Monday
Clint, Natasha, Thor, Tony, Bruce, and Steve sat around the lunch table. They were the weirdest clique in all of Brooklyn Heights Senior High; each of them had a different niche, but didn't belong with the people who shared in those skills. Tony was a genius, but couldn't be with the other geniuses, who he dubbed "incredibly lame", except for Bruce, of course. He could have been with the other rich kids, but Tony was exponentially richer, and would have just embarrassed them. Bruce was the best wrestler at the school, but was too mild mannered off the mat to be friends with other wrestlers. Steve was a track and baseball star, but was too old fashioned for his teammates. Thor was an amazing football player, but spoke oddly and knew very little about Midguardian ways, so he didn't spend much time with his team when off the field. Clint was the jewel of the archery club, but was too secretive for the other members to know anything about him. Natasha was the best fighter in the school, but didn't bother to join any clubs. She had a friend in Clint and tolerated the rest of the Avengers enough to be satisfied with her social circle. In any other circumstances, they would never have crossed paths but they were the Avengers, a group of remarkable people that acted as a response team when the world needed them. They were trying to live as normal lives as possible, so they were placed in a public school and told not to reveal their identity. Steve was the unofficial leader of the group when they were on a mission, but Tony was the self-appointed coordinator for any social functions the group participated. The topic currently up for discussion was the upcoming dance.
"So who are you taking, Tony?" Bruce asked.
"Pepper Potts." Tony said confidently.
"Yeah right, Tony. Pepper's the student council president and the top of our class. She wouldn't be caught dead with the likes of you." Clint taunted.
"I'm definitely taking Pepper, I've just gotta ask her. Speaking of which…" Tony said, pulling out his phone.
"Oh no. Tony, you cannot ask Pepper to the dance over text. She's got class, and she'll never say yes to you if you do it over the phone." Natasha explained.
"What do you know about class, Romanov, seeing as you're dating Legolas over their?" Tony shot back.
"We're not dating." Clint and Natasha said at the same time. The rest of the team burst into laughter, when it subsided, Steve put in his two cents.
"She's right, Tony, you've got to think of a better way. She already thinks you're some kind of…"Steve fished for the right word.
"Player." Bruce supplied. Clint nodded.
"Alright, if you guys are so smart, how do I ask her?" Tony retorted, annoyed.
"Ask her dad if you can first, then get her some flowers and ask her." Steve suggested.
"Hate to break it to you, Spangles, but this is the 21st century. I don't have to ask her dad." Tony replied.
"Maybe not, but the flowers aren't a bad idea." Clint added.
"Nope. If I have to ask her face to face, I'm gonna do it my way." Tony said, formulating a plan in his mind. "Anyway, who are you guys taking?"
"Peggy Carter, that exchange student from England. I'm going to ask her soon." Steve responded. Bruce nodded, impressed.
"Lady Jane Foster. She is teaching me to live as a Midguardian, for which I am eternally grateful." Thor replied.
"I wanna take Claire Thompson, but I can't." Bruce answered.
"Why not?" Tony asked.
"Cause she's way out of my league." Bruce replied. His shyness and lack of confidence made him the opposite of Tony, but they still shared in their love of science.
"Come on, Bruce, just ask her. The worst she can do is say no." Clint reasoned. The rest nodded in agreement.
"Fear not, Bruce." Thor encouraged.
"Oh alright, I'll ask her on Friday." Bruce gave in.
"I'm sure she'll say yes," Steve offered, to which Bruce smiled gratefully.
"I'm not going." Natasha said, bringing the subject back to the dance.
"Why not?" Tony asked again.
"Cause dances are stupid. I'd have to have a date, buy a dress and get all dressed up." Natasha answered. "Clint and I are just gonna hang out while you guys go to the dance."
"Yeah, I didn't really wanna go to the dance either." Clint added. Tony raised an eyebrow them.
"So instead of going to a dance, you guys are going to spend Saturday night alone together?" Tony smirked.
"Shut up, Stark, it's not like that." Natasha said, frustrated. This definitely wasn't the first time someone had suggested that she and Clint were together. They had been the closest of friends for years, ever since the night of the Red Room. Her mind filled with the memories of that night.
