Fatal Flaw: Empathy (Nico di Angelo)

Chapter Five

I don't own Percy Jackson. Rick Riordan. You know the deal.

Song is still Soldatino by Paula Bennet

It had been weeks since Aletha had used her voice, but she knew somehow she would need to practice. Her mother would hate it if she didn't, and if she was in the Underworld, then Aletha wouldn't want her upset.

So she decided to wait till Percy went for a swim with Annabeth, and took a shower. Where she sang very quietly. But what she wasn't expecting was that as she had finished up her shower to hear an unfamiliar gasp.

The boy in front of her had hair that was matted and dirty a tired expression on his face that was quickly morphing to surprise, and all black clothes. His skin looked like it would've been a healthy color if he'd spend a bit more time in the sunlight, and he had the aura of someone who was used to death and sorrow.

Aletha quickly grabbed a towel from behind her before he could see anything. She was still behind the curtain, so she knew he probably noticed that she was a girl.

"Per-" he started to shout, but Aletha hopped out of the shower and shushed him by putting her hand on his mouth. He rolled his eyes and licked her hand. Aletha scrunched her face up in disgust, but didn't move her hand. When he showed some of his strength and pushed her hand off his mouth, she spoke.

"Who are you? And what do you want with Percy?" Aletha asked.

"Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, I'm a friend of Percy's. Who are you?"

"Aletha. Daughter of Poseidon. What are you doing in our cabin?" She grabbed his arm firmly.

"Look, Shrimp," He said hissing in pain, and grabbing her wrist to get her off. "You're new here. You should know not to mess with me. I accidentally got here shadow travelling back from a battle I just won. Now, just back off."

Aletha looked at him with a very unimpressed look. "Shrimp? Wow. You listen here, ultimo respiro," she said un a pissed off voice. Her Italian caught him off guard as he raised his eyes to meet hers. "I will back off, when I'm in your cabin, comprendre? And a favor to ask. Very important. Don't tell anyone that you know I can speak."

"So, I'm the only one that has had the displeasure of hearing your voice? Why wouldn't I tell them," scoffed the boy. But before he could say any further, Nico gasped again, and grabbed his arm.

Aletha immediately dropped her argument between them, at that. 'He's just gotten back from a battle,' thought Aletha quickly while rushing him over to a bed. 'He's probably injured!'

She laid the groaning boy. He'd gotten infinitely worse in the past three minutes it had taken to move the older boy to the bed. She bent some water with her powers and froze it onto his arm as an ice compressor, and found some scissors to cut off his shirt.

She was about to go get Will, but realized two things. One: the boys would have a field day seeing her in only a towel. Two: Nico's arm could be infected.

"Aish! Oh, I know!" She moves closer to him, and melted the ice before singing the way Annabeth had showed her all that time ago.

"Tu sei il mio soldatino,
La reggione per cui vivo,
Non ti Scordar di mei,
Io vegliero sur di tei,
Tu sei il mio soldatino,
Ora un principe oscuro,
Ma'anche per te ce una Luce,
Ad un altar vita ti conduce."