Authors' Note: First off sorry for the delayed post it's been a very busy summer for me. Also when I started writing this story I didn't have the plot hashed out as well as I should have so it's taking me a lot long to get new posts out than I'd like. Thanks to everyone who posted a review I really appreciate it.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Dark Knight series and I'm not profiting from this story in any way.
Lena's body was completely drained form the events of the past day. The blood loss and beating she'd received were catching up with her as she collapsed on the posh sofa. A bowl of chicken noodle soup steamed on the glass coffee table, soup being about the only thing Lena would be able to eat until her face had time to return to its normal size.
Lena was wrapped up in the large down comforter she'd taken from the bedroom she had woken up in earlier. It felt cool against her skin as she hunkered down into the plush seat and picked up an absurdly large remote. Lena poked experimentally at the control hoping to turn the tv on but only succeeded in powering up the stereo system. Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" came blasting out of the surround sound as she frantically tried to turn it off.
"Jeez, what kind of weirdo lived here?" Lena criticized as she was finally able to switch off the music and got the tv to turn on.
She flipped to a news channel to make sure she hadn't missed anything while she'd been knocked out. Lena watched the same clips about Gotham that the media had been running since the bridges went down and finding that there were no new developments she quickly flipped to something less depressing.
After what seemed like hundreds of channels she settled on one playing the movie To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything. The quirky comedy was exactly what she needed to relax and take her mind off the problems just outside the penthouse door.
As she sat watching Lena allowed herself to let her guard down and release the massive amount of tension that had been building up since the sniper fiasco. As her eyes began to flutter closed she had fleeting thoughts about what lied ahead for her and what Bane was planning.
Bane barely noticed the frigid night air as he approached Dagget's apartment high-rise. After his meeting with Talia he felt keen and focused like a blade. He entered the lobby and strode purposefully to the elevators. As he was lifted towards the penthouse Bane replayed the short time he was able to spend with his Talia savoring every moment.
Once he was out of the elevator he nodded to the two guards wordlessly relieving them for the night. Bane pushed open the heavy front door pausing to strip off his body armor and moved through the space silently, intending to go over the city reports in Dagget's study but the sound of the television in the living room caught his attention.
Detouring from his original destination he moved into the living room and what he saw raised his eyebrow and caused a smirk to grace his lips. His little captive was stretched half on half off the sofa completely entangled in a large comforter and on the television were three large men dancing around in extremely flamboyant cocktail dresses.
Bane found the remote and clicked the screen black leaving the expansive living room dark except for the dim moonlight shining through the immense glass wall. The quiet hiss of his mask and her soft breaths were the only sound filling up the large space. Bane pondered how different she looked as she slept.
"She looks innocent when she isn't staring me down with that steal glare," he mused.
As he watched, a large strand of her hair shifted across her face. Bane was gripped with the sudden urge to move the intrusive hair that was interrupting his view. Bane slowly reached out to brush her hair aside but paused inches from her skin realizing how similar his current position was to the moment between himself and Evelyn earlier that day.
He couldn't understand the electric pull he felt around this girl and every time it drew him in it was unsettling. Bane's logical mind finally gained command as he shook out of the trance and dropped his hand. Mentally berating himself for his momentary loss of control Bane stooped to pick her up.
As he scooped her up Bane noted that she was heavier than she appeared and he muttered, "Nothing about you is as it seems."
Bane had reached the bed room he'd placed her in before and was about to lay her down when she stirred in his arms. She turned into his body and her hand curled into his shirt as she mumbled softly,
"You don't have to do this, you don't have to go." Bane had a moment to wonder if she was talking to him but then he heard her softly whisper, "Dad."
He mentally filed away all of her comments and gently laid her down on the large bed. Looking down Bane saw that her small hand was still tangled into his shirt so he lightly grasped her hand and eased it free setting it down.
Bane paused before releasing his grasp on her soft warm hand finding that he didn't mind the brief contact. Even after he'd left and situated himself in Dagget's private study Bane could still feel the ghost of that touch.
