Nearly forty-five minutes had passed by the time Jenna was slowly leaning away from the tub to gently toss her drenched hair behind her. Ignoring the water that was dripping down her back and onto the floor, she quickly turned the shower off before she turned to grab her towel. She unfolded it and tried her hardest to wrap her hair in it one-handed, and after a few minutes had gone by of constant attempts, once she succeeded she slowly leaned back up to glance at herself in the mirror over the sink. Once she had, however, she immediately wished she hadn't.
Her eyelids were swollen and red, the whites of her eyes bloodshot, and the tiny, red, crack-like lines masked the usual stunning aqua-blue color they usually carried. Black make-up was smeared all around her eyes, and the make-up that had been carried down by her tears had dried, and now stained faint, black lines down her cheeks. Her lips were puffy and in the shape of a permanent frown, and as she licked them she could feel how disgustingly chapped they were. She shook her head after another moment had gone by, and she reached up her left hand to slowly pull the towel from her head, figuring her hair was through with dripping. Due to having to awkwardly bend over the tub, her hair was a voluminous, tangled mess, littered with knots she knew she'd never be able to get out if she didn't take hours to commit. After she wiped away the make-up on her cheeks, she placed the towel in between her knees and reached her hand up again to try her best to smooth down her hair, but once she was done, strands still tangled amongst themselves and stuck out in other places.
She sighed as she shook her head again. She had never witnessed herself to look like the definition of a complete, literal mess. She bent down slowly to pick up her shirt and bra from the floor, and after she had managed to get her bra on, she took a few moments more to put her shirt on. Once she had finished, she picked up the white arm sling and towel, only to pause when she realized she wasn't entirely sure how to go about putting the sling on. I have to go out there, anyway, she thought. I might as well just ask him to help me.
When she slowly eased open the bathroom door, she saw Isaac to be laying on his bed, his eyes focused on his small TV mounted onto a stand on the wall just near the bathroom door, and she snapped off the light as she stepped out. "Isaac?" She asked, and once his eyes lazily rolled over to hers, she went on. "Do you think you could help me put this on?" She lifted up the sling in her left hand. Without a word, Isaac rose from his bed and stepped over to her, and Jenna couldn't help but to swallow as he took the sling from her.
"How'd that go?" Isaac asked, referring to the shower, and he took the towel from Jenna before letting it fall gently to the floor.
"Horrible," Jenna replied sourly. "I-I mean... it was just difficult."
"I can see that," Isaac replied with a grin, and when Jenna glanced at him she watched his eyes drop from her hair down to her arm.
"Why'd you ask then?" She shot back in somewhat of a rude tone. She instantly held her breath, but when Isaac continued to grin she released it.
"I wanted to see how'd you answer."
Jenna rolled her eyes. "Did I pass the test?" She mumbled as she looked away.
"Eh. I'd give you a C. You were on the path to fail, but then you corrected it. C," he repeated. Jenna rolled her eyes again, but she couldn't help but to grin. "Wanna go smoke?" He asked her now as he took a step back. Jenna nodded. "Alright, I'll meet you outside."
It was at the tip of her tongue to ask him if Bane would be out there, but not only was Isaac already turning to leave the room, but Jenna figured this would be a childish thing to ask. She couldn't stand it, whenever she had the 'child discussion' with people, she found herself constantly questioning her actions. She began to follow him to the door. Better be careful, she sneered in her head. I could be walking like a child right now. I'd better watch how I go down the ladder...
By the time Jenna had reached the main level of the warehouse, she found herself in a very sour mood. She knew she was being ridiculous with her thoughts of sarcastically wondering about her childish actions, but she couldn't help it. Isaac was already heading outside, but Jenna abandoned him for a moment to head to the basement so she could retrieve her cigarettes and coat, hoping in the back of her mind she would not run into Bane. When she stepped into her room, her eyes instantly fell on Bane's jacket lying in the middle of the floor, and as her heart skipped several beats, she wondered how it was even possible that she hadn't noticed it before. She stared at it for a long minute before she finally went around it to grab her cigarettes, lighter and coat from the floor near her re-positioned cot. After she managed to get her left arm through the sleeve of the coat and rest other side lamely on her shoulder, she stuffed her cigarette box and lighter into her pocket before she headed over to the coat. With a small surge of rage, she picked up the heavy material and headed out of her room, and once she closed her door she let the coat fall carelessly to the floor in front of it before she began upstairs.
It was windy outside, and she instantly began to shiver once she stepped outside of the exit door. Using her left hand, she held the coat closed in the front of her body, and just as she began to dread smoking in the wind, she saw that the garage door was open with the lights dimly shining on the ceiling. Figuring Isaac had gone in there, she began to head toward the garage, and once she reached it, she glanced to the left and over the Challenger, where she found Isaac sitting on a chair in a more open part of the warehouse, near an old desk. Jenna immediately began around the car and toward him, surprised with the rather warm temperature inside the garage, but once she began to sit down in the chair Isaac had set up a few feet in front of him, Jenna noticed the large space heater to her right. She drew out her last cigarette from her pack and placed it between her lips, and after striking the lighter a few times with her left thumb, once she had finally managed to keep it lit, she touched the flame to the end of her cigarette. She leaned back comfortably as she exhaled, her eyes rising to the ceiling to watch the smoke dissipate into the air before she lowered them to stare at Isaac's untied boots.
