Avengers meet the Ghost King

Chapter 16

"My father sent me to Tartarus."

Thor was the only Avenger to respond appropriately, with a horrified gasp. The rest of them just sent confused looks to Nico and Thor's reaction.

"Where's Tartarus?" Tony asked, speaking for the confused Avengers.

"It's not so much a place it's more of a thing or in some cases a person." Nico said. Thor sent him a look of confusion at the addition of Tartarus as a person. "Tartarus is the mythological Hell, but it's not bad people who go it's monsters."

"Ok so it's really bad" Clint said, skeptically.

Nico sighed before explaining, "Tartarus is so bad that it is essentially off limits to both gods and demigods. Only three demigods in history have ever entered and survived."

"Three?" Natasha asked.

"Yes, me and my cousin Percy and his girlfriend Annabeth, although they went together and after I had survived. So when my father gave me this mission I wanted to refuse, but back then I was so desperate for his approval that I went anyway, even though I was accepting certain death." Nico said.

"So your own father sent you on a suicide mission?" Bruce questioned.

"Yes"

"Well what happened on your mission you clearly survived?" Tony asked.

"I survived pretty well for the first couple of weeks, but it was getting harder and harder. You have to understand that everything in Tartarus is meant to kill anyone who isn't a monster, so just being there was deadly, not to mention the hoards of monsters roaming around. After about 2 weeks I was too weak to fight all of the monsters and they captured me. I thought they would kill me but they didn't. They did something much worse. I was kept alive by Tartarus himself and tortured for information on the coming war." Nico finish, drifting off into silence. Surprisingly it was Natasha that wrapped Nico in a hug.

"I know what it's like to be used to get information, I'm sorry you do too." She whispered softly in his ear. Nico sent her a grateful smile.

"So that's what you were dreaming, you mission in Tartarus?" Thor asked.

Nico nodded and said, "Anytime I fall asleep I go back there, I have to dream an entire day before I can wake up."

"That's terrible, no wonder you look so tired."Tony said. Nico shrugged and stood, he made his way towards the door. He paused when he reached it and asked, "You guys coming for breakfast or what?" over his shoulder. Tony and Thor jumped up, like little hyperactive puppies and raced each other to the kitchen.

Thor and Tony sped into the kitchen, only to stop short in surprise at the sight of Nico standing in front of the open refrigerator.

"What?"

"How?" They sputtered.

"Shadow travel" Nico said as he took out the milk and eggs. Soon enough the other, less childish Avengers arrived, as well.

"Ohh, what are we have?" Clint asked taking a seat next to Tony on the breakfast bar,

"Croissants" Nico answered as he started to mix the ingredients.

"You know how to cook?" Steve asked.

Nico said, "Yeah back in Italy my mother taught me how to cook. I haven't done it in forever so we'll see how it turns out".

In the end after a very messy flour war between Clint and Tony, the croissants turned out wonderfully. All of the Avengers expressed their satisfaction as sighs of happiness through full mouths. Nico, himself, didn't eat anything he made, only taking occasional sips of his pomegranate juice.

"Nico aren't you going to eat anything?" Bruce asked. The small smile that had taken up temporary residence on Nico's face, dropped. "No, I'm not hungry".

"How can you not be hungry. You haven't eaten anything since you got here?" Tony asked. Nico stared at his pomegranate juice, his cheek just a shade pinker from embarrassment, "I don't really eat anymore"

The table was silent. Most of them had had their suspicions but to have Nico admit to it was an entirely different situation.

"Why not" Natasha asked softly.

"Same reason I don't sleep." Nico said softly.

"How does eating remind you of Tartarus." Bruce questioned, not unkindly. Nico flinched at 'Tartarus'. Bruce asked again, "Why does eating remind you of that place?"

"It doesn't" Nico said, "It reminds me of what happened after."

"What happened after?" Tony asked. It was some time before Nico answered. He raised his head, and the Avengers saw his eyes as he remembered that time of hopelessness.

"It was after I was released from Tartarus. Two twin giants were tasked with holding me. They kept me in a jar. A jar, sealed shut. I only survived by putting myself in a death like state for two weeks." Nico said, his eyes getting darker and darker as he went on.

"That's terrible." Steve said.

"Yeah, I guess after that I never really got my appetite back." Nico said. He stood and walked quickly out of the room.