Steve put the quinjet down in a field several miles away from Tony's cabin. The sun was bright in the sky as he opened the back hatch, allowing Wanda, Bucky, and James to re-enter the real world.
"What do we do now?" James asked as Steve followed suit, staring in the direction they'd have to walk. He lifted his hand to block the sun from his eyes, then turned to his companions.
"We recuperate. And then we run. As soon as your mother and sister get here, we take off to find somewhere safe." Steve explained, but Bucky just huffed in frustration.
"If there is anywhere safe." He grumbled quietly, kicking over a dandelion and sending the white puffs floating a few feet. "We have to destroy Schmidt."
"We'll destroy Schmidt. Kay and Tess can take the kids somewhere safe. I don't want them anywhere near-"
"What?" James whined loudly as Steve growled and started making his way toward the house. James stormed after his father while Bucky and Wanda held back. "Dad, I can help. I'm a super soldier too, remember? I want a chance to prove I can be good... like you used to be."
Steve froze, turning his jaw just enough so his voice would carry over his shoulder, "I was a different man back then. I've got more to lose now, and I have to protect my family." Steve turned a little more to face his son fully, his eyes more fearful than James expected, "If you go, your mother will go. I can't let anything happen to you three, do you understand me? This isn't a game... Schmidt wants me dead, but he won't give up the chance to hurt the people I love. Including you and your sister."
"But- what about you? If this- this Red Skull guy is as bad as you say he is, aren't you worried about yourself?" James pressed, but Steve continued his trek as Wanda and Bucky caught up to them.
"Of course I am." Steve mumbled quietly, not hiding the sad expression on his face, "I don't want to die. But your safety is more important than my own. Please don't be difficult. I know you aren't a huge fan of following directions."
"Sounds like somebody else I know..." Bucky teased, adding when Steve shot him a dirty look, "Oh, and somebody's wife." Steve ran his tongue across the front of his teeth beneath his lips, staring down Barnes as they walked. But he didn't disagree.
Steve squinted his eyes as Tony's cabin came into view. He spotted his old friend leaning against the wooden pillar of his deck, seemingly waiting for his company to arrive. "Morgan's breaking every traffic law between your place and mine- even still I don't expect them here for another hour." Tony clamped his hand into Steve's and pulled the man into a hug before nodding amicably to Barnes. He grinned at the redhead in the back, "Maximoff."
"Stark. You're alive. I shouldn't be surprised, but here I am." Wanda tilted her head curiously, "It was you in Norway, wasn't it?"
"Norway? I don't know what you're talking about." Tony retorted quickly, throwing out his arm to usher Wanda into his home. "You look pretty suited up, we should make sure the others are similarly prepared."
Steve groaned, turning his whole body to face Tony, "We aren't suiting up. We've got what we need. I just need to check on Kayla and Sarah and we'll be off."
Tony nodded thoughtfully, looking from Steve to Bucky, "You on board with this suicide mission? I thought you and the Mrs. were trying to, uh..."
"Drop it, Stark." Bucky growled, crossing his arms and leaning against the staircase, "We have to defeat Red Skull. Whatever the cost."
"Somebody else can pay it, Barnes, it doesn't always have to be Steve Rogers and his band of merry followers!" Tony rumbled toward Steve, but the man just stared at the fireplace thoughtfully. James had his jaw hung open in surprise, taking in the conversation with quiet wonder, which only made Tony groan, "I'm too old. I just buried my wife. I don't want to bury one of my only remaining friends."
Steve looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Is Tony Stark... worried about me?"
"Yes, Steve, I am worried about you, because you're a reckless shit who doesn't consider the consequences of your actions. Shit, after all these years, you're just so damn stubborn." Tony grumbled, grinding his teeth together as he stared back at Steve. His eyes wandered to James, studying the boy from head to toe, "So you know who Mom and Dad are? Pretty cool, right? You come at my daughter with Captain Jr. charm again, I will put a repulser blast through your chest. Because I... am Iron Man." Tony pushed his finger against James's strong chest, narrowing his eyes when he pressed against the strong muscle. James just gawked excitedly, thoroughly enjoying being threatened by Iron Man.
"This is the coolest day of my life." James wheezed as Tony turned away to pull up a hologram on his kitchen table, "Mr. Stark- sir, does- does Morgan know? About you, I mean?"
"Yup. She knows about me. About your parents too. Always has, but... let's just say she kept a lot of things from you. For security reasons." Tony answered coolly as he studied the screen, "FRIDAY, what's Morgan's ETA?"
"Approximately sixty-eight minutes, Boss." FRIDAY answered and James chuckled loudly as he looked at the ceiling.
"Perfect, just enough time to upgrade these losers. Who dressed you? Your dad?" Tony waved his finger up and down at James's ensemble and the boy just shrugged. Tony walked away before James could offer a real answer, pulling out a book from the bookcase and tapping in the code to open the secret basement door. James stared at the stairway that appeared beneath the stairs, looking to his father and uncle expectantly, but they were emotionless.
