"Baneā¦" I started nervously.
"I have you followed so I can try and explain things to you, tell you why I have been so distant, try and reconcile and take you back home, but I find you in the arms of another man!"
Bane spat on the ground, making Raul snarl and stand in front of me.
"You are trespassing!" Raul growled.
"Arabia is her own woman, if she wants to be with me, that's her choice!"
Bane gave Raul a murderous look before looking over at me with the same mad eyes.
"Is this the man you have been sleeping with?" He asked.
It was my turn to get angry as I stepped out from behind Raul, wow, he comes barging in here making accusations about things he knows nothing about? I can't believe this! The rage bubbled up inside me as I thumped my hand on the counter.
"Are you serious Bane?" I snapped.
"You would come here and say things like that? What the hell is wrong with you!"
"It's a fair question," Bane sniped, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, are you sleeping with him?"
"No! What the hell do you take me for!" I cried.
"You called me a whore last time and you are doing it now! I will not have it Bane! You do not get to insult me like this! I was your girlfriend! Someone you were supposed to care for! What changed? What happened to you? And even if I was what does it have to do with you?"
Bane stood silent for a moment, studying me and Raul as I stood here catching my breath and Raul stood clenching his fists.
"You are not a man Bane," Raul said, his voice steady, eyes full of intent and anger.
Bane scoffed as he looked over Raul again, in a fight it's obvious Bane would win, we all knew this, so for Raul to challenge him like this was either extremely brave, or extremely stupid.
"You have claimed to love Arabia, you vowed to keep her safe, do what is right by and for her, but yet that promise is broken the moment you laid your hand on her!
The room was silent, I looked away and shivered a little as I remembered the burning rage in Bane's eyes that night. I have been in fights with Bobby, he has hit me before, the fight with his men in my flat was horrific but I came out of it alright, why? Because Bobby doesn't matter, the people he conspires with don't matter, Bobby's words bounced right off, his slaps hurt but made me even more determined to break out on my own. But Bane was different, he showed me kindness when there was none to be found, he showed me that it was okay to love. But he destroyed it all the day he put his hands on me. The trust we had built is no more, I don't want to be scared of him for the rest of my life but this is what he has to live with.
"Only a weak man hurts a woman and that is what you are Bane, you hurt Arabia physically and mentally, you lured her into a false sense of security then gave her a shock so bad she had to come to me because she didn't know what to do. You disgust me -"
Bane had obviously had enough because in a flash he was before Raul, towering over him and grabbing him by the shirt collar, I looked on in horror as he lifted Raul off the ground and brought him to eye level, all the while Raul gasped for air as he struggled to get free.
"Bane!" I cried.
But Bane was too mad to listen as he clenched tighter, Raul's face reddening as his struggling became weaker.
"Let me tell you something." Bane said calmly.
"Everything I do is carefully planned out, I had a mission to find Arabia which I did and bring her and Luna back here, which again I did, I then planned to integrate her into the League of Shadows, but she was too impatient, she wanted to go out and do her own thing, which is not what I planned. Then you come along, further spoil my plans for Arabia resulting in another plan having to be made. Do you see what I'm saying? You are not part of this plan."
By this time Raul was turning purple, his eyes rolling back slightly, I threw myself on Bane's arm trying to get him to free him. If Bane kills him I will never forgive him.
"Put him down!" I screamed.
"Look what you are doing to him!"
Bane just shrugged me off and dropped Raul to the ground, he retched and coughed, gasping for air.
"Still...a weak man." He gasped, looking up at Bane.
I put myself in front of Raul in an instant, Bane still looked hostile and he probably would have done something to Raul if I wasn't there.
"What happened to you Bane?" I asked, shaking my head
"Things changed, I completed my mission." He said, bowing his head slightly.
I was confused, he went from angry to sincere in five seconds, what is going on.
"What mission?" I asked.
"The mission to bring you back here."
A woman walked through the door and stood next to Bane, I frowned as I watched her smile up at him, Bane looking longingly back at her. She was extremely beautiful, her long brown hair cascading down her shoulders, her figure slight but strong, her smile mysterious and exotic and her eyes...like mine, filled with passion, secrecy and mischief. I don't know who she was but she looked familiar.
"Arabia," She smiled, walking over and pulling me into a tight hug, confusing me further.
"Do you not remember your own sister?"
Sister. I gasped as the memories of the two of us playing in the grounds of our home in the country of our birth, came rushing back to me so hard that I felt sick. This woman was Talia! Talia al Ghul, my father's first born, my half sister. I stiffened and wriggled out of her grasp, looking back at Bane as he looked from Talia to me with a look of indifference.
"What mission?" I repeated myself.
"The mission to bring you and Luna back where you belong, we have unfinished business here, so much work that needs to be done, and the al Ghul's need to be back running this-"
"Whoa whoa whoa!" I interrupted, shaking my head.
"You had Bane bring me back so you could bring back a terrorist group?"
