Previously on Soul Desire:
"Dahak can't break into the world on his own," Xena said, the expression on her face evidence of her whirring thoughts. She looked uneasy for the first time that Lois had ever seen.
"No, he can't," Hades confirmed.
"So who's helping him?" Gabrielle asked. It was the first thing that she had said in a while, Clark noticed.
"Glad you asked," Ares replied. "An old friend of yours, Xena. Someone who once promised you that the world would fall at your feet."
Xena's mouth set into a hard, thin line. "Alti."
"Alti," the war god confirmed.
**********
"Ok, I'll bite. Who's Alti?" Clark said.
Xena stood and began to pace. Her voice turned rough with remembered pain. "She's a very powerful shamaness. Maybe the most powerful one to ever live. A long time ago, after Caesar betrayed me, I allied myself with the warlord Borias. Together we swept across the known world like a plague, from Greece to China and back again. At one point, we found ourselves in Amazon territory. That's where I met Alti. She'd been one of the Amazons, but they had cast her out from their ranks because they feared the great and evil powers she could wield. I befriended her, drawn in by the hope that she could help me to have such devastating powers as well. I lusted for that power. I was too blind to see that Alti was using me, manipulating me, but Borias saw it and tried to warn me. I wish now that I had listened to him. But Alti had too strong a hold on me. She promised to make me The Destroyer of Nations. And I fell for it."
"When you say powers," Lois said, "what exactly do you mean?"
Xena stopped pacing and took a moment to choose her words carefully. She frowned as she thought about the shamaness.
"Her powers lie mostly in the spiritual realm," she said at last. "She can command spirits and she can send her own spirit into other living things. She also has the ability to place curses on people."
Lois snorted a little. It wasn't the first time that she and Clark had faced curses. On their wedding night, they had had to travel back in time with the writer H.G. Wells to remove a curse on their souls. The curse had promised a painful, ugly death for Lois if they consummated their love.
"I know it probably sounds a little out there to you," Xena said earnestly. "But believe me when I say that it is true. I have firsthand experience with her curses. When I met her, I was already pregnant with Borias' child. Alti cursed my son while he was still in my womb, saying that he would never know the love of either of his parents. Borias died the night that Solan was born. And I gave him up to the centaurs to raise so that he could never become a target for my enemies, nor would he become like me. Solan died without ever knowing that I was his mother."
"That's incredibly sad," Lois murmured sympathetically. She couldn't imagine a life apart from her children, nor could she imagine a life in which her children didn't know exactly who she was.
Xena nodded absently, her mind still in the past.
"Anything else?" Clark prodded.
Xena sighed as she released the memory of losing her son. "Alti also has the ability to see into the future, and to pass those visions along. It's rare that I've seen her do that though, like her curses. The main thing to watch out for is her ability see into a person's past. She uses that power to wage a mental war with her victims. She dredges up the most painful memories that she can get a hold of and makes her victim relive the pain in every stark detail."
"So if you broke your arm once..." Clark began, trying to understand.
"You'll feel the excruciating pain of the breaking bone as you once felt it, but your arm will not actually break again," Xena explained for him. "She doesn't have to power to make the wounds actually come to pass. At least, she never could in the past. Who knows what her allegiance with Dahak has gotten her."
"Why would Alti become Dahak's ally?" Gabrielle asked. "She's never been one to share power. It just doesn't make any sense."
"You already know that her soul is destined to live on, constantly being reborn to wreck havoc on the world," Hades said. "When Hercules defeated Dahak the last time, when he entered the world for a brief time in Iolaus' body, Dahak was severely beaten. It has taken him these past thousands of years to recover enough of his old strength to try again. He's enticed Alti with incomprehensible powers if she can help bring him into the world. Already, a small tear in the universe has formed, the gateway through which Dahak will return, if given the chance. The gods have only just become aware of this."
"But doesn't Alti realize that Dahak will destroy everything if he gets loose?" Iolaus asked. "There won't be a world left to use her powers in."
