Two Minutes to Midnight

Don't Threaten Me With a Good Time

"Calliope, wake up!"

"Ugh, hang on, I'm coming." Calliope gets out of bed and rubs her eyes, crossing the floor to open the door to her room. All her friends are waiting on the other side, dressed and ready to go for the day. "What's going on?" She asks.

"Oh my gosh, get dressed, Calli!" Nagaveni says.

"Yeah, what the hell?" Asmodeus says. "You're not dead yet, so we're gonna spend the day together."

"What are we doing?" Calliope questions.

"Zeph's keeping the bar closed for the day so we can hang out," Amarok answers.

"Now go get dressed!" Dysnomi yells.

"Okay, okay. I'm going!" Calliope exclaims. She walks back into her room and throws on a 90's grunge band t-shirt, ripped black skinny jeans, and a pair of white sneakers. She pulls her hair up high into a messy bun, and applies a bit of mascara to her already long lashes and some lip gloss to her plump lips.

When she comes back to the door, her friends whistle at her and tease her. Then Nagaveni asks, "Seriously though, Calli, how do you always manage to look so effortlessly perfect?" She notices that Nagaveni's picking at the bottom of her shirt.

"You're one to talk, Nini," Calliope responds, pointing out Nagaveni's look, which consisted of a loose t-shirt that had the words 'ride or die' on it, a pair of light-colored mom jeans, and a pair of gray sneakers.

"Oh, thanks," Nagaveni says, blushing and looking at the floor.

"Ready to go?" Xena asks.

"Yep, I'm good," Calliope says.

As they walk down to the lobby, heading toward the door, Calliope slows her pace until she's walking next to Nimue.

"You doing okay, Calli?" Nimue asks.

"Huh? Yeah, fine. Um, here." Calliope pulls out her hotel room keycard and places it in Nagaveni's hands. "You should probably hold onto this."

"Why?" Nagaveni questions, looking confused.

"Just in case I don't ever make it back to the hotel. That way, you can get my stuff," Calliope answers.

"Um, okay," Nagaveni mumbles, taking it. She stuffs it in her purse before walking ahead of Calliope so Asmodeus can walk next to her.

Side-by-side, Calliope and Asmodeus walk outside together, following the rest of the group. Though, Calliope takes a moment to feel the warmth of the sun, letting it wash over her. She throws her arms out to the sides in the same Jesus pose Dysnomi stood in barely three weeks prior.

'I never really thought about it, but I'm going to miss the sun washing over my face like this,'

she thinks. 'At least, I think I am. I don't actually know if you can feel anything when you're in Purgatory.'

A gentle tug on her hand pulls her back to reality. "What are you thinking about?" Asmodeus asks softly.

"Just enjoying the sun," Calliope whispers. "Can you feel in Purgatory?"

"Feel?" Asmodeus questions. "Feel what?"

"Anything," Calliope responds, holding his hand tightly. "Like… can you feel the sun on your face? Is there even a sun in Purgatory? Can you feel fire or the dirt or if you pinched yourself?"

"Ah, I see," Asmodeus says. "You're wondering if it will actually feel like a life. Well, there is an artificial sun in Purgatory, artificial seasons… You can feel them, though I'm told it feels a little strange."

"How so?" Calliope asks.

"Everyone I've talked to says it feels so real, but there's always a nagging feeling that tells you it's not real, so it ends up feeling more like a dream. But you can't focus on it too much or you'll go mad from it," he answers.

"That sounds so wild," Calliope says.

"Oh, and yes, you can feel it if you pinch yourself in Purgatory. You can also feel it if others pinch you," Asmodeus tells her.

"Well that part's reassuring, at least."

"Calli! 'Deus!" Nagaveni calls out.

"What's the hold up?" Dysnomi calls out.

"Oh! Coming!" Calliope calls back. Then she looks at Asmodeus and they start laughing with each other. She puts a hand on the back of Asmodeus' neck, pulling him until their foreheads meet. Then, she leans up and kisses his lips deeply. He returns the kiss, wrapping his arms around her.

"Calliope," Asmodeus whispers. "Te amo más que a mi vida."¹

"I love you, too, 'Deus," she whispers back. Then she pulls away and says, "I, uh… I guess we should catch up with everyone else."

"You're right… as always, hermosa."²

They start to walk hand-in-hand, eventually catching up with everyone else when they reach The Tipsy Piano.

"After you, Amarok says, holding the door open for Calliope. Asmodeus lets go of her hand and gestures for her to go ahead of him.

"What are you all up to?" she asks in a suspicious but playful tone as she walks into the dive bar.

She takes in the scenery as she steps inside. Zephyr is standing behind the bar with a huge smile on his face. The room is decorated with an obvious 'under the sea' theme, causing her to laugh. LED lights have been put up framing the ceiling, changing colors regularly–blue, red, green, purple, yellow, repeat. "Zeph, this is amazing!" she exclaims as her friends walk in behind her.

"It was nothing, chere," he replies. "Just took a little bit of elf magic."

"Though the drinks required a trickster's touch," Dysnomi says with a wink, pointing to the bar.

