Athena Fabello (née Chase) was a Minifig who was driven insane by the death of her husband who was locked up in Napoleon XIV Mental Institution and the mother of Oswald and Minerva Fabello.
Biography
Early Life
Athena Chase was born in 1956 in LEGO Town to a middle-class family. As a child she was extremely shy, preferring to stay by her older sister Ginerva's side opposed to her peers and classmates, much to Ginny's annoyance. She showed to be very bright Minifig at a young age. By the time she graduated high school, she had opened up and became very sociable.
In college, Athena worked to become a social worker. During her school career, she met and fell in love with engineering student Isaac Fabello. After graduating, Athena and Isaac were married. The two decided to buy a house in LEGO Town after Athena discovered she was pregnant with her first child.
In 1986, her first child, Oswald, was born. A little more than a year later, her second child Tod was born. Athena loved her sons very much, but desired to have a daughter. Finally, Athena gave birth to her only daughter, Minerva in 1992. Having more children than their home could handle, the Fabellos moved to a bigger house in LEGO City. Athena would become very close with her children. She would purposely take less hours at her place of employment to go home and spend time with her kids.
Insanity and Napoleon XIV
In Spring 1996, the LEGO City Police knocking on the Fabellos' door and informed Athena that Isaac had been murdered in an convenience store. Athena broke down on the doorstep, weeping hysterically. A week later, Athena attending Isaac's funeral with Oswald, Tod, and Minerva.
Following the funeral, Athena took up drinking to deal with her depression and grief. In her drunken state, Athena became extremely angry, yelling at her children for minor offenses. She spent most of her time in her time in her bedroom, sleeping or crying, resulting in her employment being terminated. As the years past, her alcoholism increased and became extremely detached from her kids. In turn, Oswald and Tod stopped talking to her. Minerva attempted to curb Athena's alcohol addiction to no avail.
Due to either her alcoholism, an attempt to forget her husband's death, or both, Athena eventually lost her perception of reality. She stopped drinking and in turn gained short-term memory loss and her perception of reality was extremely distorted, often seeing her teenaged sons and pre-teenaged daughter as small children or babies. She also believed that her husband was still alive and lost much of her ability to take care of her children. With her decent into madness complete, Athena's children were forced to take care of themselves.
As Oswald and Tod took control of the family, Athena was treated as a child who could not do things for herself. Oswald, Tod, and Minerva were forced to cook for Athena and had to teach her the difference between right and wrong. Without her influence or help, the Fabellos fell into poverty and Minerva became a petty thief. Despite Athena's disability, the Fabellos eventually managed to attain a sense of normalcy.
However, in 2004, Athena had a bizarre episode. Believing the men that killed Isaac were after her, she ran into the kitchen of her home to get her kids to safety. Oswald and Tod attempted to calm her down, stating that the man would not target Athena. She continued to panic and in her hysteria, began to see Minerva as her husband's killer. Growing angry and fearful for her life, Athena took a knife and started to move toward the frightened Minerva. Tod intervened, tackling Athena to the ground. They had a short fight that resulted in Athena accidentally stabbing Tod in the chest. Realizing what she had done, Athena broke down over Tod's body until LEGO City Police arrived and apprehended her. Not long later, Tod died due to his wounds.
An investigation quickly discovered that Athena had not been able to care for her children for years. She might have gone to prison for this and murdering Tod when the courts deemed her insane. Instead of jail, Athena was sent to Napoleon XIV Mental Institution to live out the rest of her life.
Early on in her tenure at Napoleon XIV, Athena, devastated at not being able to see her family, was prone to violent episodes, needing her to be restrained and sedated often. As time went on, Athena mellowed out and conformed to Napoleon XIV's standards. She never saw any visitors, her children and her family basically disowning her. The only time she ever received a visitor was in 2006 by Isaac Fabello's Space Police brother, Ernesto.
For years, Athena kept quiet and reclusive, never associated with the other patients. She spent time instead completing jigsaw puzzles and drawing faint memories of her past on paper. Due to her compliance, the employees at Napoleon XVI decided Athena was happily insane and more or less ignored her.
Dino Attack
When the Dino Attack began in 2010, Athena, along with the rest of Napoleon XIV's patients, were relocated to the refuge facilities in Antarctica. Other than acknowledging the temperature in the mental institution was colder, Athena completely disregarded the threat of the Mutant Dinos and XERRD and continued to live the same life she had since 2004.
