Batman Begins/Dark Knight 1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Christopher Nolan and DC owns all rights. I own Danika Doe. **

"Great Love is wild and passionate and dangerous, it burns and consumes…until there is nothing left"

...

She knew it was wrong, she knew it was perverse but like he said "her faith is what will bring her demise".

As Bruce and Selina went off to save the city, she was left there bleeding to death, she knew that with moments left, she should at least share them with the one person she understood, and the one person that ever understood her.

Crawling, leaving a trail of blood behind her, she crept and slowly, painfully, pulling herself on her elbows what few feet felt like miles, to him. When she reached him, his body laid limp and dead. She had realized she was too late, the blast he suffered to his abdomen at the hands of Selina was too severe. Once Danika realized, she couldn't hold it back any longer leaning up on her shoulders she coughed what she thought was bile, realizing it was blood, she knew these were her last moments, then she felt a slight kick from boots at her hands. His boots.

She quickly crawled her way up to where they both could see each other's faces'. She all but collapsed on his left shoulder as they both laid there, he looked at her, gasping slow breathes; he managed to get out, "Couldn't stay away, masochist".

She looked up at his eyes, those piercing bluish grey eyes looked quite different this time, not terrifying, menacing, or controlling as they normally were, although not loving or admirable, but she didn't expect any more, still different, she thought.

"Just thought I'd come say I told you so", she coughed blood again, on his arms, which seemed to be holding her stable.

She felt his hand, this disastrous, evil, thing, on her face, not crushing her jaw, or in taunt, but like he did want her there. She reached up to his mask, and with an almost gasp of a sentence said, "Once more", she then unclasped the front piece of his mask, pulling herself onto him just a bit, without breaking any eye contact, she placed her bloodstained lips on his, and they kissed.

When she pulled away her lips from his, she reached and clasped back his mask. He knew why, looking at her with recognition, she starred into his eyes, he looking like he had to say something, breathed in to try to form words, She interrupted him, "I know."

And with that she laid her head down on his chest, and drifted away. He laid there knowing that the morphine being pumped into his mask was the only thing that gave him his last moments. Embracing death, he laid his head back onto the ivory floor and gently squeezed her hand and with that he was gone as well.

5 Months earlier ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Standing all but defeated in Bane's lair, she wondered what she was doing there, how it all came to this. She had followed Bruce after Selina, she didn't trust Selina, after the fight that just occurred, she had every right not to. 4 of Bane's henchmen held Danika back, so she could see the destruction Bane inflicted on The Bat. Danika couldn't believe her eyes, they carried him off, and she realized that she had to fight or die, she needed to get away from this man. Danika felt a shift in her breathing, her muscles tense, and her eyes dilate. In a swift move she got her arms and legs free of the 4 men who had let go enough for her to burst through, they probably expected that she would just give up at that point. They were wrong.

Danika looked over the railing of the death trap that led into the sewers, quickly surveying the chains, and architecture trying to figure out a way out of this hell. As the 4 men all but cornered her, she could feel the footsteps of that monster climbing his way up to them, she looked around and saw him climb the first set of stairs, there seemed to be 5 floors of a grate catwalk. Kicks and punches were flying everywhere, dodging as many as she could she knocked two of the men down and leaving only two one of the men left. She grabbed the chain and swung off of the catwalk in attempt to reach the a way off of the grates. The other man grabbed the chain mid swing, sending the chain along with Danika swinging like a rag doll into the air, Danika hit her head on one of the foundations and lost the chain from beneath her grasp, falling 2 floors down she grabbed onto one of the grates handles gripping for dear life. One of the henchmen grabbed her arms, stabilizing her, she looked over her shoulder at Bane who was just standing, statuesque, and watchful over the scene, she saw his eyes, fierce, knife like blue grey eyes, looked up at the man holding her while she hung 4 floors above what seemed like a deposit in the water tunnels, looking down at the water, looked to be about 10 feet deep, and of course she couldn't swim. Danika looked to Bane, who simply nodded.

_A nod!? What the hell do you get from a nod! Danika thought to herself. _

She knew what it meant all too quickly, and she felt herself falling, the man let go of her and she was falling, this is how she was going to die. As she plummeted into the water, the current and waves pushing her around effortless, she hit her head on a cement block. Lights out.


	2. Chapter 2

Bane slowly, almost gracefully walked into the waters and found the girl, and pulled her out with one hand, effortless, and dragged her onto the dry ground, dropping her arm like she was some unbearable weight he loathed to be touching right now.

His eyes scanned the girl's body, tilted his head a bit, almost bored looking, he examined her with close eyes, she seemed to be about 5'6, fairly skinny, but he did notice her curves, she had on black boots which probably added a bit to her height, which were concealed under black pants, and a black tee shirt, under a tightly fit leather jacket. He noticed slits in the sleeves, other than that fairly plain looking. He wondered to himself why she was accompanying the Bat, she didn't seem like a sidekick of anything, but she did put up a good fight. With that thought he shooed the others away to prepare for the next steps of his disastrous plan. He slowly, knelt down on one knee grabbed the girls face, examined it side to side, looked down for injuries, he noticed her black and reddened hair wet and in the way of her face, saw the black running off from her eyes down her cheeks, and what was the remainder of red lipstick, he proceeded to check for a pulse.

"Barely, there", Bane stated, to himself, he stared at her for a brief second more, knowing if there was anything he was to do left, it had to be now, put one knee on her left arm, and unclasped the front piece of his mask, in doing so there was a form of hiss let go as he swung aside the coil like structures that covered his face.

He leaned into her more and gave her mouth to mouth once, then intended to push on her chest, and with that Danika came back, fluids, and water in her lungs making her cough and try to roll over. Realization and Memory had come flushing back to her as she looked up.

Bane having time to put his mask in proper origin, while the girl was coughing and what not, then stood over her. Danika tried to get up, her body resisted her, she was so weak, still coughing, again felt herself losing her consciousness, she stared up at this masked monster, with weary eyes, and his in return almost piercing her, his arms were crossed, he knew she would lose consciousness again, he just waited.

When Danika let go and her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Bane sighed, wondering how this girl had still held on, after seeing what she saw him do to The Batman, after the fight she dealt with, and after drowning, how was she still holding on, better question, how would he use her, and her particular strength. Bane picked up Danika and carried her to his, bedroom, of sorts, told the men that he was taking Mr. Wayne to his "home" then he was to return, and deal with the girl, they shackled her to the bed, and dosed her with enough anesthesia to knock her out until Bane's return.


	3. Chapter 3

Danika eyes started to open, trying to bring her arm to her eyes to rub there she realized she couldn't move them, quickly Danika sat up, noticing her arms were the only thing shackled, there was one fear that automatically sprinted into her mind. Shaking it off she looked around for answers, it was dark, so dark, all that was around her from what she could tell was the cot she was on, another cot parallel to her feet, bookshelves, some sort of computers, and two walls that surrounded her that were made of some sort of containment boxes.

"My god", was all Danika could whisper to herself.

"Your god is no use to you here darling", Growls came from the shadows; at the same time Bane took appearance out of the darkness slowly.

Danika could almost feel her bones vibrate, with the sound of his voice. She quickly realized this man kept her alive for a reason, she couldn't show him fear, or any sign of a weakness. So with that in mind she sat up as much as she could, very much in pain, and feeling weakened and sick, still she had to not play into his game. So she just watched him. It took all she had to stare him in the eyes as he approached her, sitting on the bed ever so swiftly, not even meaning to intimidate, as if he was a friend visiting her at the hospital. There was silence for a few moments, but still staring. Between both of them.

Danika couldn't bare the heat of his eyes any longer, she slowly looked away to the bookcase, waiting.

"You're not going to ask me why I haven't just killed you and gotten it over it already?" Bane quizzed.

"Nope, you're either going to torture me, let me rot, or use me as entertainment, seeing as a guy like you probably doesn't get out much to get any lady attention. Either way, I'm already dead, asking is just a form of masochism at this point", Danika shot back still staring at the bookcase.

Banes eyebrow raised, he brought up a hand to Danika's face and turned it toward him, to look him in the eye. "And what, do you know of masochism my dear pet?"

Danika pulled her face away from his grasp, feeling the sting of his strong hand. "Masochism, me sitting here, asking Why, what are you going to do to me, please let me go", feeble questions as I try to prick at your "soft side", when I know it is obviously not going to help me, is just feeding into the mentality of the situation making it worse for me and more fun for you, so if you don't mind, I won't be playing this round of Damsel in Distress pleads with the ruthless mercenary".

"So you think there is a..soft..side to me?", Bane chuckled, his laugh sending chills up Danika's spine.

Almost menacingly, and tauntingly he brought his face closer to Danika's face putting both of his arms on her, to hold her down, as if the shackles didn't do enough.

"I only ask, if you would ask me "Why didn't I just kill you already", because it is what your city's hero asked the first of his waking moments when I placed him in my hell, you all believed in him, now you're going to believe in me, I am Gotham's reckoning, and I do have a use for you, I just have to find it first, and you will play my game, if you want a hope of surviving my world". He growled into Danika's ear. Afterwards he stepped away from her cot, still standing over awaiting a reaction.

"Hope, excuse me, but you don't know anything about me, if you did you wouldn't be trying to get your kicks off of feeding from my hope and slow decline of it. I'm sure you have a sad tale which what led you down this path, and you without a shadow of a doubt believe that anyone in easier shoes than you has hope you are sadly mistaken. I'm not afraid of you, of what you're going to do, so do your worst". Danika said hoping that she came off not afraid, and strong willed, that maybe this may just buy her a little bit of respect, or a bit of a knife being lodged into her heart, either way she won.

Bane just stared into her, walked again towards her and again to taunt her, brushed hair out of her face. After that, he turned around and slowly started stepping away.

Noticing that he was playing with her, trying to toy with her, she decided to say one last line on his final step out of the entrance way.

"By the way, Bane, everyone has a soft side, you'll see.", she threw out her best grin to go along with the statement, daring him.

He stopped, turned his head slightly, the metal of his mask gleaming in what only light was in this god forsaken place and simply turned back around and kept walking.

_I am going to break her, just as I broke The Bat, not physically, but I am going to break her spirit, her brave structure, then I am going to use her. Next to find out her name, and files. I'll start with her secrets. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! You have no idea how the respone has definately brought smiles and warm fuzzy feelings. To adress- Yeah I definately think when your doing a Bane story you need to him take off the mask, its almost physically impossible for him not too, but i get why Nolan didn't wanna touch that fact making him more god like and less human like. But thats why we have this beautiful website! I think Danika's strength is a bit much, but i meant it that way b/c as a part of her past that haunts her that you'll start to see that she has had years to pratice this **  
**"strength". Also, upcoming chapters will deffinately be longer! Thanks for all the follows and reviews, keep 'em coming! I have been burning through this story b/c I love it so much so I'll be posting a few chapters today! ****_5 by 5-Dee (: _**

Danika laid there. Thinking, trying to plan, trying to think up any way to get out of this. Thinking that she needed to get out, now that the Bat was gone, she needed to get out, to try and save this city, to kill Catwoman, and to foil Banes plan.

_Piece of Cake. _ Danika thought to herself, sighing. She stared at the ceiling of rock and cement above her, looking around to see any sort of anything that could help her. Realizing this man, monstrous and evil as he may be was not dumb. He brought her to this exact location for a purpose, probably because it was where he could keep an indefinite eye on her and there was nothing to help her get free.

Her mind was racing, thinking of her poor friend, hoping The Bat was dead, just because she didn't want him suffering like she knew she was about to. Still she asked herself "Why didn't I just listen for once, why didn't I not follow him down here, why couldn't I just stay out of it", she was no help to him, not even slowing down the fate of the poor Bat, at least if she had stayed up there, right now she could be doing…something, anything, but being held captive.

She then wondered where her weapons were, her sai's being knocked out of her hand during her initial altercation with one of Banes henchmen, she also wondered where her knuckles and other belongings were, she felt nothing in her pockets. She thought to herself when she would get to feel the steel rotate between her fingers again. The Bat had warned her about weapons, but he said no guns, never said anything about knives or her favorite weapon, her beloved sai's.

With that thought two henchmen appeared, one of them being the scruffy, long haired men she slashed earlier with one of her beloved, the slash on his face still red and stinging.

"You look pretty", Danika snarled out of her mouth. Sure she was afraid of Bane but she wasn't about to even pretend to be afraid of these lackeys.

He just stood in the doorway, anger raging in his eyes, but something held him back, she wondered had Bane told the rest of his get along gang not to touch her? _Hmm, probably wants to keep the hurting of me, all to himself. _The other man eyeing Danika up and down along the cot, started coming closer to her. Making her tense she pulled her body into herself. Eyeing the man with a warning, not like she could even fulfill that warning had he come to touch her, but she would be damned if she was gonna make it easy.

"Calm your nerves, girl, none of us can touch you", he sat getting even closer into Danika's face, then reaching his hand over to hers, she clinched a fist, and studied his every movement. Much to her surprise all he did was uncuff her right hand from the shackles she had been placed in.

Looking up at the man confusingly, she simply asked, "Why"?

"Well, according to Bane, 1) if you think you can escape this place with even both your arms free, your mistaken, 2) One of us will shoot you dead if you even take one step out of order, and 3) none of us are volunteering hand feeding or showering you for the rest of your stay. But if you'd like I can arrange the showering thing", the man grinned, his tobacco stained teeth, were almost enough to make Danika throw up.

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't plan to be staying long enough to have to shower here, quite generous of you though", she snapped back.

"We'll see", The man stated as he put a tray of food and a bottle of water on the table next to her cot. The slashed faced man who stood in the doorway, said nothing starring into Danika the whole time, she could feel the revenge he wished to place upon her.

"See ya around gorgeous", she threw out of her mouth as the men started walking away. Quickly the one stopped in his tracks, wishing to turn around and pummel her face into the metal frame of the cot. But he knew he couldn't so he just kept walking.

Danika eyed the food placed at her side, thinking it's probably poison, or something to drug her, or something, she did however notice that the bottle of water's seal was untouched. She grabbed it, eyeing it, studying it for a needle hole of some sort, holding it upside down to see if water came out either way, shaking it to see any bit of change, nothing.

"The purpose of that substance is to drink, you understand do you not?" , the air almost changed, the whole room seemed to get colder as Bane stood in the entrance way, goliath looking, standing there with his arms crossed cold and ruthless. "And my accommodations, do they not please you?, haven't touched your food, or even thanked me for uncuffing your right hand. ", Bane stepped closer, almost with no effort, and sat on the stool next to Danika's cot.

"Well, I prefer my food and drink without any side effects or hang over". She said dryly, as a statement.

Bane sighed, rolling his eyes halfly. He turned his head, immediately a guard appeared, he looked at the food and back at the guard. "It appears that our young guest suffers from paranoia, and does not trust her caretakers, let's see if we can fix that", he spoke.

The guard rolled his eyes before stepping into the light, and grabbed a bite of food and ate it, then opened the water bottle and poured water into his mouth. Stood there, nothing happened, then Bane nodded and the guard disappeared.

"My dear, if I wanted to kill you, or drug you, I would kill you. Or drug you. Without any forms of deception or trickery. You are in my world now, I am merely giving you an option of if you want to live by your own accord or by mine.", he said with his elbows resting on his knees, hunched over, facing away from her.

She eyed over at the food, shifted her gaze back to the goliath sitting a mere few feet away from him, wondering why he was even here.

"So, you're like a terrorist, shouldn't you be out terrorizing?", she asked with a bit of annoyance in her voice.

He, still looking off into the distance, shifted his seating position bringing his elbows from his knees, sitting up straight, turned his head a bit, still not to face her.

"Curious, aren't we?", he seemed to almost whisper, still sounding like a general roar comparing to the average mortal.

She couldn't quite place his accent, alone without the distortion of the mask he wore adding a metallic growl to everything he said.

"Well, if there's nothing for me to do here besides taunt your guards and have a starring competition with you I'd like to know what you're busy doing to my city."

Without an effort, Bane stood, crossing his arms, making him even more intimidating, towering over her, she knew he could crush her bones into dust in seconds, still she wouldn't go along and play timid damsel while he planned what to do with her.

"_Your _city, ?, well it seems like you've done a good job of running your city into ruins, and soon enough exterior will match the soul. Soul is even too cruel of a word to describe this city's inhabitants. But one young girls actions cannot be blamed for the actions of all, this city has been limping on for so many years, it's time to restore order.."

"Ahh I see", she interrupted him, his eyes darted to hers, obviously this wasn't a man who was interrupted very often. "Your one of those crazy followers of Ra's Al Ghul, now I think I've got the gist of you. Still I must admit that you are a worthy adversary, not just some blind follower, are you the junior Ra's Al Ghul?, maybe his little chip off the old block?", She challenged him, trying to get under his skin, her motive was reasonless however, what would getting under this man's skin do? Still she stuck to her guns.

"Aren't you an educated young one? The speed of your tongue is surely to harm you if you do not keep it under control though, take that as a warning", he stated, no more anger in his voice than his usual mockery.

"A warning? You don't seem like a guy who gives a whole bunch of warnings, you must like me", she stuck to her wits.

"My dear, do not be mistaken", he inched closer and closer to her, "You are here to serve a purpose, I will admit, but I will cut your tongue out and perfect what a creator should have done to you," he was mere centimeters away from her now, he reached out his hand to her neck, not even squeezing, still it was enough to fill her eyes with discomfort and fear, sending a silent scream though out her entire body. "Whatever you think you know, I can assure you, you do not, and you will slowly be learning that as your stay here continues to lengthen.", he released his grip on her neck. Still staring into her soul with his eyes.

Danika couldn't say anything, for the first time while she was here, she realized that she needed to play by his rules, for now at least. She realized that he controlled the fear in this place, she would placate him, for now , but she wouldn't compromise herself. She put her head down, clearing her throat.

"Good girl", he taunted as he reached the opening to the rest of this prison.

Good girl? She suddenly changed. She shot her eyes up at him, all her anger placed into her gaze directed at him. Pieces of her memory that she wish that she could forget started flashing in her mind. It wasn't logic, it wasn't planned, it wasn't tactful, it was pure, raw unadulterated anger.

She suddenly lunged forward for Bane almost thrashing, Bane stopped walking, turned around and walked toward Danika. She was standing there waiting for him to get close enough and she would strike, with one hand, it didn't even matter, she had no control over her body right now, anger and adrenaline pumping through her veins, but when he got close enough, he grabbed her by the throat this time, very much so squeezing her neck, almost lifting her up, and to surprise, he grabbed her cuffed wrist and without even much of an effort broke her loose of her remaining shackle and let go of her neck by shoving her back.

"So it is a fight you want, here is your chance, take it". He growled to her.

She lunged into him, getting little movement out of him, managed two punches into his face, he quickly squatted her away as she fell to her feet.

"Again." He commanded

This time a little bit of her thought process came back, she studied his stance, legs standing apart, almost to brace him, with his hands at his sides, not even in fists.

She felt heat rising in her she quickly ran as quick as she could into him, and at the last second slid between his legs and out from underneath him, quickly she heard the safety's of guns go off, Bane simply put his hand up in a "Stop" motion. She got up, he was now turned away from her. She charged her fists in the air, getting ready to punch, then in a flash second he turned around, her wrists were firmly in his hand. He pulled her with great force into him, so that she was millimeters away from him, face to face, his eyes burned into hers, he let go ever so slightly of her wrists, the minute that she tried to yank them away, he tightened his vice grip onto her fingers, looking at her hands, tilted his head, and then made eye contact with her, and squeezed.

She screamed, the scream echoing throughout the sewer prison she was being held in. She, still her his grasps, could see the blood falling from her fingers onto her wrist, tears filling her eyes, but she clenched her jaw so hard so that they wouldn't fall from her eyes. Bane threw her effortless back toward the cot she was in prior. Then without even seconds was hunched over her, she just held her right hand bleeding and could tell at least 3 fingers were broken, sitting on the cold hard floor, knees up, her head down, in pain, focusing on not crying or continuing to scream every time she tried to move her hand.

She felt his hand pick up her face, not threatening, but still placing fear right into Danika's body.

"You must control your anger, one must never fight out of anger, and your anger is your opponent's best weapon against you. You must learn to keep it at bay, if you wish to even have a chance to best me, I can tell you have had training, but not enough my pet. We will fix that.". He dripped with sarcasm and authority, letting go of her face and getting up, he walked away from her, turned his head and said "Hold them still, until I get back". He disappeared


	5. Chapter 5

She held her right hand with her left, seeing they were already starting to discolor, blood dripping, the pain was terrible, she let go just a bit, seeing a bone from her middle finger had pierced the skin, she cringed and thought what she was going to do, she started moving her fingers to the cement floor thinking maybe she could straighten them out, she had too. There was no way around it.

"You need to learn to follow orders girl, I said hold them still til I returned". He appeared again.

She froze, scared, then saw that he had what looked like a first aid kit. He kneeled next to her.

"Why in the world would you fix what you broke", she desperately asked. He didn't say anything just put his hand out for what she assumed was her battered hand. She just looked at him, not trusting what he'd do next.

"You can leave it like that, and never have a chance of fighting again, or let me put them back in place, your choice", He said.

She slowly placed her bloodied, bruised fingers in his massive hand, scared that she actually trusted him, what if he just wanted to break them clear off? She shook off her thought. Studying his moves, he took out a syringe from the case he carried with him.

She quickly flinched away from him, still leaving her hand or what was supposed to be a hand in his. He looked up at her, raising his eyebrow, looking at her with a why?

"No needles", she stated.

"It is simply to numb the pain you are about to endure when I snap your fingers back into place", he said dryly. No alternate spirit in his voice.

"I don't care, I'll take the pain, no needles".

"Have it your way".

Knowing this kind of pain wasn't enough to make her pass out, she braced herself and breathed in, holding her breath. She let go of her breath as she screamed each time louder, and more exasperated. Bane kept his eyes on his captive, noticing she was taking this fairly, oddly well, other than the screaming. He left the middle finger for last, took it in his hand, and gazed at it, he knew this one would be the most painful one. He then looked to her wrists, and noticed something odd. Looked back at her finger.

"Your wrists", he asked, like a question.

"Yeah, they're connected to your hands, which connect to your arms", she said out of breath and waiting for the last bit of agonizing pain.

She looked at him, to understand what he meant, then the idea of what he meant slowly crept into her mind. _Great. _

"The marks, and scars are not from me. Your left one was broken." He stated.

Danika turned her head away from him. She started starring off, "Very perceptive". She continued to stare off, her mind started to wander.

Bane knew this, he looked back at her, seeing that her mind was now in a far enough place, and with a second of no hesitance she snapped the remaining finger into place. She screamed and buried her head, tears escaped her eyes out of all control and consciousness.

He still wasn't done, he took out some makeshift splints and started wrapped her fingers.

It was taking some time, the silence in the room screaming awkward and tense.

"How", she tried to get out, exhausted from pain, weakness, thinking about how she wish she did eat whatever food that was before. "Before, you called me by my last name, how did you know it, we haven't had a formal introduction".

He looked at her, his eyes slightly crinkled; she felt his sarcastic smile through the mask. "I make it a habit of knowing my guests names and information. Danika Doe, 24, born and bred Gothamite, orphaned, lived in 7 different foster homes all before age 10, seems to have a "displaced anger" problem, quiet and timid, as a child, when you returned to existence from a temporary hiatus for about 9 months", _279 days Danika thought to herself, _at age13, came back changed. Went to a number of high schools in the inner cities, never stuck around, then at 16 dropped out and lived on the streets, where I'm assuming you learn the training you know. 8 years later, here we are." Bane said all of this without the least bit of interest, or even sarcasm, a bit of curiosity, but not much else, while he tapped her fingers together.

He looked over to her, to judge a reaction, but there was none. She was still, starring into the bookcase, no expression. He was intrigued by this reaction. But left it there, he made a mental note, that this was something that could help him in his process of breaking her, she seemed to feel no hope, but her spirit was still not broken, he would surely fix that.

He finished, without another word between either of them. Danika continued to look into space, the nightmares of her mind were almost trapping her. Flashes of a dark dirt room, blood, a broken mirror piece in her hands, herself shaken in a corner.

She was quickly and gladly pulled out of her mind when she heard Bane command that she "Get up".

She made his eye contact, hers almost blank and lifeless, his questioning and commanding. He threw a water bottle at her. Out of instinct she caught it in her right hand.

"Goddamnit!", she yelled softly as she dropped it to the ground,

"Think first Ms. Doe , your instincts are useful, but betray you at times", he scolded.

She looked around wondering why everyone seemed to be moving, preparing almost. Bane walked away from her, she slowly opened the water bottle and drank almost the whole water bottle, and grabbed a piece of whatever was left for her earlier off of the tray, bit into it, whatever it was, chicken or some form of meat, it satisfied her for the moment.

Hours passed she sat on the cot, knowing that if she was going to ever escape, she needed both her hands to do so, so for at least a month, she'd play along. Two guards came in her room, different faces. One of them took out handcuffs; she stood up, in defiance.

"Listen broad, Bane told us that every bone we break on your body will be broken on our bodies. Just make it easy, we're moving, and you're coming."

With a sigh, she put her hands behind her, and stood there, the guard walked up to her and took her hands, almost gently from her back to the front of her, handcuffing her in the front.

Whatever, _works for me._

Then the other man stepped aside, she started walking, one of the men in front of her, and one behind her, She looked around at least 30 men with guns at their sides. This was not the time to be smart or brave, she just followed.

They got to an opening in the tunnels, a few bikes were lined across the rails in the tunnel. She wondered who she would be riding with. Hmm. She was motioned to the front centered bike, she climbed onto it, one leg after another.

"How am I even going to balance myself with this hand", she spoke lightly to herself.

"Let your body do what your hands cannot do", she knew it was him when she heard it. He walked up to her putting a helmet over her face, adding "We must protect that lovely face, and conceal your face just in case anyone is missing you, which judging on what I have found out about you, I doubt it."

_You'd be right._ She thought to herself as he shut the shield of the helmet.

"Ride with her, stay close behind me, I would like to keep an eye on my new pet", he instructed to who seemed to be his "first in command".

The man sat behind her on the bike putting either arms around her body as she sat as still and firm as she could in front of him. Bane walked closely to her, his closeness threatening, as if it were to make a point. "If you even think to be smart and even try to turn your head causing the bike to loose control, I promise you, you will pay, slowly", the words fell from his mouth, funny to her even with the most threatening of conversations, he delivers his statements with almost grace, like he knew everything he was about to say way before he said it.

"I wouldn't want to harm my pretty face, or my chauffer behind me.", she replied, starting to feel a bit like herself after the fight between her and Bane.

Bane simply turned and walked to his bike, put on his helmet and with that the ground beneath them roared with the engines of the bikes starting up, and with that they all collectively rode away.

She tried to not be tense, knowing his from her own experience of motorcycles tensing up was the best way to lose control on a bike, she sat loosely but still remained her posture, kept her head straight looking at the roads they took to see if she had inkling of where they were going. She also noticed Bane leading the pack in front of her.

