Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the plot. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it.

Note: In this story Bane and Talia's relationship will be based more on the comics rather than the movie. I wanted to do at least one story of this pairing where I didn't have to deal with her lol.

In A Room

"In a room full of art I'd still stare at you." Anon (to the best of my knowledge)

He was still a little sore the next day, he'd have been shocked if that hadn't been the case, but overall Blake figured that he was moving pretty good considering that his grandfather had completely owned him the night before. No surprise there. No one could beat the older man and Grandfather had only pulled his kicks and punches when they were younger. These days Grandfather showed no mercy. Which was fine since he'd hate it more if the older man went easy on him. Though getting your ass handed to you was never fun, even if it was done out of love.

But the bath and massage from last night had helped, and the food Eames had made him for breakfast had been ten times better than whatever he would have possibly whipped up for himself if he'd bothered. So yeah, he was ready mentally to face whatever there was face as he sought justice for Elise and his other cases. And walked into his cop shop with a smile on his face.

A smile that slipped off said face when he was greeted by the sight of everyone in his bullpen turning to look at him with the weirdest variety of expressions on their faces. This did not bode well for his morning at all.

"Shit. What did he give me this time?"

Chamber's outright laughed at him. "Oh you're going to appreciate this gift, Blakie."

Blake debated reminding Chambers yet again not to call him Blakie. It was even worse than being called Robin Hood. But he had more important things to worry about it seemed.

"It's only an awesome present if they don't recant and the system doesn't fuck things up somehow." Petterson argued from his cluttered and barely visible desk. Blake had never been able to figure out how the man ever found anything, but he did, somehow. It would drive him nuts.

"But it's the thought that counts." Was Chamber's snarky response as he lobbed a crumpled ball of paper onto Petterson's desk before grinning in Blake's direction rather evilly. "And your presents are in holding. All eight of them. He didn't bother to wrap them, so your parents are taking care of wrapping them up for you."

Eyebrows rising, Blake tried to wrap his mind around the fact that Bane had sent him eight 'presents' who needed to be put into cells. He'd have bet serious money that Bane would never consider crossing that line seeing as the underworld wouldn't want to do business with him once word got out. And word always got out. So why would Bane…oh.

"Are these 'presents' members of the Boondocks?"

Baxter saw his moment to jump into the conversation, so of course he did. "They are. Showed up this morning to turn themselves in like good little gangbangers. Your sorta stepmother interviewed the leader and got his full confession on record already from what I heard through the grapevine. Oh, and your dad took two others that I know about. The others are just waiting to talk to you or one of them at this point. Captain didn't want to wait in case they changed their minds about confessing."

It had to be asked. "What kind of condition are they in?"

"Unharmed as far as we know. Though scared out of their fucking wits, that's for damn sure. Or as much wits as they possess between them, I mean."

Bane wasn't the type to turn on his own kind, but the man did have certain well known standards. So while the man probably had intended the gangbangers to be 'presents', Bane had most likely done it for Elise Wilks too. Women, particularly the young and innocent, were whispered to be safe from Bane and his men. Anyone who attempted to cause them harm within Bane's territory was said to meet a very bad end. Not that there was ever anything left behind to confirm the rumors.

"The preliminary reports are on your desk."

Acknowledging Baxter's statement with a jerk of his head Blake walked over to the desk in question and picked up the folder someone had left there for him. Eyes scanning each page in turn Blake didn't see anything that he needed to be concerned about or hadn't already surmised himself from the scene and his own evaluation of the bodies. Confirmation was always good though. And if the fuckers currently in lockup entered guilty pleas loads of evidence wouldn't be needed anyway. Not that he was going to count his chickens before they hatched. And who'd come up with that stupid phrase anyway?

"Robin."

Glancing up and over Blake smiled at his father. "Hey."

"They updated you?"

"Yup. So they're all being nice, honest gangbangers?"

"More like scared shitless. You'd think the alternative was being tied to chairs and then fed to rats."

"Nah. Bane doesn't strike me as the creative death sort. I'd imagine if he wanted you dead it would be a quick execution. Bullet to the head or knife to the heart would be my first guesses. Throat slitting would be too messy. Though he does have the upper body strength to snap someone's neck. I could see that too." Blake reflected on that for a moment, debating the possibilities. "Well whatever his preferred method is, it would be followed by a disposal method guaranteed to keep you undiscovered unless he wants you found to make a statement." Blake mentally shuddered a little at the rat idea though. He hated the fucking things with a passion.

"And yet you're dating him, My Son."

"An actual, proper date has yet to happen."

