Hi everyone this is my first story on this sight! I've had this idea in my head for a little while now and decided to write about it. I would love any sort of feedback from my readers. I have a few chapters already written and am in the process of reviewing them before I post them. Hopefully this first chapter isn't too boring the first few will be a set up of my character before introducing Bane into the story line. Right now I've decided to leave the rating as T, but will later change it according to how I want this story to go. I have made this a pairing between Bane and my OC, Veronica Lane.
DISCLAIMER: I do no own Batman or any of the characters within the franchise. I only own my original character.
Chapter 1: Ramen Noodles
Veronica Lane pulled her black coat taut against her body a she shivered in the wind. Gotham's winters were harsh and the city itself even worse. It was dark as she turned the corner onto her street.
"Almost there," she muttered to herself.
Walking alone at night in Gotham was practically the dumbest thing one could do. She held her keys at the ready in case anyone tried anything. The largest key gathered tightly in her hand as she held it like a knife. Not that I have enough strength to drive it through anybody she thought. She practically ran up her stoop before quickly unlocking the door and rushing inside. Her studio apartment was lit dimly as she made her way to the kitchen flicking on lights as she went. Veronica didn't necessarily hate the dark, but she knew what could lurk in the shadows. As she grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge she flipped on the TV barely listening to the news as she rummaged through her fridge looking for something to eat. The news was boring, hardly anything interesting ever happened since the Joker. The minor bank robbery or murder, but nothing like what it used to be. Like what the terror used to be. With the help of Harvey Dent, the Gotham Police force had cracked down on practically every serious crime boss, or murderer in the town. Well, before Batman killed him in cold blood. But that was years ago now, eight years to be exact. She clicked the news off as she continued her search dinner. No food again she mused as she searched high and low for anything to eat before her eyes rested on a ramen noodle package hidden in the back.
"Well I guess this'll do for tonight," she mumbled as she threw the noodles in a bowl with water onto the stove.
Veronica checked her watched before cursing to herself, it was almost 11:00. Another late night at the office, she mused, another night looking at stocks while calling her bosses clients and informing them of the best possible exchanges. Being a floor broker wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but it sure wasn't what she had planned to do with her life. It payed the bills and gave her a decent amount of freedom and money. Although, her high school self would be disappointed she thought. When she was in high school all she wanted to do was get out of Gotham, get out of the tainted and twisted city that destroyed all who came into contact with it. She hated Gotham with every fiber of her being and when her mother died she saw no reason to stay, but she just couldn't leave. She was lucky she thought most people during the Joker's reign of terror had lost a lot more than just their parent, they had lost everything. Their mind, body and soul weren't the same after him. The Joker had filled the city with a vicious blood thirsty laugh that still wakes up the residents in their restless slumbers, fearing that one day he'll come back.
"Fuck!" she grumbled as she ran over to lift the overflowing pot off the stove.
She scarfed down her dinner within a few minutes, not realizing just how hungry she was. She threw her bowl in the sink before walking silently to her room throwing herself face down in her bed. Within a few minutes she was out cold.
Veronica awoke the next day startled by her ringing phone. She cursed herself for making her ringtone an old car horn which seemingly was the loudest possible ring. She groggily looked down and quickly jumped out of bed when she saw the time and the caller, her best friend and coworker, Autumn. She threw the sheets off in one fluid motion before swiftly getting out bed.
"Hello," she said panting as she ran around her room throwing on clothes.
"You forgot didn't you." Autumn said, not so much a question but rather a statement.
Veronica was known for being late to just about anything important. A habit her mother had desperately tried to break when she was younger, instead it had progressively gotten worse. The natural talent for always being late had even landed herself a senior superlative, unsurprisingly, it was 'Most likely to be late to their own Funeral'. It was something Veronica had a deep rooted pride for, and she was not one to let the people down.
"No I didn't forget just over slept, some" Veronica managed to say as she put her mascara on holding the tube with her mouth.
"Don't lie" Autumn said flatly, "What are the coffees you're supposed to get? I'll get them for you and you can grab them when you come in"
"Oh thank you so much, I owe you big time for this one. I need two caramel cappuccinos, one vanilla iced latte and think just one black coffee." On top of being a floor broker her boss seemed to see her as a personal assistant too.
