"Boss said they are holed up underground. Blow the door and rush them down. Any fighters; kill immediately. Everyone else round up and we'll take care of them all at once. Make it quick and easy."
They lined up across the street. A small selection of Soldiers from the Army of hell itself. Most of the mercenaries were cool and collected, they had done this a thousand times.
At the front were the newer recruits; the inmates from Blackgate. Some looked nervous, there was one that held a smile that no devil could emulate.
"Ready men?" A hand silenced any murmurs and a quick motion made them move forward quickly. "They will hear us before we get to the cafeteria if we are too loud but we don't know if they have a watch. Either way, take the door to the basement and we've got them." A round of 'yes sir's' was heard they met the door to the school with precision.
The school was quiet and they made little noise as they walked to the bolted door. Wiring a few fuses they stepped back into the other room.
"Sir, we are wired. Order?" Smith was making sure this was the order. He was never one to muck about.
"The order is to eliminate all of them. If any make it outside, they may be taken for judgment." Barsad's voice was dry, he had given this order before.
"Understood Sir. Out." Smith hung up the phone and pushed a small button.
The explosion shook everyone awake and the yelling started. Only a few shots were fired, most of them were surprised to see a large group here to kill them.
Jade had snapped awake when the explosion struck, wasted no time in grabbing Tyler, and running for the door that Blake and his crew had left from earlier.
"We can't leave them Jade!" He pulled his arm out of her hand halfway up the stairs. No sooner had he begun to jump back down the steps when he stopped dead in his tracks. "JADE! RUN!"
Turning on their heels the two took the steps as quickly as they could in the dimly lit stairwell. Yelling could be heard at the bottom of the stairs. Jade and Tyler burst through a small door and into a larger room at the back of the school.
Dashing for the back door they managed to get through it and force it closed before anyone was out of the stairwell. By the time they were banging on the door, Jade and Tyler had pushed one of the dumpsters in front of the door and locked it down.
Walking briskly back down the alley they stayed silent, neither one wanting to talk about what was going to happen to everybody down there.
Tyler was a mess; his breathing was labored, his shirt torn, and he had run out without any coat on. Jade was quietly hoping that all would be better.
"Well well well. What do we have here?" That voice.
Stopping cold Jade looked up and met eyes with the man who was a blight on the face of the earth. To his left and right there was a few of his fellow inmates. They had their weapons drawn. Jade and Tyler stopped short and heaved a breath of exasperation and anger.
"We were left out here to make sure any stragglers were taken care of." Two other walked forward; Jade and Tyler put their hands up and backed slowly against the wall, then men grabbed Tyler and dragged him forward the other two kept their guns on Jade.
"Now, we were told to take care of any stragglers. My name is, well, unimportant, but you can call me Dante, and I will be your escort."
He started to close the distance between him and Jade. Tyler struggled against his captors but they held firm. Dante stopped just in front of Jade and used one hand to hold her face gently.
"I think there will be, a slight change in plans. I told you boys if I found one…well." He jutted his head in Tyler's direction and the men dropped him to his knees.
"Please don't." Jade went to step forward but was stopped short by one of the men who had stayed with Dante.
"I'm sorry my dear. Rule number 1. There is no negotiation." He looked at his man and his hand went to his throat quickly. The gun sounded and Jade turned in time to see him drop. She could elicit no reaction. She stood there completely dumbfounded. She was snatched up by the other men while Dante led them to a small van. Jade watched helplessly as he friend lay dead in the alleyway.
The van was cold. Jade was thrust into the back with Dante and three others.
"Rule number 2 is that you do as I say, and it will hurt less." Three swift blows came to Jade's abdomen and made her gasp for air and writhe in pain on the floor of the slow moving panel van. "Do you understand me?"
Jade Glanced up from the floor and as the van turned and she was moved to one side slightly, she spit at Dante and it landed on his boots. He smiled down at her, holding his arm out against the door to steady himself, and promptly kicked her about the face and chest until she passed out in ball of blood, spit, and tears.
