A Dish Best Served Cold
Summery: 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.
DisclaimerAll 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 22 - Nightmares
Moriarty's 2nd Base, Unknown Location in New London's Underground
"Well Holmes as much as it grieves me to cut short this interview I've no doubt Lestrade would appreciate being ascribed of the recent fact that I no longer intent to snuff out the circuitry of the dear doctor. I shall show both he and Miss Callaway to the good Inspector's cell and then I should have sufficient time to see to any detail which concern you, if that is amiable to you of course?"
Holmes nodded silently his eyes fastened upon those of the criminal addressing him.
'Damit,' thought Mace, 'I wanted to see the climatic showdown. Oh well, I'll convince Holmes to tell me all about it when we get out.
Moriarty's face warped into a wide unsettling grin as he walked over to the door and slid it open with a great flourish of his lace draped wrist. Mace saw the six heavily armed guards but said nothing as she exited the cell. Halfway through the door she glanced back at Holmes. He nodded as if to say he would be fine, finding it impossible to resist the urge any longer, she ran back to her friend and gave him a hug. It wasn't a glomp—she knew he wouldn't like that.
"Don't antagonize him," she whispered then turned around and walked out the door followed by Watson.
"I was not aware Holmes embraced such affection," Moriarty commented with a raised eyebrow as the door whirled shut behind him, "especially with the likes of you."
Mace turned to him eyebrow raised. "'The likes of me?'" she asked a hint of anger in her voice.
"You are a criminal, arson, theft, mutilation, murder. Not the type Holmes usually associates with, much less shows affection towards."
"Ihugged him."
"He returned the gesture, rather unlike him."
"Awkwardly, anyone who knows me will tell you I'm affectionate. Besides Holmes is one of my sources and he's fun to annoy." They walked in silence for a moment before Mace continued. "You do realize that if you want me and my network to be of any use to you you're going to have to let me leave to contact my sources, right?"
Moriarty nodded, "You will be escorted."
They were silent for awhile longer until Moriarty intruded upon it. "I have taken it upon myself to arrange your relocation to appropriate surroundings. However, until your new quarters are ready you and the droid will have the inspector for company."
Mace and Watson said nothing. Watson was worried about Lestrade—she had been in so much pain and the sudden silence…he couldn't get that horrible moment out of his head. He had to see her, to know she was alright. After what seemed an eternity, they stopped at a door smirking, savouring the droids' fear, Moriarty opened it and gestured everyone inside. Watson was the first to step across.
"Lestrade!" he cried and rushed to someone Mace could not make out as she followed suit.
"I'll leave you three to catch up and become acquainted. I have business to tend to with Holmes."
"He was blasted by two ionizers earlier—he can't take another session!" Lestrade protested, turning from Watson.
"Is that a fact or an offer Inspector?" Moriarty asked with cruel amusement.
"Both."
The villain smirked "I'll bear that in mind."
"If you hurt—"
"You are in no position to threaten!" he yelled before closing the door.
"Wow you must have really ticked him off," smiled Mace as she turned to Lestrade.
Lestrade looked at the newcomer. The woman looked young very young—actually her face reminded Lestrade of a child—she had red hair, a grey trench coat that looked really old, a leather bush hat, and dark blue eyes. 'Hmm probably of Irish descent then, Moriarty mentioned a women named Mace.' "You're Mace right?"
"Ya I make my living buying and trading information—information that Moriarty wants."
"You agreed to help him?" Lestrade's tone indicated that she believed this was an act of treason.
Mace wasn't fazed. "Only so long as he doesn't hurt Watson."
"Oh… so he's not going to kill you?" Lestrade sounded so happy Mace couldn't help but smile.
"I must admit I am unable to discern which fate I should prefer, destruction or assisting that fiend as leverage against you Mace." He sighed.
"The Harrison family is responsible for fifteen deaths this year alone, Philipson is a pedophile, and Young has hooked more kids on drugs then anyone in the city. I wouldn't worry about it Watson." Mace told him. She turned to Lestrade, "Anyway, we should probably update you. Watson why don't you start with what happened to you after you two separated?"
