Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Life as a demigod was a fucking pain in the ass.

Yoongi grunted as the Stymphalian bird dug its talons into his shoulder, the razor edges cutting through his jacket. Turning a corner, he rammed his shoulder into the side of a building and managed to knock it off. Yoongi had been walking back from university when the birds came from nowhere and ambushed him, a sore reminder of his ancestry.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,” Yoongi muttered, hastily running towards an old alleyway littered with trash as the three demonic birds screeched behind him. “Out of all the fucking days, they had to find me on the last day of school? Fucking hell.”

The birds snagged at his backpack as Yoongi ran deeper into the alley, out of sight from the bustling streets of New York. Just a bit more, Yoongi thought, beelining towards the dark corner with the birds hot on his heels. And… now!

With a quick prayer to Hades, Yoongi yanked the ring off his finger, which transformed into Gehenna. It was a dagger gifted to Yoongi personally by his father himself, obtained from the forges of Hephaestus. A sharp blade with a wicked curve made from celestial bronze, it was Yoongi’s favorite weapon. Emblazoned with images of the Underworld, Yoongi could send any being to the land below with a quick flick of his wrist. His friends referred to Gehenna as the “ticket to Hell,” but Yoongi affectionately called it Gina instead.  

Dropping his backpack on the floor, Yoongi brought it through one of the Stymphalian birds, which exploded with a shrill shriek. He caught the second bird in the stomach as it dived toward him and the third before it could tear a chunk of his arm out. Soon it was just Yoongi in the alley, covered in scratches and sweat, Gina gleaming in his hand.

What a way to start the summer.

Yoongi groaned and plucked his backpack off the ground and slipped Gina, now a ring once more, back on to his finger. He had a deep cut on his shoulder and multiple scratches on his exposed skin, but nothing ambrosia and some good rest couldn’t fix. Yoongi sighed and began trudging back to his apartment.

By the time he arrived, Yoongi was bone tired and aching for a cold shower. Practically falling through the doorway, Yoongi was pulled out of his stupor by a yell.

“What the fuck happened to you?!” Yoongi’s roommate screamed.

Hail Kim Seokjin. Son of Aphrodite and Yoongi’s best friend, Seokjin had a face that made men and women fall to their knees. “You have Gina, I have beauty,” Seokjin once said, and Yoongi couldn’t agree more. Standing at almost six feet with sculpted shoulders that gave Adonis a run for his money, Seokjin’s most lethal weapon was himself.

After a minotaur took Yoongi’s parents away from him, Yoongi set out on a hunt that took him from Daegu to Seoul. Nineteen and inexperienced, Seokjin had saved Yoongi’s life by taking him in. It was because of Seokjin that Yoongi was introduced to Camp Half-Blood, where the Oracle gave him a quest to finish his hunt. The minotaur’s horns are still mounted above the entrance to Yoongi’s cabin. Seokjin was the first friend Yoongi made since his parent’s death, and Yoongi owed everything to him.

“Dumb Stymphalian birds,” Yoongi said, tossing his backpack and collapsing onto the couch. Seokjin hurried over with a first-aid kit and some ambrosia and nectar, frowning at the scratches down Yoongi’s arm.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of Stymphalian birds in New York,” Seokjin said as he dabbed alcohol over Yoongi’s cuts. “During the day too? Something’s happening and it’s definitely not good.”

“Think we should go back to camp?” Yoongi asked, and Seokjin nodded.

“It’s getting less safe for us here,” Seokjin said, packing up the first aid kit. “Chiron probably knows what’s going on. Tell Jungkook and Taehyung, we should leave as soon as possible.”

Yoongi fished his phone out of his backpack and sent a quick text to the duo. He had first met Jungkook and Taehyung at camp, mainly because they were the only ones brave (and dumb) enough to approach the son of Hades. Once they found out Yoongi wasn’t a cold hearted demon, they befriended him rather quickly.

As a son of Athena, the title fit Jungkook rather nicely. An introvert with few close friends, Jungkook was the smartest one in camp, skilled in close combat and the victor of every battle. Everyone looked up to him and often asked Jungkook for advice, which he never refused. Yoongi would often find Jungkook helping other campers with sword fighting or another activity. However, Jungkook had only made three other friends since he first came to camp (according to Taehyung), Yoongi included.

Kim Taehyung, son of Hermes and the bane of Yoongi’s life, was Jungkook’s other half. Loud and quick-witted, Taehyung was the exact opposite of Jungkook’s demeanor. The duo met when Taehyung tried to pickpocket Jungkook’s wallet but somehow managed to steal Jungkook’s heart instead, and the rest is history. Taehyung knew basically everything about everyone at camp. He was easy to talk to, but everyone still feared getting on his bad side. 

