Bane of the Night

by Tigressa101

Summary:

Takes place weeks before the events of Arkham Origins

Bane heard the rumors. Everyone in Gotham is insane. He believes he is the only sane man among thieves, jokers, and his fellow assassins as he prepares for Christmas Eve and to claim the bounty on the Bat. But he soon realizes the more Rogues he meets, the line that divides him from them is more fragile than it appears. Is he insane too?

Chapter 1: Joker

Gotham City Royal Hotel was too fancy for Bane, tacky may have been a stronger word. The colors were wildly vivid, too many unnecessary rooms with little in terms of decency, and it certainly felt overhyped in appearance overall. The Joker, or his current step in alias of Black Mask, had booked the hotel...more like took it over but kept up the façade of manners for a good portion of time nearly two weeks in advance and invited them to stay if they had nowhere to go for the upcoming Christmas Eve hunt for the Batman. Why a giant hotel instead of an underground base or a hidden warehouse was beyond their assumptions.

Bane sat in a large chair capable of supporting his weight and leaned back with his feet on the desk as Joker played around with his gadgets and bombs preparing for Christmas Eve only a few days away. The master suite was comfy but it lacked visual appeal in Bane’s opinion. Too much red and a lack of actually useful items other than luxury soaps and a mini bar which Bird was enjoying. It was basically a giant bedroom several rooms large, not an ideal space. On the other hand, he couldn’t complain too much. It was better than living in a prison. Though he was taking orders from a madman as equally as tacky as the hotel.

Unlike most of the other assassins Joker hired, only Bane, Killer Croc, and Copperhead knew the truth other than Roman Sionis and his former gang so far. The fact that he had to pretend to go along with Joker’s ruse in order to get a good shot at the Batman was somewhat unfavorable but it made access to Gotham City and a way to transport his mercenaries a lot easier.

“Jingle bells, Batman smells! Ha ha ha!” The man called Joker laughed in a childish glee.

Bane merely raised a brow and shook his head. The guy really was insane as it was rumored. The assassins he hired were ever as questionable as he was.

Lady Shiva was nothing but a delusional follower of Ra’s al Ghul who Bane respected but his views were a bit excessive, Copperhead was a contortionist with a nasty neurotoxin set of claws who dwelled on sexual pleasure from her kills, Deadshot was excellent but got a thrill from the thought of suicide among failure, Firefly was an psycho arsonist who found an odd pleasure from burning pain, Deathstroke was one of the few he could tolerate due to his reasonability and fair play, Electrocutioner was a delusional street thug who wanted to be a bad ass, and then there was the odd case of Killer Croc who was a man beaten and thrown away by society over a born skin mutation which caused him to relapse into nothing short of an animal.

Bane was hardly impressed by any of them really. If anything, they were more of distractions for the Bat. He would be the ultimate test and he had plans for the fall of the clown after Christmas too. The world didn’t need another psychopath.

“Payaso, what guarantee do you have that this bounty will not backfire on you?” Bane hissed, crossing his arms as he leaned back deeper into his chair.

The clown quickly turned on his heel and strode up to the desk, playfully sitting in a weird pose on the expensive wood. “Why my dear Bane, you can trust the likes of me, can’t you?”

No, he really couldn’t.

“No matter the results of this Christmas, I guarantee you this: we will begin something even the Batman, if he survives, will never be able to stop. I have a feeling you and I are going to be household names by the end of the night. Isn’t that the best gift you could ever ask for?!” Joker hummed.

Bane glanced down a brief second before meeting the Joker’s horrid green eyes with a scowl, “The best gift I could possibly have is Batman’s spirit and body destroyed.”

Joker pursed his lips with an unreadable expression, “Kind of a killjoy ending but whatever floats your boat, nacho libre, assuming you don’t sink it before Christmas morning.”

Annoyance was growing in Bane and he swung his legs down off the desk. Joker didn’t move from his position as he leaned forward, almost meeting the clown eye to eye despite still being seated. Joker still held an intolerable grin and Bane debated whether or not to punch it off the abnormally bleach white face.

“Listen and listen close, payaso, my vengeance on the Bat is personal. You have no concept of what I need to do to find peace, what I will do to the Bat before he dies. I do not do chistes lastimosos...I do not joke like you. The Bat will be broken and die painfully before the night ends. Nobody will be laughing.”

Joker’s smile didn’t falter which didn’t surprise Bane but what did happen unexpectedly was the Joker slipping onto his lap. The clown crossed his legs over his left thigh casually and leaned against his right shoulder. The mercenary was taken back and wanted to shove the psycho off but he kept his composure as Joker spoke, mockingly checking out his dark purple gloves like a person checking their nails.

“You see, Bane baby, I find that mildly offensive. After all what is a good time in killing people if you can’t wake up the next day to laugh about it? You only have one life, why not dance through it with a smile and destroy some lives along the way? My question above all to you is: why do you hate the Batman so much?”

Bane’s jaw clenched. “You don’t need to know what my vendetta with the Bat is. It is none of your business, tonto.”

“Really?” Joker taunted. He abruptly repositioned himself on Bane’s lap to straddle the mercenary before he quickly cocked a gun just under the masked chin. Joker’s own former Black Mask thugs tensed but knew their current boss wouldn’t take kindly to interruptions. They left the room but Bane just kept glaring at the madman unfazed.

“Since I hired you, I think it does become my business.”

He had his doubts this madman was foolish enough to point a gun at him like other stupid men before, but this was no man. Staring into the green irises, it was quite obvious he was dealing with a monster. Joker would pull the trigger even at risk of it doing nothing or at least not killing him. Those were the eyes of someone who could stare death in the face and just laugh.

Bane indulged him after almost a minute of silence. “I’ve had nightmares since I was young of a bat. He was in every single one of those dreams like a demon and it is my duty to destroy him, to bring peace to my mind. A prophecy if you will. That is all I can tell you. Satisfied?”

Joker actually looked at him with a confused expression and Bane almost took the chance to catch his wrist holding the gun and snap it. But of course, the clown laughed like a hyena, the gun lowered and waved around madly.

“You’re just as crazy as me! A prophecy?! Hahahahaha!! But if it makes you feel any better, I understand you.”

“I am not loco like you-”

“Oh, but you are! You just can’t see it because we’re on opposite sides of the personality spectrum,” Joker smirked, throwing the gun away. “I am just like you because I too have had visions.”

“Qué?” Bane narrowed his eyes in confusion.

“I was once a man with but a dream of making the world laugh and something deep down was eating me alive, a monstrous bat. I got caught up in some unfortunate dealings and this demon appeared roaring at me and it was all I remember when I fell and crawled out of a vat of chemicals. Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw this monster in the reflection and I could never tell if it was me or the Batman staring back. I want the Bat dead so I can see myself as I truly am and not have to see whatever reflects back in the mirror like a dreadful darkness. It’s why I laugh through life now. I’ve never been clearer in purpose or in meaning. I’m still here and I’m smiling. The Batman killed me but he also created me. And now, I’m going to return the favor.”

Both of them peered at one another in silence. Bane began thinking of what he had just heard and it was hard to tell if the clown was lying to just get sympathy or he genuinely had a run in with the Bat that led to whatever he was now. If there were similarities between the two of them, it wasn’t very obvious other than one mutual source of both their problems: The Bat.

Joker chuckled darkly, “You and I are two kids on a roller coaster to Hell, baby, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, I win not just by having the power to defeat both our problems but I’ve also got one hell of a bodyguard to boot. Remind me to hire you after Christmas, I need some muscle for a New Year's party Gotham will never forget.”

It wasn’t lost on him that Joker was still in his lap comfortable with his legs barely over the width of his own, swinging like a little kid on a tall space. And Joker was aware of it too. The fact that he had yet to push off the clown kind of made him uncertain of how tame he was being towards his employer when if someone else had tried this, they would have already been dead by now.

The Joker examined him a little before slowly reaching towards his mask. Bane clenched his fist ready to grab the wandering hand if he dared to lift his mask but instead, he felt it trace his lower jaw up to his cheek as if to confirm Bane was even human. The clown wasn’t smiling as big out of real curiosity. The larger male was kind of lost on what to do about such a twisted creature.

“Wow, they weren’t kidding when they said you are defined everywhere. You could kill somebody with a single headbutt and I would love to see that! How many people have you killed with your bare hands, Baney? Better yet, how many people have you killed altogether? My total is 310 I think. I don’t keep track really but I know my record was roughly 150 in one day, according to poor Roman and his now-leveled shipping dock with all his illegal goods and many thugs sunk at the bottom of the bay currently.”

Bane didn’t smile at that but it did acquire his interest how such a scrawny man could kill over a hundred people in a day, assuming it also wasn’t a lie. Given the Joker’s insanity, he wouldn’t underestimate him in that matter.

The mercenary gave the clown a small once-over and Joker noticed quickly. “Like what you see, big boy?”

That threw Bane off guard and he was unsure how he could possibly respond to that when suddenly, Joker did something unexpected. The lips of the clown teasingly brushed against his own and he tried to lean back but the smaller man was faster, grabbing his face and forcing them together. He didn’t kiss back but his hands did creep up from being stunned to grabbing the thin waist. As soon as Joker’s grip on his jaw lightened slightly, he threw the psycho off and stood up with a frown.

Joker merely laughed as he hit the table almost flying over it. “Well, I expected that response about forty seconds ago. Is there something you’re not telling me, Bane? Am I that sexy?”

Bane was less than amused and wiped his sleeve over his lips. He then growled, “Payaso, you will lose your voice if you try that again.”

“Not the threat I was anticipating but then again, I’m not against being on my knees for long periods of time either,” the clown purred.

The larger man stomped out of the room as the Joker cackled, cheeks slightly burning. Bane shook his head and scowled at the audacity that madman had. A few times he touched his lips, still feeling the tingling sensation of the kiss. It was another unexpected turn from the clown, another surprise Bane didn’t like because it implied he was vulnerable to the ungodly creature that was the Joker. If Joker can throw him off guard, he was being too docile and that was unacceptable.

He didn’t want anything to do with such a crude man, especially not like that. There were still a few days to go before the big night and Bane knew there were also still plenty of tricks the clown could pull in said days. He anticipated for the moment when he could blow up the abominable man and be done with him.

Bane reached an empty bedroom in the suite and after making sure it was locked, he plopped down on the bed, its frame creaking from his weight. He rubbed the side of his mask with a grumble and lied on top of the covers to stare at the tacky ceiling design. This was going to be a long job.

Notes:

AN: If you think this is fucked up...you ain't seen nothing yet.

Chapter 2: Killer Croc

Bane was perplexed by this man. A man who could very well be mistaken as animal by just appearance alone, but he knew better than to be condescending on someone who didn’t choose the way they were designed. Killer Croc was a very intriguing specimen of man Bane had to admire even though some tendencies of the brute were less than ideal like the rumored cannibalism and the complete disregard of respect. It didn’t lessen the curiosity of how a man like him came to be. Croc wouldn’t tell his story and Bane wanted to know.

“What are you staring at, you steroid-pumping punk?” The crocodile hissed.

Bane shook his head with minor amusement, “I am merely making an observation. I never encountered a man with a condition such as yours before. It is fascinating. They call you Killer Croc, yes? What is your real name?”

Croc grunted irritably, “The name’s Waylon, Waylon Jones. If you’re trying to get friendly with me, Bane, think again. Am I to believe that’s even your real name?”

“Unfortunately, I was never given a name. The only name I ever knew was Bane but I have made an alias or two to go by if necessary. Antonio Diego or Eduardo Dorrance are the names I use.”

“I don’t give a damn what you call yourself. Gotham isn’t for tourists. Why don’t you go back home and deal with your drug problem and leave me to deal with the Bat next week?”

That was a first for someone to speak so openly against him in such a manner but Bane let it slide. “I am merely interested as to what you need with 50 million dollars, amigo. Just a...curiosity.”

Croc cackled, “Hookers, cocaine, a new car, buying a plane ticket out of this hell hole. Who knows? But it ain’t your business so stop sticking your nose into places it doesn’t belong or I’ll bite it off, comprendo?”

Bane only watched as Croc snapped his jaws to emphasize his threat, tilting his head a little at such a primitive scare tactic. The fact that the society this man was born in forced him to become what he tried to prove he wasn’t really spoke to Bane on a spiritual level, something he could relate to give his life since birth was a prisoner for something he didn’t even do but his society made him as.

He drew a bit closer to Croc, taking notice he was smaller by a few inches but that was hardly an inconvenience to him in a fight. He could take on this crocodile man and win.

“If you have something to say, either say it or get out of my face!” Croc roared.

“You have an attitude problem. I suggest you learn some manners before I am forced to break you. The payaso will not take kindly to his assassins fighting one another, and it would be a waste of my time.”

“You’re the one who approached me and I don’t back down to nobody. The only boss of me is me. Joker is just a part time gig, got it? And who are you to come into Gotham from wherever and give me orders? A waste of your time? More you’re wasting mine so why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and do something about it?” The scaled brute growled.

Bane eyed him before slightly cocking his head to the side, “If that is how you feel, fine then. I thought we could be allies but apparently, animals aren’t as compatible as I thought.”

Waylon cracked his neck and sneered. “You’re one to talk, drug addict.”

If looks could kill, Bane all but murdered Croc. He let the first insult slide. This time, he was angry and was more than willing to put down this animal for even stooping so low to mention it. His Venom addiction wasn’t something he was proud of and his relapses being judged were not helping in his overall mood.

It was Bane who threw the first punch and when it landed across Croc’s chest, he jerked back and grimaced shaking his fist in some discomfort. It was powerful enough to send Croc stumbling a few feet backwards but he wasn’t expecting the man’s muscle and skin to be that dense, like the equivalent of striking a wall. He managed to shrug off the brief flare of pain and calculated his opponent’s weak points before the animal could strike back. The chest and backside were naturally thick, arms were dense enough to take hits but can be broken if bent at the right angle, legs were only breakable if he could get Waylon on his front which may not even work at all, but his stomach and head were vulnerable with thinner muscle structure though that wasn’t saying much. His only options were to strike at the abdomen or head for any advantage which meant juking out Croc into leaving himself open for said attacks.

The beastly man took a swing at him and almost caught his shoulder but it allowed him to get a hit on the head before Waylon reeled back to protect it. This left Croc open on his left side and Bane quickly got in a punch into the gut before Croc could protect that too. Waylon winced and clutched his side but got another strike right in the jaw. Bane didn’t stop his assault. If he did, he knew one wrong move could lose him the advantage he had and maybe he would never get a hit in if Croc got brutal.

Unlike most stocky hired muscle men the feuding gangs in Gotham had acquired, Bane knew not to underestimate Croc. The muscle was just muscle and that’s why it was so easy to defeat them even if they put up a fight three against one as they had tried to pull just before Bane accepted the assassination of the Bat. He killed two of them with a neck snap which he relished greatly. This was not simple muscle he was dealing with here. He was dealing with a whole new different breed of animal...literally.

True to his ire, Bane miscalculated a hit to the scaly head that he thought would stun Croc long enough to readjust to strike his gut again. Instead, Waylon recovered immediately and caught his fist, bringing him close for a forehead straight into his nose which he felt break. The attack caught him off guard when he suddenly received two good hits in the face, three punches rapidly in the stomach, and then he felt two fists slam straight down onto his back when he bent over in discomfort sending him propelling into the ground hard enough for it to crack.

Another thing Bane found amazing about Croc was he was one of the few who could match his power and come close to winning if not outright subdue him briefly. He had never really encountered someone who could leave him breathless in few punches. But he wasn’t about to give into defeat at the claws of someone like Waylon, not yet at least.

“Well, well, the luchador freak has fallen and I was just beginning to think you were a worthy opponent. I used to be an alligator wrestler and a sideshow boxer. You aren’t the first strongman I’ve taken on. What made you think you could defeat me?”

Bane cracked his nose back into place and frowned at the sight of his own blood. He then gave a hardy chuckle in mockery as he glared up from his position on his knees, “Simple, you didn’t finish me when you had the chance.”

Waylon’s smirk faded when Bane immediately whipped his leg around to trip the crocodile man and he took the opportunity to jump on Croc when he fell on his back. Punching his head a few times, Bane knelt over him with blood on his fists and a very dark yearning to tame this beast.

“I am your superior. I am your bane!” He yelled as he punched Croc once more.

Then the teeth of the crocodile snapped at him. He had to move his arm away quickly which allowed Croc enough room to leap back to his feet. Those jaws were strong and he doubted Croc had a harmless bite in mind if he caught him. It was worth the acknowledgement for further encounters to try and nullify the use of those jaws if he wanted to win the fight faster. If he got caught by them, there was going to be a lot of pain and blood. Whether Croc had the same lockjaw ability as normal crocodiles was unknown but he kind of didn’t want to find out this way.

It seemed Waylon had no need to speak when his snapping jaws said a lot for him, and his silence made Bane thankful he could focus more on avoiding being bit than getting stuck in useless banter. He tried to throw a punch to Croc’s side but he was nicked by the sharp teeth in the hand which he shook with a hiss of pain. Blood was leaking fast from the small wound as predicted, almost covering his whole hand in seconds. Thank God Croc wasn’t venomous.

Debating his options, he knew he needed to subdue Waylon’s head or he couldn’t win. There was only one way to do it and if he messed up, he would get a bite to the face. All or nothing, he decided to take the chance and lunged forward. Croc didn’t expect him to do that and he had an open window to ram into him, knocking him back onto the ground. This time, he acted quickly and pushed Croc’s face down and use his remaining hand to hold one arm while he repositioned to lean over the man’s back to use his leg to pin the other arm.

He could feel Croc angrily twisting his lower half trying to get out of this body lock Bane managed to do but to no avail. Bane huffed harshly waiting for Waylon to give up, his adrenaline levels high and he realized he did the entire fight without his Venom. He was so distracted by Waylon and the banter that he never got around to activating it. He impressed himself.

“Give up, monstruo! I have bested you! Say you give up en seguida!”

Croc snarled but the pressure on his head began to feel like his skull was about to break. With a hiss, he caved. “Fine! You win! But don’t think I won’t find you for a rematch!”

Bane kept him pinned but readjusted to hold both his arms and straddled his abdomen. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Waylon.”

Croc seemed to calm down and perk up at the sound of his real name, something that was not lost on Bane. He could hear the strong lungs beneath the layers of muscle and bone become more pronounced in silence between them. He expected Waylon to put up more of a fight with a given window after defeat like most enemies did but the latter seemed content even after failing.

“Most people would leave by now, leave in fear or disgust of my appearance. Or if they beat me like you somehow did, they would try to kill me or leave me worse off than this. Why are you still here?”

The question stabbed at Bane for he couldn’t really say why. Maybe he wanted to study his opponent more or maybe there was something about Waylon, despite the aggressive nature and attitude problem, he felt at peace with. He held no ill will towards this man even after he vented his frustration on him.

“Would you believe I find you fascinating? I would like to understand someone as unpredictable and strong as you. You are intriguing as an enemy and I want to get to know you better,” Bane softly spoke, letting go of Croc’s arms and slowly standing up over the man.

Croc got to his feet and brushed off some dirt from his shoulders with a smirk. “Save the flattery, I ain’t gay.”

That kind of threw Bane off and he awkwardly frowned, “Qué-no, no, no, eso no es lo que...I mean...that you are, uh...cuál es la palabra...unique. I have never fought someone like you before and you are impressive. I-”

Waylon grinned widely, “I’m just pulling you tail, Bane, I know what you mean, but I stand true to what I said. I want a rematch one day. I hope you don’t disappoint because I really want to see what else you can do. But then again from your compliment, I seem to be the best you ever had so of course you’ll come and find me, won’t you?”

Bane drummed his fingers from his uninjured hand on his chest and tucked his bleeding hand in the crook of his arm with little to no subtleness. He had not expected Croc to be so responsive to something he didn’t intend to say but he felt his face warming at the tension he unwittingly created for himself. At the same time, he found that he wasn’t against the idea surprisingly which either said something about him or Croc completely played him against his own pride.

“I...I will-yes, I mean...you are a worthy opponent. I have great respect for a man who can hold his own against me. I sense that this will be, as the businessmen in America say, the start of a beautiful partnership.”

