Disclaimer: As always we'll own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters find themselves in.

He Was Rude

When Bane informed him that he didn't know what he meant by 'book buddies', Blake explained the concept to him. "Well when you're in elementary school, classes would sometimes pair the older kids up with the younger ones and they'd have the older ones read to the younger ones or the younger ones practice their reading by having them read to the older ones who would help them when needed."

Understanding had Bane's eyes going ice cold, the larger man shifting his bulk aggressively as his very presence pinned Blake in place.

Eyes widening in reaction, his muscles clench painfully in agitation and readiness to flee, Blake thought over what he'd said, knowing that if he didn't clue into what line he'd crossed he was very likely a dead or very maimed man. He'd touched one of Bane's landmines and the criminal genius was-OH!

"I'm not saying you're stupid or need me to read to you." Talk fast, Blake or you might never talk on this plain of existence again, the detective told himself. "Book buddies was just what popped into my head. Book club would have been the better choice…wouldn't it? You want me to read books you've already read and discuss them. Like about their plot or characters or themes. Right?"

He was used to people judging him as some big, dumb beast. A mindless weapon to be used, feared, and avoided as much as possible. People might not be stupid enough to say so to his face unless he was about to kill them anyway, but he'd seen it in plenty of eyes when they watched him. And he'd certainly heard it unspoken in the voices of those who thought themselves so much better than him, Talia's father's voice and so many others. So he was, in a way, used to it even as it filled him with terrible rage every time because he hated, hated to be thought as less than human. Perhaps he was a monster, but he at least a human one. The people that had casted him into the pit had sentenced him to be less than human and he'd done his damnest to learn to prove them wrong over the years. To know in his bones that despite all that they'd destroyed in his mind and body, they hadn't taken his ability to think. To better himself, even if he was the only one who knew it.

He could and would tolerate the misconception about his intelligence when need be, but he didn't need to keep Blake alive unless he wanted to.

"Bane?"

Getting himself back under control Bane simply stated that yes, book club would be more accurate a term.

Allowing himself a small sigh of relief Blake made a mental note to be very, very careful how he disagreed with Bane in the future. Calling the man's intelligence into question was probably allowed, calling him stupid would get him killed.

Uncomfortable silence followed, Bane still trying to decide whether Blake saw him as stupid and Blake trying to figure out whether he could use the other man's sensitive about his intelligence to his advantage. It was Bane who broke the silence first, asking Blake what he'd thought of 'Watership Down'.

"You expect me to clearly remember a book I read in grade ten? I mean sure I do remember some of it, but I tried to block most of it out after our sadistically twisted teacher made us watch the movie based on it." Blake shuddered just thinking about what he did remember. "Blood everywhere, rabbits mauling each other, crazy eyed…children's movie my ass. That movie was so wrong on so many levels…even you would probably be grossed out by it."

"They trained and killed rabbits to reenact the novel?"

"No, it was animated, which made it that much worse because unless it's Japanese, you really don't expect that sort of crap from an animated movie. I was a Disney kid for fuck sakes. I didn't see the bloodshed coming." And not wanting to discuss that movie, having nightmares about it at his present age would just be embarrassing, Blake turned the conversation back to the novel itself. "So you'd like the book because of the politics behind it, right? How each of the warrens they visited could be said to symbolize a political dogma? Or are you just a fan of that psycho crazy rabbit that took fascism to a fur flying level?"

Well aware of why he could be compared to General Woundworth, it wasn't an entirely unfair comparison, Bane asked instead which of the rabbits Blake would compare himself to.

Since he only remembered the main characters that left Blake with very few choices, so he suggested Hazel or the rabbit's younger brother Fiver.

"Hazel suits you more."

"Thanks." And it had to be said. "You realize that Hazel kicked Crazy Rabbit's ass, right?"

Bane shook his head. "It was the dog that is presumed to have killed the General."

"Didn't Hazel and the others lure said dog into the area or something…I remember the dog in the movie…and really wish I didn't."

The man was a cop, one who had worked homicides and grown up in an area of Gotham that had been rampant with crime and death even before he'd come to the city. Yet he was this disturbed by a film? He didn't understand and said so.

"Go on Youtube and watch it." Was Blake's faintly miffed response to that jab. "While you do that I'll reread the book and we can talk about it more after I refresh my memory. Then you'll see why it's so wrong."

Bane considered this and then nodded. "I will watch it and you will read. When I return we will discuss the film and the chapters you have read in that time."

"Fine, though the discussing the movie really isn't necessary, just saying."

