The remainder of the day moved at a fast tempo. Regardless of my physical or mental state, the liveliness of preparing for war was familiar to me, and I was thriving in it. My body ached and my mind was scattered from very little sleep, but still I remained sharp and deliberate as one could manage. I felt more like myself than I had in an eon.

Within just a few hours of sending out Gods, word spread like wildfire. Every enemy of the Romans plus their allies started docking at the shores of Nivea. By nightfall, thousands of satyrs, nymphs, etcetera trudged up the sandy beaches to the fort. Some came armed, some came trained, but all came willing. I could figure out the rest.

The interior of the fort remained in perfect condition structurally. The top three tiers, lined with windows, we're perfect for surveying the landscape and skies for incoming threats or allies. I walked the halls of them twice checking for traps or kinks finding nothing of the sort. With more troops filing in by the hour, we were becoming a bigger target. One Olympian missile, maybe two, could take us out if we weren't vigilant. I sent Hermes to find a hundred already trained men and station them along the windows.

Mars and I knew early on we'd have to train at least a third of the troops coming to fight, as well as arm them. Below the observation levels was a base made of 20 feet thick titanium accessible only by a set of solid titanium doors that had been slightly ajar when we arrived. The area inside the base was large and open, the only thing in the area was a fenced in large spiral stair case that led down to four large lower levels that held a dining hall, bedrooms, office spaces, meeting rooms, an infirmary, holding cells, etcetera. The lower levels were decorated, as well; as if a modest king had lived there, the decor was plain and understated. Not much color or miscellaneous items, but rooms on the lower levels were all furnished. It was in the open, spacious area of the base that Mars, Artemis, Apollo and I would conduct training lessons. As for arming the troops, Hephaestus grudgingly agreed to teach a couple hundred of the citizens that came from rural farm areas to make basic swords, shields and armor chest plates while Poseidon took a small pod ship to the sulfur filled mountains of Nivea. When we were ready to head out, we would send them home. They were not built for war; it was apparent by their mousy stature and gentle nature that it would be sure death for them. Then again, I was still weary about it being certain death for all of us.

I shook that thought from my head as I walked the cold, steel halls of the lowest level. Heavy iron doors lined the corridors lit by ugly, sterile florescent lights on the ceiling that flickered with weak power surges. Mars had asked the captain of Hades' ship to set me up in an office space with maps and parchments and what not, letting me know the he would be along shortly. I walked the labyrinth-like halls peeking into rooms in search of said office to no avail.

Voices floated down the hall ahead of me and immediately I opened a door and tucked myself inside leaving the door open the smallest crack as to peer out. I had been avoiding as much of my family as I could, but most drastically Hades, who had been wandering around asking for me. "The infirmary is just down this way a bit." Artemis' familiar voice echoed down the hollow hall just as she turned the corner coming towards my end of the hall. A paler than normal Hades was ungracefully stumbling beside her, a large arm draped across Artemis' capable shoulders as she led him slowly down the hall.

"I don't understand." Hades grunted out in shallow breaths weakly, he clutched at his side as if holding himself together. "I should have... healed by now..." His legs gave out but he managed to catch himself on the wall. My heart lurch for him, urging me to go help him but I stayed put, fearing his less than spectacular decision making skills when he's frustrated. Artemis finally managed to get him in to a room just a few doors down, looking tired herself.

Apollo greeted them at the door, solemn instead of his usual chirpy self. He and Artemis exchanged a few hurried words I couldn't hear before Apollo took Hades weight off of Artemis and on to himself and walked him deeper into the room until I couldn't see him. Artemis lingered in the hall, sighing as the heavy steel door closed in front of her with a sturdy thud. Anger rose up inside of me until I could no longer bare it. What had she done to my fiancé?

