Chapter 2

"Well, I saw your report Ace and honestly, I was so surprised that you managed to nab Dominic so easily." Guildmaster Alexander Mare gave a low whistle as he stared at the report Ace had written and Ace sighed, flopping his head on the table, and wishing he had followed his vector teams for their paid holidays, but he knew this is their holiday and not his and he didn't need the reminder of it hanging around him like a dead halo.

"Sir, it was because I came from the military at the age of 13. I know stuff that normal guild members don't." Ace explained in exasperation because he knew that the Guildmaster, as much as he hates it, cares about him and wanting him out of danger but he's an adult, not a child that he was when the guildmaster had first taken him in as his own child and he could take care of himself and not get into danger much of the time.

"Ace, just call me dad. I know you can take care of yourself well, but the government has the official records of you doing something stupid during your years in the military and has changed your last name to not arouse suspicion that you are the son of the esteemed Ocean Tribe's Tribe leader." Ace tensed as Alexander gripped his shoulder tightly.

"I'm worried that you might be lost one day and never come back." Ace gulped silently at Alexander's confession, and he hugged Alexander tighter. It had been years since he had been saved from being starved in the streets after losing both his mother and his younger sister while his bastard of a father fucks some woman's ass. Ace sighed at the thought of his father. After all those years, the nightmare of the separation of his family still haunts him to this day.

"I'm not going anywhere, dad. Fuck, I rather stay with you and older sis but you both know that is not possible ever since I came out of the military scarred." Alexander sighed as he still remembered all those years Ace waking from his sleep scared out of his mind with nightmares every night ever since joining the military. Alexander wanted to beat the fuck out of his friend, the general of the US military, for hurting his son like that but knew that it won't end well for both of them, but it doesn't mean that he was scared and worried out of his mind for his son.

"I know, Ace. I know. Now why don't you sit down and have something to drink. I just have the right thing." Ace smirked as he still remembered what Alexander meant.

"Coffee?" Alexander nodded at Ace's guess and they both sat down on the soft plush sofa with mugs of coffee in their hands, talking about the mission and how their life had been until the phone rang, a crisp sound in the lull of the sound of talking.

"Royal Navi Nehra. Line and location are secure." Ace heard as he picked up the phone.

"Ace Arcturus. Line and location are secure." Ace replied in a bossy voice, and he heard some chuckles at the other end of the phone line.

"Ace, I need to meet you here immediately. It's an emergency." Ace groaned while pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance but answered anyways.

"Oh, fuck it! On the way. See you soon." Ace cut the connection and rushed down the hall of the guild headquarters, taking his leather jacket from the clothing hook as he descended down the stairs. He gave Alexander a quick hug goodbye before driving off the parking spot and to the white house in DC.

While driving to DC, Ace called someone and at the second ring, the person immediately answered.

"What the fuck do you want?" A person's annoyed voice rang out from the phone and Ace laughed.

"Nothing. Just one of the royals want to meet me." Ace could feel the stunned silence when he said that and soon enough, a screech from the phone can be heard.

"WHAT?!?!?!" Ace felt the car swerved to the left and cursed, adjusting the car back to the normal route.

"What the fuck Arcus! I'm driving! Plus, what fucking part of one of the royals want to meet me do you not understand?" Ace heard laughter of disbelief coming from the other side and it came true when he heard the other say form the other side.

"A fucking royal wants to meet with you?! Why?!" Ace sighed.

"I'm not sure myself though Arcus. Please stop disturbing me. I'm driving to DC." Ace hung up his phone and sighed as he stared at the road.

"I'm fucked, am I?" Ace murmured as he stopped in front of the main gate of the White House in DC.

"Guildleader of Akaurunos Ace Arcturus." The policeman nodded and let Ace in as Ace sighed, going into the ruler's office.

"Sir!" Ace saluted to the ruler as he strolled into the ruler's, Navi Nehra's, room. Navi smiled and nodded at Ace, returning the salute with his own.

"Ace, you don't need to salute to me. This is not the military, and you know that. Also, don't call me sir. Just call me Navi like all my military aids do." Ace nodded his head as Navi said so, letting Navi know he is listening. Navi gestured Ace to have a seat and they both sat, Ace nervously playing with his fingers, wanting Navi to start while Navi glanced down on the floor, not knowing how to start the conversation.

"Ace, you don't need to be nervous around me." Navi looked up and sighed as he said that making Ace look up at him. "That brings us to the first agenda of why I am asking you to come here today. Ace, I'm your uncle from your mother's side."

Ace stared at Navi, disbelief showing clear on his face while Navi gave a low chuckle, finding Ace's expression cute and hilarious at the same time. Navi stride to Ace's side and placed a comforting hand on Ace's back.

"Ace, I would like to talk to you more but...." Before Navi could continue, he was interrupted by a pop from the corner of the room and a man came out. He had a very neon orange hair with sky-blue eyes that twinkle from laughter and was wearing an Adidas t-shirt and jacket and Nike shoes. Ace knew who it was and cursed while the man waved Navi aside and Navi complied, looking apologetic.

"Ace Arcturus, you have a mission." Ace groaned in annoyance at the revelation because he knew who the man is.

