Jenna spent the rest of the day shut up and locked in her room. She had drawn her curtains back together, and she laid in her bed, music playing through the speakers on her laptop while she stared blankly up at the ceiling, just thinking about the morning's events. She forced herself to keep her eyes open the majority of the time, for every time she closed them all she could picture were Bane's eyes staring at her, and she constantly thought back the light gray color they had proved themselves to be when the sun shone onto them. Even still when she thought of it shocks ran up her spine, and only caused her to get more angry.
It wasn't until her father arrived home at nine o' clock did she finally venture downstairs upon hearing the garage door open and close. Her mother had shut herself away in her room while Jenna had been in hers, and she remained in her bedroom as Jenna entered their large kitchen while her father heated up some left over food from the charity event in the microwave.
"Hey, Dad," Jenna greeted as she slowly stepped up to the island counter, and she placed her arms on it as she leaned over.
"Hello, Jenna," he greeted, his voice low and monotone, as normal, but she could easily hear the slightly upset tone that it carried.
"How was your day?" She went on to ask, trying to sound casual. Her voice still shook, and she could hear the nervousness and anger laced throughout it, but she knew her father was too one-dimensional to notice.
"Fine." His answer was simple as the microwaved beeped, signaling the food was ready, and he opened it to immediately take the plate out.
"So, I have a question," she began slowly. "The key to get into the weapons warehouse is just your ID card, right?"
"Yes," Robert answered as he grabbed a fork from the light brown drawer underneath the microwave.
"And, it's build underneath the dealership on 3rd and Main, right?"
"Yes, Jenna, you know this. Why are you asking?"
"I don't know," she lied as she glanced down to her hands as she intertwined her fingers together, and she stared at the black nail polish on her fingernails. She was about to drop the subject, but as Bane barged into her thoughts again, she thinned her lips as she asked another question."Are you ever worried that someone could... you know... get in there and steal stuff?"
"Never," her father replied. "Do these questions have a purpose, Jenna?"
"No," she lied again as she raised her eyes back up to look at her father.
"Then let's drop the subject. I want to talk to you about something," he went on, taking a bite and chewing it quickly before he went on, and as he spoke he still didn't bother to look at her. "Your mother told me what happened today, and I don't appreciate what you said to her, or the tone in which you said it."
Jenna let out a sigh from her nose as her face fell into a frown. This is not what's important Dad...
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Jenna rolled her eyes as she leaned away from the counter. "It's been a bad day, Dad," she started to explain, though she knew she could not go on further. Robert shook his head.
"That does not matter, Jenna. She is your mother, and you will speak to her and treat her with respect. You're twenty three years old, Jenna, you should know that by now. She was just excited for you to be on the cover of a magazine, and now she has to reschedule the fitting and push back the date of the shoot."
Jenna's lips thinned again as she stared at the corner of the counter. She felt angry, though even more so pathetic. She hated when her parents used her age against her. They knew that she was still living the life of a teenager, all because she chose to live at home still, and they used that against her. At the same time, however, Jenna was not sorry for how she had spoken to her mother or what she had said, and she knew what was coming next.
"You need to apologize to her, then call the agency, apologize, and ask if they can schedule the re-fitting and shoot for an earlier time. Otherwise we are putting the magazine editors and publishers in a bad place with having to make them rush, and that's rude and inconsiderate."
Jenna looked up at him now."Did you ever think that I don't want to be on the cover of anything, Dad? Or in an public picture at all, for that matter?"
"That's irrelevant, Jenna," Robert said, his eyes still firmly fixed on his plate as he stabbed his fork through the food on it. He wouldn't even look at her when they spoke. It wasn't like he usually did, anyway. She shook her head as she glanced back down."Not only has it already been arranged-"
Jenna's head shot up again to look at her father. "Yeah, by Mom-"
"Jenna Marie," Robert went on. "I am speaking. Wait your turn. We have an image to maintain. Someday you are going to inherit everything I have worked hard for, and Gotham needs to know that you are worthy and capable. You need to prove it to me, too."
Jenna felt her face flush in frustration as she lowered her gaze to glare at the granite counter top in front of her. Wait your turn? Just like a child, Jenna thought to herself. She shook her head as she backed away from the counter, and she turned to start out of the kitchen, wondering why she had even bothered with talking to him in the first place.
"Jenna, I mean it," Robert went on as he finally glanced up to look at Jenna's back as she continued walking. "Apologize to your mother, and then call tomorrow. This is embarrassing for all of us."
