Déjà vu, the Clones, and Hercules

Author's Note:

This story is based on three season-six Xena episodes (Send in the Clones, Déjà vu All Over Again and Soul Possession), and loosely on two Hercules episodes:S4 E15 - Yes, Virginia, There Is a Herculesand S5 E9 - For Those of You Who Are Just Joining Us[ in that Hercules apparently is immortal since those two episodes take place in modern times ].

Also, it is a follow-up story to my stories based on the three previously mentioned Xena episodes, the first which was Déjà vu Meets the Clones. You don't have to have read those stories, but it may explain a few things that are referenced in this one.).

Chapter One

Evil Xena Again

"She's gone," Gabrielle said as she walked into the kitchen. "She left again sometime last night, but I have no idea when."

"What time did you two go to bed?" Mattie asked.

"About 11, maybe 11:30."

"Did she say anything?" Annie asked. "Did she seem restless or anxious?"

"No, none of that," Gabrielle answered, glancing up at the Chakram clock on the wall (it read 6:45). "We went to bed, made love, and I went right to sleep. But when I woke up a few minutes ago, she was gone."

"What about the Chakram?" Mattie asked, obviously concerned.

"No. I've got that hidden; well hidden," Annie told her.

Mattie turned on the TV for the morning news.

"Well, if she's out causing more trouble, maybe it wasn't bad enough to make the news."

"And that's why you turned on the TV?" Annie asked, half serious, half joking.

While Annie poured the three of them coffee, all three sets of eyes were glued to the screen. After the national and international news reports were finished, and today's weather report, the local news came on. Ten minutes later, a remote reporter was talking about a fight at an infamous biker bar in a particularly bad part of L.A.

"...Witnesses said the woman involved single handedly beat up more than a half dozen of the members of the Diablos Rojos motorcycle gang. Excuse me, motorcycle club. There are no cameras in or around the bar, but from witness descriptions, the woman bears a strong resemblance to this woman..."

The screen then showed a slightly out-of-focus, black and white picture of a woman dressed in a Xena costume.

"...who was involved in the daring daylight attack on a police substation two years ago, where she freed her companion using a circular weapon that seemed to be able to cut not only through her companion's handcuffs, but the bars of the holding cell as well. Neither have been apprehended at this time."

Mattie muted the rest of the report. "Well, at least they don't have any pictures of you," she said to Gabrielle.

"Yeah, there is that," Gabrielle answered, upset.

"So, what do we do?" Mattie asked.

Annie shook her head. "I wish I knew. We can only hope that when Xena comes back home we can talk some sense into her."

"It'd be nice if we could do that past-lives reliving thing again," Mattie said. "But it's been so long since I did that, I think I've lost the ability."

"We'll figure something out," Annie said.

"Do you think she somehow got with Ares again?" Gabrielle asked, hoping it wasn't true.

"I don't think so," Annie answered. "From what I got the last time he was here, he didn't have much use for her."

"I sure hope not."

Mattie unmuted the TV, but they had moved past the biker bar fight and were talking about local politics, so she turned it off

"Do you think Ares might … help, somehow?" Gabrielle asked.

Annie chuckled. "I wouldn't count on it. In fact, I wouldn't even ask him to. I suspect that if he got wind that Xena was, well … evil again, he'd do – something, just to fan the flames."

Gabrielle nodded in agreement, then closed her eyes momentarily as she shook her head in frustration and anger.