Steve is quite sure his entire team are still working to comprehend the sight in front of them.

Tony Stark is standing in front of them, flicking at a tablet that he has magicked from somewhere, with a small boy perched on his hip and cuddled against his side.

'You should have just told him you were Captain America,' Tony tells him without looking up from what he's doing.

The little boy finally lifts his head away from Tony's neck and stares at Steve, apparently looking at his suit.

'I wasn't sure Captain America would be very reassuring,' Steve shrugs, 'he's very young.'

Tony just hums vaguely.

'SHIELD are on the way to clean up,' Natasha tells them. They've moved to the clearer end of the lab and away from the bodies.

'Right,' Tony's head jerks up. 'Ok, I have some things I need to take care of. I'll try to meet you back at the helicarrier. Cap, you need to look after him, ok?' he shifts the boy into Steve's arms.

'What's...?'

'Please, Cap,' Tony silences all protests. 'Just look after him. Do not let him out of your sight. Don't even let the SHIELD doctors take him anywhere. You stay with him at all times. Promise me?'

'I promise,' Steve agrees readily.

'Thank you,' Tony sounds relieved as he steps back into his armour and rockets away.

'Ok,' Steve makes the effort to smile at the boy who's tracing the star on his chest with a finger, 'we're good aren't we? And Tony'll be back before you know it.'

Huge brown eyes just gaze up at him before a moment before the boy curls into his side and promptly falls asleep.

'What the fuck?' Clint just looks bewildered.

'Language,' Steve scolds, quite automatically, with a glance to the boy in his arms.

Natasha hums and moves to a console against the room. After a few minutes she's apparently hacked in.

'Well,' she turns back to them, 'whatever it was he found he's wiped the data from here. Chances are he has the only copy now.'

'Let's get out of here,' Steve decides. 'We don't need to wait for SHIELD and the quicker we get back to the helicarrier, the quicker we can get home.'

On the helicarrier they get some strange looks, but they aren't stopped until after Bruce has left for his room and the remaining three of them get to the conference room.

'I'll take the boy,' an agent smiles and reaches for him.

'No, that's fine,' Steve smiles back as he feels small fingers tighten their grip on the neck of his suit.

'He'll be perfectly safe with me,' he persists. 'I can find him something to eat and some toys.'

What toys could there possibly be on the helicarrier?

'Some water would be great, thanks,' Steve steps around him and into the conference room. Natasha and Clint follow him and then close the door.

'Not that Stark isn't a great guy at heart,' Clint voices what Steve's been thinking, 'but why does he care so much about what happens to the kid? No offence, kid.'

The boy just stares at him and the fidgets on Steve's lap as he sits down.

'What's your name?' Steve tries asking again.

The boy just stares at him.

'I'm Captain America,' Steve smiles, 'but you can call me Steve, if you'd like. What shall I call you?'

The boy's head tips to the side as if he's considering the question and Steve hears a sudden intake of breath from Natasha across the table.

A sound like that from Natasha is like screaming hysteria from anyone else.

Steve glances at her but she doesn't give anything else away.

And then the door opens and Fury strides in, shattering the quiet moment,

'What have we got here then?' he stares at the boy who clutches at Steve's arm but stares right back.

'He was at the AIM compound,' Steve reports with a slight scowl towards the Director. 'He's in my custody right now.'

'Not Stark's?' Fury asks and flicks a look at Natasha.

Steve stays silent; they clearly think they know something.

'Captain,' Fury smiles, 'I know I have the advantage of having seen him before, but look at the boy. Who does he remind you of?'

Steve looks at the boy in his lap, brown hair and eyes, skin that's slightly darker than his own, a gaze that seems to be obtaining knowledge through pure force of will...

'He's my son,' Tony declares as he strides into the room looking like he just stepped out of a high rollers' casino.

'You had time to change?' Steve blurts pointlessly.

'I arrived on my jet,' Tony shrugs and tucks his sunglasses into his pocket. 'I can get lots of things done on that jet.'

Fury narrows his eyes at Tony, who smirks in response.

The boy on Steve's lap then squirms enough to get to the floor and run to the man who is apparently his father.

'Your son?' Clint stares. 'Ok, a bit embarrassed I didn't see it before; he looks just like you.'

'He's a clone,' Tony scoops the boy back onto his hip as if he's been doing this for years.

'There are two of you,' Clint deadpans and the drops his head onto the conference table.

'Why would anyone want that?' Steve asks in confusion.

He sees Natasha smirk, hears Clint huff a laugh but it takes Tony's bemused stare for him to realise what he's just said,

'Not that you aren't just swell,' he offers Tony an embarrassed grin and hopes their friendship has progressed far enough for this.

'I won't bore you with the details, but they wanted a me loyal to them to make them tech,' Tony rolls his eyes. 'Guess they were playing the long game.'

'Why can't he talk?' Steve worries.

'He can talk, can't you buddy?' Tony looks at the boy who nods and then glances around.

'Where's mommy?' he sounds scared.

God, Steve thinks, we have to find...

'She isn't coming,' Tony smiles, 'you won't see her again.'

The boy breaks into the most enormous grin and hugs Tony tightly around the neck. Tony closes his eyes and hugs him back.