A/N: Sorry it took so long, but tests and term papers got in the way.

So now we come to the culminating point. Bane and Porter are ready to strike, and our SVU heroes are caught in the middle while Bruce is in the pit.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: "Hello, Selina. Did you get the rights to them? What do you mean no? I knew I should have gone with the Joker!"

Please review!

Chapter 12: Kickoff

Entering the executive elevator connected directly to the Wayne Enterprises boardroom, Casey and Fox waited patiently until the doors closed before continuing their conversation. "As I was saying Lucius," the redhead said, "I'd like to begin tests on the reactor as soon as possible. I want to know just how powerful and stable it is."

Fox raised an eyebrow. "It was my understanding that you and Mr. Wayne had an agreement not to activate the reactor for obvious reasons." Mr. Wayne and his lovely wife may have been missing for days but Fox still felt himself responsible for their interests in the company, for he was a loyal man with a deep sense of honor.

"Oh Lucius, of course I know of our agreement," scoffed Casey, a bit annoyed that Fox didn't trust her implicitly. "I will not activate the reactor, but if and when Bruce and Olivia do return and give the go ahead I want the core to be immediately ready for use. It's time that its power for societal good be harnessed."

"I guess that does make sense," conceded Fox. "Forgive me for my mistrust Miss Novak."

Casey smiled at Fox. "Not a problem Lucius. I prefer men with minds than pathetic sycophants." The elevator dinged at their floor and the two executives exited.

"I still don't know why we need a board meeting for this."

"Bruce may have done many smart things, but keeping the board in the dark was not one of them."

Chuckling, Fox nodded. "He shares his paranoia with his lovely wife, but do you really blame…"

The two stopped in their tracks upon reaching the boardroom, their eyes widening. "Chair, President," said Bane pleasantly, well as pleasantly as he could given the mask. "How good of you to join us." The room was filled with Bane's guards, toting G36 assault rifles and holding the entire board hostage. On Bane's left was a smirking Oswald C. Cobblepot, fully clad in his signature tuxedo and top hat; on Bane's right was Porter, holding a stoic Olivia still with a knife to her neck. 'Well that's one Wayne accounted for,' Fox thought dryly.

"What do you want?" asked Casey firmly, not intimidated despite her fear.

"You two, as well as Mrs. Wayne here," answered Bane simply. The board gasped quietly, having no knowledge of their former boss' nuptials. "All we need now is one additional board member."

"So, who shall it be Mr. Fox, Waugh, Waugh, Waugh?" chuckled Penguin, enjoying every minute of this.

"No," said the Chairman Emeritus. "I volunteer."

"Excellent," chirped Bane, walking out of the room, Porter, Olivia, Penguin, Fox, Casey, and their guards behind him. The knife still to her neck, Olivia was powerless to stop them, a feeling Porter found amusement in.

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"Elliot," said Tucker, his face contorted in an exasperated grimace. "You were right."

Lying in the hospital bed only one day away from discharge, Elliot looked up at his son with a smirk. "I'm sorry Ed. What was that?"

Dickie chuckled while Nick and Amanda barely hid their snickers. "You were right about Bane sir," Tucker answered, immediately sucking all humor out of the room. "He just kidnapped the entire Wayne Enterprises board."

"What?" snarled Elliot.

"He let most of them go Elliot, but took three into the sewers." Elliot was about to shout orders when Tucker said something that made his blood go cold. "We talked to them. Not only was Penguin with them, but they positively identified Bane's right hand man to be Dean Porter."

"But I thought he was dead," breathed Dickie, stupefied.

"Security camera footage definitively places him there, and worse than that he has Chief Benson with him, or should I say Chief Wayne." Clenching his fist, Elliot used all of his strength not to punch something. "Elliot, did you know Olivia was married to Bruce Wayne?" It had stupefied Tucker as much as it did the board.

"This is not the time for that Ed! One of our own is in trouble and with Penguin in the mix the trouble's going to be big. I want every available unit in the tunnels armed to the teeth. We are going to flush him out, crush him, and get Olivia back safe and sound."

"The Mayor won't want panic." As Deputy Commissioner, it was his job to worry about the political considerations.

