AN:
And we're back with more Athena POV. As per usual with my stories, we have our first drawn-out fight here.
Also, I agree with the others. Athena, while fun, is insanely difficult to write.
In other news: I'm currently sick, therefore I had time to edit and push out this chapter early. Enjoy semi-anonymous internet friends.
Special Thanks goes to Asdf0789.
"You know 'Thena, I still think Dionysus got a good deal in a way," Apollo said with a forlorn sigh. The sun god was sprawled out like a lazy cat on the arena stands. "He gets to have the most connection to the kids. I'd kill if it meant seeing my children every day. But nooooo— If I fuck up, I get turned mortal and worked to the bone!"
"You could try staying on Father's good side," Came Artemis' curt reply as she performed a stretch.
Athena acknowledged her brother brought up a good point, even if it was in a fit of petulance. Every once in a while, she too thought about the paradox known as Camp Half-Blood. Demigods were arguably the most important asset of their pantheon. However…
She was far from playing the fool.
"And why is it yours? Why not the adults who looked away and let the festering underbelly of society get to this point? The League of Villains' main members were all children who slipped through the cracks and were denied help by those capable. Shouldn't the adults be the ones to bear the burden since they created the cause?"
The words the purple-haired sniper uttered echoed in her mind. They didn't yet have a complete grasp of the situation here or else they would have recognized the irony in their words. But it wasn't lost on her.
It was clear resentment was brewing and bubbling from both perceived and actual mistreatment. Most of the time it was loyalty and responsibility—not love, that kept those like Perseus Jackson fighting on their side. Even Annabeth could be considered one of the children "who slipped through the cracks". It was a sobering thought.
Should they take an active guiding hand going forward?
Perhaps her father knew what he was doing by stationing Dionysus here. Teenage mental anguish fell in his wheelhouse after all.
Was he cognizant of the importance of his position?
"You know that I would be more than happy to take your place here if you need it, sis," Apollo countered. He adjusted himself into a semi-proper sitting position and his tone went soft. "You've lost someone important to you. I think you should take some time for yourself. Be with the hunt."
Oh.
Did she come off as insensitive to Artemis' plight?
"No. I've made my peace," Artemis said. Athena caught a minute quiver of the voice that indicated she wasn't entirely truthful. "My hunt understands that life is fleeting and ephemeral. During wartime, we are Olympus' covert ops. Things happen. It is best to keep one's mind moving."
"So…you're using this exercise as an excuse to not think about it? Talk about percussive therapy. I feel bad for Midori."
Midori… He's already taken a liking to him.
"He fought on even ground against Atlas. I'm sure he can handle a fraction of what I have to throw at him."
"Again. Poor kid."
"Keep going and I'll take out my fury on you."
"So you admit you're upset."
Spurred on by their conversation, the cogs in Athena's mind turned to the anomaly unexpectedly thrust upon them.
The foreigner.
From what she observed he seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Jackson. Reckless heroism met rash bravery blended alongside an occasional lack of self-preservation. To top it off, they both had more power than they could reasonably contain. The main distinguishing factor between the two is that Izuku Midoriya had the benefit of a full-time formal setting to train and hone his power under guidance compared to Jackson's two-and-a-half months every summer. The green-haired boy effectively had nineteen more months of experience on Jackson.
Would it prove wise to leave the two in prolonged close proximity?
Could a Fujiwara effect happen? The result could be devastating or bountiful.
The prospect of observing them in a controlled environment certainly echoed in her mind.
"I'm just happy Thena has found a new toy to play with." Athena lingered on Apollo's words more than she would have liked. He made her sound just as callous as the others. Would they deem it to be a cardinal sin to be interested in knowledge? Knowledge equaled power and these two foreigners might provide a glimpse into how mortals might evolve. Finding the appropriate way to deal with it now would be a major boon rather than risk it all over her father and relatives' pride and arrogance.
Almost like a sentinel, Athena went through her own routine while the twins bickered about one thing or another. Such inane banter wasn't her style.
The children eventually started to trickle in.
Apollo's came first, more interested in spending time with their parent than anything else combat-related. Together they chatted amicably about current song idols and fashion trends.
Ares' spawn came next. The promise of a fight and a chance to size up the newcomer was too good to pass up.
For the same reasons, Demeter's children came next. Oddly, this generation of her children felt the need to 'reap' when it came to combat. That was both good and bad in Athena's opinion. They were perhaps the most powerful outside of Thalia Grace and Percy Jackson.
