Chapter 3

A little shade darker

Aisha stood at her bedroom window looking out into Gotham's darkness. The lights in the city were the only shining beacons at night. Clear nights like this when you can see deep into the dark, Aisha loathed the most. Her father always told her if you stare into the abyss long enough it will stare back, it has for a long time. Nights like this made Aisha remember and she hated it, when the memories would creep up from the deep places she kept them. Down in the deep they were safe, and warm, but when they breached the surface they brought pain and Aisha was tired of the pain. She was soon getting to the point of wishing she didn't have such memories to ease the pain, to make her heart a little lighter.

-20 years ago-

"Hey watch it brat" a drunk said as he stumbled across the street knocking Aisha to the side.

The 8 year old glared at the drunkard and picked up a rock and threw it so it smashed into the back of his head.

"Watch it you boozer!" she screamed back as the guy stumbled forward from the force of her throw.

"Aisha!" her mother yelled harshly and grabbed her arm "you are a lady act like one" she then proceeded to drag Aisha across the dark street.

"Let me go" Aisha said and struggled against her mother's grip "I want to be home with daddy, I don't want to help you anymore"

"Your daddy is dead in the bottom of the river" her mother sneered at her "So shut up and behave before you join him you little shit"

"Better than being here with you" Aisha said and then a very loud smack could be heard and it caused Aisha to fall onto the ground.

"Then go you brat, see if I care" her mother yelled at her again "I have money to make and you are slowing me down."

Aisha slowly got up and without a word ran off in the opposite direction of where her mother was.

"Aisha come back! I am sorry" her mother cried after heard but it fell on deaf ears, Aisha wasn't going to go back.

Aisha wondered the streets for a few days, stealing to put off starvation, and hiding to avoid being caught. She had come to learn one of the hardest lessons in life, you can only count on yourself to survive. Aisha vowed to herself that she would get out of her, to try and escape to a different world one that had less pain.

-10 years ago-

"Welcome to Wayne Enterprises Ms. Noor" Mr. Fox said

"Thank you Mr. Fox" 18 year old Aisha said with a smile "I look forward to working with you"

"As do I, you are one of the more promising applicants" Mr. Fox said with a smile "graduated top of your class, from college impressive."

"You are too kind Mr. Fox" Aisha said with a sweet smile.

With the money she earned at working for Wayne Enterprises, Aisha was able to get a house with a basement near the center of town. She was happy she had a nice place to herself that was better than a back alley area. She had been on the streets since she could remember, even before she left her mom when she was 8. Her father told her about how to survive should he ever not be able to be there, to use charm to rob them blind so they would never suspect her. She thought when she got to a better place the pain would leave but she had learned it never truly does, you can only forget. She had started to take in strays from the city the orphans, and homeless. She gave them a place to stay, be warm for a little while, they gave her what she never had, power. Aisha knew power was an illusion and it only lasted as long as people gave you the power, so she made it so they wouldn't leave.

-9 years ago-

Over the years, more and more people had come to Aisha and soon she had control of more than half the city and it kept growing. Even people who weren't homeless or starving came to Aisha seeking her help, since she knew the under dwellings of the city and its people. She came to own most of the city, it was under her control. Unlike most with the type of power she had, no one knew Aisha ruled the city. They all went through Leon; they thought he was the mastermind behind everything, if they only knew how wrong they were. Aisha had accomplished a lot for just being 19 years old and helping a certain clown pull of robberies from the mob. The Joker, was very fond of Aisha, he saw the need for chaos in her eyes, the same as his. Aisha was his favorite toy, to play with and mold. He had taught Aisha a few more things about the world; one of her favorites was only keep those around as long as they are useful and if they slip up dispose of them. Also Gotham needed a new class of criminal, ones that were not centered on money, power, and guns. Aisha was all too happy to help the Joker, she relished in it. The dark depths that Aisha always had, reached the surface with the Joker around, he loved it.

"Now now sweetheart no need to get excited" Joker said as he walking in the living room of her house "how do you know I'm not here to make that pretty little face of yours like mine"

"Because you already would have" Aisha said as she sat down in a chair and crossed her legs and smiled at the Joker "the fact that you are in my house is amusing"

"Glad I can amuse you cupcake" Joker said and started to play with his knife as he walked over to Aisha and leaned down to get right in her face "you know how I go these scars"

"By a knife" Aisha said with a bored tone and a wicked smile "other than that I think it would be a lie"

"I like you" Joker said.

"Fancy that" Aisha said with a devious smile as the Joker let out a laugh and dragged Aisha close.

-Present Day-

Aisha shook her head to stop the truly painful memories from surfacing, that the dark nights would have surely uncovered. She turned and walked out of her bedroom and went and sat in the hallway. She grew tired of all of this; life didn't change from when she was little.

"Ridiculous ideals" Aisha said as she ran a hand through her hair. "Of a silly little girl" a small noise caught her attention and she had a gun that she had in her underpants pointed at the large silhouette standing 10 feet from here "why do you keep coming into my house at all hours of the night"

"I knew you would be up" Bane said as Aisha lowered the weapon and her house coat opened revealing long scars running down from her hips to her ankles. The scars were angry and rough which caused Bane to become curious about them.

"Is there something I can help you with this dark night Bane" Aisha said as she walked past Bane with the gun swing gently in her hand as she walked. "Or perhaps are you here to kill me to gain full control of what I own"

"It has crossed my mind" Bane said "But you are more useful to me alive than dead"

"Wonderful" Aisha said as she set the gun down on the counter of her kitchen as she opened the frig and got out some milk "Why are you here Bane"

"Leon has told me that you are very good with computers" Bane said

"Yes and that would interest you because" Aisha said as she pour some into a glass and she turned to Bane causing her house coat to open up a little.

Bane could see a long scar run down the middle of Aisha's chest and disappear to the side of her body. He would have thought that a woman that looked like she did would have it easy in this world. He knew of Miranda's goals for the city but he still had no clue what drove Aisha. She was an uncorrupted soul as it seems that she could fool the world so she could hide the darker, truer intentions. He wanted the chance to take those layers away.

"Are you staring at me because you never saw others with scars before or never saw breasts before" Aisha said as she closed her house coat and smirked at Bane "I imagine you were once a very handsome man"

"Indeed" Bane said and then the subject was changed automatically "I need you to be able to hack into the stock exchange"

"Then I need Bruce Wayne's finger prints" Aisha said as she walked from the other side of the counter to stand directly in front of Bane "Might as well have some fun in the process, it shouldn't be too hard, he has been cooped up in his house for 8 years"

"I will have someone get the prints" Bane said.

"I will get the software ready" Aisha said as she walked past Bane "I would suggest some sleep Bane, it can do wonders for a man"

"Sleep is a felting occurrence" Bane replied to Aisha.

"You can stay if you wish, I don't care, I have had more dangerous men than you in my house" Aisha replied.

"I doubt that" Bane said.

"They actually tried to kill me awake or asleep" Aisha replied to Bane and looked at his eyes "I know you won't, you words might lie but your eyes do not"

"As I said you are more valuable to me alive than dead" Bane said.

"That is what worries me" Aisha replied as Bane let out a chuckle and disappeared to her front door and out into the night.