They had tied his hands down in his sleep. The rough material of the rope burning against his skin. The fraying strands already starting to form blisters on his red wrist.

He knew it was hopeless to pray to any god in situations like this. They wouldn't listen, they never cared. But he tried anyways, even though the result was just as he expected. Not even thunder in the distance to show they were listening.

He just wanted something to hold on too, something that wouldn't crumble at his touch.

The child in the next room was his only light.

But how could she even look up to something like this?

All he wanted was this to be a horrible dream. That he could open his eyes and find his wise girl next to him. That he could stare into her calculating eyes one more time.

A proper family once more.

But he never woke up.

He could feel the rope digging into his skin, the rough fibers un doubtfully going to leave a mark. With every move of his wrist they deepened their imprint. His breathing was heavy and shallow.

Why did he believe them when they promised they wouldn't tie him down?

Why did he let them take his daughter away?

They had broken their promise like he broke his.

Where staying together. Your not getting away from me. Never again.

He lied.

They lied.

Everyone lied.

He pulled at the worn ties, twisted like tree roots around his wrists. But despite all his desperate attempts at freeing himself the ropes never loosened their hold. They still held him down.

And all because they lied.

It's for your own good, Will had said.

But was it?

Was trapping him here, solving anything?

Would it relieve him from his constant pain? Help it wash away with the pulling tide, like words written in the damp sand along the shore line?

Would it return the dancing light to his eyes? The one that faded with the life in those stormy ones.

Someone to tell him how to care for his own daughter?

Why were the fates so cruel?

He couldn't forget the love and happiness that they they shared. He couldn't let it go..

But than why was all that he wanted was to be free of the pain, the memories?

It wasn't fair to them. Those memories was all he had left, and he wanted to lock them away in the darkest corner. To never be looked back on, to never be shared.

Because he was just a shell.

A hollow shell of the brave Hero that once stood.

All because of that one trip.

Where no one came home.

And all he wanted was to leave it all behind.

But he couldn't.

The doors to the infirmary banged open, jolting him from his thoughts. Blinking twice, he registered the bright blond head of the son of Apollo.

"Percy please just lay down. You need some rest, you need to get yourself together, she needs you, Please." He pleaded, Percy shook his head briefly, his heart not in the movement. He didn't need rest, his daughter needed him, but he couldn't reach her.

His heart ached for someone who cared for him in that way, someone that wasn't brought over the border a lifeless body, their chest no longer rising with steady breaths.

But he did.

He needed his mom.

Sally.

And so did his daughter.

The son of Apollo sighed and backed out the door to find his other siblings for duty. And Percy was alone.

All alone.

That's how he felt.

Because his only string was a child.

Who never knew her own mother.

He heard the soft slam of the outside door as Will ran back to the Apollo cabin.

Leaving him to the screams. Echoing in his ears, a reverb that held only wails.

Calling for help.

But he couldn't.

His fingers slipped into his pocket for the familiar ballpoint pen.

It was all his fault.

He closed his fist around the weapon. He didn't have much time until another Apollo kid arrived for watch. Percy would have to hurry. He closed his eyes and flicked the cover off, letting it tumble into the folds of the sheets.

It was all his fault.

The sword glowed bronze, glittering in the morning sun. It's deadly point ready to sever anything he wished..

But the cuts would heal.

And the scars would fade.

Because that's what he had promised.

No matter what happens, I want you to live on, be there for her. Promise me you won't leave her?

But all he wanted was to bleed the pain away.

But he couldn't.

He could cut the ropes.

Free his chains.

But could never cut himself.

Because that's what he promised.

His heart would still beat in his chest.

His pain would still live.

Life? Death? Those are just words found in the pages of a dictionary.

But Percy Jackson wasn't alive.

He wasn't dead.

He was just a memory, slowly fading.

Until he was gone.

So the ropes were cut.

