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Hercules

Xena readied her sword as the demigod got down from his horse.

"Xena…" Stated Hercules as he pulled out his own blade.

"We've been down this road before."

"If I remember correctly, you lost."

Xena raised an eyebrow, "We'll see."

Xena approached sword in hand as Hercules swung first, Xena felt herself knocked back by the power of the blow. She was barely able to stay on her feet as she dodged another shot. Deflecting a third blow, her blade was removed from her hand. She took a kick to the gut that sent her to the ground, but quickly rolled out of the way, avoiding another kick from Hercules. Jumping into the air, Xena gave him a couple swift kicks to the face, and then landed behind him.

Hercules did a swift turn of his own, nicking her in the head with his fist, the warrior princess fell to the ground under the power of the impact. Hercules turned towards her, "You can't beat me Xena, and this time I won't be merciful."

Hercules raised his sword to give out the death, but then a chakram knocked away his sword, he turned dodging a second chakram. It was Callisto, and Gabrielle. Hercules stated, "Well, now things are a little more fun."

Callisto approached him, her own sword out, "We have to stop you, one way or another."

Hercules picked up his sword as Callisto caught both chakrams. The Demi God smiled, "Well, it looks like it will be the other."

Callisto and Hercules charged at one another, Hercules swinging first, causing blonde warrior to stagger, she then took a shot to the head that sent her to the ground. Then the Bard came forward, staff in hand, but her weapon was caught by Hercules, who then flung her away, effortlessly.

Suddenly a pair of legs landed on Hercules, looking up, he saw the familiar blue eyes of Xena, "You forgot about me."

Xena tried to twist, but Hercules dropped to his knees, throwing Xena's balance off, sending her to the ground, then Hercules kicked her in the hips, sending the dark haired warrior rolling several feet away.

Almost on instinct, Hercules turned around, with an elbow intercepting a jump kick from Callisto, knocking her to the ground. Punching at the ground, Hercules barely missed, as Callisto rolled out of the way, kicking him in the ribs in the process. As Hercules began to focus in on her, he felt something impact his head, turning his eyes; it was Gabrielle with her staff.

Hercules smiled as he knocked the bard's staff away, grabbing the young blonde by the throat. Feeling Callisto coming from behind, Hercules did a back kick, taking Callisto out for a moment. Hercules smiled as the bard struggled for air, "Isn't this interesting. You were always the cutest little stupid innocent girl weren't you? Weakling, that means you would always be the first to die."

As he was about to snap her neck, he felt a shot to his side, releasing the bard, he turned to see that it was Xena, now incensed over Hercules' attempt to kill Gabrielle. Hercules blocked each shot as they came at him. Taking a couple steps back, he avoided a well-aimed foot, and a pair of fists. Then Callisto got to her feet, pulling out her dagger, now facing both women at the same time, he continued to fall back, avoiding each strike in the process.

Finally, Gabrielle got up, picking up her staff, joining in, Hercules then found himself facing all three of the women, even for a demigod, he wouldn't be able to deal with them all at once, so he needed to concentrate on taking two of them out of the fight.

Hercules slammed his knuckles into the temple of Gabrielle, knocking her out cold. Then he kicked Callisto in the gut, sending her to the ground, which only left Xena in the fight at the moment. Hercules grabbed her right arm as she swung at him again.

Hercules smiled as he forced her to the ground, "You know something Xena. You owe me, I could have killed you, but I didn't. Frankly, I made a mistake."

Hercules slapped her across the face, and then slapped her again. "Do you hear me Xena? I saved your life! And how do you repay me? You left me to rot in Hades while we were in the Land of Chaos."

Hercules slapped her across the face again, causing Xena to spit blood. "I'm not going to be gentle Xena. I could end you in a second, but I won't. I'm going to make you suffer, as I did."

Hercules slapped her across the face a third time. Then he pulled her up, and kneed her in the gut, throwing her to the ground, he kicked her in the chest. "I'm gonna enjoy this."