Before, they had been close; close enough that she had admitted to him her father's drinking problem and they had a deal that she would text him every time he can home in a rage. That night, her father had come home drunk, unsurprisingly. He was screaming and swearing at her mother. Her mother was a very organized and clean woman, she suffered from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and so every detail of her house was perfect. Her living room was white; she was the only woman in the world who could keep an entire room of white clean. Her father was yelling about her supposedly cheating on him, which Natasha knew wasn't true. She texted Clint, as they had agreed, and holed up in her room. She listened carefully to the altercation in the living room.
"You know I didn't cheat on you!" her mother screamed.
"Like hell you didn't!" he yelled back. After a few minutes, Natasha heard a gun fire. She crept to the stairway and saw her mother lying on the floor with a hole in her chest, the white carpet around her stained by a pool of blood. The white walls dripped blood. Her father sat next to her motionless body holding his head in his hands, muttering "What did I do?" Then he took the handgun and brought it to his temple, closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. Natasha's world crashed around her. The room that had always been pure white was red. It was dripping red, the pools of blood on the floor spreading. They seemed to climb the walls and cover the ceiling. Natasha's whole world was red. Not scarlet or crimson or burgundy but blood red. She ran out of the house, and didn't stop running until she ran into someone else. Looking up, she saw Clint. She told him everything and he let her stay at his house that night. They called the police and told them everything. After that night, she took the money her parents left her and had the living room redone, she didn't care what color it was as long it wasn't red.
Clint touched her hand, and she snapped back to the real world. He knew from the look in her eyes that she was remembering the Red Room.
"The bell just rang, Nat. We've gotta get to class." Clint said, pulling her effortlessly from her chair and walking her to her next class, not caring that he was going to be late to 5th period. She looked gratefully at him as he dashed to his class.
After school was out the team hopped into Tony's car and headed to Stark Tower. Per Nick Fury's request, they all lived together at Stark Tower, which made it easier for him to contact them for a mission. They got out and went to the top floor, where they each took their seat in the center of the room. When they had moved in they had all picked out a chair to be theirs and theirs only. Bruce's was a fluffy gray recliner. Thor had an extra wide red chair. Steve had a simple tan armchair. Tony chose a dark gray, square leather chair. Clint and Natasha had picked a black leather couch together, which had room for just the two of them. A loveseat, Tony had called it. JARVIS was programmed to have the team's favorite snacks and drinks on the table in the middle when they got home each afternoon.
"Hey Tony, what was the homework for AP Chemistry?" Bruce asked.
"I don't know, I don't pay attention. You're the one who usually pays attention." Tony said defensively.
"I had other things on my mind." Bruce explained.
"Like Claire?" Tony teased. Bruce went red.
"Well yeah but it was also because I was trying to calm down the Other Guy. It doesn't help that you were flicking paperclips at me." Bruce added as an afterthought.
"Whatever. I'll ask someone tomorrow. It'll only take a minute anyway." Tony conceded.
"So, Stark, did you figure out how you're going to ask Pepper to the dance?" Natasha asked.
"I'm working on it. First, JARVIS, hack into the school's database and tell me what foreign language Pepper Potts is taking." Tony instructed. His team looked at him quizzically.
"Miss Potts is currently taking French, Spanish and Mandarin, Master Stark." JARVIS informed him.
"Thanks, JARVIS. I'm going to write pieces of a message on six pieces of paper, in French, and have them delivered to each of her classes, so at the end of the day she can unscramble the message. I'll be waiting by her car with flowers when she's figured out that it means 'Pepper, will you go to the dance with me?' It's a flawless plan." Tony explained his plan confidently.
"Why does it have to be in French?" Steve inquired.
"Because he wants to impress her that he's into the same stuff as her." Natasha answered for Tony.
"No, it's because I want it to be more special, intimate, and French is a love language." Tony defended. Natasha rolled her eyes.
"It's a pretty good plan, Stark." Clint commented.
"I agree, Lady Pepper will be most pleased with your plan." Thor concurred.
"Thanks." Tony replied. The team spent the rest of the night hanging out and watching James Bond movies. Bruce went to bed first, followed by Steve, then Natasha. Clint and Tony were alone when Clint finally asked Tony what he'd been thinking about all night.
"Do you really think Nat and I should be dating?" Clint queried. Tony was about to make a joke but saw how serious Clint was and decided against it.
"Sure. You guys are inseparable. When we all picked out chairs, you two picked a couch to share. When she blanked out today at lunch, you risked getting in trouble to guide her to class. You should see the way you two look at each other." Tony explained all this as if it was obvious. Clint was surprised by the last statement.
