Bane slid into the luxurious leather desk chair in the mayor's office and reached for the tv remote, intent on monitoring the daily news coverage.
There wasn't much to report. The city was locked down and there was no escape. What bridges remained undamaged were blocked and guarded by his men. The tension was palpable as broadcast networks grappled with various ways to cover the occupation.
The popular Gotham City Network focussed heavily on the humanitarian crisis that Bane had created, with homelessness, food rationing, garbage over-flow, and hospitals packed with patients suffering from physical and psychological injuries inflicted by his explosions.
Other networks presented endless talk shows speculating on the true nature of Bane's motives. They brought in military and law enforcement experts, some who theorized that Bane was bluffing. He wanted something from Gotham and would play his cards at the right moment, they reasoned. That 'something' was the target of endless speculation.
One conservative media giant championed Bane's politics and those who had joined his civilian army. It positioned Bane as a saviour who had lifted Gotham City up, and liberated the unjustly imprisoned. He had exposed corruption at the very top, and dragged the elites from gilded homes that were acquired on the backs of the people. Best of all, he had imposed his kind of law and order.
Bane smirked as he continued to surf through the channels of the giant television screen, savouring the irony of foolish followers who believed they had earned his favour. When the time came, they would die along with everyone else.
More than anything, the news coverage was a distraction from troubling thoughts. Parker's words had resonated deeply within him.
What if she were right, and his resentment of Talia was all about a long-standing subconscious desire for her?
It couldn't be. It was unseemly to feel lust for someone he'd cared for since before she could walk.
Were his near-paranoid suspicions about her motives a means to combat his forbidden feelings?
And was his long devotion to personal celibacy all about fending off a desire for her?
Bane switched off the remote and slammed his fist on the desk.
Parker had toyed with him, and he had fallen right into her trap.
Words. That's all they were. They meant nothing. He was determined to deny them, and would not allow them to interfere with his objectives.
Later that day, Barsad and Talia headed for the black GMC Yukon on the first level of City Hall's underground parking garage.
"Wanna have some fun before you go back to the Wayne Building?"
"Shame on you, brother," Talia teased. "We've already had fun today. Don't tell me you're ready for more!"
"That's not what I meant," he grinned. "Let's go to Bradbury Mansions. I have a surprise for you."
"This is why I adore you, brother," Talia sighed as she squeezed his arm. "You are always thinking of me!"
Barsad beamed as they climbed into the vehicle. At Bradbury Mansions, they rode the elevator to suite 821 in order to spy on Bane and Parker.
Across the alley at the Montana, Parker's bedroom, living room and parts of the kitchen and dining room could be seen from their observation point in the dark, ransacked suite.
"It looks like Bane hasn't arrived yet. She's alone," Talia said as she approached the large bank of windows.
They watched as Parker cleared her dinner dishes from the dining room table and took them to the kitchen. She then disappeared for several minutes.
"I have a hunch there's something more than sex going on," Barsad said. "Bane's been limiting his public appearances, which is not a good thing. An armed presence in the city isn't enough to keep the people in line. They're genuinely frightened of him. He's the bogeyman, so he should be showing himself every day to remind them of the stakes."
"I have noticed that he spends a lot of time in the sewers, brother. One day I found him there reading a book," Talia mused. "Do you think he's plotting something? I have long suspected that he is."
"Something's going on. As you've noticed, my guys are gossiping about his trips up here every night. It's not sitting well with them, considering that they have to discipline themselves from indulging in such behaviour."
Talia gently stroked Barsad's beard with her soft forefinger. "What do the men say about us, brother?"
"I don't think they know," he shrugged. "They'd say something if they did. I'm not gonna crush their windpipes like Bane would."
They turned their attention to the windows as Parker entered the living room. She had released her hair from its ponytail and it now tumbled down her back. She moved to the mirror, where she unbuttoned Christopher's flannel shirt to expose her naked shoulder.
"How obvious!" Talia scoffed. "It takes more than tossed hair and bare shoulders to seduce Bane."
"We'll see about that. There he is, right on time," Barsad smirked as Bane appeared.
Talia and Barsad watched silently as the two engaged in what was apparently polite conversation.
"That's strange," Talia observed cynically, "They usually tear off their clothes and go straight to the bedroom. Instead, they're talking."
"Good," Barsad said. "Then they're playing right into my hands."
"Where is my surprise, brother? I am an impatient woman."
For an answer Barsad pulled a small bluetooth speaker from his pocket and placed it on the lower ledge of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"I bugged Parker's place while she was out today. You wanna find out what he's up to? This is the way."
Talia's exquisite lips curled into a close-mouthed smile as her cat-like eyes sparkled like sapphires.
"I commend you for your initiative, brother," she cooed. "Be assured that you will be rewarded for this. I'll make all your dreams come true. For now, let us listen..."
"You've been gone for a few days," Parker said. "I suppose you've been busy?"
"Extremely," Bane lied.
