JADE (young justice/robin)

18. past lives

Gotham
November 25, 06:54 EST

robin.

"You're really leaving for Thanksgiving?" Eden whined.

"I'm sorry, Eden, but I have to meet with some of our business partners. We have a very important meeting that I just can't miss."

Bruce was lying of course. He was off to the annual League meeting in the Watchtower where they'd try to discuss new members.

"I promise I will be back as soon as possible. Save some turkey for me," Bruce said, patting the girl's head before escaping away to the other side of the house for the Batcave.

"Don't worry, Eden," I consoled, slumping down onto the couch with her. "We'll still have a fun Thanksgiving together. Alfred's cranberry sauce is incredible."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I invited my sister over, so maybe—"

"Sister?"

"Yeah. I-is that okay?"

"I didn't know you had a—"

"Dick, it's okay. I know you're Robin."

"What're you talking—"

"I'm eleven, not stupid. Bruce is Batman and you're Robin. It's so obvious. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's leaving for some Justice League business right now."

I gave up. "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because it's fun to watch you and Ace run circles around each other," she giggled. "And I've never seen her so content with someone else's company. I didn't want to ruin that."

"Well I messed that up on both ends," I sighed.

"You know you'll have to tell her eventually."

"I know, but... Jade wants Robin and I want Carter," I tried to explain. "How do I know which one of them is real?"

"Aren't they both real?" she said, not exactly getting my point.

"I mean that they're two completely different people to me. Jade is this kind of scary, fighting machine and Carter is..."

"You really like her, huh?"

"I thought I did. But now I can't stop thinking which version of her is the lie. I know it might make sense to you, considering she's your sister and everything. You probably know exactly who she is."

"Actually... not really," Eden confessed. "I think you're the only person she's ever been allowed to be 'just Carter' around."

"Is 'just Carter' really her, though?"

"I couldn't tell you. I think she's trying to figure that out just as much as you are. You gotta understand, this whole identity thing has never been easy for her."

"How do you figure?"

"I'm not really supposed to talk about our past," Eden realized, her voice raising in pitch as she tried to escape from the situation.

"Eden, please," I begged. "I know Jade— Carter, is so secretive about all of this, but I need to know. What happened to you guys?"

Eden let out a deep sigh. "You really want to know? It's kind of a long story."

I settled into my seat. "I've got time."

"Okay, but promise you won't change the way you see her when all this is over."

"I promise."

"Okay, uh, where do I even start," she wondered. "Well, obviously our parents didn't die in a car crash."