Author's Note - While I have been writing since I was teeny tiny, this is the very first story I have ever posted... actually, it's the very first story I have ever let anyone read. Unbeta'ed completely. Be gentle, I beg you :D

It's been years since I watched Hercules, so my portrayal is probably waaaay off. I just needed to get this out of my head.

Edited late because I forgot to add the disclaimer, because apparently people might not realise I barely own the clothes I wear, let alone anything of value - Not my circus, not my monkeys, I'm just letting them out of their cages to play for a bit before I return them to their lawful owners. I could only WISH I was making some money, but alas, no monkey moonshine gold for me.

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Light pierced her eyes and the pain made her groan softly. Beck realised that she was lying on stony ground, cold enough to leech the heat from her hip and legs. Slowly, the pain of rocks digging into her thigh overcame the thumping headache and she shifted onto her back. The digging changed from her hip to her shoulders and back and she realised that she was still wearing her backpack.

Gritting her teeth, she slid her hands down and achingly pushed herself up and onto her butt. Pain ripped through her body and she felt her head spin. The urge to vomit swelled and she choked as her throat fought to close over.

Gradually, she gained control over herself and the pain subsided enough that she felt comfortable opening her eyes.

To say that she wasn't expecting what she saw would be a gross understatement.

The last time her eyes had been open, she had been surrounded by 'tamed' wilderness of the State Park. Manicured paths, cleared brush, benches to rest on and camping areas maintained by State Park employees. Dry bush, the dominant colour being browny green thanks to the 2 yr long drought the state had been under.

Now all she saw green. Bright green, lush green, dark green, every single shade of green could be seen in just once glance. Other colours made themselves known after a minute. Yellow flowers, red berries, glimpses of oranges and blues here and there. Even though the ground she was now sitting on was rocky, just a few steps away the ground was covered in a thick layer of vibrant green grass. It even looked as though it had just rained!

Patting her arms and legs, she ascertained that she was unharmed, even as her body softly throbbed its complaints. Her camping backpack was still firmly attached, the straps on her shoulders and waist still tight and comfortable. Her blue jeans and black hiking boots were dry and clean at least. Whatever had happened, at least it had occurred after the rain had stopped. But only just, she thought, as she watched the closest trees still dripping water from their leaves.

Beck staggered to her feet, swaying as the world spun a waltz around her for a moment. As her head settled and everything came into view again, she realised that she was standing in the mouth of a cave of some sorts. An obvious fire pit showed that people had used the cave as shelter in the past. She pulled her phone out and using the flashlight, peered into the darkness of the back of the cave. But unwilling to venture in, she could only make out the back of the cave by the shadows moving around.

She absent mindedly adjusted her backpack and glanced at her phone. It had apparently only been about an hour since she arrived at the remote location she had chosen to be her camp site. A two hour hike straight up the side of the mountain meant that the campsite was not a popular choice for most campers in the school holidays. Most tended to stick to the easier accessed areas, close to the swimming holes. A remote campsite with a non child friendly stream nearby was nearly always vacant.

But this place was definitely NOT her favourite campsite. In fact, she barely even recognised the foliage around her. Instead of dry bush, it was a lush, healthy rainforest.

What the Hell?

As the sun hit her eyes, she realised that time was getting on and if she had any chance of figuring this situation out, standing around like a scarecrow in a corn field wouldn't solve anything.

Checking her compass, she headed off into the forest. After a few moments, she realised that she was following a faint trail. Maybe a wildlife trail, she wondered. It was soon apparent to be as she stepped from the bushes and nearly tripped face first into a rushing river. Scat around the banks showed that animals came here regularly for water. She stored that info as a possible food source. Until she knew what was going on, she intended to hoard her precious store of packed food and supplement from around her.

Wading out into the river, she tested the water and finding it potable, drank her fill. Fish darted around her legs and bugs drifted on the breeze next to her.

'At least I got dumped in a virtual paradise' Beck chuckled to herself, 'Now where is the fly in this beauteous ointment?'

By the time the sun started to set, she was no closer to understanding anything! Hours of wandering around had shown her nothing but forest, stream and what she supposed passed for a road. Not wanting to venture too far from the cave, as she hadn't found anything similar, she had retreated there as soon as the sun started to sink.

While her camping equipment was good quality, it was suited more to the drier region, not this wet landscape and she didn't want to test its water resistant abilities right now.

Setting down the firewood she had been gathering, she went about setting up her tent in the safety of the cave. It didn't take long. She had been camping on her own since the 'Henry Incident', where her 'then' boyfriend had decided that he did the Manly Things, such as setting up the tent and BBQing the meat and going off fishing and SHE had been left with the "Wifey Duties" as he so quaintly put it. "Good practice Babe". Leaving her with the setting up of the entire camp, minus tent and portable BBQ and the cleaning and... well everything. The final straw had been when he hugged her from behind suggestively as she finished off washing the dishes after he and his unexpected mate had spent the afternoon fishing and drinking beers. The resulting fight and abandoning her at the campsite had happily sealed THAT crappy relationship, and she had since learnt the joy of camping on her own!

Campsite set up, fire starting to crackle in the gathering darkness, a pile of damp wood close by drying, she chuckled to herself. Well, she HAD wanted to get away from life for a while...

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Iolaus grinned as he ducked and weaved the punches and kicks thrown his way, returning them wherever an opening showed itself. The captives had fled as soon as he broke the cage door and now it was simply the cleanup of the bandits to go. Herc was on the other side of the encampment, dealing out some open handed justice himself. Ducking a sword and then driving the welder to his knees with a well placed stomach kick, Iolaus staggered at the sudden weight of a bandit on his back. Stumbling backwards, he slammed the man into a tree, grinning at the sound of the winded groan. The blonde spun to deliver a finishing punch, but tripped on sprawled legs. Spitting dust from his face-plant into the dirt, he scrambled to get to his feet before... nope, there is was, the ubiquitous foot to the ribs. Annnnd... yep, the hit to the back of his shoulders.

He could hear Hercules calling his name, asking if he was okay, but he couldn't get the air in. Grabbing the foot on its third pass to his abused ribs, he twisted viciously, causing his attacker to spin and collapse beside him. Not without a spinning foot to the face for his efforts though.

He peered over towards where his partner was finishing off the last of his attackers, Herc clearly making his way to Iolaus. Suddenly, brown stained pants and filthy boots blocked his view and he groaned as he looked up into the face of the leader of this particular band of cutthroats. Fury covered the matted bearded face.

'Oh shi...' Iolaus only thought before he was flying backwards. It was only at the panicked shout from his partner, that Iolaus suddenly remembered this particular group had camped on the side of a cliff, but surely he wasn't that close... yeah, he was.

His last thought as the cliff edge flew past him, was 'Herc is going to be pissed if I die again...'