Chapter LXXXII

Saligia’s eyes widened when he realized the talisman he had created had not, in fact returned to his hand, but instead had attached itself to a charm he hadn’t created nor did he recognize. He had a brief thought to move forward to get a better look - or better yet, get it away from the woman Ares had identified as Wonder Woman - but before he could do more than think the thought, Ares had pulled him away and they had disappeared from the battlefield.

He looked around when they reappeared, trying to ascertain where they were, then he turned questioning eyes to Ares, rage apparent on his countenance. “What the Hades, Ares? I need those talismans!” He looked around again. “Where are we, anyway?”

“Somewhere no one can find us,” he responded calmly. “You wanna take a chill pill and relax?” scrunching up his face as the expression came out of his mouth. When did I start channeling Aphrodite?? He shook his head to clear it - he had more important things to concentrate on.

“Ares….”

“Saggy….” He cleared his throat at Saligia’s murderous glare and held out his hands in a conciliatory manner. “Saligia,” he corrected without actually apologizing. “You’re losing focus. We’ll get the talismans, even if we have to kill each and every Guardian. Remember the big picture, yeah? Xena’s <ahem> army will help destroy her and the Guardians, and what they can’t manage, the dead of the Horseman’s army will finish them off. When everyone is dead, gathering the charms will be a piece of cake. There’ll be no one to stop us or to interfere.”

“Not even your family?”

“Especially not my family. We have a deal - I keep all of them out of things; you leave them alone to live in peace.”

Saligia snorted and shook his head. “And what exactly does that get you, hmm? Because you know they’re never going to let you live on Olympus after this. They’re going to see this as a betrayal.”

Ares shrugged, though he pointedly did not make eye contact with Saligia. “I’ll figure something out. There are places I can go to be left alone, and there are places I can go where I’ll be welcomed with open arms.” He shrugged again. “Depends on how I feel, I guess.” He kept his eyes on the darkness that stretched out beyond them for a long moment. “How about that drink?”

Saligia narrowed his eyes and studied Ares for a long moment, then nodded. They had nothing to lose by allowing the ragtag army the Horseman had put together to fight for a little while. They both knew that at least as far as Xena and Gabrielle were concerned, only they could inflict lasting, genuine damage, and as much as they wanted to savor the misery of the Guardians as they died, they couldn’t deny that their main objective was getting the talismans and whatever horrors they could visit upon Xena and Gabrielle.

“Lead the way,” he agreed, gesturing to the vast expanse of nothing before them. It wasn’t like he could take them anywhere, even if he wanted to - hard to go anywhere you have no idea what your starting point is. Surprisingly, Ares took his arm, and they blinked out of existence and back to the mortal plane they had briefly left.

Saligia looked around in approval when they remateralized. They were in a modern version of a tavern - one with beautiful, busty waitresses, cold ale, and a massive, big-screen television that currently had the fight on the battlefield playing. They weren’t the only ones in the bar, but no one seemed to be paying the fight much attention, other than the occasional cheer… which to Saligia thought odd as he couldn’t fathom the reason for the clamor. Ares lifted his beer to his lips and smirked at Saligia.

“They’re watching a game of futbol; only we can see what is happening with Xena and the Guardians.”

Saligia’s eyebrows arched, but he raised his glass to Ares before taking a small sip. He winced slightly at the bitter taste, then took a larger draught. “I suppose that is for the best,” he concurred. “No reason to alert humanity to what is coming,” giving a sly smile. “Let it be a surprise.”

“Let it be a surprise indeed,” Ares sympathized, though his eyes never left the screen. He didn’t want to miss a minute of how this played out.

************

The smell was incredible, and Xena wondered how they had missed it for so long, then realized that the wind that had been blowing steadily from behind her was suddenly blowing toward her, bringing the scent of dead, rotting flesh to her nostrils. She heard the gagging of her compatriots and focused her mind on putting the scent out of her awareness. After a moment, she was able to do so and turned to the friends still standing with her.

“I know it’s hard, but you’re gonna have to ignore it for now. We’ve got bigger problems than that smell,” motioning towards the line of dead and not-quite-dead that were rapidly approaching them. “Let’s go!” she commanded, not surprised to see her friends swallow hard in an effort to clear the scent and taste from their senses. As one body they shifted forward, careful not to step on their fallen comrades.

Without warning, an unexpected group of allies joined them, their leader bowing her head graciously to Gabrielle, who smiled grimly as she acknowledged the salute. “My Queen,” Hippolyta offered.

“Hippolyta,” Gabrielle replied, lifting her head in respect. “It is good to have you here, my friend, but do you understand the consequences of your actions? We have no guarantee of getting out of here alive.”

“The Warriors voted to come. We are long overdue a chance to do battle and make a difference in the lives of others. And if we die? Well… it is a good day to die!”

Gabrielle shook her head. “It is never a good day to die, but it is certainly a good day to fight! Duck!” she commanded, swinging her sai over Hippolyta’s head and clocking Cat Grant squarely along the side of her face, watching in fierce satisfaction as she dropped where she stood.

“Are we not killing them, My Queen?” asked as she punched Kelly Garrett in the throat and stabbed Sabrina Duncan in the stomach when she tried to jump onto her back. She watched as Gabrielle shook her head and knew those closest by were listening to their conversation very carefully.

“No,” Gabrielle answered with another swing of her sai toward Jill Bernhardt’s mid-section. “Not the humans, unless there is no way to avoid it. Those that are already dead? Oh, hell yeah!” bringing her sai down in a stabbing motion against one of the Horseman’s dead. She glanced toward her partner as her battlecry resounded across the battlefield again, watching as she slashed and hacked her way through the dead and not-so-dead as she slowly cut a swathe through those surrounding the Horseman. “Can you handle this here?” watching as Hippolyta, her Amazons, and the Warriors of the People nodded their agreement. She gave them all a brief smile and disappeared into the melee, making a beeline for Xena.

They didn’t even bother to watch her go. They had their hands full with the army coming at them.

************

Xena headed directly toward the Horseman, suspecting she was the reason the dead were able to fight at all. If they could eliminate them as a threat, they could focus their attention to the women that had been turned against them. Disabling them would be easier then… she hoped.

She swung her sword and chakram at the dead that were closest to her, a little surprised when decapitating them seemed to work in… if not destroying them… at least incapacitating them to a point of making them non-threatening. Two slashes - one across the neck to remove the head from the shoulders, and another across the chest to separate the ribcage. She idly noted that the Guardians behind her had not reloaded their weapons but were instead using their guns to strengthen the hits they were taking against the women moving against them and realized they were simply trying to disable and knock out their opponents.

Without warning, a shot rang out across the field, and Xena watched in horror as Barbara Gordon slumped over in her wheelchair, dead at the hands of someone she didn’t recognize. Another piece of the talisman puzzle shot its way to Diana, who reeled as it hit the Hope charm she had tucked into her costume to allow her more freedom to fight. The sound that came out of Helena was excruciating, and Xena flinched in sympathy for the agony she could feel in the cry that emanated from Helena’s lips. She kissed her dead lover briefly, then before her eyes, Xena watched Helena transform, leaving Barbara slumped over in her chair precariously and striding forward to begin ripping into the dead and non-dead alike.

Now the battlefield was filled with screams as women fell over mortally wounded, but Xena didn’t have time to be concerned with what was happening around her. She had finally reached the Horseman.

************

It was a little eerie. Silence reigned all around them… as though they were in a self-contained vortex that separated them from the battlefield. It was also a little unnerving to be looking into a face very similar to her own, though it was held under the arm that also controlled the horse. In her other hand, she held a sword, but she had yet to actually use it. The staring contest went on for seconds or hours - it was hard to honestly say. But when it broke, the Horseman was the first to speak, her voice weak and rusty from disuse.

“So… you are Xena.” Surprisingly, no judgement… just a statement of fact.

“I am. And you are the one they call the Horseman. Do you have a name?”

The Horseman almost smiled, though Xena saw more of a grimace in the action. She noticed the places where the Horseman appeared to be bleeding from a hole of some sort and wondered what she had missed in the interim. “Not one you could properly pronounce,” she rumbled. She studied Xena a moment, head tilted in bemusement. Finally, she nodded, satisfied with her perusal. “You may call me… Charity.”

Xena swallowed down the guffaw that wanted to spill from her lips, assuming it wouldn’t go down well with this being that had once been an archangel. Instead, she nodded her acceptance of the honor being accorded her. “Charity,” she repeated. “What brings you to this place?”

Charity shrugged. “I could say any number of things… or people, as it were. After all… none here is an innocent,” she declared as she looked at the carnage taking place around them. “Least of all, you, Xena. What’s to stop me from exacting judgement on you?” She motioned around the battlefield. “Or any of them, for that matter?”

“Because you know none of them - myself included - are able to take your place. We would just be another cog in this cluster that Saligia set in motion in order to destroy the gods and eventually the human race.” She tilted her head. “What do you get out of this?”

“Freedom… or at least the opportunity to finally find peace… oblivion, as it were.”

“So none of this - no one here - means anything at all to you in the grand scheme of things.”

Charity smiled almost gently, looking at Xena with a hint of pity in her countenance. “Not in the least,” she replied honestly. “They - you - are simply a means to an end. And I need there to be an end. I’ve been at this a long, long time.” She raised her sword in salute, then slid it into its sheath as she gathered the bone lasso in her hand in preparation. “You will die tonight, Xena.”

This time, Xena snorted. “Better than you have tried,” she assured her opponent. Charity looked at her with shock in her eyes. Xena twirled her sword back over her wrist and spun it in her hand before gesturing toward the Horseman with her fingers and a wild grin on her face. “Give it your best shot, Love,” her tone mocking. “But better make it count.”

Suddenly, the sound from the battlefield poured in around them, but Xena was too focused on the Horseman’s action to pay it any mind. Charity spun the bones like a lariat, fully expecting Xena to try to dive out of the way. Instead, Xena caught the lasso by the loop and jerked, causing the Horseman to jump off her horse to keep from being pulled off. She stumbled when she landed, and Xena gave her a moment to catch her balance, then she yanked the bone rope from Charity’s hand.

“Nono,” she cautioned. “We’re not gonna play that game,” she said with a feral grin.”Let’s take care of this first.” She threw the rope up into the air, then took her sword in one hand and her chakram in the other, as she jumped up to meet it mid-air. She swung both weapons rapidly, decimating the rope into separate pieces of bone. When she landed, she deliberately dropped all her weight onto several bones that shattered under the impact, crushing them into powder. Charity looked at her in amazement.

“How did you…? You can’t…. What just happened here?? How am I supposed to be the Horseman without a lariat?”

“Well… you were just complaining about how you felt about keeping this role any longer. I’d think you’d be glad to have that responsibility gone.”

“And who will take my place?”

Xena shrugged. “Maybe nobody. I mean… it’s not like you’re a necessary cog in the scheme of things. You being here is a result of punishment that was given to you… not to us.” She watched in amusement as fury flared in the hollows of the Horseman’s eyes, leaving the red glow she was so famous for in the stories told about her. She smiled when Charity’s hand went to her other weapon. “Do you even know how to use that?” motioning to the sword still sheathed at the Horseman’s side. “Or is it for show?” She cocked an eyebrow. “When was the last time you used it to defend yourself?”

Charity laughed - a discordant, musical sound that made Xena want to cringe at the disharmonics of it all. Even Gabrielle high on henbane and directing a stone choir hadn’t hurt this much. She kept her stoic expression, however, not wanting to encourage any more noise than was necessary. Charity stared at her a long moment. She noted the glowing red eyes and the teeth that extended beyond the full lips. “You are not what I expected.”

Xena smirked. “If I had a nickel for every time I heard that….” She let her sword rest on her shoulder as she regarded the Horseman seriously. “So are we going to settle this like warriors, or are you gonna drop that piece you call a sword and ride away from here?”

The whisper of metal sliding out of leather was the only answer Xena got, and then she was defending herself from the swift, hard strikes with which the Horseman was plying her. An overhead lunge pushed Xena’s sword down and backward until her knees bent to take the force of the blow. She went with it, feeling the power of her body coil in her legs, and allowing it to build until she released it in an explosion of movement. She pushed up hard, forcing the Horseman to stumble backward. She completed a circle, lifting her sword and catching the hilt of the Horseman’s sword with her own.

She fully believed the motion would knock the weapon from the Horseman’s hand. Instead, she found her motion stopped, and she couldn’t quite contain the surprise she felt. Charity grinned maliciously, leaning over Xena slightly as she put all her weight behind her effort and pushed against her. “I’ve been doing this for more lifetimes than even you have lived, Xena. You can’t defeat me.”

“Maybe not,” she conceded, gathering her strength and shoving the Horseman away from her. “But we can,” watching dispassionately when Charity was skewered on one end of Gabrielle’s sais.

Her reaction was involuntary, and both head and sword hit the ground when she reached up with both hands to cover the center of her body from which two sais emerged, and where old, black blood gushed. She looked at Xena with a confused expression. “You cheated. You said this was a fight between warriors.”

“It was. Gabrielle is the best warrior I know.”

Charity frowned as she dropped to her knees. “But that’s not fair! I wasn’t fighting her; I was fighting you.”

“Perhaps,” Gabrielle cut in as she walked around to stand in front of the dying Horseman. “But we were fighting you… fighting for our lives and the very survival of life as we know it. There are no rules and no such thing as a fair fight. All bets are off when the stakes are that high.”

“But… what happens to me?” the Horseman asked, suddenly scared and vulnerable.

Xena felt a hint of sorrow pass through her - she understood how terrifying such a drastic change could be. She looked at Gabrielle who smiled sadly in commiseration… which was completely at odds with the bacchae facade that was currently her countenance. Together, they came to stand on either side of the Horseman, then knelt to be at her level. With a look, they each put a hand on Charity’s shoulders, then Gabrielle grabbed her sais and slid them from the Horseman’s body, wincing behind her at the wet, sucking sound they made. As soon as they were removed, Xena placed one hand over the gaping holes, while with the other she eased Charity onto her back. Gabrielle grabbed the loose head and moved it to lay with the remainder of her body The Horseman grinned grotesquely as blood covered her teeth and rolled down her chin. She blinked.

“Stars,” she muttered thickly, closing her eyes again before she opened them to stare at the sky that loomed above them. She coughed, spitting up more blood as she choked slightly. “I haven’t seen the stars in such a long time.” She closed her eyes and tilted her head, another smile crossing her face. “I’ve missed their music,” she said.

It was quiet for another full minute, though Xena and Gabrielle knew she wasn’t dead - there were too many of her dead army still fighting. Xena prepared to stand, and found her arm grabbed by a strong clasp on her wrist. She looked down and met eyes that were blue much like hers and she heard the death rattle in the Horseman’s lungs as she took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I never thought….”

Gabrielle covered the hand that held Xena hostage. “Go,” she instructed. “And find some peace.”

The Horseman didn’t answer; she simply closed her eyes… and sighed.

The moment she passed from one world to the next, all the dead she had accumulated as an army, suddenly stopped moving and dropped to the ground where they stood. The rest, however….

Xena and Gabrielle took a brief moment to close the Horseman’s eyes and survey the battlefield. What they saw was dismaying. Half the Guardians - including Dinah and Diana - were on the ground dead or dying. Probably half of the women that had come to fight with them and had been turned against them were injured, and of that complement, at least a quarter of them were dead.

Their biggest concern, however, was Diana. She lay on the ground unmoving, and there was no sign of the talisman she’d carried into the battle. Not a word was spoken between them, yet they took off toward their comrades at a run. Time was running out.



Chapter LXXXIII

“Warriors… ATTACK!!!”

The moment Gabrielle moved to follow Xena, Hippolyta and her Amazon Warriors rushed forward alongside the Warriors of the People. They fought with enthusiasm, knowing that Isaac was closing in with his Warriors and the remaining Amazons towards them. They were both at a loss to explain Trick’s disappearance - he had been adamant about the imperative need for the Fae to participate. To have them vanish with no explanation was more than a little vexing, but nothing could be done about it currently. Questions and answers would have to wait until this gambit was over and done with.

They had all heard Gabrielle’s directive - to maim without killing - but they were finding it increasingly difficult to follow such a mandate… especially since their opponents weren’t following such rules and constraints. It didn’t take long for them to realize that there was no way to win - no way to subdue - beings that had no thought beyond death and destruction… not even their own safety.

“Michael!” Hippolyta screamed across the battlefield as she watched another Warrior go down under a group of non-dead attackers. “Take a contingent and sweep to your right! Do everything you can to protect the Guardians!” The Native Warrior nodded and motioned to the group of fighters nearest him. Without a word, they moved out and towards the Guardians, who were doing their best to hold their own.

Hippolyta was still giving orders when she went down under an onslaught of multiple slashes by several of the dead that had ganged up on her. The Amazons nearest her vicinity immediately surrounded her, trying to defend her while they gauged the deadliness of her wounds, even as John pushed through them to get a better look. His eyes widened at the amount of blood covering her body and armor. She shook her head at him and gave him a pained smile.

