Desperately Seeking Strife

1/3/99-1/23/99

"Achoo!"

"Bless you."

"Thanks," the priestess sniffled, wiping her nose with a handkerchief.

"This is ridiculous," Maggie spluttered. "We finished cleaning an hour ago and I'm still finding dust in my clothes."

The priestesses were sitting in the kitchen, eating lunch between sneezes. They had spent the better part of the day scrubbing, dusting, mopping and sweeping and they still were nowhere near being done. The temple was a mess, their God was AWOL, and they were exhausted.

"I think the last time anyone saw the color of this floor was when the place was first built," Sillen commented dryly.

"I think the next time I see a roach I'm gonna cry," Emily glowered.

"I'm not going near those bathrooms again anytime soon."

The place was infested. Every time they thought they had seen the last of one kind of vermin, two more species would spring up and take its place. The baths, kitchen and basement were filled with spiders, rats, and cockroaches.

"And I'm so glad Strife is here to help us out with his wonderful godly powers," Sillen said bitterly.

"I don't think we'd want him around. He'd be helping ten minutes and something would go wrong and we'd have one more mess to clean up or fire to put...put...Achoo!"

"Bless you."

"Thank you."

Strife had been missing since the girls had first suggested a good temple scrubdown two nights before. Knowing him, he was probably lounging just outside in an armchair, in mortal invisibility mode, wearing nothing but a pair of tight shorts and dark sunglasses and drinking Margaritas but inexplicably still not getting a tan.

It had been about two weeks since their prank had backfired. Strife's torso was still sore from what little he let on and he still had a small bandage on the back of his head from hitting the stone floor after sitting in a badly preserved chair.

The priestesses hadn't been as lucky as they had first suspected. He'd remembered everything about the "parallel universe" he'd "sent" himself to, from what they could tell anyway. Thanks to the tumble he'd taken from the throne, however, the transition was still a bit muddled in his mind. If he'd heard anything he shouldn't have when he first got back he either hadn't mentioned it or thought it was because of the concussion he'd given himself.

"Well girls," Maggie said, with a mouthful of tuna sandwich. "We can do one of two things. We can either try and find Strife and get him to do a little dance make a little hand motion and fix this place up..."

"Which is an exercise in futility, because we know he's gonna avoid us like the plague."

"I thought he liked the plague?" Ems asked.

"Only when it's not happening to him. Ask him about his little escapades in Troy sometime."

"Or...as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." Maggie attempted to give them a dirty look, but failed keeping a straight face. "We can continue cleaning. Totally ruin our sinuses. And find out what other lovely creatures we're sharing our rooms with."

"I'm for number one."

"Me too."

"Okay lets finish lunch and go Strife hunt-...hunt-...Achoo!"

"Bless you."

"Thanks there."

The dark-haired young woman knocked softly on the door. She looked to be about eighteen and had a full leather pack slung over her right shoulder. Since no one answered the door, she cautiously pushed it open.

"Hello? Anybody in here?"

There was no answer, and Livia continued walking into the temple. She sneezed loudly as she walked through a stray cloud of dust. The noise echoed like an avalanche. Great acoustics.

"Hello?"

Liv walked a bit farther, then spotted a group of women sitting around a table. They appeared deep in conversation, and Liv hesitated to interrupt.

"Hello?"

They looked up.

"Hi! My name's Livia. Please, call me Liv. I hear this is a pretty good place to hang out. Mind if I join?" she smiled hopefully.

"Heya!"

"Hi!"

"Glad to know ya."

The priestesses waved to the newcomer.

"Um...Hi," Liv hesitated, slightly disturbed by the overzealous priestesses.

"You'll have to forgive us. We're just glad to see somebody..."

"...Anybody..."

"...around these parts."

"Here," Maggie smiled, taking Liv's pack. "let me put this where the vermin can't get to it."

"Thanks. Um...what exactly were you guys discussing?"

"Getting Strife to get his pale rump in gear and fix this place up," Maggie said, putting the bag in the one cupboard with a decent latch and no mouse holes.

