A/N: So I'm not entirely sure, but this is probably going to be the second to last chapter. I'm so sad that it's almost over but also happy because then I get to write the sequel! Anyway, the poll. The Joker and Harley Quinn are still leading by one vote, followed by Mr. Freeze and The Riddler who are both tied. The poll will remain open until the end of this story. So go vote my readers!
Like last chapter, I'll be using content from The Dark Knight Rises, so WARNING: SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen the movie and want to find out what happens yourself, reading my story wouldn't be advisable. But if you've seen it, or you just want to read and find out what happens, then by all means, read on!
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman, or any of its characters. They all belong to DC Comics and Christopher Nolan… Even though I'd really like to. If I did I would put much more John Blake in the movie. And my characters would most definitely be added.
Reviewers and Replies:
Luli Cullen: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked the chapter. I know… I really like Missy as well. I felt bad for killing her family but…yeah. All will be well though. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
Her Highness Gaki-chan: I know! Lots of Bruce in this chapter. And I know… Bane is scary… I'd be really scared of him if he was real. But, no! You're not weird! I like that you like this story that much. Thank you so much for the review. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
samdel1997: Yes, I love Bane. He's epically awesome. Thank you so much for the review! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
dream lighting: We'll see ;) Thank you for the review!
kindleflame5: Yep, Bruce is back, and there is a lot of him in this chapter! Thank you so much for the review! I love reading them. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
NathalieIyper: Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
Sam0728: Well, if my calculations are correct, there's only one chapter left after this one. Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
Katara Melody Cullen: Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one.
PowerToThePeople23: Thank you for the review! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
: Hey! Thank you for all of the reviews! I have to admit, I love your John Blake story. It's really good, and I've been reading it since the beginning. Great job on it. I hope you like this chapter as much as the other ones!
highlander348: Everyone should know that. Haha! You'll just have to read and see the role that Rosalie will play. Thank you for the review! I love reading your reviews. I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
Ravenmore45: I know right? What a nice guy and all that. *Rolls eyes* Anyway, thank you for your review! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
IaMcHrIsSi: Thank you so much for the review! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one!
WinterRain36: Thank you for the review! Lots of Bruce in this chapter! I hope you like this chapter as much as the last one.
-IWRU-
"You came back," Selina says in a tone that makes Rosalie raise her hidden eyebrows, and look accusingly at her sister. "I thought they'd killed you."
"Not yet," Bruce says, his eyes fixed on Selina. Rosalie glances between the two of them several times, quickly.
"If you're expecting an apology…," Selina trails off.
"It wouldn't suit you. I need help. From both of you," Bruce says, and Rosalie narrows her eyes in confusion.
"And why would I help you?" Selina asks, not including Rosalie in her question. Selina knows that Rosalie would immediately help Bruce since she has a habit of doing good things, and helping people.
"For this," Bruce says, pulling a USB drive out of his pocket. "The clean slate."
Rosalie's eyes widen a bit, and she looks sharply at Selina.
"You're going to trust me with that after what I did to you?" Selina asks.
"I'll admit, I was a little let down. But I still think there's more to you. Plus, the reason you sold me out, was to save your sister," Bruce says, gesturing to Rosalie. "I actually think this isn't a tool to you. It's an escape route. You want to disappear. Start fresh."
"Start fresh? We can't even get off this island," Selina scoffs, taking the drive from his hand. Rosalie frowns a bit at the thought of leaving the city in this state… and at the thought of leaving John, Missy, Lamont, Terry, Elijah, and everybody else she'd become close to.
"I can give you a way off. Once you've gotten me to Lucius Fox. I need you to find out where they're holding him. Then take me in," Bruce says.
"Why do you need Fox?" Selina says. Rosalie remains silent, watching the exchange between her sister, and the billionaire.
"To save this city," Bruce responds.
"Who says it needs saving?" Selina asks him. "Maybe I like it this way."
"I don't," Rosalie mumbles, ignoring the withering look that Selina sends her way.
"Maybe you do. But tomorrow that bomb's going off," Bruce says, and Rosalie notices Selina's face pale significantly. Selina glances at Rosalie, who nods solemnly. Selina clenches her jaw and looks back at Bruce.
