Author Notes: Finally something original. Well, I say it's original, but only the premise is. Most of the content is borrowed from the first episode of the first season of Sherlock. Having said that, I liked writing this more than the previous chapters, so let me know what you think.

Chapter 2

"What on earth are you?"

The man froze, flummoxed at the genius of the child in front of him. It was uncanny how much the child's powers resembled his. Things looked bad for the Briton, but he couldn't betray the nature of the perilous mission he was tasked with. However, he felt that no explanation, however realistic, could deceive the intelligent blue eyes that seemed to bore through the very fibre of his being. Picking up on the keen and decisive footsteps that seemed to echo through the dark alley, he was reassured that the perspicacity of the young boy would be allayed by the arrival of his companion.

A few minutes earlier

Now that he was actually in London, the sight of the city overwhelmed him. Was this how Hakuba Saguru, another staunch Sherlockian, felt? "I guess there's only one way to find out," thought Conan, a wild grin that fit perfectly with the childlike persona he had created appearing on his prepubescent face.

Walking down the road towards Baker Street, he bumped into a flaxen-haired man's cane and dropped the ice cream that Ran had bought for him earlier. Aware of the unmistakeable bulge of a revolver when his hand grazed the man's pocket, Conan quickly let his grim features relapse, and wracked his brains for a plan.

"I'm so sorry, mister," exclaimed Conan. "I didn't mean to interrupt you. However, could I talk to you about something important? I lost my parents somewhere around here, but these Japanese tourists don't really know English."

"Sure, that's alright with me. " said he. "Why don't you check with them?"

"Ran-neechan, this man says he'll buy me ice cream. Can I go with him for a short while? I'll meet you at Hyde Park once we're done."

"Are you sure, Conan-kun? Oh well, we still have a lot of time before we meet Diana-san, so I guess it's fine."

"Let's go, mister," said Conan. "Could I borrow your phone for a little while? I need to see if I can contact my parents."

"Sure," said the man, blissfully unaware of what he was planning to do. Examining the phone, he quickly read the most recent messages. The earlier one, from a sender named Mike said, "I'm sure that you were surprised by SH at Barts. I do hope that you don't mind his eccentricities and get along well." The next one that caught his attention was "Don't be late, and make sure you brought that along. Waiting for you at Baker Street - SH" Smiling, he led the man into a dark alley.

"What's wrong, kid?" said the man, as he limped across to join him.

"You may be an ex-army doctor, but I fail to see how that accounts for your revolver, unless it had something to do with SH."

Looking at the man stagger back, thoroughly bewildered, he knew he hit the mark. His classic irrepressible grin spread across his features, he continued.

"Your haircut and posture indicate you are military, along with your tanned face and untanned arms being a dead give-away. Your limp too, is probably psychosomatic, seeing as how you unconsciously staggered, thus making it extremely likely that you were wounded in action. "

Conan saw an expression that he hadn't the privilege of noticing before on the man's face. That was odd, but this man didn't seem like a bad guy.

"There are the telltale marks on your fingers that indicate that you've held surgical implements for extended periods of time. Must be messy, trying to treat soldiers. Besides, you earlier received a text from a certain 'Mike', which mentioned "Barts". I looked it up and found that it was a hospital and medical school, probably your alma mater."

"More so, you seem to be acquainted with a certain SH, as indicated by Mike's text. I can only presume, from the context of the text, that Mike introduced you to this SH. Also, he hinted at the slightly eccentric nature of said person."

"I surmised that you met this SH only recently, but you placed an enormous deal of trust in him, for you seem to be set out to meet him. This SH must be interesting. I gather that you are his roommate, and are accompanying him on something dangerous."

The shocked man said, "But how did you know that?"

"You see, it's a trifling matter to construct a series of inferences, each simple in itself, and dependent on the preceding one. If, then, one were to knock out these central inferences and present merely the starting point and the conclusion, one would find that they would produce a startling, though possible meretricious, effect. Your phone is expensive, but your cloths are generic and beat-up. Therefore, it must be a gift. Many scratches, must be used. You wouldn't treat a gift, and an expensive one at that, like this. The engraving denotes that it used to belong to "Harry Watson". Must be your brother, your father wouldn't buy gadgets like this. Three kisses says it's a romantic gift, expense of the phone says it's wife, and not girlfriend. Seeing as how this is a new model, he got rid of it early on in the marriage. Indicates resentment - he left her. "

"You aren't used to London yet, and your limp indicates that you're back from war. You're not going to your brother for help, indicating that you either liked his wife, or didn't like his drinking. Little cuff marks around the charging point indicate shaky hands, caused by the influence of liquor."

"Just in, and you already met Mike. I only assume that the man he introduced you to was looking for a roommate. It's difficult surviving on an army man's pension in London. Seeing as how Mike wanted you to get along with this SH, we can assume that you aren't merely an acquaintance, for avoiding him would be easy if he were to get on your nerves. No, he must be intimately connected, a part of your life, thus being your roommate."

"Well then, John Watson. What is it that you have to do with this SH, seeing as how he asked you to probably bring your revolver?"

Now

"Edogawa Conan, a detective."

Conan heard an amused chuckle behind him. Was it SH? Turning back, he saw a tall raven-haired man with an aquiline face, a smile full of surprise and delight, and eyes that were so sharp and keen that even the Heisei Holmes felt a premonitory jilt.

"Well, well. Interesting find," said the owner of the voice. "Fancy meeting a detective here. Edogawa Conan, was it? Pleased to meet you. The name's Sherlock Holmes, and I'm a consulting detective."

Ending Notes: While Conan's deduction is adapted from Sherlock S01E01, the part about the telltale traces of surgical implements is from Detective Conan File 26 [Episode 7]. Let me know what you think, cause constructive criticism is really helpful. In addition, the Sherlock Holmes quote wedged in the middle was a paraphrased version of Holmes' statement in "The Adventure of the Dancing Men". The original goes as follows:

"You see, my dear Watson,"—he propped his test-tube in the rack, and began to lecture with the air of a professor addressing his class—"it is not really difficult to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each simple in itself. If, after doing so, one simply knocks out all the central inferences and presents one's audience with the starting-point and the conclusion, one may produce a startling, though possibly a meretricious, effect."