I saw The Dark Knight Rises again! It was great to be able to pay more attention to the actual characters than the whole story. I also enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time! Enjoy this chapter!
Bane had already left when Scarlett woke up. The night before, after a few moments of doubt she had climbed into bed with him, her back towards him. He hadn't touched her that night and Scarlett felt terrible.
She had strawberries for breakfast, picking them up with her hands because her left hand wouldn't cooperate with her. The strawberries were delicious and sweet, just like her revenge on Devina had been.
It was too big of a risk to visit Bruce again. She decided to wait at least another week before she could see him. It would be too prominent if she visited him often. Bane had spies around the prison keeping an eye on her, she couldn't risk it. However Bane wasn't the only one who had spies, Scarlett had one of her own.
To be honest Scarlett didn't know where Bane went every day, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to know what he did everyday. There was little for her to do around the prison. When the doctor had asked if she needed something she had asked for books or anything else to keep her busy. An hour later the doctor had brought her a pile of books and she started reading them immediately. She got lost in new worlds and for a moment she forgot Bane and Bruce.
Again dinner was an absolute horror, Scarlett was simply not able to cut the meat. Annoyed she threw the knife across the room. She felt like a baby again, a weak baby.
When evening came Bane still hadn't come back. Even though she would normally wait for him she went to bed, feeling exhausted and frustrated.
However because of Bane's absence she couldn't sleep, the bed felt too cold even though she was wrapped in multiple blankets. But after who knows how many hours her eyes felt heavy and she couldn't keep them open anymore.
The loud smack of an opening door woke Scarlett. She let her eyes adjust to the light and sat up. Bane sat down on a chair, the doctor immediately attending him.
Quickly Scarlett got out of bed. 'What happened?' she asked while quickly putting on a bathrobe to cover herself in the presence of the doctor and guards.
'Nothing' Bane mumbled.
Scarlett quickly examined the wound. He had a large cut along his back, but it didn't look too serious.
'I'll take it from here' she said, taking the washcloth from the doctor. She nodded that he should leave.
Gently she dabbed the cloth on the wound, it wouldn't need stitches but she decided to put some disinfectant on it, just to be sure.
The silence between them was agonizing. Scarlett knew she had to be the first one to speak up.
'I'm sorry about Devina' Scarlett apologized. She had felt content about it first, but when she saw Bane's reaction she had doubted if what she did was right.
'I know' Bane said.
He didn't flinch once when Scarlett put on the disinfectant on the wound. She wished she was as strong as he was.
'Done' Scarlett smiled faintly.
'Will you leave again tonight?' She didn't know what his plans were, but she didn't liked it when he wasn't there at night, she already had to miss him the whole day.
'Did you miss me?' Bane replied.
'Maybe' Scarlett said teasingly.
Bane had never told her precisely why he wore the mask. She had heard stories from Alex, but she never dared to ask him.
Scarlett let her hand slide across Bane's broad shoulders, massaging his sore muscles with her left hand.
Slowly the leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the spots between his mask that revealed skin. It felt good to kiss him, because of the mask she hadn't been able to kiss him like she had kissed Bruce, but this was just as good.
'Do that again' Bane said, his voice sounding demanding.
Taken by surprise Scarlett kissed him again, this time kissing the back of his neck where the huge scar ran down on his back.
Bane turned himself around and looked Scarlett in the eye, his hands on the small of her back. Like she was a doll he picked her up, his hands sliding down to her thighs, and softly put her on the bed.
It was past 10 in the morning when Scarlett woke up. To her surprise Bane was still with her. Normally he would be off early in the morning for business and he returned late in the evening. But this morning he was still here.
Scarlett slowly moved her head, making sure she didn't wake him, although she had a feeling he was already awake. She had slept the whole night on Bane's chest with his arms wrapped around her. It was the first time they had done so and if it were up to Scarlett they would do it every night.
'Morning' Scarlett smiled when she noticed that Bane was indeed awake.
Bane let go of Scarlett and softly brushed her hair with his hand, before standing up.
It was hard to contain her smile, Scarlett had never felt more alive than she did now, at least in the past months. But even though she really started to develop a bond with Bane, Bruce was always haunting her in the back of her mind. This is the man who broke him. Scarlett could nothing more than push the thought away.
'I hope I can be back early tonight' Bane told her, while he pulled on his cargo pants and bulletproof vest.
Scarlett had now also gotten out of bed, quickly putting on a bathrobe, she would get dressed later on.
'Just be careful okay' she said, before Bane walked out of the door.
'I'll try' he replied.
Walking through the hallways of the prison Scarlett noticed every eye on her. There had been a delivery which needed verification and a signature. She tried ignoring the stares, telling herself it wasn't her they were looking at.
But they were looking at her. The killer of Devina. She could read pity in their eyes, pity, fear, admiration and more fear and pity. Even Alex couldn't look her straight in the eye when she talked to her.
They are afraid of me, afraid that I might do the same to them as I did to Devina.
Scarlett, the girl who protected the innocent was not so innocent anymore. She had turned into Scarlett, the girl who killed for revenge.
As fast as she could Scarlett returned to the offices, wanting to avoid the stares. But when she almost reached the offices she turned around, suddenly really wanting to visit Bruce.
I have turned into a monster.
The word 'monster' haunted her mind. She had changed, changed for worse, changed for better, it was still undecided. But Scarlett knew she had to change back to her old self. The old Scarlett would never kill someone, especially not out of spite, for revenge. But she had killed and suddenly she was full of regret for her actions.
She did not bother with changing clothes, disguising her appearance. She wanted to see Bruce as herself, or what was left of it. To be honest she didn't really cared about being linked to Bruce anymore.
The large pit in the middle still daunted Scarlett when she entered, it was absolutely enormous.
'Bruce?' she spoke softly when she reached his cell.
It was a relief to see that Bruce's back had been healed. She had heard rumors that a prison doctor had popped his vertebrae back into place. Scarlett could not imagine how painful that must have been.
As the matter of fact, Bruce's back must've healed pretty good. He was doing push-ups on the floor besides his bed.
'How are you?' Bruce asked. He stopped doing push-ups and moved closer to the iron bars against which Scarlett was leaning.
'How are you, Bruce' Scarlett asked. Apart from being a cold blooded murderer, she was fine. But she remember herself that Bruce was in a worse situation than she was, a situation a lot worse.
'I'm fine' Bruce said, and Scarlett knew he meant it.
'You have to listen carefully' he suddenly said with a very serious tone in his voice.
Scarlett was all ears.
'I know how I can escape this place' he started.
'But I can't take you with me, you have to escape on your own'
Scarlett nodded, she knew this was coming. And to be frank so longed for the light of day, and her old life.
'I already might have a plan' she replied.
'Good' Bruce nodded. 'Once you're out I can help you, but for the escaping part, you are on your own'
Scarlett moved her hand through the iron barred cage, intertwining her hand with Bruce's, squeezing it gently.
'Tell me about your plan' Scarlett asked.
Bruce looked up, towards the pit.
Just now Scarlett noticed the details, the stones sticking out somewhat, a platform and the rope dangling from the top of the pit.
He was going to climb out of the pit.