“Oh, I think you want something more than that deep down. You just mind your territory and I’ll stay out of yours. And who knows, once this Christmas hunt is over, I just might have need of some company to play with once the Bat is out of the way,” Croc purred.

Bane felt more heat rise to his cheeks and he was thankful he had his mask on. This conversation was veering way off from what it was intended to be.

“First to kill the Bat gets to pick the time and place for our reunion.”

The mercenary all but jumped at the offer. “Done.”

He heard Croc chuckle as the latter walked away much to his sudden embarrassment. “Careful Bane, you wouldn’t want people to think you’re desperate.”

And once again, Bane frowned at the implication and his weakness in letting such a thing happen. He debated whether next time he should kill the man or break his arms for this thankfully contained humiliation. Still, there was hope that maybe they could get along...or do more.

As he made his own leave, he struggled to get past the fact that in a way, Croc won this round. Bane won the fight but Croc was winning the war mentally. He planned on meeting the crocodile man again and indulging that rematch he so wanted but he also intended to be the victor in every aspect come what may. This rivalry would be his.

Notes:

Ship-teasing Bane x Killer Croc is always funny because Bane is obsessed with Croc in most media, I can't help but believe Bane may have a crush on him. I'm not joking either. In practically all media regarding their rivalry, it's Bane who's incredibly persistent on being Croc's enemy. Initially, it was because he wanted to prove who was stronger but now? Well, tension is best left unspoken in a sane man. Of course, Croc's going to call him out on it, perhaps a bit amused at the whole eagerness Bane sets himself up with.

Chapter 3: Enigma

The Joker was a particular guy who wanted people humiliated and dead before Christmas Eve so he only had the Batman left to get rid of. Of course, that meant overtime for Bane’s mercenaries when he was asked to hunt down these people, a majority of whom were very difficult. Even the corrupt police of Gotham who Joker made a pact with under his Black Mask guise couldn’t find a lot of them. That left them on a wild goose chase until someone out of the blue fed them information.

Bird was in charge of making communications run smoothly including computer work so naturally, he and a few others were often overlooking anything of importance. Well, Bird called him over once and they had found a strange frequency that told them the locations of the wanted victims of Joker’s hit list, as well as known associates, secrets, and other useful data. This unknown informant had cut down their hunt from one person every two to three days to five victims in under two days gone. The Joker was pleased.

Bane was wondering how this unknown person had all the data or, oddly enough, knew about the names they needed. He asked Bird if his computer was hacked and his commander was unsure...until this mystery savior contacted them. He spoke quickly and his face concealed but he told Bane everything he did for them and warned he had indeed hacked them, knowing what they were planning on Christmas Eve as well. Surprisingly, the person didn’t report them or give away their location in the process. Either they were an ally or a neutral party just wanting to hurt other people. Bane was unsure if he found the mystery person trustworthy because of that.

Bane found himself responding almost every hour to this “Enigma” as the person called himself. Using his personal set up, he had interesting chats with Enigma over Gotham and their plans. The man was an extortionist with dirt on almost all the big figures of Gotham hidden in chips put in secure data packs he planned to release them on Christmas morning via communication terminals and the GCN radio wave towers hooked up throughout the city. Whether he coordinated with Bane’s plans after learning of the Bat’s bounty or not was up for debate but he had become a useful ally in under a week.

Now, he wanted to meet the man behind Enigma and using a specialized signal tracker, he managed to pinpoint a communication spike in the Burnley District that matched Enigma’s signal. He too had his knowledge in technology, maybe not as extensive as Enigma though.

He came alone and tracked it to a remote section walled off with a Gotham Rail billboard above. Either the billboard was a front, the wall had a secret entrance to it, or both but Enigma would probably prefer only one entrance.

“I see you decided to be a detective and find me,” the voice in his radio suddenly spoke. Enigma must have hacked it. “Well, since you’re not the Batman and far more decent, I suppose a formal meeting is necessary. Go near the dumpster and press a button hidden behind it to activate the door. I’m inside and can see you on camera from here.”

Doing as directed, Bane went to the dumpster to the left and searched behind it to find a green button. He pressed it and the wall to the left shifted, opening a hidden door. When he walked through, it was noted Enigma had fondness for the color green. He passed through an elevator shaft with said elevator above him a couple levels. There were computer screens everywhere, most contained static indicating lack of operation.

“Come in, please. I appreciate your dedication to finding me. Excuse the mess but I have been quite busy preparing to ruin people’s lives and all that,” a man said.

Bane walked toward a more open area to the main computers where Enigma was facing them and writing something down. His chair was discarded to the side and several green-glowing boxes were scattered about. Those must have been the data packs.

“I am Enigma, your informant. I don’t think you need an introduction, Bane, and I have to say I'm a huge fan. My, you are a larger than I thought. Quite...handsome too.”

Bane kind of raised his brows at the compliment but not after examining Enigma’s real form as well. The man in question was decent build, nice reddish-brown hair, mid to late 20’s with glasses, a fleece navy blue vest and a GCPD forensics pass draped down from his neck. Edward Nygma. Well, he certainly wasn’t being subtle with his alias. Enigma noticed his gaze and quickly addressed it to prevent him from lashing out.

“Yes, I work for GCPD, forensics and record keeper, but you need not worry. Let’s just say what I’m doing would send me to federal prison in a heartbeat assuming they ever figure out I took their most top-secret recordings of Gotham’s elite doing criminal activities or worse, and I plan on blackmailing each and every one of those idiots. Even if they meet my demands, I’m still going to oust them. They deserve it. Come Christmas morning, retirements and firings are going to be inbound. Merry Christmas to me.”

Bane crossed his arms. “Impressive, but if I may ask, why are you doing it?”

Enigma smirked, “Simple, Gotham is the darkest, most corrupt city in the United States. Hate to say it but you may have made a bad choice moving here. You have no idea how long Gotham’s elite have drug everyone down to the ground including rich boy billionaire Bruce Wayne. A coward and a fraud, in my opinion. It’s time for the worst of Gotham to be driven out and have a new brighter future for this city at the hands of capable people...even if it takes destroying their lives to do it.”

Bane gazed at the screens as they relayed data and videos of recognizable people like Commissioner Loeb, the warden of Blackgate, the mayor, and numerous others. “I can imagine what these people have done with their power, not unlike the government back home.”

Edward nodded, “Every government does have a few rotten eggs, but like I said, Gotham is one of the worst. Even the GCPD is corrupt and they are the ones in charge of protecting the city. I hate my job at the GCPD, the Commissioner, and every cop there because they prey on the defenseless and they bully everyone else into submission including their lesser employees. Everything from simple belittling to rape threats, sometimes made good, are found in that workplace. You name it, those pigs have done it.”

That made Bane slowly peer down from the videos to look at Edward with some shock. It was indeed one thing to say your superior or kill a person, rape was...a whole different type of crime. Realizing how much emphasis the man put on a few of those words, he felt rage burn within at the thought that it did happen and perhaps it happened to Edward himself.

“But enough about that, what would you like to talk about? I assume it wasn’t to see my work of art. I take it instead you are curious about why I was giving you the location of those men Black Mask wanted eliminated...or is it a man named Joker I’ve been hearing through some chatter in the Royal Hotel,” he said.

Bane frowned, “You know of the payaso loco?”

“I don’t go hacking comm lines and radio towers just to find the shitty broadcasts they play on the tube. I know enough that the real Black Mask is out of the picture assumably,” he joked.

The larger man sat on a vacant crate and put his hands on his thighs with a neutral expression. “You are a very talented extortionist, very sharp minded. If you wanted, you could join my team. We need people like you.”

“Thanks for the compliment but to be honest, I think I’m getting ready to strike out on my own. After Christmas, if the Bat’s still around regarding the rumor of his bounty are true, I’ll most likely be ousted and if I’m not, I’m smart enough to know it would only be a matter of time by the goody two-shoes Captain Gordon. The only nice cop on the force deserving of the badge but blind to his own co-workers' ethics.”

“I will not let the Batman hurt you,” Bane muttered. “Buen trabajo, camino de ser suave. Ahora sueno como un imbécil.”

Even to Bane himself, that sounded odd. He didn’t know where the sudden urge to keep Edward safe came from but since he said it, it must be a true feeling he felt. Whether it was pity of the harm the police allegedly did to him or because he found himself liking Edward truly, he couldn’t decide between the two and just went with the gut option that he did have a heart in his Venom-pumped body after all.

Edward seemed to pick up fast on his awkward first comment and smiled, “Why thank you. Very gentlemanly of you.”

He didn’t know how long he stayed there talking to this enigma of a man, pun intended, but Bane found he didn’t want to leave. They got to talking about everything from government to more personal things like their fears and their likes. He wouldn’t technically call it a date but that’s what it felt like. He actually began opening up to the man and smiling a bit more over the course of the couple of hours he was present at least. The man understood what few could and that was the ability to have fully defined conversations with facts, opinions, and the relevance of ideals between them. He came up with pretty intelligent counter-arguments when Bane gave an opinion on something Edward didn’t agree on.

It was undeniable; Bane was infatuated with Edward and he only knew him less than a day. Eddie...Edward even had clever word games, riddles were the proper term, and he found he enjoyed them even when they were specifically designed to mock the aristocrats and government. This was a genuine connection.

He never felt this way around most people. Of course, it was a bit strange he was experiencing a lot of this lately with other criminal and misguided people in Gotham, mainly his fellow assassins. He was beginning to think he was losing his mind the longer he stayed in Gotham...but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing if he found people like Edward enjoyable than the many others he had met in his lifetime. Maybe he was crazy after all.

Then they got talking about Bane’s plan for Christmas Eve and the Joker’s takeover which had Edward sitting in his chair, drinking in every detail Bane provided.

“I can buy you some time.”

“How so?” Bane asked.

Edward gave a hardy laugh, “Easy, I’ll give Batman something to hunt. These data packs and the network relays that are more or less mine now hold all the information on political and citizen elite and Batman wouldn’t want people getting hurt over it. I’ll hack into his communications and give him an ultimatum. He’ll either have to choose between following you and the other assassins, or he’ll have to hunt down each one of these to prevent ruined lives. If he’s a hero as he claims, he can prove it by doing both. If he dies, I get what I want and hopefully you do too.”

“And how will you keep his attention? Hacking communications won’t make him stray from going after us.”

“I can also hack the GCN towers because I believe he’s using them to coordinate his dreaded flying bat-jet-thing. If I jam the signal, he can’t fly from place to place and would have to tread on foot. That will definitely upset him. With me on that?”

“Hmm, forcing him to tread through the elements and get him isolated from his technology would give us an advantage. If you pulled this off, I would kiss you. Well...metaphorically speaking...maldita sea,” Bane coughed, peering off to the side embarrassed of his outburst.

Edward walked up to him and sighed, “Has anyone ever told you you’re terrible when you try to flirt? I find it cute, or am I one of the few who have ever witnessed it?”

Bane felt his face turning red and he just pressed his hand against his sides tightly while cross-armed. Edward seemed satisfied with that confirmation as Bane muttered in Spanish about his weakness and giving into it. As he was distracted ridiculing himself, Nygma gained an idea and placed a quick peck on Bane’s lips which made the larger man freeze up. It was like watching someone’s brain go out like a computer crash which made it ten times more hilarious to Edward.

“Acabas de...?”

“Quizás,” Edward smirked. He knew Spanish as well...so he knew everything Bane had said to himself. “If it makes you feel better, you’ve been smoother at talking to me than most others who end up coming off as jackasses. You were genuine.”

Bane grabbed the smaller man’s arm and gently guided him back to stand between his legs before using a hand to outline Edward’s jaw. “You are very daring to do something like that. You have no idea what you would be getting yourself into if you continued.”

“Would you blame me for being curious? Technically, you started this,” Edward countered.

Bane gave him a faux expression of shock, “As I recall, you started it with saying I was handsome. You flirted with me first.”

“I...” Edward realized he was indeed wrong. “Yeah, you got me there.”

“Who’s cute when they’re flustered now,” Bane teased before giving a proper kiss.

Edward almost melted into his arms but returned the kiss feverishly. Bane chuckled at his passion. Just then, a device on the table nearby rang and Edward groaned. Bane was confused and slightly dreading the lack of stimulation when he pulled away.

“Work, got to answer these idiots or else they get really mean spirited,” Edward said.

Bane fiddled was his jacket as he heard Edward talking to what almost sounded like Captain Branden. He heard him sigh and comply with whatever the police officer was requesting of him. Then he got the bad news.

“So, I’ve just been told the team I work with can’t figure out a simple blood analysis at a crime scene so they’re calling me in. I...have to go or I get fired and now is too early to call it quits,” he snarled low.

“Will I see you again?”

This made the smaller man look downtrodden. “I quite honestly can’t say for sure. With the holidays coming up and knowing what you and this Joker have planned, there’s going to be a lot of deaths up to Christmas and from Gotham in general because many people are just plain assholes. I don’t think there’s ever been a quiet Christmas at the GCPD. Higher murder rates, higher demand for forensic specialists at the scene.”

This time Bane was the one who made a face of disappointment.

Edward perked up and scrambled to his desk, “But you know what? I’ll give you my private phone number. If you need anything or just want to talk, you can give me a call any time. I’ll let you know if it isn’t a good time but will get back to you as soon as possible.”

He handed the piece of paper to Bane who smiled. “I appreciate this moment we had together.”

“I...I really...how do I say this? I’ve never met someone as articulate or as knowledgeable as you, and I think I...well I mean that...I think I can confirm I have a crush on you. Maybe something more. I loved the kiss too,” he said as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

Bane found the gesture endearing and walked up to him, giving him a quick kiss back this time to Edward’s surprise, “I promise I will be in touch.”

The redness in the man’s face made Bane smile to Edward’s embarrassment. He walked toward the exit, putting the paper with his number in his pocket.

He hardly expected anything like that when he first came to see the informant. In fact, he had his doubts about coming over at all but now, he was glad he did. He found someone who could be on the same level as him which was a rarity. He was glad the crush he developed for the man was mutual, otherwise it would have been one hell of an awful explanation required for how he felt without creeping out Edward.

Gotham was full of surprises thus far with its growing gallery of colorful criminals. Edward Nygma was a bit minor to the bigger threats like Killer Croc and the Joker, but he was kind and adorable in his own way. Bane hoped that dorky personality never changed.

In the end when he finally made the phone call, he was all but overjoyed when he heard Edward on the other side.

Notes:

I really wanted Edward to meet the other assassins so bad when I played the game. It would have also given a rivalry to him and the Joker more context. Bane's a pretty fun character to make the others interact with.

Chapter 4: Copperhead

A shipment was supposed to come to this warehouse and his men were supposed to retrieve its contents but none replied when he called them. Normally, he would assume they were busy or had a shootout with a local gang but this time, he found their silence suspicious. No reports of gunfire in the district, no gangs occupied the shipping yard except the Falcones but they weren’t in Gotham right now so that meant someone was getting into his business where no one should.

Almost an hour of communication silence had him go down to the warehouse with a few men and he expected either cops or at worst the Batman but instead, he found a surprise awaiting him. His men were lying about dead with no bullet holes, no lacerations, and no sign of physical breaks in their body. Whoever this was killed them with no trace, but he did see a tiny dot on one man’s neck, a puncture wound like small fangs or the tips of claws.

The blood had coagulated relatively fast, almost as soon as their skin was punctured which told him immediately it was a toxin, snake venom to be absolute. It didn’t take him long to piece together the origin of the toxin.

“Copperhead. She’s here.”

“Uh, Bane?”

Bane turned around and noticed most of the men he came with were gone with only one mercenary left, frightened now and he had to say he couldn’t blame his soldier for showing this fear. Copperhead was not someone even Bane would take lightly. He knew she liked to keep hidden and the rafters above were some of the perfect places for her to hide. Peering up with disdain, he eyed the shadows for movement.

To his annoyance, he heard his last mercenary let out a shriek of pain and turned just in time to see two forms. One was indeed the mercenary but the other slinked beyond crates piled high. The man clawed at his neck in a panic screaming bloody murder running around like a turkey missing its head. Foam began to build at the edge of his mouth and he sank to his knees moaning and gurgling on his last breath. Bane could only watch the man sink lifelessly onto the floor with one last jagged breath.

Oh yes, he was dealing with Copperhead alright. Joker hired many colorful assassins and out of all of them, he could honestly say Copperhead was unexpected. Realizing he was the last one standing, he kept on high alert. Listening for her was hard but as he traveled through the warehouse, he saw brief visions of her silhouette creeping from above. If she wanted him dead, she was certainly taking her time.

He could hear her prowling above, around him like the snake she was. He admired her abilities, weaponizing her own body to constrict around her enemies and killing them not unlike a boa waiting among the trees patiently for its prey. She was going to strike soon.

As it turns out, strength verses agility can get really one sided. Which one wins depends on the reaction time of each party. It was...safe to say Copperhead won a fair deal this time.

Almost on cue, he heard a brief scrape of metal and he turned fast enough to see her jumping down at him. Bane could only throw the woman off him angrily but she kept slithering back, wrapping her body around him before he could repel her again. One leg managed to entangle around his neck and in one move, she could have broken it but instead, she only tightened her body’s grip as a warning. Her claws barely pressed against his collarbone as an extra precaution risking death if he dared to remove her again.

“¿Crees que puedes desafiarme, Bane? I could strike you and you'd be dead in minutes! But I would rather save my stamina and precious toxin for the Bat, not the likes of you.”

The burly mercenary growled but knew if he tried to pull any tricks while he was one prick away from dying a morbid death, it would indeed put an end to any plans he had and there was a lot he wanted to get done before he even thought about taking a chance at death.

“Fine, bruja, you win. I shall back down this once. I too am saving my strength for Batman,” Bane grumbled.

He suddenly felt the pressure on his throat release and Copperhead swung off him to land just near his left side. She prowled around him with a hiss and he only glared at her in response.

“We can’t both kill the Bat so that leaves an interesting problem, mi amigo.”

Readjusting his jacket’s collar, Bane shook his head, “I intend to break the man before I kill him, test him until his knuckles are bloody and his mind is broken before I even think about killing him. But perhaps I could let you make the last assault on his senses, poison him until his heart stops beating. Will that suffice?”

Copperhead cackled but kept her distance, “Quizás, Bane, but if he’s too weak, it won’t be very satisfying to see him struggling for life as it leaves his body. La muerte debería hacerlo sufrir con las venas en llamas.”

“I can only offer a fatality, not a guarantee of suffering at your hands. I’ll split the money; it is of no real use to me. Take it or leave it,” he snarled.

The woman poised herself on a crate and her tongue slithered unsettlingly out, “Your offer is generous but I have to decline this time. I want him at my mercy and dead after I’ve had my fun. But for others, I may consider it.”

That was not the answer he wanted to hear. “I can give you anybody but the Batman.”

“Then no hay trato. Whoever gets to him first gets to kill him. No hard feelings, Bane, but I will win.”

Bane dwarfed her but she was hardly scared as he drew close, “Challenging me is fatal. You will regret taking my kill, señorita.”

Copperhead laughed, placing two fingers on Bane’s covered chest. She danced them over his jacket slowly to taunt him. This act made the man glance down slightly at the claws with a deep frown.

“Then stop me,” she challenged with a purr in her voice. “I dare you, guapo. Jugar conmigo es un pecado mortal, pero eso te gustaría, ¿no?”

He would admit Copperhead had her charm but he pitied the poor fool who got tangled up with her. He had no intentions in being that fool. He was hardly one knowing how easily she could kill him if he showed a moment of weakness, any weaknesses in fact. He would rather stick to better known associates than risk something with this viper of a woman.

“Flattery will not save you,” Bane warned.

A sudden tug at his jacket collar had her lips almost touching his. “Then perhaps, mi amor, you want something else?”

He hesitated at first but he managed to produce a simple though wayward answer. “No.”

Copperhead pulled back in disappointment, “You’re no fun. But I like pushing men until they break, yearning for my touch but of course, we both know how it ends, don’t we? Just so you know, I wouldn’t hurt you even if you did give in. I like messing with you too much.”

Bane grimaced, “And I don’t like being mocked.”

