AN: A couple of things that I need to say. First, thank all of you for reading, I hope you are enjoying the story. I know it's a bit more off the path of cannon but it is what it is. Second, there are some things related to the timeline of the formation of the Olympian Council, and some other mythological details that I am playing a bit fast and loose with. Normally when researching mythology I default to Percy Jackson's universe explainations for obvious reasons, but in this case, I am diverging from both the classical mythology and the mythology as told by Rick Riordan. Hopefully, it is not too bothersome as I am only changing some minor timing as a part of a flashback (Oh yeah. Flashback time) and it will have little bearing on the narrative itself.

Slight Warning: There is a discussion of suicide conceptually, not the act itself, but I know this can be a hard subject for some. As usual with these things, I will include a marking to let anyone who wants to find and skip the section in question. I will also include a less descriptive summary of the section after the AN at the end of this chapter so no one misses out on important story details.

As always I own nothing you recognize from officially published/licensed works, only my imagination.

Chapter 8: Of Steel and Secrets

Percy wanted more than ever to just be normal. He had had a similar thought so many times over the years that it was almost a joke at this point, though he wondered if he even knew what normal meant anymore. Right now, he thought he felt it even more keenly than ever. He was studying Calypso as they sat together simply content to enjoy each other's company for a time. The simplicity of the moment made Percy long for a life he had never known.

Then a familiar sort of feeling washed through him. A feeling that reminded him of being fourteen going on fifteen after he had decided that the prophecy would be his and no one else's if he could help it. Better that he bear this fate, this suffering, this weight, than another. After all, this was why he had decided to accept the god's offer of godhood was it not? To be the one who took on the responsibility and suffering so that the demigods needn't? As he looked upon his love, his wife he realized with a shiver, he was reminded of everything he had fought for and it was like a shot of adrenaline to his tired soul. No, he wouldn't despair, he wouldn't let the pain and cruelty of life tear him down. If he did he would be failing those whom he had dedicated his immortal life to protecting. He would be worse than useless to those he loved and called friends.

No, now was the time to stand. Now was the time to fight, and he would fight. He remembered something that Frank had told him once, it was something that Frank had thought before melting Thanatos' icy chains.

"If I am going to burn, it might as well be bright."

That idea made Percy's blood sear in his veins as it hadn't for months, maybe years. Percy refused to allow himself to give into the darkness and despair that had so consumed Luke and those who had followed him. Calypso seemed to feel something from him because she turned to look at him and in her eyes, he saw another reminder of just why he fought. The depth of emotion, of her love that he perceived within her boundless gaze left him without words. Leaning forward he captured his new wife's lips with his own in a searing kiss. He attempted to convey every ounce of his love, his passion, and his gratitude through that one action. He felt her respond to his kiss with the same passion that he felt for her.

He broke the contact resting his forehead against hers, his lips swollen and his heart racing. Every fiber of his being urged him to act, to go further but he needed to talk, to tell her everything before anything else.

"I love you. I love you more than life itself. I can't... Thank you."

He was reduced to the simplest language possible by the intensity of his passion. Though he knew that she loved him, he also knew she disliked how little regard he bore for himself. His thoughts were echoed on her face before her lips parted to respond.

"I love you too Percy, but promise me... Promise me you'll stay safe. Promise me you'll come back to me."

Her words struck Percy like the blow that had shattered Hephaestus' anvil. The desperation in her voice cut at him in a way that he had no way to defend against. He gathered her into his arms and felt her gladly mold herself against him. Her ear pressed against his chest, listening to the steady pounding of his heartbeat. He considered her plea and realized that while he might not consider his safety, or his wellbeing worthy of consideration, his fate affected those around him. Here was someone who, was his physical manifestation destroyed to reform, would grieve his absence until the day he finally reformed. It was an odd feeling to be sure, to know that there was someone who cared about you more than you cared about yourself.

"I can't promise any of that, you know that, but I can promise you one thing for sure. I will not give up. I can promise that I will fight until the very end, that nothing will stand between me and coming back to you if I can do something about it."

He meant it, even without his domains, without his powers, he meant it. He also knew that just like so many times before he might not come back from this one. When he had been a demigod, traveling to Alaska had been a risk without question. Now that he was a god how would the far north affect him?