“The cuts are mostly shallow,” she revealed. “There are just a multitude of them. The hamstring, on the other hand….”

The Shaman turned her over just enough to get a good look at the muscle to which she was referring, then paled at the sight of it. Immediately, he went to work - tying off a tourniquet to keep her from bleeding out, then set to repairing the damage, hoping beyond hope he could save her life… if not her leg.

Meanwhile, the Amazons and the Warriors became more aggressive, realizing they were fighting for their lives in a very real way. And the bodies of the dead and non-dead alike began piling up beside the living.

************

Helena felt the breeze of the bullet as it rushed past her, but she was a second too slow to intercept it. She turned and watched in horror as it hit Barbara squarely in the chest, hearing her heart explode as the missile ripped through her body. Helena roared, “NOOOOOOOOOOO!” keening in agony when Barbara took her last breath. She cupped Barbara’s face in her hands, gazing at the woman she had loved since she’d been a child, then leaned forward and brushed a kiss over lips that were still warm. Tenderly, Helena leaned Barbara’s head down toward her chest, letting her red hair cover her face just enough for it to appear that she was simply sleeping. Then she rose to her full height and allowed herself to morph into Huntress… only this time, she let herself shift more thoroughly, becoming a predator intent on revenge and destruction.

Her eyes became golden and slitted - her ability to see and hunt magnified a hundredfold. Her nose twitched as its sensitivity multiplied and brought with it the smell of blood, sweat, and death. Her ears flexed - picking up every breath… every moan… every movement. She felt her nails extend, becoming longer and razor sharp, and she smiled predatorily.

Helena’s hands gently trailed through the silky strands of Barbara’s red hair, and she breathed deeply… searching for the one that had taken her beloved from her. Her eyes flashed as she found a familiar scent, and she growled and headed into the fray with abandon, striking everything in her path without mercy. Some died; some were wounded; but all fell to her blows and she cut a swathe through dead and non-dead alike.

As soon as Helena moved forward, the rest of the Guardians followed behind her, swinging at everything coming their way with bare fists, a couple knives and a singular pair of brass knuckles. Bo dropped her coat from her body and slid her long blades from their sheaths, glad beyond measure she had stuck with her weapons of choice. The rest looked at her with a measure of alarm, not having taken much notice of them before. She gazed back at them without flinching.

“What?” she yelled impatiently. “We know these will kill the dead at least, and if the rest die?” She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “Not my fucking problem.”

************

Abby Scuito came after Maura Isles, determined to wrestle away the talisman she held tightly in her hands.  She grabbed Maura by the throat, squeezing with determination and grinning when the talisman fell from Maura’s hands as she clutched at her throat in an attempt to loosen Abby’s grip. Before Abby could snatch up the charm, she fell to a blow to the temple by Jane Rizzoli, who used her gun to put enough power behind her swing to bring the other woman down.

“Maura!! Maura!!” Jane screamed as she dropped to her knees, checking for a pulse and starting chest compressions when she couldn’t find one. Just as she leaned over to begin mouth-to-mouth, Penelope Garcia slammed her clasped fists onto Jane’s neck, hitting her in the sweet spot and knocking her out. She fell onto Maura’s body, then Penelope dropped on top of her when she was knocked out from behind, the talisman buried beneath them.

************

Brooke MacQueen and Sam MacPherson had joined forces with Lindsay Boxer and the rest of the Women’s Murder Club to gang up on Helen Magnus and Kate Freelander, scratching and swinging their fists in a concerted effort to bring them to their knees. Kate and Helen shifted until they were back-to-back and tried to take on all comers, but it was soon apparent that they were being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, as the women never stopped coming.

“What are we gonna do, Magnus?” Kate called back without moving her attention from the two unknown women in front of her that were swinging wilding and managing to get in a decent hit now and then. Already, one of her eyes was completely swollen shut, and she was bleeding from several cuts on her face. She could feel herself weakening and knew it was only a matter of a very short amount of time before she went down under the deluge she was facing.

Helen shook her head, even though Kate couldn’t actually see her. “I don’t know,” she wheezed as she took a hit to the belly. Bent over, she didn’t see the blow to the head coming, and the last thing she saw was the ground coming up to meet her.

Kate didn’t even have time to react; Before Helen hit the ground, she was borne to the ground under the weight of bodies too numerous for her to count. She clutched the talisman tight to her chest as she felt hands grab for it, and then she knew nothing but darkness.

************

Nora Delaney tackled Janet Fraiser and slammed a knife between her ribs, leaving her gasping for breath. Before she could turn around, she was backhanded by Sam Carter, sending her flying back several feet into Nikki Beaumont and several others, even as she skidded to a stop at Janet’s side. She fell to her knees, hands automatically covering the gaping wound that was freely bleeding Janet’s lifeblood all over the ground. Janet placed a hand over both of Sam’s, giving her a pained grimace when she shifted wrong, in lieu of the smile she wanted to offer.

“Janet! Janet… tell me what to do… how to fix this,” Sam begged with tears in her eyes, even though she knew from experience there was no coming back from this.

Janet winced as she lifted her free hand to Sam’s face and minutely shook her head. “You k-know I c-can’t, Lover. I’m g-gonna miss you,” she whispered.

“No… NO! I’m not gonna let you die!!” She leaned down until their foreheads were touching, her focus tuning out the battle surrounding them and narrowed down to Janet. “It’s not fair,” she whispered. “We haven’t had enough time together.”

“No… ugh!” Janet cried out. “But I’m… so g-glad for the time we g-got,” her words slurring as she grew more lethargic. “I lo’ you, Ssssam… Car…t.…” Then her eyes closed in death.

Sam remained perfectly still crouched over Janet’s body, taking a moment to absorb the fact that she had once again lost the woman she loved to an unnecessary, senseless death. She didn’t even feel Sarah MacKenzie grab her neck and twist - she simply toppled over onto Janet’s still warm body… dead.

************

Mac made a grab for the talisman she could see peeking out from the inner pocket of Sam’s jacket, but before she could touch it, it flew from her reach and directly toward the Hope talisman Wonder Woman still held, though that situation looked bleak and grim as well. She and Dinah were surrounded by women who just didn’t care what it took or who died beneath their onslaught as long as one of them was able to obtain the talisman Diana had tucked into her bodice for safekeeping.

Dinah was the first to go down under the all-out assault, the walls of her telepathic shielding dropping until she was defenseless. Diana shifted to give her as much protection as she could, but it was all she could do to keep her lasso spinning in front of her - there were simply too many of them. Dinah screamed as she fell to the ground underneath a mob of bodies intent on destroying her. Diana wasn’t far behind her, due to the sheer number of non-living women that overwhelmed them.

Their cries brought Helena running, cursing as she tossed women away from her two friends. Bodies and blood flew through the air as she dug her way down to the bottom of the pile. When she reached them, she noted Dinah wasn’t breathing, and Diana barely was. She started chest compressions on Dinah… then everything went to hell.

************

Batman had been standing with the Guardians when Saligia killed Alex Cabot. He realized then that the man… god…despot… was willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goal of world domination. When the second fireball hit Olivia Benson, he finally understood that this was going to be a fight to the death… no matter his personal beliefs or moral compass. Saligia was going to have to die. He backed away from the Guardians and headed to find a way to sneak up on Saligia from behind.

He was halfway to his target when he heard Helena scream. His head snapped up at the agony he could feel emanating from her, and he knew from the sound that something dreadful had happened to Barbara. He hesitated, wanting to go to Helena and offer comfort, but also knowing how unlikely she would accept such from him. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, then continued on his way.

The dead ignored him… almost as if they couldn’t see him. The non-dead women brushed by him as though he was of no importance. Their focus was solely on the Guardians and their companions… until the Amazons and Warriors aggressively attacked. Then he realized that he could remain invisible as long as he stayed neutral and didn’t engage anyone.

So he moved among them, restraining his natural impulse to fight; sliding along with the darkness on his approach to Saligia’s position. He was finally within sight of Saligia and Ares when they up and disappeared. He glared with consternation at the spot in which they had been, desperately hoping his will could force them back to the battlefield.

After a moment, he turned, cape swirling behind him. He looked around at those nearest him; there were no men among the non-dead, which meant those few men he knew had joined this little expedition had to be safely hidden away somewhere, unaware of what was currently going on with their friends. At least he hoped they were unaware - he didn’t want to be tracking down a bunch of cowards to help him. Silently he moved back towards the Guardians’ position… and the trailers that housed all those that had come to stand with Xena and Gabrielle.

With any luck, he’d be able to find some unexpected help.

************

“I’m telling you, Will… something’s not right. I can hear. I can hear the sound of battle and screams.”

Will Zimmerman scrubbed his hands across his face. “I know what you’re saying, Henry. I even believe you. But what do you want us to do?? Magnus asked us to stay here until they called for us. I’ve been in enough trouble with her lately for jumping the gun.”

“What if they’re not able to call? What if something’s happened to her and Kate?”

Scud piped up. “Hey! You guys want me to go take a look? My girl and her girls didn’t say anything, and neither did my bosses.”

“Your bosses? Plural?”

He shrugged. “Yeah… I work for Xena and Gabrielle. Most of the time, it’s not so bad, ya know? They get up to some pretty cool shit, and I get a front row seat.  But this?” He shook his head. “There’s so many chattering women hanging out, and I just couldn’t be out there with all that estrogen floating around, ya know? A man’s got his limits.”

Will and Henry both snickered momentarily, then sobered and exchanged looks. “Would you mind?” Henry finally asked. “Going to check on them, I mean? I really can hear something, and it doesn’t sou…. Somebody’s coming!”

There was five full seconds of silence, and just as Will opened his mouth to question Henry, a sharp knock resounded on the door. The three men glanced at one another and shrugged, but before they could move, there was another rap on the portal.

Scud looked at the other two and rolled his eyes and opened the door. He blinked to clear his vision, then shook his head to clear it before simply opening the door wider and allowing the guest inside.

He met each man’s eyes and nodded. “Gentlemen, I’m Batman. And I need your help.”

Scud slammed the door shut behind them, and the four of them took seat on the nearest bunks, and they waited for Batman to speak.

************

Everyone stopped moving for a long moment - when the dead stopped fighting and fell to the ground - trying to gauge if it was real or a ploy meant to trick them into not fighting. When Xena and Gabrielle came running across the imaginary line in the sand of the battlefield that delineated the two sides, the non-dead resumed their fight against the Guardians with even more fervor.

It was to this scene that Saligia and Ares returned, and Ares stood back when Saligia bellowed his wrath.

“ENOUGH!!!” Everyone and everything froze… except for Xena who ran toward him as she screamed her battle cry. Ares stepped in front of Saligia, sword raised, catching Xena’s first strike and allowing her blade to slide off his.

“Get out of my way, Ares! It’s time to end this thing, and he’s mine!”

Ares raised his sword again, beginning a series of moves that she had to fight to keep up with. “No can do, Xena,” he mocked as they crossed swords with barely a hint of air between them. She swung her sword again, turning and drawing first blood. He backed out of her range and winced, wiping the blood from his cheek.  

“You’ll pay for that, Princess,” he snarled. “I’m doing this for my family.”

Xena snorted. “Do you think they’re going to thank you for betraying them… again?” she asked as she swung at his head, then kicked him in the ass as he tried to evade her backswing. He sprawled onto the ground, the sword sliding out of his hands. Xena kicked it away, and Gabrielle stomped on it before she bent over to pick it up. Ares extended his hand, then looked at his hand in consternation when the weapon remained in Gabrielle’s hands.

“What the…?”

Xena snorted. “Didn’t he tell you, Ares? You get to keep your immortality… not your godhood. And the same will happen to your family. Maybe not immediately, but it will come.”

He growled and launched himself at her, landing on her sword and groaning loudly when it pierced both sides of his body. Without a hint of emotion, she lifted a leg and shoved him off her blade with one foot, sneering at him slightly when he fell to the ground unceremoniously in a fetal position, trying to contain the misery he could feel. Then she turned to face Saligia, who was sneering at her and waiting for her undivided attention.

“Thank you, Xena,” he said magnanimously, though his tone was mocking, and his eyes were cruel. “One less bit of trash for me to deal with later.” He turned to Gabrielle. “Give me that,” holding his hand out imperiously for the Sword of War. She studied the weapon carefully, then raised her eyes to his.

“You want this?” she asked, gesturing with the Sword. “Then you come get it. I don’t think you’re man enough to take it from me.” She snorted. “I know you’re not god enough.”

He held out his hand again, but just like for Ares, the Sword didn’t budge. Saligia screamed his frustration to the heavens, but other than that, nothing happened. He turned his attention back to Xena. “One chance,” he whispered. “One chance to choose. Then I’m going to destroy you all and everything you care about with it. Give me the talismans, and give me the sword.”

Xena sighed. She was beyond tired of the whole situation, and there weren’t enough Guardians left to stand with them. Only Helena and Bo remained of the Guardians and companions - Lauren having been sent by Bo to find Trick when he and the rest of the Fae hadn’t arrived in a timely manner. Neither Supergirl nor Wonder Woman had moved in several minutes, so she wasn’t even sure the Hope talisman had the power necessary to destroy Saligia anymore. Still, the look she gave Saligia was filled with nothing but derision and disdain.

“The Sword of War chooses its master. It isn’t owned by anyone,” she reminded him caustically. She dropped her sword onto her shoulder and turned her back to him, walking over to Gabrielle before facing Saligia once more. “You’ll get the talismans over my cold dead body. And frankly,” she snorted, “I don’t think you’re up to it,” knowing her words would rile him up like nothing else.

He snarled at her. “Remember, when this is over and you’ve lost, I gave you the chance to choose… and you chose poorly.”

Then he roared again and raised his hands, trying to re-raise the dead and bring back the non-dead to him so together they could make a final offensive against the remaining Guardians.



Chapter LXXXIV

The non-dead slowly made their way to him, crossing the line of battle to stand behind him. Even the injured and the dying responded sluggishly, but the dead refused to budge. Saligia looked around him with confusion and growing fury, as he realized the dead - both old and newly made - were not answering his call because the Horseman was no longer under his thrall, and he understood he still didn’t have the power necessary to control them. He snarled. He had been much too forgiving and lenient with Xena and Gabrielle in an effort to grandstand. The time for that was over.

He closed his eyes and concentrated and willed himself to stillness. From hard-won experience, he knew he could not defeat Xena and Gabrielle with his wrath. He focused all his will on calming his anger, understanding that the time he spent now finding peace would work in his favor in the end. Slowly, he breathed, feeling serenity settle in his being. He continued to breathe, pulling all the power he could feel around him into himself and allowing it to build. No matter the cluster this had become, the ending was going to be glorious… and he was going to come out of it all the victor.

************

Gabrielle slid the Sword of War into the sheath on Xena’s back while she was speaking to Saligia. She felt the warrior stiffen at the action, but she didn’t hesitate, and it slid home with a whisper of sound. When Xena stopped talking, she turned back to Gabrielle with a raised eyebrow, but neither of them spoke about it until they had crossed the invisible barrier between them and Saligia.

“Gabrielle? Do you realize…?”

“I’m not stupid, Xena,” she growled, “but we don’t want him to have it, even if he has to collect it instead of it choosing him. At least this way, he’ll have to defeat us before he can take it from our cold, dead bodies.” She furrowed her brow when she noticed the cold sweat beading Xena’s face. “Is it… can you…?”

Xena nodded curtly. “Yeah… it’s burning like a mother, so there’s gotta be some kind of residual power running through it, but damn….”

“… but how can we defeat him now?” motioning to the dead Guardians and their companions by which they were surrounded.

“I might be able to help with that,” came a whispered voice from their feet. They looked down to find Supergirl looking back at them with a pained smile and blue eyes that held a hint of red around them. It caused their own eyes to flash and their teeth to twitch.

“Kara?” Gabrielle called softly as she knelt beside her. “Are you sure?”

Kara coughed and shook her head, rolling onto her side. “No. But this asshat has got to go. He’s not worthy of the godhood he wants to claim, and I’m not about to share that title with him. Help me up.”

Bo came skidding up at that moment, reeking of blood and sweat and anger. “I got this.” she jerked her head. “Go see if you can help Helena.” She reached down a hand to Supergirl, who nodded her head at them.

“Go on. The more of us there are the better.”

They turned and ran in Helena’s direction, idly noting the sweat pouring from her body in her effort to revive Dinah. When they arrived, Xena knelt down beside Diana, who was barely breathing. She reached into the kit she still carried and pulled out one of the stimulant shots she carried as a matter of course. She prayed Diana would forgive her, then slammed it into the chest that was slowly moving up and down. Diana seized for a brief moment and stopped breathing before she slumped to the ground… still.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle stepped up behind her and put a hand on Helena’s shoulder, causing her to flinch but not pull away from the touch.

“Helena? You need to stop,” feeling Helena tremble at her words. “She’s gone, and you need to let her go.”

Helena did jerk out from under her hand then, turning to glare at her with anger and resentment. “You don’t care! Otherwise, you’d do more than give up!” curling her hands into claws and reaching for Gabrielle… who didn’t recoil from her but waited expectantly.

