Everything in Bane's peripheral vision faded away rapidly until all he was seeing was Isaac standing alone, in a sea of white, with his arms hanging lamely at his sides. Bane's right eye twitched slightly, those same, unruly scenarios playing in his head again, and his fingers twitched absentmindedly at his sides as he was forced to face those images of Isaac's mouth against Jenna's body ...
Isaac had frozen completely, as well, shocked to see that Bane had been outside, just around the corner, this entire time. As much as he hated the feeling of any sort of dizzying fear, the sensation of falling began to overtake him, but he refused to let this emotion show as he stared at Bane from the current, safe distance they maintained.
Suddenly, memories from his and Bane's last encounter like years ago this swarmed his mind, and he thought back to how truly terrified he had been upon facing Bane after he had lied to him. Only now, the situation was looking to be much, much more problematic. At one time, Bane had lashed out at him instantly for his betrayal, without any warning whatsoever, and Isaac remembered how it had felt to feel the life draining from him as he gasped for air, Bane's crushing grasp around his neck bringing him closer and closer to death as he was forced to stare into his commander's eyes while it happened. But now, Isaac had a terrible sinking feeling that Bane's next actions wouldn't be so simple.
His heart began to pick up speed the longer he stared at Bane, just standing there, staring at him. Isaac held his ground though, feeling as though any movement at all would only provoke Bane further, and as he kept his eyes on Bane, he realized he hadn't felt this kind of fear toward his boss in a long, long time. He hated how fearful he had started to feel, but he couldn't help but wish Bane would move or say something to him, just to give him an idea of horrendous this was going to be.
That spinning sensation had crept up on Bane again, but he struggled to ignore it as he held his own ground, completely unsure of what to do. Don't do anything, his mind told him. This is your fault, remember?
Perhaps, Bane replied, still unsure. But clearly something has to be done.
What for? You brought this on yourself. Had you never broken Jenna's arm, had you never locked her away, and had you never allowed Barsad to help her so thoroughly, this wouldn't have happened. This is all an immediate result due to your timid actions.
At his side, Bane's fingers twitched again, curling in slightly to start to form a fist as agitation swarmed his body, but he stopped the clench from happening, and instead forced his fingers to remain stretched stiffly outward. A small gust of wind blew past, perhaps a sign prompting Bane to move, to do something, but he remained stationary, his mind refusing to let him move until he had even the slightest idea of what to do.
If you feel so strongly on the fact that something must be done, just wait... plan it out. You have given yourself a reputation lately as acting immensely irrational with your quick decisions. Look at you, starting to cripple with near regret over what you did to Jenna. Do not make any rash decisions. You need Barsad. You nearly killed him once already...
Bane swallowed, his body desperate to ignore his thoughts, but they were too strong, and had taken completely control of him. In the back of his mind, however, the idea of inflicting some sort of pain on Barsad had never gone unnoticed, but really, Bane began to realize, what good would that do?
He betrayed me, Bane thought now, his body becoming desperate again to move, to lash out, to damage...
Not necessarily. If it was betrayal, there would have had to have been some sort of grounds, some sort of determined rule spoken aloud that Jenna was yours, and was not to be touched. You never made that assertion, you never told Barsad what would and would not be accepted... you allowed him to get closer to her, and even when you saw it happening, you did nothing! His mind hissed loudly.
Finally, Bane's right hand clenched into a tight fist as his jaw tensed. Barsad should have known. He's smarter that. He knows how things work around here, around me. I shouldn't have to speak every rule aloud. This was an act of betrayal, and the worst kind yet!
At this thought, the other half of his mind went silent, and when he could not think of another reply to himself, he loosened his fist slightly, suddenly realizing that without that second thought, he really had no idea, even more so, on what to do. His body was ready to lurch forward, but even though it had gone silent, his mind continued to hold him back.
Isaac wished he could hear what was going on in Bane's mind, what was causing him to stay stationary where he stood, what he thought of the situation, and what he was planning on doing about it. Had it been anyone else to have gotten so intimate with Jenna, Isaac knew what Bane would have done, without a doubt. He understood that when it came down to him, Bane's right hand man, it was a million times more complicated... but... was it really?
Still an act of betrayal, Isaac thought. Regardless of who did it. Man up, take responsibility, and face what will come your way. The sooner the better...
This idea sounded good and even primarily desirable, but Isaac could not make himself open his mouth to speak, or even move his body. He wanted to, but he realized at the same time, he had no idea what to even say to Bane about the situation. But before long, Bane suddenly took a step forward, and Isaac found himself swallowing as he watched Bane approach.
As he walked, Bane forced his hand to become unclenched again, and he forcibly kept his fingers stretched out and wriggling slightly as he advanced toward Isaac. He didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know what he was going to do once he approached him. He had simply just started moving, and advancing forward with a steady pace. He kept his eyes focused on his right hand man, his features growing clearer and clearer the closer Bane got to him, and once he was a little more than ten feet away, the anxiety was evident in Isaac's eyes and stiff frame. Bane took another step, and another, growing closer and closer, his fingers wriggling even faster now, desperate to clench in a fist as his left hand began to twitch as well. Ten feet, nine feet... eight feet...
What would he do when he approached him? Would his mind prove to be victorious, or his body? Isaac was standing his ground, watching him advance, not even looking away or stepping back from him as a means of even the slightest defense...
Seven feet... six feet... five feet...
Without warning, Bane's feet suddenly turned to the right, and just before he could even approach Isaac, Bane had started walking toward the exit door instead, his eyes now fixed intently on it. As he passed Isaac now, Bane could almost hear the breath of relief he released as Isaac more than likely closed his eyes. It had been a last minute decision that Bane wasn't even prepared to do or had even seen coming, but as he continued away, the spinning sensation had not ceased, his fingers had not stopped twitching, and adrenaline had not stopped flowing throughout his veins.
