Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put all my poor victims in. Everything else belongs to somebody else and that must be how it remains for obvious reasons.

When Somebody Bends

"So explain it to me." Blake demanded once Bane had gotten done telling him that he was an idiot to idolize who and what he did. "Tell me how what you're doing is ultimately going to save Gotham and make the world a better place. Only this time, no big words are allowed or flowery speech of any kind. Lay it out for me, bare facts, so that if I actually was as stupid as you seem to think I am I would still be able to follow you and be convinced that I should agree even if you weren't threatening to kill me."

"I'm not threatening to kill you…at the moment."

Blake just rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to make a point here and you're missing it, Big Guy."

Blinking in surprise at what sounded close to a nickname, Bane schooled his features and demanded that the other man just make his point.

"My point is that anyone who's ever written a paper or done an exam for school knows the value of being able to bullshit your work. That, FYI, is when you use big words and write until your hand's ready to fall off because you're hoping that either the length will confuse your teacher into giving you a good mark, or that eventually, if you write long enough, you'll come close to giving said teacher the info they're looking for. Your speeches, Bane, are eloquent, articulate, intelligent…but people have been making bad choices seem like good ones since Eve talked Adam into tasting that damn apple. And if you were sending your men out on a mission you wouldn't take the time to wax poetically about their bravery and what their sacrifice will mean and blah, blah, blah. You'd tell them what they needed to know and that would be that. So tell me what I need to know to understand."

He understood what Blake was saying, knew the man's observations to be true, but he…he didn't know how to break it down so that Blake could understand. Blake was so against what he was doing that short of torture or brainwashing this was not a man who could be made to see reason.

Which begged the question…if he couldn't get through to Blake, if his argument wasn't strong enough…

Sensing rather than seeing the thoughts whirling around the man's head Blake wasn't really surprised when Bane got a look in his eye that said the man had talked himself into becoming determined to convert him.

"You would agree that Gotham is a breeding ground for violence, death, and perversion?"

"I'd say ten years ago that was true. And yes, we still had problems before you came, but we WERE doing better." He couldn't debate if he wasn't truthful, especially since he knew Bane would pounce if he tried to stretch the truth.

"Your police and politicians used lies and manipulations to make those changes, their deceit bound to be discovered and cause the city to revert to its earlier madness."

Blake nodded. "When the Dent Act was revealed for what it was a lot of people would have gotten out of jail regardless of whether they deserved to be free or not. And yeah, they probably would have wanted vengeance on the city for screwing them over."

Wary about how accommodating the detective was being, Bane continued by pointing out that when such rot and infestation was prevalent and in control the only choice was to cut out that which could not be saved to save what could be.

Blake agreed that that was true to a point. "But my question to you then would be…who decides what deserves to be destroyed and what doesn't? And if it's you and your people…what gives you the right to think you can stand in judgement of anyone? You're a murderer, a mercenary who's visited untold horror and death upon the innocent as well as the dark and evil. Those bombs you set off under the stadium…they didn't chose who they killed…they just killed." Pause. "Do you suppose, O'man, that when you judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself, you will escape the judgement of God?"

"Romans 1:3." Bane acknowledged. "And religion is opium to the masses, Detective."

"Karl Marx." Blake returned, having to think for a moment before responding in turn. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Bane paused, this sentiment one used by many and he wanted to get it right. "George Santaya. Why that quote?"

"Because history is full of people who thought they had the right to play God and everyone suffered for it." Was Blake's blunt reply. "And while some of them were evil sons of bitches, there were plenty who probably thought they were right and really were only trying to make the world a better place. See that's why, as flawed as it is, a democracy is always the best way to go. Because even if they take so much longer to come to decisions…they take so long because it's a group of people, all with the right to speak, to give their opinions and force others to see things through the eyes of another. And yes they make the wrong choice sometimes, you don't even want to get me started there, but they have to answer to their voters in the end. To the people they're supposed to be helping. And Bane…we sure as hell didn't ask you to come and save us from ourselves. Sink or swim…that should have been on us, our choice and burden to bear."

Rising from his seat on the side of the bed, Bane glared down at the man who watched him so knowingly. "I will prove you wrong."

"Perhaps. But ask yourself this, Bane. If you were wrong, who among the people you hang out would tell you? Aside from mine, what voices had you heard speak the truth and not what they think you want to hear?"

That…was not something he could argue against. There was only Talia and she…his words were hers.