“Your choice,” Gabrielle replied softly, drawing Helena up short. Her eyes flashed blue momentarily, and her shoulders sagged under the truth of Gabrielle’s words.

“It’s not fair,” she whispered in anguish. “My whole family is gone… again.”

Gabrielle took the claws into her hands and rubbed her thumb across the knuckles gently, allowing Helena to relax. “It’s not fair,” she conceded. “But we’re gonna kick his ass, and we’re gonna need you with us if we’re gonna succeed. Can you stand with us? With us and Diana and Kara and Bo? It’s just us.”

Helena clenched the hands holding hers and her golden eyes flashed red as she looked up and met Gabrielle’s squarely. “As long as we blow this motherfucker so far back into the Stone Age that even his atoms can’t be traced, I’m in. But Diana’s dead.”

“Says who?” Wonder Woman groaned, her snarky attitude bringing a chuckle from the three women around her. She rubbed her chest. “What did you hit me with, Consort? And what did I ever do to you?”

Xena rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t help the smile that drifted across her face. Her elongated teeth cutting against her bottom, and she felt Gabrielle twitch in acknowledgement when the scent of her blood hit the air. She didn’t move her eyes from Diana’s, though. “Just a little pick-me-up, Princess. You’ve done enough laying around. It’s time to send this bastard back to Hades.”

Diana snorted and winced, offering Xena a hand and waiting until she was pulled up into a sitting position. “I’m sorry, Consort, but in this case, I agree with Huntress. We need to blow this motherfucker back to the Stone Age.”

Her unexpected cursing caused the rest to chuckle in surprise. “All right,” Xena agreed as she stood up. “Let’s go finish this motherfucker then.”

“Not without us,” John said as the remaining Amazons and Warriors moved up behind him.

“Us too,” offered Scud, as he was silently backed by his compatriots and Batman.

“Don’t forget us,” Aphrodite replied from the darkness. She cleared her throat. “Sorry we’re late.”

Gabrielle grinned. “Better late than never,” knowing the likely reason they were even able to be there at all was all down to Ares’ loss of godhood, and his inability to keep them at bay any longer. She glanced around at the gods that surrounded Aphrodite. “You brought the whole family?”

Aphrodite shrugged. “Most of them - those still with power… something to lose. Where do you want us?”

Gabrielle and Xena noted one god - Hades - was conspicuously absent from their number. It wasn’t a surprise, really, but it was marginally disappointing… considering how ‘highly’ he had spoken of them to Trick. Then again, they doubted he was the same god they remembered from Greece… especially given the history Bo had shared with them about her dad. They sighed and exchanged looks, then Xena nodded slightly. Gabrielle signaled her understanding, then turned back to the waiting gods. “We’d like for you guys particularly to be our second line,” holding up a hand before anyone could lodge a protest. “We’re not sure we can pull this off now - most of the Guardians are dead. If he defeats us, it’ll be up to you to keep him from winning.”

Aphrodite held her gaze for a long moment, then turned and met the eyes of her fellow gods. One by one, they nodded their agreement, and she met Gabrielle’s eyes soberly. “We’ll stand behind you; he won’t survive this.”

Xena and Gabrielle nodded succinctly, then turned until they were facing Saligia, who appeared to be meditating. “Let’s do this.”

************

Isaac and his forces had continued to move forward… until he’d discovered that there was something keeping them from reaching the army. He couldn’t decide if it was a forcefield or if they were simply moving in place, but either way, they didn’t appear to be making any headway.

“Everybody! Pull back!!”

The Warriors followed Isaac’s directive immediately, but the Amazons hesitated. The highest ranking of them - Cyane - turned to him and challenged, “What?? Why? We haven’t done anything yet!! And what of the rest - the Warriors that stayed with Hippolyta and the ones that split off from us to go to the other side? Where are they? Why aren’t we meeting up with them??”

Isaac whirled on her. “Exactly! We’ve been moving for… how long now?? And we haven’t met any of our allies or engaged any of our enemies.”

“Maybe we can help with that,” Pete called out in the darkness, holding up the neutralizer gun. Cyane and Isaac exchanged glances, then turned to meet Pete’s eyes. They nodded and recovered the remainder of their fighters and started to form a plan.

************

Before Xena could give the order to engage, Regina and Emma stepped from the shadows, almost glowing with the power they had harnessed. “Can we be of use?”

Xena nodded “Almost certainly. Can you stand with Supergirl and Wonder Woman? I need you to strengthen them… to support them the best that you can.”

Regina nodded as Emma extended her hand toward her. When they linked their fingers together, everyone could see the power that skittered along their skin. For the first time since being ambushed, Xena grinned coldly, feeling a sense of satisfaction. Saligia wasn’t going to know what hit him.

Without instruction, Helena took her place beside Bo, and Batman took the spot on the other side. Despite the questions obvious in their expressions about their friends, Scud, Will, and Henry moved to stand behind Xena and Gabrielle, and the Amazons and Warriors circled around them, and then they all turned to face Saligia.

************


Saligia was vaguely aware of the activity taking place across the battlefield, but he kept his eyes closed, absorbing the power he could feel from those still held in his thrall. He could pick up whispers and movement from the other side, but the infusion of strength was compelling. He felt a fissure of awareness charge across his skin, but he dismissed it when he recognized the signature as that of his own defense field that served to keep anyone from attacking him from the rear.

When he was ready, Saligia finally opened his eyes - glowing gold unlike all those that stood behind him, whose eyes were black as coal - he couldn’t contain the laughter that fell from his lips. He grabbed his sides as he cackled, struggling to keep his balance as he realized what exactly he was facing.

Across from him stood Xena, Gabrielle, and what appeared to be three ordinary human males; to one side were… a couple Fae, or some kind of other human with some freak in latex; to the other were the two supposed ‘superheroes’ in costume, and two women he didn’t recognize, though they stirred an awareness of familiarity. He shook his head - no matter, he thought, they’re not Guardians and therefore of no importance in the grand scheme of things. This is just Xena and Gabrielle making a weak attempt to even the odds.

He dismissed the Amazons and Warriors of no consequence; his forces had already defeated them once without his help. He didn’t see the gods and goddesses hidden behind them.

************

“Well, Xena,” he drawled, leering as his chuckles wound down, and he tried to put on a serious face, though it was difficult every time he looked at her ragtag ‘army’. He cleared his throat. “Are you ready to die?”

Xena snorted. “Are you?”

Saligia burst into laughter again and motioned around him. “You seriously believe you can defeat me now? You have nothing left.”

“I have more than you can imagine, Saggy,” sliding her sword from her sheath and twirling it over her wrists and into her hands before she held it up in front of herself. “So you come on and give it your best shot. We’ll still be standing when all is said and done, and you?” She shrugged. “You’ll be erased from existence as though you never were.”

He felt the rage flow through him as though he had never calmed, and he let it build until it exploded in a series of fireballs he sent Xena’s way. The first few she sent back to him, and they bounced off his person as though there was a wall between them. He laughed.

“Really, Xena… did you think I would stand before you defenseless?? That I wouldn’t make some changes?? I had a very long time to think about what I had done wrong; about what I could do better; about how I could defeat you as you defeated me.”

She smirked. “Is that why you stayed gone for so long? It took you that long to come up with a solution??”

He shrieked and redoubled his efforts, this time focusing on those that stood with her, knowing she couldn’t protect them all.

His first fireballs headed directly toward Bo and Helena. Xena and Gabrielle ran over to help defend them, but the fury they could feel from the talisman Bo carried forced them to turn away before it became overwhelming and they destroyed everything in their path… including each other. They retreated to sounds of Saligia’s mocking laughter.  Bo deflected the first few, but when one slipped past her, Batman pushed in front of her and Helena, absorbing the shock of the blow on his armor. Saligia refocused his effort on the idiot in latex, easily able to see the anger and confusion it caused for both women. Batman fell under the onslaught, followed almost immediately by Bo, then Helena, though they didn’t die. Saligia signaled his army to move forward, determined to defeat his foes by any means necessary and fully believing the non-dead could finish off Helena and Bo.

He ignored Supergirl and Wonder Woman, as well as Emma and Regina - knowing he had conquered the superheroes before and not especially worried about the two human women standing with them. His army had proven themselves to be more than capable of crushing mere humans, and he had more important things to take care of with Xena and Gabrielle and their immortality.

************

Saligia didn’t notice the Warriors and Amazons lined up behind the remaining Guardians, and no one - save the gods - noted the emergence of another group of people. Athena stepped forward, immediately followed by Artemus, then Aphrodite and the rest. Their being the ‘second line of defense’ also meant they didn’t allow anyone to sneak up and attack them from the rear. It was only when Zeus, of all beings, recognized the man out in front of the group giving directions, that they relaxed. Finally, things might just be going their way… for a change.

Zeus stepped forward and extended his hand. “Trick, my friend. Where did you come from? Why are you here?”

Trick accepted the hand and motioned to the army that followed him. “We are here to put an end to Saligia… once and for all.”

“And what do you think you can do?” asked Athena. “I thought this rested with Xena and Gabrielle… and with us.”

“Better yet,” Lauren demanded with hostility, causing Trick to flinch under the weight of her accusation. “Where the Hades were you? You disappeared on us and left us… and them… to die out there! Why would we trust you now?”

Trick nodded. “I know. I know what it looks like, Love, but you’re gonna need to trust me to finish this. C’mon. I promise I’ll explain it all when this is over, but we don’t have time right now. We’ve got to get into position before it all breaks or….” He huffed impatiently. “Just c’mon. They need us and we don’t have much time.” Then he was putting Fae and Warriors and Amazons into place, spreading them out among the gods, and shifting them all forward to be ready for the final attack. Neither of them saw Bo fall under the weight of non-dead bodies.

************

Bo grunted when Helena fell on top of her, determined to protect this Guardian as she hadn’t been able to protect her own. She wrapped around her as much as possible, bearing the brunt of the non-dead that piled on top of her. She was startled when Bo placed a hand on her face in the pitch dark, even though they were almost nose-to-nose and breathing one another’s air.

“Helena?” she whispered, afraid to make more noise. “I need to die.” Helena growled and shook her head. Her job was to protect; she would protect this one as she hadn’t managed to protect her own. “Helena,” Bo said softly again. “I need to trick the talisman into thinking I’m dead… to slow my breathing to something slow enough to mimic death.” She didn’t mention the cuts she could feel oozing blood; she hoped that slowing her breathing would force them to stop bleeding and begin to heal.

“Can I help?”

Bo sighed. “Just try to keep them off of me as long as you can.”

Helena nodded, then shifted and wrapped around Bo again to provide her with protection and comfort. The pressure and heat from all those bodies made her want to rest for just a little while, and she closed her eyes and listened to the slowing sound of Bo’s heartbeat, extending her other senses and relying on them to protect them both from the assault going on around them.

************

Xena felt her ire grow when Batman, Helena, and Bo went down under Saligia’s assault. She should have been able to protect them. A hand on her arm alerted her to the fact that Gabrielle felt as she did, but they both knew that they were especially susceptible to the talismans now. That was one reason they and the Guardians had been so spread out to begin with. Things had to play out now, and they had long suspected that - despite everything - it would come down to them and Saligia.

They had the assurance that at least Bo was alive for the moment - her charm had yet to immigrate to the Hope Talisman. Then without warning, the remaining amulets made their way toward the Talisman, and Xena and Gabrielle knew their time had come. Of the seven original deadly sins, only theirs remained separate from the larger one held by Kara and Diana.

It was all up to them, now.


Chapter LXXXV

Lauren saw Bo and Helena disappear under the swarm of bodies that was attacking them, and she ran toward where they had been. Trick turned to see what had caused her upset, but his mind was only half on what he could see. He was too busy getting everyone ready to move forward. Lauren didn’t slow when she reached the pile, but immediately started grabbing and throwing people left and right to get them away from her lover. She didn’t see those who recognized her as a threat to them begin to move toward her, though it wouldn’t had slowed her efforts if she had. She also didn’t see Trick give his signal to the remaining troops. Her sole focus was on trying to rescue Bo from those that would do her harm.

************

Kara and Diana were shaking with the effort it was taking for them to maintain their hold on the Hope Talisman. Regina and Emma had thrown up a barrier between the four of them and the rest of those on both sides of the battle, but the endeavor was draining, and they were trembling to keep it strong enough to protect them all.

In the midst of all this, the wind began to pick up and the rain started to pour. “Regina!!” Emma screamed.

“I know, Miss Swan!” Regina yelled back to be heard over the sudden noise. “Keep your focus. We can do this!”

They concentrated on one another and on keeping their shielding strong - to protect Kara and Diana as they fought with the Talisman that was determined to escape. They weren’t prepared for the aggression of the non-dead against them or their charges, and they shook with the effort it took to keep them at bay. Their reserves were draining unexpectedly fast, and they knew it was only a matter of time before everything fell apart for them.

Then all hell broke loose… with several things happening in rapid succession.

************

When the heaven’s opened up, Saligia took a moment to look up and laugh. It was so reminiscent of the conditions he and Xena had faced together the first time they had clashed. Only this time, he had everything he needed to come out the winner of their conflict.

He looked around - to his right, a pile of bodies continued to stack on top of one another in an effort to reach the Guardian that had gone down under their pummeling, despite the woman that appeared to be throwing them off willy-nilly; to his left, the superheroes were struggling to maintain their equilibrium caused by the Talisman trying to escape, as well as the non-dead that were pressing against the barrier that surrounded them. Of greatest interest to him, however, was the tableau taking place in front of him.

Xena and Gabrielle stood stock still, foreheads leaned together and eyes closed. They didn’t seem aware of the rain that pelted them; of the lightning that flashed around them; nor of the wind that drove against them. They were holding the box closed between them, fingers touching, ignoring everything else around them.

Saligia laughed again… cruelly this time. Their allies had died for nothing, and those that were still living wouldn’t be alive much longer. And it was obvious to him that they were hoping ignoring him would make him simply go away.

He waved a hand, and his facade as Arthur Beaumont melted into his more comfortable personage of Saligia. He relaxed as the familiar toga settled around his impressive girth and ran a hand through his thick, black curls. “Ah,” he breathed. “That’s more like it.” He pulled his sword from the sheath at his side, examining it carefully before he let it rest on his shoulders.

“Oh, Xena,” he sing-songed. “Be a dear now, and let’s finish this.”

Xena and Gabrielle opened their eyes - eyes that glowed yellow and red in the darkness that surrounded them - and exchanged a long glance. Gabrielle let her eyes travel to the spot Xena had nicked earlier with her teeth and licked her lips, then raised a hand to wipe away the droplet. She smiled wickedly as Xena’s nostrils flared, and she licked the blood from her thumb.

“Yes… be a dear now, Xena. Now you have a real reason to end this and send this asshat back to the Stone Age. We have unfinished business, you and I.”

Xena grinned, allowing her fangs to protrude in all their glory, and pushed the box into Gabrielle’s hand. The hand she had licked clean of blood, Xena lifted to her own lips and laved briefly, then she turned to Saligia with murder in her eyes.

There was no turning back now.

************

Saligia snorted when Xena turned his way, but he couldn’t help his involuntary reaction to the feral, almost sexual energy she exuded. “I wondered if you were going to fuck her first.”

Xena smirked, though the fire in her eyes couldn’t be denied. She pulled her sword from its sheath and twirled it around her wrists before assuming a fighting stance. She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Why? You need some pointers?”

He felt the rage flicker through his veins at her impertinence, and he raised his sword and yelled, swinging at her with all his might. Xena waited until the last possible moment and met his strike, allowing his blade to skitter along hers in a shower of sparks. She swung through, fully expecting to remove the weapon from his hands, but he held on tight… and laughed.

“Oh no, Xena. You’re not going to take this from me like you did last time. I’ve had an eternity to remember what I did - what I did wrong - and figure out how to defeat you with your own style. I’m going to crush you. And then, I’m gonna take your little bitch and give her all the pointers she can handle,” grasping at his crotch crudely. He wondered at her lack of reaction to his words and swung again in rapid succession, hoping to push her back… or at least throw off her balance long enough for him to get inside her defenses. She laughed, enjoying the stirring of her blood that fighting with her sword always brought, even though Saligia wasn’t nearly the swordsman he liked to think he was… certainly nowhere in her league. Still, she needed to keep him busy until Gabrielle could get into position.


She snorted. “Oh, Saggy… you’re gonna have to get a lot better before you can defeat me. Besides, I have motivation you can’t begin to hope for,” swinging overhead and forcing him to bend backwards to catch her blade.

He shoved as hard as he could, and she took a step backwards, circling around so she could gauge how Gabrielle was coming with the Talismans. Her glance almost permitted Saligia to get a lick in, but she spun and caught his blade with hers again. “You mean Gabrielle?” he mocked. “Once she has a taste of this,” gesturing to his body, “she will never be yours again. Remember… one of my gifts is lust.”

