Hello everyone! This is the first of several follow-ups to "A Cold Day in Erebus", which saw Nico entrusted by SHIELD and Doctor Strange with forming a team of supernatural heroes centered around him, in order to take on threats of a magical nature the Avengers might not be able to deal with. I highly recommend reading that fic first, and I'd also suggest giving the rest of the series (found on my profile, or more formally, over on my AO3 profile) a look, as it all takes place in the same universe.
EDIT: It has come to my attention that, apparently, in the year 2021, I should've put up a "warning" regarding the fact that Danny Fenton is a trans man in this story and universe. Honestly, I didn't expect that to be a problem, and I'm disappointed to find that it was for some. So, if that fact particularly bothers you, I'd advise you not to read further. Neither of us need the headache!
With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!
"I just want you to know, I think this is a terrible idea." –Nico grouses, closing the dossier he's been studying for the past fifteen minutes.
"I believe you've mentioned it, once or twice." –Strange rolls his eyes, almost fond but not quite there. "Perhaps closer to twenty."
"You do realize you're trying to build most of this team from what most would charitably consider child soldiers, right?" –Nico narrows his eyes. "There have to be older candidates out there. What, did your magical high school reunion go that badly?"
Strange snorts, but he does it in this infuriatingly dignified way. "The makeup of this team is entirely up to you, Nico. Though I'll admit, most of the choices we've presented you with are quite young." –he says, his visage darkening. "Most of the old guard is long gone, I'm afraid, lost to some conflict or another along the centuries. " –he says, cryptically. "The unfortunate truth is that many of the heroes of this age were forced to take up arms at a young age. You would know; there were precious few demigods of renown between the end of the Trojan War and your own birth, Nico."
Nico takes a moment to think about it. He knows there's always been demigods, both Greek and Roman – the Romans being significantly more successful at keeping themselves alive – but it's also true that quests on the scale of the any he's been a part in were practically unheard of since the times of Theseus, Heracles, and Bellerophon.
Strange nods along, like he has some inkling of what he's thinking. "The work of the Sorcerer Supreme is never done, of course, but evil typically comes in waves. My predecessor was powerful, and her work alone staved off the worst of our threats...but she became isolated, and let many of the bridges her predecessors had built crumble entirely. It's my job to build those bridges back, and gaining young allies in the various supernatural communities will be an important asset going forward."
"'Allies' is a pretty strong term for us. I'm only doing this because my Lord Father requested I help you." –Nico crosses his arms. "And you try saying 'no' to the ruler of the Underworld."
"Co-workers, then." –Strange shrugs. "The point is, things like the Chitauri invasion and the Titan insurrection you faced aren't isolated incidents, and neither is the fact that they happened in such close succession. We are vulnerable, and the powers that be will undoubtedly see their chance and take it."
Nico thinks it's something of a vicious circle, though – as a demigod, he knows monsters see powerful champions not as a deterrent, but as a challenge. The stronger their alliance grows, the more their foes will seek to prove themselves against them. He'd like to get on with his assignment, though, so he chooses not to argue further. "Fine, let's go." –he says.
"Oh, I'm not joining you." –Strange says, like it's a silly notion. "I'm far too busy."
The demigod raises an eyebrow. "You do know it's bad luck for a demigod to quest solo, right?"
"Please, Nico. This is hardly a quest. It's supernatural HR work." –Strange smirks. "Now, chop-chop. You have a ghost to track down."
The sorcerer makes a circle with his hand and a portal appears under him, which he unceremoniously falls through. In an instant, he's no longer in Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum, but spit sideways onto the side of a highway, beneath a large city sign welcoming him to his destination. He curses as he adjusts to the new locale – it would've been so much easier to shadow travel here, but probably not quite as funny for the wizard.
The sign above him depicts a stylized version of Amity Park's skyline, as well as a cartoon version of his quarry. "'Home of Danny Phantom', huh?" –he reads. "So, where has he been the past six years?"
Amity Park is a moderately large Minnesotan city close to the Great Lakes, as well as the Canadian border. It really does seem like a nice place to live, but the idyllic cityscape belies a rather macabre secret; the city is reportedly a hotspot for supernatural activity, particularly so-called 'ghost' attacks.
