"Athena, dear... Can you hear me?  Athena?"  A soft, familiar woman's voice cooed.  I felt a hand stroking my sore back gently.   I couldn't bring myself to respond to her.  I just couldn't do it physically or mentally. My mind was blank. "She's not responding.  Perhaps we're too late. His information must be wrong."  The voice said accusingly.  It was Artemis no doubt.  No one else could put that much venom in their words.

"Easy, sister.  He told us what he knew... Thats all we could ask of him. He doesn't owe us anything."  Apollo said, calming his sister down with a soothing tone in his voice.

"Doesn't owe us anything? How can you be so calm about this, brother?!  Athena lays before you dying because of them, but you would stand there defending one of them!"  Artemis screeched.  There was a loud smacking noise, and then a groan.

"You will remember your place, my dear sister.  And you shall not speak of death in front of a fading goddess.  It is counter productive to the healing process."

My eyes fluttered open,  having heard enough of their dispute.  I took in my surroundings.  We were in a large, wet, dark, cold prison cell made of large gray blocks of stone.   The cell was rectangular shaped.  On one of the smaller walls there was an iron barred door.  There was one window about 20 feet up, once again barred, but a  little moonlight filled the room on the opposite side.  Candles were lit all around, giving the room an grungy feeling.   My whole family was in there.  Every single person.  Which meant they hadn't been split up yet. Split up into who would live and who would die.

They were spread out; Zeus and Hera were chatting aggressively with Hermes, Hephaestus and Aphrodite were arguing in hushed tones, and Ares was off sitting in a corner for some reason playing with a sharp looking stone with the moonlight beaming across the right side of his face. Artemis and Apollo were standing around me, Demeter and Poseidon were off trying to break the bars over the doors, and Dionysus was wandering around aimlessly, singing a drunken sailors song.

"Whats going on?  Where are we?"  I heaved out, pushing myself off the ground and sitting up against the cold, hard stone. My bonds were gone and I could feel my insides correcting themselves.

Artemis was just about to explain when someone yelled, "Hey, everyone look, Athena's awake!"  Everyone turned towards me with amazement spread across their face.  Everything was calm before everyone suddenly rushed up to me, forming a circle around me.  Everyone started talking at the same time.  I had no idea what anyone was saying to me.

"Alright.  ALRIGHT!"  I yelled hoarsely, my voice cracking, but still silencing everyone.  "One at a time, please.  But before that, somebody please, calmly, explain to me where we are and how we got here."  I searched the faces around me for Ares.  He would explain it to me plain and simple.  But I couldn't find him.

I peeked through a gap in bodies to seem him still sitting in the corner, playing with that stupid rock.  Did he not care that I was alive?  Wait... Focus Athena.

"Well, we actually don't know how we got in here.  We all woke up in here just as you did.  Just a few hours sooner."  My father explained, taking a seat.  Everyone followed, either kneeling or sitting on the ground.  

"Alright, well then what happened before that?  How did all of this come about? How did the Romans manage to claim the city? Did you all not fight?"  I asked to anyone that would answer.

Hermes surprisingly was the one who responded.  "They just flew in one day, 2 or 3 days ago maybe.  They were on us before we knew it.  Said they were taking over the city, and that we could either give it up or they'd take it by force.  And well, you know Ares.  He wouldn't let them just walk in and take it.  We all joined together and tried fighting them out, but they're good warriors.  Vesta set the city up into flames.  There was little we could do..."  He trailed off.  I looked around and noticed some of my family was tearing up.

"The citizens?"  I asked, wanting to know if they were alive.

"You no doubt saw the streets coming in."  Apollo said, gravely.  "They were our first priority, and the reason the Romans were able to take us. They were a distraction. The lot of them escaped.  A lot are dead though, Athena.  Some burnt up in their houses, others were killed while running through the streets.  Just be thankful you didn't have to watch it happen."

I nodded, bowing my head.  Everyone was silent for a while.  "Oh yeah," Hephaestus said, breaking the tension in the air.  "We picked up a straggler along the way."  He said, motioning over to Ares. 

