Episode 21: Disappearing Heroes

Edit: 6/2017

Disclaimer: read chapter 1

It's been a full week since the Ragnarok incident in Asgard. Hercules and the rest of the gang tried to enjoy the summer vacation they have right before their senior year in high school.

Hercules and Phil were invited to bond with two heroes, Nestor and Meleager at Athen's bowling ally. The hero dress in bear fur, Nestor, was up next to bowl. He picked up the bowling ball and mentally prepared himself before he rolled the ball.

"Alright!" Nestor stated, as he inserted his fingers in the bowling ball without taking eyes off the pins before him, "Bowling rule #1: Keep your eyes on the pins."

His eyes were swirling red, zooming in the bowling pins up close. While Hercules' gift was strength, Nestor's talent was having keen eyes. He can see things that no one can't in a naked eye.

"Not a problem for someone who has keen of sight as I am," Nestor pulled his arm back, took a couple steps forward, before he rolled the ball, that managed to knock down all the pins.

"STRIKE!" Nestor cried victoriously. He sped toward his hero friend, Meleager, giving him a high five.

Meanwhile, Phil and Hercules were sitting at the bench nearby. Phil was watching the action, Hercules was reading a scroll, not paying attention.

Phil scoffed at Nestor's accomplishment with an eye roll, then muttered, "Lucky roll."

"I heard that!" Meleager appeared next to Phil, leaning his big ear close to Phil's personal space. Meleager's gift was big ears, really good at hearing things far away, or sounds that were too quiet for anybody to hear.

Meleager winked at Phil, before he rushed back to Nestor, showing off his big and long ears and laughing with him.

Phil growled at them with annoyance. He stomped towards the two show offs and said, "Okay! Nestor's got the eyes, and Meleager's got the ears, but Herc's got the power! Right, Kid?" Phil turned to Hercules to ask him, but noticed Hercules wasn't giving him an answer, instead he was reading a scroll. Phil face palmed, while the two gifted heroes gave each other a smug look.

Nestor went over to Hercules and snatched the scroll from Hercules's grip, also gaining Hercules' attention.

"Someone's not clear of the whole bowling and bonding concept," Nestor said to him.

"Sticking Scroll worm," Meleager called him.

"Kid," Phil hid his face with humiliation while he muttered to Hercules, "You're embarrassing me!"

"Huh?" Hercules quickly realized what's happening, "Oh! Oh! Sorry! I..." He pointed at the unraveled scroll, Nestor was holding, "I was reading the latest scroll of Odysseus. Man, is he cunning!"

Nestor rolled the scroll back in it's place, "Cunning hero, lousy bowler!"

"You guys know Odysseus?!" Hercules asked, acting like a big fanboy.

"Know him?" Meleager placed his fists on his hips, "He owes me twenty drachmas, that bum!"

"Hey, are we going to bowl or what?" Phil demanded, holding up a bowling ball for Hercules, "You're up, kid!"

Hercules made a thin smile as he took the ball from Phil. He was took the stance, taking a minute to stare at the pins before he's ready.

He took a deep breath, then said to himself, "Okay. Okay. You can do this. Concentrate-"

"Tuck in the chicken wing!" Phil cried out to him. Even if they don't have hero training today, Phil was still coaching him as if it was training. Hercules glared at Phil, who smiled sheepishly and shushed himself.

Hercules turned back to the pins, "Keep your elbows straight." He took a couple steps forward, while pulling arms back. "And..." Hercules swung his arm forward, releasing the ball. Instead of rolling it, the ball was flying down the lane, breaking through a wall not the pins.

The ball was flying across Athens, knocking down a temple's column, a stack of vases, and the head of Athena's statue.

Back to the bowling ally, the wall that Hercules hit, knocked down, revealed a man holding two pins.

Hercules laughed sheepishly, "Um... Do I get bonus points for knocking down the wall?"

Nestor and Meleager were sitting at the bench eating and drinking, while watching Hercules bowl with amusement.

