"Anakin?" exclaims Obi-Wan, incredulously, "But you were dead! Everyone on the Council thinks so. How can you still be alive?"
"I think I shall let you speak with your master alone, Skywalker," Dooku remarks, turning to the younger man, "I know you have much to discuss with him. I will not bother you."
Anakin smirks, his blue eyes – which have an edge to them Obi-Wan has never seen before – never leaving his former master's face. "I'm grateful, Count." With a brief nod, Dooku sweeps out of the room.
"Now, Master, I think we have some things to discuss," Anakin snaps, the playful look disappearing from his face. His eyes turn to ice, and he glares daggers into Obi-Wan. Never had Anakin thought their confrontation would go anything like this. Dooku had taught him how to remain calm, but everything keeps slipping from his mind as he stares at the man who has broken his heart. Anger and pain vie for the upper hand, both emotions reflecting on his face.
Obi-Wan suddenly looks weary. Maybe he'd expected Anakin's reaction. Maybe not. It doesn't really matter. "I can explain –" he begins.
"Explain?" cries Anakin, "I don't think you have anything to explain. Did you ever, for one moment, stop to think about how I might feel? Or maybe it's just that you didn't even care! Did you ever care about me? Because I certainly know that you never trusted me!" He pauses, taking a deep breath before he continues, "If I'd known what was going on, I could've helped you! Too bad the Council didn't trust me."
Anakin turns around and stalks to the window, staring outside as he tries to regain control of his temper. Obi-Wan looks stung by the accusation, but he doesn't lose his cool. "Anakin, it was my decision to keep the truth from you. I knew if you were convinced I was dead, Dooku would believe it as well. And speaking of Dooku, what are you doing with him?"
Anakin glances over at him, giving him another icy glare, "You are in no place to be asking me questions. How could you even decide something like that? Don't you know what could have happened to me? I could have fallen to the Dark Side. I nearly did, and it's your fault!"
"Look, I know I did some questionable things, but I did what I had to do," replies Obi-Wan, seeming unruffled by Anakin's outburst, "I hope you can understand that."
The Dark Side rushes to him, teasing him with its lure of power, whispering to him that hurting someone would help. Anakin closes his eyes. He's never been this furious before. He doesn't need to look at Obi-Wan to know that his former master can feel the Dark Side surge. And he can't lose his temper on his brother like that. Even if Obi-Wan doesn't care about him, Anakin still loves him. If he hurt him, he'd only be hurting himself. But why doesn't Obi-Wan seem to understand anything? No apology. Nothing. Just I hope you can understand. There's nothing he needs to understand except –
"You lied to me!" screams Anakin, clenching his fists, his temper finally snapping, "How many other lies have I been told by the Council? How many other times have you lied to me? How am I ever supposed to trust you if you can't just be honest?" From the stunned, and slightly horrified, expression that appears on Obi-Wan's face, he knows his eyes probably just turned yellow. Who cares?
And Dooku taught him that he needs to control his anger, so it doesn't control him, but his control seems to have been sucked away. He takes a step forwards, not sure exactly what he's planning to do. He's shaking from rage and pain and betrayal. This, this is harder than when he thought Obi-Wan was dead, and some twisted part of him almost wishes that it was true, because even as hard as it would have been to live in a world where Obi-Wan is dead, it will be so much harder to live knowing that his brother lied to him and betrayed him for nothing.
"Anakin?" questions Obi-Wan, uncertainly.
Anakin smiles, knowing exactly how much he probably looks like he did the night he tried and failed to kill Sidious. It's a cold, cruel smile. He's past caring. All this pain, for nothing. And it's all Obi-Wan's fault. All of it. And if Anakin falls, he knows it won't be his doing.
"This is me," he hisses, his voice dark and dangerous. He doesn't stop to consider how much he sounds like a Sith right now. "And you did this. All of this."
