Thanks for all the reviews guys :) I hope you like this one, it has a surprise at the end...

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The crowd went crazy, loudly cheering, but everything in my head went quiet.

I stared at his icy eyes rebeliously as I spat quietly:

»Death.«

»Death, then?«

»Looks that way,« I said, completely calm.

»Very well. Death!« He said loudly and banged with his hammer.

The bang echoed through the halls, but it didn't faze me.

»...by exile,« he added, a nasty smirk playing on his lips.

I gave him the angriest, nastiest stare I could fathom. I felt like I've just been cheated.

I knew something was wrong as the crowd went quiet from their utter excitement. Involuntarily, they got quieter and quieter, until there was nothing but silence.

I got chills all over my skin as Crane raised his gaze from me to look at something that was behind me.

Oh god...

I could just feel the presence behind me and suddenly, the mechanical breathing became so obvious to me. How did I not notice it before?

The people went quiet just from his presence alone, but seeing him walk to the center of the room, to me, made them coward further away from me, from us.

He could command a room by just being in it and I felt that familiar sense of being dominated again. And somehow, in a very disturbed way, I had missed it. His godly presence.

»She will only ever die by my hand,« I heard him say and I gulped.

The voice was much louder than I anticipated which meant he was much, much closer than I thought.

I saw Crane raise and eyebrow at him, and I tried so hard to focus on the doctor. I tried so hard to block the man behind me out of my thoughts.

And then, to emphasize his words, I felt two strong and heavy hands on my shoulders. He placed them there gently, rather slowly even, but to me they burned like a thousand degrees and felt like a heavy burden on my soul. I could feel his touch deep in my bones, even though he was merely resting his palms there, owning me for the whole world to see.

»The mob has decided, Bane. You have no jurisdiction here,« Crane said arogantly.

»What's a mob to a god?« He asked him calmly, in his usual collected way, and I could feel his fingers pressing down on my shoulders slightly.

»What's a god to a non-believer?« I dared retort, quietly, but he heard me clearly.

His stare in the back of my neck hurt like a dagger, I could feel it even though I couldn't see his face yet. Fortunately, nobody else heard me, or Bane would have made an example out of me.

»You...,« Crane began, but couldn't find the words.

I knew his power was given to him by Bane and could be taken back just as easily. It was all an illusion for him to feel powerful in that throne and to control the mob, the crowd.

»Would you like to add something, doctor?« Bane asked menancingly and Crane averted his gaze.

»No.«

»Then we will take our leave. And I will carry out the verdict myself, when I'll see fit.«

I gulped, but followed his order immediately. I got up from the chair and finally met his gaze.

From the weight of his dark eyes, that burned with hidden emotion, I knew Harley was gone again. There was only Ana left. The submissive Dog, that he always lulled out of me.

He looked bigger than ever before. Maybe it was from the brown coat, that was long enough to reach beyond his knees. Or maybe it was the clean-polished mask that shone like vantablack. He seemed huge.

He turned around and walked out of the circle and I followed him, leaving the chair, Crane, Harley and the wooden bat behind.

People moved out of Bane's way on instinct as he led me upstairs, to his lair, where I escaped from a couple of days ago.

It was just like I remembered and as soon as he shut the door behind us I waited for him to explode with rage again, as he usually did, slam me into a wall, batter me senseless for escaping. I closed my eyes as I waited for the first blow that would definitely break a bone or two in my body. I deserved it for escaping.

But the violence never came. I dared open my eyes slowly, only to see him go past me, completely ingorant of my existence.

»Are you going to kill me now?« I asked, staying still as he moved further, to sit on the luscious sofa, his back toward me.

»Would you like me to?«

»No...«

»Why did you choose death over exile?« He asked calmly, still not facing me.

»Because exile is impossible. No one can escape Gotham. You made that absolutely clear. And anyone who would try to do so would be brutally killed by your men. So, I figured Crane's version of killing me would be less... painful.«

At that point I could have sworn I heard him smirk, but that might have been just my imagination after all.

»Harley Quinn...«

»It stands for a harlequin. Not very original, is it?«

»One of his inventions, I presume?«

»Every joker needs a harlequin, he told me. So...«

»Where is he?«

»The police caught him. Honestly, I'm surprised they did. I thought you broke them. I thought there was no law in Gotham anymore.«

»Martial law is in order.«

I knew I was starting to enter the danger zone so I left the subject alone. Bane, of all people, didn't exactly take kindly to power being taken away from him. And having the police retaliate in such a manner must have been a sucker punch for him. So I carefully left the subject alone.