Isaac remained still in his chair, rolling his cigarette back and forth slowly between his thumb and index finger, his eyes focused sleepily on the area of concrete floor in between him and Jenna. The dim lights above cast a deep orange color onto him, along with deep black shadows. The silence was starting to take a toll on Jenna, and she raised her eyes up to Isaac to see what he was doing. As she stared at him, she wondered what he was thinking about, but after another moment of staring at him, she glanced away to take another long and much needed drag from her cigarette. Finally, Isaac blinked, and as he leaned back in his chair he took a quick drag from his cigarette before opening his mouth to talk.
"So," he began. "I wanna talk to you about something."
Jenna slowly looked back to him, and she watched him blow a thin stream of smoke from his mouth before she raised her eyes to his, but by the time she looked at them, his eyes were focused downward again. "About what?" She asked, clearing her throat when she realized how hoarse she had sounded.
"About... us," Isaac replied truthfully. "I don't necessarily take back what I said to you before, about how a friendship can't work out, and how it's pointless. But..." He paused to take another drag from his cigarette, and he couldn't help but to grin slightly before it faded away. "It's becoming harder to avoid it."
Jenna had no desires to be rude, or say or do anything that would only push Isaac away, but she could not help the statement that came out of her mouth. "Let me guess, fate, right?" She smiled when Isaac glanced up to her, her way of showing him she meant that with the best of intentions, and that she remembered what they had talked about hours ago in his room. Isaac understood her smile and he had picked up on her friendly tone, and Jenna watched as his grin stretched over his lips again.
"Yeah," he replied, taking another drag, and Jenna repeated his actions. "There's some sort of pull between us, I can't deny that, but logically, there's just no way."
"So abandon your logic," Jenna argued gently as she leaned forward slightly. "You told me upstairs how you were the guy who felt things differently, Isaac. Felt, not thought. What do you think friendship is? It's feelings."
"I know," Isaac replied. "And that's what I can't get away from. I want to help you, Jenna, but difficulty never fails to follow it."
"Like what?" Jenna replied, trying to hide the offense in her voice.
"Like how I help you with something once before it seems like you need help with everything. But besides that," he quickly went on, "like I said before, around here there's just no time for it."
"There is," Jenna replied. "Isaac look, you're the only one who's ever attempted to help or talk to me like this. I'm sorry if I take advantage of it, it's just... like I said, it's hard being here. It's hard realizing when I'm being... stupid."
Isaac smirked. "That's a problem then. How can you even begin to change when you don't realize when the problems occur?"
Jenna sighed as she sat back. "I know I have to learn, or whatever. But seriously, please, can't you just keep... being nice to me?" Isaac was staring at her, making Jenna feel as though she had to go on, and as she ashed her cigarette, she did. "Honestly I could give a rat's ass about friendship. The only real friend I had ever known in my entire life was Rodger, and now I've... managed to fuck that up..." Her mind wandered away to Bane, and the terrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach made her feel as though something terrible was going to happen to Rodger now, due to her lie. She swallowed back the lump in her throat before going on. "I realize these circumstances are different, and I'm not saying you're better than Rodger or he's better than you, but nobody's been there for me like this, to help me in the toughest situations I've ever been in." She paused again, feeling ridiculous, and when Isaac remained quiet Jenna slumped down into her chair even more as she glanced away. "It doesn't matter," Jenna began, wanting to forget all that she had just said. "I remember what you said before about all this, about ending this friendship. I'll be fine by myself, I guess."
Isaac grinned again. "You have no confidence in what you say. Is all that true, or what?"
"It's true," Jenna replied in a small voice, ignoring his criticism.
"Then that's all you need to say, just leave it there. You didn't even give me time to answer back yet. Jenna I want to be your friend, but I want... need... to be friends with the person you need start being around here. If you continue this way, you'll die, and what good would any of this have been?" He continued to stare at Jenna, and when she didn't look at him, he decided now was the time to go on. "So listen, let's just... stay apart, not move too fast. If you need legitimate help, I'll help you, but in turn you gotta start improving. I mean it."
Jenna finally glanced back at him. "So, we're only friends when I need help, or when you see that I'm 'improving myself'?"
Isaac frowned. "No, you misunderstood me, Jenna," he said, the beginning hints of irritability in her voice unmissable. "Think of this way," he started again. "Would you want to be friends with someone who could only bring you down? Refuse to change their ways or be a constant drag on you? Would you want to help somebody who takes advantage of it?"
Jenna was staring at the floor. She was beginning to understand what he meant, but the words still sounded mean. "No," she mumbled. "I guess not."
"Exactly." Judging by her tones and body language, Isaac knew Jenna was just saying this in an attempt to keep her chances of friendship alive. She'll figure it out, he thought.
With no desire to continue on, Isaac slouched down comfortably in his seat as he took a final drag from his cigarette before letting it fall to the ground to burn out on the cold concrete. Jenna listened to him exhale, the sound reminding her of the cigarette she held in between her fingers, and as she lifted it up to take a hit, she suddenly remembered having heard some sort of accent attached to certain words that Isaac had spoken up in his room. Jenna knew this was off topic, and probably not important, but being so fed up already with what Isaac had said to her, Jenna decided focusing on something lighter would prove beneficial.
"So," she began, glancing up at him again, and as soon as she had his eyes slowly wandered up and over to hers. "When we were in you room, talking... I thought I heard some sort of... accent?" She paused, wondering suddenly if the question would upset him in anyway. Jenna thought that was silly, though another part of her told her maybe that question could prove to offend him in someway. She grew not only confused, but slightly relieved when Isaac grinned, letting out a chuckle as he bowed his head. Oh God, Jenna thought to herself, feeling her face reddening. Had she even heard an accent in the first place? Why was he laughing?
