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“Now, this is for everyone to see” The Irishman snarked; a grin on his face. He walked casually around the clear cylinder, looking at the three cameras. Each were linked back to its intended target, red lights flashing as the live feed rolled. “You may have fooled me once but this… oh this will teach you that no one is safe from me… not even the baby Holmes”
Q sat unconscious in the glass container; his body slumped against the side. He looked well knocked about, like he had done his best to fight off his abductors. There was a gash over his temple, his glasses cracked but still on his face. He had been missing from his flat for three days before three separate links were sent out. One for each Holmes brother and one directed to MI6.
“I can see why you hid him though… very darling your little baby brother” Moriarty cooed, running a hand over the outer glass of the container. He banged violently on it, which made the young man flinch and start awake. “Ah, come now sweet heart it’s time for the show! Just like I promised!”
Q looked out of sorts for a moment but then looked very confused as he pressed a hand against the glass. Slowly and gingerly the young genius pulled himself to his feet, knees buckling from sudden pain in his limbs. He gave a critical eye on the three cameras before looking to the man in the Westwood.
“This has been quite fun…. you and I getting to know each other” Moriarty leered at Q, who flinched and backed up away from the man as much as possible.
“Oh, it’s been just lovely” Q drawled, his voice sounding hoarse and cracked. There were many emotions that flickered through Q’s eyes and none of which were any inclination that made any of the viewers believe that he was well. There were many things being left unsaid and would probably not be said if anything could be helped.
Moriarty just grinned but looked to see the red warning light flash from at his desk. The sounds of gunshots went off and there was a whirling noise to follow. The grin on the mad man’s face widened as he looked at the cameras. The look of excitement on his face was like a child would give upon seeing all their gifts on Christmas morning. Clapping his hands together, he rubbed them before looking at Q.
“Now as delightful your company has been dear Quentin it’s time for the main event” He grinned then looked at the floor of the cylinder. There was a gurgling sound and suddenly water started to flood into the floor. Startled, Q too looked at his feet as water started to creep in from the grates under his feet. Sea water.
“What the hell?” Q pressed his hands against the glass as the water quickly filled his shoes and ventured around his ankles.
“Your darling Double oh Seven has triggered my little trap” Moriarty said as he walked around the glass case as water continued to fill in around Q. “I do hope you are good at holding your breath…” He waved and walked out of the view of the cameras as Q slowly started to panic. The water was filling quickly and there was no clear way out.
“Moriarty!” Q yelled, banging his fists against the glass walls, causing the man to stop at the door to the left of him. “Why? What is the point of all this?”
“To get your brothers back in the game of course!” He smirked, “I don’t like being ignored… so if you survive this Quentin then I hope you’re ready because I haven’t even started yet” he grinned before disappearing.
Now it was only Q, the steady rush of frozen sea water pooling around his knees and the sound of gunfire. Banging on the sides of the glass again, Q looked to see that the top was welded shut. He crouched, getting his torn jumper wet to feel around the edges for a weak part in the seal. Panic was quickly settling in the space in his chest as the cold of the water soaked into him. The space felt very very small suddenly and claustrophobia crept into him. His narrow chest heaved as he pressed his hands against the glass. His eyes pressed closed momentarily to focus, he franticly began to search his pockets to see if he had been left with anything. Finding nothing, he cried out in frustration, tears springing into his eyes. No no no, this wasn’t supposed to be how it all ended for him. He was supposed to grow old and haggard like his family before him; to be that old Q training some young halfwit to take his place.
“Shit shit….” Q cursed, his shoulders sagging as he looked back at the three cameras. He tried to keep the fear out of his eyes but it was quickly becoming more difficult as the water was at his thighs now. Calculating how much time he had by how fast the water was rising, how long he was last timed in holding his breath and how quickly James found him; he was running out of options and time. He focused on his breathing and ran through the codes that had to have been used to connect the cameras to the feed in his mind. The numbers, code and the sound of his own breathing drowned out the sounds of the water sloshing around his slender frame. Pressing his forehead against the cool glass, he tried to keep himself calm as he knew panicking wasn’t helpful.
“I hope you lot gave him a decent gun” Q breathed, his hands trembling as he looked at the cameras once more. He whipped his head around when he heard the sound of gunfire going off closer now, the echo bouncing around the warehouse. Suddenly there was a crackle from the laptop on the desk and he heard a familiar grunt.
“James?”
