Abandoned Warehouse

Amos stood at the edge of an abandoned warehouse, his eyes scanning the empty lot.

He'd chosen this place on purpose - isolated, with no cameras and plenty of exits if things went sideways.

He checked his watch. Hades was supposed to be here by now.

He exhaled, trying to steady his nerves. He needed this to go perfectly.

If he could corner Hades into working with him and leverage the information about the cameras, he could make Hades do his bidding.

Maybe even push Lucas out of the way once and for all.

The door creaked open behind him, and Amos spun around.

Hades walked in, his steps unhurried, his posture relaxed.

He looked exactly how Amos imagined - calm, dangerous, and utterly unbothered. Alone, just as Amos had demanded.

"Amos," Hades greeted, his deep voice cutting through the silence of the warehouse. "You called. I came. Now, what's this about?"

Amos straightened his jacket, stepping forward with a confident smirk. "Let's cut the small talk, Hades. You know what this is about. The cameras, the paparazzi chaos with Aurora. I've got everything I need to blow this wide open."

Hades's face didn't change.

He simply raised an eyebrow, almost amused. "And?"

Amos blinked, momentarily thrown off by the lack of reaction.

He cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the conversation. "You and I both know you don't want this getting out. Aurora's not just some pawn in your game. If she finds out you've been spying on her, she'll never look at you the same way again."

Hades's lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "You think I care about your little threats, Amos?"

Amos grinned, mistaking Hades's calm for fear. "Oh, I think you care. But here's the deal- I'm not unreasonable. We can work something out. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. We work together, and this all goes away."

Hades let out a low chuckle, his eyes narrowing as he stepped closer to Amos. "Work together? With you?"

Before Amos could respond, Hades snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, from the shadows of the warehouse, a group of men emerged - tall, muscular, and clearly armed.

They moved with practised ease, surrounding Amos in a tight circle.

Amos's heart raced as panic clawed at his throat.

"W-what is this?" he stammered, taking a step back. "I thought we were meeting alone!"

Hades's smirk finally emerged, cold and calculating. "You thought wrong, Amos."

Amos swallowed hard, his mind scrambling for a way out. "Wait-wait! You can't do this. I'm Lucas's assistant! If anything happens to me, Lucas will come after you. He'll-he'll ruin you!"

Hades's expression remained unmoved, but his eyes glinted with a cruel amusement. "Lucas? Do you think I'm scared of him?"

Amos forced a laugh, trying to appear braver than he felt. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. Lucas isn't someone you want to mess with. If he finds out you touched me -"

Hades cut him off with a sharp wave of his hand. "Lucas is nothing more than a small-town boy with too much ambition. He's not a threat to me, and neither are you."

Amos's bravado faltered. "Y-you're making a mistake. We can work something out. I have information that could help you—"

Hades took a step forward, towering over Amos. "I don't need help from a worm like you to get what I want. I'll take Aurora myself, and there's nothing you or Lucas can do to stop me."

Amos's mouth went dry, and he opened

it to respond, but before he could say another word, Hades gave a subtle nod to his men.

The first punch landed squarely in Amos's stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

He doubled over, gasping for air, but the blows kept coming.

Fists rained down on him-his ribs, his back, his face-until he collapsed to the ground, a pitiful heap of pain.

Amos tried to scream, but the sound came out in strangled gasps. His vision blurred, and every inch of his body throbbed with agony.

Through the haze of pain, he heard Hades's voice, calm and mocking. "You really thought you could threaten me, Amos? You're not even a nuisance. You're a fool."

Amos tried to speak, to beg, but the words stuck in his throat as another kick hit his side, sending fresh waves of pain through him.

He could feel his bones aching, his body crumpling under the sheer force of the attack.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the blows stopped.

Amos lay on the cold, hard ground, barely conscious, blood trickling from his mouth.

He coughed weakly, his whole body trembling with pain.

Hades knelt beside him, his face close to Amos's ear. "Next time you think about using someone to get what you want, remember this, Amos: I don't work with riff-raff. And Lucas... well, he's just as insignificant as you are."

Amos whimpered, barely able to lift his head.

Hades stood, wiping his hands on his coat as if Amos's blood was nothing more than an inconvenience.

He looked down at the pitiful sight before him and smirked. "I'll take what's mine. And that includes Aurora."

Without another word, Hades turned and walked away, his men following close behind.

The sound of their footsteps echoed through the warehouse, leaving Amos alone in the dark, beaten, broken, and utterly defeated.

Amos lay there for a long moment, pain shooting through his body with every shallow breath.

His mind was clouded, swimming between consciousness and blacking out completely.

He knew he couldn't stay like this. If he did, no one would find him until it was too late.

He groaned, shifting painfully onto his side, wincing as every movement sent another sharp jolt through his ribs.

His vision blurred, but he managed to reach into his jacket pocket, his trembling fingers fumbling for his phone.

With a shaky hand, Amos pulled the phone out and unlocked it, his thumb hovering over the screen.

He couldn't think straight, couldn't focus, but there was one number programmed on speed dial—someone who would come, no questions asked.

He pressed the button, praying they would answer.

The phone rang once, twice... on the third ring, a familiar voice crackled through the line.

"Amos? What's going on?"

It was his old friend, Derek.

They hadn't spoken in a while, but Derek was the kind of guy who could always be counted on when things got rough.

Amos's voice came out hoarse, barely a whisper. "D-Derek... I... I need help..."

There was a pause on the other end. "Amos? You sound terrible. What happened?"

Amos swallowed, wincing as the movement caused his bruised throat to flare with pain. "Hades... he... he beat the crap out of me... I'm at the warehouse... I-I can't move..."

The line went silent for a second, and then Derek's voice sharpened with urgency. "Hold on. I'm coming to get you. Don't move."

Amos wanted to laugh at the irony of those words. As if he could move. But he simply nodded weakly, clutching the phone to his chest, grateful that help was on the way.

Minutes passed like hours, and the cold ground pressed against his aching body as Amos tried to stay awake.

His head spun, his eyelids heavy, but he fought the urge to pass out.

The thought of Hades's men still lurking nearby kept his heart pounding in his chest.

Finally, he heard the sound of tires screeching outside the warehouse. A car door slammed, followed by hurried footsteps.

"Amos!" Derek's voice called out as he entered the warehouse, his flashlight sweeping over the dark, empty space.

He spotted Amos crumpled on the ground and rushed over.

"Shit... Amos, what did they do to you?" Derek muttered, kneeling beside his friend.

He gently lifted Amos's head, assessing the damage.

Amos winced, coughing up a bit of blood. "H-he... he's crazy, Derek. Thought I could threaten him, but... I was wrong."

"Clearly." Derek shook his head, worry etched across his face. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

With a grunt of effort, Derek carefully lifted Amos to his feet, supporting his weight as they hobbled toward the exit.

Every step felt like knives digging into Amos's ribs, but he bit back the pain, focusing on the sound of Derek's steady voice.

"I've got you, man. We'll get you to the hospital."

Amos nodded weakly, too exhausted to respond.

His vision blurred again, but he felt the cool air on his face as they reached Derek's car.

Derek opened the passenger door and eased Amos into the seat, careful not to jostle him too much.

He buckled him in and quickly slid into the driver's seat, starting the car with a roar.

As they sped toward the hospital, Amos stared out the window, his mind swirling with a mix of anger and humiliation.

Hades had made a fool of him and, worse, left him beaten like some nobody.

But this wasn't over. Not by a long shot.

Amos closed his eyes, gritting his teeth against the pain.

He would recover, and when he did, he would find a way to get even with Hades—no matter the cost.