"Not everything, Curly," Aphrodite said, breaking her silence. "He'll kill the gods and everything good in the world. Evil will spread like a bad rash and take over the world. It'll be chaos."
"Alti thinks she'll rule alongside Dahak," Gabrielle said.
"Or she thinks that she'll wield enough power to overthrow Dahak," Xena said quietly.
"I still don't understand what this has to do with me," Clark said, running a hand through his hair.
"Dahak can't just enter the world the way that you or I can walk through a doorway," Hercules explained. "He needs help to enter the world. Sacrifices, if you will. The last time, he required the sacrifice of a warrior heart. Iolaus foiled the attempt on the life of Nebula, the queen of Sumeria, and died in her place. With his death, Dahak had what he needed to force his way into the world."
"I don't think I qualify as having a warrior heart," Clark said, frowning.
"He doesn't want your heart," Ares said, his hands once again resting on the pommel of his sword. "He wants your soul."
"His soul?" Lois echoed.
Ares nodded. "Dahak knows that Superman's soul is extraordinarily powerful. The most powerful one to ever exist. It'll give Dahak more than enough power to reenter the world. And, it has the added bonus of ridding the world of his greatest obstacle."
"And," Aphrodite said, "he thinks that Clark's death will sever the bond that you two share, giving him further power. Believe me, the connection between your souls is the strongest that I've ever seen. And I'm the goddess of love."
"So...you three are gods. Why don't you just do something to stop Alti and Dahak?" Lois asked.
"Can't," Aphrodite shrugged apologetically.
"Can't or won't?" Lois shot back, surprising herself. "Or maybe some of you want Clark to die." She eyed Ares with suspicion. "Surely you must hold some sort of grudge against him. He's stopped a number of wars since he took up the Superman persona. That must get under your skin." She wondered briefly at her boldness towards the powerful gods before her.
"Three hundred and eighty seven of them," Ares confirmed. "But who's counting? Look, don't you think if I had the power to kill your husband, that I would have already done so?"
"Why haven't you?" Clark asked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything."
Ares sighed, clearly unhappy with the reason why. "Because, like my dear brother here, Zeus has placed you and your family under his protection. None of us can do anything to harm or kill any of you. And as much as I despise you, I am bound to obey my father's edicts."
"The gods can't intervene with Dahak," Aphrodite said, turning back to Lois. "As it is, most of them have already fled Olympus, seeking safety between universes. We're the only three left who stayed behind to help."
"Cowards," Iolaus snorted with distaste.
"They're the gods," Hercules sighed. "What did you expect?"
Iolaus shrugged. "Might be nice if Zeus took matters into his own hands for once, instead of relying one someone else to do his dirty work."
"Do you believe them?" Lois asked Hercules, gesturing at the gods.
Hercules reluctantly nodded, letting out a long, drawn out breath as he did so. "As much as I hate to admit it, I believe them. You can always trust the gods to act in their own best interests. And Dahak will kill them if he gets loose."
"So what do we do to stop Alti and Dahak?" Clark asked.
"I have to kill her," Xena said, determination settling over her features. "How powerful is Alti right now?" she asked, voicing the question to all three of the gods before her.
Aphrodite shrugged, embarrassed. "That's part of the problem. We don't know."
Xena set her jaw. "I guess I'll find out when I fight her then. But this time I need to make sure that she stays dead. I just don't know how yet."
"She's not the only problem though," Hercules sighed.
Iolaus nodded thoughtfully. "Dahak."
Hercules nodded in return. "There's got to be a way of permanently sealing this world to him."
"Or a way to kill him," Xena said grimly.
"You think so?" Gabrielle asked.
Xena frowned. "I hope so."
"Wait, hold on a second," Lois said. "You're talking about killing, for all intents and purposes, a god. I thought that gods were supposed to be immortal."
