The alleyway was dark. Natalie tripped over more than one wooden crate of who-knows-what. She slowed down as she saw the way ahead was lit from a distant light above a door which held a silhouette of a person. She crept closer until she was positive who it was. "Sage?" Sage didn't answer, only motioning with her hand to stand beside her; her head was looking down. Nellie knew before she saw. A body of a woman, hardly younger than they were, was lying in a pool of midnight blood that streamed from what clearly were stab wounds. Some of the sky—stars twinkling like a night light in a child's room—was reflected in it.

"Do you think she bled to death?" Nellie asked quietly. Sage walked around to the side of the body, looking intensely at it.

"No." Her hands moved smoothly over the body, touching light as a feather over the arms, legs, neck and head, looking for signs of damage. Too late Nellie realized that Sage's fingerprints would be all over without the sterilized gloves Nellie kept in her purse. "Besides the obvious three stab wounds in her abdomen, there are bruises on both of her upper forearms. They're outline resembles large fingers with a powerful hold. On his left index finger he wore a ring." Sage paused, as if connecting something. "She has similar markings on her neck. A broken wrist suggests she tried to put up a fight to get away, but he grabbed her, twisting her back to him. He must have stabbed her then. But the death blow was a forceful kick to the cranium, shattered the skull into pieces. See how inflamed her head is? The brain practically exploded." Sage stands up slowly, with a soft sigh. "That could have been you tonight, if you went with him."

"What?" Nellie asked, confused. But Sage didn't reply in the way she thought she would. Instead it was, "Behind you!"

Nellie turned in time for the fist to go flying to the side of her face, knocking her off balance into the alley wall. She regained her stance and jumped at her attacker's back before he reached Sage. Nellie threw her lengthy arms around his neck and pulled with all her strength to bring him crashing down. She slid out from the falling form as he hit the ground. Their attacker's head smashed on the damp pavement, making a disturbing sound like broken glass, only slightly more muffled. Nellie flinched at the sound. His body twitched oddly. She barely had time to examine who he was when she heard Sage let out a gasp.

Nellie shifted ever so slowly to face Sage. She was held at knife point. "Don't move anymore or I'll slit you're friend's throat." There was something familiar about the voice, but Nellie didn't have time to place it. The man was in the shadows, his whole body jittering from fear or excitement or adrenaline. Probably all of them. Nellie knew that's what she felt like, but looking at Sage, her eyes calm and body still, Nellie also felt that everything would be alright. Her friend had a plan.

Suddenly, the man fell to his knees. Someone had smashed a crate on him from behind; someone who had been waiting in the total darkness. Two figures appeared. One tall, moving like he was part of the wind. The other shorter, but with a strong air about him. "Are you injured?" the shorter one asked, coming by their sides after tying up the criminal and removing his knife. He looked at Nellie's face. "It's okay, I'm a doctor."

"Just a punch to the face. Nothing I haven't had before," Nellie reassured him.

"What about you?" The man looked toward Sage, but she waved him off saying she wasn't touched. All the while the taller, skinnier man was bent over the woman's body. Sage went to him, mumbling her theories to him. Nellie was more interested to see who the attackers were and whether they were still alive to have justice's hand clamped firmly around them. Granted, if they were dead, she wouldn't have complained either way. She realized the man who checked on her came with her to the first attacker.

"I'm Natalie, by the way. Natalie James." She held out her hand.

"John Watson," he said in return, shaking her hand. "I would say it's nice to meet you. But I don't think this situation is a nice time to meet someone." Nellie laughed, "I agree."

After the small talk, Nellie pulled out a pocket flashlight and scanned over the man lying on the ground. Her first attacker had dark, curly brown hair, a flat nose, and his fingers on his right hand were bent at weird angles. Maybe the girl had broken them in an attempt to flee. He looked normal, an average man coming home form a long day at work. But in the shadows, his true form was revealed. John Watson held his hand over the man's mouth. When he felt no air, he moved his hands to his wrist for a second opinion. John shook his head. "You killed him."

"Oh well. Good riddance," she said lightly. "What? Bastard killed that girl and was going to do the same to us. It was self-defense," she said to his surprised look.

"It's alright. No one's going to blame you."

They went to check the other attacker. Nellie stopped short as soon as he was in the light. It was an unconscious Timothy. That's when she noticed his ring on his left hand. She remembered when Timothy grabbed her hand. It was there then. "Jesus. It really could have been me tonight."

John went to secure his bonds more tightly in response to Nellie's shock. "What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"I met him at the pub earlier. Wanted me to have dinner with him. First time I met him. I said no, well Sage told him no. She really saved me."

Just then there was a swift movement; something falling to the ground. The two whipped around, ready for another attack. But there wasn't. Nellie ran to the other two on the ground. The tall man was holding Sage as she clutched her side in pain. Her breathing suddenly came in rasps.

"Sherlock, what happened?" Watson asked.

"She collapsed." His hands removed Sage's and ripped off her coat. There was a shallow, wet gash on her side. "The knife must have slipped over her side when he fell." The man, Sherlock, touched two fingers to the slit. Sage gasped. He brought them to his nose, sniffed, then warily stuck out his tongue to them. "Poison. The blade was poisoned."

At his words, Nellie flung her purse from her shoulder to sit in front of Sage. She dug in, throwing out thin, plastic bottles filled with plants or liquid, some clear, other an assortment of colors. "What kind?" she asked frantically.

"Fiddleback spider venom," Sherlock answered, watching her closely, curiously.

"Dammit! I don't have that one's antidote!"

"Lucky for you, I do," Sherlock said solemnly.

"Well, give it to her!" Natalie yelled, frustrated at how calm he was, when her friend was dying.

"Obviously, I don't have it with me. John, get them to a cab. Bring her to the apartment." He gave out the order and was gone, walking swiftly away, leaving Watson and Nellie to cradle Sage to the street. There was a cab waiting for them. Sherlock was nowhere to be seen; but it came from him. Watson slid into the seat and Nellie followed after easing Sage in. The cabbie drove off before Nellie even slammed the heavy door. She looked at her brave, rash friend. Her copper locks stuck to her forehead with sweat. Sage's eyes dropped shut, her breathing more shallow than ever.

"Hold on, Sage. He'll help you."

Well, how bout that. What a weird place to meet those two. Well, not really. Does Sage make it out alive? If she does, how will this change their plans?

I plan on having this be a short story because long ones I don't usually finish. If I feel like adding more I can always make a sequel, but only if I have enough fans. :P

PLEASE KEEP READING AND REVIEW.