Turns out walking the ocean was tiring. Who would've guessed.

Calypso, that's who would've guessed.

Something she was keen to remind me of—I'd traded one prideful blonde for another. Like pokemon, if pokemon made fun of me for being stupid.

Actually, does caramel hair even count as blonde? I mean, it's both blonde and brunette, so it's blondette? Brunde? Caramelette?

Anyways—walking. Fun. I'd never known how bad walking could be till I'd done it for several days without break. Or sleep. Or food. Seriously, I was so starved that Calypso was starting to look like a Cheeseburger with fries. Or a cheesecake with strawberries.

I think I had tried taking a bite from her at one point.

No, I didn't eat her.

Although, if I did want to, she was sleeping right now sooo… No! No, bad stomach.

But food, my stomach groaned. No, I groaned back. My stomach didn't stop groaning though. It was like a creaky door hinge that just wouldn't shut up.

We had been attacked by a couple sea monsters by this point, and I would just like to mention that Calypso is terrifying. She was like a cooler Darth Vader, but a pretty girl. I'm being so serious.

I don't know what kind of stuff people were doing back then, now? but Calypso was a full on Jedi Master. She was one with the force and all of that, using her crazy Jedi powers to choke out sea monsters that attacked us.

I both did and did not want to see what she could do when angry.

Calypso promised to teach me things, but I didn't think we were going to Dagobah to meet Master Yoda. Actually, I don't think she even knew where we were going. That's fine, though. I'd walk all the seas for her.

Was I enamored with her a bit too fast? Yes. Did I care?

You already know my answer.

I mean, I've known her for weeks. They've been the best weeks of my life. No gods trying to kill me, no real threats to my life, and someone who cares about me, not the gods, but me at my side. Annabeth and Grover would side with the gods over me. Chiron would side with the gods over me. Camp would side with the gods over me.

But Calypso?

She made it clear that there was only my side.

And sure, yes, I don't exactly plan on turning on the gods any time soon, if ever. It doesn't mean I have to love them. It doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt that I am less important to the camp than the gods, even though the gods couldn't care less about the campers.

I was just Percy, why would they ever pick me?

Calypso wanted just Percy.

That's all the difference. I didn't care if she had or had not manipulated me into liking her—and, honestly, I would have liked her no matter what.

Want a health class lesson, kids? No? You're getting it anyways.

Teenage boys don't think with their head. According to Annabeth, we have all of these chemicals flowing through us like testoser-something, which makes us really easily form oxy-something and sera-something. Basically, pretty woman make teen have more of that tazerone-thingy.

When guy see pretty woman, guy quickly get crush. When a guy's crush reciprocates his feelings, guy falls hard.

Is it shocking I went head over heels? Yes?

Screw you.

Anyways, with science from Percy being done, walking. I have a lot of it to do.

These boots were not made for walking.

Unsurprisingly, they broke days ago. Thank you, Calypso, for making me a pair of terrible shoes.

Luckily, my day—and feet—were saved. In the far horizon, I saw a ship. It looked like one of those viking ships that you'd see in history class, with a long body and narrow width. Huge oars rowed at the sides, propelling the boat.

Unlike a viking ship, however, this ship had two sails, one big one and one tiny one. A massive tower-thing also stood at the front, towering over the ship and being almost as tall as the ship. Somehow, I knew that was a corvus, a tool used by the Roman navy to fight land battles at sea. They would latch the bridge onto their enemy's ship and have soldiers invade the other ship by foot. This started in the first Punic war.

The ships themselves were quinqueremes, a type of ship developed by Dinoysius I of Syracuse in 399 BC to fight the Carthaginians. The Carthaginians stole the ships for themselves after conquering Syracuse. They then used them later on against the Romans in the first Punic war, who did what Rome does best, stealing the ship's and building a larger navy than Carthage. They then added the corvus to cover up their terrible naval skills.

How did I know all of this? I don't know, blame Dad. He's the one who downloaded a sea encyclopedia into my brain.

