DISCLAIMER:
Stormy: I don't own them.
Iolaus: But you wish you did!
Stormy: 'Course I do! I'd be rich!
Iolaus: *shakes head* No you wouldn't - we got cancelled, remember?
Stormy: Oh right!
* * *
Ares appeared in his private chambers in a flash of lightning, and strode over to a mirror. Conjuring a mug of ale to his hand, he downed part of it while gesturing to the mirror.
" Show me the prisoner," he snarled, roughly wiping the foam from his lips. The reflection in the mirror, changed from that of the God of War, to that of his torture chamber in a swirl of mist. Hercules battered body hung limply from the restraints. Ares growled and banished the image from the mirror with a wave of his hand. This was NOT working out like he had planned. Sure, maiming and torturing were loads of fun - he'd be the first to admit that. Enjoying the simple pains of life were a prerequisite for his line of work. But balance meant everything. There was a reason and a result of everything he did on the battlefield. He refilled his mug with more of the divine ale as he thought. While others may not agree, war served a purpose. Indeed, a very important purpose.
To start a war between two countries, to mortals, was nothing but death. A waste of time, resources, and human lives. But it also served to keep people in line. To cull the herd, so to speak, and to keep people in control of their emotions. His job was very important, and, Ares thought smugly, he was very good at his job. But this....he brought forth the image of his abused half-brother. He had always dreamed of killing Hercules. Still would, if he thought he could get away with it. But torture? What purpose did it serve? Ares mulled that over for a minute. To make him feel better? Did it really? Then it would be him doing the torturing. But so far, it had been all Strife and Discord's show. So if he was against this treatment, why did he start it to begin with? To be truthful, chaining him up just to gloat at him, and make him serve him against his will, well, that had been the original idea that he had fallen for. But his two godlings seemed to have their black hearts set on doing everything they could, short of killing the demi-god. Now that Ares realized what was wrong with the picture, what exactly could he do about it? Setting the mug down, he created another window and kept an eye on a skirmish he had put into play that day while still pondering his dilemma. _And once Zeus catches wind of what's going down, I KNOW I'm gonna be in trouble_. Not that Zeus could actually do anything - Hercules HAD come of his own free will. Ares growled in frustration. Things would be so much simpler if he could just kill who he wanted and to Tartarus with the consequences. If he continued with the torture, Zeus would find a loophole and take away his godhood for sure. If he ignored what went down, then the blame could be placed soley at the feet of Strife and Discord, but he'd still have to explain why he allowed the abuse to happen in his temple. If he stopped everything, he'd be thought weak. And if he healed Hercules and just went back to the original plan of slavery, he'd have to protect his brother from Strife and Discord which kind of defeated the whole purpose of him proving his power to his half-god sibling. He dissipated the window and sighed. _So what do I do_?
* * *
Pain. Blackness. Pain. Hercules moaned softly as he slowly regained consciousness. At first, all he was aware of was the intense pain all over his body. He felt the strain of his wrists as they were captured by the cuffs, and could feel the numbness in his hands. He fought valiently and won the war of opening one eye slowly. The world began to come into focus, the darkness ever present on the fringe of his vision. He swallowed thickly, trying in vain to summon the moisture to soothe his parched throat. As the room stopped spinning, he was able to determine that he was alone.
_For now_. Surely it wouldn't belong before his brother and his twisted relatives to return for some more fun. As if to remind him, his gaze fell on the whip that Discord had used so lovingly, and he shuddered, more from the fear that she would be back to use it again, then the pain of the memory. He shook his head slowly, feeling a stab of pain radiate throughout him, spiking at his head and ribs. As the spell passed, he began to focus on what he should do. _Nothing_, a voice told him. _As long as I put up with this, my friends are safe_. Friends. Hercules closed his eyes and summoned an image of the Academy. Cheiron. Teacher, mentor, benevolent and kind. Jason. Crown Prince, brave, loyal, a natural leader who offered his hand in friendship. Lillith. A fiesty, trusting, and tough cadet with dreams of becoming a warrior, despite the differences in gender. And Iolaus. Hercules's head dropped in sorrow. What had it looked like to Iolaus, when Hercules had clasped Ares hand and disappeared. Would Iolaus think he had joined his evil brother? Would he believe he had been kidnapped? Would he....hate him?
