Ch. 4

a Black Eye and a Note

Nico woke up in his cabin, momentarily forgetting that he was at Camp-Half-Blood. But quickly realizing where he was. He sat up with a silent sigh on his lips. Perpetual emo-ness, just a side effect of having the king of the dead for your father.

He walked around the cabin until he found a clock, he had only been staying in it a few days, and saw that it was 6:55. If he didn't get to the mess hall in five minutes, he wouldn't get breakfast. So he ran out the door, putting on his dark navy jacket while he ran. He was in such a hurry that he almost didn't notice the piece of paper wedged in the door. It fell out as he opened the door, and the movement of the white piece of paper against the darker color of his cabin caught his eye. What the hell? Was his only thought. He didn't think about who it could be from, because there were just too many possibilities. It could be a threat from one of the Ares kids, a challenge at the arena, a friendly reminder from Percy or one of his other… acquaintances. Curious, he picked it up.

Nico,

Meet me in the woods, by the ocean. Tonight, after Lights Out.

At the end of the note there was a small doodle of a flower. Colored in black with the pencil. A dark flower… Melantha. Melantha literally translates to 'dark flower' from Greek. He stared at the note for a little while longer, still confused. Why would Melantha want to see him, why would she want to contact him in anyway other than to yell at him, or tell him to leave her alone. Which is what he was trying to do. But she was making it hard for him. Still a little stunned, he continued to sprint to the mess hall.

He arrived just a little too late. Everyone, and all the food, was gone. The pavilion looked empty and depressing. And Nico almost lay down on the grass like a weirdo because he was so tired and hungry. But then he saw Percy, just standing, holding a plate with a sandwich on it, and a glass of milk.

"Percy… thank you." Nico said and took the food. Percy grinned.

"You're welcome." Nico stuffed the sandwich into his mouth. Not taking the time to taste it, just enough time to not choke on it. And washed the sandwich down quickly with the milk.

"Now get to work." Percy said and walked off. Nico stood there a minute, thinking about what he was supposed to do. Then remembered that he had made his own schedule, because he was the only kid in the Hades cabin, and that he tailor fit his schedule to fit the fact that Nico doesn't like to wake up until noon. Canoeing. Nobody likes to go canoeing in the morning. And Nico took advantage of that.

He laid down in the canoe and used the oar to push himself away from the shore. He was going to take a nap, and if he did float too far away he just shadow travel back. But for now all he wanted was a place to take a nap, a place where no one would bother him.

Nico woke up in the lake, being assaulted by violent waves.

"PERCY! PERCY, I WILL KICK YOUR ASS! IF YOU DON'T STOP THESE WAVES NOW!" Nico screamed over the waves, but they only got harder. "PLEASE!"

The waves seemed to slow, and then the lake was peaceful again. Percy was sitting calmly on Nico's overturned canoe.

"What did I say? Get to work. That means training so you don't get eaten by monsters later in life!"

"I've been doing just fine for years! What's it to you anyway?" Nico screamed. "Why can't people just leave me alone?"

"Nico…" Said Percy slowly. "I want to protect you like I couldn't protect your sister! You're making that extremely hard for me! If you don't try to keep yourself safe, how can I?"

"I don't need YOUR help!" Nico screamed at him again, and started to swim back to shore. But the sun was high in the sky. And as much as Nico loves the sun, it makes him weak.

Percy followed, sitting on the canoe. Not using the oars, but pushing himself along with the current. Which Nico felt trying to tug him along too.

"I SAID, I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP." And he started to swim faster, but only for a second. He was getting more tires, and his clothes were soaked and dragging him down.

"Nico." Nico ignored him and pushed himself a little more, the shore didn't look that far away.

"Nico." He ignored him again, and kept swimming. But as he was swimming the water seemed to be rising. First his chin sunk under, then the water started to lap at his mouth, then his nose.

"Nico! YOU IDIOT!" Percy slipped into the water like a fish, turned the canoe right side up, grabbed Nico, and dragged him into the canoe.

"Idiot…" He kept murmuring as he swam behind the canoe, and pushed it to shore.

"I am NOT an idiot!" Nico yelled from the canoe.

"Do you want take another dip. You almost drowned! You ARE an idiot!" Nico was quiet then, he didn't want to go back into the water. Percy dumped him onto the shore.

"DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY SISTER!" Nico yelled and punched Percy in the stomach. He doubled over and gasped, but stood right back up and punched Nico in the face. Right below the eye.

"Ow, ow, ow." Nico yelped and held his eye.

"Just because I'm indestructible, doesn't mean I don't feel pain!" Percy yelled at him and walked away. Murmuring some more. "Not even a thank you… in the stomach… Bianca… siblings… damn it."

After a while Nico sat up and looked at his palm, which had blood on it. Percy punched him so hard he broke the skin under Nico's eye.

"Ah." He said to himself, and walked to the big house to see if he could get any ambrosia… or ice.