Artemis' hunters came next and purposely sat on the opposite side away from the campers. Their expressions were sullen yet excited over the prospect of watching their patron fight earnestly.
Bringing up the rear were Dionysus' twin sons, sensing prime entertainment.
After that came her daughter, accompanied by Jackson and Grace, two children of Hephaestus, and a daughter of Aphrodite. Athena noticed Annabeth carrying Midoriya's backpack as they pushed their way into the stands.
Finally, the duo of interest showed up. Deku stepped into the arena in full costume, faced them, and adjusted his mask. Nagant took her place a little behind them, eyeing the stands warily. Those in the stands looked at them with varying emotions ranging from intrigue to marvel, to slight cowardice at Deku's demonic-like appearance.
His transformation in demeanor was just as dramatic to match his appearance. Dark sclera with green irises studied both Athena and Artemis cautiously, his previous timidity and nervousness nowhere to be found.
"Welcome to the arena." Athena offered as a greeting. "I won't waste time putting on theatrics; this is a combat assessment test."
Despite what she had said, Apollo pointed his finger up and shot fireworks emphatically into the sky.
Athena sighed and then snapped her fingers. Two pairs of celestial bronze handcuffs appeared in all of their hands. Artemis twirled hers around her fingers in glee. Nagant immediately put hers in her utility belt. "As appropriate to your prior background, we will fight until an hour has passed, one side concedes, rendered unable to continue, or is captured via the handcuffs I have given you. Do not bother holding back, that is why we're your opponents rather than the campers. Do you agree to the terms?"
Deku slipped his handcuffs into a pouch and nodded while Nagant blew an errant strand of hair out of her face.
Athena hefted her shield and banged the butt of her spear on the ground. "Then the first move belongs to you."
Deku didn't hesitate as he slammed his fist into the ground. A thick pink smoke enveloped the entire area. Athena raised her shield defensively as her vision became obscured.
This is biologically produced. It's way too thick to be a simple canister. Still… I wonder if he used it specifically to avoid being affected by Aegis.
"Hey! I thought this was a fight, not a concert! It's not polite to blind the audience with the fog machine! We want to see what happens backstage dammit!"
Athena ignored Apollo's jeering as she stepped into the smokescreen. To her left she heard Artemis grunt and kick out of the way of something, then a sharp whooshing sound followed. In the stands, she heard the crowd react in amazement.
She raised her shield right when a concentrated form of Blackwhip impacted it right in the thickness part. A second strand came from her right and when she raised her shield to block that too, it took a 90-degree turn and aimed for her back instead. She whirled around in defense only for a third strand to burst from the ground in the shape of a chain.
Left with no other option, Athena jumped back lest she wanted to find out firsthand if plasma was conducive to that bio-electricity he gave off.
She moved ducked and dodged as chain after chain made grabs for her spear or ankles. She calculated the trajectory of the attacks and hopped toward his predicted position, but the gap never closed. Throwing her spear blindly was out of the question when she couldn't reliably retrieve it.
That's when the first gunshot went off.
*BANG*
Athena waited to hear and feel the sound of an impact.
And waited.
It seemed as if the battlefield itself was holding its breath
Suddenly she heard Artemis grunt in pain and Athena had a split second to tense as a shadow came flying at her. With godly reflexes, Artemis kicked off her shield like a cat. She bared her knives as she sliced through two more bullets while a third curved at an impossible angle. Athena dashed to her sister and intercepted the bullet with her shield before it could hit a vital point.
"Yo! Sounds like someone is getting shot to Hades in that smoke cloud! How are they even seeing in there? Boy, I wish we could! Do you have any words or tidbits you want to share with the campers, Chiron?"
"A smokescreen is a clever tactic against a known archer like Lady Artemis. Usually, the sword cuts both ways and hinders your own vision, so we typically don't encourage it for team combat, but it seems one side has a way of detection. Also, where did you get a functioning loudspeaker system from?"
Light laughter could be heard from a few of the campers at Chiron's valid question.
"God of acoustics, baby~! No really, my children have been commissioning the Hephaestus cabin for it in preparation for our summer rap-poetry sessions!"
The laughter turned to groans posthaste.
"Are you okay?" Athena asked as they calmly went back-to-back.
"Just a flesh wound." Her sister grunted and dug an object out of her wrist then turned it over in her hand. It was a pink and purple drill-shaped bullet.
"It's hair," Artemis said. "It's hair compressed and hardened into ammunition."
"We have no confirmation on either the firing method, range, or how she controls the bullet," Athena stated.
