Note this story is of mine idea, but the properties belong to Marvel entertainment and Disney.
I wrote this story as a response to what would have happen if Luke Cage said no to Steve Rogers when the Avengers reformed in the Post Siege world. I have to admit for a person who was in touch with the streets Luke Cage would know a fast con if he saw one. To me this would be one of those moments...
They ask him to rejoin the team after all they have been thorough and he asked them what was the point of it all?
They gave him a purpose, a reason to be expanding his way of doing things to others. However, all that was destroyed thanks to the actions of the government. It was destroying what was his newly formed family. All because of their infighting with each other and with themselves. All because of the government way of doing things. All because of what one man promised him and then ended up betraying all that he stood for.
He knew what he wanted to tell them. What he wanted to say to them, despite what others felt.
"No."
"Luke, please…"
"Did you hear me the first time…I said no."
"Luke…" his wife looked worried as she held on to their little girl.
"This man tried to hunt me down and nearly destroyed my family and now you're all buddies again after all the pain that he caused us?"
"Luke…things are different now than they were before."
"Oh sure things are now different now that you control things and not S.H.I.E.L.D. Is this is what you're asking?"
No words were spoken after that.
"You gave me a reason to be an Avenger, a hero to my baby girl and what does that get me? Nearly thrown back in jail because I refused to sign a stinking paper. Nearly destroyed what was my family because of a stinking paper and the plans of this man. Now you want me to come and work with you and answer to you when you fought against the very thing you are now?"
"Luke," said the voice of his best friend Danny Rand, the Iron Fist, "I understand what you're saying, but do you understand what you're turning down?"
He looked at his wife and baby girl and then at his best friend and then at the heroes in front of him.
"I lived on the streets for too long to know a good chance when I see it. I know you may mean well, but I just can't go through it all over again."
"Luke," stated the man known as Steve Rogers, "I am sorry for whatever pain I may have caused you and Jessica. I have heard of what you done in my absence and let me just say that I have never been proud to call you an Avenger. I may have an idea of how you feel about this given it's from me and Tony, but I promise you. This is me promising you that this time things will be different and that the government will have no means of getting involved in any Avengers affairs in case the situation is needed. So I ask you again, will you rejoin the Avengers?"
He looked to his wife with hopeful eyes of finding some understanding to the situation.
"Whatever you decided, we're with you all the way," she told him with her baby girl gurgling happiness.
He looked to the man known as Captain America and stated, "Thanks, but no thanks Cap. I gotten fine on my own before and I don't need a card or two carrying any special privileges. "
Steve Rogers just nodded and stated, "I understand Luke, believe me I do. I wish you and your family the best of luck."
He took his hand out and for a few seconds pass before Luke could shake his hand in return.
There goes a promising Avenger. A true hero of the streets and of the people in ways that the big Avengers would never understand.