Watson nodded and turned to Lestrade "After you left Inspector I picked up Holmes and…"
00o00
Holmes stood tall and proud as a man awaiting the executioner does when he wishes to maintain an air of dignity. He knew he was going to be tortured once more. He could only hope Lestrade did not volunteer. He tightened his grip on his cane as the door opened expecting to see Moriarty however it was Kerai and her faithful man servant who entered.
"Hey Holmes long time no see," the sadist waved cheerfully, "we are to escort you to a new cell with those snazzy torture shackles."
The Victorian could feel the glee dripping from her voice.
"I suggest you come quietly your girlfriend did something to really tick off Moriarty—he's dying for an excuse to hurt her."
Holmes stared at the pair. He thought he could take them but he doubted he could get to the others before Moriarty did. He retracted his cane and raised his hands.
Kerai waved her's dismissingly at his action. "You can put your hands down." She then walked out the door and Damon gestured for him to follow. As soon as he was out the door the strongman trailed behind the detective during the short walk to the new cell.
"Inverness, deerstalker, and cane pal." Ordered Kerai once they reached their destination.
Holmes sighed and handed the items over to Kerai who then gave them to Damon. She placed the shackles around Holmes' wrists, smiled, and the two left.
Holmes stood there waiting patiently for Moriarty taking the time to meditate and calm his mind. He would have to maintain a level head for this interview. Finally the loathsome creature strode over the threshold.
"I assume you are here to indulge in you usual pastime?" Holmes inquired stone faced.
"Well Lestrade did volunteer—"
Holmes did not move, he could feel the panic begging to swarm within him.
"—she mentioned something about your health and it's relation to multiple ionizer blast, I must admit I don't think it would be wise to test your limits. However Lestrade is not her strongest either, it really is a monstrous pity you were unable to hear her performance she is capable of the most glass shattering sheiks I have ever enjoyed. At least I assume you were unable to hear her." He walked over to the detective staying centimetres out of reach. "I would hate to think I underestimated you and that you are in fact capable of turning a blind ear to such cries of anguish."
Holmes' eyes narrowed and his knuckles became white as he clenched his fist, he forced himself to calm down, as something caught his eye a smirked spread across his face. "If I may be so bold, but it was the good inspector who broke your nose was it not? It is still a little crooked."
"Your concern is touching my dear friend" replied Moriarty as he ground his teeth. "But do not worry, she has paid for the loss of temper."
"Moriarty, I—so help me—I will see you behind bars yet." (1)
"As arrogant as ever, don't you see I've won? You won'tescape again. Face it Holmes the superior mind has triumphed." (2)
"Moriarty no one can have a higher opinion of you then I have and I think you're a depraved contemptible misborn." (1)
Moriarty's eyes bore into those of his captive. How dare this worthless corpse bring up that subject! "You are going to regret that Holmes, perhaps you have forgotten which one of us holds all the cards?"
"He who laughs last laughs best."
Moriarty took out the remote, deliberately setting it to seventy-five. "Indeed he does."
00o00
"You hit Holmes on the head and asked him how he managed to survive to old age in his first life?" Lestrade stared flabbergasted.
"Yep."
"Ha! Wish I could have seen that."
"You should have seen the look on his face when I glommed him!" Mace added. "Don't think he's ever been glomped before."
"I wouldn't be surprised." Lestrade observed before turning the conversation to their current predicament. "So you two have any idea where we are?"
"Unfortunately we do not," answered Watson.
"So you know what happened to us. Moriarty's really mad at you—care to tell us why?"
Lestrade told them. They stared open mouthed and Mace whooped.
"You broke his nose?! Ha! Anytime you want some information look me up and I'll do what I can. Wish I could've seen that."
"Indeed," Watson nodded with approval. "Capital work Inspector."
Lestrade couldn't help but smile this was worth the five minutes of torture, her mind flashed back to her conversation with Moriarty.
…"Well I think five minutes at seventy-five is enough for now seeing as you've already been through so much, and we're not in a very good position to offer you medical aid, what with our equipment being in storage and on a moving train."
He leaned over her so their faces were an inch apart. "But rest assured, your punishment is far from over."
He gently caressed the left side of her face with his hand forcing her to look at him. She could barley make out the sadistic smile on his face, everything was starting to blur. The next thing she remembered was waking up in this cell, on the floor, untied…
"Lestrade. Earth to Lestrade," Mace intoned as she waved her hand in front of the Inspector's face.
