Chapter Three: Breakout Part 3: Bane
At the farm, Clark took out the freshly baked piece of dough shaped like the key.
"It's perfect." Clark said as he held the key and gently tapped it on the counter as it made a clacking noise. "Lois' special recipe for Roman Army biscuits is still as hard as ever."
"Good work, Ayla." Lois said with a smile.
"Thanks." Garth said as everyone stared at him. "Well… I supervised her."
"Great." Kell said as he studied the map he made. "Once we open the cell, it's just thirty paces to the left, then down the corridor to the right, and we're home free."
()()()()()
That night, everyone put on their pajamas as Ayla held onto her monkey Astro-Monkey. She was worried. She didn't want to lose her new family only a few weeks after losing her parents and Mekt.
"Clark, what if Bane gets us?" Ayla asked.
"Oh, you take away his brute strength, killer instinct, and strategic mind, and what do you have left?" Kell asked.
"Me?" Ayla asked uncertainly.
"Ayla, Bane may be powerful, but we have Jesus on our side." Lois said as she tucked Ayla in.
"Is Jesus stronger than Bane?" Ayla asked. She'd only just started to learn about Jesus.
"Of course he is." Clark said with a smile. "Bane may be able to hurt people, but he doesn't have the power to heal them. You know, there was once a man named Jairus whose daughter was very sick. When Jesus came to the village, he rushed over to him and said, 'My little girl is dying. Please come and heal her, so she will live.'
"Jesus asked Jairus to lead the way when a servant of his walked up and sadly told Jairus, 'Sir, your daughter has died.'
"At this, Jairus wept.
"Jesus picked Jairus up and said calmly, 'Don't be afraid. Trust me.'
"Jairus then led Jesus to his house where the women of the household wept over the girl's body.
"'What's all this noise?' Jesus asked. 'This man's little girl isn't dead. She's just asleep.'
"But Jesus sent all but the girl's parents away as he knelt down in front of her and took her hand as he asked, 'Little girl, awake.'
"At once, the girl awoke and was helped to her feet by Jesus.
"'Now give her something to eat.' Jesus said simply as the little girl hugged her parents with joy, and he told them not to say nothing of these events to anyone, but it's hard to keep such a thing secret, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Ayla said.
"Alright now," Lois said simply. "Off to sleep Ayla. I'm sure your brother and Imra are already sleeping."
"If they're not, could you tell them that story too?" Ayla asked.
"Of course." Clark said with a kind smile.
Clark, Lois, and Kell then left her room and shut the lights.
()()()()()
In their small cell, the Christians sang a small hymn as a guard clanged at the bars with his sword to silence them.
"That's real pretty." The guard said with a smirk. "But you'll be singing a different tune tomorrow when you face Bane."
Dick gulped. He hoped Clark and the others would arrive soon.
()()()()()
The day after his planning, Brainiac sat in his own personal booth with a smirk as Bane defeated several gladiators without even requiring his full might, and the crowd was cheering.
"If they love this, they're going to love what he does to the Christians." Brainiac said to Ron Karr with a smirk.
()()()()()
Outside the coliseum, Garth was grumbling. The first really exciting thing to do since the fire, and he was stuck near the truck.
"Why am I always stuck with baby-sitting duty?" Garth asked moodily. "I should be inside helping Clark and Kell."
"Then I guess that means I could drive the get-away truck." Imra said with a smirk.
"Now that you mention it, maybe it's better I'm here." Garth said nervously. Imra still had trouble with her bicycle.
()()()()()
Inside the coliseum, Clark rolled a barrel up to Cobblepot.
"Clark!" Oswald called out.
"Oswald." Clark said with a smile in his voice. "The gladiators weren't very hungry today. I'm afraid I'm stuck with all this left over produce."
While Oswald began getting busy with the produce, Kell rushed off to the cells to free Dick and the others. He'd mastered the escape route and one or two off-shots just in case of an emergency.
()()()()()
Bane continued to pummel the gladiators as Brainiac stood up.
"Enough warm ups Ron Karr." Brainiac said plainly. "Where are those weeping frightened Christians? We need drama. We need tragedy. We need a body count."
"Bring out the Christians!" Ron Karr called out.
()()()()()
"The gate's opening!" Barry called out as Kell quickly unlocked the door with the key Clark and Ayla had made. Kell then lifted the door open.
"Follow me!" Kell said, and they all rushed off.
()()()()()
"Did I mention I love apples?" Oswald said as he stuffed his face with various apples Clark had brought as he quickly waved Kell and the others through.
"Bring on the Christians!" A voice called out.
"Well, looks like break time's over." Oswald said with a sigh as he walked to the holding cell and quickly ran back out screaming, "THE PRISONERS ARE GONE!"
"The prisoners are gone!" Clark repeated as he pointed all the guards that came to the call in the opposite direction Kell, Dick, Barry, and all the other Christians had gone.
()()()()()
Kell rushed off with the others, leading the way as they made it to the hallway where they could escape into the crowds.
"Come on, the exit's just ahead!" Kell called out. Unfortunately, they were blocked by a soldier who had his back to them. Now what? Kell hadn't planned on any barriers right at the exit, and he couldn't remember where the other closest exit was.
"I think we should go this way." Dick said as he pointed behind him.