He felt himself kicked back as Copperhead once again fled to a safe distance. He almost lunged to grab her but stopped himself knowing he was just playing into her games. He cursed himself for letting her get that far into his head.

She gave him a sultry smile as she abruptly held up something, “Well, I could mock you for being very easy to distract but I guess you’ve suffered enough so I’ll take this as my constellation prize for being the first to make you heed my mercy and be on my way.”

In her clawed hand, she held up his bowie knife that he carried on his person in case of necessity. It was gift from an old friend from Peña Dura and he’d be damned if he was going to let her make off with it.

Bane all but growled at her. “Give that back now!”

“You want it, querido, come and get it,” Copperhead said, blowing a kiss and leaping up into the scaffolding.

The chase was on. Bane quickly tried to jump and drag her down but only grabbed some of the steel that broke from his weight. He watched her somersault up to run across the rafters and he followed, punching loose boxes and climbing onto shipping containers to keep up. He almost lost sight of her a few times given she had a knack for blending in the shadows.

“Am I too fast for you? Are you having trouble keeping up? I can go all night, can you?”

“Maldita perra,” Bane muttered under his breath.

He performed a long jump over a large gap between shipping containers and rolled when he landed in order to make a smooth transition back to running. He could hear her laughter above and in the back of his mind, he hoped he could get his hands on her to break her in half over his knee and see if she would still be as flexible afterwards. He abruptly slid to a halt when her shadowy form took a sharp left towards a much more cluttered area.

He needed a plan to coax her close for him to capture her, otherwise there was no way he could stop her from down below. Walking into the cluttered labyrinth of crates and containers, he made sure to cover all bases in his sight so she couldn’t get the jump on him again when he successfully plays to her ego, if he successfully plays to her ego more so.

“Copperhead, you and I are much alike. We both strive on the challenges we face, enjoy the victories over lesser men, and like me you desire to kill the Batman. Perhaps we could work together as partners.”

“Hahahaha, as if you have anything to offer me, guapo.” He heard her voice echo above somewhere, but he couldn’t pinpoint it.

“Well, I...think you’ll find I have a lot to offer actually, much more than just prey or the Bat. Me encuentro ... atraído ... hacia ti,” he muttered.

“So, the big bad Bane is human after all. Was it the power play? Didn’t think you’d like a little competition. Would you like to see what else I can do with you?”

He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit curious how far the implications on that went but he would rather not deal with the consequences of it. He was still “human after all.”

Bane tilted his head, listening for her. “I...I am in no hurry to get back to my headquarters so I have time to indulge you. Although, it is hard to do so if I can’t see you.”

He wasn’t good at flirting back. It was always a small weakness of his when it came to people he found interesting. He wouldn’t let her know that out loud.

He thought he heard a flicker of movement to his right but he tried not to give away his acknowledgement to see what she would do. Wandering through the warehouse casually with a cobra on his trail was not how he envisioned his night to go.

Hearing her adjust her footing behind him, he smirked. He had her now. He waited until she was nearly to his back before whipping around and catching her wrist to prevent her from apparently touching him as her arm was outstretched. Her posture went rigid and he pulled her close to secure her other hand but she didn’t struggle as much as he anticipated a trapped snake would.

She instead grinned, “If I didn’t want to be caught, I would have left through those windows and never returned. All you really had to do was ask nicely for your knife back and I would have obliged.”

“It is one thing to lie to me, it is another to play me for a fool,” Bane spoke darkly.

“But I’m not lying and I never said you were.”

She gestured to her hip and he acknowledged his knife was there, taking it and placing it back into his vest. Now that he had what was his, he now contemplated what to do next as she gave a venomous laugh.

“So now that you’ve captured me, what are you going to do, mi querido?”

Bane didn’t really think about that. He had a plan but now that she gave in willingly and he had his knife, he was at a loss of what to do with the woman. He could just let her go and give her a warning but what exactly would stop her from doing the exact same thing over and over?

Copperhead seemed to be studying his hesitance and to his shock, she moved her hands up to trace his jawline before harshly grabbing the back of his head and bringing him down at an angle for a kiss. He was much larger than her so the angle wasn’t the most comfortable but she somehow read his mind and jumped up to wrap her legs around his upper waist so she has hovering over him.

She deepened the kiss, keeping her hold on his jaw. Bane hardly fought with her for even he found something enjoyable to the touch as deadly as it could be. But before he really began to crave her, she pushed off him in the form of a backflip and stood her distance with an expression of lust. He, however, found the sudden hinderance of their moment disappointing.

Copperhead blew him another kiss as she sauntered away with an obvious emphasis in her hips. “Until next time, guapo, maybe I’ll bring back Batman’s head as a second date gift.”

And with that, she disappeared into the shadows, leaving Bane with his thoughts. He could honestly say he was playing a dangerous game and a part of him enjoyed it. Although, he had no plans on letting her take down the Batman first so it was going to be a race to the finish then and he was going to win.

Notes:

Copperhead, I believe, would be Catwoman to Bane's Batman in this version I feel like. I was duly surprised when I saw they made Copperhead a woman in the game but she ended up definitely proving herself.

Chapter 5: Firefly

Notes:

Warning: Rape/Non-con comes into effect here! Don't wish to read, please skip!

There was something odd about the pyromaniac that Bane couldn’t place. It wasn’t a bad oddity, rather it was an interesting oddity. For an arsonist, Firefly’s plans had at one point backfired which caused severe burns over half his body yet he still kept his gimmick and played with the element far more afterwards. The oddity Bane found about that was he loved searing pain. One could only imagine what burning alive would feel like yet Garfield Lynns was a pyrophile to the point of inducing sexual pleasure from it.

Bane had seen many forms of gratification in Peña Dura between inmates from bloodplay to defecation. He took no part in those extremes. Most of the inmates there would kill for some form of release but with the lack of options for company and considering what types of criminals were in there, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibilities that weird forms of pleasure could and would happen. Fire-play, however, was a new one.

With Joker offering stay at the Royal Hotel, most of the assassins stayed there and in close proximity so it was bound to happen one way or another where they would run into each other. Bane didn’t realize he would meet Firefly in the midst of a private moment...well maybe not private since he happened to be in the middle of the hall.

One of the Joker’s thugs was on fire, literally on fire, bound by handcuffs with Firefly fully clothed on top of him, and the pyromaniac was all but grinding against the flailing man with a noticeable bulge in his pants. Lynns didn’t have his jetpack on but his helmet still remained. Even as the thug was burning alive, Firefly pressed closer to hear the dying screams as he braced one hand on the wall and the other pressed on the man’s chest as he bucked from the heat of the fire on top of his building arousal. When he came, he shuttered against the brutal cries of the burning thug until the latter finally died. He stayed on the body even as it became charcoal black, the skin melting off the bones in the chill of the winter breeze.

Bane just stared at the scene before him. If he was a normal person, he’d be outright horrified. Instead, Bane found himself unable to look away in sheer curiosity of Firefly’s take on sex. Everyone had their kinks supposedly.

Firefly breathed heavy and slowly turned to his limited audience. “What the hell are you looking at? Did you enjoy the show? Hope that wasn’t too hot for you.”

Those sentences were said with disdain and unbridled amusement at the same time. Bane didn’t say a word as Garfield lifted himself off the now smoldering remains of a human being with a small laugh. When he turned away, Bane could hear him muttering about Mexicans, which was not his nationality, and muscles. With a slight grimace, Bane went his own way.

It was nearly two days before the start of the night they were supposed to kill the Bat before he ever saw Firefly again. This time he had his jetpack and his weapon in hand, bursting into the room from the shattered windows and landing with utmost care for the sake of his equipment. The jetpack’s motors died as he strode past the Joker disguised as Black Mask and set his flamethrower down on the nearest table. Bane stared again as the pyromaniac cursed.

“Stupid fucking pigs!”

The fake Black Mask tsked and snidely asked, “What? Did you try and burn down the pig pen? I thought I told you to keep a low profile until Christmas Eve!”

Garfield snarled, punching the table. “I can’t be cooped up for days with nothing to do. All I was trying to do was field test my upgraded weapons and that idiot cop Branden got in my way. He even got his squad to try and shoot at me! If I ever see that boar again, I’ll roast him and serve his flaming carcass for Christmas supper!”

“As much as I would like to see that, stick to the plan and don’t hurt Branden yet. He’s still valuable and he’s our ticket to keeping Captain Gordon and his do-gooder cops off our asses.”

“Whatever,” Firefly fumed. “Hope you won’t miss one of your henchmen, Mask. I’m feeling rather...fiery.”

Black Mask did nothing but turn back to his notes, conversing with a few thugs as Firefly took his leave. Bane knew this was his chance to see how his fellow assassin would kill next. He could argue he wanted to study Firefly in case the latter turned on him but as much as he tried to convince himself of that, the more he also realized he was just intrigued to see how messed up the arsonist was, how he longed for pain to get pleasure from his kills. Bane had never felt such satisfaction in his own murders but then again, he was very hard to please.

Following a safe distance and trying not to alert the pyromaniac of his pursuit, Bane found himself deep in the hotel where many of his own mercenaries as well as other goons were casually standing around, amusing themselves on the little things the hotel had to offer for entertainment.

Firefly walked among them barely acknowledged looking for his next victim. Instead of taking to Joker’s acquired thugs like he threatened, he gravitated to one of Bane’s soldiers. Bane didn’t stop him, only watched as Lynns made his way to the mercenary and seemed to sweet talk the man. At first, the soldier hardly took the bait of what seemed to be sexual advances but after a few more promises and Firefly almost pressing himself against the reluctant man, he caved.

Patiently, Bane waited for them to leave before stalking them as they left the crowded lobby to a much more secluded bedroom suite. It wasn’t long until his mercenary was feeling up the battle suit Firefly wore and tried to remove the helmet. That seemed like a bad move as the arsonist flinched his head away. Apparently, he wasn’t keen on showing his face. Bane was similar. He hated anyone touching his mask or at least having to remove it in general.

It was only a minute in to the fleeting touches and the man’s shirt ripped open where things went...badly to put it in mild terms. Firefly pushed him down on the floor and straddled him. The man was obviously confused before his expression converted to terror as a container of rubber cement mixture was poured around him and onto his exposed chest.

Firefly only cocked his head with unseen malicious intent and kneaded his gloved hands down on the mixture on the man’s chest, ignoring cries of his victim. Bane wasn’t sure how to take the sight but he could tell it was essentially liquid napalm and it had to be warm if Firefly was touching it as much as he was. Lynns was already horny and rocked to get friction against the soldier’s own crotch, laughing before bringing out matches. If the mercenary wasn’t horrified already, he was now.

Bane could hear his mercenary plea, trying push off Firefly or try to at least attack him to make him think twice. It didn’t faze the arsonist so when the match was struck, all three of them froze. The sound of the fire was all that could be heard in the room. Firefly carefully examined his match while Bane studied Firefly and the mercenary could only stare at the flame.

“I enjoyed your company, don’t get me wrong, but I’m afraid the fires of love are not for us,” Firefly mused.

As the match was slowly closing in on the streak of napalm on the man’s chest, Bane didn’t realize he was staring in the wide open when his soldier suddenly broke his concentration.

“Bane! Help me!”

The venom-enhanced assassin saw two brown eyes filled with fear and then noticed the golden colored visor of Firefly’s helmet peering at him with an unknown expression. Since he was now exposed as a voyeur, he approached the two but Firefly did nothing to stop him, simply pressed his victim down more to prevent the man from taking advantage of the distraction.

“Two encounters in a week and the same situation, only this time I guess you’ve seen both halves of the story. Either this is coincidence or if I didn’t know any better, you want to see me kill him and you followed me to know how I do it. And they say I’m obsessed,” Garfield chuckled, throwing the burnt-out match away.

Bane sat on the bed and glanced between the heavy armored arsonist and his mercenary on the floor. He then spoke, “I do not believe you will do it.”

It was probably idiotic to goad Firefly but he wanted to see what would happen and what to avoid in future encounters if any. To his surprise, Firefly stood up but took a nearby desk and threw it on the man to keep him pinned. He approached Bane and activated his jetpack with little concern of the proximity between them. He rotated himself vertically until he was upside down and hovering above just to where he was in eye contact with the larger man.

“You don’t believe I’ll kill him? Why? Because he’s your soldier? Because you’ll kill me?”

“Because I think you targeted him to attract my attention. You knew I was following you from the very beginning,” Bane replied, frowning.

Firefly remained upside down but crossed his arms with a scoff, “Maybe I did hear your large footsteps from afar, and maybe I heard a few of your mercenaries say your name and look past me. But my question to you is: why are you so inclined to see what I can do? You don’t strike me as the type of person that likes fire or pain for pleasure. I do what I want because it benefits me in more ways than you could probably compete with. You mess with fire, Bane, you’ll get burned.”

“And I suppose targeting thugs and hired gunmen instead of bosses and other major competition is you telling you don’t want to risk losing or you’re too afraid to go against bigger foes like me,” he barked back.

Firefly seemed to be studying him with a few head movements before laughing and rotating himself back upright before cutting the power from his jetpack, removing it and placing it to the side.

He sighed, “I don’t fear you if that’s what you mean. I just like to see the fire try to burn in the eyes of dying people as they struggle to survive. Catching them physically on fire is just so much more fun too. Have you ever watched a man die when you were inches from them, relishing their pain and watching the light in their eyes fade?"

Bane narrowed his eyes to the pyromaniac. “Yes.”

“And did you enjoy it?”

“No.”

“Liar. You did, you just can’t admit it. I lured you over here because you seemed so curious as to why I find pleasure in their burning corpses. Let me tell you why. I love feeling them squirm beneath me, the warmth of their flailing bodies as they try to fight to survive one last time. The heat of the fire makes me feel their pain but unlike them, I can live through it and I get off on the flickering burns my body feels through this suit despite I’m protected from it. The combination of their screams and the scars of the fire is like heaven to me. Feel sick yet? Do I horrify you?”

Honestly, Bane didn’t seem very disgusted by the explanation. Firefly was right that he was kind of lying when he said he didn’t get a thrill from killing but not in a sexual way. That was entirely different.

“All this time you knew I would follow?” Bane asked, more so to himself than to Lynns.

Firefly gestured with a protruding hip, “Was that not obvious? The minute you saw me with that other thug a few days ago, I knew you would eventually get it in your thick skull to find out why I did it. Why do you think I was avoiding coming here for a couple days? I knew you would follow again to see me kill. I just needed some time to think how to go about this. Tell me, do you like what you see?”

“I don’t like what you do but your methods of torture are quite interesting, perhaps I can hire you for interrogation jobs when I take on the police in Gotham.”

“For such a big, strong intellectual brute, you’re not good when it comes to flirting are you? If you want me so bad, I’ll be happy to kindle the spark between us to new heights. All you have to do is ask,” Garfield mewled. “Since you know I like pain, how aggressive are you in bed or better yet, think you can make me scream like my victims?”

Bane realized he had taken his obsession with finding out Firefly’s intentions a bit too far. He was deeper than he should have allowed himself to go. Now he was in a room with a newfound masochist. Yes, he was big but he didn’t have the intentions of using his girth on a man today.

He gave a slight dumbfounded look as Firefly brought out his matches again and lit one, twirling it between his fingers almost mockingly. “How about a bonfire? Something to light the mood?”

Before Bane could object, Lynns tossed the match at the Bane’s mercenary who was still pinned down and both of them watched as the latter was engulfed in flames screaming out his lungs as he was burning alive. Bane gave a grimace but focused on Firefly when the smaller man suddenly pushed him down on the bed and crawled on top of him.

He was about to toss the arsonist off wanting to at least put his dying soldier out of his misery but Firefly instead grinded his ass against the outline of Bane’s crotch making the large assassin hiss at the sudden stimulation. It was becoming clear what Firefly wanted. He wanted Bane to fuck him, hurt him even. He wanted Bane to snap and rape him. It was a discomfort knowing the truth now but as Lynns put it, mess with fire, prepare to get burned. He fell right into this trap because he couldn’t leave well enough alone.

He had three options: throw Firefly off and leave which had a multitude of consequences from Lynns telling everyone he was a coward to attacking him at a random point in time which he was unsure if he could win against such an elusive flying enemy. He could stay and let the arsonist play with him hopefully not trying to torch him in the process but he would be a passive lapdog once again which he already hated being for the Joker, or he could take control and give Lynns exactly what the masochist wanted while maintaining his reputation as a tough mercenary unmatched though he wouldn’t like any minute of it. As burning flesh hit Bane’s senses and he felt his loins stir from Firefly’s teasing, he was about to make his decision when Lynns seemingly made his own.

Unbuckling Bane’s cargo pants and bringing out his large cock, Firefly smirked, “Wow, you’re very proportioned! This is going to hurt like a motherfucker. I may even bleed. You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

Firefly pulled the pants of his battle suit down enough for his entrance to be accessible. He kept his own dick tucked inside and swiftly grabbed Bane before the latter could protest. In a quick motion that surprised both parties, Garfield impaled himself.

So much pain, so much shock made Firefly twitch and moan from the stinging of his ass being stretched. The heat produced by the maneuver also made him cry out in a mixture of hurt and pleasure. He could feel blood seeping inside. He gave shaky breaths as he clutched Bane’s belt in a death grip.

Bane groaned from the tightness of his assaulter. His brain tried to wrap around the information that he was in someone and he was supposed to feel good. The now dead soldier’s lingering carcass did nothing to help him breathe. When Lynns lifted himself off enough to linger over him, he snarled at how he was technically losing to a fire-forged freak. Firefly seemed to acknowledge his distaste for the situation because he heard a small laugh before he brutally went down again and again.

Venom may have not been currently active in his veins in its entirety but the adrenaline was becoming a vicious substitute. He began to feel the haze of the pleasure hitting him like a train from Firefly’s erratic movements. He peered down at his unsheathed cock and Lynns’ bouncing form when he noticed blood was present in each impalement. He knew it wasn’t his. At this point, he was losing not because he was fucking another man unwillingly but because he wasn’t in control. If they were going to do this, they were going to do it his way.

He grabbed the pyromaniac and flipped him, holding his legs wide as Firefly was forced to lie on the bed. Bane growled inwardly, thrusting hard and watching the blood coat his dick more as it penetrated and emerged over and over again. The bed cover of white silk was stained horribly. The bed frame was rattling enough to be heard a few floors down.

There was no real pleasure in what he was doing, no satisfaction of taking Firefly. Even as the smaller man panted and gripped the sheets, Bane only saw his goal to finish and be done with him. His body may have been reacting to it well but physical reactions and mental ones were completely different and Bane wasn’t happy in the slightest. There was no victory in this, just an empty release he could have done without.

When Firefly arched his back in orgasm, Bane still continued to hold back. At least he could torment the criminal with an uncomfortable prolonging of his release. Sharp thrusts followed by untamed grunts of fury was all Bane could do until he reached his limit and came into the tight opening, gaining a weak whine from the man below him.

Regaining enough consciousness in the aftermath of crude pleasure, Bane ripped himself away from Firefly to the pain of the latter and growled, “Demonio volador malvado, me disgustas!”

Lynns groaned sorely but gave a small laugh, “I don’t speak Spanish but if that is you saying you hated it, it’s funny that you didn’t stop when you took control. You could have easily killed me but you didn’t. Goes to show just how fucked up you are like the rest of us.”

Bane tucked his flaccid member back into his pants. “I am nothing like you.”

The arsonist clambered to the side with a wince and used the bed post to help him upright. He continued to catch his breath as he spoke, “You can ignore it all you want but you are. I have to say that was fun. Maybe I should visit you more often. Hehehe.”

“Psicópata,” Bane hissed.

He looked at the charred remains of his soldier, almost forgetting it was there before turning to Lynns in utter revulsion. He couldn’t have left the room fast enough. If these were the criminals Gotham had on a daily basis, screw trying to take it over. He’d rather blow up the city and its occupants.

Notes:

Yeah, Firefly in my universe is a sweetheart who got raped by his ex-girlfriend. This motherfucker in the Arkhamverse I would totally believe would fuck someone with or without their permission since it is canon as with the comics he finds pleasure from pain so this horny bitch would and could do this without a second thought.

