mythological [chapter one]
Title: mythological [chapter one]
Author: babyzelo
Pairings: banghim, daejae, jongup/oc, zelo/oc.
Genre: fantasy, supernatural, au
Rating: pg-13 for language and violence.
Summary: the gods and goddesses of olympus are falling. throughout the years, each of them have decided to encase a part of their soul inside a different human being in hopes that one day, they would be redeemed again. war is fast approaching-- now, it's time for the gods to depend on their only hope.
Author's Note: i got a bit too excited to update this story, so i wrote this all today! xD in this chapter, you meet three of the boys, as well as one of the ocs, dabeom. i have also introduced one of the main pairings. enjoy!
prologue || one
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chapter one.
Grey clouds began to overtake the sky, signaling that a storm was about to start. Most people were already getting into their cars or seeking shelter inside a nearby cafe. Yongguk mentally cursed, wishing that he had brought his car with him instead of walking. It wasn't that far to his family's apartment-- it was only twenty minutes away by foot-- but now that big, ugly rainclouds threatened to loom over him, he was sure that taking a car would have been a sensible idea. It was such a nice, clear day earlier, though. Why did the weather suddenly decide to do a 180 degree turn?
Not even two minutes after the clouds blanketed the sky, the rain fell. It wasn't the soft, drizzling rain either. This rain was the type that felt like they could be hailstones and it fell in buckets. Needless to say, Yongguk was completely drenched and he wasn't even halfway home. What was he going to give his mother? His only intention today was to go to the market and pick out a nice cake for his mother on her birthday. Instead, he'd be coming home bringing her nothing but worry. Yongguk was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that the crosswalk sign was not lit when he decided to cross the street.
"Watch out!" came a muffled shout. He turned his head in surprise only to see that a guy on a motorbike was heading towards him. The bike was moving too fast for him to move out of the way or anything, so naturally, the only thing Yongguk could think of at that moment was, Well, shit, I'm going to die. He braced himself for the death that never came. At the last second, the motorcyclist veered away from him. The sound of crunching metal caused Yongguk's heart to stop and when he opened his eyes, (he had closed them since he expected to die, anyways) he saw the motorbike laying on the road with its driver not far from it.
Miraculously, the driver was not hurt at all, just a little dazed. Yongguk was sad to say that the same could not be said for the motorbike. The guy who had been driving was a mail carrier, and dozens upon dozens of letters scattered the street. Horrified bystanders stayed rooted to their spots, wondering whether to call for help or not. Yongguk made his way towards the driver, who was sitting upright on the ground and looking around, disoriented. "I...I'm sorry, oh my God, I'm so sorry. I'm a dumbass," Thinking about it, Yongguk refused to fess up to his mistake. "You're a dumbass too for not watching where you were going. Are you alright?" he sputtered, helping the other guy off the ground.
"My letters...shit, my boss is going to shove bricks up his ass when he finds out what happened," moaned the biker. "Oh God...there goes my job..." The biker took off his helmet and Yongguk was surprised to see that the deep voice that came from behind the helmet didn't match the face it went with. He had short, dark brown hair and a foxy-looking face that was set with worry. His sharp features highlighted his skinny stature, making him look a bit fragile. Scanning his eyes up and down the motorcyclist's body, the only thing he saw was minor cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. A crash like that should have seriously maimed the man. Nonetheless, Yongguk offered to call an ambulance for him.
"No, I'm...I'm fine. But my letters..." he kept saying, looking at the road sadly. It turned out that an ambulance was already called, since an unmistakable wail of a siren sounded not too far off in the distance. It took the paramedics a couple minutes to reach the scene of the accident. Due to protocol, the biker had to be strapped to a stretcher, wear a neck brace and have the whole nine yards done to him. Yongguk volunteered to ride in the ambulance as well. He was drenched to the bone; the white fabric of his wifebeater clung to his soaked skin and his Nikes were filled with so much water that one could easily mistake him for someone who had just decided to go swimming in the Han river.
