"Run!"

John was familiar with the word. He'd heard it in the war, he'd heard it from Sherlock, he'd heard himself say it when Sherlock tossed Mycroft's cake out of the window once. He was used to the sound of bullets ricocheting off of walls, meeting targets, and the skin crawling screams that followed.

He hated to admit it, but he loved the thrill of the chase. Adrenaline rushing through his veins, his heart racing along with him, it was wonderful. Perhaps that was one of the reason's he'd stuck with Sherlock all these years, with Sherlock there was always adventure and mystery.

But he didn't feel thrill or adventure as he urged Ludovic along, carrying the strange girl in his arms with several men in hot pursuit behind him. They'd gotten at least fifteen minutes completely inconspicuous, following Lucy towards the office before she'd randomly started belting out a Billy Joe song. They'd just been caught, and John had barley been able to rescue the girl from a bullet to the head.

He'd learned three things about Lucy. One, she reminded him of Eleven from "Stranger Things." her sentences were short, and usually didn't make any sense. Two, she had weird eyes. The vivid green eyes occasionally turned black. It was almost as if a rainstorm of oil poured into her irises every other blink. Third, she really didn't like Ludovic. From what John could tell, Ludovic shared the feeling. They'd acted like the other person was a deceased, poisonous, road kill serpent, and had completely avoided eye contact. John suspected Ludovic had been one of Lucy's doctors. He had a feeling Ludovic was hiding more than he let on.

"Where are we?" John shouted, preserving as much energy as he could as he ran in a zig zag sort of motion.

"East corridor!" Ludovic shouted, the same time Lucy screamed, "West corridor!"

"Oh what do you know?" Ludovic snapped, his face flushed from running. He was much slower than John, so John had to try double to keep in speed with him. He was used to Sherlock's long legs and insanely fast pace.

Lucy gripped John's shoulders, "More than you, you couldn't tell a solute from a solvent!"

"You take that back!"

"Shut it!" John screamed, slamming the door closed behind him. They were in a large, open library. Rows of desks were covered in open books and parchment sheets with pens and pencils. They must've evacuated when the alarm rang, John thought to himself, locking the door and putting a chair against it to brace it.

"Listen," John said through large gasps of air, "We don't have long before they get in. I know you both hate each other, and I'm sure there's some long tragic backstory, but you need to stop being at each others throats. We need to work together and find a way out of here."

If John could give out Oscars, he'd have given one to Ludovic and Lucy for the most awkward handshake as they both muttered quick "I still hate you but whatever." and stood on either side of John

"Right. Now all we need to do is-"

"John?"

Lucy squeaked, hiding behind John as two figures appeared behind a bookshelf. At first John couldn't distinguish them, a roundish man and a woman, but as they stepped into the light, John sighed with relief. Molly and Mycroft.

He had a thousand questions as Molly ran up and hugged him tightly. Her hair was ratted, she was wearing a lab coat, and her eyes were bloodshot. It looked like she'd been crying. Mycroft, who was standing awkwardly a yard or two away like he was either to cool for hugging or too emotionally incapable looked perfectly normal. He too wore a lab coat, but it was several sizes too small, underneath he wore...

"Is that my sweater?" John asked, his tone both amused and furious.

Mycroft wrinkled his nose, before formally waltzing up to him, "Where is Sherlock? Is he okay, is he hurt?" John had never seen him like this. Mycroft usually had a way of hiding his emotions, much like Sherlock, but his face was as clear as day. His mouth was set resiliently, but his eyes looked...scared.

"Aw!" Ludovic popped out from behind John, he put his hands together and smiled warmly at Mycroft. Who in return raised his umbrella as if to wack the poor man with it.

"I knew you cared! Sherlock was going on and on about how you're an emotionless little bean, but you do have feelings! How splendid!" Ludovic chirped, obviously not seeing Molly wrestling the umbrella out of Mycrofts hands before he clobbered Ludovic with it.

John patted Ludovic's back, trying not to grin, "Don't say the F and C word around Mycroft. He gets testy when being accused of having feelings."

"John," Molly grabbed his sleeve, gazing into his eyes worriedly, "We need to get Sherlock and get out of here. I don't like it here. After you called, we broke and...I-we-" She added, noticing Mycroft raising his eyebrows, "We saw stuff, John."

"What kind of stuff?" John asked gently, noticing Molly's shaking shoulders.

Biting her lip, she avoided his gaze, "It sounds...impossible. But there was this sludge, and it sounds normal but it was moving. Like it was alive. Like-"

"Viventem."

Each of them turned, to where Lucy hugged John's jeans. Her eyes were black again, her irises blended with the rest of her pupil as she looked at up at John, "They gave it to me and your friend. We have it."

"Lucy, what do you mean?" John tried his best not to sound demanding, but before Lucy could answer, there was pounding on the doors, reminding John that they were in the middle of a chase.

Scooping Lucy into his arms, he turned to Mycroft, "Do you know the way out?"

"Of course not. Do I look like a map?"

"I do have a map." Ludovic added, pulling one of of his pocket.

John gaped at him, "I'm sorry...you've had a map all this time and just now bring it out?"

"You seemed very invested in trying to navigate your way through the building. I didn't want to ruin your fun."

John blinked, trying to stop himself from strangling Ludovic with the map. "I-you-why...whatever. Mycroft, I need you to take Molly and Lucy out of here. Me and Ludovic will get Sherlock and we'll meet-"

"In my helicopter!" John didn't think this was a good idea, surely the guards would see a helicopter in the front lawn, but Mycroft looked giddy and so excited at the idea of using his airplane that John couldn't bring himself to say no.

He distributed Lucy into Mycrofts arm and was about to go through the door that wasn't being attacked, when Mycroft squeaked, "What are you doing?"

"Sorry?" John turned. Mycroft was holding Lucy like one would do to a baby crocodile.

"I don't do children. Their...grabby!"

Molly rolled her eyes, "For the oldest, you act like a ten year old."

Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've been trying to drag myself through school. (Mental Abuse For Humans) So I was extremely excited when I got some free time to work on this. I also started a story called Psychlock, and check it out if you want, but I'm super excited to write this next chapter! (I've been planning it for a while *Laugh's diabolically*) Hee hee. Anyway, later my dudes. And thanks for reading this far!!!!