Xena cringed as Hercules kicked in the side of the head. A harder shot would have killed her, but Hercules was making her feel every inch of it. Hercules then picked her up off the ground, holding her in the air, by her shoulders, head butting her. "Xena… This is what you deserve. Pain, and lots of it. But I might be merciful, and kill you now."

Xena could feel herself losing consciousness. He set her back on the ground, preparing his fist for a lethal strike to the head. Hercules was going to cave her skull in. But before he could, he raised his head, seeing a boot come to his eyes.

Taking a step back, he took a second boot to the chest and a fist across the teeth. Getting his bearings, he realized it was Callisto. He dodged a fourth shot, and then shoved an elbow to the back of her head, sending her to the ground. Hercules looked forward to where Xena's body was. To his surprise, he saw Gabrielle standing in front of her, with Xena's sword in hand. "If you want to hurt her more, you will have to go through me."

Hercules approached with a smile on his face. "Silly girl thinks likes to play with swords."

Hercules grabbed Callisto's sword from off the ground. Approaching with the blade aimed at Gabrielle, he slid his blade next to hers. "You sure you want to try this?"

"I won't let you hurt her."

"Little girl, even the god of war can't beat me in a sword fight."

Gabrielle swung Xena's sword, as Hercules caught it with his own blade. Hercules smiled as he pushed the blonde's sword downward. Pulling back, the swords unlocked. Hercules laughed, "You've learned a few things. Now, let's test that knowledge a little."

Hercules gave a pair of stabs which Gabrielle managed to deflect.

"Good, good. Enough games though…"

Hercules struck at the bard, causing her to stumble backwards, then using his strength, he smashed the blade out of the bard's hand knocking her to the ground. "Looks like you're the first to go!"

Hercules reared his sword back, but suddenly he stopped.

Inside his head a voice shouted, "No! Don't kill her! No!"

Hercules shook it off, and prepared to stab her, but the voice shouted again, "No! I don't murder!"

Inside the mind of Hercules two voices shouted, "I won't let you do it!"

But the dark creature shouted back, "You will not stop me! I control you!"

Then Hercules came to, as he prepared to strike down, but Gabrielle had managed to move out of the way in time. Xena emerged to her feet, limping slightly.

Hercules eyed her, as Xena helped Gabrielle to her feet. The warrior said, "I saw you hesitate. You don't want to do this, do you?"

Hercules shouted, "What do you know! I want you all dead! And I will kill you!"

Xena shook her head, "You're in their somewhere, aren't ya?"

"Yes, I'm in here, the cold hearted murderer is in here, and it will kill you all."

Hercules approached, knocking Xena and Gabrielle to the ground. Then he turned around, intercepting Callisto, with a punch to the face. "I will kill you, and you, and you!"

Hercules began to kick each one of them, "I want you all dead! Do you hear me!"

Callisto shouted in pain, "I hear you, but I think you're full of shit!"

Hercules kicked Callisto in the stomach, "You won't find me so full of shit when I smash in your rib cage."

He reached down, smashing Callisto in the stomach again, then jabbing her in the rib cage. He grabbed her mouth, as if to rip her jaw off, but Callisto bit down with all her might, drawing blood in the process. Callisto reached up with her legs, wrapping them around his neck.

Hercules pulled back in surprise, as Callisto raised her body up, punching him repeatedly in the face, causing him to stagger a bit. Callisto wasn't going to mess around, if someone didn't stop him, he was going to kill one of them. Maybe he wasn't so full of shit, maybe it was just a lapse, and he really was going to kill them, Callisto had no bonds to him, like the other two, she would not take the chance, it was better safe than sorry. She continued to pound his head until her hands began to hurt. Yet he stood there, his half God blood seeming to be the only thing keeping him standing at the moment.

