4 Auction

A black Mercedes stopped in front of a hotel in Stockholm from which Zagreus and Michael walked out off. The Prince of the Underworld was wearing his adventuring clothes since they just returned from exploring the last mountain in Sweeden.

About a month passed since Zagreus and Michael found the cave with the sword. However, the two hadn't been able to find anything like that then. They only found an old cave with carvings of ancient battles, but that one was already known to the people of Sweeden.

However, Zagreus did discover something new, but it wasn't related to the gods. What he found out were the benefits of being rich in the Mortal World.

In the Underworld, being wealthy had no benefits since there was nothing to use his wealth on. Except for the gold coins, which Charon simply loved. The Ferryman of the Dead just adored gold, and Zagreus was more than happy to share them with him. The diamonds and the gemstones, on the other hand, had almost no value. The only reason Zagreus looted them was just to annoy his father.

However, here in the Mortal World, being rich was different and had its benefits. For example, renting an expensive car and driver to drive them around to the various mountains of Sweden.

Zagreus was interested in getting his own car, but he found out he will need something called a driver's license to drive it. The mortals sure loved having small cards, like IDs and Debit Cards. He didn't understand them, but there must be a reason why they liked them so much.

The main reason he wanted to get an expensive car was to flaunt it in front of Theseus when he returns to the Underworld. Getting it to his father's domain was the only problem since it was a bit too big to store in his magical sack.

Zagreus knew it was possible with magic, but he didn't really know how to use it. Maybe he can finally try to learn a thing or two about it? He just needed someone to give him a few pointers. Hopefully, he will be able to find a magic user in the Mortal World.

Another thing Zagreus found out was that he was able to speak, read, and understand any language in the Mortal World. He realized a bit after coming to Sweden thanks to Michael as his butler pointed it out to him.

It happened when they visited a restaurant since Zagreus wanted to test out the food of the mortals, which he ended up liking a lot. The waitress had come to take their order, and he had ordered everything that caught his eye, doing it in perfect Swedish. That surprised Michael since he had been under the impression that his Master only spoke Greek.

"You speak Swedish?" He asked.

"I don't know what's that," Zagreus replied.

"The world has many nations, and almost all of them speak different languages. For example, you just ordered in the Swedish language, the native language of the country that we're in, and now we are speaking in Greek," Michael explained.

"Really? I didn't know that. I just speak in the only language that I know of," Zagreus said, not putting much thought into it.

"Wait, the only language that you know of?" Michael said in surprise.

"Who thought you that? How did you learn it?" Michael then asked. A singular language that you can use to communicate with everyone? That was unheard of and something he dearly wished to learn.

"No one. I've been able to talk, read, and understand it since forever," Zagreus replied, thinking that mortal had complicated lives, having to learn all kinds of languages and whatnot.

Later on, Michale showed him a few books on different languages, but Zagreus had no problem reading all of them. His butler was more than fascinated by this ability for some reason and dubbed it All-Tongue.

Now, the reason they returned to Stockholm was because of the auction about the diamond, which they were notified will be happening tomorrow. Zagreus went to the hotel room they rented to switch to one of his suits he had grown to like while Michael went to handle something else.

Michael had been a Nobel Prize winning biochemist before his accident, and he had loved his profession. He enjoyed studying the chemical processes and transformation in living beings, and since he finally had some free time, he planned on doing that.

Reserving a local lab with the equipment that he needed wasn't really an issue when you had money to spare, so that was already handled.

The first thing Michael started off with were a few hair samples he had taken from the Giants his Master slew. Their DNA structure was similar to humans, but it had twice the amount of chromosomes, which were packed with a lot more nucleotides, about three times more than normal humans. He spent some time looking it over and memorizing every single detail before he could before destroying the samples.

Michael then moved onto inspecting his own DNA. He wanted to know how it had changed after the experiment that turned him into a pseudo-vampire, the bloodstone that somewhat recovered him, and finally, the blood of the Giant he ingested.

His DNA was still composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other, so that was a good start. It was packed with more nucleotides, similar to the Giants but less than theirs.

Michael wondered how that happened. Did it have something to do with his failed/successful experiment, or was it due to what Zagreus did to him? He will have to do some more experiments and analyze more data to confirm that.

Looking it over was a marvel to biochemist like Michael, but his focus turned to the 23rd chromosome.

When he devised the experiment that turned him into a pseudo-vampire, he hadn't done it from scratch. Michael took inspiration from a book he had found by chance. Well, calling it a book was a bit of an overstatement since it was more like the diary of a madman.

In it, the man described various experiments all about the 23rd chromosome. According to him, that chromosome carried a latent gene that can be unlocked under specific conditions. Apparently, he was right.

"So, what I believed were the ramblings of a madman turned out to be the thoughts of a genius," Michael mused to himself.

He continued observing his DNA for a while and memorizing as much as he could before destroying it.

There was only one thing left that Michael wanted to observe, but it was the one that excited him most, the DNA of his Master. The moment his eyes looked at it, he froze in place. It was the most remarkable and unusual thing he had ever seen.

