Disclaimer: Still don't own characters... sadly. Or cover.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.
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51,000 feet above ground level, rests S.H.E.I.L.D.S base. A helocarrier designed to never touch the ground again, easily the most advanced piece of technology in its time. Besides Starks inventions of course. It holds jets, helicopters and other assorted aircraft, along with dangerous offensive and defensive weapons and the most highly trained soldiers and SHEILD agents ever seen. However, it not only carries the most advanced weaponry or agents, but also a remarkable group of people known as the Avengers. Individuals with great abilities and skills used for one purpose only, protecting the world from foreign and domestic threats that ordinary people cannot handle.

Unlike any other day, today was rather slow for these heros. Fury had no missions that needed attending too, Tony and Bruce were hanging out in the lab doing God only knows what. Steve was watching t.v. catching up with the times and Clint and Natasha were nowhere to be seen, which is normal for them (Being spies and all). And Thor was off world in Asguard visiting.

It was quiet with only the sound of distant typing and chatter. That is until an agent went to report to Director Fury about a powerful energy surge in the Arizona desert.

"Avengers, report to the mission room immediately." Nick said into the intercom. Everyone was actually excited to be doing something, except for Tony of course, but that was typical. He would soon get over himself though.

"What is the problem Director?" Steve, now Captain America asked once they were all present.

"13 minutes ago, an unknown energy surge was recorded to have taken place in the Arizona desert. Your mission is to investigate and if the source was a being, then you are to subdue them and bring them here. The exact coordinates are included in the debrief, I suggest you suit up and head out now before we miss the opportunity to investigate fully."

"Yes sir" they all replied in unison, which caused Tony to giggle at the irony.

LinebreakLinebreakLinebreakLineBreak...

"ETA 5 minutes." Barton called from the cockpit, Natasha as his co-pilot.

Everyone was slightly nervous about the mission turning into another Loki situation, but they were hoping it was nothing. Once they reached their designated coordinants, Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Black Widow exited the jet at a running pace. Bruce stayed behind in the aircraft until the situation required the Hulk, if at all.

The four hero's spit up to cover more ground, each headed in one direction. It was pass sunset, so the temperature was below freezing in the vast desert. But that didn't bother any of them, thanks to Starks new thermal suits for everyone on the team.

An hour or so had passed before Captain America noticed a black form in the distance. He jogged at a stable pace before comming upon the form, which happened to be a boy. Steve's heart crushed when he saw the boys circumstances, he was crudely tied up and he was bloody and bruised horribly.

"Team, proceed to my location, no need to tread lightly and bring Banner, not the Hulk." He said into the com unit as he kneeled down next to the small child, putting him in his lap. He checked for a pulse, relieved when he found one. It was week, but it was there. He proceeded to look over his injuries wondering who would be so sick as to do this to a child. In the war, he had come across many children who were injured or even dead, but that still didn't make him become accustomed to it. He still felt anger and failure at not helping them sooner, and now this child had been stranded in a desert. If they hadn't come to investigate, then he would have surly died. Steve tensed at the thought.

"What is it cap, what did you fi... oh my god." Tony gasped out after getting a view of the young boy. Tony guessed that he couldn't probably be any older that 14. Natasha knelt down by Steve, pulling out a knife to cut the bonds. Once the ropes were off, they could all see the bruises that they left, leaving an uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Tony noticed then what the boy was wearing, it looked like Kevlar armor. What child would be clad in something so high tech. Maybe he was what caused the powerful energy surge. He made a mental note to look into that once they got back to base.

"Set him down so I can assess his wounds" Banner said. Steve complied and gently set him down. The sun was beginning to rise, and as each minute passed, the more the hero's saw.

"He has two entry stab wounds, one in his left shoulder, the other in his lower abdomen. He has lost a severe amount of blood and he is hyperthermic. We have to get him back to base for there to be any chance for him, get him in the Quin Jet and get him warm." Banner ordered.

Steve carefully lifted the boy, shocked at how light and small he was, even for a supper soldier. The boys weight concerned him greatly. The rest of the Avengers followed him heading towards the jet, their thoughts sorely on the unknown boys condition.

"What about the mission?" Natasha pointed out.

"Don't worry about that, I have a theory." Tony said eyeing the boy. Banner of course saw this, and gave Tony a look telling him that he suspected the same thing. Once they were all in the jet, Clint set up autopilot for Jarvis and went to pull out the med-bed for Steve. The captain smiled a thanks to Barton and placed him down onto the bed. Natasha grabbed some blankets and lied them down on the boys legs while Dr. Banner cleaned and dressed the wounds. He wouldn't be able to stitch him up safely with him being as furious as he was. It was taking everything for him not to release the other guy.

When he was done with his work, Natasha pulled the blankets up to the boys chin and tucked them closely around him. She then proceeded to lay down on the bed with him wrapping her arms around him, attempting to warm the freezing ebony. Tony gave her a look and she shrugged.