I whipped the door open and marched out into the hallway seething with disgust towards the goddess less than 12 feet down the hall from me. "I said sedate him, not push him to the brink of death." I yelled down the hall through clenched teeth. Artemis' snapped her head around to me, looking at me through narrowed eyes fit for a tiger. She squared her body to me, looking as if it was taking everything in her not to rush at me.

"I did what I could with what I had, your majesty." She growled at me, only fueling my rage as she mocked me in the sarcastic way she named me. "Under your orders, I'll remind you. 'Keep him weakened' you asked of me and that is what I have done. Did I not poison your fiancé to your liking?"

My temper erupted and I swore I saw red. "YOU KNOW IT WAS THE ONLY WAY!" I screamed, watching Artemis flinch at my outrage. "HE WAS GOING TO TAKE ME HOSTAGE UNTIL THIS WHOLE FUCKING WAR WAS OVER IF I DIDN'T DO WHAT I HAD TO DO! IF YOU HAD A BETTER IDEA YOU SHOULD'VE SAID IT BUT, AS ALWAYS, I HAD TO MAKE THE TOUGH CALL!"

"THAT'S JUST IT, ATHENA!" Her voice rose in matching fury. "YOU MADE THE CALL. YOU!" Artemis leaned back, looking away from me to collect herself as best she could. I did the same. When she spoke, she was fighting back harsher words. "Your actions have consequences, Athena, and what you just saw was one of them. Being queen does not exempt you from that." Her eyes found mine, void of anger but filled to the brim with what I assumed was regret. "Now, I carried out my duty. I trusted in your reasoning. I'll just assume you said thank you." Before another word could be exchanged, Artemis darted into the infirmary, leaving me in the hallway by myself crashing from an adrenaline rush.

I was torn between thinking 'I did what I had to do' and 'what have I done'. Hades was in crippling pain and Artemis was right, it was because of me. I forced myself to move forward, past the room with my ill fiance, peaking in the doors along the hallway in search of the office. Finally after turning three corners I found the dimly lit workspace. Maps and various other paper works sat in a large pile on the oak desk in the corner behind and small seating area. I fussed with them aimlessly, unable to focus on anything long enough. The lights flickered for a few seconds before the room went black

Out of nowhere it hit me; the overwhelming agony and pain. I dropped to my hands and knees, fighting to stay conscious and keep breathing. My lungs would not fill with air no matter how hard I tried as the fire ripped through my thighs and my left forearm. I clutched at them as if I could squeeze out the pain but it was no use. I convulsed like a fish on dry land trying desperately to breathe but only enough air to keep me suffering would come in. I was sure I would die like this, a long painful death suffered alone and in the dark. For the first time in my life I prayed for my life to be over. Anything to end this pain.

After an eternity the pain subsided just as quickly as it came. I breathed in my first real, deep breath in what felt like forever and opened my eyes just as the lights over my head flickered on slowly, giving the strange room I was in a white cast. Where was I? My settings we're unfamiliar to me, causing panic to set in.

A woman's bloody scream sounded outside the door followed by a gigantic roar from a rather large creature it sounded like. I sat straight up, not knowing who it could've come from or what caused it, but I knew it wasn't good. I hurried up off the ground and over to the door, trying to pull it open, as if I could help whoever as in peril but it wouldn't budge. I yanked it open as a mans voice screamed a wholesome, painful scream followed by a chorus of roars and growls.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" A deep mans voice called from behind the door. I used all my strength to try and open the door but it was no use. Still I kept pulling hard on the handle.

"HELLO?! HELLO?!" I called out, hoping someone would hear and come get me out before whatever was attacking the people on the other side of the door came for me.

"HELP!" Another woman screamed as a large boom shook the ground followed by screeches.

"THE DOOR IS STUCK! SOMEONE HELP! HELLO?!" I pounded on the door in frustration over and over, my hands numb and stinging until I couldn't bare it anymore. I backed away from the door, looking around for another exit but there were no windows, no other doors, only thick. cold walls.