Chapter 6: Anarky

There was a rumor about a man calling himself Anarky, a muse of the people it seemed, who wanted to topple Gotham’s corruption. A formidable quest. Bane understood perfectly how devastating corruption in government could be to a country, how corruption hurt the people of Santa Prisca the same way. This Anarky was man of interest to Bane, maybe for a future alliance.

He had heard of buildings being destroyed housing companies that took more than they gave, hacks of data and money from mega-corporations who sold their users’ personal information for extra gain, and people of questionable nature seemingly...disappearing. That alone told him Anarky not only did what most weren’t brave enough to do but had followers that he inspired not unlike himself.

When he heard of this man, he wanted to meet him. He asked around if anyone knew where Anarky was or better yet who he was and the only answer he got was from a timid masked hire near the Bowery who spoke of the Solomon Wayne Courthouse being Anarky’s place of judgement. That was an odd choice for a hideout but it was better than freezing to death in Gotham’s winter storms.

With a group of mercenaries including Bird, he treaded to the courthouse entrance when a group of men wearing similar white masks to the informant in the Bowery caught sight of him and stood in front of the entrance.

“Excuse me, sir, but the courthouse isn’t operational at this time. I advise looking for a place to rest just down the way over there. It’s a church but it’s said to be taking people in need of shelter. Other than that, we cannot help you,” one masked man said.

Bane couldn’t help but smirk, “Oh, I’m not here for shelter, I assure you.”

When Bane got close to them, they backed up and one hit his back against the courthouse door with a groan of uncertainty. He slowly spoke up, “Then wh-what are you here for?”

“I am here to meet Anarky. I just want to talk is all and I advise you to contact him or else, I may be forced to do something I would rather not put you through as it would be a very unfortunate waste of energy.”

His mercenaries chuckled and most kept their hands close to their weapons just in case the masked men got spooked. However, the ringleader of the masked group nodded quickly and held up a finger.

“Give me a second to talk to him.”

A few minutes went by as his men kicked around snow while Anarky’s group kept a good amount of distance from them in obvious fear. Then the group leader came back and held the door open this time, gesturing for them to enter.

“He’s accepted your sudden meeting request and waiting for you inside. He requests that you don’t pull any weapons on any of us and...stay clear of the large rocket-looking objects you see in there. They are, shall we say, very delicate instruments.”

Bane scoffed as he entered the courthouse. He expected it to be refined with its polished marble but instead, he found the entire courtroom tarnished, graffitied, and in such disarray that it reminded him of a colorful dump someone tried to make their home. Sheets of some type of material displayed A’s that were circled and various anti-government propaganda posters scattered all over the walls.

He expected better but at the same time, this guy was named Anarky so it kind of made sense for the state of this man’s home to be symbolic chaos. Then he saw the “rocket-looking objects” the ringleader of the guarding group outside mentioned. They were undeniably bombs and several group members of Anarky’s crew were working on them. Where they were going was a mystery for there were so many places such a weapon could be used with Gotham’s corruption practically built to the core of the city. Even his own mercenaries held slight curiosity how this man managed to smuggle the parts to build bombs and well over fifteen of them given the charts near one of them.

“Good evening, gentlemen. It’s an honor. I take it you aren’t against what you see because you too are not fans of Gotham City’s fascism and injustice. Or maybe it’s something more,” a voice spoke from the high balcony. “Your uniforms aren’t police and no military has ever dared to set foot in Gotham despite the high crime rates, so you must be foreigners brought here as a private army employed by someone who wants to kill the Bat or you’re using someone who is paying you to invade the city and kill the Bat yourself before taking out said employer. Am I close?”

Bane found himself slightly impressed at the detective work as he took in the appearance of Anarky. The man had on a red snow jacket, cargo pants, a backpack, and a white mask with his hood up. However, the mask was up as Anarky smoked a cigarette to where Bane could make out the man’s face and it was noticeable Anarky looked a bit younger than he thought. In fact, if he didn’t know any better, this was a teenager.

“You are Anarky?” Bane asked, narrowing his eyes.

“What’s it to you?” Anarky snarked back, lowering his mask over his face once he disposed of the cigarette.

“I have heard about what you’ve done and I as someone who understands you wanted to meet someone of kindred spirit, if that means anything to you.”

“You’re an anarchist too, huh? Are you sure you aren’t here for a business dispute? I heard Roman Sionis isn’t a fan of competition. I haven’t done anything to Black Mask’s property nor have I ever had any of my followers attack your militia so I say we have no trouble between us...unless you want some, Bane. What about you, Bird? Has the addict’s market shut down or is there a new supplier here?”

This caught all of the mercenaries off guard. They stood looking up at him stunned and even Bane was unsure how the kid knew that much information. Perhaps there were spies in their operation and Bane was not fond of dirty rats.

Anarky climbed down and approached Bane fearlessly for someone so young. He clasped his hands together and gestured to the mercenary group, “I can see on your face, you’re surprised. Well, I don’t know the full story of you but believe it or not, you’re one of my inspirations for this. I did enough research to know what your history is and what Santa Prisca’s main problem is: drug cartels. A street drug named ‘Venom’ as I recall.”

Now Bane was really intrigued. “Formidable, but you must understand I don’t take kindly to people getting into my business without permission.”

“It’s not personal when everyone knows. We know you fought your own corrupted government for using prisoners of Peña Dura in drug trials and going after the cartels that supplied them. I know how addicting Venom is too, how you’re still using it. Like you, I’m fighting the government for change, but I’m taking out the corrupt companies and people who are shoving the citizens of Gotham into the ground for their dirty money. I read about you, your rampage on Santa Prisca’s capitol, and your feat of gaining an army loyal to your cause that they would follow you to the ends of the Earth and back. You’re a hero to your people.”

Bane was slightly humbled by Anarky but frowned, “You have no idea what they did to me in there. You’re lucky. If they were to catch you, you would only be prosecuted and imprisoned. In my country, they would kill you. We are not as similar as you think so don’t pretend we are.”

Anarky was this time thrown off and turned away. “I was hoping you would understand my vision. If you must know, I’m already filed as a dangerous terrorist so no, I don’t think I will be just prosecuted and imprisoned. I will be tortured and then killed for the acts I’ve done.”

Bane stepped forward to stand in front of Anarky, examining him before reaching out and grabbing his mask. He tossed it to the side to the shock of the man and as he confirmed, it was nothing but a teenage boy no older than sixteen.

It dawned on Bane how young that really was and how he himself was almost the same age when he started his career of defying the government and its control. It was the reason he was chosen for the drug trial in the first place, to gain control over him as a drug addict but it backfired. Anarky was just as broken as he was in a different manner, the product of Gotham’s failed system of control over its youth to think like mindless drones. He was wrong. They were similar but Anarky’s drug was technology and politics.

“Dios mío, eres...tan joven,” Bane said in pity. “Why are you doing this?”

Anarky was slightly furious at being unmasked but he pushed aside his rage and huffed, “I think you know why. Greatest country in the world, my ass. Most corrupt city in America, definitely. Someone has to stand up in order to make a change. No else wanted to do it so I took the initiative and made a name for myself in the span of a year. I’m now one of the top ten terrorists wanted in the United States. Made a good impression, don’t you think?”

The other mercenaries were impressed and casually roamed around talking to the other anarchists as Bane kept with Anarky. He shook his head, “You realize you took a step into a life you can never walk out on, right?”

Anarky smirked, “Not like I was doing much with my life anyways. Mom was a meth head, Dad walked out on me when I was five for another woman, and I was in and out of juvey since I was eight. I knew I wasn’t going to amount to much so I decided that if I’m going to be a problem, I’m going to use myself to try and fix Gotham’s problems by using my delinquency to my advantage. I’ll either be dead or imprisoned anyway. Might as well make a statement going out.”

"You’re being foolish.”

“I’m doing what’s right, and sometimes doing the right thing has to be achieved by being the bad guy. Batman understands that. I just wish he played a little dirtier and went after the real criminals instead of spending his nights defending petty people who don’t even like him.”

This caught Bane’s attention but he didn’t get mad, instead he wanted to know why Anarky was defending the Bat. “You...idolize the Batman?”

The kid lit another cigarette and shrugged, “Not really but with the right direction, he could do a lot of damage to Gotham’s corruption. If I meet him in person, I’ll try to change his mind. Imagine the Batman working with us, not against us. He would be a valuable ally. He’s just too focused on thinking all criminals are bad to go after the real threats. Someone needs to show him it isn’t just a white and black world. There’s a whole stretch of different shades of gray in between and he needs to understand that or he’ll have to die."

Giving a genuine smile, Bane said, “Where do you and I lie on the world spectrum you think?”

Anarky smirked back, “Truthfully, you’re much more honorable than I am about your situation. You’re lighter gray. I’m more of a middle gray but maybe that’s a good thing. We both understand the world and how it works where most others would turn a blind eye towards its faults mostly for personal preservation.”

“You are a smart kid. But unfortunately, you may not see the Batman after Christmas to change his mind.”

That made Anarky suspicious and he didn’t like where this was heading. “Wha...like are you going to kill him? Is that why you’re here? And here I thought the rumors of Black Mask hiring assassins were just that. I kind of hope I can at least meet him before you guys came in.”

Bane began to sigh, placing a reassuring hand on Anarky’s shoulder. “On Christmas Eve, you need to stay inside. Things are going to get loco and people will die. Eight assassins will be scouring for the Bat and most will kill anybody who gets in their way. I recommend not pushing your luck because if the assassins find you have taken up hunting the Batman too, they may target you and every one of your followers. The Batman is going to die that night.”

The kid scowled, “So, you and your so-called friends are going to just up and kill the Bat leaving no chance for anyone else like hunting game in a forest? That blows but I see the concern. I’ll heed your advice to stay more secluded but don’t think for a second I won’t be active that night. Tell you what, if the Bat stops my bombs on Christmas Eve, meets me here, he doesn’t agree to repent and I subdue him, I’ll give you a call to come pick him up. Other than that, I’m not backing down from my right to terrorize the corrupt as they deserve, even with assassins around.”

The larger man snarled back, “You’re being stubborn, imprudente. You have prowess but even you must realize when to back off. I’m trying to save you-”

“I appreciate the warning, Bane, but you’re not my dad. You do your thing and I’ll do mine. If I kill him before any of you, at least I’ll go down with that achievement. I’m not scared of men wielding guns or knives. The Bat is the only person that I fear because he’s way different than criminals like us are, but I won’t show it.”

Unbelievable, this kid. Bane admired the confidence, but the kid was acting on idiotic pride that was going to get him killed or worse. Apparently, that’s just what Anarky wanted to do, aware of all the potential consequences as well. For once, Bane didn’t want to see that happen to someone he had just met with a mind so promising. But like Anarky pointed out, he couldn’t exactly stop the kid and he refused to hurt him to prove a point.

Bane backed off with a disappointed grimace but didn’t press the issue further. He eyed the bombs before looking around for his mercenaries, signaling them to get ready to leave.

“Fine then, I will leave you to your devices. But please, try to at least be thoughtful of what you are up against. Very few have my patience and respectful nature, and they would have killed you the moment they came into your hideout,” Bane warned.

Anarky grabbed his mask and put it back on before turning his back to Bane and walking away, flicking the cigarette into a stray bucket. “Duly noted. Maybe when this all blows over, I may think about offering you a partnership if I can’t get the Batman. Whoever gets to him first though...”

Shaking his head at the boy’s bullheadedness, Bane and his crew were guided out into the snowy streets. As they walked to the nearest output of operations to regroup, he couldn’t help but think about Anarky the whole way back.

The kid was like him under a different situation minus the addict part essentially unless nicotine counted. Like Anarky, he didn’t know his father who abandoned him, his mother was basically a corpse in that prison with him and forgot at one point she even had a son, and they both hated their own governments for the unethical conflicts they had created. Perhaps there would be a partnership in the future. Being so young, he could be a mentor to Anarky.

Of course, that all depended on the upcoming events of Christmas Eve and how they play out. He may never see Anarky again, but at least he met someone he could be proud of deep down.

Notes:

Bane would make a good father figure if given the chance. Unlike the others in this fic, there is no sexual tension here because Anarky is canonically a teen so no bueno. And Anarky being a little shit works way better than any adult version of him in my opinion.

Chapter 7: Electrocutioner

This street thug was an idiot. A complete moron who thought he was big and bad even when he was in the presence of the other assassins, Lester Buchinsky was a fool for approaching Bane. The only problem was...Bane wasn’t allowed to kill him. Just a swift break of the neck was all that was needed but Joker’s orders: no killing fellow assassins.

In the Royal Hotel, it was found out that in the lower levels there was a gym and a workout room. Many of his mercenaries loved to go down there to train and he did as well upon occasion. Sure enough, there was Lester flaunting his muscles to some of Joker’s disguised gang and even his own personnel. What upset him a little was how some of his men were being wooed by him. They were smart and shot the man down. Lester liked men, which Bane could care less about, but he liked his men most of all and the flirting was becoming a huge problem, causing distractions and making them lose sight of their jobs.

Bane understood that everyone had needs and such but only when it was the appropriate time should it be exercised if at all. Lester had a bad habit of hitting on them in the middle of reconnaissance. The rookie was playing with fire and Bane was ready to burn him alive.

“-and that’s how I took out the one called Wildcat...more like Pussycat,” Lester boasted.

Some of Joker’s men clapped while a few of Bane’s scoffed in amusement until the Electrocutioner leaned with one hand on the wall beside Bane’s captain, Rafael, who also rested on it with his arms crossed and one boot up. He hardly seemed surprised nor was he intimidated by Lester’s advances.

“I could show you my scars from the battle and I even have the panther’s mask upstairs in my room if you want to, ah, check it out,” he flirted.

Rafael smiled politely and said, “As impressive as that is, I’m afraid I have to reject your offer. I have things I need to get done for my boss tonight.”

“Well, when you finish, you can stop by-”

“Leave my men alone, Buchinsky,” Bane snarled, stomping towards them.

Rafael and the other mercenaries took that as their cue and quickly acknowledged their leader before leaving the room. Joker’s men got wise too, leaving the workout room empty aside from them.

Lester didn’t look as macho now with Bane up in his face with a dark expression. The man backed up slightly and put his hands out in defense. “Look, all I was doing was talking. No harm done.”

Since Lester didn’t have his armor on, only a black tank top and sports pants, Bane could strike him a lot easier and send him flying if he actually wanted to though he himself wasn’t wearing his Venom vest or had those tubes pumping Venom in him attached so it would be a bit more even between them if they fought. Really, he only came down to lift weights in a t-shirt and his armored pants with back up Venom canisters in case of an attack along with his mask, but the change in plan was hardly an inconvenience. He would still win given his extensive experience in physical fighting than Lester ever claimed to do.

“Yes, talking was what it was and that was not seducing my capitán,” Bane growled. “Do you take me for a fool?”

Lester hit his back against the wall. “N-no, no, uh...you are a very smart man, Bane. I confess I have played with your mercenaries too much but they are very nice...very...um...”

“Handsome? Pretty? Fine? If I hear any of those words from your mouth about them, you might not ever talk again. Pick your next words carefully. I will not tolerate anybody seducing my soldiers and disturbing my army’s responsibilities.”

Electrocutioner gestured for him to calm down before replying, “Sure-sure, not a problem. I understand.”

Bane walked away and Lester stood flabbergasted. He sat on a bench and grabbed a 70 lb. dumbbell with his right and began to lift, his muscles constricting with each use. Lester watched for a solid five minutes and admired Bane’s physique, how the muscles looked so natural even for a Venom junkie. The larger man may have had powerful drugs to help him, but even he knew a lot of muscle was Bane’s own. He continued his admiration until Bane caught him.

“You’re still here? I figured you would have left by now unless you have an issue with me specifically, then I suggest you get it out,” Bane said.

Realizing he had been caught, Lester wandered close careful not to rile up Bane enough to hurt him. “I am curious why you only issued me a warning and not kicked my ass like I would have assumed? More so, I am curious why you have so much of a problem with me trying to befriend your soldiers? They have their own lives...or are you jealous of me giving them attention and not you?”

That was a bold move on his part. The dumbbell hit the floor loud, almost cracking the tile when Bane jolted upward and stomped toward him. This time, Lester stood his ground as foolish as it was because he didn’t like being mocked as a coward and he wasn’t going to give Bane the satisfaction of seeing him back down even if he didn’t win the confrontation.

Bane was staring at him intense and cracking his knuckles as fists formed. “They work for me. It is my job to command them which I cannot do if they are being beckoned by the likes of you. And as for me, I hate your guts. Don’t you forget that the next time you and I cross paths after the eve of Christmas arrives. I will take great joy in breaking your body.”

“Flattering, Bane, but I think you need to try a bit harder. Personally, I think you’re afraid of a little intimacy. You’re afraid no one will ever have the gall to sleep with you or even sweet talk you. You’re jealous your own soldiers are getting something on the side and you aren’t. I’ve already fucked six of your men, just ask your faithful Lieutenant Fernandez. I didn’t hear him complaining,” Lester hissed, not caring anymore about the consequences.

In a flash, Bane was on him and toppling them to the ground. Electrocutioner did an extra roll to get him off but the monstrous man only charged back before he could get up to defend himself. Bane, on the other hand, was furious and was debating whether following Joker’s rules were really worth it. If he couldn’t kill, he needed to teach Lester a lesson or something to get it in that thick skull the man had that his troops were off-limits.

“Bastardo, engañando a los hombres para que se acuesten con ustedes, MIS hombres!”

Lester prevented a hit from landing on his face and yelled back not thinking, “Fuck you! At least they knew how to have fun unlike you!”

Bane lessened his grip and stared him down, “Oooh, I see. You think this is about me? No, amigo, I know restraint. There’s a time and place for everything and if I wanted to, I could.”

“Prove it!” Lester grinned, “Show me you’re not just a hard-ass, lame killjoy and I will stop going after your men. In fact, I dare you to show me. You won’t.”

That was his snapping point. “You want me to play your game? Fine, I’ll play.”

Lester wasn’t prepared when he was dragged upright and forced to face the wall. He tried to hit backwards but Bane caught his arm and twisted it to be forced against his backside. His other hand was on the wall preventing his face from being smooshed on the tacky wallpaper. Then he froze when he felt his pants lowered and something near his entrance. Right to the action as he should have expected from the mercenary.

Bane smirked, using his own fluids to prepare himself, “I am in control so don’t think about trying anything, chico.”

Electrocutioner was damn tempted to be snarky when the words melted in a stiff groan as Bane’s cock gradually made its way inside. It was slick so at least Bane was nice enough to provide something other than taking him dry.

There was some discomfort regarding the size and Lester almost was tempted to cry a little from the roughness of his first stride. He was used to giving, not getting. Thankfully, this wasn’t the first time but it had been a number of years since he ever did it like this.

Bane, on the other hand, was tempted to drill him to the ground and make him bleed but he had boundaries enough to not rush through it unlike some people, especially given the tightness of his fellow assassin. Watching Lester blush and start moving back against him began awakening something primal, a growing need to see just how much this brute could handle.

“Qué te parece esto para un duro, Lester? Am I a lame killjoy now?” He purred right next to the man’s ear.

Electrocutioner moaned into his arm as Bane became unbearably rough, just what he liked. “P-please!”

He felt used, like a cheap prostitute in the back alleys of Gotham the way Bane was playing to prove his dominance. Heat was bubbling over from the friction, his abdomen in knots. Would he coax Bane to do this again? Definitely, but there was a fear deep down this was only a pity fuck. Next time, he would probably be ripped apart. He got lucky was what his final assumption was, but Lester was thankful he got to see this rare side of Bane.

As his orgasm hit, Bane kept him still so he could grind himself deep within the loud-mouth street thug, savoring the gasp of surprise and submissiveness. He wasn’t incredibly proud of doing this but he felt it was necessary to keep Lester from thinking he was less than a professional killer and an equal if not more powerful assassin.

Once he was done and Lester seemed to quiet down, he slipped out of the man and tucked himself away. He shook his head as just how this would look to others if Lester decided to brag.

“I-I’ll admit, Bane, you are capable of having a little fun...even if somewhat rough. Ow,” Lester growled.

“I only gave you what you wanted, not anything more. Next time, I will make sure you don’t enjoy it at all.”

“Killjoy.”

