Author: Black Dragon on the Rocks/animealam

Rating: T

Pairing: None so far, mentions of one sided Steve/Peggy

Summary: The Universe stared at the boy for what seemed an eternity to him, only to change into a decrepit, dirty alley, and that was the last thing Steve saw before loosing consciousness. The small frail boy banished in a flash of blue flames. Be warned VERY AU Young Time Travelling genius tech savvy Steve.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Avengers, I'm just borrowing them. I'm using a good number of the movie dialogs, even if I added bits and pieces to some of them. So if something looks familiar they are obviously not mine, and belong to their respective owners.

Warnings: NOT SLASH, AU, _Completely totally AU, Time Travel, Younger Steve, Violence, Adoption, Smart Steve, Technopaths, Technopath Tony, Technopath Steve, Canon Character Deaths, Minor Character Deaths, OOC-ness, there are quite a lot of movie dialogs which I decided not to change but I did add my own twists and turns to make them a bit more interesting.

Characters: Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Thor, Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Maria Hill, Sarah Rogers, mentions of Bucky, mentions of Peggy Carter, mentions of Howard Stark, mentions of Colonel Phillips, mentions of the Howling Commandos, Jarvis, Pepper, Happy, Rhodey

Timeline: Pre Avengers, Captain America: The First Avenger, Avengers, Post Avengers

Author's Note: I have to apologize in advance, because I probably won't post for a couple of weeks. Chapters 17 and 18 are undergoing some heavy rearranging because I moved things from this chapter to 17, and from that one to 18. Frankly this chapter was over 7000 words originally.

I want to have at least chapter 18 finished (it's already one huge chapter of over 9,000 words and no good place to break it) and have at least 19 on the way before I post again.

The first part of this chapter was also part of the original draft. I wanted some things to remain somewhat true to canon for most of the story. Still I debated whether to go this way or not for months, and even rewrote it a few times, but it was not working for me, specially if I want to go all the way to the Winter Soldier. So I decided to leave it after working on it a lot.

Please, don't kill me.

Total size without notes: 4,155

Keys:

"Speaking aloud."

'Thoughts'

'Name: /Mental interfacing between technopaths and/or tech\'


You're adopting me, Tony?

The tired group made their way back to the tower on foot as the streets were too damaged for vehicles to pass. They had all accepted to spend the night at the tower, and perhaps even longer depending on how things went with debriefing and SHIELD.

On the way back to the tower Tony made the necessary arrangements for their stay through JARVIS. He had enough finished guest quarters on the floor beneath the pent-house for everyone, but he wanted Steve to stay at the pent-house's guest room to keep an eye on the kid.

As an after thought Tony told JARVIS to ready the other guest room for Sarah. He was smuggling her into the tower so Steve and her could finally have their family reunion. It might be difficult to keep her hidden from the assassin twins, as he was beginning to think of Romanoff and Barton, but the kid had waited long enough to see his Mom.

As exhausted as they were, they did stop to help when necessary. Thor and Steve were more of the heavy lifters, and they took the brunt of that job if something big needed to be moved. But the assassin duo and Bruce were able to provide some basic first aid.

Then they came upon a turned up ambulance. It had been badly hit by Chitauri weapons, and probably hit by one of the flying-whale-things as well. The driver was dead, as was one paramedic. They were probably heading towards an emergency and got caught up in the crossfire. The dead paramedic had gone flying out of the ambulance.

There was a second paramedic who had also been thrown out, but the heavy vehicle partially landed on her. She was a blonde woman, and to their shock she was still alive and conscious, but would not be for long. They could see her injuries were fatal.

Bruce and Natasha had moved closer to the woman to provide whatever aid they could in making her last moments comfortable, and perhaps get the names of people she wanted notified. Clint was scavenging the ambulance's supplies to find anything that might help ease the woman's last moments. Neither of them believed help would arrive anytime soon.

Tony stayed back because he really did not take too well to gore. Thor and Steve approached to see if moving the ambulance off the paramedic would be any help. Then Steve crumbled besides the woman with a soft, strangled 'Ma', and Tony's stomach plummeted.