"Phil," Nestor began with his mouth full, "Your boy should learn how to control himself..." He paused to burp, "Like me."

Meleager reached his hand inside his snack bowl to nothing inside. He looked down to see that their cups and bowls were empty.

"Snack run!" he cried as he and Nestor leaped off the bench and rushed to the snack bar.

"Herc, there's more to bowling than strength," Phil explained, "It takes finesse."

"Right, right," Hercules dismissed him as he walked away toward their bowling lane to try again, "I-I got it, Phil."

~000~000~000~

"What do you think of these sandals, Nattie?" The snake-haired girl in purple was currently shopping with the modern girl herself.

They have plenty of space to shop, because of the lack of costumers. Medusa was to blame, considering that she was a gorgon. Nattie didn't mind entirely or afraid for Medusa was keeping the heart-shaped sunglasses on.

"Hm..." Nattie tapped her chin to see the sandals that bedazzled with silver gems. "A little too much, maybe. You want the man's eyes on your own, not your feet? Try the stack over there."

Medusa heeded Nattie's advice and tried on a pair that was decorated with a violet, heart shaped stone in the middle. She smiled at how it matched her toga. "I love these!"

Nattie glanced at the pair, nodding her head with approval, "It suits you."

Medusa quickly headed for the check out counter, purchasing the shoes. The clerk was shaking, stuttering, and avoiding eye contact the whole time.

"W-Would you like to j-j-join t-the S-S-Sandal Carnival r-rewards f-for-"

"Oh, for crying out loud!" Nattie snapped at the clerk, "You won't be turned to stone! She has glasses! Get over yourself, will ya?!"

Medusa apologized for Nattie's rant, accepting the rewards card politely. The clerk hurried to find the right change for Medusa.

The gorgon faced her friend, who was nonchalantly looking through the red heeled sandals, "You know... It's really hard picturing you in red." Medusa curled Nattie's red streak around her finger.

Nattie shrugged, "Trying something new. That's what everyone is doing."

"Not everyone. I'm still wearing purple, and Cassandra is dressed..." Medusa closed her mouth, suppressing from saying something impolite. "It's a shame that she couldn't come."

"Yeah, but it's not like it was by choice. She and her parents went over to the grandparents for family reunion. Cassandra predicted utter boredom."

"Wait, weren't you invited for this reunion?"

Nattie scoffed, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean I said yes. Cassandra told me that there was a chocolate fountain at the place. I was this close to going, until her parents told me that the chocolate fountain was actually sheep milk."

Medusa raised a brow, folding her arms over her chest, "Sheep milk?"

"And we have to squirt it in the fountain!"

Medusa chuckled, "So the chocolate fountain was just another lie Cassandra made so she-"

"Won't suffer alone like we were supposed to in that so-called haunted cottage? Pretty much."

"Well, it's still a shame though. You know, not having her here."

"We should've invited Helen. She is the light of shopping."

"Is that a good thing?"

"If glitz and glam is your thing. But then again, I love to hear her voice."

"Why?"

"Because she sounds exactly like Princess Ariel!"

"And..." Medusa raised a brow, confused, "Who is-"

"Never mind," Nattie dismissed it.

The clerk returned, placing the box of sandals in a bag.

"Nattie, aren't you gonna get something?" Medusa asked.

Nattie shook her head, pouting her lips, "Nah. Not in the mood."

Medusa sighed, taking the bag from the clerk, and escorting Nattie to the corner of the store, "I know that look."

Nattie furrowed her brows, confused, "What look?"

"The depressing pouty face like something is bothering you."

Nattie shrugged, "It's nothing really."

Medusa scoffed, "C'mon, Nattie. How long have we been best friends?"

"Not very long," Nattie declared with blunt honesty. "We hardly talk because you isolated yourself in that island."

Medusa frowned, "Okay, don't know how to respond to that."

"Look, it's not big deal," Nattie assured her. "I just have a lot on my mind. About what happened last week."

"Oh, you mean the disappointment of not meeting... what's his face?"

"Besides that," Nattie sighed. "I'm talking about Hades."

