Athena’s Revenge
By JoeyRZ
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Sequel/Series: Sequel to “Prioritizing”
Notes the first: This is for the Joxerotica 2005 Challenge. This is March’s entry - ruling goddess: Athena.
Notes the second: “Erin” is used with Erin’s permission ;-)

Notes the third: Many, many thanks to JaimeBlue and Kerensa, who really made this fic readable. Love you lots, guys! 
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"Tell me where he keeps it!"

Joxer winced as another fireball connected with his shoulder. The smell of his own burning flesh was making him nauseous, but he wouldn't give the insane goddess the satisfaction of seeing him vomit.

"He's using some other sword. I've seen him, so he must have hidden it. Where is it?!"

"I don't know," Joxer managed to say from behind gritted teeth. He felt his whole body shaking with the effort of staying upright, but he was unwilling to admit defeat by letting his body hang from the shackles binding his wrists above his head. He'd seen his father and brother torture enough prisoners to know that once the body admitted defeat and gave in to the pain, the mind would soon follow. His whole body ached and he welcomed the pain, took it in and didn't let himself disassociate. He wouldn't give in.

"Don't lie to me!" Athena screamed directly in his face.

He was lying and she knew it, she wouldn't get anything else but lies to that question. Joxer knew she was doing this all wrong. She was letting her emotions run rampant... letting them control her, instead of being controlled by her.

"Where's Erin," he asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. 

"You'll never see him again!" Athena screeched at him, leaving the room in an explosion of dark red flames.

Joxer allowed a pained smile to cross his face. He knew the little godling was alive. After trying unsuccessfully to convince him that Erin was dead, Athena kept threatening him with the same thing.

Knowing he had about fifteen minutes before Athena came back, he took several deep breaths, closed his eyes and allowed himself to go back and remember the few hours that led to the goddess taking them from Ares' home temple.

~*~*~*~

It was almost afternoon and Joxer was once more alone with Erin. Aphrodite had nothing to do that day, so she'd kept the twins, Cupid was on a mission and Ares had some more loose ends to tie up regarding the mess in Athens.

Since Ares was given his full godhood back, Athena had gone missing. Hera had, with a devilish smile, insisted she was just licking her wounds and gathering up her crushed pride. Yet Ares was on alert about some kind of retaliation against him or Hera. 

Since disappearing, Athena had left Athens abandoned. The army and civilians, so used to being ruled under Athena's iron fist, were left in limbo in her absence. Ares had to fight, literally, in order to be accepted as the War God and have his orders accepted and plans for Athens' survival carried out.

It was because of that, that Joxer had barely spent any time with Ares in the three months they'd been together. He didn't resent it anymore, though. Not after the long talks they had during the two months after the kids' escape attempt, and Ares' constant reassurances it wouldn't last much longer.

So it was no big surprise that Joxer had once again been left alone with Eris. The only fact that was unusual was the fact that it was quiet.

Erin had been sitting almost all morning trying to figure out how to get his dampener off. Early that morning, Hephaestus had finally delivered the bracelet. Crafted in his special, god-resistant metal and infused with a number of spells, courtesy of Hecate, the thin silver bracelet reined in Erin's godly powers. He wasn't able to shimmer out, float himself or other objects or materialize objects unless someone whose voice the bracelet recognized spoke the proper word that would release the dampener.

After trying ineffectively to use his powers, Erin had stomped off to a corner and started fiddling with it.

Joxer was just about to head to the kitchen to prepare lunch for both of them when the almost blinding flash of a god appearing in the temple stopped him.

For one incredibly happy but short second, Joxer thought Ares had come home early. But as the sparkles died down, the mortal found himself stuck between fear and confusion.

There, standing next to Erin, stood Athena. The Goddess of Wisdom looked nothing at all like her former self. Gone were the white and gold togas, only to be replaced with black leather pants, corset and knee high boots.

"Athena? What-" Joxer's question was cut short as he felt his throat tighten up, not allowing him to breathe.

"Silence! How dare you speak to me like that? You insolent-" Athena stopped talking as she looked down to look at Erin, who was kicking and punching her leg. She grabbed the godling by the wrist and pulled him up to inspect the bracelet, leaving Erin to hang from Athena's grip.