I shook Calypso awake. "Ship."

"Hmm?" Her eyes fluttered open.

"Ship."

"Ship?"

"Ship." I solemnly say.

She nodded in my arms and turned to see the boat. "Think there's more?"

"More ships?" I ask.

She nods. "Mhm."

I shrugged. "Probably. Quinqueremes travel in groups, so I guess they are in triangle formation? The other ships are probably too far for us to see."

"Alright." Her eyes wrinkled into a smile. "Better get to running."

I rolled my eyes. "Any other requests?"

"Hmm…" She put a finger to her lip. "How about a massage?"

I just shook my head exasperatedly and started sprinting forward. Ever seen those old kung fu tv shows, the ones with the beds of hot coals? The Shifu would demand their pupil to walk over the hot coals as a test, and the pupil would have to do the test.

Yeah, that's what my feet felt like. Except, you know, ten times worse. I guess that'd make Claypso my Shifu; it certainly felt like it.

I ran forward, each step killing my legs. Huh. There were more ships.

Were those arrows!?

"Woah!" I shouted, swinging Calypso onto my shoulder. Her grunt showed her displeasure at this action.

My hand pointed out, sea water shooting up from the ocean in a mighty wave. With torrential force, the waters slammed into the literal wall of arrows.

Ever heard of the Code of Harambe? I don't know how a gorilla knew how to write, but he said something like An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I didn't like getting shot at.

With a motion of my hand, the wave slammed towards the quinqueremes. Then, the arrows were gently dropped onto the deck of the flagship.

What? I'm not going to kill a bunch of mortals.

The waves receded to the seas. No more arrows came. In the distance, I saw the flagship wave a white flag. I'd call them cowards, but honestly, who could blame mortals? I'd probably be waving the white flag too if my first time meeting a supernatural person, they toss the ocean at me.

The ships kept coming near, so presumably they were going to greet us? Well, if they were going to greet us… I sat straight down onto the water, getting Calypso off my shoulder and letting her sit on my lap instead.

"What—what are you doing?" She said while blushing.

"Waiting." I said, my tone indicating how obvious my actions were.

"No duh." She lightly punched my chest.

I narrow my eyes. "Then why'd you ask?"

Calypso sighed and rolled her eyes. "Nevermind." She leaned back into me.

We sat like this for several minutes, waiting for the ships to approach. Have you ever sat on the water near a boat as it moves? It's like a dishwasher, the water displacing really fast and making the seas turbulent.

"They'll probably speak Latin, Percy." Calypso said.

I shrugged. "Then I'll let you do the talking."

For some reason, she looked surprised. I have no clue as to why, but hey, at least she looked happy? I must've done something right.

She nodded. "Alright."

The flagship, head ship, whatever you want to call it neared. I like the boat—it was blue. They had painted it blue. I wonder if they have blue cookies?

Wait. Chocolate is only found in the Americas. I groaned.

"Hmm?" Calypso looked up at me. "What's wrong?"

I pouted. "Nothing…"

She shot me a weird look and then shook her head. In response, I flung her onto my back.

"Could've warned me." She hissed, but her words had no real bite to it.

"Poor you. I'll play you a song on the world's tiniest violin." I imitate a tiny violin with my fingers.

"...what is a violin?" She gripped onto my back for dear life. "...you better not drop me."

Oh. She didn't know Spongebob.

I almost forgot I was in the past, and yes, I know a Roman quinquereme was right next to me. And yes, I know I just thought about chocolate not being here. But, honestly, it's not the weirdest thing I've had happen to me, so it was still kinda easy to forget I was back two thousand years.

"It's an instrument from the future—" What would be a good comparison. "—it's kinda like a lyre. But it uses a stick to play."

"Ahh."

That didn't sound like an ahh of understanding.

Well, time to get this show on the road. I had the water propel us to the deck of the boat, with me landing on my feet like some kind of ancient Aquaman.

I totally didn't strike a pose.

