In the morning, I turned on the news down in the Batcave and there was Bane on almost every channel.
"…a thousand men have languished under the name of this man," Bane said as I caught him in midsentence. "Harvey Dent." He held up a picture of the man I had bonded with four years ago over our shared love of old movies. A man who couldn't bear to lose the woman he loved. A man who let the Joker win. "Who has been held up to you as a shining example of justice. You have been supplied with a false idol." He ripped Harvey's face in half, ironically as it was since he had burned off half of his face. I had been lucky enough to not see that face in person. "To stop you tearing down this corrupt city!" He took several sheets of paper from his jacket. "Let me tell you the truth about Harvey Dent. From the words of Gotham's Police Commissioner, James Gordon." He unfolded the paper and began to read it. "'The Batman didn't murder Harvey Dent. He saved my boy. Then took the blame for Harvey's appalling crimes, so that I could, to my shame, build a lie around this fallen idol. I praised the madman who tried to murder my own child. But I can no longer live with my lie. It is time to trust the people of Gotham with the truth, and it is time for me to resign'."
I watched him with utter loathing. He had stolen everything from me. And now he was taking everything from everyone else too.
"And do you accept this man's resignation? And do you accept the resignation of all of these liars?! Of all the corrupt?!"
Right about now, Blake was berating Gordon for lying the whole time. I guess I could understand why he did it. I mean the streets had been clean in an extremely corrupt city. That must've been nice.
"We take Gotham from the corrupt!" Bane motioned towards one of the Tumblers and it opened up one of its guns from the top. The cameras went nuts as everyone cleared the doors to Blackgate Prison. "The rich! The oppressors of generations who have kept you down with myths of opportunity. And we give it to you, the people. Gotham is yours. None shall interfere. Do as you please."
The Tumbler fired and the doors to Blackgate were blown open. Well, this was the beginning of the end.
"But start by storming Blackgate and freeing the oppressed! Step forward, those who would serve. For an army will be raised. The powerful will be ripped from their decadent nests, and cast out into the cold world we know and endure. Courts will be convened. Spoils will be enjoyed! Blood will be shed! The police will survive as they learn to serve true justice. This great city, it will endure. Gotham will survive."
It was weird to watch that whole speech without the montage of shots in between. My jaw clenched hard. He was right about one thing. Gotham was going to survive. I was too. I'd make sure of that.
Within minutes after this newscast aired, I heard noises above me. Bane's men were looking for me just like I predicted. I heard things falling and no doubt they were trashing the whole place. They'd never find me down here.
I waited a good couple of hours until I was sure they were all gone. When I went back up, the place was a wreck. Well, at least I'd be able to keep myself busy for the next few weeks…
I spent the next few hours trying to repair the damaged Manor. I knew they wouldn't stop though. They'd come back eventually. I spotted Blake's card he had given me and I got an idea.
I dialed him up and waited for an answer.
"Hello?"
"Officer Blake? It's Kris."
"Kris! Are you okay? Where are you?"
"Calm down. Everything's fine. I'm at the Manor. Some guys came in looking for me, but I managed to hide so they didn't find me. Are you okay?"
"No. Bane is officially terrorizing the city. Gordon and I are the only cops left. The rest are stuck in that tunnel."
"Well, I need you to do something for me. Meet me at the Manor. Honestly, there's nothing you can do right now."
While I waited for him, I set up the mat out in the back where Bruce and I had had our sparring session. I then changed into that same outfit. It was chillier since it was towards the end of the year, but it wasn't too bad.
When Blake got to the Manor, I led him out where I had set everything up.
"What's all this?" he asked.
"I need you to help me train."
"Train?"
"I've been taking self-defense for a few years. I need someone to practice with so I'm prepared to fight if I need to."
"Kris…"
"Will you please just do this for me? I'm trying not to get killed here…well, get killed sooner."
"Alright, fine," he conceded. He removed his police jacket to reveal a black shirt underneath. He looked really good in it. Guys just looked good in black. But he was a few years younger than me. Besides, I was taken.
It didn't take Blake long to realize that I was far from a beginner. We fought long and hard, but eventually, I won.
I took a swig of water and wiped off my sweat. "Not bad," I said.
