I do not own anything related to Batman either thru television, written books, comics or film. Everything belongs to DC Comics, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jon and Chis Nolan. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!
Chapter Four
Song(s): Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums (A Perfect Circle)
WARNING! THERE IS A SCENE OF SEXUAL IMTIMACY!
July -
Lying stretched out on her dirty gym mat Charlotte stared up at the darkness of the sewer tunnel ceiling as she breathed in deeply.
This, is day one and I survived
Moving her eyes over to where Thomas had his mat, she knew he was there somewhere close as her ears picked up the faint words of a dream or nightmare falling from his lips.
"What good would I be to you if you took my eye?"
At least you can stand to sleep my friend
Rolling over, Charlotte propped herself up on her side as she stared hard into the darkness, not catching sight of any small flames from the fire pit that sat behind the closed curtain on the other side of the room.
Are we friends Thomas? Enough to watch each other's backs and survive this man who calls himself Bane?
Narrowing her eyes as she sat still, she listened to the rushing of the water and frowned as her ears picked up something nearly subtle.
"Thomas?"
Whispering the man's name in the darkness, she heard the clear sounds of coughing as the white light of a small flashlight beam nearly blinded her.
"Where the fuck, did you get the blanket? Did you steal it?"
Rising to her booted feet, she watched as another flashlight beam fell onto the floor illuminating a small object on the concreate floor.
A discarded chicken bone that I gave you Thomas from my dinner plate
Lunging for the bone, she felt the sharpened tip along the inside of her index finger as she saw the outline of a man straddling Thomas's waist, his hands firmly wrapped around the man's throat.
I have to save him!
Wrapping her arm firmly around the front of the guy's neck, Charlotte stabbed the sharpened end of the bone straight into his jugular as he gurgled a mouth full of blood. Spitting up all over the front of Thomas's shirt, the man went limp at her feet as she released her hold. Hearing a rush of heavy boots approaching, she watched as Thomas gasped trying to catch his breath as three men roughly pushed past her.
Watching one of the men throwing a heavy hit directly into Thomas's nose with the butt end of another flashlight, she tried to move forward as strong arms slammed down around her, pinning her solid as a low hiss sounded against her ear.
"Don't be fucking stupid!"
Feeling Barsad's breath against her ear, she watched as Thomas was kicked hard in the ribs no doubt cracking at least two as the flashlight came down hard once more.
"ASSHOLES! I DID IT! STOP BEATING HIM!" Screaming loudly as she managed to elbow herself away from Bane's right-hand man, Charlotte held on tightly to the sharpened bone as she angled her foot against the back calf of the man who held Thomas's life in his hand. Hearing the clang of the flashlight falling to the ground, the young woman tightly gripped the back of the man's neck as she brought the bone against his ear, freezing as she heard heavy booted steps coming to rest where she had just stood. Hearing the familiar metallic breathing coming from the man's mask, Charlotte waited for him to disarm her in the half darkness as she held the sharp bone painfully close against the skin of the henchman's throat.
"If you wish to keep your life by her hand, I would do what the lady says."
Blinking quickly as she heard Bane's words from directly behind her, she knew that if she stepped back even half a foot, she would make physical contact with him.
He's not threatening me
Not yet anyways
Hearing the knife blade falling to the dirty ground from the man's hand, Charlotte breathed slowly as she watched the other two men releasing their holds on Thomas's outstretched arms. Watching him falling onto his side and throwing a hand up against his free-flowing bloody nose, she slowly turned around and felt not just Bane's eyes on her face, but as many as twenty other pairs of eyes surrounding her.
"I gave him the fucking blanket, so all of you hired help can piss off."
Keeping his dark eyes trained on her face, Bane flexed each finger separately as he noticed the bone in her hand that had she had used as a homemade shiv.
"Creative."
Tucking her chin into her chest as she felt her knees starting to buckle, she lowered her eyes onto the second man she had killed and nodded her head.
If I say yes, we might live through the rest of this night Thomas
If I say no, he will most likely kill you
"Yes. And I am not giving it to you."
Hearing low snickers from the darkness concealing the men all around her, Charlotte held onto the chicken bone as tight as she could, feeling the dry skin of her knuckles pulling tight.
