Xena awoke with a start. She opened her eyes- just barely enough to let her see through small slits- she didn't want whoever or whatever woke her to know that she was awake, yet. Her icy blues opened a little more when she realized that it was still extremely dark outside. The pink glow of morning that usually lighted her early battles hadn't even begun to creep over the hills on the horizon, so it was definitely before 4 a.m, and still in the thick, silent part of night where everything was as still and as cold as death.

The brunette shivered and nudged her companion in the ribs. As they had climbed the summit of the mountain the temperature had dropped and the trek had become more and more tedious. The light, icy mountain air hurt their lungs, and made anything above a slow walk unbearable for the pair of women and their horse. Day by day, they were making slower progress, getting up a little later in the evening, walking a little bit of a shorter distance, and stopping a little earlier at night. What's worse, is that Xena couldn't even explain why they were climbing the slope to begin with- she just knew that the people who had went up the high slope of the mountain recently to pay tribute to the God of War hadn't returned. Aries wouldn't answer any questions about it- and she knew that he wasn't behind the disappearances. There had been only one thing in that coward's eyes when asked about the tall mountain- fear. Xena knew that if the giant, overconfident lump of a war god wouldn't dare to venture up the summit to his favorite and most prized temple, then something seriously scary was up here.

"Why do we always have to go LOOKING for things so scary, so bad, that even gods are afraid?!" Gabrielle had asked, partially toying with the warrior princess. The blonde definitely knew that anything unusual or extremely challenging was even more likely to spark Xena's interest than even a pack of delusional warlords, so the bard kept quiet about it and traveled on, secretly hoping that whatever lived on the top of the mountain was maybe just a giant spider or a woman who Aries had wronged in the past that had taken over his temple. Although she was ready for adventure, and always there for her best friend, she didn't feel guilty hoping that just once their problems could have an easy solution.

The bard hadn't stirred from her sleep at the first nudge, so this time Xena placed her hand over Gabrielle's mouth (to silence the inevitable groaning and complaining about being woken up that would occur), and poked her hard in the stomach. The bard jumped awake, cursing into Xena's hand.

"Shhh!" Xena hissed quietly, looking around and scanning their surroundings. Her eyes hadn't fully adjusted to the dark yet, and the night was so dark that it was hard to differentiate leaves from… well, anything.

Argo snorted in the distance, and stamped one of her hooves. At this, Xena sprang to her feet, and the still disoriented Gabrielle soon followed suit. Xena unsheathed her sword and Gabby pulled both of her sai from her boots. They stood back to back in the center of their camp, poised perfectly in anticipation of the oncoming attack.

Nothing happened. Seconds ticked by, and then a couple of minutes. Gabrielle exhaled, relieved, and Xena shushed her- still not convinced that they were alone. The dark outlines of the forest around them gradually came into focus as their vision adjusted to the lack of light. The previously unidentifiable shapes now formed into trees, rocks, and-

"Xena-" The bard had spotted something unusual, and she squinted to make it out amongst the tall grass and overgrown brush, "What in tartarus is that?"

Xena lowered her sword and huffed, annoyed. "Probably just a stump, Gabrielle," the experienced fighter said condescendingly, "You always get excited about the silliest-"

"Xena, stumps don't move. That is something."

The brunette turned around to face the direction Gabby was peering, stepping in front of the younger woman and rolling her eyes. She squinted, looking through the vines and bushes that twisted along the cold forest floor. Nothing moved- nothing unusual at all. She was about to turn around to prove to Gabrielle that nothing was out there when Gabrielle cried out.

"Xena! Look!"

Five figures had suddenly appeared in a circle around them, closing them in. The women raise their weapons once more, scooting in toward each other until they were again back to back.

"When are you going to learn to believe me…" The Bard grumbled, looking confusedly at the advancing figures that were hidden in the darkness.

"Not now, Gabrielle," her tone was all seriousness and sincerity, with no sass, "I'm afraid we've got bigger problems, these things aren't anything we've ever seen before, I can feel it."

And the princess was right. As she finished that sentence, one of the advancing beings stepped (or, more accurately- rolled) out of the darker shadows and into their view.

The figure was an odd shape- cylindrical like, with a widened bottom and a rounded top. It appeared very hard, not like stone, but more like the blade of a fine sword. It had two projections thrusting out of its front, moving around as if they were arms. On its top, two lights had begun to illuminate, each one tilted on either side of its head, kind of like ears.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" it cried, its arms flailing.

Now remember, that neither of our warriors had ever seen technology as advanced as an electric light bulb, and so needless to say, the pair was stunned. Neither of them said anything for a moment, and then Xena boldly and stupidly charged.

"What are you?! What do you want?!" She screamed, leaping high and bringing the wide part of her sword down right over the metal beast's top. Her blow was… to say the least, ineffective. The beast didn't recoil at all, but instead barely moved its arm and shot Xena with a blast of energy, knocking her backwards. Gabrielle gasped, but the beast shot at her, keeping her away from her friend.

"We are here for the warrior Xeeeeeee-na," the beast said in a flat, robotic tone, "Do not interfere and you will not be harmed. We want only Xeeee-na."

Gabrielle got angry, and clenched her fists, "Well, you can't-" She was cut off by one of the other beasts who began to speak, his voice was identical to the leaders and the 'ears' on top of his head flashing with every syllable.

"Interfere and you will be exterrrrminated," he announced. Gabrielle almost muttered, 'you seem a little bit too pleased about that possibility," but decided to keep her overactive and sarcastic mouth shut.

Xena moved from her crumpled pose on the ground, and sat upright. With a quick glance to make sure Gabrielle was ok, she began to speak. "Ok beasts, you win," she said, sheathing her sword. She put her hands up in the air and stood slowly, "I'll go with you, just let me say goodbye to my friend, ok?"

"A quick goodbyeeeee." The metal pieces of junk agreed, "hur-ry."

Xena turned to Gabrielle, who was sitting on the ground with a shocked, hurt, and tearful expression. She wanted to scream at Xena, to push her away and demand to know what she was thinking and why she was doing this. She was so angry, but she knew it might be the last time she saw her friend. Neither of them had any idea what these things were, what they wanted, or how to fight them. There was no immediate or foreseeable way around this, and so she let Xena embrace her in a hug.

Unexpectedly, the brunette grabbed a handful of Gabrielle's short, spiky, hair, and pulled her in closer. She leaned in to the side of Gabrielle's face, pressing herself into the blonde's ear. She whispered, as quiet as possible so that the strange figures couldn't hear: "Get argo. Follow us. Find me," before separating from the hug. "I'll see you again, kid," The brunette smiled a mischievous, almost playful smile, before walking to where the metal demons were crowded.

Gabrielle saw Xena turn to the figures, heard Xena say, "So, who are you guys anywwww-." Then, a bright light flashed, and they were gone, leaving a teary Gabrielle and confused Argo behind.