Chapter 6

Having caught up, mostly, with the strange man who just ran out the building, Lestrade and Aven went back downstairs.

"Just so I know for the future, does he usually run off like this?" She asked the older man.

Lestrade just gave a long suffering sigh. "God help us, I don't even know anymore. He's just so unpredictable..."

Aven just hummed in response, removing the blue suit and putting her coat on again, thinking about leaving. The thing was, she didn't think she was going back to Baker Street just yet.

Frowning at her lack of definite knowledge, she took her leave, heading towards the main road at the end of the street. As she passed Sally however, the woman felt the need to give the younger woman some advise.

"Miss Ash!" She heard, turning around to see what the sergeant wanted. "A word of warning, stay away from Sherlock Holmes."

Finding that after dealing with a difficult genius who'd left her behind and having the feeling her night wasn't going to get any better, the young woman wasn't in the best of moods, her eyes having turned a darker, forest green in response to this. "And why would I do that?"

"Because he's a psychopath." the older woman replied with certainty. "And psychopaths get bored. One day he'll have his own crime scene."

Without missing a beat, Aven fired back. "He's no psychopath. And you really think if he's this good, simply committing the crimes will entertain him enough?"

Sally was stumped for a second before firing back in a petty voice. "He doesn't get paid you know. For being here. He gets off on it."

Aven frowned. "So he's helping you off his own back, for no reason other than to solve the case, and you treat him like this?" She took a few steps forward, the only thing in the small space between them was the crime scene tape; a line drawn between two sides. "You really should treat him with more respect."

With a final hard stare deep into the older woman's eyes, Aven turned and walked down the street, letting whatever it is that compels her guide her to where she needed to be. As Sally watched the strange young woman leave, she knew that there was something about her that should not be challenged; she didn't understand it, but just didn't have a good feeling about the unsual woman.

Meanwhile, Aven had found civilisation again but didn't want to hail a cab just yet. However, as she passed a kebab shop, she noticed the phone rang. Unsure of the reason, she found herself just watching it, hearing the rings call out to her, until a shop assistant went to answer it, the call cutting off just before he could reach it.

Shaking her head, she realised it probably wasn't such a great idea to be wondering the streets in an unfamiliar place in the dark. Picking up her pace, she soon found herself standing next to a red phone box, not too sure why she had stopped.

Two seconds later, the phone rang. Taking it as a sign, she thought why not, and went into the box, picking up the phone.

"Hello there." She greeted in a welcoming voice.

"There is a security camera on the building to your left." Came a male voice. "Do you see it?"

Okay, not what I was expecting…. But its got to be something, she thought, contemplating the idea of just hanging up and walking away, knowing that she couldn't really; this was meant to happen like this. "Who is this?"

"Do you see the camera, Aven Ash?" Was the only reply she got.

Sighing, trusting that her instincts would let her know anything she needed, she looked around. "I see it."

"Watch." It moved away. "There is another camera on top of the building opposite, do you see that one?" Looking about, she saw that one also move away from her. "And finally, there is another one on the top of the building to your right." The same thing happened again; there were no camera's facing her anymore, no one to see what happened next.

Sighing, she figured she may as well play along. "That's a neat party trick that one…"

The man on the other end of the phone just chuckled. "Get into the car, my dear. I would make some sort of threat, but I imagine your situation is quite clear to you."

"Crystal." She replied flatly before putting the phone back on its receiver.

Getting out of the red box, she then walked around and got into the sleek, black car. Sat across from her was another woman, a little older than her, but far more fancily dressed.

"Hello there." Aven said, trying to start a converstation.

The woman just looked up in surprise at her tone of voice. "Hi."

Aven sighed and thought she may as well try again. "I haven't been in London long." she started, the other woman still looking at her phone, but not actually typing. "Is it always like this? Or am I just having one of those days?"

Trying to keep a straight face, the mysterious woman took in a steadying breath before answering. "I think it may just be one of those days, Miss."

Aven just nodded, sighing slightly. "I think you're right." She became more sombre then, her eyes going darker still the dark greens and blues mixing together, like seaweed in the ocean. "And I don't think its going to get much better, do you?"

The mysterious woman didn't say anything to this, however secretly found she liked the gothic young woman, but felt sad that her day really wouldn't get any better.

After a few more silent minutes, Aven simply enjoying the car ride, the vehicle rolled to a stand still. Taking a steadying breath, the young woman got out.

Looking up, she saw she was in some old warehouse, shelves a fair distance away, the main thing in the space being a shadow of a man, tall, leaning confidently against a hook handled umbrella.

