The Sea's Protector (Fem. Percy x Young Justice)

56

I was thrown backwards, my sword skidding across the floor. I got up and pulled out my dagger, all too aware of the blood falling down my skin.

A bronze blur cut through the monster, scattering it into dust. Percy took a deep breath and capped Riptide before slipping it into her pocket.

I sighed and  to one knee, my hand pressed to the large gash cut diagonally across my chest.

"Kaldur!"

She rushed to kneel in front of me. "How bad is it?"

"I will be fine."

Her lips pressed into a thin line and she pulled my hand away from my chest. Her eyes widened.

"This is my fault. I should have been paying attention. Then we wouldn't have gotten ambushed." She mumbled, pulling out nectar and ambrosia. She broke off a little piece of lemon square-esque food.  "Here."

I took and ate it, smiling as the flavor flooded the inside of my mouth.

Sighing, I placed my hand back to my chest, only to find there was water wrapped around it in a makeshift bandage.

"Drink this." Percy handed me the flask she keeps it in. I took a sip and gave it back.

She sighed and pulled me into a hug. "You could've gotten killed."

Unspoken words hung heavy in the air around us.

"If I had died then...not now but before...what would you have done?" I asked quietly.

She pulled away from me, cupping my face. "Never mention that possibility. I... I never want to see you like that again."

Tears shone in her eyes and I regretted asking.

"Kaldur, I know I've done this before but...You are not allowed to hurt yourself. That's an order." Her voice was soft.

"You act as if I care that you repeated the order. I know why you made it in the first place." I reached out a hand and brushed away a fallen tear. "But what would you have done?"

"I don't know. You're part of my life Kaldur. If you were gone..."

She closed her eyes and seemed to disappear into her thoughts. After a minute or so she opened her eyes and stared at me.

"If you were gone I don't think I would keep fighting on the side I am now. Dad's the reason you're in danger and so he'd be the reason you would die. I'm loyal, it's my flaw but...if someone I care about gets hurt, you can bet your life on the fact I'm going to turn on whoever got them hurt. After all, my name does mean avenger."

I chuckled. "How many times need I to remind you that I took the oath of my own free will?"

"Nothing in this world is ever of your own free will. If I don't do what the gods want they kill me." Percy clenched her hands. "And the moment you turn against them the enemy will have the same policy. They use you until they can't and then they'll discard you like an extra screw."

I raised an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. "You know, you're putting together furniture and you get rid of a screw cause you think it's extra and then everything falls apart so you look everywhere for the screw? But you can't find it cause you tossed it somewhere?"