Family (Percy Jackson/Avengers Crossover)

Rescue Mission (PT 2)

"Alright, just a fair warning. Your face is going to feel like it's being peeled off." Nico gave the others the warning. "It actually doesn't sound as bad as he makes it." Tony pipped up. "You really are something else." Nico mumbled, grabbing Percy's hand. "Alright, everyone link hands." Nico sighed. Once every linked hands, Nico let out a deep breath. "Alright, on the count of three, we run into that shadow." Nico told everyone. Everyone looked at him warily, but nodded. 

"1." 

"2." 

"3!" Nico dragged everyone with him as he ran into the corner. "Oh my god, that was horrible." Clint swayed once they reached the underworld. "I warned you." Nico shrugged. "You said it was going to feel like my face is being peeled off, not that my body was gonna feel like it was being smushed." Clint glared at Nico. "Really? You felt that?" Nico looked at him strangely. "You act like this is the first time you've heard of this." Clint grumbled. "It has." Nico shrugged. "Oh quit being a baby." Natasha said, smacking Clint in the chest.

"So this is the underworld." Thor said in awe. "Okay, that is just creepy." Tony said, pointing at the wall that was made out of skulls and bones. "Father made it to scare people away, and as a warning of sorts." Nico chuckled, knocking on one of the skulls. "Alright, follow me, and do not. I repeat: DO NOT! I will say it once more," Nico glares at Tony, "DO! NOT! Touch. Anything. Unless I say it's okay. Now Tony, I will say it once more: DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING!" "Okay, okay, okay, I get it, don't touch anything. Gotcha." Tony said with his hands in the air. "I mean it, you touch something and your soul could be lost or stuck here in the underworld forever." Nico told him.

"The child of death is right, we must tread with caution." Thor supported Nico. "And remember, you can't believe what you see. Spirits will say and do anything to get our of here." Nico warned. "Now, let's go." Nico led the way to the Charon. "Master Nico," Charon bowed his head slightly, "I am guessing you are here to retrieve your sister back from the depths of Tartarus." "Yes, if you could take us to the banks near it, it would be much appreciated." Nico said. "Of course." Charon replied. 

Everyone climbed into the small boat that barely fitted everyone. "Do not touch anything in the river that we are going to cross, it has a high possibility of erasing your memory of your whole life. And the souls might pull you in." Nico told the others, earning nods from them. "One more thing, don't eat anything that is offered to you down here unless you want to be stuck down here." Nico added. 

"Like Persephone." Natasha said. "The goddess Hades kidnapped?" Clint asked for a confirmation. "Yes." Natasha replied to him. "So she's stuck down here for life?" Clint questioned. "No, only six months because she ate six pomegranate seeds (Okay I read the myth and in some of them its says 3-4 while others say 6, I'm gonna go with six because we only have like four months of winter)." Natasha quickly summed the thing up.

"Oh cool." Tony awed, reaching out for a machine that floated by, only to have his hand slapped by Steve. "Touch it and you may never come back." Nico told Tony. "Maybe we should have left Tony at home." Natasha mumbled. Everyone, but Nico and Charon, writhed around uncomfortably as the souls reached out for them and called out to them for help. "I thought people went to a happy place after death." Steve said. 

"They do, but the ones you see here are being punished for their crimes." Nico answered. The rest of the boat ride was silent. It wasn't long until the boat stopped at a barren bank. Everyone followed Nico when he got off. Nico led the group to the gates of Tartarus, "Here it is." "I'll start the timer when we enter." Tony said, finding around with the arm piece of his armor. "Everyone ready?" Nico looked at everyone for a confirmation. Slowly, everyone nodded their heads.

Nico let out a deep breath before opening the gates. "Remember, stick by me at all times, and do not fall for any trickery." Nico reminded them before he set foot into Tartarus. Nico weaved through boulders and pillars of flame, with the others right behind him. The monsters that littered the underworld backed away from Nico in fear as he glared at them. "Master Nico." A spirit approached him. "Begone from my sight." Nico commanded. A nearby fury swooped down and grabbed the spirit, whisking him away. 

"That was a little harsh." Sam said, watching the fury carry the poor spirit away. "You help one and they flock to you like pigeons. Besides, you don't end up in Tartarus for no reason." Nico bluntly replied as he continued to walk. "What's our time?" Natasha asked. "We've been walking for over five minutes." Tony answered. "We're almost there." Nico said. "Almost where?" A voice cackled.