EMMA

PART I: PAST

The hospital room was small and cramped. There were no flowers crowding the small side tables of cards of well wishes. The only sound was the reassuring beeping of the heart monitor. Emma sometimes had nightmares about the sound of that machine flat lining. The scary part that when she woke up she didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed that it was only a dream. It frightened her to no end really. Her life revolved around her mother's illness. She couldn't help but think that if her mother were to simply die, if she were finally put out of her misery, things would be a lot easier for her. They were terrible thoughts, she knew that, but she couldn't help herself from repeatedly lingering on the subject. Emma suddenly shook her head quickly and looked over at Bruce, who was standing behind her. Most men would be awkward in this situation but she was convinced now that Bruce Wayne was not capable of awkwardness. Emma slowly approached her mother's bedside.

"Mom?" She asked tentatively. The woman was staring at the wall opposite her blankly and did not turn when her daughter called. Emma feared that this was going to be one of her bad days. One of the days when her mother wasn't present at all, when her mind had somehow drifted away from her body, "Mom, I brought someone to see you." The light suddenly seemed to go on in the woman's head as he head snapped towards the two visitors. Emma smiled and went to hug her mother gently. However, the woman had her eyes firmly fixed on the other person in the room, "Mom, I would like you to meet Bruce Wayne." Emma stepped back and introduced him, "Bruce this is my mom, Mirabelle."

"Well Mirabelle it's a pleasure to meet you." He gave her a charming smile. Mirabelle seemed to appraise him before nodding at the television. Bruce glanced at it and nodded, "Yes, sometimes I appear on TV."

"Bruce is really famous. He owns his own company." Emma smiled proudly at her mother. As if somehow if somehow it was an accomplishment to even know this man. She sat down on the chair next to the bed and placed her hand on her mothers', "How are you feeling today?" She asked hopefully but as per usual there was no response. She frowned and turned to Bruce, "She doesn't talk much anymore. Well, at least not to me."

The visit didn't last long, she was anxious when Bruce was there. She would usually just talk to her mother about her week or the news, which was practically just talking to herself but she was too self-conscious now. After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence in which Emma watched her mother stare into space, she turned to Bruce.

"We don't really have to stay all that long today. Sometimes she just disappears completely and she doesn't even notice that anyone's around her. It gets pretty boring just sitting here." She grimaced and tried not to show how deeply sad she was but she wasn't very good at hiding her emotions.

"Whatever you want to do I'm fine with." Bruce told her with a small sympathetic smile. He patted her on the shoulder. She returned the smile and stood up uneasily.

"Mom, we're leaving now." She spoke hopefully. There was no response. Emma just frowned and grabbed her purse, "Thanks for coming with me." She told the man beside her. She had never felt smaller then she did in that moment, she seemed so vulnerable next to the tall powerful Bruce Wayne.

Over the next week, Emma barely saw Bruce at all. She found it rather odd since she had moved in with him temporarily and was now technically working for him. He was distant and disappeared for hours on end when he was supposed to be attending meetings or fundraisers. On the rare occasions when she did see him she tried to remind him of everything that he had on his schedule and inform him of pending requests for his presence at social events. However, he always avoided the topic of work or anything pertaining to her job, and instead asked her how her day was going or how she was holding up at the restaurant. Sometimes he would ask her personal questions about her past. After a while she decided to give up. She noticed that he seemed to be sleeping in his bed, though he came back at ungodly hours in the morning and every night before she went to sleep she would put sticky notes on the lamp next to his bed for him to find the next morning. She felt almost embarrassed about doing it since it seemed so… childish, however she was pleased with the new system's effectiveness when he would pass he in the hallway at noon on his way out the door and say things like, "Tell Mr. Edwards that I will not be able to attend his party next Friday due to a previous engagement." Emma would smile and turn to Alfred who would nod at her approvingly and say, "You're the first women I've ever seen get through to him." And then he'd wink and walk away. Yes, her job with Mr. Wayne was going well, but she couldn't deny that she was a little disheartened by the lack of contact. She was finally settling in to the enormous penthouse but was rather lonely. Alfred was good company when he was around, but usually he spent all of his time at Wayne Manor, which was officially where Bruce lived, though for whatever reason he didn't sleep there anymore. She used to think he was living at the penthouse because of her but now she thought that she had been flattering herself before and it was really just out of convenience.