"Oh... what's this?" she said in a falsely sweet voice. "The little freak of nature. And with a dampener. How convenient. A few changes, and-" bright light shone on the bracelet for a moment before fading. "-voila! No naughty speaking out of line with anyone, and no way for any busy body to track you," she said dropping Erin.

Athena looked over at Joxer, who was down on his knees, weak from the lack of air. She sneered and waved a hand, allowing Joxer to breathe again. 

Erin scrambled to his feet, running towards Joxer's crumpled form. Erin pulled him somewhat upright, while still kneeling, letting Joxer grab onto him while he coughed. 

"What... do you want?" Joxer managed between coughs.

"Revenge. And I want back what’s mine!" Athena shouted.

Still on the floor, Joxer pulled Erin tight to his chest, turning to slightly protect the godling with his own body.

"Ares can hear me."

Athena's cruel smile frightened him more than the harpies he'd once battled. "I'm counting on it. Because while he'll hear every word, scream and whimper, he won't be able to find you."

Joxer paled, his eyes widened in fear as he held Erin even closer before everything went blindingly bright before going completely black.

~*~*~*~

Blinding hot pain erupted in Joxer's left thigh as another of Athena's fireballs connected with his leg, bringing his mind back to the present. He knew in his heart that Ares was listening to him, going insane because he wasn't able to find them. 

"Where's his sword?!"

"Geesh... I remember telling you that I don't know! Are you deaf? I didn't know gods could go deaf. It would explain all your shouting then." Babbling was good for two things: staying sane and enraging an insane goddess.

The next two fireballs caught him in his already mangled shoulder and blackness started to creep around his eyes. Joxer shook his head slightly, trying to clear his vision but not move his body too much. He needed to find a way out of here. A way to get Ares here. If only...

"Erin," Joxer whispered.

"I told you, you'll never see the little bastard again."

“Erin. If you want to know where Ares’ sword of power is, I’ll need to see Erin here first.”

“What?” Athena asked skeptically.

“I’ll tell you everything. Where his sword is, how it’s hidden, and how to get it without Ares noticing. If, and only if, you bring Erin here; awake, safe and unharmed in any way,” Joxer said, lifting his head to look straight into Athena’s eyes.

“He’s not going to get it back, you know. Not this time. You know that, right?”

Joxer sighed, and let some of his weight hang on his one good arm. “Just bring Erin here. If he’s okay, if I can speak to him… I’ll fucking tell you where the sword is.”

Athena grinned. “You’ve got yourself a deal, mortal,” she said as she left the room in another burst of flames.

Joxer closed his eyes, turning his head away from his shoulder and shifted his weight to his right leg. This could cost him his life, but he had no other choice.

Less than a minute later, Athena reappeared in the room, clutching a terrified Erin. Erin’s shirt was ripped at the arm, apparently where Athena had tried to grab at him. 

Athena threw Erin at Joxer’s feet, and the young god stumbled over his own feet, landing hard on his knees. 

Joxer ignored Athena, turning all of his attention on Erin.

“Erin, baby, are you alright?”

“No… I’m scared, Joxer.”

Joxer smiled and sighed in relief. “It’s gonna be alright now. You’ve got to trust me. Okay?”

“I trust you, Joxer,” Erin said as he crawled over to Joxer and grabbed onto his good leg.

“Good. Amphipolis.”

“What?!” Athena screamed as she saw the dampener fall off Erin’s wrist. 

The next few seconds became controlled chaos. As soon as Erin felt the dampener’s effects release him, he screamed for his uncle, who appeared in the room, along with five other gods.

Ares intercepted the fireball Athena had thrown at Joxer and threw one of his own at her. Hephaestus appeared behind Athena and threw a net made out of his metal over her, effectively pinning her in place. Joxer screamed in protest as he felt Erin taken away from his leg, only to hear Discord’s voice next to him.

“Mama’s here, Erin. Everything’s alright now. Mama’s here.”

“I’m here too, Erin,” Cupid said as he rubbed a hand over Erin’s back. The godling was clinging to his mother with all the strength his small body could muster.

