Authors note: I don't own anything "The Dark Knight Rises" related. Also thanks to MaroonShoes and atiketook for the reviews.
Standing on the courthouse steps Bane heard the crack of a high powered rifle and he saw the mussel flash from the rooftop across the park. It was one of a very few times in his life that he froze in surprise, looking up to where the flash had been he saw a figure standing for a moment on the roof looking down at him.
The figure wasn't far off but the recently risen sun backlit him to the point of anonymity, "Like a bird in flight" Bane thought fleetingly.
The moment seemed to hold in the air, an electric charge between the shooter and the target, but then the figure moved and the screams and chaos started. Bane took a rasping breath through his mask and tilted his head to the right. On the crest of his right jacket lapel he saw that the bullet had ripped through the thick fleece. As his men began surrounding him in order to provide cover he looked behind him for the briefest second and saw where the bullet had buried itself into the stone steps.
"Sir we need to move" Barsad said to his left with the shortness of breath that signaled his high adrenaline level.
"The shooter is gone he was on that building across the park." Barsad followed his leader's line of sight and took in the building and the roadways surrounding it. "Take the men down those roads and check all the alleys, I want him caught." Bane ordered. With practiced efficiency Bane's men mounted their bikes and started the hunt.
Bane descended the courthouse steps and strode purposefully toward the park leaving the cowering people of Gotham behind him. He approached the building the shot had come from and saw that it was one of the many legal buildings no longer in uses since he had taken the city. He entered the dim main lobby and headed up the stairwell to the roof.
Bane pushed through the roof access door and stepped out into the cold air breathing in deeply in almost perfect emulation of the shooter's entrance to the roof top. His steps crunched lightly in the gravel for such an imposing figure as he made his way to the ledge. He could smell the acridness of burnt gunpowder, a smell to him that was more familiar than most any other.
He placed his left hand on the ledge leaning slightly out over the edge. His other hand picked up the brass casing that had been standing up on the ledge as if waiting for his arrival. He looked from his position down to where he'd been standing and the thought that the shooter had just had poor aim left his mind.
His instincts told him that there was more to this situation than an assassination attempt gone wrong. "Something altogether more interesting" Bane said to the wind.
Turning he pulled out a portable radio from inside his jacket. He called for Barsad and because he knew that just about every government communications resource was being used to monitor Gotham he spoke in code, telling Barsad to meet him at city hall. He pocketed his radio and turned the casing over in his hand. He noted that it was a .308 Winchester round which surprised him, most snipers seemed to favor a larger caliber, the one he held only had a range of 800 meters.
He tucked the shell in the chest pocket of his jacket and pushed away from the edge. He moved across the roof to the fire escape and descended noting the speed the shooter must have had to negotiate the escape and elude his men. Finding no other clues he headed back to his bike and headed north toward city hall. By time Barsad returned Bane was in the mayor's office with his feet propped up on the grand oak desk. Barsad saw that his commander was fiddling with a spent bullet casing when he walked in,
"What is our next step sir?"
"We need to get into the city records my friend, a rifle like this requires registration and the list will be short. I think it is reasonable to say we'll be able to find him by night fall."
The knocking at the door pulled her out of her discussion with Freddie. "Lena dear are you home?" came the voice of an elderly woman on the other side of the door.
"Yeah Mrs. Scottsdale I'm home," she shouts as she moves to open the door.
"Oh good, Henry and I get so worried when you go out." Mrs. Scottsdale stated as Lena opened the door. "Are you coming over for dinner tonight?"
"I think I'm gonna have to take a rain check Mrs. S, I've had a busy day and I think I'm gonna have a nice bubble bath." She said with a dreamy smile of anticipation.
"Well you make sure you come over tomorrow, we can't have you living off Rayman noodles." Mrs. Scottsdale chided. Lena stifled a chuckle at Mrs. S's terrible pronunciation.
"Yes, tomorrow I promise. Do you and Mr. S. need any supplies, the word on the street is that emergency relief supplies will be arriving tomorrow."
"Oh if you'd be able to pick up some tea, that would be so nice. We don't need any food, Henry is a bit of a hoarder when it comes to nonperishables so we're doing just fine."
"I'm glad to hear it." Lena said with a genuine smile. "Well you take care Mrs. S and make sure you lock your doors good and tight."
"You do the same dearie, we'll see you tomorrow."
Lena closed her door and headed back into the kitchen to begin the dirty work of rifle cleaning. "At least I only put one round through the barrel, that'll keep the mess down," She thought to herself.
