Later that same night, Bane had left Ann, citing that he had work he needed to do. And that was just fine with Ann. Hours earlier, she had discovered a whole new side of the way she thought about Bane and ever since then, it was all she could really think about. What exactly does that mean, that she cares about him? Cares for him? Does he care for her? Does he love her? Does she love him?
Ann shook her head, she definitely didn't love Bane. If she did, she would just be the poster for Stockholm Syndrome, more than she already was. She couldn't even imagine Bane saying the words 'I love you'. But she definitely did care about him more than she originally thought she did. There were signs for a while: the great sex, the feeling of abandonment she got when he was gone, the way she tried to get Barsad to tell her more about him...
The thought of Barsad made her stop for a moment. It had been a long time since she spoke to him and the last time she saw him, he was running into Blackgate Prison. She made a note to herself to ask Bane about him later...
Wait, she thought, I don't need to just sit here anymore. I'm in the city now, I can go and do anything I want to. Bane said we don't have to hide anymore, so that must mean I don't have to either, right? Bane did say I would be safe with his men around, and his men are everywhere now.
"Either way," she said out loud, "I am a grown woman and can do as I please anyway." She started to make her way towards the door, but the sounds of a news broadcast coming on the TV stopped her. She turned in on after Bane left, hoping to fill the silence that seemed to not only be in that room, but the whole hotel and outside. It was eerie, so the background noise made it better. And with her time in the sewer, the news had been the only thing that offered her any source to the outside world, and apparently the need in her to watch it had not gone away.
She was surprised that under Bane's seige, the news remained on. Perhaps he wanted people to be able to have access to the information he wanted to put out, see his plans unfold...
But they weren't his plans, they were Talia's. That is something that Ann had come to realize a long time ago, but more and more kept forgetting. She hadn't even seen Talia in weeks and didn't think about her much. Bane even looks more like the head-honcho, but perhaps that just how Talia likes it.
Her thoughts were cut into when her name was once again said over the airways.
"Ann Goynes, the actress abducted over a month ago, was finally spotted," The same evening reporter as always said, face flat. Ann wondered if she was afraid of everything happening, wondered if everyone was. She felt selfishly happy she was on the other side of the table.
The news then switched to a video, one taken from the angle that Ann saw the camera at the courthouse. When Bane turned back to talk to her, his frame engulfed her, shielded her from the camera's view, but showed her again when he turned to point out the camera. They definitely made sure to zoom in on them when he was walking her away, and held close when Bane escorted her into the car.
Throughout this, the reporter kept talking, "We have confirmed that the actress is indeed in the company of the terrorist organization, who has yet to formally announce their name. Goynes, who went by her stage name Winifred Todd, does not appear to be harmed and seems to be..."
And then the TV turned off. Ann whipped around and saw Barsad had entered the room silently and was now dumping the remote on the bed.
To Ann, it was like seeing a friend she hadn't seen in a long time, but when she flashed him a huge smile and said "Hey Barsad!", he only grunted in response.
"What are you doing here?" Ann asked, knowing Barsad doesn't just make house calls.
"Bane wanted you to get outside today. In his words 'It's time to get that lazy girl out of bed'. I thought he was joking, but you're exactly where he said you'd be." At that, Barsad finally let out a small smile at her. Ann was happy they were still on friendly terms after the time apart.
"For your information," she retorted indigently, "I was just about to leave myself. And I'm not lazy."
"Whatever you say, princess," Barsad shrugged and looked away.
"So, um, are we going to get going?" Ann said, standing.
"He also wanted you to change first," he gestured towards a black duffel bag that was dropped near the door.
Ann went to it and opened the zipper. Inside were floral dresses, long skirts, black jeans, shoes of all kinds...but it was all so familiar. It was Ann's actual clothes.
"You've been to my apartment?" Ann asked Barsad without looking at him.
"We thought you would be more comfortable in your own clothes," he explained simply.
"How did you know where I lived?"
"We asked a friend of yours," again, said so simply that it almost didn't sound creepy. But it still did enough.
"Who?" She asked, standing and looking at him, demanding to know which of her friends were subjugated to whatever 'questioning techniques' they used.
"One of the other actors, I don't remember her name," Barsad said, obviously seeing how upset she was about it. "We didn't even have to ask twice, apparently you held a party there the week before."