Lena was having the dream again but it wasn't the same. She was laying in her old living room but the décor was that of her penthouse prison all dark woods and sand colored marble. Lena was lounging on the large white sofa and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata flowed around the room unnerving her with its dark but beautiful melody.
She heard the thud above her and she quickly moved to the stairs to escape the uncanny surrounding. The stairs and hallway were the same as always growing darker as she moved toward the last door. Instead of being pulled to the door she felt her body racing there and in the blink of an eye she was in front of it grasping the handle.
Lena tensed as she twisted the door knob anticipating the roar of sound but it never came. All she heard was a mechanical hiss and then the dream shattered around her and she fell into deeper darkness.
Lena woke with her entire body clenched up, her fingers digging into the bed, and the taste of blood in her mouth. Her whole body felt like it was on fire as she attempted to coaxes her muscles into relaxing. Lena pulled herself into a seated position with her legs dangling over the edge of the bed.
Once her heart stopped feeling as if it would pound out of her chest she shakily got to her feet. Lena was disoriented from her dream and from the fact that she woke up in a room she didn't fall asleep in. As she got to her feet Lena contemplated the strange changes in the dream she'd been having since she was fifteen years old, until this moment it had been unchanging for close to ten years.
Lena made her way into the bathroom taking in her flushed appearance as she stood at the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She rubbed the cool water on the back of her neck in an attempt to quell the heat coming off her body and she used it to slick back some of her hair that had come loss from her ponytail.
After rinsing the blood from her mouth that had been caused by her loose teeth grinding during the dream Lena moved back into the bedroom noting the faint moon light through the window that signified the late hour. She pushed through the bedroom door and out into the hallway. She was enveloped in shadows as she made her way quietly to the living room.
Her body was still unbearably hot so without hesitation Lena opened the balcony door and stepped out into the night. The cold which had been painful earlier was a welcomed relief to her now even on her uncovered feet as she made her way to the railing. Lena stood looking out over the darkened city and the stars above which had been drowned out by light before Bane had taken Gotham.
Thinking of Bane brought so many questions rushing into Lena's head. "What does he have planned for me and my city? Where did he come from and what kind of life molds a man like him?" she pondered as an icy breeze swirled around her.
Lena wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there but she suddenly had the feeling of being watched. She looked around and to her right she saw across an open expanse there was another smaller balcony she hadn't noticed earlier, on that balcony stood Bane leaning on the railing and staring right at her.
Lena heard his strong voice cut easily across the distance, "You should be in bed little one."
She had heard what he said but Lena remained still. Her entire body hurt, she was mentally and physically exhausted, and most of all she was tired of being pushed around by this terrorist.
"Get back to bed that's an order little bird I will not tell you again." Bane shouted and Lena could hear the anger in his voice threatening to boil over.
She knew disobeying his command would probably be detrimental to her already poor health but at the moment she didn't care so Lena did the most rebellious thing she could muster. She turned away from him and went back to looking at the city, ignoring him completely.
White hot rage pumped through Bane's veins as he watched his captive turn away from him blatantly disregarding his command. Barely containing his fury Bane pushed open the balcony door slamming it closed, surprisingly it remained unbroken, and he moved through the master bedroom.
He continued out into the hallway and through a large set of wooden double doors which he had kept locked since he'd brought the girl into the penthouse. Stalking down the long dark hallway Bane found himself swiftly moving through the living room and out on the balcony. He saw her leaning on the railing looking down at the quiet city her small frame lit by the moonlight. Bane watched as her head tilted listening to his mechanical breaths and then it tilted back continuing to ignore him.
"I'll just have to make it harder for you to ignore me," Bane thought as he lunged forward grabbing a fist full of her tee shirt and ripping her backwards towards the balcony door.
