Author's Note: I created this out of inspiration. The characters: Loretta James, Evelyn Walters, Vincent Lincoln, William Tanaka, and Owen Prince belong to me

The atmosphere had gone still, everyone at a loss of words as Nick finally dropped the file onto the counter for anyone who wanted to read it. For a moment there was little to no movement as everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Then there were a scramble of feet rushing to get to the file first, a battle of pushing and shoving ensuing until one of them finally crawled onto the counter and took the file for herself, pressing her nose into it so she could read it all the more better. The group below watched in anticipation, waiting for her to read it to them. She murmured to herself at first as her eyes ran across the pages, taking in each word like a punch to the face. Nick watched impatiently, his arms crossed as he took a seat into one of the chairs available, its legs squeaking annoyingly underneath his weight.

"Well?" Tony asked first, his hands tapping rapidly across the countertop. "What the hell does it say?"

Natasha, who had been the one to crawl to the top of the counter for the file, looked down at him. Her face seemed unreadable, but Steve gave a look of understanding immediately. It was as though he could read her mind by now with how their friendship worked, but it came in useful when she didn't know what to say for the situation at hand. Taking initiative, he said, "So he wasn't lying... The Avenger Program is really happening." He didn't sound so sad about it; perhaps that was because he just couldn't fully understand the concept of what exactly was going on. All eyes then flew to Nick, who didn't shrink under their gaze. Of all people these heroes have faced, and how they would all cower if any of them so much as glanced their way, Nick Fury was quite possibly the only man on the planet who intimidated them.

"Ask away," he said finally.

"What the hell is it?" Tony went first, as always. He moved around the counter so he could approach Nick better.

"A program for the youth. I had actually gone over it with Hill before I worked out all the kinks and came up with this," he explained, "it's meant for young'uns to be trained properly if they have any foreign abilities...if they want to fight...or if they truly want to seek out a future where they can fight alongside you. I figured this could help stressed out parents while simultaneously forming somethin' of a B team."

"B team? You're talking about children here," Steve voiced his concern. "They can't fight."

"Yeah? Tell that to Peter Parker. Know you've all grown quite comfortable with him. I understand you've all been tryin' to keep him in the dark, so he won't...attempt anything, but...he's as much of a fighter as any of you are. 'Sides, you guys ain't gettin' any younger. S'bout time to really think on this and buckle down any ideas you would want to make sure the team stays united against any force."

"What a lovely monologue," Tony stated sarcastically.

"So...we would be training children to fight? Like soldiers?" Thor asked curiously.

"Not like soldiers. More like just...proper preparations. We need to keep those kids in check and make sure they understand the importance of only fighting when necessary. Figured since you're a whole group of dumbasses, you can teach 'em what y'all can't even learn yourselves," Nick said, crossing his arms over his broad chest as he looked over each and every one of them. "They need you."

"To hell they do," Tony snorted, snatching the file from Natasha's hands finally and looking through it himself. "Basically we're gonna be the teachers? Raise your hand to use the restroom. Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am. Please, sir. No, sir. I can't do kids, Fury. I already struggle enough as is with Parker. And he didn't even take my guidance at the beginning. I had to go fish him out of Queens!"

"So you suggest we leave these kids in the dark? Some of them have unnatural abilities that could overthrow any sort of balance we have left in this world after all of the bastards you've faced. If they are not taught...disaster can only follow. I'm asking you...think it over, Stark. Some of them are big Iron Man fans. They would love to hear what you would have to say."

"You say 'they' as though there already is a 'they'," Wanda suddenly observed.

"Eleven kids," Nick stated. "Four of 'em got something extraordinary runnin' through their veins. The other seven just want to learn from the professionals. I've spoken to their parents...most of them are a little weary, but the others are all for it." Another bout of silence. Such a thing to be sprung upon them without any questions asked was such a selfish thing to do, but he knew they needed to know his plans eventually. "I could introduce you to the more difficult cases...if you'd like." No answer. He took that as a yes.

