HEPHAESTUS

The man was not alone. He had a friend. Or an assistant with braided green hair. Dressed in gold jewels and with their steps echoing thanks to their sharp heels, Leviathan whispered to the man. But their eyes did not let go of Hephaestus. Drowned in envy.

Now with the smoke cleared, the young gunsmith could see their face. Perfectly sculpted with no false details. And once more, each of their fingers was adorned with golden rings. Both of their ears are dressed with two long golden earrings with rubies in the center.

Their hands reached out to Hephaestus as they offered them a smile.

‘’What do you want?’’ Hephaestus stuttered, ignoring their kind gesture as they were sure of one thing and one only.

Tonight one of them will die.

‘’He was impressed’’ Leviathan was now amused ‘’That you are alive after that little accident’’

''There was no accident,'' Hephaestus rasped, clarifying. In their sleep, every memory came back to life, haunting them like a nightmare.

‘’He was also impressed when you tricked him’’ The smile faded. ‘’So impressed that he wants you alive’’

‘’Ah,’’ Hephaestus clicked their tongue. ‘’Jealous of the attention I get?’’ They asked with a grin, jerking their head to the right.

‘’Not at all’’ Leviathan moved back with a smile. ‘’In fact, I am asking you politely to come with me. But’’ They looked away and sighed dramatically. ‘’You insisted on fighting me and ‘’They moved their fingers slowly. Hephaestus looked down at their dress, noticing the flask of water on their belt. The water leaks out and opens the bottle by itself. No. Not for itself. By Leviathan’s command and moved closer to their tall figure.

‘’As powerful as you were, I needed to defend myself’’ They looked back with an insane smile.

‘’By drowning you and cutting you in pieces’’

The water smacked their face and remained there as it entered their mouth and nose. One more attack and the rest of the liquid surrounded their face as if it was a shaped cold orb. Hephaestus snapped as they tried to kick their legs. Their hands moved up to the water, trying to get their head out. Their eyes filled with cold, and they did not stop looking at Leviathan’s wide grin.

The look of enjoyment was clear in their eyes. Hephaestus wanted to reply with an attack. Shifting their eyes to their cane. The steel. Opening their right-hand side, the steel started shaking to the ground.

Their lungs gave up. It seemed that they could still be defeated. Still weak.

‘’No’’ Leviathan snapped their fingers. The water dropped from their body and lungs as they choked it all out.

Their eyes burned, and looking down at the floor, shrunk.

‘’No, No’’ They clicked their tongue. A sharp heel fell to Hephaestus’s chin, pushing them back to the wall. Trying to focus their vision, the heel fell to their good leg, and they stepped to it hard at the knee.

Hephaestus shouted out a cry, moving their chin up, and listening to their leg making a breaking sound.

‘’You are not allowed to die that easily. You don't deserve it'' They explained, with a long pleasured sigh. ‘’Not after everything you have done’’

It’s your fault.

Hephaestus grunted and tried to speak up. But only for their hand to make the steel tremble once more. But only for Leviathan to push their shoe even deeper into their leg.

‘’Do you remember what happened the last time we met?’’ They asked.

‘’I kicked your ass’’ Hephaestus groaned and made their hand into a fist. The cane flew and fell to Leviathan’s face, pushing their head lower down.

Hephaestus found their cane once more as they kicked Leviathan’s shoe with it, pushing them far.

‘’You little-’’ Leviathan hissed.

‘’What does he want?’’ Hephaestus asked, forcing themselves to stand up with a pant.

‘’Why should I tell you?’’ They asked. ‘’You are confident that you will get out? You think that this’’ Leviathan showed Babel with their hand dramatically. ‘’Babel will stand? You think I am the only one who wants to see this place fall?’’ Their tone was rough and loud. Yet there was not a sign of emotion coming out of it.

‘’Maybe you don’t understand’’ Hephaestus stretched their wrists. ‘’I asked you what does he want?’’

Leviathan let out a tired sigh as they lifted their right sleeve, exposing swollen scars underneath their skin. In the center of their forearm, there was a red crimson stone that was making their dark arm have marks of a green liquid.

