Chapter Text
To say that Pallas Athena was not expecting to be struck down by Zeus’s lightning bolts would be correct. To say that she was not expecting any punishment at all would be incorrect.
How could she, the Goddess of Wisdom, have such a foolish dream? She was the embodiment of knowledge and logic, and she knew that nobody was safe from the God King’s wrath. Not even his favourite and most loyal child.
Everyone thought that as the golden child, Athena reaped many benefits, including being exempted from Zeus’s punishments. That was true, to an extent. Countless years ago, Athena had rebelled against Zeus with Hera, Poseidon and Apollo. Needless to say, they had failed. Everyone but Athena had been punished, as Zeus simply couldn’t fathom why she would go against him. Thus, he had blamed it on Hera’s manipulative and sugar-coated words.
Athena hadn’t bothered to correct her father’s assumption back then. It was more believable than Athena willingly defying Zeus. And while she certainly wouldn’t initiate a coup, when Hera had approached her, Athena had agreed because a small part of her truly resented Zeus.
She disliked him for consuming her and her mother, Metis, because of a prophecy. But that wasn’t the only reason.
She hated him for making her spar with Pallas, which led to the nymph’s accidental death. Of course, it was ultimately Athena who had spilt Pallas’s blood (and she hated herself for that), but she couldn’t help the small grudge that she held against Zeus for organising the duel in the first place. Apparently, he also distracted Pallas during the fight, but there was no way that was true.
Contrary to popular belief, however, Athena had not been completely let off. After the trial, Zeus had privately summoned her. He had taken her hand in his and sent one tiny shock through her entire body. It was one zap, but the warning was as clear as day: act out one more time, and the consequences will be much more severe.
He hadn’t said anything and only waved a hand to dismiss her. Athena had never run out of a room faster in her immortal life. The mark left on her wrist had taken half a year to heal.
Since that incident, she had done her best to stay in Zeus’s good graces. Offering him advice when needed, distancing herself from her troublesome siblings, and following all of his orders like a dog on a leash. She had managed to survive by doing these three things, and she had naively thought that it would stay like that forever.
But then along came Odysseus, a young boy who would become a warrior of the mind. Athena didn’t know when, but while training Odysseus to become her perfect warrior, the lines of their mentor-student relationship had blurred and bloomed into a friendship. Something that the goddess failed to realise until she recklessly said goodbye and cut off her ties with him. (So now I'm gone.)
She had been left with an empty feeling inside her, and the guilt had chewed her inside out. So when Odysseus called out her name in a desperate prayer on a cliff in Ogygia, it was only right that she answered his cry for help.
The truth was, when Athena asked Zeus to free Odysseus, she already knew that it wouldn’t go well when he decided to make it a game. A game that countless gods and other divine beings were invited to watch. To everyone else, it was nothing more than entertainment. To Athena, it was a thinly veiled threat: win and it’s over for you.
Winning would mean beating Zeus, and beating Zeus meant embarrassing him. Athena should’ve just backed down; she should’ve just forfeited. After all, she didn’t have to try so hard for a mere mortal’s sake. She didn’t have to talk with Hephaestus, a god that she really didn’t like for a certain incident that happened between the two of them; she didn’t have to fight Ares to convince him and push their already strained relationship; she didn’t have to put everything on the line for a game.
But all gods had pride and ego. And they all really, really hated losing. Although, truthfully, the reason that had fuelled Athena the most was not that. (That’s just like you, why should I be surprised? Selfish and prideful and vain!)
In fact, the real reason was because she had felt the inexplicable need to get Odysseus home, no matter what, which was strange, really. The Goddess of Wisdom, the ever knowledgeable one, had never felt such a strong desire before. Not since Pallas. Perhaps it was because she had seen how much Penelope had suffered without him, stuck with the lecherous suitors instead. Or perhaps it was because she could sense Telemachus’s silent longing for the father that he had never seen before.
Or maybe it was because she regretted her decision to abandon Odysseus just because he had acted like a human and showed weakness. Athena felt like it was something that she owed him, not only as his mentor but also as his friend.
So, despite her mind telling her to stop and give up, Athena had continued on with the game anyway. She ignored all of the logical reasons why she shouldn’t play the game and only listened to the illogical ones on why she should win it.