"Yeah, same for you."
"Can I expect you back?"
"I'll try, but I've got to worry about the city first."
"As much as it pains me, right now, I don't think there's really anything you or anyone can do. Bane and the prisoners he released are crawling around Gotham, wealthy people are getting snatched out of their homes, and there's no one powerful enough out there to stop him."
Well, there was one person. But he was thousands of miles away.
Knowing everything that was supposed to happen when Bruce returned was really helpful with my preparation for it. I knew I had to be ready to fight, I knew he had the huge fire Bat-signal on the bridge (which I intended to have ready for him before he returned), I knew Miranda would stab him, I knew everything.
I pulled out my cell phone and called up a good friend.
"Hello?" a familiar voice said on the other end.
"Mr. Fox?"
"Kris! It's good to hear your voice!"
"Look, I know we didn't exactly part on the best of terms, but I was wondering if you could come by the Manor. It's not exactly safe for me to leave at the moment.
"I'm on my way right now."
I waited for the knock and when it sounded throughout the house, I quickly ushered him in.
"Thanks for coming," I said.
"I'm glad you're alright."
"I have a favor to ask. Do you think you could make something that helps different wounds? Like, keeps it from bleeding too much?"
"What kind of wound are we talking about?"
"A…a knife wound."
"Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Oh, you have no idea. Can you?"
"I'll see what I can do, but as you know, Wayne Enterprises isn't exactly available to me at the moment."
"I know. But believe me, this is really important."
He started towards the door to get working on my request. Before he left, he turned back to me. "You know, Kris, it may have cost you your job, but I really admire you standing up to Daggett like you did."
"Then I will break you."
Bruce stood back up, looking more haggard than ever before. There was a determination in him to beat this guy, but it was quickly depleting.
"Ah, yes, I was wondering what would break first!"
Bruce charged towards the giant man and once more failed to beat him. Instead he was beaten down to the ground. He was so weak, tired, and in pain. He couldn't go on.
"Your spirit…"
Bane lifted him up off the ground and held him high above his head. Bruce struggled to no avail.
"Or your body!"
Bane dropped Bruce and he fell onto his leg.
I bolted awake from my sleep with a light gasp right before the sound of the crack of his back.
It had been two and a half months since that fateful night in the tunnels. Two and a half months left to go…
I had since picked up my usual workout. I would do 50 crunches, 30 push-ups, 40 pull-ups, then take a run on the Manor grounds that usually ended up being around 4 miles.
Blake came over often and we would fight. He showed me different moves and I did the same for him.
On the days he didn't come over, I practiced different moves inside the Manor. Sometimes I did them in slow motion to get a more comfortable feel for how my body was supposed to move and feel. I think it was safe to assume that Bruce was healed by now and he was probably training himself as he prepared for the climb. It was almost enough to make me smile as I could picture a montage of the two of us working out and getting our strength back.
It had begun to get colder and colder, but I didn't let that stop my workouts. I still went for a run and I still fought with Blake.
When a knock sounded on the door, I assumed it was him coming over to help me train. It wasn't.
"Miss Jacobson."
"Miranda. What do you want?"
"Where's Bruce?"
"As if you don't know," I answered coldly.
"Actually, I don't."
Of course she did. It was her plan all along after all. She could deny it all she wanted, but she couldn't hide anything from me.
"Bane took him. He broke his back and took him away."
"Do you know where?"
Obviously I did, but I couldn't let her know that. "No," I said.
"You know, Miss Jacobson, it isn't hard to see that you don't like me."
"I could say the same for you."
She didn't answer at first, and I knew I was right. She hated me. "I don't see what I did to make you feel that way towards me."
Oh, I don't know. She's only been flirting with the man I love ever since I got here, had a hand in getting him sent away to a pit with his back broken, and was threatening to blow up an entire city. What would make me dislike her?
"Same here," I said to her. Again, she paused so I continued, "Miss Tate, there's no use lying to me, okay? Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to train. With Bane's men out there, I need to know how to protect myself. Thanks to him, Bruce isn't here to protect me any longer. Now it's all on me. Have a nice day."
I quickly shut the door, not berating myself at all for letting it slam.