»I know it probably doesn't mean much to you, but... I'm sorry I escaped.«

»No one ever managed to do that before. I should congratulate you,« he said calmly, pretending as if he didn't care.

But I knew better. I knew that hurt him more than anything else. And in a way, I truly was sorry. I was sorry for hurting him. He didn't deserve to be hurt by me. And as much as I hated to admit it, yes, he was a murderer and he did make my life living hell a while ago, but... he trusted me. He protected me. And while I was under his protection no man ever harmed me. He saved my life when he hijacked that plane with dr. Pavel. He could have left me to die. But he didn't. And even though he forced himself on me and hit me a couple of times, I coudn't hold it against him. Because I knew he hit me only to train me. To make me stronger. To make me a member of the League of Shadows which was the highest honor he could give me. And I know he forced himself on me because... even though both of us wouldn't exactly admit it... We had feelings for each other. In his own way, he loved me. And for that alone he didn't deserve such a devastating blow. Having me escape.

I had to make it right. I had to rid my conscience of all guilt.

»Bane... I'm sorry,« I whispered, but he remained motionless.

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By the time he noticed she left his presence, he had already completely lost track of time. The moon was full, peaking behind dark clouds. The night was silent, the city conquered, but not yet broken. Like her.

He thought he broke her. Claimed her. And yet she retaliated. Left. Which made him wonder why she even came back? She always did that. One way or the other...

Slowly, he stood up from the couch and flexed his biceps. The floor silently cried underneath his mass as he walked over to her room. He could hear her sleeping, despite his mask that covered his ears. He could hear her rhythmic breathing, so peaceful and feminine.

He towered over her sleeping form, watching her in the moonlight. She looked so beautiful, with her blonde hair spread over the pillow like a halo, skin as pale as the snow that slowly fell outside. Everytime he watched her, he felt something clench at his heart, although he didn't dare admit it.

He should kill her for disobeying. Punish her for leaving. He never gave second chances. To anyone.

He moved to rest one leg on the bed, which slightly sunk to his side, but she didn't notice. Ever so silently, he wrapped one hand around her neck, eyes never leaving her closed ones.

He really should. She deserved it.

His fingers twitched as he applied little pressure, enough to clearly feel her heartbeat against his fingertips. It sent chills down his spine to feel her in such an intimate way.

She opposed him. No one ever lived to tell the tale. So why should she? Why would she be any different?

In all honesty, he could do her this one favor. Kill her in her sleep. She deserved that much mercy.

But then something inside him snapped, rage returned and his eyes went pitch black. Mercilessly, he began squeezing tighter and tighter, at which her eyes shot open. For a moment she resisted, her body in shock, but once she registered him beside her, she suddenly stopped. She laid her hands to her sides and completely calmed down. He could feel her heartbeat slow down, but not because of his hand that was slowly but surely strangling her. No, she did it on purpose.

She stared at him, straight into his soul it seemed, and smiled.

He could feel his heart ache at the gesture and suddenly he hated her even more. How dare she?

She smiled even wider, but it was a sad smile.

»Do it,« she whispered and his rage grew at her words.

He wanted to break every single bone in her body. How dare she?! How... how dare she have such a hold on him? Whoever gave her the power...?

»I deserve it. Do it, Bane...,« she said, and he could just see the strenght leaving her voice as he applied more pressure.

He hated her beyond belief. He hated her because of what she did to him. Because of what she made him feel. Because in the end... he could never kill her.

Defeated, his fingers started losing their power, their ruthlessness disappearing into thin air.

Somehow, it made her even sadder and at that his heart ached even more. Why couldn't he kill her? He wanted to...

He freed her neck slowly, balancing his weight back on the leg that was on the floor, not the one that was still firmly on the bed, touching her side.

When did he let her get so close to his heart, he wondered, completely defeated... This wasn't like him. Women never caught his attention and if one did, it passed soon after. But her...

Lost to the feeling, he never noticed her sit up, suddenly closer to him than before. He could smell her sweet scent even through the mask. And then she brought those delicate little fingers to his face and stroked the mask slowly.

A quiet groan escaped him as his chest felt heavier than ever before. But he was done. He was done fighting this. Suddenly, he felt his assertiveness return and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. What he had wanted for a long, long time.

She watched him in complete bewilderment, as he reached out for the back of the mask and loosened the hinges. The mask hissed and with one swift pull and last breath of the venom it provided him, he pulled it off.

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So, did you like it? Tell me what you guys think :)