London Above
Now that Jim knew that Sherlock was alive, he felt a new excitement growing. He had a delightful new game to amuse himself with. After spending a relaxing evening cuddling with Sebastian, Jim was ready to start the hunt. First he summoned Harold once more. The three of them spent an exhausting day prowling along the riverfront, checking if Molly and Sherlock had only crossed the river. Harold whined about all the walking and Sebastian dug up a wheelchair for him from somewhere. Jim thought the sight of Sebastian pushing the old man all over London was hilarious. Sebastian was just glad that Jim was in a mellow mood. Jim strolled along, like he hadn't a care in the world, sending the occasional text or answering calls. Harold was unable to detect even a slight hint that Molly or Sherlock had been anywhere on the opposite bank of the Thames. Jim began making calls to international contacts. The detective and the pathologist had to have gone somewhere. They would be found eventually. After dismissing Harold, Jim wanted to go home.
He was still in a very gentle, loving mood. These were the times Sebastian lived for. He had loved Jim Moriarty for many long years. Sebastian knew that Jim didn't really love anyone and was likely incapable of feeling actual love. But when Jim was in these moods, it was easy to forget how he really was. They had met as boys. Sebastian was lost, he had run away at age 9 to avoid another beating at his father's hands. No one ever came to look for him. There were still plenty of other kids around, he wasn't missed very much. Eventually Sebastian had met the Man under the Bridge and became his property. The Man was mostly good to him; he fed him and took care of him. He never beat his boys, only loved them. Jim was already living with the Man when Sebastian came. He took in Jim because he recognized a fellow Deathseer when he saw one. He brought Sebastian under his wing because he thought Jim needed a friend his own age.
The Man under the Bridge taught both Jim and Sebastian well. He taught them to survive in the weirdness of Dublin Below and how to use their talents. Both boys grew strong. Jim was the first to grow bored. He always wanted more. Sebastian just wanted to always be with Jim. So they killed the Man under the Bridge. The Man had been expecting it for some time; honestly he hoped they would get on with it, he was tired of waiting. He was proud of them both. They far surpassed their teacher's own abilities.
Once their mentor was dead, Jim and Sebastian began gaining more power. Jim was a genius and easily manipulated people into doing whatever he wanted. They were able to practically rule all of the Underside of Dublin, a feat that had last happened centuries ago. Sebastian was content with what they had, but Jim never was. Eventually Jim grew bored with living underground. It was supposed to be impossible for the people who fell between the cracks to return to the normal life of the Above world, but somehow, Jim managed to do it. And as with everything he did, Sebastian was at his side.
Building a worldwide criminal empire had been fun, but it got boring too, just like everything else. Jim was despondent then, nothing could amuse him anymore. Sebastian had been worried that Jim would kill himself, so dark were his moods. But then Sherlock Holmes started interfering. The detective made everything fun again and Jim was delighted. But his happiness was short lived. Even a worthy opponent could only be entertaining for so long. So Jim had planned to destroy the man. Somehow the bastard had managed to fake his death. Chasing the dead man was so amusing that Jim forgot his fury for a little while.
For the first few days, Jim was content to spend his time with Sebastian while their worldwide associates searched for any sign of Sherlock and Molly. But as everyday passed with no new information, Jim grew more agitated. They had carefully followed Mycroft and John, but it became obvious that neither knew of Sherlock's miraculous survival. Molly Hooper was widely reported as missing in the media. She was the one that helped him. Jim became manic, overflowing with rage at the incompetence of his minions. He became more involved in the search.
Almost four months after Sherlock's fall, Jim was standing back on the banks of the Thames. He had never bothered to go down to the area that Sherlock and Molly had disappeared from, too messy. But now, with all leads dried up and no progress, he wanted to see it for himself. Jim walked back and forth carefully. He studied the area, seemingly focusing on every last rock. He stopped suddenly.
"Harold said that Molly cut herself somewhere around here, right?" he asked Sebastian.
Sebastian nodded. He didn't know why that was important.
Jim groaned and pulled at his own hair. He ran back to the stone wall, running his fingers along the masonry. When he turned back to Sebastian, his face was contorted into an insane grin. "Oh Molly, you have a secret! She summoned someone or something, I know where the little mouse has hidden her dream lover! The bitch has gone to the Underside." Jim laughed as he realized how they had managed to remain hidden from him. He waved Sebastian over to his side. "Put your hand right here" he commanded.
Sebastian placed his hand against the stone wall of the Embankment. He could feel a strangeness there. He frowned, unhappy about the implications.
"You can feel it, can't you, it's a fucking door to London Below. They didn't go over the river, they went under it," Jim hissed. He put his hands in his pockets and leaned back.
"Come on, I'm tired of standing in this shit. Let's go" ordered Jim.