"So? Get your 'powerful friend' on the case," Selina says.
"I'm trying. But I need Fox," Bruce answers, almost desperately.
"He's at City Hall, waiting to be sentenced," Rosalie chimes in.
"Sentenced?" Bruce asks, confused.
"Jonathan Crane is hosting these 'trials' for the rich people in town. Makes them choose between death or 'exile', which consists of them walking out on the frozen river, ending in death anyway. I've been watching over the trials, and as far as I know, he's alright," Rosalie answers, and Bruce looks at her gratefully.
"I need you to take me in," Bruce says, looking at Selina. Selina glances at Rosalie, and Rosalie nods a bit.
"I'm going to go watch over my little rebellion team… and make sure none of them… dies," Rosalie mutters, glancing between Selina and Bruce.
"Thank you, for what you've done for this city while I was gone," Bruce calls to her as she starts walking away. Rosalie turns around and smiles a bit at him.
"Don't thank me yet."
-IWRU-
Rosalie ducks behind a building as she catches sight of Gordon and Miranda Tate, and she uses the building's old fire escape and climbs to the roof of the building. She smirks a bit when she sees John crouched down on a small grated bridge that connects to the neighboring building with a two way radio in his hand. Rosalie walks to the edge of the building, and climbs down on the bridge. John jumps when he finally notices her behind him.
"How do you do that?" he asks, glaring slightly at her. Rosalie only smirks in response, and turns her attention back to Gordon.
"Warn him," Rosalie says lowly, pointing out a few of Bane's men.
"Heads up," John says into the radio.
"Copy that," Gordon's voice murmurs through John's radio. Gordon moves to the end of the alley, still in Rosalie and John's vision. They watch as Gordon flings a GPS locator at the truck that slowly drives by the alley. Gordon looks at the device in his hand. "Got it," his voice sounds through the radio again. The others joined Gordon in the alley, and Rosalie and John both relax a bit. They immediately tense again when a group of Bane's men round the corner, pointing their guns at the group.
"Commissioner James Gordon. You're under arrest," one of the men says, smirking.
"On whose authority?" Gordon asks. Rosalie sees John start to move out of the corner of her eye, and Rosalie immediately grabs the collar of his jacket and pulls him back.
"What are you doing?" he asks her, glaring harshly.
"What are you doing?" she hisses. "You aren't going anywhere."
"We have to help them," John says, and Rosalie rolls her eyes in exasperation.
"No, you need to think clearly for once in your life. Look at how many men there are, and look at the guns they're carrying. Do you honestly think you can just flounce over there, and take out a dozen men carrying extremely large, automatic weapons, and live?" Rosalie asks. John remains silent, anger burning in his eyes. "You're no good to anyone dead."
Rosalie and John watch solemnly as the team of people are taken away by Bane's men. "It's up to us now," John mutters.
"Not just us," Rosalie mutters back, and turns sharply, gracefully climbing back up onto the roof. John quickly follows.
"What does that mean?" John asks, confused. Rosalie ignores the question, and swiftly climbs down the fire escape. She looks up at the cloudy sky, noticing the dimming lightness of it. She assumes that Bruce should be with Fox by now, and she sighs, apprehension and anxiousness growing in the pit of her stomach.
"You'll find out soon enough," Rosalie finally answers.
"I'm getting the men out of the tunnels tonight," John blurts out, and Rosalie glances at him when he falls into step with her.
"And how are you going to do that?" Rosalie asks, genuinely curious.
"Ackerman Park. Through one of the pipes. It's concealed by buildings," John says. Rosalie nods a bit.
"When?" she asks.
"Soon. It's almost dark," John says, and Rosalie stops walking, faintly hearing someone in the alley next to them. She glances down and sees a dark figure, and smirks a bit.
"I'll meet you there. I'm going to get Gordon," Rosalie says, lowly, and John nods. Rosalie gives him one last look, and heads down the alleyway.
"They have Jim Gordon," a voice growls from deeper in the alleyway. Rosalie walks a little farther in and comes face to face with the Batman. She smirks a bit.
"Nice to have you back, and in costume this time," Rosalie quips lowly. Bruce smirks a bit. "But yes. He was taken in not too long ago."
