Description: Bane allows Talia to stay with him, and then has a serious run in with another member of the league. Things grow tense between Ra's and Bane as their training hits it's peak. But will Ra's give Bane a chance to prove himself?
Rating: T Violence, cursing.
MewMid: To all the anonymous/guest reviewers, I really appreciate your feedback! Thanks so much for reviewing! I hope you continue to do so. :D
[][][][][][][][][][]
"I thought you didn't care what he thinks."
Talia was cunning. Far more cunning than he could appreciate. The brunette slowly sat upright, looking in his direction as if this was a completely normal request. Bane knew Ra's would be furious if he found out, but he couldn't tell her no. No part of him could say no.
"Sure."
The only word he could possibly muster at the moment. Talia smiled and stood up, ready to leave the dim snowy scene around them and rest. The masked man rose to his feet and followed her. Talia had him wrapped around her finger, they both knew it. He loved her, he wanted nothing more than to make her happy and keep her safe. Which was more than enough for now. How she made him so attached so fast was beyond him. The corridors seemed to go on forever as they made their way through the quiet hideout. Once training was over, very few members stayed up at night past their meal time. Once everyone grabbed their food, they almost immediately went to sleep. Ra's liked it that way. Quiet. The training was working if all you could do was sleep and eat.
It wasn't long before they approached his small room's door. The girl entered the room without hesitation, he simply followed her. Bane wouldn't lie, he was nervous. Why would she want to do such a thing? Talia turned to look at him once he closed the door behind them. She didn't appear nervous in the least. Bane made no move, he felt awkward, frozen. Talia's expression was so calm, the small smirk remaining on her face.
"It'll be just like old times."
Talia said as she shed the large outer robe, leaving her thin under robe on. What she said was a lie, it was far different now. Bane still wasn't sure how to respond, what was this woman doing to him? He never felt so cautious, never so afraid. He would rather be battling to the death with another man his size than be here not knowing what to do. It made him feel silly. She motioned towards the small bedroll,
"You should lay down first."
The bulky man shed his large outer robe, and then hesitantly, his shirt. He did as he was told. Talia was quiet now, amused at his hesitation. Bane then laid down on the small bed, unsure of how she planned on sleeping in it with him. Since the bed was in the back left corner of the room, his head was close to the wall. Talia moved like a cat, silent and carefully. She stepped over him and laid down between the wall and his right side. She nuzzled herself in like she had done it a thousand times. Bane immediately tensed up as she laid down beside him. This felt surreal, the woman he loved so much was going to stay with him.
Deep brown hair fell in in a heap against his abdomen as she rested her head against his right ribcage. She used his massive bicep as a pillow, nuzzling into his ribs. Bane felt his face grow hot as she shifted around to get comfortable, pulling the blanket over them. His eyes were locked on the top of her head, he still didn't believe she was here. Her legs leaned against his right leg, her right hand gently placed on his waist. Her delicate body was so warm against his, something he had never had in the past. Bane wouldn't lie, it was nerve wracking. The girl was immediately comfortable, but he wasn't.
"I usually get so cold at night."
Talia was so at ease, her eyes closed as she spoke and she just sponged off of his body heat. She knew that Bane wasn't relaxed, but he would have to get used to it. Bane couldn't find the words to respond to her. The feeling of nostalgia went through both of their minds, it was so comfortable being here again. The silence wasn't awkward in the least, both of them were happy in their own way. Nothing on his body ached as she curled up beside him. All bad thoughts and feelings fell away. Bane anxiously put his right hand on her lower back, feeling her smooth skin under his fingers. She didn't seem to react to his touch.
This was far different than the last time she slept beside him. When inside the pit, she was so tiny, so fragile. Young Talia would curl up beside him, and he would keep her safe from the dangerous world around her. It was a different sort of love. Now, he couldn't believe this gorgeous woman was beside him. He didn't care if it wasn't sexual, it wasn't about that now. His heart belonged to her, and he knew it. This woman gave him a new life, she was the reason he was here. Talia was the reason he was still alive. No one can survive in the world today without a will to live, a driving force. This warmth from her body, made him feel more alive than he had in a long time. All thoughts of the bitter cold hell he came from faded into the back of his memory.
