Title: Keeping Promises

Author: Scorpio

Feedback to: (scorpio71@earthlink.net)

Archive: Joxerotica, WWOMB, the Den

Fandom: Herc/Xenaverse

Pairing: Ares/Jace

Rating: R (adult situations)

Category: AU, slash

Disclaimer: TIIC, not Scorpio, more the pity...

Warning: minor character death (not a good guy or a popular one)

Summary: With the death of thier father, the triplets are finally able to keep a promise they made to Ares


KEEPING PROMISES
By Scorpio

Jace watched, dry-eyed as Joxer lit the funeral pyre with a freshly oiled torch. The kindling caught quickly and the flames spread through the piled wood with an insatiable hunger. Soon, the shroud- encased corpse of her father was consumed within the molten depths of the flickering yellow flames. Turning, Jace faced her brothers.

"Well... that was fun. Ta'."

Jace started to walk away from the two men she loved the most, unwilling to see the pain that both of them carried deep inside. It was too easy for her to read the emotions that Jett and Joxer battled.

Joxer wore his emotions on his face for the world to see. He was saddened at the loss of their father, yet relieved that the man would no longer be around to torment the three of them.

Jett wore his pain buried deep, but it was just as easy for Jace to read. She had watched that expressionless face since the cradle. Jett was angry and hurt. Not at the loss of their father, but that it hadn't come earlier.

"Jace!"

Jace reluctantly turned to face the second born of the three of them. The assassin. Jett.

"Yes?..."

"We can keep our promise now. He can't stop us anymore. His curse lifted with his death. We're free."

"...free..."

