Speak of the Devil

10:30 PM

He didn’t leave the diner without telling me to bring a medical kit.

“It’d be wise to not anger him.”

“Who?”

“Bane.”

Bane… That must mean that Talia is near…

As I walked to my apartment, I quickly assessed why Bane would want me. Clearly, my medical skills would be of use to him. I did help him with his mask when Ra’s al Ghul called me in from school.

But he could have anyone he wanted.

“Why me?” I asked Barsard. He seemed perplexed, as if he didn’t know the answer to that.

“Honestly, I have no clue. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

10:45 PM

Well that helped a lot. I took the stairs two at a time and arrived at my apartment. Selina was out, as expected. But my other roommate was sitting in the make shift bedroom in the living room.

“How was your shift today?” she turned to look at me with a purple eye.

I didn’t grimace like most people would have. Instead, my feet carried me to the place we store the first aid kit. Making my way to her, I pulled out a syringe filled with anesthesia.

“To answer your question, it was terrible,” I sat across from her and slapped her in the face. She looked astonished at my action.

“Focus on the slap while I jab a needle into your eye.”

“Wha-“

The syringe was sent into her temple to numb the pain before I began stitching it.

“The people of Gotham get more and more reckless with each passing day. It’s as if they’re trying to kill themselves.”

I finished stitching and cut the thread. There was nothing left to do until an hour after midnight, so I took a well deserved nap.

**

My little Natalia, you’ve grown so much.

**

I woke up, drenched in sweat. My mother, someone I have no memory of, was in my dream. I knew she was my mother by our eyes. Our identical eyes bore into each other as the world around us crumbled to pieces.

12:26 AM

“I guess it’s time to go.”

Grabbing a black pea coat and slipping on a pair of jeans, I walked out of the apartment with the intact medical kit. No use in hiding if I get caught. I’m just a citizen, going to meet Bane…

“Where the fuck do I go now?” I asked myself out loud. Barsard hadn’t specified where to meet him, but knowing Bane…

“He’s going to want a place no one would go to,” reasoning with myself, I deemed the sewers the best hiding spot.

I lifted the lid off and jumped in, boots hitting floor.

“Oh my god, this place has the stench of decaying carcasses and the aroma of foul beasts.”

I walked forward, having no idea where to go.

12:49 AM

“Where am I?” I sighed and leaned against the wall. That’s when I heard the construction noises coming from the hallway over. Such a strange place to build something…

“Who are you?!” A man pointing his gun yelled.

“I’m here to see Bane-“

I didn’t even get a chance to finish my sentence. How rude of him. I jammed my palm into his jugular to cut off his oxygen supply. It should render him completely useless.

“Never interrupt a young lady,” I bent over and picked up his gun, seeing as he won’t be needing it anymore…

12:57 AM

I walked towards a gated area, filled with men building and others guarding. All of them were clad in soldier gear, from camouflage pants to bullet-proof vests. Bane is here somewhere…

“Ah, glad to see you found this place on your own.”