Amanda interjected, "You could always call it a training exercise." Nick smirked and squeezed her hand.

"Sorry for doubting you Elliot," said Tucker, rushing out. Elliot glanced at his son smugly, for it wasn't often that Ed Tucker acknowledged he was wrong.

Nick and Amanda moved to follow him but Elliot held them back. "Where are you going guys? You said the Batman and Batgirl were gone, so it's your turn to chase down leads any way you can."

"Yes sir," they chorused.

Alone with his dad, Dickie turned to him. "I have a bad feeling about this dad. If these guys got Liv and Bruce then they might come after us. Mom, Katie, Lizzie, and Eli are safe, but Maur is still here in the hospital."

"Well then son, at least she'll have two handsome cops to protect her." The two shared a knowing grin before Elliot thought of something. There was one other person he couldn't stop thinking and worrying about, and she was in Blackgate. 'Oh please El,' said a mocking voice inside him that sounded a bit like Olivia, 'Like she'd let anyone hurt her.' He had to agree with that.

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Bruce gasped as someone poured water into his dry mouth. "Here, drink up. You need to get back your strength if you want to live past the next few days." Bruce slowly glanced beside him to see a silver-haired man wrapped in a dirty shawl and who spoke in a White South African accent.

Someone to the right mumbled words in an unrecognizable foreign language. Bruce could only make out that he was old, bald, and blind before the pain prevented him from tilting his head further. "What did he say?" he managed to croak out. No matter how good the cool water felt on his parched throat, it did nothing to dull the deep pain.

The South African chuckled. "He wants to know how much you would be willing to pay me to let you die. Whatever it is, the masked man is paying me more."

Reaching down to his side, Bruce grabbed the picture of him and Olivia. "I don't want to die."

Before he could notice why Bruce said that, a chanting from the other side of the pit caught the South African's attention. "Eck Tick Nass Hass. Eck Tick Nass Hass. Eck Tick Nass Hass." Bruce strained his head to see a large man tie a rope around a prisoner's waist, who then proceeded to scale the rock wall of the pit. "Someone is attempting the climb," said the South African dryly.

"Has anyone ever made it?"

The man chuckled, hearing the scream of the prisoner as he plummeted. The rope kept him alive by breaking his fall, though all knew he failed. "Never."

The other man shouted something in the foreign tongue. "What did he say," asked Bruce.

"He says there was one a long time ago, a child born and raised in this hell who managed to."

"Bane."

"Pure myths and legend," dismissed the South African, rising to switch on the TV. "The Masked Man and his angry friend want you to watch what is about to happen." Bruce looked again at the picture of his beloved, sighing. 'I love you Liv, stay strong for me.'

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"Three, two, one, BOOM!" squawked Penguin, grinning and pressing the detonator. The concrete tunnel wall imploded, the C4 explosives blasting a large, fifteen foot diameter hole leading into the reactor chamber. "I love the sound of explosions in the morning."

Olivia cringed, knowing she was helpless with Bane and Porter watching her every move. Glancing at her friends, she noticed Casey had a mask of stoic disgust while Fox seemed to be in a state of shock. It must have been seeing the entirety of Applies Sciences being worked on and modified by Bane's technicians. If she had been in Fox's position, Olivia would probably be the same way.

Stepping through the large, cavernous room, Bane in the lead, the group met up with a smaller group of League warriors. "Let me introduce to you Dr. Pavel everyone." Porter pointed out a tired looking man with unkempt hair and a sad expression. 'So I was right,' thought Olivia, who vehemently wished she wasn't. "The good doctor here will be assisting us with the reactor."

"And what makes you think I'll help you Porter?" asked Pavel.

"If you want to live you'll do so," snarled Porter in response, leveling a pistol. Pavel shut up.

Stepping on the control stand, Bane forced the Chairman Emeritus at gunpoint to place his palm on the scanner. "You," he pointed to Fox. "Turn it on."

"No," said Fox defiantly. He wasn't about to give this monster anything. "I won't do it."

Bane chuckled through his mask. "Dean, if you please?"

