Madison King
Chapter 8
The Doctor puts away his sonic screwdriver. "Sherlock, text your brother," the Doctor orders.
"Why would I do that?" Sherlock answers. "He's sitting across from me."
"Just text him now."
"Very well," Sherlock agrees with a huff. "When we hear Mycroft's phone buzzing, you will be seen as a lunatic." He pauses as he puts down his violin (that he only had out to annoy Mycroft) and pulls out his phone. "Is there anything particular you would like me to tell him?"
"Send him these words exactly: 'Where are you?'"
"He's right in front of me!"
"Just send it," the Doctor half-commands and half-whines.
Sherlock sighs and sends the text. "I sent it," he says. There's a delay. "Mycroft's" phone doesn't ring, yet Sherlock receives a reply. It reads: You know I am not allowed to answer that question, little brother. It is a matter of national security. By the way, Sherlock, I still need to meet with you. – M
Sherlock visibly straightens up. "Doctor, John and I need to speak with you," he says as he stands up and grabs his coat and scarf. "Why don't we visit the café downstairs for a moment while we do? John appears to be famished. We shall return soon, Mycroft."
"But I'm not…" John starts to say, but cuts himself off when Sherlock sends him a sharp glare. "I could eat."
"Sherlock, why don't you send your friends out?" Mycroft says. Despite the text, this was all the evidence Sherlock needs to know that this 'Mycroft Holmes' is a fake. The imitation continues speaking. "They can go ahead to the café, and we can finish our conversation. Then, you can meet them there."
"No thank you, brother dear," Sherlock says. He doesn't let the fake Mycroft know what he knows. If this were the real Mycroft Holmes, he would have called him out already. "We'll finish this conversation later. You should leave." He holds the door open for the replica of his brother. He waits for him to leave and the front door to shut before turning to the Doctor. "Would you care to explain what happened?" Sherlock says. "What is a…Zygote, and tell me what was imitating my irritating brother." He pauses then mutters mostly to himself, "He's infuriating enough. I don't need a bloody copy of him pestering me."
"A Zygote is a big, red, suckery thing," the Doctor explains too-happily and child-like for their current situation. "They are shape shifters, and normally are better portrayers of their victims. That one must have been a child…or possibly have mental problems. Doesn't matter. Either way, your brother is somewhere nearby or is wrapped in poisonous 'spider webs.'"
"My brother would not reveal his location to me, but it's not overly difficult to find," Sherlock says
"Because he texted you…Oh!" the Doctor says a little too excitedly as he comes to a realization.
"What?" John asks.
"Think about it," the Doctor says excitedly. "The Zygote could not pull off an effective interpretation of Sherlock's brother. What if he's not completely covered with the webbing?"
"What are you going on about, Doctor?" Sherlock says with a groan. "You're going to lower the IQ of the entire block if you continue to talk like that…not even Anderson's that much of a bloody imbecile."
"Sherlock," John says. "Be nice. The Doctor is trying to help us. You can call Anderson an idiot next time we see him."
"What did I do wrong? Although he is not here, I just gave him a compliment."
"And you called him an idiot." John points to the Doctor. "He's trying to help you find Moriarty, remember?"
John and Sherlock continue to argue over Sherlock's manners for several long moments. John hisses at Sherlock as he tells him to be nicer, and Sherlock's answers gives himself a reason for his disrespectful comments. Sherlock's face remains cold. Their argument is cut short when the Doctor clears his throat and speaks up, saying; "Hello. Sti-"
"Yes, we know you're still here," Sherlock retorts. "Now, describe your ridiculous theory in depth, so I can prove it wrong. This 'Zygote,' this thing, it could not pull off my elder brother effectively. Why? You mentioned that Mycroft might not be completely covered in some form of webbing. Your idea seems preposterous, but I will let you continue your explanation before I completely discredit what you have to say. After all, you are an expert on the universe, and as John can confirm, I care little about whether the Earth goes around the sun, the moon, or 'around the garden like a little teddy bear.'" When Sherlock says the last part, he speaks slightly higher than normal to add emphasis to his distaste. His disgust is due to the waste of space that knowledge of the universe takes up in his mind palace and the confusion that he will never admit to from a lack of that very information.
"John turn around," the Doctor instructs too-happily for John's comfort. "I'm going to use you as a visual."
"Okay," John says. It sounds more like a question than a statement. John turns around slowly; he almost jumps when the Doctor pushed one end of Sherlock's scarf between his jumper and the collar of his shirt. "What in the bloody h-" John says and he squirms in discomfort as he reaches for the scarf that is hanging from him like a cape.
"Keep it on," the Doctor insists. He fiddles with the scarf for a moment. That receives a huffed, "I really don't like this" from John. Then, he turns John so his back is facing Sherlock. "Picture that instead of your scarf, these are the 'spider webs' that were at the warehouse. A zygote is…it's a shape shifter that kills people because it cannot sustain someone's image without being within a certain distance of that person or it being wrapped in a cocoon of this sticky, poisonous, spider web…stuff. If one wanted to impersonate your brother without…wait, what does he do?"
"He is the British government; although, if you ask him, he claims that it's only a minor role," Sherlock says. He sounds very bored and uninterested.
"Perfect!" The Doctor jumps with a clap. "The Zygote would have realized that and would not have wanted your universe's version of Torchwood to track them down. They would have covered him with only enough to keep the physic connection going…but where would they have hidden it to keep others from seeing it?" The Doctor's words slow and start to drift. "Oh!"
"Your theory is outrageous, and you had no reason to do what you did to my scarf…and John," Sherlock says rudely as he pulls the scarf-cape from John's shirt. "John and I will figure out who was disguised as my brother our way and without your science-fiction nonsense."
"What?" John asks. "What about Moriarty?"
"He will find me," Sherlock answers. "He always does. It seems to be a habit of his." Sherlock grabs his Belstaff coat. He quickly puts it and his scarf on before his bounds down the stairs. When he reaches the first landing, he calls for John to follow. John mouths an apology to the Doctor, grabs his coat, and follows his friend.