CHAPTER ONE
Lydia was chasing down a suspect. The chase had been going on for about nine blocks and was currently working its way to ten. She turned a corner to go after the suspect and everything went black.
She sat straight up as she came to, a gasp escaping her lips. Looking around, Lydia saw that she wasn't in the city anymore, but the middle of nowhere. There was a forest to the left of her and vast open land to the right. As she looked around, she noticed some mountains behind her. Seeing that there was a dirt path in front of her, she decided to take it. Maybe she could get some answers.
"Damn the person to hell for making navy blue cop uniforms!" Lydia groaned after walking for a few hours. She pulled her shirt from her pants and unbuttoned her navy blue top. She fixed her pony tail, getting all the little brown strands she could off of her face and neck.
Spying a lake, she ran over to it and fell to her knees. Lydia started scooping the water up to her mouth with her left hand.
After getting a few gulps of water, she heard some noise in the distance to the right of her. Getting up, Lydia decided to go check it out. After going through a little strip of trees, she found a clearing on the other side where there were two guys fighting off several men. One of the pair was a tall brunette while the other was a short blonde. They managed to take out the dozen men only to be stopped because a man held a woman with a knife at her throat.
Lydia pulled out her gun and made her way over to them. "Hey, sir, drop the weapon!" She yelled at the man with the knife.
"Who are you?" The man with the knife asked.
Pointing her gun at his face, Lydia replied, "Someone who will shoot you if you don't let her go."
"I'm sure we can work something out without hurting someone." The brunette of the pair said.
The girl began to scream as the man pressed the knife into her throat. Lydia pulled the trigger, hitting the guy between the eyes. The girl dropped to the floor in pain and crying as the two men covered their ears.
Turning to her, the blonde demanded, "Who are you?"
"Lydia." She answered. "Who are you?"
Pointing to himself, the blonde replied, "I'm Iolaus and that is Hercules." He pointed to his friend who was heading to the girl's aid.
"Hercules?! Like son of Zeus and what not?" Lydia looked at Hercules in disbelief.
"The one and only." Iolaus confirmed.
Lydia turned back to Iolaus. "Do you know how big this is? Everything I have read can now be solved because a lot of facts and myths are mixed with everything." Then it dawned on her. "Wait! That is Hercules and you are Iolaus! That means I'm in Greece. Oh God this is not good." She started to hyperventilate.
The three watched as Lydia tried to catch her breath, but she couldn't; suddenly her eyes rolled back into her head and her body fell to the ground.
When she came to, the sun was setting. Lydia just laid there for a second, trying to register everything that had happened before she decided that she needed to get up. However then Lydia heard Hercules and Iolaus talking and she decided against getting up. Instead, she laid there with her eyes shut and listened to them.
"I can't believe that we brought this woman with us." Iolaus muttered.
Hercules watched his friend pace in frustration. "We couldn't just leave her there. After all, she did help us save the mayor's daughter."
"We don't know her! For all we know, the woman could be working for Hera!" Iolaus' arms flung up in the air for emphasis.
Hercules shook his head. "I highly doubt that she is. Of all the things Hera's thrown at us, never once did any of them carry a weapon as Lydia's."
"But how do you know that she wasn't saving this one? Maybe this time she will actually have you killed."
Hercules placed a hand on his best friends shoulder. "I don't believe she's here to harm me."
"You won't be saying that when she has that thing pointed at your head."
"Don't worry. If I'm to kill anyone, it won't be him, but you." Lydia glared at Iolaus when she walked past him.
"Where are you going?" Hercules asked, watching her.
"I've got to use the loo."
The two looked at each other. "What's a loo?" Iolaus asked.
"Don't know." Shrugged Hercules.
The next day, Iolaus and Hercules brought Lydia with them as they brought the mayor's daughter home. She lived in a town half a day's journey from Cartha.
"So let me get this straight. I'm in way back when times; you're the infamous Hercules and you're the best friend who technically is the cousin to Hercules, or at least that is the version I heard. Sweet mother of pearl I've taken one too many hits to the noggin." Lydia repeated after they answered all her questions. All of which had taken up a good portion of their trip.
Iolaus sighed in relief when he saw the town. "Phew town, we can leave the two there and continue on with our lives."
"Hell no, you are so not leaving me anywhere. Since he is the real Hercules then prove to me that your father is really Zeus and you can get me home via him. If he is real."
"Yes, we are so leaving you in town. You can find your own way home." Iolaus stated firmly.
Snorting, Lydia snapped, "Over my dead body, your taking me with you."
"That can be arranged." Iolaus smiled.
