So I got this fantastic request a couple of weeks ago. It was supposed to be a chapter in my other story, The Parenthood Drabbles, but I think that it deserves to be its own stand-alone story. Anyways, I've been working on this since. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters portrayed below, and the plot was suggested by Pwnie3

Dedication: To Pwnie3 for the request that made me aww.

My Hero

"Nose off the window, Bianca," Maria said tugging on her hand.

"But Mommy, look! It's him!" Bianca said excitedly, pulling her hands away to press them on the shop window. Of course this had the desired effect on Nico. He slipped his hand out of Maria's and hobbled over to join his sister who gave him a boost so that he could see too.

Dressed in red and white and blue, standing so proudly that he may not know that he was wearing tights, Captain America was proudly displayed on the poster. A small, caricatured Hitler was cowering in the corner of the poster and saying something cowardly. The poster was surrounded by brand-name toys: lunchboxes, action figures, comic books, a baseball hat- you name it, it was there with Captain America's face on it.

"He's coming to DC, Mommy!" Bianca squealed as she unscripted the poster.

No, Maria thought. The one time that I need your youth and dyslexia to stop you from reading and you manage it anyways. Oh, come on Bianca.

"Is he?" Maria asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Nico said pointing to the poster although at four years old, he was way too young to read.

"That's nice, tesoro. I think we need to get going now." Maria said. "Daddy will wonder why we're late, no?"

"Mommy, can we go see him?" Bianca asked with shining eyes. Her hand prints were imprinted in the frosted window. Her nose was red in the winter air.

"Oh, I don't know," Maria said. "A lot of people will already be…"

"Please?" Bianca immediately begged, clasping her hands together. Her floppy green hat fell in her eyes, but they still shone brightly.

"Please?" Nico said, always one to mimic his sister.

"I can't make any promises Bianca, you know how everything is now," Maria said shaking her head. "But what about if I talk to your father, yes?"

"Uh-huh," Bianca said shaking her head. She always took this as a good sign- Hades had an immense soft spot for her and she knew it and used it shamelessly.

"Alright tesoro, let's get moving, yes? Okay. Nico, take my hand, darling, we don't want to be late."

"I think it's good that she's looking up to a hero," Maria said. "I really do. I really hope it helps her find her place in the world one day. But honestly… I wouldn't feel good going to one of those shows. Patriotism 101, anti-Axis 101 is all that it is. And that's wonderful; people really do need that, but…"

"You're Italian," Hades said. "And it's bad enough to walk around while people recognise your accent and look away."

Maria raised her hands. "My father lost his military status because Mussolini didn't trust him, my family was practically exiled. Honestly, I don't know how I feel about my country right now but I know how everyone on the street feels."

Hades rubbed her back. "Okay, but don't you think… I don't know. Don't you think that if she doesn't go, Bianca's always going to remember to pay attention to where people are from?"

"That's what I'm afraid of," Maria said biting her lip.

"Here's a compromise. We only let Bianca go. Why don't I stay with Nico, and you take Bianca. Or do you want me to go?" Hades asked.

"Oh, I'll bring her," Maria said, somewhat reluctantly. "It'll make her happy to just have an evening with Mommy and no Nico."

"I knew it," Hades said. He reached into his suit pocket and handed Maria two tickets.

"You are bad," she said kissing his cheek and taking them.

"Wow Mommy, the dancers are so pretty!" Bianca said.

"They are," Maria said squeezing her hand as the dancers formed two lines. Their skirts were short and their arms bare- which was why Maria guessed that the middle-aged men were at the show. However most of the seats in the house were occupied by excited, squirmy children- none much different from her daughter.

The dancers were spread out in a V, with a podium at the V's tip. And sure enough, the curtains parted and to the sound of an enthusiastic crowd and enchanted children, Captain America came out and climbed down the steps. He walked right up to the front of the stage while the crowd went wild. Maria clapped politely, Bianca wildly. A smile split her face and she kept looking at Maria with eyes big as coins.

"It's him!" She squealed.

