"What are you up to now, mister?" Buffy asked suspiciously.

This same distrustful mood was clearly evident on the others' faces also part of the small group gathered on the apartment rooftop, even in the vicinity's near-total gloom just past midnight at Gotham City.

"Who, me?" replied Xander, accompanied by his own most innocent expression which only further made Buffy, Faith, Vi, Rona, and Dawn eye him with increasing skepticism. The latter was the next to speak.

Dawn huffed, "Yeah, you! What'd you mean, just play along with whatever happens when El Hombre Murcielago flutters by? And what's with the Spanish, anyway?"

Xander snickered, "You really think anybody can say that exact name with a straight face besides the people who live here? I mean, c'mon, Batman? I had a hard time taking the whole thing seriously the first chance I heard about who's supposed to be Gotham's baddest hero. Everything else we got told, it didn't help either."

Sharing a glum look, the rest of the New Council's senior membership admitted Xander definitely had a point there. Several months after Sunnydale's destruction, their supernatural organization finally located and enlisted all the young women empowered worldwide by Willow Rosenberg's Slayer activation spell. The New Council then began setting up combined Slayer/Watcher/Staff teams throughout Earth's major cities, only to encounter in these what Buffy promptly dubbed 'the costumes and capes crowd.'

Fortunately, there were other magic-users as part of these assorted superhero groups who were quite familiar with the Slayer tradition, even though they'd been surprised (and impressed) as anyone else by Willow's tremendous feat of enchantment. Contacting the New Council to find exactly what was going on, those magic-users of the Justice League received in turn some very pointed questions asked by the former Sunnydalers, such as why none of them ever visited the Boca del Infierno in order to help out the Scooby Gang trying to prevent the latest apocalypse.

It'd been patiently explained to the annoyed New Council that any sensible mage, of either the white or black sort, usually stayed as far away as possible from the various Hellmouths which appeared throughout humanity's history. There was too much risk of being mystically corrupted by that dimensional nexus' unearthly energies, along with getting physically attacked by the vampires and other demons attracted by these same eerie forces.

Apparently, the formerly human sorcerer known as Richard Wilkins who'd founded a small oceanside town over the California Hellmouth in 1899 still managed the near-impossible of harnessing these same energies, using them to power what the Scoobies eventually dubbed 'Sunnydale Syndrome'. Not only did this mental spell make the citizens of that location typically forget all the weird and fatal occurrences taking place nightly, it also subtly affected people much further away.

This included even the Justice League's most powerful magical heroes such as Doctor Fate in his several incarnations up to the present. He, like the others of his type, paid little attention to the Hellmouth since it didn't seem to be that dangerously active and they had more pressing matters to attend to, after all.

Even when Wilkins died during his attempt at ascending into a pure Olvikan demon, his spell of forgetfulness persisted since this was now part of the Hellmouth itself, perhaps explaining why the Scooby Gang themselves never tried afterwards to seek superhero aid from outside Sunnydale. It was only when Sunnydale collapsed into a crater, taking out the Hellmouth with it in this disaster, that the New Council and such teams as the Justice League at last became aware of each other.

Buffy and the others received this new information with rather mixed feelings. It was somewhat of a relief to find out none of their small group then were at actual fault for not actively trying to get somebody to lend a hand in combating the First Evil. There was also the fairly unsettling point that this preoccupation might've caused over the years the Scoobies' growing tensions and emotional drama among each other driving them apart.

In between advising on how best to deploy their guardian teams around the globe, the Justice League additionally put the New Council in touch with their own medical professionals from the Watchtower who could help provide psychological counseling. These therapists were familiar enough with superhero angst; it wasn't all that much of a stretch to listen to their new patients thankfully vent about having to save the world from demons and other monsters lurking in the shadows.

It wound up with everyone on either side developing a quite satisfying working relationship to achieve their mutual goal of protecting humanity. However, things swiftly went strange when the New Council proposed putting a SWS team into a certain East Coast city. The Justice League's representatives visiting Cleveland at the time of this meeting — the Flash, Green Arrow, and Captain Atom — paused to glance at each other with quiet consternation, leaving their hosts intrigued about what had just gone off-kilter in the previously accommodating conversation.

Over the next few minutes a reluctant confession had been made by the Leaguers about one of their founders who hadn't yet been encountered by the New Council. The Scoobies listened with increasing bogglement about Gotham's protector that at every ensuing colorful description sounded like someone who especially should've taken full advantage of the JL's psychologists.