"Am I the only one who finds this cool?" James yelped as Tony led Steve and Wanda down the stairs to the basement. Bucky silently pointed to the stairs, and James sighed and dropped his shoulders, following his father into the unknown.
James looked around the secret lab in astonishment, eyes wide and jaw dropped as he studied all of Tony Stark's belongings. In the corner of the room, safe behind a glass case, was an Iron Man suit. "Oh my gosh- it's- Dad! Look at iiit!" James clenched his father's upper arm as he pointed to the metal suit, but Steve just snorted in response.
"Yes, I see it. I've seen it many times before. Tony, what exactly are we doing down here?" Steve droned, gently prying James's hands off his arm to let the teenager wander through the scientific wonderland.
Tony grinned, tapping away on a screen to his left, "FRIDAY, Project Reunion, please."
"Yes, Sir." FRIDAY's voice echoed and a wall slid open, revealing a rotating closet of Avenger uniforms. James slowly moved to the red, white, and blue uniform that hung in the front, a white star on the chest. James looked over his shoulder, seeing his father unimpressed with the outfit.
"Is this yours?" James questioned, gently pulling the top of the suit off the rack. He studied it, running his fingers along the rough material longingly.
"Well it sure isn't yours." Steve growled back, turning to Tony bitterly, "I don't need a suit."
"You looked like an idiot in Norway. Plus, the under layer is woven from vibranium, it's a lot safer than the vest he wears." Tony nodded toward Bucky. The former assassin bumped a blue button next to the closet, causing it to rotate and show off a similar suit for a woman. Bucky's eyes darted to Stark, but Tony just shook his head rapidly, silently pleading Bucky to not bring it up. Steve turned to see what Stark was looking at, but Bucky hit the button again, bringing a thick blue vest with the left arm missing and matching pants. "Your vest is made up of vibranium. Bullets hit you and bounce off you as easily as that shield." Tony turned to Steve with a piqued brow, "Which I see you have back? Issues with the replacement?"
"Enough Tony. No uniforms. No reunion. I just need you to get my family somewhere safe." Steve turned to see James studying the Captain America uniform wistfully and sighed, "I suppose I should change."
James looked up at his father hopefully, and Steve's heart broke at the realization that James had thought so little of him before. Steve's relationship with his son was rocky at best, and he knew what James said about him when he thought he couldn't hear. Conversations with his friends about his lame Dad, who he had thought was scared and boring. Steve remembered James playing with his Avengers toys as a child. He'd idolized Captain America. He just never realized his idol was the one playing Avengers with him on the living room floor. Steve wondered what all those years would have looked like if James and Sarah knew the truth. He knew they wouldn't be in this situation now, that's for sure.
"I took the liberty of designing a little something for the kids, you know, just in case they get wrapped up in all your trouble." Tony called to Steve as he took the suit from James. James fist pumped the air happily, but Bucky just grit his teeth and pulled his own vest from the rack.
Steve turned to Tony, his fiery gaze practically burning a hole in the billionaire's head, "Absolutely not. Neither my son, nor my daughter, are going anywhere near Schmidt. Do I make myself clear?"
"You never let me do anything fun!" James growled to Steve, "I'm Captain America's son, I think I should have a superhero costume, too."
"Costume? Did he just call it a costume?" Tony questioned Wanda and the woman just plopped down into a nearby chair, pressing her fist into her cheek as she mumbled something about a disaster.
Steve pulled the shield off his arm and slammed it on Tony's work table, causing James to jump back. "You think this is some sort of game? Some fun adventure? Pick it up, Kid. It's heavier than it looks." Steve stormed up the stairs. James flinched at the sound of his heavy footsteps, knowing he'd messed up. Again.
"Old Man never changes, does he?" Tony hummed as he pressed the blue button, spinning around the machine until Kayla's suit was in the front. Tony carefully removed it and handed it to Wanda. Bucky rolled his eyes and groaned, following Steve upstairs to get ready to go. Tony turned back to the closet and pulled out a much smaller black suit. "Your sister's is light, but its vibranium through and through. Morgan insisted if I made suits for the two of you that hers was the best protected. Yours is similar to your dad's, just missing the classic color scheme. That's reserved for Pops."
James nodded as Tony turned the racks again, revealing his own black suit. Tony smiled up at it hopefully, "The outer layer is made from nano tech. You can use the wristband to change the color and look if you want. It should help you guys blend in while in hiding."
James twisted his mouth thoughtfully, pulling down his own custom made Avenger's suit, "Yeah. Hiding."
Upstairs, Steve had locked himself in the guest bathroom to change. He pulled his shirt over his head and discarded it on the floor nearby. He turned on the sink and washed his hands, turning the water as cold as it could go, then splashing cold water on his face. He shook his head, sliding his fingers through his growing hair to slick it back. Steve clenched the edge of the sink, staring at his own reflection as he breathed deeply, watching his chest rise and fall. He saw flashes of battle, heard the echo of gunfire and screams. From the corner of his eye, Steve saw that blue suit, but he couldn't bring himself to put it on again. He just heard Schmidt's voice in his head, asking why he was so special.