Nico can't help but scoff at the notion; ghosts can't attack, of course. Only the most stubborn of souls can evade Thanatos' scythe and manifest upon the mortal world without the aid of a necromancer, and even then, they can't ever interact with it. He should know; even beyond being, y'know, the Prince of the Underworld, he used to summon Bianca before she chose rebirth, and try as he might, he could never touch her, let alone bring her back to some semblance of life. Ghosts, quite simply, can't come back the way they allegedly do in this town – as powerful semi-corporeal beings capable of causing large amounts of property damage.
Something else must be afoot. But that isn't his mission here; he's only supposed to track down the city's hero, the self-described ghost hunter known as Danny Phantom. The problem is, no one's seen him in half a dozen years.
According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surprisingly sparse files on him, Danny had a two year period of intense vigilante activity in the city, starting in 2004, before disappearing from the public eye. He was initially vilified by Amity's inhabitants – see the aforementioned copious amounts of collateral damage, as well as several instances of seemingly out of character behavior, such as holding the mayor hostage for no real reason – but eventually beloved by the populace for proving his heroic intentions in saving the city from a major 'ghost' invasion. Danny continued to save the city from increasingly grave threats – which never made national or even state news, likely owing to the Mist – until a final confrontation with his nemesis, a vampire-like specter known as Plasmius, after which they both disappeared, never to be seen again.
The official story is that Danny made the ultimate sacrifice in order to stop Plasmius' evil plans, whatever they were – which seems just a tad illogical, if they're both supposed to be, y'know, undead – and they both perished in the aftermath. The city honored their fallen hero by placing a statue made of polished steel and blackened titanium – a monochrome color scheme meant to reflect his black and white jumpsuit – in front of City Hall.
They also commissioned a museum themed around him and his ghostly enemies, because even though the actual truth of the supernatural events in the city is seen as an absolute hoax by the larger American public, the rumors of it definitely drive the city's economy through tourism. Hooray for capitalism.
Nico makes his way into the city. His sword and cuirass earn him a few odd looks – perhaps the mortals here can see him a little more clearly, if they really do regularly face the supernatural. No one really bothers him, though, likely on account of his chthonic aura – most people instinctively know better than to trifle with a son of Hades. Regardless, he zips his aviator jacket closed.
He finds a tourist kiosk quickly enough. The bored teen managing it avoids his gaze, which suits him just fine – he just needs to look at the map and get his bearings. Nico figures his best course of action is to wait for a ghost attack; Phantom himself won't come, of course, but one of the other ghost hunters that have followed in his footsteps certainly will, and that's the best lead he's got. According to the map, most of the ghost attacks occur downtown, so he figures out a bus route and boards the first one that comes along, a few minutes later.
The bus instantly makes Nico shake his head– its sides are emblazoned with the same kind of cartoon design of Phantom, this time posed flying forward. He can only imagine this is but a taste of Amity's infatuation with their lost hero.
Nico feels a momentary stab of jealousy. Not for himself, but for his friends; for all that his fellow demigods have suffered and sacrificed, without a hint of recognition from the public. He hopes it'll change, once the Mist fades away completely and the mortal and magical worlds fully merge, so to speak – that Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and all of the other heroes who saved the world from Titans and Giants in secret will be just as beloved as Supergirl, Iron Man, and evidently, Danny Phantom.
"It's a little much, huh?" –someone says, standing beside his chosen seat. Nico looks up, rather annoyed, finding a young woman in baggy clothes and a flat-rimmed baseball cap knowingly staring down at him. If Nico had to guess, he'd say she's about twenty.
"I just got here." –he shrugs. "But I imagine most of the city is covered in merchandise, yeah."
She sits beside him, not bothering to ask for permission. He wouldn't have given it, so he figures that's fair. "Phantom was great, don't get me wrong. But Amity Park spends all of its time celebrating someone who's gone, while treating their current heroes like crap." –she grumbles.
"Right." –Nico narrows his eyes. "You're very...passionate about this."
She gives him a half shrug. "I know a thing or two about being ignored." –she says. "I used to be homeless."
