"moriarty plan"; AU (kuromahi)

Bar “Carmen”.

Watson looked up to see the small facility situated just outskirt of the main station of the town. It was a bit missable, just like how the letter said to her. But as the letter directed her to look for the catchy drop-down neon sign in the middle of evening sun, Watson found it right away.

It has been long since she prompted to walk out with her walking cane. Once, when she met Holmes back in ‘221B’ for the first time, Holmes pointed out that her cane use is a mentality habit, not that she suffered of any physical injury. This time, however, her habit returned as the ‘attack’ that’s directed to her is quite tricky.

.

Last night, Watson found an anonymous letter addressed to her. The letter went on like this:

“Watson-kun, I discovered that a lethal poison was administered by Lupin to Holmes’ body when they met up last time. It can threaten her at any time.

If you want to save Holmes-kun; please come tomorrow on the details I wrote at the back of this letter.”

- Moriarty.

.

Watson looked up to double check the neon sign once again. Judging by the sophisticated front door, Watson deducted that it is not a flimsy establishment. Yet, she knew that she doesn’t have tenth of Holmes’ brain on analysis – there could be a trap, there could be something that Watson failed to overlook.

The name ‘Carmen’, though, it takes her back on a long-forgotten nostalgia of her hometown. Carmen is one of well-known opera in France about a femme-fatale gypsy named Carmen. The said woman met her demise in the hands of her loved one, though.

When thinking about it, Watson is feeling a hint of irony—that irony whether she’s donning the role of John Watson while being half-France, the archenemy of United Kingdom in the era of war.

After a few of deep breaths, Watson opened the door.

The bar ‘Carmen’ is a bit crowded at the time. The interior speaks of classic rather than a rowdy bar with barrel as the chairs—even there’s a gramophone rather a modern jukebox to provide a background music in the bar.

Watson caught a glimpse of few men accompanied cramped table on the back for a game of poker. There are also a few people tried on the one and only billiard table located by the heart of the room.

The only vacant space available in the bar is the deserted drink counter, occupied by a single Barista who’s happened to clean glasses.

The usual woman with her fountain-like twintails is absent from her glasses, her top hat, and her coat of medals tonight. She was dressed like any staffs walking around and about to other occupant’s table – a black tailcoat vest on her white shirt, combined with a black tie and black pants.

Only to see her small smile, Watson could feel chills running down her spine. The Mathematic Professor always looked cynical at the first glance, no matter how many times Watson has seen her in person.

“So you’re coming, Watson-kun,” the woman greeted Watson right away. Her gesture was alike any sophisticated bartender; to offer the menu and to clean up the part of table once more before Watson is taking her seat.

“And, oh. Maybe you’d want to call me ‘Mahiru’ for this time.”

Watson’s brow perked up, “Why? Aren’t you proud of your own title?”

“Professor Moriarty? It is just a mere title, right? I only happened to play my role in this wheels of fate.”

Yes, just like what the woman is saying – the person standing behind the bar counter is the one to inherit the title of ‘Professor Moriarty’ by fate, just like how her room share partner happened to get the title ‘Sherlock Holmes’ in her blood, and how a certain mischievous Thief running in the nights of Tokyo inherited the name of ‘Lupin’.

Sadly, though, unlike them, the ‘Watson’ in her identity is not something inherited – her role of Watson is incidental, just because she happened to be pulled by the fate, getting thrown here and there within this decade Holmes’ whims.

“You look rather tired. Should I treat you with our special 40-year-old Wine?” Moriarty offered.

“It’s strange to see you’re doing a job as a bartender, Professor. Is this an act?”

“Oh, you wound me. I’m no aristocrat like the first Moriarty—I work here on my free time from teaching.” Despite being battered, the woman chuckled merrily. “So, would you like for a drink or not?”

“I hope it isn’t poisoned.”

“I can mouth-to-mouth you if that will make you convinced.”

Watson coughed. Moriarty didn’t back down on the teasing rail. Though, the blonde-haired assistant must endure it to get on to the point of whatever that letter meant. “W-What!?”

