Chapter 10: The Spirits Escape~
In the end, the "Game" was very short-lived.
No sooner had they touched down in New York City, than did Mary call Mycroft:
"I'd say, to give you lot a head start, we should have a meeting ,in the Subway tunnels. Explain the rules, the setting, who plays and who watches...all of that."
Mycroft laughed bitterly, "No matter how this ends ,you viper, I will burn you when it's done."
Mary purred with sadistic laughter, "But the question is ,Mycie, will you be burning Sherlock too? I can't go to hell all by myself..."
" If Sherlock is the price I have to pay for the security of the United Kingdom, know this...You will be very lucky if you do go to Hell, and so escape me."
They met at the exact location Mary was, Mycroft having GPS downloaded to her phone.
"Naughty..." she laughed, when they drew close to her. She winked at John who was staring daggers into her.
"Of course, that will have to be ruled out, it isn't hide and seek if you already know where I am." she laughed.
"Am I right, Sherlock?"
But Sherlock was looking past her, at Charles Youngblood, also known as Charles Augustus Magnussson.
He stopped, and his face spread in a lop-sided grin, that made John's blood go cold, because he knew who Sherlock was smiling at. Maybe not from his face or reputation, but who else could he be? This was the man that had made Sherlock suffer, made him into a doll...That was all John needed to know, to know that ,before this Game was over, he would grind his bones to dust. His fists clenched, rage tearing at the reins of his muscles, like a team of a thousand Apocalypse Horses, and the rage was only reined in by the sickened horror of the look on Sherlock's face, in greeting to this sadistic man that had so brutalized him.
John held his breath. Icarus was about to surface again. As bad as John pleaded heaven for him not to, he was about to come out of the darkness in Sherlock's head again...
Sherlock giggled like an imp, and it bit like steel in the air.
"Fooled you." he said, simply, lips forming a silent "oh" ,like a child when he has done something very naughty.
"What?" Mary spat, confused.
Magnusson actually began to shuffle on his feet, unnerved by the way Sherlock was looking at him, buggy eyes blinking snake-like beneath his glasses.
"Sorry...It was such a convincing bluff...The idea for a Game...That I believed it myself. Too easy! Oh, Jim! If only you were here; to tell me how DISAPPOINTING that I am!" Sherlock laughed mockingly, looking skyward, clapping his hands together.
"Mr. Holmes...you have already...taken the poison...The Game...is happening?..." Magnusson began.
Sherlock shook his head, "Oh, but see...it's too easy! It's so EASY in fact,that you two...oh this is precious!- you two actually decided to lay down your swords and light up the peace pipe, and made some kind of bargain about what to do with my secrets when you had them,which is why you're here together, isn't it? And it's not only because this is the mother of all hallucinogens, its also, evidentially, some sort of truth serum too, I guessed as much by the effect it is having on me...You rigged the Game, and knew that you would win, because I cannot tell a lie to you, not under the influence of the perfected Akhlys poison.
Because protocol compels me,... I deleted the night of our bargain...But now it's coming back ,all clear, and you cheated...so I can't shut the door of my lips..."
Mycroft swallows, afraid that he's already lost this fight. John 's throat is aching, wondering what happens now?
What Sherlock says next makes the world seemingly come to a break shrieking, spark throwing halt.
"You precious little fools! I only made such a ridiculous bargain(damned from the outset)with you, because I knew that I was INCAPABLE of failure. There is no treasure chest full of mentally locked up secrets. IDIOTS!, There might have been once, but you forgot something very crucial ,when you made deals with me. A word of wisdom, never play cards with the Devil, you will always lose. And NEVER make deals with a Dead Man! And, by all rights, I am a dead man. The confidence you thought to glean from me...the secret details from in the deep, dark past...the images of those days, the feelings, the horror,... that all might still exist, engrained in my soul...But the information, the juicy details, of a past life is wiped so clean from any storage place within my mind, it is as if it never existed. Death has a way of clearing slates..." he is rolling with laughter now.
"See...I tricked you...Pandora. There is no treasure chest, nor pot of gold, no golden key to Neverland, ...no stairway to heaven for you...I lead you right into the trap. The box...Pandora's box, is full of only madness...of terrible demons you are not equipped to conquer. This is no Game. It is OPEN WAR."
And with that suddenly, Sherlock did something John would never have expected, never have even dreamed of. He lunged at Irene Adler, who was standing next to Mary silently this whole time, spun her swiftly around, pulling out a pistol she had concealed within her coat, and pointed it at her head. She let out a yelp, and her hands went to her throat, where his arm pinned her close to him.
"Shh...It's not you I mean to hurt..."he whispered to her, and Mary swallowed, realizing that she had miscalculated gravely.
"So...what?...are you going to steal my whore, and hold her for ransom?"
"No...I'm going to steal her gun." he said, and lifted the barrel away from Irene's head. Shot at the air to draw attention, shot at Mary's feet, pointed it at himself, laughing, truly insane now.
