"Tell me, am I wrong for this?

I never thought I'd fall for this

Tell me, am I wrong for this?

If I ever fell off track,

would you bring me right back?

I know you will"

~ Zachary Knowles, "city"

Chapter 24: So Many Questions, So Few Answers

How could he have been so blind?

Everything was incredibly still. The only sounds were the faint whirring of the lab machinery before him, analyzing, assessing, working away. His eyes remained on the pinch of glittering, crystalline powder, though they were unseeing; instead, he was picturing familiar hazel irises as they narrowed at him in irritation. He saw them widen by a fraction at the words he'd spoken, filling with something that immediately sent regret into his bones. He saw her figure walking away quickly, felt the ache to get out and grab her arm. Make her stay. Make her understand.

But he'd only made her hurt.

How had he not seen the signs?

There was a resounding, short beep from somewhere behind him, a notification on the computer, followed by the lab machine shutting off as the process completed. But he stayed seated, elbows on the table with his clasped hands up to his nose, gaze still drilling into the substance in front of him.

The most obvious, telltale signs of being under the influence of stardust include bloodshot eyes and/or dilated pupils, more hyper or relaxed behavior (depending entirely on the individual, dosage, and intent), heightened senses...

He couldn't immediately recall any instance during which Jess had ever displayed anything that would have suggested she was using the drug. Did that mean she'd never consumed it when she was with him? Had she been careful enough not to use too much when she knew they'd be spending time together? Or was it possible that she'd been under the influence and had never exhibited these side effects?

How could I not have known?

Most importantly, why had she resorted to doing such a thing?

As if her gravitation toward drinking and underage parties hadn't been enough. Damian could only guess that her probation officer knew about her breaking the facility's curfew for the second time. She had also probably noticed that Jess looked out of sorts that morning, too. If he'd really wanted to, he could have dug up whatever update the woman had written on their meeting, seen what her response was and if Jess was facing consequences. Yet the only priority that had settled in Damian's mind that morning was determining how he'd fallen so short, why he had never noticed before.

Fourteen hours, zero calls, zero texts. In another reality, she would have told him herself what had come of her meeting anyway, but he hadn't heard from her at all. He hadn't reached out either, less than eager to be reminded of their unfortunate disagreement and focused instead on getting answers to the too many questions that had been living in his mind. Besides... he wasn't sure he was ready to face her.

Damian stood and made his way to the computer. The results from the lab test were displayed on the screen, the familiar chemical formula and data confirming his suspicions. Though he'd already been more than ninety percent sure the substance in that bag had been stardust, he'd had to make absolute sure before doing anything serious. He'd needed to take an inconspicuous amount from it when she had stormed off earlier, returning it minutes later to appease her.

And he'd gotten what he wanted: confirmation that his friend was indeed using the very drug he and his father were attempting to get out of the hands of teens like her.

Well... what's next?

Eyes narrowing, Damian made his way to the main computer and logged in. A newfound sense of determination was growing in him, fueling the trained detective in him that was hungry for hard evidence, data, and answers. Within minutes, he had her phone records and locations pulled up as well as her recent card transactions... and this was the first time since he'd done so after he'd picked her up from Robinson Park—when Dick had preached about trusting your friends. Tt, he thought grimly at the memory, that certainly didn't work in my favor. His gaze skimmed quickly but efficiently, spotting familiar names of food places, texts and calls to his phone number and Misty's—

Wait.

There was a third phone number, one he didn't recognize. It didn't belong to her probation officer nor did it belong to her aunt. The image of a tall, blond young man popped into his mind's eye.

Kade. Despite his usual methods, Damian hadn't done any kind of background check on him after meeting him... all because he'd wanted to respect Jess's boundaries and trust her.

For all the good that had done.

His hand tightened into a fist as he clicked on then typed quickly on the keyboard. It was unlikely that Misty was involved in Jess's getting tangled up in stardust for too many reasons to name. (And that was why he was okay with her being Jess's friend.) Not only that, but Damian also hardly knew anything about this Kade. Could it be that the one person he hadn't vetted was his friend's connection to the drug?

About fifteen minutes passed, and the former assassin's immense glare was nearly burning the computer monitors. He knew everything about Kade Noor now as well as his family members and even some of his closest friends. More scouring, and Damian had been able to find something that gave evidence beyond reasonable doubt. Indignation was making its way through his body the longer he sat there, picturing the blond wearing that doltish grin and handing Jess a bag of stardust.

I should have known.