“There’s this story,” Seokjin told Yoongi at their lunch table after Jungkook and Taehyung had first approached him, “of Taehyung ruining the Ares cabin kids because they picked on Jungkook. They’re still scared of him. It’s like an urban legend, really.” 

“What happened?” Yoongi had asked, not believing that a kid like Taehyung could scare someone, let alone the entire Ares cabin. 

“Well some Ares kids were bullying Jungkook in the pit, teasing him about his fighting skills. And you know Kook, he’s passive and doesn’t like confrontation. Anyways, the Ares kids were trying to get him to fight back, throwing sand and shit at him and calling him really bad names but Kook was holding off pretty well. Then Taehyung found them, and he was so angry. Jungkook told me he’d never seen Taehyung that upset, it even scared him a little. One of the Ares kids kicked Jungkook and Taehyung just snapped. He used his caduceus. It was crazy, they never saw it coming,” Seokjin said, popping a grape into his mouth.

“His caduceus?” Yoongi asked, confused.

“You know the symbol of Hermes? Taehyung’s father gifted him one a few years back, and Taehyung can command the two snakes on it to do whatever he wants. It’s like Taehyung’s baby, and he wears it as a necklace so it’s constantly in his possession. He never lets anyone else touch it, not even Jungkook. The most I’ve seen him do is tell the two snakes to steal food for him,” Seokjin said. “That time in the pit, that’s the only time he’s ever told them to attack. And believe me, according to Jungkook, they attacked .”

Yoongi shuddered, now understanding why Taehyung would be a dangerous enemy. Being attacked by two celestial bronze snakes is not something Yoongi ever wants to experience.

When the oracle had told Yoongi to select three members to journey with him, he immediately chose Jungkook, Taehyung, and Seokjin. The quest changed them from friends to brothers, and one of Yoongi’s most precious memories was slaying the beast that had brought him so much suffering with the help of his new family.

Yoongi’s phone lit up with a text from Jungkook, confirming they would be at the apartment soon. Seokjin disappeared to grab their bags.

A few moments later, Taehyung and Jungkook were standing in front of Yoongi’s doorstep, the latter sporting a giant grin.

“Yoongi hyung!” Jungkook exclaimed, eyes shining as he took in Yoongi’s bandages. “I wish I got a chance to fight Stymphalian birds, you’re so lucky!”

“By all means, please fight them for me next time,” Yoongi said, but his voice was fond. Jungkook chuckled quietly, his arm snaking around Taehyung’s waist.

Taehyung turned and shared a meaningful stare with Jungkook. Then, he yelled, “Jin hyung, I call shotgun!” and raced to the stairs, pulling Jungkook along.

“As if! I’m not sitting in the back with your poor boyfriend! I’m older! I get to sit in front!” Seokjin yelled back, shoving his shoes in and running after Taehyung.

Yoongi sighed heavily and gathered his bags, doing a once over of his apartment. Every time.

▲

The drive to Camp Half-Blood was a familiar and comforting one. Yoongi allowed himself to daydream as he cruised down the highway, Taehyung chatting next to him.

(Taehyung had won the shotgun battle).

“There’s a new camp member, everyone’s talking about him,” Taehyung said excitedly, his caduceus swinging from his neck. “He’s a son of Zeus, apparently! This was like when you and Jimin came to camp!”

“Everyone’s talking about it because this is, like, the first time in history the camp has had a child from Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades all at once,” Jungkook pointed out from the backseat. Taehyung squealed in agreement.

“Aw, I miss Jimin. I wonder if his stay at Poseidon’s place was fun,” Seokjin said.

“Of course it was fun, hyung. He stayed in an underwater castle and lived like a prince. I fear for his ego.”

“Well it had better been fun. It’s not often our parents interact with us.”

“Hermes gave me gummy bears the other day.”

“That’s Hermes, Tae. He acts more like your brother.”

“Ew! Don’t call my dad my brother, that’s just weird.”

Yoongi smiled as the trio fell into their own conversation and stared at a forest nymph that was waving in the distance. It was always news when a child of the big three arrived at camp. Even more so for Yoongi, who had been the gossip of the year when people found out his father was Hades since few children of Hades ever attended. Now he was going to be the subject of whispers again, alongside Jimin and this new son of Zeus. Yoongi sighed, leaning back in his seat as camp came into view, Thalia’s pine tree slowly growing closer. “Well, I hope he’s not an ass.”

▲

Kim Namjoon, Taehyung told Yoongi after conversing quickly with Hoseok, son of Apollo. Zeus’s son is named Kim Namjoon.