"What does it matter, anyway? All of it's meaningless anyhow? What?...no, don't look so anxious, I've already committed suicide once. It was most unpleasant." he pointed the gun at Mary now.
Irene was gasping, Sherlock still clutching her close.
"Please...whatever you do... just...please..." she began, babbling.
"Don't beg, Woman!, it's unbecoming of you. Like I said anyway; I have always been trying to save you." Sherlock hissed, with a snicker.
"What...what do you want, Sherlock?" Mary asked now, losing her nerve. Sherlock started laughing, maniacly.
"You wanted to make a deal, thought you would get something out of me, so I let you believe you would, to keep my friends safe. I don't want anything! There is nothing that you have, none of your skills, or the dirt he could dredge up for the Service on possible threats,... There is absolutely no bargain you can make now that will let you slither away from this, with your miserable life! You only have yourself to blame for your state of affairs; it really is your fault ,you know. The blood cried out from the ground, and consulted me, crying out for someone to get justice for them. I heard them. All of them...the blood you have spilled...
You, Pandora, never learn from history, do you? Of course, it was your destiny to unleash chaos in the world. I fooled you. You have opened my Box, and all the evil spirits have escaped. Hell spat me back out! I'm glad too, it was rather boring in the Darkness, being Dead...so boring. But you've let me out of my Box, so now it's time to play! On my terms..."
Mary swallowed, "And what...what are...those?...Why should I ...agree to them?...If I can't survive, I've got nothing to lose..."
"Don't you?"
Mary was silent, eyes going wide in terror, at the way Sherlock smiled.
"I'm going to destroy you...How is my business...But I can tell you how you can make it a better ending for yourself, and Ms. Adler here, and you too, Charles..."
Magnusson swallowed, looking like he was sick at his stomach. Sherlock was truly insane now. Icarus at his darkest...
Mary sputtered, "H-how?"
Sherlock smiled, a patronizing smile, like she should already know.
"A hair of their heads is touched...And..." he doesn't need to say what he's thinking, his eyes give it away...
"You...wouldn't. You don't have the guts..."
"I don't , you're right. Charlie ,here, ripped them out, and put them back in, all part of his little experiments, eh? Dolls are only for children though, poor fools. No more Games. Now we are grown-ups. Put up the toy swords...this is a real War...And I've learned a few tricks of the trade. I've sampled the very finest forms of torment, first hand...I can be more cruel than you can possibly imagine. But...if you keep your hands off them, I will keep my hands to myself ,as well."
He let Irene go. Smoothed her hair back in place for her. She shuddered, trying to fathom what exactly he was threatening, and shocked too. She knew him, once. Knew his whole family. She could tell when he was serious, and when he was only playing the Game...Such a threat, was echoingly hollow.
"See...I can be gentle too. No harm to mine; no harm to yours." Sherlock purred.
"Fair enough." Mary chewed at her lip, weighing the odds.
Sherlock took a deep breath, and smiled delightedly.
"New York City! Wonderful place for a new start,eh? I saw how the pieces were set ,before I even approached the board. You...the three of you...using your massive skill sets, have been playing the Crips and the Bloods against each other, haven't you? Come, do tell..."
"Favors...To ensure they'd play their parts , in my Game...Help me destroy you, making one massive puzzle that you just couldn't solve. I needed crime for hire; they are always available." Mary says, tilting her chin defiantly.
"Well, tell your boys I'm on my way." Sherlock said, tucking Irene's gun into his coat.
"This...is going to be LOADS of fun, Mary, darling! Ta!" he cried, and suddenly, he turned, and began marching away...disappearing into the Metropolis.
Magnusson clutched his chest..."You told me...you could guarantee a mutual benefit to both of us from this...You told me he would be weak enough! Mmm...but you are a bad girl, aren't you? I am terribly disappointed. And so, I am afraid... our agreement is off... from hence forth I shall be against you as well. " he spat at Mary.
"Oi! You've only got yourself to blame. YOU made him like THAT. Only God knows what kind of Frankenstein we've just let loose in the middle of our City!"
Magnusson turned and looked at Mycroft,
"Pity...Your brother would have made a wonderful criminal..." he said, and then he turned and marched to a long black car, disappearing himself.
Mary pulled out her phone, about to make a call to God-knows- who.
"I- I don't have to play fair. He sure won't. Make your peaces with the fact ,that Sherlock Holmes is going back in his coffin, along with all his spirits." she threatened, lips trembling, and marched to a motor cycle.
Irene stared into space.
"He could have...he could have...but he...didn't?"
"COME ON, ADLER! "
Irene stood on shaking legs, and looked at Mycroft pleadingly, as if asking him to forgive her...to save her. Then she turned away, and climbed on the back of the bike, and she and Mary were gone as well.
Mycroft was left standing there, with a small team of his agents, John Watson, Greg and Meredith Lestrade, Sally Donovan, Major Sholto, and Molly Hooper all blinking like bats let out into broad daylight,trying to process what had just happened...