Xena pulled back out of his reach, trying desperately to contain her mirth at his pronouncement and let her blade rest on her leg as she regarded him. “So is pride,” she replied cruelly. “Pretty sure one taste of you would cause her to rinse out her mouth for the rest of eternity, and she could eat you up and spit you out for breakfast if she chose to.” She laughed. “You’re not nearly man enough to keep up… much less satisfy her.”

Fury flared in his eyes, but to his credit, he didn’t react otherwise. “And you are?” he scoffed. “You’re not man enough either,” permitting his eyes to roam her body before returning to her eyes - eyes that regarded him with disdain and distaste.

“I don’t need to be man enough, Saggy; I am woman enough, and that makes all the difference to her.” Then she swung her sword up and around before she engaged him in a round of clashes that rang out across the battlefield as sparks flew in every direction. He was too busy trying to keep up to notice what was going on around him.

************

The Warriors - Amazon and Native - had moved forward with the Fae until they were just beyond the line where Xena and Gabrielle had taken their stand. They were linked together by their hands, and slowly… quietly, the Fae began to sing. The Sirens took the lead, knowing it was their influence that would cause the non-dead to respond and hoping this time that there was no forcefield between them to disrupt their influence. The Warriors simply held on as tightly as they could, having been told by Trick that their best effort would be utilized to support the Fae. And the Fae - all of them - concentrated their efforts on singing the song of the Siren with Darius at the front leading them.

The gods, however, remained where they had been in the darkness. Despite Trick’s… friendship… with Zeus, they all knew who was in charge of this offensive against Saligia. And they had been given their instructions. None of them wanted to know if the God Killer still had that particular skill.

************

As soon as Xena stepped forward to confront Saligia, Gabrielle signaled to the men standing behind her. Scud stepped forward to one side to offer her his strength, as did Henry on the other. That left Will to make his way over to the four women struggling with the Hope Talisman. He wanted to step back when he got close enough to draw their attention - each of them turned to him with glowing white eyes… as though their efforts to maintain control were simply bleeding through. He took a deep breath and jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

“Gabrielle said the time is now. Release the Talisman to her.”

The four women looked at one another. “Are you sure?” Diana finally asked.

“Yes.”

Diana and Kara’s eyes met, and simultaneously, they let go of the Hope Talisman, not surprised when it hovered a moment before shooting towards Gabrielle. She had opened her Box and removed the Gluttony Talisman, clenching her jaw tightly until her Talisman jerked from her grip and soared toward the Hope Talisman, connecting itself to the charm just before it reached Gabrielle’s outstretched hand.

************

Kara and Diana moved almost the instant the Talisman left their hands, knowing Gabrielle would need their strength and support to finish Saligia… especially with Xena occupied with keeping him busy and unaware of what was taking place around him.

Regina and Emma, however…. Unlike the two superheroes, they hadn’t been briefed on what was expected of them, nor what was likely to happen on the battlefield. They had planned to be a part, certainly, but they had never foreseen themselves in such a pivotal, critical role. The moment Will had instructed Diana and Kara to release the large amulet, they had been at a loss to understand their next move.

They had begun the trek to stand with Gabrielle when they were intercepted by Aphrodite. They looked at her askance. Why would the Goddess of Love beckon them away from where they were most needed? Aphrodite rolled her blue eyes and clasped them each by the hand, semi-dragging them back to where the gods waited for the outcome of the fight.

“Aphrodite?” Emma questioned when they were surrounded by a number of - what she supposed were - deities. She extended her free hand to Regina, who accepted it with alacrity even as she removed her hand from Aphrodite’s grasp and put it on her hip.

“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded, feeling Emma rub a thumb over her knuckles in an effort to cool her sudden anger.

Aphrodite huffed, but otherwise showed no indication of being upset. “Look, you two radical babes have magic. Not quite what we’ve got, but close enough that we want you with us.”

“Doing what, exactly?” Emma asked with a hint of confusion. “You’re all just kinda standing around here waiting for something to happen.”

“Yeah… because Big X asked us to. If this thing goes sideways, they need us to, like, be their backup. You know, to finish old Saggy off. Like she said - this ends here and now… either with them or with us.”

“Besides,” Athena cut in quietly, “I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to do a lot of… repair… when this is over, and I can’t do that on my own. None of us have the strength for that anymore.”

Emma and Regina studied her for a moment, then turned their eyes to one another. They looked back at the battlefield, and the pile of bodies that littered the ground. Then they turned back to Athena and nodded solemnly before allowing their attention to focus back on the tableau taking place in front of them.

************

Pete lifted the neutralizer gun he held, knowing despite the fact that they had practically emptied the Warehouse of every molecule of neutralizer they had, there was no guarantee this would work. Still, it had been the best idea any of them could come up with, so now he and Jinks aimed their weapons toward the apparent open space in front of them… and sprayed.

************

Kara and Diana reached Gabrielle’s side at the same time the Talisman did, and they each placed one shaking hand on it and the other on Gabrielle, making sure their hands touched and created a complete circuit to allow the charm to do what it had been designed to do - channel every bit of strength and power collected in the smaller talismans and focusing it in a singular direction. They could feel it sapping every bit of strength they had left, and both silently wondered if they would survive.

The whine of the totem as it gathered power into itself was low - certainly much quieter than the singing of the Sirens and other Fae - but it was a distinctive hum in the background of all the other noise taking place. Xena could feel it buzz along her nerve endings, and she allowed it to fuel her. Soon, she was moving her sword too quickly for anyone to follow the motion with their naked eye, and Saligia couldn’t begin to keep up. Cut’s began to appear all over his person, sluggishly bleeding black blood, and his fury started to mount.

“Whassa matter, Saggy? A little too much for you still?” she taunted, waggling her fingers in a ‘come hither’ gesture. She snorted. “Did you really think you were going to come here and defeat me? Defeat us?”

Saligia fumed but stepped out of her reach. “You really haven’t done that well either, Xena,” he replied scathingly. “Unless you don’t consider the lives of the humans you brought with you to be worth anything,” motioning to the still and barely moving bodies around them. “Or are they simply acceptable collateral damage?” sneering at her when he felt the rage tremble within her.

Xena smiled coldly. “Are they collateral damage, though, Saggy? Are they really?”

She stepped aside so he could see Gabrielle… and the Hope Talisman.

The amulet was glowing, as were the eyes of the three women currently connected to it. Their hair blew in the wind, but they were perfectly dry… unaffected by the storm swirling around them. Saligia stepped closer - not within range of Xena’s sword, but close enough to try and get a better look at the charm they held, because it looked nothing like he expected it to… nothing like he thought it should.

He had heard of the phoenix, of course, though he’d never seen one during his time in Ancient Greece. But he’d expected… well, not what was in front of him, at any rate. The talismans he’d crafted had somehow been made to fit into the phoenix and covered it almost completely. Only the edges exposed the silver and gold that had been utilized to create the totem, and the rest fit so seamlessly that he couldn’t actually see the craftsmanship that had gone into making the Hope Talisman.

He wondered, briefly, what sort of hex or spell had been placed on the phoenix that gave it the power from the charms he had created. Even now, with his whole attention focused on them - on retrieving them - they refused to come. He could feel them pulling at him… at his power… and he turned back to Xena with hatred and fury in his very stance.

“What. Have. You. Done?” he demanded as he swung his sword at her again, even though she was too far away for him to connect with her. “How have you taken these things from me??  They’re MINE!!!”

She swatted at him, drawing blood from the cut she placed across his left cheek. “Not anymore,” she disagreed with an evil smile. “They stopped being yours a long time ago.”

“You can’t do that!” he screamed again, spraying spittle everywhere and wiping at the blood now flowing down both cheeks. “They’re MINE!” he reiterated, continuing to swing his blade wildly. He wasn’t hitting anything at this point except when Xena permitted him to connect for the sake of continuing to wind him up.

She snorted. “Yeah… I don’t think so,” she replied. She twirled and got her sword underneath his, right at the hilt, and jerked hard enough to send it flying away from him. He watched in hit the ground, then glanced into Xena’s bright blue eyes, finding satisfaction and disdain and mirth. Saligia extended both hands out to his sides, but instead of calling the sword back to him to continue or finish the fight, he turned his hands over until the palms were facing the ground. Then he tilted his head back and screamed, releasing a huge surge of power and hoping for the best.



Chapter LXXXVI

Time stopped… or at least it felt like it did. The blast washed over everyone on the battlefield - pulling all of the dead from the Horseman’s army… and the Horseman herself… as well as the non-dead they had conscripted from the women that had come for Xena and Gabrielle, back to Saligia’s side of the field moaning and groaning. The Fae were knocked over like bowling pins, stopping their song and enabling the non-dead to begin moving of their own volition again; the gods reeled and swayed but maintained their place and kept Regina and Emma upright with them. Gabrielle, Diana, and Kara grounded themselves in the power they were producing and remained standing and connected to one another; Xena was knocked backwards toward Gabrielle, landing unceremoniously at her feet. She coughed and tried to catch the breath that had been forced from her lungs, then stood and pulled the Sword of War from her sheath, shoving her sword back in its place. A hand on her arm stayed her, and she turned her attention back to Gabrielle with an eyebrow raised in question.

“Be quick,” Gabrielle commanded in her most regal tone. “I need you to help me finish this.”

Xena nodded and ducked her head, accepting the strength Gabrielle offered through their brief kiss. “Quick as I can, My Queen,” she replied and turned her focus back to the man/god that stood stock still in the middle of the battlefield… waiting.

************

Saligia let the shockwave rolled through him and across the open space, smiling manically when the non-dead part of his army returned to his side of the battlefield. Despite their injuries, there were enough of them that he could feel his power surge as they converged behind him, and he relished the spike. He opened his eyes and took in the bodies splayed all over the other side of the field, but before he could appreciate his so-called advantage, Xena’s fist connected with his face and he fell backward… flat on his ass.

He sat, stunned, for a long moment before shaking his head and rubbing a hand across his face. He winced when he touched his nose and pulled his hand back to find blood coating it. He let his ire loose and jumped back to his feet as quickly as his portly self could manage.

“You’ll pay for that, Bitch!” raising his hands to release another blast of power….

… only to discover the heat he had so recently felt flow through his veins as his power surged was no longer there, leaving nothing but traces of bare warmth behind. He turned his head to find his army not moving… not responding. Instead, they were still as though they had been turned to statues. Saligia spun in a slow circle, taking in everything around him.

Behind him were the remnants of his army, unmoving though their eyes showed both confusion and horror as they began to come out from whatever spell he had cast upon them. He could sense some sort of commotion beyond them, but whatever the cause, he couldn’t get a clear read on it… though he felt that the barrier he had erected was noticeably diminished.

He continued circling, noting that the Guardians remained dead on the ground in front of him, but those who had climbed out of the woodwork to stand with Xena and Gabrielle were once again on their feet and prepared to fight. He chanced to wonder why they hadn’t rushed him already, then realized that Xena was holding them in check. He snarled when he recognized several of the gods and goddesses Ares was supposed to have contained standing beyond the fighters, and he wondered if they were as powerless as he felt.

He refocused his attention on the men and women that were part of Xena’s army and realized the annoying sound he’d been contending with before his show of power had resumed… only now it was louder and more irritating against his hearing. He let himself concentrate on it a moment, and he knew from the discomfort it gave him that there was something supernatural about it, though he could not place its origin.

His observation had only taken seconds, but it was when he met Xena’s eyes that he understood that their final showdown was imminent, and she moved toward him with purpose and determination. Saligia knew it was time to destroy her… them. And yet, he was still powerless… or at least he felt that way. How was that even possible??

Saligia closed his eyes and concentrated on finding the strength he had been accruing since he had started becoming aware again years ago when magic had entered this realm. Then his eyes popped open in fiendish delight when he recognized the two magical signatures that had essentially brought him back to life, and he laughed manically before latching onto it with all his remaining, waning strength.

************

Daniel finally reached the battlefield, praying to a God he wasn’t sure he even believed in anymore that he wasn’t too late. What he saw made him want to wretch.

Before him lay most of the Guardians, including his two dearest friends, dead. It made him want to cry and scream about the unfairness of it all, but he knew that interfering in this was impossible, because this story was well beyond his scope of influence. He hesitated before he continued on, noting the song of the Fae seemed to be having an effect on the women that made up the non-dead part of Saligia’s army. They appeared to be coming back to themselves, looking around in despair and confusion and no longer fighting. He wondered about the ones interspersed among the Fae that were not singing, but he assumed they were there for strength and moral support.

What caught his attention, however, were the people standing behind the Fae. He recognized most of them peripherally, but one he knew as intimately as an ascended being was allowed to know another. He made his way over to her and grasped her lightly by the elbow, not interfering with the hold she had on anyone else.

“Oma?” he demanded.

She shook her head. “Not here, Daniel. Here I am known by my true name… Aphrodite.”

His eyebrows jumped into his hairline in surprise. “Aphrodite? Are you sure?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah… pretty sure.” She sighed. “Look, it’s a long story, and we don’t have time for it right now. If you’re here to support Xena and Gabrielle, stand back with us and wait. Things with Saligia are coming to a head, and we’re not supposed to do anything at the moment. We’re the fallback plan if this thing goes radically sideways.”

“But what about…?” motioning to all the death around them.

“They’re already dead - nothing we can do at the moment.” She huffed at his aggrieved expression. “We’ll take care of that in due time, but this is Xena and Gabrielle’s fight. They have earned the right to destroy him if they can.”

He studied her serious countenance for a long moment, then nodded his head sharply. He obviously didn’t have nearly the answers he wanted, but it was apparent they would have to wait for a better time. He returned his watchful gaze back to the other side of the field and Saligia.

Then a cry was wrung from nearby, and all the gods turned their attention to the misery emanating from what sounded like one of their own.

************

The pain was searing and immediate, and their hands grasped at one another, even as they clenched their jaws together to keep the keening as quiet as possible. The touch burned, and Regina and Emma scrambled to bring up some kind of shield to protect themselves from the probing they could feel.

Aphrodite noticed the moment Regina and Emma reached for one another. She covered their hands with her own, her motion drawing the attention of several other deities… including Daniel. As a unit, they moved to stand in front of the two women, endeavoring to form a shield that Saligia could not penetrate.

It was his cry of frustration that told them that they were succeeding… but none of them understood the cost.

************

Helena shivered when the warmth of the pile of bodies that had essentially been protecting them - however inadvertently - was removed, and she was suddenly exposed to the cold wind and rain. She shifted until she was covering Bo’s body completely, not wanting the shock of the cold and rain to harm her… confident she was still alive despite the slowness of her heartbeat.

Meanwhile, Lauren was startled when the bodies she had been removing were suddenly… gone; no longer in front of her. She looked at the now non-existent pile and dropped to her knees next to Helena and Bo, hesitant to touch either of them for fear of what she’d discover. She reached out a hand… only to find it caught by strong, slender fingers, and she was mesmerized by the golden, slitted cats’ eyes that stared back at her. She tilted her head in fascination and lifted her other hand, having never seen a Fae whose nature was such. Then it occurred to her that Helena might not be Fae; it was entirely possible she was some other kind of humanoid.

All of this happened over the course of two heartbeats, and Lauren gently cupped Helena’s face. “I’m not going to hurt her,” she promised with a slight smile. “I need to know she’s okay. She means everything to me.”

Helena studied Lauren’s countenance for a long moment, then sniffed at her… scenting her for truthfulness. When she was satisfied Lauren was telling the truth, Helena took Lauren’s hand and wrapped it around Bo’s wrist, then held a finger to her lips as she covered Laurens hand with her own. After a moment, while Lauren looked at her in confusion, Helena tapped her fingers against Lauren’s. This happened three or four times before Lauren realized that Helena was showing her Bo’s heartbeat, and she leaned forward.

“Thank you, Helena; you saved her life.”

Helena couldn’t stop the light blush that ran up her skin, and she shifted until Lauren could take her place as Bo’s guardian and protector. Then she shrugged. “I did what I could; I just hope it was enough.”

“It was,” came the whispered words from the woman now curled into her lover’s warmth. Bo opened one eye just a tad, granting Helena the chance to see the bare twinkle in her eye. “I just need a minute to get back up to speed… then we’re gonna go kick some Saggy ass.”

Helena looked around carefully, noting the Fae that were getting back to their feet, as were the non-dead women that had been turned against them. “Don’t worry,” she said softly. “I think there’s plenty of fight still to go around.”

“Good.”

************

Pete and Jinks exchanged startled looks. The neutralizer they had been spraying didn’t seem to be having an effect, no matter where they aimed it. Mostly, it bounced off and blew back towards them, covering them, though the rain was washing it off of them as quickly as it landed. Then, without warning, it went straight through, and they looked at Artie, waiting for further instruction. He motioned to the empty space.

“Go on,” he directed. “Obviously, something changed, and nothing seems to be approaching from the other side.” He looked at Isaac. “I think it’s okay. Whatever was keeping you back is gone now.”

Isaac and Cyane traded glances, then as one, they walked forward. When they had gone about ten steps, they turned to find the rest where they had left them. They had made real progress moving ahead. They grinned and signaled their troops to join them. Finally… they were going to be part of the fight.

