The sound of pleading cries exploded out of a large stone mansion and into the dark storming night. Hades leaned against a gargoyle that kept watch over the house. Its teeth were bared, a split tongue lashing out at any trespassers. He stubbed out his cigarette on the gargoyles eye and ran a hand through his now rain soaked hair.
When he walked back through the open front door, splatters of rain now puddling on the marble floor, he took quick notice of the man on his knees in the main foyer, his right eye swelling shut, blood running from the corner of his mouth. Cerberus, Hades' best friend and bodyguard, held the man by his thinning red hair and waited for orders.
A framed canvas displayed on the wall when you first entered, caught Hades' attention. It was a painting of a moonlit garden, blossoms glowing in the dim night around a small pond. The shadows that surrounded it only made the imagine that much more enchanting, encouraging the viewer to lean in and observe, as if something may poke out of the darkness. Crystal stars were embedded in the piece which made the image literally illuminate under the spotlight just above its frame.
"Please," the man begged, breaking Hades' focus. "I promise it was all a misunderstanding, give me two more days, I beg of you! I have a family that needs me."
Hades scoffed and approached the man, kneeling down to meet his black eyes. "Don't start acting like a noble family man now, Xavier. If your wife knew half the things I did, she'd be the one beating you with a crowbar." He paused and lifted his gaze to the domed glass ceiling in thought. "I'm traveling to Amarentha tomorrow and will be back in two days. When I return, we will come to collect." Hades slipped his gun from the back of his jeans and tapped the man's forehead. "And I won't be leaving empty handed."
He stood and turned to leave, nodding his head for Cerberus to follow. The giant of a man threw Xavier to the ground and trailed behind. Hades stopped in front of the painting once more and sighed. "Cer, take this with you. I'm going to hang it in my bathroom."
It took one small tug from the giant, for the painting to come completely unhinged from the wall, a chunk of drywall still clinging to it.
Back in the car, Hades weaved maliciously through traffic. Speeding up toward every bumper that slowed him down. The rev from his Audi roared as he accelerated through the tunnels of Olympus and into the depths of the Underworld. Driving through the dark twisted roads that led to his neighborhood, he parked his car and walked with Cerberus through the streets, passing groups of people who called for them to buy everything from drugs to bodies. The two friends walked down the road toward the diner. Cerberus was rattling about a girl he had met a few nights previous, wondering how he attracted these gorgeous females that seem to end up trying to kill him he concluded that he just enjoys passionate women. Hades gave a dark laugh but stopped when he noticed a group of young kids resting against one another on a stoop. Hades ruffled the oldest boy's hair and leaned against the edge of the stone rail.
"Jeremey, why are you and you brother's out here so late?"
Jeremy had a mop of curly hair and a face full of freckles. "We got locked out again . . . just waiting for mom to come home."
Hades knew their mother worked the pole and tended to wander off for days on end, tripping off whatever she'd gotten her hands on that night. He had tried to get CPSO (Child protected services of Olympus) to help out, but the most they did was call their strung-out mother with threatening phone calls or offer to split the kids up, forcing them into different foster homes that were bound to torment them just as bad.
Hades took a calming breath, fury rising in his chest. "How long have you been out here?" He held up a hand, stopping Jeremy before he could answer. It was pretty obvious they'd been waiting for hours. Jeremy confirming that fact would only make Hades rage. "Never mind, follow me."
Jeremy stood up, a seven-year-old following him. Hades bent over and picked up the toddler, that couldn't have been any older than three. He was sick of finding these kids on the streets of the Underworld, suffering from the poor choices of their parents. Each child acted as a mirror to Hades, offering him glances back into his own horrendous childhood. Whatever he could do to help, he did.
He, Cerberus and the kids walked into Uncle Louie's diner. The minute Hades entered the crowded restaurant, a table cleared.
The boys sat down, and Hades walked to the counter where Louie stood, a dirty rag slung over his large shoulder. He welcomed Hades in and asked what he'd like to eat. Hades rarely had to pay for food in the Underworld, most establishments were under his employ or too afraid to ask him for money. It was a perk he enjoyed taking advantage of. He nodded back to where Cerberus and the kids sat.
"Do me a favor, feed these kids whatever they ask for and just keep a tab open from here on out. I'll have someone come and pay it weekly."
"Where's their mother?" Louie gruffed.
Hades ignored the question and walked back to the table. A waitress walked over and got the boys drink order. Hades let them know that they were allowed to sleep in the small apartment above the restaurant tonight. He slipped a key from his pocket and handed it to Jeremy.
"You hold onto this. There's a room upstairs you and your brothers can go to if your mother is out, and you can't get in. Louie will feed you whatever you need, and you have my phone number if there's any problem. Understand?"
Jeremy nodded his head and thanked him. Hades ruffled the boy's hair and stood to pull his cigarettes from his pocket. When he looked out the restaurant window, he gave a small growl of annoyance.
Hermes, the only messenger brave enough to go from Olympus to the Underworld stood with clear discomfort just outside the diner doors. His windbreaker and tight designer jeans were a dead giveaway toward Olympus. If Hermes stayed long enough in the Underworld, chances are he'd leave beaten up and naked.
Cerberus followed his friends gaze and groaned. "There's a way to bum out my Friday night."
Hades folded his arms and sighed. "I've got this. You stay."
He walked outside and into the crashing rain, a regular occurrence in the underworld. It seemed to be a spot where mist and storm gathered. Most of the city goers, like Hades, weren't even affected by it. He actually enjoyed the cooling darkness, it seemed to match his mood well.
Hermes scrunched his nosed and glared at the sky, holding his hands over his head in a desperate attempt for cover.
Hades stood unbothered and held out his hand "Well? I assume you finally have my money?"
Hermes wasted no time. "Demeter refuses to pay."
Hades fingers curled back and into a fist. Demeter had owed him money for weeks. He moved exotic products passed the government guards, selling them for three times their price. When the deed was done, she started to doge his calls and now refused outright to pay.
"Doesn't she know how this works? I will get what is owed to me."
Hermes shrugged and shivered in his navy windbreaker, sticking out like a sore thumb, a group of girls in neon pink shorts and matching bras passed them. They giggled and said hello to Hades who smiled in reply.
"I told her it wouldn't be good if she didn't pay . . . She kicked me out of her house."
Hades waved his hand in dismissal to Hermes. "I'll deal with her."
He returned to the booth with Cerberus, the boys were busy eating cheeseburgers and french-fries. Hades folded his hands on the table and shook his leg with impatience, thinking. He calmed when a thought ran through his mind. Turning to Cerberus, he spoke in a calm tone.
"Demeter refuses to pay."
Cer laughed at this, his eyes glowing. "Oooh, a high society murder. It's been too long."
Hades shook his head. "Sorry, friend, I have something else in mind. Didn't you say something about Demeter holding some kind of event next week?"
Cerberus nodded. "Her daughter came of age this past month. Suitors have been at the old hags house every day. The dark markets been talking about it for weeks. The best part? This chick refuses every guy that's come to her door from Eros to Adonis."
The two friends laughed. Adonis was a schoolmate of Hades when he lived in Olympus. He was a prick then and a prick now. There was word in the dark market that Adonis enjoyed dabbling in forbidden trade. Mercifully, their paths hadn't crossed. Any news about the guy being a made a fool of brought Hades much joy.
"Well, what do you have in mind?" Cerberus asked.
"Oh . . . you know how much I love a good party."