Chapter Text
"Watson, I need you to help get the people out of here. There is an exit on the left, the bomb will go off in 15 minutes and we cannot cause a panic. I need you to do this for me, I will regroup with you as soon as I can
"Regroup? Sherlock we ALL need to get out of the building. Where the hell are you going off to?" John whispered in an urgent tone pulling Sherlock off to the side of the crowded hall
"John this is a matter of extreme urgency, you know what will happen if we don’t begin evacuating the building, and we do not need all the people in this room to have a hands-on learning experience of the type of damage the bomb can do. Stop wasting time and start getting individual groups out as fast as possible." Sherlock snapped and pulled himself from John's light grasp on his sweater
"Ok ok I got this," said John stammering like Sherlock knew he did when his anxiety was stirring up "But Sherlock?"
"Yes, John. what is it?" Sherlock turned around one final time, slightly annoyed at his friend's lingering
"God- shit just stay safe and get away from the bomb as soon as possible, ok mate? Don't throw yourself into danger when I'm not there to save you. I need to record it if you do" John said with a toothy grin and turned away to talk to the first group of people socializing near them
Sherlock walked through the hall at a rapid pace, giving him more than a few questioning looks. Possibly judgmental looks. Sherlock was not focused enough on their expressions to care. He was after the man who set up the bombs in this room, one man whose identity he was sure of now. Professor James Moriarty. Sherlock wanted to be the one to have the honor of finding him and leading the police to him. To finish the game of cat and mouse that Moriarty had started.
Sherlock reached the stairs leading to the passage to the building where he suspected Moriarty was right now. The thrill of the change was unexceptionally strong, and it almost blocked out any thoughts that didn't have something to do with the case at hand. He sprinted up the stairs, the sound of his shoes on the wooden stairs making a quick beat. He reached a door and flung it open.
Sherlock's heart missed a beat. It was serious now. He would need to be quiet, he did not know what Moriarty was capable of at this point. He took John's gun. He had taken it from his room earlier, and John had not yet realized. He didn't intend to use it but also knew Moriarty was a dangerous man. The stunts he had pulled so far had been proof of this, so Sherlock took his precautions.
Sherlock gently stepped into a hallway towards another door at the end. The silence was overwhelming but Sherlock knew he needed to maintain it. His steps grew closer to the door and he reached for the silver doorknob
Sherlock's hand wrapped around the doorknob and squeezed gently. He let out a shaky breath as he twisted. He pushed the door as gently as possible, it let out a loud creak which caused him to jump slightly. He directed his gaze slowly toward the room before him
Sherlock scanned the whole room. There was a desk and an office chair, worn out. There were bookshelves and a small coffee table with gray glasses placed on them. Yet there was no Professor Moriarty. On the table, he spotted a white slip of paper. He almost ran to look at it. His eyes read the paper and widened
Almost got me :( Come and find me next time! Go save Johnny, I’m sure he doesn’t miss getting blown up!
~J.M
He was too late. The cat was too disorganized to catch his mouse, and now he was the mouse being hunted. Sherlock felt as if the room were closing in on him. He grabbed the slip of paper and stuffed it in his pants pocket. Now only one thought filled his mind.
John.
He needed to get to safety and make sure John was safe. He needed to see if John had gotten everyone out. No, he needed to make sure John had gotten out, he knew John wouldn't fail him. He did know John would be a hypocrite and throw himself into danger if it meant making someone else's life better.
Sherlock looked at the old watch on his wrist. Only about 6 minutes had passed, though it felt like an eternity. He ran. Sherlock ran back through the winding hallway and down the stairs, he crossed the doorway into the room he had left with a crowd of guests, now having only 3 groups of about 10 people chatting with each other. Sherlock looked around the room for John. He needed to guarantee John was absolutely safe.
"Sherlock!" He heard a recognized from behind him, relief flooding through him
"John. How is it going with clearing the hall? I've called the police already, but I see they are taking their sweet time as per usual"
"Sherlock, I've gotten most of the groups out but these party-goers are exceptionally slow. I fear I may need your help, or we will never get them out in time." John said breathlessly
"Of course Watson."
Sherlock made a quick speech to the room about how there had been a suspected sewage pipe leak in the building and that the building was expected to be flooded with some sewage water within minutes. That managed to get most of the folks out quickly, and with those who were left, John argued with them till they left as well. Sherlock and John checked all around the hall to make sure that nobody was left
"John! Come along before it goes off! We have little time left!"
"Oh I'm sorry Mr Holmes for not rushing while you told me to clear out all people from the building," John said rolling his eyes
"This is not a joke, Watson there are 6 and a half minutes left, come with me."
"Alright, I was just kidding, coming"
The two men ran out of the building and began to get away from it, eventually slowing down to a mere walk. Sherlock grabbed John's hand impulsively
"I'm sorry I brought you here Watson, I know this probably brings back unpleasant memories, but I promise you I did not know about what would occur today. My apologies."
"Hey mate, I will admit I am a tad bit on edge, and maybe for the next few days in the worst-case scenario, but I am glad I was here to help you."
The moment was of course interrupted, a sound filled the street, but its origin was one Sherlock nor John expected. It was the sound of a crying child. From the hall, they had just left.
John ran. Bloody heroic John Watson ran towards the hall.
"Just wait here Sherlock" he yelled back "I'll get the kid and get back to you"
Sherlock of course did not wait and began to follow John. He felt himself begin to hyperventilate. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. John was supposed to be safe now that Sherlock was here. Sherlock knew he was going to have a panic attack, but his anxiety was needed in this moment, the man he loved most in this world was going to die and it was going to be his fault. He needed to help John.
Out of his peripheral vision he saw the cops arriving at the scene, but he cared very little for this. Suddenly a hand grabbed his shoulder tightly, stopping him. Through blurry vision, he knew it to be Lestrade
“Holmes, would you like to explain what on earth you are doing, there's a bloody bomb in that building, incase you needed reminding, and you are walking straight into it”
Sherlock couldn’t look at her, and tried to escape the iron grip she had on his shoulder, to no avail
“Holmes, I need you to breathe. Deep breaths” She said in a calmer voice, and took a deep breath show as an example. When Sherlock began to match her breathing and seemed calmer she began to speak again
“Good job Holmes, I now need you to tell me what exactly is going on, has the building been evacuated?”
“It was evacuated, but we heard what sounded like a child crying.” Sherlock took a deep, shaky breath in, before continuing “John is in there, and there is 3 minutes 50 seconds left on the timer." Sherlock said through a tightness beginning to form in his throat
" We'll send one of our men in to try and get him out of there. You did well Holmes, we will take care of it now"
Lestrade sent an officer in, who did a very quick search of the building. Too quick in Sherlock's opinion, he couldn't have paid attention to all the details in that short of time.
"Ma'am, he is not anywhere to be found. Nor is any child.”
The words echoed through Sherlock's head. So it was true. None of these idiots could do their job, Sherlock would have to find John himself.
Sherlock began to push past the officers surrounding the building
"Holmes!"
Sherlock heard Lestrade's voice but it was drowned out by one repeating thought
He had to save John Watson.
He HAD to save John Watson.
Who was he without John?
Only as he got closer and finally wrestled off the grabbing hands of the officers did the explosion come.
It blew Sherlock away, physically knocking him against a brick wall behind him. The heat from the explosion scorched his skin. The loud sound of it all made his ears only hear a high-pitched ringing. Sherlock thought he was dying.
As he held on to his last bits of consciousness in him he tried to get up, but the thought going through his head had now changed.
He had failed John Watson.
John Watson was gone and nobody was to blame, but Sherlock Holmes.