AresJoxerCupidStrife - Kate

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Disclaimer: Own nothing and no one used herein. All belong to other people.
Title: The Warrior Found?
Author: Kate
Rating: PG-NC17 probably.
Pairing: A/J-A/Willow (You'll see) C/S, Giles/Ethan
Summary: And the Warrior is?

Chapter 1: Memories Are Made Of This...

Willow watched Angel as he tucked Spike into bed. So far, they'd prevented Buffy from knowing he was back in Sunnydale. So far no one knew Spike was here in Angel's care. Thankfully, Buffy hadn't come to the mansion since finding out Angel didn't want her anymore. She hadn't spoken to Willow since she found out why. Angel was taking no chances with his childe's life. Not when Spike couldn't defend himself.
Willow looked up as he walked back into the room hearing him still humming that song. Goddess what was it? Where had Angel learned that song? Whatever it was it helped Spike sleep better but Willow just wished she knew the words so she could get the tune out of her head. And it brought Angel pleasurable memories when she wasn't with him too. So whatever it was she would let it be. She looked up as Angel approached her and sat pulling her into his lap.
Willow felt him play with her hair. Something he liked to do a lot. It seemed to please him that she let him so she made no fuss about it. He also knew she liked it too. Willow sighed as she felt Angel nuzzle her neck. He began to purr a moment later. He'd been like this ever since his return from hell. Willow had worked her butt off getting him back from that place. Although she could have sworn someone had helped her. It felt like Angel was almost placed in her arms. Willow wasn't going to question her good fortune there though. She had Angel now. He'd been returned safe and whole but he now almost hated to be in Buffy's presence alone. Something had changed.
Angel continued to hum as he played with her when he suddenly sat up straight Willow felt it a moment later. POWER. Something or someone with a lot of Power was coming.
They made it to the window just in time for a form to smash through it. it was a man shaped form. He looked as if he was hurting badly from something. Angel knelt to turn him over when the man grabbed his hand and looked into his eyes. Willow heard Angel gasp and whisper a name as their eyes met and it stunned her too. But how did Angel know it?
"Ares!"



Disclaimer: See part 1
Title: The Warrior Found? 2/? The Gods Awaken
Author: Kate
Pairing: A/J-A, C/S, Giles/Ethan/Willow
Rating: PG-R (I think for now)
Summary: The Gods awaken


Willow stared in shock as Angel carried Ares easily to one of the bedrooms near Spike's. The man looked like he was sick...or...or tired. Willow thought. She brought Angel the blanket he asked for and listened to his continuing hum. It was a tune but she couldn't figure it out. It was nothing he listened to with her. Willow heard Spike whimper in the next room and watched Angel get torn between Ares and his son. Willow sighed and went in to Spike's room. She carried the underfed Vampire back into Ares' bedroom and laid him on the bed next to the God. Angel smiled at her in thanks.
Willow nodded and went to get some water so Angel could clean the dirt off of Ares' face. The God looked like he'd been buried for a very long time. Willow watched as Angel gently cleaned the dirt and grime off Ares' face and arms and chest. Ares moaned as if in pain at the touch and Willow sent a quick prayer to him. Being a Witch meant she could pray to most pagan deities and most of the time it worked. As Giles had said, anything would do in a pinch.
Speaking of Giles, Willow thought as someone knocked on the mansion's door. Willow ran to answer it and found Giles holding an unsteady Ethan Rayne against his side. Ethan was bleeding from several cuts on his face and arms as Giles led him into the house. Angel came out of the joint bedroom smelling
blood. The instant he saw Ethan trying his best to stay on his feet, he moved. He led Ethan and Giles to the room next to the one Spike had been in until just recently.
"Who did this Giles?" Angel asked as he got Ethan's shirt off revealing livid bruises going down to the waist of his pants and vanishing under it. He cursed as he got Ethan to lie on his side so the injuries to his back and chest could be looked at. Ethan hissed in pain as Angel applied a cool compress to his back.
"Buffy did it," Giles said. "For once Ethan had done nothing to merit any kind of beating. Not that he ever did. I never hurt him like this."
Ethan groaned as Angel's touch got heavier for an instant. Angel pulled his hand back quickly.
"Tell me Wills," Angel said. "Should we be expecting any other guests tonight? First Ares, now Ethan and Giles."
"Ares is here?" Ethan gasped suddenly. Angel looked down at him seeing hope in his eyes. Hope for what he did not know.
"Yeah, he's in there with Spike," Willow blurted forgetting Giles had no idea Spike was there. She blushed but Giles didn't seem to notice.
"Can...Can you...T-take me to..h-him?" Ethan gasped out around the pain from his broken ribs. Angel nodded and lifted Ethan from the mattress easily. Giles followed Angel and Willow to the bedroom Angel had come out of and stared at the God and the vampire laying on the bed.
"Ares..." Ethan whispered. "Brother...So good to see you again."
They all watched as Ethan's form changed to that of someone only Giles recognized. Hermes. God of Tricksters, Thieves and Liars. He looked at Giles from his still bruised and bloodied face and smiled.
"My Ripper," Hermes said weakly. "Thank you. Stay with me?"
Giles nodded slack jawed as Hermes turned his focus on Ares.
"Come on big brother," Hermes said. "Take the energy. You're needed again."
The God of War seemed to shudder and shake as his body absorbed the energy Hermes was offering him. A few moments later, he woke up.
"Hermes?" Ares asked dazed. He looked around the room in this strange place and saw someone he never thought he'd see again.
"JOXER?!?"
Angel stared a moment in complete shock as he realized Ares was looking at him as he spoke. He felt a rush of energy from his soul just as the floor rushed up to meet him and he fainted.




