Hey, hey I only need a few seconds and I'm a fast talker. See I've got the major deal in the works. A real estate venture, if you will. And Herc you little devil you, may I call you Herc? You seem to be constantly getting in the way of it. "
Hades spoke to Hercules.
"You've got the wrong guy"
Hercules spoke getting back to training.
"Hear me ya little-- heh-heh. Just-- hear me out, okay? So I would be eternally grateful if you would just... take a day off from this hero business of yours. Geez, I mean, monsters, natural disasters. Phew You wait a day, okay?"
Hades yelled but calmed down and hid it up with a laugh.
"You're out of your mind."
Hercules stated.
"Not so fast, because, ya see, I do have a little leverage... You might wanna know about."
Hades smirks and then snaps his fingers and Megara appears.
"Meg!"
Hercules exclaimed in surprize.
"Don't listen, Herc--"
She began but Hades quickly made rope tie around her with a hanky tied around her mouth.
"Let her go!"
Demanded Hercules.
"Here's the trade-off. You give up your strength for about 24 hours, okay? Say, the next 24 hours and Meg here is free as a bird and safe from harm. We dance, we kiss, we schmooze, we carry on, we go home happy. What d'ya say? Come on."
Hades offered smirking.
"People are, are gonna get hurt, aren't they?"
Asked Hercules
"Nah! I mean, it's, you know, it's a possibility. It happens 'cause, you know, it's war, but what can I tell ya? Anyway, what do you owe these people, huh? Isn't Meg -- little smoochy face -- isn't she more important than they are?"
Hades said grabbing her chin, making her face Hercules.
"Stop it!"
Hercules spoke.
"Isn't she?"
Questioned Hades. He smirked in his thoughts.
"You gonna swear she'll be safe from any harm"
Hercules asked hesitantly.
"Fine, okay, I'll give you that one. Meg is safe, otherwise you get your strength right back, yadda-yadda, fine print, boilerplate, baboom. Okay? We're done, what d'ya say we shake on it? Hey, I really don't have, like, time to bat this around. I'm kind of on a schedule here, I got plans for august. Okay? I need an answer, like, now. Going once, going twice"
Hades spoke.
"All right!"
Hades snapped before he could say 'going thrice'
"Yes, we're there! Bam!"
The Lord and the hero shake hands and Hades takes strength of Hercules. Megara's restrained disappeared as she took a deep breath.
"You may feel just a little queasy, it's kinda natural. Maybe you should sit down."
Hades used his magic to make Hercules fly back into his working out equipment.
"Now you know how it feels to be just like everybody else. isn't it just peachy? Oh! You'll love this. One more thing. Meg, babe. A deal's a deal. You're off the hook. By the way, Herc. Is she not, like, a fabulous little actress?"
Hades spoke dragging Megara into his arms.
"Stop it."
Megara spoke, begged if you will.
"What do you mean?"
Hercules asked. Megara felt even more guilt wash over her.
"I mean your little chickie-poo here was working for me all the time. Duh."
Hades spoke as it was the most simplest thing in the world.
"You're-- you're lying!"
Betrayal washed over Hercules face.
"Help"
Coughed Panic as a boy.
"Jeepers, mister, you're really strong. "
Pain spoke in his boy form before both he and Panic laughed, before turning back into their ordinary form.
"Ha-ha!"
"Couldn't have done it without you, sugar, sweetheart, babe."
Hades spoke. Megara pushed him away and took a step closer to Hercules.
"No! It's not like that! I didn't mean to-- I-I couldn't-- I-- I'm so sorry."
She spoke quietly.
"Our hero's a zero! Our hero's a zero!"
Chanted Pain and Panic.
"Well, gotta blaze. There's a while cosmos up there waiting for me with, hey, my name on it. So much for the preliminaries, and now on to the main event!"
Hades shouted, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.
"Wonder boy, im so sorry"
Megara began walking towards Hercules. Hercules waved her off, slowly walking towards the town square. He wobbled slightly, without his strength he couldn't even stand straight.
"Hercules! Where are you?"
A booming voice spoke as Hercules stumbled out. The villages cheered slightly at the sight of their hero.
"Hercules! Come out! Face me!"
The cyclops spoke in anger, waiting for the mortal god.
"What are you doing? WIthout your strength, you'll be killed."
Megara spoke as Hercules started to walk out.
"There are worse things."
Hercules whispered. Megara's face filled with guilt. As she remembered her betrayal to him.
"Run!"
the Cyclops shouted to the people. The villages ran who ever was near the monster.
"Wait! stop!"
