Underneath The Mask Chapter 3: Living Dangerously, a batman begins/dark knight fanfic

Chapter 3- Living Dangerously

Ebony woke the next morning to find herself back in her apartment.

She was sprawled across the end of her bed in the small, humble master bedroom.

It took a few moments to recall what had happened and her final memory of the night before.

Her dangerous expedition down in the depths of Gotham sewers and her life-threatening encounter with that masked man called Bane.

After some discussions between herself and Bane, well, he did most of the talking, that smaller man, Barsad had held a cloth over her mouth and nose.

She didn't see that one coming.

He must have brought her back here.

Great, so they also know where I live.

It was safe to assume they knew everything about her by now.

Leaning up on her side, Ebony was surprized to see her cell phone and beloved camera were on the bed next to her.

Intact.

A handwritten note.

Containing three words.

We are watching.

xxxx

Approaching the long bench scattered with a heavy-duty laptop, electronic devices and blueprints, Bane's second in command and most loyal comrade set a handgun down next to his prized high calibre sniper rifle.

Looking towards his leader, there was something he had to get off his chest after his leader's unusual decision last night.

Many had come down into the sewers in the months before, looking for work or hiding from the law or both.

Eventually all of them ended up dead one way or another, but Barsad had a gut feeling that this one… could be different.

'I am surprized that you let the photographer live, brother.' Barsad commented openly, continuing.

'I hope it does not put years of planning into jeopardy.' He said, pressing to get an explanation as to Bane's unforeseen decision.

After years of working side by side with each other in dangerous circumstances and always having each other's back, Barsad was the only one with the privilege to question Bane on anything and live to tell the tale.

'I acknowledge your concern, brother. Prolonging her life is only a temporary measure to aid the final objective of Gotham's reckoning.' Bane replied, without looking up from what he was reading.

'Besides, I am not letting her live, I am keeping her alive. For now.' Bane said coldly, the last two words especially threatening.

'Ms Black knows she is walking a very fine line. The moment she puts a foot wrong, her life will be at an end.' Bane added.

Barsad nodded silently in acknowledgement.

Usually they told eachother everything and more often than not, one could sense what the other would do before it happened, which had been handy in more than a few situations in the past.

But perhaps Bane was playing this card especially close to his chest.

xxxx

Ebony spent the next day housebound, thankful to have survived her impromptu visit down to the sewers, reflecting on her nightmarish experience.

Mentally unwinding and trying to make sense of her thoughts.

Had it really happened?

Yes.

She only needed to stand in the mirror in her bra, to confirm this.

Although the small cuts down her front were healing nicely, her mind kept racing.

She had unwillingly surrendered the photos she took of Bruce Wayne, but inadvertently they had saved her life.

Her mind was reeling.

What could she have done differently… what should she have done differently?

Nothing. She survived.

Strangely enough, it gave her a rush.

She liked… living dangerously.

And that was probably the riskiest thing she had ever done in her life.

Experiencing pain. Being close to death, reminded her to live.

Every moment.

She was sure she was being watched to see if she would do anything rash, run to the police.

All she had to do was call Blake.

Even if no one else believed her story, he would.

But Ebony had accepted Bane's offer.

It was not like she had a choice.

It was the only way she would get out of there alive.

Apparently, it had been her 'lucky night'.

There had been an opening in surveillance on account of someone with broken neck.

Compliments of Bane.

Bane was utilizing her skill.

She had become an eye for him.

She had been given a shortlist of Gotham's finest to keep tabs on on.

Ebony suspected that this was just a test, before they told her anymore.

She was to report back underground, at strict regular intervals.

xxxx

Ebony wasn't the only one that had experienced a traumatic night.

The following evening, Blake responded to information that the missing Congressman's phone had been located at a bar downtown.

A gunfight followed, ending with Commissioner Gordon following assailants down into the sewers.

Blake wanted to follow him, assist him, but instead he was accused of being a 'hothead'.

Hours of worry and searching later, Blake eventually found Commissioner Gordan half dead at one of sewer outflows.

After watching the paramedics take Gordon away in an ambulance, Blake was furious and frustrated.

Pacing next to his patrol car, he decided he would finally utilize his knowledge of who the Batman was and take action.

He needed to see Bruce Wayne and wouldn't take no for an answer.

Driving his patrol car up to the entrance, his heart pounded as he hopped out and knocked on the door.

He had imagined doing this many times over in his head, before now.

He never thought he actually would.