There was an awkward silence during which Parker could tell by the gleam of uncertainty in his eyes that she had rattled him by suggesting that he wanted his rival.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're here. I want to talk to you."
"What I want has no need for talk," Bane replied hastily. He reached for the buttons of her shirt, eager to get on with it. Eager to prove to himself that he didn't want Talia.
"I wish you would not wear your husband's shirts. One might think you were carrying a torch for him."
Parker swatted his hands away and looked into his eyes.
"Bane," she pleaded. "I'm asking you again. Don't destroy Gotham. Just take your people and go. You've done enough damage. You've humbled the city."
Bane seemed surprised that she still hadn't reconciled herself to his plan.
"No, my dear. We have already discussed this at length. I must destroy Gotham. My blood must flow through the veins of the reborn city, and my superiors must finally see me for what I am. The true Demon Head."
Bane attempted to unfasten her buttons again, but Parker took hold of his rough hands.
"Then why do you want only one child?" She asked, her hazel eyes boring into his. "What if... what if you had three children?"
Intrigued, Bane frowned.
"Continue."
"Well, think of yourself as a tree with many roots. If you had three children, then they would all eventually have children, and their children would have children, and so on and so on. Each of them holding prominent positions in Gotham's corridors of power for generations. Your family tree would be far more extensive and influential than if you had just one child. That would truly be a living monument worthy of yourself."
The words spilled out, and one again Parker found herself promising Bane something she wasn't willing to give.
"And in return you wish me to save the city," Bane's breath laboured loudly from beneath the mask.
"Please. Why do you have to burn Gotham to the ground? Why can't you give it a chance to fix itself from within, with your family's influence?"
Bane threw off his coat as his chest swelled. For now, fierce pride and burning ambition had replaced the uncertainty in his dark chocolate eyes.
If he did what Parker asked, it would mean betraying Talia and the League, after which he would be hunted down, or at the very least, ex-communicated a second time. Still, the idea intrigued him.
"You would do this for me? Bear me more than one child? It would require a much longer association between us, and wear and tear on your body."
"I'm just trying to appeal to your better angels," Parker replied evasively. "That is, if you have any."
The buttons of Parker's shirt flew every which way as Bane growled and ripped it apart. "We shall speak about this later," he replied gruffly as he backed her into the bedroom.
For now he was about to prove something to himself. Prove that Talia had not become his sexual obsession...
At Bradbury Mansions, Talia blinked in disbelief and mild amusement.
"It seems I have underestimated my protector," she chuckled softly. "My, what grand ideas he has!"
"What's he gonna do with kids?" Barsad exclaimed, scratching his beard. "That's no life for him. It's not his calling."
"He wants what my father had, and what I will have once Gotham is ashes. But planting a living reminder of victory in Gotham is something I myself never visualized. His plan will give the League a permanent hold on the city. On that score he has soundly bested me," Talia admitted.
Privately, she was thrilled that Bane was apparently using Parker as merely a baby-maker, and hadn't fallen in love with her. She and Barsad had witnessed no declarations of affection between them, only sexual attraction. She now knew that she had to make a move before Bane made any decisions about his future.
As Barsad watched Bane and Parker retreat to the bedroom, Talia settled in deep thought and began to formulate a plan.
Parker wrapped a robe around her nudity as Bane emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. It was the first time he had preferred to dress himself in private.
"Ummm...that was quick," she observed, barely concealing her disappointment.
"I am a busy man," he grunted.
"So you said. You won't forget?"
"About what?" He demanded irritably as he shrugged into his coat.
She had never seen Bane distracted before, and it was a sight to behold. He avoided eye contact with her and couldn't wait to leave.
Parker frowned. "You said you would consider saving the city if I..."
"Of course! I will come to you with my decision in a few days."
With those terse words Bane abruptly left, slamming the suite door behind him.
Bewildered, Parker wandered over to the sectional and flopped herself down.
Up until then Bane had been an exquisite lover. A master of touch and timing, methodically cultivating her body until he brought her to an agonizing peak.
Tonight, that Bane had been missing in action. Instead, he was like an eager 17-year old, ramming his partially erect manhood into her with no finesse, and finishing well before she even got close.
Parker knew she had only herself to blame. She should never have speculated on his feelings for his rival, and she had no one to blame but herself if he decided against saving Gotham.
Following a sleepless night, Bane lay on his bunk in the sewers, wallowing in mortal shame of the performance issue he experienced the previous evening.
It was supposed to be an affliction that happened to other men - never to him. He had a strong sexual appetite since rejecting celibacy, and had never failed to follow through until Parker put ideas about Talia into his head.
Last night he had failed twice. He had failed as a lover, and he had failed to convince himself that he had no feelings for Talia.
How Parker must have laughed after he left. Gotham's reckoning humiliated by sexual inadequacy...
"My friend?" A soft voice broke into his thoughts and he leapt to his feet at the sight of Talia.
