**Lex**

After less than fifteen minutes in the arena with me, David was done. I'd broken just about every bone in his body… twice. He'd lost a ton of blood. I hadn't even used my Lycan or demigod abilities. He was just a terrible fighter. His form was horrible, his attacks were sloppy and I easily blocked them. He let his anger take over when he was fighting and that was blinding him. It was like fighting a drunken four year old.

I picked up his unconscious form and carried him back to the dungeon. I dumped him unceremoniously in his cell then went to the throne room. Hades stood beside his royal chair but stared at me, his eyes searching for a way through my mental armor.

"You rang?" I snapped, pissed that he insisted on treating me like an errand boy.

"How goes the training?"

"Your son's a horrible fighter. He's sloppy and uncoordinated. I might as well fight a blind kid in a wheelchair."

A small smile shone on his face, "That bad, huh?"

I nodded silently.

He chuckled, "You remind me so much of your mother. She's a wonderful woman."

I stiffened, ready for Hades to try some sort of manipulative shit with my mom's soul in order to get me to do something. The god's mark on my shoulder twinged. I reminded myself that I had to do what he commanded, no matter how much I hated him.

"I gave you my word, if you want me to do a job, I'll do it. You don't have to threaten me."

"True. Your mother's death is a sore subject for you. Anyway, I need you to pay a visit to someone for me."

I felt my hands become blades, my heart skipped a beat in anticipation of the hunt.

"However, this is to be a peaceful mission. At least, for right now. I want you to take David with you."

"Where do you want me to go?" My hands shifted back to normal. I needed a smoke and maybe a beer, or two, if I had to take David.

The ruler of the Underworld grinned, "I want you to take a message to your father."

I went to the dungeon, ripped David's cell door from its hinges, and planted a solid kick in the bastard's side. "Get up."

David groaned and rolled over. "Go to hell," he spat upon seeing me.

"We're already here. Get up, your dad wants you to do a job. Let's go." Another kick in the ribs for good measure. He got up stiffly, a murderous glint in his eyes. I tossed him a change of clothes and snapped his chains easily with one hand. "Get changed. We leave in one minute."

While David struggled to dress, I lit a cigarette and took a long draw. My growing headache melted away instantly. "Minute's up." I clamped a hand on David's shoulder and teleported. We appeared in front of an elevator door.

"Where are we?"

I ignored David and pulled him into the elevator. It began to ascend slowly. I took another drag from my cigarette. Blew smoke in David's face. He coughed slightly and glared at me. His hand went for where he kept his gun, only to realize he was weaponless. I smirked and offered him the cigarette. He just glowered at me.

"Why are we here?"

I blew smoke out of my nostrils, "Hades wants a message delivered."

"What sort of message?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

The elevator opened and I got out before David could respond. He followed me down the hallway until we stood before a set of ornate gold doors. I stubbed out my cigarette on my thigh, flicked the butt away, then pushed the doors open.

Twelve chairs sat along the walls in a semicircle, each one facing us. A few were empty but the rest were occupied. Zeus, Poseidon, and Hermes were absent. I saw my father and wished I could be anywhere but here. Ares stood leaning against Aphrodite's chair, his arms folded across his chest. His eyes, covered with black sunglasses, zeroed in on me. I felt him searching for weaknesses and my anger flared momentarily. He'd always had this affect on me; making me feel inferior no matter how hard I tried to please him, stirring up my emotions, making me feel bloodlust and fury. My fists clenched of their own accord and I felt them begin to transform. I caught myself and stared at the floor, looking away from his unnerving gaze.

"I have a message to Ares from Hades," I announced, my voice sounding strong and steady.

"You'd think Hades could tell me to my face," Ares rumbled, a smile tugging at his lips.

I handed the slip of paper to my father. He took it, his fingertips barely brushing mine. Rage and hate exploded inside my head, my body longed to become his weapon, to be an instrument of destruction, to obey his every order. I felt a tremor ripple through my body as I began to bend to my father's will.

Then, in an instant, the battlelust vanished. I felt a hand on the small of my back. I turned and saw David, looking at me with an unsure expression. He mouthed the words 'you okay?' I nodded then practically dragged David from the room. As soon as the doors shut behind us, Ares' deep bellow of rage resounded through the building. We ran to the elevator. We had just started to descend when a thunderous crash sounded. The noise was as if doors were being broken down above us. Ares was pissed.