"You mean it doesn't look dilapidated and uninviting on purpose?" Liv grinned. "That's half its charm."

"Try living here," Sillen grumbled. "I've lost track of how many times I've woken up in the middle of the night and had to beat something off me with a stick...besides Strife."

Emily snickered.

"So...what do we do first?"

"Go looking for him. The little bugger's smart enough not to come when we call, I'll give him that. So we have to hunt him down like the annoying little weasel he is when we're ticked at him." Maggie smiled wryly, pushing a lock of hair back off her face.

Sillen grinned devilishly. "I think I'll take a stick with me...just in case."

Liv smiled. "Thanks for the welcome, guys! I'll help ya with finding Strife if there's anything I can do. Besides, what's the point of having a Temple if there's no god there to bother with details about the housekeeping and upkeep? Isn't that the whole point?" Several of the others nodded. "I rest my case. So, what's the plan?"

Victoria had left the small village she had lived in her whole life just that morning, and she was already beginning to think she had made a big mistake. First, the donkey she had "borrowed" had run away and taken all of her supplies with him. Then she had some how managed to trip over a root, roll down a hill, and fall in lake. Now she was starting to get chilly.

"I just dare this day to get worse," the petite blonde grumbled to herself as she shuffled wearily down the road. With her wet, dirt streaked clothes and face, and her limp tangled mass of hair, she currently had quite a resemblance to a drowned sewer rat.

As she rounded a bend in the path however, she was greeted with a welcome sight. A large run-down building loomed in front of her. It looked to be deserted.

"At last I can dry in privacy!" Viky exclaimed to absolutely no one. The water in her boots splooshed noisily as she marched up to the open door. Victoria stepped inside.

What was she expecting to find? Dust bunnies. Maybe rats. What she wasn't expecting to find was a group of priestesses about to march out the door.

Suddenly finding herself face to face with the group and, particularly alarmed by the one wielding the really big stick, Viky yelped out loud.

Emily jumped a little and closed her eyes. "Don't do that! You scared me half to death!"

"What are you talking about? YOU scared ME!" Viky responded.

"Well, I really don't care who scared who! Let's go already!" shouted Maggie.

"'Kay," Emily said turning her head to Maggie. "Let's Go!"

"Um excuse me but where are you going?" Viky asked.

"To find Strife!" all the priestesses exclaimed in unison.

"Wow," noted Zynthiel. "Sound that surrounds the listener. Surround sound! Wait, by Strife do you mean Strife the God? Wow this is his temple, isn't it?!" Viky began to babble excitedly. She had never met an actual god before, and the prospect was rather thrilling. A quizzical look suddenly crossed her face.

"But if this is his temple, where is he?" she asked. "Shouldn't y'all be feeding him grapes, or giving him bubble baths, or something?"

"Or something," Sillen muttered under her breath while filing her nails absent mindedly on her stick.

"We would do those things," Emily explained. "IF Strife were here. But he has disappeared again!"

"Well he is a god," Viky said. "Maybe he's just busy."

The priestesses all exchanged looks that ranged from "yeah right" to "the poor naive girl".

"Hardly," explained Maggie. "All we mentioned was a temple cleaning and 'poof!' he's gone."

"So now we're off to find him!" Emily finished. With that the gaggle of priestesses marched out the temple door and down the road with the still slightly bewildered Viky trailing behind.

The group made its way outside and onto the front lawn.

"Should we split up?"

"It's probably a lot better that way, we'll cover more ground," Maggie agreed. "Just remember he'll probably be doing his 'invisible to mortals' thing."

Sillen and Liv formed a pair and headed towards the stables. Ems and Viky teamed up and decided to check the nearby forest.

"That leaves me," Maggie said, to no one in particular seeing as how everyone else had gone.

Both of the other pairs had offered to let her go with them but she had refused. There was a lot of ground to cover, plus she never really felt comfortable working in groups. She was more of a loner.

"Now..." she pondered. "If I were a God where would hide? No wait. That won't work," she edited herself aloud. She had a bad habit of talking to herself, and sometimes other people, when nobody else was around. "If I were Strife: lazy, often perverted, pale, and not too liked among the other gods, where would I hide?"