Artemis had decided to once more concentrate the majority of her consciousness in the aspect of her driving the moon chariot. The solitude as she sailed through the sky helped clear her thoughts, and the unobstructed view of the stars unpolluted by mortals at this altitude reminded her of centuries past. Her eyes found the constellation they so often returned to when she found herself in her chariot seeking peace and quiet. The Huntress stood out amongst the other stars and once again she desperately wished that her oldest friend was here at her side. It had been so long since Artemis had journeyed beyond their territory that it was hard to remember how it had felt. The last time had been when they were in England which now that she thought about it seemed to be a recurring thought as of late.

"Damn you Cernunos."

Her words were lost in the roar of the wind as she flew but she didn't care. How long would she be haunted by the ghosts of the past? As a goddess, it was an ironic thought as she herself was a concrete example of just how long things endured in this world. She had brushes with other pantheons repeatedly over the centuries, but until England, none had resulted in this sort of enduring feud. The closest example before now was the war that had almost occurred between Olympus and the gods of the various tribes on the outskirts of the Empire when the Heart of the West had been in Rome. At that her thoughts turned in a different direction, she was old, older than empires, and all of the Olympians could say the same, all except Percy. Yet here he was at the center of yet another prophecy that would seemingly decide the fate of their entire world. Her eyes returned to the world below her, scanning uncounted miles even as her mind was busy thinking about Percy, the missing demigods, and more. Until just after midnight nothing seemed amiss, the world was asleep as it always was at this hour. Calm and quiet, just as she liked it. Soon enough however the predators of the night would begin their work in earnest which was as it should be. As she was beginning her descent however something caught her attention, something out of place. Focusing to the north she realized in an instant what it was and sent an aspect of herself to investigate.

When she opened her eyes she saw Percy already looking at her. She was not surprised that he was aware of her arrival, of all people he had every reason to be on high alert for anything around him and she approved. However, finding him here on the northern shore of Lake Superior seemed odd to her. Knowing him it would not have surprised her if he had attempted to leave without anyone to aid him in his quest, she had seen him risk far more to protect even her before. Leaving himself so obvious and easily spotted was concerning. Perhaps he is trying to draw out an attack to try and learn something from our enemies she mused.

"Hello, Artemis."

His voice was heavy and filled with a sadness that she had not heard in a long time, not since her brother and Hermes had insisted on being there for him after he had first become a god. She studied his face and what she could discern of his mental state which did little to help her in figuring out his purpose in being here of all places at this hour.

"Hello, Percy. Do I need to ask?"

He shrugged and returned to staring out over the lake from where he sat on a log worn and bleached by the sun and the lake. She moved forward and sat beside him waiting for him to break the silence as she knew that forcing the situation would do her little good. Her patience was rewarded soon enough as she had known it would be eventually.

"Do you know anything about Lady..."

It seemed as though his voice just died in his throat before he could say something which confused Artemis.

"Who? What are you talking about Percy?"

To her surprise, he swore loudly his eyes directed skyward.

"Enchantment be damned, Zeus. You should be ashamed of yourself."

Artemis was astounded when the sky remained calm and no thunder rumbled overhead. She had been about to admonish Percy for insulting her father, not out of any specific respect for him but for Percy's own sake.

"Percy? What...?"

"I learned some things recently that I can only discuss with people who already know about it. It's why I am here at the shore of this Lake in particular, and it is in no small part responsible for our current... issues."

The venom in his voice was evident and the continued lack of thunder told her that her father either wasn't listening or that he was choosing to ignore Percy's words. They remained silent for a long while as Artemis considered his words and what he could be talking about. What could Percy know that she didn't? Who else did know and how could she find out the truth? Her thoughts were interrupted as Percy spoke again, but this time his voice was filled with an unidentifiable emotion.

"Go and ask your father why Moros behaves like he does. I know that he has hunted you and your hunters since England but think about it. That was because of Cernunos. Moros was born before you and your brother, why has he always fought against us? This is not a new fight."

Artemis had no idea how Percy had known that. There were no records of his history that she was aware of. Even she had only learned of Moros' bloody crusade against Olympus in England after his ire seemed to be focused on her.

"Can I ask you a favor Arty?"

She growled in annoyance at the nickname but nodded all the same.

"Unless your father tells you the truth don't come back here tonight. Please?"

Artemis rose to her feet and felt oddly off balance. She was unused to being in the dark about the goings on of the world, especially where it concerned the enemies of the Olympian council. She, along with her hunters, had been all too often the first to come under fire when their foes were on the march. How many of her dearest companions had she lost over the millennia only now to learn that perhaps she did not know the truth of why? Their names raced through her memory and flashes of their final moments soon followed. She vanished from the spot reappearing on the marble of the throne room. She didn't care how her father would react, if by concealing something from her he had affected her hunters then he would know her wrath.

