Chapter One: 'Human Delusion'

Whenever I thought about meeting my parents, I thought it would life-changing. I could run into their arms and I would be accepted. Our eyes would meet, and I would be their son. Although, I would never get that chance. Tony would reserve the gorey details when I was young, but as I grew older he filled in the rest of the pieces. My parents, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff were dead.

Two Years Before…

Ultron spoke softly to the group of New Avengers, as well as Tony Stark. "Struggling until the end. Illogical. You must realize the end is here." Tony scoffed and looked Ultron over.

"No. Still hope."

"Hope is a human delusion." He then paused and thought of what he just said. "Do you see, Avenger? Rumors of the children's existence already spread among the humans. Superhuman variable cannot be permitted. The children must be destroyed." Pym Jr. frowned and looked around confused.

"Hey, that's not fair! James doesn't even have any powers." Ultron looked down at the figure of James. "Scanning Avengers data files…" He paused. "Identity match. James Rogers, son of Steve Rogers, Captain America, the most dangerous of all the Avengers. He inspired them, and like Captain America, you, James, will be the first to fall!"

Present Day…

"Minicap!" The infamous Tony Stark called me into his laboratory. Today of all days I was not in the mood for another one of his long-winded speeches. One's where he would tell me about the life long ago, and how he missed his friends so often. I had my mother's attitude and my father's perseverance. How he didn't know how to raise me right, or any of us for that matter. The next Avengers, children of the fallen heroes. "James, don't make me ask twice." Rolling my eyes I reluctantly followed the orders of my guardian.

"What do you want Tony?" I groaned as I walked into the lab as a few sparks flew, not even making me flinch. Ever since we moved back into the Avengers tower. Things were breaking, sparks flying. Ultron had done a number on this place. As well as the rest of the world.

"I've got a present for you James." A smile graced across his wrinkled face.

"Come on, I told you guys not to get me anything."

"It's your birthday kiddo. I had to get you something!" I scoffed and looked down at the ground. "Come on! You're 18! An adult. Almost old enough to start drinking if I might add." He said with a smirk, as it made me crack a smile as well.

"My mother would kill you…"

"Yet, she's not here at the moment."

"Then Bruce will."

"Fair Point Minicap." He spun around in his chair before standing. Even though I was still growing I was already taller than him. He looked up and tried to meet my eyes. I looked down and met his gaze. "Just hear me out." I gave a nod and watched him turn and pull out a small box. He hands it to me, and I take it, slightly confused. I opened it up, and was blinded by a bittersweet, orange coloured light.

"What is it?" He looked down as I reached to touch it. Tony stopped me.

"It's the time stone."

"You mean the time stone? As in the infinity stones?" Tony gave a nod and looked down at it.

"When you were born you were chosen to wield a stone. Ste- Your father and I didn't know which one. He could touch the power stone. Steve… he guarded it with his life. I still don't know where it is…" I backed away from him slightly and ran into a table. Tools and glass fell to the floor and shattered, clattered. "Now you…"

"What about me?" I asked breathlessly.

"Before Odin, died-"

"Odin?"

"Thor's Father, Torunns grandfather."

"Oh.." I gave a nod in which he knew he could continue.

"Before he died. He predicted that one of the children of the heroes would use a stone and end the reign of Ultron." He stopped and looked me in the eye. "And that kid is you."

I looked at him in complete awe. How ignorant could he think I was? Me. The ordinary one. I can't change size like Henry, or fight with the powers of Asgard like Torunn. I'm completely human. Yet the stone in front of me seemed to call my name. Subconsciously I yearned to touch it, but I didn't.

"Wait, but before you do anything I need to tell you this." He cleared his throat and looked at me, his eyes actually brimming with tears. "When you do this… It'll erase all of this. The island, growing up without parents, Ultron conquering the earth. Hopefully, you'll stop me from creating Ultron. That's the plan at least… But. You'll remember these days. All the years spent on the island, the adventures you had with your siblings. And they won't remember a single moment. Even I won't remember."

His last words were quiet and spread out. I barely heard them myself as I ran out of the room and eventually out of the tower. The top of it to be precise, it was my father's thinking spot. I guess it just developed into my own. My thoughts lingered on the story Tony used to tell. Where I would sit on his lap, looking up with wide blue eyes.

'There came the day, unlike any other. When Earth's mightiest heroes were united against a common threat. The Soldier, the God, the Knight, the Spy, the Giant, the King, the Pixie, the Ghost, and the Archer. On that day, the Avengers were born. To fight foes that no single hero could withstand: time-traveling conquerors, alien invaders and masters of evil. The Avengers vanquished them all. And finally, when the world was at peace, the heroes built lives of their own. The Soldier and Spy fell in love, as did the Giant and Pixie. The King found his Queen. And the Thunder God returned to his kingdom far away from the world of man. And one by one, the children of the Avengers came to be. Children who would one day become a new generation of heroes. But in time, evil returned. An evil called Ultron. Ultron wanted nothing less than total dominion over the world. But the Avengers stood in its way. Sadly, their defeat was inevitable. But before they fell, the Avengers hid their children in a faraway place, where they would grow up safe from Ultron's grasp. Because the Avengers knew that as long as their children were alive, there was hope. Hope for the future.'

I am that hope. The rest of us were trusted with the heavy weight of carrying the world. Tony always said my father carried the larger burden, because he was the leader. If anything happened to the team, or Shield. It would be his fault. Every death, and failure. Would be on his mind as long as he lived. We're the same really. But I have all those people out below. The very few people that survived the attacks would be gone. Their eighteen years of hiding in the dark would all be for nothing. The children born in those years would cease to exist, almost like if I had murdered them. My own words seemed to want to haunt me as well.

'We can't hide anymore, Torunn. If we don't stand up to Ultron, who will? If we don't protect people like the Scavengers, who will? We have to make a stand. The longer we wait the more powerful Ultron becomes. He'll never stop hunting us. He'll never stop coming after Tony. We have to stop him. We owe it to our parents. We're all that's left of their legacy.'

All of a sudden I heard screams, Ultron had come back for his final attack. It was too late for me to do anything. By the time I made my way to the stairs, the refugees camps were on fire, and the tower had caught on fire.

The time stone became to warm up the box it was sitting in. I opened it up once more to study it. A voice called to me from the stone, and I reached out to touch it. Eventually I did. The light engulfed me, and I looked around as I was not on top of the Avengers tower anymore. But in a completely new place. Somewhere... warm, safe.

Reviews are always appreciated.