Suddenly a lamp went on inside her head, it made her feel kind of warm and...fuzzy. She didn't like it at all. But at least she had an idea as to where to look.

"Ready or not, here I come," she grinned maniacally.

Meanwhile, Viky and Emily had made their way deep into the forest. Ems rubbed her hands together. "Oh man, I can't wait to get my hands on that little sleaze. After all we've done for him..."

"What have you done for him anyway? I never even knew of this place's existence before now," Viky asked.

"We're his priestesses, not his PR people. We can't help it that he's not a bigger god."

"Oh. So basically he doesn't get out enough to earn a reputation?"

"Exactly. He's too busy being lackey to Ares."

"But isn't..."

"Shhh!" Emily hushed the newcomer, pointing a finger. Just ahead of them the woods parted, making the area into a small clearing. A small hill lay before them, it's only inhabitants were some dark-colored flowers.

"All right," Ems whispered. "Jackpot."

"How do you mean?"

"See those flowers waving to and fro?"

"Yeah?"

"Does something strike you as odd about that?"

"Well..." Viky thought for a moment. "Hey, there's no wind around here. Not even a breeze."

"Exactly. That skinny white butt is mine." Ems clapped gleefully.

"You've had sugar today haven't you?"

"Tons," she nodded, before creeping forward.

"This should be interesting."

Ems ran up the hill as fast as she could and took a flying leap. "Bonzai!!!" She landed on...nothing.

"Cripes. I've got grass stains all over myself for nothing."

Viky burst out laughing. "Well, you sure showed those flowers who was boss. I don't think they'll be messing with you anytime soon."

"Everybody's a critic," Emily seethed, picking herself off the remains of the innocent tulips.

Sillen brandished her stick with a kind of perverse joy. " I do so love giving well-deserved beatings to unappreciative gods," she enthused.

Liv was sure to keep well out of the branch's range as they walked down the stable's aisle. "What's the point of a stable if there's no horses?"

"Oh we've got horses. Two of Ares' rejects. One's too old for battle and one's too lame. They make okay trail ponies, but they're not good for much else."

"I take it from your tone you always get Ares' leftovers?"

"Oh yeah. Even the time Strife does spend with us is leftovers. He only really comes here when there's nothing better to do. And then he wonders why we're less than willing to wait on him hand and foot. One time we got so fed up we pranked him and made him think WE were Ares'. Of course, it turned into a major fiasco when he went nuts and thought he was in a different dimension. It took us forever to fix that one."

"Wow, when was this?" Liv asked with a chuckle.

Sillen grinned. "About two weeks ago."

This was the life.

Strife was lazing about the temple pond in an inner tube, sipping nonchalantly on a Daiquiri, getting in some 'deserved' R&R. The minute he'd heard the priestesses mention a good temple scrub down he'd made sure he'd gotten out of there straightaway.

Gods didn't do the chore thing. That's what priestesses were for. And as much Strife loved his girls, he wasn't about to let them order him around. He got enough of that from Ares.

He cringed just thinking about his Uncle. Ares had given him a lovely talking to two weeks ago about keeping his priestesses in line. Now that he thought about it, it had been just after he'd returned from the alternate universe, but that probably meant nothing.

He flicked a bare toe in the water. It was pretty good weather today, considering all the recent rainstorms.

A rustle in the brush caught his attention. With an evil smile, he pushed his sunglasses down on his nose. Let the games begin, he thought to himself, although nobody else would have heard him anyway.

Maggie came down to the pond's edge, carrying an old bucket.

"Aww...all hot and sticky from cleaning?" he giggled, tossing his beverage aside.

Slowly the girl walked around the pond's edge. Looking for the least rocky spot, Strife guessed. He licked his lips in gleeful anticipation.

She looked around to see if anyone else was about, then started to undo her skirt.

"Ohhh yes," Strife breathed, taking his glasses off entirely and sitting up in the tube.