_First in command certainly listened to him, we're close behind him_, she thought to herself. She could feel the way he looked into his mirrors, that he was watching to see her ever so often. Some part of this brought pleasure to her, not knowing why at all she pushed that feeling away. But still, she couldn't help but glance to see if he was looking at her, she let out a smirk when he nodded his head in the mirror directing it toward her._ Dick, I swear when I get my sai's back, he's so screwed. _

Bane turned his bike into an alley off of the main roads, the rest of the bikes followed suit, and with that they reached their destination.

"Where are we?", she said as she turned her head over her shoulders directing the question to the man still sitting behind her.

"Home, for the moment being", he replied, much softer spoken, and less serious than Bane, he almost had a niceness to his voice that she couldn't place.

Surprised he even answered her, she nodded. Bane got off of his bike, stalked over to Danika, she studied him for a few moments as he walked over, finally seeing him in the real day light, she finally understood the power and strength that came with him. She looked him up and down, studying his boots, to his what seemed to be cargo pants, to his vest, she couldn't tell if it was a bullet proof vest or more, then noticed his jacket, which was black to match his other attire, a military jacket, lots of pockets and compartments, realizing how warm he probably was she shivered a bit to herself, thinking she wish she had on more than a tee shirt and a thin leather jacket. But she shook off her shiver, didn't want to grab any attention.

When he finally approached them, he nodded his head behind her and first in command got off of the bike and stood waiting for directions. Bane took the helmet off of Danika's head, then his own off of his.

"A little cooperation goes a long way, you're learning", Bane taunted her.

"Apparently it went 15 blocks straight, then 4 to the right, and one more right, to this lavish alley.", she stated with somewhat of a grin to her face.

Bane raised his eyebrow, "You surprise me a little more each time you open that pretty mouth of yours Ms Doe, not many can accomplish that task easily, still", he placed his hand on her injured one, she winced, sat more straight up, "I warned you about that tongue", He moved his hand away.

The man, who was awaiting instructions from Bane, took his look as a sign to tell Danika Let's go".

Lifting her left leg over the bike, she climbed off. They started walking, suddenly she was surprised when they entered their temporary "home", unlike the sewers, this apartment reeked of elegance and wealth. They continued to climb the stairs reaching the home of someone important Danika thought to herself.

"I assume the previous owner of this place didn't get to move out , huh?", Danika asked Bane as she stood between him and the other guard, standing in the, what seemed like a penthouse living room, fireplace and leather couches, dark wood coffee tables.

"Ask him", Bane said with a bit of cheer behind his words, as he stepped over revealing the body of a man on the floor next to a set of a couple of stairs that led up to rooms she assumed.

"Daggett..?", Danika stated, confused, and dry, she turned her eyes to the ceiling as she was no stranger to dead bodies, but it didn't mean she wanted to spend time staring into their essence. She searched her brain for a connection. She remembered that Daggett had it out for Bruce's company for so long, then the stock market thing happened, then Bruce lost everything. Another piece to the puzzle had just sunk in. She met Bane's eyes, him watching her search her brain, he simply raised his eyebrow, awaiting a question from her.

She simply raised her eyebrows while rolling her eyes to the right, avoiding his gaze.

"No gasp, or sympathy for this poor man?", he asked sarcastically, using his arm to motion towards his body.

"Have you met this guy?, I assure you no one will be crying that he's gone", she let that slip out, didn't mean to , she knew how she sounded and she didn't want to come across as she did. She put her head down, recognizing that he was probably pleased by her answer.

"Take Ms Doe to the room next to mine, uncuff her, then report back to me." As Danika walked past Bane, they couldn't help but share a common gaze towards each other, quick, but still holding for a moment.

She was lead to a bedroom, contained a bed, a rather nicer one than her previous cot, a dresser, which had been emptied out according to the open drawers, with a mirror sitting over it, and a TV across from the bed, which had a chair that seemed out of place for the room. She realized that Bane probably had put it there for some later encounters they'd share. _Wonderful._ She noticed the emptied out closet, then what she assumed to be the bathroom, quickly she thought that maybe there was something in the bathroom she could use, then she looked down at her hand, broken fingers and all, as the guard uncuffed her. _Useless, for now._

She took off her jacket, gingerly, not wanting to move her fingers too much. She walked around the room, hearing the click of her heels against the hard wood floor, walked past the mirror, ignoring it, she didn't even want to look at herself, she walked over to the window, and for the first time she noticed that she would kill someone for a cigarette right now.

"Um, Hey", she addressed the soft spoken guard as he was about to reach the door, he stopped, still not turning to her.

"You wouldn't by any grace of god have a cigarette would you, stuck together for a while it seems, might as well exchange a courtesy or two", she asked with no attitude. This man didn't bother him like the other guards did, he seemed much more disciplined and almost human like compared to the rest of them. "By the way my name is Danika, in case you don't already know", she added.

He stopped and turned to her, not threatening at all, smirked and let out a small chuckle underneath his breath, he shook his head "no", and then continued to walk out, before he did, "Barsard", and then closed the door behind him.

She simply starred out the window, wondering how easy it would be to just smash the window open and escape; she looked down, and saw at least 4 guards standing in the alley the window lead to. _Of course. _Danika continued to curiously inspect the room, closing the open drawers, the closet doors, after inspecting and finding nothing. She opened the drawers of the nightstand to the left of the bed. She found a note pad and a pen. She turned on the lamp that sat on the nightstand walked over to the light switch and turned that off, the brightness was bothering her.

She opened the door into the bathroom, and it was completely emptied out, of course there was some toilet paper, and an old newspaper sitting on the sinks frame. She took the opportunity to run water over her face, only being able to use her left hand to do this was annoying but she dealt. She realized she did have a hair tie on her wrist and slowly, carefully brought her hair up, so it'd be away from her face, a few pieces of red falling from the pony tail, draping along her cheek bone. She walked back into the bedroom, walked up to the mirror, starring into it, numbly.


	6. Chapter 6

A few hours had passed, she had laid on the bed for a bit, it was quite comfortable, couldn't fall asleep however. She paced a bit around the room, never did it cross her mind to try to turn on the TV, surprising, but it never occurred to her. She again found herself starring into the mirror, there was a tiny chip in the mirror. Again her mind dragged her to a place she didn't want to go. _Flashes of shards of a mirror in her hands, blood running down her body, digging her nails into a wall of dirt._

She was so lost in her mind, she hadn't even noticed him enter the room. He watched her for a few moments to see why she was staring into the mirror. She wasn't looking at anything, simply starring. He remembered this was her face when she was starring off to the bookcase in the sewers while he was tending to her hand. He narrowed his glance at her, meeting her eyes in the mirrors reflection, she still hadn't noticed he was there; he dropped something onto the floor purposely.

She quickly turned her head and acknowledged that Bane was now in the room.

"Looking for something?", the sound of his voice was almost intriguing, easy to hear, despite of the, at times muffled accent coming from the sort of respirator attached to his face.

Her face was back toward the mirror. This time she met his glance in the reflection, then without even meaning to, without even a conscious of thought, "Mirrors frighten me", She admitted. She turned around this time, cursing under her breath. She didn't mean to say that, she had no clue why she did. Now she was facing him, leaning against the dresser, legs crossed in front of her, she crossed her arms, almost trying to put up a barrier that she idiotically let down for 2 seconds.

"Odd, what did a mirror ever do to you?", he asked with a sort of elegance to his speech.

"If I could rationalize it, I wouldn't be afraid of it, fear is irrational, the minute you figure it out you conquer your fear". She said, with no emotion or anterior motive behind the statement.

"According to your logic then, why are people so afraid to die?"

"I don't think people are afraid of death as much as they fear dying, the process, the pain behind it, pain is rational because its actual, you can think away your fear of a monster in your closet, you can't wish away the pain of something physical, such as broken fingers", Danika said slyly, peering up at him.

His eyes crinkled a bit, she sensed a sort of smile on his face.

She then realized she was actually having a conversation with her captor, she almost shook her head before she let out, "Can I help you"?.

He lifted his head and laughed, almost mockingly. "Fraternizing with the enemy, are we?", he let out, crossing his arms in authority.

"Well you asked me a question, and I answered".

"Barsard"

"Oh, just introducing myself, seeing as my stay might have to be lengthened due to my fingers."

"You still believe you have a choice in any of this, brave, yet naïve", Bane crept toward her slowly, cornering her, invading much of her personal space. He brushed the burning red hair out of her face and brought his mask so close it almost touched her ear. She stood her ground, realizing that this was to toy with her. "But I promise you Ms. Doe, no matter how hard you try, you cannot think away this monster", growling into her ear, sending chills down her spine.

She moved her face so that it was parallel to his, "Hence why I need my fingers to heal", she said with a bit of a head nod to accompany her sarcasm.

"I do admire your defiance, you stick to your guns, when most others would shutter with fear".

"Fear… you do not instill fear in me, beside pure hatred, you sort of," she tilts her head as he steps away from her, "intrigue me."

He grinned something evil, and continued to step away, "What was that word we spoke of, Masochism?"

She couldn't help but fully grin at his comment, almost letting a laugh out.

"By the way, you are not a monster, simply damaged goods with an evil plan, someone stole your soul, and you replaced it." He stopped completely and slightly turned his head over his shoulders.

"And, who stole your soul Ms. Doe", he turned around to study her and gauge her reaction.

She shot her eyes up at him, he could feel the fire in her eyes. He raised his eyebrow in accomplishment, another piece to her puzzle; he had just fit in place.

He turned and continued to walk out, "By the way, I brought you a present, the bag on the floor, enjoy. Barsard will bring you your food, and a towel, so you can shower, your starting to smell of something wretched.

She rolled her eyes. Danika stood there, waiting for him to walk out so she could inspect the bag, curious as ever. She walked him walk out and close the door. She quickly walked over to the duffle bag of some sort, and pulled out clothes, her clothes. _They went into my apartment? No privacy._

She sat Indian style facing away from the door pulling everything out of the bag, inspecting it, she found a few pairs of jeans, shirts, a hoodie and her favorite leather jacket, more heavier than the one she came here with. She couldn't help but smile a bit. She also found, tucked away in the bag was her other pair of boots, they were more of combat boots than the heeled ones she had on now. She also found socks and under garments, she was pissed to think that one of them went through her underwear, but whatever, at least she wouldn't be wearing the same shit for the next month, she was genuinely surprised at his level of, not respect, but the fact that he knows he's going to keep her here, so he might as well make it a little humane.

She checked the pockets of the bag, finding a remote, to the TV in her room she was assuming, she tossed it over on the bed, she also found her glasses, and wait for it, a pack of cigarettes, she quickly searched for a lighter of some sort.

"God damnit, what am I supposed to wish this lit.", she said to herself.

"You didn't actually think we'd give you fire, did you?", this time it was the soft spoken, quieter man that stepped in her room. Barsard.

"You're the one that went and got my stuff wasn't it?', she asked turning around to him.

"Yes, I saw glasses sitting on your table, figured they were yours, as I found no other existence of another person in your apartment, odd thing, very bare, no pictures, not even a whole lot of food, in the freezer I found nothing but",

"Jack and Jameson", she finished his sentence, letting out a small laugh, "Yeah you need to know people to have pictures with them, no family, no real friends, just me. Thank you though. Did you by any chance happen to take any of my weapons?", she tried to peer the man into answering her question

"You'll learn the answer to that when your fingers heal, I did grab this, it was next to your glasses", Barsard pulled out a silver tattered looking zippo lighter.

Her eyes widened a bit, "Take care of that will you, if you're not going to give it to me. I'll be needing that back when I leave here. "

Barsard laughed, shaking his head. "You need to grasp your reality, soon enough you will." He stated, almost as if he was advising her, out of friendliness, not a threat. He had placed a tray of food along with a bottle of water on the dresser, earlier, and also a towel, and a bar of soap for her. _Thank Jesus. _She thought to herself.

"So may I borrow the lighter for a moment, I promise nothing funny, I have no qualms with you Barsard , I am grateful for all you've done". She stated

"Ms. Doe do not confuse my code of conduct and allegiance to Bane with anything else, I am simply following orders. I did take it upon myself to grab your glasses and your lighter, but that is all", he stated, reassuring her in a way.

"Cigarettes? I only complained to you"

"Which I reported back to Bane, and he told me to grab them if I saw them, your mind will betray you if you start getting too comfortable, you serve a purpose to our plan for now, if and when the day Bane no longer has a need for you, we will be forced to kill you and I will be in charge of removing your body, which I will do."

She raised an eyebrow, she didn't feel any anger or attitude in his voice, he spoke simply as if he was stating a fact, like as if he was talking of the weather. "Understood, as you and Bane should understand I am pausing my escape plan and physical fight for now, simply because I am in no shape. I understand that when the time comes you will shoot a bullet into my brain, just as I hope you understand that the minute I have my hands on my knives I will dart them right into you.". She spoke back to him.

He nodded. Walked over and lit the zippo, she pulled a cigarette out of pack, put the cigarette in her mouth up to the fire and inhaled, she immediately felt ten times better, letting her head fall back and sighing out the smoke from her mouth. She nodded a "Thank you" to him and he walked away, before he closed the door he added "Understanding what I said, while you're in the shower, if we hear the water running for too long, we will come in here", she again nodded. He closed the door.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, Thanks for all the love! I'm so happy and excited about this! :) Please continue to comment what you think, I made CH 6 and 7 separate b/c this is her first memory with Bruce, so I wanted it to be on it's own. Hope everyone has a great and safe weekend! 3 5x5-Dee **

She ate her food, drank the water sparingly, deciding that if she needed too she could drink from the faucet in the bathroom and leave the water bottle next to her bed. She still didn't turn on the TV, she was used to silence, the solitude.

She put all her belongings back in the bag, remembering Dominick saying this was our "Temporary home", no use of taking items out, just to have to put them back in. Her next order of business was a shower, she took the towel, the bar of soap, and a change of clothes into the bathroom with her, out of accordance to what Barsard said she didn't even lock the door, and left it slightly open, she as well would like to know if anyone was in her room when she was showering.

She peeled off her current clothes, wanting to burn them all together, turned on the shower and stepped in. While she was in the shower she looked down, seeing blood and dirt, circle the drain. Again _Flashes of this scene she'd seen before, much more blood, much more dirt. _She quickly felt her mind wandering away, and she shook her head running her face under the shower head, she was having difficulty leaving her still painful fingers out from the water, not because she cared of the sting of the water on them, but because then her wrappings would mess up.

When she got out of the shower and dressed, she felt so much better. She sat on the bed, and only turned on the TV once, to see the news to see what time it was. A little past midnight, she stopped hearing the occasional footsteps outside her door. The TV was on for a bit longer, flashes of the news showing a promo for the big Rogue football game tomorrow, then a flash of Bruce Wayne losing his fortune. She turned off the TV.

She sat there and thought about the first encounter she had with Bruce_. She was 17, she had been riding her own dirt bike throughout the outer city limits of Gotham, knowing Wayne manor was somewhere over there, she tried to be careful not to trespass, she didn't need another thing on her record. She was riding through, jumping over some big rocks, taking in the scenery. _

_After what she assumed was a good hour or two, she pulled her bike over on a pretty legit cliff, seeing a nice looking waterfall and trees into the background, and she could also see Wayne manor, which had just been rebuilt from some fire or something, she thought to herself. "The rich burn down their mansions, and just built it right back up.". She took a cigarette out of the pack in her left cargo pocket from her pants, and a silver zippo. She sat there, thinking about how it must have been something else growing up in that place. She had known of Bruce Wayne's tragic tale, everyone did. But still, she envied him. _

_She threw her cigarette over the edge of the cliff, put her helmet back on and proceeded to climb on her bike. All of a sudden she heard a crunch of leaves and branches being stepped on from behind her. She quickly wasted no time in investigating, assuming it was a security guard or worse a cop, she revved her engine underneath her. Quickly peeling off, she made it past the point she had heard the noise and looked behind her to see if she was right, she couldn't see anything. Then she faced forward, she saw it coming all too late. Her bike being lost from underneath her as she smacked into a tree, then all of a sudden she was falling. She hit the ground on her back, cursing to the heavens out of pain, she got up and tried to shake off the pain, it wasn't working. Danika examined herself for injuries and such after she took off her helmet, keeping it close. She couldn't see anything, she was looking around, and all she could see were the cut outs and shards of cave that she had fallen into. She started walking around carefully; she took her zippo from her pocket and lit it to try to see a little bit better. She could hear and feel water all around her, she stepped towards a shine of light she saw trying to find its origin. She heard some sort of noise coming off into the distance. "Great, Dani, just great, fall into the creepy sink hole of shadows and darkness, waiting to be food for a mountain lion or something", she talked to herself as if she was whistling through a cemetery. She took a step forward and hadn't gauged the stability of the rock she stepped on well, because the next thing she knew she was passed out. Lights out._

_She started to come too, her eyes were blurred with pain, but she could feel she was in the water. She must have lost her footing and fell before she hit her head. She shifted trying to look around, she saw a rope next to her all of a sudden, she shot up realizing she was not alone. Danika grabbed her helmet off the floor thinking she could at least use it as a weapon if need be, she turned around fighting stance, and lowered her arms when she saw the man in front of her. He had longer hair than most, neatly swept back, tall, but not threatening. His eyes were kind, but burned with something. He seemed to be charming, almost. _

_"Your Bruce Wayne.", Danika spoke as she placed her helmet on the floor and rubbed her head. _

_"Your correct", he said with a nod, he was fiddling with a harness of some kind. "You spend a lot of time hanging out in caverns unconscious?", he added, looking at her with a kind hearted smile. _

_She let out a quick laugh. She didn't know why but she actually felt safe. She didn't trust strangers at all, but she felt different in front of this man. _

_"I ran into a tree with my bike, and fell down here when I got thrown off it", she explained._

_"Well, let's get outta here, unless you'd like to stay a bit longer", he was facing her with a hook of the harness in his hand reaching out to her. _

_"No, no, I'm all for being above ground", she took the harness in her hand, looked around herself to see what to clip it onto. She clipped it onto the belt of her cargo pants. He checked himself in the harness and motioned her to hold onto him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he started to raise them out of the hole. She breathed in on the way up, smelling his cologne. She hadn't ever had this kind of interaction with a man before. It wasn't romantic or anything, but nurturing almost, she rested her head on his shoulder; his eyes glanced over her as she did this. Soon enough they were out of the hole" _

Danika mind brought her back to her current situation. She let out a few tears for her friend Bruce, thinking about seeing him being carried off by Bane's thugs. She stopped crying, she had too. She closed her eyes and searched for sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day she woke up, stretching herself out on the bed. This was the most comfortable she's slept since she started her adventure with Bane and his band of misfits. She pulled off the covers grabbing her jeans that she took off the night before when she climbed into bed. As she was walking to the bathroom to wash her face a bit she couldn't help but feel like someone had been in here while she was sleeping. Chills ran wild over her body, she tried to shake off the fear, knowing she was wrong because she wasn't a very hard sleeper.

She splashed water in her face and put her back up into a pony tail as she had done the night before. She heard the door to her room open, she knew someone was in her room, so she walked out looking for someone. A rather homely looking man is what her eyes met, not the common thugs she encountered in the sewers, nor did he look like one of Bane's. In his hand he held a plate of food, a water bottle, and in the other hand wrappings and bandages. _Shit, I didn't even think of rewrapping my fingers. _Danika thought to herself.

He placed the food and water on the dresser, he then turned to Danika. "I've been ordered to rewrap your fingers and check to make sure nothings infected_", _he started, very uninterested and drone like. "Also, to tell you to turn on the TV, the fire has started and he wants you to see."

With a great sigh, she grabbed her remote and turned on the TV, she didn't even have to search for a news channel, it was on every station, the scene was more than she could take, the Rogues stadium had been blown away, the camera focused on Bane, and a large contraption which was followed by dozens of guards, the were dispersed throughout the whole stadium, hundreds of people squatted in fear. Bane grabbed what she could see was a microphone off the ground. She didn't even want to listen.

She moved the chair that was propped against her bed in front of it, and she sat on the corner of the bed holding her battered hand out, and the man went to work. He didn't hurt her, she believed that she wouldn't be hurt, not yet. Bane was keeping her alive, for whatever purpose. She watched the TV behind the man's head and listened to Banes proclamation of liberation, he spoke of his bomb, and the "trigger man". _Pssht, like he'd ever give that control to another human being._

Her mind was rattled. He ended his speech with telling people to "Go home and hold their families close." He spoke how tomorrow he would reveal more and how it was the beginning of something. She wanted to throw up. The man finished with her hand, and walked out. She started pacing, trying to think of anything she could do. Then she realized she just needed to heal for now.

* * *

Three weeks had passed. Gotham was crumbling before her eyes, and they, the citizens didn't even realize it. They trusted Bane in his words that "Gotham will survive". Danika was so angered that these people were so naïve. Scenes were like scenes in a post-apocalyptic movie she had seen once before. It was devastating. Bane and his army, along with Danika moved to City Hall, which had been abandoned and left to the hands of The League of Shadows. She couldn't help but know that they weren't going to make it. She had always been very good at listening to the whispers of others, she found out a little bit each day from the common criminals Bane let out of Blackgate prison who decided to join his army.

_We're all doomed, and the worst part is everyone is playing along, trying to appease Bane, thinking it will save them. Danika_ had become almost obedient to her captors, she found that most of Banes men, the one who came here with him, not the ones who have been recruited, were just followers. None of them ever challenged her. Barsard and Danika had become rather close, he came in her room everyday, to light her cigarettes, and occasionally stayed for a bit to talk. Bane came in her room quite often, sometimes he just sat in her room as she watched the news to see what was going on in this city of evil.

All Danika could do was do what Bane suggested "Let your body do what your hands cannot.". So she trained, she became quite the master of one handed pushups and pull ups. She worked on her handstands and such. Bane would watch her and taunt her on, it just fueled her fire to keep going. Part of her wondered why he was still keeping her. Did he want her as part of her army? Did he think the Bat would return, and he would hold her captive as bait? Was she his ace in the hole? She thought and thought and thought. Its all she could do.

One morning Danika woke up as usual, there was still that lingering sense that someone had been in here, she again, just shook it off. She had a routine at this point, she would do 200 pushups, 200 pull ups on the shower bar and then shower, Barsard would come in and light her a smoke. They would exchange random causals. She'd turn on the news for a bit, food would come. Occasionally, since they moved to City hall, she would get to walk around a bit, of course being guarded like she was a serial murderer but at least she could stretch her legs. At some point Danika had excepted her fate. She knew what she knew, it doesn't mean it would stop her to fight like hell. But she didn't bother with taunting the guards, on the other hand, the eyes on her from the prisoners from Blackgate were move than she could stand. She knew they were just bodies in the army, they didn't share Banes ideals and .._ethics? _

Danika got to walk around City Hall as per usual. Barsard at her left, 4 others surrounding her.

"Am I ever gonna get a longer leash?", she asked Barsard, causing him to smile and let out a scuff of laughter.

"Are you kidding, if anything its going to be amped up, your bandages get removed today.", He replied with a raised eyebrow, it was almost like they were friends.

"Thank fuck", she realized she had started to grow on the usual guards she had, looking around they were all humored by her.

They returned to her room, now her room had a lock on the outside of the door. They locked it only when it was deep in the night and the guards were probably afraid to fall asleep. She sat on the couch in her room, obviously city hall didn't have too many bedrooms her room was an office of some sort. Anything that could be used as a weapon had been taken out, leaving a rather nice brown leather couch, a cot, a mirror hanging on the wall, some books, and her belongings. The nice thing was that there was a bathroom connected to her room. This room was also connected to, but separated with a door, to Banes room. Often enough, he would leave the door between their rooms open whenever Danika was training.

Bane had grown rather impressed by his new pet. He watched and admired the drive in her eyes, it didn't grow weary day by day, it was a constant. He was also curious. He had mentioned her "disappearance" from the world she was 13, each time, silence came from Danika and sometimes she would almost act numb, it was the only time the fire in her eyes were dead, replaced with ice and stone.

She had learned of the mask, the origin of it, she learned of the pit. She always tried to poke at the exact incident that caused the mask, but he did not speak of it. She just knew that it came from a severe fight. She also found herself, quite lonely when he was out, when 2 days would pass sometimes and he wouldn't see her. She always shook off that feeling, but still, something was there.

She remained sitting on the couch, which she liked better than the cot most of the time. Soon enough the man who had retaped her fingers in the first place, and came in sporadically to check on them came in. His name was Samuel. He was just a doctor in this gang of misfits. They would have interesting conversations once in a while.

"Ready to have your fingers back to yourself my dear?", Samuel said as he approached her. There was something kind to him, she thought of his almost as the grandfather of the group.

"Hell yeah", she replied. She sat straight up and pulled the coffee table toward her as she did every time he came in. He removed her bandages, and her fingers were healed. He was explaining how she'd have to push them against a flat surface to make sure they didn't become utterly useless, but she had been doing that one the swelling had gone down. He was done, he sat still across from her looking questioning.

"Whatever you're gonna ask, lets hear it", Danika was extremely well at reading people.

"My dear, you have now been with us for about 4 weeks, isn't there a time, of the month which leaves most women…", he searched for the words.

She couldn't help but laugh, "Don't worry Doc, not this woman."

"How did that come to be", he asked her gently.

She looked down, then felt the eyes on her, not just from Samuel, just she looked over to the connecting door and saw Bane standing there, leaning against the frame, waiting for her reply. She directed her gaze towards Bane, "Childhood injury", she replied hoping the answer would suffice.

Something changed in Bane's eyes; he pulled his head back just a little bit. He felt something; he couldn't put his finger on it. Compassion? No. He shook the feeling away inside himself. Bane nodded to the Doctor, Samuel grabbed his equipment, and started walking away. Danika had put her head down, looking at the floor for an answer she could continue to give, she couldn't find one. Before Samuel walked out, he turned his head once more to Danika then to Bane. He saw Bane watching her, with a glint of delicate in his blue gray eyes. Samuel left.

Danika realized that Bane was staring at her, she tried to change the topic. She started flexing her fingers and proceeded to crack her knuckles for the first time in a month.

"Not a wise choice", Bane said still standing at the door frame.

"Gotta rip off the band aid sometime", she cracked her fingers; they stung with a velocity for about 5 seconds. She cursed under her breath.

Danika, still with her head down, turned her eyes up and over to Bane with a menacing look, almost playfully evil. She smirked. "Now?"

Bane let up his head and laughed, then connected his eyes with her. "Now, we fight".


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! The one you've all been waiting for the fight! This is the longest chapter so far, so I hope everyone enjoys Please review let me know what you think! Big things coming soon! 5x5-Dee**

Bane left and closed the door separating the rooms. Barsard came into Danika's room, telling her to change, and that she was gonna follow him to a room that Bane had prepared for them to train in.

After Danika changed into black jeans and a black T shirt along with her boots, she opened her door.

"Ready?", Barsard asked her, looking at her to measure her confidence.

"Always", Danika was so ready. She had been waiting for this moment for a month. She looked at Barsard with a smirk, and winked at him. She almost skipped along him, thinking of everything she could, from her training when she was younger.

"Do I get my sai's"?, Danika added, looking to Barsard and the two other men, one in front and one behind her.

"I have no idea", he replied to her.

They arrived to two closed doors, she looked at the bottom of the frame of the door to see light, she saw none. She smirked and felt quite determined. She turned to Barsard "Enjoy the show", she slyly stated. He smiled and put his head down, and with that he motioned her toward the door.

