Tempers Ignite

Laughing at them, Ares couldn't stand it any more transforming to his normal self, "You always did spoil my plans little man."

"Yeah well, you always have such rotten plans." Iolaus countered.

Looking at the best friend of his most hated brother, Ares was more angered than he'd been in a long time. He hadn't been ready to give up his fun yet. Before either Hercules or Iolaus had a chance to react, he released a fire bolt that threw Iolaus across the room, hitting his head on the Coat of Arms hanging on the wall.

"Iolaus!" Hercules watched in horror as Iolaus bounced off the wall with a thud. Turning toward his half brother. "You've gone to far Ares."

"Oh Yeah" Ares countered laughing, "It looks like your little friend went pretty far thanks to me."

"Ares!" Hercules started across the room after the God of War, ducking several fire bolts Ares threw at him.

"Sorry brother, I have a war to see to. Oh by the way, I bet you're wondering where the real Iphicles is, huh?" Ares said derisively. "Well, keep wondering. See you next time," laughing as he disappeared.

Slumping to the ground, the last thing Iolaus heard was Hercules shouting "AAARRRREEEEEESSS!!!"

Hercules ran to his friend, fearing what he would find. "Iolaus?"

Closing his eyes for a second, that feeling of guilt overtook him again, guilt that Iolaus was hurt because of him, guilt that Iphicles was missing because of him. Taking a deep breath, Hercules started to check Iolaus' injuries, all the while softly calling his name, trying to awaken him.

"Come on Iolaus, it's time to wake up now." Hercules pleads.

Looking around and not seeing anyone, Hercules shouted. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh, Sweet Cheeks," a voice pouted beside Hercules.

"Aphrodite?" Hercules looked pleadingly at his half sister. "Iolaus is..."

Standing, Aphrodite said "Look bro, I know Sweet Cheek's is hurt here, but if you don't get to Iphicles soon Ares is going to do something really nasty to him."

"I know that!" Hercules shouted, "But I can't leave Iolaus hurt. I don't know how bad his injuries are."

Looking away Hercules whispered "I can't lose him again."

"Duh.... I know that bro," and as Aphrodite waved her arm across her body, Iphicles best healer Caduceus appeared.

Caduceus quickly went to Iolaus' side. "What happened?"

"Ares, Ares is what happened." Hercules spat. "He hit him with a fire bolt."

"Uh Herc, we better go now. Ares is really mad." Aphrodite looked at him expectantly.

The need to reach and protect his brother that had driven him to Corinth was back. But looking at his best friend, his brother in any other way, lying there injured, Hercules hesitated.

Caduceus put a hand on Hercules arm to get his attention. "Go, I'll take care of him Hercules. Find the King."

"Help him, please!" Hercules pleaded, taking one last look at Iolaus.

Caduceus nodded and turned to minister to his patient.

"Ok Aphrodite, let's go." Hercules looked grimly at the goddess, and with that, they were gone.

"Go swiftly Hercules," Caduceus said to an empty room.

Rescue of a Brother

Upon arriving outside the cave, Hercules quickly dispatched Ares' ten guards to unconsciousness. Aphrodite enjoyed watching her big brother in action. Giggling, she rushed into the cavern after Hercules to find Iphicles.

"Iphicles?" Hercules shouted, as the king's name echoed loudly back at him.

"Here, Hercules," Iphicles calmly replied. Quickly standing, he looked at his brother and smiled. "I knew you'd come."

"Darn!" Aphrodite shouted, while stomping her foot.

The brothers looked at one another, then at Aphrodite.

"What now?" Hercules asked.

"Uh, I have to go." Aphrodite said with a pout. "The big guy is calling, I must be in trouble."

Nodding, Hercules looked at her with eyes suspiciously moist. "Thanks Sis."

"He'll be all right, Hercules." Aphrodite smiled sympathetically at him as she disappeared.

"Hercules? Who'll be alright?" Iphicles queried.

Looking at his brother, Hercules replied tersely. "I'll explain it on the way back to the palace."

Iphicles nodded as they hurried out of his former prison and back to Corinth.

The Loss of Family

He awoke to someone poking and prodding his painfully throbbing head. Iolaus moaned and tried to focus on the source of this unwanted attention. He thought he heard a voice calling to him to as he gradually drifted back into full consciousness, he tried to sit up abruptly, far too abruptly as he soon discovered.

"Herc, are you all right? Where's Ares? Ow, that hurts!" He yelped as strong hands forced him back down to the ground.