"Yeah," Isaac began now as his laughter died down. "You did."
Jenna's eyebrows furrowed. "But, what was-"
"Russia," Isaac went on now. "I was born in Russia."
Jenna froze, a tiny smirk appearing on her lips due to the way Isaac had said 'Russia'. It was clear to her now that Isaac fought to cover up his accent, hence the reason why some of the accent had slipped out on particular words when he was yelling at her, due to being unable to control the sound of his words.
"Why hide it?" She asked him now.
Isaac shrugged. "Habit," he replied. "For a lot of reasons."
And that was the end of the conversation. The two had grown quiet, and while Jenna wanted to know why he hid his natural accent, she knew she should just be appreciative he had fessed up to it. But questions had not stopped forming in her mind: did he hide it due to leaving the military, to better disguise himself? Did Bane know about it?
Ugh, Jenna thought to herself sourly as she let her cigarette fall to the ground. Thoughts of him always came at the entirely wrong moments. Just when she and Isaac had achieved a more lighthearted conversation, and just when Jenna had begun to enjoy the comforting silence, Bane came bursting into her mind to shatter away any and all good that Jenna was starting to feel. But as if Isaac knew what Jenna had begun to think about, he leaned out of his chair, and Jenna watched as he stood up.
"It's nearly three in the morning," he stated as he stretched his arms. "I'm gonna head inside."
"Yeah, okay," Jenna replied as she stood up, surprised with the time, for it didn't feel like three in the morning to her. As soon as Isaac started out of the garage, Jenna followed him, and once they were outside of it she glanced over her shoulder when Isaac stopped near the entrance. Continuing on her path toward the exit door, she watched him lower the garage door, and just as soon as Isaac had finished and took a few steps away, Jenna was already heading up the steps. She glanced back at Isaac as she opened the door, and deciding that he was too far away to wait for, she stepped inside, and let the door close behind her.
Her ears immediately picked up a faint dripping noise down in the quiet surroundings of the basement once she approached the steps, and she stopped at the top of them, staring down into the darkness as she listened to the noise. The sound of water droplets splashing against the concrete floor in three second intervals sounded somewhat familiar to her, and as she stared into the pitch black darkness, the bottoms of the stairs fading until the entirety of the floor was engulfed in black, she let out a prolonged breath, her lips parting as she did so. An odd sort of feeling had crept up on her, making her feel not only nervous and sad, but as her breathing started to escape in shortened spurts, she felt herself getting more and more angry, as well. But the anger she was feeling right now was not just directed toward Bane, but toward herself, and the entirety of her situation. She knew now why the noise was so familiar; it was the noise she had first heard before being forced down into the basement upon her arrival here. Just hearing the water drip was bringing back memories on how she had felt at that time, and now she was experiencing them again.
She shuddered as she finally started to descend the stairs. Her mind instantly brought her back to the day she had been kidnapped. She remembered how nice Isaac was being to her, but she recalled the sinking feeling her stomach as her body told her something was off about him. She remembered leaving Rodger's, after helping him find his snake, and she recalled how Isaac had been waiting for her outside of the limo, his eyes knowing and dark, his demeanor completely different. She had been cautious, but still so stupid. Her fingers twitched as she recalled Isaac's hands on her as he struggled to force her into the back of the limo, just when she was ready to flee, and she remembered the feeling in her legs as she pushed her feet against the frame of the door, struggling against him, so determined to stay out of the car. Her frown deepened when she remembered the man inside who had finally grabbed her legs and pulled her inside, and she thought back to when she had first laid her eyes on Bane, sitting across from her...
Just when she had rounded the corner of the stairs to start to her room, her heart plummeted to her stomach as her body gave a violent jump when her eyes discovered Bane's large frame standing outside of his door, facing her. Jenna figured he must have just stepped out of his room, for the light from inside was now flooding out into the rest of the basement, and illuminating parts of his body and face, leaving the rest in shadow. Her heart had not stopped racing, and because of her thoughts, she found herself feeling the way she had when she first saw him. Goosebumps iced over her exposed skin as her heart began to race, and her lips parted in what could only be described as shock as her eyes wandered over him. Suddenly, Bane was unpredictable again, and like the time she had been captive in the limo with him, she found herself dreading his next move.
The light reflected off the shiny valves on his mask, and his eyes seemed to glow through the darkness. The outward curves of his muscles were shown in the light, while the dips and creases were shadowed, making him appear even more muscular and monstrous. Jenna swallowed as she slowly continued to her room, holding Bane's eye contact, but as those feelings of remembrance faded away, hot anger came back to her once she noticed her cast and sling from the corner of her eye. Bane had seen this change in her face; her features had gone from shocked, maybe even a little frightened, to furious. Her frown deepened, her eyes narrowed, and her eyebrows arched angrily, causing wrinkles to appear in the middle of them. Bane did not care. Suddenly, he enjoyed the hostility directed at him. Jenna found herself unable to take her eyes away from him, but a stronger fire burned inside of her when she noticed wrinkles appear in the corner of his eye, on the side that was illuminated by the light. Bane's smiling?! Jenna cursed to herself. Why was he smiling? Her lips parted in slight disbelief, and at that moment she watched Bane's eyes drop down to her cast before they slowly wandered upward, and she could have sworn the wrinkles at the sides of his eyes deepened.
