Meg wandered the massive grounds of the estate, driven by boredom. She walked about the terrace, taking-in the lush, well kept greenery. It really was quite beautiful.
At the north-end of the grounds, she discovered a training yard of sorts. 'This must be where Wonder-boy learns his trade'
Various weapons and armor littered the lawn. But what stole her attention was a rack of training dummies, which were basically stuffed dolls depicting the imitating faces of hideous monsters, hanging off the ground by a rope. Her fingers and toes flexed with anticipation. It had been some time since she had sparred. Her head whipped to either side, to be sure no one was about. That little Billy Goat would likely be ticked-off if he caught her messing with official training equipment. Then again, why should she care if Phil discovered her on the grounds? Besides, it might actually be quite comical to watch one of his fits, that pudgy little face turning fire-ball red up to his horns while the veins in his forehead pulsed and throbbed with frustration. Meg smiled as she pictured this display in her mind.
Then the moment passed and it was onto business. Beginning with some stretches to loosen and elongate her muscles, rolling the tendons in her neck. She crouched into a fighting stance, took a few energizing deep breaths, then unleashed a flurry of attacks. Each move flowed into the next, smooth and flawless. It appeared no experience had lagged from her lack of practice. Fists and feet connected with stuffing, while she danced around her opponent.
Soon her breath became heavy and perspiration escaped from her pores. She welcomed these sensations of fatigue. All in all, they strengthened her to continue further. Seeing her weary symptoms as an opponent in itself, one to overcome and surpass.
Once she felt satisfied with her work-out, she decided to take a time-out. Taking deep, soothing breaths to calm the rhythm of her heart, she allowed her eyes to wander. While doing so, another object caught her interest, lying on innocently upon the ground. Deciding to investigate, she slowly approached its location. Finally recognizing its form and structure, she found it to be a Bow. A Long Bow, in fact. She bent down and hefted the weapon, testing its weight in her hands. Intrigued, she lifted the bow into firing position, and attempted to pull back the tightened string. To her profound annoyance, the cursed thing wouldn't budge under her strength alone, no matter how hard she strained at its taught resistance.

" Have you ever shot a bow before?"

Meg jumped, startled by the sudden presence of another. She felt like a child just being caught raiding the cookie jar, giving her the impulse to hide the object she held behind her back, silently cursing herself. Her sensai back home would have undoubtedly blown a gasket at her carelessness, not being more alert and aware of her surroundings.
She at last turned to face the master of the Villa, himself. He looked embarrassed for startling her without warning.

"I...I...I'm sorry, Meg, please forgive my unannounced approach", Hercules hastily apologized. "I just saw you with the bow and wondered if you had any experience wielding one."

Meg was somewhat surprised; he hadn't gotten upset at her wondering curiosity. He was still waiting patiently for her answer, content enough just to have the pleasure of gazing upon her beauty.

She squirmed, feeling slightly awkward. "Umm...No, actually." She surrendered the weapon into its owners care. "But I've always wanted to."

Herc nervously fingered the weapon in his strong, massive hands, hesitant to utter his next words for fear of rejection. "I....umm...I could teach you. That is....if you wanted...t...to."

Meg bit her lip, stewing. What harm could it do? "Well, sure. If its not too much of a burden."

"Oh no. No, no", Herc insisted. "I'd Lo....I mean, great!" He looked upon his Bow. "But you probably wouldn't want to learn on this one. You see, this is the one I use, it's fitted for my skill and bearing weight." He took a moment to address the problem. Finally, he got an idea and held up a finger. "Hold on." He disappeared into a storage shed of sorts and soon returned with a smaller Re-curve Bow, and a quiver full of arrows with bright colored feathers that sprung from the tail. "Here we go. This should suit you just fine."

Meg accepted the weapon. It was much lighter than its predecessor. She experimentally pulled back the string and found that the draw matched her strength.

"This was actually my first Bow, when I first entered hero training", Herc reminisced fondly.

Meg had to swallow any prideful feelings she had for having to start her lesson with a child's Bow. "Is that a fact.." She replied dryly.

"Yep. I was pretty hopeless before Phil took me on. Well..." He eagerly clapped his hands together. "..shall we begin?" Shouldering the quiver of arrows, Hercules led his newly appointed student to the north end of the field.
20 yards from their current position stood a target, outlined in the shape of a monstrous foe. Painted in the center were 5 brightly colored circles, pin-pointing the foe's vitality. Contemplating how to begin, Herc held his bow before him in the required pose, with his legs spread, one foot forward, the other pointed toward his target.

