Confronting Destiny
by Mythdefied
May 29, 1999

The force of the body slamming into him sent Iolaus flying back into the wall. When he hit, the wind was knocked out of him and for a few seconds he had to lean against it to keep from falling, but he stayed on his feet. No way was he going down yet. He'd waited too long for this.

"That's the best you can do?" he taunted a bit breathlessly, pushing his blond hair back from his face, waiting for the god to make the next move.

Strife giggled, the high-piched sound echoing painfully in the abandoned temple. "Oh, don't worry, blondie, I'm just getting started," he promised with a grin of anticipation.

Strife couldn't believe his luck! Finding Hercules' little friend here in this place, alone for once. Now he intended to make sure this annoying little mortal got what he deserved.

He didn't know why, but Iolaus got to him from almost the moment they'd met, back when he'd posed as a mortal himself to get into the academy. Every time he went near Iolaus he couldn't fight the impulse to push him somehow; insult him, pick on him, fight him, but one of Iolaus' friends had always intervened before much of anything could come of it. Well, not this time.

"No one's gonna save you," Strife pointed out in a tone filled with satisfaction. "Bet your friends don't even know you're here."

Iolaus shook his head, not bothering to deny it, not wanting to. Hercules and Jason were in Corinth, Cheiron was away at some centaur thing and none of the other cadets knew about this place. Iolaus had wanted to come and explore it by himself. He wouldn't be missed for a very long time, and he didn't want it any other way.

He knew going one-on-one with a god should've at the least frightened him, but it didn't. He felt...reckless, and he let it show. "No one's coming. I'm all by myself," he admitted almost cheerfully, and then he smirked. "So let's go, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Strife breathed, a shiver of excitement working its way through him. This was gonna be so good.

He didn't question the impulse that made him suppress his powers as he advanced on Iolaus. It'd be better this way. They'd be a bit more equal and it would last longer. Iolaus would still lose of course, but not before he'd gotten a chance to give as good as he got. A small part of Strife's mind questioned why he'd suddenly developed an interest in playing fair, but he gladly ignored it when Iolaus swung at him.

Easily avoiding the fist aimed at his face, he caught Iolaus's arm and yanked him forward. A knee to the stomach, a hard right to the jaw and the blond dropped to the floor, gasping for air.

Iolaus couldn't believe he'd been that stupid. He should've let Strife make the first move. Well, nothing to do about it now except go with it. He kicked out with both feet, connecting with Strife's knees.

Shit! The little bastard was quick! Strife found himself on his ass, his knees hurting. But he didn't have time to think about that.

"Hey, do gods bleed?" Iolaus asked just before launching himself at Strife, knocking him onto his back. He grinned as his hands closed around Strife's throat. "Wonder if you need to breathe. Let's find out!" He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this kind of satisfaction, strangling him, slamming Strife's head against the stone floor at the same time. Life was good.

Oh, fuck, that hurt! Strife couldn't see straight with his head being hit like that, so he just aimed by instinct. His fist hit something. He heard Iolaus yelp and the grip on his throat loosened. It was enough. He shoved the mortal off him.

Iolaus fell back on the floor, momentarily stunned from the pain of his broken nose. Anger soon overcame everything else though. He wouldn't be happy until Strife had injuries matching his own.

Sitting up, Strife felt something sticky on the back of his head. Touching it, his fingers came back covered in red. "Oh, you're gonna pay for this!" He snarled, glaring at Iolaus.

"You do bleed. Cool!" Iolaus grinned again in self-satisfaction as he began to push himself up, wiping away some of the blood from his nose.

"You fucking little...!" Strife didn't finish, he just attacked, hitting Iolaus again, anxious to see what else he could break.

This time Iolaus rolled with the punch. He still ended up spitting out blood, but that was better than teeth. Before Strife could strike him again, Iolaus threw himself forward, slamming his elbow into Strife's throat.

The sight of Strife gasping for air, face contorted with pain, sent a rush of pleasure through Iolaus. he didn't make the mistake of letting him recover, either. Grabbing Strife's wrist, he yanked up and back.

A slight, surprised gasp worked its way out of Strife's sore throat. His arm was being held painfully behind his back while a hand grabbed the back of his neck and forced his face down towards the floor. He tried to push Iolaus away but he couldn't get any leverage in his position. Then Iolaus shoved with an impressive amount of force and Strife barely managed to bite back a cry as his face made contact with the floor, hard. When Iolaus yanked his head back up, Strife could feel the blood running down his face from his broken nose.

"How's it feel?" Iolaus asked in his annoyingly cheerful voice.