"Fuck it Hermes. Can't you gods just email me directly? After all, there's a use for emails ya know." Hermes laughed apologetically at what Ace said.

"I know. But it is better to tell in person." At Ace's exasperated sigh, he looked Ace seriously in the eye and said in a grave voice.

"Cuz, the gods need your help. It's regarding Nathreya." At the mention of Nathreya, Ace sat up straight and starred at Hermes in disbelief.

"You're serious? You're fucking serious?" Hermes nodded and Ace groaned because normally, things regarding Nathreya always get complicated. That summer seven years ago, before he left the military at the end of his fifth year in SEALS, Ace still remembered about the help Hermes needed from him while on the battlefield regarding Nathreya's artifact, The Necklace of Life. He had gone on with that mission but when he came back, he saw that he was right in the middle of a war against the monsters from his world and started fighting them after giving Nathreya her necklace but lost 30 of his team members in the process although the gods came and help. It still gave him nightmares every night that he couldn't save his teammates, his friends, who he had shared laughter and tears with and he hated that now Hermes needed his help again and that the goddess involved is the Goddess of water and life, Nathreya.

"Can't this fucking wait?! I already lost 30 of my friends in that last mission you gave and now you want me to go on your mission?! Can't you gods just go on your own?!" Hermes stared at Ace seriously, eyes a very bright light blue colour from dangerous anger, like he might want to smite Ace into dust a few seconds later but eyes calmed down to his normal light blue colour and sighed.

"Ace, did you notice why there are so many people dead here in Washington DC?" Ace stared at Hermes, not understanding.

"What? I saw the news reports about it but thought it was a normal occurrence." Hermes shook his head and adding a defeated sigh.

"Ace, that is the Sceptre of Nathreya's doing." Ace stared at Hermes in disbelief.

"The Sceptre of Nathreya?! I thought that it was a legend, not a fucking real thing!" Hermes nodded.

"True but now you know that it is real, there goes your mission brief by Nathreya. You are to find her sceptre before the sceptre kills anymore people and start the World War III and remember, the sceptre's full power can be unlocked with combining the necklace's power which happens to be in your pocket." Ace groaned and asked Hermes a crucial question.

"Hermes, why me? If I have the necklace, why let me do this mission? Won't this mean that I'll play right into the enemy's hand?" Hermes smiled as if Ace had asked an important question and nodded.

"Yes. But Nathreya and I know a way which the enemy won't recognise you and attack you, enabling you to find and retrieve the sceptre." Ace gulped with nervousness as he nodded and asked another question.

"Hermes, answer my previous question. Why can't you retrieve the sceptre and must ask me to do it?" Hermes sighed as he knew Ace would not budge until he is given the answer.

"It's because gods can't directly interfere in mortal matters unless if directly being targeted or attacked by a god or mortals. For Nathreya's case, she is being targeted which allows us, the gods, to help her and the chosen one along with his allies. Right now, you notice that the death rate is lower than what you might expect for the power of the Sceptre of Nathreya right?" Ace nodded which made Hermes smile.

"That is Hades's doing along with Anubis and Osiris. They are extending their powers to help lower the death rate spreading from just a touch of the sceptre. But if you don't hurry......" Ace nodded because he could imagine the widespread death and the destruction the sceptre will cause if the power is not controlled.

"So I have to find the sceptre before the winter solstice and if I don't, millions in the US will die." Hermes nodded and Ace sighed.

"Fine." Hermes smirked and Ace knew what Hermes was thinking.

"No." Hermes shook his head.

"You have no choice." Ace sighed, frustrated.

"No means no, Hermes. They will never help me after what happened to their goddess." The vampire goddess, Lilith, like Lucifer, was well loved by the vampire community and was always present in the peace agreement between the humans, Tribes of Aevya, werewolves, fairy, elves and vampires. Ace still remembered that he was supposed to pull the trigger when his father was in his sight that fateful day seven years ago. He still remembered that shock when he saw his father with the enemy, smirking at him, head crooked a little as he took a god killing knife and stabbed Lilith in the back when she wasn't looking. Ace still remembered yelling at Lilith as she fell to the floor, smiling softly and sadly at him and saying it wasn't his fault but what done was done, blood always call to blood and now, he has to pay the price of his father's betrayal.

"Hermes, I can try but they will never forgive me for what my father did." Ace still remembered that time when he changed his name, the general telling him that he can't tell anyone his real heritage and name or he and those he loves will be in danger. He still remember that time when he smiled sadly as he placed his finger on the finger scan, archiving his information in the government archive where only the government and the higher ups have access to the information. He is a new person now and he would never forgive his own father for placing him in this position.

"Who do you choose to follow you, Ace? You need someone you can trust." Ace scrolled through his list of contracts but hesitated when he saw the contact of his childhood friend. It's been so many years since he had heard from his childhood friend but he had changed, and so did he. The last time he heard from his childhood friend, he had been on the battlefield while his childhood friend was working hard to be accepted as a detective in the FBI. Now, he may be accepted into the FBI like he had always wanted. Ace tapped on that contact and placed his phone to his ear.

"Ace Arcturus here. I really need your help."