Disclaimer: See part 1
Title: The Warrior Found 3: ...And Heaven Trembles
Author: Kate
Rating: PG-R (For now I think)
Pairings: See previous parts for listings
Summary: Heaven itself does tremble

Ethan watched as Ares cradled Angel in his arms. Willow almost grinned at the sight but she knew Angel would kill her if she did. Now she just wanted to leave him adn Ares tgether. She could see they fit perfectly. Although, Buffy would be pissed when she found out. She might possibly have kittens when she found out. Everyone looked at Ethan and he shifted. Going back to Ethan's face from hermes, he looked at Ares resting against the headboard holding his Joxer to him.
Angel began to stir but when he looked up something had changed in him. His eyes were lighter. Softer and kinder.
"Hi Hermes," he said quietly. Hermes stared at him finally seeing what Ares saw.
"Joxer...It is you...oh...wow..." he stammered.
Angel smiled, still his beautiful smile but now ithout the bitter self hatred. Willow stared seeing Angel's true soul staring out of his eyes.
"You're beautiful," Willow said quietly. "Angel, you are so beautiful."
Angel almost blushed and looked at Ares. The last piece of his soul stared at Ares feeling whole for the first time in a long time.
"Now," Hermes began with Ethan's voice and face. "As to what's going on."
Ethan took a deep breath hissing at the pain it caused his broken ribs and looked at everyone in the room.
"What you all are seeing is something the old gods of Greece have been waiting centuries for. A very long time ago, Ares was buried in his temple by the Archangel Micheal because Ares was some one Micheal feared. Ares was stronger, and far more comapssionate than the God of Light Micheal serves. Ares had to be removed before Micheal could take out the other pantheons. Micheal, with the help of Hercules, trapped Ares in his Thracian temple and then buried it. The reason he was able to do this was because Ares was grieving over the loss of his beloved Consort, Joxer. However, Joxer's soul never turned up in Asphodel for judgement. Instead it wandered. For 2,000 years, we on Olympus have waited for the day Joxer's soul would make itself known to us because when that happened, Ares would be pulled from his prison to where ever Joxer was. It happened tonight. Joxer revealed himself."
"How?" Willow asked when Ethan went silent for a moment.
Ethan chuckled. "How indeed little witch. Joxer had a theme song he made up for himself. Xena and Gabrielle hated it. When he traveled with them so they wouldn't be nasty, he would..."
"He would hum it!" Willow exclaimed as she finally figured it out. "He would hum his theme song. That's what Angel has been humming for the past few weeks. Buffy sure hates it."
"She would," Ethan said quietly. "She's Gabrielle."
"Uhm, Mr. Ethan, Hermes sir," Willow began nervously. "How did Joxer uhm...die?"
"Hercules killed him he said 'Accidentally'," Ares said. "No one believed him. Shortly aftyer that, the protection on hercules was lifted and he, too, was killed. I believe it was right after my imprisonment. Apollo killed him. He's back too now."
"Joy," Ethan/Hermes said. "Gabrielle and Jerkules in the same place. Anyone else we should be worried about?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Far under the streets of Sunnydale, a woman stared at a folder in front of her. Hugh Pendragon. Soul Seeker. The hatred she felt for that title and the man in the pictures was phenomenal. He reminded her of Hades. If he was Hades or on of his get he could not be allowed to remain free.
"Agent Finn," she said into the speaker. "I have someone I want you to bring in. He lives in Chicago. He belongs to Hades."
The being once known as Eve said to the being once known as Hercules. Eve had never died. Unlike Hercules and Gabrielle. She'd had centuries to work on ways to force people to conform to her Way. Hugh Pendragon was a man who did not go to church and did not believe in the Way. In short, he was a threat. A threat she could not allow to run lose. Sending Hercules was a way to ensure he was brought in.
She looked at his face and decided he would be an interesting conquest if she ould get him to break. And it would be one more link the gods still had to earth broken. Eve smiled as she planned this particular test subject's torment. She smiled evilly as she brought up each type and decided he would sffer almost every torment she could think of.

