HEPHAESTUS

Orion liked animals. He once brought a wounded young dog to the workshop and kept it there till his shift was over. But he was looking after it, hoping the warmth of the fire would make his cold whimpering body feel better.

Hephaestus noticed it and rushed to the nearest drugstore.

When they returned they offered Orion so he could stitch the dog’s leg.

He thanked them by looking away. Hephaestus laughed and tried to take care of the dog too.

His smile was almost toothless but also sweet, even if it was hidden beneath his heavy brown clothing.

Talus joined in too, helping the dog to heal, to eat, to grow. The fair around their fingers became softer day by day, bringing another way of warmth to Hephaestus. They liked the way his heartbeat was playing around their body when he was jumping up. They liked the short barks.

Orion and Talus did too. They even gave him a collar.

Hephaestus named him DOG. It was simple. If names had meaning then, DOG meant loyalty and protection.

One day, the DOG walked away and never came back. Hephaestus was the only one who did not cry.

And Orion and Talus did too when Hephaestus found a way to breathe again. Walked to the other side and never returned.

The prosthetic mechanical eyes were out of his head while his neck had been slashed. Talus' stomach was ripped wide open with his eyes, looking up to the ceiling.

Janus was standing right in front of them, with Lucifer right next to him, looking terrified.

They lost their balance as their hands fell on Orion's open wounds. The blood was not warm as the flesh was slippery against their fingers, almost as if Orion was trying to escape from them.

‘’Heal them'' Hephaestus muttered breathlessly to Mordred. Their lips curled a nervous grin right at their face with a drop of sweat getting inside their mouth.

‘’Hephaestus, they are dead’’Mordred told them.

‘’You are a healer’’ Hephaestus scoffed, trying to keep the blood inside their bodies. Moving it from the floor back to other parts of their bodies

‘’Just...do it'' they shouted. Broken.

But he kept standing still, looking at them. Doing nothing.

‘’I caused this’’ Hephaestus whispered.

Yes

They stood up with almost no help from anyone else, listening to the cracking noises of their prosthetic. Heat rises to their skin, to their eyes, to their breaths. Their right hand slipped into their vest pocket and exposed the now-lit lighter. The flame was small, and young but enough for Hephaestus to command it as they rushed to Janus' side with the fire close to their hand, aiming it at his face.

One second the hand stopped a breath far from his face as he snatched their wrists. The fire was suddenly gone too without even managing to touch Janus' flesh.

‘’Try harder kid’’ He clenched his fingers deeply into their veins.

He wished for peace. He wanted warlocks to live free. He wanted them to join the cause of Sedna from the moment they both sat down at the table to drink tea.

‘’Everything, a lie?’’Tears fell from their face.

Janus hissed beneath his lips and the fire was getting lower, weaker than before.

‘’I am not like them either’’He replied and pushed them away.

Hephaestus clenched their free hand a feist, looking right at it.

‘’Both of their sides are determined to bring nothing else than death and violence. You know that first hand.''

Hephaestus' eyes opened and then frowned. Lucifer tried to attack him from behind but he pushed her back to the edge of the bridge with a simple blow of his palm.

Mordred lifted his pistol and tried to shoot him, wandering around him.

Janus aimed with his hand at him and he twisted his wrist. Mordred was on his knees again, letting out painful sounds.

‘’Do you want me to kill you now?’’ Janus asked. ‘’Shall I give you half an hour then?’’

‘’What are you doing to him?’’ Hephaestus asked him.

‘’I am making the curse faster’’He replied and looked back at them with a long sigh.

Curse? Hephaestus asked themselves and they kept looking at Mordred’s side. His mask slowly slipped from his face and his hands tried to pull both of the triggers once more.

Hephaestus tried to attack again but their eyes found Orion’s throat which hadn’t stopped bleeding. They did not notice the wave of fire, coming from Janus’ hand, holding a silver lighter.

The fire touched their face, burning the right side of their chin. Five seconds after Hephaestus' screams echoed in the room.

They tried to look again, to find out there was a small flame around his fingers, moving at will.

‘’You are,'' Hephaestus muttered. ‘’Who?’’ Who did you kill?

His eyes screamed with guilt.

''Who did you kill?'' Janus asked them, grinning like a maniac , filled with pain.

Hephaestus' eyes darted as they moved their left hand at him, making a piece of steel move at Janus' side. They had a bad mark. They were not a shooter. But they knew to count. And he snapped his fingers. They knew he would. But they had a reason to as they failed. All of them, before Orion and Talus died they were between thirty feet around Janus's ratio.

Now, his hands were burning on their throat. The tips pressuring even more. But the young mechanic had seen what they wanted. And what they did not listen. They could see the piece of steel being twenty feet away from Janus' original place. Before he moved. Before time stopped. And they never heard it fall.

He gains scars. And loses distance.

''You should have said no to Nephthys offer,''Janus whispered, moving closer to their ear. ''Now,'' He moved away from them, his fingers tracing to find a lighter back from his pocket. Fire emerged around him.'' Please die.''

But this time, Lucifer jumped in front of them and created a glimpse of light, strong enough to make his incantation stop.