However, in a moment of clarity, Hercules dropped to his knees, and forced his body forward, slamming Callisto back into the ground. With the blonde warrior stunned, he forced her off of him. Hercules got back to his feet, blood pouring down from his nose. Somehow it wasn't broken.

Hercules staggered around for a moment, as Gabrielle was the first to her feet. Callisto was stunned, and Xena was still suffering from the blows she had taken earlier. Grabbing her staff she charged at Hercules seeing this as possibly the only chance to get him down. She smashed him in the temple with her staff, and then turned for a second shot to the ribcage. She then stabbed her staff into his stomach, but Hercules grabbed her, and tossed her face first into the dirt.

Hercules was the only one standing as he now approached Xena, he was going to deliver the death blow, but again, he stopped.

Inside Hercules head, the voices could be heard.

"I won't do it!"

"Face it, you are already a murderer!" shouted a sinister voice.

"It's time to stop this once and for all!"

"No, we together shall kill them, and you shall love it. It's what you've always wanted to do!"

Back in the fight, Hercules stood there as Xena backed away as Hercules approached. Grabbing Xena by the leg, he pulled her to him. Seeing Callisto's dagger on the ground, he reached up, and grabbed it, and prepared to sever the head of the warrior princess. However, suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around his neck.

"I won't let you kill her!" The voice belonged to Gabrielle. Hercules stood up, reaching back, grabbing the bard's hair, bending forward, he swung the bard over his body, and hard into the ground. Hercules reached his hands around her throat. "You will not stop me little bard."

"NO!" shouted the voice inside Hercules head.

Hercules released Gabrielle, unable to kill her. He moved towards Xena, preparing to crush her head, under his foot. But the voice shouted, "I will not!"

Hercules stepped back, looking for anyone that he could kill. He spotted Callisto trying to get up, he moved over to her, shoving his foot into her back, forcing her back to the ground. He grabbed the sides of her head, preparing to break her neck, "Stop! You will not kill anyone anymore."

Inside the head of Hercules, two beings faced off. One was Hercules, and the other was the creature known as Madness.

Madness shouted, "I will never surrender this body. It's my body now; you will not dictate to me what I'm going to do with it!"

"I have set around far too long! No more death! I'm going to end this!"

Back in the battle, Hercules released Callisto, moving a few steps away from the women. Hercules shouted, "Get out of me!"

Hercules punched the ground, "Get out of me now!"

Hercules continued to punch the ground, "Leave my body! This ends here!"

Callisto, Xena, and Gabrielle all still on the ground, watched with bewilderment as Hercules beat his fists into the ground.

Suddenly a black mass emerged from Hercules body. The creature falling back, turned around to face Hercules, shouting, "I will not give up so easily!"

Hercules got to his feet as the large black creature flew at him. He winded his arm back, and just as the creature was within reach of him, Hercules punched the creature sending him flying back into the air. The creature stopped about 20 feet away, it turned to face Hercules for a moment, as if considering a second attempt, but instead, it disappeared into the horizon.

Hercules feel to his knees, as Gabrielle crawled closer to him, unable to get to her own feet. Hercules looked onward at the black and blue Gabrielle. Tears welling up in his eyes, "Gabrielle… I'm sorry."

Gabrielle reached her hand to his face, "I know… It happened to me too."

Xena struggled to get to her feet, grabbing one of the chakrams from the ground, tempted to throw it, and finish the job to be safe, but held back. As Gabrielle, now on her knees, embraced the demi god.

Xena helped Callisto to her feet as blonde warrior asked, "What's that about?"

Xena replied, "They both did evil things against their will."

Gabrielle, and Hercules hugged, tears flowing down their faces. Hercules told her, voice laden in emotion, "My god… what have I done?"

Gabrielle fought her own tears, "You didn't have control… it's not your fault."

Hercules couldn't contain his emotions, "That doesn't make it feel any better."

Gabrielle recalling the evil things she had down while under control of Chaos, stated, "No… it doesn't."