Wearing A Sign

Chapter 17

Percy POV

When the four of us got back to the fight it was about half and half  on who was winning. You would think powers would win over no powers but guns are defiantly working against us. I uncapped Riptide and went in to go fight another war, "Jackson, nice of you to join us" Jason said fighting next to me. "Oh yeah you know I was just in the neighborhood, thought I would just drop in" I replied. "Woah, sass levels" Leo yelled from a few feet away. "You sure you can fight on that knee" Jason said motioning down
"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"
"Well you haven't had the best luck the past few months, broken fingers, your in a knee brace, kicked off the swim team, your girl friend was literally shot 30 minutes ago and your still out here. I mean if I where you I wouldn't be functioning"
"Dude I'm barely here, I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing you know"
"Lets finish this, that'll solve maybe some of your problems"
We fought for a good hour, the army would push but we would push back harder. It all ended when the Ares and Apollo cabin teamed up and cornered half the soldiers, General Bradshaw had to back down. Losing half of your army or attempting to win this pointless war, even with a half a brain like his, common sense. He retreated, dropped all charges, and left in less than 2 hours, that guy really doesn't like to face defeat. Things aren't going the be that same for a long time, we still have school and Annabeth has recovery, and everyone still thinks we're monsters but at least the mist is back and we're free. Free from everything. The more important thing is we won. It doesn't seem that big of a deal, I mean we have saved the world twice, but that label lifted off of you is just relieving. Yeah we have been called demigods, half-bloods, freaks for about 5 thousand years. Been called son of, daughter of insert god or goddess here. Been put in cabins based off of who our parents are, but when the whole world looks at you like you have the plague its just not fun.Our label was a physical label but with verbal labels it has the same effect. We had signs put visibly on our bodies but saying something mean or hurtful to someone else again has the same effect. It's an emotional label like a sign hanging on their back that only they can feel. Called someone stupid, sticky note right on their forehead. you may not see it but they do, every time they look in the mirror that sticky note is front and center the first thing they see the first thing they think. When I looked in the mirror I saw the trident on my shirt pocket, I knew I was a son of Poseidon but did the rest of the world need to know and judge me for it? Same with this, the person might know they are stupid, they might know they have a hard time but did the rest of the crowd need to point it out and judge them for it? Believe me I've been there and it's not fun, so think before you say something because it could have the same effect as this General Bradshaw had on me and my friends. Maybe not brake out in a full blown war but they are the same insecurities, physical labels are the same as emotional. They hurt the same and mean the same so all I can ask right now this remember one simple word. Think.