Zagreus' DNA was an amalgam of four different ones. Two, which he had never seen before and were a lot more complicated than the other. One, which was eerily similar to that of a Giants. And the last one, which was like that of a human. All four were somehow connected to each other in perfect harmony.

The biggest question on his mind was, how did that happen? Michael was almost sure the Giant's one was recently added, so Zagreus had some kind of an ability to assimilate different types of DNA. But... was that part of his god abilities, or was it something else?

Michael didn't know how long he stared at his Master's DNA, but at some point, he managed to move his gaze away. He then destroyed the sample and made sure he left nothing in the lab before he left. Michael planned on telling Zagreus everything about his discovery, but having come to know his Master in the past month and a half, he knew how little Zagreus cared about science stuff.

While the butler was working in the lab, Zagreus had been busy exploring the city and trying out any food that caught his eye. Fast food was quickly becoming his favorite due to how quickly the meals were made, but the "high-class" restaurants were supposed to have more delicious food, so his next destination was the Operakällaren.

Emma Frost, a blonde bombshell of a woman, had arrived in Stockholm a few days ago. There was no way someone like her would miss an auction about the largest diamond in the world. It was an object that should be owned by the White Queen.

While waiting for the auction, Emma mostly spent her time shopping. She had just finished buying new clothes and exited the store with her two servants following behind her.

Emma had developed a habit of having her mutant power, telepathy, active so that she could scan the minds of anyone nearby. More than once, someone had been sent to either capture or kill, and she had to be constantly vigilant.

One by one, Emma checked the minds of the people nearby when by accident, she brushed the mind of a person or what she at least thought was a person.

Emma has had encounters with other telepaths, so she had an idea of how they liked to structure their mental defenses. Emma has also met people that have devices that protect their minds. However, none were like the one she just encountered. It was a veil of pitch darkness, with nothing going in or out.

For a moment, Emma stopped in place. If this mental defense was made by a telepath, then there was no way her action wasn't discovered. However, there was no response, so she guessed that it wasn't. This veil of darkness also wasn't created by a device since they had an artificial feeling to them.

This meant that it was a natural mental defense. Emma has met a few of those, but none were as potent as this one. She considered herself one of the best telepaths in the world, but she wasn't sure if even she would be able to breach this.

Emma looked towards where she sensed the pitch of darkness, only to see a tall man in a suit with two different colored eyes walking down the street. The first thought that came to her mind was that he was handsome. There was also this unusual attraction that she felt, but she was able to ignore it.

Zagreus' charm, which he had inherited from the numerous blessings by Aphrodite, was able to make women, or even some men, attracted to him from the first glance. That, however, didn't work 100% of the time, and strong-willed people could ignore it.

Emma watched as the man was coming closer and closer before she decided what to do and smiled. She was bored, and the man looked like an enigma. She just wanted to see what he was all about.

'Curiosity killed the cat...' Emma thought and took a step in his direction, 'but satisfaction brought it back.'

Zagreus was leisurely walking towards the Operakällaren when he noticed a beautiful blue-eyed blonde, dressed in a tight white dress and a white overcoat, walking straight towards him. Behind her, two more blonde women also similarly dressed, followed after her with bags in their hands.

"And where is a handsome man like you going all on his own?" Emma stopped in front of him and asked.

"To get some dinner," Zagreus answered with a smile. He did note that she acted differently compared to other women that have stopped him like this in the past month. She didn't have that star-struck expression as Michael called it.

"Oh? On your own?" Emma asked while evaluating him up close. He gave her a weird feeling, and that red-eye of his was... fascinating to look at. It seemed so natural on him.

"Yes, my butler had something to take care of," Zagreus replied.

Emma raised an eyebrow at that. To her, it sounded like a power play on his part, showing off he was wealthy enough to have a servant. She didn't bother to mention the two behind her. It was plain to anyone who saw them that they worked for her.

"You wouldn't mind if I tag along, would you?" Emma asked and took a step closer.

"Not at all. I would be happy to have the company of a beautiful woman," Zagreus said with a smile.

"Charming," Emma said and offered him her hand, "I'm Emma Frost, by the way."

Emma expected some kind of reaction to her name. She was the owner of the Frost Corp, a company she created about a year ago, but it was already making waves. She was getting richer by the day, and having mind powers to always make sure that deals not only go through, but are also beneficial to her, was a plus.

However, Zagreus showed no reaction to her name, other than gently taking her hand and giving it a kiss on the back. He either didn't know who she was, or he didn't care, but she didn't know which one it was since she couldn't check his thoughts.

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Zagreus," he introduced himself.

"Zagreus," Emma repeated, "that's an interesting name. Is it... Greek?" She asked, a bit uncertain about its origin.

"Yes," Zagreus nodded to confirm.

"So, Zag," Emma started. His full name was a bit of a bother to say, so she shortened to something simpler. "Where will you be taking me for dinner?"

"The Operakällaren," Zagreus replied, and Emma nodded with a satisfied smile.

"A fine choice! But... isn't it about 30 minutes from here on foot?" Emma asked, wondering why he was walking there and using a car or even a cab.