Well…maybe a little.

Men in full armor stood on the deck. Huh, they even had the red mohawks on their helmets. Cool.

"Mei deorum." A man breathed, staring right at me. "Verum est."

"Heh?" I said, staring at him. "Calypso, you got this."

Calypso climbed off of my back and stood next to me. "Salvete, amici. Venimus in pace."

"Dei estisne?" The Roman asked in awe. "Homines non possunt facere quid ille potest."

Calypso looked at me. "He says, "are you gods? Humans cannot do what he can.". What do you want me to say?"

I wave my hand. "Do whatever you want. I trust you."

Her eyes lit up and she nodded, turning back to the soldiers. "Ita, deum sum et dimidius deum est ille. Quis estis?"

Suddenly, the soldiers fell to their knees. "Calypso, what'd you tell them?"

She mischievously smiled. "The truth…technically."

So she probably said she's a god/titaness and I am a demigod. Great, I don't want people to worship me!

"Lucius Hostilius Mancinus sum, domina. Ego imperator classis Romanae sum." He thumped a fist on his chest. "Ut Cato ait, "Carthago delenda est!", sic id est quo tendimus!"

So, something about Carthage. I tap Calypso's shoulder. "What did he say?"

"They're going to Carthage to destroy it."

"So we're in the middle of a war?" I question her.

She solemnly nods. "Yep." Calypso points to the guy talking. "That's Lucius, the head of the Roman navy."

"Gods." I breathe out. "So we're with the big guns."

She didn't get my reference. Dang anachronisms.

Lucius spoke up. "Si nos adjuvis, vincemus." He stood up. "Pro Roma, fac."

Calypso bit her lip. "He wants us to, well, help him."

"Help them?" I said incredulously. "I just got out of a war! I don't want to go right back to another one." I shook my head side to side.

Calypso didn't speak, still biting her lip. She shuffled on her feet. There was no way we were helping the people who just attacked us with arrows. No way. I would not kill people.

"I think you should do it." She said quietly. "It'd help you."

"All it would do is help me get nightmares. I don't want to kill anything, especially mortals."

"So you can kill monsters, Titans, or gods, but you draw the lines at humans?" She said, rolling her eyes. "That's stupid."

"How is it stupid? Monsters are evil!" I pause. "And, well, gods and Titans are immortal."

She shook her head. "By that logic, humans are immortal. They just aren't allowed to leave the underworld."

"You're comparing Tartarus to the underworld?"

"No, you are right." She stared into my eyes. "Tartarus is much worse, no one deserves to go there—gods or titans. Killing humans is more moral than killing monsters or gods or Titans."

"So you're saying I shouldn't kill monsters or titans?" I ask heatedly.

"Gods, Percy! No, that's not what I meant and you know it." She placed a hand on the back of my neck. I felt some of the heat filling me leave my body. "But you need this. Do you think you won't have to kill demigods in your war? Do you think humans didn't die when you set off a volcano in the future?"

Any heat I felt was gone. I—she was right. And it hurt that she was right. I…I probably have killed mortals before. Innocent people. For the gods' sake, I blew up a volcano! There's no way people didn't die when I got blasted here…

And of course she had to bring up the hard truths. I was going to have to kill demigods in the future. It was the dirty secret that everyone knew about back at camp—that we were going to have to kill people we once called friends, heck, even family.

I clenched my fist and looked down. The sea became turbulent. Just—I didn't want to do this. But Calypso wanted me to. Unfortunately for—i don't even know who. My morals? The Cathaginians? Calypso wanting me to do it was enough.

I unclenched my hand, the seas quieted. Sorry, Mom.

"Yeah…yeah. I'll do it."

Calypso removed her hand from my neck, grasping both my hands tightly. She stared intensely into my eyes, and if I wasn't so entranced, I'd be tempted to look away. "Thank you, Percy."

"Id faciemus." Calypso said, releasing my hands and turning to the soldiers.