Hercules could take the rejection of almost anyone at the Academy, except Iolaus. Iolaus had been his first real friend, the first person to treat him as an actual person and not a god, or a bastard, as the townspeople were wont to call him. When they had met, Hercules had helped the blond hunter defeat a local gang, and then had waited for the warrior to turn away in disgust. To his immense surprise and subsequent delight, Iolaus had become his friend, and had been the one to give him his nickname. Hercules smiled grimly. He would gladly hear that dreaded shortened version of his name, if it meant Iolaus would come bursting through the door, cadets in tow, to save his sorry hide. He wondered briefly if Iolaus would take his alliance with Ares as an abandonment of him. _Oh gods_. Iolaus had trouble trusting people, thanks to his 'relationship' with his father, general Skorous. But he had opened up to Hercules and his mother, Alcmene, and Hercules didn't want to lose the trust Iolaus had placed in him. Hercules considered Iolaus his brother, and knew the latter thought of him the same way. That had especially meant a lot to the shy demigod whose real brother, Iphicles, had left home a long time ago to escape the shame of being brother to the bastard son of the whore Alcmene.
Tears stung Hercules's eyes at the painful memories, and resolutely pushed them to the back of his mind into a box that he shut and mentally marked 'Do Not Open'. No. He shook his head, wincing again. Iolaus would understand. With that in mind, Hercules's determination to protect his friends resurfaced and he shifted his weight, trying to find some measure of comfort before closing his eyes to get a little more sleep before the torture began anew.
* * *
Iolaus saw the light filtering in through his closed lids and turned over, trying to escape the bright beams. About to sink back to sleep, he suddenly remembered where he was and what he was doing there. He sat up abruptly, drawing the attention of the sleeping girl across from him. Kora blinked her eyes sleepily, and pushed the hair out of her eyes.
"Iolaus?" she asked, yawning. Iolaus turned to her and nodded good morning while gathering his sleeping roll. Kora groused about having to wake up so early, but she too began to pack up her things, pausing long enough to offer Iolaus some fruit from her food pouch for breakfast. Iolaus shook his head.
" Let's eat on the move. The hard part's done and there's a trail we can use," he said gesturing to the wall. Kora turned and peered up at the rock-strewn path that started on a small ledge about half a foot wide. She narrowed her eyes.
" THAT'S a path?" she asked skeptically. She had no idea how she intended to walk along THAT without holding on to the wall for dear life, much less eating along the way. Iolaus chuckled.
" It would be a path to you too, if you'd turn into that Huntress person," he pointed out. Kora sighed impatiently.
" I told you, we'll need it once we get there to sneak in, and so Kalik recognizes us as followers of Artemis. I can't waste that power just climbing the cliffs - I won't be able to summon it later!"
" It wears you out, or something?" Iolaus asked, giving her a hand onto the ledge.
" Something like that," Kora straightened. " Lead on, Golden Hunter."
Iolaus blushed at the use of Artemis's pet name for him. " Better then Sweetcheeks," he muttered. Kora snorted at that.
" Where'd you get that?"
" Let's just say of the few female relatives Herc has that aren't trying to kill us, Aphrodite is the most...friendly...of them all," he said, trying to keep from laughing. Kora just shook her head and gave him a light push forward. After twenty minutes of tediously picking their way up the rough path, Kora was starting to feel winded. The air was becoming dangerously thin, and all of her instincts told her to rest, to conserve her strength and then continue. She looked up to tell Iolaus that when she noticed he was pulling further away.
" Hey!" she yelled. " Slow down!" Iolaus turned at her words and shook his head,
" We can't waste anymore time!" he said urgently. " The faster we get there, the faster we can get the damn bird and go help Hercules!"
" Iolaus, we'll help him! We need to help ourselves too though." Kora stumbled forward and Iolaus grabbed her arm, hauling her back up. " Thanks."
