I - I can remember, standing by the wall, and the gun shots above our heads. And we kissed, as though nothing could fall, and the shame was on the other side. Oh, we can beat them, forever and ever, then we could be heroes - just for one day.

David Bowie "Heroes"

Title: We Could Be Heroes(5/?)
Rating: R-ish
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Timeline: Season 2 Halloween onward
Pairings: Most canonwise, Xander/Faith
Crossover Material: Assassin's Creed
Spoilers: General BtVS and AC ending information
Summary: After Halloween, Xander finds himself with the knowledge of the assassin Altair Ibn La-Ahad and the decision to either use these new skills to help his friends or not. But not everyone is very happy with that arrangement...

"You can't keep doing this!" exploded Buffy after Xander pulled his hood back, the realization that he was the hunter Altaïr flooring her. "You're…"

"What?" snapped the former Zeppo. "Not a Slayer? You let Willow and Oz fight no problem – even Giles. But, damn, I try to get in on things and suddenly we're being picky?"

The blonde stared at him, saying, "That's not it! You're…normal."

"Normal?!" exploded Xander. "I could kill you in about six different ways right now, Buff – all with one freaking hand. You tell me if that's normal."

Her mouth dropped open and he turned to the rest of the room, saying, "Look, you can't stop me from doing this. But don't make the mistake of alienating me because I'll leave in a heartbeat, no matter how it'd hurt. I won't deal with this bullshit of if you're human you can't fight."

"Xander…"

"Oh suck it up, Red!" snapped Faith, pushing herself away from the wall she leaned against. "You too, B! We need all the help we can get."

Willow glared at her then Wesley coughed, drawing attention to himself. He frowned at Xander and asked, "Ah-hem…may I inquire as to just who you think you are, Mister Harris?"

Faith grinned at the ice the Watcher's tone sparked in Xander's gaze. He took a step forward and hissed in response, "I don't think I'm anything, Watcher. I know exactly what I am and what I can do. Your only choice is to decide whether you fight with me or I keep hunting on my own."

He felt a hint of bile in his throat as he thought about the Watcher's Council. After dealing with the Cruciamentum, he wasn't that fond of the group anymore and was ready to take them on if they tried to the same with Faith. Plus his mind was starting to connect things they had done with those from Altaïr's past and give them connections to the Templars. Which was terribly bad news for them if he needed a reason to stand against them.

"Enough!" snapped Giles angrily as Wesley started to open his mouth again. He frowned at Buffy as she started to protest then turned wearily towards Xander. "I understand why you hid this from us, Xander. And we do welcome the help."

"But…"

"Oh, stuff it, B," snapped Faith. She then caught the blonde's fist on her forearm and heard a blade draw, glancing over at Xander to see his hidden blade out, fingers gripped tightly around it. Shaking her head slightly, she shifted and kicked Buffy away before moving closer to her friend, sneering, "Yeah, that's helpful, ain't it? You really can't stand competition, can yah, B?"

Buffy started towards her but found Xander in the way, his dark eyes cold as he tensed with the blade at the ready. She saw it and took a step back in reaction.

"Xan…"

"Don't," he growled. Turning his head towards Giles, he hissed, "Seems like we can't work together after all."

"You can't just leave!" exploded Buffy. "We…"

His gaze snapped back towards her and the fierce fire in his eyes cut her voice off short.

"You have no idea how pissed I am at all of you right now," he growled. "Particularly you for not telling us earlier about where Faith was staying. Christ, Buff, you really can't stand having help unless its Deadboy, can you?"

The blonde glared at him then he opened his hand, hidden blade sliding back into his gauntlet. She blinked as he turned towards Giles, saying, "You disappoint me too, G-man. Just because Buffy's being a selfish bitch doesn't mean you have to go along with her and cast out Faith."

Looking accusingly over the group he continued, "None of you ever wondered where she was staying or how she was getting by. You just accepted that she was here and she could take care of herself. Or that she was a slut."

Willow winced at that and Faith snorted. Yeah, let Red feel guilty for that one.

Giles nodded slowly, looking downcast. "I offer my apologies for that, Faith. They may not mean much of anything…"

"'Pologies always mean somethin', G," she softly replied. She even smiled at him as she added, "'Sides X thinks nice of you still – can't say the same of the rest. That's gives yah points."

The former Watcher smiled at that then looked at Xander, who was still stonily eyeing the others across the room. He silently marveled at the changes in the young man and regretted that he had gone along with Buffy in trying to push him away as well as ignoring Faith. What sort of fool man was he to try and shove away these two children?

"Deputy Finch has insisted the Mayor is attempting an Ascension," he told the young man. As dark eyes slid towards him, he continued, "We do not know much of it yet, only that previous ones have caused entire cities to disappear."

Xander cocked his head to the side at that then said, "We'll ask around and see what we can scare up from the demons."

"That's my job!" exploded Buffy.

He smiled coldly towards her and purred, "I'm scarier than you, Buff." With that he reached and flipped his hood back up, hiding his face under its shadows again. "We'll be in touch, G-man."

"I look forward to it," said Giles warmly. He couldn't abandon this pair again, he'd decided.

Xander nodded then reached for Faith's hand with his right, the Slayer smiling as she took it. Turning to look over his shoulder, he added, "And don't try to get Deadboy to follow us, Buff. He comes within a mile of my place and I'll gut him."

"He will," chirped Faith. "He really doesn't like your bitch, B."

With that they disappeared and Buffy rounded on Giles, screaming, "We can't let them do this!"

"You care to try and stop them?" questioned Giles with an arched eyebrow. "You have a lot to learn about working with people, Buffy." He then turned towards Wesley and jabbed a finger at him as he growled, "Do not contact the Council about this."

"What is it?" demanded the voice on the other end of the line. Wesley shuddered, glancing around in fear the boy might be there, then turned towards the phone.

"The Harris boy, " he said quickly. "The memories from his Halloween possession remain and I recognize him. He also has the other Slayer Faith with him."

"How?"

"He still wears the same outfit – the Hashshashin."

There was a stunned paused from the other end of the line then the voice demanded, "Which assassin? Is it the one we need? The one that knows the hiding place of the Piece of Eden?"

"I don't know," replied Wesley. He then heard something behind him and turned as a gauntleted fist crashing into his face in a tooth shattering punch. Blood flew in an arc as he fell and then the same hand picked up the phone.

Xander listened for a moment to the ranting British voice then growled, "You're Council."

"You…you are him."

"Yeah, I'm him. And I suggest you stay out of my business."

"The Slayer with you is our business," stated the voice calmly.

Xander scowled and snapped, "Well after your Watchers and other Slayer abandoned her, I'm making her my business. You don't want to anger me."

There was a derisive snort on the other end of the line then the voice hissed, "The Hashshashin are long gone now – there is little one man can do."

"Really?" said Xander slowly. "Try messing with me or Faith or even Giles, and you'll see how little I can do."

He hung up the phone harshly then lunged down at Wesley, hauling the unconscious Watcher upright. Sneering he hefted the limp body over his shoulder and headed for a crypt he'd cleaned out a few nights ago.

The Council's man had a few things to explain.

And he wasn't at all against torture to get the answers he wanted.