Chapter 23: The Edge of the Razor
Jesse stood on the rooftop of his penthouse, staring at the city below. Albuquerque was his kingdom, and from up here, it all looked small. Manageable.
But for the first time in months, he felt something creeping in.
Doubt.
NZT had given him everything—power, clarity, control. But the off-days were getting harder. The gap between the man he was on NZT and the man he was without it felt insurmountable. He could still think, still plan, still act… but it was like trying to fight with one arm tied behind his back.
And deep down, he knew what that meant.
NZT wasn't just a tool anymore.
It was becoming a necessity.
Hank Schrader's Instincts
Across town, Hank sat in his office at the DEA, staring at the whiteboard. The latest bust had been a success. A major supplier taken down, a new batch of product off the streets.
But something wasn't right.
Ever since Gus Fring's death, the meth scene had been in chaos. The blue stuff had disappeared—until suddenly, it was back.
Purer than ever.
Better than ever.
And something about this latest bust didn't sit right with him.
Hank leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. The operation had felt too easy. Like someone had set it up for them.
Like they were being led in the wrong direction.
He frowned.
Something was missing.
Someone was missing.
And then it hit him.
Jesse Pinkman.
He hadn't thought about the kid in months. After Walter White vanished from the map, Jesse had gone dark. No arrests, no sightings, no rumors.
But the timing was too perfect.
The blue meth came back, and Jesse Pinkman disappeared?
Hank sat forward, his mind clicking into place.
If Jesse was still in the game…
He was gonna find out.
The Expansion
Jesse had always known New Mexico was too small for what he was building. The moment Gus was gone, the vacuum had been filled, but it wasn't enough.
If he wanted to secure his future, he had to think bigger.
So he did.
Through Mike's contacts, Jesse opened negotiations with distributors in California, Nevada, and even Texas. The product was too good to ignore, and the demand was higher than ever.
But expansion came with risks.
The moment Jesse pushed beyond New Mexico, he stepped into someone else's territory.
And not everyone was willing to share.
A New Threat
It started with a message.
A single white card, left on Jesse's desk in the warehouse.
No name. No logo.
Just three words, printed in perfect, precise font.
We see you.
Jesse flipped the card between his fingers, his mind racing.
Whoever left this wasn't just some low-level thug. This was surgical.
He wasn't sure if it was another cartel, a rival drug lord, or someone else entirely.
But one thing was clear.
He wasn't as invisible as he thought.
And someone was watching.
NZT and the Breaking Point
That night, Jesse sat in his penthouse, staring at the vial of NZT.
The problem wasn't just the off-days anymore.
It was the way the drug made him feel invincible.
Like he could see everything, control everything, predict every move before it happened.
But what if he was wrong?
What if NZT was blinding him to things he should be paying attention to?
Jesse clenched his jaw, gripping the vial so tightly his fingers ached.
If he kept relying on it, he'd never know if it was really him making the decisions… or just the drug.
But if he stopped now?
He'd be stepping into a war half-blind.
And that was a risk he couldn't afford.