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It's Hard To Understand
Bane didn't understand Robin. This was a fact that had been true the entire length of time they'd known each other, and even more so now that Robin's omega nature was truly emerging. And Robin had made it very clear that Bane had no one to blame but himself for Robin's erratic and confusing behavior-especially now-and Bane had given up arguing that fact. Currently he was too occupied trying to understand the workings of his mate's mind so that the rest of their lives would be a lot less chaotic and Robin's attitude could be reined in. Somehow.
Failure was not something Bane accepted lightly...but at the moment he was feeling beaten.
He didn't understand what had happened in their bedroom. Didn't understand Robin's behavior. When he'd come in to assure himself that his mate was fine in the aftermath of the assassination attempt Robin had been his usual, snarky self. The omega hadn't been shaken or afraid, hadn't clung to him or sought comfort the way most omegas would. Perplexing, but Robin was from Gotham and had made it clear that his time there as a cop had desensitized him to such things. Fine. His mate was strong mentally. It was one of the man's most attractive qualities.
So things had seemed fine-and then they hadn't been. And Bane didn't know why. It wasn't like he hadn't made his low opinion of Kei clear before. They'd also been argued about Talia since their first meeting. They argued constantly. Bane was hard pressed to remember more than a handful of conversations they'd had that didn't include them disagreeing about something. His omega was very opinionated and stubborn. Also frustrating, but Bane had accepted that personality quirk. They'd work on that.
The point was they'd argued, yelled, and called each other names before. Often disagreed with the other just as strongly at the end of the argument as they had when they started. But never once had Robin looked at him with sad, hurt eyes.
Never once had Robin said 'I'm mad at you' in a tone that suggested Bane had said or done something that had truly upset him. Maybe even hurt him.
Something that had nothing to do with Bane's failure to protect him earlier, which was the most logical conclusion Bane had come up with. That would have made sense. He was angry at himself and his men for failing so completely to keep Robin safe. Robin, who would be dead right now if Kei had been protecting him instead of Barsad.
Barsad...who said Talia had done this.
So he would keep the two apart from each other. Far away from each other until Robin was better adapted to living in the League of Shadows and more-open to seeing the rightness of what Bane was trying to teach him. That Talia wasn't the one trying to kill him. She just didn't like him. They didn't like each other. But Bane would also make sure to keep up communications with Talia, even increase them, to make sure that she understood his continued love and loyalty. Hopefully that would make her see that Robin was...good for him. That it took nothing away from her to have a mate of his own. Surely she would, eventually, be happy for him. As he would be happy for her once he got over his distrust of anyone being good enough for her.
Kei certainly wasn't.
But after Wayne Bane supposed he should have realized that Talia had a...weakness...for pretty boys with no substance. Boys who had just enough intelligence to realize that she was too strong and superior to them to be worthy, and therefore had rejected her interest. Something she might, perhaps, have misunderstood and saw as a negative reflection on her worth.
In his mind Bane recalled the look on Kei's face and in the boy's eyes when he'd kissed Talia's hand. And her reaction to it.
It turned his stomach.
"Are we there yet?"
Turning his head Bane looked to his side where Robin walked beside him, the omega's arms crossed protectively in front of him, hands holding his upper arms. A defensive position and tell-and one that a cop with any sense knew better to adopt. It would not defend him from attack, but slow down his reaction time. The omega had also, since they had left their room to see the al Ghuls off, been primarily looking at the floor rather than scanning around them for danger as he normally would. Not that Bane would allow any harm to come to him, but still...
"We are almost there."
No snarky response from Robin. The other man didn't even look up.
Bane wanted to believe that this was all a show for those watching them as they made their way through hallways and passed guards stationed throughout as the compound was on high alert. That Robin was playing the role so it would be reported back to Talia and her father that he'd been properly 'broken', as Bane had been ordered to do.
But they hadn't arrived at their destination yet and Robin had too much pride and attitude to pretend longer than he needed to. Robin was also mad at him. When Robin was angry he did the opposite of what Bane told him to do. This Bane had learned well.
There were too many eyes and ears on them. Bane couldn't demand to know what was going on. He most certainly couldn't demand that Robin behave more like himself. He was supposed to be discouraging that.
Luckily, or unluckily, Barsad joined them moments later with Kei.
Meeting Barsad's gaze Bane gave him a questioning look, the beta shaking his head in the negative to indicate that he'd found nothing worth relaying during his interviews.
Kei, meanwhile, wandered over to study Robin with apparent interest.
"I haven't seen you this depressed in a while. Did he lie and promise you chocolate or pizza?"
Kei was apparently worth looking at, Robin glancing over at the young alpha. "I'm not depressed. And don't mentioned pizza or chocolate!"