She had, it was sort of a good-luck-with-the-show party, but it ended up dying before midnight. Ann had forgotten about that lame excuse for a party, but it did make sense that someone who wasn't even close to her would know where she lived.
So she rutted around in the bag, found a pants and shirt combination that looked alright, and then found a random assortment of her makeup and other beauty products on the bottom. There was foot lotion, only one makeup brush, a eyeshadow palette with the brightest colors she owns, and a single dark rouge lipstick.
She got ready quickly, changing in the bathroom. Before they left, she did swipe on a couple layers of that lipstick. Barsad looked at her funny, and usually it would make her feel self conscious, but she really just felt too good being in shoes that fit to care.
They left the hotel, this time through the elevator. She might have been exaggerating when she estimated twenty stories, it was closer to ten, but the elevator definitely made things easier.
When they made it outside, the first thing Ann noticed was the complete lack of people. And the people she did see all looked like mercenaries or convicts, most with guns. In the sewer, this was a very normal sight, but seeing it in the broad day light, seeing them guard the hotel she has been staying in, was much weirder.
Barsad and Ann walked side by side through the city blocks, not saying much, but sharing a comfortable enough silence. Ann looked through shop windows but saw no one inside any of them and they all looked ransacked.
"What happened Barsad?" She had only been in the hotel for a day and a half, what could have possibly happened in that time?
"After Bane announced our intentions, the people panicked," Barsad started to explain grimly, "It was sad, in a way. There was such a selfishness in the way that people were willing to do anything to help themselves. And here we are, trying to bring the meaning of brotherhood." At that last sentence, his tone lighted and he looked down at her with a smile. Ann didn't ask him any more questioned.
It ended up being a real walk with Barsad, almost a half hour, as he led her downtown. The closer they got, the more people there were milling around. There were still plenty of people with guns, but there were also citizens peaking out from windows and sitting on porches. Every one that caught her eye gave her a weary look, a distrustful look. It hurt the first couple of times, but she understood why.
He ended up leading her to the court house. It was already different too. There were so many people on the steps out front that were all trying to get in. Barsad easily moved everyone aside and got them inside, where there was only more people. The more Ann looked around, the more she realized that these were all Bane's men and not one citizen. Some looked at her, but all ignored her once they saw Barsad.
There was the sound of wood on wood and then everyone went silent. Barsad continued to push to the front and then Ann finally saw what everyone was trying to see. In the middle of the room stood three police officers with their hands behind their back. In front of them was seated a huge paper-and-wood pile that served as a desk to the man behind it. He looked familiar, but Ann couldn't place it.
"Order!" The man yelled. "You stand before me, officers of a corrupt society. You have upheld the disgusting morals that permeate throughout the city. For your crimes, we, the court of NEW Gotham, find you guilty!" With that, he hit the gavel again. He was quite dramatic and Ann found it pretty silly, until a line of people she stood next to drew their weapons.
Just then, a heavy hand clamped over her shoulder. She knew it was Bane before she even looked, no one else could have a hand that covered her entire shoulder. Everyone else around looked though, even the guns were lowered.
"Bane," The man at the desk said, "This is my courtroom and you..."
"Just picking up my date, Crane," Bane finished for him in a lazy drawl. Ann's face bursted red and she glared up at him, even though he didn't bother to look at her. She could feel the eyes of everyone on her now, which made her blush even more. But she knew that name, Crane. And then it hit her, he was the Scarecrow, a villain that had terrorized the city years before. She remembered the fear that gripped her teenage-self and wondered, briefly, if there were other teenagers out there in the city that were now as afraid as she way. She felt bad for them, she really did, but didn't put much thought into them. She knew she should be feel guilty, feel like she should be just one of the crowd rather than with Bane, relatively protected from the events happening in the city. But she just couldn't bring herself to anymore. The security was too great, and the comfort she now felt from Bane was something she was missing in her other life. It was desperate and weak and she knew it, but couldn't care less.
Bane quickly lead her out of the courthouse and the loitering people made them a huge birth, but Bane's hand never left her shoulder. Once they were free of the crowd, he did let her go, but still simply walked at her side.
They didn't say much to each other for a while, just one small interaction.
"You look very nice today," Bane complimented her randomly, enough to take her off guard.
"Uh, thank you," Ann said after a minute, thinking for a moment that he was actually in her apartment, gathering her things. The thought made her laugh a little.