"Fine," Jenna replied as she pushed open the swinging doors of the kitchen, though this was a lie. She was not going to apologize, for anything, and she most certainly was not going to reschedule the stupid photo shoot for an earlier time. Her parents didn't care about how she felt about anything or what was going on in her life, but God forbid they got embarrassed for no reason, the world came to an end. Jenna's lips were still thinned as she walked steadily back up to her room, trying to keep her anger under control, but as soon as she reached her room and shut her door she picked up a pillow from the foot of her bed and threw it at the wall.
–
As midnight drew near, Jenna changed her clothes, putting on a black tank top and a pair of red, tight, jean-like pants, and she quietly opened her door to stealthily move down the hallway toward her parents room. Their door was open as they slept, like always, and as she slowly crept into the room she could tell they had entered a deep sleep, for her father snored lightly and soundly while her mother made no noise at all. As she headed toward the dresser, her eyes already adjusted to the dark while the moonlight shining through the window aided her, she wished there was some way she could get out of this whole mess. She considered hiding at Rodger's, but it wouldn't be fair to put him in immediate danger like that, but because he was out of the question she had nowhere else to go. Bane had eyes all over the city, she knew, and she was positive that would never work. As she took the ID card now, she thought back to the questions she had been asking her father, hoping to have been able to hint at the situation, or that the randomness of them would help to concern him and make him call someone to double their security efforts at the warehouse. But his ID card was placed carelessly on top of the wide dresser, as normal, and she knew her efforts had been useless. It wasn't like she could tell him why he should be worried. He'd never believe her, and he wouldn't want to hear it. He simply didn't care.
But her efforts to try and protect the warehouse made her wonder if there was anyway she could protect herself. She paused as she tucked the ID card into her front pocket, and she turned toward the door of her parents long, walk-in closet, which contained not only their clothes and her mother's large abundance of shoes, but also the safe which held their own guns. But would it work? Was she actually capable of holding a gun on Bane in hopes that it would threaten him to back off? If not, would she have the backbone to actually pull the trigger? She pictured the scenario in her mind and reminded herself of how angry and nervous she felt, and she decided that yes, she would. She sucked in a breath as she crossed the room to gently open the door, and through the dark and moonlight that shone dimly into the closet, she made her way over to the large safe. Her parents weren't aware of it, but she knew the combination, and she turned the dial quickly before she gently opened the door, her eyes wandering over her choices. She went with the smaller pistol her dad owned, and after she picked it up, knowing already that it was loaded and ready to go, she quietly closed the safe door, then the closet door, and headed back to her room to hide the gun away in her purse.
There was a slight breeze as Jenna made her way down the driveway, her heart racing, and once the limo waiting on the other side of the gates came into view, Isaac stepped out of it to round the front of the vehicle as Jenna walked past the gate and toward the actual, slightly smaller fence. Isaac paused as he held the door open, watching as Jenna fixed her purse on her shoulder before she grabbed the middle bar of the fence to pull herself up before she stepped into the middle bar to swing her leg around the top, effortlessly. The process took her less than ten seconds, and she noticed how Isaac was staring at her from the corner of her eye as he held the door open. This time around, he was not wearing a suit or a silly hat, and instead he was clad in dark green cargo pants and a light brown shirt underneath his light jacket. She didn't bother looking at him as she got into the car, and she took in a deep breath after Isaac closed the door to round the car again. He glanced at her through the mirror, and Jenna glanced over to him as he spoke.
"I can assume you won't try anything stupid, right?" He asked, and Jenna glared into his eyes through the mirror.
"I don't know," she back firmly. "Define stupid."
Isaac grinned as a laugh escaped past him, and he shook his head as he put the limo into gear to start away from her house.
The further into town they drove, the more Jenna began to feel nervous, much to her dismay. She couldn't help it. She was still stuck in that corner. If she didn't pull out the gun, then Bane would still go after her. But if she did, and she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of this before, the backup that seemed to follow him around would surely have guns to hold on her, if Bane didn't have one himself, and it was very likely that she could end up dying right next to him. Either way, Bane ended up winning, and now she second guessed using it at all. But even then, what if one of the men found it. She knew that would be just as bad as her actually using it, for it showed her intentions.
