"You worthless little brat!" He screamed as he brought the belt down on my back. I cried out as I tried to shield my stuff from the blow I knew was back to come. Yet as I hid against the wall he simply brought his foot to my ribs.

"Your nothing!" He kicked my face into the wall. He just kept kicking me over and over and over, until I just fell to the ground and then he pulled out his blade. I screamed in pain as he reopened old scars, and recarved the words into my skin.

I woke up screaming. A blood-cruling scream that I couldn't stop, and it only grew worse when the door to my cabin flew open. Nico ran in took a look around with wide eyes, then raced to my side. I took a deep breath when I saw him and calmed as much as I could.

"I'm sorry!" I whimpered my mind still trapped in my five-year-old state.

"What for, Percy?" He asked wrapping his arms around me. I took a few shakey breathes before I tried to answer.

"I woke you up, I'm sorry. I had a nightmare."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I don't know." With that I lend against him and broke down. I cried and held him close. He laied against the headbourd and made me lay down. He hummed a song I didn't know as he rubbed my back. I quitely told him everything about Gabe. I didn't know why I felt safe but I did.

"Now do you see why I'm not the hero everyone sees me as?" I asked jumping off the bed and facing him.

"No I don't, because to me you sound like even more of a hero then you did before. You let him hurt you just to save your mom. That is a hero's act. You didn't run away. Thals, Luke, and Beth did. You were brave! You stayed kind. Greater hero's than you can't even say that.

You never tried to hurt him back. Hell, I would have! Hell I want to now! But you never did. Percy I don't know what it will take to show you, but you well always be a hero to us. Please try to understand that."

He held out his arms and I fell. I broke. The might Percy Jackson cried like a baby in his little brothers arms.

Hours later, I don't know why or how, all my friends were there and even though I was mostly asleep I felt safe for once, outside of my mothers arms.