A/N: Putting a slash between the A and the N for Author's Note confuses me... Anyways, if you've noticed, the first chapter is prooooobably based on Elfen Lied. Just the first chapter! Haven't really finished that anime yet. So, if you've watched Elfen Lied, you'd know how the helmet lock thingy looks.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the idea of the plot. Eheh *holds up hands in surrender*

Psychokinetic Disaster

II

"Well, Nico, you can stay here until we figure you out and help you back on your feet" Percy places his hand on Nico's bare shoulder and rubs it comfortingly. The escapee has no choice but to nod his head. At least they were kind enough to give him a place stay. After that, he'll need to find a place to crash. His suspicion makes him unable to trust others easily. But for now, this will do.

It's nighttime by the time Nico looks out of the window after the girl –Annabeth, he reminds himself. They have names after all– gave him a full plate of goods. They provided a spare toothbrush for him as well. These people are too kind Nico thought. Not that it's bad but nothing good ever comes his way. Getting help immediately after escaping the lab seems at least a bit suspicious. But the sincerity in their eyes tells him otherwise. He sighed and turned to his side. He felt bad for occupying the boy's bed. Percy had to use the couch. They argued over this matter already after eating but Percy insisted he takes the bed.

Percy Jackson. What can he say about him? It's been long he's seen another boy. He doesn't mean to sound queer or alien but, heck, it's been long he's seen teenagers like him. Though, Nico looks younger for a few years. Percy is a kind kid. Well, that came out weirder than he thought. He looks so… free. He certainly looks like one of those people who love swimming in the beach. I don't know. Maybe it's the tan Nico smiled at the thought. The boy hasn't seen the sun for ages. He couldn't wait to wake up and explore outside. He sounds like he's been locked up in a shed since birth. Despite the irony, Nico's small smile remained.

The sound of a door opening made him look up. "Hey, still up?" Percy leaned on the doorframe. "I wouldn't have been if you hadn't opened the door" he countered. The brunette smiled and came in, closing the door behind him. "Couldn't sleep either" he said. Nico heard him but only stared at the bed sheets. He looked up and found the brunette staring. Was he supposed to answer? Instead, he settled for an appropriate response. "Oh"

Percy chuckled softly and sat down on the bed. Nico scooted to give him space. The brunette leaned on the headboard and heaved a sigh. "Tell me about you, di Angelo" he said after a few seconds of silence. The raven haired boy looked up at him and blinked. What else did he remember about himself? He had a…. sibling. A sister! His head pricked a sudden ache before it vanished. The boy grimaced. Apparently his brain doesn't like reminiscing. "I guess… I have a sister" he mumbled, not entirely sure. Or had, an afterthought came. He frowned again. "A sister? We could contact her to let her know where you are. Man, she probably knew what you were doing out. Maybe got drunk after a party or something" Percy bolted upright.

"I'm not so entirely sure about that" Nico whispered, almost as if afraid to hear his own voice. "Why so?" the other teen looked down at him. The younger boy opened his mouth to say something but when he looked into concerned green eyes, his words vanished. The way the moonlight shone down on the side of his face made him look heavenly. His tousled hair made him all cuter, from Nico's words. Not that he was cute beforehand Nico thought thoroughly. "Uh- umm.." he stuttered. He mentally smacked himself on the head and composed himself. "I don't remember anything than having a sister. I don't even know where I live" the raven haired boy confessed. Percy frowned and patted him on the head. "There, there" he cooed. Nico pushed the hand away and glared at him.

The older teen held his hands up. "Just trying to comfort you" he meant to sound hurt but the smile broke it. Nico rolled his eyes and moved lower in the blanket. Seeing as the boy won't longer talk, Percy figured it was his turn. "I'm fond of the water. I like swimming in the beach on some days if it isn't too cold" he said. The boy looked up again. "Like you, I have a sibling. His name is Tyson and he's practically a kid. I don't see him often but I remember hanging out with him a few summers back" he smiled at the thought. He made small circles on the blanket and sighed. It was nice remembering the past but not everything was good. Percy had breakups here and there but for some reason never let him down.

"I bet you had a nice life" Nico blurted out. Percy didn't mind. "Not so much. I had problems too but I didn't let it bother me too much. How about you?" he asked. If he was being honest with himself, Nico couldn't recall anything else but being locked up. He guessed this wasn't the time to tell them. Maybe tomorrow. But it isn't bad to relieve some of the stress off his back, is it? "No. I had it bad. Real bad. Practically locked me up for "good measure", they'd say" he glowered. Well, so much for relieving stress. Percy's eyes widened in shock. It was the logical reaction he'd get if someone were to hear about someone being locked up. "That's horrible! Why would someone lock you up? And how did you get to the shoreline?" he asked. Nico frowned and shook his head. "I'll tell you in the morning" with that said, he turned around and snuggled deep into the pillows. Percy took the hint and left after saying a soft goodnight.

