A Dish Best Served Cold
Summary: Moriarty is out rule the world once again and he's had it with Sherlock Holmes's interference. He has a plan, but the detective's friends may pay the ultimate price.
Disclaimer All Publicly Recognizable Characters, Settings, Ideas, etc. are the Property of DiC Entertainment and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Original Characters and Plot are the Property of the Author. The Author is in no way Associated with the Owners, Creators, or Producers of DiC Entertainment. No Copyright Infringement is intended.
Chapter 5 - Uncooperative Prisoners
Moriarty's 1st Base, Unknown Location in New London's Underground
"I am surrounded by idiots," Moriarty announced as he walked along the corridor of his base. First he had had to oversee several projects that had taken hours. Then he found out that the Irregulars had managed to cause trouble.
When Deidre had woken up she had managed to con her guard into getting her a glass of water and a donut—a donut of all things—water he could understand but a donut? When her guard had opened the door the little rat had attacked. The guard hadn't seen it coming and was still unconscious. 'Girls been taking lessons from Lestrade' he thought, fortunately she hadn't gotten far and was back in her cell, the thing that bothered the master criminal was the fact that somehow she had still managed to get her donut and water.
Wiggins had also escaped temporarily, seems the guards missed a lock-pick when they had searched him. He had taken out two guards, and had gotten pretty far before being caught. 'I run the largest most effective criminal organization on two planets since the 1800's and my employees are experiencing difficulty trouble keeping two children under lock and key!"
'What has Holmes been teaching those children? Perhaps I shouldn't move them into the same room.' Moriarty considered, he had planed to keep the Irregulars in a three bedroom suite of sorts but the rooms hadn't been done by the time they had arrived due to the incompetence of his workers, it was finished now, however as it was 6:30 a.m. he was obligated to talk to Kerai and Damon before he saw to the children.
Entering the room where the two stood he addressed them, "I need you both at Baker Street. As soon as Holmes discovers his irregulars are missing I want you to bring him here. Inform him that if he desires the destruction of his friend he may remain at Baker Street if not he is to accompany you. Do not harm him, use the sedative I have provided."
"We know what to do Moriarty, don't worry." Kerai's voice was saccharinely sweet.
Moriarty glared, turned and left.
"Come on Damon we gotta go," she clapped her hands together gleefully; "Oh this is going to be such fun!"
00o00
Wiggins was not having a good day. He could not believe he that had been captured. First he lost had the fight by letting someone creep up on him, then he had let himself get caught trying to escape. He had to find Tennyson and Deidre he was sure that if Moriarty had him and Tennyson he had Deidre, he was responsible for both of them. Just as he decided to have another look at the door it opened dramatically revealing the loathsome personage of Wiggins's earlier thoughts
"Well boy. I have good news, your new accommodations are ready."
'Great' thought Wiggins 'wonder what decrepit cell he's going to shove me in now.'
When Wiggins didn't move Moriarty turned once again to face his prisoner, a cold glimmer in his eyes. "That was by no means a request."
Two guards entered armed with an ionizer. Wiggins sighed and followed Moriarty. As they walked the irregular attempted to absorb and memorise his surroundings. Eventually they came to a very large metal plated door that put the one in his previous cell to shame 'No way I'll be able to pick that' he thought with dismay.
Moriarty removed a key card from his pocket and zipped it through a slot in front of him. The door slid open immediately.
When Wiggins stepped in his face broke out into a smile. "Deidre, Tennyson!" He cried out as he ran up to them, and looked them over, "You're okay".
"Ya that Damon guy did a bit of a number on my wrist but clone head's goon squad patched it up," Deidre grumbled.
Moriarty grimaced at the 'clone head' comment; the girl had definitely been taking lessons from Lestrade.
"Nice to see they patched up your face," she continued.
"Tennyson told you about that right?"
She nodded.
Wiggins looked over at Tennyson he was in a smaller hover-chair that seemed unable to move as fast as his own or fly, and the only computer he had was a rather pathetic one that served only to produce the beeps and whurs he used to communicate. "You okay pal? They didn't hurt you?" the seventeen year old inquired empathetically
"Beep whur." (No I'm fine.)
"Good," replied Wiggins with a relieved smile.
"Now that you have all become acquainted with each other's experiences," Moriarty announced waving his hand towards the TV screen on the far wall in front of which their was a comfy sofa with a coffee table. "This is the sitting room. The screen is not connected to a viable television line; you will be able to view the news only after it has been recorded. That room there is yours Wiggins," He said gesturing to a door in the far left-hand corner. "The one next to it belongs to Miss Deidre. The one to my right is Tennyson's and right beside it the washroom. Oh and by the way I took it upon myself to have some of your clothes brought over."
