Bitter Sweet

"Damn it Ares!” Hercules bellowed smashing his fist into the side of the wall again, he gave an angry cry as his arm passed though the wall and was pushed back out. It felt like he’d pushed his fist into something jelly-like and warm. He grimaced and bellowed again, this time trying the rest of his annoying family “Cupid, Aphrodite, Acelepious!”

Gabrielle winced and stood well back from him her eyes scanning the inner temple for any sign of escape her ears ringing from the sound of Hercules bellow, her body still aching from being thrown around.

Hercules turned to her in confusion “I don’t get it I’m supposed to be Cupids favourite Uncle and Acelepious and I have always gotten on really well. He’s one of the few Gods I actually like.” It didn’t cross his mind that maybe both his nephews and his siblings were ignoring his calls. He clenched his fists preparing to scream again.

“Hercules?” The husky tones came from behind them and both Hercules and Gabrielle pivoted around. Gabrielle moved back in suspicion eyeing the strange woman but Hercules almost leapt forward hugging her enthusiastically “Psyche!”

He gathered the goddess in his arms who in Gabrielle’s opinion looked more then a little shocked. Psyche disentangled herself smoothly looking extremely unhappy “Hercules I know I’m not supposed to but I’m going to let you and Gabrielle out, I know you haven’t done anything wrong and I don’t agree with Ares sending you here.”

She nervously massaged her hands together “Cupid would kill me if he knew I was here.” She stared up at him from underneath her lashes and although Hercules lapped it up Gabrielle was slightly nauseated.

“Cupid?” Hercules looked surprised “Last time I saw you and he were deeply in love and Xena said you’d had a baby boy,” he raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest “Who I haven’t seen yet. You’d think my nephew would want me to meet his first –born, still…” he paused “Why is Cupid all over Strife now? And Strife pregnant, what’s that all about?”

He broke off as tears welled up in Psyches eyes and hugged her close, both of them completely ignoring Gabrielle who rolled her eyes and leant against the wall.

“It is Strife that’s the problem, oh Hercules it’s terrible. He stole Cupids Arrows just after Bliss was born.” She hugged him close. Hercules hugged back trying not to remember the remnant effects those arrows still had on him. “And then he hit Cupid with them. He wanted to get him back for messing up some plot of Ares or other but it all went wrong and now he’s fallen in love with Cupid and gotten himself pregnant on purpose. Cupids all still magiced up by the arrows and they keep trying to take Bliss away from me!”

She sniffed slightly “It was bad enough at first when I was left to raise him alone but now Cupid wants them to all be a family. I know Ares doesn’t like me so he’ll help Strife to get me out and next thing I know I’ll be mortal again and I’ll never see my son.” She gripped Hercules hard laying her face against his chest lost in her tears.

Hercules hugged her closely fury sweeping over him as he digested her words. No wonder Cupid had acted so strange and Strife…his blood boiled. He couldn’t hurt the God whilst he was pregnant but he’d make sure he did once he’d given birth. He gritted his teeth; he couldn’t hurt a baby even if it was half of Strife he just hoped the better half, which was his nephew, would override…. His other nephew. He blinked and shuddered he really didn’t want to think about being related to Strife in any way shape or form, Ares was bad enough.

He felt the fury grow in him, he hadn’t seen Psyches son Bliss but he was imagining the small boy being dragged from her arms. He clenched his teeth and looked at her in concern as she pulled back.

“Please you have to help, I heard Ares plotting with Strife when I went to collect Bliss and I had no idea who to tell I mean who here could I trust!” she gestured around her “Aphrodite’s ignoring everything and siding with Cupid and none of the others are bothered. When your friend Joxer came up I thought he might help but then they polluted his mind too.”

She looked up at him earnestly “He’s under some kind of brainwash, he thinks Ares is good, he even thinks he’s in love with him!”

Hercules heard Gabrielle’s coughing fit behind him as she moved to stand next to them “Joxer’s What!”

Psyche nodded miserably “It’s not his fault it’s this new thing, Ares and Strife and even Discord are using, some kind of powerful weapon. They’ve just been experimenting, with Cupid and now Joxer and you saw Xena and Iolaus!” she sighed “I don’t understand how you managed to resist it but you must remove this threat please Hercules if not for my sake and my sons but for everyone else. Ares plans to use this power as a weapon against Zeus and overthrow him, you have to get rid of it!”

She laid her hands against his chest the tears slowing slightly. Hercules wrestled the anger he felt at his brother and nephew under control, he could feel Gabrielle beside him doing the same though admittedly she was looking rather smug in an ‘I told you so’ manner.

“Ares.” Hercules growled out his brothers’ name, he knew he had to stop him, stop Strife and Discord and even Cupid and Joxer if they got in his way. They had to get Iolaus and Xena to see sense and join them but first they had to get Ares’s weapon out of the way “Where do I find his weapon?”

Gabrielle nodded in unison, she wasn’t as angry as Hercules; she’d come to expect such things and was merely glad she wasn’t wrong. One thing that did make her slightly uneasy was Hercules anger. Much as Joxer irritated her she had been genuinely worried about him when he’d disappeared and she didn’t want him getting hurt. The Gods she didn’t much care about one way or another.

Psyche managed to muster a watery smile “Thank you, I’m so glad you had the strength to fight against it.” She looked at Gabrielle “Both of you.”

Hercules nodded “Don’t worry Psyche just go and get Bliss and get him out of the way. Tell us about this weapon where can we find it?”

Psyche sighed “”There’s a few of them, Ares split it to keep it safe you see. Joxer has one part, another is at Aphrodite’s temple and the last one Discord has.” She looked up at him sadly “Ares is stopping you get near Joxer because of this weapon so your best bet is Aphrodite, I can soundproof the part of her temple its in and mask your presence.”

Hercules frown “Psyche?” he sounded confused as she laid her hands on his chest. In an instant he felt the confusion dissipate “Can you send us there?”

Psyche nodded “Thank you, I’ll send you both and go and find my son. Thank you.” She smiled at Gabrielle and kissed Hercules cheek stepping back slightly and waving her hand. In an instant they disappeared in a flash of gold.

A nasty smile graced Psyches lips and she licked her lips as her body slowly faded into nothingness.