[A/N: This is the revised chapter. I've changed the route for this storyline and the next chapter will be up in a few days.]
The world ended on a Sunday.
Well, not the world, but no… well yeah. The World. James's World. It all came crashing down on a Sunday. A seemingly peaceful, typical Sunday.
See, about twenty years ago, the bad guys decided that the world was impossible to either invade, rule, or destroy and pretty much gave up. Which was great for the Avengers who, after almost a decade of constant fighting, finally got their well deserved retirement. Without complaint, they hung up their shields, widow-bites, suit, cape, bow, and angry-green-rage monster and settled down to have seemingly normal lives. And, well, with settling down came marriages which then resulted in adorable super-babies. Cue James Grant Rogers, who was born to Captain America and Black Widow on July 4th with light blondish red hair and vibrant baby blue eyes. Now no one ever could've predicted that coupling, but it worked. In fact, the soldier and the spy were deeply in love and the were the best parents a kid could ever have.
James wouldn't have traded them for the world.
For the first thirteen years of his life, James had it set. His parents were pretty much perfect and they loved him dearly. They were the best. They always listened and even if they disagreed, they tried to come to a compromise. James always knew he could come to them with anything and he also knew that they had his best interests at heart. They also tried to prepare his for what life would throw at him. Dad taught him how to stand up to bullies while Mom taught him how to enact revenge on said bullies and how to get away with it. Dad taught him how to inspire others, while Mom taught him how to drive fear into the hearts of his enemies. Yeah, his parents were badass. They were his heroes and he always tried to make them proud. He always did.
Saturdays soon became sacred to the Rogers Family. It was Family Day, no exceptions. They'd always hang out whether it was going to the park or playing Scrabble in Russian. Saturdays were for family and family only. Then when James turned ten, Tuesday nights were for just him and Dad. On those nights, Steve would teach James how to fight and on a couple of occasions, Steve would let James try his hand at throwing the shield. James was never any good, but still, the shield was really fun. After a couple of weeks on Dad Time on Tuesdays, Thursdays quickly became nights reserved for Mom. Natasha would help him on his aim, taught him the art of espionage, and even taught him her favorite take-down technique. His mom was super scary, but he loved her even more for it. Eventually Wednesdays were Taco Night and then Sundays were reserved for Avengers Family Brunch. It was a time to reconnect and enjoy each other in the time of peace.
Then came Sunday.
They were the first to arrive to brunch that day. Tony had met them at the elevator, greeting Mom with a kiss on the cheek, ruffled James's light red hair, and clapped Dad on the back.
Apparently Tony was a lot calmer that he had been. During the peace he'd finally married Pepper, much to the Avengers' relief. Then Tony became a dad, which surprised pretty much everyone since no one thought Tony was a "kid-person". Tony proved them wrong when his eldest daughter, Elenora Maria Stark graced the world two months after James. Two years later, the twins came into the Stark household causing Pepper a lot of headaches. Axel Howard Stark is the eldest twin by two minutes, which he holds over his sister, Virginia Philippa Stark constantly. All of Tony's kids have his looks except for Elenora, who dared to have Pepper's lovely green eyes along with Tony's dark hair. Pepper was glad at least one of her kids took after her, even if it was just a little bit. She couldn't handle one, let a lone three, carbon copies of Tony running around.
"It's good to see you Cap!" Tony greeted enthusiastically. "It's been ages!"
"Tony," Dad chuckled, pulling Mom close, "We live in the same building. I saw you yesterday."
"It was a figure of speech," Tony deadpanned. "Good to know your sense of humor is still as spry as ever."
Dad just shook his head as they moved deeper into the Stark penthouse.
"Steve! Nat! Hey!" Pepper greeted from the kitchen, dusting her flour-coated hands with a dishtowel before heading over to hug them.
"Pepper!" Mom greeted, hugging the enthusiastic strawberry blonde," How've you been?"
"Oh same old same old. Axel and Viv are on school probation, again."
From where he was, James could see the twins audibly gulp from where the were seated on the couch. Their mom was terrifying when angry.
"What'd they do this time?" Mom asked, looking over at the trouble makers.
"The programed the intercom to play the Imperial March from Star Wars every time the Principal tried to make an announcement."
"Well at least they haven't blown anything up yet this year," Mom tried.
"Yet," Pepper replied, throwing one last warning glare towards the twins.
Mom laughed at that. "They're related to Tony. Blowing up stuff and getting in trouble is in their blood."
"But Nora is so well behaved!" Pepper protested.
"Luck of the gene pool?" Mom suggested, which then made Pepper laugh.
Twins somewhat forgotten, Pepper turned her attention to her eldest, who was preoccupied with a hefty AP Bio Textbook at the kitchen counter.
"Nora, are you going to come say hello to Nat and James?"
"Hold on I'm almost done with this chapter on the Mitochondria," Nora supplied tapping her foot against the barstool as she read.