"Ave!' Lucius shouted, thumping his shield into the ground. "Ave! Mare cum nos est! Dei cum nos sunt! Vincemus pro Roma! Vincemus!" He thumped his shield again. "Carthago delenda erit!"

Cheers came from the men in front of us as they stood and slammed their shields. "Carthago delenda erit! Carthago delenda erit! Ave! Ave!"

Well, at least they were more excited than I was.

But, well, ever heard that smiles are infectious? So is cheering. A small smile may have crossed my face at some point.

The men went back to work and got the oars up and running.

Lucius looked to Calypso and I. "Quis nomina vestra suntne?"

"Calypso?" She ignored me.

"Calypso sumque, Perseus ille est." Calypso answered his question.

So nomina probably meant name? Quis probably meant what. Suntne means are, then. I could totally nail this. Maybe.

Lucius looked to me and gave the universal nod of respect. I'd elaborate but bro-code dictates I don't. "Ave, Perseus. Gratias."

Did that mean Hail Percy, thank you? I was nailing this. Annabeth would be so impressed.

Unfortunately, I had no clue what to respond with. Mostly due to the language barrier. It was like those furby toys—you kinda knew what they were saying, but it was impossible to talk back.

Lucius then looked towards Calypso and bowed. Why didn't I get a bow but she did? "Ave, Calypso. Gratias."

"Riiight. Calypso, I really need food. And sleep. Like, I'm almost dead on my feet."

She nodded. "Lucius, mei vir cibumque lectum desiderat."

Lucius's eyes widened. "Tui vir? Tu eius feminae sunt?"

"Sic." Calypso says with a smile, a blush creeping up her neck.

I don't think I liked whatever they were talking about. So, in turn, I wrapped a hand around her waist. Calypso giggled.

"Sic, nupta. Sic, sic." The man nodded solemnly. "Painitet."

Calypso waved her hand. "Ignoscens es."

I really wish I understood Latin at this moment in time. Like, very much so. I mean, do you know how annoying it is to not understand what anyone around you is saying? Very annoying, that's what.

Although, whatever Lucius said made Calypso sink into me further, so I don't think I'm too mad. Innocence is bliss, you know? Well, it made me bliss, so yeah. Screw knowledge.

A soldier approached us. "Venis." He gestured in a hitherto motion, walking away. We followed.

We were led to a part of the far edge of the deck of the boat. There was a wool blanket and dried pork. I'd complain, but honestly, this was probably the most luxury the ship had to offer. The fact they even had a blanket to give, and that they did give it, was generous in and of itself.

"Gratias." Calypso told the soldier. I was quick to mimic her.

For the first time in at least a week, I sat down. "Dear gods." I groaned, laying back on the ship's deck. "My feet hurt so much."

Calypso sat down beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder. "Mhm. Well, at least they hurt for a good reason, right?"

"Mhm." I nod. "The greatest."

Yep. I'm still a sap.

Her hands rummaged through my hair, scratching my scalp in all the right spots. "I can never thank you enough, Percy. Never."

"It—it wasn't much." I laugh awkwardly.

She wacked my side. 'Don't say that, dummy." Her hands stopped for a second. "It was more than you could ever imagine."

I've developed a real habit for blushing these days. I'd probably turn permanently red, like I had ever lasting face paint put on me. Or a clown mask, because I felt like a clown. A good clown.

I have no clue what I'm saying.

My stomach rumbled. "You should probably eat." Calypso said.

"Probably. Again, no food in a week. I picked the dried pork off the dirty floor. Any other time, I'd have scrunched my nose up in disgust. Now?

Well, let's just say this was probably in the top ten meals of my life. It'd only have been better if it was blue. Actually no, no it wouldn't have been. That would mean it was spoiled.

I licked my lips clean. Then, I felt guilty. "Sorry for not leaving you any food."

"It's fine." She shook her head. "I don't need nearly as much food as you do to survive."

That still didn't make me feel any better. Calypso squeezed my shoulder. "Sleep, Percy. You need it."