"Oh, you conjured the fae alcohol to make the Cosmic Paradise?" Calliope asks, excited.

"And he was kind enough to give me the recipe," Zephyr says.

"It's only fair since you gave us the recipe for the Siren's Lament," Dysnomi tells him.

"Oh, bull," Zephyr says, waving him off. "Nagaveni earned that fair and square."

Nagaveni giggles and blushes, picking at the bottom of her shirt. Calliope wishes she could make her friend feel more comfortable, then she gets an idea. "Zeph, you're closed to the public today, right?"

"Of course, chere. What's up?" he asks.

Calliope walks over and pulls the shades down on the windows, asking, "Xena, can you lock the front door? Amarok–get the side door?"

"You got it," Amarok says, making sure the side door is locked.

"Yeah, sure," Xena answers simultaneously, locking the front door and closing the shades. "So you wanna tell us what that's about?" Xena asks.

"It's so Nagaveni can take off the Serpent Tamer," Calliope answers honestly.

"What?" Nagaveni asks, turning to look at her.

"You looked nervous," Calliope says, pointing to the spot where Nagaveni's fidgeting with her shirt. "I figured you'd feel more comfortable if you could let Snake Lively and Justin Timbersnake out to roam."

Nagaveni laughs now. "Okay, I think you're right," she says, pulling off the Serpent Tamer and shoving it in her pocket. The snakes on her head start hissing quietly as they wake up, slithering in all different directions. "Hello my little Jörmangandr babies," she says happily, petting them.

"My work here is done," Calliope says, heading toward the bar.

Before she can sit, however, Amarok says, "Not so fast." He takes her arm, his hand wrapping around it. "The lights are hooked up to the surround sound speakers, and since this whole thing is for you, you need to set a playlist."

"Oh, that's easy," Calliope laughs. "I listen to basically any kind of music, so it won't be hard to make a playlist."

"A woman after my own heart," Amarok says, grabbing his chest dramatically.

"Thought you already knew that," Calliope teases as she makes a playlist.

"Oh, I did, but since you've been in town, I've found a new reason to like you every day," he tells her.

"Aww," she says, giving him a quick hug. Then she turns back to her playlist and adds a few more songs, saying, "Aaaand… done!"

Amarok hits the shuffle play option and an upbeat pop song comes on first. Calliope grabs Amarok's hand with both of hers, dragging him toward the bar. "Slow down," he tells her, laughing.

"No way!" she says. "I still haven't had a drink, and everyone else is waiting on me."

Amarok scoops her up with one arm, causing her to squeal in delight. He sits her down on a bar stool.

"Alright," Zephyr says. "Since it's Calliope's day, she gets to choose which of these signature drinks we each get." He makes a sweeping gesture between three drinks–the galaxy-inspired Cosmic Paradise, the turquoise Siren's Lament, and an ombre drink with red at the bottom, orange in the middle, and yellow on top.

"What's that one?" Calliope asks.

"I'm glad you asked, chere," Zephyr replies. "This is a new one I've come up with–and yes, Dysnomi, I will give you the recipe." He holds a finger up just as Dysnomi opens his mouth. Dysnomi stares at him—mouth open—for a moment before slowly closing his mouth again. "Anyway, chere. I call this one Electrical Fire. It's pretty good, but you gotta be brave if you wanna try it, cause it gets set on fire."

"Fire doesn't hurt me," Calliope laughs. "I wanna try it. Anyone else?"

"Count me in," Asmodeus says. "Fire doesn't hurt me, either."

"I'm not one to back down from a challenge," Amarok says with a shrug.

"I'm gonna pass on that one," Xena says. "I got enough scars from this magic skin disease. I don't think I should add a burn scar to it."

"What about you, Zeph?" Calliope asks.

"Oh, no, thank you," he responds.

"Alright, you and Xena should try the Cosmic Paradise then. 'Deus, Amarok, and I will have the Electrical Fire, and… Dysnomi? Nagaveni? You two want the Siren's Lament?" Calliope questions, looking at the trickster and the gorgon sitting next to each other.

"Yes, please!" Nagaveni exclaims.

When they all get their drinks, Amarok lifts his in the air. Asmodeus and Calliope clink theirs against his, and he says, "Just for you, Calli," before tossing the drink back, swallowing it quickly to extinguish the flames. He makes a face and lets out a howl, causing Calliope and Asmodeus to laugh.

"Together?" she asks Asmodeus, despite knowing it won't hurt her.

"Together," he agrees, and they down the drinks. "Holy hell, that's good!" he says.

Calliope laughs. "Holy Hell? Really, 'Deus?"

"Cállate,"³ he replies, laughing along with her. "You know I didn't mean it like that."

★★★

Cause For Concern

Calliope spends almost the entire day drinking and laughing with her friends, and as she looks around at all of them, she realizes that despite how dysfunctional her biological family turned out to be, she ended up with a family that she loves and is willing to die for.

'As long as they're all okay at the end of this, it will be worth it,'

she tells herself. 'I'll happily give up my powers and die if it comes down to it.'

"You are not just going to give up!"

"Not even if it means keeping our friends safe?"

"She won't be able to keep anyone safe unless she fights!"