Ares sat with Angel holding Spike between them three days after Ares had arrived in Sunnydale. Angel had raised Spike so that made him Ares' son too. Spike had woken up and had everything explained to him before he'd curled back up and gone to sleep. Now resting between his Two fathers.
Ethan/Hermes came back into the bedroom with Giles as they tried to decide what to do now. Although, they all knew what needed to be done. It was time to contact the family on Olympus. Hermes walked to the fire place and spoke into it. Angel wasn't exactly sure what was said and Ares was still too tired to translate so Angel just decided to wait it out. Something told him he was in no danger here. Just as something told him he wouldn't have to always answer to Joxer even though he knew sometimes he would. Anyway, he needed to focus on the now because things were happening in the room.
First appeared an older man that Hermes named Zeus. Next was a blond woman with a rather busty chest that Hermes named Aphrodite. After her came her scarred husband, Hephaestus. Angel saw Spike look at them both with want. After them came four more people Angel/Joxer knew: Cupid, Strife, Bliss and Eris. Finally came three other people. Angel/Joxer knew them as well although he'd only met the man in black armor once in person. Hades, Persephone and Hera arrived.
"ARES!" Zeus and Hera cried happily upon seeing their missing son. Ares felt a warm surge of love from them an instant before he was engulfed in a hug the likes of which he'd never really known. But, because his parents were happy, he allowed it.
"It's so good to see you again son," Zeus exclaimed. "We've been waiting so long for this day."
"Joxer called me," Ares said as he squeezed Angel's hand. "My beloved Joxer called me from the prison I was trapped in. I thought he was lost."
"No," Hades said softly. "He wasn't lost Ares, he was waiting for the right time. Hiding from those fools until the time was right."
Ares nodded and looked down at Spike who had again fallen asleep. He brushed the bleached blond locks off his Consort's Childe's face and lightly kissed his cheek.
"Who else still lives father?" Ares asked quietly. Zeus sighed and watched Ares with his new child.
"Most of us lived. You were the only person lost temporarily. Your grandfather Cronus however...He died to save us all. Everyone will want to see you when you feel up to it. And we've brought you all ambrosia so you cannot be killed," Zeus said. Ares nodded and watched as his immediate family paced around the room. He smiled as he felt the weight of the last 2,000 years lift from his mind. He was free, he had his mate back and a new son. His family was together and apparently healed of the psychosis they'd suffered from. Life was good enough. For now.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maggie Walsh, Eve, stood outside the cell door listening to the screams of the Soul Seeker as he felt shock therapy. Yet he still refused to say what she wanted him to. Damn the man was stubborn. And strong too. He was going to be harder to break than she thought. Oh, well. All the sweeter when he did break.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Outside of Sunnydale, a black car pulled into the motel parking lot. The man who got out of it could have been a ringer for Ares except he was clean shaven. Around his waist was a belt with the Greek words "War, Wisdom, Justice" inscribed on the buckle. He sat on the hotel bed and looked at a picture tucked into his wallet of a smiling man with black hair and green eyes and pale skin. Hugh Pendragon. His beloved.
Armond Marceaux checked his gun to be sure it was loaded and began to prepare to search for Hugh here. All clues led to this place. Or, to be more accurate, a bunker/military installation under it. Armond was going to get his friend and lover back. Even if he had to declare War on the people who had taken him. There would be blood for this outrage. No one took the Warrior's love from him. No one dared to touch the Soul Seeker without fear of reprisal. And Armond was going to Reprise the people who had taken Hugh.
Armond took his belt off and held it in front of him so the image of Ares was not distorted by the light.
"War. Wisdom. Justice." Armond said to himself. "War. Wisdom. Justice. I hope these bastards are ready to receive them all."
He would give them War for taking Hugh.
He would teach them the Wisdom of not meddling with things they did not understand.
He would bring Justice upon them.
War.
Wisdom.
Justice.
Armond fell asleep with those words running through his head. Hs purpose in life was based around the words on his belt.
War. Wisdom. Justice.