Her heart raced faster in furious anger, and finally she forced herself to tear her eyes away from his just when she approached her door. She turned the handle violently and stepped inside quickly before slamming her door shut behind her, the noise echoing throughout the basement.
All the while, Bane's mind had been running wild, encouraging him to go hurt her. But he rationalized them, reminding himself there was no need right now to randomly strike at her. Just witnessing her wallow in this saddened and angry misery was plenty for him right now, and surprisingly fulfilling. When his eyes had dropped to her cast, he was partly filled with intense delight, but another part of him was a little upset over how well her broken arm had been dealt with, and fixed. At the time, he had wanted this. At the time, he found himself almost regretting it. But now? Oh, how he enjoyed it. He recalled how easily her bones had snapped, and he remembered being able to feel it as it happened. It felt no different than snapping a thin, little twig. Now, he found himself wishing that he hadn't told Barsad to help her. He would have had more satisfaction in watching Jenna struggle to help herself, and only hurting her arm more as she attempted to keep it still on her own, without the aid of a sling. Her arm would have taken twice the amount of time to heal, if it even ever would, and the limb would be permanently snapped back the wrong way. Bane smiled again.
It had been far too long since Bane had witnessed Jenna this way. As of late, the fight and determination she once carried had faded into a facade' of childish antics and attitudes. The last time he had seen Jenna this angry, and this determined to stay away from him and her situation had been the night he had taken her. After that, he allowed his emotions to get the best of him, and because of this, he had been generously excusing Jenna's behavior. He had spared her because of her fight and determination to live. He had wrongly thought Jenna would continue to stay the same, but because of his kind actions proving to Jenna that he would not kill her, her fighting spirit had vanished, and been replaced with snooty acts of comfort. He had allowed Jenna to have some control over him. Never again, he promised himself. Those days were gone.
The desire to kill her was still far gone, and while this upset him already, he grew more upset when he realized suddenly that by returning to his prior ways with her, he would only be strengthening her, and helping her to avoid death all over again. He felt dizzy suddenly due to this thought. Jenna had only been that way when he was rising above her, and not allowing her to do anything. Once he had given in, he gave Jenna some sort of power over him, and in turn had allowed her to act like a needy child. So what did he do now?
Kill her, his mind said. Crush her arm again, break her other arm –snap her legs and shatter her ribs– make her suffer, then kill her slowly...
Kill her quickly, another optioned rendered. There's no point to keep living this way. Rid yourself of her, and forget about it.
Just leave her be. This thought was, unfortunately, the strongest, and the most desirable to follow. His eyes wandered over to her door, and his gray orbs stared at the darkened and scratched wood. He knew what the next part of this thought would entail, and he did everything in his power to avoid it as he finally tore his eyes from her door to start toward the stairs. Unfortunately, the thought powered though: You kept her alive for a reason. Allow that reason to come back to her. Give her a chance. You've supplied her with the opportunity to finally change, and learn, once and for all, what is not tolerated. The old Jenna is still in the current spoiled brat somewhere. Give it time...
–
Jenna's night had been restless, and when she awoke sometime the following morning, she felt as though she hadn't gotten a hint of sleep. Upon waking, she painfully discovered that sometime during the night she had rolled onto her right arm, and in turn her body had been crushing the limb against the cot. As she slowly moved to get her body off of it, she cringed, and held herself back from screaming out a grocery list of profanities. Her upper arm was throbbing, and her forearm gave out strong, painful spurts that shot throughout her entire body. Frowning, Jenna pushed the blanket off of herself and placed her cold feet on the even colder ground, her eyes closed tightly as she waited for the pain to subdue. After a moment or so of sitting there, the pain began to secede more and more, but an immense uncomfortable feeling never left her.
Once she stood, she struggled through putting on a fresh pair of cargo pants and her boots, and deciding that her current white tank top was still fine to wear, after she remembered she had no more cigarettes left, she grabbed her lighter and coat before she cautiously ventured to her door. A few men were littered around in the basement, soft murmurs emitted from some as they discussed something while others stood around. Jenna ignored them as she started toward the stairs, placing her left arm into the sleeve of her coat and letting the right side hang on her shoulder.
Outside, the sun was glaringly bright, but the air was freezing. Large, thick puffs of condensation escaped her mouth as she exhaled, and while she hated this, she ignored it as she started over toward the garage while taking out her lighter.
Her eyes found Isaac stepping outside of the garage, and she watched him give inaudible orders to somebody as he pointed back toward one of the large, square-shaped vehicles. She watched as a few men exited from the garage to jog over toward the vehicles before she set her sights on Isaac again, who had stopped by the building to wait for Bane to join him outside, but once he caught sight of Jenna approaching him, he turned to face her once she had reached him.
"Can I get a cigarette?" Jenna asked him nicely. "I'm out."
Isaac didn't reply as he pulled out his pack, and he handed it to her. Upon opening it, Jenna saw there were a few cigarettes left, and after she plucked one out, she figured Isaac had intended for her to keep the pack, and she tucked it away into her pocket.
"So, I ended up sleeping on my arm last night," she began after she had lit up, Isaac glancing down at her again before he could step away, his eyes squinted due to the sun. "Is that... okay?"
"Probably not," he replied. "Let me see."
