Sherlock meets The Flash and Arrow

Chapter 20

John

The phone crackles. "I always had a special thing for bombs, but today it'll have to be fire."

I gasp quietly. I can't help it. Bombs and Moriarty make me think of the night at the pool. Fire makes me think of Guy Fawkes day. Together... As people say, history repeats itself.

Sherlock glances at me. I know he can read my thoughts from my face. He grimaces apologetically.

But the message isn't done. "If you don't give me Sherlock Holmes, on top of Bart's Hospital, in three minutes, I'll burn this city to the ground."

My breath hitches in my throat and I curl around myself. "Nononono...I can't do this again. It'll kill me to see you do that again."

Sherlock has a similarly stricken look on his face.

Mycroft says, through the phone, "Again?"

Sherlock quietly says, "In our world, I had to fake my suicide to save John from Moriarty. I jumped off of Bart's Hospital."

Then he turns to me, and in a quiet voice, says, "Thirteen possibilities, John. I'll be fine."

I wince. "But I won't...Seeing you, broken, on the pavement...again. You have no idea how many nights I woke up, screaming, with the image of your blood matted through your hair...unseeing eyes, staring at space...Every night I saw you jump." I hadn't planned on telling Sherlock, but I need him to know how I can't let him do this again.

He flinches like he's been slapped. "Oh, God. John."

I close my eyes, "I don't need your sympathy. It's also not right for me to ask you to sacrifice the city for me. Please... Just don't make me watch."

He closes his eyes and does that deep-in-thought thing with his hands. Then he sighs. "If this is going to work, I'll need Cisco to take John's role."

I groan. Cisco has this innocent look about him that I don't want to destroy. "No. No, I'll play my part. I'm not going to sacrifice the city because I can't watch my best friend die. Again. Besides, this time, I'll know you're still alive."

Sherlock's mouth tightens into a line. "Alright. If that's what you want."

Cisco

Sherlock outlines the rest of the plan. It's pretty easy. Everyone's involved. I have a role involving a bike (I'm hidden behind something called a lorry?) and a big blue inflatable thing.

John steps out of the taxi and his phone buzzes. He picks it up, and I can hear the words. "Don't move or I'll kill him."

John frowns. "Okay."

Sherlock steps to the edge of Bart's Hospital. Trickster says, "On the count of three, he's going to jump. And he's not going to survive this time, you know."

Something's wrong. Very wrong. Maybe there were cameras at the Cortex. But somehow, they know what we're planning.

Sherlock looks worried too. He hesitates, then steps onto the very edge of the hospital and spreads his arms. His coat billows behind him, and I suddenly realize. There's no way he's surviving this.