Written by:
Xenafan911 and Jean
Disclaimer: Xena and Gabrielle exclusively belong to TPTB at Ren Pics, Universal, Oxygen, or whoever owns the rights nowadays. As for Damien and Neff, they belong to 20th Century Fox and whoever else has a claim to their fame. We don�t, won�t, haven�t planned to, make any money from this story�heck, that�s why the call it fan fic right? And of course, everyone else belongs to us!
Violence: You bet! With a crossover like this, how can there not be violence? PG13, but it�s still there.
Subtext: Well, there is this cool place a few clicks back with lots of it�then theres the Subtext Virtual Season 7, um, you get the idea.
Timeline:
***Omen Note: This story takes place approximately 10 years prior to
The Omen III
***Xenaverse Note: This story takes place between the 6th season eps �Legacy� and �The Abyss�.
The Daggers of Megiddo
�It�s done.� Damien replaced the telephone in its cradle. �The test run was completely successful.� He was in one of the boardrooms at Thorn Industries, with Paul Buher sitting next to him.
�This is crazy.� Paul Buher gestured toward the telephone. �I have no doubt that it�ll work, but I think it�s completely unnecessary. We can just wait out the authorities on the Museum investigation and retrieve the Daggers then.�
�The night of the fire, there were looters everywhere and who knows how many trespassers have been there since. The Daggers could be anywhere by now.� Damien squeezed Buher�s shoulder in a gesture that was half threat. �You do trust Neff, don�t you?�
�Of course I trust Neff, Damien. I just think--.�
�Who asked you to think?� Damien almost smiled. �Just follow my orders.�
�When?�
�Neff is meeting me at the Center in an hour. He�ll have all the supplies.� Damien stood, closing Buher�s briefcase. �That gives us just enough time for an executive meeting. I want things to run smoothly in my absence.�
************************************
Xena leaned her elbows on the wooden rail of the ships port bow, watching with mild interest as smaller trade ships jockeyed for positioning in the crowded docks. Caesarea looked pretty much like any other port they�d been in--full of small-time traders, pirates, and the occasional honest sailor trying to make a living.
Glancing over her shoulder, she caught the captain waving at her with the hook that substituted for his hand. Many years ago, she had cut that hand off when she�d caught Edminius stealing gold pieces from the treasure they had liberated from a Roman flagship. She gave him a curt nod; glad to see he had learned from that harsh lesson. Now he ran an honest business carrying cargo and passengers across the Mediterranean.
She leaned her face into the soft breeze, closing her eyes and letting the wind blow her dark tendrils behind her. The slow, rhythmic motion of the ship had such a calming affect on her--it was times like this she realized how much she missed the sea. Her lips parted into a half-smile when she thought of how much Gabrielle hated it.
Xena sensed her presence before she felt the feather-like touch of her partner�s hand on her shoulder. �Morning,� she said, her eyes still closed while she continued to enjoy the breeze. �How ya feelin�?�
�Much better.� Gabrielle leaned her side against the rail so she could face her friend. �I think I�m actually starting to like this whole sea going thing.�
Xena opened one eye and cocked her eyebrow up. �Really?�
�Yeah,� Gabrielle replied. �As long as I keep doing this--,� she tapped her wrist the way Xena had taught her, �and remember not to eat, I�ll be just fine.�
Her sarcasm made the warrior chuckle. �Oh yeah, you�ve got it licked all right.�
Gabrielle smiled, turning her gaze to the approaching dock. �So, any idea how long we�ll be waiting?�
�Edminius said it would be at least a week to get all the repairs finished.� Xena cast another glance at the captain as he steered his ship into port. �So, what do ya wanna do in the meantime?�
�You mean in between the street brawls, young warriors trying to prove themselves by fighting you, preventing the occasional war, not to mention saving entire towns, rescue missions--you know, the usual stuff?�
�Yeah,� Xena turned so she was facing Gabrielle. �In between that stuff.�
�Well,� she thought about her reply for a beat. �Shopping?�
Xena rolled her eyes. �How�d I know you were gonna say that?�
�Is that a yes?� When no reply came, Gabrielle put on her best smile and did the only thing a self-respecting bard would do. She begged. �Pleeaasseee!�
�If you�re tryin� to be cute, it won�t work.� But it already had as Xena tried to keep her expression stoic, laughing anyway. �Okay, okay. Besides, I need a few things.�
�Yes!� Gabrielle giggled with delight, then rushed off to gather their gear while the ship was docked.
