This is a weird idea I've had in my head for a long time. Plenty of headcanons and fanart have had some influence on this fic as well. But this silly thing is written all by me. Oh, and this does have some swearing.
A word of advice: Bring ear plugs when Clint plays, good luck trying to beat Natasha, and for the love of Odin, don't piss off Loki.
Anyways, enjoy!
Earth's Mightiest Heroes have many differences. Surprisingly, there was one thing they could all find in common; video games.
It started out with Bruce playing Pokémon on his blue Game Boy. Tony would occasionally hook up his game to Bruce's and they would battle together. Thor would sit and watch them play. He would congratulate them after every battle won; sometimes even cheer. Not much to anybody's surprise; his favorites were electric types.
Clint was a gamer ever since adolescence. He also happens to be the loudest gamer, vocalizing almost every little thing happening in the game. Some nights, while everyone is asleep; they can hear him whooping or cursing when he got too immersed with his games.
Nobody expected Steve to be a natural when playing. But when frustrated, he's been known to get a little violent, something nobody expected either. Occasionally he and Clint will argue over who should get the Xbox or whatever console. Their childish fights always end up with Steve playing on it because Natasha will lecture Clint for being too addicted anyway.
Loki, being the stubborn god he was, turned his nose up at every offer to play with someone else. Saying, "How childish." or "If I wanted to thrash simple-minded things; I would simply go outside onto the streets to do so." His secret was revealed when Tony went on an excursion to the fridge late at night, catching Loki gloating about a triumph to GLaDOS. He had been covertly, effortlessly completing levels in Portal 2. As it turns out; Loki cared not for the aggressive, fighting games. He preferred the strategic puzzle ones. He denied that he enjoyed playing whenever anybody asked, but eventually he gave up trying.
As for Natasha, she likes to float around; simply watching. Occasionally she murmurs some advice if she's feeling generous. No one knew she was better than all of them until Clint challenged her to Super Smash Bros. Melee and lost pitifully. The others soon stepped up to the plate; determined to beat her. Natasha beat the lot of them nearly every time; only letting somebody beat her when she felt bored or didn't care enough. Once Clint came near to beating her and lost. He wouldn't speak to her for a week.
It didn't take very long until Thor noticed everyone's love for gaming and mentioned it one afternoon. It was something they could do together that they all enjoyed doing.
Thus beginning Friday game night for the Avengers. Thor and Tony had been trying for ages to find something everyone had in common. Both were thrilled when video games were the answer. Pepper avoids game night most of the time. She can't stand some of the guys' behavior while playing, especially when they drink.
"What game is it this time?" Tony asked, lounging on the couch.
Steve spoke up, "I think we should play Super Sma –"
"No!" everyone shouted at once.
"Come on. We haven't played that for ages," he protested.
"One thing's for sure. We aren't playing Super Smash Bros. That game makes you too competitive. Remember last year, right before Christmas? You chucked the controller at the TV after Natasha kept whooping your ass. You broke my TV! " Tony accused. Steve fell silent.
"I like that racing game, the one where we race against one another. Perhaps that one would be acceptable?" Thor offered.
Natasha quirked an eyebrow, "You mean Mario Kart?"
"Yes, that one," Nobody objected.
"All for Mario Kart; raise your hand," Tony said. All hands went up, except for Steve.
"Alright, Mario Kart it is." Tony picked himself off the couch. He pulled the game out of a stack of games sitting nearby the large plasma screen TV mounted on the wall. Everyone debated who was playing first while Tony inserted the game into the console.
It was decided Thor, Clint, Tony, and Bruce would be going first. Clint always chose Toad. At times Nat would pick Toad just to tick him off. Thor liked Mario the most. Tony picked Daisy; often he would play as one of the girl racers. Bruce didn't really have a preference for any character; he picked Yoshi.
When Tony plays, he chooses which track they race on.
"No, man. I hate that one," Clint whined.
"Which is exactly why I chose it," Tony said with a smirk.
The characters in their karts appeared on screen. Numbers flashed. 3… 2… 1… GO!
The first lap was rather silent. The four men playing were immersed in the game. Loki usually was disinterested if he wasn't playing. A magazine was held in his hands. Now and then he would look up from an article he was reading. Natasha and Steve watched silently.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THE BLUE SHELL RIGHT NOW? WHO THREW THAT?" Clint shrieked somewhere during the second lap. Bruce chuckled.
"Nice one," Tony said to the scientist next to him. "Hey, hey, hey! When did Thor pass me?"
"I used a mushroom, ha ha! I am now in second place," he boasted.
"Not for long!" Clint exclaimed. His smile soon turned into a frown, "GODDAMN LIGHTNING."
"Argh!" Thor violently yanked his controller to the side, as if thinking it could make him turn easier.
"I guess you could say I stole your thunder, Thor," Tony joked. He could practically feel every person in the room simultaneously rolling their eyes.
"I HATE BLOOPERS SO MUCH, WHO EVEN DECIDED TO PUT THOSE IN THE GAME?" Clint yelled. "I CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING ON THE SCREEN."
