Chapter 6. Missing

"Whatever happened to the little lady? In the darkness she's forever waiting. The light is gone but hope is never fading"
-Lordi "Missing Miss Charlene"

The next thing Canis knew, she was flat on the floor, head throbbing from the blow Bane gave her moments after taking off the mask. She hadn't seen him put it back on, but before she could react, he lifted her up by her neck, letting her body dangle as she struggled to get out of his hold.

"Do you not know what you could've done?" his voice was like a roar, even with the mask on.
"I-I'm sorry" Canis stammered, "I…I didn't mean any harm, honest!".
Bane pinned her to a wall. "I saved your life! I treated your wounds and never left your side and this is how you repay me?"
"I'm sorry! I just wanted to see! I didn't…" she stopped before she could say anything else, but what she longed to say was "I didn't know you had something to hide".
"Didn't what? Didn't know it would hurt? This…This is what helped save your life! I gave this up for you countless times and for minutes on end putting myself through hell time and time again for you!"

Canis could only look at him with surprise and a tinge of fear. Her gold eyes found the deep brown of his and her surprise grew. Bane's eyes conveyed to her betrayal, not anger. She looked down, guilt overtaking her fear. Canis closed her eyes, trying to escape his gaze.

"I'm so sorry Bane. I didn't know I was hurting you, I honestly didn't. If I could I'd take all the pain away…and not just your physical pain either".
He released her from the wall. "Go".
"Pardon?"
"I said go. I don't want you anymore, Pequeña Lupa. Leave Gotham while you still have the chance".
"What do you mean?".
"This city is going to burn. I'm just ready to light the fire and giving you a head start to run".
"Why? Why me? And you know I won't run".
"Let's just say I have my reasons. And you had your chance then. Go Lupinotuum".
"I have a name…Canis".
"Is it really Canis? Or who is that Sarantha girl you kept muttering about?"
Canis snarled. "That's none of your business!"
"Oh…personal? Friend or family?"

The werewolf snarled deeper, the She Wolf joining in. He had no right to inquire about that and she'd be damned if this beast was ever going to know about that girl! But she couldn't attack him. Only if he accepted her challenge could she be free to attack.

Bane sighed. "Must we do this now?"
"Yes!"
"No…Not right now. The full moon is just a few nights away and then, Pequeña Lupa, rest assured, you will be mine. I want you at your best, your strongest. And then, when I prove to be the Alpha, you'll be like a loyal dog to me".
"NEVER!" she was half tempted to break instinct and attack, but couldn't.
"We'll see about that…go now".

Canis walked passed him a little and then turned back around. After all this mess, the least she could do was thank him.

"Thank you".
"For what?"
"Saving my life…treating my wounds…everything".
"Don't expect it again. Keep out of trouble before the full moon".
"Then why do it anyways? Save my life I mean".
"I told you…I have my reasons. No go, before I change my mind and keep you locked up until the full moon comes".

Canis ran out then, leaving Bane to ponder this…unusual situation…

"I was told you knew something about this most recent incident" Gordon sat down next to the man in the black coat.
"I know much. I know who did that to those men".
"Who?"
"It's a girl. She doesn't look pat twenty years and goes by the name Canis Lupa".
"Canis Lupus...The Gray Wolf".
"Precisely, only she made it more feminine. And your assumptions, as difficult as it may be to accept, are right. Lupa is a werewolf, has been since she was ten years old".
"You know her".
"I knew one of her victims, her first actually".
"So she's killed before?"
"Only once before this incident, and it's not exactly what you may think, commissioner. It's a long story, so I hope you're comfortable".
"I'm not going anywhere".
"Good. Well then, ten years ago there was a little girl named Sarantha Reynolds. She was blind, had been since the day she was born. She was a sweet girl, with blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes. Everyone loved her. She'd never harm a fly. So it was a shock to everyone when she went missing. The whole town went looking for her, but for days, she couldn't be found".

Gordon listened intently as the man went on.

"We did find her eventually. She was found in a woodland clearing, her left shoulder severely injured and her clothes were torn. But besides that, she appeared fine. We got her to a doctor and he was astounded to find there wasn't even a scratch on her shoulder. So we brought her home and that was when we noticed all the strange stuff. She was faster than all the other children now, more physical, and, miraculously, three days after we found her she could see for the first time in her life. We all thought it was just a miracle. But then…she started to change. Her eyes turned from blue to molten gold and her blonde hair to jet black on its own. Her ears became elongated and a tail, long and furry, grew. But that was when the full moon came and she shifted for the first time".
"So Canis turned Sarantha?"
"No…Canis killed Sarantha. That was the night Sarantha died and Canis was born".
"Sarantha is Canis isn't she?"
"She took the name after being named the outcast of the town. I tried everything to help her, to get Sarantha back, but she was too far gone. Canis was all that was there".
Curious, Gordon dared one question: "Who were you to her?"
"My name, Commissioner Gordon, is Conrad. Conrad Levi Reynolds, and I was Sarantha's father"…