Jenna immediately shrugged off the right side of her coat and turned her body toward him, and Isaac placed his hands on her upper arm and the bottom half of her wrist, just above her palm. He gently tugged her closer, Jenna complying with him immediately, and she glanced down to him to watch him study her arm. He looked up to her upper arm, and when he squeezed his fingers around it, he glanced up to Jenna.
"Does that hurt?"
Jenna shook her head. "No."
Isaac moved his hand lower, and squeezed down on the area just above her elbow. "That?"
Jenna shook her head.
"You're fine then," he replied. "But you can't be doing that. You need to keep any and all pressure off of this arm."
"I know," Jenna replied. "It was an accident. Thank you."
Bane had been watching and listening to the entirety of their conversation, and before Isaac could reply, Bane stepped out of the garage and slowly approached them. Seeing his movement from the corner of her eye, Jenna instantly glanced over to him as he stepped up to them, and she couldn't help but to swallow when she noticed he was wearing the coat she had gotten him. His wide and intense eyes were glued onto her, and Jenna found herself glancing away due to the weight in his glare.
"Go inside," Bane spoke evenly to her, and Jenna couldn't help but to glance up at him. Isaac watched her eyes flicker to the cigarette in her hand then back to Bane, and as soon as she opened her mouth to complain about her cigarette, no doubt, Isaac subtly shook his head at her when her eyes darted over to him. Jenna had caught this, Isaac's look stern as he told her not to speak, and Jenna knew this to mean she must, in turn, comply with Bane's orders. She closed her mouth abruptly, and after she glanced back at Bane, she turned to start toward the exit door. She held onto her cigarette, however, and she took a long, angry drag as she walked. Bane kept his eyes focused on her, waiting to see when she would extinguish her cigarette. Just when he felt himself ready to follow her when she stopped on top of the stairs to take another drag, he watched as she furiously tossed it over the edge before pulling open the exit door to stomp inside. He couldn't help but to roll his eyes before turning to Isaac.
"I failed to mention this before, but I will say it now: do not help her." Bane's words were stern, and as Isaac looked up to him he immediately began to nod, able to detect the seriousness in his tone. It was clear to him that Bane was struggling to hold himself back from expressing his true annoyance, and Isaac quickly spoke up.
"Yes, sir," he replied just as stern. "Sorry," he added in a mumble.
"Do not be sorry, you didn't know. But starting now, cease your helpful ways. Let her fend for herself. You've done too much already."
Isaac nodded again. "Yes, sir," he added, just to clarify that he understood Bane's orders.
"Finish rounding up the men and get everyone to the fire station. Karly should be finished any minute now."
Bane started to walk away from him to start over toward the exit door, and without missing a beat Isaac was already turning around and shouting more orders to those still in the garage.
After heading inside, Jenna had gone into the bathroom, and now that she was done, she stormed out of the room and started toward the stairs, but as soon as she reached the bottom of them, her eyes instantly found Bane standing near the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her. She ignored him, forcing her eyes away, and she immediately began toward her room.
"You are to stay in your room," Bane spoke loudly to her, his footsteps loud as he slowly walked over to her. A cold shock ran through Jenna just before she could enter her room, and she found herself turning around to face him just when he stopped a few feet away. "You may leave only when I give you permission."
Jenna couldn't help but to drop her jaw. "Are you serious?" These were her first words to him since the incident. "Why?"
"I do not need to explain myself to you," Bane went on. "Do as you're told, or suffer the consequences."
Jenna closed her lips tightly as she sucked in a sharp breath. "Consequences?" She repeated harshly. "Aren't I already suffering through bullshit conseque-"
Before she could finish, Bane had taken a large step toward her, and he cut Jenna off when he grabbed her neck and slammed her against the wall to the left of her door. Jenna gasped and had started to scream as she raised her left hand to dig her nails into his wrist, but instead a mess of faint gurgles escaped from her parted mouth as she was forced to stare into Bane's eyes.
"Do not speak to me that way," Bane scolded in a growl that caused Jenna's stomach to drop. "You betrayed my trust, which is why you are suffering these repercussions." Jenna gasped when Bane tapped his fingers against her cast, pain rupturing from her arm and flowing throughout her body. "Do not assume for a moment that you can no longer get in any more trouble. You've betrayed me once; do it again and I swear it will be the death of you, do you understand?" His tone was low, firm, serious, and primarily controlled, but Jenna picked up on the slight shaking his voice gave off as he spoke, and she knew he was struggling to control himself.
Bane kept his eyes firmly and intently focused on hers, and he did not look away or move a muscle until Jenna struggled to answer him. She attempted to speak her answer verbally, but when this failed, and more choking noises erupted from her throat, she settled on nodding her head as best she could.
"Good," Bane answered. "Do not let me see you out here." He pressed his hand against her throat and crushed her neck into the wall even more as he literally pushed his body away from hers, and once his hand had slid from her neck, Jenna's left hand instantly wrapped around it as she struggled to catch her breath, coughing and gasping all the while, the noise pathetic to Bane's ears. Her head was pounding and the room was spinning, and when she glanced over at him, his glare even stronger, if possible, she quickly scrambled to enter her room. Once she stepped inside, she immediately closed her door with her foot, and as soon as she had she turned to place her back against it. She allowed herself to slide down the wood until she was sitting on the floor, her knees bent and brought up to her chest, and she let out a final cough and finally removed her hand from her neck.