"Stop acting like a baby," Natasha was getting tired of him getting worked up over everything.
"Oh, oh, oh! OHHHHH!"
"Clint!" everyone shouted at once.
"ANOTHER BLUE SHELL?! Ugh. NO, NO, NO. DAMMIT!" He dropped the controller next to him on the couch and crossed his arms. The race finished.
"Second. Not bad," Tony got up to get himself a drink from the kitchen.
"Third…" Clint muttered.
"I win," Bruce said quietly but cheerfully, setting his controller on the coffee table. Clint didn't notice him attempting to hide a smile.
"A splendid job, comrade," Thor congratulated Bruce.
"Steve, Nat, Loki. You're up," Tony said. "You wanna go again?" he asked, directing the question to Bruce. The man shrugged then nodded.
"He won though," Clint argued.
"Yes, and you're impossible," Natasha retaliated.
Bruce chose Yoshi again. Natasha really didn't care for any character and went with Luigi. Loki chose King Boo, whom he usually goes with. According to him all the characters are "brainless or aggravating". Steve picked Mario.
"I'm picking the track," Natasha declared. Nobody questioned her.
"You're not –"
"Yep. I am," she interrupted Steve. He groaned. Tony and Clint chuckled.
"It's called Rainbow Road?" Loki questioned, "That looks like a pitiful representation of the Bifrost."
"Oh no, this is much better," Natasha faintly smirked.
Barely audible, an "I highly doubt that," was muttered under the god's breath.
Once again, the karts with their designated drivers appeared on screen. Again, the numbers flashed 3… 2… 1… GO!
"You screwed us all over picking Rainbow Road," Steve said. He groaned. "I already fell off the track!"
"Quit whining and start racing," was her reply.
"Is Heimdall on this bridge?" Loki asked. Thor and Tony looked at him with confused expressions.
"Um… No, he isn't." Bruce replied.
"What a shame. If he was, I would not hesitate to run him over."
Thor began coughing, nearly choking on the chips he was eating. "Loki,"he warned.
A mischievous smile graced the trickster's lips. "I only jest, Thor," he replied half-convincingly.
Bruce stayed quiet, as he usually does when playing. Meanwhile, Steve complained every time he fell of the course. Loki would drop in a snarky remark about the game every now and then.
"This game is impossible," Loki said after falling off for the fifth time. Everyone could tell his patience was withering with every lap.
Steve snapped, "Hey, at least you're not in last."
"Ha ha! Bruce blue-shelled you, Nat!"
"Shut up, Clint. At least I'm gonna win first, not third," the television made cheering noises as her kart passed the finish line. Bruce was not far behind her.
After many more falls and curses from the two men still in the game, they finally finished. Steve won third, and Loki bitterly accepted last.
The team played several more rounds. Either Natasha, Bruce, or Clint winning nearly every time. Usually they would switch out games because people would begin to get bored, but everyone was having too much fun playing Mario Kart. At one point, Thor requested he and Loki play one on one.
"Are you sure about that, Thor?" Tony asked. "Cause, well, whenever you and Loki play, he gets a little out of control."
"Nonsense. It is only a game, after all," Thor tried to reassure him. Loki looked not too pleased with Thor's idea, but didn't object.
"Okay then…"
Thor and Loki's karts flashed on screen, along with the countdown. 3… 2… 1… GO!
"I may not be up to par with this game, but I know I will be able to beat you," Loki taunted.
"Do not be so sure, brother.
"I don't understand why you wanted to play this infernal game with me in the first place."
"I believed this would be a good way to do something fun together," he said. Loki laughed.
"How in the world did you get past me?" Loki asked angrily.
"Just play, Loki. Enjoy yourself a little."
"This is ridiculous; these obstacles are infuriating, is this supposed to actually be doable?"
"Ha ha! Nice hit."
"Hardly."
"Second lap!"
Loki groaned.
"That is the third lightning strike you have used on me."
"Now you know how it feels."
"You're catching up!"
"Finally."
"Hey! –"
"Try to catch up now, Thor."
"I can still catch up, it's the final lap."
"What is that?"
Thor chuckled.
"YOU THREW A SHELL AT ME!"
"It is –"
"YOU PASSED ME!"
"You have plenty of time to pass me," Thor tried to calm Loki down.
"This game is childish. It's basic, not enjoyable, and infuriating."
"Loki, really –"
"HOW WOULD A BANANA CREATE SUCH A DRASTIC EFFECT?"
"Loki –"
"DO HUMANS ACTUALLY ENJOY THIS?"
The TV cheered at Thor's crossing of the finish line.
"HRAAGH!" Loki grunted and threw his controller. It lodged itself into the TV.
"Whoa!" everyone shouted.
"NO!" Tony shouted. He ran to the TV on the wall, now broken. A sad expression displayed on his face.
"Loki, it is only a game, please –"
Loki stormed out of the room, "I am no longer playing this idiotic game," The Avengers could hear his voice come from the hallway.
Tony sat down, frustrated, "That settles that. No more Mario Kart."