Title: King of the Gods (2/?)
Author: Artemis Luna Diana
Email: artemislunadiana@yahoo.com
Rating: R
Fandom: Xena/Herc.
Pairing: Ares/Joxer, Cupid/Strife
Disclaimer: I own not a thing.
Warning: homosexuality, sex, reference to character death
Summary: Challenge response to Shadwmage7: Joxer becomes King of the Gods.
Status: WIP
Archive: AJCS, all others please ask.
Website: and
Thanks to: BlackUmbridge for the excellent beta.
Notes: My mythology source for this little piece of adventure was: .
"blah" - verbal
'blah' - thoughts
***
Chapter Two
***
Joxer took a deep breath and began searching for his mortal friends. He found them easily enough: Xena, Gabrielle, and Hercules were camped just south of Thebes and Iolaus was just a day's travel behind them. He and Hercules must have split up for a bit and agreed to meet in the city, and Hercules must have run into Xena and Gabrielle on their way to the Winter Solstice Festival being held there.
He was relieved in a way that Hercules had met up with them because it meant neither Hercules nor Gabrielle would be alone if Xena and Iolaus agreed to become Gods.
Joxer transported himself down to their campsite, invisible to mortal eyes. He immediately cast deep sleep spells on Hercules and Gabrielle. He saw Xena twitch in her sleep and realized that the ever-alert demigoddess had already sensed his presence. He decided to wait for her to wake up on her own.
Xena woke, senses on alert. Something was not right. She carefully and quietly got up, her sword at the ready.
"Hello, Xena."
She whirled around and her eyes narrowed. "Jett. How did you get out of prison?"
Joxer stared at her in surprise and then looked down at himself. He was dressed in black leather pants and a cream colored shirt with long sleeves that hung very loosely on his frame. Black boots completed the ensemble. "I'm not Jett; I'm Joxer," he said. He didn't think he looked like Jett. Sure, he wasn't wearing his armor, but otherwise he was still basically the same. Had his demeanor changed so much with his elevation to King of the Gods?
Perhaps it was his honest confusion that convinced her, but for whatever reason he was grateful as well as touched when she came and embraced him.
The slap to the back of the head was also comforting. "Where have you been?" she demanded. "No one has heard from you for over a year. Autolycus said you were supposed to meet him for the Winter Solstice in Tegea and never showed! We thought you were dead!"
"Sorry, Xena. I didn't mean to worry you. I'll apologize to Autolycus as soon as possible."
Xena smiled ruefully, threw an arm around his shoulders, and guided him to the fire. "Come on; tell me what you've been doing. I won't be able to sleep until I know what happened to you."
Joxer smiled hesitantly. "That could take awhile."
"Joxer are you in any kind of trouble? Is anyone after you?" Xena asked concerned.
"Trouble? Definitely. Someone after me? Most definitely."
"What happened?"
"I was about three days travel from Argos, nearly to Tegea, on my way to meet Autolycus for the Winter Solstice, when I ran into someone unexpected."
"Who?"
"Gaia."
"The Goddess?!"
"Yes."
"Joxer, please tell me you haven't gotten messed up with the Gods."
Joxer didn't reply.
Xena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "What did she want?" Xena asked calmly, focusing back on Joxer.
"She made me a God."
Xena blinked. "You're a-" she couldn't manage to finish the question.
"God. To be specific, the God of Forgiveness and Mercy."
Xena's expression softened. "I can understand why she'd offer that to you." She frowned. "Wait a minute, why did Gaia come to you? Shouldn't Zeus have been the one who made you a God? I mean this was planned wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was planned, but it was planned without Zeus."
"Joxer," Xena breathed.
"It's okay, Xena. Zeus isn't the problem."
Xena let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "That's good. With Zeus behind you, you're safe from the other Gods."
Joxer was silent once more.
Her eyes widened. "He isn't behind you? I thought you said he wasn't a problem?!"
"He isn't a problem because he isn't the King of the Gods anymore," Joxer said mildly.
"Then who is? Ares?"
Joxer took the glamour off his forehead revealing the crown.
"By the Gods," Xena breathed. "Ares is going to kill you."
"I'm sure he's figuring out how to do that as we speak." Joxer sighed. "Let me start from the beginning. It won't make much sense without the details."
Once he finished his tale, Xena remained quiet for a few moments, and Joxer let her have her time to think, enjoying being in the presence of his friends. When she looked up and meet his gaze, Joxer tensed slightly.
"What can I do?"
Joxer's tension drained from him. "I hope that you'll consent to return to Olympus with me."
"Go to Olympus? I don't know what good that would do," Xena replied bemused.
"Going as mortal, it wouldn't do much. Going as Goddess of the Mind, it would do a great deal."
Xena leaned back on her hands as she thought, her brow pinched slightly in concentration. Her gaze wandered around the camp and landed on their sleeping friends. "What about them?"
"They aren't meant for Olympus. They wouldn't be able to handle it." Joxer leaned back on his hands, matching Xena's pose. "Have you ever heard someone say 'Absolute power corrupts absolutely?'"
"Then what about you? What about me?"
"I have no choice. My godhoods constantly remind me of how I should behave. I can't be corrupted by a want for power. You have had power, and you turned away from it. That is what makes you different from them. Your control and perseverance make you an excellent choice for Goddess of the Mind." Joxer hesitated before continuing. "And, I need you. I don't have a lot of time. Ares is planning something; I'm sure of it."
