Watch the World Burn
Chapter Six
When Bane returned, we were almost ready to land. I spent much of the rest of the flight staring out the window. It's astounding how boring the ocean can become after spending over five hours staring at it from the sky. It was just a constant…well, sea, of blue. The flying itself also lost it's novelty by the time the plane reached America. I felt so confined. After spending years being able to go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted, this felt suffocating; a luxurious captivity.
"I do apologize for that," Bane said, coming back through the curtain to the front of the plane. I didn't turn around from where I was staring out of the window, feeling excitement growing in the pit of my stomach. We were over America, the land of opportunity.
"Welcome to America, little one. We should be landing in another hour," He stepped up behind me, staring out the window with me. I felt myself automatically tense up. Bane was quite large and scary, and his breathing was right in my ear which was quite unnerving. He was also now wearing what appeared to be a large, sheepskin coat with the collar turned up, over his vest. As soft as the jacket itself was, it did not do anything to make him appear any less frightening.
"What's Gotham like?" I asked, side-stepping away from Bane. He chuckled.
"Gotham is the heart of America. It is full of crime, corruption and poverty," I felt let down by his answer. That was not how I pictured America, or Gotham. I imagined shining buildings, stretching up to the sky, everyone driving nice cars, smiling at each other. That was how the Farmer explained America to me. He had wanted to take his wife there, once he made enough money. He never did.
"Then why are we going there?" I asked, "What are you even doing? Why do you have 'men' like some mob boss? Is that what you are?" I took a step back. Bane had suddenly gotten a look in his eye and I knew it was not a good one.
"I am Gotham's liberation," He said dangerously softly.
"What-what does that mean?" My voice cracked a little. He had suddenly gone from a caring host, to a frightening monster. I took another step back.
"You will find out, when we get there. For now, however, enjoy the rest of the flight," Bane said, turning around and striding to a chair on the other side of the plane. He sat down, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. And he did not move, at all. If it wasn't for his breathing I would have thought he was a statue.
I watched him, scared and curious. This was so unexpected, I must have hit a nerve. It was amazing how he could suddenly turn from the man who had saved me, to a dangerous monster. I had seen a new side to him.
Soon, however, we were getting ready to land. I sat back down on the couch. We were over the city now; out the window I could see the tall buildings the farmer told me about. It looked so perfect from far away, I couldn't imagine a place like that filled with such corruption and crime like Bane told me.
We flew over the city. I had imagined that we were going to a large airport, with many planes coming and going and many people talking in different languages. But no, instead we flew away from the city, to the outskirts where large fields and farms were. I wanted to ask Bane what we were doing, as we headed down, but he was still unmoving, his eyes fixed on some point on the floor. We were going to land in a very large field, I could see it up ahead. We were getting lower and lower to it. That was when Bane stood up, so suddenly that even from the other side of the plane I jumped a little.
"I will come get you once we land. Before that, stay here," He said, once again leaving through the curtain to the front of the plane. He sounded cold, like a forced calm. I let him go without saying a word. I did not want to make him any more upset than he already, clearly, was.
We landed without a hitch, bouncing along the field until we slowed to a stop. I sat patiently on the couch, wondering what was going on in front. I really wanted to get off the plane, step foot on America, but I waited until finally he came back.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
"I do apologize for that," Bane said, coming back through the curtain to the front of the plane. I didn't turn around from where I was staring out of the window, feeling excitement growing in the pit of my stomach. We were over America, the land of opportunity.
"Welcome to America, little one. We should be landing in another hour," He stepped up behind me, staring out the window with me. I felt myself automatically tense up. Bane was quite large and scary, and his breathing was right in my ear which was quite unnerving. He was also now wearing what appeared to be a large, sheepskin coat with the collar turned up, over his vest. As soft as the jacket itself was, it did not do anything to make him appear any less frightening.
"What's Gotham like?" I asked, side-stepping away from Bane. He chuckled.
"Gotham is the heart of America. It is full of crime, corruption and poverty," I felt let down by his answer. That was not how I pictured America, or Gotham. I imagined shining buildings, stretching up to the sky, everyone driving nice cars, smiling at each other. That was how the Farmer explained America to me. He had wanted to take his wife there, once he made enough money. He never did.
"Then why are we going there?" I asked, "What are you even doing? Why do you have 'men' like some mob boss? Is that what you are?" I took a step back. Bane had suddenly gotten a look in his eye and I knew it was not a good one.
"I am Gotham's liberation," He said dangerously softly.
"What-what does that mean?" My voice cracked a little. He had suddenly gone from a caring host, to a frightening monster. I took another step back.
"You will find out, when we get there. For now, however, enjoy the rest of the flight," Bane said, turning around and striding to a chair on the other side of the plane. He sat down, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. And he did not move, at all. If it wasn't for his breathing I would have thought he was a statue.
I watched him, scared and curious. This was so unexpected, I must have hit a nerve. It was amazing how he could suddenly turn from the man who had saved me, to a dangerous monster. I had seen a new side to him.
Soon, however, we were getting ready to land. I sat back down on the couch. We were over the city now; out the window I could see the tall buildings the farmer told me about. It looked so perfect from far away, I couldn't imagine a place like that filled with such corruption and crime like Bane told me.
We flew over the city. I had imagined that we were going to a large airport, with many planes coming and going and many people talking in different languages. But no, instead we flew away from the city, to the outskirts where large fields and farms were. I wanted to ask Bane what we were doing, as we headed down, but he was still unmoving, his eyes fixed on some point on the floor. We were going to land in a very large field, I could see it up ahead. We were getting lower and lower to it. That was when Bane stood up, so suddenly that even from the other side of the plane I jumped a little.
"I will come get you once we land. Before that, stay here," He said, once again leaving through the curtain to the front of the plane. He sounded cold, like a forced calm. I let him go without saying a word. I did not want to make him any more upset than he already, clearly, was.
We landed without a hitch, bouncing along the field until we slowed to a stop. I sat patiently on the couch, wondering what was going on in front. I really wanted to get off the plane, step foot on America, but I waited until finally he came back.
"Are you ready?" He asked.