You Can't Beat Me (Sherlock)

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

Moriarty calmly walked through the hospital corridors. He knew the place well, after pretending to be working at IT. And it was an important place. Moriarty learned everything about any important place he visited. And what made this place so important was that particular man playing a game with Moriarty.

As he came to the door of the lab, he peeked in the small window. There was Sherlock, hunched over a microscope as usual. It was so funny to watch him work, picking away at his chemicals. Like ants scurrying around in an ant farm. Sherlock was an ant that Moriarty wanted to stamp out.

He pushed open the door. "Yoo-hoo!" he greeted in a high-pitched voice. "I do hope I'm not intruding on anything important."

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sherlock didn't have any case. So the detective had simply collect many samples of soil from all over London, turned them into a solution and was examining them. Already he had figured out the pH and now he was looking at the bacteria content. Next would be the minerals. All of this should help with any cases involving identifying areas in London based on the soil. It always paid to be prepared. It was then the the should of a door opening came. Sherlock expected it to be Molly, she always kept on checking up on him. But it wasn't Molly. This time it was more interesting.

"No, just examining some soil samples." Sherlock replied, looking at Moriaty. "But I trust you have a good reason to be disturbing me, anyway." The sleuth said, his tone betraying no emotions, although he was interesting in why Moriaty had decided to pay a visit.

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

Moriarty walked over to Sherlock and glanced over the detective's shoulder at his work. "Interesting," he simply said. "Well, I'm not here for much. I just like to keep tabs on you, Sherlock. Make sure you're not stepping into anything I don't want you to. I can't have you dying on me yet, can I?" He said it in joking tone, but he was dead serious.

He paced to one end of the room and back to Sherlock before pulling out a chair and sitting down beside him. The consulting detective and consulting criminal. What a pair. A pity they had to be on different sides. Moriarty would've liked the company of someone as brilliant as himself.

"I want to talk to you," Moriarty said. "Not about anything dangerous or life-threatening. No bombs or guns or knives. Maybe the occassional threat, but that's about it." He paused. "The fall will be here soon. And I thought we could...how do you say? Talk things over while we have the chance."

[Sherlock Holmes]

"Interesting," Sherlock barely glanced up at Moriaty, the detective still watching the mud samples under the microscope. While Moriaty appearing was something that should be interesting, there was work to be done and it was best to get it done. "Well, I'm not here for much. I just like to keep tabs on you, Sherlock. Make sure you're not stepping into anything I don't want you to. I can't have you dying on me yet, can I?" Sherlock glanced briefly over sy Moriaty as he said this. "I'd expect you'd find existance rather boring, if that happened." Sherlock replied without any emotion, even though the topic was on his death.

Now Moriaty was pacing, that suggested impatience and Sherlock figured that he probably either had a topic that he wanted to reveal or something was coming up soon, that will have been organised by Moriaty. Something to make 'him dance'. It entertained both of them. Sherlock solving the case, Moriaty organising it and watching. but Sherlock never viewed Moriaty as someone who he should be closer to. Their lines of buisness collided and they had the same way of looking at the world. But that always provided a lot of conflict. One only had to look at Sherlock's relationship with his brother, Mycroft, to see that. "I want to talk to you," This seemed to be new. No bombs or deaths. Still, it could proove to be interesting. last time he had spoken to Moriaty, the consulting criminal had tried to kill the detective and John.

Moriaty's next words echoed Sherlock's thought process. "Not about anything dangerous or life-threatening. No bombs or guns or knives. Maybe the occassional threat, but that's about it. The fall will be here soon. And I thought we could...how do you say? Talk things over while we have the chance." Sounded interesting and fair. Moriaty still seemed to be planning Sherlock's demise and by talking, it was quite possible that Moriaty would let slip some of his plans. "Sounds fair." Sherlock said, taking a slide out of the microscope and carefully placing a lable on it, with neat writing, explaing the area it was from, before placing it in a box of other slides. He made a note on a sheet of paper, also explaining the results he had found.

"You are certain that you will suceed with this 'fall'." Sherlock commented, getting a fresh pipette top and taking a sample from a labled test tube, and making a new slide, before carefully slidding it under the microscope. It didn't bother him, too much having someone who wanted to kill him in the room. After all, Moriaty made it quite clear that something else was going to happen, the 'fall', which so far gave two meanings. And both seemed like something that he could avoid.

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

"You are certain that you will suceed with this 'fall'."

"Completely," Moriarty answered, leaning forward as he watched Sherlock work. "We need each other, Sherlock. Like you said, I'd be bored to death if you died when I didn't want you to. You'd be the same if that happened to me. We're two sides of the same coin. Batman and the Joker. Tweety and Sylvester. One can't exist without the other. If one goes, the balance is upset.