And his arms were around his promise once more.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

The taxi was littered with layers of dirt. It's years of highly polished display gone with its mileage. He could see the white foam underneath the leather fabric its tears becoming more noticeable, the coffee stains sticky underneath his feet. The boy hesitantly leaned back against the seats, the bundle in his arms completely quiet, as he eyed the man upfront with a lack of interest. His eyes were unfocused and no longer really there. The taxi driver puffed plumes of smoke out his window, it's odor lingering in the air, as Percy crinkled his nose at the burning smell. He frowned as he ran his hand along the window. It's frosty glass frigid against his warm touch. He hasn't seen this city in a year. A whole long year.

He hasn't seen his mom or Paul in a year.

He talked to her on the phone...but talking to them face to face was different.

He would have given anything to see the warm glow of her smile, her loving voice telling him it would be alright.

But why?

It wasn't alright.

It wasn't okay.

It never would be.

He fingered riptide in its pen form, twirling the plastic cylinder between his fingers. His other hand holding tightly to his beautiful daughter. The boy closed his eyes the pain in his chest becoming more deafening.

But that pain was nothing.

Nothing compared to the pain he felt as his heart was ripped from his chest.

I'm sorry, They had said.

But why?

He didn't want their pity.

He didn't want the glances thrown his way.

Not the whispers.

Not the sorrow.

Not the pain.

Just like the empty shell he was.

The sound of sirens sounded in the distance, the obnoxious honking of cabs. The drivers shouting unintelligible at passing cars, his own driver doing the same before turning to Percy, eyeing the sullen boy with a child in his arms.

"You look like someone, I think I saw you on tv once," he commented in a gruff voice giving Percy a once over. The boy glanced up his dull sea-green eyes staring at the spot above the man head.

He didn't say a word.

He couldn't.

His fingers returned to pulling at a new found rip. The one on her cotton blankets.

Unraveling.

The sound of sirens neared as they pulled down the street where his parents apartment lay.

And the slim amount of hope left in the hero crumbled to the ground.

For his world was engulfed in flames.

૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦૦

ુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુુ

For a horrible moment the

world was frozen. Like a needle hovering over a record.

The Flames had stopped flickering, their dancing light bending towards him threateningly. Their playful sparks darkening forming a face that he never wanted to see again. The glowing eyes frozen in the act of sneaking up the side of his Apartment building leaving its own gift, scorch marks as dark as coal.

His vision was blurry, the screams echoing in his head. Calling out for him.

It was all his fault.

And than the world crashed down on him.

He couldn't hear the wailing of the ambulances swarming outside.

He couldn't see the police officer ushering away pedestrians.

Or the Firemen firing jets of cold water at the growing fire.

Because the building had collapsed, the flames shooting out of the rumble. Whoever was in it, they were now gone. Including his parents.

"No." He whispered his world tunneling. He pushed open the cab door slowly, holding his daughter tightly to his chest. The taxi driver muttered something half heartedly about not getting a tip, and threw his bag at his feet, before speeding off in a cloud of black dust.

And the boy stood still.

His shattered eyes staring blankly at the flames.

The flames that took his mother.

Slowly he pushed his daughter into a distinctly familiar face of his neighbor and ran.

His feet moving as if in slow motion, pounding past the Firemen, ducking past the police tape. Shouts echoing behind him.

The building was so close.

Only 5 more feet left to run.

He couldn't lose anything else.

"Whoa kid, hold up." A pair of strong arms managed to wrap around him, pulling him back from the flames. He fought hard to get free.

He needed to get free.

His sides stung, burning with pain, as the building crumbled sending a blackened couch to the ground where he would have been if not for the man. He coughed, clouds of black smoke layering his skin with white tipped ashes.

"Are you okay kid?" The man questioned removing his sturdy arms from around the boys shaking body. "Your lucky I was jogging near here...you could have gotten yourself seriously hurt."

No, Percy thought his eyes widening as he turned back to the flames.

It was all his fault.

No.No.No.

He pulled away from the man and broke into a sprint, back to the charred rumble, back where he could see his family again.

But the man held him back.

"It's too dangerous kid, what was in their that was that important ? We can have the Fireman search the rubble."

Percy shook his head slowly, his broken eyes scaring the man slightly. His matted hair now covered in ashes like glistening frost.

He wiped a crystal tear away form his face with the back off his hand. And he stood silent, his head throbbing, overtaken by dizziness, his whole body shaking. This is why they tied him down. He wasn't stable enough.