"Jesus…" The man driving slowed down outside of the gate and waited to be let in. The parking garage was large enough for most of the newer army to stay. The levels of the garage made it easy to partition off sections for rooms, especially when the ground floors had barricades already there.
"You were in for something less violent I assume?" Dante leaned over the seat at Nikolai.
"I just stole things. Made sure no one was ever around. I don't like getting my hands dirty if I can help." Nikolai drove the van through and parked.
"And you boys?" Dante turned and saw all of them watching the barely breathing figure that lay in a heap by the door.
"Nik is a softie. I don't know what you have in mind for her, but I'm used to my share. I was Nik's cell mate, Mr. X. They called me." X opened the back door and the other two jumped out as well and headed for the sliding door.
"Tony, and no. I was in for something," his eyes drifted over Jade's unconscious form and more than maliciousness filled his mind. "just like this."
"I love woman, plain and simple, I've been in too long to care how. Name's Colin." The other three men aided Dante in moving Jade to the far side of the parking garage, past everyone and behind a tall barrier. Dante moved a slat of wood aside revealing access to the structure underneath. He had arranged cinderblocks, blankets, pillows, wood, and anything else he could find into a home away from home away from home. Farther under the building, where no one would care to look or even hear her, they laid Jade down on a large mat.
Dante took the time to strip her to a simple tank top, but finding her underwear lacking, he changed them into something he had found in the streets, something tight and revealing. The effort made a noticeable difference and the rest of the men watched on in silent aw. They were all as excited as he was, although Dante knew that they had no idea what made him excited.
Jade was then fit with a chain, complete with 2 padlocks, around her left ankle. Water was left and a bucket.
"Let's leave her alone to wake up. It will be a few days but, I think I can break her enough that she will do as she is told to do. I have broken so many before. It should be no different now."
The four of them left. The school was cleared. No one made it out alive.
Across the city, Barsad was made aware that there were no survivors or stragglers.
"Who left from there?" Bane was leaning back in his seat listening to the rest of the report. The thieves had been caught; judgment was swift.
"A Detective within Gordon's unit. We have followed them to a building near us, we have reason to believe that is where they are housed up waiting for aid." Barsad put the file down on Bane's desk and watched as the giant of a man picked up the folder.
"Detective Blake. Interesting. With Wayne gone it seems as if people think they can just do it all themselves." Bane scratched the back of his neck, put down the paper, and picked up his tablet.
Putting in the code he watched the map update and give him the same location as yesterday. Closing the application he picked the paper back up and stood up to face Barsad.
"If they are getting help, it must come in from outside. I want to make an example. Have a mole find out when their help arrives and then we will strike. If we don't send a message then this kind of behavior will continue." Barsad nodded and left the room. Bane picked up his vest and followed suit.
The streets were quiet as he walked briskly away from the building, the opposite Barsad. Bane walked until it was dark and he was certain he was alone. Rounding another city block the library came into view. Cursing under his breath he walked up to the door to find it locked. Peering into each window he saw no signs of life. Chuckling when he spotted the makeshift housing made of book shelves, he left a camera in place in the window and one near the door. An uneasy feeling stirred in his chest and he couldn't place it.
As Bane walked back to his temporary home, his mind wandered too far and he didn't notice the tail that walked quietly behind him a ways. They spoke quietly into a walkie talkie of some kind before hiding behind an old dumpster down an alleyway.
Bane was a few blocks away from safety when a figure holding a bat stepped into the streetlight in front of him. Bane stopped, smiled, and let out a small chuckle. Cracking his knuckles he continued to approach the man but it was too late to turn once he heard the laughing.
Taking a step back and turning on his heels cost Bane precious seconds. He was outnumbered. They stuck by using bats so they would not get too close. Those that had nothing paid the dearest cost and served as a warning to the rest. Try as he might they eventually hit one of Bane's mask tubes. The hissing permeated the air and he took a knee, bringing his hands to his face in a desperate attempt to right the pain before they killed him on the street.
How could I be so careless? Why did I care so much?
