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 Five

Song(s): World on Fire (Klergy)

Focusing her eyes on the far wall, Charlotte listened to the rushing of water from the tunnel below as she gave half a thought to throwing herself over the edge. Raising her eyes, she stared into the face of another henchman who held a machine gun close to his chest.

He is watching me intently

Did Bane tell you to keep an eye on me?

Hearing shouting from the other end of the tunnel, she backed up against the wall near her mat as she caught Thomas's eyes.

"Have you done any training here?" she questioned, watching as her friend nodded his head.

"Martial arts, grappling, holds."

Stuff I already know

"Any…weapons?"

"Guns yes, but with no ammunition. No knives either."

Because he doesn't trust anyone

"EVERYONE LINE UP!"

Keeping her eyes forward as she, Thomas, and four other men were marched down further into the sewer tunnels, it wasn't lost on her that she was last in line with an armed guard keeping step right behind her. Moving her eyes left and right at every corner and alcove, she stepped through the puddles and felt the chill in her shoulders as they reached a large open room set up with tables and mats.

Moving her eyes around the room, she saw no one leaning against a wall or watching from the darkness as she folded her arms across her chest.

He's not here

"I should not be counting to see you around every corner and bend" Charlotte muttered to herself as she folded her hands across her front.

Bring it on henchmen…

Daggett Industries, 2314 Chambers Street, Gotham City…

Focusing his dark eyes on the closed door across the room, Bane breathed in deeply as he moved towards a floor to ceiling oak bookshelf. Scanning over the titles, he sighed as everything spoke of finance.

Finance and money are not the answer Mr. Daggett

Bringing the edge of his thumb up against the cracked spine of a biography, Bane perked his ears up as he listened to muffled voices approaching the very room, he stood in.

"Bane I understand? You are a Mercenary from somewhere in Europe?"

Nodding his head as he tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jacket, he settled his eyes on a small grey-haired man with a sharp nose and shrewd looking eyes as he flew across the floor in a hurry, flanked by a suited man with dark hair.

"Yes."

"I'll make this short and sweet. I will hire you and your men. What I want, is Wayne Enterprises. I want their market, I want their technology, I want their monopoly. I want the money and if something unfortunate were to happen in my bid to gain access to that, well…I believe that would be your specialty" Daggett smiled as Bane nodded his head without offering a single word.

"Money is no object of course, and you would have access to my construction crews should you require it."

Flexing his fingers, he watched as Daggett's second in command stared nervously in his direction before he turned quickly on the heel of his shoe.

I would require it for my plans

Gotham has been living on borrowed time and needs to be completely destroyed

Sighing in boredom as Daggett offered a seat at his table for dinner, Bane ignored him as he drew in a deep breath.

Your training began this morning after I left Officer Teller

Licking his lips as he remembered staring up at her as she stood at the side of his bed nearly naked, he thought of her actions and the curious stare of her eyes.

She gave herself to me

To ask for my forgiveness

My protection

"What do you have against Gotham City that you would travel halfway across the world?"

Blinking quickly as Daggett's irritating voice spoke out his question, Bane offered no answer as he turned towards the door of the room, leaving in silence.

Sighing as she and all the others were marched back towards their concreate area of residence beside the continuously running waterfall that had carried James Gordon off and into uncertain darkness, Charlotte frowned as she looked around for her gym mat.

Gone

Some asshole took it?

Kicking aside an empty cigarette package, she felt her stomach growling intensely as she watched Thomas slumping down in his corner.

I would eat anything right now, no matter the amount of mold

Catching sight of a different guard taking up the familiar post, she felt his eyes staring intently in her direction as she shook her head.

Stop acting paranoid

They are watching everybody

Hearing Thomas's low cough from the dark corner, Charlotte took a seat on the dirty concrete and scooted up to lean her back against the wall.

"Where is your mat?"

"Being used as some else's pillow I imagine" she spat, hearing his shuffling close as he held the ends of her blanket closed against his chest.

Arching a curious eye, she watched as the man shivered before breathing out slowly.

He is wearing my blanket to cover a chill, but he is sweating

"Thomas, you're sweating."

"Yeah it's hot."

But it's not

"You're also clutching my blanket around your shoulders as if your life depended on it and you're shaking." Shuffling around on the concreate floor, she squatted down in front of her only friend and pressed her cool palm against his forehead.