The feeling that my feet were wet sent my eyes shooting down to the floor, where coming from the base of the door seeped into the room a gold and red, thick gooey liquid that just kept flowing in. Ichor. Ichor mixed with blood. I shook with horror. How many had to die for this much ichor to be flooding in. I began hyperventilating. It was too much. It was so much. "No. No, no, no. It can't- it can't be..."

"Oh, but it is, your highness. It is." A man's voice cooed from somewhere within the room, but from no specific place. It was everywhere and nowhere. Within me and without. My voice failed me, I found myself physically unable to speak, to call out for help, to ask who was speaking. "Would you look at all that Ichor? Just think of how many of your friends are dead." I shook my head, bringing my hands up to my ears to silence him, but it didn't work. I could still hear him clear as ever as his words snaked around me and surrounded me. "There's SO much blood, isn't there? So much death. Because of you."

The guilt of a crime I didn't know I committed ate at me, hurting me physically and destroying me mentally. I moved my hands from my ears to my hair, pulling on it to remind myself that I was real, that I was alive. The door started pounding so hard it shook. Something was trying to get it. Raspy, harsh voices came from it. It took me a moment to understand what they were saying but when I did, it shattered me from within. "You. You. You. You." They whispered and shouted, hundreds of them it sounded like. One of them I knew. Ares. He shouted my name over and over as the rest of them accused me. I waited for the door to bust in and for them to have their way with me.

"I didn't, I-I didn't do it, I couldn't have, I didn't-" I tried to stutter out an excuse for myself, pulling my hands through my hair. "It's not real." I told myself, trying to calm down and make it all go away. "It's not real, it isn't, it's not real. It's not real."

"Why, of course it was you, Athena. Just glance at your hands." The voice cooed in my ear. I brought my hands down from my hair slowly, leaving my hair feeling sticky and wet. I drew a sharp breath as I looked at my trembling hands glistening red and gold in the pale light, covered in the thick liquid down to my elbows. A small whimper escaped my mouth as I tried desperately to get the blood off, but it wouldn't budge. I clawed and clawed harder and harder until my skinned burned, and even then I scraped but it was no use. I collapsed to the ground on my hands and knees, making a small splash in the liquid as the voices grew louder and louder to the point that it sounded like they were screaming directly in my ear. I brought my dripping hands up to my ear squeezing as tightly as I could, feeling the liquid drip down my neck. Still, the snake like voice seeped in again. "So much blood on your hands, Athena... So much red and gold... And they can never, never be clean again..."

"STOP IT! STOP! PLEASE!" I screeched, finally finding my voice. The louder I yelled, the less I could hear them. "STOP! I DIDN'T MEAN TO! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE! I CAN'T TAKE IT! PLEASE!" I sobbed as the voices retreated, still feeling them around me, accusing me, staring at me.

The was a large boom at the door. They had gotten through. This was it. "Athena!"

"STOP, PLEASE stop. Please, I'm sorry." My voice and body gave out, sending me falling to my chest on the floor. I tried pushing myself up, only to fall back down again. A pair of large warm hands coiled around my waist and arm, lifting me and placing me onto a crouched mans lap. "I didn't mean to do it. I'm so sorry." Mars' concern ridden face stared down at me and he crushed me to his chest. My entire body was numb, throbbing even, and unresponsive. But I could still feel the ichor running down my arms.

"Athena, you're alright. I'm sorry I took so long, but I've got you. You're alright." He said with fake calmness, holding my shaking form to him tighter. I buried my head in his chest, shaking him off weakly.

"No, there's too much. It won't come off, there's too much. I'm sorry-"

"Athena, it wasn't real." Mars gripped the back of my head gently, pulling me back from his chest so I had to look him in the eye. "Hey, it wasn't real, kid. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real."

"But the blood." I said, closing my eyes, too afraid to look down. Mars did a sharp intake.