~000~000~000~

Back at the bowling ally, Hercules was still struggling to hit the pins, while Nestor and Meleager were getting snacks from the bar and were staring a red-head woman, who was passing by.

Meleager made wolf whistles at her, then quickly turned back to the bar meeting another lady. Not just any lady, the transgender version of Hades - Hecate, Queen of the Night. What could she possibly be doing at a place like a bowling ally?

"Hello," Meleager greeted the witch slyly with a missing-tooth smirk on his face. "You're new here, huh?"

"The regular girl couldn't make it," Hecate explained. What the two heroes didn't realize was that the snack girl was near, who was wrapped up in magic bandages like a mummy.

Nestor smashed Meleager's face against the counter, turned his attention on Hecate, "Give me some Calama olives. They're big and black like your eyes. Huh?"

Hecate smiled and stared at Nestor as she grabbed a glass cup behind her. "Speaking of eyes, yours are incredible." Hecate glided in front of Meleager, "And your ears."

Nestor and Meleager couldn't help but fall under the witch's spell by her compliments.

"Yeah." The big-ear hero said with a playful smirk, "The name's Meleager. I can hear a flea's sneeze fifty hectors." Suddenly, his ears perked when a sound outside the bowling ally reached his ears. "Right now, I can hear a flapping of... wings."

"Birds?" Nestor guessed.

Meleager frowned and shook his head, "No."

"Insects?"

"No. Whatever it is sounds very-"

"Flying wolves, perhaps." Hecate answered as she took a couple steps away from the two heroes.

"Yeah! That's it!" Meleager grabbed a handful of popcorn from a red bowl in front of him and tossed one in the air. "How did you know?" he asked curiously.

Suddenly, he heard the flapping wings close to him, above him actually. He looked up, and the popcorn hit his face then land on the floor. He got his answer when he spotted two flying wolves above him.

"They're with me." Hecate explained.

"Support staff if you will," one wolf said.

"Got to serve," the other wolf added.

Hecate raised her hands up, that lighted up. Both heroes fell onto the ground all wrapped up like the girl behind the counter.

Meanwhile, Phil watched Hercules' poor bowling, then perked up when they heard noises from the heroes. "Whoa! Somebody bowls worse than you," he said to Hercules, didn't realize that the heroes were in trouble.

The heroes tried to call for help, but their faces were covered along with their mouths, they couldn't speak.

"Let's go home!" Hecate stated proudly before she disappeared. The wolves each took a hero and flew out of the bowling place.

Hercules's ball finally rolled down the lane along his person. He and the ball knocked down all the pins. Phil face palmed.

Hercules chuckled sheepishly, "A-At least I knocked all the pins this time."

He and Phil perked up when they heard loud muffled noises coming from the snack bar. They got up and went over the bar to check it out. By the time they arrived, the heroes disappeared along with Hecate and the wolves.

"Huh? Nestor? Meleager? Where did you guys go?" Hercules asked.

~000~000~000~

"Hades?" Medusa asked in a disbelief whisper.

Nattie nodded, "Yeah, he helped me escape my 'engagement' with that ugly version of Loki."

"What does he want with you?" Medusa demanded, not liking this revelation. "Knowing him, he wants something. Something selfish, greedy, and maybe sadistic."

"Hades is not sadistic... maybe a little. At least he doesn't turn naughty boys into donkeys."

Medusa widened her eyes in horror, "Who would-"

"Never mind!" Nattie snapped, refusing to picture the scenario in her head. The movie that gave her nightmares as a kid. A lesson to what happens when you go off with strangers and be a rebel.

A lot of things were disturbing in the movie - puppeteers threatening boys with firewood, a talking fox and cat, a crazy old man who survived in a whale's stomach without being digested, an annoying conscious who turned out to be a talking cricket.

The most disturbing part of all was the demon face of the coachman. He was worse than the devil himself if that was even possible. He was the true definition of sadism, turning kids into donkeys then selling them to the highest bidder. Cruel and overkill. Hades was bad, but not compared to the coachman. Unlike Hades, he and the other villains in the movie actually got away with murder.