‘’Go’’ She screamed broken, tears falling from her eyes.

‘’What?’’ Hephaestus asked, moving to Mordred, forcing him to stand up with his arm wrapped around their shoulders.

‘’Run’’She yelled again, keeping the light bright.

Hephaestus shook their head and dragged Mordred with them.

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They can help her. They can still help her.

''He can stop time for a specific space.''They shouted to her.''Twenty feet apart.''

''Twenty?''She frowned complaining. ''Are you sure?''

Hephaestus did not answer fast. Were they? Would they hurt her like they did before?

You caused this.

''They are,'' Mordred answered for them, moving himself closer to their side.

Lucifer nodded and forced a smile.

‘’Don’t die,'' Hephaestus whispered.

Lucifer turned her head over her shoulder and smiled at them as she listened to their prayer.

She did not say anything. She just smiled, reassuring herself everything she could say in words.

They were a floor higher, standing on the bridge. Mordred started spitting blood from his mouth. They tried to look for any sign of soldiers. None was there too after them.

For now, they could take a breath.

Hephaestus laid him down and let him lean against the bars of the bridge. Hephaestus found his sweat dripping from his light clothes as the circles down below his eyes looked even more sickening.

‘’We have to go'' Mordred groaned, touching their burned hand and trying to heal it. They pulled instantly away.

Hephaestus scoffed.

''We?'' They frowned.

''Tell me the truth'' they said, walking on his side.

Of course, he did not speak. Just remained silent under his cold white mask.

''Please, ''They whispered with their fingers moving up to his white clay mask.

His hands touched theirs, colder than before, letting the mask far from his face.

Cracked. His face was cracked like a porcelain doll with slight cracks painted in white paint. His eyes lost the bright sun shade of gold and the cracks slowly became bigger, from his collar bone to his forehead. Just like the marks of Mara's curse.

Mordred cleaned, wiped the blood from his mouth, and shook his face.

‘’You are cursed'' Hephaestus murmured.

‘’Yes.'' Mordred groaned.

At that moment, Mordred let the truth out, dry and honest. What he had to do. What Hermes ordered him to do. How the curse happened.

Hephaestus kept silent and looked in front of the iron wall with their fingers, slowly feeling his soft clean nails against their skin.

‘’I am healing myself, every time the pain becomes stronger but I am..weaker than before'' he said lifelessly. ‘’I send a letter to Hermes so he might have another solution but…’’

Hephaestus sighed and tapped their fingers on the floor three times.

‘’For spirit’s sake’’Mordred scoffed with pain.

‘’Talk’’

They wanted to cry, to feel vulnerable and honest like he was to them. To mourn their friends who were murdered because of them. They wanted to take everything that they did back. They wished that they had never let their anger, their fear take advantage and let the man trick them again.

‘’Where is it?'' Hephaestus whispered. ''The center.''

Mordred’s hand moved slightly higher, exposing where the curse was. Right to his heart. Hephaestus moved there to the spot and tried to think about how they could break it. Like they did with the dagger. But nothing appeared. Nothing disappeared.

‘’Shit’’Hephaestus said beneath his heavy breath.

''It will be alright'' Mordred lied.

''When would you tell me?'' Hephaestus snapped at him. Me? Why should he have told me?

. ''Would you have told me?''

No words. Nothing.

‘’You are a ‘’Hephaestus tried to laugh, maintaining their smile. ‘’A terrible person’’

Mordred did not argue. He just let out another painful sound.

‘’If,’’ Hephaestus looked down. ‘’If you wouldn’t be cursed. If the whole dagger problem wouldn’t be true.’’

They waited two seconds. Two seconds to find the strength to ask this question.

‘’Would you have done it already?’’

His eyes became even planer, darker than before. His lips slowly trembled but no words came out. One, two, three, four, ten seconds and he finally answered.

‘’Just like now, I would not have a choice.’’

I don’t have a choice.

Everyone has a choice.

And it’s not you.

Their hands found him, wrapping their fingers to his calves. He did not move. He did not say anything as their warm breath found his neck, letting their head rest on his body. The scent of roses in their mind, made them believe that they were inside a beautiful peaceful garden, rather than being in a place with no return, close to their end.

He pushed them from the beginning, he pushed them to walk away.

He chose you.

He cares about you.

He chose, he cares for his light.

He doesn't care about me. He worries about what his guilt will feel like if I have a face of betrayal on my face. He does not care.

''If I fail'' they finally spoke.

YOU CAUSED THIS.

Hephaestus' lips curled into a sweet smile and their eyes forced themselves to hold their tears.

''Don't let Ma'at kill me. Give me a bullet to the heart.''

''What?'' Mordred gasped, shocked.

‘’You have to kill me correct? I am giving you one more push‘’ They cried''One more reason for you to despise me.''

''Hephaestus wait, you don't''His hands tried to find fabric to clench all around their fabric.

‘’I swear’’ Hephaestus’ hand moved deeper into Mordred's fingers until they touched his ring. Mordred’s eyes opened wide and lowered his gaze, right to his hand. He let out breathing no. He let out disbelief with his final breaths.