Arriving at the high school shortly before dawn, Angel, Spike, Ares, Willow, Giles, Ethan and Strife walked into the library and set their books out on the table. Giles still found himself staring at Angel's eyes as there was no longer any pain or guilt in them. Joxer had dealt with it. Dealt with it and moved on, finally.
Giles still felt his nerve endings tingling from the ambrosia they'd all been given as a gift from Zeus and Hera. Although, they were confused as to why. Angel's was a given. Ares was not going to lose his beloved again. Even Spike could be understood as Ares loved his children and losing any of them would be a tragedy to him. Giles was confused mainly about himself and Willow. He had no idea why they had been granted Godhead.
"You really don't know?" Ethan asked them from behind. Hermes was wearing Ethan's face because he liked Ethan and Ethan was familiar to Willow and Giles. "I thought you were wise Ripper. You and the little witch were given ambrosia because you matter to me. You two shine out to me. I have never asked for godhead to be given to people before so believe this is real," Ethan said taking and squeezing Giles' hand. He brought Willow over to them with a thought and hugged her as well.
"You both matter to me," he said emphatically as he hugged them. Ares smiled from his position on the left of Spike with Angel on the right and their hands joined behind the smaller, blond vampire. Spike just chuckled thinking it felt nice to have his Da' back and to have gotten another one in the process. Now if he could just see those two form last night again. Aphrodite and Hephaestus he thought. Those were some beautiful people as far as Spike could see. People he wouldn't mind being with for eternity.
Everything was quiet in the library until Buffy arrived with Cordelia and Xander. Seeing Spike, she immediately went for her stake. Pulling it resulted in her getting knocked across the library not by Angel or Ares, but by Giles.
"Put it away Buffy. Spike is not going to hurt anyone," he said. Buffy growled and tried to go for Ethan. Which resulted in her getting caught by the collar by the big man in leather who she could have sworn was next to Angel a minute ago.
"Touch my baby brother at your own peril Child!" He hissed. Buffy was frozen at his face. The look of absolute rage in his eyes enough to freeze anyone.
"Ares..." She whispered in a voice not quite her own.
"Hello little bard," he sneered. "You failed. Joxer called me."
"No," Buffy/Gabrielle hissed. "Joxer is mine. No one else's but mine."
"No, I'm not," Angel responded coolly. "I am now and have always been Ares' Love. You have no power over me any longer Gabby."
Buffy/Gabrielle screamed in rage and ran at him with a stake. The stake never touched him as his power incinerated it.
"He has his Godhead Little Bard," Ares said coldly. "He and Giles and Willow and Spike. They all have Godheads. Touch them at your own peril."
Buffy looked like she wanted to scream. Instead, she grabbed a knife and pitched at Spike. Another hand caught it. This one belonging to the man who had just come into the library.
"I think not little girl," he hissed as he let her weapon drop.
"I was told I get some help here in paranormal research. My name is Armond Marceaux and I need to know if anyone else can use these."
Armond dropped two wrist bands on the table. One was a silver band with a white opal set into it and the other was a the other was a copper band with a ruby set into it. Ares and Ethan/Hermes both choked seeing them.
"Where did you get those?" Ethan demanded. Armond met his stare with one of his own.
"They belong to Hugh Pendragon. Do you know anyone else who can use them? It's important."
Ethan looked into the man's soul and saw a lot of things. Mainly what he saw at this time was a desperate worry for the man the bands belonged to.
"I know of one person," he said to Armond. "Just a moment and I will call him."
Hermes stood and went into Giles' office. Once inside he sighed. "Hades, get here, now."



