Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Disclaimer: Own nothing and no one used here in. Everyone belongs to other people
Title: The True King 1: Poseidon's Attack
Author: Kate
Pairings: Ares/Joxer, Cupid/Strife, Hades/Persephone, Hera/Zeus
Rating: R
A.N.: Different from my usual. Zeus is not bonkers but Poseidon is.
Summary: The true King of the Gods is?
Olympus:
His blood was everywhere. For the second time in his long, long life he had been gutted. The first time was just after the release from Cronos. Now this. Somedays he still felt the agony from that one. Now, he lay in the puddle of his own blood feeling the agony again. Again it had been done by the same hand as last time.
That was why his younger brother Zeus was the figure head here on Olympus. They needed a king who could move properly and he could not. Still, Zeus had raised his children for him. That had hurt the most, having to give up his children so the game would not be given away. It was too good to last. Poseidon had figured it out. Finally, he'd realized why Zeus always asked for his advice before he did anything. Why Zeus had him at all meetings.
These thoughts flowed through his mind in the few moments after being stabbed by Poseidon. Zeus was by his side, gently soothing his pain. Apollo was there healing him and Ares...Ares?!? Was there feeding him energy. Ares knew?
"Shh, relax father," Ares said confirming that he did indeed know. "It's okay. We're going to help you."
Hades gasped as Ares removed the trident that Poseidon had twisted into his stomach causing him to scream in agony. Ares held him gently to the ground continuing to feed his energy into him. Hades noticed Joxer behind his son easing his energy into Ares. Hades smiled thinking it was good his son had someone to love. He looked at Strife and Cupid and chuckled. His two grandsons loved each other as much as Ares loved Joxer. Looking at his family, he was pleased.
"Hades..." Zeus began softly. "We have to move you brother. It will hurt."
Hades nodded and braced for the absolute agony he was certain was coming. He didn't feel much beyond pain and then nothing as something put him to sleep.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"We need to find The Slayers," Apollo said. "Only when the two become as one and the Seeker is returned to his father can Poseidon be dealt with."
Everyone nodded thinking it had been long indeed since Apollo had prophesied anything. They watched as Zeus and Hera gently lifted Hades between them and Ares stood shakily next to his father. All the gods began to flash out going to safety until Poseidon could be dealt with. The rest of the big twelve plus Strife, Cupid, Bliss, Persephone, and Psyche flashed off of Olympus heading gods only knew where.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In Sunnydale California, a meeting was taking place. Rupert Giles, Watcher and Librarian, stared at the group of six before him still shocked by the pairings in these three. Cordelia stood there as well in shock. And if what Giles had just found was true, then one of those pairings was indeed special.
"Spike, Buffy, Angel, Xander, Angelus, Willow," Giles called to get their attention. Angel and Angelus as two separate beings had taken some getting used to but Giles finally had. And they made their chosen mates so very happy.
"Spike..." Giles began knowing he had to apologize for the Council, "What can I say but I am so very truly sorry for what was done to you..."
"'S okay, Watcher," the bleached vampire replied. "Not your fault. You hadn't even been born yet. 'S anyone's fault it's that Asshole Travers and his whole line. They knew."
"They'll pay then me lad," came from Angelus. He was a dead ringer form Angel and it unnerved Giles to see them together but there was no point in trying to separate them. Doing that had resulted in Angelus going insane. No one wanted to see that again. Angel sat next to Xander holding the youth's hand as much as Angelus was taking care of Willow. He looked at his blond Childe and smiled seeing him holding on to Buffy's hand as his past was explained to the others. As well as his purpose. Spike was a male Slayer.
Everyone in the room jumped at the appearance of three women who spoke as one: "Hail, the Slayers joined as one. Hail the Dark Soul and Light Soul, mated to their own. Light and new Slayer, Dark and Witch. Lead to the fall of insanity on Olympus. Finders of the Seeker. Healer of the Death God."
Saying this, the three women left leaving a confused group in the library. Everyone looked up as a huge flash of light preceded the arrival of a group of people. They crashed into the table holding the food and hit the floor. All but three. A man, a woman and the man they supported between them.
Giles stared as the omen's words came back to him "Healers of the Death God, fall of the insanity on Olympus...Oh, as usual, dear."
Zeus looked at the man who had spoken and then at the group surrounding him with weapons and swallowed, accidentally releasing his grip on Hades. Hades managed to stand for just long enough to say.
"No bloodshed," before he fell to the ground unconscious. Everyone froze until a boy with dark hair and eyes approached and knelt by Hades. He looked over the injured man and then at the man who had spoken.
"Giles, we need the first aid kit. Can you get it please?"
His simple question galvanized everyone into action. Ares and Joxer watched as the man who had spoken, Giles, they presumed, went into a small room and came out again with a big green box. He set the box on the floor and opened it. He first washed his own hands before putting on a pair of rubber gloves and getting sutures out to sew up the wound in Hades' chest. The dark haired boy began to clean the wound while Giles prepared what they needed. A blond girl that radiated Slayer energy ran and got a blanket while a blond bacchai used his leather coat as a pillow for the now unconscious Lord of Wealth.