She opened one of the doors, the room as she suspected was dark, there were blackened curtains surrounding her, she took in all she could. She saw a form of a table with something on it, she couldn't tell, and as the door closed, she braced herself, getting ready.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are", Danika teased. "Bane you have no idea who I am, no idea the fight you've just challenged, I can feel you here, I can smell your aroma, hear your muted breaths." Danika realized he was assessing her. She walked toward the middle of the room, she shut her eyes and try to feel the surroundings. All of a sudden she felt something rough, outstretched in front of her. Danika reached out and took the object in her hand, she felt a braided rope, probably hanging from the ceiling, she kicked her leg out to see if she could feel the end of it, she couldn't.

She just turned around in a circle slowly, trying to feel the air shift. She remembered what she learned of the League of Shadows, how they were trained, probably closely to what she endured in her training as well.

She felt the air as she knew she could. She felt it more tense in her direction, she smiled and felt like her old self again. Feeling confident and spry, she spat out "So you said that the "shadows belonged to you", well lover, I've lived in them for a while now, so you're up for a surprise."

Danika reached out her hand, and she found Bane's face, she closed her eyes and smiled. "Gotcha", she let out.

She heard a sinister thing of a laugh coming from her opponent. "Very impressive Ms. Doe, you do not disappoint" , she let her hand down and still with a smirk on her face, Danika turned her back to her opponent and walked toward the rope.

The lights were flicked on, Danika didn't even blink to adjust her eyes, she knew they would on their own, she starred down her opponent with her head slightly tucked in her neck, giving her captor an evil look. Bane starred back into her, standing tall, his arms at his side.

"For your first accomplishment, you earned these", Bane said as he threw something on the floor and it hit Danika's boots.

She looked down at them ever so quickly, her evil grin widened, showing teeth. "Big mistake." Danika quickly said, as she in one swift motion picked them up off the floor and felt them rotating in between her fingers again.

Bane watched her, almost relishing in his opponents grace and bravery, he had a smile on his face, _She certainly won't disappoint._

Danika stood there in the middle of the room, the black braided rope hung behind her. Bane sized her up with his eyes, he slowly took a step forward. He was wearing dark cargo pants and a black long sleeve shirt with the sleeves scrunched up to his elbows. His hands didn't even move when he stepped toward Danika, still complacent at his sides. They were now about six feet apart.

"You are waiting for something", Bane suggested to his opponent.

"Always let your opponent move the first pawn", Danika replied, still rotating the sai's in her hands.

Bane nodded to her, almost as if he was saying "Ok".

With that Bane reached to her, grabbing her by the throat. Danika moved her right hand over his arm clenched to her throat and twisted her body, elbowing him in the face. She lost his grip and flipped in the air behind her placing more space between her and Bane. She charged toward Bane who was acting like he was awaiting her sprint. She shot her legs under and flew between his legs, the way she did during their first encounter. Danika turned around her back on the ground and kicked Bane behind the knees, he knelt down under the pressure, knowing it was a reflexive movement she drew out one of her sai's and placed them to Bane's neck. Bane expectantly reached for her wrist that was behind him and threw her over his shoulders, she hit the ground with a thud, her head bouncing off the floor. Bane still had a hold of her wrist and squeezed so that the sai fell out of her hand and clanked on the floor next to her. Danika twisted her hand painfully, along with the rest of her body to release his grip on her. They stood parallel to each other, she threw her hands on the ground and kicked her legs up kicking Bane in the face and she landed her summersault away from him. She stood still as he didn't even bring a hand to his face in pain.

She looked to the rope, then to Bane. He already anticipated her next move. Danika charged to the rope wrapping it around her hands as her feet left the ground and she swung her legs wrapping her legs around Bane's neck to flip him over. However Bane knew she would do this, he placed her legs in a firm vice grip, Danika let go of the rope and swung all her body's weight, with that Bane fell to the ground and Danika was sent flying, she skid into the wall behind her, she felt the sting of pain and shook it off as Danika ran and kneeled over Bane, drew out her other sai and placed it up to Banes neck once more. She knelt down to his face, raised her eyebrows and grinned wickedly.

"You are a talented Ms. Doe, I will admit", Bane said as his eyes bore into hers, Danika was smirking. With that Bane grabbed the point of her sai and threw it back, making her hit herself in the face with the weight of his hand behind it. She fell next to him on the ground. With the speed of lighting Bane was on top of her, he reached out for her throat, squeezed with an amount of force, picking her up, her body hung 2 feet off the ground. Danika wrapped both her hands on his monster of an arm that was attached to her throat. Bane walked her backwards, still in the air. Danika was trying to gasp for arm, still fear never entered her eyes.

Bane tilted his head at that aspect and her back hit the wall behind her, Bane lowered her so that her feet touched the ground. He was still holding her by the throat, he pushed himself up to her releasing her throat and pinned her wrists to the wall stepping so close that he put a knee between her legs so that she couldn't move her feet or attempt to kick him.

She felt something in the air changed between them, Danika looked into Bane's eyes with such a fire, he returned the look. "You fight like you know that in a battle of strength and punches you will not win, so you use your surroundings, and your flexibility to fend off your attacker and then when they are most vulnerable you strike. Smart, but ineffective when facing me".

"I had a sai to your throat twice", Danika sounded as if she was still out of breath.

"I let you have your sais to me twice, Ms. Doe."

He let her go and stepped back far enough so there was distance between them. "Again. But this time, for I know your capacity I will not hold back". Bane challenged her.

Danika looked to him and said "Never liked the guys that held back anyway." Danika knew he was testing her, she knew this wouldn't be an epic battle resulting in her release. She knew that even on odd chances that if she had managed to best Bane there were guards surrounding her. He was analyzing her.

She stepped off the wall and cracked her neck. She threw over a quick glance to see her sai's laying on the ground about 3 feet away from each other right in front of Bane. "That's right Ms. Doe assess, then act". Bane taunted her.

She sprung forward doing a cartwheel which had landed her hands appropriately over her sai's. Danika picked them up as she stood forward right in front of Bane. She held them backwards with the points inward to her wrists clutching the handles in her palms and she punched Bane twice in the face with the handles of her weapons adding force into her punches. Bane stepped back with every punch, tucked and grabbed her around her stomach tossing her to the ground.

Danika rose up once again and rotated her sai's gracefully and quickly. She started to pace around her opponent, both of them starring into each other. Bane took the initiative and stalked toward her. Danika stood still awaiting her attacker. He threw a punch to her jaw almost sending her flying across the room, she lost her footing for a quick moment. Bane continued his pursuit and he hit struck her ,once in the jaw again, once in the stomach, sending a cough through Danika's body as she was hunched over. She picked herself up straight and caught one of Banes incoming blows with a sai, slashing his knuckles, blood started to drip from his hand. She stood straight and kicked out one leg to him, it connected, sending his to take maybe, 4 steps backwards, she ran to him but he quickly regained his footing, he moved over a bit to make Danika pass him with her run. He grabbed her hair and yanked it, sending her to the ground.

She let out a grunt when her head met the floor with an impact. With a cough Danika threw out "You can pull my hair all day lover, it just turns me on." Danika said and threw on the best smirk she could.

Bane acted as if he didn't even hear her. He stepped over her and placed a foot to her throat, hovering over it. Danika went into autopilot as fear crept in and she threw over her arm sending the sai to slash his calf. Bane removed his leg away from her. With a forward kick using both legs she was standing again.

Bane looked to his calf where his pants split from the cut of her sai and looked at his bleeding knuckle and smiled, he chuckled his familiar sinister laugh. Danika was starting to get tired and he could feel this. This was his time to not let her get up. He quickly walked over to her and she raised her sai's. With almost a run her hit both her sai's out of her hands and hit her repeatedly til she was backed into a corner she fell to the ground as blood flew out of her mouth.

"Not this time", Bane said as he reached down to her picking her up by her hair. Danika threw punches his way landing a few, but Bane just grabbed her by the shoulders with a force and threw her back into the wall, she saw an opportunity and snuck out between him and the wall, both facing their backs to each other Danika kicked her leg back and hit him in the spine, he turned and grabbed her foot mid arm and pulled her to him. With that she balanced herself so she flung her other leg over in the air kicking him in the face, he let go of her as she hit the ground. Danika picked herself up and threw herself at him, she hit him hard and fast, she missed once with her left hand and hit the wall, he knuckles opened and blood started coming out. Bane grabbed her fists and with a swing threw her to the opposite wall of the room from where they were.

This time Danika skidded into a table glass shattering on top of her, she took in a deep breath, spit the blood out of her mouth grabbed a shard of glass and ran toward Bane. She darted it toward him catching his shoulder and shirt pinning it to the wall. Bane turned his head to his cut shoulder amused and let out a "Hmm".

"You keep getting up, Bravo", Bane said to her with a slight amount of laughter in his voice. This time he charged Danika grabbing her torso and wrapping his arm around it, he threw her with great force into the floor that had shards of glass covering it. "But, if I want you to stay down, you will stay down".

He stood over Danika, watching her gently trying to lift herself up without coming in contact with more glass than she already had. Bane pushed down a heel into her stomach sending her back to the ground, she head the crunch of glass into her back and let out a scream. This time Bane reached for her shirt pulling her up by it, she wrapped her hands around his fists and he picked her up.

Danika was bleeding from her back all over, nothing too deep but shallow cuts sometimes hurt the most. Blood was coming from her mouth where she bit her lip from one of Bane's punches. She looked to her left knuckle which was battered quite a bit. She still managed to dart her eyes into Bane letting him know he had not broken her. Bane released her and she stood in front of him. Bane was still bleeding from his knuckles and a bit from his calf, the cut on his shoulder was merely a paper cut.

"You managed to draw blood from me, three times, not something many people get to conquer for that I applaud you, you fight well. You use your strengths to make up for your weaknesses, but you grow impatient and strike too quickly, letting down your guard and letting anger replace your brain. Works on most, but not on someone who is trained further than you are", Bane spoke, almost as a teacher speaking to a student.

Danika kept her eyes on Bane, taking in his comment, and turned around slightly to reach the glass pierced into her back. She grabbed the largest piece which was sticking out near her shoulder blade and pulled it out without hesitation and threw it to the ground, at Bane's feet, almost as a "fuck you".

Bane walked toward her, she starred up at him. He motioned for her to turn around, she stood her ground. Bane let out a sigh that hissed through his mask and she felt the air he let out on her skin. She shivered inside, but kept her cold look on front. She finally turned around. Bane looked up and down at her back, at the glass, he found one more piece protruding from her side and yanked it out.

Danika winced and let out a slight whimper. She turned around and looked to Bane once more. Bane picked up her left hand and examined it. "Nothing's broken, surprisingly you've lasted pretty well for your first lesson. "

Danika let out a "ha". Bane looked to her intrigued. "My first lesson, I have learned, I have studied under a great master, you would never amount up to him, in my eyes you don't even amount up to me, and I hold myself pretty low". She spat out at him.

With one swift motion, Bane grabbed one of her sais with one hand and grabbed her jaw with his other forcing her still, and to look at him. She shot daggers into his eyes as he brought the sai up to her mouth. "What have I told you about that tongue my pet?" Bane pressed the sai slightly into her lips. Danika didn't even flinch, Bane brought down the sai and trailed her neck with it, and then stopped at the beginning of her collarbone. They were right under the light, and for the first time Bane noticed a scar that peaked out of her shirt and led back down under the fabric.

Danika realized what he was looking at and pushed herself back from him, turning her head. Bane mentally added that to his checklist of hers in his mind. He dropped her sai and crept toward her as the both approached the door. Danika stopped.

Bane kept walking when he reached the door he turned his head and said "And if I were you, I'd start lowering my standards, soon enough you will be one of us", he said, and with that Bane exited the room, holding the door open he told Barsard to take Danika back to her room and have Samuel fix her up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here you go, Thanks for all the reviews! Stick with me through this one, kinda long and its setting up for some major things coming up soon! Also, to comment on a review, Danika wasn't trained by the League of Shadows, her training comes up in this chapter. Have a great weekend everyone Please review ! (: 5x5 -Dee **

Barsard and the 4 other guards led Danika back to her room. 2 guards left, leaving 2 of them at Danika's door. The moment Danika realized no one but Barsard was around her she dropped to the floor in pain, her back stinging as the blood started to dry up, She felt bruises starting to form around her ribs, the knuckle pain didn't bother her too much. She was used to getting drunk and punching walls. She kept biting her bottom lip trying to lick off the blood that kept coming from it.

"You lasted much longer than we thought you would", Barsard told her.

"Well I hope some of you lost bet money", Danika replied to him.

Barsard took her zippo out of his pocket, waiting for her to draw a cigarette out of her pack that sat on the couch, she got up and staggered over to the couch and did so.

"Thanks", She nodded to Barsard as he walked over and lit her cigarette. She was very confused when he placed it on the coffee table instead of back into her pockets.

"Uh, I thought you didn't trust me with fire?"

"Well what is the worst you are going to do? Start a bon fire?" Barsard replied with a smile as he leaned against her cot. "Plus, I no longer have time to be your personal aim and flame", he added.

_Aim and Flame? Those things people used to light candles? Flashes of such a device held up to her neck, then her thighs, the man with a tattoo on his right wrist of two dice. Silent screams…._

"Danika?". She snapped out of it. Shaking her head, looked to Barsard who seemed confused at her.

"Dani, you should call me Dani", She looked up to him with a blank stare.

Barsard sat on her cot, looking at her. He tilted his head and put his hand up to his face, leaning his elbow on his knees. "What happened to you? What's your story? The men all speculate and question and gossip, something bad, hmm?"

Danika shot over her eyes to Barsard, noticed that he honestly cared for her answer, it wasn't a taunt as it would be from Bane, nor a look of pity as it would be from Samuel. Still, she would never let anyone into her world, into her thoughts.

"No use to burden your mind with my misfortunes". Danika said as she looked over to the left to the window, starring outside. "Some people are just dealt a shitty hand". She said as she took a long pull from her cigarette and let the smoke out. She looked over to Barsard, "Something happened to you too, huh? Something bad happened to all of you, the men who follow Bane. Not the men that have been recruited they are just bodies to fill in an army".

Barsard smiled, "Each of us has found some sort of home or belonging or safe haven from something of our pasts, it unites us, gives us a purpose. The League. We are brothers."

"Hmm… a purpose, belonging, sounds nice. I had the wrong idea of you all before, I just thought you were all lunatics, who just wanted to watch the world burn. You are an army of brothers, its honorable, in some broken way. Honor, it means something. I never hear screams of women coming from these walls, never hear you all beating up some random person. Never has one of you darted your eyes to me in a sexual manner, or a demeaning one. You do have a sense of honor you upkeep and that, I can respect". Danika stated, looking to Barsard with a kind smile.

"You fight honorably, as well Dani. We realize that, we realize why Bane has kept you his pet, because you are one of us. You do not accept or see that yet, but when you realize there's no fighting this fate any longer, you will see." Barsard said to her, almost as a friend convincing another friend.

Danika didn't say anything. All this was running through her head. She was so confused, even more so that she was even thinking of it, the very people who keep her captive, these men who are destroying a whole city, she found herself relating to them? She shook it off. "Thanks, for the lighter. I will try not to start any bon fires", Danika said to Barsard.

Samuel walked in with a kit of supplies, looked to Barsard, then to Danika who was still smoking. Barsard got up, and walked over to Danika. "I hope to call you sister before this is all over." Danika narrowed her eyes at him, smiling, "Don't let that dream keep you up at night", she replied back. He turned around walking to the door, and let out a laugh.

Samuel sat across from Danika, "You know there's no use for me to bandage you up if your smoking those, they will kill you".

"Well at least that is at my _own accord_" Danika remembered what Bane said to her one of her first nights in the sewers with him.

She held out her knuckles to Samuel who bandaged them. She told him her lip was no big deal, she'll rinse out her mouth to make sure no infection occurs.

"Your back, one of the men told me you might need stitches?", Samuel suggested.

"Well I think the bleeding has stopped from all cuts except the one by my shoulder blade.", Danika replied turning her head to try to see her shoulder blade.

"Well my dear, I am the doctor, let me be the judge of that", Samuel said to her.

Danika realized she would have to take off her shirt for the good doctor to fix up her back, she put her head down and sighed. She slowly removed her shirt, looked to both doors in her room to make sure they were closed.

Samuel looked and Danika's upper body and his almost went flying back. He let out a small gasp. _What in the world happened to this girl. _He thought to himself.

They exchanged a look, Samuel understood she didn't wish to go into this subject any further.

"It seems like your right, just this one cut needs a few stitches, and I'll cleanse the wounds to make sure no glass got stuck in there", Samuel said almost in a guilty tone.

"How'd you know about the glass", Danika was desperately trying to keep the subject in her control.

"One of the men, I also heard you drew blood from Bane, I couldn't believe it, you're lucky that this is the extent of your injuries", Saumel said as he poured hydrogen peroxide down her back.

"Yeah, I understand that, he's trying to test me, I assume is the only reason I got as far as I did with him." Danika said, almost to herself as well, thinking about the fight.

"Hmm, well we never question Bane's ways, we trust him", Samuel reassured her.

"You guys do don't you? You all trust him", Danika shook her head not understanding.

Samuel turned her looking at her in the eyes, "Yes my dear, we all do. He's, He is not a bad man. He is a man with vision".

Danika turned herself around so the doctor could continue, taking in Samuel's words, Barsard's words.

Was she starting to feel this self-acceptance Barsard spoke of? No, she shook her head. Found herself wondering where Bane was, "What the fuck is wrong with me", she spoke to herself.

She continued to think and think as Samuel finished stitching and bandaging what he could. Danika lit up another cigarette after he was finished and he stood up.

"Nothing is wrong with you my dear, just as nothing is wrong with us, people like us come from circumstance, the world and rules are not black and white, but contains shades of grey", Samuel spoke softly to Danika, he put his hand on her shoulder then walked away, closing her door.

Danika got up and put a new shirt on, feeling quite cold she pulled out one of her black turtlenecks and pulled that slowly over her back. She grabbed one of the books that was in the corner of her room, her glasses and started reading.

Hours had passed, dinner came, it was just some random guard, she listened to the door that separated her and Bane's room. She heard nothing, assuming he wasn't in there. She usually heard him pacing, sometimes he would talk to himself very quietly, she couldn't make out the words but she just listened. She found herself realizing that she had a hard time falling asleep when she didn't hear him in the next room. _I am certifiably crazy._ Danika thought to herself stepping away from Bane's door. "What is my draw to him? Cuz he's a good fighter, cuz he is intelligent, cuz he doesn't use his power over me in an evil way, cuz he doesn't beat me to a pulp when we fight?", Danika said as she sighed, lighting up another cigarette. She played with the zippo noticing how heavy it seemed, Barsard had taken the liberty to fill it. She smiled.

It was around 1:00 in the morning, she started pacing. She had already taken a shower, ate, smoked, a lot. She really thought Bane would come address her and their duel. She was kind of …put of that he didn't? _Yeah Dani be upset that the captor hasn't come to talk to you tonight, Stockholm 101._ She thought to herself.

All of a sudden she heard loud footsteps; she heard Barsard's voice along with Samuels through her walls, something glass shattered in the next room. She got up, curious as all hell, walked up to the connecting door and tried to open it. To her surprise it was open.

She stepped through, glancing at Barsard and Samuel kneeling in front of Bane, Bane looked…_wait hurt?_

None of them noticed her presence, she heard Samuel say that Bane needed stitches and pulled out 3 metal objects and tossed them on the floor, one of them landed in the light and Danika looked down at it. _Oh shit. _Danika walked up pulled out a glove from Samuel's case, now Bane had noticed her presence, he didn't pay her much mind, just watched her curiously. Danika walked over to the object and with a glove on picked it up.

"You can't stitch him up." Danika stated dryly as a matter of fact statement.

Samuel turned along with Barsard and the men's eyes met Danika who was holding a star shaped object with Banes blood on it.

Danika sat down in Bane's chair, Barsard threw her a look thinking _"What in the world is she doing",_ Danika still held the star shaped daggers in her hand, just studying them.

"These are meant merely to cut someone in pursuit, but the secret is that when you go home and stitch away your cut, you trap the poison in your blood, it kills you in 2 days. You have to clean it, and clean it well. Some people use leeches." Danika said all this still looking down at the daggers, starring into them.

"How do you know this", Barsard said to Danika.

"Because I have been trained with them.", she shot back to Barsard angered that he was questioning her.

Danika just got up with the daggers in her hands and walked toward the door she entered, she met Bane's eye for a second, and she saw that he was staring into her, a different look on his face. He seemed confused; he was searching for an answer in her eyes. She walked back through the door and closed it.

* * *

Danika sat at her couch with her glasses on smoking, and studying the daggers, one by one.

Her mind started wondering. _She remembered a white room, she was dressed in all white_, _the man in front of her dressed in black, she looked at her arm, a star shaped dagger had pierced her skin. She removed it, ripped her shirt to close the wound. _

_"No my fawn, you must wash out the wound first", she felt a warm and safe arm wrap around her. _

A rasp and growl of a voice grabbed her and brought her away from her thoughts, brought her back to her current situation.

"You look different." She looked up, and saw Bane standing in the frame of the doorway as he often had. She noticed his arm was wrapped and bandaged. He was wearing a black ginny tee, that clung to his body with no slack, every one of his muscles defined and shown off, she realized she was looking. He did as well.

Her eyes met his, she looked at him confused, dropping the dagger onto the floor.

"The glasses?", Bane explained confused at her confusion.

"Oh, right", Danika said as she took them off and placed them onto the table in front of her.

Bane let out a scoff of laughter that seemed to vibrate through his mask and right into her. "I said different, not terrible, where is your mind right now" He motioned toward her picking up the dagger with a napkin he had in his hand. He studied her for a few moments, realizing something in her was changing before his eyes.

She shook her head as he sat on the corner of the wooden table. She was surprised it could support him, _Good Table_, she thought to herself.

"It appears that I owe thanks to you", Bane said as he sat across from her moving the dagger in her view.

Bane's eyes met Danika's. He searched her eyes, there was the usual fire he was accustomed to from her, but something different, not fear, not defiance, he couldn't place a finger on it. "How did you learn of these weapons? The sai's, these daggers, not very common today.", He asked her as he carefully stabbed one of the edges of the dagger into the table to make it stand.

She looked away from his glance, she was so confused to her new found comfort with him in the room, why had he come in her room so late? What if she was sleeping, did he know she wasn't sleeping. She let out a sigh, "My master, he trained me, those were weapons he used to train us, the sai's I picked up because they're a little more concealing than a katana."

"You were trained to be an assassin?", Bane said intrigued.

"I was trained to take care of myself", She retorted back.

"It becomes more and more evident to me, Ms. Doe that we are cut from the same cloth." Bane said to her as he stood up from the table, walking over to the door , and leaned against the door as he had earlier.

She didn't say anything, no witty remark, no sarcastic answer. She just dwindled in her thoughts. She looked up to him.

"Ahh", Bane let out as he crossed his arms against his chest. "It becomes more evident to you as well, Ms. Doe. "

She shot a look to him.

"Yes, there's that anger, you hate me because I am the mirror you cannot turn away from, my dear." Bane said as he turned around to exit her room.

"I don't hate you", Danika said, as soon as the words slipped from her lips she wished she could grab them back.

Bane grinned behind his mask; She was in his grasps now. It was just a matter of time.


	11. Chapter 11

Danika woke up from a terrible dream. She quickly took herself to the shower when she woke up, almost wanting to cleanse herself of her thoughts. She closed her eyes while in the shower rinsing her hair out.

_The dice tattoo on a right hand. Grabbing her throat. Caressing her face. Looking down at her hands, blood, dirt. Screams, her screams. _

She opened her eyes letting out a small whine, almost of a yell. She hit the wall of the shower in front of her with an open palm. She stood in the shower, letting the water run down her with both her hands holding her up, stretched out in front of her, her head down, feeling the steam of the water envelope her. Two tears escaped her eyes. But she swallowed and pushed away her feelings, her thoughts, as she trained herself to do.

She got out of the shower and dressed. Looking to the mirror in front of her, she starred into her own green eyes, she knew she was pretty. She wished it away sometimes, but she acknowledged it. She brushed her fingers threw her hair, didn't put it back into a pony tail as she normally did, she let it loose. It fell around her face onto her shoulders. She took one last look in the mirror before she exited the bathroom and entered her room.

There he was, sitting on her cot. Bane was hunched, his elbows were on his knees, his hands folded in front of him. He was already looking at her when she entered the room. She looked at him, walked over to the couch, and grabbed a cigarette and looked to see her zippo, it wasn't there. She already knew Bane had it, when she walked over to him, he looked up to meet her gaze, unfolded his hands and the zippo was there. She reached for it, grabbing it out of his hands that were still joined at the fingers. She felt something of a electrical shock to her hand as she touched his. She looked at him in the eyes, something she felt almost made her sick. A longing. She turned her back to him lighting the cigarette.

"279." Bane implied as a question.

Danika stopped walking. She looked down at the zippo, which had 279 engraved in it. _Fuck_

She continued to walk and sat at the couch, put her glasses on and grabbed one of the books next to her. She didn't open it, merely kept it in her lap, looking down at it.

Bane got up, he was now wearing the vest he worn on his adventures out, Danika figured to herself. He had a brace on, one like the ones weight lifters wear. On his wrist was a brace of some kind. Danika found herself studying the figure as he walked toward her.

Bane felt her eyes on him, _Fool. _He thought to himself as he walked over to her. He also felt some sort of change in her, the way she hesitated to pull her hand out from his when she grabbed the lighter. He let out a sigh. He knew this creature in front of him was molded out of something dark, haunting. He knew that if she felt any sort of, emotion toward him that she was crossed. He couldn't figure her out in 2 seconds like he could everyone else. This intrigued him to her, her ability to fight, her blind defiance, and bravery. Stupid, but honorable.

"Did your shower anger you?", Bane spoke to Danika, no emotion behind his words, just words.

"Are you listening to me in the shower?", Danika asked as she ashed her cigarette.

"I _am_ in the room right next to you, I heard a yell, came in"

"_To what, exactly?"_ Danika interrupted Bane with a look of fierceness in her eyes. The words flew out of her mouth with a vengeance behind them.

Bane was disgusted. In a flash of a second he wrapped his arm tightly around her neck, he bore knives into her eyes. Danika threw her cigarette at the floor and her arms were wrapped tightly around his arm that held her neck. Bane stepped on her cigarette as he walked closer to her. Still with his hand around her neck he knelt down to meet her. "Girl, you have worn out my patience with your insolence." He growled to her, forcing her whole body closer to him as he pulled her by the throat. "Your blind anger has nowhere to direct itself here so you dare to throw it to me. I allow you to do everything you do during your day, from what I can tell, your stay here has been the closest thing you have ever had to belonging. My men, Barsard, respect you. They do not see you for the broken doll you are, my dear."

Bane was still starring her down, but then, with his last comment, her gaze completely diminished. She was not starring fierceness into his eyes, but hurt. She pulled in a gasp, and her hands lost their strength and let go of his wrist. Bane continued "If you want me to act as your captor and make you hate me I will, do not doubt it Ms. Doe. Your actions as an angry little girl throwing a tantrum end here." Bane let go of her throat and stepped up, towered over her, and proceeded to turn around.