Turning her back on him she pulled the garment off and tossed it aside. Strife muttered an oath as he realized she was wearing a pair of khaki cutoffs underneath. He saw her pick up the bucket and swore again. He was hoping she's bathe here, not take water back to the temple.

"Come on," he whined. "Give me some sugar."

Suddenly her arms pulled back and she hurled the bucket towards him.

"What the...?!" With a squeal, Strife threw his arms up to protect his face as some sort of liquid was splashed onto him. He wiped the gunk out of his eyes and when he looked at the bank, Maggie was gone. "Oh great I missed...Ahh!!!" he shrieked as his inner tube was violently overturned.

The Godling came up spluttering and visible. Maggie soon followed, giggling and wiping wet hair out of her eyes.

"What is this junk?"

"Red paint. I needed to see where you were," she gasped for air.

"And how'd you figure out where I was?"

"Where else would you hide? You wanted to see us get undressed after a hard day's work. You knew we'd use the pond for a wash. I saw the ripples in the water and just guessed where you were," she explained between deep breaths.

"Clever girl," he nodded.

"Hey," she said, arching an eyebrow and looking downward. "I guess this water's pretty cold huh?"

He glared at her and pushed her head underwater. He chuckled darkly until she managed to grab hold of the hem of his shorts and pull him down with her.

For a minute they fought one another and then he was gone. Maggie surfaced, thoroughly irritated.

"No fair! You cheater!!"

She scrambled onto the grass, dripping puddles. She saw a swash of red a few feet away and pounced.

Strife flashed into view upon having a one hundred and twelve pound female land squarely on his chest and knock him to the ground.

"Tag," she smiled sweetly. "You're it."

Liv scraped her foot against a rock. "Well, at least we know the horses are well-fed."

Sillen grinned and brandished her stick. "Yep. We take good care of 'em." She frowned and looked around one last time. "Strife isn't here. Where to?"

Shaking her head, Liv replied, "I dunno, but after traveling for all the way from Iolaus's Temple, I wouldn't mind a nice bath. Where do you guys go to take a dip?"

Sillen smiled again. "The pond. C'mon, I'll show ya!"

Viky and Em sat in the clearing planning their next move.

Actually, Em was planning the next move; Viky was weaving a crown out of the flowers Em had so brutally slaughtered.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help," Viky spoke up.

"That's okay," Em replied sitting cross legged and massaging her temples. "Wellllll....I guess we've established that he's not here."

"Right," replied Viky.

"And it's kind of hot."

"Uh-huh."

"And I want to wash off these grass stains!" Em exclaimed.

"Is there a stream or something near here?" Viky asked.

"A pond."

"We're there!" Viky said jumping up and plopping her dead-flower crown on her head.

And off they were!

Strife lay on the ground making whooping noises. Maggie's impact and the subsequent crash to the ground had knocked all the breath out of him.

Mags sat across his chest giggling. "Ha-ha, serves you right!"

"Oh, really?" Strife grinned evilly, reached up and started to tickle her. Maggie shrieked in surprise and tried to tickle him back. They were wrestling, struggling, and almost at the point of rolling about when there was a disturbance in the air by the pond.

Strife and Maggie looked up in surprise. Standing beside the pond, looking at them curiously, was Panthera. And standing beside *her* was Ares.

Panthera raised an eyebrow. "Is this a bad time?"

Maggie stared at her, and at Ares, with wide eyes before practically levitating off Strife. "Oh! Umm … excuse me!"

"Don't apologize," replied Ares graciously. "I've often wanted to strangle him, too."

Ems walked up, with Viky following her, and raised an eyebrow at Strife, who was laying on the ground. Viky started giggling.

"Well, looks like our job is done!" Emily said starting to laugh.

"Not so fast!" Strife said sitting up and looking at her. In a second he was gone.

"Dammit!" Emily yelled as she sat down on the ground. "Now what Ares?" she said looking up at the GOW.

Maggie came and sat down next to Emily. Vicky sat down on the other side. It was too hot outside!

"That's Ares?" Vicky whispered to Emily. "Ares the god of war?" She smiled, Emily nodded. "Must be my lucky day!"

