A/N I HIGHLY recommend that you stop right here and go read my prequel story "Red, White, and Harley" before you read this one. Sorry y'all, but that's the setup. You will notice that Bane comes across as highly irregular at the end of that story. There are reasons ... some of which this chapter explains and it will all come into play later on as well. Jason and Harley and the rest of the BatFamily will still feature prominently into this story but it will focus a little more on things from Bruce's perspective.

This is an actively updated longfic; a new chapter posts once a week.

Chapter 1

Batman looked up at Bane under the meaty arm that he had casually slung over his shoulder as he walked him out of Gotham Central Station.

"You're… different," Batman commented to him.

"Is that so?" Bane responded.

"Yeah," Bats answered. "What happened to the unabridged dictionary and complete works of Shakespeare that you were always regurgitating before?" Bane scoffed and removed his arm from Bruce's shoulders to strike a fearsome pose.

"I, Bane, lord of darkness and fear, doth summon thee, Batman, to expunge the world of the threat of King Snake, venomous father of mine, in his fearsome quest to dominate innocent mortals…" Bruce chuckled slightly.

"Exactly," he said. "Well, sort of," he amended. "A little more emo, as the kids would say, and a lot less King Arthur. What happened to all that?"

"You prefer me that way?" Bane asked him.

"I prefer you not breaking my back," Batman responded. "How you talk is up to you."

"But you like all the pretty stuff?" Bane persisted. Bruce huffed.

"I don't care," he insisted. "And I would say it was poetic, not pretty. Now you're just… goofy."

"Goofy?" Bane said, putting a hand on his hip. "That hurts, dude."

"See, that," Batman said. "What the hell is up with that? You're Bane, for fuck's sake." Bane blinked rapidly for a few seconds. When he looked at Bruce again, it was a far more seductively terrifying gaze, like a snake amusing itself with its prey.

"Indeed I am," he said in a smoother voice with a lower timbre. Bane cracked his neck and popped his knuckles as if adjusting himself to his body.

"Interesting that this is the iteration of myself that you prefer, Bat," he said, eyeing his apparent ally with a curious look in his eye. Batman narrowed his eyes.

"What are you playing at, Bane?"

"Who said it was a game?" Bane practically purred with evil, his open attitude of a few minutes ago now changed to a dangerous taunting dance of words with the Bat.

Batman stopped walking and eyed Bane coldly. "I'm not here to fight with you," he said flatly. "And I sure as hell don't need to help you find your father. If that's even why you're really here," he added.

"I'm here because you wish it," Bane replied mysteriously, "but Bane is here to catch King Snake and the Kobras. So, how do you propose we find them?"

"I propose that you start by telling me what the fuck is going on with you," the Bat retorted. "I'm not working with someone who I can't trust."

"And yet you trusted me easily enough when Harley Quinn did," Bane mused. "Why was that?"

"I… don't know," Bruce answered honestly, genuinely puzzled at himself when called out about his previous in-the-moment reaction. He thought for a minute. "Your body language," he concluded. "You didn't have the posture of someone about to fight. You were relaxed and… happy," Bruce finished with some disgust. Bane chuckled darkly.

"Harley tends to have that effect on people," he said dryly. Bruce shook his head.

"Not like that. You weren't even the same person."

"I wasn't, was I?" Bane agreed without explanation. Batman raised his eyebrow at him, then realized that Bane couldn't see it under his mask, so he frowned instead.

"Suit yourself," Bruce snapped, completely out of patience. It had been a hell of an hour. He'd only had an emotional phone call out of the blue with the son he'd just realized that he abused, learned that Jason and Harley were married, found out the Joker was dead, discovered the Batlings had gone against his word and not only broken back into the BatCave but gone out on patrol, and Stephanie and Tim had gone up against Bane without him and without backup and could have ended up dead like Jason.

"I'm leaving," Batman said and turned to stalk back into the shadows. He was stopped by a strong hand on his shoulder which he immediately whirled around to hit off of him.

"Easy, Batman," dark Bane said, holding his hands up to show his lack of malice. "I thought you were more of an intellectual," Bane said to him. "Detective. Good at figuring out puzzles."

"It's been a shitty day," Bruce responded grouchily.

"Hm," Bane responded. "You're familiar with psychology, though? Trauma disorders?"

"I guess," Bruce answered. "Sure."

"Dissociative Identity Disorder," Bane said to him. "You ought to know about it, seeing as how your daughter-in-law has it." Bruce thought hard for a minute, pulling bits and pieces of news and science articles he'd read back to mind and trying not to be distracted with thoughts of Harley. And the fact that she was now in his family.

"Multiple personalities?" he asked Bane finally, lifting a hand to massage the back of his neck.

"Old name," Bane answered, "and somewhat inaccurate, but, yes."

"Oh," Bruce said, good and puzzled now. "Is this gonna get weird if I help you? Is there an asshole in there waiting to fuck me up again?" Bane looked at him thoughtfully.

