'Dr Pendragon!' The butler of Wayne Manor and Bruce Wayne himself was smiling at me, holding the door open for me.

'Hello, Alfred.'

'Come in,' he stepped back, and this time took my coat. 'He's down in the cave.'

'Then that's where I'm headed,' I grinned and strolled through the manor.

Bruce was fiddling with equipment when I got down. He looked up at the sound of my heel-booted footsteps echoing off the dry stone.

'Evelyn! Good! I need your help with this; you built the damn thing, how do I get these-,' he held up a bat shaped shuriken, 'to fit into the belt?'

'How many are we talking?' I asked, stooping to put my bag down.

'As many as you can.'

'As hard as possible then,' I groaned, thinking of the challenge already.

Bruce continued shaping them until Alfred came down. Each one he'd throw at the wall next to where I was working, saving him the trip. He held the next finished one up to show Alfred.

'Why bats, Master Wayne?' the butler asked patiently.

'Bats frighten me.'

I looked up for a moment.

'It's time my enemies shared my dread.'

I could tell Alfred was smiling. Bruce threw it to the wall, only this time I shot my hand out at the last second and caught it in a block of wood. He raised his eyebrows; I hadn't been watching it.

Alfred left a couple of minutes later.

'So, busting Falcone tonight?' I asked, trying my hardest not to break the belt as I wrestled impatiently with it.

'Yep.'

'Do you want me to come along?'

He looked up, taking the metal, now half a bat, away from the grindstone. 'What?'

'Do you want me to come?' I repeated.

'It's too dangerous.'

'Has anyone told you that?' I replied, deadpan.

'Yes, but I ignored them.'

'There you are. Bruce, you're taking on a whole city, you're going to want as much help as you can get. It's not just your city.'

'You weren't born here.'

'And you've been away seven years. Listen,' I changed my weight, turning to face him, 'it's time to fight back. Now I said I'd help you, but never did I specify that I'm going to sit here on comms finding you a place to hide the Tumbler. I could design a computer to do that. I'm not standing back.'

'No. Look, it's amazing I've even let you down here when I've known you a few days. I trust you, I do, but that doesn't mean I trust you in combat. And it definitely doesn't mean I trust you to be able to hold your own. It's too dangerous.'

'So you want proof?' I asked. I stood up and pulled off my jumper. He frowned. 'Come on, then. Show me dangerous.' I waved a hand in front of me, beckoning him.

Cautiously, like dealing with a deranged man in a bar with a bottle of vodka he stood.

I tapped my foot on the ground as I waited.

He took a few steps toward me, but then stopped. 'Why should I?'

'Hey, you were the one complaining,' I grumbled, and launched at him.

His eyes widened and his arms shot out to catch me, going gently on my shoulder and waist, taking me easily for granted. But there was a lot more force behind me than he'd estimated and his arms were sent back. So he had to twist me around to stop me smashing into him, pulling my back lightly against his chest, still trying to be gentle. I sent an elbow into his stomach lightly, as condescendingly light he was being.

That made him pay attention and he pulled me tightly against his chest. I sent my head back, knocking into his. His balance was thrown backward as his head was and in that moment I threw my weight backward and Bruce stumbled.

Now, here, he could either let go of me to save his balance and prevent him crashing, or he could risk a back injury but keep me restricted. He chose to do the latter. But he did turn on his shoulder, making sure to miss the table and crash to the ground. After he absorbed the momentum, he immediately rolled over, attempting to pin me with his weight. I threw my hands out from under me to the sides, though my upper arms were pinned down in Bruce's grip. His arms were thrown about as he held onto his wrists, keeping his arms around my mid-torso. Turning my face to the side so I could breathe I gave a spilt second before twisting my lower half, sending my knee incredibly forcefully into his inner thigh, causing him to instinctively pull it away. I pushed one arm backward and rolled over. Bruce's back was now touching the stone and I grabbed his wrists, slipped my hands underneath and prized his arms apart with enough sudden force to spring off of him, crouching in front.

He pulled himself up but as he was correcting his balance I put my weight on my hands and released my legs like springs. I sent him toppling over again. Because of the change in situation, I could choose where my arms went to finish this. One arm pinned down each wrist, one shin horizontal over his thighs just above the knees. He blinked in surprise and I put all my weight down. He glanced at either wrist, then down at his legs, then let his head fall back in defeat.

'I believe you.'

I chuckled and vaulted off of him.

'Remind me not to get on your bad side.'

I smirked happily and went back to work. 'I'm not sure I'd want to be on yours,' I responded.

I was putting something on a shelf, when an arm snapped itself around my torso, the other one reaching to grab my hand. I put a foot on the wall, then another and before Bruce could get his other arm around my torso to stop me, I'd put my other foot higher on the wall and flipped straight over him.

'I'd knock you out with a blow to the head,' I said, 'but instead I'll just…'

He tried to turn, but my foot met his back and he was pushed against the wall.

'Alright, alright,' he laughed.

'I'll come along, then. Docks?'

He nodded. 'You don't have a suit.'

'No, but there'll be spares at work. I'll adjust one to fit me tomorrow.'

He sighed, nodded again and gave me a look I knew meant; "Be careful."

I quirked an eyebrow in reply and began packing his gear.

'We've no idea how many men will be there,' he said, stretching his shoulder.

