Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything related to Batman. Anything that resembles the comic or the movie written by Christopher Nolan is not mine and I make no money from this. I do own any OC's and the plotline not seen in the movies or the comics. Please do not steal. Thank you.
Daniel knew he was not normal. Rather, his childhood had not been normal. Growing up in Gotham didn't seem to help things either, due to the abnormality of the city in the first place. Living through the Joker terrorizing the city, and having a man dressed as a bat try and protect it, all while being raised by a single mother, Daniel felt that he had been thrown a lot in life.
This, however, was icing on the cake.
"Danny, I want mommy and daddy," Elizabeth said from her spot next to him.
Daniel looked up from the book he was reading to see his younger sister currently stacking dominos. There wasn't much to do at the boy's home, where Blake had brought them. Elizabeth sometimes would play with some of the boys closer to her age, but mostly she stuck close to him.
"I know, Ellie, I do too," he said.
"Where are they?" she asked, her blue eyes looking up at him.
That was the question. Daniel had tried to run after his mother when she left, but was stopped by officer Blake, who insisted that he needed to stay behind and take care of his sister. Daniel had shouted and even tried to swing at the officer, but was quickly deflected and told to calm down.
"There is more going on than you know. You need to take care of your sister. You are the only one she has right now!"
Daniel had sobered up quickly after that. The officer was right. As angry as he was, he needed to put that aside and take care of his sister, who was currently lost in the situation around her. She had no idea what walked the streets of Gotham. She almost had the luxury of never knowing what life in Gotham really was like.
Almost.
"Danny, I want to go home."
Home. For the longest time, he thought Gotham was his true home. The small apartment he shared with his parents, before his father died. Even when they moved to the country, he claimed that it was not his 'real' home, much to his mother's annoyance. Bruce seemed to understand where he was coming from, at least a bit, and brought him back whenever he was given the opportunity. Strange how now, when he wasn't allowed to leave Gotham, he felt as far from home as possible.
Daniel sighed and wrapped an arm around his sister, kissing the top of her head. "Soon, Ellie. I promise. I'll make sure we get home soon."
"Will mommy and daddy be there?"
"I don't know," he said.
Elizabeth frowned, but did not respond as someone walked in.
"Everyone grab your things and head to the bus!" Father Reily said.
"Why?" a boy in the corner asked.
"We're leaving the city," the Father said, reaching over to help a boy grab his shoes.
Daniel furrowed his eyebrows and stood up, quickly grabbing his backpack before turning to his sister.
"Come on, Ellie, get your coat," he said, grabbing her backpack for her as well.
"Are we leaving?" Elizabeth said, standing up.
"We are, come on," Daniel said.
Elizabeth said nothing as she gathered her things, letting her brother help her put her coat on.
"Daniel," a voice called, causing him to look away.
"Blake, where are we going?" Daniel asked.
Blake grabbed his coat and handed it to him as he finished zipping up Elizabeth's. "We're getting on the bus and leaving Gotham," he said.
"What about my mom?" Daniel asked.
Blake's eyes darkened. "Bruce will find her, I need to get you two out of this city," he said, leading them out.
Daniel leaned down and picked up his sister, ignoring her slight cry of protest. "I can't leave without my mother, I need to find her," he said to Blake.
Blake paused before they exited the home and turned toward the teenage boy. "I'm sorry. I can only imagine how hard it is for both of you, but your mom and Bruce asked me to do one thing, and that was to make sure the two of you were safe, no matter what happened to them," he said.
Daniel frowned, his grip tightening on his sister upon realizing the truth of the matter. They were most likely about to be truly on their own.
"Danny," Elizabeth said, squirming in his arms.
Daniel muttered a small apology before turning to the bus. "I don't know what to do now," he said softly.
Blake placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, his eyes full of sympathy. "Let's just focus on this before we worry about anything else," he said.
Daniel nodded and headed toward the bus. Blake was right, he had to focus on this. If he focused on everything else, he knew he would break. He needed to be strong right now, because if his mother and Bruce were truly gone, he was the only one left. At least, the only one left for Elizabeth.
Stepping on the bus, he quickly found a seat and set his sister down, taking a minute to ensure he had everything before looking out onto the empty streets. The place he had once considered his home, his city, was now his prison that had taken everything from him. Fighting the tears that scratched at his eyes, he leaned back and looked at Elizabeth, who was looking around and confusion at the chaos around her. Shaking away his tears, he placed an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.
