‘OK,’ said Hermes, flittering to the far end of the room and revving up his flying shoes and hat. ‘LET’S DO THIS THING!’

‘Be careful,’ said Hades, ‘you don’t wanna—’

But Hermes wasn’t listening. With an almighty blast of acceleration, he took off towards the door like a champagne cork from a shaken bottle.

‘GO AWN, FELLA!’ Hades shouted. ‘YOU GOT THIS!’

The Messenger God put his head down and braced himself for impact. He didn’t care – he was going to get to his friend.

But, for the second time that day, just as Hermes approached the door, it swung open.

‘WHHHHHHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA!’ he yelled. Smoke steamed out of his heels as he tried to halt his supersonic flight – but it was too late.

‘Oh, no – MASSIVE UNBOSH!’ he cried, careering towards Thanatos’s throne of bones.

SMASH!

He thundered into the throne, smashing it into a million pieces, before finally skidding to a halt on the far side of the Cave of Sleep and Death.

‘Hoimes! You OK?’ puffed Hades, running over to his battered nephew.

‘Like, totes . . . ow . . .’ came the strained reply from beneath a pile of broken bones.

Hades looked back at the door.

‘Hey – you did it!’ he cheered. ‘You ain’t such a skinny drink a water after all! You opened it!’

‘No, I didn’t,’ Hermes groaned, sitting up and tossing a skull from his lap. ‘Someone else did.’

‘You mean . . .’

Hades ran to the entrance to see who their saviour had been. But the only evidence that anyone had entered the cave was the shaking of the poppies disturbed by their abrupt exit.

‘See ’em?’ Hermes called out.

‘I got nothing,’ Hades sighed, coming back to help Hermes off the floor. ‘But let me tell you – they got a drink on me any time they want one. And I won’t even make them listen to Persephone’s cabaret. Seriously, that broad brings new meaning to Killing Me Softly . . .’

‘We need to get to my boy E,’ said Hermes, flying up in the air. ‘Like, totes now.’

‘Where do we start?’ Hades asked. ‘He could be any place.’

‘I can show you,’ came a small voice from the cave’s entrance.

‘Who goes there?’ said Hades, raising his fists. ‘I’m telling you – I ain’t in the mood for no funny business.’

‘He’s in Tartarus,’ said the new arrival, stepping into the light.

‘V! Babe!’ said Hermes, flying over for a hug. ‘You saved us!’

‘No, I didn’t,’ said Virgo. ‘I got lost. Hypnos was supposed to be taking me back to Earth. But he just dumped me here.’

‘Well, I’m glad we found you, chick,’ said Hermes, giving her a huge squeeze. ‘I missed your lovely mug. Right – we got to get to E before—’

‘It’s too late,’ Virgo said mournfully. ‘He’s done it. He’s given Thanatos the Chaos Stones.’

‘Oh, mate,’ sighed Hermes.

‘Geez, Louise,’ Hades whistled.