Megara tried to say but Hercules kept walking, not even sparing the woman a look.
"So, you mighty Hercules"
The monster laughed. He then hits Hercules who flies away and hits a mosaic of himself. Meanwhile Megara's eyes filled with tears.
"Phil. I need to find Phil"
She spoke out loud. First things first she heads back to the training area and into a excluded room.
"Easy, horsefeathers. Whoa! Stop twitching, listen. Ah! Hercules is in trouble. We gotta find Phil, he's the only one who can talk some sense into him."
Megara spoke trying to calm down the pegasus. Pegasus twitched up in response and let Megara un tie him.
-------
"Come on! Hurry up! We're shovin' off here!"
Shouted a sailor. Phil walked down the steps, but he stopped as Megara on Pegasus flew next to him.
"Phil! Phil, Hercules needs your help!"
Megara exclaimed in a hurray.
"What does he need me for when he's got friends like you?"
Phil spoke angrily.
"He won't listen to me"
Megara said, guilt once again filled her face.
"Good! He's finally learned something."
Phil once again spoke angrily. He then began to walk to the boat.
"Look, I know what I did was wrong, but this isn't about me, it's about him. If you don't help him now, Phil, he'll die"
Megara said, her voice breaking. Phil immediately stopped and looked back at her.
-----Thebes-----
Meanwhile in Thebes the Cyclops tosses Hercules and plays with him.
"Flea!"
The monster shouted throwing Hercules away into a crate of objects. Hercules groaned in pain.
"Hercules!"
Phil exclaimed.
"Phil.."
Hercules softly spoke.
"Come on, kid, come on. Fight back. Come on, you can take this bum, This guy's a pushover, look at him"
Phil spoke, his eyes full of hope for Hercules.
"You were right all along, Phil. Dreams are for rookies."
Hercules glared at Megara slightly through his bruised eye.
"No, no, no, no, kid, giving' up is for rookies. I came back 'cause I'm not quitting' on ya. I'm willing to go the distance, how 'bout you?"
Phil spoke. Hercules stared at him but turned back to the monster. Phil, Pegasus and Megara ran into hiding as the Cyclops grabs Hercules.
"Me bite off head!"
the monster spoke. When Hercules was close enough to the monsters face he burns the Cyclops' face with a burning stick
"Whoa, baby!"
Phil exclaimed. Megara laughed but shook her head. Meanwhile the Cyclops is yelling, Hercules ties up his legs and the Cyclops falls off a cliff. His fall make a quake, from which a pillar starts falling on Hercules. Megara was the first to notice and ran forward.
"Hercules! Look out!"
She pushes him out from the pillar's way and is struck by the pillar. She gets crushed by a pillar.
"Meg! No!"
Hercules try's to raises the pillar, struggling. But he suddenly gets the strength back, that he originally had. He pushed off the pillar and asked in question,
"What's happening?"
"H-Hades' deal is broken. He promised I wouldn't get hurt."
Megara struggled to say as she was in agonising pain.
"Meg. Why, why did you-- you didn't have to--"
Hercules stuttered, eyes close to tears.
"Oh. People always do crazy things... when they're in love."
She smiled at the end.
"Oh, Meg. Meg, I-- I--"
Hercules stuttered, guilt washed his face as he realised the betrayal was something she did not want him to feel.
"Are you... always this articulate? You, you haven't got much time. You can still stop Hades."
Megara spoke careful trying not to injure herself even further.
"I'll watch over her, kid."
Phil spoke. Hercules started at Megara feeling ashamed.
"You're gonna be all right. I promise. Let's go Pegasus!"
Hercules ran to Pegasus and jumped on him. He flew him into the air towards Mount Olympus.
------
"Don't get too comfortable, Hades!"
Hercules said as he flew in on Pegasus. He arrived to see the god's and goddesses chained up. Hades sitting on a throne.
"Hercules"
Cheered Areus.
"This oughta even the odds!"
Smirked Hercules. He then breaks the chain by which the gods were chained.
"Yeah, Hercules! Thank you, man!"
Hermes shouted hitting Pain and Panic.
"Get them!"
Hades yelled in anger. Pyros misses Hercules and covers Hades in molten lava.
"Whoa! Hey! No! Get him, not me! Him! Follow the fingers! Him!"
Hades yelled. Ice storm from Hydros who was trying to hit Hercules freezes Hades.
"The yutz with the horse!"
Hades shouted while frozen. Hercules opens the stone block and releases Zeus.
"Thank you, my boy."
Zeus praised. Meanwhile Pegasus chases Pain and Panic.
"Nice horsey! My intentions were pure! I really was attracted to you."