"We're going to be okay," he whispered. His eyes glanced up at another teenager, who was looking at him doubtfully. The truth was evident to everyone around them.
No one was going to be okay.
Bruce tried not to frown as he stared at the teenage boy next to him, his arms crossed and scowl on his face. Behind them a door closed and the principle made her way in front of them to stand behind the desk. Bruce could spot the look on her face from a mile away. Disappointment, and mild annoyance. Though, this was the first time the look was not directed at him. In high school he had spent many afternoons sitting in front of a desk like this, waiting for Alfred to show up and listen to the list of misconducts he might have done. At Princeton, he had been alone to listen to that list, which had ended with him being asked not to come back, politely of course.
He hoped this meeting would not end like that for Daniel.
"Is there anything I can get you, Mr. Wayne?" Principle Jones asked.
Bruce cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, Ma'am, I'm fine thank you," he said.
Mrs. Jones smiled and sat down in front of them before pulling out a rather thin file and placing it before her. "I want to thank you for coming in so quickly. I know Mrs. Wayne is currently occupied and this is a time sensitive matter," she said.
Bruce nodded. "Of course," he said, "what is this about?"
Mrs. Jones opened the folder and turned to Daniel, who was glaring at the floor. "Daniel, would you like to tell your father-"
"He's NOT my father," Daniel said quickly, his eyes snapping up to the principle.
Mrs. Jones pursed her lips together while Bruce kept his face impartial.
"Fine," she said, "will you tell Mr. Wayne why we're all here?"
Daniel sighed and dug his shoe into the carpet. "I got into an argument," he said.
"You were involved with a physical altercation that resulted in a student getting a black eye," Mrs. Jones said firmly.
"He started it, he was insulting me and didn't like what I had to say. He swung first, why isn't he sitting here?" Daniel hissed.
"Mr. Sanders, your behavior and reaction to the situation was completely inappropriate. There are other ways to dealing with problems than physical violence," Mrs. Jones said.
Bruce suddenly cleared his throat and raised his hand, causing Mrs. Jones and Daniel to suddenly turn toward him.
Mrs. Jones furrowed her eyebrows. "Yes, Mr. Wayne?" she asked, almost unsure.
"So, just to be clear… Danny got into a fight?" he asked.
Daniel rolled his eyes while Mrs. Jones pressed her lips together before nodding. "Yes, Mr. Wayne, he was in a fight," she said.
"Okay, just wanted to make sure I was following," he said.
Daniel sighed and turned toward the principle. "He was picking on someone, when I asked him to stop he called me Gotham trash and threw his chip bag at me. I told him he was a shithead and it escalated from there. He threw the first punch, I just threw the last," Daniel said.
"Your actions were still inappropriate, there are other ways to handle the situation," she said.
"So I'm just supposed to sit back and let him talk to people like that?"
"You could have used your words, or spoken to a teacher. Daniel, we have resources to help you deal with-"
"Excuse me," Bruce said, raising his hand once more.
Mrs. Jones sighed and turned toward him. "Mr. Wayne, there is no need to raise your hand, we are not in a classroom," she said.
"Sorry, it's been a while since I've been in one of these," Bruce said, "listen, I know Danny, and you know him fairly well based on the fact that you probably just read over his file an hour ago-"
"Mr. Wayne," Mrs. Jones started, her cheeks turning red.
"Look, I've been in his position many more times than he has. Daniel is a good kid, maybe he got a little caught up in the moment, but you and I both know, from knowing him and from his file, this is not like him. So, why don't we just be honest. He violated a school policy, and he will accept the consequences for his actions. However, as a school I would hope that you would take the opportunity to look into the matter and try and help prevent it in the future," Bruce said. "So, how are we to proceed?"
Daniel raised an eyebrow as Mrs. Jones looked a little lost for a moment, before pulling out a form. "Five days in school suspension, and the promise that he will not do it again."
Bruce nodded and turned toward Daniel, who sighed and shrugged his shoulder. "Fine."
Fifteen minutes later, the two of them were walking out of the school toward Bruce's car.
Bruce awkwardly coughed and turn toward the teenager. "Well, that wasn't too bad-"
"You really don't have to say anything, I'm sure my mother will lecture me when she gets home," Daniel said moving to rush toward the car.