When the last of the Warriors and Amazons disappeared into the darkness, the Warehouse agents turned to Artie.

“Dude,” Claudia piped up first. “What about us? Aren’t we going…?”

Artie shook his head. “No. We need to get back to the Warehouse. We’ve got to prepare a place to put that Talisman.”

“You think Xena and Gabrielle will leave it with us?” Myka asked.

“I don’t see a reason to believe otherwise.”

“And it can’t go back into the Dark Vault?”

“I do not think that is the wisest course of action,” Mrs. Fredrick said from the darkness. “If it cannot be disassembled, there is every likelihood that it will be too strong and will affect everything. Not necessarily for the worse, but we can’t afford to take that chance either.”

“So where…?”

“Assuming Xena and Gabrielle asked us to hold onto it, we may have to bronze it.”

“Bronze it?! I thought that process was only for humans.”

Mrs. Fredrick turned to meet Myka’s eyes, “It’s for animate objects.”

“You’re saying the Hope Talisman is alive? Self-aware? What??”

“I’m saying we cannot afford to take chances.”

The agents all looked at one another and then turned to Artie. “You heard Mrs. Fredrick. Let’s move, people,” motioning back toward the vehicle. “We’ve got things to do.”

************

Helena had been keeping an eye on Bo as well as Xena. She had snickered to herself when Xena cold cocked Saligia with a punch that came from her shoulder and was backed with the force of the Sword of War. Bo noticed and cocked an eyebrow, sitting up slightly until she was leaning on one elbow.

“Whad I miss?” glancing around without much movement.

“Xena just punched Saggy in the face.” She turned and met Bo’s eyes. “How ya feeling?”

“I’ve certainly seen better days, but I’m all right enough to kick some sorry wish-I-was-a god ass.” She extended her hand. “Gimme a hand up,” squeezing Lauren’s hands when she felt the clasp tighten around the one she held. She met her eyes briefly. “I’ll be all right. I owe this fucker.”

Lauren studied her for a moment, then nodded her head. “Yeah… ya kind of do,” placing the hand she held in Helena’s, not at all surprised to see Bo levitated almost instantly. She looked at Helena with piercing eyes. “Maybe when this is done, we could sit down and talk about… this?”

Helena shrugged, though her discomfort was clear. “Maybe,” she conceded. “But i think we better finish this first.” She turned to Bo. “You ready?”

Bo twirled the two swords in her hands. “Let’s finish this asshat. I’ve got way more important things to be doing.”

Hands on her shoulders stopped her before she could take a step, and she whirled with blades dancing to find Darius backing away from her with his hands raised.

“Hol’ on, Little Sister,” he said cautiously. “I need to go with ya.” Helena and Bo cocked their eyebrows simultaneously, and Darius bit his lips together to contain his smile. “I need ta be over there,” pointing toward the army of women looking lost and confused, “to sing them thissa way. We don’ want them on his side when you all finish him, ya know?”

“Stay behind us… til we get over there. Then you can do what you need to do. But be quick - we’re not drawing this out… even to save them. He’s done too much damage and created too much chaos to give him the chance to do more.”

Darius met Bo’s eyes squarely, and he could see the truth in her words. He nodded. “I’ll do my best. I only need to get them to listen. The Fae here,” motioning behind him, “will take care of the rest.”

Helena watched as Xena turned her back to Saligia and headed toward Gabrielle. She heard the agony of Regina and Emma’s suffering, and she nudged Bo. “C’mon. It’s time.”

************

Wynona looked around in confusion, noting all those around her had the same bewildered expression on their faces as well. All the women were walking around wounded and dazed, not knowing what had happened to them or why they appeared to be on the wrong side of the battlefield. Many of them had seated themselves, trying not to hear or see or be. Wynona, on the other hand, remembered she had a purpose beyond what was happening with Saligia, and she pulled out Peacemaker and realized, with a frown, that it was empty. She quickly reloaded and began searching for the Revenants of Purgatory. At last, she had a chance to defeat them all, and she wasn’t going to miss her opportunity if at all possible.

With any luck, she’d find Waverly while she was at it. God knew she was due some decent luck for a change.

************

Xena turned her back to him once he fell on his ass, knowing she had responsibilities beyond her desire to physically rip Saligia apart. She crossed the battlefield and walked until she stood behind Gabrielle, sliding her hands down her arms until their hands met at the Talisman. The power that surged as they touched, blew both Kara and Diana back, and they lay completely still… stunned by the power that had caused them to be separated. Their eyes met, and they took a moment to breathe, hoping Xena and Gabrielle had a handle on whatever was happening.

Meanwhile, Saligia raised his hands again, feeling the power he was leeching from the magic wielders flow through him like something alive. He laughed again and turned his focus to Xena. He didn’t know that the nosebleed she had given him was only the beginning. Absorbing the power he was stealing was taking its toll, and black blood was oozing from his eyes and ears, even as the rain washed it away.

“XENA!!” he bellowed, turning his attention back to the women who had caused all this in the first place. Xena was wrapped around Gabrielle, as they both held onto the Talisman that was glowing - a show of the power that swept through it. Their eyes glowed as well - silver for Xena and gold for Gabrielle. Their hair blew round them, but they remained completely dry, despite the storm that blew around them. The picture made his ire grow.

“XENA!!” he screamed again, hoping to draw some sort of reaction. When he got no acknowledgment of any kind, he pushed his hands forward and released every strand of energy he had accumulated. “Time to die,” he said as he stood back to wait for the denouement. It wasn’t long in coming… but it wasn’t what he expected.



Chapter LXXXVII

When Casey and Abbie and Emma and Regina had moved Root back to the trailer Casey and Abbie had been sequestered in by Shaw and Company, none of them had been completely sure about the others. But it was obvious to all of them that Root needed some kind of intervention, and Regina stepped forward to lead as she had done since her days as the Evil Queen.

“Casey,” gesturing. “Sit. We’re going to put her here with her head in your lap. Since you seem to be the only one that she knows, it’s the best comfort we can offer her.” Casey nodded and did her bidding. Emma stooped until she could gently put Root down, allowing Casey to curl a hand around one of Root’s before she stepped back out of the way.

“What can I do?” Abbie asked. She didn’t know Root, but she knew she couldn’t not do something. She’d never encountered anything remotely like Root’s situation before, and she wanted to somehow contribute positively, if only to show Casey she was worthy of being considered a friend.

Regina shook her head. “I don’t know yet. I’m honestly not sure we can do anything to make this better. I’ve never seen….”

“Do you know what is wrong with her?”

Regina studied Root’s prone form for several minutes, trailing her fingertips along her body to try and get a read on what was truly happening. She hesitated when she reached Root’s skull, unable to sense… anything. “I think you were right in your initial assessment,” she finally concurred aloud. “With her reactions… or lack thereof… it’s almost like she’s not even there… like her mind is blank. The best thing I can think to do for her is to cas… put her into a deep sleep - like a coma - and have someone with more medical knowledge take a look at her when this is all over. I would hate to perpetrate more damage on her.”

“Can you do that?” Abbie asked. “Put her into a coma, I mean? I thought something like that took a considerable amount of medical knowledge as well.”

Regina nodded. “I can,” she replied softly, bringing her magic to her fingertips and reaching out toward Root. Abbie intercepted her hands before they could touch the prone woman, causing Emma to take a step forward in an effort to shelter Regina and loom over Abbie. It might have worked - sparks were crackling around her hands and through her hair - except for three things. One - she was shorter than Abbie by several inches; two - Regina softly calling out, “Miss Swan”; and three - Casey placing a calming hand on Abbie’s arm. Abbie held Regina’s eyes for a number of seconds before she turned to Casey.

“Are you sure?”

Casey wasn’t… not really, but she had learned enough in the year she had spent with Xena and Gabrielle not to discount the possibility of the impossible. She nodded. “Yes. If there’s one thing I’ve come to terms with over the last year or so, it’s that there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” she quoted to Abbie, who looked at her askance but nodded her agreement.

“All right,” she agreed as she released Regina’s hands and stepped back to allow her space to work. Emma, however, didn’t move until Regina spoke again.

“It’s all right, Miss Swan,” nudging her lightly aside. Emma turned and met her eyes, studying Regina’s countenance for a moment before nodded her head and moving to one side. Regina knelt beside the cot Casey was sitting on and raised her hands, sending gentle pulses of magic through her hands and into Root’s body. After only a minute, she felt Root’s body relax into something resembling REM sleep, and she pulled back. “That’s the best I can do for now. She’s in a deep sleep. I don’t dare push farther for fear of doing permanent damage to her.”

The four conscious women looked at one another then, and Abbie asked, “So… now what?”

“Now, Miss Swan and I return to the battlefield while the two of you remain here and look after your friend. We’ll bring help as soon as we can.”

Abbie scowled. “What makes you better qualified…?” cutting off her words when Emma hefted a white ball of light between her hands and smirked. “Right,” she conceded, cutting the lights and opening the door for them to leave. Once they were on their way, Abbie closed the door and turned on the light again so she and Casey could monitor Root and not be stuck in the dark.

Neither of them could have said how much time passed before they felt a shift in the air around them, and they turned to stare at one another briefly before shifting their attention to the door. They looked back at each other, a question on their lips, but before they could give it voice, Root blinked open her eyes and stretched. Then she rose without a word and went to the door, opened it, and walked outside. Abbie and Casey looked at one another again, then jumped up and followed her.

************

Saligia watched as every bit of power he had stolen went flying directly toward Xena and Gabrielle. He didn’t see Bo and Helena charging straight towards him; he didn’t see Darius cross the battlefield behind them, making a beeline for the women that were no longer under his spell; he didn’t see the Amazons and Warriors led by Isaac and Cyane surround those women and begin herding them towards the back of the battlefield that had once been shielded to keep them from sneaking up on him. All he saw was the energy and power he had thrust toward Xena and Gabrielle, knowing it for his last stand against them.

Xena and Gabrielle didn’t flinch; Xena merely shifted the angle of the Sword of War to allow it to touch Gabrielle, and it intercepted the volley and allowed the Sword to absorb the blow. When it was done, she leaned down to meet Gabrielle’s eyes - full of mischief that was clear even as they glowed golden at her. The strength of the Hope Talisman had protected them beyond their wildest dreams… to the extent that their skin had resumed its natural tanned appearance, and their eye teeth had retracted to their normal length.

Without releasing their hold on either the Sword or the Talisman, Gabrielle tilted her head up and back as Xena leaned down, permitting the love and joy they felt to surround and protect them when their lips met, even as Saligia completely lost his shit.

He grabbed his toga to lift it high enough to let him run to them, not noticing the black blood stains it sported in several telling places. Before he could move two steps, however, the song of the Fae rose and caused him to clap his hands over his ears. He was too busy trying to block the noise to realize that the song the Fae sang was in tune with the sounds the Talisman was emitting.

Xena and Gabrielle pulled back from one another with more than a hint of breathlessness and a tenderness they rarely exhibited publicly. They smiled at one another gently and rubbed noses, utterly ignoring the chaos swirling around them.

“Time to finish this asshat?” Gabrielle asked with a twinkle in her eye. “Because I really want to take you to bed, and I can’t even touch you until we’re done with this.”

The rumble that emanated from Xena chest could only be felt between the two of them, but to the congregation gathered around, it felt like the bass line of the music the Fae and the Talisman were creating. Xena smiled wickedly. “Time to finish this fucker. He’s messed with too many and done too much damage for too long. This time we destroy him.”

They turned their attention back to Saligia, able to see the rage and hatred in his eyes, but also the misery and agony he was in. Xena shifted the Sword of War even more - until the hilt was covered by both her hand and Gabrielle’s. Then they focused the power of the Sword and the power of the Talisman and turned it in Saligia’s direction.

The strength of the energy was massive. It caused Bo and Helena to stop moving toward Saligia to turn away and cover their eyes. It caused the Amazons and Warriors who were removing the women Saligia and the Horseman had stolen for his army to turn their backs and cover their charges. It caused the Fae to tighten their hold on those grasping their hands and for their song to strengthen and grow louder. Then the energy wave hit Saligia squarely in the chest, and time froze again… for a very long moment.

The squeal Saligia emitted was high and pain-filled and only lasted a few seconds before he was blasted into oblivion. Everything else buckled under the remaining strength of the blast, and they crumpled to the ground in piles of bodies.

Only Xena and Gabrielle stayed upright, protected by a Talisman that was no more and the Sword of War that glowed in the aftermath. Slowly, they separated from one another, though they never lost tactile contact. They turned slowly to take in the battlefield… a little surprised by what they saw.

************

The Fae were the first to recover… as though they had been prepared for the strength of the blast and had grounded themselves against it. They regained their feet, then reached out to help the Amazons and Warriors that had been standing with them. As a singular body, the entire group crossed the battlefield toward their brothers and sisters. They were greeted with a bit of hostility and confusion - after all, those who had been on the other side of the field only knew they had been abandoned by the Fae. Darius stepped forward with his hands raised.

“There be enough time to be fightin’ about all this later. Right now, we need to do what we can for these women.”

“Can you heal them? Bring them back from the dead?” gesturing to those that remained motionless on the battlefield behind where Saligia stood.

Darius shook his head. “No. But we can give the livin’ ones memories they can live with - memories that won’t have ‘em pitted against those that they call friends.”

“And what of them?” Cyane asked, motioning toward the Guardians who were just beginning to stir.

“Already taken care of.”

************

The eruption of power that had washed over Xena and Gabrielle and their allies had done one thing - it had brought the dead on their side of the battlefield back to life. Not much life - there would be all kinds of injuries to recover from, and all the illnesses and impairments that had been present before still existed - but at least there was life once more. Slowly, each pair of Guardians began to moan and move as gingerly as could be managed, feeling out every inch of movement before going on to the next.

Sam Carter rubbed the back of her neck while Janet Fraiser reached for her side as they clasped hands. Kate Freelander and Helen Magnus both scrubbed their hands over their faces, leaning against one another, and Maura Isles and Jane Rizzoli felt their necks as lightly as possible, even as Jane wrapped a possessive arm around Maura’s waist. Olivia Benson and Alex Cabot both rubbed at their chests as they sat up and looked around in confusion, curling their hands around each other’s as they scooted closer together. But the best reaction was seeing Helena’s face light up as she realized the truth and took off running toward where Barbara was still slumped in her chair.

She skidded to a stop in front of the wheelchair Dinah had helped bring out onto the battlefield and lifted her hands to run through red hair even as she brought confused green eyes up to meet hers. Helena bit her lip to keep her tears from falling, but she couldn’t resist kissing Barbara’s forehead in benediction. Barbara slowly lifted heavy limbs to Helena’s face, barely touching her as though afraid she might shatter.

“Kitten?” she whispered, causing Helena to emit a laughing sob. “Hel, what happened?”

Helena just shook her head and kissed her again, this time on the mouth and full of every emotion she had felt when Barbara had been taken from her. After several moments, she pulled back, slightly breathless and smiling at the dazed look in Barbara’s eyes. “It doesn’t matter,” she said softly. “It doesn’t matter now.” She looked around. “Oh shit!” kissing Barbara again, hard and fast. “Be right back.”

Helena raced over to where Dinah was just beginning to stir and scooped both arms underneath her, hefting her to her chest before Dinah could think to protest and bringing her back to Barbara’s side. She gently placed Dinah in Barbara’s lap, then hugged them both. “God, I’m so happy you’re both all right. How about we agree to never be without one another ever again?”

They both looked at Helena askance, wondering what they had missed when they had lost consciousness. Obviously, something major had happened, but they had no cognitive memory of it either. They watched as Supergirl and Wonder Woman helped one another to stand, then Wonder Woman ran to Hippolyta’s side.

“Mother?” kneeling beside the Regent.

Hippolyta lifted her hand, and it was caught by Diana and brought to her lips for a kiss before she clasped it to her chest. “Mother, are you all right?”

“I’ve had better days,” she admitted with a grimace. “But I’ll live, and we won, so it’s all good.”

“Are you sure? Is there anything I can do?”

“No, Daughter. I really will be fine. It’s just going to take a little time and some skilled surgery by one of our Consort’s surgical teams. Now, go find out what happens next since the battle appears to be over. I’m ready to be done with fighting for a little while.”

Diana nodded and rose and made her way back to where the Guardians and gods were gathering around Xena and Gabrielle. Zeus was the first to speak.

“Well… Xena, I guess we helped you defeat Saligia then, hmm?”

Every god around him gave him a disbelieving stare, but it couldn’t be equaled by the sheer disdain and incredulity leveled at him from Guardians, companions and Xena and Gabrielle, who held up her hand to keep the rest from speaking.

“Excuse me?” she queried. “Exactly what did you do here?”

“Well, we….”

“Nono… that wasn’t really a question.”

“But….”

“Shut up, Old Man,” Ares said with a groan as he stretched and finally rose from his fetal position. “You didn’t do jack here.”

“We stayed as a backup because we were told it was necessary. That doesn’t change the fact that….”

“It doesn’t change the fact that Xena and Gabrielle defeated Saligia without us. We did Absolutely. Nothing. to help defeat him… NOTHING.”