"Anyway," Nattie continued. "I think he is trying to win me back in his A team."

"You are not going back, are you?"

"No," Nattie assured, noticing the breath of relief coming out of her friend's mouth. "But I thought about visiting the guy."

Medusa's relief stopped short, "Nattie... Hades can be very powerful, charming, persuasive."

"Your point?"

"He is trouble, Nattie. And I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I appreciate the love, Medusa," Nattie smiled sympathetically. "I do."

"But?"

"But nothing. We both know the facts. We're big girls. We can handle ourselves... although one might be stronger than the other if it involves tolerating a hot-headed villain."

Medusa scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Just watch your back. That's all I ask."

"Okay. Fine. Try going out more, that's all I ask."

"Fine." Medusa tossed the bag over her shoulder, adjusting the specs of her glasses. "This has been fun. Now I need to head back."

"Okay. Have fun with your statue friends."

Medusa narrowed her eyes at Nattie, "Are you always this rude?"

"Not if I am offering you an alternative."

Medusa raised a brow, "Alternative?"

Nattie offered a pleasant smile, "Meet me at Cassandra's place. We can have an ultimate sleepover. Pillow fights, makeovers, stay up all night talking about teenage stuff, and pig out on ice cream."

"A... a sleepover." Medusa smiled, couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I never been to a sleepover."

"Well, tonight will be your first." Nattie tossed her a spare key to the hut, "Meet me at Cassandra's place."

"Are you... sure Cassandra or her parents don't mind?"

Nattie snorted, shaking her head, "Nah. They love company, even if they aren't here. Now come on. Let's have the weekend to ourselves."

Medusa nodded, "Okay... Okay, I will meet you there."

Nattie smiled, "Outstanding."

~000~000~000~

Nattie sped the chariot down the road, until she came across Athen's traffic. Nattie pulled the reigns, slowing down the griffins. She growled in frustration, knowing she was going to be home late, even though she will be house sitting alone. No doubt Medusa already made it to the hut, first.

She blew the horn and cried out, "Come on! Move it!"

The chariots in front of her didn't move, instead the traffic was getting slower like molasses.

Nattie tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the chariots to move. She needed to go home right now. Her eyes moved over to an empty lane beside her with a white line separating her and that lane. She knew that she shouldn't do it, but what's the harm in driving in that lane? No one was using it. No one would get her hurt, and she won't be late. She made her decision by turning the reigns, and now she's driving on the empty lane.

Laughing with satisfaction, she said to herself, "I'm going to make it! I'm going to make it!"

Meanwhile, a policeman named Chipacles was driving a newly retired cop, Mentor, to his retirement party located at the station.

"COME ON!" Mentor screamed, blowing his horn, "I'm not getting any younger here!"

Chipacles should've been annoyed, but he wasn't. In fact, Chipacles actually worshiped Mentor as a role model. He loved Mentor's determination and toughness. He was honored of presenting the golden sundial to Mentor at the party.

"Don't make me come over there!" Mentor threatened the man, holding the traffic vase. The guy was shaken with fear and immediately turned the vase around, showing a green color, meaning the chariots can drive.

"That's more I like it," Mentor growled with satisfaction.

Suddenly, a chariot sped past the police chariot and the other vehicles. Chipacles was stunned at what he just witness. Who would dare drive an illegal lane?

"Hang on tight, Sir," Chipacles stated with narrowed eyes on the speeding vehicle, "Cause we got ourselves a speeder." He jerked the reigns to the side and followed right behind Nattie's trail.

Nattie continued smiling, but that happy moment was over when a sound of police sirens was made. She took a glance over her shoulder to see two cops right behind her. Chipacles was pointing at her and was telling her to pull over.

She slammed her fist against the chariot in frustration, not thinking that she probably made a mark on the ride.

"Damn it!" She pulled the reigns, telling the griffins to stop. When the vehicle stopped, so did the police chariot. So much for making it home.