"Not that that will stop me when it comes to the time."

He was silent for a few minutes as Sherlock got on with his samples. It was trivial stuff to Moriarty. Now the surprise he had in his pocket was something Sherlock would be interested in. But he didn't want to reveal his surprise yet. Not unless he needed to.

Moriarty still found it slightly amazing that Sherlock reacted so lightly to the subject of his death. He was a very complex person. So was Moriarty. So alike, yet completely different. Why did it have to be so? The things they could do together...if Sherlock had been a criminal, he and Moriarty would have been unstoppable. Well, Moriarty would make his offer now.

"I don't want to start the fall," Moriarty continued. "I've prepared it, everything is ready. The water at the top of the mountain is just behind the dam. I can remove it, and down, down, down it tumbles. But I don't want to do that. I want to solve our problem. The final problem.

"So I'm giving you a choice. If the fall does come, you won't like it. If you want to avoid it, you have two options. Either stop working as a detective. Let any crime around you happen. Just get on with another life like all the other normal people. You must drop it, you really must. But you won't want to do that, will you? I can tell. So I'll give you your second option." Now, Moriarty grinned. Sherlock could probably guess what it was as he had before, but Moriarty wanted to say it anyway. "You could join me," he said. "Think about it. You and me, able to do anything we want. Nothing could stop us. Doesn't that sound good?

"I'm giving you this choice, Sherlock, because, frankly, I don't want you to die. You're too extraordinary. We both are. Help me keep the dam intact." Another pause.

"What do you think?"

[Sherlock Holmes]

"Completely," Sherlock didn't even show any sign of caring, even though Moriaty's word meant that the criminal was certain that this game would end in Sherlock's demise. Looking away from his samples as Moriaty leaned closer, Sherlock's icy blue eyes regarded his enemy. Even though Mycroft had not made any attempts on Sherlock's life, unlike Moriaty, Sherlock still viewed his brother as his arch enemy. John might refer to it as childish but as far as Sherlock was aware, no one could pose as much threat or be annoying as much as Mycroft.

"We need each other, Sherlock. Like you said, I'd be bored to death if you died when I didn't want you to. You'd be the same if that happened to me. We're two sides of the same coin. Batman and the Joker. Tweety and Sylvester. One can't exist without the other. If one goes, the balance is upset." Sherlock didn't think the analogy was too correct. Things were never as simple as black and white. Sure things often appeared like that, though. Crime and justice seemed like that, just like Moriaty's analogy, but Sherlock knew that no one viewed him as perfectly good. Sargent Donovan thought that Sherlock would someday put the body there.

Then there was Moriaty's next words. "Not that that will stop me when it comes to the time." Another threat. Moriaty dealt them out neatly. "I don't think you'd be able to cope with out entertainment, as you pointed out." Sherlock said, returning his attention back to the sample of soil. Of course, there was Mycroft, but his brother wasn't interested in games that involved exercise. So Moriaty would probably end up being bored. Did this mean that Moriaty was going to put everything in on this last game? To make sure that there was no more fun that he could have had?

"I don't want to start the fall, I've prepared it, everything is ready. The water at the top of the mountain is just behind the dam. I can remove it, and down, down, down it tumbles. But I don't want to do that. I want to solve our problem. The final problem." Sherlock didn't look up from his work with the soil, instead giving a slight nod to show that he had heard what Moriaty had said. It was still no problem to Sherlock. The detective had trust in his own abilities to get him out of any trouble. Besides, letting Moriaty go on talking would allow a greater chance of revealing what was to come.

"So I'm giving you a choice. If the fall does come, you won't like it. If you want to avoid it, you have two options. Either stop working as a detective. Let any crime around you happen. Just get on with another life like all the other normal people. You must drop it, you really must. But you won't want to do that, will you?" That hadn't really been worth mentioning. Without crimes to solve, Sherlock's mind it destroy itself. "I can tell. So I'll give you your second option." Based on his knowledge that Moriaty didn't want Sherlock to continue his work as a detective, Sherlock could deduce the answer. Moriaty wanted Sherlock to join him. "You could join me, Think about it. You and me, able to do anything we want. Nothing could stop us. Doesn't that sound good?" "Not really." Sherlock replied, making some notes about the slide he had in his hand before putting it away.

Picking up another slide, getting a fresh pipette tip, the detective took another sample to make a slide from, while listening to Moriaty. "I'm giving you this choice, Sherlock, because, frankly, I don't want you to die. You're too extraordinary. We both are. Help me keep the dam intact." Sherlock looked up, fixing his eyes on Moriaty. "What do you think?" The detective remained silent for a second before responing. "You overestimate yourself." Sherlock replied cooly. "There will be many other factors that could get in the way." This, fo course, was leaving the topic open for Moriaty to reveal more about his plans. Would his opponent fall into the trap? Did he love the game too much, just like Irene?

