TheDarkestShinobi: This is a Johniarty! Jim and Moriarty are a split personality that develops under Carl. Enjoy! Review! This chapter is Jim from age 10-11 to early 20's. He meets John next chapter

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"Please join me in congratulating Carl Powers," the speaker booms and Jim looks down, as if just mentioning the name could summon the boy to the classroom. He has miraculously been absent from class so far, and Jim is hoping it would stay that way. "…in a win that places him in our school's record books." Jim can hear the other children in the class murmuring about how amazing Carl was. He was so strong. He was almost as tall as the teachers. Jim lets his hands fiddle with his pencil. Carl was great to so many, but not to poor little Jim. He was positively evil to Jim.

"In just two months' time," the announcement continues, and even the teacher looks annoyed at having been interrupted for too long. "Carl will be traveling for our school…" Jim perks up at that. How long would he be gone?

"So once again, please join me in congratulating Carl Powers!" She concludes and the classroom around him erupts into laughter, cheers and applause. Jim just twirls his pencil around his fingers and looks at the teacher. Mr. Brown, the new teacher, is politely clapping as he leans on the desk. One girl, she is infatuated with the swimmer, jumps to her feet and the others follow her. The teacher shakes his head and Jim tries to drown out the sound and sinks further into his seat. The noise loudens and Jim looks up to see Carl in the front of the room. Jim wishes he had stayed home.

…

"Yo, Irishman, why didn't you clap?" Jim feels the others hands on his back and lifts his arms to prevent his face from contact with the locker. His arms sting and he is trying to hold back the tears as he feels the taller boy turn him around.

"Are you not happy for me?" Carl's hand fists in his shirt and pulls him forward before slamming him back against the lockers. Jim lets the tears fall and yells out, but Carl's other hand covers his mouth. "So smart, but you haven't learned that lesson yet have you?" Jim feels his feet leave the ground and wonders if there is anyplace he could kick to cause the most damage. Jim feels himself drop as he hears footsteps around the corner.

"Carl? James?" Their teacher asks as he sees them. Carl smiles widely and Jim can't bring his face to move or his hands to his tears. "Everything okay?" Carl nods and wraps an arm around Jim's shoulders.

"Yeah, he wanted to congratulate me in person!" Jim nods as soon as he feels the hand tighten but their teacher doesn't look convinced.

"Jim, I need to talk to you, so come on." Jim is thankful for the small miracles and sprints from Carl's side to Mr. Brown's side. Small victories. Neither of them speak until they are in Mr. Browns classroom and he lifts Jim to make him sit on his table.

"Has Carl been bullying you?" Jim looks away. Carl has been bullying him for years; it has only grown worse since the year started. "Well, I know the truth, whether or not you answer." Jim wonders what will happen now. He looks away

"Can I go home now?" Mr. Brown nods with a frown.

"Come to me if you need anything, don't let the bully's win. They don't deserve it."

Jim wants to ask what they do deserve, but just hops off the desk and hurries home.

…

The next time Mr. Brown sees the two together he steps between them and Carl scoffs before walking away. Jim wraps his arms around Mr. Brown's leg and Mr. Brown knows that this has already gone too far. Jim follows Mr. Brown in secret and sits on the floor outside the principal's office and listens to the other two talk.

"Carl Powers is bullying my student."

"Now, I doubt that." Carl hears the principal say. "Carl is such a nice boy. Did you know he won the swimming-"

"I know." He interrupts. Jim can't help the small smile that comes to his face.

"So if there is bullying, what do you suggest we do?"

"Suspend him." The answer is quick and Jim shifts.

"That will disqualify him from the swimming championships." She doesn't like that idea very much.

"I know, and I know you don't think that's fair, but he is terrorizing another student. It's physical bulling!"

"Terrorizing!" The principal laughs and Jim's smile fades, he feels angry. He stands. This isn't a joke! "It's just boys being boys." She defends.

"That's the worst excuse I have ever heard." Jim hears shuffling and knows Mr. Brown is preparing to leave the office. He runs as fast as he can.

The next time he is at the library, he exchanges his fairy tale book with one about human biology, the librarian thinks it may too much for him, but he doesn't care. He also doesn't know why he wants that one or why he spends all night reading it.

...

"You know Mr. Brown isn't going to be here to save you every time." Carl started and Jim clutched his biology book closer to his chest.

"I want you to stop hurting me." He says and almost regrets it as soon as the words leave his mouth. Carl knocks the book out of his hands and Jim feels Carl's knee impact his chest and coughs out a few times. He stares at the book before looking up at Carl. Carl tilts his head at the change in Jim's eyes.

"You won't stop." Carl smiles and Jim sees the biology book laid out across Carl's body. He can see the organs and ribs, the muscles and arteries. He remembers their necessity and wonders where he should hit to cause the most damage. "Not until you're dead." He speaks again and Carl takes two steps back.

"Jim!" Mr. Brown calls out and Jim picks up his biology book and treasures the look of fear on Carl's face. He turns away and walks towards Mr. Brown with a small smile on his face. As Mr. Brown frets over him, Jim can feel himself returning to normal.