It was Saturday night and she was working a late shift at the restaurant. Everything seemed normal enough. The place was packed with the usual class of clientele. Emma was just wiping down her last table when one of the hosts' called her from the back. He handed her the phone and told her to be brief before sauntering off. She rolled her eyes at his false sense of superiority.

"Hello?" she said into the receiver.

"Yes hi, Emma. I was hoping I could reach you here…" She recognized the voice of her elderly neighbor Mrs. Murphy, "Look I don't want to bother you I've gotten myself into a predicament." Mrs. Murphy was a wheelchair bound widower, all her friends and family had died a while back and she was extremely lonely, much like Emma had been. The two had become quite friendly over the years living next to each other and Emma knew that she was the only one that Mrs. Murphy had.

"No it's no bother at all, how can I help?" Emma asked sweetly.

"You see I've fallen and I can't get up… I was reaching for something… anyway it was lucky that I had the phone in my hand or else I would have been stuck here 'till the grocery man came on Tuesday. Look I know you're at work but would you mind… I tried calling the hospital but they seem to be in some sort of state of emergency, the line was actually busy…" The old woman rambled on and Emma stifled a sigh. She was glad that she had the car that Bruce had lent her or else she it would take her forever to get to the narrows.

"It's fine Mrs. Murphy. I'll be there as soon as I can." Emma told her and then hung up the phone. She went to tell her boss that she would have to leave early and he begrudgingly agreed. She walked to parking lot quickly and got into the car, speeding off towards the narrows. She felt a little nostalgic as she made the familiar commute. Suddenly though she was pulled out of her reverie by a strange fog that seemed to descend on her about a block away from her old apartment. She pulled up to the building and got out of the car. She started coughing as soon as she breathed into the night air. Emma ran for the building, unlocking the door before quickly slamming it behind her. She felt a little dizzy and things were starting to jump out at her. The building itself was a little cloudy but not as bad as outside. She ran up the stairs and pulled the hidden key (which the elderly woman had always left for her) from above the doorframe.

"Mrs. Murphy?" She called. The apartment seemed disheveled, almost torn apart, "Mrs. Murphy!" She shouted. She heard faint whimpering coming from the kitchen. Emma moved towards the noise cautiously. Finally she reached the kitchen to find the old woman crying hysterically and clawing at the floor from her position on the floor. She noticed that the window was wide open and green gas was pouring through it. She stumbled towards Mrs. Murphy and shook her. When the woman looked up she started screaming like a maniac, "Mrs. Murphy it's okay! It's just me! It's Emma!" The screaming didn't stop though.

"Get away from me!" Mrs. Murphy shouted and suddenly brought her hands up from the floor and tried to push Emma away. The young girl backed away, at a lost for words, she suddenly felt a rush of fear as if it was entering her bloodstream. The cupboards, they were moving in and out of focus. Her vision was cloudy and all she could hear was the sound of her own heart beating frantically in her chest. She turned around, abandoning Mrs. Murphy on the floor and started sprinting out of the building. She could hear screaming in the distance, the sound of gunfire and the strong smell of ash and smoke. When she finally reached the street she saw people, attacking each other, crying, screaming. She fell to her hands and knees and started crying. She didn't know what was happening to her. She was seeing things, things that couldn't be there. She looked up and saw the figure of a man looming over her.

"Daddy." She whispered. Blood, it was pouring out of his eyes and his ears. The man was holding a large knife threateningly. She suddenly lunged for him. She pulled his legs from underneath him, making him fall backwards with a shout of surprise. She quickly grabbed the jagged knife from his hand. Voices, frantic voiced in her head, they were whispering to her. Telling her to kill him before he killed her. She was so afraid. She had always been afraid of him, afraid that he would come back. The man's hand lunged for her neck and with a strangled cry she plunged the knife into his chest. The man went still. Emma felt tears running down her cheeks before an eerie ringing noise sounded from her pocket. She pulled out her phone and waited for a moment before deciding to flip it open. Her throat was constricted however and she couldn't talk.

"Emma?" She heard the frantic voice through the phone but could only sob more loudly, "Emma tell me where you are!" Emma tried desperately to stop her beating heart from beating so loudly in her ears. Where was she? She could hardly think straight.