"Bruce said he was in a dangerous stage of hypothermia, our efforts will be useless if he dies. Unless your just jealous." Nat said trying to lighten the mood, snuggling closer to the young unconscious boy.

"ETA 3 minutes." Jarvis stated. Clint and Steve went to the cockpit to prepare to land the jet. Once landed Steve approached Natasha and the boy, she slowly sat up the boy and placed him in the captain's arms, with the blanket still tightly wrapped around him. He had warmed up a little, but Bruce said that he still had a mild fever.

The hero's were greeted by the director himself, he was glaring with his arms crossed. Opps. They had forgotten to give Fury an update on their findings. Fury gave all the hero's a once over, stopping when he saw a small form in the captain's arms.

"Who is that?" He said sternly.

"Sir." Agent Romanoff started "When we reached our destination, we proceeded as ordered, when Captain Rogers found this young boy severely injured and barley alive. After assessing his injuries we decided to take him back to base as quickly as possible." She said with little emotion.

"I understand that Miss Romanoff, but you could have just taken him to a hospital, and then continued with your assigned mission." Fury said slightly exasperated. "Did you even find the energy source?" He said pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, well I have an answer for that, but Dr. Banner and I need to look further into it to prove our theory." Stark said happy he could contribute something.

"Then get to work Mr. Stark." Tony left with Bruce trailing behind him. Steve went to follow with the boy in hand but was stopped by Fury.

"I want a full report on my desk in an hour captain. But for now, get him inside and situated." Fury ordered. Steve walked briskly toward the bay doors, eager to get the boy to the med-room. Natasha followed closely as well while Clint went to get started on the report for Steve so that he can stay near the child. He would have gone with them, but he felt that he was being more useful to the situation this way.

Once in the med-room, Steve placed him on one of the beds. Doctors gathered around the boy, putting in I.Vs and giving him oxygen. Natasha grasped Steve's hand, causing him
to release the breath that he was holding in.

"He is going to be OK Steve. Let's go wait outside while they work." She said, leading him through the doors to sit down.

"Who would do something like that? I mean, I've seen children live in horrible conditions, but I've never seen someone who would deliberately do that to someone so innocent." Steve said looking down sadly.

A few hours had passed, the report he was supposed to give to Fury was forgoten. But he wasn't concerned, he had known that Clint had filled it for him. Director Fury walked up to him and Natasha sitting down next to them.

"Stark and Banner believe that the boy is the source of the energy surge, but that cannot be proved until they can conduct an accurate scan. Don't wory, it is a none evasive scan." He quickly said seeing the look that Rogers had sent him.

A few minutes of silence passed between them, waiting for news on the child's condition. Dr. Braxton, one of S.H.E.I.L.D.S most talented surgeons walked through the doors that let to the boy.

"What's the diagnosis Dr. Braxton." Director Fury addressed.

"He is a very lucky young man, if we had waited any longer he would have died. He sustained two deep entry woulds, multiple beatings that resulted in a brused lung, 4 broken ribs, 6 fractured, a concussion and broken wrist. Due to being exposed to harsh elements he is now recovering from a bad case of pneumonia. Luckily, he is responding to the medication successfuly, and we can expect him to make a full physical recovery." The doctor said relieved as well. It is hard to operate on children who sustain such injury.

"However." he said grimly, "During his opperation, we noticed evidence of more extensive tourture. His body is littered with cruel scars, and some of his tissue is still in the process of healing. Some of his scars, based on the tissue, date back 4-5 years." He said signaling the three hero's to follow him back down the hall to where the boy was.

Dr. Braxton opened the door leading them to the ebony's bedside. He was pale with flushed cheeks, his skin looked almost transparent from all the blood loss. It clashed against his raven black locks, that was soaked from the disinfectant wipes from trying to get the coated blood from his hair. He looked so fragile and small in the large white hospital bed. I.Vs were in his arms, feeding him a concoction of all sorts of prescribed medications along with blood to supply what he had lost.

Dr. Braxton lifted the white blanket that had been drapped onto the boy, revelling a heavily bandaged torso, however; if you looked closer you could see long deep scars all over the ebony's body. The cruelest was a word that was carved into his pecks, the word read Joker. Tony and Bruce walked into the med-room to check on the boy, they stopped in their tracks upon seeing the gruesome collection of mutilated flesh. Bruce turned around on the spot and stormed out of the room, his fists clenched.

"There are more covering his back and limbs. We counted 6 bullet wounds and 13 stab wounds, not including the two he recently sustained." He reported sadly and he turned to leave the room, the long operation had done a number on him.

"Oh my god! Who would do this, when I find out who did this I'm gonna..." Stark ranted loudly, causing the young ebony to shift. Everyone stood still waiting for the boy to wake up. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned slightly, signaling that he was awake.

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I hope you guys enjoyed it, sorry that Robin was unconscious the whole time.

Be sure to like and leave comments!!!

I will be sure to upload the next chapter soon.