Reaching into his inner pocket of his jacket, he suddenly pulled out a tiny tablet, about the size of a telephone. Switching it to life, he scrolled until he found eleven different videos, all with different captions of information on who was in it. Upon closer inspection, once the heroes drew closer, they could see each video seemed to be of a different kid. The ones Nick just mentioned. The man mumbled to himself as he glanced through them all until he finally decided which one he would show them first. The caption read, 'Loretta James'.

Loretta seemed to be about sixteen or seventeen years old. She was thin with blonde hair that flowed past her shoulders. She seemed to be wearing mismatching clothes since the colors were very much clashing together. Her eyes were looking uneasily at the video camera, but she otherwise seemed pretty normal. The heroes quieted so they could hear what the video was saying.

"State your name," Nick, in the video, instructed.

"Loretta Juliet James," she said, smiling at him. "I'm sixteen years old...um...I live in New York City. I live with my momma...her name's Lily."

"Okay, Loretta...can you tell me why you're here for this program?"

"Yeah, um...I've...I've been keeping something secret, you see. I've known since I was about four years old I was different from the other kids. That's why Momma pulled me out of public school. Haven't been back since,"

she sniffed and rubbed her nose before continuing, "'Course you know how kids are at that age. Don't give them what they want, they throw a tantrum. That was my first one...and my last."

"Why?"

"Because I made Momma deaf."

"Elaborate."

"I screamed. But...my screams are different. It's kind of like...guess you can say like a siren, but worse. I shattered her eardrums. That's how we found out I can...I have that ability,"

Loretta looked extremely guilty, twitching as she fiddled with the bottom of her sleeves. "Momma forgave quickly. She's always been a forgiving woman. Anyway, she realized there was somethin' different about me and decided we'd keep it secret. But I really wanna make up for it. I've seen those heroes on TV. I've seen what they can do with their abilities, and...I guess I wanna see if I can use this disability as something better is all."

"Alright, Loretta... Gonna put these headphones on...and I want you to demonstrate your power, okay? When I give you the go, do so,"

Maria Hill's voice suddenly filled the tablet. Nick must've been with her at the time of the interviews. Anyway, Loretta nodded and she bit her lip as she waited for the two to oblige their own orders before they gave her the thumbs up.

Loretta took a deep breath and shut her eyes, before she opened her mouth and a horrible, earsplitting sound erupted and made even the heroes clap their hands to their ears. Loretta's siren even made the screen(from the video) nearly shatter. When she finished, they slowly lifted their hands from their ears and tried to calm the ringing by digging their fingers into it.

"If her siren is that bad just from a video, imagine how bad it is to see it in person," Nick snorted. "But...as you can see, she's got one hell of a gift."

"You're telling me," Bruce snorted, shaking his head furiously.

"That's one gift...still got three more to show ya," Nick stated, "Y'all ready?"

They nodded.

Nick clicked out of the video and went to the next one. This one's caption read, 'William Tanaka.'

It was a boy this time. He was Asian with black hair and a long face. He looked as though he had originally been built lanky, but he's spent time in the gym enough to make up for it. He was a handsome boy, looking to be in his late teens as he smirked towards the camera when it started. The heroes hoped his abilities strayed from harming their hearing.

"State your name, please," Hill's voice requested.

"William Louis Tanaka," he explained, smiling.

"Okay...where are you from, William?"

"Will's fine. And...I'm from Brooklyn. Been there my whole life with my parents. But, uh...it's just my dad now. Mom passed about six years ago."

"I'm sorry..."

"Nah, it's fine. Anyway, I'm eighteen now. Just graduated last spring. Was looking down for any college applications and...found this place. Figured it would help another issue of mine that I have,"

Will said. He spoke calmly, as if all of this was in anyway normal. From what the group could see, he seemed like a kid that could go along with anything they said. He was just that happy-go-lucky.

"Can you tell us what issue that is?" Nick's voice asked.

