Mote in your brother's eye (dp x dc)
Danyal Al Ghul was born part of a set. Twins were a blessing he’d heard people say, but Mother’s face said otherwise. And Danyal had started seeing why when he turned four. When their instructors started praising one over the other, favouring, comparing one against the other.
It hadn’t stopped there. As they grew, it seemed everyone had decided one twin was superior to the other and though Danyal knew it wasn’t true, and he knew it wasn’t fair, it seemed nobody cared. Damian and him tried, they really did, but there was nothing to do about it and the Twins turned into the Heir and the Spare.
And when one night, Mother’s spymaster came to report that Ra’s was looking for the spare, Danyal knew it was over. Mother was a flurry of controlled movement, and his own mind was whirling at breakneck speeds, but Damian was calm. And that broke Danyal’s heart.
"Put this on," Mother said, handing them identical robes. Danyal and Damian were always given different sets of clothes, to make them easily distinguishable. It seemed Mother was banking on their identical features for additional protection.
Danyal put it on, and Damian followed, albeit more slowly.
"Grandfather is only looking for one of us,". his twin said calmly.
"Damian," Mother said warningly.
"Mother, there is no choice, we hav-"
"I will not hear of it," she interrupted Damian ferociously. "Now, follow me."
Dayal looked to his twin’s hard features and pale face and his eyes began to burn. It wasn’t fair.
They followed after their mother’s, silent footsteps in the high hallways.
"We will not make it out," Damian said quietly to himself, "not like this."
Danyal took a deep, steadying breath, painfully aware his twin was right.
"Damian," he started and his twin turned to him to raise an imperious eyebrow. "Damian, I’m sorry."
His twin scoffed and turned away, hurrying towards their mother who was opening up a corner of the wall, which she had told them held a passageway leading to the outside of the compound.
"Quick," Mother said and gestured towards the hole in the wall.
Damian went in first, looking like he wanted to grumble but was too well-trained to do so.
Once he had disappeared into the darkness, Mother looked over at Danyal. But he did not move.
"Danyal," she started.
"Mother," he said and stared back and he saw the understanding in her eyes. Her eyes flashed.
"I will go," she said.
"You cannot."
"Danyal-"
"There is no time to argue," he said. "Grandfather is not a patient man."
She held his gaze for a second longer, before her shoulder lowered. She reached for Danyal’s nape and brought him in close to kiss his forehead.
"Be quick, dearest," she said as she stroked his hair. "Make me proud."
"I will," Danyal promised. He gave her a fragile smile. "Tell Damian I love him.’
"I will," she swore and then she was gone.
As Danyal walked towards his Grandfather’s quarters, there were people stepping out of his way in the halls. The boy ignored the stares as he fixed his eyes into the distance, his chin up and proud.
He arrived in front of his Grandfather’s intricately ornamented doors much sooner than he would’ve hoped and was let in immediately.
Grandfather was standing, his back to the door, standing in front of a desk.
"I had begun to believe you would not show, child" Grandfather said.
Danyal bowed his head deferential and did not answer.
"You are not a coward at the very least," the man said as he turned back, his piercing stare settling on Danyal. The latter had to stifle the urge to flinch.
Grandfather then turned back towards the table to grab a dagger off the desk and at this, Danyal stepped back, his own hand going to his knife.
The man smirked, seemingly amused. "Do you believe I will kill you?"
His hand still over his knife, Danyal shrugged carefully. "I do not know what to believe."
Grandfather let out a chuckle and then he moved and Danyal reacted, his hand going for his knife and in the same movement towards Grandfather’s neck when he was stopped dead by his grandfather’s dagger in his gut.
A pained grunt escaped him and he struggled to stay to his feet, but he was already unbalanced from the attack and he crumpled to the ground with a cry of pain as the dagger buried itself deeper.
"What a waste," Grandfather’s voice cut through the haze of pain. "You were a disappointment to the end, Damian."
"Get him out of my sight," was the last Danyal heard of it before he was lost to oblivion.
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need arthur repealing the magic ban bc its the Right Thing To Do and merlin is ecstatic bc finally finally he can be himself and tell arthur the truth. he can stop lying and hiding!! and the the ban is repealed and magic is free and theres a feast held in celebration and merlin lugs arthur to his chambers since the king had a bit too much wine and the night is warm and golden and steeped with happiness. merlin lays arthur down in bed and arthur looks up at him with half-lidded eyes, glazed over and warm and filled with love, and he says some sappy shit about merlin being a good friend and how loyal he is.
merlin isnt sure why his words make a stone settle in his stomach but he brushes it off and goes to bed, telling himself that he’ll tell arthur everything in the morning. then morning comes around and merlin sits at the table while arthur is eating breakfast and opens his mouth to tell him when his throat closes up and no words escape him. arthur is confused but merlin distracts him by insulting him and postpones the conversation. he’s been hiding for years, maybe he just needs to take it slow, take baby steps, let his mind and body get used to the idea of being free first.
merlin waits another week and a half before trying again. same result. the words wont come out and he’s choking on this secret he thought he could fess up to now and it takes him so long to realize he’s terrified. he isn’t sure why bc helloooo the ban is lifted!! he won’t be put to death!! what’s the problem?? he had an easier time confessing to sorcery to uther when such a thing was still punishable by death. why is it so hard to tell his best friend the truth when he won’t be punished for it??
answer: telling arthur the truth would mean telling him how merlin has lied for years and how arthur has never truly known the man he calls his friend. arthur will be hurt and angry and he’ll feel betrayed and that is something merlin has seen time and time again and he has fought so hard to prevent yet here he is about to put the same expression on his face. he’s about to break arthur’s heart once more. he can’t do it. he has to. he’ll hurt him. it gets worse the longer merlin takes. arthur will hate him. oh gods arthur will hate him.
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I'm thinking about the drastic differences between how Bruce reveals his identity and how Dick reveals his identity in World's Finest. Dick simply takes off his mask and presents himself to the Titans, but Bruce? Bruce, he calls the Daily Planet, asking them to send Clark Kent to his manor immediately. Clark is now in the house of a stranger he only knows as a rich extravagant man, and said man starts explaining how he knows Clark is Superman. Clark tries to deny it and Bruce explains how he filed the room with a gas that humans cannot breathe, and Clark can breathe, so he is not human. At this point, for Clark, Bruce Wayne is a dangerous man who knows his secret identity, and he has him in his house full of gadgets. Bruce asks him to follow him, and he takes him to the Batcave, which is how Clark makes the connection. Like, the dramatics of it all? The theatrics? Making your colleague fear for their safety? Showing how they need to be better at hiding their identity? Slightly playing bad guy? This is so good.
Anyway, now I cannot accept Bruce not doing something like this everytime he reveals his identity to another Justice League's member. But his kids, they are simply taking their masks off, like normal people. And now, you have other vigilantes' families discussing how they learn their bats' identity and being baffled.
Barry: They just... Took their masks off? And told you their names? That's it? No supervilain's monologue?
Wally: BATMAN PRANKED YOU???!!! I'm calling Dick.
Bart: *Blue screened from learning that Batman pranks the JL*
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