"Come with me," Bruce says, turning and walking deeper into the alley. Rosalie raises her eyebrows when she sees the massive vehicle waiting at the end of the alley. Bruce gestures for her to get in, and Rosalie raises her hidden eyebrows. She gets in the vehicle, and Bruce enters as well.
"You know, my mother warned me against getting into vehicles with strangers," Rosalie quips sarcastically.
"Your sister said the same thing," Bruce mutters in his normal voice.
"You used your regular voice! The illusion is shattered!" Rosalie exclaims, trying to lighten the situation. Bruce smirks a bit and starts up the vehicle. Rosalie stiffens a bit when the vehicle rises into the air. After nearly two minutes in the air, Bruce lands the vehicle on the roof of city hall. The pair of vigilantes quickly make their way to the edge of the building, and very continently, they see Bane's men outside with Gordon, and a few other members of the team already slowly making their way onto the ice. Bruce swiftly lifts Rosalie into his arms, and jumps from the roof of city hall, his cape slowing the fall. He lands on his feet and sets Rosalie down.
Rosalie makes to move to the men, but Bruce holds her back. Rosalie looks at him confused and he motions for her to wait, and pulls something from his utility belt. Rosalie watches as he brings a blow gun to his mouth and aims. He blows on the gun and a bat shaped dart hits one of the men in the neck. The man quickly reaches up and pulls the dart out of his neck and briefly looks at it before collapsing on the ground, unconscious. Rosalie raises her hidden eyebrows and turns her lips downward in approval. She watches as Bruce expertly shoots the other men with the darts, and watches in amusement as they all fall to the ground unconscious.
Gordon and the others turn around when they hear the commotion and Bruce makes his way out of the shadows when all of the men are unconscious. He pulls a flare out of his belt and hands it to Gordon. "Light it up."
Gordon looks at the Batman confused and looks behind the Batman and sees the Black Swan standing there. Gordon looks back at the flare and lights it up, and throws it on the ground. A trail of fire ignites on the ice, and leads to a nearby building, and runs up the building, eventually lighting up a large flaming bat. Rosalie smiles to herself, and turns her attention back to the men. Once they were all back on the shore, Bruce hands Gordon a small metal box.
"This blocks out the remote detonator signal to the bomb," Bruce says. "Get it onto the truck by sunrise. They might hit the button when it starts."
"When what starts?" Gordon asks, confused.
"War."
-IWRU-
Rosalie steps on the scene where John said he'd be freeing the police, and walks to the open pipe. She pales significantly when she sees Officer Ross lying on the ground. She frowns deeply, and kneels by his body. Rosalie quickly rips off one of her gloves and presses her bare fingers to his neck, and her eyes darken when she feels no pulse. She lets out a long breath, and closes her eyes.
"Is he alive?" a deep voice asks from behind her. Rosalie shakes her head and walks away from the dead officer's body. She pulls her glove back on and hears voices coming from a nearby ditch. She walks to the edge and her eyes widen, and then darken dangerously when she sees John on his knees in front of a group of men. The lead man has a gun pointed at his head, and without a second thought, Rosalie jumps into the ditch behind the men. The men all turn sharply to her.
"Sorry boys. He's way too handsome to kill," Rosalie says, and she hears Bruce land behind her. She kicks the man closest to her in the knee, making him collapse to the ground with a shout of pain. Rosalie and Bruce both easily take out all seven of the men, working together, while John watches.
"You missed a spot," John points out, gesturing to one of the men who began rising. Bruce swiftly kicks him in the head and walks over to John. Rosalie leans against the wall and watches.
"If you're working alone, wear a mask," Bruce tells John.
"No one cares who I am," John says, and Rosalie raises an eyebrow.
"The mask's not for you. It's to protect the people you care about," Bruce says, pulling something out of his belt. "Count to five, then throw this."
John takes the small device out of his hand and Bruce walks away. John counts to five and throws the device at the wall of rubble. A small explosion happens, but the wall of rubble still stands. Rosalie smirks in amusement.