"As a Police Officer, you should have learned to control the rage inside of you. As it stands, you have now killed two of my men. What compensation will be given for that?"
"Let us have a shot with her, guarantee she won't dare to mouth back to you on the account of a sore jaw and no teeth."
Holding her breath as she heard the low words spoken from the darkness around her, she kept her eyes steady on Bane's dark eyes as he closed the distance between them. Holding her breath, she braced herself for an assault and nearly fell onto her knees as he suddenly moved past her with only an inch to spare.
Holy shit…
"If you chance to make this one here your own personal play toy, I can guarantee that you will not keep your life."
Hearing Bane's words, Charlotte tried in vain to quickly determine if he was defending her or hyping up her abilities to defend herself as she watched him turn around .
Every day I am down here without proper food, water, rest…my strength and determination to live will die
"Did you eat your food?"
"I have the chicken bone, don't I?"
You are lying Charlotte Teller.
Though you are strong, you did not eat anything that was on your plate this evening, Bane noted to himself as he moved his eyes down onto Asil's dead body. Motioning to some of his men to remove the body, Charlotte watched as a trail of blood followed the men's heels before disappearing into the darkness of the tunnel.
"Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he injured the other person, the same must be inflicted on him."
Feeling her throat instantly drying up as Bane quoted the Leviticus scripture, he slowly rounded her left side as she threw her eyes onto the face of Barsad registering no emotion on his withered looking face.
"A broken arm takes between four and ten weeks to heal…" she began as Bane stood before her. Closing in the distance, she felt his chest against her own as she continued to stare forward, not daring to raise her eyes.
You are fucking pathetic
You kill two of his men and now you try to plead for no harm to come to you?
Feeling her stomach lurch as she replayed his words over and over in her head, she added another note to her growing biography on the man standing before her.
He is an educated murderer
He is calculated
He is not rash
"Does my lethal action not appeal to your overall plan? Obviously, those men would have failed…"
Searching the young woman's face as she spoke with pathetic words, he offered nothing to her as he half turned towards Barsad.
"Take her to my private quarters."
…
Gotham General Hospital, 9024 Memorial Way, Gotham City…
1:12am
Struggling to keep his eyes open as another armed security guard paced the tiles of the emergency waiting room floor, Blake leaned his forearms on his knees as he replayed the explosion that had erupted from the manhole of the sewer tunnel.
In the five years he had been an Officer, he had never had a fellow GCPD member die while he was on duty.
And now in one night?
"Five. Five senselessly gunned down" he breathed, tasting one name on his dry lips as he felt a hand squeezing the shoulder of his still wet issued jacket.
"Teller."
"Why Gordon ever singled her out to go down into the tunnel with him and SWAT, I'll never know. It was all out sloppy on his part."
Raising his eyes as he stared up and into the face of Teller's training officer, John Blake shook his head as he rose to his booted feet.
"Maybe if she had a training officer who kept up with her, she wouldn't have been singled out."
Turning around on the heel of his boot, Sergeant Williams threw his hands up and onto his hips as he glared at the young dark-haired officer before him.
"You got something to say to me Blake?" he challenged, taking a step forward as another uniformed male slammed a hand down against Blake's chest.
"Not worth it John, not worth it."
Allowing himself to be walked down the corridor in the opposite direction, Blake shook his head as he scratched at the back of his neck.
"An update, the Commissioner is out of his first surgery to remove a bullet from his upper left thigh muscle. Tomorrow, he is going for more x-rays for a skull fracture. But he is still unconscious."
"Your wife tell you all that?" Blake moaned as the man at his side crossed two fingers over his heart.
"Officially, and unofficially. I just thought you should know since you saved his life."
I may have saved him from drowning, but it was the bulletproof vest he was made to wear that saved his life
A vest, that he was not wearing when he went down in the manhole
…
Standing tall as she moved her eyes around the sparse contents of the new area she had been brought to, her eyes lingered on a king-sized bed, a coffee table, two chairs, a couch that faced a darkened firepit, and books. Many books. Standing alone, she heard no voices and could barely pick up the slight dripping water coming from one of the dark corners.
