Disclaimer: Not mine! I only own Kenneth and the plot I came up with. Sue me, and all you'll get is a whole boatload of nothin'!
A/N: Kinda AU, however I pretty much stick with cannon. Yes, it's a Bane/OC. What can I say. He's one freaking awesome sexy villain. Feel free to give constructive criticisms, or point out errors in grammar and the such. It's much appreciated. Flames, however, will get laughed at, then promptly deleted. Therefore, don't bother wasting the energy it would take to write one. Please let me know how I'm doing with characterizations, as I don't want any real occ'ness. The girl in the picture for this fic is in fact me (it's easier than finding the right look on google :P) And no, that's not my real name :P.
Hope you enjoy this fic. R&R!
A/N 2: Edited 7/5/13. Note that John's apartment is the one from the movie.
A/N 3: Edited 19/5/13. Changed plot a bit to make the rest of the story flow better. NEED to read, it changes A LOT! :)
A/N 4: Edited 22/5/13. This fic is taking on a life of it's own. Kenny has decided to do things HER way, and now I'm having to fix things, AGAIN, to reflect the personality she's given herself. I've been reduced to just getting dragged along for the ride. Am doing this as well to the rest of the chapters, 2-5. Chapter 6 was when Kenny put her foot down. Reread, again :P, if you're a returning reader. If you're new, you're ahead of the game!
Chapter 1: Rendezvous
Kenny's POV
The snow had begun to fall in icy sheets as Kenny waited for John to answer her buzzer.
"Hello? Ian here." he commed, voice diluted by static.
"It's me, Wanda. Mel says Hi." She responded. That told him the coast was clear and her unit wasn't compromised. She waited then, whilst futilely trying to shake off some of the snow from her body. There was no reply, except for the click of the door's lock. Entering, she stomped her feet, and took the stairs two at a time. Reaching the floor she knocked on his door, shivering as the heat melted the ice into water, soaking her.
John let her in with a sigh, closing the door behind her.
"Why did we decide to use "The Host" for our code, again?" he grumbled. Kenny rolled her stormy grey eyes at her friend.
"What? No, "Hey Kenny", "Why don't I take your coat, Kenny", or how about a good ole "Thanks Kenny for stopping by so quickly after you got my message; cuz I know it's dropping kittens out there"" She griped, stripping off her dripping coat.
John's POV
John just rolled his eyes in turn, chuckling at her. The kittens comment was one of her usual winter euphemisms. He could remember her explaining that particular turn-a-phrase back when they were 13, and still in the boy's home together.
**Flashback**
"Why kittens? It's "cats and dogs", Kenny, and you're only suppose to say that if it's about raining. Not snowing!" 13-year-old John protested. Kenny punched his bicep, giving her best friend a dead arm. Nobody came and told her off for it, because the corner where they were located was slightly hidden as the the two teens were sitting on a dirty brown couch, in the Home's rec-center, by a window.
"I can say whatever I want, however I wanna. Got that, fart-face?" she growled.
"Okay! Okay! I give!" He surrendered, cradling his arm with a pained scowl, though he refrained from showing how much it actually hurt. "Jeesh! For a girl you can-!" she launched herself at him, gagging the rest of his statement. She looked around quickly, only relaxing after she saw there was nobody around who could've overheard him. Releasing John, she slapped him viciously upside the head.
"Moron!" she hissed lowly at him, "Way to nearly blow my cover after managing to maintain it for 7 years! I made you my friend when you arrived 6 years ago. Don't make me regret it now!"
Looking properly reprimanded, John hugged his best friend in apology.
"Sorry. Won't happen again. And you not just my friend, you're my best best friend." he apologized. Then he added, "Now is there any way you'll ever forgive me?" he begged dramatically. Kenny giggled at John's schemantics, effectively breaking the previous tension; replacing it with the light atmosphere of camaraderie once more.
"Well butter me up, why don't ya?" she joked with a theatrical sigh, "Fine. Yes I'll forgive you." she finished, giving him a smile and hug in return. They separated and sat in comfortable silence watching the snowflakes drift past the window.