Jace felt her head spin at the implications of that thought. The world faded into darkness around her as her mind was flooded with the actions and words of the past.


~~~flashback~~~

The identical young triplets quietly let themselves into the dark and silent Temple to War as the full moon shone down on the cold iron doors. The eldest of the three had become worried when no plans were made for their Dedication Ceremony and he had spied on their Warlord father. To his horror, Jace discovered that Janus did not plan to dedicate them to Ares on their thirteenth birthday, but instead, he was going to sacrifice them as a blood and death offering in exchange for a successful campaign and decisive win against his enemies. Turning to his brothers to devise an escape against such a fate, the three had planned out how to turn the tables in their favor. They would dedicate themselves to Ares, thus rendering themselves unfit as blood sacrifices. Now it was the eve of their thirteenth birthday and they had come to the Temple to confront their destiny.

Walking into the main hall, the three boys quickly went to work preparing for the Dedication Ceremony. Only having a short time until midnight the three of them divided the chores between them.

Jett cleaned and polished the Alter as best as he could and then fetched and polished the Silver Chalice of Devotion from it's niche in the stone wall behind the Alter.

Joxer pulled forth a jeweled dagger of Hephestian metal from another niche in the wall and began chanting the prayers over it that the ritual called for.

Jace took his bit of candle and lit the torches and braziers that lay scattered about the War God's Throne Room. Slowly, the cold dark stone room began to warm as the details came to light.

Finally, all was in readiness. The three boys gathered around the Alter. Jett placed the sacred chalice on the blood stained marble as Jace and Joxer flanked him. They had all ready decided to go in order of their birth as well as to offer themselves in a single ceremony, just as they did everything as a single unit.

Joxer handed the razor sharp double-edged blade Jace. He took a deep breath and exchanged one last glance with his brothers. Courage gathered and reinforced in triplicate, Jace began.

"Ares God of War, I, Jace, son of Janus, do stand before your dark Alter to offer unto you my life and my death. By my own free will do I give myself over to your service and your pleasure, to rule as you see fit. Let all who see me know that I am your sworn servant, now and forever."

Taking a deep breath to steady his shaky nerves and calm his racing heart, Jace gripped the dagger tighter. With a swift move, the young boy sliced open the palm of his left hand and then held it over the Silver Chalice of Devotion.

"I swear allegiance to you Ares and bind myself to you with my own blood."

Turning, Jace handed the bloody dagger to Jett. The most soft-spoken of the three, Jett flashed his brother a weak smile before turning back to face the grim Alter and the waiting Chalice.

It took nearly a half an hour for the three of them to complete the ritual and to seal their pact to the War God in their own blood. By the time they had finished, the Silver Chalice of Devotion was filled to the brim with bright red blood and the boys felt the pull of their loyalties shift from Hebe, the Divine Protector of Children over to Ares, the God of War and Violence.

Joxer laid the bloodied dagger on the Alter beside the Chalice and turned to face his brothers. All three of them wore triumphant expressions on their faces. They had crossed over into adulthood alive and dedicated to the God that their father had meant to sacrifice them to.

Suddenly, the door to the Temple of War crashed open and a huge shadow filled the space. Trembling, Jett reached out with both hands and clasped tightly to his brothers. As the shadow stacked towards them, their triumph died in their hearts. Janus had found them.

"What have you three done?!"

The triplets gazed fearfully up into the scowling face of their sire and saw only anger and disgust. Thwarted rage shook his massively muscled body as he took in the scene before him. With a shriek of vengeful anguish at the destruction of his carefully laid plans, Janus grabbed hold of the boys and dragged them from the dark Temple.

Once out in the courtyard, the warrior tossed the three new devotees to Ares into the dust at his feet. Reaching down into his boot, the madman pulled out a long thin dirk. The boys clutched each other in abject terror as Janus used the sharp blade to puncture the first finger of his right hand.

********

"I curse you three! By my blood and as my blood, I curse you till the day I draw my last breath and the Gods intervene!"

Janus reached down and smeared a trail of blood across the forehead of the eldest of the triplets.

"You! Jace! I saw you the other night with that... that... sissy- boy Ventros. You think I didn't know about that, did you? You like to play with the boys? Fine! I curse you with it. From this day forth shall you act like a woman, think like a woman and have sex like a woman. Courage and bravery shall never touch your heart again! You are cursed!"

Janus reached down and smeared a trail of blood across the forehead of the middle born triplet, the one who showed the most compassion and had the gentlest nature, both sweet and loving.

"Jett! You momma's boy! You think you know what it means to be a warrior? Ha! You know nothing! Always running around helping things. Saving injured animals and letting everyone talk out their feelings! Pahh! Well, Mister Hearts and Flowers, I curse you! May the milk of human kindness curdle in your veins. Compassion and morality shall never touch your heart again! You are cursed!"

Janus reached down and smeared a trail of blood across the forehead of the youngest of the triplets. The one who showed the most promise of the three, the baby.

"Joxer! You think you know so much. You think you are just perfect the way you are, always showing your brothers up in practice and in learning. You think you've got it good? Fine! See how much you like who you are in thirty years. I curse you. You shall stay as you are for the rest of your life. Your body shall grow into adulthood, but your mind will forever remain that of a boy just turned thirteen! With no discipline, no control and stuck with the low coordination of a growth spurt. I curse you!"

Janus spun around and ran from the courtyard still screaming his curses. As the echoes of his voice slowly faded from the cold stone a figure shimmered into view. Eris, Goddess of Discord and Pain stood smirking at the newest recruits to her brother's vast army.

Thinking back to the harsh and cruel punishment she had just recently suffered at Ares hands for a mistake that was more Strife's fault than her own, she decided to take action. Not against her brother, she wasn't strong enough for that, but against the three children Janus had left crying in the dirt. With a wave of her hand and a flex of her power, she made his curse stick. With identical gasps of pain, the three boys fainted.

Inside the Temple, Ares shimmered into his Throne Room. He was still a bit irritated from earlier, but he figured that he should relent and forgive his sister. If for no other reason than to prevent her from causing trouble. Unaware that Eris was doing just that only a few feet away, Ares was distracted by the Silver Chalice of Devotion left sitting out on his Alter. He frowned. He didn't remember any devotions being scheduled here.

With a shrug, Ares picked up the goblet and drank the contents in one large gulp. A heady rush of power swept over him and he was forced to sit down on his Throne as a wave of vertigo washed over him. Few mortals realized it, but every drop of their blood held all of their memories intact for the Gods to share by ingesting it. Ares was disoriented trying to sort through three separate sets of memory.

Finally, after about ten minutes, he had figured out that it wasn't one man with multiple personalities, but three brothers, triplets that had devoted themselves to him. As he reviewed their lives as was shown to him in their rich innocent blood, he saw great promise in each. Unaware of the curse even then being thrust upon the boys, Ares wondered what they would grow up to be like.



