The Bane of Our Existence [The Dark Knight Rises]

21: It Felt Like Nothing

The very next day, Bruce Wayne was bankrupt. The Stock Market attack all along had been about transferring his money out of his stocks in order to reveal he had given it all away. It was not foolproof, of course, but the finger print confirmation that they had used was enough to tide them over. It was all they needed, proof that Bruce Wayne had not even a cent to his name, and now someone else had to take over the company, and everything that the title came with.

Bría began to have suspicions about a certain board member; it all seemed too perfect that Miranda Tate suddenly got what she wanted now that Bruce Wayne had no say in his own company. However, Bría knew better than to speak these suspicions, she simply kept her mouth shut. For she was nothing more than a grunt here, doing the dirty work along with the others, no one special to anyone. Bane had his secrets, and he had no reason to tell Bría every one of them.

His plan, whatever grandiose plan he had for bringing Gotham it's reckoning, was his own. Bría was simply content to know that there was another side to Bane, a side that he only showed to her. It was shallow to think that way, yes, but Bría had been a do-gooder her whole life, as far as she could recall, and she'd gotten bite of the other side and liked it.

The dark was bringing something out inside of her, something else. Repressed memories, she believed, as she thought back to the dream of herself as a child. Her mother begging for her freedom, to be away from the man in the dark whom Bría did not recognize for his face was not ever revealed in her memory. She knew the scar on her back had been caused by the events she recalled, but she still wondered if they were real, or if she was coming up with an explanation. Was it really her father in the dream? Why could she not remember?

Summoned by Daggett, Bane had to make an appearance, and asked Bría to come along with him. He was otherwise alone, needing no men to come with him. Despite his power, Daggett could never overthrow Bane; even if he had guards, which even he wasn't stupid enough to have around when Bane showed up.

In the elevator to the penthouse, Bane spoke to Bría without looking at her where she stood beside him. "You must prove to them that you are not a weakness. Only then will you believe it yourself."

Bría nodded, "What do you want me to do?"

Bane was no longer surprised by Bría's ability to take direction, even if there was still a glint of goodness inside of her. Bane wasn't sure how to process her, the multi-dimensional person that she was. Not even he could deny that her darkness was blooming and the tendrils of it were reaching out and wrapping around him. And yet, the good inside of her had it's own alluring charm.

Bane pulled out a gun and handed it to Bría. "You'll do as I say, yes?"

"Yes," she said smoothly, no uncertainty in her voice.

The elevator opened and they emerged. In the room over Daggett's voice could be heard. He spoke loudly as he asked, annoyingly, for Bane, wondering where he was. It was clear that he was bothered, upset, and wanted answers that he would not get.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear," Bane said as he and Bría came around the corner.

Daggett and Stryver stood beside one another, but it was the former who stepped forward and bravely shouted at Bane. "What, the hell, is going on?!"

Bane clasped his hands together in front of him, politely standing still as Daggett approached him with a look that could kill. However, it was clear that Daggett was in over his head, and entirely believed himself the one in power. He'd been double crossed and he had no idea. He thought because he was funding Bane's plan, it meant that he could speak to Bane as he did.

"Our plan is proceeding as expected," Bane informed him, his first warning.

"Oh really? Does it look like I'm running Wayne Enterprises right now? Your hit on the stock exchange, it didn't work, my friend! And now you have my construction crews going around the city at twenty-four hours a day! How exactly is that supposed to help my company absorb Wayne's?"

Daggett was right in front of Bane, squaring off with him cockily; he had walked into his own death sentence, and everyone could feel it, except Daggett. Bría clutched the gun a little tighter, catching Daggett's attention. He turned to look at her, and scowled.

"Is your little bitch going to kill me? Huh? Is that your big plan, Bane?"

"Leave us," Bane said suddenly to Stryver, bringing the attention back to himself.

Stryver turned to leave, when Daggett argued, "No. Stay here, I'm in charge."

Bane placed his hand on Daggett's shoulder, once again catching his attention once more. He looked up at Bane, confused.

Bría had seen this before.

"Do you feel in charge?" Bane asked as Stryver did as he was told and left the room. He did not want to witness what was about to happen, but Bría did. She knew how Daggett saw her, weak and insignificant.

Daggett held his breath before he replied, "I've paid you a small fortune..."

"And this gives you... power over me?" Bane inquired. "Your money and infrastructure have been important. Until now."

"What are you?" Daggett whispered.

"I'm Gotham's Reckoning," Bane said, his hand on Daggett's cheek now. "Here to end the borrowed time you've all been living on."

Daggett shuddered.

"You're..." Daggett stumbled, "You're evil."

"I'm necessary evil," Bane informed him, then grabbed his head with his other hand. He twisted his neck so that it snapped, but it did not kill the man. He cried out and squirmed, then dropped to the ground when Bane let him go.

Bane looked over at Bría and then nodded.

She cocked the gun, ensuring that the bullet was in the chamber, and walked over to the dying man on the ground. She would be ending his misery earlier than she would have liked, but she would do what Bane asked of her. It was obvious that Bane wanted her to take on more of the darkness than she had before, to absorb it and soak in it, to embrace it.

She pulled the trigger and blood splattered all over the ground below, those perfectly polished granite tiles.

It felt like nothing this time.