Holy water cannot help you now.
A thousand armies couldn't keep me out.
I don't want your money.
I don't want your crown.
See, I've come to burn your kingdom down.
Florence + The Machine
Prologue
"Ra's Al Ghul didn't have a son." Her voice was soft and her eyes were fixed on the steel construct that had been his face all these years. "I was born in that prison," she said as she then turned to the figure robed in black. Before he could respond, she knew the dagger had struck flesh. "Fate is an interesting thing, is it not?" She smiled and twisted the dagger deeper. Whether he gasped out of shock or pain, it was no matter. He was one man among millions. All the money in the world couldn't save Bruce Wayne now, no more than his Kevlar did.
"I climbed out of the Pit shortly after my mother died," she said as she watched Gotham's dark knight stiffen with shock. With her fingers gripped comfortably around the Turkish hilt of the dagger, her gaze turned to Bane. "I found my father and brought him back to exact terrible vengeance, but by that time the prisoners and doctors had done their work on my friend, my protector." She began connecting each titanium conduit back to its rightful place and waited until his breathing slowed. Her eyes never left his. "The league took us in and trained us but my father could not accept Bane, he only saw a monster whose very existence was a reminder of the hell he left his wife to die in. He excommunicated Bane from the League of Shadows." She raised a finger to smooth away the wetness from the corners of his reddened eyes. "His only crime was that he loved me." She smiled tenderly at Bane, her eyes full of longing and sadness. A moment later, she pulled the detonator out of her coat pocket and examined it admiringly, this being the reward for her patience through the years. Minutes passed before she turned back to Bruce, her eyes shining with resolve. She stared at him for what seemed an eternity. And then she pushed the button.
Somewhere far along the coast line, she heard the initial thrum of impact. The world grew very still and then something stirred deep in the layers of the earth, as if a beast had been roused from slumber.
At that moment, she knew it was all in motion. She knew her time had come.
Author's Note:
So I became borderline obsessed with the relationship between Talia and Bane after seeing the film. After my 2nd viewing, I just couldn't get over the scene above. When Talia looks at Bane and says the line about him loving her, I couldn't even! Then I was rummaging through all the fanfic communities like a crazy person, trying to satiate this growing beast of mine. Alas, I decided to explore this pairing myself and write in the direction my emotions take me. I hope you've enjoyed the read so far. More to come!