"That's enough hee hee hee that's enough. Come come come come come, let me through, let me SEE HIM!" The beatings stopped and Bane had enough time to right his mask before being kicked in the face. "This was MY TOWN! Kshhhhhh hehehe and you think that because you got rid of the Bat and have a little bomb, that you can just… traipse around my city? Uninvited? Unannounced? Rude." The Joker took the nearest bat and came down hard on Bane's back and Bane took a knee.
"YOUR city?" Bane righted himself at a distance to clear the fog from his eyes and to avoid another blow. He placed his hand in his pocket and activated a homing beacon but he ended the motion with sliding his vest off as a red herring to not draw attention to its contents.
"Oh I love a good brawl." The Joker shook his hands towards Bane and a few of the militia started to come at Bane with beserker-like rage. One at a time was simple, three or four was pushing it. With more looking on ready to take the place of any that had fallen, Bane would wear out quickly if Barsad was too slow.
Do not fail me brother.
A few blocks over, a small chirping sound could be heard in every room in the apartment. Bane's men sprung up and, with Barsad leading, loaded into the elevator and began to pinpoint where their boss was exactly. As they left the building the small team dashed the few blocks hurriedly and only made it in time to scatter the Joker's militia and help Bane wipe off the sweat and blood from his face and hands. The bodies that lay about in broken piles a testament to Bane's awesome rage.
"I almost feared you would be late brother." Bane wiped off the back of his neck but decided that it would do no good as he was too saturated in fluids. He would need a shower and soap to rid himself of this awful state now. "Although sooner, would have been better."
"Apologies. RILEY! DRUMMER! I want your teams on them, NOW!" Barsad sent them off and started calling in more men while he and Bane walked with the rest back to the apartment.
"They came from the west side of the city, they used a decoy and ambushed me."
"Can I ask what you were doing out here? I'm not your mother or anything," Barsad added after Bane shot him a warning glance.
"I could not sleep. Something was bothering me and I decided to take a walk to try to cure it."
"And?" They rounded the inside of the building and headed to the elevator while a score of men walked past them and headed to meet with Riley and Drummer in search of the Joker and his cronies.
"It was unhelpful." Bane jabbed at the elevator buttons, unphased by Barsad's intense stares.
"Unhelpful. Right. So the run in with the Joker's small militia?" They stepped out of the elevator and Barsad continued to follow Bane through the apartment and into the kitchen.
"They found me, more than I found them." Bane filled a glass with water at the sink and noticed his hands were still shaking from the rush. Placing the cup down on the counter he placed his hands on the cool counter top and closed his eyes. Trying to calm his breathing and steady his hands he turned his back to Barsad.
"Affirmative, just come back. Nothing. Not a trace." Barsad stepped over towards Bane. "Why were you out there tonight Bane?"
"They must either be underground or they have safehouses throughout the city. Find out which in the morning." Bane did not even acknowledge the question.
"I will but we could have been in trouble tonight, you could have been in trouble tonight. I think I, of all people, deserve a little clue as to what was going through your head tonight? You aren't exactly Mr. Gotham, why risk it?"
:First off," Bane began, "I do not care what people think of me but I will not cower away like some leper. And second I owe you nothing Barsad." Bane exhaled deeply and watched the lines forming around the other mans mouth. "However, I believe that I, have misplaced something. I went looking for it, and became careless when I was disappointed in the results."
With a quizzical expression, Barsad followed Bane as he motioned for him to come along. Barsad walked quietly next to his behemoth brother in arms as Bane slowed his pace. They came to a stop in front of the empty bedroom and Barsad took a deep breath in while nodding his head lightly.
"I assume you tagged her?"
"Her bag. She would not go anywhere without it. However, where it was, she was not. I placed cameras but, I have this sense that she is in trouble." Bane's voice was quieter than Barsad had heard in some time. The only time emotion filled his brother too much, is when they were discussing Talia.
"She hasn't been gone long, she couldn't have gotten far. I'll keep an ear around." Barsad stood behind Bane in silence, awaiting the next order.
