A/N: I've had a few complaints about Xander's attitude towards Giles. While Xander is going over the top losing his temper (as he did when he discovered Buffy's behaviour & lies over Angel Season 2 & 3), rather than coolly putting his point, he is right to highlight the double-standard that Giles exhibited throughout the series, favouring Buffy and judging and treating everyone far more harshly than her.

FIC: Faith Wayne (14/?)

Blow after blow thudded into the black punchbag, the bag swinging back and forth as Xander gritted his teeth, sweat pouring off him. Xander stepped forward, catching the bag with a high knee that set its chain to jangling before leaping back out and rocking it with a left hook.

"Um, can we talk Rocky?"

Xander didn't look towards Freddy as he replied, his attention on the swaying bag that was the focus for his anger. "Depends, want to grab a hold," he stepped alongside of the bag and delivered a shoulder-high elbow, "of the bag."

"Not really," Freddy muttered before grabbing a hold, hands planted under the bag as he leaned into it. "So Giles called me about five minutes ago-."

"Oh?" Xander saw red as he rammed a knee into the bottom of the bag, almost lifting it from the former school reporter's grip.

"He said you got the wrong end of the stick." Freddy grunted. "Which I guess is English for you misunderstood."

"I didn't," Xander caught the bag with a trio of fast jabs, "misunderstand. He doesn't trust Faith, it doesn't matter what she does, she'll never be good enough." A right hook smashed into the bag's left side. "You've read Giles' Watcher Diaries right?"

"Um," Freddy grunted as he caught the bag with a body shot, "if the right answer's yes, then sure."

"Well every one of us made mistakes," Xander caught the bag with a hook then danced out and flung an overhead right that dented the bag's canvas. "Buffy and her vampires, running away, trusting Walsh etc, etc. Giles and his Ripper phase, Will with her magical problems, and me and a couple of brain-numbingly dumb spells. But Faith is the only one who was really punished and yet she's still the only one who gets judged for it."

"Maybe," Freddy gasped, "I'm not the one you should be telling this to?"

"Yeah," Xander leapt away after a couple of fast jabs. "You might have a point." Turning, he strode to the changing room, sweat dripping off him.

"Jeez," he heard Freddy muttering behind him, "that'll be a fun conversation."

"So," Faith grinned across the gym mats to her father, "you really wanna take on the champion, old man?"

Her father adjusted the belt on his gi before replying with a stern smile. "I am an expert in a 127 martial arts, I am the champion."

One hundred and twenty-seven martial arts? Faith's jaw dropped and brow furrowed, she didn't know there were one hundred and twenty-seven martial arts much less master them.

It was then she realised her dad was charging towards her. His right exploded against her forehead, knocking her back two steps, only her instinctive heel thrust kick aimed at his chest, forcing her father to back off rather than press his advantage. Faith shook her head clear then leapt into a flying knee to the face.

Pain blazed through her leg when her father sidestepped her attack and caught her with a downwards karate chop to the inner knee. "Shit!" Faith cursed as she landed on the mats, her right leg almost buckling under her. Seeing her father coming in with his own knee Faith blocked his attack on her right forearm. Ignoring the impact running up her right arm, she hooked the underside of her father's knee with her left arm and pulled.

Her father fell, but his back had barely touched mat and he was rolling onto his side and away from her attempted stomp to the chest, and into a crouch, his right fist shooting out to crash into her left hamstring. "Shit," Faith grunted as she once again stumbled. Her hands shot up to grab her father's arm as it looped around her neck, snapping forward at the waist to fling him to the canvas.

"Jeez," Faith laughed as her dad rolled back up into a crouch. "What are you the Energizer Bunny?" Her father smiled and wordlessly cocked a finger at her. "You want more?" Faith grinned before leaping into a shoulder-high thrust kick.

