Lestrade wasn't sure how they made it but they had gotten to the docks with ease. They exited the cars, hiding them closer to the street as not to get detected. Sherlock seemed to think he was in charge as he went up to Chara to tell her to get started. She had been reluctant to get out the van at first. But at stepping foot on the dock, her whole demeanor changed. Her fur bristled and a growl worked up into her chest before she calmed. Raising her head into the air, she sniffed every few seconds before turning her head to the left.
"I can smell other Strangers and those men here. I will eat the one who killed my darling friend." she snarled.
Bill put a gentle hand on her shoulders. The Yarders looked horrified of the statement. Sherlock looked like he wanted to let it happen and take notes while it did.
"That you can't do. They have to be prosecuted. Also, I think Lestrade wouldn't be able to explain that in a report." he said.
Chara looked disappointed. "Not even an arm? You still take him to human jail with one less arm."
"Not even that. Would you kindly lead us to the right warehouse?" Sherlock interrupted.
Chara nodded and strode between Sherlock and Bill, sniffing the air. She led the group deep into the docks to a row of garage sized warehouses. The last one near a bunch of shipping containers had lights are on. There was one man standing in front of the door with a gun strapped to his side, guarding the door. Lestrade gave the signal to spread out, keeping Sherlock and Bill with him.
"Is this the place?" he asked.
Chara nodded and growled, her hands clenching into fists as she was eager to kill. Lestrade spoke through the radio, telling them to secure the area. He then gave the orders to find a back entrance, subdue anyone then wait for his signal to enter. They had to avoid detection.
"I can be your shield. Guns are nothing to me. I wouldn't want any humans to get hurt. Your fleshly bodies aren't equipped for that. You'll be able to get in and I'll be right behind you." she said.
"We would need that gun. Could you knock him out and don't kill him?" Sherlock asked.
He was already mentally weighing the options of their being more men inside. More armed men at that though they would be caught off guard by their presence. The element of surprise was a short time slot. It seemed that they were secure that they wouldn't caught. The more offense they had, the better. Chara grumbled but agreed, herding them to hide behind the large shipping unit they were standing by. She explained she would tell them when it was clear before extending her wings and flying to the top of the unit.
She slunk low on her belly and crawled to the edge, making a menacing picture of a predator. She let out a terrifying sound that sounded like a mixture of a lion's roar and a cuckoo bird's screech. The guard didn't get time to scream as Chara pounced on him. A sickening crunch was heard and the guard let out a muffled whimper.
"You blasted bitch! My leg! You broke my leg!" he shouted in pain.
"Be lucky that is only what you get. If it were up to me, I'd eat your flimsy leg, human." she sneered, her snake head hissing menacingly in the man's face.
She called them that the coast as was clear, handing the gun off to Bill once they got close. Lestrade cuffed the man, knowing he wouldn't get far. Sherlock protested why he wasn't the one getting the gun. Chara explained that Bill being military was the reason and 'young pups' shouldn't play with toys. Lestrade didn't want Sherlock anywhere near a weapon that caused physical damage. His mouth alone caused more emotional damage that any wound could.
"Don't worry, Nancy Drew. You can get behind me if something goes wrong." Bill said as he did a quick check of the weapon.
"Hilarious."
"I'm just going to pretend I don't see a gun because we need the help. Sherlock, for the love of God, don't do anything stupid." Lestrade said as he got an update on the radio.
Donovan and the group had found the back entrance and had secured two men for arrest. They were now awaiting orders to go ahead. Lestrade confirmed to head into the building, making sure everyone was ready. Chara slunk ahead first and slammed the door open , hearing a shout of pain from the other side. She bounded with a screech, startling the smugglers.
"Scotland Yard! Put your hands where I can see them!"
There were a handful of men lazing about but were grabbing guns at the intrusion. It only stopped them for a moment but the sight was near unimaginable. Hundreds of creatures of lore, that weren't supposed to exist resided in cells. Things spoken about in various parts of the world, creatures talked about in superstitions, the beings that humans used to see centuries ago were in front of them. The cages were unlike regular ones as well. Some had engravings carved into them, slips of papers with incantations on them, little odds and ends of thing that prevented the creatures from escaping. At their presence, the place went into an uproar.
They had to dodge bullets by running through the cages, trying not to get killed. The men were well prepared more than they thought and soon found themselves pinned down behind a very unhappy abada. The creature looked at them warily, not even phased by the gunfire. It gave a small nod greeting to Chara, leaning against the bars of the cage.
Chara growled loudly at the men who were taking cover from the returning shots. The two men tried to figure out what to do to gain an advantage.
"This is bad. I'm running out of ammo and we're pinned down. If we sit here any longer, they will flush us out." Bill said as he leaned over Chara to shoot.
