Grace woke up with Bane's large arm wrapped around her waist.
While she would never admit it out loud, she enjoyed his warmth. It was cold in the sewers.
His mechanical breathing acted as a white noise machine, almost lulling her back to sleep.
No! Wake up!
"Bane?" She tried to shake his arm.
It only tightened around her.
"Sleep, my dear."
"I'm going to kick you if you don't let me up."
"Go ahead." He seemed to be falling back asleep.
"I'll kick you in the one place you actually care about." She tried to manoeuvre her leg, but found her body suddenly pushed against the wall.
"Bane!"
"Do not threaten me, you should know better than that."
Grace tried in vain to push back, but it was like trying to move a boulder.
She tried to move up and down to break free.
Her hips pushed back with as much force as she could muster over and over.
"You should stop doing that." He grunted.
"Trying to break free?" She pushed back again.
"It is not having the effect you desire."
Grace paused in that moment when she felt something against her back.
She looked back at him. Bane still had his eyes closed.
"Are you serious right now?"
His eyes opened.
"Do not blame me for this."
"So I should blame biology for your morning wood?"
"Partly, but if you insist on rubbing yourself against me, certain effects are bound to happen."
"Don't blame me, I wanted to kick you there, not make it…" The protrusion was getting difficult to ignore now. "I just wanted to get up."
"And I do not."
"Your cock says otherwise." She muttered.
Grace yelped as she was yanked beneath Bane's large body.
She was caged between his massive arms.
"I do not appreciate vulgarity."
"And given your promise not to fu-fornicate with me, I don't appreciate you getting an erection when I'm pressed against you."
"As I said, I do not find the unwilling desirable."
She looked down at his cargo trousers, there was still the outline of his morning wood.
"I wish you would've just let me get up… or kick you."
"And I will remind you again, that should that part of my anatomy become injured, you will regret it."
They stared at each other for a while, at least Bane's morning wood was going down.
Bane eventually let her up and she was finally able to properly stretch out the kink in her neck.
"For someone built like a tank, it's almost reassuring to hear you have the same fears as most men."
"I am not afraid of anything." He stood and Grace tried not to cringe as he cracked his back.
She tried to test her theory by attempting to kick him between the legs, but quickly found herself restrained and face down on the bed.
He tutted down at her.
"You are too predictable."
"How did that happen so quickly?"
One second her leg was getting ready to kick him, the next she was pinned down on the bed by his massive hand.
"Years of training and never underestimating your opponent."
"Glad you see me as an opponent."
"I was being generous."
He pulled her up to stand.
"I wish I could fight." She muttered. He had overpowered her so easily.
She could feel Bane staring at her.
"What?"
"Do you really wish to learn?"
"Sure."
He hummed in thought before handing her a bag. "Eat, I will be back soon." He left their room and locked the door.
Grace ate her usual bag of dry granola with her water. She would give anything to have a cup of coffee.
She opened up that trashy romance novel she was telling Barsad about for something to do to pass the time. It's not like she had anything else to do except wait for Bane's return.
The door opened as she finished the book.
"You're back early? Is it already dinnertime?" Grace had been finding it difficult to keep track of the hours down here.
"No, I am here to ask if you would like to join me in the training area?"
She blinked slowly at him.
"You're letting me out?"
"I will be keeping an eye on you the entire time."
It was better than nothing.
"Why?"
"So you do not run away."
"No, I mean why are you letting me out?"
"Would you prefer to remain here?"
"No!" He raised a brow. "I mean, no thank you."
"Come along." Bane gestured for her to follow. "And it goes without saying that should you try anything, I will bring you straight back to our room."
"Understood."
When they reached the training area, Grace wasn't shocked to see people sparring.
After what happened with Barsad, Grace gathered that they did this often.
"Grace?" The voice of her brother made her turn, he was right behind her. When did he suddenly get so swift on his feet?
"Patrick." She looked him over. He looked stronger and almost taller than the last time she saw him.
"He finally let you out?"
"Yes."
"How did you convince him?"
"You don't want to know." She muttered.
Her brother's sudden lack of colour made her go over what she just said.