Xena turned her face into the breeze again and sighed. Life was good.
***********************************
While Neff double-checked the supplies with the Center�s crew, Damien wandered over to the machine itself. It looked like something straight out of a science fiction novel; a huge contraption with two monstrous crystals under glass. Along one side of the machine was an enclosed corridor that led directly into the wall.
�I know it doesn�t look like much, but it�ll get the job done.� The scientist known as Kenny, dusted around one of the crystals.
�Nonsense,� Damien spared the man a glance. �I find it quite impressive. How does it work?� Not that it mattered, so long as it did work.
�Those are two different type of crystal, both rare.� Harvey answered from his position behind the machine. �The Evolution Quartz puts us in touch with a certain place in the Earth�s evolutionary process. The Time-Link Quartz is used to connect with the other realities, past or future.�
�And the machine channels the energies,� Sam added. �Opening two vortexes a week apart.�
�Right.� Jonathan flipped a series of switches on the main console, illuminating the crystals. �What we�re about to do is only possible because of the sheer size of our unbroken specimens. When you break up a crystal, you weaken its energy.�
�Even with the crystals, the machine will draw on your power as well.� Harvey handed Damien a linen bundle. �Period costume. It�s important not to draw attention to yourself; to blend in as much as possible.�
�Of course.� Damien went into the locker room, while his four scientists went back to work, preparing for his journey. He found Neff waiting, holding his own costume. The locker room they entered was small, reminiscent of school locker rooms. When he was sure they were alone, Damien grinned at Neff. �I�m having Davidson flashbacks.�
Neff looked at him wearily, seeing where his train of thought was going. �Really?�
�All I need is a wet towel to flick your bare ass with.�
**************************************
The marketplace was more crowded than Xena liked; too easy for thieves to steal. Almost on cue, a hand reached for Gabrielle�s scroll bag. Xena grabbed the wrist of that hand and bent it slightly backward. The young man attached to the hand squeaked in pain. Xena leaned so close to his face that the young man could smell her breath. �I wouldn�t do that if I were you.�
He pulled his hand back, rubbing the area where her fingers had left bruises. �Ow! What�d you do that for?�
�Be glad she didn�t cut the whole thing off.� Edminius lifted his hook toward the young man, waving it in his face.
Pale brown eyes widened just before the young man ran back into the crowd and disappeared. Xena turned to Edminius and smiled. �Nice work.�
�Well, I did learn my lesson.� He turned the hook around, running the fingers of his good hand across the sharp point. �And this has come in handy--saved my life once or twice. Guess I owe you for that.�
�You don�t owe me anything.� She clapped her hand on his shoulder. �How �bout I buy you a drink?�
Edminius grinned. �That would be a first. The great Xena buying a lowly ship�s captain a drink.� He chuckled at the thought, knowing that it never would have happened with the Xena he remembered. �I guess the years have been good to you, huh Xena?�
She caught herself glancing toward where Gabrielle was bartering with a merchant over a new frying pan. �Yeah, they have. And I�m glad they�ve been good to you, too.�
�They have at that. Next year, my son will be sailing with me.� A look of pride spread across his face. �I need to check on the progress of my ship�s repairs. I�ll meet you at the tavern later this evening.�
�It�s a date.� Xena watched him leave, for a moment remembering the young boy he had been. Her gaze moved across the marketplace, stopping at the weapon smith, who was sharpening a dagger. Long strides took her there in a few steps. �How much to sharpen this,� she pulled out her sword and set it on the table.
The weapon smith examined the blade carefully. �Five dinars, but it�ll take me a few hours before I can get to it.�
�No problem.� She tossed the coins onto the table and wandered back into the crowd.
**********************************
The legitimate merchants of Megiddo were few, mixed in with thieves and pimps. Damien nearly laughed aloud when a pimp tried to sell him one of the scantily clad women he had spied earlier. The bodies were nice and shapely--the faces more like those of unshaven men. He certainly wasn�t going to be buying any of those wares. Next to the pimp was a merchant selling idols depicting Ares, God of War. Briefly, Damien wondered what it would be like to meet him.
�False gods, idolatry, and chaos.� Damien said. �This is my kind of town, Sergeant Neff.�
Neff was flattered. Even years after graduation for Davidson Military Academy, Damien still called him by his rank. �Don�t get cocky on me, Damien.�
�Wasn�t it you who taught me pride�s all right if there�s a reason for it?�
Neff shook his head, leading his horse along the street. Damien laughed at the irony as he followed. The period clothing felt strange, reminding him of the single toga party he�d attended in college.