"First of all, you must keep your arms straight, but with a slight bend against the grip." He retrieved an arrow from its hold and fit it into place. "There's a tiny nitch, just before the fletching, where you nock the arrow onto the string." He demonstrated so. "You pull back the string till it touches your cheek. Take aim, looking down the length of the arrow, to where the tip rests just above the bull's-eye..." The concentration was obvious on his face, studying the distance between himself and the target. "Then release..." As he thus spoke, the arrow shot from the bow with a distinct twang. Flying straight and true, the arrow hit home upon its intended point.......then blasted through the opposite end, leaving a distinct hole within the trunk.

Unable to discern where his arrow may have landed, Herc's face grew hot as he reached back to massage his neck, embarrassed. "Whoops, heh heh. I tend to forget my own strength."

Never-the-less, Meg was impressed, quickly snapping her mouth shut before he could catch it. " I can't be sure, but I don't think you'll be able to retrieve that one."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Seeing no sign of his lost arrow. Brushing this away, he turned to Meg. "OK, now you give it a try."

Pressure mounted. Meg was actually nervous she'd make a fool of herself. Luckily, she knew the exact rouse to disguise her apprehension. Her tarty tongue was the perfect defense against the nervous jitters. "Alright. But I don't know if I can top that acrobatic move", she teased, stepping forward and copying his stance. Her mind suddenly went blank. Where did the arrow rest again? Mentally struggling, she decided to just wing-it. She fit the arrow where she presumed it went and stretched the bow string back against her cheek. As she released her grip on the string, it snapped across her left arm, the one she left straight along-side the bow, causing her loaded arrow to stray off course into some well-tended shrubbery.
The snap of the string could have been compared with that of a task master's whip. The top layer of skin on her upper arm was left fire-red and raw, a painful result from her miscalculation. The last thing Meg wanted to do was complain, showing weakness. But the nerves in her arm screamed against her will as she tucked it under her elbow, trying to smother the pain. She hissed through her clenched teeth.

"Oh no! Are you alright, Meg?" Herc wanted to reach out and comfort her, but held back knowing such a move would prove fatal to any advances he might have.

Meg turned her back to him, hiding the anguish sprawled upon her face, tense and strained. "I'm fine." She fought to keep her voice clear and even, taking deep breaths. "I guess I goofed." She laughed unsteadily.

"No. It was my fault. If anyone's to blame, it was me."

Confused by his confession, Meg faced him again, forgetting her pain. "What are you talking about?"

Looking ashamed, the hero's eyes dropped to his feet. "I should have warned you before. Weapons can sometimes inflict injury to the bearer. I'm very sorry. I'm not a very good teacher. Phil is much better suited to the task. Perhaps I could arrange for him to continue your lessons...."

His suggestion hung without response for some time while Meg's expression became unreadable. Her mouth trembled and her chest quaked, struggling to contain a powerful, volatile force, building upon itself until it could find escape. Then she burst out with hysterical laughter. The initial best medicine for her rope-like burn. Instead, her stomach cramped in result of her clenching ab muscles, wrapping her arms around her torso and doubling over.
Catching the contagious sensation, not really knowing why, Hercules was thrown into fitful giggles. What is it about hearing someone laugh that makes you cackle with them?
This was the most Hercules had seem Meg smile, he wanted to share in her joy.

"H..him, teach ME?! We'd probably end-up shooting each other!"
There was no denying that logic.
"He'd be like a deer in headlights!"

The concept being foreign to him, Herc was stumped into silence. "Headlights?"

Realizing her slip-of-the-tongue, too late, she attempted a major back-petal. Meg scrambled her brain, trying to figure a way to explain through her mistake. "Well, uh, you know how timid and easily frightened deer are, so they would scamper off at fist sight of bright light."

Herc's expression remained blank.

"Or...I just have no idea what I'm talking about." Accepting defeat, she coughed out a nervous chuckle. "But all joking aside, you're dong fine. I'd much rather have you show me the ropes than task-master Phil."

Herc smiled, taking it as a compliment. Tearing a strip of leather from his chiton, he tied it around Meg's fore-arm. "This should protect you from further injury", he winked.

Meg flexed, and stretched her arm, smiling. "Thanks. Feels much better." She examined his newly ripped garb. "But what about?....."

"Don't worry about that", Herc settled. "Believe me, I've got plenty more where that came from."

She accepted his kindness. 'He is a pretty descent person. He'll make some lucky bimbo happy, one day.'

"Now, let's try this again", Herc said, trying to take-up the role as teacher. "Get into position."

Meg posed in what she thought was the correct starting point.

"No......wait.......uhh....." Herc's hands flew in confusion, trying to decide how to proceed next. He remembered how Phil had physically placed and maneuvered where his arms and legs should stand when preparing to shoot. But he couldn't display that here. Every time he tried to do so, his hands froze in mid-air as if Meg had some protective barrier surrounding her. Besides, this was different; Meg was a girl, a woman if fact. A woman that he happened to be strongly attracted to.