The two goddesses rotated to each other's position, blocking a bullet and freezing a tendril of Blackwhip. The frozen edge broke off and the tendril resumed circling them akin to a viper at their heels.
"He's annoying as well," Artemis said, batting a chain away. "He plays the distraction and crowd control while she lines up the kill shot."
"Is it no surprise they've learned to work as a team? They have been relying on each other for a while now." Athena reasoned, covering Artemis' side when another highly concentrated shot of Blackwhip burst through the smoke. The power behind the attack forced the two of them back.
"To hell with this," Artemis growled, crouching down. "I'm not playing on defense anymore. Give me a boost."
Athena did as she was asked and slung her shield upwards, her sister hitching a ride midway through the motion. She then used the shield as a platform for a double jump allowing her to ascend beyond the smoke cloud.
"Wow! Little Sis has jumped above the cloud line for some fresh air!"
"Not your little sister!"
"And now she's throwing knives at us!"
"Just you!"
"A quick reminder that Mt Olympus and all Olympus subsidiaries are not responsible for any accidental maiming and/or disfigurement and/or dismemberment."
"Ow! Toda vez que isso acontece é apenas comigo! Por que eu uso essa bandana?"
"Mr. Solace, please take Mr. Montes to the infirmary to reattach his finger…"
Right after Chiron's comment, a cold wave of air pressed down on the area and dissipated the smoke.
"The smoke clears and we see Deku just standing there…Menacingly!"
Athena supposed Apollo was right. The ragged costume, the fierce glare, and the cannon-like gloves pointed at her were sure to make most think twice about engaging.
"Where's your partner?" Artemis asked as she landed in a cat-like fashion. Athena scanned the arena and saw no trace of Nagant.
"You never said we have to stay in the arena." Deku then started flicking his fingers and assaulted them with pressurized blasts of air. Artemis lept behind her as Athena raised her shield to guard.
Athena had to admit the blasts had an unnatural weight to them. She was vaguely reminded of fighting one of the four winds, or perhaps Aeolus himself. Each flick of the finger sounding like a cannon shot.
Nevertheless, the pair ignored the oohs as they pressed his position. Deku started strafe, occasionally throwing superhuman jumps in the mix forcing them to keep adjusting their positions. To add to the chaos Blackwhip resumed its relentless assault.
"Ladies, gents, and that technicolor rainbow in between, it seems Deku is keeping our favorite Olympian warrior goddesses pinned down. What will they do?!"
The crowd which had grown thanks to Apollo raucously cheered at the spectacle.
"Suppression fire and misdirection. Almost like he's multiple people at once." Artemis said.
"Hm. I wonder if that's actually the case," Athena readied her spear into a proper throwing position. "Be a decoy for me, I want to perform a stress test."
Artemis spit off to the side. "Fine, but you owe me if I get captured."
Her sister darted out from behind her and weaved through the barrage of projectiles. Her knives slid into her hands and she lunged.
Blackwhip dug in the ground and extended the teen into the air to avoid the attack like a giant pair of arms playing keep away.
"Air Force!"
He flipped and performed a kick with enough force to create a strong gust of wind to send Artemis back to the ground with a loud crack and the ground spiderwebbing underneath her. Two strands of Blackwhip lashed out from the underneath the ground and wrapped around her, trapping the moon goddess. For good measure, an impeccably timed bullet broke apart into four pieces and pinned her clothes to the ground.
There.
Athena had shuffled around to where his back was to her, still recoiling from the kick. She threw the spear at him with enough force to kill any mortal man. The crowd sucked in their breath when Deku reared his glowing red arm back without looking and caught the weapon. Smoke came from his gloves as he stopped the rotation right before it impacted his head. He wheeled around to face her, huffing from exertion as he dropped the weapon.
"Holy Schmoly! Does this man have steel for arms? Are we looking at the next Robocop!?"
"Impressive. For a mortal." Athena praised. "Your strength compares to that of Heracles. Shall we end the warm-up and as the children say: Kick it up a notch?"
"Warm-up?!"
Deku had a split second to react when both Athena charged in and Artemis used Ice magic to break free of her restraints.
Athena scooped up her spear and delivered a flurry of thrusts alongside Artemis who jumped and slashed at him ceaselessly. Deku dodged and contorted his body out of the way of the strikes with inhuman instincts. Those he couldn't avoid, he parried using Blackwhip and his gauntlets. It wasn't perfect, they grazed him on roughly one out of every four attempts.
