Chapter Text
They first met when they were 11.
Jim had just started at the secondary school, it was dull, boring, utterly predictable and he hated it. The other children were idiots, simplistic beasts giving into basic hormonal wants and needs when ever they felt like it. It was all rather disgusting if he was being totally honest about it.
Which was why he avoided the other children as much as possible, he had things to do, things to plan, experiments to bring to fruition.
“Oi, nutter! What ya doin?”
Carl Powers, class bully, frankly offending skin and has a rather odd obsession with trainers. He'd taken an instant disliking to Jim and had made his 5 weeks at school as uncomfortable as possible. Jim had started running the experiment on him already, had started it in his second week of school, and was pleased to see that it had finally started to show some results.
“Weirdo, I’m talking to you, what've you got??”
Jim ignored him, it was pretty obvious he was painstakingly pulling the spinal column from the dead cat he had found, he'd had the urge to see if he could get it out whole, with no breaks. It was taking more care than he had anticipated.
“Is that a cat? Oh my god, you little psycho! You killed it didn’t you!”
He sighed, idiot, they were all idiots in this school , every single one.
“Yes it's a cat, no I did not kill it, I just found it”
Carl's eyes narrowed, taking in the spinal column half removed. “I don't believe you creep, I think you killed it. So I’m gonna make you pay you sick little shit”
Before Jim could raise to his feet Carl had pulled back his fist and driven it into his chest, knocking him backwards and effectively winding him.
Punch, kick, kick, punch, the blows rained down on him relentlessly. He tried to curl his body in on itself to try protect his softer area. Then he retreated into his mind as best he could. Plans needed to be made.
Because Carl Powers would pay for this. The experiment with the poison was taking too long to reach its conclusion. He wanted him to suffer, to beg for mercy. Jim was looking forward to it, to seeing the fear flood his eyes as he hurt him. Flood... water, that would be lovely, drowning had it's merits. Less evidence left, could even make it look like an accident. Oh yes, it would be a work of art.
Suddenly the blows stopped.
“Get away from him Carl!” A new voice? He raised his head, Carl was sprawled on the floor clutching at his nose, which was bleeding, the red in stark contrast to how pale his face had gone. “Go on then, get away” He turned towards the voice to find a smallish blond boy stood next to him, fists clenched, his left one having a smear of blood across the knuckles. Left handed then.
Surprisingly Carl lurched to his feet and ran away.
“You ok down there mate?”
Jim nodded, stumbling to his feet, wincing as pain flashed through his ribs, possibly cracked one or two, definitively bruised, more so on his left side, his leg ached as did his arm. Bruises then, he couldn't feel much dampness so any cuts would be superficial.
“You're kinda bleeding you know, there look” The boy pointed to his forearm where a slow trickle of blood had started its decent down the arm to drip onto the ground.
“Here look, put this on it then come to the bathroom with me so we can get you cleaned up.” He was handed a wad of tissue the boy pulled from his pocket. “It's clean I promise I’ve not used it. It just got a bit squished is all, come on, before one of the teachers decides to come over” And so he followed him.
Once in the bathroom he discovered the boy's name was John Watson. He also found out that John Watson was quite efficient at caring for cuts and bruises, more so than a normal 11 year old would be. He had an elder sibling and they lived with their father. Mother most likely dead. Father an addict of some sort going by the state of John's hair and clothes. He had a rather distinct air of neglect about him. Of course John had only told Jim his name.
“So Jim, what was all that about?”
“It was Carl just being Carl. Don't worry about it” He tried to sound nonchalant, tried to hide the anger which was always simmering under the surface.
John watched him for a few moments, then a small smile twitched at his slips, “So how're we gonna get him back?”
Jim stared at him, we? How're we gonna get him back? The both of them? Together? Jim and John, John and Jim? Maybe best to try convince him that there was no plan to get him back, if Jim manages to pull his plan together, it will either go brilliantly, or he will be going away for a long time, no need to drag John down with him.
“We are not John.” John frowned, “There is no plan to get him back, the plan is to ignore him and just get on with our lives as normal” Now John narrowed his eyes. “Now if you would excuse me I really do need to get going”
“No sorry, not working. If you don't stand up for yourself then he'll keep doing it. If you don't do something then I will” Huh. Surprising. Should have guessed he would be the sort that wouldn't let it go.
“It's fine John, I will take care of it”
John narrowed his eyes at him again, but slowly nodded and moved out of the way so Jim could leave. He headed to the library, he needed to research a few things before starting to plan. He smiled grimly to himself. Oh it was going to be beautiful!