Insomniac

Nine

Years later

"Diego, I will not hesitate to punch you in the face."

   Euphoria. a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness. That's how Grayson would feel when she got extremely high.  She would be on cloud nine and angels would sing her happy songs.

She hasn't felt like that in years. The last time she even remembers smoking anything was a few years ago, with Klaus, in fact.

The two had managed to find each other and from then on stayed together until Grayson decided it was best to head out on her own.

Her plans of becoming a teacher completely demolished as she—completely out of her own control— spiraled down hill, the fastest anyone ever seen.

She opt to getting high or drunk and was completely out of it half the time. In her defense, what else are you supposed to do when your constantly awake with nothing else to do? Not to mention completely and utterly alone.

However, eventually, and thankfully, she had gotten over that phase in her life when she woke in a hospital one day on the break of death. That Day, Pogo had been the one to save her and she was forever grateful for him.

After that, she swore off drugs. And promised herself not to end up like that again. However, that was easier said than done, because she still indulged in ween every now and then, especially when she was stressed or really depressed. And it always seemed to do the trick and make her feel better. For a short period of time, that is.

Nevertheless, as time passed, Klaus wasn't the only brother she reunited with. In one of her last night adventures, she was wondering the streets of New York, since she didn't have a place to live yet, when she felt herself being followed.

Being trained at the Academy, she guessed bitterly—did have its perks.

In the middle of the night, she had found herself in an abandoned alley way, where the sounds of the night beyond the walls were muffled as she leant up against the cold brick wall. Her head resting up against it quietly.

She breathed out a still breath as she focused on her surroundings. There was someone else there. She says, in her mind.

With a tired sigh, she stood up straight. Ready to take on whatever weirdo decided to even try and make a move on her. Over the years, she's gotten better a fighting. It was a miracle, really, because she knew her father was starting to think she was a lost cause.

"Show yourself." She demands. Already annoyed and quite frankly, just done with everyone and anyone. She wanted to be alone.

She could hear a soft laugh echoing out in the distance. Her face hardens as she reached for her trusty knife—one her brother lent to her before he up and left her—she held the handle, hidden in her glove hand. Ready for anything.

"Looking for a fix or something?"

Immediately Grayson retreated back against the wall. The vary voice gave the "mystery" person's identity away. She could recognize it anywhere.

"No. Just some peace and quiet." She says. Her hands come up to her head, her gloved fingers lift to the temples, a headache was brewing. She pondered how he even knew about that. She then got a sick feeling that Pogo had probably called them, and she hated that assumption.

"It's New York. There's never peace and quiet." He replied. Finally, she watched as he came out of the shadows. His all black outfit visible because of the street lamp that casted light down towards them. She smiled, and scoffed in amusement.

"I feel like Robin is about to pop out at any second." She laughs. Her brother rolled his eyes. Stepping in closer towards her so they were face to face. As he looked at her, his eyes went wide.

"You're—-"

"Still in my 18 year old body. Yeah, no surprise there, genius." She sighed. She stopped aging a while ago. After Luther had been gone for a couple months, her father told her it was because of her power somehow. She had long gone accepted it.

"W—well, how are you? What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, you know, just prowling out of boredom. What are you doing out here, protecting Gotham?"

"Stop it. I'm a cop.....was...am...it's complicated. You have a place to stay?"

Grayson raised a brow, her lips twitched upward as she remembered him once telling her that policing was something he wanted to try. She was glad he got to. She wondered what happened.

She let out a small breath. Recently, she was just staying in shelters, when she did feel tiered, she used their beds as a place to stay. And, out of her own self guilt, she winks often go back to the Academy and stay. Missing Grace and Pogo, and her long time companion, Cat, who was surprisingly still alive and well.

She looked over to Diego and wondered, bedsides the policing, what else he had been up to.

"Uh, not at the moment. I was at the Academy for a while, but..."

"Yeah. I get it. Why'd it take you so long to leave?"

Grayson shrugged her shoulders, then crossed her arms over her chest as she suddenly felt self conscious. "I couldn't just leave Mom and Pogo." She decided her answer was going to be. She smiled halfway at Diego once he nodded in understanding.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Unsure what to say or do now. He hasn't seen his sister in a few years. They all went their separate ways and never spoke or kept in contact again. There was that one time where they all managed to talk to each other's on their birthday one year, but that was it.

Looking at her now, a sudden wave of guilt washed over him. It was rare, for him to feel that way, but when it came to Grayson, she just opened a door that he thought he had locked when he left. He wasn't going to lie to himself by saying he didn't miss her. Because, in all honestly, she was the only one he missed from that place. Well, her and their Mom, but nevertheless.

"You can stay with me...if you need to." He sounded unsure, because honestly, he was. He wasn't sure how Al would feel about another person living in his boiler room. Daigo himself was already pushing it.

"Diego—"

"Come on. Show me where you're staying, then." He resorted back.

Grayson sighed. Her head titled to the ground and looked to her feet. Her black and white Convers dirty and worn out.  

"Fine. But just for tonight. I'll find a place."

"Sure. Come on, Robin." He said, opening his arm, she slowly but surely welcomed the embrace. "Call me that again, Diego, and I will not hesitate to punch you in the face."

Diego rolled his eyes and shook his head, she, however smiled and together, they walked towards the gym where he lived.