As Xena stood ready to face Hope, Gabrielle rushed to stop the warrior woman, knowing that if Xena were to kill Hope, then she would die too.
GABRIELLE
Xena wait! If you kill her, you'll…
Not listening to what the bard was trying to warn her about, and thinking that she wanted to protect Hope, Xena angrily shouted for Gabrielle to stay away.
XENA
Get back, Gabrielle!
Her attention was then shifted to Callisto as she prepared to face her nemesis yet again.
XENA
Hope is just using you, Callisto. I wouldn't turn my back on her.
The psychotic blonde grinned manically.
CALLISTO
(taunting tone) You mean like you turned your back on precious little Gabrielle?
The dark-haired woman scowled at the comment as she lept toward Callisto and landed a flying kick straight to the center of her chest. The hit sent the blonde flying back before hitting the ground, where she shot a fireball at the warrior from where she laid. The ball of flames coming for her, Xena quickly used her chakram to deflect the attack up to the ceiling. Then looking up, Callisto screamed as yet again, a bunch of large rocks came toppling down on top of her.
CALLISTO
Again!
XENA
You can just stay put right there for a bit. I have more important things to deal with right now.
Ignoring the infuriated yell that came from beneath the rock pile, Xena faced Hope, who just stood in place as a malicious smile graced her lips when she saw the warrior set her sights on her.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Xena spotted that the vast number of weapons that were hung on the walls began to shake and rise from the hooks holding them. Moments later, the warrior was completely surrounded by a small army's worth of swords, daggers, axes, and spears all aimed directly at her.
Armed with nothing but her chakram, and nowhere to run, Xena stood surrounded as Gabrielle could do nothing but look on. Then, in an instant, Hope unleashed her deathly assault and launched the weaponry toward the warrior. As the deadly objects came flying at her, Xena sidestepped, ducked, dove and did everything she could to dodge the onslaught. A dagger hurling toward her, Xena swiftly used her chakram to knock it away and then with an angry yell, launched the circular blade at Hope.
The weapon flying at her, again Hope didn't move as just when Xena's chakram came within an inch of her face, it came to an abrupt stop and just hung there in midair in front of her. Even seeing this, Xena barely had time to react before the weapon began to rapidly spin and Hope used her unseen power to throw the warrior's chakram back at her. Ducking, the warrior was able to avoid being hit, only to have Hope bring the weapon back toward the woman, and forcing Xena to dive forward to the ground as it sailed by. When again the spawn of Dehawk steered the spinning blade toward the warrior, Xena rolled to the side and back to her feet, avoiding a direct hit, but was unable to move enough again before the chakram ricochet up off the stone floor and sliced her arm as it flew by, and the warrior woman yelled in pain as she looked at her upper arm as a crimson trail began to run down from the fresh wound.
GABRIELLE
Xena!
Smiling, Hope brought the blade careening around and back toward the warrior, who dove and rolled forward as she avoided the projectile. But as she stood, the chakram bounced off the lower part of the wall and came back so fast, Xena was forced to dive to the side and was caught in the leg as it flew by and cut her thigh as she hit the ground. With a painful grimace, the woman looked down to see a long gash running up the side of her thigh before rolling to the side when she heard the chakram coming back, causing it to just barely miss its target. Then with a scowl, Xena quickly got back to a vertical base and ducked as the weapon flew in again before beginning to charge toward Hope.
Despite her injured leg, Xena raced toward the daughter of Dehawk dodging the spinning blade as she ran by sidestepping it. Then as it came back lower, she was forced to jump over the weapon, but as she landed felt a surge of pain run up her injured leg, which caused the woman to stumble as she fought to stay standing. But in trying to stay upright, Xena was left wide open and felt her chakram's blade cut the back of her shoulder. Reflexively, the woman arched as a pained yell let her throat. Leaving her no time to recover, the round blade struck again as Hope brought it across the warrior's other leg. Then her arm. Then her other arm. Her leg again, shoulder, side. All the while, Xena raised her arms to protect her head and neck from being targeted, as Gabrielle watched in horror at seeing the warrior being forced to endure the onslaught.
