X.

Breath of Spring

The sound of the heater softly spewing out heat was the only sound that filled the room. Lily lay back on her single bed quietly and comfortably, wrapped up in a thin blanket and her black coat-jacket. Sleep had finally found her after Barsad had left her alone; her hands pressed in-between her knees, keeping her cold fingers warmed, she let out a deep breath and felt some semblance of contentment as she lay there. She didn't know how long had passed as she slept but she was awakened when she felt a shadow loom over her grey face. Her eyes opened slowly and a gasp escaped her parted lips as she beheld Bane. His features silhouetted by the hanging light bulb that burned behind his head as he looked down on her. A flashback hit Lily like a brick to her temple; she had been here before, lying completely helpless beneath Bane's quiet shadow.

She yipped and bolted up, gathering the blanket around herself to maintain some dignity. When she glanced up he shook his head and placed a huge hand on her shoulder softly; Lily watched the large man move out of the glare of the light and drag the chair over from her little desk and perch on it grandly like some massive rare bird. Lily couldn't look away from the legs of the chair; wondering how such thin pillars could support such a gigantean patron. When finally she looked at him he was watching her; his expression as always was completely bereft of anything to her.

They sat like that for a long while; an uncomfortable, squirming silence on Lily's part. On Bane's; Lily knew not, but he was looking at her as if he would see her unravelled. She opened her mouth to speak, but when her eyes flicked over to him she thought better of it and waited for him to speak. But he never did.

Leaning forward, Bane reached out a hand towards her. Lily immediately scuttled back away from him, leaving his hand hovering between them; her eyes were dark and hard as she watched him and his eyes dart up to her face. He pulled his hand back and rested it on his knee, lazily he inclined his head and regarded her carefully; it always did seem like he anticipated what she would do, how she would react was always nothing less than what he expected, but his actions were always a mystery to Lily. When his hand was safely on his own person, Lily moved back to her previous position, quietly, carefully, her eyes always checking over at Bane to see if he'd stop her.

While she was busy bustling back into the middle of the bed Lily didn't see Bane, swift as a striking adder, reach out his hand again. With a yelp of fright she felt herself being thrown back only a jerk as Bane's hand covered her chest; his index finger was pressed gently against her throat. Her breath died in her gorge and he felt it contract, her pulse quickening with fright. She clasped the blanket around her, closing her eyes against the terror.

"Breathe."

Bane commanded. His voice drowned out the sound of the heater. Gradually Lily opened her eyes and looked at him curiously. Patiently he was waiting for her to obey him; her breath still stalled in her throat, he knew she was holding it out of discomfort. He didn't order her again; he knew she'd need to breathe eventually. So Lily did as she was bidden and released the trembling breath she had been holding, watching Bane all the time she allowed her chest to unknot. When she had done as she was told she raised an eyebrow for him to remove his hand, but he only watched her more closely, clearly waiting for her to take another breath. With a frown Lily breathed in and saw Bane's slit eyebrow rise;

"Not ragged. You seem much better." He ruled as he withdrew his hand.

Lily's discomfort didn't diminish, her chest felt scolded like she had sunburn. She collected up the blanket in her fists and dragged the material up to her chin and eyed Bane from behind her protective wall of knees, fists and fabric and saw his eyes narrow.

"Do I frighten you?"

"Is that a trick question?" Lily asked incredulously and rudely. "You're a big guy..."

She sucked on the inside of her cheek and averted her eyes. Turning them back on Bane she shrugged and shook her head;

"Haven't you found that you frighten most people?"

"Yes."

There came his reply with a short nod of his head. Lily observed as he absently looked around the room, his eyes stopping only on the desk for a short moment before he looked back at Lily. Sitting forward, Lily pulled the blanket away from her mouth and asked softly,

"When can I go outside?"

"You pine for your old torment?" He counter-questioned.

Lily frowned, she hadn't thought about it like that. With a shrug of her shoulders she said,

"No...it's just been so long. I feel like I'm going crazy down here."

There was a pause as Bane seemed to weigh up her argument. With a jerk of his head, he motioned with a hand,

"Soon. It will be very soon." He promised, "Now that you are less ill you can walk among the others again."

"Thanks," She whispered grudgingly.

"Malcontent? Be patient. Soon you will have all that you could ever want."

Lily felt her eyes narrow as she looked at him. With cock of one of her dark brows she scoffed,

"All I ever wanted? Why would you give me that?"

"It is in my gift to give." He explained.

Lily felt her stomach clench when he outstretched his hand again and ran one of his rough fingers down her face very, very gently, so gentle it felt like a feather ghosting her skin, just past her eye and below where her eyebrow ended. He didn't look at her as he added,

"Some are born with nothing. Some amount to nothing. We will change that."

His eyes locked with hers and he moved closer, his hand withdrawn again.

"You will be an example to the ones who shall be punished."

"P-punished?" Lily blinked.

He nodded.

"The last of the decadent will be ushered out into the cold and you will be led into the warmth. You will never be cold again, I promise."

"Why are you doing this?" She stuttered; she was confused at the intensity of him.

His brows came together in a pert frown at the question. Lily searched his strange face and found her eyes drawn to the mask that snarled mechanically at her then back to his eyes which always looked upon her.

"Because it is time."

He stated simply and flatly. She watched him rise to his great height and gaze down at her.

"In time you will see. Be patient." He said again.

In silence Lily watched him turn and begin to leave when she leaned in his direction and started,

"Wait, Bane..."

He turned, languidly with a hand on the handle of the door; he looked at her as if she were nothing but a shadow on the wall; interesting, but something which did not interest him personally. She gaped, her throat closing at the indifference in his eyes. She was going to tell him that she thought he was wrong, Gotham could not be liberated from corruption, evil and decadence. That she wanted to go now, to leave the sewers. But looking upon that apathy she knew that he couldn't care less what she thought and he would snap her neck to keep her silent until he was ready to unleash himself on his unsuspecting victims in Gotham. Lily realised then that it was safer to bob along with Bane's plans than to oppose them; she merely nodded and smiled weakly at him; hating him inside for making her feel so damned weak and dependent on him.

"Thank you..." She improvised, "I'm grateful for what you've done for me. You didn't have to."

She swallowed while he eyed her,

"You're right, I didn't." He countered dangerously.

Lily watched him leave and felt a shiver run down her back. He knew that her gratitude was forced; she thought Bane had enough insight to know that she roundly hated him. Her chest tightened with panic when she thought he may yet kill her one day for that unnatural appreciation.