But by the time Isaac had pulled the car into a secluded, dark alleyway, the moon light barely reaching the ground inside it, her eyes fell on Bane and three other men standing randomly around him through the wind shield. His thick arms were crossed in front of his chest, over his vest, and his feet were spread apart slightly as he stared at the vehicle. Isaac parked the car right next to them, Bane on on the left side of the car, opposite of Jenna, and after Isaac turned the car off and started around to open her door she scooted over to the other side quickly, pulling out the gun from her purse before she hung it over her shoulder, and just as Isaac opened the door she shoved open the opposite one, and swiftly stepped out of the car. She immediately raised her arms to point the gun at Bane's head, her purse falling down her arm, and she felt her heart skip a beat as the three surrounding men quickly did the same to her. She glanced around with only her eyes, able to see the shiny metal of the artillery that was pointed directly at her, their fingers on the triggers, and when she glanced back at Bane she noticed that he had slightly raised his hands in false, humorous defense. He let out a laugh a second later, genuinely amused and even slightly impressed with her unexpected action, and he watched as Jenna fixed her hold on the gun as she kept firm eye contact with him through the dark. Isaac had quickly rounded the car to stand behind it, and he had pulled out his gun, the largest out of all them, and he cocked it quickly before he pointed it at her.
"Lower your weapons," Bane commanded, the sound of his voice sending chills through Jenna. "We have nothing to worry about here."
"But boss-" one of the henchmen began, and Bane instantly looked over to a man who was standing to the left of Jenna, and Bane's eyes widened slightly, his glare fierce. Jenna kept her glare focused on Bane, though from the corner of her eye she noticed the man who had spoke up cower down a little bit, though he still stayed attentive.
"I said to lower them," Bane repeated, speaking mainly to him before he turned to look back at Jenna, his hands still held up. "She won't shoot."
Jenna continued to glare, and a snarl came onto her lips as her anger took over, and she cocked the gun, making everyone readjust their hold on the weapons. Bane tilted his head back in slight frustration as he lowered his hands, and he let out a loud, prolonged sigh.
"This situation is turning out to be more complicated than it needs to be," he said as he lowered his head again, and he took a step toward Jenna. Her hands began to shake slightly as she took a step back.
"I'll shoot you, I swear," she said as he took another step closer to her.
"And my men will shoot you in return. You came here tonight because my death threats got to you. Sure you'll be rid of me, but not without a cost... Is death really worth it to you, Jenna?" He asked, though he still had nothing but intentions of killing her away. He grinned as he observed her backing down a bit, her hold on her gun loosening slightly, and it seemed at that second, as Jenna wrongly re-evaluated the situation, several things happened at once.
Bane took a large and fast step toward her, and before she had time to react he placed his palm against the side of the gun and pushed it toward the brick wall to her left as one of his henchman stepped out of the way. Jenna grunted as her hand that held the gun hit the wall, and Bane held it there with crushing force as he stepped to the side to grab her other arm with his left hand, and he bent it behind her back before he pushed her even further into the wall. Jenna let out a sharp breath as her head began to spin, her arm starting to throb with intense pain, but much to Bane's surprise she still did not scream. She struggled against him as he pressed his body against hers, but he knew she would not be going anywhere, and he grinned.
"Barsad," he said simply as he turned his head slightly to glance at Isaac from the corner of his eye, and understanding what he wanted, Isaac lowered his gun and stepped up to him. He reached out for Jenna's gun, sliding it easily out her hand, and stepped back to give them some room. "Thank you," Bane said as he lowered his hand to grab her wrist, and he lifted it up slightly before he slammed her hand back against the wall, his way of silently commanding Jenna to keep her hand there. And she did once he let go, and she closed her eyes as she swallowed when she felt his hand roam over the pocket of her pants. He found what he was looking for, and he reached in to pull out her father's ID card. He glanced over it, checking the date, and after he turned it over to confirm that it was indeed the real card, he tucked it into his own cargo pant's pocket before he stepped away from Jenna to pull her by her bent arm away from the wall. "Let's go," he said now in a more cheery voice, and Jenna's stomach dropped as her eyes went wide.
"What!" She squealed, flinching at the strain on her arm as Bane spun her around before he started to walk her further down the alley, her purse still dangling on her free arm. "No!" She went on, trying to keep herself from walking while she also struggled to look up at the man who towered above her. "I did what you wanted! You said you'd let me go!"