Morning came by and the sunlight brightened the room. Nico groaned as he sat up. He yawned and finally stood up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. For a second, he panicked from waking up in another confined place. But when last night flashed before his eyes, he sighed and opened the door. He smelled bacon and eggs somewhere along the hallway. He followed and found himself in the kitchen with Annabeth cooking. She turned and saw the boy in sleeping clothes. "Good morning Nico" she gestured to one of the seats. Nico nodded his head in a silent greeting and sat down on the said place.

A minute later, a plate with bacon, eggs, and bread greeted him on the table. "Weird shirt" the girl snickered. The boy looked down and shrugged. He sighed in annoyance as he fixed his shirt to let it glide over his shoulders. There's really no other way for him to fix it unless he wants the whole thing falling down. He saw the pair of pajamas she was wearing. It was yellow with bunnies. "Weird pajamas" he mocked. The girl rolled her eyes and smiled.

Annabeth set her own plate on the other side and dug in. Nico did the same. He moaned in the back of his throat and shoved more food in his mouth. "How can someone be this good in making bacon and eggs? I swear" his voice was muffled by the food. It was unsanitary of him, he knew, but couldn't resist asking. The blonde girl laughed. "Well, thank you for acknowledging my cooking. Seaweed Brain just shoves all the food in his mouth" she grinned. Nico looked up at her in confusion. "Percy. I call him Seaweed Brain just 'cause he is" she shrugged and continued eating.

"Hmmm. Maybe it's because I haven't eaten for a long time" he said, never taking his eyes off the food but knew that the other was looking at him sympathetically. "But either way, you're good in cooking" he added quickly. He filled him mouth with more food and Annabeth took that as a sign of the conversation ending.

"Good morning to both of you" Percy strolled in and grabbed his own plate of bacon and eggs. Nico and Annabeth nodded back to him, their mouths full of food to talk. He took the seat beside Nico and stared at him. The boy knew and waited for him to look away but it never happened. He swallowed his food and cut the bacon on his plate. "It's impolite to stare" he directed it at Percy. From his peripheral vision, he saw Annabeth crack a smile. "I'll say sorry when you tell me what really happened to you" he stated. The younger boy looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Don't act dumb with me–"

"Yeah, 'cause you already are" Nico scoffed, cutting him off.

"Point is," the taller boy continued, "I'm asking if you get abused at home. Is that why we found you unconscious outside?" he pushed on. The boy could sense a tone of anger and concern laced in his voice. "And if I am?" Nico stared back into green eyes coldly. Annabeth inhaled sharply and raised her head to look at both of us. "Nico, whoever that's abusing you, we won't let you go back to them. They have no right to" she said. The boy felt touched by what she said. "Who said I'm willing to go back to them?" the raven haired boy turned to look at the blonde. This is it, he thought. "They're coming to find me whether I like it or not. In this case, I'm not the only one in danger. You guys as well. I might as well leave" The boy made a move to stand up but the older teen took hold of his arm, making him stay seated.

"What do you mean you're in danger? Who are these people?" Percy frowned. The boy sighed as he tried to calm down. He moved further in his seat and looked at the two teenagers on the table. "Are you sure you want to get tangled up in my mess? I suggest you don't" Nico mumbled. Annabeth and Percy looked at each other before nodding at the boy. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you" he tried to threaten them but they only leaned closer in interest. Nico looked down on his lap. He can't believe what he's about to do. He doubts it's the safest thing he'll do but they did insist. Without further hesitation, he started to tell his story.

"The reason you found me by the shoreline yesterday is because I recently escaped a place they kept me locked in. For what reason, I don't know. As you can see, I don't remember anything and it's because they pried me away from my childhood before I even experienced it. They kept me in that place since I've been young. I remembered a huge fight going on before they took me away from my family. They placed this weird helmet lock on my head to prevent me from seeing but it let me breathe through. They chained me and locked me in a cage so either way, I couldn't really get out with the chains on my arms," the boy took a deep breath after explaining the first part. But he wasn't done yet. The girl and the boy looked offended and horrified by the way those people treated him. At least they didn't experience it, Nico thought.

