This idea came to me a little while ago, I hope it's alright! I've tried to make this as close to how a tape recording would sound as possible, constructive critiscism is welcome! I do not own any of the Batman movies or characters. Anyway, on with the story!

THE FOLLOWING IS THE WRITTEN CONTENTS OF A TAPE RECORDING. NOISES IN THE BACKGROUND HAVE BEEN POINTED OUT USING BRACKETS [ ]. MINOR ERRORS ARE INEVITABLE AS THE TAPE WAS DAMAGED BY AN UNKNOWN FORCE. WARNING: CONTENTS MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME; DISGRESSION IS ADVISED.

Hi. If you are listening to this tape, it most likely means that I have been killed, or, hopefully, that I have grown old and now want my family to know the story of my childhood. Be warned; my childhood is no children's bed-time story; it's certainly something I wouldn't want to tell my children. But then again…Hell, if all goes well for Bane, I'll probably be dead long before I get the chance to start a family, right? Anyway, how about I introduce myself?

My name is Holly Rebecca MacDougal; I'm a 14 year old orphaned girl living in an occupied Gotham city. Something you should know about me before listening any further; I do not water down my words, I will describe everything that happens in detail. So listen at your peril, especially if you are squeamish.

Let me set the scene for you; it's January, fresh snow is on the ground. People, especially orphaned tramps like us, aren't safe anywhere. No one owns any property anymore, there is no law to protect us, we are completely and utterly alone in a cold, dangerous world; and it's all thanks to Bane.

Who's Bane you ask? Where to begin… He's a monster, that's what he is. He's an enormous man who wears a black mask with a bunch of tubes and wires over his mouth; no one really knows why. He's trapped all of the police in the subway tunnels underground, it's unclear whether they are alive or dead. He murdered the mayor and a scientist in a football stadium on live television; broke their necks in one swift motion, and it barely seemed to register to him. He told us that the city was ours, to do whatever we wanted but he also told us that he had a nuclear bomb, and he would set it off if any of us tried to protest or leave the city. It's true too; the scientist confirmed it, just before Bane broke his neck. He drives it around the city in an armored truck, a constant reminder that we are one wrong step away from being blown to bits. He's got Gotham city in his pocket, and there's nothing any of us can do about it.

It's thanks to Bane that I'm an orphan.

I live in what used to be a school gymnasium, along with other people like me, orphaned by Bane and his regime. There are six of us now; cold, sick, and hungry. Six orphans, not even old enough to drive a car, sleeping on the floor, huddling for warmth due to lack of blankets. Bane has a lot to answer for. Most of the kids here are the children of people who have tried to resist him; I'm a bit different.

My parents were not victims of Bane's firearms; they were victims of Bane's "justice". What did they do? Nothing. They were wealthy, and therefore, criminals in Bane's eyes. Show trials, well, sentencing hearings, are held every day; the people are given a choice; "exile, or death". If I'm ever put in that situation, I'll pick death, it's quicker, less painful, less terrifying.

If you pick death you die by shot-to-the-back-of-the-head; quick, and just about painless if done correctly. If you choose exile, you're put over thin ice and told to walk. If you make it to the other side, you can leave Gotham; but no one has ever made it to the other side. The person falls through the ice, and dies far more slowly; cold, and afraid. In the end, it's either die, or die, so choose wisely.

["Aaaah!"]

Oh dear… [*Shuffle…shuffle…*]

["Shh…Goldie, it's okay. It was just a nightmare…" *Sob, sob* "Try to go back to sleep, okay? Here, I'll sit with you…"]

… [*Shuffle, shuffle*]

That was Goldie, the youngest orphan here. Goldie is just a nickname; we don't know what her real name is. She hasn't spoken ever since her mother died. We found her just last week, next to her mother's body. She was shot in the chest, twice. The only reason we know that she was, at least a relative of Goldie, is because there was a picture of her, Goldie, and a man who we think was Goldie's father, in her wallet. We call her Goldie because her favorite color is yellow; *snicker* it's all she'll ever wear! …Oops, I should keep my voice down, the little ones are sleeping.

As I said before, there are six of us living here. Aside from Goldie and me; there's Leaf, Cameron, Ursula, and Niko. Leaf is the oldest and is more or less our leader. His parents didn't support Bane, but they didn't try to overthrow Bane either. I don't know what happened to his parents exactly; he refuses to talk about it.

Cameron's only 9; he lived with his grandfather all his life. His father worked as a gardener for a wealthy man named Jason Little. Bane's revolutionaries attacked the wealthy, and Little was one of the first men to go. His grandpa stood in the way, saying that "Mr. Little was a good man." One of the revolutionaries bashed his head in with a gun. Monsters…

Ursula and Niko are siblings; Ursula is 10, Niko is 15. Their father actually joined Bane-horrifying as it is, it's true. Their mother didn't approve- I wonder why- and kicked him out. A few days later she left the house to get supplies, and never came home. Their father might still be alive, but they have no way of knowing, and even so, they hate him for what he's done.

…2:45 AM, it's almost time for my watch. All of the older orphans have a watch schedule, just in case some revolutionaries come along and try to kick down the door. We highly doubt it will happen, but you never can tell with them. Leaf takes first watch, from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM, then Niko takes watch from 12:00 AM to 3:00, and finally I take watch from 3:00 to 6:00, that's about the time everyone else starts waking up. During the day, the watchman is whoever is on hand. So far, we haven't had a break in, but we have had a few close calls. One of the revolutionaries saw Cameron peeking out the window, luckily we found a place to hide, the revolutionary didn't bother coming inside. That was close…

…2:55, I'd better go relieve Niko. [*Thump, thump, thump*] ["Niko, it's my turn to watch. You should go back to sleep; we've got a long day tomorrow."]

["No Holly, you go back to sleep, I can watch for a little longer."]

["Don't be stupid Niko; you and I have to go collect supplies tomorrow! Now give me the pistol and go to sleep!"]

[…*Sigh* "Fine, here's the gun, see you in the morning Holly."]

["G'night."]

…okay, I'm back. Watch really means sit by the door and look through the peephole every once in a while. We don't dare stand outside. I mean, think about it; someone standing by the door with a pistol, obviously something's up. Well, I'd better turn this thing off, I can't risk any distraction. Assuming nothing happens tonight, you'll hear from me again. [Click]