Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any characters created by Bob Kane or Chuck Dixon. This story is based off the trilogy by Christopher Nolan with tidbits of the comics laced in.

A/N: Just so you guys know, I am a very slow updater. Due to working constantly and sleeping at different places every other week, it can be hard for me to update. I'm also still writing another story. But, I hope you enjoy what you read for the time being. Cheers!

Bane

Darkness.

It was what he knew best. He had been trapped in it. Died in it. Reborn in it. When he finally reached the light he was no longer a man but a monster. Sustainable only by anesthetics to subdue his constant pain. That was another thing he knew quite well.

Pain.

He once feared these things. Darkness, pain, misery, hopelessness. That was before he had been liberated. Before he learned that weaknesses can become allies. Let the things you fear become a part of you. Then you can allow yourself to become more than just a man. You can be something else entirely.

Bane found solace in the dankness of the sewers. The echoes of sounds and voices from his men reminded him of the prison. The chasm known as 'Hell on Earth'. There, he discovered the girl that changed his life.

The stuffed bear in his hands was crudely sewn and old as well. Dirt and tears blemished its figure. The straw stuffing was nearly nonexistent. His large finger traced its eye. This comfort toy had once been hers. Back when she was innocent. Before the death of her mother. When she escaped, she left it behind. The days following his violent beating, he found this osito in her old cell. It then became his comfort. Battling through agony and pushing away death, he would grip tightly to the bear and think that it was worth it. The little girl was free. His suffering was worth it.

Little did he know that she would come back for him. Liberate him. Rebuild him. She had her father take him into the League. He already knew how to fight and how to kill. He had murdered his first man when he was only eight. The League gave him wisdom and discipline. It gave him a new perspective on life… and she gave it direction.

Bane doubted that she even remembered the little bear, the osito. She is beyond thoughts of the past, especially frivolous toys. She has become more fierce since her father's murder. She has become driven by a single cause.

"My father deserves retribution."

"Your father hated me."

"Yet you loved me, his daughter. My father was right about Gotham. After assimilating, I discovered how deep its corruption and greed had been running. Gotham needs to be liberated and the Batman destroyed for betraying my father."

"Your father excommunicated me. It is not my duty."

"Edmund…" she was the only one who knew his real name. "I need you. You're the only one I can rely on."

"Sir." the voice behind him stirred him from his memories.

"We have someone for you." the man stated.

Bane's dark eyes traced every scratch and stitch of the osito, not seeing it... but rather the girl it had belonged to many years ago."Why are you here?" his voice contained a touch of annoyance. He detested being disturbed.

The man mistook the question to be directed at the captive, "Answer him!" he snapped.

Bane heard the captive grunt as his worker hit him.

"No…" Bane gently placed the toy under a pile of newspapers. "I was asking you." He stood from his crouching position and turned slowly towards his men and the captive. The men shifted uncomfortably beneath his stare. Before the men could answer, Bane's eyes turned to the captive and glinted with recognition.

"Commissioner Gordon." his voice could be easily mistaken for amusement.

Gordon's face was slick with sweat as he looked up at Bane. He appeared disorientated from what Bane could only guess was a bash on the head. Besides the gash on his forehead, the detective remained unharmed… but that would change soon enough. The confusion was clear in his eyes and, as he took in Bane's size, the fear was too.

Bane's men grew proud of their catch. "We found him slinking around in the tunnels." One said.

He stepped closer towards them and finally placed a heavy hand on the shoulder of the man to Gordon's right. He did not know his name. He did not know any of their names. To learn them all would be unavailing. All of these men were meaningless to him. Men with empty pockets and empty minds were easy to control. It was amazing how effortless it was to make any random man into a loyal soldier. But, they must have been acting sloppy if the police were able to follow them back into the sewers. Bane did not need sloppy soldiers.

"You attacked the Police Commissioner of Gotham… and brought him here?" Bane asked calmly.

His hand gently moved upwards to the side of the man's neck. The man's terror was palpable. He immediately began sputtering an apology.

