Marcus slowly moved through his weapon forms, the sand of the training field crunching under his feet. He cracked his whip, following the mental image of Alicia in his mind. He could picture every step she made perfectly, every movement and glance, and he mimicked her movements and adjusted them to fit his own style, experimenting with how to shift between his whip and blade at a moment's notice. He had learned while in the Underworld that he relied far too heavily on his blade, and that flexibility in combat was his greatest ally. His newly acquired jacket fluttered around him, reminding him that he would have to start training in aerial combat as well. Always something to learn.

"Finally starting to use your mind more than your instincts, I see."

Marcus couldn't help but smile inwardly. Why is it always while I'm training? He turned, knowing before he did who he would be coming face to face with.

"Lady Athena." Marcus said, bowing slightly.

Athena regarded him with a raised eyebrow. "Please, Marcus. We both know showing proper respect isn't in your nature."

Marcus stood straight, meeting the Goddess of Wisdom's gaze. "Fair enough. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Marcus turned, continuing to flow through his forms. After all, if the Goddess wanted him to act as he normally would, he would oblige her.

"You conducted yourself well in the Underworld."

Marcus stopped, once again turning his head to the Goddess. "That sounded suspiciously like a compliment, Lady Athena."

"It was." She replied simply, her gray eyes giving away nothing.

Marcus shook his head. "I'd say thank you, but we both know I could have done better."

"You returned with multiple Artifacts."

"And we could have lost Chastity, a potential Champion and close friend." Marcus said in response.

"But you didn't."

Marcus couldn't believe his ears. It seemed like Athena was encouraging him. Congratulating him. But he knew he had gambled, and gambled big. He had…

He stopped. His eyes met Athena's gaze. "You know, having a Goddess read your self doubt before you even start to have it is a tad disconcerting, Athena."

Marcus was surprised when the Goddess seemed to laugh a little, the corners of her mouth curving to form a small smile. "Perhaps, but seeing how the pieces move across the board, it was obvious what the next steps in your thinking would be. And we can't afford to have you paralyzed with such thoughts at the moment, Marcus. The turning point of this conflict has already happened, and now both sides are ramping up their activity."

Marcus nodded, allowing his weapon to return to its pocket watch form and pocketing it. What Athena said was true. After taking all that they had in the Underworld, he could only imagine that the New Olympians would be ramping up their activity, pushing their half-bloods into a frenzy of rage. They had taken their generals' most powerful weapons, and kidnapped one of them to add insult to injury. But…

"Phoebe must have seen this coming." Marcus said simply. "As a Titan of Prophecy, she must have seen that this would happen."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Apollo himself is hardly ever able to see every event that happens. And while Phoebe seems to be who these upstarts want to replace him with, I doubt her powers of prophecy are any greater than his." Athena replied. "Whether they saw it coming or not, it's safe to assume they'll want to push ahead with their plan quickly, not giving us a chance to recover or fully utilize the advantage we've gained."

Marcus nodded, crossing his arms and allowing his mind to study the problem from as many angles as he could, just as Athena had taught him. As he did, he once again saw in his mind's eye what he had taken to calling the War Board, with the events clearly mapping what had led them to this point and the potential outcomes that they were heading towards. In that instant, his eyes flicked up to Athena's own, and he found himself locked in her gaze.

"So, you can finally see it. Perhaps the gamble will pay off after all."

Marcus blinked. "What?"

Athena sighed. "Then again, perhaps not. Marcus, you can see the web of events, the cause and effect that has led to this moment, and the potential paths you can take from here. The weave of the world around you, stretched out like a-"

"War Board."

Athena raised an eyebrow. "A… war board. Yes, that's one way to look at it. You're able to take in the weave of the world around you, and from the actions leading to the moment, dictate the best course of action from those available. In the larger sense, strategies that would elude others show themselves to you."

"And on a smaller scale, people's actions and reactions can be predicted?"

"You catch on fast."

Marcus smiled. "You wouldn't have trained me if I didn't."

"I wouldn't have chosen you if you didn't."

Marcusa blinked, the true meaning behind Athena's words taking a moment to sink in. "Chosen… Me?"

"Of course. Did you truly think you'd be able to defend your mind, reach out with it, predict the events around you and find the best strategy to guide you through if you hadn't been chosen? You're smarter than that. At least, you had better be. You're a protector, Marcus. Who else would better serve as the mortal Champion of the Goddess of Wisdom, Divine Defender of the city of Athens?"

Marcus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He… was a Champion? He cast his mind back over his time since his training with Athena. Ever since, he had been able to think more clearly. His strategies, while not always agreed upon by his friends, had been better, more likely to succeed. He was able to read the situations around him, predict the outcomes of different actions with some degree of accuracy. Every time he had thought he had heard Athena's voice in his mind, it seems he hadn't been imagining her response.

"You've been watching over me? Who knew you cared so much." Marcus said with a smile.

Athena gave him a look that in any other circumstance would have made even him shudder. "Don't push your luck, Marcus Williams. A blessing given can be easily revoked."

"Pushing my luck is how we've gotten this far." Marcus said simply in response.

Athena's eyes narrowed. "Well, if you have the energy to be witty, perhaps our time would be better spent forcing you to explore your new skills as my Champion."

That was all the warning Marcus had before Athena dove into his mind, forcing him into more training the likes of which they had done before his trip to the Underworld. But this time, Marcus reveled in the opportunity to work with the Goddess who had chosen him as her Champion as she pushed him to his limits.

For the first time since he had been reunited with Aaron, he felt they might have a chance.