Smacking Olivia on the back of the head with his staff, she fell to her knees while he pressed his pistol against her temple. "We only need one more board member and there are more we can get, but we want this done as fast as possible."

"Don

"Don't do it Lucius," said Olivia through gritted teeth but she was silenced when Porter kicked her in the ribs.

"I'll give you till three before she dies. One… Two…"

"Alright!" shouted Casey, looking at Fox. "You'll only set them back temporarily." She strode to the panel and pressed her hand on the scanner. "I'm sorry Liv," she told her friend.

Olivia nodded in understanding. Casey was too good a person to let anyone die if she could stop them. Knowing there was no hope to stop them, Fox did so as well. "Now that wasn't too hard was it, Waugh, Waugh, Waugh?" Nudging Pavel with his Umbrella, Penguin growled at him. "Go on then doctor, do your work." Pavel looked at the former Mob boss with barely disguised contempt before complying.

"Take them to the surface," said Bane to his men. "People of their stature don't deserve to be kept in places like this." The warriors moved Fox, Casey, the Chairman Emeritus, and Olivia toward the exits before Bane called them back. "Leave Mrs. Wayne here."

Left in Porter's care, Olivia glared at Bane. "Your plan will never succeed Bane."

"Oh I believe it will. With the latest in western civilization in my hands, you incapacitated, and your beloved husband waiting to die, nothing will stop justice being done." A tear fell down Olivia's cheek at the mention of Bruce. Oh how she missed him; every day she swore she could feel his pain, and he was in pain.

"There!" Pavel shouted, breaking everyone out of their thoughts. He looked at Bane, who was sitting calmly by the control panel. "This is now a four megaton thermonuclear bomb."

"Good Dr. Pavel." With a flick of his hand, he gestured to Porter.

Knowing his master's commands by heart, Porter called to his men. "Take the core out of the reactor. Come on! Let's move!"

"No! Wait, what are you doing? The rector is the only power source capable of preventing its decay. If you take it out then it can only last a matter of months."

"Five by my count," said Porter dryly.

"Then it will go off!"

"For your children's sake doctor," interjected Bane, "I hope it does."

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It had to be the largest show of Police strength in Gotham's history. Nearly all of the department's 40,000 officers, from captains to the lowest rookies were entering the sewers and tunnels beneath the city, the entire move coordinated by Ed Tucker at the main utility entrance in Industrial Gotham.

"Mr. Mayor!" asked a reporter to Garcia outside the Gotham football stadium. "What is the reason for today's show of police strength?"

"It's a training exercise, nothing more," the Mayor waved off with his award-winning smile. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going to watch our boys thrash New York."

Also driving through Industrial Gotham, Nick was busy trying to find the damn locations on the map while his partner and girlfriend spoke to the commissioner. "Ok, we looked through all of Ganzel's construction locations, and all of them do connect with the tunnels but that's the only pattern."

"There's more to this that meets the eye Rollins, try and find it."

"Sir, neither Nick nor I are experts in civil engineering."

"That may be true, but you guys are experts in finding links, so keep on it."

Amanda answered in the affirmative and hung up just as Nick pulled into the third site on the map. "Ok Nick, let's get this done quick and clean."

"Got it." Leaning in, he gave the blonde a peck on the lips. "Love you."

"Love you too," she answered with a smile.

Walking to a foreman, they showed their badges and were questioning him when Amanda spotted a familiar face. "Amanda?" Nick was concerned and followed her, the foreman close behind.

"Hey!" she spat out in her southern drawl. "Weren't you the guy at the stock exchange? The one who blocked the traffic?"

The young driver looked confused before nodding. "Oh yeah, I remember you. Hard to forget such a fine young piece of ass cop like yourself."

"That's detective," growled Nick, setting a possessive hand on her shoulder. "Now I'm wondering why you were there when my brother's in blue were trying to catch a man we know was working with your late boss."

The driver eyed him narrowly before lunging at nick with a knife he pulled out of his pocket. Nick managed to grab his gun before being grasped in a strong pair of arms. "Nick!" yelled Amanda, seeing the foreman reach into his jacket for an Uzi. With a clean shot to the heart, she toppled him.