Hephaestus’ eyes snapped when they were aware that this was not a regular liquid. Nor a drug. A chemical.

Their lips shook as they tried to look back.

‘’What’s the matter?’’ Leviathan laughed. ‘’Something familiar?’’

Hephaestus pressed their lips together tight and tried to take a step back and face the candles right next to the bed.

‘’He had made so much progress after you.’’ They flickered their fingers, making the water rise from the ground in the shape of a spear.''Thanks to me.'' Sharp enough to pierce Hephaestus' chest.

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They looked down at their cane and back at the water. Hephaestus’ mind stopped working for a single second and everything happened... Leviathan snapped their fingers. The water moved to Hephaestus’s side. A cold wind fell to their skin as they drew their hands far from them, in the position of their chest.

A second later, the water fell once more to the floor as a sharp piece of steel pierced Leviathan's left shoulder.

Gasping out of the pain, it gave Hephaestus time to panic too by looking at their palms. Their cane was flawless. Untouched. The steel was not from the cane. Their palms and fingertips were rough, smelling a familiar scent. Metal that was created out of fire. Steel.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. Hephaestus panicked, pulling their bangs behind their forehead.

‘’Is that all you got?’’ Leviathan yelled, pulling the steel out of their shoulder. It was the size of a dagger. Small but sharp enough to cut something. Like Leviathan’s throat.

Hephaestus lifted their hand once more and held their panic by hoping the steel would listen to their command.

‘’No’’ Leviathan growled, throwing the steel down from the window.

‘’That’s enough playing’’ They said, pushing their thumb to their forearm the res stone even deeper.

‘’You are pathetic’’ They yelled with the water getting lifted once more. This time, it looked ten times more dangerous as there was the shape of a wall, ready to fall from the ceiling to Hephaestus’s body.

‘’Is this why he wants you?’’ They laughed with envy. ‘’Is this why Prometheus died?’’

Hephaestus' eyes looked upwards and downwards. Three candles burned with fire. A playful one.

‘’Come on, little bird’’ Leviathan shouted. ‘’Show me why I shouldn't kill you.’’

Hephaestus could have begged. Hephaestus could have agreed to find the man independently. But this would only make them feel dead.

Leviathan would never let them live. Why should they spare them?

They were no human. They were not innocent. It was someone who laughed when a ten-year-old kid was trying to run. They were someone who was breaking their limbs with their incantation, every time they tried to run from the fire. From the basement.

‘’As you wish’’ Hephaestus sighed and took in a deep breath. They moved their fingers and their hand back to Leviathan's side with all three of the fires following their movements.

Now, letting their cane down they use their other hand, making the fire wide. Their eyes burned with rage as their mind returned to that night. The fire, their skin burning the screams and the cries.

And now, listening to Leviathan screaming around the wave of flames attached to their face. The water suddenly vanished as the warlock fell to their knees. One hand front standing still and one hand back with their fingers moving, making the fire stronger, and warmer to their face as the smell of burned flesh showered the room.

‘’Finally’’ Leviathan laughed in pain out of the fire. Hephaestus held their breath as they had already burned in their face burning their hair, flesh, and soul.

‘’Finally, you are showing what exactly you are’’ Their voice echoed. ‘’A monster.’’

I am not. I am not. Hephaestus thought, and yet it was all a lie.

Energy got drained out of Hephaestus’s body so fast and suddenly it was slowly killing them.

‘’But’’ Leviathan emerged closer to them. ‘’It’s not enough’’

The house had a basement. The basement. Prometheus. Blood. That was what Hephaestus thought. Fire came out of the house.

‘’It’s not enough to defeat me. It’s not enough to kill him.''

Hephaestus grunted and fell on their news with their eyes staring up at Leviathan. Their teeth were exposed as their lips were burned, and So did their left eye. Their hair completely vanished to ashes. Blood falling from their throat to their gown.

‘’You were not strong enough then, and not now’’

Hephaestus gasped. ‘’It’s a shame then’’ They sighed. Leviathan hummed, confused.

