The Bane of Our Existence [The Dark Knight Rises]

23: The Place I Once Called Home

Bría looked up at the grate where Bane stood, patiently waiting for Batman, or as he explained, Bruce Wayne. Tired from the long day, Bría was ready to disappear to her bunk and sleep, and yet she couldn't let this night slip by her like that. So she remained on the lower portion of the cavern, standing inconspicuously whilst leaning against a pillar. When The Batman came into sight, she stepped forward in surprise, looking at him in the flesh. He was so close; this vigilante who was so real and yet seemed like something out of a book, he was right there.

The gate closed and locked Batman inside of the cavern. He turned quickly and said something to, Bría presumed, Selina. She couldn't hear what was said from where she stood, but she watched as Bane crossed the grate, to the center of the platform, and he spoke smoothly, with no restraint to his voice. "Not as serious as yours, I fear."

Batman turned to face Bane. In an accusing tone, Batman said, "Bane."

"Let's not stand on ceremony here, Mr. Wayne," Bane's voice never wavered, he had no fear in facing the Batman as so many before him once did.

Bría couldn't help but try to get a closer look, drawn in by the events that would unfold, desperately needing to see. Was Bane correct in his knowledge that is was Bruce Wayne underneath the cowl?

Both men approached, nothing slowing either of them down, no fear between them. Squaring off, Batman was the first to strike. Bane impressively took the blows that would knock any other man unconscious, and after allowing Batman to deliver a few solid hits, Bane reached out and grabbed his gloved hand, twisting it.

He mocked Batman in the process, "Peace has cost you your strength. Victory has defeated you."

They continued to fight, Bane delivering a swift kick to Batman's stomach. The Batman stumbled backwards. Immediately it was clear that Bane had been right; Bruce Wayne, or Batman, had indeed been weakened over the years of his disappearance, hiding away from what he really was. Trying to step back into the role he had once trained for, he was not the same Batman that Gotham had seen eight years ago. Bane easily took the hits Batman delivered without a grunt of complaint, and then served them back tenfold, knocking Batman off of the grate that was twenty-feet above the main cavern level.

Bane did not hang around, for he knew Batman had tricks up his sleeve and managed to land gracefully and unharmed from the fall. Bane leapt off of the grate and climbed down the chain that was dangling there; the ease at which he did this was outstanding; his muscles flexing as he swiftly lowered himself safely to the ground and instantly began fighting Batman once again.

Bría had a better look now, inching closer, her eyes only darting to Selina Kyle once; it didn't matter that she was there, it was clear that she had gotten her promise of safety from Bane and that it meant something. That alone comforted Bría, for she too had been promised safety, and had so far been given such. More safety than she would have, had she never made her way down to the sewers and found Bane. She wondered if she would have been beaten half to death by the citizens of Gotham, or if she would have caved into Robbie's advances just to keep a roof over her head.

The fight continued relentlessly, it seemed like it could go on forever. Batman never let up, Bane didn't even seem affected by the punches and kicks; Bría knew that it was the anesthetic that was helping him continue without feeling anything, but that was not the only reason. Bane was the strongest person Bría had ever seen in her life, in many ways.

As if to prove this, Bane twisted mid air and came down with a striking punch, his fist made contact with Batman's head and he crumpled to the ground, but was on his feet again after Bane delivered a few kicks to his gut. Batman took so many more punches before Bane kicked him down a flight of stairs. But the fight was still not over, Bría could hardly believe her eyes, that a human being could take such horrible torture.

Weakened and seeing that he might not win this battle, Batman resorted to cheap parlour tricks, small explosions blasting around Bane. Bane was not fazed by this, "Theatricality and deception. Powerful agents against the uninitiated, but we are initiated. Aren't we, Bruce?"

Bane walked towards Batman. "Members of the League of Shadows. And you betrayed us."

Bane was lifting Batman like he weighed nothing. Batman choked out, "You were excommunicated, by a gang, of psychopaths."

Bane paused, hearing those words, and then it was clear that they enraged him. He pounded his fists into Batman's ribs, and then threw him down. His voice changed when he spoke now, irritated, "I am the League of Shadows. I am here to fulfill Ra's al Ghul's destiny!"

Batman attacked Bane, and this time got the upper hand, pinning Bane down and unleashing a series of punches right to Bane's face. Bría stepped forward, but Basard reached his hand out to stop her from getting any closer; it comforted Bría to know that they believed he would win this fight. And so, with a moment of hesitation, she stepped back.

Bane succeeded in getting Batman off of him. "You fight like a younger man, nothing held back. Admirable, but mistaken."

Batman shut out the lights, and Bría gasped.

Bane, however, appeared unfazed once again. "Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, and by then it was nothing to me but blinding!"

Though Bría could not see anything, she could still hear the beating, the relentless fighting between two men of similar history, having endured the same initiation. And yet were so different from one another. One was good, light, the other, dark and considered evil.

The lights came on and Bane was pounding down on Batman's mask. "The shadows betray you, because they belong to me!"

After delivering what would be a fatal blow to anyone who wasn't wearing a bullet proof mask, Bane got off of Batman, who remained on the ground. Bane stared him down as he told him, "I will show you were I have made my home, whilst preparing to bring justice. Then, I will break you."

Bane caught a detonator in his grasp, thrown to him by Basard. He pushed the button and the explosion made Bría gasp, and cover her head instinctively. Concrete fell from the ceiling above, all that time they were lacing explosives into the cavern, they had been underneath an armory.

"Your precious armory, gratefully accepted. We will need it," Bane mocked him.

It was enough to give Batman the power he needed to rise again, but Bane was prepared. "Ah yes! I was wondering what would break first!"

He pounded Batman down to the ground. "Your spirit..."

Bane lifted Batman over his head, no easy feat, and then dropped him down full force onto his knee. "Or your body!"

Batman crumpled to the ground, his back undoubtedly broken.

Bría was shocked.

Bane walked towards Batman and removed the half of his mask that he had broken earlier. He gripped one of the pointed ears in his massive hand, and walked a few steps, then as if it was worthless, he dropped it onto the wet ground. As a few men raced to Batman, or Bruce Wayne as Bría could see now was true, Bane walked towards Bría.

He lifted his soaked hand to Bría's cheek, holding it there in a way that could only be described are lovingly, and then he dropped it.

"You will come with me, to the place I once called home," he told her.

She nodded submissively. 

Quite a long chapter! I enjoyed writing this, though I hope it wasn't too much of repeating the movie. Some parts will be that way, just have to follow the plot.