He watched as her small body hit the cement hard and slide a few feet. Bane slowly approached her leaning down and grasping her neck in his large hand loosely, only intending to intimidate. When he'd looked at her he had expected to see fear or anger in her eyes just as he'd seen in the eyes of every person unlucky enough to end up in her position but what he saw perplexed him.
Her features were tranquil and as he watched laughter bubbled up from her. After a few moments of laughter her eyes fluttered closed and Bane became aware of how hot her skin was under his grip. As he realized that his captive had a fever and was probably delusional a twinge of guilt ran through him for letting his anger control his actions.
Bane let out a mechanical sigh releasing the frustration that his captive seemed expertly capable of causing him. He once again picked up the girl walking her back to her bedroom making a mental list of the supplies he'd need to have Barsad collect.
Lena woke feeling as if her head wasn't attached to her body. "Blah… why does my mouth taste like cotton balls?" Lena complained groggily.
As she rolled over in the plush bed she felt a stabbing pain in her arm and she yelped in surprise. Lena looked down at her arm and saw a large I.V. tapped in place. She trailed the clear tubes up to the I.V. stand and took note of the hung saline bag. Lena also noticed a small glass vile on the bedside table and upon picking it up saw that it was labeled gentamicin.
"Broad spectrum antibiotics, only the best for Bane's house guest I suppose." Lena muttered wondering what hospital he'd stolen the supplies from.
Pulling the needle from her arm she got shakily to her feet and made her way to the bathroom. Lena wasn't sure how long she'd been out which was a condition she was starting to associate with being in Bane's company and she decide she desperately needed a bath. With her muscle still recovering she hobbled around the beautiful room turning on the water and collecting different soaps and salts. Once the tub was full and had a layer of bubbles five inches thick Lena carefully undressed and slipped in to the soothing bath making sure to keep her injured arm dry.
She scrubbed her body quickly knowing that Bane or one of his soldiers could show up at any moment. Lena was finally scoured clean and feeling like a human being again. She climbed out of the cooling water and warped herself in a fluffy robe she'd found in the process of collecting bath supplies. Lena took a moment to examine her face in the mirror and found that the swelling had gone down considerably and the bruise was fading to a yellowish green.
"Must have been out for a few days." She concluded as she made her was to the walk in closet.
Lena pulled out a fresh tee shirt with the words Daggett Industries across the chest and a pair of gym shorts. After dressing she moved into the bedroom and unwrapped the cloth covering her gunshot wound and was pleased to see that it was much less red than before. Led by the growling of her stomach Lena made her way into the hallway her bare feet quietly pattering as she went.
She poked her head around the corner and scoped out the living room. Though it lacked the colossal terrorist, her rival sniper was reclined in a chair paging through a magazine. Lena was thrown off momentarily by how normal the guy looked, but recovering quickly she wondered if there was some way to get the drop on him.
As if reading her mind, "You can come on out, you're not very good at sneaking around." Barsad stated a smirk on his lips as he kept flipping through the magazine.
"I'm a sniper not a ninja," Lena retorted as she strode quickly past the living room and into the kitchen refusing to look at him.
She opened the fridge to retrieve the milk and just as she was about to turn around Lena heard a whispered, "I'm both."
She whipped around to find Barsad seated at the breakfast bar, satisfied smirk still in place.
"Show off," Lena grumbled as she started searching the large pantry for any cereal without bran in the name. She stood at the counter with her bowl of Lucky Charms purposefully keeping her distance from the scruffy man.
"How long was I out?" Lena questioned.
"Four days, I'm surprised you're back on your feet so soon." Barsad replied.
"Where'd all the nice medical supplies come from?" Lena asked seeing how much information she could get out of the man.
"Being Gothan's liberator has its perks," he countered evasively.
Lena scoffed softly at this and Barsad gave her a questioning look as he asked, "Do you not believe in Bane's noble mission to free Gotham from corruption?"
"All I know is that tyrants often come in the guise of liberator."
