A/N: Originally posted on AO3 under the same name. Hope you enjoy.

violence, violence asleep

The cloth smelled of spearmint and gasoline. Odd combination. She bit into it, sucking on her own spit and sweat. It tasted rancid. She coughed, shutting her eyes momentarily. In the dark, she felt better. In the dark, the bearded man wasn't staring at her. In the dark, she didn't imagine cutting off his fingers, one by one.

In the dark, she could see Selina's face, sharp and angular, like a marble statue. That face had never been kind, but she'd always felt safe in its presence.

I've really gone and done it this time, she thought sourly.

Jen thought getting kidnapped had been her own fault. Selina had told her, time and again, to be more careful and pay attention to the men following her.

"Stop going off on your own at night."

"I can handle myself," was her usual reply.

"I know you can, but if you get caught, they catch me too and I won't be able to bail you out."

She had tried to listen, but she had found it impossible. If she stood still for too long, she got nervous and antsy. One time, Selina had caught her right when she was about to drop the hair-dryer in the bathtub.

She had wrestled her out of the water and locked her up in the bedroom until she felt less antsy.

Jen figured wandering off on her own at night was a lot safer for her and less of a hassle for Selina. She rarely got into real trouble. She only ever liked to cut up brawlers and noise-makers. She never did much damage.

But she was wrong. It hadn't been her fault. She could have been anywhere, she could have been doing anything. Bane's men would have found her. They had been given specific orders.

No, this time, it was Selina's fault.

When she stepped into the power room again, Bruce's body was gone. There were visible signs a violent altercation had taken place, but Bane had covered his tracks well. The only remnant of the fight was a chipped, black bat ear. It had been part of the Batman's mask. She picked it up, fingers trembling.

The Batman couldn't be dead. Not yet. Bane wasn't done with him, was he? Bane meant to teach him a lesson. He was fond of giving lessons. What would a lesson be without the pupil?

She could hear her own voice rambling. He managed to stay alive all these years. What's one more night?

The more she thought about it, though, the more she dreaded the outcome of Bruce's punishment. If he was alive, he was going to be in pain.

Steeling herself, she dropped the bat ear through one of the holes in the ground. It fell with a splash in the black waters of the sewer.

She looked up at the control room.

Selina Kyle had her own child to worry abut now.

Her fingers traced the pressure wheel with skilled patience. She was sure she could find some weakness, even here. The door wasn't sealed shut. At least, not from within.

A shadow crossed the wall, leaving behind the figure of a man not altogether unfamiliar.

"You can stop prying. He's not here. And when he returns, he won't want to speak with you."

"Barsad," she murmured demurely. "You're grouchier than usual."

"You've got a lot of nerve trying to get past that door."

"We had a deal. I've delivered the Batman. I've done everything he's asked me to."

"Out of fear."

"Out of respect for a fellow do-gooder," she replied, smirking. It felt like a grimace.

"Save your tricks for later, sweetheart."

"They're not meant for you."

Barsad shrugged his shoulders. "He's not going to fall for them, either."

"Oh? Have you conquered the whole city, then?"

Barsad glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Only that you're new in town and you don't know how things work. If you want full victory, you need someone on the inside."

Barsad laughed in his beard.

"Someone like you?"

Selina raised an eyebrow at him, as if that were a stupid question to ask.

"There are cheaper men out there, more loyal too," he replied gruffly.

"Sure. Not as skilled, though."

"Well, I'll admit your claws aren't half bad."

His eyes lingered on every part of her body, except for the famed claws.

She smirked, cringing inwardly. "If you were smart, you'd keep me on your side."

"That's exactly what we're doing."

"By keeping Jen away from me?"

"Jen? I'd no idea that small thing even had a name. Looks more like a scared mouse to me. I'm surprised no one's eaten her up yet."

Selina snarled at him, baring her teeth. Her claws were coming out. She was done playing nice.

"Kitten shouldn't scratch me," he replied, clicking his tongue. "Your bone's with Bane. His direct orders."

"What do you mean?"

"He expressly told me I'm to keep her here, indefinitely."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"If I know one thing about Bane, it's that he is a man of his word. He might be many things, but a liar he is not. He promised me something."

Barsad tilted his head to the side, amused.

"Aye. He's a man of his word. But you're not. And until Bane feels that you can be trusted, he'll keep your precious toy as guaranty."

"That was not the deal."

"Deals change, sweetheart. So do loyalties."

"What does he want me to do?" she barked angrily.

Barsad smiled. He enjoyed riling her up.

"Easy there, kitten. You'll find out soon enough. He's got a plan for you. He's got a plan for everyone."

"Like he did for the Bat?" she asked bitterly.

"Now why would you say something like that? When you delivered him yourself. Or are you having second thoughts?"

"Take me instead. Take anything else," she spoke, trying to keep the tremor from her voice.

"You've got nothing else, sweetheart. And we both know, she's your heart."

Selina choked back the sob that threatened to escape her throat. The last time she had cried, she had been ten. But something about his words shook her very being. It's as if until now she had not been aware she had a heart. It had started beating quite suddenly.

She knew, though, that it was not here. It was in the black waters, along with the Bat's mask.

"Don't worry, kitten. She'll be looked after. She's a Gotham citizen. And Bane takes care of all Gotham citizens. He means to give the power back to the people."

Selina fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, that's power, all right," she muttered, hiding her face in the shadows.

For one brief moment, Jen thought she had heard Selina's voice. It sounded as if it was coming from a tunnel. She opened her eyes, feeling a splitting headache grip her temples. She had been nodding on and off for the past half hour, so she wasn't quite sure what was real and what was fantasy.

The heat was not made up. She was lying next to the boiler. That much was true.

And the voice?

It could have been a dream, but if it wasn't, had Selina found her?

Selina had a knack for finding people. Jen could only manage to hide from her for two days straight.

It was very quiet now. As much as she wished it, she couldn't will the voice into existence again. She moaned, breaking the silence. Her mouth tasted like fire.

If this was a dream, it was not a very strange one. She had been motionless and alone in made-up places before. The only difference was that now she was tied up, which meant she couldn't harm herself, or anyone else.

Gradually, she fell asleep again.