What? Did you think I'd forget you? Nah! I've just been uber busy lately. By the way, DO NOT KILL ME! IT IS NOT MY FAULT I'M LATE. It's all Tony's fault. ?
At Avengers Tower, everyone was staring at Nico and Thor.
"So… you're an eighty-something year old trapped in an eight year old's body?" Bruce asked.
"Yes and no. According to my birth certificate, I am, but I never really grew up in the past. I spent a lot of time in a hotel that slowed time mentally. A few months there turned into seven decades. So I still had the mindset of my physical age. But now I'm an eight year old with the mindset of a fourteen about to be fifteen year old." Nico explained.
"So, you knew about Cap." Clint said.
"Ehh, Bianca, my sister, glorified Captain America. I, ah, thought it was a little ridiculous having someone who supposedly could bring down an entire army, yet he was turned into a performing monkey." Nico admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Wow, Cap, you just got bashed by an eight year old." Tony cackled, slapping him on the shoulder.
"Sorry, it's the eight year old portion. I have to be honest with a lot of things." Nico apologized.
Steve wasn't angry though. In fact, he found it hilarious that an eight year old just told him his own mindset on those dark days.
"I totally agree with you though. I went through with the experiment to help in the war, and I was turned into, like you said, a performing monkey." Steve chuckled.
"Why were you turned into an eight year old though?" Bruce asked the big question.
"I got trapped in Greek hell and went insane. I lashed out and nearly became the next Adolf Hitler. Yeah, we didn't want another world war to commence, because that's what happens to most children of Hades, so my dad knocked me out and the council had to decide what to do with me. Father didn't want me to die, so the council came up with the 'next best thing'.
"You see, the insanity gene in all children of Hades in our brains that start to take over when we near the age of ten. Before that, most Hades kids are like your average child.
"Dad explained that little fact and the council decided it would be best if I were to revert to an age in which I was basically still innocent. But they didn't want me to grow up and face the risk of World War III. So, they made me an immortal and the permanent title of Ghost King. And there you have it." Nico explained.
"That sucks." Clint stated.
"Yeah, I don't like to think about what happened all too much. It's brings back some nasty PTSD problems. And it's horrible when you wake up screaming your head off. Not to mention how sore your throat becomes." Nico said casually.
"You have PTSD?!" Tony demanded.
"Well, one usually gets that from all the mental and physical scars I have. I got sucked into Tartarus for a reason. We were in the middle of a war, my second war that I fought in." Nico stated.
"How many wars have you been in?" Steve sighed.
"Um… do you mean wars I've fought or wars altogether?" Nico questioned.
"Altogether." everyone answered except Thor, who knew all of Nico's hardships.
"I was born during World War II. My mom was the governor of Italy's daughter, so we had to flee to America to avoid the nazis and my half brother. Then, at the age of twelve and thrown into a completely different and new time, I fought as a general in the Titan War, which took place in Manhattan. And then I helped fight Mother Earth herself in the Giant War. In that war, I got trapped in Tartarus and nearly died." Nico explained, walking towards Tony's bar, making himself a drink, and starting to drink it.
The Avengers, minus Thor, were horrified at Nico's tale. They saw the back of his neck and realized there was dozens of healing welts and scars leading down into his shirt. They finally took notice of his appearance and saw the dozens of burns, scars, and bruises adorning skin that should be unmarred. It sickened them that even before he was turned into a child, Nico had never even reached the age of sixteen. Thor decided to stop his friends before they did something rash.
"Nico is a very powerful warrior. He is most wise and can win any battle he is faced with. He has faced many hardships in his life. It is not unusual that he would have so many scars. But, as you can see, he is not phased by it. Nico has accepted his life as a demigod and taken on the burden it comes with in full stride. He may look broken physically and perhaps mentally, but he does not care. Nico is what you Midgardians would call a child soldier, but in his world and on Asgard, he is a hero of Olympus." Thor said sagely.
"It's not right though. He's just a boy-"
"And yet he has seen and done things very few men can see or do." Thor cut Steve off.
"Is he drinking my scotch?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, I am." Nico replied, waking back to them.
"Nico!" everyone exclaimed.
"What? Legally, I'm eighty-seven or whatever. Besides, my blood doesn't allow me to get drunk easily." Nico said defensively, jumping onto the counter with the grace of a cat.
"Please, don't drink. It's so disturbing." Bruce pleaded.
"Okay. Just be glad I'm not a smoker or anything. That would've probably been one of the worst things to see." Nico chuckled.
"Why do you say that?" Tony asked.
"Because Tobacco isn't strong enough so I'd most likely have marihuana or some other drug(s) with it." Nico replied.
"What have we gotten into?" Tony asked, looking up to the ceiling for answers.
"Hey, I'm not that bad." Nico retorted.
"I do not believe so. Your father told me that you have a tendency to cause mischief wherever you wander." Thor said.
"Blame it on the ADHD. And the dyslexia. And Tony Miller! Yes, it is all Tony's fault." Nico said with a nod.