"I swear ever since Betty took her to the lab, all Nora has been obsessed with biology," Pepper mumbled, offering Natasha a glass of sangria.
"It could be worse. She could be obsessed with boys."
"Oh God. Don't say that near Tony. He'll lock her up till she's twenty."
Mom just laughed.
The next Avenger Family that arrived was Bruce and Betty Ross, Bruce's long time girlfriend. As Tony and Dad greeted Bruce, Betty made her way over to Mom and Pepper. After quick hellos, Betty sat down next to Nora to answer any questions she had. The two started discussing cell theory, which made James decide to seek out the company of the twins as he awaited the arrival of his best friend Francis.
Francis Roy Barton was the son of Clint Barton and Bobbi Morse. Bobbi had sadly passed earlier that year due to breast cancer, leaving her two boys heartbroken. Dad swore that Clint looked ten years older since then. Francis wasn't as chipper as he used to be, but slowly he and his dad were getting better.
When Francis and his dad arrived, James ran up and hugged his best friend.
"Hey Francis!" he greeted.
"Hi James. Did you play that new game Tony sent us?" the blonde haired boy replied.
"Nah. Mom, Dad, and I headed to Coney Island."
"Oh cool."
"We wanted to invite you guys, but Mom said you were busy."
"Yeah. Dad and I hit the range. I finally made a bull's-eye."
"Dude! That's awesome!"
"I know. I rock." Francis stated cockily, smirking.
James just scoffed and shoved Francis.
"Jerk," James teased.
"Punk" Francis replied, shoving him back.
The boys continued to tousle until they were called to the table.
Brunch was served and once everyone was seated, Pepper asked, "Has anyone seen Thor?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"I think he's still up in Asgard. He doesn't come back much ever since Jane passed," Dad responded.
Thor's girlfriend, Jane Foster, had died a few years earlier after a heart complication that was directly caused by her encounter with the Aether. Since then, Thor only visited Earth on special occasions.
"Oh well. I guess we'll start without him then." Pepper said before she began to dish out food.
The rest began to join her in filling up their plates.
The brunch spread was delicious. There were muffins, pancakes, fruit, and bacon. Pepper had really out done herself.
About halfway through the meal, a video call appeared on the T.V. behind the dining table.
"Sir. The call is from Director Fury." JARVIS stated. "Shall I answer it?"
"Go ahead." Tony replied, wiping muffin from his face.
"Director Fury! Nice to see you! What's up?" Tony greeted.
"No time for formalities Stark." Fury spoke. It looked like he was under a desk. Banging could be heard from the background.
"Captain," Fury started.
"Yes sir," Dad replied.
"Listen to me. This is not a drill. SHIELD has fallen. I repeat SHIELD has fallen. The Council has overthrown me. Men are at my doorstep with orders to kill on site. The Council is starting Project Indigo as we speak. Special Ops are on their way to your location this very minute." Fury stated. The yelling and banging in the background got louder.
"They are coming for you, all of you. They are not just after you, but your families too." Fury continued.
Mom grasped James' hand tightly from where they sat next to Dad.
"Coulson is on his way. You know what to do. May God help us all." Fury stated. The feed then went black.
The room was silent in shock for a mere moment before Steve stood up.
"Alright. Pepper, Tasha, Clint get the kids ready. Tony and Bruce, suit up. Everyone meet in the Parking Deck in 5 minutes. They aren't going to take us without a fight." He ordered. Dad was in full Captain America mode.
The Avengers and their families leapt into action. Pepper grabbed her kids and threw them into the elevator. Mom and Clint did the same. James and Francis looked at each other as they traveled to their floors, fear in their eyes.
Once at their floor, Mom sprinted into James's room, grabbing a duffle bag from his closet. She started throwing clothes into the duffle along with money, a small pocket knife, and his tablet that Tony got him for his birthday. James ran in after her.
"Mom? What's going on? What's Project Indigo?" James asked, looking frightened but trying all the same to be brave.
"James. You know that our family is special, right?" Mom asked, kneeling down in front of him.
"Yeah. Dad's Captain America and you're Black Widow. Tony is Iron Man, Bruce is the Hulk, and Clint is Hawkeye. They taught us about the Battle of New York in school. You guys are the Avengers." James replied. "You're the good guys."
Mom just gave him a sad smile and smoothed down his hair. "Yeah… We are, honey. But being good and having superpowers makes us have enemies. Dad told you how he became Captain America, right?"
James nodded.
"Well they tried to recreate the same super soldier serum with me; it only partially worked. Now a lot of government agencies want to recreate this serum by using your dad's and my blood. SHIELD had kept them off us for a while. They protected us…"
"But what's Project Indigo?" James asked again.
