We each stared at Athena with confused expressions. Theseus and Asterion especially so, their brows were knit tightly, and gazes fixed firmly upon their goddess. I noticed Theseus' knuckles were pale and white as they sat upon the table, clenched so tight that I thought he might draw blood. I pondered what redemption she could offer us, and at what cost that would have Theseus and Asterion so uneasy.

"Do not jump to conclusions, Desmond. Athena is the goddess of wisdom as well as practicality. Theseus has likely already deduced what she will propose, it is the obvious price to pay given this circumstance. He will pay a heavy burden for this plan of his." Lucifer spoke solemnly.

"You speak as if you already know?" I asked pointedly. My anxiety growing with each passing moment.

"Then silence yourself and listen." He cut me off, turning my attention back to Athena at the head of the table, her regal posture and piercing eyes boring directly into Theseus and Asterion.

"I offer you safe passage to the portal away from here. However..." She began.

"One of us must stay and atone for the crimes we have committed here..." Theseus finished for her, his grave expression fixated directly on deity.

I gasped audibly, hoping that what I had just heard could not be the way of it. I could not lose any of my companions now, not after I had worked so hard to save one of them... I searched Theseus' face for any inclination of his uncertainty, but found none. I turned to Lilith, who shifted her gaze away from me, unable to meet mine.

"You can't be serious! No way-" I erupted from my chair, my outrage turned back to Athena, who simply remained perched, unmoving and unflinching, in her seat as she watched us digest this information.

"Desmond..." Theseus started, he stretched his fingers out to catch mine, offering a sympathetic look, as if I was the one to be imprisoned.

"Don't you 'Desmond' me." I barked, swatting his hand away. "There is no way I'm letting you stay here, not after everything you've done for me, after everything I've done... Ace, come on. You say something! You can't let her do this!" I shouted louder and more accusatory than I'd intended.

Asterion clenched his partner's hand, his own knuckles now white. His mouth opened as if to offer me some explanation, but shut silently, unable to form the words. His eyes looked up from his chair and deeply into mine; They wore a pitiable expression that I could not -and refused to- comprehend.

My face felt hot as I stared at the people before me with furious indignation. "I would rather let Yarhibol find me now, then let you be imprisoned in this place." I growled through grit teeth, my gaze firmly set upon Athena.

She appeared unperturbed by my sudden outburst, taking in my anger in its entirety with a passivity that only angered me more. Theseus stood then, as if to talk me down, but much to my surprise it was Athena who stood next; Her mere presence silencing Theseus before he could utter a single word.

"Such.... Passion, Desmond. The love in your heart for these two men of my Pantheon warms me to my core... However, as I said, Olympus demands satisfaction..." Her words callous words cut into my thoughts like a hot knife through butter. A rage boiled within me as I considered what would happen to him if he stayed here.

Would they kill him? Would they torture him? All because he chose to help me. I felt for Argo at my side and sought Lucifer's divinity.

I would not let them take him quietly.

"Desmond, this is not the wisest course of action! Stop and think for a moment." Lucifer called out from within my mind. I closed myself off, shielding myself from his unwanted coaxing.

Lucifer's divinity unleashed from within me as I forced the bond between us to activate, stealing the power from him. The familiar euphoria of strength filled me as I settled my gaze upon Athena, ready to do battle... Or rather I found my self staring where Athena no longer stood, her engraved chair stood empty, her presence completely vanished.

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I searched the camp for her, unsheathing Argo from my side. Theseus leapt up to stop me, followed by Asterion and even Lilith. I heard Lucifer calling out to me, but refused to listen to any of them. My resolve steeled in my mind as I refused to allow anyone to take my companions... My friends... From me.

Normally when I manifested Lucifer's divinity, I felt calm and logical. Emotionally deadened. However, I was beginning to understand that was not always the case. Currently it was fanning the flames, beckoning me go further and push farther into my anger. It drowned out the sensory inputs that I felt were not necessary in order to allow me to blindly indulge in my rage.

