[Sherlock] The Plague Game

At some point, Xia suddenly became a magnet for trouble.

Whether it was murder or robbery, blackmail or gang warfare, as long as it happened anywhere near her, it clung to her like bubble gum, making her the unlucky victim of one part of the whole affair.

From then on, Xia went to the police station more often than suspects who had to report in every week, and to the hospital more often than her doctor neighbor. London’s Scotland Yard and St. Bart’s Hospital practically became her other two homes.

With no other choice, Xia fled London to lie low. But things only got worse.

Then, finally, one day, something changed.

Two weeks after Xia returned to London, she was charged with murder. She had gone from being a victim of repeated crimes to a suspect.

Great.

She was out of money.

She was out of a job, too.

Now she was about to lose her freedom as well.

What, does Britain have a kill line too?

Is this the time they absolutely have to kill her?

Luckily, she got help from a free consulting detective: the currently hotshot Sherlock Holmes.

From then on, Xia was completely possessed by a demon.

She really couldn’t understand why Sherlock Holmes had so many damn things he needed to bother her about.

Yesterday’s detective:

"Look into this company for me. I sent you the name."

Today’s detective:

"Hack into the registry for me. I need information on this person."

The next second, the detective:

"Just come to 221B."

Xia: "..."

Xia: "Sorry, the number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again la..."

The detective, coolly: "Then transfer the fee for my previous jobs to my account as well. My bank account number is 1276..."

Penniless Xia: "Aren’t you a free consulting detective?!"

The detective: "Not anymore. John suggested I charge a reasonable fee, or one day we’ll both get kicked out of 221B for not paying the rent."

John Watson, eating breakfast and reading the paper, glanced over: "..."

Watson: "Don’t pin that on me."

Watson: "When did I ever say that?"

The detective, stopping at nothing to get what he wanted, glanced at his partner. "You have to strike where it hurts. It’s a strategy."

Xia: "..."

Xia: "Um, I haven’t hung up. I can still hear you..."

The detective wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest. He said dismissively,

"Then get on with it."

Click.

Outside the window, rain poured in torrents, the drops hitting the clear glass and blurring into a curtain of rain. Flames burned quietly in the indoor fireplace, giving off the faintest crackle.

The man’s chest rose and fell steadily, and his breath carried the sweet scent of alcohol.

He was fast asleep.

"Sherlock..."

Xia’s fingers finally came to rest on his lips. Her fingertip touched them cautiously, then drew back at once: soft and dry.

"If you can’t read someone, or if you understand them all too easily..." Her voice was so faint that it was barely more than a breath.

"Then that person might..." The words caught in her throat. After a long pause, they finally slipped from her lips. "...hurt you."

There was no reply.

Just as she was about to rise, a hand suddenly closed around her wrist.

"..."

"Then what would that person..."

His hoarse voice held a bewitching quality it never had during the day.

"...do to hurt me?"

In the dim light, his eyes were a hazy brown-green, clouded with a watery sheen. His thumb brushed beneath her eye. The feel of his callused skin inexplicably made her break out in a cold sweat.

"Tell me."

Geniuses are all strange.

No matter how they disguise or conceal themselves,

sickness, obsession, madness

are rooted in their bones and their flesh.

And love?

It is a dangerous liability, an addictive poison that makes people lose themselves.

How could a genius make such a mistake?

So...

"From now on, Sherlock."

Her jade-green eyes were shadowy, like a deep pool beneath dense fog.

"We are..."

On a cold, rainy night, the detective stood on the steps some distance away, eyes lowered, his voice flat.

"Opponents?"

She gave a laugh.

"No."

"Enemies."

Tips:

Antisocial Consulting Detective x Genius Hacker Lawyer

Both are powerful!

Plot to romance: 5:5

The plot drives the romance!

Slow-burn tension in the early stages, then they go all out, lose themselves in love, and fight each other to the death in the later stages!! (Not really.)

Worlds mainly covered: Sherlock, Person of Interest

Characters also include: The Good Wife, The Long Night

Timeline: After Sherlock Season 1 and Person of Interest Season 1, running concurrently

Pairing: Sherlock

Theme: Still look up at the stars, even when you’re stuck in the mire