Sebastian sighed in relief. For a moment, he was afraid Jim would force him to find the door and enter it. He had no desire to go back to life in the Underside. They returned home and Jim resumed contacting a different sort of associate. It wasn't easy finding someone who could go between the two Londons. Most of the people who were able to move between Above and Below were pathetic failures no matter what world they inhabited. Some of their associates were ordered to search London Below. Most of them never returned from the Underside at all. The associates that did return found nothing new. Jim had a few of them killed as punishment for his frustration. After another month of fruitless efforts, Jim decided to send in his best man.
Sebastian had been afraid of this ever since Jim had come to the conclusion that Molly and Sherlock had escaped to the Underside. He knew that Jim would probably eventually try to send him to London Below. The thought of returning to that existence terrified Sebastian. Freeing themselves from the Underside of Dublin had been difficult and painful. Sebastian was afraid that he wouldn't be able to do it a second time. He didn't want to be stuck back underground. He knew Jim would never deign to return to that life. Sebastian also knew that he would do whatever Jim ordered him to do.
It was nearing midnight the night that Jim demanded Sebastian return to the Underside. Jim didn't want to lose his Tiger, but it was much more important that Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper be found. They had spent the day together, lazing around in bed. Jim knew that Sebastian was fond of such nonsense; it would be nice to give him a little fun. Now Jim had redressed in a suit and tie. He was ready for business. Sebastian was watching him warily from the bed. He had a strong hunch where this evening was going.
"Get dressed, Bass. Time to go to work" Jim ordered.
"Sure, what's the plan?" asked Sebastian. He stood and began pulling on underwear.
Jim sighed and closed his eyes. He rolled his head from side to side, stretching his neck and fighting the urge to hurt Moran. "Don't ask questions. Wear something sturdy, time for some hunting." He left the bedroom.
Sebastian dressed, choosing his clothes with care. He pulled on his boots and tied them tightly. Jim was waiting downstairs. They went to the car and Jim told the driver where to go. Sebastian tried to stay calm, but felt himself trembling. There was no guarantee that he could return from London Below. He could be separated from Jim forever. It wasn't long before they were standing down on the banks of the Thames, in front of the hidden door. Sebastian didn't bother to argue. He just listened to Jim's orders.
"Find them. Keep them alive, I want to be there when they die. I will be the one to kill them when I am satisfied. Do not let them know you are searching for them, understood?" Jim stared intently at Sebastian as he delivered his instructions.
Sebastian nodded, he ducked his head down. Christ, he was close to tears.
Jim stroked his cheek and pulled him close. "It has to be you. You understand don't you? Find them and come back and tell me everything. We can do it together." Jim whispered some more tender lies in Sebastian's ear. Finally he sent Sebastian on his way. Jim left before Sebastian opened the door. He had no intention of having anything to do with London Below.
Sebastian could feel the pull of the Underside as he approached the door. It was hard to resist, it was where he belonged after all. He touched the door and felt the glamour that hid it. It was easy to remove it and open the door. There was nothing particularly magical about the door; it opened to a dank tunnel. He could feel the humid, stinking air flow from the tunnel. Damn it. That was one of the worst things, the damp. You were never dry when you lived under the fucking dirt. His heart was pounding, he felt like a fucking kid again. He fumbled for a cigarette and lit it as he stepped through the door.
Sebastian spent his first week in London Below getting his bearings. It wasn't easy. Once he had ruled the Underside of Dublin, but now he was lost. London Below didn't always exactly correspond to the London he knew. Landmarks were sometimes not where they belonged. Buildings that were planned but never built existed in the Underside. Buildings that had been torn down a hundred years ago popped up and disappeared again. You could never be sure if you were in the right time either. There were times when Sebastian knew he was wandering through a slice of the past. It was possible to become stuck in these bits of lost time. Becoming trapped in 19th century London was a very real concern.
London Below was full of its own tribes and customs that Sebastian was unfamiliar with. He was glad for his gift then. He spent a lot of time being invisible, observing and listening. He took his time getting comfortable with London Below. In some ways, it was nice to have a break from Jim. It had been a long time since Sebastian Moran was on his own. He liked the freedom that came with living life alone. A little over a month passed in this fashion.
Once Sebastian knew London Below well enough, he started his search. He listened to the local rumors. It wasn't long before he heard about the new detective. Solving crimes was a novel idea in the Underside. Most of the residents of the Underside had no concept of justice. Theft and murder, while recognized as unpleasant were also considered normal facts of life. Apparently the detective also had a little helper, a woman. She was also providing an unusual service, some basic medical skills. There were no trained doctors or nurses in London Below. Someone who could give stitches was a major medical advancement. At first, Sebastian couldn't believe that they had made it so easy. They had barely bothered to hide themselves. For Christ sakes, she was going by the name "Mary," how obvious. He even watched them a couple of times at different Floating Markets. The two refugees from the real world hadn't even bothered with disguises. It was almost insulting, how little they had tried to protect themselves. Sebastian began thinking up ways to locate and capture them. He was in no hurry; it wasn't like it would be difficult.