"I thought about what you said. I thought about it and decided that if we should find her again, I would take her with me. I do not care for discussion on the matter but, she has nothing, you were right. Maybe in her nothingness, she would accept what we have to offer. I do believe that putting aside my, disdain, for how she affects people, I believe she could be a valuable asset to the organization."
"So…we aren't going to blast Gotham off the map?" Barsad avoided the million questions that hit his mind with Bane's last comments.
"oh we are, we will just be on the other side when it does. Talia has expressed wanting to enlarge the league." Bane paused outside his door. Barsad heard the lie but refused to call the other man on it.
"I will follow you till death brother." Barsad placed a hand on Bane's shoulder and watched the large man nod him away before turning on his heal and leaving Bane with his thoughts.
Bane slept little but awoke with new vigor. He followed patrols rounding up people for judgment. He had to say and do very little to inspire fear. He watched the hopeless masses line up for food and water; simple commodities that would keep them alive for now.
He kept a sharp ear for any information regarding detective blake and the aid they were to receive, if any. If help did come, he wanted to be there personally to handle it.
The hours dragged by and Jade was no closer to breaking any piece of the lock or chain that held her. One end was welded around and through two large holes in the wall, the other end was padlocked twice to her ankle. There was little room to wiggle the chain up and down and it had already begun to ache and chafe so that stopped the endeavors on her end.
She paced, sat, rested, and tried to pace some more. When the restlessness was about to become too much, she heard someone chuckling. Steps coming closer announced she would soon have company. Glancing around she noticed anything that could have been used for a weapon had been moved just out of reach. Tossing her head over her shoulder she saw two men approach and recognized one but not the other.
Standing up, she realized she had less clothes on and was immediately put off her guard. Hesitating as they stood over her she tried to give them her most indignant look. Dante smiled and it was full of malicious intent. The other man set down two chairs and stood on Jade's other side, opposite Dante. Jade was not about to stand down however the feeling these two gave her was mind numbingly frightening.
"Rule number one, no negotiation. Rule number two, obey and it will hurt less. Now onto rule number three." Dante reached a hand out to caress Jade's face, Jade recoiled from instinct. In an instant his hand had slapped her numerous times. Her cheeks set ablaze and she wanted to move but she found herself immobile from a hand on her arm.
Tears spilled down Jade's face and her thoughts returned to the present. The swiftness of his rage threw Jade into a trance where she was in such shock, it didn't even register for her to defend herself. Once Dante stopped his assault, he loosened his grip on her arm and reached out to her waist. Scowling out of confusion Jade tried to push his hands away only to tangle her legs in the chain and fall against the other man. Her hands instinctively reached out to him, anything to get away from the man in front of her.
Tony caught Jade easily and lowered her to the ground, pushing the large chain back as he did so. Dante smiled and nodded at him and at once Tony had wrapped an arm around Jade's neck and began to choke her slowly. Panicking, Jade tried to push Tony's arm off to no avail. Dante was at once on top of Jade, riding her bucking form. Dante's hands began to wander down her form and slowly played with the hem of her shirt and then higher still his fingers brushed her stomach and Jade froze.
Toying with her hair, Tony breathed into her ears and caused her to choke and sputter in panic against his arm at her throat. The men laughed as she continued to writhe in panic and fear.
"Rule three is that you belong to me now, not that lumbering, half wit, APE that calls himself our leader." Jade's eyes went wide as Dante began to cut off the few articles of clothing she had on. "Oh yes, we know exactly who you are, and we are going to have so much fun together." He licked her face as Tony held her still. Dante tied her arms behind her back while Tony began cutting off her shirt.
"Sttt op…ppp please…" Jade was quiet as she tried to curl away from their prying hands and lecherous eyes.
"You, belong, to me." And with those words Dante ripped the last shreds of fabric from her body. Screaming, she was silenced quickly by a hand over her mouth. Dragging her writhing form to the mat, Dante wasted no time in producing a bamboo switch and began leaving angry welts up and down her thighs, feet, and stomach. The hand had been replaced with cloth balled into her mouth and bound with tape.