"Ah, Miss Ash…" He greeted as she walked nearer, a rhythm in her movements and a smirk on her darkly painted lips.

She could see him clearer now; a man, a fair bit older than she, wearing a sharp suit, obviously important and comfortable enough that she could see he had a plan.

She didn't know why, though she rarely did, but the man reminded her of Sherlock; self assured, trusting himself that his plan would not fail in any aspect, and if it should veer off course, he could control it.

This man was a Holmes…

"I do have a phone you know." Walking right up to him, she stood at her full height, shoulders back and a cheeky smirk locked in place, as was her gaze on him. "You could have just phoned me… on my phone."

He didn't break the eye contact. "When one is avoiding the attention of Sherlock Holmes, one learns to be discrete. Hence this place." He gestured around with his umbrella.

She causally looked around her. "Needs a woman's touch, if you ask me." Winking at him; she was trying to put him off slightly.

The mysterious man just chuckled. "You don't seem very scared."

"You don't seem all that scary." She shot back.

"Bravery-" He started, but she cut him off.

"No." She stated, looking deep in his eyes, her own going a beautifully bright lime green; she could feel it rising from the back of her mind, a reflex to keep up with what was going on around her; she was starting to see more and more….

The man didn't quite know what to do; he'd had a plan. "No?"

"Not bravery." She elaborated slightly.

He just frowned, not understanding the peculiar woman in front of him. No one ever challenged him like this; even Sherlock made a point of being more aggravating. This woman however just corrected him, calmly but without reason.

"What would you call it then?" He asked, trying to gain some control of the situation again, but also for his own curiosity.

A slow, soft smile slipping onto her face, he eyes becoming wider as the colour grew stronger; they were completely green, brighter than the boldest leaves of summer, shining out like nothing he'd seen before.

"Knowledge." She told him, passion and reverence clear in the word that slipped past her lips.

He frowned deeper, for once learning something completely new though at the same time thinking he should know this. She just chuckled at his expression, enjoying the rare curiosity rather than the typical dismissal.

Moving slowly, deliberately she approached him, going to circle him as she spoke. "You for example, learn, sir. You use that knowledge to either put yourself above or at least on the same level as others." Having walked almost half a circle, she leant in behind him to whisper in his ear. "But you have to learn…"

"We all have to learn." He shot back, feeling unusually like prey being stalked, the predator circling him, playing with it's food before making the final kill.

"Wrong." She dismissed. "I don't. "

Mycroft huffed, getting a little more aggravated. "Of course you do, or you wouldn't know anything."

She just chuckled, starting to circle him again, her foot falls deliberate as her heels clicked with every single step. "It is possible to know without learning, Mr Holmes."

He snapped his eyes to hers; impossible! "How can you know that?" Sherlock wouldn't have told her, nor his assistant… no one else was involved… how?

"I didn't learn it." She taunted. "I just know…"

The woman was starting to seriously unnerve him; she knew far too much already with no explanation of how. "Its just a name." He dismissed.

Spinning to stand in front of him, a foot apart between them, eyes locking instantly she snapped a retort. "But it's not, is it? It's so much more… It's a meaning, a class of person; a genius, wealthy, powerful, cold, difficult, unusual, outcast from and above the rest." she frowned slightly, seeing deeper. "And so bored. Even you, with all you do, are bored out of your mind." She took a step back, spinning in a circle, arms wide, indicating the entire space. "Its why you need this. Not to scare me." She laughed, almost insanely. "Because you!" she pointed at his, a perfect nail singling him out in the room. "You…are bored…doesn't it drive you mad…?" She taunted, enjoying the squirming man in front of her.

"Enough!" He snapped. Taking a deep breath - not used to loosing his composure like that - he spoke again, keeping his voice level this time, the tension still present though. "Are we done?"

She just smirked. "You tell me."

"I think we're done." He answered in return, turning to walk away, trying to get the last word in, finality ringing clear in his tone. "Time to pick a side, Miss Ash."

"I don't need to pick a side, Mr Holmes." She replied, not missing a beat, but causing him to pause in his steps, though he didn't turn to face her. "Fate alone decides where I go."

Mycroft only stood for a second more before carrying on with his movements, the click of the tip of his umbrella on the solid floor the only sound before he heard her phone go off, a text coming through to her.

Getting into his own car, he waited until hers drove off before making his way, the strange woman having thoroughly made her point that she was not some other acquaintance of Sherlock's; she was something completely new.

He had to know more.