"We are not terrorists, we are activists, people who want to live in a better world." Talia said, her right eye twitching slightly, I guess she didn't like the thought of the League being classed as terrorists.
"But you are terrorists! You destroyed Bruce Wayne's family, his business, his life! All because he didn't fit your way of life, he stood up for what he believed in and you destroyed him! No Talia, do not talk of wanting a better world when you burned down the world of an innocent man."
Talia and Bane looked at each other, their eyes connecting, my heart sank as I watched them communicate through eye contact. Bane and I used to be able to do that, I guess she is the reason he became distant with me. I found myself wanting to jump on her and rip her throat out, I had never felt so violent towards a person since Bobby, it felt like I had fallen into a very dark place.
"What we did was necessary, you of all people should know that you have to take drastic actions when you need to." She finally said.
"Answer me this then," I replied, folding my arms.
"Why did Bane come and find me and act like he loved me? I didn't expect anything else except what we had at the time, but why would you string me along if you didn't really have feelings for me?"
I looked at Bane for this answer, he paused and opened his mouth to speak but Talia got there first.
"Bane never had feelings for you," She said, shrugging, looking at me with sympathetic eyes, I wanted to slap her across her smug face, she was treating me like a child, maybe her past and having a father like Ra's al Ghul made her hard hearted or she was just a bitch in general, I don't know, but I don't like her.
"Bane is mine and always has been, whatever went on between the two of you is nothing compared to what we have."
"That's all well and good but I'd rather hear it from Bane," I said, looking up at him.
"Is she right? Was what we had a lie?"
Bane looked back at me, there was nothing in his eyes, he didn't even look indifferent anymore. I hardened my heart towards him as soon as his eyes met mine. I refuse to cry and I refuse to get hurt by him, I am made of stronger stuff, I'm not going to cry because a guy is being cold towards me.
"What Talia says is true." He said blankly.
I nodded, I thought as much; I had nothing more to say to either of them, I hope they will be happy plotting world domination.
"Well then, forgive me if I don't sound grateful for everything you have done for me but, I would rather chew razor blades and throw myself into an erupting volcano before I join your terrorist cult, I'll be round in a few days to get mom." I said, smiling sarcastically.
Talia said nothing, all she did was sigh and shake her head, stupid bitch acting like I'm some slow uneducated dimwit.
"The door is open when you realise your calling and want to join us, you too Raul, if you ever get bored of playing as the organ grinder's monkey come and join us in the good cause." She said.
Raul put his arm round me supportively. I could feel the anger radiating off him, I put my arm round his waist, I know he was holding his tongue in fear he would say something that would trigger another attack from Bane.
"No thank you." Is all he said, his jaw clenched.
The two men locked eyes again and the atmosphere took a further plummet south, it wasn't over between them we all knew it.
"You can leave now," I piped up, looking at Bane.
"And take your little puppy with you."
Talia just smiled and proceeded to walk out the house, Bane looked longingly at me, he opened his mouth to speak but I put my hand over his mouth to stop him, I was too angry and too hurt to want to hear whatever he had to say. I could feel the wall around my heart come crashing down as he looked at me with such remorse.
"Don't," I started.
"Don't. You dare say one more word, I don't want to hear it Bane, for I fear that once you start talking I'll start swinging and I don't know if I'll stop."
Bane just looked at me, he pulled my hand down and looked me dead in the eye.
"Do it." He said.
This got me even angrier; he was seeking punishment to make him feel better. I wanted to hurt him, like the way he hurt me, I felt like pulling my hair out. It was maddening. I thumped him in his chest as the emotions in me built up to me doing something I regret but relish. I spun round to Raul and kissed him full on the mouth, my hands flying to his hair. Raul paused for a second to figure what I was doing before his arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. I could feel the anger and hurt coming off of Bane, I knew he wouldn't go for Raul because I was in the way. I hoped it hurt him like a third degree burn. He must have stormed out because I heard the door slam behind him. As soon as he left I let go of Raul and started to cry, I crumpled in a heap on the floor banging my fists against the tiles as I cried my heart out. I was a fool! I gave into my emotions, I should have stayed cool and showed them I didn't care, but I had to get Raul involved; if anything happens to him because of me I will never forgive myself.
Raul knelt down next to me and scooped me up into a big hug, he stroked my hair and shushed me until I calmed down.
"I'm so sorry," I started, I wanted to explain, I knew he would be mad with me once I stopped crying.
"Hush now," He said, kissing my tears away.
"I know why you did what you did, I'm okay with it, I would have done the same thing as you, but take some time to clear your head, sort out getting your mother away from Bane, then we can talk properly about us; I really like you Arabia and I want your feelings towards me to be genuine, not because you are getting over Bane."
I nodded, hiccuping. He was right, I needed to sort myself out, it feels like it's going to take a long time before I am ready to devote myself to Raul but I know he will support me in everything I need to do.
