Who:Iolaus and Callisto What: Awkward meetings When:Before Xena's recent dream debacle Where:Sreets Warnings:Random goons get asses kicked? but otherwise n/a Status:COMPLETE
Another hot summer night in Orange County, Iolaus had just finished up an evening of drinking with a friend at a local bar and decided to walk back to his apartment. He left his car in the lot behind it. It wasn’t that far from his apartment but he’d come from work after. It’d been a good night. That bar wasn’t exactly the most upper class place, but it was fun. Fun crowd, fun set up. The theme tonight was fun. They even had a dart board, and he was a pretty decent shot. Left a few guys stewing in his wake after they’d claimed to be dead eye shots and having beaten them out too.
He had a toothpick between his teeth and his arms behind his head as he looked up at the sky. Ironic how life worked, he started out doing everything in his power to avoid going to school and now he worked at one. He was full of hope for it too. It was a new feeling. One he tried often not to have in the past because hope usually lead to disappointment, and he’d had enough of that in his youth.
It was nearing 2am when he headed across a street that lead to his apartment when he heard it. The sounds of a scuffle in the darkness ahead, he squinted into the shadows in attempt to get a better look at what obstructed his path.
Callisto was getting into bar brawls and street fights far more often of late. Considering she wasn’t mortal, she didn’t need to sleep, which only left her more time for causing trouble. And oh, she got into plenty of trouble. So much so that the local bars in Orange County, at least the biker-type bars, knew there would be a fight to follow if she came into one of them.
Tonight was no exception. She was looking for a good fight, though not one that would out her as being anything other than mortal. She didn’t bleed, so she avoided getting stabbed. Tonight, she was a little more feral, and a little less careful while fighting. She was out-numbered. In fact, the entire group of large, burly biker guys were all fighting Callisto. While she was on the taller side, she also was a rail, especially compared to the bikers.
Her ear-piercing scream rang out as one guy landed a punch. Callisto whirled, grabbing his wrist and twisting it. There was a snapping sound, shortly followed by the man letting out a pained scream of his own. And yet, the others only seemed more determined to take Callisto down.
That scream caused him to wince and rush forward into the shadow without really thinking this plan through. Who the hell knew what would be happening on the other side of the darkness? He couldn’t really see how many people were there but there was at least (probably) one woman, judging by that sound. “Hey, you okay!?” He asked in the direction of the voice, the blond woman he automatically attached it to since the others were rather gruff looking dudes he really didn’t think could make a sound like that.
“All of you against one? Now this just isn’t a fair fight.” He grinned and put up his arms in a nearly boxing type of stance, not seeming to care who was in the wrong on this one just yet. All he knew was they all seemed to be targeting that woman and it couldn’t end well for her.
One of them made a move at him, and Iolaus sucker punched him in the face causing the brute looking guy to reel back in shock. Nobody expected the short blond guy to pack such a hard punch.
Callisto almost didn’t notice the guy suddenly jumping into the fray. She glanced over at him, somewhere between angry at him jumping in and confused because why would a stranger get involved? But she didn’t have much time to dwell on it because a fist came flying at her head, which she managed to dodge and she spun on her heel, bringing her other leg up and kicking the guy.
“You’re raining on my parade!” She called to the shorter blonde man without taking her eyes off of her opponents. None of them seemed to be too bothered by another addition to the fray. It just made it a fight all the more.
Iolaus raised an eyebrow at the blond woman. “Can’t let you have all the fun, come on now.” The scraggly blond said with a grin. He really didn’t know what was going on, but honestly. This many guys against one person was just not fair. He didn’t approve of bully tactics. To him that’s what this looked like. Why else would they bother with him at all otherwise?
As a larger man rushed him he rolled underneath his legs with nimble ease and landed a firm kick to the guys ass that sent him face forward in the dirty concrete with bloody teeth, he seemed to be one of the ring leaders because when he struggled and regained his composure finally he whistled and many of his guys began to back off. These two were too much.
Finally getting a good look at the guy, Callisto’s eyes narrowed. Iolaus. It could only be Iolaus, or someone who looked exactly like him. But he didn’t seem to recognize her, which worked to her favor for the time being. She didn’t need him attacking her, not that she couldn’t handle it, but she just didn’t want to deal with that yet. Callisto had enough problems on her hands.
She got a couple more good punches in before the guys backed off. Callisto pouted. “Finished already? You disappoint me,” she said in a mock pouting voice. And for someone as skinny as she was, she didn’t have a single mark on her. She didn’t even sound like she was out of breath. There were some bits of blood on her, though, it just didn’t belong to her. “But go on, scurry away like the good little rats you are.” She waved a hand dismissively at them as the guys took off.
Iolaus couldn’t help but smirk as he waved out the slight kink in his hand from sucker punching that goon. It’d been a while since he’d been in a good old fashioned street fight. “You okay?” He asked as he turned to the blond, she seemed fine, but he still had to ask. It was the humane thing to do and all. “What’d you do to piss all those guys off anyway?”
Oh. Right. Iolaus was still there. Callisto looked at him. “I’m fine. I may have insulted their masculinity. Or possibly their reputation. Can’t remember which right now.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Either way, their pride is wounded, and I suppose that’s good enough for me right now.” Callisto still could use a good fight to work out some of the aggression she had, but that would come later. When Iolaus wasn’t around.
“They’d be pretty stupid to come back after that, you should be okay now.” Iolaus shook his head in disbelief at her response, though amusement reached his eyes as he did. “You need to get anywhere? Like home or something? I can help out a bit if you want, in case there’s more.” Iolaus had no hidden agenda, no reason to trick her-he was just trying to be helpful. “I’m Iolaus by the way.”
And of course he was the helpful type. Not that she expected anything else considering how she knew him to be in the dreams. But right, not mentioning any of that since he was new here. She’d let him learn the hard way. “No, I’m planning to stay out a while yet.” She didn’t need an escort or anything of the sort. Callisto eyed him, managing to keep a comment about knowing his name quiet. “Callisto.”
“If you’re sure. Want any company?” He didn’t want to be pushy and intrude, but it wasn’t like he had any other plans. However if she said no it wasn’t like it would be the end of the world. Iolaus would move on and find some other way to entertain himself. It was late after all. “Interesting name, you from around here?”
“Not really.” Callisto wasn’t in the mood for having company. At least not anyone that she wasn’t throwing fists at. Though the idea of throwing punches at Iolaus was a tantalizing one, but she refrained herself. And then there was a question about herself. She took a deep breath. “No, I’m not.” And she wasn’t going to get any further into that. Being reminded of her childhood home, her parents and sister that weren’t there anymore only made her want to set something on fire.
“Okay, well be careful I guess.” Iolaus shrugged. That was kind of awkward, but he wasn’t about to force her to accept his company. All he wanted to do was help so he did that at least. “I like it.” He offered her a smile and gave a slight wave. “Just holler if you change your mind.” And with that, he started to walk off.