Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in. Everything else belongs to someone else and I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Seizing A Chance

Walking down the busy hallway with Danilo keeping pace at his side, Bane listened to the man outline possible days and times that he could set aside to personally see to Kei's training one on one. The other alpha was in his late thirties and one of Bane's best trainers, patient and adaptable depending on the natural abilities of his students. Barsad had suggested the man to him for the task, and as Danilo had no problem with the idea Bane considered the problem taken care of. Or at least he would soon know one way or another just how hopeless his Pet's friend was as a bodyguard.

He had gone to his rooms intending to introduce the trainer to his new pupil, only to discover that neither his Pet nor the boy were where they were supposed to be. A fact that had…bothered Bane immediately, in a way that he did not like.

Another surprise, though a more welcoming one, was the discovery that Barsad had taken his Pet and Kei to the kitchens, which he learned after contacting his second about finding the two. Apparently Barsad had thought it prudent to do so, as Blake disliked the food he'd eaten thus far and had shown a willingness to take care of feeding himself and Kei if allowed. A plan Barsad had not cleared with him first, but one Bane could approve of when Barsad pointed out in Russian that it was in their best interests to keep someone like Blake occupied and under supervision. So now they were about to enter the kitchens, Bane not entirely sure what they would find in there aside from the men he'd come to see and the usual staff.

As soon as he entered the kitchen the men working at various stations on lunch for the men came to attention, Bane only having to open his mouth to demand to know where his Pet was for all of them to point off to a distant corner of the large space.

Nodding in acknowledgement of their help Bane headed in that direction, spotting his Pet immediately as Blake's laughter filled the air along with Barsad cursing, Kei handing the beta a glass of water that Barsad immediately began to chug down.

"-told you so." Blake was saying to Barsad before turning to look in his direction, smiling in greeting as he saluted him with something made of bread. "Master."

Bane heard the sound of Danilo noticeably breathing in deeply, and as he drew closer he too started to pick up the scent of various spices, mixed together in a pleasing manner and which drew his attention to the table the three men now stood around, plates and bowls laid out upon it. And three large plates held what Bane recognized as the food known as fajitas, already partially consumed.

Barsad was pouring himself another glass of water and sipping as he stood at attention while Kei was alternating between looking at Bane and down at his plate with obvious longing. The young alpha had no discipline whatsoever.

"I have something from every food group." His Pet stated, drawing his attention back to him and what the man had apparently gotten up to since they'd last spoken. "See?"

Eyes scanning over the table Bane had to agree that what on the table were healthy enough ingredients, though the bread was white and not whole wheat. Looking over at his second Bane raised an eyebrow at Barsad's expression.

Still sipping water, Barsad moved the glass away from his lips just long enough to state that Blake had warned him that he liked his salsa spicy before going back to cooling his throat.

"Want me to get you some milk?" Blake asked Barsad. "Water isn't the best thing for you to be drinking in this case, actually."

Barsad seemed to consider toughening it out, a clearing of the throat drawing all their attention to where one of the younger men working in the kitchen stood, shyly holding out a glass that Bane assumed contained either milk or something else that would help his second.

Thanking the man Barsad took the cup and started drinking from it instead.

"The food is getting cold."

"So want me to make you one to try yourself, Master?" Blake tacked on quickly, like Bane wasn't aware that Kei had mentioned the food getting cold as a not subtle hint that the alpha wanted to go back to eating.

Truthfully he would like to eat what was laid out before him, if only because he was curious about the beta's abilities in the kitchen, but he did not eat in company. "No. And you have my permission to go back to eating." Blake needed to maintain his health and strength.

Turing his attention to the young alpha giving Blake an envious look, Bane said his name to gain his attention. "Kei. This is Danilo, who will be in charge of training you from now on. You'll begin tomorrow."

Nodding his head in understanding, Kei showed enough sense to meet Danilo's gaze for a moment to acknowledge him with a polite Sir before going back to looking at the food on his plate

"Would you like one, Danilo?" Barsad asked as he motioned towards the table. "Bane's pet made a mild salsa for Kei."

"I don't like spicy." Kei agreed. "John's got a high tolerance, he loves sriracha."

"Thank you. With your permission, Sir."

Bane inclined his head in agreement before turning his attention back to his Pet, who was finishing up his fajita. "After eating you will return to my rooms immediately. I will be there shortly after." He had to eat his own lunch first, as well as see to a few other things.

