Chapter 14
Watson
After saying my goodbyes to Mary, I headed for my solicitor's office and made out my Last Will and Testament. I won't go into details, but suffice to say that at the time I left all my assets to Mary and requested to be buried at a certain cemetery near a large church. Once my affairs were in order I headed to 221B Baker Street. My eyes were everywhere as I traveled, making sure that I was not caught by surprise. I almost shot a stray dog that ran out behind a corner along the way, but luckily caught myself before I destroyed the mongrel. With a sigh of relief I went on my way. As soon as I arrived at the lodgings I once shared with Holmes, Mrs. Hudson opened the door. She looked worried as she said, "Oh, Doctor Watson, it's so good to see you again. Mr. Holmes has been most anxious since he returned from visiting you."
"Thank you Mrs. Hudson, it is nice to see you as well, but Holmes and I have business to attend to if you would be kind enough to call him down," I told her. "I brewed a pot of coffee for you while I fetch him," my former landlady informed me as she went to Holmes's room. I sat at the old table and had a cup of coffee while I waited, being sure to savor the familiar surroundings as if this would be the last I saw of them. I started on a second cup of coffee when Holmes finally came down, looking as resolute as ever. "Watson," he greeted and had his own cup of coffee. "Holmes," I greeted back. We did not wish for Mrs. Hudson to know our mission.
After we finished our coffee we set out. "We shall first go to the East End tonight," Holmes informed me. We ended up walking to the East End, Holmes and I looking all around us for signs of the supernatural. After a half-hour I asked him, "Did you put your affairs in order?" Holmes did not look back at me as quietly he said, "Yes, some of my earnings will go to various charitable organizations, but the bulk will be split between you, Mrs. Hudson, and my brother Mycroft." I nodded at this and told him, "All I have will go to Mary. I would have included you, but given the circumstances thought otherwise." I then quickened my pace to walk beside him and said, "Sherlock." My old friend stopped and turned to me as I continued, "If…anything should happen to me, you will look after Mary, won't you?" He put his hand on my shoulder and reassured me, "I won't let that happen, but if it does, I will look after her, John." We both shook on it and said no more as we continued our search.
As we searched through the East End we encountered several prostitutes who tried to proposition us, which we declined. "I can't believe they're still out after the Ripper murders, and this latest one," I mentioned to Holmes as we walked. "Desperation can make people risk their lives for anything old boy," Holmes reminded me. We then heard a noise ahead of us coming from around a corner and stopped. "Watson, prepare to draw, but do not unless needed," Holmes warned me as I put my hand in my coat and gripped the handle of the ecto-blaster. Slowly and quietly we walked forward. As we reached the corner Holmes looked past us then quickly ducked behind the corner. "It's him Watson!" Holmes harshly whispered. "Did he see you?" I asked. "No, he's…chewing on bones," Holmes told me, "A human ribcage."
I tightened my grip on the ecto-blaster and said, "We can surprise him." Holmes nodded and put on the Ghost Gauntlets. "Fire as soon as you see him, I'll try to hold him still so you can finish him," Holmes told me. I nodded in affirmation and ran around the corner and saw the fiend. Samantha was right; he looked like the Devil himself, only purple! He stood at least seven feet tall with a goat's head with bloody fangs and black horns and malevolently glowing red eyes, the torso and arms of a powerful man with black talons where his nails should have been, and the hind legs of a goat ending in bloody hooves. I fired as soon as I rounded the corner, striking the monster in his left shoulder and midsection. Orion turned to me and roared, a chilling sound that sounded like a man and a goat shrieking in rage.
I stood my ground and continued shooting, and Holmes ran straight at the foul monster. Holmes yelled out as he jumped up and hit Orion's right leg, making the creature stumble. Holmes barely dodged the creature's other leg as it kicked at him. I ran towards the beast, shooting as I went. Holmes managed to dodge a swipe from the monster's talons then responded with a powerful punch to its ribs. The monster yelled in pain and then before our eyes it…transformed into a smaller creature, at least four feet tall, with the head of a lion and body of a hornet, and the claws of a crab where one set of legs would be on a hornet. The monster flew at Holmes who ducked just in time to have his coat torn while I fired away at the fast moving creature.
I missed more times than I managed to hit him as it flew around us. It came straight for me and Holmes pulled me aside just as it tried to bite off my head. With the speed of a man possessed Holmes grabbed the creature by the stinger and yelled, "WATSON SHOOT HIM!" I shot the monster as close as I could, making it scream in pain, sounding like a lion roaring with the resonance of a buzzing hornet swarm. I then remembered Daniel's tale of how his fallen friend had wounded the monster and struck out with all my might, lodging the barrel of the ecto-blaster into the monster's body. The creature then transformed again before I could pull the trigger, turning into a large serpent that soon was too large for Holmes to grasp.
The serpent hissed at us and tried to devour me, but I jumped aside just in time then shot it in its glowing eye. The serpent screamed and the monster transformed yet again, taking the form of an ordinary bat. The creature flew into the night, but as it departed I heard what sounded like an ancient curse in a voice that yet resounded with power. "Krgall Eyoun tr'gpoulkjh J'KA!" Holmes immediately put the Ghost Gauntlets back in his coat and said, "Hurry Watson, follow him!" I put the ecto-blaster in my coat pocket as we ran after the bat. As we ran, the creature turned invisible and we lost it. "DAMN HIM!" Holmes yelled up to the Heavens. We both finally stopped to catch our breath.
"We didn't stop him!" Holmes angrily growled. "But we wounded him," I pointed out. "He will have to go to ground later, maybe in the daylight we can find some clue and find his lair, or wherever he has been hiding," I suggested. "Perhaps," Holmes reluctantly agreed, "But we shall continue the search now while we can." I agreed and we continued to hunt for the wounded Orion through the night. But we could not find him.