“Helen!” Sherlock and John shouted at the same time.
Helen’s answer had been absolute.
Even with both men turning toward her and trying to object, she refused to budge.
After all, if she had not possessed that rare combination of warmth and steel, she never could have captured the heart of a man like John Wick.
Faced with the nearly identical concern in their expressions, Helen merely lifted her chin like a proud swan and met their eyes without flinching.
Sherlock knew her too well to mistake that look.
Helen had made up her mind.
Even if he refused to take John with him now, she would simply make sure John followed in secret.
Unfortunately, Sherlock could not bring himself to take John to the Middle East while leaving Helen and Doro alone at home.
S.H.I.E.L.D.—and therefore potentially Hydra—already knew about him.
There was no chance he could relax while the two least combat-capable members of their little family remained behind without protection.
After studying the determination on both John’s and Helen’s faces, Sherlock finally made a rather bold decision.
“Fine.
If Johnny Wick insists on coming, then we might as well all go together.
We’ll call it a family vacation.” Doro immediately began kicking all four of her stubby little limbs in excitement from Helen’s arms, thrilled by the prospect of another trip.
John and Helen, however, stared at Sherlock in disbelief.
His decision was less reckless than it sounded.
If he left Helen and Doro behind while taking John, he would spend the entire mission worrying about them.
If he refused to take John, Helen would never feel at ease.
So Sherlock had presented them with a simple choice: either everyone went, or John stayed home.
As far as Sherlock was concerned, the trip itself was not particularly dangerous.
Even with Helen accompanying them, he was confident nothing would happen to her.
As for Doro, she was safer than she looked.
When Sherlock created her, he had specifically made her immune to ranged weapons.
Despite her harmless appearance and bizarre body, Doro was actually the most agile member of the group.
Sherlock had suggested bringing everyone because he expected Helen to reconsider and insist that John remain home with her.
Instead, her eyes lit up with interest.
“Really?
I can come too?
Are you sure I won’t get in your way?” Sherlock and John both fell silent.
John immediately shot Sherlock a look that clearly said, ‘This was your idea.
You explain it.’ Sherlock caught the message, only for John to start staring everywhere except directly at him.
The cowardice was so blatant that Sherlock nearly laughed.
Fine.
They would all go.
And not only were they going, John would be paying for the entire trip and arranging everything through the Continental.
Would John Wick’s return to the Continental cause a panic?
Sherlock doubted it.
As long as John arrived beside Helen, Doro, and Sherlock without an arsenal strapped to his body, no one could reasonably accuse him of returning to the business.
He was simply taking his wife, his adopted jelly-creature daughter, and an annoying friend on vacation.
If anyone questioned them, they had plenty of excuses.
John had earned a mountain of gold coins over the years, so he was entitled to spend them.
The Continental offered excellent service.
Doro could travel with them instead of being placed in a cargo hold.
All perfectly reasonable.
The truth was absurdly simple: the Baba Yaga was not frightening while wearing his chains and calmly spending his gold.
The man everyone feared was the one who picked up his weapons after those chains had been broken.
John was not thrilled about being forced to pay for everyone’s trip, but he did not argue.
His irritation came entirely from losing another petty contest between friends, not from any real objection to Sherlock’s plan.
Nor was he worried about Helen’s safety.
Few people understood Sherlock’s abilities better than John did.
Helen returned home to pack while John climbed into his old Mustang and drove toward the Continental in downtown New York.
Sherlock had far less to prepare.
He summoned the Holy Lance of Longinus and held it horizontally in front of his chest.
After bringing his hands together, the weapon—despite standing taller than a man—vanished into thin air.
Doro barely reacted.
She had seen Sherlock do far stranger things.
Instead, she ran over, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and shook it insistently.
“Human, orenji!
Don’t forget the orenji!” Sherlock smiled and walked over to the refrigerator.
Only after packing away an entire fridge’s worth of oranges did Doro look satisfied.
She immediately scampered off to find Helen.
Once she was gone, Sherlock shook his head fondly and returned to the study.
He collected several stored alchemical items and began preparing his own supplies.
Compared to Helen’s packing, his preparations were effortless.
With the help of spatial capsules and storage rings, he gathered everything he needed in minutes.
The capsules were alchemical devices inspired by Newt Scamander’s suitcase, though they functioned more like the capsules from Dragon Ball.
Their internal space was enormous, so Sherlock used one to store his Ford Raptor.
They were heading into the desert, after all.
It would be a complete waste if he did not get the chance to tear across the dunes in his truck.
Trouble had already come looking for him.
The least he could do was find a little enjoyment in the middle of it.
The storage rings had far less capacity.
Sherlock had made two, one for each hand.
The ring on his left contained clothes, cash, and personal belongings, while the one on his right held food and other supplies.
They were not enormous, but they were more than sufficient.
The Continental’s efficiency proved every bit as impressive as its reputation.
Although it was already approaching afternoon by the time John returned in his old Mustang, a call from the hotel reached his phone at almost the exact same moment.
Everything had been arranged.
All they had to do was head to the airport, and a direct flight to the Middle East would be waiting for them.