I starred at him confused, but no one said anything.  Deciding to see what he meant for myself, I stood up wearily, trying desperately to feel enough strength to walk.  I slowly and steadily walked over to Ares, who didn't even look up.  "Ares? Are you alright?"  I asked quietly, stopping a few feet in front of him.  I couldn't see his face, because of the light, but I knew he wasn't smiling.

I turned around to give my family a confused look.  Artemis looked ready to pounce, and everyone else looked scared.  I turned back around to see Ares had stood up, and was now squared to me.  "Ares, thank gods you're alive."  I said running up to him and giving him a warm hug. It was a wonder the Romans left him be and didn't quarantine him off like they had me.

He didn't wrap his arms around me for what seemed like a long time, but when he did he wasn't gentle.  His arms encased me, squeezing just a little to tight, like he wasn't used to me being so small and fragile in his arms.

"Well, I had to see you again, now didn't I?"  He said cooley, with a hint of humor behind his words.  His index finger pulled my chin up to face him.  His face was still to dark to see, which is why I was so surprised when his lips roughly and eagerly met mine.  He was too excited for what should have been a small kiss.  He kept pulling me back painfully whenever I tried pulling away, fiercely he grabbed the back of my neck, holding me to him.  He bit my lip so hard it drew blood, lucky I found strength and backed away completely, standing a few inches back.

"Ow, Ares what the hell was that?!"  I yelled, tasting the blood in my mouth.  His only response was a small, deep laugh.

"Athena..."  Artemis hissed from behind me.

"What?"  I said a bit too harshly, turning around to face her.

"That isn't Ares..."  She warned, looking at me as I was missing something.

I couldn't fully process what she was saying until I turned back around and saw him standing more in the light, where I could see every scar on back, and drawn along his face.  "Mars..." I breathed out, feeling like I had just gotten hit with a ton of bricks.  "But then... Where's..."  I turned around slowly to face my family who's faces all looked grave.  "Where's Ares?"   I breathed out, knowing I wouldn't like the answer.

"He joined in with the Romans, dear."  Zeus said quietly.  Aphrodite made a scene and started balling her eyes out, where as I was to stunned to say anything.  

"But... That doesn't... In the interrogation I had with Neptune and Mercury when I first got here that was-" I said, touching my fingers to my temple, trying to wrap my head around any reasoning their was.

"Me."  Mars said, causing me to turn back around to face him.  "I ran that interrogation, but right after you got away, I got stuck in here for losing sight of you.  Minerva can be a cold hard bitch.  Every run in you had with 'Me' after that was with Ares."

My heart dropped.  That's why he pulled me aside and said he didn't want me to die...

Thats why he didn't hit me in the last interrogation...

That's why he wanted me on their side so bad.

The feeling of being so stupid that I didn't realize what was going on was almost as strong as the feeling of betrayal.

"You're lying!  You're a liar!"  I screetched, charging Mars.  I got one hit in before he grabbed my wrists and pressed my back to his chest, holding me there as I cried.  "No!  No!"  I pleaded to anything out there that could tell me Ares wasn't really betraying us.  His FAMILY.

Ares wouldn't do this to us.

Ares loved me.  Didn't he?

"Is she always like this?"  I heard Mars ask through my screaming.  He lowered me slowly to the ground, where I curled up into a ball and cried.  I prayed and prayed to anything out there that Ares would return to me.

To us.

His family.

*                   *                           *                            *                                *                        *

Flashes of war sped through my mind too quickly for me to see their meaning or understand them; vision of murder on an incredibly large scale, the feeling of dread, of panic, different members of my family crying out in agony, the Roman gods standing together, united on high ground. All of it too quick but the overall meaning clear. Death. Pure death.

I felt I had only been sleeping a few hours when I was rustled awake.  "Athena!  Athena wake up!"  Ares voice floated to me, when my eyes snapped open he was kneeling over me and quietly chanting my name. The scar traveling from his brow bone straight down over his eye lid and to his cheek bone caught my eye. Mars. Not Ares, Mars.

"Mars?  What is it?"  I asked groggily.  I rubbed my eyes to see that no one else was in the room with us.  "Where is everyone?  What did you do with them?!" I screeched unintentionally, my voice scratchy.