Artemis rounded to his other side in an attempt to sandwich him, but he forced his arms downward and a burst of green energy came from his palms and pushed himself upward and to safety. He reeled his arm back and launched two strands of Blackwhip that latched onto the edge of the area.
Nodding to them in acknowledgement he flung himself out of the arena, narrowly avoiding Artemis pouncing on him, the ground shaking where she impacted. He used the surrounding facilities to swing himself further into the camp.
"Stay and fight, coward!"
"Die like a man!"
The Ares campers jeered at the decision to retreat while the others hooted and hollered. Athena personally thought it was a sound tactical decision.
"And Spider-Man swings his way to freedom! That kid is more slippery than a politician!"
An ear-to-ear blood-thirsty grin threatened to split Artemis' face and she lowered her stance. For a second, Athena thought she would change into a cheetah and give chase. Her hunters were cheering her to a frenzy at the prospect of a hunt.
She turned back at Athena with a hot glare when she pulled her arm, not allowing her to dash off.
"I'll go after the boy. You handle the sniper," Athena said sternly.
Artemis sent hot daggers her way. "I want to hunt him down. This promises to be the best chase I've had since Hermes when he 'accidentally' caused the Spanish Flu! Consider this the debt that–"
"-Will be repaid at another time," Athena emphasized leaving no room for argument. "Father put me in charge, and this is what I deem necessary. Now go."
For a split second her sister's auburn hair turned dark. The rebellious Diana almost came to the forefront no doubt due to the foreigner's conflicting ideals of who they were. In response, Minerva was almost there too instead of Athena, but they both quickly regained control. No need to risk civil war alongside a neo-Titanomachy.
"Go," Athena repeated herself.
The bloodlust faded off her sister's face, replaced by rationality once again. She dashed and jumped in the air, taking the form of a large falcon as she flew toward the Northern Woods. Following her lead, Athena shifted into a great horned owl and gave chase to Deku.
"The hunt is on folks! Unfortunately, we have no way to watch it, so that's the end of the show!"
"Please return to your regular schedules, campers."
The annoyed awws of the children barely registered in her mind as she homed in on her target.
—X—
"Thought I was going to die…" Deku mumbled quietly to himself. Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck as he swung from building to building, the grazes on his sides stinging from the air rushing over them.
Danger Sense blared like a Klaxon siren in his head for a second after he left the arena. Thankfully it calmed down, but it never went below a buzzing sensation.
"The worst part is that we can't pinpoint the danger," Hikage said, his vestige flying beside him.
"I personally think the worst part is that we couldn't even find the space to throw a punch." Banjo said, "It was a complete shut-out."
"Doesn't matter. Danger Sense is the only thing keeping me in this fight. If I want to live, I have to find a way to win."
"We could leave," En suggested. "Fa-Jin Gear Shift Float and we could be out of New York in seconds! You cleared Honshu; this would be child's play."
"And run where?!" Izuku said. "If they truly are gods, then running is pointless. I'm not going to leave Tsutumi behind either, that isn't an option."
Kudo appeared and sneered at him. "Isn't that what you've been doing—Running from everyone who's tried to help you and run beside you?"
"Shut up!"
"Your Mother. 1-A. The Pro Heros… All Might."
"I said, shut up!"
"Second, I think you should–"
"No Seventh, he needs to hear this. AFO and Shigiraki are your obsession now; your Moby Dick, Ahab. In a way, you're no different from him. Say you make it back to our Japan, then what happens? You sacrifice yourself and the world becomes sunshine and rainbows?"
"I said quiet!" The vestiges disappeared and Izuku concentrated on trying to maneuver through the camp.
"You know many consider talking to yourself a sign of insanity." Izuku's face froze in shock, and he slowly turned his head to see a giant owl, easily larger than a man, flying next to him keeping perfect pace. Its huge yellow eyes reflected the haunting image of himself back at him. "But in your case, it seems like a genuine introspection. Perhaps an argument? Sounded like it. But with who? What's Danger Sense? I have an inkling based on the name alone. Would you care to enlighten me?"
Giant owl…? Crap, it's Athena! How didn't Danger Sense detect her?!
He jumped off Cabin 4 avoiding the plants that sprang up and tried to grab his leg, forcing him to use Blackwhip to hack away at them. While he was distracted, Athena flapped a giant wing and sent a gale-force wind that impacted his chest. The air left his chest when he slammed on the hard roof of Cabin 6, cracking it underneath him.