"And how is it that we look at each other?" Clint asked curiously.
"Like you would be utterly lost without the other." Tony responded after a moment of thought. Again, Clint was surprised by Tony's sentiment.
Tuesday
The next day Steve asked Tony a favor.
"Can you somehow find the phone number for Peggy Carter's dad?" Steve asked nervously.
"Sure, why?" Tony replied.
"I want to ask his permission before I ask her to the dance." Steve replied.
"I swear, you're moving back in time. Here's the number. You might want to call soon, its 10 pm over there." Tony said, showing him the number on the screen before offering the phone to Steve. Steve accepted the phone and hit 'Call' with slightly shaking hands. Her father picked up.
"Who is this?" the accented man asked.
"Sir, my name is Steve Rogers. I go to school with your daughter. I'd like your permission to ask your daughter to a dance." Steve informed him.
"You called me to ask permission to ask my daughter to a dance?" Mr. Carter repeated, surprised.
"Yes sir, I'm a little old fashioned that way." Steve responded.
"Well I appreciate that, young man. You seem like a good kid. Go ahead and ask her, I hope she says yes." Mr. Carter granted his permission.
"Thank you, sir." Steve said as he hung up the phone. He whooped and punched the air in triumph.
"I take it he said yes." Tony surmised, amused. Steve didn't answer, instead ran across the street to a flower vendor and picked up a dozen red roses, and ran to her apartment a mile away. He knocked on the door holding the roses behind his back. When she opened the door, he drew a breath and began.
"I never was very good with girls. I've never danced with a girl and I'm probably a really bad dancer. I realized I'd never danced with a girl 'cause I was waiting for the right partner. I hope you'll be that partner. So, Peggy, will you go to the dance with me?" he asked, handing her the flowers as he waited for the answer.
"Yes, Steve, I'd love to go to the dance with you." She hugged him and asked him in. He visited with her host family while she put the flowers in a vase. He asked her to accompany him back to Stark Tower, and soon they found themselves walking hand in hand to the Tower. When they got to the floor where the team gathered, they introduced themselves.
"Hi, I'm Tony aka the leader of this group." Tony boasted. He pointed to his fellow science bro and said "This is Bruce," then gestured to the two on the couch saying, "and this is Clint and Natasha."
"It's nice to meet finally you," Natasha said, shaking Peggy's hand, "We've heard so much about you."
"All good things, I hope." Peggy said in that beautiful English accent that Steve loved.
"Of course," Natasha ensured, "I must say, it's nice to have another girl around here. I'm outnumbered." Peggy laughed. Steve came back into the room carrying a wooden chair from the kitchen. He offered her his armchair while he took the kitchen chair. The team, which now included Peggy, spent the night doing homework, talking and laughing until 9 o'clock, when Steve left to walk Peggy home. The team discussed the new addition.
"I like her. She's good for Steve." Natasha declared.
"We don't need another goody two shoes like Spangles." Tony put in.
"Says the guy who's going after Pepper Potts, Queen of all goody two shoes." Clint retorted.
"She seems nice." Banner added. They agreed, Tony somewhat reluctantly, that she was a part of the team now.
Wednesday
Tony set his plan in motion, going to each of Pepper's teachers and using his smooth talk to convince them to deliver the messages. They agreed, some rather hesitantly, but saw that he was very dedicated to the plan and conceded. Throughout the day, Tony made sure to run into Pepper between classes, giving her a compliment each time he did so. He was rather proud of his plan, for it seemed to be working. At the end of the day he stood by her car holding three dozen red roses. She had quickly unscrambled the message but had no idea who it was from. When she got to her car, she shook her head.
"I should have known it was you. Why else would you compliment me every time you saw me?" Pepper reasoned aloud.
"Because you deserve it." Tony shrugged.
"Whatever," she said, still shaking her head.
"You haven't answered." Tony noted.
"You haven't asked. You've just written it down." Pepper replied.
"Very well. Pepper, irez-vous à la danse avec moi?" Tony asked in flawless French.
"Oui." She responded, accepting the flowers and planting a kiss on his cheek before driving off in her Prius.
Tony ran to tell his friends, who were all gathered at a bench outside the school except for Natasha and Clint. They congratulated Tony and wondered aloud about the whereabouts of their missing teammates.