"You know nothing of my anger, of its origin", Danika said with distilled hurt in her voice, she grabbed at her throat, rubbing it.

"Educate me then pet", Bane turned back around and leaned against the wall, crossing his legs at his ankles, along with his arms across his chest.

Danika removed her glasses from her face, and ran a hand through her hair. She felt hurt. She couldn't explain it, but Bane's words registered to her on a different level. They weren't just threats from a captor, but from the man that for the last month and a half had become her familiar.

She stood up from her seat on the couch and picked up the cigarette off the floor and placed it in the can Barsard provided her as an ashtray.

She walked up to the mirror that hung in the room, looked herself in the face and then turned back to Bane. Bane's head was tilted, looking to her, for an answer to his question.

Bane decided to answer. "Parents abandon you, never fit into a family even at a young age when people are blindly attracted to a child simply because they are a child. Back and forth into homes and living situations, a reason for your anger yes, but not so much that you couldn't just grow up and get over it now that you're an adult. Wherever you went missing for about 9 months was what put out your light or as you would say _stole your soul_."

Danika realized that she had no more anger to throw at Bane right now, She was exhausted and it was the beginning of the day. She looked away from him.

Bane could feel her disdain from where he stood, her whole body language changed, she usually stood tall, and defiant, right now she was turned away from him and although she kept her shoulders up her, and her hands stayed at her sides her face was hiding from him. All that he learned of his pet, she did not hide. He had struck a nerve inside of her, she felt sorrow for throwing words at him causing him to size her up in a matter of seconds. Bane felt a strong push in his mind to walk over to her, but he did not. He stood his ground, waiting for her.

"You have forgotten how to speak?", Bane said, to taunt her, if not something at least it would make her snap back into her defiance.

"I have no words.", Danika replied turning to face him, she used the remainder of her spirit to bring her eyes to him.

"You have words; you fight yourself from speaking them. Why do you fight the truth, it only causes you to fight yourself and land you at this point. You need to control your emotions, you need to let go of whatever you hold, either let it define you as you have, or use it to define yourself.", Bane spoke wise, as if he was her teacher.

Danika walked up to Bane standing at his equal as much as she could. She was trying to find words, desperately. She couldn't. Bane grasped this as she put her head down in front of him. Bane turned around and walked toward the door that separated them. He knew that she didn't want to be this, she wanted to be the girl that was taunting him, and meeting his punches with her sai's.

"Get ready, we're going to fight.", Bane let out. He realized he could not break her as he planned, because she was already broken, never been fixed. He realized that he would be the one to fix her, and mold her into what he had planned for her all along.


	12. Chapter 12

**HEY GUYS! I fell in love with writing this chapter! I hope you all feel the same way. Feedback is always appreciated :) There's a sense of DUN DUN DUN at the end. Enjoy and Stay tuned. 5 by 5-Dee**

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After what seemed like hours of fighting, Bane and Danika sat down across from each other. Danika was sitting on the floor, hunched against the wall with her arms laid out leaning her wrists on her knees. Bane sat across the room from her sitting in a chair. He sat with one leg propped out the other under his chair with his arms crossed to his chest, as if he were a gargoyle atop a great building in Gotham.

"That was better than our previous fight Ms. Doe, do you understand why?", Bane broke the silence that had been instilled since he had told her back in her room that they were going to fight.

Danika looked up to him, trying to think.

"Because I had left every ounce of my anger in the room, and I was just fighting to fight, not out of emotion?"

"Precisely, you must have been an excellent pupil, but tell me if your _master_ is as great as you honor him to be, why hasn't he come looking for you?"

Danika broke the eye contact between them.

"My master and I broke all ties after 4 years of training. He probably believes I've been dead for years now."…_Haven't I? _She continued. "We differed in opinions of my…future, I wasn't his star _pupil, _but I was second." _Second best Dani, always_. "He thought of me as a wild card, he knew that I didn't fit into his world of discipline and never agreed with the idea of getting something done at any cost. I grew tired of the hypocrisy of it all. If you're going to kill someone, just do it. Don't hide behind smoke and mirrors, or star shaped poison daggers. I didn't find it right that we were trained to abide by some old code, _Death before Dishonor_, but the minute we're in battle we abandon the code just to make sure we ended up on top."

Danika paused. She looked over to Bane to see if he was even still interested in what she was saying. He moved from his previous position and uncrossed his arms. He was sitting with his legs straight now. He was looking at her, she felt that he was listening with every word. She continued.

"I left. He sent his star pupil, Ky to find me. Ky decided that he needed to wipe out the competition, we fought, I won. He left. My master wasn't pleased, to say the least. After 6 months I stopped having to look over my shoulder, we encountered once more and I told him of my_, past_. After that he completely disowned me. I was the mutt of the liter. No longer worthy of what he offered. Damaged goods."

"_Someone stole your soul, and you replaced it_. To quote you Ms. Doe", Bane cut Danika off. Danika met his eyes, she followed him with them as he got up and strode over to her, standing above her. He put out a hand. Danika just looked at it, then back into Bane's eyes. No anger or threat in them, still fierce and powerful, almost controlling as if he was in charge. Danika placed her hand in his and stood up. It took a slight millisecond to let go of her hand, he felt the warmth of her grasp. Danika, as well, almost didn't want to let go, but they both pulled away at the same moment. They stood mirrored to each other.

"What I offer you is more. Something you are worthy of." Bane explained and he straightened up, pushing his shoulders back, stood tall and proud.

"A purpose. A belonging", she remembered what she and Barsard has talked about the day before.

Bane raised his eyebrow to her, and let a simple nod fall to her. "It is no doubt that you have a strategic mind, and a fighters heat. You would be a great asset to the League. It is an honor for I to put out my hand to you, to offer you something many of the men outside these walls would kill so many for."

"You want me to stand behind you, to destroy the city of Gotham, and its inhabitants, to kill everyone?", Danika asked, simply as a question. She had no anger or sarcasm behind her words.

"To restart the cycle. The League of Shadows has been around for centuries, we have burned down cities when it reaches its peak because all too often is when that city starts to deteriorate and fall into corruption and chaos.", Bane answered her.

"That bomb is going off no matter what.", Danika stated half a question and half a statement.

Bane didn't say anything, simply started walking toward the door. Just as he reached the door, he held out his arm, motioning her to step forward.

"What I offer you is to be a part of the change, or be another heap of the ashes." Bane said awaiting her to walk to him. She did.

She stood in front of him for a moment. He lowered his arm and placed them on the collar of his vest.

"Why don't you interrogate me about my past? Everyone does. Most people here do, I assume rumors do not reach your door, but you must be curious. It's in our nature to be curious of what we don't know". Danika asked Bane, her eyes bore into his, but not out of fight or anger, something else. She blinked and wiped away that feeling that had been more recurring as of late.

"You will tell me when you want to. When you do, that is when I know you are with me." Bane said.

It sent a flutter of heat through Danika's body, she breathed in a deep breath. She masked herself on the outside. _With him? Could I ever be with him? Is this something I can do? Could I stand beside this League and it's actions? Why am I considering this? Nothing makes sense. _Danika thought to herself.

Bane opened the door for Danika to step outside, she did. He followed close behind her. Barsard walked next to her.

"Nice eye", Barsard noted to Danika smirking. Speaking of her bruising from the fight that had just took place.

"What can I say? I like it rough_."_ Danika found herself joking with Barsard as if he was her brother. Two guards joined them. Bane took the liberty of walking in front of him, talking with some other guard, asking him of any news or occurrences in the city.

They continued walking. They reached the part of the building where it was all hallway, the floor disappeared into a square of nothing. Danika looked over the edge as they were walking. She then looked up to the third floor. _How easy it would be for me to just jump, and then get shot a million times_, Danika said to herself. She almost found herself not wanting to leave. She had become aware of her situation prior but up until now was the only time she found herself, fine with where she was.

Barsard noted her looking over the edge, they continued walking.

"Your bleeding.", Barsard said to Danika simply.

She looked to her arm. "Oh shit, I didn't even realize".

"Adrenaline is one hell of a drug", Barsard took out a bandana from his pocket and handed it to her. She wrapped her arm tightly.

Shoots started firing. Barsard pushed Danika to the wall, and drew his rifle off his shoulders, holding it ready to fire. Two guards stood in front of her. There was smoke starting to circulate through the corridors. Danika fell to the floor when Barsard pushed her. She got up, one guard turned to her. She raised her arms "I'm just standing up".

Danika searched her eyes to the smoke, she saw a rope fall through the floors, close to the edge. _What the fuck? _

Her eyes searched for Barsard, who was standing with his rifle pointing. The shooting had stopped but all the guards pointed their guns to Bane's direction. The smoke finally cleared. _Oh shit. _

A man adorned in all black including a mask that covered his entire face was fighting with Bane. The guards knew better than to intervene in Bane's fights. They all stood watching and waiting. The swiftness of this man, Danika knew he was trained by the same man that trained her. They traded kicks and punches. Danika noticed the katana poking out of the back of this man's attire.

Bane held the upper hand in this fight. But, the other masked man was holding up quite well, he knew what Bane was going to do. He and Bane switched positions now the masked man was facing Danika and Bane with his back to her. Bane grabbed the man's arm and broke it in one swift motion. The man then pulled something out of a pocket and threw what looked like hot embers into Bane's eyes. She immediately heard all of the safety's click from the men's guns. Danika lunged forward as Bane staggered backwards grabbing his face. He fell to his knees as she saw the man drew his katana.

Danika quickly pushed through the two guards and over to Barsard, now stepping into the light.

"Death before Dishonor", Danika stated loud enough for the masked man to hear. She was disgusted that the man would use such a tactic to beat Bane. The man quickly looked over to her, his katana in his arms above his head.

The two guards went and grabbed Danika by the arms. She just starred at him trying to figure out who he was.

"F.. Fawn.." The man's words escaped through his mask and into the air. Shock and realization ran through Danika's body.

"No", Danika let out with a gasp covering her mouth with her hands and Bane found his footing and grabbed the man who had hesitated because of Danika's interference by the throat and in one second a crack echoed through the entire floor. The katana fell to the floor along with the man's body.

Danika quickly ran over to the scene, all the guns pointed to her. Bane raised his hand quickly . Everyone lowered their weapons.

Danika kneeled down to the man. She looked him up and down as he lay dead before her. She slowly raised her hands to his mask and gently pulled it off. Her head fell immediately along with her arms, at her sides. She gasped, her breath cracked. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

Bane knew by her reaction who his attacker was.

Bane walked up to her, stood behind her still kneeling with his mask in her hands. Danika reached and put the mask back on him. She put her head down and folded her hands.

"A mere hour ago, you told me how this man disowned you. He does not deserve your sorrow. He is dead.", Bane almost whispered to her.

"He is dead because of me.", Danika said with her head slightly cocked over so Bane could hear her.

"Irrelevant , you did him a kindness, he died quickly. Never the less. It seems you have _saved my life_ twice in 3 days." Bane reeked of sarcasm as he started to speak louder, for all to hear.

"I do believe that is means for initiation. Welcome, Ms. Doe. Welcome to the League." Bane said as he turned his back and started walking away.

Danika remained there. Kneeling over the body of her master. She looked up to Bane, then back to the man that laid before her. Nothing made sense to her anymore. She remembered her mentors last words the last night they spoke. "Fawn, you are a product of your past. All that lies inside of you is anger, hate, and shadows". Danika stood up, something shifted in her eyes, she felt something take over her. She looked down to the man once more.

"Bane", Danika called out. He stopped his footsteps, all the men surrounding were waiting what her next action would be. Barsard looked to her, his eyes narrowed on her.

She walked up to Bane.

"Burn his body, he at least deserves that." Danika stood next to Bane looking forward as Bane turned to her.

"And I am yours."

"And the city?" Bane questioned.

"This city showed no compassion to me. Why should I, to it?", Danika walked forward. Two guards accompanied her to her room.

Bane raised his eyebrow, a smirk hid behind his mask. He watched as Danika walked taller than she had ever walked before. Barsard walked up to Bane.

"Burn the body, send it to the river. Warriors burial." Bane instructed to Barsard.

"Is she…serious?", Barsard asked carefully to Bane.

"We will see."


	13. Chapter 13

Danika sat on the edge of the couch in her room. She was flicking the top of her zippo back and forth making a clicking noise fill the room. She was smoking. She was trying to think. Her eyes moved left to right. She thought about why she wasn't more hurt that her master was dead. Did Bane successfully show her the way into the light of her future? Is this what she was meant for? She didn't know why, but she wasn't angry or confused. She was calm.

She put out her cigarette and continued to sit and contemplate. Samuel walked in her room, she didn't look up to acknowledge him.

"I heard you need some stitching.", Samuel said as he walked over to her with his kit in his hands.

Danika pulled her head up. She met his gaze and didn't say anything. She took off the bandana that Barsard had given her earlier, she folded it and placed it beside her. She heard Samuel move a chair over to her and sit in it. He started his task. Once in a while Samuel would look to her face, then back to her arm.

"I'm assuming you heard of the series of events that had just occurred", Danika said to Samuel.

"Yes."

"And?", Danika asked waiting for a question or an opinion.

"And, I hope you know what you are doing.", Samuel said to her as he pulled a stitch closed.

"What do you mean?", Danika was confused.

"I mean, you do not throw around acceptance to the League. Some men believe you are saying you are in, to earn trust and will eventually betray them. Some men think you are angry and made your decision rashly."

"And what do you think?", Danika cut Samuel off to ask her question.

"I don't know. You truly are a mystery." Samuel finished with that, and wrapped her arm, and proceeded to leave.

"That man, they are burning, and sending his body to the river, just so you know. Bane is a man of honor. I pray you do not betray him, for your sake." Samuel said before he closed her door.

Danika had been left alone the rest of the day. The next morning she woke up, did her usual routine of pushups and pull ups, she showered. When she returned to her room after showering Barsard was sitting on the couch. Danika gave him a nod to acknowledge his presence he threw something at her, she caught it. It was an arbitrary pack of cigarettes. She smiled and started packing them.

Danika sat on the coffee table that was near Barsard. She hunched over, putting the cigarette in her mouth and lighting it. She looked up to Barsard.

"You were the one to burn him?", Danika asked him.

He nodded.

"I'm not stupid. Bane did as I asked, not solely because I had asked him. He wanted everyone to see what would happen to someone if they tried an attack.", Danika said as she pulled from her cigarette, sending smoke in the immediate area.

"It would be wise to not speak ill of him, especially now". Barsard stated with caution.

"Now that, I'm one of you? Why? He'll punish me like I'm a child", Danika had a scent of bitterness in her voice.

"The other men do not trust you as of now. They do not know what to make of your statement. If you speak ill of him around the others one will kill you, thinking it will appease Bane. Be smart Danika.", Barsard said giving her a look of plea.

Danika nodded "I'm not a traitor, I'm not a wolf in sheep's clothing. If I was against you all you would know it. I'm not going to try to prove myself either. I don't care."

Barsard decided to change the subject. "Fawn?"

"It's just something of a nickname he gave me, something to do with deers, my last name doe, and a fawn, I never really looked into it.", she replied sending a plume of smoke out of her mouth as she spoke.

"Did he come here for you?", Barsard was curious.

"No, I assume he had realized the poison didn't kill Bane and came to try to finish the job. He didn't even realize I was there, or probably still alive until I spoke.", Danika explained

Barsard nodded and got up from his and walked closer to Danika, he put his hand on her shoulder. Danika looked up to him.

"Dani," Barsard said to grab her attention. He went on when he knew she had it. "The way you lunged forward, out of instinct, was it?".

Danika tried to piece together what Barsard was trying to say. She laughed arrogantly, almost of a giggle and stood up. "Barsard, I hope I'm not right about what your accusing me of."

He just looked to her, with an eyebrow raised. "As do I." With that he walked away and out of her room.

A couple hours had passed. Danika walked around City Hall a few times, this time only with one guard. He didn't even seem like he was guarding her. It was like he was accompanying her. As she walked back to her room, she felt eyes on her from the other men. Some were judging looks, some nodded to her as she walked by.

_I guess everyone is as confused as I am._ She thought to herself.

When she and the man walked back to her room, before she opened the door she turned to him and said "My name is Danika, you can call me Dani". The man seemed to search her eyes and then replied. "Darren, by the way I heard you're a knife fighter". Danika replied to him, "Sai's are my choice but yes." Darren looked to her, "Then I guess that's why I'm with you, I learned with knives as well, maybe I'll be seeing you in training." Danika nodded and smirked, "Maybe". Darren walked away as she entered the door.

_Wait, no more guards? No more locking the outside of the door? I guess I truly am one of them now_.

Danika walked back in her room and closed the door; she took out a cigarette and lit it with her zippo. She looked saw a red bandana set on her table along with a velvet cloth that was folded over. She immediately recognized it. It was hers, she walked over to the coffee table and sat on the couch quickly. She lifted a piece of the cloth and saw her sai's along with her throwing knives, a dagger, gloves and her revolver.

She smiled as she grabbed the sai's in her hands. The ones she had when Bane was training with her were the ones that his men had taken from her the night she found herself in Bane's lair. These were her special ones, her favorite ones. They were all steel except for the handle which was wrapped in red leather. She held them in her hands, squeezing them, she was smiling. She put them down and a hand over her knives and dagger. The dagger was curved as an S, it was sharp to the touch, the handle was made of ivory. She set that down and brushed a hand over her gloves, they weren't just any gloves, on the base of the palms of the gloves there were 5 studs of blades. She next looked to the revolver. She picked it up and opened the barrel and spun it closed.

"As I previously said, you continue to surprise me Ms. Doe". Bane was standing in the door connecting the 2 rooms, as he usually did.

"I aim to please…Hmm that was witty and I wasn't even trying. " Danika replied as she put down the revolver and grinned to herself.

"Out dated isn't it?", Bane said as he motioned to the gun.

"Never used it, last resort kind of thing" Danika met Bane's gaze, she found herself liking it there.

"You're not full of questions, are you? Didn't even ask me why your items were brought to you", Bane said as he crossed his arms and leaned on the door frame.

"Is it your way of life to underestimate people? I'm not dumb. You gave me my stuff in order to show me that you are taking my acceptance seriously.", Danika said as found herself taking to Bane comfortably. It was pure conversation between two people, not a captive and captor, not a man she hated, she made herself a mental note to ponder this later on when he wasn't standing right in front of her.

Bane studied her for a moment before walking over to her. He picked up the red bandana that was next to her weaponry.

"Keep this on you, at all times whether it be around your neck or tied to your pant leg, or what have you. It is a sign that you are one of us", Bane explained as he held it out to her.

She had remembered it was the same as the one Barsard gave to her to cover up her bleeding. She nodded to Bane and took it from his hands. She looked to his hands, then to his face, remembering when she took her lighter out of his hands, when she held it to help herself up after they fought. She found herself looking into his eyes, getting lost in them. Bane looked back into hers, after what seemed like a minute or so Bane broke the eye contact as he touched the gloves.

"Wondering what they're for ?" Danika said as she had a bit of a smirk on her face and in her eyes.

Bane narrowed his eyes to her and turned his head slightly. "_You believe you can teach me something_?" He said with a tint of humor in his voice.

Danika raised her eyebrow and put on the gloves. "Pick up the dagger and find out".

Bane laughed to himself. _This girl either has a serious death wish or in very proud, maybe a bit of both._ He thought, he found himself humoring her, he held a certain fondness for this pet, her defiance, blind strength. He did find himself wondering what lied in her past, he could guess at it. But he knew that she was far more complicated than what others perceived her as. She was truly a creature formed of the darkness, and that he could relate to, he enjoyed seeing what the darkness molded people into, and this girl in front of him was no exception. But he was wiser than her. He knew the way she looked at him, and watched him, she was interested maybe it be for the same reason he found himself paying attention to her.

Bane picked up the dagger. He felt the weight in his hands and gripped it tightly. He walked in between the table and the couch and kneeled down to Danika's level. Danika narrowed her eyes with a smile, giving him the go. Bane pushed forward with the dagger , figuring he'd bring it to her neck, but found the knife stopped. Danika grabbed it in her hands. Bane looked to her and held the dagger loosely.

Danika opened her palm to show him the blades embedded in the glove. "These gloves were designed to be able to catch a blade, mostly to be able to hold a handle less sword, but we also use them to catch a sword mid swing".

Bane nodded and placed the dagger down and stood up over her. He pulled in a deep breath and breathed out. The rasp of the metal mask still sent chills down Danika's spine.

"Why do you think you have been initiated by me, Ms. Doe?", Bane asked her.

"You kept me this long for a reason, I figured as much when you even went through the trouble of taping my hands that first week. I'm not so vain to believe it is because I quote saved your life", Danika replied to Bane as she slipped off the gloves and looked down at her sai's.

"You are intelligent my dear, I will admit to that. " Bane said condescendingly down to her.

"Isn't that why you kept me, _Boss". _The S of her final word dragged out of her mouth_. _Danika was feeling rather sarcastic, and rather…evil. Bane provided this sense of feeling to her, she liked to dare him and see how she could chip at his ice. Rather pointless, but she'd get her kicks where she could.

Bane raised his head, and pointed his eyes down to her, accompanied with the fierce control and power that she was used to. Bane brought the back of his hand to Danika's face and brushed it along her cheek, stopping when he reached her chin, with two fingers he brought up her face to look at him. "I do enjoy that word coming from your mouth pet", Bane brought his head down so he was closer to her face to convey more of a threat. Danika remained motionless, starring into his eyes with her own fierceness.

"I hope you are as intelligent as I give you credit for and honor the commitment you have made. For it would such a pity to feel that neck of yours crack in my palms. You are one of us now, no longer a captive, I am giving you your, longer leash. The minute I even have a glimpse of a thought that you will betray any of these men or me, I will relish in killing you slowly." The metallic accent held in his voice only added to the harshness of his words. He continued as he removed his hand from her face and walked away as he always had, conveying that he held the last word. Danika got up smirking and raising her eyebrow quickly.

"Besides, if you prove yourself as promising as I believe you to be, you will receive all that you want". Bane said as he crossed the threshold to his room and closed the door between the two. He turned his head slowly when he realized it didn't close. He turned himself and glanced at Danika as she put her foot in the door to stop it from closing. He awaited her next move. Her was amazed that her defiance had strengthened to this extent.

"And how exactly do you know what I want", Danika whispered to Bane as she peaked her head closer to his, she had to raise her head completely just to reach his ear. With that statement she pulled her head back to meet Banes eyes. She wasn't smiling with her mouth, but her eyes said it all, wicked and challenging.

Bane narrowed his glance down to her for a second and then breathed in and sighed as his mask hissed. He grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall with a force and stepped into her, leaving no personal space.

"Because you are nothing" The words growled out of his mouth. "A shell of a human, you are either numb or defiant. Neither of which will gain you anything here Ms. Doe. I offer you the makings of a purpose. Do not confuse my humoring you for permitting your cheeky behavior. You have come to us broken and frail, I am molding you. Remember that I can just as easily break what I have made." Bane pulled Danika by the throat and pushed her head back into the wall causing a small whimper of pain to reach her mouth. Bane let go of her throat Danika hunched down letting coughs escape from her.

"This is the last time I warn you Danika".

Danika shivered. Bane had never said her name while addressing her. It sent a flame through her body. Her ears wished to hear it more. She shook off this feeling, and straightened herself and walked to him.

"Truce, we are on the same side.", Danika offered out her hand to Bane. Just as she had done when Bane offered her his hand, he simply looked at it then back to her eyes. Bane grabbed her hand firmly. Danika felt as if the clock had fallen off the wall and stopped time. She couldn't help but feel drawn when he touched her, drawn into him. They both broke away their hands at the same time, again. Déjà vu took over them. Danika turned her back and walked away, Bane followed her to the door she had crossed minutes ago.

"By the way, how many times have you warned me, as I said when we first met, you don't seem like a man who gives many warnings, I knew you liked me." Danika said as she left his room pulling the door shut with a wicked smile on her face.

Bane let her go, he knew that furthering things just fed into her defiance. He shook his head and walked away_. Stupid girl._ He thought to himself. He thought of just making her fear him, he knew he could do it, and so did she. But he figured that her defiance is what kept her fighting no matter what, and that was a valuable asset. She would fight to the death, just to spite her attacker. He knew her dedication to the thought of "honor" was what made easy to turn. He thought to himself, did I even turn her? How do you turn someone who never had a direction in the first place? He just offered her a better hand. He couldn't help but try to remember her smell as he sat down on his chair overlooking monitors of Gotham. Bane scoffed to himself. The girl was in his palms now, he knew by her eyes that she had found an infatuation for him. He figured he'd use it as best her could for his purpose.

_She is drawn to me, a fellow creature of darkness. Just as a bug to a web. She is mine. _


	14. Chapter 14

Two months had now passed. As Bane suspected, Danika did turn out to be a valuable asset. Through training she had become much more disciplined than she was originally. She trained almost every day for the first month, learning of the weapons, physical fighting, tactics and routes and plans she'd have to know. The last month she had become quite the good little solider. She held her ties with Barsard and newly formed with Darren, her partner for training most of the time. She had gained trust from the others. They enjoyed having Danika, they like her female presence and what she brought to the table. Her bursts of defiance had been toned down to a minimum, the usual taunts and playful remarks to the other men. But to the world, she was just like the rest of them.

This was the first night that Danika and Darren got to patrol in one of the vehicles the League had acquired from Wayne Enterprises. Every night teams of men would set out to the streets of Gotham, keeping an eye on things. There were previous rebel attacks planned and were squashed immediately. Danika and Darren walked up to the cameo tank, it was just nearly dark now. Danika was wearing Black cargo pants and her combat boots, along with a black turtle neck and leather jacket. She didn't wear her bullet proof vest too often; she felt it slowed her down if the time came for a fight. She didn't carry a gun on her as the other men did. She had her revolver on her at all times, one of the men were always with her so she knew they'd save her ass if need be. But Danika did well on her own, the sleeves of her leather jacket were cut and it allowed her to keep her sai's on her at all times and easily accessed. She did his to all her jackets, a trick of the trade.

She had kept her red Bandana on her at all times. One of the first nights she went out patrolling, one of the men gave her a red scarf that most of the men also wore. She wore that most of the time around her neck but she couldn't not have the red bandana on her. Bane had given that to her, and she found herself okay and realized she was fond of him . She knew it was so ridiculous, and never acted on it. Bane would never feel for another person. Danika also accepted that she was completely crazy to have any sort of feelings for the man. But she never let it get in the way, she had a job to do.

Darren stepped on top of the tumbler and held out a hand to help Danika climb in, as they did Danika got in the driver's seat. Darren just smiled and shook his head. "We're dead."

"Shut up, like you have a better idea of how to drive this thing than I do", Danika said as she started the engine.

They drove through the main streets as well as back streets for about 5 hours. They came across nothing unusual, everyone was too scared to try anything smart, and all the rebels had basically been killed off by now. There were rumors of Commissioner Gordon and a few old time cops banding together, but they hid out rather well.