"No to fucking you up. 'Weird', that's an odd question coming from the man who runs around dressed as a bat."

"Yeah, yeah," Bruce muttered. "Just tell me what you know about King Snake and the Kobras. What was your intel?"

"My intel was that they were launching a terrorist attack in Gotham with bombs on several trains. Nothing beyond that."

"No reason? No ulterior motive? Any plans to make a move on Arkham Asylum? Why Gotham?" Bruce peppered him with questions, going into full-on detective mode. Bane thought for a minute.

"King Snake has been attempting to take leadership of the Kobras. My guess is that this is a demonstration of his ability and power meant to impress those members who have not yet supported him. Why Gotham?" Bane shrugged. "It's well known that the Bat protects Gotham and that Gotham is the Joker's playground. It would be effectively impressive if he were to succeed."

"All right," Batman said. "He's probably nearby to watch his bombs go off. So…" Bruce thought for a minute. "The water tower in the station yard is my bet. High position, good view, defensible high ground, easy to disguise themselves as station employees."

"Shall we investigate?" Bane asked him. Bruce nodded.

"I have a scope in my belt. Let's stay well hidden in the shadows of the platform and get down to where we have a clear view."

"After you," Bane said graciously, sweeping his arm out to the side for Batman to lead the way.

They ran down a train platform as far as they could under the cover of the pavilion. Bruce pulled out his scope when he got close enough and held it up to his eye, scanning the gated ledge on top of the water tower.

"Definitely a few people up there," he said to Bane, offering him the scope. Bane grunted as he looked through it.

"That's him," he said. "How shall we proceed?" Bruce sighed.

"Do you have a vehicle with you? I sent the BatMobile home with the sidekicks. I can go get the BatWing if you stay and cover the base of the ladder but it's a ways from here." Bane gave him a look.

"The little BatBoy can fly it, can't he?"

"Robin?" Bats asked in surprise. "No."

"No, he can't fly it? Or no, you don't want him to?" Bane asked skeptically. Bruce sighed. Hard.

"No, I don't want him to," he said in a flintier voice. "In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of going through some family drama right now and I don't want him out here."

"In case you haven't noticed," Bane said to the Bat in a cold voice, "Gotham isn't a town that is forgiving of family drama or overprotective fathers. Order him to bring the BatWing and you and I will handle the ground assault," he ordered sharply. Bruce gave him a look, but it was a tired and defeated one.

"Fine," he muttered, opening a link on his comm. "Bat-Mite?" he said into it.

"I'm here, Batman," Damian answered immediately.

"Is Robin back yet? I need him to take out the BatWing to the water tower at Gotham Central. King Snake and a couple of Kobras are up there, we need air support so we can take them down."

"Affirmative, Batman," Damian answered. "BatCave out."

"All right," Batman grumbled to Bane. "He's on his way." Bane nodded, but the look he gave Bruce was one of concern.

"You are not well," he said to him.

"No shit," Bruce grumbled.

"Harley Quinn is an excellent psychologist, you know," Bane offered as he checked his weapons and prepared to storm the water tower. Bruce groaned.

"Why is everyone telling me to get therapy from Harley Quinn today?"

"Apparently, because you need it," Bane said. He shook his head. "I thought I broke you way back when, Bat, but this…" Bane trailed off and waved his hand up and down to take in Batman with disgust. He shook his head.

"I feel pity when I look at you," he said distastefully.

"Yeah, well, never have kids," Bruce said bitterly. "No one can break you like your child."

"I will remember that," Bane said seriously. "I shall keep this pathetic picture of a broken and defeated Bat in my head in case I am ever tempted one day to go down that foolhardy path."

"See, there's my Bane," Bruce cracked at him. "Gothic poetry at its finest." Bane lifted his eyebrow at the Bat, but it seemed to be with some amusement. A second later, they saw the BatWing approaching from behind the tower.

"Do not fail me in this task," Bane warned threateningly.

"I won't," Bruce muttered. He activated his comm. "Robin, use the nets first to secure them and then gas them so they can't get any shots off as we go up."

"Affirmative," the comm crackled. The BatWing banked hard and approached the water tower quickly - too quickly.

"Dammit," Bruce muttered. "Robin, slow your approach," he barked into the comm, but there was no answer. The nets fired and effectively pinned the criminals to the tower while the BatWing rolled to avoid a collision at the last minute. Bruce groaned quietly as the BatWing circled back around and came in, slower this time, to hover in front of the tower while spraying the knockout gas.

"Let's go," Bane said, and he and Batman made their approach through the tracks to the base of the tower. "I will go first," Bane announced, already starting up the ladder.

"Fine by me," Bruce mumbled behind him, climbing up after him with a batarang already prepared in one hand.

As King Snake and the Kobras were already knocked out by the gas, capturing them and getting them packed off to Arkham was an easy task, albeit some grunt work to get them safely down the water tower since Batman insisted on not throwing them off the side and killing them. To be fair, Bane hadn't suggested killing his father, just the underlings, but Bats was having none of it.