Athena rose into the sky and blocked out the sun, with a harsh ear-splitting screech she dive bombed him.
Izuku clutched the edge of the roof and jerked his body up into a handstand right when Athena landed. Pushing off, he flipped and brought his leg down in a heavy axe kick on her spine that sent them through the marble roof. They fell impossibly far down from what the cabin would suggest.
He coughed and rolled out of the bunk bed he landed on. The debris had yet to settle when a pair of giant hands grabbed him off the floor. "Collateral property damage in my own cabin," A five-meter-tall Athena bellowed as she brought him to eye level and squeezed, making him cry out. "That isn't very heroic. If I wasn't fighting you, I'd consider it blasphemous and heretical. Do you think we have our own version of Damage Control? Don't make that face. Yes, I know about Marvel Comic books, my children end up as writers and editors after all. I would be remiss as their mother if I didn't keep up with their endeavors good or bad, or simply inane. But why am I telling you this? You don't look very heroic right now."
She moved her thumbs over his head and pressed down. Izuku summoned every ounce of his power to resist. "Let. Me. Go!"
Blackwhip rose to protect his head while he forced her fingers apart. Once he had his torso free he unleashed a blast of Fa-Jin from his chest that freed him. She tried to spike him to the ground in retaliation, but he flew upwards and knocked her hand away.
He used Blackwhip to grab the sides of her Corinthian helmet and launch himself at one of her giant gray eyes, but she blocked him with her hand. She then slapped him where he crashed into a bookcase and fell to the ground.
"All I see is a lost little boy who has more power than he knows what to do with. A child playing superhero—complete with spandex," She taunted while using her sandaled foot to sweep him across the room like a dust bunny. Izuku struggled to find a grip, his clawed hand gouging out a groove in the floor. "All For One? Forget it. I doubt a mere child is a match for him no matter how many powers you have."
"We just met today, don't pretend you know anything about me!" Izuku's anger flared and he rocketed forward. He thrust his fist and delivered a jet of Smokescreen to her face obscuring her view. He then zoomed behind her knee and executed a spinning kick to her joint, forcing her down to one knee.
"Who said I was pretending?" Athena used her forearm to block a kick to the side of her head, then grabbed Izuku's leg, and threw him against a bunk bed, the metal frame caving around his body like a wet issue. "It is my job to gather information. You may not have explicitly told me, but I already have the general picture on everything about you."
Blackwhip tethered Izuku to a wall and yanked him out of the way as Athena suddenly shrunk and a finely woven net shot from under her sleeve. "See? You're not the only one who can borrow from Spider-Man despite being unable to produce silk."
"This is insane! She's toying with you, kiddo!" Nana said.
Athena then transformed into a giant Aegean Cat and pounced on him forcing him back to the ground. The foundation of the cabin rattled from the impact. For a second Izuku feared the rest of the building would come down on top of them.
"Literally!" Bruce added.
"You want to hear my theory?" She purred almost sickly sweet. "I think you inherited your power. There is an eighty-percent chance it came from the All Might guy we saw on the hologram."
Izuku grunted and tried to push her off, but it was useless. She hissed at him and pressed down with her paws, the entire floor cracked in a spider-web fashion beneath him. A cry of pain involuntarily left his throat, and the inside of his rebreather splattered with blood.
I thought this was a test…But she seems like she actually doesn't care if she kills me!
"I have a rough understanding that quirks are genetic thanks to your partner. So how does a couple with Fire Breath and Small Object Telekinesis produce a child who exhibits by my count five distinct abilities? Your punnett square doesn't add up even if we count for recessive genes and mutations. You make a mockery of my son Reginald's life work."
He sank a series of punches in her ribcage like a boxer trying to escape a clinch. The force behind the blows was strong enough to send the maps and books flying around the cabin, but he might as well have been hitting wet cement by her lack of reaction. Her fur was too thick. In response her claws pressed into him, puncturing the fabric of his costume.
"Blackwhip."
"Enhanced strength and speed."
"Smokescreen."
"Danger Sense."
"Flight."
Athena emphasized every point by making a forceful biscuit against his chest. "How many more secrets do you hold, Izuku Midoryia?"
"What's your game?" Izuku spat out, trying to keep struggling so he could charge Fa-Jin.
Athena blinked at him curiously as if he had asked what color the sky was. Her slit pupils dilated and she thrust her face close to his own. "My game…? I am Pallas Athena, Is it not obvious that I–"
"Mother?!"