She swelled to her full godly height and struck the arm of her throne with the butt of one of her twin daggers. The crack shot through the room and she felt it as much as she heard it. With a flare of sunlight, Apollo appeared before her looking concerned, but it was nothing compared to the look he gave her moments later. With the crackling roar of lighting and a flash of blinding white electric light, their father appeared on his throne. Electricity raced across his fingers and arced to his platinum throne. The expression on his face could only be described as thunderous, but Artemis saw the barest hint of fear behind his eyes if only for a moment.

"For what reason do you summon me, daughter?"

His voice rumbled through the room and she had to stifle a laugh at the empty bravado.

"Enough theatrics father. You know why I'm here, and you know why I called you. Are you going to answer me or will you make me find the truth on my own?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Apollo looking at her with wide eyes and she could almost swear he could hear him silently begging her to just stop talking. Zeus' brow furrowed and she saw his eyes flicker toward the other half of the arc of thrones, she couldn't tell which in particular but perhaps Hephaestus' throne?

"Have a care for how you speak daughter. You presume much if you think to demand answers from me. Especially answers that..."

Artemis threw caution to the wind and interrupted him.

"So there are answers? You do not deny that there is some truth you are concealing?"

The air buzzed and the room smelled of ozone as her father's brow darkened with rage. She had seen him like this many times but it had been directed at others in the past, in fact, the last time she could remember would have been directed at Percy. Zeus stood and for the first time, Artemis considered that perhaps she had pushed him too far. With a snap of his fingers, Apollo was forcibly removed from the room. However, as Zeus stepped forward there was a flash of searing solar light and Apollo reappeared at his sister's side. Gone were the easy smile and relaxed posture, gone were the modern clothing and sunglasses. They had been replaced by an Apollo she had not seen in many many years. Even fighting against Typhon only a handful of years ago he had maintained the sunglasses and relaxed, carefree facade, that she so hated.

They had been replaced by his armor and a hard expression that reminded Artemis of her brother as he had been in Greece. This was the god of truth, of prophecy, this was the god of the sun, who deserved as much fearful respect as he did admiration. With his glowing bow at full draw the lines of his body were set and every inch of him bespoke a deep abiding anger, long suppressed.

"Tell. Her."

For the first time in millennia, Artemis felt Apollo compelling the truth. His power filled the room much as Percy's power did when promises were made in his presence. Zeus' lightning crackled as one of his bolts appeared in his hand. Apollo didn't move, he didn't let down the string, he didn't so much as flinch. If anything his power swelled further, the compulsion to tell the truth now making Artemis feel as though she needed to speak, to give voice to the truth behind an immortal lifetime's worth of lies. Then a familiar swell of power followed by a swirl of burning embers appeared between the two gods. Hephaestus, stooped and twisted Hephaestus, bent but never broken Hephaestus.

"Father. Stop."

His voice was so unlike either Apollo's or Zeus' at that moment. His words were low, tired, so very tired, she had never heard the forge god sound so... defeated. Artemis met her twin's eyes and she found sympathy and anger there. She saw her father's knuckles whiten as his grip on the bolt tightened but she saw a flicker of something else cross his face. Stepping forward she pushed Apollo's bow hand down giving him a look and projecting two words to him silently, 'Trust me.' Before She could speak Hephaestus spoke again.

"It has been over three millennia now. Nothing can change the past but you know as well as I that they need to know. This is about more than your pride Father."

She saw the move coming an instant before it did but she was still too slow. Zeus sent the bolt on its path toward Hephaestus but it struck the floor more than a yard to his right. There must not have been much power behind the bolt because it did not so much as singe Hephaestus' coveralls. To add to the strangeness of the situation Zeus took a step back and sank onto his throne. His eyes shaded by a downcast brow and his posture collapsed in on itself.

His silence seemed to echo in the throne room for too long. Artemis shared a look with her twin and then Hephaestus, the same confusion she felt was visible in their eyes. When Zeus looked up he looked far older than any of them had ever seen him. Deep lines cut into the skin around his eyes and the shadows below them looked incredibly dark. Before Zeus even spoke she saw Apollo's eyes widen in shock as though he knew what was coming.

"Before any of you were born. Before this hall was even built I received a vision, a prophecy."