"They are," Hercules said, spreading his hands out as he explained. "But under the right circumstances, and with the right tools, even gods can be killed. For example, there used to be a race of half human, half deer called the Golden Hinds. A single drop of their blood had the power to kill an Olympian god."
"So you think that every...godly entity has a fatal flaw?" Clark asked.
Hercules shrugged. "It's possible. At least, I hope that's the case with Dahak."
"Well, it was mentioned that you fought this Dahak once before," Lois prodded. "How'd you defeat him?"
Hercules thought back, stroking his chin. The images came vividly back to him, even after thousands of intervening years. The mad scramble through deadly traps with Zarathustra to acquire the Stone of Creation. The way that the sapphire gem had focused the sunlight to imprison Dahak with unbreakable chains, so long as the light lasted. The exorcism that he'd performed to purge Dahak from Iolaus' body. The otherworldly realm that Hercules had been forced to enter in order to do battle with Dahak. The battle that he'd fought and won, ultimately freeing Iolaus so that he could crossover to the other side. He still couldn't watch the end of the Men in Black movie - the giant bug at the end reminded him too much of the form that Dahak had taken in order to fight him. Hercules still thanked the gods that Iolaus had found a way to come back from the dead that time.
"The Stone of Creation might help," he said at last. "I used it the last time I fought him. At the very least, it might help break the bond between Alti and Dahak."
"Okay then. Where do we find this stone?" Clark said resolutely, standing ready to fly off to whatever corner of the world the stone might be hidden.
"Figures," Iolaus said, rolling his eyes.
Hercules shook his head. "That might be a problem. I can tell you where it was a few thousand years ago, but not now. It could be anywhere." He turned reluctantly towards Ares. "If we're all to be on the same team, I'm going to need some help. See what you can find out about the stone's whereabouts. Please." The last word reluctantly emerged from Hercules' throat, as though it were physically painful for him to say.
"All right," Ares agreed after a long moment, the same painfully forced cordialness straining his own voice.
Clark shook his head. "There's still something that I don't understand here. It's clear that you two," he gestured to Xena and Gabrielle, "are the same people we met long ago. But I'm not sure how that's possible. I thought that we'd crossed to a different universe."
"You thought wrong," Ares said.
"But if it was the same universe, why didn't I have my powers?" Clark argued. "It doesn't make any sense."
"Discord," Ares said with a shrug.
"Excuse me?" Clark asked.
Ares sighed, annoyed with the delay in fighting Dahak. "Discord's one of the minor goddesses," he explained. "She's annoying, but she can have her uses too. Apparently, she thought it would be hysterical to see you as a flesh and blood mortal while you were in Greece. Her spell lost its power once you returned to your own time. Now, me, I can appreciate the humor in that. But Zeus was pretty mad when he found out. Now if you excuse me, I have work to do." With a flash, he vanished from sight.
"I need to return to the underworld," Hades said, standing. "I can only be gone so long without consequences."
"Go," Hercules said, nodding. "I appreciate that you came with Ares today. And for bringing back my friends. We're going to need all the help we can get."
"If you need anything, call my name. If it is within my power to grant it, I will do so," the god said before he too, vanished from sight.
"Aphrodite," Xena said, turning to the pink clad goddess, "think you can find Alti and keep an eye on her?"
"Spy work?" the goddess asked gleefully, clapping her hands together. She thought a moment before snapping her fingers. Her outfit transformed into a sleek black pant suit, complete with dark sunglasses. Her hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. She struck a Charlie's Angels type of pose. "What do you think?"
"Subtle," Hercules said. "But that does remind me. We're going to need disguises for you three." He looked at Xena, Gabrielle, and Iolaus as he spoke.
"No problem, bro. Leave it to goddess."
Aphrodite tapped her chin with a manicured finger as she thought. After a few seconds, she pointed at each of the Greeks in turn, transforming their ancient looking clothing into modern wear. Dark blue, almost black jeans and a black three quarter sleeve shirt for Xena. Stone washed blue jeans and a green t-shirt for Gabrielle. A pair of faded jeans and a light blue t-shirt for Iolaus.
