Clockwork

5

"Not like that. If you lean like that you'll be off-balanced and clumsy."

"Remember, prosthetic skin is quite easily torn off and can get stuck in your gears. Keep the amount of distance needed to make sure that doesn't happen, lest you stopping in the middle of a battle because you can't move."

"Clockwork!" Percy froze, lowering his sword arm. "You need to focus on it. Tell me, boy, what's on your mind?" Hephaestus asked. Percy remained silent. "Clockwo- Percy. You can tell me. It's okay if you have thoughts on your mind. You still have a conscience." Hephaestus said. "Why did they kill me?" Percy asked, his voice electrical, not yet tweaked enough to sound like a human.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot say," Hephaestus says sadly. "But you're going to come back and they will regret the day the idea of killing you entered their minds."

Percy nodded, determined. Hephaestus was once cast out, not quite murdering him, but getting rid of him. Just like Hephaestus was found, he found Percy. And Hephaestus was determined to let Percy become even greater than he was before, despite the futile attempts of those idiot demigods trying to get rid of him.

Percy Jackson died far before his time, and even the fates knew that Percy wasn't meant to die.
~
"I call this meeting to order! The meeting between Olympians and Demigods shall commence at once!" Zeus said loudly. The demigods bowed, taking their respective places by their parent or patron, in Thalia's case.

Leo came to sit by Hephaestus, and he looked to where Percy stood. "And who's the metal suit?" Annabeth asked curiously. "Of course, I introduce the demigods to my Champion, Clockwork." Hephaestus introduced him. Leo's eyes widened with surprise. "Iron Man, a blonde Superman, Batman, and Beastboy. All in the same room. This is Amazing!" Leo exclaimed. Frank Zhang or in Leo's words, Beastboy, rolls his eyes. Nico stayed silent at his superhero nickname, almost as if he were pleased with being 'Batman'.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "And may I ask him a few questions, Lord Hephaestus? After the meeting, of course."

"I'm sure that Clockwork has more pressing matters to attend to other than answering your questions. Perhaps another time?" Hephaestus said. That last question was rhetorical and Annabeth knew it. And Percy didn't protest about it either. He didn't want to be heckled, especially by her.

And how exactly did she manage to lose his son- their son- to people who sell and buy demigods only a year after she and her boyfriend killed Percy?

"I'm sure Clockwork can make time for just one or two questions," Athena informed Annabeth, loudly enough so Hephaestus could hear.

"No, I apologize, but he does not want to and will not be speaking with your daughter. Now that we have that moved out of the way, father was saying how the meeting has started, and such a meeting we should be speaking of the matters at hand and how us Olympians and you demigods can collaborate better. So sit back, refrain from saying anything else unless it is actually being discussed, and leave Clockwork out of it." Hephaestus says as calmly as he could.

Percy was impressed at how calm Hephaestus remained. He could be calm at one moment and then can become quite petty, which is shown on multiple occasions. Percy is not apart of either Council, and him being present at meetings is to only ensure to Zeus that he is not out causing havoc.

Both mother and daughter did just that, only talking when contributing something to the conversation. It was only until almost the end of the meeting the most pressing matter was brought up. "Father, what shall we do about the demigod traffickers? Clockwork and I have been gathering demigods from a group that we have knowledge of, but there must be more. I think that we should actually start looking for them, all of us." Artemis says.