The cold atmosphere around them no longer made them tremble at night, they were so warm together.
Cautiously, Bane felt her warm skin with his fingertips. He gently traced circles on her lower back, not making any moves that would potentially make her uncomfortable with his presence. Her breathing was slow and controlled, he felt so lucky to have her here.
Even though he closed his eyes and finally was able to relax, he knew he wouldn't sleep. He finally felt at ease with her warm body beside his, knowing she was safe while with him. He didn't mind being tired the next day, that was a small price to pay to have this intimate moment.
…
The deep sound a a bell rung through the facility, waking the members of the league for the morning session of training. It was a cold morning, and there was no warmth beside him. Bane's eyes shot open and he sat up, looking around the room. Talia wasn't there. Had it been a dream? Bane pulled his large body up, standing and stretching in the crisp air. It couldn't have been a dream, she must have left before he woke up. That girl was sneaky, almost unattainable, like smoke through a keyhole. He couldn't believe it had actually happened.
The large man treated the morning like any other, and reported to the sort of dining area before the training started. Other members shuffled around the long room, having casual conversations as they grabbed the bread and fruit for breakfast. Ra's only allowed them around ten or fifteen minutes to inhale their food before beginning training. Ra's believed morning training was most important. After bane passed the table of food with no interest, he sat down on a bench against the wall in silence. He didn't bother socializing nor eating with these people. None of them mattered. He was not here to make friends. He didn't eat in the mornings either, not bothering to take his mask off in front of so many people. Bane took his mask off only when absolutely necessary, and eating in the morning wasn't important to him. It was painful for him to have the mask off, and therefore liked to eat alone during the short lunch break and in the late evening after training.
His comfortable silence was short lived, two members he recognized from his lessons appeared before him. Bane casually looked up at them, used to people talking about his mask and why he wasn't eating in the morning. One member stood slightly closer to him, he had black spiky hair and pale skin. The man looked strong, but was nothing compared to Bane's own size. The man appeared cocky as well, with a crooked grin on his face as he spoke,
"Must be a pain in the ass eating with that thing on huh?"
Bane's stern gaze didn't falter as he sat, the man shifting anxiously before him. There was no point to engage this ingrate in conversation. It was easy to see explaining his mask would only raise more irritating questions. The man chuckled when he got no response,
"You ain't got nothin' to say? Well… What If I told you I saw you last night after training, with Al Ghul's daughter?"
His words struck a nerve, this man had no right even to mention Talia to him. Bane could care less if they saw him with her, he didn't care what these people thought of him. Talia did not deserve to be gossiped about, and Bane would see to it that they didn't talk about her while he was around. The spiky haired man made a false sound of surprise as Bane stood up,
"Trying to intimidate me with your size?"
Bane shook his head calmly,
"I don't need to try to intimidate such a weakling. It would be a waste-"
"Oh, I'd be a waste of your time?"
The man interjected, sort of puffing his chest out in offense to what the larger man before him said. Bane's words then became quite threatening, but he was so calm when he finished his statement,
"-To have to kill you."
The man stood defiantly before the masked man, becoming irate because of what Bane said. The second member mumbled something about leaving Bane alone, but the black haired man ignored him. Bane shifted his weight as the man leaned toward him tauntingly. His voice filled with the tone of a pathetic attempt at intimidation,
"You think I'm scared of you? You think your'e big and bad because you're fucking our leaders daughter?"
As soon as the words escaped his mouth, a huge hand surged forward and seized him by his bottom jaw. The man's eyes opened wide in terror as Bane held him with an unforgiving grip on his bottom jaw. His hand was just as strong as it looked, the man sputtered something unrecognizable. Bane still seemed calm as other members began looking in their direction. The masked man took a deep breath, the mask making him sound like he was wheezing,
"Although you speak of me with disrespect, you'll not do the same for Talia I'm afraid."