"They rarely took the helmet off. Instead, they injected the vitamins and whatnot in me. That's why I look thin. On those rare occasions, they take off the helmet to actually give me food which surprises me until now. Never imagined them having the least bit heart in them to feed me" the younger teen laughed bitterly. "I don't remember what else they did but I knew they were injecting different kinds of drug that drains me off my energy. Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it makes me numb, and sometimes, it feels like I've been a subject –more like bait– to a storm, shocking me with a thousand bolts of fucking electricity!" he spat out angrily. "Then one day, the cage they placed me in broke and I was out. The alarms blared and guards were running. Of course, I was weak on my knees but I managed" Nico stopped. Should he tell them about the guards? It's only fair they know the story. If things get messy, he'll leave. "Then I finally figured out why they kept me locked up in the first place" he looked faraway in thought but one of them decided to interrupt.

"Nico, where did they lock you up? Why were there guards?" Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows in concern. Nico glanced at her blankly. "You won't believe me if I told you" he shook his head in disbelief. "We will. Just please tell us" Percy prodded. Nico grimaced and looked at the both of them. They looked on edge with the frowns set deep into their features.

"A laboratory, that's where. The guards were sent to keep me locked in. There's this girl who went and checked up on me. A professor, she said. She introduced me to another man. This one said he was an ally. Then I waited and waited. I figured he was the reason I was out of the cage in the first place. I made my way out of the laboratory scratch-free" his eyes darkened and a mocking smile spread across his face. "But they didn't" he muttered. Annabeth's eyes bulged out. Percy leaned back into his seat and stared at the younger boy. "W-what happened to them? The guards, I mean" the blonde asked. Nico bit his lip and looked away from them. "I knew it. I shouldn't have told you. I'm sorry" he shook his head vigorously.

"No!" Percy exclaimed. The raven haired boy looked up in astonishment. "Tell us. We won't judge you" he said. Nico thought about it for a while. It wasn't their fault they'd call the police after this. He'll just leave afterwards, knowing that no one will accept him. As if reading his thoughts, Percy frowned and grabbed his hand on the table. Nico stared at their hands. "We won't. I promise" he tilted his head to look at darker orbs. The brunette took his hand back after realizing what he did. The escapee exhaled and nodded.

"I killed them"

Annabeth and Percy looked taken aback. "But I didn't mean to! I mean, I wanted them to feel the pain I had but never in that way" he lied half-way through. Of course he didn't mean to. It just came as a natural reaction; a wild animal out of the cage. No one in their right mind would keep them in a cage in the first place. So obviously, Nico felt he had his right to harm them but not like the way they did to him. What they did was more life-scarring than immediate death. He made a mental note to kill them slowly when the guards or scientists and he cross paths again. Didn't expect killing them in the first place but didn't bother him anyways.

"Wait," Annabeth held up a hand. She frowned and looked at the boy across her. "If you couldn't see, then how did you kill them, exactly?" she asked slowly. Percy seemed to consider her thought and looked confused as well. Nico took a deep breath. How was he going to explain this? This is harder than I thought, he said mentally. "Telekinesis, I think" he blurted out. Well, that wasn't so hard he mused. The blonde raised an eyebrow. Percy looked like he had to process this thought. "What do you mean?" she said.

"Like this" the boy stared at the fork on his plate. He ignored the faint throbbing in his head and lifted it up carefully without touching it. The two people in the room gasped as Nico threw it to the side, pinning it to the wall. He looked back to his two companions to see them staring at the wall with the fork in place. "How did you do that?" Percy asked all the while his voice filled with awe. The escapee chuckled and shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know. I just figured this out after escaping the laboratory" he frowned. Even saying "laboratory" makes him feel queasy.

Annabeth stood up from her side in the table and walked to Nico's side. The boy thought she was going to harm him but he didn't expect her throwing her arms around him. He blinked and stared at the ceiling. "What're you doing?" he asked. Annabeth laughed softly and leaned away to smile at him. Nico was surprised to see her eyes watery with unshed tears. "I bet you never had a hug up until now. Whatever terrible things they did to you was unforgivable for someone as young as you" she spoke as if feeling the same way. "Don't get me wrong but they deserved every right to feel the same pain, if not, worse for taking you away at such a young age" she sniffled. Percy placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her away from the boy who looked just as surprised as Percy was.

"Okay, move over, Wise Girl. This guy needs some hugs and he's going to get it" the brunette scooted closer with his chair and practically pulled Nico off his own seat as he gripped onto the younger one tightly. Nico wouldn't admit it to them but he liked the hug Percy gave him better than Annabeth's. Not that he was being rude but the older boy felt warm and his arms secured him like nothing else in the world would harm him. Reluctantly, he wrapped his arms around the other's neck and nuzzled closer. He heard the girl giggle as she went back to her chair. Nico had no choice but to use the older teen as a chair if he won't let go soon 'cause his legs were starting to feel drained. Fuck it, he thought. He sighed and sat down on Percy's lap. The brunette laughed and pulled him in more. At least he didn't push me Nico thought.

