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 Two

Song(s): Pedestal (Portishead)

July –

How could this night go so fucking wrong?

Throwing open the door to his cruiser, John Blake tore across the concreate sidewalk before throwing himself over the five-foot edge and into the excess drainage water that flowed out from the hundreds of miles of sewer pipes. Spying a lone body lying in the darkness near the mouth of the grate, the young officer splashed through the water and collapsed beside the unmoving form.

Is this you Teller?

"Teller?...Teller?"

Roughly turning over the body, Blake felt the blood draining from his face as he stared into the half-opened eyes of the Commissioner, coughing out a mouthful of water.

She's still in there…

Dead?

Alive?

Somewhere…

Elevating Gordon's head, Blake ignored the dirty water splashing over his own body and face as he angled his cheek against his radio.

"OFFICER NEEDS FUCKING ASSISTANCE! THE SEWAGE TUNNEL ON ELM AND RUCKUS!"

Holding Gordon tightly in his arms as the man passed out without a further word, Blake leaned back and hauled both their body weights up against the concrete before looking back towards the dark tunnel.

"TELLER!"

Screaming at the top of his lungs as he called out for the missing Rookie he had met only hours earlier, Blake knew it was no use as his voice was drowned out by the high intensity rushing of the water deep swelling within the tunneled darkness.

…

"I will not ask you again."

Slowly opening her eyes, she felt her breath hitch in the back of her throat as she stared into the darkest pair of eyes she had ever seen.

Black eyes

But once…blue?

Moving her eyes onto the breathing apparatus, she listened to the steady intake and release of the man's breath as she counted the number of small tubes that locked together to cover the entire mouth as it almost looked to form a set of claws or the legs of a tarantula. Feeling his eyes searching her face, she would not give him the satisfaction of showing fear or panic as she felt the warm tips of his fingers touching the fabric of her shirt along the front of her throat.

He sees the GCPD embroidered on my shirt

Swallowing hard as she felt his thumb tracing over each letter, she kept her mouth firmly shut as she heard the shuffling of footsteps coming up behind her.

"We found the bodies of our guys and the two SWAT that came down in through the west manhole on Bank. The cops won't come down here until they clear for any gas leaks once the Commissioner washes up. We will blow the tunnel before midnight," a man spoke from behind her as Teller lowered her eyes down onto the dirt ground in front of her. Staring at the dark green camo print of the masked man's pants as he remained crouched in front of her, Teller sucked in a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

"We also found this…"

Hearing the rustle of fabric beside her shoulder, she threw her eyes open as her police issued jacket was handed over to Bane.

I left that behind after I gave Commissioner Gordon my vest

Holding the young woman's jacket between his hands, Bane rose to his feet and dipped his hand into each pocket before taking off the badge. Noticing the name tag above the left breast pocket, he glanced down before handing it back to his hired help.

"Burn it, with the bodies."

Daring to sit back on her legs as she felt small rocks cutting into the skin of her knees, she raised her eyes and watched as Bane stared down directly into her face.

"Stand up."

Rising slowly to her booted feet at his request, her eyes looked behind the small firepit at a pushed aside white curtain, revealing a small alcove that had been sectioned off into a makeshift bedroom. Spying what appeared to be a double cot with a woven blanket and one pillow, Teller swallowed hard as she felt a strong hand slam down on her shoulder.

"Take off your shirt and your belt."

Blinking quickly at the man's request as she felt fingernails digging into the skin of her shoulder, she avoided the masked man's eyes as she pulled up the ends of her issued GCPD shirt up and over her head. Ignoring the greedy stares of the men working behind her, she felt the cold and the dampness of the tunnel air setting over her naked shoulders as Bane offered no glance to her black sports bra chest.

"Your belt…"

Knowing that she had lost her firearm earlier when she and the Commissioner had been ambushed, she could feel the weight of the metal handcuffs, gloves, pepper spray, and collapsible night stick tucked into their respective pockets and loops…

And she would fight to keep them.

"No."

Hearing a scoff from one of the hired henchmen behind her, Teller raised her eyes and held Bane's steeled stare as he took a step forward.

"That, was not a request Officer."

Taking a slow step backwards to place some distance between her and the masked man, she quickly glanced at the edge where the Commissioner had thrown himself over as she tried to weigh her survival options.

"You wouldn't survive if you threw yourself over. I would personally make sure of it."

Wincing as Bane spoke, she heard the pivoting sounds of boots behind her as she whirled around and threw a quick hand up, throat punching a henchman directly against his hyoid bone as he dropped like a sack of potatoes. Raising her arm again as another man lunged for her, she let out a short scream as she felt a strong bare arm wrapping around the front of her chest as fingers wrapped against the front of her own throat, squeezing hard.

Hearing the man's masked breathing against her ear as he easily lifted her up and off her feet, Charlotte struggled to breathe as she felt herself starting to go lightheaded.

"If I have to take it from you, it will not be pleasant" Bane growled against her ear as he squeezed harder against the front of her throat.

Glancing down at the dead man who had lost his life after trying to offer reason and logic earlier, Charlotte awkwardly nodded her head as she felt the masked man's grip loosening. Letting out a squeak, she gasped for air as Bane lowered her feet to the ground. Holding her tightly against him, he felt her hands moving against her belt as she pulled at the clasp, feeling it loosen as she held on tightly.

Releasing his hold on her, he watched with dark eyes before stretching out his fingers for the belt.

