Clockwork

20

Hephaestus finally removed the rocket from Percy's arm and let out a heavy sigh. "Why would you even-- why? What possessed you to-- is that a CD player?" Hephaestus mumbled under his breath.

Percy had asked the Hephaestus cabin for a quick repairment so he could make it to Hephaestus' workshop. Since Percy wasn't going to really be repaying them, his only condition was for them not to touch his helmet and he figured Hephaestus could fix the damage at his workshop.

Tossing one useless gadget, appliance, and music player at a time, Hephaestus finally had Percy back to normal. Well, almost. Percy had decided to keep a few, such as the nanobots that could turn into a type of bandage when he was injured. Or the metal they replaced his normal breastplate that helped redirect electricity like the stitch in Percy's face.

"So, that son of Hades and the Cyclops know your identity." Hephaestus started. He had begun to take out a trunk, of which he pulled a hunk of metal and sat it on his work table.

"Yes," Percy said, just as fire raged from the gods of blacksmiths' hands as he began to hammer the metal into a shape that Percy couldn't see. "Anyone else on your list?" Hephaestus asked. Percy could barely hear him over the clanging of the metal.

"Not in the near future, no," Percy said. "I heard Apollo is down at the camp. What's that about?" "The kids of the Twenty are all sick," Percy said. Hephaestus didn't say anything, and Percy sat in silence as the sound of the hammer striking the metal filled the workshop. Then he stopped. And he slowly turned towards Percy.

"The demigod staying with Sally and Paul is sick, and so is the one in Rome," Hephaestus told him. His normal brown eyes were electrifying blue, and Percy frowned. "And, the due date for Violet Newberry is in just over a week. I will make sure Eileithyia and Artemis draw out the labor for as long as you need, but it will be gambling with the mortal's life, as labor drawn out so long could very well kill her."

"And you couldn't have just sent a letter, Zeus?" Percy said, his frown deepening. He hated when Zeus thought it was okay to speak through someone else, and that person being Hephaestus only made Percy even more aggravated, bordering on angry. But it's not as angry as Hephaestus at being used as a lowly messenger. He still had control of his body, just not what he was saying, and his beard was sparking as he clenched his fists in anger.

"There was no need. This way takes less time and Hermes is busy delivering messages to and fro for those children." Zeus says dismissively. Percy nearly scoffed. "You've said what you've needed to. Hephaestus has work to do." Percy said. "Be more grateful, you entitled brat, that I, the king of the universe, the king of the cosmos and the gods have decided to personally relay this message to you. That I, the most powerful Oly--" Hephaestus turned back to his work as Zeus continued talking. The voice was coming out of his mouth, but that didn't mean he had to suffer and listen to it. The sky god finally went away after being drowned out by the sound of metal hitting metal. When he was gone, Hephaestus and Percy spoke regularly.

"Hephaestus, who is Asteria?" Percy asked. Hephaestus grunted. "Asteria? If I'm not mistaken, she's Leto's sister, daughter of Koios and Phoebe. Hecate's mother."

"What were her domains?" Percy asked his patron. Hephaestus froze for a moment before he continued working. "Oracles. Prophetic dreams. Astrology and Necromancy. She hasn't been around in a long while. She's an Island, but she's obviously been out some since she had those twins."

Oracles and Prophetic dreams? Could it have been Asteria that sent him that prophecy? But why? She could've just sent it to her sons, right? But despite all of his questions, Percy was almost absolutely positive that Max would be the cause of falling stars and disarray.