“And what would you know about it, you traitor? You took his side.”

“Actually, he didn’t,” Gabrielle cut in. “Not really. He was distracting Saligia to keep you all safe.”

“And uninvolved… as though we didn’t have a stake in the outcome of all of this!”

“You lost your bet, Old Man,” Xena growled as she allowed the Sword of War she still held to rest on her broad shoulder. “Pretty sure you also lost your godhood, and if you don’t shut up, you’re going to lose your immortality, if not your life!”

“You dare, mortal!”

She lifted the Sword of War from her shoulder and pointed it at Zeus, and he stepped back involuntarily, bringing a nasty smirk to Xena’s lips. “I dare,” she replied softly. “I dare because this was your responsibility millennia ago and you left it to me and Gabrielle then. You were a waste of skin and air then, and in your case… not much has changed. Now I want you to turn around and walk out of here and hope that your family lets you in the door when you get back to Olympus.”

Zeus lunged, but Xena was faster, and in a heartbeat, he was impaled on the Sword of War. He looked at her with disbelief, and she pulled it out, leaving him to crumple on the ground. Hera met Xena’s eyes.

“Will he live?”

Xena shook her head. “I dunno,” she said honestly. “I don’t know what Saligia took from you all, but it was enough to bring the Guardians and their companions back.” Her words caused the Guardians and companions to look around at each other and start whispering among themselves. “You might want to figure out what abilities you do have and where you want to go from here, though. Your time is long past.”

“You don’t get to decide that!” Hera exclaimed haughtily.

“I didn’t,” she answered with a hint of sadness and pity in her voice. “Mankind did. They’ve grown beyond you; they don’t even remember you anymore.”

“And yet, they will now.”

“Why?” Gabrielle asked. “Nobody knows what happened here except those of us that are here.”

“You never showed this to the world?”

“Why would we? That would have been playing into Saligia’s hands. And we were here to destroy him.”

“So you lied.”

“We… obfuscated.”

Hera studied them for a moment, then nodded solemnly. “Very well. We’ll do as you’ve… suggested… and return to Olympus to see what our options are.” She looked around and motioned to the other gods. “Come along, children… and bring your father. We might have some use for him after all.” Most of the other gods gathered around her and slowly faded from sight, leaving only Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis and Ares on the battlefield.

“Nicely done, Princess,” Ares complimented as he held out his hand for the Sword. “Now… give me back my Sword. I’m going to need it as King of the Gods.”

“There’s no King, Bro. We’re not really gods anymore. We’re just immortals with a little extra spark.”

“But….”

Xena shook her head. “No, Ares… she’s right. Not this time; not anymore. It’s grown beyond you - it’s grown beyond all of us.” He reached for the Sword again, only this time, it raised against him, and he held up his hands in surrender. Xena looked smug. “I tried to tell you….”

“So you’re going to keep it?”

Xena snorted, not surprised when Gabrielle lifted it from her grasp, though the look on Ares’ face was priceless. Gabrielle looked at him and raised an eyebrow, then turned to Mrs. Frederick, who was suddenly in their midst.

“No, Mr. Ares, she’s not going to keep it. No one is going to keep it. We are going to bronze it and put it away in the vault.”

“What?!? No!! You can’t do that!! It’s not yours… you can’t do that!!”

“We can, and we will. Gabrielle, if you’ll slide that instrument into this neutralizing bag, I’ll take it back to the Warehouse and see that it’s properly taken care off.”

“But….”

“Let it go, Ares. We’ve got other things to worry about.”

Gabrielle did as instructed, and everyone turned away as sparks flew from the Sword as its power was neutralized. Mrs. Frederick sealed the bag and met Ares’ eyes before she nodded at Xena and Gabrielle, then turned and walked away.

“But….”

“Brother… let it go.” And they stood together as Mrs. Frederick simply… disappeared.



Chapter LXXXVIII

Regina and Emma lay stock still with their eyes closed when they heard Hera call the other gods to her. Though they hadn’t been completely drained of their magic, thanks largely in part to the gods’ interference, they were still far underpowered compared to their usual levels. When the blast came that destroyed Saligia, it took them to the ground; Regina instinctively curling into a tight ball, and Emma covering her as best as she could. They didn’t see that it had knocked the three men that had been standing with Xena and Gabrielle almost back to where they were laying.

When they realized the gods were no longer shielding them, they knew the battle was either over or lost. Emma kept a hand on Regina’s back with enough pressure to hold her in place while she opened her eyes and looked around. Almost immediately, she rolled off of Regina and onto her knees, permitting Regina to do the same. They knelt, blinking slowly as they tried to get their bearings. Scud, Will, and Henry all groaned, shifting to various degrees as they tried to assess their damages.

At that moment, Daniel came running over, kneeling down beside Emma and Regina first. “You ladies okay?” wincing when they both offered him a stink eye. He held up his hands. “All things considered, I mean.”

“We’re not dead, and we’re not hurt,” Emma responded curtly. She cleared her throat awkwardly when she felt pressure from Regina’s hand on her thigh. “We’re a little low on power at the moment,” she confessed. “But thanks for asking.”

“I know the feeling,” he assured her with a pat on the shoulder. “But it’s worth it,” he said with a smile. “I’m glad you’re all right. Let me go check on these guys; then I want to go check on my friends,” motioning toward where the Guardians were starting to stir.

In minutes, Daniel had checked everyone over, and as a group they rose and walked toward the Guardians gathering around Xena and Gabrielle.

************

When she was sure she had her feet under her, Supergirl looked around, noting for the first time all the death and destruction in the immediate vicinity. She shook her head sadly, and her peripheral vision caught motion coming from one of the figures she had assumed was dead. She turned and ran to his side, getting an arm behind him and helping him to sit up slowly. He gave her a long look, blinking slowly as though trying to figure out exactly how he had ended up in the position he was currently in. She tilted her head and studied him compassionately, allowing him the opportunity to reach his own conclusions.

“Bruce?” she said so softly he almost missed her words even as closely as she was to him. “Batman, are you all right?”

He wiped at his face and frowned at how his hands shook slightly. “You ever feel like you missed the most important part of a story?” seeing her nod slowly. “I feel like I missed something.”

Kara braced herself and Batman used her leverage to pull himself to his feet. “C’mon,” she invited. “Let’s get back to Xena and Gabrielle. Maybe they can answer some of your questions.”

Bruce held onto her for a moment longer, giving himself a chance to look around. When his eyes landed on Helena and Barbara, with Dinah squished between them, the barest hint of a smile quirked at his lips for a second. Then he nodded in satisfaction and released Kara’s arm, gesturing to her to lead the way. “After you, Supergirl,” he said graciously. She pushed her cape back over one shoulder, but before they could move, she was nearly tackled to the ground by her sister and Maggie, who had come running across from the other side of the battlefield. Only Batman’s steadying hand on her back was able to keep her upright.

“Ka… Supergirl,” Alex corrected herself automatically when she felt the cape brush against her arm. “Are you all right?? What happened??”

“Hey! Let me get in on some of this,” Maggie demanded, wrapping her arms around both of them and wincing at the strain. “God, it’s good to see you.”

Kara hugged them back as tightly as she dared - she hadn’t totally blown her powers, though it had been a near thing. She loosened her grip just enough for them to pull back slightly to study her. She frowned when she got a good look at them both. Alex had a shiner that had completely closed one eye, and Maggie had a cut across her face that went from one temple to the opposite earlobe. She also had a slight fracture that Kara’s X-ray vision picked up, and Alex sported a number of bruises across her body as well as bruised knuckles. She flinched when Kara grasped her hands a little too tightly.

“Easy there, slugger. It’s been a rough night,” sucking in a breath when Kara’s hands passed over her ribs. Alex offered a crooked smile to Supergirl’s concerned one. “You should see the other guys,” not getting the expected smile from Kara at her words. Her expression softened. “Hey… we won. We walked off the battlefield under our own power. It’s just been a while since I had to fight so long. And fighting the dead?” She shook her head. “It ranks right on up there on the weird scale.”

Maggie’s nose twitched involuntarily. “It ranked all right. That smell was almost enough to kill us… as if fighting people who were already dead wasn’t hard enough.”

“At least they weren’t zombies,” commented a voice from the dark. “They did enough damage without trying to eat our brains.”

Kara looked up to see Cat Grant approaching, and her eyes widened when she caught the harm that had been wrought on Cat’s face, noting one side had some pretty severe burns. “Ms…. Cat, are you all right?” horrified when she didn’t get the automatic snarky response.

“No, Kara,” she replied softly. “I don’t think I am,” crumbling just as she got within Supergirl’s reach. Kara caught her before she could touch the ground and looked at her sister and Maggie. “Can the two of you walk just a little bit further?” she asked. “I think Xena is setting up a triage area over there,” jerking her chin towards where a number of Amazon and Warrior healers seemed to be clearing an area to start tending to people’s wounds.

“I can help,” Batman said in a quiet voice, placing a guiding hand at the small of their backs.

Alex nodded and wrapped an arm around her ribcage as Maggie supported the arm that was fractured. “Sooner we do this, the sooner we can go home.”

“You think we’ll ever know exactly what happened?” Maggie asked Alex as the three of them moved to walk in front of Kara.

Kara silently wondered the same thing. Something here didn’t make sense.

************

The fireworks put on by the neutralizing of the Sword of War had caught the attention of many of the Amazons and Warriors that had been shielding the women Saligia had stolen. The Fae’s song had been working its magic, and most of the women felt confident in their memories and the fact that they had helped defeat Saligia. With the neutralization of the Sword of War, however, they became more cognizant of the damage and destruction that had been wrought in his name.

The Fae continued to sing, altering their song to tailor it to the women they needed to influence. The Amazons and Warriors changed their objective as well… going from protectors to healers, and knowing they needed to quickly set up an area to take care of all the physical injuries they could see.

Cyane led the way, taking her cue from Xena, who started communicating with hand signals as soon as she had Cyane’s attention. Immediately, she began dividing her people into triage teams to evaluate the wounded and sort them into treatment camps, knowing Xena would take responsibility for healing the worst of them.

The Fae shifted with them as they moved, easing their way back over to the Guardians, most of whom were seated and confused. Gabrielle was going among them, trying to help them relax, though it was difficult when she couldn’t offer them any answers. She knew the Fae’s song would change that for them - give them memories that would give them answers… if not the truth.

Janet Fraiser, though not feeling particularly spry, recognized the triage units being set up and moved to go help the wounded. Gabrielle reached for her at the same time Sam Carter did, and she looked between them before focusing her attention on Gabrielle, who merely cocked her head in question. Sam was the one to give it voice.

“Are you sure you’re up to this, Sweetheart? I feel like I was rode hard and put away wet. I can’t imagine you feel much better.”

Janet’s brown eyes crinkled when she smiled, causing Sam and Gabrielle to do the same. “Probably not,” she confessed, “but I swore an oath to render aid.”

“Can you do so without making mistakes?” Gabrielle asked plainly, meeting Janet’s furious expression with an understanding one of her own. “It’s a fair question,” she cautioned before Janet could say something she might later regret. “It’s been a fairly traumatic few hours… especially for the Guardians. The Amazons all have training in battlefield medicine… most of it learned the hard way, and all of it learned at the feet of a master healer.”

“Xena taught them, didn’t she?” Sam asked when Janet’s attention went back to the triage areas to watch the women currently treating the wounded.

Gabrielle nodded, a faraway look in her eyes. “She did,” said so softly it almost wasn’t even a whisper. “A lifetime ago.”

Janet watched for another few minutes, then dropped back to the ground and laid her head on Sam’s shoulder. “I’m so tired.”

Gabrielle smiled wanly. “I’ll tell you a secret. I think everybody is.”

“Even you and Xena?”

Gabrielle chuckled. “Especially me and Xena. The difference is we’ve developed a tolerance to this kind of thing.”

Eyebrows went up all around where the Guardians were all clustered together. Olivia cleared her throat cautiously. “Um… you do this kind of thing often?”

Gabrielle snorted. “Not recently, no. But we did when we were younger.” She waved them off before they could begin grilling her for details she wasn’t ready to share yet. “Maybe I’ll tell you about it someday. But not tonight, and not any time in the near future. I have a feeling we’re gonna spend the next few weeks - at least - making sure everyone is taken care of to the best of our abilities.” She looked around and spotted a group of Amazons headed her way, with the Fae moving along behind them still singing. “Now, these guys are here to check you guys over and see if there are any injuries or damages that need immediate attention. If something hurts or doesn’t feel right, please don’t try to be a hero. Tell them and let them try to fix it. There’s no reason to suffer for the sake of your pride.”

“And what of you, My Queen?” Diana asked as she stepped up beside Gabrielle. “How did you fare in all this? As well as your Consort?”

“We were holding the Sword of War together,” Gabrielle answered dryly. “So yes… I’m all right.”

“Gabrielle?” Dinah spoke quietly, but the Guardians were so silent that all eyes turned to her when they heard her speak. Her blue eyes widened at the sudden, unexpected attention, but she bravely soldiered on, keeping her focus on Gabrielle, who nodded and waited for her to continue. “Um… will you tell us the story of what happened? I mean, you and Xena were the only ones to have been awake for the whole thing.”

Gabrielle smiled gently. “That’s not entirely true. However,” holding up a hand before Dinah could argue her point, “if you give me a little while, I’m sure I could come up with something. But you have to understand that most of my work takes months and sometimes years to write and polish to a performance level.”

“That’s okay. I don’t think anyone expects perfection at this point. I’d just like to know what really happened. I remember bits, and then *poof*… I got nothing. The next thing I remember is Helena scooping me up off the ground and landing me in Barbara’s lap.” She chuckled. “I’m pretty sure I missed something important in the middle there.”

Gabrielle chuckled with her, which caused the rest of the Guardians and their companions to giggle as well… in relief as much as exhaustion. “I promise,” she said, holding up a hand, “as soon as it’s feasible, I’ll tell you all the story I can from my point of view. Maybe by then, you all will be able to remember some things as well, and we can compare notes. Now, lay back and let the Amazons do their jobs. As soon as you’re checked out, you can return to your rooms and get some sleep.”

“That sounds amazing,” Scud said as he and the rest rejoined the Guardians. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

“Same,” was echoed from several corners. Gabrielle noted the burden Supergirl was carrying and motioned her to one of the bunks already set up for treatment.

“Xena will care for Ms. Grant, Cyane. I think this goes a little beyond triage treatment,” gesturing to the second-degree burns covering one side of Cat’s face as she led Kara to a cot and carefully covered Cat with a blanket when she was gently lain on the surface.

Cyane nodded. “As you say, My Queen,” turning back to the others. “If those of you still standing,” motioning to the newcomers, “will allow us to examine you first, I think most of you will be cleared to go back to your trailers to rest.” She pointed at Maggie. “You first. And you,” acknowledging Alex. “Go with Drea. She’ll wrap your ribs for you.”

“How did you even…?”

“Battlefield medics. They know what to look for.”


“Gabrielle, could I speak to you privately for a moment?” Kara asked as they stepped aside for several medics to take a closer look at the damage done to Cat’s face and try to find a way to relieve some of her pain as they waited for Xena to join them.

“Of course, Supergirl. One sec.” She clasped Kara’s arm and turned to Diana. “How’s Hippolyta?”

“Tired. Remembering why the Amazons were so ready to leave Man’s World to find peace. I’m fairly confident she’s be on one of the first flights out of here. She’s going to have to have surgery to repair the tendons in her leg.”

“I’ll go talk to her a moment. Anyone else?”

Diana shrugged. “The usual. The kinds of things we see during war games - a lot of bumps and bruises; a few scratches; one or two cuts and I’m pretty sure there are a couple of broken or fractured bones. You know how enthusiastic we tend to get,” giving Gabrielle a small smile. “Nothing as egregious as Mother’s leg, however. She’ll get a nice scar from this one… if not an actual limp.”

Gabrielle nodded. “We’ll see what we can do about both,” she promised, then looked at Kara. “Shall we?”

Kara covered the hand holding her arm and fell into step beside Gabrielle. They remained silent for a bit; Gabrielle checked on people as she went, making her way over to where Hippolyta and several other Amazons lay peacefully waiting to be transported off the battlefield. When they reached the middle of no-man’s land, Kara pulled them to a halt and turned them so that they faced one another squarely. Gabrielle met her eyes and waited.

“What’s going on?” Supergirl demanded almost harshly, causing Gabrielle’s eyes to widen, but she waited for Kara to continue. “I know something is off - something is very wrong. The women that were stolen for Saligia’s army are remembering things that didn’t happen,” she hissed. “They think they were part of the fight; that they helped defeat Saligia, and their injuries were caused by them fighting the dead army that the Horseman brought with her. Now we both know that’s not true. That’s not even close to the truth of what happened today. So what is going on??”

Gabrielle tucked her hand into Kara’s elbow and, with only the slightest pressure, moved them along toward where the Amazons were laying. She patted the arm she was holding. ”I want you to think about something,” waiting for Kara to nod. “How do you think these women would feel if they knew the truth? How would those they attacked feel towards them… even knowing they were acting under orders of a supernatural being they were being controlled by? Any of them knowing the truth of what happen serves no purpose… except to create distrust and disharmony among those who have not only chosen to become friends but have also worked hard to maintain those friendships.”