"What?" Bane questioned her.
"I was just thinking, who picked out my clothes? Was it you or Barsad?" Ann asked, looking up at him. He looked at her for a moment, eyes flickering down her to made-up lips.
"I picked out the clothing, Barsad did the rest." With that, Ann had her answer.
Each man that passed Bane either adverted their eyes or gave a formal greeting. Ann did notice that those with red scarves, like the one Barsad wore, were much friendlier with their greetings. Ann figured that those were the ones closest to the operation.
Ann grew bored very quickly, the words Bane shared with a few men were far from entertaining. He was just doing business, and whether that business is theater or terrorism, business can be very boring. She saw people peaking out their windows at them, but quickly shut the blinds when they saw her looking back.
Bane led her to a warehouse, where it seemed a supply of ammo and a few more vehicles, or rather tanks as it were.
"Stay here," Bane told her right next to one of them, but before he went, he hesitated and looked at her. He laid a heavy hand on her shoulder again, but removed it without saying anything and walked away.
It was strange behavior for him, Ann knew, but a lot of strange things have been happening lately (both in the streets and in her head) so she let it go.
She spent the next several minutes walking around the tank, inspecting it like she knew what the hell she was looking at (which she didn't) but one doesn't get to be around an operational tank often right? But that too soon grew boring, so she resigned to climbing up on the massive wheels and track and took a seat, idling thinking of nothing.
"Hello," a pretty voice said from below her. Ann peaked over and saw Talia, who was giving her a smile. "You want to come down?"
Ann, excited to have someone to talk to, hopped down and gave Talia her own smile.
"Hey!" Ann said excitedly. "How are you?"
Without answering, Talia's face grew cold. Quick as lightning, she lunged at Ann and grabbed her by the shoulders, pinning her to the tank with amazing speed and unexpected strength. So much so that Ann had the wind knocked out of her.
"Don't you think for a second," Talia hissed in her ear with venomous anger, "that Bane doesn't belong to me. I'm the one that saved him."
"Talia, what..." Ann started, but was quickly cut off.
"Shut up!" Talia all but screamed. "I know that you have been growing...feelings...for him," She said 'feelings' as if it was poisonous on her tongue, "But don't ever forget that you wouldn't be here without me. I'm the one who came up with this plan, I'm the one who picked you, and no matter how much pretty lipstick you put on."
"I'm sorry Talia but.." Ann tried to break in, not knowing why the brunette beauty was suddenly treating her like this.
"No, but if you don't remember your place, you're going to be," Talia seethed. "You think you're so amazing, don't you? I saw you thinking so when I watched you during your previews."
"You were at my show?" Ann said, knowing the show Talia meant was a full week before her abduction.
"I saw the look in your eye. You think that everyone is just going to fall in love with you because you're naive and willing, but you're just stupid. You're stupid if you fall in love with Bane, because the only person he is ever going to love is me. I'm the one that saved him from the pit, I'm the one who brought him back to life. He is who he is solely because of me. The sooner you realize you are just a little slut thrown into the game, the better. I can always pick someone else."
"Talia?" Bane's raspy voice came from behind. How long he had been there or how much he had heard, Ann didn't know. Talia also seemed to be caught off guard by his entrance, but composed herself quickly and released Ann, turning to look at Bane.
"I was just giving Ann a good talk, my dear," she said calmly, walking up to him. She placed a hand on his chest, a possessive act, and looked back at Ann. "I was thinking our little mouse was getting too out of line."
"I'm the one who took her out, Talia," Bane said, as if he was a child caught stealing a cookie.
"Well then maybe it's you I should give a good talking to!" Talia joked, but there was too much truth in there to ignore.
"I'll take her back," Bane replied simply.
"Do what you want to, love," Talia said flippantly, waving her had at Ann as if she was a dog that showed up to the picnic. No one wanted her around, but no one told her to go.
"Why are you here Talia? It's too dangerous right now," Bane turned Talia away, as if to talk to her privately or to lead her somewhere, but his voice remained at the same pitch.
"I thought I would find you here. It's been a while since we have just...talked," Talia stressed the last word, looking at Ann as she did so. "I was surprised to find Ms. Todd here."
"Goynes," Ann said, correcting her own name and making it clear she could hear everything that was being said.
"I liked the other one better," Talia spit at her. "Get Barsad to bring her back, there are things I want to discuss with you." Talia then put her hand on Bane's arm and led him away. Without so much as looking back, he went with her.