"Uh? What?"
"You spaced out hun."
'Hun?' Lestrade thought incredulously, 'Well she did glomp Holmes, guess she's affectionate.'
"What's on your mind?"
"Holmes."
00o00
"Don't tell me you've had enough already Holmes?" Moriarty jested rhetorically as his victim collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily. "Well, don't worry old friend, we'll have more time tomorrow only...," he grinned, "as I'm sure you'll be delighted to hear Lestrade will be gracing us with her presence"
Holmes said nothing he had to focus on his breathing. He had to calm himself before he said something Moriarty would make him regret. He noticed his hands and even his arms were shaking. He tried to stop their trembling by clenching his fist, only to find he couldn't move his fingers. He was feeling dizzy and was having trouble focusing on Moriarty's voice.
'The torture… the ionizer blasts are beginning to take their toll. What if Lestrade begins to feel these effects?' he thought as sweat dripped from his forehead onto the floor.
"What no—'Don't you dare touch her'? No—'I'll see you pay for this'? Really Holmes one would think you didn't care." Moriarty mocked.
"If I did not care then Lestrade would never have been subjected to this imprisonment in the first place." Holmes choked bitterly, but before he could continue he found himself on the floor the world spinning in a great tinted spire of red as the warm taste of iron met his tongue.
"If you had chosen wisely she'd have been freed days ago," replied Moriarty as he relished his opponent's state, a truculent smile upon his face. "Do you regret your decision?"
With great effort and concentration the detective rose to his knees once more and stared his tormentor directly in the eyes, the image of Lestrade being tortured in his place still fresh in his mind, so much blood. 'There is still hope,' Holmes told himself before saying aloud, "No."
Moriarty smirked. "Rest assured tomorrow is another day," he said as he knelt before the great detective. "She's petrified Holmes, I took the liberty of having her tied to a bed while she was recovering from her aforementioned experiences, she flinched at my touch when I reached for her face."
Holmes was beginning to see red. He'd tied her to a bed then put his filthy hands on her? A look of anger and hatred beyond anything he had ever felt or expressed spread like a toxin throughout his being.
Sensing weakness Moriarty continued, his grin never faltering. "I saw the fear in her eye's Holmes. Soon she will begin to realise the futility of her stubbornness. She will remember that she will never again see freedom, and she will break, like a twig. All due to the fact that you refused to slit your wrist that day… I wonder… yes… I wager I can convince her at her suffering is your doing, after all if not for you, she would never have come here, if you had accepted my offer she would have been released. I willturn her against you Holmes."
The detective was tempted to lunge at the criminal the shackles were loose enough that he could reach his throat, but then Moriarty's cronies would surly kill them all. 'Lestrade would never turn against me nor would Watson,' with that self assurance he forced himself to calm down, "Tell me Moriarty did this fear present it's self before or after the good inspector broke you nose?"
Moriarty sneered. "Hold your tongue Holmes. My agreement prevents me from harming Watson directly, but make no mistake, I shall not hesitate to make even he regret your words more deeply then you could imagine, the doctor cannot feel physical pain, but any mental torture is considered indirect and I will use such means on him."
Holmes glared at the criminal then smirked himself. "My dear professor, surly you have forgiven him for locking you in that shuttle craft with the lunar hound? Really Moriarty one shouldn't bare grudges. They are unproductive."
Moriarty rose and before he turned to go, gave the detective a kick in the face sending him sprawling onto the floor.
Holmes could feel himself losing consciousness. His last thoughts were of Lestrade and Watson with all of them sitting next to the fire at Baker Street, laughing.
00o00
Lestrade jerked her eyes open from her sleep, sitting up straight with a yelp, skin clammy and near panting for breath. Looking around she registered that though Watson was stirring, Mace hadn't moved. The young woman was sitting with her back to the wall, one knee drawn up, her arms crossed, and her hat over her eyes, same as she had been earlier when Lestrade drifted off.
"Lestrade," whispered Watson, "are you alright?"
"I'm fine Watson."
"You do realize my sensors can detect elevated stress patterns to help me determine if someone is lying do you not?"
"I'm fine." Lestrade insisted harshly.