After pressuring his way into Wayne Manor, Blake found himself waiting in a small parlour, with a collection of African tribal masks adorned the shelves.

This guy really liked masks…

Eventually, Bruce Wayne hobbled in wearing a robe with a walking stick, playing the part of an injured man.

But was it only his body that was broken…?

After relaying the information to Wayne that Commissioner Gordan had been shot and the presence of an underground army that seemed too far-fetched for others to believe held any truth, Blake watched Bruce pretend not to care.

Finally Blake revealed that he knew Bruce was the Batman.

Bruce stared at him blankly for a moment.

Was his cover blown?

Wayne immediately went into damage control, but Blake wouldn't hear it and went on, explaining how he had figured out who he really was.

'We've met before…. It was a long time ago, I was a kid….St Swithin's. It used to be funded by the Wayne Foundation. It's an orphanage…. My mom died when I was young, I don't remember that one. My dad died a few years later from a gambling debt. I remember that one just fine. Not a lot of people know what it feels like, to be angry. In your bones…'

Blake paused, watching Wayne closely.

I figured it out too late, you gotta learn to hide the anger. Practice smiling in the mirror. It's like putting on a mask…'

Another pause.

'So you showed up one day, cool car, pretty girl on your arm, we were so excited. Bruce Wayne, billionaire orphan….' Blake chuckled, enthusiastically, remembering that day fondly.

'Right when I saw you, I knew who you really were. I'd seen that look on your face before. It's the same one I taught myself…'

Blake stood, preparing to depart, leaving Wayne with some final words.

'I'm still a believer in the Batman. Even if you're not.'

Wayne watched the passionate young officer leave.

The Batman had just been put on notice…

xxxx

After making morning phone calls, organizing to get her car towed from where she had abandoned it, Ebony was huddled in her pyjamas on the sofa when she heard a knock at the door.

She peered through the security peep hole to see it was Blake.

In uniform.

Looks like he had just finished a night shift.

Ebony opened the door.

'John…'

'Eb, I have been worried about you, you haven't been answering my calls.' Blake cut her off as he entered her apartment.

'I'm sorry. Something came up. I have been preoccupied...' She said.

'With what? Has something happened?' Blake asked, confused.

'Y…yes you could say that. But I can't say much. Just that I can't see you anymore John. I am… sorry.'

Ebony had already made that decision.

She couldn't risk him finding out anything and getting hurt for her.

He was everything good in her life, but it would have to be put on hold, just until she got out of this mess.

The look of dismay on Blake's face was heart wrenching.

'What… I don't understand. Did I do something? Surely, I wasn't too pushy about moving in the other day…?' Blake asked in dismay.

After the shitty night he had just had, he really didn't expect it to get any worse.

'No. It's not you, I just need to work some stuff out. I'm sorry I need you to leave.' She said still holding the door.

'What…? Eb, please…..' Blake said, surprized at this sudden turn of events.

Ebony just stared at him with a blank face.

Realizing that he was getting nowhere, Blake conceded for now.

Hanging his head, he reluctantly removed himself from her living room.

xxxx

Knowing her father's camera as well as she did, Ebony had a gut instinct to check it over.

It wasn't the most modern device, being around 10 years old, but she felt closer to her father when she used it.

It was like there was a part of him with her, when she was working.

Giving her camera a clean and charging the battery, Ebony's jaw dropped when she realized that it had been tampered with.

There was a tiny metal disk.

A tracking chip!?

So they were keeping tabs on her movements.

And they knew that she wouldn't likely go anywhere without her camera.

Quickly she grabbed some tools, intent on getting rid of the device.

Pausing, instead of removing the tracking chip immediately, Ebony left it in place.

She would play their little game.

Perhaps she could use it to her advantage.

Somehow.

Reluctantly getting dressed in her usual black attire, she left the apartment with her camera.

She had work to do… to remain… alive.

xxxx

Down in the depths of the sewers once more, finishing her initial report to Barsad by the long bench, he walked out of sight to collect supplies from a storage room.

Waiting alone, Ebony moved closer to the gentle warmth radiating from fire pit, rubbing her hands together.

There was an unforgiving chill in the air down here.

She didn't want to be here any longer than necessary.

It was then that she heard mechanical breathing from nearby.

Commending herself for being so daring, Ebony peeked behind the heavy curtain, moving it ever so slightly to one side.

She saw Bane, bare chested, sitting on the side of his stretcher, peering into a small mirror adjusting his mask as it remained in place.