"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Kell snapped. He'd had it with that little troublemaker. "I say we go this way!"
Kell then led the others to a large open gate.
"See guys?" Kell said with a smirk. "We're almost there."
They rushed outside as they arrived at the large coliseum.
"At last!" Brainiac's voice rang out from the stands. "Christians."
"Okay, maybe we should have gone your way." Kell admitted as his way of an apology for everything. In the end, it was Kell that had gotten them into this mess, but luckily, Kell's super strength from the yellow sun of Earth would help him beat Bane, and allow the others to escape for a second chance at freedom.
()()()()()
Clark heard the call and looked out the window to see Kell, Dick, and the other prisoners standing in front of Bane.
"Oh no." Clark groaned.
()()()()()
Kell smirked as Bane walked up.
"You don't look so tough." Kell taunted.
"There is more to me than meets the eye, little Christian." Bane said as he showed the back of his hand which had a yellow dial on it. Bane turned the dial as yellow glowing tubes appeared, and Bane bulged until he was twice as tall as anyone Kell had ever met and fifty times as muscular.
"That's impressive." Kell admitted.
()()()()()
Outside, Garth, Imra, and Ayla heard a roar from the stadium that didn't sound like a human's or a lion's.
"You guys wait here." Garth said as he rushed off. "I'll see what's going on."
Garth rushed up to see a large red man with burning yellow eyes walk up to Kell, Dick, and the prisoners.
"Everyone, stay calm!" Kell called out. "I've got everything under control!"
Bane made a swing at Kell that he dodged.
"Okay Tiny, let's see what you've got." Kell said as Bane smacked Kell into a wall as Garth flinched. Just then, Garth saw Dick juggling a shield and a helmet.
"Alright, step right up." Dick said. "The show's about to begin. I'll need a volunteer though. You sir!"
"Hm?" Bane asked as he turned to Dick.
"Would you like me to juggle the helmet and bounce the shield or juggle the shield and bounce the helmet?" Dick asked as the helmet hit Bane in the head, and the shield slammed into Bane's foot, causing him to groan.
Garth then noticed everyone else escape through a small hole as he thought he heard Clark's voice say, "Barry, this way."
Garth knew he had to do something. Ayla, Kell, and Dick had their moments, and now it was his turn. He jumped down in front of Bane as Kell apparently recovered and walked up.
"Let me at him." Kell said with only a hint of fear. "I'll tear him to bits."
"Actually, I've got a better idea." Garth said as his lightning mark glowed. "Hey pal, what happens when those fancy tubes short circuit?"
Garth pointed at the dial on Bane's hand as it short-circuited, and Bane returned to normal.
"They're good." Brainiac said to himself but still loud enough for them to hear. "They're very good."
Kell then picked the two boys up and rushed to the gate Clark was covertly keeping open.
"WHY'S THE SEWER GATE NOT CLOSING?!" Brainiac called out.
Kell rushed to the gate as Bane charged after them, just barely making it through before Bane as Clark let go of the gate and tapped Bane on the head, using his strength to knock him out as they all heard Brainiac call out, "FOR THE LOVE OF MY WIFE, WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE KILL SOMEBODY?!"
()()()()()
"Ayla, another helping?" Lois asked. Everyone was at the Kent Farm and having supper after the exciting day they'd all had.
"No thank you." Ayla said with a smile. "Or I'll be as fat as Mr. Cobblepot."
"Thanks for dinner, Lois." Dick said. "It was great, and thanks to all of you for saving me."
"Oh, it was nothing." Imra said with a smile.
"That's easy for you to say." Garth said with a smirk.
Dick then figured he should head out before anyone offered to take him home.
"Well…" Dick gulped. "I better get going. My parents will wonder where I am."
"Garth, Ayla, could you two please help me with the dishes?" Lois asked.
"Why?" Ayla asked.
"I'll explain once we're helping Lois, Ayla." Garth said as he gently took Ayla to the sink.
"Dick, we know about your parents." Imra said plainly.
"You do?" Dick asked.
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Imra asked.
"I guess I was just ashamed." Dick said. He now felt pretty brave admitting he was an orphan, but right now, he'd rather face Bane again. "You know, of being an orphan."
"But I'm an orphan." Imra said plainly. "So are Garth and Ayla."
"You are?" Dick asked. He just assumed that Clark and Lois were babysitting for the three of them.
"Yeah." Imra said. "Clark and Lois took all of us in after the fire."
"And you'd be welcome to stay with us too until we find your parents." Clark said with a smile.
"You mean, you'd want me to stay with you?" Dick asked.
"Of course." Clark said as Kell walked up and held out his hand with a smile.
"Welcome to the family, kid." Kell said as he shook Dick's hand. "Now, there's something I just finished I want to show you."
"Come on, Dick!" Imra said excitedly. "We have something to show you."
Dick was then taken to a room with a bunk bed.
"Well Dick, what do you think?" Kell asked.
"It's for me?" Dick asked in awe.
"Unless you want the lower bunk, Roomy." Garth said with a smile as Dick lept onto the top bunk with ease. "No thanks. This suits me just fine."
Everyone then smiled and began talking with their new friend, Dick Grayson.
And so ends the first adventure of the Legion of Story Keepers. Next chapter, Raging Waters.