Bruce sighed and gently grabbed a hold of his arm. "Danny, just wait a second," he started.
Daniel pulled his arm free and glared at the older man. "You're not my dad, don't stand there and lecture me like you are!" he snapped, moving to open the door to the car.
Bruce locked the door and stood behind him. Daniel growled when he realized the door was closed and turned toward his step-father. "Fine, whatever, lecture me. I don't care," he snapped.
"Daniel… just take a minute. Breathe," Bruce said, waiting while the boy calmed down, obviously expecting Bruce to scold him for his behavior. "You punch with your thumb on the outside, right?"
Daniel looked up at him in shock. "Of course, that's how my dad taught me," he said firmly. The memory of his dad showing him when he was a kid stuck with him, even if his dad had only been jokingly showing him.
Bruce nodded and smiled. "Well, he would be the person to teach you."
Daniel said nothing as he stared up at his mother's husband.
"Daniel… I'm not your father, but you gotta trust me when I tell you that I understand how you feel this very minute. I've been there, being talked to by a man who wasn't my father," Bruce paused, his own memories hitting him. "I'm not trying to replace him, or anything like that. I am going to look out for you, and take care of you when you need it."
"Just because you married my mom-"
"I'm going to stop you right there," Bruce said. "Do you remember the first time we met?"
Daniel frowned and shrugged. I was a kid, I guess? You were friends with my mom."
"You had kicked your soccer ball into the street, and I almost ran you over with my Ferrari," Bruce said, "Scared the shit out of your mother."
Despite his anger, Daniel smiled lightly, knowing his mother probably lectured him for hours, until she lost her voice.
"I know you and I have had an… interesting relationship, but trust me, Daniel, I'm not just looking after you because of your mother. I'm looking after you because, despite what you make think, I do care about you. I might not be your father, but you're the closest thing to a son I will get. I'm not trying to replace your dad, no one on this earth will, trust me, I know. I will, however, be what you need me to be. A friend, a stepfather, someone to cover for you so your mom doesn't know you started a fight over a girl," Bruce said.
"It wasn't just because of a girl," Daniel said quickly.
"I know, but it didn't hurt right?" Bruce said, chuckling at the look Daniel gave him. "Come on, I told you I've been in your spot. In fact… I got detention for punching a guy who dumped your mother in front of the school orchestra… or jazz band. Whatever one she was part of at the time."
"You only got a detention?" Daniel asked.
"It was a different time… and it was Gotham," Bruce said. Daniel gave a half-hearted laugh and looked down at the pavement. Bruce reached out and grasped his shoulder. "Daniel, no matter what, I'm going to look after you. If that means calling out your principle and sending in the Wayne Enterprises educational foundation to create a new anti-bullying process I will, or just not telling your mom things she doesn't need to know, I can do that too."
Daniel laughed before furrowing his eyebrows. "Are you really going to have your company get involved in my school over this?"
Bruce chuckled before unlocking the door and walking to the driver's side. "Daniel, come on, let's be realistic, they aren't going to get involved over this. I had the foundation partner with the school the moment you got in. They are just going to have a closer look at their anti-bullying program."
"Isn't that abusing your company power?" Daniel asked, sliding in the passenger seat.
Bruce sat down and shrugged. "I won't tell if you won't."
Bruce walked toward the container at the end of the alley, as he opened it, he took a quick glance over to Catwoman as her eyes lit up.
"Oh, you shouldn't have," she said walking toward the Bat-pod.
Bruce watched as she wasted no time hoping on and pressing buttons. "The mid-town tunnel's blocked by debris, but the cannons give you enough firepower to make a path for people," he said as she fiddled with the controls. "To start it you-"
The rev of the engine cut him off as she rolled the Bat-pod out of the container to stop not far in front of him. "I got it," she told him.
"We've got forty-five minutes to save this city," he told her.
"No," she said, adjusting herself on the bike, "I've got forty-five minutes to get clear of the blast radius, because you don't stand a chance against these guys."
Bruce took a step closer. "With your help, I might," he said honestly.
Selina looked up at him before shaking her head and looking down. "I'll open that tunnel," she told him before looking back up at him. "But after that, I'm gone."
"There is more to you than that," he said softly, his eyes meeting her.
For a moment, her face falls. "Sorry to keep letting you down," she said, her eyes falling.