"I'm fine, Mr. Brown, really, you came before he could do much." Jim coughs again and Mr. Brown narrows his eyes.

"I don't care what she says; I'm going to suspend that boy."

"It's okay," Jim says softly, not entirely sure why. Then his voice lowers as he stops kicking his legs. "I can take care of myself." Mr. Brown clearly doesn't believe him

"Okay, and what are you going to do next time?"

I'll go for the trachea. Jim opens his mouth but doesn't reply, his answer shocking him. Mr. Brown sighs and Jim hops off the desk to head home.

…

"Who are you?" Jim turns a page in his book as he talks out loud

"What do you mean?" he answers himself, "I'm you, I'm Jim."

"No." Jim insists. "I'm Jim, you're different." Jim points to the knight in the picture.

"I'm your armor but I'm still you." Jim's hand extends to cover the entire picture of the knight and the horse. "If I can't share your name then you can call me Moriarty." Jim smiles as he traces the knight's outline.

"So Moriarty," Jim begins, "you're here to protect me, does that mean you'll protect me against Carl too?"

…

Moriarty says he knows what bullies deserve. Jim listens.

Carl has eczema. Moriarty shows Jim the skin on his jacket and Carl's shoelaces.

That makes his skin extra porous to things like poison.

It makes everything easier.

…

Jim smiles as the principal makes the announcement that class would be interrupted to watch Carl's swim meet. Mr. Brown had done what he could, but it was Moriarty that protected Jim. Jim watches as the gun goes off and Carl starts swimming. Moriarty smirks when Carl seems to stop moving and have a fit. The feed cuts off and the next announcement is much more solemn, but Jim and Moriarty are smiling as they know he's gone.

Jim doesn't want to sign the card that Mr. Brown passes around the next day, but Moriarty does, so Jim watches the loopy cursive signing his last name before he passes it off. By the end of it, the school seems to be in mourning but Jim couldn't wait to celebrate.

…

"The armor comes off after the dragon is slayed." Jim says, and he's not sure what he wants Moriarty to do.

"You're not done yet." Moriarty responds and Jim begins to brush his teeth.

What's next?

Other people have bullies too; you can help them get rid of theirs.

Jim smiles and the suds fall from his lips to the sink.

…

The first boys Jim helps start following him around. He doesn't mind, Moriarty stresses the importance of numbers. A few years after, they grow into puberty very well and though Moriarty is still lanky and unassuming, his minions are anything but.

"You really should leave her alone." Jim crosses his arms and Moriarty takes in everything. The tilt of his fingers indicate they were all broken; parental abuse. Yellow nails indicate cigarettes. The fur on his pants tell Moriarty he has multiple pets.

"What's it to you, short stack!" The short, pale blonde woman is crying, and Jim tilts his head as he uses Moriarty's words and deductions to reduce the man to tears. When, finally, the man decides to attack the 16 year old. Jim ducks and his friends take care of the man.

He didn't know this woman would be the future love interest to one Irene Adler, but his network starts here.

"Boss." Jim looks over his shoulder to see the man on the floor, bleeding and crying. "should we go?"

"You have a nice day," Jim bids the woman farewell as he disappears into the shadows with them.

"We should get more people involved." Jim says to his reflection. He nods and lifts his hand to his chin.

"I couldn't agree more, Jim."

…

Moriarty had always been a voice inside his head. Jim always listened but Jim had a choice, at least he thought. He built his network as he built his knowledge, and now he had hundreds of people ready to help him, most of them had never seen his face. He went by Moriarty more than Jim.

…

Moriarty is a demon. Jim is sure of it. He's in control today, and he doesn't know what he should do. He can hear Moriarty's buzz in the back of his head and goes to the bathroom to wash his face. He wets his face and towels off, realizing he's gotten water on his shirt and jeans. He laughs softly and wants to go out and meet people. He looks up and sees his reflection in the mirror.

Jim looks into his own eyes in the mirror and blinks. Then he sees the demon, wearing his skin like a costume, but it's got horns and bony wings, claws and no eyeballs. The demon he called Moriarty as a child. It turns its head and Jim pulls back gasping. He hits the wall behind him and gasps, but he's still in control. He's still got his body.

Now, more than ever, he wants to go out and be normal, so he does. He goes shopping for clothes for him, not Westwood, and goes out to party.

He doesn't have much fun; still, he can hear the music over Moriarty's buzzing in his head. Small victories.

…

At some point it had changed.

Moriarty and Jim fought for dominance. Jim couldn't tell if he'd wake up as himself or a voice in his head. They were at war. Moriarty was turning Jim's network to crime, and they followed him like dogs. Jim watched and watched until he had no choice but to join. There is no redemption for him, not ever. One thing he could do is postpone the inevitable by staying away from the physicality of it. He knew the second he got his hands dirty he'd never be able to stop.

Moriarty watched Jim become another pet, another minion, just another part of the network.

TDS: Please review!