Annabeth was standing in the door frame along with Percy and Thalia. All three were looking at the destruction and carnage across the cabin in undisguised shock and awe.
"Holy shit! I didn't know your mom could turn into a cat!" Percy whispered.
Izuku saw his chance. He flooded the area using Smokescreen and then used Blackwhip to grab Athena by the tail. She yowled in pain and got off him.
Now freed, he then flew across the room and air-tackled her, throwing her into a wall where another bookcase fell on her. While she was dazed, he ascended out of the now non-existent ceiling and fled.
Nagant was worried about Deku, which was saying a lot since the HPSC had trained the love and care out of her. Tartarus had claimed empathy and sympathy.
Izuku Midoriya restored all that and more in her.
Dammit, he made her believe in the concept of heroes again.
That's why seeing him run himself ragged in this strange world of yokai and kami was concerning. She was conflicted, but she leaned toward stopping in New York and mooching off their new friends' hospitality, if for his sake rather than hers.
After the orientation video, she understood the fundamental necessity of a training entity like Camp Half-Blood. However, that was for peacetime. She wasn't too privy to Greek mythology, but Atlas not being under the sky spelled war.
War was waged with soldiers.
Who more convenient than a batch of people wielding strange and varied powers who were already trained to put the pointy end of a sword in the enemy?
Should she really be sticking her nose in an issue that didn't involve her?
The reality is that they might wind up being impressed like the sailors of old.
Kaina stowed those thoughts away as she scampered above the forest treeline running across the air as if it was no different from the ground.
Down below she could see a lot of things, far more than the average person even without her scope.
Two boys playing next to a pair of geysers.
Huge ants carrying a fuckton of gold and jewelry to their nest.
A leafy dome that had an unearthly attractive woman in hippie wear sitting cross legged on top of it while drinking her tea. She waved warmly to Kaina as she passed by, but when she looked again the space was empty.
More importantly, the two goddesses had turned into birds and splintered off. The owl went to chase Midoriya, while the falcon beelined to where she had fired her last shot.
She had a feeling that would be the case. The whole match Kaina made it a point to say mobile. She could control the shots all she liked, but the initial directions gave away the origin point. She didn't hold any doubt that an archery goddess divined her roost in an instant.
She released Air Walk and dropped below the canopy right when Artemis reached her last perch near the river. Silently landing on a branch below she slapped a device on the trunk of the tree and jumped to another branch.
It was a remote noise device.
On detonation, it would trigger a loud noise of her choosing to potentially draw in the target.
Normally she'd use it in conjunction with remote C4, or her fan-favorite rubber duck bombs, but Kaina knew it wouldn't win her any brownie points. She saw young girls dart in and out of trees.
Dryads they called them?
Either way, Izuku and the camp at large wouldn't appreciate it if she accidentally killed one or two of them with an explosive.
Being a hero was so fucking annoying. Damn Izuku Midoriya for making her care about inane crap like collateral damage again.
Once she got far enough away, she reached into her utility belt and pressed the activation button.
*BANG*
Within seconds a falcon appeared at the source of the noise. Kaina sighed and pulled her hair. Before Orthys, her hair went to her mid-back, now it barely qualified as shoulder length. She needed to wrap this up quickly.
She rolled the follicles in her fingers, and it formed a standard armor-piercing round. She fed the bullet to her palm and hyper-extended the barrel of her sniper rifle.
"Tell me: What has that man done to deserve such unwavering loyalty?"
Nagant paused in squeezing the trigger. She leaned down and whispered to her quirk. Finally pulling the trigger, a purple streak crossed the forest and hit the falcon right in the breast. The moon goddess crashed through the branches as the force of the shot carried her violently through the trees; the bullet spoke her pre-recorded message as it did.
"Because I want to believe in his dream. I want to see his dream come to fruition. A dream I once long considered dead. I wanted to change our society but I failed. As a result, I foolishly sought solace in a future ruled by a single man for the simple fact the old foundation of our world would be reduced to dust."
Artemis managed to shake off the shell and recover, huffing as a small trail of ichor trailed from her beak. Kaina clicked her tongue. Her highest power shot got tanked that easily.
"Then leave that society," Artemis said, flying to her location. "There's no harm in running away and living off the grid."
A scattershot impacting her wings suddenly halted Artemis' advance. "Been there, done that. I'm tired of running away. For some dumbass reason, he believes in me. He thinks my eyes and experience can help him on his journey. For that, I'll stay by his side until he says otherwise. Now give up already so we can live, you oversized chicken!"
