Let's get started with Chapter II. I'm not at all surprised by the lack of reviews or feedback. Par for the course, I guess. It's an original story anyways. Hopefully, people will tune in to the story I'm trying to tell. Fingers crossed.
As the afternoon gradually regressed into the evening, Corey sat in his bedroom studying the strange mark on his hand. Any and all efforts to remove the mark proved futile, and Corey's exasperation grew as a result. Confounding matters was the repeated sighting of the white owl. Corey knew there couldn't have been any kind of connection. He was certain that the sightings and the mark on his hand were a coincidence. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that none of what he'd experienced was coincidence. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, and Patricia slowly opened the door from the other side. Corey hid the mark under his free hand as his mother entered.
"Dinner's almost ready, Corey." Patricia said.
"Yeah, great. I'm not hunger though, so I'll eat later." Corey replied. His lack of hunger wasn't entirely a falsehood.
Patricia sensed something was amiss and asked, "Are you okay? You seem perturbed about something."
Corey sighed exhaustedly before he said, "I was hoping Dad would pick me up today. I kind of blew up his face a little bit."
"And, you wanted to apologize to him. He told me over the phone," Patricia concluded, to which Corey nodded affirmatively. She approached her son and knelt down in front of him, touching his hands. "He knows you didn't mean it. He only wants the best for you and your sister, we both do."
"I know," Corey said with a slight nod. "I guess I'm just trying to win his trust or approval or something."
Patricia smirked at the admission of her son before she said, "C'mon, let's get some dinner before your sister eats it all."
"I already ate mine, and I might eat yours too, dork." Maggie suddenly claimed, having been hiding behind the bedroom door the entire time.
"You eat my dinner and I'll feed you to the neighbor's cat, so help me, God." Corey playfully threatened just before chasing after Maggie.
Patricia was left with a smile on her face and even shook her head in amusement. As she was on her way out of Corey's room, she heard a faint rumble from outside. Patricia checked the window and was surprised to find the sky covered in dark clouds. Flashes of light flashed across the clouds and vanished just as quickly. Patricia was puzzled. The forecast of the day called for clear skies and no rain. Patricia declined to think too deep into into it and left the the room, unaware of the silhouette outside the window.
Later that evening, Corey was sitting in the living room eating his dinner. A plate of meatloaf and salad rested in his lap and he steadily consumed the meal. Maggie was laid out on the floor stomach first watching that evening's wrestling show, probably one of the few things the siblings had in common. After a while, Corey finished his dinner and walked into into the kitchen where he dropped his dish into the sink. Patricia was there but she speaking on the phone, so Corey took to cleaning his own dish as he was taught in his youth. He tried to listen in on the conversation his mother was having over the phone and quietly surmised that she was speaking to his father. He inwardly wished to speak to his father, to perhaps make some amends for their earlier argument.
Upon finishing his dishes, Corey prepared to return the living room when, to his horror, he saw it. The white owl appeared outside the living room window, eyeing Corey once again. In a sudden panic, Corey rushed out of the kitchen and straight across the living room faster than any pro wrestler he might've watched on television. He startled Maggie in the process, while also bewildering his mother into ending the call. Corey reached the window and hastily opened it. There was nothing; no sign of the white owl. It was as if it vanished into thin air.
"Corey," Patricia called out, while Maggie was sitting upright on the floor. "What's wrong?"
"I..." Corey tried to explain but he couldn't find the words. "I'm not feeling too good. I think I'm going to to turn in for the night."
Maggie appeared genuinely worried, a stark contrast to how she normally acted toward her older brother. "But you're going to miss the last fight."
Corey seemed to completely ignore his younger sister and walked off in a daze, even as Patricia tried to stop him. It was only after a moment that she let him go. He rushed upstairs and disappeared from sight. The sound of a closing door followed. Patricia looked up the stairs with concern in her eyes, while Maggie approached her.
"What's with Corey, Mom?" Maggie asked.
Though she was unsure in isolation, Patricia said with some level of reassurance. "It's nothing, sweetie. Corey's just going through a phase."
Maggie only casually mused, "Weirdo!"
Corey quickly locked the door to his room and even went so far as to pressed his back against it. He felt an urge to hyperventilate, but he held it together long enough to approach his closet. Opening the door, Corey reached inside and grabbed hold any object was nearby. He pulled a baseball bat and studied it for a moment before looking toward the window. Dark clouds and flashes of light streaked across the sky. Corey knew that white owl was out there, watching his every move. Or maybe it wasn't even out there at all, and Corey was becoming more or more paranoid. He wasn't taking chances, so he quickly turned the lights out in his bedroom. Grabbing the chair from his desk, Corey sat down and faced the window.
Corey glanced at the clock; 7:43PM. The white owl was going to show up, Corey was certain of it. He was going to be ready for it this time.
