Disclaimer: Ya'll know the drill.

A/N: Here's an update. Almost to the end of this tale. I'm so excited. Will be leaving for 18 months as of this Dec, so it's my goal to be done before then. Read and review please! I made it a longer one this time! ;D

~Afrika

Chapter 14: Hope Returns

Kenny's POV

The snow had finally stopped falling and they stood in the rare sunshine on a side street in downtown. Kenny and Gordon were doing recon on the trucks, trying to figure out a way to identify the bomb truck from the dummies. Gordon had filled her in on everything that'd had happened during her absence and she'd done likewise. He of course figured out immediately what had happened to her in the sewers, despiteże omitting it from her tale. After all, he was her father in all but blood.

"So." Gordon scratched his head in bewilderment. "You... and Bane..." He couldn't even seem to put it into words. Kenny rolled her eyes at the ex-commissioner.

"Yes, Gordon," she giggled at his expense, "we did. And I WAS the instigator." The older man coughed uncomfortably. Kenny's giggles become full blown laughter. "At least you're figured that out unlike my clueless brother." She said calming to a chuckle. "That idiot totally misses everything unless I tell him straight up." Gordon shook his in exasperation at the young woman.

Gordon's POV

"You're somethin' else Kenny." He said. She smirked and gave him a hug.

"Tell me something I don't already know, pops." She teased. He laughed at her antics.

'Only a woman like Kenny could possibly joke around like this during an urban war.' He thought. They separated and he kissed her forehead like the father he was.

"Its hard for me to swallow, but I know you well enough to see I'd be stupid if I didn't accept your decision."

"And don't forget it geezer!" She quipped back with a wink.

"Ah, but don't get cheeky with me, girly." He teased with a roll of his eyes.

"Aye aye!" She mock saluted.

Kenny's POV

They spent a while in muffled silence in the winter land suburbia, tall grey buildings looming around them. The streets were eerily vacant of life as everyone stayed indoors; as was normal for the past few months. She braced against the cold as the wind picked up, chilling her bones despite her thick coat. She wished even more that Bane was with her; he'd block the wind and hold her to keep her warm.

She missed him.

They had less than a week to finish prepping for D-day, for her to finalize the game plan to save Bane. She could feel the pressure mounting.

"so little time left..." She murmured. Gordon sighed.

"but we can't let that stop us."

"I know..."

"..." He couldn't find anything to say to her after that.

Just then, one of the trucks rumbled by, making Kenny duck behind a dumpster. Gordon assumed an inconspicuous ruse of digging through the trash. He pretended to walk across the street with one of the garbage bags, tagging the underside of the back bumper with a tracker provided by Fox. The vehicle passed without incident, allowing them both to finally let themselves breathe easy again.

"Getting the signal?" She asked. He nodded, pulling out the handheld tracker console. The truck was now marked with a flashing bat symbol that showed then truck's location in real time. This was the last one they needed to tag.

"Yup. I got 'er." He replied triumphantly. Kenny fist pumped.

"Now it's just down to getting the cops out from the underground so we can have the stand off." She mused eagerly. The young woman could feel the mounting excitement within her, and Gordon took it upon himself to put a calming hand on her shoulder; before she went to far.

"Yes, it is." He frowned, "But you still have to figure out a way to get away with Bane, WITHOUT getting jumped by either side."

"... nothing's coming to me at the moment..." She grumbled. "But not even wild horses could stop me from saving him." She finished with a growl.

"That's the spirit." the ex-commissioner agreed softly. She grinned at him again, Then waved farewell.

She slipped from street to street, back to John's apartment to plan.

They were caught!

'Dammit!' Kenny grumbled. She'd only escaped the people's court because she'd been laying low to keep anyone from recognizing her. She had to go ahead with the plans without her cavalry. Those poor-stupid agents! They'd caused it.

So here she was, in John's apartment, waiting for him to come back so they could go blow the tunnels to free the cops. They'd got the message to everyone, and all were ready to march on the town hall at dawn.

Kenny was just about to run out and look for her brother, when he stumbled thru the door, a mess of jumbling keys and snow covered coat. She ran to help him shed the wet garment, and hung it by the fire she'd recently started to dry.

"There's no way to get them out of the court house." He rumbled angrily. Kenny felt her guy twist. however, she held in the impeding sob-fest. She had to stay focused.

"Then we have to be sure it wasn't in vain." Was her reply. He nodded grimly, following her lead in pushing his feelings aside.

"So, ready to go?" He asked. She smiled wryly.

"Locked and loaded." She replied, brandishing a pack filled with side arms and ammo. "It pays to be KIA." She said in answer to his unspoken inquiry. He rolled his eyes at her overly smug smirk.

"... I'll go grab my other coat."

They were pulling up John's partner, when a big mercenary and his cronies ambushed them. Kenny struggled fiercely as the man dropped a grenade down the manhole, the explosion killing John's partner and other. She tried to ignore the horror at their screaming.

"YOU A**HOLE!" she shrieked over John's angry shouts. The man only orded his men disarm them and then dragged the siblings to a lowered ramp where they were going to be beaten to death. John swung, and missed, getting clocked in retaliation. Kenny was about to continue yelling her abuse at the men, when cold metal rested on her temple. She froze.

John's POV

"NO!" He grunted, trying to free himself to save Kenny. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights; her grey eyes bright with terror. "Please!" He begged, "Leave her alone! You want me! Not her! Me!" He stupidly kept going, knowing that it was futile, but not willing to not try.

"Goodbye." The mercenary monotoned, going to pull the trigger, when a familiar shadow dropped on him. John didn't wait to see who it was, he only dived for Kenny. He shoved her behind him and they took on the goons, back to back.

It wasn't until they were all down that the duo looked closer at their savior.

"Batman!" Kenny cried in shock. John gaped.

He was actually here, in Gotham.

Hope had returned.

Kenny's POV

Kenny whooped as their Dark Knight blew the walls down, releasing the trapped cops from their prison. As they flowed out, John spoke to him. Kenny was about to ask him about his arrival herself, when a chilling thought stilled her.

'Now Batman would have to be convinced about sparing Bane... No!' she debated inwardly, 'There's not enough time for that. I'll just have to get to Bane before he does.'

"Easier said then done." She mumbled to herself.