Bane frowned, “Don’t push it, tu patética puta. You already are hurting, wouldn’t want to make it worse.”

Lester leaned his back against the wall, attempting not to slide down it when his legs were visibly wobbly. But then he laughed, “You act like you’re the only sane one here among us.”

Confused, Bane stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“You act like a rational tyrant but deep down, you’re just as insane as the rest of us. I once believed the stories of Gotham making the sanest people insane was nothing but a scare tactic but looking at everyone who walked this city, residential or outsider, even you, I see now just what it meant. Gotham attracts crazy, not just make them. If you weren’t insane, you wouldn’t have come here to this city to take on the Bat.”

“You are wrong.”

“Am I? Why would you act on my offer unless you were crazy? Why would you find everyone who you deem ‘monstrous’ or ‘insane’ so fascinating if there wasn’t something wrong with you too? No sane person would have fucked me like that. Face it, you came to Gotham because you’re insane too. And it’s bringing out your true self, spending so much time with the others like Firefly-don't think I didn’t hear about that.”

Bane turned away quickly and walked toward the exit. “I’m NOT insane! Your toxic influence is just too much. Stay away from my men or you’ll be the next bounty I kill.”

Lester coughed and continued laughing. His amusement never seemed to leave Bane’s mind hearing it echo down the halls.

There was a brief thought of whether Lester was right. Spending too much time in Gotham led to meeting exotic crazies and so far, he was not as opposed to them as he initially thought he would be. Maybe something was wrong with him. The sooner he left the city, the better but not before killing the Batman.

Notes:

Electrocutioner was a fucking funny fight, not a boss fight but as much as I was disappointed we didn't get to fight him truly, I think at the same time his one-hit knockout was peak humor for a serious game. Well played, Rocksteady.

Chapter 8: Deathstroke

Joker was set up in his Black Mask guise as Bane stood nearby. A well-renowned assassin, one of hired, was coming to talk and knowing how the Joker didn’t like anybody taking issue with his business, whatever this assassin needed to talk about may just turn deadly. Bane was there as a referee.

Joker smirked and spoke in his normal voice, “I’m really getting a hankering to shoot someone. What about you, big boy, want to snap a few necks for me?”

“Only if absolutely necessary, I do not kill at random,” Bane scowled.

“You would suck to bring at parties, you know that?”

Just then a thug came in, gun in hand. “Jok...err...Black Mask, sir, Deathstroke is here.”

Joker readjusted his tie and collar before deepening his voice to a nearly identical copy of Roman’s. “Of course, let him in.”

Bane had heard of Deathstroke and that he had one of the highest kill counts of any mercenary in the world. Even Santa Prisca had tales of him. Regrettably, Bane never met him, but he had high respect for the guy. Some people would even call him a fan of his work.

The doors to the penthouse suite opened and everyone turned their attention to the armor-clad assassin with peak interest. Bane even stared a little as Deathstroke walked in. The man was armed to the teeth with the best weapons and held a very intimidating posture everyone in the room could read as a “don’t fuck with me” attitude. It was common knowledge he was ex-military and he probably had more skeletons than the entire attendance currently, even against himself and the Joker combined.

“Ah, Mr. Deathstroke, so nice to see you. I take it you’re not here for pleasantries and all that?” The faux Black Mask spoke.

The assassin growled, “I don’t know why it’s my problem having to babysit that runt of an arms dealer and his idiotic men. I wasn’t hired for that. I’m almost tempted to find the Batman myself tonight and kill him before Christmas Eve, send his body over to you wrapped with a bow.”

“No! You will follow the rules of the bounty or you get nothing!” Black Mask angrily shouted, almost giving himself away. As soon as he realized it, he cleared his throat and continued, “The Penguin, ahem, is a good arms dealer and a very reliable ally right now. With his help, Gotham will be ours for Christmas and I know that Batman will try to track him down at some point that night once we cause a stir at Blackgate. When he comes for the Penguin, you and Electrocutioner will have your chances though between you and him, I’m betting on you. I like your style more.”

Deathstroke huffed, “Fine. I’ll let it slide because its fifty million and its Christmas after all but next time, I won’t be so lenient.”

The Joker in disguise gave an agreeable nod, “Good, glad we could come to a reasonable conclusion. Is that all?”

“All I can say at the moment. You wouldn’t want to hear the rest of it.”

There was a slight irritable twitch in Joker’s eyes behind the mask only Bane seemed to notice but like always, the jester played it off with one of Black Mask’s haughty laughs. “As always Deathstroke, a pleasure to be around. So now that we have that settled, Bane will escort you out.”

That came as a surprise. Bane wasn’t expecting to be called over to escort but then again, the Joker always liked to throw people off. This was going to be interesting though Deathstroke seemed not as intrigued about it. Bane acknowledged the silent order and stood, walking up to the armored man and gesturing towards the door.

“After you, Señor Wilson.”

“Heh, never thought you’d be a butler, Bane. I thought you were a mercenary of destruction...or was that misinformed?”

“I suggest you start moving or I will make you go flying through those doors,” he hissed.

Deathstroke only chuckled, “Charming.”

They left a peeved Joker and several unfortunate henchmen when they exited the room and with Slade walking in front of him, he couldn’t help but eye the assassin. A very good build and a sharp mind, the man was set for life alright and he was supposedly almost sixty years old, double Bane’s age.

“I can feel your eyes on me. If you have something to say, I suggest you spit it out.”

Bane stumbled over his words briefly. “Well, I...um...I have to say I admire your work. The greatest assassin in the world. What you have done to earn that title is quite magnificent. To hear you took up the offer to take on the Bat, I have to ask what do you seek out of dealing with a lone man? Usually, you would take on armies.”

Deathstroke slowed himself to walk side by side with Bane as they navigated the Royal Hotel’s grand halls. “I took on a job in the Congo for twenty-five million to take out a dictator and his forces and got a few bonuses for my effort including the swords you’ve been staring at. There’s fifty million dollars riding on a single man, one man when I’ve slaughtered more for half the price. Now I don’t know about you but that’s a big paycheck for a single target and who am I to refuse a deal like this? Of course, why it’s so high had me thinking what the hell did this one man do to earn it? If the Bat’s as good as they say, I want to prove I am better and I want him to know it as his life drains from his body impaled by my blade.”

“You know it is not just you going for the Bat. There are seven other assassins too including me. I want to be the one that kills him so unfortunately, your wishes may not be met,” Bane said.

He heard Deathstroke begin to laugh and gave the man a frown as the latter spoke up. “If you have studied me for as long as you say, you would know that I never fail. The only way you’re taking that bounty from me is if you get to him first. Sorry, but those are the rules of common courtesy I would assume you follow and I’m not backing down.”

“Fair enough,” Bane mused, “but I don’t lose either.”

Slade stopped right before they reached the elevator and Bane turned to face him so he couldn’t attack him from behind. Deathstroke rolled his shoulders in frustration but his voice didn’t reflect the emotion.

“Then I guess we have a problem between us. I’ve studied you too Bane and I know you aren’t lying. We’re alike, you and I...and that’s a problem. The only differences between us are weapons and motives. I mainly do it for money. What do you want the Bat for is my question?”

Bane towered over the man and even the mighty Deathstroke backed away a little from him as his posture went rigid. “My vengeance is to rid myself of a Batman who has plagued me for years and on Christmas Eve, I will kill him to find peace.”

“Poetic,” Slade sneered. “An assassin’s mission should never get personal in my opinion, tends to cloud crucial judgements. Your peace isn’t worth fifty million, just saying. Save the trauma for the therapists. I heard Blackgate has a few doctors who are very good at it, assuming they are still around when Roman burns it to the ground.”

“You mock my suffering?”

“No, I just don’t care compared to my own interests in this. The Bat is mine and you should remember that. Or I will devote my time and effort into hunting you down as payment instead. Sounds hypocritical, I know, but I’m here to kill someone and if it isn’t the Bat, it could be you or one of the other assassins. Seem fair enough for you?” Deathstroke snarled.

He quickly passed Bane and activated the elevator. Bane didn’t stop him but did shoot him a dark glare. The assassin barely tipped his head in acknowledgement before the elevator doors closed.

Bane almost punched a hole in the wall in anger. Nobody took his kill and Deathstroke, as respectable as he was, wasn’t going to get in his way. If Deathstroke made good on such a promise, he would be prepared. After all, he never lost...yet.

--------------------------------

A few days before Christmas Eve, he met the assassin again, this time as he came around to check on Penguin and if the small man was keeping his end of the bargain.

While his mercenaries made peace with Penguin’s gunmen, Bane wandered around the Final Offer’s rest hall where the few remaining suite rooms intact remained. All the other rooms had been torn down or modified to hold more gun rooms and trophy cases. The Penguin was a fan of trophies...including dead men who crossed him and showing how he extracted his revenge as a few fish tanks demonstrated. It was a bit chilling to see men tied by their ankles to the base of the tank and drifting lifelessly just below the surface they couldn’t reach.

One door was open and at first, Bane made the respectful choice to walk by and not peek in, leaving whoever it was inside alone.

“A little rude of you not to say hello to a colleague,” the occupant said.

Bane turned back and carefully entered through the door into the suite. He was slightly surprised how well kept it was assuming Penguin had hired housekeeping for temporary guests. It had a nice balcony view of the lighthouses beyond Gotham’s shores and of the dwindling sun. Above all, the room had a bed and a man dressed in rather casual clothing for an assassin.

Slade chuckled, “What? You expect me to wear my armor twenty-four seven? Did you think I wasn’t human underneath?”

For a fifty-some odd-year-old man, Slade was in better shape than most twenty-year-olds. The black dress shirt he wore did no disservice to his figure, in fact it improved it if that was saying anything. White hair never looked better on a person than him and the goatee was nice too. A “silver fox” type guy as the term would be. The eyepatch held a story, one Bane found he might be willing to do anything to find out just what its origin was.

“N-no, no, Señor Wilson, I was expecting you would be doing something tonight, maybe roaming around Gotham to get a sense of the layout. So, naturally, I assumed you would be...armored,” Bane gestured as politely as possible.

The smaller man all but cackled now as he closed a book he was reading. “Oh please, I don’t give two damns about Gotham. Navigating it is nothing compared to Jump City which has so many ins and outs, you’ll think you’re losing your fucking mind just going down the street for a coffee. Fun city, hate the people though. If you ever visit there, avoid the Meadows.”

“Meadows?”

“Name for the suburbs. Looks like your typical taxpayer homes but a lot of dirt hidden underneath those pristine houses and fancy sidewalks. A lot of questionable folks,” Slade mused. “Oh, and by the way, you can just call me Slade. ‘Señor' would be for my father if he was still around. I appreciate the respect though.”

Bane stood quiet, feeling a little claustrophobic in the suite that had a ceiling that almost touched the top of his head. Definitely wasn’t made with his caliber of person in mind. He kind of preferred the Royal Hotel over the suite and that was the only compliment he would ever give that eyesore of a hotel.

“What exactly do you want, Slade?” Bane asked, carefully examining the man’s expressions.

“You went looking for my suite, you tell me, Bane.”

The larger man scowled, “I was not searching for you, if that’s what you mean. I came across you by accident, nothing more. I was looking around the ship hoping this Penguin was as well stocked as they say."

“I don’t believe you. There’s something you want when you look at me, something I have but you don’t and the fearless, proud Bane will do anything to obtain. Or perhaps you don’t like competition so you put on this façade of sincerity when in reality deep down, you would rather incapacitate me so you will be the only person capable of taking down the Batman. It’s funny, how brilliant you are but how short-sighted pride has made you.”

Bane snarled and stepped close to Slade’s bed, “You don’t know me.”

Deathstroke was hardly intimidated. “I know what you are and that’s enough to deduce your pride will destroy you. I can see it in your eyes; you are going to make a mistake, Bane, no matter how talented you are. But I guess I strayed a bit far off topic. You want to know what I want? I want you to admit to me what you think of me. Why are you so obsessed with figuring me out? I think I know when a person is checking me out or having a few unnecessary thoughts about what I do when they should be minding their own damn business.”

“I was not-look, it’s not like that. You can believe what you want but I am not obligated to tell you anything, colleague. If you must know, you are an admirable opponent. I will take our rivalry for the Bat’s head with great respect but I still assure you, I will win,” he said.

Slade seemed to be contemplating something but before it could be asked what, he got up and stood in front of the taller man with no fear despite Bane could bring a lot of pain for someone so close. He crossed his arms.

“I think I know why you want to understand me. You want to know your enemies, every detail and every weakness. The smallest fact can make a big difference, and it’s eating you up inside knowing you don’t know what I am capable of aside from rumors and fireside chats. But I know you. I’m a threat to you and your first instinct is to get rid of the threat by any means necessary. You know I can kill the Bat, but you’re too afraid to say it out of that weakness of yours, pride.”

Bane glared at him before peering off to the side. Deathstroke was unfortunately right. He was as cunning and cutthroat as they say, not skipping a beat to get down to the problem and exploiting people’s errors better than Bane could.

“So, I take it we won’t be colleagues then?” Slade huffed with a smile, “Pity, but just so you know, I kind of like you too. It’s just business, what we do. We both want to win but only one of us can come out on top. Keep in mind, losing a battle doesn’t mean you’ve lost the war.”

Deathstroke walked to his balcony to peer out at the night sky, leaving Bane alone. The larger man debated whether to press the issue further but decided against it. He left the room without a word.

He would take the Bat’s cowl on Christmas Eve and Deathstroke would not take that away from him if it was the last thing he did. He may have idolized the assassin but sometimes, it was better to break the mold than follow. He would show him.

Notes:

Deathstroke is a silver fox kind of character and of course, I was going write him as such but he's also no fool either. I still find it hilarious this guy was the primary enemy of children instead of Batman. Unpopular opinion but I think Deathstroke works better as a Batman villain than a Teen Titans/Nightwing counterpart because this is exactly the challenge Bruce Wayne needs.

Chapter 9: Catwoman

An alarm went off in the lower part of the Royal Hotel Grand Lobby which made Joker one unhappy clown when it was reported jewels were missing from his stash. Money was expendable to him but jewels he loved, probably because he could see his own reflection in them if anything. It took several minutes for anyone to report though because there was an unusual case of radio silence and one person began to speak when he was cut off. Some feared it was the Bat but taking jewels, or more specifically stealing in general, wasn’t his style.

“Go! I hired you to be a guard AND an assassin! So do your job!” The clown screamed angrily.

Bane grunted unamused but complied, not wanting to get on the bad side of the Joker before Christmas as that would ruin his plans. True, Joker hired his mercenaries for extra protection and such alongside Black Mask’s former henchmen but he had his own schemes in the making. The inhumane man was unsufferable when angry so it was best just to go along with the clown’s demands for the time being for everyone’s sake instead of listening to him bitch all night.

What poor fool would rob the Royal Hotel at this time and who would be skillful enough to get past several armed guards as well as bypass a whole security system that wasn’t alerted until after the robbery was a complete mystery. It was suggested through the reports of his mercenaries afterwards that they were dealing with a cat burglar who came up from the exterior which was surprising given the storm outside would make the building hard to navigate upwards...but this was Gotham. There was weird way one of his men said “cat” and he couldn’t explain why there was emphasis on it.

Into the Grand Lobby, he found men restrained and gagged, all were knocked out but not dead. The few mercenaries with him slowly spread out across the large room and Bane kept watch in the upper story overlooking the center. He eyed the gargoyles posing across the room with no black masses on top, the stairwell across the way was clear as he spotted one guy. A whooshing noise behind him made him turn quickly but he saw nothing. With a scowl of annoyance, he walked over and looked in every hidable crevice and space finding nothing.

When he went back to overlooking the stairwell, the same man crossing it was down and his weapon lay next to him. Whoever this was seemed to be as quick as the Bat. A sudden cry was heard on the lower level in the far corner and he sprinted to the edge overlooking that part. Another man was down.

“Stay together! Están siendo eliminados uno por uno! Sea más inteligente que eso!”

His remaining henchmen tried to find one another but one made a cry of startlement before going silent while another found a partner but they both let out a grunt as their heads were mashed together, knocking them out. Bane only saw a blur of black in the corner of his view when that happened. If this was the Bat, why was he suddenly a thief?

Only one mercenary remained beside himself and the man was shaking, turning frantically watching all directions. Bane moved towards him to see if this “burglar” was brave enough to take on him and an armed assailant at once. Before he reached him however, someone got to him first.

He saw a feminine form leap from the far balcony overlooking the both of them and twisted herself around the mercenary before doing a backflip and slamming him down hard on the ground to where he bounced. That had to leave a few fractures from how hard he hit but he was out just as quick.

Then turning towards Bane, a whip rang out taking a piece of red rug with it right in front of him daring him to take a step forward. He paused and noticed they didn’t flee from him, not like the others. A woman with a very tight black suit that left little to the imagination, red goggles sitting above her eyes, and cat ears on her black leather helmet had her whip at the ready and she smirked at him tauntingly. When that report of cat burglar came in, he didn’t expect it would be an actual cat burglar.

“You have something that belongs to my employer. I would hate to hurt that pretty face to get it back,” he frowned.

“Oh please, hurt little old me? You wouldn’t be that rude to a lady, would you?” The cat woman purred, one silver claw on her cheek pretending to be concerned.

Bane couldn’t help but eye her. He had to admit this woman was gorgeous, one of the fairest he had ever seen. And the suit...well, it was indeed rude to be staring at what the low zipper revealed but he wasn’t disliking the view. Now there was the question of why this cat woman was here. Surely, she seemed smart enough to realize a good thief would have taken out the men, got the loot then left. But she was still here, waiting for them and decided to take extra time to knock out more and leave him alone. He couldn’t decide if she was a fool or a thrill-seeker doing such a bold thing.

“I will not ask again, gatito,” Bane pressed, his patience wearing thin.

This female feline fatale cracked her whip again when he finally moved forward impatiently almost hitting his leg. Third time she did it, as soon as it made its mark on the floor, he timed it and ran at her on the pull back. She barely had enough time to hit him if she tried but if she did, she would be open to being caught. Not surprising, she turned out to be clever and instead hopped over him which he had to slide in order to turn around.

“I guess this means no talking it out over a date? Pity, I so would have liked to meet the brains behind the bruiser,” she laughed.

She rounded a decorative pillar and used it to swing around to hit Bane in the face with her heels as he charged her. He doubled back in shock before pursuing again. She got close and slid under his legs before using her whip to restrain one arm, pulling him forward which he did an unwanted flip and landed on his back on the floor.

He growled when she used his brief pause to tie his wrists together with loose cabling and tinsel. Knowing if he played weak, she would possibly get close enough for him to grab her as he could easily break his bonds. He didn’t want to draw out the fight longer than it should be but letting her think she won would open her up to attack.

As he predicted, Catwoman perched on his stomach before straddling him with her whip out just in case. “Well, brawn doesn’t triumph after all. Maybe I’m just that good.”

“Keep believing that, gata. It may get you into trouble.”

“Mmm, I’m curious as to what type of trouble you can dish out.”

“Qué? No entiendo...oh, tu gatito travieso,” he said, inwardly flustered.

So, she was flirting. Okay, now his attention was piqued. If she wanted to be hard to get but taunt him, he could play along too. He wasn’t exactly opposed to the situation being caressed by a cat burglar in leather while bound up. Maybe he could do without the bondage but everything else was more than fine with him, not that he would let her know that.

He could feel her mapping his upper chest and she was in awe, “Do you have any layer a fat on you?”

Playing to her flirting competition, he simply replied, “Only in certain places, querida.”

Maybe not the best response. The side glance and realization from her were hilarious though, but he kept a straight face. She asked, he gave her an answer. That was on her. Her claws touched his lips before tracing up his cheek to his eye. Little did she know she had scraped across one of his scars and he twitched slightly in warning. She caught that and smirked.

“I take it this mask of yours holds many remnants of your past. What would happen if I took it off?”

“That would be most...regrettable.”

“But would you stop me?”

Bane didn’t say anything as he felt her shift her weight against him. He peered down to the best of his ability and saw her chest resting on his with an even better view of her breasts. He breathed slowly and saw her body rise with him like she weighed nothing. When the claws were touching around his mouth again, he snapped back to gaze into her predatory eyes.

