Chapter Text
The Creature had one of those «meetings» with Mycroft in a small cabinet in place called Diogenes Club. It went like it goes everytime — dry talk about Sherlock, no passion, no sharing something personal, until that strange phone call.
Creature — Lestrade (he started to like this name, besides, he did not have any before) — knew what he had to do. That was one of the Secrets Calling, and Mycrift told him to keep himself to himself while he, minor-position-the-British-Government, answered and never told anyone what he might hear. So, Lestrade, recognising the melody of the call, decided to make coffee for himself. He almost left the room, heading into the small kitchen, when something gave him a strange dangerous feeling down his spine.
He came into the kitchen, set the kettle on and glanced gently over his shoulder. Mycroft stood near his chair, all his pose was about big tension and something ... Lestrade narrowed his eyes — some strange dark substation dripped from the phone to Mycroft’s shoulder. He returned to his coffee.
Lestrade saw it a few times before. Once Mycroft returned from some place, and they met at Lestrade’s office. The Creature felt something wrong at the first second when a red haired man came into the doors. Something was deeply wrong about him, and after a few minutes Lestrade noticed that — his shoes, used to be shiny as usual, were in the black mud. Lestrade’s old wild nature alerted. This black viscous mud, which stayed on his floor, dried up for about three days, and went only on the fourth. He noticed that mud again after months — it was on Mycroft’s papers. Each time it alarmed The Creature, attracted attention, and everything inside him was on high alert.
And now it dropped from his phone.
He returned into the room with two cups of the coffee. Mycroft ended the call and sat on his chair deeply in his mind.
— That.
Mycroft raised his head and met with the eyes.
— Thanks, — he took the cup.
— This call. Who was it?
Mycroft gave him a half surprised, half angry look.
— You know, you can’t ask me about that. That is the High Secret Call, as I told you before. What did we do when I had the High Secret Call? Right — we keep yourself to...
— I don’t care what you decided, which country it is, or what institution, I...
— You asked «who was it», that’s clear evidence that you cared about it and I can’t tell you, as you know.
Mycroft frowned. Lestrade took a deep breath. Damned language... It was so hard sometimes.
— Look, I’m not good at it. Let’s try another way.
— Well, let’s try. And, please, be short on it — I don’t have much time for you and your mutterung.
Lestrade’s eyes get darker.
— Don’t talk to me like I am one of your people.
Mycroft waved his hand.
— God forbid! We all knew that you are some old creature from the past, etcetera, with huge powers, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. And there we are, humble mortals. So — stop it and try your other way. I have a pretty little time for you now. I have a crisis to resolve.
Lestrade started to wonder how that man, who was such a nice boy some years ago, starts to be so irritating...
— Give me your phone.
— What?! You’re mad! This is...
— High Secrets and... what did you say? Etsite..ra? Give me it now, — his voice turned more deeply with a growl at the end. — Now.
— I will not!
— You, idiot! I don’t care about your secrets! I just want to have it in my hand! That’s all!
— For what purpose? — Mycroft pressed hand with the phone to his chest.
Lestrade made a sharp jerk and grabbed a cell phone. He pressed other hand on Mycroft’s shoulder and kept him in the chair, while the younger man shouted at him.
Lestrade brought the cell phone up to his nose, inhaled (at this gesture Mycroft stopped struggling and screaming), carefully examined. Mud was everywhere on screen and smelled like an old house burnt down in fire. He gave the phone to Mycroft and sat in his chair.
Mycroft took the phone and straightened his jacket.
— Explain all this, — he said, voice cold like ice.
Lestrade took a sip from his cup. He was on the edge. He gave all his power and all his house to take down that girl, and after all she was not only alive, but somewhere near his man.
— You met with her, — he said.
— Whom?
— Your.. sister?
Mycroft’s face lost its colour.
— W-what? How do you... what?
— I gave all to save you and your brother, all I have. But she is alive and you even met with her.
— But how...?
— Mud.
— What? — Mycroft looked at his phone, clean and shiny.
— You were able to see that many years ago, but now you have lost many abilities. Do you remember the black mud your sister played with?
— Y-yes. — Of course, he remembered his scariest nightmare. He wants to forget, but he can’t.
— I saw it on you from time to time. And now it is on your phone.
Mycroft laid it on the table, startled.
— Answer me. Did you meet with her? Did your brother meet with her?
— Christ, no, — Mycroft said quietly. — He doesn’t remember he had a sister.
Lestrade kept silent, and it pissed him off.
— That’s not your business, but I’ll tell you. You keep saying how this was hard to you, you poor creature. And you never want to know how terrible it was for us! We were kids, for God’s sake! Kids, whose house was burnt, whose parents were lost, and nobody believed us. And who would be? «Hey, mister, can you take away my parents — they aren’t truly alive, you see, they are just a puppet made from the black mud, and, of course, I would be so happy if you will kill my sister — that nice girl near you, — because she is that mud puppet master». Uncle Rudy took her to prison on the island. I can’t tell you more — and I don’t want to. And if you will still say something about the world you lost or something, I’ll try to kill you, I swear.
— You can’t kill me.
— No matter.
Lestrade took another sip from the cup.
— She is on the island, — he said. — But why did you meet her? You know how dangerous she is. Now is more dangerous than she once was.
— She is terribly smart. She helped us sometimes.
— She is terrible — I agree with that.
Mycroft chuckled. They spent a few minutes in silence, finishing their coffee. Mycroft look at the clock and said:
— I need to go.
They took the cups into the kitchen. Before he leaves, Lestrade stays near the closed door. When he started to speak, his voice was tired but calm.
— I agree with you. We both lost our past lives in that fire. But for what reason did we have to lose something again? She is now very powerful. Be careful with her, you are still in danger. Maybe now you can’t see this, but deeply in your heart you can feel this.
Lestrade sighed and put his hand on the doorknob.
— Put her away from other prisoners, if they are still alive, because I am afraid he already ate theirs. Take care.
And he left Mycroft alone in the room, totally confused and with ringing phone on the table. He picked it up:
— Yes, lord Frederick?