"Project Indigo is a government founded project designed to create a new advanced super solider serum by using the blood from other super heroes. They are mostly after your dad and me for the serum in our blood. Project Indigo also includes locking all the super heroes away. The Council has pushed Project Indigo from day one. Director Fury had managed to overrule them. Now that he is no longer Director of SHIELD, the Council can initiate Project Indigo, which they have." Mom explained.
"But why do they want to lock all the super heroes away. Aren't they the good guys?" James asked.
"To the Council, no. See the super heroes could interfere with their plans. They don't want that. Therefore, they will lock them all away and release lies in the papers explaining why super heroes are a danger to the free world."
"Oh… But why are they after our family? Why are they after Francis, Nora, Viv and Axel? Why are they after all of us?" James asked, helping his mom fill his duffle.
"Because you guys are the kids of super heroes. You guys could be a potential threat to their project. Especially you James."
"Me? Why?"
"You are the son of Captain America and Black Widow. Being a super hero is in your blood, baby. They could assume that you had the same strength as your dad or had the same specific skill set that I do. They could assume that you had the super soldier serum inside you."
"But I don't! I'm not strong like Dad or as agile as you."
"I know, honey. But you could be. The Council doesn't want to take any chances. That's why we've kept you away from the press and SHIELD."
"So you're sending me away?" James asked, sitting on the bed.
Mom sighed sadly and sat next to James on the bed. She pulled him into her arms.
"We have too. It's the only way we can make sure you are safe." Natasha replied, kissing his head softly.
"But what about you guys? What will happen to you guys?" James asked softly, his voice breaking as tears welled in his eyes.
Mom looked down at him and hugged him even tighter.
"James Grant Rogers. Your father and I need you to do something for us, okay?"
James nodded, wiping away the tears that had formed. "What?"
"We need you to be very, very brave. We need you to be a leader for the other kids, okay? They're going to need someone to take care of them and someone who they can look up to, alright?"
James nodded.
Mom kissed his forehead softly, whispering how much she loved him in Russian. James started crying again, hugging her even tighter.
Dad called up a moment later. It was time.
Mom shrugged James's duffle over her shoulder before taking his hand and leading him out to the elevator. James took one last look at his home; hoping it wasn't the last time he would ever see it again.
The Avengers and their families were gathering in the parking deck for one last time. Everyone was suited up and prepping for battle. When the elevator opened James ran over to Dad, throwing his arms around his neck. Dad hugged him fiercely in reply.
Tony's kids were already in tears, all clinging to him and Pepper. The millionaire's eyes were teary and bloodshot. It was the first time James had seen Tony cry.
Francis was being squeezed to death by his dad, who was sobbing. James's best friend's eyes were red and bloodshot.
It had been decided. Phil would take his two godsons, Francis and James, while Betty took the Stark children. Pepper couldn't leave with them. People would recognize her and endanger the kids.
A helicopter could be heard in the distance. Sirens were appearing to get closer. They had to go.
Dad released James, tears in his eyes. James had never seen his dad cry.
"James," Dad started, "Promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me you'll be a leader. These kids are going to need someone to look up to. Be fair, be kind, and be just. Be the young man your mom and I raised you to be. Can you promise me this?"
"I promise." James replied as he was enveloped by his parents.
"I love you so much, my son." Dad spoke, sorrow lacing his voice. Mom kissed James's Head softly, her tears mixing with his own.
"We love you." She spoke.
"I love you guys too." James sobbed, "So much."
They clung to that one last family hug.
The sirens were getting closer. Dad, assuming his role as leader, broke away from them
"It's time." He spoke. The other Avengers looked at him miserably.
They wasted no time. James and Francis were loaded up in Coulson's car, Lola, while the Stark children were placed in Betty's Honda.
"Avengers. Battle Stations. Protect the cars at all costs!" Dad barked. "We are not going down without a fight!"
The Avengers quickly got into their positions. Tony flipped his face plate down, Clint notched and arrow, and Bruce hulked up.
Phil revved the car.
"Dad!" James yelled. Phil was starting to pull out of the parking garage. Betty had already left.
Dad ran over, his shield on his arm.
"Yes James?"
"Promise me one thing!" James cried in desperation.
"What?"
"Promise me you'll come home!"
"I promise you. We'll come home." Dad vowed. He then stepped back, taking Mom into his arms.
Phil floored it.
Once the car was out of the parking garage, all hell broke loose. There were helicopters and SHIELD agents swarming on the Tower. James no longer saw Mom and Dad. He saw Captain America and Black Widow, working as one, taking down as many SHEILD agents as possible.
They were a seemingly unstoppable force. Her agility and his strength, working in unison, like some choreographed dance. Mom's fiery red hair flew as she twisted and turned like an acrobat, taking down agent after agent. Dad's shield was thrown with precise accuracy. Determination was shown on both of their faces. It was their last fight and they weren't going to give up. Together, the soldier and the spy worked like a well-oiled machine. It was stunning.
It was the last memory James had of his parents.
He couldn't have been more proud.