“Q? How the….. Where are you? Are you alright” James asked, apparently Moriarty had hacked their comms system.
“I’m in the warehouse… I can hear yours shots….” Q sighed; glad that he could at least hear him. His time was running short as the water was now around his waist. It was cold and biting, a dark reminder in his moment of hope.
“You sound strange, are you alright? I’m nearly there” James grunted again as the sound of gunfire increased.
“Well… not to be ungrateful or anything but might I suggest you hurrying it up a bit…” Q replied as he shifted in the water, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
“I’m going as fast as I can Q, I’m currently being shot at” James grumbled, sounding as if he was crouched.
“Well I’m currently in a glass cylinder that’s quickly filling with water! Oh and might I add there are no AIR holes; so pardon me for wanting you to hurry!” Q exclaimed, his voice pitching slightly with panic. The water was creeping up past his waist to high on his chest, causing the distress to grow and reach his voice now. There was no point in hiding it now, his time was running thin and keeping a brave face wasn’t going to accomplish anything. Holmes pride be damned.
“What? Fuck Q I’m coming” James cursed, sounding like he was breaking into a run now. “How long do we have?”
Q laughed bitterly as he figured now the man chose to rush around now that his time was nearly up. The water was steady and unrelenting in its task of filling the tank, his body starting to shiver from the cold. His breath was fogging against the glass around his face and his glasses. Every movement casted water droplets everywhere, making his hair go damp and stringy.
“Not much… It’s nearing my shoulders” Q murmured as he pressed his hands flat against the tank. “James… I’m sorry….”
“Don’t you start” James snapped, the sounds of gunfire sounding just in the other room. “Don’t you fucking dare… save your breath I am nearly there.”
This had to be hard on James as Q was aware that the agent had watched the last person he loved drown. Moriarty was a real bastard, he probably knew this and it was all part of his sick joke on them all. Make the man watch his lover die and show his reaction off for everyone to see. For his brothers to watch their little brother choke, struggle and finally drift away because they had made some mistake somewhere down the road.
This would haunt them. Even though Mycroft and Sherlock weren’t close both men were very close to their youngest brother. They both doted on him all the time growing up and it never changed when he got older. Ironic that they always said it would be his job that would get him in the end when it was going to be the man both of his brothers were hunting and playing against. That because of who he was related too not his current job position that brought about his untimely end.
“None of this is your fault….” Q looked to the cameras, “Sherlock… Mycroft… none of this could have been prevented so don’t even start… I was bound to get drawn into this sometime right?” Q smiled grimly, picturing the reactions each of his brothers would be having right now. He was being completely honest; he didn’t blame them and if he did end up surviving this he still wouldn’t.
Suddenly the door up on the on look above him burst open and Q sighed as hope prickled in the back of his mind and near his heart. “James!” Q shouted, bracing himself up with his hands against the sides. He saw the Blond quickly make his way down and ran right up to the glass, pressing his hands against it.
“Q, how do I get you out?” Bond demanded, looking all around. If he noticed the cameras he didn’t give any sign as he was too busy looking at a way to get the young man out. The water was now around his neck, causing him to stand on the tips of his toes nervously. It crept up quickly around his chin, causing him to tilt his head a little.
“I don’t know… James I don’t have much time” Q sputtered around the salt water as he had to make himself float now. Bracing his hands against the walls, he kicked out as he tilted his head back. His hands were bracing against the top now, his movements becoming a little more frantic. The brunette was no longer focusing on the agent and now was trying to suck in as much air as he could. “Any time now James!!” he shouted, panic full blown in his voice
“Ja—-” Q’s voice words were swallowed up as he took in his last gulp of air; the water finally completed in filling the tank.
Sinking down, Q watched James look at him, his icy blue eyes filling with a panic he had never witnessed before. It was as if flash backs of Vespers death were flooding his mind as he stared at him. His brown mop of curls wisped around his face as he pressed his hand against the glass, his slightly smaller hand meeting against larger ones with only glass between them. A few stray bubbles tricked from between his lips as he waited for either his lungs to give out or James to figure something out. Whatever the agent was saying was muffled by the water but he watched him race around the room to find a metal pipe and rush back over.
The impact of the pipe vibrated the water he was in, startling him at first as he watched the blond try to crack the glass. The sheer desperation in his movements showed as his arms bulged and shifted with every crack he took at the glass. Q was well aware he didn’t have much time as he wasn’t overly good at holding his breath. Swimming wasn’t something he ever really did so the need to know how to control his breathing or how to hold it never came into play. A dull ache made itself known rather quickly and it nearly made him gag.