"Give it to me."

Staring at the man's fingers and what he wanted, she knew her action might cost her life as she stepped forward and quickly tossed it over the edge and into the rushing water below.

Narrowing his eyes as he lowered his hand back down to his side, Bane felt the growl in the back of his throat as he nodded his head, watching as one of his henchmen swiftly kicked at the joint of her left leg causing her to collapse.

"FUCK!"

Moving to stand directly in front of her, he stared down into her face before reaching out and gripping her chin hard.

"What is your name?"

Feeling his fingers tightening around her jawbone as she tried to pull away, Charlotte felt the rage growing inside of her as she stared hard into his eyes.

"Why? So, you can demand a ransom?" she challenged, nearly spitting out her anger as she felt the pain radiating along her jawbone.

Careful now

One quick wrench, and he could snap your neck

"I have no plans to ransom you off. You're dead to the police with that explosion, and your childish action of throwing your belt into the water to wash up outside one of the many hundreds of outflows has sealed that."

Feeling the blood draining from her face as she heard his words, she suddenly felt all the hungry stares of the men working in the tunnels gathering around her, desiring a taste and a piece of her.

"What…are you going to do with me then?"

Hearing the rawness of her question, Bane felt his hidden lips twitching as he released his hold on her.

…

1 hour later…

Hearing the shouts and excited cries of his men surrounding him as Bane took a seat against the wall, he felt the coolness of the concrete through the fabric of his black long sleeve shirt, as he nodded his head towards Barsad.

"BRING THEM OUT!"

Watching his men shaking their fists as four hooded individuals were walked into the middle of a circle created by bodies loyal to his mission and the League, Bane leaned his head back against the wall as he settled his eyes on the dirty, police issued pants of Charlotte Teller.

"TAKE OFF YOUR HOODS!"

Keeping his eyes steady as he watched the young Officer remove her hood, he watched as she momentarily froze before looking at the man standing next to her. Rising to his booted feet as everyman in the circle immediately closed their mouths, Bane took a step forward and held his hands against his broad chest as he surveyed each of the four bodies that stood in the middle of the circle.

"I am here to fulfill the destiny of Ras's al Ghul, a man who envisioned a newer Gotham City. One that is not on hand for the rich, the wealthy, and the one percent. For that vision to become a reality, I require numbers. Today, there are four of you standing before me. Only one of you will join us."

Hearing Bane's words as she felt her mouth falling open, Charlotte spun around on the heel of her boot as she watched the man standing furthest to her right lunged at the man beside him, ripping off his ear before biting down hard on his jugular, coating the dirty ground with blood.

"Correction, three of you."

A newer Gotham City?

What is this? Lord of the Flies?

Setting her eyes hard on the retreating back of Bane, she stared as the surrounding men resumed their chanting and shouting before producing American dollar bills in a gamble.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING MADMAN!"

Catching the tale end of the young woman's scream as she was eventually drowned out by the shouting of his men, Bane retook his seat and focused his eyes on her face as he folded his hands over his belt buckle.

Prove me wrong Officer Teller

Pivoting around on her back foot as she felt a hand trying to grip her wrist, Teller easily twisted away and laid a swift kick against the man's thigh as he fell down to one knee.

I have to kill to survive

I have to kill or be killed

Watching the man in front of her rubbing at his thigh as he held a hand up in plea, she ignored his cries to spare his life for his family as she gripped his head with both hands, snapping his neck as she let him fall to the ground.

Use your training Officer, and show me what you can offer

Watching the woman staring down at the body that laid at her feet, he watched the sweat gleaming off her bare shoulders as he noticed blood along her bare clavicle bone.

Watch your surroundings

Falling to her knees with a sharp cry as she felt a swift painful kick against the bones of her ankle, Charlotte threw her hands up just in time to catch the arm of the last man standing as he tried to gouge her eyes out with his free hand.

I am not going to fucking die down here

And certainly not, in front of that masked asshole

Throwing her hand up, Charlotte quickly broke the two fingers that scrapped along her cheek before using all of her strength to take the man down and onto his right side. Wrapping her legs around his waist as she hooked her boots together, she snaked her arm along his neck before locking her other arm around his shoulder.

"Pass out you fucker!" she spat against the man's ear as he tried in vain to free himself. Holding him tightly just as she had been taught at the training academy, she felt him slowly slipping unconscious as a flurry of irritated shouts and screams rang out all around her.

That's right assholes, a woman won

Freeing herself from the entangle of dirty limbs as she rose to her feet, Charlotte looked down to her chest and wiped at the smear of blood across the top of her sports bra as she caught Bane's eye. Staring hard as she closed in the distance towards him, she felt the sharpness of teeth against her throat just as the whistle of a knife blade sounded past her ear. Hearing a gurgling sound as the man released his hold on her skin, she felt him falling backwards as she pressed the palm of her hand on the blood flowing from her open wound. Feeling lightheadedness taking over as she fell down onto her knees, Charlotte glanced over her shoulder as she recognized the knife blade from Bane's belt.

Turning back around, the young woman focused her blurry vision on the six-foot four masked man as he stood tall, moving the hand that had thrown the knife back onto his belt buckle.

I won asshole

Feeling the smirk spreading across her dry lips, Charlotte slid her palm down off the side of her throat as she passed out onto the ground, her last moments feeling multiple greedy hands grabbing at the fabric of her clothes.

…

Read, Review, and Enjoy!