The Bane of Our Existence [The Dark Knight Rises]

2: A Bit Too Friendly

Bría sat in a warm room, the white leather chairs had flakes coming off of them, but were otherwise in good shape. The bright fluorescent lighting was painful and giving her a minor headache, but she kept a smile on her lips as she waited for her interview. She'd been out of prison for two weeks, and had yet to find work. It made her nervous, but she had a good work ethic.

Beside her was a newspaper, and she grabbed it to keep her busy mind occupied. On the front page she found herself frowning at the headline that was in huge black font there. Paired with a black and white image, it showed a man in his king-sized bed, clearly ill as his face was sunken, but smiling at the camera.

The headline revealed that he had a doctor assist his suicide. The tabloids were all over it, and the article even mentioned the sensitive topic came about at the time of Bría's own release from prison. The doctor, with a lawyer only the rich could afford, got off without any charges, and would never see the inside of a prison cell. The rich got away with what the poor could not.

Bría's hands had clutched the paper so tight that when she released it, the indent remained. She placed it back on the table between the leather chairs and focused on keeping the sour look off of her face. Her sentence had been served, she took it without complaint, and yet someone who had money could get off with nothing.

"Bría Rós?" A woman in a skirt suit held open the door to the office, "Please, come on in."

It was her tone of voice that made Bría think she was not getting this job.

"I'm Allison, pleased to meet you," she said as Bría entered.

"Likewise," Bría replied, smoothing out her thrift store dress pants. She took a seat when Allison gestured for her to sit, in the nicer, more comfortable leather chairs which put the waiting room ones to shame.

"I see you haven't have much work experience in the last few years," Allison began, "And the reference we did phone wasn't comfortable discussing your placement or termination there."

"I can assure you that my work ethic has never been anything but the best I can offer. I'm adaptable, and I work hard."

"Yes, but," Allison sighed, "I spoke with my superiors and while we don't disagree with what you did overall, it was the disrespect for the law and the stigma-"

"With all due respect, Allison, I served my time."

"Half. You were sentenced to fourteen years, you did six."

Bría held her tongue when a harsh retort bubbled up. She nodded instead, and then shakily replied with, "Thank you for taking time to speak to me."

With that, Bría rose from her seat and left. When she returned to Robbie's apartment, she felt defeated and deflated. Robbie was home, and he popped his head out from his bedroom and looked at her seated on the couch. Day after day she had been out looking for jobs, and continued to get the same reactions and denials. No one wanted to take on a criminal, despite everyone in Gotham being some sort of criminal.

"No luck?" Robbie asked.

She looked up at the gracious man who allowed her to stay in his apartment. So far it had been rent free, due to the fact she had no money to her name anymore, and expectation free. But she'd begun to feel a sense of burden in the air.

Shaking her head, Bría leaned forward. "It's impossible, no one wants me."

"Hey, don't think like that." He crossed over the living room and sat down beside her, closer to her than he should have. Their legs brushed against one another's, and he planted a hand on her shoulder in a friendly gesture.

"I'm going to have to become a criminal just to make ends meet," she shifted away from Robbie, just and inch.

He paused, eyeing the gap between them now and then cleared his throat. "There are rumours that there is underground work."

"Underground?"

"Yeah, the sewers."

"I'm not that desperate..." she said, though she wondered how true it was.

"Well, there aren't many other options," he closed the gap in between them again.

Bría rose from the couch and suddenly felt adrenaline running through her. The uncomfortable position that Robbie was putting her in startled her; she had thought of him as a good friend, but it had only been two weeks and already he was trying to take advantage of her situation. She knew that she owed him something, but where his head was at was not right.

"Robbie, I'm not interested in you," she told him outright.

"What the hell, Bría, I'm just trying to be nice!"

Bría widened her eyes, then laughed, "Look, you've been overly generous to me-"

"Yeah, exactly!" He stood up.

"I'll find a way to get you some money, but I'm not going to sleep with you."

He scoffed, "Whatever, Bría."

He left the apartment and slammed the door behind him. Bría let out a breath of relief, then grabbed her jacket and her wallet; she had to find some work, and if that meant venturing into the sewers to find illegal work, she would do it. Anything to get her out of Robbie's apartment, now that things were tense and awkward. She'd pay him back for what she owed him, but she had to find someplace else. 

I decided with Gemma Arterton as the cast for Bría. Thanks Frost101 for helping me decide!