"I o-only thou-thought-"

But Bane was not in the mood to listen to his denseness. Because of these thoughtless men he would need to kill Commissioner Gordon or keep him prisoner. Then the whole city would be looking for him. They would look where he was spotted last… the sewers. It would force Bane to move the entire operation to a new location which would be nearly impossible at this stage of the plan.

No, he was not happy.

"Do you know what I must do now?" Bane cut across his prattling. His hand slid to the front of the man's throat, applying heavy pressure. He could feel the strained muscle and tendons beneath his grip. He could feel the slick sweat and the scratchiness of his neck beard. The arteries desperately attempted to pump blood. These sensations were all too familiar to Bane.

The nameless man's legs began to kick as his feet left the concrete. Bane raised him up as if he were as light as the osito.

He looked into the man's murky eyes. They looked the same as every other man he killed. Every other woman, child, or animal. No bubble of guilt built in his stomach. No flutter of humanity rang though his chest. Bane watched with small interest as the man's color began to turn dark and the veins in his forehead and temples bulged.

Without a second thought, he jerked his hand and with a resounding CRACK the nameless man grew still in his grasp. A second following, a splash was heard. Bane turned just in time to see Gordon wash away with the river of waste beneath the overpass. He tossed the dead body away from him as the other men pulled out their guns and began shooting. Perhaps two shots connected with the target before he was out of range and sight. The men holstered their guns.

"Find him." Bane ordered passively.

"We don't know where that leads. He could be anywhere!" another nameless man dared to complain.

Deftly, Bane took the gun from the man's hip and held it to his chest.

"Then follow him."

The shot flew the man backwards and over the railing. His body became lost in the rushing water, chasing after Gordon's.

Pilar

The darkness was warm. It wrapped around like a comforting blanket. But all too soon, the warmth was being sucked away into a black hole and the real world began to trickle in through the darkness of sleep. It was the birds she heard first. The chirping of the common sparrows, the hooting from the pidgins, and worst of all the cawing of the crows. The crows came when the buildings blew up. All the bodies that had been left amongst the rubble became a feast for them. As the months went by, so did the garbage. Some days she would watch the fowls compete for their meals and ask herself when it would be her turn to become a feast for crows. But not right now…

Pilar covered her head with the blanket in attempt to block out the noise. Only the top of her messy hair peeked out of the worn out wool. She wanted to go back to warming darkness. It would not be granted to her this morning unfortunately. A sound alerted her that caused her to wake up in fear. She rapidly sat up with her eyes wide and still crusted from sleep. She kept still and listened intently. She heard the sound again and recognized it immediately.

Quickly she wrapped the blanket around her in a veil fashion, allowing only her eyes to show. She skulked quietly to the barred window facing the street. She crept her head up to peak cautiously through the bars. At the bottom of the stoop was a young man sifting through the garbage cans. He was too noisy for his own good. In the wrong neighborhood he would have been jumped already. Her eyes went to the metal bat that rested against the wall beside the window sill. She grabbed it for comfort. The leather grip beneath her palms eased her anxiety of the stranger. She kept her eyes on him until he left.

She exhaled a breath to quiet down her adrenaline before returning the bat to its spot against the wall. Walking back to her bed which had been reduced to a bare mattress on the floor, she dumped the blanket and headed for the kitchen. She stood in the doorway and stared listlessly at the bleak environment. The house had once been filled with many people. Her older brothers, her mother, and her father… Now the only thing that moved around the house were ants and mice… and Pilar.

After Bane desolated Gotham, adapting wasn't too hard for her. She was by no means from a privileged home. Both her parents had to work really hard to put food on the table and support Pilar and her brothers. Most of the time there would be only one meal a day. Dinner. And the portions would be small. So, Pilar was no stranger to hunger or to less than adequate food such as the can of refried bean paste she began heating over the stove.

She could get better food if she wanted. Bane had left one bridge open for supplies and provisions to be delivered by the army. She didn't know where, but at a certain point the cargo would be given to the Revolutionists and they would deliver it to the different quadrants of the city. She scarcely ever went though. It was risky to go out on your own. She was too worried about getting caught in the middle of a riot, being jumped, or followed home.