"I guess so," Zagreus said. He wasn't entirely sure how far the restaurant was. He just asked a passerby for directions from time to time, making sure he was going in the right direction. He also didn't mind walking, unless he had to travel half the country or something like that. Then he would rent a car for sure.

"Then let's take my car there," Emma said, looking down at her high-heels. No woman would ever want to walk 30 minutes with those things on.

"I'm fine with walking," Zagreus replied.

"I'm sorry?" Emma looked at him in wonder.

"I don't mind walking," he repeated. Zagreus has been using his two feet to move around since forever. Walking wasn't an issue for him.

Emma stared at him in shock.

Men catered to her need. Even the ones she wasn't able to influence with her power tended to do what she desired. Either due to her beauty or due to her wealth. Very few had ever denied her like this.

After a moment, Emma relented. Mostly since she didn't have anything to do until tomorrow and since she wanted to learn more about him.

"Fine," Emma said, stepping to his left and wrapping her arms around his, "but you better make this worthwhile."

'Well, at least I can appreciate this,' Emma thought, feeling his muscles underneath his suit. This was something she can enjoy. Hopefully, it will be enough to distract her for the next thirty minutes of walking.

Emma then sent a telepathic command to her servants to bring her purchases back to her room before she focused on her new date.

"So, Zag, what are you doing here in Stockholm?" She asked, despite already having an idea about it.

"I'm here for tomorrow's auction," Zagreus replied, and Emma nodded. That's what she thought. There were a lot of wealthy people flying over to the capital of Sweden to try getting their hands on this diamond. Some of those were men she had considered as potential White Kings.

"And what about you?" Zagreus asked her.

"Me too. Girls just love jewelry, you know? And I just want to have the best one on the market," Emma said, and Zagreus hummed thoughtfully. He didn't know that. Megaera never really cared about that. But then again, she never really cared about anything other than her job.

"If it's not too personal, I want to know about that red eye of yours. Is it natural?" Emma asked. It didn't look too out of place on him, but it was odd, to say the least.

"Yes," Zagreus nodded, "I was born with it."

The two continued their walk towards the restaurant, asking each other questions like that, and getting to know each other. Interested to learn more about Zagreus, Emma forgot how displeased she was at having to walk in high heels. It did help that he answered the more personal questions vaguely.

Zagreus didn't want to talk about his family, considering the mortals believed gods to be nothing more than myths and legends. He just didn't feel like explaining that they were, in fact, real to every single person he met.

Emma was also vague when talking about her own family, but she did share that her father had died in an "accident."

The two of them got a table at the Operakällaren without much difficulty, even though they hadn't reserved one in advance. Money makes the world go round was what Emma said while they got escorted to their table.

They ordered food and drinks while continuing their conversation. Zagreus enjoyed the meal, and he shocked Emma how much he was able to eat, but the wine wasn't to his tastes. He thought that Ambrosia or even the Nectar was much better than the drink. However, he didn't want to share them with Emma. They were supposed to be drunk with only your close ones, and she wasn't one... yet.

Some time passed since their arrival at the restaurant when Emma noticed two people she recognized entering the building with her power. They were from the same group as her, but she wasn't really fond of them. Especially since Emma couldn't read their minds as the two had strong mental defenses, and she suspected that both were mutants.

As luck would have it, both saw and instantly recognized her. They started walking towards their table, and Emma frowned for a split second before putting on a friendly smile. Zagreus noticed this and saw where she was looking. He turned around and saw the newcomers.

One was a good-looking woman with black hair and brown eyes. She was dressed in a formal black suit that showed off her curves. Next to her was a woman with pink hair and red eyes. She was dressed in a white dress similar to the one Emma was wearing.

"Emma, good to see you," said the black-haired woman in a British accent.

"You too... Emma," Frost replied to her and turned to the other woman and nodded in greeting, "Jane."

The British Emma then turned to Zagreus and asked, "And who is this handsome date of yours?"

"This is Zagreus," Frost introduced him first, "and those two are Emma Stead and Jane Hampshire."

Stead offered him his hand, which he kissed on the back, causing Frost's eye to twitch in annoyance. Jane, on the other hand, stared at him with her cold red eyes. She didn't say a word, nor did she offer her hand like Stead.

"Well, we won't bother you anymore, but you will have to tell me more tomorrow," Stead said and winked at Frost before the two women walked away.

Their dinner did continue, but Emma's night was already ruined in her eyes. Stead was someone she did not like the least bit. Jane, on the other hand, gave Emma a weird feeling. She swore that the pink-haired woman shot her disgusting looks from time to time.

Zagreus sensed this... or he may have just finished with his food, "I think it's time for us to leave."

"Yes," Emma agreed with him quickly and called the waitress.

They left the restaurant, and Emma's arms naturally wrapped around his. They were staying at the same hotel, and it was close by, so she already knew he would prefer to walk there. She didn't mind a short walk, and she could also use that time to feel him up.