Isaac slouched his body down slightly, completely shocked with these turn of events. When Bane had started approaching him, he had been so sure of what he would do, what pain he would inflict... but this was completely unexpected. He listened to Bane's heavy footsteps in the snow as he slowly continued away, and before he could think it over, Isaac was turning around to face him.
"Bane," he suddenly called out his name, and he froze again when Bane came to a sudden halt in his path, less than ten feet from him. The muscles on his back appeared tense from beneath his shirt, and as Bane waited, he kept his shoulders raised and his head lowered, his eyes focused on the exit door still. Just at the sound of his voice, his hands finally won, and his fingers curled in on each hand, forming tight fists that were begging to be used, but Bane firmly held his ground.
"I... I don't know what to say... about all this," Isaac finally spoke, his eyes still fixed on Bane's giant frame. His eyes wandered down to take notice of Bane's trembling and tight fists, but regardless, he remained where he stood, just waiting, ready to face whatever came his way...
Bane lowered his eyes from the door to stare down at the snow-covered ground for a moment, the breath escaping through his mask seeming amplified as compared to the silence all around the warehouse. "I'm just surprised you said anything at all, Barsad," he replied in a shockingly low and controlled tone of voice, and before Isaac could say anything else, Bane continued his walk toward the exit door, Isaac's eyes on him the entire time.
The temperature inside the warehouse felt more blistering hot than it did warm and welcoming, and as the heat only added to the dizzying sensations he had already been feeling, Bane reached down to swiftly remove his shirt with one, smooth, upward lifting motion, and as he descended the stairs he carelessly let the shirt fall onto the steps. Just as he knew it would, removal of his shirt proved to help, and as soon as he stepped down in the dark basement, the cooler temperatures flowed over his bare skin as he started toward his room. But just as he started past Jenna's door, small curiosity caused him to turn his head ever so slightly to follow the light trail on the floor to her room, but as soon as he did, he found himself not looking away. She was standing at the foot of her cot, just in front of her open door, her back to him as she struggled with putting on her arm sling. As Bane continued to his door, he kept his eyes focused on her, watching her struggle, but as soon as his boot accidentally scraped against the ground, Jenna jumped before immediately glancing over her shoulder with raised, surprised eyebrows. Bane's eyes locked with hers for a split second before he forced himself to look forward just as he entered his room, and as soon as he had, he threw his door closed behind him.
Jenna couldn't help but to jump again as the slamming noise from Bane's door echoed throughout the cold and dark basement, and she felt her face flush due to the surprise of seeing Bane, and the shock of seeing him suddenly shirtless, for that matter. Giving up easily on her sling as those feelings of dread overtook her again, she tossed the sling onto her cot with a small huff as she wondered anxiously if Bane had already gotten to Isaac. Just a few moments prior, she had heard footsteps in the hallway, followed by the exit door opening and closing, and without a doubt she knew it was Isaac. Bane had not come back inside until now –she hadn't even heard him approaching, strangely enough – and now Jenna was beginning to expect the worse. What if Isaac would never be coming back inside...?
Taking her bottom lip in between her teeth, Jenna bit down on it as she slowly turned around completely to face her opened door. All she could picture in her mind was crimson-colored snow surrounding Isaac's cold body as he lay, face down, on the ground, with no hope of standing up on his own. Her mind flashed her a picture of his face, broken, battered and bruised, his already half-lidded gaze even stronger due to swollen eyes that could not be opened all the way. Her heart began to pound against her chest the longer she wracked her brain, wondering desperately what had happened outside. When she had laid eyes on Bane, he had appeared deathly angry, with clenched fists and hardened muscles, and the fact that he had slammed his door hadn't helped either. Now, Jenna was expecting the worst, and suddenly discovering whether her terrible visions were true or not had become an unavoidable desire.
But rather than venturing outside to find Isaac, she found herself exiting her room and marching straight up to Bane's door, and only after she stopped in front of it did she take notice to where she was. Realizing it was too late to turn back now –Bane had more than likely heard somebody approaching– Jenna also realized that seeing Isaac at a time like this probably wasn't a good idea. Finally releasing her swollen lip from between her teeth, she took in a big, steadying breath before she lifted her fist, but before her knuckles could touch the wooden door, she paused, leaving her fist raised in the air. Her heart began to pound faster as her throat swelled, and once again the room began to spin, even harder this time. She did not want to face Bane, especially not now when he appeared to be so amped up on anger. But she had to find out what he had done to Isaac, and if he hadn't done anything (which seemed very unlikely) she felt the strong obligation to prevent any harm from reaching Isaac. She had to face Bane, and she had to do it quickly, otherwise Isaac's life was at stake. Attempting to swallow back her fear, Jenna finally left two, quiet knocks on Bane's door.
As soon as she had knocked she immediately lowered her hand and waited, growing more and more fearful as she waited for an answer. But much to her surprise, after a long minute had passed, an answer never came. She wondered if Bane had not heard her knock, or was simply choosing to ignore it. Either way, Jenna knew she had to talk to him. She had to help Isaac.
With another deep breath Jenna knocked on the door again, louder this time, and just before her fist could collide with the door a forth time, it suddenly swung open, revealing Bane's massive figure. As soon as Jenna overcame the shock, she lowered her hand again as her eyes wandered up his chest, and she paused, her mouth hanging open slightly once she found his eyes on either side of his animalistic mask. What, exactly, was she going to say?