Hercules caught Lydia by the waist as she flew towards Iolaus. "Can you two hold off until after we return Breanna?"
"Stay away from me." Iolaus growled.
"Gladly." Lydia huffed, putting some distance between them.
As they returned Breanna, Lydia stood off to the side until she was called over by the mayor. "These two say you helped save my daughter."
"Yes, she was in trouble and needed help." Lydia answered.
The mayor smiled, giving her a hug. "A feast shall be held in the honor of all three of you."
The mayor insisted they stay at his home for the night. He had Hercules and Iolaus set up in his spare room while Lydia was sharing a room with his daughter where she was able to shed some of her gear. A hour later, she emerged with less stuff. While she was still in her cop pants, she only had her undershirt on.
The whole town was setting up in the dead center of town. Tables were brought out by the men while the women made the food.
Not knowing what to do when she got outside, Lydia took a seat on a bench by what looked to be a rundown building. There she took to people watching as she tried to figure out how she got here. People stared at her as they passed.
Lydia was rubbing her face when she heard, "I never got the chance to thank you." Breanna was standing in front of her.
"You're welcome." Lydia replied, looking up at her.
Sitting next to her, Breanna asked, "What was that thing that you shot my kidnapper with?"
"Where I'm from we call it a gun." Lydia pulled it from under her shirt. Before handing it over for Breanna to examine, she took the bullets out of it.
Breanna examined it with such curiosity; she looked like a child with a new toy who wanted to know how it worked.
Hercules and Iolaus stood a distance away. "We should just leave her here. Let her fend for herself." Iolaus declared as he watched her interact with Breanna.
"She needs our help." Hercules stated as he set the table down.
Crossing his arms, Iolaus inquired, "What makes you think Zeus will help? He barely helps you."
"It's worth a try, Iolaus." Hercules replied, getting another table.
Iolaus rolled his. "Why do you have to be so nice?"
"Stop being mean and help me." Hercules told him.
By the time dusk came everyone, was gathered around the tables. The mayor stood and cleared his throat. It waited until everyone hushed before speaking.
"We are gathered here in honor of the three that saved my daughter. Thanks once again; we are in your debt."
"This fine feast is payment enough" Hercules smiled.
Holding up his cup, the King also smiled. "Then enjoy."
Everyone gave a cheer before starting to eat. People stuffed themselves and drank till to their hearts content.
At some point, people started to play music and the others began to dance. Lydia watched as the towns people found someone to dance with. She watched, puzzled by them all. Never had she seen people move like that. Hercules sat down next to her handing her one of the two drinks in his hands.
"You look bored." Hercules commented, taking a swig of his drink.
Watching him, Lydia replied honestly, "I want to go home."
"I promise tomorrow that we will talk to Zeus about sending you home. But right now, have some fun." He grinned at her.
Downing her entire drink, Lydia said, "You would have a hard time if you were in my position. Because really, I just want to get back to my life; the one where I am a cop in LA and playing beer pong in my off time with friends." She handed the now empty cup back to Hercules.
"I have no clue as to what you're talking about" Hercules said as he set her empty cup down on the table.
Lydia sighed. "Let me see, how can I explain this? A cop would be like a guard; LA would be like Athens; and beer pong is a game involving a pong ball and beer."
"You don't look like you would be a guard or whatever you call it."
Lydia looked back towards everyone dancing. "That's what everyone tells me."
"So this LA, what is it like?" Hercules asked as he set his own empty cup down next to Lydia's.
Lydia shrugged. "It's alright. Just hard because we don't have enough cops for the population of LA. It's also really busy and super expensive to live there. But I wouldn't change it for the world."
"Come on." Hercules stood.
Lydia watched him get up. "Come where?"
"You are going to have some fun before we send you home." Grabbing her by the wrist, Hercules pulled Lydia to her feet.
Hercules had Lydia show him beer pong which took awhile because they needed to find something to use instead of a ping pong ball. People started to gather around and before the two knew it they had a crowd.
Iolaus pushed his way through the massive amount of people. "What is going on here?" He demanded.
"Beer pong." Lydia answered.
"What's that?" Iolaus asked, looking to Hercules for answers.
Hercules tossed the make shift ball. "You try to get the ball into one of the cups. If you do, the other person has to drink the cup." The ball missed.
"Sounds like a child's game."
He looked over to Iolaus. "That's what I thought too, but Lydia has beaten me and five other people in a row. This is my second time trying."
"Let me do it." Iolaus replaced Hercules.
Smirking, Lydia giggled. "Get ready to lose sucka!"