Hercules looked up as the last rock from the cave roof fell, trapping him, the next thing he knew he was choking on the dust. A large rock crushed his leg; the cave was totally blocked off. He lay back and heaved a sigh; at least he had gotten the people out before the cave had collapsed. Taking in a big breath of dust he coughed and tried to get up, the rock had him pinned tight. Calming himself down he took in his surroundings. There was a tiny crack in the roof that let some daylight through, a tiny stream of fresh air blew across his face. The only opening was blocked completely by rocks and dirt, a larger boulder lay on his leg making it feel numb, he could feel a wetness on his face, reaching up he pulled his hand away, blood covered his fingers, he was bleeding from a large cut on his forehead. Hercules let his head fall back and he closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to wake up and find it was all a dream. Moving was hard, he could feel cracked ribs rub against each other, a large blue black bruise was forming on his side, coughing he tried once again to sit up but he fell back, tired and defeated. Maybe this was how he was meant to die, alone and trapped, dying a slow painful death where he could remember all of the mistakes and regrets he had made during his life. Laughing to himself, he tried to relax but he felt an impending feeling of doom. Taking a large breath Hercules tried to push the rock off him but he fell back after a moment exhausted. Closing his eyes again he rested until he tried for a second time.
"So brother this is how you are going to die?" a voice came from behind, straining to look around Hercules tried to focus on the person behind him, "you are going to give up aren't you, feel sorry for yourself and give up!" It was his half brother Iphicles standing above him, his hands on his hips.
"What? How? Iphicles what you are doing here?" Hercules stumbled over his words trying to make sense of it all, must be his head wound making him imagine things.
"No I am as real as you Hercules, I am here for you, just don't give up!"
"Why shouldn't I Iphicles? I am so tired I just want to sleep!" Hercules mumbled.
"You are giving up Hercules think of our Mother!"
"What about her, I couldn't save her when she died, I couldn't save anyone!" Hercules replied bitterly.
"Giving up? That is not the Herc I know!" a female voice came from the darkness, turning his attention, Hercules saw Nebula sitting on the pile of rocks her booted foot swinging easily. She lazed back with a bored air on her face. "Now if you want to join Iolaus that can be arranged but remember Herc you can't help anyone dead!"
Hercules let out a dry laugh, shaking his head; "I couldn't help Iolaus what makes you think I want to help anyone? Look at me I am talking to spirits and invisible people!" Hercules turned his head away from Nebula, "leave me alone!" he cried out, turning back, he found that he was alone again.

Each time he tried to move to a more comfortable position Hercules winced with pain, sighing he tried to relax but he could not. Silently he wished death to come to him. To finally release him from the life he was trying to survive.
"Death? My dear brother how can you die with the blood of a God in you?" Ares stood over him, "now seeing you die, that would be so good but then whom would I torture and tease like I do to you? Why not spend the rest of your miserable and possibly your immortal life here, where I can find you easily?" Ares leaned closer to him, "just think about it, an eternity trapped here with just me to keep you company!" Ares taunted.
"No!" Hercules cried out shaking his head hard. When he opened his eyes again he looked around he was alone once more. Groaning aloud Hercules scratched at the rock trapping him again, with all of his strength he tried to push it off, but he fell back unconscious and in severe pain.
"Daddy?" a little girl's voice sounded so close, Hercules turned and saw Ilaya standing close by, her brothers explored the cave. "Daddy why don't you come and live with Mama and us anymore?" she lisped, her large blue eyes filling with tears. Hercules could feel his heart start to break, he wanted to reach out to his little girl, but she was just out of reach.
"Children, don't bother your father can't you see he needs to get out of here and get on with saving the world, you are better saving the world rather than saving your own family aren't you Hercules!" Deianeira his first wife snapped at him as she gathered the children close by, "why are you lying around Hercules when there is the world to save?"
"Deianeira why? What do you mean? I don't understand!" Hercules called out but she had disappeared with the children. Tears of frustration and loneliness filled Hercules' eyes as he wondered what was going to happen to him. Trapped alone like this. Hercules wiped the tears away angrily, no time to be emotional he said to himself as he managed to prop himself up a little.
"Hercules help me!" a faint voice sounded in his mind, he turned to see Serena standing there her clothes blood soaked, "I gave up being the hind for you Hercules help me!" She cried holding her blood-covered hands out to him "can you save me now? I need to know Hercules, you couldn't save me before, can you now?"
"Serena I couldn't…believe me I wanted to bring you back…wait a minute…. you did live………when I went back with Autolycus you survived! You're not real!" he cried out.