)

Coming up behind Bane, knowing that the other man would have been aware of him even before he'd entered the room, Barsad glanced in the direction of the laptop screen, wondering what the man would be watching on it since his boss wasn't the movie watching type usually. And what was playing out on the machine had even his mercenary eyes widening ever so slightly as he took in the depiction of what apparently happened when cartoon rabbits went shit house crazy. It was not a pleasant sight.

"Why are you watching that?"

"Detective Blake informed me of its existence and content. I was curious as to why he found it disturbing."

Okay, he was with the cop on this one. That it was a cartoon just made it that much nastier somehow. And how the two had got on the topic of homicidal rabbits wasn't something he probably wanted to know either. So instead Barsad stayed silent and continued to watch the mayhem on the screen, wondering why anyone would watch it normally.

"The men?" He'd asked Barsad to keep an eye on the morale of the men who served with them, knowing that they would handle the standstill better than the common criminal, but would still hate being penned in as well. They might rule Gotham at the moment, but they could no more leave it then the citizens for the time being.

"You taking and keeping Blake has actually alleviated some of the tension, the number of fights has decreased. They're all too busy trying to figure out your motives and laying bets to cause problems."

"What's the prevalent theory?"

Barsad didn't mince words. "That you've taken him as your whore. That's why they're so interested. You've never done so before." And it had to be said. "If you let them near him, there are those that would want to investigate for themselves why he's so special."

Understanding what the man was saying, hadn't he thought for himself that Blake would not survive long in The Pit, Bane ordered Barsad to insure that those guarding the mansion they were residing in were the sort who would have no interest in putting their hands on the detective sexually. He might not want Blake in that way, but he would not allow someone to be raped in his vicinity. His men knew that, but it wouldn't hurt to remind them either.

"Understood." It went without saying that Blake being blanketed by Bane's personal protection would only fan the fires, but since he didn't see the cop leaving their company alive Barsad didn't suppose it really mattered.

Though in all honesty he was as curious as the other men, what role Blake was going to play in their lives. He didn't believe their leader was interested in the man sexually, Bane had never, in all the years they'd known each other, shown any interest in any type of sex with anyone. Whether that was how the man had been born or a conscious/unconscious decision he didn't know and had never asked. It was none of his business, or Blake's as he'd made clear when the other man had asked him about it. Which was understandable of course, the man had to be wondering what Bane wanted with him after all, but he'd simply ignored the question and Blake had dropped it.

But he was curious if there was more to Blake's question than met the eye, Barsad admitted to himself. Because he had read the reports on Blake to try and figure out Bane's interest and so he knew that the detective was a homosexual with a preference for large, well-built men. Would the detective attempt to seduce Bane, to earn his freedom that way? What would Bane do? Because while that avenue had never worked for anyone before, there was something about this man that utterly fascinated Bane.

There would be hell to pay if his boss's interest in Blake only grew with time instead of decreasing. Talia preferred Bane to be under her spell and hers alone. If she thought Blake was a threat to the hold she had over her 'friend' she was more than capable of killing the detective herself.

She could be as ugly on the inside as she was beautiful on the outside, a rose with the deadliest of thorns. She was the center of Bane's world currently, and would do anything, absolutely anything to keep it that way.

If Blake was Bane's pet, then Bane was Talia's whether he knew it or not.

)

As previously stated it had been years since he'd read 'Watership Down', much less the time to just lie around in bed with a book and read for the sake of reading. He'd forgotten how enjoyable it could be. He'd have to remember to ask Bane if he'd read the Harry Potter books when the other man paid him another visit, Blake thought absently as he turned to the next page. He remembered those works a lot better and if Bane had watched those movies, which admittedly was doubtful, then maybe they could spend a few days ranting about how horrible the sixth movie was and the questionable changes made throughout the film franchise. That could actually be fun.

And he was sick of reading about rabbits, Blake acknowledged as he marked his place and then set the book aside, rubbing his tired eyes as though that could somehow relieved their fatigue. He'd taken his medication a half an hour ago, the pain and his experience earlier keeping him from refusing Barsad again. But he would when he was feeling up to it, by God, and somehow, someday, he was going to pay that son of a bitch back for force feeding him those pills even if it was one of the last things he ever did on this earth.

Saving Gotham and finding Bruce were more important, yes, but paying mercenary back for earlier was currently high on his list of things to do.

Hearing the door open, Bane didn't get the concept of knocking, Blake watched the hulking figure come inside and walk over to take the spot on the bed the other man seemed to favor. It was disconcerting that he was starting to think of that spot as Bane's. "Enjoy the movie?"

"No."

"Good, maybe there's hope for you yet." Smiling a little Blake held up the book he'd discarded at his side. "I'm a little over halfway done."