Possessing more brute strength than the detective, Nick knew he had to think his way out of this mess. Aiming his gun at the cement mixture, he fired. The bullet ricocheted off the metal and hit the driver in the head. Nick grabbed his lapel. "Who are you working for? What was the digging about?" The man didn't answer, obviously dead.

Amanda quickly called the commissioner, but only got voicemail. "Fuck, uh, Commissioner its Amaro and Rollins. We're at the construction site with two dead witnesses and a shitload of questions. Call us whenever…" she trialed off, seeing something weird. "Nick honey, come check this out."

Running over, Nick squinted his eyes at the barrels. "Ammonium Nitrate and diesel oil." He looked at his girlfriend wide-eyed.

She understood it too. "They're not making concrete, they're making explosives."

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As the nearly 20,000 fans gathered at the stadium, the young boy stepped forward to the microphone.

Oh say can you see,

By the dawn's early light,

Bane rose from the underground with his group behind him, heading for the team entrance. Soon it would be time to put the final plan into effect. Soon it would be time to fulfil Ra's al Ghul's destiny.

What so proudly we hailed,

At the twilight's last gleaming,

"Sir," said a uniform to Tucker as he and Gordon were directing the assault teams through the tunnels. "A detective Rollins wants to talk to you."

"God damn I don't need this right now," he muttered, snatching the receiver. "Tucker."

Whose broad stripes and bright stars,

Through the perilous fight,

"Sir," yelled Rollins. "Bane's been mixing the concrete with explosive and placing it around the entire perimeter of the tunnels!" Nick was hurtling toward the commissioner's hospital at nearly seventy mph. "They're heading into a trap!"

Over the ramparts we watched,

Were so gallantly streaming,

Eyes wide in realization, Tucker turned to Gordon. "Pull them back! Pull them back now!"

The order was too late, for the assault teams were already too deep into the tunnels to terminate the op.

And the rocket's red glare,

The bombs bursting in air,

The mayor settled into his skybox, completely oblivious to the threat that was developing.

Gave proof to the night,

That our flag was still there,

"Such a lovely voice, don't you think?" Bane asked Olivia.

Oh say does that Star Spangled,

Banner yet wave,

Olivia refused to respond to the monster, holding her head high. Porter frowned while Penguin chuckled. "A lovely voice Bane, true," he answered, savoring the revenge he was about to inflict. He had Olivia and Bruce taken care of, and now some of Bane's men were moving to kidnap Commissioner Stabler and his son and daughter.

Over the land of the free,

And the home of the brave!

Bane took out a detonator and looked straight at Olivia. "Let the games begin." The thumb came down.

The ground began to shake around their car as massive explosions erupted out of the ground. Nick weaved around the blasts, trying to protect the car.

In the tunnels, each entrance was targeted, trapping the entire assault force of the GPD. With the press of a button, 40,000 cops were now stuck underground. At the field command center, Tucker and Gordon stood stupefied. In the city right now, there were no more than seventy officers still above ground, at most.

One blast erupted too close to the sedan, causing it to flip over. Both Nick and Amanda were disoriented, but quickly recovered and exited the wrecked vehicle. Amanda had her sidearm out while Nick clutched a shotgun. They were going after the commissioner on foot, and it seemed wise to go prepared.

The NYC quarterback kicked the ball, easily caught by one of the Gotham running backs. He started to run for the end zone when the entire field caved in from a massive explosion. The crowd screamed at the sight. In his skybox, his security detail was about to take the mayor out when the skybox erupted in flame, incinerating everyone present. All across the city, every bridge leading out of City Island was smashed except for one, which was secured by a detachment of Bane's men. The city was trapped.

Savoring the look of panic and hatred on his prisoner's face, Bane spoke to her. "Your husband is watching this. Shall we demonstrate our objective?"

"Fuck you," she spat. "When Bruce comes back we will stop you."

"The fire rises my dear Olivia. He won't." Clutching his vest, Bane began to stride into the light.

A/N: And the fire rises. Dun, dun, dun!

Next up, the liberation of Gotham!

God Bless

The Congressman