PROLUGE

"Are you ready to order-sir?"

"Not yet Hon I am waiting for someone."

Mike Randall's gaze followed the waitress as she moved onto the next table and the one after that. He had had a long day and he was exhausted. He did not know if he had any patience left-to wait any longer.

The person he was supposed to meet had told his friend that they had a job to offer to him. It was only the constant persistence of his friend Eddie that had convinced Mike to attend the meeting.

"You never know when the next person you meet might change your life"

That is what Eddie had said to him. He had somehow convinced himself that this job will make things better for him. Mike on the other hand was not so optimistic.

Mike began to wonder if Eddie was just sick of him crashing on his couch and wanted him out of the house. After all who would want their friend-whom they had not spoken to for 5 years show up suddenly, and ask if he could stay over?

But Mike had no choice. Fate had not been very kind to him of late.

He had had a good start in life. He knew that. He had been born into a family who were rich and cared for him. His childhood was protected and he could have had anything he wanted. He grew up as a normal teenager and had not truly come face to face with any hardship of any kind.

But harsh reality came knocking when he had gotten into a bar fight on his 18th birthday against some men who had thought that they could harass his girl and get away with it. Maybe they were too weak or he was just that good at fighting, but in the end they ended up in the hospital. 3 of them were critical and one had been discharged.

The judge offered him two choices- either join the army or spend time in jail.

That is how his life as a marine had begun. A month later Mike received a letter stating that his parents had been killed-by the guys that he had fought with at the bar. They had been caught and were currently facing 20 years.

This letter had been the breaking point in Mike's life. He decided that he would do everything in his power to rise above everyone else. This was his way of revenge against life.

"You put me in this position, now watch me as I take my circumstances and turn it around for the better."

This is what he said to life that had brought him this fate and spent the next 2 years working as hard as he could think of. Every aspect of his life had been towards improving himself and correcting his weaknesses until he had virtually none. His superiors were not blind to his efforts. He quickly rose in ranks and his name was already making its presence known in the higher ups of the army.

Everything was going well until that one night that changed his life forever.

Their camp was attacked and in the process many were killed. His superiors decided to make him the scapegoat and he was blamed for everything. They said that he had shown irresponsibility and that was unacceptable for a marine.

He was soon kicked out.

Now Mike had always thought himself to be a reasonable man. But he felt as if there was some conspiracy against him. Maybe fate had decided that it had to put him down every time.

That is how he ended up on his friend's porch hoping that he would let him stay over and he had been searching for a job ever since.

"I hope you were not waiting or me too long mister"

Mike looked up and though he was very irritated by this guy's punctuality, keeping the prospect of a job in mind, he forced himself to stay calm.

"Not at all sir. Please make yourself comfortable. Would you like to order?"

The man opposite Mike seemed to contemplate this and agreed that it would be best to order something.

"But before I do so Mike-" the way the stranger said Mike's name made him uncomfortable, "- I have 2 questions for you."

Mike asked him what they were.

The man did not reply immediately. He waited for some time - analyzing Mike. After what seemed to Mike, an eternity, the man leaned forward and said "Do you believe in the gods Mike?"

Any normal human being would have by now decided that they had completely wasted their time. Mike decided to get up and leave, but something about the way the man had asked the question made him hesitate.

"What is your second question?" asked Mike

The stranger opposite Mike looked slightly taken aback by his reaction which brought about a small smirk to Mike's face.

Again the stranger did not reply immediately. This time, Mike could sense the tension in the air begin to build up. It felt to him as if the temperature of the room could have possibly dropped by 10 degrees.

The stranger finally asked his second question- "Have you heard of the goddess Gaea?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

THIS IS JUST THE PROLOUGE. I THOUGHT THAT I WILL TRY TO START MY FANFIC IN A DIFFERENT MANNER. THE CHARACTER WHO WAS INTRODUCED IN THE PROLOUGE IS BEING RECUITED BY GAEA'S MEN. HE WILL PLAY A ROLE LATER ON IN THE STORY.

I ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR ALL OF YOUR OPINIONS SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SAY ANYTHING. I AM TRYING TO IMPROVE AS I KNOW THAT MY ENGLIGH IS NOT VERY GOOD. ALL FORMS OF CRITISISM ARE WELCOME AS THEY HELP ME IMPROVE.

(Also is it okay for me to write my AN in caps if not please tell me. I just thought that if it was in caps then people would find it more difficult to ignore it).