Bane remained silent as he pushed her along to his own mode of transportation, knowing very well that he had never said anything of the sort. There would be no future meetings with Jenna, because he was going to kill her tonight. He had only said that to pressure her even more into doing what he asked. If she refused, on one hand he had offered her death, and on the other a constant feeling of anxiety as she waited to be taken unexpectedly again. While he couldn't help but to admire Jenna's fight and determination, he knew all along she would do what he asked. She was weak in the sense that she didn't know what she truly wanted out of anything, or from anyone.
Jenna grew quiet, the strain on her arm making it near impossible to talk anyway as it seemed to sting her whole body, and her heart continued to race as the site of a large square-looking truck came into view at the very back end of the two-mouthed alley. Once they approached the large and lifted black truck, Bane reached around her to open the back door, and Jenna let out a loud gasp as he lifted her entire body by her bent arm to force her into the truck. Once she was in he finally let go of her arm to climb in himself while Isaac went around to the driver side, and as Jenna sat down she bit her lip while she unbent her arm from behind her body, the muscles sore and biting with pain as she stretched it in front of her.
The large square area of the vehicle consisted of a large bench seat in the very back of the truck, facing forward, while directly across from it was a similar bench seat that faced the rear of the vehicle, while touching behind it was another back seat that faced the front. Two of Bane's men sat there while Isaac and the other sat up front, and Jenna stared out of the ridiculously dark tinted windows as Isaac backed quickly out from the alley before he jerked the car around to speed down the road into the unknown...
–
The car ride had been deathly silent. Jenna sat alone on the seat that faced the rear of the truck, her purse still attached to her arm, while Bane sat across from her, his left arm rested on his leg while the other rested along the top of the seat, and he stared out of the window as well during the entire ride. Jenna found herself staring at him more often that not, her mind full of questions, but also worry. Where were they going, and what was going to happen once they got there? She was positive Bane had said, or implied, that she would be free to go after delivering him the ID. But what had changed that? Was it her antics with the gun? Or worse, had this always been planned?
Jenna swallowed again as she looked away from Bane to stare out of the window as they entered the lower outskirts of Midtown Gotham, an area she did not recognize, and after a twenty minute drive Isaac was pulling into an abandoned parking lot and swinging the truck around the back of the large building that overlooked the Gotham River. Jenna turned her head to look out of the opposite window at the river before she turned to look back up at the building Isaac had stopped next to, but before she knew it Bane was pushing open the door and grabbing her wrist to pull her out of the truck along with him. He pushed her in front of him as Isaac and the others started toward the lone black door located on a small concrete foundation four steps up from the ground, a bright orange light hanging above it, and it surprised her when Bane let go of her wrist before he pushed her forward, allowing her to walk for herself behind the men. Isaac held the door open, and he grinned slyly at Jenna before he nodded back at Bane with that same grin, and once everyone was inside he finally stepped in himself and let the door shut before he turned to lock it.
The building was dark and empty, and Jenna could barely see where she was going as she waited for her eyes to adjust. She could feel Bane walking directly behind her, his footsteps loud and heavy as she struggled to follow the three other men, and she couldn't help but to grow a little more nervous after rounding the corner, where a large concrete staircase came into view. The men instantly started down it, but Jenna paused at the top, lingering there as she started down into the darkness, only for Bane to suddenly push her forward slightly. She bit down fiercely on her lip in anger and nervousness as she started down them, Isaac moving past them quickly as he continued the descent, and Jenna followed him down the rest of the stairs until they were in the basement of the large, abandoned building, and suddenly things came into light.
It could only be described as being a huge, secret, underground lair. With concrete floors and a wide, open space down below, where scattered objects lay and rusted metal bars rose up to the ceiling and dimmed lights up ahead, Jenna's eyes moved around the area quickly, noticing finally all the other henchman who were littered around. Once they reached the last step, Bane reached out to wrap his fingers around the back of her neck, causing Jenna to jump, and he guided her in a new direction. He turned around a corner and headed toward the door of his room, only to head to the left of it into a smaller room in the corner of the large lair. He pushed Jenna through the doorway, and as she stared at the various chairs and other storage objects that were shoved into the room, he forced her down in one of the old chairs by her neck, and he pushed his hand down on it before he let go to walk around her. Jenna's lips remained thinned as she reached her hand up to the back of her pained neck, her purse sliding off of her arm and onto the floor, and she kept her eyes planted on Bane as he walked a few more feet away from her before he slowly turned around, her father's ID card in his hand again. Isaac leaned comfortably against the wall with his right foot placed against it and his arms crossed loosely in front of him, his own eyes on Jenna as she watched Bane. Finally, he tore his eyes away from the ID card to look at Jenna, and he took a step forward.