"Had this problem since I was crawling in diapers...might actually sound crazy to you, but...since apparently you've been working with some crazy people, I think mine might seem as normal as going to the grocery store," Will chuckled, "I can shift...I can shift into animals. Any animal I can think of, any animal that has or is walking the earth. I can do it. My parents made me promise to keep it to the three of us, though. They thought it might catch unwanted attention. I actually think they just wanted to stamp it out of me...they made me stop shifting and turned my attention to other things. Like baseball...girls...driving...everything normal kids liked to do, but...I tended to rebel just a little bit."

"How so?"

"Sneaking out every night to see where my options are limited and unlimited. Turns out doing what I do is a whole lot of fun."

Will clapped his hands together as he smiled eagerly. "Then...my mom passed. And my dad told me it was a sign."

"Your mother's dead was...was a sign?"

"Well, yeah...cause she had been...we don't know what happened, really. Cops came to our house and just said it was a shootout that she got caught in the middle of. My dad told me if someone like me were there...she'd had gotten out alive. He knew I needed to be the hero we see on the television and cartoons all the time. Since this came up...he seemed to think it was the perfect idea."

"Alright...do you mind showing us a little bit of your abilities?"

"Huh? Oh, for sure! Here, let me get up."

Will got up from his chair and backed up a few feet, giving them another easy smile before he keeled over and suddenly, before their very eyes, fur began to gather on his arms, his head turned this way and that, his legs grew suddenly shorter. Then he stood before them, his wide brown eyes gleaming from underneath the orange fur. The black stripes were incredibly vivid as it zig-zagged over his back and tail. A real live tiger had taken the place of William Tanaka. But it disappeared a moment later as it keeled over again and he was suddenly back, bouncing on his feet excitedly.

"Did you see that? Did you just see that? That's so cool! I still get so excited when I do it! It's a total rush, dude! Holy cow!" He danced around on the video until it ended.

"Nice kid," Nick shrugged. "But...if he can turn into a full damn tiger...imagine him as something even worse."

"That's incredible," Thor whispered. "The opportunities would be endless for him."

"Yeah...just gotta feel a little terrible for his father, though. Apparently he never got over losin' the wife," Nick sighed, as he scrolled to another video.

'Evelyn Walters', the caption read.

This was another girl. She looked a little stern as she glared at the camera. She had a defined face with long brown hair and eyes to match. She seemed to be wearing a large green sweater that she made sure covered as much skin as possible. She seemed like the type of girl that would remind the teacher to check the homework in class. Everything about her screamed spoiled rotten.

Nick played the video.

"Name, please."

"Evelyn Walters,"

she said clearly. Even her tone seemed superior. "Seventeen years old, I live in New York City, I attend a private school, and I am the oldest of three."

"You have two younger siblings?"

"Yes. Twins. Boy and girl. We live with our parents, Margaret and Ryland Walters,"

she said. She looked as though she wanted to be anywhere but there. Almost as though she were forced to be.

"Can you tell us why you're here, Miss Walters?"

"...Yes, I can. I...have a problem. I'd like to call it a disease, but my parents tell me it's not. It's...been a part of me for forever. I've tried several ways to get rid of it, but it just comes back stronger,"

her nose wrinkled in disgust, "I...can control things. I can make things happen that nobody else can do."

"Like?"

"Fire...water...earth...and air. All four of them...I can manipulate. I can create it from nothing. It's like they run through my veins,"

Evelyn snarled. "If you want me to be more specific, I control the four elements. I've been able to do it since I was young. And, yeah I've checked...Neither of my siblings can do it. It's just me." She stared down at her hands in pure hate. It was quite obvious she didn't want these abilities. She didn't want the powers, or the attention.

"Nice girl," Natasha stated sarcastically.

"Why do you say your parents have tried to stop you from calling it a disease?"

