Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's the way of it. I DON'T OWN THE 'HAMILTON' SOUNDTRACK EITHER.

Note: If you want to hear what Blake sounds like, just type in 'Joseph Gordon Levitt singing' into YouTube, and there are a bunch of videos to choose from. I particularly like his rendition of Lady Gaga's 'Bad Romance'.

Down The Mountain

Alphas were supposed to be at the top of the food chain, so to speak, but Bane had been around enough betas to know that while they were usually more inclined to follow than lead, there were those who hungered for the power and control generally held by alphas. And it was a foolish alpha, Bane knew, who dismissed anyone not of his designation as a threat based simply on biology. Especially since brute force was not the only way to achieve ones' goals or manipulate odds in your favor.

His pet might be considerably weaker than him physically, and perhaps also lacked his own considerable intelligence, but it was obvious to Bane as he looked down at his pet that Blake was a man who knew his limitations and had learned ways to compensate for them. And more importantly, was used to pretending to be subservient when really he was bending as much as he had to.

Bane was fairly sure if he gave the detective an inch the beta would take a mile.

Ergo for both their sakes Bane knew that it was important to establish his dominance and get it through the younger man's thick skull that he belonged to Bane, was his Pet, and that failure to recognize these facts would end in pain and possibly death for him. Because Bane might want to keep him around, at least for now, but he would kill the beta before he would allow the other man to act in ways that would call into question Bane's strength and dominance.

He'd already been too lenient with him, and that needed to stop before it became a habit.

"On your knees." Bane ordered. "You will service me."

By ordering the man to his knees Bane thought to put Blake in a subservient, submissive position, with the order to service him making it clear that any sexual acts between them was about Bane's pleasure, with Blake's being secondary. It would also further highlight the power difference, Bane decided, with Blake's very life depending on his willingness to obey and do as he was told. Bane might not want a lifeless automaton for a Pet, but either Blake would learn to obey or he would have to break him.

Dropping gracefully down to his knees, like he'd done it a thousand times before, Blake didn't look at all cowed or put upon as he obeyed the order, the hands the beta placed just above Bane's knees before sliding them up his thighs oddly soothing. And act which made no sense to Bane since he didn't need to be soothed. He wasn't the one that was going to be choking on another man's cock.

Though it could be a silent request for him to be gentle with his pet, Bane supposed as he watched Blake's fingers come up to unbutton and then unzip his pants, leaving the belt in place. And he didn't intend to be overly rough or use the man carelessly, so Bane supposed Blake would think he was being granted his silent request if that was the case. The truth of the matter was he didn't think violence had any place in the bedroom unless both parties enjoyed such things, but Blake would learn that eventually. Provided the beta didn't force him to kill him.

More surprise and uncertainty followed as Blake did not behave as expected, which Bane really should have anticipated upon later reflection. Because the beta did as ordered, in a fashion, but not in a way Bane was used to being serviced. There was no evidence that Blake considered this a chore or a necessary gesture to please Bane. No, Blake was approaching this as Bane imagined a lover would, not rushing it at all as the man's slender fingers slid under clothing to rub and stimulate first one of his balls and then the other, Blake's other hand wrapped around Bane's cock while the man's tongue…teased him. There was just no other way to put it. His pet's tongue darting out for quick tastes in between long, thorough swipes that did nothing to relieve the growing ache in Bane's belly.

But more than Blake's actions, it was the beta's expression that arrested his attention and kept him from issuing orders or grabbing Blake's face and forcing his cock into the tightness of the man's throat as the minutes ticked by. Blake's expression invited him to play, to enjoy and join him in having fun with this rather than viewing it as a chore or power play. As something to get done and over with. And it also seemed that Blake was trying to figure out what he liked too the way the beta was studying him, though Bane wasn't giving him any hints. Especially when it wasn't necessary since Blake had yet to do something he didn't like.

And that aside, Bane didn't know how to play.

He also didn't understand why the other man found his foreskin so interesting, though he did recall that Blake himself was circumcised. But either way he wanted more than licks as the heat in his belly continued to grow even as he kept his pleasure in the beta's action from showing on his face or in his voice as he spoke.

"You are not a bird but a cat. That is enough playing."

As if to answer Blake leaned forward to take half of Bane's cock into his mouth and then made a purring sound that had vibrations sending additional pleasure through his body, and had Bane grabbing the sides of Blake's head and wishing his pet's hair was longer, so that he could use it to control Blake's actions.