He wouldn't kill me in here
But am I so sure?
Hearing Bane's metallic breathing approaching from behind her, she stood as still as stone as she waited to feel any physical touch on her body. Holding her breath, the young woman held her hands firmly along the sides of her thighs as Bane stepped around her without touch.
"Given the chance, there are plenty of my men who would band together to take a piece out of you."
Swallowing hard as she felt his eyes glancing over her body, she was glad that she was no longer dressed in just a sports bra as Bane moved towards the firepit. Grabbing a box of matches off the coffee table, he struck only one before lighting the kindling.
"You mean kill me?"
Angling his head, as he tossed the box back down, Bane turned to face her as he narrowed his eyes.
"I'm sure you can use your imagination in expanding on the words 'take a piece out of you' Officer Teller."
Feeling her exhaustion growing as she knew very well just where her imagination could take her, Charlotte shifted her weight as she watched Bane moving towards the king-sized bed. Down casting her eyes to the floor as he pulled his black shirt up and over his head, she waited for his words as she felt the warmth from the fire pit.
"Your punishment is simply this, you will take whatever reactions that are re-afforded to you for every action you decide to act upon from here on end. If you decide to kill another one of my men, you will have only yourself for defense. You, will be responsible for your own back."
"And if it gets too much?"
Hearing the woman's shaky words as he moved towards a stand alone wash basin, Bane took his time dipping his strong hands in the lukewarm water as he felt the pleasurable sensation running over his knuckles.
"I won't allow you to kill yourself."
I won't have your protection
You sewed me up
You allowed me to take a shower
You killed my competition before he could kill me
"I won't have your protection…"
Pulling at his belt buckle as he watched Teller staring into the flames of the burning fire whispering to herself, Bane cleared his throat as he unbuttoned his khaki pants.
"Will your men kill Thomas tonight?"
Flexing her hands as she waited for his answer, she listened to his steady breathing as a light pop came from the burning wood in the pit.
"No."
Raising her eyes, she glanced fleetingly over Bane's pectoral muscles before uttering two words.
"Thank you."
Hearing the room falling into silence all around her, she couldn't help but shiver from the cold dampness as Bane brought his hands up onto his hips.
"You may sleep there for tonight" following his finger, she looked at the couch that looked one hundred more times more comfortable than her gym mat, but not more comfortable than the king-sized bed.
His bed
"How long, are you going to keep me down here?" she asked, keeping her eyes off Bane's naked chest.
"That really depends on you. How long do you plan to live?"
…
3 hours later…
Pulling the thin blanket up to her chin with a shiver, Charlotte stared straight up at the dark ceiling as she heard the soft metallic sounds of Bane's breathing.
I could stay alive by training, or I could stay alive by…
Blinking quickly as she realized the direction of her thoughts, Charlotte felt her stomach sink.
Or I could stay alive by slipping into his bed
But he's not stupid.
He would know you were trying to save your own skin after his decision to send you out a lone female among the more than fifty male wolves.
Is he banking that I would try to change his mind?
Can I live with myself?
Feeling the knot in her stomach tightening, she was glad that relationships had taken a back burner to her meagre career as she did not feel the connection between sex and love.
Sex is just that…
Sex.
Lifting her head slightly off the arm of the couch, she couldn't tell the difference between the metallic breaths that sounded from the darkened bed in the corner.
He could be lying there awake for all I know
He could be waiting…
Slowly moving her legs off the edge of the couch, she rose to her bare feet as she gripped the ends of the black long sleeve top she had been given, slowly pulling it over her head as she felt her hair against her bare shoulders. Thankful for the bra and underwear she had been given, she shed her cargo pants and left everything on the floor as she slowly moved to stand at the empty side of the bed. Staring down at Bane's bare chest, she felt her breath catching in her throat as she watched his arm slowly fall off his torso.
He is awake
"What do you think you are doing Officer?"
Did it even occur to you that he might predict your pathetic save attempt and cast you out anyways?
Hearing a low hum coming from the tubes that surrounded the front part of his mask, she froze as she felt his bare fingers moving up the side of her hip bone as he dipped his thumb along her belly button.
