𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑, percy jackson

CHAPTER 59! she had jealousy problems she refused to acknowledge

his leg creaked and clicked in its metal brace as he stood, and his left shoulder was lower than his right, so he seemed to be leaning even when he was standing up straight. he wore a permanent scowl.

the spider did a happy flip in his palm, shot a metallic web at the ceiling, and went swinging away.

hephaestus glowered up at the kids. "i didn't make you, did i?"

"uh," annabeth said, "no, sir."

"good," the god grumbled. "shoddy workmanship."

"rude." cherry huffed.

hephaestus recognized her instantly, then he studied annabeth and percy.

"half-bloods," he grunted. "could be automatons, of course, but probably not."

"we've met, sir," percy told him.

"have we?" the god asked absently. "well then, if i didn't smash you to a pulp the first time we met, i suppose i won't have to do it now."

he looked at grover and frowned. "satyr."

then he looked at tyson, and his eyes twinkled.

"well, a cyclops. good, good. what are you doing traveling with this lot?" hephaestus asked.

uh.." said tyson, staring in wonder at the god.

"yes, well said," hephaestus agreed. "so, there'd better be a good reason you're disturbing me. the suspension on this corolla is no small matter, you know."

cherry and grover both looked around the room.

they didn't have any comments to make. it was too awkward.

"sir," annabeth said hesitantly, "we're looking for daedalus. we thought-"

"daedalus?" the god roared. "you want that old scoundrel? you dare to seek him out!"

"uh, yes, sir, please."

"hmph. you're wasting your time."

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's shoulder and nipped his ear affectionately.

hephaestus regarded him. the god's scowl didn't change, but his eyes were kinder.

"i sense you have something to tell me, cyclops." hephaestus spoke.

tyson's smile faded. "y-yes, lord. we met a hundred-handed one."

"briares?"

"yes. he- he was scared. he would not help us."

"and that bothered you."

"yes!" briares should be strong! he is older and greater than cyclopes. but he ran away."

"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. look at my loving mother, hera. you met her, didn't you? she'll smile to your face and talk about how important
family is, eh? didn't stop her from pitching me off mount olympus when she saw my ugly face."

cherry frowned.

that was a horrible thing to do. that was not love. love did not exist conditionally.

"but i thought zeus did that to you," percy asked.

hephaestus cleared his throat and spat into a bronze spittoon. he snapped his fingers, and the robotic falcon flew back to the worktable.