John was casually clipping through the channels on the telly. He stopped on one news channel, and listened tentatively.

"One of the extensions of Buckingham Palace is crumbled to pieces and on fire! The Queen, and what's left of her staff are being evacuated as we speak! An estimated total of 37 staff members are said to be dead! Air control are trying to put out the fire, but it is still spreading!" Yelled a man into a microphone. He, and hundred of more people were gathering outside of the gates, to film the fire. John watched attentively, and Sherlock listened from the kitchen.

"I guess it's time." John said.

"We still do not know if Moriarty was behind this. There is a pool of skilled people out there that could do the same thing." Sherlock reminded him.

"Find. But when it turns out to be Moriarty, do not say you told me so." John said as he turned the tv off. It hadn't even been 3 days after seeing Molly, when the palace was burning. Officials said it was most likely a bomb planted inside the palace. But no one knew who did it. They might be dead already.

"Well be prepared to go to the palace once the fire is out. I bet Mycroft is going to sign you up to clear the case." John warned. Speak of the devil, Sherlock's phone started to ring. The only people who called Sherlock were Mycroft and John, but it wasn't John. John picked up the phone, and put it on speaker.

"If you're calling us to tell us to solve the case, we will. So don't get your knickers-" John started.

"Do not. Whatever you do, do not solve the case." Mycroft started. "Do not speak of the palace. Do not leave the flat. All you need to do is nonchalantly get up, and head downstairs to Mrs. Hudson, and say the word 'basement.' Do not look suspicious. Talk to each other as if you are going to give her a visit. People are watching you from outside. I will explain everything in a moment. Just go to Mrs. Hudson. Remember to say 'basement'." Mycroft finished. He hung up, and John turned the phone off. John and Sherlock shared a quick look, before placing smiles onto their face.

"Doesn't Mrs. Hudson still have our pot? I was thinking about cooking something tonight, but I need it. I'll go down to give her a visit." John said casually. He stood up, and used his cane to walk out of the room.

"I think I'll join you. I think she still has my scarf from last week." Sherlock said. They walked down the stairs, and knocked onto Mrs. Hudson's door. She opened the door happily.

"Hello there loves-" She started. Sherlock interrupted her.

"Basement." He said. She looked confused, but then she nodded her head. She let them in, and guided them to her room, and closed the door.

"I didn't think we'd ever need to use this protocol. It seemed silly at the moment." She said. She weakly pushed her metal bed across the room, and pulled back the rug where her bed used to be. Underneath was a metal door, with a key code and finger print scanner. She quickly put in a long string of codes, and placed her finger on the pad.

"I guess it's needed. Please place your thumbs on the keypad." She told them. Sherlock scanned his thumb, and then John. It took a moment, but they heard a click, and the handle turned. Mrs. Hudson swung open the door, and pointed down.

"There is green fluorescent paint that will guide you to where you need to go. Keep following the green until you reach the metal door." She instructed them. She whispered into Sherlock's ear, and then sent them both down. Once they were inside the tunnel, Mrs. Hudson closed the hatch, and the two were left in total darkness.

John wrapped his arm around Sherlock's so he wouldn't fall in the dark. They both followed the glowing green paint, and they reached the door. Sherlock placed into the keypad the line of code that Mrs. Hudson told him, and they entered a small room, with three chairs. Mycroft was in one of them.

"Close the door when you come in. Don't want any wandering eyes." He told them. They closed the door behind them, and sat down.

"So what's the meaning behind this, brother? Have things gone to shit, as you used to put it." Sherlock asked. Mycroft nodded.

"Well go on. Explain." John told him. Mycroft seemed a bit annoyed, but explained.

"There were at least 15 snipers in the windows opposite of your flat. And you're window curtains were open. Whoever bombed the palace, was looking to kill you so it wouldn't be solved. I also have suspicion that your flat was bugged. That's why I called you. Sherlock's phone releases a small amount of radiation, which cuts off the bugs long enough for me talk to you. I hope you did not speak of the palace or our call once I hung up." Mycroft said.

"We did as you told us to. Know why were there snipers outside our flat?" John asked.

"Just as I told you. Someone hired them." Mycroft restated.

"I think you are misunderstanding John. How could you allow 15 snipers take position in the flats opposite of us. You have those areas under watchful eyes. If the residents were to suddenly disappear or be unheard of for even an hour, you should know. So how did the snipers get there in the first place?" Sherlock asked. She was annoyed. His brother told him those flats were under his supervision, and he allowed 15 snipers into the buildings, in perfect range.

"That's the thing. The only unusual thing that happened, was that everyone stayed home, and didn't go to work. I thought it was because of the palace burning. Maybe they felt obligated to keep up with the news or something, but then all of a sudden, all our bugs went out. The satellite that hovered over the buildings went dead for an entire 5 minutes. So I had a neighbor take some binoculars out, and look in the windows. He saw 15 barrels pointing towards you, from inside the flat." Mycroft explained.