Out of the corner of her eye, Meg noticed his personal struggle. She naturally knew she wasn't set-up correctly. So what else could she do in order to learn if she didn't allow his presence into her personal bubble.
She sighed in defeat and disgust at her own incompetence. "It's OK."

"What?"

Closing her eyes, Meg repeated herself. "I said.....it's OK. Go ahead and show me what I'm doing wrong." Figuring that she could always disengage his hold if he got too fresh and tried something.

The hero gulped. "Oh, right."

He moved in behind Meg and extended his arms to make them parallel with hers. He found it necessary to breath through his mouth, so his senses wouldn't be aroused by the captivating scent of her hair.
Meg was very aware of his body present so close to her own, and the play of his firm muscles outlining hers. In response she became very tense and nervous.

Herc cleared his throat to focus his mind and swallowed, for his mouth was dry. "Right, well, hold your arm out here......." He raised her arm with his. "then bend out slightly at the elbow." Pushing in the joint. "Now pinch the fletching between your index and middle finger, and slowly pull the back till it rests against your cheek."
It was very much like giving her an embrace from behind, and he longed to gather her in his arms and keep her for his own. There was just something about her that drew him in. He didn't know how to act around her, and at the same time, he felt he could be himself when in her company, which made it difficult as he was full of indecision.
"Gaze down the point....and release."

The arrow shot from its hold like a tightly wound spring. Its flight from bow to target seemed suspended in a slow moving arch as Meg watched in suspense for the end results, her body tense and expectant. A hollow thud could be heard as the arrow-head sunk into the wood, its tail-end quivering from the third circle in. The world returned to its normal rhythm and Meg gasped. She'd hit the target none too far from its center. Feeling a sense of pride, Meg smiled and a child-like glow resounded as she sought praise, turning to her teacher.

"Great shot!" Herc cheered. "When I started training with the bow, I couldn't even hit the target."

This surprised Meg. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. I was a total looser as a teenager." The humor disappeared from his face, memories of his tortured childhood from his peers rose to the surface. "I was a nobody until I met Phil and he took me on. He's actually a great trainer, ya know. Sure he can be a bit overbearing....."

"That's an understatement", added Meg.

The hero's lip twitched from her remark, but this was a serious topic, for his gratitude and admiration of the legendary hero trainer ran deep. "But he's helped shape me into the person I am now. Without his discipline, I would never have the confidence to achieve that which is required of me."

Meg tilted her head, curious. "Required? And that would be what, exactly....?"

"To become a true hero and fulfill my destiny."
Unsure how to interpret such a statement, Meg felt confused. It sounded slightly obsessive. She gave a mental shrug. Everybody needed a hobby, she supposed, no matter how extreme.
Raising an eyebrow, she commented, "You seem pretty dedicated to this goal."

He nodded. "It's my destiny."

Not knowing what to say to Herc's breakthrough dream, Meg returned her focus and energy to the bow. "I see, that's nice." You couldn't say the guy wasn't ambitious. He at least knew where he wanted to be down the road in life. His goals were set. But what did Meg want to do the rest of her life, when her and Zebra eventually returned home? What was there beyond finishing school and earning her academic diploma? She honestly hadn't given it much thought beyond her childhood desire of becoming a secret agent. But, like most dreams of youth, the prospect lost its light as reality hit home plate. Come to think of it, Zebra hadn't really expressed what she sought in the future, either. Though, for the most part, that was obvious; after discovering the identity of her grandfather, it wouldn't be surprising if she became an inventor, or entrepreneur of some sort.
So unclear were their future lives, if they lived to fulfill them.
Meg was making considerable progress, seeing that this was her first lesson, not to mention that she was under the tutelage of an experienced archer.
She thought back to all the hordes of young women she'd encountered at the entrance earlier, and how they fought tooth and nail for the privilege of laying their eyes on the 'male, primed ribbed, celebrity hero' now in her presence. Perhaps there was justice in this world. Mild justice, But just enough to provide an even balance.
Her arms grew weary, but of course she was too prideful to admit this. Thankfully, Hercules decided to end the days lesson.

"That was a most excellent performance, Meg! Especially considering the rookie instructor you had."

Meg smiled at his praise. "Don't degrade yourself, Wonderboy", she said in all seriousness. "It appears that not only are you an accomplished student, but a competent teacher, also. Thank You."

Hercules was really starting to like the sound of the nickname Meg had bestowed upon him, more so when it came from her own lips.
"Anytime."

She was about to return the Recurve Bow to him, but he shook his head and pressed the weapon back into her hands. "Please. Keep it. You'd make better use of it, I haven't had need of it for some years now. It should remain in the hands of a talented wielder, like yourself. Besides, how else would you continue your lessons without the proper bow?"

