Hephaestus is in a daze as Pandora is suddenly yelling angrily at him. "What did you do to Icarus' family! TELL ME! NOW!" She demands, feeling the tears still flowing from her eyes. "Because Icarus… Icarus just… he just said some REALLY mean things! And said that I was just like you! And NOT in a good way! You're the BEST dad I could ask for! So WHAT IS GOING ON!?" She yells in sad confusion.

Hephaestus sits on his chair, having set Pandora down on a table of scrap-metal, with a blank stare on his face. "I… did not take him for that kind of individual…" He mutters and hides his face with his giant hand. "I am so sorry, my dearest Pandora. You had to go through that. It is all my fault."

Pandora pouts and gently pats her father's hand, not being able to reach anything else. "I… just want to know why he hates you so much. I don't understand anything that's happening right now. He was so nice. He was… my friend," She slumps onto her knees. "My first human friend."

Hephaestus holds his hands around Pandora as if wanting to shield her or hug her tightly but he can do neither. "Do not show your old man such sympathy, Pandora. I deserve none of it. Not for this."

"But… how? What did you do!?"

Ivaldi slams his hammer down. "Tell her for the gods' sake, you stubborn idiot!"

Hephaestus takes a deep breath. "Right…"

-Long ago-

"Long ago. Long before you were born… I was a different god entirely,"

Hephaestus slams his hammer down, currently without his metal beard he made, looking a lot more gruff and serious. He slams his hammer to the anvil with such vigor and aggressiveness that sparks fly across the entire workshop, Ivaldi and several other dwarfs walking around doing a lot more small work. "Wow wow wow, boss! You sure are givin' it your all today huh!?" Ivaldi says guiding some of the workers around.

"Quite! I require more Golden Steel! NOW!" He commands and the dwarves all nod.

"Man no wonder they nicknamed Hephaestus 'Vulcan'... It's like watching a damn volcano bending steel like that," A dwarf whispers wiping sweat from his brow only for Hephaestus to look back at him.

"Silence! I need Steel! Not NOISE! This item must be done within the hour!"

"Y-yessir! But didn't… lord Zeus say it wasn't urgent?"

"A simple item such as the cornucopia should not take more than a day for the likes of Heaven's greatest craftsman! I have a reputation to uphold! Otherwise that FAKER Hrimthur will simply be getting our requests. Do you WISH for my forge to go out of business!? I thought not!"

"I would call it an obsession. But that word is too light to describe my passion for forging. I did not party. I did not socialize. I did not make friends. I forged. It was my craft. My beloved craft. I am shocked, looking back, that so many people enjoyed working for me. I suppose my passion rubbed off on them. But it matters not to this story that I was successful. What matters… is him."

One day after working hours Hephaestus dips a large metal rod into the cold water, with a loud sizzle, nodding. "Hmpf. Perfection as always," He says praising himself when he hears a loud knock on the door. "Who dare disturb the forge god!?" He stomps to the front gate and pulls it open, looking down and seeing… a man. A HUMAN of all things!? He is tall and well muscled, blonde and with a bright smile on his face. He's wearing a white Greek robe with large leather boots and metallic armor on one arm and metal cuffs around each of his wrists. "A human?!"

The human smiles rather kindly and swings his hammer over his shoulder, leaning his head back. "Wow… you are as gigantic as the legends say!" He then bows deeply. "Good evening to you, Lord Hephaestus. My name is Daedalus."

Hephaestus crosses his arms. "I care why?" He asks and Daedalus laughs a little sheepishly.

"I suppose my name is more well-known amongst humans. I am but a humble blacksmith. I'm seeking work. I was wondering if Forge Vulcan needs another worker?" He says holding out his hammer. "I am good with a hammer, I can weld, smelt, I have even dabbled in automaton creation a few times. If none of these skills are needed I am also strong. I can move equipment around, clean if you want! I would love an opportunity to merely observe the forge god in action if nothing else!" He excitedly exclaims.

Hephaestus blinks a few times before turning around. "... no. Why should I hire a human?"

"Wait! Lord Hephaestus! Please! I need a job!" He says falling to his knees slamming his head into the ground. "I must provide for my family. Please give me a chance. If I falter even once I will leave of my own volition!"

Hephaestus grunts grabbing his hammer again. "Heh. Family. Such notions are useless here. All that matters…" He lifts his hammer and swings it onto the piece of steel he was working on, sending sparks flying all over. "Is DEDICATION to the craft!"

Daedalus springs to his feet. "I am dedicated alright! You don't believe me? Shall I show my work!?" He rushes in, pulling the giant gate closed behind him.

