For some reason, she hesitated but after seeing me try to take off my shirt with only my right hand, she passed her phone to Bryce and helped me out.

She tied it tightly around the wound and kept a steady pressure on it. The stinging sensation was unbearable, but somehow I endured.

After what seemed like forever, she released her grip. My stomach growled, and Bryce's followed suit.

He plopped down beside us, reaching for his takeout. "It might be cold, and mashed up, but I'll be damned  if I care."

He and Queen unwrapped their bristol burgers and dug in. I watched with a pout, waiting for someone to figure out I was left-handed. Maybe I should just try eating with my right.

I was about to reach into my takeout when suddenly,  Bryce and Queen beat me to it. Bryce offered me the Diet Coke while Queen unwrapped the chicken salad sandwich, bringing it to my mouth.

These two were sunshine alright, my sunshine.

"Thanks, I app--" The sandwich was shoved into my mouth mid-sentence. I just rolled with it. Taking the drink from Bryce with my right hand, I began gulping it down.

Some spilled down my lips, trickling down my chest all the way to my abs. When I paused with a sigh, Queen's cheeks appeared to be flushed. I didn't see where her eyes were pointed, only the sandwich frozen in her grip.

Leaning forward slowly,  I took another bite. And for some reason, a cute smile crossed her face.

Bryce feigned a gag. "I swear, you two should get a room."

Queen shot a glare at him but his attention was locked onto his meal.

"Get a room?" I echoed. Must be one of those modern phrases I hadn't heard of. "Like buy a room? For who?"

"Queen gets it," he mumbled with a full mouth.

She flicked the cap of a Diet Coke bottle at his forehead. "Ha, ha, very funny."

After our meal, we had a few random conversations. Then we contemplated returning to Rupert Blood and Co at sunrise. It was risky impersonating my dad and it will be even harder now with this injury but we decided to just see where this goes.

It wasn't hard to fall asleep after such a long day.

***
Yawning,  I awoke well-rested. The pain in my shoulder had subsided a little. Sunlight poured in through the windows,  eliminating the need for our phone flashlights. Wait a minute,  daylight means....

"Guys, wake up." I found a way to stand.  "The store might be opening anytime soon."

Queen's eyes fluttered open. She sat up, rubbing them for a moment.

Bryce on the other hand was nowhere to be found.

"Bryce?"

I pivoted, sighting him drawing on a glass door with lipstick.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't reply, instead, he kept mumbling, his hands snaking with speed and precision. Queen and I went in for a closer look.

He flung the lipstick and slammed a hand beside his drawing. He was more hyper than usual, with eyes as wide as ever. "This is it! I had that dream again.  Clearer this time. This is the vehicle from my dreams!"

I stared at it. The vehicle had many tires, a conical structure, and lots of cannons protruding from its middle.

Queen tilted her head. "It looks like a cross between a car, a tank, and a UFO."

"Why'd you draw it with a lipstick?" Concern crossed my features.

He frowned. "I was in the zone, okay? And I couldn't find pencil and paper in time. So I used what I could find. But that's beside the point! This is important, I feel it in my gut."

Queen raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, if you think so, take a pic or something. But you've got to clean that off before we leave."

After taking multiple photos and swiping the lipstick off with his sleeves, we headed to the broken window.

As Queen and Bryce helped me out, a deep angry voice called from afar. "Hey! You punks! Stay right there!"

Queen gave me a word of wisdom. "Always run faster when they tell you 'stay right there'."

We bolted round the corner.

***

My family mansion was our first stop. We bathed and changed into a fresh pair of clothes there. Our second stop was the mansion of the Cult of Hades. Thanks to Bryce's photographic memory, we were able to trace our way to it.

Ideally, we shouldn't have gone there. It spelled nothing but trouble. But after last night, after knowing that I was the reason why Hypnos torments innocent people every night, I knew it was my responsibility to fix this mess.

If Rupert's spy is worth his salt, then this visit would be worth it.

Queen rang the doorbell while I loomed behind in a grey sweater and blue jeans, gripping my father's scepter with my right hand.

Bryce was beside me examining the photos he took.

The door swung open. Rupert Blood ushered us inside.

"Lord Hades," he bowed. "It is an honor to have you here with us again. I hope the night horde didn't disturb you last night."

I recalled it all, the cruel chase, the chopper,  the injury. "Disturb me? I slept in the great outdoors with my human guides. All the while, the horde kept their distance."

"Your power is supreme even in this form."

Whew, now that I made sure he was sold, it was time to move on.

"Tell me Rupert, any word from your spy in the cult of Zeus?"

"Ah yes!" He unveiled his phone. "Our spy managed to get a picture of the map. Though not a full picture I'm afraid. The map had a diagram of the Underworld doorway and if I'm being honest,  it looked more like a car than an actual door."

My eyebrows shot up. I found myself glancing at Bryce. He stepped forward with boldness never mustered before.  He showed Rupert Blood the picture of his drawing. "Does the doorway resemble this by any chance?"

"Why indeed it does!" Rupert perked up.

"Ha!" Bryce grinned. "I knew it. This is amazing. Leonardo Da Vinci,  son of Athena,  invented a doorway to the underworld."

"You say the map is incomplete?" I asked Rupert.

"The picture is incomplete. The spy says security is pretty tight over at the cult of Zeus---especially around their treasures."

"Does that mean he won't be able to send a full picture?"

"Not for a few weeks, I'm afraid."

My grip on the scepter tightened.  A few weeks? If the sleeping army continued wreaking havoc and expanding every night,  society might collapse in a few weeks. And it will be because of me.

"I'm not waiting that long." I grimaced. "Take me to the Headquarters of the cult of Zeus."

***

The van hit a speed break and we all felt the bumpy impact. Bryce was quietly freaking out by the corner.

"You sure about this?" Queen whispered.

"No," I admitted. "But it's our best shot."

"Lord Hades," the driver pitched in from the front. "We're approaching the property line. According to your request,  we've talked with our spy to grant you and your human accomplices entrance through the back gate. From there he'll lead you to their trophy room where the map will be located. He doesn't have a high enough clearance to enter though, you'll have to break in. And when you do, the alarms will go off. But you stand a high chance of making it out without obstruction---especially since our spy will try to mislead the guards."

"Sounds easy enough." I crack my neck.

The van decelerated and the three of us disembarked.

A golden gate stood before us. Beyond the bars was a white mansion with banners of a lightning bolt draping down the walls.

What gave away the artificial nature of the grass was its golden color.

Creaking, the gate opened inwards and a man in a white cloak motioned for us to enter.

His eyes widened when he spotted my father's scepter.  "Lord Hades," he whispered. "What an honor it is to meet you in person. I'm Mordecai,  your faithful servant."

I'll admit, it got even more cringe every time someone did that. It left this twisted feeling in my gut. But for now, I had to play along to save the world.

We snuck inside and Mordecai bolted the gate. 

Suddenly,  the mansion's back door burst open and men in gold cloaks fanned out, armed with tasers and electric staves.

Mordecai's breath hitched. "Oh, shit."

"'Oh, shit' is right, Mordecai." A voice boomed. Emerging from behind the blockade of gold-cloaked men was a taller, muscular man in a toga and sandals. He had shoulder-length platinum blonde hair, storm-grey eyes, and a trimmed beard. "We've always suspected your loyalty. Now we know where it really lies. As for you trespassers, you have two choices."