"I know, tesoro," she smiled.

"He's taller than I thought!" Bianca said it the same way she might say 'there's syrup on my ice cream!'

The dancers danced behind him and formed a line as he circled the stage. As he walked by, each dancer saluted.

At the front of the crowd, he started talking. He was good with the crowd, which was to be expected by this time of the tour, of course. He called out questions to the kids about whether or not anybody had bought war bonds, who was collecting scrap metal with boy scouts, who had a daddy in Europe… The kids were going absolutely wild- the energy was impressive, and Maria hadn't felt it in America for what felt like ages.

He was talking about how brave all of the men were when a uniformed actor started walking suspiciously behind the unaware dancers, poking his head between theirs. He had a comical scowl on his face, trademark of propaganda, and a small square mustache above his lip, trademark of Hitler.

The reaction was instantaneous and it spread through the room like wildfire once enough people ripped their attention away from the hero and noticed. The kids were nuts. Bianca and the boy next to her were up on their feet and pointing desperately at the intruder, trying to get Captain to notice him. He held up a gun and the boy gasped.

"Don't worry, Captain will get him." Bianca told him.

"Oh yeah," he said nodding vigorously.

Maria smiled at the boy's mother. She looked sympathetic.

Hitler broke through the dancers' ranks and aimed the gun at Captain America. Of course the hero was on top of everything, and he turned around and swung a fake punch, knocking Hitler to the ground. The kids clapped even more loudly, Bianca and her new friend were no exception. The dancers were clapping gasping and clutching their hands to their chests, which annoyed Maria to no end. Yes, you're putting up a show- but no need to be a damsel, for God's sake.

Captain America raised his hand in salute and smiled.

"As long as we have heroes, we will never worry about villains," he clamoured. The crowd gobbled it up like hot cakes. Bianca was smiling and Maria's heart squeezed a bit. She hoped with all of her heart that her daughter would remember that.

For the grand finale lines of drummers crossed the stage, hiding Captain. He was gone by the time that they started rounding the stage in a mock military formation. The dancers were doing the can-can again. They paired up with some drummers and danced, acquiring little flags from their pockets, before returning into lines and accenting the hero, who had reappeared on his podium like an angel, holding a motorcycle on which more dancers were sitting proudly over his head. A background of soaring warplanes was projected behind the cast. Prop tanks shot out confetti which startled Bianca so bad that she grabbed on to her friend's arm. He reassured her, which was pretty cute.

The last note of music was held forever before everyone sported jazz hands and the stage went dark.

Bianca and her new friend, apparently his name was Jim, were talking excitedly and they did for a few minutes before Jim's mom got impatient and told him that daddy would be waiting with the car by now.

Maria had another surprise for Bianca, who chatted as she led her through the theater by the hand. Some journalists were clicking photos of the crowd, of the decor, of the celebrities in the crowd. Maria showed some very big men the tickets Hades had given her, and they let them go down some steps.

"Mama, where are we going?" She asked looking concerned. "Daddy and Nico will get worried."

"Oh, no they won't. Look at that poster, tesoro."

Bianca did and took some time to decipher it. Maria knew when she had based on the gasp.

"Mama!" She said. "We're going to meet Captain America too!"

"We sure are," Maria said. Bianca was stunned. She literally couldn't move. Maria had to gently push her back so that they could stumble into the line.

Bianca spent the entire wait -which was rather long- clutching Maria's leg, playing with her hands, stretching or ducking around people to try and glimpse her hero, or sitting on Maria's shoulders.

Maria swung her down from her shoulders and kissed her head. She was twisting her hat in her hands, her black braids exposed.

"Love, did daddy make your braids this morning?"

"Mmm-hmm," Bianca nodded. Maria played with a stray piece of hair.

"It shows," Maria said. "Bless him for trying."

The closer they got, the clingier Bianca became. Maria took her hands and squeezed them, holding them over the little girl's head.

"You're okay, Bianca." Maria said. "This man is brave enough to fight the Nazi. You are brave enough to go talk to him, yes?"