As her comment trailed of there was a thick silent left behind as the two stared each other down. Realizing this particular train of conversation wasn't going anywhere Lena changed the subject by asking, "So are you my babysitter?"
This got a soft chuckle from Barsad, "I am to watch you until Bane returns to make sure you don't get yourself into trouble," he confirmed.
"Does this building have a gym?" Lena continued.
"Yes, but I think your body needs more time to recover," Barsad stated.
"My body has had four days to recover, right now it needs some activity," Lena replied stubbornly.
She could tell by his expressions that he wasn't convinced so she added, "I'll make sure to take it easy and I promise I won't bother you the rest of the day."
After a few seconds of silence he sighed nodding his head in the direction of the front door. Lena moved quickly around the counter and toward the front door before he had a chance to change his mind. She stood at the front door bobbing up and down waiting for him as he slowly walked to her side.
Lena looked down at her bare feet and back at Barsad with a small smile, wordlessly asking for footwear. He smiled back shaking his head curtly denying her request. Barsad grasped her uninjured upper arm and rapped the door three times before pushing it open. They walked out of the penthouse passed the two posted guards and into the elevator.
"Aweful lot of protection for little old me," Lena commented innocently, "It's like you guys think I'll try to escape or something."
Barsad just shook his head knowinly as he pulled a small key from his pocket and inserted it into the elevator panel. Once that was done he pushed the button that would take them down one floor. The ride was fast and smooth and soon they walked into a similar hallway as the floor above. Lena noted that this particular area was unguarded as Barsad walked her to the door and ushered her inside. She was met with the sight of a large indoor pool.
"There's a gym, rec room, and spa farther back, try not to hurt yourself," Barsad commented as he relinquished his grip.
Lena just nodded as she started to look around. She skirted past the pool and head to the back of the large space. Lena concluded that this must be the lower level of the penthouse and her suspicions were confirmed when she reached the back wall and found a spiral staircase leading up. Mentally judging the distance from the front door to the stairs Lena figured the hatch at the top must led to the other side of the locked double doors she'd run into in the hallway above.
She was mentally drawing the layout of the penthouse as she walked into the gym area. In accordance with the penthouse above, the gym was modernly styled and held what had to be every advanced fitness machine money could buy. Lena headed over to the floor mats to do some much needed stretching.
Once she'd loosened up her muscles Lena picked up a light dumbbell testing her injured arm. She still had a little pain but for the most part her range of motion was good and it looked like the sutures would be ready to come out soon. The rest of her workout time she did some easy calisthenics and worked on her escape plan.
Bane had been out all morning quelling the rebellions around the city. They were becoming far more frequent and better organized and he knew if the leaders weren't dealt with soon things could get out of hand. He traveled up to the penthouse just to be informed that Barsad had taken the girl to the lower level of Dagget's apartment.
Bane retraced his steps to the elevator and proceeded to the floor below. He entered the pool area and found Barsad leaning against the wall, watching the girl stretch in the fitness area. A wall of glass separated the areas so the two men were able to speak freely without worry of being overheard.
Barsad was the first break the silence, "You were out longer than expected, everything alright?"
"Yes my friend these out breaks of rebellion are becoming more troublesome. We need to locate and make examples of whoever is leading this rabble but we will discuss that later how is the little bird doing?" Bane asked.
Barsad recounted the events of the day and Bane chuckled when he found out that the girl bribed his second in command with the promise of not bothering him the rest of the day. Bane pushed away from the wall and made his way to the fitness area door. His hulking body took up most of the doorway as he leaned against the frame watching his captive loosen up her limbs.
As he observed her Bane began to notice that her body, which he had originally written off as average, was actually relatively toned hinting at an athletic life style. Everything about his captive was a mystery to him and as he walked into the room Bane felt a new determination to uncover her secrets.
Well there it is everybody. The next chapter will have much more Bane and Lena interaction and you may get to learn more about Lena's daring escape plans. Oh and if you've never seen 'To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything' you should! Awesome movie : )