"Oh god! No! I didn't mean-"
"I don't want to hear the details." He put his hands over his ears.
"Grace, people are trying to train." Bane appeared at her side.
Everyone had stopped sparring to look at the siblings.
"Sorry, I'll keep my voice down. It was just a misunderstanding-"
"Don't want to hear it." Patrick still held his hands over his ears.
"Are you finished?" Bane gave Patrick a deathly glare until he lowered his hands in defeat.
"Yes."
"Good." Bane turned to Grace. "You may train with your brother or you may watch the others."
"Train me?"
"You should know how to defend yourself." Bane advised.
"Because then Bartov wouldn't have brought me here?" She scoffed. And she would have gotten to kick Bane.
Someone chuckled off to the side.
"Very funny, Kotik." Bartov gave her a condescending smile. "Woman cannot defeat man."
"How's the scar on your hand?" She snapped.
"It is nothing but a love bite." He looked her up and down. "Let me know if I can return the favour." His hand traced her hip.
Grace smacked his hand away.
Bartov grabbed her wrist and brought her closer.
"Such a naughty pussy cat. Maybe I show you how we discipline our women in the Bratva." Bartov's hand caressed her waist.
Grace didn't have a chance to respond before Bartov was yanked back and thrown to the ground.
"That's enough." A seething Barsad warned in his ear.
"You are so protective of her, you must miss her company something terrible." Bartov, even while being held down, managed to sound creepier than normal.
"What are you implying?" Barsad flipped him over so he straddled his chest with an elbow across his throat.
"Is nothing." Bartov laughed.
"That is enough." Bane warned.
Both men stared at each other for another minute, neither blinked, before they acquiesced and broke apart.
Bartov went to pass Bane when he stopped him with a hand on his chest. "If you wish to keep your hands, they will never touch Grace again."
Bartov understood the warning and gave him a quick nod before leaving the gym.
Grace watched Bane's hands clench and unclench.
"Grace, are you okay?" Patrick broke her out of her trance.
"Yes, I'm fine." She watched Barsad catch her eye, but he didn't do more than nod in her direction.
"Come here, we'll do some punches."
He showed her how to wrap her hands and the two began some gentle stretches.
"Remember, you're small, so stay low. Use your size to your advantage."
"Okay." She moved into a fighting stance.
The two had gone over some basic moves. How to punch block and duck.
It actually felt good to exercise for once.
xxx
Bane watched Patrick teach Grace some of the basics.
Just as they were about to fight, both siblings must have remembered that they were brother and sister.
He watched on amusedly as she tackled him around the waist.
Patrick pulled on her hair and she slapped him across the face.
The two began to wrestle, both flipping the other onto their back when one became too cocky.
It was only when they were on their feet again and Grace made to run into Patrick that he put his hand on her head and held her away from him as she swung wildly, trying to hit him.
"Just like old times." Patrick laughed at her.
Some of the other men laughed too, but while Patrick became distracted by the attention, Grace grabbed his hand and pulled him swiftly forward.
He landed with an 'oof' onto his stomach and Grace quickly jumped onto his back and twisted his arm until he groaned.
"Say "I'm the champion."
"I'm the champion." He snarked.
She twisted his arm harder.
"Okay! You're the champion." He conceded.
"Thought so." She got off his back and helped him up again.
It was like they never fought.
Bane caught Patrick's slightly reddening face.
"I know what you're going to say. But, in my defence, she's my annoying little sister."
She punched his arm.
"And I still won."
"Dad would kill me if I hurt you. He always told me to let you win when we lived at home."
"That's just something he told you to make you feel better when I won."
"Do you want to go again?" Both siblings began to square off for another round.
"Barsad, spar with Fitzgerald." Bane interrupted.
"Then who am I going to train with?" Grace frowned.
"Me."
"You?" Patrick balked. "B-but you'll kill her." Bane gave him a warning look. "W-what I meant to say is…" He seemed to be looking to god for the right words before giving up with a shrug. "No, I'm sticking with my first thought. I mean, look at you and look at her." Patrick looked to Barsad for support.
