The Blue Finch I'm glad I can still surprise you guys haha thank you for leaving a review :*

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Was it possible to survive a snow avalanche? Probably, according to the devil. Were my chances of survival even realistic? He didn't say.

My skin melted the snow around me and I tried to figure out what was up and what was down. I found the rock behind me and moved my arms over it's surface, to guide me. In a few moments my head popped from underneath the snow blanket, looking around. I couldn't see anybody. The avalanche wasn't too bad, and I was certain all the men survived.

I scratched my arms raw, they were so itchy it was killing me. I tried to distract myself by searching for the other two guys.

Both of them fought to the surface besides me, smiling like two lunatics.

»Esta chica loca, it worked!« One of them said and laughed.

The other one that was nearly crying before said something, but neither of us understood his language. I learned their names were Alejandro and Ichirou, in that order. We helped one another get back to our feet and above the snow. Slowly, the other guys got out as well, most of them also on their feet quickly.

»I won't ever forget I owe you,« Alejandro said with a serious face.

»Remind me if we don't finish last,« I joked, but a part of me was serious.

I didn't count on the other men to regain themselves so quickly.

Without a second more to spare, all three of us idiots grabbed each other and sprinted down the hill, occasionally falling in the even deeper snow.

I heard Eric gaining up on us, one other group already ahead of us, clearly faster. The house was right there, so close...

I felt a tight grip on my left wrist and I turned my head around, mid-running.

»You fucking bitch, I'm gonna fucking kill you,« roared Eric behind me, pulling me to a stop, one of his fists coming toward my face.

Like a cannon, Alejandro slammed into him and all three of us fell into the snow.

»What is your problem?!« I said, and tore my hand away from him.

Eric was foaming around his mouth from anger. And then I realized. Because of me, he wasn't going to be the first anymore.

I grabbed Alejandro's arm before Eric did and pulled him to the waiting Ichirou. We started running again, Eric right behind our feet. The other men were right next to us, I could already see Xerxes by the door to the house and the first group of men panting and struggling to catch their breath next to him.

Eric reached Xerxes a few seconds before me, but his group was incomplete. All three of us, Alejandro, Ichirou and me came in third. If it wasn't for my devil and my crazy stunt, we would have been the last.

After the fourth group, Eric's other two members came. The last group was, surprisingly, the group with Eric's other friends. Only two of them showed up. The other guy never made it out of the snow. As I looked around, I noticed the fourth group also lost one man and one of them was severely hurt. So that made it 16 of us, out of the 20 that started out this morning.

Xerxes made us form a line, in order of how we arrived, by groups. The first group had the strongest three men, all healthy, serious, devoted to the cause. Just looking at them made me shiver. The persian god gave them their promised reward – they were free for the remaining of the day, the first to use the baths, which was a true privilege. They picked a leader and he moved on.

The second group was Eric's, which Xerxes didn't forget came in incomplete in the beginning. Despite being second, the penalty was rather severe. His group had to cook for the entire League and clean the baths after everyone finished showering. Not to mention they had to tend to the toilets, which truly made my day. The saddest part for Eric was that all 16 of us were merely the first level, the rookies, the beginners. There were many others in the house as well, each level had less and less members, but those were extra mouths to feed and clean after. Nothing could soothe his emotional pain, not even being named the leader of the second group.

My group came in third, and yet we were winners compared to Eric's punished pack. We gave him a warm smile that cut right to his bone.

Suddenly I noticed the persian god didn't move and kept staring at the three of us.

»You three were responsible for the avalanche, is that correct?«

I gulped and wondered if he was gonna kill us. Was this considered cheating?

Both Ichirou and Alejandro remained silent so I gathered the courage to answer.

»Yes, sir.«

»Whose idea was it?«

I hoped I didn't sound too cocky when I said:

»Mine, sir.«

He cocked a brow at me, but didn't say a word. I noticed he was surprised. He thought less of me before. I felt so... belittled.

»Your quick thinking saved you three today. But don't make the mistake to think that will be enough to mask your poor physical condition. All three of you are pathetic. At least one of you is smart. That's hardly enough here,« he said with a stern look.

I thought the previous feeling of diminishment was better than the severe humiliation I felt now.

Eric rejoiced next to me.

»Under the circumstances, you will be the leader of your group. What's your name?« He asked and my mind went blank. What was I supposed to say? I couldn't say Ana, and Harley was...

