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 Nine

Song(s): 3 Libras (A Perfect Circle)

Hearing the young woman's screams growing distant down the dark damp tunnel, Bane sucked in a deep breath and turned towards his men still standing over the body of Thomas.

"You will stay with the body until it has burned down to ash," he instructed as he felt Barsad against his arm. Keeping his eyes firm on the retreating bodies as they followed his instruction, Bane breathed in deeply as Barsad opened his mouth to speak.

"She is more trouble than her worth."

She is smart, not stupid

So different from all the other women I have come across

"Aren't all women?"

Hearing the Mercenary's response, Barsad knew better than to challenge as he watched Bane cross his arms over his chest, seemingly deep in thought.

"Why bother with her? Women of the evening are brought down here and…"

"She is not, a woman of the evening" Bane growled as Barsad shut his mouth firmly. "And I do have plans for her."

…

The Doctor is dead

Thomas is dead

There is no one left to tell anyone that I am down here…

Breathing hard as she spied the soft fire light from behind Bane's curtained off private quarters; she felt her legs growing weak with every closer step.

I have to get the hell out of here

I have to try…

Feeling a hand roughly shoving her forward against the curtain, Charlotte spun around and froze just as the guard raised his gun, pointing it directly in her face.

"Don't do anything fucking stupid before he gets here."

"Because if I do, he will kill you first…"

Catching the henchman's eyes widening as the barrel of his gun lowered slightly, Charlotte felt her lips twitch as the man started to back away, allowing the curtain to fall off his shoulder. Turning around and stomping towards the dying fire, Charlotte stared down at the sharp edges of wood piled on the concrete floor with a million thoughts racing through her head.

Stabbing Bane or one of his guards might buy me five minutes

Five minutes of wrong turns in the tunnels wondering where in the fuck I am and how far down I am from the surface

Five minutes, before he would strangle me without a second thought

"What the fuck am I going to do?" she whispered to herself with hurried breath as she turned back towards the oak desk and chair in the far corner. Pulling open every drawer, she found nothing of use before slamming the last one shut just as she froze at the sound of his masked breathing behind her.

"Looking for something?"

Slowly straightening up, Charlotte kept her hands at her sides as she watched the Mercenary turning back around to adjust the curtain barrier that kept the dimly lit room private.

"If you let me leave right now…I promise, no, I swear to fucking God that I will never say anything to anyone about you and your men down here."

Catching Charlotte's eye as he blinked slowly, Bane simply chuckled as he crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Leaving is not an option for you Charlotte Teller. Or did you not see the dead Doctor in the tunnel…"

Feeling her stomach sink as she glanced down at her arm encased in a cast, she wondered if there would be more injuries to come at his hands.

Of course there will be

"Am I going to die down here?"

"You very well might."

Feeling her head spinning with the quick raw honesty of his words, Charlotte threw a hand out and leaned against the desk.

Her only friend was dead.

You were smart to take your own life Thomas.

So why can't I cry for you?

"Submit yourself to me fully and you might live to see your freedom."

Throwing her eyes onto his face, she felt her stomach growing in knots before raising her eyes onto the wet concrete sewer ceiling.

"Your idea of freedom vastly differs from my own idea" she challenged as Bane turned and squared his shoulders.

"And what is your idea, of freedom? Driving the streets in a police cruiser? Dealing with petty crime and narcotics? Perhaps marriage and children?"

To hell with you if you think I am going to go into detail about my life

"My taste of freedom lasted only a day before you took it away."

Taking a step towards her, Charlotte steadied herself as he stared down into her face from his full height.

"Perhaps you should think about making peace with losing your old life, and embracing your new life."

…

Gotham City Police Department, Prescient 113, 1 Police Plaza, Gotham City…

Entering the SIU office, Blake felt a pair of exhausted eyes on his face as he stepped forward to the long line of desks.

"My name is John Blake, and I was looking to speak to one of the investigating officers about their findings from one week ago? The night the Commissioner was hospitalized?" he spoke, catching the woman's node as she offered out a hand.

"Have a seat Officer Blake, I'll see what I can do for you."

Fifteen minutes later…

"John Blake? Sergeant Keenley. What can I do for you?"

Rising to his feet, Blake shook the officer's hand and proceeded to walk alongside him as they entered a private office near the back.

"I have some questions about the incident involving the Commissioner from last week? A friend of mine was the officer who accompanied Gordon and the SWAT officers into the tunnel. Her body, I understand was not recovered?"

Taking a heavy seat in his chair, Keenley sighed as he flipped open a file near his right elbow.

