Chapter Three: Breakout Part 3: Bane

At the farm, Jonathan took out the freshly baked piece of dough shaped like the key.
"It's perfect." Jonathan said as he held the key and gently tapped it on the counter as it made a clacking noise. "Martha's special recipe for Roman Army biscuits is still as hard as ever."
"Good work, Conner." Martha said with a smile.
"Thanks." Clark said as everyone stared at him. "Well... I supervised him."
"Great." Oliver said as he studied the map he made. "Once we open the cell, it's just thirty paces to the left, then down the corridor to the right, and we're home free,"

That night, everyone put on their pajamas as Conner help onto his Lion, Leo. He was worried. He didn't want to lose his new family only a few weeks after losing his parents.
"Jonathan, what if Bane gets us?" Conner asked.
"Oh, you take away his brute strength, killer instinct, and strategic mind, and what do you have left?" Oliver asked.
"Me?" Conner asked uncertainly.
"Conner, Bane may be powerful, but we have Jesus on our side." Marta said as she tucked Conner in.
"Is Jesus stronger than Bane?" Conner asked. He'd only just started to learn about Jesus.
"Of course he is." Jonathan said with a smile. "Bane may be able to hurt people, but he doesn't have the power to heal them. You know, there was once a man named Jairus whose daughter was very sick. When Jesus came to the village, he rushed over to him and said, 'My little girl is dying. Please come and heal her, so she will live.'
"Jesus asked Jairus to lead the way when a servant of his walked up and sadly told Jairus, 'Sir, your daughter has died.'
"At this, Jairus wept.
"Jesus picked Jairus up and said calmly, 'Don't be afraid. Trust me.'
"Jairus then led Jesus to his house where the women of the household wept over the girl's body.
"'What's all this noise?' Jesus asked. 'This man's little girl isn't dead. She's just asleep.'
"But Jesus sent all but the girl's parents away as he knelt down in front of her and took her hand as he asked, 'Little girl, awake.'
"At once, the girl awoke and was helped to her feet by Jesus.
"'Now give her something to eat.' Jesus said simply as the little girl hugged her parents with joy, and he told them not to say anything of these events to anyone, but it's hard to keep such a thing secret, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Conner said.
"Alright now," Martha said simply. "Off to sleep Conner. I'm sure your brother and Lois are already sleeping."
"If they're not, could you tell them that story too?" Conner asked.
"Of course." Jonathan said with a kind smile.
Jonathan, Martha, and Oliver then left Conner's room and shut the lights.

In their small cell, the Christians sang a small hymn as a guard clanged at the bars with his sword to silence them.
"That's real pretty." The guard said with a smirk. "But you'll be singing a different tune tomorrow when you face Bane."
Bruce gulped. He hoped Jonathan and the others would arrive soon.

The day after his planning, Lionel sat in his own personal booth with a smirk as Bane defeated several gladiators without even requiring his full might, and the crowd was cheering.
"If they love this, they're going to love what he does to the Christians." Lionel said to Dominic with a smirk.

Outside the coliseum, Clark was grumbling. The first really exciting thing to do since the fire, and he was stuck near the truck.
"Why am I always stuck with baby-sitting duty?" Clark asked moodily. "I should be inside helping Jonathan and Ollie."
"Then I guess that means I could drive the get-away truck." Lois said with a smirk.
"Now that you mention it, maybe it's better I'm here." Clark said nervously. Lois still had trouble with her bicycle.

Inside the coliseum, Jonathan rolled a barrel up to Cobblepot.
"Jonathan!" Oswald called out.
"Oswald." Jonathan said with a smile in his voice. "The gladiators weren't very hungry today. I'm afraid I'm stuck with all this left over produce."
While Oswald began getting busy with the produce, Oliver rushed off to the cells to free Bruce and the others. He was wearing sunglasses and a green hoodie and matching pants to hide his identity. He'd mastered the escape route and one or two off-shots just in case of an emergency.

Bane continued to pummel the gladiators as Lionel stood up.
"Enough warm ups Dominic." Lionel said plainly. "Where are those weeping frightened Christians? We need drama. We need tragedy. We need a body count."
"Bring out the Christians!" Dominic called out.

"The gate's opening!" Ben called out as Oliver quickly unlocked the door with the key Jonathan and Conner had made. Oliver then lifted the door open.
"Follow me!" Oliver said, and they all rushed off.

"Did I mention I love apples?" Oswald said as he stuffed his face with various apples Jonathan had brought as he quickly waved Oliver and the others through.
"Bring on the Christians!" A voice called out.
"Well, looks like break time's over." Oswald said with a sigh as he walked to the holding cell and quickly ran back out screaming, "THE PRISONERS ARE GONE!"
"The prisoners are gone!" Jonathan repeated as he pointed all the guards that came to the call in the opposite direction Oliver, Bruce, Ben, and all the other Christians had gone.