Danika and Darren's conversation mostly consisted of Darren's past. Darren was 3 years her senior. He came from France, joined the League 3 years ago after working in a government desk job for the UN. His wife was killed during a hostage situation at the bank she worked at. Police fired at her by accident because they saw the robbers hand something to her, and assumed she was one of them. What they didn't know was that they handed her a grenade and pulled the pin out so when the police fired she released it, killing about 8 people. Darren lost all respect for the government and police forces. Then he found the League and joined.

Darren was very protective of Danika, she found it endearing. She sensed that he cared for her a little, but she knew it was only because she was the only girl in the League.

They found themselves talking about the new recruits from Black Gate.

"I think they're useless, and have no place being associated with The League", Danika stated.

"Well, they provide the sense of fear into the citizens so enough of them don't try something stupid.", Darren replied to her.

"Yeah well, I just think it's ridiculous, they're criminals, low life common criminals". Danika said ask she turned onto the main street back to City Hall, they were about to change shifts. It was nearly 11:00, which is when Darren and Danika were done for the day.

"Opposed to us who are shining examples of citizens, hmm", Darren said looking to Danika with a sarcastic smile.

"Well, at least we abide by our own code. Those men are brainless and know nothing of honor and dedication to a cause..", Danika stopped and observed the outside scene closely.

"Idiots." Danika said as she motioned Darren to look where she was. There were a group of teenagers with white spray paint tagging up the walls with a bat symbol and the words "Fight back". Darren and her exchanged a look as Danika stopped the tumbler half a block away from the scene. She opened the hatch and turned to Darren. "Just stay here. I'll deal with it" Danika said to Darren as she raised herself out of the vehicle and started walking toward the group. She stuck to the shadows of the walls to hide herself until she was right next to them.

There were 6 boys all looking to be about 17 or so. She laughed to herself. Foolish but admirable. 3 of the boys were spray painting the walls; the other 3 seemed to be standing guard, one to the left, one to the right, and one in the center. Obviously they didn't know enough to actually detect someone unless they were yelling, or running directly in the light.

When Danika turned the corner into the alley where the boys were at she heard them conversing.

_"Come on man hurry up I thought I heard one of those tank things before". _

_"You're being paranoid, just a couple more minutes" _

_"Listen if one of those guards show up they're going to kill us in two seconds" _

_"There are no guards over here, we watched them drive by 30 minutes ago" _

Danika stepped into sight. "Speak of the devil".

The boys all jumped and swarmed together. _Typica_l. Danika thought to herself as she slowly walked to them. They all looked to her confused, she was just a woman. But still they were frightened.

"What exactly are you doing", Danika eyed each of them, checking to see if they had any weapons , she saw one boy fidgeting with his pockets.

"We're trying to show Gotham to fight back. That we do not have to be scared and if we all stood together"

"You'd all die together." Danika said as she addressed the boy, 3 of them had already starting shaking in their boots. The other three tried to stand their ground but she felt them all hang their heads a little lower with her comment.

"Listen you are all extremely lucky that I am the one to have found you." She said as she walked closer and stepped on a can of spray paint pushing it away with her boot.

"I am leaving you a warning, if you ever do any of this again, and I promise I will know, and I will find you, I line you all up at the top of City Hall's steps and cut each of your hands off, and let the men who escaped Black Gate kill you, and I promise my friends they do not have such the kindness to shoot you in the head and be done with it".

4 of the boys were fighting back tears, the one who was fidgeting had a hard look on his face, and the one still holding a can of spray paint dropped it.

"We just want to show Gotham that it just takes one person."

"Boy I witnessed the "One Person" go up against Bane and I watched him loose. Go home to your families before I send men to follow you all and take you and your families. Now", Danika raised her voice a bit. They all turned around and started walking away.

"You", Danika pointed to the fidgety boy. "Come here, now" The boy panicked and pulled out a gun and pointed it shaking to her. Danika simply raised her eyebrow and stepped closer to the boy.

"If you are going to aim a gun, aim it the right way." Danika grabbed the end of the gun and pressed it to her forehead. The boy continued to shake. Danika rolled her eyes and quickly kicked the boy in the shins sending him down as she twisted the gun out of his hand. He crept backwards quickly before he met the wall behind him.

"Please, please don't…" The boy said crying and panicking.

Danika knelt down to the boy and looked at him unimpressed and annoyed. "You dare pull out a gun on someone you better have the balls to fuckin use it" Danika sneered as she raised his gun to his head and met his eyes, he eyes full of fear and panic, hers were fierce and controlling. She moved the gun to the right of the boy and shot the wall. The boy screamed as he grabbed his ears, he was probably almost if not most deaf in at least his left ear.

Danika got up and walked back to the tumbler with his gun in her hand. Darren was standing out of it, she assumed he heard the gunshot and got out.

"You don't use guns", Darren said.

" Not my gun", Danika said as she held it out to Darren, he removed it from her and they both climbed into the tumbler and drove away.

"Why didn't you kill them" , Darren asked Danika.

"Their crimes weren't punishable by death." Danika said dryly.

They arrived to City Hall, Darren and Danika went their separate ways. The men nodded Danika as she walked by them. She nodded back. When she reached her door she stepped inside and made her way to Banes rooms through the common door they shared. It was just easier this way. Whenever she patrolled she returned either to Barsard or Bane to report the way things went.

She stepped inside the room and saw Bane talking to a brown haired woman who had her back to Danika. Danika stopped. Bane met her eyes.

"Apologies. I wasn't aware you were busy." Danika said as she turned her back to walk out of the room.

"Danika, wait, Someone I want you to meet." She heard Bane's voice fill her ears as her back was turned to him she closed her eyes for a moment hearing her name come out of his mouth. She turned around as the woman turned around.

"Miranda Tate?", Danika said confused. Did Bane take her hostage or something ? She wondered.

"Yes, Ms. Doe, you know me as Miranda Tate, but I am also known as Talia. Talia alGhul." The woman spoke as she stayed in front of Bane, and with that realization flooded Danika's mind.

_Bitch. _Danika spoke to herself. Danika shifted her eyes between Talia and Bane. She looked as Bane looked toward Talia. There was softness in his eyes she had never seen before. Anger started at Danika's feet and slowly crept up her body.

"So you're the double agent I've heard of. Nice to meet you", Danika said as she sarcastically nodded her head down to Talia. Talia remained smiling, something evil behind her smile although it came across as sincere. It was enough to make Danika's stomach churn inside.

"The pleasure is all mine", Talia said in an accent that Danika tried to place but she couldn't.

"I'm sure", Danika said without hesitation. She felt that maybe that wasn't the best thing to say, but whatever.

Talia smiled as she laughed a silent laugh to herself. "Bane has told me much of you, and your sharp tongue, he was right. It is nice to see a fellow woman in the League. We must stand together Danika we are the strongest of women. "

"Ms. Tate, oh excuse me Ms. Ghul let me stop you there, I graciously accept your compliment but I assure you there is no comparison between you and I. I have nowhere near the strength and beauty as you do, I could never do what you have done for The League, sneak and pry and claw your way into people's lives just to use them.", Danika stated. She all but felt Banes eyes switch to her as if to strike her dead where she stood. But she was not about to allow someone she had just met to patronize her in this way.

Talia nodded and said nothing further. Danika continued her stare into Bane's eyes. "Patrolling went fine. A few kids tagging the walls, but I scared them. We won't be seeing anymore bats on the sides of buildings, I'm sure. Permission to leave, Sir?" Danika said not leaving his eyes for a moment.

Bane's mask hissed as he left out a breath. His eyes left hers first and looked to Talia. "Granted" Bane said without looking at Danika. This angered Danika even more. "Find Barsard, send him to me." He added as Danika looked down, Bane caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Right away", Danika said as she left the room. She found Barsard standing outside city hall.

"_Master _would like to see you." Danika said as she stood outside next to Barsard.

Barsard smiled and shook his head letting out a small laugh. " I see you've met Talia. By the way that shade of green does nothing for you Danika."

Danika looked at him, eyes narrowed. "I'm not talking to you anymore."

Barsard laughed. "Who else will you talk to? That boy who does all but drool when you're in the room?"

Danika motioned for Barsard to walk with her toward Bane's room. They started climbing the stairs. "You remember when I told you of Bane and The Pit. The child, and the protector?", Barsard said to Danika.

"Mhm", She looked to him almost tripping up a step.

"She was the child. He, her protector." Barsard explained to her.

Danika's eyes squinted as she then put the whole puzzle together. "She's the reason he has to wear the mask."

"She's the reason he is out of The Pit." Barsard corrected her.

"Yeah well", Danika shrugged.

"Danika, I have warned you before. You mustn't let Bane see this of you. Jealousy, feelings of admiration toward him. He will only use it to get rid of you." Barsard said to her.

"Why? I don't get it. So what? Centuries ago, Spartans encouraged their solders to sleep with each other so they'd feel more inclined to protect one another.", Danika said quickly to reply.

"Look how well that worked out", Barsard as they reached the floor to Bane's door.

Danika sighed, she nodded to Barsard and started walking away. Barsard asked her "Where are you going".

"To the roof, I don't want to be in the room while she's in the next one.", Danika turned and kept walking.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! Just a warning this chapter contains a rape scene. We're starting to get a closer look into Danika, and Bane and Danika acknowledge their feelings! Big things in the works. Hope you enjoy! Please review :) 5x5~Dee**

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**Danika opened her eyes which burned, tears forming immediately. She found herself having a hard time breathing. She wanted to cough but held it back best she could to stop herself from making noise. She looked around her and took in her scenery. Dirt, dirty walls, a dirty mattress thrown on the floor, she held herself up on her hands and tried to get up. She saw chains which stemmed from the wall next to the mattress. Tears started falling down her eyes. **

**"Hello", Danika started speaking, getting louder and louder. **

**"Hello! Please someone help me!" Her voice getting more frantic and panicky.**

**She then heard something move in the corner of the room. She quickly stood up and backed herself into a corner when she looked and a light turned on. It barely lit up the dirt and darkness of the room, but she looked around and saw a door, what looked like a basement door that led to the outside possibly. **

**She quickly ran to the door and ran into it shaking it trying to open it. To no avail she heard chains wrapped around the outside of the handle and she panicked even more when two hands were placed on either side of her body. She looked to the right and saw that they were men's hands, she observed dice tattooed on the man's wrist. She turned around and tried to lunge forward to run. The man grabbed her face by the jaw and threw her back into the wall. He towered over her. He was sweaty, black long hair covering his face along with dirt and sweat. He smelled of vodka and cigars and with the stench of sweat. Danika had tears pouring down her eyes now as the man put his face closer to hers, and smelled her. **

**Danika pleaded. "Please, please let me go. I didn't see anything. Please let me go." **

**The man kissed her neck, almost causing Danika to throw up, her cries became louder and she tried to squirm her way out of his grasps harder. She kneed the man, it took him by surprise as he stumbled a bit. She hit the man with all she could as she ran away from him. The man laughed out loud. **

**"I like a fighter in my women", He said aloud as he straightened up and grabbed a knife out of his pocket in one hand a zippo in the other. He clicked it back and forth as he stalked Danika as she knelt in the corner of the room shaking and crying. She tried to be as far into the wall as she could. **

**The man ran up to her and grabbed her by the neck kneeling in between her legs. Danika cried out as with his free hand the man trailed along her leg with the knife. He threw Danika on the ground with her face pressed into the dirt of the floor. He climbed on top of her with the knife held to her throat as he turned her around to face him. Danika was shaking and crying, there was nowhere for her to go, no way to get away. **

**The man hit Danika so harshly in the face she screamed. He dragged Danika to the wall where the chains were and chained her wrists. Danika was screaming and crying in her mind. **

**The man laid on top of her. He brushed her hair out of her face and wiped the tears away. She screwed her eyes shut as he let his hand roam all over her body. The man once again brought his face next to hers. He kissed her neck and brought his mouth to her ear. **

**"They wanted me to kill you, but you are too beautiful to pass up baby. So I think I'll keep you." The man threw his hand in between her legs as he played with the zipper of her jeans. Danika squirmed and cried louder as tears flew down her face. **

**The man kissed her ear, then her cheek and brought his lips to hers she quickly moved her face away from his lips and let out a moan followed by sobs. The man was ripping her jeans off of her. She tried to fight as much as she could. With his other hand he brought the knife up to her mouth. **

**"Ssshh Baby, its okay." The man continued to kiss her on the collarbone and up her neck as he held the knife still. He brought up his face to hers. "Now shut that pretty little mouth of yours or I'll cut it off. You got me?" **

**Danika quickly nodded she tried to be as quiet as she could. **

**"Good girl." The man stabbed the knife into the ground next to her as he ripped off the rest of her jeans along with her underwear. She kept her eyes closed tight as she tried her best not to make any noise, terrified of the man's threats. She couldn't help but let out a scream that ripped through the entire room as she felt the man enter her. She immediately felt the blood stream down her leg as the man buried himself into her. He put his hand over her mouth as he smiled sickly and let out a groan of pleasure. Danika dug her nails into the chain connected to her wrists, making blood pour out from her nails from the pressure. **

**The next thing she knew Danika was running, running endlessly as she heard the man with the dice tattoo yelling for her. Danika was bleeding everywhere. But, she had to keep running the hallway was an extension of the basement, it seemed never ending. She turned to see the man chasing her, she turned back forward and with a force ran into something as she felt to the ground from the impact. She looked up to the man in front of her. A hand was offered, she grasped it as it pulled her up and into the light she saw the man's face. The face covered in a mask. Metallic hiss's and breaths filled the air. **

Danika quickly jerked as she woke up. Her breaths exaggerated and quick, she laid her head back on the ledge of the roof, realizing it was all a dream. A terrible nightmare. She looked to the dark sky, saw snow falling slowly and sporadically. She suddenly felt warmth surrounding her. She looked down and saw a jacket which enveloped her. The wool lining of the jacket kept her warm; she quickly looked to the left and right. To the right she saw him, Bane was sitting there hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees. Bane looked into her eyes and stood up.

He walked next to her, leaving room for her to get up. She did, and grasped his jacket in her hands. Danika almost didn't want to give it back, but she held it out to him and nodded, looking away and leaned on the ledge of the roof.

"Nightmares of your reality?" Bane questioned her.

"Nightmares of my past", Danika said looking down to the zippo in her hand as she lit a cigarette. She tucked the zippo in her pocket as she brought her face down into her palms, she ran her left hand threw her hair and took a pull of her cigarette. She looked to her left to meet Bane's eyes. She didn't know why, but that's where she felt safe.

Bane searched her eyes, which were sad and icy. "Care to elaborate?" He spoke out as he stretched himself back into his jacket and pulled the collar straight.

Danika ripped away her stare looking up into the night sky. She shook her head. "No, how did you know I was up here?". She turned forward and sat herself up on the ledge. Bane moved in front of her leaving space between them. He knew she was obviously scared of something so he didn't wish to add to anything.

Bane raised an eyebrow. "Do you really need to ask me that question by now? I never heard you return to your room, came up here to find you asleep. You're no use to me as an icicle."

"Should have woken me up", Danika replied, her statement lingered a bit under her breath.

Bane had watched her sleep the whole time he came up to the roof. He watched as she squirmed from left to right and watched her breathing change from times to time, gasps turning into whimpers. He wanted to know what her mind held deep inside that haunted her in such a way, but he knew Danika would never give in until she was ready to. So he changed the subject.

"It would be wise for you to hold your tongue back to Talia. You have no idea what she has been through, and what she has done for the league. Without her you and I would not be where we are." Bane explained to her as he crossed his arms in front of him.

"You know I gave you more credit" Danika ashed her cigarette in the air and took another drag as she continued. "I didn't believe this was all just about some girl", Danika said as a little bit of disappointment stained her words.

"Besides, at least you and I are outwardly bad. Hide behind no facades, no lies. I don't respect someone who sneaks around like a rat in order to achieve what they want. Bruce Wayne believed in her, liked her, a lot from what I could tell. I am a lot of things, but a manipulator I am not. I apologize for acting out of order. I understand who she is, but that doesn't mean I respect what she does." Danika explained to Bane.

Bane remained silent for a moment, and took in everything Danika said. She wasn't just acting out of stupidity; he understood where she came from. "Regardless Danika, I need to trust that if I put her into your hands you would protect her, whether you like her or not. Talia has done everything for the League and doesn't care about how she is perceived. She is fulfilling her murdered father's destiny."

Danika flicked her cigarette into the air. "Bane, if you ordered me to protect her I would with my life. I do not let personal emotions interfere with the task at hand, you have taught me that." She said as she gave him a look he couldn't place. She stepped off of the ledge and started to pace.

Bane nodded and followed her with his eyes. She stopped pacing once in front of Bane. She looked to him and posed a question with her eyes.

"May I ask you something?", Danika said with a sincere look on her face.

"You may ask." Bane's voice buried itself into Danika's mind. She memorized his accent, the hiss of his mask when he breathed.

"May I go back to my apartment one more time? There is something I wish to collect." Danika said as she realized how cold she was without Bane's jacket around her. She rubbed her arms with a shiver she tried to hide. She didn't like to remind Bane of her vulnerabilities.

She didn't hide it well, Bane recognized she was cold. It was just human, the snow had been falling for quite a long time and Danika stood there in her clingy leather jacket which he was sure didn't do all that much for warmth. Bane motioned his arm to the door leading inside. "As I said, you are no use to me as an icicle".

Danika smirked and let out a small laugh. She looked into Bane's eyes as she smiled. She felt the control and power in his eyes cease for but a moment and a look of something else find itself looking back into Danika's green eyes.

Danika led the way to the door. Bane followed close behind her, when they reached the door Bane held it open for her to walk in. The walk back to the room was quiet. It was nearly 3'o clock now; a few men acknowledge Bane and Danika's presence with a nod.

When they reached Bane's room Danika followed him into it. She always waited for him to dismiss her or when she asked to leave. Bane shed off his coat and sat at the monitors.

"Don't you sleep?" Danika asked him as she sat on his cot, looking at it as it always looked untouched and neat.

"People of our nature find sleep harder and harder to find as the years pass Danika." Bane replied while his eyes stayed content on the monitors.

Bane decided to answer her question. "Tomorrow you will accompany me to the courts. After which you may as you wish go back to your apartment once more and collect whatever it is you wish to collect".

Danika smiled softly. "Thank you, sir. I hope I do not have to promise that I will return."

Bane turned his head to her and nodded. "I trust you."

Bane turned back and reached down below the desk for what Danika made out to be a water bottle. Danika pulled her head back and narrowed her eyes in question.

"I guess sometimes we forget that you are actually a human, with human needs." Danika said as she took off her leather jacket and held it in her hands.

Bane turned to her once and then back to his previous position, his back was turned to her. She saw his hands up to his face and she watched with wide eyes as she saw him unclasp or unclick something on the device on his face. He grabbed the water bottle opened it and drank from it before returning the mask to proper origin. Danika put her head down as Bane turned around to face her.

"How do you think you did not drown that first night in the sewers? Someone had to resuscitate you." Bane said to her, causing Danika to pick her head up to meet his eyes quickly. Danika ran her fingers over her mouth; she kept them there as if she was thinking. She was, but she was thinking to herself that Bane's lips were on hers. She couldn't help but leak a smile from her face. She looked away from Bane and stood up trying to hide from his glare. He wouldn't let her. His eyes followed her as she walked away.

"Well I guess I owe you thanks then." Danika said as she walked to the conjoining doors. "I hope you find some sleep tonight I'll meet you outside tomorrow for court." She opened the door and stepped into her room. She looked back to Bane once more before she proceeded to close it. "Thank you again for not letting me turn into an icicle." Bane nodded to her and with that she closed it.

Danika shed off her clothes and grabbed a blanket off of the cot. She sat in on the brown leather couch as she normally did. She smoked a cigarette as she continued to let her thoughts run wild. But this time they were in a good way. She thought of Bane's lips on hers. She thought of him putting his jacket over her. He must care on some level, She thought to herself. _Bane could take off his mask. Interesting._ She found him running wild through her mind. She got up and paced a bit. She walked to the door conjoining the two rooms, the brighter light had been turned off, she recognized the hint of light coming from the side lamp he had next to his bed. She put out her cigarette and left on the light from the bathroom conjoined to her bedroom as she laid down in her bed. She thought of nothing bad, and nothing that scared her. She thought of being wrapped in Bane's coat as she drifted off to sleep.

Bane turned off the main light in his room and left on the small lamp in his room. He sat back in his chair for a few moments. He watched the door that conjoined the door of them. He observed the shadows change as he realized Danika had been pacing in front of the door. Bane couldn't help but let out a small smirk to himself. He thought about how much she changed. 2 months ago she would have never apologized for giving Talia an attitude. He realized that she wasn't just disrespectful to her because of her betrayal. Bane was a man after all; he recognized jealousy when he saw it. Danika was subtle though, a trait she learned from her two months of training and discipline. He wondered what happened to her more often lately.

He thought of her movements in her sleep, he could tell she was afraid. He got up and grabbed his jacket off of the chair. He held it in his hands and thought about when he walked out onto the roof and fought Danika slumped against the ledge of the roof sleeping. When he walked up to her and watched her head move a bit, he felt the crisp cold air as he took off his jacket and placed it over her tucking the collar down so that it wouldn't interfere with her face. He had thought about just waking her up, but her reactions intrigued him. He also thought about picking her up in his arms and carrying her down to her room. He knew he couldn't do that. He knew she would see it as more, and then he thought to himself. Was that because he would have thought it more? Bane lay on his cot, crossing his ankles. This was the first night Bane fell asleep thinking of Danika.


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning Danika made sure not to waste time. She woke up and got immediately in the shower. She washed herself and got out of the shower in record time. She got dressed in the bathroom as she usually did. She wiped the mirror of steam and looked herself in the mirror. She had on black jeans along with her usual combat boots. She wore a black long sleeved shirt which showed off some of her scar, she wrapped the red scarf around her neck to cover it. She shook out her hair and left it down, she had no plans of training today so she didn't find a need to pull it back.

When she left the bathroom she grabbed her heavier leather jacket. It was a black and contains zippers on the sleeves up the center and on the shoulders. It was lined with more material than her other one so it kept her a little bit warmer. When Danika reached her table she put her revolver tucked in the back of her pants and her throwing knives into the sides of her boots. She tucked in her sai's into the zippered sides of her leather jacket and tucked them into their pocket she made for them in her sleeves.

With that she was out the door. She crossed the front door of city hall as she lit up a cigarette and walked toward the 5 men who stood in a line in front of her. They all had their backs to her, except for one. Danika looked up as she met his eyes. Bane was looking to her, the two men on the sides of him turned around. It was Barsard and Darren.

"Family outing huh?", Danika said as she nodded towards the men.

"Always punctual." Bane's mask hissed as he commented on her timing.

She saw an object flying towards her. She grabbed it with ease it was a helmet. She looked to Darren who threw it to her. Darren walked up and held out gloves for her. "You're gonna need these. Please tell me you know how to ride a bike".

Danika revealed a smirk on her face as she grabbed the gloves out of Darren`s hands and eyed him then turned to gaze over to Barsard and then to Bane. "Better than you." She proceeded to put on the gloves and held the helmet in her hands. Darren and Danika walked up to Bane and passed them. Bane watched Darren's eyes on Danika. He felt the strong urge to laugh and just shook his head. Barsard saw Bane's eyes and his reaction. Barsard then felt the need to shake his head but didn't. The 2 other guards nodded to Bane and got into one tumbler. Bane and Barsard stood next to one as Danika and Darren walked up to two bikes.

"Ladies choice." Darren said as he motioned his arm toward the two bikes.

"So why haven't you chose one yet?", Danika said with a smile and she tossed her cigarette onto the ground.

Darren laughed and got onto the bike on the left. "Try to keep up." He said to her as he put on his helmet and started the bike.

Danika turned around slightly to look at Bane who was watching her. She smiled to him and raised her helmet with a nod, almost to curtsey him. Barsard rolled his eyes and got into the tumbler. Bane nodded to Danika and climbed into the tumbler.

Danika grabbed all her hair and held it to her head as she slipped on the helmet. _Guess I shoulda put it back. _She thought to herself as she sat on the bike and found her balance. She turned on everything and she kick started the bike then she released the kickstand and turned toward Darren and nodded. Darren nodded back and held out his arm and pointing with his hand in front of the two tumblers relaying that they would take the lead. The revved their engines and were off. Darren and Danika took the lead with Bane and Barsard behind them, and the 2 other guards followed them.

Danika looked in her rear view mirrors frequently to make sure everything was okay. She tried to see Bane's face in the reflection but she couldn't. Darren and her rode close together. Darren decided to be funny and bring himself closer to her as he leaned his bike slightly to the right. Danika quickly looked to him once and cocked her head sarcastically and shifted gears and quickly took the lead by a respectable distance. Darren caught up to her.

Bane and Barsard watched the interaction between the two who led the way. Barsard let out a chuckle when she saw Danika leave Darren in the dust. Bane kept an eye on Danika; he rarely looked anywhere else while in the vehicle. He thought to himself, did she know Darren liked her? Did she reciprocate the feelings? Had they any interactions. Clearly, he was a man and she a woman; he didn't put it past Darren to make a move. But he felt strongly that Danika wouldn't involve herself with anyone, she had made it clear that she doesn't involve her emotions in her duties last night.

They arrived to the courthouse of Gotham, Danika and Darren rode their bikes up the stairs and on the first landing. The two tumblers followed suit. Darren and Danika stepped off their bikes as the four men in the tumblers climbed out. There were already guards standing outside the courthouse, and every one of them bowed their heads for a second as Bane climbed out. Danika grabbed the helmet and brought her head down when she took it off, all her hair falling forward, she quickly sprung her head up to send her hair back where she wanted it. She left the helmet on the seat of the bike; obviously no one would steal it.

She looked to see where Bane was, he was walking up to her, Barsard and the two guards had disappeared into the building already. Bane looked to Darren and nodded. Darren then looked to Danika as he walked into the building. Danika turned back to Bane who put his arm out toward the entrance of the building.

Danika felt a sense of pride as she climbed the steps with Bane at her side. She felt the glares of the people and the soldiers. When they reached the door Bane opened it and ushered Danika inside.

"So who's on trial?" Danika asked when they got inside as she followed Bane's movements.

"This is not a trail, rather a sentencing hearing. Guilt has already been determined." Bane said as he stopped in front of a door. Danika could already hear the noise coming from the room. Noises, yelling, shouting. Danika looked to Bane as two guards opened the doors for them. Bane put his hand behind her back, "Stay beside me, we are not trying to draw attention, just being present. The people inside are Black Gate prisoners and mobs of men awaiting to see justice determined on the wealthy and corrupt."

Danika nodded to Bane as she felt his hand slightly move her into the room. She like his hand there, she felt like no one in the world could touch her. Bane kept his hand there for a moment as they walked in to assure the other men that she was with him and she was not to be touched. After all it was a rarity for a woman to be associated with Bane or even in the courthouse.

Bane led Danika through the mob of people, and stood beside a pillar which somewhat concealed them. Danika pulled off her gloves as she leaned against the stone column and put them in her pockets. She looked over to Bane who was standing close enough that their arms were touching. There were almost 100 people in the room. They were all making a fuss as they saw a man climb atop of the 20 or so desks that were put on top of each other. Danika looked to see who this mystery "judge" was.

"Crane, really? He's certifiably crazy.", Danika all but whispered to Bane.

