Team Seven of Heroes III Finale

39.

Lilith and Gabriel struggled in their shackles that had come from the rocks which formed around them like a cocoon. The others were not shackled then including Merlin. The gigantic Lucifer lie down on his side while stretching his legs and stared at Gabriel.

“Please don’t fight with my pet, Rock. His holds can be uncomfortable if you fight it.” Lucifer then stared at Merlin.

“For eons, I have watched you challenged me. You thwarted my plans and then moved on before I could fight you. You ignored me then for you know I was not your peer in that dimension. I learned my lessons then and decided to lure you here. I feigned defeats to Lilith so that I could escape your scrutiny. You disliked Lilith like me and had her observed thus I was free to do what was needed. For the beginning, I had destroyed your champions including Arthur. He was your favourite and the hardest to take when he fell. I made you leave the dimension and exiled yourself. I could reach you there, and even if I did, I will be defeated. It’s only here that I am the champion.”

“I saw my plan into the next stage then when these lot of so named heroes came to my attention. The Elixir of Life was your precious artefact and your weakness were to preserve life. I manipulated them to convene here but there were some unexpected events. I did not bargain on the Wolves to fashion a new horn like Gabriel’s one but it was to work for me soon. I left the lot in the Hexagram House leaving with the evil trio so that I could split them up. I got my demons to cause Sherlock’s fall and Hyde too for he was destroying the House. The sleuth fall was to bring you out and you did but you got that monster to work for you. It was you who was in the monster’s mind. You were talking to him but in his hideous form, he was a child inside. He did not understand you at all.”

“I knew you will save Sherlock. And among the lot here, he was the smarter one.” Lucifer shook his head at Moriarty. “Excuse me on that, Moriarty. You will be defeated by Holmes and I will be there once more to capture you on the fall.”

“Once Sherlock showed you the scrolls and the quest, you will come to stop them as expected but you forgot that it’s in Hades, my domain.” Lucifer laughed. “Tell me, Merlin. How does it feel to be outplayed?”

“Most ingenious plan, Lucifer but you have missed out some details.” Merlin laughed. “I did survive in the dimensions without learning some vile ways. For one, after Arthur, I have allowed Lilith to continue on with one intent; to defeat you in Hades. I had her got close to you and then took over your domain. Why was it when she escaped, there were no pursuers? I had planned it. Two; I had Gabriel here in Hades for the reason he held the other weapon that could stop you. He could not bring his horn here for it may be use by you so we arrange the Wolves to fashion one that could stop you. Third, the heroes you mentioned were not in my plan at all but my discussion with Sherlock and relooking at the scroll, I found a new avenue to defeat you.”

“Four, I came prepared as I always have.” Merlin reached out with his arms and then drew out the sword of his. “Behold Excalibur as known to many, or Michael’s as it belonged me. I am Merlin by name, but Michael by rank.”

“No…” Lucifer called out. Merlin had then instructed Van Helsing to pick up the gyaling.

“Blow the horn at the rocks.” Van Helsing did as he was told and the rocks around Gabriel and Lilith fell apart. He then passed the gyaling to Gabriel.

“Lilith, your children now.” Lilith heard Merlin and she summoned her demons. They came out by the droves and attacked Lucifer on his frame. He fought back but on his lying form he was at a disadvantage. He released his trident to push himself up but it was then the assigned demons ganged up top grab the discarded trident. They carted it off to the far corner where Lilith had retreated to.

“My trident…” Lucifer called out but then Merlin had stepped in with the Excalibur swinging at the outreached arm of the Devil., The blade of Excalibur cut into the arm leaving not a wound but the pain it inflicted caused Lucifer to pull back his arm.

“Damn you, Merlin.” Lucifer held his wounded arm. Merlin was not done and called on Gabriel to play the notes from the scroll. It was the same notes he played earlier but that time he was directing it towards Lucifer.

“No….” Lucifer felt his frame torn by the sound from the gyaling as it ripped at the cut area on the arm before it spread to the joints and the flesh to become chunks before it reduced it to the molecular level where it floated towards the case. Part of it went in before Lilith rushed over to open the lid.

“No…I …” The voice of Lucifer called out in broken tones with the molecules of the frame he once held floated above the case. “I surrender….”

