Prolouge~

The air is singing with the dust, and the cries of the children that they have broken free from this slave hold far from the sky. They are running behind them now, their bamboo canes flashing like swords in the Eastern Sun.

John holds his gun arm steady by cupping his elbow with his free hand. His jaw is set. As Shan(here alive, after supposedly being assassinated by Moriarty's people ) stands smiling, knowing she is beaten, and having no remorse.

Sherlock turns the bike to its side, causing the sand to lick up like serpents, and leave a cloud that will obscure the path Shan's bodyguards are taking to them. The bike spins in a perfect figure 8, not by accident, but by the guiding hands and all-observant eyes of the now legendary Sherlock Holmes. John can't help but smile grimly, never mind that this is going to end with fire and blood.

They park the bike in the middle of the mist. Sherlock leaps from it, and brings forth his bow, putting a raven arrow to the string, all in one motion. John is two steps behind him, the gun in now a more steady hand, but knowing that soon it will avail him no more, and he and Sherlock will have to result to the "baritsu" the martial art style that Mycroft had them train rigorously in.

Sherlock calls to the children ,mocking the enemy, in Mandarin Chinese, words to this effect:

"Hen jiandan, haizimen. Tamen shi ren zhi chanquing!" (which roughly translated means, "Easy children...They are only human!)

" Lian shenxian duhui haipa zhe yitian...(Even the gods will fear this day)" Shan answered him out of the dust, " Dang women si shi zhangzhen zai diqiu shang! (when we the Dead make war on earth)..." she began to cackle truly mad, and John sighed, remembering this crazy old hag now, from the night she kidnapped him and Sarah Sawyer, on that one date they went on that ended so very badly.

"Wo buzaihu shenme "shen" de xiangfa. Youren gaosu wo zhiyou yige. Ruguo yinci rang shang tian feng zuo chu lisuonengji de mingyun yinding shi wo de duizhang. ( I don't care what the "gods" think. I was told there is but One. If so let Heaven seal the day, and make me Captain of whatever Fate must be).." said Sherlock, and he smiled suddenly,

" Dan ni you liyou danxin wo. Wo zhidao ni zuole suenme. ( But you have reason to fear me. I know what you've done)." he gasped, with a steel-hard laugh.

Shan gave a shout, and the battle began.

John let a shaky breath as he cast his gun aside, and drew out the knives he kept in two holsters on his belt. He didn't care about the wars the Black Lotus had almost begun, or all the crimes they had swept under the magic carpet now. He was only here to protect Sherlock and these kids...