Bane simply looked at her out of the corner of his right eye and glanced toward Crane.

A few hours had passed. Danika watched as they ushered in some man who was fighting the men who held him straight in front of a golden looking chair, _a throne for the wealthy, how fitting. _She thought to herself. She tried not to pay much mind to the ongoing of this kangaroo court. She heard Crane offer "Death or Exile", to the people. She figured just as much that "exile" wasn't really "exile".

Bane stood with his hands clutching the collar of his vest as observed the scene. He looked over to Danika who was doing something with her hands and some sort of string. He elbowed her just to get her attention. She looked up to the left and met Bane's eyes. Bane pointed to her hands with his eyes.

"It's a leather rope, you braid it. I don't know when I picked it up really, it's just…calming", She explained as she crossed over the string with her fingers. She stopped and held it in her left hand offering it to Bane. Bane's eyes crinkled at the corners, she recognized this as a smile from him. She amused him.

Bane took it in his hands as he looked at the already braided rope, studied the braid to see how it was done. He obviously wasn't a man who needed to be instructed on how to do anything. He figured it out in his mind and started braiding the rope, pulling the strings all the way when he finished a loop. Danika watched him and simply smiled. She turned back to the man sitting in the golden chair, she recognized him from the papers. He was some big shot Wall Street guy. She scuffed and rolled her eyes when the man offered money for his freedom. He had chosen exile. Crane hammered the gravel down and the men started cheering and yelling about. It was rather loud and as she studied the men she felt a feeling of nervousness creep into her. She stepped even closer to Bane as she looked around seeing criminal after criminal lining the walls. One of the men made her eye contact and winked at her. She stepped even closer to Bane.

"Are you attempting to push me?", Bane said as he peered over to Danika who was mere centimeters away from him now, he looked at what she was looking at and breathed loudly. "Mind yourself Danika, we have no authority here. We are simply onlookers." He said addressing her reaching arm into her jacket sleeve. She stopped and took a breath in and relaxed herself.

"Well it seems you are getting rather antsy, plus you have provided me with alternative entertainment. You may go to your apartment as you wish. Return with time for your patrol." Bane said to Danika as his view stayed on the braid in his hand.

Danika looked to him. "So I was your entertainment? You take all your girls on dates like this?", she was giving Bane a wicked grin. He could tell without looking at her.

"Well obviously you weren't doing such a great job which I why I am allowing your leave. By the way, you may get away with your humorous comments with Darren but I do not find them quite as funny." He said to Danika giving her the smallest glance out of the corner of his eye.

Danika narrowed her eyes. "Don't be jealous. It doesn't suit you lover." She whispered to him.

Danika just felt his glance on her, he conveyed annoyance and turned his view back to the braid in his hands.

"Take one of the men with you if you wish." He said as he pulled out one of the strings.

"I can handle anything if it comes my way, Sir." She said as she stood in front of him getting ready to exit.

Bane nodded and reached for something in his pocket, he pulled out a cell phone and handed it to Danika. "Just in case I need to reach you, vice versa".

Danika took the phone and put it in her pocket. She turned to walk away. "See ya later." She threw the comment over her shoulder as she walked away. Bane looked up and watched her when he knew she wasn't looking at him anymore. He observed every man in the room look at her like meat on display. He watched Danika, who was standing tall and walking with her head up, not making eye contact with anyone. When she exited the room he looked down to the braid in his hand and clutched it tightly. He brushed a finger over the braids she had made. _She'll never learn about that tongue,_ he thought to himself.

Danika walked outside of the courthouse. Barsard had been standing by one of the tumblers which were next to the bikes. Danika walked up to him as she put on her gloves and zipped up her jacket.

"Be careful. It isn't wise to go alone." Barsard said as he stood with his gun thrown over his shoulder.

"I'm a big girl, don't worry Father I'll be home before supper." Danika said as she picked up the helmet off of the bike's seat.

Barsard walked closely up to Danika. "He watches you. The way you two follow each other with your eyes without knowing it, it's something."

"That's all it is." Danika's gaze turned from her bike. She let out a sigh and studied Barsard's eyes.

"Do you have a gun on you at least?", Barsard changed the topic.

Danika turned and pulled up her jacket to reveal the revolver tucked in her pants. She turned back around as she sat on the bike and put on her helmet. Barsard watched her kick start the bike and ride off. Barsard couldn't help but think that her and Bane would eventually realize their feelings, and he hoped that Danika was far away when that happened.

Danika arrived to her apartment in one piece. It was certainly nothing special. She walked up the stairs in the building she lived in before any of this. She felt nostalgia take over for a moment. She walked up to the door of her apartment. She looked around and looked to the fire extinguisher in the corner of the hallway and picked it up and grabbed a key that was hid under the extinguisher and let herself in.

Her apartment wasn't much, a kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom. She looked around and coughed as dust and old smoke filled her lungs. She wasted no time and went to her closet. She smirked when she saw that it was a mess, probably due to Barsard going through her crap when he brought her clothes.

She pulled out a board that was in her closet, to others would seem like the floor, she designed it that way to hide what she held dearest. She grabbed a box and carried it to her bed, which was also pretty messy, but that was due to her. She dusted off the box and took off the top, she picked up her fighting attire. It was all she had that she was close to. She never had any lovers or friends to keep pictures or letters of, she didn't have a family jewel stash that she hid from the world, because she never had a family. All she had was herself, and her drive to fight the unjust and corrupt and evil. She found herself thinking that The League truly was all she had. Bane was all she had.

She acknowledged that the means of which the league operated weren't exactly, ideal. But she figured all her life she'd end up dead on the streets before 30, she didn't hold back from anything when she thought it was unjust. Basically in a nutshell that's what the League did. That's what she told herself to make her feel better at least, but truly she followed her comrades because they were all she had. They were her family, her belonging, her purpose. Bane offered this to her when no one had.

Danika picked up a long leather jacket and felt it smooth and rough at the same time in her hand and placed it on the bed. She grabbed her knee high laced up combat boots which held a heel on the bottom of them, she enjoyed fighting with heels on better, it gave her height and a weapon if need be. She set those aside as well, She smiled when she saw her black tight nylon pants which had wraps along the thighs that she usually put her sai's in. What finished her ensemble was her arm wraps, they also were black they slipped on at her hands leaving her fingers untouched and went up to her elbows, she initially wore them for protection when she started to wield her sai's she had the cuts and scars on her wrists to prove that they were no easy weapons to conquer.

At the bottom of the box was a mask. She simply looked at it, and picked it up in her hands, she sat down on the chair in kitchen which was feet away from her bedroom. She thought of her former friend Bruce Wayne as she held the mask in her hands. It did nothing but cover around her eyes. She remembered the first night she followed the Batman into the night and fought by his side. He told her, she should wear a mask, to protect the people she loved. Then it struck her, she had no one she loved to protect in the first place. Maybe she just wore it because in this, this made her a mystery, not the orphan with a tortured soul, fighting back out of anger and hate. She remembered the night that Bruce told her she was no longer going to be associated with The Batman.

_"I cannot allow you to be associated with me, you would have killed this man had I not arrived. I don't kill people. If you ever kill someone I will be forced to act as if you were one of the criminals we lock up in Arkham or Black Gate. One day someone will show you the light you've been lacking. I can no longer try." _

Bruce's words stung in her mind. She stayed away from him for so long after that, she went on her own, and searched the streets for men who deserved to be punished. She held no remorse for men she hurt or ended up killing. They didn't deserve to live. It was only when she heard news that Bruce was going to find Bane did she end up following him into the sewers, she knew he would need her help whether he wanted it or not.

Danika shook her head out of her memories, shaking them away from her. She didn't fault Bruce for disowning her. But she wouldn't change, and neither would he. She put the mask onto the table as she looked around her apartment. She took the phone out of her jacket pocket to check the time, she still had two hours. She decided to shower in her own apartment, she was happy she finally got to wear a different pair of underwear and bra, than she had for the last 3 months, they got to wash their clothes but still it was nice for a change. Danika also took the opportunity to shave; once in a while she'd sneak a razor from Samuel who held them for medical purposes but she actually got to take her time now. She was still a girl after all.

She got to comb out her hair and went into the box of her goodies that was still on her bed, she pulled out two hair chopsticks which were red, and to the normal eye just looked like hair chopsticks but when eyed closer were actually two tiny knives. Ineffectual, if you tried to kill someone with, but it was always good to have more options. She put her hair up in them leaving two red streaks of hair dangling in her face. Danika smiled as she looked in the mirror, her green eyes glowing as she felt like she actually looked like a woman and not a soldier. She looked at her nightstand and saw her red lipstick and eyeliner laying there.

Danika looked to them and shrugged. _Might as well_. She thought to herself as she grabbed the two and did her make up. She slipped on the black pants which clung to her with no slack and put on the knee high boots over them. She took out a sleeveless black turtleneck that Barsard had left behind in her closet. Danika then put on her arm wrappings. She went to her clothes she took off before the shower and put them in a backpack along with the revolver. She picked up her sai's and placed them in the slits designed for them wrapped around her thighs. She looked into the full length mirror and smiled. This is who she was. This is who she wanted the world to see. Danika grabbed the cell phone and saw that she had killed an hour and a half which led her having half an hour left. Danika put the cellphone in her boot and walked over to the bed one last time. She picked up the red scarf and wrapped it around her neck. This was also who she was. She was with Bane, she saw the red bandana he gave her and she tucked it into her other boot, so that it was concealed. She looked over at the mask on the table.

She walked up to it and picked it up, placing it in her backpack. Finally she grabbed her favorite leather coat and wrapped it along herself, placing each arm in it with pride. It came up to her knees and was tight to her body. Danika looked into the mirror one last time, then she eyed her apartment. She was sure this was the last time she would ever see it, she took it in, breathing slowly. Then she saw Bane's face in her mind. She walked out of the apartment and shut the door behind her.

Danika placed the helmet in the backpack and wrapped it around the front of her seat leaving her room to sit on it. She started the engine of the bike, feeling confident she made her way back to City Hall, back to where she belonged.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Hey guys I'm so happy you are enjoying this :) Thank you and keep up with the reviews it makes my day every time! This starts off Act III of our lovely story. I think from here on out its just big stuff happening Stay tuned! 5x5-Dee**_

When she dropped off her stuff, no one really noticed her. One of the guards outside told her that Bane, Barsard and Darren were on their way back from courts. Danika took a few moments to eat something with one of the guards. She threw back a bottle of water and walked to the outside of City Hall, she figured she'd wait for the men outside. It had just gotten dark by this time.

Danika leaned against one of the outside pillars smoking a cigarette. She heard two tumblers coming down the street and she felt an excitement in her stomach. She couldn't help but wonder what Bane would think of her in her prime of looks. She shook off the nerves and smile off her face when she saw 4 men climb out of the 2 vehicles. She was standing in the shadows and watched as Bane nodded off to Barsard and the two other men. She knew he knew she was there. The two men walked by without noticing her, Barsard gave a quick look to her not meeting her eyes, but she could make out the smirk on his face.

"If you plan on eluding someone I suggest you don't smoke. Clouds of smoke coming out of the shadows is a dead giveaway I'm afraid." Bane said as he sauntered up the stairs to her.

"Dually noted, sir." Danika said as she flicked her cigarette into the air and stepped into the light. Bane had by now walked up the stairs and was in front of her, he kept his distance, he no longer wished to convey fear and threat to her as he did in the beginning so he respected her space. She felt the heat of Bane's eyes go up and down her just once.

Bane inhaled as he studied Danika up and down, he thought to himself that she is truly a magnificent creature, blessed with wildly looks but that wasn't what he focused on. He knew she was a creature molded of darkness as he was. She was a little more humbled and human than he was, but she was a woman, and most likely whatever scarred her took its toll. He acknowledge his slight lust after her, but he knew he was too a man, and he couldn't help it. Bane smirked inside.

Danika's mind was racing with what thoughts filled Bane's head. The silence between them broke as he spoke first.

"Surprised you kept the scarf on." Bane said with arrogance and sarcasm.

"No you're not.", Danika said back to him with a smile. "I am with you. I am not ashamed or trying to hide it. You wear a bullet proof vest and combat boots; this is my choice of armor." Danika gestured her arms in front of her body as to present herself.

Bane nodded with a slight head jerk. Danika felt his eyes still held the fire and fierceness, but for the second time she felt something more behind them. She turned her head when she heard Darren's motorcycle pull in behind the tumblers.

"Ah, he is certainly going to enjoy your _armor._" The last word flew out of Bane's mouth with a touch of elegance that Danika enjoyed.

Danika laughed as she looked to Bane. "Maybe he isn't the one I want to enjoy it."

"Danika", was all Bane had to say. She knew she might have crossed a tiny bit over the line with that comment, but she couldn't help it. She bowed her head in apology and stepped down two steps so that he was higher than her. Bane realized this way her way of stepping back before the line she had crossed momentarily. Bane nodded to her in acceptance and picked his head up to look to Darren who walked up the stairs. Danika turned to face him.

Darren all but fell down a step when he saw Danika. Everyone knew he would all but chase her if the situation was more appropriate. Darren composed himself and walked parallel to Danika from the distance of Bane. He looked to Danika. "Where's your whip?", he asked with amusement in his voice.

"I left it for you in your room.", Danika spat back with a smirk as she directed her gaze toward Bane. Darren followed her motions.

"Before you leave for patrol I want to show you a new route, it's designed so you cross paths with the trucks that contain the bomb. I want a closer eye kept on them, no doubt Gordon and the police who hide are trying to plan something. We must be prepared." Bane directed the two. Both of them nodded as Bane turned his back and led the two into City Hall.

Darren and Danika kept a distance behind Bane as everyone usually did unless Bane was speaking with them.

"So you went to your apartment, to get your Halloween costume?" Darren asked teasing Danika.

Danika smirked. "No I went to my apartment to get my usual attire for what I wear when I fight. I wasn't a solider like you, I was a rogue in Gotham, you have to keep some sense of elusion and mystery when towering these streets. The cops would have arrested me in a second if I just dressed like me."

"Where's your mask then?", Darren said as he started to chuckle to himself.

"I no longer have a use for it. I do not need to hide behind a mask anymore." Danika said seriously, this made Darren feel bad for a second; he knew he struck a bit of a nerve.

"Well" Darren elbowed her. "If it were another life, I'd make sure you never would have had to wear a mask."

Danika put her head down and smiled sweetly. She had no feelings for Darren, a fellow solider, yes, she would fight for him yes, but she didn't feel the same way he felt for her. She never felt for any man. With that thought she looked up to Bane's back as they followed him.

Bane slightly turned his head with the comment he heard come out of Darren's mouth. Bane felt quite taken back by that comment. He realized something. He was the one to make Danika not have to wear her mask anymore. He was the reason she didn't have to hide. He felt something burn in his chest and quickly shoved down his feelings as always.

Something pierced the air, before anyone realized it they looked to Bane who was turned around watching Danika, Danika heard something hit the floor hard. She looked to Darren, who wasn't standing anymore.

Danika quickly gasped as she flew to her knees to Darren on the floor, eyes open lifelessly as blood filled the floor surrounding him. Danika looked to the knife which was lodged in his throat. She eyed the handle of the knife. Danika's eyes filled with remorse and anger at the same time. She knew who did this.

She quickly rose to her feet and listened to the air. She closed her eyes for a second and flew in front of Bane. "Order the men to lower their weapons, sir." Bane looked to her curiously and remained glued to her eyes as he raised his hand and lowered it, with that the men lowered their guns. Barsard ran to the scene toting his gun in a soldier's fashion.

Danika took off her leather jacket and placed it over the railing of the hallway they were in, first she searched the pockets for her gloves and put them on. Barsard knelt down to Darren and closed his eyes. He rose to his feet and stood next to Bane and they slowly backed themselves up to a wall. As if they were preparing to watch a show.

Danika stood legs firmly planted into the ground, with her hands hovering over her thighs. She looked around the room. "Show yourself." Danika commanded into the air. She felt the air change, anger, heat, and adrenaline coursed through her body. Then from out of the corner of the room a shadow immerged. A man cloaked in all black along with a mask on came into the light. A katana shinned in the light out of the man's back.

Bane remembered the same fashion from the man he killed which then Danika revealed was her former trainer. Bane remembered she spoke of his first in command, Ky. Bane relaxed himself. He knew Danika would kill this man.

The man walked toward Danika in a stalking motion. She stood unimpressed and relaxed. The man's head tilted as he let out a small laugh.

"My, my how the mighty have fallen, fawn." The man said.

"You do not speak that name, Ky." Danika spit at him.

Ky grabbed up and retrieved his mask from his face and threw it to the ground, revealing slicked back black long hair and devilish blue eyes.

"I want you to see my face when I kill you." Ky held a threat in his voice.

"Then shut up and come and get me.", Danika said stepped one foot back.

Ky threw something at her feet, a spark of flame and smoke started to fill the air surrounding Danika. She tactically flew to the ground and kicked up a leg when she heard Ky running toward her and kicked him which sent him to fly right over her and to the ground. She ran toward him and drew a sai out of her thigh and climbed atop of him, she meant to send the sai through his throat but he caught her hand. Ky kicked up he knees and rolled Danika over so that he was on top her now, her sai skid across the floor and landed at Bane's foot.

Bane quickly narrowed his eyes to Danika, Ky's hand were around her throat as he was on top of her trying to choke her. Bane was trying to mentally tell Danika what to do and found the start of a smile on his face when he saw Danika wrapped her hands around his face, pushing her thumbs into his eyes. Ky tried to rip his face from her grasp. When he moved slightly Danika took the moment to strike his throat with her hand sending him off of her while he grasped for air out of instinct. She quickly stood up and drew the sai from her other pant leg. She rotated it quickly in her hand waiting for Ky to get up. When he did she flung the sai toward him, Ky caught it with his right hand and sent it right back to her. Danika over estimated the sai as she put her hand out to reach it and it slid across her collar bone which sent Danika to fall to her knees and turn toward the ground behind her.

Barsard felt his hand tighten around the trigger of his gun. He turned to Bane, "How long are you going to let this go on?"

"Until she kills him or he kills her." Bane said coldly. He felt the words cold himself as they came out. He wouldn't kill her surely. He tried to meet Danika's eyes as she placed a hand over her collar bone. They met for a slight moment until she got up and quickly ran over to her sai's which both at Bane's feet. She didn't make eye contact with him as she sprinted around to face Ky rotating both her sai's, she stood tall and they walked around each other for a moment.

"You always were second best to me, Fawn. You can't beat me." Ky said as he tensed up his fists.

"That's enough talk from you." Danika lunged forward avoiding each of his hits and sliced his mouth with the edge of her sai.

Ky let his fury take over him as he drew out his katana and struck with a force so powerful. Danika met his katana in the air with her sai's. She threw her body weight into Ky, sending him to take a few steps back.

Bane watched with pride as Danika met his katana every time he tried to best her. A slight uneasy feeling took over after a few moments when he saw Ky strike sideways causing Danika to put both her sai's at her left and Ky took advantage of her unbalanced stance and quickly threw one leg forward into Danika's stomach sending Danika to fly back into the wall of the ledge. She hit her heard hard and it whipped back, Danika moaned out of pain and Ky was standing over her with his katana lightly at Danika's throat.

Danika realized this was her moment, Ky was fixated in his pride and confidence. This was her moment to best him. She pushed herself down further as she wrapped her legs around his right arm that held his weapon and grabbed his wrist and snapped it quickly. His sword flew out of his hands and Danika quickly kept her hold on his broken wrist as she got up and turned his whole arm backward, making him yell out in pain. With his left hand he grabbed at her throat and Danika just pushed in his wrist making him kneel down in pain. Danika kicked Ky in the face and let go of his wrist. Ky was now on all fours, Danika kicked at his ribs with a velocity she didn't know she had. He was on his back now lying on the floor. Danika placed a heel to this throat and pressed down ever so slightly.

"Not second best anymore my friend." She spit at him and kicked him in the face harshly with the foot of her boots.

She turned to get her sai's and in that one swift moment Ky got up and grabbed one of his knives out of his pocket and put it to her throat facing her toward Bane.

"If you let me leave now, I will not kill her." Ky said desperately to Bane who's eyes remained calm and steady, Bane met Danika's eyes.

Danika slightly turned pushing the knife closer to her throat, then relaxed herself leaving space between the knife and her throat. She kept her eyes on Bane the entire time. Bane felt the numbness in her eyes take over. "You always lacked the courage of your convictions." Danika said and in one swift motion pushed her hand up the blades on her gloves caught the blade to her throat and she turned around in such a way that Ky couldn't keep his hand on the knife. It flew to the floor and Danika kicked forward sending Ky back and in one quick movement it was all over. Danika grabbed Ky's katana off the floor and sent it straight into Ky's stomach and twisted it. Ky fell to the ground blood spitting out of his mouth as his eyes were wide.

"You always were evil, that's why we all disowned you. The man that you stand behind will put a knife in your heart as quick as you blink. No one will ever accept you, no one." Ky's last breath left his body as he spoke that and he died there. Danika stood up and walked over to her sai's and put them back where they belonged.

Her breathing was heavy and she walked up to Darren's body. She knelt beside it and grabbed one of his hands. "Goodbye my friend."

Barsard walked up to her and placed his hand firmly on her collarbone to stop the blood coming out. "You're bleeding."

"Déjà vu, huh?" Danika said as she met Bane's eyes. Bane motioned as 4 guards carried off Darren's body. Then 4 other men grabbed Ky's body and made their way outside.

Bane slowly clapped a few times and walked over to Danika. "Well done."

Danika nodded as she went to grab where Barsard kept his hand. She suddenly felt her adrenaline leave her and dizziness took over. She stumbled grabbed onto Barsard's hand which was on her collar bone. Barsard placed his other arm on her back to hold her steady. Barsard led Danika into her room and sat her down on the couch, Bane followed in after them. Bane jerked his head motioning Barsard to leave. He did after he replaced his hand with Danika's and told her to "Hold pressure there."

Bane sat directly in front of Danika. He picked up her face by the chin and held it toward the light. This made Danika even dizzier, she grabbed onto Bane's arm with her free hand as to stabilize herself. Bane realized that's why she did it as she rocked back.

"You are dizzy because your eyes are moving irregularly. You might have a small concussion you hit your head hard on the wall. Try to focus your eyes." Bane said as he moved her face away from the light so that he was looking directly into her eyes.

Danika held on to his voice as she closed her eyes tightly. She tightened her grip on his arm, and breathed in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She opened her eyes and focused them on Bane's eyes. She felt like he could see right through her the way he was looking at her right now. She took in another deep breath and kept her eyes on him and she started to feel less dizzy. She let go of his arm and let it fall to her sides.

Bane kept his hand on her chin a bit longer than he should have after she let go. But he released her chin and remained looking in her eyes, he saw them start to focus easier. He realized the way she breathed and the way she knew how to focus herself was a learned habit. He breathed in and his mask hissed as he exhaled.

"You've had a concussion before.", Bane said half a question and half a statement. Danika slowly and carefully stood up. She kept a hand on the side of the wall as she hit the bathroom and grabbed a small towel and ran it under the water, she put it on her collarbone and turned to face him.

Bane knew Danika well enough to know this was her confirming a fact she didn't want too. Bane thought about her wrists, how he knew they'd been broken before, and he remembered the scar down her chest. He felt closer to piecing the puzzle together. Before Bane could say anything else Samuel walked in with his kit in hand.

"The good doctor will fix you up, and then sleep." Bane ordered Danika.

"I have to patrol." Danika let out.

Bane let out a small laugh. _What a good little soldier she turned out to be._ Bane thought to himself.

"Do I _need_ to repeat myself?" Bane said as he got up and walked toward the door.

Danika shook her head. "No, sir."

Bane crossed the threshold of the door before he turned his head to the right. "Danika, you truly impressed me tonight. I'm glad to see your bite matches your bark." With that Bane left the room.

Danika couldn't help but let out a small smirk. _Yes it does_.


	18. Chapter 18

**This is truly the moment you've all been waiting for. This is Danika's make or break moment. The nightmares and flashbacks all fall into place right here. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter because this is what I've been counting the moments to write, this is the most important chapter to me. As I said from here on out only big things happening! Stay tuned as always, 5x5-Dee**

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Danika stood in the shower letting the steam fill her lungs and the heat of the water hit her face. The stitches on her collar bone were in such an annoying spot, every time she turned or raised her arms she felt tense. Her concussion had gone away by now, she felt much better. Her mind went off to Darren, she felt a sadness in his death. He liked her, he was foolish for liking her but he did. She bowed her head down. Maybe it's better this way, he doesn't have to see the carnage that is going to unfold soon.

When Danika got out of the shower and dressed she put her hair up in her chopsticks and put on her lipstick and dressed in her _fitting armor_. Barsard had told her that today men from Black Gate were coming because they wanted to work for the League. _Idiots._ She thought to herself as she zipped up her boots. She wasn't planning on only wearing this outfit every day, but she wanted to make a point to the Black Gate men, she wasn't to be messed with.

Danika took a lap and walked around city hall and made her way to the roof. She took her cigarettes out of her pocket and lit one. She looked over the skyline blankly. This was all going to disappear soon. Then she thought to herself_. Are we all going to die? Is Bane going to die?_ She sighed and tried to push away her thoughts.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see who it was. Barsard walked up to her with a bag in his hand. He got close enough to Danika and threw it over to her, she caught it in one hand and sat down on the rooftop. Barsard leaned on the ledge next to her.

"Delivery? Nice." Danika remarked as she pulled out a sandwich from the bag.

Barsard scoffed as he turned around and looked out to the skyline as she had just done. Danika quickly ate the sandwich and pulled out the glass bottle filled with iced tea and drank from it.

"You know I don't like them coming here. The men from Black Gate, their violent criminals, cog in the organized crime wheel. They're reckless and hold no kind of code." Danika said as she played with the zippo in her hand.

"Well, when you are in charge you can have it your way." Barsard said as he turned around with humor in his voice.

"Ha, that will be the day." Danika said sarcastically.

"Where's your sai's?" Barsard as he glazed to her legs where her sai's were kept.

"I left 'em in the room. I was just gonna come up here for a smoke and go get 'em." Danika explained.

"Well I'm sure _Sir_ is waiting for us, let's not keep him waiting, we wouldn't want to be _scolded._ "Danika added as her statement reeked of sarcasm.

Barsard shook his head at her as he stuck out a hand to help her up. She took it and found her balance as she stood.

"He wouldn't let anyone of the men rest simply because they had a concussion." Barsard said as he still held her hand in his.

"Your cryptic language has no bounds, huh", Danika said as she released her hand from his and straightened up. "Barsard, he didn't intervene in the fight. I could have died in two seconds; he doesn't favor me or treat me differently."

"He **knew **that you wouldn't die. That is why you are one of us. He lets you get away with far more than anyone has ever gotten away with, the sarcastic remarks and the occasional talk back." Barsard explained.

"Well, I'm the only girl here; he knows that's who I am. I assume if I was just another fall in line soldier I wouldn't have made it this far." Danika retorted back.

Barsard nodded. " I see the favor of him in your eyes whenever he's around Danika. He watches you, when you leave for patrol or walk through the crowds with us, he keeps his eyes on you as if you are something he needs to watch over. He didn't remove his eyes for one second during your fight with that man."