Gritting his teeth, he got up and headed to the display case housing his suit. The mask seemed to stare back at him, begging to be worn and used to deliver what needed to be done.

Before he could open it, he heard footsteps. Alfred had entered the cave, his calm gaze resting on the younger Wayne.

"Master Damian. Heading out early?"

Looking back at the suit, Damian answered with his own question: "Is my father still busy in his office?"

"Yes, though he just requested to see you."

"Tell him I've left, and I can meet with him in an hour. Until then, I don't want any contact unless it's an emergency."

Alfred's lack of a response had the teen glancing over again, seeing the older man regarding him with a thoughtful, concerned look.

"As you wish," he finally said before turning on his heel and exiting the cave.

Damian took a deep breath, trying to shake off the interruption and remind himself what his plan was until his father met with him for patrol. The display case opened with a low, robotic whoosh.

"This is how I choose to deal with things, and you can't control that," she'd said to him during their confrontation.

Except I can. That is how I choose to deal with things.

And I will.

"Alright, I'm sorry, but... I have to say something."

Jess glanced over at her friend who was lounging across her bed, propped up on a mountain of pillows. Misty had finally moved in with her sister and picked up the other teen after her morning meeting, so the two of them were hanging out in her small but cozy bedroom. The walls were plastered with posters, including the Batman one she'd hung at the facility, and her random trinkets and belongings were scattered haphazardly among her dresser and desk in the corners. Nothing particularly matched, but it felt like a space belonging to Misty all the same in its messiness and lack of organization.

From her spot on the beanbag, Jess raised her brows. "What do you mean?"

Misty met her gaze for a brief moment before rubbing at her face. "About... stardust. And what happened with Damian," she clarified, voice muffled by her hand.

Oh.

Jess had explained the morning's fiasco, of course, when they'd met up because she'd needed to get it off her chest. Not only had the stupid argument happened between her and Damian, but Erin had also talked about her missing curfew last night for the second time—not that Jess thought it would go unnoticed. The woman had expressed both concern and disappointment in her for "what seems like you slipping up lately," and if that alone hadn't been enough, she'd outright told Jess she could tell the teen wasn't behaving the way she should.

In other words, Erin pretty much knew she'd taken to bad habits (to say the least) and was still struggling when it came to... well, everything.

"You did well with your tutoring exams and at the library," she'd said carefully, eyes boring into Jess, "and you said your job was going nicely, too. But what are we missing here, Jess? You're so close to finishing everything here and going back home."

So close, yet so far away, huh? Jess had thought.

"Is there something more we need to do?" Erin had added.

Damian's words echoing in her head, Jess had barely been able to handle hearing what was essentially the exact same sentiment from her probation officer. Sure, he'd been a lot harsher about his concerns, but having Erin mirror that same care and desire to understand her only piled on the immense guilt and frustration Jess had been experiencing. It'd taken a lot of self-control not to lose it in that diner. She'd known she couldn't avoid Erin's questions the way she had Damian's—plus, this was different, wasn't it? This was her actual legal responsibility, her punishment, her way of atoning for her sins... her way back onto whatever path she was supposed to follow that wasn't riddled with crime and wrongdoing.

She hadn't known what to say, so she'd said nothing at all.

Then Erin had told her quietly, "You do realize it took a lot of convincing on my part to get the judge to overlook your first time breaking curfew, right?"

Jess had left that meeting feeling even worse than she had entering it, which said a lot. It was a miracle she hadn't broken down yet since then, though it probably had something to do with the fact that she'd grown too used to burying her thoughts and emotions. All that was left was for her to hear from her aunt because Erin would be updating her and determining what was going to happen from now on. There was very little chance her second mistake (and the suspicions the woman had about Jess's continued conflicts) would go unpunished and unaddressed... and Jess wasn't quite sure how to feel about it except self-inflicted numbness.

What if her probation was extended? What if it worsened and she had to do more beyond everything she'd accomplished this summer? What if she had to stay longer in Gotham or even go elsewhere?

What if Damian was right and she didn't deserve this second chance?

"I get it if you don't want to hear it since you've already gotten an earful from Damian and Erin," Misty was saying as she pulled her hand from her face and looked down at the pillow in her lap. "But, honestly, dude, I've been keeping quiet about this for so long... It just doesn't feel right to stay silent, you know?"

Jess said nothing, feeling her heart beginning to pound a little faster in her chest as she sat there and avoided looking at her friend. Of course you have something to say now, too.

Well, she might as well let everyone say their piece at this point.