The beastly horned creature that shouldn't even been real lumbered forward on heavy hooves. It snorted and growled in anger and perhaps even a hint of anguish. It stopped a considerable distance from a line of lights in its general direction. Instinct took hold, and the beast reared back its horned head. It let out a mighty roar that would've frightened even the most fearsome of animals. From there, it continued forward toward the lights of the city that would possibly become its hunting ground.
Corey had fallen asleep in his seat. A light tap seemed could be heard in the room, eventually waking Corey from his slumber. He looked toward the window and saw it; the white owl was back. It was tapping its beak against the glass. Corey jumped out of his seat, holding the baseball bat over his shoulder. The white owl cocked its head and went back to tapping the glass. Corey was growing agitated by the sight of the animal, but then something else happened that he wasn't expecting. He checked the mark on his hand, which started glowing a bright light.
"What the hell..." Corey whispered to himself.
The white owl continued tapping on the glass. Corey glanced at the owl, then at the mark and then back at the owl. Could the two instances have been connected somehow? That was the moment when Corey had made up his mind. This white owl? The mark on his hand? This was all happening for a reason, and Corey knew the only way to uncover the mystery was to confront it.
He slowly approached the window and undid the latch that sealed it shut. There was a sense of conflict in him, one voice telling to open the window, and the other telling him it was a terrible mistake. He chose the former and swiftly opened the window. He backed away and held the bat taut. One swing was all he needed if the owl tried to attack him. He didn't care if the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals came after him. He wasn't going to become bird food.
Corey waited for the white owl to react in any way. A moment later, the white owl flew into the room faster than Corey could react. Corey instinctively ducked even though the owl never came near him. The owl perched itself onto Corey's bed, being surprisingly careful not to dig its talons into the sheet. Corey stayed vigilant, waiting for the owl to potentially attack. Something else happened for which he wasn't prepared.
"Would you be so kind as to put your weapon down? I mean you no harm." It spoke... the owl spoke.
That shouldn't have been anywhere close to possible, but Cory heard plain as day. "That's impossible. You can't talk. Owls don't talk."
"To be fair, this is not my true form." The owl claimed as it flexed its wings.
"What are you? Why are you after me?" Corey asked.
A bright light illuminated the room, compelling Corey to shield his eyes to avoid potential blindness. What transpired next left Corey in an state of pure unadulterated astonishment. A woman stood before him, or more accurately, levitated off the floor. She was strikingly beautiful, dressed head to toe in a sort of ceremonial gown with pieces of gold lining the edges. Locks of long, light brown hair seemed to flow in the air, and she wore a golden tiara upon her head. She opened her eyes; they were a clear and pristine shade of blue. At the same time, there was a certain sadness in them. Corey was so enamored by the woman that he dropped the bat, just before he mentally noted that she appeared almost transparent, like a ghost or a spirit. She slowly dropped to the floor as if to walk along, but it seemed like she wasn't even touching the floor at all.
"Now you see me, Corey Mercer." she said in a soft and almost heavenly voice.
Astonishment and bewilderment washed over Corey as he gazed upon the ghostly woman. "Who are you?"
The woman appeared sad, as if answering the question would've brought her great sorrow. "In another life, I was Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom among the Pantheon of Gods in Ancient Greece. But that was from an age long forgotten."
Corey was nearly petrified, even peering around this spirit-like being at the inert white owl laying lifeless on his bed. With confused curiosity, he asked, "What do you want with me?"
"I've been watching for you a long time, Corey, and I've been tasked with awakening the long resting spirit within you to protect Pandora's Box." Athena explained.
Corey's befuddlement gave way to disbelief, and he even began chuckling at the ideas being thrown on him. "Okay. This is a dream, a really fucked up dream."
"This is no dream, Corey. What I've told you is the truth." Athena said.
"No, what you've peddled me is bullshit. Ancient Greece? Goddess of Wisdom? Pantheon? Pandora's Box? It's all some stupid children's fairy tale that I read in elementary school. It's all a myth, there's no such thing as any of what you claim." Corey said.
"I believe the mark on your hand would suggest otherwise." Athena said.
Those specific words stuck to Corey when they shouldn't have, and he looked at the mark with a renewed curiosity. "What do you know about this?"
Athena extended her own hand and said, "Show me."
Corey felt a pang of trepidation, but something in him told him to trust Athena. He extended his hand, upon which Athena hovered her own hands around it. She waved her hands down and they seemed to pass right through, thus confirming her apparent non-corporeal nature. Corey noticed a momentary sadness in her eyes. Athena continued to examine his hand and, as if on instinct, Corey rotated to show the mark directly to her. Athena studied the mark closely. She waved her ghostly fingers over it and, to Corey's surprise, the mark glowed brighter than it had done prior to Athena's arrival.
Athena pulled away with a look of intrigue and and even relief. "Then it is true. You are indeed one the chosen few to bear the spirits of the Gods of Ancient Greece."