"3rd and Main," Bane began now as Jenna's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "That's where this warehouse is, correct?"
Jenna continued to stare at him before she nodded slowly. She was about to speak again, but her phone buzzing faintly in her purse on the ground in the quiet room instantly stole everyone's attention, and she felt her stomach drop as Bane stepped forward to slowly reach down to grab it. Jenna stared at him with glaring eyes, knowing what his next move would be as he looked at the caller ID, and she knew the only thing that could make this situation worse was her parents, which she was sure is who was calling her.
"Looks like it's your mother," Bane said in a higher toned voice as he stepped forward. "The name on the caller ID reads "The Bitch". Let's see what she has to say about your... sudden disappearance." Jenna continued to glare at him, and it was evident to her without him having to say anything she was not to express anything about her location and situation. Even if she wanted to, it would prove to be useless anyway. Bane held the phone in front of her once he pressed the green answer button, the device already on speaker, and Mia's tired and angry voice instantly filled the room.
"Jenna Marie! Where are you? It is almost one in the morning!"
Jenna sighed as she closed her eyes while glancing down slightly. "I'm at Rodgers," she lied smoothly in a low, annoyed voice.
"Rodgers?" Her mother repeated loudly, and she heard her father mumble something tiredly in the background. "Why on Earth would you go to Rodgers at this hour?"
"Couldn't sleep," Jenna lied again, not noticing the way Bane raised his eyebrows.
"And what makes you think you're not bothering Rodger's parents by just barging in over there?"
Jenna glanced up the phone, her brows furrowing as her frustration grew. It was always about the parents. Bane, as he watched her, could not help but to grow amused at the way Jenna got angry at her mother accusing her of something she was not even really doing. "We're not," Jenna said. "I have to go."
"Jenna you get back to this house right now," Mia ordered sternly. Bane continued to hold the phone out to her as her mother went off with more commands, and a moment after she had stopped talking, waiting for her daughter's response, he saw that Jenna was through talking with her, and he hung up the phone before dropping it back onto her purse. Jenna kept her arms folded on her lap as she stared sternly at the ground, while Bane kept his eyes on her.
"You are truly hard to understand," Bane began now as he tilted his head to the side slightly, his eyes still planted on her face, and he grinned from under his mask as he shook his head. "You do not bother telling your mother of your whereabouts or your situation, and regardless of that situation, you still let yourself get angered by her. Aren't the circumstances your facing now a little more consuming than getting angry at something that is... pretend? I find it confusing; Barsad, are you confused?" Bane asked now as he turned to glance at Isaac, and he grinned wickedly when Jenna lifted her head to look over at him.
"Indubitably," Isaac responded simply in a cheery tone of voice.
"Indubitably!" Bane repeated loudly as he turned back to Jenna. "In the mere seconds you have left of your life, would you like to explain why that is?" He paused for a moment, his eyes locking with hers, and he found it incredible how brightly the aqua color of them seemed to glow, even in the dim light of the concrete room.
A look of panic instantly overcame Jenna's face, and her jaw dropped at his words. "What?" She asked now. "No. No!" She immediately began to lift herself from her chair, only for Bane to step forward and force her back down with his hands pressing down on her tiny shoulders.
"Oh yes," he answered loudly as he circled around her, never taking his hands off from her shoulders. "I needed you for only one thing. Now that it's complete, Gotham can watch as your parent's world crumbles upon learning of your death. The family who is to save the fate of Gotham will perish, as well their efforts to help rebuild the city. Taking your family out of the equation is the first step, Jenna, as well as it being an enjoyable experience for me." He slid his hands up her neck before he placed them firmly on either side of her head, and her body stiffened as her eyes went wide, though in her mind she couldn't help but to tell herself over and over that he wasn't going to do it. He was lying to her again, just like he had in the car when he mentioned their meetings for the future. He was trying to scare her, and unfortunately, it was working. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?" He asked as he curled his fingers back toward his palm, but he stopped suddenly, his body freezing at the feel of her smooth skin. Jenna had frozen too, a shock running up her spine at the feel of Bane's large fingers running gently against the sides of her face, and her lips parted as her eyes closed tightly when she felt Bane stretch out his fingers again before holding her head in his hands more firmly, and just as she anticipated for him to make his move, she suddenly spoke up.