" Don't mention it." Iolaus made sure she was steady before he turned and began his upward trek again. He began to speak, almost conversationally to her.
" I HAVE to hurry - Herc is in the hands of a madman," he said, worry coloring his tone. " He'd do the same for me."
" Why didn't any of the other cadets offer to help?"
" I didn't tell anyone what was going on," Iolas admitted sheepishly, skirting a depression in the ground, making sure Kora saw it.
" You mean no one knows we're here?" she asked incredulously,acknowledging the impression and followed his trail around it.
" Not unless you count Artemis."
" That was not smart."
" Herc doesn't want ME coming after him, let alone the cadets. He'll probably kill me enough as it is."
" Such is the dream many of us have had for years," Kora deadpanned. Iolaus grinned.
" You love me and you know it, and one day you'll admit it." He placed his hands on a large boulder and vaulted over it, before turning to see if Kora needed assistance. Kora, however, was already airborn and she landed next to him, smiling smugly.
" Thanks anyways," she cooed at him. " So, why doesn't Hercules want the cadets to save him?"
" Because he's afraid they'll get hurt by the gods. They already attack the Academy on a near regular basis. He doesn't want the gods to start pinpointing attacks on solitary cadets."
" Why are you the exception?"
" Huh?" Iolaus looked at her puzzled. " I'm not. I just choose to help."
" Even though that makes you a target?"
" You know, you're starting to sound like Hercules, " he growled. " Why is it okay for him to risk his life for the Academy, but it's not okay for anyone else to risk their life to help him when he needs it?"
" Maybe he thinks he doesn't need anyone's help."
" That's how he DOES think. He's just wrong."
" And you're the expert?"
" Look Kora," Iolaus sighed, trying to figure out how to explain his thoughts on the whole subject. " Hercules is my best friend. He saw some good in me when everyone else had me pegged as a petty thief. He's saved my life several times, and never once regretted putting himself in danger for it. And he's done the same for anyone who's ever needed help. But now, he thinks the only way to save the Academy, is to sacrifice himself, and I'm not about to let that happen. He'd never let me, if the situation were reversed."
Kora nodded thoughtfully. She knew this to be the truth, in fact, had seen the evidence whenever Hercules put himself in front of others when the gods attacked. She smiled at Iolaus who was busy picking out the trail before them, and not for the first time, envied them their friendship. _Someday_, she vowed. _Someday I'll find a friendship as strong as those two have_. She thought briefly of her sister, but knew that the friendship they had was based soley on blood and had little to do with things in common, or niceties. Someday. And if they were successful in their mission, she would be free to go and find that friendship. That thought gave her a second wind and she eagerly followed the blond hunter up the cliffs.
* * *
" Wakey, wakey!" An icey cold shower sprayed Hercules awake. Shocked and disoriented, he choked up half the water before he was able to form a coherent thought. _Whaa_? he thought fuzzily. A screeching laugh pierced the fog in his brain and he opened dazed eyes to see Strife prancing about in front of him. " What, no good morning?" Strife mocked him. He waved his arms and another blast of freezing water drenched Hercules, chilling him to the bone. Teeth chattering enough to make his whole body vibrate, Hercules summoned up the energy to spit at the godling.
" Eeeuuuwwww!" Strife whined. "Discord!" The sultry goddess appeared in front of Hercules in an even more daring, leather outfit. Despite his hatred, Hercules gulped, and avoided looking at her. Discord giggled knowingly.
" Aw, poor Herkie!" she cooed tracing a finger down the demi-gods lightly muscled stomach. Thanks to her skill with the whip yesterday, Hercules's clothes hung in tatters, the wounds she had previously inflicted standing out against the pale skin. She traced one particularly vicious whip lash and then, cruelly, dug her nail in. Hercules stiffened in pain, tears welling up as she tore the skin. He felt the familiar trickle of blood begin to leave yet another crimson trail down his stomach.