"My men think I keep you to be my whore. What do you think about that?"

The question had come completely out of left field, blindsiding him, so Blake answered automatically without thinking to censor himself. "That they're idiots. I'd be a corpse right now if that were the case."

His detective was blunt, he'd give the man that. "Why do you think I'd kill you?"

Blake snorted. "Does the term massive blood loss mean anything to you?"

"You assume I'd tear you open?" Bane concluded, not sure whether to be insulted by that assumption or not. On the one hand he was aware men generally liked being told their penises were larger than normal, but he wasn't flattered and disliked the idea that the other man thought he would kill him in such a way.

"I think that would be a given." The detective agreed, not bothering to censor himself now. "Even if I was willing that mask pretty much guarantees little to no foreplay, and sex doesn't interest you much if at all, so you probably wouldn't want to waste much time on prep either. Ergo, as I am not a girl, I'd be seriously fucked and not in a good way."

Okay…he wasn't sure why, but this suggestion that he'd be a complete failure if he were to attempt to engage Blake sexually annoyed him. It was probably because the man was suggesting he couldn't control himself, Bane decided, rationalizing his thoughts. He prided himself on having complete control of it now.

"So you don't care what they think of you?"

Figuring that Bane was referring to the question that had started their present situation Blake shrugged it off. "Why should I care what they think? It's probably safer for me that they think that, because then they'd see me as yours. Until I'm back on my feet my safety is mostly in your hands." It went without saying that he'd bite the hand currently feeding him as soon as he was up to it.

"And your comrades, should they hear the rumors?"

No quick answer followed that question, Blake truly considering his response this time. "I don't like the idea of them thinking I'm being sexually abused, especially since some of them would blame themselves for my capture, but they'd know I'm alive, which is important too."

Wary of where this was going too Blake asked a question of his own this time. "Is that what you're telling everyone? That that's why you're keeping me. Why?"

"I have no need to explain my behavior." To anyone but Talia and she thought Blake was simply his pet.

"It can be good to be boss." Blake acknowledged, though he couldn't help but wish he could see the look on Bane's men's faces if they knew he and Bane were a book club of two. "Does it insult you that they think that's your interest in me? It would piss the hell out of me."

"You aren't unattractive."

"Gee, thanks, I've always wanted to be told I'm not unattractive." Sarcasm was heaped on every syllable, Blake's displeasure plain. "And I meant, aren't you insulted that they're basically suggesting that the only way you can get laid is by forcing someone? I mean even if they believed I was willing, I'd still be doing it under duress. Doesn't that piss you off?"

"All that matters is that they obey me without question. The rest is irrelevant."

"There's serious not a single person in this world who's opinion of you matters?" Blake couldn't imagine what that was like. He was an orphan and kept bonds with the people around him casual, but even he had a few people who he would hate to disappoint.

When Bane informed him that that didn't matter Blake perked up a little, taking that to mean that maybe there was someone. Of course someone Bane liked and admired was probably as bad as the man himself and therefore wasn't going to magically appear in Gotham to take the big hulk to task either.

Deciding that a change in topic was called for Bane complimented the man on having the sense to eat all his dinner and not fight Barsad about the medication this time.

An immediate scowl was Blake's reaction. "Because it wasn't the nasty grey stuff this time, and I'll refuse the medicine when I'm up to beating the shit out of your precious Barsad."

Bane blinked in surprise. "He is not precious to me."

"You value him, which is more than the rest of your men can say. They're cannon fodder to you."

"Says the man whose colleagues left him to die or be tortured by me."

"It was their job to protect Gordon." He didn't blame them for leaving him. "I'm replaceable, he's not."

As far as he was concerned Blake was worth a hundred Gordons. "That he's convinced you of that is one more crime on his head."

"One, who the hell are you to judge anyone? And two, he didn't put that idea in my head, it's just common sense. If Gordon had been able to get me out of there he would have, that's the sort of man he is. The sort of cop he is. And had I died I'd have been fine with that, knowing he'd live on to fuck up your plans to his dying breath."

"He branded your Batman a criminal." Bane pointed out, disliking where this was going and wanting to make the other man realize how wrong he was to have such faith in the city's commissioner. In the Batman. The man before him should care more about taking care of himself than a city that would let him die for it without offering him the same protection and sacrifice.

"Batman chose to bear that stain for the city. I might not agree with what he and Gordon did…hell, I don't agree with what they did. But I can understand it." Blake's eyes drilled into Bane's. "I can't understand what you're doing, not even a little. So I'll stick with thinking I'm a lot smarter than your men, when it comes to my taste in men and who I'd die for."