“Stop!” Merlin called out to Gabriel. He then looked towards Lilith. “Close the lid.”

Lucifer reformed on the ground to his original height while holding his wounded arm. He glared at Merlin and then nodded.

“That was vile of you, Merlin. You locked my soul in there while I am physically here.” Lucifer pointed to the case. “You are evil, Brother Merlin.”

“None as bad like you. I have taken your soul as my collateral on your behaviour. You can continue to fight me or surrender.” Merlin told Lucifer.

“You won once more, Merlin. I am yours to command.”

“Lucifer, you will stay here in your domain. You will restore those heroes who died here. They will not roam Hades as the undead.” Merlin commanded the other. “The case will go with Gabriel and Lilith and myself to the Void Dimension. We hold the key to open it.”

Merlin showed the item taking from the group.

“Behold the key that will locked the case. With it, we control access to the case. If we find that you do otherwise, we will return here with the case and we shall devour your soul.”

“What is it with them that you protect them?” Lucifer asked.

“The mortals for the same quality you saw in them eons ago; the perseverance and the courage to face the unknown. There are flaws in them but that is also their quality that adds balance to their existence. Your action leading the Fallen then revealed to us the imbalance we have. We were fixated on the good side and forget that there must also be the bad side to balance things. As we exist, we will continue to restore that balance.”

“Letting evil prevailed in them?” Lucifer questioned back.

“True, but we know that when it all ends, those with evil will come to you for penance. That’s justice.” Merlin then turned to the assembled heroes.

“All that you experienced here will be erased from your mind. The events will be reset but with different outcome. You will return to your own dimension.” Merlin then waved his arms and the lot left Hades.

40.

Sherlock was holding his violin yet his fingers hovered at the strings with his sight on the arrival of Watson. The later removed his hat and jacket to hang it on the hat stand before taking the usual spot at the armchair. The doctor then looked at Sherlock.

“I have come to terms with my loss and our relationship.” Watson replied. “It’s not worth continuing on with that in our friendship. Life is too short on dwell on each other’s mistakes.” Watson reached for the watch on his vest. “I say it’s time for tea.”

True to his words, Mrs Hudson came knocking and then stepped in with the pot of tea and some scones. She was looking splendid in the yellow dress and her hair was done with the ends all locked by the hairpins.

“You look jolly, Mrs Hudson. Did you come back from a funeral?” It was the voice of Mycroft who stepped in from behind the lady. She ignored him and served the tea before leaving.

“Was it something I said?” Mycroft asked. He did not wait for the reply and continued his lines. “I was with M and he asked me to chaperone an old enemy of ours.”

“Fu Manchu’s daughter? Fa Lo Suee I presume.” Sherlock remarked back.

“Splendid! I am intrigued.” Mycroft asked. “Once more.”

“You have the smell of lilac which was a favourite of the lady. And you sport the small present on you. I can see that it was bought from a Chinese shop that sells those lavender soaps from China. More to it, I can see the ladies are here now.”

The knock on the door downstairs and their landlady who answered the door. Sherlock did wonder why the land lady never take any precautions knowing Sherlock have some enemies. The rental does not cover indemnity for murder. Soon the door to his chamber was opened and two ladies stepped in.

“Fa Lo Suee and her aide. I am elated to see my enemy’s daughter. And so soon after India.”

“Mr Holmes, India was an exception. I was following his orders.” The young lady explained herself. “I believed Mycroft have explained my visit. I am …. deflecting.”

“Deflecting? I thought the word would unfilial to your father.” Watson cut in. That statement drew the lady’s aide to stand forth but Mycroft intervened.

“I am sure Doctor Watson was being …playful with his words.” Mycroft looked to Sherlock. “The lady had seen that her father was not the …ideal and decided to leave him. She can’t do that on her own and had approached us for help.”

“Or M have agreed to it.” Mycroft shrugged his shoulders. “The lady in return agree to share some information on the Emperor’s empire here in London.”

“A bargain that M cannot resist.” Sherlock looked at Mycroft. “And how does this …bargain involved us?”

“Both of you are not involved. Its only me here to say that I will be away for some weeks. Do feed Petunia for me, please.” Petunia was Mycroft’s cat.