Oh. Should he be bribing Robin with those things? That would set a bad precedent-but once in a while technically wouldn't hurt.
"Well I know it's not because Tom Hardy got married again. How would you know?"
There was just a hint of a smile curving Robin's lips now. "The force is strong with this one?"
Kei smirked. "I quoted Yoda earlier. Barsad didn't get it."
"Bane never gets them either. He's never seen 'JAWS'."
"Really? I guess that makes sense. If he watched Spielberg's movies he'd realize how messed up the League is."
Shoulders straightening, engaged now with a definite smile on his face, Robin asked why Kei thought that.
"Well think about it. 'JAWS' teaches that brains will always ultimately overcome brawn. And that revenge and sequels are usually a bad idea. 'Jurassic Park' shows that life always finds a way no matter how humans try to control it." Kei ticked off each point with his fingers. "'Schindler's List' teaches that it's inhumane to discriminate, murder, and subjugate people, and also that even people with questionable morals can be heroes, and do the right thing. That 'Whoever saves one life saves the world entire'."
"I forgot that quote. It's a good quote. From the Talmud."
"It is? Well that makes sense." Kei pursed his lips. "Now like I was saying..." The alpha snapped his fingers. "Oh. 'ET' teaches that just because someone is alien to you, really different, that doesn't mean they're evil or will hurt you. And 'Catch Me If You Can' is about the importance of good parenting. And that the law will get you eventually. What else did he-'Hook' is about-"
"We're almost there. Quiet now. Both of you."
Kei looked at Barsad and nodded, lapsing into silence. Robin was quiet too, nothing about his expression indicating he minded that Barsad had told them to be quiet. Robin did not take it this well when Bane told him to be quiet. There was always at least one snarky remark or a look before Robin did as asked. If he did as asked. Hell, Robin was sharing a smile with Kei now.
That boy was annoying, dimwitted, and wouldn't know how to be a proper alpha if someone gave him step by step instructions and trained him every day of his life. Why did Robin like him so much? Why did Robin smile at him so much?
How could he get Robin to smile at him more without letting Robin do whatever he wanted, which would be disastrous? If he had to ask Kei for advice-no. Never happening. Death would be the preferable fate.
Damn. He needed to table these thoughts. It would not due to appear distracted, much less be that way.
Ahead of them, at the end of the hallway, the al Ghuls stood surrounded by their personal guard. All the men had their weapons visible and out, none of them relaxing even though they would know none of the men approaching posed a threat. But that was to be expected, the attempted assassination had put everyone on edge.
Bane didn't anticipate this taking long, especially since Talia's father wouldn't want to be around Bane or Robin for any longer than was necessary. He also wouldn't want his daughter around the younger alpha that thankfully was hanging back, almost hiding behind Robin. A fact that suited Bane just fine even as he wished that there was some way he could get rid of the fool without incurring Robin's wrath.
But he would lose any chance he might have with the omega. Not to mention the absurd fascination Barsad had where Kei was concerned. But at least in Barsad's case Bane had confidence that his second would come to his senses soon.
When they were close enough Bane stopped and inclined his head.
Ra's al Ghul inclined his ever so slightly in return. "Have you caught the sniper?"
"No."
"I see. I trust you will find him soon. Keep me informed."
"I will."
"Good."
"Until we meet again, My Friend." Talia said from her father's side, the smile she gave Bane warm. "It was good to see you again."
"Yes. I will look forward to it."
Talia's gaze slid over to just beside Bane. "And you as well, Detective. I'm glad to see you're unharmed."
"I'm a hard man to kill. Safe trip home."
There was no emotion in Robin's voice, but that was for the best.
"That you are." Talia agreed with another, sharper smile. A smile she then aimed at first Barsad and then Kei, saying goodbye to each man.
Bane assumed that both men did something to acknowledge her words without speaking, as she didn't seem annoyed and her father didn't call them out for being discourteous.
And that was that.
A few more nods and then the al Ghuls and their entourage walked away to the stairwell that would eventually take them out and to their waiting helicopter. They were flying straight back to their mountain stronghold and Bane trusted that the men with them would see they got their safely.
Meanwhile his three companions all breathed a sigh of relief. Some louder than others.
)
It was nearly two hours later when the realization hit. Bane and Barsad had been going over what little information they had on the sniper while Robin and Kei sat at a nearby table, watching a movie on a laptop. As it turned out Barsad did occasionally watch movies for entertainment and the two had been allowed to watch their pick of his collection as it kept the two occupied and out of trouble. Less distracting in the small, windowless room they were currently in.