He muttered low, “I wish to have those gems back. You are not leaving here until you give them up.”

“You certainly know how to spoil the mood, big boy. You’re lucky your attractive. But seeing as I’m the one on top, I think I get to decide that,” she winked.

Breaking his bonds on cue, she tried to leap away but he caught her and pulled her back down holding her arms in place. She tried scratching at him but his grip only tightened to dissuade her. He managed to take her whip away and toss it past his head so she didn’t get the idea to use it against him.

He rolled her to where he was sitting on his calves to prevent crushing her legs but she was pinned regardless. With his hands by both sides of her head, he stared down at her with slight annoyance but otherwise found some enjoyment in their fight. She gave him a pouty face in mockery and he returned it with a rare smirk. It had been a long while since he actually played along with his enemies’ shenanigans like this.

“What do you know, the cat has run out of luck. Now if you would be so kind, the jewels?”

Catwoman clicked her tongue and carefully reached down, pulling out a large ruby which he kind of got curious how she managed to hide such a gem on her person...and where. She held it out to him with a scowl.

He took it with no response, but he knew there had to be another she took because there were two jewels of high value in there with lesser priced and she wouldn’t have left one. The other was a Jadeite necklace. He also knew there was no way it would fit into a pocket which left only one other place she could store it quickly. She seemed to have read his mind and tried to play innocent.

“That’s the only jewel I have. I never took the other one,” she said.

Bane wasn’t stupid. She had the other so he sat up and crossed his arms, this time staring directly down at her breasts that were pushed together by the suit rather nicely. He rotated between looking at them and looking into her eyes, wordlessly getting the point across that he knew the location but he was being nice enough not to reach in himself to get the necklace.

She rolled her eyes and gave a noise of disappointment. “You’re no fun at all.”

She reached into the crevice between her breasts and pulled out a portion of the necklace before waiting for Bane to take the initiative and pull the rest of it out himself. Reluctantly, he did and gave her a look of sarcasm as the beads slipped out. When he got all of it, he clutched it in his hand fiddling with the necklace curiously.

“Thank you, cariña mía,” he said with a hint of amusement.

“So, now what, handsome?”

“Normally, I would kill intruders...”

Catwoman stretched her arms across the floor and flirted back, “But let me guess, I caught your heart? Don’t worry, I have that effect on people. Like all cats though, I go where I want and I don’t stick around no matter how much they plead. It’s in my nature.”

Bane held some consideration to that banter before adding his own, “And if I caged you for myself, would you be tame?”

She reached up and grabbed a part of his coat, dragging him back down straight in for a kiss. He didn’t respond much to it knowing it was more like a distraction but he appreciated the gesture. He still held the jewels secure in his hand just in case she tried to grab them from him. He couldn’t describe the perfume she wore which was all but intoxicating and her lips tasted like fine Domaine Etienne Guigal wine giving him the impression she was either wealthy by family or this was hardly her first robbery.

Just then, Catwoman twisted out from under Bane and did a flip back upright, retrieving her whip in the process and holstering it. She laughed, “Honey, I don’t do well in cages and I don’t think you could ever tame me. I’m far too feral.”

Bane stood up, a little sour from the sudden break up. “I wouldn’t dare make that a challenge. You’ll find I will win in the end.”

“Well, hope you can find me then. This kitty loves the chase and I would love to see you try and cage me. Doesn’t fare well for most who try, you know.”

“I am not like most people. In fact, if you keep begging me to come after you, I just might.”

Approaching her, he didn’t even notice he was standing less than a foot away when he paused as he was entranced by her emerald eyes. He was almost desperate to touch her cheek if anything but refrained when he saw in those same beautiful eyes that she wasn’t lying. She is untamable and he liked that. The perfect challenge. For a second, he thought she was going to kiss him again but instead tapped his shoulder with those deadly claws of hers.

She said, “You’re relentless. I find that quality often overbearing in men, but I kind of like it in you. Maybe we’ll cross paths another day or maybe I’ll be back later to steal those gems again and this time, you better catch me or I’ll be gone as quick as you can blink.”

She pushed off him and walked toward an open window but not before giving him a wink. With the cat-like finesse like she boasted, she leapt up to the open window and jumped out. He was impressed to say the least. As he continued to fondle the jewels in his hand, he had a small smile creep up on his features.

Maybe they would meet again one day after the Bat was gone and Gotham was his to rule. He would offer her a place by his side as he knew her skills would come in handy for what his men couldn’t do including himself.

The remainder of the night into morning, he kept the jewels in his room in the hotel just in case she tried again as she claimed. She never returned and he found himself a bit disappointed.

Notes:

Although Catwoman only appears in Arkham Origins: Blackgate, it's implied in-game of Origins that Catwoman is around by this time, she just hasn't been discovered by Batman yet. So, just a play on Bane running into her first which sets her up to know who Bane was in the Blackgate edition.

Chapter 10: Mad Hatter

Bane thought he had seen almost everything...but he finally admitted when he was wrong.

Two of his men staring at each other drinking tea like they were at a formal party was not what he expected upon appearing to a call that one of his operations were under attack, and it was anything but formal since they were sitting on blank wooden chairs and their “table” was a crate with a torn cheap curtain as a tablecloth. He didn’t know why they were acting so strange and not responding when he noticed some sort of device placed on the side of their heads. It must have been some sort of mind-altering device, something the so-called Wayne Enterprises may have developed which was not out of the realm of possibilities given they have crafted some pretty high tech in there.

Whoever thought messing with him was a good idea was about to get the shit kicked out of them. The question though was who managed to beat his men and control them like mindless puppets? The Batman, as far as he knew, didn’t deal with mind control. That was more of a Dracula lore power which the Batman was not.

“You look confused, bamboozled even,” one of his men suddenly spoke, his voice monotone and still staring at his partner sipping tea. “Don’t lose your head now, Mr. Bane. The Jabberwock is certainly wanting to take it for itself.”

He had not a clue what that meant, but it didn’t sound like those were the mercenary’s real words, more like someone speaking through him. Color him curious but this was one impressive trick.

Then the other man spoke with the same odd mannerisms. “Tall, brooding, imposing and cruel, you must be the Queen of Heart’s Executioner. Tell me, do the heads really roll in the river, tossed in by your own hands?”

“I’m not Electrocu-?! Enough of this nonsense!” Bane snarled.

“But no nonsense makes no sense,” both said in unison much to Bane’s unsettlement. Their heads turned towards him, both giving an unblinking stare. “You think you’re sane? You think you haven’t gone mad? Everyone in Gotham is mad, otherwise why would you be here? Why wouldn’t you be here if you haven’t lost your senses?”

The large man studied both haunting faces and grimaced before saying, “Who are you?”

“Tsk, tsk, table manners,” the mercenary on the right said, wagging a finger.

The left soldier then started after him, “You are invited to a tea party, Mr. Bane. If you don’t bring your best behavior, their brains splatter everywhere. Boom. But I can tell, you and I will get along nicely. Meet at the corner across the museum in the Bowery at midnight, the hat shop, and no unwanted guests.”

The mercenary soldiers went quiet and Bane was left puzzled as they still did nothing but drink tea even when the cups were empty like they were robots on loop.

In the following hour, he made his way through the Bowery alone looking for what this jokester called a hat shop. Why a hat shop out of all possible places he didn’t know, but when he saw the museum ahead, he peered around and found the hat shop just to his left. In the windows, there were bonnets, tops, bowlers, and so on. It looked like a store from the 1930’s. Hesitantly, he went in with the small bell above the door ringing to alert the shopkeeper of his presence.

“Hello? I’m here, ready to talk. I brought no one with me.”

“Yes, yes, I hear you! Give me a moment,” a voice called in the back.

Bane felt so out of place in there. It was definitely a blast of the past feeling to the whole store, a large generation gap but why would a hat maker be targeting him? As far as he was concerned, he didn’t do anything to hurt their business. It was probably an older man by the sound of the voice and the appearance of the shop’s interior, something old people would find classy.

He noticed on the counter there were two books. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. He wasn’t familiar much with the tales of Alice but he knew about the character from the forbidden library in Peña Dura. From what he could recall, it was a story about a girl who fell down a rabbit hole and met goofy characters. Peering at the book cover of the first one, he saw Alice sitting with a hare and a large-headed man at a table with teapots and cups. If that wasn’t an indication he found the right person...

“The Executioner Bane is here! I apologize for my lateness, a few things need to be ready for Christmas Eve for my dear Alice,” the voice said again.

Bane expected an old man to appear, maybe with a gun or an axe. Instead, a younger man no taller than four-foot eight came out dressed in a similar getup as the character on the cover of the book. He heard of costumed freaks that represented characters, animals, and types of people but this was the most ludicrous, out-of-sorts thing he ever saw.

“And...you are...?”

The man took off his hat to reveal dirty blonde hair and bowed, “Forgive my manners but my name is Jervis Tetch or as you can call me, the Mad Hatter! A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Bane. My god, you are huge.”

Bane gave a slight unsure look at Jervis before peering around again, “Are...you the one responsible for hypnotizing my men?”

“I apologize for that but I had to meet you and I knew better than to see you face to face in your hideout where you’d be well-armed and me at a very unfortunate disadvantage. Here, we are on equal ground and I can talk to you as a person, not a subordinate.”

“And what exactly is stopping me from hurting you because of that stunt you pulled?” Threatened Bane.

The Mad Hatter snickered, “I know you are a smart man, Mr. Bane. You know what I said to you after you found your men, what would happen if things didn’t go the way I want them. But I know they don’t mean much so unless you want half your army turning against you, I suggest being a good old sport and sitting down with me for some tea. Come, come, there are things I wish to discuss.”

Bane knew a bluff and surprisingly, Jervis was not bluffing. He could see it in the man’s eyes. He followed reluctantly towards the back where a tea table had been set. Then he noticed the street thugs all poised and wearing rabbit masks.

“Don’t be afraid now. These bad men won’t hurt you. They are under my control so unless I will it, they will do nothing.”

There wasn’t much reassurance there but Bane complied as Jervis took a seat, gesturing for him to do the same. He sat on the fancy cushioned chair and one of the hypnotized henchmen brought a teacup and plate to his end of the table before pouring tea in. There was also a plate of small cakes reading Eat Me in fancy cursive that looked rather delicious but he refrained. He instinctively wanted to say “thank you” but he knew it would fall on deaf ears.

“Anything you want in it? Sugar?”

Bane declined with a wave of his hand, still a little on edge with the henchmen drones staring blankly at him.

Another henchman served Hatter before returning to a still pose beside his master. Jervis didn’t miss a beat and took a sip. “So, Mr. Bane, I heard there is a pact for the death of the Batman this Christmas through small talk between the goons I have and the ones I had. Is this true?”

Bane grabbed the teacup and stared down at the contents suspiciously. “Yes, I plan to kill him. A bounty has been set for his head by...Black Mask. I intend on winning, not just for the money but my own cause. I will break his spirit before the night is through and then he will die.”

“Mm, I see. Don’t be afraid to take a drink. There is nothing to gain from poisoning you. It would be a complete waste of time. The reason I called you here is because I was feeling a bit down upon hearing about this bounty. I wanted to break the Batman as well, his mind at least. As a master of hypnosis and mind control, I wanted to test my technology against him, see if I could tame the arrogant and strong-willed Batman. I also planned on bringing a woman in to motivate him to step into my trap. A long-lost lamb named Alice.”

Usually when Bane stood in someone’s way, they would retaliate but it seemed as though Jervis was seeking permission to get a chance at the Bat, not kill him like most would do. He wasn’t going to steal Bane’s kill.

He raised a brow, “You base your schemes off of those books I saw? Why the Mad Hatter?”

Jervis smiled and clapped his hands together enthusiastically, “I simply find his madness charming. Life is short. I believe in becoming what you want to be by all means. I believe I am the Mad Hatter himself because he is me and I am he. Madness isn’t a crime, dear Bane, but an opportunity to do the impossible! Can you blame me for wanting that?”

For the moment, Bane found the reasoning of the madman quite truthful. Who was he to judge this man for being who he wanted to be? Bane’s own past of murder, revenge, and drug use certainly made him want to be something beyond what a normal life could give despite the repercussions, and it did its job.

“I sense another question on your mind, Mr. Bane, one about where I stand among you and Batman. I have no intentions in being a thorn in your side. I only wish to see if I can do something to control him. I hope that’s not a bother,” the Mad Hatter said in a serious tone.

The masked man on the other side of the table shook his head, “The more I think on it, the more I’m willing to be lenient this once. But if the Batman dies in your care or he is no longer a worthy challenge, you will answer to me.”

Jervis shrunk slightly in his chair which made him even smaller than his normal size and gulped, “Of course, I-I wouldn’t go that far.”

“And my men?”

“After our talk, I will cancel the transmission permanently so you need not worry about troops going bump in the night. It was only a precaution. You understand, don’t you?”

“All too much,” Bane smirked.

He finally took a sip of his tea and was taken back when he tasted a mixture of pineapple, papaya and mango. It was actually quite good and after he waited a second to see if anything placed in his tea kicked in, he took another drink confirming its safety.

“Vaya, eso es algo fuerte. Mango? I didn’t expect that,” he muttered in shock.

“It’s a nice blend I got from a friend. I was surprised when I drank it first too, don’t worry. I figured I would see if you liked it so I can confirm it’s not a weird, horrific combination that says things about me or anything.”

Bane half chuckled at that as he finished his cup. One of the henchmen immediately offered him more after Jervis gave note of the empty cup. He allowed the zombified servant to serve him more before drinking it down.

They talked briefly about smaller details like the book which Bane had plenty of questions about. Jervis eagerly answered each question, not leaving anything to the imagination. It was odd being among the smaller man and his views but there was a bit of humor about the whole scenario. Then everything drifted to the Bat and Jervis wanted to know about Bane’s side of the story.

“Why do you hate him so?” Jervis asked.

“Years of nightmares, like a recurring prophecy, plagued me and when I heard about the Batman, I saw that as my calling. Sounds insane but-”

“Insane? No, no, you’re mad. Bonkers even, but let me tell you a secret,” Hatter said. Bane leaned in on the table curiously. “All the best people in the world are. You see this idea as an act of lunacy. I see it as an opportunity. Which of us you think is right is up to you but know that greatness cannot be achieved without a little madness! If you’re not mad, why are you still pursuing the Batman, hmm?”

With that, Jervis took another sip of tea, leaving Bane to lean back into his seat and think those words over.

“There’s a fine line between genius and madness, you know. I see both in you. If anyone is going to get close to killing the Batman, I believe it will be you. I merely want to study him, see how his mental state handles the assault of my illusions, but I know when I’ve been beat. I’m no fool in that regard.”

The masked man hummed low, “I appreciate your support.”

The Mad Hatter eyed him then smiled, “Tell you what, Mr. Bane, if he comes to me first, I’ll see to it to push him as far as he can go. If he beats my test, I’ll let you know. But if he doesn’t, I’ll be sure to leave him alive and fighting like a bat with rabies. I won’t seek to make him stray from finding you and you killing him if he chooses not to rescue my Alice. Just promise me you’ll give him my regards when he is broken. It’ll be shame not to see him lose his mind but I think I can live with the disappointment.”

“Or...” Bane started, matching Jervis’ devious smile, “maybe when I break him, I’ll drag his body here and let you toy with his mind, find out all his little secrets and destroy every aspect that made him Batman in the first place before I kill him.”

Jervis gave a hearty laugh, “And I’ll be waiting with a tea party and some cake to celebrate!”

Now that made Bane laugh too and he held up his cup in a wordless cheer. Jervis did the same. He kind of liked this guy overall. Maybe there was a chance he could use Jervis’ skills in the future but for now, he was content to drinking tea and having some cake. The cake was good.

“Can I have some more tea please?”

Notes:

I feel like Jervis (at the time of this game) would have been a down-to-Earth person to other Rogues. He would make sense by not making sense and everyone would be like "ah yeah cool." I don't think Bane would ever have any ill will towards this guy.

Chapter 11: Lady Shiva

Ra’s al Ghul had favorites and Bane hated it.

Little did anyone know how much Ra’s helped him after his breakout from Peña Dura. He wouldn’t call himself an official member for several reasons but he had his sources in the League of Shadows despite his leave. One thing was clear: he wasn’t looked up at as one of them. Ra’s knew as well as him that he wasn’t welcome in the eyes of most. The Demon’s Head trusted him enough. But between him and Shiva, there was no competition.

Shiva was the best. Young Talia even aspired to be like her. Bane had a sense of jealousy because of her. The fact that she was sent to test the Batman, taking the bounty as only an extra bonus, was unbelievable. He knew her gimmick, what she was going to do. He had his methods and she had hers. If she stole this victory from him which he yearned to do for years even before they met, it would be the worst insult imaginable. He would quit crime and leave, never to be seen again.

Ra’s al Ghul favored her above everyone. Bane had to fight for even the slightest look his way as a worthy threat, not a drug addicted brute or prison escapee. Shiva was practically given her shot in the League and trained by Ra’s personally because he chose to do so. True, she became the best, but she was given the means to achieve being the best that he had to fight for.

Even now as Bane saw her in the Royal Hotel, he loathed her. Whether she felt the same he didn’t care, but she was not going to take out the Batman before him.

“If it isn’t Bane, Ra’s al Ghul’s failed student,” Shiva smirked.

Oh, he had plans to punch that smile off her face really quick. He merely replied in a deadpan, “Shiva.”

His own men could tell the tension between them and stayed off to the side. They knew their boss well enough to know when he was peeved and right now, he was pissed off completely. Shiva’s assassins that trailed her did not dare to step forward either, more so out of restraint since Shiva never ordered them to engage.

“Small world,” she mused. “I was hoping that encounter in Brazil would be the last time I saw you. Never took you for finding comfort in the North.”

Bane gritted his teeth in a subtle manner but kept at ease. “Shouldn’t you be with your master?”

“Shouldn’t you be killing drug dealers and corrupt officials?”

She was playing with him. She always was a smartass, answering a question with another question or comeback. There were moments he wished he did kill her when he had the chance but that would have resulted in the wrath of the Demon’s Head. Out of all the enemies he could make, everyone in the League of Shadows would be an immediate regret if he did.

“Why are you here, Shiva? The Batman is not of interest to you and Ra’s will not win him over. Your mission will be a failure and you know it.”

She put her hands on her hips. “You try telling a six-hundred-year-old man he has the wrong heir in mind. It’s not as easy as it looks. If Batman can pass the tests, I will be impressed but I agree with you that I think it’s a waste of time. He doesn’t seem found of killing, a useless trait in the League of Shadows.”

Bane scowled, “You have your test, I have his life at stake and the citizens of Gotham. Who do you think he will prioritize? He won’t live to even see your tests.”

“Careful, Bane, your opponent has many tricks up his sleeves and if I have confirmed hostages, he will come to me first. Two can play at that game but once Christmas Eve comes, we’ll see who he chooses to die by. Don’t be a sore loser when he doesn’t follow your breadcrumb trail.”

Shiva walked off with her escort unfazed but Bane was glaring as she left. Oh, how he wanted to bash her skull in so bad.

“Are you alright, Bane?”

He turned to his second-in-command, Bird, with an apologetic tone, “Ah, yes. Shiva is one of the few assassins I was hoping would not come to claim this bounty.”

“Quite a history, shame I was out training our mercenaries and didn’t get to see you tangle in Ra’s al Ghul’s web.”

It sounded grand when Bird said it but to Bane, it was anything but. Shiva humiliated him in the League. All his hard work bent in half like a piece of driftwood over his knee. He remembered watching Ra’s stare down at him as if he was in the wrong for being challenged by Shiva. She was the only one he couldn’t beat, and no one let him live it down.

“You didn’t miss much. And I will make sure she doesn’t win this time.”

That’s what he kept reminding himself. Bane loathed Shiva’s presence in Gotham for two days like an unwanted ghost in his mind until he finally saw her again. The urge to kill her still didn’t go away. What he expected when he found her was more sass and bouts of critiques like before. Instead, he found himself surprised.

On a rooftop in Amusement Mile, Shiva stared down at the streets blankly, hardly fazed by the cold or the snow covering her slowly. Bane approached with caution but knew she probably was already aware of his presence. Nothing ever got past her.