“Okay, but….”

“Do you hear the song?” stopping their progress and remaining still, even though she knew Kara could hear a gnat scratching its ass at twenty-five yards. Kara tilted her head and nodded almost immediately. “That’s the Fae. They are giving everyone new memories - memories where they get to be part of the winning side instead of pawns; memories where the Guardians won’t remember being attacked by those they call friends. Trick couldn’t rewrite this story - he’s not old enough by far, and the cost would have been excruciatingly high. But he can have his people influence the thoughts and feelings of those involved so it doesn’t destroy them.”

“You think it would? Destroy them, I mean.”

“How do you think Cat would feel if she had to explain her injuries to her son - that they were inflicted by someone she considers a friend trying to protect themselves from her?”

Kara paled, and Gabrielle tightened her grip. “That would be… horrible.”

“Yes… it would. And Trick could fix this much without having to pay a blood price for it.”

Kara nodded her understanding and started walking again. “What about Diana and me; Helena and Bo; all the Amazons and Warriors that were completely cognizant during the fight? With that many people knowing the truth of what what really happened, someone is bound to slip up. That could start a war between all these people.”

Gabrielle pulled Supergirl to a stop and lifted her free hand to cup Kara’s face. “You’re an amazing person, Kara Zor-El Danvers. Don’t let anyone or anything you ever do convince you that you are less than remarkable,” giving her a full smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes and scrunched up her nose. Kara couldn’t help but respond in kind, even though she was still confused by Gabrielle’s words.

“Um… thank you?”

“I can’t be sure about you, Diana, Helena, and Bo - you are all something beyond human in your very DNA. But the Amazons and Warriors of the People are all human. The Amazons are immortal only on Themiscyra; when they return to Man’s World, they function as though they had never left. They age, get hurt… they can even die. So as the Fae sing, their memories will change as well.”

“And the Fae?”

They’re singing the song of their memories - memories Trick shared with them before it was even begun.”

“So he knew…?”

“No. No one knew… not even the gods. But I wrote the story for him, and he gave them the song based on that.”

Kara narrowed her eyes, but couldn’t hide the quirk of her lips. “That seems a little bit like cheating.”

“It’s only cheating if you get caught. And we can always ask J’onn to help us if the song doesn’t change your memories.”

Kara nodded slowly. “Do you think it will stick? The song?”

“Yes. Because they want it to be true. They want to have been a contributing part of ensuring Saligia’s defeat, and to know that their suffering was worth it.” Gabrielle motioned around them. “So many of them will have some kind of lasting reminder of what happened here tonight. I’d rather they remember well.”

Kara studied her for another long moment, then nodded succinctly. “All right. I’ll talk to the others and let you know if we need to get J’onn here. They deserve all the peace we can give them after this.” She tugged Gabrielle forward. “Now let’s go check on the Amazons.” She gave an impish smile. “Bet they ask for stories.”

Gabrielle snorted. “No bet. C’mon.”



Chapter LXXXIX

Xena made her way slowly through the injured. The Amazons and the People had done an excellent job of sorting everyone into categories, which allowed her to attend to the most critical first. She had already given directions to her medics for battlefield repairs to be done on several of those that were hurt. She had treated three of the more seriously wounded herself and had just moved on to Holly Stewart when an Amazon she didn’t instantly recognized came running toward her. She lifted her head and focused on the woman as soon as she realized she was calling her name.

“Xena! Xena!” bending over and trying to catch her breath as she reached the warrior. “Xena, Isaac is asking for you. The three people that were hit by Saligia before you and the Guardians arrived - they’re moving around.”

Xena, who had already started working on Holly’s stab wound, snapped her neck back around to meet the woman’s eyes. “ALL of them??”

The Amazon shrugged. “I guess. He just said they were all moving around; he was concerned about one especially.” She would have continued, but Xena had already turned back to stitching up Holly as quickly as she could.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said, even as her attention refocused on Holly. She met dark eyes fully, knowing that her confidence was a sure way to calm the other woman down, especially since, as a doctor, Holly understood what was going on. “Hey,” Xena commented softly as Holly started to thrash around. “I need you to be still. I know it hurts, but you don’t want me to give you an ugly scar.”

Holly grinned, then winced when she tried to laugh. “OW. What hit me? Feels like a Mac truck.”

“Nah… just a really sharp knife. The good news is that the cut is clean and didn’t hit anything vital. The bad news is it’s gonna be sore as a mother for the next little while.” She motioned an Amazon over to finish bandaging the wound and lightly patted Holly’s side. “You’re gonna be all right, Doc.” She turned to the Amazon. “Make sure you give her a strong antibiotic and a decent painkiller.”

A hand on her arm kept her from moving away as she rose to her feet. “Have you seen Gail?”

Xena shook her head and looked around the nearest bodies. “No, but she’s not with this group, and you all are the most critically injured bodies we have.” She patted the hand on her arm. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Thank you, Xena,” Holly mumbled, releasing the arm she held. Xena nodded and turned back to the medics working on the others. “I need to go check this out. Let me know if you run into something you need help with.”

Rhea barely acknowledged her with her eyes, which was still more than the rest did. “Go, Consort. You taught us well. We’ve got this… despite the number of years it’s been since we had to do it.”

Xena simply nodded and began swiftly making her way back toward where Lucy, Ian, and Shaw were laying, just starting to stir. She nodded an acknowledgment to Isaac, then gestured him away from the three, knowing he would hover just beyond their purview to do her bidding, while permitting them to relax. She knelt beside Lucy first, who was pinching her lips together and scrunching her eyes tightly in an effort to keep from screaming. Xena motioned for a cocktail, and in seconds, there was an antibiotic/painkiller filled syringe slapped into her waiting hand. She held it up and thumped the air bubbles out. “This will help,” she promised, pinching Lucy’s skin and slamming the drug into her system. “Amy’s all right,” she continued, feeling Lucy settle with her words. “I’m not sure about the rest of the D.E.B.S., but I’ll see if I can get someone to bring her over, all right?”

Lucy nodded and tried to smile, though it was closer to a grimace than anything. Xena looked her over and patted her good shoulder. “Don’t worry, Luce. We’re gonna take good care of you. Now close your eyes and rest for a bit. It’s gonna take a little time to get you out of here and back to civilization.”

Lucy did as she was told, and in seconds had drifted off into a light doze. Xena shifted her legs until she was facing Ian, studying him with a physician’s eyes as well as those of a mother. His breaths were shallow and slow, and his color was still paler than she wanted it to be, but his incision was neatly closed and there didn’t appear to be any complications at the moment. Still, she knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet, and she held up her hand for another cocktail syringe, which Isaac was quick to place in her palm.

“Chosen?” She almost flinched - it had been a long time since she’d been so called, and it grated on a nerve with her after everything. She released a slow breath, but before she could speak, Isaac continued. “I’m sorry, Xena. It’s just… you were prophesied as coming to our People one day. We never expected….”

She shook her head and blew out another deep breath. It wasn’t his fault. He had no way of knowing the negative connotations that word held for her. “It’s okay, Isaac. What can I do for you?”

“Dáskalos?” Ian’s whispered address drew both their attention and derailed whatever conversation Isaac had been about to start. “Dáskalos? it hurts,” trying to reach a hand up to rub his chest but finding it caught in hers before he could lift it more than a couple inches.

“I know, my son… I know. I’m gonna give you something to help with the pain; it’ll probably make you sleepy, and that’s okay. You need to rest to heal.”

He gave her a pained smile. “I remember.” He tried to turn his head, finding that practically any movement was painful beyond belief. “Where’s Casey?”

Xena shook her head, even as she slid the needle into his skin. “I haven’t seen her. As far as I know, she never made it to the battlefield, but I’ll do some checking, all right?” seeing him slowly nod his understanding. “Now go to sleep. It’s gonna take time before this stops hurting - you may as well sleep through as much of the healing process as you can.”

“Thank you, Dáskalos. Love you.”

She brushed the dark hair back off his face and leaned down to kiss his forehead. “I love you too, my son.” She listened to his steady breathing for another moment, then sat up and turned her eyes toward Isaac. “I need you to put out the word for everyone to keep an eye out for Casey Novak. I haven’t seen her since before this all started, and she is my son’s fiancee,” causing Ian to jump in surprise, and Xena to smirk into his one, semi-opened eye. “I won’t tell your Mi̱téra, but I expect you to do so soon.”

“How did you even…?”

“I have many skills,” causing him to roll his one open eye closed, and for Isaac to chortle softly beside her. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “What are you laughing at? I do,” causing him to physically wipe the smile off his face, though he couldn’t hide the twinkle in his eyes.

“So you say, Ch… Xena. Is there anyone else I need to be looking for?”

“Yeah… see if you can find an Amy Bradshaw and bring her to Lucy,” jerking her head back, “and then see if you can find John. I’m gonna need his help for the next one,” motioning toward Shaw.

“Right here, Chosen,” John replied as he slid into place beside Shaw. “What can I do?”

“Call me Xena, for starters,” she said with a hint of irritation as she put her hands on Shaw’s face and gently turned her head. She could feel her pulse, but it was slow and threadier than she was comfortable with. “Isaac,” she called out as the Headman moved away. He turned and met her eyes. “See if you can start putting friends and partners back together once you find Casey and Amy. I think everyone will rest a little easier if they know their loved ones are alive, at least.”

“And those that aren’t?” gesturing to the number of unmoving bodies still laying on Saligia’s side of the field.

She shook her head. “Provide as much comfort as their people will allow. We’ll take care of the dead when we finish helping the living.”

“As you say. Holler if you need anything. That’s what these guys are here for,” gesturing to the three younger warriors standing nearby. Then he disappeared into the surrounding darkness, determined to find the women Xena had asked for and not ashamed to ask for help of those who were able.

Xena and John didn’t watch him go, their attention already back on Shaw as they tried to ascertain the best treatment they could give her in the field that would ensure as complete a recovery as could be managed.


Shaw’s head and face were covered in blood as a result of being scalped, but since her death had been so quick, she hadn’t come nearly close to losing it all. And she had been dead long enough that it had sealed… which was a problem and a solution all at the same time.

At Xena’s direction, John prepared a stronger cocktail, knowing it was more dangerous, but also understanding it was necessary. He reached for Shaw… who stopped his advance when she caught his wrist in her hand. It wasn’t painful, but it was strong enough for him to know she meant business. What shocked him, though, was that Shaw had given no indication she was even conscious or aware of either he or Xena, and yet her hold on him was untenable. The sudden warmth of Xena’s hand covering Shaw’s startled him, and he gave her the stink eye even as he relaxed under her touch. She ignored him and turned her full attention to Shaw.

“Shaw, it’s Xena. John is here to help you, but you have to release his hand. He’s gonna give you something that will help it hurt less and will let you relax until we can get you back to a place where I can do something about this. But you have to let him go first, all right?”

Shaw didn’t open her eyes, but Xena felt the shift in her and she slowly relaxed her grip until her arm slipped back down to the ground. John didn’t move, waiting for Xena’s signal. When she nodded at him, he pushed the shot into Shaw’s arm, and they waited for it to take effect. As soon as her breathing deepened, John began carefully wiping Sameen’s face to clear the blood and remove any hint of dirt and debris he could find. Xena did the same across the top of her skinned head, glad beyond measure that Saligia had not been strong enough to cut into and through bone.

She felt rather than saw Supergirl kneel down beside her and lift Shaw off the ground. She was even less surprised to find Gabrielle’s hands supporting Shaw’s head, allowing Xena to use both hands to clean the horrific injury Saligia had visited on Shaw.

“Oh, Xena….” she murmured.

Xena risked a glance at Gabrielle, finding tears in her eyes, but also outrage, concern, shock, and distress. She nodded briefly before turning her attention back to the work in front of her. “I know,” she agreed. “John, can you bring a flashlight up here? I need to be sure it is thoroughly clean before I wrap it up. I can’t risk an infection setting in before we get her to a treatment facility.”

“Where are you taking her?” he asked in low tones as he shined his powerful flashlight on Shaw’s bare skull. “I’m not sure any of the local facilities could handle this kind of trauma, and it’s two hours to the closest city hospital.”

“I’d prefer to take her home. I’ve got teams there that can handle this kind of stuff. I’m just not sure Shaw especially could survive the trip.”

“Wonder Woman and I could probably get you, her, and a few of the most seriously wounded back tonight if you want,” Kara said softly. “It might be for the best so the facilities here aren’t overwhelmed, because even if we take the most critically injured out of here, there are still a number of people left that are going to need more than emergency field treatment.”

Xena met Kara’s eyes for a moment, then turned to look at Gabrielle, who nodded solemnly at her.

“She’s right, Xe. Let her and Diana take you and the most wounded back to the City. I’ll stay here and coordinate everything else.”

Xena studied her a moment, then nodded.  “All right. Work with John and Isaac, and let Claudia help you.”

Gabrielle gave Xena a loving, exasperated smile. “Sweetie, I got this. I learned to supervise and delegate a long time ago,” smirking when Xena snorted. “You go be the healer you are, and we’ll be along as quickly as we can. There’s a lot less cleanup to do than I expected, and Isaac already assured me the trailers and bedding would be more than welcome here, so we don’t have to worry about moving them back. They’ll even take care of moving them where they’re most needed. Just keep me posted, okay?”

“Do my best,” accepting the bandage roll John was pressing into her hand. She started rolling, covering Shaw’s head from her forehead to the base of her neck. It took four full rolls until Xena was satisfied that it would be sufficient to transport Shaw. She looked at Gabrielle, who had been watching her carefully. Kara could feel the electricity surging between them and eased Shaw back to the ground.

“I’m gonna go find Wonder Woman and find out how many she can transport on her plane,” stumbling slightly before she headed towards the Amazons. Gabrielle and Xena exchanged frowns, but before they could call out or voice their concerns, John spoke up.

“And, um... I’m gonna go see who else I can help. The less we send to the clinic, the better.”

Xena nodded. “Have the people that are uninjured or that have been treated and are able to move on their own, start heading back to their trailers. That will help keep the healing on track and give you a better idea of how many will need the more serious treatment facility of clinic or hospital. Any cleanup effort can wait until everyone has had a chance to sleep for about twelve hours.”

“Xena, I think we can probably take six wounded,” Wonder Woman said as she stepped from the shadows. “That leaves enough room for you, me, and Kara.”

“Is she all right? She seems a little, well… not Supergirl-ish, if you get what I mean,” Amy said as she approached them from the far side of the field. “Someone said you guys were looking for me,” she continued before anyone could comment. “Have you seen Lucy? She and I got split up earlier, and I haven’t seen her since then.”

Xena rose and put her hands on Amy’s shoulders, meeting her eyes as she explained the situation. She waited for her to have a freakout moment, then grasped Amy’s face between her hands. When Amy was calm again and her breathing was under control, she took Amy’s hand in one of hers and led her over to where Lucy was sleeping. Amy slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming at the destruction she found wrought on Lucy’s person. She dropped to her knees, then clasped Lucy’s sole hand in hers and laid her head on Lucy’s slowly moving chest. She closed her eyes and let the tears silently roll - taking comfort from Lucy’s steady heartbeat and fortifying herself for the moment Lucy would need her to be the strong one.

Xena watched for a minute, then turned her attention back to those wounded that still needed help. She knew Diana would find her as soon as she and Gabrielle were finished.

************

“Amy’s right,” Gabrielle commented as she and Xena moved off toward Lucy. “Something’s off with Supergirl. You’ll make sure she gets to the sunroom?”

Wonder Woman nodded. “Of course. Between the Red Kryptonite and the fact that she nearly blew her powers out helping with the Hope Talisman, I think she’s about to the end of her rope. That’s why I made room for her on the jet. I’m pretty sure she’ll be back here in the morning sometime, but she really needs to recharge first. I’ll be back as soon as we get the wounded unloaded.”

“You’re sure? I know Hippolyta is among the more wounded.”

Diana smirked. “And we both know she would never allow me to stay at her side when there was work to be accomplished unless she was dying. She swears she’s just ‘gimpy’… her word, not mine. So as soon as I get everyone settled, I’ll be back here.”

“Come find me in the Warehouse when you get back then. It’ll give us a chance to regroup and figure out where we are.” Gabrielle looked around at the slowly clearing battlefield. “Hopefully, by then, everyone will be back in their beds for the night. We’ll start the cleanup tomorrow.” She glanced at her watch. “Or later today, as the case may be.”

“I don’t think anyone expects there to be cleanup tonight.” She looked around and noticed the remaining gods approaching, and she tilted her head at them in question, nodding to Diana as she took her leave.  Aphrodite sighed and shook her head.

“We’re not really sure what to do,” she said plaintively. “Most of our magic is gone; we can’t even heal anyone. I think we may have enough juice to jet back to Olympus, but that’s about it. I’m not sure we’d be able to leave if we did go, and we’d kinda like to stick around and see this through, ya know? Do what we can to help make this right. Is there somewhere we can go tonight? Maybe get a little rest?”