'Fuck no!' Tony thought shocked. 'No, it can't be. This is... so fucked up and... so unbelievably cruel. Please, any Deity who's listening, please don't let that woman be his mother, please!' The kid doesn't deserve this on top of everything!' He silently begged, and yet he could see it was her by Steve's reaction.

"No, no, Ma. This... this can't be happening!" His voice broke and he was shaking his head in denial. "Not when I managed to make it back! You..." a strangled sob escaped his mouth, "you promised to be safe, Ma! You promised!"

"I'm sorry, Steve... I'm so... sorry. Duty... Duty called, love," she raised a hand to caress his cheek. His hand caught it midway, and he pressed it to his cheek.

Sarah had wanted so much to touch her son again, to hold him, and kiss him, and never let go. After the ambulance was attacked she thought she would never get to do it again. She was dying, and Sarah believed it would have been too much to beg God to let her see Steve just one more time, and yet, there he was, kneeling besides her.

It was not the reunion she had hoped for, and she knew he would be hurting so very much, but at least he would not be alone. Her boy was no longer the small thin child she had still been able to carry at twelve. Steve was now as big as a grown man, bigger than his father and both grandfathers had been, but even if he was more mature and independent than he was three months ago, she knew Steve was not an adult yet.

"I... I'll get help... I'll..." He began to stand, a bit of desperation and denial in his voice. He was willing to go to SHIELD, and reveal he was a time traveller, if they could help her.

"It's no use, baby boy."

"Not a baby," he protested automatically.

"I know... I do know, Steve. But... you were still my... my baby boy three months ago..."

"I have to get you some help, Ma. There must be something..." He just... He didn't know if he could just kneel there and wait for her to die, wait for his only remaining family to leave him. "There must be something I can do."

"It's no use, son, and I... I'm so sorry. I don't want... to leave you... But I... I know it's too bad to make it. At least... At least I got to know you survived, I got to see what you'd look all grown up..." So much like her, but with Joseph's voice and build. "Did... did your team win, Steve?"

"Yeah," he croaked. Steve did not want to admit it aloud, but he had seen a few cases like his mother's during the war. None had made it. It was really a miracle she was still alive. "Yeah we did. We... We won."

"I'm... proud my, genius boy, so very proud." She managed a smile, and her eyes showed the truth of her words. "I'm sure... your Da is proud as well. He'll be coming...for me soon. I'll be seeing him... again, and I'll tell... Tell him about his brilliant and brave boy."

"Don't leave me alone, Ma. Please!" A sniffle escaped, even when he was trying so hard not to cry. "I... I still need you," he admitted.

"You won't be alone, Love, I... I promise. Mr Stark... Tony," and her eyes settled on the man who had just knelt besides her boy.

She looked at the man straight in the eyes, Sarah could see he cared about her boy, he was worried for him, and he looked quite uncertain as to what to do for Steve. Yet he chose to be by her boy's side to remind Steve he was not alone. It... comforted her. Tony Stark might or might not become a father figure for her son, but he would at least be a protector and a friend.

Sarah idly noticed Steve was bigger than the brunette she would be leaving her son to. She was in no real pain, her back was broken, but she was having trouble breathing, the weight of the ambulance making it difficult to draw air in, but she knew it was that same weight which was keeping her from bleeding out in seconds. It was allowing her a more time with her boy.

"I'm here, Sarah," he placed a hand on Steve's shoulder to offer some support, and let him know he was not alone.

As soon as he realized who the woman was he had moved to Steve's side. The kid looked so much like her there was no denying they were related. Tony had knelt besides Steve ignoring the shocked and confused expressions on everyone's faces but Bruce's.

He could only imagine what was going through their minds. Hopefully Bruce would keep the questions at bay for a while. Steve was not in any condition to answer them, and frankly neither was he.

Tony knew hearing someone who was supposedly ninety-something years old call a woman in his thirties Ma made no sense. Specially not when said woman called that ninety-something her baby boy.

Thankfully his science bro was managing to stall the others' curiosity. It was not the right time. They were keeping close though, and probably giving their full attention to the conversation.