In less than 10 minutes, they arrived at the Grand Hotel. When they reached her room, Emma turned around and looked at him up and down. Zagreus was an interesting one. He was vague about his family, didn't comment on his job, only saying that he liked exploring and searching for stuff. However, she did feel some attraction to him.

Emma leaned in a bit closer. Her hands grabbed his suit, pulling him slightly closer so that she could land a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"We'll see each other tomorrow," Emma said before entering her room. They were both going to the auction, so unless Zagreus purposely avoided her, they were going to see each other. Emma didn't think he would do that, and she wanted to see what he was all about. Depending on how it goes, she could see herself inviting him to become the White King.

Zagreus returned to his room, where Michael was already waiting for him.

"Zagreus," he greeted his Master, "I managed to find out a bit about you and myself."

"That's good. How about you tell me about it over a drink," Zagreus said and sat down. He took out his sack, and from within, he pulled out a round glass bottle with an orange juice inside. He took two cups and poured the liquid inside them.

"What is this?" Michael asked as he picked up the cup and smelled the enticing scent.

"Nectar, the food of the gods," Zagreus said. Michale has been with him for the past month, and he has been nothing but helpful. He didn't mind sharing a bottle of Nectar with him.

Well, that was something Michael could get behind, and he quickly took a sip. Just that was enough for him to feel invigorated and full of energy. The gods definitely knew how to pick their food.

"So..." Michael began explaining everything he managed to learn in the lab.

For the duration of the entire night, Michael kept talking about his findings and his theories. The energy provided by the Nectar kept him up and about with ease. If he had to compare it to something, he would call it extremely tasty and healthy cocaine that made him feel younger.

Zagreus was surprised at how much his butler had managed to learn about him. His theories were also incredible, and he somewhat understood them... or at least he acted like he did. Zagreus also mentioned his date to him.

"Emma Frost?" Michael asked, a bit surprised, "Her company is young, but it has a hand in almost any business you could think of, healthcare, science, weapons, anything."

"So... that's good?" Zagreus said. He still didn't really understand business and whatnot.

"It is. Despite Emma's young age, she is a very influential person. Although... there was a bit of a controversy about her," Michael said.

"What kind?" Zagreus asked.

"Her father and her older sister had strange and sudden deaths. They were healthy, but somehow their hearts had stopped working, and both of them died overnight. I heard a rumor that she had someone assassinate them or something like that," Michale explained.

"Ah, well, there are all kinds of deaths, I can tell you that much," Zagreus said with a laugh. If there were experts of dying out there, well, he would surely rank in the top 10.

Their talk continued during the day until it was time for the auction. They put on their clothes and left, arriving shortly at the place it was about to happen. They were one of the first here, and Hanna greeted them enthusiastically. They had agreed for the bank to get 8% of the total price, and she would more than likely get a cut off it as well.

"Mr. Neuphus, Mr. Dougenis, I'm so happy to see you two," Hanna said with a shining smile, "Come, let me show you around."

The auction took place in a large ballroom with multiple tables and a stage in front of them. There wasn't much to see, but Hanna showed the tables with food and drinks.

Zagreus and Michael picked whatever they wanted and found a table to sit at that had a view of the entrance. More and more people started coming in, and the butler informed his Master of those he knew off. Zagreus mostly ignored that, preferring to focus on his food. He didn't really care about the wealthy.

"Oh, this is an interesting one," Michael said, seeing the newest arrival. "That's Anthony Stark, owner of Stark Industries. He is one of the richest people alive and has an interesting nickname, the Merchant of Death."

The last part of that caught Zagreus' attention, "The Merchant of Death, you say?" he asked and looked over to see a black-haired man with a goatee walk in. He was wearing a suit and behind him followed a chubby fellow.

"Yes, but not for the reasons you are thinking. Stark's company is the one responsible for providing the USA military with weapons, and it's considered as the best weapon manufacturer," Michael quickly explained.

Zagreus nodded, but he wasn't fond of that nickname. To him, there was only one who could be called that, Charon, the greedy Ferryman of the Death.

Michael continued introducing the people that arrived at the auction to Zagreus until he exclaimed in surprise once more, "Oh, I think the winner just arrived."

Zagreus looked up and saw an Asian man dressed in a white suit.

"Jacking Singapore, considered the richest man alive, with over 180 Billion to his name. Stark, for example, has at least 100 Billion less than him. If he decides to buy the diamond, there won't be anyone that could outbid him," Michael explained, but Zagreus just shrugged his shoulders.

He didn't care who bought it. Zagreus was just there to see his first auction and nothing more.

"And I think you know her," Michael said, seeing Emma Frost walk in with her two servants behind her. She looked around before she spotted them and started walking in their direction.

Halfway to them, Emma paused in her footsteps for just a second while Michael rubbed his head. She continued as if nothing had happened, but her eyes quivered in surprise.

Obviously, when Emma saw Zagreus with whom she assumed was his butler, she decided to check out that person's mind. Michael also had a natural mental defense, but it was nothing compared to the veil of pitch darkness that guarded his Master's mind.

What Emma found out shocked her. She hadn't gone out with a superpowered human or a mutant the previous night as she believed. No, she had gone out with a god out of all things.

