Fanglock Holmes: Elementary, My Dear Nudge (a Parody)

I've had this idea for forever, ever since it came up in my other fanfiction: Fang as Sherlock Holmes. We came up with it, and it's just hilarious. Fang, solving crimes with his trusty sidekick, Nudge Watson! Amazing, right?

So just imagine it. Fanglock Holmes.

Enjoy!

The flock was flying low over a forest when they heard the scream.

"Help! Somebody! He's dead!"

Max faced her flock in midair. She didn't even have to say anything, but she did anyway.

"We're going down there."

"But… if someone's dead…" Nudge started hesitantly, but she stopped talking and followed the others.

As one, they descended into the trees and got a better view. There wasn't anybody in the clearing at first glance.

Then they saw the body.

Nudge covered her mouth with one hand. "Oh my gosh…"

"Be quiet," Fang said softly.

The others turned to him. With his dark coat and thoughtful expression, he looked like quite the detective.

"Got something to say?" Max asked with a hint of irritation.

Fang dropped to the ground, out of the tree. He began to inspect the ground.

"There are footprints," he said at last. "Two sets. Two people came this way. We heard someone call out, so it must have been the other person. But where is he?"

"How do you know it's a guy?" Iggy dared to ask.

Fang waved a hand dismissively. "Simple. No girl would wear a boot that size."

He glanced at Max. "Well, most girls."

She shot him a withering glare, which he ignored.

He returned to looking at the ground. "The prints are spaced far apart, so they must have been running. But both sets stop here in this clearing. Nudge?"

Nudge jumped, nearly falling out of the tree. "Yeah?" she squeaked.

Fang didn't take his gaze away from the ground. "Check the body's shoes."

Nudge swallowed bile. She wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly. "Check… the shoes?"

"Yes," he said with impatience. "Check the shoes."

"Okay…"

Nudge hopped down, trying not to think about the dead body. She inched her way over to it, and without looking farther than she had to, she checked the shoes.

"They're boots," she said. As a fashionista, she couldn't resist adding, "The off-brand kind."

"Hm," Fang said. "They are muddy, I presume?"

Nudge nodded. "Yep."

Fang inspected the ground a bit more. "The other pair was a brand name. That set of prints disappears, so their owner must have walked onto the harder area. No mud to leave tracks in."

He stood up and walked over to the body. Nudge hurriedly moved away.

"The last footprints from the dead body are messy," he said. "The victim was murdered right here. The killer dragged the body to where it lies now."

Nudge turned green. She hadn't needed to know that.

"How does that help us?" Max asked, crossing her arms. To say she was impatient would be an understatement.

"It doesn't," said Fang. "What does help us is that the killer came from over there and left in the opposite direction."

He pointed in the direction of the body.

"Wait," said Nudge suddenly. "I thought you said the killer's footprints led over there." She nodded towards the set of footprints leading onto the harder ground.

Fang smiled mysteriously. "Did I say that the victim's companion was the killer?"

"Are you saying there's another person?" Max snapped.

"Oh, yes," said Fang calmly, choosing to overlook her glare. "And he was following these two hikers into the forest. He was waiting for the right moment, all the while making sure not to leave tracks in the mud. He came out right over there, fired his gun, missed, fired again and shot the victim, and was about to shoot the other, too, when he ran out of bullets. That was when the other man called for help and fled."

The flock was left in stunned silence. Finally, the Gasman asked in an awed whisper, "How do you know these things?"

Fang shrugged. "The bullet entered the body from behind. There's another bullet embedded in the tree to our right. The biggest mistake the perpetrator made was leaving the empty gun behind."

He pointed to the ground a few feet away from them. The others couldn't believe they hadn't noticed it.

Max let out a whistle. "I'm impressed," she said reluctantly.

"But seriously, Fang, how did you learn to do that?" Nudge asked. "That's crazy."

Fang met her gaze and just shrugged again.

"Elementary, my dear Nudge," he said simply.