Apollo sucked in a breath between his teeth and for a moment Artemis smelled snake. The reaction drew Zeus' attention and he grimaced in what might have been supposed to be a sad smile.

"I suppose the Spirit of Delphi has given you the same vision that was granted to me?"

Apollo nodded eyes wide and remained silent. Zeus sighed heavily and returned his gaze to Hephaestus, who Artemis saw was standing straighter than she had ever seen him.

"As Apollo is all too aware the vision is unpleasant in the extreme. I know... I know that I have not always been the best father."

It was a testament to the seriousness with which they were all taking the situation that not even Apollo made a snide remark or sarcastic comment.

"But I swear to you on my power and throne Hephaestus that I..."

His voice broke and all three of them saw a side of their father that had anyone asked them if this was a possibility they would have laughed. None of them spoke, they simply waited and watched.

"I swear to you that I did not intend to destroy Lady Viva."

Even without Apollo's confirmation Artemis knew he was telling the truth. She was going to ask who Viva was but as she moved to open her mouth Hephaestus' knees hit the marble floor with enough force to shake the room. Cracks split the flawless stone and Hephaestus buried his face in his hands. Apollo moved forward and laid a hand on his half-brother's shoulder. Hephaestus stiffened and then looked up at him before accepting his help to rise shakily to his feet once more. She had known that through Percy, Hephaestus had begun to leave his forge once in a while but she had not expected to see him accepting help. For as long as she could remember, Hephaestus had eschewed help of all kinds for reasons he kept to himself. When Hephaestus spoke again his voice was surprisingly even and calm.

"Then what did happen?"

"The vision granted to me was the first I had ever received. It was not long before the pair of you were born." He said this while looking at her brother and herself. He continued in the same tired and quiet tone, "When I first learned of Moros. At the time he was little more than the terror in the night, the end that all mortals feared. What did I a god have to fear from a spirit whose domain encompassed mortal life's end? Nothing I told myself. The vision made me reconsider that idea. There was so much I did not know, so much I did not understand. I needed to know more, to find the answers, and most importantly ensure I had the power to stand against whatever threat was looming. Then you came with the promise of glorious new thrones and I wondered. When Hera was trapped however I knew. This was the firey god whose rage I needed to quench, whose flames I must dampen lest they consume Olympus itself."

Hephaestus' eyes were unblinking, and Artemis thought that not even she could move silently to be unheard in the stillness.

"So I thought I had found a solution. It was perfect and then you asked for the hand of the one you desired as payment for releasing Hera from her bonds. Aphrodite, I told myself, she must be the one. My vision had shown me that a goddess of the sea was the only thing that could dampen the flames. Now this seemed all too perfect. What other could you be referring to than the unwed goddess of beauty and love? She had been born of the sea as well, she had told us that herself. Now I regret that I had made mistakes. The first was not allowing you to ask for yourself but the second. The second was by far my most egregious error, what I had seen I now know was not a warning against the inferno but a warning that the god of fire's flames would be in danger. When you did not accept and requested time to consider I admit I sought to find the truth of why and made my third and greatest mistake. I trusted Lady Elea with finding you but this was folly."

At the same time, all three children of Zeus could see where this was going and they all felt a heaviness fill the room.

"Lady Elea was too trusting, too forgiving, Especially where her family was concerned. It was through her that Moros learned of the growing unease and saw his chance to claim for himself the doom of an immortal. I can only assume he found you first, with Lady Viva because now things get murky.

The Ancient World

Zeus stood atop Mt. Olympus. He stood on the edge of what was now a collection of palaces where the nine Olympian Gods dwelt. Even now the mighty hall that would soon house his throne room was under construction higher on the peak. Dark had been his dreams of late, ever since Hephaestus, the god he had not known of until he hobbled up the mountain with a promise to create for each of them a throne such as they had never seen.

Much had happened since that day, and the thrones stood in their palaces, save one, awaiting the completion of his throne room. Hera's throne still had yet to be completed. However, his mind had been occupied with the memory of a dream, but this was no ordinary dream. He knew that prophecy was possible, he had even heard tell of a place where mortals claimed to catch glimpses of their futures. This dream was filled with fire, water, and death. Much sorrow lay before the Olympians, for he had a feeling that the flames were of Hephaestus whom his dream referred to. As the god of fire and of smiting he was without question involved. To his further dismay however he recognized the incarnation of death as it was not Thanatos, but the Spirit of Doom, Moros. Zeus had spent the greater part of the previous week scouring the earth, even setting his lieutenant Aeolus in search as well.