His shots managed to throw one of the men off, making him curse and dive behind a multitude of cages. He quickly ducked down, looking at Sherlock. They needed an idea. Lestrade had gotten separated during the fight. Hopefully he probably made it to one of his team. Still, Bill didn't like being a sitting duck.
"Alright Nancy Drew. We need a plan. Quick and in a hurry." he said with a frown.
Sherlock went into his thinking pose, not all sure to how to proceed. Their helpful sphinx could be used as an advantage but she was their only real cover. The pistol Bill was barely a match to the automatics the smugglers carried. Lestrade and his team probably had enough ammo but there was still the lack of hiding spaces. He frowned and looked around for anything they could use. His eyes landed on the lock for the cages. Including the obvious trappings (magical items to detain the creatures), they had electronic locks on them.
That meant there was a control panel around to disengage the locks. It looked more like a lever system than a key card one. He would just have to hack into the system and pull the right lever. It sounded easy enough but he couldn't find the panel. Looking towards Bill, he watched him check the clip of the gun. A curse left his lips before he squeezed further behind the cage. Sherlock noticed the creature in the cage and knew what to do. It was a long shot but it could work.
"Excuse me, do you know where the control panel?" Sherlock asked, indicating to the lock.
The abada in the cage narrowed its eyes at the detective. Its curled horns clinked against the bars as it let out a soft neigh. It was obvious that it didn't trust him.
"Possibly. Why should I trust thee, human? Are you going release us?" it asked.
Sherlock nodded, slightly distracted by the pure coffee color of its hair. It was slightly unsettling to hear a voice project into the air (with a strangely distinct Ethiopian accent). More so, he was talking to a horse (unicorn?). The abada scoffed (which should have been impossible, its mouth didn't move) before turning its attention to Chara. It observed how she protected them and spat acid on bullets that came too close.
"Sphinx, do you trust these humans? Are they here to release us?" It studied both Bill and Sherlock. "Do they belong to you?"
Chara glanced at the abada with a nod. "Yes and yes. They rescued me from the fate you are in now, abada. Though the pups do not belong to me. You can trust them."
The abada looked thoughtful before nodding. It turned back to Sherlock and told that the panel was other side of the warehouse. Sherlock poked his head out for a moment and spotted it. He could see it where a number of machines were set up. The only problem was getting there. The spacing between the cages was large. He wouldn't be able to get cover in time before being gunned down. But, it was their only chance.
"Bill, how much ammo do you have left?"
"I got half this clip left. Why?"
Sherlock turned to stare before motioning to the control panel. "I need to get there to release them. Can you lay enough cover fire for me to get there? I'm sure that Chara will assist you. " he said.
Bill looked unhappy with the idea but nodded. He looked at Chara for confirmation. She gave him a feral grin they looked more home on a lion then a human face. He took the as the answer he wanted. She told them that the abada was spreading the word not to kill the men if attacking. Bill looked at Sherlock to see he was ready and saw him poised to run. Checking the pistol again, he nodded.
Sherlock took off like a shot while Bill covered him the best he could. Chara had let out a roar and left at the nearest shooter, making his shots go wide. Sherlock kept his head down as he ran to the control panel. A shot went close to his hip once he got close, making him hiss and just run faster. He finally made it, somewhat impressed with the technology they were using. It was almost as good as the British Museum's. His fingers went as quick as humanly possible to hack into the system.
He closed out all outside distractions, distantly aware of the shooting. He had to focus. His stomach clenched uncomfortably as he heard Bill let out a cry of pain. He didn't want to look (he very badly wanted to look) to see if Bill got shot. With one last punch of the keys, an alarm went off as the hiss of the cages opened. It was distinctly quiet for a moment before the mayhem occurred.
All the creatures rushed out, breaking out the windows and doors to escape. Some did attack the men who shot at them but to no avail. Those who weren't affected kept going and those who were easily got replaced. In all, the chaos lasted a moment before the place emptied with a startling quickness. Those who were left were confiscating the guns to give the Yard or helping to heal the injured. He turned to survey what was happening, seeing Lestrade taking charge to get the arrested into the van. Sherlock could see an awestruck Donovan and other members given the orders to help those creatures in need. They had actually done it.
It was a bit disappointing that no one would be able to know but it was enough. Sherlock was privy with knowledge that only a handful of people in the world had. He started to look for Bill but was surprised as Chara landed in front of him. A cheerful smile lit up her features, her tail positively wagging at what she accomplished. She leaned over and gave Sherlock a peck on the cheek. She laughed at the startled look as she extended her feathers, pulling out one of her primaries. She waited until Sherlock touched it before closing his hand around it.