As Ares and Apollo unchained Joxer, cradling him gently between them, Joxer saw Hera reach into Hephaestus’ net and remove the owl shaped pendant hanging from Athena’s neck.

“‘Pol, I’m trusting you with Joxer. Get him out of here and into your temple. You get him better, doesn’t matter what it takes. I need to have a talk with Athena,” Ares said as they laid Joxer down flat on the floor, so Apollo could safely transport him.

“We’re outta here, bro,” Discord said, still holding tight to Erin, while Cupid clutched desperately at the little boy.

Ares nodded then turned his attention back to Joxer. His lover was trying valiantly to keep his eyes open.

“We need to go too, Ares. Fast,” Apollo warned his brother, laying a hand on Joxer’s good shoulder. “He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“I know. Joxer? I love you,” he said as Joxer managed to focus on him. “You get better, okay? Let Apollo take care of you. You’re in good hands now. I’ll be with you as soon as I take care of Athena. I love you,” he repeated, kissing Joxer’s lips lightly then standing back as Apollo transported him back to his temple.

“Heph? Can you make sure the cell is tight? Nothing in, nothing out.”

“Sure, little brother,” Hephaestus said as he rose from where he was kneeling next to the now shackled Athena. “Those are set for Mother, you and me. She’s not getting free from those.”

“Thank you, Heph,” Ares said, laying a warm hand on his brother’s shoulder. Hephaestus covered Ares’ hand with his own, silent reassurance in his eyes. He stepped back and shimmered away to the main temple on Olympus where one cell was kept for rogue gods.

“Mother?” 

Hera turned towards her son and immediately gathered him in her arms as she sensed his pain and anger.

“He’s going to be alright, darling. I’m going to see to it. I’m going to Apollo’s right now. Anything to keep our darling Joxer with us.”

“Find his friends. Xena, Gabrielle, Hercules and Iolaus. He’s going to need familiar faces around. He’s never been to Apollo’s temple.”

“I will Ares.”

“And Athena?”

“She hurt Joxer and Erin. Her punishment is yours and Eris’.”

“And Father?”

“Will have no say.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Ares said, hugging his mother.

Hera smiled, loving it when her son called her ‘mom’. “I’m going now. Ares, just remember. She needs to stand trial.”

“She’ll make it,” Ares grinned evilly.

~*~*~*~

When Ares was finally left alone with Athena, he bent down to make sure the shackles were in place before he threw the net off her. He knelt down close to her face.

“You made a big mistake, Athena. No, make that you made two fucking huge mistakes. You took Joxer and Erin. No one lays a hand on Joxer or Erin. No one!” he screamed in her face.

“They are a waste of space,” Athena spat.

“They’re the best things this world has ever seen, you stupid cow!” Ares stood and walked around the bound goddess. “I’m really starting to wonder how you ever became the goddess of wisdom. I don’t know what happened to you to make you do this. I really don’t care. This is one of the stupidest things anyone, godly or mortal, has ever done. You took away and harmed the two most precious things of the lives of three very powerful gods. If Eris and Cupid weren’t taking care of a very scared young godling right now, they’d be tearing you limb from limb. And don’t think that because I’m not doing that right now, I won’t let them do that to you later on.” 

Ares kicked at Athena so she was laying face up, her hands bound behind her back. Ares stepped over her and knelt astride her.

“You like fireballs, it seems. I think I could spend eternity practicing my technique on you. I’m sure Eris could device some new torture techniques to use on you too. And Cupid could always use a moving target to practice on. But then, we’d be as low and as disgusting as you. Eris will get a say in your punishment, so for the time being, you’re going to the cell. Where there will be tons of books you won’t be able to read. Everything you touch will burn you. Every piece of food you taste will rot, the water will burn your tongue. And you won’t sleep. Not a wink. No rest for the wicked.”

Ares stood up gathering his power to send Athena off to her cell. As soon as the goddess disappeared from his sight, Hera and Hephaestus appeared next to him.

“Ares, darling, come on. It’s Joxer!” Hera said, pulling at her son’s arm. As soon as the words left her mouth, Ares left the room, intent on getting to his lover’s side.

“Check on Athena, Hephaestus, make sure she’s locked down tight. I need to get something for Apollo,” Hera said to her son, watching him leave before she left herself.