»Dog,« a voice boomed and my hair stood up.

Venom began boiling in my blood from his proximity. Bane was approaching us slowly, hands holding onto his vest, calm as ever.

»Her physique will be corrected with time. She has unique potential, very valuable to the League,« Bane said and left no room for discussion.

Xerxes nodded in approval, obedient to Bane without a second thought. If Bane said so, it was so. And that was the last time Xerxes spoke so hostilely toward me.

»Dog, come,« he said and turned around without another word.

All the 15 men stared at me as I followed Bane back toward the house. My legs barely moved on their own and I felt oddly privileged, which wasn't good for my survival among the men at all...

Before we entered the house, I saw Xerxes dispose of the last group and then the fourth group because they lost a man along the way. Which left just a total of 12 of us. Eight men died today, and it wasn't even noon yet.

We moved through the house, up the staircase, the halls seemingly empty of life. I watched Bane's enormous muscular back and the tight black shirt underneath the vest. The mask was tightly fixed on his shaved head and he moved with purpose through the dark, windowless halls.

In the end he entered a room with double doors, made of thick dark red oak, or so it seemed like. The room inside was quite spacious, it had a bed, a huge desk with computers and piles of documents and a simple window. In the corner was a fireplace. Bane's room, it hit me.

I blushed heavily as he closed the doors behind us and my veins shrunk even more. My legs were trembling from exhaustion, I could barely remain standing. I remembered the dream I had this morning...

»I must admit I was impressed by your stunt. I was wondering if you were going to come in last or not before that.«

»And if I did?« I asked, I had to know. I don't know where the boldness came from, but I had to know what I meant to him. In Gotham, he made it clear. But here, things were different. I had to find out where our line was, the limit of what was allowed.

His breathing was loud through the mask as he made his way past me.

»I told you you will ever only die by my hand.«

That answer wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but I didn't press the matter. This was Bane after all.

»I'm not sure I will be so lucky the next time,« I admitted.

I had no idea how I was going to outsmart Xerxes and his physical demands. How could I ever compare to men and their strength and endurance?

»I will be training you personally in the training rooms and he knows better than to touch you during his lessons.«

Bane slowly faced me and my eyes danced over the metal tubes on his mask. His eyes were so dark, so inviting.

Unconsciously, I pulled and scratched at my skin and veins right underneath it.

His eyes saw everything, as usual, and nothing was lost on him.

»I called you here because you need a new dose.«

»Thank you,« I said politely, finally feeling like myself.

Spending time with him made things feel more normal. I had been used to his presence for so long in Gotham, he was part of my everyday.

He took a metal box from a drawer in the table and unlocked it. I saw a few vials of a bright green liquid inside. He pulled one out along with a sterilized needle.

I gulped as he approached me, but remained still. Despite the uncomfortable feeling needles gave me, I craved it. I needed more venom. My body was shutting down without it.

He attached the needle to the vial and cleaned my skin before piercing it. He injected me directly in my vein. The hit was immediate. My pupils dialated and so did Bane's as he watched me closely as he slowly injected the bright green liquid inside me.

My arteries expanded and the soreness in my muscles went away. The cramps disappeared and my period stopped for a second before it came back with a burst, my hormones going wild. A few drops of blood left the corners of my trousers and fell silently to the floor. But I heard it. I felt like I could hear my own heartbeat, could hear even my blood cells rushing through my body. I could feel every single inch of my skin and my fingertips tingled.

The hit literally took my breath away. I felt invincible again. Everything was so beautiful. So loud and full. I was so strong. So endurable. So... powerful.

A billion thoughts went through me and my body was buzzing, but that was all interrupted when Bane pulled the needle out of my arm and put the empty vial on the table.

I fixed my dialated stare at his face, my mind going quiet instantly at the sight of him. There was only one thing I wanted. And all my control was gone.

Before he had a chance to blink, my mouth attached to his neck and bit passionately as I wrapped my arms around those huge trap muscles. I sucked at his skin, traveled my way up and kissed the mask where his mouth was underneath the metal.

I felt him wrap his strong arms around me, lift me and help me place my legs around his waist, before he slammed us into a wall, his breathing heavy, eyes pitch black with lust.

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sorry for the long wait, i was on vacation in England and didn't have my computer with me