Late in the year, she was surprisingly paid a visit by her son Oswald, now a young adult and a XERRD operative, and his commander Blaire Darkling. Once she recognized Oswald, Athena excitedly embraced her son. She was then told by Oswald that Minerva was in danger and she needed to follow him. Fearful for her daughter's life, Athena was on the verge of fighting Blaire to get to her daughter before Darkling managed to calm her down.
While speaking to her son, Athena constantly dropped in and out of different perceptions, ranging from seeing him as a ten-year-old boy to a teenager. Oswald eventually convinced Athena to leave Napoleon XIV. Covering her jumpsuit with jeans and a sweatshirt, Athena escaped the refuge facilities with Oswald and Blaire and was flown to the XERRD outpost in the Goo Caverns.
After discovering Athena Fabello's disappearance, Napoleon XIV conducted a secret search throughout Antarctica for her, but were unable to find her. Not wanting to face bad publicity for escaped patients and faulty security systems, the mental institution pronounced her dead. Napoleon XIV sent letters to both Minerva Fabello and Ginerva Chase, the latter requesting that Athena Fabello be buried with no ceremony or funeral to the mental institution's relief.
At the Goo Caverns outpost, Athena was left alone for an hour while Oswald attended to other duties. Upon his return, Athena recognized him as an adult and asked where she was. Oswald explained that he was a security guard working at a scientific organization. Excited and proud that her son had a job, Athena asked for a tour of the outpost, which Oswald obliged. On her tour, Athena caught glimpses of dinosaurs, which she was amazed to discover were still alive. Also on the tour she properly met Blaire, who left a warm impression on her.
When the time came for Dr. Rex's forces to head to LEGO City to begin their final assault on Dino Attack Headquarters, Athena was sedated and taken to the city with Oswald.
Final Battle
Athena stayed with Oswald until he finished his interrogation of Zachary Virchaus. After leaving Zach's body ruined parking garage, Oswald left Athena there to find Zach. Athena did, upon finding the Dino Attack agent, Athena desperately tried to wake him up. Once he did, Athena fearfully asked where she was before a Mutant Lizard attacked. After Zach killed it, he offered to lead a suspicious Athena to her children, which she accepted.
Upon leaving the parking garage, Athena suddenly believed she was nineteen years old and that Zach was following her. She desperately tried to shake him off before turning around and telling him off. She soon came to the conclusion that he was attracted to her and decided to give him a a chance. She was then pulled into a building by Zach as two Inferno agents passed by the group. Zach dispatched them and attempted to contact his team to no avail. Athena switched illusions again and attacked Zach, demanding to know where her family was. She was interrupted as a Mutant Raptor barged into the building. Zach grabbed her arm and they ran into another building, where they were captured by two Minifig/Mutant Lizard Hybrids.
They were taken to the top of the building, where they met up with Blaire Darkling and Alvin Gadd. Blaire recognized Athena and brought her back into the present and had her released. Athena then convinced Blaire to release Zach. Athena then messed around with one of the Hybrid guards while Zach and Blaire talked to each other. Blaire then told Athena Zach would lead her to her daughter.
Athena, Zach, and two Hybrid guards departed the XERRD command post and went to cross the bridge, where they were forced to stop due to the high number of Mutant Dinos on the battlefield. A Mutant Lizard attacked Athena, causing her to change illusions. Zach then dragged her across the battlefield as Thaddeus Brickhouse covered them from Mutant Dinos in an Aerial Defense Unit. Athena and Zach were then rescued by Joike and Gypsy in a Fire Hammer. Upon getting into the Fire Hammer, Athena took a short nap.
Athena later woke up and reunited with her surprised daughter. The reunion was brief, as Blaire Darkling suddenly appeared and attacked Zach. Athena was shoved into Joike's Fire Hammer as Minerva stayed out to help Zach. Following a Mutant T-Rex's arrival, Zach and Minerva climbed into the Fire Hammer and it sped away. As they headed toward Dino Attack Headquarters, Minerva and Athena got into a fierce argument.