Chipacles approached Nattie, shining a lantern at her face.

Nattie knew she needed to pull out the sweet charm in order to go home quickly.

"Good evening, Officer," she greeted him with a smile.

"Your driver's license, Ma'am," Chipacles commanded sternly, writing out a ticket on his book.

"Oh, yes. Of course," Nattie went through her pants pocket underneath her toga to find her wallet, where her license was in. "Is there a problem, Officer?"

"Did you know that you were speeding on an illegal route?"

"Uh... No, I did not. I'm sorry, Officer. I have no idea. You see, I'm still learning. I just got my license, and this is the first time driving by myself." she lied, hoping the policeman would bought it, just like some of the officers that pulled her over in the past. Beginner drivers normally receive a warning.

"Then let me have the honor of teaching you a lesson." He wrote down on his booklet, and Nattie realized what he's doing.

"You're giving me a ticket?!" Nattie asked, no longer using that sweet country girl voice. This jerk was willing to give a beginner a ticket? Nattie knew she wasn't a beginner, but if she was, the officer should've shown mercy - he didn't.

"Your license, Ma'am!" Nattie jumped, realizing the other cop, Mentor, was standing on the other side of the chariot. "Now!"

"Okay! Okay!" Nattie quickly pulled out her wallet and opened it to get her license out for the officers. Her shaky hands weren't achieving the task faster, that midget cop really scared her to the core. "H-Here you are, Officer."

"Thank you," Chipacles took the license from her, then analyzed it with the lantern.

Mentor wrinkled his nose in disgust as he inhaled sharply. Nattie and Chipacles turned their gaze to him.

"What?" Nattie asked Mentor.

"Have you been drinking?!" Mentor asked harshly.

"Uh, like what?" Nattie asked, crept out by Mentor's scary tone, "Water?"

"Like alcoholic beverages," Mentor replied. "Can't you smell it on her, Chipacles?!"

"What?!" Nattie winced when she felt Chipacles coming into her personal space, inhaling her scent. Nattie never had any alcohol, and she couldn't smell it either. Was it their excuse to harass a girl in distress?

"Negative, Sir," Chipacles replied quietly.

"My nose ain't wrong!" Mentor snapped.

"Of course not, Sir," Chipacles saluted at Mentor.

"This is ridicules!" Nattie snapped, "I never have alcohol."

"You shut your mouth, Missy!" Chipacles snapped, "Mentor has the scent of a bloodhound, and if he says you've been drinking, then you must be drinking! And drinking while driving is a federal offense!"

Nattie gasped from that bold accusation, "What?!"

"You heard me!"

Nattie shook her head, "No! No!"

"YES!" Mentor cried.

"NO! No! No! I haven't been drinking, Sir. I admit that I've been speeding, but that's it."

"Oh?!" Mentor leaned, invading the girl's personal space. She winced in disgust when he started sniffing at her face.

"What are you doing?" Nattie demanded.

"Can you smell it?" Mentor asked Chipacles, taking another whiff at Nattie's face.

"Stop!" Nattie was more disgusted when Chipacles joined the creepers. "What is wrong with you people?!"

"I say..." Chipacles sniffed once more. "I say her breath smells like peppermint."

"Why would her breath be smelling like peppermint?" Mentor challenged with a rhetorical question. "Cause she is drinking wintergreen alcohol! That's what!"

"Drinking wintergreen alcohol? Is that even a thing?" Nattie asked in disgust. "Do you guys have the authority to do this?! Invade my personal space?!"

"When we are on the job, ma'am," Chipacles replied.

"Are you guys on the job?" Nattie asked.

Neither man replied.

Nattie sighed, "Look, Officer..."

"Chipacles," the younger police man replied sternly. "And this..." he gestured at his shorter and retired cop. "is Mentor, the toughest cop in Greece!"

"Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet ya both," Nattie dismissed it before continuing. "First of all, I am not an alcoholic. What you smelled was mouthwash. A way to freshen someone's breath after eating a box of greasy onion rings."

