Chapter 8:
"Good luck, Hercules," Antony whispered as he lead him around the back of the palace gate. There were two guards he'd have to get by first. No problem. But after that?
"Now remember, this has to be a covert operation, so you have to be as quiet as possible."
Herc raised an eyebrow at him cynically. "Um...Antony? I don't know if you've heard of any of my other 'adventures', but I don't really do covert. - In fact, most of the time it ends with alot of yelling and a few buildings being knocked down."
Antony laughed. "Sounds like me in bed." This comment only got a mild look of confusion from Hercules, so Antony clapped him on the shoulder and recapped the plan. "Don't worry, just knock out the guards, steal a uniform, and walk right into the prison to get Meg. You two sneak around front and meet me- where we discussed, remember?- and I'll get you on a ship headed back to Greece." Hercules nodded. "For all they know, Meg just escaped in the night, and Cleo and I can get back to uh...stopping this war."
"Alright," Herc sighed, "I'll try to be quick...but be careful and keep a lookout. If anything goes wrong we'll have to fight our way out of here."
Antony nodded. "Alright. The blackbird will be flying south during the winter. Over and out."
Herc blinked. "Why are you talking like that?"
Antony blushed slightly. "I-Its code...like the soldiers use?...Sorry, I'm just excited. Emperors don't usually get to do this kinda thing."
Herc had to fight back a laugh as Antony left to go to his post. "The bird flies south..." Herc repeated and shook his head. He emerged from their hiding place and had no trouble knocking out the guards and stealing a uniform that was a bit small on him. Taking a deep breath, he entered through the gate and down towards the prison.
The prison was located at the very back of the huge palace, and opened to a large space between the palace and the gates in the huge wall that surrounded the whole place. This gate made it easy to bring prisoners in and out without disturbing palace life. It also made it easy for Hercules to get to it. No one noticed the completely guilty look he wore as he approached. They only noticed his uniform. Uniforms are a funny thing and sometimes have that effect. There were guards swarming the place. Only two were actually guarding the door to go into the prison, and they let him in without question. Inside there were two more playing cards and keeping an eye on things... At this point, Herc really wished they'd arranged for some kind of distraction.
Antony made his way quietly around to the place where he would meet Hercules. He wondered what Cleopatra was doing at this very moment. Did she know what was happening as she sat up in her room? He paused to look up and try to find her window, and just as he was beginning to wonder if she might be worrying about him, someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him out of the bushes.
"Well, lookie what I got!" the guard announced. "I bet the Pharoah would be mighty interested to know what the emperor of Rome's doing sneaking around at this time o' night!" He promptly held a knife to Antony's back so that he couldn't struggle, and lead him off towards the prison gate.
Hercules gulped as he approached the two guards that were playing cards.
"Uh...excuse me..."
"What'cha need, kid?" One of them asked gruffly without looking up from his hand. Herc rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Kid? No one had called him that since...well, ok, the last time he'd seen Phil. Still, it was a bit unnerving.
"I uh...I was sent to 'take care' of that spy you've got locked up."
The guard raised a suspicious eyebrow. "She's not being 'taken care of' till the morning. The king sent orders to make it a public execution.
"Oh...I mean I know...but uhh...she might need something...or have a last request..."
"-We don't give prisoners luxuries, boy. What exactly are your orders?" Both men were staring at him now, and Herc was all out of ideas.
"Well...They're top secret actually...can't let this get out. You'd better come a little closer." The guards looked at eachother, and as soon as they leaned in curiously, Herc knocked their heads together and they passed out on the card table. Herc sighed, "So much for that." He snatched the keys off of one of them as the prisoners went wild. Herc ignored them and hurried down the dark hall to find Meg. When he stopped at her cell he found her huddled in the corner. "Meg!" He whispered and she looked up, eyes wide, till she saw who it was and ran to the door.
"Oh gods, Herc!" He opened the door as fast as he could, and she fell into his arms, in tears, dropping to her knees and taking him down too.
"My gods, Meg, what did they do to you!?" He cupped her face in his hands gently and made her look up at him.
"I...they..." She gasped, not really knowing where to start, she said the only thing she could think of: "They cut my hair!" She sobbed, grabbing the now curly ends with her hands. Herc blinked and knit his eyebrows at her.
"Oh..." he wipped some dirt off her face with his thumb. "It's alright. You look beautiful."
Meg shook her head and sniffled, then she hit him weakly on the arm. "What the hell took you so long?"
Herc laughed, glad that she was more herself again. "I'm sorry. I'll never be late again." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
"-Don't-" Meg gasped, recoiling. Herc looked at her, confused, then concerned suddenly, and made her look up at him again.
"Meg, what's wrong?"
"I..." She bit her lip. "They whipped me pretty hard, Herc...my back..." She could see the anger build in his eyes, but he just clenched his jaw and nodded to her.
"We gotta get outta here...can you walk?"
Meg nodded and they stood together, although she was still in pain. "How are we-?"
"We're sneaking you out the back as my prisoner and Antony-" He was cut off when the prison door burst open and a guard came in carying Antony.
"Hey! I've got another-" He stopped, seeing the scene- Two guards knocked out on the table, prisoners banging at their cell doors and yelling as Herc and Meg stood like deer caught in the headlights. "What in the name of Anubus is going on here?!"
Herc's eyes widened upon seeing Antony, and he looked back to Meg. "Looks like the plans have changed."
To be continued...
Disclaimer: Meg and Herc are property of Disney, all rights reserved. Antony and Cleo belong to me I suppose.
