Counterparts - A DC Animated Fanfic

- 26 -

Damian felt his hands tensioning into fists as he replayed the sentence in his head over an over again. 'Let's talk Damian' - Anarky's voice echoed. His teeth clenched to the point it was painful.

Taking a deep breath, Damian let his anger melt away. - "How do you know who I am?"

Anarky let out a short, hoarse laugh. - "Do you think Red-X would've managed to steal his suit without first knowing where it was, or who had worn it previously?"

That did make sense, the original Titan's just thought that Red-X was just a thief, but it seemed he knew more than first estimated, and if he knew his identity, does that mean he knew who every Titan was? And what about his Father's identity? How many would be in danger because of that two-bit crook?

"So why don't you use that information?" - Damian asked, stepping forward to face the masked man.

Anarky paused, seemingly contemplating his words. - "I'm not a super-villain. Neither is Red-X. We have other goals in mind than defeating heroes and ruling the world."

"What robbing people and blowing up buildings?"

"You have no idea what we do, do you?" - He questioned, placing his hands on the glass cell wall.

"I know it has to do with powerful weapons. Weapons that can and will most likely be used to harm the innocent." - He countered. - "I don't need to know your reasons or plans, to know it will only end in disaster."

Anarky pushed off the glass, before spinning around, his back now facing Damian. - "We're doing this for greater good." - He remarked in a passive voice.

"How naive are you? Do you really think mass-death will lead to the greater good?"

The anarchist hesitated again. - "Sometimes a bad act... a criminal act even, can lead to greatness." - He said keeping his back to the glass and his eyes trained on the bed against the back wall.

Damian smirked. - "I get it know... you have a saviour's complex!"

Anarky peered over his shoulder at the domino-mask wearing hero, as Damian continued. - "Trying to save people from disaster that you're most likely going to cause."

"The disaster is imminent, I'm just trying to lessen the blow." - Anarky shot back.

There was a brief pause while Damian deciphered Anarky's previous statement.

"You keep mentioning this 'disaster' but you haven't elaborated further than that. Why?" - He asked, a plan forming in his head how to extract the needed information from the criminal. And once Anarky hesitated again, he knew he had him. - "You don't know do you?"

"I-"

"I bet this is your bosses plan, right? And you're just a pawn, who doesn't know anything more than what your told." - Damian interrupted, knowing it was crucial to keep him in a state of panic, making it more likely that he'd give up the information by accident.

"No."

"You're just a nobody, making moves in a game against players who are a lot more experienced than you."

"No!" - Anarky repeated.

"You have such little grasp on the situation at hand that-"

"ENOUGH!" - Anarky screamed, before turning around and slammed his hands up against the glass. - "You have no idea what you're talking about!"

"You're right I don't... so how about you enlighten me?"

The conversation dwindled out as Anarchy moved from facing Damian, to taking a seat on the edge of his bed.

"I have suffered... Time and time again. Every time I think I'm out of the quicksand I manage to sink further in, so I've learned to just accept the fact that I'll never escape and make the best of it." - He elaborated.

Damian analysed his enemies movements, using the many lessons on psychology his father had drilled into his head over the past 2 years. Body Language was the main thing giving Damian the impression that Anarky was telling the truth: His once calm and deliberate movements were now shaky and careless.

"Now I've been given a chance to stop others from falling in the pit, and for fuck sake I'm taking it!" - Anarky hung his head low as his knee began bouncing rapidly.  - "I thought you'd understand." - He said.

"Why did you think that?"

Anarky lifted his hands off his knees and placed them on the back of his head, he reached beneath his hood and hesitated before loosening his mask's strap and pulling off the entire thing. He kept his head low as he pulled his hood back, allowing his messy red hair to spill out and cover what the hood once covered. He cocked his head slightly, one bright blue pupil pierced through the strands of his hair hanging loosely over his eyes. 

"Remove your mask." - He croaked, before noticing his interrogator's reluctance written on his face. - "C'mon... I already know who you are, so do you really think that'll domino mask is doing much for you?"

Damian considered the consequences, but knew that the man opposite him had some semblance of a point. He discarded his mask, and dropped his hood. Once Anarky noticed that he had followed his instructions, he got up and faced him.

Now only glass separated the two of them, allowing each to size the other up without the restraints of masks.

"You look just like your Father."

"And you look like somebody took a clothing iron to your face."

Anarky just smirked. - "I think the burns add character." - He joked, gesturing to the marks on his face.

Done with all the snarks and jokes, Damian refocused the conversation. - "Why did you think I'd understand it?"

"Cause I know why you do all this... dress up and go fight crime." - He began, running a hand through his messy hair. - "It's the same reason I do it, why your Dad and Brother do it... why all non-powered vigilantes take up the masks and capes..."

Damian tried to interrupt but Anarky just kept monologging. 

"See most heroes with superpowers feel that they have to fight crime, as they've been born with, or have gained miraculous abilities... But the rest of us, the reason we fight back is because we have seen the darker side of humanity and we try to save others from that face." - He elaborated. - "That's the reason I thought you'd understand, because you're like me: Just a guy who never got the chance to have a normal life, as we were born into situations we had not control over."

Finished his rant, Anarky took a step back and laid on the bed. - "Night Damian. We'll continue this tomorrow."

Damian just slapped back on his mask, reconnected the camera and it's wire, before stepping back on the elevator, wondering how the hell he was going to explain what just happened to the team.

Quick question: Does anyone know how Domino-Masks stay on? I went for the more technological idea for this story, Having them act like mini cowls, but Reddit says they use costume glue due to Alfred being a classically trained actor. Anyway, I hope you comment, vote, follow-me and read Ch.27 -MM