" Did that hurt?" she whispered in his ear, flicking her tongue at him. Then she bit him hard. Hercules cried out again and Discord finally pulled away, a smug smile on her face. Strife was laughing hysterically behind her.
" Very nice, Cordy!" he snickered. Discord laughed.
" I am the best!" she declared. Strife raised his fists and danced closer to the captive.
"Lemme try, lemme!" Strife darted in and struck Hercules solidly in the stomach. Hercules gasped and clenched up in agony, the pain in his ribs sending white hot flares up and down his beaten frame.
_Gods, let this end_, he prayed ferverently. He closed his eyes and tried to distance himself from the pain. He felt the greyness seep in and knew he was thankfully close to oblivion when the punches stopped. Cracking one eye, he saw Discord and Strife laughing as they ate. _Taking a break_? he thought incredulously. He swallowed hard when he saw the various toys appear on the table in front of them. A whip, chains, and knives littered the top. He almost sobbed at the thought of what they would do to him. _Thank the gods no one can see me_.
" Hmmm...." Discord pursed her lips thoughtfully, eyeing Hercules. " You know, this is fun, but I know a way we can make it even more interesting!"
" How?" asked Strife eagerly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
" Watch and learn." Discord sasheyed up to the prisoner and cupped his face in one hand. When she was sure she had his attention, she began to speak.
" You know, this would be more fun for us if you cooperated."
" ..go...t-to...T-Tartarus...." Hercules gasped. Discord shook her head.
" No, no, wrong answer." Waving a hand in the air, an image of the Academy appeared, and Jason appeared in the center. Hercules strained against the confining metal.
" Wha..what.."
" The Crown Prince of Corinth," mused Discord. " Such a handsome fellow. And the future king! That is, of course, providing nothing happens to him." Jason disappeared to be replaced by a larger image of Cheiron and Fedutious watching the students in the mess hall. " So many students, so little time."
" Y-you..promised not to...h-hurt them!" Hercules panted, trying to stay conscious. Discord shrugged.
" And we will - if you ask nicely," she gave him a sinister smile. Hercules looked confused and then his heart sank as her meaning sank in. Discord picked up a length of chain. " Would you like to be punished some more?"
Hercules looked one last time at the sight of his friends, safe from harm and at peace. He knew what she wanted to hear, having heard stories about what Discord liked to do to her prisoners. Swallowing hard, he then turned back to Discord and let the last shred of his pride fly out the window.
" Yes."
" Yes what?" Discord was enjoying herself now.
" Yes," Hercules swallowed again. "...Mistress."
* * *
" All I can say is this bird better be worth the trouble!" Iolaus hissed at Kora as they studied the unbelievably large temple before them. Kora ignored him as she sighed, and then raised her arms high in the air. " Artemis! I call on you for the power of the Huntress!" she spoke loudly, bracing herself. Iolaus squinted as twin beams of light shot down towards Kora, twisting and spiraling, the light growing in its intensity as it flew closer. Kora's eyes shut as the light struck her, filled her, surrounded her.
Iolaus watched in awe as she disappeared from view in the sheer brightness before reappearing. Her normal clothes gone, she now wore the garb of the Huntress. Beautiful brown leather cut short on the arms and legs for freedom of movement, trimmed with snow-white fur. Brown and white furred gauntlets covered her forearms, the leather stitching tracing an intricate pattern up to her elbows. Strong leather boots, fur-tipped as well, richer and more decorated then any boots made by a Corinthian, graced her feet. Her hair, no longer hastily tied back, was pulled severely into a a braid at the top and the rest fell freely in a cascade of gentle curls. But it was her eyes that captured Iolaus's attention - where they were once blue and friendly, they were now deep brown, tinged with gold, and hard as stone. He whistled at her.
" Wow."
" Let's go." The Huntress moved swiftly past him and disappeared into the trees lining the walkway to the temple.