Why are you asking *me*?" exclaimed Ares in exasperation. He looked around at the assembled pleading faces and sighed. "All right. I know someone who can track him down." His voice sharpened; "Don't I?"

Panthera, involved in fishing the floating inner tube out of the pond, glanced up. "Huh?" She blinked at him for a moment and then cringed. "NO!"

The GOW twitched an eyebrow. "No?"

"Get off it Ares!" snapped Panth irritably. As one the priestesses flinched back, but the Panth-exploding bolt they expected didn't come. In fact, Ares looked amused as Panthera stamped up to him.

"Look," she complained. "I've hunted down a wild boar for your feast, taken out that gang of temple robbers, and massaged your shoulders, which is a big job! I thought we were square."

"Square?" Ares echoed. "Square for inviting that … that woman to my Solstice Party? The woman who trashed half my Temple and some of my guests, then had a hormone fit and attached herself to my left leg for an hour?" Leaning toward Panthera, who was making a valiant effort not to start giggling again, he gave her a grin. "I don't feel square, Kitten."

He pointed in a random direction away from the pond. "Find Strife!"Ares disappeared.

"Ohhh!!!" Panthera whined, stamping furiously around in a small circle. She didn't really mind doing favors for Ares to make up for the Minya prank, and she also knew full well that if she'd been anyone else she'd have been drawn and quartered by now. But this was getting silly!

"Umm ... " Viky broached the subject carefully, "What woman was he talking about?"

Ems explained, while the other Priestesses giggled and Panthera let off steam.

Eventually Panth stamped over too them. "OK," she grumbled. "Would someone like to tell me exactly *why* we're chasing the little ... God?"

Liv and Sillen arrived at the pond just then. Though she didn't know Panthera, Liv got the distinct impression that she wasn't in any kind of mood to be messed with. "Uh, did we miss something?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, nothing much," Panthera replied. "Just Ares coming and ordering me to find Strife. I still don't know why we're bothering anyway! By the way, my name's Panthera. And you are?"

"Livia. Good to meet you." There was an awkward pause. "So, any hints as to how we're going to find the little weasel?"

'Weasel?' Viky thought in response to Liv's comment. "I thought he was cute," she said quietly with a dreamy look in her eyes. She then blushed furiously hoping no one had over heard her.

"Are you okay?" Em asked. "You're turning a little red."

"Fine. Yes. Um, yeah. It's just, it's, it's hot," Viky stammered in reply. "Maybe I should fall in another lake."

As Maggie filled Panth in on the events surrounding the hunt for Strife, Ems had Viky and Liv rolling on the ground in a fit of laughter over detailed versions of the pranks the priestesses had pulled.

"So Panthera," Maggie finished, "how do we find him?"

Everyone gathered around to hear.

Panthera looked around at the priestesses. "Has it occurred to Strife yet - or to you for that matter - that his involvement in the cleaning up doesn't need to be manual labor? He's a God for crying out loud!"

There were nods from Ems, Sillen and Maggie. "We knew," replied Ems dryly, "but I don't think Strife's figured it out yet."

"I don't think that's the point," volunteered Sillen. "Even if he does realize, he's not going to do it on principle!"

Frowning, Panth looked at her. "He has those?"

Sillen shrugged; "Somewhere."

"Uh-huh…" Panth sounded distracted. She gazed absently around the place as if thinking. "Oh, POOP!" she shouted, waving her arms. "I don't know how to find him! I don't even know where the little bugger is likely to…" her voice trailed off. Her confusion drained away and was replaced by a predatory gleam. She began to grin, and then chuckle.

"Oh," she purred happily, "this is going to be too rich!"

There was a silence, suddenly broken when Viky finally couldn't stand it any more. "What?!" she cried imploringly.

Panth looked at her with the kind of smile that makes people back away.

She backed away.

"Strife," Panthera said, "is silly but not stupid. Where is the last place we'd look for him?"

The priestesses looked at one another for a moment. Then Liv caught on; "The Temple!"

The smile widened. "Right. And what is he most afraid of? Besides us, I mean."