"Asking for your forgiveness."
It was the truth
She didn't wish to be thrown to the ravenous wolves without his eyes on her back, no matter how long that might last.
Days, weeks, months…
Setting her hand on his, she allowed him to snake his arm around her waist as he brought her into his bed.
Just think of it as protection
That's all this is
You can do this
Feeling his fingers inching along her hip and up to the center of her chest, Charlotte kept her eyes firm on his as he pushed the cup of her bra up, massaging her as she swallowed hard.
He sleeps with the mask on
He must never take it off
Moving her hand, she felt the definition of his pectoral muscles along his chest as he shifted onto his knees. Giving in as he positioned her on her hands and knees, she felt his hand moving between her thighs as he brought her up against him. Groaning loudly as he pushed into her, Bane let out a low metallic growl as he held her firmly against him. Throwing a hand out against the cold wall in front of her, she tried to steady herself and her rapid breathing as Bane pushed deeper and deeper, causing her thighs to burn and her eyes to close. Panting heavier and heavier as she felt the pressure building, Charlotte tightly gripped her fingers around the fabric of the bedsheet as Bane breathed against her ear.
"Very smart move, in asking for my forgiveness" he breathed, as she kept her eyes closed feeling the heat of his chest pushing strongly against her back.
"I want….to stay alive" she panted loudly, wondering only a fleeting second if anyone could hear them at this very moment.
"Then you shall." Growling against her ear as he released more of his held back strength, Bane could feel the young woman quivering as he continued to push into her, holding her weight up off the mattress.
"Please…please…."
Hearing her sharp cries, Bane sat back and quickly pulled her against himself as Charlotte felt his strong hands painfully squeezing her breasts.
It had to be like this
It had to
Feeling the blood rushing to her head as she mentally begged him not to stop, Charlotte felt a sudden rush of wetness between her thighs as Bane pushed her back onto all fours with his release. Crying out as she felt her own release mixed with the pain of his hands tightly gripping her painfully bruised hipbones, she felt the tears forming in her eyes as she struggled to catch her breath.
It's done
Swallowing hard as she tried to pull away, she felt her utter exhaustion as Bane continued to hold her against him.
"Your training starts at dawn, but you still have at least three hours until then" he breathed against her ear as she felt the dryness in her throat as she was pushed back down against the mattress.
…
5:11am
Slowly opening her eyes, the young woman felt the dryness in the back of her throat as she tried to swallow. Hearing a throat clearing, she moved her eyes to the other side of the room and spied Bane fully dressed in yesterday's attire seated with a heavy bound leather book in his lap.
"There is a glass of water on the floor."
Slowly sitting up, she groaned loudly as she slowed her movements.
I feel bruised, battered, and broken
But not beaten
"Jesus," breathing out between clench teeth as she took up the glass of water, she downed it in two greedy gulps as Bane closed the book in his hands.
"Do not think that because you have shared my bed, you will be afforded privileges over others. Get up and get dressed."
Tossing the blanket off her naked body, Charlotte stood on her bare feet and slowly made her way to her discarded clothing that now rested on the couch. Clenching her teeth together as she raised her arms and pulled on her sweater, she froze as Bane grazed his fingertips over a large bruise just above her hip.
"My protection can easily fade just as it appeared" he whispered, "Be smart. Now go eat with the others…"
Accepting the tin plate of oatmeal and half of a rotted banana, she said not a word as she took a seat on her gym mat, ignoring the dried blood that had settled in all night from Thomas's beating while she had slept elsewhere in the company of a very powerful and deadly man.
You are not ashamed of what you have done
But you should be
"You are alive."
Hearing Thomas's low voice as she noticed his obvious broken nose, she simply nodded her head as she ate the entire piece of banana without a thought to the black spots that covered over ninety percent.
"I owe you my life Teller."
Eating the meagre amount of oatmeal on her plate, she winced as she adjusted the mat beneath her.
"Did… he hurt you?"
Hearing Thomas's question as she rose to her booted feet, she refused to show any weakness as she stared down at her friend.
"I watched your back, now you watch mine."
…
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