"Lestrade you do not have to be Sherlock Holmes to determine that you have had a nightmare."
Lestrade turned to her friend and grinned weakly, "Watson… I'm fine really and like you said, it was just a nightmare, nothing more."
"I would appreciate it Lestrade if you are going to quote me, you do so accurately. I said you had a nightmare not that you just had a nightmare—there is a difference."
Lestrade sighed. "It's nothing really. Get some rest. Who knows when Moriarty will let you recharge."
"Lestrade I cannot, nor do I wish, to force you to tell me what your nightmare was about, but it does help to talk and I am more then willing to listen. I would very much like to help you in anyway I can."
Watson sounded so sincere and sweet that the Inspector relented. She glanced at Mace and then back at Watson.
"His eyes," she whispered softly.
Watson said nothing waiting for his companion to continue.
"Holmes' eyes are always so bright and full of fire and energy. There's always a glimmer of intelligence in them. But when Moriarty let me see Holmes after their first session…" She trailed off and after a long moment was able to gather herself together and continue.
"That fire… that glimmer of intelligence… it was gone. They were just glazed over and he was hallucinating, saying things like 'Lestrade don't go'. I was right there facing him but he didn't see me. He kept crying out wailing 'Watson where are you?' and all this other stuff—I don't know what he was seeing but it wasn't good. I kept trying to snap him out of it and I did eventually but… it was close."
By this time the compudroid had positioned himself next to Lestrade and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Anger coursed through his circuits but there was something far more powerful then this outrage within him—it was concern for his friend.
"And that's not the worst of it," she continued in an anguished tone. "He made me torture Holmes. I didn't have a choice. I know that and it's what Holmes wanted, he ordered me to torture him, but I did it. I put out that fire. I almost killed him, Watson." She turned and looked at Watson directly in the face.
"He's my friend and I almost killed him! If I hadn't insulted Moriarty, he wouldn't have pushed Holmes so far, he did that to get to me and the Irregulars wouldn't have had to watch if I had just kept my temper under control. And then today I lost my temper again and broke Moriarty's nose. He used that portable torture device on me again then said my punishment was far from over. What if he makes me torture Holmes again? I can't go through that again Watson!" She cried wildly in a broken voice.
Watson was at a loss for words. He hugged Lestrade and drew her close. They stayed that way for quite some time, holding and comforting each other.
'Moriarty tortured Holmes again,' thought Lestrade as she recalled something she'd promised.
…There's no way I'm letting you go through that again…
Her words haunted her. 'I failed.' Lestrade buried her face in Watson's chest and started to sob slightly.
Mace frowned beneath her hat. 'So that's what Moriarty put them through.'
The redhead considered Holmes a friend and though she had not known Watson for long found him endearing and considered him a friend as well and she found she rather liked the inspector she was brave and noble. Mace decided she would see to it Moriarty atoned for his actions.
She felt guilty that she had pretended to sleep earlier for when Lestrade had woken up Mace knew she had had a nightmare. She hadn't moved because she knew Watson was better equipped to deal with the problem and that Lestrade would not talk about it if she knew the third occupant of the room was awake.
Though she felt she was justified in her actions she felt as if she had betrayed them by listening to their very privet conversation. 'Well this is frustrating,' she thought, 'I'll just have to vent on Moriarty.'
00o00
Meanwhile Holmes was in his cell wondering how he would get the message to his trench coat wearing compatriot. He might not have the opportunity to talk to Lestrade tomorrow and he needed to tell Mace where the base they were currently occupying was located.
He had been sure to note which direction the train was going when they had first got on and he had been able to get a glance at Mace's compass before it was taken. He was familiar with trains and had a good idea of how quickly the one they had boarded could travel. All he had to do was keep track of the number of turns and in which directions. When the train had stopped he had a good idea of the general area they were located in and had not had a difficult time with his precise knowledge of London and its surrounding areas to determine where exactly Moriarty could keep a large underground base.
He knew the criminal would have to allow Mace to leave to contact her sources—she could get word out, provided he could do the same for her.
Footnotes:
(1) Like anyone doesn't know Basil from the Great Mouse Detective.
(2) Rattigan from the Great Mouse Detective, okay that's my favourite part I admit it
Next update is on the 27th of January remember to read and rate.