Serena started to laugh tossing her head back, "face it Hercules there is only one person you care about and that is yourself!" she spat out at him.
"No, if you were my Serena you wouldn't say that, you are just part of my imagination!" he yelled his anger building.
"How can you say that?" She cried tears falling down her face, "how can you be so cruel?"
"You're not real! I am just imagining this, all of this!" Hercules cried out, in a rage he smashed his hands against the rock. A large crack appeared in the rock; gradually it started to crumble.

Finally freed from the boulder Hercules pulled himself up and rested against the wall of the cave, so he could inspect his leg properly. A large cut ran down his thigh, ugly bruises formed around it. He ran his hand down his leg he could hardly feel anything. Tired and pale Hercules rested for a moment, surely they would be looking for him soon, trying to get through the cave in to him.
"If you think you are going to be saved you are wrong Hercules!" Ares smirked "Face it brother dear you are trapped here for ever!"
"Leave me be!" Hercules yelled wanting to get up and knock the smile off Ares' face. "Get out and leave me be!"
"Oh but where is the fun in that Hercules, the world thinks you are dead, oh the mourning is delicious I must tell you!" Ares gloated. "No more Hercules to annoy me, now the world will be my play ground!"
" Did you cause this Ares? Did you make this happen?" Hercules ground out, trying to gather enough strength to attack his half brother.
"No unfortunately…wish I had though brilliant idea!" Ares rubbed his hands together and paced around Hercules, the enjoyment he was feeling at the other man's expense was so evident in the sparkle of his eyes. "Gotta go brother dear and join in the mourning for you…so sad and tragic your sudden death, so young and full of life!" Ares disappeared laughing aloud.
"Ares get back here!" Hercules called out desperately trying to cling to some sort of sense of it all.
"Why Darlin' didn't you call for me to begin with?" a soft touch on his shoulder and hand on his face. Slowly he touched the hand and painfully turned to see whom it belonged to. Atalanta smiled at him and wiped the dirt and sweat from his face. "We can stay together forever here Hercules, do you want to be my greatest work of art? I can heal all of your hurts…you just have to ask!"
"Who are you?" Hercules ground out, "where am I? Who caused this to happen?"
" Why Hercules I am mortally offended!" Atalanta laughed straddling him. She pressed down on his fractured ribs, "wouldn't you like me to take away this pain?" she whispered in his ear. Hercules shoved her off him and threw her against the wall.
"You are not real!" he grunted, "none of this is real!" slowly as the realisation hit him he started to laugh hysterically, "you are all in my head!" he yelled to the air.
"I am as real as you are sugar!" Nebula said as she crawled towards him seductively, "You know I never really loved Iolaus…it was you I loved more, now we can be together for ever, you just have to give yourself to me!"
"How can I give myself to someone who is in my mind only?" Hercules could feel the hysteria rising and his grip on sanity starting to slip away.
"Does this feel like something out of your mind?" Nebula asked as she moved towards him, delivering little kisses up his body towards his neck and face. "I can take your hurts away, just give yourself to me!" she whispered smiling.
"No!" Hercules yelled as he pushed her away, "you are not real!" he snapped. He could feel the tears of frustration building again. Shaking his head he pulled himself up a little more, he had to try to keep a grip on his mind, he had to find a way to get out of the cave. Moving slowly Hercules pulled himself up, finally standing. He took a cautious step towards the rubble to try to free himself. After taking a couple of steps, his mangled leg gave way and he collapsed face down into the dirt. Inch by inch he dragged himself towards the entrance determined to free himself. "You know Herc there is no need for you to suffer like this, just accept your destiny and you will be pain free forever!" a voice echoed in his head, spinning around he found himself still alone. Pushing the longing to curl up and give into the voices, to die towards the back of his mind he made himself go on to the rubble. "Why fight me Hercules? This is your destiny!' the voice whispered again.
"Leave me in peace!" he cried out, "get out of my head!"
"But I am your conscious Hercules how can I get out of your head?" the voice persisted. "Give in and let the world pass you by!"
"Never I will never give up!" Hercules spat out as he started to dig his way through the rocks and dust, to freedom.
"You will never get through that Hercules, your body will give out before you reach the outside. Can't you feel it dying now? Accept your fate and I can restore you body!" the voice persisted. Hercules stopped for a moment he could feel a tugging in his mind, his body was slowly becoming numb. He was so tired all of a sudden, just needed to sleep.