Nothing. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn.
Steve raised his head to take in his reflection again, then grabbed the suit to get dressed for the mission. He carefully pulled the vibranium undershirt over his head, then went to work changing into his thick blue pants. Steve actually smiled as he settled himself on the closed toilet to carefully buckle the heavy boots. He imagined Kayla doing it, kneeling before him and carefully working to get him dressed and undressed for every battle, every mission he went on throughout the years. No matter who they were fighting, or who they were running from, Kayla never left Steve's side. He frowned when he realized he'd have to leave her behind this time.
Steve heard a door creak downstairs, alerting him to someone either coming or going. He pulled the velvet curtain to the side to peek out the window, sighing when he saw Morgan's red convertible parked out front. He turned back to the bathroom mirror, studying his reflection. All he needed now was the outer piece of his top, and he'd be ready to go. He slowly pulled the thick outer skin over his arms until it just needed to be attached in the front. That was when somebody knocked on the bathroom door.
Steve paused as he reached the doorknob, unsure of what response he'd get from the person on the other side. He finally took a deep breath and twisted the knob, pulling it open to reveal his wife. When Kayla saw him, her knees buckled, and she wobbled, but Steve thrust his arms forward to hold her arms, "Hey, darling."
"Steve..." Kayla breathed, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She grabbed at the nape of his neck with one hand and clutched his cheek with the other as she buried her face into his chest. Steve rubbed her back until he heard soft crying emitting from the woman in his arms.
"Kay, everything's going to be okay-"
Kayla let out a noise somewhere between a growl and a groan, pushing against Steve's chest as she slammed the bathroom door closed, trapping them in the small space together, "No. No Captain America, it's not okay. What is all this? And the shield? You took the shield from Sam?"
"He gave it to me. I'd be full of bullet holes if he hadn't. He helped us get James out." Steve caressed Kayla's cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the tears that still lingered. He studied her face knowingly, humming to himself until she tilted her head curiously. "You aren't normally so weepy. I think you're getting old, Mrs. Rogers."
Kayla's lip wobbled at that and she nodded, a small grin tugging at her lips. "Perhaps. But not as old as my husband. I don't want you to do this."
"I don't have a choice, Kay, if I don't kill him, he's going to kill me. And you. And the kids. You know I can't let that happen."
"I know." Kayla mumbled, leaning forward to press her forehead against Steve's, "I just hate that it happened. After everything we went through... I thought we were done with Schmidt."
"Well I'm the one who inadvertently released him, so he's my problem." Steve leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Kayla's lips, "Can you help me with the latches? It's been a while."
Kayla nodded and pulled away to look Steve up and down hungrily, "Yes it has. But between you and me, I'd rather help you take it back off-"
"Kay..." Steve growled teasingly as she nipped at his neck. He nuzzled his wife away, staring at her with lusty eyes, "I'm regretting not breaking this out earlier."
"Yeah." Kayla agreed, pulling away and clicking together the fabric of his suit, "Me too." Steve grabbed Kayla's hips and pulled her against him, crashing his lips into hers as his hands flew to her ass. He hiked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clawing at his hair as she plunged her tongue into his mouth.
A quiet knock accompanied a quiet, "Hey, Dad? You in there?"
"Shit!" Kayla hissed as Steve let go of her legs and she slid her feet to the ground, wiping her mouth quickly to look more presentable as Steve swung open the door.
"Hey, Sweetie! How are you?" Steve cooed at his teenage daughter, who leaned a little to the side and saw her mother smoothing down her hair. Kayla fluffed her shoulder length hair before turning to her daughter with a beaming smile. Sarah looked from her mother to father, a knowing smirk dancing on her lips that made Steve blush, "I'm getting ready to go, is there something I can help you with?"
"I kinda just wanted to see you. Say hi. You know, since you're Captain America now apparently and I have the power of... what's it called again?" Sarah asked her mother and Kayla cleared her throat, pounding her chest with her fist.
"Soul Stone. She has the power of the Soul Stone. Apparently." Kayla choked out and Steve shot her a stunned glare. Kayla just shrugged, her jaw hanging open as she tried to come up with an excuse.
"Yeah, so, just wanted to check in... but, I'll let you two get back to... whatever it is you were doing." Sarah motioned all over Steve's body and he turned redder than a tomato as Kayla snorted behind him. Steve quietly closed the door, unable to even come up with a decent comeback.
He turned to his wife, who sat on the toilet lid with her fist to her mouth, trying not to laugh, "You didn't think to tell me that our daughter has magic powers from an Infinity Stone?"
"It's what I came here to do. Honest. Scouts honor." Kayla raised three fingers and stuck her lip out in a joking pout, "I just got... distracted, Captain." She sighed, leaning back as she pushed her hands against her thighs, "I guess I'll just have to submit myself for disciplinary action."
"Don't do that." Steve deadpanned, shifting his legs uncomfortably as Kayla tossed him his cowl, "We don't have time for that."