Taking a deep breath, Hephaestus grinned and stared at them.‘’That you won’t live enough to see your boss burn to ashes’’

The gunsmith growled once more, spreading their hands far from one another, making the fire stronger for Leviathan’s entire body to try to burn. Now the laughter, The proud envious laughs became pleading as they fell slowly in front of Hephaestus.

‘’A week’’ Leviathan cried. ‘’You have a week’’ Their hand tried to reach them. Hephaestus felt a sudden heat in their nose and under their chin.

‘’Please I don’t want to die’’ They begged again. ‘’Please-’’

A bullet struck Leviathan’s nape. Hephaestus gasped, making the fire vanish as Leviathan’s burned body fell completely to the floor with eyes getting popped from the skull.

Hephaestus lifted their eyes slowly with trembling hands clenching to the carpet, looking at Mordred’s pistols aiming at their forehead. Smoke was coming out of one of them. They had killed Leviathan.

He saw the fire.

He knows.

There is nothing to hide.

He will do what Hermes ordered him. He will kill you if that is what it takes.

‘’His name is Ma’at’’ Hepahestus admitted. ‘’He is a scientist who experiments on warlocks’’ Their breath started quickening. ‘’He works for Boudica, he…’’ They faced the ground and then took one more breath.

‘’Leviathan seemed to be an experiment too. Amplifying their body permanently, making their mind numb, wild.’’ A short memory returned to them.

‘’Yes I have been a phoenix holder since I was ten’’ They said. ‘’Whatever your plan or order is..’’

Mordred took a step front, stepping into the ashes as he let down the guns. After that, he exposed his face out of the mask, moving it around the belt of his top.

He was a terrible liar.

He was far too honest to lie or hold his tears. His concern. His pain.

‘’The dagger is missing '' His eyes glanced at theirs.

Hephaestus’ spine got caressed by shivers. They tapped their fingers to the ground, waiting for what he was ready to say.

‘’It seems to know him well,’’ said Mordred tired. ‘’What do you think he needs?''

They looked down to the burned flesh of Leviathan’s dead body. One deep breath and they looked back at Mordred.

‘’It will bring chaos, that is what I know’’

‘’And how long until he succeeds?’’ Mordred now sounded more as if he was ordering them to answer.

Hephaestus counted from one to two to three.

‘’Less than a week’’

Mordred’s eyes softened and got on his knees. Taking a closer look at Mordred, they could see how every expression, every movement, every breath was fractured. Perfect and yet terrible. Perfectly designed. And it was terrible that it was exposed to the public. He was in pain, confusion, and fear. Hephaestus was on that road too. And they had the same terrible design.

‘’Will you kill me?’’ Hephaestus asked, looking at the two golden suns worried.

Mordred pressed his lips into a thin line.

You can’t kill me. Hephaestus told him.

''You kept a secret'' Mordred said.

You can't kill me.

''You killed a council member'' His voice sounded military, announcing their crimes.

You can't kill me.

''You will probably put Babel in chaos just like the man you are afraid of''

I am not afraid. I am not him.

His breathing was heavy and he looked far ahead. ''Right now'' he said. ''I have, No, I must kill you'' He made one long heavy pause before he rested his gaze on their eyes.

YOU CAN’T.

''But I won't.''

Hephaestus held their breath. What does it mean? Will he kill them later? Had the mighty cold priest grown an inch of a heart?

They lowered their eyes, finding ashes shaking trying to gather slowly, next to an empty fallen jar which Mara ate the cookies from inside.

''You are scared I might enjoy it?'' Hephaestus grinned nervously.

‘'Don't make me regret it more,’’ he grunted and rolled his eyes.

''Regret what?''

The healer’s eyes flinched, looking at his mask for two seconds and then back at the gunsmith.

''I can't stay without the dagger. It will bring only shame for him and me.''His voice was shaking. And then, he let out words he would certainly regret within a day. ‘’So’’

''For this to work, I will need your help.''

ONE

TWO

THREE

A bullet stroked Mordred's shoulder.