WAAH! Sorry for not updating since god knows how long! But my account wouldn't work and I had finals, I feel horrible, but my muse was close to dead for a bit not to mention I've been on vacations.
Oh! Nother thing: We passed 400! Thanks for the support guys!
We were once again on our feet and running through the labyrinth after that gods-forsaken spider. Lets recap, because apparently when I was out Tyson grabbed the spider before it could get away. Annabeth was keeping her distance from Ian and was next to me, Tyson and Grover were in the lead, Ian was behind them, and then us, and Nico and Thalia took up the lead. Thalia was still quiet after her little revelation about her brother and Nico was comforting her.
Annabeth was spacing out but occasionally she would glance at me then to Ian then go back to spacing out. Her blonde curls were out of their normal ponytail and were flying out behind her. Everyone was quiet and the only noises were our quick footsteps, the quiet light sniffles from Thalia, and the faint scraping of the spider's quick movements.
Soon we caught up with the spider before it disappeared behind a big door.
"Hephestus' workshop." Annabeth breathed. I looked at everyone and we shared a mutual understanding. Tyson reached forward and opened the door.
On the inside it looked like a mechanic's dream garage. Nuff said.
Tools, scraps of metal, mechanical body parts and many others lined the walls of the cave like workplace. Everything was thrown about and disorganized. In a matter of speak it looked the same as when I was here for the first time.
The only difference was the large pieces of a sports car in the middle of the room. I couldn't tell what model it was but it was easy enough to determine it was one expensive car.
The spider crawled over to the dissembled car and went under. There was a surprised grunt and next thing a man appeared.
I've seen the god of fire before but every time his appearance catches me by surprise.
He was as the Greek stories say he was ugly. He was tall but was hutched over. His skin was pale and covered in scars, his eyes burned with fire. Not the angry fire like Ares or the warm fire like Hestia but more of a cold fire.
He was balding and the hair that was still on his very misshapen head was black and greasy. He had a long wiry beard that would on occasion spark and light a small fire that would quickly go out.
He and his clothes were covered in soot, greasy and fuel. The condition of his clothes would send Aphrodite running.
His nose was crooked, his hands were large, and he was missing one foot. It was a sort of metal peg looking thing that creaked every time he moved.
He growled, his eyes ablaze as they swept over each of us. He glared at Ian,
"You're that Poseidon brat." Ian scowled but he kept looking at Hephestus in disgust and I let a small smirk pass through. "And the rest of you I don't know—" His eyes fell on me. I narrowed my eyes and got ready to jump out of the way if he struck at me.
Let's just say that Hephestus and I don't get along. At all. Not all the time though.
"You… You look familiar." I smirked as I watched as he tried to figure me out.
"Yeah, I get that a lot." Hephestus growled at me.
"Well I'll be... How in the pits of hells are you still alive?" I grinned and watched as his beard sparked even more flames.
I glanced at my comrades and Ian to see they were all staring at Hephestus and I in shock, but mainly me, all except Nico, who was smirking. Hephestus glanced over to see what I was looking at and he spluttered when he saw the son of Hades.
"You too?" Hephestus shook his head, "Heroes just don't die as easily as they used to." I bowed,
"Why thank you my lord." Hephestus and Nico snorted. Thalia, and the rest were looking even more confused.
"Whatever, is that what you kids say nowadays?" He glanced at us and Nico and I shrugged. "Right, of course you two wouldn't know. Any ways, I can only assume that ya'll are here for something. Not to visit me." I grinned and nodded.
"Dead on." Hephestus groaned. "Annabeth, why don't you tell him?" She nodded and stood right next to me, her arm brushing mine. I didn't let my expression change when I felt electricity when she touched me. Annabeth on the other hand looked at me bewildered and I knew she felt it but I acted like I didn't know.
"Right…" She slowly turned back to face Hephestus, the god for his part had his eyes narrowed at me again. "We are here to ask for your help… to find Daedalus." The god's smokey eyebrows shot up.
"Daedalus? What do you want with him? And what makes you think I know where he is?" Annabeth shrunk back in surprise.
"I'm sorry but we need to find him… our quest…" Hephestus' eyes softened but only a bit.
"What makes you think—never mind. If I… help you, do you promise to swear on the Styx you'll help me?" I looked at him, shock evident on my features.
"What do you need us to do?" Hephestus snorted, looking irritated but yet amused.
"Damn, Jackson, you never skip a beat do you?" I smirked at him. "What I need you all to do is to go to my old favorite forge." He pulled up a hologram like picture of the forge. It was in Mount Saint Helens.
"That's Mount Saint Helens!" Grover exclaimed, voicing my thoughts exactly. Hephestus nodded.
"And you said this is, er was your favorite forge? Why?" Annabeth asked, getting over her earlier case of shock.
Hephestus' eyes twinkled. "Perceptive. Tell me, who is your godly parent?" Annabeth stood a little taller and announced confidently,
"Athena." Hephestus rolled his eyes.
"Course she is… Never mind. It used to be my favorite because someone's been using it." I raised an eyebrow. "When ever I go, it hides but I can tell it's been used; the forge. I send automatons but they never come back. Not to mention—"
"Typhon is there." I finished and every one looked at me in shock. "What? It's obvious isn't it? With all the eruptions lately around the same time as the Titans rebelling." I said remembering Sam saying something about something evil resting in there.
"Yes…" Hephestus shot me a weary look. "Anyways I need someone to go up there and see what's going on. They probably won't notice you coming, you're not gods though, Perseus, they might sense you. They'll sense your power but your sent might mask it…" He started mumbling to himself.
"So then they'll sense me more right? Because as much as I hate to admit Percy being my little brother." Hephestus, Nico and I snorted but covered it up, lamely I might add, with coughs. Ian eyed us in what my guess was supposed to be a threatening way. "So because I'm more powerful—"
"Oh, hell!" Hephestus cursed. "Get over yourself boy! Besides I can guarantee that Perseus over here is much more powerful." Ian looked ready to protest.
"Are you challenging a god?" Hephestus roared and Ian backed down reluctantly. He turned to the rest of us. "So are ya'll up for it?" I grinned and Annabeth stepped forward.
"Yes."
One last thing, I know many of you wanted to have Percy be with someone who wasn't Annabeth, but for the sake of where I want the story to go it's gonna be Percabeth. But mind all of you romance is most definitely not ay all one of the many focuses. Sorry for the disappointment and I hope you continue to read, I'd like to hope I'd not lose readers over some trivial detail as such. Sorry for the wait, it WILL be better next time.
~Peace Love and Percy~
~Angel~