~~~present~~~

Jace looked over at her brothers and wondered once more how she had been talked into this. It was an absurd idea and to be honest, she was scared silly. It was only through Jett's threat of unspeakable pain and Joxer's heartfelt and boyish encouragement that she was even here. Jace was absolutely convinced that she was about to die. Her only consolation was that at least she looked good.

Reminded once again of her "warrior babe" outfit, Jace reached up and quickly adjusted the tight red leather bustier that she wore, causing a shimmy to wind it's way up and down her spine. This in turn forced her tight red leather short-shorts wearing derriere to wiggle. Holding one foot up and out, and then the other, she double checked that the laces were straight on her shinny red knee high go-go boots. Then, finally, she patted down her hips to check her sword and dagger. She flashed her brothers a grin. She was hot and sexy and ready to meet the God of War.

**********

Reaching out with one red enameled manicured hand, Jace placed it palm down on the blood stained Alter to War right next to Jett's. A heartbeat later, Joxer's hand rested on the other side of the assassin's hand. The three brothers glanced at one another for a long moment and then raised their voices together as one.

"Ares!"

For a mind numbing second all was utterly still and quiet. Into this illusion of peace came a wave of static electricity as the air became charged with power. Building quickly in intensity, the surge exploded in a shower of red sparks. When the smoke cleared, Ares God of War stood before the Alter.

Jace took one long look at the black leather clad mountain of rippling muscles and raven curls and felt a bolt of lust rage through her like a wildfire storm. Her cock harden painfully in her red leather short- shorts and her mouth watered at the thought of tasting the stud standing in front of her.

"...oh fuck me now..."

Jace hadn't even realized that she had spoken out loud until Jett hissed in her ear.

"Business before pleasure slut-boy."

Ares must have heard the whispered exchange because he turned his head slightly and winked at Jace. It was all she could do to keep from cuming in her little red leather short-shorts.

"Um... er... Ares?"

The God of War sighed with a resigned sort of tone.

"Yes Joxer?"

"Um... well, we came to see you to tell you some good news. Um... well, sort of good news. In fact, some might think it was bad news, but..."

Jett cut him off.

"What brainless here is trying to say is that Dad bought the farm. And no, before you even ask, it wasn't me. He died fair and square. Now can we get this stupid-ass curse removed?"

An expression of confusion washed across Ares insanely handsome face for a second and was swiftly followed by one of utter concentration. Jace wasn't sure which expression was hotter, but she finally decided that it didn't matter. All of Ares expressions were equally sexy and Jace hoped that she would live long enough to experience them all.

Jace was pulled from her delightfully sinful thoughts about the God of War, some whipped cream and her tongue by said God's annoyed string of profanity.

"If you're done with your devotions do you think you could clue us in here?"

Jace gasped and glared at Jett. Did that fool want Ares to blast him into a pile of cinders? A shiver of fear raced up her spine and she stepped away from him a bit... just in case. However, Ares only shot the assassin a dark glare and began complaining out loud.

"That idiot sister of mine enforced a curse on the three of you. Did you say that it was your own father that set it?"

Jace and her brothers all nodded. Ares rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Why didn't you just tell me about it?"

The three exchanged baffled looks with each other. Jace had never even considered that as an option, if truth be told. She was trying to figure out how to say just that when Joxer answered the God of War.

"I never talked about the curse with anyone but these two."

Joxer jerked a thumb at Jett and Jace.

"Same here."

Jace stared at Jett and then at Joxer.

"You mean that none of us ever spoke to anyone about the curse?"

Ares just rolled his eyes at Jett and Joxer's twin shrugs and nods. Finally, with a put upon sigh, Ares turned and strode up to his dark Throne and sat down. With an impatient gesture, Ares summoned Joxer up onto the dais before him. The War God reached out and placed one big hand on Joxer's forehead and closed his eyes.

For long minutes, no one spoke. Finally, Ares opened his dark eyes and grinned at the miss-matched armor wearing fool. Guilelessly, Joxer smiled back.