As a girl on her own, she especially feared men. She cut her hair short and wore baggy clothing to lessen unwanted attention. It seemed to work well enough. She had rather long eyelashes and full lips, but she had a sharp jaw and square chin. It gave her the appearance of a young man, which suited her just fine.

Day in and day out, the most taxing thing she would have to deal with was boredom. Her father's book collection helped a bit. Other times, when her courage was up for it, she would go around the streets finding glass bottles to shoot at with her sling shot. She couldn't deny she missed interaction the most. She had always felt some kind of loneliness in her home though. Her brothers would be harsh and teasing. Fights would always erupt between her and her mother. The only person she felt like she was actually friends with was her father.

She had just arrived home from school when it all happened. She guessed that her mother and father had died during the explosions, or after when trying to get home. Then the riots started and her brothers ran off to be a part of them. They had always had a penchant for pointless violence. They never came back for her. They were either dead… or just didn't care.

Aside from the boredom and the anxiety of being alone, life felt normal. Strange how quickly people could adapt to low conditions.

Today, it so happened, was a day where her courage felt strong. After tossing out her empty can, Pilar grabbed her sling shot and bag of marbles. Before leaving she checked the front door to make sure the lock was holding up, then went and slipped out through the backyard window.

The mannequin wore a sleek black top that ended just below the hips. The eyes followed downward to the shiny leggings it adorned. The color was purple and black, freckled with tiny stars amongst the dark clouds. On its feet were black platform pumps with studs decorating the heels. The mannequin posed in a slimming fashion. Hands on hips, elbows pointed out, knees slightly bent.

Pilar mimicked the stance and tried to imagine her clothes replaced with the mannequins. Months ago she envied any person who could dress this way. The clothing was beautiful and chic. Most of her clothing had come from the Salvation Army. Which wasn't too bad. There were always a few neat things to find that one could throw together to make a very individual outfit. But individuality was not valued. Money was. Status was. When girls wore the clothing like the mannequin had on, some how they all became beautiful and popular. Pilar resented it.

She found a piece of concrete rubble the size of a baseball nearby and chucked it at the window. It shattered and the mannequin fell. She stepped into the display and looked down at the blank plaster face. It was silly really. She still found herself wanting those clothes. But there would be no point to them now… Well, was there ever really a point to them?

No one dared to loot these type of clothing stores. To dress like the rich would mean having the risk of being abducted and taken to the Court. Only the rich, the privileged, and the greedy went there… or so Pilar heard. Bane was allowing the citizens to deconstruct the gap between rich and poor. He was giving them a chance to pull down those who were treading on their shoulders.

Pilar walked away from the store front and wandered down the block.

In a way, she could see the sense in all of this. The so called 'liberation' that Bane had brought. But there were no laws or rules. All the deaths that had come from all of this was not worth it. Everything was chaos and life had become dangerous… and every one was too scared to do anything about it.

She turned a corner and stopped in her tracks to see two teenage boys. They were standing in front of a bus stop bench. On the glass surrounding the bench where there use to be posters about upcoming movies or plays was now covered in black spray paint in the form of the Batman symbol

"These things are all over the city." the one kid said before spitting on the paint.

"Yeah, that asshole is never coming back for us." the other added in.

The one who spat pulled out a spray can from his pant pocket and began to put in his own message. Pilar silently watched as they added a red 'FUCK' above the Batman's insignia.

These people… they don't understand. They wait around for the Batman like religious people wait around for their god to answer their prayers. Why do they need someone to change their lives for them? Why can't they help themselves.? Don't they understand? Any one can be the Batman.

From the bag tied to her belt, Pilar pulled out a marble. She stretched the band of the sling shot and then let loose. She could hear it whistle in the air before making contact with the boy holding the spray paint can. He dropped the can and screamed as he clutched the side of his head. His friend whipped around to see her but she already had another marble ready to be loosed. This one flew and hit the second boy in the throat. As he choked, Pilar kept loosing marbles on the boys. One of which cracked against the first boy's thumb and she spotted the blood immediately. They quickly turned and raced down the opposite end on the street. Crying out, "You asshole!" before going out of view.