"I never thought that I would ever be placed in this position," Xena said softly. "I have to figure out where I can do the most good. There are disadvantages to accepting this, but I have to believe that the advantages make it worth it. I'll become your Goddess, Joxer."
Joxer materialized a goblet filled with nectar and handed it to Xena. She stared at the contents intently, trying to make sure that this was the right choice. She drained the goblet.
Joxer stood and then held out a hand to help Xena to her feet. "It's best that they don't know what is going on until the problems on Olympus are resolved," Joxer said quietly. "Is there anything you want to take with you?"
Xena walked over to her pack and selected a few things: stuff that Gabrielle had given her as well as things from some of her other friends. She gave Argo a fond pat and told her that Gabrielle would look after her. Then Joxer transported them to his office on Olympus.
The two heroes slept on.
***
Iolaus stared at the two Gods sitting across his campfire. Now if it had just been Strife, perhaps he could have dismissed it as a joke, but when a seriously weak Goddess of Wisdom is agreeing with his story, the God of Mischief seems a lot more creditable.
"Joxer is the King of the Gods?" Iolaus repeated.
Strife rolled his eyes. "Do you want to retract your nomination of the little hunter, Arty?"
"Don't call me that," Athena snapped irritably.
"Touche!" Strife replied with a slightly insane-looking grin.
Athena shot him a disgusted look before returning her attention to the gob-smacked mortal. "For the thousandth time, YES!"
"And he wants me to become one too?"
Both Gods replied, "YES!"
"Why?"
Strife groaned. "Do we really have to explain this again?"
"And just out of curiosity, why are you helping Joxer? Shouldn't you be helping Ares to overthrow him?"
Strife eyed the mortal speculatively. He was beginning to see the potential Athena saw in him. "Unc' doesn't know I'm back yet, and I owe Joxer for getting me out of the Underworld."
"So until Ares says stop, you're going to help Joxer? That seems... pointless," Iolaus said, truly confused.
"It's Olympian politics," Athena said with a sigh.
"Is it the same with you?"
"No. I truly support Joxer's reign." She met the gaze of the mortal man. "And I can tell you truthfully that he will need you by his side. He needs all the help he can get."
"Ares is a formidable opponent," Strife said neutrally.
"Well, what about Hercules? And Xena?"
"Joxer himself has gone to Xena," Athena replied. "I don't know if she will accept." She shrugged slightly. "As to Hercules... Joxer didn't even consider him. He didn't say why either. He could have been used to replace Zeus as God of the Sky, but Joxer didn't bring up his name, and neither did anyone else. You and Xena were the only ones considered from your foursome."
Iolaus frowned. "Why?"
Strife scowled. "We don't know. How many times do we gotta say it?"
"If you want to wait to give your answer until after you ask him, Iolaus, that is acceptable. Joxer didn't give us the authority to make you a God. I think he wanted to be sure that you knew what you were getting into."
"So what? You'll take me to him?"
"Yes. We'll take you to his office. We're all supposed to meet back there," Athena replied.
Iolaus thought for a moment before slowly replying, "I'm not saying yes, but I'll go with you and talk to Joxer."
"Good," Strife said and jumped to his feet. "I want to get out of here before Unc' finds me."
***
When Xena and Joxer flashed into his office, they found four Gods and three mortals waiting for them. Xena immediately clasped arms with Cycrops and then Iolaus.
"Well Xena, to be honest, I didn't expect to see you here," Iolaus said.
She gave a slight smile, then turned her attention to her fellow Gods. "I'm glad you're back, Strife."
Strife feigned a sniffle. "I believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
Xena grinned. "Athena," she said, acknowledging the obviously weak Goddess of Wisdom.
Joxer quickly introduced her to Gaia and Tethys, and the Mind Goddess greeted them as well. Gaia introduced Cycrops and Zeraclies to Joxer, and the King gave them both comforting smiles: both men were very tense. He clasped arms with Iolaus and apologized for worrying the hunter with his disappearance. Iolaus laughingly demanded that he never do it again, and Joxer agreed.
Then things grew serious. Joxer conjured a table large enough for them all and began a question-answer session with the prospective Gods. After nearly three hours of talking, all three agreed to become Gods. Joxer was even more grateful that Xena had accepted her godhood, because without her, he doubted Iolaus would have accepted. The two had come a long way since their troubled beginnings.
When the three men had either drank nectar or eaten ambrosia, Joxer began assigning teachers to the new Gods. He took Xena under his own tutelage. Zeraclies was Gaia's responsibility; Cycrops was Tethys'. Athena became Iolaus' mentor.
After everyone but Strife and Xena had left, Joxer turned to Xena. "Wait here for a bit. It's time Strife's presence was announced." After receiving Xena's nod, Joxer transported the Mischief God and himself to the Halls of War.
He found just what he had expected: Ares, Eris, Demios, and Phobus, all plotting. Beyond the first brief flicker of surprise, none of the four allowed him to see them unsettled. Joxer smirked; they hadn't noticed Strife yet.
"Ares," Joxer said and grabbed Strife by the shoulder. "I believe this belongs to you." He shoved Strife at the group and then stayed long enough to see the shock on Ares face before flashing out.
***
TBC...