"You will keep him... safe from those... men? Like... Like we agreed?" She asked wanting to be reassured her boy would be safe, and would not be alone, even if Tony was still mostly a stranger.

"Ma?" Steve asked shocked, then turned to glare at Tony.

Did he tell her what Kraft did? After what the Hulk said, Steve knew they were aware of what that maniac did to him, but he still did not know how the hell had Tony and Bruce find out about it.

Steve: /What did you do, Tony? Why is my mother asking you to protect me?\ he asked, glaring at the older technopath.

Steve was also slightly offended, he could protect himself. He conveniently chose to ignore the tiny voice at the back of his mind reminding him he had been completely helpless against Kraft and minions, he had not been able to protect himself.

Tony: /I told her Kraft incapacitated you, and had taken some samples from you without your consent. Nothing else Steve, it wasn't my place to tell her more than what you admitted to.\ The kid glared and returned his attention to his mother.

Steve: /You had no right to tell her anything!\ He could not help snapping at the older technopath. /No right to worry her. She's already been through so much.\

Tony: /I was going to tell you once this was over, but time was of essence Steve, there was no time to waste. SHIELD was too busy to notice, and we had to act while they were distracted.\

"I will," Tony promised and took her other hand in his giving it a light squeeze. It was rather unlike him, but he suspected the dying mother might feel comforted by it. "You don't need to worry about those particular men anymore.

"The Hulk likes your kid a lot, Sarah, and he has become rather protective of the little Cap as he calls him," Tony chose to inform her; as he hoped this earned them a small relieved smile. "He took exception to them hurting Steve. They are dead, and he left those men as an example of what to expect should anyone try to experiment on Steve again."

Bruce had not been very explicit as to what Hulk did to Kraft and Co., just left the details to their imagination to come up with whatever images the could conjure. As it turned out, his imagination could actually conjure some pretty gruesome scenarios, each worse than the other. They left him squicked, yet sadistically satisfied.

It had been Thor who put a name to it, and Tony had to agreed the punishment had fit the crime. It would not have occurred to him to do that, and from the look in the assassins faces it would not have occurred to them either, but it fit.

"Good... Thank... Thank Hulk for me. You will... You'll take care of him for me when I'm gone, Tony?" She insisted.

Sarah needed to know her son would not be left completely alone. He might look like an adult, have taken care of himself for four years, even matured more than she would expect, but he had also been through so much already. He had seen too much, and lost too much as well. She worried Steve might not be able to pull through if left on his own.

"I will, you need not worry, Sarah. I promise I'll ensure he will be well taken care of, and the adoption will go through," the kid turned to stare at him in shock.

Steve: /Adoption? You're adopting me? What the hell is going on, Tony?\ he could not help but ask confused as he gaped at the older man.

His stomach churned as the idea his mother had given him away formed. Why would she let Tony adopt him? Did she not want him anymore because he was no longer the sickly and scrawny kid he had been?

Tony: /It was the only way I could think of to keep you out of SHIELD's clutches.\ He sensed the kid's unease, so he hurried to explain before he got the wrong idea. /I was going to co-parent with her Steve, I was basically going to provide for you both, give you a safe place to live, and provide you with protection. She was not giving you up, she would have never given you up Steve.\

Tony: /Hell, your mother would probably have killed anyone who dared suggest it! She loves you very much,\ he reassured the kid. /As I said, it was the only way I could think of to protect you from SHIELD, and frankly after what Romanoff told us, we were barely on time, since Fury already suspects you're a minor.\ Steve just mentally sighed but said nothing, even if Tony could feel he was uncertain as to how to feel about the adoption.

"I give you my word," Tony told the woman solemnly. "SHIELD and his mad scientists aren't getting Steve, even if I have to repulsor each and everyone of them off the face of the Earth. But I would have liked for you to be there, Sarah, your kid's a handful."

"Yes, yes he is," she smiled proudly showing in her eyes just how much she loved her son. "Always been very stubborn... Lived, when doctors said... said he wouldn't. Contrary little thing they told me."

"Not little anymore, Ma," Steve sniffled doing his best to keep the tears forming in his eyes from falling. His Ma did not need to see him cry, it always worried her when he did, specially because he seldom shed tears after he turned eight.