Now, Emma didn't fully trust that since Zagreus could very well be one of those two, and he was delusional about himself. But, she saw how much Michael had to explain the human customs to his Master. And to top it off, she saw Zagreus fight with Giants, beings from the Norse mythology.

However, the most significant thing Emma found out was how rich Zagreus actually was. He was apparently the Prince of the Underworld and was the one selling the diamond at the auction. But most importantly, he had thousands of more just like that.

'Do... gods actually exist?' Emma thought, walking closer to Zagreus while staring into his eyes as he looked back at her's.

"Zag," Emma said in greeting as she stopped in front of him. She sat down next to him and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, "Did you miss me?"

Emma might've had a big revelation just now, but to someone like her, that just made Zagreus that much more attractive. She was a woman that was attracted to both power and wealth, and he had them both in spades.

"A little," he replied. Emma was a beautiful woman that didn't act starstruck due to the charm he had inherited from Aphrodite's blessings. That made her different compared to all the women Zagreus had met so far in the Mortal World.

"Tsk, just a little? And here I was hoping you will spend the entire night without sleeping, just thinking about me," Emma said with her alluring smile. A royalty amongst gods, who also happens to be rich? Zagreus just became her top candidate for a White King.

"I did spend the entire night without sleeping," Zagreus replied, turning his attention to her.

"Oh, so you lied. Tsk, tsk. I can tell how much you missed me," Emma said. At this point, she completely forgot about the auction. It just didn't matter to her anymore. There was something even more important there, and it wasn't the diamond.

As the two were talking and waiting for the auction to start, they heard someone next to them, "Emma! Long time no see."

Tony approached with a smile on his face and a drink in his hand.

"Stark," Emma greeted him indifferently.

"Why the cold face? I thought we are friends," Tony said.

"Bussiness friends and nothing more," Emma told him. At one point, she did consider him as a candidate for the White King. Tony was a genius and a billionaire, but he was also an arrogant manchild, which she didn't like.

"It's what I said." Tony shrugged his shoulders and looked at Zagreus. He made a punching motion with his free hand and said, "someone seems to have given your friend the red-eye."

Zagreus nor Emma even got a chance to respond before Michael hissed with venom, "Watch your tongue."

"Whoa there, buddy, I'm..." Tony said and raised his hands, but made the mistake of looking at Michael in the eyes.

"I'm sorry," Tony then said before turning around and leaving.

Michael had been practicing with his Mesmerism for the past month and made some progress. He was able to control people more effectively and for a bit longer. Michael did act impulsively, but no one gets to badmouth his Master in front of him.

Emma, almost as if that scene with Tony hadn't happened, returned back to speaking with Zagreus, who also ignored it. However, that was a slight mistake on her part as Michael got suspicious of her. He didn't voice it out, but he kept a closer eye on her.

Soon enough, the auction started with Hanna walking on stage.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I wish to thank you all for coming to Nordea Bank's auctions," she greeted everyone before addressing a few of the more influential people.

"... and last but not least, Zagreus Nephus, the man who gave us this chance to bring you all here to this event," Hanna finished with him. Zagreus gave everyone a small wave, like he had seen the rest do.

Almost everyone there looked at him in quite the shock since they've never even heard of him before. Emma also played the surprised role like the rest.

"Why didn't you tell me you are the one selling the diamond?" Emma asked, trying to sound as hurtful as possible. She was a good actress since she always had to play her part when dealing with her various business partners.

"You didn't ask," Zagreus replied with a shrug, to which Emma pouted in response.

Tony looked at Zagreus for a moment before turning towards his chubby friend. "Happy, I want to know everything about that guy?"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Happy asked in bewilderment. He was a bodyguard, and obtaining information about other people wasn't part of his job description.

"Do I have to do anything by myself?" Tony said and pulled out his smartphone before proceeding to click away on it.

"And now, the reason you all came to Stockholm, I present you, the Dragon's Heart," Hanna exclaimed excitedly as the diamond was brought out to the stage.

She had called Zagreus a few times, one of which was to pick a name for the gemstone. At first, he wanted to just name it Learnie's Heart, but Hanna thought it wasn't a fitting name for a diamond and advised him against it. Zagreus chose Hydra's Heart afterward, but apparently, that could be seen as offensive by some people due to a past war. In the end, they settled on Dragon's Heart.

There were oohs and awws from the people gathered there once they finally got to see it. It was huge, and that was already enough to make it super valuable, but it was also shaped precisely how one would picture a diamond, making it even more valued.

Emma watched the gemstone with shining eyes. The only thought going through her mind was how perfect it looked. She then looked at Zagreus, and her eyes shined even brighter. He had more just like that one!

The bidding began with a starting price of 10 million, but that quickly jumped up. The first one to really make a big move on it was Tony.

"300 million," he called out. Tony was the kind of man that liked owning the biggest and largest things out there, and he certainly wasn't compensating for anything.

"500 million," Emma called out after him. From scanning Jackie's servants since she couldn't check his, Emma knew she wasn't going to get it, but she had a reason for her bet. She wanted to show Zagreus that she really, really desired the diamond and also to bump the price of it faster.