The look he got in return made it clear his father knew he was splitting hairs with that reasoning. And he so was. He and Bane were just a car crash waiting to happen, really. It was going to be fast, memorable, and more than likely painful to some degree. But it was going to happen. When was really the only question at this point.

"You will be careful. Or I'll call Arthur."

"Eames already tattled."

"Not enough, or your brother would be here already." And leaving it at that Shin changed the subject to the fact that there were still gang members to interview if Blake was ready to join them.

"She left a couple for me? That's surprising."

"She wanted to help."

Some people would think that no, helping had nothing to do with it. A lot of cops, particularly the male ones, liked to think and say that Lara Harper had reached the rank of captain by taking undeserved credit for solving big cases. The really stupid ones whispered that she might have done some of her climbing on her back as well, but they only did that once. Word always got around and either she, his father, or Blake himself insured they never made that mistake again. She might be his father's ex-wife, and occasional huge thorn in his side, but Blake would allow no one to show her that sort of disrespect.

As for the whole taking credit for cases thing…well that was somewhat of a grey area in the long memory of the GCP.

Every cop in the city knew that she'd ultimately been the one to bring an end to the White Dragon syndicate. She'd been the arresting officer in charge of the raids, the arrests, and had brought forth the evidence that had allowed them to dismantle the brutal Chinese gang so quickly and efficiently that there'd been no chance for its revival afterwards. She'd been the one hounded and interviewed by the press afterwards, and the majority of the accolades and commendations had come her way.

However…the case had been Lieutenant Shin Blake's originally. He'd been working for months to take them down and had been suspended by his corrupt captain less than two weeks before the raids. He'd been getting too close to shutting them down so the recently appointed head of the syndicate had ordered him off the case. As it was Blake's father likely would have been killed if not for his father's protection through Saito. Instead he'd been suspended and the case passed over to his recent ex-wife. Their shared captain hadn't thought she'd get anywhere even with her ex's work to piggyback off of. But the White Dragon was in flux thanks to the recent death of the leader who'd ruled them with an iron fist for decades, and his descendants were all fighting for their piece of the pie and not being as careful or cautious as they should have been. Particularly when it came to the eldest son who was now in charge.

Ergo when two mysterious flash drives containing everything a law enforcement officer might want to know about the White Dragon were delivered to Harper's apartment, confirming a great deal of her ex's own evidence and beliefs…well it had spelled the end of the syndicate once and for all.

Blake knew that particular case inside and out. Intimately.

And since he knew that the woman in question lived for her work and work alone Blake believed she was technically interfering with his case because she simply wanted to see justice done. Because at the end of the day that was what mattered to her most.

So he slid the paperwork back into its folder and then tucking it under his arm Blake told his father to lead the way.

)

Bane just barely managed to stop himself from drumming his fingers on the highly polished surface of the conference table while across from him the man currently calling himself Henri Ducard wasted his time. To those in the know Ra's al Ghul had years ago been his mentor, the respect he had for all the man had accomplished in his lifetime the only reason he'd taken this meeting in the first place. Though if nothing else this meeting was illuminating thanks to the presence of the man's daughter, who sat across form him with a blank face that revealed none of her thoughts.

A fairly standard look in Talia al Ghul's case.

Back when they'd both thought he would become the older man's successor Talia's hand in marriage had been part of the deal. A sweetening of the pot for sure, as the woman was as lethal as she was beautiful and intelligent. But he hadn't been what she wanted, she'd told him to his face that she saw him as little more than her father's dog. She'd been far more interested in her father's other one time protégée, who in the end had had no wish in marrying her.

Karma was as much a bitch as she could be at times.

He'd wanted her, that was true, but now he felt nothing to look at her, which was satisfying. As was the thought that soon he'd see the man who'd made him aware of just how insignificant Talia had been to him both now and then. He'd wanted her, but not nearly as much as he wanted Roblin Blake.

And in the long run he was better off having split off from her father's organization to set up his own. The League of Shadows wasn't what it had once been, and Bane didn't see it improving in Talia's hands once her father passed on. Her father was too lost in the past and when Talia was in charge it would go to her head and soon all that power would be wrenched away from her by someone else in the organization.

Today the old man had come to him to ask for his participation in al'Ghul's latest scheme to destroy Wayne Enterprises. A venture Bane had no interest in. While he wouldn't mind sparring in one way or another with al'Ghul's former apprentice he had his own business to take care of. He and Wayne already butted heads in the business world, and thus far he was winning in that arena as the billionaire playboy didn't give his businesses the attention that he should. Until Bruce Wayne became a problem for him, as businessman or Batman, Bane would leave him alone.

