What He Owes

Summary: "Whilst studying Greek History, campers attempt to reflect on the famous heroes until a single shy camper decides to speak up. What he says proves to Chiron that perhaps this generation has hope after all."

Just a simple one-shot on what some campers think of the great Perseus Jackson.

"Of course, there are many heroes in Greek mythology," Chiron stated to his class, pacing up and down on his horse hooves. The air was rather silent for a Friday, or maybe it was just the sheer boredom of the teenagers. After all, each was diagnosed, at least in the mortal world, with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Chiron was lucky to spare even five minutes of their undivided devotion.

"They were all known for many things. Heracles, the strong. Theseus, Son of Poseidon. Perseus, Son of Zeus. All of these heroes are famous for their heroic acts. Although they are held in high regard, some of them fall short."

As he spoke, he wrote the key words along the edges of the blackboard with precision. Fame, Heroic, Strong, Demigod. Every word that related the heroes together in a single characteristic.

"So, what makes a hero, for lack of better words, heroic? Hmm, Drew, would you care to give your thoughts?"

The conceited daughter of Aphrodite sat in all her glory, filing her nails and avoiding eye contact with both the centaur and the rest of the class. Surely, she of all people would fail to care about the true virtues and characteristics of a hero. As long as they saved her ungrateful rear-end, she could care less.

"Um, they have to be hot, right?"

Chiron pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Chiron found it ironic for him to think that for such a pretty woman, Drew could be such a horse's arse. Chiron was patiently waiting for someone to blurt out the answer he was looking for. In today's society, the new generation of demigods had seemed to forget about what makes a hero truly noble. Choosing to move on, Chiron turned and wrote more examples on the board himself.

"A hero has to be steady. And put others before himself, class." He dragged on; he desperately awaited the day one student would rise up and teach him something for a change.

"So, we have Heracles, Theseus, Perseus, Jason, and Achilles—"

"What about Percy Jackson?" a girl from the Demeter Cabin asked. Sadly, Chiron knew the boy's name would come up eventually. Every new camper asks about the famous Son of Poseidon: Slayer of Titans, Savior of Olympus, and the Greatest of the Age. All of the titles swam around the wise centaur's mind, prompting his brain to initiate a flashback to the better days…the days before Percy Jackson went missing.

He remembers it like it was yesterday, when the skinny, meek twelve-year-old boy arrived at camp. He had already pulled off the horn of a Minotaur by then. Chiron only needed one glance at the boy…one glance to tell him what stood before his wise yes was nothing less than greatness. He allowed, somewhere in his heart, for Perseus to go on that quest for the lightning bolt. Not for him, not for the Gods. But for Percy alone, to prove to himself that he was stronger than he appeared. Once he came back, Chiron began to see the spark. He asks himself even to this day what that mysterious spark was. Though he does not know the true answer, he could have sworn it had something to do with the glint in the boy's everlasting sea-green eyes.

A year passed and the spark grew. Chiron saw the one thing in Perseus that he never truly had a chance to experience: a son. Most campers thought it ridiculous. Percy had an ex-step father, and a Godly parent to boot. Chiron was of no authority to him, at least not in a fatherly sense.

However, he knows that is not true. He knows this because he has a feeling that somewhere deep down, Percy knew it too. As soon as Percy brought back the Golden Fleece, and resurrected the long lost daughter of Zeus, Chiron saw even more of it every single day, and slowly as the passed, they all began to mesh.

Chiron also knew that heroes rarely followed the rules. Such was the case with his dear Perseus when Annabeth was captured. Perhaps, however, the rebellion itself strengthened the bond of mentor and student. To know that no matter how much he could teach the Son of the Sea, the demigod knew how to fend for himself and figure things out on his own.

The only year that mattered was the last. The year Percy heard the prophecy, and the year Kronos chose to strike Manhattan and Olympus. That year told Chiron all he needed to know. From the moment Percy set foot in the Hotel room, looking for his beloved Annabeth, covered in dirt and grime…Chiron saw his work accomplished. The dirt symbolized the struggle and the will to keep going. The monster dust symbolized the ruthlessness he showed as a man. That was the day Chiron truly felt accomplished. He brought this man up from a meek boy, one that was strong enough to bring Luke Castellan and the Titan Kronos to their knees. He would never dream of taking the credit from Poseidon, but the only thing he knew was…

…that day, no other fathers in the world could have been more proud of himthan the fathers of Percy Jackson were.

Returning to reality, Chiron saw a small child raise his hand. His dark-brown hair and blue-green eyes reminded him so much of his favorite student. Relieved to hear a new voice, Chiron trotted up to him and called his name aloud.

"Terrence, ah yes, please, feel free to share!" he offered graciously. The small boy's voice was quiet and nervous, but Chiron's warm smile seemed to sooth him into speaking up.

"What happened to Percy, sir?"

Chiron's face dropped only slightly. "He went missing my boy, he's been gone for quite a few months. He used to be a camper here; in fact, he looked a bit like you when he was younger."

"He'll be okay, though, right?" the boy asked a bit louder than before. Slowly, he was gaining the confidence to rave about his favorite Greek hero.

Chiron thought of telling him a bittersweet, yet positive outlook, but decided to tell him the truth: "I do not know, my boy." It was true. Chiron never thought the day would come when he was unsure of Percy's fate. This young child reminded him so much of Perseus that it began to pain him.

"I think it'll be alright," the boy said hopefully. By now, all eyes were on him. "Percy is my favorite. He was always my favorite. Don't laugh, but he's kind of my idol. If I could choose to be anything, I would be Percy Jackson. But not for the girlfriends, not for the sword and cool armor, and not for the fame. It's just that Percy taught me something. Being a small kid in New York isn't easy, and the bullies have gotten worse. Then I come to camp and I get the honor of meeting Percy Jackson, the Hero of Olympus. He's just so normal. So plain. He isn't strong and buff like Heracles. He isn't cunning like Odysseus. He proves to me every day that even a kid as small and unimportant as me can be a hero. You really don't need the big muscles and Godly weapons to be a hero. You just need a desire to protect others and the people you love. I believe that there's a hero inside all of us. The driving force makes us brave and keeps us kind. The voice that convinces us to never stop caring for the people we love and never stop defending the innocent. Even though sometimes we need to give up the things we want, even our wildest dreams, and run into the light and save the day. Percy sacrificed a lot. He did that for me…me…just boring old Terry Samuels. That's why he's my favorite Greek hero."

Chiron was too mature at his age, but if he were a day younger he'd be smiling like a goofy teenager who and just gotten his first kiss. In his afterthought, he never really thought he could see himself as grieving the death of Percy Jackson. As his teacher, he had taught him everything he knew on how to survive. So, wouldn't you think, after all he had taught him, that Percy could do him the favor of coming back alive, just this once?

After all, as their hero, Perseus owed them that much.

A/N: Just a little one-shot about what it truly means to be a hero. I wanted to express how differently people view Percy from the other heroes in Greek mythology, and that's what the little boy was for. I hope you liked it. Review and tell me, perhaps?

– Chris