“I’m kidding, Watson-kun.”

Watson shot up another menacing eyes from behind her round glasses. She produced her notebook from her coat pocket and sighed as Moriarty brushed her off with a small giggle. The blue-haired woman then proceeded to get tall glasses and said wine from the cupboard. She poured half a glass and handed it to Watson, who’s starting to write on her notes.

Watson never plan on touching her drink, never.

“Let’s get into the problem—is the thing that you shared the truth?”

Moriarty answered with another confident smile. “I never lie.”

“What, what kind of poison did Lupin put on Holmes?”

“Arsene?”

“Don’t kid with me, Professor.”

Watson was close to slam the table. Moriarty was mocking her—anyone should know (especially her, being a doctor) that no one will survive a drop of Arsine for a day.

“So you didn’t pick up the hint,” Moriarty nodded to herself. “Do you remember when Lupin showed up during the first press reveal of nano-chip drugs?”

The hint ‘nano-chip drugs’ suddenly hit on Watson. Recent discovery is being made in medical field about a long-acting drug compounds that is able to be activated by remote control once it is arrived on the right site of action in the body. The medicine is called as ‘nano-chip drugs’ for now as the embedded drug chip is made in the size of nanoparticle sprinkle and put into a capsule that will stay in a body until the time of activation.

“Lupin gave Holmes a time-bomb!?”

“Easy, Watson-kun. You’ll bother other patrons,” the bartender’s smile is fading in the face of Watson’s panic. Watson couldn’t help but to grit her teeth.

“What I want to tell you aside the gist of the situation, is that I haven’t located the thief. Though rest assured, I know she won’t ‘detonate’ your partner’s stomach just yet-“

Garnet eyes belonged to Watson is sparking fiery flare. The spilled wine is forgotten as she stood abruptly to grab on Moriarty’s tie. The Professor, on the other hand, was unfazed.

“How can I even trust the Napoleon of Crime?”

“—I just want to save Holmes. It’s not fun to have your rival dying on you,” Moriarty was composed as ever. “I’m only offering my assistance in finding that petty thief; it’s up to you to agree or not.”

“And I guess this service is not free? What do you want from me, Professor?”

This time, Moriarty smiled in brighter triumph – as if she already got something that she so desired.

[The blue-haired woman pried off Watson’s hand from gripping on her necktie. She replied Watson’s question to a small whisper to the doctor’s ear.]


- - -


After the one patron left from the bar counter without drinking her wine, one of the staff returned from the poker parlor with a big wad of cash on the tray. Mahiru—Moriarty knew that this staff always deal on the people who challenged to take down the almighty ‘Queen of the Poker’ in Bar Carmen, though, she didn’t know that the game lasted that fast.

“Good work today, Yachiyo-chan—I mean, Arsine Lupin.” Moriarty greeted.

“Shouldn’t I congratulate you on your splendid performance earlier, oh great Professor?” the pinkette sneered. “I can see your beloved Watson walked back with face flushed from ear to ear from the window~”

“Well, just like how Holmes-kun ever said to me, she’s a tough lady to woo.”

“You know, you should be honest and stop using your Moriarty persona for all the time, Professor.” Lupin teased, an elbow to Moriarty’s arm.

“She won’t be interested if it’s not this way, Holmes-kun said.” Moriarty shot back. She’s deflated from Lupin’s tease. “I’m not like you and Irene.”

This plan is agreed by the Holmes herself—so Moriarty can say. It is happened that … maybe Mahiru got a wrong girl to be attracted to, and that girl is the one with role of ‘John Watson’ who’s a loyal one to Sherlock’s whims – and of course, detesting Sherlock’s enemies as well.

Lupin agreed wholeheartedly to this ‘matchmaking’ crime and intended to play along. Then again, Mahiru was not amused to take her baby steps while The Thief is already in her own heaven.

“Don’t blame me; The Great Thief Always Get The Girls!”

“Yeah … get to steal the girls—just, get back to work, mou, Yachiyo-chan!”