'Well, you did say as many of these as possible.' I tossed a bat at him. It spun lazily through the air.

He tossed it back in the same way. 'If you can get them to fit. What are you going to wear now, then?'

'Well, I should be alright with my dark jeans and black boots… but I'll get my black jacket from my car.'

He nodded. 'Be careful.'

'You've said that.'

Not having a mask, or a suit, I let Bruce handle most of the operation at the docks. As soon as he took out the lights, having already taken out half of the men, I moved through the shadows, carefully. I heard a disturbed yell a moment later; clearly Bruce had gone for the upside-down-spring-like-an-actual-angry-bat routine. That was theatricality to the extreme, if you asked me, but I wasn't complaining; it was a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

A man swept past me and I stuck my leg out and hit him in the back of the head and nape with my palm before he'd even yelped, or perhaps even registered he'd tripped.

My head snapped up when I heard gunfire and I made sure I was completely out of sight. I saw the officer getting out of the car and waited for Falcone to. All around, men were dropping like flies in spray. Whenever they ran too close to me, they'd be down a moment later. I edged around the shipping containers and watched from afar as a man held his gun like it was a lifeline, which to me was a little ironic. He went one way, shot a bit, then another.

'WHERE ARE YOU?!'

From my point of view, I could see Bruce lowering himself upside down, bat-like again.

'Here.'

I broke into a fit of silent laughter as the man yelled in a very deep and manly screech. Then Bruce dropped down into the ring the rest of them had created by their stupid truck and I heard Falcone exit his car. I slumped in and knocked out the driver, making sure he stayed upright and flew out again. I climbed up a shipping container and when only two men were left, I jumped down on one of them, protecting my identity and making it very simple for Bruce to take down the last one.

He turned to me when all was silent. 'You got the car?'

'Of course,' I shrugged.

He nodded and walked over. I stepped back into the shadows. Bruce, meanwhile, thrust a fist through the sunroof of the car and pulled up Falcone, who was brought face to cowl with the most terrifying man in Gotham.

'What are you?!'

'I'm Batman.'

His eyes widened with fear and Bruce knocked him out. I admired the way his cape flew behind him, Lucius' brilliant handiwork, for a moment before turning to start tying up all the idiotic dealers, being sure to break their guns.

'I didn't see you going into the car,' he said after he'd tied Falcone to a light.

I switched the light on. 'You were probably too busy taking down the morons.' I hopped down to the ground after giving Falcone a couple of pats/slaps on the unconscious cheek. 'You heading home?'

'No.'

I raised an eyebrow.

He turned around and leant on a shipping container. I chuckled slightly; there being no one around he could act normal rather than standing with as much posture as a pole, though out of habit he kept up the gruff voice. 'They're going after a friend of mine, Rachel Dawes. She's a DA.'

'I've heard of her. How do you know her?'

'Childhood friend.'

I sighed, acting disappointed. 'I would have loved to hear the words "childhood sweetheart" said in your gruffer tones,' I shook my head.

'Funny.' He looked over the surroundings and my eyes lit up as I found another way to tease him.

'Oh my god, you are!'

If I could see his eyebrows it'd be unnecessary as I could tell he was frowning. His head, or rather torso, considering he couldn't turn his neck, swung back to peer at me. 'What?'

I blinked at him.

'No.'

'You sure?' I said, lifting my voice into a high pitch.

He blinked. 'Very.'

I sighed. 'Seriously?'

The supposed frown deepened past simple confusion to add suspicion. 'No.'

I groaned. 'That would have been so cute and sickeningly perfect!'

He blinked. 'What?'

I put on a theatrical voice. 'Man returns to fight back for his city, heroically against those that stole it for crime! And there's the childhood sweetheart, not knowing who he really is, seeing only one side of him!' I put my hands up over my heart, still playing it up. 'Until she finds out who he is and that the other half was there all along!' I gave a single mocking sob.

'… … … … … Are you done?' There was amusement there, amongst the gruff deadpan.

'Never,' I teased, beginning to walk away from the tied up dealers and Falcone.

He set off and thundered along the route. 'And what about you?'

I gasped, falling back into melodramatics, fully aware of how childish I was being. 'A beautiful young woman who's sought for every street she walks on, with her own insecure sweetheart waiting for her every night when she brings home the money and the stresses of her –genius- job! Falls into a team with said hero-vigilante. But it just a team she falls in? She makes her sweetheart at home worried!' I deepened my voice. 'Is she seeing another man? Will she survive? Will she realise that,' my voice returned to the previous high pitched mocking, 'it doesn't matter how hard she fights for her city; what matters most is her cute, loveable sweetheart that's always waiting for her at home?'

Bruce was silent, probably stunned into. He was barely blinking.

I scoffed. 'I'd sooner hang upside down with your bats.'

His silence was broken and he laughed. 'You're not being serious, are you?' he teased.

My voice was normal. 'About what? The bats?'

He gave me a look.

'Alright, alright, childhood playground's over. Where's Rachel Dawes?'

'She'll be on a train. Falcone's men will be waiting at her station. I need to give her these photographs.'

'We'd better get going, then.' I opened my car.

Bruce slipped into the back and took off his cowl.

'Nice eyeliner,' I said, an unconvincing tone gracing the car.

'Funny,' he said, looking far more boyish without the permanent scowl.