"Bane knows the limits of his opponent."
"Really? How's the ribcage by the way?" Patrick challenged Barsad.
"Know the line." Barsad warned quietly.
Patrick seemed to take a deep breath to calm down.
"Just… Please don't hurt her."
"She will be safe with me."
"I'll be fine. He won't hurt me." Grace reassured Patrick.
Bane's eyes narrowed. He could kill her easily, but she was right, he wouldn't hurt her.
"Show me your form." Bane instructed.
She bent her knees slightly and moved her arms in front of her solar plexus.
"Good. Now hit my hand as hard as you can." He opened his palms.
She swung back and hit his left palm.
"Good." He praised. "You will have more power if you refrain from pulling your elbow back that far."
"Okay, like this." She punched again.
"Better." She smiled for a moment.
They continued like that for a long time.
When her hands began cramping, Bane allowed them to move on to kicking. Showing her how to get the most power from her weak legs.
"As your brother suggested, use your small stature to your advantage."
"Kick them in the balls?" She smirked.
His eyes gave away their disappointment.
"Escape."
"So I should use my legs to run away."
"I could think of something else she could use her legs for." Someone snorted behind them.
Bane turned to see Joey. It took him a moment to remember the man.
He was teasing Patrick again.
"Uh oh, someone looks pissy."
"Shut your fucking mouth, Joey!"
"Wah wah wah. What a baby."
Patrick lunged for Joey, but he was caught by Barsad.
"Don't, he's not worth it." he pushed Patrick away.
"Stay away from my sister!"
"When Bane's run her through, maybe the rest of us will finally get to hear her sing."
Bane's fist clenched at his words. He wouldn't kill Joey in front of Grace. Not after the last time.
"What did you say?" Grace marched over to the young man. Bane didn't realise that she had heard the comment.
"Relax lady, it was only a joke." Joey took out a flask and drank. Bane watched Grace's face scrunch up at the smell.
"I can take a joke, that wasn't funny."
"Somebody's frustrated, not getting enough pipe?"
She balked at the young man.
"What on earth is wrong with you?"
"You're being dramatic, I'm allowed to look, not touch." He saluted Bane with a wink. "Besides, I doubt your pussy's worth the chase anymore. Surprised you can still walk. I imagine Bane's probably broken you in more ways than we can even imagine."
Grace's hand automatically reached out to strike Joey.
Joey easily caught her wrist in his grip and shoved her backwards so she fell on the ground.
Patrick lunged for the man.
"Hey! Keep your fucking hands off her!" Barsad continued to keep Patrick back.
"Why? You have no problem with Bane shoving his dick in her."
Patrick saw red and O'Brien had to step in to help hold him back.
"You appear to not have learnt your lesson from before." Bane stalked closer. "So, am I to gather that you have gone mad and would like me to put you out of your misery, or are you so deluded to think that I will not kill you right now and are trying to prove yourself to the others?"
Joey took another swig from his flask.
"You allowed the Paddy to be initiated, and yet I'm still stuck as a sewer rat watching you flaunt your sex-slave in front of the rest of us."
"Don't call me a fucking Paddy!" Patrick yelled.
"You're nothing but dirty Irish scum who's lucky to have a bangable sister his boss can rape to his heart's-" Bane's hand shot out and wrapped around Joey's throat.
The small man squealed in pain.
"Make another comment about me, and I will turn you inside out. Touch Grace again and I will inflict a fate worse than death."
"You don't deserve any of this. You're a hired gun who has no real power. You're not even really in charge. You're just a slave to some bitc-"
Bane's hand tightened around Joey's throat.
"If you cannot be respectful, you have no place here."
"F-fine, I'll go back home." Joey huffed.
"You will be going in the river."
Joey's eyes went wide as Bane lifted him off the ground.
"Say goodbye to your brothers." Bane made to squeeze when he felt someone pulling on his arm.
"Stop!" Grace tried to pull him back. "Don't do this Bane!"
His eyes darted to Grace. Her eyes were red as she tried to pull his arm down.
He lowered Joey to the ground, but didn't let up his grip.