"You sleep first. I don't trust these guys that much."

"No. Sleep." She patted her lap. "Rest your head."

Suddenly I didn't have nearly as many qualms with sleeping.

Carthage—Carthago, I reminded myself, was beautiful. Well, it had been.

"Duck!" Lucius shouted. "Raise your shields!"

The soldiers went down, raising shields. Arrows rained down from above, intent on killing the men on the ship.

They never touched the ground. My hands shot up, and with practice honed from months of training during the blockade, water bashed the projectiles into the water. With a flick of my hand, an enemy ship was slammed into its neighbor, destroying both of them.

I didn't know where Calypso was, but I'd just need to have faith in her to hold her own. She was somewhere with Scipio Aemilianus on the land itself. That's how the plan was to go—I'd win the seas, Calypso and Scipio would win the land.

I mentioned she was a Jedi, right? Her telekinesis was scary, so scary that they were going to use her as a human siege weapon.

Told you she was hot Darth Vader, and I'm not talking about lava.

"Lucius!" I shouted to the man in Latin. I had a lot of practice. "I'm boarding!"

"By yourself!?" The man shouted back, temporarily pausing from giving orders.

"Who else?" I ran and jumped off the ship, the water meeting my body. I instantly felt powerful.

Like something out of Aquaman, the water propelled me forward at blistering speeds, and I was flung onto the deck of a Carthaginian ship. A sword struck at me.

I leaned back, ducking below the blade. I slammed the pummel of my blade—not riptide—into his chest. The man stumbled back, a thrust of my sword piercing his lung. I felt nauseous.

I didn't have the time to think about it, another Carthaginian on me. And then more and more. I was a flurry of slashes and stabs, my steel blade coated red. Body's bisected, cut and wounded, all being left in my wake.

I blocked a sword aimed at my back, slamming so hard into the man's sword that he dropped it. A spurt of water grabbed his leg and yanked him into the water.

I huffed hard, out of breath. There was no one on the ship—at least, no one alive. Just bodies, so, so many bodies. I heaved, bile rising in my throat. My hands were covered red. I don't think it would ever wash off.

I shook my head and gulped hard. There were at least a hundred more ships. I couldn't break down here—gods only know that if I fail, terrible things could happen to Calypso. I wiped tears out of my eyes.

"Sorry." I whispered, jumping off the boat.

In seconds I'd found another ship, not like that was a real challenge. I landed, slamming my elbow hard enough into a guy's neck that I heard cracking. With a flick of my sword, spurts of blood gushed from his neck.

I grasped the shaft of a spear coming at me, tugging the user forward into the point of my sword. I pulled it back and spun around, bisecting a guy who was charging me. Blood stained the deck as I danced with the warriors, a song of death playing.

Water rose from the sea, cleansing the deck free of blood, gore, and live men.

Another ship. More dead men. Decapitated heads, shattered bones, and blood, so much blood. My sword sliced down, literally disarming my enemy. Water rose up like a deadly blade and split the ship. Men who loved the sea got to rest in it.

Sharp steel burrowed through tough bone, brain matter coating the edge of my blade. Crimson rivers and stomach acid quickly cleaned it off.

I ducked under a volley of arrows and rushed at the archers. Splinters and broken arrow heads fell out of the sky as I split them with sharpened metal, the gore of their shooters accompanying them. Water spikes killed the rest. It was too easy.

I went to go to the next ship, but a booming voice snagged my attention first. Good, maybe that'll be a challenge.

"Neptune spawn!" A furious voice shouted in Latin. "Face me you coward!"

I turned to where the voice was coming from, quickly moving back to avoid a bolt of lighting. Steel struck at me as the sky darkened. I was shoved through the deck of the ship, wood cracking and shattering under me.

My eyes lit up and the sea rose to meet the challenge. "Who am I fighting?" I questioned, bashing away his sword.

