Athenike

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Athenike
GENERAL
Camp Half-Blood Chronicles
Athena Complex
Character	Athena
Character	Nike
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Close Friends
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Femslash

1

Athenike is the femslash ship between Athena and Nike.

Canon

Athena and Nike are both goddesses in the Greek pantheon, Athena was one of the Olympians and featured in many myths, Nike was a comparatively minor goddess. Since both carry the epithet of "Goddess of Victory", some scholars believe that Nike herself is just another name for Athena, especially because many of Athena's monuments also double as monuments for Nike played a part in this confusion. Given that Athena is speculated to have three different facets of her personality, one of them was given the name "Nike". This caused further speculation that Nike used to be a part of Athena, but split off from her at some point to become a whole new goddess, though some remnants of Nike's personality are stated to still remain in Athena. Though others speculate that Nike and Athena had always been separate deities, with Nike having a different family tree from Athena. Nike gained a position of honor in Olympus after siding with Zeus against Cronus during the Titanomachy, a war placed before the birth of the second generation of Olympians (Athena being one of them).

During the battle against the snake giant Typhon, Nike, described as the devoted attendant of Athena, comes to aid Zeus in his battle against the many snake-headed giant Typhon. Nike, in the form of Leto (one of Zeus' lovers and the mother of Artemis), found Zeus alone waiting in the dark and reproached for his hesitancy in confronting Typhon and urged him to gather his thunderbolts in preparation to defend Mount Olympus. She also mentions the possible repercussions of allowing Typhon to win, which includes the destruction of Olympus, and the rape and enslavement of his virgins daughters, the aforementioned Athena and Artemis. When in the morning Typhon again issued his challenge, Zeus gathered the clouds around himself for armor and answered the monster's threats. Nike returned to her true form and led Zeus into battle, using a shield - possibly the aegis, Athena's shield - to protect Zeus while he fought with his thunderbolts and frigid rain until he claimed victory over the monster.

During the Gigantomachy, Nike assisted Athena in killing the winged giant Alcyoneus, who was immortal as long as he was in his native land. When Heracles shot Alcyoneus with an arrow, Alcyoneus fell to the ground but then began to revive, so on the advice of Athena and under the blessing of Nike, Heracles dragged Alcyoneus out of his homeland where he then died. In a relief found near the Erechtheion in Athens, there is a scene of the batle in which Nike crowned the Athena for her wisdom in battle, holding a wreath in one hand and embracing the younger goddess with the other.

The Heroes of Olympus

The series goes with the interpretation that Athena and Nike are wholly separate individuals, though Athena doesn't mention Nike at any point in any of the series. Throughout the latter half of the series, characters notice that the giant Athena Parthenos monument depicts Athena holding a little statue of Nike in her right hand. However, when the heroes meet Nike in person, she strangely doesn't mention Athena either despite the fact that her statue in Athena's hand had been mentioned multiple times.

Athena Complex

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This continuity also goes with the interpretation that Athena and Nike are distinct individuals, in particular, Nike is identified as a titaness who sided with Zeus against Cronus during the Titanomachy. However, Zeus cursed her to take the appearance of a small fairy. It is implied that Nike obtained limited freedom due to Athena asking a 'favor' from her father, whom Athena herself fears. Afterwards, Nike chose to become Athena's devoted handmaiden and protector, despite the fact that she resents most of the gods. Nike is the only character who wholly admires Athena's Titan form and often acts as a trusted confidant to Athena, who has problems talking about her true feelings. The two often make very friendly, almost flirty, exchanges to each other.

In flashbacks, Nike was seen fighting at Athena's side during the rebellion of Poseidon.

In the modern day, Nike followed Athena to her vacation to search for the reincarnation of Poseidon in the modern world, despite the possible danger of being caught near a criminal. One day, Nike decided to hide in Athena's bag to look after her when she went to school disguised as a human boy. Nike saw Adrien, the reincarnated Poseidon, put an amulet inside Athena's desk. Athena's familiar, the owlman Iolo, told her what the amulet was supposed to reveal Athena's true form against her will. Enraged that someone would try to hurt Athena, Nike kicked Adrien in the face and told tells Athena what he had tried to do. They then worked together to prank Adrian by tricking him into eating laxatives, then Nike blocked the bathroom to force Adrian to soil himself. However, when Athena befriended Adrian and introduced Nike and Iolo to him, the trio discussed whether their friendship might become a romance, which shocked the three as they didn't think that was supposed to happen.

Weeks later, when Athena was distressed over Poseidon's influence over Adrien and why he saved her during her fight with Ares, Nike comforted Athena and cheered on her efforts to figure out the truth, despite she would prefer to return to Olympus with Athena. After Athena decided to befriend a priestess named Sybil, a friend of Adrien who previously tried to reveal her true form, Nike personally blessed Sybil at Athena's request, saying it is her duty to help Athena no matter what, despite she was still furious at Sybil for the previous incident. When Apollo visited Athena out of concern for interacting with Poseidon, he blamed Nike for indulging Athena out of worry for her emotions and insulted her capacities for being a titan. Athena immediately defended Nike against her brother, threatening him to escalate from fair words to direct actions if he ever mistreated her again. Athena's actions made Nike blush and the two hugged each other as "healing time", Athena apologized to Nike for putting her through different ordeals and gave her permission to return to Olympus, but Nike declined, saying she wanted to see Athena achieve her goals.

Fanon

Athenike is generally a rarepair for Athena, though it is one of Nike's most notable ships. Their close friendship and role as warlike goddesses are the main appeals to its fans.

Despite the pair not interacting in the Camp Half-Blood series, the pairing is popular enough in the fandom to be within Athena's Top 5 ships. The tumblr blog "pjo-ship-polls" had recorded that half of the fandom feel somewhat positive about the idea of them ending up together, with the other half being indifferent to it as opposed to hating it.

The Athena Complex fandom is fairly vocal about their support for the pairing in the forums, constantly pointing out whenever the two of them have a moment together. However, so far there are no romantic fics written for this version of the pairing on AO3, instead being a portrayed as a very close female friendship or even as a surrogate mother-daughter relationship.

It is a rival ship of Pallas Athena and Medusathena, the first one clearly portraying a strong female friendship with homoerotic subtext, while the latter being a rather ambiguous relationship.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Athena/Nike tag on AO3

Athena & Nike tag on AO3

Athena/Nike (Percy Jackson) tag on AO3

Athena & Nike (Athena Complex) tag on AO3

TUMBLR

Athenike tag on Tumblr