"This mark just appeared out of thin air today. Are you trying to tell me that I'm some mythological deity from a make-believe fantasy?" Corey asked.
Athena moved closer to Corey and told him, "This symbol represents Zeus, the King of the Greek Gods who held dominion over the skies. You are, how can I put this? You are the Incarnate of Zeus made mortal."
"Yeah, no. Sorry lady, but I'm not buying that bullshit for a second. You honestly expect me to believe that I'm the reincarnation of some fake-ass god who can shoot lightning out of his hands? I don't think so." Corey ranted, unaware of the faint rumble of thunder outside his room.
Athena however, did hear the thunder, and she pressed Corey further. "Do you truly doubt all that I've told you, Corey?"
"Yeah, I do," Corey replied, actively confronting Athena to her face. "Everything you've told me is superstition and nonsense, including you. As far as I'm concerned, you're nothing but a glorified parlor trick."
Athena was unfazed by Corey's accusations and, much to Corey's surprise, she said to him, "Then I see that there's only one way to convince you. Please, stretch your arm out before you."
"What?" Corey asked incredulously.
"It will be alright. Simply outstretch your right hand, close your eyes and focus on the symbol. All will be revealed to you, this I swear." Athena stated.
Although he was unsure and deeply untrusting of Athena, Corey begrudgingly outstretch his right arm. He closed his eyes and focused on the symbol on his hand as Athena instructed. Nothing happened at first, so Corey focused harder. The mark on his hand started glowing once again, but this time, the light brightened more and more within moments. Corey's mind was telling him to drop his arm. His instincts told him something different. He chose to follow his instincts. The light grew brighter, so much so that Corey had to close his eyes. He was in no way prepared for what happened next.
The light seemed to engulf Corey before he could react, and it seemed to spread and expand up his arm and toward his shoulder. Corey was too stunned and frightened to move as the light formed around his arms and torso before cascading toward his legs. The light even extended up his neck and head. Strange protrusions stretched up from each side of his head. Then something even more bizarre occurred when the light stopped spreading. It seemed to solidify in place while covering most of Corey's body before finally fading away.
Corey fell to his knees in shock, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. It was fortunate that he managed to steady himself with his hands on the floor, and that was when he noticed the solid material on his arms. It appeared to be some sort of armor stretching from his hands to his elbows with his fingers still exposed. Corey brought his hands to his face. The armor felt flexible with no resistance, so he could still easily moved his fingers and forms fists.
He stood up straight as nothing happened, but something did happen. He examined his body and noticed that he was dressed head to toe in the strange armor. It had a silvery shimmer to it, yet it felt light and flexible. At the same time, Corey felt stronger. He felt reborn. He examined the armor in the mirror, noting to his complete shock that his light brown hair had turned pure silver to match his armor. A winged crown adorned his head, just enough to conceal his face without obstructing his vision. Turning back around, he noticed that Athena was still there in her ethereal form with a satisfied and relieved smile on her face.
"What... what is this? What'd you do to me?" Corey asked almost in a panic.
"You need not fret, Corey. I merely encouraged you to focus on awakening the spirit of the King of the Gods within you. The armor that you wear? That's your doing." Athena said.
Corey studied the armor, flexing his fingers and feeling a power he'd never experienced before. "This is... unreal. Are you saying that I'm basically Zeus?"
Athena shook her head and replied, "You are the Incarnate of Zeus now, but you are still you. You possess all of his great power, command over the skies and storms."
"This shouldn't even be remotely possible," Corey said, still very much in denial. But right then, something caught his attention. "What is that?"
Athena looked out the open window right as Corey approached it, and they found a plume of fire well off into the distance rising up into the night sky. "They are here."
"Who's here?" Corey asked in distress.
"Dark forces from ancient times long past, hellbent on retrieving Pandora's Box by any means. Corey, it's up to you to stop them." Athena said.
"Me? I'm not involved in this. I'm not a damn superhero or some shit like that." Corey claimed.
"You are an Incarnate now, the Incarnate of Zeus. You're the only one who can do this. I have faith that you'll succeed." Athena said in an encouraging tone.
Corey still was visibly unsure of everything he'd been told. He was exasperated and terrified, like he was trapped in a twisted nightmare from which he couldn't wake. Common sense told him to turn away from the sight of the fireball. Instinct told him something else. But then, Corey's eyes widened in horror and he looked toward the fireball again. Realization struck him.
"Oh, my God."
"Corey, what's wrong?" Athena asked.
"That's in the middle of town. The police station is located there, which means..." Corey stopped and he could almost feel the blood drain from his face. "...Dad!"
Author's Note: That brings this chapter to an end, with Corey meeting Athena and transforming into Zeus for the first time. Maybe I took a small little bit of inspiration from a certain legendary anime. Guess which one and please leave some feedback.