Bane's breathing was loud as he silently waited to see what Jenna wanted. Just seeing her, standing in front of him, was enough for the room to spin faster while the weight of her and Isaac's actions pressed down upon his shoulders, making him feel as though he was sinking pathetically into ground. He lowered his eyes slightly onto her neck, but once he saw that red bite mark again, a sting traveled throughout him, and he immediately raised his eyes to look back into Jenna's. He could feel his body starting to tremble as the anger and hurt overcame him again, and that weight on his shoulders grew even stronger when he was suddenly forced to think back to the scenarios he had come up with. He didn't want to see Jenna, whatever it was she had to say. Honestly, he didn't want to see anyone at the moment, especially when he was left feeling so confused.
He began to slide the door closed, deciding his mind was made up, but just when the door had nearly completely blocked her out, her small voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Wait," Jenna said, instinctively reaching out to stop Bane from closing the door completely. With a loud, frustrated sigh, Bane opened the door again, still desperate to be away from her, but also slightly surprised with her sudden bravery. The seconds ticked on painfully slow as Jenna struggled to find her words, but all she could focus on was Isaac's mangled body, growing colder and colder outside. She dropped her jaw more, preparing herself to speak, but she continued to feel absolutely overwhelmed with how giant and angry Bane appeared to be as his burning gaze remained fixed on hers.
"What do you want, Jenna?" Bane finally asked, the lack of patience evident in his quieter than usual voice. This was surprising to Jenna, but his tone only reinforced what she already knew: she had to talk to him now.
"Did... did you see Isaac outside?"
Her question caused Bane to take in a deep breath through his nose as he kept his eyes focused on Jenna's, and he tightened his grip on the door.
"I did," he replied slowly. "Does this conversation have a greater purpose, Jenna?"
Jenna swallowed, already deciding to expect the worst as hope that Isaac was okay began to recede away rapidly. She licked her lips, trying to speak again, but the words would not come to her mouth. Instead, as the room continued to spin and her heart continued to race, the weight of the bad news she was expecting to receive caused her to glance down and close her eyes. Bane's eyebrows furrowed as his eyes followed her motion of lowering her head, but despite his deteriorating patience, he waited.
"Did you hurt him?" Jenna asked finally in a saddened mumble, and she clenched her eyes closed even tighter as she waited for his confirmation.
It shouldn't have been, but it was almost surprising to Bane how deeply hurt Jenna appeared to be over Barsad's well-being. Your fault... his mind taunted. You allowed this relationship to develop...
Fine, Bane gave in easily and suddenly. But what did he do now? He sighed before he suddenly let his hand slide off of the door, and as it hit his side, Jenna glanced up.
"No," he replied. "I didn't." Perhaps I should have...
Jenna's eyes widened in pure shock, and as relief for the time being swarmed over her, she hadn't even noticed that Bane had turned around to step over to his desk and lean over it, bracing himself against it with his hand. When she finally blinked her eyes, they focused on his hunched over, bare and scarred back, and although Bane had said he hadn't hurt him, Jenna knew this conversation wasn't over. There was still the chance that Bane would go and hurt him now, especially after Jenna had made her strong, fearful feelings toward the situation more evident than she had meant.
Swallowing again, Jenna absentmindedly took a small step under the door frame and into his room, and she entwined her fingers together in front of her as she tried to figure out what to say. Just say anything. Tell him the truth. Keep him from hurting Isaac... this wasn't his fault.
"I-if you're planning on hurting him... don't," Jenna finally said, her words causing Bane to furrow his brow again. "It wasn't his fault..." she finally continued on, and she closed her eyes as she took in a nervous breath. Her next words could prove to be her ultimate downfall, but the strong desire to defend Isaac had not left her, and Jenna realized it was a feeling that never would. "...it was mine."
The pen that he had picked up from his desk and had been toying with in between his fingers ceased movement, and Bane's eyes narrowed due to her words. He found himself having a hard time comprehending them as a wave of confusion swept over him. Was Jenna really blaming herself for all of this? Was she really putting herself in the line of fire to defend somebody other than herself? It was such a difficult truth to believe that Bane decided it was something he couldn't accept, but nonetheless, he decided to question it, even though the majority of him was ready for her to still leave...
Blinking once, he leaned up quickly as he noisily tossed the pen back onto the desk, and he turned around, his eyes immediately finding Jenna's. She appeared frightful suddenly, more so than she had been, and when he took a steady step closer to her, he watched her take a miniscule step back as she swallowed. The voice in the back of his mind was still reminding him that this wasn't her fault, it was his, but he couldn't escape the sudden curiosity that had overtaken him. "And how do you figure that, Jenna?"
His low and metallic voice seemed to be more frightening at the moment than ever, and Jenna took in another deep, steadying breath before she answered, hating how incredibly large and intimidating he seemed to have become in just mere seconds. She realized the danger she was putting herself in, and his simple question caused her to wonder if it really was all her fault, even when she had been so sure that it was. Whether it was or wasn't, she knew she had to take the blame. She wasn't ready to see Isaac get killed just for trying to help her.
"B-because I..." she struggled, desperate for the words to come to her mouth, and she bowed her head slightly. When she heard Bane take another step toward her, however, her head immediately shot up, and she took another small step back toward his door as she looked him in the eye. "Because I initiated it," she finally said, but when she saw Bane's eyebrows lower and his eyes narrow, she felt her heart plummet into her stomach.
"Is that so?" Bane mused, still wondering in the back of his mind why he was even having this discussion in the first place. "I watched the footage, Jenna. He kissed you." He felt absolutely ridiculous as the conversation went on, but he knew there was no other way to say what had to be said. "It didn't appear to me that you initiated it..."