The fact that Blake's lips curved into what was unmistakably a pleased smile around his cock made it quite clear that he was only getting started as his pet lost interest in playing as well and went about showing Bane just how good he was at 'servicing' a man when he was serious.

The gods preserve him.

Especially when Blake started to make the sounds Bane might have made were he not so much more disciplined and in control of himself. Sounds that carried up his own body like phantom hands that has him biting back groans of him own. Sounds that, when paired with the hot looks his pet sent him while he put his tongue and hands to work, had Bane forgetting about all else but this. But Blake.

He'd have been embarrassed about how quickly he came once his pet got serious, but Bane had more important things to worry about.

Like how he was going to prevent himself from becoming addicted to this sort of pleasure.

)

The next morning Bane made sure to keep his pet at his side as they walked through the snow and across the rock faces and ice on their way down to the helicopter. That he let Blake cling to his arm at points was noticed by the men escorting them down went without saying, but Bane refused to so much as look at them. And none of them were so stupid that they'd question him about it. They'd likely speculate and gossip about it once they got back to headquarters, and if his lord or Talia chose to comment on it later he would simply tell them that he couldn't continue to 'break' Wayne's cop if the detective was dead. That he also had other reasons for wishing to keep Blake alive and well was inconsequential. He could and would kill Blake in a heartbeat if ordered, and that was all that mattered.

He just intended to enjoy the services his pet provided until then.

And since thinking about what those services were was distracting, especially since it would be hours before he and Blake were alone, Bane chose to change his focus to the fact that the boy assigned to guard his pet wasn't having any problem with the terrain or cold. Not that that stopped Blake from constantly looking back to make sure the boy was doing alright, which Bane found annoying.

It was also why Bane informed Blake that the young alpha was proof that Blake should be able to adapt to the cold, just as Wayne had years before.

"After being here for how long?" Blake shot right back, though Bane noted that the beta had the sense to pitch his voice low enough that his words wouldn't carry to the ears of others.

"You cling to me like a child."

"And you're letting me." Blake pointed out, the smile that followed tipping Bane off. "I like clinging to you. Especially in bed."

Frowning behind his mask over that, Bane was tempted to order the beta to turn him loose to walk behind him without help, but they were almost at their destination and losing the cop to some crevice or a false ledge would annoy him more at this point. So instead he placed a hand under the wrap around the beta's neck and gave it a warning squeeze.

He didn't expect Blake to push back against his hand like he enjoyed the touch rather than felt threatened by it. Growing up in Gotham had obviously warped his pet's common sense.

But still, he kept his hand there all the way to the launch pad, moving it only to place it against Blake's back as he ushered his pet into the helicopter first, taking his seat beside him. After that Hitachi insisted on his 'son' getting in first to sit directly across from Blake, and then he followed with Barsad bringing up the rear and closing the door behind him, taking a seat on Bane's other side.

With Bane's permission the pilot took off moments later, the liftoff and descent smooth and practiced.

And yet Hitachi's boy had noticeably started losing color as they lifted off, and the boy's nails were likely drawing blood as they dug into the flesh of his palms. Blood might not be the only thing the boy would lose, either, as the boy's face went from nearly white to having a definite green tinge over the next few minutes.

Bane gave him a look that made it clear he'd be very sorry if he vomited in the helicopter.

The look the boy gave him in return made it clear that not even the threat of Bane's wrath might be enough to keep the contents of his stomach where it was.

Hitachi, trying to aid the boy, took his closest hand and used the pressure point there to try and avert the nausea, though it seemed to have no effect on the boy at all.

Then a slight tug on his coat sleeve had Bane turning his head to meet his pet's gaze.

"Permission to distract him so he doesn't throw up all over us, Master?" Blake's voice was pitched only for his ears, but as promised the beta was being somewhat respectful while they were in public.

"Distract how?" The type of distractions Blake seemed to prefer to utilize with him were obviously out of the question.

"Music."

Bane puzzled over that for a moment before he remembered that Blake had stated the day before that the boy would never willingly join the League because there was no music, which he presumed meant that music was something the young alpha enjoyed quite a bit. And since his pet had no way of providing Kei with music except to make it, Bane presumed his pet meant to make it himself. Interesting.

Curiosity had him nodding his head, giving his permission.

A quiet thank you, and then Blake turned his head and spoke the name his former friend was going by currently. And when the alpha looked at him, Blake started speaking in a way that was like singing as well.