Bruce frowned and took a step back, only stopping when Selina reached out to place a hand on his arm. "Come with me. Save yourself. You don't owe these people anymore you've given them everything..."
Bruce took a step back and shook his head. "Not everything… not yet," he paused before looking at her determinedly. "There are still those I need to protect."
Selina looked up at him, understanding in her eyes. "They might not even be alive," she admitted.
"With your help, some of them might be," he told her.
"No one has seen her, you better prepare yourself for the worst."
Bruce said nothing, but gave a slight nod and turned away, not wanting to think more about her words than he had to. He had to stay focused on the task at hand. No matter what her fate was, he had a job to do. He could worry about the rest later.
Hanna stifled a yawn as she looked over the papers in front of her. Next to them sat the pile of term papers she had yet to grade. She wasn't sure which was mocking her more.
A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump as she looked up at her husband, who smiled down and kissed the top of her head. "You're up late," he said softly.
Hanna smiled and grasped his hand. "I know, I couldn't sleep," she said.
Bruce looked down at the papers and frowned. "What are you working on?" he asked.
Hanna watched as he sat down at the table, frowning when it wobbled. "I told you we could have had the movers put it together," she said softly, taking a sip of her tea.
Bruce shot her a look as he grabbed a coaster from the table and wedged it under a leg. "It's fine, there is nothing wrong with my handiwork," he said, "what are you working on?"
Hanna chuckled and handed him a piece of paper. "I felt it was time to update it," she said.
"This is your will?" he asked after looking over it.
Hanna nodded and took another sip of her tea before placing it down. "I've been thinking a lot about it, especially with the kids getting older, I just… I wanted to make sure I'm taking care of everything. Making sure the kids are going to be okay after we're gone," she said.
Bruce looked up at his wife before reaching over and taking her hand. "They'll be okay. They are taken care of no matter what happens to us," he said.
Hanna looked up. "I know Elizabeth-"
"Both of them, and anymore who come along will be taken care of. I promise you, Hanna Wayne. Anyone living under this roof will be taken care of," he said.
Hanna smiled as she felt tears begin to form behind her eyes. "Bruce…" she said, raising his hand to press a kiss against the back of his hand. "Just when I think I can't love you any more, you say corny shit like that."
Bruce laughed and leaned over to capture her lips with his. When he broke away, he pressed his forehead against hers and smiled. "No matter what, Hanna… I will always take care of you."
Hanna frowned as she looked over the tank in front of her, watching as some of her former students began gathering supplies.
"I'm sorry, does anyone know how to drive that thing?" Hanna asked.
"Um," Lauren started, standing next to her. "Frankie can drive it. Well… he drove it here. We're hoping it will be enough to find the truck with the bomb on it."
Hanna turned toward her and crossed her arms. "And what will you do once you find it?" she asked.
Sean, who had been sitting not far from them shrugged. "Honestly, we were hoping to be in touch with Blake by now," he said.
Hanna turned back to the tumbler, her lips pressed together in concentration as she looked it over. They had a very limited time to actually get anything done, and no one knew where the actual truck was that held the bomb. Even if they did, she knew that they would only be left with a truck with a bomb, and no clue on what to do next. However, Hanna knew if they could find the one who held the trigger, maybe they could find a clue on how to get rid of it.
"Lauren! We're getting a message!" a voice called. The group suddenly turned to a young girl in front of a radio, who was busy writing down letters after listening to her headphones.
"Is she translating Morse Code?" Hanna asked.
"Amber learned it when she was a kid, communicating with her neighbor through the wall. They thought they were spies using her dad's code book," Lauren said.
Hanna raised an eyebrow. "Huh, I thought kids just used cellphones."
"It's officer Blake," Amber said, "he said that there is a tunnel that will be opening for people to get out, in mid-town. There is also an assault taking place on city hall. He wants us to stay clear."
The group all exchanged looks before turning back to the young girl. "The city is fighting back?" Frankie asked.
"It's the final push. We need to help them!" Sean said.
A couple kids agreed and stood up, only to be stopped when Hanna stepped forward. "Hold up, wait a minute," she said.
"Ms. Grey, we can't just sit back. The triggerman could press the button at any minute!" Frankie said.