"Wait!" She gasped, her eyes still clenched shut. "Please, don't kill me," she said now as she opened her eyes, Bane staring down at her with curious eyes of his own, and when Jenna felt his hold on her head loosen ever so slightly, she continued talking without thinking anything that she was saying through. "Go after my family, take what you want, kill my parents, destroy Gotham, I don't care! Just please... don't..." She breathed heavily as her heart raced, and as she swallowed she let her eyes close again.
Bane's eyes narrowed her as he lowered his gaze slightly, and his hands continued to linger on her head. "How fascinating..." Bane began in a tone that sounded incredibly thoughtful, and she opened her eyes to stare at the wall ahead of her, her lips still parted as her heart pounded against her chest. "You would sacrifice your own parents in order selfishly save yourself? What do you think you have to live for?"
Jenna frowned as she lowered her gaze, and she swallowed when she realized she could not answer that question. What did she have to live for? She was a twenty-three year old adult who had not bothered going to college to better herself, and instead stayed under her parents roof and control. Even if Bane decided not to kill her, what would happen then? Where would she go? How severely would her life change if her parents were to be killed?
Unbeknownst to her, Bane was weighing his options heavily as he idly kept his hands planted on her head. Her situation with her parents was slightly confusing, but he knew that they had a firm hold on Jenna due to her dependency on them. But for her to so willingly and openly plead him to kill her parents in order to save herself, was something he had never anticipated for her to say. In his eyes, it almost made it worth it to keep her alive, not because of her fear of dying, but more so because of her determination to live. But something was still holding him back. If he was to keep her alive, then what would he do with her? What was she capable of? Sure she was a pretty acceptable liar, and it appeared as though she knew her way around a simple gun, but would that be good enough or prove usable to him, especially when he already had his own team put together to handle that matters of the sort? It seemed as though she had a good sense of control over herself, for while in the limo with her earlier that day, Bane could easily see the fear that consumed her eyes though she had been excellent at keeping herself calm and appearing angry.
His eyes rolled away from the sight of her bright red hair to stare at the floor, and shocks continued to run up and down Jenna's spine as the sound of his breathing entered her ears. Isaac remained silent as he stayed leaning against the wall, growing a little confused as the situation unfolded, while Bane continued to muse over the idea. He could kill her parents instead. It would stop the large, free cash flow into the city more instantly than waiting for it to happen as they grieved over the loss of their daughter. Sure, this hadn't been his original plan, but suddenly, the idea didn't seem so bad after all...
"If I... spare you," Bane began as he glanced back down at the top of Jenna's head. "Then you are to accompany me to your parents death." Jenna's heart skipped a beat at this before it began to race faster immediately after, and Bane could sense her hesitation. "Is it still... worth it to you under these circumstances?"
The room continued to spin as Jenna thought this over, and finally realization over what she had said began to come to her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she lowered her gaze to stare at the floor, and she felt her throat start to swell up as she tried to picture her parent's death. Sure she hated them, but did she really hate them enough to want –and witness– death upon them? To be honest, the thought was somewhat frightening to her. She had always wanted to move away to get away from them, not kill them so she could stay in the same place.
But she could not shake off the desire to live herself. She had just barely escaped her fate of dying, right there in that chair, though she could not help but to feel like she wasn't completely off the hook yet. Bane would only spare her under one circumstance... but even if she was spared, what would happen after? Sure she'd be alive, but she wondered if she might as well consider herself dead anyway. If she lived, she would be Bane's prisoner, where it was very possible she'd never see the light of day again while she remained trapped down in that basement.
But what was she to do? Was real death better than symbolic death? Perhaps there would still be hope... hope that, if she was to agree to Bane's terms, that she could still find a way out. She was smart, and she had seen how easy it would be to sneak up those stairs and exit out of one of the doors on the main level. She glanced back up to Bane now, discovering that he still kept a firm glare on her, and when her eyes met his, Bane had his answer.
"It's arranged then," he said. "Tomorrow Mr. and Mrs. Silvera will be no more." As Jenna's jaw dropped Bane started toward the door without another word or glance, and after Isaac had exited the room, Bane stepped out, carelessly reaching for the door, and he pulled it closed behind him. Jenna kept her head turned as she stared at the door, and once she heard Bane and Isaac's footsteps fade away in the distance, she finally let out a sigh as she turned her head to face the wall in front of her. Had just a simple look on her face really gave her answer away? Her mind was saying no, but apparently her body language was saying otherwise.
