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“Ohhh Bliiiight~” A singsong voice called from behind him, and it caused Derek to pause in his work. He never could get the niggling feeling that that voice was familiar, though he could never pinpoint where from, and the blasted devil refused to tell where he’d chosen it from.
He never should have given him the voice modulator in that forsaken mask.
“…I’m busy, I don’t have time for your games today.”
“Oh, Derek. You always have time for me. It’s part of our deal.” The voice told him, completely unbothered.
Derek ground his teeth, only force of will preventing him from losing his temper. That and the ever present possibility of losing his skin when he got too upset. Slowly turning the chair in his office he finally gave the man his attention. Clad in obnoxiously bright leather and with that shock of green hair, Derek was constantly mystified by how he managed to always sneak in without anyone noticing.
It was downright creepy.
“Our deal revolves solely upon you keeping your end; which is giving me the Wayne’s secrets. As of yet, you’ve offered disappointingly little information, and certainly not enough to warrant my undivided attention. So, unless you have something to say, shoo. I’m busy.”
The unmoving smiling expression of the white mask was silent and were Derek a lesser man, he’d have cracked. But he was Derek fucking Powers, and he’d rule the Freehold one day so he wasn’t about to let this break him.
“You’re not happy with my information…?” the voice was different, and it took a moment for Derek to realize it was the same voice that he’d heard originally from this man, he almost never spoke without some sort of filter. “Have you not taken over half a dozen contracts from Wayne? Have you not avoided this…Neo Batman’s attention and all attempts of arrest…?”
As he spoke, he took a step further until he was almost touching Derek’s knees standing in front of him. Derek slowly looked up, something he detested to do, so as to keep that smiling mask’s eyes in sight. If he focused, he could just see the man’s actual eyes staring him down.
There was a tense moment of stillness and silence. Derek would never admit to having stopped breathing. The next was filled with motion as the man pinned him to his office chair with hands on either side of his head and the mask less than a breath from Derek’s face.
“Derek, Derek, Derek. How can you say you’re not happy? Do I have to put a smile on that face myself…?”
“That’s…not necessary.” Derek slowly admitted, trying to gain ground in this conversation. “What…were you here to see me for?”
The man stood straight again, backing off but Derek wasn’t fool enough to believe he was backing down, and the voice filter was on again. “I just wanted to see that glowing face of yours! And would you look at that, I see you’re chipping again.”
Derek’s hand flew to his face, pulling off a strip of skin from his cheek. Giving the man a glare, he didn’t move a muscle as a purple gloved hand moved to the other cheek and forcibly peeled another strip off.
“There. Now that’s a sunny smile if I’ve ever seen one! You do have one of the best smiles, Blight. It’s why I like you.”
“What. Do you. Want.”
“So grouchy. I want some more toys.”
“More? I’ve already given you a dozen men-” Derek protested.
“Yes, but they’re broken. I need new ones.” The way the man stated it paired with the jovial voice and frozen smile never failed to make Derek shiver. He’d seen a lot of things in his line of work, and almost none of it ever bothered him. But this man was an entirely different level of Unease.
“…I’ll transfer another six to your facility. Try not to break them before next month, if you will. Too many disappearances will cause attention that we don’t need.”
“You worry too much, Derek.” The man waved a dismissive arm, sauntering towards the door.
“I run a million-dollar company. I deal with you. Of course I fucking worry.” Derek muttered to the man’s back. He waited until he was sure he was long out of hearing range to curse.
“Goddamned Joker.”