There was the name, for starters. Not to mention how often the words and phrases of 'paranoid', 'obsessive', 'secretive', 'control freak', 'territorial beyond anyone's belief', and 'leather fetishist of the first rank' were then mentioned.

(Among the fascinated New Council listeners, Faith appeared for some reason to perk up quite a bit at hearing the latter.)

The discussion then ended with the JL representatives strongly suggesting setting up a preliminary engagement with the Batman wholly on his terms before the New Council went any further concerning Gotham. Taking this warning advice in the mindful spirit of which it was offered, Giles did as he'd been directed through the League go-betweens. They soon received a curt, cold reply instructing a limited number of necessary people to appear at a certain time and certain location in his city where the Batman would deign to make himself known to them…probably.

Grumbling about the whole ridiculous situation and not feeling any particularly liking for the totally unreasonable guy forcing them to do it, the New Council chose among themselves over who'd go to Gotham. In the process, they became even more convinced by the minute that it'd turn into a complete train wreck.

Xander Harris had not only thought the same, he'd obviously done something beforehand about it. That led to his friends on the Gotham apartment rooftop warily regarding him after what he'd just said, all while waiting and waiting for some dude dressing as a flying rodent to finally show up.

"Look, I just think enough's enough. Anybody with such a swelled head that he feels he's the freakin' king of this place deserves to be taken down a peg or two. We let him run roughshod over us, we'll never be able to do our job here properly without him interfering. He doesn't respect us? Fine, let's not show him any respect either."

"Dunno what yer up to, but I'm awready likin' it, boytoy," grinned Faith.

Buffy shot her sister Slayer a disapproving glower, noticing how Rona, Vi and even Dawn seemed to agree with Faith. Not really too happy about obliged to be the adult in the room, Buffy nonetheless argued, "Shouldn't we at least hear him out first? It might not actually be so bad, hashing out our differences in advance so we can work together effectively."

Xander's eyebrows lifted skeptically when he regarded Buffy. "You really think that'll happen? Even after all the stories we heard from the Flash and the rest, how he treats them like little kids when they're personally more powerful than him and have just as much heroing experience? But…yeah, okay, he gets one chance. If Mr. Batman drops in on us in a polite, civilized manner and stays the same way throughout, I'll behave. On the other hand, he tries his usual scary appearance gag, the advance birthday present I got from Wils is gonna make him really regret it."

Everyone else blinked at hearing that, with Dawn saying the first thing which came to mind, "Your birthday isn't until next month!"

Stealthily climbing up the apartment building's outer front wall, the Batman finally got within earshot of the New Council interlopers he'd been keeping under observation for the last hour from his hideout across the street. Once satisfied as much as he could ever be that this wasn't some sort of trick or trap, the Caped Crusader used his rope-grapple to swing through the air, clinging to the wall he'd targeted.

Those strangers from the supernatural community, they were currently…arguing about losing the chance for a surprise party? If he was ever the type to actually roll his eyes in exasperation behind the white slits of his bat-cowl, Bruce Wayne would've done so now. That ludicrous event made the Batman even more determined to lay down the law for Gotham's newest visitors who'd be drilled on how to properly toe the line for their resulting stay in his nighttime domain.

He never much liked magic anyway, and such unprofessional amateurs at this who dared to presume they knew better than he how to defend Gotham needed to learn right away who was in charge here. A sudden, terrifying emergence from the shadows should accomplish this quite nicely…

Slipping over the roof edge into the concealment created by the building's air conditioning equipment booth, the Batman made his final preparations before revealing himself: tugging at his cape to cause it to fall into a properly dramatic sweep, making sure the helmet spikes were high and straight, and tighening his lips into their most fearsome scowl. All while those young women out there in front of the AC booth continued to yell at someone named Xander.

Performing a swift sideways step, the Batman moved into the shade cast by the booth in what dim light there was, prepared to wait until the most perfect moment—

Four of the females gathered in a semi-circle before the only other man there were gazing right at the Batman, almost as if they'd already known he was there and could easily see him despite the lack of illumination. Only the youngest girl was looking towards a supposed Xander…who himself then noticed how everyone else was staring over his shoulder.

Turning around, Xander looked at the Batman directly in the white eye-slits from only a foot away, and then reacted as just as any normal person would've. That is, Xander screamed in absolute fright, "YAAAHHHH!"