"Yes, Master."

Pleased that the beta was behaving so well in company, Bane gave Blake an approving look before stating his intent to go, turning around to head back the way he'd come.

Wishing a little that he could have stayed.

)

Entering his bedroom a little over an hour later Bane found his Pet more or less where he was supposed to be, even if he was on the floor. Kei was sitting cross-legged beside Blake, both men with their backs against the bed's footboard and holding a single cup in their hands. Or to be more accurate they were doing something weird with the cups as they slammed them down, smacked them against their hands, all while humming a tune that seemed to be trying to match up with what they were doing with the cups, like they were instruments. His Pet's efforts sounded a great deal better than the alpha's.

And then his Pet looked up and grinned at him, like he was pleased he'd come, and Bane almost smiled back behind his mask.

Stopping what he was doing Blake set the cup aside and then told Kei to stop as well, the alpha giving Bane's Pet a very disgruntled look before seeming to realize that they were no longer alone.

Craning back his neck Kei looked at him, silent and waiting.

"You'll leave now. Come back in an hour."

A sigh, and then Kei nodded and got to his feet, the cup still in his hand. "I'll be back in an hour."

"Go."

He went.

Bane waited until he heard the door close behind him, signaling that they were alone, before turning his attention back to his Pet, who had once more picked up the cup and was tossing it from hand to hand. "What were you doing with the cups?"

"It was an internet thing a while back. The song is called 'When I'm Gone', or 'The Cup Song', and these days you're supposed to do backup with the cup." Blake shook the cup for emphasis. "A bunch of the boys at the home I ended up in as a teenager were determined to learn it, and I ended up helping them. Learned it, too. Si-Kei's not the most coordinated person, but I figured teaching it to him would give us both something to do. Wanna see?"

A little curious now, Bane gave the nod.

It was a song of travel, about how the singer would be missed, and the use of the cup was clever enough that Bane paid attention to it, learning the sequence of movements even though it wasn't something he'd ever need to know. He just liked figuring it out.

When the song was done Blake set the cup aside again and then gave him a questioning look. "What did you think?"

"It was not displeasing to the ears. Better than most music produced by Western society this century."

"It was originally from the nineteen thirties, actually."

That made more sense.

"Am I correct in thinking that Barsad and Danilo used to be lovers?"

Blinking both over the sudden change in topic and the question posed, Bane asked why he was asking.

"Well like most people I like knowing that I'm right. And if I'm right I need to factor that into my plans for Kei's training."

"Your plans?"

"My plans. Which include me asking you for permission for Kei and I to use your gym or one you can assign to us that we won't be bothered in. He'll be less resistant to the idea if he can at least do it in private. Now…was I right?"

"I will consider allowing the two of you to use a gym, while supervised, but first you have yet to explain how a possible relationship between Danilo and my second is relevant in this matter."

His pet SMIRKED at him while absently running fingers over his collar. "You really don't get human nature when it comes to romance or sex, do you? And now you're looking at me like you're plotting my ass becoming very red and not in a good way." Despite his words Blake didn't look worried in the least.

"Look, it matters because I got the sense that the two used to be involved, and that it wasn't Danilo's choice that that stopped. Now you're asking the man to train the younger and infinitely better looking young alpha Barsad has his eye on. You do see where I'm going with this, yeah?"

Well when he put it that way yes, Bane could see where his Pet was going with this. If the individuals they were dealing with as base and weak as the men the cop had grown up surrounded by. "Barsad was the one who recommended Danilo for the job. He's one of our best."

Sighing, his Pet shook his head at him. "Nevermind. Forget I asked."

"The fact that the two occasionally sleep together will have no impact on the boy's training."

"They still sleep together? Shit. That's so much worse."

"Why is that so much worse?" And why did he even care?

Eyes closed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, Blake didn't answer him right away.

"All right, I'll put it into terms you can understand. Possibly." His Pet's eyes opened to look up at him again. "Suppose that you and I were normal, and dating. And then a gorgeous, intriguing, and younger alpha were to suddenly start working with you and I appeared to be more interested in him than you. How would you treat him, especially if your work put you in a position where you could cause him serious harm under the guise of 'teaching' him?"

He'd snap the little bastard's neck. Or administer one hell of a beating if he thought that would suffice and nothing had happened between the man and his Pet.

"Ah, now you're feeling me."

"The two of them have an understanding. Barsad has never belonged to Danilo or vice versa."