"I went back." Emma whispered then snapped the phone shut and dropped it as she curled into a ball and put her head on her knees.

PART II: PRESENT

Emma awoke with a jolt. She couldn't quite remember the nightmare she knew what it had been about. Though it wasn't a regular occurrence anymore, she still had nightmares about the night the city went crazy. She couldn't quite shake the graphics from her mind as much as she tried. She turned over to glance at the clock. It was 4 in the morning. She groaned and rubbed her eyes. She probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. She suddenly realized that the bed was usually cold. She quickly flipped over again only to have her suspicions confirmed. Bruce was gone. He couldn't make the excuse that he was at work at this hour, and he had "fallen asleep at the office" more times then she cared to remember. He seemed so offended, so hurt, that she would even accuse him of having an affair that her faith in his fidelity was instantly restored. She slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of her room. The penthouse was immersed in a deadly silence. She walked towards the living room, hoping to see her husband as she sometimes found him in the middle of the night. His head in his hands, the worry lines on his face greatly extenuated, his hair messy and his body hunched over. She would come up behind him and place her lips on the back of his neck, throw her arms around his shoulders and promise him that everything would seem better in the morning. She tried her hardest to soothe him but at times he seemed completely unreachable, as if his mind was in a completely different world. But this time, she didn't find Bruce in the living room. He was just… absent. He had been there, holding her when as she fell asleep but had disappeared in the middle of the night, without a trace. Emma fell onto the couch and started weeping silently.

That's how Alfred found her the next morning. Curled up in a little ball, whimpering. She couldn't cry anymore, she had been crying for the last 3 hours and her eyes were so sore and dry that no tears would fall. She tried to pull herself together when she heard him come in but couldn't find the strength. Instead she just buried her face in her knees and went on shaking.

"Mrs. Wayne?" Alfred put a hand on her shoulder but she just shook her head, "How 'bout I call Mr. Wayne hmm? It seems to me as though you two have a lot to discuss." Emma's head shot up. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, Alfred was taken aback by just how desperately sad she looked.

"No." She begged, "Please don't call Bruce. I don't want to talk to him." Alfred nodded solemnly.

"Then why don't I fix you some breakfast?" He asked kindly and she was able to nod gratefully. He left her again and she stumbled to her feet. She went to the washroom where she took a long hot shower, hoping to soothe all the pain and misery away but the scalding water was ineffective. After she was all dried off she returned to her bedroom but stopped in her tracks at the door. There, sleeping peacefully in their bed was her husband. He looked exhausted, totally worn out and covered in bruises and scrapes. She ran over to him and started pounding on his chest and screaming.

"Wake up!" She shouted. She wasn't angry just desperate. She needed to know whom she had married. She needed to know what she had gotten herself into. She needed to know why he was putting her through this. Bruce shot up in bed and out of reflex pushed her backwards forcefully. She almost fell on the floor but managed to regain her balance just in time. He was confused. It was written all over his face and then concern seem to overtake him.

"Emma? What's going on? Is something happening? Are you okay?" He jumped out of bed and ran over to her.

"No!" She yelled back, "I'm not okay! Where were you after I fell asleep? I needed you to be here and you weren't! You're never here and I don't understand why. I love you Bruce, I married you so that I could be with you for the rest of my life. I need to understand. Please, just help me understand!" Bruce was speechless as he looked at his wife. She was frantic.

"Emma, please calm down." He begged her in a low voice, "Take a deep breath and let me talk to you."

"Look at yourself Bruce!" Her breathing was becoming more and more shallow, "I believe that you're not having an affair okay? I believe you, I do. But you're doing something else, something that you won't tell me. Something that leaves you bruised and battered in the morning. You go out at night for hours on end and look like you've just come back from a cage fight." She fell back and looked up at him with wide eyes, "Bruce Wayne disappeared for a long time. The city was corrupted, run by the mob and extremely violent. Bruce Wayne comes back and with him comes the greatest hero Gotham's ever seen, along with tools at his disposal that could only have been funded and built by…" She stopped for a moment, "Wayne Enterprises."

"Emma…" He tried to soothe her.

"You're Batman." She whispered, "You were Batman the day I met you. Maybe I knew somewhere deep down but could never admit it to myself. My husband is the city's savior… my savior." Suddenly her eyes lit up with realization, "That night. I… I called you! That was you!" And with that everything went black.