His shoulders get just a little bit less stiff. He knows the feeling. "I'm sorry to hear it. I can relate; I, uh...I guess I was homeless for a long time, too."
"Life as a millennial, huh?" –she says, with a lopsided smirk. "What's your name, skull kid?" –she asks, nodding at the ring he's been unconsciously twirling for a little while.
"Nico di Angelo."
"Ooo, fancy name." –she notes. "Sounds...Latin."
"Italian, actually."
His impromptu companion tilts her head. "Aren't they the same?"
He snorts. He knows from personal experience as Ambassador to Camp Jupiter that they aren't. "You'd think so, but no, not really. Italian is more like the other Romance languages than Latin itself."
"Huh. Learned the new thing for the day, I guess." –she says. "Well, I'm Danielle. You can call me Ellie."
"Charmed." –he says, just a little bit sarcastic. "Were you just looking to make a new friend, or...?"
Ellie snorts. "Not in so many words. Just got a vibe from you, I guess. And I've got nothing better to do, so I figured I'd try and figure out what your deal was."
Nico gets the impression that she's not exactly talking about him being from out of town. "And? What is my deal, Ellie?"
The girl narrows her eyes. Nico could swear her blue irises glow neon green for a moment. She doesn't get to answer, though, because the sky outside suddenly changes colors.
The son of Hades turns, frowning as his spine tingles with an odd sense of wrongness. It's no wonder; what was a perfectly nice, overcast morning has turned into something almost biblical. The sky is a vivid shade of purple, and the sunlight filtering through the clouds has taken on an eerie green tint. The bus pulls up to the curb, several stops before its destination.
Ellie curses beside him. Nico turns, just in time to see a strange, frigid vapor leaving her mouth. "What's going on?" –Nico asks, though he thinks he has a pretty good idea.
"Ghost attack." –she says, her tone clipped. People start filing out of the bus – they don't look panicked, necessarily, but they also don't seem entirely confident. "Come on, let's get you to safety."
"That's not really necessary." –he drawls. "I can take care of myself."
She scoffs. "What, your LARPing gear?" –she asks, sarcastic. He raises an eyebrow, to which she responds by rolling her eyes. "It's not exactly inconspicuous, man."
"It usually doesn't need to be. Regular mortals can't see this armor and sword for what they are. They might see another jacket, or a strange, printed t-shirt." –he reasons. "Which means you've either got the gift of Clear Sight...or you're supernatural yourself, in some way."
Ellie looks a little panicked. Her worry turns to surprise as someone crashes through the bus's windshield, showering them both in fragments of glass, plastic, and metal. The newcomer is definitely supernatural – they're clad in some kind of high tech full body armor, black with a crimson sheen and circuitry to it. Their visor is transparent, which lets him see the dazed young woman inside. She groans, rising to her feet, and scowls at Ellie. "I could use the help, you know." –she says.
The girl groans. "Haven't you guys ever heard of a secret identity?" –she shakes her head. "Who is it this time?"
"Technus." –the armored one grumbles.
Ellie winces. "Tucker's upgrade didn't work?" –she asks.
"It worked, alright. For about thirty seconds." –she sighs. "Bastard made my armor. No firewall's keeping him from messing with it forever."
"Yeah, I got'cha. I'll take over. Watch this guy for me, will you? I think he's got some kind of death wish." –she says, then clenches her fist. "Goin' ghost!"
Nico stares, then, somewhat dumbfounded, as a ring of blinding light forms around Ellie's waist. It splits in twain, one half travelling upward, the other passing over her hips and legs. Her clothes are instantly replaced with a two part jumpsuit exposing her midriff; the suit is silver and black in color, with a stylized logo on her chest – one he keenly recognizes as standing for Danny Phantom's initials. Her hair turns snow white, her eyes glow an otherworldly green, and the strange rings disappear, but a white, supernatural aura clings to her form like a film, lighting up the inside of the wrecked bus.
Ellie winks at Nico, then her whole body becomes translucent, taking on a cyan tint. She effortlessly floats upward, and phases through the ceiling, leaving them behind.
"Bet you don't see that every day, huh?" –the other girl teases.
The demigod shakes his head. "Surprisingly? No...no, I don't."
As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a buck to spare.
Until next time!