Different Kinds Of Heroes

I'm Just Like You, A Hero

Percy's POV

Peter and I left Annabeth to go to my cabin. Dinner was starting soon, so I decided that he should get settled first. We walked across the main courtyard to the cabins. I walked up to the Poseidon cabin and opened the door. Peter walked inside.

"Welcome to the Poseidon cabin," I said as I walked in behind Peter. The cabin was just as amazing and empty as usual.

"Wow, this place is crazy," Peter said. His eyes were quickly drawn to the small fountain in the corner of the room, the one my dad gave me to make iris messages. Peter walked over to it.

I smiled, "That's a gift from my dad. It's my favorite thing in the cabin."

"Your dad? Wait, is your dad Poseidon?" He asked, eyes wide. I was surprised at the question, wondering how that wasn't something I told him, but then I realized, I still hadn't told Peter much of anything.

"Yup, the one and only God of the Sea."

"That's so cool! Do you have, like, tons of half-siblings or something who are all children of Poseidon." He questioned excitedly.

"Nope, it's just me, well, I do have one half brother who's a cyclops, but he's not here right now. So, it's just us in this cabin right now."

"Us?"

"Ya, we think that the best place for you to stay for now is in this cabin with me. It's not usually allowed, but I got special permission." I showed Peter where my bed is and where he could sleep. He put the bag with his suit he'd been carrying down on the bed. He sat down. I followed his lead and sat down on my bed, which was across from his.

We sat in silence for a moment as I could see a million thoughts run through Peter's head. He put his head in his hands, lifted his chin and wiped a tear from his eye.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

His voice was shaky. "This is just the first time I've been able to think since this morning when I left MJ on that street corner and ran away."

"Who's MJ, nevermind, it doesn't matter."

"No, it does, to me. MJ is my girlfriend and she must be worried sick about me. My aunt must be too, and Happy, and Ned, and everyone else in my life. I just...I just left them."

"You did what you had to do. Believe that you did the right thing. You're a hero, aren't you? That means you have morals and you know what's best."

"No, that's where you're wrong. My choices, that's what got me into this mess. I'm just a dumb kid, I never should've been trusted with all of these responsibilities. Kids make mistakes, that's what we're supposed to do, but when you have the responsibility of saving the world on your shoulders, a mistake is the difference between not only life or death but whether or not the bad guy wins." He took a breath. "Why am I even saying this, it's not like you could ever understand."

"That is where you are very wrong. I know exactly what you mean. Maybe I don't know exactly what you're feeling right now, but I know your struggle."

"How could you possibly know my struggle. People's lives are constantly in my hands, and if I mess up, well, you know. I have lost so many people, and whether or not it's my fault, I know it's because of how I've decided to live my life." Another tear rolled down Peter's cheek.

"You're not the only person who has lost people. And you're sure as Hades, not the only person who has had the weight of the world, or in my case, the weight of the sky, on their shoulders. Ever since I was 12 years old, I've been constantly saving the world. Maybe I don't wear a flashy suit or call myself a superhero, but I'm just like you. A hero.

Peter was speechless. "I had, I had no idea. I feel like an idiot."

"It's fine, you had no way of knowing, but don't talk to me like I don't know pain, because I promise you, I know the worst kind. But, I can tell how strong you are. You chose how you would live your life, you chose that you would save people. I was thrust into that lifestyle with no choice." We sat in silence for another moment. Peter let out a big breath and I realized that that was the end of that conversation, for now at least.

"Percy?" Peter asked. "Does Annabeth not like me?" I had a feeling this was coming.

"No, it's not that she doesn't like you."

"Then what is it, I could feel that she was very tense around me."

"Ya, she doesn't really trust you. And I don't think she likes your name."

"I get that she might not trust me, but why doesn't she like my name. It's just Peter."

"No, she doesn't like the name Spider-man."

"Why not?"

"Annabeth is deathly afraid of spiders. I mean, it's pretty much her only fear and they are terrifying to her. Wait, that actually brings up a good question. Why are you called Spider-man?"

"I keep forgetting you know nothing about me. It's because of my powers."

"Powers? But you're human aren't you, how do you have powers."

"That actually has a lot to do with my superhero name. I was bitten by a radioactive spider and it gave me superpowers. And abs." He chuckled.

"Do you mean the sixth sense you mentioned earlier. I was a little confused by that."

"Ya, that's one of my powers. I also have super strength, and I'm really sticky. I can also do this." He pressed his fingers down on his palm and a stringy, white material shot out from his wrist and latched onto my hand, slinging it back into the wall, sticking it there. "That's not a power thought, I actually made my webs. Cool huh." I tried pulling my hand from the wall, but it wouldn't budge.

"Ya, that is pretty cool, but it's nothing compared to what I can do."

"How so?"

I used my free hand to reach into my pocket and pull out Riptide. Peter looked confused about why I would bring out a pen, but quickly flicked off the cap and a full-sized bronze sword appeared out of thin air. I took the blade, slashed the webs around my hand and put my sword/pen back into my pocket. Then, before Peter could have the time to think, I formed a water bubble from the fountain in the corner. I flung it straight towards Peter, but to my surprise, he wasn't in the path of the bubble, but instead, he stood, yes I said stood, upside down, on the ceiling.

"That's a pretty cool trick, but you're a little too slow." Peter flipped off the ceiling and landed perfectly on the ground. I must have looked shocked because he just smiled and sat down, obviously a little too proud of himself. Then I heard a knock on the door.