ILLUSION || Jason Todd

SIXTY-FOUR

❝EVERY SINGLE RUMOUR THAT I'VE HEARD OF YOU

SAY YOU WERE OFF WITH SOMEBODY❞

CONAN GRAY, FIGHT OR FLIGHT

The phone call with Barbara Gordon was a few hours ago now. Not much had happened since, the young mage and the boy of super continuing their cleaning while Garfield and Kory left the manor in a rush with unknown reasons trailing behind them. It took a while before either vigilante was ready to take a break, Lorelei too focused on the wood within the room and Conner looking for whatever escape came his way.

Her thoughts got louder as time went on. The medicine of a quiet mind from cleaning grows an immunity due to the period of exposure. Cleaning wasn't so fun anymore, and yet, Lorelei couldn't bring herself to stop.

She hated this room. She hated that she was cleaning this room. She hated why she was cleaning this room. It felt wrong, oh so very wrong, to be cleaning this room from the destruction of Hank's death. Lorelei missed Hank so much and it had barely been a day.

Losing people was never easy.

Her mother still hurt, though the wound had closed over now. The scar still stood in the place of blood, a noticeable bump of the pain her mother's absence led to Lorelei. The ice blonde mage supposed time did heal some wounds - this one didn't ache anymore.

Hank was still fresh. He- Lorelei saw him blow up; his body turning to nothing but ash with the fire and the explosion that followed. The bed was empty by the time Lorelei could cough through the smoke. That was an image Lorelei would never forget. And was perhaps worse than watching her father strangle her mother.

She felt guilty for thinking that.

That Hank's death held more weight than her own mother's. The woman that raised her, bathed her, cared for her, died protecting her. The guilt felt thick in her throat as her scrubbing came worse with the thoughts. At least until Conner suggested a break, most likely for her own sake than his.

Jason's death held more weight than her mother's too. She held less guilt for that. Her mother would understand. Jason was her... everything. Back then he was. He was one of those precious once upon a time stories you heard as a kid. Then he died. Vanished. Gone.

He was back now... but was he really? He killed Hank. Those were the facts. The only confirmation she had right now and she couldn't think of it for too long, her eyes would become glossy and red and she didn't want that. Lorelei was sick of crying. Even if that meant being angry instead.

"You okay?"

The young mage blinked against her thoughts, coming back to reality as Conner's voice snapped her attention. "Yeah, just lost in thought." She answered quietly, taking a small sip from her hot chocolate that was now growing cold. It wasn't providing the comforts she needed; a luxury of having all the answers to all the questions.

"It's okay if you're not." He replied after taking a sip from his own drink. Lorelei couldn't remember what he opted for, just remembering his small notes of needing something without caffeine but warm.

Lorelei stared at her brown drink, the liquid lighter from the cream and marshmallows Conner dug out for her. The words of comfort from her newfound friend didn't land in the intended way, the snowflake melting in the pits of her sadness before any chill could catch. "I know, I just can't."