Emma sat cross-legged on the uncomfortable leather chair. She refused to look up from her hands, which she clasped and unclasped periodically. The man with the round glasses cleared his throat poignantly.

"You're husband tells me that you've been under quite a bit of emotional stress recently Mrs. Wayne." The man said and she did nothing but nod mutely, "He also tells me that you've been through quite the trauma."

"You could say that…" She muttered.

"Mrs. Wayne, these sessions are not going to be of any help to you unless you talk to me."

"I don't need to be here." She stated coldly.

"The people that care about you disagree." The man replied.

"You mean Bruce?" She scoffed and her head shot up to meet the man's prying eyes, "He doesn't always know what's best for me you know?"

"I think in this case he does." The man said and she snorted again, "I know that this might be a little odd at first, and I am also aware of the fact that you don't think that therapy is going to be useful but…"

"I know it won't be useful." She cut him off mid-sentence, "Jonathan Crane was a therapist wasn't he? I mean he must've been around other shrinks all day and you guys couldn't tell that he was a fucking psychopath."

"That is an isolated incident."

"That almost led to genocide."

"Jonathan Crane's has a severe mental disorder, I don't believe that you do Mrs. Wayne. I simply want you to talk to me. Let me help you. Depression is very common, especially at a time of distress like this."
"You mean with the Joker blowing up anyone and anything he can in order to prove a point? So that he can kill the Batman. You mean a time where no one in this fucking city is safe from a certifiable lunatic who is hell bent on causing as much destruction as possible in order to get to our shining hero, the only ray of hope Gotham has? You think that maybe, just maybe, that's put people a little on edge?" She laughed cruelly, "Yeah, I think that that you're on to something there doc, something groundbreaking even. Terrorization leads to depression. But maybe if the Joker was in therapy then he would have been able to work out his issues and none of this would have happened right?"

"I don't like that you're mocking me Mrs. Wayne." The man said between clenched teeth.

"That's too bad, because you Freudian types are just such easy targets." She smirked, "Why? Is it bothering you?"

"I think that's enough for today." The man said.

"What so soon?" She said with mock hurt then rolled her eyes and exited the room as quickly as humanly possible. Bruce got up from his waiting room seat down the hall when she walked out.

"How did it go?" He asked. The look of guilt and concern hadn't left his face since she had figured out his secret. She simply glared at him and walked past towards the exit of the building. He followed at her heels and took his hand in his own once he caught up, "We could go see another doctor if you didn't like this one. Maybe you'd take to a woman better?" She didn't respond and he sighed deeply. He stopped in his tracks on the sidewalk in front of his car and forced her to swing back into his arms. He pressed his lips to her forehead, "I am so sorry Emma. I love you so much, more than anything. You know that right? I never wanted to hurt you. I only ever wanted to protect you. But I've failed you my darling and for that I'll never forgive myself." She rested her head momentarily on his chest and let a stray tears fall down her cheek but she quickly brushed it away and pulled away from him.

"I love you too." She said quietly, looking down at her feet. All the sarcasm and attitude from before was gone. She relaxed a little bit in his arms as he held her tightly. Eventually he released her and they got into his car and drove back to his penthouse. Bruce was tapping his hands against the steering wheel.

"You know I can cancel this party tonight, or we could just drive down to the mansion and spend the weekend there instead. It's not as if I'm known for always attending my parties." He smiled weakly at her. Emma just shook her head.

"You promised Harvey he's never have to fundraise again. People won't be so generous if you're not there to dazzle them with a heart warming speech or something."
"Nothing's more important to me right now than you."

"Stop it Bruce." She said quickly, "I understand now remember. You're Batman. You have other responsibilities, especially right now, Gotham needs you just as much as I do."

"I don't need Gotham as much as I need you." He replied. Deep circles under Bruce's eyes betrayed his constant worry. The situation with the Joker was leaving him sleepless, that and the knowledge Emma was no longer safe from the truth was taking its toll on him.

"I believe you Bruce." She turned to him and forced a sweet smile on her face for his sake, "I really do. You don't have to worry about me right now. I'm not going anywhere." She assured him, even though she didn't know if what she was saying was true.

