A Life Less Ordinary

Their two extra days turned into two weeks. Bane was deemed unfit for travel as he couldn’t shake the fever that plagued him sporadically.

There were nights that they would fall asleep on opposite sides of the large bed and she would be woken by him tossing in his sleep, sometimes groaning as if in pain. She had learned to turn the light on and hit him with a pillow to wake him when this happened. The first night it happened, she had made the mistake of leaning over to try and wake him by shaking him. He had sat up with a yell, grabbing her by the throat with both hands and choking her until she nearly passed out. She was only able to get away by kneeing him in his broken ribs.

He would become belligerent when she would try to hand him his medication. He slapped her hand away one night, scattering the pills across the room. It was all the medication she had left, so she searched the floor on her hands and knees, collecting them in the bottle. She felt around under the bed for any more pills when her fingers brushed something cold. She pulled out what looked like a round metal compact mirror.

When she revealed it, Bane snatched it out of her hand.

“What is it?” she had asked.

Bane walked into the bathroom and slammed the door. “A Venom cartridge.” he said, returning to the room.

“The experiment stuff?”

He had nodded. “The very same. The old one was nearly empty…I feel that’s why I’ve been unable to shake this fever. This one will last three months.”

“I thought it was only pain medicine.”

He took the bottle of pills out of her hand. “That is only one of its qualities. Its main purpose is to speed up cell regeneration. It also has enhancement capabilities.” he replied.

Isla snorted at the last comment. “Like male enhancement?”

Bane just stared at her, eyes narrowed. “No. Muscular enhancement.”

Isla’s smile had disappeared quickly.



The night before they were to leave, Bane woke with a start, his reflection staring back at him from the mirrored ceiling. He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep. Rolling painfully onto his side, he glanced at the clock. It was well after midnight. He looked around the room, willing his eyes to focus against the brightness of the TV. At some point during her movie, Isla had fallen asleep. She lay in a ball at the bottom of the bed, her arm tucked under her head for support. He sat up on the edge of the bed and reached over, shaking her gently.

“Isla…” he shook her again, more forcefully.

She opened her eyes, blinking a few times before stretching out and yawning.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, sitting up.

“I thought you might want to sleep in the bed properly.” he replied.

Isla stood and walked over to the table, pouring a cup of soda. “Are you not sleeping?” she asked.

He tilted his head from side to side, popping it. “I am ok for now.” he said.

Isla fished a pair of shorts and a tank top out of her duffle bag and retreated into the bathroom. Bane removed his shirt, folding it and laying it on the bedside table. Moments later, she reappeared in pajamas, slightly shocked to see him shirtless in the bed.

She flopped down on the bed opposite Bane, staring at his scarred back.

“How did you get these scars?” she asked. Against her better judgment, she reached over and gently drug her fingertips down his spine. He tensed at her touch.

“It was part of the experiment…” he replied, his voice thick. Her touch was like an electric shock and it took every bit of his resolve to keep from throwing her back onto the bed. The bed shifted as he stood up.

“How do you feel?” she asked, pulling her hair down out of the ponytail.

“I feel…refreshed. My ribs are not as painful.” he replied, sitting down at the table.

Isla laid back against the headboard, now wide awake. “It’s going to take time for them to heal. It’s not like they will be completely healed in two weeks.” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Ah but that’s the good thing about Venom. What takes six to eight weeks to heal, only needs three to four with Venom.” He said matter-o-fact.

“Yeah, yeah. You don’t have to sell it to me.” She said, rolling her eyes.

“How was you movie?” he asked, changing the subject. She shrugged.

“Lame. Predictable.” she said. Bane smirked.

“I thought it would have been pretty scary by the way that you were jumping around.” he said, eyes crinkling.

Isla smiled and laid on her side, facing him.

“Ok so it was pretty creepy. Whatever.” she said, propping herself up on her elbow.

“So…we are going to Canada?” she asked. He nodded, leaning forward in his chair.

“Why? What’s in Canada?” she asked. His furrowed his brow.

“A new beginning…” he said, his hands clenched together.

“Who are you running from?”

He sighed. “No one.”

“How did you get these wounds?” she asked.

“Why are you so inquisitive all of a sudden?” he asked.