“Look at them, Bane. Every poor soul in Gotham is tainted, disturbed. One would think this place could use an asylum.”

Bane found the statement odd but peered down to see two men harassing a feebler homeless man and two cops in their car hardly did anything but watch and laugh. Cruelty, no different from the monsters that called themselves the government that ruled Santa Prisca.

“I know what Ra’s is really planning. It’s not about the Batman; he’s only a pawn,” he said, still looking at the scene below.

Shiva raised a brow and turned to look at him, “Why do you care? You left the League...”

“You left me no choice!” Bane growled, towering over her.

The head assassin glared but then grew a Cheshire smile, “You’re still mad about that? Do you really think I would let you beat me, even if we were a couple? Ra’s doesn’t need distractions among his elites, you know that’s why he pitted you against me. Do you think I wanted to do it? But I swore an obligation to the League of Shadows and when the choices were laid bare in front of us: stay together and be banished or fight one another to be his second-in-command, I chose the rarest opportunity to get where I needed to go. It’s not my fault we couldn’t rise together but some sacrifices needed to be made. And don’t you dare lie that you didn’t try to do the same.”

Bane didn’t speak, nor did he want to. He had shame deep down of that moment, fighting her for power and losing because he was so ambitious to be better that he let his guard down for what Shiva had over him: control. He let his emotions overtake his strategy and Shiva beat him down because of it. He left the League after losing because he couldn’t take the loss, hypocritical considering his many claims of superiority and cowardice of his enemies.

“Bane, deep down, I still love you. But you’ve become someone else, just as lost and demented as the people of Gotham. You may not see it, but everyone else does. This city has corrupted you...or was it long before that? You just found a home here among the disturbed.”

“And who do you think helped me come here? If you had stood by me, I wouldn’t have left. If you had helped me in Brazil, I wouldn’t have accelerated my plans and come across this bounty. If I’m insane, you made me this way,” he sneered.

Shiva shook her head, “No, Bane, you did this to yourself. I only hope you don’t fall any further. The TN-1 strain you’ve picked up...if you take it, you will be no better than a monster.”

“Then so be it,” he harshly said, turning his back on her.

He couldn’t see her face but felt that he had just disappointed her greatly. He barely heard the snow rustle when she leapt out of sight. As he turned back and found her obviously gone, Bane thought upon her words again. There was, in some small manner, a sense of disappointment in himself.

She was right, he hated admitting. What was he becoming? He looked down at the crime below to see now the homeless man lying in a pool of his own blood, not once did he think about helping that man against his attackers, the same people like the ones that occupied his country currently, when he should have done something. That wasn’t like him at all.

No, it is. Since when did he care? Since when did he CARE? Since when-?

Bane clutched his head abruptly. That was...unexpected.

Shaking off whatever thoughts he had, his unusual mantra, Bane then spied the same two oppressors of the victim wandering down the street like nothing had happened. Where was the Batman after all this if he was supposedly the guardian of this hell of a city? No matter, maybe it was time to take matters into his own hands.

Bane climbed down the building and followed until they reached a dimly lit street and as he drew closer, his mind split to Shiva. The woman he once loved, the traitor, the assassin. Monster. At least, that’s what he heard echoing in his head when he snapped those men’s necks effortlessly, imagining he held both the Bat and Shiva in their place.

Notes:

If everyone can be shipped with the Bat, did you really think I would ship everyone with Bane? I kind of borrowed some of The Dark Knight Rises vibes to Bane's backstory because it makes sense he would at least know Ra's al Ghul.

Chapter 12: Lieutenant Branden

Bane had only heard of the lieutenant, a self-absorbed bastard looking for glory and a crooked wage from anyone willing to pay him off to look the other way. He apparently was paid handsomely by Black Mask when Roman was in charge. Joker stuck to the ruse and did it too, but Branden seemed to have a suspicion something was off, at least he believed he was about to be double-crossed...not that the current Black Mask wasn’t Roman...which was easier to cover for as being a paranoia.

It seemed the twisted lieutenant also wanted to get rid of the newly arrived captain of the force, Jim Gordon. It wasn’t surprising one like Branden wanted to keep all wraps on the GCPD and Gordon posed a decent threat to exposing the corruption if he caught wind of it. Fortunately, Commissioner Loeb was also in Black Mask’s pocket so there wasn’t any fear of the captain’s concerns being pressed at the moment. It was exactly as Joker wanted and when the time came, both Loeb and Branden would disappear, leaving the GCPD vulnerable in fear for the overhaul Joker planned for later after the Bat was gone.

This man, though, was not Bane’s idea of a soldier. He didn’t think he would ever meet the hostile officer in person but someone snitched and one Bane’s operations was swatted. He feared that such a raid would alert the Bat early but as it turned out, Branden did it under the radar of his own police force. If the police themselves didn’t know sans a select few, the Batman would hardly be aware of it until it was too late. Even then, it would only look like a mere small-time drug operation, not a front for a deadlier plan.

Branden had some nerve talking to his men like they were amateurs, gloating like he was a hero. Funnily enough, none of his men alerted the bragging lieutenant that their boss was there...watching from above on a catwalk. They played to the lieutenant’s ego just enough to distract him.

When Branden finally asked who their boss was, that was Bane’s cue to approach and he did so with a bang. Leaping down from the catwalk, his landing shook the building almost and Branden’s SWAT went from aiming their weapons hoping for the Bat to becoming disheartened at the size of their opponent. To top it off, watching Branden’s face drop when he saw Bane was priceless.

Unafraid of the weapons and what they could do if any of the officers got trigger happy, Bane stomped up until he towered over Branden. It didn’t go unnoticed the lieutenant did a quick glance-over of his form, mainly out of intimidation if anything.

“You’re a big guy.”

The obvious statement told Bane he unnerved the lieutenant. That meant easy prey.

He simply tilted his head and replied, “For you.”

Branden’s officers were unsure of what to do. They had dealt with strong men before probably but he wasn’t those men. He was Bane and even if the name didn’t register to them, his presence alone did.

“So,” Bane began, “what can I do for you fine officers this evening?”

Playing it smooth also intimidated them it seemed. If someone they confronted got angsty or started wit with information off the bat, it was a sign of nervousness they could use to crack down on the situation with the upper hand. But if someone didn’t fear them, like Bane, and wasn’t offering any information, they had no power therefore they were only horses in the field, nothing more.

Lieutenant Branden stroked the underside of his chin in thought, a gesture of uncertainty in Bane’s eyes. “We, uh, had a call about a drug ring going on in this area. Now, you boys wouldn’t happen to know why that is, would you?”

Bane could tell what he was doing. A common police tactic was to get the suspect talking, get them to reveal a little piece of themselves even if it had no relevance to the initial suspected crime. Once that happened, then they would ask more about the suspect and lead into questions that could only be given by revealing truths. Santa Prisca did it too, so Bane was hardly new to this game.

“I, unfortunately, have not seen any activity in this area. But if you find someone who is selling, you have my condolences.”

A normal human being would have “admitted” it wasn’t them. Technically, he never admitted anything and if Branden pressed him on that, it was an unofficial declaration on the officer’s part of coercing a suspect which was its own legal issue.

Branden grew frustrated, “Are you kidding me? Fine, be that way. I know what you’re up to. I know about Black Mask’s deal.”

Bane’s brows furrowed in amusement. “Such a broad statement. This Black Mask? You think he has something to do with me?”

“Doesn’t he? Why are you here then? I know you aren’t from this country by your accent. I know about mercenaries Black Mask hired in my city. Now why is it there’s reports of drugs and I find several questionable illegals in this area? Hmm? If you are doing something, either you tell me or I lock you up until you get deported. How’s that for a reality check? Want to keep lying to me now?”

The amusement of the situation began to slip as Bane took a disliking to his tone. Maybe he just should answer Branden...and give him an answer he couldn’t possibly use against him.

“Fine, amigo, you want to know why I’m here? I’m collecting a bounty in a week. I have all the supplies I need to get it done including Black Mask’s resources. Now, either you can report this and be a target of his ire, one he just might hire me to take care of so we may meet again in the future, or you can walk away with any dignity you have left and leave me to my job. I’m no such illegal as that implies I am staying in this country which I have no intention of doing. Deporting me would be meaningless because my country knows me quite well. They would refuse a transfer. And I know for a fact you are in Black Mask’s pocket the same as all your officers here so you try coming down on me, you’re going to have to turn yourself in, Howard,” Bane said unflinching. Then he smiled, “How’s that for a reality check?”

His response left Branden stunned and, for once, silent as the grave. Branden’s officers were already standing down so they only coughed at the awkwardness, and his men were making impressed and humorous faces at how he just dragged the proud lieutenant on his face figuratively, all of which was true.

The lieutenant swallowed silently and kept eye contact minimal before shaking off the embarrassment with a nod. “Um, I’ll just let you off with a warning.”

Bane crossed his arms and smirked, “You have a good night, officer. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”

Branden and his officers were quick to leave the scene and when they did, Bane’s mercenaries fell to the ground cackling like hyenas. Even Bane himself began to laugh.

“The way his face dropped!” One soldier wheezed, “He looked like his soul left his body!”

“No, he looked like he’d seen a ghost!”

“I think he was already a ghost when Bane showed up! He died right there and just didn’t know it!”

Holding back, Bane cleared his throat but the funny scene still kept him in a good mood. “Alright, cálmate, todavía hay mucho por hacer. We need to get back to work.”

-----------------------

Branden didn’t seem to take his warning lightly. When Joker reported to Bane of several calls complaining about him, it wasn’t hard to figure out who it was. Why he was tattling to Black Mask, or Joker in disguise, was somewhat guessable and it seemed to help him understand the officer a bit more.

He was no psychiatrist but Branden had problems with authority and he had an attachment to control, probably as a kid too. Some adults just kept those quirks, never learning the word “no” and acting as entitled or demanding of power. When they couldn’t control who they wanted, they went for the throat of the person by going after associates, people and businesses regarding the person which either worked or it didn’t. There was never a middle outcome.

At the same time, people like Branden also used these methods to hide insecurities. What Branden’s insecurities were, Bane had to know more about him to guess. But maybe, he had already seen them. Jealousy was a big possibility. Branden wanted what Black Mask had but lacked the capability and the brains to take it. Granted, he wasn’t stupid by any means but Roman didn’t keep his empire afloat through family money by being stupid either. Pride was a given, what he hid behind but for what was unclear. A sore loser was one guess though not so much an insecurity against it being a large flaw. Bane found himself facing down Branden again to get some answers...but not how he ever expected to see the man.

When Joker as Black Mask invited all to a night on the hotel with raises, stolen money but not a huge loss in Joker’s opinion, even the corrupt cops of Gotham showed up. They were rightfully threatened that if they pulled anything, their families and associates would pay the price. Naturally, as a corrupt official would, they were more than happy to pretend it was nothing but a gathering of good friends.

Bane studied the lieutenant from afar only to find the officer uncertain. He was surprised to say the least. Branden seemed to have friends but were they really? He had his pay. A side glance at his cut looked pitiful. Even when the man looked around at everyone he was among, there was a sense of sadness in the small moments between being cocky as he always was to show off and smiling when he didn’t truly want to.

That was his trouble. Bane could recognize it now. Branden was miserable deep down, nothing but a sad, lonely boy underneath all that bravado. Like a schoolyard bully, he tackled people weaker than him. But when the curtains came down and his friends were gone, he wasn’t anything more than a lost sheep among wolves.

Branden left the service provided and stepped outside onto one of the hotel’s large balconies away from the commotion. Bane followed and met him as he leaned against the railing in the cold. He rubbed his eyes, oblivious to the snow falling.

“If you stay out here, you might get frostbite,” Bane said, pushing his hands into his pockets.

“What do you want?” Branden muttered with a lack of his signature brash nature.

“Just a curiosity more like. Why are you not inside with your friends? They are your friends, right? Those other officers?”

A twitch of a sour expression from Branden’s face made it apparent it was a bad subject. “Friends. I’m only here for the money. I don’t need anybody.”

Bane made a quiet huffing noise of thought before lifting the suitcase next to the officer. “You mean this? A stash of money you put by you that anybody could steal off of you without you knowing...or caring.”

Branden just glared at him but made no move to retrieve the money from Bane.

“It’s not about the money, is it? It’s not about me or Black Mask or your job. It’s something about you that is hurting you. All that aggression and need to control, it’s because you don’t have any outlet for your inner turmoil. It’s eating you alive.”

The smaller man growled, “Why do you care? Why-you're just some punk for all I know! You, Black Mask, and all those other freaks are nothing but trouble, and you pretend to know me so you can hurt me! I can’t believe a terrorist madman who gets off being a psycho for hire thinks he knows Gotham better than its own people, people like me! You don’t know anything! And if you think I’m going to tell you anything, forget it!”

Bane pushed the suitcase of money back into Branden’s arms to his bewilderment. “And you fail to realize that deep down, you’re a fool. I am not telling you this because I expect you to open up to the likes of me. I am telling you that you are destroying yourself because it’s the truth and you need to stop acting like it isn’t.”

Branden grew quiet but didn’t have the same expression of guilt he did in their prior meeting.

“Your sense of pride and greed are biproducts of your darkest ambitions which I am convinced you don’t recognize which leads you to getting into trouble with the wrong people like me. Inside, you were acting and I saw that you were a pathetic mess. I’m giving you one chance to back down or I will warn that there are many people here who will destroy you if you let yourself be consumed by those insecurities.”

Slowly, Branden shook his head. He then repeated softly, “Why do you care?”

Bane frowned but closed his eyes. He sighed, “Because I was once like you. I don’t expect you to change and I don’t expect you to stop. But understand this: your corrupt decisions will put you in a position you’re not going to like in the end and taking it out on those lesser than you will hurt everyone you care about, if you care at all.”

As Bane began to walk away, he heard Branden speak up finally. “Wait, that’s it? No personal threats? No bribes?”

“Bribes? Threats? Oh, why would I want to threaten you? I don’t threaten those whose life has no meaning. They are already suffering, no point in giving them a potential way out of their own prison,” Bane mused. “That’s up to you and you alone. When you find out who you are and your purpose, let me know.”

And he left Branden on that balcony. It was one of his harsher words but once again, they were true. He couldn’t help the lieutenant, not that he really wanted to, until the officer learned a bit of humility. Maybe there was potential for him in the future but until then, Howard Branden was nothing short of a bastard.

Notes:

Branden was an interesting character but I feel like he should have done more to be a villain. He did a few things and then he was forgotten about so idk. Also, I wouldn't know who would be shippable with this guy. He gives me wife-beater vibes so nooooooo, he gets nothing from Bane that's for sure.

Chapter 13: Penguin

The Penguin was not a man Bane liked per say. He was shrewd, cruel, and outright mannerless despite conveying he was a gentleman of wealth. The Cobblepot name was nothing but dirt but that didn’t stop Oswald from rising from the ashes to be one of the best gunrunners on the East Coast. Bane would give him points for resourcefulness but not much else.

“Ah, if it ain’t my favorite mercen’ry,” the smaller man said with a cigar in his mouth. “Come to take a look at my stash? I have the finest items this side of Gotham.”

Bane was always a bit thrown off by the cockney accent and for a while, he didn’t even believe it was a real-life accent, just something Oswald made up. It turned out Oswald’s use of the accent was fake, not the other way around. The man wasn’t even from Britain, only went to school there yet learned nothing but how to run a gang and sell drugs. No wonder the Cobblepot name fell through in Oswald’s care.

“My men are running low on ammo. You know which kind,” Bane said.

“Of course, of course. Nothing but the best for my chums.” Oswald gestured for his men to get the usual. A supply of ammo fit for a small army as Bane could attest. “Whut else is on your mind? I see it in your eyes. You want somethin’, don’tcha? I think I got somethin’ that’ll satisfy all your shoppin’ needs. Follow me.”

There was a brief grunt of disapproval from Bane. He didn’t like when people assumed they knew him or what he wanted...even if they were right. Before he could say anything, Oswald’s henchgirls, Candy and Tracey, both gently grabbed ahold of his arms and guided him to Penguin’s private stockroom as they trailed the short man there.

Normally, he would have thrown anybody that dared to touch him but he could tell the women were a bit infatuated with him. He found the phenomenon of people crushing on others on sight alone amusing but it did sometimes get annoying. Still, both beauties meant well. They were basically hired trophy accountants anyway. He only had to deal with them for less than an hour so he might as well just suck it up and let the girls do whatever, not that they could do anything displeasing.

“So, handsome, where did you say you came from again?” Candy smiled as sweet as her namesake.

Bane merely raised a brow, “Santa Prisca, an island just off South America.”

“Does it ‘ave any beaches, love? Candy and I might take a vacation there once the Bat’s cooked,” Tracey said with a notably more real cockney accent. She sounded much more genuine than the Penguin.

That made the man break into a small smile. “Plenty. I myself never got to enjoy them but the sunsets are to die for.”

“Maybe after all this blows over, we can meet you down there for some fun?” Winked Candy.

He stayed quiet but it was more because he was unsure of how to approach a possible offer of a few nights getting laid. Not that he didn’t like sex but there was little room in his schedule for such indulgences.

“As...lovely as that would be, my dear, I am a very busy person.”

Tracey seemed slightly annoyed by his response but Candy only wrapped her arms around his amused as they entered the private stockroom full of much more exotic weapons not normally sold, at least not unless the buyers had a pretty penny to part with.

“Girls,” the Penguin called, “why don’tcha make yourselves useful and whip up some scotch on the rocks for our guest here?”

Tracey was quick to leave. Bane hardly saw it as a loss but watching Candy shoot him a kiss then walking off with a sway of her hips made him kind of regret turning her down. Nice, sexy lady. Maybe, just maybe, he might invite her to a vacation she definitely deserved from putting up with Penguin.

Oswald gave her a slap on the ass which quickly made Bane lose the smile he had. “Pretty things, ain’t they? Candy’s my brains, Tracey’s my brawn, and both of them are my beauties.”

He didn’t want to tread on Penguin’s...territory, so he merely dismissed them. “They are sufficient.”

But he miscalculated just how prideful Oswald was. The man frowned and took the cigar out of his mouth, blowing smoke to the side with a judgmental expression. “Sufficient? Whut? My girls not good enough for you or somethin’?”

“I never said-”

Penguin pointed his umbrella at Bane which contained a switchblade at the tip. The larger man scowled as Oswald spoke coldly, “Neva insult my floozies. That’s my job, boy.”

When he thought he just didn’t like the Penguin, it became quite an understatement now. He loathed this man pulling a blade on him. The only thing that prevented him from breaking Oswald’s head against the many crates in the room was the fact that there was a ship-full of weapons and over a hundred plus men aboard that would be so happy to put a thousand bullets in him. He could shrug off a few shots depending where they hit but even he wasn’t that inhumanely resistant.

“Now, I’ll be kind and pardon you for the insult just this once. Feel free to choose somethin’ you like, but don’t think I won’t be watchin’ you,” the Penguin grumbled, hobbling to his makeshift throne.

Of course, the man would have a throne. He idolized himself far too much. But...pot to kettle? No, Bane wasn’t that delusional, or maybe he was when he first arrived but that seemed like such a long time ago. Gotham had changed him that fast, and the thought of it was starting to scare Bane on the inside. That led to an inward turmoil that maybe he was already insane to begin with, Gotham just reflected it in his face. Now wasn’t the time to think about it though.

Taking Penguin’s word to heart, he wandered the room examining each weapon. Grenade launchers were a thing and he was impressed by how much they were in comparison to many other items. Definitely a bucket list buy in the future. He needed something faster though, something guaranteed to fly and destroy in a second. It had to be, in any sense, unstoppable.

There was one weapon he had to backtrack to as he missed it while in thought. It was an RPG, modified it seemed. Now that was the weapon of utmost destruction. A bit more expensive than half the stockroom’s supply but well worth it.

It was exactly what he needed to blow up a building or get rid of a Bat if all else fails, maybe both...or he could destroy Joker once they were done as business partners. The wheels in his head were turning like the well-oiled machine it was. Kill the Joker and Gotham was ripe for the taking with no Bat and no madmen to stop him.