As if he heard the summoning, Barsad appeared out of thin air next to her. Ann wondered if he had been there the whole time, what he saw or heard. His face held a very worried look, his eyebrows knitted together and his lips pursed, but he said nothing.
"Why is Talia so mad at me?" Ann asked her first question, still truly baffled at the events that just happened.
"She's a very passionate woman. She has a lot on her mind right now," Barsad tried to explain to her, but Ann knew there had to be more to the story than that.
"That doesn't mean she can assult me! What was she even accusing me of? Stealing Bane from her? What a presumptive bit..."
"She can be aggressive," Barsad cut in, putting a hand on her back and leading her away, "but Bane belongs to no one. The loyalty he feels towards Talia is his own choice. She may feel threatened by a relationship she has never seen Bane have before, but she shouldn't worry. The feelings my brother has for her and for you are very different, I'm sure."
"She said she saw my show. During previews, which means she came a full week before you and Bane did," Ann said, latching onto that piece of information.
"She did. She's the one who picked you, I believe. Said something about how stupid actors are," Barsad tried to joke with her, but his demeanor didn't improve.
"Did she come alone?" Ann asked, trying to remember if she had seen Talia in the audience that night, the way she had with Bane.
"I don't believe so, but I can't tell you with whom," Barsad said, drawing a line in the sand.
Ann didn't press any more, but she didn't feel comforted by his words, although hearing the words 'feelings' and 'you' in the same sentence in regards to Bane did make her heart flutter. He didn't seem to be any calmer himself. Barsad kept opening and closing his mouth as they walked, as if wanting to say something and not knowing how. It took until they were back in the hotel lobby for him to finally speak up.
"Ms. Goynes," He started as they passed the fountain, suddenly oddly formal.
"Barsad, really? You know you can call me by my first name."
He hesitated when they reached the elevator and Ann was secretly glad they wouldn't be tromping up those stairs again.
"Ann," Barsad said, sounding as if it was foreign to him. "I know Talia scared you, but she really is just keeping a look out for Bane. She loves him truly, like a sister. Sometimes a bratty little sister, sure, but nonetheless." Even through his accent, Ann could tell he was trying to avoid making his point and his uncomfortableness was more then evident. When the elevator finally opened, Ann wasn't quite sure the small space would make him any more comfortable, but they went in anyway. Barsad's finger hesitated over the right button, but then suddenly pressed the very top one.
"Barsad, what..."
"Which leads me to my next point," Barsad plowed through. "Some...test...have been run without Bane's knowledge. The conclusion, as far as you're concerned, is fairly grim. They concluded that Bane is infertile due to his medication. Talia thought for a long time how to handle this situation. Originally, she thought it would be easy to just kill you. You know far too much, she said, and I agree. But under the recent discover of Bane's...feelings...for you..."
"How do you know he has feelings for me?" Ann cut in aggressively, wondering (and maybe hoping) that Bane himself had said something to her.
"You think it was just a coincidence that they day after you're angry at him for doing his job, he takes you around to show you exactly what he's doing? He was trying to make amends with you, and I've never known him to make amends with anyone."
The elevator dinged at the top floor and the doors opened to the pent house, completely white and very expensive looking.
"Where are we, Barsad?" Ann said, everything swirling around in her head.
"I'm getting to that," he snapped before composing himself, taking a deep breathe before running a hand through his hair. Neither one of them left the foyer of the apartment because neither of them felt like they belonged there.
"Bane would be very hurt if we...got rid of you," Barsad began again, looking just over her head to the wall behind her. "It would also greatly hurt his sense of manhood if he was to know of his condition. There is also no point in keeping you if you can't forfill your duty."
He took another deep breath.
"So, in order for everything to go as planned, another has been chosen with qualities similar enough to Bane's that, if everything was kept a secret, he would never be able to tell the difference. In order to protect him, we have decided it is best to lie to him."
There was this long pause and Ann realized that Barsad had finished up, expecting that she figured out what he was trying to say, but there were so many pieces missing that she couldn't put the puzzle together.
"I..I don't understand," She said, begging him with her eyes to explain what he meant.
"Your role will be the same. You are still to bare and born a child, then pass it over to Talia. The only difference is, it won't be Bane's child."