"How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten
Spot in the Caribbean by Providence, impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

The ten-dollar Founding Father without a father
Got a lot farther by workin' a lot harder
By bein' a lot smarter
By bein' a self-starter
By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter."

His pet had a pleasing voice, Bane was surprised to discover, in fact the more he listened the more Bane had to admit that he found the tone and sound of it rather…simulating in an unexpected way. Not to mention the fact that he found his brain piqued as well, as he realized that the song wasn't about drugs, sex, or acting in some laughable, stereotypical Western idea of what being a man meant, but rather about one of America's founding fathers.

And that wasn't the only surprise.

No, the even bigger one was the boy's reaction to the music.

Within a sentence Kei's full attention was on Blake in a manner that was disconcerting for lack of a better word. In truth Bane was at a loss as to how it didn't throw Blake off to be stared at so intently unless this was Kei's usual reaction to being sung to, and so his pet had grown used to being stared at years before. And while his first reaction had been to assume that the hunger and need that had come into Kei's eyes were a sexual response to Blake, Bane quickly realized that that wasn't it at all.

It was all about the music with Kei. Anyone could be singing to him and the boy would most likely react this same way unless the musician was really horrible.

But the music certainly wasn't displeasing, and the young alpha's color was quickly back in full bloom. Kei's whole body leaned forward as though he wanted to spring forth to rip the words out of Blake's throat. And in a flash of insight Bane was reminded of the way some of his fellow inmates had looked up to the mouth of the Pit, moving around in a fruitless attempt to see something of the outside world. So hungry for it that they were blind and deaf to everything else, which had gotten more than a few of them killed or broken.

As Blake worked his way through the song Bane was fairly sure he could have pulled a gun on Kei, pressing the muzzle against the alpha's head, and the boy would hardly react, if at all. He was so completely absorbed by the words and music.

And it was impressive, the next song, which apparently featured multiple singers which Blake sought to indicate by looking in different directions, which each singer given a particular spot, or in the case of one singer his pet did a credible French accent. No easy task, but his pet did well giving the voices different personalities, and Bane had to admit that he was paying attention as well, having read about the American Revolution and the founding of the country as a separate entity from Britain. This was a clever way to teach history to those Bane assumed listened to this genre of music.

Blake sang about four or five of the songs that all seemed to relate to Alexander Hamilton, and then his pet's voice started to noticeably give, Barsad retrieving a bottle of water and offering it to Bane to pass along to Blake, which Bane did and Blake gratefully accepted.

"Not used to singing so much."

"I'm assuming they're all from a musical?" Kei wanted to know, knees jiggling with agitation as he waited for Blake to drink the water and no doubt go back to entertaining him.

"Yeah. Called 'Alexander Hamilton'. I'm skipping around a bit, to the ones I know by heart." The smirk and Blake's tone made it clear that Kei didn't like when someone messed up the lyrics to a song.

"Did Lin-Manuel Miranda write the music? It sounds like him."

Blake stared at Kei for a momentm and then grinned as he stated that he shouldn't be surprised he'd known.

The boy shrugged. "Most talented songwriters have their trademarks, if you pay attention."

Kei waited while Blake took another sip before asking him to sing more.

"Why don't you go over the songs in your head and then later we can sing the ones I've already done together. You could be rusty."

A frown, followed by a grudging nod before the boy turned his head to stare out the window, ignoring them all completely as he got lost, presumably, in the music he was playing over in his head.

"How could he know enough to play it back in his head?" Barsad asked in the ensuing silence.

Still sounding a little hoarse, Blake explained. "When it comes to a regular piece of music he can usually memorize it within one or two hearings depending on how much he likes it. I deliberately picked some harder ones so it will take him longer to memorize, and keep his mind busy for the foreseeable future. My apologies if that wasn't your sort of music."

"Were they historically accurate, the songs?"

Blake shrugged in response to Bane's question. "History was never my strong suit, especially that far back, but from what I've heard its mostly accurate, with minor inaccuracies like Angelica already being married before she met Hamilton, and she and her sisters did have brothers. I haven't seen the play, just listened to some of the music."

And then, because this was Blake he was talking to, the sly little beta looked up at him coyly and asked if his singing pleased his master.

Reaching up and over Bane cupped the back of Blake's neck again, even while knowing, instinctively, that it wouldn't stop his pet from continuing to use his wiles at ever opportunity. "You will sing when it pleases me to hear you."

"As you wish, Master."

Of course the blasted man didn't sound cowed in the slightest. And did everyone in the Western world know how to make things that weren't meant to be suggestive so?