“I think that I deserve to know a little about the man who kidnapped me and who I’m now escaping to Canada with.” she said. He narrowed his eyes at her.

“Fair enough.” And he told her everything. Everything about his life in the pit. Everything about him in The League of Shadows, of Talia, of his attack on Gotham.

“I escaped through the sewers and moved under darkness until I found you that night.” he leaned back in his chair.

Isla stared at him, her mouth open slightly as she tried to process his story.

“So you were a mercenary terrorist who willingly endangered thousands of men, women, and children. You fought a bat and were shot by a cat. And you escaped the city and took me hostage and we are going to Canada so you can start over.” She said, sitting up.

“Well…in so many words.” he said.

“And you realize how stupid it sounds?” she asked.

“Be that as it may, it is the truth.” he replied. “I’ve no reason to lie to you.”

“You have no reason to tell me the truth, either.” she said, twirling her hair over her finger. She honestly couldn’t focus on the majority of his story with him sitting before her shirtless.

He sighed and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. “You are insufferable at this time of night.” he said. Isla stood and grabbed her soda from the table.

“Get used to it.” she replied, chugging the remainder of her drink.

“So what is your story?” he asked. Isla leaned against the table beside him.

“It’s not as interesting as yours, that’s for sure.” she said.

She commenced to telling him her story. He never looked away from her as she spoke, taking in the way her long hair fell over her shoulder, and how she was constantly playing with her hands. He listened as she spoke of her childhood up to the day they met.

“Things started to go down hill when I lost my hospital privileges four weeks ago…” she said, twisting her hair around her fingers.

“Why?” he asked.

Isla blushed. “I pulled a foley catheter out of a man’s penis without deflating the balloon.”

Bane couldn’t help but wince at the thought.

“In my defense, he was a convicted rapist.” she said quickly. Bane nodded in understanding.

She rubbed her eyes and yawned. He continued to watched her as she arched her back, stretching her arms up high in the air and he couldn’t contain himself any longer. He stood up and turned her to him roughly. For a moment, he thought she would fight him, but was surprised when she reached up and pulled his mask off.

“We do this…there is no turning back, you understand?” he said, breathing heavily. Isla pressed herself to his chest and slid her hands down to unbutton his pants, causing a low growl to escape his lips.

Kicking his pants off, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back, crushing her mouth with his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him lift her by her hips, dropping her back onto the bed. His lips trailed down her neck and collar bone, then over to her ear. She couldn’t suppress the moan that erupted when he gave it a nip. She drug her nails down his back, causing him to groan and bring his mouth to hers again. He grabbed the collar of her tank top and pulled it violently, ripping it from her body.

She moved her body against his, arching her back, pressing her small frame into his muscle and whining when he seized her by the hips and ripped off her shorts and underwear.

Isla moaned shamelessly, wrapping her legs around his waist again so that her ankles locked at the small of his back allowing him to grind himself into her.

Bane buried his face into her neck as she angled her hips to meet his with every thrust, head thrown back, baring her neck so that the man can't resist and sinks his teeth just under her jawbone, grunting and breathing heavily.

They're both flushed and sweaty, Isla’s body stretched around him so thin that she could already feel the ache that would no doubt be felt deep inside the following day, but it felt great. She was enthralled by the constant motion as they crushed their bodies together, tangled in the sheets. Her nails dug into his skin, and she opened her eyes to see him with his head thrown back in ecstasy, sweat dripping down his neck, and it's so perfect that she feels she might pass out

Pure euphoria was the only way to describe the feeling that washed over her as she peaked, crying out, loud and raw, body shaking more now than ever. She felt him thrust erratically, his hands gripping her hips so hard she could feel the bruises forming, before collapsing on top of her.

For a while, it was as if time had stopped. They lay silently together. She brushed her fingers absentmindedly up and down his arm that was draped over her naked waist. They lay that way for what seemed like forever, neither knowing what to say.

It was Bane who finally broke he silence. “Are you alright?”

Isla nodded. “Mmmhmm…” it was as if she were in a trance.

“And this is what you want…” he said. Isla rolled over and nuzzled her head under his chin.

“No turning back.” she whispered before falling asleep.