Ares spun around lowering his spear.

"Sister," he said feigning graciousness. "How kind of you to finally join us."

"Your quarrel is with me, Ares. Leave the mortals out of this."

He gave a passing glance back at Nate and nodded, "As you wish."

Blinking several times Nate tried to focus on Elena. He could barely recognize her under that helmet. In this light she gleamed like a goddess. But something about her was different. The way she held herself, he way the shield and spear fit perfectly in her hands. Her head was held high making her look deceptively taller than her petite five foot four frame really was. But the one thing that really got to him was the strange glow about her eyes and the ethereal echo to her voice. He could still hear Elena in there somewhere but there was something more to it, a powerful commanding tone that coated around her voice.

"At first I questioned your choice, sister," Ares said circling her vulture like, "but now I think I understand."

"I doubt it," she answered.

As they continued to argue Marie ducked out of her hiding spot and hurried to Nate. He was crumpled on the floor at the foot of the pillar. She crouched down next to him.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said pushing himself up. "I just hit my head."

"C'mon."

Grabbing his arm she slung it over her shoulder and pulled him to his feet. Together they quickly moved back behind the fallen column. He leaned heavily on her staggering a bit. Lowering himself to the floor he tried to blink his vision back into focus. Finally the fuzz cleared. Using the column for balance he peeked over it watching the debate.

"I am not your enemy," Athena said.

"Not my enemy?" Ares screamed. "Not my enemy? For centuries you have been just that! Always looking down on me from your noble perch, staking unwarranted claims in my territory!"

"Is that was this is about?" she asked voice tremoring with anger. "You summoned me here to settle your petty jealousies at sharing a title?"

"Enough talk!" he shouted. "Silence your forked tongue, sister. You would use your words as weapons; now let me show you mine!"

A bronze helmet with blood red plumage appeared in his hand. He placed it on his head and conjured a gleaming shield to match. They both gleamed magnificently, Athena pale and blue, Ares harsh and red. He brandished his spear. The tips winked dangerously in the firelight.

"Have it your way," she said striking a fighting stance.

With fearsome screams they ran at each other colliding in a flash of metal and fabric. The spears and shield clashed hard against each other neither yielding an inch. They danced and spun not missing a beat, bending and clashing in ways that seeming inhumanly possible. Athena drew back leaving herself open for a split second. Taking the advantage Ares slammed his shield against hers knocking her off balance. He struck quickly slicing her across the shoulder. Gasping Nate lurched forward. Marie grabbed his shoulder pulling him back.

"No, wait," she whispered.

Clenching his teeth he sat back and watched brow furrowing.

"You'll have to do better than that, sister," Ares sneered.

Athena looked at the cut and the blood running down her arm. She drew her fingers across it then with a sharp flick of her wrist splattered the blood across the floor. Her face was set in a stone hard mask of battle eyes glittering dangerously.

"Brute force will only get you so far," she stated raising her shield.

She charged him and they met again in a glittering clash of arms. After drawing first blood his moves were sloppy and over confident. She quickly knocked back his weak defenses and drove in her strike carving away a section of his armor. Her spear tip came back red. His face turned the same shade as she grinned at him tauntingly.

Yelling in frustration he charged her. She side stepped him and slapped him across the back with the broad side of her spearhead. He stumbled forward a few steps before catching his balance then spun back around. Face even redder he charged again. He struck hard and fast using far too much of his energy with each blow. Despite the power his form was terrible; he was too blinded by rage to truly think about what he was doing. Athena deflected blow after blow with ease, bouncing them off her shield, knocking them astray with her spear. She could calculate his every move. He came at her and she side stepped him again tripping him over the shaft of her spear. Catching himself again he spun around huffing furiously.

"Stand still and fight like a man!" he shouted.

"Why on Earth would I do that?" she blinked. "You may be the God of War but you forget, brother, I am the Goddess of Battle Strategy. You start wars, I end them."

His face went such a shade of red that it was practically purple. Raising his spear he charged her one last time. Athena held her ground waiting. At the last possible moment she dropped to her knees bending backwards. The spear's tip grazed so close it could have split a hair but missed her. Jumping back up, she swung out a leg swiping Ares' feet right out from underneath him. He crashed hard onto his stomach spear skittering several yards away but his shield was still strapped to his arm. Athena snapped and the conjured items vanished. He rolled onto his back and found Athena standing over him. She pinned him down with her spear pressing it into his neck. It was millimeters of pressure away from breaking skin.

"Give up, Ares," she said. "You've lost this one."

"Never!" he spat. "I will never give up!"

"Accept your defeat," she said. "This need not end any messier than it has to."

"Go on, finish it, sister!" he goaded. "You'll never be rid of me otherwise."

She stared him down blue-gray eyes gleaming dangerously. For years he'd been this way, a tyrant and a bully starting wars amongst the mortals for his own amusement. Would a world without his corrupting influence be so bad? Ares read the apprehension in his eyes.

"Do it!" he shouted. "Prove once and for all that you really are no better than the rest of us!"

Her grip tightened on the spear knuckles going white. She glared at him through squinted eyes eyebrows knitting together. She knew he was never going to stop unless she stopped him. He was leaving her with no other option. She gripped the spear even tighter and pulled it back preparing to strike.

"STOP!"

The powerful voice thundered through the cavernous room making the walls tremor. More rock and rubble rained down from the shuddering ceiling as a large churning cloud started to form at its peak. As it grew a coarse wind lashed about the chamber extinguishing many of the torches. Lightning flashed through the cloud illuminating the room in its blue glow. Loud daunting footsteps echoed through the chamber. None of them were expecting their source.