At this last statement made the Irregulars paled. He had been in their homes?!
"Rest assured your guardians have not been harmed in anyway—though my men were obligated to sedate Wiggins's mother—but once again rest assured, she will awaken momentarily… if she has not already."
Wiggins pale face became flushed with anger, "Why you irascible evil good for nothing belligerent conniving piece of zed! You won't get away with this!"
'Irascible, belligerent? the boy has definitely been spending far to great an amount of time with Holmes.' Moriarty thought in annoyance, "Well now that I'm done playing gracious host I'll leave you children to your own devices."
The Irregulars watched him and the two guards that had accompanied him, depart, the door closing soundlessly behind them. Searching his pockets, Wiggins discovered that he still possessed his notebook. He scribbled a note on the first page and handed it to Deidre.
'Do you still have that lock picking set Holmes gave you for your birthday?'
Deidre shook her head, taking the notebook from him her written reply was brief, 'You?'
Wiggins also shook his head. He then held the notebook up towards Tennyson.
Understanding the unspoken question, if he had his lock-pick set, Tennyson shook his head.
Sighing dejectedly the three Irregulars commenced the investigation of their new quarters.
00o00
Sherlock Holmes had spent a restless night alternating between the list of robotic purchases, which seemed to be getting longer with each passing second, and the newspaper (yes those were still made and he did have them, he was old set in his ways and enjoyed reading the newspaper) for any hint of what Moriarty could be up to. The only thing he could find that Moriarty would be remotely interested in was another peace conference between world leaders.
At about 7:00 a.m. that morning Holmes received a call from Mrs Wiggins.
"Mr Holmes," she looked awful, and the detective knew immediately what had happened, "There was someone in our flat last night. I can't find my son anywhere and some of his clothes are gone!"
'No…' Holmes thought, his mind racing "Mrs Wiggins you must calm down, I will secure his safety, you have my word."
"Please."
Holmes nodded reassuringly "I shall need a moment to make a few calls." Quickly he punched in the number to Tennyson's and Deidre's parents and found that the other Irregulars had also disappeared.
'It's only a matter of time before they come for me.' He thought quickly as he ran into his room and started hiding various lock-picks on his person he even hid a few against his skin and held them in place with some scar makeup which he carefully applied so they looked like real scares and not hiding places for lock-picks. The lock picks were made from thermosetting polymers and difficult to detect with scanners. The process took him about ten minutes, when he was done he stepped back into the sitting room just as there was a knock at the door. He opened it to reveal two individuals—a woman and man who perfectly matched the profiles that Greyson had sent earlier, the profiles of the criminals who had broken into Lestrade's flat and kidnapped her.
He gestured for them to enter. He then sat down in his favourite armchair and wished he had a pipe to draw.
"What is it that you want from me exactly Miss Kerai?"
"You know who I am," she rolled her eyes, "I'm sooo impressed."
"I know quite a bit about you." Holmes replied evenly. "Your real name is Saru Wanatabe, you were born in Tokyo, you smoke cigarettes, practice calligraphy and before you came here to London you lived in Budapest. You also play ice-hockey and spent the morning practicing your aim with an ionizer after you enjoyed a batch of fresh pancakes for breakfast."
Kerai's eyes narrowed, "Impressive as I've heard, but it's not what I want that's important Holmes."
"Moriarty."
"Right."
"You will understand Miss Kerai that I am somewhat picky about the company I keep. I beg that you will keep this interview short." As he said this Holmes spared Damon a glance, what struck the detective most besides the man's size was his complete lack of human expression, his face was cold and distant and his eyes were nothing but some great void of crushed spirit, he didn't blink in the three seconds Holmes took to observe him nor had he since he entered.
Kerai laughed, a cold, cruel sound. "Well you're more polite then the others at least."
Holmes remained silent but slowly turned his head in the women's direction.
"Well here's the deal. Moriarty wants you to come with us. You are free to refuse of course" her tone was cheerful like a child who was about to receive a gift, "but if you do… Watson dies." here she paused frowned as if in though, "if a compudroid can die that is."
Holmes's eyes narrowed, he rose to his feet, got his deerstalker and Inverness as well as his cane though he doubted he would be allowed to keep any of them. He then walked to the door and turned, "Are you coming?"
Kerai smirked and Holmes stepped aside as she walked out the door, he followed suit with Damon trailing behind them. They climbed into a hovercar with the detective in the back seat.
Once they were on their way Kerai rolled up a window separating herself and Damon from Holmes. Holmes realised in a moment that he was about to be gassed and sighed, there wasn't much he could do.
00o00
Lestrade was laying on her bed, her stomach had finally decided to stop bothering her and the hunger pains had subsided. She was just allowing her thoughts to drift to the irregulars when the door opened suddenly Moriarty strolled into the room, Lestrade could tell right away she was not going to like what he had to say.