"Because they like to think of it as a gift. Having a daughter that can quite possibly kill them with just a snap of her fingers is suddenly great. It wasn't their idea for me to keep them hidden. It was mine. I tried to shut it out for a long time, but it likes to give me reminders that it's still there. When this...program surfaced...my parents insisted I attend so I can learn better to control them. That's why I'm here now."

"Can you demonstrate?"

Evelyn looked as though she wanted to do the exact opposite of that. But instead of saying so, she lifted her right hand and twirled it. Flames suddenly began to lick at the palm of her hand, but it didn't look at all that it hurt her. She instead stared at it with annoyance before she clasped her hand and unclasped it once more, this time a ball of water twirling this way and that above her palm. Ridding it again, she opened her hand wider and a tiny bud appeared before it flourished and grew until it was a beautiful flower, full of life without needing sunlight or water. She finished by destroying it with a burst of wind.

The video ended.

"How the hell did these kids keep this all hidden for years?" Tony asked in surprise. "You've got a siren...a shifter...an elemental. All of these things you'd think we'd hear some kind of news story on it."

"That's what I thought, too," Nick shook his head. "But we've got one more. And this one's a bit of a doozy."

The last video has a caption of just, 'Vincent Lincoln'.

Another boy. Black hair with a tanned face. He looked tired, which probably made him look older than he was, and he seemed to be wearing tattered clothes that were far too big for his form.

"Name?"

"Vincent Lincoln...Seventeen years old. I'm from Long Island. Uh...I'm an only child. I live with my old man."

"What is your 'old man's' name?"

"Garrett Lincoln."

"Alright, thank you. Now...why are you here, Vincent?"

"Because I have a problem,"

he mumbled, averting his gaze and staring at his lap instead. "I've had it for a long time, and now I'm too afraid to keep going without getting it under control."

"What's that problem, Vincent?"

"Strength...has never been a problem for me. It's kind of a running joke in my...family...that I'm like Superman. I can move buildings...stop cars with my bare hands...crush someone's throat with just my pinkie. I am unbeatable,"

he whispered, looking ashamed of himself. "Um...my dad's kind of a...he's a leader of a gang, I guess... Used me a few times when he needed to set a record straight. Nobody could ever beat me when I'm put in the ring. I hurt so many people for him."

"I see...where is your father now?"

"Wherever the gang takes him. He lets me stay in his old trailer and comes by a few days before leaving again. I only ever go with him if he needs me to send a message. I don't think he even knows I'm here,"

he shrugged. Vincent finally looked back up at the camera. "Now I figure you want me to prove what I'm telling you is true?"

"Actually...yeah, that'd be nice. Show us."

Vincent nodded and looked down at the table. The heroes could see it was made up of some concrete material and painted white. Vincent gripped the side of it and barely concentrated as he ripped a portion of it off and crushed it in his hands with ease as if it were nothing more than foam. He looked back up at Nick, chuckled sarcastically as he said again, "An unbeatable."

The video ended.

"Super strength," Nick explained, in case anyone was confused. "Had to pay for a new table, but I guess that was a better demonstration than punching my lights out. Anyway, those are the four kids that have legitimate abilities. The other seven just want to learn how to fight, but they're just ordinary. Figure you'll probably just chase 'em off and have to deal with the four freaks I showed you."

"They're not freaks," Steve defended. "They're just kids. And...I'm in."

"Me, too," Bruce agreed.

"Really, Brucie?" Tony asked.

"I know what it's like to have something you'd rather do without. Evelyn and Vincent need to learn how to cope rather than hate," he explained.

"I am in, too!" Thor declared.

"And me," Natasha nodded.

"Fine, alright, me, too!" Tony snapped.

"Guess that means I'm in," Clint smiled.

"Us, too," Wanda said, taking ahold of Vision's hand.

"Damn it, fine, me, too!" Sam huffed.

"I'll do it if Steve's doing it," Bucky agreed.

"Then I guess it's settled," Nick said, getting to his feet. "The kiddies will be transported here in just a few short weeks. Get ready for schools, boys and girls. This is gonna be one hell of a ride."