"I'm not gonna go off on you or ask a bunch of questions... I just wanna say that I never thought it was a good idea for you to start using stardust," she explained, hesitation in her tone, "but I... I never said anything about it 'cause I hoped you'd, you know, figure it out on your own."

Several long moments passed in silence before Jess forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to get a grip on the irritation and anxiety creeping under her skin.

A small part of her was reminding her that Misty was just trying to be a friend, but she couldn't fight the growing frustration at what felt like everyone judging her for her life choices. Just like Erin had said, she'd been doing well and keeping up with every part of her probation except for a few screw-ups here and there—why did it feel like she was being looked down upon for being human?

She'd had no idea Misty had felt this way about her getting into stardust, so her annoyance was fueled by the surprise at her friend's thoughts.

Maybe it would've been better if you had stayed quiet.

"No, I get it. And I, um, respect your opinion and wanting to say something to me about me using stardust," Jess managed to speak, her throat feeling tight.

Her friend didn't say anything—she could feel her eyes on her, but Jess didn't want to look up and meet her gaze.

"But you're also right. I don't really want to hear about it from anyone else right now."

She was preparing herself for some kind of remark, but Misty instead changed the subject.

"No biggie. You wanna watch a movie or something in the living room? Maya should be back soon with lunch."

Something like relief washed through her, though it didn't completely erase the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Not only did Damian have such strong feelings and opinions about her and stardust, but now her other friend did, too. And if that wasn't already a headache, there was still a layer of anxiety in her heart at the fact that her future was unknown.

Because of course she wouldn't be able to successfully complete her probation for just a few mere months in Gotham. Of course she would still find a way to fuck it up despite having done everything she could to keep her head down, to cope in ways that weren't akin to running around with criminals, to try and actually live a normal life. The world and all odds seemed to have been against her since her parents' deaths, and maybe they always would be. And if that were the case...

What was the point?

The neighborhood was quiet and peaceful this afternoon save for a few cars rolling down the street or children passing by on skateboards and bikes. The sun was attempting to peek out from behind a thin layer of clouds above, its warmth enveloping Misty's bare arms and legs as she sat on the steps leading up to Maya's house. Her dark eyes were trained on her high-top sneakers although her thoughts were elsewhere, on the young man who was leaning against the driver's side of his vehicle parked in the driveway.

Damian and his luxury car looked completely out-of-place and not simply because of who he was and his obvious wealth; it was that aura, the way he carried and presented himself that just always seemed to create this unseen bubble around him, making most people intimidated by his mere existence (that and the look on his face made him seem unapproachable). Misty was more accustomed to it now than she had when he'd still been at the academy, but it was still very weird having him in her driveway. They weren't really friends yet… except the one mutual connection they had was most definitely the reason he was there in the first place.

And if that wasn't strange enough, she felt like she could almost tell that he was bothered. Sure, he pretty much always looked like he had the male version of a "resting bitch face" on most of the time, but there was something in his face and body language that looked a lot more… tense than usual.

That was saying something, considering he was who he was.

"Let me guess," Misty started slowly, resting her elbows onto her knees. "You're here to ask me if I knew she was using stardust… or if I'm the one who got her into it."

Please, for the love of all good things on this damn planet, do not accuse me of that.

Green eyes landed on her, glinting in the daylight. "I don't think you're the one who introduced her, Misty."

"Oh…" the teen responded with a raised brow. "Well, that's… good to hear. I really wouldn't have appreciated that." She scoffed lightly though it was humorless. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, she looked back down at her feet. "I did know, unfortunately. And even worse, I didn't say anything about it."

"Why not?"

With a shrug, Misty explained, "I didn't think it was that big of a deal at first. I mean, I really did think it was just a harmless, recreational thing, you know? But then I heard what was happening with the hospitalizations and whatnot… I saw how she was spending more time day-drinking when we hung out because she couldn't go to late night parties—unless she skipped curfew, of course, which we know she did a few times already."

"I… never brought it up to her either." His voice had quieted a little, but his tone was still hardened like the look on his face. "After that first night she skipped curfew, she wouldn't tell me where she'd been or why she had stayed out late."

Somehow, Misty wasn't surprised at all to hear this. She recalled covering for Jess at the facility when she hadn't shown up by the next morning, knowing it was because the teen had willingly stayed late at the party and disappeared without telling her—she hadn't failed to scold Jess for doing so because that in itself was pretty dumb. That was another reason why she'd stuck around the other night and called Damian after figuring out their friend was going to most likely break curfew again.