MAE

PART I: PAST

The Joker had made up his mind. It had taken him weeks, but he soon realized that he was no longer in need of Dr. Jonathan Crane's services. The man had crossed the line. He had damaged what was rightfully his. And most importantly, the Joker realized that above anything else, he hated sharing. Crane was exiled from his domain, black listed even and his guards were instructed to shoot to kill if they ever saw him on the premises again. To be sure, the good doctor didn't take the news well but what could he do? He had failed. The Batman foiled his plans and now his fear gas was so passé. He was old news. The Joker didn't want the defeated man or his insane imaginary counterpart touching Mae. His Mae. He had to admit that he had grown rather fond of her in the last few weeks. She was sweet but slightly deranged. Her brother was dead. Her family was broken beyond repair and grew up around corruption and filth that left traces on her soul. She couldn't be saved. But he was glad of that. He didn't want to save her. Just open her eyes a little bit. Make her see a new way of life. He knew she'd like it. He was sure of it.

The old floorboards creaked under his weight as he walked towards the door. He had let her out of the shackles but he wasn't at the point where he could just leave the door unlocked… yet. Mae was sitting by the dusty window staring out into the darkness. Her lips were moving but no sound escaped them. She seemed almost entranced. He cleared his throat and she turned around to meet his eyes.

"Hello darling." He dragged out the words.

"Hello." She replied simply.

"Hey –uh– what are you doing?" He asked as he approached her. Her eyes flickered towards the window again and a faint smile appeared on her face.

"Praying." She responded quietly. He snorted with laughter but she didn't seem fazed at all. She had been expecting that response.

"You believe in god do you?" He laughed, "Even after everything you've been through. Even though you live in the center of all corruption, in hell on earth, Gotham fucking city." She ignored his last comment about her home as she explained.

"I don't think there's a man in a white robe sitting on the clouds but I'd like to believe that there's something else out there, something beyond all this." She smiled faintly. The Joker frowned deeply.

"And what are you praying for? An escape? 'Cause baby doll it really would take divine intervention to get you out of here."

"No." She said quickly, "I'm praying for my mother." She responded, "She deserves to be prayed for. She deserves peace. I wish I could give that to her but obviously I'll never be able to, as you so blatantly pointed out."

"When did you get so sickly sweet baby?" He asked with a smirk.

"I'm not." She got up of the windowsill. The somewhat wistful look in her eyes was gone now, "Where were you today?" She asked.

"What's it to yoooouuuu?"

"Nothing just curious." She answered and sighed, "So you expose the dark side of each of us, you bring Gotham's to its knees without even having to lift a finger. What's next? What's the master plan?" She asked with one eyebrow raised. Joker started laughing in his distinct way.

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" He was really close to her now. She could feel his hot breath on her face. Over the last few weeks she had become increasingly comfortable with the man. It was partly due to the fact that somewhere under that makeup or war paint or whatever you wanted to call it… She could actually see a man. A man who had ideals and who had experienced pain, just like she had. She wasn't sure what happened to him, what happened to his face, since his story changed every time he told it. But she knew it must have been something awful, something that distorted his mind.

"No." She admitted quietly. She suddenly reached up boldly and put a hand to his lips. She hesitantly started wiping away the vicious red face paint that covered his mouth and the jagged scars that protruded from it. She was surprised when he didn't stop her but after a moment she exposed his slightly pink natural lips, "I used to think you were hiding behind the makeup, but I don't think that's true anymore…" The Joker looked at her curiously.

"You know doll, I've been doing some digging." He said as he moved away from the girl and walked into the adjoining bathroom. A few days ago he had moved them out of the warehouse and into an abandoned mansion of some sort, which he used as his new hideout, "Now, don't be mad but you have… a very, well how do I put it, interesting file. How many times were you admitted to the hospital again?" He turned on the tap and let the water soak his calloused hands, "7 times when you were between the ages of 13 to 16. You came in with a lot of bad wounds. Some doctors even described it as being beaten to a pulp. But nobody asked why." Mae shivered involuntarily, "No, no one asked what happened. And why is that? Hmm? Oh that's right because your daddy wasn't someone they like to –uh– accuse of bad things like that. No, no, he's not that kind of guy. He couldn't possibly have beaten his little girl to the point of death. Hmm? Nah, he's a –what do you call it?–"

"A war hero." Emma whispered.

"Right that's it. He saved a hell of a lot of the good ol' boys in 'Nam eh?"