“I doubt your cat will starve given that the place of yours have adequate supply of rodents but we will check. Can’t tell if the rodents consumed the cat by then.” Sherlock replied.

“Where are you headed for? If I may ask of you.” Watson wanted to change the subject matter. “Scotland will do you good. But you will not like the weather. It’s too chilly for you.”

“Doctor, Mycroft did give me a better suggestion. I am going to Africa.”

“Lord Greystokes have a great retreat there.” Sherlock looked at Mycroft. “He is going with you….alone?”

“I won’t be going alone. I have others to follow.” The young lady replied. “His name is Nayland. Smith Nayland.”

“The enemy of …I was wrong. Your enemy.” Watson laughed. “Who else is going?”

“Another brute. I loved them wild.” The lady replied. “I got to go now. Mycroft, could you call up the hansom?”

Mycroft opened the doorway for the ladies to exit before he followed closely. Watson looked at Sherlock and smiled.

“I never thought that M will so generous. After all, she is Fu Manchu’s daughter.” Watson the picked up the small stone on the reading table next to him. “Yours? Never seen it before.”

“I… I can’t recall. Maybe I did.” Sherlock looked at the stone held by Watson. “Lava material from the looks.”

“Do you want it? Or I can have it to for my table as paper weight.” Watson asked and the other nodded.

“I have an uneasy feeling that I missed out on something and yet I can’t placed what was it. Do you have that symptoms, Watson?”

“Presumably I had, then I will take some medicine for it.” Watson laughed. “Put your socks on, Holmes. It’s probably your mind or the lack of sleep that caused it. Since you mentioned it, I was having a back ache as if I was carrying a heavy load. But Mary was one.”

“Please no humour on your bedroom antics, Watson. I am just …tired I guess. I have some scant images but they made no sense to me.” Sherlock replied. “I will be fine.”

Watson reached for his doctor’s bag but Sherlock stopped him.

“It’s okay, Watson. I am off those substance for now. I will stick to playing the horn….No, I meant the violin.” Sherlock corrected himself. It was then when the one named Nayland looked at the prisoner secured on the metal bedding with metal wire straps. The doctors have left the chamber and Nayland approached the prisoner. He looked at the frail looking frame who was on it.

“Doctor Jekyll, you will be fine. They have given you the antidote.”

“You are mad. The antidote is mine. I developed it. I am fine now.” The prisoner snapped back.

“Then why are you in that rage mode?” Nayland asked. “We have you covered and you went rogue.”

“I was out of antidote. They held me and administer me more serum.” Mr Hyde replied. “I was looking for the fi then.”

“Don’t lie to me, Doctor. You went rogue because you wanted to kill Fu Manchu. You will have it for we are going on a mission to kill him.”

“How can that be?” Mr Hyde asked. “Fu Manchu was under Section protection.”

“He was but we cancelled it. He wants to kill his daughter and we have to protect her. I know it’s ironic but we lived in desperate times.”

“When do we leave?” Mr Hyde asked.

It was not for Sherlock and Watson. The former told Watson that Mycroft hinted to him that he needed help when he said Petunia.

“Our Aunt Petunia was always in need of help but too proud to ask for it. So we coined up the term, Petunia to mean help.”

They were to leave when one of the Baker’s Boys arrived with a message. Sherlock read the message and then told Watson to unpack.

“Moriarty is planning a major strike in London. We are not going to Africa. Mycroft have to take care of her alone. And more to it, chaperone tasks are not our best.” Sherlock explained.

“You do know that the task was not chaperone. The lady is up to something and it’s going to drag all of us down eventually.” Watson replied. “We have to get help for Mycroft.”

“I will. In Africa, the best approach is to go local.” Sherlock signalled to the messenger boy who was still standing there. He then wrote a message and passed to the boy. “Send it for me.”

Down the latitude of the geographical lines, the single figure crouched on the large branch with his sight on the prey below. The prey was passing below the branch. The figure on the top leaped down but the one targeted had jumped aside with a body twist and the left hook impacted on the predator. The later went down but the right leg went out in a swing to bring down the target. Both of them went down but rolled apart.

“Jane, you are too aggressive.” Tarzan looked at his lover. “You are too tense.”

Viola, we have another tale coming out.