Chapter Text

Yoongi had been suspecting that a storm was coming, but the news Chiron gave only confirmed his suspicions.

Old monsters were rising again. There had been disturbances in the Underworld, tremors that ran through Hades’ kingdom. Yoongi sometimes felt it under his feet, the uneasy shifting of soil caused by something eons old deep in the pit of Tartarus. Hopefully Hades would be able to subdue the problem before his brothers had to intervene.

Despite the ominous predictions of the future, camp was still the same. Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung still sparred by the sea, Hoseok led the archery lessons, new demigods gawked at Seokjin when he walked by. Whispers questioning Yoongi’s loyalty followed wherever he went.

You really think you can trust a child of Hades?

There was just one thing that changed.

As Yoongi was walking to the bonfire for dinner, he saw a boy sitting in a hammock with his head buried in a book.

Zeus’s son.

Kim Namjoon had an aura that demanded attention. He looked about Yoongi’s age, but he heard from Taehyung that he was actually a year younger. His platinum blonde, almost silver hair was brushed back, exposing his forehead. Yoongi squinted and made out the title of the book Namjoon was reading: Inferno . He let out an ironic chuckle.

Namjoon’s head snapped up the noise, his eyes finding Yoongi’s, and Yoongi almost took a step back.

Namjoon’s gaze was electrifying, the intensity sparking tingles under Yoongi’s skin. But Yoongi was also known for his “glare that sends you to Hell and back,” as coined by Hoseok, and he was no coward. So he stared right back into the thunderstorm, dark brown against stormy blue.

They shared a glance for a few tense seconds before Namjoon looked away, returning his attention to his book. Yoongi slowly willed his legs to move, and resumed his trudge back up the hill away from Namjoon.

Today was capture the flag day, and as much as Yoongi hated the game he needed something to blow off steam after Chiron’s news of the Impending Doom looming around the corner. Hoseok sprinted towards Yoongi as soon as he saw him, a quiver of arrows already slung around his shoulder.

“Hey, you’re captain,” Hoseok said, dumping some armor and a shield in Yoongi’s arms. “We’re with Jimin and Seokjin. Kook and Tae are on the other team. Meet at the hill in five minutes! Don’t be late or we’ll have to play without a captain!” Hoseok winked and ran off, leaving a very bewildered Yoongi in the middle of camp.

Yoongi sighed and ran after Hoseok’s disappearing figure, shoving the chestplate and helmet on. Soon he reached the hill, and Yoongi slowed to a walk as the rest of his team gathered around him.

“We need scouts to locate the flag first,” Yoongi ordered after catching his breath. “Our flag needs to be completely surrounded, including from the air. I don’t want it getting stolen because someone decided to climb a tree.”

“Thank god I’m on your team this time,” Seokjin said smugly, and Yoongi flicked his friend’s arm in response.

“Jimin and I will lead the offense on the ground,” Yoongi continued. “Jimin will go around to the river, and I’ll take the other path. Those strong in hand to hand combat will come with us. Hoseok, I want you in charge of long distance offense. Make Apollo proud with your arrows. Seokjin, you’re in charge of defense.”

“You always put me in defense,” Seokjin pouted, but Yoongi knew he secretly loved it.

“Yeah, because every time someone looks at you they forget what they’re supposed to be doing,” Yoongi scoffed back.

“Because I’m drop dead gorgeous,” Seokjin said and winked.

“You’re also fucking greasy. Oh my Gods, please stop biting your lip and go take your position already.”

▲

Yoongi was the first to find the other team’s flag, and standing right in front of it was no one other than the Kim Namjoon.

Namjoon was holding a sword, so the only option was hand to hand combat. Upon closer inspection Yoongi realized it was half bronze, half silver. Deadly to mortals and monsters. But Yoongi always loved a challenge.

“So you’re a fan of Dante?” Yoongi said, taking small steps forward and twirling his dagger.

“You could say that,” Namjoon replied, mirroring Yoongi’s every move. His voice was deep and rough, and it sent a chill down Yoongi’s back.

“Next time read some Socrates,” Yoongi said and  lunged.

Namjoon’s sword swung up and met his dagger, silver against celestial bronze, with a clang that echoed through the forest.

“A dagger? So typical,” Namjoon sneered, and slashed his sword down, breaking Yoongi’s hold.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yoongi muttered, inching closer to the flag.

“It means everyone knows who your father is,” Namjoon said, tongue dripping with hatred on the word father .

Yoongi froze as he felt his blood run cold, staring at Namjoon. It had been years since the last Great Battle between the Big Three, but there was still distaste for Hades among many. It’s unfair, Yoongi thought, that people judged him only because he had death in his blood. But many of the Big Three children, like Jimin, understood that blood rivalry was outdated and couldn’t be afforded amongst demigods when they already had bigger problems to deal with, so Yoongi had expected Namjoon to be the same.

