Orihime and Athena stood back to back, facing the horde of Arachne's "children." The spider queen herself was grinning with anticipation, ready see the target of her animosity torn to shreds.
"What are we going to do?" Orihime asked her teacher. Athena analyzed the situation. They were surrounded by an army of demonic, flesh-hungry, blood-thirsty spiders, with no visible way out. The goddess quickly tried to formulate a solid plan of action. If they just fought their way out, they would be torn apart sooner rather than later. But if she took too long thinking up a plan, it would give Arachne's horde the time they need to eat them alive.
Come on, Athena, think, she ordered herself. She looked around for any kind of inspiration for a strategy. Seeing nothing, she sighed. I'll have to use it. "Orihime."
"Yes?"
"I'm about to do something crazy. I need you to trust me."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm going to enter my true form. I'll be exerting a lot of spiritual pressure, so brace yourself." Orihime nodded. Athena had explained to her during their days training what a god's true form was. She knew that Athena was about to unleash enormous power, so she did as her teacher instructed.
Athena began glowing then. Her spiritual power was rising exponentially at an alarming rate. The arachnids around them all stepped back slightly, recoiling at the appearance of the divine light. Arachne was surprised at first, but then smirked in amusement.
Just as I expected, she thought. Before Athena could truly enter her godly form, the former seamstress shot her hands forward, launching a stream of webs from her palms. The webs wrapped around Athena with ridiculous speed, quickly trapping the shocked goddess.
Athena squirmed inside her cocoon as the glow of her true form receded. Orihime looked on in horror as her teacher kicked against the almost iron-like shell around her. Utterly frustrated at the futility of her resistance, Athena shouted out, "What is this?"
"It's a special type of webbing that I call Imprison," Arachne bragged. "It creates a cocoon around the target, and then becomes harder than even the strongest metals. Originally, it would never have been enough to withhold a god, but Lord Kronos was able to enchant it with his own power. Now, not even a Greek god can escape it." The former seamstress then let out a fit of malevolent laughter. "No matter what you do, Athena, there's no way to escape it! And now…" She turned to Orihime, who was now shaking in fear. "I think I'll play with this sweet little girl. And let you hear her screams."
Orihime trembled slightly, but brought her short sword up and held it at the ready. "I-I'm not afraid of you! I'll beat you and find a way to free Athena!" That only made Arachne chuckle in mock amusement. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing really," Arachne said, still smirking. "You say you're not afraid. But look at you. You're trembling in fear like a fly caught in a web." The spider queen then sighed as though she were disappointed. "I guess I'll have to make you come to terms with the fact that you really are just scared little girl. Let me show you something… interesting."
Orihime's eyes widened as Arachne's body began to change. Her legs became spiderlike, as four more spider legs burst out of her side. The woman's lower body then grew larger and larger, becoming that of a spider. Arachne's face also took on a gruesome change, as her eye became totally black, and six extras opened on her forehead. She grew large, spiderlike fangs on either side of her mouth, and her teeth began jagged and razor-sharp.
"This is the reason why others fear me so," Arachne said in a hissing voice. "I am the one who birthed all arachnids. They are all truly my children. However…" She waved a hand over all the giant spiders in her private army. "Humans infected by my venom transform and become what you see around you. All of them were terrified of me at first, but now, they love me as their queen. And soon, so shall you, little girl."
Orihime looked around at the horde in shock. She was surrounded by an army of monsters that all used to be human. And now Arachne was going to add her to this horde.
"It won't be all bad, though," Arachne continued. "You'll be able to return to your human form at your leisure." She faced the largest of her followers. "Go ahead. Show her."
The spider gave the arachnid equivalent of a nod. It then began to change, like Arachne's transformation in reverse. The spider's middle legs shrunk into its body as it stood on the back legs. It slowly became more and more human, until its transformation was complete. Now, where there was once a spider, there was a tall, powerful-looking man. Fortunately, he was wearing clothes, but they looked like they belonged in the late 1800s.
"Before Her Majesty, Queen Arachne, found me, I was known as Jack the Ripper," the man said coldly.
"J-Jack the Ripper?" Orihime stuttered in panic. She had read about him. He was a murderer in London, England during 1888. He had killed five innocent people, maybe more, all of whom had been women.
"All of my little friends here all have varying stories," Arachne said. "I have plenty of servants who were once normal people, too, but most of them are known killers, whether they're trained soldiers or coldblooded murderers. But now, they follow me unquestioningly."
Orihime was now trembling much more violently. She was surrounded by hardened killers that were now equipped with natural weapons. She didn't stand a chance. She turned and looked at the cocoon containing Athena. Please, Athena! You have to break free! I can't do this by myself!
-o-
Inside the cocoon, Athena bit her thumb. She had heard every word outside of her prison. If she didn't get out soon, Orihime would become a mindless servant of Arachne. But she couldn't use any of her powers inside that damned cocoon.
Think, think, think, she commanded herself. She thought back to what Arachne had said about the web.
"It's a special type of webbing that I call Imprison," Arachne bragged. "It creates a cocoon around the target, and then becomes harder than even the strongest metals. Originally, it would never have been enough to withhold a god, but Lord Kronos was able to enchant it with his own power. Now, not even a Greek god can escape it."
Wait, Athena thought. No Greek god can escape this thing. She then cursed. Arachne was forcing the goddess to use another power without even knowing it. I just know I'm going to regret this. She closed her eyes and waited.
Well, well, said a woman's voice inside her head. It's been a while since we last spoke, sister dear. How long has it been? Two, three hundred years?
Shut up, Athena told the voice. Normally, I would never want anything to do with you, but right now… Athena took a deep breath. I need your help.
The voice laughed evilly. It's about damn time! You have no idea what it's like being stuck in some stick-up-the-ass broad's mind for who knows how long!
Just don't hurt Orihime. Understand?
Yeah, sure, whatever.
-o-
Orihime was about to just give up out of fear, when suddenly, a massive level of spiritual pressure slammed down on her, Arachne, and all of Arachne's servants. Caught completely off guard, she fell to her knees, eyes wide with shock.
"Wh-what in the world?" she asked shakily. She could feel the spiritual pressure coming from Athena's cocoon. What was happening in there?
"What is this?" Arachne demanded. "She shouldn't be able to release any spiritual power! It's impossible for her to unleash this much!" Just then, the cocoon exploded, releasing a shockwave blazing red energy.
As the energy dissipated, they saw a woman totally different from Athena. Rather than dark hair and storm-gray eyes, the new woman's hair was light brown, almost blonde, and her eyes were a blood-red. She stretched her body, going into some very provocative poses that neither Orihime nor Arachne ever would've expected the goddess to go into.
"Oh, man," the woman said as stretched her back, letting out a light cracking sound. "What a relief. My joints are all stiff after being cooped up for so long."
"Athena?" Orihime asked with a hopeful look. "Is that you? Is that your true form?" The woman gave Orihime a condescending look, making the girl shudder.
"Of course not, you idiot," she said with cocky smirk. "I'm not that goody-two-shoes wannabe of a goddess."
"Then just who the hell are you?" Arachne demanded. The red-eyed woman glared at the spider queen.
"Well, since you asked so nicely," the woman said with obvious sarcasm. "I am Minerva, the Roman Goddess of Wisdom and Battle."
"R-Roman?" Arachne said nervously, her eyes wide. She had only heard of the Roman gods. She had heard how brutal they could be in battle, and how they were alternate incarnations of the Greek gods.
"That's right," Minerva grinned. "So your little 'Imprison' webs won't work on little old me." She reached out into the air and generated a sword from nothing. "Now then. How about we finish this meaningless little waste of time?"