He had found nothing, but for now, that was acceptable in the short term. Hephaestus rarely left his forges, one on Mt. Olympus and the other below the waves. He had grown up beneath the waves, raised by Thetis, and taught his craft by the Elder Cyclopses. He was not afraid while he remained in his forges but when he was away beneath the sea Zeus made sure to keep a close eye on things. The waters that filled his vision seemed to be smaller than the realm of his brother, but all the same, he watched. Wind whipped his face and he breathed in the smell of wild wind and rain bourne to him long before the storm would break above the land below. The smell invigorated him and made tiny arcs of electricity race up and down his form as he looked out over the land. Turning his attention to the forge he noticed that Hephaestus had gone, and so he looked now to the sea.

The clank of metal, the roar of flame, and the magic of creation hard at work. All was well it seemed, his siblings accounted for, his children, and the other two gods as well. There was one flaw, something he could not quite predict: Aphrodite. The goddess of love had appeared to them fully formed and though he would never admit it, powerful indeed. He could sense primordial power within her and it gave him pause. He turned his attention to the goddess who was lazing about her palace and her visage gave him an idea. The girdle she wore had been of Hephaestus' make though she had not received it from him. She had claimed it was the most beautiful object she had ever seen and Zeus wondered at that. A voice interrupted his reverie however and to his surprise he found Hephaestus standing before him.

"Greetings my lord. I have completed Lady Hera's throne."

Zeus faced Hephaestus and gave him a nod of approval.

"I shall let her know immediately. You have my thanks, Hephaestus."

"Would you be so kind as to gather the others that I may present it to her as a sign of respect?"

Hephaestus had asked the same of him but Zeus had not yet seen the thrones he had created. He had dismissed the god without giving his request due consideration as he had been sure the throne would be adequate at best. He had been mistaken and he knew that his queen would enjoy the fact she had a ceremonial presentation he had not.

"Very well. I shall summon the others to our palace and send word when we are ready."

Zeus thought he saw a brief flare of something like savage triumph in Hephaestus' eyes before the god turned and vanished amongst a swirl of glowing red embers.

Present Day

"Yes, we were all there Father. We remember what happened then. What does this have to do with Lady Viva aside from the mention of your vision?"

Artemis spoke for the three of them. She could feel the frustration and impatience growing in the room and she did not wish to see this situation get any worse. They were balanced on a razor's edge as it was.

"It has everything to do with it."

Zeus' words hissed between his teeth and now he sounded angry, even incensed.

"I learned that day many things. About my vision, about my wife, and about the son I had never known about until that day!"

"You didn't know... She never...?"

Zeus shook his head.

"The first I saw you was the day you hobbled up the mountain. The first I learned you were my son was when you confronted Hera after she was bound to her throne. Now I shall tell of the end of the story, the part that Artemis has so bluntly pointed out that is all that matters."

The Ancient World

Lightning flashed as he appeared on a small rise. Soon enough his vision found that which had come to find. The lake was Lady Viva's home for the moment but immediately it was obvious something was wrong. The sweetness of the wild plants was blanketed by a sour, rotting odor. The plants themselves seemed to be almost wilting around him, the colors muted and forlorn.

Zeus stalked forward and summoned one of his bolts, already crackling with power, into his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, like a shadow flitting from tree to tree. He growled in annoyance, the sound filling the forest around him with a sound like thunder. All he heard in return was a laugh that may as well have been a serpent's. Hissing and sibillant it seemed to come from all directions.

"Oh, you are too late Lord of the Sky. You cannot stop fate, no one can, especially you. You who must enforce the immortal laws."

"Show yourself!"

A shadowy figure stepped from the trees and Zeus gripped his bolt tighter. Something was just wrong about the figure, but Zeus couldn't place it.

"Hello, son of Kronos."

The figure gave a mocking bow as he walked out of the trees. Zeus wanted to smite him where he stood, obliterate his physical form, and be done so that he would spend an age reforming if he ever did. However, something held his hand at bay, a feeling like a half-forgotten dream. Had his vision shown him this moment? It did not matter, the bolt sizzled as he released it, arcing as it shot with blinding speed toward his target. It didn't land on target, the figure seemed to melt into the shadows at the last moment.

"SHOW YOURSELF COWARD!"

"My my my, temper temper. Why in the world would I show myself? There are no weapons that can match your lightning for potency and no armor that can completely nullify it."