"You tell me!" Reaching back, Strife grabbed handfuls of Iolaus' long blond curls, yanking down.

Iolaus cried out, releasing Strife so he could try to pull the hands away from his hair. "You shouldn't have let go," he heard Strife taunt a fraction of a second before he found himself flying through the air.

He slammed to the ground, landing on his back, his head striking the floor with enough force to make the room spin. But Iolaus ignored it, he had to or Strife would get the advantage. He struggled up into a sitting position -- and nearly choked when an arm went around his neck. Pinned back against leather and cold metal, he could barely breathe.

"You didn't really think you were gonna beat me, did you?" Strife sneered, tightening the headlock. Grabbing a handful of the thick blond curls again, he pulled Iolaus' head back as far as possible. "Kinda disappointed though. I mean, I gave you a fair shot and you couldn't even last five minutes. Real pitiful."

Spots started to color Iolaus' vision, but he could still make out Strife looking down at him, triumph showing on his blood-streaked pale face. The sight made him furious. This wouldn't end here! Not like this!

Anger giving him added strength, he grabbed hold of the arm around his neck and threw his body forward, sending the surprised god sailing over his head. The sound of Strife smacking into the wall made him grin despite the dizziness that threatened to overcome him. He forced it back, pulling himself unsteadily to his feet.

Picking himself up, Strife ignored the way the room tried to rotate around him. He couldn't believe Iolaus still had that much resistance left in him. This really was his lucky day!

Before Iolaus could make another move, Strife ran straight at him. The impact sent them both sprawling back on the floor but Strife got to his feet first. Breathing hard, he grinned down at the stunned mortal lying at his feet. "Aww, is this too much for the poor wittle baby?"

The sound of that grating giggle did it. Iolaus found the strength he needed to grab hold of Strife's legs. "C'mere, you...!" He didn't finish, not having the energy to waste on insults. Hand-over-hand, he used the wiry body as a ladder to pull himself up until he could lock his arms around Strife's hips.

Stopping mid-giggle, Strife tried to push the mortal off but Iolaus clung tighter than a fly to a wall. He tried another grab at Iolaus' hair, but then arms went around him and yanked him back down to the floor. He couldn't get the damn mortal off him! Iolaus nearly crawled the rest of the way up him, using his leather outfit for handholds.

On top of the god, straddling him, Iolaus grabbed him by the throat again and squeezed. He didn't let go, even when Strife's hands went around his throat and started choking him. He refused to admit defeat, just increasing the pressure of his grip when Strife did the same. Neither one of them would give in although both their faces were starting to turn interesting colors.

"Give it up!" Strife managed to force the words out. "You can't win!"

Iolaus didn't answer, Strife's grip on him too tight to easily allow speech. Instead he just increased the force of his own grip as much as he could, loving the way Strife's eyes widened in shock and pain.

Strife couldn't help grinning then despite the blackness starting to creep into the edges of his vision from lack of air. This was so perfect! Both of them doing their damnedest to strangle the other, both dripping blood from various wounds, and both of them having the time of their lives doing it! he would've laughed aloud if he'd had the breath to do so.

Strife suddenly threw all his weight over to one side, taking the surprised mortal with him, reversing their positions.

Iolaus found himself pinned and nearly helpless beneath Strife. But he didn't let go. If he passed out, he intended to take Strife with him. "Give...up...?" He forced the words out, but he couldn't make it more than a thready whisper.

"You first," Strife replied, not managing any greater volume. But he knew Iolaus wouldn't give in any more than he would. He shifted his weight on top of Iolaus, trying to get better leverage -- and they both froze.

Iolaus was hard -- fuck, they both were. A normal reaction to the excitement of the fight, and their enjoyment of it. Nothing unusual about that. Except that lying there, pressed so tightly together, staring at each other, something...shifted. In a fraction of a second everything changed.

Iolaus' grip loosened in the shock of the moment and that was all Strife needed. Releasing him, he quickly grabbed Iolaus' hands and pried them away from his throat.

Iolaus tried to maintain his hold on Strife, but he lost that battle and quickly found his arms pinned up above his head, held down by strong hands. Strife looked down at him, his pale blue eyes shining with cruel delight. Strangely, that look didn't frighten Iolaus. Instead, he felt something like...anticipation, as Strife leaned close.

Strife's mouth roughly covering his didn't surprise him, but his response to it did. Strife kissed him hard, trying to force his lips apart, and Iolaus gasped involuntarily when he felt his cock jump in response.

Taking advantage of the mortal's surprise, Strife thrust his tongue into Iolaus' mouth. Yeah, this was good: holding him down, dominating him...a shiver of lust went through Strife at the thoughts.

