In 2020, the world was plagued with significant world-changing events, which reshaped how we as a people perceive things. First, leaders all over the world decided to become aggressive and turn on those that they had treaties or alliances with. Second, a person sworn to uphold the law with justice and integrity slain a man from personal prejudice and ethnicity. Third, a global pandemic just showed up and started infecting young and old alike. Those infected had a chance to survive, but the chances were slim. Last, and the most influencing factor, was the appearance of beings we thought were mere stories or anecdotes to teach and learn from.
Gods from the many pantheons. With the world weak from the pandemic, paranoid from the constant conflict of our neighbors, and suspicious of our brethren, the gods came forth. Appearing all over the world, they had one thing to say: They're displeased with the lack of worship.
With this statement, the world leaders had a revelation: 'Did they do this? All for worship? Some good vibes and thoughts? We shall see.' Thus, with careful planning under the guise of a United Nations Summit, the leaders of every single nation, county, island, and governance, gathered in Switzerland for its neutrality and plotted Earth's course for retribution.
After many years of planning and amassing necessary weapons, equipment, and rations, things were going to be set in motion. Throughout the preparations, it was agreed to tackle the religion that had the most gods, and the plan was as simple as it comes: sneak attack. Hindus and the middle eastern gods were the targets of this sneak attack. India would host a joint armed training exercise with China, Australia, and the Americas, and invite the culture's various pantheons and lone gods to spectate. That event lead to the discovery that shook the world forever.
Bombs exploded, missiles wreaked havoc and many types of ammunition showered the unsuspecting gods. Utter devastation was the result of such a bombardment, with not much surviving from such an attack. One lone man from North America went in to survey the destruction, and he spotted something that shook him to the core. Out of one of the corpses of the gods, a golden wisp-like entity was leaving behind its broken shell. The American acted and rushed to try to capture the creature, but as he laid his hands on it, the creature started to attach to him.
In a panic, the man tried to free himself, but without the knowledge of what the hell the creature was, it was all in vain. The wisp burrowed through his pores and orifices and made its way into the man's heart. After a brief moment of unbearable pain, which felt like an eternity, the man started to hear a whisper in his ear. The voice was very low, but gradually became stronger, and after another moment of finding one's voice the man understood what was going on. The golden wisp was the true form of the gods but need a 'host' to survive, and since the man was not willing to relinquish his body, the god became trapped inside.
The man was digesting what he had discovered when a head-splitting migraine struck him, and with it, knowledge of whom the god is, why it was worshipped, and info about the other pantheons rushed into his mind. His body felt weightless and dense, like all the muscles he had because more compact and optimized. He felt power entering and exiting his body like the ebb and flow of the tide. This is what mankind required, if they wanted to fight and slay gods to make the world more peaceful, we as a species need to become gods as well. This marked the turning point for mankind, when the lone American named Hunter Campbell began the next golden age in earth's history.
Hunter then went on to report everything that transpired, leaving his commanders gobsmacked. New plans were being formulated, more missions were being executed, and more like Hunter Campbell was being created. Over a decade, the human race with its population of approximately 7.5 billion was reduced to 10 million. Those who became a new god-like being Hunter were about 1000, but man was still full of fervor. They can rebuild, reeducate, and repopulate, but if they had to live in the shadows of the gods their lives couldn't continue. Thus, the final march on the more famous but least populated pantheon commenced. The siege of Olympus has begun.
"And with the recently promoted General Hunter Campbell, he led his new division of the military, the Ambassadors, to battle with the Olympian Gods. Olympus surrendered and were put under a form of house arrest until further notice." Said a calm and seasoned man. He was with tall stature, standing about 6'2" with dark brown hair peppered with gray. His hair was cut short in a military-styleand his eyes a sharp green. In front of him was a boy looking to be at the age of 5 with the same eyes as the man, but with dirty blonde hair and speckled freckles on his face. The boy had a look of wonder on his face. The child's name was Connor Hudson and the man is his father Franklin Hudson.
"After that battle, it was just a matter of time for the world to adapt to our new society. But our current structure hasn't really changed, murder is still a crime, every 4 years we elect a new president, we can't do anything we want just because we can obtain special powers." Franklin spoke in a gentle and scholarly way as if he was teaching a class.
"But dad, can I have powers too?" Conner asked, still filled with amazement from the tale his father told him. Franklin gazed at his son with pride and said, "If you are anything like your mother and I, then I don't see why not. Graduate from the university, and I think you can." After hearing what his father said, Connor became quiet. With a questioning gaze, Connor asked, "Why do I need to graduate to get powers?"
At that moment, a woman opened the door and scanned the room. "I always find you two in the weirdest of hiding spots." she sighed. This was Penelope, she was a 5'11" woman with long honey-colored hair in a braid that draped to her lower waist. She had big brown eyes filled with playfulness. She was also Connor's mother and wife to Franklin.
"Momma, you found us!" Connor leaped at his mother from his hiding spot next to his father in the tool shed. "Dad was telling me how to get powers! He said I need to graduate. Why do I need to graduate?" Connor eyed his more expectantly, clinging to her leg. Penelope put her hands on her waist and sighed again. "How about we talk about this when you are a tad bit older, huh? I think your father left out some important things when brainwashing, I mean inspiring you, hmm?" She bent down to pick up her son and gave him a big smooch on his forehead. She said turn around and started to walk across the backyard, leaving Franklin still in the tool shed. Realizing that his wife wasn't going to wait for him, he dashed out and yelled, "Peppa! Wait for me!"
As soon as Penelope heard her husband, she looked over her shoulder and laughed, "Why would I do that? I found you and my little hero. So, if I am not wrong, and I am almost never wrong, that would make you…" She took one last look at her husband and turned to her son in her arms, "Time to run and hide, because daddy is it!" And then she ran into the house laughing.