"800 million," Jackie called out as Emma predicted.

There were a lot of wealthy people at the auction, but it shortly turned into a bidding war between Tony and Jackie. However, one had a lot more capital to work with compared to the other.

"2.4 Billion," Jackie finally called out, and Tony was unwilling to go any further than that.

"2.4 Billion going once, going twice..." Hanna briefly paused, allowing someone else to make a bid, but no one spoke out, "and the Drag..."

Just before she could announce the winner, the lights in the room flicker off before a loud explosion happened. Gunshots started being fired in the room, causing panic and havoc amongst the people there.

Emma took it calmly. She had been in such situations before, and her servants were ready to use themselves as shields for her. That, however, was unnecessary as a pair of two strong arms wrapped around her and hugged her tightly.

"You okay?" Zagreus asked, knowing that mortals were a lot more fragile than him.

"I am," Emma replied, staring into his glowing eyes. She considered herself a strong woman that didn't need protection, but being hugged like this... it felt nice. "And you?"

"I'm fine," Zagreus answered. A few bullets had hit him in the back, but they cause nothing more than flesh wounds that already healed up.

Knowing Emma was okay, Zagreus looked around. The room was pitch dark, with the only light coming from the phones of the various people there. That wasn't a problem for him. His eyes were able to see everything as if it was broad daylight.

Quite a bit of the people there were injured, a few of them were dead, and the diamond was missing. He had taken the diamond fair and square from Lernie by fighting the Bone Hydra to the death. If someone wanted to take it away from him, they would have to do it the same way.

"You know," Emma started, still staring into his eyes.

Zagreus placed a finger on her lips and said, "I'll be right back." He then nodded to Michael, who understood him without Zagreus having to say any words.

Emma nodded and looked around, scanning her surroundings with her power. This was a situation which she might be able to use to her advantage if she played her cards right.

"Darkness," Emma then heard Zagreus whisper next to her, and when she looked over, he was nowhere to be seen.

He was a lot more proficient at using his blood, but he had a couple of abilities with his darkness. One of them was to turn invisible for a few minutes.

Zagreus ran out of the hole in the room and saw a group of people entering two black SUVs. They sped off in their cars, and he chased after them. Zagreus was nowhere near as fast as Hermes, but speed was one of his strong suits.

It took him but a few seconds to reach the two cars, and he lept up. His sword, Stygius, the Blade of the Underworld, appeared in his hand midair, and he fell down, slamming his weapon in between both SUVs. A shockwave erupted from where he landed. Both cars got hit by it, and they got thrown upside down.

Six people crawled out of the cars, only to see what appeared to be a human covered in darkness with only his red and black double-edged sword being visible.

Another of Zagreus' darkness abilities was to cover himself with it. It was useful in dark locations as it would make him harder to see. He didn't think he needed it to fight against the six humans, but Michael had advised him to use it in such situations just to hide his identity.

Now, Zagreus himself didn't care if people knew he had "superpowers." It really didn't matter to him if they were aware of his identity. Yes, if he made enemies, they will be able to come after him, but he will happy to with that as long as they give him a good fight.

And when they realize they can't really do much to him, what are they going to do? Go after his family? Zagreus himself didn't know how to return back to the Underworld without dying, so good luck with that.

The main reason he hid his identity was because Michael told him people would try to recruit him to their cause. He just didn't want to bother with that.

One of the six men stepped forward. He had short auburn hair and red eyes, and he had a brown duster coat with a staff strapped behind his back.

Remy LeBeau, quite possibly the best thief in the world. The only reason he took this job was because it might as well be the biggest catch of the decade. He would've preferred to take a more silent and stealthy approach, but unfortunately, he wasn't the leader of the operation. The explosive route wasn't something Remy enjoyed, but hey, there were high chances that it would've worked.

"I'm gonna hold this one. You go ahead," Remy said, thinking that the plan might still work. He just had to stop the one in front of him. The other five didn't even hesitate for a second and ran off.

"Nothing personal, but this is just a job," Remy said, putting a hand in his pocket.

"Oh, I think it..." Remy interrupted Zagreus by quickly throwing a card covered in blazing energy. He had supercharged it with enough kinetic energy for it to cut steel. Remy watched as it was about to hit Zagreus when he reached out and grabbed it midair.

"Cool trick," Zagreus said, bending his knees slightly.

'This is going to be more dangerous than I believed,' Remy thought and grabbed his Bo staff while supercharging it with as much energy it could take. Just to be safe, he also enhanced his legs and stored some kinetic energy in his boots.

And good thing he did that. Zagreus dashed towards him and appeared in front of Remy's wide eyes in an instant. In a desperate attempt, he managed to shove his staff forward while he jumped backward with all his might.

With astonished eyes, Remy watched as Zagreus' sword sliced the stick in two as if it was made of paper. In addition, a small shockwave erupted from the blade going through the place he just stood a second ago. At that moment, he realized that this wasn't a fight he wanted to be part of.

