The New Avenger

Home

"You need to go home Percy." Chiron looked at the young man in front of him, "Your mother needs you and you need your mother."

Percy visibly deflated, "I know she misses me Chiron, I miss her too. After everything though? I have so many enemies, so many people that hate me. And unfortunately the guys I fight have bad habit of coming back to life every few years. If anything happened to my mom..." He was unable to finish his sentence. No more words were need though. The centaur understood.  

"Over the millenniums I've taught many demigods. Some powerful, some not. I've seen impossible odds thrown at them and seen them crumble under the pressure. Sometimes they rise up and sometimes they don't. For the first few centuries I didn't understand. Why would a child of Hebe succeed where a son of Zeus had failed? 

"But then, at long last, I understood. Because someone who had been met with opposition all their life, had to fight for everything they have. Someone who never got a hand up, never got a free pass, never got anything for free, well, somebody like that, they're used to working for everything they have. They know that no one will help them so they help themselves. A person who knows that they have to succeed because otherwise it's over, nobody will bail them out, nobody will help them, well, they have something that talent can never give a person. They have that intangible ability to keep going when the odds are impossible, to never stop or give in or surrender because surrender isn't an option. Such an ability is not easily won, and nobody in their right mind would chose to take the path needed to earn it. But those who are forced down that road inevitably become greater than one trained even by the most skilled teacher in the world.

"You will protect you mother Percy. You will keep her save. You will keep her safe because you know that no else will do it for you, that if you fail that's it. Failure isn't an option so you will not fail."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Percy, I remember watching you at Yancy, before you knew you were a half-blood. If I where talking to that boy I would not even think of sending him off into the world. But that boy is all but gone. In his place is a young man who has saved the world. You are a hero Percy, whether you chose to believe it or not. If you can protect the word I think you'll have no trouble with your Mother." Percy opened his mouth to protest but the teacher put up his hand to stop him. Nothing in the mans words gave any indication of the surge of guilt he felt standing in front of this young man. It was true that over the years he'd seen many demigods, taught many demigods, sent many demigods out into the world. Seen many demigods killed. Each and every time it hurt him, but nothing had hurt him so much  as watching Percy suffer. The gods were cruel, heartless. The fates more so. Because no one deserved what this young man had been forced to live. He had not chosen this life, he did not get to chose his father, he was given no choice but to become a hero. It was rise or die. And Percy wasn't ready to die. Or he hadn't been. Today though? Today Percy wasn't the same person he'd been, today he was a boy who smiled not because he was truly happy, but to try and bring some light into the life of others. He was obviously unhappy but refused to admit it for fear of hurting someone else. He needed to go home, before it was to late. Before who he had been was gone for good. 

"Annabeth is with her father, so is Piper. Jason has gone back to New Rome, along with Frank and Hazel. Everyone is fine here. Even a hero needs a break sometimes. Especially a hero." Chiron murmured the last part under his breath.  "I will call Argus to take you into the city and inform the camp as to your whereabouts at dinner."

"I should be looking for Leo, not wasting time." There was a hint of desperation in Percy's voice

"Leo will be found when he wishes to be found. And spending time with ones family is never a waste of time." Chiron stated, not unkindly. "Go pack your bags. It is long past time for you to return home."

 Percy turned away and walked towards his cabin. Maybe Chiron was right. He hadn't seen his mom for nearly a year and he missed her more than he would ever admit. His bags were still mostly packed from his last trip.

After the last fight Percy refused to talk about it, and tried with every fiber of his being to avoid thinking about it. Because he knew when he did he wouldn't be able to stop, wouldn't be able to get out, wouldn't be able to stop. The darkness would rush up on him, consume him, control him, never let him go. The shackles of thought would latch around him and he knew that he might not be strong enough to throw them off this time.

Leaving camp was right, was good. It was something he didn't want to do. Safety was camp and camp was safety, despite all the string attached. But here there to so many memories. To many memories. Chiron was right, it was long past time for him to return home.

So he didn't turn around, he didn't say good bye, he didn't stop to take one last look. He needed to leave, he needed to be free of the place that was smothering him. Home. Home was where he needed to be, if he even had one anymore.