Freedom Or Power (Daminette)

Chapter 12: Conversations in the Shadows

Gotham's underbelly was no stranger to secrets, but even by its standards, the series of revelations awaiting Damian was nothing short of staggering. After the darkness of the dart's venom had consumed him, he awoke to a disorienting view. Upside down, restrained, and devoid of his usual freedom of movement, Damian felt a cold dread unlike anything before.

The vast chamber in which he was held echoed with an eerie silence, broken only by the footsteps of an approaching figure. The Heretic. But as he stepped into the light, Damian noticed something eerily familiar about him. The same eyes, the same facial structure - it was like staring into a twisted mirror.

"It's uncanny, isn't it?" The Heretic's voice echoed. "Looking at what you could have been."

Damian struggled against his restraints, his eyes filled with defiance. "Who are you?"

Heretic answers to him with no emotions: "I'm you, Damian. All grown up."

Damian answers him with unbelief: "You're not me. You can't be."

The Heretic's answer was chilling. "I am the product of a program in yo-our grandfather initiated. He wanted to create the perfect warrior. They use your DNA and put it through a process of accelerated growth. Most of the prototypes died quickly, but I survived. I was the strongest of them all. Still, that was an empty shell till Mr.Tetch brought me to full consciousness, but as good a job as he did, there's always been something missing, a void, and I'm going to fill that void with you.

Then he pulled Damian and used his finger to point Damian's head and point his head and said, "Everything in there is going in here. You, brother, will provide me with a soul."

Damian heard what he said, was angry, and spit saliva on Heretic's face. "The hell I am. Poff."

Refusing to be cowed, Damian retorted, "You may have my face, but you will never possess the heart, the spirit, or the legacy that comes with being a Wayne."

It was a revelation that sent shockwaves through Damian. His own clone was created as part of some twisted experiment by his grandfather. But the surprises didn't end there. The Mad Hatter, another pawn in this insidious game, appeared, his intent clear: to plunder Damian's mind and his memories and transplant them into the Heretic.

"Why?" Damian managed to ask despite the overwhelming circumstances.

The Heretic, desperation evident in his eyes, replied, "I lack something essential, young bird. A soul. Your memories, your experiences - they're the key to giving me what I lack."

The atmosphere grew even more charged as a machine hummed to life. A series of holographic images danced around, playing out snippets from Damian's life. From his initial defiant steps into Wayne Manor to the countless skirmishes in the dark alleys of Gotham, every memory was laid bare. But when an image of a serene temple and Marinette's serene face flickered into view, a profound emotion threatened to break Damian's stoic exterior.

The intimate moment, however, was shattered by a sudden intrusion. The cave's entrance burst open to reveal Talia al Ghul, her silhouette menacing against the backdrop of the entrance. "What are you doing? Are you insane!!!" she thundered, her voice echoing through the vastness of the cave. Her demeanour, cold and commanding, dominated the room. Anger flashed in her eyes as she reprimanded the Heretic for his unsanctioned actions. She walked toward Heretic and slapped him in the face.

"You suffer for this."

Heretic saw the madness in her eyes and shouted at her. "My entire life has been suffering, tell me. What is a man without memories? I want to know you, love you as he does. I want to feel you in my heart and not be polite."

Heretic dropped to his knees and begged Talia, "I've always served you without question. I've never asked anything of you." Then he hugged her, "Please let me have this."

Talia was silent for a moment, then gently stroked his head and said, "You poor tormented creature. How could I not have felt the depths of your pain? How could a mother have left her child so alone in the dark." When she said finished, she raised her gun and shot him in the head.

Their confrontation culminated in a shocking moment - Talia, without hesitation, ending the life of her creation, the Heretic.

Damian watched in horror and disbelief as Talia, without a second's hesitation, shot Heretic directly in the head. The body of his doppelganger crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around it.

The coldness of the act, the finality of it, sent shivers down Damian's spine. The tension in the air was palpable, only broken by the intermittent dripping of water from the cave's ceiling.

Gulping down the lump forming in his throat and summoning all the courage he had, Damian locked eyes with Talia, his mother, the woman who just executed a version of him without flinching. "How could you just kill him like that?" he managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper.

Talia's green eyes still cold, looked at her son. "He was a mistake, a deviation from the grand plan. He became a liability."

As Damian processed the whirlwind of events, he sensed the tides turning. The alarm bells of the convent echoed, signalling an intrusion. Batman, Batwoman, and Batwing were mounting a rescue.

Damian seized the moment. Using his training, he managed to free himself from his bindings, moving swiftly to free Bruce Wayne, who was in a nearby cell, disoriented and weak.

Damian's series of sharp slaps tried to bring Bruce back to reality. Finally, after a particularly strong slap, Bruce caught Damian's wrist, his eyes focusing. "Enough," he murmured.

Together, father and son made their way through the chaos of the convent, ready to confront the forces that sought to tear their family apart. As the sounds of battle raged around them, the duo was united in purpose, determined to restore order to their city and to their lives.

So what do you all think about this story? Please share, like and comment. I'll see you all in the next chapter Bye... 😘😘