Pain blazed through her shoulder when the Caped Crusader once again sidestepped her attack, grabbed her by her tank-top collar and flung her down to the mat, following that up with a stomp to the chest that Faith partially rolled away from and caught on her shoulder. Faith shook her head as she rolled up and into a crouch, disbelieving dark eyes fixed on her dad. How in the hell could a normal man, even the Batman, hang with her like this?

Even as she struggled to come to terms with her father's abilities, he was coming in again, throwing a right cross that she pulled her head under only to catch a left uppercut on the jaw. Frustration spilt out of her in a growl, firing off a leg sweep that her rival sidestepped while throwing a karate chop at her neck.

Faith smirked as she grabbed her father's wrist inches from her neck, twisted, and pulled it across her body, flinging her dad to the mat. Unfortunately, he also managed to grab her leg at the ankle as he hit the canvas at her feet, and pull it from her.

Faith grunted as she hit the canvas on her shoulders and rolled backwards and through into a crouch, disbelief filling her. Everything she did, he had a counter for.

Time for her to up the ante.

Faith feinted to the right, then lunged to the left, shooting out a hook to the Batman's gut. Her father gasped as the punch connected, but then his side kick cracked into her outer-knee, buckling her down to one knee, and before she could rise, her dad was behind her, one arm cinching around her neck, the other arm grabbing her right wrist and twisting her arm up her back. "Ahhh!" Pain lanced through her arm and Faith's vision blurring from the loss of oxygen as she tried and failed to reach up with her free arm to throw her dad off, but he had all the advantages, leverage, size, positioning. Faith's free hand slapped against the canvas. "Uncle! Uncle!" she wheezed.

Her father released his grip and stepped back. "Do you need a hand up?"

"Nah," Faith struggled to her feet. "I'm like six times stronger than a normal," Faith shook the numbness out of her limbs even as she warily eyed her father. "How did you manage that?"

Bruce smiled back at her. "I'm the Bat, I'm used to fighting people far stronger than a Slayer."

"Yeah," Faith forced her instinctive trepidation of men who could take her in a fight, "so lunch?"

"I imagine Alfred will be able to rustle something up." Bruce stared down at her, a sadness entering his eyes. "Faith, you never have to be frightened of me." Her father turned and strode to the changing room before she could think of a glib reply.

Xander stared at the phone on his office desk for a seeming eternity. This conversation about him and Faith had been building ever since they'd started dating. Ever since then he'd been ignoring Giles and Buffy's silent disapproval, but maybe that was the problem, instead of being the path of least resistance, he should have stood up for himself.

Finally he snatched the phone up, noting his slightly sticky palm, and called up the London's office number from the memory. The phone rang six times before being answered by Giles' icily polite receptionist. "Hello, Rupert Giles' office."

"Hi Rachel," he forced a pleasant note into his voice, reminding himself it wasn't the secretary he was mad with, "it's Xander, can you put me through to Giles."

"Connecting you now."

"Ah, Xander I'm glad you got back to me-."

"Where do you get off acting like some great judge over Faith?" he snapped.

"Son, I assure you-."

"You can assure me all you want," Xander was on a roll now. "You know none of us are lily white. Remember Ripper, Eyghon, and Buffy's Tento di Cruciamentum, remember abandoning Buffy when she came back from the dead? Remember Buffy standing aside while Angelus and Spike went on their rampages not to mention her running away? Remember my dumb meddlings with magic? How about Willow's fall to the dark side? Now why is it Faith's the only one who was really punished for the deaths she caused and yet she's the only one who can't be forgiven?"

There was a moment's silence. "Son, I'm genuinely concerned-."

"And your genuine concern is why," Xander was steaming now, hurt and resentment spilling out of him, "you asked if Faith had spilt her guts about being a Slayer to her father?" In fact Mr. Wayne already knew, but it certainly wasn't down to Faith. "Do you check up on what Buffy's said to her boy-friends-."

"Come now, Xander!" Giles managed a growl. "That's entirely different."