"Yeah you do, how about you buy me drink when I force you to come out with me this weekend?" Autumn stated enthusiastically.
"Ok yeah, yeah I hear you I'll go out with you this weekend" Veronica huffed knowing she had lost the ongoing battle with Autumn.
Veronica didn't hate going out necessarily, it was mainly the crowds and the line and the money spent on cheap alcohol and the vapid people bumping into her spilling drinks and mainly overall just smelling really bad. Oh who was she kidding she hated going out but maybe a drink or two would be nice she thought. It had been so long since she went out and actually had fun.
Autumn squealed with delight on the phone, "Awesome I can't wait! Don't forget to hurry."
"Thanks again." Veronica said as she hung up and darted out the door.
It took all but five minutes for Veronica to run to her office at the Gotham Stock Exchange. By the time she walked in she was panting and hot through her thick layers of winter clothing. She raced by making a bee-line straight to her cubicle. She didn't even take notice of the eye rolls from her coworkers. She found the coffees sitting on her desk with a 'you're welcome' note attached. She rolled her eyes crumpling the note before throwing it in the trashcan. She knocked as she entered the boardroom all eyes turning to look at her. She tucked a loose wave of brown hair behind her ear as she walked in glancing around at the familiar faces. She recognized them all, but one stood out. Bruce Wayne. What was he doing here, she thought, no one mentioned him coming in. Then suddenly it hit her, the plain black coffee. Oh no she groaned inwardly.
"You're late Ms. Lane⦠again." Mr. Huffington stated as he puckered his lips at her.
She quickly handed him his drink before making something up about a line and a wait. Bruce Wayne stared at Veronica from the head of the table with a look of disdain, no, maybe sympathy. She held his eye contact, unwavering, until he finally glanced away. No way in hell was this guy going to have sympathy for her. She'd prefer it to be disdain, she hated pity especially from the wealthy upper class. The rich people of Gotham took care of themselves while the poor were left to suffer. And Bruce Wayne was included with the upper class nobility of Gotham his play boy ways and indifference to what was happening below him made him no better than the rest of Gotham's upper class. He could throw a million charity balls and it still wouldn't change the fact that he and the rest of the Gotham elite sat on pedestals as the rest of Gotham fell apart.
"There always seems to be something that makes you late. The line, the wait, it was snowing and they were closed." He sipped his drink casually glancing over at her from behind his glasses.
"Well now aren't you going to give our distinguished guest his coffee?" he huffed at her, annoyed that she was still there. Veronica glowered at him grating her teeth.
"Of course."
She all but practically threw down the rest of the coffees before handing Bruce Wayne's coffee to him in a sweeping gesture like she was a mere servant, save the curtesy. His eyes became quizzical as his eyebrows shifted up at her gesture until finally he smirked. Before Mr. Huffington could stammer out a response she was out the door, practically slamming it behind her.
When she got back to her cubicle Autumn was there casually leaning against it waiting on her.
"Well are we quitting again today? Or saving that for tomorrow?"
It was a running joke that Veronica was always going to quit, hopefully before she got fired. Veronica scoffed at Autumn's joke, clearly not in the mood.
"I don't know today, Autumn. I think I seriously messed up," Veronica mumbled.
"It'll be fine, you're always fine. For some reason Mr. Huffington hasn't fired you yet. Either he wants to get in your pants or he recognizes that you're actually a good worker busting your balls for him all the time."
Veronica shuddered at the thought of Mr. Huffington trying to even remotely get in her pants. He was a stout man, with round glasses, and a tire around his belly with his face always twisted into a sneer of superiority.
"I doubt he even notices anything that I do unless it's a fuck up that he can point out." Veronica stated, "With any luck the meeting will last awhile and maybe he'll forget." Or maybe I'll win the lottery Veronica mused to herself, knowing that Mr. Huffington wouldn't forget her little tirade this morning.
"Maybe so" Autumn said giving her friend a hopeful smile before walking off to give her some much needed alone time.
What the hell was I thinking? Veronica muttered to herself. Her temper had always been something that could fly off the edge at any given moment. She groaned as she massaged her temples, suddenly having the most sinister migraine.