Jenna couldn't remember the last time he had spoken to her like that. His words rough, cold, and heartless, and she could feel how he held himself back when he was squeezing her neck. Their first encounter in the limo, the time before, during and after he was ready to snap her neck in that very room, the death of her parents, his orders to check up on Karly – his tone had never been like that. Ever. Truth be told, it was terrifying, and while Jenna felt her body trembling, she found herself growing more and more upset and mad. Why was Bane so offended by a lie? Why was he so unpleasant, and why was he forcing her to stay in her room? She could only leave when he gave her permission? What if she had to exit?
These were questions she'd never obtain answers to, and these were questions that sounded more and more ridiculous to her the more she thought about them. He had already broken her arm, he had already shown her that their previous feelings had been terminated; why punish her more? If he really didn't want to see her, why not just be rid of her?
Despite the circumstances, Jenna didn't want to die, but she didn't want to be held captive in her room. It was pointless, it was stupid, and it was unfair. Fuck him, she thought to herself. Fuck you, she thought of him specifically. How had she ever been attracted to him? Why had she allowed those feelings to consume her, and why had she let herself accept them, and live with them? She had allowed herself to engage in the most intimate act with him –more times than she was willing to admit– and now she felt physically sick with disgust for herself. Unable to help it, she reached up and slammed her fist against the door. FUCK YOU!
The weight of the moment was crashing down on her and beginning to take its toll, but despite the desire, Jenna would not let herself cry. She was through shedding any more tears for him. He was not worth it any longer, and Jenna hated knowing that at one point he had been worth it. She had not been the only one to lie; Bane had been lying to her that entire time, about the supposed feelings he had for her, as well. Bane was a bigger liar than anyone else at the warehouse. Do you realize that? YOU'RE the fucking liar.
Her left fist starting to throb now, she relaxed it and her arm on her lap as she tilted her head back to rest against the door, her breathing loud and heavy as her chest heaved up and down. She closed her eyes, struggling to find a better place to go to, and once she got there, she allowed the thoughts and mind-rendered images to take her away from her reality.
–
She was at her prime. She was indestructible. She had left her parents behind, and she wasn't planning on returning home anytime soon. She had just told off a couple of tipsy girls –a half screaming match where she had kept her cool, and not risen her voice once– and now that they were gone, and now she had made herself known as somebody not to bother, Jenna's night was looking to get better and better, especially now that Rodger was approaching her with a red solo cup filled half way with some sort of cheap beer.
"Keystone is so disgusting," Rodger complained, though regardless of his preference, he titled his cup to his lips to take a giant sip of it. Jenna watched him cringe, but all she could do was smile widely and loosely as she brushed her long, red hair behind her ear with her right hand.
"Beer is beer," she commented, and she took a satisfying sip of from her own cup. This wasn't what she would have liked to say; at this point, Jenna found herself wanting to start appreciating cheaper material items and products. At her house, her new house, it was always the most expensive champagne in the fanciest, crystal champagne flutes. Part of the reason why Jenna enjoyed these parties so much was due to the simplicity: disposable solo cups, cheap beer, real laughter... no fancy clothes, no important people, and no parents.
Around her, the party had reached its peak, with a high attendance of people, loud music, the liveliness of being awake just as the clock struck midnight, and the knowledge that this night was far from over. As Jenna stood next to Rodger, she stared out into the mass of dancing and mingling people, her head nodding slowly the drum beat of the song, her hips begging to swing to the beat, but she stood her ground, just happy to be with her newest and only friend in Gotham, miles and miles away from her house. Rodger had finished his beer, and he stood silently next to Jenna as he, too, stared out into the crowd.
"Do you want to dance?" Rodger asked her a moment later, turning his head to glance up at her through his glasses. Jenna smiled before she glanced down at him.
"Nah," she replied casually, unable to help but to smile at Rodger's question. It was apparent to her that he liked her, his feelings begging to go beyond friendship, but Jenna didn't really know what to think of it, or him in that sense. "I think I'm gonna go smoke, you want to come?" She offered instead, feeling dizzy as she turned her head to quickly to look at him. Rodger smiled, just happy to be included in the plans.
He didn't need to reply, and instead he followed Jenna through the mass of people. Oddly enough, she knew what would happen when she and Rodger got outside: she would smoke her refreshing cigarette, and end up having a pretty deep heart-to-heart with Rodger, the topics ranging from her childhood to her parents, and everything in between. She clutched tightly onto her cup as she raised it above her to head to avoid her hand getting knocked, and she dipped and twisted her way around the people, her eyes flickering over all the unfamiliar faces. Her feet slid easily across the wooden floor, the front door just ahead, and her eyes wandered over the people: a blonde boy with baby-like features, a redheaded girl with thin lips and green eyes, a guy with spiked hair and a wide smile, a brunette man with messy hair, blue eyes, and short stubble...
She felt her heart sink suddenly as she stared at the man, who was staring at her as he walked past to disappear into the weave of people. She began to feel incredibly hot, and as soon as the man disappeared her vision went blurry and stayed that way for a hot second before it returned to normal, and as soon as it had, the man was gone, and she was suddenly at the front door.
Odd, she thought to herself as she opened the door to step outside into the warm, Summer night air, Rodger at her heels. That man had seemed so familiar...
Jenna shrugged the issue off as she brought the lighter in her left hand to the cigarette that was suddenly in between her lips. Weird, she thought. When had she taken out her pack or the cigarette? Figuring she was more tipsy than she had assumed, she struggled to light her cigarette, the flame refusing to catch, and she wondered vaguely why she didn't just switch hands. But her right arm remained motionless at her side, and after a moment or so of struggling, she finally lit her cigarette, and took a large drag before lowering it.