Hephaestus sighs. "I do not care enough to kill you… So I suppose I can observe the mediocre craftsmanship of a human who crafts out of necessity and NOT out of passion," He points to an anvil used by the various dwarves. "Create for me a masterpiece of a weapon worthy of my recognition. Use whatever metal you can find in here and whatever tools you wish," He starts working again. "When I am finished crafting this blade, I will judge your work. Do not get in my way,"

Daedalus nods looking around. "Yes sir! I won't disappoint!"

As the hours tick by Daedalus eagerly crafts and forges, Hephaestus looking to him when he stops, seeing the human take out a small picture of a young boy with a smile before getting to work again. His son? Such foolishness!

"I thought for certain he would fail to live up to the task. It was, after all, an impossible task he was given. But even I must admit. His skills were incredible,"

Daedalus swings his creation a few times before spinning on his heel and kneeling, holding the crystal-like blade up to Hephaestus who holds up his sword giant sword he just finished. He nods. "Perfection. Now…" He looks down expecting Daedalus to still be working. He finished at the same time!? But Hephaestus was already working on this blade when Daedalus arrived?! He picks up the tiny sword between two fingers, grabbing a magnifying glass. "Hmmm… Tell me about this blade. What did you do?"

"I expected half-hearted notions and general knowledge of craftsmanship from him. But no. He explained the process in such amazing detail. His blade was a piece of work. Worthy of a god to say the least."

"So lord Hephaestus? May I PLEASE have a job here?" Daedalus says as Hephaestus puts the sword on the wall for sale.

"Very well. You have proven yourself a decent blacksmith. But I will test you whenever I wish and in whichever discipline I so choose!"

"And so Daedalus began work at Forge Vulcan. And by the anvil! I have never met a human with his level of work ethic! He stayed longer than any dwarf, worked harder than three of them at once! And all with such a vibrant smile on his face!"

"If he was so great then what HAPPENED, dad?"

"... well you see my dearest Pandora. Back then, my work was everything to me. Everything. Without a hammer in hand I was average. But behind an anvil I was the greatest craftsman in all of Heaven!"

Daedalus is standing behind a small anvil, crafting next to Hephaestus, two dwarves looking rather intently at them. "Hey, is it just me or are those two…?" "Perfectly in sync? Yeah."

The two get a firm bonk over the head by Ivaldi. "Get to work will ya'? You ain't paid to WATCH. Make. Fuck's sake," He says waving his hand dismissively.

The two craftsman dip their finished swords in their respective water-buckets and admire their work. Hephaestus smirk. "Heh. I guess you've improved, Daedalus. If only a little."

"It's all thanks to Icarus. He motivates my every action," He proudly says with a smile.

"Hmpf. Nonsense. But so long as your craft is good, you are free to delude yourself,"

"The forge was more prosperous than ever. I was shocked that Daedalus' weapons were selling, let alone in the quantities they were. He did not just forge swords and spears. He made automations. Constructs far beyond what a human should be capable of. He constantly spoke of his son, Icarus, using him as his motivation. Taking care of his family was all that was on his mind. But I was not happy about this. In fact… I merely grew spiteful and jealous. I was the creator of the Dark Coffin! That's… that's what your box was called before I repurposed it. It all came to when we got… a certain request."

The forge is clanking away as always when the door opens with minimal effort and everyone looks up to see someone walk in, all except Hephaestus. The man is clad a robe of Greek origin with a crown on and blindfold of golden brambles. Daedalus smiles. "Greetings Lord Minos! I take it our weapons subdued the Minotaur no problem?"

The royal man shakes his head. "Nay. They did not. Not the fault of your weapons. However…" He explains the situation, describing a gigantic beastly monster, bigger than even Lord Hephaestus himself, brandishing an axe of unknown origin slaughtering countless gods indiscriminately. "Asterion… my son. I wish not to kill him. He is currently rampaging but we are keeping him at bay. I want you to build something for me."

Hephaestus raises his head. "Building and crafting is indeed my specialty. What shall I create?" He demands to know swinging his hammer over his shoulder.

Minos shakes his head. "I wish for you to make, a… I refuse to call it a cage. A home for Asterion. One which he cannot escape."

"Easily done. A simple box will do. It will be effective and cheap I imagine."

Minos shakes his head. "I will spare no expense on this, Hephaestus. I do not wish him discomfort! I am his father, after all."

"Hm. I suppose I can add some sheets to the box. Will that suffice?"

However before Minos can answer a chime comes from the smaller anvil. "A labyrinth…" Daedalus says putting down his hammer. "Yes… A labyrinth… from which there is no leaving… but plenty of variety."

Lord Minos looks confused at Daedalus who is muttering to himself. "What is that human talking about?"

Hephaestus shrugs. "I know not, nor do I care."

