Deducing Tragedy Part One: See No Evil

Sherlock's eyes were locked with Tomas' but he didn't move. "What did you say?" he asked confused by the whole scenario before him. The party was dressed in Victorian style costumes, including Tomas who wore an impressive gentlemen's costume. Around them the people talked, laughed and danced. It was almost as if Sherlock and Tomas weren't there to them. But Sherlock had a feeling that if he did anything out of line everyone in the room would turn on him. Which would be unfortunate seeing as he was there alone.

Getting away from Lestrade was easy enough. John proved to be a little more of a challenge when he insisted on accompanying Sherlock nearly everywhere the Consulting detective went. He had to climb out the window to get away from the man.

It was a trap, of course. Mathers made it clear that he didn't intend on letting either Hanna or Sherlock live through the night. But Sherlock went anyways. Something about this case just didn't make sense to him and because of that Sherlock now found himself surrounded by people in masks. Anyone of them could turn and kill him on the spot but no one did. Why?

"I said," the man smiled reaching for a glass of champagne that a woman nearby had held; and drinking, Sherlock noted seeing the lips stick stain on the rim. "Go ahead and dance with her. She is in the room, waiting for you."

"I assume you've colored her hair?" he asked not looking away from Tomas. "Covered her of any obvious indicators."

"Correct," he smirked around the glass. "She knows this room by heart and has been told that tipping you off will result in your death. That I will not be kind and I will make her listen to your every scream."

"What a twisted mind you have," Sherlock said with a curious tone.

Tomas shrugged, "it's why I was Moriarty's apprentice. He said I held the same sadistic quality that he possessed, that I would be a perfect successor."

"The successor sent to spy on the successor," Sherlock said glancing around the room but keeping his focus remained on the Monster. "Miss Hooper takes over for my brother and you take over for Moriarty. With that power the two of you would have been unstoppable."

"'Would have' is the key term there," Tomas said with a dramatic shrug. "But what can you do? Apart from traumatized and stalk the woman who ruined my plans to rule the world."

"Shame," Sherlock muttered.

"Hanna will be so sad when she learns," he smirked. "After all the work she put in to make you feel and then you just shut it down."

"Sentiment is a chemical defect found on the losing side."

"You know that, I know that," the mad man chuckled. "But Hanna is in Love with you. That was always her weakness: she loves too much."

"Miss Hooper will have to learn to live with it," Sherlock shrugged, scanning the room again. "Now you told me to dance with her, another piece of the puzzle I assume?

"But of course," Tomas giggled now. "I love games, I told you in my letter."

"You also said that you would allow us to die together," he said with a twirl as he turned back to the other man. "I could choose to walk out. If I stop playing then there is no victory for you."

Tomas shrugged, "but you won't."

"why-"

"Because your emotions won't let you," He said with a deadly serious look. "Despite what you tried to convince me of I know they aren't actually off-"

"What makes you say that?"

"The passion with which you solved my clues," he said tiling his head to the side. "That kind of passion is only found in one thing."

"Your theory would be valid if you were aware of my personality before we became acquainted," Sherlock said raising an eyebrow. "But you weren't, were you?"

"wh-"

"You were too focused on something else," he continued with a wicked gleam in his eyes, "something that you work very hard to hide." Tomas said nothing for a moment, his face a mask of severity as Sherlock continued. "You are in love with Hanna, you always have been." The mask cracked and an amused smirk flickered across his lips.

"That's a clever trick," he said taking two steps towards the Detective. "And for it I shall reward you. You will be allowed to leave my party with one person."

"You will kill us before we reach the door."

He held up his hands in surrender, "I won't harm a hair on either head but be aware that my people are instructed to… persuade you in any way they see fit. And it really is in their best interest to try, whoever is left once you leave will die."

"You would destroy your own network?" Sherlock asked with a frown.

Mathers giggled again, "I would destroy everything. You see, Sherlock, at this point I don't care. I don't care to win; I don't care to continue and take over the world, which I could do by the way. But it's like you said I love Hanna, she is my perfect play thing, and I want to tear down her world in the most devastating way possible," he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a remote. "With fire."

"A bomb-"

"Several bomb like objects that set fire to all the exits," Tomas corrected with a grin. "And once you leave I will set them off. If anyone tries to escape I set them off. They know their best chance is you and for you they will try their hardest. Now go, and let the party really begin."