"And I mean it, Sarah," Tony reassured the dying mother. "I'll keep your boy safe. You can rest confident I will do my best, you can also count on the Hulk and doctor Banner."

"Made... a Will, your lawyer... suggested it, but I need a... a phone. I want.. I want to leave a message for... for the court. The judge will... Want to speak with... Steve, your lawyer said so...

"I need to... make sure they know... That even if he looks... older, he's the same boy who... disappeared a few months back." It was getting so hard to keep talking, but she could not leave, not until she did as much as she could to provide a home and a safe place for Steve.

"Please don't talk, Ma. Save your energy," Steve begged.

"It's... important to me, Love." Sarah looked at him earnestly, wanting him to understand how much it meant to her to know he would be with people he could relate to, and who would take care of him, even if Steve probably believed he did not need anyone taking care of him anymore.

"I have a few ideas to explain why he looks like he does when he's supposed to be twelve," Tony said softly and he heard some gasps coming from both, Romanoff and Barton. Then there was whispering between them and Bruce.

Tony spared a quick apologetic look in the scientist's direction for leaving him to... explain to those two and Thor. At least they were not demanding answers from the kid or him yet, but he knew at least Romanoff would demand them soon. Steve only spared him another glare, but this one was half-hearted at most.

"I wanted to discuss them with you, Steve, and Bruce but I don't think there's time for it anymore," Tony told her regretfully.

Before she recorded her message—on Tony's Stark-phone, even when Romanoff had had hers shockingly hidden somehow in her utility belt, and it was unharmed—Tony and Bruce hastily constructed the story.

The story was based on Tony's half formed ideas to explain why the twelve year old Steve looked like he was in his early twenties, behaved like he was either in his mid teens, or like he was a young adult, and had the training of a special forces soldier, or a Marine. The explanation for the later two came from Romanoff actually because they could not find a way to explain it.

Steve had said very little while they constructed what would be his story, except to clarify a point, and barely paid any attention to what lies they concocted about his life. Lies to explain his time travle without actually mentioning it, and which he would have to tell the authorities, as well as anyone who asked about it.

He chose to simply kneel at his mother's side, holding her hand, or caressing her matted hair with glove-less hands. Steve wanted to cry, and to rage at the injustice of losing his only family just when he finally got her back, but he kept quiet.

Once they had the story they wanted to tell hashed out, which took little time since they did not know how long she had to live, Sarah recorded the message on Tony's phone.

In it she confirmed her desire for her child, Steven Grant Rogers, to be adopted by Anthony Edward Stark as stated in her Will, as well as identify the adult looking young man as her son—the boy who had disappeared from their home in February.

The adoption process was already on the way, both parties were in agreement, and she was not changing her decision. Then Sarah began to explain what she found out had 'happened' to her son since she reported him missing at the beginning of February. The reason he was 'taken' from their home.


Steve had been kidnapped by Kraft and experimented on because the man wanted to recreate the Super Soldier Serum. Steve not only looked very similar to Captain America, he also had a similar list of illnesses.

Kraft speculated he might be a descendant. A possible great grand son from a bastard child, because Joseph Rogers grandmother had actually been a USO girl who went on tour with Captain America. She never told who the father of her eldest son was.

Steve denied ever sleeping with any of the USO girls, specially not Mandy Reynolds—whom he now knew was his great grandmother—and it had not been for lack of trying on their part. But Steve had had his eyes set on Peggy Carter even then, and he had eyes for no one else. So no, Steve was not his own descendant. Although... There might be one or two in Europe. He had been careful, but... accidents happened, not that he admitted it aloud.

Kraft's experiment had been successful. It changed Steve, healing and aging his body, as well as giving him 'similar' abilities to those of Captain America. Through some mind manipulation and memory implantation, they had subjected him to intensive training.

This last had been added by Natasha when they had stumbled over how to explain his fighting and tactical abilities. The ex-Russian spy only said the Red Room had had ways to do that.

They had been able to not only implant false memories, but to condition the body to have the necessary muscle memory to back up whatever was implanted, but did not elaborate. By the haunted look in her eyes, which only lasted an instant, they suspected she had been a victim of that particular method at some point in her past.