Daedalus walks up to Minos and takes his hand. "Lord Minos. I have an idea that should make your son as comfortable as possible. If you would hear me out!" He says with a worried, but excited look in his eyes.

Minos feels the man squeeze his hand tightly. "... heh. A father yourself I see. I've heard great things from you, Daedalus. I wish to hear your idea."

Daedalus explains his idea to Minos who is practically beaming with glee at the sound. "A cage like that, does not even sound like a cage. It will require many many materials in very high quality! Hephaestus! I have decided!"

Hephaestus grunts. "You see that his plan is foolishly over budget, when a much simpler design is possible?"

"We shall go with Daedalus' idea. I wish you to supply him with whatever he needs. Spare no expense."

Hephaestus' and Daedalus' eyes both widen in shock and they share a quick glance. "Whaaaat?" Hephaestus mutters under his breath.

"I-it… it would be my honor, Lord Minos! I promise I shall build it to the best of my abilities!" Minos gestures for him to follow, Daedalus bowing to Hephaestus. "I will return as soon as my work is finished, Lord Hephaestus!"

Hephaestus drops his hammer, much to the surprise of his other workers. "He… passed me over? ME!? For that… HUMAN!?" He clenches his fist, trembling with anger. "I AM THE VULCAN! THE god of the forge! Such a design… Such frivolous NONSENSE!"

"I took a rare trip elsewhere. To see what he was constructing. He had begun his building on the Isle of Crete as instructed. The prison island for Olympus. However it seems I had long been surpassed by Daedalus. Not when it came to the forging of metals… but the building of automations. I had not seen such magnificent craftsmanship in my life. And I have yet to see anything that surpasses it," Hephaestus stands on the mountain which would be used by Sysiphus to push his boulder soon enough, looking over the valley on the other side, a gigantic hollowed out section spanning a kilometer in each direction, Daedalus having gotten many many additional workers supplied by Minos. He sees Daedalus working on a small-scale model for a wall that can move up and down silently.

"Incredible…" Hephaestus mutters before realizing he just praised another craftsman. "Nay… he will fail. And when he does, Minos shall come to me."

But Daedalus did not fail. Years went by where Daedalus worked tirelessly on his maze and when it was finally finished he and Minos stand in front of it, Minos looking almost confused at what he's seeing. "Magnificent. Simply Marvelous, Daedalus? May I have the full details of its workings?"

Daedalus rubs the back of his head. "Of course. Imagine: A maze. Something that will trap Asterion. I made the walls of a material he should not be able to break, buried it three floors into the ground. And built three identical copies on top with three sets of stairs. The walls are modular. They can track Asterion's movements using pressure from his steps and will adapt themselves, moving up and down when he is not looking, and pardon me for saying… but your son should not be smart enough to find a way out of this maze once he enters. However you will be able to navigate this maze perfectly fine. Thus… you can visit him whenever you wish. And the food provided should always be guided to him," He explains the intricacies of the maze and Minos claps and leans his head back.

"Hahahaha! Amazing! Such a humane design. You truly thought of it all. He shall not be isolated, nor shall he go hungry. Truly an incredible design, Daedalus. Hahahaha!" He laughs as tears of blood suddenly start to flow from his eyes. "M-my son… My son will be okay…" He cries and Daedalus puts a hand on his shoulder and gives him a gentle squeeze.

"A father would do anything for his child. Thank you for the opportunity to assist you in helping yours."

Minos dries his bloodied eyes. "You will be rewarded handsomely for your work, Daedalus," He declares making Daedalus smile.

"My son will be happy to hear it, Lord Minos. Thank you for this opportunity,"

"His work was brilliant. I was sad to know I could not have made something of this caliber. And as a god… my pride was in my craft. And so… I made the biggest mistake of my life,"

Daedalus returns to the forge with a big smile on his face, sliding the door open with a bit of struggling. And unlike normal Hephaestus stops his work instantly and stares blankly at Daedalus. "I'm back everyone! Did I miss anything important?" Daedalus says with a smile.

Hephaestus steps forward. "I ought to kill you where you stand, human!" He says through gritted teeth.

"H-huh? What do you mean?!" He looks a little confused when Hephaestus picks him up. "H-hey!"

"How did you do it!? What secrets did you steal!? There is no chance a human can make such crafts while being absentmindedly distracted by meaningless connections!" He yells and Daedalus' eyes widen.

"S-steal secrets? I would never! What would Icarus think if I used such dishonorable tactics! Don't you see? He is all I need to do my best. My improvement will come so long as I do it for his sake,"

Hephaestus grits his teeth and clenches Daedalus a little tighter. "You LIE! There is not a chance you surpassed ME in ANY crafting discipline without dedication like mine! So be it!"

