Medusa and Lewis approached a tall warehouse at the harbor. About two stories tall with one giant double door and gray walls, covered in rust. It reminded Medusa of her temple, except the warehouse wasn’t built from stone.

“This is my gang’s crib. Cops never kept their eyes here. That is why we hid here,” her golem minion explained.

“What are cops?” Medusa asked.

“Pigs who think they run this city. They can be a pain in the ass when they catch you.”

Whatever they were, Medusa could handle them. “How many men are in there?”

“Ten,” Lewis answered. “We are a small gang.”

“What does your gang do?”

“We steal shit and sell them to buyers. Whatever cash is left, we keep it all for our entertainment.”

Lewis’s gang sounded like a secret pack of thieves. Although they were small, using them would help Medusa expand her power and gather information across the city. They could even warn her if any monster hunter from the underworld comes to get her. She doesn’t have to kill them unless they prove to be stronger than her. First, she must see what they were capable of. “Open the door.”

Lewis approached the door and pulled it to the left. Behind the door were ten men, moving boxes of stolen goods. Some of them sat down in chairs, drinking booze and talking. All of them wore sleeveless leather jackets and tight gray jeans with boots.

One of them stopped and turned to Lewis as he stepped into the warehouse with Medusa.

“Lewis?” A fat gangster sat up off a couch, holding a bottle of beer. “What the hell happened to you?”

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Lewis stood in front of his men and closed his arms. “Change of plans, homies. Things are going to change now. Meet your new leader, Medusa. She will run our gang by my side.”

The fat gangster glanced at Medusa. “You mean that slut?”

Medusa glared at him and blasted her light beam at him. He instantly turned to stone before he could scream.

The other men screamed while they shook in silence.

Medusa stepped forward while raising her staff up. “As Lewis stated, I am Medusa, former priestess of the Athena temple. I have escaped from the underworld to seek vengeance against Athena for turning me into a monster. I need this warehouse to become my lair. All of you can either join me or run away like cowards. But if you try to attack me…..”

She pushed the statue to the ground, shattering below her feet. “You will have the same fate as your companion.”

Behind them, a man pulled out a rifle and aimed it at her. “What if we can kill you, here and now?”

Medusa smiled at him and tapped her staff. “I dare you to try.”

The gangster shook until he fired.

A yellow energy bubble with sparkling glitter expanded around Medusa before the bullets hit her. The bullets bounced off her shield.

The gangster stopped after his rifle clicked.

“You see, as long as I have this staff, I am indestructible,” said Medusa.

The gangsters stared at each other.

“Now do you want to stay or leave? I will not kill you, but if you stay, you will obey me, or else I will kill you without consent. The choice is yours.”

“F**k this shit!” The gangster with the rifle dropped his weapon and ran.

The others followed him, leaving their belongings behind.

Medusa rubbed her forehead. “Damn the gods! I expected they will join my side for power.”

“Well, you scared the piss out of their pants. None of us had seen real hocus pocus before,” said Lewis.

Her golem minion was right. Since the gods left, no magic has existed ever since. Humans would be afraid if they saw something they couldn’t understand.

“Oh, blast those cowards! Now that this place is empty, it now belongs to me. I want you to clean this place up, and maybe I will give you a treat.”

Lewis bowed to her. “Yes, my mistress.”

Medusa will rest while her minion clears out the unnecessary junk in the warehouse. Then she will make her plan for her conquest.