On the other side of campus, Natasha and Clint were walking together in the courtyard.
"Natasha, I was thinking we should go to the dance together." Clint burst out.
"What, like a date?" Natasha asked, surprised.
"Yeah I mean if you don't want to I get it but-" Clint rambled, but Natasha stopped him.
"Yes," the redhead cut him off. Disbelief crossed his features before he started grinning like an idiot.
"Great!" Clint exclaimed. Natasha slipped her hand into his and he couldn't contain his joy. When they reached the bench where their friends were waiting, Tony momentarily forgot his success with Pepper, and eyed the two with a smug grin.
"So you're going to the dance together?" Bruce deduced. Clint and Natasha nodded.
"We should go dress shopping together," Peggy suggested.
"Sounds great. Why don't we invite Pepper too, since she's going with Tony and Jane, because she's going with Thor?" Natasha returned. Peggy agreed, and Natasha texted Pepper and Jane, who immediately accepted.
Thursday
The next day after class Natasha and Peggy climbed into Pepper's Prius and headed to the mall. They decided to find Peggy's dress first.
"What about this?" Pepper held up a flower printed dress.
"No, I'd prefer it to be a solid color." Peggy declined politely.
"What about this one?" Natasha held up a strapless purple dress.
"No, that's much too low cut." Peggy said, going red.
"I think I found the right one." Pepper held up a knee length wine-red dress. Peggy tried it on and it fit perfectly; it had a conservative neckline which Peggy appreciated, being as old fashioned as Steve. Next, they searched for Pepper's dress. They found it quickly, a scooped neck periwinkle blue dress. Jane chose a soft green dress and picked white heels to go with it. The last dress to be found was Natasha's whose by far was the most difficult to pick.
"How about this one?" Peggy said, holding up a soft pink dress. Natasha laughed, shaking her head. Peggy looked confused and a little hurt.
"Sorry, I'm just not a pink kind of girl." Natasha explained. Peggy nodded in understanding. Pepper held up a deep purple dress but Natasha shook her head.
"I think I just wanna wear black." Natasha thought aloud.
"You can't wear just plain black; that's boring!" Pepper exclaimed. "What about this one?" She held up a gray satin dress with a black sash at the waist. Natasha considered it, and then tried it on. The smoky gray contrasted with her pale skin while the black sash highlighted her scarlet hair and red lipstick. They brought the dresses to the counter and paid for them before heading back to the Tower.
Friday
Bruce was more nervous than he had ever been. He walked up to Claire and asked to talk to her for a moment.
"What's up?" she asked.
"I was wondering… would you go to the dance with me?" Bruce spit it out before the last of his confidence drained away.
"Like as a friend? Sure!" Claire replied.
"Well I meant…" Bruce trailed off. He was going to the dance with Claire and, even if she saw him as just a friend, he was happy. He walked away, back to his friends at the table.
"Did you ask her?" Tony inquired.
"What'd she say?" Steve asked.
"Did she say yes?" Natasha demanded. Bruce put his hands up, causing them to quiet down.
"She said she'd go with me…as a friend." The ensuing reaction was a mixture of congratulations and pity.
"That bites, man." Clint commented.
"I think he can make it to more than friends by the end of the night." Tony said, confident in his friend.
"At least she said yes," Pepper offered.
"It's ok, guys, I'm happy with what I got." Bruce declared. They spent the rest of lunch chatting and planning for the next night. They decided they would all go to the same restaurant together, because they were a really tight knit group of friends and to help Bruce not be so nervous.
Saturday
Tony hired a stretch limousine for the night. The boys all got ready on Tony's floor, wearing predominantly black. They had been instructed by JARVIS what to wear to match their dates. Tony dressed smartly in a black suit with black shirt and a periwinkle and black tie, to match Pepper's dress. Bruce wore black slacks with a purple shirt. Steve put on a burgundy button down with a black suit. Thor dressed in tan slacks and a green shirt with mother of pearl buttons. Clint donned a black suit with a gray shirt and black tie. Onto his tie he clipped the tiepin Natasha had given him, which was silver engraved with a hawk.