"You got anything bigger in that belt?" John shouts, and suddenly, the winged vehicle that the Batman has been currently using rises into the air, and John scrambles back against the wall of the ditch. Rosalie glances at him, amused, and watches as Bruce uses the guns attached to the vehicle to clear the rubble from the tunnel entrance. Moments later the whole of Gotham's police force begins to slowly emerge from the tunnel. They were all in various states of health, and ruggedness, but they all shared one certain emotion. Anger.
"So, what now?" John asks.
"All-out assault on Bane," Bruce says, appearing behind John, making him jump. Rosalie who heard him coming only silently laughs into her hand, ignoring John's glare at her. "But you need to get the people you care about across the bridge.
"Why?" John asks, and Rosalie looks at him like he's dumb.
"Incase we fail. Save as many lives as you can," Bruce says.
"Don't you need me here?" John asks.
"You gave me an army," Bruce says to John. Bruce looks to Rosalie. "Come with me."
Rosalie nods a bit, and the two vigilantes in black begin their trek out of the ditch.
"Thank you," John calls out from behind them.
"Don't thank me yet," Bruce says, taking Rosalie's line from earlier.
"I may not have a chance to later."
-IWRU-
Rosalie, Bruce, and Selina make their way down an old, dirty alley until they came to a building. Bruce steps forward, and undoes a latch. He lifts a sliding door revealing a motorcycle like vehicle.
"Oh you shouldn't have," Selina says mockingly, approaching the vehicle.
"The midtown tunnel's blocked by debris. But the cannons give you enough firepower to make a path for the people," Bruce tells Selina. "To start it you-," he starts, but is cut off by the roaring of the vehicle's engine.
"I got it," Selina says, and drives the vehicle out of the building a bit. "I'm not entirely sure how we're both going to fit on here," Selina says, looking at Rosalie. Rosalie shifts from foot to foot uncomfortably.
"There's a reason for that 'Lina… I'm not going with you," Rosalie says, and winces when Selina's eyes emit anger and disbelief.
"Is that so?" Selina asks lowly. Bruce looks a little uncomfortable, but Rosalie holds her ground.
"I can't just leave without doing what I can to help," Rosalie reasons, and Selina scoffs loudly.
"You've done more than enough for this city!" Selina exclaims. "This is for that cop isn't it."
"Not all about him. I care about people here," Rosalie says.
"More than your own sister?" Selina asks viscously.
"Of course not," Rosalie hisses violently. "They're evacuating the city. I'm going to get out, but until then, I'm going to do what I can to help. I've gotten close to people, and if I just left… I couldn't live with myself if they died and I didn't give it my all."
"What if you die in the process?" Selina asks, her tone getting weaker.
"Then I'll die honorably…," Rosalie says softly. Selina sharply looks away from her. "Besides… you don't know that I'll die… you did teach me to be smarter than that."
"That bomb though-," Selina starts.
"I really think we're going to be able to stop it," Rosalie says, and Selina looks at her with blatant disbelief and desperation shining in her eyes.
"You're all I've got Rosie…," Selina says softly. Rosalie clenches her jaw tightly as tears well up in her brown eyes.
"This is just something I have to do 'Lina," Rosalie says, leaning forward and kissing her sister on the cheek. She moves to walk away, but Selina grabs her and pulls her into a tight hug.
"Jag älskar dig, lillasyster," Selina says, and Rosalie squeezes her eyes tightly shut.
"Jag älskar dig också, äldre syster," Rosalie says, in response.
"I'm proud of you," Selina says, releasing her sister. Rosalie smiles at Selina and steps back. Rosalie glances at Bruce, and then looks back at Selina.
"When you fight Bane… aim for his mask," Rosalie says to Bruce who looks at her with a curious look. "I saw him get hit in the mask before, and one of the valves came undone. It slows him down, and it looked like he was in a lot of pain."
Bruce nods, happy to have this helpful information. Rosalie gives Selina's hand one last squeeze, turns on her heel with the grace of her feathered creature namesake, and determinedly makes her way down the alley, and out of her sister's sight.
-IWRU-
A/N: Oh, I just loved writing the Batman and Black Swan working together. Vigilantes unite! It's almost over guys. *Sad face* But then the sequel! *Happy face!*
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