"There, that ought to do it," she said. "Not particularly stylish, but at least they'll blend in nicely."
"Thanks," Hercules said sincerely. He checked his watch. "Uh oh. We better find someplace else to continue this discussion. The crew needs this set in about twenty minutes so they can prep it for tomorrow."
"Someplace with food, I hope," Iolaus said. "This is the worst tavern I've ever been in! Where's the food? The drinks? The cute serving girls?"
Hercules smiled. Some things never changed - chief among them, Iolaus' love of food and women.
"This isn't a real tavern, Iolaus," he said, clasping his friend's shoulder briefly with one strong hand.
"Then what good is it?" the shorter man complained.
"We need to find someplace where you won't draw attention," Lois said, looking at Hercules.
"I'd say my hotel room, but it's going to be snug in there with all of us."
"What, no suite?" Clark asked, a little surprised.
"Nah, it's just me there and all I really need is a bed and a shower."
"Too many people still on shift at the Planet to commandeer a conference room," Lois said, thinking aloud.
"I guess we don't really have a choice," Clark said. "Come back to our place. We'll figure something out from there. Kev...uh, Hercules, do you have car close by?"
"Yes. But I'd hate to impose."
"You wouldn't be imposing. We're all on the same side, right? I can't think of a better place for us to lay low while we figure out our next move. We're parked down on Swinton Place. Silver jeep, old as the hills. Can't miss us. You can follow us back."
"Okay," Hercules agreed after a moment. "Iolaus, Xena, Gabrielle. You can ride with me."
Chairs scraped across the wooden floor of the tavern. Lois and Clark exited first and casually made their way back through the set. It was growing ever closer to sunset, and most of the outdoor scenes had wrapped for the day. A few crispy looking dragon-fire victims were making their way to the craft services tables for drinks, slapping each other's backs and laughing loudly. Clark waved at the same production assistant who had led them to the tavern earlier, just before he and Lois slipped around past the barricades that marked off the set from the rest of the park. The crowds had dispersed, now that there was nothing to see being filmed.
As soon as Clark and Lois were back in their car, Clark pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number for his home. His mother picked up on the second ring. He quickly made arrangements for Michael, Hunter, and Rebecca to stay at their grandparents' house until things blew over. There was no telling how long Xena and the others would be holed up in their house, but he guessed that they would be there at least overnight. He gave his mother the briefest of explanations, leaving out the threat to his very life and soul. It was better if she worried about his safety after the fact. He hated to keep things from her, but he wasn't sure that he really understood everything himself. When he was finished, he ended the call and sat in silence with Lois, waiting for Hercules to pull up.
Meanwhile, Hercules led his friends through Centennial Park at a brisk pace. He waved to a few of the production assistants, those who saw him at any rate. He stopped only once, instructing a petite blonde girl named Lynn to see what she could do about clearing his schedule for the next few days, citing personal reasons as the cause of why he needed a few days away from the set. She promised to speak with the director as soon as possible and to call or text if there was any problems.
"Nice," Iolaus said, appraising the girl as she sauntered down the path. "Since when do you have women catering to you? I thought that was against your image."
Hercules smiled at his friend's banter. By the gods, how he'd missed the traded teasing with his light-hearted friend!
"Why? Jealous?" he joked right back.
"Hey, I'm huge in the Elysian Fields," Iolaus shot back, an amused twinkle in his eye. He stopped and looked his friend in the eye. "All kidding aside, it really is good to see you again, Herc. I've missed you. I'd take fighting a hydra with you over the blissful numbness of the Elysian Fields any day of the week."
"I've missed you too, Iolaus. It hasn't been the same without having you by my side, traveling the world, fighting side by side. It's pretty dull fighting fake monsters in rubberized suits. Or worse, CGI monsters."
"What?"