"It's your own." Mars quickly scooped me up, practically running me over to the couch in the seating area of the office, setting me down with my head on the stiff arm. "Don't move." He warned before sprinting out of the room. I did a quick count to three in my head, finally daring to glance down. A dozen deep grooves in my arms from my nails were spilling Ichor all over myself and the couch, making a pool of it on the floor even. Had I really imagined the whole thing? No, I couldn't have. I wasn't crazy.

Mars came sprinting back into the room, looking both ways down the hall before closing the door behind him. "Let's bandage you up." He placed the cloths and wraps and ointments on the table behind him, kneeling down on the ground beside me. He gently took my arm and moved towards him, sighing hard. "My gods, Athena, how could you do this to yourself?" He asked bewildered, taking a cloth and adding liquids to it.

"I should've healed by now." I said weakly, blankly staring up at the ceiling. Mars slipped a hand in mine before squeezing the cloth with some sort of disinfectant down on my cuts, lighting them on fire once more. I squeezed Mars' hand and did my best to hold in my screams, only letting a few small ones out along with a few tears. The searing subsided as Mars removed the cloth and began bandaging the cuts. He hadn't answered me. "Why haven't I healed, Mars?" I asked again, refusing to be denied an answer. Mars' eyes darted from mine to the complex bandage he was wrapping. He knew. He at least had a guess.

"Not sure." He answered quickly, as if he expected me to take that as his final answer. Something in my face must've given my disappointment in him away, for when his eyes flashed up at me again he sighed greatly, bowing his head in defeat for a moment. When he spoke again he was angry, choosing his words very carefully. "Poseidon and I had a bad feeling about just this-"

"About what?"

"This." Mars gesture broadly to my physical state, looking at me like I wasn't grasping something so obvious. "What, Athena? You thought this, this, this disease, was just going to turn your veins black and then one day, bam, kill you quick and easy?" Mars' voice rose in an anger pointed at me. "Well, let me be the first to tell you, princess, those sons of bitches are going to kill you nice and slow. You're going to suffer. They made you vulnerable. Any of these gods could snap you like a toothpick right now if they really wanted to, and you and I both know a good few of them would jump at the chance. You're ability to heal is at an all time low, if it even still exists at this point, who the fuck knows."

"Did you two ever think it might be a good idea to share that information with me?" I spat at him, earning an eye roll.

"Why? So you can panic about it and get all hysterical, throw yourself a nice little pity party? Poor you, you have to stay inside all day while the big kids play rough outside." Mars threw eye daggers at me. He was trying to get me going now. He was just like Ares when it came to arguing, nothing was off limits. Gods forbid I let him see me cry now, he'd have a field day. I regretted even asking. He glanced up at me but I kept my eyes elsewhere. He sighed again before going on, this time with less venom laced in his words. "Look, what difference would it have made? I kept you out of harms way. We didn't know if it was a sure thing or not, to tell you the truth, but obviously now I can see we were right. We're hoping when they get the counter machine up and running it'll counter this too. Either way, it'd probably be best if you didn't claw up your arm next time you think you see something that isn't there." He gave me a lasting glare before returning to his bandage work.

If my body weren't still tingling I'd have stood up and left, damn my cuts. But as it were, all I could do was stare up at the ceiling and wish I was anywhere but here with this asshole of a god wrapping a bandage around my arm that was a tad too tight. I'd had enough blame and accusations for a lifetime today. I wished all of this was over already and I was back in the underworld with Hades giving it another chance. Gods, would I be different this time...

A cloth soaked with disinfectant dropped down on my other arm without warning causing me to scream out in pain. "Oh! Oh gods!" I gritted my teeth, squeezing my hand into a fist to try to relieve some of the pain. Finally after a few moments Mars lifted the cloth and began bandaging the other arm. I could feel his eyes on my face but I refused to look at him. He continued to stare at me even after he was finished, but I couldn't look at him. "Thanks." I said quietly, closing my eyes.

