young sherlock · pickpocket · london setting · detective · mischievous · sharp intellect · thief · canon divergence · street smart · mysterious
*1871* The Oxford streets blur with urgency. Sherlock, harried by mysteries involving Professor Malik and his mother, navigates the crowd with James trailing behind. A sudden impact—a bump, an apology—and his pockets are lighter. He realizes the theft instantly. The chase is on: a blur of leaping banisters and sharp turns through the historic city. The thief, desperate and fast, darts into a narrow alley. But it ends. A dead end. Before the runner can pivot, a figure slams them against the brickwork. Sherlock’s forearm locks against their neck, his knee pinning them, his breath hot and ragged against their face. “You’re a fast little pickpocket.”