"So you care about who I am but not about my fallen comrades?" The warrior hissed out. "I am Hamilcar, son of Baal-Hammon!" He practically growled. "I am your death."

Wow. What'd I do to make him so mad? Oh, wait. Nevermind.

Wind flung into me and I was launched towards the shore, but the sea lurched up. A massive hand yanked my body down to the water, which I then stood atop of.

Hamilcar flew down like superman, his sword smashing into my blade as I lifted it in defense. I stepped back, letting his sword move mine down.

I leapt up, forcibly keeping my blade interlocked with his. Like I was Lionel Messi, my foot slammed into his head. Hamilcar crashed towards the water like a bullet.

Wind blew violently at me again, keeping Hamilcar away from the sea. "Is that all you can do? Cheap tactics? Is this how my brethren died?!"

I shook my head. "No, this is how." The water rose up and I charged at the Punic fighter, a pillar of water slamming Hamilcar's elbow up as he went to strike at me. My blade pierced through his armor like it was butter.

Electricity coursed through my body, as if I'd just stuck a knife into an outlet. Except, you know, I kind of did.

I was forced to let go, instead moving my hand down to Hamilcar's wrist. Strong fingers squeezed around his wrist and I smashed my forehead into him. Hamilcar's wrist flopped uselessly as it broke.

"I thought you were my death." I said, trying to provoke him. "I don't feel dead." I mockingly inspect myself for wounds.

Hamilcar seethed and energy crackled violently around him.

Unfortunately, Hamilcar didn't seem to notice where he was. Water crept up Hamilcar's limbs and arms, the ocean consuming the man. Hamilcar gurgled and thrashed, but I kept him in place. My hands were burnt from the electricity.

Hamilcar didn't struggle any more.

My sword made sure of it.

I stared at his floating body, blood dying my skin.

We both fought for what we loved, yet this was Hamilcar's life. I didn't need to fight this battle, this wasn't my war.

Calypso made it my war.

Athena told me loyalty was my fatal flaw, and maybe she had a point.

But, honestly? I couldn't find it in me to care.

I kneeled next to the corpse and closed his eyes.

He and I were the same.

"I'm sorry, Hamilcar." His body floated silently. "I don't know what will happen, with your gods falling to my gods, but I hope you see a happy afterlife."

I stood up and looked around me. There were no Punic ships. There was no fighting. There was just me, the Romans, and a city to burn.

I wiped my hands and sword into the ocean. The blood wouldn't wipe off. All I could smell was the heavy scent of iron. My stomach felt sick.

It didn't matter, though. Calypso needed me. I could feel sick later.

She is what mattered right now.

I turned my head and tried to spot Lucius's quinquereme. To my relief, he wasn't dead. I swam to his ship, crimson trails flowing behind me.

"Ave, Perseus!" A hand clapped me on my back as I landed on the ship. "Good to see you're alive. You did a real number on their fleet! I don't think we would've won today without you."

"Good to see you're alive as well, Lucius." I nodded to him. "But I'm going over there in a second." I point to the mainland.

"You've got a real taste for blood, don't you?" Lucius jokes. My stomach churched. "I'm just messing with you. Your woman is down there, I'd be just as worried as you are if I was in your shoes."

So, apparently when Calypso was speaking in Latin when we first arrived on the ship, she had said we were married. That's what vir and femina meant, husband and wife. I couldn't find it in myself to be mad at her.

"Keep the waters safe, Lucius?" I ask him.

"Do you even need to ask?"

No, I really didn't. Lucius was cool like that, he'd have been a great guy to have around during the titan war.

I give him a mini salute and sprint into the water, blood dripping with each step. It wasn't mine.

The water met me, launching me towards the mainland, to the city veiled in chaos. Like a dolphin, I burst from the water, rolling on the grass to help absorb energy. It seems they had already breached the walls, so they wouldn't need my help on that front.

I sprinted as fast as I could, bursting through the city gates—woah. The gates were gone. I mean, they were literally blasted so far back that they tore through buildings. I couldn't even see where the gates landed.