"What's your name, sir?" the paramedic asked, looking at the biker. "Do you remember?"
"What? Of course I remember, this is stupid--"
"Just answer the question, sir."
"Himchan. Kim Himchan. Listen, I need to go back and finish my job. I'm going to die if I don't--" the man on the stretcher kept getting cut off by the paramedic.
"No one's going to die," assured the paramedic, then turned to Yongguk. "And what about you? What's your name? I need to write all this down for a report."
"I'm Bang Yongguk. It was a freaking accident, though! I didn't do anything," Yongguk explained, feeling more miserable as every second passed. "If...if the road wasn't so slippery and-- and the stupid rain...fuck this rain, what's the point of it anyways? No one likes rain..."
"Alright, then," the paramedic responded, jotting something down on his clipboard that resembled chicken scratch. "We're almost to the hospital, just stay put."
Yongguk wanted to respond with something along the lines of, It's not like I can just get up and step out of the ambulance, anyway, but decided against it. Once they got to the hospital, they brought Kim Himchan to the ER. Yongguk decided to tag along as well. They gave Himchan his own room in the hospital and once the medical staff was gone, Yongguk decided to enter. "Hey, man, I'm sorry for all this," he apologized, then hastily added, "But you really should have been watching where you were going."
"It's fine...whatever happens, happens, I guess. I just think it's pretty damn pointless to have me stay overnight here for a few scrapes. I mean, I skinned my entire left knee while I was roller skating in the fourth grade and I never got sent to the hospital," Himchan grumbled, then looked at Yongguk. "So, it's Bang Yongguk, right? You look pretty bad yourself. Haven't you heard of an umbrella?"
So this guy was a smartass, Yongguk thought. He couldn't help but smirk. Just as he was about to reply with something equally witty, the curtains in the room fluttered. Yongguk couldn't believe his eyes. Standing right before the two of them were two men, foreigners by the looks of it. Himchan blurted out a, "What the hell?" and sat upright in his bed. The two men had a calm demeanor to them and walked towards the other two. Yongguk wasn't sure if he was going crazy or if this was real.
One of the men was hefty and had grey, curly hair. His beard was very bushy and he looked old beyoned his years, yet Yongguk could tell that if he were to take this guy in a fight, he'd surely lose and that was saying something. He wore a white toga that stopped at his ankles and he he held a staff that had a large lightning bolt symbol topping it. The other man looked lither and younger. A golden, winged helmet adorned his head, tufts of brown curls peeking out from underneath. His face looked like he was a troublemaker, as his facial features, like Himchan's, were foxy. His shoes were winged as well and they were fluttering like a hummingbird as they levitated him off the ground. He held a winged staff decorated with two snakes in one hand-- what was it called again? A casudeus? Caceudis? Oh, right, it was a caduceus. Yongguk faintly remembered learning about those when his high school history classes covered Greek mythology. Wait a minute...
"Do not be alarmed, young ones," the larger and older-looking one said, staring at them with intense blue eyes.
"Oh, I'm alarmed all right," Himchan blurted out, then broke eye contact as if he regretted what he said.
"Two strange guys just randomly appear inside a hospital room situated on the second floor. They tell us not to be alarmed. Sure, happens all the time," Yongguk replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Who are you?"
"How dare you speak to the God of the Gods in that tone," the one with the caduceus said, glaring at Yongguk.
"It's alright, Hermes. I understand their confusion. I know that it may take a while for the information I am about to reveal to them to sink in," the "God of the Gods" said in a comforting tone, then turned to Yongguk and Himchan. "Ah, yes. Bang Yongguk. Quite a feisty one, eh? I'm glad I picked the right man for the job."
"What are you talking about?" Yongguk leered, a knot forming in the pit of his stomach. "What job?"
"You see, my boy, we need your help," the older man said in a grave tone. A silence befell the hospital room. Himchan was the first to speak up. Shaking his head in disbelief, he said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Time out. What do you mean you need our help? We don't even know you! I'm going to call the nurse. This is kind of freaking me out."
