by S. E. Babin
The one and only Sherlock Holmes, aka my mother’s baby daddy, stood on a massive rotating platform addressing what appeared to be hundreds of people. I reached for Watson’s arm and squeezed it in terror.
“What in the hell is going on and who the hell are all these people?” I could hear the squeak of fright in my voice. There was no way I was going up there. No way.
To give Watson credit, he winced, but didn’t try to pry my fingers off his arm. “This is your induction and these,” he waved a hand at all of the people dressed exactly like me, “are your father’s soldiers.”
“Holy shit,” I whispered, “he’s sort of like a benevolent Hitler.”
Watson and a couple of people next to me choked on their laughter. “Definitely not Hitler, but I guess you could call him a general.”
I gaped at the people sitting in stacked, circular rows all around the arena. “General, my ass. It seems like he’s the president.” I sensed eyes on me, so I let go of Watson’s arm and stood up a little straighter. Something was bugging me, though. “Why are you all Paul Bunyan and everyone else here is all Matrixed up?”
He shrugged. “I’m second in command. It has its perks.”
“I’ll say,” I murmured. “I look like a Katniss reject, but this is definitely no District Five.” I gave Watson a sideways glance. “Or is it?”
He shook his head and pushed me forward. “Your father is about to call for you soon. Get ready.”
I shot him a panicked glance. “No. I don’t want to go up there.”
He gave me a wolfish grin. “You’re his blood. Them’s the perks.”
“I hate those perks,” I whispered as a massive spotlight beam fell on me and I heard my father proclaim, “Soldiers, meet the next generation of Time Wardens, and my only daughter, Penelope Wilde.”
Chapter 13
Peeing my pants would probably not leave a good impression. I formed my face into some semblance of a smile, offered a halfhearted, very lame wave, and made my way through the huge crowd of people up to the stage.
My father hadn’t changed from before, but his spectacles were gone. His wild brown hair was still as untamed as ever, but his face had a five o’clock shadow that hadn’t been there when I saw him just a couple of hours ago. He was smiling at me and gesturing for me to hurry up.
I took a deep breath and quickened my steps until I was beside him. The applause roared around us. This feeling was strange...foreign. I wanted to go home and have my mom make me some tea and lecture me about my eating habits. I didn’t want to be on this stage in this weird leather outfit with hundreds of strangers examining me. I stopped beside Holmes and he draped a casual arm across my shoulders.
“She will be training for the next several months, so please do everything you can to make her feel at home.” He squeezed my shoulder.
I leaned over. “Can I go now?” I whispered.
He stiffened. “At least try to smile,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I am.” My face was a frozen rictus of teeth and gums. I couldn’t see myself, but I knew it was scary.
Holmes said a few more things and finally let go of my shoulder, allowing me to skulk quickly off the stage. My eyes swung through the crowd to find Watson or Parker. Anyone familiar would be good with me. Strangers’ eyes stared back, some friendly, some openly hostile, all of them curious.
This had to be weird to them. Some strange, half-Asian woman steals into the compound into the dead of night and is suddenly the previously unknown illegitimate daughter of their savior. The weight of the crowd and their questioning stares was oppressive. I had a feeling I’d need to watch my back for a while. I made it back through the crowd to the place where I thought I was before, but there was no sign of Watson.
Shit. My gaze swung through the crowd looking for a door, but I couldn’t find anything. There were too many people and I was too unfamiliar with everything. My skin broke out into cold gooseflesh and the beginnings of a panic attack settled itself at the forefront of my brain. I needed to get out of here.
I continued walking toward what I thought was the back when a hand clamped over my arm and pulled me off balance.
“Come this way.” A petite blonde pulled me away from the crowd.
She shoved her way unceremoniously through the throngs of people until we reached the doors.
“Thank God,” I gasped as she opened them and led me out.
The stranger smirked. “You looked just like I did when I first got here. Overwhelming, right?”
I nodded and stuck my hand out. “Penelope.”
She snorted. “No kidding.” But she took my hand in a firm, dry grip and gave it a shake. A long, thick braid snaked down her back and ended at her waist. She was thin, but from the way she pulled me off my feet, she was stronger than she looked.
“Cass.” She studied me with a critical eye. “You look like him.” Those sharp gray eyes didn’t miss a thing.
I shrugged. “A little.”
“But you look…” she paused and crinkled her brow as she stared at the very slight tilt to my eyes.
“Japanese?” I offered.
“I was going to say not white.” She grinned and I laughed.
“I’m a half breed.” I looked back at the closed doors and took a deep breath. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”
“My pleasure. You looked like a woman on the edge.”
She had no idea. “So this...what is all of this?”
Cass frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Is all of this an everyday occurrence?”
Cass looked at me like I was crazy. “I’d say not. You’re the first daughter Sherlock has brought home. Ever.” She smiled as she said it, so I knew it wasn’t mean-spirited.
“I’d hope so. I’m not sure I could survive Holmes and a sister.” I looked around at yet another unfamiliar room. “Do you know how to get back to that weird lab?”
