Mycroft had an eyebrow raised as he watched John.
"I need a doctor, a good doctor who has experience with PASIV's and the Inception process."
"Inception is impossible, the army team I was in failed with planting thoughts every time"
"I've heard of a rogue team that have managed Inception but that's unimportant"
"Why me? There are plenty of other doctors in the world, go and black mail them."
"John, the case involves a man who was in Moriarty's inner circle, if we can get this information from him; at the very least I can prove Sherlock's authenticity."
John flinched at Sherlock's name.
Mycroft didn't move his gaze didn't waver, it remained fixed on John.
"Fine." John snapped "What do I need to do?"
John was lead into a room. The team he was supposed to be a part of were already sat around in there.
A young man was in the corner building a three dimensional skyscraper. If memory served John decided that he was the Architect, the rest were sat around the room on chairs chatting idly.
"You must be John Watson." A woman smiled up at him shaking his hand "I'm Sophia, Sophia Gray. I'm the Extractor, you've been briefed?"
"Yeah. I'm just here to patch people up if they get hurt in the dream world. Basically a Tourist"
"More of a Chemist, even though you didn't design the drug you will be administering it and entering the dream with us. Welcome aboard, come and meet the team." She moved one arm in an open gesture towards the rest of the room. "Over there is Peter Gray, he's my younger brother, he's a bit anti-social when building so I'd avoid him for now."
John nodded remembering his old sociopathic roommate.
"This is Mary, she's the forger she is very good if I do say so myself. And over there is Simon our Point man. Everyone this is John Watson, he's working with us for a bit." The room was full of nods and grunts, the Forger Mary came over to shake John's hand.
"Nice to meet you." She smiled warmly brushing her hair behind her ear.
"We're going in in about ten minutes. I'm sure you remember the process Doctor Watson?"
"It's John and yes not the sort of thing you forget in a hurry."
Sophia smiled before opening a silver suitcase to reveal a PASIV, she started removing the wires and setting up, John watched for a moment.
"Do you want me to show you the drugs?" Mary's voice caught his attention "Just so you know what you're working with, you can get the doses ready as well."
"Good idea." John smiled warmly already taking a liking to her.
"This way."
After ten minutes everyone was dosed up and plugged into the PASIV.
"In we go." Simon grinned and John felt himself get yanked out of the real world. Moments later they were in what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse, it looked extremely unstable but John had to admire the detail, Peter was obviously a very skilled Architect. John watched as the team starting to scan their surroundings. There was a rumble and some rubble fell away from the wall a few metres away from John.
"The Mark should be just down the street in the hotel there, he's shown a lot of interest in it in reality so we're guessing he would automatically insert himself there." Simon spoke while inspecting one of his guns.
"Didn't it occur to you that this building could fall down any second?" the deep voice came from behind the group.
John span around.
There stood Sherlock Holmes. He was dressed in his dark suit, his grey coat hanging around his legs and a pale blue scarf knotted around his neck, an amused smile on his face.
"Sherlock?"
Sherlock's face became emotionless as he raised a hand which was wrapped around a gun. John took a step back; he heard one of the others swear.
"People are so predictable." Sherlock drawled, and his finger curled around the trigger.
For a fraction of a second John's vision lit up red then he was gasping for breath.
"What happened?" Mycroft was stood a few metres away, looking interested as one after another each person plugged into the dream woke up, except the Mark.
"Why the hell did you not tell me that that was going to happen?" John yanked the needle from his arm and stormed over to Mycroft.
"What happened?"
"Sherlock."
"My brother is dead."
"Well it sure as hell looked like him and it shot us."
"Is this true?" Mycroft turned to his Sophia.
"I've never met your brother" Sophia spoke "But whoever the guy was he shot us all the second we arrived."
"You need to go back in." Mycroft said calmly.
"No, there is no way in-" John could feel his anger growing.
"We won't get another opportunity like this. My brother killing you was a glitch."
"Of course" Mary pressed a hand down on John's shoulder telling him to just comply "Doctor Watson if you would plug your-self back in?"
John glared at Mycroft a moment longer before returning to his seat.
John was more prepared this time; he didn't flinch as sleep pulled him into her arms. They were in a different building this time. It was modern, all glass and metal; John looked around seeing hundreds of people wandering around like they would in reality.
"How can all these people not be real?" John thought out loud
"The Marks subconscious feels the dream with people they've seen, or mixes them together to have some form of familiarity." Mary replied "Our own subconscious' can bring some in as well, that normally only happens with Shades though."
"Ok" John murmured, glancing around for the phantom Sherlock, but he couldn't see any traces of a billowing black coat or a tall skinny figure with dark curls. He was safe for now.
John trailed behind the others as they went upstairs, Peter and Simon disappeared off to the right leaving John with the others, he was lead into a fairly large shiny conference room and they got another PASVI out.
"Wait we're already in a dream how can we-"
"We're going down another level, less defence down there"
"Bit different from my day."
"Oh?" Mary raised an eyebrow at him
"We were told it was extremely dangerous to go down another level."