"So, you're going to jump into a fight you have never prepared for? To die in a fight that you were never meant to be a part of?" she asked. The crowd was quiet as she scanned their faces, looking as they seemed almost defeated. Hanna sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Look," she started, "rushing in isn't going to help them. If we're going to help, we need to do it by hitting them where they won't be expecting. The person holding the trigger has the ability to stop this instantly, to destroy everything we're fighting for. So if we want to prevent this from happening, we have to stop the trigger holder."
Lauren frowned and stepped forward. "We don't know who it is, though. How can we stop them if we don't know who they are?"
Hanna pressed her lips together. Though she had never said she was the one holding the trigger, Hanna was fairly certain Miranda was the one who held the trigger, and if she was the one behind all of this, she was most likely at city hall.
Hanna suddenly turned and made her way to the tumbler. "They're going to be at city hall, and if the fight gets bad enough, they're going to leave. We'll follow them and I'll ask them to hand over the bomb."
"Ask?" Sean asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hanna paused and turned back to the kids. "Sure… I've been known to be fairly persuasive, when needed."
Hanna jumped up on the tumbler and scanned over the windshield. She herself had never driven it, but she remembered looking over the schematics one night when Bruce had fallen asleep with his computer on. Leaning over, she gently pressed a button to the side of the window, leaning back at the windshield opened. "There it is," she whispered.
"I didn't even know it did that," Frankie said.
Hanna stood above the seat and paused. If she stepped into this tank, she would be committing to fighting on the front line, and possibly failing. There was a fair chance she would not make it out of this fight alive. She would never see how this would end, never be able to save the students behind her, never be able to save her family. She might not be able to see her kids ever again, see them grow up. She would never see her husband again, if he was even still alive. This one moment could save it all, or help end it all.
Taking a breath she turned toward the young adults and smiled. "So… who wants to take a ride to City Hall?"
"We need to talk," Bruce said, looking over to his wife.
Hanna glanced up from her work and sighed at her husband. "Oh, you want to talk now?" she asked.
"You can't keep ignoring me," he said.
"You sure?" she asked, leaning back in her seat at the kitchen table. "Because you have no trouble just up and leaving whenever you feel like it."
Bruce sighed and leaned against the counter, wanting nothing more than to get off his knee, but not wanting to sit at the table with Hanna, who looked ready to stab him with her pen. "Hanna, that's not fair. I told you this project was going to take time," he said.
"Right, the project you said you were abandoning and then left to go take care of," she said, tossing her pen to the table, "you know, forget about the obligations you made to your family. This is more important."
"I'm sorry, okay," Bruce said, his frustration beginning to bubble up. "I'm sorry I missed Danny's game."
"It's not just the game, Bruce," Hanna said, standing up, "It's missing Elizabeth's first parent teacher night, missing Danny getting his permit, almost missing Elizabeth losing her first tooth. You're so focused on this 'project' you are missing out on moments when the kids need you. When I need you."
Bruce frowned and took a step toward her. "Hanna…"
Tears began to fill up in her eyes as she turned away from him to walk toward the kitchen sink, taking a moment to collect herself before turning to him. "I went to the doctor the other day. I, um… I had a… I had a miscarriage," she said.
Bruce felt his stomach drop as he looked at her, noting that she had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh… Sweetheart," he said, walking up to her.
"I needed you, I needed you and you were… you weren't here," she said, "Bruce… I can't have us take a step backward again. I can't continue with this back and forth."
Bruce reached up and brushed a few tears from her eyes. "Hanna, I am so sorry. I know I should have been here. I promise, there is nothing more that I want than to be here, one-hundred percent. But, I also know that I can't promise I'm never going to leave when I know that there is something left unfinished there. However," he said, smiling down at her, "If you call me, and say that you need me, I swear, with everything that I am, that I will come back. I will drop everything to be there for you."
Hanna met his gaze and grasped his hand. "Don't promise things you can't keep," she said.
Bruce leaned down and captured her lips with his, pulling away and pressed his lips to her forehead. "No matter what, Hanna Wayne," he said softly, "If you need me, I will come back to you."
Pain racked his body as his fist flew forward, striking the masked man in front him. All his frustration was coming to a head. From being broken and sent to a prison, from being forced to watch his city burn, from being forced away from his family, from his children, from his wife.
He swung again, the force of the punch causing the mercenary to fly back into the doors of city hall, and pushing him into the building. Looking down at Bane, he delivered a quick kick to the man's side and turned toward a mercenary coming at him with a shotgun. After taking him out, he grabbed the shotgun and turned to see Miranda staring at him. He tossed her the gun and turned back to Bane.
