Hello, Hello my beloved friends. I am sorry for the hiatus…again…Please don't throw anything at my head. I have been really busy with Real Life stuff: my job and college and rent and bills and bullshit and whatnot! But I finally settled down into my new place, got to playing Batman: Arkham City again and decided it was time for the next chapter you guys have been waiting so patiently for! –Dodges Thrown Object- Okay okay! Jeeze. Without further holdup! Here is Chapter 11! Remember to leave all constructive criticism in the comment section. Hope you guys like it! Enjoy.

Chapter 11: Monsters and Men

I found myself in front of the very large door, much like the one leading to Killer Croc's cell, only much larger and thicker with a palm scanner. I watched as William North, one of the few guards still left after the Joker's take over, placed his palm on the scanner. The door read his palm and the bolts and gears shifted, grinded, and turned allowing entrance. "Okay, you've got half an hour in there Doc, make sure to keep it simple and don't try anything alright?" I nodded to Officer North and entered, the door slamming shut and locking behind me.

As I stepped into the room with the large, thick glass cell I saw the man known as Bane sitting with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees in meditation. I approached the glass and looked behind me to find the intercom switch, allowing me to speak to Bane through the microphone. I flipped the switch and stepped up to the glass and stared at him. I didn't want to break his concentration, so I waited until he was finished. I scrutinized the man in front of me thoroughly. Dressed in all black, tank top, leather pants, combat boots, and his famous mask all adorned his physically-hardened physique. His mask was obviously that of a Luchadore fighter and Spanish in origin. It was black with white patterns outlining his eyes, nose, and mouth, it was complete with red lenses over the eyes to give it almost a demonic appearance. He was menacing, but somehow, beautiful.

Bane's current stature was small, well, about as big as me. He had a little over an inch on me, height-wise. I read his files and saw him on the news when he was under the influence of the steroid codenamed Venom, which Bane became famous for using. He was still fit and very toned, obviously from working his body to peak physical condition over the years of lifelong incarceration. As I looked over the super criminal behind the glass I now noticed his breathing had returned to normal and I saw subtle movement. I was sure his meditation was complete; so I spoke.

"Hello Bane," I said with a smile, a reassuring smile. One that I hoped would let him know I'm not like the other doctors. He said nothing, he only stared at me. "My name is Damian Rykotsu, I'm not sure if you remember me but I was the one that tried speaking to you in the courtyard yesterday." He was silent. I sighed and crossed my arms staring at him silently as well. For a few minutes nothing was said, we only stared at one another awkwardly as I waited for him to speak. It was obvious Bane had more patience. I groaned in frustration. "Look! The silent treatment was kinda cool at first but after I've endured it from thirteen different convicts before you it's just getting fucking old." I walked up to the glass and tapped on it. "If you don't wanna talk that's fine, I'm about used to it by now. So I guess this was a waste of both of our times and for that I apologize. Goodbye Bane."

I turned to leave approaching the door and as I was about to knock I heard Bane speak behind me. "What is it you want médico?" I swung around to see Bane standing with his arms crossed over his chest in front of the glass. Thank god I forgot to switch off the intercom. Damn he is a lot more intimidating when he's standing up.

Staring at the infamous criminal I stepped back up to the glass and replied. He definitely had a few more inches on me. "I just wanted to talk to you, I read your dossier. I was very impressed with what I read."

Bane's natural Hispanic accent came out thickly as he spoke to me. "And what did you read?"

I wasn't sure why it mattered to him but I trailed off, reciting what I read in my own words. "Well, to sum up most of it, you're the perfect balance of brain and brawn. You were born in a prison in Santa Prisca, you were forced to live out your father's sentence from birth, you are a force to be reckoned with, a living juggernaut, and a monster trapped in a man's body." Bane was silent when I finished and it took him practically a whole minute to respond.

"You find me a monster, médico?" He finally said in a hushed tone.

"Well…I mean…no…" I muttered blushing and kicking myself for speaking impulsively again. "Zsasz is a monster, he murders for some narcissistic need to feel better about himself. He is a greedy, selfish, sick fuck that has deserved the worst form of torture for far too long without actually receiving it!" I found my fists balled now, my knuckles were white as snow and I was shaking.

"What makes you less of un monstruo?" Bane said in the same monotone. I looked up at him surprised. "Why is he any more so than you?" My eyes widened at the question. Wasn't that obvious?

"I haven't murdered anyone! I haven't gutted their lifeless bodies and posed them in sick positions for the lone purpose of humoring myself!" I felt a tear run down my cheek as my mind flickered to Carmen again. "I am not a monster! HE IS!" I could feel my face burning by the last words.

Bane just stood there, in front of me. The red lenses of his mask, the mask my sister allowed him to keep in here, revealed two cold, hollow eyes that watched me like a hawk. The eyes of a monster? I wasn't sure. I felt a very human chill run along my spine and my body tensed under his seemingly inhuman stare. The eyes of judgment.

"You have not committed homicide? You believe that is what makes you un Monstruo?" I felt his stare ease its grip on my soul. "He has murdered and so have I. I did it for venganza, to survive, to get what I wanted, and yes, sometimes for fun. And yet you don't find me a monster?" I was a little confused, not about what he said, more so, why I told him he wasn't a monster. He was a monster! He's killed so many! This is the beast-of-a-man that broke the Batman's spine!

So why didn't I tell him that?

"You say you are no monstruo because you've committed no homicido?" Bane mused. "Yet you have thought about this? You have considered bashing a man's brain in when he cuts you off in traffic? You have considered blowing up a banco after the teller has refused your lone. You have not done it, estás en lo correcto. But that does not make you any less of a monster."