More bubbles slipped from between pale lips as he started to slowly suffocate. He banged a hand against the glass as the other went around his throat. No air, no air. All he could do is watch in a detached manner as Bond yelled his name, banging the pipe against the glass franticly. Running his hand against the glass, Q suddenly convulsed as the last of his air ran dry in his lungs. Everything heaved and he could feel his lungs cry and water slowly invade past his lips.
So this was it.
Hazel green met sharp arctic blue as a sort of calm seemed to fill in between them as the very last air bubble popped from his lips. Lips that used to meet the others in a rush of passion and lust in darken bedrooms. They were growing blue as the young man convulsed again; he pressed both hands against the glass as the agent yelled again.
The darkness around his vision pin holed as one of the last things he saw was James screaming his name as he drew out his gun. Then there was a cold murky darkness. His body drifting motionlessly in the glass container; vibrant hazel green eyes now dull and still just like the water around him.
+++
The viewers watched in silence as the watched the Quartermaster go still, his body floating back and motionless. They had just witnessed one of their brightest minds drown and the whole Q branch was silent. No one dared to speak to Bond through the comms. They watched as the agent fired a round into the glass to weaken it, not worried now that if a bullet went through and hurt the young man inside. Now it was just the pure desperation to get him out. The glass cracked and Bond took the pipe to the glass again, causing it to shatter. There was a gush of water and glass as everything rushed out, the double oh throwing the gun and rushing into it all. He scooped up the motionless brunette and pulled him just clear of the water and barely within sight of the camera.
Everything was hushed.
“Q! God Q don’t do this to me! Breath! Please!” Bond pleaded, brushing stringy strands out of the man’s face before performing CPR. Lips pressed against slightly blue ones as the agent tried to force air into the quartermaster’s lungs, pumping his hands against his chest after.
Eve Moneypenny put a hand to her mouth, the other gripping the edge of the desk she was bracing herself on. Tears welled in her eyes, not caring that she was at work standing by her boss. Nothing could make her care as she had just watched her friend’s body drip and turn blue form the cold and lack of air. His body’s only movements were the jolts to made from Bonds insistent hope.
++++
“Sh-Sherlock…..” John whispered, standing behind the startling still detective. They were viewing the live feed, watching the unknown blonde give the still body cpr. He knew the survival rate, he had been still in the water for much too long but they could hope. The Doctor had no idea that his partner had a younger brother and this wasn’t the way he had wanted to find out.
The detective was stalk still, his hands white knuckling against the desk as his eyes were fixed on the screen. When the video feed had first started he was a whirl of motion, yelling for John to call Mycroft and Lestrade. He had been spouting off locations that he figured Moriarty had Quentin but as soon as the water started to flood the tank the detective had gone very still.
“Breath! Damn it Q! You can’t do this to me!” The blond yelled, pumping against the small unmoving chest. The sounds of him trying and failing to resuscitate the poor brunette filled the feed.
“Did you know that statistics show that most drowning victims are male?” Sherlock suddenly murmured, his voice devoid of any emotions “The UK suffers 450 drowning’s per annum or 1 per 150,000 of population” he added, his back ridged as he didn’t show any signs of looking away from the screen.
++++
“Sir?” Athena called, standing beside her boss, watching him with a very critical eye. She had never seen the man so still, so fixated on the screen as they watched the double oh try and resuscitate the youngest Holmes.
“I need you to up the security on Sherlock…also restart the inquiries on Moriarty” Mycroft whispered, his voice torn at the edges. There was a terrible emotion just under the surface begging to be let go but the man was trying too hard to keep it down. She wouldn’t blame him, it couldn’t be easy to sit and watch your youngest brother die right before your eyes.
“Yes sir…. but” Athena hesitated, but frowned as she watched Mycroft lift a hand to push down the screen of the computer. It was nearly closed when a haggard cough was heard. The sound of water being coughed up then promptly retched up followed.
++
Air.
Air refilled lungs as water was expelled out. A rattled breath sounded before a rough bout of horrid coughs joined soon after. Water was retched as a smaller frame shivered from the strain; the brunette was rolled onto his side to help him bring it up.
“James….?” A gravelly weak voice cough sounded and a relieved sob was its only reply. Unbeknownst to the pair several others took in a deep breath with them, a breath they weren’t even aware they were holding.