"Guard the door," he told her before walking back to Bane, who was trying to fix his mask.
"Where is the trigger?" Bruce screamed, staring down at him. "Where is it? You'd never give it to an ordinary citizen."
Again, his frustration came at full force as he grabbed him and threw him around, asking him over and over, "Where is it?"
Where was the trigger?
Where was the bomb?
Where was his family?
Where was Elizabeth? Danny?
Where was Hanna?
His fist flew again as he stared down at the man, who was staring up at him in disbelief. He took a hold of his jacket and pulled him up.
"Tell me where the trigger is. Then," he said, leaning toward him, "You have my permission to die."
Bane began to wheeze as he stared up at Bruce. "I broke you. How have you come back?"
"You think you are the only one who could find the strength to escape? Where is the trigger?"
Bane looked at him confused, before speaking softly. "But I never escaped."
Bruce furrowed his eyebrows behind his cowl, his eyes searching for the lie. "But the child… the child of Ra's Al Ghul made the climb."
"But he is not the child of Ra's Al Ghul," he heard before feeling a sharp pain in his side. The force of the knife forced him to turn to the side, where he was met with the cold eyes of Miranda Tate. "I am."
A gasp of shock escaped him as she continued. "And though I am not 'ordinary', I am a citizen," she said.
Bruce continued to stare at her in disbelief. He had accepted her help and practically delivered his company to her. He had given her clearance to his weapons. She knew who he was, from his company to his family. And he handed it to her on a silver plate.
"Miranda," he gasped, the knife in his side radiating pain throughout his body. "Why?"
"Talia," she said firmly. "My mother named me Talia, before she was killed. The way I would have been killed, if not for my protector. Bane."
She paused as she reached over to begin to fix his mask. Her eyes soft before turning back to Bruce. "I climbed out of the pit. I found my father… and brought him back to exact terrible vengeance. But by that time, the prisoners and doctor had done their work to my friend. My protector. The League took us in. Trained us... But my father could not accept Bane."
Talia paused as she finished fixing his mask, her mind lost in a memory. "He saw only a monster who could never be tamed. Whose very existence was a reminder of the hell he'd left his wife to die in. He excommunicated Bane from the League of Shadows. His only crime was that he loved me. I could not truly forgive my father," she paused before turning toward him. "Until you murdered him."
Bruce frowned as Bane stood and walked away from the two of them. "He was trying to kill millions of innocent people," he said.
"'Innocent' is a strong word to throw around Gotham, Bruce. I honor my father by finishing his work. Vengeance against the man who killed him is simply a reward for my patience," she said before twisting the knife slightly. Behind him, Bane began to string rope around his neck and pull him toward the mercenary.
"You see," Talia continues, moving with him. "it's the slow knife...the knife that takes its time, the knife that waits years without forgetting, then slips quietly between bones...that's the knife that cuts deepest."
Talia pressed the button, pausing for a minute before looking at the trigger in confusion.
"Maybe your knife," Bruce started, "was too slow."
Talia glared down at him as mercenaries informed her the truck was under attack. She turned back to Bruce, her eyes cold. "Not slow enough for Hanna," she said softly. "It's a shame you weren't able to save her, though you did buy Gotham eleven minutes."
In an instant, his stomach felt heavy, and his breath became shallow, though he could not tell if that was from the knife being removed, or the news he was just given. He didn't hear he give orders, but he heard her speak, and in another moment, she was looking down at him.
"Hanna," he gasped.
Talia smirked as she stared down at him, knowing that was the one thing that had gotten to him. "I should thank you. If you hadn't introduced me to her as your wife, I would have never known to use her against you. She might have been able to hide the child from us, but it was worth watching her suffer," she said. Talia suddenly reached forward and grasped his chin. "My only regret, is that Elizabeth wasn't able to see her mother beg for her life at the end."
Rage began to bubble in his chest. She was gone. Hanna. His wife. His best friend. She was dead. He could not save her.
Bane gave him no chance to reply as he tightened the grip on the rope around his neck.
"Don't kill him yet. I want him to feel the heat. Feel the fire of twelve million souls you failed." She then turned to Bane and gently stroked his face. "Goodbye my friend."
Bruce clenched his fist as he watched her turn and leave, his mind racing.
He needed to get out.