The men raised a brow.

"Second of all, I haven't done anything wrong, and it's wrong that you're pointing the finger at me without real evidence! But I can be forgiving, if you just let me off with a warning and we'll pretend like this has never happen. I'm kinda in a hurry, if you can tell."

This was ridiculous. It was bad enough that she had been pulled over for speeding, but now she's accused of driving under the influence. The short but tough looking man was a little old to be working in the police force anyway. He should retire. All this was a complete waste of time.

Chipacles folded his arms and looked right at Nattie as if she was clueless, "Oh, I do apologize if I caused you some sort of delay. How thoughtless of me. Because the last thing I want in my conscious right now is for Mentor or some other private citizen in Greece to be disappointed in the performance of my duty."

Nattie frowned, "I wasn't trying to offend you, Officer, I just want to go home."

"Step out of the cart please," Chipacles ushered her out.

"What?" Nattie asked in shock.

"Get out of the cart, Ma'am." Chipacles repeated.

"Is that really necessary?"

"He said... GET OUT OF THE CART! NOW!" Mentor roared.

Nattie was shaking with fear from Mentor's voice and was raising her hands up in surrender, "Yes, Sir! I'm getting out! I'm getting out!" She leaped out of the chariot, and waited for further instructions.

Nattie spent fifteen minutes, taking a sobriety field test from the officers. They shined a bright light on her face, told her to follow their fingers without moving her head, continued to interrogate her with ridiculous questions, made her walk across a line without stumbling, touch her nose with her arms extended and eyes closed - each test, she past with flying colors. Cassandra and her parents were probably worried sick about now.

Nattie sighed and slapped her hands against her sides, "There. Are we finished now? I'm telling you I'm not drunk."

"Recite the alphabet," Mentor commanded giving her the evil eye.

Nattie huffed, "Alpha. Beta. Gamma-"

"Backwards," Chipacles added with a smirk.

"What the f***?!" Nattie cried in outrage.

"SHUT THAT POTTY MOUTH!" Mentor commanded, "Say the alphabet backwards!"

"I can't! I don't know how to the say it backwards! I learned my Alpha Beta Gammas, but not backwards."

"Then you failed the test," Chipacles stated, pulling out a pair of chains.

Nattie's jaw dropped, "No! That is not right! It's not my fault I can't say the alphabet backwards! It's not my fault that mouthwash was invented with burning alcohol! I'm innocent! Sir, please don't arrest me! I don't do jail!" Nattie was on her knees, practically begging not to get cuffed by the cops and be sent to jail. She had problems in cages.

"On the ground!" Mentor shoved Nattie on the ground, lying on her front. "Arms behind your back!"

"You're making a mistake!" Nattie begged but had her arms crossed over her wrists behind her back.

"The cuffs, Trooper!" Mentor commanded Chipacles while holding Nattie down.

"Y-Yes, Sir!" Chipacles handed the cuffs to him.

"Please! Don't do this!" Nattie muffled against the stone ground

"And get the muzzle mask! We got ourselves a squealer!"

"Yes, Sir."

"Officers, listen to me, I have powerful friends, they will make you pay if you - MPH!" Nattie's words were cut off, when the human size muzzle mask was around her mouth.

"Get up!" Chipacles pulled her up and dragged her to their police carriage.

"Read her rights of arrest, Chipacles!" Mentor commanded. Nattie so much wanted to wipe that smug look on Chipacles' face.

"Gladly."

As Chipacles was talking two familiar wolves appeared on top of the police ride without gaining attention. The two officers' attention was on Nattie, with them distracted, now it was the perfect time to attack the tough cop.

"Natalie Camden, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent, anything you muffle will be used against you in the court of law."

Mentor fell to the ground all wrapped up like a mummy. Nattie widened her eyes at that sight in disbelief. She tried to tell Chipacles to turn around, but he wouldn't listen to her.

"You have a right to have an attorney."

Mentor was struggling and was muffling sounds for help. The wolves swooped down and picked Mentor up with their mouths.