"So, you asked me, why kittens? I'll tell you why." Kenny said after a while, breaking the quiet. John only nodded, used to her spouting off at random moments. He also knew, by the look on her face, that he'd have to put his smarty-pants on for this one. "It's because, like snow, kittens are soft and fluffy, and reproduce like rabbits." She gestured to the snow falling heavily outside through the window, "Like when water freezes and turns into lots of snow, and it just keeps on going. Well, at first you can love the kitten, it's cute and isn't intimidating looking, just like how you feel about the first snow of winter." Kenny's face became serious now, and John held back the urge to laugh at how it scrunched up her nose, "Then as times goes by the cuteness wears off, and the kitten becomes a grouchy fart who scratches everyone, and does nothing but sleep on your head, and claw you whenever its hungry. With snow, you get sick of it. You get sick of trudging through it, being wet and cold, and having to deal with ice. Eventually, in both cases, what starts out great, goes bad very quickly." There was a moment of somber silence, before her face broke into a grin, "And that's when spring comes, and the kitten-turned-cat gets eaten by the awesome new, gigantic dog you just got. And they all lived happily ever after!" She finished, yelling at the top of her lungs as she jumped up and down like a lunatic. John could only stare at her in confusion.
**End Flashback**
John brought himself out of the memory with a subtle headshake, returning his attention back to what Kenny had said. She stood there playfully glaring at him.
"How are you then today, Kenneth?" he chuckled.
"Nice try, but it's too late for that now. Moreover, to answer your first inquiry: firstly, it's because I said so... mostly. And secondly, nobody would ever think we'd use it as our code, because nobody would want to be caught dead talking like that." Her teasing grin dropped into a scowl, "Which is exactly how you'll be caught if you call me Kenneth ever again." John threw his hands up in surrender.
"Hey out there! Don't you have any manners boy? Let the poor young lady sit down with something hot before interrogating her." ex-commissioner Gordon scolded from the couch. Kenny huffed at the detective with a wink and sat down next to her adopted uncle. "Any more attempts these past 2 weeks?" he asked. She tilted her head with a smirk,
"More than a few. I find it's better to not count them anymore. I've been hiding in the safe houses since I was here last time I met with you. I've had to give so many tails the slip. Bane really wants me."
"Well," John interjected, sitting on Kenny's other side, handing her a 'cuppa peppermint tea. "of course he is. The rumor mill is going crazy about you. The Mocking Bird keeps everyone remembering Batman. She gives them hope he's returning. So, DUH Bane has it out to get you." He leaned over at Gordon like her was telling a secret, except he was being purposely loud, "and of course it still has nothing to do with the fact that she all but told him how hot he was, or that she'd love keep him all to herself if he wasn't terrorizing everyone." She blushed heavily and socked him in the arm. "OW! Geezes Mozelee! Take a compliment!" the detective groaned, pretending the punch hadn't been for the comments about her flirting tendencies with Bane. She stuck out her tongue at him.
"You know I only do that to taunt him and to entertain me. Have to get my kicks somewhere." she argued defensively. John shrugged,
"Whatever you say sis, whatever you say."
Taking a sip from her mug, she pulled out the blueprints from under her shirt. She held them out to John who gave her a weird look, not wanting to touch the papers. Gordon rolled his eyes, something he was doing constantly when those two were together around him, and snatched them away. He promptly spread them out on the coffee table.
"She doesn't have cooties boy! We don't have time to waste with you're childish bantering. There's only got a month and a half left before the bomb's going off." He scolded John, and turned to the young woman. "Give me your debrief Kenny."
The next 2 hours were spent going over the streets off Gotham, examining the routes used by the trucks that held the bomb. It had taken forever to map it all out, but they had done it. Now they had to figure out which truck actually held the reactor, and find a way to disarm it. The sky was darkening rapidly outside as night fell, signaling it was Kenny's time to go.
"I'll get my group working on these routes, taking the watches in shifts." Kenny said, wrapping up the meeting, and got to her feet. "I'll be sure I'm not seen. We don't want another close call with Bane." She did quick stretch, and hugged both men. "I gotta skedaddle. Don't get into too much trouble you two." She teased. The men laughed,
"Yea, "stay out of trouble", says the girl who's third most wanted in Gotham." John joked.
"Be safe." Gordon smiled, ignoring John's comment. They gave her one last round of good byes, and then turned back to the maps for some more planning. With a long-suffering shake of the head, Kenny slipped on her coat and left.
