"I am the Greatest Hero of the century, Champion to the GODS!" I bellowed.

"Then stop Boasting and Fight me" shouted Jack, son of Ares.

"Hold on now guys, lets get some rules settled first" said Damien, son of Hades. He walked into the arena, and began addressing the quickly growing crowd.

"Now let's keep the maiming to a minimum, and no blunt force killings, its just no fun for anyone." He looked at me. "Pull your punches, Ajax"

I said nothing, just pushed Damien out of the way. "If this wannabe monster slayer thinks he's got what it takes, why should I hold back?"

"I'm not asking you to!" shouted Jack. He pulled his sword and sprinted towards me. Easy pickings.

He made a vicious slash towards my chest but I just moved out of the way. His sword dug into the pillar behind me. Now it was my turn. I was a son of Zeus, but unlike the average son of Zeus, I was the Hercules type. I was big, I was strong and I didn't use weapons. I was also, confidant, which seemed to get on most people's nerves.

It was all too easy to hoist jack up into the air and throw him into the wall. The crowd cheered. I walked at a slow leisurely pace to wear jack lay.

"You win," he whispered, he sounded pathetic.

"NOT YET," I growled, "Insolence must be punished."

I picked him up again, looking into his fear stricken eyes. "NO!" I didn't see who yelled, but I felt pain course through my body. I flew backwards, crashing through a broken column. I slammed into the ground, cracking the marble floor as I did so.

I pushed myself to my feet. I spun in a circle wildly looking for Jack. What I found instead was an angry little sister. Thalia ran up to me, swearing like mad. She slammed one of her fists into my chest "Zeus doesn't just give your powers to anyone!" she shouted "Just because the last one with your powers was an arrogant JERK doesn't mean you should be!"

"He knew what he was getting into," I growled, in the deepest voice I could muster. He pointed her spear at me, sending lightning coursing through my body again.

"You're a monster. Just like Hercules," she roared "You should be better. You should be a hero!"

"I am a hero!" I retaliated.

"No you aren't not by a long stretch," and with another shock she stormed off, her silver lieutenant's bracelet shining in the sun. "I've known sons of Aphrodite who were better heroes that YOU."

That night she wasn't in the cabin. I didn't want to accept what she'd said, I needed to confront her. Finally I found her sitting on the dock, outside the Poseidon cabin. "I am a Hero" I said leaning against the railing.

"Saying it won't make it true," she mumbled, looking up at me. She had tears running down her face. "Hercules said it all the time, but he wasn't a hero, he was a jerk, and he used people."

"How would you know?" I asked putting an angry edge into my voice

"Because I saw the results of his 'heroics first hand," she said "In a way, she ruined Zoë's life"

"I don't know who that is,"

"The sister of the moon, Artemis' best lieutenant" she said looking into the sky.

I looked into the sky. The constellations were vivid in the eternal darkness. I picked out Hercules, Orion, and the famous huntress, by far the brightest of them all.

"The stars are clear tonight" I said

"I'll never forget that night," Thalia wrapped her hands around my arm and pushed her tear stained face into my chest. "When my sister joined the stars."

's probably crap but I liked it so review, good of bad I'd like feedback.

I don't own PJO

-Markham