He needed to save the city.
He needed to save his family.
He couldn't save Hanna.
Hanna was dead.
Hanna.
"We both know I need to kill you now," Bane said, interrupting his thoughts. His foot then met his back, and Bruce found himself on the floor, looking up at the mercenary as he pointed the shotgun at him. "You'll just have to imagine the fire."
A loud band erupted through the hall, and Bane was suddenly blasted back. The moment of shock passed as Bruce glanced over to the gaping hole in the wall, where Selina Kyle sat with the Bat-pod.
"About the whole… no-guns thing," she started before lifting her goggles. "I'm not sure I feel as strongly about it as you do."
Bruce sighed as he began to pull the rope away from his neck, the pain in his side being replaced with adrenaline.
"I need you on the ground, me in the air, we have to force that convoy east, to the entrance to the reactor," he said, throwing the rope to the side.
"Are you okay?" Selina asked.
"We need to focus on the city, everything else will come later," he told her, walking out the doors.
He wasted no time in getting in his vehicle and getting to the air, finding the truck with little effort.
"You have ten minutes to get that core to the reactor," Fox's voice called, causing him to maneuver the bat low. Three tumblers surrounded the truck, and he wasted little time getting rid of one, while Catwoman came around the corner just in time to get rid of another. Using his machine gun, he tried his best to help steer the truck to where he needed, succeeding partially before another two tumblers came out to brush him and Catwoman away.
"Shit," he hissed, quickly moving away from them as they shot at the two of them. They were soon going to be shot down if they didn't think of something soon.
A loud explosion echoed through the street, and suddenly the two tumblers were gone, leaving only one to take care of. His eyes cut to the alley, where he swore another Tumbler swerved away, but was only able to focus on it for a moment before seeing several missiles being shot at him.
Swerving around the buildings surrounding him, he turned and twisted in an effort to lose them, taking a last-minute turn to have them smash into the last Tumbler.
"We need to turn them now," Bruce said, swinging around to shoot at the truck, trying to force it away toward the reactor. In his effort, or perhaps his rage, he shot the truck until it fell from the bridge to a lower level, causing the truck to suddenly stop in it's track. Flying down, he landed the Bat and jumped out just in time to see Catwoman walk toward the truck, and Gordon jump out the back.
"Give me a hand!" he said, calling Batman to help him pull it out the back. Once they cracked the back, Gordon turned toward the vigilante. "We're almost there!"
The group paused as they heard laughter from the cab, causing them to walk up to Talia, who was half lying out of the truck.
"Fox showed me how to operate the reactor core. Including the emergency flood. There is no way to stop this bomb. Prepare yourselves," she said before turning to Bruce. "My father's work is done."
A weight settled in the pit of his stomach, her words settling before he turned to the Bat. As he stepped forward, he heard the rumble to a tank, causing him to turn around and be face to face with another Tumbler, it's guns pointed at them.
"Crap," Catwoman said, her eyes jumping from the tumbler to the bat pod. Bruce's own mind was racing, he had mere minutes to get this bomb out of here, and he was stuck between a bomb and a-
In an instant, the tumbler was in flames as another tumbler rolled around it sloppily, stopping a mere inches from the bat pod. The trio looking at in in confusion before the top opened, and a brunette woman popped out the top.
"Shit," she hissed, sliding down to the asphalt, tipping before catching herself last minute.
"Hanna," Bruce said, the name catching in his throat. His feet moved forward of their own accord, and he found himself practically jogging toward her.
Hanna glanced over, her eyes meeting his. Instantly, tears began falling down her cheeks as she ran toward him, using her strength to throw herself into his arms. Despite the firmness of his armor, she could not deny that she practically melted in his arms.
"I thought you were dead. Oh god, I thought you were dead," she whispered.
Bruce closed his eyes, trying not to focus too much on the fact that she was scrapped up and bruised all over. Instead, he took a second to hold her, his chest aching, and his stomach trying to crawl its way out of him as he realized what he had to do next.
"Hey! We have an issue over here!" Catwoman called, causing the couple to break away. "This thing is about to blow, and we have no reactor to put it in."
Bruce looked back at Hanna, and frowned. "Hanna… I'm sorry," he said.
Hanna furrowed her eyebrows and stared up at him. "What?"
Bruce gave no answer as he sprinted toward the Bat and grabbed a hoist before pulling it over to the core, the rest of them watching.