"So you are giving up on yourself now Herc, you gave up on me now you are giving up on yourself!" Iolaus sat next to him, "such a waste Herc, what has your life been worth… all of these years fighting for humans for what? They have left you here to rot! They are mourning your memory that is all. In a year, you will have been forgotten, and what is it all for? Look at the deaths you leave in your wake Hercules, how many lives have been destroyed because people loved and trusted you?"
"No! You are not Iolaus!" Hercules muttered closing his eyes tight, "I am going mad that is all!"
"Mad? No Hercules just a little confused, that bang on your head is pretty nasty!" Iolaus stood up and held out his hand to his friend, "Just take my hand Herc, give yourself over and it will be finished, no more pain!"
"NO! Leave me be!" Hercules cried out in frustration.
"Why should anyone leave you be?" he heard a voice so much like his own, looking up with a heavy sadness, Hercules saw his alternate standing before him, smirking; the Sovereign. "Look at you! You're pathetic! Lying here in this dirt and your own blood! Pathetic!" Sovereign spat out.
"Go away!" Hercules answered not even bothering to argue anymore. He kept scrapping away at the rubble. "I am not insane!" he kept telling himself repeatedly as he rolled another rock away wearily.
"Well, well Herc look at you!" Ares sat on the rocks before Hercules, blocking his way. "Ah the mourning is just delicious, all of these young girls crying for you… then again why should they cry for you?"
"What do you want Ares?" Hercules asked simply, to tired to care anymore.
"Don't tell me the great Hercules is giving up already? You surprise me I thought you had more fight in you than this!"
"Let me be Ares!" Hercules said trying to control his anger.
"But this is so much fun! I have you here for eternity to tease Hercules this is just so delicious!"
"Go away Ares, I am not giving in to you or any of your tricks!" Hercules sat back and shut his eyes, "just need to rest for awhile!" he muttered, finally giving into his exhaustion.

Serena smiled and laughed as she gathered the wild flowers she looked so beautiful and graceful in the field, Hercules went over to sweep her into his arms, when she dropped the flowers and turned to him. Blood covered her body and her face was contorted with anger, she thrust a knife at him. "You killed me Hercules!"
"NO!" Hercules woke with a start, wincing with the sharp pain from his ribs when he sat up Hercules looked around frantically as he realised that he was still trapped in the cave. An angry red welt was forming around the cut; it was starting to fester with infection. He had to get out and get out soon.
"You will lose your leg Hercules!" Iolaus squatted next to him, prodding Hercules' injured leg with his finger, "why don't you just give in and be done with all of this?" he asked casually, pressing harder and harder.
"I will never give in!" Hercules managed to get out as he could feel himself wanting to faint with the pain and tiredness.
"You could have everything Hercules just accept what is and take your rightful place!"
"My rightful place is out there, helping people!"
"Helping people to do what die? Face it Herc everyone who gets close to you gets the big chop!" Iolaus looked up at him grinning; "take my hand Herc…all will be fixed and you will be whole again!"
"Whole again to do what? Spend the rest of my life here insane? Talking to dead people or people who are not actually here? Listen to me I am talking to you as though you are real!" Hercules started to laugh at the craziness of it all. "Let me be Iolaus or whoever you are, if I am to die, let me die in peace!" he said to tired to care anymore.
"But where is the fun in that?" Iolaus giggled as he leant all of his weight on the cut. Hercules screamed with the sudden pain and lapsed into unconsciousness.

"Wait he is coming around!" a voice echoed in the fog of Hercules' mind. He could sense others in the cave with him; cautiously he opened his eyes, there before him stood his beloved mother. "Mother?" he asked thickly, his mouth felt like it was full of sand. "Mother help me!" he whispered raising a shaky hand to her.
"That's it Son, join me and this will all be over!" Alcmene held out her hand, behind her stood Deianeira, the children and Serena. All smiling and holding out their hands. Hercules reached out to his mother, taking her hand in his. It felt so cold and clammy. Shocked Hercules pulled back pressing himself against the wall. This was all just a nightmare, he kept telling himself as he pushed further against the cool cave wall, relishing the feeling of the sharp edges pressing into him it meant he was still sane for now anyway. "Come Son, take my hand let me heal you!" Alcmene urged coming closer,
"NO you're not my Mother!" he cried out hoarsely "this is all just my fevered mind!"
"Ah but can you be sure little Brother?" Ares stepped out from behind Alcmene, "can you really be sure of anything now Hercules?"
"I am sure that none of this is real, that I am running a fever that is all!" Hercules replied.
"Now, now Hercules we can't have you not believing in us!" Ares smirked, "why it is just all of those who sacrificed their lives for your love!"