And Jess had proved her point.

"Is Kade involved in this somehow?"

Shit.

Misty glanced up then, seeing that Damian was looking at her carefully, his arms crossed as he continued leaning against his car. A small part of her wanted to either lie or pretend she didn't know the answer—she had to have Jess's back somehow, right?—but there was another voice whispering, prodding, letting her know that it wouldn't do any good to not be truthful with him.

Plus, she had a very good feeling he already knew the answer somehow.

She wanted Jess to get off this track though, right? She'd never said anything to her friend for this long, always secretly hoping the girl would find it in herself to quit if not just lose interest. How much longer would she have gone without speaking up? Jess had over a week left in Gotham, and Misty had no idea if she'd developed some any dependency on the drug, so who knew what that meant for her? Central City probably hadn't been hit by stardust yet. Perhaps Jess would have gone back home, hopelessly addicted... and then what?

Sorry, Kade and Jess.

Sighing, Misty met Damian's gaze again. "He's the one who got her into it, yeah... She uses it most when he's around."

He was silent for a long moment, eyes turned away to nothing in particular down the street. "I don't understand why I never noticed. How does it affect her? Do you know how often she uses?"

Though she felt she should've expected it, it was kind of odd seeing him so eager to find out everything Misty knew about their mutual friend's unfortunate drug use. Granted, she'd never gotten to know him or understand an inch of his emotional spectrum, but she knew this just meant he cared—and so should she.

"She's on it probably at least half the time we hang out," Misty answered, trying to think back over the last several weeks. "From what I know, it usually just helps her... feel normal, I guess? She's said stuff about having recurring nightmares and anxiety, so I suppose stardust curbs that."

Tilting her head thoughtfully, she regarded Damian with a curious gaze. "I think Jess only really showed side effects when she was pairing it with alcohol or spending time with Kade and other people. Like... those are the times she needed it most? I dunno, maybe she's got social anxiety or something or just is more comfortable when it comes to hanging out with you or me."

"She must have been very careful not to use it or exhibit signs around me," he mused aloud, almost like he was talking to himself rather than her.

Misty hadn't really given it much thought why that was. Of course, she didn't know the reasoning behind a lot of things her friend did, but it was definitely intriguing realizing Jess had patterns to her usage. It must say a lot that she isn't as dependent on it when it comes to hanging out with me and Damian... and that she kept it from him.

Was he going to ask more about Kade? As cool as she was with the other teen, Misty certainly cared more about Jess and her stardust usage than she did about the blond. She and Kade weren't close friends by any means, but at this point, she was just kicking herself for not advising Jess against the stupid drug.

But instead of asking about the guy, Damian said something else that caught Misty off-guard.

"What did she say... about the disagreement?"

Though he was looking at her, she saw something peculiar in the emerald greens, a hesitation she'd never witnessed on him before.

"Uh..."

In her mind's eye, Misty remembered the frustration on her friend's face, the tension in her voice as she expressed how unfairly Damian had supposedly been treating her. She hadn't said much in response, mostly because she figured Jess only wanted to vent and had no desire to hear any actual feedback or thoughts. It'd seemed pretty clear that she was upset he'd found her little bag—"All because I was in a hurry and forgot to put it away," she'd groaned in disbelief.

"I mean, she was upset... and it probably didn't help that I told her I kind of agreed with you."

"You told her that?" He raised a brow in slight surprise.

Running a hand through her hair, Misty sighed and went on, "Yeah. I basically explained that I wanted to say something about her using stardust but never did. She didn't really have much to say besides that she didn't wanna talk about it, but I think... I think she gets it. It's just a matter of her actually doing something about it, ya know?"

And Misty believed that. She didn't think Jess was particularly stupid... she was just misguided and needed a push in the right direction. However that'd be done, though? Misty wasn't quite sure.

Damian was quiet, looking lost in thought from his position.

"She's supposed to hear back from her probation officer soon about what's gonna happen, like whether they'll extend her probation or whatever since she missed curfew twice..."

Misty's voice trailed off, her thoughts wandering to the day she'd met Jess, another teenage girl with cool, blue hair and a mysterious past. She'd been hard to figure out for a little while, at least to Misty—it would've been an understatement to say that what she knew and felt about Jess now was completely different from what they'd been earlier in the summer.