"Do you have anyone checking up on the flats?" John asked. Mycroft nodded. He placed a walky talky on the table next to him.

"We will be able to hear everything my people say when they go inside the building to check. We'll know what happened immediately, and know who is dead, or will die." Just as he finished, the device cracked on.

"Alpha group heading in from the back, all clear so far." They heard someone say.

"Beta group heading in from the roof, all clear." They heard another say.

They heard a door get kicked down, and someone screaming.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" They heard a woman scream.

"Ma'am are you alright, has anyone entered in this room?" They heard someone ask.

"No! No one is here besides my husband and I! Why are you here?!" She wailed, panicking. They heard someone in the background go to her to calm her down.

The three listened as the groups swept through the buildings, confronting the owners. They were all shocked, and no one was armed.

They heard of a third group who was patrolling the roads in different cars, looking for anyone exiting the flats from odd or common places. No one suspicious exited. Just people who were ordering food from the restaurants below.

"Alpha team. No one injured, no one suspicious. We swept through the apartments, and nothing was found. The area is clear. Whoever was here, has left already." The man concluded. The device went silent. Mycroft got up, placed the device on the floor, and smashed it with his foot.

"Good thing I'm rich. I can replace what needs to be broken." Mycroft commented.

"I doubt whoever broke in left that quickly. I doubt they left at all." John said.

"So you are smart." Mycroft smiled, talking as if it was a revelation.

"So you're saying that the owners are the snipers." Sherlock confirmed. Mycroft nodded.

"Why else would they be shipped here for interrogation?" He asked. Just then, a woman entered.

"They're here." She said. The three stood up, and followed the woman down the tunnel, following more glowing paint. She knew exactly where to turn. You could tell she's been there for awhile.

"Everyone who works in these tunnels, has worked for so long, that their eyes have permanently gotten adjusted to the darkness. If they were to see the actual sun, they'd go blind. That's why their perfect to work here. They cannot leave." Mycroft commented. They were lead into a large room, with 20 glass panels. Each panel showed the three an interior of a room. Only 15 rooms were filled. One for each resident of the flats.

"This is were they're going to be interrogated. They will either speak just before they die, or they'll die before they say anything. But I doubt that will happen. I've got a prototype drug that's supposed to keep a person alive, even through the most painful of procedures. They could have open heart surgery while awake, feel the pain, and not be able to escape it. It's quite marvelous." Mycroft told them. They heard through the panels, each interrogator ask the residents some questions. They all kept on the fake feared expressions, asking where they were, and why they were there. Just after they were injected with the serum, and tortured, their masks fell. The old Christian woman who never cussed, cussed aloud, and cursed the interrogators and whoever else. All their masks fell before John, Sherlock, and Moriarty, and they could see the real people behind the masks.

The 20 year old hippy girl, with peace pendants and flower crowns, revealed to be a masochist, who laughed through the pain. And the middle aged man who supposedly had children in the military, was a psychopath who was glad their children left. Everyone emerged to show their true forms. And after further questions, they admitted they were paid assassins. They all moved in one my one, and set up camp across the street from Sherlock, awaiting orders from an unknown man. The boss who went by 'M' moved them in years in advance to today. It was an elaborate scheme, planned years in advance, and they all blew it.

"M? M for Moriarty." John said. Mycroft nodded.

"You were correct. I also found out that two other CEO of big corporations, and ties to the parliament, have also died today. Murdered in their homes. By a sewing needle. You were correct Mr. Watson. You were correct from the beginning." Mycroft told him. John was simultaneously happy and guilty. John felt very rattled at the moment. His PTSD was becoming better and better over the years, but the events of the day, and all the blood he saw triggered memories and feelings that were locked away for years. John's psychosomatic limp came back just as he tried to walk, and he fell down. It wasn't bad enough that he was recovering from a bullet in his leg, but now his limp came back suddenly.

"Are you alright?" Sherlock asked as he helped him up. John nodded.

"My leg won't support me at the moment. Could you help?" John asked. Sherlock nodded, and wrapped an arm around John from the side, and helped him walk. Mycroft led them to another room, and John was able to sit.

"Now that the residents are gone, I am going to occupy every flat in range of your flat with my own agents who are sworn to secrecy. I trust them very much, so I do not believe there will be any more trouble. I am glad you two are alright, and that I called in time. While you were gone, I had someone sent a shock of radiation on the second floor, so all the bugs should be dead. You may freely talk now." Mycroft told them. Once John's leg felt better, they headed back to the hatch, and emerged back into Mrs. Hudson's room. She locked the hatch, covered it, and pushed the bed back.

"I assume the threat is gone." She said. John nodded.

"Nothing to worry about anymore." He said. Sherlock supported John a little as they walked back upstairs, and into the living room. Just out of paranoia, Sherlock closed the curtains.

They sat on the couch and sighed.

"At least my dear brother cares for us so. If not we'd be dead." Sherlock said.

"I agree." John agreed.