A few floors down, the girls were getting dressed on Natasha's floor. Pepper wore her hair down, her blonde hair fell to her shoulders smoothly, and put on a simple black necklace. Claire wore a lilac dress and gold jewelry and pulled her brown hair into a bun. Peggy wore her hair in tight Liberty curls like she was straight out of an I Love Lucy rerun, with no jewelry save for her grandfather's dog tags, which she always wore on a chain around her neck, in honor of the WWII veteran she had loved so much before he passed away when she was 12. Jane sported a soft green V-neck dress and pearls that Thor had given her; dating the Prince of Asguard had its benefits. Natasha wore silver bangles on her wrists and a silver chain with a pendant on her neck that matched Clint's tiepin. He had given it to her when he'd asked her to the dance. On the black sash she had attached a red silk hourglass shape.
They met in the entryway and got into the limo at 6 o'clock. They went to dinner, which they enjoyed immensely, and made sure Bruce didn't make of a fool of himself. Tony left an enormous tip, partly to show off and partly to apologize for the cacophony he and his friends had caused. The headed off to the dance; everyone was having a great time.
When they reached the dance, the music was already blaring and the lights were bouncing. Tony stepped out of the car and offered a hand to Pepper, who took it and they walked through the door, attracting the attention of nearly everyone there. Next came Clint and Natasha, who slipped in quietly, followed by Bruce and Claire. Claire immediately went to talk to her friends, leaving Bruce standing awkwardly by the wall. Thor and Jane entered, arm in arm, and walked to were Tony and Pepper were. The last couple of the group to enter was Peggy and Steve, who felt a little out of place as the music played. Tony paid the DJ to play something intense to start the night off, and soon ACDC's Back to Black screamed from the speakers. The next song to play was a slow one and the teens paired off quickly.
"May I have this dance, Miss Carter?" Steve asked, offering his arm, which she accepted as he led her out onto the floor. Steve held her respectfully, not too tightly, until she laid her head on his broad chest. He pulled her tighter and she smiled into his suit jacket. On the other side of the room, Tony was asking Pepper to dance.
"You wanna dance?" Tony offered.
"Sure!" Pepper said brightly. They stepped out onto the floor and Tony led flawlessly. Pepper was impressed. Thor stood next to Jane, looking more embarrassed than he ever had before.
"I am sorry, Lady Jane, but I am unable to dance." Thor apologized.
"I'll show you. Put your hand in mine and the other on my waist. Then just move to the music." She indicated where to place his hands, put her hand on his shoulder and began to sway. Thor was surprisingly good for a beginner, probably because he wasn't afraid to try, which is more than can be said for some people. In another corner of the room, Clint stood nervously next to Natasha.
"So, you uh wanna dance or something?" Clint stuttered.
"Yeah." Natasha pulled him out onto the floor. They talked as they danced.
"I'm really glad I asked you to go with me because I've liked you for a long time." Clint admitted.
"Of course you like me; we've been friends for years." Natasha replied, confused.
"I mean, I like-like you." Clint explained.
"Wow. I haven't heard that term since 3rd grade." Natasha joked, rolling her eyes at her best friend's immaturity to cover her surprised happiness.
"Natasha, I want you to be my girlfriend." He proclaimed. Shock crossed the sharp features of her face, then she relaxed into a smile.
"Took you long enough." Natasha replied.
"What?" Clint questioned.
"I've been waiting for you to say that for years now." Natasha clarified.
"So that's a yes?" Clint asked, still surprised.
"Of course it is." Natasha smiled before he leaned down to kiss her. He pulled away, that ridiculous grin plastered on his face. The next song to come on was a fifties type jive, which not many people knew how to do. Everyone just copied what Steve and Peggy were doing, who loved this dance more than any other that night.
Later that night, when the crowd dissipated, the team realized that they were the only ones still there. The DJ called for a last song and the team conferred momentarily before grinning and saying "Highway to Hell!" The opening notes came blaring in, and the team rocked out to the ACDC song that seemed to fit them best.
"Ain't nothin' that I'd rather do
Goin' down
Party time
My friends are gonna be there too
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell"
Clint laughed as Natasha sang shamelessly. He pulled her in for another kiss and Tony wolf whistled, earning a slap on the arm from Pepper.
"Finally!" Tony exclaimed. Bruce laughed.
"Good for you, Clint." Steve clapped Clint on the back. They walked out of the dance, tired but extraordinarily happy. The first person they dropped off was Claire, who was a little put off by the team's behavior. Bruce walked her to the door.