* * *
The two silently made their way through the underbrush, the Huntress pointing out which way to move. Fortunately, Iolaus's stint as a theif served him in good stead, and he was just as equally talented in travelling with no sound. Finally, they reached the front of the temple, still concealed in the shadows and shrubbery. Iolaus examined the two guards, holding the sharp spears. He waved his fingers at the Huntress to grab her attention and when she turned he pointed to the guards and shrugged. _How_? he mouthed. The Huntress pressed a finger to her lips as she closed her eyes. Iolaus was barely able to stifle the gasp of surprise when she vanished, melting into the scenery as though she had never been there. _Now that's camoflage_, he thought appreciatively. _Could've used that trick on a couple of jobs_! He was hard-pressed to quiet another sound of surprise when he felt the huntress grab a hold of his shoulder. He watched in apprehension as his feet began to disappear, then his legs, and then so on until he could only see the faint outline of himself and the Huntress. _Oh my_. He watched as the Huntress stealthily glided forward, and he began to follow, breathing as shallowly as possible to keep the noise down. They slipped past the two guards and through the open doors. Iolaus almost stopped dead in his tracks. It was a thieve's paradise! The floor was of black and white marble, upon which rested mounds of gold and other tributes in all of its corners. Heavy tapestries of woven gold stretched from near ceiling to floor and were tied back with golden ropes. The floor raised about a foot, three-quarters of the way into the temple and there was Apollos's main audience chamber. Red silk of the finest quality carpeted the marble, richly inlaid with embroidered gold and silver. Behind the altar, a majestic throne carved of gold was anchored to the floor, strategically placed to receive the direct light of the sun and refract it in a multitude of sunbeams, each striking any dark areas of the temple that dared appear, and lighting the room until it seemed to bathed in a golden glow. Silk and satin pillows littered the throne, making it look so comfortable and inviting, Iolaus fought down the urge to go try it out. The Huntress seemed to read his mind and gave him a shove. When he turned and glared at her, she pointed at the gold, then to him, and then sliced her hand across her throat. Iolaus gulped and nodded, stepping aside to let her go first.
Once inside, the Huntress began to examine one side while motioning for Iolaus to search the other side. He felt along the wall, nimble fingers searching for a hidden door, switch, anything that would lead to another room because Kalik wasn't there as they had hoped, and there were no obvious exits from the main petitioners room. Suddenly, noise came from the temple doors and Iolaus flattened himself against the wall. _Oh gods, it's Apollo, he's here, he know's we're here, he knows WHY we're here_...his thoughts quit rambling when he saw a guard step inside, apparently taking a breather. _Whew_! He let his breath out silently and prepared to move on. Suddenly gold sparks appeared in the center of the temple heralding Apollo's arrival. Iolaus groaned internally. _I KNEW this was going to smoothly_. He watched as Apollo rudely dismissed the guard and then strode over to bar that appeared on the side of the temple, complete with a mortal bartender.
" Ambrosia. Now." Apollo ordered with indifference, watching with a half smile curling up at the sight of the terrified bartender scrambling to do his bidding. Iolaus held his breath, waiting for the gods powers to alert him to the fact that there were strangers in his temple. After a few minutes, Iolaus let out the breath in a near-silent hiss, wondering what was going on. Then it struck him. He was invisible to the gods as well. The Huntress had Artemis's protection afterall. _Thank you Artemis_, he prayed silently, a sly grin on his face. A movement caught his eye and he turned to see Kora..no, sorry, the Huntress, frantically beckoning to him. He began to make his way to her side, pausing every few feet to ensure Apollo was unaware of his presence. Kora pulled him down beside her and pointed behind Apollo's throne.