Athena, Minerva, and Zach were dropped off at Dino Attack Headquarters and started to look for a Teleport Pad to teleport Athena back to Antarctica. During their search, Athena had a brief lapse into sanity watching Minerva get close to Zach. Before they could find the Teleport Pad, the group was found by Oswald and forced out of the headquarters at gunpoint.
The Fabellos and Zach skirted the edge of the battlefield until they reached the river. At the river, Oswald was attacked by a Mutant Lizard. Upon seeing the incident, Athena lapsed into sanity long enough to pull the Mutant Lizard off of her son and strangle it to death, refusing to let another one of her sons die. Oswald then held Athena at gunpoint and demanded the Minerva join XERRD or he would shoot Athena. Minerva refused his offer and was on the verge of having Oswald desert XERRD when his radio crackled to life and Blaire Darkling announced XERRD's truce with the Dino Attack Team and confirming the existence of Baron Typhonus.
Oswald broke down after hearing the news. Calling out Athena for being a terrible mother, Oswald shot Athena in the chest. Oswald fled the area and Zach and Minerva began to carry the wounded Athena to Dino Attack Headquarters. After being shot, Athena entered a trance as every memory she had was restored to her brain. By the time the group found Marco Martinet, Athena remembered everything since her husband's death.
Dr. Martinet attempted to help Athena, but she turned him away and spoke to Minerva and Zach one last time. She managed to reconcile with Minerva, apologized to her for all the pain she caused in her and Oswald's life and showed to regret regressing into her mind to cope with Isaac's loss. After stating her love for both Minerva and Oswald, Athena Fabello passed away.
Her body was picked up by a T-1 Typhoon and, at Minerva's request, took Athena to the Super Teleport Pad in the Dino Attack Headquarters where her body was taken to Antarctica.
Legacy
Following the end of the Dino Attack, Minerva Fabello contacted Athena's sister Ginerva and informed her of the deaths of both her sister and nephew. Initially reacting in relief for Minerva's survival and in shock and anger upon learning of Oswald and Athena's death and the fact she was lied to be Napoleon XIV's administration, Ginny began to contemplate filing a lawsuit against the mental asylum. Ginny then offered to pay for funeral services, but declined to attend the funeral. Before her sister was flown back to LEGO City, Ginny placed a picture of Oswald in the casket.
Early on December 24, a funeral service was held for Athena and Oswald in the cemetary the rest of their family was buried in LEGO City. The service was only attended by Minerva Fabello and Zachary Virchaus. Athena was buried next to her husband and son. Their graves were headed by a tombstone carrying all their names.
Abilities and Traits
Athena Fabello was an intelligent individual. She was extremely kind and caring. She was a very carefree and happy individual. She used to be exceptionally shy before becoming more open and agressive. She saw her family as the most important part of her life and was fierecly protective of them, particularly her children. At the end of her life, Athena expressed regret for giving up on her life and leaving her children to fend for themselves.
After going insane, Athena became extremely distant. She had a short-term memory and based everything she sees off of her past memories, leading to inaccurate perceptions of reality. After being taken away from her family, it became harder to recall her past. Athena was an artist to some extent, drawing memories from her past in order to remember them.
Blaire Darkling has speculated that Athena Fabello's amnesia is based upon her feelings. If she is upsetted, she will disregard the memory and restart from a new memory. If something makes her happy, her brain will occassionally remember the memory. After reuniting with her son after six years, Athena began to form illusions base in the present time, altered in the case that Tod and Isaac were still alive. As time went on and she met up with both Oswald and Minerva, Athena began to have short relapses into sanity before gaining her sanity back from the shock of being shot by Oswald.
Trivia
- Athena's jumpsuit number was "2004-6810. 2004 was the year she was institutionalized. 6810 is reference to the date June 8, 2010, the day Brikman McStudz joined Dino Attack RPG.
- Athena Fabello's maiden name, Chase, is a reference to Annabeth Chase of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, who is a daughter of Athena.
- Allusions have been drawn between Athena Fabello and May Castellan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Brikman McStudz has also drawn unintentional parallels between Athena and an ill Angeline Fowl from the first Artemis Fowl book.
- During the climax of the Dino Attack Team's campaign on Adventurers' Island, an illusion of Athena Fabello appeared before her daughter Minerva and verbally condemned her for destroying their family and attempted to kill her. The illusion was a Stromling disguised as Athena by the Darkitect's power and was killed by Minerva.