"Good morning Inspector Lestrade. How are you feeling?" His tone was oddly pleasant as if he had a very good day to look forward to.
'He's done something' thought the inspector "Skip the pleasantries Moriarty," She replied tiredly. "What do you want?"
"I thought you might appreciate an update, the Irregulars have arrived."
Lestrade sat up. "Where are they? Are they okay?"
Moriarty chuckled, "I assure you they are completely unharmed… for the moment. Deidre's wrist was fractured but was patched up quickly enough. Wiggins received a black eye but that has also been seen to. They are together in a three bedroom suite and I assure you quite comfortable. Holmes also has recently arrived. He is, unconscious at present but I have little doubt he will awaken shortly."
"What's your game Moriarty? The biochips the cell-divisor what are you up to?" she demanded, her eyes mere slits of disgust and horror.
"Surely Scotland Yard's finest is capable of solving such a problem."
Lestrade ground her teeth.
Walking over to the table the master criminal took a seat. "Now Lestrade I am aware that it is a challenge for you but perhaps you could attempt civility."
"Why would I be civil to a monster like you?"
Moriarty glared malevolently.
Lestrade walked slowly over to him leaned over, her eyes meeting his. "I swear Moriarty no matter what it takes, I will bring you down"
The professor smiled as his eyes took on an evil glint. Despite herself Lestrade shivered. Her foe noticed. "You really should be more polite to the … monster. Who holds the lives of your little friends in the palm of his hands." He stood up forcefully Lestrade took a step back and as he departed, suddenly he stopped, his hand on the door handle, and turned once again to face her. "I'll be sure to give Holmes an extra kick for you."
00o00
When Holmes awoke the first thing he realised was that he was sitting on the floor of a 10 x10 foot metal cell. In front of him was a screen and just to the right a heavy door. The floor naturally was cold just like the rest of the cell and he did not have his Inverness deerstalker or cane.
Also he was in shackles.
'How cliché' he thought sighing. They were modern looking shackles, instead of chains they had strong metal cords and the cuffs had a strange glowing strip on them, the cord originated from higher up on the wall which Holmes was sitting against.
He could tell that he had been searched thoroughly, all his lock-picks save the ones he had hidden with scar makeup were gone. 'Well,' he shrugged silently to himself 'at least I have not being denied their assistance.' The only thing stopping him from using his lock picks was the fact that there was also a camera glaring at him from the far corner of the ceiling.
Holmes decided to use his time to figure out what Moriarty was planning last time he had sought AI chips he wanted to create an army, while that was still a possibility it didn't explain why he needed them immediately. There was that peace conference. Holmes had suspected that Moriarty would try something ever since the detective had first heard about it but he couldn't replace the representatives without a DNA washer, assassination perhaps? It could cause a war. But that didn't explain the chips or the cell-divisor. Moriarty couldn't replace the representatives with robots, but with DNA scanners they would easily be detected…
Sighing in frustration Holmes leaned back against the wall, wondering what Watson and Lestrade would say in such a situation.
His mind drifted back to just a couple weeks ago when Lestrade informed him that a rest was mandatory and had commenced to drag him to an old movie matinee. The Terminator Trilogy… suddenly a gear in his brain clicked into place. A last everything made sense, Holmes could not believe that he was actually grateful to Lestrade for forcing him to view that "film."
A few moments later the door to his cell slid open and Professor Moriarty stepped out of the shadows. "Greetings Holmes, I trust you are well this afternoon? You slept quite awhile. Forgive me I would have visited you sooner but I was speaking to Inspector Lestrade."
Holmes's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fist in mortified anger. "If you harmed her…."
"Come now Holmes, I am a gentleman," Holmes scoffed as he fought to control his temper, "rest assured she has not being injured. She and the Irregulars are quite comfortable and Watson is also in excellent condition… given his current predicament."
"You have me, why not release them?"
"Two reasons: First as long as you are certain of their continued well being, you will be capable of withstanding any torture. Second Tennyson will be useful to me, I require a hacker of his caliber."
"To acquire the security details for the peace conference in an attempt to replace various world leaders with your robotic compatriots no doubt."
"So you able to ascertain the truth."
"I have discovered more then that. I know you plan to, courtesy of Fenwick, to create a living skin for the robots equipped with real eyes, hair that grows and skin that bleeds using DNA samples—that's why you stole the cell-divisor I expect such contraptions would have considerable difficulty healing. By what other method could you fool DNA scanners?"
Moriarty seemed to be genuinely surprised, he had not expected Holmes to figure it out for there was only one way he could. "You saw Terminator?" he asked eyes wide.