'Fuck this shit, I'm out,' Remy though and put a hand in the right pocket of his duster. He grabbed a small device and clicked the button on it as quickly as possible. Remy let a sigh of relief as the device teleported him away from there.

"That wasn't cool," Zagreus muttered while looking around. He couldn't sense Remy anywhere nearby, so he assumed he must've done something to teleport away.

Zagreus didn't put too much effort into finding him and simply ran after the other five thieves. It didn't take him long to reach them as they hadn't been able to get that far.

"Wasn't Gambit supposed to hold him back? What the fuck?" Yelled a man in a black and white costume with a bullseye mark on his forehead.

"You three, shoot him!" Shouted a man whose facial hair made him look like an owl. He also held a suitcase, which Zagreus assumed contained the diamond.

The other three members, all dressed in black costumes that hid their identity, turned around. They held SMGs in each hand and began firing at Zagreus. He didn't even bother taking out Aegis since it was pointless. Bullets just didn't work against him, only causing him flesh wounds that healed in seconds.

The three thieves started panicking as they saw Zagreus run through the bullet storm as if it was nothing.

"Run!" They screamed, but it was already too late. Zagreus reached them, and with three quick swings, he cut the three apart. Without even stopping for a second, he continued after the other two thieves, who were climbing up the fire escape of a building.

Zagreus looked up before he crouched down and lept up in the air. He landed on top of the building just as the other two reached there.

"Damn, you are annoying," Bullseye said with a frown.

"You have something that's mine," Zagreus replied, pointing with Stygius at the suitcase.

"Yeah, well, it's kind ours now," Bullseye replied with an arrogant smile before turning to Owl. "Go."

Owl took a few steps back before turning around and leaping off the building. He then flew off, but taking a closer look, Zagreus noted that he was slowly losing height.

"Let's see what you got!" Bullseye yelled and threw knives at Zagreus, who caught the first one with his left hand and used it to deflect the rest.

"You can have it back," Zagreus said and threw the knife at him. It flew so fast, Bullseye couldn't react to it as it struck him right in the middle of his forehead.

*DING!*

The sound of metal hitting metal was heard as Bullseye's head snapped back from the force of the knife.

"That hurt!" He yelled in pain while Zagreus watched him with intrigue. He thought that would've been the end of the fight.

Bullseye somewhat recovered only to see Zagreus in front of him with his sword raised high.

"Oh shit!" He yelled and raised his two hands to block the attack.

*DING!*

Again, the sound of metal hitting metal was heard as Stygius stuck his hands. It cut apart Bullseye's skin, but it got stopped by the bones. Still, the force of the hit whipped his arms backward and dislocated his shoulders.

"FUCKKKKK!" Bullseye screamed in pain, again surprising Zagreus.

"Interesting," Zagreus muttered before grabbing him and throwing him down. He then stabbed him in the stomach and pinned him to the roof of the building.

"GAHHH!"

"Stay there," Zagreus said to the screaming Bullseye as he turned around towards the direction Owl took off. The flying man was still in sight, and that was all he needed.

Zagreus raised his hands with blood pouring out of his palms, forming into a large all purple bow. Coronacht, the Heart-Seeking Bow, was one of his favorite weapons. His father called it a coward's weapon, but he was fond of it. Plus, Artemis praised his skills of using it, so there was that.

The moment Zagreus pulled on the purple string, Coronacht drew from his energy and formed a purple arrow that somewhat resembled a spear. He pulled back and released it towards Owl.

The arrow flew out like a missile, moving at incredible speeds. Owl just barely heard the sound of it before it pierced him straight through the heart. It wasn't called the Heart-Seeking Bow for no reason.

"I'll be right back," Zagreus said to Bullseye, who was desperately trying to remove Stygius. However, no matter how hard he pulled, the blade refused to even budge.

"Good luck with that," Zagreus said right before he jumped from the roof. Stygius was known as the Blade of the Underworld for a reason. Only those that have a connection with that realm were able to wield it. Naturally, as the Prince of the Underworld, Zagreus was one of those people.

Locating Owl's body didn't take him long. Zagreus picked up the suitcase, but before he left, he formed a bloodstone and absorbed Owl's blood.

Michael had asked him to absorb the blood of a mutant or a superpower human to see if he would be able to inherit their powers. Zagreus was interested in that and agreed, but there was no way he was going to test it out with Owl's blood. He didn't want his head to transform into that of a bird's. Still, the blood could be useful as Michael might want to study it.

Zagreus then returned to the rooftop with Bullseye. The man was still trying to escape, but he was paler than before, with a lot of blood beneath him. Zagreus decided to end the man's misery and snapped his neck before using a bloodstone to absorb his blood as well.

Done with that, he didn't immediately leave since he wanted to know how the man was able to stop his weapon. A quick inspection later, Zagreus found out that Bullseye's skull, spine, and hands were all covered by some kind of metal. That surprised him since he didn't think humans had a metal tough enough to withstand any of his Infernal Arms. He ended up cutting up those parts and storing them in his sack, thinking that Michael might be able to explain to him what kind of metal it was.

