I am Jesse Pinkman

Chapter 7: The First Batch

The auto shop-turned-lab was finally ready. The air smelled of fresh wiring, metal, and the faintest hint of industrial cleaner. The workstations gleamed under bright LED strips Jesse had installed, and the equipment was neatly arranged—everything from boiling flasks to gas burners, condensers, and glass tubing.

Jesse stood near the main prep table, cracking his knuckles.

"Alright, old man," he said. "Let's cook."

Walter, who had been inspecting a row of carefully labeled chemicals, turned slowly. His eyes flickered with something between skepticism and curiosity.

"You're leading this?" he asked.

Jesse smirked. "That a problem?"

Walter hesitated, then exhaled through his nose. "Fine. Show me."

Jesse nodded, then moved smoothly to the workstation. "First off, we're not using your old-school pseudoephedrine cook," he said. "That's small-time, capped by supply. We're going methylamine route. Higher yield, less dependency."

Walter's eyes sharpened. "Methylamine is heavily controlled."

Jesse shrugged. "Already got a source."

Walter blinked. He wasn't expecting that. "And how exactly did you—"

"Don't worry about it," Jesse cut in. "Just know we got it."

Walter's mouth pressed into a thin line, but he didn't argue. Instead, he adjusted his glasses and motioned for Jesse to continue.

Jesse pulled on a pair of gloves, then gestured to the setup.

"First step, we mix the precursor…"

Four Hours Later

The lab was filled with a low bubbling sound as clear liquid dripped through the condenser tubes. A faint chemical scent hung in the air, but the ventilation system was doing its job.

Jesse stood by the main reaction vessel, carefully monitoring the temperature. Walter hovered nearby, arms folded, watching everything with hawk-like intensity.

"Good consistency," Walter murmured. "Stable reaction."

Jesse smirked. "Told you."

Walter said nothing, but Jesse could tell he was begrudgingly impressed.

As the final crystallization process began, Jesse moved to the drying racks. The first batch of product, a solid, almost translucent blue, was forming.

Walter leaned in, inspecting it closely. He picked up a small piece, holding it up to the light. His breath hitched.

"This is… higher purity than anything I've ever seen," he said quietly.

Jesse grinned. "No shit."

Walter turned to him, a mix of suspicion and intrigue in his eyes. "How?"

Jesse simply tapped the side of his head. "Like I said, man. This ain't your show anymore."

Walter didn't respond, but Jesse saw it in his face—the reluctant respect.

The power shift was complete.

The Product Hits the Streets

That night, Jesse met up with his distributor. A mid-level mover named Emilio, the same guy he used to deal with before, but now the dynamic was different.

They met behind a closed-down fast food joint, far from prying eyes.

Emilio leaned against his car, arms crossed. "You're tellin' me this shit is better than Heisenberg's blue?"

Jesse pulled out a sample, a tiny bag of the crystalline product, and tossed it to him.

Emilio examined it, then took out a pocket torch, holding a small piece over the flame. The vapor formed instantly, burning clean.

His eyes widened. "Damn."

Jesse smirked. "Told you. So, you in or what?"

Emilio didn't even hesitate. "I'll take everything you got."

Back at the Lab

Walter sat at the prep table, flipping through Jesse's handwritten notes. He still couldn't believe it.

Jesse's formula wasn't just good. It was perfect.

He glanced up as Jesse walked in, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Well?" Jesse asked. "How's it feel being second place?"

Walter didn't answer. He simply set the notebook down and stood.

"You know this level of purity won't go unnoticed," he said. "The wrong people will come looking."

Jesse smirked. "Let 'em."

Walter stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "We'll need a bigger operation soon."

Jesse nodded. "Already working on it."

Walter shook his head. "Of course you are."

Jesse just grinned.

The game had changed.