"Um, I helped them get out."  He explained moving to the side so I could see that the window that had once been barred was now ajar.  How in the-

"How'd you do that?"  I asked, amazed and excited.  If that was a way out, Ares would soon be regretting the day he was born so long ago.  I had no sadness left in my heart.  No love.  The thoughts I had towards him were so vile.   How dare he betray us?  

"Do you want an explanation or a ticket out?  You choose.  And choose fast, cause I'm leavin' in about 5 seconds."

I hopped up immediately, grabbing his hand and pulling him along with me towards the window.  "How do we get up there?"  I asked, noticing how high up.

"Grab the ledge and pull yourself up when you get up there." Mars answered in a tone that implied I was stupid.

"That doesn't solve the problem of getting up th-"  I was once again jerked off the ground and into Mars' arms.  "What are you doing?!"  I asked, panicked.

Mars eyed me cooly, his lips close to mine.  "You're not afraid are you, dear?"  He asked, wickedly smiling.  I shook my head.  Mars laughed before swiftly tossing me up high into the air.  I reached as far as I could, hooking onto the window sill with my arm.  I looked down at Mars accusingly, to find him hunched over in laughter.

"You could have warned me!"

"You're face was priceless.  Now pull yourself up."  He said through deep breaths as he tried to collect himself.  I did as he said, using all my strength, to pull myself up.  It was at that moment, sitting on the dusty cobblestone, finally free of the cell, that I felt the effects of Neptune's machine, it had to be that blasted machine.  I felt light headed, and weak as could be, so I leaned my back against the wall, trying to keep my head from spinning.

Mars somehow heaved himself up to the window and easily crawled through.  He stood up and looked down at my crumpled position on the ground.  "Hey you don't look so good.  Are you alright, dear?"  I nodded my head vilently, not helping my light headedness.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Where are the others?"  I asked taking Mars' hand when he offered it and standing up.  Mar pointed to the forest.

"I told em' to take refuge in the forest until I could come back and get you.  We can't stay there though, on Olympus.  Minerva, that bitch, will have guards patrolling all throughout there, seeing as that's where I heard they caught you last time.  We've got to get out of here. Quickly."

"You're kidding yourself if you think I'm leaving the city to them." I glared at Mars. I didn't trust him one bit.

"What exactly do you think we're going to do here, huh? If your so pressed on staying, you can stay alone."

"Fine-" I yelled, receiving a hand over my mouth trying to muffle the sound. 

"No, you're leaving. Lets go." He said blatantly, shoving me forward, making me stumble a bit but I managed to keep my footing, walking stealthily toward the forest. How exactly did Mars plan on getting us all out of here?

My heart sank.  "You do realize getting off Olympus is easier said than done...  All our air crafts are probably destoyed, and yours are probably guarded."  I admitted, a puzzled expression crossed Mars' face as he thought of a plan B.

Suddenly a hover craft flew over head.  Mars and I both tilted our heads up.  On the bottom of the hover craft I could barely make out a red crow.  The craft was making a downward trend towards the forest.  Looking like it was headed to the far edge, where there was a clearing.

"Did you see what I saw on the bottom of that air craft?"  Mars asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Red crow?"  I asked, raising an eyebrow as well.

"Mhmmm."  Mars nodded.  We starred at each other briefly, realizing our saving grace was about to land only a few miles away from us.  Both of us took off immediately.  Mars grabbed my hand, pulling me along, seeing as he was a faster runner.  "Lets grab the others and run!" He shouted back to me.  I silently agreed, running mere inches behind him.

Once we reached the edge of the forest, I could hear my family a few yards away.  Suddenly I stopped running, yanking my arm free of Mars', causing him to come to a halt. "Athena, what?" He looked at me troubled.

"Now that Hades is here, why do I need you?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're one of them. You did this." I gestured accusingly to the rubble of what used to be a great city. "That was you, not Ares."

"If you leave me here, they'll kill me." Mars shook his head, his voice pleading. "I'm not one of them anymore, Athena, I swear it.  I helped you escape, I helped you all escape. You would really snub me this way? I'm not useless, I'll help you. I'm on your side, I'll fight with you. Against the Romans, against the Titans, whatever, just take me with you!"