Zeus spun and released another bolt in the direction he thought the voice had come from. Dozens of trees were blasted into smoking shards.

"You dare to threaten the Olympians you shall taste my fury. Now submit and die quickly or I shall ensure that your life is more of a torture than your time reforming ever could be."

When the figure appeared again from the shadows Zeus didn't hesitate. This time he held his Masterbolt and there would be no trace of Moros left when it struck. In the tiny fraction of a second before his weapon struck, however, Zeus realized exactly why the figure had seemed wrong. Even as his bolt approached he saw an enchantment unraveling, sliding off of the figure like an oily stain being cleaned from the skin. He could see the sickly but still beautiful visage of Lady Viva just before his bolt struck.

Present Day

"Why? Why did you never tell me?"

The pain and anger in Hephaestus' voice was biting and Artemis knew pain but this was a different sort of loss than she had experienced. However she also knew that loss was always the same in the end, and nothing ever dulled the pain but time. Zeus seemed to be choosing his words very carefully and when he eventually did speak his words were measured and as gentle as she thought her father was capable of.

"At the end of it all, I thought that if you hated me I could live with that. If you sought vengeance on Moros... Well I could ill afford to lose the greatest smith alive to the darkness of Tartarus, and I could not allow the destruction of much of the world I ruled. Can you honestly tell me that if you knew the truth you would not have burnt everything before you to cinders until you found him?"

Artemis thought his answer, while at least on the surface accurate enough, concealed as much as it revealed. She knew her father and despite his claim, she knew that in part his decision was likely motivated by shame, shame at being tricked, shame at his inability to see through Moros' illusion. Her train of thought was interrupted by Hephaestus' voice.

"No, I suppose I cannot tell you that."

A shadow crossed Hephaestus' face and Artemis was without words. Hephaestus continued to speak then and she wondered how this was going to end.

"I cannot allow him to go unpunished for this. He has done what he pleased for so long while my... While Lady Viva has been... I refuse to stand by and wait!"

"You will do nothing!"

Zeus' voice bore every ounce of authority he could muster but they all knew even the king of the gods could not truly bind any of them without time and preparation. Even his spell that had made Apollo mortal had been incomplete and imperfect. Hephaestus turned away from Zeus and walked toward his throne. When he stood before it, Artemis watched with interest as he laid a hand on the armrest. The material slid back exposing a space beneath it. Out of the hidden compartment, Hephaestus drew two things: a necklace and a blackened spike that made Artemis' skin crawl. Turning back to the other three in the room, Hephaestus moved back toward them and held out the necklace to Apollo.

"Will you be sure that Percy gets this? He should be the one to ensure it finds its way to her lake."

"Hephaestus..."

Apollo started but the crippled god simply shook his head.

"It was to be the gift with which I asked her hand. I have held onto the past for too long. It's time to do something. Do not try to stop me, Father. I will..."

"Perseus. Come!"

Zeus interrupted Hephaestus and everyone tensed upon hearing his words. The three gods standing before Zeus all shared a unique relationship with Percy, but none of them knew how he would react to the full truth of the situation. Additionally, Artemis was still concerned as to the nature of the blackened spike the Hephaestus still bore. It seemed to drink in the light around it, and it felt wrong to even look at it.

"What do you want Zeus?"

Percy didn't know what to do, how to do it, where to go, or anything aside from one unavoidable absolute truth. He had to go north, and once again attempt to fulfill the words of a godsforsaken prophecy. His eyes were unfocused as he stared out over the waters of the lake that held the remaining traces of Lady Viva's spirit. Percy turned a flat lake rock over and over again absently as he considered the possibilities of what he had to do.

After Artemis had gone his thoughts had strayed back to his conversations with his father and Hephaestus. He knew all too well the loss that Hephaestus had endured but even he couldn't imagine how hard it had been for his friend. He knew that without Calypso, Apollo, Hermes, even Artemis, and his father, he would have lost himself in his grief. Hephaestus had been alone for thousands of years, and aside from the Cyclopses, there were few he could have counted as friends in that time.

Percy started to hum a tune. He couldn't place the song but it felt good to do something even if it was just humming a song. Unfortunately, his momentary good mood was interrupted by a summons. He felt Zeus invoke his presence and call him to Olympus. Groaning he threw the flat stone at the lake and watched as it skipped out of sight. Once it was gone he willed himself to appear in the throne room.

"What do you want Zeus?"