"Okay, I'll leave you guys to your cuddling and I'll go do my business in Tumblr" she stood up and walked pass them. "Oh, and Nico?" she turned back and raised a finger. The boy turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "Just so you know Percy swings the other way, if you catch my drift. It's the reason why his relationships never end well" she laughed evilly. "Annie!" he heard the taller teen whine. The blonde turned and ran for her room. Nico doesn't really "catch her drift" or whatever nonsense she just said. He can't keep up with today's slang as of now.

"Forget her, she doesn't know what she's saying" the brunette sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Nico tilted his head to look up at him. "What does she mean by swinging the other way and catching her drift?" he asked innocently. Percy stared at him in surprise and laughing after. "You have got to be the most innocent being in this planet" he grinned. Nico rolled his eyes and stared at the chest at the front of him. "Not really" he glared at the shirt. He smiled creepily for effect as he reminded Percy of the recent murders he made. He felt the body below him shiver and felt triumphant. "You won't harm me though," he said bravely. Nico looked up at the smug grin on the brunette's face. He feigned a look that said 'are you sure?' and stared at him in the eye. "…. Will you?" Percy gulped visibly.

Nico laughed and retracted his arms from around his neck. "No. No, I won't" he grinned. Due to his movement, the shirt slides off one shoulder. Nico stares at it menacingly. "I need to get clothes my own size" he pulled the shirt back up and stood up. He looked down at the other brunette to see him staring. He glared and snapped two fingers in front of his face. "Sorry, what?" he blinked. "Where's Annabeth's room? I need to talk to her" he said. Percy led Nico to the end of the hallway where a door stood with the letters "ANNABETH" written on top.

Nico knocked. "It's open!" she yelled from the inside. Nico went inside and waited for Annabeth to acknowledge his presence. "Yes?" she looked up from her laptop. Nico groaned and sat down beside her. "You're a girl. Do you think you can help me find clothes my own size?" Nico asked. The girl blinked and laughed. "Sure. Money's on me. You'll be my personal Barbie doll" she smiled "or Ken doll" she added. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that! I don't want you using your money on me" Nico looked down ashamed. The girl sat up and placed an arm around his neck. "Nico, look at you. You look uncomfortable in those clothes. I am definitely getting you clothes whether you like it or not. I was planning to either way when I saw you in the kitchen but thanks for reminding me" she smiled.

Nico thanked her and stood up. "Hold on!" he turned around. "Can I talk to you?" she asked. Annabeth patted the seat next to her. Nico sat down on the spot beside her. The girl twiddled with her thumbs and stared at the door anxiously as if something will come busting it down. "You know Malcolm?" she asked a minute later. Her voice was so soft Nico had to strain his ears to hear her. Nico shook his head. He didn't know any Malcolm. Wait... His head throbbed as he tried to recall what Rachel told him the past few years. Somehow, the name Chase seemed familiar. Not Annabeth Chase but... Nico frowned and supported his head with his hand. He could hear Annabeth asking if he was alright but Nico only concentrated on the throbbing in his head.

"... Chase has ..."

"Before ..."

"... but killed..."

Nico gasped. "Nico, are you okay?" Annabeth asked. Nico sat up straighter and nodded. "I'm sorry. What– Who's Malcolm?" he asked. He had a weird feeling about this conversation. "Malcolm is, or was, my older brother," she inhaled deeply "and he was one of Aphrodite's test subjects. Like you" she turned her head towards the younger boy. Nico furrowed his eyebrows. "But–" "Rachel is the person assigned to check up on you. Who do you think assigned her to do that?" she shifted in her seat and turned her body towards Nico. "There are things you don't know about that laboratory. Malcolm, my brother, escaped. But he was found days later and he was..." her voice was caught in her throat. She sighed and bowed her head.

"How do you know these things?" the raven haired boy asked. Nico was surprised Annabeth had an idea to where he's been locked up. "When Malcolm escaped, he went to us and told us his story. Mother went to tell the others. When she left, we were attacked. Malcolm protected me but they were too many. He didn't go down without a fight. He killed dozens of those people, including the person assigned to him. They didn't take me since I had no power like my brother. When mother and the others came, I told them what happened. She was furious" Annabeth took a deep breath to calm down. Nico didn't know what to say. He placed a hand on Annabeth's back and reassured to calm her down.

"Aphrodite's one thing but the others are a whole new level" she glared at her hands. "Others?" Nico panicked. There were others? "Mother told me about them. There isn't just one laboratory" she frowned and looked at Nico grimly. Nico's eyes widened. "There are three"