"If you can't afford an attorney, one will be provided to you by the court. Do you understand what I have just said to you?"

Nattie kicked Chipacles, instead of informing him that something kidnapped his idol, but it only made Chipacles really angry.

"You dare assault a policeman?! That will send your butt behind bars for a LONG time, isn't that right, Sir?" Chipacles waited for a loud response from Mentor, but when he didn't hear one, he started to get worry. "Mentor?" He whirled around to find that Mentor wasn't there. "Mentor?!" He looked up and gasped, seeing two winged animals flying away with Mentor. He got down on his knees and cried out, "MENTOR!"

~000~000~000~

"Let's see..." Hercules and Phil arrived at the police station to find a certain officer to report a crime.

"It's around here some place," Hercules said walking down the hall.

"Forget it!" Phil cried, "Let's go!"

Hercules stopped when he came across a door with Chipacles' name on it. "Aha! Here it is!" Hercules opened the door to see the office empty. He walked inside and looked into his surroundings. He perked up when he noticed somebody crying in the back of the room. He gasped, seeing a familiar brunette with red streaks lowered her head and cried.

"Nattie?" he questioned.

Nattie perked up, noticing Hercules present, "Hercules?" She grinned and stood up from chair. "OH! Praise the gods! An angel sent you to rescue me! I'm so glad you're here!" She wanted to run over to Hercules to give him a hug, but she was cuffed to the arms of the chair. She decided to pick up the chair and shuffled towards him instead. She sat down and wrapped her legs around his, "I'm so glad to see you!"

Phil appeared behind Hercules and stared at Nattie with a satisfied look on his face, "Well. Well. Well. I never thought to see you handcuffed. What did the cops nail you with, Nasty?"

Nattie smiled, "As much as I want to insult you, I'm just too happy to see familiar faces."

"Nattie, what happened to you?!" Hercules asked with worry, "How did you get here?"

"A long story and a big misunderstanding!" Nattie explained, before her eyes brightened with hope, "You wouldn't happen to have anything with you, huh? Fruit? Juice? Bail money? Something?!"

Hercules looked at Nattie sympathetically, "Sorry."

Nattie groaned, "I've been sitting here forever with nothing to do! Officer What-his-face left me here to tell a few buddies that some party was canceled."

"Do you know when he'll get back?"

Hercules' question was answered when a door flew wide opened, revealing Chipacles. The trooper sobbed and stumbled towards his desk. He was so depressed he didn't notice two kids and a goat-man in his presence. He sat down on his chair and stared at an autographed picture of Mentor.

"I failed you, Sir!" He cried out in agony, "I'm not worthy of keeping the badge!"

"Uh, hello?" Hercules interrupted his cries, making Chipacles throw his picture over his shoulder and regain his composure. "Uh, city-state trooper Chipacles?"

"Buzz off, Punk!" Chipacles snapped, "I've got no..." Chipacles paused, then smirked wickedly when he noticed a familiar satyr in the room. "Well. Well. If it isn't the goat man. What did they bring you in for this time, Mr. Phil?"

"I don't have to take that from you, Flatfoot!" Phil replied angrily. Nattie burst into laughter, earning a sharp look from Chipacles.

"I told you to stay quiet!" he said.

Hercules covered Phil's mouth to keep him from saying unnecessary words.

"Uh! W-What Phil means to say is that we're here to report a crime," he stated with determination in his voice.

"Wait!" Nattie cried, "You mean you're not here to bail me out!"

"Well..." Hercules faced her, rubbing the back of his neck, "That's another task I'll put in my to-do list. I'll get you out of here. Don't worry."

Nattie rolled her eyes, 'Yeah, right!'

"I've got no time for this, Punk!" Chipacles shouted, standing up from his chair and picked up the photo from the ground, "A heroic officer has been kidnapped!"

"You see?" Phil said, giving Hercules an I-told-you-so look, "Let's go!" He grabbed Hercules's arm, but Hercules pulled out of his grasp and faced Chipacles.