Even as he asked the question he took in the other occupants of the room and then he felt something dark. His eyes found the object in Hephaestus' hand and then made eye contact with the god, searching for any explanation.

"As my daughter said to me earlier, we both know why I called you Perseus."

"I'm not going to say sorry if that's what you want. She has the right to know, she needs to know, and everyone does. Or are you still convinced that everyone doesn't already know what a terrible dad you are?"

Percy saw Zeus' knuckles whiten on the arms of his throne and the cords in his neck stand out in high relief.

"I will ignore your insulting words this time for two reasons Perseus. The first is that while you do not know the truth you are right. The second being that as badly as I wish to I cannot afford to put you out of commission."

Percy raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Apollo.

"We sure this is Zeus? And is he seriously still trying to cover his butt?"

Apollo grimaced and opened his mouth to speak but to Percy's surprise, Hephaestus spoke. Zeus and Hephaestus took the next few minutes to explain the full story so that he could catch up with the others. As the story progressed Percy had thought he had been angry at Moros before but seeing the look on Hephaestus' face as the moment of his beloved's death approached served to redouble Percy's fury. Even the obvious regret in Zeus' voice sent an unexpected surge of sympathy through Percy, a feeling that he would have never considered that he would ever feel concerning the king of the gods.

"Oh."

Percy didn't know what else to say as his head was such a jumble of emotions, ideas, and questions. Searching for something, anything to say his eyes fell once more on the brutal spike of metal in Hephaestus' hand. He could feel even from here the dark almost malicious power that seemed to leech the light and warmth from the world around the weapon. It was simple and crude, but Percy knew that it was a weapon, of a kind he had never seen but it was one all the same.

"Hephaestus. What is that?"

His words caused Artemis and Apollo to glance first at him and then at the dark object in Hephaestus' hand before returning their attention to Hephaestus to see what his answer would be. The god of fire raised the spike of blackened metal to chest height and opened his hand toward Percy, almost as if to hold the weapon out for him to take. Before his better judgment warned him against the action he stepped forward and took the spike into his hand. The surge of power that left him nearly drove Percy to his knees. He had never experienced anything like that before and he had never felt a power quite like that before. Even as he thought that however, something seemed to slide into place from deep in his memory. A memory of heavy black iron chains that held a black and bronze door to a blasted purple and black expanse surrounded by uncounted monsters.

"How did you...?"

"An apt question I suppose. Something tells me that you have seen this metal before?"

Percy merely nodded, not feeling as though giving voice to where he had seen the metal before would be the best idea at the moment.

"I suppose being one of only three demigods to ever walk there and leave alive, you would have seen it. This is an incredibly rare piece of Stygian Iron that has been treated in all five rivers of the underworld. I discovered that treating it in this way gives it a property that no other godly metal has, it can temporarily ground an immortal's power, their spirit, if you will, to the physical body it currently occupies. This means no flashing, no powers. Before you ask how that is any different from even Celestial Bronze chains for example I will tell you. Because this does not have to remain in contact with the immortal to do so. Once it has tasted of their Ichor it will serve as an anchor until the Ichor is consumed."

Apollo and Artemis both moved back so fast that had they not had godly reflexes and agility, Percy was sure they would have both crashed to the floor. At the same time, Zeus shot to his feet, his Masterbolt appearing in his hand already crackling with power.

"What abomination is this! How dare you create such a thing without first informing the council of your intentions!"

It was a reasonable question for Zeus to ask though Percy thought he knew the answer already and he was interested to see if Hephaestus would say what Percy guessed he would, or would he attempt to lie. Hephaestus' face was hidden in shadow as he looked down at the crude spike of metal in his hand as if he was contemplating throwing it in the hearth in the center of the room.

(If you wish to skip here is the section in question.)

"I created it thousands of years ago, following Her death."

He paused now and it seemed that whatever he was going to say weighed heavily on him.

"I created it to follow her into the void, to cease to be."

Percy felt frozen, he had expected Hephaestus to tell the truth, and for the truth to be that he created it as a way to claim his revenge for Lady Viva's death. What Hephaestus had said reminded Percy of things, dark things, that had whispered themselves to Percy in his darkest moments. He knew what that was like, to consider simply seeking an end to the pain, the suffering, all of it. He had found a way through the darkness and despair, but he hadn't done it alone. Had Hephaestus been alone? Percy felt a heavy sort of resigned confidence that his friend had been alone for it all.

