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“yes, but my other stupid minions as you kindly put it yourself, are exactly that– stupid. and you aren’t stupid, are you?” hades asked. it wasn’t a pep talk of any sorts, by far. hades wasn’t one to give pep talks to his minions yet there were some times when he was close.  “i know wonder boy isn’t exactly the smartest out there, or perfect in any way for that matter. there has to be a way to bring him down before he gets to the ultimate top.” then at her words, he shortly laughed as if what she’d just say was th funniest thing ever, which in certain persepective it was. “oh, i’m so sorry, i’ll make sure to open a window.” the man said, puffing out the smoke and giving no sign to actually move. “exciting.” he said with the same sarcasm directed at him present in his tone. “we’ll even watch a movie of your favorite genre. romance, right?” hades chuckled, “and now that you’ve mentioned it. have you at least gotten me any new information from anything else?” 

“don’t know, i could be ––” she smirked, finishing off the rest of the glass before putting it on the table, wanting nothing more than to close her eyes and call it a day. “can you relax for a second, your strange vendetta is really not becoming of you, i think i can see your hairline receding,” she huffed in annoyance. “question. if i kicked you out, would you leave me alone for tonight or would that even be a possibility?” Knowing that it wasn’t even close to one. when the man wanted to do something, he was going to do it regardless of those who stood in the way of that. “anything else? what else did you want me to give you hades? nothing new has come up, you haven’t given me any intel on anyone besides wonder-fuck. to be vague and still ask for as much as you do is really fucking tiring so please, when you give me something worth doing, then you can blow smoke up my ass. Until then, the ash tray is through the door and down the alley, once you find the dumpster, put yourself out.” 

“Will you tell me directly why the Duckling should be off limits or are you going to keep talking in evasive circles like Hades?” she asked. “Oh, that would’ve been a far better reason to ask! I hadn’t even thought of that. I was just being nosy. Your idea is far nicer. If you want to change your mind you can, otherwise I’m just walking back like usual since it isn’t too late yet.”

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes, knowing that this is just how the woman acted. But it wasn’t that simple, she believed that it was all an act in a way. No one could truly be this naive and kind. “Excuse me?” She couldn’t help but shift her stance. She know she couldn’t speak on Hades behalf, that was clear. “I don’t know what he told you but listen to what I’m saying. You shouldn’t be here. I don’t care enough about you to lie,” she huffed before wiping down the bar. “Good for you.” 

Hector overheard the conversation going on around him. He felt sorry for the woman. He knew the frustration of working long hours. And that why he drinks. He looked up from his empty shot glass that he twirled on the counter top. “No gracias. How about something simple. Could I get another shot?” Hector slide over his shot glass to Meg. “Got a long shift today?”

The girl couldn’t help but sigh as her manager kept an eye on her, as he should. She was about to break a bottle and walk out but no –– that would be unacceptable. “You sure, they hold more than these cheap glasses do,” she said, sarcasm dripping from her words. “Coming right up,” she said reluctantly, knowing her life would just be taking orders. “You could say that. What brought you in? What’s shitty, your week or your night?”

“Just a whiskey,” he said, leaning his elbows on the bar, “You’re really going for this shitty bartender thing, aren’t you?” Gill asked, raising a brow before speaking up again, “If you really wanted to clinch the ticket, you’d give everyone the wrong drinks. Never put anymore little peanuts or pretzels out, and squeeze all the limes of their juice before giving it to them. Maybe then you can go home.”

“Got it,” she huffed, reaching behind her to grab the dark liquid before filling his cup up, a little more than what he would have to pay for. “Of course, don’t have much else to prove, now do I?” The girl looked over at him, giving him a more genuine smile, one that she hadn’t given all night. “I don’t even do those things to begin with. Plus if I started to give less of a shit, they’d give me more shifts. Fucked up, isn’t it?” 

Stephanie admittedly felt a little bad, she knew the woman avoided her; but in her defense, Meg hadn’t been out here when she sat down. “I could never ask that of you, it’d be rude of me to impose on your kindness that much,” she gently assured. “Of course, I probably shouldn’t be a lot of places,” she smiled before taking a drink. “So, when do you get off?”

She didn’t hate Stephanie but she did hate the choices she made. She had the ability to be free and not live with such a vindictive man yet she chose to stay with him, right in the lions den. A rookie and stupid mistake, one that she couldn’t warn her about. “Hm,” she said in return. “No. You shouldn’t be here, in this bar, speaking with me. The Duckling, should’ve been off limits for you,” she said, her eyes trying to speak a different story. “Why, gonna split a cab back to the estate? Pass.”