"Yeah."

"He got a big shiny metal from the mayor of Gotham himself. He's one of the good guys!" The Joker exclaimed with a booming laugh. He cupped some water in his hands and started to rinse the paint off his face, "But he wasn't such a good guy was he darling? That's why you killed him. That's why you shot him in cold blood. You weren't scared from the gas, look, I understand it all now. No, you didn't go crazy. You're already crazy." The Joker turned around and for the first time she saw him without the makeup. She was stunned. He was handsome even with the scars that marred his face. Her eyes only flickered away from his face when she saw the familiar bottle of pills in his hands, "I know what's going to happen if you stay off of these the way you have. It's all right in your file. Manic depressant. History of mild schizophrenia. You see daddy don't ya? Even though you know he's dead. That you put him in the ground."

"He deserved it." She hissed venomously, "Don't you see what he did to me?"

"Very –uh– clearly baby doll. He had it coming." He said with an eerie grin. Mae shifted uneasily, she had been feeling more and more antsy since she had been off of her medication. She was lucky she hadn't started seeing or hearing things. Sure her now uncontrolled mood had dropped dramatically but that was to be expected… she had been kidnapped after all.

"Are you going to give me my medication back?" She asked tentatively. The Joker laughed again as if it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard in his life. He shook his head as his body was shaking with hysterics.

"No, no, no, no. What fun would that be? Hmmm? I brought you here to break you, just like I'm going to break this city. Medication changes you. It changes who you are. I want to know you my darling, I want to see you for what you really are. Damaged. Just. Like. Me."

PART II: PRESENT

She knew he didn't love her but she didn't care. In fact she reveled in it. She didn't need or want his love or affection. She didn't care about much of anything anymore, except her life. The villains of Gotham were united now, all under him. Well… all except for him. But she didn't care to dwell on that anymore. No, she was a new person now. Stronger, bitter and out for blood. Really all she strived to do was survive though, no matter how much she had to degrade herself to do so. She wasn't stupid and she wasn't weak. She just knew when to show her strength and when to get down on her knees and submit.

Bane was lounging on a comfortable plush sofa that adorned one of the wealthiest apartments she had ever seen. It belonged to some rich family, pictures of them were strewn about, but now it was his, like everything else in the city. He seemed to be deep in thought so she didn't want to disturb him. She was hungry though and the new living supplies had come to the city today. She could see fresh food in the kitchen, a sight that she had missed very dearly and could only reach it by passing him. Mae slipped off her high heels and tiptoed across the threshold to the kitchen.

"Stop." The strange and menacing mechanical voice said suddenly, "Where do you think your going?" He asked, his eyes opening slowly to look at her. Her gaze flickered towards the kitchen and then returned to him.

"I'm hungry." She said quietly.

"Shouldn't you ask before you simply take?"

"I didn't want to bother you." She defended quietly, "You looked occupied." If he smiled she wouldn't know it. She could never tell what he was feeling. His eyes, the only windows to any emotions he might have, were a complete mystery to her.

"Come." He said simply and she obliged. She sat nervously near his feet on the edge of the couch, "Don't be shy. Kneel before me." Again, she complied instantly with his wishes. He cupped her cheek with his hand, "Such a pretty girl but so scarred." His thumb traced the raised skin on her cheek, "Usually a wound like that would ruin a girl's pretty face but not you. No, I think it suits you rather well."

"Thank you." She whispered and he signaled with his fingers for her to come closer still. She knew what he wanted and without hesitation she pressed her lips to the cold metal of the mask. She then moved her lips to his neck and trailed kisses down to his chest. He stopped her there and pulled her face up to meet his.

"Go eat my little manic, before I get carried away. I have better things to think about then you." She swiftly got to her feet and exited the living room to take refuge in the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief and reached for the crisp red apple waiting for her on the counter. She sunk her teeth into it and relaxed back against the counter, momentarily satisfied. She then walked over to the window and leaned out to see the city bellow. If she had thought that the city under Crane's control was scary, it was nothing compared to now. The streets reeked of desolation and hopelessness. He had destroyed Gotham, a city that she used to love, but now she couldn't even shed a tear over its lost. Batman was gone. Bane had taken care of him. She didn't know any details. The city was without hope and without redemption. She turned away from the open window and threw the core of the apple in the trash before returning to the living room. Bane didn't seem to be contemplating much anymore. On the contrary he was waiting for her to return to the room with open arms. She looked at him and forced a smile onto her face and she crawled up to him on the sofa and rested her head on his hard chest, allowing him to entangle his rough hands into her hair, "This is the beginning of the end."