"Lestrade felt the need to insert pop culture influence into the various aspects of my education as a result I was obligated to suffer through several films originating from the 20th and 21st centuries."
Moriarty chuckled. "None the less I am impressed. But then I would expect nothing less from the great Sherlock Holmes." The criminal spat out his foe's name with hatred and disgust as he rummaged about his pocket, a moment later he brought out a remote and with great deliberation pressed a button. The cord on Holmes's shackles immediately began to retract into the wall and the detective was forced into a standing position, with his wrist at shoulder level and his back to the wall he was defenceless.
Moriarty smiled, "I've waited a long time for this. Let us see how long you last." The villain's fingers twitched in anticipation, all the planning had lead to this moment...
Raising his right hand the criminal swung his fist into his enemy's stomach. Holmes seized and Moriarty raised his knee slamming it into Holmes's chest, sending him reeling against the wall. Moriarty tensed to attack again, but Holmes just as Moriarty started to raise his leg, kicked as fast and as hard as he could hitting the criminal squarely in the chest. The kick took the wind right out of him, but all the criminal did was back out of range and smile.
"You have obviously spared little consideration for your friend Holmes" Moriarty smirked as he took Watson's memory board out of his coat's breast pocket.
Holmes paled if he had planted the blow any higher…
"Perhaps as you seem to care so little…" griping both sides of the boar Moriarty began to exert pressure.
"No!" Holmes yelled a pleading look in his eyes, as he fought against his restraints.
Moriarty smirked and stopped bending the board. "Perhaps now is the appropriate time to demonstrate the purpose of those shackles."
"I was wondering about them, they are rather cliché." Holmes commented, having regained his composure.
"Why alter what has already been perfected?" Moriarty shrugged an evil smile playing across his face, Holmes was not disappointing him. What was the fun in trying to break a man if it was easy? He was pleased to see that Holmes was not afraid; he was going to have fun changing that.
He fingered the remote "Now let me think how best to demonstrate the brilliance of these new shackles?"
Holmes rolled his eyes. "I would think Moriarty that one as intelligent as yourself should be able to make such a decision without the assistance of his victim." (1)
"So true Holmes, but I thought I would indulge you and give you a bit of a say in the matter. Oh well, let us begin with the basics." He sneered stabbing the button with his thumb.
"Aaarrrgg—" Holmes's scream cut off, his throat tensed as pain blazed though his body. He felt as if he were on fire, being beaten and torn apart all at once. Never had he felt such pain. He could barley breath barley think, but he could still think. Through sheer force of will he remained silent. Not wanting to give his enemy any satisfaction.
Moriarty smiled as Holmes stopped screaming. This was going to be every bit the challenge he had hoped for. "Wonderful device isn't it?" He said in cheerful glee, finger darting to another button, "It directly stimulates pain receptors. Imagine the worst pain you've ever felt, that should be easy I expect your feeling it right now… now multiply it by a thousand."
Holmes' will to remain silent and his cold reserve could no longer survive under the strain, "Aaaahhhh!"
His scream reverberated throughout the room and would certainly have echoed throughout the complex if the room had not been sound proof.
"Oh that's right" cackled Moriarty. "You don't have to."
Holmes could not hear him, he could not think there was nothing but pain nothing else existed—not Watson, not the Irregulars, not even Lestrade. There was no past present or future no world just this consuming blinding pain.
"Aaahhhh!" he continued to scream one long piercing cry that never seemed to end as Moriarty watched on, his smirk growing more and more content as he laughed.
The strain on Holmes's system caused some blood vessel to burst and blood began to flow from his mouth, but still he continued to scream, never stopping.
After fifteen minutes the pain finally became too much for the great detective's system, his breathing stopped as he collapsed, held up only by the shackles that continued to torture him.
Moriarty pressed two buttons in rapid succession. The torture stopped and the cord slackened. Holmes collapsed in a heap on the floor barely breathing after a few minutes he began to stir. Moriarty walked over to his enemy "This is from the good Inspector" said before kicking the detective in the side.
"Ooomf" cried Holmes as he was forced to roll onto his back. The criminal then brought his foot down on the great detectives face and announced pleasantly. "This is where you belong Mr Sherlock Holmes. Underneath my heel. (2)"
And with that he turned and slowly walked out the door locking it behind him. Once outside Moriarty turned to his henchman Martin Fenwick. "Send a med team to repair the damage to our guest, I want him to be able to see straight. I shall be in my office, alert me when he is ready. Remember, he is to be given no more medical attention then is absolutely necessary for my purposes."
Footnotes:
(1) This line word for word was suggested by Bowen ain't it great? So Holmes.
(2) Is from Darkseid from Justice League Unlimited.
The next Update will be on the 14 of October before noon CST as usual.