Not willing to just lie there and take it, Iolaus bit down on the tongue invading his mouth. Strife gave a muffled cry and tried to pull away but Iolaus didn't let him, not immediately anyway. He waited until he tasted plenty of blood and only then did he let go. But he didn't stop there. When Strife started to pull back, Iolaus slammed his head forward, connecting with Strife's already damaged nose.

Strife rolled off him before Iolaus could attack again. Trying not to choke on his own blood, he sat up and looked at Iolaus, waiting to see what he'd do next. For a few moments nothing happened, they just watched each other warily, then Iolaus smirked.

"Well?" he prompted. "Come and get it, if you can."

Spitting out blood, Strife grinned almost ferally at the challenge, then he leapt. When he grabbed Iolaus he didn't try to strangle him again; he had a different aim this time.

Iolaus let himself be pushed back onto the floor by the attack, then he rolled, trying to pin Strife under him. But he couldn't get a good grip. Strife wouldn't hold still long enough.

The sound of material ripping caught his attention then as the front of his shirt tore. That distraction cost him. Suddenly he found himself on his back again, Strife's teeth sinking into his throat, pulling off the rest of his torn shirt at the same time.

It would've been simpler to use his powers to make their clothes just disappear, but Strife found a lot more satisfaction in doing it this way. Pinning him down, ripping his clothes off...fuck; it got him so hot, overpowering Iolaus like this!

No sooner had he thought that than his lip was bitten viciously and Iolaus reversed their positions. The mortal's hands were on him, yanking laces free and pushing leather aside.

Somehow, despite continuing to fight for position, they managed to at least partially undress. When he felt Strife's hands at the front of his pants though, Iolaus kicked him with as much force as he could. But instead of falling back, Strife hit him hard, then shoved him facedown onto the floor.

Moving up over Iolaus, Strife settled his hips against the mortal's ass. "Yeah," he breathed in Iolaus' ear. "I'm gonna totally love this."

"No way!" Iolaus hissed, shoving his elbow back, catching Strife in the face.

"Fuck! Would you lay off my nose?" Strife demanded, then, holding the back of Iolaus' neck, he slammed his head forward a few times.

That did it. Adrenaline only overcame so much and Iolaus had found his limit, if just briefly. His face being pounded into the floor repeatedly wasn't something he could simply shake off. He needed a few seconds to recover. And he seemed to have it.

He felt Strife moving off him and for a moment or two nothing happened. But just as the dazed feeling started to disappear, hands were on him again, roughly yanking off his pants.

Iolaus tried to push himself up, to fight back before it was too late, but a hand on his shoulder shoved him back down. He didn't let it stop him, continuing to struggle as his legs were forced apart.

Grabbing Iolaus' neck, Strife slammed his head down again, putting an end to his resistance. He briefly considered using his power to come up with some oil or something, but then he decided that'd be cheating. He'd gone this far so he'd just go with what he had. Spitting on his hand, he used that.

"What...?" Still dazed this time, Iolaus tried to turn over, to see what Strife was doing, but a hand on the back of his neck held him down.

"This is more than you would've given me," Strife pointed out, settling between Iolaus' legs. "Bet you would've done me without using anything, so I'm being nice." As he positioned himself, something occurred to him. "You ever been fucked before?"

Iolaus didn't want to answer but knew Strife would just pound his head into the floor again if he didn't. "No," he admitted grudgingly.

"This is so perfect!" Strife almost giggled with sheer joy. He'd thought he'd only be taking Iolaus' pride here. "Oh, by the way, this is really gonna hurt." He pushed in, forcing the head of his cock past the tight ring of muscle.

Iolaus bit down hard on the inside of his mouth to keep from making a sound. If felt like he was being torn in half, and it didn't stop. He managed not to cry out as Strife continued to push in, not stopping until he was completely inside. He'd never felt pain like this, but he wouldn't say anything, wouldn't give Strife that satisfaction.

Oh, fuck! Iolaus felt so damn tight! It was a struggle not to come, even for a god. Taking a few deep breaths, Strife got it under control. Then he set about getting what he wanted. Pulling almost all the way out, he shoved back in, noting the way Iolaus tensed with the thrust.

Almost, but not quite.

Another slow withdrawal and a brutal shove back in. Then he got it. Iolaus screamed. Strife closed his eyes and listened to the sound with a satisfied smile. Yeah, that's what he'd needed. Half of it anyway. Now for the other half.

"Let's see," he muttered to himself, shifting position slightly. "Should be right there." He thrust again, just as hard.