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

"You overestimate yourself. There will be many other factors that could get in the way."

Moriarty sighed. "Yeah, I suppose there would be," he admitted. "But I've thought of everything. Everything. And believe me, everything will go the way I want it to." He gave out another sigh. "Well, I suppose I tried my best. There's no point in going on with it. I can see that you stand fast. A shame, really."

He leaned back again to watch Sherlock continue his work. As he did, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white paper back, filled with jelly babies. He reached his hand in to take one. But he didn't. Instead, he slipped the one hidden up his sleeve into his hands. Because the sweets in the bag were coated with a colourless, odourless poison. Moriarty was the only one who knew that. He had made it himself, with a slight bit of help. But he was still the only one who knew about it, because those who helped in wouldn't be saying anything ever again. The poison itself wasn't lethal, however. Once it entered someone's system, it could cause anything from muscle convulsions, vomitting, diarrhea, blurred vision, and the last stage was always unconsciousness.

Moriarty brought his hand back out of the bag and popped the safe jelly baby into his mouth. He chewed on it for a couple of minutes before finally swallowing. Then he held the bag out to Sherlock. "Sweets are something I rarely indulge in. I know you technically shouldn't eat in a lab, but wouldn't you do me the honour of sharing one last thing together?"

[Sherlock Holmes]

Sherlock glanced over at Moriarty as the consulting criminal sighed. "Yeah, I suppose there would be. But I've thought of everything. Everything. And believe me, everything will go the way I want it to. Well, I suppose I tried my best. There's no point in going on with it. I can see that you stand fast. A shame, really." If that was the case, then Sherlock would go with the flow of things, until the end, when he would resist whatever fall Moriarty was going to create. Then, Sherlock would win this game, just like how he had beaten Irene.

Sherlock was about to start on his next slide of soil from London, when he noticed movement, and his eyes flickered to Moriaty, who had taken out a white bag. It didn't appear that anything dangerous would be in the bag, but Sherlock didn't completely trust Moriarty. However, it appeared that it was just a jelly baby in the bag, well more than one. So not something worth his worry. Sherlock started to prepare another slide, aware that Moriarty was eating the pointless flavoured sweet. Picking up the slide, he placed it under the microscope and turned his attention back to Geology.

"Sweets are something I rarely indulge in. I know you technically shouldn't eat in a lab, but wouldn't you do me the honour of sharing one last thing together?" Sherlock didn't even look up as Moriarty said this, instead adjusting his microscope. "I'm not hungry. Digestion slows down the brain." Sherlock said, his gaze fixed on the micro-organisims in the soil. He had eaten breakfast, if no cases came up, he should be good for another 48 to 56 hours without eating. Although John might make him eat.

Finishing with this sample, again he made his notes, labled it and placed it away, he had reached the end for his analyse of bacteria within soil. The pH had already been tested as well. But he still had the test for minerals and ions in the soil. This was the experiment that should proove to be more interesting as it involved different chemicles and reactions. He'd start by testing for transition metals. Making a solution of the soils for this, leaving the rest for later tests, he brought out some sodium hydroxide. "Have you had enough time to catch up?" Sherlock asked, looking once more at Moriaty.

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

"Have you had enough time to catch up?"

Moriarty didn't immediately give Sherlock an answer. Instead, he held his enemy's gaze. The two of them, locked in a battle that would send one of them careening over the edge. Moriarty knew who that was, of course, but it was still a pitiful shame. After a minute, Moriarty shrugged. "I suppose so," he said, disippating the tension that had been building up. Or had he imagined it? No matter.

Without another word, he turned round and took out a pen and sheet of paper. He scrawled the words 'ONE LAST DANCE' on to one side of the page, placed it on the table with that side facing down, and put the bag of jelly babies. Then he got up. "Relax a bit," he said, nodding at the bag. "Enjoy yourself. Because soon, you won't have a lot of time to." He held his hand out to Sherlock for a friendly shake.

[Sherlock Holmes]

"I suppose so," Sherlock gave a faint nodd to show that he had heard Moriarty's words, and he then mixed the first soil sample with the sodium hydroxide. There was very little percipitation, however it showed positive for iron, which was the main precipitation. Then, he used the bunseen burner to burn off the liquid. Now, he could measure out the weight and thus estimate the iron content of the soil in this area. He jutted down the note. "Relax a bit," Sherlock looked back up, and saw Moriarty nodding towards the bag. Rather persistant.

