Disclaimer: Don't own Bane or any TDKR related content. Kali Blake is mine.
Kali awoke with a start. Her head still hurt, but the nausea and dizziness had faded to an annoying buzz. Se sat up slowly, completely confused by her surroundings. She last remembered being on her father's couch. Now, she was on a bed in a dark, sparse bedroom. It was relatively cold, so she wrapped the blanket she had around her as she walked out.
She was not in the Joker's apartment. With a rush of panic, she realized she was in the apartment she had been staying in. How did she get here? She stood frozen, heart beating frantically. It was night. She'd been asleep far too long. Kali moved to the wall beside her and flicked the living room light on.
He leaned back in the armchair across from her, eyes closed, head back. Every nerve screamed run. A moment after the light came on, Bane's eyes snapped open, and he pinned her with a calculating glare. She dropped the blanket, took a step back, and took a defensive stance as he slowly rose to his feet. He did not move, and the silence blistered.
"What did you do to my father?" Kali growled.
"Nothing. We made an agreement. He gave me you in exchange for safe exit of the city."
Part of her knew the Joker would do anything to get out of the city. This was not his cause, after all. But somewhere deep inside, it stung to know he had given her up.
Bane suddenly took a step forward, and Kali switched into an offensive position. Her stance was perfect, muscles tight, eyes sharp despite the slight dilation from the drugs the Joker had given her. He raised an eyebrow at her, then smirked.
"Alright little one. Show me what you've got." He said.
Her eyes scanned over him quickly, slightly confused, before she seemed to pick a target, his neck, and then lunged forward. Bane was more than prepared, grinning at her rookie mistake. Giving away her point of attack.
As she came in, he raised his arms to catch the blow as her left hand clenched into a fist. However, as his arms came off, she suddenly angled to the side. In one simultaneous move she had moved under his arm, planting a solid punch to his chest. At the same time she had grabbed him and brought a knee swiftly up into his ribs, successfully knocking the breath out of him. Following through the move, she twisted behind him and delivered a hard kick to his lower spine. She was unexpectedly strong. He stumbled forward and spun, blocking a fist aimed for the side of his mask.
And for the next five minutes they destroyed the apartment, smashing furniture and putting holes in the walls. Bane was becoming equally awed and infuriated as she managed to land a few hits while he couldn't touch her. He didn't want to hurt her of course, but prove that he was still better tha her.
He finally saw him opportunity ad went for it. As she laded a punch to his ribs, he caught her arm, and with a single angled tug he heard the pop he was looking for. Kali cried out, stumbling away from him, clutching at her dislocated shoulder. She glared at him.
"Are you finished?" Bane asked, crossing his arms.
Kali was panting, ad he found himself slightly breathless as well. She did not respond, only moved over to the half crumpled couch. She wedged her limp had in between the cushion and the backing, ad with a sudden jerk twisted ad shoved her shoulder down, putting her arm back in place with a grunt. She stood tall, strong. He had ot beaten her yet.
"I'm tired of playing these games Kali. You've shown off enough." He said tiredly.
"Shown off? You haven't seen anything yet." She growled, and he could see he had hit a nerve of some sort.
From seemingly nowhere she held a smooth, slender knife with a black blade and silver handle. She was at him in an instant, slashing and jabbing. Bane had no choice but to get rough.
As she swung the blade at his chest, he caught her arm, twisted her around, forcing her arms across her chest, and slammed her into the nearest wall three times before she dropped the blade. He turned and spun her away from him, stepping onto the blade to prevent her from trying to retrieve it.
"What do you want with me?!" She snarled, picking up a broken leg from a coffee table and hurling it at him.
He blocked it to the side, splintering it onto the floor. She threw a few more debris at him as she increased the space between them.
"I want to know why you disobeyed me by coming here? Did you think I wanted you to become a killer like me?" He growled angrily.
"Until I met Talia I had no idea what or who you really were. And I came here because it's my choice. I'm not your property! As I recall, you left me without a single explanation. You clearly weren't interested in me anymore, once you got what you wanted." She spat.
Bane's fury burst open, and with an enraged snarl he was across the room. He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her and pinning her to the wall behind her with a single hand. She grunted as she struggled against him, kicking at his stomach.
"I did not leave because of that. I left because I wanted you to live the life you deserved. I was needed here anyways, you would have never see me again. But you came here looking for me anyways." He spoke so darkly, it sent chills down Kali's spine.
"I didn't... come here... for you. I came... for myself." She choked, pulling at his hand.
"You knew that all that waited for you here was death." He growled, slowly returning her to her feet but still keeping her pinned.
"Death is all I have." She replied quietly.
He stared at her for a long moment before he jerked away from her, pacing to the other side of the room, running a hand over his head. She remained against the wall, glaring at him. He turned back to her.
"Your father is leaving the city in a hour. He wants you to meet him, under the bridge. I want you to go with him." Bane said firmly.
She opened her mouth, clearly about to snarl something at him, but he cut her off.
"The bomb is going to blow in a week exactly. Get out of the city, go with your father." And that was it. He was out the door and gone before she could argue.
The Joker stood at the edge of the frozen river, looking from time to time impatiently at his watch. Suddenly, a few of Bane's thugs arrived, and wordlessly dropped a few duffle bags before quickly leaving. Joker's men took out the needed equipment from the bags; some stolen grappling guns, from the Bat. The men began to set up the guns as the Joker looked around, still waiting.
When Bane had easily incapacitated the Joker's guards, he had sat waiting in the living room, a gun hidden in his coat. Bane had come in calmly, and offered his proposition. The Joker knew he wouldn't take no for a answer. And though something told him Kali did not want to be near the masked man, he had heard stories through the proverbial vines that Kali was Bane's "pet". Surely she was better off with Bane than awkwardly stuck with him.
Suddenly a slim figure came through the darkness, and upon removing their hood he knew it was Kali. She walked up to him, surveying the men as they prepared for their escape.
"I hope you're good at acrobatics." She commented lightly.
"I'm a clown. Close enough." He replied.
They stood in silence, looking over the progress.
"You know, you really should come with me. The only thing left here in the grand finale." He said.
Kali sighed deeply.
"I know. But this is my cause now, too. I'm here to see it finished. Besides, I have some unfinished business here." She said, smiling slightly at him.
Soon, the men were ready to go, and his window of escape was shrinking by the minute as the sun got closer to rising. He turned to her then, looking her over.
"You look so much like your mother." He said sadly, playing absently with a strand of her hair.
"And I have your eyes." She replied with a smile.
"That, you do... Well kiddo, if you ever change your mind, you'll be able to find me. Just keep an eye out in the news. I'll be getting a new playground soon." He said with one of his vicious grins.
She nodded, about to take a step back, when he suddenly grabbed her, pulling her into a crushing hug. He planted a swift kiss to her forehead, before quickly turning and going to his men. Kali smiled and watched as they propelled themselves up and under the bridge, quickly making their way across, until she couldn't see them anymore. She went back home, part of her knowing she would ever see her father again.
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