Chapter 14

"Wait so you just left her there?"

"It was what she told me to do no matter what." Jo realized she was on the verge of screeching but it wasn't like Dean was helping any. She knew Angela's ways just as well as he did and she was still under that thing about obeying the elder. "She said the Oracle is important."

"And does that…"

"Dean…"

"Shut up Sam."

"Hey!"

All eyes turned towards the one who shouted. Ciane looked relieved that she still could make herself known when she wanted and she could hide when she wanted. She vaguely remembered racing away from the warehouse towards a house that was rather large and there was enough junk metal that would make Hephaestus happy. The girl who pulled her out was good at making sure there were no serious injuries and she nearly had been smothered by the two idiots who actually looked better in the clothing that matched this century.

Ciane looked at the group that had been arguing over the warrior princess. The smaller male seemed really agitated while the taller one looked worried. An interesting combination at best and she could tell that they both cared about the warrior princess. Seeing that she had their attention she continued, "First off, the name is Ciane. The less you use my title the better. You should know that Hercules. Certainly Xena did." She gave a pointed look at Sam.

Sam tried not to make too much of a face at the name. He could understand the why to a certain degree but this was not of his own choosing or necessity since he had used fake IDs before and that was part of the job. It was like one teacher who kept calling him Sydney for some odd reason when he was in school. "I'm not…"

"Yeah I know you're not really him but you do look like him, just a bit scrawny and Iolaus here is a bit shorter," Ciane replied. She wasn't in the mood. "As to the second… you should know the warrior princess. She did what she had to. Even I disagree but it's in the past now. So just put up and shut up."

Dean looked at Ciane a bit stunned at her telling him to shut up about the stupid stuff his girl did. "Hey, you don't know a damn thing sister. Sam and me do and some of the stuff she's done ain't pretty."

"Well then figure out something before it gets to that," Ciane retorted. She crossed her arms and gave a hard stare at Dean. "Ares interfered with the fight and I know he has the warrior princess. It's been his obsession since I wrote my piece in this damn thing." She lifted the tablet that she had put aside once she ascertained it was unharmed. "I swear this thing was trouble the moment it passed to me."

"Because it relates to Hapi and Satet, the warrior royalty," Sam ventured.

Ciane was surprised since that part was in a language dead to even her part of the world. "Yes. How did you know that?"

"We… uh… met," Sam replied a bit uncomfortable at thought of mentioning it.

Ciane studied Sam and then looked at Dean a bit more carefully. She nodded as she said, "You were chosen weren't you? A Champion."

"Well looks like that hasn't changed much," Dean muttered. He was used to the reverence from things and people that knew about it even though it occasionally surprised him still.

"It is as it was written," Ciane muttered in her native language. No wonder Ares was obsessed with her. The table of the Malachi was all true even though it had been written like the tale of Gilgamesh. She understood now. It was never about the table of royalty even though Ares had expressed curiosity about it and did want to know. In English she said, "Nothing would considering the Tournament is as old as the world but then you know that."

"Whatever," Dean countered. "The point is Angie is in the hands of some god and I know she can take care of herself but even she has her pressure points." Not to mention a serious one that involved the Sasquatch.

Jo finally stepped in and said, "Look, Angie had a feeling that things weren't going to go as planned. She said that if Ares were to show up, it was to get you," she pointed at Ciane, "out and go from there. I have no idea what she intends to do but…" She really couldn't give more than that and knew that it wasn't going to help much.

"Then we go in and get her and kick Ares in the ass," Dean replied. It was a stupid idea but it usually worked and that was how they rolled generally.

"Oh that's nice," Bobby said in a fit of sarcasm. "You want to plan a charge against a god who is known for fighting and with what? Nothing can kill these guys unless all their worshippers died or something."

"Killing a god is near impossible," Ciane pointed out. She mused to herself and paced. Artemis had warned her that she would not be able to call for her aid since the whole rules of interference and all that. It was a crash course when it was explained but the gist of it was that the only gift Ciane had from the goddess was the huntress.

"Well we better find a way to gank his ass before he does it to Angie," Dean pointed out.

"I don't think that is what he wants Dean," Sam pointed out. He had been thinking about it and as much as he hated to consider it… the only ones that seriously wanted Angela dead were those that wanted revenge for some past wrong. Maybe Ares wanted something different.

"And what do you think Sam? Most things we've met want to kill her," Dean pointed out as he looked at his brother.

"Well he doesn't," Jo pointed out. She had been able to think with some clarity now that they weren't running from demons. "He didn't use his mojo on her but the demons and he had this look that was like…"

"Like those asses in the bars," Sam finished in a huff. "He's interested in her."