He watches Obi-Wan's expression with a twisted sense of satisfaction, as his brother's emotions range from denial to disbelief to shock. Maybe this isn't so bad after all. He could get used to this feeling of power. He doesn't want to hurt Obi-Wan, but he does want him to know how much he forced his brother to suffer for nothing. Words will have to suffice, because he won't raise a hand against him.
"I do hope you're happy knowing you did this," growls Vader, his eyes burning with anger, "But I suppose it's not really a bad thing." He pauses, smirking, "You did give me a gift. You gave me true power just by hurting me, so I suppose I should probably thank you for it." Suddenly, he feels so calm, even though his anger is burning him alive. He's not hurting anymore. This is like his haven; the place where he can go to escape his pain, because he doesn't think he'll ever stop hurting from Obi-Wan's betrayal.
"Anakin, this isn't you," states Obi-Wan firmly, though there's something faintly pleading in his voice, "Snap out of it."
Vader glares at him, "This. Is. Me. And it's all your fault." For some reason, he rather likes the thought of Obi-Wan pleading with him to come back. Maybe – maybe he'll keep talking and see how long it takes for the Jedi Master to – to apologize. He should be sorry, because this isn't a way for anyone to live, even if Vader rather enjoys it right now.
"The best part of this," he comments lazily, a smirk on his face, "Is the overwhelming rush of power. I have power over others. It was so, so satisfying to torture Palpatine." He spits out the name like it's a curse. "So enjoyable. And I will find him. And I will kill him. Slowly. So, I can hear him scream and scream and scream until he dies in agony."
And this time, Obi-Wan flinches, "Stop it," he orders, though his voice lacks its usual strength, "I thought Palpatine was your friend. Why would you want to hurt him?"
"Friend?" sneers Vader, "Some friend. He wanted me to be like this," he hisses, his eyes glowing, almost enjoying Obi-Wan concerned expression. "He wanted me to become a monster, but you know what? I guess in the end he didn't need to do anything, because you did it all for him." He knows Obi-Wan won't understand that he's being accused of doing the work for a Sith, but he doesn't really care either.
"What's this really about, Anakin?" demands Obi-Wan.
Really, truly about? And Vader just stops, considering the question. "I want revenge for what Sidious is trying to do, and I will stop him from destroying the galaxy, whatever the cost may be." And just like that, Obi-Wan looks confused.
"Sidious?" he asks. Even his voice shows signs of confusion.
"Yes," replies Vader, "A Sith Lord. The Sith Lord. Dooku and I. We're planning to stop him."
Obi-Wan nods, as though that's not at all an unusual admission. "Why? Why would Dooku care?"
"Because he does care about the Republic and Jedi Order being destroyed," explains Vader – no, Anakin. As his anger begins to fade, he calms down marginally, though he's still lost in the power of the Dark Side.
"Revenge is not the Jedi way," Obi-Wan reminds him.
"And I am no Jedi," replies Vader coolly, "I don't think that Jedi use the Dark Side, do they?" He raises an eyebrow questioningly as he leans back against the wall watching Obi-Wan.
"Snap out of it, Anakin," urges Obi-Wan, "Don't let the Dark Side consume you."
"You gave me to it," he protests, scowling. Suddenly, he doesn't want to argue anymore. He's too worn out. Why is he worn out anyways? Maybe because he didn't sleep much last night, since he was busy helping Dooku kidnap Obi-Wan from the Temple.
"Anakin, I'm sorry, okay?" replies Obi-Wan, looking weary, "I had no idea you'd be affected so badly. And of course, I care about you! I – You're like my brother."
Anakin shakes his head, hardly listening to Obi-Wan's words. What has he done? He almost fell to the Dark Side. Again.
"Oh Force," mutters Anakin, as the realization crashes down onto him. He'd almost fallen again. And again, only his feelings towards Obi-Wan saved him. His love for his brother. It both saves and destroys him. And right now, he feels horrible that he could have lost control again. Even if Obi-Wan betrayed him. Even if he doesn't care about him.