It meant at least one of his shot hit the target.
Sherrinford looked around for the exit he had instructed to use. He still had to go to another hallway before he could disappear in the street. At this rate, it was better if he didn't engage anymore. He wasn't ordered to eliminate the terrorist cell, anyway, just to grab the list. Exhaling another deep breath, he broke into a run as fast as he could towards the exit direction.
He cursed when there were two more people coming out of his side and quickly fired towards them. One was down immediately but the other one only got hit on the arm and Sherrinford managed to kill him with the next shot. But their sudden appearance distracted Sherrinford from the other two that was tailing him from the beginning.
It cost him a shot on his left leg.
-o0o-
There was a long pause as the man sported a contemplative look on his face. At some point he opened his mouth but then he closed it back. Then he leaned forward with his elbows on each of his knee and his hand propped under his chin.
"I don't know if they'll manage to return my body to you," he suddenly spoke up, staring back at the camera. "But if they somehow do… Sherlock, please be quiet all the time on my funeral and just nod if anyone comes to you and say their condolences. Mycroft, don't aggravate Sherlock and don't look so bored, at least until everyone is gone. Alric, I trust you to keep those two in line. You're the sanest one now. And I apologize for making you step up."
-o0o-
"Rejected? Why the bloody hell they reject it? The prisoners they requested are not that dangerous. We even can turn some of them to our side."
"I agree with you. The Committee agrees with you."
M stared at the chairman exasperatedly. Her patience, when it concerned to politicians, were very limited compared to when handling her own agents. "Then why the hell can't I start arranging the exchange?"
"Because I won't allow it," a new voice coming from the doorway interjected their conversation. "Chairman, apology for my tardiness. There's some… other pressing matter that requires my attention first."
The Chairman just waved him in, already used to the cryptic sentences Mycroft Holmes gave him even though he was sure that his clearance level would probably entitle him to know what that matter was. M, on the other hand, stared at the older Holmes with bewildered expression. Did he just say he wouldn't allow the exchange? This was his brother they were trying to extract from, not some nameless agents.
"This is your brother we're talking about," M countered back. Her eyes didn't left his figure for even a second as he walked towards the window. "Seeing how you act whenever one of your brothers is in trouble, I don't see why you won't attest to this."
Mycroft slightly glanced at M through the reflection on the window, "my brother has failed to obtain the list and in turn, cost lives of British civilians on the hand of a terrorist cell, M."
"So you just let him rot in a prison, where he's most likely tortured for information every day?"
"Well, there has to be a punishment for what he caused," Mycroft said, too nonchalantly to her liking.
M narrowed her eyes at the older Holmes. She had seen the government officials come and go during her tenure in MI6, but there was no one that could intimidate her the way Mycroft Holmes did. The amount of knowledge he had and how accurate the prediction he gave so offhandedly was enough to alarm her that she had him tailed right after he left the building.
Suffice to say she was not amused when she got a call few minutes later from him asking her to retrieve her agents personally.
"Don't you think it's too harsh of a punishment, Holmes?" The chairman commented, breaking the tense silence between them. "We've had agents failed their missions before, some that even graver than this one. This is your brother."
Mycroft turned around with a cold look on his face. "I am not here to make a familial compassion," he stated, "and there's nothing we can gain from this exchange. The Prime Minister agrees to my assessment."
-o0o-
"That reminds me… Do I have a will statement somewhere?"
"According to your file, no," came the same voice from behind the camera. "It said here that your brother, Mycroft Holmes, will be responsible to arrange your personal belongings."
"Ah, great." The man rolled his eyes. "Mycroft, I assume you will give them all to Mummy and not just toss them away. Of course, after you remove any sensitive information that Mummy doesn't need to know. Sherlock can have my experiment tools, I guess, if he's so inclined on finding something to occupy him other than drugs. Perhaps my death could motivate you to get away from drugs. Either you or Alric can get my flat, if needed, and my bank account is all yours to use. Though not for drugs, Sherlock. I mean it."
-o0o-
Sherrinford Holmes was declared missing in action, presumed to be dead, a week later. There was no body to be put on the casket so the family held a close casket funeral for him few days after the declaration. That was the first time anyone in MI6 saw Sherrinford's family. They were all shocked to learn that Sherrinford had a twin. Had he been few inches taller, there was no way to tell those two apart.
Then they found out right after that how Sherrinford, even though was a bit annoying with the way he just knew what anyone did the night before, was the lesser evil. His twin literally had no filter on his mouth and only the mother could stop him. The knowledge of Sherrinford's parents also surprised them. With how Sherrinford and his twin were, they half expected an older version of them as their parents.