He laughed a short, huffing laugh before standing up and gathering the leftover first aid supplies. "Yeah, whatever." He left me lying on the couch while he walked over to the desk, unfolding some maps. I gripped the hard cushions and used them to pull myself up slowly, painfully. By the time I was siting up straight I was damn well near tears. I was such a strong goddess once, I could take punch after punch without so much as wincing. It killed me to be reduced to this weak shell of who I used to be. No amount of willing myself to heal or be strong again would change that. For the time being, I was defeated. Only Neptune and Poseidon could help me now. "You should lie down and rest."

I glanced over at Mars who was glaring at me from behind the desk but quickly looked away. I started counting down from 3 in my head, telling myself that when I got to 1 I would try and stand. 1 came and went 4 times before finally I was on my own two feet, my legs stiff and stinging on my thighs. I moved towards the door slowly, trying to walk as normal as possible. "Where are you going?" Mars asked from across the room but I shook him off. Just as I reached the door he was suddenly blocking my way, staring down at me with a stern face. "Where do you think you're going?" Mars crossed his arms in front of his chest, looming over me. I tried pushing him out of the way but he didn't budge, only scowled down at me waiting for his answer.

"Get out of my way!" I growled as fierce as I could, but it had no affect on Mars. I was all talk.

"Where are you going?" He asked again in a level voice, disobeying my orders.

"Move, Mars." I said again, bringing my arms up once more in an attempt to push him. His hands lashed out, catching my wrists in his hands far too tightly, sending a sharp pain up my arms from the grooves in my arm. I shouted in pain and he quickly release me, sending me stumbling back a few steps to get away from him.

He rushed towards me, observing the fresh Ichor that now stained my bandages. "Athena, I-"

"No!" I cut him off, tears falling down my face. "I've had enough! I can't take this anymore!" Mars' eyes rested on mine, his filled with sadness as well. "It's too much, don't you see? I never asked for any of this, and I don't want it. I want to go home."

"You saw Olympus, there is no going home." Mars snapped at me.

"I wasn't talking about Olympus." I snapped back, wiping my cheek with the back of my hand. Mars stiffened, balling his fists up to match.

"Why the fuck would you want to go back to that forsaken pit?!" Mars came towards me, towering over me once more. "After what he's done to you? After what he put you through? You want to sit this one out that badly? That's pathetic."

I cringed at the reminder of how harsh Hades treatment had been at times. Mars was one to talk, though, seeing as how the whole reason I was kidnapped and taken to the underworld was because of he and the Romans. I sniffled back another load of tears that threatened to escape at any second. "I just want to go somewhere where the fate of the world isn't in my hands. I am not my father, I cannot bear it. Somewhere with no more secrets. No more lies." Mars' gaze softened.

"I'm sorry it all had to come crashing down at your feet." Mars placed his hand on my shoulder, and the other on my cheek, wiping away a stray tear. "But I know you, Athena. We're alike, you and I. And I know you would never walk away from this until its over."

I shook my head, looking down at my hands. "But if stay, the blood is on my hands. And I can't- I can't handle- I..." I rubbed my hands together, still able to feel gooey liquid on them. "I know you can't see it, but I can feel it and its too much." I whimpered out, trying to turn away from Mars, but he held my face still.

"You're tired, that's all. That's why you're imagining these things, and rightly so. We've pushed you too hard. You need rest, that's all." Mars' assured me, squeezing my shoulder lightly. I knew I wasn't imagining anything, it was real. It had to be. It had to be.

"I didn't imagine anything, it was real." I told Mars honestly.

"Athena-" He began.

"And I can't sleep or else I have nightmares. I dream of them or of worse. I wake up more tired than when I went to sleep." Mars sighed, nodding his head lightly. I bit my lower lip, feeling my veins pulling and pushing. "I'm not crazy, Mars, I'm not. But I think I might be losing my mind. They can destroy my body, I don't care, but they can't my mind, too. They can't take my mind." Mars' stared at me for a moment before pulling me in for a gentle hug as if his light squeeze could put all my broken pieces back together.