The entire atmosphere of the forest changed when Artemis righted herself once again. The shadows became longer, and the air turned cold. Even the act of breathing felt oppressive and taxing. Kaina wondered if Izuku was currently experiencing something similar.
"Fine then… Prepare for me to come at you with the full force of the hunt!"
Despite the overwhelming pressure, Kaina let a genuine smile grace her face. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The goddess transformed into a human again and landed on a branch. A bow appeared in her hands and at an unreal speed an entire volley of arrows had been launched.
Kaina dove for cover but then saw the arrows knocked into each other adjusting their trajectory. She was forced to jump, flip, and cartwheel out of the way as the arrows hit every place she had occupied previously.
AWOOOO
Her head jerked when a huge white wolf came out of the underbrush, jaws extended.
Guess I have to resort to drastic measures.
Kaina rotated her body and shrunk the barrel of her gun to where it barely extended out of her palm and fired. Without an input of hair or ammo, she was essentially firing blanks, but the strong concussive blast served the purpose of what she wanted to do.
"Sorry doggies, but I'm not on the menu!"
The resulting blast launched her barely out of reach of the wolf. Unfortunately, its packmates launched at her her next using the presumed leader as a footstool.
In a panic, Kaina summoned an air platform, jumped, and then fired again doing a double jump to put herself out of reach.
The split second she got away, she felt a sharp, piercing impact on her side. An arrow made of ice jutted out of her abdomen. The frost quickly spread across her body, the chill seeping into her bones. She fell forward off her platform from momentum but kept her senses and fired again propelling herself to where she landed on a branch.
She muffled her gasp of pain when she gripped her side to inspect the damage. Removing it would be foolish. She would have to fight on while wounded.
Reaching into her belt she pulled out a spool of bladed wire and a knife. She quickly wrapped some of her hair around the wire and fed it to her palm. She fired one shot, then a second, and then a third. The wire attached to the bullet formed a sectioned-off fence that would hopefully keep the predators off.
"If I can hear you… You're in range!"
Kaina didn't have to wait long to see that theory put to the test when she heard the clanking of two arrows colliding, then a second impact hit her on the exact opposite side of the first. The arrow sent her off her branch and crashing to the ground. A ways away she saw her opponent hop from branch to branch rapidly closing in. She hastily loaded a special cartridge and fired.
A thick pink smoke filled the area. It was her trump card. While in San Francisco, Deku had filled a cartridge with Smokescreen and gave it to her. A last resort if they got separated. She hoped it would buy more time as she stumbled through the forest, weighed down by her wounds.
Kaina gritted her teeth when a series of quill-like feathers found its mark in her back causing her to cough up blood and Artemis in falcon form burst out of the smoke.
The goddess flapped her wings and another dozens of bladed feathers shot from her. Kaina dove behind a log for cover. A good number of feathers impacted the wood behind her and pierced through, thankfully missing her body.
Kaina looked up and saw the young childlike goddess standing on a bough above her peering down at her. Her arm was bleeding freely with golden blood, not that she seemed to care. No. Kaina held her undivided attention.
Crap, I guess the jig is up…
"As we theorized," Artemis stated. "Your little slip-up earlier proved beneficial for us. A gun for an arm and hair for ammunition. Personally, I think a bow should be the standard for any self-respecting sniper, but I suppose we play the cards we are dealt."
Kaina sneered. "Sorry to disappoint. Don't take it personally; I tend to do that a lot."
Artemis bounced to another branch avoiding a shot from Nagant's gun. "Who did you disappoint? I want to understand."
"Why? Are you supposed to be my armchair psychiatrist?"
"No." Artemis slipped behind a tree trunk and when she reappeared, they were now the same age. "Most of the women I take an interest in are usually troubled in one way or another, their pasts more checkered than a racing flag."
Perhaps she could use this and keep her talking. "What if I told you that one day a government agency decided to give a young girl the 'opportunity' of a lifetime… Hero Public Safety Commission is what they were called. They filled that girl's head with candied words about how her quirk was amazing and if given the right training she would change the world."
Kaina slowly reached around to her utility belt while she kept talking. "Head filled with hopes and dreams she accepted. They trained her alright—trained her as both a hero and an assassin. By day millions of kids around Japan and the world adored her. Kids had 'Nagant Knapsacks' and 'Nagant Lunchboxes'. She cracked the top 20 pro-heroes in Japan. Completely unheard of at the time. But by night… She was the government's trained killer, eliminating both heroes and villains alike. As you can imagine, it became a conflict of interest. How could she, a killer, be allowed around children? She and her boss got into a disagreement about her job status; she killed him, and the rest is history."