He paused and blinked. That wasn’t a rational thought. That was not even close to what he would have thought about doing before. But that was before and this was now. Now it made sense, did it not?

“Oi, you alright there? Don’t tell me you’re losin’ your marbles now. Who’da think? Bane, the ultimate mercen'ry, is just a looney like the rest of Gotham’s blokes. A pity.”

Embarrassed wasn’t even close to describing what he felt. His head was hurting. He wasn’t even sure what he was becoming with more unnatural thoughts growing each night like he belonged in an insane asylum. That wasn’t him, was it?

“It’s nothing, just some bad memories,” he argued calmly.

Then he heard the most outrageous, rude cackle a human could produce. “You think I’m blind? There’s somethin’ not right with you. You may believe that you are alright, but I can see as clear as day that you ain’t. You’re a crazy without a doubt.”

Bane wanted out of the hell that was this vessel. Even if there was a shred of truth of what that sick, little man said, he would rather just buy something and leave. He wasn’t going to come back in person ever again, that was for sure.

“I will take the RPG,” he grunted.

Penguin took another smoke from his cigar and nodded, “Excellent choice.”

Bane contacted one of his men to bring money and waited for them, ignoring most of what the Penguin said. When they arrived, he took the briefcase and handed it to Oswald as his soldier packed up the weapon and left. As soon as Oswald held the case, Bane turned to leave quickly. He froze when the handle of the umbrella caught his hand and turned to see the man smirking at him.

“Between you and I, Bane, understand that if you lose your mind in Gotham, there’s no gettin' it back. This city has claimed more lives than you know and most of them are still walkin’ around like zombies. Just be careful out there. Gotham is dangerous when you no longer know who’s lookin’ back in the mirror.”

Bane said nothing but glared at the audacity of this man. As he left the Final Offer, his memory of those words replayed in his head over and over.

No, he didn’t know who was in the mirror anymore and that scared him deep down. This wasn’t the Bane that went over seven thousand miles to kill a man plaguing his dreams. This was a madman in the mirror and he was ashamed. Every stretching day closer to Christmas Eve was becoming harder to bear because there didn’t seem to be anything left of himself. When he killed the Bat, what was there going to be left anyway?

Those haunting questions tore at him and his purpose was slowly becoming foreign in his own thoughts. That wasn’t right. None of this should have been right. But in the end, all he could do was at least achieve what he initially came to Gotham to do and sort out himself later. It was his only choice now.

Notes:

Compare this reading of Bane to the very first chapter with Joker and tell me he's the same. Something about Gotham hurts people and it consumes them like a plague. Writing Bane's downfall is oh so fun though.

Chapter 14: Deadshot

A bullet, 338 Lapua Magnum, was lodged into the head of one of his unfortunate subordinates, pinning them to the wall. They looked so peaceful, unaware they were hit with anything in the first place. They weren’t the first target. The bullet had traveled, hitting one body to the far right, ricocheting off the back plate into another poor soul before hitting the last body in the head. A beautiful performance of timing and strategy.

A part of Bane knew that Gotham was a constant danger to his forces, mainly because they were an outside threat and Gotham, as criminal-infested as it was, didn’t like other mercenaries stepping into its vicinity. The Batman was hardly the biggest threat. He has to send someone to watch over shipments, property and so on, otherwise his takeover would be diminished as soon as it began. Like with Copperhead, he knew it was another assassin’s warning.

“Deadshot.”

Bane’s men grew frantic. “That mercenary’s here too? Great. Before we get a pop off at the Batman, that damn gunman will blow his brains out. What a waste.”

Bane, however, smirked, “Lawton is just another player in our game. Doesn’t mean he’ll win.”

A voice suddenly called out, “Are you sure about that, Bane?”

The two men beside him immediately pointed their guns up at the shadow but they didn’t even come close to pulling the trigger when one shot hit the first man on Bane’s left, bounced at an angle and then shot through the chest of the one on the right. It missed Bane entirely, instead getting caught in one of the already deceased corpses that lurched from the intrusion.

Bane was unmoving, impressed more than anything. As the shadow hopped down, he could hear him chuckling, sniper propped up toward the sky. Floyd Lawton had his signature gear, from the face balaclava to his wrist sniper gauntlets. He was a man on a warpath.

Deadshot sneered as he took off his balaclava, “Now, don’t feel too bad when I take the prize. I got to target someone after all.”

“Was shooting my men necessary?”

Floyd pretended to consider as he scoped the dead bodies before pressing a gloved finger against his lips, “Mmm, noooo. But it was fun!”

Bane approached him maliciously. “I don’t appreciate your antics.”

“Oh, grow a pair, big and tall. If you think just because we’re supposed to be buddy-buddy fair in the eyes of Black Mask that I won’t fuck around and kill a few worthless soldiers of yours, you’re sorely mistaken. I got an itchy trigger finger. Since I can’t hunt down the people I want to in Gotham while I’m here other than the Bat without drawing attention to myself early, got to take out my impulses on someone,” Deadshot winked. “Besides, hunting down Black Mask’s men doesn’t have the same thrill. It’s like he doesn’t care. No fun.”

Bane’s expression became confused until something clicked in his head. “You aren’t hunting my men just to kill people...you’re hunting them in the hopes that I’ll send more after you to avenge them and give you a reason to kill more?”

Floyd did a brief, fake accent with a holler, “Woohoo, that’s what I call birdwatching! Hell yeah, baby, I love my hunts, especially getting chased down and seeing those little birdies wet themselves when they look up into the rooftops at the moonlight’s gleam on the muzzle of my elegant weapon. Normally, I don’t waste much time in one place with one target, killing random people is risky after all but I have to tell you, waiting for Christmas makes the kid in me very excited. So, if I have to wait for my present this year, I’m going to leave Santa a bunch of bodies in return.”

There was a fine line between sane and insanity. Honestly, Bane had absolutely no clue where Lawton lied on that spectrum. But there was some amusement regarding it. Making an assassin wait to kill for too long drove him to do hunting sprees. If Joker learned about them, Lawton was in for one hell of a scolding...like a little kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, not that it would stop him from doing what he’s doing.

Bane sighed, “This is the part where I would tell you to stay out of my way on my quest to kill the Batman and to stop killing my men. But given you aren’t the first person to do this and my tactics and threats seem to hardly faze any of the other assassins, there isn’t anything I can tell you to get you to stop, is there?”

“Given up, have you?”

“I wouldn’t say that, perhaps a better word would be ‘wiser’ to the situation,” said Bane.

Deadshot placed his sniper rifle on a platform at eye level and rubbed his hands together in the midst of the cold night. “Well, aren’t we all? We always believe we have control of the situation; everyone is at our whim or we can threaten them to do so. The reality is, no matter how hard we try, there will always be a chaotic element in our plans that will drive our most brutal choices, our last-ditch efforts to preserve the remaining ounces of control we still convince ourselves that we have.”

Bane approached Deadshot, acknowledging the once over the smaller man gave him with a smile. Lawton huffed, “Don’t tell me you’ve tried to take control of a meaningless battle with the others all this time? That’s some pretty hard denial.”

“And I suppose you know what I am, hombre?”

“Yes, you’re insane is what you are. I’ve heard your qualms from the others. You fell hard, but I have to admit you’re quite the inspiration. At least I know how not to go out.”

Deadshot laughed and attempted to move past Bane, only for his arm to get caught and Bane staring down at him in thought.

Bane shook his head, “You don’t seem to hate it. So, what do you want?”

Lawton put let pressure on his arm by moving close to the larger man. “I don’t know. You’re the one stepping on my shoes, Prince Charming. You tell me.”

“You want to fool the competition, aiming to be more than you are. You think I am insane, but none of you have been any different.”

“It’s Gotham, Bane. You don’t survive in this city if you aren’t a lunatic deep down. Why do you think you feel at home here? Why are you bothering me? You think you can control your emotions, your impulses but you’ve fallen just like everyone else. I’m as sane as I can be, have a daughter at a safehouse and several more operations in waiting after I’m done here. I know where I lie in Gotham. I know what I want. So, what do you want?”

Bane peered to the side. Batman, he wanted Batman dead. But what else did he want? What else did he need? All of the assassins he met had more to their lives than just hunting down the Bat...and they used him to clarify their ambitions. Companionship, sex, thrills, money, revenge...all of it was more than it seemed. Yet here he was, the only one with nothing else but the Batman. After the vigilante was gone, what was he to do? He never opened himself up to other pleasures of life in prison or outside of it when he could do anything he wanted. He didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

“You don’t know, do you?” Deadshot spoke low. “Who are you, Bane? I know what I am, and that’s what I believe you are too...even if you refuse to see it.”

Before Bane could speak, Deadshot placed a quick kiss on his lips and smiled, “If you ever stop by Blüdhaven with no place to go, I’m staying at a hotel there, watching over my daughter. You know, she looks up to mercenaries like us...drives her mother crazy. I bet she would love to meet you one day, the most stubborn mercenary out here.”

As Lawton walked off, Bane was frozen before touching his lips. Of course, by now, it wasn’t so much of a shock that it happened. It was more like he was surprised Deadshot rolled that way. He assumed the man was straight given his previous relationship, but he’d been wrong before.

It was funny; Bane no longer held any disdain for the action. In fact, he felt like welcoming it. His mind was screaming at him. He loved it. If he had encountered Deadshot when he first came to Gotham, things wouldn’t have gone well for Lawton.

So much had changed in him. Bane let out a sigh and savored the rush of excitement building inside. He was very tempted to just abandon his job and take Deadshot up on his offer but he knew the Joker would hardly let him go. And he had a feeling if the Joker found out about any of his encounters thus far, he sensed there would be a twinge of jealousy. He remembered well how the Joker came onto him.

Time was so fickle now. In less than two weeks, Deadshot and the other assassins had broken him down to base instincts, uprooting his perfect image and Bane liked it...even if he refused to see it. Deadshot was right. They all were.

But no, he couldn’t let that distract him, not now. He had made it this far and Christmas Eve was only two days away. He was still Gotham’s reckoning! The might of Santa Prisca and the dark fire of Peña Dura. He was Bane!

Bane looked down at the bodies Floyd had sniped with utmost precision. There was an appreciation for the talent of marksmanship, one he couldn’t help but smile at. But thinking on the realization that he could have been one of the bodies here, he frowned. Out of everyone he had met, Lawton finally got through to him as to why he wasn’t the same person who escaped the pit of darkness that was that prison. He wasn’t immortal; he wasn’t unbeatable. Bane was just another body standing and ever since he stepped foot in Gotham, everyone made it clear he was only a tourist in a museum of corruption and targets.

In a way, he did thank Floyd for reminding him where he stood in the world realistically. But he must break the man’s heart. He still intended to kill the Bat if it was the last thing he did and maybe, that was exactly what he needed to do. He lived to die another day, so why not make Batman a pariah in the process? Thank you, Deadshot.

He didn’t fear death and if the Batman died, well, there’s his job done right there. Win-win scenario. But...he would have to think on the idea first. After all, he wanted to maybe be around to see Deadshot again and take him up on that offer.

Notes:

Believe it or not, there's been debate on whether Deadshot is bi and I can believe it. Sorry, it took so long to release this piece. I got into the groove of other fics. Now I'm trying to fix up loose ends. Only one more chapter to go!

Chapter 15: Black Mask

A fallen king, dethroned by a jester and made a fool of himself.

Bane could pity the circumstances that made poor Roman suffer, but it was not his job to mourn the unfortunate. They all knew the risks of becoming what they were, so the consequences were harsher in hindsight for the mistakes they made on the way up top.

Joker wanted Roman Sionis moved to his factory, secured by his own men. What Joker intended to do with him, of course, had yet to be seen. Bane was asked to divulge any useful information from Sionis but he found the crime lord was hard to crack. So, here he was just watching the man pace in his cell.

What was he to Roman again?

“You’re a freak, just like the rest of them.”

Bane barely heard that whisper. It sounded broken but still held daring, not something the Black Mask was ever shy of doing. He turned to the man locked up in a cell that was once the kingpin’s office, now guarded and desolate of its belongings.

He saw fit to argue the infamous word by a statement of his own, “A freak, am I? Says the man who uses a black skull mask like a holiday ghoul.”

“It’s called Halloween, you uncultured behemoth. And I may wear a mask, but at least I don’t pretend I have superpowers like you and your Mexican drugged-up posse. Just because you have the knowledge of smuggling like everyone else from your homeland doesn’t make you anything more to me.”

Arrogant and racist...excellent. Bane became a little curious if he could use that as an excuse to put the pathetic man out of his misery. He could lie and say Roman went nuts too, self-defense is praised in America, or so he heard.

“Your ego will destroy you, Roman. Besides, I am not insane-”

“Yeah, yeah, you say that like it’s the truth!” Hissed Black Mask. “I know about what happened with Firefly, Killer Croc, hell...even Electrocutioner! Ever since you’ve been here, you’ve changed, not that I liked you to begin with.”

Bane let those words sink in. “You don’t know me-”

Black Mask laughed, actually laughed like he was some sort of buffoon. “You don’t get it, do you? Why did you even come here? You obey that clown like a puppy, he asks you to check on me no doubt and here you are! You have no clue why you’re really here, do you?! Let me fill you in.

“You arrived here in the hopes of getting the Batman, every criminal’s dream kill. Believe me, Joker did do one thing impressive, and it was fooling the Batman right under his pointy nose. You claim you aren’t insane but since being here you’ve been Joker’s errand boy, you’ve goaded the more unstable assassins into doing things they normally wouldn’t including fraternizing with rivals, i.e. Copperhead, and followed the most absurd and ghastly people on the planet to satisfy your unbearable lust for knowledge of everyone and everything around you. And here you are, talking to the king of crime wondering what secrets I hold just like you did with Firefly, just like you wanted with Deadshot and that loon that runs the hat shop in the Bowery.

“I assure you, Bane, no sane person would have ever done what you have. So, I want you to tell me, what part of that makes you any different from them? What the hell makes you so goddamn special that you can’t consider the fact that you’ve run off the deep end like all of them, maybe even me? You sleep with insane people every moment of your life since stepping foot in Gotham. You speak of being this almighty liberator, yet you fear your own mortality. You’re insane, deal with it.”

Normally, he would have bitten back as he always had before with said criminals but as he thought about it, as he truly noted within his own conscience, he didn’t. For once, he had...nothing. Thinking back on all he had done, he had fallen hard.

Joker, Killer Croc, Deathstroke, Mad Hatter, all of them had proved he wasn’t in control. He never was. As he looked into the eyes of a man who had already lost everything, Bane could foresee his own future in his denial. What was he even doing there? Finding peace for a nightmare that really wasn’t anything but an omen of who could exist and perhaps his own fall at the hands of the Batman.

But if these monstrous people could thrive better than a schemer like him and uproot everything he could dish out, one had to wonder how the Batman survived too. As much as it pained him to admit when he was wrong...he was wrong. He is insane.

“And so am I,” Bane whispered, peering down at his fingerless gloved hands.

Roman Sionis stared at him before a smirk grew on his beaten face, “You know, Bane, there is something about you though the other crazies don’t have. You have true ambitions; I’ll give you that. Most of them, they don’t want anything but to watch the world crumble under the palm of their hands. But you don’t. You want to make the world a better place, a place where no one has to suffer like you have, but your goal goes against the opposite crowd of the Batman...and that makes you one of the few I believe just might be enough to take out the Batman.”

Bane still said nothing to Roman, his thoughts still riddled with the newfound information, or rather the thoughts he had been denying for so long.

“What I said to you about Joker; when you kick the Batman’s ass, do me one partial favor...for the both of us. Be sure to kill the clown too. We’re the bad guys, but even we need standards, right?”

Honestly, Bane didn’t even have a clue where those standards lay anymore. After remembering what he had done, it was hypocritical to claim any.

As Roman walked off to sit in a corner of his cell, Bane lamented his crimes of his breaking points. He could see now just as clearly as ever why he was insane. The obsession, the lengths he went through, and the blatant disregard for anyone else beside him and his men. Then that wasn’t counting what he did to the other assassins. No one forced him; no one led him. He just did it.

Leaving the room, Bane noticed Joker’s disguised gang were all looking at him or talking about him in hushed voices. They were probably criticizing him, calling him names or maybe that was paranoia...since when did he have any sort of paranoia? Since when did he care what anybody thought about him? Since he came to Gotham...

This city was a nightmare. It always brought out the worst of people like a plague...and he was now consumed by it. Maybe the prophecy of the Batman’s defeat wasn’t so far-fetched after all. The city made the Batman, the Batman made the people, and the people were the most vile, self-deluded monsters he had ever faced. Or maybe it was the other way around, but one factor remained, it always held the Bat in every equation of this city’s dysfunctional citizens. Who else was to blame? If he got rid of the Batman, the city would get better. It had to; it needed to.

Bane paused as he realized he was internally ranting like a madman. It was Joker logic he was using, and it had passed through his mind like nothing was wrong. Another sure sign that he had lost his way. But who cared? It made sense, did it not?

Yes. No. What is wrong, Bane?

He clutched the sides of his face with a grimace as he felt the lingering traces of Venom wanting to surge again. It was as if it was responding to his subconscious. He held it down. He couldn’t give in, shouldn’t and wouldn’t. Will he? He will; he needs to, doesn’t he?

Giving a growl, he stomped out of the mill, unfazed by the delicate crystals of snow or the moon glaring down at him from above. The farther he went from the psychos and lingering eyes, the better composed he was. But it was only a matter of time, wasn’t it?

Tomorrow night was Christmas Eve, and the night would be his longest ever. He would kill the Bat, break him and show him mortality. He knew there could be faults in his plans, dents and scrapes but he was prepared, and he was going to turn this city upside down by his will alone. Revenge, companionship, sex and thrills. What was there to lose? He could do it; he would do it. Because that’s what insane people did.

Bane couldn’t help but smile at the irony. All the internal fighting led to this. Slowly, logic and denial blended like a bittersweet cocktail, then he chuckled to himself like a lunatic, haunting and dark, thinking about how right the others were in the end.

“It’s why I laugh through life now. I’ve never been clearer in purpose or in meaning. I’m still here and I’m smiling.”

“Careful Bane, you wouldn’t want people to think you’re desperate.”

“Hate to say it but you may have made a bad choice moving here.”

“So, the big bad Bane is human after all.”

“You could have easily killed me, but you didn’t. Goes to show just how fucked up you are like the rest of us.”

“I’m doing what’s right, and sometimes doing the right thing has to be achieved by being the bad guy.”

“You act like you’re the only sane one here among us.”

“I know what you are and that’s enough to deduce your pride will destroy you.”

“But let me guess, I caught your heart? Don’t worry, I have that effect on people.”

“You see this idea as an act of lunacy. I see it as an opportunity. Which of us you think is right is up to you but know that greatness cannot be achieved without a little madness!”

“But you’ve become someone else, just as lost and demented as the people of Gotham. You may not see it, but everyone else does. This city has corrupted you...or was it long before that?”

“You, Black Mask, and all those other freaks are nothing but trouble, and you pretend to know me so you can hurt me! I can’t believe a terrorist madman who gets off being a psycho for hire thinks he knows Gotham better than its own people, people like me!”

“Don’t tell me you’re losin’ your marbles now. Who’da think? Bane, the ultimate mercenary, is just a looney like the rest of Gotham’s blokes. A pity.”

“You don’t survive in this city if you aren’t a lunatic deep down. Why do you think you feel at home here? Why are you bothering me? You think you can control your emotions, your impulses but you’ve fallen just like everyone else.”

“You’re a freak, just like the rest of them.”

His eyes slowly turned green and his smile still held up but twisted to aggression. They were all crazy, every...damn...one of them. Bane heard the rumors, long before he showed up. Everyone in Gotham is insane. He believed at first he was the only sane man among thieves, jokers, and his fellow assassins.

“But I guess we all are a little mad, Batman.”

Notes:

Batman Arkham Origins released almost ten years ago in October 2013. It was considered the worst Arkham game of the series, but I took pity on it by looking at it as a separate game which helped. It turns out it's not bad on its own.

I delayed this for too long as yes, this is the last chapter as we have covered all the villains that were in Gotham the same time as Bane. It was a fun romp but now it is time to move on, I think. Thank you all for readings this!