"Looking back, I wish I hadn't introduced her to other people by taking her to a party," Misty then admitted, watching as a pair of bikers passed in front of the driveway. She sighed at the memory. "Thought it'd be a cool way to get her immersed in Gotham, but that was way before I learned why she was even here in the first place."

Damian shook his head. "You have no responsibility in this. This is entirely on Jessica herself, and it's still on her to right things before it's too late. I also wish I had noticed and said something to her earlier, but it seems she… purposefully blindsided me."

"But what if it is? Too late, I mean?"

His eyes met hers, and Misty continued on to clarify, "I have no idea how dependent she is on stardust. I have no idea what'll happen with her probation, and that's entirely up to other people who literally can determine where her life goes next. So what I'm trying to say is... she's already messed up enough that it's changing her plans. It is too late."

"Regardless of what sort of punishment or consequences she faces, she still has to make the decision to cease using stardust," he answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "That is a given no matter the outcome of her probation officer's plan."

Misty turned his words over in her head, staring intently at the grass below her. He had a point despite how she wasn't sure there was much they could do. It didn't matter what was going to happen with Jess's probation if the girl had no intentions of quitting the drug—everything else would be moot should she continue it wherever she went, whether that was staying in Gotham, going back to Central City, or elsewhere.

"So... should we do something then? Is that what you're suggesting? Give her an intervention?"

Her tone was slightly joking at the last part, but it was a serious question all the same.

He appeared to take a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling with exhaustion. "I believe it would be best if I speak to her... alone. Not that you can't try another time with you two." Damian looked at her then, a strange, bleak look on his face. "But it seems that she and I have unresolved... feelings... to discuss."

Silence followed, punctuated by the occasional bird chirping above them or a car passing by. Misty was trying not to reel at how hesitant he was being, a demeanor she never thought she'd see on him, one that seemed unnatural for someone who constantly seemed like he was just fully confident in himself. Still, she would've been naive to deny that he cared about Jess and the disagreement they'd had—he clearly wanted to do something about it aside from wanting to get her to quit stardust. That alone was what a friend would do, right?

Before she could say anything, he was pushing himself off his car. "Thank you, Misty."

"Wait."

Hand on the door handle, Damian paused, green eyes resting on her expectantly.

"I know you probably have a bad idea about Kade now, but like you said, this is on Jess. He's not a bad guy... He's probably just not the best influence for her right now."

She didn't really know what had compelled her to say all that, but she said no more as she watched something shift in Damian's eyes.

Something that made her feel like what she'd just said hadn't done any good.

The Aston Martin was gone in less than a minute, leaving Misty standing on the porch steps and overcome with sudden exhaustion and worry.

At 8:07 p.m., he was perched on the fire escape of a ten-story building, his cape fluttering in the light, nighttime wind. Hood pulled over his head, he watched the front side of the restaurant nearby, waiting for a familiar brunette to exit. Unless she was running late for some reason, she was finishing her shift by now and, ideally, would be heading back to the facility and making the 9 p.m. curfew.

He almost didn't want her to.

A minute later, Jessica Fairchild was leaving the restaurant's double doors. She pulled a lightweight jacket over her casual work attire as she began walking down the street. Gotham was relatively quiet at this time, the sky a bluish-black and only a few civilians on the sidewalks, making it easy for the masked hero to follow her with less than a hundred feet between them.

Initially, Robin had made the decision to tail the teen to merely keep an eye on her and make sure she wasn't making any unprecedented visits or stops that would get her in trouble... but there was that nagging feeling in his bones, that voice in the back of his head that wanted to do more than that. I have to do more. He debated this for the next several minutes, weighing the pros and cons in his mind as he followed the girl through Gotham's streets—so far, it seemed like she was on her way to the facility and nowhere else.

Four days. It'd been four days since the confrontation that had erupted between them, though it had felt longer. Four days, zero texts, zero calls. As he continued hugging the shadows and darkness between buildings, he felt a yearning to get closer; time had seemed to stretch on lately without her usual presence and contact to fill the space, making him feel strange and... almost at a loss. It was a strange way to consider it, particularly for a young man who valued his solitude and was comfortable in it. Yet the sudden silence between them had disrupted his sense of routine and contentment, an adverse circumstance that didn't sit well with him.

I have to fix it.

Determination settling over Robin, he picked up the pace and maneuvered his way across the street, still nearly fifty feet behind Jess's walking figure. She was just about to round a corner, a few more minutes from the facility, and there was no one around—this was a better time now than ever—so he landed quietly on the sidewalk and waited against the wall of the building next to him.