After inspecting the scope and rifle for damage she brushed and rubbed the barrel, upper and lower receiver, ejection port, and all the other nooks and crannies that acquire powder and grime. While some might shy away from the work, she loved it. The feel of grit and oil on her hands was natural and the routine nature of the cleaning let her mind wander off into an almost meditative state.
All too soon she was finished and looking down at her blackened fingers, she decided she was well over due for that bubble bath. Her old apartment may not have come with a stainless steel kitchen and the wiring probably not up to code but the bathroom, which in Lena's opinion was the only room worth worrying about, was amazing.
It had the old tiny hexagonal floor tiles and the classic claw foot tub. "It may cost an arm and a leg to fill but I doubt any one is going to be sending out water bills anytime soon." Lena thought. She deftly used her foot to stopper the tub and then her forearms to start the gush of piping hot water. Once the filling process was started she moved to the sink to wash of the majority of grim so she could have a nice soak without sooty water. With the bubbles added and her mp3 player jammed in her ears she eased herself into the painful yet entirely pleasurable heat of the water. With a deep relaxed breath she closed her eyes and began to enjoy.
It took longer to acquire the list of registered rifles than Bane would have liked but finally Barsad brought it into the office.
"List of names, addresses, and as much background information we could get a hold of," Barsad stated to the boss.
"Thank you my friend," Bane boomed through his mask with mechanical joviality. He took the list and began looking it over. He saw immediately that several riffles on the list were antique models which he disregarded as unlikely. About mid-way down the list he saw something promising.
"Ex-military…Hmmm, Barsad have men check all these locations. I'll be going to this one personally." Bane stated as he tapped the name.
The sun was setting and it gave the empty streets a long and shadowy effect that disturbed the average Gothamite but to Bane it felt like home. Not that he really understood the meaning of the word. He made his way uptown to the run down building of an L. Newman. His men moved silently ahead and behind him clearing the halls of the apartment building.
As he strode closer to his destination he almost felt regret for the short-lived game he had been playing. It had only been a week since the takeover of Gotham and already he grew tired of people he had liberated. Weakness ran rampant through their numbers and weakness was what Bane found most tiresome and what he sought to stamp out. He stepped up to the fourth apartment on the left and stood for a moment while his men fidgeted in anticipation.
Lena was in the middle of a serious rock session. The tunes were blasting in her ears and her hair that she'd shampooed into a beehive was on the verge of flopping into her face and causing her eyes some serious pain but she could care less. As she serenaded her rubber duck the stress of the day melted away. Her carefully built façade began to crumble. In the tub sat not a controlled calculating warrior but a young woman that was still managing to enjoy the little things in life. She soaked and to her it was one of life's rare and perfect moments, completely oblivious to the outside world.
Bane took his rather large foot and connected it with the less than sturdy door and he damn near took it off its hinges. It slammed back into the wall and his men entered the apartment. He walked in last with his hands gripping his lapels. The apartment was dimly lit but there was a stronger light coming from down a hallway to the left.
He moved towards the door that the light was creeping out from under and paused to listen. He heard nothing and was holding his breath so as to not make a sound himself. His large hand grasped the silver door handle and it turned smoothly in his hand. When he heard the soft click of the lock opening he gently pushed the door inward and let it swing freely open. It made a creaking noise as it moved on its path toward the wall.
As it slowly open Bane stood looking in and what he saw gave him a mixed sense of surprise and excitement. The room was completely empty. As he stepped in to make absolutely sure there was no one in there Barsad came up to the doorway.
"Sir you need to come see this," was all he said to the large man.
Bane followed him out into the hall and down into the kitchen. There on the table was an unfired .308 rifle bullet standing tall and underneath it was a small scrap of paper. He picked up the bullet and rubbed it idly with his thumb. With his other hand he grabbed up the paper and read the neat small scripted.
It read: So the darkness shall be the light, and the stillness shall be the dancing.
Bane folded the paper and tucked it and the bullet into the inside chest pocket where the spent casing also resided. The ghost of a smile played on his lips as his men exited the apartment. He heard on the radio the code stating that all the other addresses on the list had been busts although none but the one Bane stood in had had a message.
"This venture may prove to be very interesting indeed." He shouted with sadistic cheerfulness that sent chills down the spines of his less hardened men. Bane marched from the building into the oncoming night that seemed to sallow him up entirely.
These first two chapters came pretty easy to me but I'm working on developing ideas about where I want to go with this story so chapter three might take a little longer I hope you enjoyed.