"I'm not going to argue. Between Hitachi and I we'll keep an eye on things. Help me up?"

Looking at the arms held up towards him, Bane reached out and wrapped his fingers around the other man's wrists to pull him up.

And felt his back muscles seize in protest.

)

Pain. Bane knew pain. It had been like a shadow to him all his life. Inescapable, even when the cause of the pain wasn't visible to the naked eye. He knew its layers, from the insignificant to the worst that no mind could imagine without experiencing. The worst he called Venom, after the poison he'd been given that had both saved his life and damned him to indescribably pain for years before he'd gotten away from his captors. Been able to wean himself off the drug a little at a time under another doctor's care, which had been another time in hell. And while his bod ywas his own now…every once in a while the drug that had changed his body and enslaved it sank his teeth into him again, seizing up his muscles and threatening to tear him apart if he tried to retake control of it.

This was not a pain he could use or ignore as was his way, and always brought to his knees. Fear at such times was only human, when your body stopped being within your control and you were at the mercy of those around you.

In Bane's world there was little mercy to be found.

Now here he was, starring into the eyes of his Pet, and they both knew that the beta could end him. It was there, Bane could see the knowledge so clearly in his Pet's eyes. His fingers were still clenched around Blake's wrists, probably painfully so at this point, but Bane didn't doubt that that would stop a man who'd grown up on the streets of Gotham and had already proven that he was no weakling for all that he complained and played the part. The demons that lived in his Pet were in his eyes now, and they could kill.

Any attempt on his part to defend himself would be doomed to failure.

"Bane. You need to let go of my wrists so I can help you get to the bed. Then I'll get Barsad for you, all right?" A flick of a lash, the eyes meeting Bane's revealing nothing now. "I swear on Kei's life, I'm just going to help you now."

"You wouldn't get out of here alive."

"I'm aware of that."

Letting go of him one finger at a time, Bane tried to straighten a little in a futile attempt to brace to defend, the pain searing but he clenched his teeth against it.

"Stop it. Stay as still as you can. Alphas."

His Pet wrapped his arms as far around Bane's waist as he could manage. "Lean on me. A little."

It was stupid to feel comfort from a man he knew moments before had been contemplating his death, but Bane had no other name for the emotion he felt as his Pet took a step to the side, the goal to get around the footboard so that Bane could collapse on the mattress rather than the floor.

And they made the couple of steps necessary with agonizing slowness, and then Bane allowed himself to fall onto the mattress on his side, his Pet yelping and almost tumbling down with him. Bane would have rather been on his back, but this would be more convenient for what needed to come next.

"Do I have your permission to take out your phone, go into your contacts, and get Barsad for you? Or whoever provides medical treatment around here?"

"Bedside table. Right. Top drawer. Pale green vial. That's all I need." There was nothing else anyone could do for him when this happened.

"Oh you need a lot more than that from the looks of you, but you're the boss."

Focusing on his breathing since that was one thing he could control, Bane watched as Blake opened up the drawer, withdrew the vial in question, and then squatted down beside the bed so that he and Bane were closer to eye level.

"Permission to remove the tin can, Master?"

Bane wanted to say no, to demand that he be given the vial so that he could do it himself, but what would be the point? It wasn't like he could look any less weak and pathetic in the other man's eyes, and he would only regain his strength and be able to reassert his dominance once the medicine was in his system. His Pet was also not one of his men, and he would not appear like this in front of them.

"You have my permission."

Setting the vial on the bedspread Blake took a seat beside it and then reached over to carefully start to undo the straps of the mask. His Pet's hands were gentle as the lifted Bane's head up when it was time to pull the mask away from his face, Blake not evening pausing to take a look at what he'd uncovered. Instead he twisted around to grab the vial, uncorked it, and then turned back to help Bane tilt his head enough that he could swallow the medicine down.

Letting go of him, Blake recorked the vial and set it aside. "How long will it take to work?"

"Fifteen to twenty minutes."

"All right." Looking down at him, Blake's lips curved a little. "Well now I know why you wear that mask all the time and won't let anyone see you without it."

Bane had no delusions about his face or its appeal. It was as ugly as his back. Worse, really, since the look of one's face was more important than one's back in the eyes of most. Between the scarring, different skin textures thanks to years of the mask pressed against it, and the strange tan lines, Bane knew how bad he looked.

"Can't stand people knowing you're a pretty boy, huh."

What?