"Well I am pretty sure I have shown that I am not something or someone that needs to be watched over. I could best you in a fight I bet." Danika said as she walked in front of Barsard and turned around to taunt him.

Barsard laughed. "Well I guess we should both be glad that that is an encounter we will never have to face."

They started walking and made it to the 2nd floor where she had her room, as was Bane's. They walked through the long corridors and hallways filled with columns. Danika looked over the ledge as she always had. Most of the men that were usually on this floor were on the first floor now. She nodded to 4 guards who were across from her and Barsard. She looked forward to Bane who stood tall with his hands behind his back. Danika gazed at him; She started at his feet, his tan combat boots that his dark green cargo pants were tucked neatly into. He wore his usual bullet proof vest that was much more complex and complicated than the other men's. The brown distressed leather coat that was lined with some sort of wool was her favorite thing Bane wore. She remembered for a moment when that coat was draped over her when she was sleeping. She kept her smile inside to herself. She finally met his eyes, the blue greyish eyes that haunted her dreams, when she wasn't haunted by nightmares. Danika skipped over his mask most of the time, focusing on his more human aspects. She longed to see his face without it on. She met Bane's eyes and starred into them.

Barsard and Danika continued walking; they were about 10 feet away from Bane now. Barsard suddenly turned around when they heard a group of footsteps behind them. Before Danika turned around she figured they were probably the men from Black Gate coming to address Bane and ask for his recruitment. Danika kept her eyes on Bane before she turned to see who was coming. She searched the men with her eyes one by one. Then all of a sudden lighting and fear paralyzed her. There was silence in the halls and it was broke when Danika dropped the glass bottle out of her hands and it crashed into the floor breaking and fluid spouting around her. Danika gasped for air and never let it out. Bane quickly traced her eyes with his to what frightened her. Bane saw a man, a man with a tattoo on his hand of dice. Bane's eyebrows furrowed out of confusion.

All eyes were on Danika, Barsard looked at her with concern knowing something was wrong. All Danika could do was walk slowly, step by step behind her, her eyes were locked in on a man. A man with long black hair, scruffy beard and evil in his eyes. The man from her nightmares, the man from her past. She shook and almost jumped when she realized she couldn't step back anymore, she turned around quickly and it was Bane that was in her way.

Bane realized the terror in her eyes; she searched his frantically, almost yelling out for help. He had never once seen this look in Danika's eyes before, ever. Bane looked down to her confused. He removed his gaze from her and looked to the man with the dice on his hand and then looked back down to her. Something clicked in Bane's head. Her scars, the way her wrists looked, like they were injured from a chain or restraint. The numb look in her eyes every time he mentioned or asked something of her past. The way she looked in pain when she was having a nightmare. The fact that she had disappeared for 9 months, and he remembered her zippo. "279". The rough amount of days in nine months. Bane felt something of anger rise in his chest.

She was frozen, her eyes pleading. He knew she wasn't thinking in this moment, she wasn't thinking anything. She looked as if she was begging for him to let her run or help her. Bane realized quickly that he could do neither.

Bane removed his hands from his back and placed them in front of Danika. Danika looked down and then quickly shot her eyes back up. He held her sai's in his hands. Danika slowly with shaking hands took them from him and held them. He took a step back from her and she almost whined a noise that he had never expected from his creature in front of him. Bane knew what he had to do.

Bane left her standing there and made his way to Barsard, to the men standing at the end of the hallway. Bane nodded for Barsard to stand over behind Danika, Barsard was so confused. He just waked back and stood in front of Danika, trying to search her for the answers.

Bane made his way to the middle of the room. The mob of men from Black Gate all stood still, there were 4 other guards around them. Bane's eyes met the man with the dice tattoo. Bane pointed to him. "_You_. Here." Bane commanded.

The man smiled, thinking Bane was going to talk to him personally. He casually walked over to Bane and stood a few feet before him.

"Do you know this woman?", his voice was strong and threatening. Bane stepped over moving from the man's point of view.

Danika remained with her back to the man, frozen in fear. She held onto Bane's voice, she knew he wanted her to turn around but she couldn't. She couldn't move.

"Turn, now." Bane commanded Danika. Danika closed her eyes tightly wishing she would just wake up already. _This is a dream, this is a dream, this is just a nightmare. _Danika repeated quickly over and over to herself.

Bane nodded strongly to Barsard. Barsard let out a sigh and walked closely to Danika. He whispered to her. "Please, turn around. I don't want to have to make you." His voice was sincere with concern and confusion.

Danika slowly opened her eyes. She breathed in and knew she had to do as Bane said. It took her what felt like years to finally spin around and she kept her eyes on Bane. She couldn't bring her eyes to the man that stood behind him facing her.

The man with the dice tattoo looked to the woman, he searched her face for a moment, and then his eyes flew wide and an instant smile on his face. He let out a sinister chuckle and breathed in slowly. "Man, oh man do I know her."

Danika shuttered with fear as she heard the voice of this man. Bane bore into her eyes.

Bane looked to the man leaving Danika's eyes. "Well it seems to me that you two have a debt of some sort to settle. I am here giving the city back to the people. So, here you are." Bane finished his sentence placing his arms at his sides to gesture along with his comment.

Danika started to shake. Barsard couldn't help but shoot his eyes to Bane.

The man continued to laugh. "Man, you are awesome. Me and her have _a lot_ of catching up to do."

"I was speaking to her." Bane said threatening and it strike a bit of fear into the man.

"Do you have a weapon on you?" Bane asked the man. He held out his hand.

"A gun sir, yes." The man's words were quick like he couldn't wait. He removed it from his pants and put it in Bane's hand. "Well then, be careful what you wish for", was Bane's last comment to him.

Bane walked over to Danika, her eyes were confused. Then she realized what he was doing. When Bane was mere feet away from her she shook her head. "No" was all she could say. Bane nodded his head and lowered it down to her gaze. "Danika, the key to your own liberation is in front of you, weaponless, and has nowhere near your training. I will interfere no further than taking this man's gun. Killing him is the way to set you free of his grasp, because he obviously still has it on you. **Do not** let your emotion rule you Danika. Use it." He stood in front of Danika piercing her eyes with his. Danika breathed in slowly, her voice shaking. She tried to find the strength in Bane's eyes and grasp onto it. She lifted her head and Bane raised his when he saw the familiar fire fill her eyes. Bane stepped to the side next to Barsard.

Danika walked forward, still shaking, but she knew she could kill him, he was just a man. That's what she kept playing in her head over and over again.

"Oh Dani, baby, you've aged like fine wine. So which one of these men has had the pleasure of having you? Like I once had you." A disgusting and evil smile dripped from his face. Danika tried her hardest not to let his comments reach her ears.

Danika felt strong for a moment, she felt adrenaline rise from her feet to her head, she felt the heat of the fight take over her. She felt Bane's words in her head. She felt in control for a moment.

"You should have killed me" Was all that left Danika's mouth.

She quickly lunged toward him he threw punches and tried to grab her. She was too quick for him; she landed every punch and every kick on him. She hit him with her sai grasped in her hand backwards and blood went flying out of his mouth. The man grew angry and grabbed one of Danika's wrist in his hands and threw it against the wall, her hand released as one of her sai's fell to the ground. Danika quickly flipped herself throwing all her weight into it as she pushed him off her and she kicked him in the face he stumbled down to his knees and spit out blood onto the floor.

"You like it a little rougher now don't you, that's fine." The man said with anger in his words as he grabbed Danika's legs and pulled her down crashing into the floor and quickly hovered over her.

Barsard took a step forward and found Bane's arm lock in front of him.

"Sir I will not let this further. I will not let him kill her. You may kill me after but he will not kill her." Barsard said with the most strength Bane has ever heard from his mouth.

"Barsard, for her then. If she does not kill this man, she will shatter, and break and fall into such a deep hole that not you, I, or anyone will be able to pull her out. He will not kill her. She is his toy, He cannot have his way if he kills her." Bane said his owns words disgusted him.

Danika spit in his face as it was close to hers and she head butt him then kicked him off her with all her force. She stood up immediately and felt a tiny bit off, she head butt him so hard that she started to bleed from the top of her forehead. She leaned on the ledge of the railings in the hallway for a slight second and turned around to continue her pursuit on her opponent as soon as she whipped around she felt the back of hand meet her face sending her head whipping back and she lost balance and held onto the ledge for support.

Before she knew it she was turned around leaning over the ledge, she looked down onto the first floor as she adjusted her eyes, She almost threw up when she felt his body pressed against hers as his hands choked her from behind, he shook her head forward a few times to make a point.

"See baby, no matter how much you've learned, or how hard you try. No matter how hard you fight, I am stronger than you, I control you." He brought his mouth to her ear, "Now why don't we go back to the way things used to be." He removed one hand from her neck and put it on her waist bringing it down.

Danika's eyes flew open and she screamed and bent her leg so quickly it made contact with his favorite appendage. The man let out a loud grunt as he grabbed Danika by the hair almost ripping it out. "You fucking bitch."

He threw her face down into the floor and was on top of her again. "I'm going to make you scream so loud, louder than you ever did." The man threw her face down into the ivory floor as he continued again to choke her out. Danika let out a whimper and a strong whine that filled the halls.

Barsard couldn't help but close his eyes and look away. Bane starred fire into Danika; Danika turned her head slightly so that she could see Bane, Bane saw tears rolling down her face and a desperate look in her eyes. "Please, no." The please dragged slowly out of her mouth. She cried it out so loud the other men around all tensed up or looked away. They couldn't watch this.

Bane threw daggers into her eyes and took one step forward. One step that's it, he was trying to convey a message to her as the man threw her head into the floor again by her throat.

Danika used her anger, all the energy she had and shot up her legs and squirmed out from under him. She stood up almost as quickly as the man in front of her did. In one quick motion Danika grabbed a dagger out of her boot and sliced along the man's neck, meeting his jugular. She let out an angry scream as it made contact. The man's eyes looked at her in shock as he blood poured out viciously and sprayed onto Danika staining her with his blood before he fell to the ground and brought his hands to his neck trying to stop the blood.

Danika snapped inside. She knelt down to the man and stabbed her dagger into his hand making it so that he couldn't move it. She pulled out the zippo from her pocket and showed it to him. "Remember this. I kept it. I kept it for you, You mother fucker." She flipped the zippo so that a flame lit up from it, she held it to the man's face, he tried to scream but couldn't because along with his jugular his voice box was cut. She stood up and pressed the dagger with her boot further into his hand attached to his throat. The man coughed blood everywhere and convulsed then life left him.

Danika starred at him wide eyed, she dropped the zippo onto him. She had blood everywhere on her. _His blood._ It started at her face and went down her chest, staining her neck as she wasn't wearing a turtle neck this day. Her hands started shaking as she held them up to her face, there was blood all over them. The rest of her followed her hands as she started to shake. She didn't leave eye contact with the man below her.

Bane let out the longest breath. Barsard and the rest of the man just starred at Danika. Anger left Danika's eyes and was replaced with a numb distant gaze, almost as if someone turned off the lights. She turned around slowly and walked up to Bane shaking. She didn't stop to him just said "I have blood on me." She said it with nothing to her voice; it was empty, cold, and numb. She walked past him and made eye contact with no one. She walked behind everyone into her room and closed the door.

Barsard moved to go after her. Bane held him with one hand. "Let her go. She will be fine".

Barsard couldn't help but whisper to Bane. "Are you trying to reassure me, or you?"

Bane shot a glance to Barsard. He looked around. "Get rid of his body. I will talk to the rest of the men from Black Gate."

"And her?" Barsard said concerned.

"Leave her alone for the rest of the day, she will be fine."

Bane thought to himself. _She'll be fine. Won't she?_


	19. Chapter 19

I hope you all enjoy this one :) I'm amazed and so grateful for all the reviews, keep it up! - 5X5-Dee

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Bane stood in court the next day, many thoughts passed through his brain. One of the most frequent thoughts was Danika. When he went into his room the night before, he starred at the bottom of the door that connected their rooms. He tried to see if she was pacing, or doing anything, The lights stayed off the entire night. He didn't even smell the faint stink of her cigarettes.

Bane kept the braid she had given him on his person when he went to court. He braided it and then unraveled it, then braided it again. He did this the whole time he was in court this day. He thought of Danika, how he hoped she would be up and at it when he returned to City Hall.

His hopes were wrong.

When Bane returned and walked to his room he heard a commotion going on and he knew right then that it was coming from her room. Bane walked into his room to try to stay away from it for a few moments. He couldn't avoid it; obviously whoever was trying to do something wasn't doing it well enough.

Bane opened the door that connected the two rooms and he observed 3 of his men trying to restraint Danika as she was wailing and throwing herself into every direction trying to fight them off of her. He saw Samuel and Barsard standing in the corner of the room, both watching with pain in their eyes for the poor girl. Barsard walked up to Bane with no haste and explained.

"She hasn't come out of her room or made a movement at all, they brought her food 4 times since yesterday, each time it remained untouched. One of the men came and told me she was just sitting on the floor with the blood from that man still covering her, just sitting there numbly. I asked Samuel what to do, he said she's in shock and the least he could do was give her fluids by an IV, and something to make her sleep for a bit. We came in and tried and she started acting this way."

Bane sighed and watched on. Danika was crying out but no words left her mouth. She made grunts and moans as she tried to push off the men, there was no tactic or intellect behind her fighting, she was wailing as two of the men tried to keep a hold on her arms The other guard walked up to her slowly trying to catch her feet and Danika kicked her feet out and threw one of the men off balance they all fell to their knees and Bane watched as Samuel slowly started walking up to her with the needle in his hands.

A memory suddenly filled Bane's memory. When he was fixing Danika's fingers and he pulled out a syringe and she demanded no needles. Bane met Danika's eyes as they were filled with tears and every bad emotion known to man as one of the guards tried to stretch out her arm so Samuel could find a vein. Danika met Bane's eyes for a moment and she screamed "Please" out of so much desperation that Bane himself couldn't take it any longer. He turned around and walked to the door. Barsard for a moment couldn't believe it, but then grained understanding when Bane walked up to the conjoining doors and shut it.

Bane walked to the center of the room and met Samuel and Bane stood in front of him. "Leave."

Every one of the men turned to Bane with confusion. The 3 men let go of Danika and she fell to the floor breathing heavy with widened eyes, but still she remained on the floor. The 3 men were confused, but knew never to make Bane have to repeat himself.

Samuel and Barsard walked up to Bane and questioned him with their eyes.

Barsard feared the worst, he didn't want to leave, and he had no idea what Bane would do. Samuel shared such fright and they simply starred at Bane for a few moments.

"Leave, now. Close the door on your way out." Bane turned from their gaze, and the slowly followed orders.

Bane took off his jacket and his vest slowly and put them on a chair in Danika's room. Bane knew that he was the only one that could get through to her right now. Right now, he didn't care how anyone perceived his actions; the only thing that passed through his mind was that he had to help her, if nothing more than out of necessity that she was a valuable tool. He told himself that once, and then felt a struggle in his mind that it wasn't only because she was a valuable soldier. The sting of heat returned in his chest, but he quickly shook it off.

Bane turned and faced Danika, her eyes were vacant as she sat on the floor, and he could see the dried blood on her from the day before, he saw that her eyes were dark and she looked as if she hadn't sleep for weeks. Her hands were shaking and once in a while her head would jerk. But none the less her eyes stayed blank even when he knelt down in front of her.

Bane's mask hissed as he breathed in and out. He tried to study Danika, there was nothing, he was starring right into her eyes but she didn't return the gaze. Bane stood back up, he was trying to think how to handle this. He felt that the usual threats and such wouldn't work this time. Bane sighed again and then in one quick motion he put one of his hands behind Danika's shoulders and the other underneath her knees and picked her up. He looked down to Danika to see if her motions changed. They didn't. She was shaking in his arms , and he bucked her up for a moment to get a better hold on her.

Danika was tense almost as if she was holding her breath. But Bane felt the slightest change in her as he felt her head fall onto his chest. Bane slowly walked into the bathroom and sat her on the edge of the shower. Bane sat on his heels and he grabbed Danika's boots and took them off in a quick pull. Danika stayed still as if she was a porcelain doll, Bane thought to himself. He felt Danika tense up as he got close to her so that he could reach the shower faucet and turned it on. He watched Danika over his shoulder, wondering if she would try to rip herself away from him as she did the other men. He kept his eyes on her as she just starred off into the distance.

Bane returned to her, her face was down now and her head quickly jerked once. He placed his pointer finger under her chin and brought her face up with ease, she looked at him for one second and then moved her eyes. Bane followed her eyes with his face. Bane breathed a slow breath in and out as he starred at her. Dried blood stained her lips, and followed down to her neck and chest. Her hair was matted and dried tears formed around her eyes. Bane couldn't help but feel something sting inside of him, he closed his eyes for a moment.

He held her by the shoulders as he brought her to her feet to stand up. He continued to stare into her eyes so he could see a change, still they did not. But, as soon as Bane grabbed the bottom of the fabric of her shirt her eyes darted to him. Bane tugged up slightly but Danika then flew herself back into the door of the bathroom and closed it behind her. She dug herself into a corner as Bane walked next to her.

"Stop." Bane commanded as she stared at him wildly, the plead in her eyes returned. He hated seeing her like this.

He reached out for her arm and tried to pull her closer but she resisted, Bane quickly pulled her anyway and held her in front of him by the shoulders. Danika tried to pull herself back she started thrashing herself attempting to remove his grasp from her.

"You are just going to injure yourself, Stop it". Bane said to Danika as he shook her once and brought her face to his.

He knew he wasn't reaching Danika right now; he searched her eyes. Danika cried out a whine and staggered, she looked at him pleadingly and just let out, "Don't hurt me."

Bane let her go slowly and took a step back from her. He was confused by her reactions. She quickly found herself back into the corner. Bane knew he had to make her trust him and snap her out of this daze she was in. He figured out that she only reacted when a needle was being threatened to her, and then when he tried to take off her shirt. Bane shook his head when he realized that she was afraid, Bane was in front of the girl that the man she killed abused and did God knows what to.

Bane could only think of one thing. He took in a big deep breath, and then reached his hands up to his mask, and then he unclasped it and removed it from his face. Bane tensed up and awaited the pain, but it seemed to not register as hard as he expected. He kept his eyes on Danika, and focused on what he had to do. He walked up to Danika and knelt down in front of her.

"Look at me, I have no intent on harming you Danika." Bane demanded her attention. Suddenly his voice grabbed Danika's mind and pulled her back, because she used to mind to realize, _wait he sounds different_. She looked up to him and he saw her return to her eyes, he watched as she started shaking faster and looked down to her hands and recognized all the blood and put her head in her hands and he heard her start to whimper and cry. She started to breath in slow and exaggerated breathes, she started to wheeze as if she couldn't grab a breath.

"Get up." Bane said as he stood up in front of her, he didn't command, but rather said it as a suggestion.

Danika rose to her feet, once again Bane grabbed the bottom of her shirt and slowly pulled it off of her. Time seemed to stop as Bane looked down at her torso; there were so many scars on her. He looked at the scar that went from the bottom of her collarbone down her stomach. He made out burn scars and punctured scars. Bane shook his head just once as he pulled her shirt over her face.

Danika starred at Bane for a moment, she raised her arms, allowing him to pull off her shirt. In this moment she felt safe, she couldn't even focus on Bane's face because of how much her eyes hurt from crying and not sleeping. She made out a large scar that stretched from his nose to his lips, along with a couple others that covered his lips. She was so vulnerable right now, she felt him looking at her scars and she lost the will to stand and let everything drop from her.

She realized she never hit the floor. Bane picked her up and sat her on the ledge of the shower once more. He threw the blood stained shirt over to the corner and she felt him go near her pants, she quickly placed her hands over his and met his eyes. Bane removed his hands and she unbuckled them and took them off slowly. She didn't stop crying for one moment, she couldn't help but stare into his eyes. She reached out with her hands for his shoulders. They kept their eyes on each other and Bane grabbed her and slowly knelt down to place her in the shower, she flinched quickly because the water was so cold.

"It needs to be cold." Was what Bane said as he held her steady and held her by the face leading it into the water and the blood started pouring down her and down the drain. The stayed like this until she was clean, and she stopped crying.

Bane helped her up out of the shower and grabbed a towel and wrapped her in it, he went to pick her up again, but she hesitated putting her hand out.

"You're going to fall again, stop resisting." Bane said and she listened to him, he carried her into her room and laid her down on her cot. He walked over to the water bottle that was on top of her table and brought it to her. He pulled a chair over to her cot and sat there.

Someone brought both of them food and he stayed and watched her eat. She didn't want to but she knew Bane did her a kindness and she didn't want to continue being difficult. Bane put his mask back on after they ate.

A few hours had passed. "Thank you." Danika whispered to Bane.

Bane simply nodded. He was still sitting next to her but he wasn't watching her anymore, he was looking at a file that Barsard had brought him.

Danika sat up and brought her knees into her chest. Bane glanced over at her with the corner of his eye.

"I was 12." Danika said and she grabbed a cigarette that was on her floor and grabbed a book of matches she had and lit the cigarette as she continued. "I saw Falcone, one of the major mob bosses hand off a cop some drugs or something while I was walking around the narrows one night when I had snuck out from the orphanage I was at. I didn't even know what I was seeing, but I turned around to run away and I broke a glass, I got their attention and the next thing I knew a man grabbed me and brought me over to Falcone, Falcone ordered the man that held me to kill me. He looked at me and said "Sorry kid, wrong place wrong time, they'll kill ya quick so ya don't feel a thing." Well I guess Falcone didn't look into his men before hiring them." She took in a pull of her cigarette and felt dizzy but she continued on.

"The man knocked me unconscious, when I woke up I woke up in a basement of some sort, and he had his way with me, he told me he "couldn't pass me up". He wouldn't kill me like his boss ordered. He kept me for a little over nine months. He did unimaginable things to me. I prayed so many times for him to just kill me. I was his torture pet, he cut me, burned me, raped me. He drugged me sometimes so that I couldn't move, but I felt everything. He took the only thing I had from me."

"Your innocence." Bane interrupted her and she looked over to him and she saw a bit of something, maybe compassion in his eyes.

She put her head down. "I finally got away, I ran so fast and so far, I finally collapsed and woke up in a hospital bed. Then went back to my normal life, I never told a single person what happened to me. I remember the day I watched the news and saw that he was put in prison. He used to tell me that if I ever left him he'd find me, that we were meant to be together. When I got away I found the group of assassins and joined them. I never told anyone except my Master about my past, when I told him he told me I was too damaged to be a part of them. I met Bruce, and found out his secret, I tried to be his partner, but also, he felt the rage and anger in me made me too unpredictable. He tried to help me, but he never understood. "

She looked to Bane. He remained silent. Danika started to get nervous. She put out her cigarette out and started tapping her fingers on the mattress.

Bane looked to her. "Danika, when the men thought you were losing the fight every one of them had to fight the urge to step in. All of the members of the League, would give their lives for yours."

"What about you?" Danika said before she realized what just came out of her mouth. She looked down.

"I'm telling you that this is your family, where you belong, we won't cast you out because you have been damaged. This is the world we're trying to recreate, a world without corruption, and true evil that would allow these things to happen."

Danika nodded and felt a sudden dizziness take over. She laid down and turned her head so she could watch Bane.

"Sleep, now." Bane said to her. He watched her as she slowly fell asleep. Bane observed her as she shivered. He got up and walked over to his coat and brought to her and laid it over her body. He sat back down and watched as she tucked herself into his coat, and rested.

Bane stayed with her the whole night, he watched her making sure she didn't have a nightmare. He stayed still and just watched her. He realized that he cared for her. He thought of her comment, "What about you?" Bane didn't know if he would give his live for her, he thought of her when she was young, and how that evil man stole her innocence. He knew of robbing innocence, he remembered that's why he saved Talia when she was young. He wanted to see innocence survive in the dark. For a moment, he wished that he could go back and save her from that. But then he thought if he had, she wouldn't be where she was now, where he wanted her. When he saw the sun start to rise he went and laid across the couch in her room, keep his eyes on her until he fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

_**:) Drum roll please. I really really hope you enjoy this. I separated the two chapters, well b/c I felt i needed to; We only got a few chapters left! Enjoy and Please review :) And thank you for the reviews I've received so far, really I love you guys 5x5-Dee**_

* * *

That night Bane not only cleansed Danika of the blood from the man she killed, but he also cleansed her of her past. He cleansed her of her damages and her complex. He left only what he wanted her to be, what she wanted to be.

Danika no longer dreamt of the man that she murdered. Something else haunted her dreams now. Bane. He had taken off his mask and shown her this side of him that she never dreamt he held inside. She longed to be in his arms again. She knew that it might never happen again. She knew that she couldn't let any feelings show, at least in front of the men or she would be cast out. The hours felt like days and the days felt like months.

Danika threw herself into the League even further after her ordeal. Many of the men looked at her differently, not out of pity, something else. They really considered her one of them now. Bane treated her the same, but when they were alone, she felt him, she knew that he felt for her too. There was always an invisible line that had never been crossed between them. Danika felt that Bane knew that he crossed the line that night, but he did it to take care of her. The only thing that ran through her mind now was proving her place; she wanted to make Bane proud. He had saved her from herself, when he took her in, when he trained her, and when he made her kill the nightmare that chased her. He was where she belonged. She never fully believed in the plans he held for Gotham, but she would stand by him and the League, no matter what. They were her family, and you stand by your family even when they aren't doing something necessarily right.

Danika realized that she received a bit of a promotion when now she was always with Barsard and Bane. She didn't patrol any longer, she was always accompanying Bane to court, or Barsard when they needed to look into something.

She walked with Bane while they entered the courts. She felt eyes on her in a different light. People feared her as they feared Bane. Danika was more calm now, Bane could feel it as they stood next to each other standing against the pillar the usually did. They never intervened, just stood and observed.

Danika smiled to herself as she watched Bane take out the leather cord she gave him and he started to braid it. One of Bane's men walked up to him and whispered something Danika couldn't make out. Bane looked to her and she knew without him having to say it, that they needed to go.

They walked out of the courthouse and down the steps. They stopped when they reached a tumbler and Danika's bike. She continued to ride the bike because Bane felt that if there was ever an attack, it would be better to have them separate, and Danika didn't really love driving the tumbler so it worked for her.

Danika looked to Bane before she got on her bike. "What's going on?" She simply asked.

Bane turned to her and crossed his arms. "It would appear that the US government has tried to send a wolf in sheep's clothing. We are going to Wayne Enterprise to go hunting." He said with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"How many sheep are we lookin at?" Danika said as she put on her riding gloves.

"Three men, I believe." One of the other men answered her.

Danika shook her head. "I'll lead?"

Bane nodded to her.

Danika climbed onto her bike and put on her helmet and watched Bane through the darkened visor. She let out a sigh and kick started the engine. Bane and 3 other men followed behind her. They finally reached Wayne Enterprises, Danika was the first off her vehicle and she waited by the Tumbler Bane was coming out of.

"So what's the plan?" Danika asked as she took off her gloves and put them inside her helmet and left them on the bike.

One of the men stepped forward. "There are 3 of them upstairs."

"We kill them and make an example out of them. " Bane said very calmly, he continued on. "Let the men go in first, you stand with me."

