Chapter Four

After a while, Mars was setting up the dinner table with food and lit the candles. Vulcan came over and said "So, is everything ready for tonight?"

"Oh, yeah. I thought we'd start off with a light Caesar salad, and then see how we feel after that."

"Not the dinner! You know…?"

Realizing something, Mars said trying to be clever but failing dismally "Oh, riiiight. The poison. The poison for Nero. The poison chosen especially to kill Nero. Nero's poison." He paused and Vulcan rolled his eyes. "That poison?"

"Oh, for Jupiter's sake! Yes, that poison!"

Mars replied taking out a phial of the selected poison "Yeah, I got it."

"Excellent! A few drops in his drink, then one sip, and he will be dead before dessert!"

"Which is a real shame, cause it's gonna be delicious."

Then someone slammed the door open and Nero entered the room. "Ba-da-bing, baby! Let's get to the grub!" he said before sitting down at the table. "So…no hard feelings about being let go?"

"Non taken." smiled Vulcan. "Mars. Get the emperor a drink."

"Yes, sir." Mars marched over to another table by the wall and mixed up the drinks. Without anyone looking, he poured the poison into Nero's glass. Then he delivered them in a tray. "Your highness."

Nero sniffed a bit and asked "Is something burning?"

"My fettuccine!" gasped Mars before he set the drink tray down and ran into the kitchen, leaving Nero and Vulcan alone in the dining room.

"Ahem." said Nero. "Soooooooo…he seems…nice."

"Yes. It… runs in his family."

"He's, what, in his early thirties?"

"That I… never asked."

Then Mars came out holding the fettuccine in a bowl. "Saved 'em!"

"Oh, that's great." said Nero.

Vulcan agreed "Very good job."

"Watch it. They're still hot." Mars set the pasta on the table, preparing it for eating, but Vulcan interrupted him by tapping on his shoulder.

"Mars," he whispered, "the emperor still needs his- drink."

"Right. Oh- riiiiiiiiight." Mars extended his arm to get the drink with the poison inside, but he can't remember which one he put the poison into. So he went back to the table with the drinks, which made Vulcan face palmed in annoyance, and Mars was trying to figure out something.

"Hey, Marsy, everything okay back there?" Nero asked.

"Oh, yeah, uh-" said Mars nervously. Without any options, Mars poured both two of the drinks into a flower pot and shook it. He then poured a little bit into each glass. "…trying to make sure non of the drinks have any- food poisoning! Eh-heh." He went back to the dinning table with the drink tray with self-confidence. "Hey, you see that sky today? Talk about blue."

"Yes, Mars. Most impressive humour." said Vulcan sarcastically. He picked up his drink and made a toast. "Cheers."

But Mars, aside to Vulcan, whispered "Don't drink the wine."

As Nero drank, Vulcan poured his into a plant when he's not looking. "Ah. Very good wine!" said Nero until… he fell face first into his food.

Surprised, Vulcan said "By Jupiter! That was quick."

"Well, I was saving some of the fettucine for him," said Mars, "but you have the rest."

"Now to get rid of the body."

All of a sudden, still alive, Nero sat back up and said "Okay! As we were saying?"

Surprised but secretly disappointed, Vulcan said "Uh-uh-we were just making a toast to…" But when he saw Nero growing whiskers on his face, he hesitated, trying not to say anything. "…begin the meal…"

"Right. So, what're you gonna do?" As Nero speaks, he began to turn into a lion. "I mean, you've been around here a long time, not like a really long time, um, I thought it might be difficult for you age adjusting to life in finding a new employment. Hey, Mars, can you top me off, pal? Will ya? Now about the finding new work."

While Nero's busy, Vulcan whispered under his breath and motions with his hands "Hit him on the head!"

Nero continued "That's- that's gonna be tough-" Suddenly, Mars hit him on the head with the cup tray and Nero went unconscious.

Jumping off his chair and storming the unconscious emperor, Vulcan looked shocked that his potion turned Nero into a lion instead of killing him. "What?! A lion?! He's supposed to DIE!"

"Guess this means he has eight lives left." said Mars.

Giving Mars the evil eye, Vulcan demanded "The phial. I need to see it." Mars gave the phial to him. The label was folded half-way, the logo looking like the top half of a skull. Vulcan unfold the top of the label with his thumb, revealing a logo in the shape of a lion. "This isn't poison! This is extract of…. LION!" He tossed the phial at Mars, which bounced off of his head and shattered on the floor.

While Vulcan hit himself on the head with his knuckles in frustration, Mars said "You know, in my defense, your potions all look alike. You might think about re-labeling some of them."

"Take him out of town and finish the job! Now!"

But Mars hesitated and asked "But, uh…. What about dinner?"

"Mars, this is more important than food."

"How about dessert?"

Vulcan started to counter, but then he reconsidered "Well, I suppose there's time for dessert."

"And coffee?"

"Oh, very well. A quick cup of coffee too. THEN GET HIM OUT OF HERE!"