ILLUSION || Jason Todd

SIXTY-NINE

❝AND I STILL MAKE EXCUSES FOR YOU CONSTANTLY❞

SABRINA CARPENTER, HOW MANY THINGS

Peering through a mirror into Wayne manor and abruptly entering the doorway that led to Thomas Wayne's old study wasn't necessarily the room Lorelei hoped to travel into. She didn't mean to, but she understood why her mind had mixed signals and wires leading to the location she appeared within.

Though she wished to appear in her bedroom within the manor, Lorelei's thoughts of rushing to the Batcave brought her to the very room leading to the world of vigilantism. She supposed it wasn't a bad misdirection, if anything it brought her less walking - but that's exactly what she needed to prepare for whatever was to come with the night.

And her prayer for a moment to mentally plan was only deepened as she rounded the corner into Thomas' study with Conner's voice booming through as he complained to Dick. "He killed Hank!" The words struck Lorelei's vocal cords with a tight scratch as she walked closer to the group.

Jason's murdering of Hank was, and forever would be, a tough pill to swallow. Her blame had passed to Scarecrow, his death becoming pushed to the side with everything Jonathan Crane forcing its way through, but that did not erase the game Jason played.

Lorelei had killed in the name of Scarecrow - and she was still repaying those sins. Perhaps that was why her lucky star didn't shine so brightly in the sky anymore; she still had things to repent. Lorelei, in her heart, understood the turmoil Jason felt; what the drugged up version of Jason wouldn't feel.

But she couldn't forgive Hank's death, not when it came to the finer details. Jason had a choice to save Hank, to let Dawn save him. Jason knew, more than most, what Hank meant to Lorelei. She loved Hank just as much as she loved Dick - they had both grown to become surrogate brothers, almost filling the gaps her father left empty and dark.

Hank's death hurt, remembering Jason's involvement hurt just as much.

"He kidnapped kids, he made that woman snap her own neck!" Kory immediately added, her own words filled with anger at whatever Lorelei had missed.

"So we're just gonna set an extra place at the dinner table? 'Oh, hey, Jay, pass the mashed potatoes'?" Conner continued, the insinuations bringing a newfound confusion to Lorelei's features as she drew closer to the group.

"What's going on?" The violet eyed royal interrupted, standing between Conner and Dick with eyes skimming along her team for an answer, any answer. Something had happened, something big to cause an argument of judgement between the tightest group she had ever seen.

Her sudden voice brought the five Titans to look her way, Garfield giving her a smile of relief after scanning her for any hints of pain. A small, shy smile replayed on her own face, her lips thinning against the stares of her family.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Kory asked, the hostility bringing Lorelei's smile to drop without a second thought.

"Did you not read the letter?" Garfield asked, the words pulled from Lorelei's mind with overlapping confusion. The young royal could, very vividly, remember sending a letter to her family.

The magenta hair woman pinched the bridge of her nose with a silent hiss at her misplaced anger, the sheepish smile forming with the fall of her hand as it rested on her hip. "Shit, sorry, what happened?"

"I was forced to become Queen so I had a coronation to attend, a hangover to cure and then answers to find." Lorelei admitted, her shame hanging as she rushed over the mention of a hangover; there was no mention of having fun, but each person knew what a hangover meant - alcohol was consumed, it was no worthless assumption to assume a party followed her coronation. And how dare Lorelei attend a party when Jason needed saving. She didn't want to party. "I came back as soon as I could."