Hades appeared in Giles' office at Hermes' shout and looked around.
"What is it?" He asked. hermes swallowed and pointed out at the table. Hades saw the gems and froze.
"Where is the bearer?" Hades asked. Hermes swallowed hard.
"The man who brought them in seems to think he was taken by something in this town. He asked if we knew anyone else who could use those. I figured since they are yours..."
"I'll look. But Herm, they aren't mine. They belong to the Soul Seeker. I just held that power until he was born. I can use the gems but they aren't mine," Hades said.
Hermes nodded and led hades out to the crowd around the table. A man who was indeed a dead ringer for Ares without a beard was holding the gems now. Hades could feel his worry for the man who was the Soul Seeker.
Hades took the gems and slipped them on. he took the book Armond Marceaux had brought that belonged to the Seeker. hades touched it and for the first time in centuries, stepped into a vision. What he saw sickened adn enraged him. Becoming one with Hugh Pendragon's soul. When he came out of the vision, he growlecd adn looked around the table.
"Whose up for killing something?"
"Where is he?" Armond asked. hades looked at the man seeing a fear adn a rage building in him.
"He's under the town. being tortured as he military tries to figure out how his gifts work. I saw Eve."
"I know you," Angel/Joxer said suddenly. "You were the one who took me out of hell."
"Yes, Hades said sighing. "I did. I placed you in Willow's care because we needed to fog my power signature and becuase it wasn't time yet. I suspeted it was you when I felt you call me but I couldn't let The Way know we still lived yet. You had to call Ares first. I had no idea our children were here.."
"Hugh and I live in Chicago," Armond said. "Now, how are we gong to get him back? If he's hurt I swear on this belt they wont live to see another sunise."
Armond touched the belt at his waist getting Ares' attention. He knew that belt. He hadn't seen it in years but he knew that belt.
"Gawk later," Armond sid. "Work now. Hugh is in need of rescuing. how do we go about it?"
"We get the King Of Theives to help us," Ares said as Strife returned with Autolycus and Cupid. Auto looked around confused until Hades appraised him oif the situation. This pissed him off. They had been waiting years for Joxer's return adn for the Soul Seeker's birth and now this woman, Xena's little bitch of a daughter whom even She'd rejected, wanted to hurt him? No Way in Tartarus. Not if Auto could help it.
"What kind of locks?" Auto asked. he'd kepy up with technology throughout the years so he knew most locks adn how to crck them. being told it was magnetic, card key locks, he grinned. Morons. Any magnet could screw those up.
Auto got his tools out and then they waited. Xena appeared next. When told of Eve's latest trransgression, she growled. She'd told Eve to stop before she got herself killed. Now it looked like Eve was going to have to learn the lesson. Especially if she really had Hades' son who was mated to one of Xena's decendadnts through a son she'd had after leaving Hercules and Gabrielle. She saw Gabrielle fuming in a corner and knew it had something to do with Joxer. She hugged Ares glad to see her father awake and free.
Seeing Joxer standing and pacing told her something had changed in him besides former bacchai-ness. He really was a Warrior this time. Much as Armond was.
"Let's go," hades said. he led the way out of the library and to a vent Hermes had found on a quick patrol to find away in.


