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Some things are Fated to happen, so I cannot change everything.

I had to actually update this chapter before I put it up, I forgot that they were just finding the workshop and not Dedealus himself... That cost of not updating for so long, I am a dork I know.

It had seemed that they had lost the spider until Tyson heard a faint pinging sound. They made a few turns, backtracked a few times, and eventually found the spider banging its tiny head on a metal door. The door looked like one of those old-fashioned submarine hatches—oval, with metal rivets around the edges and a wheel for a doorknob. Where the portal should've been was a big brass plaque, green with age, with a Greek Ȇta inscribed in the middle.

They all looked at each other.

"Ready to meet Hephaestus?" Grover said nervously.

"No," Percy admitted.

"Yes!" Tyson said gleefully, and he turned the wheel. As soon as the door opened, the spider scuttled inside with Tyson right behind it.

The room was enormous. It looked like a mechanic's garage, with several hydraulic lifts. Some had cars on them, but others had stranger things: a bronze hippalektryon with its horse head off and a bunch of wires hanging out its rooster tail, a metal lion that seemed to be hooked up to a batterycharger, and a Greek war chariot made entirely of flames. Smaller projects cluttered a dozen worktables. Tools hung along the walls. Each had its own outline on a Peg-Board, but nothing seemed to be in the right place. The hammer was over the screwdriver place. The staple gun was where the hacksaw was supposed to go.

Under the nearest hydraulic lift, which was holding a '98 Toyota Corolla, a pair of legs stuck out—the lower half of a huge man in grubby gray pants and shoes even bigger than Tyson's. one leg was in a metal brace. The spider scuttled straight under the car, and the sounds of banging stopped.

"Well, well," a deep voice boomed from under the Corolla. "What have we here?"

The mechanic pushed out on a back trolley and sat up and naturally it was Hepheastus. Aaron felt the man's innate aura of power and inspiration infuse him with greater strength, stemming any tiredness and wear and tear of the road. He loved being around this God, his aura was perfectly compatible to Aaron's own. They worked well together at that, so really it was likely they would end up as great friends.

"There," The God muttered to himself before he took apart the spider and fixed it in two seconds. "Much better."The spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away.

Hephaestus glowered up at them, then broke out into a smile. "Aaron, how goes it my friend?"

"Not bad at all, my old friend. We need some help in finding Daedalus',-"

"Daedalus?" the god roared. "You want that old scoundrel? You dare to seek him out!"His beard burst into flames and his black eyes glowed.

"Well, technically we know where he is, we just have to find his workshop. He's already agreed to help us." Annabeth said, her tone a mere squeak.

"Humph. Well, that is something, I take it Aaron is responsible for that?" Aaron nodded and then He frowned at something on his worktable and limped over to it. He picked up a lump of springs and metal plates and tinkered with them. In a few seconds, he was holding a bronze and silver falcon. It spread its metal wings, blinked its obsidian eyes, and flew around the room. Tyson laughed and clapped his hands. The bird landed on Tyson'sshoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

Hephaestus regarded him. The god's scowl didn't change, there was a kinder twinkle in his eyes. "I sense you have something to tell me, Cyclops."

Tyson's smile faded. "Y-yes, lord. We met a Hundred-Handed One."

Hephaestus nodded, looking unsurprised. "Briares?"

"Yes. He—he was scared. He would not help us."

"And that bothered you."

"Yes!" Tyson's voice wavered. "Briares should be strong! He is older and greater than Cyclopes. But he ran away."

Hephaestus grunted. "There was a time I admired the Hundred-Handed Ones. Back in the days of the first war. But people, monsters, even gods change, young Cyclops. You can't trust 'em. My father violated my mother in the worst ways, Demeter was assaulted by both Poseidon and Zeus. My mother threw me off the mountain... though her recent deeds have led me to forgive that, unlike the others, she is making amends for her past... so maybe... yes, I do believe I could help you. Yes. Still, a way to that Inventor's workshop, that is an expensive favor."

"You know where he is, then," Annabeth pressed.

"It isn't wise to go looking, girl."

"My mother says looking is the nature of wisdom."