A decorated archway, an architect's masterpiece, led the way out of the main room, and a glow emanated from the opening. Iolaus nodded and slipped in front of her, stealing his way to the door. The Huntress slithered along behind him, urging him silently to hurry. Obviously, she didn't want to push their luck. Reaching the archway, they scrambled through and were immediately blinded by a light so intense, it seared the eyes. Iolaus muffled a shout of pain and squeezed his lids shut, tears welling up of their own accord. _That hurt_! He felt the heat start to recede, and the light began to filter away until he could only see the aftereffects branded behind his eyelids. He slowly cracked one lid open and was rewarded with the sight of a paradise so beautiful, it took his breath away. _Never let it be said the gods skimp on their gardening_, he mused as he absorbed the scenery before him. It was a large room, filled to the brim with rare and exquisite plantlife. Lush trees grew strong and healthy, vines and creepers trailing their lengthy limbs in loops and curls around every crevice and branch. Wildflowers sprouted in gorgeous Greek pottery, white clay etched with black and gold in intricate swirls and designs. The flowers themselves were of every color Iolaus had ever seen, or thought he could dream up, and their fragrance filled their sniffing noses with their sweet scent. A fountain of ivory and marble had a cherub (_that looked remarkibly like Aphrodite's kid Cupid_, Iolaus thought absently) standing in the center, water gushing through its mouth in an arc that captured the light and sprayed the pool below in a rush of falling color. Iolaus closed his mouth with a snap, as the Huntress tugged on his arm mutely and pointed to the rocks above the fountain. There, beneath the open skylight, and tethered to an ornamental perch, was Kalik.
" Jackpot!" Iolaus grinned and the two scampered over to the bird, if the Huntress could ever be known to scamper. Kalik spread his impressive wings in fear as they approached and the Huntress held back slightly, unwilling to frighten it. Iolaus slowed his pace and held his hands up peacefully.
" Hey there, Kalik," he murmered soothingly. Kalik cocked its head, it's golden eye staring at him with a piercing intensity. " We're friends of Artemis." He held out his arm entreatingly. " We're here to take you home."
Kalik seemed to calm slightly at the mention of his mistress, and obligingly settled on the cadets arm. Iolaus grunted slightly at the weight, but continued to croon at the bird while the Huntress cut it free. He was reminded of a time he freed a horse from a trap set by his home that had been meant to catch deer, by talking to it in a gentle tone for almost an hour as he manouvered the stallions neck from the noose. A false move and the horse could have strangled and Iolaus was equally aware of the razor sharp talons Kalik posessed that were currently attached to his arm, should they make a mistake. Kora sliced through another strap with a special knife of Artemis.
" Good work," she said loftily as she changed sides and began to cut away. " Do not move or alarm Kalik."
" Well, gee, and here I planned on wrestling the thing," Iolaus muttered sarcastically. The Huntress growled at him and continued her task to free the eagle.
"Almost there..." The Huntress was on the final straps when suddenly a noise made her look up. Iolaus, busily reassuring the bird was unaware of the tension that seized her body.
" C'mon Kora, Huntress, whoever you are - finish cutting!" Iolaus said impatiently, finally tearing his eyes away from Kalik's to see what the holdup was. He saw Kora staring at a point behind him and with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, he nodded slowly. " He's behind us, isn't he?"
Kora nodded and Iolaus turned around with a sigh.
" Hey Apollo."
" You're that runt that hangs around with Hercules, aren't you?" Apollo sneered as he stepped towards them.
" Uh, maybe," Iolaus said nervously. _I thought we were invisible_? He watched Apollo come closer. _I thought wrong_.
" You dare to steal from my temple?" Apollo asked, outraged at the sheer audacity. Kora stepped forward.
" We've come to retrieve Kalik, who belongs to my mistress, Artemis," she said, her face totally free of any emotion. Apollo laughed.
" I know you - you're that Huntress person, or whatever," he waved his hand arily, dismissing her as a threat. " So what?"
" So we'll be taking Kalik with us."
" Oh, I don't think so." Apollo stopped laughing. " You see, such a pretty thing deserves to be surrounded by similar beauty."
" You just wanted him for his gold feathers," Iolaus growled. " You don't care about Kalik's feelings."
" Why should I?" Apollo shrugged. " It's a dumb beast."
" Then we'll be happy to take it off your hands!" Iolaus said quickly. " So we'll just be running along."
" Ummmm....." Apollo pretended to think about it. Then his eyes flashed dangerously. " No."
Iolaus watched Apollo gather the cosmic energy that all the gods seemed to posess and just before the god attacked, one thought ran through his head: _Somehow, I don't think this is a good thing_.