Pain said in defence.
"Throw! Hah now watch your old man work"
Zeus spoke to Hercules. Hephaestus passed Zeus his lightning bolts.
"Uh-oh"
Lythos spoke. Lightning's explode heads of Lythos, other Titans leave.
"Guys, get your titanic rears in gears and kick some olympian butt!"
Hades spoke angrily. Pegasus blows at Hades' head and blue fire which was his head is out.
"Whoa, is my hair out?"
He questioned. Hercules meanwhile catches Stratos and sucks into him Lythos, Hydros, and Pyros. He launches them into the sky where they all explode.
" Hah!"
Zeus high fived Hercules, both smiling.
"Whoo-hoo!"
"Thanks a ton, Wonderboy. But at least I've got one swell consolation prize -- a friend of yours who's dying to see me."
Hades laughed as he disappeared.
"Meg!"
He spoke, his heart ached.
----
Megara coughed in pain. Tighting her grip on Phil's hand.
"Phil, my pocket"
She wheezed out. Phil used the free hand to reach in her pocket. He them pulled out the small bottle that Rumplestikin gave her. He passed it to the girl. She tipped the bottle to her lips and drank. Once she finished a blue light surrounded her as she fell asleep. At the exact moment Atropos cuts the thread of life.
"Meg. Meg, no."
Hercules complained his heart beating deeply as he tried to contain his breathes.
"Oh, I'm sorry, kid. There's some things you just can't change."
Phil spoke. But he knew there was away.
"Yes I can."
Hercules spoke.
------
"Where's Meg?"
Asked Hercules as he came through the wall of Hades lair while riding Cerberus.
"Oh, look who's here. Wonder boy, you are too much."
Hades spoke using Megara's nickname for Hercules. Hercules grips Hades.
"Let her go."
Hercules spoke angrily and demanding.
"Get a grip! Come here, come here. Let me show you around. Hmph. Well, well. It's a small underworld after all, huh?"
He said as they came to the shore of a river. Hercules sees Meg in it.
"Meg! Ahhh!"
He screeched and retreated the arm he went to grab her with. However the hand which he put into water turned old.
"No, no, no. Mustn't touch. You see, Meg's running with a new crowd these days. And not a very lively one, at that. "
Hades spoke, smirking to himself.
"You like making deals. Take me in Meg's place. "
Hercules spoke, not thinking.
"Oh, well. The son of my hated rival trapped forever in a river of death."
Hades thought.
"Going once!"
Spoke Hercules.
"Hmm. Is there a downside to this?"
He asked.
"Going twice! "
"Okay, okay, okay, okay. You get her out - she goes, you stay."
Hades smirked. Hercules dived into the river of souls.
"Oh, you know what slipped my mind? You'll be dead before you can get to her. That's not a problem, is it?"
Hades smirked. Hercules swims, turning older and older. Atropos goes to cut the thread of life, but it suddenly shines and the scissors don't cut it.
"Oh? "
Atropos spoke.
"What's the matter with these scissors?"
Lachesis questioned.
"The thread won't cut."
Clotho pointed out. Shining and young again Hercules floats out from the river with the soul of Meg.
"This is-- this is impossible! You, you, you can't be alive! You'd have to be a, a-- "
Hades trailed off.
"A god?"
Pain and Panic said with surprize written over their faces.
"Hercules, stop! You can't do this to me. You can't--"
Hercules hits him in the face. Hades groaned in pain.
"Fine. okay. listen. Hah! Okay, well, I deserved that, Herc, Herc, Herc. Can we talk? Y-Your dad, he's a fun guy, right? So maybe you could put in a word with him and he'd kinda blow this whole thing off, you know? Meg, Meg, talk to him, a little schmooze-- "
Hercules hits Hades stronger and he flies away into the river of death. Souls try to drown him.
"Eew! Get away from me! Don't touch me! Get your slimy souls off me! Ooh, ah--"
-----
Hercules walked over to Meg and placed her soul back into her body. After a few minutes nothing happens.
"Why didn't it work"
Hercules questioned. Phil frowned knowing it should of worked but then his mind wandered to the bottle.
"You know there are stories that the only wake to awake a maiden is a kiss of true love"
Hercules looked at him and then Megara. He moved forward and hovered above her lips. He moved an inch forward and his lips connected to Megara's. A bright light surrounded them and a burst of light surrounded the land. Megara's eyes fluttered open and she took a deep breath of air.
"Wonder boy, you, you saved me"
Hercules smiled.
"People do crazy things when their In love"
Megara smiled at Hercules and kissed him again.