"Well Joxer. That explains a lot. Janus and Discord simply locked your intellectual and emotional development at the age you were when you were cursed. You did learn things in that time, but it's skewed by the way you perceive things. Like a child does. I can fix it, no problem."

Ares placed his hand back on Joxer's forehead and that look of concentration came across his features once more. A flash of light bathed Joxer for a long moment. When it faded, the sweet look of innocence in Joxer's eyes was irrevocably gone. He flashed Ares a wicked grin that people generally associated with Jett and then he noticed his armor. He nearly fainted in shame.

"Oh. My. God. What in Tartarus am wearing?"

Joxer began to yank off the offending articles and Ares giggled at his frantic antics. Jace gasped at Ares reaction. She swore that was the sexiest giggle she'd ever heard. But then the moment was gone and Ares summoned Jett before him.

When Ares placed his hand upon Jett's forehead, however, he didn't smile. Instead, he frowned. When the War God looked into the assassin's eyes, his expression was deadly serious.

"Jett, your father's curse stole away all your compassion. I can give it back to you easily enough, but... I'm not sure if you'll like having it back. Think about it."

Jett snorted in derision.

"I have thought about it. I've waited for the old bastard to die since I was thirteen years old so that I can get rid of this damn curse. Would you want to be cursed? Just... get it the fuck off of me."

Ares face took on a look of such sadness and understanding that it touched Jace to the quick. However, Ares didn't argue with Jett, he simply reached out and touched him again. A flex of power and a flash of light filled the dark Temple.

When Jett looked up again, an expression of abject horror was etched deeply into his face and he was staring at his hands as if he'd never seen them before. With a wail of infinite pain, Jett dropped to his knees, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Ooooo Gods! What have I done! So much death, so much killing! No glory or passion, just cold hard death. Oooo what have I become?"

With a tenderness that few were ever witness to, Jace watched as Ares gathered her sobbing brother up in his arms and let him cry out his grief and anguish over the life he had lead as an assassin. She realized that as Jett's compassion rushed back into him, it was transformed into grief by his memories. With a wave of sympathy, she suddenly felt as if her sweet brother Jett had suffered the most from their father's curse.

Finally, with wisdom borne of centuries of pain, Ares pulled forth a bubbling smoking goblet from the very air and encouraged the pain ravaged and broken man to drink. Within moments, Jett was fast asleep. Ares looked up at Joxer and Jace and nodded to acknowledge their deep felt concern for their brother.

"He'll be fine. Eventually. I'll sit with him and help him work through this. It's been almost two decades since he's had any emotions at all, and now they are all back at once. It will take some adjustment. Even if he can never take a life again, he'll still be very useful as a trainer to young bucks wanting to join my army."

With a soft sigh, Ares disappeared with Jett in his arms. Jace gasped and a bolt of fear caused her heart to skip a beat. Joxer lunged towards the throne to grab hold of his brother and his God, but he was not fast enough. Several agonizing moments passed before Ares returned alone.

"Where's our brother?"

Jace glanced sharply at Joxer. She too was concerned about the startling changes in Jett followed by his sudden collapse, but she was just beginning to realize that Joxer had also changed. His voice was deeper and surer. His eyes held the War God's with confidence and his stance was sure footed. Ares just sighed tiredly and sat down again.

"He's safe. I left him with one of my senior Temple Priests in Thrace. I told him that Jett suffered from battle-shock and asked him to inform me if there was any change in his condition."

********

Suddenly, those unfathomable dark eyes turned on Jace and she felt her soul shiver. The War God crooked his finger at her, summoning her before his Throne and she felt lust and fear battle within her mind. Without making a conscious decision, Jace found herself standing before her dark God and felt his gentle touch upon her brow.

A feathery light caress whispered across her mind and she felt the world tilt and spin. Suddenly, a door inside her was flung open and she knew that Ares had total access to her very heart. Clenching her manicured hands into tight fists, Jace fought away the swoon that threatened to send her to her knees. Then suddenly, it was over and she was once again looking into the bottomless depths of Ares eyes.

"Well, Jace... good news and bad news."

Jace wasn't sure if she liked the sound of that, but the hungry leer on the War Gods face spoke to her on a purely sexual level and her hard cock began to throb.