Jackie was sitting in the ballroom, surrounded by his guards. He was annoyed, to say the least. The Dragon's Heart was an object Jackie really wanted to add to his collection. Not only was the diamond the largest he had ever seen, but it was also in perfect shape, just as one would imagine a gemstone to look like.

Unfortunately, the Dragon's Heart was stolen right as he outbid Tony Stark. Jackie knew he could still get his hands on it if he made the right calls, but depending on who stole it, he might have to pay even more. Plus, it will be troublesome and take time.

Jackie just wished for the diamond to appear in front of him and save him that trouble. As soon as he thought that, the Dragon's Heart popped out of thin air and dropped in his hands.

"Make sure to pay the bank," Jackie then heard a voice, but no matter where he looked, there was no one around him besides his guards.

"That's fine with me," Jackie replied before ordering his guards to store it in a secure suitcase he had brought for the diamond. He wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, especially one that could sneak up on him without anyone even noticing.

Zagreus then returned to Michael, who was casually sitting and drinking some wine. Emma and her two servants were off to the side, talking with some people.

"Did you have fun?" Michael asked his Master once he saw him.

"It was kinda fun," Zagreus replied. Artemis always told him how much fun she had while hunting, and he felt this was similar in a way. He just wished those guys put up more of a fight. "But I think it's time for us to leave."

"As you wish," Michael replied and stood up.

The two made their way towards the exit, but halfway there, Emma reached them. Her arms naturally latched onto Zagreus', and she said, "You said you will be right back, but now you are leaving without even saying a word."

"You were talking with a bunch of people," Zagreus said.

"Well, I had to do something to pass the time while waiting for you," Emma replied, giving his arm a light squeeze.

"Fair enough," Zagreus said.

"So, where are you going?" Emma asked.

"Back to the hotel, no point in staying here anymore," Zagreus replied, to which Emma nodded. She didn't have a reason to stay here any longer as well.

They returned to their hotel, and Emma asked with a charming smile, "Mind if I come to your room for a bit?"

"Not at all," Zagreus answered. Michael felt suspicious at that, but he didn't voice his thoughts. His Master knew what he was doing... probably.

They soon entered Zagreus' room.

"You should've told me you were the one selling the diamond," Emma started, completely ignoring what happed at the end of the auction as she already knew that Zagreus had retrieved the diamond.

"I can't offer you 2.4 Billion upfront like Jackie, but we could've made a deal or something," Emma said.

"Did you really like it that much?" Zagreus asked. He didn't think it was that big of a deal, considering how many he had.

"Yes! I absolutely loved it! It was so large and clear, and in the perfect shape as well. Any woman would love to have it!" Emma exclaimed.

"Wait for a moment then," Zagreus said, and Emma's eyes lit up in happiness.

He entered his room and pulled out a diamond from his sack. Zagreus was someone that liked giving gifts, and if Emma liked it so much, he figured he could give her one. He then returned back to the room.

The moment Emma laid her eyes on the diamond, she stood up with a shining smile.

"Since you liked it so much, you can have this one," Zagreus said as Emma walked over to him.

For a moment, she ignored the diamond in his hand, focusing on his face. She kept staring into his eyes as she stepped right in front of him. Her hands reached out and lightly grasped his clothes.

"You know... in movies, this is usually the..." Before Emma could finish what she was about to say, Zagreus lightly pushed her away, just as a pink-haired woman dropped from the ceiling right between them.

"Jane?" Emma question, seeing the Red Rook. She did note her dress was stained with blood and had a few bullet holes in it.

Jane shakily lifted herself up before pouncing towards Zagreus. However, she was too slow, and he caught her by the neck with ease. He was about to tighten his grasp and end her life when something unusual happened. From within Jane's body emerged a man with long red hair and red eyes.

"This body is about to die, and your's will be the perfect replacement!" The man yelled and reached out towards Zagreus. However, before he managed to reach him, a bloodstone pierced his head and sucked his blood dry, leaving him nothing more than a dried corpse.

"That was a thing," Zagreus said, disgusted by how the man had jumped out of Jane's body. It was a sight he did not wish to ever see again, which was why he acted so quickly, killing him in a second.

Zagreus then looked at Jane and shivered in disgust as the scene of the man played back in his mind. He... honestly felt bad for the woman. The man had taken over her body, and now he left her to die. Zagreus figured he might as well give her a second chance.

After forming a bloodstone, he inserted into Jane's body. Within seconds, it took effect, and the bullets inside her got popped out while her wounds healed up. A few moments later, Jane opened her eyes, and they were no longer bright red like before. They were no replaced by piercing green ones.

Emma watched this happened in pure astonishment. Not only did Zagreus bring Jane from the brink of death, but there was more. With her telepathy, Emma was able to scan what Jane was thinking, and there was only a single thought going through her mind. She wanted to serve Zagreus and nothing more.

Jane stood up and instantly bowed to Zagreus, "Master!"

'Not this again,' Zagreus thought before turning to Emma. He was thinking of how to explain what happened to her, but he certainly didn't expect her response.

"You have no idea how much I want you right now!"