"Everything's going to be okay." Mars cooed in my ear, holding me for a moment longer before we parted. I wiped my cheeks, sniffling the last of the tears away. Mars smoothed down my hair and tucked it behind my ear, sighing again before speaking. "Come on, there a bedroom next door for you." He twisted the door handle, looking back and forth down the hallway to make sure no one was coming before gesturing for me to exit the room, which I complied too, stepping out into the bright florescent hallway. "Even if you can't sleep you should take it easy for the night." Mars followed me out, closing the door behind him and taking the lead down the hall to the room over. When we stopped in front of the door he reached into his pockets, fumbling around for something before finally pulling out a set of keys. He fidgeted to find the right one for a moment before sticking it in the lock and opening the door to reveal a plain but lavish enough bedroom complete with a fireplace, a seating area, a king bed and a door leading to a bathroom. Looking around the hallway, I noticed this room was the only room with a lock on the door.

"A key?" I asked lightly, staring at the silver in Mars' hand glistening in the white light. I swallowed the lump in my throat, meeting Mars' cold eyes. "You're going to lock me in?"

Mars shifted uncomfortably, dropping his gaze to the key. "It's just a precaution. For safety reasons."

"Who's safety? Theirs or mine?" I asked quietly, taking a step towards Mars, who would not meet my eyes.

"Both." He said finally. I nodded, turning slowly and creeping into the room, the fire cackling, giving the room a warm look that the rest of the fort lacked.

"Goodnight, Athena." Mars said quietly, closing the door slowly.

"Wait!" I yelled, and he swung the door open again, looking at me confused.

"Do you need something?" He asked, glancing around the room.

"No, but-" My voice shook, faltering yet again. I shook my head, folding my arms across my chest gently. My body throbbed and my head felt like it was being torn in half, but my heart hurt more. No matter how warm the fire was I still felt cold and alone. "No, but, you- you don't, um... You could, you know, you...If you wanted- if you..."

"What is it, Athena?" Mars asked, walking towards me hesitantly as I sighed.

"I was just going to say if... you know if you were- if you were tired then you could, you know, stay here." I finally got out, holding my breath for his answer. "With me." I added, watching him study me, unsure of his answer. "Not in a salacious way of course. You could have the bed if you wanted and I could take the couch. It's just... I'm going to be up all night and, well... I really hate being alone lately." I trailed off, waiting for his response still. "You can say no, if you want." I added quickly, waiting for a moment longer before finally he nodded, turning from me to close the door and lock it from within.

"I don't quiet like being alone either. At least not feeling alone." He said quietly, placing his hand on my shoulder once more and leading me to the bed.

"No, you should take the bed, you'll need a good nights sleep for tomorrow." I argued, but Mars nudged me forward still.

"I think its a large enough bed that both of us can rest well without compromising your engagement, or better still, your morals, your highness." Mars laughed, pulling back the covers and helping me adjust myself once he helped me into the bed. He pulled the covers up to my chin once I was situated. "At least try to get a little shut eye, Athena. I'll be right here in case anything happens, but at least try." He asked of me quietly, patting the covers down once more.

"Alright, I'll try." I told him, watching his silhouette in the orange glow of the firelight round the bed to his side. I felt his weight push down on the mattress as the blankets tugged for a moment as he got in.

"Goodnight, Athena." He mumbled quietly, falling asleep moments after his head hit the pillow.

"Goodnight."

Sorry for the wait on this chapter, I'm uploading this at 12:52 a.m. where I'm at, so if you're not still awake to read it, hopefully it puts a smile on your face when you wake up. I will *fingers crossed* be uploading soon. As always, please either direct message me or leave in the comments below any feedback you have!Thank you guys for your never ending support.

xoxo, Elizabeth