"How? Do you remember Angelus, Walsh, Spike, Ford, etc, etc," Xander pointed out. "Do you remember what a great judge of character Buffy is? Yet you never think to question if she's keeping her mouth shut, but Faith doesn't get even that much trust!" Xander forced his grip on the phone to release slightly. "I was a kid when Faith arrived in town, I didn't know any better and didn't have the financial or emotional resources to help her even if I had known. But you, you were an adult, heck you were her unofficial Guardian for several months, but what did you do? Did you help her find somewhere better to live? Did you try and treat her equally to Buffy? No," he shook his head, "she was always an after-thought. Well it's unacceptable and it stops now, and if you don't like it, you can have both our resignations by the end of the week!"

"Sir? May I come in?"

Bruce finished pulling on his woollen pullover before replying. "Of course, Alfred."

"Thank you sir." The door opened and Alfred strode in. "I understand you were training with your daughter. If I may ask, how did it go?"

Bruce smiled wanly. "She's incredible Alfred, fast, strong, adaptable. Requires more training however." Bruce's smile disappeared. "I beat her, and then she was scared of me, just for a second, as if she couldn't trust me."

"Sir, if I may be so bold, Ms. Lehane has had a terrible life, but it is a life that has tempered her," Alfred said. "I have no idea what attributes if any she got from her mother, but I see the indomitable Wayne will in her eyes. She will be fine." Alfred bowed his head as he backed to the door. "Dinner will be served in twenty minutes."

Bruce nodded wearily, his friend and guardian's words cold comfort. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Sir," Alfred's weathered features parted in a wry smile, "if I may so bold, if your daughter requires more training, she could scarcely be in better hands."

"Yes," Bruce's own smile broadened slightly. "There is that."

"Hey, I've just been going over the roster," Freddy walked in. "And I got this weird phone call from Mr. Giles, he seems to think you're resigning."

Xander didn't look up from his typing. "I'm just writing the letter now."

"But why?" Freddy dropped into the chair opposite him, distress etched across his fellow Sunnydale High alumni's face. "I thought we had a good thing going here! I thought our operation ran well."

Xander hid a grimace at his friend's reaction. "It's nothing to do with anyone here, everyone's great-."

"If the team's so great why do you want to break it up?" Freddy demanded.

"Like I said, it's not you," Xander shrugged. "It's Giles and Buffy, but mostly Giles because we don't have much interaction with Buffy anymore. I'm tired of them not trusting Faith-."

"Why?" Freddy interrupted. "What did Giles say?"

"Well," Xander shrugged, "it's a whole bunch of things, but the straw that broke the one-eyed Watcher's back was Giles questioning if Faith could keep her mouth shut about being a Slayer to her dad." Xander shook his head. "I'm tired of Faith being constantly judged for her past when others seem to get off scott free."

Freddy leaned forward in his seat, the anguish in his eyes replaced by anger. "And what about your loyalty to us?" the former reporter snapped. "The people here don't work for the Council, they work for you! How is what you're doing any better than what you're saying Giles did to Faith?" Xander opened his mouth, but Freddy was on a roll. "And does Faith even know about your resignation?"

Ah, Xander winced inwardly as he realised in his fury he hadn't even talked to Faith. "Look, just give me time to think about this, okay?"

"Sure," Freddy rose, his chair screeching back, "boss."

"Fre-." Xander's voice trailed off as his friend stormed out, door shaking as he slammed behind it. "Ah hell."

"Hey," Faith strode nervously into the long dining room, her father and Timothy Drake already sat at the table.

"Hello," her father rose and pulled out a chair, "please, take a seat."

"Yeah, thanks." Forcing her fluttering nerves under control, Faith sat down.

"You look lovely by the way," Bruce said as he stepped away.

"I'd say."

Faith hid a grin at Tim's muttered comment, obviously the kid didn't realise just how good a Slayer's hearing was. "Sorry Tim?" she affected a puzzled expression, her secret grin widening at the teen's spluttering blush.