Apparently children of Zeus didn’t get the memo.

“Yeah. I’m Min Yoongi, son of Hades, nice to meet you,” Yoongi taunted. “What are you? Kim Namjoon, son of a bitch?”

Namjoon’s eyes darkened as the sky thundered overhead. Apparently Zeus didn’t like being called a bitch either. Yoongi could care less.

“Don’t disrespect my father,” Namjoon spat.

“So you can disrespect mine but I can’t do the same to yours? Fuck you,” Yoongi hissed, and the fight was on.

In all honesty, Yoongi forgot he was playing capture the flag. Namjoon’s comments about Hades and the fact that it was coming from another child of the Big Three made Yoongi see red.

Athough it was Namjoon’s first time at camp, Yoongi could tell he’d been training long before. His movements were precise and calculated.

If he wasn’t such a shitty person, Yoongi thought, we could be great sparring partners.

Yoongi never got to find out who was the better fighter though, because the ground began to rumble and Yoongi felt his senses go haywire.

See, he was connected to everything in the Underworld, including the monsters, and right now it felt like a hellhound was appearing in the middle of camp.

This caught Yoongi off guard, and Namjoon’s sword hit him in the middle of his chest. Yoongi fell to the ground with a grunt. If he hadn’t been wearing armor, Namjoon’s sword would have sliced right through his heart.

Yoongi could see Namjoon’s smug face out of the corner of his eye, but before he had the chance to gloat a scream erupted from the other side of the forest.

“Jimin,” Yoongi whispered in horror, and staggered to his knees.

“Who?” Namjoon asked, confused at Yoongi’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Hellhound,” was all Yoongi had time to say before he was running as fast as he could towards the river.

▲

Hellhounds are extremely powerful monsters, partially because of their nature, but also partially because they could be trained.

While they were dangerous, they could also be gentle. Yoongi had trained a few when he stayed in the Underworld and spent enough time with them to know that they could also be very playful. He’s only planned to summon any when desperate, but hopefully he didn’t have to this time.

When he reached the river, he saw that Jimin had raised all the water within a twenty foot radius and trapped the beast in a wall of ice while Hoseok and the rest of the Apollo cabin had arrows leveled at the hellhound’s heart.

“Wait!” Yoongi called, and Hoseok’s head snapped around to look at him in surprise. “Wait!”

“Are you fucking crazy?” Namjoon yelled from behind him. Yoongi ignored him and shouted again towards Hoseok.

“It hasn’t attacked or done anything aggressive! It just appeared and sat here!” Hoseok yelled. “If you’re gonna do something you better do it fast!”

Yoongi skidded to a stop and thrust his dagger into the air.

The bronze dagger glinting in the sunlight definitely caught the hellhound’s attention, but when it turned its mighty head to glare at Yoongi, Yoongi realized something was off.

The hound looked like it was rabid. There was spit flying from its mouth, and its breathing was uneven. Yoongi was stunned because it made no sense; no hellhound could ever contract rabies or any type of disease. And all the hellhounds he came across in the Underworld recognized the dagger, so why didn’t this one?

The hound growled, deep and feral, and Yoongi finally realized who its target was. There was a loud crack as the hound broke Jimin’s ice barrier, and Namjoon had only a split second to move before it dove at him, claws shredding the soil and jaws snapping on thin air.

“What the fuck!” Namjoon yelled. He barely had time to get back on his feet before the hellhound was bearing down on him again.

Yoongi had no chance to calm it down. The Apollo cabin sent a volley of arrows into its neck, but the hellhound was unfazed as it stood back up and charged at Namjoon once more.

“Dad, I have a present for you,” Yoongi muttered, and stabbed his dagger into the ground.

The earth opened up right underneath the beast with a flash of heat. It gave a howl, long and broken, before being swallowed up by the Underworld.

Yoongi sat down hard, his vision swimming. Opening a direct connection to the Underworld after being exhausted and injured from a fight should be the last thing he was doing, but he really had no choice.

Hoseok ran over and pulled him up, followed by Jungkook and Taehyung, They all had cuts all over their bodies, but otherwise they were unharmed.

“Why didn’t it respond to you?” Jungkook asked, giving Yoongi a water bottle. “And why did it only attack Namjoon?”

“It looked sick too. Did you see its eyes?” Taehyung asked worriedly. “Wait, is it even possible for them to get sick?”

“I don’t know,” Yoongi whispered, staring at the wisps of smoke from where the hellhound disappeared. “I don’t know.”