"What're you doing?" Gordon asked, following him.
"I have three minutes, I can fly it out over the bay," he explained.
Catwoman stood next to him as he worked. "Rig it out to fly over the water and bail?" she asked.
Bruce paused before turning toward her. "No autopilot," he said.
"What?" Hanna asked, her eyes growing wide as he gently grasped her arm and pulled her to the Bat.
"Hanna, I… I'm so sorry. This isn't how I thought we would… I…" he trailed off, looking down at his wife. Her face became deathly white as she reached for him, her eyes lost as she realized what he was saying.
"No… no, no, no, no, no, I just found you. I just got you back! No, no, I can't… you can't leave me," she said, her voice breaking as she grasped him.
"Hanna," he said, dropping his Batman persona completely. "If there was any other way, I would. I need to stop this. I need to save you, Danny, Elizabeth, Gotham. I need to save you. I need you to be there for our kids. I'm so sorry, sweetheart, I'm so sorry."
Hanna's lips quivered as he leaned down and met her in a kiss. His lips firm as he grasped her before pulling away and kissing her forehead.
"I love you," Hanna said.
Bruce smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "It was always you, Hanna. I just couldn't see it. It was always you. Remember that, when I'm gone," he said, leaning down for one more kiss. "I love you."
Bruce pulled away, trying to ignore the way his chest became heavy as he watched Hanna almost fall to the ground. Had it not been for Catwoman, she probably would have. Pushing the tears to the side, he made his way into the Bat and began to brace himself.
Gordon walked up, breaking him from his thoughts. "So this is the part where you vanish, only this time you don't come back?" he asked, frowning when Bruce ignored him. Suddenly, he placed a hand on his arm and leaned in. "I never cared who you were…"
"And you were right," Bruce said.
"But shouldn't the people know the hero who saved them?" Gordon asked.
"A hero can be anyone. That was always the point," Bruce said, his gaze meeting the commissioner for the first time. "Anyone. A man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a little boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hadn't ended."
There was a beat before he pulled away and closed the canopy, his eyes looking out to see Hanna. His Hanna. She had fallen to the ground, her eyes looking up, with tears staining her cheeks. Suddenly, she gave a weak smile and nodded, as if telling him to do what he had to do. Clenching his fist, he flew away, his mind trying to focus on getting the bomb as far away as possible.
Flying through the city, his mind spun trying to make sense of the thousand thoughts and pictures going through his head. The first memory of him with his parents. The first time he met Rachel and Hanna. The three of them playing in Wayne Manor. His parent's death. His parent's funeral. Rachel and Hanna consoling him through it. His first kiss. His first night with Hanna. His travels through the world. His return as Batman. Rachel. Her kiss with him. Her death. Hanna. The moment they kissed. The moment he knew he fell in love with her. The nights they shared. Her broken look at finding out who he was. Hanna coming back, sharing the news of her being pregnant. Him moving away from Gotham to a new start. To a new family. To the woman he realized he was ready to spend the rest of his life with. To his daughter.
"Elizabeth…" he said softly, picturing her bright blue eyes and smile. At that moment, tears began to fall. He remembered holding her when she was born, and swearing, without hesitation, that he would always be there for her. That she would never feel abandoned or alone. That he would walk with her through any trial or issue she had. That he would watch her grow, and protect her. Yet now, he was going to break that vow on all accounts but one.
Pushing away the regret, he gazed out into the sun rising over the bay, his heart heavy, with a smile on his face. No matter what, he was going to save them. All of them. He would protect the family he had fought to build, just as he knew his parents would have done for him.
With that, he knew, without a doubt in his mind, this would not be the end. He would live on through them. His legacy would continue, even when he was gone.
AN: This part was a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. I feel like I rushed the last scene a little with the chase, but I think the rushed aspect of it works for the most part. Man, I can't believe we're practically at the end. I won't lie, I teared up a bit writing this.
Hopefully the middle parts didn't pull everyone from the story too much, I felt they were important to try and drive emotion into the story, and I think they did okay.
Thank you all again for the support, and reviews, PMS, and all. I'm very thankful for everyone sticking through with me. Even if we're almost at the end, I am very excited to see it through. We're so close to Hanna's ending, and seeing where this story will leave her. I might actually cry. Though from sadness or relief I'm not sure.
Till next time, Lovies!