Then it hit her. Like icy cold water, she finally understood what he was getting at.
"You guys think I'm just a little whore, don't you?" Ann questioned indignantly.
"We figured you would want to protect Bane too, as well as yourself."
"Myself?"
"If you are unable to produce a child, we will have choice but to kill you."
Barsad said it so cooley, but he still couldn't look at her in the eye. She knew that, deep down, he hated to say these things, but he was a good mercenary to the cause.
"Who?" Ann finally asked.
"What?"
"Who will it be?" Ann looked at him dead in the eye. She already knew, but wanted to hear him say it.
"Me." With her answers confirmed, Ann walked farther into the apartment, kicking off her shoes. This horrible feeling settled in the bottom of her stomach, she knew something wasn't right, but figured anyone would think that when put into this situation.
"When?" She asked.
"As soon as possible," Barsad said quickly with a straight face, although she could swear she saw his face pinken a bit. "Your cycle has been tracked and if we were...today, then the deed will only need to be done once."
"Wow Barsad, make this sound as unpleasant as possible," Ann joked, figuring it would calm her nerves, maybe make Barsad be her friend again rather than a reluctant man forced to do his job. Anything to make this any easier on both of them. "But I understand."
She sat on the edge of the pristine sofa in the living room, but said nothing.
"So you'll do it?"
"I have to, don't I?" Ann replied. With her answer, it seemed as if a weight was lifted off of Barsad's shoulders and he finally smiled at her. It wasn't romantic or warm or inviting, but just a kind smile that said he appreciated her cooperation.
"So you've brought me here to do the dirty deed, huh?" Ann asked, standing and pacing toward the window and back again, not quite sure how to start. If they were even supposed to start in that moment. She walked back to the window and looked out over an eerily still Gotham. "What would your wife think about this?"
"I'm trying very hard not to think about that," Barsad answered, joining her at the window. "But she would understand it was for duty."
"I'm sorry you have to do this too," Ann said, turning to her friend. That's what she had to think about, that she was doing this for a friend. And for Bane. And for herself. With that resolve, she was able to look him in the eye and he was able to bring himself to look at her.
"I'll try to make this as pleasant as possible," Barsad said kindly, in the most non-flirtatious way one could say those words. If she were in any other situation, she would have made some flirty quip back, but instead could only smile at him.
His lips were on hers before there was another word, smearing her lipstick and no doubt getting it on himself. It wasn't a passionate kiss or a loving kiss, but it was very coaxing. It probably didn't help that it felt like ages since anyone had kissed her. Her eyes shut and she leaned into the kiss, and in the darkness was able to imagine it was a much larger, balder form kissing her. She wasn't able to stop the moan.
Barsad responded to her voice, drawing her in closer. His tongue slipped passed her lips and Ann wound her arms around him. Slowly, he backed up, turning her in the process.
The back of her knees hit the couch suddenly and she toppled backward, but he followed right along with her, bracing himself so he wouldn't crush her. Without breaking the kiss, Barsad's fingers made quick work of unbuttoning her pants and pushing them down. The quicker the better, Ann guessed.
But then he did something unexpected. He lifted himself off of her and scooted down, situating himself between her thighs.
"Barsad, you really don't have..." Ann was cut off my her own moan when his tongue darted out to taste her. His beard tickled her in the best way and his talented tongue left her squirming, unable to control the noises she made. If it had been a while since she had been kissed, it had been eons since anyone had done this to her.
She forgot it was Barsad, she forgot about their situation, forgot about Talia, and almost forgot about Bane. She just about did when the front door crashed open, hard enough that the wood broke. With her head flung back as it was, she could see filling the doorway was the very man it shouldn't be, radiating anger.
He was to them in two strides and reached an arm out only to grab a handful of Barsad's hair and rip him from his place, tossing him to the floor too easily. Ann quickly tried to cover herself up.
"Leave," He growled at Barsad, who was still completely rattled. "LEAVE!" He roared and Ann swore she could feel the walls shake. Barsad wasted no more time in getting the hell out of there. He didn't even spare Ann a parting glance, who was still pantsless at now at the mercy of...
...a man with such hurt in his eye, Ann could have died. As he looked in her eyes, then to her smeared lips, and finally to her naked thighs and legs, that hurt look never went away. Only then did Ann truly grasp the gravity of what she had done to him. And in those moments, Ann wished she had chosen to die.