Past
One day Maria and Talia's mother confronted them in the late afternoon. She came to them with knowing eyes and simply asked,
"You've made a new friend." Maria shifted nervously where she stood,
"We did." Talia responded unwaveringly with no regret in her eyes. She believed her mother to be too protective of them. The child often wondered when she would realize that this hole is their reality and that being locked in a room would not stop the monsters outside from barging in. Talia understood that the man's alliance meant protection from everyone else-therefore freedom from this small space. Maria was interested in the sentimental aspect of having the man as a friend;
"'is name is Bane." Maria said.
"Am I allowed to meet Bane?" their mother questioned,
"'course ya can, momma!" and when the sun finally settled and the night sky covered the pit in darkness the man came but this time, instead of just the children, their mother sat beside them.
"Hello." He said cautiously, would she tell him to go away?
"My children really like you," the woman begun, not a comment he was expecting.
"They think of you as a friend…are they your friends?" the answer left his lips before he could even contemplate them,
"They are my friends." The word felt strange to him. He'd never had a living, breathing, friend. The closest thing that could have been his friend was a small stuffed toy he named Osito, but he's older now and doesn't need it for hiding shivs anymore.
"And you'd protect them, even at the cost of your life." Her eyes were stern.
This was a statement she wanted him to consider deeply. Bane could barely remember when he came to this pit. Snatched from his home in Santa Prisca, forced to remain in this hell until he died in the place of a man he never seen nor knew; this cruel reality was all he ever knew until he met them
- his lights in the darkness, his saviors, the beings that touched his heart and allowed him his humanity back.
"I'll give my whole soul for them." He said in a hushed tone, not quite fathoming the impact these children have had on his miserable life. The mother smiled, that was all she needed to hear.
For the first time, since they were born, their bare feet stepped outside of the cell door. The doctor had come for their weekly check up, and due to the beast lingering around no other dared to venture near. So when the children stepped out into the corridor they couldn't help but run-not understanding the possible consequences of such actions. Bane followed behind them closely, caught completely off guard, and the mother's heart pounded against her chest as she yelled for them to come back.
And the children laughed.
They laughed and ran, until strong arms scooped them up and held them.
"Do you two realize what you've done?" Bane queried, and their responses were giggles. What was there to fear when their guardian watched over them so vigilantly? He took them back to the doctor, who lectured on and on about the dangers of the outside.
"We don' need to be scared anymore, 'cause Bane is here." Maria conveyed proudly, and smiled at her friend.
His cheeks warmed.
"And what happens if Bane can't protect you?" the doctor questioned.
"You doubt me, doctor?" Bane intruded.