A confused crinkle appeared on Cass’ brow. “Lab?”
I stilled. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to know about that, but it was too late for me to backtrack. “Weird, sterile room with silver floors and white walls and ceilings?”
“Oh, the test center?”
I had a whole lot to learn. “Must be it.” I smiled in apology. “First day here.”
Cass chuckled. “I couldn’t tell at all. Follow me.”
We made small talk as we walked back to my room. Cass grew up in this compound, although she told me I wasn’t supposed to use the word “compound” because it made this place sound like a cult. So far, I was not convinced it wasn’t a cult. I’d reserve judgment on that one, but made a mental note to come up with something better like “Institution of Leather Wearing Time Travelers” or “Time Traveling Dominatrixes”. She seemed friendly and open and it made me feel better about some things. I could see myself lonely living in this frigid place.
Cass stopped at the entrance of the test center. “We aren’t allowed to go any farther. Only the researchers are allowed back here.” Her mouth twisted. “And apparently you. Perks of being the Warden’s daughter.”
Or the perks of me being a giant pain in the ass, but I didn’t say that. I stared at the doors, willing them to magically open, but nothing happened. Remembering Parker and his DAR bracelet, I rubbed the empty spot where mine had been and realized I was locked out. Cass gave me a quizzical glance as I stood there.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Locked out.” I tried the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge. Not that I expected it to.
“How’d you get in last time?” Cass studied the door with a frown.
“Parker.”
Something flashed over her face at the mention of his name. “You know him?” I asked.
Cass blushed. “A little.”
I probed, “Would you like to know him a little more?”
Cass laughed in surprise, the blush on her cheeks growing in color. “Penelope!”
I raised an eyebrow. �
�Well?”
She blew out a frustrated sigh. “I guess I would.”
“You two would make the perfect blonde couple, popping out beautiful, gray-eyed, badass babies.”
Cass gave me a withering stare. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. He has eyes for a brunette chick in our Bartitsu class.”
“I have no idea what this Bartitsu stuff is, but everyone knows blondes have more fun. I’m a perfect example of that. I rarely have fun. Give it some time.” We were still standing in front of the door and I had no way to get in. “Do you have a way to call Parker?”
Cass spoke into her DAR. I might have to get Holmes to give me mine back. It seemed mighty handy, even if I didn’t need it to time travel. Parker’s voice came through clear and relieved. “I should have known she was with you, troublemaker. Tell her to stay put. Holmes was practically foaming at the mouth when he couldn’t find her.”
I grinned sheepishly and mouthed, “I blame you,” to Cass.
She clicked off. “I do what I can to keep it interesting around here.” She leaned against the door. “So, what team are you on?”
“Team?” I tried the door again. It didn’t budge.
“Yes. Team,” she said slowly, as if trying to teach a toddler something. “Everyone is divided into teams.”
I shook my head. “No idea. It’s my first day here. I don’t even know what I’m eating for dinner yet.”
Cass blew out a breath. “Man, they didn’t tell you a thing, did they?”
The more I talked to people, the more I realized I knew absolutely nothing about anything going on. “Not much at all.”
The soft pad of boots turned our attention to the hall. Parker strode toward us, a smirk on his face. “Why am I not surprised you two found each other?”
“Cool calls to cool.” Cass shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t expect you to understand.”
Parker stopped in front of us and mussed Cass’ braid. Ouch. He had a bad case of just-friend-itis. A hurt look simmered in Cass’ gray eyes before she punched Parker in the arm. He winced and rubbed his arm. “This is how you repay someone for coming to help you?”
“Always,” she murmured. Cass stood up straight and gave me a little wave. “Looks like you’re in mostly capable hands now. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned, her braid swinging against her waist as she walked away.
“She seems nice,” I remarked to Parker as he typed in whatever code he needed to get the door open.
He grunted. “She’s a ballbuster.”
“A cute one, though.”
The door clicked and whooshed open. Parker shook his head. “Any man foolish enough to get involved with her will get his balls handed to him every single day for the rest of his life.”
I backed off. For whatever reason, Parker was either completely platonic toward Cass or he was scared of her. As he probably should be. Chick had serious guns. I couldn’t resist one more parting shot. “And here I thought you were a man who liked a challenge.” I walked into the freaky test center without looking back. Parker’s surprised laughter followed me in.
Chapter 14
I woke up starving and wondered if this was what prison felt like. I didn’t have a clue what was happening, where I was supposed to go, or even if someone was responsible for feeding me. I stumbled out of bed and realized with growing horror there was no coffee pot. I was off my game yesterday if that hadn’t been the first thing I noticed. With muttered curse words my mother would have washed my mouth out for; I dug through my bag for some clothing and hopped into the shower.
A lukewarm shower. I scrubbed as fast as I could, got dressed, threw my hair up in a bun, and went roaming the hallways in search of java and something edible.
After a few minutes of attempting to navigate the labyrinth my father created, Watson appeared around the corner holding a large, steaming cup of what I hoped was coffee.
