New York (Nico and the Avengers)

50. Rescue

Nico's POV

This feels crazy.  Hiding here next to Wanda and Pietro while we prepare to break out the guy they kidnapped.  Helping out the mortal I ran away from several times, and actually went to the other side of the globe to get away from.  Watching an army of monsters with two random mortals who have superpowers, and not having to make excuses or pray the mist works in my favor.  "You remember the plan, right?" Pietro asks and I nod.  I know he's just trying to keep us calm but I know the plan, it isn't that complicated after all.  We just wait until dark and then Wanda creates an illusion before Pietro runs me over to Tony.  I grab him and shadow travel us back to Wanda, and then we run as fast as we can.  With any luck no one will notice we're gone until Tony's back at the tower, and I'm working on bringing her back again.

"Pietro relax, everything's going to be fine," Wanda says with a smile.

"I know, I'm just worried someone will notice and you'll get hurt.  I'll be far enough away that it's going to take some time to get back to you, and by that point you could be dead."

"No one knows what we're doing and even if someone found out they wouldn't know where I was, and we'd notice if they were searching for me."

"Besides, if they do find out what's going on they'll ignore you two in favor of me, which would hopefully let you get Tony out while I dealt with them."

"I don't approve of sending a child off to fight an army to rescue a grown man who knows how to fight."

"His fighting abilities are arguable when he doesn't have to suit," I point out, although maybe I shouldn't've considering they're trying to kidnap him.

"Look, they're settling in for the night," Pietro says and Wanda cranes her neck around one of the boulders to see.

"Okay, let's go in like fifteen minutes," she says.  This could be a problem, after all demigods have never been particularly good at staying still and quiet.  I mean we can do it if it's really necessary, sometimes, but it's not really our thing, we prefer to just charge headfirst most of the time.

By the time they think it's safe to move I'm really bored.  But everything;s pretty quiet so I just hop into Pietro's arms and nod to show I'm ready.  There's a rush of air and we're by the cage.  Wanda's hiding us, so I start climbing out.  Once I reach the cage I slip my hands in and cover Tony's mouth before poking him.  He sits up, thrashing and I hiss, "shh."

"Nico?" He asks once I think it's safe to remove my hand.

"Yeah, I'm here to get you out."

"Good, I'm no bird to be caged."

"Yeah, that's Clint's job." I say and signal Pietro that he should stop watching us and only look out for others coming over.

"What's he doing here?" Tony asks, shocked.

"They didn't understand what was really happening, and decided to help me get you out instead."

"And you trust them?"

"Not really, but at the moment I need them and they do seem to be telling the truth.  There's no one else here and I do understand their reasoning, mostly.  I think they're also bad barginers."

"Nico, what did you do?"

"Don't worry about it, everyone should be safe."

"That doesn't reassure me very much."

"Relax, we've figured a way to get you out, but I need you to not freak out."

"Okay, what do I need to do?"