I don't own any characters in the Percy Jackson universe which is rightfully owned by Rick Riodan. However, the Greek gods and/or other mythological figures are used in my own imagination and well you can't claim copyright on history.

Chapter 20

Minos sees me and promptly vanishes. Nico stares at me with wide eyes.

"Percy, I promise I was trying to tell him off."

"It's fine. I believe you. Next time he comes and bothers you, tell me."

We get back to the porch of the ranch and Annabeth shoots me a confused look. I shake my head, indicating for her to drop it. She just nods.

"Eurityon, we have a quest to get done with. Besides, we've overstayed our welcome. We should leave."

"Well, I didn't mind at all. Go finish your quest."

We start getting ready to leave. As we get back to the place where we had once come through, Eurityon comes to see us off.

"Good luck, guys. And Percy, thanks for breaking me out of this stupid loophole. Oh right. You guys are looking for Hephestus, I assume?"

We nod. We decided to see Hephestus and ask if he knew about Deadalus's whereabouts. I had already checked St. Helens and found the forge empty and abandoned. However, it seemed the items in the forge had been used pretty recently. He pulls out a pendant and pushes a button. Suddenly, it grows legs and starts scuttling to the boulder. It bangs against it.

"Sp-spider!" Screams Annabeth.

"Don't mind her. Child of Athena."

"Ah. Sorry, little lady. The little critter there will take you to Hephestus."

"Thanks again, man."

He nods and I press the boulder. The delta symbol flashes and we enter the maze. The spider starts following the path and makes random turns and for a second was unsure. I wasn't because I didn't trust Eurityon, rather because it felt like we were moving in circles. We keep on following and suddenly a weird section of the maze appears. The walls were covered in vines and the sweet smell of nature flowed towards us.

"I need to get there. It's important." Grover says.

"No, we can't split up. We'll come back for it later." Replies Annabeth.

"The labyrinth would probably shift this area by then. Please, this is important to me."

Annabeth looks with uncertainty. I could hear the sound of the spider getting more and more faint, even with my heightened senses.

"Whatever the plan is, can we speed it up. I'm starting to lose the spider soon." I add.

"It's fine. Both of you go." Nico draws his blade.

"Uh, iron doesn't work on monsters." I quickly told him.

"Don't worry. Stygian iron works just as well as your sword."

"Alright, be safe guys."

I toss them a couple of drachma and we part ways. I hear faint echoing off the walls. I had an idea. I kneel and place my hand on the ground. Since the spider was made out of metal, I would be able to sense it through the floor. Luckily, the plan works and I was able to get to the spider. I was clinking against a metal door. I picked it up and opened the door. Hephestus was standing there hammering a sheet of metal.

"Hephestus!" I shout.

No reaction. The sounds of the forge drown out my voice. The spider launches from my hand and lands on his head.

"Eurityon? What can I do for you."

He turns and a look of surprise and spots me.

"Perseus! I thought it was Eurityon. How have you been?"

"Uh, good I've-" I started.

"Oh yeah, can you hand me your rings for a second?"

"Why, what happened."

"Just something I would like to add on to your rings."

I take off my rings and hand the bow and quiver to him. He takes them and starts to tinker with them.

"Uh, we're on a quest and actually wanted to know if you knew where Daedalus was."

For a few seconds, he slows down what he does. He growls and continues ignoring us.

"Lord Hephestus, the fate of our camp may lie in his hands." Insists Annabeth.

He finishes and tosses my items back. I morph them back into a ring and put them on.

"I added an enchantment to the arrows. Any possible augmentations to the arrows have been added. Just imagine what you need and grab an arrow." He pauses. "You should have come to me for anything else. Perhaps a magical weapon. The best chariot ever. That is something I don't wish to give."

"Hephestus, don't be like that. Your children's lives are also on the line."

He pauses considering what I've just told him.

"Fine. However, I want you to do me a favor. Go to my old forges. Percy, you've been there. Find out who's been there using my tools."

"So it wasn't you. I went there earlier to try and found it empty. However, there was evidence of the tools being used."

"Yes, something lurks. I can't go find out because whenever I do, they sense me and disappear."

"I'll help you. Can you help us then?"

He grunts and grabs the spider. He breaks it apart and reassembles it.

"When you find out who it is, press the button. It will lead you to him."

I nod in thanks and walk into the shadows with Annabeth. We appear back on Mount Helens. We approach the entrance and this time there is smoke coming out of the smokestack. We slowly approach and hear voices.

"The blade needs another cooling in the blood. It shall be ready soon."

"Telkhines. Used to train Posiden. Taught him how to flip mountains and stuff with his trident. He found out that they were using dark magic to turn against the gods and were banished." Whispers Annabeth.

Blame my guy genes because suddenly I wanted a trident. We continue spying and Annabeth taps me.

"Come on, we know who's using the forge. Let's go." She says.

"No, I want to find out more," I reply.

She looks at me with her stormy grey eyes. She kisses me. But, it wasn't a lover's kiss. Rather sisterly. It also didn't leave me with that jittery feeling that I got when I had kissed Artemis or Zoë.

"Be safe. You better come back alive." She says and leaves.

I spy on the telkhines a bit more. They slowly lug around a large scythe blade. They slowly wrap it and sniff the air and leave. I slowly crawl forward trying to reach closer to the forges.

"Going somewhere?" A voice snarls behind me.

I quickly get up and try to uncap my sword. Suddenly I feel cuffs on me. I try to concentrate to release the cuffs. It doesn't work and I glance back to find it wasn't metal. It was Kevlar. I try to summon a flame to try to burn the cuff, but nothing happens. The 3 telkhines laugh.

"Don't bother. We've already predicted every possible outcome of your powers. I won't lie, it proved a bit of challenge. A son of the sea that holds the blessing of Artemis, Athen, Hades, AND Hestia. You may be powerful, possibly the most powerful demigod ever, but you certainly are not invincible. They each pull out various materials, made of various materials I couldn't control. They start to beat and torture me and I could feel my consciousness starting to slowly slip. Suddenly electricity flows through my body. I felt burned and defeated. I let out a hard desperate scream and suddenly the floor rumbles around me. The last thing I remember is an explosion and I'm launched into the air.

Skip to a few days.

I fell into a dream. I was in a workshop and my nephew came running to me.

"Uncle, I solved it. I figured out how to move water up a hill without any complex mechanisms."

"Ah, I see. Congratulations little one." I say as I grit my teeth.

"Maybe one day, I can even be smarter than you!"

"Perhaps one day…" I say as I feel the blood boil in my body.

I hated him. He was brilliant, just as I was. But, he was too brilliant. And he was young. He had a lot of time to become smarter than me. I hated the thought of him surpassing me.

"Hey Perdix, catch," I told him as I threw a mechanical bird towards the balcony of the tower.

He laughs and reaches over the railing of the balcony. Suddenly a wind sends him dangling over the railing, as he barely holds on to the ledge.

"Uncle, help me. Please!" He cries with tears streaming down his face."

"Well Perdix, you better make something to help you. And be quick, you seem to be in trouble."

Another wind blows and he starts falling.

"UNCLLLLLLE!"

"That's unfortunate," I say as I turn.

"You shouldn't have done that." Says a cool, angry voice.

"I did what I must, mother."

I turn to face Athena. She glares at me and points.

"Your life will be hell."

"It already is." I hiss back at her.

Suddenly a painful burn appears on my nape.

"May you live with regret, forever."

She disappears and I pass out from the pain.

End of chapter 20. Thanks for reading and leave a review for ideas or constructive criticism. Till next time.