Her gaze seemed to be turned downward as she came around the street corner, but as soon as Jess was within several yards of him, her head snapped upward in alarm. Stepping back with surprise, her eyes widened as she looked at him, but then realization fell across her features along with something else he couldn't quite name.

"Can't get enough of me, can you?" she asked before continuing on down the sidewalk. He couldn't tell if she was joking.

Robin fell into step beside her, gaze darting around to ensure no one would see them. Preferably, they'd speak somewhere further from the street and in a darker corner.

"Don't flatter yourself," he responded. "I just need to ask you a few questions."

"Does anyone else in this city get to run into you as often as I do?"

"Only criminals who are repeat offenders."

She glanced over at him, brows furrowing together before she shook her head as if she were disagreeing. "Great to know I fit the bill," Jess muttered.

You didn't fit the bill until last weekend.

Stepping in front of her to cut her off, Robin firmly insisted, "Five minutes, and I will leave you alone."

Her hazel eyes stared at him, and despite his mask, he couldn't help feeling like she could potentially see past it, under his hood... see him.

"Fine," Jess finally said with a sigh, gesturing with a hand for him to lead the way

He ducked quickly into the narrow space between two buildings where it was small enough that one wouldn't be able to hold out both arms without hitting a wall. Analyzing the area in a quick sweep to ensure there were no prying eyes, he determined the area seemed safe for now. Bits of trash littered the ground at their feet, and the light breeze was less noticeable here. Turning to Jess, he saw that she was standing with her arms crossed, looking at him expectantly.

"Tell me everything you know about stardust."

That had her brows raising in disbelief, then she was scoffing humorlessly and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. His question had clearly put her off, though he wasn't surprised in the slightest.

"I thought you said you weren't keeping tabs on me anymore," she replied, acidity in her tone.

"The drug is spreading quickly throughout the city. We found that you happen to be one of its... devoted users."

Jess sighed again. She appeared tired suddenly, like she'd run out of energy to be defensive and snarky. "Look... I don't know anything. I don't even buy it from some dealer. It's just something I decided to try out for a little while."

"How long is 'a little while'?" His gaze narrowed behind the mask, that familiar urge to get answers arising in him. "Who do you get it from?"

She said nothing, peering at him with eyes that seemed to be searching his face in spite of the darkness.

Why are you doing it at all?

"Is it... is it really that bad?" Jess's voice was quiet now, something like concern taking over her features. "I mean, are you really trying to stop people from using it?"

"In the last six weeks, there's been one death and two hospitalizations related to stardust. The more information you can give me, the better."

Her gaze fell to the ground as she seemed to contemplate his words, though every second that went by only made Robin more impatient.

"I... I get mine from a guy named Kade Noor, but he's not the dealer or supplier or whatever. He gets his stash from someone he goes to school with—I don't know his name. From what I know, the guy sells to a lot of people who go to Gotham Academy."

Robin nodded once. There was nothing that she said that he hadn't already known, but it was helpful—and relieving—to see she wasn't lying to him. Perhaps it was a good idea to approach her as his heroic identity rather than as Damian.

"The ones who died or were sent to the hospital..." she hesitated. "Were they young?"

"Their ages ranged from nineteen to twenty-six years old," he answered promptly.

Jess looked zoned out for a moment. It was moments like this when he wished he could read what was on her mind. What was she thinking? Was she finally reconsidering her habit?

"That could be you," he then said, still watching her face carefully.

Eyes flickering to him, she shook her head. "No, I'm really careful. I know what my limit is."

Irritation rose in him. "You say that now until you're the one in the hospital bed."

Suspicion knitted her brows together as she responded, "I thought this was about your investigation, not me."

"It is, but I'd be remiss to not warn you about stardust." Robin paused, trying to sort through all the questions at the front of his mind, begging to be answered. "Did Kade convince you to start using?"

"What? No, he—"

"How often are you under the influence and how long can you go without it?"

Jess was staring at him now, confusion having taken over her face as she stood there. The impatience still clung to his nerves, making him realize that it was more difficult to control than he'd anticipated.

"You know... you're starting to sound like someone else who also doesn't want me to be using it," she said to him, her voice soft.

If only you knew.

"Sounds like they aren't brainless, then."

Glancing around and tucking her hair behind her ear, she then continued, "Yeah, I already have more than enough people trying to talk to me out of it, so there's no need for you to join the party. I mean, I appreciate it... I guess... but having two of you track me down? It's a little much."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she kept on.

