"Your Highness, someone would like to see you." said Alecto, bowing her head.
"Ugh, another hero? What part of 'Dead people only' do these people not understand?" sighed Hades. "Heracles, Odysseus, Orpheus, who now?"
"Actually, sir, you may find this man a bit... peculiar."
"How so?"
"See for yourself. Bring him in!" shouted Alecto and the large gates of the throne room opened but no one was there.
"Show yourself!" fumed Hades.
"My apologies." said a cold, gloomy voice from behind him.
A man wearing a top hat, cane, purple and black uniform approached the God and bowed his head.
"Pleasure to meet you." said the man.
"Who are you? How did you get here?" asked Hades. "And most importantly... what do you want?
"One can ask many questions and I have the answers."
"Don't toy with me. Answer!"
"If you wish," said the man who still had a gentle voice.
Hades was quite shocked, most people were afraid to even look at him let alone not scream after he shouts at them.
"As you can feel by my essence that I'm not from this world, but another realm. I travelled here by shadow."
"Shadow?"
"I'm sorry, let me make it more clear."
A dark entity emerged from behind the strange man and floated around the hall and Hades noticed that the man didn't have a shadow himself.
"Who are you?" asked Hades.
"I am Dr Facilier and I wish to make a deal with you."
"What kind of deal?"
"One in which you can make a profit."
"Alecto, leave us be." said Hades and the Fury left. "Where are you really from?"
"As I mentioned before-"
"I don't care what you've mentioned before!" bellowed Hades. "I can sense that there's something about you. You're dead... half-dead."
"Yes, I owe my life to the Shadow People and I am in great debt. I just seek money from you, golden drachmas."
"I don't care about what you see, you are from another world but every Hades wants the dead in the Underworld and I'm sure yours won't be happy to have known that you have escaped from his control."
This was the first time that the man looked nervous. Hades noticed a bit of sweat coming from his forehead and his reaction to his words made him look nervous.
"Sir, God of Death, Ruler of the Underworld! I am just here for some money, please."
"And why should I lend it to you? You are in my home, you defied the rules of death and you are naive enough to ask for money? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you and hand you over to your Hades?"
"I have many reasons! I've got something you want!"
"And what is that?"
"Your children of course! You hate that fact your younger brother wants your children dead in order to leave the prophecy unfulfilled. "
"If you give me an answer to this I let you go and I will give you a way to fully repay your debt and not need my money, however failure to do so is death."
"Yes, thank you, sir! In order to get your children free from the Lotus Casino, you must wait sometimes. Do you really think Zeus and Poseidon can resist having a child? Do you really?"
"No, absolutely not. There are higher chances that an ice cube won't melt on the Sun carriage than one of the two not ever having another demigod child."
"See? When you know the coast is clear and both have had a child you can release them but it has to be on a safe time."
"Yes."
"And what about me?"
"Yes, I feel a way on how you can repay your debt to the shadows. A soul."
"Easier set than done!"
"Wait, that's not it. It has to be a very special soul, pure hearted and fated for greater things, that's what will repay your debt."
"But who, my lord?"
"That's up for you to find and make sure you don't keep them waiting, just a mere suggestion. Turn them into an animal."
"What kind?"
"I don't know, there are so many great options! A frog perhaps?"