"Patience, my dear boy," said the big man. "Hermes, you are the god of messengers. Would you care to fill the young men in on their mission?"
"My honor, Zeus," said Hermes, then proceeded to fill his throat. "Now, I presume the two of you know about the Olympians, yes?" Yongguk nodded warily, but Himchan looked blank, so Hermes continued on. "The Olympians are the thirteen Greek gods and goddesses who rule over the Earth. While most people claim us to be myths, you can see that we are, in fact, very real." Hermes proceeded to poke Himchan's arm lightly with the tip of his cadeuceus. Yongguk saw Himchan flinch at the contact. "We, the gods and goddesses of Olympus, are growing weak and we do not know why. About fifteen to twenty something years ago, we each decided to give a part of our soul to a human baby with the hope that in the future, they will be able to help us restore to full power. That time is now. Now, I know what you're thinking. It's not a dream. You will need to find the remaining others and put a stop to whatever is causing it. Understand?"
"Remaining others...? This is surreal," Himchan said in disbelief, putting his head in his hands. "How do you even exist? This is Korea, though! Isn't Greece in Europe?"
"We do not have time to explain all the answers to you, boy," Zeus spoke up harshly. He turned to Yongguk and for the second time today, Yongguk found himself on the receiving end of the cold stare. " Now, Bang Yongguk. I chose you for a reason. You will lead the remaining others and fight whatever is causing this. You will make the journey all across the country. Most importantly, you will succeed. I am not taking no for an answer. Do I make myself clear?" When Yongguk opened his mouth to protest, Zeus silenced him with an even icier glare. "I said, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," Yongguk answered, shocked. What did he just agree to? Zeus looked satisfied with himself as he straightened up and moved his lightning bolt staff to his other hand. "Good. Hermes, explain the last bit of information to them. I wish them luck on their quest. They're going to need it." With that, the God of the Gods' image shimmered and slowly vanished, causing Yongguk to feel lightheaded.
Hermes paced (rather, he floated) back and forth as he spoke in a fast pace. "Now, although I mentioned that there were thirteen of us that gave a part of our soul to humans, only eight of you remain. The other five have been killed off due to unknown reasons. That's a sign that we don't have much time left. Bang Yongguk. You, of course, know that Zeus has chosen you to lead. Obviously, you have a part of his soul inside of you. You have the power of the skies to guide you through your journey. May you use it wisely. It will take time and experience for you to grow into your power, so learn to control it." Hermes then turned to Himchan. "And you, Kim Himchan. I chose you to receive a part of my soul. It was no accident that the two of you wound up together today. I am not only the god of messengers, but also the god of travelers and thieves, so I hope that your gifts help you greatly as well."
After giving the men a minute to let it all sink in, Hermes started to fade away too. "It's high time you started looking for the others. They are scattered all over Seoul. You must find them and you must find them quickly. Just remember that the gods will always be watching you wherever you go. Go on and get started on your quest. Time is of the essence. Tick, tock, tick, tock..." His image disappeared and once again, Yongguk and Himchan were left alone in the hospital room. Both men stared at each other, still in awe. Contemplating what had just happened, it looks like the two of them needed to find the other ones and fast. But the question that worried Yongguk was, how were they supposed to know who they were looking for?
---
Strolling alone on the banks of the Han river, Hong Dabeom clutched her bright red umbrella in her hands. It was raining cats and dogs and she didn't know why, since only a few moments ago, everything was sunny and cheerful. Somehow, she felt at peace, just watching the fat droplets of rain hit the surface of the river's water. It was a Saturday afternoon, she should be spending time with her friends, watching television with her family or at least finding a warm, dry place indoors, but the river just mesmerized her. Dabeom stood in the same spot for at least five minutes, then she felt weird. It was as if the river was calling her.