Pilar stuffed the sling shot back into her hoodie pocket before stalking over to the bench. One of the marbles had missed the boys and cracked the glass. Right in the middle of the Batman insignia. She sighed before picking up the spray can. It would be best to just cover up the whole thing. It doesn't really boost moral to see 'FUCK BATMAN' all over the city. She shook the can,

"Hey, you!"

She snapped her head in the direction of the voice. The first thing she saw was the gun and she ran. Shooting marbles at teenage boys was one thing, messing with an armed Revolutionist was pure stupidity. She ran as fast as her wiry legs could go. Close behind her, she could hear the heavy footfalls of the man chasing her. She grabbed a handful of marbles from her hip and dropped them behind her. With satisfaction, she listened to the Revolutionist slip and curse.

Her heart thundered and her chest heaved. She made a sharp turn onto another street but her shoulder clipped another man who had been waiting there. She flew sideways from the impact and tumbled into the street. Her hands and knees burned from being shredded by the the pavement but she scrambled to get up.

"Oh no you don't!"

One of them came up behind her and snatched her in a head lock. The harder she fought, the tighter the grip became. She yielded and watched as the fallen Revolutionist walked up to her.

"So I suppose you're one of the little shits that have been painting the city with the Bat symbol? Huh?" he sneered.

"No! It was there when I arrived!"

"Bullshit! Two idiots came running to tell us about you and I caught you red handed with the spray paint." he smiled deviously.

"Supporting Batman means you don't support Bane, by not supporting Bane you support the wealthy." the man accused. "Did you use to be a rich boy, hmm? Living on mommy and daddy's paycheck? Oh, but where are your Oxfords? Where is your pretty white polo?" the man japed.

"No, you don't understand-"

"What do your think we should do with Richie Rich over here, Lloyd?"

The man behind her gave a throaty laugh before deciding, "The Court sounds good to me, Rob."

Terror shot through Pilar so suddenly that it made her feel sick.

"I couldn't think of anything better!" the man named Rob cackled before stooping down and picking up her legs.

"No! I haven't done anything wrong! Let me go! Let me go!"

Pilar began screaming and thrashing but that only made the choke hold worse. She sputtered for air before reaching for a marble from the bag and whipping out her sling shot.

"What the-"

The scream he let loose was terrible but not as terrible as what the close range shot did to his eye. Rob dropped her legs and she kicked him in the face. She had been hoping that the attack would surprise Lloyd and his grip would slack but all it did was become terrifyingly tight. She choked as she attempted to scratch and pull at the arm against her throat. Blood poured between Rob's fingers and down his face as he gripped at his wound.

"You little fucking cock!"

His arm swung and the butt of his gun hit Pilar in the face. The warmth of darkness found her again.

Bane

"Order in the court!"

The crowd continued to roar. Mindless, frothy-brained animals. Gnashing their teeth at the lone figure sitting in the chair. The heavy clapping of the gavel eventually dulled their protesting.

"He should receive death by execution!" a man cried out. His right eye was heavily bandaged but even then there was still blood seeping through.

The tilted desks that once belonged to lawyers, congressmen, and judges were all tossed on top of one another. Beautifully designed and polished so that they all gleamed in the sunlight that poured from the windows. Raised high above everyone else sat Jonathan Crane at what use to be the mayor's desk. His disheveled appearance fitting him smoothly into the disorder surrounding him. The doctor's blue eyes glinted through his glasses as her stared down at the accused.

"As I said before, my good men, we have no name… No family to associate him with and no way of knowing his social status or if he is affiliated with the monstrous industrialists that once plagued this city. For what he did to you, sir-" he pointed at the newly cycloptic man, "-it is a tragedy, but not a crime I can condemn the young man for."

The crowd once again voiced their raving objections. Bane watched with curiosity at the accused. Many people come to the Court expecting death, as they should. For no one has left being claimed 'Not Guilty'. This one was afraid, yes. He could see it in the way the jaw was clenched and the lips tight. The eyes were lost though. The eyes glazed over and lost somewhere else.

"Although…" Jonathan Crane's voice rang out once more and the crowd quieted. "Assaulting another man and defacing public property is no longer a crime in our new society, spreading the symbol of the Batman is. It is a crime punishable by death. Do you have anything to say to your defense, young man?"