Next came a hurried clutching at his chest with both hands, followed by Xander's horrified face contorting into an agonized grimace with his remaining eye slamming shut. This was finished off by Xander toppling backwards, not in the usual boneless crumple but in a stiff-as-a-board posture that made him actually bounce once when he landed onto the apartment roof.

When he came to rest, from between Xander's fingers still clutching at his heart a tall white lily instantly sprouted, accompanied by an incongruous Zoink! sound.

The startled group then jerked up their faces to gape at an unexpected beam of golden light coming from overhead, falling onto Xander's body. This was supplemented by an angelic chorus trilling from out of nowhere.

The grand finale consisting of a translucent image of Xander clad in a pure white robe, feathered wings emerging from his back, and a shining halo, arising from his body while strumming on the small harp he was holding. Drifting upwards to just over head level and then stopping there, this evident spirit was disbelieving gawked at by the Batman—

"You killed Xander."

The Batman looked over at where the diminutive blonde who'd just said that with tears in her eyes and her face crumpled in furious grief, all of these directed solely at him. Of course, he couldn't possibly know that both the tears and the scrunched-up face were caused by Buffy struggling not to explode with overpowering laughter through this accusation.

Also sharing that vast hidden mirth with an equally faux-anguished expression, the taller brunette by the blonde's side growled towards the Batman a bitter threat, "Yeah, an' yer gonna pay for that!"

Acting as one, the two women rushed towards the Batman with clear violence on their minds, skirting along the way the corpse of Xander Harris frightened to death tonight by the Dark Knight.

An incredulous Batman not knowing what else to do but get away and then figure out what'd really happened did a hasty backflip which sent him over the apartment roof edge, falling towards the ground. Bringing out his rope-grapple with matching speed, the Batman shot off the grapple at the top of the other building across the street, connecting with the grapple hook to allow him to swing over there into the side alley.

Glancing behind, the Batman saw his pursuers hadn't had any problem about also jumping off the four-story apartment building, landing onto the sidewalk with no problem or injuries, and next running with superhuman speed after him.

The Batman soared over the alley's wooden fence, retracted his grapple and made his own touchdown on the asphalt before immediately taking to his heels. That fence should delay the women for a few seconds in finding a gate or climbing over it—

With an immense CRASH! noise, the blonde at the forefront of the chasing pair ran right through the fence, sending shattered planks and splinters flying everywhere. Catching sight of the Batman down the alley upping his own sprint to the maximum speed he was capable of, an exultant shriek done by the blonde was joined in by her friend as they continued their hunt.

The Batman was certain he'd need every bit of knowledge of Gotham's back streets in order to successfully escape in an urgent game of hide-and-seek, because of what those female lunatics would do if they caught him didn't bear thinking about…

Back at the apartment roof, Dawn folded her arms across her chest, took in a deep, irritated breath, and went over to where Xander was lying. Along the way, she ignored how Vi and Rona were rolling around on the roof, whooping with laughter while holding their aching ribs. Some bodyguards they were.

Stopping by Xander, she gave him a forceful nudge in the stomach with the toe of her shoe. Okay, some people might describe it as more of an actual short kick, what with him producing an immediate pained "Ooof!" at this.

At the same time, the lily flower Xander had been gripping vanished completely, along with the ghostly image, the beam of light, and the angelic music. Xander opened his sole eye and smirked up at Dawn glaring at him.

She groused, "Yeah, yeah, hilarious. That said, did you even bother thinking about how much trouble this is gonna cause?"

Getting up to his feet, Xander brushed himself off, telling Dawn meanwhile, "Worth it, Dawnstar. Besides, no matter how much they might act otherwise, there's no way the rest of the Justice League won't enjoy what happened to the Batman. I'm sure the guy himself will get over it eventually, and treat us way lot better for it."

"Oh, I don't know about that," sniggered Rona from where she was sitting on the roof by Vi also with an ear-to-ear grin. "You didn't see how tight White Boy's butt was in his costume when he jumped. Even if Buffy doesn't do anything more than smack him around a little, Faith might get carried away in thoroughly investigating that really fine booty."

There was a pause on the rooftop while all there considered this.

Soon enough, Xander shrugged, "We'll deal with it later. In the meantime, let's find a late-night pizza joint and dig in, with extra pies for Buffy and Faith when they find us. I'm buying."