"Are you having fun?" Rodger asked as he stood next to her. Jenna took another drag, this time the cigarette smoke burning her throat slightly.
"Hell yeah," Jenna replied. "I always have fun at these parties, Rodger. I'm glad you know these people. I'd go crazy staying at my place all the time with..."
She trailed off when she heard a twig snap somewhere in the thick forest that surrounded her, and it sounded as if there was some sort of creek or river flowing somewhere within the darkness. She paused, feeling dizzy as she stared into the trees, the tops illuminated by the bright, full moon, which in turn cast down eerie shadows onto the ground. Funny, since when is this house located in the middle of the forest?
"...don't really seem to notice anything else, huh?" Rodger's voice interrupted Jenna's thoughts, and she quickly turned to him.
"What?" She asked as she took another drag, and she furrowed her eyebrows as she inhaled, the smoke seeming to burn her throat even more.
"Your parents," Rodger was going on. "They don't seem to notice anything else but the life of fame and fortune, huh?"
"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Jenna replied as she rolled her eyes while glancing away into the woods. "It's disgusting. I hate them."
"No you don't," Rodger disagreed lightly. "They might make you angry, but they're your parents, Jenna. You'd be real upset if anything was to ever... happen to them."
Jenna's head snapped back over to Rodger. That tone, the way he spoke those words, slowly, with some emphasis on the word that only he knew the true meaning behind. A lump had risen in Jenna's throat, but as she stared at Rodger, she saw nothing but large glasses, blond, curly hair, and his concerned facial expression.
"Are you okay?" He wondered now.
"Yeah." Jenna forced a smile as she tried to shake off whatever odd feeling she was currently experiencing at the moment. Something about that tone and the words seemed so familiar, but Jenna figured it was just the beer talking. Struggling to find the strength to enjoy herself again, she took another drag, and she cringed as the smoke burnt her throat.
"Why do you smoke?" Rodger asked her now after he had witnessed her pained expression.
"I like it," Jenna replied, her tone coming out more sour than she had meant.
"Aren't you scared of, you know, like lung cancer or something?"
Jenna shrugged. "No," she replied. "I like smoking, I don't want to quit right now. I try not to think about that stuff, so I don't fear the shit that could happen, you know?"
"I can assure you, you have much to fear," Rodger replied slowly, darkly, his tone and words catching Jenna's attention. She glanced at him with nervous eyes, but again all she saw was just Rodger. Those words sounded so familiar, like she had heard them before...
"What?" She wondered slowly.
"I said you should fear it. If you don't quit, it could happen to you."
Jenna was staring at him. "Oh..." she replied. "Right."
"Oh, shit!" Rodger suddenly expressed as he patted his hands over his pockets, and Jenna arched an eyebrow. Again, she knew what would happen. She would go with Rodger to her limo, and it was in the limo she would end up kissing him, only to immediately regret it, and later have to gently explain to Rodger that it had been a mistake. She knew this would happen, though at the same time she had to wonder why their conversation just now hadn't gone the way she had remembered it...
"I think I left my cell phone in the limo," Rodger was going on now.
"So?" Jenna wondered.
"So, I forgot to call my parents," Rodger replied as he started down the steps and driveway. Jenna was following him, and she threw her cigarette away.
"So what?" She called after him.
"I told them I'd call and check in," Rodger was replying. Jenna was still following him, and she couldn't help but to roll her eyes as she glanced down to watch where she was walking. Her vision blurred slightly again, and up above it sounded as if thunder rumbled quietly across the sky, but when Jenna glanced up, she saw the sky was cloudless, and littered with bright, twinkling stars. She stopped short when she saw she had reached the back of the limo, but she noticed quickly that Rodger was no longer there.
"Rodger?" She spoke his name as she spun around, the wind starting to pick up and ruffling her hair. "Rodger?" She called loudly when she was facing the limo again. Her lips parted in confusion, but just when she was ready to call his name again, she jumped and gasped when she laid eyes on that scruffy man with the messy hair, standing directly in front of her when she turned around again. Her eyes widened as her heart skipped several beats, and before she could move, Isaac was grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to turn around.
The limo door was open, and Jenna immediately slammed her feet against the sides of the open door, and using all the strength she could, she pushed against them, refusing to get in the limo. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sounds were emitted from her mouth, and her throat began to burn again. Suddenly, somebody from within the limo grabbed her legs, and Jenna sucked in a sharp breath as he squeezed on them, his finger's crushing force nearly unbearable, and she lost the fight when he forced her legs together before pulling her into the limo. Now forced to stare at the man who had pulled her in, her wide, terrified eyes wandered down the man's face, over his dark gray, evil eyes, and onto his metallic mask...
"Jenna Silvera," he spoke her name slowly in some sort of odd accent, that muffled voice enunciating each sound of her name. "We meet at last..."
Jenna awoke with a gasp as she shot up in her cot, her eyes snapping open, and her chest heaved up and down as she fought to catch her breath. The room was spinning wildly while her arm was sending faint shots of pain throughout her body, and as she breathed, she realized finally how dry her throat was. Her skin was hot and clammy, and she gritted her teeth as she kicked her blankets off of her legs and onto the floor. After another moment or so of deep breathing, Jenna finally opened her eyes, and she rolled them up the ceiling as she turned in her cot to place her feet on the floor, the cold stinging her skin. She wondered vaguely what time it was, but all her mind was allowing her to focus on was her bizarre dream, or nightmare, rather.