"It doesn't have to be." She tried to reason. To her, his fidelity towards the woman he loved had gone too far, he was sacrificing too much. Bane glanced down at her and registered her fear. She was practically shaking in his arms, "We don't have to stay here. We can leave before it happens. Gotham will still burn, we'll just be alive to watch it."

"Do not speak of things you don't understand." He said coldly. Mae swallowed nervously as she rethought what she was about to ask. It needed to be asked though, whether or not she got bruised for questioning him.

"You're going to let me… escape though, right?" She asked hesitantly, "When the bomb goes off, you wouldn't let me die here, would you?" There was a long moment of silence in which Mae waited for an answer with baited breath.

"Is it fair for me to allow you to survive while the people of Gotham suffer and fall with their city. Gotham must be destroyed and everyone who caused it to be this corrupt with it." Bane spoke as if he was presenting a speech to his subjects. She looked up at him and bit her lip.

"I don't want to die." She said tearfully, "After everything I've gone through, everything I had to withstand in order to survive, I don't want to die like this." Her voice trembled as she spoke. Her eyes were pleading with Bane's, begging for him to say the words that she so desperately wanted to hear. You'll be safe. I won't let you burn. But nothing of that sort came out of his mouth.

"I'll consider it."

"No you won't!" Mae shot up off the couch to stand in front of him. She knew she was acting ridiculously careless at the moment and if she even wanted to live to see the bomb she had better stop talking but she couldn't, "It will be just like that pit you keep talking about. There isn't true despair without hope. I don't want you to give me false hope only to pull it all from under me in the end." She ripped herself away from him, "Oh god, I don't want to die. Please, I don't want it all to end like this." Bane stood up and kicked her aside as he stormed out of the apartment. Mae couldn't care less she was deep in her misery. Why did you abandon me like this, you said you'd never leave me. You said you'd protect me. Mae took a deep gasping breath and walked over to the bedroom, collapsing on the bed. 4 and a half more months to live, she thought hopelessly. Then the darkness will come. Then I'll finally be able to rest.

Mae woke up the next morning to find Bane sleeping soundly beside her. He was still dressed in the same clothes as he wore the day before. She wiggled from beneath the covers but felt a tight grip wrapped around her wrist just as she was about to exit the bed. She stopped what she was doing but didn't say anything. He pulled her body close to his and she felt the straps of his mask rub against her forehead. She grit her teeth and remained in his arms knowing that he was dozing back off to sleep but as soon as she moved he would wake up again. He always slept with one eye open, it was just in his nature. However she didn't have to worry about staying there very long because soon the door of the room was ripped open and banged against the adjoining wall. Bane shot up with a jolt, incidentally bringing Mae with him. In the door frame stood none other then Talia who was standing there in her full imposing glory with one hip jutted out and a eerie grin on her face. Mae's blood went cold.

"Well isn't this just adorable." She pronounced slowly in her smooth accent. Mae was roughly pushed to the side and fell off the bed with a thump and a yelp, "Well you always were one to ruin the moment weren't you my friend?" Talia sniggered. Mae clenched her jaw tightly as she tried to get up and out of the room as quickly as possible. Just as she was about to pass, Talia put her hand on the other side of the door and blocked her escape. She knew how dangerous this woman was, if Talia wanted her dead, Bane wouldn't hesitate to snap her neck. But usually when she saw the woman she just couldn't care less. Despite her survival instincts she refused to keep her head down when being so blatantly provoked.

"Excuse me." Mae mumbled.

"What was that?" Talia shot back. Mae looked up and gave the older woman a sharp look.

"I said, please move." She replied as calmly as possible. Talia smirked but did not move the arm. Mae rolled her eyes, it's too early in the morning for her shit, and pushed through the outstretched arm. Fucking bitch, Mae thought to herself and for the second time that morning someone grabbed on to her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?" Talia snarled.

"You know people keep asking me that question as if it's possible for me to go further than the apartment building without getting shot." She spat back.