Neff had chosen the attire more fitting of a warrior. His black leather armor looked comfortable enough and the short sword that hung at his side seemed to provide him with the look of a man one should not mess with. Had they been walking down Fifth Avenue in New York City, Damien imagined Neff would definitely be �messed with.� He glanced down at his choosing of a more formal set of light colored robes and wondered if he looked as ridiculous as Neff did.
Damien slowed his stride once he caught up to Neff. Neff pointed ahead, at a large forge. �This is almost too easy.�
�Even with the prophecies of the Old Testament, I find it strange that the Daggers were made before the birth of the Nazarene.�
�So do I, Damien, but this is what our people have found.� Neff stopped, pointing toward the clear skies. �There�s no smoke coming from the forge.�
Damien crossed the dusty street to a peddler�s cart. The proprietor hurried over from a nearby well, where he�d been gossiping with the local maidens. He smiled up at Damien with a mouthful of rotting teeth. �Interest you in a trinket, my good man?�
Damien ignored the offer, gesturing toward the forge. �We�re looking for Mulciber. Is that his forge?�
�Mulciber has gone to Caesarea to sell his wares.�
�Caesarea is two days from here.� Neff had followed Damien, still leading their horses. �One, if we don�t stop to camp.�
�I don�t have to stop, Sergeant Neff.� Damien�s blue eyes never left the peddler. �Do you?�
Neff squared his shoulders, not sure if he was insulted. �I�m a soldier. I follow orders.�
The peddler suddenly backed away from them both, flinging his arms wildly in front of him, as if warding off an invisible enemy. He ran straight for the well, screaming something unintelligible. Neff thought it was something about evil. He watched with curiosity as the peddler flung himself over the edge of the well, diving headlong into the shallow water below. From the screams of the women standing nearby, Neff surmised the fall not only killed the peddler, but did some grisly damage as well. He smiled as he turned to follow Damien out of Megiddo.
**********************************
Xena returned to the weapon smith sometime close to dusk. He was busy putting his wares away for the night, but smiled when he recognized the tall warrior striding towards him. �It�s good as new,� he proclaimed, pulling the sword from under his table.
She examined every inch of the trusted blade, running her fingers along the edges to test the sharpness. �Nice work.�
�Thanks.� He hesitated, as if he had something else to say.
�Was there something else?� She asked, accustomed by now to the nervousness of people she�d never met.
�I, uh, I was wondering if I could look at your chakram.�
She sheathed the sword, turning her steely gaze upon the weapon smith. �Why?�
�Curiosity. I�ve never seen a weapon made from the metal of Hephaestus.� He averted her gaze, looking at his grubby, callused hands. �I was a worshiper of his, before--.� He dared to look up, expecting to find her sneering at him. Instead what he found was understanding.
�Sure.� She carefully handed him the round weapon. �Careful. The edges are sharp.�
�Amazing,� he gently turned the weapon around, examining it thoroughly.
�What�s your name?� she asked, taking her chakram back.
�Mulciber and thank you for letting me look at that.� He grinned up at her like a child. �Maybe you can let me clean it for you--free of charge.�
Xena laughed, placing the chakram on her belt. �Sure, Mulciber. I�ll stop by tomorrow morning.�
*****************************
Damien paused at the bank of a swift-moving river. It was well past sunset and Caesarea was within view. �We�ll camp here.� Neff opened his mouth to object. �I need rest, Sergeant Neff. Don�t expect me to believe you don�t.�
�We should go into the city tonight. We are operating under time constraints.�
Damien sat on a stump and stretched his long legs. �Seeking the man out at this hour wouldn�t be inconspicuous. Do we need a fire?� There was a well-used fire circle near the shore.
�That depends.� Neff tossed a bedroll to him. �Do you want to eat?� He hoped Damien would say no. Hunting with Damien was like hunting with--well, a jackal. Damien was still learning to mask his predatory nature.
�In the morning.� Damien was hungry, but he also knew Neff had been staggering drunkenly for the better part of an hour. �Our people supplied us with the proper currency. We�ll visit an inn.�
Damien waited until Neff was sleeping before spreading his own bedroll. Come morning, they would have the Daggers with time to spare for a little vacation in the pre-Christian world.