‘’I am planning to fix this'’

Mordred vanished within seconds. Hephaestus’ hand now felt empty.

Their head was light and their hand was bleeding from the fire they had caused before. It did not seem that it could heal fast without him. Just like the weight at their back which fire burns started to become rougher once more.

But it did not matter. They walked into a room with weapons and filled their bags with explosives and a pistol. They were ready to go before, their eyes found a box with iron nets. Hephaestus A spark hit their brain. The engine worked again. The gears were burning at the speed they were moving. Sat and found a set of tools to work with.

20 MINUTES AFTER.

They kept walking with blood falling to the floor. They found soldiers awaiting them to shoot.

''Freeze'' A soldier spoke shakily.

Hephaestus raised their hands, letting the bag they were holding down.

The soldier makes a nod to give the bag to them. Hephaestus lowered their head and smiled gently before they kicked it to their side.

The soldier lowered his pistol while the rest of them did not let a second away from them escape.

‘’Spirits’’ The soldier gasped and then the explosives let out a heavy smoke, making them cough hard.

Hephaestus had now the chance to take out their other bag and try to shoot blindfolded. They held their breath and locked their memories when they felt the smoke try to get inside their body.

When they escaped the smoke, they found a soldier trying to get out, wounded. Hephaestus lifted their pistol and tried to shoot him. Their hands were shaking when they saw his frightened expression and hateful eyes.

They instantly lowered their hands and walked away slowly, jumping.

I could have killed him. I wanted to…Hephaestus thought with a bitter taste around their teeth.

They walked inside a room, to find three more soldiers, with one of them being Venus. His eyes were glazed with anger at them. The others were no different from him. Except that they had light blue coats and no lines. He had three.

He was the superior among them.

‘’There might be more like them’’He said dry and clear to the rest of the soldiers. ‘’I can handle this’’

Hephaestus growled inside their mouth and rolled their eyes after the soldier walked away with a simple nod.

Pale hair, eyes like the moon.

Venus relaxed, letting his stiff shoulders lay lower, and moved to their side as he placed his pistol back on his belt.

So Hephaestus moved their gun at him with a determination to shoot him. Venus' eyes opened wide and burst into laughter. He approached them with an arrogant look as if the gun never existed.

‘’One’’ He licked his lips and frowned mockingly.

‘’You are a terrible shot’’

‘’Maybe I got better’’ Hephaestus raised their eyebrows with a grin.

‘’Two’’ He grabbed their wrists and pushed the pistol closer to his head.

‘’You could have killed me if you wanted to from the beginning'' He shoved his hands inside his pockets.

‘’Yes,’’ They murmured and took a step away, pulling the gun back into the bag nervously. It seemed that he was not there to kill them, rather than talk. But they had to remember what their goal was.

‘’So..’’ Venus stretched his neck. ‘’Would you like to tell me what is happening?''

Hephaestus stretched their wrists and looked away.

‘’Would you believe me?’’

No response. Hephaestus scoffed. They knew what he thought about them now.

‘’You were with some others correct?’’ Venus asked them. ‘’Where are they exactly?’’

‘’And why should I tell you?’’

''Your...'' Venus looked down, pressing his lips. ''Fiance is going to be worried if you are missing,''

''Oh, are you jealous?'' Hephaestus chuckled hiding their embarrassment and the sudden fear they felt him attack with.

He shrugged and approached them, this time lifting his pistol to aim at their head.

I can not melt the iron. Hephaestus thought. No fire could melt it. Not even an incantation.

''Will you tell me the truth?'' He asked eagerly.

''I will try,'' Hephaestus admitted.

''Was it...'' He looked down, taking a quick breath. ''Was it anything real?''

Their eyes opened suddenly, and they looked down, feeling their limbs tremble, losing every strength.

''At first, no'' they admitted. ''You were alone, I was alone, we could be alone together.''I finally said.

''After a time, everything was more real than I imagined.''They smiled at him. They could see for a brief second, replying with a smile too. But for one second he fixed the roulette once more.

''I wish that it wasn't''Venus said steady. Eyes on them, filled with hatred to hide the fear.''Because this will hurt me far more than it will hurt you.''

Suddenly, the machine made a loud hideous noise and the ground leaned lower, making both of them lose their balance.

A small ring shouted from the megaphone and a rough but also cold sarcastic voice spoke out of it.

''Attention'' Mara's voice shouted with confidence. ‘’This is your captain speaking’’

‘’Is she with you?’’ Venus asked Hephaestus curious.

They looked away, replying with a shaking left and right gesture of her hand.'' I believe so.''

‘’I have good news and bad news’’

Hephaestus let out a breath of relief, feeling the sign of hope showering their body.

They took control of it.

‘’The good news is that we are at our destination. The bad news is’’

Another noise growled and this time Venus fell before he restored his balance. Hephaestus found the chance to kick his pistol away from his hand and then pulled theirs and aimed at him once more.

Their hands were shaking and his eyes were glaring with fire inside of the calm water.

‘’He was right about you’’Venus growled. ‘’You are a monster’’

‘’If I was, you had already killed me’’ Hephaestus smiled evilly.

‘’We are crash landing’’ Mara announced.