Stepping into the city made me realize we definitely were not the good guys. I—I can't even describe what the soldiers were doing to the city. My focus was taken from the horrors that the legion was doing to flashes of bright light.

Bright flames and golden light were flung violently around in the distance, coming from near the largest building in the city. Calypso was almost definitely there.

I took one last look at what the soldiers were doing, knowing I should stop the terrible things they were doing.

In the end, my loyalty won out.

It always did.

I ran through the city, screams of agony and pleads for mercy passing over my ears. I steeled myself and kept going forward, charging to where the biggest fight was. The bright light made it hard to look.

A woman, cloaked in searing flames, was fighting Calypso. Furious energy and roaring fire were exchanged in a dance of death and destruction.

The woman was at a disadvantage, Calypso the better fighter. I watched in awe as my girlfriend, covered red in blood, systematically broke down the Punic fighter.

Ever seen those videos of highschool players playing an NBA player? Usually, it'll be, like, Lebron or something against a kid. It would end up being around 80-0, a full blood was like that, but the difference in skill was much higher. Honestly, it was a spectacle.

I was never one for spectacles.

Calypso and my eyes met as I started moving behind the burning woman. She lightly nodded.

As fire went at Calypso, this time the fires weren't blocked, concussive force no longer pushing it back. The Punic warrior pushed her advantage, moving forward with a flaming sword. I moved forward as silently as I could.

As the woman neared Calypso, blade raised high, I slashed my sword. It was met with a blade of fire, shoving me back. Then, the woman toppled over.

The fires died down.

"You took your time." Calypso said, pushing the woman off of her sword. "I could have gotten her without your help, you know."

"Sure, but better safe than sorry, right?" It was a good motto to live by.

Calypso smiled. "Well, I'm glad you care."

"Have I ever not cared?"

"Nope." She turned her gaze down a bit. "We should probably stay here."

"Why?"

She went quiet. I know why, now. "No."

"No?" Calypso asked me.

"No. I'm helping the civilians. They—they don't deserve that." I glared into her eyes and turned to move away.

My hand was held in a tight grip. "What are you doing?" I ask her.

"I won't let you."

"It's my choice." I say, beginning to feel angry. "Let me choose. I'm okay with letting you make my choices most of the time, but this?" I grow quiet. "This is my choice and my choice only."

"Percy, no." She said it like I was a child. "Think about the consequences!"

"The—the consequences?! Yeah, it'll be people not getting tortured and ravaged! How is that a bad consequence?"

How could she say that! The Romans are doing terrible things and she's just…she's just okay with it! I stare at her in shock.

"That's not what I meant, Percy—!"

"Then what did you mean?" I hissed out.

"Percy." She sighed. "If you save them, the Romans will just come back when you are not around. So, for one, you won't be saving them. Secondly, you'll be an enemy of Rome. That isn't going to help you when half of our plans are in Roman territory. Please, Percy. Listen to me, I'm not stupid."

"I…I never said you were stupid. It's just—" I froze as she hugged me, our blood-ridden forms touching.

"You're a good person, Percy. It's why I love you. But please, please listen to me. I could—" Her voice cracked. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." She said it hopelessly. It drew at my heartstrings.

"But," I uselessly said. "The—the people…"

She rubbed my spine and my body shivered. "Proserpina…she has a soft spot for victims of violence. She won't let Pluto send them anywhere but Elysium."

Maybe…maybe she was right. Maybe it would be better if I just—just don't interfere. Calypso hasn't led me astray so far.

I sigh, tears pooling at the edge of my eyes. "I—I'm sorry. I'm sorry for snapping at you, Calypso."

"Oh, my sweet hero." Her voice was soothing. "Never apologize for being who you are. It's you who I love, so why would I be mad at you for being you?"

She pushed our foreheads together, my throat choked up. "You, Percy Jackson, are the bravest, greatest, kindest man I know. Never, never be sorry for that."