"Young pup; this was one of the liveliest nights of my life. I am glad that I can help so many Strangers and avenge a friend. But, alas, I cannot stay." Chara said.
Sherlock stared at the feather in his hand, feeling a strange tingling in his fingers at the touch. He placed it gingerly in the inside of his coat. "Your help was useful. Where will you go now?" he asked.
"Possibly back to Greece. Travel the world maybe. I've heard that the Egyptian 'gods' host a very nice party in the pyramids." she said with a shrug.
Sherlock nodded, not wanting to look too much into the statement. He was about to suggest a place when the sphinx placed a gentle hand on his arm. He looked down at her curiously, wondering why she looked so happy.
"You and your friend are very good men, Sherlock. The DI is as well. They both care for you very much. I have to say, I've grown fond of you during our short acquaintance." Chara gave him a fond look and patted his arm. "Break the feather and I'll come to aid you in any way. Keep your friends close, young pup."
With those last words, Chara walked away from him. She stopped at Lestrade (who she placed a sneaky kiss on) before taking off out the door and into the skies. Sherlock was suddenly reminded that he needed to check up on Bill. He didn't see him at the spot from before where a worryingly pool of blood was. He started to walk around to see where he was before being distracted by a mop of blond hair. In the third row of cages he was walking through, he saw John. He looked a little worse for the wear, resembling his picture slightly. There were scabbed claw marks down his hip and a few others (old, from the fight when he'd been captured, distinct jellyfish part missing [tentacles in neck seemed to be ripped away], scales missing on his tail) on him.
Sherlock knew he really should find Bill but he was rooted to the spot. He was watching the sandman fix up a fair-skinned tengu's broken arm with the cloth of its own clothing. Before he knew he was moving, he was standing near the two. The two startled and looked at him warily. The tengu was the first to realize Sherlock was not a threat. He thanked John for the assistance and was gone in a blur of feathers. John started at Sherlock curiously, the tentacles on his tail curling loosely around him. He leaned forward slightly to sniff at Sherlock before tilting his head at him.
"You know Bill. Is he here? Why do know him? Did he send you?" John blurted out. "How did you even find me?"
Sherlock didn't answer at first, composing himself. John had a pleasing tenor for his voice, some words sounding melodious with an accent he couldn't place. It was almost overwhelming the data he was getting from him. He quickly gathered himself so he could answer. He motioned for John to follow him, explaining that he was going to find him.
"He came along with me to rescue you. The name is Sherlock Holmes. He hired me to find you. It took me a bit of convincing, I will admit." Sherlock said as John slithered beside him.
John was looking all over for his friend. "John, but you probably already knew that. You humans are very stubborn when being confronted with things you don't believe in anymore. Downright dangerous even."
Sherlock couldn't help but nod in agreement when he spotted Bill. The man was sitting on top of one of the smaller cage, holding his arm. Blood dripped down from his fingers as an elf helped heal the wound. The elf's hands glowed a soft grey around Bill's arm. A mangled bullet came out his arm and the wound slowly knitted itself back together. Bill thanked the elf who nodded and made his way to another creature. Sherlock was itching to check how it happened but there was John. Though his chest loosened up at seeing Bill was fine. The man looked up at their approach, mouth open to tell Sherlock off but snapped shut at seeing John.
He seemed stuck where he was, disbelieving what he was seeing. John was the first to break the silence, closing the distance with surprising speed. He launched himself at Bill and hugged the man tightly around the neck. His tail coiled around the rest of Bill until he was practically in the man's lap. Bill seemed to sag against John and returned the hug just as tightly. They pulled apart and rested their foreheads against each other, not letting go. Sherlock looked rather uncomfortable with the scene and cleared his throat to get their attention.
Bill looked up, eyes wet with unshed tears but very grateful. "Sherlock, thank you so much. I mean it. No one else could have even done this."
Sherlock walked over and sat beside Bill, careful to not sit on one of John's tentacles. "No need. Though I'm sure you do something painfully sentimental to do so."
"I'll come up with better nicknames and bother you with obnoxious video games. Buy you dinner. Those kinds of things." Bill smirked as John laughed at his suggestions. "Might even buy you a bouquet of flowers."
"You wouldn't dare. Are you going to drive home?"
"Not at this hour. I wouldn't even try that long of a drive. Mind if we stay at the flat?"
"I would have suggested anyway. Lestrade will want us to fill out statement and all those boring things. Might take a few days."
"I take that as our cue to leave. You're hailing the taxi so we can get my car."
"Sure. Let me do everything, seeing as I've solved a very spectacular case. The least I can do is summoning us a taxi who won't go into cardiac arrest at the sight of John."
"Oh shut it, Nancy Drew."