"Apologies, my dear," he rumbled. "I have not yet appeared at City Hall today. I shall go at once."
My friend. He couldn't remember the last time she had addressed him that way, and he realized how much he had missed it.
"No, don't go. That's not why I'm here."
It was then Bane noticed that she was not adorned in the designer clothing of Miranda Tate but rather as herself, in the League's full dress uniform of burgundy jacket, black velvet pants and boots. Her hair was styled in an elaborate braid down her back.
"I have come here to humbly ask your forgiveness," she said, still speaking softly.
"Forgiveness?" Bane repeated, somewhat astonished.
"I have not properly supported and defended you to the League, as I should have. You are correct in your grievances against me."
"I am pleased you see it my way," Bane replied cautiously, unsure as to whether he could trust her.
"May I sit down?"
"Of course!" Bane chirped.
Talia settled on the edge of Bane's bunk, and fingered the multi-coloured blanket spread over top the bed.
"There is more," she said, patting the empty space next to her. "Come sit by me."
Reluctantly, Bane sat as she began to stroke the rough knuckles of his right hand.
"We cannot continue this tension between us," she said in a near whisper. "It's not good for the mission, and it's not good for our relationship."
"Indeed," Bane nodded. The combination of her soft voice and gentle manner bewildered him. Again, it had been a long time since he'd experienced softness from her. She had grown very hard since the death of her father.
"I have thought a great deal about how we will go forward once we have destroyed Gotham, and I have decided that it will be in your favour, my friend. So, this is what I propose..."
Bane held his breath as Talia proceeded.
"You once told me that when you become Demon Head it will be because you earned it, not because I stepped down. So, when Gotham is ashes and we return to base, I will inform the League that thanks to all of your accomplishments, you are the true architect of Gotham's destruction. Your work in capturing Dr. Pavel, storming the Stock Exchange, blowing up the stadium, releasing the Blackgate prisoners and firing up the mob has been far more significant than my role could ever be. Without you there would be no defeat in Gotham. You have earned the right to Demon Head."
"Go on..." Bane's mask wheezed unsteadily as his groin tingled.
"My role is merely that of a vain socialite, with all the comforts of a populace we despise. Our brothers need no more proof. They are watching from afar. You are everywhere, Bane, and I am nowhere to be seen. You must be rewarded."
Talia paused for a moment, distracted again by the blanket that had belonged to her mother.
"We have come a long way with this blanket, haven't we, my friend?"
"Indeed," Bane responded, touched by her reminiscence. "There have been many ups and downs along our journey."
"There will be dissenters," Talia cautioned him, bringing herself back to order. "But I will ex-communicate brothers Mogo and Chen, because they are your most ardent foes in the League and have never accepted you. You will remember that it was they who cast the deciding votes to ex-communicate you."
"I do," Bane rumbled as the bitterness of that action briefly rose in his throat.
"I will then declare you Demon Head, after which you are free to clean house and promote more progressive elders as you see fit. Is this acceptable to you, my friend? We can witness Gotham's final destruction and then put it far, far behind us..."
Bane paused for a long moment before speaking. He had put in motion his plans for his living legacy in Gotham. How could he now just put it all behind him?
"I must ponder my decision," he replied hesitantly. He felt slightly intoxicated, and he needed a clearer head. "I would prefer that you not ex-communicate Mogo and Chen. If I agree to your plan, I should greatly enjoy being their superior."
"As you wish, my friend. Will you forgive me for my coldness toward you, and for failing to acknowledge your gifts to the League, and more importantly, to myself?"
Her words were like a balm to his troubled soul. Bane blinked as his manhood rose in his pants and Parker's words haunted him.
"You want her."
"Yes, by all means, my dear. We have never completed a mission on such a grand scale as this one. There are bound to be tensions."
"Thank you, my friend," Talia breathed. "Your forgiveness means everything to me."
Bane squeezed Talia's soft hand.
"You have it." He swallowed his emotion as Parker's words again whispered to him.
"In fact, you just might be in love with her."
"I have been with many men. You know that, Bane. But luring Bruce into my bed is something I will always regret."
"As per our plan it was your duty, although I completely understand your reluctance to share your body with him. I do not hold it against you."
Talia pulled her hand from Bane's grip, wincing as if she were disgusted with herself.
"How I wish I could wash the stain of him from my body." Her tone was both remorseful and desperate.
Bane rose from the bed, as his swollen member pushed against the fabric of his cargo pants. Staring into Talia's blue eyes, he forgot everything. He forgot that he had changed her nappies, and that she was sleeping with Barsad. He forgot about his living legacy, and his bedroom failure of the night before.
At that moment, all he remembered was Talia's boast to him.
"Unimaginable pleasures await you in my bed."
"Perhaps I can help," he croaked as he lifted Talia's leg and pulled off her boot.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading. This was an easy chapter to write. Kudos to those who caught the line from 'The Mandalorian'.