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Moriarty sat in the dark room. His shoulder resting against the padded wall. With his ankles bound and his neck in a pinch he lay alone. Or so he thought. In the corner of the room stood a looming figure. Tall and lean the figure stood about 6’1”. The light shone through a small window in the metallic door leaving the figure completely silhouetted in darkness. Cuts and scratches made it so Moriarty could hardly see. It’s amazing what harm you can bring yourself when locked in chains and a padded room.
“Sir,” spoke the man, “it is time for you to return to London. I’ve been waiting.” At this, Moriarty’s eyes shot open, everyone will be so surprised. Time to strike fear back into the Queen’s country.
“Oh, I can’t wait Mr. Moran,” replied Moriarty drifting back into a coma-like state.
A truck arrived outside of Sebastian Moran’s house. Within this truck sat a sedated Consulting Criminal. Awaiting the arrival of his partner Moran cleaned and dusted. Not a thing was out of place, that wouldn’t do, no, not for the best criminal on this side of the planet. If even a spec of dust wasn’t in it’s place Moriarty, unlike an ordinary person, would just sit back with a disgusted look upon his face while chewing his iconic ‘frost mint’ gum. To top it off Sebastian placed a record upon the record player, he moved the needle to the fifth ridge and blaring through the speaker came Moriarty’s favourite song, Stayin’ Alive. “Seems appropriate really,” thought Moran.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Several knocks later Moran opened the door. There stood two men almost dragging a body behind them. The man looked up in a twisted gaze, “Sebastian~ oh how I’ve missed you,” The man dropped his gaze again and dazed away.
“Thank you boys,” Moran stated then shut the door in their faces. Taking Moriarty further into the house he realized that he would need the key to unlock Jim’s chains and shackles. He went to the door and found the two men waiting. The taller one held up a key and Moran snached it away, again closing the door in their faces. Returning to the living room he found Moriarty sitting right where he had left him, now that’s different.
“Alright, come here.” And Moriarty obeyed, that is a sight to see, London, possibly the world’s most dangerous man just obeyed orders. What did they do to him in there? Whatever it was it scarred him. After the chains dropped to the floor Moran scanned over his partner in crime, not many things were different, but there was this... look, in his eyes, it was one Moran never expected the Consulting Criminal to have. It was hurt. A deep, painful hurt, one that could almost never go away. It clouded the stout man’s chocolate eyes, and that hit Sebastian right in the chest. In an instinctive motion Sebastian grabbed Moriarty’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug. That was a mistake. Moriarty shoved Moran away and backed up until he fell back onto the couch.
“Don’t you EVER touch me, never again,” Moriarty shook almost insanely, “Not after.. not after that...” Moran stared back confused, now what did those little pricks do to my criminal. My boy. Almost raving Moran yelled,
“WHAT THE HELL DID THEY DO TO YOU. WHAT IN ALL THE WORLDS DID THEY DO TO BREAK YOU? You who sat in a prison for a month, you, who faked a suicide. You. The unbreakable.” Moriarty broke down. He shivered, he coughed up blood,but he didn’t seem to be in any physical pain. It was as if... It was as if he was, enjoying it. Enjoying that ache, that pin prick. It was like an addiction to pain. Seb knew addiction when he saw it. Why had he not seen it? He’d dealt with it before, heroine, coke, it’s not like Jim’s is any different. Why had he not noticed his loved one was in so much pain?
“God damn it. GOD DAMN IT ALL,” Seb collapsed next to Jim, “Whatever they did... We’re gonna have to... do, something.” But then, Moriarty began to laugh, weakly at first, then progressively it turned into cackling. This was what Sebastian remembered, this Moriarty. The completely, absurdly crazy one.
“Oh Moran~ you do get riled up easily. Well isn’t that just something,” and with that Jim walked like a king around the house. Oh how he had played him. Oh how great an actor he was. Jim just pranced around singing Stayin’ Alive as Moran sat, dumbfounded. What was he thinking? The great James Moriarty, an addic? Of course not. Jim just wanted to see how much Sebastian had missed him.