Gordon's POV
As the door clicked shut behind the young woman, Gordon turned to John.
"I really hope Batman returns soon. I don't think there's any way we can do this without him." The ex-commissioner sighed. Shifting carefully to avoid jarring his side that still ached from the wound, he laid back against the couch.
John's POV
"He'll come. There's always hope." John replied automatically, his eyes wandering to stare out the window. He watched the flakes fall through the fogged glass as he thought about the man behind the bat. He thought about the danger his 'sister' was in every day. When she came by, it always made the harsh world feel farther away, and while she was there they could pretend. John sighed. She was spirited and no matter what he or Gordon said, she'd keep going out and working against Bane. All three of them knew her luck was going to run out eventually, but he hoped that wouldn't happen for a long time yet. He looked at the ex-commissioner. Things were still tense between them since Bane exposed Harvey Dent at Blackgate, but Kenny had put him straight and the detective wasn't totally spiteful towards the man anymore. People needed to stick together even more now days, especially with how it just kept getting progressively crazier than crazy in Gotham.
Where was Bruce Wayne?
Gotham needed her Dark Knight.
Bane's POV
Bane's cold eyes watched from the shadows of the sewer tunnel entrance. The Narrows were silent. No one dared to attempt breaking the curfew so far that night. The corner of his eyes crinkled in amusement at the success of their mission, his mask covering the smirk of his scarred lips. His gloved hands held the lapels of his long coat, the bulging mass of his muscles still apparent eve through the thick layers. After another hour keeping watch for the girl they knew as one of the rebel leaders, having no sign of her, he was about to return underground, when his sharp ears picked up a muffled whisper coming from somewhere among the thick snowfall. Curious, he stuck to the shadows, following the noise. His worn, steel-toed combat boots made no noise and barely left any impression as he stalked the sound.
Coming to the corner of a nearby apartment complex, he finally found the source, who's profile looked slightly familiar.
Sitting on the buildings doorsteps, in the light of a flickering street lamp, was a young woman, and she was singing. He stopped to observe her before he would determine her fate. The young woman's dark golden brown hair hung to the bottom of her shoulders, ruffling in the snow flurry's winds. Flakes clung to the strands, as if they were pearls being woven into a netlike crown atop her head. She was around 5'8", slim build, though her shoulders and rip cage were wider than normal for a female. She sat there, staring at something only she could see, and humming lowly. The sound pierced through the muffling snow. A main tune was nonexistent but nonetheless, the mezzo tones sunk into one's bones deeper with every note. He allowed himself to listen intently for a moment longer, then continued closing in.
Silently, Bane made his way to stand into the shadows in front of her. He saw her face, and froze. Now he knew why she looked so familiar. It was Her. Bane quickly shook off the uncustomary reaction he seemed to have whenever he encountered her.
He recalled the fist time he met her after she led a small raid on the people's court, and got away, except her ski mask had been removed so they knew her face. Since then she'd been a nuisance, an obstacle to be removed. They'd captured a rebel earlier that week and learned she lived somewhere in the Narrows, only coming home in the wee hours of the morning. She was high in the rebellion and would lead them to the rest of her rabble. He'd finally learn more about Her. The one rumors named, Mocking Bird.
Her skin tone was a slightly tanned olive. The features that drew the most attention were her piercing gray eyes, slightly pouty, pink-tinged, lips, and a deeply dimpled chin. All together she was certainly pleasing to the eye, even his. She was definitely young, if her chubby cheeks were anything to go by; however, the way she held herself, her aura, said differently.
So, why was the young woman out at night, alone, singing? Had she no sense of self-preservation? She definitely knew they were looking for her; knew that it was only a matter of time before they found her. Was the threat of Gotham's Reckoning not enough to silence this bird? She acted as if he was going to leave her in peace. However, he found she was too much of a nuisance to even suggest he leave her be, and he enjoyed their encounters far too much to contemplate killing her outright.
Bane stepped closer to the girl, still hidden, but now he was near enough to make out freckles that splayed over her nose and cheekbones.
It was time to end it. Bane took another step, almost crossing into the light, when he stopped and met her eyes. Whatever had been about to come next was lost in her squeak of surprise. The Mocking Bird went silent.