The group, who had been about to say in unison "Us!" said in unison, "Ares!"

"Right. Or something similar." Panth had started looking smug. "Ems, there's a back way into the temple, isn't there?" Receiving a nod and brief directions she continued thoughtfully, "Go back to the temple, and complain conspicuously about being vulnerable and unprotected. And when I get back, just play along with whatever happens." And with that she started away up the trail.

"When you get back?" echoed Maggie. "Where are you going?"

She backed up a step as Panth turned to her with that smile. "To chat with some friends!"

Strife lurked invisibly around his temple, watching his priestesses.

They'd come trailing back in a short while ago, looking downhearted. Emily had made a vague attempt to sweep the floor but had only started sneezing again. Now, together with the two new girls, they sat in little groups looking miserable and confused.

Watching them, Strife was bothered by a strange, unfamiliar feeling that pecked insistently at his brain until he took notice of it. He was astonished to find that it was, in fact, guilt. "Oh, no, no no!" he told it firmly. "I'm not listening to you!" He shoved the feeling into the back of his mind and turned back to watching the girls. What was Sillen saying now?

"…anything could walk in!" finished Sillen nervously.

"It is kind of secluded up here…" Livia shivered and hugged herself.

Emily looked around. She hadn't noticed it until Panthera had put the idea in her head, but it was surprisingly easy to talk about feeling vulnerable at the elderly and unprotected temple. "I never thought I'd say it," she remarked, "but right now I really miss having Strife about the place."

Awww! They missed him! It made him feel all gooey! But he had to admit they were kind of alone up here…and the new girl- Veni? Vidi? Vici? Viky!- was looking seriously scared.

Maggie was nodding. "I know what you mean." she said with feeling. "Even if he was being annoying, I'd still feel better if he were here." She looked around. "Where do you suppose Panth's got to?"

The answer came almost immediately as the person in question came hurtling through the doorway backwards and landed, rolling, on the floor. Ems and Viky were running to pick her up when an ominous shadow fell across the doorway.

Maggie stared at the huge figure in the doorway. He looked strangely familiar. Now where had she seen…yes, that was it! In the inner sanctum of Ares' temple, the GOW sometimes amused himself throwing darts at a picture on the wall. "Hey, guys!" hissed Maggie to the others. "That's Hercules!"

Sillen's eyes traveled over the new arrival. "Are you sure about that?

Strife was just as stunned as his priestesses - old Herc was going for a new look! The stubble of a beard ran around his mouth and across his chin, and, well, if Ares thought he had the black leather thing covered…think again!

'Hercules' swaggered down the steps and into the temple. He laughed roughly. "Nice place. What's the rent?"

Panthera staggered to her feet. "Back off, Sovereign!" she snarled.

Sovereign? SOVEREIGN? Strife felt like the floor had fallen out from under him. Nah, it had to be a trick! But then he saw the little guy cowering in the doorway behind the Sov, wearing a costume covered in bells and carrying a rattle on a stick- a jester?

And then Panthera cried, "Girls, RUN!" and launched herself at the Sovereign like a Raptor at a T-Rex.

"Puh-leeze!" He swung a lazy hand that knocked her flying across the temple. Panth rolled across the floor and didn't get up. The Sov turned toward the gathered priestesses and smiled.

Liv felt her jaw drop when the Sovereign entered. Herc told me about him, but...creepy! When Panth yelled to them to get out, she was more than willing to comply. This is the kinda thing that can scar ya for life!

She stood up quickly and waited to see what the others would do. Liv knew she wanted to run like hell, but if they stood firm, she would. Ares didn't put me through all that damn training so that I could be a complete wuss! I hope Panth knows what she's doing.

Ems stared at the Sovereign. She was aware of Maggie and Sillen right behind her, and in the corner of her eye she saw Livia stepping up beside them. Viky looked terrified, but she squared her shoulders and joined the line. All right, then. Nobody - but nobody crashed their temple without a fight!

