**Author's Note: Elements of this story have been adapted from Batman Black & White: Two of a Kind, a short story written by Paul Dini. I had only recently discovered this story and I thought it was too good not to include. Enjoy!**

*Arkham Asylum, earlier that day.*

Inside his padded cell, inmate # 081942 was being visited for a routine session with Dr. Dennis Conway, one of Arkham Asylum's chief psychotherapists. This particular inmate suffered from a severe case of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, which resulted in dissociative identity disorder. In recent months however, he had shown significant progress.

Harvey Dent had once been one of the most respected civil servants in all of Gotham City. A decade earlier, Dent was Gotham City's District Attorney. Handsome, charismatic, and brilliant, Dent had been dubbed in the press as Gotham's "White Knight," as he had notably helped prosecute numerous members of Gotham City's underworld, most notably the Falcone and Maroni crime families. Working alongside Jim Gordon and Batman, Harvey had been one of the most promising beacons of hope and change in a city plagued in organized crime and corruption in nearly every level of its infrastructure.

What most people did not know was the toughest battle Harvey Dent fought was inside his own mind. As a child, Dent had been frequently abused by his alcoholic father, which inflicted deep psychological scars. Dent's father, Christopher, had frequently played a cruel game in which he would flip a coin to decide whether or not to physically beat his son; unbeknownst to young Harvey, the coin was double-sided. As a result, he had developed severe anger management and emotional issues, but did his best to keep his darker side buried within. As Harvey grew older, he found that sports and athletics had helped in terms of finding an outlet for his inner rage, and for a long time had focused his efforts on academics as well. For years, it had appeared that Harvey had overcome his childhood trauma as he worked his way through high school, college, and law school. Harvey was naturally idealistic and passionate about criminal justice, and genuinely wanted to do his part to make Gotham a better place.

Working his way up to becoming one of Gotham's youngest District Attorneys, Dent had appeared to be the picture of stability. As the pressures of the job mounted, Dent found it much more difficult to keep his emotions in check, and struggled to suppress his darker impulses. During one of the most notable criminal trials in Gotham's history, in which mob boss Salvatore Maroni was purported to reveal key secrets and evidence against his rival, Carmine Falcone, Maroni had plotted to enact revenge against the upstart attorney. In a shocking turn of events, Maroni doused the left side of Dent's face with a vial of sulfuric acid while on the stand. The vicious assault left Dent horribly disfigured and traumatized, yet had succeeded in distracting the judge and jury from properly convicting Falcone. Both physically scarred and feeling betrayed by the legal system he swore to uphold, Dent sunk into hoplessness and despair, and underwent a complete psychotic break.

Now believing that the only true justice in a cruel, unforgiving world was random happenstance, Harvey Dent began obsessively flipping a coin, in a manner similar to his abusive father, to make critical decisions. Abandoning the values he once stood for, Harvey went on a bloody rampage, targeting both criminals and public officials who he deemed to be corrupt. Despite the interventions and efforts by his then-wife, Gilda, and his close friend, billionaire Bruce Wayne, who offered to pay for therapy and reconstructive surgery, Dent's psyche was too fractured to reason with. Embracing the moniker "Two-Face," Harvey had become a powerful, vicious criminal mastermind, ironically the very thing he swore to fight against. Using the flip of a coin to decide who lives and who dies, Dent took the lives of anyone who he deemed deserving of punishment, whether they were truly guilty or not. The line of good and evil had been so blurred in Dent's mind by this point, that he had viewed his former allies Batman and Jim Gordon as being corrupt or complicit themselves. Two-Face had even captured and brutally assaulted Batman's young partner and protege, Robin, viciously beating the young vigilante within an inch of his life before Batman was able to intervene and apprehend his former friend.

Nearly a decade later, Dent had long been detained in Arkham, receiving both physical and mental treatment. Over the years, there had been many attempts to rehabilitate the former D.A., only for his darker impulses to emerge once more, allowing Two-Face to return. On a few occasions, Dent had managed to overcome his mental illness, only for a series of unfortunate, tragic events which would cause him to relapse. Despite his violent actions, Arkham's doctors had Dent continually declared insane, and unfit to stand trial.

Dr. Dennis Conway entered the examination room as Dent was escorted in by security for a routine evaluation. It had been the final appointment of the night before "lights out," and Harvey felt that he had been making better progress than he had in years.

"Good evening, Mr. Dent. I'm Dr. Conway," the psychiatrist introduced himself, "According to your chart, you've been responding positively to your new medication. How are we feeling tonight?"

"Alright, I guess," Harvey replied; his words slurred slightly from being heavily medicated. He soon recognized that this was not his usual therapist and asked, "What happened to Dr. Adams?"

"She's on leave at the moment; family emergency," Conway explained before returning to the task at hand, "You've been through a great deal over the years, especially the incident with the Crane sisters. Given your history, as well as the nature of the incident, it's a bit surprising that you've managed to avoid any outbursts since then."