"You're burning up."

Giving an awkward smile as he felt her hand falling away, Thomas coughed once more into the blanket around his chest as he avoided her eyes.

"Lucky me, maybe I'll die before that murderer shows his face around here again."

No

No, you can't quit that easily Thomas

Not on me

Hearing the shuffling of boots behind her, she heard the familiar clang of the metal dish falling onto the floor with that night's dinner scraps.

Half eaten chicken bone and stale bread…

"What the fuck?"

Dragging the plate closer towards her with her index finger, Charlotte stared at the perfectly roasted chicken quarter, mashed potatoes, and unblemished pear.

This could only come from Bane's direction

Feeling the saliva pooling in her mouth as she stared at the food, she heard Thomas coughing loudly as his plate was tossed down. Turning around, she watched as he gently banged his stale piece of bread against the edge of the plate before tucking it away into the pocket of his shirt for later.

Bane gave me a blanket

He is now giving me extra food

I've been welcomed back into his good graces two-fold it seems and all I had to do was submit to him…

Taking up her plate, she turned around and scooted close to her friend as she sat on the corner of his map.

"Eat Thomas."

Watching his eyes go wide as he stared at the roasted meat she had pulled apart into two pieces, he threw his eyes up and looked around him before nodding his head.

"What did you do Charlotte?"

Not offering an answer to his question, she felt his eyes on her face searching for any information as she pushed the plate closer towards him.

"He's given you a blanket, he hasn't disciplined you for killing his men, and now, he's given you this food…" Popping a piece of chicken into her mouth, Charlotte crossed her legs and winced as she felt the developing bruises forming along her hips from Bane's strong hands.

"And you didn't sleep on your mat last night."

Shaking her head at his spoken observations, the young Officer kept her eyes low as she ate another piece of chicken.

"I did what I had to do to save your life… and mine" she added as Thomas closed his mouth in silence.

Two hours Later…

"I wish to speak with Bane."

Catching the surprise in Barsad's eyes as Charlotte stood before him, she narrowed her eyes he let out a low chuckle, shaking his head.

"He is not here."

Folding her hands behind her back, she kept her eyes locked with Bane's second in command as he adjusted the scope of his rifle that laid across his thigh.

Fine then

"I'll just wait until he returns" she challenged, hearing the man's chuckle once more as she watched him loading the rifle with bullets.

"It would be unwise and unsafe for you to be wandering around the tunnels in the dark and alone" he spoke, chambering a round as Charlotte allowed her arms to fall at her sides…

Three hours Later…

Sitting propped up against the concreate wall, she could feel the coolness through her long-sleeved black top as she slowly stretched her legs out. Retying the laces of her SWAT boots, she moved her eyes towards Thomas as he lay curled up, shivering beneath her blanket.

Staring into the darkness in front of her, Charlotte rose to her feet and laid a hand on the wall.

Left, then right, right, then left, then straight

Moving her hand along the cold wall of the tunnel, she followed the directions she had memorized before tucking herself into a small alcove as low voices broke out directly in front of her. Holding her breath, she closed her eyes and listened to the heavy booted footsteps growing distant before a small smile spread across her lips.

Fuck you hired help. If he ordered you to watch me, you all failed

Rounding the last corner slowly, she took a deep breath and smelled nothing as the room in front of her lay completely dark. No fire, no candles, no powered lighting. Pushing past the curtain, she heard it gently fall back into place behind her as she stood still.

There was a desk off to the corner. Walk straight, and at the far end of the wall there is a fireplace. Off to the left, the bed

His bed, that I have slept in with him

Taking a light seat on the edge of the wooden chair behind the desk, Charlotte slowly allowed herself to rest against the back as it creaked lightly. Propping her boots up on the desk, she crossed her ankles and crossed her arms over her chest, settling in for however long a wait it would take for Bane to return.

Forty minutes later…

Feeling herself starting to fall asleep, Charlotte perked up immediately as she picked up the sounds of metallic labored breathing approaching the curtained off area.

Now I have the upper hand

Hearing Bane's heavy footsteps, she sat perfectly still as he pushed aside the curtain and entered into the closed off darkness. Hearing him navigating in the pitch dark, she heard him shed a garment of clothing before he moved over towards the fireplace.