As soon as he spoke, his voice rough, but laced with the tiniest bit of sadness, realization finally swarmed over Jenna, making her see suddenly just how truly upset Bane was about all of this. It all made sense now; how he had kicked her out of his room when he found out, how he had stayed outside for a while, and now was willing to have this conversation with her. But how could that be? Why was this even an issue in the first place, for Jenna at least? Dizzy with this new understanding, Jenna blinked a few times before she finally cleared her throat to speak.
"No, I mean I wanted to go inside– I asked him to go inside with me, after–"
"It was an act that required the equal efforts of two," Bane interrupted impatiently. "Whoever initiated it simply does not matter. What matters is the fact that it happened," he ended with a slight growl. "To be honest Jenna, I do not wish to have this conversation with you, or anyone for that matter. Lea–"
"It does matter," Jenna interrupted, speaking before she could hold herself back, and as soon as the words left her mouth, she watched Bane straighten his posture slightly as his gaze became even more burning. "I'm the one who wanted it. I'm the one who asked to go inside, and I'm the one who had more of the responsibility to stop it." She stopped suddenly to take in a breath, feeling about ready to collapse to the floor due to her interruption and the current, angry and annoyed look in Bane's eyes, but before Bane could have an opportunity to speak, Jenna went on again, suddenly unable to stop herself from speaking what was on her mind before Bane permanently ended the conversation, and all hope of saving Isaac's life. "To be honest with you, I wasn't exactly feeling myself. I haven't been for nearly the past two months. Isaac was helping me, he was the only one helping me, or just even speaking to me, and I guess I got confused with the type of help I wanted...I guess I was–"
"Are you telling me you are unable to distinguish the very different aspects of simply wanting help and having the desire to fuck somebody?!" Bane interrupted with a shout that caused Jenna's blood to run cold. The room became deathly silent for a small second as the two glared into each others eyes, and suddenly Jenna could not hold herself back as her body began to tremble.
"I was desperate, okay? After all that you fucking put me through! I wanted to feel again, I wanted to feel anything, and if the only thing I could obtain to feel was lust, then so be it. But do not think for a second that I can't tell the difference between how I'm feeling, despite all the torture you put me though." She let out a huff of a breath as her body went from trembling to shaking as soon as she realized she had just yelled at Bane, but she had been pushed to the point of doing so. "You're not listening to me, I–"
"I'm giving you three seconds to leave," Bane interrupted, those glass shards tearing away at the inside of his stomach again as he glared into her eyes. "One... two–"
Finally, Jenna took a step back out of his room, and she could feel tears burning behind her eyes due to feeling that she had only made matters worse. But regardless, she had meant what she said, and she could not escape her own feelings of hurt and anger that had overcome her due to Bane's rather terrible accusation. "I meant what I said," she quickly spoke up just as Bane had approached his door and placed his hand on it. "Hurting Isaac because of this would really be–"
BAM!
Bane's door ceased its movement just inches before her face when it finally closed, and in a fit of frustration, hurt and despair, Jenna could not stop herself from lifting her shaking leg to leave a heavy kick against his door. As the sound echoed throughout the basement, she immediately retreated away from the door and headed into her own room, where she closed her door behind her before immediately picking up her pack of cigarettes and the lighter from within her coat on the floor. With trembling fingers, she plucked out a cigarette from the box before she immediately lifted up the lighter to the light it, and as she inhaled deeply, she decided she didn't care at the moment whether she was really allowed to smoke inside the building or not.
Exhaling noisily, she plopped down on her cot with a flinch as her right, broken arm bounced painfully, and she was completely unsure on how to predict Bane's next course of action. She had wanted to simply state her case, and pray that Bane would accept her words and leave Isaac alone. But now, after what she had said, after she had interrupted and yelled at him, she had a feeling that she had only made matters much worse, when all she had been trying to do was make them better. It's not fucking fair, she thought, hating herself even more when a single tear fell down her cheek. With a roll of her eyes she immediately wiped it away before taking another long drag from her cigarette, and she closed her eyes, knowing now that all she could do was sit back and wait to see how things would play out...
–
As soon as Jenna had kicked his door after he slammed it shut, Bane closed his eyes tightly with a growl as he focused on holding himself back and standing still where he stood in the middle of his room. His fists had clenched again at his sides, and he felt his body trembling, still, due their argument. Forced with much to think over now, all Bane wanted to do was find a way to avoid everything and everyone. Jenna's sudden bravery to come out and put all of the blame on herself was shocking, to say the least, but all that she had to say about it was nothing but infuriating to Bane; it didn't make much sense to him. As the seconds passed by, he had come to hate how desperate she was for wanting to keep Bane from hurting Barsad, and he hated how Jenna just knew it was something he was contemplating on doing. It's too late now, that voice spoke up. If it was something you truly wanted to do, you would have done it already. Do not embarrass yourself due to a sudden rampage of anger. You're better than that... stronger than that.
Something needs to be done, he argued with himself.
There is nothing else to do. Accept what is, and move on.
Once again, Bane was torn between his thoughts, and completely unsure of what to do. The half of him that wanted to put the blame solely on them craved physical punishment; he'd love to see Jenna locked away in her room again and undergo that torture, and his hands were still struggling to keep from hurting Barsad. Though at the same time, he realized how irrational this was. The other half of him, which was starting to accept this was all his fault, desired nothing more than to find a way to be past all this, but not without something being done. The entirety of him wanted to see something done to the both of them to ensure they learned why this whole situation was unacceptable.
Is it really unacceptable, though? Came the voice again. You decided to temporarily rid yourself of the girl, and did not care what kind of toll that took on her. You went back on your decision, freed her, and told Barsad to help her, because you didn't like how empty she had become. Admit the truth, man! The only reason you are upset about this is because you care about her.