Ciane realized what they were getting at. "Of course. It's been his biggest obsession since the royalty was created." She couldn't believe she missed this before but then again she was obsessed at the time with getting her piece down before she was found and things would go to Tartarus. She looked at the group and said, "Ares is nobility but not royalty. The warrior princess is royalty."

"Meaning?" Dean motioned a little.

Sam got it right away and replied in an annoyed huff, "He wants to be a part of that and he's going to use Angie to get it. He wants her Dean." He gave a pointed look at his brother but was more annoyed and pissed at the plot the god was trying to do.

Dean recognized the look Sam was giving. His brother only got that when someone dared to look at Angela the wrong way. Okay so that solved it and now he was going to have to work at keeping Sam from going crazy. "Okay I get it but Angie knows how to get herself out of situations like this. She's done it before."

"You said it yourself. She has pressure points and Ares is very good at that kind of persuasion," Ciane pointed out.

Jo was about to say something when she felt a tug on her jacket sleeve. She looked down to find Hibah looking up at her, clearly wanting to talk to her. She bent low and asked, "What is it?"

Hibah said something but it wasn't quite clear. The conversation between Bobby, Sam and Dean, and Ciane was getting louder in decibel. Jo knew Sam was more upset at the implications of this and even though it was funny, it was serious. She didn't get the whole thing about warrior royalty but she did get that it was something Angela had gotten into and was a part of and now the reason for her confinement. She said, "I can't hear you."

Hibah repeated what couldn't be heard earlier, "Abba needs to fight for Ima."

Angela looked around. The silks draped everywhere were a touch of Hollywood decorating styles. The settee was definitely authentic. The walls were covered with artwork that was familiar and would have been a scholar's dream to study since they were depicting the truth regarding the Amara kings of Egypt. The flames from the oil lamps added that seduction quality even though it was soothing if given the right circumstances.

Taking a look around, Angela rubbed her arms, feeling a bit out of place since she was in her usual jeans, t-shirt and jacket and she felt her Beretta still tucked in her jacket where she put it. It occurred to her that she could have used it against Crowley and given him a few painful reminders about not messing with her and now she was stuck in a thought of regret but grateful she had something while she looked around. It was no surprise that it was all an illusion so to speak. Like that bad joke of polishing a turd still made it a turd. She just had to figure out if she was still in the same state and if not how to convince Ares to go back… once she found out what he wanted.

"It's not much but I figured it would do. Decorating on the fly is… a hassle."

Angela turned to see Ares looking at her with that appreciative eye that she had grown to distrust coming from someone like him. He was looking pleased with himself as he ogled her. She replied, "Polish a turd still makes it a turd."

Ares gave a slight smirk as he walked forward to close the distance between them. She was magnificent. He replied, "In this case the turd was always beautiful and time made it better."

Angela cleared her throat slightly. So he was going that route. Nothing she hadn't handled before and she had done it solo but it just felt… off. She found that she was used to Sam's overprotective presence and it was reassurance that he was there just in case something didn't go right in their hustles. This was different from the other times and she wanted something more familiar nearby. Putting on her mask of calm, she replied, "You know time is fluid in a lot of things."

"I'm a god," Ares replied as his eyes narrowed in a seductive fashion. "You of all people should know that."

"I'm not who you think I am," Angela countered, going with the old argument she had used when correcting people about Absolution. It was weak but it was something she could work with. There was such a thing as reverse psychology and the power of suggestion but she highly doubted that would stick for long.

"You are exactly who I think… no, who I know you are," Ares replied as he took a few more steps closer. He could just reach out and touch her. It was so tantalizing. Giving in, he grabbed her by her upper arms knowing that she wasn't going to do anything. He took his time and rubbed his thumbs on her arms, feeling the muscle underneath.

"You know I get this a lot from people who think I am someone else," Angela quickly replied as she felt Ares' touch. She knew Crowley's touch and how long it took her to resist. This was way different and it was very uncomfortable. "Mistaken identity. It does happen."

Ares chuckled as he looked over Angela. He could appreciate the beauty of the strength within those limbs of hers and the scent… That was intoxicating and so different from her predecessor. He leaned in close and replied, "Oh I don't make mistakes my warrior princess. You have no idea how long I have waited to get to this moment." He took a sniff.

"Seriously, I am not Xena."

Ares leaned back and laughed. So now she decided to use the names. He was wondering how long would it be before she laid it out in the line. He took in the look on her face. She really didn't know what this was about. "Oh I know that you are not Xena. Xena died a long time ago."

"Then maybe you can explain why I have people from three thousand years ago calling me by that name," Angela retorted in a heated tone. To feel more secure, she crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes in a frown.