Hercules watched Ares for a moment; there was something about him that didn't seem right. There it was again another flash across the darkly handsome face. He looked over at Alcmene and the others, they all seemed to be not right, technically they were right to look at, their voices but there was something about them. "Please Hercules, listen to me I am your Mother take my hand, I can make it all go away, take the pain away!"
"Mother?" Hercules could feel the grip he had on his own sanity sliding away; there was no sign of any help. Maybe they had given him up for dead after all. He would be trapped here alone for the rest of his life. "Mother help me!" he finally said giving in to the pain and exhaustion he held out his hands to her. Alcmene went to his side and gathered him in her arms. Holding him tight, she rocked him like a baby. Hercules started to relax a little and clung to his mother, not caring if she was not totally real. "Mother? I… I am so cold Mother!" Hercules whispered, taking comfort from knowing that he could die in his Mother's arms.
"Now do you think I would let you go that easily?" a voice echoed coldly through the cave, weakly Hercules squinted up. He looked into his own face. He had seen that face before in nightmares. Hercules tried to sit up but he winced and lay back down his head resting on his mother's knee. "Leave me be!" he groaned wanting to end it all now. The torment, everything.
"Do you think that all of these people you have wronged will let you rest in peace? Give yourself over to the darker side Hercules, then your health everything will be returned to you!" the identical Hercules held out his hand, he was holding a twisted looking dagger.
"Take it, embrace your dark side and join me!"
"Mother?" Hercules whispered clutching her tight, "help me!"
"Don't take it Hercules!" Alcmene whispered, "fight it!"
"Enough!" the Dark Hercules yelled, suddenly all of the others disappeared leaving him alone with Hercules. Hercules pulled himself up to sit against the wall, pressing himself tighter against it; he shook his head to clear his thoughts and wiped his eyes. Then he turned to start on the rocks again.
"Look at me!" the voice growled behind him. "All you need is to take the knife!"
"You are not real!" Hercules ground out, "leave me alone in my own pain and misery!"
"I am as real as you are Hercules!" the voice continued, "this is just as much for me as it is for you, do you think I would let you die? Then I would die to!" he squatted down next to Hercules and thrust the knife at him, "take it!" he hissed.
"If I die, then you die!" Hercules grunted concentrating on clearing the debris. Hercules tried to ignore the pull coming from the knife, everything in him wanted to accept it, to accept the immortality, but for what. An eternity of living alone in the cave with the ghosts of his past. Finally he gave up for a moment; he needed to rest just for a moment. He could feel his breathing slowing; it was so hard just to find the energy to breathe. Groggily he tried to sit up but it was too much, this time his wounds were going to overcome him, he gave into the pain, and waited for Celesta to come with her candle and guide him to Hades. Death was so close now for him.

"Don't give up now, damn you Hercules!" the familiar voice screamed in his head.
"Here he is here!" the rescuers yelled down the tunnel. Within minutes, they had the last of the blockage removed. They found Hercules lying faced down in the dirt, his hands resting on the rocks he had tried to move. He was just breathing, but he did not move. In his hand was a knife with a long ornately twisted blade. Iolaus looked down at his best friend, tears of happiness and relief shone in his eyes. Gently he rolled Hercules over, gasping when he saw the extent of the injuries. Hercules' eyes fluttered open, he tried to focus on the face that hovered above him.
"No I am not going with you!" he screamed, wrestling weakly to break free.
"Herc…it's me Iolaus you're safe, we found you!" Iolaus held onto Hercules until he stopped thrashing. Hercules looked up at Iolaus still trapped in his nightmare he only saw death surrounding his best friend, "NO I am not going to give in to you!" he cried pitifully, "I have to get free!"
"Herc you are free, we found you! You're safe at last!"
Hercules looked around him, his eyes wide, shining with the grips of fever, the faces of his rescuers looked down at him some with looks of pity others with looks of relief on their faces. "Safe?" he whispered "I am really safe?"
"Yes, yes you are safe Big Guy!" Iolaus didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Now we gotta get you out of here! With that leg, we're gonna carry you out!"
"Mother?" Hercules whispered, looking over Iolaus' shoulder. Alcmene stood in the middle of the cave watching them take her son to safety. Tears ran down her face, she may be alone but at least he was safe.

Hercules sat with his bandaged leg propped up in front of him. Iolaus was fishing just nearby and the warm sun made him feel sleepy but happy. A distant look came over his face as he tried to forget what had happened in the cave. He had told no one about it, preferring to keep it to himself. He still could not believe how close he came to losing his own sanity.