Only Barton was not surprised by her words, so she had clearly confided in him at some point. Although he did look a bit puzzled by the fact she actually offered the information, even when she did not know what was going on.

Steve had been rescued by Clint after he raided Kraft's lab, since the man had kidnapped others to use in his experiments before. He checked his labs practically on a bi-weekly basis, but Kraft had managed to hide Steve for a few months. Not a complete lie since Clint did infiltrate Kraft's lab rather often.

Those responsible for the kidnapping and experimenting on a child had been arrested, and had been awaiting to be charged. Unfortunately they would not be facing justice because they were killed as a result of the attack. There was no need to make public it was the Hulk who took care of them.

Steve had been left in limbo because while he was twelve according to his birth date, he was not anymore. He was physically in his early twenties—somewhere between twenty to twenty-three years old—and emotionally at least in his mid teens.

No one at SHIELD, where Clint took him after he was 'rescued', had been aware of how old he actually was. They only knew Steve was highly trained in combat, tactics, and firearms.

So after he assisted them when their base was attacked, Steve was asked to help them stop the invasion, and had not only participated in the Battle. He had actually ended being the one to lead the Avengers.

Sarah informed whoever watched the video, Steve was a genius who graduated from MIT at eleven with two Masters. That alone accounted for him not being an ordinary child. Tony Stark was a genius himself, a super hero, and a member of the Avengers. Stark understood what Steve was going through better than anyone else because of past experiences.

Sarah insisted Tony Stark could provide the necessary support Steve needed based on those experiences alone. He was also able to provide her son with a home, a support system, and the opportunity to further his education should Steve wish to pursue it.


The recording took a bit, and through it all Steve held his mother's hand; kneeling stoically besides her, watching as she struggled to leave her message to ensure his safety. It was a moving plea despite the convoluted explanations at times.

Afterward the two of them had prayed, Steve's voice the loudest even when he spoke softly. Sarah had barely any strength left. The effort of leaving her message robbed her of the last of her energy, and she died only a few minutes after finishing it.

Steve just knelt besides her stoically, and did not release her hand. He said nothing, looked at no one, and made no effort to move with the exception of his quick, sharp, breaths, as he tried to avoid crying. He needed to keep himself under control, or he would end breaking down right then and there.

When Tony or the others tried to speak with him Steve did not respond to them. He only stared. For long minutes he was simply there, unmoving, like a marble statue. After being still for some time, Steve kissed his mother's forehead tenderly, softly telling her he loved her, and how much he would miss her.

Steve arranged her hands on her chest, like she was praying, and tried to make her blood stained hair presentable by combing it with the comb he carried in his utility belt. Bucky had always insisted he carried one, and the lesson had stuck.

He then said several prayers for her soul to rest in peace. Steve knew them, as there had been times when the hospital chaplain had prayed with his mother for him. Times when the doctors did not give her hope he would live, and yet... Steve always had. Because of his ill health, he always believed he would be the first to go, not his mother, and yet... He was the one saying goodbye.

Steve, on his own, moved the vehicle off her, he got the gurney from the ambulance, and since it was only scratched he placed his mother gently on it, making sure she was secured. Steve then covered her body with the blanket Bruce had placed besides them earlier. When he was done, he placed his shield on top of her.

Then he abruptly took off at a run, only to stop before the leviathan which had fallen close by. With one anguished cry full of anger, pain, and despair Steve proceeded to destroy the carcass, hitting, kicking, and tearing at it with his bare hands.

Their hearts broke for him—even if none would truly show it—at seeing Steve take care of his mother and saying goodbye. His pain and desolation were clearly visible, even if he had yet to shed a tear. With aching hearts they all watched Steve destroy the huge beast with singular abandon, none making any effort to stop him.

Each and every one of them was familiar with loss, grief, and anger at the unfairness of life. They knew Steve needed to vent, he simply had too much on his plate, and it needed a way out. Turning the alien beast into mince meat was probably the safest way to let him do that, but it still unnerved them because Steve was eerily silent after that first anguished cry.