That seemed to relax Bianca. She nodded adamantly.

"Oh yes," she said. "I want to be brave enough to fight the Nazi one day."

"Hopefully the Nazis will be gone by the time you're old enough to fight, tesoro."

"Why in the world would you be hopeful?" Someone asked.

Maria turned around to face a grumpy white man in a nice suit.

"Excuse me, sir?" Maria asked.

"You're Italian, lady." He said. Maria arched an eyebrow at the rudeness he spoke to her with and at the accusation. "We all know you're backing up the bad guys. Don't know why you're not in one of those internment camps yet."

"Excuse you," Maria said turning Bianca away. "My daughter is standing right here. She is an American man's child. Do you mind showing some decency at least to her?"

"She may as well know young."

"You, my friend, are acting very snotty for a man wearing an Italian cut suit."

"Next," the guy managing the queue said. Maria turned around. She wasn't going to hear one more word of this, nor would she add another. There was enough stupidity in the earth's atmosphere as it was.

"Mommy?" Bianca asked questioningly.

"It's okay," Maria said. "Never mind Bianca."

They were next. Bianca caught her breath when the man managing the queue said so, and she wandered towards Captain America who knelt to be at her height.

"Hey you," he said.

"Hello," Bianca said with a smile splitting her face. Maria had to smile too. "You had a really good show."

"Thank you kiddo. Did you like it?"

"A lot," Bianca said. "I liked how you punched Hitler. I wish I could punch Hitler. Can you sign my hat?"

"Sure," Captain America agreed as she handed it to him, and he took a pen from a small table. "Who do I make it out to?"

"Bianca," she said. "And… can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Captain America replied. That was perhaps why the line moved so slowly. He spent time with every single person. That was also pretty touching. He scribbled a signature on the hat, on the underside so the rain wouldn't smear it, and plopped it down on Bianca's head. She giggled, thanked him, and pulled it away from her face. It had become serious now.

"It's just that my mama's Italian and my uncle's in an in-tern-ment camp," Bianca said saying the word syllable by syllable. "She didn't really want to bring me to this show, and I don't think that the guy behind us wants us to be here, so I want to ask you if you hate Italians like you hate Germans."

Maria's heart stopped. Oh, Bianca... You hear and listen through walls, don't you?

Captain America looked stunned. He looked up at Maria, who bit her lip, before he met her daughter's eyes again.

"Bianca, is your mother a good person?" Captain America said.

"Yes," Bianca said. "She's a fantastic person."

"Well then I like her," Captain America said.

Bianca smiled and nodded, satisfied.

"Are you a good person, Bianca?" He asked. He seemed genuinely curious.

She blushed. "I'm not always nice to my little brother."

Captain laughed. "That's an exception. Who is?"

"Well then… I think I am."

"I think you have the eyes of a hero," Captain nodded. "Keep at it, alright?"

"Alright," Bianca said. She gave Captain America a quick hug.

"And I think that the man in line behind you should start acting like a good person by not insulting a woman and her daughter when they're out for a nice evening," he said pointedly as he got back up.

Maria didn't even bite her lips to hide her smile.

"Thank you, sir." Maria said inclining her head and holding out her hand. He kissed it.

"Thank you for coming, folks." He replied.

As they walked out Bianca was giggling and gushing, spilling a thousand words a minute about 'my hero'.

After what he'd said just then, Maria thought that maybe he was a real hero.

Bianca was clutching her hat.

"I don't want to let it go," she said shaking her head. "I don't, I don't, I don't."

"Child, I have received strict orders from your father to confiscate anything that may remind you of your previous life before bathing you in the Lethe," Alecto said tiredly. "And if you won't hand it over yourself…"

"It's my Captain America hat," Bianca whined.

The fury froze.

"Oh, that hat. We have instructions about your keeping that one."

The Hunters of Artemis came to find Nico.

When he was camping.

In Seoul.

When the hunters of Artemis came to find you in South Korea you knew that there was some kind of storm brewing, and when you were a male you ran. Nico panicked.