Gabrielle studied her for a moment, then met Athena, Artemis, and Ares’ eyes. There was a calm resignation within all of them, but above that, there was a sense of loss and confusion. She nodded. “The only place I have to put you right now is in the cavern Diana and Kara were sharing. We still don’t know who all the dead are, so I have no idea what kind of space we have or where it is.”

“The last count we had on bodies on the ground was eighty-three,” Ares commented quietly. “Some of those were Revenants that Wynonna Earp killed; I recognized the damage from Peacemaker.” He waved his hands when they went to ask for clarification. “The bodies the Horseman brought with her shattered to dust when Saggy was destroyed.” He smirked. “Nice job on that by the way.” He straightened. “The Warriors and the Amazons that aren’t functioning as medics have been moving the dead up into the lighted part of the battlefield so they can be identified.”

“Thank you, Ares.”

“How did you know?” he asked, solemnly, knowing the rest were listening. “About me, I mean… how did you know?”

“I didn’t… not for sure. But I knew there was more going on than you taking his side. You’ve always been one to hedge your bets.” He shrugged, unable to deny the truth. She turned back to look at the goddesses and motioned to one of the young men waiting for orders. “Can you please take these guys to the cave over the ridge? Make sure they have enough bedding to get through the night.”

He nodded and gestured for them to follow him. Athena, Artemis, and Ares started after him without hesitation. Only Aphrodite hung back; Gabrielle opened her arms, and they embraced for a long moment. “Thank you, Gabrielle.” Gabrielle kissed her cheek and released her, and Aphrodite followed her siblings without a backward glance.



Chapter XC

“Hey! Where do you think you’re taking her?! Bring her back!!” Gail Peck cried as she raced down the hill toward the travois that Holly Stewart was being carried on. Holly reached out a hand to one of her minders, and they slowed to a stop to allow Gail to skid into place beside her. She lifted the hand Holly held up to her lips, brushing a kiss over the knuckles as her eyes traveled the length of her prone body. Finally, she met Holly’s eyes, full of pain and discomfort, though she offered Gail a wan smile that was in keeping with the paleness of her face. “You all right, Babe? What happened? Where are you going?”

Holly weakly raised her other hand, covering Gail’s mouth and putting a stop to her rambling. “Shh,” she instructed softly. “I’m being taken to New York. Xena has a clinic there or something… I dunno. But she has a trauma team that’s gonna take care of me and some of the other more critically wounded.”

“I wanna come.”

“No,” replied one of the medics carrying the cot. “There’s not room on the plane.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Nope. I already know the answer. But how about you go talk to Xena about it, and let us get this woman to the plane so she can be taken care of? They’re leaving as soon as we can get everyone boarded.”

“Yeah, well, don’t leave without me, because I’m gonna be on that plane,” Gail said, turning and stomping off in the direction she’d last seen Xena. The medics simply resumed their trek toward Wonder Woman’s invisible jet, glad she’d managed to highlight its location for them. Holly just closed her eyes and shook her head.

“She’s not going to be allowed to come with me, is she?”

“No ma’am; she’s not.”

Holly sighed. “I hope she’s not stupid about the whole thing.”

************

It was the oddest sound, and more than a little haunting - a cross between a child who’d been hurt and a soul that had been rent from itself. And it brought up the head of every single person still on the battlefield.

Root had been leading Casey and Abbie through the darkness back toward the battlefield, but none of them were prepared for the controlled chaos they walked back into. Many of the women had already been sent back to their trailers, though Root had managed to completely avoid them. The ones that were left were obviously being treated for whatever damage they had accrued during the battle. The Guardians and their companions all sat to one side, looking as exhausted as though they had run a non-stop marathon for three straight days, as did the few men and women sitting with them.

The Fae were still around the perimeter, singing their song, which was soothing to both Abbie and Casey. Root, however, was aware of nothing beyond the woman laying stock still in the midst of everything, and without hesitation, ran forward as she keened out her anguish in the cry that brought everything to a momentary stop.

She fell to her knees and put her head on Shaw’s chest, wrapping her arms around her torso as best as she could. Her wailing became a whimper as she felt the strong heartbeat against her cheek, and she lay quietly sobbing against Shaw’s warm breasts. She held her breath when Shaw brought a hand up to tangle in her hair, but when there was no other movement, she lifted her head slightly to gaze at Shaw’s face.

“Oh, my God!” Casey exclaimed as she realized what had caused such a reaction in Root. She covered her mouth, holding back a scream or vomit, she wasn’t sure. Then she felt Abbie come up beside her and wrap an arm around her waist as her other hand supported the arm Casey had raised to her face.

“C’mon. Let’s go check on him. He’s still breathing.”

Casey blinked the tears from her eyes before they could roll down her face. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah. I can see his chest moving. And Gabrielle is waiting for you.”

************

Xena had already released Holly Stewart and Cat Grant to be taken to Wonder Woman’s jet and had just moved to check out Hippolyta’s readiness when Root’s cry rang out across the battlefield. She met Hippolyta’s eyes, and the Regent nodded her understanding.

“Go. Diana knows where I am, and that I’m going with you. She’ll make sure I get there.”

Xena nodded and rose, then took off at a run to take care of Root. No matter the situation - even when Root thought Shaw was dead for nine months - she never reacted so emotionally, which begged the question of ‘why now?’. Xena watched as Shaw lifted a hand to comfort Root, placing it gently on her head, but offering no further comfort. She slipped into place beside Shaw and put one of her hands over one of Roots, waiting until her eyes tracked to meet Xena’s. Had she not been battle-trained and adept at keeping a poker face, Xena would have gasped at the blank confusion staring back at her from Root’s eyes. She briefly wondered what they had missed to cause such a situation, but she knew instinctively that she needed to get Root back to the Machine to help with whatever was going on. She signaled a pair of warriors to her.

“You’ll need to find someone strong enough to carry them together, or a travois that is wide and sturdy enough to do so. They cannot be separated. Clear?”

“Yes, Chosen,” they replied, then scattered to find what they could to carry out her orders. She sighed and shook her head, wishing the words weren’t true, but acknowledging to herself - if no one else - that they always would be, and that she should use it for good.

She looked up to see Casey approaching Ian with Abbie’s support, and Gabrielle waiting for them. She motioned for the two nearest Amazons and moved over to kneel beside Amy. The Amazons followed her as a matter of course.

************

When Ares had told her about the number of dead, Gabrielle had walked over to where they lay quietly out of the melee of activity taking place on the rest of the battlefield. She closed her eyes and offered up a prayer for their souls and their families, then blew out a slow breath and opened her eyes… only to find Trick standing beside her. She waited, knowing if he had tracked her down… especially here… he had something to say to her privately. She didn’t have to wait very long.

“I’m sorry,” he began slowly. “Maybe if we’d been faster so many wouldn’t have died.” She turned to look at him directly, but he kept his gaze on the rows of dead lying beside one another in the darkness. “This story is so old - so much older than I am, even - that I couldn’t do anything about the outcome. The story wouldn’t recognize me as the Blood King… much less as an author.” He sighed. “I did try,” not showing her the wounds his efforts had garnered him, even as his Fae were struggling to help. “I did finally figure out that having the Fae sing would probably be the best way to make things better that we could do.”

“It’s more of a blessing than you know,” Gabrielle assured him. “Because of you and the Fae, no one will remember what actually happened here. No one but you, me, and Xena.”

“Doesn’t make me wish we could do more.”

Gabrielle tilted her head at him. “Do you have anyone that isn’t on the brink of exhaustion?”

Trick returned her gaze. “Most, probably. Everyone has been supporting one another, so the energy flow in and out has been pretty consistent for us. I think the only two Fae adversely affected by this whole situation
are Bo and Dyson because they were right in the middle of everything and out of touch with the rest of us.”

“Do you think you could find some Fae who would be willing to stand Shiva over the dead tonight? I don’t feel right leaving them out here alone for the scavengers, but everyone else is so tired. I’m fairly certain they would all fall asleep, and we don’t need that guilt on top of everything else.”

Trick took one of Gabrielle’s hands between his. “It would be our honor. Thank you for trusting us with this.” Whatever Gabrielle would have answered was lost in the shrill sound that Root emitted when she saw Shaw. Trick patted her hand and released her. “I think you should probably go take care of that. I’ll make sure the dead have sentinels tonight, and tomorrow, we can worry about how best to take care of them.”

“Thank you, Trick,” Gabrielle said softly before taking off at a run across the field. She saw Xena headed toward Root and Shaw and knew she would take care of both of them. then she saw Casey and Abbie emerge from the darkness and angled her steps to stand beside Ian. She noticed the moment Casey realized something had happened to them and opened her arms. Abbie guided Casey to her, and Gabrielle accepted Casey’s full weight when she fell into the embrace. She cried for a full minute before sucking in air and pulling herself back just enough to meet Gabrielle’s eyes.

“What happened? Is he… is everything…?”

Gabrielle grasped Casey’s face in her hands, tenderly wiping away the tears with her thumbs. “Ian’s going to be all right, honey,” moving them aside so the Amazon medics could load him onto the cot and transport him to the plane. “Saligia hurt him, but Xena and some of the Guardians made sure he would be okay. He woke up and spoke to his Dáskalos briefly just a few minutes ago. They’re going to take him and a few of the other of the more seriously wounded back to the City where Xena and her team can monitor them a little better.”

“I want to go.”

Gabrielle shook her head. “You can’t. There’s not room.”

“But….”

“I’m not going either,” Gabrielle said, cutting her off before she could begin her argument. “This is one of those times when being an adult sucks piggy wonks, I know. Trust me… been there, done that. And honestly, I need you here with me to help get everything back to the way it should be so we can all go home.”

Casey smiled through her tears. “You don’t play fair.”

Gabrielle chuckled and shook her head. “I never have. I always play to win.”

Casey caught Gabrielle’s hands in her own and squeezed lightly, then released them to wipe at her own face. “What do you need me to do?”

“Us,” Abbie cut in. “I can help too.”

Gabrielle nodded. “For now, help get the rest of the living back to their quarters. The Fae will watch over the dead tonight, and tomorrow we’ll see about putting things back where we found them and getting the lesser wounded to the clinic for further treatment if necessary. We’ll have to figure out how to move all the trailers too. We’re going to move those back to the living part of the Reservation where they can be utilized for something positive.”

Abbie and Casey nodded, then Abbie jerked a thumb in the direction of the Guardians. “I’m gonna go check on them… see if we can get them moving back toward the Warehouse. Maybe you should talk to Amy,” gesturing to the younger woman that was currently sitting on her knees talking quietly to her lover as Xena stood nearby with a couple medics waiting for Amy to finish saying goodbye so they could load her up. “I imagine she could use a little support too,” moving away before either woman could comment.

“I guess you two got things worked out between you?” Gabrielle asked as they watched Abbie walk away.

“I think so,” Casey answered. “I think being friends again is a real possibility.” She met Gabrielle’s eyes. “Do you think Ian would understand?”

“As long as you are honest and talk to him about it.” A groan brought their attention back to the body that was now hip height to them, and Casey clasped his hand and leaned down to brush a kiss over his parched lips. “I love you, Ian Emmanuel Stone. Don’t forget you promised me forever, so you get better quick, all right?”

“Fast as I can, Baby,” he whispered, placing a hand on her belly. “Love you.” Then she tucked his hand under the blanket the Amazons had covered him with, and they resumed their march to the waiting jet. Gabrielle had overheard, of course, and was brimming with unasked questions, but she allowed Casey her privacy, and turned to intercept Gail Peck as she came running toward them. Casey turned to talk to Amy.

************

“Whoa! Whoa!!” Gabrielle yelled, catching Gail by the shoulders and physically slowing her down. “Where do you think you’re going running like your pants are on fire?”

“Let go of me, Gabrielle,” trying to pull herself from Gabrielle’s grasp to no avail. “I don’t want to hurt you, so let go of me before I have to.”

Gabrielle’s grip tightened as she laughed aloud. “Not even on your best day. Now tell me what’s wrong. Let me see if I can help.”

Her laughter ignited Gail’s ire, and she struggled to pull away, using every police technique she had ever learned… only to find herself flat on the ground with her arms shoved up into her shoulder blades. She shrugged, then immediately whimpered at the agony that coursed through her body. Gabrielle leaned down over her.

“You done posturing yet? Because I can get Xena involved in this if you want to keep acting like an idiot.”

“Get off me!”

A larger hand landed on her back and she froze, feeling the menace ooze from the presence accompanying it. “You need to take a deep breath and calm down,” Xena whispered directly in her ear. “I don’t know what’s gotten your panties in a twist, but you’re not helping your case.” Gail took as deep a breath as she could stand, forcing herself to relax. She found the more she relaxed, the easier it became to breathe, until she didn’t hurt. Xena and Gabrielle exchanged looks over her head. “You ready to talk now?”

“I want on that plane going back to New York. I’m not letting Holly go alone.”

“No.”

She started struggling again, only to find her arms pinned so high, she’d have been standing on tiptoe had she been on her feet. “You have no right.”

“I have every right. I’m not removing someone who needs critical care for your selfishness,” Xena growled, looking at Gabrielle, who took over seamlessly when she saw Xena’s eyes flash red.

“How would Holly feel about how you’re acting? Would you prefer I leave her here for you to be together instead of getting her somewhere that’s better equipped to deal with her injury?”

“I just wanted….” deflating under the weight of the things that had been said.

“We all want… a lot of things that just aren’t possible right now. Now… if we release you are you gonna show a little sense, or shall I have the sheriff remove you to the Reservation jail for the night to cool down? Before you answer, consider that if we let you go, and you continue to act stupid, the consequences will be harsh and long-lasting.”

Gail sighed. She knew she’d screwed up, but she didn’t understand just how badly until she heard the seriousness of Gabrielle’s words. “I promise to behave.” She closed her eyes and sighed again as she felt the severe grip loosen and allow her body to finally relax. She pushed herself into a sitting position, finding Gabrielle the only person close to her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “She’s everything to me, and knowing she was hurt… that I couldn’t protect her or do anything to help make it better….”

Gabrielle nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. “I get it,” she said softly. “We all do. But sometimes, we have to give up what we want for the greater good of others.”

Gail smirked sadly. “Why does that sound a whole lot more noble than it feels like?”

“Because that’s the truth. The Greater Good isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and there are a lot of time it’d be a lot better if we could be selfish instead. Now,” rubbing the shoulder her hand was resting on, “how do you feel?”

“Like I got run over by a Mac truck,” she replied. “What did you hit me with?” chuckling when Gabrielle flashed her biceps. “Damn… I’ve had less damage done to me by perps twice your size.”

“Maybe,” Gabrielle acknowledged, “but I guarantee you none of them was trained by Xena,” not mentioning her own Bacchae-enhanced strength. “Trust me when I tell you… it could have been a lot worse. I‘ve broken bones before.”

Gail rubbed the shoulder Gabrielle wasn’t tending. “Somehow, I can believe that.” She patted Gabrielle’s hand and struggled to her feet. “Thank you… you know… for not sending me flying into next week. I’m pretty sure you could have if you’d wanted to - with or without Xena’s help.” She looked around at the cleared battlefield. “I guess I better go find my bunk, huh?”

“Yeah. We’re gonna need all hands on deck later to help put everything back to rights. You gonna be up to it?”

Gail smiled. “I’ll be first in line. I owe you that much.”

Gabrielle put a light hand on her arm, exerting just enough pressure for Gail to know she meant business. “You don’t own me or anyone else anything. But I will be grateful for your help, okay?”

“Okay,” Gail nodded after a moment. Then she headed off toward her bed.

************

While they were busy loading Wonder Woman’s jet, Supergirl met Alex and Maggie heading toward their trailer. They both still looked worse for wear, but they had been tended to and were actually feeling more human than they had been. One look at Kara, though, had them rushing to surround her in a hug. She smiled tiredly and returned the embrace as strongly as she could. Alex pulled back enough to meet her eyes.

“Kar?”

Kara shook her head. “I’ll be all right. I just need some time in the sun to regenerate, so I’m going back with Wonder Woman and Xena. She and Gabrielle set up a sunroom just for me in their apartment in the City that’s just like being outside. I should be back here in the morning,” smiling when Alex pointedly looked at her watch. “All right… later today. Satisfied?”

“No, but I’m confident they’ll take good care of you.”

Her words caused Kara to pull back and take a good look at Alex. “Where did that come from?”

“Your faith in them and my own observations of them here.” She kissed the side of Kara’s head. “Now go and recharge. Come find us when you get back.”

Maggie nodded from her other side. “What she said.”

Kara smiled and kissed them both. “Love you guys,” she said as she walked back toward the plane. Alex and Maggie watched her go until she disappeared behind a hill.

“You think she’ll be okay?” Maggie asked as they turned to make their way back toward the trailer that was housing them. Alex nodded.

“Yeah. She’s got good people looking out for her.”  Then they entered their housing and closed the door behind them.

Part 11