Athena x Nike

#58 * No Surrender

Based on 'No Surrender' by Bruce Springsteen

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"Athena this isn't something you can win." Nike pleaded.

She watched as Athena strapped on her armor.

"It doesn't matter angel. I have to be there for them." The latter responded, focussed on what she was doing.

"But, you'll get hurt." The victory goddess tried.

"Such is the way of war. The same could happen if the odds were in our favor. You know that."

Nike did know. She was very well aware of the risk. She'd seen Athena go through it over and over again. The angel knew that getting hurt wasn't a problem to her girlfriend, but she was desperatly looking for excuses to keep her here at home.

The victory goddess sighed. She was out of arguments. Her lover had deflected each one with ease. She knew she couldn't keep her here when there was a battle raging outside, but she had to try no?

"Why are you so hellbount on going?" Nike asked in defeat.

Athena turned around and gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?" The wisdom goddess asked.

"Exactly what I'm saying. Why do you want to go there so badly?"

"Oh my... Don't you remember?" The daughter of Zeus asked, practically shocked.

Another soldier fell from the phalanx. A second came running in quickly and took his place, stabbing his spear at any enemy that came too close. A little behind the line Athena was overlooking the battlefield. It looked pretty bad.

Next to her Nike realised the same thing. They couldn't win. The enemy was simply too strong.

In that moment Athena decided she had to do something. She couldn't just watch from a safe distance while her men gave their lives to defend her ideals.

Aegis changed, from the blue cape draped across her shoulders, to a fearsome shield with a gorgonhead as decoration.

"Athena what are you doing?" Nike asked, already sensing where this was going.

"I'm going to help them." Was the simple reponse the angel recieved.

"Why? I'm sorry to be so rude, but they're mortal, they'll die anyway. Why not an honorable death on the battlefield."

"Because we're soldiers. We each have a vow to defend. Vows to our families, vows to our friends and vows to each other." Athena said.

Nike swallowed. The ease Athena had used the word 'we' with. Like she was one of them and not their supperior, both in battle and in life.

"A general is to fight between their troops and bleed beside them, not stand behind the ranks and watch as they suffer for you." The wisdom goddess continued.

The victory goddess didn't know what to say to that. Athena took that as a sign to go. Neither of them had anything left to say.

As another soldier fell from the phalanx Athena took his place. She could feel the adrenaline kicking in as she stabbed her spear into an enemy soldier's shoulder. His cry of pain rang in her ears.

"A general on the battlefield huh? You don't like doing things by the book do you my lady?" Damokles asked next to Athena.

He stood on her right. He'd lost his spear, but had picked up a sword from the ground and found his flow in breaking the defense, stabbing and re-establishing the defense. He also had cuts spread over his entire body. How he was still standing upright? Athena didn't know.

"Depends on the moment Damokles." Rexhenor smirked from Athena's left as his spear landed in someone's mouth, skewering them.

Athena shook her head. There was no one else she'd rather ended up between than these two reckles geniusses.

"Focus boys, we're here for a reason remember? Besides we have a vow to fullfill." A smirk laced the lips of the daughter of Zeus.

"No retreat! No surrender!" Damokles and Rexhenor yelled at the top of their lungs.

"No retreat! No surrender!" The entire phalanx repeated.

"Don't remeber what?" Nike asked.

"The vow me and my soldiers swore thousands of years ago." Athena responded.

"Down by Hestia's fire."

Slowly it started to dawn on Nike. She remembered all of them standing around the fire the night before the battle.

They knew they were headed into an impossible battle, but if their position fell, the enemy would trample their cities and take advantage of their women and children.

Athena slowly walked up to the angel and placed her hands on her waist. She placed a soft kiss in the angel's forehead.

"No retreat." The wisdom goddess whispered connecting their heads by leaning her forehead against Nike's.

"No surrender." The victory goddess muttered in return.