Their focus on the Sov was only slightly disturbed as Strife appeared, leaning over Panthera. "Panth!" he hissed urgently, shaking her shoulder. When she didn't stir he turned her over and patted her cheek. "Panth! Come on ... " He stared in horror at the blood that transferred from her face to his hand. "Crap... CRAP!" Strife shouted as the situation sunk in. He scrambled to his feet.

"Out the back way, girls!" he shouted, "I'm going to get help!" And he vanished.

Their was a moment's silence, and then the Sovereign's broad shoulders relaxed. His expression cleared and he sighed in relief. "He took his time about it!"

Ems exchanged looks with Sillen. "What?"

"Thank goodness you didn't really need him!" From the doorway the Jester, now recognizable as Iolaus, jingled over to where Panthera was slowly sitting up, and began to wipe blood from her face. "Are you OK?"

"I think so..." she rubbed the side of her neck and glared at the 'Sovereign'. "You damn near took my head off, Hercules!"

Ares sat sideways on his throne, staring at the ceiling. Come on, come on. He looked up as Strife burst into being in the middle of the room;

"UNC! UNC!"

The GOW tried to sound bored. "What's the matter, Strife?"

"TheSovereign'satmytempleandhe'sgotmypriestessestrappedandPanth'sunconsciousandIneedyourhelp!"

"What?"

Strife hauled in a huge breath and forced himself to slow down. "The Sovereign!" he gasped, "He's at my temple and he's got my girls!"

Ares looked confused. "So?"

His nephew blinked at him in disbelief before shrieking, "He's got my girls!"

"So?" Ares shrugged. "They're only chattel to you, aren't they? All this business of not helping them clean your temple because it's their job?"

"NO!" cried Strife angrily "I ... they ... Oh, dammit!" He rushed up to Ares and begged, "I help them, I will, I'll do what they want, I swear, just *save* them!"

"You swear?" Ares snorted. "All right, Strife. Wait here, I'll deal with it."

And he disappeared.

Maggie was angry. Panthera's little plot might have been in a good cause, but gods dammit to Tartarus she'd been scared!

And Mags knew she wasn't alone. Ems and Viky were going through cupboards looking for alcohol. Livia was prowling about in the way of someone trying to work off an adrenaline surge. And Sillen was leaning back against one of the walls muttering, "I'll kill her! I'll kill her!"

Panthera sat quietly to one side, holding an ice pack to her jaw and having her shoulders rubbed by Iolaus.

Hercules, having cleaned off the make up that gave the impression of a beard, waved vaguely at the ice pack. "You wanted it to look real."

"Yeff," mumbled Panth. "I dud, dudn't I?"

Maggie looked up as Ares materialized beside Strife's leopard skin couch. She glared at him. "I suppose you're in on this, too!"

"If it's any consolation," replied the GOW, "it worked." He strolled over the Panthera, and looked curiously at the ice pack.

She shrugged. "Meffod acting."

Ares looked disdainfully at his brother and Iolaus. "Strife will be back here in a moment. I suggest you two make yourselves scarce."

Hercules sneered back at him. "Now that you're here I can hardly wait."

Iolaus squeezed Panthera's shoulders. "Later, OK?" and followed his partner out the door.

"You'll be pleased to know," announced Ares, "that Strife has seen the error of his ways, and has sworn to help you maintain the temple." He looked around at their astonished faces. "I'll go fetch him. And for the record," Ares told them all, "you dealt with the Sovereign yourselves before I got here."

The Temple of Strife was a bustle of activity.

Mags, Liv and Viky were noting down things that needed to be done, while Ems and Sillen directed Strife towards doing them. The poor Godling had never worked so hard in his life.

Down by the pond, Panthera stretched. "So, was that good enough for you?"

"Hercules and I working toward the same goal?" Ares chuckled. "Quite an accomplishment."

"I'll put it on my resume." She walked up to where he was standing by pond and put her arms around his waist. "So...square?"

"Hmm ... " Ares thought about it. "Not quite."

Panth's protest was cut short as he gave he a sudden, sharp shove. She reeled backwards, arms flailing, and splashed noisily into the water.

Ares' laughter echoed above her angry splutters. "Now," he sighed with satisfaction, "we're square!"