The words in his head were causing that boiling anger to return again, and he could feel his body heating as he placed his hands on top of his head while he spun around, desperate for an answer. He didn't want to like Jenna, even though he could not deny that he had started to in the beginning. But the childishness, the temper, the lying... it pushed him to the point of finally forcing her away from himself, and finally making her out to be what he had intended: a hostage. But what had that punishment been intended to do, really? Correct her. Correct her errors and flaws and keep her from doing them again. And for what? So she would become more bearable to Bane, and something of more interest. Bane already held that interest, and without realizing it, he had been desperate to deepen it by forcing Jenna to change her ways and turn her into somebody that Bane could like, without a doubt. Killing her would have solved all of his problems, but it was something he had, and still, refused to do.
This is why you're upset. You feel betrayed because of your feelings for this girl. You want to hurt Barsad for seemingly taking her from you, and you want to hurt Jenna for choosing somebody else over you. Accept the truth, and move on.
But he just couldn't. There was still a part of him that had to do something. But how could he kill, or even hurt Barsad, especially now, after all the use he was to him? He was his second in command, his right hand man, a title he had held onto with pride for years, and Bane knew there was no other man that he would ever trust enough to hold the same title and responsibilities. Barsad had come a long way since his beginning with Bane's operations, and he had done nothing but prove himself since. Killing him would ultimately hurt Bane more than anybody else. He needed him on his team, regardless of what he had done. Bane saw Barsad's actions with Jenna as a form of betrayal, but was it really a strong enough betrayal to die over?
That left Jenna, a more rational choice. Being permanently rid of Jenna wouldn't change much around the warehouse. She was nothing but space, taking residence in a room Bane sooner than later may need, eating portions of the food that his men needed more than her, and ultimately standing in everybody's way. She skewed the concentration from Bane and Barsad, and only angered and upset the rest of his team by simply existing. What purpose did she hold?
She helped you in ways that you would have never imagined. Bane growled when the voice came back, and as he let his arms fall to his side, he sat down on the edge of his bed before he leaned over to place his head in his hands. She relieved your body in ways you never thought imaginable. She discovered flaws in Karly, flaws that you more than likely wouldn't have picked up on until she acted out on her plans. Perhaps she can't fire a weapon or will never have the authority to give commands, but she can follow directions, and she can sense and pick up on things you cannot. You knew very well she was starting to become an asset, another reason why you chose to lock her away and correct her, rather than kill her. Had she never slept with Barsad, she'd more than likely be sitting right next to-
With another, louder growl, Bane stood up suddenly, desperate to believe he didn't want Jenna next to him. He wanted to believe she was one-hundred percent unhelpful, regardless of the ways she already had been. Instead of believing she had an opportunity now to be even more helpful, Bane wanted to feel confident in the fact that she would regress on her progress.
But despite all the thoughts in his head, he still did not know what to do with her, and he knew the longer he was forced to face these thoughts, the more he was missing his window of opportunity to actually act out on his defensive desires...
–
The built up frustration, anxiety, and sorrow had left Jenna feeling drained the longer she sat in her room, and when she was nearly half way through her cigarette, she had leaned back on her cot and closed her eyes, wanting to just take a moment to relax and try to clear her mind. But her moment of relaxation had turned into a small nap, and by the time she woke up with an aching neck and back, her legs and left arm dangling from the edges of the cot, she had no idea how long she had been sleeping or what time it was. Yawning, she forced herself to sit up, keeping her eyes closed, and as soon as her yawn was over, her eyes snapped open in fear when she remembered she had been smoking a cigarette. Moving onto her feet, she quickly turned around, searching the area around her bed for the cigarette. But as soon as she began to realize this worry was pointless, for if anything would have happened it would have woken her up, she found the cigarette, burnt out, on the floor next to the cot. Sighing in relief, she pushed her hair out of her face with her left hand before she turned to step up to her door to venture to the bathroom.
The basement was dark, cold, and appeared empty, and when she glanced over to Bane's door, she noticed a dim, orange light shining from underneath it. A small shock of worry sprang throughout her –just because his lights were on didn't mean he was inside his room– but she struggled to convince herself that he was in his room after all as she began up the stairs.
After she had gone, washed her hands, and frowned at herself in the mirror while deciding she really wanted a shower, Jenna opened the door, turned off the light, and quietly began downstairs. Her eyes had just readjusted to the dark by the time she was halfway to her room, but when she heard a series of low, sleepy sounding humming noises next to her, she couldn't help but to jump with a gasp.
The hums stopped as soon as she had gasped, and as Jenna turned her body to face the direction the noise had come from, she heard a series of shaky breaths before she heard the sound of chains clanking against the cold floor.
"W-who's there?" Mayor Anthony Garcia's voice broke the silence. Jenna's lips parted as her breath hitched in her throat, and as she felt her heart plummet to her stomach, she realized this was somebody she more than likely shouldn't be talking to...
"Hello?" the mayor asked again, the chains clinking as he moved his feet against the floor, stretching out his legs.
"What do you want?" Jenna finally asked, unable to help herself, her curiosity getting the best of her. The mayor sounded so tired and terrified, his tone of voice admittedly made Jenna feel sorry for him. The poor guy more than likely would not get to meet the more merciful side of Bane, like Jenna had.
The mayor was struggling to see the girl before him in the dark, but his tired eyes were unable to open all of the way, and he knew the girl was standing directly in the dark, a few feet away from where the light from upstairs stopped on the floor. He licked his dry lips and took in another breath as his heart pounded against chest in pure fear.
When Jenna heard the bathroom door upstairs close suddenly, she felt a shock run up her spine, a sign reminding her that she shouldn't be conversing with Bane's captive. "Look, I shouldn't be talking to–"
"Please, I have a question," the mayor interrupted immediately, causing Jenna's eyebrows to furrow with curiosity. He had heard this girl's voice around the basement since his time there, and he had only ever seen her small body, her black hair, and the profile of her face. As the days ticked on, he had developed a theory, due to having more than enough time to be alone with his thoughts. "Who– who are you?" He finally asked.