"So does this mean that 'hood' guy send you? 'Cause I didn't have a lot to give him last time, so it seems redundant for both of you to talk to me—"

"Hold on. Who are you talking about?"

Puzzlement crossed her face. "Red Hood? He found me a few weeks ago and also asked about stardust."

A ringing sound began in his ears, faint but indicative of the startling realization falling over him. Though his eyes were on Jess, he saw in his mind familiar, blue irises that regarded him disdainfully and an impish smirk that he'd always wanted to sink his fist into.

It was possible, wasn't it?

Making an effort to remain calm, Robin managed to ask in a tight voice, "Was that your first encounter with him?"

"No, I met him a little before that. Why?"

He was vaguely aware of his gloved hands tightening into fists at his side as his heart began to thump harder, but he forced them to open and relax.

"Go home," was all Robin said as he grabbed the grapple at his waist, aiming and shooting it at the top of the building behind her.

"What? Where are you—?"

Looking at her and steadying his grip, he added, "And stay off the stardust."

He didn't wait for an answer, activating the grapple and pulling himself up the wall, Jess still on the ground below with her gaze turned upward to the night sky.

Two nights later, Damian had found him.

It had taken many hours over the course of two days, sitting in the Batcave and scouring over mounds of data. He'd known it wouldn't be easy, not when the person he was trying to find possessed nearly the same skills he did and knew exactly how to disappear and stay that way. Still, Damian had gathered every piece of information he could find that suggested Jason Todd's return to Gotham, including recent witness reports of the infamous Red Hood as well as apartment rentals. His hunt didn't go unnoticed by Bruce, who offered more than enough words of caution and hesitation at his sudden interest in finding his older brother.

"Jason is back," Damian announced bluntly from his position at the computer, gaze still trained on the monitors before him.

Somewhere behind him, he knew Bruce's eyes were widening by a fraction, though his father was likely more surprised that Damian was interested in him as opposed to the fact that Jason was back in town after having been off-the-grid for nearly a year.

"Does this have something to do with all the effort you're suddenly putting into the stardust case?"

"It has everything to do with it."

"And Jess?"

Damian's eyes fell to the keyboard as tension hit his shoulders. Hearing her name had triggered a strange ache in his chest, one that was uncomfortable and almost suffocating. Light footsteps alerted him to Bruce's presence at his side.

"I saw the lab results you generated the other day… after she seemed to leave your room in a hurry. She looked like she was upset."

The younger Wayne said nothing… because there was nothing to say. There was nothing to confirm nor deny in his father's statement.

"So what does Jason being back have to do with her using stardust?"

Taking a deep, even breath, Damian didn't meet Bruce's eyes as he explained, "She's met him. Twice. Apparently, he approached her about stardust weeks ago, which suggests he also intends to put a stop to it. Perhaps he merely sought her out after learning she uses it, but I think there's more."

It didn't make sense to him that Jason would simply find a teenager who was using the drug to interrogate them about it; there had to be another connection that had brought the two together, and he had to find out what that was. Damian couldn't care less why his older brother was back in town, not when his priorities were centered solely on driving a wedge between his friend and the hazardous powder.

"Damian…"

"Father, I really don't want to hear it," he said sharply, glancing over and meeting the blue eyes regarding him with concern. "My only concern here is to make Jessica see her mistake and do right by it, and I will do that by any means at hand."

Bruce's face was calm. "I know, son. And I believe you'll succeed at it."

Damian tore his gaze away, green eyes landing back on the computer screens but not actually seeing what was on them.

"If there's anyone who'll get through to her, it's you."

Is it? he thought.

"You, Damian. Not Robin."

The hidden meaning in his father's words had haunted him since and for good reason. He knew exactly what Bruce was trying to say, but that was a truth he wasn't willing to face and acknowledge. Robin's encounter with her hadn't entirely been successful, yes, but that didn't speak to his effectiveness, could it? Besides, Damian's disagreement with Jess only proved that wrong—clearly, him trying to get through to her as her friend hadn't worked out.

"Perhaps you don't deserve another chance."

That single sentence had slipped out without hesitation and left her speechless. Rarely did he ever feel guilty or bad for being candidly blunt, but the way she'd been stunned and hurt had seared into his memory.

He shook it from his head as he looked up at the apartment building in eastern Gotham, the brick wall illuminated by a single street light behind him. Few of the windows were lit from within, and the faint sound of a television show were coming from one that was slid open. If his investigation hadn't failed him, this was where he'd find Jason and… well, admittedly, Damian hadn't gotten much further beyond that in his plan. Despite his buried feelings towards his older brother, a small part of him had considered approaching this situation in the most civil manner possible. That voice had competed with the one that yearned to don the suit and simply break in, but ultimately, he'd left the manor as his civilian self.

