The Code
Captain Jack Sparrow had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Having the son of Poseidon among the pirates seemed to mean Poseidon's favor for them over the East India Company and thus a good thing; that the boy was from the future – centuries to future – raised the question of what happened to pirates that he couldn't train in his own time and thus was a bad thing. Yet, two centuries was a long time, and lots of things could happen. This was so bizarre and curious that even his rapid mind had trouble coping with it. Right now, he needed some time to think, and the ship seriously needed supplies. He headed back to the deck and set their course with the help of his amazing compass.
"Is he still on board, captain?" Mr. Gibbs asked quietly.
There was no need to ask who Mr. Gibbs was referring to. "No. As I understand, he decided to sink Port Royal and went right to it," captain Sparrow replied.
"Sink Port Royal?" Elizabeth Swan, who had grown in that city she repeated in shock, "You just can't do that!"
"You got that right, love" the Captain told her, "I can't. I am just a mortal. He, however, is a god and as such, is certainly capable of sinking a city or two if he wants to."
"And you did nothing to stop him?" Will Turner exclaimed incredulously.
"I'm flattered you think I'd be able to stop a god, lad," the captain said, "but alas, I know I can't. He is the god of the sea, we're at sea, and so we shall not speak a word against him. Ever."
Will frowned. "But…" he started to say.
"Mast, Mr. Turner," the captain ordered, cutting him short.
Lookout duty should keep him out of trouble for a while, Jack Sparrow thought to himself, took out his amazing compass and found a heading. They really needed supplies – even all the rum was gone. Percy came to the deck, having grown bored inside the cabin.
"Captain?" he called.
"By the helm, Son of the Sea god", was the reply.
Percy walked up there to talk. "So what was it with you leaving so fast?" he asked, a bit irritated over it.
"One thing: code says that anyone who stays behind is left behind," the captain said, "so whether you stayed in the cabin or followed was entirely up to you. Anyway, we do need supplies."
Percy nodded grimly at the words, but said nothing, only stared at the sea. He began to understand just how much he needed to heal from – Hera messing with his mind was the least of them. Staying with the Pirates was apparently just the thing he needed.
"Those who stay behind are left behind," Percy mused. He had been doing that a lot lately. Had there been even one quest when doing as the code said had not been required? Percy began counting his quests in the pearls, although, he recalled, even entering the camp had required leaving Grover behind. The first actual quest: retrieve and return the Master Bolt required leaving his mother in the Underworld; The Sea of Monsters, rescuing Grover and fetching the Fleece: Tyson, and then it was Clarisse who had to leave them while going ahead with the Golden Fleece - technically the quest was hers anyway.
Percy stopped holding the third pearl, representing the Titan's Curse, when the girls went to save Artemis and he joined them to rescue Annabeth. The one left behind, how could he forget? It had been Bianca di Angelo, choosing to sacrifice herself in the junkyard of Hefaistos. They hadn't even known if she lived or not. She'd done it for the mission, for the group, yes – but mainly for her brother, to give him the one piece missing from that Mythomagic game no one but Nico knew anything about. The figure of Hades. Percy sighed as he thought of her. She sacrificed her childhood to raise Nico, and finally her life. Yes, she definitely deserved Elysium. Percy didn't doubt one moment she'd do that in her next life as well since she had chosen rebirth.
Fourth year there was the Labyrinth. Nico had his own thing to do – in order to become that Ghost King. He had chosen to leave Ogygia where he could never return. Brineas had been left behind in the Labyrinth, but he had returned. Daidalos chose to die in the end to save them even when he knew he'd be punished – but most importantly, Nico had chosen NOT to use it to revive his sister after all. That, Percy thought, was one important choice as well. Nico had finally been able to let go of Bianca.
Percy fingered his fifth pearl remembering Charles Beckendorf. He'd been yet another to give his life for the mission, one he had to leave behind. He hadn't liked leaving his father either after he saw the war against Oceanus – but if he had not gone to the battle on surface… no one could have talked to the rivers, much less persuade his father to help with the Typhon. Olympus would have been gone.
Percy shivered at that thought. Yes, the Code was good. It was necessary so often. It would also keep his 'fatal flaw' in check. When sacrifices needed to be made, it was to honor that choice. What's more, it was like the core of freedom ; if one could put rules to freedom, those rules were the Code.
