JADE (young justice/robin)

28. all i have (year three)

Star City
January 1, 00:48 EDT
Team Year Three

"Happy fucking New Year."

My attention snapped to the door that closed.

"What're you doing here?"

I felt so good that I barely felt the need to answer him. "What does it look like?"

"I thought you went clean."

"I did. This is my reward."

"I doubt Grayson will see it that way."

"He won't know."

"And if I tell him?"

My eyes narrowed at him. My attempt at making him think he owed me some kind of debt. "You left me."

"I... I thought you'd be better off with them."

"How noble."

"It was my way of trying to get you clean."

"Says the guy who isn't clean."

"I was trying to help you."

"By leaving me."

"As if you're any better," he scoffed. "Aren't you the one who keeps leaving Robin because you think he's better off without you?"

"I'm not leaving him."

"Then, why are you here?"

"I needed..." My eyes travelled to the plastic on the table, wondering if I should take some more. "Stopping was harder than I thought."

"Looks to me like you didn't stop."

I didn't want to argue anymore. It was ruining my high.

I fell back down onto the couch and started rifling through the duffel. "You used all the stimulants."

"Tossed them out after your overdose."

I could've punched him for throwing them away, but it was looking to me like he'd barely used our stash since I left. He didn't look healthy or miserable enough to be clean.

Meaning he was on something else.

"What do you have?"

He didn't look eager, but it didn't matter. We were stuck in this mess together.

He trudged over to the couch, pulling the backpack from his shoulder. From it came a new supply of plastics all filled with white and brown powders.

"It looks the same."

"It's not."

"Is it stronger?"

"If you thought you felt good before, you'll feel great using this."

"Well... what is it?"

"Heroin."

Gotham
January 1, 04:12 EDT
Team Year Three

Arrow was right.

The high was... amazing.

I've never felt better. Never felt happier.

After the rush settled down, everything started to slow: my breathing, my movement, my thinking. It felt like I was trapped in one of those dreams where you try to run, but for some reason you can't. At the same time, it felt like the moments after you first wake up, when everything feels so fuzzy.

I closed the door quietly, wanting to tiptoe into my room without being disturbed.

The light turned on before I could creep up the stairs.