Erik Stevenson

-----Phil Pov------

I saw the dead body of N'Jobu and I know this will lead his son to become the future Killmonger. But right now, all I can see is a young boy, orphaned and crying holding the dead body of his father.

"Guys, come outside for a minute, will you?" I called for both Steve and Bucky outside to discuss how to tackle this situation. Our invisible jet belongs to Wakanda and they are an isolationist country. They do not care about the affairs of this planet outside their borders and that can be considered a safety net for us now.

"Phil, you know about this Panther thing?" Steve asked as soon as got out. Somehow all the people around me have assumed I have answers to everything. Well, they may be right.

"Black Panther is the symbol of the king of Wakanda. Wakanda itself is the most advanced country in terms of technology related to any and every industry you can imagine and yet still living deeply connected to their tribal roots. They use Vibranium in everything and they have enough to make this whole world crazy.

Flying jets, spears that can shoot lasers or clothes that have energy forcefields. Wakanda is ahead of any city or country on Earth by at least 50-70 years. However, they are not an enemy and abide by strict isolationist policies.

That dead man was the brother of the king. A real Prince living in this place. I don't know why they had a fight but we can find the rest. The problem is, do we want to intervene in this?"

I told them the story of Wakanda in simple and short form.

"What about the kid?" Bucky asked.

"I want to go with you," suddenly a voice came from behind us and we see Erik standing there with tear stains on his face. The boy managed to sneak up on us and listen to our conversation.

"I will take care of him. Let him come with us to our new base. We already have Natasha and Yelena. He may find new friends there. Besides, what will happen if one day his uncle decided to come and finish the job to secure the throne for his son?!" Steve said the last thing in a barely audible volume but this guy was right.

The king killed his brother directly. Not imprisoned or captured but straight up dead. He didn't try to take his brother's only son back to Wakanda or ever arrange any funds for his education or anything. He basically left this kid alone, outside to live or die. This basically makes the throne of Wakanda secure for his son and remove any future challengers.

"Let's bury the man first. We need to leave this place before cops come. What's your name kid?" I asked the boy.

"N'Jadaka. My father named me N'Jadaka." the boy said firmly. He was proud of the name, that's for sure.

"Cool. Now, you will have a new name. This is Steve Rogers. He has decided to be your new legal guardian. So, you will be Erik Stevenson from now on. Do you agree?" I asked him directly. Maybe he is 10-12 years old but now, I want him to make his own decisions.

"Will you help me kill the man who killed my father? You say this Wakanda is like super nation but can you help me fight their Black Panther?" The boy burning in vengeance asked his question.

Steve looked at me and I just shrugged. C'mon man, this is a family drama and if you want the boy to be part of the family, then own up the drama too.

"I will not help you in killing anyone. That is a decision every man must make and live with it. But I can promise to bring this man in front of you and give you a fair trial. Justice, not vengeance." Steve finally replied to the boy.

"I will take Justice for now. I need to grab a few things my father told me to keep safe. I want to bury him near mama. Can you help me?" The boy lost all his strength finishing the last sentences.

"Don't worry kid. We got this." Bucky finally opened his mouth and that finally ended this eventful night.

We buried N'Jobu near his wife's grave in the local graveyard. There was also the body of Zuri, which we buried nearby. Erik grabbed a locket and diary from a small safe in his house before boarding the plane with Steve and leaving this place. This may be the end of his normal life.

'Now, we have three kids at the base. What are we going to do with them?' This was a headache for me.

------Steve POV---------

I went on a simple mission to locate an enemy, fought a Black Panther in a metallic suit and ended up with a kid in my arms. This boy, this fragile little thing, is a possible future king. Betrayed by his family and left to fend for himself. He looks like me. I remember losing my mother. I remember being a weak little man with chicken legs and chicken arms and yet ready to join the army.

This little boy, with his tiny little hands, wants to kill a king of a country. I don't know if this is right or not, but somehow, I could not leave him alone. Well, I think I was late for a lot of things in my life but right on time for him.

"Sleep, tight boy. A day ends up with the darkest of nights but the darkness fades away when the new light comes. I know you are in the darkness now but one day, you will see the light. I will be there for you, Erik Stevenson. Stevenson. That bastard Phil has terrible naming ideas." I mumbled to myself without knowing the boy in my arms was listening to it and finally his hand that was holding his father's locket relaxed.

"Erik Stevenson...At least it sounds more normal than N'Jadaka." the boy thought and fell asleep in the arms of his new guardian.