"Iolaus, you are injured. Please let me take a look at you." Iolaus jerked at the sound of the voice and his heart sank as he recognized the voice as Iphicles' physician, Caduceus. Not Herc. Not Herc? He tried to get up again but the physician continued his examination of the battered hunter, stifling an oath as he next discovered Iolaus' very badly twisted and swollen knee. The sharp intake of breath from the hunter as he pulled away from the pain, confirmed Caduceus' suspicions that it was a potentially serious injury.

"Caduceus, where's Hercules? Is he hurt? Why isn't he here?" Iolaus was getting panicked. From what little he had seen of the brotherly battle before he lost consciousness, Ares certainly didn't appear to be playing games with Herc this time. He winced as he just started to discover for himself how many places he hurt. This was not good.

Caduceus scowled at Iolaus. "Young man stay down, you will injure yourself further. Hercules says Ares hit you with a fire bolt and you have quite a burn from that. You've banged that hard head of yours, wrenched your knee, and have more bruises than I can count. And from the way your arm looks, I'm not entirely sure whether or not it's broken."

Iolaus was barely listening to the exasperated physician as he tried to remember the chain of events before he had blacked out. 'Why didn't Hercules stay around to help him if he was so badly hurt? Why did he leave?'

"Caduceus, where did Hercules go?"

"I don't know. One minute I was in the dungeon with most of the other palace staff and guards, and the next I was whisked here and found you and Hercules, and the room was a terrible mess. Ares had imprisoned me this morning when I discovered he wasn't the King."

Iolaus raised his eyebrows at that particular comment. "How did you know?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Simple really, I'd been treating the King for a bad cut on his hand he suffered while hunting several days ago. He had no such cut today and when I expressed surprise, Ares sent me to the dungeon so I wouldn't say anything to Hercules. Hercules said he had to leave and for me to take care of you. Now lie still while I go get someone to help me carry you to a room where I can better treat your injuries. You can't stay here on the cold floor, you know." And off the elderly physician went, mentally making a list of supplies and herbs he would need to treat his patient.

Iolaus sighed deeply, discovering that wasn't a good idea, then rolled onto his side with great difficulty. He had to get up and get out of here and... Wait a minute, go where? Herc had left him lying on the floor unconscious and told someone else to take care of him. 'So, he's still mad at me? I proved it was Ares, didn't I? Maybe he can't forgive me for what I said to him about being a better brother to him than Iphicles and all that other stuff. Gods, Iolaus, how stupid can you be? I mean, making Herc have to choose that way. Why would he choose me over his real brother anyway?' A swirling mix of emotions overwhelmed his already overtaxed brain. He needed to do something but what that something was, well he wasn't exactly too sure at the moment. Confused and disturbing images from his recent nightmares merged with the now ever present pain, making it hard to concentrate.

Iolaus somehow struggled to his feet, swaying and nearly keeling over until he half fell against the unforgiving stone wall. He didn't know how, but he had to get away from here, far away from Corinth, far away from the best friend he'd ever had, but whom he no longer felt he deserved to call friend. Not after what he'd said to Herc. Iolaus pulled himself up as straight as he dared and slowly made his way to the next room. He recognized it as Iphicles' private chamber off the throne room. Peering around the small, dimly lit room, as if to memorize it since he would not likely see it again, he spotted the King's desk. Almost as an impulse, he grabbed a blank parchment, wanting to somehow explain, to apologize to Herc, but how? With a hand shaking as much from emotion as pain, he scratched 'My Friend, I'm so sorry, please forgive me,' then stopped abruptly.

Iolaus was not thinking too clearly, as both pain and sadness clouded his thoughts. 'I have to leave,' he thought. 'I have to get away from here now, because Herc and Iphicles need to be together. They're family and no matter how much I want to be, well, I'm just not, and I don't know why it's taken me so long to finally realize that. Herc can't forgive me for some of the things I said anyway, so what's the point of staying around here?' He clutched the parchment tightly to his chest as he slowly made his way out of the room.

The hunter dropped the parchment and it fluttered to the floor as he moved toward the massive wood doors of the throne room. Outside the castle, the courtyard was a flurry of activity as soldiers and servants hurried about in apparent confusion, totally ignoring the hunched, solitary figure making his way out of the castle grounds. Iolaus held his throbbing arm close to his side, not caring whether or not it was broken. He actually was more concerned about his knee. As badly as it pained him, he just hoped he could walk on it until he could get into the woods surrounding the city and somehow just disappear.

sparkycola1 thank you so much for the review.