Should the man become a problem…then he'd break the Bat and that would be that.

He'd already made that clear to al'Ghul, in three different languages, but the man seemed to think that if he said the same thing using slightly different words eventually Bane would come to heel. Something he hadn't done even when he'd been a part of the man's organization. He was no one's dog.

A glance in the clock's direction confirmed that in less than five minutes the old man's time would be up and Bane could take the meeting he'd been looking forward to all morning.

"Bane. Are you listening?"

"Yes. But no matter how you phrase your request the answer is no. I didn't go to all the trouble of moving here only for you to level the city because of Wayne."

"It's not just Wayne, this whole city needs to be destroyed, Bane."

"Perhaps. But right now it's useful to me."

"He's forgotten our ways, Father. There's no point in arguing with him. He's become just one more part of the problem."

Bane saw no reason to dignify that with a reaction.

"Bane."

"Al'Ghul." Bane countered before the older man could begin again. "Do what you like where Wayne's concerned. I don't care. But mind the damage to this city. There are those in it who, if harmed because of you, I would be forced to show you and the League what happens to my enemies. I will not take the death of my men lightly. Or the loss of power and money. You want us to continue on good terms."

A knock on the door.

"Come."

The door opened to reveal his secretary in the doorway.

"My apologies for interrupting your meeting, Sir, but your next appointment starts in less than two minutes. Do you need me to reschedule or see if he's willing to wait?"

"We're done here. It's never a good idea to keep one of Gotham's finest waiting."

"Problems with the GCP?" Talia asked with a hint of a smirk.

"No more than I can handle." Whatever his little bird might think.

Pushing back his chair Ra's al'Ghul got to his feet, his expression cool and dismissive now that he knew Bane wasn't going to be of any use to him. Typical.

Fair enough.

Pushing back his own chair Bane walked down the length of the table with the other two, always aware of their body language and alert to every move they made.

The two of them reached the door before he did, his secretary politely moving out of their way while continuing to hold the door open for them. Bane waited until both had walked through before following after them into the hallway, his secretary closing the door behind her before excusing herself to go back to her desk.

Following her movements as she walked up the length of hallway Bane's eyes automatically sought the man he knew would be waiting for him there. And there he was. With Barsad.

Eyes narrowing Bane took in the fact that his cop appeared to be showing Barsad something on an iPad. Something that apparently required his second to stand very close to Bane's bird and angle towards him to view. Neither was the other's type from what he knew of them both, but still…he didn't like it.

But he wasn't about to give the al'Ghuls the impression that the cop waiting for him meant anything to him, not now anyway. So Bane looked away and turned his attention to shaking the hand his former leader offered him and doing the same with Talia, though they kept it as brief as possible.

"I'll escort you to the elevator."

"No need. We know the way." And tucking his daughter's arm through his al'Ghul nodded his head in Bane's direction and then turned to walk away from him.

Which suited Bane just fine.

He watched them until the elevator opened and then closed with both inside before Bane turned his attention back to his cop, who had handed the iPad over to Barsad now. Robin appeared to be paying rapt attention to whatever it was they were now discussing.

Walking down the hallway towards them Bane noted that Barsad looked up and over to meet his gaze immediately while Robin's gaze remained focused on the screen. A deliberate move on his bird's part, Bane didn't doubt. He had the feeling very few people in the world could successfully approach the other man without Robin knowing. Which pleased and intrigued him.

"Robin."

A brief glance over. "Mr. Bane."

And then Robin was turning his head and thanking Barsad for his help. With a smile.

"It was no problem. Bane." Barsad inclined his head in Bane's direction and then off he went, which was for the best.

Robin, meanwhile, turned off the iPad and shoved it into the messenger bag he was carrying over one shoulder. Securing the buckle that would keep the bag closed Robin then turned and joined Bane in taking the last couple steps necessary to bring them face to face.

"What were you looking at?"

"On the iPad? Originally a couple crime scene photos. We've been struggling to figure out what the hell was used to make some of the puncture wounds on the body, so I figured why not ask your buddy Barsad while I waited for you. He was showing me the likely culprit. I think he's right."

"Barsad is not my buddy."

"I bet he's the closest thing you have to one."

Technically yes, but encouraging Robin was never a good idea so instead Bane put a possessive hand on Robin's lower back and suggested that they move along to his office to discuss whatever it was he'd come to see him about.

"I could get behind that idea. Or in front of it. Whichever works better for you."