athena bashing (percy jackson)

Athena’s eyes flash and glow, and she raises her hands. Annabeth closes her eyes, and everything in the air sizzles to a stop. There is a faint sea breeze, and then a familiar presence at her side. “It would be unwise of you to hurt her.” She opens her eyes to her boyfriend’s dad standing behind her, his eyes intent on her mother, who looks like she’s about to blow her top. Annabeth doesn’t breathe, doesn’t look away from Athena, but she takes several quick steps back to stand at Poseidon’s side. It’s not conscious; it’s a move based purely on self-preservation. Still, Annabeth is aware that every step she takes into the sea increases her mother’s ire and decreases the likelihood that Annabeth will ever be forgiven. - aka: Poseidon wants Percy to ascend. He'd like it even better if Percy chose to ascend. And if the best reason to become a god is for love, it doesn't take Poseidon long to realize that he doesn't have to look any further than Annabeth Chase. Meanwhile, while Annabeth is balancing PTSD, protecting Percy, and being a good daughter of a goddess who doesn't seem to care, she now has to figure out why she is on Poseidon's radar.

Percy snorts, before shaking his head no. “Angela was worried that Diet Coke’s threat was real. And it’s not like Athena would care if her children were killed.” “Percy-” Hermes starts to argue, but Percy cuts him off. It’s not the first time that Percy has ranted about Athena; his dislike (to put it mildly) of her is infamous in his social circle, especially after his break-up with Annabeth. “Look, I know you care about your kids, and most of the other gods do, and you’re all working harder to be better parents. But while this is a good step for most of you, it’s nothing when you consider that Athena has been sending her children to die by their greatest phobia for millennia.” Percy snaps. “Gifts and visits and dancing don't even begin to fix any of that.” None of it was fair, and Percy hated Athena with an unquenchable vengeance for the way she treated Annabeth. Even now, two years after they had broken up, Percy’s anger at the war goddess was an unquenchable monster that lived within him. Annabeth, for all her flaws, was a worthy hero and had been a good friend and she deserved better than Athena’s neglect, abuse and cruelty.