"Correct. All the SWAT Officers were accounted for. All dead. The Commissioner was found by you at the mouth of one of the sewers, but yes, the body of Officer Third Class Charlotte Teller was not recovered."

"But you have found pieces of her uniform?"

"Commissioner Gordon was found wearing her bulletproof vest. Her belt minus the standard issue gun was also discovered. What my forensic team has concluded, is that before the explosion that you witnessed up from the pipe, Teller must have given her vest to the Commissioner. I've known Jim for a few years and I can tell you that he would not have demanded it or taken it off a body. He is not that kind of person."

"Hence, he went down into the sewers initially without a vest" Blake offered as the Sergeant nodded his head.

"Our conclusion, is that Charlotte Teller died instantly, in the explosion. That would explain why her body was not found, why no body parts have filtered through the sewer systems, and why none of her other items were found."

"You don't think that she could have survived and is somewhere still down there?"

Clearing his throat as he settled back in his seat, Keenley narrowed his eyes and studied the young dark-haired officer seated before him.

"We went through one mile of piping in either direction and found nothing. No markings, no signs that anyone had been around. If she had gone further into the tunnels, she would have found any number of stairs that would lead her up to ground level. If she was indeed down there, she could have found a way to alert someone above that she was alive."

Catching the young man's grimace as he took in the information, the Sergeant shook his head as he slowly closed the file.

"You say Officer Teller was a friend of yours, so it's natural that you are going to want to believe that she somehow made it through the explosion…" he began as Blake quickly lifted his head.

"I was told of the Commissioner's injuries since I was the one who found him, and he had a bullet wound in his right thigh. How would he have something like that if there was just an explosion? His bullet could show that there were others down in the sewers, may still be down there."

"We have exhausted our search Officer Blake. There are hundreds of thousands of running pipes and concrete sewer tunnels. If anyone or anything is down there, they don't want to be found."

"With your permission Sir, I'd like to see a map of where all your team has searched."

Cocking a single eyebrow, Kennley clenched his fist before relaxing his fingers.

"Trust me John, I know you want her to be alive, but the report that I will be submitting will state, that Officer Charlotte Teller died in the line of duty."

What, they went down there?

Feeling the Sergeant's eyes running over his face, as he had a flashback of the opening of the pipe, Blake shifted slightly in his seat as his Superior Officer sighed loudly.

"You are thinking of going down there, aren't you?"

Snapping back to attention with Kennley's words, Blake remained silent as the man seated across from him shook his head, rising to his feet.

"For your safety Officer Blake, I can not stress that you do not go down into the sewers on your own time. Don't be a fucking martyr. She is dead, and I am sticking to that report."

…

"Perhaps you should think about making peace with losing your old life, and embracing your new life."

Pursing her lips as she listened to Bane's words, she dared to raise to her eyes onto his as she felt him almost looking for something behind her irises.

"You think I consider my "new life" to be living in these fucking concrete cesspool sewers with a bunch of psychopaths carrying loaded guns who think they are some sort of solider?" she challenged, watching the man's eyes narrow as he took a step back from her.

"Officer Teller, how about I give you the chance you have been waiting for?"

"And what chance is that?"

"How about I give you ten minutes to try and find your way out of the tunnels."

Squaring her shoulders, Charlotte felt her mouth falling open as she heard his words.

I don't believe you

"You stare at me in non-belief. Have I lied to you in the entire time you have been down here?" Bane questioned as Charlotte shook her head.

It was true

He had never lied to her or misled her

But now…

It's dark in the tunnels

I have nothing with me, no supplies

I have no orientation for direction

And yet he seems confident to give me ten minutes…

Meaning, he'll know that I'll fail if I decide to try and run at this time. And that, will be the start of my never-ending punishment

I need to be smart

"No."

Hearing her whisper, he breathed in deeply before running the edge of his thumb along the edge of her jaw.

"You remind me of a small bird, trapped in a cage, eager to spread its wings and fly. I know that you will try to escape but let me give you a few words of caution. If you do try to run from me, I will ensure that you are found, and I will personally throw you into the arms of my hellish men who have been dying to taste you. And after they have had their fill of fucking you and you are nothing more than a bloody broken mess on the floor, I will dump you into the pit of my birth and resurrection where you will be further torn apart. Emotionally, spiritually, physically, and sexually."

Shivering as she felt the fingers of his other hand coming to rest upon her hip, Charlotte swallowed hard as she nodded her head slowly in understanding.

I am going to die down here

…

Please read, review, and enjoy!