Battle Strategies | Tony Stark [1]

FOUR

Athena lazily flipped through the pages placed in front of her with a sigh, ignoring the two sets of eyes that were staring at her intently. Pages upon pages of background information, battle strategies and battle techniques stared back at her, while the owners of the two sets of eyes waited for her final opinion and input about the matter. With the smack of her lips, Athena finished looking over the pages and smirked at the awaiting faces of Hermes and Ares.

Athena couldn't help the smile that overtook her features as she noticed how obviously uncomfortable Ares was in her presence despite her reunion with her family. The feud that harbored between Athena and Ares was centuries old and was originated with their clashing ideals of what war should be. Where Athena believed that war should be avoided at all costs under careful strategic and diplomatic movements, Ares believed that war could solve anything.

"Well, it looks like you boys have everything worked out to start this war." Athena observed, glancing back down at the complicated war plans. "And to the end the world while you're at it."

Ares visibly turned annoyed whereas Hermes looked away sheepishly. Ares leaned forward his eyes flashing dangerously. "We don't deal with the army of cyclopes now, they will only get stronger and therefore will be harder to defeat when we finally do decide to attack."

Athena rolled her eyes at him, ignoring Hermes hesitant look as watched a potential fight begin. "You're so blinded for your need for war that you can't even see the obvious in front of you."

"War is the obvious thing-"

"Oh shut up, Ares." Athena scoffed before turning to look at the youngest god in the room, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "But I am surprised with you, Hermes. The solution is so blindingly obvious that I thought even an idiot like you who has nearly no battle experience could see it, but apparently not."

"Well, what's the blindingly obvious solution then." Ares snapped, his temper boiling dangerously high.

"Have Demeter get them more goats, that's all they want!" Athena shouted, frustrated and annoyed at the gods' idiocy. "Goats, goats, goats!"

"It's hardly that simple." Ares scoffed, refusing to accept these solution.

"It is." Athena snarled and picked up the bundle of papers, shoving them into Ares' arms. "Now get out of here and stop wasting my time."

Ares opened his mouth to argue further but Hermes quickly grabbed his arm and a golden flash and a light breeze of air from the small wings flushed through the room, leaving Athena alone in her quiet apartment. She picked up the bottle of whiskey, a welcome back gift from Happy and Pepper, and ungracefully threw herself onto her couch. She rubbed her forehead before opening up the expensive alcoholic drink, not bothering with a glass and took a gulp.

She closed her eyes before laughing at herself. It wasn't even eleven o'clock and she already was having a drink. Her mind had finally calmed down when the shrill ring of her phone echoed into her ears. With a huff, she pulled herself off the couch and began searching through her handbag for her phone. Athena wasn't that surprised as she saw Pepper's number on her phone, raising her eyebrow curiously as she answered. She could only sigh as she heard Pepper's frantic and nearly non-coherent ramblings through the phone. She really couldn't have a break at all.

--

It felt strange walking down the steps to the workshop, her heels clicking loudly against the expensive ground that probably cost more than her apartment any day. She typed in the code that Pepper had updated her with and stormed in. Tony drank from a glass nonchalantly as she stormed in, although he was slightly surprised to see her and not Pepper.