“Look at the big kitties,” Sarah cooed. She pressed herself against the glass. “Here, kitty, kitty.”

Elric sighed. “He’s not going to come to you.” To his surprise, however, the massive lion strode over to the window. He pressed his face, rubbing against it.

Sarah squealed. “Elric! He likes me!”

“He wants to eat you,” Elric said, unamused.

“He’s just a sweet little kitty, isn’t he?”

“He’s a lion.”

Elric.

Elric looked around them, but the zoo patrons appeared to be minding their own business, entranced by the various animals displayed behind glass.

Sarah stepped back from the window and sighed heavily. “Why do you have to take the fun out of everything?”

Elric walked away from the lion exhibit and Sarah fell in behind him. She nearly had to jog to keep up with his quick pace.

“I’m not,” he said. He stopped walking after a moment, noticing then that she had stopped following him. They stood in the shaded alleyway between exhibits, and for a moment, they were alone. She stared at him, frowning.

Elric sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said.

Sarah turned her gaze to her feet. “You always do this,” she said. “Whenever we do something I want to do. You always complain or say something to ruin everything for me.”

Elric hesitated. “I just… think it’s stupid to talk to a lion like it’s a fucking cat.”

“What do you want me to do? Stare at it and say nothing?” She huffed in exaggeration. “This is supposed to be fun!”

“I’m sorry if I don’t find the zoo fun,” he said, a slight snap in his voice.

“No,” Sarah started softly. “This… us… this isn’t fun anymore.”

Elric hesitated. “What? Do you want to break up?” 

Sarah met his gaze. “Yes.” She pulled her gaze away and fumbled with her phone. “I’m just going to call my sister to pick me up,” she said.

“Fine,” he muttered. He couldn’t wait to get out of that place. Without another word, he turned away from her and followed the path back out into the warm, spring sunshine. He had his hands in his pocket, his head low as he walked through the crowds. They stepped aside, leering at him as he pushed his way through, but he paid them no mind.

Elric.

He looked up, paused, then looked around. People were going about their day, chatting and laughing as they made their way to the next exhibit. After a moment, his gaze landed on an older looking man. Like Elric, he stood still in the middle of the bustling crowd, and he stared at Elric, his gaze hard.

Elric shuttered. He pulled his gaze away and hurried on, pushing through the crowd once more. He just wanted to get out of that damn zoo and go home. But as he searched for the exit, the world darkened suddenly. He looked up as a dark cloud crept in, covering the sun quickly. It seemed to build and grow, and thunder rumbled in the distance. A few drops fell from the sky, and people started to move more quickly, hurrying to seek shelter from the approaching storm.

Elric looked around and he found the old man again, his gaze fierce as he watched Elric. Elric hesitated, stepping back and bumping into a woman. He turned to apologize, and when he looked back, the man was gone.

Elric stood dumbly as the rain began to fall more steadily. He looked up at the sky, then back around before hurrying forward once more. He spotted a dark, sheltered alleyway between buildings. The rain fell heavily, and he made a mad dash for it. By the time he had reached the cover of the alley, he was already drenched. Thunder crashed loudly, and when he looked up, the old man was standing just inches away from him, and he jumped back with a slight yelp of surprise. 

“Bloody hell,” he gasped. “What the -”

But the man pushed him forcefully against the wall of the building. Elric tried to push him off, but he was far stronger, even for his age.

“The fuck do ya want from me?”

“Listen!” the man hissed.

Elric stared wide-eyed at him. His voice was so familiar. He had heard it before. Earlier. Throughout the day. Calling to him. 

“You.” Elric hesitated. “What?! Who are you?”

The man loosened his grip on Elric, then dropped his arms. “I am Leo. And I need your help.”

“I don’t know who you are,” Elric started. “And that is not how you ask for help, mate!” He let out a breath. “Shit. What do you want from me?”

“The world is in grave danger,” Leo said. His brows furrowed fiercely. “Only The Twelve can stop the coming war. You are one of The Twelve, Elric. You must come together -”

Elric laughed loudly. “What? Have you lost your mind? What is this, X-Men or something?”

“I assure you this is not X-Men,” Leo said in an annoyed tone. “However, you are the embodiment of Zeus, and therefore, you carry his power with you. That power -”

Elric stepped around him, but Leo grabbed his arm tightly. When Elric tried to pull out of his grip, Leo’s grip tightened.

“Get off me,” Elric hissed. “Leave me alone, you freak.”

“You need to stop running,” Leo said. “I know Zeus has come to you already and told you of your mission. It is your duty to save the world from the Gigante. No one else can.”

“Zeus?” He stopped struggling and his gaze narrowed on the man. “That was a dream. How do you -”

“When Zeus appointed me as your Ouranos, I became bonded to you. I know everything about you, Elric. I know where you are at all times. With me, you will have access to Zeus’ gift, a great power that will aid you in your mission.”

“Ouranos?” Elric rolled his eyes. “Bloody hell, couldn’t you just pull up in a white van and offer me candy instead?”

Leo peered at him. “Would that work?”

Elric yanked his arm out of the man’s grip. “No!”

“That woman you were with,” Leo started. “She is important to you. Her life will be in danger if you do nothing. As long as you share a connection with the Olympians, the Gigantes will be drawn to you.”

“Well, then, how do I disconnect?”

“You cannot,” Leo said. “Only they can sever the bond.”

“There’s always a catch, isn’t there?”

“They are… often caught up in themselves.”

Elric scoffed. “Yeah, like that’s news.” He shook his head. “Look. I’m just gonna go and I hope your family finds your crazy ass, yeah?”

“What can I do to convince you?”

Elric pushed past the man. The rain still fell heavily, but he needed to get out of that damn zoo. “I dunno, mate,” he muttered. “It’d have to be something incredible.”