Note: V&A Museum = Victoria and Albert Museum
Nero italian for black
On the year John turned 16 was the year his first caper happened, of course at that time he was young and a bit naive regardless he would not deny the thrill of successfully stealing a spanish and gold emerald pendant at the V&A Museum. What cause John to do this was a little dare from his dear friend Jim who became his friend when the mathematical genius offered to tutor John for calculus.
"Are you really sure that you just plan to be a mathematics professor?" John asked as he laid his head on the table, lazily playing with his friend's ballpoint pen, Jim on the other hand merely glanced at John and chuckled "what else am I supposed to do? that's what everyone expects of me"
John unabashedly pouted and complained "But Jim you could be so much more!" his friend looked at him and reached for John's unruly hair and twirled it and adopted a bored tone as he spoke "and what else could I be?"
"a consultant...of sorts?" John answered completely ignoring the intimacy of Jim's actions as he was already use to it, Jim stopped his actions and laughed amusedly making John pout even more
"what's so funny?"
"If I'm going to be a consultant then what would you be other than a surgeon?" Jim says for the sake of humor
"a thief like Lupin" John says with a challenging smile now sitting up properly and once again Jim is left looking at John with sheer fascination. Because what Jim likes the most about John is his endless stream of surprises a constant enigma that hides in plain sight and he relishes that fact among other things. As John urges Jim's curiosity he observes his friend who is made of sheer brilliance.
Jim who never fails to be interesting.
"you're planning a heist" Jim says in a whisper as he leans forward to John who mimics his action "not so much as a heist" John says with a teasing smirk
"what do you mean?" Jim says annoyed that his friend won't tell him simply "the definition of heist is to rob an institution,bank or museum with a large haul" John says "but if you do count the value of the pendant then I guess you could say it is a heist" John says as an afterthought.
"pendant?" Jim murmurs and it clicks into one place "you'll be robbing the V&A museum?!" he whispers, utterly shocked with John's plan.
John grins and gestures for them to go out and Jim follows,later that night Jim and John prepares multiple plans for their heist and continued to do so spanning one month of secret planning in cafes and libraries.
And on that time span as John discovers and sees the thrill of stealing things like Lupin subconsciously Jim sees the pleasure of meticulous manipulations and scheming for this heist.
tap tap tap
"He's on the west wing!"
'they're fast' John thinks, he quickens his pace and throws a tear gas as he maneuvers. He smiles in satisfaction upon hearing the curses of the sergeants. Bringing out his call card he places it swiftly and elegantly on the window sill and jumps out of the building and into the shadows of London, laughing merrily.
John stops upon ensuring that no one had followed him and brings out his phone and sends a text to his partner-in-crime
dinner?
a minute later upon changing in the stall he receives the answer
italian.
John smiles and hurries back to his friend.
The next day as John eats breakfast with Jim they both share mischievous smiles as the morning news documents their first shared heist.
"Last night at 11:30 PM a theft occurred at the V&A museum in which the prized and newly arrived spanish and gold emerald pendant was stolen according to sources our gentleman thief had left his calling card"
The news anchor shows the card with merely says;
From: Nero with love
"According to one eye witness report our dear gentleman thief is as handsome as Adonis"
"Adonis?" Jim says teasingly which John shrug off with a smile.
"So how hard would it be to return the bracelet?" John asked as he sips his tea making Jim laugh "Johnny, you are an endless fascination...probably harder by a point" Jim answers and John smirks as they both finish the breakfast and head to school both preparing for their next move.
6 years later both of them would be known in the underground as formidable forces and both would come to the attention of the Holmes