"Willow, Angelus," Giles said as the gods looked on, "run and get Joyce. We need her van to move him. Angel, run to the house and prepare a bedroom for him. Cordelia...CORDELIA!!!" he yelled to get her attention. Cordy turned as if coming out of a trance and looked at Giles.
"Go get some bottled water for me."
She nodded and left the room wondering what she felt calling her. She ran to the vending machine that gave water and bought seven bottle then ran back to the library. Giles asked her to open one and pour it on the wound in Hades' stomach so he could see everything that needed to be repaired. Giles then asked her to hold the flash light over the wound so he could start sewing. She did. The blond Bacchai that also radiated Slayer energy knelt and held another flashlight over the wound to give Giles more light. The gods watched him work and he sewed the worst rents from the trident up
Zeus was especially surprised by Giles' ability to do it quickly and as painlessly as possible. He watched the mortal care for his King and brother as gently as one would a child even though Hades was unconcious. It went a long way to assuring the Figurehead of the Gods that these people wouldn't turn them away. He decided, as Ares apparently had, to sit back and wait to see what would happen. Although Ares was still on guard.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In another place, just inside Sunnydale, a young man staggered into a warehouse to hide for the night. He had to reach Mr. Giles. He had seen something that Giles needed to know about. Something that had so threatened Travers that he was now being hunted by the man. Rupert Giles was the only one who could save him now.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At Joyce Summers' house, Xander's half brother looked up as Angel came in. He followed the vampire up to the guest bedroom and helped him prepare it. For what, he did not know. It was important whatever it was though. His own gifts told him that. That and the gems he always wore were warm now.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
At the hiugh school Library, Giles had finished sewing Hades up and Buffy had covered him with a blanket to keep him warm. Ares feeding his father energy had helped immensely to keep Hades from going into shock. Giles had cleaned the area Hades had fallen in up and was now in his office panicking. What was he supposed to do now?
Getting Hades into Joyce's van when she arrived was an experience as none of the Gods was particularly enamored with the idea of loosing their hold on him. Finally, Giles said it was time to get moving or he'd kick all their asses to the house. Their behavior was not getting Hades help any faster. That shut everyone up and those going with the van got in and those going in other cars went with the ones who were driving.
Joxer went with Spike and Buffy figuring someone had better show real trust. Ares had gone with his father as had Eris. Zeus and Hera had also gone with Hades saying they wanted to go with their King. It was still a shock to hear Zeus refer to his brother as his King but he did it so often and so casually that Joxer knew it had been this way from the start. Hercules was going to be furious when he found out Zeus wasn't the true king. That was where his arrogance came from, he was the son of Zeus. Joxer snerked as Spike drove crazily in his normal fashion through Sunnydale. He slammed the breaks on suddenly almost throwing Buffy and Joxer into each other.
"Stay put pet," Spike told them. He then ran into a warehouse returning a few moments with a dark-haired young man in what had once been a suit.
"Needs your Watcher, Pet," Spike said to her as he put the car back in gear and headed for Joyce's house.
He arrived a few moments after Angelus and Willow did with the others. They all went into the house where Giles and Joyce were completing their examination of Hades. His godly energy would heal him better and faster than any hospital could so the opted to leave him in the guest room. That brought them to their next puzzle, the young man Spike had found in the warehouses.
"Who are you?" Giles asked. He thought the young man was familiar but he wasn't sure why.
"I...I'm Wesley Wyndham-Price," he stammered. "I came to tell you what I found...What Travers and my father have hidden...About Slayers and their true purpose. It wasn't all vampires ... it was only those who were out of control. Most Vampires served their function like the Slayer did. To control the population...Male and Female Slayers were made to keep the vampires in check...not to eradicate them...I knew I had to run since Travers saw me so I did and well, here I am..."
So saying Wesley looked like he was about to pass out so Joyce took him into Buffy's room where he laid down and was asleep in a few minutes. He looked so tired.
Coming back into the living room, she found her gusts looking as shocky as she and the others felt. This was as new and confusing for them as it was the Scoobies.
Wesley woke up in a cold sweat to find a dark haired girl staring at him. She handed him water when his breathing calmed and then looked into his eyes. For Wesley, it was if seeing something he'd been looking for and finally realizing it was right in front of him.
"I'm Cordelia," the dark haired girl told him. Wesley smiled tiredly.
"Wesley. It's so nice to finally meet you," he said.
Cordelia nodded and then showed Wesley a shower and laid sweat pants out for him. They would be big on the young watcher, but he needed clean clothes. Wesley took them gratefully and went into the bathroom. The hot water was heaven on his achy, tired muscles.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Out in the living room, the gods were talking to the Scooby gang. Angelus stood protectively in front of all of them not allowing anyone to come near those who were -His- people. A behavior Zeus understood. He was looking constantly upstairs though.
"Who are you people?" Giles asked. He knew, of course he knew, but apparently there were differences to what the mythology books said as opposed to what actually was.
"I'm Zeus," Zeus said. You must know who we are..."
"Yes," Hugh answered for Joyce and Giles. He had been quietly watching since everyone had arrived. He was good at that. "But apparently some things aren't the same as they are in our books. For instance, you defer to Hades..."
"he's the King," Hera said. "The True King."
tbc