Hermes’ Favor
By JoeyRZ
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Sequel/Series: Sequel to “Healing Hurts”
Notes the first: This is for the Joxerotica 2005 Challenge. This is May’s entry - ruling god: Hermes.
Notes the second: “Erin” is used with Erin’s permission ;-)

Notes the third: Many, many thanks to Kerensa, who really made this fic readable. Love you lots! 
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“You want me to what?”

“Take me to see Athena.”

“I heard you the first time. I just wanted to be sure you knew what you were saying,” Hermes said, squinting his eyes at the newest god on Olympus, trying to decide if he was right in the head. “Are you crazy? You do remember what that bitch did to you?”

“Of course I remember, Hermes. But… it’s complicated. I need to see her, be in the same room as her.”

“Why? After she stands trial, she’ll probably be stripped of her godhood and no one will ever have to worry about her again.”

Joxer shifted, sitting more comfortably on the arm of the den’s couch. Dropping his gaze from Hermes’ face, he looked down at his hands, turning them slightly. “I still feel them sometimes, you know. The manacles around my wrists. The weight of them, holding me, pulling at my skin. It’s funny that my shoulder got the worst of it, but what scared me the most were the manacles.”

“You were trapped,” Hermes said softly, trying to imagine what it would feel like not be able to move freely, to fly. He shuddered.

“I couldn’t get to Erin. I’ve been hurt before… I wasn’t worrying about me. But she was going to hurt Erin and use me to hurt Ares and I couldn’t let that happen. I want to know why. Why did she do such a thing? She was still the goddess of logic, knowledge and a whole bunch of other stuff. She didn’t need the godhood of war too.”

“She’s not going to give you an answer to that. She’s not answering to anyone, not even Zeus,” Hermes said recalling the growling sounds Athena had been making the last time he saw her. It had become his duty to record every interview anyone tried to have with the mad goddess. He shook his head, ridding himself from the memories and leaned back into the couch.

“I just need to see her, then. Remind myself that I’m now a god and she can’t hurt the ones I love, because I’m not weak anymore.” 

“And you know that, so why see her? Just stay here, safe and sound and bask in the knowledge that’s she’s getting her ass fried soon.”

“Hermes!” Joxer cried in outrage. “Can’t you please just help me out here? I need to go there. I can’t do the disappearing thing that well yet. I could end up in Hades, if I don’t know exactly were I’m going.”

“Ask Ares. He’ll take you. He understands!”

“NO!” Joxer’s shout startled Hermes. In the months he’d known Joxer, the younger god had always been a calm and relaxing presence.

“No. I don’t want Ares anywhere near her. Last time he went to see her, he smashed his den to pieces. Everything was burnt, wrecked. He had drained himself so badly I had to drag him to our chambers.” Joxer was pacing by the end of his tirade. “He can’t control his anger when it comes to her.”

Hermes sighed deeply as he got up, stepping in front of Joxer, effectively stopping his pacing. “All the more reason not to go. Imagine how Ares is going to react to your going alone to see Athena?”

“Ares knows. Well, he doesn’t *know* know because I haven’t told him, but he knows because he knows me and knows I’m gonna go see her eventually. And besides, I’m not going alone. You’re taking me,” Joxer finished with a smile.

Hermes wondered for a second if he could battle against that logic, decided he really wouldn’t be able to and gave up.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Joxer looked with disgusted amazement into Athena’s cell. Dozens of books laid scattered on the floor, ripped to pieces, their pages covering the floor ineffectively, since the disgraced goddess’ feet smoked slightly where they touched the floor. Food plates were shoved into a corner, the bread and cheese molding slightly around the edges. Athena’s clothes hung on her, torn and scorched, letting her burnt and blistered skin show through. Her back was worst off, for there was not a chair or bed anywhere in the cell.

Joxer looked back in time to see Hermes step backwards, further away from the shackled goddess. Steeling his resolve, Joxer moved forward a bit, closer to the invisible barrier that kept Athena locked up.

The soft sounds of his boots on the marble floor alerted Athena of her company. Joxer didn’t have time to react before Athena threw herself against the barrier. White lighting crackled but she remained pressed up against it. Joxer had fallen backwards, landing hard on his tailbone. He winced at the sudden pain, closing his eyes tightly to protect his eyes from the blinding light.

“You!” 

Joxer looked up as Athena screamed at him. 

“You puny mortal!”

Only it wasn’t Athena’s voice.

“Stupid mortal, ruining my plans!”

Lighting raced across her body, lifting her hair, whipping it across her face. 

“You’ll pay! I swear on my holy name that you will pay!”

Energy crackled around her, surrounding her, making her body look as white as the lighting. Except for her eyes. The eyes that pierced him through and through were as red as blood.

With a thunderous crack, Athena was thrown across the cell, hitting the wall and falling into a slightly smoking heap.

Hermes blinked slowly as he opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally managed to speak.

“That was not Athena, right?” he asked Joxer, his eyes still locked on the goddess. 

“No, it not,” Joxer affirmed, getting up from the floor and dusting himself off.

“So who is that?” 

“Very bad news.” Joxer studied Athena’s inert body for a few seconds before turning to grab Hermes by the shoulders.

“Hermes, listen to me. I’m gonna call Ares, so that he’ll come here. Ares can call Zeus and Hera because they need to be here too, but I need you to do me a big favor.”

Hermes tore his gaze away from Athena to focus on Joxer.

“What?”

“I need you to get Hercules, Iolaus, Xena and Gabrielle here, as fast as you can.”

“What?! Why? What do you know, Joxer?”

“I need my friends to confirm it, but I’m pretty sure Athena’s being possessed by Dahok.”