"And you're unsupervised?" Dr. Ikari was wringing her hands in concern.

"You raised me to be a gentlemen, I am perfectly capable of escorting two young ladies to the country and back. Besides, we are meeting the local constabulary upon our arrival," Shinji sighed. They were in his room, packing his crate for the expected trip, and she was behaving as a mother watching her fifteen year old boy go off on his own would behave. The meeting of that morning had left him the afternoon to prepare, and he had given her the barest details of what was happening. She was nervous, concerned, and agitated. Of course, there was the whole issue of him hunting a murderer that probably affected her views on the matter as well, but that just had to be set aside for the moment.

"I don't understand it," she said, throwing up her hands. "The plans of your new employers make no sense. And really, why go out there at all? Isn't Blackwood here in London? You're putting yourself at terrible risk."

"That's the plan," he mumbled, and then regretted it. Very rarely did he let things slip, and only then, it was in the presence of his mother. She had that special power that mothers had over their sons, in which she could compel him, without any effort whatsoever, to spill secrets, feel like a toddler, or generally do foolish things. Her eyes narrowed at his confession, and he clapped his hands together, closing his eyes and gathering his thoughts. Well, nothing for it. She might as well know, since no else except him and possibly Mycroft did.

"Mother…if I let you in on my frame of thinking for just a moment, will it place you at ease?"

"No, but don't let that stop you," she said sardonically.

Shinji scoffed, and continued. "We are, for this past month, on the trail of Lord Blackwood. I am certain he has had Mr. Sherlock Holmes under observation, and knows about me. If he doesn't know what I am capable of, he knows my father. He has to assume that I am a potential threat."

"I am not feeling better," Dr. Ikari muttered.

"If," Shinji continued, "That is the case, and Mycroft did exactly as I requested without trying to be clever about it, and I imagine he did because he would have seen the crux of my plan, Lord Blackwood will know that our group will be leaving on No. 7 from the London Aeroyards at 10:00 on the morrow."

"I am not feeling better," Dr. Ikari repeated with growing irritation.

"He is supposed to know," Shinji insisted, "because he knows about me, but not my compatriots or their talents." Dr. Ikari, in truth, knew nothing about his compatriots, either. She knew that there were two young ladies of special ability that had been pulled into whatever little group that the elder Holmes had assigned, and that Mycroft Holmes was involved, but the details were still beyond her right to know. Still, something about what Shinji said made her eyebrows quirk.

"Wa…yo…" she stammered a moment, the full and horrific implications reaching her. "You're not planning on finding anything at Blackwood's Estate!" she snapped.

"Well, not entirely. If nothing happens on the trip, we could—" Shinji began saying, seeing that his mother was taking his plans with far less enthusiasm than he had anticipated.

"You're using yourself as bait!" she snapped. Shinji groaned, exasperated. There was certain reason why one should tell their mother plans that involved personal risk. The goal of course, to assure her that said plans were not so risky. There was, however, the possibility of pushing her in the complete opposite direction, such as was happening right now. With his mother, it was always a fifty-fifty chance that she could go one way or the next, and keeping the secret of Rei had disinclined him towards keeping too many other secrets.

Perhaps he should have kept this one.

"Lord Blackwood has covered his trail far too thoroughly, but we know that he is using subordinates. If we are lucky, and I insist that it is good luck if this happens…he will try to attack us. Preferably kidnap us."

"What would the benefit to that be?" Dr. Ikari grated.

"Because then we would have a lead," he said, "In the form of those captured subordinates."

Dr. Ikari shook her head. "The last one of his subordinates to appear blew himself up!"

"Yes, that is a risk," Shinji admitted, "But unlikely. He is clever because he is curious. It's true he might decide we are too much worth the risk to investigate, but we represent an unknown quantity, and one that shows the direction of Mycroft's movements. He will wish to pick our brains for those intentions, so as to better prepare his own moves."

"That is a stupid idea!" Dr. Ikari hissed, and Shinji shrugged.

"Of course it is," he conceded, "But that's the glory of it. It's so stupid that a clever person won't see the possibility of it being a trap. Lord Blackwood will expect someone connected to Holmes to do something clever. This is…more bullheaded."

"And stupid," Dr. Ikari repeated. She was starting to look agitated.

"Then enlighten me as to the plan you've been formulating, I insist!" he snapped. "I know that you have Lord Blackwood's address and itinerary already plotted in your head! Share it with the rest of us mere mortals!"