Instead they were more down to earth, very emotional elder couple. Or in other words, ordinary parents who somehow managed to produce four sons, two of which were extraordinary twins. And even if they noticed how the eldest brother seemed to be acquainted with M, most of them thought he must have known M when she delivered Sherrinford's death news to the family.
And if anyone would pay more attention to the Holmes family during the funeral, they would have noticed the apparent tension between the brothers. Sherrinford's twin and the youngest brother tended to be together most of the time and they never spent more time than necessary around their eldest brother. And if they talked to him, it was always curt and not more than few words together.
The day after Sherrinford didn't appear on the extraction point, Sherlock was dragged into Mycroft's office where he demanded his little brother to look over a file for him. Sherlock refused it, of course, but the way Mycroft insisted intrigued him. So of course Sherlock contacted their youngest brother to find anything related with Belarus. Alric was the best when it concerned technology between four of them. It took Alric some times since Mycroft seemed to pay more attention to his hacking activity, but he finally managed to find out what was so special about Belarus.
That was the day they found out about Sherrinford's assumed imprisoned status.
Needless to say that when an agent from MI6 appeared on their doorsteps and informed their parents about Sherrinford's unfortunate death, both of them were very cross to their eldest brother. To their surprise, Mycroft did nothing to object their accusation, as he usually did whenever they ganged up on him.
He left the house promptly after the funeral was done and they never heard from him for some times.
-o0o-
It was exactly ten days after the funeral when Mycroft received a text from unidentified number during a meeting with some members of the parliament. He raised his eyebrow when he read the text and immediately left the room without any words, much to the bewilderment of his colleagues. His assistant and driver were also confused when Mycroft dismissed them and took the car himself. Mycroft never drove the car himself.
Nor would he ever come to an abandoned track in the middle of the night by himself. He was one who always declared how he hated legwork, after all. Yet there he was, looking very much out of place, as he stood in between tracks and leaned slightly on his umbrella.
"You're late," he spoke up when his eyes caught movement from his right side.
A snort was heard in response to his comment from the direction where he saw that movement few moments earlier. Mycroft narrowed his eyes at that direction as a figure stepped out of the shadow.
Even though there were bruises and cuts all over his face, it was not that hard for Mycroft to recognize him as his dead brother.
"You're getting slower, brother mine," Mycroft commented lightly. "Not the thing an agent like you should possess at your age."
"And for that, you declared me dead? I feel your love, brother," Sherrinford said dryly. His voice was hoarser than the last time they talked. No wonder he texted him instead earlier. "Did you at least tell them the truth?"
"If you had followed what I said, I wouldn't have had to arrange a funeral for you. Do you know how annoying it was, talking to people, being forced to keep quiet as they keep talking and talking about sentimental nonsense? And I'm stuck there the whole day since Mummy wouldn't like me leave on my own brother's funeral."
Sherrinford only rolled his eyes in response. He never understood Mycroft and Sherlock's antics and complains about how slow and annoying other people were.
"Let's get back in the car," Mycroft spoke up again, looking at their surrounding with distaste expression. He put Sherrinford's hand over his shoulder as he helped him walked towards his car parked not far from where they were standing. "We need to get that leg checked properly as I assume you want to get reactivated as soon as possible. Once we get you settled in a room, I'll call M."
"About that…"
Mycroft raised his eyebrow, clearly he already deduced what Sherrinford was trying to say. "Really?" he drawled. "I would have thought you will keep it up for another two or three years. Sherlock thought you would get bored half a year ago."
Sherrinford winched as he slid down on the leather car seat. "Well," he sighed contently as he relaxed himself for the first time in days. "Spend few days as prisoner there and you will understand why. The excitement and adventures are getting boring and too much of a hassle for me."
To his surprise, Mycroft didn't say anything anymore as he slid to the other side of the car and drove away from the abandoned track. Sherrinford rested his head against the window and closed his eyes. He could feel himself being lulled into a sleep as there were only sounds of rumbling machine of the car between them. For the first time in days, he was finally safe and there was no harm would come to him if he slept.
His big brother wouldn't let anything happened to him.
-o0o-
When he woke up again, he found himself on a hospital room. Or at least that was what he thought, judging from the unfamiliar sight and the machine beeping around his bed. And the fact that he had IV tubes on him. Sherrinford blinked as he craned around, trying to find how long had he been asleep.
"Precisely fifteen hours since you fell asleep in my car."