"Mae…" Bane warned from behind her in his usual daunting voice, "Go be a good girl and fix me some breakfast." Mae refused to even dignify that request with a response so she ignored him and went into the apartment washroom located on the other side of the hall and slammed the door forcefully behind her. After quickly shedding her nightgown and bringing the water to a scalding temperature, she stepped into the small shower and let the water and steam consume her. She hoped that it would calm her down, allow her to breathe in peace for a few moments. She relaxed and let her muscles be soothed before reaching for the shampoo and conditioner to wash her hair. Midway through rinsing all the suds out of her tangled locks she heard the door open and close. At first she was afraid that it was Bane, but then she thought of the alternative and realized she'd much prefer him. She didn't have to wait in suspense for too long because shortly afterwards the shower curtain was pulled open to reveal a clearly irritated Bane. Mae frowned at him and covered her breasts by crossing her arms over her chest, "You're playing with fire little one."

"That wasn't my intention." She quipped, he grasped her by the shoulder and squeezed tightly.

"Don't talk to Talia like that ever again. Do you understand me? And don't you dare disrespect me!" He growled. She bit her lip and just shook her head slowly, looking away from him.

"You expect me to act as if I enjoy being in the presence of the woman who is going to kill me? Who masterminded the destruction of the city where I grew up? The city where my family lives? Where my whole life is? I won't. I'd rather you tortured me until I came to a slow painful end than submit to that woman." Mae spoke slowly but fiercely and she thought she saw something flash in Bane's eyes. Respect? No, that's wishful thinking. But to her surprise he had nothing to say in rebuttal. He simply nodded his head once and left the room. There was no traces of anger left in his eyes and it left Mae speechless. Maybe he understands.

She pulled the towel around herself and brushed through the mess of wet hair before leaving the warm and steamy washroom. She got dressed in the empty bedroom and then wandered to the kitchen where she found Bane. He was injecting something into his arm but she didn't ask what it was.

"I'll be gone for the day. Perhaps the night as well. There is much business to attend to." He said without glancing over at her.

"I suppose oppressing the people of Gotham never does get tiresome." She replied and he growled at her, "It was a joke, relax." She sniggered and started to make herself a cup of coffee.

"You're not funny."

"Something we have in common then." She walked over to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. She was in a considerably better mood ever since she got out of the shower. He didn't seem amused though, "Don't be mad darling, just trying to lighten the mood."

"Do not call me darling, darling." He shot back and she laughed. She put her hands on his shoulders and massaged them sensually.

"Sir then." She whispered huskily in his ear.

"You're asking for it."

"I really am." She nipped her teeth against his neck as she spoke. Bane swung around and gripped her around the waist. He pushed her into the opposing counter making her gasp. A slow smile spread across her lips as she was lifted onto the counter and wrapped her legs firmly around his hips.

"You make me so…"

"Horny?" She cut in with a smile.

"Angry." He clarified as he rammed her head against the cupboard. She groaned and felt a little dizzy. Before she knew what was happening her dress was being lifted above her hips and her panties were being ripped off of her. Her arms wrapped around his neck securely, her fingers gripping on to the back of his mask, "I have to go so let's make this quick." He growled into her ear. Bane liked making her look at him head on when they were fucking. The mask frightened her and the look of fear in her eyes made him feel even more powerful. She buried her head into the nook of his neck as he thrust into her, the vibration of her moan sent shivers down his spine and encouraged him to move faster, harder. Her nails scraped desperately against the straps of his mask since she had no hair to hold onto. He kept his pace fast and rough and could feel her getting close. As she was about to cum he wrenched her face away from his neck and forced her to look him directly in the eyes. She couldn't help herself and she pressed anguished kissed on his "metal lips" before screaming out him name and letting her head lull back against the cupboard. He came shortly afterwards with a few extra thrusts and a grunt. Then he quickly pulled off of her and cleaned himself up. Through droopy eyelids she could see the bright pink stains from her lipstick stuck to his mask and she smiled lazily.

"Come here." She giggled, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back between his legs. He looked extremely irritated as she wiped off the lipstick marks, polishing the metal in the process. She inclined her head to the side and mumbled, "Have fun at work." His eyes wrinkled and for once she knew he was smiling. He put his hand on her cheek as a gesture of affection before turning and disappearing out the apartment door. She sighed and pushed herself off the counter. How did I end up here?