The black haired youth was mute. The doctor rested a fist beneath his jaw as he looked down at the young man. With his other hand, he crumpled a paper into a ball tossed it down. It bounced off the top of the young man's head.

"Come now. It's rude to not look at someone when they speak to you. What say you on your crime of supporting the Batman?"

Regardless what the boy said, he was going to be found guilty. The doctor just wanted to make more of a mockery of him. The eyes that had once been glazed over turned dark and hard as they turned upwards. The young man stared up at Jonathan Crane, his face now filled with cold anger.

"I am the Batman." he said roughly.

The entire courthouse was quiet. Jonathan Crane's hand fell from his jaw as he stared down at the boy. Both hands rested palms down as he slowly rose from his seat. A wild laugh burst from him. It's high pitched tones echoed in the hall. Then the crowd joined in the derisive laughter as the young man's face turned red. Bane stood from his seat at the back of the hall. As he walked forward, the laughter stopped as the crowd realized their liberator was in their midst. His hands gripped the lapels of his jacket as he stood in front of the boy. The young man's eyes started at Bane's combat boots, going up and up and up until he was looking into Bane's eyes.

"The Batman…" Bane's voice echoed in the hall. "… was a worthy adversary. A man of strength, vitality, conviction, and morality… however misplaced it all was. You… claim to be this Batman? With a body so small and substandard that I could break your bones by just a mere clench of my fist?" he held his hand out in front of the boy's face and saw his lip quiver. Bane's hand moved forward and tenderly touched the boy's jaw. It was smooth. His fingers skated on the skin of the boy's cheek. It was a cheek that was never burdened by a beard. His finger trailed down and touched the boy's bottom lip… and realized he was no boy at all.

"You claim to be the Batman but you are in fact a young girl." delight was plain Bane's voice as his hand returned to his lapel.

The crowd laughed once again at her expense and he could see her anger growing.

"If you are not the Batman, then where is he, girl? Where is your desperately needed hero? Does he see your little paintings in the streets? Why does he not come for you? Why will he not save you? What must I do to make my message clear? I already disassembled your first idol, the White Knight named Harvey Dent. I released you from the lies that governed you. Stripped the tainted officials of everything they had to allow you to rise up. Yet you still search for an idol. You still search for something to worship." Bane's voice was laden with disgust as he stared down at her.

The crowd continued to laugh but they were the same, but instead of the Batman being their idol it was Bane that took the role. They obeyed his every word. Brainless, abiding soldiers… and Bane was going to kill them all.

"I'm not waiting for the Batman's return!" the girl spoke out. Bane tilted his head as he looked down at her, curious to hear more of her bravado.

"Any one can be Batman. Any one can stand for something great." she declared, her cheeks still red as the humiliating laughter continued. Bane raised a hand and the crowd fell silent once more. He leaned over her so that their faces could be closer. He could see his own horrid reflection in her wide eyes.

"Do you know what I did to your righteous Batman, girl? I broke his body across my knee and left him to suffer and die in a hole. What do you imagine… I could do to you?"

He watched as her jaw clenched up in terror and her eyes glistened. He stood up straight once more and addressed the crowd. His voice boomed across the hall.

"All people with sympathies for the Batman will be brought to Court! Those that idol the Batman wish to resurrect old Gotham. Do you wish to return to tyranny?" the crowd shouted an objection to him. "Do you wish to return to oppression?" another united shout from the crowd. "Then take down these people who wish to abolish your freedoms!" the crowd cheered at his command. Any excuse to shed more blood drove them into a frenzy.

"Shall the verdict be death?" Jonathan Crane questioned from his mountain.

Bane looked up at him and then back down to the girl.

"No… she shall be made an example of in a different manner."

A/N: Ok, so I wanted to give Bane a real name but even in the comics you never find out his first name. His father's name is Edmund Dorrance, so I'm just going to say that Bane was named after his father. Also, another thing from the comics... Osito (spanish for little bear) was Bane's toy when he was a child. Osito had a hole in him and that's where Bane would hide his shiv because that's how badass he is.