"A tragic tale indeed," Artemis started unaware of Kaina pulling a pin in the pouch of her belt. "It would require leaving Izuku Midoriya, but if you join my hunt, I promise that you will have ample opportunity to change the lives of many young women. Not only that, the slaughter of men would no longer be your responsibility. Monsters and beasts are our exclusive extermination targets."
Kaina half-pretended to mull over the offer. "I'm flattered that you consider me of proper caliber to accompany you… But—"
The assassin pulled the flashbang from behind her back and tossed it at the goddess.
"-I already have a partner."
BOOM*
BANG*
CLANG*
When the light dissipated, Artemis held one of her combat knives to Kaina's throat, the other locked against the sniper's own. Between her teeth, the goddess rolled Kaina's last-ditch shot with her tongue and spit it out onto the ground.
Shouldn't have expected less from godly instincts…
"You're a tenacious one," Artemis said in praise. "But unfortunately, this is the end of the match. Concede."
"I give up. I guess that's the 'honorable' thing to do…" Kaina sighed, dropped her knife and relaxed a bit against the log, Artemis refused to give any quarter, keeping the blade pressed against exposed vitals. Not that she blamed her. "Does this mean we die?"
The moon goddess pulled out the bronze handcuffs and put them on Kaina's wrists before answering.
"That determination lies in the hands of my sister. It's not my call even though I wish to spare you. Technically, the match isn't over. Athena hasn't sent word she's subdued Deku, which in itself is worrying."
"Afraid he might win?"
"Quite the contrary; you're the one who should be afraid. My sister is probably the most terrifying opponent possible out of the five gods here at camp today."
"How bad are we talking?"
Thoughts racing, Deku flew over the camp, heading straight for the forest not bothering to check his speed as he tried to throw Athena off his trail potentially.
Campers, Dryads, Naiads, and Satyrs alike were buffeted by the galeforce winds he left in his wake. Dionysus flipped him the bird because he had to clutch his poker cards to his chest to keep them from flying away. The winds stoked the embers at the fire pit eliciting a surprised "Oh?" from the young girl there who looked at him in wonder while pulling her cloak tighter around herself.
He almost crashed hard into Apollo who also happened to be flying, hoping to get a good view of the action like a news helicopter. He shouted a quick apology and continued to barrel his way to his destination.
"Our impromptu Spider-Man put some web under his armpits and is now riding the winds northeast! What is his plan?!"
He needed to create as much space between him and the goddess of wisdom as possible. He couldn't beat her head on. It was suicide.
How could he win?
She was too strong.
Why did she want to fight him?
She was too unpredictable.
What did she want from him?
Her goals were unclear.
She knew about his quirk.
She was too smart.
Did she want his quirk?
"Calm Down, Ninth," Yoichi put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "No need to psych yourself out. You don't have to beat her in combat. We can run out the clock."
Izuku nodded and released Fa-Jin from his palms, further boosting his speed. He hoped to find Kaina and regroup.
However, he remained unaware of the unnatural amount of owls out during the daytime, quietly watching him as he flew by.
"She will try to break him physically and mentally," Artemis said solemnly. "Athena won't let him go or quit until she's satisfied with both the match and what she has learned. Only those who hold unconventional ingenuity alongside an ironclad will stand a chance of surviving an encounter with her. No brainless gorilla can brute force his way to victory—Not against her."
Kaina smiled confidently. "I thought I was supposed to be scared? If anything, you've reassured me."
"How so?" Artemis asked curiously.
"That kid's quirk is special. It's the one quirk in our whole wide world that the Demon King cannot steal. Do you know why?"
Kaina smiled when Artemis shook her head. "To use that quirk, having a strong will is a prerequisite. His will is so strong All For One is trying to use sheer hatred to overcome Izuku and steal his quirk. I have faith that he can handle anything she throws at him."
"Let us hope your faith is not misguided."
AN: Got a Cliffhanger! I felt is was a good stopping point to leave the second-half of Izuku vs Athena for the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed how I depicted the gods in comparison to my other stories. I'm going for a more fluid approach to emphasis they have XYZ in their domain and the habit of mythological figure appearing as animals occasionally.
As for the characterization I felt that Athena was always somewhat aware of the causes leading up to the war. Especially in TLO where she gave Annabeth and Percy ideas on how to defend Manhattan. Here it's been kickstarted.