Her father, brooding, dark Batman, smirked at her effect on his charge. Not that she blamed the kid, she did look totally hot secretary in her black skirt that left plenty of muscled thigh showing and a milk-white blouse with the top two buttons unfastened giving just a hint of cleavage.

They were mid-way through the main course of roast duck when Bruce dropped a bombshell. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany us on patrol tonight?"

Faith almost choked on her duck, but managed to swallow it down before taking a sip of her coke and looking towards her dad. "You serious?"

"Well, you proved this afternoon you could handle yourself and as a Slayer you're not inexperienced in battle," Bruce said between sips of his drink. "If you want to?"

Faith licked her lips, her dad, Batman wanted her to patrol with him? "I wanna," she blurted out.

"Huh, not to be a wet blanket," Tim broke in. "But Faith's been in quite a few magazines recently, if people see her with the Bat, well they might start adding two and two together."

"Yeah," Faith felt disappointment bite home. "I guess Tim's gotta point."

"Already thought of that," Bruce replied with a slight smile, "I've had Alfred draw up a costume for you."

"Oh boy," Faith choked back a chuckle when Tim Drake started muttering again, "how does he expect me to keep my concentration under these circumstances?"

"Hey Tim," Faith smiled coyly at the boy, "seeing as the Batmobile's a two-seater, can I sit in your lap?"

"We'll make room," Bruce hurriedly replied before Tim could say anything.

"Hey Freddy," Xander forced a smile as he made his way out into his office's reception area and stopped at Freddy's desk, the former school reporter pointedly looking down at his computer screen. "I was thinking about patrolling tonight, seeing as Faith's away, let's tear up the rota and have a night in. Xbox night in the lounge, what do you think?"

"You're the boss," Freddy replied. "For now."

Xander ignored the barb. "Yeah," his cheery tone was sounding more and more false by the second, "I think the girls have been doing great recently, they really deserve a night off."

"I'll put a message through the intercom," Freddy said. "I'm sure they'll be pleased."

Xander opened his mouth but closed it again. There really wasn't anything he could say.

"Oh boy," Tim's jaw hit the floor with an audible clunk when Faith strode in dressed in a black mask covering her eyes and nose, leaving only a gap around the back for her ponytail, a grey spandex one-piece that ran from mid-thigh to just under her a neck with the symbol of a black bat on the middle of her chest, black PVC knee-high boots, and a black, waist-long cape billowing in behind her, "oh boy."

Faith's full lips parted in a cocksure smile. "I look okay, pops?"

"When I'm in this costume, it's Batman," Bruce reprimanded. "And you know you look great."

"Yeah," Faith smirked. "Batman it is. What's the mission for tonight?"

"Five days ago, the corpse of a small-time hood was dredged out of the river," Batman paused. "This man had two very distinctive and unusual things about him, one, all of his convictions took place in Star City. There's no indication that he ever worked in Gotham."

"Maybe he was a member of Intergang," Tim suggested.

"Perhaps, however he was a relatively minor criminal without any unique specialised talents," Batman replied. "So the question is just why he was here."

"Relatives?" Faith suggested.

"He grew up in a Star City orphanage," Batman replied.

"What's the other distinctive thing?" Faith asked.

"He had in his system a very unusual chemical, one the police forensic examiner missed," Batman said before looking towards her and Tim in turn. "One used exclusively by the Joker."

"Oh shit," Faith whistled. This was the big leagues, but then the First, the Beast, and several of her other demons hadn't been kindergarten teachers.

"Yes," Batman nodded. "To judge by the corpse's decomposition it had been in the water for a week, and so I tracked the corpse back by current patterns to where it had been dumped. And I came up with a possible location for the Joker. A condemned warehouse on 12/9th."

Faith swallowed. "How did he get that face anyway?"