Arriving at the vent that led down into the Initiative, Hades looked
at Autolycus. Auto sighed and went to work on the lock. It only took a few
minutes before they were moving through the tunnels heading to where the
Seeker was. Hades noticed the Warrior, for that's who Armond was, searching
with his heart for his beloved mate. He was pleased at the man who loved his
son.
They were walking down one particular corridor when they heard
screaming. Armond stiffened, then snarled and moved for that door. Ares
followed him and blew the door off it's hinges.
The soldiers standing over the man on the floor jumped as the door
blew in. they were dead in a matter of seconds. Ares was not playing games
anymore. Armond gently rolled the man on the floor into his arms feeling him
shiver form cold and shock. The man, recognizing Armond gripped his shirt
tightly. Armond slowly slid out of his jacket and wrapped his bare chested,
tormented love in it. Hugh Pendragon curled against Armond and drifted into
tormented unconsciousness. When Armond made as if to go out with the others,
Ares forestalled him. Telling him gently that Hugh needed him no more than
they did. Armond looked at his friend who still held his shirt and nodded
knowing the War God was right.
Right about the time Ares told him that, another soldier came to the
door. He took one look at Ares and turned and ran in stark terror. Riley
Finn knew the look of hatred in Ares' eyes. He'd known it when he went by
the name Hercules as well as he knew it now. He made it to a secret exit and
used it after warning Eve to get out as well. Something told him Ares would
be hunting him now. And he needed the biggest Head Start he could get.
The soldiers he called by hitting an alarm met death in those halls as
the rescue party showed just how displeased at how Hugh had been treated.
The Words "Awash With Blood" would describe the halls of the Initiative by
the time they were done.
Inside the Cell, all was quiet and Armond held Hugh to him. The noises
outside the cell, however, were loud Armond thought as he held Hugh against
his chest. His love was so cold and shaking from the torture and shock.
Armond had wanted to kill them all but Hugh would let no one else touch him
so he'd stayed in the cell with Hugh while the others took care of the
soldiers. Hugh had needed Armond, had called for Armond, so Armond was with
him. Outside, all he heard was the people who had hurt Hugh dying. Armond
was pleased by that. Hugh moaned and Armond held him closer to his chest.
Hugh was wrapped in his coat as his shirt was in tatters on the floor. A
silent testimony to the torment he'd suffered here. Armond felt him slide
back into unconsciousness and knew not matter what happened to those people
before they died, it would never be enough to atone for this.
Outside the cell, men were dying by the score. Many killed by Ares
and Joxer who fought back to back as in days of old. however, many more
were dying by Hades' own hand. Xena had gone after Eve as she was the only
one who could stop her. Michael had bragged that only the mother could kill
the daughter. Xena was on her way to do just that.
Hercules was gone. No matter, Ares would get him later. The coward
had run seeing Ares coming after this group. Hades was single-mindedly
scanning the souls of those around him looking for those who had harmed his
son and tagging them for special attention in Tartarus. the one he found
named Forrest, that one he would truly torment. He had dared to touch
Hades' son in a sexual way and punished Hugh badly when he refused to
respond. Hades had plans for this one.
Looking around them, the rescuers saw the walls were red with blood
and gore from their rather savage attack. No one cared.
Going back to the cell, they got Armond and Hugh. Hugh still refused
to release his death grip on Armond's shirt. Armond had no care for that.
They simply carried him out slowly.
Xena met them in the hallway holding her bloody chackram. "Eve is
dead," she said simply. They could tell by the color of the blood on it,
they knew Xena had removed her head with it. Ares nodded and sent her back
to Olympus at her request. She tossed the Chackram to Armond as she left.
"Take care of him," she said as she faded out. Armond nodded and
caught it. The mess around them was cleaned up with a snap of the gods'
fingers so no one would know what had happened here. After the evil demons
the Initiative were holding were killed and the bodies all removed, they
left. Armond still held Hugh to his chest as Hugh seemed to be looking for
his heartbeat. Armond sighed as they came outside in the night again.
Hugh seemed to know too because he relaxed slightly. Armond held him
tightly all the way bak to the mansion Angel called home. He set him on a
bed and laid next to him. He was very tired not having slept since Hugh had
vanished. With his love next to him, safe in his arms, Armond Marceaux
drifted into sleep.
Hades watched from the doorway and snapped a cover onto them. He
then left them to their rest and went back into the main room.
"Now what do we do?" He asked.


tbc

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