"But we're also here to report kidnapped heroes!" Hercules explained. Everyone glared at Hercules in shock.

"Hold it!" Chipacles marched towards Hercules with authoritative gaze, "I want to hear every word of your story!" He tapped Hercules' shoulder firmly, "From the beginning!"

"And I just got myself a front row seat," Nattie added, crossing her legs, reclining her body as comfortable as possible.

~000~000~000~

Meanwhile in Hecate's lair, Nestor and Meleager were in separate old cages. They both were staring at a lifeless red creature before them.

"Oh please!" Nestor cried out in annoyance, "A halting creature crafted in a magical marble of reinforced bronze!"

"Yeah!" Meleager said, "What witch hasn't made one of those, huh?"

"Mine is special!" Hecate argued, looking at the creature with no eyes, or ears, or a voice... yet. "He's just... needy, but then..." She looked up at the two kidnapped heroes with a smirk and lighted her hand up, "That's why you're here." She zapped her magic on the heroes, and they cried out in pain as ghosts of their bodies floated out of them (losing their color and powers in the process).

"I feel... terrible," Nestor said weakly, leaning his body against the bars of the cage.

"Huh?! What?!" Meleager now have small ears leaned over toward Nestor's direction, trying to hear what he was saying, "I can't hear a word you just said!"

Their gifts floated away from the heroes and into the monster's body.

"The vision of Nestor," Hecate began, as her monster began to have eyes and ears, "And the hearing of Meleager. Now these are the qualities a monster needs!"

The monster turned his head over and muffled words, nobody could understand. He still didn't have the power to speak.

"What is it, Boy?" Hecate asked sweetly, "You hear something?"

The monster pointed at a random direction, hearing somebody coming.

"It's my loyal Empusa, and got another hero?!" Hecate asked hopefully.

The monster confirmed with a nod.

"Yes," Hecate smirked, "Mother knows." A bright magic hole appeared, and the wolves entered the lair with struggling Mentor with them. They threw him in the cage, and the mummy wrap around the short, fat hero's body disappeared. He could now speak.

"Let me out of here, you old coot!" Mentor cried.

"I've got to say he is tough," the first wolf name Canis commented.

"Yes," Lupus agreed, "A lengthy career of civil service will do that to you."

"That's right, Fleebags!" Mentor snapped, shaking his fist in frustration, "I was going to get a golden sundial for that lengthy career!" He looked down at Hecate angrily, "You people owe me one golden sundial!"

"After all those years, the best they can do is a golden sundial?!" Hecate asked in disbelief, before she sighed, "I can relate." Hecate pulled an item from behind, "Years of service in the cause of immortal evil and this is all I GET!" She held up the item that turned out to be a Hades' trophy that said: Dear Hecate, thanks for the blind obedience.

"Poor, Hecate!" Mentor said mockingly, "Yeah, I know who you are, and I know your sob story! Why can't I rule the Underworld?!"

"WHAT?!" Meleager asked, "What's he saying?"

"He's mocking her and her life's ambitions!" Nestor replied.

"Oh!" Meleager nodded in understanding, "He is tough."

"Cry in the River Styx, Lady!" Mentor continued addressing Hecate, "You want to get ahead in the Underworld, you gotta get tough!"

"Can do!" Hecate used her magic on Mentor to steal his gift from his body. Mentor grunted, struggling the magic. No matter how hard he tried the magic was to powerful to bear. His ghost appeared out of his body and floated into the monster, just like before. The monster now had a new addition, his mouth and chin formed just like Mentor's.

"That takes care of toughness."

Lupus flew toward Mentor's cage to give him a good scare, "Boo!" Mentor jumped and screeched with fright and cowered at the other side of the cage.

"D-Don't hurt me! Please!" Mentor pleaded.

Hecate turned her attention to the monster and gave him a motherly hug, "I think my creature is really coming into his own!"

"Your objective of Underworld Takeover is unstoppable now!" Canis said.

"As if there was really any doubt," Lupus added.

The monster stood tall and mean as he chuckled evilly and deeply.