GABRIELLE
Xena! Hope, stop, please!
Hearing the bard's plea, Hope stopped the chakram and drew it away from the dark-haired woman who lowered her bloodied arms as she huffed, and did her best to keep standing.
HOPE
Alright, mother.
She looked toward the bard.
HOPE
Because it's what you want.
The woman raised her hand to point at Xena as she spoke.
HOPE
I'll finish this right now.
Then with just the slight move of her finger, the chakram hurtled toward Xena so fast the warrior couldn't dodge. So doing the only thing she could do to avoid being killed by her own weapon, Xena put up her hands just as the chakram connected, and caught the weapon before it could cut through her as the force drove her back and into the wall.
GABRIELLE
(Angry tone) Hope!
Unable to stand by any longer, Gabrielle ran toward her daughter as she raised her staff, knowing that while Xena might not be able to kill the evil being that stood before them, there was no part of The Fates and Ares deal that said the bard herself couldn't do it. But just like with the warrior, Hope's power was too much for the blonde as mid run she suddenly found herself being lifted off the ground and thrown back against the wall where she cried out as she hit the unforgiving surface and dropped to the ground beside Xena.
The pair grimaced as they helped each other stand, only to see Hope beginning to raise a large number of weapons from the ground and walls as she once again prepared to use the deadly barrage to kill her mother and the woman Hope blamed for coming between them. And just as Hope unleashed her attack, the raven-haired woman looked up and thinking fast sent her chakram straight up and cut through a chain that held a giant decorative shield on the wall, which caused it to drop right in front of her and the bard and block the path of the weapons being fired at them.
XENA
Quick, move.
Rotating the giant shield to move with them, Xena and Gabrielle kept low as they tried to reach a better spot to take cover. Then as they reached the far side of the room, huddled down together as they sandwiched themselves between the shield and a large pillar.
XENA
Stay low, Gabrielle.
The onslaught continued for another several moments, before with a furious scream, Callisto burst from the rock pile she had been buried under. And with that shout, Hope's unrelenting attack finally stopped as she saw the other blonde lock on to where Xena was and readied two fireballs in her hands.
CALLISTO
(Angry tone) You think you can stop me with the same old tricks over and over. But the irony is that now it looks like you're the one that's caught between a rock and a hard place. Only difference is, I can actually kill you.
Nowhere to run, Xena and Gabrielle could only watch as, with orbs of flames in her hands, Callisto yelled as pulled her arm back to launch her attack.
HOPE
Callisto!
Hearing her name, the blonde paused as she looked back toward Hope angrily, as the bard's daughter and now doppelgänger answered the unasked question that she knew would come.
HOPE
Dahak has more important things in mind, than your vendetta against Xena. Now take me out of here.
Scowling, Callisto lowered her hand as the fireball went out, and she turned away from the other two women.
Then seeing her opening, and hoping to catch Hope off guard, Xena grabbed her chakram and drew her arm back to throw it.
GABRIELLE
Xena don't, you can't kill her.
As the warrior's arm was grabbed, stopping her before she could unleash her weapon, the raven-haired woman could only look on as Callisto teleported over to Hope and after placing a hand on her shoulder, the two evil women disappeared from the hall of war completely.
Her chance to stop Hope now gone, Xena looked at Gabrielle with an angry scowl as she ripped her arm free from the bards grasp.
XENA
(Angry tone) Well, you certainly protected your daughter well, didn't you?
GABRIELLE
Look, you don't understand.
XENA
(Angry tone) Why you lied to me when you agreed that she had to die only to turn right around and protect that monster that killed my son? You're right, that's something I will never understand.
Then without another word, Xena turned away and headed out to pursue Hope, not understanding the true stakes of the situation and the fate that the bard had just saved her from.
TO BE CONTINUED…