Hephaestus narrowed his eyes. "Who's your mother, then?"

"Athena."

"Figures." He sighed. "Fine goddess, Athena. A shame she pledged never to marry. All right, half-blood. I can tell you what you want to know. But there is a price. I need a favor done.

"Name it," Annabeth said.

Hephaestus actually laughed—a booming sound like a huge bellows stoking a fire. "You heroes," he said, "always making rash promises. How refreshing!"

He pressed a button on his workbench, and metal shutters opened along the wall. It was either a huge window or a big-screen TV, I couldn't tell which. They were looking at a gray mountain ringed in forests. It must've been a volcano, because smoke rose from its crest.

"One of my forges," Hephaestus said. "I have many, but that used to be my favorite."

"That's Mount St. Helens," Grover said. "Great forests around there."

"You've been there?" Percy asked.

"Looking for…you know, Pan."

"Wait," Annabeth said, looking at Hephaestus. "You said it used to be your favorite. What happened?"

Hephaestus scratched his smoldering beard. "Well, that's where the monster Typhon is trapped, you know. Used to be under Mount Etna, butwhen we moved to America, his force got pinned under Mount St. Helens instead. Great source of fire, but a bit dangerous. There's always a chance he will escape. Lots of eruptions these days, smoldering all the time. He's restless with the Titan rebellion."

"What do you want us to do?" Percy foolishly said, "Fight him?"

Aaron sighed. "Percy, he is stronger than all of the gods put together, you could never give that being an itch let alone any kind of fight."

Hephaestus nodded. "Lately I have sensed intruders in my mountain. Someone or something is using my forges. When I go there, it is empty, but I can tell it is being used. They sense me coming, and they disappear. I send my automatons to investigate, but they do not return. Something…ancient is there. Evil. I want to know who dates invade my territory, and if they mean to loose Typhon."

"You want us to find out who it is," Percy said.

"Aye," Hephaestus said. "Go there. They may not sense you coming. You are not gods."

"Glad you noticed," Percy muttered.

"Go and find out what you can," Hephaestus said. "Report back to me, and I will tell you what you need to know about Daedalus." "All right," Annabeth said. "How do we get there?"

Hephaestus clapped his hands. The spider came swinging down from the rafters. Annabeth flinched when it landed at her feet.

"My creation will show you the way," Hephaestus said. "It is not far through the Labyrinth. And try to stay alive, will you? Humans are much more fragile than automatons Oh and Aaron must stay with me. His powers are far too vast and unique, he will be noticed without hesitation. If it is what I suspect, they would sense him as easily as they sense my own presence."

Aaron nodded and pulled each one of the questers into a hug. "Be smart, be safe, me wise."

They all nodded into his chest ( except for Tyson who was far too big for that) and hurried off and away. Aaron looked at the great inventor. "So, wanna play cards?"

The man laughed. "I want to speak of our project. It is is finally ready, the final cooling has happened. The automaton is had been made and infused with Orichicalcum and so on. You are something of a genius, my son."

"I do try."

"You succeed... I thought I would warn you though, Father is displeased. He will try and do something, anything to put you down. Anything he can to get away with it. The Fates are on your side, but still... Father is a stubborn bastard. So be careful."

"I'll try." They went quiet for a while as Aaron wandered through the workshop, checking out the various projects and scrolls and so on. Then, After about an hour, they felt a tremendous explosion of mystical energy and a literal earth shattering earthquake that screamed of Percy's aura. It left Aaron breathless, terrified, and filled with panic. "Percy! I can't feel his essence... but I don't feel his death... Hephaestus, where is he?"

The God, who was working on an automaton, turned to him and frowned. "I can sense him but only just... I cannot tell you though, Ancient laws, but what I can tell you is that he is safe... for now. " The god was giving him a look, telling and strict and Aaron knew where Percy was. Only one place made sense, only one place could mask his presence like that but still be considered safe... and still be bound by Ancient laws.

"Calypso's island, that's the only place I can think of that would... at least he is safe, I only pray that he comes back."

Chapter end, tell me what you thinking the reviews.

This was not a lot of change but for good reason, I always saw this as tied to Fate.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.