Title: The Great Detective
Fandom: Torchwood
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Nosy ‘Sherlock’ Fluff, Ianto, Owen, ‘Moriarty’.
Rating: G
Word Count: 1171
Spoilers: Nada.
Summary: The great detective Sherlock Fluff must rescue an innocent citizen abducted by the notorious criminal mastermind Moriarty!
Content Notes: None needed.
Written For: Challenge 331: Clue.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.



The great detective Sherlock Fluff was once again on the trail of its arch-nemesis, Moriarty. The evil mastermind was believed to be responsible for another dastardly act, this time the abduction of an innocent, law-abiding citizen. Slowly, Sherlock Fluff slinked its way around the scene of the crime, its green eyes wide and intent, seeking the smallest clue as to where Moriarty might have taken the victim.

It peered closely at the abduction site, a perfectly ordinary chair where the citizen had been seen sitting conversing with several friends only a short while previously. The snatch had taken place right out in the open, and although the victim’s friends had seen everything, at present they were far too dazed and traumatised to be of much help.

Fluff believed that they may have been drugged in some way; perhaps something had been slipped into their coffee, rendering them unable to come to the aid of their companion as he was brutally dragged away right in front of their very eyes! It must have been an exceedingly harrowing sight for them to witness, and Fluff sympathised with the poor unfortunates, but it could not remain to comfort them. It had a job to, and there was no time to waste.

What evil Moriarty was planning on this occasion, or for what foul purposes the victim had been abducted, Sherlock Fluff could only speculate, but it had no doubt that time was of the essence. Moriarty’s whereabouts must be discovered before it was too late.

Keen eyes soon discerned the faintest trail in the dust that coated the concrete in this neighbourhood. Yes! That was the direction Moriarty had dragged the victim, no doubt ignoring the citizen’s desperate struggling and pleas for mercy. Moriarty was fiendishly clever, yes, but also cruel and heartless. Fluff would not allow the criminal mastermind to get away with this terrible act. With an innocent life at stake, no stone would remain unturned. It was determined to return the victim to his loved ones.

Hot on Moriarty’s tail now, Sherlock Fluff abruptly arrived at an area where the concrete had recently been swept clear of dust. Was this the evil genius’s doing, a way to prevent Fluff from slithering to the rescue before Moriarty’s plans could reach fruition? That was a possibility many other detectives might have considered, but not Fluff. It had long since memorised the schedule of those responsible for keeping this area clean and well ordered. No doubt Moriarty was simply taking advantage of an existing situation in order to throw off pursuit. A clever trick, perhaps, but not one that would long delay a detective as astute as Sherlock Fluff!

Back and forth Fluff went, quartering the ground, checking every inch of concrete for even the smallest and least significant of clues. There! A tiny tuft of the victim’s hair, snagged on the rough surface he’d been dragged across and pulled loose, and there, a fibre from Moriarty’s distinctive coat! Fluff had the scent again now; it knew it couldn’t be far behind! Moriarty could only go so fast, burdened with the victim’s limp, helpless body, and now Fluff had a good idea of where its nemesis was heading. There were several potential hideouts in the surrounding area where Moriarty had taken refuge in the past, but only one in this direction.

Speeding up, no longer needing to look for clues, Sherlock Fluff headed for the cavern beneath the overhang. That was where it would find Moriarty and the terrified citizen, it was certain! But still, Fluff could not afford to abandon all caution. It must endeavour to catch Moriarty unawares!

The great detective slowed as it grew close to the cavern, slinking stealthily, silently, so as not to prematurely alert Moriarty to its presence. It kept to what little cover there was as it gradually inched closer to the criminal’s hideout until at last it could peer into the cavern’s gloomy depths. There, as Fluff had suspected, lay the treacherous Moriarty, still clutching the helpless victim in a vicelike grip.

But not for long!

Sherlock Fluff’s attack was swift and precise, taking Moriarty completely by surprise! Fluff pounced on the criminal from behind, getting a firm grip on the back of Moriarty’s neck. Over and over the criminal and the great detective rolled, each of them struggling to get the upper hand, but Fluff had the benefit of size and experience so although the battle was savage, it didn’t last long. The criminal was soundly defeated, and the victim wrenched bodily from certain doom!

Fluff would have liked to be the one to take Moriarty into custody, but the victim’s safety had to be its first priority. Tenderly it lifted the badly shaken citizen and together they made their escape, fleeing the cavern beneath the overhang before Moriarty could do anything to stop them…

Ianto stopped beside the coffee table in the break area, smiling down at Nosy. “Ah, I see you’ve caught up with the phantom teddy bear snatcher.”

“hmmmm,” Nosy hummed indistinctly through a mouthful of Fred’s fluffy body. That would teach the villainous Moriarty to snatch innocent citizens who were just minding their own business, sitting with their friends. It huffed in satisfaction as Ianto crouched down and reached under the sofa. Now the defeated evildoer would get what was coming to it!

Pulling a long, fuzzy, purple and black body out from its hiding place and standing up with it gripped firmly in both his hands, Ianto frowned sternly at the Flufflet.

“That was very naughty! You have plenty of your own toys to play with, there’s no reason for you to take Nosy’s. If you can’t respect other people’s property then you’ll lose your Hub privileges and be confined to the night duty room by yourself all day. Understand?”

With a mournful and apologetic hum, Dizzy went limp in Ianto’s hands, the very picture of Flufflet dejection.

Ianto strode away, carrying Dizzy, calling out, “Owen, your thieving Flufflet’s been at it again. It stole Nosy’s teddy.”

“Kids!” Owen huffed. “Always want what their parents have got. Give it to me, I’ll take charge of it now. It won’t be getting a cookie for supper today. Naughty Flufflets don’t get treats.”

Sherlock Fluff hummed contentedly. Take that, Moriarty! Crime solved and perpetrator suitably punished by the authorities, it set of back the way it had come, returning the poor abductee to his home. Citizen Fred would need a thorough medical check-up of course, and Fluff was sure it could rely on the good Doctor Ianto Watson for that, but there was no rush. Right now, it was time for Fred to be reunited with his friends so that Fluff could receive the gratitude and praise it deserved for its heroic rescue of an innocent bear and the defeat of the most notorious criminal in the Hub, the despicable Dizzy Moriarty!

Maybe Fluff would even be awarded a medal for its heroism, but it would settle for coffee and a cookie.


The End