Clockwork

43

"Put the sword down or I will shoot her," Kenneth warned. "No you won't, " Percy scoffed.

Percy looked at Kenneth strangely. He was dry, with no signs of ever being in the tank. He even looked like he had changed his clothes. His wild sea-green eyes glared at Percy, but there was a tiredness in them, the only sign that Kenneth had been in an overgrown fish tank for days. Kenneth had once been in the water for mere minutes and had come out of that incident looking—and apparently feeling— like a drowned cat.

"Don't test me, old man. Listen to me and I won't kill her, " Kenneth said, pressing the barrel of the gun into Jasmine's temple. Kenneth was swaying slightly, clenching his jaw as he held eye contact with his father. The daughter of death mumbled incoherently, subconsciously moving away from the gun.

How is she still asleep??

"And you'll really kill her?" Percy said with mock disbelief. "You think I won't? I'll blow her head off right now—"

"Yes, please blow her head off. You'll lose your hostage, therefore you lose the only thing that is blocking me from shooting you. You wouldn't be that stupid, " Percy said, even though Percy knew Kenneth absolutely would, otherwise the son of Poseidon would've grabbed the gun at the back of his leg. Percy was ready to jump forward and take a bullet if he had to, he just needed Kenneth to do something wrong. Then again, he looked so tired Percy didn't think he'd be able to stand too much longer.

Kenneth furrowed his brows, the gears in his mind turning at Percy's words, trying to weigh how much truth was actually in his words. Yet, as soon as Percy moved Kenneth tensed again. "You wouldn't kill me, " Kenneth sneered, the gun shaking in his hand. Percy tilted his head in question. "Wouldn't I?"

Percy's voice was back to its normal setting, an inhuman and uncaring tone. The sound of a machine under the guise of a man. "You lose your leverage, you lose your life. Put her down and I won't kill you."

Kenneth had a deep frown on his face. It was a long way from here in the workshop to the ground and if one went the wrong way they could go headfirst into the frigid water surrounding the workshop. His grip tightened on the gun, but finally, Kenneth's finger lifted off the trigger and held his hand in surrender. "Fine, " Kenneth grumbled. Huh. Percy liked energy drained Kenneth, he didn't feel the need to cause earthquakes every two seconds. "Put her on the table, " Percy said, nodding to the still unmoving Jasmine. The table he slept on probably wasn't the most comfortable but Jasmine didn't seem to care. She just rolled over and continued sleeping.

"How'd you get out of your tank?" Percy asked, looking at the large glass tank that now was drained of water. "Magic, " Kenneth said sarcastically. A few days without oxygen apparently makes you moody. "This power resistant thing, how long has it been a thing?" Percy asked, rolling his shoulder and sheathing riptide. Kenneth didn't even seem to care, the second he put Jasmine down he slid down the wall and collapsed onto the floor, groaning. "I hate you so much, seriously, was the fish tank necessary?"  Kenneth grumbled.

Energy drained Kenneth also seemed to not be in the mood to kill him nearly as much as full-powered Kenneth.

Silence filled the workshop. Percy was convinced that the boy had passed out on the floor behind him before Kenneth spoke again. "Hephaestus said you went off after Adrien. Surprised you got away alive with how long you were gone." He paused.

"Ish. Alive-ish."

"I made it out mostly fine. Your boss on the other hand," Percy started, lighting Hephaestus' forge. The god of blacksmiths had taught him how to do repairs on himself even though Hephaestus preferred to repair Percy. It was a choice made in case Hephaestus was ever unavailable for any reason.