As the two of them watched the police van pull off, with the criminals still knocked out and securely restrained in the back, Commissioner Gordon made her way to Batman. "Bomb Squad still has a few trains left to check," she said to him, "but we've already disabled three bombs."

"Good," Batman grunted.

"Any idea the total number?" she asked Bane.

"None," he said. "You are fortunate that I uncovered the plot at all."

"Yes, we are," Barbara Gordon said with only the very faintest hint of snark in her voice. She shook her head. "Never thought I'd see the day when I'd say this, but Gotham thanks you, Bane," she said, reaching her hand out to shake his. He gravely returned her handshake, though Bruce could swear he was laughing under his mask.

"I am happy to be of assistance," he said quite seriously, though. "And… I regret my former actions when I was under the pernicious grip of the drug Venom." He flicked his eyes to meet Bruce's head on. "All of my actions," he said.

"Well," Barbara said, looking between Bane and the Bat, "I am happy to hear that. And happy that you have found sobriety." Bane nodded at her and then took Batman's elbow as he made to leave.

"Walk with me, Bat," he said in a voice that didn't brook disagreement.

"Thank you, too, Batman," she called over their shoulders. Bruce lifted a tired hand up to her in a wave as he and Bane walked away.

"Something else you needed to say to me, Bane?" Batman asked him as they made their way out into the streets.

"Let us go for a drink," Bane said. Bruce sputtered out a laugh.

"You want to get a drink?"

"Yes."

"With me," Bruce said.

"Yes," Bane answered. "Victories should be celebrated with the appropriate libation and today we are comrades in arms." Bruce gave another disbelieving laugh.

"And where exactly did you want to go to have this drink? Do not say the Iceberg Lounge," he warned him.

"Any bar will do," Bane said.

"Any bar will not do," Bats countered. "Unless you want to be filmed by nonstop gawkers and have our entire visit uploaded to YouTube." Bane thought for a minute.

"My presence would not deter the crowds?" Bruce just stared at him.

"Fine," Bane muttered. "We shall purchase our liquor to go and find an appropriately private location to drink it. I assume that you know of several."

"Naturally," Bruce grumbled. "Do you have money?"

"You do not carry local currency in that BatBelt of yours?" Bane asked him, getting an eye roll from Bruce this time, who was good and done with this day and could only attribute his actual willingness to grab drinks with the man who had broken his back years ago to his sheer exhaustion and emotional overload.

"I will buy," Bane said, shaking his head at the Bat.

"You invited, you should buy," Bruce grumbled at him, making Bane actually laugh out loud.

"My apologies, dark Bat. It was not my intention to not buy, you merely surprised me with your question. And with your lack of currency given that you carry everything imaginable in your belt."

"Can we end this discussion and drink?" Bruce groused. "Seriously. You are on my last nerve right now."

"My apologies," Bane said again, with perhaps a smile lurking under his mask. He pushed open the door of the liquor store they were passing, causing the men holding up the counter to promptly shit their pants before they could even get a shot off. Bane calmly cracked their heads together, either knocking them out or killing them, Bruce wasn't really sure and didn't care to check as he listlessly followed Bane in.

"Holy shit!" the young cashier was saying, whipping out his phone. "Can I get a selfie, dude?" he asked Bane, coming out from behind his locked and grated counter.

"Of course," Bane graciously replied, posing ferociously with the clerk in front of the downed criminals before pulling out a wad of bills and asking about the location of various rums and liquors. "What is your drink, Bat?" he called over to Bruce as he returned to the counter with his arms loaded up.

"Whiskey," Bruce muttered, leaning against the door with his arms crossed, out of the line of sight of the security camera. Bane went off to grab the bottles while Bruce shot his hand out for the cashier's phone before he returned to his register.

"Aw, I didn't, I wasn't going to -" the clerk sputtered as Batman went through deleting any pictures of himself.

"No photos of me and I wasn't here," he growled at the kid. "I know where you work," he added menacingly, causing the cashier to nod nervously.

"Yessir, Mr. Bat, you weren't here, sir, only Bane," he sputtered, putting his phone in his pants pocket before letting himself back into his locked cage to ring up Bane's massive purchase. Bane bagged up the bottles, handing one paper bag to Batman, and slid the kid an extra hundred with a wink.

"Don't forget to call the cops before you post on social media," Batman said to him wearily as they left the shop, seeing the clerk already had his phone back out.

"Oh, shit," the kid said, apparently just remembering he had two knocked out gunmen on his floor that might come to and dialing 911 instead.

"An intelligent word of caution," Bane said to Bruce as they walked out.

"Kids today," Bruce sighed. "Don't ever have any."

"That should not be a problem," Bane responded. "Now, where shall we go to partake of our liquor?" Batman quietly led him off into the night.

A/N More chapters coming. Please review!