Her legs feeling weak, she finally rose from the chair, only to jump slightly when she heard the door open. Her head snapped over in its direction, but she felt herself calm down some as she watched Isaac step into the room, truthfully glad it was not Bane. He smirked at her as he made his way toward her, Jenna watching his every move as she held her ground by the chair, and finally as Isaac tore his gaze away from her once he approached her, he leaned down to pick up her purse.
"Wait," Jenna spoke out suddenly as he started back for the door, and he paused, turning to look over his shoulder at her. "Can I at least have my cigarettes?"
Isaac grinned again, letting out a short laugh as she shook his head, though he turned around as he reached into the purse to draw out her pack of Camels, and he tossed it at her. "You're either really smart," he started, referring to the fact that she hadn't been instantly jumping at the fact to get on her phone once they left her. "Or incredibly stupid," he added. Jenna glared at him after she had glanced down at the pack she caught in her hands, and her brows furrowed again as Isaac turned to start for the door.
"Wait, I need a lighter," she added. Isaac smirked at her again once he turned around to begin closing the door, and he shrugged carelessly.
"You never asked for that," he responded, and without another word he closed the door. Jenna's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at the closed door, and as she shook her head she threw the pack onto the ground, crossing her arms after she turned away from the door. Fucking asshole, she thought to herself. If there would have been one thing that would have made this situation see just a little bit of light, it would have been a cigarette.
–
Sometime after spending another hour just pacing around the room, thinking over her situation, Jenna had grown incredibly tired, and she couldn't remember when she had finally laid down in the far corner of the room to try and get some sleep. The concrete floor was dirty and cold, but Jenna had paid no attention to this as she laid her head on the ground, facing the wall, and she closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind.
Dreams of Bane and murder haunted her mind, and they caused her to wake up seemingly every five minutes. But much to her dismay, the same dreams always picked up right where they had left off, and when she was suddenly awoken a few hours later, she felt more exhausted then ever before.
She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she was instantly awoken when she heard the door to the small room squeak open. She let out a sigh as she stretched her legs back, her groggy mind not allowing her to process much, and she raised up her head slightly to glance over shoulder. She watched as the silhouette of a man stepped into the room, and just as she figured out it was not Bane or Isaac, the intentions of this man even more unknown, her heart began to race as she forced herself to sit up just as the man closed the door, the room instantly getting doused in pitch black darkness. She dizzily stood up, placing her hand on the wall for support as she listened to the man draw near, but just before she could make sense of what was going on, the man reached out, clutching his fingers tightly around Jenna's arm, and she heard what sounded like a knife being flicked out.
"Rumor is you don't scream," the man said quietly through the dark, his voice scratchy and rough, and Jenna's eyes widened as she tried to free her arm from his grasp. But the man laughed as he clutched it tighter before pulling her closer to him, and she jumped when she felt the tip of his knife touch the middle of her stomach through her shirt. "That's good," he went on. "That means there's nothing stopping me from doing this." Knife still clutched in his hand, he tightened his grip on the handle, and panic instantly hit an all time high in Jenna when she felt him push the knife further into the skin on her stomach. She struggled against him now, twisting her body in awkward angles as she moved against the wall, trying to get out his grasp, and just as she wondered if screaming in this situation would be acceptable, her flailing limps caused the stack of chairs to fall over and crash onto the floor. The man tightened his hold on her and leaned his body against hers, pushing her and holding her against the wall, and just when his knife had slit horizontally through half of her shirt, she brought her knee up to make impact with his groin.
He grunted as he stumbled back, his knife falling to the floor, and right when he took his hands off of her Jenna pushed herself off of the wall, jumped over a fallen chair and ran right toward the door, deciding now was the time take her chances with getting out of there. Her heart continued to race in panic and confusion, but right when she had reached the door it barged open suddenly, and she jumped back, the dim lights up ahead practically blinding as Isaac turned them on, and his eyes fell down to Jenna and her torn shirt before he lifted them to glare at the man that was picking up his knife from the ground. Isaac finally figured out what must have been going on, and he closed the door behind him before he moved past Jenna quickly, his shoulder knocking her out of the way. She turned her body, shocked to see that the man had been making his way toward again, and she flinched, taking a step back when Isaac suddenly grabbed the man's shirt and pushed him against the wall before he took the knife from the man's hand to fold it and put it in his pocket.
