Born Mad

Chapter Four: All's Well That Ends Well... Or Not

"En garde, Monsieur Holmes!"

For once, Mister Snappy-Pants didn't seem too dreadfully annoyed by my presence as we fenced. He had backed me up to the coffee table, my parrying and striking whenever I deemed fit.

"You are quite skilled," he remarked thoughtfully as I ducked away from a blow to leap onto the table. "Where did you learn?"

"I read a manual online in the headmaster's office," I answered simply, jumping back away from the table as he took a step towards me. Our foils, met, and we were soon face to face, my grinning madly as he simply smirked. "Pretty good for just reading, eh, Mister Holmes?"

"Good," he admitted with a nod, and with a few swift swipes of the blade, I found myself on the ground, his foot on my stomach and his blade at my neck to hold me down. He finally gave a real smile as he taunted, "But not good enough."

"I say, Sir, that was bloody brilliant! The way you hit my wrist to knock the blade out of my hand and then putting the hilt into my gut to knock me off balance- Perfect! Utterly perfect!" I exclaimed in utter delight, taking the detective's offered hand to get to my feet.

"I try."

"No, you don't. People like us- We're naturally like this. You don't try. You just do!"

"Quite right, I suppose," he remarked with an amused and pleased look.

I grinned triumphantly, jabbing my elbow in his side playfully. "See? I'm not too terrible. You just gotta get used to me; that's all."

"Aurora, do you have a place to stay for the night?" Watson piped up with some concern, and I shook my head, only to find a pillow and blanket being thrown at me. "Get some rest, Kid."

"Can do, Doc!" I called as he retired himself. "Thanks!"

"Just don't break anything," Holmes murmured, pointing to the couch before leaving to his bedroom as well.

With a satisfied grin, I eased myself down onto the sofa with a yawn, curling up beneath the blanket and closing my eyes with the murmur, "Twas a good day."

I woke to a hand being placed over my mouth. I instantly snapped alert, all to aware of what was happening, and bolted out of my makeshift bed to head for the door. "Doctor Watson! Mister Holmes-!"

I felt a revolver connect with the back of my skull, and I crumpled to my hands and knees, trying to regain my senses. My vision was blurred and fading quickly, and my mind was too numb to comprehend anything. The last thing I heard before completely blacking out was a snarl, "I told ya we'd find 'er. Let's get outta here," and as I felt a swift slice of a fencing foil through my side, I finally fell unconscious.

I groaned coming to, instinctively moving to hold my head in my hands when I realized three things.

1. I had a headache to cover all of Russia.
2. I was going to kill someone very soon.
3. I was hogtied and couldn't move, much less kill anyone.

I pried open my eyes, wincing at the sudden movement and flare of light. I had so many swear words I wanted to release right then, but upon finding myself gagged, I couldn't say them.

Bummer.

I can hardly begin to describe the pain I was in. My right side stung from where the kidnappers had sliced me with the fencing sword. Normal foils wouldn't have hurt me at all, but no. My attackers just had to remove the button at the end of the sword to add extra pain.

Note to self: No survivors when I escape.

My head swam, and I could hardly think. That in itself was enough to drive me mad because that's practically all I do.