Meg felt embarrassed, but it was strangly........refreshing. Never before had she received such compliments that weren't suggestive or based on her appearance. Plus, he actually seemed sincere.
'What a joke!' She reprimanded herself. She would not be as gullible as Zebra and fall into the same trap she'd been bated to.
She accepted the gift. "Umm, thanks. Anyway, I'm going to see if Zebra's come back yet. I suppose we can get into lesson two tomorrow." She turned to go inside.

"Meg, wait!"
Meg stopped. She was alarmed at the urgency in the hero's voice. Herc about lost his nerve under the intensity of her impatient, violet gaze. He rubbed his sweaty hands together as he closed the gap she'd created between them. "I...kind of....have a small confession to make."
Meg raised a sharp eyebrow, questioningly.
"I...was kind of watching you...before...when you were sparing with that training dummy...."

'Here it comes', she dreaded. 'I could always deny it. It's his word against mine, after all. That's what they're meant for, right?' She silenced the little voice in her mind. It was becoming a distracting habit. Besides, it can be pretty scary, diving too deep into your mind.

The color of the hero's face flushed darker with each passing word. "I was very impressed."

Meg suspected this to be some cruel joke, or trap. After all, the man before her was a prized hero, though she hadn't yet seen him in real action. It was difficult to imagine someone of high regards, such as himself, to be impressed by anything, or anybody.
Curious, she stood livid, awaiting the punch-line.

"If I may ask, where did you learn to move like that?"

This was hard, trying to explain around facts and details, without actually lying. Where was Zebra when you really needed her? She was always good about dodging corners like this.
"I wanted to learn a way to defend myself, if the situation became necessary. You can't be too careful in a big city."
Herc nodded, agreeing with her logic. Normally, a young woman, especially one as fair as Meg, would be escorted from place to place by a male representative, for cautionary protection. Or travel in large groups.
"I grew to enjoy the skill as I advanced", Meg continued. "So, it eventually became a hobby of pass-time for me."

"I can see that you are quite skilled", the hero commented. "Though I hope you haven't had a reason to put it into play."

"Are you kidding?!" Meg scoffed. "You wouldn't believe the number of creeps I've had to fend off!"
Alarm and concern swelled within Herc's breast. Then he grew angry, clenching his massive fists. "I can only imagine the lowest filth even considering laying their hands on a person to take advantage of their virtue."
"Oh yeah!" Meg bragged on. "I've broken plenty of noses in my time." She immediately slammed her jaw closed. She hadn't meant that last statement so literally. Luckily, Hercules didn't seem to look suspicious. She'd have to be more careful in the future about what she said. It was just that he was so easy to talk to; He didn't pretend to listen, or fake interest to keep her confidence. He seemed quite intent and interested in what she had to say.

"I'll bet you have", Herc said, smiling in admiration.

She smiled back and noted, in her weakness, that her body temperature rose a few degrees, without recalling why.

Urging himself forward, he thought now was a good time to ask. Herc lowered his head shyly and looked up through his eyelashes. "Do you think you could teach me?"

He'd said it so quietly, Meg wasn't sure she'd heard him right. It was kind of a shock. "Excuse me?"

He cleared his throat, though it did little good. "W...w...well, Phil taught me the basics of 'hand-to-hand' combat...." He massaged his fingers one by one. "But nothing extensive beyond a few combos and 'one-two' jabs. Certainly nothing compared to what you've displayed. I mean, I usually attack a foe from a distance before I move in. I'm not as agile as I'd like to be. So, I was wondering if you'd consider tutoring me?"

This certainly was a twist on things. Meg had never been asked to teach someone something she knew. In truth, she rather liked the idea. "I suppose I do owe you for the archery lessons...."

Herc shook his head, not wanting her to feel obligated. "I'm not asking for payment of any kind", trying to make it clear. "I only wish to improve."

Her concerns lightened. She just hoped she wasn't growing soft. At the very least, she'd have an excuse to work her muscles without grief from sneaking around. "Very well, Wonderboy, we shall teach each other what we know, and come away stronger."

"Deal." Hercules extended his hand, and Meg took it.

After a firm, but brief motion in agreement, she released her contact. "Deal."

During their extended time of conversing, they had completely lost track of time, for the sun was diving deeper into the Western sky. This era definitely had a negative side-affect. Back home, Meg felt she managed her time wisely, by not letting it pass by so discreetly.

The hero smirked. What precious little time he found to be with Meg was always gone in an instant, especially when things seemed to be progressing. "I suppose Marlena has supper prepared by now. Shall we go inside?"

She nodded and headed for the Villa, with Hercules close behind. "I'd say that's a pretty sound plan."