Oliver rushed off with the others, leading the way as they made it to the hallway where they could escape into the crowds.
"Come on, the exit's just ahead!" Oliver called out. Unfortunately, they were blocked by a soldier who had his back to them. Now what? Oliver hadn't planned on any barriers right at the exit, and he couldn't remember where the other closest exit was.
"I think we should go this way." Bruce said as he pointed behind him.
"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Oliver snapped. He'd had it with that little troublemaker. "I say we go this way!"
Oliver then led the others to a large open gate.
"See guys?" Oliver said with a smirk. "We're almost there."
They rushed outside as they arrived at the large coliseum.
"At last!" Lionel's voice rang out from the stands. "Christians."
"Okay, maybe we should have gone your way." Oliver admitted as his way of an apology for everything. In the end, it was Oliver that had gotten them into this mess, but luckily, Oliver was proficient with bows and arrows, and he was sure he could beat Bane, and allow the others to escape for a second chance at freedom.

Jonathan heard the call and looked out the window to see Oliver, Bruce, and the other prisoners standing in front of Bane.
"Oh no." Jonathan groaned.

Oliver smirked as Bane walked up.
"You don't look so tough." Oliver taunted.
"There is more to me than meets the eye, little Christian." Bane said as he showed the back of his hand which had a yellow dial on it. Bane turned the dial as yellow glowing tubes appeared, and Bane bulged until he was twice as tall as anyone Oliver had ever met and fifty times as muscular.
"That's impressive." Oliver admitted.

Outside, Clark, Lois, and Conner heard a roar from the stadium that didn't sound like a human's or a lion's.
"You guys wait here." Clark said as he rushed off. "I'll see what's going on."
Clark rushed up to see a large man with burning green eyes walk up to Oliver, Bruce, and the prisoners.
"Everyone, stay calm!" Oliver called out. "I've got everything under control!"
Bane made a swing at Oliver that he dodged.
"Okay Tiny, let's see what you've got." Oliver said as Bane smacked Oliver into a wall as Clark flinched. Just then, Clark saw Bruce juggling a shield and a helmet.
"Alright, step right up." Bruce said. "The show's about to begin. I'll need a volunteer though. You sir!"
"Hm?" Bane asked as he turned to Bruce.
"Would you like me to juggle the helmet and bounce the shield or juggle the shield and bounce the helmet?" Bruce asked as the helmet hit Bane in the head, and the shield slammed into Bane's foot, causing him to groan.
Clark then noticed everyone else escape through a small hole as he thought he heard Jonathan's voice say, "Ben, this way."
Clark knew he had to do something. Conner, Oliver, and Bruce had their moments, and now it was his turn. He jumped down in front of Bane as Oliver apparently recovered and walked up.
"Let me at him." Kell said with only a hint of fear and a lot of grogginess. "I'll tear him to bits."
"Actually, I've got a better idea." Clark said as he picked Bane up and lifted him into the air.
Clark then tossed Bane into a wall as the tube broke and green liquid spilled out, while Bane returned to normal.
"They're good." Lionel said to himself but still loud enough for them to hear. "They're very good."
Oliver then picked the two boys up and rushed to the gate Jonathan was covertly keeping open with a crate.
"WHY'S THE SEWER GATE NOT CLOSING?!" Lionel called out.
Oliver rushed to the gate as Bane charged after them, just barely making it through before Bane as Jonathan let go of the gate and tapped Bane on the head with the crate to knock him out as they all heard Lionel call out, "FOR THE LOVE OF MY WIFE, WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE KILL SOMEBODY?!"

"Conner, another helping?" Martha asked. Everyone was at the Kent Farm and having supper after the exciting day they'd all had.
"No thank you." Conner said with a smile. "Or I'll be as fat as Mr. Cobblepot."
"Thanks for dinner, Martha." Bruce said. "It was great, and thanks to all of you for saving me."
"Oh, it was nothing." Lois said with a smile.
"That's easy for you to say." Clark said with a smirk.
Bruce then figured he should head out before anyone offered to take him home.
"Well..." Bruce gulped. "I better get going. My parents will wonder where I am."
"Clark, Conner, could you two please help me with the dishes?" Martha asked.
"Why?" Conner asked.
"I'll explain once we're helping Martha, Conner." Clark said as he gently took Conner to the sink.
"Bruce, we know about your parents." Lois said plainly.
"You do?" Bruce asked.
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Lois asked.
"I guess I was just ashamed." Bruce said. He now felt pretty brave admitting he was an orphan, but right now, he'd rather face Bane again. "You know, of being an orphan."
"But I'm an orphan." Lois said plainly. "So are Clark and Conner."
"You are?" Bruce asked. He just assumed that Jonathan and Martha were babysitting for the three of them.
"Yeah." Lois said. "Jonathan and Martha took all of us in after the fire."
"And you'd be welcome to stay with us too until we find your parents." Jonathan said with a smile.
"You mean, you'd want me to stay with you?" Bruce asked.
"Of course." Jonathan said as Oliver walked up and held out his hand with a smile.
"Welcome to the family, kid." Oliver said as he shook Bruce's hand. "Now, there's something I just finished I want to show you."
"Come on, Bruce!" Lois said excitedly. "We have something to show you."
Bruce was then taken to a room with a bunk bed.
"Well Bruce, what do you think?" Oliver asked.
"It's for me?" Bruce asked in awe.
"Unless you want the lower bunk, Roomy." Clark said with a smile as Bruce lept onto the top bunk with ease. "No thanks. This suits me just fine."
Everyone then smiled and began talking with their new friend, Bruce Wayne.


And so ends the first adventure of the Legion of Story Keepers. Next chapter, Raging Waters.