“Damian, don’t you want to see your surprise? I think you’ll love it.” He grinned maliciously as he gestured for someone to step forward.
Damian’s breath was caught as one of the ninjas from grandfather’s guard stepped forward and crouched into a fighting stance. Everything about them was entirely too familiar. Grandfather was saying something but the ringing in his ears was making it hard to understand.
“— happened? We found him and now he’s back home. Don’t you want to come back and see him Damian?” Grandfather had walked up to the figure as he was talking. Reaching a hand up, he pulled the half mask down to reveal their face. “He’s excited to see you.”
His chest was aching now as he listened to his family behind him taking in the scene. Even as he shifted into his own battle stance it felt like his face and hands had been dipped in static. He was sure he wasn’t getting oxygen adequately but still he couldn’t take his eyes off what could have been a mirror image of himself if he’d never left the league. From the hair and the outfit, to the burning green eyes glaring back. He knew however, he wasn’t looking at a clone. He was looking at his worst nightmare, something that the pits had brought to life.
He felt a hand drop down on his shoulder and he flinched. A quick glance at the blue stripes give the culprit up as Richard but the familiar comfort he usually got from his adopted brother never came. He clenched his jaw to steady himself. There was no way grandfather had done what he was thinking. This has to be a clone or something else being used to entice him back to the league.
“Grandfather, I fail to see what use another clone could be. I would think that after the first attempt of using clones failed you would try a different method.” He made sure to sound as bored as possible, knowing how his grandfather played with emotions. His grandfather seemed to be amused if anything, a cruel smirk settling across his face.
“I would not bring you a mere clone Damian. Is it the green eyes throwing you off? It’s merely a side effect of the pits as you well know.” Here he shot a pointed look towards Redhood before glancing back. “Don’t you recognize your own twin?”
“He simply needed a quick dip in the pits before he was willing to listen. Here lately the aggression has been quite handy.” Grandfather stepped back at the same time he let go of the figures shoulder. “Cosmas, why don’t you go ahead and show your brother what he’s missing out on?”
Damian’s eyes quickly snapped back to the boy as he started moving. Pulling out a blade that looked shockingly similar to his brother’s—his real, dead, twin brother’s—sword. With the way his eyes were glowing, Damian couldn’t tell any emotions coming from him. He quickly unsheathed his matching sword as he watched the figure—supposedly his brother— smirk.
Absolutely flabbergasted.
Never had he imagined this scenario for himself, and he’s been through some pretty wild shit!
Okay, so to start out his eyes are glowing green due to being literally dunked in rancid ectoplasm like ten time. Which is just ew. He was also forced to change into an old league uniform, given his old sword, and then pretty much pushed out in front of the bats of Gotham within a day of him being taken.
Obviously grandfather didn’t know about Phantom or he’d be in a lot deeper shit. To be completely honest, he just wanted to go along with this to see Damian again but now he’s supposed to fight the bats? That’s so not happening, Danny enjoyed his half-life. Sure it was overrun by beings trying to kill him but when was that any different than what it was in the league.
Obviously, grandfather just wanted him to die again—
“—recognize your own twin?” Danny’s ears twitched as he heard that, snapping his gaze to the figure squaring up across from him. That was Damian? He looked so…calm. The Damian that Danny was used to had an eternal stick up his ass that made his face look like he was scowling 24/7. Maybe the mask helped with that? Huh. Interesting.
“Cosmas” Ancients he hated that name. “Why don’t you go ahead and show your brother what he’s missing out on?” He felt grandfather taking a few steps back.
Danny internally scoffed as he went to take out his sword—HIS SWORD!!—that had recently been given to him.
‘Like I’ll ever help you out you senile fruitloop’ Danny smirked as he thought it ‘You just made yourself useless.’