It was a cruel thing to say, and a cruel way to say it, and Shinji regretted it immediately. Dr. Ikari was only doing what any decent mother would do when faced with her son's foolhardy and possibly destructive actions, and he had responded in the harshest way he could think of. Dr. Ikari said nothing, only looking at him with hurt in her eyes, before standing up and leaving the room. He heard her door close down the hallway. Shinji sighed, and continued packing.


That evening, Shinji called upon the house at 221B Basil Street one last time. He found Sherlock Holmes in front of the fireplace, picking out a curious tune using atonal notes.

"The apprentice doth return," he murmured, not getting up or otherwise acknowledging Shinji.

"So…you weren't a tutor. Just a test," he asked, suddenly feeling bitter. There was no doubt in his mind that Holmes had perceived the nature of their relationship from the beginning. It was true, what Mycroft had said; he was smarter of the two. That did, however, lead him underestimate his brother in the worst ways.

He had intended to come and discuss the issue in more clinical terms, but his mother had declined to leave her room, and he was feeling snappish. The fact that he had yet to confront Dr. Fuyutsuki was also grating on his nerves.

"Are you saying you learned nothing from the month that Watson and I offered instruction?" Holmes pondered.

Shinji grimaced. "I'm saying I feel like a fool. For being misled."

"The only person, Shinji, who misled anyone was you. You allowed yourself to be misled, by missing the details," Holmes said. The tone wasn't cruel, but the words felt as such. "The Blackwood Case seems to have been lifted from my hands and bequeathed to you," Holmes added. "For what it's worth, I think it is now in capable hands."

Shinji nodded. "There is more to this whole affair than merely Blackwood, I feel. It won't be the end of it."

"It never is, dear boy," Holmes said with a smile. "Once you've solved one issue, it comes time to solve another, thus spins the wheel of time. Always another fish to catch."

"But who's the fisherman?" Shinji asked.

"And who's the fish?" Holmes agreed, winking at the boy. "I will not lie, I regret that you will not occupy these premises again, though I hope you will call upon my residence from time to time. I do see much potential for you, and your mental abilities. I do not know where the rabbit hole you've hopped down will lead to, but I hope you come out a wiser person, if not a happier one."

The boy nodded, and took his leave of the Great Detective.


The London Aeroyard evoked the image of a train station. The field consisted of six great hangers arranged in a semi-circle around a central arrival and departure point, where dirigibles could be guided down by flags and then towed to their appropriate hangers by small steam engines. In these hangers, there were facilities to allow passengers to embark and disembark.

Shinji was the first to arrive for their flight, on board No. 7, Hanger 3, destination Bixum Air Field. He sat on his crate, awaiting the arrival of his two female companions, and feeling uneasy. His mother did not see him off, and he declined to tell her he was leaving. He was teetering between guilt and irritation when he saw a large stack of crimson packing crates trundling towards his location. Something prickled in his ear, a second sense, and he knew. He knew, how he knew.

Alisha circled around the precarious structure, barking orders in German, English, and what sounded like seemed to be going through her entire vocabulary to ensure the arrival of her goods. She was dressed in a brilliant and stylish red skirt, with a white shawl with a matching hat. Shinji mused that she looked like a candied apple. Then his thoughts went to how delicious candied apples were, and how the analogy might apply here. Then he shook his mind clear of such boyish inclinations, and returned himself to the problem at hand—her massive stack of luggage.

"What…what is this?" Shinji asked, shocked and wondering if he should have mentioned that there was the very strong possibility of the dirigible never reaching its destination. Then he banished that thought, because it was silly, anyways. She was over-packed, period.

"Ah, good morning, Japanese," she said, mock cheer. "It is good you have arrived to help load my luggage. As a proper gentlemen should." He circled around the bags to see two exhausted plainclothes men who assuredly NERV agents, mopping their heads with kerchiefs.

"You do know, of course, that we are going to be gone for roughly…one day? Maybe two, not counting travel?" Shinji asked, incredulous.

"Do not assume your plans will survive contact with the enemy!" she snapped. "A soldier must be ready for all eventualities."

"This box is marked 'Shoes,'" he said, tapping a large one in the center with his finger. "Why does a soldier need so many shoes?"

"A lady must be prepared as well. Being a lady and being a soldier are very similar, you know!" she snapped.

"Hello, Shinji." He almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of the voice. It was so quiet, but it was right in his ear. He turned to see Rei, who had approached with less sound than a shadow. She was dressed in a modest black and green skirt, very conservative to Alisha's style, but flattering nonetheless. Seeing the girl here reminded him that there was a benefit to Dr. Ikari being in a bad mood; she wouldn't be here to send them off and meet her doppelganger.