Beside him he had an interesting array of intricate hand-crafted tools on a small wooden table.

Ebony quickly stood back from view.

Had Bane seen her?

Ebony held her breath and shut her eyes tight in regret.

Shit, why the hell did she do that.

'Ah, Ms Black… Enter.' The amplified voice ordered.

Of course, he had.

Ebony stepped into the small private space the curtain created as her heart pounded.

'I overheard your report, just now. You have proven that you can follow instruction down to the letter.' Bane said.

Ebony watched on as he tweaked a small dial on the harness with a strange tool whilst peering into a tiny mirror, modifying the flow of inhalant.

'A wise decision. For you.' He added in a slightly threatening undertone.

Ebony nodded, she knew she would need to continue to do so, to stay alive.

She had no doubt, Bane could make a butter knife a lethal weapon.

Matter of fact, he didn't need anything at all.

Silence followed where the only sound was the mechanical air exchange through Bane's mask.

'Tell me… about your parents, Ms Black.' Bane stated as more of an order than a question.

He had not yet looked at her directly.

Ebony hesitated, watching the light glint off his muscular arms as he worked on his mask.

Even seated, he looked powerful.

Mighty.

Ebony was reluctant to tell him anything about her private life, but she didn't want to anger him.

She was only alive, because he had spared her.

'My parents met working at Gotham General Hospital. Mom was a nurse and Dad an orderly. There are not many true love stories out there, but they really were a perfect match...' Ebony started.

'They went to work every day together and returned every night together. They never had much but they were happy. So, it was a fitting end for them to die together… Perhaps one could not have lived without the other.' She said.

Taking a step closer, she ran her eyes over many old scars scattered over Bane's pale skin and ominous bulk.

Linear scars, jagged cuts that had healed badly, bullet wounds, Bane had it all.

'And how did they… meet their end, Ms Black?' Bane enquired again without looking at her directly, continuing to make intricate adjustments to his mask.

Again, Ebony hesitated.

'Eight years ago, around the last time Batman was seen, that strange man in the purple suit with the painted face was blowing up buildings all over the city...' Ebony started.

'My parents were helping evacuate Gotham General. They were doing the last checks to make sure no one had been left behind… but… they never made it out.' She said, again stepping nearer.

Holding her breath, Ebony was boldly testing her limits of how close he would let her get to him and… his mask.

'I see.' Bane said without a hint of emotion.

She was now gazing down on him and had an intricate view of the side of his face.

'Medically speaking, I have never seen anything like your mask before, but it looks expertly crafted...' Ebony observed.

'…for the sole purpose of administering quick uptake of analgesic.' She started, wondering why she had the strong urge to reach out and touch it.

'Very good Ms Black.' Bane confirmed.

'Inhalant diffuses across the fine membrane of lung tissue directly into the bloodstream. In short, for… effective pain management.' Ebony said, drawing on knowledge of what her parents had taught her from their practical experience of human biology and medicine.

Bane said nothing.

Ebony eyed the set of tools rolled in a worn leather case Bane had to accompany his mask.

'Why are you here…?' Ebony asked, '…in Gotham. What is… all of this?' She gestured.

'All in good time, Ms Black.' Bane replied, keeping his gaze straight into the small mirror.

Having returned from storage, Barsad cleared his throat, interrupting the tense conversation.

As Ebony emerged from the other side of the curtain, Barsad gave her a curious look, with raised eyebrows but said nothing of it.

Handing her a few items, Barsad informed her of her next task, attending a charity ball.

But this wasn't just any charity ball.

This was a night of nights.

Instructed to keep tabs on wealthy socialite Miranda Taite and a few other well known names that would be there, she was also told to keep an eye out for anyone else of… 'interest'.

Ebony assumed that meant the man that Bane seemed so interested in… the mysterious and elusive Bruce Wayne.

Surely he wouldn't turn up there, re-establish himself back into… society?

Nevertheless, it was her photo of him that had saved her life after all.

She would attend the event posing as a wealthy guest, as strictly no media were allowed inside.

Her name was to be on the door list of high rollers, wealthy businessmen and rich socialites.

Ebony was given a beautiful, embellished mask fitted with a tiny hidden camera, which Barsad instructed her how to use, and some cash to buy an outfit to look the part.

At $10K per head just to get through the door, she had never been to anything this extravagant in her life.

She was almost looking forward to it…

Author's notes- Thank you to Gaia and Crixus and batmanbane for the reviews. :)