The hallway was brightly lit, his footsteps echoing softly on the concrete floor. At the end was apartment 5D, the door covered in scuffs and marks. Damian rapped his knuckles against it, completely aware of the nervousness simmering in his chest and stomach. It'd been almost two years since he'd spoken to Jason and even longer that he'd actually seen him; coming face-to-face with him was an experience he never thought would happen for many more years to come.

But Jess had managed to find a way to reconnect them whether either of them liked it or not.

Another knock and a pressed ear against the door later, Damian made the last minute decision that he would not leave without some kind of information regardless. Within seconds, the door was unlocked and he stepped cautiously inside, met with the strong scent of cigarettes and a tinge of aftershave. He let his eyes adjust to the darkness before slowly stepping around what appeared to be the living room with shapes of a couch and a recliner to his right. The kitchen looked to be ahead of him, the digital clock of the microwave tiny but visible from across the apartment.

Part of him was expecting booby traps or any kind of surveillance to be set up, so the teen navigated the place as carefully as possible with all his senses on high alert. Eventually, he found what must've been the bedroom door—as soon as he opened it by a few inches, a particular shifting sound had his hand shooting out and catching something that had fallen from above.

It was a bobby pin.

Gaze narrowing, Damian carefully bent down to the floor with his phone's flashlight, finding a folded hand towel lined up against the wall next to the door frame. A few moments of inspection had him shaking his head to himself. It appeared that Jason had certainly set up the pin to fall if someone opened the door, falling to the towel silently and triggering what looked like a hidden motion sensor in the wall (based on the slightly conspicuous drywall patches on the paint). Damian only had a few guesses for what exactly the motion sensor would trigger, but he was glad he'd caught the pin nonetheless.

The bed in the corner was unmade, and the drapes were drawn shut across the room. It took several more minutes of thorough searching, but he finally came across the safe that was shoved in the back corner of the closet. At this point, he was confident that this was Jason's apartment, and that was merely confirmed by the clothes he'd had to shove aside while wrinkling his nose. Squatting and shining his dimmed phone light on the keypad, he started running a combination of numbers through his head.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

Within half a second, Damian was dropping his phone and straightening up while turning in place to whip his hand out. It met something hard, and he felt something coming straight for his face—he leaned backwards just in time, feeling it whiz past his chin, and launched into a flurry of movements on pure instinct. Unfortunately, something very hard and small managed to connect with his temple despite his efforts to dodge it, sending pain through his head and white in his vision, but he kept on dancing and back and forth with the unknown intruder until his hand came in contact with what felt like the handgun they were wielding.

A twist here, a jab there, and then he had the gun pointed at the dark figure that had stopped abruptly in the middle of the room. The undeniable click as he cocked the firearm was audible in the sudden silence as he breathed heavily, blood pounding in his ears while the adrenaline surged through him.

The ceiling light turned on then, revealing the unexpected assailant.

Blue-green eyes filled with characteristic roguishness met Damian's, completely unfazed by the steady barrel that was a mere foot from his face.

"'Bout time you showed up, demon spawn," Jason Todd drawled, the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk.

Note: THANK U ALL for the reviews and love! you're all so kind. i truly wasn't expecting so much commentary about Jess and Damian's confrontation lol but i'm not complaining at all. i totally echo everyone's sentiment though about her needing to figure her shit out. (also, thanks to deerlyhan for pointing out my editing mistake, i removed that mention of blue hair asap xD that's how you know i wasn't thorough with my editing)

definitely made this a bit longer than usual to make up for the extended time between updates. sorry not sorry to leave you on a cliffhanger hehe. i had this meeting between Damian and Jason planned for a while, and i'm glad we're finally here lol. i know his introduction into the story was super slow, but as you can see, it was for good reason!

anyway, hope y'all are doing well. this pandemic stuff and working from home and just all the chaos happening nowadays low-key has me struggling to get through the day sometimes, which affects my hobbies and interests (including this fanfic), so i really appreciate your patience! also, can we talk about the new trailers for the Batman movie and Gotham Knights game? super excited for them—all this new DC content gave me some much-needed serotonin, phew. kind of wish Damian was in the game, too, but that's just the Damian fangirl in me talking xD

until next time, xx