Jenna's heart skipped a beat as soon as the question left his mouth. "Jenna," she answered with her name before she could stop herself, and she closed her mouth tightly as soon as she had spoken. She couldn't help but to have the creeping feeling that if Bane were to catch her, or find out she had been talking to the mayor, it would cause him to become very upset, more so than he already was.
"Silvera?" the mayor asked quickly, and Jenna's eyes grew wide due to his louder and slightly higher tone. "Are you the Silvera's daughter? The one that was kidnapped?"
Jenna's jaw dropped as she struggled to find an answer, even though she knew she more than likely shouldn't provide him with one. She had heard how much his voice had lightened up once she confirmed his suspicions, and this only caused her to become more nervous about Bane.
"Y-yes," she replied, taking a step back, certain she was only digging herself a bigger hole.
"-my God," she heard the mayor mumble. "You're alive? After being... here? After all this time..."
Jenna swallowed the dry lump that had risen in her throat as she took another step back, her own heart starting to race. She didn't speak another word to the mayor, and instead she merely turned around to start over to her door. For some reason or another, the mayor's astonished tone of voice was shocking and even saddening to her, and she had to wonder what had come over him to so bravely call out to the person that had entered the basement. Once she closed her door, a chill ran throughout her, causing her body to jump and twitch slightly, and as she stepped further into her room, she decided she'd try to have another cigarette.
Bane had spent the rest of that day in his room, just sitting at his desk and contemplating the problems at hand. Still, he had not come to any strong, definite conclusions, but the longer he thought over everything, the more he desired to speak with Barsad, and hear his side of the story as it compared to Jenna's. Whether her punishment had taught her anything about lying or not, Bane would always take Barsad's word over anyone else's. Deciding this sounded like a good idea, he pushed himself and the chair away from the desk before he stood up to step over to his dresser, where he proceeded with putting on a long sleeved, dark gray shirt. Perhaps, once he listened to what Barsad had to say about the situation, a final decision could be made. Sitting alone in his room for so long had proved to calm him down severely, and left him with enough patience to think everything over a little bit more rationally. But even though he had become calmer and was feeling more rational, he could feel that anger inside him, ready to burst out at any moment.
After he stepped out of his room and glanced around the dark basement, he felt slightly ridiculous upon suddenly remembering the very important hostage that was sitting against the wall, less than thirty feet in front of him. He began to slowly step in the mayor's direction, welcoming the long-forgotten sensation of sick amusement once he decided he'd toy with the mayor a little, in efforts to start feeling like himself again. Once he had approached him, Bane reached over to snap on the light, and as soon as he did, he glanced at the mayor in just enough time to watch him flinch due to the sudden brightness.
"I must say, Mr. Garcia, you appear to look rather... depleted. Have you been acquiring your full eight hours?" Bane mused as he began to move around him, never taking his eyes off of him. But rather than Anthony nervously staring up at him and watching his every move, he merely turned his head away to glare down at the floor. His reaction caused Bane's eyebrows to furrow, and just as soon as that amused feeling came, it faded away. Bane stared at him for a moment before he turned to begin walking the other way in front of him, suddenly desiring to see the fear in his eyes again before he carried on to find Barsad.
"I'm sure you've been–"
"I saw her today," Anthony suddenly interrupted, his voice firmer than ever before, and he slowly turned his head to glance up at Bane. A pang of fear flowed throughout him, but seeing Jenna caused him to see his situation in a newer light. If Jenna Silvera, a pointless citizen, was still alive months after being taken, Anthony couldn't help but to feel as though his chances of survival were far greater. He had begun to figure Bane would simply use him for whatever he needed before reuniting him with his family. He had to, right? Why wouldn't he?
Bane was standing still and silent, waiting for him to go on, and once Anthony was reminded of this, he went on. "Jenna Silvera, the daughter you kidnapped? I saw her," he repeated.
Bane was still glaring at him directly, his curiosity and confusion having hit an all time high. "And... what did she say to you?" Bane asked.
When Anthony merely shrugged, Bane felt his hand clench into a fist at his side, but there was something about the mayor's new demeanor that was keeping Bane from acting out on his frustration.
"It doesn't matter what she said. She is alive, after being here," the mayor shook his head as he lowered it, and before his face was hidden from view, Bane could have sworn he saw a small grin spread over the mayor's lips.
As Bane continued to stare down at him, realization spread over him suddenly, and he loosened his fist. Mister Anthony Garcia had apparently been filled with an all new, burning hope; hope that his situation wouldn't be as bad as he was dreading, hope that he would be released, and hope that he would get to see his family again, all in comparison to realizing Jenna was still alive. The thought caused the room to start to spin, and Bane had move to stand with his feet shoulder width apart to balance himself. The thought caused a small grin to spread over Bane's lips, though at the same time, he could not believe that Jenna appeared to have unintentionally helped him in some way, again. Unbelievable, he wouldn't have done Bane any good to have told the mayor he would make it out of this alive with his family; he had seen how scared and angry the mayor had been, he more than likely would have always held doubt, and would have given up with his life entirely. But after seeing pointless and useless Jenna, he was more than likely assuming that he would be just fine. How terribly incorrect, Bane thought.
Bane decided to say nothing more to him, and figured it would be best to let him soak in his hopeful feelings. By the time it came to be rid of him, Bane knew it would be an even worse and painful task in the eyes of the mayor. Hope, Bane thought as he started up the stairs, leaving the light on. If there was any feeling he had learned to avoid, it was hope.