***************************************
The dagger was light, yet perfectly balanced. The morning sun sparkled off the new silver as she twirled it in her hand. Gabrielle weighed it before placing it back in the sheath. It was going to make a great birthday gift for Xena. Provided Gabrielle could hide it from her friend. She chuckled and placed it into her pouch. Now all she had to do was get through breakfast without giving her secret away. If she could keep the secret that long, she could last until Xena�s birthday.
Gabrielle spotted her friend near the weapon smith�s table, apparently looking for the proprietor. She was about to call out to her when she heard something that sounded like a scuffle.
�No!� The scream came from an alley behind the marketplace, immediately setting Gabrielle into motion. Sais drawn, she rounded the corner in a few quick steps, and nearly ran over the man lying on the ground. She recognized him as Mulciber, the weapon smith from the market.
�Are you okay?� She knelt beside him, helping him to sit up.
�Where is he?� He looked frantically around the alley, but no one was there.
�Who?� Gabrielle also looked, her keen senses warning her that someone was close by.
Mulciber shook his head. �I don�t know. He just kept asking me where the daggers were--but I don�t know what daggers he wants.� He looked over Gabrielle�s shoulder, his eyes suddenly wide with fear.
Gabrielle stiffened, tightening her grip on the sais. �Don�t worry.� She slowly stood up and turned around.
The man wore black leather armor that fit tightly over his wiry frame. A short sword hung at his side, his hand resting on the pommel. His voice was soft, his tone deadly. �You don�t want to get involved in this, lady.�
�Too late.� she said, taking a defensive stance and blocking Mulciber from the leather clad man.
�Your choice.� He drew his sword and lunged at her with a swiftness that nearly caught Gabrielle off guard.
She blocked the blade with her right sai and ducked to her left, using his momentum to shove him away from her. A straight kick forced him into the wall. Gabrielle quickly turned to Mulciber. �Go!� She didn�t have a chance to make sure he left, her attention once again on her opponent.
The sword came close to her midriff, but she managed to pull out of its path. He swung the weapon again, this time aiming for her neck. Effortlessly she parried his attack, stepping just beyond his reach. He brought the sword around for a backhanded attack, which she blocked with crossed sais, leaving her momentarily vulnerable. The sweep kick brought Gabrielle to the ground, where she lay on her back for a second, stunned.
Sunlight glinted off the blade of the sword as it came at her head. Gabrielle rolled to her left, coming to her feet in one swift movement. A spin-kick from the right connected with the man�s shoulder, sending him to the ground. Another kick hit the sword and sent it spinning out of his reach.
Gabrielle stood close enough to him to make sure he would not get up, but far enough back to block any further attacks. �Who are you?� she asked.
Dark eyes glared up at her, holding her gaze for what felt like an eternity. Gabrielle never saw the small silver weapon until it was pointed directly at her head.
*******************************************
Damien hadn�t followed when Neff pursued Mulciber, but had taken the opportunity to search the weapon smith�s wares. The man was an excellent smith, but nothing neared the craftsmanship of the Daggers of Megiddo.
Not that Damien had noticed the craftsmanship when he�d actually seen them. He�d been a terrorized child, literally dragged kicking and screaming from the safety of home. After seeing what his daddy did to Mrs. Baylock, he had known what was in store for him. The church, that horrifying place--
His reverie was interrupted by the distinct sound of a gunshot. He froze for a moment,
located Neff, and sprinted in that direction.
*************************************
The sound echoed through the marketplace like the crack of a whip. Xena cocked her head to one side, determined the sound had come from the alley behind the market, and ran in that direction. Intuition told her something was wrong. Sword drawn, she came around the corner to find a man in black leather armor standing over the prone form of Gabrielle.
�SSSHHIIIIYYYYAAAA!!!!� Xena released her war cry, rage giving her motion as she leapt toward the man, her feet connecting with his chest. She landed between him and Gabrielle, drawing her sword as he clamored to his feet. The small silver weapon he held was unfamiliar to Xena and when he pointed it at her she swept her leg around, knocking it from his hand.
Neff stared, dumbfounded, at the warrior woman, trying to decide his next move. He lashed out at her with a spin kick that she easily deflected, coming around his leg and smashing his eye with her right hook. Neff tried unsuccessfully to dodge the backhand that connected with his mouth, splitting his lower lip. Her left caught him under the chin, momentarily knocking him backward. The foot that slammed into Neff�s abdomen took his breath away, forcing him to his knees.
The man tried to get back on his feet, but Xena was again upon him. She delivered a double fisted blow between his shoulder blades that knocked him face down in the dirt. She raised her sword and was about to deliver the killing blow when someone grabbed her wrists.