"Fuck!" Iolaus cried out, eyes wide with shock. He'd been ready for more excruciating pain, not this intense pleasure racing through him.

"Yep, that's it," Strife said cheerfully, then started thrusting, deep and fast.

Iolaus couldn't think, couldn't move, his body too confused by the intense mix of pain and incredible pleasure nearly overwhelming as Strife rocked into him. He heard cries and moans and it took him a few moments to recognize them as his own. He was hard again and every thrust, touching that spot inside him, drove his arousal higher.

Perfect. So perfect.... He couldn't stop himself from loving it. He'd accepted both the pain as well as the pleasure and was demanding more. Strife gladly gave it to him, riding him even harder, getting off on that as much as the fact that this had to be so unbelievably humiliating to Iolaus.

Iolaus pushed back against Strife. He hadn't meant to but his body had decided to ignore his mind. He heard Strife gasp at the movement, and then teeth tore into his shoulder as the pace increased.

Beneath him, Iolaus shivered at the bite, his ass tightening again briefly. Liking that, Strife bit him again, on the opposite shoulder provoking the same reaction.

The floor felt rough against Iolaus' aching cock, good, but not enough to bring him off, and he wanted to come, desperately. He couldn't take much more, pain and pleasure and everything so mixed up he didn't know what was happening anymore. Another well placed thrust and he nearly screamed again at the sensations. He needed to come. Now.

Grinding his hips into the floor, that, plus the continuing deep thrusts, was enough. He did scream this time.

Strife couldn't help the strangled cry that escaped him as Iolaus' ass clamped down on him so tight it hurt. His cry joined Iolaus' as he came, feeling like it was being ripped from him.

When it ended, Iolaus couldn't have moved if he'd wanted to. It seemed like all his energy had left with that shattering climax. He could only lie there, gasping for air under the weight of the god collapsed on top of him.

A minute or so later Strife found the energy to pull out of Iolaus -- ignoring the moan of pain that provoked -- and fell to the side. Lying on his back, he stared up at the cracked ceiling.

What the fuck just happened?

It took a while before either of them really moved again. Finally Iolaus forced himself to sit up, or try anyway. After a couple attempts he realized it would be a long time before he actually sat anywhere again. He had to settle for letting his weight rest on one hip.

Now that it was over, sanity returned full-force, along with comprehension of what they'd done. Looking around he saw pieces of their clothing strewn everywhere. Nothing salvageable remained.

Strife couldn't believe what he saw -- what he remembered. How -- why had it happened? All the reasons he'd given himself earlier, they made no sense now!

Iolaus shook his head in shock and disbelief. They'd acted like a couple of animals, and what they'd done.... He really didn't know what they'd done. He didn't have a name for it. It sure wasn't sex. It couldn't even be called fucking. It'd been less than that. It hadn't even been about that. It had all been about power. All of it.

Power, and control. And Strife realized he'd had neither the whole time. He hadn't been thinking at all; he'd gone completely on instinct. He thought he'd gotten the upper hand, but now he couldn't be sure what he'd really ended up with.

Iolaus knew he hadn't won, so did that mean Strife had? Or had they both lost? At times like this he really wished he hadn't slept through philosophy class.

The thought of the academy brought to mind another, more serious problem.

"Oh, gods," Iolaus said miserably. "Herc's never gonna speak to me again when he finds out about this!"

"Shit!" Strife groaned as another realization struck him. "Ares is gonna rip my balls off and shove 'em down my throat!" He'd had permission to kill and/or torture Hercules' friends, not fuck them -- or whatever that was they'd done. This mess got bigger by the minute.

He looked over at Iolaus and after a few moments the mortal met his gaze. All differences aside, a look of understanding passed between them.

With a wave of his hand, Strife healed their wounds and cleaned them up. Then their clothing reappeared on them, whole and as good as it'd been before they'd started this.

They avoided looking at each other too much as they got to their feet. Things were too...confused to tell if anything had actually been settled between them. There were too many questions now to know if anything ever could be.

Iolaus looked over at Strife, meeting the cool, blue gaze without flinching, surprised by how calm he felt. Maybe it was shock or something.

Another moment of that disturbing understanding passed between them. Forgetting this would be impossible, but no one else ever had to know about it either. They could just deal with it, or not, on their own.

A moment's hesitation, and Strife nodded once, almost reluctantly. Then he disappeared in a flash of blue flame.

The trip back to the academy would take some time. Hours Iolaus knew he'd spend trying to figure out how to face his friends without revealing this, the way he'd betrayed them. Betrayed himself.

Nothing could ever be the same.
 
 
Fin