"I know others who think as I do." The League had and still believed in the ideology of Ra's al Ghul. "Why should I listen to you instead of them?"

"Because a man who leads has to listen as well as he speaks."

Giving Blake his back Bane headed out of the room, informing the detective that they were done for the night over his shoulder.

Wisely Blake didn't argue.

)

When they came into his room shortly before breakfast Blake immediately assumed that he had pushed Bane too far the night before. But the criminal mastermind's absence told a different story, especially when Barsad came running into the room to demand to know what the hell was going on while the detective was fighting the men attempting to attach restraints to his arms and legs. One of the men who'd been standing off to the side walked over to speak to the mercenary, the two too far away for Blake to catch what was being said and he was a little busy fighting a losing battle anyway. By the time Barsad was done his little powwow Blake was chained to his bed and the machines the other men had wheeled in were being brought closer to the bed.

"Barsad? What the fuck? What's…where's Bane?"

The mercenary he'd wished to hell countless times since meeting him met his gaze for a moment and then turned to leave the room, pulling out his cellphone as he did so.

When cold hands touched his shoulder and chest Blake turned his attention to the man touching him, head butting the son of a bitch which hurt, but hurt the other guy more from the amount of blood that was now spurting out of the perv's nose. "Keep your fucking hands off me!"

One of Bane's men moved in and backhanded him, but Blake just kept glaring and spat in the man's direction.

"That's enough violence." The oldest man in the room announced, having hung back to fiddle with the machines. He looked to be about sixty and had the build and pale complexion that suggested he was not someone who did anything physical or spent much time outdoors. "Get Klingler out of the room and some medical attention. We can manage without him."

Blake recognized the accent as being French, though the man's English was perfect. He wasn't surprised when the man introduced himself as Dr. D'Arque like they were meeting for the first time at some social function, and call him crazy, Blake thought as he did his best not to betray how much his arm and cheek throbbed with pain, but he didn't think this doctor was the type who'd taken the Hippocratic Oath to heart.

"What are you going to do to me?"

The old man watched him with eyes that reminded Blake of a shark's, so dark and devoid of emotion. "Well that will depend on you, Detective Blake. Aside from your recent injury I am told you are in excellent physical shape. This is good, for you. As to what we are going to do…well we are going to do a little experiment." The Frenchman motioned towards a tray that displayed three very large syringes holding liquids of different colors. "We will be injecting you with those, one after another, and we will see if you live or not. If you do, you will be greatly rewarded. If you don't…well then it will be back to the drawing board for me once again. Venom, unfortunately, is not an easy power to harness."

"Venom?"

"The drug that is partially responsible for the physical power Bane wields." The doctor informed him conversationally while his assistants hooked the machines up to Blake in order to monitor his vitals during the procedure. "The original formula has some very unfortunate side effects, you see, and I am being paid most handsomely to fix those little problems for the people I work for. What you are about to be given has aspects of the Venom formula, but is less extreme and hopefully…more forgiving to those who take it."

"And if I don't want to be your fucking lab rat. Dr. Death?"

Blake had wanted to see some emotion in the man's eyes, some sign of humanity, but he took that thought back when the man smiled and informed him that amusingly enough, this was not the first time he'd been called that.

And no, Blake had absolutely no say in what they were about to do.

)

When his ride pulled up to the house Bane was out of the armored all-terrain before it had completely stopped, taking the stairs leading up to the door as quickly as possible. One of his men was there to open it for him but he didn't even really notice, his mind solely focused on getting to Blake as quickly as possible to see what damage had been done. That no screams of agony had greeted his ears upon his entrance chilled him to the bone, the silence suggesting that the detective was no longer alive to let the world know the inhumanity Venom visited on those unfortunate enough to be exposed to it.

But Barsad had said that what the doctor had given Blake was a variation on the original formula, and that he had only been given one of three injections before his lieutenant had stepped in and put a stop to it as ordered. Thank the powers that be that Barsad had had the sense to call him and confirm with him that he was to allow the experimentation to continue.

In the back of his mind was the fact that his was the first time he'd ever countered one of Talia's orders, but in this case she had crossed a line that he…he hurt in ways he couldn't put into words. Venom. She had taken the formula and given it to scientists to try and reproduce. Talia knew what it had done to him, the agony he'd gone through as one of the first test subjects and the consequent horrors that had resulted from his determination to wean himself off the stuff before it killed him. Even though he'd been off it for nearly four years now he still needed his mask to deliver morphine, the pain coming and going as it pleased, reminding him of what it felt like to have the muscles and bones in your body try to expand in a skin that wasn't doing the same fast enough.