Elias stepped out of the shadows tall and proud looming over the rest of them. His footsteps landed with firm surety despite his ankle. He had the same mysterious glow to his eyes as Elena. They all stood speechless rooted on the spot. He stared them down cloud rumbling distantly.

Ares and Athena stared at him faces cast in a mix of shock and fear. Athena instantly withdrew her spear and faced him at attention head bowed forward. He walked toward them unflinchingly as lightning struck at his feet leaving large black scorch marks on the floor. The third strike left a large electrifying staff in his hand. Its blue glow illuminated them all in its eerie light.

"Father," the rivals said.

He stared them down disapprovingly with scalding eyes.

"You both are a disgrace," he said power rumbling through his voice like thunder. "Look at you, squabbling like children. What have you to say to yourselves?"

"Ares summoned me here," Athena said calmly. "I fought him only because he left me no other choice. I had to stop him before he caused any more damage."

"And what have you to say, Ares?" Elias demanded.

"She is the disgrace!" Ares spat. "Goddess of War! Ha! It is laughable to even call her the goddess of wisdom! She had no more wisdom than a baby and yet you favor her!"

"And for this you almost destroyed our world?"

"Your world is crumbling, old fool!" Ares cackled. "Your walls will come down and the ancient ways will end. The skies will have a new master!"

"You have forgotten your place," Elias said eye blazing dangerously. "It is time I put you back in it."

Elias slammed his staff against the ground. A bolt of lightning arched from the dark churning cloud sizzling through the air. It struck the ground inches away from his chest. The air was filled with the scent of singed leather.

"You can't kill me!" Ares called fear rising in his voice.

"No, I can't," Elias said calmly. "But I can do something much worse."

Elias thrust a hand forward releasing a crackling ball of light towards Ares. It struck him square in the chest burning him straight through. He screamed writhing on the floor as light poured out of his eye and mouth. A long moment later the light went out and Ares shakily pushed himself to his knees. He looked horrified at his tremoring hands.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I liberated you of your godhood," Elias stated simply. "Perhaps a few centuries in the mortal realm will teach you your place."

"You can't do that!" he said.

"It's already done."

"But, Father…"

"Silence!" Elias commanded thunder rumbling through the room.

He slammed his staff down and a bolt of lightning flew from its tip. It struck Ares flinging him across the room. He disappeared into the rubble. Elias turned to Athena face softening. He put a finger under her chin drawing her face upward.

"You have done well, daughter."

He smiled as the lightning about ceased. His staff fizzled out and the cloud started to dissipate. Elias swayed forward dropping to his knees. Marie rushed out to help him. Nate and Ryan were slower to follow.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Ugh… what happened?" He groaned clutching his forehead.

"I think you were possessed by Zeus," Marie explained.

"Me?" he scoffed. "Why me? Why not him?"

He nodded towards Nate. Marie grinned.

"Maybe you're stronger than you think," she said.

Nate was frozen a few steps back. His eyes followed Elena watching her every move. She had walked back to the statue of Athena and was placing the artifacts back on the raised platform at her feet. She removed the helm and shook out her helmet squashed hair. He jogged half way across the room then hesitated slowly approaching her.

"Elena?" he asked tentatively.

She whipped around nearly searing him through with her steely eyes. But her look softened when she saw it was him. Slowly she shook her head.

"Athena?"

"Hello, Nathan," she said calmly swiping a stray hair out of her eyes.

Nate swallowed hard. Athena had removed the artifacts and yet she was still in there; her ethereal voice still coated Elena's with shimmering tones. Athena misread the fear in his eyes.

"Do not be afraid," she said softly. "I am not my brother, I will not harm you."

Nate swallowed the dry lump in his throat and found his voice again, "What about Elena?"

"Do not worry," she answered eyes going wide with understanding. "She is still in here. I would never do to her what my brother did to that poor boy."

She stepped closer to him observing him. He did the same. Even though she had Elena's face he could tell she was a completely different person. There was something subtle in the way she moved, in the way expressions manifested on her face that was just ever so slightly off. When he looked into her eyes he was looking at a stranger. Her eyes curious backed with a strange sort of yearning. Slowly she reached out a hand and placed it on his chest as if to feel his heartbeat.

"Her feelings for you are strong," Athena said. "Stronger than she'd like to admit."

With a shuddering sigh she turned away coming back to herself.

"Human emotions," she said. "How easily they transfix the mind."

Nate couldn't stand it anymore. He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around.

"What about Elena!" he asked again.

She gazed over to the pile of rubble Ares had disappeared into and back to Nate eyes clearing.

"You're right," she nodded. "My presence here is no longer needed. I will return her to you."

She leaned forward both hands pressed against his chest. He heard a few joints crack as he went up onto her toes. Even though he knew it wasn't technically Elena he found himself leaning back. In the split second before their lips would have touched she slumped forward. He caught her and cradled her to his chest. A few extraordinarily long moments later she finally stirred eyes flickering open. She pushed herself back from his chest looking up at him. He racked the mess of wavy blonde hair out of her face as she blinked her eyes back into focus.

"Nate?" she asked.

"Elena?"

"Oh, Nate!"

She leapt forward into his arms burying her face in his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her hugging her close. Closing his eyes he rested his face against her hair. It was moments like these that made him never want to let go, to hold on forever knowing she was right there safe in his arms. If moments like these were all he ever had that would be enough.

"For a minute there I thought I'd lost you," he whispered into her hair.

"So did I," she admitted. "So did I."

He pulled out of the hug eyebrows knitting together. His face was a mixture of humor and seriousness.

"From now on you let me be the hero, okay?"

She laughed, smiling, "Agreed."