"Good morning, Rei. Do you need help with your luggage?" he asked, putting Alisha's over-packing out of mind for the moment. Rei swallowed, and gently lifted a handbag that she was gripping with both hands.

"Is that it? Will…that be enough?" he asked, shocked. He knew that she essentially lived in the Secret Annexe, and was thus under supervision almost constantly. Did her handlers actually send her out on an excursion so woefully under-packed? Shinji expected Mycroft to have deduced his plan: is that why Rei had no luggage? Because Mycroft expected her back by the evening? No, that didn't make sense: he wouldn't have told her. The need for appearances was paramount right now, which meant, just as he was, Rei had to be packed and ready for a longer excursion. Which only left the obvious conclusion: no one had helped her pack, and she had no idea what she was supposed to bring. He sighed, looking back and forth between Rei and Alisha. One packed for the Nile, one packed for the park, and here he was stuck in the middle.

"Is it not right?" Rei asked, a nervous note in her voice. "Did…I do it wrong?"

Shinji smiled. Well, best keep up appearances. "I'm just worried you won't have enough for the trip. Have you ever traveled before?" She lowered her head. "No?" She gently shook her head from side to side.

"Well…that's fine. You're about Alisha's size, so I imagine you can share with her if you need to," he said in a low voice. He doubted that the need would in fact arise, but Alisha was correct. Plans sometimes had to change, and they may very well have to go to the Blackwood Estate and pretend to investigate. In that case, Rei would be out in the cold. Still…he doubted it would come to that, and the opportunity to irritate Alisha was too tempting.

"Good morning, English," Alisha said with a touch of threat. From the meeting yesterday until today, Shinji had begun to detect the barest hint aggression from Alisha towards Rei. She was starting to pull out the claws more and more, and for the life of him, Shinji couldn't understand why. There seemed to be something in the feminine psychology that began organizing members of the same sex into rivals or allies as quickly as he ticked off items he observed. The whole exercise seemed illogical, and it concerned him.

Then again, he was heading off on a wild goose chase of his own design to hunt down a maniacal serial killer who used black magic, all the while knowingly placing himself and his associates at risk as bait. At the moment, he had no high horse to stand on when judging others behavior.

This didn't change the problem he was observing in its infancy. Despite her victim's strange appearance, which even now was getting sidelong glances from people, and despite her apparent 'abilities,' Alisha had yet to move Rei from 'normal girl' to 'abnormal individual.' As such, she was starting to develop bad habits, and was becoming something of a bully towards Rei. To be fair, Alisha's aggressive nature was pushing her interactions in this case, but Shinji felt they needed to be curbed before they became something worse. Better yet, they needed to be misdirected.

"Is that all you have?" Alisha said, mock pity in her voice. "Well, I hope you make it last. It could be a long time wearing that same dress. It's a good thing it's so simple. That will allow it to survive the punishment better."

"It's not a problem," Shinji said, "I just figured we could allow her the use of your dresses if she needed a spare."

"Who are you make promises concerning a woman's clothing?" she roared, whirling on him. Shinji smiled. She took the bait, so now it was time for the hook.

"But Alisha…you are an honorable soldier of the Van Helsing Group! Surely it would not be below you to assist those in need. Like Rei here!" He set a hand on Rei's shoulder and presented her with his free hand as though she were a work of art on auction. She grimaced, looking down at her toes. Alisha looked bemused. "Alisha," Shinji crooned, "What better challenge would there be in imparting your feminine virtues and sophisticated views to this delicate flower here? Are you saying you are not up to the task?"

Alisha fixed Rei with a disdainful look, and the blue-haired girl cringed. "Hmm," she thought, "We shall see." Alisha turned and stalked towards the dirigible, her mountain of luggage following.

"What just happened?" Rei asked.

"A little reverse psychology. I threw down a gauntlet, and she is compelled to accept it. Rather than trying to cut you into ribbons, she will spend her energies trying to 'fix you.'"

"Does that mean I'm broken?" she asked in surprise.

"Of course not," Shinj said, offering his arm. Automatically, she accepted it, and found herself smiling. "That's the beauty of the plan. She doesn't realize it, however. She'll spend all this energy correcting something that is fine to begin with, and when she's 'finished, she'll be patting herself on the back and you two might actually be friends at the end of it."

"That's clever," she said.

"Well, I am a genius," he admitted.

"Don't be too proud of that," she said quietly, her tone somber. "Remember what they said about the fox that admired his reflection too closely."

"What did they say?" he asked.

"He never saw the hunter coming."