"Your preference for men? Well... that's natural, not part of the curse at all. The curse merely strengthened it and changed how you saw yourself... but you really are a man-eater. Not only that, Janus' curse stripped you of the courage and bravery you were born with... so that's why you always ran from confrontations. I can fix that."

Without any warning, Jace felt Ares hand fall upon her brow once more. In a rush, the world fell away and she felt a fiercely cold wind assault her flesh only to be swiftly followed by a blast of infernal heat. She could hear the Dogs of War howling to be set free and darkness washed over her vision, only to shatter into fragments of disjointed color. With a sickening lurch, the world came back into focus and Jace found herself falling... directly into the open arms of the God of War.

Jace smirked up at the total stud who's lap she was sprawled across and reached up one red enameled finger to trace his beautiful leer. With a shudder of pure unadulterated lust, visions of Ares thrusting into her tight hot ass danced through her mind and she wiggled in pleasure. Joxers discreet cough pulled her thoughts back away from the dark God and her, by now, painful erection.

"Well, now that the business end of the evening is over, I'll assume you two want to get on with the pleasure portion that was mentioned earlier."

Two nods greeted that statement.

"Okay, no problem. I'll just go back to the inn we were staying at. Jace, uh... did you want me to meet you here or at the inn tomorrow morning?"

Jace was about to tell Joxer to meet her here at the Temple when a bright flash of green flaring energy zapped across the room. When the spots faded from her eyes, a tall pale thin God in a leather and metal cat-suit stood there with a totally annoyed look on his cute face. She leaned up to whisper in her God's ear, not even realizing that a few moments ago, that very act would have terrified her.

"So... who's the hot boy in the killer duds?"

Ares rolled his eyes at her appreciation for the younger God's wardrobe, but he answered her anyway.

"It's my nephew, Strife."

The War God glared at the Mischief God.

"And this better be good. I was just about to unwrap Jace out of all this shinny red leather."

Jace couldn't help it, she cooed and wiggled in his lap at that announcement. Strife just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah? Well, keep it in your pants for half a minute and then I'll scram. Thellious just got his self killed. Seems his First Lieutenant had a real problem with his Cap'ns leadership. A 'course, his subordinates didn't take ta his promotions too kindly. The whole army is about ta kill itself fightin' over the sword of leadership."

Ares swore and glared at his nephew. Strife just glared back, his foot tapping in exasperation. Suddenly, Ares smiled a cold and cruel sort of smile. Jace shivered in delight.

"Tell you what. Take Joxer here and give him the damn sword. Tell 'em that the appointment comes directly from me because they were too stupid to sort it out amongst themselves. You know what my plans are for them so you can fill Joxer in along the way. I'll be there with Jace tomorrow evening to see how things are going."

Strife nodded once and then turned to Joxer.

"Whatever ya say Unc. Okay mortal, get your clothes on, I ain't got all day."

Joxer looked down at his abandoned armor in active distaste and then turned to face the God of War.

"Ares I will go wherever you want and fight whoever you tell me too, but I refuse to wear that... that... stuff ever again."

Ares giggled again and Jace nearly swooned at the rumbling sensation that radiated out from his magnificent chest. Then the War God causally waved one hand in Joxers general direction and smirked.

"Better?"

Jace looked over to see her brother dressed in tight black leather pants with a deep blue linen shirt. A heavy black leather vest, boots and wrist guards completed the outfit. Another flash of light saw him armed with a sword and two lightweight daggers.

"Oh, honey. You da bomb!"

Joxer just grinned at her and nodded. Once again, Jace noted that it wasn't the same sweet grin of innocence that she associated with her baby brother. It was a cold and calculating one. Before she could decide how she felt about that, the God of Mischief grabbed hold of his arm and the two of them flashed out of the Temple and away to the Army encampment.

"Now... about that offer to let me fuck you?..."

Jace turned back to face Ares and smiled at the hungry and lust filled leer on his face. It was going to be a good night. With a giggle, Jace wiggled her red leather short-shorts wearing butt against the War Gods groin and moaned at the hardness poking back at her.

"Anytime Ares... anytime at all."


END: Keeping Promises