"Technology's advanced enough to make it safe." Mary assured him
"Ish" Sophia added smiling
"Ok"
Peter and Simon appeared at that moment with an unconscious Sebastian Moran, John picked up a needle flicking it a few times before pressing the plunger down into Moran's arm. Then came the PASIV wire which everyone had one of then they were in a hotel now, five star, luxury around every corner.
"Back so soon?" the deep baritone caused the team to turn around. The Consulting Detective had a gun on them again.
"Why are you doing this?" John asked "I thought you'd want Moriarty destroyed?"
Sherlock smirked "This has nothing to do with Moriarty. It's about you, you're just like everyone else, an idiot, if you had any sense you would've known Mrs Hudson hadn't been shot, but no you went after her, you choose her over me and now I'm dead."
"It's not like that. I'd didn't…couldn't-"
"Face it John" Sherlock's face was inches from his now "It's your fault I'm dead"
There was a flash of pain in John's skull and he was back in the conference room.
Mary woke beside him back in the conference room.
"Sorry" she said softly "I shot you that time."
"Why?"
"Because you've got a Shade and that can be very dangerous"
"A Shade?"
"In there, that wasn't Sherlock Holmes. That was your guilt about his death manifesting itself as a Shade."
"I wouldn't imagine him like that. He'd help us, he wouldn't…" John pressed the base of his hands against hands.
"All it means is that you haven't let go of him yet." Mary told him softly "There's nothing wrong with that."
"I've wrecked this whole thing though haven't I?"
"No, Simon shot the Shade it should be safe."
"If I go back down to that level he'll come with me."
"It's likely yes…"
"I should go….I'm sorry but when I agreed to help Mycroft on this I didn't see this happening for one second."
"That's ok" Mary rubbed his arm gently. "Would you like to meet up for some coffee tomorrow or something? In reality of course not here."
John gave a weak smile "Yeah that would be nice thank-you."
"Good." Mary smiled and then handed him a gun. John pressed the gun against his head flinching at the feel of cold metal against his temple, he pulled the trigger and the next thing he knew was that he was back in lab.
Mycroft was looking down at him. John ignored him for a moment unplugging himself before even looking at the elder, no , the only Holmes brother.
"No success?" Mycroft asked curtly
"I'm letting them get on with it. I keep bringing in a Shade that keeps killing us. So sorry but I can't help."
"A Shade?"
"A fake Sherlock that wants me dead." John said keeping his voice neutral, just.
"I see." Mycroft tapped the tip of his umbrella against the floor.
"Sorry but you'll have to sort out your own mess." John said walking past the elder man to exit the room. He didn't look back.
He's gotten Mary's text to meet him at the lab before going on their coffee date. She'd been busy all with mind infiltrating related activities.
John got there bang on six pm.
He was dressed in his cream cable knit jumper and jeans. It was only coffee he didn't need to dress up too much.
John scanned the room curiously; these people must spend an awful lot of time here. His eyes settled on the PASIV and the image of Sherlock with a gun flashed up in his mind. They had been in Moran's mind…maybe a psychotic Sherlock was his defence?
"What the hell." John murmured to himself and plugged the needle into his arm and let himself get pulled into the dream, he was in Baker Street, sat on his chair.
He straightened up walking over to the far wall reaching up to touch the bullet holes that surrounded the yellow smiley face on the wall.
"I thought you didn't like having bullet holes in the wall?"
John sighed softly "Going to kill me again?" he asked quietly
"Why would I kill you?"
John turned around, this time Sherlock was sprawled across his chair, dressed in pyjamas and his dressing gown his hair all fluffed up as if he'd just woken up. He wasn't holding a gun or any other weapon.
"Well?" John asked.
Sherlock frowned slightly.
"Well the last two times you either killed me on lectured me on how it's my fault you dead." John voice cracked. "So what's it this time?"
"I'm sorry" Sherlock said, he spoke the words were alien and he felt that they weren't words that should come from him "And it wasn't your fault." Sherlock stated, interlocking his long pale fingers on his lap while he watched John with that piercing gaze.
John froze for a moment, not sure whether this was a trick or not.
"Why don't you make some tea?" Sherlock suggested. John nodded, tea was good and calming just what he needed.
"You look like you need coffee" John tried to joke with the fake-mental-projection-not-really-Sherlock. He earned himself a smirk.
John quickly went and turned the kettle on.
"John?" Sherlock called.
"Yes?"
"Bored."
"This isn't even real how can you be bored?"
"Not real?"
"Don't worry about it." John muttered pouring water into the two mugs and stirring slowly.
Sherlock didn't thank him as he handed the lanky detective a mug.
"Any cases then?" John asked.
"If I had cases do you think I'd be in my pyjamas?" Sherlock's tone was dry and condescending, John felt a stab of pain as he realised how much he missed this man.
"Where's your lapto-" Sherlock was cut off mid-sentence. John frowned looking up to see an empty chair.
"Sherlock?"
John felt his eyes open slowly, the timer had woken him. That was the first time he'd woken from a dream due to the timer running out not death in a long time. He reached forward taking the needle from his arm. If he'd looked up a second quicker he would've seen the tip of a black coat disappearing out the door.
a/N: the cover/graphic that goes with this can be found here on deviantArt: fav . me / d55yz0p (without spaces)