The Shadow of a Hero

Chapter 16

A/N: Hopefully you've forgiven me for killing Will. If not, sorry, but he's not coming back.

Back to Nico:

No, Will, you self sacrificing idiot. You were supposed to be different than everyone else. Why did you leave me? Why doesn't anyone stay? A wave of anguish and grief threatens to over whelm my control on my powers.

A group of enemies gain the confidence to try and attack for the first time since Wanda's power surge. They're quickly annihilated as my grip on my emotions slips and summons an army of skeletons, turns the shadows into living weapons, and creates general mayhem. Destroying everything may be my only skill, but at least it's turning out to be useful for once. Stop! I chastise myself. I can't keep doing this. I need to focus. I clamp down all the emotions that are consuming my mind and shove them down into the dark as far as I can. They're just distractions that I can't afford to care about anyways.

The storm of darkness fueled by my out of control feelings dies down. The ground is covered in dust and scattered metal armor. Miraculously I didn't do anything to set off the kill switch. At least this time I didn't mess and get someone injured or sent to my father.

"Nico!" Someone shouts to get my attention. In a second, my sword is at their throat. "Whoa, calm down." Clint raises his hands in peace. I release a breath of air and lower my weapon. I didn't realize how tired I am until my nerves fade. I borrow energy from the ghosts still hanging around to remain standing.

"What do you want," I ask softly even though I already can guess the answer, but I want to prolong the inevitable for as long as I can.

"Well," he starts uncertain, "Pietro,"

"Did Wanda make it?" I cut him off. I felt Pietro's soul return around the same time that Will's soul left. I want to make sure Wanda saw her brother was still safe.

"Yeah, yeah, but look Nico, Will, well he,"

"I know," I interrupt him again. Clint looks at me weirdly then suddenly the fight that's keeping him standing goes out. He walks past me and sits on the stone steps that encircles the machine.

"Of course you do. You're the Ghost King after all. That's the reason for your code name, right?" His question catches me off guard. Weren't we just discussing Will?

"I don't know what you're talking about," I deflect the accusation. We both know that it's a lie, but I still want to maintain some secrecy from SHIELD. Besides, he's technically wrong, my title has little to do with my ability to monitor souls. "It's just a stupid nickname I earned as a kid and it stuck."

"I saw the zombies," Clint confirms my assumptions. I move to sit down next to him. It's strange to revive a break after the hours of constant fighting.

"It's a long story," I relent. Clint doesn't try to push any further. For once an Avenger isn't questioning my every word. It's creepy and unnatural.

"Are you okay?" Well that was nice while it lasted. "I know losing someone in any circumstances is hard, but we have to keep fighting or else a lot more people will die."  He doesn't have to tell me this. I already learned this lesson in the Titan War and then again in the Giant War.

"It doesn't matter how I feel, it's irrelevant." I turn away, trying to make my face expressionless.

"You just lost someone close to you, of course it matters. He mattered," Clint corrects me. Why is he so insistent on dragging the feelings I just caged out again?

"Feelings don't have a place in a war; they'll only slow me down," I say more to remind myself than to convince Clint. His eyes widen in surprise or, considering my luck, disgust