"Uh, never mind. It's complicated."
They resumed walking. Hercules led them out of the park to where he'd parked his car, a well kept red convertible only one model year old. A street vendor stood parked in a shiny silver trailer on the corner.
"Hey, let's get a bite to tide us over. What do you say?" Iolaus asked.
Hercules hesitated but Iolaus started towards it.
"Iolaus, no," Hercules said. "Lois and Clark are waiting for us."
"Come on," Iolaus beckoned. "But, I'm a little short on dinars. Can you spot me a few?"
Hercules shrugged and started after his friend. A few feet from the vehicle, Iolaus stopped and turned around.
"What?" Hercules asked.
"That guy...he kinda looks like Falafel. Don't you think?"
Hercules looked over and stifled a grimace. The man was impassively watching the foot traffic on the sidewalk. But Iolaus was right. He had the same long, dirty face and small, beady eyes of their old friend Falafel, the worst cook in ancient Greece.
"He does," Hercules conceded. "Maybe he's a descendant of his."
"Well, in that case, I think I'll pass on the food," Iolaus said, starting back the way they had come. "I didn't come back from the dead to torture my stomach."
Hercules smiled and shook his head as he trailed Iolaus. "Now I know why they call these things 'roach coaches,'" he said to himself.
They reached the convertible once more. Xena raised one eyebrow as Hercules unlocked the vehicle.
"I thought you said we were riding."
Hercules laughed a small embarrassed laugh. "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you guys aren't accustomed to seeing the world as it is now. This is a car. Think of it like...a horseless carriage."
"Impossible!" Gabrielle said, unbelieving.
"Come on. Hop in and I'll prove it."
"So, who gets to ride up front?" Iolaus asked.
"I call 'crossbow'," Xena grinned slyly.
"I walked myself right into that, didn't I?" Iolaus complained, half-heartedly.
Iolaus and Gabrielle climbed into the backseat while Xena took the front passenger seat. Each of them looked dubious as to riding in the strange contraption. Hercules slid the key into the ignition and pulled away from the curb.
"So what else has changed since we've been gone?" Xena asked after a few moments, while Hercules navigated a few one way streets to circle back to where Lois and Clark waited.
"Well, a few years back, there were a couple of TV shows based on our lives and adventures."
"TV?" Gabrielle asked.
"It's like a play. Only it isn't done live in front of an audience. Maybe I can show you later."
"Did they at least get our stories right?" Gabrielle asked. "I mean, did they take liberties with my scrolls?"
"Uh..." Hercules stuttered.
"It's okay, you can give it to me straight," Gabrielle assured him. "I can take it."
"Quite a few liberties were taken. I don't know if it was done just in an attempt to draw more viewers in or if maybe they had only some of your scrolls, or if they just got lucky on the things that they got right. But there were quite a few stories written that never actually happened. And I do assume they had some of your scrolls, at the very least. I mean, the earlier stories completely nailed your adventures right on the head."
"What sort of adventures did they, whoever they is, make up for us?" Xena asked, her eyes never leaving the car's windshield, taking in all of the unfamiliar sights and sounds of Metropolis.
"Well, for one, they had you slaughter most of the Olympian gods," Hercules said, shrugging a little as he drove. It was obvious from his tone that the sheer ridiculousness of the "Twilight Of The Gods" story amused him greatly. "Oh, and they had me kill Zeus."
"You've [/i]got[/i] to be kidding! Please, at least tell me that I killed Ares first," Xena replied, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief as she pulled them from the road ahead and looked instead at the demigod.
"No, you kept him alive," Hercules said.
A fit of laughter seized Iolaus. Hercules couldn't help but to join in.
"Could have been worse," Hercules said after a moment. "They turned me into a pig for two episodes." He pointed to Lois' car. "Look. There they are."
They followed as Lois pulled her Jeep from the curb and guided the vehicle to Hyperion Avenue, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts.
To Be Continued...
