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Disclaimer: The Dark Knight Trilogy and Batman is the property of DC Comics and Warner Bro. Other characters and plot independent of Batman original creation are my property. I, Decepticon-silverstreak, in no way make any profit from this story. Do not take/use any material from this story without my express permission.

A constellation of tears on your lashes
Burn everything you love, then burn the ashes
In the end everything collides
My childhood spat back out the monster that you see

~My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark By Fallout Boy

"Run. You need to run." The smell of smoke was growing, the air's oxygen thinning out, making me feel light-headed, but I continued to grip at Jackson's arm. The knife wound on my side had finally stopped bleeding, but the sharp pain was still there. Jackson and I stared at each other's blue eyes, for this man, my brother, was doing everything he possibly could to help the people, help us, help me; and it wasn't enough. The rapid string of gun fire was outside the metal door and I could feel Jason tense up into my side, muffled cries of terror escaping his mouth as he bit his fist.

"Damn it Marie! Take Jason with you and go!" He shoved us into the opposite direction of the gunfire, towards the side entrance and raised my gun I had given him earlier to the door, ready for them to run into the building. How I wanted to scream and beg for him to come with us, throat cracking with unshed tears but instead I gave him one last look; a look of hope, sadness, and fear; and then I was gone.

Jason clung onto me as we ran, ran as fast as we possibly could away from the now raided safe house, our life's clock finally at the end of its countdown. We all knew it was only a matter of time before Bane and his men found out what we were doing to help the cops underground. The air was sharp and cold to our smoke abused lungs, piercing it deeply like glass shards, making my side heave with a sharp pain, but that didn't stop our bodies from pushing harder down the snow-covered, darkened streets.

Relief filled me and most likely Jason as I saw Ms. Volkov's shabby but well guarded and protected apartment finally come into my view.

"Come on Jason, we can make it."

He huffed his response, and our harsh sprinting turned into a fast speed walk as we approached the door until we both froze at the entryway. The door had been forced open, lock busted apart and door hinge torn off. I peered cautiously inside the dark house, the normal noises that usually were there were gone and the house was deathly silent. The wooden floor boards creaked beneath my shoe, and I took another cautious step inside.

"Stay behind me." I squeezed Jason's shaking hand, and he nodded his head, dark red hair glinting with the fire that razed against the sky outside. As the two of us made our way through the dark room, glass and various items crunched under our feet; my heart was pumping loudly, a rushing roar filling up my ears.

"Crane. What a pleasant surprise."

Fucking shit.

"Barsad."

I placed my body in front of Jason, a poor protection against a band of mercenaries. A quick look at the situation proved to be not in Jason and I's favor. There was Barsad, and three other mercs behind him; each heavily equipped with military weapons. I started to reach for my sidearm, but I calmly realized that I had given my gun to Jackson before we ran. Damn. What now?

Barsad stepped forward, slowly towards the two of us, and I could feel the terrifying cold sweat slide slowly down my spine. This was not the man I thought I had once known. No, Barsad wasn't even close to the lies he told me. The sniper rifle that was slung onto his back glinted wickedly at me, and Jason dug his hand harder into my side, and if we make it out of this, a fine row of nail marks will be visible on my hip.

"What do you want, Barsad. Haven't you already killed enough people for your cause? For Bane?" I spoke calmly, but the venom in my words was noticed by Barsad, and a small smile appeared on his lips. His eyes ran over my body, not in a sexual way, but merely sizing up in a way one does to an animal. An animal meant for hunting. Barsad's sleepy blue eyes stopped on the blood stain on my shirt, carefully noticing it with narrowed eyes and I knew Jason and I were in trouble. There was no one left to help us. John had gone to the edge of the city to try and find an open sewer way to get the cops from under the city out. Jackson stayed behind in the burning warehouse, to lose Jonathan off our trail. And Bruce; god Bruce. He was rotting away in some dark corner that no one knew about.

"Until Gotham is cleansed, no, it will never be enough. Your will to protect the people is admirable, but it is a fruitless effort."

"I'll keep protecting them, Barsad, and I'll die trying. You'll never be able to convince me their lives aren't worth anything." Ever single word that spilled from mouth was true. In my time here in Gotham, I've witnessed too much innocent blood shed for different reasons, and I know down to my very bones that I'll die trying to keep from anymore deaths.

"So be it."

It was my gut that made me shove Jason away from me as Barsad leapt forward, and delivered a sharp, fast blow to my left side that left me gasping as pain coursed through me. He was aiming for the knife wound, most likely trying to see if enough jabs and strikes could bring me down. And Barsad was truly a trained assassin, for he was relentless with his fluid movements and my blocks and swings were nothing to him; batting my limbs away like one does to a child.

Block em'. You need to block him! Always watch you enemy and wait for a slip up, a sign of mistake and strike hard.

But this time, there was no mistake for this wasn't some simple thug with a knife. Barsad was trained well in hand to hand combat, and I was only trained as a cop. Sure they teach you how to duck out of the way or tackle them to the ground, but you're never taught to go against someone who trains for this. A solid blow from Barsad's knee to my gut had me crumpling down onto the ground, and I was gasping like a fish for air.

"Jason! Run!"

I screamed loudly on the floor, clutching my side in agony and his body jerked towards the door but they grabbed him before he even made it to the doorway. His green eyes widened as he watched Barsad land blow after blow, and I finally gave up, crumpling onto the ground, for a few of my ribs were most likely cracked or bruised and blood spewed out of my mouth as I coughed. The edges of my vision were going black with florescent specks tinting it. Barsad crouched above me, his soft blue eyes covered by sleepy eyelids. That was the one thing I could always look at; his beautiful blue, sad eyes.

"Barsad please." I choked. "I once told you I love you. If it meant anything, please keep Jason safe. Don't let him die. Please." Something flickered across my old lover's face, and all I could do was hope that there was something left from when we were together; all those morning waking up next to each other, drinking hot chocolate from when the storm knocked out the power, even when we whispered sweet nothings as we held each other.

Don't hate me Jason. This is for you.

"If only you could have seen that this is justice, we could have been able to use your strong will and fire for the cause."

"No, no, no. Marie you can't leave me like my mom did! You said you would always be with me. You promised me! Please! No! Let me go! Marie!" I watched as they dragged him away and as I lay bleeding there, broken, I could only give unheard prays for this was the end. We were all going to die at Bane's hand in this terrifying, animalistic society he turned Gotham into.

I'm sorry Jason.

Time had no meaning as I lay there, feverishly saying my last rites.

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.