"The fuck are you doing?" Isaac began as he tightened his hold on the man's shirt while he struggled to free himself, but once he finally tore his eyes away from Jenna he stopped suddenly and glared at Isaac.
"Man she's supposed to be dead. That was the plan."
"Yeah, and?" Isaac went on, the situation only getting more confusing to Jenna as it went on, and she took another step back, wishing her heart would stop racing. Now would have been the time to run out of that room and take her chances, but Isaac's actions had thrown her completely off guard, and suddenly she had a hard time taking her eyes off of him and the man.
"She's not!" The man spat his response.
"That doesn't matter. It doesn't matter to you, to me, or to the crew. Bane's orders are to be obeyed, regardless of what they are," Isaac replied sternly. "Your belligerence, Zack, has always been your problem, and now if Bane doesn't kill you for this himself, then I will."
"Man why would you do that!?" The man known as Zack now yelled as he tried to free himself again. "You're such a fucking kiss ass, Isaac. You're protecting her! Bane doesn't care!"
"I'm following Bane's orders," Isaac stated. "He wants her alive for now, so she'll stay alive."
Zack continued to glare into Isaac's eyes, and once Isaac took a step back, pulling Zack with him, he pushed him toward the door. Zack took another glance in Jenna's direction before he stormed out of the door, and Isaac noticed the way Jenna flinched once it slammed shut. He kept his gaze focused on her, noticing how her arms were crossed, her knees locked, and her head bowed, and she looked up from the ground as Isaac slowly started over to her.
"Your tough girl act is just that, you know," he said once he approached her, and she watched as he reached into his shirt pocket to draw out a small black lighter. "An act." He tossed the lighter at her, and she caught it in both of her hands, glancing at it before she looked back up to him. "Acting tough around here won't save your life, but being tough will."
Jenna narrowed her eyes on him. "I'm not 'acting' tough. I'm stuck in this stupid room without any sort of protection," she argued. "That fucker just randomly came in here! What was I-"
"You make use of what you have," Isaac replied, reaching into his pocket again, and Jenna grew shocked when he tossed her the knife the man had been using. "I can't guarantee that won't happen again, and it's not my job to protect you. Your presence here is angering everyone, and apparently the anger is strong enough to make them want to disobey Bane's orders. And they might... again. They'll die for it, but I guess they still just don't understand how it works around here. I have more important things to do than guard the door, so use that as you see fit. You may not be tough, but I can image you have enough common sense to know when it's appropriate to use."
He turned away from her finally and started toward the door, and as Jenna glanced down to the lighter and knife in her hands she grew even more confused than ever. "Why are you doing this?" She asked finally right when he opened the door. But his only reply to this was a small grin that appeared on his face, and without a word he closed the door behind him. Jenna stared at the door for a minute before she tucked the knife in her pocket, and she stepped over to her cigarette pack on the floor to hungrily pick it up and light one up. As she exhaled, she slid down the wall in the same corner she had been sleeping in as she mused over Isaac's words. Acting tough around here won't save your life, but being tough will. Why would he say that to her? It was apparent he was all about following Bane's orders, but regardless of what he had said to her, in a way he was protecting her. Why else would he give her that knife? Sure Bane's orders would have been disobeyed if she was to be killed, but the situation would not be his fault, and he'd get to live.
Jenna's life had always been annoying, but never so backwards and confusing. Was tonight a taste of what was to come? A constant battle every minute of her life as she struggled to hold on to it? She shook her head as she took another long drag of her cigarette. Was her life actually worth battling for like that?
Perhaps it would not be as terrible as she was thinking. It was evident to her that Bane wanted her family wiped out, but the only source of power from them came from her parents. Jenna didn't participate in anything they were passionate about. Therefore, it made sense that he would let her go, right? He'd leave her at home to deal with her loss, and he'd laugh at her as she came to terms with suddenly having nothing. That's fine, Jenna told herself. It would, after all, be better than having to fend for herself here.
She was still unaware of what time it was, or when she would have to wake again to be forced into witnessing her parent's death over her words to save herself, and whether they had been foolish and regrettable words or not, she still felt her stomach clench and twist at the thought. She ran her hand over the knife Isaac had bestowed to her in her pocket, and she swallowed, wishing that the day and night's events could have turned out differently.
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