It was while they studied images relayed by their satellites and security cameras again, hoping that they'd missed something the first few times they'd reviewed them, that Bane realized that he hadn't once feared for Talia's safety. A sniper had infiltrated his compound, whereabouts unknown, and not once had the thought that she might be in danger. He hadn't ordered her protection detail doubled, for her to be put in lockdown, or even had her warned. And yes she and her father had known why Bane had left them and therefore had known to increase their security-but Bane hadn't been thinking about that. About her.
Numerous excuses and reasons passed through Bane's mind to explain this, but with each scenario Bane kept coming back to the same conclusion. He hadn't believed her in danger. Had known, on an instinctual, subconscious level that the sniper wouldn't hurt her.
Barsad had made his opinion clear. Bane had always trusted his second.
"If you are right, and Talia is responsible for this...how do I make her stop?" Bane asked, speaking in Barsad's native language.
Barsad looked up from the printout in his hand. "You can't. You marked him for death the moment you decided to claim him as yours. She won't stop."
"If she didn't want me to have him, why didn't she argue against giving him to me in the first place?"
Robin's capture had been her idea. Her plan. Bane had assumed that Ra's al Ghul had given Robin to him as a test of his loyalty. A reminder of his place and the older alpha's feelings where Bane was concerned. But if Talia hadn't wanted Robin to remain in Bane's custody she could have said so and her father would have acquiesced. It wasn't as though Bane had been the only choice available.
"It was a test. Both father and daughter. Do you think it was a coincidence that she came the next day to ensure her father's orders were followed? And do you really think her father would want her to see that, knowing how her mother died? She came because she wanted to. To confirm your loyalty and to gain satisfaction in proof that Wayne's lover had suffered and that Wayne would suffer."
"Talia wouldn't-"
Barsad interrupted, which gave his words a sharper edge. "She knows how you feel about rape. By giving him to you, forcing you to do something abhorrent to you at her command, it reinforced to her that you'll do whatever she asks of you. That she owns you. Perhaps the original idea to give the cop to you was her father's...but my money would be on her. He has no taste for rape, either. You know that."
He did know that.
"Her power comes from you and her father. She needs to know, always, that it will stay that way."
Bane had to take a minute to absorb that before he could say anything.
"Have you and Robin been discussing this?"
"A little."
Acknowledging this with a stiff nod Bane turned his head to look in the direction of Robin, the omega engrossed with whatever was happening onscreen.
He couldn't argue that Talia and her father knew how he felt about rape. Everyone in the League knew he'd killed his own men for committing that offense. More, Talia knew why his feelings on the matter were so strong. Had grown up seeing men raped within the confines of The Pit. Knew what had been done to her mother. And still she'd done nothing to intervene, to prevent him from being the one expected to rape and break Robin.
"I've never given her reason to doubt me."
Barsad agreed that that was so.
"Then why?"
The look that earned him...Bane didn't know what to call it. Just that it tied his stomach in knots.
"She doesn't understand love."
What?
"I don't understand."
"You love her. Truly love her. Would give your life for her without question or hesitation. You would never willingly betray or harm her." A moment's pause, Barsad's eyes staring ito Bane's as he softly continued. "She doesn't love you. Or her father. Or anyone. She doesn't understand the strength and power of the emotion, so she has no faith in it."
Fingers clenching into fists Bane wanted to destroy Barsad in that moment. Erase the other man and the words he'd spoken from existence. From ever being spoken.
"It's not a lack in you, but in her."
Bane looked away. It was all he could do in that moment.
"We're done here." Barsad announced in English. "You two will have to finish the movie tomorrow."
"Seriously? We've got like fifteen minutes left." Robin's voice.
"You said you'd seen this already." Kei pointed out.
"So? It's a good movie."
"Blake." Barsad spoke again.
"Wha-oh."
The sound of a chair being pushed back on concrete, then moments later a familiar hand was placed on Bane's arm, fingers wrapping around to squeeze ever so slightly.
Bane turned his head to meet Robin's gaze.
"Hey. Dinnertime?"
The thought of eating was nauseating.
"Yeah. That's how I feel about the food around here too. But we should probably eat something. Keep our blood sugar levels up and all that jazz."
Yes. It was important that Robin eat.
Latching onto that thought like a lifeline Bane focused his thoughts on that and only that. Robin had mostly eaten garbage while living in Gotham and was constantly avoiding the healthy food provided here whenever possible. Kei certainly couldn't be counted on to make sure Robin was taken care of. And given the health concerns that had arisen from Robin returning to his true self...keeping him as healthy as possible was of even more importance.
"We'll go get you food."
"Excellent. Hard pass if it's whatever they served the night you and I left the compound. Kei said it looked like vomit."
Kei piped up. "It really did."
"You will eat something healthy for you."
Robin made a face like a grumpy child.
"Come. We'll get you food."