Just as the man moved to pull free, Bane suddenly throttled him down to the right. A loud cracking sound came from the man's jaw as he collapsed in a heavy heap. The man was frighteningly still now. Blood began to pool around his head from his mouth as he laid unconscious. The second member dove down by his friend, keeping an eye on Bane and his movements. He shook his head as he inspected his fellow member,
"You completely broke his jaw!"
He snapped at the masked man, who didn't show an ounce of compassion for the now broken member. The other people began filing out of the room, going to the training room. None of them wanted to have any part in the scuffling, especially since Ra's wouldn't tolerate any personal attacks. The huge man made his way towards the training room as well, but paused when Ra's stepped in the doorway in front of him. The older gentleman had a stern glare on his face, looking up at Bane with no amount of kindness in his eyes. His voice was raspy and threatening,
"What the hell was that?"
Bane shifted his weight, his hands moving up and grabbing his own robe on his chest. He rested his hands here quite often when he spoke,
"He was a pathetic excuse of a man, attempting to make himself appear strong before the others. I merely put him in his place."
The huge man made it sound so casual. Ra's grit his teeth, angry with this monstrous man,
"And you believe it's your place to do such a thing, Bane?"
Ra's spat his name like venom, glaring up at the masked man. Bane's resolve didn't falter in the presence of this man,
"You weren't here to do so yourself, so I took it upon myself."
Ra's looked passed him as the injured member was lifted by two good samaritans. The unconscious man was taken away towards the medical room in the far wing of the facility. Ra's then saw Talia come down the stairs, a concerned expression on her face as their eyes met. Ra's then looked back to Bane, the two stared in silence for a few moments. Ra's tone didn't get any friendlier as he spoke,
"Go inside."
He snapped, motioning towards the large room behind him. Bane was still just for a moment, and then did as he was instructed. It was bitter to swallow Ra's anger for him, but he decided not to stir the pot any more than necessary. Putting up with Talia's father was something he expected to deal with once he came here. As Bane passed him to go into the training area, Talia stared at her father. The older man gave her a look of disappointment before turning and going in to train the members.
…
At the end of the day, every member was exhausted. Ra's had been in a sour mood all day because of this mornings events, and took it out on the league with the intensity of their training. When Ra's entered his office, his daughter was already waiting for him. Her level of training had finished earlier than the one he was instructing. Ra's had trusted only a few selected individuals to train the more advanced students. Talia was standing in front of his window, staring out at the mountains when he walked in. The air was instantly tense between them.
"You wanted to see me?"
Talia said, already knowing what his response would be. Ra's knew that his daughter was just getting under his skin. It was so easy for her. Since he got her back years ago, he tried to spoil her as much as he could. However, things were getting out of hand now, with Bane at least. Ra's walked through the office and paused in front of his desk, arms crossed on his chest. His words were bitter as he explained how he felt,
"You already know what I have to say."
The brunette looked back at her father with a relaxed expression,
"I know he snapped, but he has a good heart. You just don't know him like I do."
"Like you did, Talia. He's not the same as you remember. You saw for yourself how vicious he was today."
The woman sighed and turned to face her father completely, frustrated with this unnecessary tension. Talia's tone became one of slight resentment about the situation,
"He did it for me. Would you please just let this go?"
As much as Ra's didn't want to let this go, he knew this was the first true mistake Bane had made. The irritated leader shifted his weight and sighed, knowing he would cave and give Bane one last chance for his daughters sake. He felt obligated to give her what she wanted, he owed it to her. The first years of her life were filled with such pain, he couldn't help but give in when she truly wanted something. Talia's eyes were what speared his heart, they looked so much like her mothers. Ra's shook his head,
"This one mistake will be forgiven. He had better stay in line from now on, do you understand?"
Talia half smiled, he always asked if she understood at the end of everything he asked. It was her notification that he was just caving in for her. The woman then made her way around the desk and up to her father, smiling warmly at him and kissing his cheek before exiting the room quietly. Ra's swallowed his bitterness and collapsed in his desk chair as she left him to his thoughts. Talia could easily be manipulative without being malicious. It was a wonderful, and terrible quirk that she also inherited from her mother.