"All that stayed my hand then was the discovery that her spirit, even if only a small piece, lived on. That a part of her was still fighting to aid humanity in the struggle to survive and grow."

(End of section in question.)

An uncomfortable silence had descended on the throne room, and it felt incredibly empty to them all at that moment. Percy stepped forward and took the spike from Hephaestus again and the forge god did not resist his fingers. Percy willed it to disappear, to go where all those weapons he had within his domain went, where none but he could ever retrieve them. With the weapon gone from the room, the Twins seemed to relax somewhat though Apollo shot Percy a worried glance. Zeus however seemed to not relax in the slightest.

"What have you done Perseus?! Now it can never truly be destroyed!"

"Only I can summon it ever again. It will not..."

"Swear you will never summon it Perseus!"

Zeus' anger shook the building and Percy prepared himself to fight or flee. Before he could answer or move there was a flash of bloody light, followed by nine more one after the other. The rest of the council appeared on their thrones starting with Ares who looked positively gleeful at the sight before him. Last to arrive were his father and uncle as their realms were the most removed from Olympus. Percy for the first time in days felt a sense of relief flood him as he was no longer facing his uncle alone. He trusted the twins with his life, but he knew that if it came down to it they would fall before their father's rage like so many monsters did before Percy's hurricanes.

"Brother! What is the meaning of this?"

Percy looked at his father as he spoke, his voice booming in the hall.

So Zeus told them, told the council the whole story. He seemed, much like Percy, to be fed up with the secret. His eyes were lit with a fire that seemed to dare any of them to question his decisions made so long ago. When he reached the weapon Hephaestus had created, and why, Hestia left her throne and embraced Hephaestus. To the surprise of all in the hall, he did not retreat from the contact but returned the embrace but only for a moment. Something passed between the two that was only for the two of them to hear and Hestia returned to her throne, though now her eyes never left her nephew. Zeus' volume began to rise as he finished his explanation of how Percy had, in Zeus's words, 'Claimed the weapon for his own.'

"Percy? Is this true?"

Percy met his father's gaze and saw a fear in his eyes that Percy had never seen before.

"I touched it and banished it yes. Does this mean I can summon it again? Also yes, but as all of you know I will never betray Olympus. This I swore, in front of all of you when I first became a god."

Athena now spoke, her voice careful and filled with her usual practiced aloofness.

"Would you summon it so that we may examine it ourselves?"

Percy nodded without taking his eyes off Zeus.

"Of course, if that is the will of the council."

Save Zeus, Hera, Apollo, and Artemis, the gods voiced a desire to examine the weapon for themselves. So Percy summoned the crude spike, a perfect copy that only the traces of his power would betray that it was not the original. The first to react was Hades, who tensed and scowled, though he was followed shortly by Athena herself. His uncle then spoke, his voice the quietest of his brothers still filling the hall.

"All five of the rivers, more was done than simply treating the metal in their waters. What devilry is this Hephaestus? I have seen more than enough to know that so long as I am lord of the dead no such weapon will be allowed within my borders. Unless any have objections I say that it should never again be summoned as you call it nephew."

The others agreed with immediacy, the only one to hesitate being Athena, but in the end, even she acquiesced. Percy willed the weapon to disappear and the room once more felt as it should, though the others seemed to be looking at him as though he was a wild animal. The main perpetrators of this were Zeus, Hera, and to Percy's surprise, Aphrodite. When she met his eyes they softened slightly and he thought he could read an apology in them for a moment but then it was gone. He returned to his throne and leaned his left elbow on the arm, his palm supporting his chin as the others continued to discuss the implications of what they had learned. As he sat, and time grew long his frustration began to mount with them all, even his father, as Poseidon seemed more than content to let things play out before him at the moment. Percy was done waiting and mentally called for Hepheastus' attention before willing himself to appear in the god's forge. Moments later Hephaestus appeared before him as Percy had hoped he would.

"They aren't happy."

"I don't care. Now talk."

AN: Sorry about this being a day late. I finished it around one am this morning and I needed to get to sleep. I waited until now because I didn't want anyone who is waiting on a chapter to possibly miss the notification, I know that has happened to me more than once. As always thank you for reading and my apologies for the slower pace than the first part of this story. Life has been life recently and I have continued to struggle to find the desire and inspiration to write to the standard I would like to try to hold myself to.

Summery of the section in question

Hephaestus created the weapon with the express purpose of binding and possibly killing immortals. Lady Viva's death was the reason for this and yet it was also her that allowed Hephaestus to continue on.