the robin & the canary; young justice

Prologue I: Up In Flames

Reese had met the boy before, but there hadn't even been enough time to talk for her to get his name before the show started.

After his parents fell, Lorelai's daughter had wanted to comfort the boy, to say that everything was going to be alright, but both Lorelai and Derrick had tugged their children away, not wanting them to see the carnage.

Ever since Reese had been prodding and poking at her parents for information about the boy, to see if he was all right.

Despite their best efforts, though most of it was just to humor Reese, Lorelai and Derrick had found nothing.

At least, that was what they had told their daughter.

Finally, Lorelai spoke. "I'm sure he's fine, baby bird. The people in the circus look after each other, I'm positive someone took him in,"

"Okay..." Reese began softly, nustling into her pillow again. "Goodnight, Mama,"

"Sweet dreams, my srebŭrna ptitsa," With one last kiss against Reese's forehead, Lorelai switched off her oldest daughter's bedroom light, though it was still slightly lit by the nightlight that was plugged into a nearby outlet.

Softly shutting the bedroom door, Lorelai stood in front of it for a moment, leaning her head against the doorframe, before the voice of her husband caught her attention.

"Does she still not remember?" Derrick asked quietly, nursing a mug of coffee inside his hands, his dark blond hair mussed from his frequent habit of running his fingers through it when he was stressed.

Lorelai shook her head. "No, all she cares about are the Graysons, and what happened to their son,"

"Do you know what happened to the youngest?" Derrick asked, but Lorelai only gave him a dry look.

"I told you before, it looks like Bruce Wayne has taken him in. The man, despite his playboy tendencies, is an active philanthropist in Gotham City. He'll be fine,"

"That's not all you're worried about though, is it?" Derrick asked, and Lorelai whipped around, eyes blazing with righteous fury.

"You had no right to put our daughter through what you did!" she whisper-shouted, careful not to let either of her daughters overhear.

It may have only been four months, but it was no telling how soon it would be before Reese's now-enhanced senses showed themselves. Or her other abilities.

"It was the only way to ensure that the project was a success," Derrick tried to reason with his wife, but Lorelai was not having it.

"It was the only way to ensure you kept your job," she shot back, and Derrick heaved a sigh.

"That's not true, Lorelai, and you know it," he said wearily. "If I hadn't injected Reese with the serum when I did, then he would have gotten his hands on the formula, and no one wanted that,"

Lorelai, despite her maternal anger at what her husband had done to their daughter, had to admit that he had a point.

Her husband's...well, now-former coworker was ambitious to the point where it bordered on dangerous, and to avoid any future debilitations, Derrick had fired him.

"So, he's gone?" Lorelai asked, hugging herself, and Derrick nodded, getting up and walking over to his wife, pressing his lips to her forehead in a sign of love, protection, and promise.

"He's gone," he echoed firmly. "Mark Desmond will never work at Cadmus Labs again. We're free from him,"

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