[Sherlock]

As I slowly ascended into consciousness, disjointed colours and sounds overwhelmed me and it took my brain far too long to determine their meaning. The drug had left me in a haze where little made sense, and I struggled to come to a conclusion on both my whereabouts and how I had managed to find myself in such a dismal location. Eventually my thoughts finally made sense and I remembered all from the last few days. The memories were not pleasant.

My captors seemed to have lost motivation, and were frantically whispering to one another, eyes darting around in fear and disbelief. Ah, so Mycroft had arrived then. It had taken my dear brother long enough, especially considering what a frightfully terrible job my kidnappers had done. They seemed to be in a panic, and though my brain had not yet managed to turn the confusing echoes into actual conversation, it was clear they had not been expecting an attack. I smiled thinly to myself. This whole experience had been a rather unwelcome distraction from my current predicament of John's attitude to human beings, and I could only hope that Mycroft would hurry up in his rescue. I really didn't have the time to waste just sitting there rolling my eyes at the stupidity of the people I surrounded myself with.

When I was finally able to translate sounds into words I found that my suspicions were confirmed. They were talking about how their armed guards had all been killed soundlessly just seconds ago, by one man it seemed. If I had been able to I would have laughed, it was frankly hilarious that these men could be stopped by one of my brother's lackeys, and all without firing a shot!

I must have moved slightly, as the man I'd had such a lovely conversation with before he managed to drug me senseless came over. I sneered at him, at his cowardice as he left his small group of guards by the door, ready to be slaughtered while he came to use me as a piece of blackmail. Pathetic. I tried to tell him as much, but with the drug still in my system it came out more like "paffic". Still, he seemed to get the message.

After grabbing me and hauling me up from the chair I'd been draped over, he began to furiously whisper in my ear. "Listen here you bastard, you tell that friend of yours that no harm's gonna come to me, got it? Otherwise I'll blow your bloody brains out!" He brandished a small silver gun, and I checked it over carefully. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to be bluffing, as the gun did contain four bullets. Plenty to kill a man.

I was about to attempt to communicate the fact that I was in no position to talk when what he'd said caught my attention. Friend? I didn't know any of Mycroft's employees, and I certainly wouldn't call the man himself a friend. Surely the man would have used the term brother? Certainly he would have done enough research on me prior to the kidnapping to know of my relation to Mycroft? It didn't make any sense.

Quite suddenly, all noise stopped. Both my captor and I turned to the doorway at the same time (though my turn was significantly less successful) to come to terms with what was going on. The group by the door had frozen in panic and confusion from a single sound that came from behind the closed door.

The simple tapping of feet descending the stairs. Steady, and more surprisingly, singular. Only one man came towards us, one man to take on the group of armed men guarding the door. This man was brave, for not once did he falter in his rhythm, and he did not take any measures to conceal the sound of his footsteps. He wanted us all to hear him coming, for us to know that the sound of guns being prepped did not scare him, nor the promise of resistance on the other side of the door.

As the man, or woman, it was impossible to tell, drew nearer, I could practically see the resolve of the men in front of me weaken, and as the fear set in they could no longer hold their guns steady. Just when I was sure the door was going to open, the echoing footsteps abruptly ceased, and a thick silence filled the room once more. When no attack came after thirty seconds, my kidnappers began to show signs of confusion, though I only felt curiosity. This person obviously had a very quick mind, and knew how to completely overwhelm their opponents.

After a few more seconds, one of the men by the door felt the need to slowly open it, keeping himself out of the way in case the mysterious threat happened to just have stopped on the other side. However, it was easy to see that there was no one there, even in the limited visibility of the hallway, nor the stairs leading up from it. Now more uneasy, the men slowly began to creep into the darkness, leaving only a couple in the room with me. I watched, intrigued, as the small group of men appeared to find no trace of any man, and though it was too dark for me to see more than their outlines I was certain there would have been doubt etched on their features.

That's when the screams began.

One after the other, the group members fell to the ground, the only sounds being the strangled groans that escaped them, and the crack as their necks broke. Soon there was only one silhouette still standing in the hallway, and it was immediately obvious that this was the unseen attacker. The way he held himself, so straight and confident, was menacing. How he stepped over the bodies as he came towards us was graceful, and the way he stalked forward reminded me of a panther creeping in for the final, glorious kill.

I watched his movements with quiet awe, and his presence seemed to have an adverse affect on the two remaining men by the doorway, as they retreated back to the far wall, leaving the way clear for the man to come and retrieve me. My captor still held me upright in his arms with the gun in his hand, but he seemed unsure, and not certain he wanted to die in such a way. I didn't blame him.

"Stay back!" He warned the mysterious man who had taken to watching us from the shadows of the hallway. With a barely perceptible move, the man fired two shots, though they were not meant for the man holding me hostage. Both shots hit their targets, and the two guards fell against the back wall where they had been cowering, dead before they hit the ground.

It seemed as though that was the moment my kidnapper realised he had lost, and that there was little hope for him. He dropped me abruptly, and with no strength to rely on I collapsed to the floor. I was disorientated, and had no choice but to lie there and wait for the inevitable. There were a few sounds as my captor tried his hardest to beg for forgiveness and his life, but too soon came the sound of a gunshot, and the thump as his body hit the floor behind me. It was over.

I began my attempt at getting up, and was surprised when I heard the footsteps of my saviour get closer until they were right next to me. I felt strong hands help me upright, and I leaned in to the warmth of his body, still unable to open my eyes. I didn't need to, I had figured out who it was anyway.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"You're welcome." John said.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I have now officially finished my exams, which is why you guys get another update so soon! Please review, as I've said so many times before, it makes me happy!