Danika sighed as the men walked in front of her. Bane tilted his head to her and raised an eyebrow out of amusement. He spoke, "You are the one who insisted on using you medieval weaponry, along with not wearing your vest."

"Yeah, yeah," Danika looked at him with a smile as they started to walk into the building. "You don't use guns either."

Bane gave her a look and she nodded in accordance. "If a ninja flies out of the air, you have my full permission to go ahead and take action."

_Did he just make a joke? There we are about to murder some people and he's makin' jokes._ Danika scuffed. "You say that like it hasn't happened already, twice."

"Eyes peeled Danika."

The stepped onto the floor, where gunshots and screaming filled the air. Danika wasn't affected by it any longer. She looked to see two men hit the floor and she saw the third man, probably a captain of some sort hiding behind a pillar in the middle of the floor. She saw him go down, getting a shot to the leg. The shooting stopped. Bane walked forward into the scene and Danika followed. She stopped at the sides of one of the other men and watched Bane walk up to the man questioning his presence.

"I'll die before I talk." The man who laid on the floor said.

"I'm on your schedule, Captain." Bane said as he knelt down with his leg on the Captain's chest and Danika narrowed her eyes as she watched the Captain's eyes close.

"There were people living upstairs" One of the men told Bane

"Round them up for judgment" Bane took in a breath and his masks hissed the familiar noise "and hang them where the world can see."

"Where, sir?" The same man asked Bane.

"Well, let's ask our Gotham citizen." Bane turned to Danika.

Danika searched his eyes, he was still trying to test her, she thought to herself. He wanted to see if there was anything she would hesitate at. "The bridge", Danika stated as she looked down to the man who lay dead on the floor. "Make sure you harness them, don't just hang them by the neck, sooner or later either the rope will give or their necks will."

Bane nodded to her as well as a few of the other men. Bane held his arm out gesturing for her to lead the way out. Danika did just that. When they reached outside Danika stepped to her bike as Bane and another man walked to the tumbler. But before that Bane walked up to her as she put her helmet on.

"No remorse for the man?" Bane asked.

"Well the way I see it, the positions we're in. That man would have killed me the second he had a clear shot. I've killed the one person I wanted to out of personal gain. The rest is just business." Danika explained through her helmet.

Danika could see the smile through his mask by looking at his eyes. His phone rang and he answered it, after a minute or two of no words coming from him he nodded and said "We'll talk when we return."

_We? We're a we? Is he talking about me? I get involved in discussions now. Hmm. _Danika thought to herself.

"Back to court?" she asked.

Bane shook his head. "Let's return. Things we need to discuss."

They returned to City Hall and walked into Bane's room where Barsard was waiting with two cell phones in his hand. Danika took off her leather coat and held it in her hands while Bane took off his coat and flung it over his chair.

"Talia called." Barsard started and Danika realized that he was talking to both of them, not just Bane. This made her raise her eyebrow a bit. "She said that a John Blake led her to safety after our _attack._ She thinks she might be able to get in with the rest of the cops. She called to say she won't be contacting us until she knows she is aware of their location and what they are planning."

Bane nodded as he pulled out a map of Gotham. "Surely, their stalking the trucks."

"Shouldn't we just up the security and just take every person who looks interested in them?" Danika asked.

Bane shook his head no. "Lessen it, if anything. I want the police to think they are winning. At their brightest moment, we will crush their spirits."

"And Talia?" Danika asked as she looked to Barsard.

"You are Barsard will once and a while be my eyes and watch them from the rooftops. I assume she will getting rid of her other phone, 2 phones might look suspicious."

Danika and Barsard nodded.

Shouting emerged from behind Bane's door. They all looked at each other. Danika placed her hands over her thighs where her sai's were stationed.

"Can't we have one normal day?" Danika asked as Barsard turned his rifle from behind him to over his shoulders.

One of the men ran in. "Sir, it's Samuel. He has lost it."

"Lost what?" Danika said as she started to walk forward and the men followed her.

"He's out on the roof, men went to follow him." The man with no a rush in his voice, Danika and Barsard looked to each other and they quickly walked out of the room and went to the roof. Bane followed behind them.

When they reached the roof Danika gasped in shock. Barsard went forward and Bane walked up behind Danika to observe the scene.

Samuel, the house physician was standing on the ledge with a gun to his head. He was mumbling himself in another language. Danika didn't know what to do she couldn't move. The men were all reaching for Samuel to get down. Samuel was like the League's grandpa. No one wanted to see him get hurt or hurt himself.

"Sir, I, I apologize. But this, this is too much. I can't bear the weight of all the souls, the souls that will soon perish. It is too much. " Samuel said as he pointed his gaze toward Bane.

Bane stood there and slowly blinked his eyes. Danika just stared at Samuel and he nodded to her. "Goodbye."

With the sound of the shot Danika quickly turned around so fast to avoid seeing what had just happened she flew into Bane's shoulder and had her hand over her mouth and she closed her eyes. She was waiting to feel Bane move away from her. But he didn't. She opened her eyes and saw that Bane had his arm raised slightly, like he knew she was going to do that, like he almost put his arm out to stop her from falling when she turned around. One tear fell from her eye and she put her hand on Bane's shoulder and they met each other's eyes. She saw that look in his eye, the fire stayed, the fierceness found itself still in those blue grey eyes. But it was different.

She quickly turned and stepped forward to see the other men all starring at where Samuel stood. Most of their heads were down. Barsard had his hand on the ledge and was shaking his head. Danika breathed in and sighed. She walked up to Barsard and put her hand on his shoulder.


	21. Chapter 21

That night was the quietest night City Hall had ever had. Everyone mourned in their own way, men were patrolling. Barsard was in his quarters for the remainder of the night. Danika sat on the couch and she read one of the books that had been left in her room. It was some sort of law book. She read through the pages and shook her head at every exception and pass the law gave to criminals. _This is why we are so corrupt, back in the day when it was an eye for an eye, no one did shit._ She thought to herself as she shut the book closed and ate a bite of her food that she had been lingering on since earlier. She went into the bathroom and rinsed her mouth out.

When she finished she looked into the mirror. She looked in the mirror to the ledge of the shower. Shivers went down Danika's back as she remembered how Bane took care of her. Danika changed into her casual jeans and a black V neck T-shirt, while she was changing she looked at herself in the mirror. She starred at herself in her red underwear and bra. She let out a noise. "Pfft, I wonder if any of the other members of the League have undergarments such as these" She laughed to herself and brushed her hair through her fingers and let it hang loosely. The waves at the bottom of her hair extenuated the bright red. Her hair had grown so long in 4 months. It was up to the end of her shoulder blades now. She splashed water on her face and she put the glasses back on.

She tried to fill her mind with anything, anything but him. When Danika left the bathroom and went into her room she sat on the couch and turned off the main light and just left on her side lamp. She lit up a cigarette and thought of Bane, his more frequent looks to her. She could tell he was fighting as much as she was. They were both professional, and Danika was sure Bane would never in a million years initiate anything. She wondered if he had any relations to Talia. She shook her head. _No they're like brother sister, right? _

She puffed away on her cigarette and looked at the bottom of the conjoining door. She saw a shadow move from left to right a few times. He was pacing. She tried to remember what he smelled like, and what his touch felt like. Not when he was taunting her, or when they fought. Then Danika flashed back to the first time they trained together. She remembered when he had her against the wall and his knee was in between her legs and his hand around her throat, not squeezing but holding it there. Danika felt a tingle crawl up her as she closed her eyes and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears.

She thought of being in his arms when he picked her up, when her head on was his shoulder. Then today, when she touched his shoulder and they looked at each other, and there was something deep in both their eyes. She tried anything for the next hour to not think of him. Nothing worked, she sighed with a bit of anger behind her breath and she started to pace, she smoked one then two cigarettes, She looked at the clock on her wall and saw that it was nearly 2'o clock in the morning. She sat back down on the couch and she felt anxious, jittery, she looked back to the door and saw that the light was still on. She didn't even think before she acted but she walked up to the door and opened it slowly.

Bane was sitting at his desk in his chair as he usually was. He didn't turn around he knew it was her. Her scent of rain and cigarettes filled the air. He wondered why she smelt like rain all the time, but he never really thought too much into it. Probably her soap he presumed.

He saw Danika's shadow walk over to his cot where she usually sat.

"Thinking of Samuel?" Bane asked while he stared at the monitors of Gotham.

Danika replied, "No." Bane turned his head slightly confused with his eyebrows furrowed as he heard the click of his door lock.

He spun the chair around so that he was facing her now as she stood facing the door with her hand still on the knob.

"What, are you doing?" Bane asked.

He watched Danika slowly turn around to face him from across the room. "I, I don't really know." She met his eyes, and Danika may not have known what she was doing but her eyes told him everything as she stared at him and walked slowly toward him.

"Danika, leave me." He said as he dismissed her and turned back around to the screens.

"No", Danika said quietly almost as a whisper.

"No?" Bane said as he turned around again and looked at her with a threat.

"With all due respect, Sir, no." Danika said as she approached him and stopped when she was about 3 feet away from him sitting in his chair.

"I don't have time for this." Bane said as he torn himself away from her eyes.

"Your right." Danika said quickly and a bit of annoyance came out with it. "By my count 23 days right? We don't have time. We're going to die."

Bane stood up. "If you will not leave I will." He walked toward the door to her room and Danika followed him and quickly slinked herself in front of him before he reached the door.

"I have stood behind you, and I have defended you. You are probably the only man I really trust, that's why I told you my story." Danika said firmly.

"I am the only reason you have anything to stand for or defend. Your point?" Bane interrupted her.

"Exactly. That's my point." Danika said as she searched Bane's eyes, and she could tell that right now he was fighting something. "My point is that we are going to die in 23 days, hell, we could die tomorrow. Men are dropping like flies. Excuse me, sir. But , I don't wanna die without... I've never had…, except for him." She admitted and she put her head down for a second, and then met back into Bane's eyes. He took a moment to reply to her, which is all the answer she needed to know that he wanted to as well.

"Stop this Danika, just leave me." Bane said.

"No." Danika said with force and that was enough to anger Bane. He quickly placed both of his hands on the door behind her with strength that sent her to back up to the door as both his hands were on either side of her head.

"This is the last time you say 'no' to me, girl." Bane said to her with the familiar threat and control in his voice that she knew.

Danika pulled her head back and her eyes changed at him. She pushed his left arm and walked back away from him back toward his cot. _Girl. He never called me that._ She said to herself as she felt a little bit hurt.

Bane sighed and watched Danika turn her back away from him. He went back to his chair and sat it in. He assumed that was enough to make Danika go back to her room.

Danika's mind was racing_. He said that to convince himself. _

Danika breathed in long and hard and exhaled. She turned back to him as he sit in his chair. She studied him. He had his dark cameo cargo pants on, his vest laid on the back of his chair leaving him in a black sleeveless shirt. His wrist brace of some sort was on his right hand as it always was. Danika knew was she had to do if she wanted him.

Danika walked over to his desk and he was a good distance away from her. He stared at her, with watchful eyes. She took off her glasses and placed them on his desk. Then she took off her shirt, and then her pants. Each time she took away her eyes for a moment then looked back at him. Bane turned his head so he wasn't facing her. He couldn't say anything. He knew what desire did to other men, but surely he thought he was an exception to that rule.

Danika knelt down in front of him. His hands hung off the arms of his chair. Danika slowly picked one up and brought his palm to her face, he didn't fight it, but he didn't make a move. She starred at him as she kissed his palm and then turned his hand over and kissed his knuckles. Bane who was still looking away from her closed his eyes. This hiss of his mask filled Danika's ears. Danika put her other hand on his leg to balance herself. Bane quickly stood up and grabbed her in his arms, one hand on her lower back the other one on the back of her neck.

"You know not of what you ask." He said to her as he held her. Danika's breathing was quick she was searching his eyes. She swallowed and let out a breath.

"Yes I do." Danika's arms found themselves in between her and Bane as she reached up for his face. She kept her eyes on him, she found herself getting lost in them.

Bane didn't want to let her go, his mind was a tug of war right now, he was carefully waiting to see what she would do next. He kept his hold on her lifting her a bit off of the floor.

Danika's small hands found themselves on Bane's mask. Bane's eyes widened a bit and his grip on her tightened a bit.

"Bane, you've have taken your mask off for me before. Don't you trust me?" Danika said as she slowly tried to find the clasp she watched him undo. She found it and a louder hiss released through the air and she took his mask off and gently let it fall out of her hands onto his chair.

Bane found himself almost lost in her eyes as well. Nothing made sense to either of them. They shared one common thought; They both wanted each other. Bane let Danika's feet touch the ground but kept his hands on her. Danika placed her hands on his shoulder and gently kissed his collar bone, she tugged on him lightly for him to bring his face closer to hers.

"Please" The air seemed to escape Danika's lungs as she let out her plead.

Bane moved his hand from behind her neck and held her face by her chin with his other arm still wrapped around her lower back. "You are a member of the League of Shadows, Danika. You do not beg."

Bane brought his face close to Danika's, she felt his breath on her skin and she closed her eyes. "Fine", her words were all whispers now "I'll take what I want." Danika without a moment's hesitation wrapped her arms around Bane's neck and met his lips. They kissed with such a force and fire between the two. Bane tightened his grip on her once more and walked her backwards. Danika was lost in desire, she focused on nothing but kissing him. She tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him harder.

She felt herself turning horizontal as he laid her on his cot, they didn't yet break away from their kiss. His hands were now on her waist. He brought his hand up to her collar bone and traced the scar that stretched to the bottom of her stomach. To him, it just made her more beautiful.

Danika broke their kiss and gasped when she felt his hand move to her thigh as he pulled off her underwear and threw them to the ground. She left her mouth by his ear, as she felt ever bit of him touch her. Her breath going through his ears just made him lust for her more. He raised his head to look at her in the eyes. Danika was staring at him breathing hard; he knew that she was waiting. Danika raised a finger to his mouth and traced his scar. Anyone else and he would have probably killed them but he was fine with her hands on his face. Danika reached the end of his scar and picked herself up to kiss him, and after that it was over.

Bane pulled Danika so that she was underneath him now. He unbuckled his pants and unzipped them. Bane and Danika never left eye contact from each other. Right now not even the world existed.

Bane brought his face lower to Danika's and she again wrapped her arms around Bane's neck and they kissed. Danika was obsessed with kissing this man. She thought of nothing, just Bane's scent and warmth surrounding her. Danika moved her arms from around his neck to his shoulder blades and dug her nails into them and broke their kiss when she felt him inside of her. Danika's gasp was accompanied by a whimper. She let her head fall back onto the mattress and her eyes closed. With every thrust Bane gave her, her nails were dug into his arm further and further.

His left hand was on the mattress by the side of her face holding himself up, while his right hand was on her waist, gripping and pulling her as he brought himself into her each time.

Bane closed his eyes. She wasn't lying about never having sex besides from 12 years ago. He brought his head on her collar bone so that his ear was by her mouth again. He listened to her breathing and examined it change each time he pulled out slightly and then pushed back into her. He felt her nails in his back and it just made him go harder.

"Bane" was all Danika could whisper out of her mouth as he felt her arch her up toward him. Bane put his hand underneath her back and pushed himself into her hard, and faster than before.

Bane watched as Danika pulled her head away from his and closed her eyes shut. Bane grabbed her face with his other hand and brought it back to him.

"Look at me." Bane commanded and that made Danika loose her breath all the more. He felt her clinch around him, his shoulders tensed and he thrust so hard into her she let out a cry. They finished together. Bane pulled himself out of her and zipped his pants and buckled them. Danika laid on his bed for a few moments. He got up and walked toward the desk chair. He saw her shaking out of the corner of his eyes that brought an accomplished smile to his face. He put the mask back on and picked up her clothes and brought them over to her.

She put her clothes on and walked over to the desk and put her glasses on.

There was silence in the room for a bit, not out of awkwardness, but they just watched each other. Danika broke the silence with a laugh.

Bane raised his eyebrow. "Something amusing?"

"Think of where we were 3 and a half or something months ago and look now. I guess I am a pretty bad masochist. " Danika walked up to Bane who sat on his cot. She grabbed his hand as she did before and kissed the inside of his palm. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment longer and Danika walked toward their joining doors and walked into her room.

"I guess you are." Bane said as he turned off his light and went to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

Danika smoked a cigarette on the rooftop of City Hall. She went up there to clear her mind a lot. She tugged on the collar of her knee length leather jacket as she leaned on the edge of the building. She let out a puff of smoke and raised her head to the snow falling around her. A week ago everything changed, to her at least. Every time she closed her eyes she saw herself in the dim light of Bane's room, her kissing him. Her grabbing onto his arms and biting her lip, she remembered Bane's touch and his eyes piercing into hers.

Would it ever happen again? Danika thought to herself. They acted no differently toward each other. He gave orders and she followed them. Her favorite time of day was when she accompanied him to court, they stood right next to each other as per usual. She watched him braid the leather strands, and sometimes their arms touched. She wondered if he thought about her, she wondered if he thought about her at night, or when she was off with Barsard looking for the remaining police.

"You're going to catch phenomia." Danika turned around and saw Barsard standing behind her.

"Oh, no I'd hate to die 2 weeks early", Danika commented as she pulled from her cigarette.

Barsard walked closer to Danika and stood next to her as she stood up straight. "It's nearly 12:00 you should be sleeping, shouldn't you?" He asked.

"Meh, couldn't sleep." She answered as she threw her cigarette over the edge.

" I see." Barsard replied.

Danika looked at him for a moment. "So, what are you doing up here?"

"I knew I'd find you here." He answered her question with a reply she expected.

"Well, I feel a bit of a lecture coming on." Danika said as she raised her eyebrow to him.

Barsard chuckled. "You're a smart girl."

There was silence between them for a few moments.

"Danika."

She turned around completely and leaned her back on the ledge.

"Barsard?"

He looked around for a moment. "You and Bane." He stated it as a statement not a question.

Danika looked down and then back up into Barsard's eyes.

"It mustn't happen again." He warned her.

Danika raised her eyebrows in question. She didn't even need to ask how he knew, that's how Barsard was. He knew about her feelings toward Bane before she did.

"Ok I understand that, but why?" She asked him.

"I don't want to see anything happen to you." Barsard stated as he took in a deep breath.

Danika shook her head, she didn't understand what he meant. Especially, since they were all going to die anyway. But she grew tired of this conversation.

"So, have you accepted your fate?" She changed the subject.

"I have accepted my fate the moment I stood by Bane's side." He answered her proudly. "And you?" He added.

"I always knew I'd die young, at least now it's for a cause." She said full heartedly.

"Come, it's getting really cold out here", Barsard instructed.

"I will in a moment. One more cigarette then I'll go to sleep I swear." She crossed her finger over her heart with a smile on his face.

Barsard nodded and walked back inside.

Danika thought about how she was going to die. She hoped it'd be fighting by Bane and Barsard's side. She hoped that the next life, or after life would be kind to her. She didn't ponder too long on morbid thoughts. _Whatever happens happens_. She thought to herself.

One cigarette became two, she thought about the road that led her to this point. She was almost put to peace that they were all going to die together; they were surely committing evil, but a necessary evil. Evil is evil, and if the corrupt souls of Gotham had to be, she was assured that the League would also as well.

She heard the roof access door open without turning around, she spoke, "Coming to check up on me again?" She turned around to see Barsard, "Oh." is all she said when she turned around to see one of the men from Blackgate that the League had recruited standing at the door. She looked at his hand and he had a bottle of something in it.

"Solider." She said as she nodded down to him. It was common knowledge that the actual members of the League held more significance and a higher 'rank' above the common criminals Bane used to do some of the dirty work.

The man started walking up to her and stopped when he was a few feet away from her. "Can I bum one?" He motioned to her cigarettes with his bottle.

She picked up her pack and looked at it, and took one out and held it out to him. "I guess".

"So you are the one and only Danika." The man drunkenly bowed to her.

Danika simply turned to the skyline of Gotham and light up another cigarette.

"Don't you think it rude" the man walked closer to Danika, "that Bane keep you all to himself, and not even play with his toy?" He made his comment with glee and arrogance in his voice.

Danika ignored the comment, but started to feel her blood boil as she tapped her fingers on the ledge.

"Or maybe he does?" The man stepped closer to Danika, and Danika stepped away from him.

Danika remained silent, and she turned to walk away and the man grabbed her arm lightly and she flinched and removed her arm from his hand and stood in a fighting stance.

"Whoa, whoa I'm sorry. I ain't trying to scare ya." The man said as he put his hand in the air.

Danika relaxed herself from her tense position.

"I'm just saying, your such a pretty girl, and for you to follow him around the way you do, and do what he tells you to do and he doesn't even touch you." The man reached his hand out and touched Danika's face.

Danika grabbed his hand and twisted it around and pushed him against the ledge and drew a knife out of her pocket and held it to the man's more private area.

"I suggest you step back in line solider or I will cut off what seems to be your favorite body part." Danika said to him as she released the knife a little.

The man was flushed red, she could tell he was drunk, which is why she didn't kill him where he stood, also because she didn't know how Bane would react. She watched him breathing in and out of his mouth heavy. She could tell he was angry and drunk; two things that never made people act wisely.

The man felt the moment she removed the knife a little and he struck her in the head with the bottle he held in his other hand. Danika staggered backwards a little and she picked up her head and looked to the man who stood there with pure hatred in her eyes.

She quickly kicked forward and knocked him unbalanced and drew out both her sai's and held them diagonally to his throat. " I will kill you where you lay, boy. You are pure scum that is lucky to be associated with this league." She pushed the points of her sai's in further into his neck.

"Okay, Okay." The man said fearfully.

Danika scuffed. _Pussy._ She said to herself as she stepped backward from the man and stood up. The man stumbled up to his feet and proceeded to walk past her but he stopped dead in his tracks.

Danika already knew what stopped this man cold. She turned around and saw Bane standing at the doorway. Danika put her sai's away and walked toward him. Bane studied Danika's face and noticed the blood coming from the side of her ear. He looked down to the shattered glass on the floor and looked back to Danika.

Bane looked at the man in question. He quickly walked forward and stopped in front of Bane. "Sir, I,.."

Bane cut the man off. "You came up here to tend to this woman because she has obviously suffered an accident correct?"

The man put his head down and said nothing.

"Were you attempting to make an advancement to her?" Bane spoke and Danika could feel the impatience in his voice.

The man continued to remain speechless.

"Answer me." Bane commanded.

"Yes, sir." He spoke.

"Well we can see how that went." Bane spoke to him. "Apologize." Danika kept the smirk crawling on her face to herself and stood tall and still next to Bane facing the man.

"I apologize." The man turned his gaze to Danika.

"Well done." Bane said, and in one swift moment he cracked the man's neck and dropped his body to the ground.

He turned to Danika. Danika nodded to him. "I had it under control; I didn't need you to swoop in and save me."

"What an appreciative thank you." Bane said with sarcasm. He pushed her head to the side lightly with one finger and he put his hand behind her bleeding ear.

Danika closed her eyes for a moment and relished in him touching her then quickly jerked her head away as she felt a sting of pain and winced.

She saw a piece of glass drop out of Bane's hand and he pushed her hair behind her neck and observed. "Superficial." He said as he removed his hand away from Danika and opened the door for her.

As he walked her to her room Danika's mind started to wonder about the man's words. Is Bane just keeping her to himself? Does he ever plan on touching her again? Will he ever acknowledge his feelings for her? Was it just sex? Danika's mind was racing as walked right next to Bane.

Bane looked over to her and could only imagine what she was thinking. He felt that something was on her mind. Everything pushed him to continue walking when they reached her room, but one string tugged him to follow her into her room.

He sat himself on her cot as he watched her take off her leather jacket and take out her sai's and a knife along with her cigarettes and matches and place them on her table. He noticed the blanket and pillow on her couch. He raised his eye and peered at her vision line of his room from the couch and how it was better than where her cot was. Bane realized in this moment that this woman much more than liked or lusted after him.

Danika took off her gear along with her boots still thinking. She felt a sudden sadness mixed with anger fill her blood. Does he think about me when I'm gone? What does he think of our time together? She closed her eyes while her back was turned to Bane and wished to feel his hand on her face.

She turned around to Bane as she walked up to him slowly. He followed her with expectant eyes.

"Something you wish to say?" Bane said to her as he said on her cot hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands folded.

"What if the man's advancement's had been successful?" Danika said weary of her words.

Bane raised his eyebrow and said nothing, he expected her to continue.

"What if I had wanted to be with one of the men?" She said as she brought the chair leaned against the wall closer to Bane and sat a few feet away from him.

"What if you had?" Bane replied to her.

Coldness stung her lungs and stayed in her eyes. She blinked to change her expression so he would not see. She turned her head slightly away from him and looked back into his eyes.

"Bane, I'm just trying.."

He cut her off. "You are trying to fish for something that is not there."

The coldness returned to Danika and she stood up out of her chair and turned her back on him. "The ice of your soul knows no bounds." She said hurt and angered at the same time.

"I am afraid not, my dear girl." It would be wise of you to understand this." Bane said calmly.

"They why?!" She quickly turned around and walked up to him and looked down at him. "Why take care of me after I killed that evil man? Why come to the roof tonight and kill that man?"

Bane stood up and cut her off once again. "I was protecting an investment I have spent about 4 months molding you. You forget your place, know that I will remind you if I must."

Danika took a few steps backwards. "Oh here's the Bane I know. Threats and talk of where 'I stand in line'. You are the almighty and incorruptible one. Why then, great sir, did the other night happen?"

Bane blinked slowly. He spoke as if he were bored. " I certainly did not take you for a feeble and needy woman, Danika I must say I am slightly disappointed. You speak like I have betrayed you, and that is a mistake and an apparition that your misconstrued past has bestowed upon you. You 'care' and need my approval above all others, the man who has as you said 4 months ago beat you and tried to break you. That man truly did leave more than superficial scars on you my dear."

With that comment Danika quickly felt the anger boil in her, and she pulled her hand back and slapped Bane as hard as she could, he didn't even budge but turned his head slowly. He quickly backhanded Danika as she fell to the ground she quickly snapped her head to his and she put her hand on her face where he struck her and tears filled her eyes. But she didn't let them fall.

Bane stood above her and breathed in slowly then exhaled as his mask hissed the sound she had grown accustomed to. He slowly put his hand out for her, to show that his strike was simply a tool to put her back in line. It wasn't out of emotion, it was a disciplinary tactic.

Danika quickly stood up without his hand and found herself over to her cot and sat down with her hand to her face.

Bane opened the conjoining door and looked back at her once. Danika picked her head up. "I know you feel something for me Bane, you will not allow yourself to admit it because you are afraid that it might cause a weakness in you, and that _Sir_ makes you weak."

Bane kept his eyes on her for one last moment as he walked into his room and closed the door.


	23. Author's Note

Hey everyone!

I'm writing this to let you all know I haven't forgotten about this story! I've had so much going on with school starting and moving in a new house. I'm finally settled in and hopefully by Sunday I will have more up for you guys ! Thank you all for following/ The reviews/ and favoriting! You all make me feel so excited when ever i see a new review/follower, etc

Hang in there, soon !

5by5

Dee3


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Batman Begins/Dark Knight, Drama, Romance