He has no trouble moving around in the dark

Hearing the single strike of a match, she watched as a small flame lit from the wood before it spread onto stacked newspaper that must have been wedged in with the wooden pieces. Crossing her arms over her chest, she settled her eyes on his dark outline as she slowly sat back in the chair, hearing the slight creek of the wood.

Watching him tossing down the box of matches, Charlotte froze as she heard the sound of a gun chambering a bullet against her left ear.

"If you somehow believed that you had an advantage over me, you are greatly mistaken Officer Teller."

Hearing a low chuckle from behind her left shoulder, the young woman laid her hands flat against her thighs as she felt the cold muzzle of the gun pressing against the side of her cheek, sliding down towards her mouth.

"I asked one of your goons earlier to speak with you, and you were not here" she spoke calmly, watching Bane as he turned around towards her.

"An astute observation. And so, you then decided to try your hand in the darkness? I am curious as to why you didn't try harder to escape through the tunnels?" Bane questioned as he came to stand in front of the desk she sat at. Moving his eyes onto her lips, he watched as the muzzle of the gun traced along her lips as she refused to show any hint of fear.

"Leave us."

Feeling the muzzle of the hand gun pausing against her chin, she raised her eyes towards Bane and could see his cold steel like stare as whichever henchman had been holding the gun, slipped away without question and back into the dark tunnel.

Alone

I am alone with him again

"What exactly is it that you wish to speak to me about?"

Moving her eyes over his broad shoulders, she could see that he had on the same long-sleeved black shirt as that morning but with different cargo pants. Breathing out deeply, Charlotte sat up straight and pressed her back hard against the chair.

His chair

"Thomas needs medical attention, and not just gauze and band aids. He is sweating, has a fever, and has the chills as well."

Knocking the knuckles of his balled up right hand against the wooden surface of the desk, Bane stared down into Teller's face as he breathed out deeply.

"Your observations are duly noted."

Duly noted? Is he fucking kidding me?

Feeling her anger growing as she sucked in a deep breath, Charlotte folded her hands together and interlaced her fingers as she narrowed her eyes.

"He'll be useless to you if he gets worse" she challenged, watching as the murderous leader slowly started to round the edge of the desk, approaching direction from her right.

"Then, until he becomes worse, he will still be counted among my men."

Rising slowly to her booted feet, she felt his desk eyes over her face as she balled her fists up against her thighs.

"Then, I'll just throw myself out" she muttered, remaining still as Bane brought his hands up and onto his hips.

I'll have to ask Thomas for my blanket back now that my mat has been stolen…

"What are you thinking about?"

Hearing Bane's question as his masked words reached her ears, Charlotte narrowed her eyes before re-crossing her arms across her chest, feeling the chill settling over the room as her eyes darted towards the weak fire.

What do you care?

"I'm thinking about…nothing" she spoke, feeling the hair on the back of her neck standing straight up as Bane stepped closer towards her.

"You are not a very good liar."

Holding herself steady as Bane refused to break eye contact, Charlotte cleared her throat as she heard a loud pop from the fireplace.

"Barsad tells me that you shared your dinner tonight."

Arching an eyebrow in confusion, Teller allowed her arms to slowly fall back along her sides as she realized that all along, the henchmen had been tasked to watch her every moment.

"So?"

"The extra food is for you only. If you insist on sharing it with the sick, it will not be afforded to you."

"As long as Thomas is with me, I will continue to share" she boldly challenged catching sight of Bane's fingers flexing quickly against his thigh.

"Then you will eat your dinners here in my presence from now on, going forward."

Feeling her anger boiling over, Charlotte quickly lunged towards him, throwing her left hand out in a strike as Bane easily grabbed her wrist, twisting it around as she let out a yelp.

"I am stronger and faster than you are. I told you the next time you strike out at me I would break your arm…." he hissed, twisting her arm hard as Charlotte tried her best to hold in her scream between her clenched teeth.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Hearing his question as she felt the tears forming in her eyes, Charlotte said nothing as she closed her eyes tightly.

He's giving me a way out

All I have to do is say "Yes, stop."

Please read, review, and enjoy!

KyloRen'sGirl213 – Yes! I had posted this story years ago, then I took it down. But I am committed to re-editing and finishing it! Thanks for reading!