ironmonger | (no subject)

It might just be his imagination, but he thinks he can even hear the difference between the Sherlocks.

"Tony was kidnapped," he answers matter-of-factly.

Well, that's certainly a fine way to get his attention.

"And already retrieved. How badly hurt? Did you work with Sherlock, or did he mount a rescue by himself?"

"He's fine," Obadiah says. "Physically, anyway.

"Sherlock tried to have it both ways, but it didn't quite work out for him." Partly because Obadiah didn't let it, and partly also because as it turned out, Sherlock would probably have been killed if he'd gotten his way, anyway.

"Damn," he says softly.

"I suppose there is no use asking if I can see him. And he has a Sherlock of his very own regardless. That will have to do."

Yes, apparently Sherlock's fixation with doing everything himself sometimes extends to... himself.

Obadiah is not surprised by this in the slightest.

He is, however, somewhat amused.

"He'll suffice," he says. "I'm pretty sure he's only a serious pain in the ass when I'm around."

"Oh, I am a pain in the ass to everyone, I assure you."

"I think you save your very best for me, though."

Call it a hunch.

"Not lately. Perhaps I am getting mellow in my old age."

Obadiah laughs.

Having something to laugh about is not an unwelcome change from the past few days.

He smiles.

(See?)

"Are you going to sit down?"

It would be easier on Obadiah than having a conversation with someone standing behind him. If Sherlock really is feeling mellow.

"Thank you, yes."

He pulls up an armchair of his own.

"Not to ruin the camaraderie of the moment," he adds as he sits, "but I was wondering when would be a good time to continue our earlier conversation."

Obadiah has to stop and think for a second, to pull that last conversation up in his memory. A lot has happened since then.

Ah. Right.

"I assume you intend to keep after it until you get the answer you want," he remarks, turning some of his attention to his dinner.

"I at least intend to keep after it until I get an answer."

"I have entirely too much to do for it to be a concern for now," Obadiah says. "There's the fall-out to deal with, and I need a new head of security because the last one was in on it. Plus the people who planned the whole thing got away, so I'll need to track them down all over again."

It doesn't leave him a whole lot of time for terrorizing prostitutes, no matter how much he could use the outlet right now.

Although it is suddenly occurring to him that, just maybe, setting aside some special time for dealing directly with the German bitch might not be out of the question.

Oh, go for all three, Obadiah. Why limit yourself?

"Have Sherlock do it," Sherlock suggests, because he can't read subtext quite that clearly. "If you don't, he will anyway, and he'll get there before you do."

And there goes Obadiah's chance of spending quality time with any of them.

Ah, but he mustn't be greedy.

"Oh, I'm sure he and Jarvis are on it already," he says dismissively. "I'll be asking for an update when I get back."

And putting in a request or two. He's confident that Sherlock will understand the importance of making a clear impression on any would-be future kidnappers.

"As for whether or not he will kill them for you, that depends on exactly what they did to Tony."

"I imagine there's at least one of them not long for this world."

Sherlock isn't the only one who noticed Tony's reaction to the giant's approach.

"I am sorry to hear that."

Not, you understand, because he cares about the person who hurt Tony, but because it implies that Tony got hurt in a way that's worth killing over.

"Would have been a hell of a lot worse if we'd taken much longer to find him," Obadiah says bluntly. "We were coming up on the deadline for the ransom demand."

After which Tony would have been in trouble whether they'd paid up or not.

"And I am glad you found him when you did. But then, so are you, I think."

Obadiah offers a half-smile in acknowledgment.

"It saved some trouble."

Soft, with a hint of affection: "I imagine so."

Obadiah attends to his dinner for a moment, then says,

"I'm given to understand that the ringleader is known in certain circles. Some people are watching very closely to see what happens next."

Obadiah is not without a few unorthodox contacts. He took some time today to get in touch with them, as well.