Athena knew that if she somehow managed to convince the five gods, Zeus would surely be mad at her. She definitely hadn’t expected him to throw lightning bolts at her though. But then again, she did win Hera over by bringing up Odysseus’s loyalty to Penelope, indirectly mentioning Zeus’s infidelity. She had implied that a mortal was better than the God King, and that had angered him. (Since you claim you're so much wiser–)
She stood in front of her father, awaiting his unavoidable judgement. Dark clouds filled the sky and covered Helios’s chariot. Athena knew what was coming. Yet, like a fool, she didn’t try to run or fight. She just stood still as the entire arena held their breaths to watch the spectacle that would unfold.
The first lightning bolt melted her Aegis and spear. It also melted parts of her armour and burnt her skin. It made Athena realise just how weak the warning zap from her father had been. She starts to regret not heeding it.
The second lightning bolt struck her breastplate, and Athena spat out ichor. She could feel the lightning travel throughout her body, and it felt like she was burning from inside out. The Goddess of War fell onto the ground.
For a few moments, she contemplated staying there. Zeus would probably stop his attack once he saw that Athena had learnt her lesson and she could heal from the injuries she sustained from this attack after some time. Maybe. It was quite tempting to think about.
But then she remembered why she was doing all of this in the first place. The friend that she had wronged would be trapped on Ogygia with Calypso forever if she failed. Her little wolf would never get to meet his father, and it was more than likely that the suitors would eventually have their way with Penelope.
Athena couldn’t let that happen.
So, even though every single nerve ending felt like it was on fire, Athena stood up. She ignored her body’s screams for her to stop as her melted armour clung onto her like a second skin that was most definitely giving her third-degree burns.
Her wings, which she rarely revealed, spread their feathers and took flight. Athena could barely fly in her current condition, so she had no way to dodge the lightning bolts aimed at her. She took two more direct hits, her brown feathers charring into an ugly black. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and she couldn’t see out of her right eye.
Still, Athena persevered. She flew closer to Zeus until she was right in front of the God of Lightning’s face. Nothing more than an insect in his eyes, surely.
“Let him go… please.”
Her voice cracked as she barely managed to get the words out. Her singed vocal cords were far too damaged for her to speak properly. Athena hated how pathetic and desperate she sounded. It was unbecoming of her.
Would there even be anything left of her after this?
Zeus’s eyes narrowed slightly as he scrutinised his daughter. He seemed to be considering her words, and that was enough for Athena to hope. It was ironic, really. She had always told all of her heroes, including Odysseus, that hope was a dangerous emotion. That they should only rely on their intellect and skills, not some optimistic dream that will only leave you feeling disappointed in the end. Now, she was hoping that Zeus would actually keep his end of the bargain.
Athena hacked up a lungful of ichor. That wasn’t a good sign. She could already feel her wings wavering as her energy left her. There was no time left.
She looked at Zeus pleadingly and whispered, her voice hoarse and barely audible, “Let… him… go…”
The last word never came as Athena’s wings stopped moving and she fell. She landed on the ground with a sickening crunch, although the goddess could barely feel the pain. Athena’s entire body was numb. Gosh, she just wanted to sleep. Gods technically didn’t need to sleep, but it was a useful way to escape from reality. Right now, she wanted to be anywhere else but reality.
Faintly, Athena hears the pattering of footsteps and a thud as someone kneels beside her. She wants to see who it is, but alas, they are on her right side, and she can no longer see out of that eye for some reason. (I'm not looking for a friend.)
She hears someone talking, but the voice is muffled. It’s like they’re speaking underwater, or maybe she is the one that is underwater. It’s hard to tell, but Athena’s lungs burn, and her throat burns, and everything burns, so she assumes that she must be the one underwater and is drowning right now.
Water… she remembers playing in the water with a nymph. A sea nymph with blue skin named Pallas. They would train together, back when Athena was still welcomed in Triton’s home, back when Pallas was still alive.
Athena wonders silently as she burns if she will reunite with Pallas. She thinks not, but it would be nice if it happened. She hears Pallas’s voice, still as soft and sweet as she remembered it, crooning in her ear, “Rest now, Thea. You’ve done enough. Go to sleep.”
Athena opens her mouth to ask Pallas if she would see her when she wakes up (if that even happened), but all that comes out is golden ichor.
So instead, Athena follows Pallas’s instructions, and her eyes drift shut.