Once, a remark like that might have made Harvey Dent lose his temper, but at this point, all he could do was fight back tears. Four years earlier, Dent's face had been surgically repaired, and paid for by Bruce Wayne. During this time, Harvey had also been treated by Dr. Marilyn Crane, a highly-touted psychiatrist and behavioral therapist. Crane had seemingly managed to succeed where others had failed; by getting to the root of Harvey's psychological trauma and helping him to manage his emotions and anger, effectively stifling the "Two-Face" split personality. As time went on, Dent had made enough progress to be transferred into a halfway house before being released on probation. Forming a deeper personal connection during therapy, Harvey Dent and Marilyn Crane fell in love, and had planned to get married once Harvey was able to find a job and get back on his feet.

However, their happiness proved to be short-lived, when Harvey was introduced to Marilyn's estranged identical twin sister, Madeline. Madeline had been in and out of mental institutions since childhood, and was determined to seduce Harvey away from her sister. At first, Harvey rejected Madeline's advances, but eventually engaged in a brief affair. With conscience getting the better of him, Harvey broke off the affair. Heartbroken, the deranged, obsessed Madeline brutally murdered her own sister in response.

Devastated by Marilyn's death and once again fueled by vengeance, Harvey knew that his good side could not take revenge on Madeline, but Two-Face could; feeling that he could no longer control his split personality, Harvey re-scarred the left side of his face, undoing the repairs the surgery had made. Once Two-Face confronted Madeline, she claimed that his scarred face did not bother her, that it represented the passionate side of Harvey's personality that she fell in love with. Despite her continued advances, Two-Face shot and killed Madeline, in retaliation for Marilyn's muder; he was arrested again shortly after.

Since being apprehended and placed in Arkham again, Harvey seemingly lost the will to live at first. As the months went on, he slowly began to be more responsive to his treatments. Plastic surgeons were unable to completely undo the damage he inflicted on his own face, but Harvey seemed to understand on some level that Marilyn would not have wanted him to undo the progress they had previously made together.

Harvey wasn't particularly surprised by Dr. Conway bringing up the tragedy of Marilyn's murder, as well as his own relapse and murder of Madeline. It was arguably the worst possible outcome for a man so infamously obsessed with duality.

"I know it might feel like it, but you should be proud of yourself. Considering everything you have experienced, Mr. Dent, you are very lucky to have progressed as far as you have," Dr. Conway continued. "What I'd like to do is to list a few names and you tell me the first thing you think about each person. There's no right or wrong answer of course." Harvey nodded half-heartedly as Conway began:

"Bruce Wayne."

"Good old Bruce," Harvey replied with a smile, "He never gave up on me, even after everything I've done. Still sends a few care packages every now and then; maybe he feels guilty for what Maroni did to me, since he helped to fund my campaign all those years ago."

"Commissioner James Gordon."

"I looked up to Gordon for a long time," Harvey continued, "Seemed like a good, honest cop. One of the few; he was naive though. He didn't listen to me when I warned about the corruption on the force. I always found it a bit hypocritical when the cops and the judges threw the book at me, considering how much Gordon worked with Batman."

"That's interesting," Dr. Conway continued, "What about the Batman? How do you feel about him now?"

"Also naive," Dent replied, matter-of-factly, "I trusted him as well. For a long time, I wanted to be like him; to be a force for change in this city. It's strange though; for someone who has been an outlaw for years, it often felt like he was just a useful tool for the powers that be. The guy would lecture me about using guns and how killing people was wrong, yet he filled entire graveyards letting freaks like the Joker live. I thought he was the biggest hypocrite of them all."

Wanting Dent to elaborate, Conway asked, "Do you still feel the same way about Batman and Commissioner Gordon now?"

"Looking back, I can see where they were coming from," Harvey explained, "In their mind, the system worked. The rules were there for a reason, they'd say. It all seemed so simple; black and white, good and evil, innocent or guilty. But I'm willing to bet that under different circumstances, they might have ended up just like me."

"How about Gilda, your ex-wife. Do you hold any resentment toward her?"

"A little bit, at first, but not so much anymore. She's a good woman," Dent admitted, "I can't blame her for not staying with me. That's a lot to ask for anyone; she loved Harvey, but not Two-Face. Last I heard she ended up getting remarried; has two beautiful kids. Twins...ironic, her having twins after being with me, am I right?"

"How about your late fiancé, Dr. Marilyn Crane? I know you took her death particularly hard," Dr. Conway asked, "Do you think Two-Face would have returned had she lived?"

"Honestly I don't know," Dent admitted, "She came closer than anyone to helping me put Two-Face behind me for good. But she also knew that Two-Face was a part of me; she loved me anyway. Not in the same way her sister was obsessed with Two-Face, but I'd like to think Marilyn loved me in spite of Two-Face."

"Robin."