He felt like he was walking on thin ice, one wrong step and it all shatters down into the depths of the ocean.

Falling.

Falling.

Down.

The man stared at him, soot streaking his cheeks. He placed a heavy hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down.

"My-my mom, D-Dad...," Percy spoke finally, his voice hoarse in desperation, his eyes staring at the ashes of the building. His heart felt like a stone sinking to the bottom of the ocean. There was no way back up.

The bright blue eyes of the man widened as the boy spoke, but now they searched for a police officer.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," The man spoke softly, "I need you to go sit over on that bench over there. I'm going to find a police officer to ask about your parents, okay?" He turned away from Percy's trembling body and pointed to a metal bench farthest away from rubble. His blue eyes glistening in the smoky haze of the rubble, studying Percy's broken eyes.

"What's your name, kid?"

Percy glanced up at the mans kind face, his own blank. He closed his eyes, trying to hide the growing pain. He couldn't speak. He just couldn't anymore.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out an old folded receipt. He scribbled his name on the top and tossed it to the man, who took it in confusion.

But the man read the words and smiled sadly glancing up at the boy whose eyes were empty and forever lost. Hiding his pain in his passive features. The man sighed, he had seen the same look in some of his fellow soldiers, hiding your pain could only get you so far.

"Okay Percy, it's going to be fine." He reassured again, but the boys face remained as lifeless and cold as a statue, it hurt to see.

"I'm going to go find a police officer, are you good?"

The boy nodded slowly staring off into the hazy smoke, all that was left of the burning building.

The man turned to leave, but was surprised to find a hand on his shoulder. The boy was looking at him questioningly, a look that asked;

Who are you?

The man looked at him for a long second, before replying.

"The names Steve, Steve Rodgers,"

ੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁੁ

੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦੦

(I was going to stop here but since I'm so nice and awesome, I'll keep going.)

Percy didn't listen.

He didn't stay put on the rusty bench.

Why would he?

He knelt beside the charred rumble, his eyes scanning the ruins for any sign of his parents. The residents of near by buildings had cleared away, the excitement over, leaving the sight to grieving occupiers.

I'm sorry mom, he thought his breaths jagged, his whole body shaking in silent sobs,I'm sorry...I'm sorry....Both of you! I could have saved you, I just-," he trailed off in his own thoughts his head in his hands, facing away from the bustling fire crew.

Why him? Why were the fates so cruel.

He heard the approaching sound of footsteps, crunching over crumbling rumble. The figure stopping right behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. A hand too soft and too delicate to be Steve.

No offense to Steve.

Percy silently turned his head to face the woman, who in his rush he had given his child too. He distinctly remembered her name, Mrs. Malline, he was pretty sure she lived a few floors down from him. She was around 40, the motherly look taking over her as she smiled down at his child. She glanced back at him the graying roots of her auburn hair dusted in fluffs of ashes. She reached out and placed the child back in his arms silently.

He could already feel the gut wrenching feeling in his stomach amplifying as once again the small heart started to thump up against his own chest. Holding him down, when he just wanted to drift away.

He glanced up, the woman, whose eyes were now filled with tears as she looked down at the two children situated at her feet.

"Percy, I'm so sorry sweetie...Your parents were wonderful people, always helping out when help was needed. It just wasn't right...but always remember God has has a plan, this was just one bad thing that will creates something better, I promise." She smiled at him sadly. Percy just wished he could take her words to heart, but he knew the fates didn't care about happily ever afters.

The woman wiped away her tears, and looked down at the child in his arms in slight confusion.

"Sally and Paul had their child already? I thought they were only a few months in?"

Percy's shattered eyes widened as he looked at the woman who seemed to have realized her mistake to late.

"Oh! You didn't know!" She placed a hand over her mouth in shock and another tear escaped her warm brown eyes. "Im sorry! I-I thought...," She trailed off and engulfed Percy in a warm hug, which resulted in him flinching at the contact. "Who's the sweet little girl, than?"

Percy's face remained emotionless as he pulled the worn receipt back out of his pocket and scribbled three letters on the back.

Kalliope Huntress Jackson