"How can it not?" I felt my face start to burn with anger. He was comparing me to Zsasz? He was saying I was no less than that disgusting piece of filth? I felt my body begin to shake, I felt my eyes start to blur, it was as angry as I've ever gotten. Then again, it was the first time I was ever compared to Zsasz in my life. "I don't murder people! I don't choose when they're life ends! I don't take it upon myself to play executioner! To play the exterminator! To play-fucking-GOD!"

"And yet you think about it all the time. All humans do, médico. Humans are wrought with sin. It is only natural." He turned away from me. I punched the glass before I could even register a thought.

"DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" I was fuming now. I was red in the face and I was drooling.

Bane turned back to me with a smirk on his lips. "Or what?"

I merely stood there. I was silent save my heavy breathing. What was I gonna do? What could I do? Beat him up? HA! Yeah right! I wouldn't stand a chance against this Latin juggernaut. Was he right? Was I just as much a monster for contemplating murder? No. I've learned much from the inmates here but I was not going to believe this. "Fuck you Bane."

I turned around and walked towards the door. Bane laughed and called to me. "You do not have to believe me, médico. Objetoen el fondo,sabesque tengo razón."

I didn't understand a word of that. I didn't care what it meant. I was done speaking to him. I was done listening to his madness. I was done caring. I pounded on the door with my fist until Officer North opened the door and I stormed out without a word.

I had to do something productive. I had to get my mind off of Bane, off of Zsasz, and off of my work. That's when I heard her voice.

"Hey Doctor! C'mere for a sec, would ya?" I turned and stared into the dazzling blue eyes of Harley Quinn. I looked around for a moment and then rested my gaze back on Ms. Quinzel's beautiful features and pointed at myself. She giggled almost innocently and nodded. "Get over here I wanna talk to ya!" She kept waving her hand forwards and backwards. Eventually, I stepped over to meet her at her cell. "Ya look tense." She spoke in her thick New York accent.

"Yes, Ms. Quinzel, you could say that." I sighed and rest my forehead against the bars. Only later did I realize how foolish that course was since Harley Quinn could've easily snapped my neck at any given point. Thankfully, instead, she offered me a proposition.

"Can I get you to do me a H-U-U-U-U-GE favor?" Actually, she pronounced favor as favah.

"Ms. Quinzel." I looked up at her. "I'm not going to break you out of Arkham." She laughed aloud, snorting a couple times. It was kinda cute.

"No, no, no. I just want you to deliver something to an inmate, courtesy of Mr. J." I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued.

"What's the item?" It didn't even occur to me then that she had somehow obtained contact with the Joker. I just wanted to know what I was meant to deliver.

"It isn't anything deadly or anything that will help someone escape. It's just a note." She handed me the note in a sealed envelope. I turned around for a moment to check to see which cameras were in the area. Luckily, the only camera that could possible see us was directly behind me. I took the envelope from her and tried to open it. "Hey!" I nearly jumped out of my skin. "That ain't for you!"

I frowned at her. Then I smirked. "Ms. Quinzel, you realize you've already given me the envelope, right?" She looked at it for a moment silently, blinked, and attempted to take it back. I was too quick. I stepped back a couple of steps and laughed. "Ah, ah, what's to stop me from reading it, then taking it straight to the warden?" She blinked, then tittered.

"Um…respect of privacy?"

"Nice try."

She sighed. "Look, just please don't read it. And please don't take it to the Warden. Just deliver it to Killer Croc and I promise I'll pay ya back." I looked back at her perplexed.

"Why is it going to Killer Croc?"

"What part of private don't you understand?" She frowned at me cutely. I noticed, not for the first time, how pretty she was without all the makeup to hide her face.

"Alright Harley, you gotta deal." I smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Really?"

"Yep, on one condition." I looked at her in her orange jumpsuit. It fitted her natural curves beautifully. Her round hips and shapely chest were accentuated even in the baggy uniform. Her feet were bare and somehow she had painted her toes red and black. Her hair was put into pigtails and her midriff was showing where she had torn away part of her top. That flat, toned belly of hers was pale but dammit if it wasn't the sexiest thing I've ever seen. I couldn't believe it when the words came out but there they were. "You have to sleep with me."

She blinked at me incredulously. I blinked at her back, equally as incredulous. What was I saying? I had already slept with Poison Ivy and I was lucky enough to only be caught by Rex! Was I really going to risk my job and legal freedom for another one-night stand with an incarcerated maniac? Obviously so!

"Deal," I was almost too lost in thought to realize she had said it. I blinked at her again.

"What?"

"I said deal, if that's what I gotta do to get Mr. J's dirty work done, then fine! I'll do it. I'll boff ya brains out if I have to." She shrugged at it like as if she were being asked to run a simple errand. I didn't care. I wanted her. I had since I first saw her being arrested on the news a few years back, especially in that tight outfit of hers. She was hot! Still is. Fuck it, if I get caught, at least I'll go out with a bang. Um—no pun intended of course. "Tonight. Eleven o'clock, when guards are out to lunch. Sneak back here, unplug the camera, and we'll do it here in my cell." She eyed the envelope critically. "But ya gotta get that to Croc first, got it?" I nodded.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll head that way right now." I turned to walk away, placing the envelope stealthily in my pocket so the camera wouldn't catch it. "Oh and Harley," I said turning back to her. She looked at me with those big blue eyes. "If you try to kill me tonight, during the act I mean. Well, I'll kill you first." I winked at her and for a moment, if only a moment, Harley Quinn seemed a little worried.

I laughed aloud with my hands in my pockets. Then I started for Killer Croc's cell. Bane may've been right. I thought to myself. I may actually be a monster.

Chapter 12 (Hopefully) Coming Soon!