Ember and Lyn argue inside her mind, causing her to let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples. Please stop fighting, she thinks.

"Calli? You okay?"

She jumps at the sound of Asmodeus' voice. "Shit," she says, laughing. "Yeah, I'm alright. Ember and Lyn are just arguing right now."

"Ember and Lyn?" he asks, confused.

"Oh, right. You weren't around when I learned about them," she says. "Ember is the phoenix spirit and Lyn is the thunderbird spirit."

"Oh, okay," he says. "So they're separate entities within you, like my demon?"

"And Amarok's wolf."

Asmodeus nods his head, seeming to understand.

A moment later, a familiar song starts playing. "This is the song I danced with Amarok to on our first day here!" she exclaims. There's a mix of nostalgia and sadness in her tone. She catches Amarok's eye from across the bar as he walks toward her.

Amarok bows deeply, saying, "Do you mind?" to Asmodeus.

"Go ahead," Asmodeus says, holding his arms out toward Calliope as if he's offering her up.

"Would you honor me with this dance?" Amarok asks her.

"The honor is mine," Calliope says, laughing and pretending to curtsy.

Amarok takes her hand, leading her to the middle of the floor once more. She dances with him in-between tables and the bar, feeling exhilarated, and as the song ends, Amarok once again dips her down.

By the time he pulls her up, Calliope is breathing heavily from both the dance and from the tension she feels between them. "That always amazes me," she says with a breathless laugh.

"You amaze me," Amarok replies. Calliope is about to tell him that's a corny joke when he leans down and leaves a small kiss on her lips. When he pulls away, she's completely forgotten about teasing him.

She sits down at the bar and is nursing another drink when she hears Asmodeus' voice in her mind.

'There's a small private area in the back. Meet me there? I promise it'll be worth it.'

'Are we allowed to go back there?' she telepathically sends back to him.

'I already asked Zephyr about it,' comes Asmodeus' reply. 'He said it's fine with him since it might be the last time we get to be with you.'

'Okay, 'Deus. I'm coming,' she tells him. She excuses herself from the bar then and slips into the small private room in the back, quietly closing the door behind her. "Asmodeus?" she asks. There's no answer.

She's about to leave when a pair of rough, tan hands cover her eyes as someone walks her into the couch sitting against the wall. "If you wanna see me, you gotta promise to kiss me," Asmodeus' voice whispers in her ear.

"Do I really need to promise that, 'Deus?" she asks. "You already know I'm gonna kiss you."

"Fair point," he replies, removing his hands.

Calliope turns then, wrapping her arms around his neck while she kisses his lips passionately. She gasps as he pushes her onto the couch, climbing on top of her as they kiss. She slides her hands up his shirt, feeling his abs and causing him to gasp before pulling his shirt over his head. He returns the gesture, groaning as he feels her body.

As he presses into her, she can feel him throb against her. She moans quietly, thinking to him, 'I need you.'

That's all it takes for Asmodeus to pull the rest of their clothes off and thrust into her, causing Calliope to hold onto his shoulders and moan softly into his ear. They lose themselves in the moment, staying. locked together like that until they're both finished.

"If you survive this, please tell me you're picking him."

'I don't actually know, Lyn,' Calliope thinks to the thunderbird as she dresses. 'I know you really like him, but we've already played this game before.'

"No, you should pick Amarok! He's never hurt you, he's amazed by everything you do, and there's a burning passion in him."

'I really like Amarok, but I live in Los Angeles,' Calliope tells Ember as she walks back out to the bar. 'I don't know how I could ever make that work.'

She's so busy talking to Ember and Lyn in her own mind that she almost doesn't feel the intense anger clouding the room. She only notices it after seeing her friends unconscious on the floor–each of them have what appears to be electrical burns on their bodies. Even Asmodeus, who went back to the bar mere moments before she did, is laying there.

"Oh no," Calliope cries. "Please, no." She quickly checks for their pulses, letting out a breath when she confirms that they're all alive.

"He's going to die for this! He could have killed them! Xena is a human–her body can not take this kind of damage! Find him and get rid of him for good!"

Ember screams inside Calliope's mind, preparing herself for a fight. Though, as Calliope looks around, she doesn't notice anything out of place other than her friends.

'If he attacked using lightning, why is there nothing out of place? Lightning is sporadic–you can't control where it hits,'

she thinks. 'I know Shango said Raiden was more powerful, but fully controlling the lightning? That's god-level power.'

She hears something move behind her, and she turns, though she isn't fast enough to avoid the shock of the lightning ball slamming into her nose, causing her immense agony. She falls to her knees, still looking around for her brother when she suddenly hears him.

"Hello, sister," he says. "I see you're still in love with the half-demon scum who locked me away. That must be why you never tried to help me get out of there."

Before she can respond, however, a second voice comes from behind her, so closely that she can feel the man's breath on her neck, and she swears she can almost feel his lips as well. "Calliope obviously has bad taste. I mean, she chose my brother over me. Oh, well… Asmodeus won't be able to save you now, you siren bitch."

Menoetius… Oh, gods, no…

★★★

¹I love you more than life itself.

²beautiful.

³Shut up.