Indomitable Marvel

Athena arriving back in a flash before her daughter and Io, gritted her teeth- "I'm sorry, but my daughter comes first," she said taking away Anna's statue to a safer location to hide and protect her.

The rumbling of thunder increased as a lightning storm emerged above Athens, and then the biggest bolt of lightning any of them has ever seen struck the center, right on top of Athena's temple.

Zeus who was up above felt a tingling sensation he hadn't felt for a very long time. It took him a little while to realize what it was after being distracted by the war between Athena's and Are's capitals.

He was feeling the tracking charm that he placed on a woman he kidnapped years ago, that had the bloodline he wanted in order to make strong demigods. He was aware that someone helped her escape him, but he wasn't overly concerned after getting what he wanted and placing a never-aging curse on her so she wouldn't die of old age.

Sensing his chance to retrieve her, he descended to the mortal plane, not at all surprised to find her within Athena's temple, she would be the one to have helped her escape.

The massive bolt that was Zeus's decent easily penetrated right through the temple straight into the burial underground, where Io was. Phasing right through the walls, making sure he didn't destroy anything along the way since this was a temple for his people in the end.

Aware of what that giant bolt meant, Thena quickly made herself scarce not wishing to be a target of interest.

With a crackling of lightning and burst of thunder, Zeus appeared before Io's statue.

A very tall 6'7", imposing, and very muscular man with shoulder-length white curly hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He has brilliant electrically-blue eyes with a serious and proud, but very handsome face. Wearing his classic white toga dr.a.p.ed over the left shoulder and around his waist with a golden crown, wrist bracers. belt, and sandals.

Seeing Io turned statue put a frown on his face as he walked up to her with a sneer,- "Look at where running away got you, how pathetic, you should have just stayed quietly where I put you, you should have been counting your luck that someone has magnificent as myself even graced you with my presence and this is how you repay me after all that I've done for you, the honor I bestowed upon you, allowed you to have, Tch, so ungrateful."

He reaches out with his hand softly cupping her cheek,- "I don't need you anymore, our child has grown up just fine." he said clamping his hand down crushing it into pieces.

"Athena! I know your there, come out and explain yourself," Zeus said thinking about how he saw Athena's rage-filled face before she descended, wondering if this was the reason.

Athena materialized, bowing- "Father."

Zeus frowned at her,- "Let's not even talk about how Io is here, tell me, Athena, how did that stupid mortal I had you curse to get back at Poseidon end up back here with Io when she was supposed to stay where she was and guard the entrance, I told you we needed a new guardian after I killed the Campe, so what is she doing here? We can't allow something so dangerous to roam around unchecked, she needs to go back and do her job."

Athena caught off-guard by this turn of events wasn't even slightly fl.u.s.tered as she came up with an excuse- "I was counting on her fear of Poseidon to keep her from leaving the island, she seemed to be genuinely scared of the water, even deathly afraid of it, I'm unsure of what recent event took place to change this, but it's clear the water is no longer a barrier."

Zeus stroked his beard considering what she said, but he could tell something was off, he just couldn't put his finger on it.- "It's strange how she was able to make her way here without sending the city into a panic, even stranger still not another statue around, care to explain this?"

Athena's stoic face faltered slightly,- "This is strange, I'm sorry but I do not have an answer."

Zeus grinned having caught her, it was rare for Athena to ever admit she didn't know something,- "Are you telling me you don't know how this is possible, not even a guess?"

Athena, not one to back down from a challenge of knowledge, responded- "I can only think she has learned to control her power, she has also managed to overcome her fear by turning it into powerful hate thus overcoming her fear of the ocean, I suspect after spending such a long time in solitude with nothing but other Gorgons, she learned about her power and dedicated herself to training to overcome her weaknesses so she could seek revenge."

Zeus losing his grin contemplated her words,- "Possibly, but if this is the case that means we have a powerful enemy running around, loose in your city, I think because of your failures and insolence, the best solution would be... to wipe it all out."

Athena's eyes widened for a brief moment- "You can't mean that, you know they don't only worship me here but also yourself, you wouldn't dare wipe them all out."

Zeus walks up to her with a grin, lifting her chin- "Did you forget about Pompei," he mocked.

Athena goes silent, it wasn't that she forgot, she just thought the psycho would have learned his lesson after wiping out an entire island kingdom because of one man, one king who defied him.

Zeus roughly releasing her chin,- "Tell you what, I'm in a good mood so I'll give you a chance, you find the snake and send it back and I'll leave your precious city alone."

Athena did the only thing she could, she bowed thanking him,- "Thank you for your generosity, my king." she said knowing it would please him.

Zeus grinned as he started to charge up with blue lightning forming all around him,- "Good, remember Athena, I'll be watching." he said before turning into a bolt of lightning shooting up into the sky.