Chapter 61

Sitting in a less than exciting- and honestly, it certainly wasn't the most interesting part of Greece either- the Goddess of Wisdom was cautiously weighing her options of what she was going to do to Xena once she got her hands on her. That conniving traitor was going to learn a very hard lesson and her lips curled up into a vindictive smile from the thoughts that were now whirling through her head. She just couldn't wait to see the expression on her face when she realized that she had messed with the wrong person and the Goddess was really anxious for it to happen already.

But she could wait, that little tramp's screams of pain were soon going to fill her ears and there was no way that her brother was going to be able to keep Xena from her. She just needed to be patient a little longer before she could get her and having to watch Ares being forced to hand her over was just an added bonus really. That was what she was going to enjoy most, though both scenarios were going to be just as satisfying to her.

A few moments later, while Athena was lost in thought of her greatest victory over her brother, a golden light soon flashed a few feet away from her, signaling the arrival of another God. Now this particular God had also been plotting their revenge against the nauseating couple for quite some time now and had been watching from afar, waiting for the right moment to strike. This deity wasn't completely stupid but frankly, all of their other attempts had failed miserably when it came to prying the couple apart. Those plans only seemed to drive them closer together though quite a vexing outcome to his carefully laid plans.

Although he was more interested in making a certain bothersome annoyance vanish from this world, therefore clearing the way for himself so he could finally gain what he had always thought as his own, he was willing to lend a generous hand if that meant beating the War God at his own game. Sometimes luck just ran out and he was more than certain that Ares' luck was definitely running out by this point- hoping that he was finally going to have it go in his favor for once.

"Hey Sis, what's new?" the Sun God innocently inquired, casually making his way closer to her throne.

"What do you want, Apollo?" she asked him with irritation, casting him a small fleeting look before simply dismissing him, she really didn't have time for this.

"Touché… Tsk, tsk, tsk, now what's with all the tension?" he soon plopped down on the armrest of her throne, ready for her to inform him on what had been troubling her and amazingly playing the doting sibling as far as he was concerned when he lightly picked up her hand and held it within his own.

The Goddess of Wisdom just eyed him skeptically; just what was he up to? Since when did he care about her affairs, he certainly hadn't shown any interest in these matters before, except when she was training her new warriors and the thought only drew her back to Xena and a small scowl formed on her face.

"What interest is it of yours?" she asked defensively, snatching her hand back from him.

"Well, I can clearly see that something is bothering you. Maybe I can help."

"That won't be necessary." she arrogantly stated, chuckling softly with the way he seemed so serious about it- but the thought was absolutely absurd. As if the Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare actually needed help from him…or anyone else for that matter? Had she needed assistance trying to piece together some eloquent poem then she would have asked for his help but even then she was positive that she wouldn't need it either.

"I have everything under control, Apollo, and it is only a matter of time now." came her conceited reply, causing a frown to form on the Sun God's face before he quickly covered his displeasure with her answer.

Since it seemed that the Goddess was going to be her usual stuck up self on the matter, Apollo tried a different approach. He needed information and at the moment she was the only one who had it and maybe if he could time it just right, whatever Athena had planned for them, he could benefit from it.

"So who's the one that's got you all worked up?" he cunningly asked, knowing exactly how that question was going to make her react.

"Xena!" she harshly stated, letting her anger for the warrior overwhelm her for a moment before she quickly composed herself once again.

"Xena?" he asked utterly shocked, pretending that he was completely clueless on the matter, "Has something happened?"

"That conspiring little harpy has been plotting against me with Ares, they've been fucking and scheming together for months and now she thinks that she can just so simply walk away unscathed from her betrayal."

"No…!" came Apollo's surprised reaction to the news, "But she was one of your best warriors."

"She is no longer a warrior of mine, Apollo. She sealed her fate the moment she forgot where her loyalties lied and disgracefully let Ares infect her mind with his lies." she coldly stated, "They will both regret their reckless decision to go up against me."

"I'm assuming you have a plan then?"

"I do." was her short reply - only annoying the Sun God even more with how little information she was actually supplying but he tried not to let it bother him.

"What if it doesn't work?" he sneakily implied, hoping that it would be enough to get her to slip up about something at this point.

"It will, Ares can't hide her forever and sooner or later he will be forced to hand her over." she cruelly sneered out, "Very soon actually."

"But what if it doesn't?"

"It will!" Athena angrily pointed out, casting her brother a harsh glare, "What does it matter to you anyway whether or not this works?"

"Let's just say that I am very eager to see Ares get what is coming to him." he carefully murmured out, "He's been an annoyance lately and very recently stuck his nose into something that he had no reason even bothering being involved in." the spite in his voice was hard to miss while his hands slowly turned into fists out of anger for what the War God had taken away from him.

For a moment, the sickening images of Xena and Ares together flashed through his mind again and how the War God had his grimy barbaric hands all over what was his. He had poisoned his sweet Xena's mind against him…All those years spent with her were just destroyed within the matter of seconds when that nuisance came along and he really wanted Ares to pay for what he had done. The slimy bastard, he just couldn't help himself! He always had to take what wasn't his and Apollo firmly believed that maybe it was time that finally changed for once. He was going to get back what had always been his property and he was going to enjoy watching the War God lose her.

His lips curled up into a smile from the thought, but it didn't last long before he soon grimaced again as his mind cruelly returned to those disgusting images of Ares' hand wandering its way under the Warrior Princess' skirt and her stomach turning moans of approval that were eagerly urging him on.

"He really wronged you, didn't he?" Athena asked, snapping Apollo out of his line of thought.

"The details are unimportant, really. I just don't want to see him worm his way out of this." he resentfully told her, "He does have the annoying habit of sneaking his way in and out of things."

"That he does…" she reluctantly agreed, seeing the point he had there but it was just a small one, "… but I can assure you, Apollo, there is no way Ares would be able to get out of it. There's not enough scheming he could possibly do that will help him either. They will both pay, dearly."