Avengers meet the Ghost King

Chapter 21

Clint Natasha and Nico were running through the labyrinth at a sprint, only slowing as they threw themselves around corners. Nico was in the lead the shadows of the labyrinth clinged to him whispering directions in the back of his mind. Thankfully they didn't run into anymore monsters and Nico didn't know if that was because he didn't want to and the labyrinth was giving his a monster free pass or if there simply weren't anymore monsters. They found Bruce and Tony close together although both were out cold. Bruce lay curled up on himself a slight green tint to his skin. Natasha was the one to wake him up. While Nico turned to Tony who was laying prone on his back muttering about caves and Pepper. Nico shook Tony awake only for Tony to stare at Nico with a far away look in his eyes before jumping up.

"Well not that the gangs back together lets go find reindeer games" Tony said with a smile plastered over his face.

"The gangs not all here. Where's Thor and Steve?", Bruce asked looking around at the group.

"We haven't found them yet.", Natasha said turning to Nico, "Any idea where they are?" Instead of responding Nico just crouched down and placed his hand against the cavern floor.

"What's he doing" Tony whispered sideways to Bruce.

"No idea" Bruce said before asking, "Natasha?"

"I don't really know but somehow his demigod powers let him navigate the Labyrinth."

"What's the Labyrinth?"

'This is the Labyrinth..." Nico blocked out Natasha's explanation to Clint, Tony and Bruce. Focusing on Thor and Steve. Instead of getting a 3D model of the Labyrinth in different hues of black like what the shadows of the earth had shown him before he simply got black tunnel after black tunnel.

"Styx", Nico said as he came out of his tunnel vision. "I couldn't find them. There must be some magic blocking me", he said in response to the Avengers unasked questions.

"So we have no way of finding them" Bruce asked

"I might be able to track them with my suit", Tony said before the mask of his suit slid down. After having JARVIS run a couple tracing and tracking programs, all with no success, the suit's mask slid open again, "None of my programs are working we're too deep and there's too much interference".

"Great so we're back to square one", Clint said in exasperation.

"I wouldn't say that", Natasha said pointing down the tunnel she was facing. There hovering about 5 feet of the ground in the middle of the tunnel was a window of mist which showed Thor and Steve.

"Thor! Steve!", Clint called out, causing Thor and Steve to face the iris message.

"See friend Steve I told you the Lady Iris would accept our gift", Thor said, "Friend we seem to be lost in some magic tunnel system. Clearly this is one of Loki's tricks".

"Not his", said Nico, "He's just using it. It's the Labyrinth and it's constantly changing. Loki may be using his magic to keep us from uniting."

"Well if we can't get to each other why don't we get him", Bruce asked pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Great idea Friend Bruce. I can track Loki the Asgardian way" Thor said twirling his hammer in anticipation.

"Guess we'll see you there. Be cautious", Steve said before following Thor out of frame.

"Well not that that's taken care of let's go" Nico said turning to swipe his hand through the iris message that now showed only a dark empty tunnel.

The shadow whispers were back. Their soft voices kinder than before, they seemed to be encouraging him pushing him and the following Avengers closer to their goal, closer to Loki. Soon enough they were in the biggest tunnel yet. It was arched and had no tunnels branching off of it, only what seemed to be a glass door at the other end. As he got closer to the door the shadow whispers seemed to fade away, and he slowed his pace straining to hear them. Until he was only about 3 feet away and left in silence. Tony, Bruce, Natasha, and Clint had slowed with him and now stared at the swirling glass door. Each felt a rising sense of something that was not yet fear or hope but could grow into an overwhelming monster of either. Almost as if he were in a trance Nico slowly raised his hand to push open the door.

The glaringly loud footsteps of Thor and Steve sprinting down the tunnel snapped him, as well as the rest of the Avengers back to reality.

"What's got you in a hurry" Tony joked.

"Monsters Tony" Steve said gasping for breath, "Lots and lots of monsters"

"Yes friends we have defeated many hideous beast. Tell us of your quests against the beast of the Labyrinth" Thor said slapping both Tony and Steve a little too hard on the back. Guilty glances between Nico's group

"We didn't run into any monsters", Bruce said slowly.

"Well we did", Nico said quickly before Thor insisted on finding some for them to fight, "But Natasha and I took care of them. It doesn't matter anyways Loki is this way" Everyone seemed to stare at the door, the unwanted and undetermined feeling welling up again.

"Well let's get on it", Steve said before stepping to push open the door. Only the door wasn't a door. It wasn't even solid. As Steve reached for the door his hand went right through it along with him and the rest of the Avengers.