She recalled leaning against her door and allowing her mind to think back to one of her favorite memories, which is exactly where her dream had started. She could not recall rising to get into her cot, and upon glancing down, she could not recall ever taking her pants and shoes off. Somewhere, vaguely, in the back of her mind, she could remember allowing her boots to fall noisily onto her pants, and she remembered sleepily hoping that her cigarettes were okay. Thinking back to that party and to Rodger had helped her to calm down some, and her thoughts had carried over into her subconscious to supply her with that dream, only for it all to go wrong.
The dream was composed entirely of memories, and the more Jenna thought about it, the more bone-chilling the dream became. That night had taken place just weeks after her move to Gotham, when she was getting to know Rodger better and when she found herself enjoying those parties more and more. She recalled seeing Isaac in the mass of people, staring at her with all-knowing eyes, waiting to make his move on her... but what was the worst part of the dream, that triumphed over seeing Isaac and even being kidnapped, was Bane's exact words he had once spoken to her and his tones coming from her best friend. Jenna shook her head as she bowed it, still struggling to breathe. It was so daunting to hear Rodger say those things and speak in those tones. It was as if Bane was haunting her, contaminating everything she knew and loved, and destroying it. The dream had forced her to re-live the nightmare of being forced into the limo, and setting her eyes on Bane for the first time...
"Jenna Silvera... we meet at last."
His words echoed in her mind over and over again, making her feel worse and worse, until finally she stood up. It's just a dream, she told herself as she picked out a pair of sweat pants from her bag to put on. Of course she would have a dream like that. It was nothing more than her subconscious continuing on from her thoughts, and rupturing her solitude by flashing her more recent memories. It doesn't mean anything, Jenna decided as she stepped over to her door.
She paused once she reached it, however, Bane's command entering her thoughts. Was she really not allowed to go outside of this room without his approval? How would she ever get his approval? If he didn't want to see her, then why would he bother opening her door to tell her she could come out?
It forced Jenna to realize that despite his desires, he was treating her like a child in this sense, and Jenna hated it. What the fuck am I supposed to do then? She wondered bitterly. Piss in the corner?
Fuck him, she went on. At this point she needed to use the restroom, and she wanted to splash some cold water on her face in an effort to rid it from the sweat. Also, she desired a cold drink to help soothe her dry and burning throat. I'm going out, she thought to herself. I don't fucking care.
Regardless of her determined thoughts, she gently and quietly eased the door open. Glancing through the small space between the wood of the door and frame, she instantly moved her eyes through the dim light to Bane's door, which was shut, then over to the staircase, which was bare of anything or anybody. With a deep, stinging breath, she finally eased her door open a little more, stepped outside of it, and gently closed it behind her.
While she told herself she would stand up to Bane if he was to catch her, she realized 'catch' was the key word here, and that she was truly hoping she could do this quickly without him noticing. She moved up the stairs stealthy and quietly, and judging by the light that was shining in through the windows near the front, boarded entrance of the building, Jenna figured it was sometime in the afternoon. She stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her quickly, and after she was finished using the toilet, she washed her hands before she rubbed ice cold water on her face. It helped her to wake up, and it made her feel as if she had rid her face completely of the sweat. Whether she actually had or had not, it made her feel a little better.
After exiting the bathroom, she immediately wandered over to the fridge where she then proceeded to grab a brand new bottle of water. Feeling relieved that she was free and clear of Bane, and would easily be able to return to her room, as soon as she had descended the stairs and reached the basement, her heart sunk deeply into her chest when she saw her bedroom door was open, and she couldn't help but to gasp when she realized Bane was standing just a few feet to her right.
"You follow directions like a child," Bane hissed through his mask, the sound muffled and metallic, just like how it had been in her dream. Jenna's eyes widened slightly as she took a step back, but Bane followed her by taking a step forward. "I told you to wait for my permission, and you blatantly went against my orders."
"No," Jenna immediately began. "I really had to use the bathroom, and-"
"And now that you've been banished to your room you decide that suddenly you want to partake in consuming whatever the kitchen has to offer?" Bane finished for her, his eyes fierce as he stepped closer to her. Jenna felt her back about to hit the wall behind her and next to the stairs, and she stopped in her tracks, Bane doing the same and stopping less than a foot in front of her. He towered over her, and it felt like Jenna was finally noticing how tall he was for the first time.
"No," she struggled to explain herself. "My throat was dry, I had this-"
"Save it," Bane interrupted roughly. "I do not want to hear your excuses. Consider this your final warning, Jenna, for if I find you outside of that door again, I will kill you, and I'll dispose your body into the creek. Do you understand?"
Jenna didn't reply, and instead she merely glanced down to stare at her open door with a racing and aching heart.
"Do you understand?" Bane repeated firmly, and as soon as he took a step toward her, Jenna quickly glanced up to look into his controlling eyes.
"Yes," she stated quickly. "I understand. I'm sorry," she mumbled on. Bane paused at these words, a small shock stinging the back of his neck, but he instantly ignored this and instead waited for Jenna to move. Not even a second later, she looked down again as she hustled to her room, and only after Bane had heard her door close did he finally start toward his own.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! College has been nothing but cruel to me, and at this point I could really use your reviews, guys. Thank you for the continued support and reading, and a big thanks to my beta! She sees things that I do not, and helps me to fix them :) Please leave me your thoughts!