"Because you are Xena." Ares moved his arms in a sweeping gesture as if to state the obvious. He started pacing back and forth to throw her off. "I know you're not her even though you bear a striking resemblance to her: hair, height, chakram and not to mention a war cry. You aren't her but you are. You see she was my warrior princess but not a true princess in the meaning of the title."

"You gave her the sigils of honor," Angela clarified.

"The sigils given as a sign of honor and must be given by another of equal ranking or by divine reward," Ares replied as he paraphrased the requirements. "Xena was an exception since I was held in high regard then."

Angela gave a slight roll of her eyes at that. "I get that she would receive it from someone like you. From what my visitors told me… you had a thing."

"Magnificent she was," Ares replied, "but never on the level that would be revered by everyone who bothers to read. She was not of royalty."

"Misnomers. A pain in the ass I can assure you. I get that quite often," Angela replied, falling back on her default of trying to convince someone she wasn't who she was implied to be. "Must have been hard since there are many gods who are warriors and are of war."

"The Egyptian gods have always been held in high regard," Ares conceded. He made a slight motion with his head. Most of the time when he had a conversation like this, he would get angry and start destroying things. She didn't do that. He found that he could carry on a conversation with her and he liked it. "They have long been the symbols of royalty though there are a few outside that pantheon that have distinction."

"Obviously you're one. You're considered nobility within the warrior class thing," Angela replied trying not to belie her confusion. This was the most bizarre conversation she had to date. She could get that Ares wasn't out to hurt her but he did have something in mind and she was wary about what that was.

"Nobility but not royalty." Ares frowned a bit and turned away. He could feel his temper rise a little. "I am the god of war."

"Maybe there is something more to that."

"Don't patronize me. You are of the royalty," Ares replied. He calmed a bit as he looked at her. "Besides that is beneath you. Adopted and trained by Hapi and Satet and raised with the fair Wosret… so much given and to someone who thinks they are unworthy."

Angela watched the god brood. How was it that she always got stuck with the moody ones? That was rhetorical since she lived with two of them now and it seemed that people were under the impression that she'd make a good listener. "Um… they took me in out of pity."

"Denial. Another characteristic."

"It was pity," Angela insisted. It really was an old habit to default to that. It was out of a need to protect what she had been given from them. Most would have asked what was the point since most people who did research knew about it.

"No it wasn't," Ares replied. He turned to look at Angela full on in the face. "You really are like her. The spirit of the warrior buried deep. It is unique and it separates those like that idiot Joxer from those like you."

"I wouldn't diss someone like Joxer. There is more than meets the eye." A pointless comment but it helped since Ares started coming closer and Angela didn't want to let on that she was uncomfortable with his breath touching her when he leaned in close. She got that enough from Crowley and a few others that she really wanted to punch. "Besides, it was only in name that they gave me that title."

Ares paused a moment. He then leaned in closer, relishing the fact that he could sense her unease. "Not in name, princess. A right given as the table of royalty aptly puts it." He reached up and touched her face and trailed his hand down her arm to her hand and lifted it. He grinned as he saw the mark and held it up for her to see. "As proven by the cartouche of the family. You know most don't understand how someone so unlikely is chosen for something important as this."

Angela would have yanked her hand away but she didn't. Ares' touch was… she couldn't describe it. It was not like Sam's and that man had a fascination with her hands which some would put as downright creepy and she knew Dean teased him horribly about. Instead she resigned to let Ares touch her hand and rub his fingers on it. She could see the tattoo clearly. That was only a means of protecting Hibah since Isis was anxious to keep her safe and damn to hell what others thought. That was it; nothing more and nothing less. "Given because I am a favorite. Nothing more and nothing less."

Ares was looking at the cartouche. His nose was close enough to touch and his breath was making her flush a little. He knew her well. "A favorite of the patron goddess of the undead and considered a daughter by the warrior royalty. By Zeus you are beautiful."

"I've had that delivered before and that didn't end well," Angela replied remembering fully that Sam did break a guy's wrist. They had been lucky the cops hadn't been called on them and it took her forever to calm him down. She still didn't tug her hand away and it bothered her more than she was willing to admit to at the moment. Maybe she could steer the conversation back to more familiar ground that wasn't so uncomfortable. "Now you said I am like Xena but not her. What did you mean?"

Ares was still looking at her hand. He ran his fingers along her skin and pushed up the cuff of her jacket. It was then that he noticed it. That was an interesting touch. "Oh that you have the same spirit. The old ones call it the warrior spirit; more or less an attribute that is bred in the blood. The fight, the love of battle. Raw spirit that is tamed by other attributes."