"Claire, I'm really glad you came with me, even if it was just as a friend. I had a good time, and I hope you did too." Bruce told her before she went inside. The rest of the team just went to the Tower. After a bit, Jane drove home, leaving Thor with a kiss. Around midnight, Steve walked Peggy home. He led her to her porch.
"Peggy, I had a great time tonight." Steve began.
"I had a great time, too." Peggy replied.
"I want to ask you something really important." Steve continued.
"What is it?" Peggy asked, furrowing her brow in concern.
"Peggy, will you go steady with me?" Steve asked quickly.
"Of course, I will Steve!" Peggy replied happily. She threw her arms around him. She planted a kiss on his cheek, bade him goodnight and went inside. Steve walked home, whistling happily like he was right out of an old movie.
Back at the Tower, the team was exhausted, so when they saw how energetic Steve was, they immediately knew what had happened.
"Congratulations, Steve!" Pepper exclaimed before he said a word, making Steve put a hand to the back of his neck and go slightly red. Pepper stood.
"Well I should probably go. It's nearly one in the morning. Tony immediately protested.
"Why don't you crash here tonight instead of falling asleep at the wheel and crashing on the freeway?" Tony proposed. Pepper looked hesitant.
"You can sleep on my floor, Pepper." Natasha suggested.
"Yeah, you won't need your room since you'll be in Clint's bed." Tony joked, earning glares from both Pepper and Natasha. Tony recoiled at the power of their stares; one of them was intimidating, two was deadly.
"I was going to say that she could sleep on my bed and I'd sleep on the couch." Natasha hissed at Tony.
"You don't need to do that, Natasha; I'll just take the couch, but thanks anyway." Pepper said quickly. Pepper went to bed and the team gathered in their usual places, except now Clint put his arm around Natasha and she laid her head on his shoulder. They sat in a comfortable silence, until Bruce observed something.
"We're going to need two more chairs."
"Oh yeah. Guess we'll have them order them next week." Tony agreed. Bruce went to bed first, followed by Thor, then Steve, then Tony. Clint and Natasha fell asleep on their couch, with Natasha's small body wrapped up in Clint's arms, and didn't wake again until morning.
Sunday
Pepper was the first to wake up. She began making pancakes for the team when Steve woke at 6 sharp. He helped her by doing the dishes, claiming he couldn't cook to save his life. When Bruce came into the kitchen he started cooking the bacon in four different frying pans, counting on the four teenage boys' appetites to be huge, especially when one of them was Thor. Thor was the next to wake, mumbling indistinctly but being quiet so as not to wake the couple on the couch. He drank a pot of coffee before Tony stumbled out into the kitchen, stealing a kiss from Pepper before he saw Clint and Natasha. His eyes lit up with mischief and he immediately pulled out his phone and began taking pictures.
"Tony! What are you doing?" Pepper whispered indignantly.
"Collecting blackmail," he replied impishly.
"They're going to kill you." Bruce stated matter-of-factly.
"She's going to kill you." Steve emphasized, indicating Natasha.
"I'll be fine." Tony assured them. Just then, Clint and Natasha began to stir. Everyone froze. They turned away from the pair, perhaps to pretend they hadn't notice them. Tony, of course, capitalized on the moment.
"Nice, Clint. After only one night. Impressive. And don't look at me like that, Romanov, you're in your dress from last night, so there's no way you have any deadly weapons with which to kill me." Tony taunted.
"You wanna bet?" Natasha returned, pulling a knife from thin air. Tony flinched.
"Where was that?" Tony demanded.
"This is my couch, is it not?" she asked in explanation.
"Last time I checked, it's my couch too." Clint added.
"It's our couch." Natasha remedied, kissing him before sitting in front of a plate of pancakes and bacon. Tony rolled his eyes at the sentiment but Pepper melted internally at the sweetness of the moment. Fifty pancakes and four pounds of bacon later, the team was stuffed to the gills. They went their separate ways for the rest of the day. Bruce, being the only one Tony allowed in, was in Tony's lab. Steve was in the library, reading All Quiet on the Western Front. Clint and Natasha were doing target practice on the 9th floor, where they had a set of automated dummies that moved in randomized patterns to shoot at, Clint with his arrows and Natasha with her gun and her knives. Tony and Pepper could be found out on the rooftop balcony. It was a funny thing, that this group of superheroes, spies, gods, and geniuses could have such normal lives when they weren't saving the world, and that their biggest problem could still be Monday.