Most of him didn't want to give Bane a chance. That brutish man wasn't League of Shadows material as far as he could see. Being strong doesn't mean that he is good enough to be a member.
Thoughts began to race through Ra's mind as he turned in his chair to face the windows. The wide open view of the mountains ranging as far as he could see. Small bits of sunlight barely creeped around the jagged landscape. The light was golden, it was just a tiny amount of warmth in an otherwise frozen landscape. There was an assassination request from an old ally to kill an enemy of his company. The man was stealing information and blackmailing the old ally of the League. Perhaps this was a perfect opportunity for Ra's to force Bane to prove himself to the League.
Talia would definitely be ecstatic if he were to give her and Bane this mission. He would see if Talia was far enough in her training to begin working as a fellow trainer, and if Bane had what it took to earn his trust. It was like killing two birds with one stone. He needed more trainers with all the incoming mission requests, and the absence of his most well trained members leaving gaps in the 'staff'. Talia would be an excellent deception and stealth trainer for his younger members.
Ra's took a deep breath, it was beyond uncomfortable to think of sending his daughter out with that man on a mission. However, if he didn't give Bane some sort of chance to prove himself, Talia wouldn't' forgive him. Ra's would definitely send a third member to keep a sharp eye on the two of them, and see how Bane handles the real life situation. Ra's just wanted his daughter to know he loved and respected her opinion, despite her questionable judgements with the company she kept. It was the least he could do for not being a part of her life for so many years.
…
The cold air made him feel even more rigid than he already did. Today's training had been intense, thanks to his own little scuffle with that cocky black haired man. No part of him regretted what he did. Being in the pit taught him to not take shit from anyone, ever. He took great offense to what that man said about Talia. He was fine with people harassing him and making fun of him, but he couldn't take it when people insulted those few that were close to him.
He could then feel her presence suddenly behind him, it was very faint. Talia always seemed to know when he was thinking of her. She also seemed to love attempting to sneak up on him. Bane calmly called her out,
"You cannot sneak up on me, Your presence is one I'm greatly accustomed to."
The woman chuckled as she gracefully walked over to him. He would always sit out here after training, just to get a moment with Talia before they would go to their separate ways in the evening. Seeing her face at the end of each day is what pushed him forward with his training. However, he wasn't sure what to expect from her tonight since she had stayed with him the previous night. Bane didn't know if she would even bring that fact up again. The masked man felt a rush up his spine as her small hands grabbed a hold of his large shoulder muscles.
"But… you are easy to surprise."
Talia said cooly, leaning in close to his face. Bane looked at her with a tilt of his head, her lips were dangerously close to his cheek as looked down at him playfully. His hardened heart would always melt when he saw her face. The lean woman then shifted, moving her hands off of his shoulders as she sat beside him on the bench. A sigh escaped her lips as she looked out at the darkened mountains ahead of them.
"I was honestly surprised about your little spat this morning."
Bane lifted his eyebrows in amusement,
"I merely taught him when to stop talking."
A wide smile appeared on her face, she shook her head and stared out ahead of them. There was a certain perfected sarcasm about Bane that always made her want to laugh aloud. He wasn't a humorous person, but he was so witty at times. Talia then had sudden a chill from the cold. She shivered slightly and leaned against his arm, exhaling a puff of white air. Bane looked down at the surprisingly cuddly woman,
"If you're cold constantly, why not invest in some better winter clothing?"
"Are you saying you don't like me sponging off of your body heat?"
She always did that. Talia always answered a question, with a question. Bane felt trapped by her and her slightly playful attitude. Everything about her made him want to spend more time with her. How could he let a woman do such a thing? Never had he imagined that he would allow someone so much control over him. The masked man furrowed his eyebrows together, wheezing through the mask in the chilly air,
"I never said that."
[][][][][][][][][][]
MewMid: I totally love where my story is going, I just keep writing and writing. Inspiration has struck! Muahaha! Please leave your thoughts!
R and R my loves!