"So you're saying…"

"You are a warrior heart and soul, princess; a true princess of royalty as claimed by your mark and being trained in the arts by the royals. It's all in the table." Ares ran his fingers on the underside of Angela's wrist and felt the pulse of the vein. He then gently tapped the bracelet that rested next to the gauntlet that held her sigils. "Seems that even other things see what you do not. I wonder what Artemis would say."

Angela looked at the bracelet. She replied in a calm voice, "I wonder that myself since I know my lines. If you happen to see her, tell her I have that question I'd like answered."

Ares looked up. He could see that he had ruffled her feathers enough. Still he could have some fun with her. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth all the waiting and the unusual amount of patience. "I can do that if we were on speaking terms." He turned to walk towards the bed that had been there and picked up something and held it out towards Angela. "I am sure that you would feel better wearing this than that. You would be less out of place."

Angela took in what Ares was holding up. It was nothing like from where the Oracle and the others were from. It was more modern but even she wasn't blind and could see that it was designed to blend in better. She could do worse and would have had a dress she supposed. "I think you are indulging in an idle fantasy."

"I would very much like to see you in it. It's been nearly, what a year since you last wore it?"

The tone was mocking but the words held truth. Angela hadn't worn that particular outfit since the days of the tournament. The only exception was her gauntlets. They looked good with her hunter gear and so she kept them. Most people commented on them and the custom made design and she would give a knowing smile. This though… She narrowed her eyes and retorted, "I bet you would."

"Oh yes." Ares thrust it at her and made sure she had it in her hands.

Angela saw little choice in the matter at hand. She would just have to play along with it. She took the clothes and found the screen she could change behind. At least she would have some dignity. She did manage to spit out, "Promiscuous pervert."

Ares chuckled as he turned around. She had good position and he could make out the tattoo on the small of her back and the one on the back of her shoulder in the mirror he peeked in. It was over the moment she pulled the top on so he said, "Believe me this is for the best. There are things in place in which you will need allies and powerful ones."

"I have friends. I don't need any more like you."

"Oh but you will," Ares replied. He had poured some wine into two goblets. After all the demons had their way of making deals and he had his. Of course it would take a lot to convince her of what he had in mind. He picked both up and turned to face her as she came out. "I know you can only see as far beyond your little corner of the world. The bigger picture is trivial to you."

Angela stood in her warrior's outfit. There were some modifications in that the top was made into a tube top and it bared her shoulders to the world. The pants were made to show off her figure and embraced that old stitching style but the boots were the same. It was completed with her gauntlets and her chakram was at her side but she felt naked without Absolution on her back. She replied, "I am well aware of the bigger picture Ares. It's been my curse since the day I said yes to the whole thing. It's brought me nothing but trouble."

Ares took in her figure. Sure he had made some modifications but what better way than to show off her physique and what she was? Her hair was up but the loose tresses made her look like a warrior that wasn't afraid of battle. He mocked her, "Oh most assuredly it is trouble. That's the reason why I want to discuss business with you."

"No offense but I've had propositions before and I pretty much said no," Angela replied. She held her old clothes and put them on a side table.

"And probably they had no reward for you but then again you never ask for one. It's what I like about you and most assuredly why Hapi and Satet chose you and not someone like an Amazon to be their earthbound princess." Ares held out a goblet and was pleased that she took it. That didn't mean she was going to drink it. "Besides, I know you. You have this desire to do good but there is a problem with that. Most of those you save resent you and don't thank you. You have no proper respect."

"I didn't join to be thanked."

"True but that could change. As my warrior queen, you will have not only the Guard of the family at your disposal but my armies as well. You will be revered as beautiful and feared for your sense of justice."

Angela listened. She had no intention of going that route. "No dice."

"Wait a minute there." Ares then waved his hand and showed an image of Dean moving like he was looking for the thing he was hunting. It moved to Bobby, then Ellen and Jo. Lastly it stopped at Sam. "I know that you consider these your friends. It would be a shame that something so natural should be the end of them."

Angela heard the threat behind it. She didn't expect anything less from Ares. She looked at the image of Sam. She felt her eye twitch as she turned to look at Ares. "You are low."

"God of war my princess. You see they will live and you get to do what you want and I will have what I want which is access to the royalty since a certain princess decided to be a bad girl. I know about that by the way." Ares looked at Angela and got in close so that their noses almost touched. "If you don't want harm to come to him…" He leaned in and pressed his lips onto hers and deepened it.

A/N: Well the Winchesters need a plan and Hibah suggests it. Interesting... Looks like Ares is attempting seduction and is not above resorting to an 'even' trade. Will Sam agree to fight for Angie? Or will they come up with a different plan? Stay tuned for next time on 'I Get That A Lot'...