A hand settled upon my shoulder, pulling me softly into a warm embrace, the other hand pulling my head sweetly into a bosom where it smelled of pine needles and freshly opened books.

"Tut tut tut, Child. You hold such weight, such burden upon your growing shoulders that it blinds you to the world. So much power bristles within and it will consume you if you let it." Athena's words lulled me into a trance as my eyes grew heavy against her, unable to resist.

"Let us take a deep breath and collect ourselves." She whispered gently into my ear like a parent to her child. Her words caught me off guard, breaking my forced manifestation of divinity that I had desperately clung to. As it released we each took a long breath together.

"Ah yes, that is much better. Do you not think so?" She asked rhetorically. "Now, understand this. I am not forcing anyone to stay who does not wish to. In fact, much the opposite."

I looked up at her, tears growing in my eyes. She peered down at me with the love of a mother comforting her child and smiled. "You burden yourself much to hastily, Desmond. Listen to what others say before you jump to such... Hostile conclusions. If you had, all this anger could have been avoided." Her palms rose to my cheeks, wiping the tears from them, tears I had not even noticed had begun to openly pour from my eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean?" My voice broking under the effort.

"I will not imprison anyone within this realm to pay for crimes that should have never occurred in the first place. Had Zeus heeded my warning, then his son -my brother- would still be alive. Each of you did only what was required to protect yourselves." Athena looked to each of us in turn, her loving expression extending to each.

"Then... Then what?" Theseus asked curiously, his dumbfounded expression clear upon his face for all to see.

"I will send you to your destination and you will leave. Never to return. Not even upon your dying day." Her words carried a harshness with them now, her motherly expression gone -a thing from the past- replaced with the visage of a judge passing down sentencing.

I stepped back from her then, searching her eyes for some ounce of that love I had just felt mere moments ago. I turned to face Theseus and Asterion who stood stunned by the revelation. Even Lilith's jaw hung with surprise.

"Have you calmed now, Desmond? Are you able to see past your emotions to the reality of the situation? Her wisdom is seeing the path forward with the least bloodshed for her people, all her people. She could have easily imprisoned Theseus and Asterion both, to pay for the events that have taken place. But it would only doom them, while also dooming you. Making their actions and her brothers death for naught." Lucifer's voice rang hollow in my mind, the barrier broken.

He was right of course. I had let my emotions cloud my judgement, preventing me from seeing and deducing the truth of her words. I leapt at the most severe of conclusions just as Theseus had, and let it send me into a rage I did not know I was capable of.

I cursed at myself inwardly, I was still far to naïve, and no amount of training would fix that... Only time.

"Now... it appears we have ironed out all those messy details." Athena spun me to face her, griping my chin between her surprisingly calloused fore finger and thumb. She spoke directly into my eyes as if looking through me, scolding the entity she knew to be within.

"Lucifer, I do know are in there despite what your demon bodyguard might say. I suggest you do better to train this boy. His unique gifts will be essential, and these brash actions of his, such as what has occurred today, will not be tolerated again. I may be the Goddess of Wisdom, but do not forget I am also a Goddess of War. Heed my words Devil; Heaven plots your demise more thoroughly than you imagine. Do not underestimate the foes you have made." Her voice was no longer sweet, but rather intimidating as she scolded Lucifer and I.

She released her hold on me the same way one would toss a piece of trash in the bin, with a nonchalant disdain. She did not bother to wait for Lucifer's response as she likely knew it would not come. I could feel his thoughts roiling in my head now, though I was still unable to hear them with any tangible clarity.

"Now, Theseus and Asterion, are we in agreement? You understand that you are never to return? Lest you choose to be imprisoned or killed?" The pair looked at each other thoughtfully, but nodded seriously and silently in return.

"Excellent, I am glad we have reached a favorable accord. As of this moment you are all hereby formally banished from the realm of Olympus for all time. Should you ever return, you will be met with only the harshest of treatment and executed upon first sight."