He takes Daedalus to Crete again, having already built a giant tower, tossing Daedalus into the window, making him tumble. "Gah!" Daedalus runs up to the window. "Hephaestus! Lord Vulcan! I do not understand!"

"Of course not. You are but a human. Now you can admire your work from afar for the rest of time. For crossing a line no human should cross. That of a god,"

"B-but! But my son! Icarus! What will happen to him! He is still young!"

Hephaestus pauses. "Fine! You wish to be with your 'inspiration' so badly!? I will have him imprisoned here with you!"

Daedalus reaches out of the window desperately. "What!? No! NO! Hephaestus! Leave my son out of this! He's done nothing! HEPHAESTUS!? HEPHAESTUUUUS!" He yells after him.

"... I imprisoned them both in that tower for all eternity."

"I don't believe it! That's not possible! You're not that kind of person! You're just not!"

"I am not… not anymore. What Daedalus said ate away at me."

Hephaestus is standing at his forge, gritted teeth. "His son… makes him stronger," He mutters. "Nonsense! How DARE he!? How dare he boil my craft down to a mere way to EARN MONEY!?" He slams his hammer down so hard the anvil bends. "Grrrr…"

"For years… millenia. I let it eat away at me. Until one day I decided I would prove him wrong,"

Hephaestus stands up from his seat. "A child will NOT change a thing, Daedalus! I'll show you!" He grabs a bunch of materials and begins to work. As he works tirelessly, creating the finest details. Tiny little hands. Eyes. Everything that is needed.

The dwarves look up at him confused. "Lord Hephaestus? Should you not… build weapons? You've been building… whatever that is for nearly a month now?"

"SILENCE! If you do not wish to stay I am not forcing you! I will finish my tasks in whatever order I PLEASE! I AM THE VULCAN!" He snaps the thing he was making and his eyes widen. "Grrr…" He grinds his teeth.

The dwarf scowls a little. "Come on. Let's go see if Hrimthur needs more workers… this place isn't the same like this," They say leaving, Hephaestus not paying them any mind whatsoever.

And so Hephaestus worked tirelessly for days, weeks, months. Slowly his forge got smaller and smaller, more and more workers leaving until only one remained. Ivaldi.

"HA! I have done it! Behold Ivaldi!" Hephaestus holds out a little girl who looks very human wearing an adorable little white dress with long golden hair.

Ivaldi sighs. "Yeah… I see her, boss."

"I told him! I feel nothing for this THING I created!" He says as the girl blinks and slowly sits up in his hand.

"Hmmmm… daddy?" Little Pandora says with the most adorable smile as she looks at the giant god, standing and putting a hand on his nose. Hephaestus suddenly feels a tear well up in his eyes much to his own surprise.

"W-what… is this feeling…?" He mutters under his breath.

-Present day-

Hephaestus smiles at Pandora, patting her on the head with a single finger. "I remember it clearly. Your smile. Your adorable fragility. You were so weak. So tiny. Suddenly it was like the world disappeared. Those nine months of work… to make you. In that moment it was like… nothing else mattered," He feels himself welling up again and he wipes his eyes. "You are my greatest creation, Pandora. Daedalus proved me wrong… so easily. My biggest regret is being so envious of his talents."

Pandora grabs hold of her father's finger. "Then why!? Why haven't you fixed it!? Patched things up with him! You two could be friends!"

Hephaestus smiles softly. "There is little I can do to get him out of his tower, my dear. I have done all I can without endangering my job… your existence really destroyed my reputation amongst the gods. I need this forge to stay open. I cannot go back on my decision. But I've been sending him letters once in a while, mixed in with the scrap-metal I coincidentally 'dispose of' on Crete… giving him things to build with. And I also ensured Icarus' freedom when he escaped all those many years ago. That was what he wished for the most. For his son to be safe. Doing so cost me my divine vote. I understand it now. I just wish… I wish there was more I could do."

Pandora sits down on Hephaestus' hand. "I… I'm sorry. I love you dad, but… but Icarus is REALLY upset about this! Even if you've seen the error of your ways Daedalus is still in the tower! I…" She takes a deep breath. "Nevermind… Now I know the story. I know why Icarus is angry. I will prove to him that I AM like my father. Just not the father that he knows," Hephaestus sets her down in front of him.

"Good girl. Now go out there. Save humanity, my child," Hephaestus says with a smile.

Pandora smiles. "I will! I definitely will!" She runs out of the forge and Hephaestus' smile fades as he sits down.

Ivaldi is still just hammering away at his anvil. "So… whatcha gonna do now?"

Hephaestus sighs. "What I must."