Once he reached the main level, he opened the door next to the stairs that led into the garage, and once he saw the lights were on, he knew he'd more than likely find Barsad inside. After he let the door close behind him, he began through the first row of metal shelving, keeping his eyes focused ahead of him as he let the amusement finally leave him completely.
Isaac, who had just finished changing the oil in his truck, paused the moment he heard those familiar, heavy footsteps heading toward him. He listened to them for a moment before he finally closed the hood of his truck with a loud slam, and as soon as he turned around, Bane had just stopped a good ten feet in front of him. Standing still, Isaac stared into Bane's eyes while Bane stared into his, and again that nervous feeling began to spread over him, causing a large frown to find his face. Isaac knew it was a matter of time until he had to face Bane again, and while he couldn't help the anxious feelings that had come over him, he was slightly relieved to be getting this over with sooner rather than later.
Tearing his eyes away from Barsad's, Bane glanced around the garage, and due to the Challenger's hood propped open and the various tools laying around, Bane figured Barsad had been keeping himself busy during the majority of the day. After Bane had glanced at Isaac once more, he glanced down slightly as he took a step forward.
"I won't prolong this more than necessary," he began. "I came out to speak to you about the current circumstances."
Isaac stayed quiet and still as he listened, respectfully waiting for Bane to go on.
"I want to know," Bane went on as he took another step closer, finally raising his head and eyes to look back into Isaac's, "what happened?"
Isaac nodded as he took a small step to the side to turn and lean against his truck. He craved a cigarette, but he knew Bane would not appreciate it if he were to prolong the moment. "We uh... returned from the diner," he began as he raised his hand slightly, his tired eyes focused on the front tire of the Challenger. "And she had been crying. We came outside for a cigarette, and all I had meant to do was comfort her, and make her stop crying."
Bane was looking at him as he listened intently, able to tell Barsad was already speaking the absolute truth. As he spoke, Bane spread his legs slightly as he crossed his arms in front of him.
"I... ended up kissing her, and it just escalated from there."
Bane nodded slightly. "Jenna told me she initiated it and is taking full responsibility for all of this," Bane commented. As soon as he said this, Isaac's head snapped over in his direction, his eyes wide, and it was evident to Bane that Barsad was just as shocked by this news as he had been. "Is any of this true?"
"She told me she simply wanted to go inside, and I just assumed what she meant," Isaac replied with a defeated shrug as he glanced away again, unable to fathom what Bane had said about Jenna. "She was emotional, I was just..." he trailed off, entirely unsure of how to explain how he had been feeling. "I hadn't been with anyone in a while, and Jenna... she was just there, and wanting it as bad as I did," he finally said, not seeing the way Bane's eyes had widened slightly. "But for her to try and take all responsibility for this isn't fair. We both had just as much to do with it, even though I was technically the one who initiated everything."
As Isaac continued to stare down at the tire, Bane continued to stare at him with slightly widened eyes. Bane knew he was telling the truth, and his truth brought interesting things to light. Bane already knew Jenna was trying to keep Isaac safe, but now that Isaac had admitted to taking control, this only cleared Jenna's intentions. Whether she actually thought it was her fault or not, she didn't want to see the 'wrong' person get punished for this. How incredibly... selfless, Bane thought, astonished, to himself. But something that Isaac said had caught Bane's attention: "I hadn't been with anyone in a while, and Jenna... she was just there..." Without having to say it aloud, Isaac had put to rest an idea that had formed in his head; it wasn't that Jenna was choosing somebody else over him, she had merely been desperate, as well. But before Bane could fully accept these new ideas, he still needed to confirm a few things.
"So, this was all nothing more than desperate attempts to relieve what had been... building up?"
"Yes," Isaac replied firmly as he glanced over at his boss. "Like I said, I guess I was just desperate to do it, and Jenna was probably desperate to feel anything but pain and emptiness... by that point..." Isaac trailed off again, not wanting to suddenly put any blame, whatsoever, on Bane. He reached up to pat the pockets of his coat, searching for his cigarettes, but when he remembered he had given the rest of his pack to Jenna, he let his hand fall to his side with a sigh, shocked suddenly to realize he had gone that entire day without a smoke. He had been focusing all his attention on staying busy and keeping his mind focused on something else that the desire for one had never come about. But now that he realized it, a cigarette sounded absolutely delicious by this point...
So Jenna had been telling the entire truth, Bane realized. Even if she had tried to put all the blame on herself, more than likely actually thinking it was all her fault, she had not told Bane a single lie. These realizations caused Bane to become dizzy again, and he took a small step back before he reached out to place his hand on the shelf next to him to steady himself. Suddenly, all desires to harm anybody started to leave him, and he could feel the actual energy draining from his body like a weight lifting off from his shoulders as he stared at the ground. He realized now that he had been right, Barsad was to blame more than Jenna was, but still, Bane knew he, himself, had more to do with this than he wanted to admit. He had caused Jenna to become an empty shell, who was left feeling desperate to feel anything else by that point, and Bane had allowed Barsad to get so close to her. Again, Bane had commanded Barsad to help her. Perhaps, in a way, he had ended up doing just that...
Feeling pathetic going back on his thoughts as the truth came to light, the strong urge to gain the truth on one more thing would not leave him, and Bane knew it wouldn't leave him until he got his answer. It was an answer that would admittedly relieve or upset him even further, but regardless, Bane had to know. He understood that by asking his right hand this question, Barsad would ultimately understand how Bane truly felt about Jenna... You want to hurt Barsad for seemingly taking her from you, and you want to hurt Jenna for choosing somebody else over you, he had thought earlier. Now was the time to find out whether this was entirely true, or false.