"Batman's partner? Always had some smart-ass remark as he kicked the crap out of my men. Tough kid; I didn't want to rough him up as badly as I did. At the time I hated him for sticking his nose in our business," Dent remembered, before growing remorseful, "I nearly killed him one time. I regret that; no kid should be out fighting grown men. There's got to be more than one Robin, I think; Joker thought he killed Robin at one point, but then I heard rumors of the kid showing back up less than a year after that. Then you hear about Batman training others; like Batgirl, Nightwing, and whoever else is out there now. I understand that there's strength in numbers, but what kind of a man trains young teenagers to fight armed criminals?"

"What are your thoughts about the Joker?"

"Chaos personified," Harvey said, full of contempt for the Clown Prince of Crime, "I don't think he cares about anyone or anything, even himself. He just likes hurting people and messing with people's minds for the fun of it. I almost fell for his shtick a few times, but I want nothing to do with him."

"Edward Nashton...or, as he prefers to be called, Edward Nigma, the Riddler?"

"Poor Eddie. He's a smart guy who got screwed over by the system," Dent continued, "Absolutely brilliant, but he'd keep leaving behind clues for Batman and the cops every time. I don't think he really wants leave those riddles and puzzles behind; it's a compulsion and he can't help himself. It's weird, but I get it."

"The Justice League."

"Man...that's way above my radar," Two-Face sighed, "I still don't understand it; aliens, metas, magicians, cyborgs, and somehow Batman figures into all that too...nothing I ever could have prepared for in law school; it reminds me of hearing those stories about the Justice Society when I was a kid; nobody thought they were real. I didn't think it was possible until we had people like Freeze, Ivy, and Clayface show up in Gotham. Then Superman showed up in Metropolis and changed everything."

"I guess it was only a matter of time before more metas started showing up all over," Dent continued, "Lex Luthor may have had a point; it kinda feels like we're being replaced...humans, I mean. Between the Martians, Brainiac, and Darkseid, it seems like the world is in chaos no matter what the Justice League does. I think they're trying to help, but maybe their existence only makes things worse; maybe they're just like Batman...good intentions, but ultimately nothing really changes. Seems like it's inevitable that we'll all destroy ourselves one day."

Dr. Conway took a pause, and cautiously looked over his shoulder to make sure security was out of earshot. The psychiatrist leaned closer before changing his line of questioning.

"Mr. Dent, what if I told you that there were people out there who shared your skepticism? Who, like you, are not afraid to do what is necessary to put an end to corruption," Dr. Conway offered in a hushed tone, "Not just in Gotham, but on a global scale?"

Harvey was caught off-guard. This guy can't be serious, he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry...what? What are you talking about?" Dent felt himself growing uneasy and uncomfortable at the doctor's bizarre change in tone.

"My employer and I have studied your case for years," Conway explained, "You are someone who believes in true justice, balance, equality, and fairness in all things. You're also someone who sees human nature for what it truly is; not what some misguided idealists want it to be."

Harvey immediately knew something was off about this doctor. Clearly, Dr. Conway was not exactly who he had portrayed himself to be.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Harvey asked, growing more defensive.

"The world is about to change in ways you can't possibly imagine, Mr. Dent," Conway cryptically explained, "The war with Apokalips has left humanity in chaos. My employer has recently become part of the most powerful alliance of individuals this world has ever known; they have enough combined resources to put this planet back on the right path. You have an opportunity to be on the right side of history, Mr. Dent; to bring about true peace and justice. All we are asking for is your trust."

"Every time I've gone down that road, all it has led to is suffering and death," Two-Face lamented, "I've spent years trying to atone for my mistakes. I may not look it, but I've been working very hard to be a better person, and put Two-Face behind me for good. Besides, I've heard these kinds of promises more times than I can count; the outcome always leads me right back here."

"I assure you, these are far more than empty promises, Harvey," Conway countered, "And besides…as you've said before, this 'Two-Face' persona is a part of you. Perhaps the path to true balance lies not over, not around, but through."

"What if I say no?" Harvey defiantly asked.

"Something tells me you haven't made up your mind yet. But I have a feeling this will help you be a bit more decisive," Conway retorted, before reaching into his pocket and producing the same scarred two-sided silver dollar Harvey had infamously used as Two-Face over the years. Harvey looked on in horror. He had not seen the coin since he killed Madeline Crane.

"No...not that damn coin again," Harvey said, panicking as Dr. Conway calmly began exiting the room.

"I'd say this session has been very productive," Conway smugly replied, "I'd recommend getting plenty of rest; you're about to move on to the next stage of your recovery. Good day, Mr. Dent."

Harvey stared in horror at the coin on the table in front of him as Conway left his cell. The coin represented Dent's fixation on duality and chance; the obsessive-compulsive internal conflict that haunted him since childhood. Years of progress seemed to go by the wayside as Dent felt that familiar sense of dread building within his mind, body, and soul; the anxiety and stress that made every muscle in his body constrict; the overwhelming sense that whatever was left of his grip on reality was collapsing.

Dent had no idea what lay in store for him, but he knew that something was wrong. Or, was Conway right? Was there some merit to what Conway was suggesting? As had been the case so many times before, Harvey Dent found himself in a state he had been all too familiar with; divided.