Sherrinford glanced to see Mycroft was sitting on a chair in the corner of his room.
"Here I thought I might have to explain to Mummy and the others how I somehow found you alive but then you're dead again."
He opened his mouth but his throat was too dry to get any proper voice coming out. Noticing it, Mycroft sighed and walked towards the tableside. He poured a glass of water and repositioned Sherrinford's bed so he could drink it with ease.
"Why didn't you tell them I'm alive?" Sherrinford spoke up the question he wanted to ask earlier.
Mycroft shrugged his shoulder. "Telling them you're alive entails telling M you're alive. Since you expressed hesitant towards informing M last night, I thought we should have this conversation first before doing anything drastic." He dragged the chair he was sitting earlier closer to the bed and sat. "Tell me, Sherrinford, what do you want to do?"
He hadn't thought about it actually, what he wanted to do other than being a secret agent. All he could think of from the time he was captured until he finally saw Mycroft that night was how to survive and get home. But Sherrinford knew he didn't want anything to do with MI6, at least not at the moment.
But then a past memory suddenly appeared on his mind and Sherrinford surprised how he almost forgot about it. He had joked about it with Sherlock a month before this mission.
"Did you remember," Sherrinford spoke up just as Mycroft was getting impatient waiting for his answer, "when we were kid and all Sherlock wanted was to be a pirate while I wanted to be a pilot?"
-o0o-
"Well, I guess that's all I could think of. That is enough right?"
"Most of them just say goodbye and I love you, so yes. I'm quite sure your message is enough."
The corner of his lips lifted up in a half smirk. "If I said that, my brothers would think I'm being poisoned or something right now. Love is not what Holmes expressed easily."
"Guessed so. I'll take your words on that, Agent Holmes. I'll stop the recording then."
"No, wait!" The man cried out suddenly and the camera was jolted immediately. His sudden shout probably scared off the cameraman. "There's something I forgot to say," he said when he calmed down, "to someone." He paused slightly before tilting his head, probably to look straight at the cameraman. "Are you still recording?"
"…Yep."
The man took a deep breath, and for the first time since the recording started, a hint of smile appeared on his face. "I don't know if they let you see this or not," his voice was now soft compared to when he spoke to his brothers. "But in a chance they did… I want you to know… if I died before you… that I'm sorry. I swear I wouldn't leave you if I could help it. And… I," he paused again and cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable for a brief. "I love you."
-o0o-
The alarm clock rang loudly on his ears that he almost fell down from his bed from surprise. Even after years having that blasted clock, he still hadn't get used to how loud it could be. He let out a big yawn as he turned off the alarm. Groaning from the lack of sleep he had, that man stood up and walked towards the dresser where he put his cell phone on. If he remembered correctly, he wouldn't need to go to the airport early today.
He paused momentarily when he just realized what date it was today.
Four years ago today, Sherrinford Holmes was officially dead and many mourned for his death.
Four years ago, three weeks after Sherrinford's funeral, Martin Crieff appeared on a boarding house in Fitton where he rented the attic for himself as he tried to live his dream as a pilot.
Just as the realization dawned upon him how long he had not seen his family, simultaneous texts came to his phone and distracted him from that thought.
The job is still here in case you get bored being dead –MH
I have to hide today because of your death. This is getting ridiculous –SH
Happy death anniversary! Please tell me you've changed your phone like I told you to. –AH
A smile lifted on his face, reading his sibling's ranting. Guessed there really was something that would never change.
-o0o-
"You will have to tolerate it once since I won't be able to say it again to all of you. But I do love you, and I hope my death won't affect your life too much. Mourn for me but never dwell on it too much. Yes, I'm talking to mother and father. No need to argue how you never care for sentiments and compassions. I'm sorry that you have to bury me instead.
My name is Sherrinford Holmes. I'm Agent 009 in MI6, and if you watched this, I'm already dead. Goodbye."
The video stopped at the smiling face of Sherrinford Holmes. That was the face that his family would burn in their mind if someday later they wanted to remember him.
Since then Alric focused himself on how to utilize technology to save agents from situation like his brother. He later was contracted to MI6 when they caught rumors about the computer genius.
Sherlock removed memories of his twin and locked it in the most secure place in his Mind Palace. And when John Watson became his roommate in 221B and wondered why he practically live in Barts on that particular day and refused to return to 221B, he would only find out the real reason years later accidentally.
Mycroft used his brother's death as means to remind other officials that familial sentiment was not his forte. The first time he explicitly mentioned his other brother again was years later when they discussed Sherlock's punishment.