"Good luck, Hercules," Antony whispered as he lead him around the back of the palace gate. There were two guards he'd have to get by first. No problem. But after that?
"Now remember, this has to be a covert operation, so you have to be as quiet as possible."
Herc raised an eyebrow at him cynically. "Um...Antony? I don't know if you've heard of any of my other 'adventures', but I don't really do covert. - In fact, most of the time it ends with alot of yelling and a few buildings being knocked down."
Antony laughed. "Sounds like me in bed." This comment only got a mild look of confusion from Hercules, so Antony clapped him on the shoulder and recapped the plan. "Don't worry, just knock out the guards, steal a uniform, and walk right into the prison to get Meg. You two sneak around front and meet me- where we discussed, remember?- and I'll get you on a ship headed back to Greece." Hercules nodded. "For all they know, Meg just escaped in the night, and Cleo and I can get back to uh...stopping this war."
"Alright," Herc sighed, "I'll try to be quick...but be careful and keep a lookout. If anything goes wrong we'll have to fight our way out of here."
Antony nodded. "Alright. The blackbird will be flying south during the winter. Over and out."
Herc blinked. "Why are you talking like that?"
Antony blushed slightly. "I-Its code...like the soldiers use?...Sorry, I'm just excited. Emperors don't usually get to do this kinda thing."
Herc had to fight back a laugh as Antony left to go to his post. "The bird flies south..." Herc repeated and shook his head. He emerged from their hiding place and had no trouble knocking out the guards and stealing a uniform that was a bit small on him. Taking a deep breath, he entered through the gate and down towards the prison.
The prison was located at the very back of the huge palace, and opened to a large space between the palace and the gates in the huge wall that surrounded the whole place. This gate made it easy to bring prisoners in and out without disturbing palace life. It also made it easy for Hercules to get to it. No one noticed the completely guilty look he wore as he approached. They only noticed his uniform. Uniforms are a funny thing and sometimes have that effect. There were guards swarming the place. Only two were actually guarding the door to go into the prison, and they let him in without question. Inside there were two more playing cards and keeping an eye on things... At this point, Herc really wished they'd arranged for some kind of distraction.
Antony made his way quietly around to the place where he would meet Hercules. He wondered what Cleopatra was doing at this very moment. Did she know what was happening as she sat up in her room? He paused to look up and try to find her window, and just as he was beginning to wonder if she might be worrying about him, someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him out of the bushes.
"Well, lookie what I got!" the guard announced. "I bet the Pharoah would be mighty interested to know what the emperor of Rome's doing sneaking around at this time o' night!" He promptly held a knife to Antony's back so that he couldn't struggle, and lead him off towards the prison gate.
Hercules gulped as he approached the two guards that were playing cards.
"Uh...excuse me..."
"What'cha need, kid?" One of them asked gruffly without looking up from his hand. Herc rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Kid? No one had called him that since...well, ok, the last time he'd seen Phil. Still, it was a bit unnerving.
"I uh...I was sent to 'take care' of that spy you've got locked up."
The guard raised a suspicious eyebrow. "She's not being 'taken care of' till the morning. The king sent orders to make it a public execution.
"Oh...I mean I know...but uhh...she might need something...or have a last request..."
"-We don't give prisoners luxuries, boy. What exactly are your orders?" Both men were staring at him now, and Herc was all out of ideas.
"Well...They're top secret actually...can't let this get out. You'd better come a little closer." The guards looked at eachother, and as soon as they leaned in curiously, Herc knocked their heads together and they passed out on the card table. Herc sighed, "So much for that." He snatched the keys off of one of them as the prisoners went wild. Herc ignored them and hurried down the dark hall to find Meg. When he stopped at her cell he found her huddled in the corner. "Meg!" He whispered and she looked up, eyes wide, till she saw who it was and ran to the door.
"Oh gods, Herc!" He opened the door as fast as he could, and she fell into his arms, in tears, dropping to her knees and taking him down too.
"My gods, Meg, what did they do to you!?" He cupped her face in his hands gently and made her look up at him.
"I...they..." She gasped, not really knowing where to start, she said the only thing she could think of: "They cut my hair!" She sobbed, grabbing the now curly ends with her hands. Herc blinked and knit his eyebrows at her.
"Oh..." he wipped some dirt off her face with his thumb. "It's alright. You look beautiful."
Meg shook her head and sniffled, then she hit him weakly on the arm. "What the hell took you so long?"
Herc laughed, glad that she was more herself again. "I'm sorry. I'll never be late again." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
"-Don't-" Meg gasped, recoiling. Herc looked at her, confused, then concerned suddenly, and made her look up at him again.
"Meg, what's wrong?"
"I..." She bit her lip. "They whipped me pretty hard, Herc...my back..." She could see the anger build in his eyes, but he just clenched his jaw and nodded to her.
"We gotta get outta here...can you walk?"
Meg nodded and they stood together, although she was still in pain. "How are we-?"
"We're sneaking you out the back as my prisoner and Antony-" He was cut off when the prison door burst open and a guard came in carying Antony.
"Hey! I've got another-" He stopped, seeing the scene- Two guards knocked out on the table, prisoners banging at their cell doors and yelling as Herc and Meg stood like deer caught in the headlights. "What in the name of Anubus is going on here?!"
Herc's eyes widened upon seeing Antony, and he looked back to Meg. "Looks like the plans have changed."
To be continued...
Disclaimer: Meg and Herc are property of Disney, all rights reserved. Antony and Cleo belong to me I suppose.