Editing Jim (section)

=== First Paleto Crisis ===
During the [[First Paleto Crisis]], Jim played a pivotal role in the interrogation of [[Damian Morrison]], the leader of the upcoming [[Bay Rebels]]. Jim, along with Edward and Tony, kidnapped Damian and subjected him to a brutal interrogation in an alley on Mutiny Road. Damian, despite his inexperience in the criminal world at the time, held a deep-seated grudge against Jim from the very moment he met him. Jim, seeing potential in Damian but unwilling to let weakness persist, played the 'bad cop' role, ensuring Damian understood the stakes of his involvement in the criminal world. Though Jim was far from being the most ruthless of the group, he made it clear that any sign of weakness would be exploited. The events of the interrogation left Damian scarred, fueling his later vendetta against Jim and the syndicates in the city.

As time passed, Jim found himself reflecting on that night more often than he cared to admit. What had once seemed like a necessary show of force now felt like a reckless act, a mistake born out of the syndicates' need to assert dominance. He realized that torturing Damian had been unnecessary. It hadn't deterred the kid, it had only given him more reason to fight back. Jim regretted it, not because he feared retribution, but because it had been avoidable. Damian could have been handled differently, and now, Jim had no doubt that the grudge Damian carried would one day come back to haunt them all.

After the interrogation, Edward and Tony saw Damian as a loose end that needed to be dealt with, but Jim wasn’t convinced. Killing him seemed unnecessary, and when he learned Damian was Alexa Morrison’s twin brother, it became clear that eliminating him would cause more problems than it solved. Alexa made it clear that she wouldn’t stand idly by if Damian was killed, and Jim knew better than to push her on it.

Rather than escalate an internal war, Jim chose neutrality, refusing to take part in Damian’s execution. Edward saw this as disloyalty, while Alexa took note of Jim’s restraint. In the end, Jim had no regrets, killing Damian would have only ignited a conflict they weren’t ready for (a conflict with Alexa). Sometimes, knowing when not to act was the smartest move.