After what seemed like an eternity, Dante stopped his assault on her body. Arms still tied behind her, Jade lay there stunned, bruised, bloodied in some places, and in searing pain. Tears pouring down her face, she lay there in quiet submission. She knew she could not escape, that she had to wait. Her mind locked itself away and tried to help push Jade away from their mouths and hands coming down on her. She had never known a man's touch like this. She had never gone this far. Begging through a mouthful of cloth, crying over reddened cheeks, aching over bloodied thighs; she lay limp for them to have what they wanted.
Tony left quickly, smiling long after he stopped helping, the man took more pleasure in watching Dante go between violating and abusing her, than he did holding her down. After he was thoroughly spent, he nodded to Dante and walked quietly back under the wreckage to the small garage and the rest of the men; most of which were asleep.
"That wasn't so bad. Was it?" The poison in Dante's voice pierced Jade's heart and she willed herself not to move an inch. Cutting her hands free, Dante left her on the mat and wandered off to leave her in the darkness.
"If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended,…" her voice cracked as she repeated Puck's last scene in her mind. Puck had always been her favorite. The mat was soaked with her tears and various fluids but she remained still, curling into a ball, and willing the darkness away.
Bane woke with a start with the tapping on his door. Grunting them inside, the door opened and he immediately stood up.
"Talia." He went to her and held her close, reveling in the feel of her skin and scent of her hair.
"My sweet protector, where is your little pet?" Talia wrapped her arms around Bane's neck and he noticed something on her neck.
"She, became too much of a nuisance, I expect never to see her again." The lie came easily now and if Talia heard it she didn't say anything.
"I have gotten word that Detective Blake and Gordon are planning something. I don't know where they are meeting or with who but, Blake always alludes to.."
"Blake is where you are?"
"He visits Lucious on occasion, Gordon as well. When I know something I will try to get the information to you." She trailed her hands up and down Bane's arms, leaving tiny goose bumps along his forearms. He stopped her arms when she tilted her head, a faint bruise showed under her collar.
"Did you get into a fight?" Bane brushed the mark and heat rose to Talia's face.
"It still hasn't gone away?" She took out a compact and checked her neck, running her hands over the lightly bruised skin as if it would go away. "It was from the last time Wayne was here before you sent him away."
Bane scrunched his eyes up but cleared his expression before looking at Talia. She smiled sweetly at him but he realized that his heart may not be hers anymore.
"Any news?"
"None, everyone is scared. The little rabbits are all going to die as my father wanted. This city will be reborn in fire. And we will be together forever my prince." Entwining her arms around Bane's neck he held her waist gently.
"How are we to enjoy the time we have together, if we are to be no more?" Bane's fingers traced the hem of her shirt lightly.
"We enjoy the time we have before that happens." She started to kiss his neck while he stared ahead. He knew in that moment that he did not want to follow Talia in death. But his heart ached for her too, he had to try.
"What if we just left. Let these buffoons sort themselves out. We could pick a beautiful hill to watch from." Smiling with her, he nuzzled her face with his mask gently.
"I wish we could. But our final act together, must finish our work entirely."
"Who will run the league?" He was trying to get her to see reason.
"The league can take care of itself, it has for centuries."
"When you pass I am the next in line, have you picked a successor after me?" Bane's curiosity on the matter piqued. He thought any successor he certainly would have a say in.
"There are arrangements made in the event our plan is a success."
"In the event it's a success?" The surprise lit Bane's voice and Talia laughed a musical jingle before answering.
"They are trying to call in military help. I don't think Batman is coming back, correct?"
"He is taken care of. If he does return then truly we have misjudged him."
"How do you mean?"
"Escaping where I put him, he will have to dig very deep inside himself. I do not believe he can do it. I could not do it." Bane's voice trailed off and Talia understood what he meant.
"I am sure that he will not come back love."
Putting her hands on his face she kissed his cheek lightly before leaving Bane alone with his thoughts.