"I need to ask you something, about Jenna. Man to man..." Bane started slowly as he finally glanced up to Isaac as he leaned away from the shelf. Isaac was still looking at him, and he nodded slightly as he turned away from the truck to stand straight on his own, anticipating the question. "... and brother, to brother."
Bane's words caused Isaac's eyes to widen slightly, and he now understood this was going to be an incredibly, personal inquiry. He gave Bane his full attention and was prepared to answer with the entire truth, though feelings of relief continued to swarm over him due to Bane's sudden patience. Bane had been so angry before, so desperate to keep himself away from Isaac, but now, after being called his brother, after all of this, Isaac figured the worst had already past...
"Do you possess any... feelings, at all, for her?"
Isaac had a feeling, deep down, that Bane would be asking a question like this, but he had never anticipated him actually asking it. He always assumed something existed between Bane and Jenna, but he had never allowed himself to muse over the subject or find out completely, let alone accept it. But now it was evident to him why Bane had become so upset over all of this. In the beginning Isaac would have hated to hear it, but now it was different. Bane cared about Jenna...
"I do not," Isaac answered honestly, managing to look and sound as sincere as he could. "I view her as nothing more than a... friend," he added, wondering if that word would upset Bane at all. It appeared as though it didn't, for Bane was staring into his eyes while Isaac easily held his eye contact. Bane could tell by the way Barsad was staring back at him that he completely understood how Bane felt about her, and why this situation had hurt him so badly, but now, after learning that Isaac had no feelings for her, that disgusting feeling of relief completely overtook him. That voice in the back of his mind had been right, this entire time...
Relieved or not, however, Bane was still forced with much to think about. He had obtained the answers he had desired in the form of pure truth, but now he had to still figure out what to do, not with Barsad anymore, but with himself, and Jenna. Finally, Bane nodded, and he straightened his posture.
"Thank you, Barsad," he said in a low voice. "That is all I needed to know." He turned around, but as soon as he began away, he paused when Barsad suddenly spoke up.
"Did Jenna really take responsibility for all of this?" Isaac asked, desperate for his own confirmation, and he watched Bane glance over at him from over his shoulder.
"She did," he replied, his voice suddenly lighter. "It seems you have your own protector," he added in that same, slightly amused tone, and finally, as Bane started away, Isaac couldn't help but to grin as he let entire relief overtake him completely.
The idea of facing these new thoughts seemed incredibly undesirable, and if anything else, it would prove to be a harder task than before. Now, it wasn't a matter of who to hurt or who to blame, but rather he was now forced to figure out what to do about Jenna and himself. Bane let out a frustrated sigh as he approached the bottom of the stairs, wondering if doing nothing at all would prove to be the best course of action, and as soon as he had completely reached the basement, he glanced up just as soon as Jenna's door opened.
She paused with a cold shock the second her eyes found Bane's frame in the bright light, and Bane had paused as well, his eyes fixed on hers. Holding her breath, Jenna began to feel dizzy as she wondered desperately if Bane had gone to find Isaac. Her room had filled entirely with cigarette smoke, and she was honestly starting to get sick of breathing it in constantly. The idea had arose in her that she would venture outside for a cigarette, where she would then proceed to see if Isaac was at least okay, but now, after running into Bane, she began to wonder if she should just head up to the bathroom instead.
But the desire to know whether or not Isaac was alive and well or crippled and near death was burning her alive, and Jenna knew she wouldn't be able to hold herself back from finding out much longer. Chances were Bane didn't want them to see each other again, and while this thought was typically saddening, Jenna felt as though this new command would be fine, so long as Isaac was okay. Jenna was entirely unable to tell what kind of mood Bane was in currently, but regardless, she bravely stepped out of her room, and she held eye contact with Bane as she slowly and quietly closed her door behind her.
"Did... did you see Isaac?" She asked in a small, fearful voice, shocks running up and down her spine as her throat swelled. Bane continued to look at her for another moment before he blinked, and he turned his head away from her for a moment before he glanced over at her again.
"Yes," he replied. "And to answer your next question, no, I did not hurt him."
Bane spoke in a lower tone than he normally did, causing his words to sound more muffled coming through his mask, but Jenna had understood him, and she struggled to keep the relief that swarmed over her body from showing. Her lips parted and her eyes widened, regardless of her efforts, and after she swallowed to sooth her nervously dry throat, she spoke again.
"Can I go up there to smoke?"
Bane knew it would be useless to inflict any sort of punishment on her, and now, as he spoke with her, the idea of ever doing so went away completely. What else was there that he could do besides welcome the rather relieving truth, and get over it? They both had been desperate, and they had both been there. Chances were, if it were any other man or woman, they both would have gone for it, just simply for the relief, and not due to anything else. Already, Jenna was starting to come out of her room more, bravely approach Bane, and above all, speak the truth and take responsibility for her actions. It appeared as though Barsad had helped Jenna after all, even if the help came in a form that Bane wasn't particularly fond of.
Still looking at her, Bane merely nodded his head toward the stairs as silent approval before he began toward his room, and finally, when his back was to her, Jenna let her jaw drop slightly further as she sucked in a sharp breath. Completely bewildered by Bane's calm demeanor, she was even more shocked to learn that Bane wasn't going to keep her from seeing Isaac again. Her heart racing in anticipation, Jenna immediately began toward the stairs, excited to confirm with her own eyes that Isaac was okay, but also terribly nervous due to having to face him after all that had happened that day...
So excited to have finally finished this chapter! I apologize for the terribly long wait guys, I had so much to do during my final weeks of college, but the good news is I GRADUATED, and will be able to solely focus on this story for a while now! Please leave me your love (or hate)! I'm DESPERATE for some reviews and feedback and reader interaction! Gah!