It was Tim rather than Batman who answered. "No-body knows not even him, any time anyone asks him about his origin, he comes up with a different story."

"So we gonna do this?" Faith raised an eyebrow.

The Joker giggled manically as he looked around his domain. "Harley, dear." He grabbed his girl-friend by the hair and pulled her into a kiss, crushing her lips with his own and pulling her onto the throne he had set up at the warehouse's rear, his men loading up the two fake security trucks he had at the front of the building. "How is your chemistry going?"

"Oh bang, oh bang, boom, boom!" Harley threw her head back and giggled. "Everything's comin' up corpses, Puddin'!"

The Joker stared affectionally at his girl's pun. Then punched her square in the mouth, cackling as she fell to the ground with a grunt. "That's what I like to hear."

Some primal instinct made him look up, a gleeful giggle escaped him as an all-too familiar shadow fell over him. "Batman."

Forcing away his worries about how his daughter would perform, he and Robin dropped out of the rafters and onto the couple on the pedestal. His downward right caught the Joker square on the jaw, knocking him off his throne. The crazed villain hit the ground on his side, a manic giggle escaping his mouth as he hit the ground, and rolled up into a crouch. "The Bat?" the Joker cackled. "Will this be the night I finally clip your wings?"

Batman smiled as he crouched opposite his greatest nemesis. "Not likely."

"We'll see!" Joker cackled before leaping at him.

Batman nimbly sidestepped the crazy's attack only to catch an elbow to the side of his head that had him seeing stars. Batman gritted his teeth as his rival came in with an avalanche of kicks, punches, knees, and elbows, the madman's unpredictably and inhuman pain resistance only adding to his difficulty as an opponent.

Batman knocked away an attempted headbutt with an uppercut to the Joker's jaw that snapped his rival's head back, then caught him with a rear leg sweep that sent the villain crashing on his back. The Batman was on the Joker before he could move, ignoring the man's flailing limbs to lock his legs around his midsection and his arms around the man's neck, thick sinews writhing and popping as he choked his arch-rival out.

The moment the gangly villain went limp, Batman looked up, heart tight with concern as he searched for his daughter.

"Man," Faith muttered as her motorbike screeched towards the warehouse, lights illuminating its wooden doors, "this is one sweet ride." Faith hit the accelerator and dropped the bike on its side, sparks igniting as she pulled her trail leg up and away from the ground. Wood splintered as her bike crashed into the door and powered through it. The moment she was clear of the door Faith used the momentum to leap off and into a spin-kick that took the nearest thug full in the face, knocking him off his feet and into unconsciousness.

The moment Faith landed, a trio of thick-set thugs charged in, one wielding a carving knife, another with a bike chain, and the third with a brass knuckles. Faith's left hand came up and caught the brass knuckles, her right hand grabbing the chain swinging towards her head. A grin pulled at her full lips as she yanked her right arm across her body and pulled the chain-wielder into the way of the knifeman charging towards her, then finished the chain-wielder off with a kick to the balls that lifted him off his feet before depositing him a groaning foetal ball on the ground.

The knife man jumped around his downed companion, his knife slashing left and right. Faith twisted the brass-knuckler's fist, his scream lost in the crack of his breaking wrist, the man flipping down and onto his side while Faith ducked under the knife and released her grip on the man's fist to leap in and butt the knife-wielder's face.

Except the man somehow managed to lean away from her and punch across his body with his free hand, knuckles crashing into the side of her head. Faith took the punch, grabbed the man's knife wrist as his blade swung in and held it tight, her knee driving up into the man's gut. Except he blocked it on his forearm before attempting a retaliatory headbutt that Faith knocked away with a trio of blurringly-fast hooks to the man's face, bones shattering under every blow. The man fell away, his face a bloody mess.

"You did well Fem-Bat."

Faith grinned, half at her dad's praise and half at her slightly-ridiculous nickname. "Natch."