He held it out to me without a word and I sighed in relief, popped the tab up, and took a long sip. I couldn’t speak for a moment and focused on the sweet caffeine sliding down my throat instead.
“Thanks,” I croaked hoarsely after a moment.
A grin escaped from him. “Welcome.” Watson took one look at my attire and sighed. “You need to go back and change.”
I looked down at myself. “What’s wrong with this?” I’d dressed in leggings and a long tunic t-shirt. Flip flops had topped off my look. It was casual and cute.
“This is not a resort,” Watson said with barely veiled impatience.
“I’m aware. No one has told me a thing since all this craziness happened so until someone does and I know what the hell is going on, I’ll continue to wear my resort attire.” I sipped on my coffee in defiance.
Watson rubbed the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. “You’re right,” he said after a moment. “Follow me.”
I struggled to keep up with his long-legged stride, especially since I was trying to guzzle my coffee down. He walked swiftly through the strange hallways, turning with precision and never seeming like he questioned where he was going. I, on the other hand, was hopelessly lost. He stopped in an open area crowded with people wearing the same suits I had on yesterday.
In the middle of the room stood a large rink. It looked like a boxing rink, but it was full of people wielding sticks and umbrellas. That was unusual enough, but what was even stranger was the fact they were trying to beat the crap out of each other. I watched for a few moments, Watson standing silently beside me, until I looked up at him with a questioning glance.
He leaned over and murmured, “The art of Bartitsu.” He gripped my elbow and walked me out of the room and down the hall. Another room was full of people, but they were dressed in robes and looked to be performing some type of martial arts. The only types I knew were karate and Taekwondo, but this looked more graceful, almost like a choreographed dance. “What is this?” I watched, mesmerized as people flew around the room, blocking and kicking with ease.
Watson watched them for a second. “Holmes has yet to name it.”
I blinked. “He came up with this?”
“It’s a combination of multiple types of martial arts and Krav Maga. It looks beautiful, but it’s deadly.”
Color me impressed. A whistle blew and everyone stopped what they were doing. A small, toned, Hispanic man stepped into the middle, said a few words I couldn’t understand, and blew the whistle again. A man and woman stepped forward and engaged in a demo. After a moment, I was unable to tell where one stopped and the other began. It was a whirling dervish of arms and legs so well-choreographed, I assumed the two were masters of the art.
“Cool,” I murmured.
Watson took my elbow and led me to the last room, but instead of us hovering at the door, he pulled me in. Cass stood toward the front of the class and Parker was standing next to a gorgeous, well-toned brunette. He led me to the front of the class before I could dig my heels in. “Ladies and gentleman, I know most of you saw Miss Wilde yesterday, but she snuck off before anyone had the chance to talk to her. It’s my pleasure to introduce her one more time and tell you she will be on your team.”
I stood there frozen like a statue as everyone stared at me. “Hi,” I said lamely once the silence stretched on and Watson had elbowed me.
A tall woman dressed in lounge pants and a snug racerback top stepped up. Why was everyone so pretty around here? Jet-black hair was wrapped up in a tight braid and twisted around on the top of her head. Her skin was olive and only succeeded in highlighting the deep jade of her eyes. She looked at me with curiosity, but no hostility. “Penelope, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Sin, the instructor here. If you’d like to follow me, we can get you properly attired for class.”
Watson slipped away without a word, leaving me to the mercy of the wolves. I glared at his back as he left me. Once it became obvious he wasn’t coming back, I dropped my head and followed Sin to the bathrooms in the back.
Sin made conversation as she dug through a hamper. �
�You go to classes, train, eat, and sleep with your team.” She pulled out a t-shirt and examined the tag. Satisfied with what she saw, she tossed it to me and kept digging. “This class is street fighting. The next class is Bartitsu. After that is theory and I can’t remember the rest. Your team will know. Make sure you stick with them.” She tossed a pair of black yoga pants at me and stood up. “Get dressed and come back out to the class. We’re about halfway finished.”
She must have noticed my panicked look. Her face softened. “It will get better. You seemed to have just been tossed into the fray. Think of this like college.”
My eyebrows rose of their own volition. Sin chuckled. “Bad analogy, I guess. Just get dressed.” She left me inside the bathroom where I stared at the clothes for a minute before shaking my head and starting to get dressed. I was starving, but I guess there was no breakfast or I’d missed it. At least Watson had brought me coffee.
I was dressed, but there was the small matter of my shoes. I hadn’t brought any tennis shoes with me and I thought street fighting in flip flops might not be the best idea I’d ever had. Turns out, I was churning out lots of poor ideas lately.
I gathered up my clothes, folded them, and placed them on the bench. I pushed open the bathroom door and walked out into my first ever class. I’d never needed street fighting before, but Holmes’ world was shaping up to be a lot more interesting than my old world ever was.
Sin stood at the front of the class. Her gaze briefly flicked over to me and she raised one hand impatiently, gesturing at me to get into the fray. I rushed over to where Cass stood. She leaned over.
“About time you got here. Glad to have you on my team,” she whispered.
“What team is this?” I kept my eyes on Sin and tried to listen.