Turning his attention back to the next sample of soil and the chemicals, he ignored the threat. "Enjoy yourself. Because soon, you won't have a lot of time to." Continueing with the work, Sherlock only looked at the bag when he had nearly finished. Jelly babies. Moriarty wanted him to eat them. While this could be a double bluff, Sherlock didn't want to have something to eat anway. He put them in the bin and then looked at the paper it had been sitting on. One last dance. But Sherlock doubted that it would be as easy as it had been last time.

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

Without answering him, Sherlock just took the back of jelly babies in the bin. How rude. Moriarty frowned and withdrew his hand. "Fine then," he almost whined. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He turned around and walked briskly out of the lab.

In one of the corridors, he stopped at one of the large windows. He looked out and saw a silhouette against the light on the roof of another building. Moriarty nodded, and he knew that the figure had seen. The consulting criminal walked on.

He smiled when he heard the sounds of a gunshot and screaming.

[Sherlock Holmes]

"Fine then," Sherlock rolled his eyes slightly as Moriarty almost whined. Wasn't it obvious that Sherlock would not eat sweets given to him by someone who wanted him dead and he wouldn't eat sweets anyway. Especialy not in a lab. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Sherlock glanced over to Moriarty. Yet another threat? Was this a continuation of the last ones, about the fall? Probably. Sherlock ignored that and went back to identifying the transition metals in the soil. Still, this had turned out to be an interesting turn of events.

At the sound of a gunshot, Sherlock jumped up and rushed towards the source of the screaming. This was interesting. It appeared that Moriarty had probably lost his temper. They did appear to be linked, but he couldn't dissmiss the fact that it might be a coincidence, despite how unlikely that idea was. Looking at the person, he found the wound, and looked towards the area that the shot probably came from. They were in a hospital. A doctor would come by soon and sort it out. His eyes flickered o the roof of a building where the shot probably came from. No sign of anyone. But they needed to get down.

Based on the fact that there was only a limited amount of exits, Sherlock went to try and head off the shooter. They would not be able to talk straight out into the public with a gun, or even possibly without one, after a gunshot. Then, you would have to consider the quikest route, that would work with carrying a gun. From that distance it would involve more equipment that a simly hand gun. There were only two viable exits, now. Sherlock hurried to find an rea were he could keep an eye on both.

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

While everyone was distracted with the chaos created by the sudden murder, Moriarty had taken the opportunity to slip out the hospital's main entrance. But he didn't immediately head out on to the street. He kept close to the wall and looked up. Sure enough, there was the top of Sherlock's head poking out of the window the shot had gone through. When it vanished, Moriarty headed round to the back of the hospital. There were too many people on the street in front who would've heard the gunshot, and he wanted to get out of sight before they recovered their senses. He then hurried to the back of the building beside the hospital, towards his rendevouz with Moran.

[Sherlock Holmes]

Moving to position himself so he should be able to catch anyone leaving the site, Sherlock moved into the shadows, out of sight of anyone coming. It was there that he spied Moriarty moving. Moriarty's visit and the shot would not be coincidence. In which case he could either follow Moriarty and hope to catch both the organiser and the prawn or wait around and hope to catch just the prawn. Going for the first option, Sherlock silently detached himself from the shadows in which he was hiding and moved after the master criminal, keeping his step light and remaining far enough behind Moriarty that it would be no problem to duck out of sight.

As Moriarty paused, evidentally waiting, Sherlock decided that he could make his action now. "A little obvious?" The detective questioned, lightly as he moved forwards, slowly and carefully, taking his surrondings into his mind, storing them away in his mind palace. Noticing any areas which would be the more likely for Moriarty's prawn to come out of. Also, he noted which were the more likely based on the knowledge of where the shot had come from and which areas were more readily accesable.

[James 'Jim' Moriarty]

Moriarty spun around on his heels upon hearing the voice behind him. He quickly hid his anger at being found by the skulking detective by putting on an emotionless expression. This would certainly keep things difficult. He hoped Moran would see what was going on before he approached, and stayed out of sight until the time was right. "I knew you couldn't keep away," he said to Sherlock. "But what are you talking about? What's obvious?" Then he paused. Oh, sod it, there was no point in pretending. "Alright, alright, you got me. I didn't really want to hide it though, did I?" he shrugged. "After all, it managed to get you out. Sweet little Sherlock, unable to let go of the only thing keeping him entertained."

Slowly, the consulting criminal advanced towards his enemy, a grin on his face. "So what now?" he asked, stopping just in front of him. "Where do we go from here? Do you arrest me?" He held his arms up and out to his sides, almost as a gesture of surrender. "Or could you bear to watch me sit in a tiny old cell, knowing that I could be working to keep you entertained?" Then he began circling the detective, eying him up. "Do you think you could do that? Put me away? Would you be able to bear dealing with all the little common crimes? I mean, you can't deny it. You must find my grandeur and finesse addicting."