Athena: your requests

#7 * Ruby Red Blood

Idea by me, shaped by Gangsterdog07

Fair warning that this is a dark short. If it's not your thing I completely respect that, but you might want to scroll on. I'll see you again next chapter.

- Athena

------------------------------

Athena had been wandering around for a bit. Around her a battle raged. Guns rattled, people shouted and wailed.

"Like the souls of the damned." The goddess shrugged, speaking more to herself than anyone else.

'They are the souls of the damned.' A voice in the back of her mind said.

Humorously she chuckled to herself, stumbling on. Out of the corner of her eye the goddess of strategic warfare saw a bullet headed straight for her head. She didn't even try to evade or stop it.

Her form shimmered as the bullet past through her and hit a rebel in the head. Athena payed it no mind. It was all planned out. The deaths would be justified. It was okay.

The goddess kept walking, until finally she reached a local bar. The place had dozens and dozens of bulletholes in the wall. The right part of the building had even met the ammunition of a rocket launcher.

This place seemed perfect.

When she stepped inside she had to step over the bodies to reach the bar itself. The barman layed dead on his counter, frozen in place with only a shocked look on his face and a broken cocktail glass clutched in his hand.

The stench of blood corrupted Athena's nose. She didn't even bother to turn it up. No, all was going exactly as she wanted it to go.

When the goddess reached the bar she leaned against the counter. Next to her a man reached over the counter for a glass to go with the whiskey he undoubtedly stole from there too.

"Beautiful day isn't it?" The man asked, retrieving his loot.

"Wonderful." Athena remarked.

Her eyes fell on a packet of cigarettes at the man's side.

"Do you mind?" The daughter of Zeus wondered, reaching for it.

"Help yourself." He grunted, not once bothering to look at her as he searched for the ice box.

Without another word she took a cigarette from the pack.

"Could you-?"

Before the goddess could say another word, the man lit a little flame at the end of his pointer finger. He held it out as he continued to look for the ice.

"Thanks." Athena said, taking a tug from the now lit cigarette.

She could feel the smoke fill her lungs and cloud her mind. The bitter sweet numbness filled her entire body.

"I didn't know you smoked." The man said, having found his ice.

He placed a cube in his glass and poured the whiskey over it.

"There's a lot you don't know about me brother." Athena stated, inspecting her cigarette.

The man chuckled.

"I suppose."

"Besides Ares, your not one to judge, you drink alcohol like water."

"I never judged Thena, I merely took note of something I hadn't seen before. It's not like I care that you do. Whatever you need to do to numb that genius mind of yours, in order to forget what's happening out there, is your choice."

"What makes you think I'm trying to numb my greatest weapon?" His sister wondered.

"Because little sister, you don't really want to see what you've created out there. I merely came to make sure it's bloody enough for you. We both know Nemesis likes to whisper in your ear." Ares explained his train of thought.

"She does no such thing! I don't need revenge to make choices for me!" Athena raised her voice slightly.

"She doesn't have to sister. All she needs to do is push your buttons in the right order and you'll do it for her."

Ares stared into his glass. He knew better than anyone how manipulative Nemesis was. Especially war gods easily fell for her words.

"I'm not saying that I'm better than you. Fates know, how I like the fucked up carnage that goes on around us. All I'm saying is, that you're no better than I am for orchestrating it that way." He stated.

"You're a war goddess as much as you are wise. So stop hiding from it."

"I'm not hiding from anything." Athena said, letting the smoke she had just inhaled escape her lungs through her nose.

"No? Is that why you're here, instead of between your men? Smoking in a ruined bar on the edge of town?" Her brother countered.

"They don't need my help. They know the plan. They know what to do and-"

"-Who to send to die for the cause you made them believe in?" The god of violence asked, cutting the goddess off.

"Honestly and people say I'm cruel." He shrugged, downing the rest of his whiskey.

Ares grabbed the bottle of whiskey by the neck and poured himself some more.

"The only difference between you and I sister, is that you are celebrated for your cruelty. I'm just loathed." He shrugged, taking a swig of his refilled drink.

'I'm not being cruel. I'm doing what is necessary.' Athena wanted to say, but she wisely kept her mouth shut.

Sometimes what was necessary was indeed cruel. She knew that more than anyone. Ares had been right, she didn't wish to see what was going on outside. Because if she faced it she'd have to admit her and her brother weren't as different as people thought they were.

No war god could be good. Nothing about war was good. But it was a necessity. Because without war there couldn't be radical change.

------------------------------

Hi Gangsterdog07

I just wanted to thank you for the very interesting conversation that lead to this short. Thank you for helping me refine the idea. As you can see it became a pretty good piece. Even I'm proud of it and that doesn't happen very quickly. You have very interesting takes on life and I loved hearing about them. Enjoy our creation!

- Athena