A/N: here's a flashback to the night before, like I said. It's a bit short. Hope you like it. -Bree
Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable
Chapter 2- Sherlock
I jerked awake. Looking around me, I could tell it was the middle of the night, and I was still sitting at the table, having stayed up late to work on an experiment. I hadn't even changed out of my suit; I didn't expect to fall asleep here.
Irritated that I'd nodded off earlier, I began searching the pitch black flat for whatever had woken me up. It might have been nothing, as I'm a pretty light sleeper, but I had to make sure.
And then I heard a creak like a footstep. I stood motionless, waiting to hear the sound again. It couldn't be John, I knew. He wouldn't sneak around if he had wanted to come down for whatever reason, he'd just walk normally into the kitchen, not bothering to be quiet, flip on the light, and then yell at me for still being up. Besides, I had heard nothing from the stairs leading from his room.
The noise came again, slightly louder, and followed quickly by a swearword, and then a quick 'shush.' There were of them, then, and both men, by the sound of their voices. One of them moved silently, and the other one fumbled around clumsily. I stayed where I was, realizing that they didn't know that I could hear them, and hoped that I wasn't about to get kidnapped for a second time.
It was a vain hope. A sigh came from one of the men, and, before I could react, the lights were turned on and I could finally see the intruders' faces. Unfortunately, they could also see me.
"What the h*ll…" muttered the shorter man, clearly having expected to find me sleeping in my bedroom instead of standing randomly and fully awake in the kitchen. I was even still holding a vial of chemicals, as I had just begun picking up my experiment a bit. For one fateful second, the men just stared at me and I stared back, all of us unsure how to proceed. Then two events happened in quick succession: a the vial I was gripping slipped and fell oh-so-conveniently into open container of acid, and the contents inside the vial mixed together with the acid and created an explosion.
I was thrown back and lay stunned for a moment, my senses tingling. The chemical outburst had left a shroud of smoke hanging in the air, so I didn't see the dagger until it whizzed right above my face, nearly catching my nose. I leapt up from the floor, but the smoke hadn't cleared yet. I didn't notice the man creeping up behind me until it was too late, as a fist slammed into the left side of my head. The last thought on my mind before I blacked out was not again.
A/N: and of course something had to blow up, it's my style, if you've read my other pieces. Reviews obviously appreciated. -Bree