DISCLAIMER: Nope, don't own it.

WARNINGS: language, violence

A'N: Hey guys! I appreciate your reading my story. Shoutout to AkatsukiMercy1515 for the follow! And thank you to everyone else for well...everything else :) Cookies to those who review!

JEZIBEL

All I have to do is sit and watch, I can get through this. If that moron would hurry up with the camera, my mind would be more at ease. I told him to get it for me to watch for myself what all will take place, I have to make sure that they do it right otherwise, my plan will fail, and all of these years of waiting will be for nothing,

I felt something hovering behind me. Knowing the presence I said, "Did you get it? Did you see them?"

Jared emerged from the shadows, "I got the camera and I found them chatting on the dance floor. I don't think they know what they're up against."

I laughed. "They know a lot more than they let on...they're good at hiding things. As far as my involvement, no, I don't think they know. But, I'm sure they've found out what I wanted them to find out. We will see. What have the other idiots been up to? I can't have them wandering about and making messes everywhere or they will blow the cover. I need them under control and to believe everything I say."

"Well, they're getting antsy. I think the Joker is getting suspicious about what we're doing, but then other times he just looks like he doesn't care...I'm not fooled, I know he's smarter than he seems. The others are too overwhelmed with power to even take a second glance in our direction but they still want to get out of hiding underground...it's going to be a long week."

Damn it. I knew it couldn't last forever but I shouldn't have let the Joker join my fake entourage in the first place. He'll know everything by the time my plan is finished...maybe I can make this into a good thing. I could conspire with him and give him a fake story to make him seem like he's in on my secret, just long enough to get my revenge. Then he can kill me for all I care. I pondered the mysteries of how I was going to fit Joker in all this when Jared coughed, interrupting my train of thought.

"We need to get ready, they're going to be here soon."

I looked around. "Where is Bane?"

His face turned to stone, bracing himself for impact. "About that-"

"About that? There is no 'about that', he should be here. Now."

"There's going to be no time to find him before Bruce and Myla get here."

He was supposed to be here. Jared will pay after this. I don't give orders so he can ignore them. Before I could wreak vengeance on Jared, Bane walked over stomping the ground, making it shake underneath us.

"I'm here." He growled. He was large, tall, and masculine. I couldn't help but gaze upon every inch of him in approval. He was just the person I was looking for. I smiled as he came closer.

"Bane my old friend. I've missed you. Where have you been lurking?"

He chuckled. "Right where you put me: in the sewers with the rest of your pawns."

Honestly I think he was the only person I truly missed anymore. Everyone else played games, created grudges, or were dead. I remember the day I met him as clear as yesterday...

I was crawling down the streets, mourning the loss of my sister and brother.

How could Bruce do this to me? How could he just kill the small parts of our family like that? He acted as if they meant nothing!

Then, as I was crawling by a store, there was Bane. He had just robbed a store when he noticed me. I'm not sure if he knew why he was so drawn to me, but he picked me up, drenched in tears and dirt, and he tossed me into a stolen taxi to go live with him.

Naturally, I didn't want to go live with someone else when one adoptive parent had failed me so I tried to fight my way out. At that point, I wasn't even angry with Bruce anymore. I just wanted him to hold me and shush me into a deep submission where I could forget everything that had happened in the last 24 hours.

I fought so hard but Bane had me by the scruff of the neck and threatened to choke me to death if I screamed.

We finally got to this average looking apartment building that reminded me a lot of the one I shared with my mother.

I had already sobbed every last tear in my body and had nothing left. I felt like everything I once was, had vanished into thin air. I just felt empty and drained. Dead inside.

Bane picked me up and brought me inside his apartment. To this day, I never knew how he could afford to live in such a normal place without getting thrown in jail.

He pointed my way around the large apartment then sat me down and asked me what my story was. I don't know what came over me or why this stranger was so intriguing to me, but I told him everything. I told him about Bruce, Myla, my siblings, and my mother.

"So you're an orphan?" I remember him saying. Orphan. That word made me dizzy. I will never have any family. None at all. I will forever be the person that has no family. And all of a sudden the anger rose back in me and I hated Bruce all over again.

"Yeah," I whispered. "I'm an orphan." It was then that I realized that I had been given a Saint to help me. In the end, he's the genius. He helped me figure small things out at first like going to the grocery store and not puking every time I saw a family, or crying for hours on end. Then, finally, he helped me restore my former self by making a plan to get what I deserved. Revenge.

I can't believe that I'm thinking about all of these things but the one horrible thing that sticks out the most is: Bruce Wayne never came looking for me.

"Well, I've missed you all the same." I grinned. "Someday, we must meet when we are not doing business."

Jared looked shocked at how normal and calm this conversation was. I don't think he has ever seen me when I am comfortable around people. But, of course, Bane is the only one who i would ever talk to like this.

I sobered up from my happy place and started to prepare for what was going to happen.

"Bane. You're covering Jared. All you have to do is stand there. I would've had more people to defend but then it would let Bruce on to what we know about his secret identity. I have no doubt that you will be sufficient for what we're trying to accomplish."

He nodded. "Will do. Where will you be, Jez?"

"I'll be behind the tapestry, they can't know that I'm here. I just want to make sure that this doesn't get messed up.

I had the perfect hiding place. there were four purple tapestries coming out about 2 feet from the wall. They were beautiful and made with shield's holding a family crest. I could admire them for longer if the situation weren't so urgent.

I quickly ran behind one as I heard footsteps climbing up the stairs. Hiding made me feel like a child again. It made me think of playing hide and seek with my sister. I missed those times.

I was snapped out of my revery by voices. "I'm glad you showed up, I was starting to worry." I heard Jared say.

"Well, we wouldn't want that now would we?" I heard the voice and I wanted to fall over. I felt sick, my heart couldn't take this. His voice was all the memories flooding back to me. All the times he consoled me or loved me...

"Whatcha readin' there, kid?" Bruce asked.

I held up Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. "Just a light read."

He laughed hysterically at that. "Do you know what normal kids read at your age? That is not a light read. I'm glad you're not like most kids your age, it would take most of my amusement away." He smiled kindly.

"Well, I hate this book, anyway. Maybe I should read easier books."

That seemed to surprise him. "Well, most women usually find it romantic. Why do you hate it?"

"First of all, what is romantic about two people who love each other and die in the end? What is sentimental about two families killing each other about something that happened so long ago that no one remembers it? This book has no happy ending and I despise that." I shook my head.

His eyebrows were still raised. "I agree but I don't think that Shakespeare meant it to be romantic either. Rather than a moral, I think he wanted to send a message instead. The message in the story is that everyone does stupid things for the people they love. We are so blinded by what we care about that we fight anyone standing in our way, poison ourselves, kill ourselves, kill other people, and do tremendously stupid things. But, that isn't where we go wrong. Everyone is stuck doing stupid things and we can't control that. Shakespeare tells the story of what happens when we don't pair love with forgiveness."

"But how do you forgive someone who just killed a person you love?"

"That's the question and why forgiveness is so rare. It requires a great spiritual journey of self to do it but when it happens, the cycle is broken and everything is forgotten so we can move on."

Tears were dragging down my face. No. I couldn't do this. He killed my family...he killed my family...he killed my family...