Hearing a loud yelling noise back by the castle I knew I was running out of time to decide. I thought it all over quickly. His words put a dent in my plans for him. Another loud noise came from the temple, more yelling. I snapped my eyes up to his, narrowed and menacing. "I should leave you here to burn." I breathed out. "You come with us out of here and once were in the clear we drop you at the nearest island."

He nodded back at me.  "Deal."  And with that, Mars grabbed my hand again, and we bolted through the forest towards my family.  After that we could head towards the air craft.

Thank gods Hades was so obsessed with me.

Hades POV

Finally, after such a long ride, I could see Olympus coming up.  I went to one of the windows of my craft and peered out it.  A pang of horror spread through me. The city was nothing more than a long, wide place full of rubble and dust.  "Captain are you sure this is it?"  I asked, knowing it was, but a part of me hoped.  When had this happened? If this was the Romans, it was not part of the deal. Not that I was aware of. Was my Athena in there?  Was she hurt?  She better not be!  That was my job. 

"Yes sir.  The temple is still standing still, you see."  The captain responded getting ready to descend.

"Wait,"  I said, stopping him from going down.  "something must have happened here.  Don't land directly in the city, they could be under siege.  Land somewhere else."  I commanded, thinking of what may have happened to the city when I saw their flag, black and grey swords crossing and an olive branch in the center.

Romans.

"Sir, I'm afraid the only other flat terrain may be behind the city's forest.  Its at least 4 miles away from the city. Quite the trek."

"Thats fine.  Do as I said."  I barked, as the pilot pushed a few buttons and set our new descent path.

Did one of the Romans come and snatch Athena up?  It would make sense if one did.  But that would also make them my enemy now, and I thought I had made it impeccably clear that that was not something they wanted.

We flew over the forest, landing in a clearing near the edge of it.  I hurried out, and started towards the city.  I hoped I would run into Athena before I got to the city center.  Maybe she saw my ship overhead and was on her way, but an uneasy feeling within told me I might be hoping for too much.

Ares POV

I thought back to the way I stroked her face after Neptune's machine had taken practically all the life out of her eyes.  I thought back to the tear that fell down my face.  That was the love of my life laying on the ground.  She would die now.  Because of me.  And she wouldn't be back any time soon. More than likely she wouldn't be back at all.  My heart ached, but still I forced myself to look away as some of the Romans guards carried her beautiful face away.  

I knew when, or if, she woke up she'd figure it out.  And when she did, the emotional pain would be to much to handle.  But honestly, it was her fault. Wasn't it? She should have fought with us.  We're doing whats right.  The titans need to be destroyed once and for all.

I thought about this while I kept watch over the fallen city of Olympus, while everyone else slept from the roof of the temple.

Maybe that's just what they implanted in my mind.  Maybe we aren't doing the right thing and I'm not thinking straight.  I mean, at first I was all about protecting the city and keeping the Romans off our land... And now... Now... I don't know.  It's like I know its wrong... But I want it so bad, and I'll do anything to fulfill it.

"Mars!  Come quick!"  Neptune yelled for me from the window I had used to get on the roof.  I ran inside, looking around for anyone who could explain what was happening. Everyone was running around in chaos, grabbing weapons or organizing groups.

"Mercury!  Whats going on?"  I yelled to him, as he grabbed some guns.  He tossed me two.

"The Greeks have escaped.  You check the woods.  I doubt they're stupid enough to go through there, but you never know.  They aren't the smartest people.  That, and Athena wouldn't be that hard to catch. Minerva thinks they're headed across the city, maybe trying to get into her lab. We're headed that way."  He laughed, giving me a wicked grin.  He patted me on the back as we both went our separate ways.  

I ran around the side of the building heading towards the forest.  I just happened to look down and see a shoe print.  Actually, a trail of prints.  Heading towards the forest.

I knew I should call for help, or backup, but that could be dangerous.  I decided to take them alone. They were MY family after all.

But hell.  If any of them thought I wouldn't shoot at them, and shoot to kill, they were so wrong.  Still, it was a mistake I looked forward to them making.

Hey guys!  This was a super long chapter and holy gods am I tired!

Comment/Like for my effort to keep you guys intrigued!

Thanks!

#Olympianlove!