"He is aware of our rules, disrespect is not tolerated and no one is allowed to hurt you."
"I'm not hurt and I don't want to watch someone else die."
"Then turn around." He warned.
"Please. You don't have to do this."
"I cannot be seen as weak. He has already been warned for his behaviour and now he must pay."
"Can't you just teach him a lesson?"
"I am. A permanent one."
"This isn't how to instil loyalty, it's how you instil fear."
"I am not his teacher, I am his leader. You yourself said it was important to follow through on your threats. I bruised his kidney the last time he made a comment out of turn, and promised if it were to happen again, that I would remove it."
Grace looked like she was pondering something in her mind.
"Then do that."
"Do what?" Bane frowned.
"Remove his kidney."
Bane's grip loosened slightly at her words, that was… diabolical.
"Oh fuck that!" Joey managed to break free and tried to push Barsad out of the way, but Barsad caught him and held him there with the help of Patrick. "That bitch is crazy!"
"Shut your fucking mouth." Patrick snarled. "If Bane doesn't deal with you, then I will."
"That is not what I had in mind." Bane looked towards the struggling man.
"You don't have to kill him, but if you need to punish him, then follow through with your threat."
Bane mulled it over in his mind.
Others seemed to be curious to see if he would follow through.
"Kidney's can go for serious money on the dark web." Patrick suggested.
"Perhaps." There was a crowd forming around the commotion. "Can you facilitate the sale?" He looked towards Patrick.
"It will be my pleasure." Patrick had another crazed look on his face.
"Very well, bring him to Romesh."
"No! Wait! Stop!" Joey screamed as he was dragged away. "Please!"
Grace watched the scene with a deadpan expression.
"Very creative. Much like your homework punishment, this may help our league retain more members."
"I couldn't stand by while you killed someone else."
Grace made to leave.
He followed her.
Not knowing where she was going, he wasn't surprised to see Barsad and Patrick walking towards them with a split lip and stretched clothing.
"Bastard put up a fight." Patrick wiped away the blood.
"Are you okay?" She stepped in to give him a onceover.
"Am I okay? Are you okay?"
"No, but I haven't been okay in a long time."
Patrick's eyes flickered to Bane's for a second.
"Do you want to get something to eat?"
"No, I don't feel that hungry."
"You should eat something-"
"I said I'm not hungry." She snapped.
"Okay, I'll see you later." Patrick and Barsad made their way out.
"I'll escort you back to our room."
"Don't speak to me."
Bane quickly pushed her into a small alcove.
"Do not speak to me like that."
"You were really going to kill that man in front of me?"
"Yes."
"How can you be so blasé about death?"
"How can you believe I would let him live after he put his hands on you."
"I was trying to slap him, why haven't you punished me?"
"Trust me, you will know when you are being punished."
Grace moved close and stood toe-to-toe. Her lips almost touched his mask.
"Prove it."
Before she could react, she was thrown over his shoulder.
"Put me down!"
Bane ignored her as he carried her through the corridors.
Other League members nodded as they passed by. Some of the non-members gave him almost knowing winks and crude gestures as they passed.
xxx
Grace felt the blood rush to her head after hanging upside down for so long.
She didn't know where they were heading.
The corridor they were heading down wasn't familiar to Grace.
"Where are we going?"
"You wanted to be punished?"
"I don't want to be punished, I know you won't do anything to me."
"I fear I have made you complacent."
"And how do you plan to rectify this?"
"A demonstration."
She could hear static, like a large flowing body of water.
She remembered Patrick talking about bodies appearing in the river.
Was he finally going to kill her?
Her breathing became shallow and she subtly tried to lift herself up.
Bane walked through a door and dumped her onto a chair.
Grace pushed back against the chair to get away from him.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"As I said, for a demonstration."
Grace was about to launch into another round of questions when he turned on a monitor in the room and left without another word.
Grace jumped up to open the door, but it was locked.
What on earth did he mean by demonstration?
The screen was showing a platform and what looked like falling water.
The video had no sound.
Grace was in that room for probably 2 hours until something finally happened.
Was that... Batman?