He'd known the League had the formula, Talia's father had had people study it to try and find some way to help him get off it without going insane from the pain or destroying his body. Or at least that's what he'd been told. Apparently he'd been lied to.

And remembering those years when he'd still been on Venom Bane knew that he would kill Blake before he would let the man suffer that way. He would do the man that courtesy, regardless of what anyone, even Talia said.

He was at Blake's door before he knew it, so lost in his thoughts he didn't even remember getting there. But now that he was aware Bane had to take a deep breath to calm himself and then opened the door and walking into the room.

It was a jolt to see Barsad sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard. Beside his second in command Blake's bare back was visible, the jerks and spasms of muscles indicating life though Blake spoke not a word.

When Barsad slid off the bed Blake made a small sound of distress, Bane refusing to react as his second command softly told the detective that Bane had come. Bane couldn't see or hear any reaction to that statement, but the detective didn't make another attempt to keep Barsad with him.

Barsad said nothing as he crossed the room, keeping his voice just loud enough that Blake would knew they were still there without being able to actually understand what was being said. "The pain's subsided, or I think it has. Enough that he's grinching his teeth and bearing it now instead of screaming." Pause. "I can't give him anything; I don't know what chemicals they pumped into him and I didn't want to harm the doctor without permission. I questioned him on his way out and the effects of the drug aren't likely permanent, and given that he was only given a third of the dose, with no prior exposure, he shouldn't have any long term consequences."

Bane nodded and then ordered the man to leave them.

"Barsad? Thank you."

The two looked in the direction of the bed, Blake's back still to them though it was obvious the man was struggling to control the spasms of his body more. Trying to hide just how weak and in pain he was in front of Bane.

Barsad left without acknowledging the detective's words, shutting the door behind him carefully.

He waited, giving his second in command time to walk further down the hall before he walked over and took Barsad's earlier spot on the bed, not sure why but wanting to reclaim the bed as his and Blake's again.

Turning his attention to what he could see of the other man, Blake obviously hiding his face, Bane noted that since the detective was lying on his formerly injured shoulder the wound had either been fixed by this new version of Venom or the detective was in so much pain that Blake didn't realize that he was adding to his agony.

"Is this…why you wear…the mask? The pain?"

If you got close enough to his mask you could smell the morphine, and he'd gotten in Blake's face a few times already. The man was observant, even when he was being threatened. "Yes."

Silence followed his response and then Blake asked why Bane would do this to himself.

"I was given no more choice than you. It's highly addictive, and afterwards your body shuts down if you don't have it." He didn't know why, but Bane found himself telling the detective that he no longer took the drug, wanting Blake to know that he'd overcome his addiction and dependency years before.

As he watched Blake turned onto his back, tipping his head up a little to meet his gaze. The detective's eyes were red rimmed and swollen, as was the man's bottom lip from being bitten into.

"It's like growing pains now. Only twenty times worse. All my muscles and joints ache."

"You got off easy then."

Blake's lips quirked up in the smallest of smiles before his gaze turned serious. "Barsad wouldn't have stopped them...if you hadn't…thank you too, for saving me from them."

Not knowing what else to do Bane simply inclined his head in acknowledgement, not at all used to being thanked so sincerely. They were enemies, technically, but they were both aware of the fact that it would also be accurate to say that this was the second time he had saved Blake's life in a very short space of time. Of course Blake's life kept being threatened because of Bane indirectly, so the exact weight of the debt owed was hard to quantify.

And watching Blake watch him, their bodies so close together that they were sharing the warmth of the other's presence, Bane didn't know he was going to make the promise before he made it. "I will not allow them to experiment on you."

It made him feel pathetic, but Blake asked anyway. "Promise?"

"When you die it will not be because of Venom. On my word." He belatedly tacked on.

Blake smiled a little bit again. "Sounds good to me."

)

Note: For those who haven't noticed, I thought I'd clue you into the fact that every chapter title is taken from one of the songs, and every chapter features a character, object, phrase or plot point related to the Disney version of 'Beauty and the Beast'. Thus far chapter one was Blake sacrificing himself for Gordon as Belle did for her father, chapter two was 'the west wing conversation', chapter three was 'try the grey stuff, it's delicious' line, and chapter four was Talia being compared to a rose, which in the movie is a symbol of the Beast's curse and which he protects even as it spells his doom.

See if you can guess today's!