"Don't look at me with that tone of voice," Thalia said. "We're here on a friendly mission."

"Diplomatic?" Nico frowned.

"No I said friendly. As in Bianca was our sister, and you are her brother. This goes to you, the next of kin," Thalia said reaching into her leather bag and handing him the one thing left in this world that could give Nico a heart attack. The floppy green hat.

"Oh gods," Nico said running his hand through his hair.

"Thought you might react that way," Thalia said. She patted Nico on the back. "Trust me Nico. It's actually better to have something to remember them by, okay?"

What in the world was shadow traveling good for if it stopped working in emergency situations?

Nico had had this big green guy coming at him, and so of course he'd shadow-traveled out of that giant's way... and right under a pile of rubble, which didn't help much. At least he may have had some chance of getting away from the Friendly Green Giant if he'd stayed on scene. Besides, Big Guy looked pretty anti-invasive-little-space-bots, anyways- so at least they'd been playing for the same team. Cement, however, did not have a team. It only had gravity holding it down to one of your arms and forming a kind of tent around you.

Nico was running out of oxygen, even for a child of Hades. He was starting to panic and his last thought was the hat, the hat.

If Nico di Angelo was going to die in a stupid way after having waltzed into a fight that wasn't even remotely his, he was going to die with the last remaining part of his sister with him. He brought the hat out from his pocket and clutched it to his chest with his good arm. His fingers were clawed, scrunching it up.

That's when the big cement chunks were moved out of the way, off of his body. Sunlight burned his eyes.

"Get up, son," someone said.

"Dad?" Nico coughed.

"No way," the man said. "Someone who's just here to help."

Nico blinked the dust out of his eyes and saw the man. He was as built as camp's senior campers, and dressed in red and blue and white. He wore a mask and a round shield was strapped to his arm.

And Nico knew exactly who he was.

The kid was being very slow, but Steve didn't completely mind at the same time. It gave him time to pause the chaos brought on by Loki's troops and go through his memory to figure out why the kid seemed so familiar.

The eyes, he eventually determined, that's what. They were familiar and clever and wild, and they bore right into you, for better or for worst. He'd seen them before, but he only connected the dots when he saw the hat the kid was clutching. It was the floppy green hat that the little Italian girl had been clutching when he'd last been in DC.

And she'd mentioned having a little brother- a little brother she wasn't nice to...

"You," Steve said stunned. "How are you here? I met your sister…"

"How in the world do you know Bianca?" Bianca's brother said. "And how are you still alive if..?"

Broken glass from a nearby building blew and showered all over them. Steve lunged with his shield to protect Nico from it, but the boy beat him to it. He raised his hand and a barrier of… shadows? Yes, a barrier of shadows was deployed, oddly enough.

What..?

"Looks like you've got some questions to answer to me too," Steve said.

"Now?" Nico asked looking around the city.

"No. Next Wednesday, meet me at the place where I met your sister. Clear?"

"Sure," Nico said.

"Do you know where that even is?" Steve asked.

"Sure I do. You basically made my sister's life when she met you." Nico said. Steve's stomach shrank.

"Kid, where is your sister?"

"She died a few years ago," Nico told him, his face becoming too dark for comfort. "In a fight."

Steve's stomach sank and he grabbed Nico's hand and pulled him up. Then he wrote a number on Nico's arm with a piece of charcoal that had come raining down on New York in the heat of the battle.

"If you're ever stranded kid, you call me okay? I'll help you, and I know others who will too."

"That lady in black running around and the Iron Man?" Nico asked.

"Kid, forget them. I've got a Hulk," Steve said.

Pwnie3:Captain America
in the style of Maria, Nico, and Bianca di Angelo
Bianca begs her mother to let her get her hat signed my Captain America while
he's on tour. He's her hero and he signs her hat and that's why she always
wore it. Nico gets it and then gets trapped under rubble during the Avenger's
battle in New York. Steve finds him and recognizes the hat because of the eyes
of the girl holding it.