Descending the steps that led to the river's edge, Dabeom didn't even mind when her socks were beginning to get wet due to the rain. The river was beckoning to her, summoning her, calling her name. Dabeom. Dabeom. Dabeom. It felt like there was a tugging feeling in her gut. She was so close to the edge of the river now. Just a few more steps. A few more steps and then she would finally be one with the river. Yes, she was so close. Just a few more steps and--
"Are you crazy?" came a voice from behind her. Dabeom snapped out of her trance and spun around to see who the voice belonged to. Standing a few meters back was a boy whom she had never seen before, or at least she thought she's never seen before. He was wearing a dark face mask that obscured his mouth and nose. Although he was wearing a jacket with his hood up, it provided little protection from the rain as it soaked mercilessly through the fabric, drenching his light brown hair. Dabeom stepped away from the river, not knowing what the hell she was thinking at the time.
"I'm not crazy," she told him, but doubted herself when she tried to find an explanation for wanting to walk into the river. 'I wanted to walk in because there were voices calling me to it,' didn't exactly qualify as a sane answer. Dabeom shook her head and walked closer to the boy. "It just...it just looked so pretty," she said. At least it wasn't a lie. "Do you want to use my umbrella? That jacket's not holding up very well," she offered.
"I don't know if I should be accepting an offer like that from a crazy person," the boy muffled. Dabeom couldn't see if he was smiling or not because of that stupid mask. She decided that she didn't like him and was going to leave. Right as she was about to ascend the steps to go home, he called her back. "Hey! Is that the thanks I get for saving your life?"
Saving her life? She hasn't even known this guy for more than two minutes and she already wanted to strangle him. So much for a peaceful afternoon. Turning around, Dabeom was ready to throttle him when the river's surface rippled and bubbled. Apparently, Maskface saw too, because he directed his attention to the river. A man ascended from the depths of the river, half naked, wearing a half-toga and carrying a large, golden trident. Dabeom looked around wildly, to see if anyone else was seeing this spectacle, but it was just her and the masked boy that was around. He had long, grey hair with a curly beard and a crown that looked like it was made out of coral.
Just when she thought things couldn't have gotten any weirder, a black void opened up in the middle of the ground. Dabeom's mouth hung agape as a dark, cloaked figure rose from the shadows. His face was completely hidden by his hood and the hem of his black robe seemed to be aflame in dark fire. Pinching herself to see if she was dreaming, the sharp pain on her forearm told her that this was, in fact, real. The cloaked figure extended a grey, bony hand to Maskface. "Jung Daehyun, my, how you've grown." His voice sounded like someone stepping on dead leaves, raspy and dry.
Maskface's eyes widened. "Y-you...how do you know my name?" The man that stepped out from the river tutted and shook his head. With a thundering voice, he said, "Hades, don't scare the boy. We have lots to explain and very little time." He turned his head towards Dabeom, who had dropped her little red umbrella and was debating on whether to run and scream for help or stand her ground. The man with the trident boomed, "Dabeom, lass, my name is Poseidon from Olympus. This is my brother Hades. Your meeting with Daehyun today was not accidental; it was fate. The reason for that is because we have a serious problem and we are going to need your help to solve it."
The boy named Daehyun shook his head, bewildered. "What's going on here?" Hades let out a gravelly laugh. "Looks like your time, as well as ours, has come. We are losing power quickly and we simply need your help to regain it. Succeed and you will be greatly rewarded. Fail and...well, all hope for humanity will be gone." Both Dabeom and Daehyun just stared at the cloaked man, unsure of what to believe. Poseidon intervened. "Hades, let me handle this. You see, the gods of Olympus are growing weaker as we speak. Something bad is causing it and we don't know what. Several years ago, the council of gods decideded to implant part of our souls into different humans hoping that one day, they will use their abilities to grant us salvation. Both of you are two of the chosen ones. Daehyun, Hades has chosen you to host a fragment of his soul. You have the power to control the shadows, as well as communicate with the dead. Daebeom, I have chosen you to hold the power of the sea. With these gifts, you are to join the others and go on a quest to help save Olympus. Our only question is: do you accept?" Before neither she nor Daehyun could respond, however, Hades cackled and added, "That won't be necessary, Poseidon. Their fates have already been sealed since the day they were born."