The Bane of Our Existence [The Dark Knight Rises]

35: It Was Inevitable

Eye's fluttered.

Alive.

Bría gasped.

Air.

She tightened her eyes shut, trying to squeeze out the pain in her stomach, spreading throughout her body. She can feel it in her back, the bruising and the internal bleeding. And yet she pulls herself to her feet, stumbling but managing to make it a few steps towards the door. Each step causes agony to ripple through her like a searing hot blade. But she fights the pain, she fights it until she makes her way to the elevator. Pushing the ground level, she slumps down onto the floor again. The vertigo makes her sick, and she holds back the need to vomit. Blood dribbled down her chin and throat, it dried in the time she passed out in the kitchen.

The doors opened, the chime of the bell making Bría grimace. How dare anything sound so cheerful when the whole world around them was falling apart. It was crumbling, Gotham, the empire Bane had built, the plan, all of it. She spotted a ceramic tube for umbrellas and canes. It held on simple black umbrella, so she grabbed it and used it as a cane. She hobbled through the snow, the softness of it landing down her back was a reminder that if she fell, it would be a soft landing, and she would likely pass out, and die in peace.

But her determination pushed her towards the gun fire.

Her determination got her to the court house.

It got her inside of it, where she saw Miranda, the same knife that had stabbed Bría was deep inside Bruce Wayne's side. Bría collapsed under the sleek marble floors, landing on her side, out of sight of those in the entrance. Bane stood there while Miranda mocked Bruce, told him who she was, revealed that she had been behind it the whole time.

And then Miranda left known to the world as Talia al Ghul, to fulfill her father's destiny.

"We both know I have to kill you now," the comfort of Bane's voice soothed Bría, even though he was speaking to Batman and had no idea Bría was lying only meters away from him, bleeding from the inside, slowly dying.

There was a loud blast, a gunshot bigger than any gun Bría had ever heard. Then there was a thud of a body on the ground, only two meters away from where she was. Her consciousness faded, it came and went, and when she came to again, she got onto her hands and knees. Crawling, she saw what she feared; Bane's body lying limp on the ground. His arms were splayed out, one over his chest, the other extended as though reaching for her.

She laid down next to him, her fingers lacing into his. He was still warm, and when she closed her eyes and tuned out the world around them, she could feel the faint pulse of his heart. Darting her eyes open, she managed to sputter out, "Bane?"

"Bría..." he replied, coughing, the blood in his mouth from the impact the massive gun had made on his chest. It was a shock he was still alive, a gaping hole through his vest. It was his vest and mask that kept him alive this long, though he was quickly fading.

She felt his hand tighten around her grip, and then he said, "Who?"

"Talia," replied, resting her head on the ground for it was too exhausting to hold it up and look at him.

He turned his head, though, to look at her. Their eyes met and held steady, even as both of their lives were dwindling like the fight all around them.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"It w-was inev-itable."

"Goodbye, Bría."

"Goodbye," she replied as the light left his eyes, "Bane."

But wait, there's more! There is an epilogue, so hang in there my good friends.