"I should've stayed downstairs," Steve muttered.

He'd squirreled himself away to a dark corner of the bar, relying on his old battle instincts to protect him. He had a wall to his back and a full view of the top floor room Stark was hosting the party in. He was billing it as the first and last time for visitors to see the exclusive penthouse. After this party only the bottom twenty floors would be accessible to the general public, and that only by employees of Stark and invited guests.

A woman walked by in a dress that had a back open right down to the curve of her rear and he took a quick sip of the coke in his hand to hide his reaction. He still wasn't used to the clothing of this era. Hardly any of the men were wearing ties, and their shirts were untucked, and their pants were all too big. Except, he thought watching a young man pass by, when they were ridiculously tight.

He felt out of place in his dress uniform, overdressed and awkward. He shifted his shoulders in the stiff fabric, he hadn't had a chance to break it in. It was actually a replica, Stark had it made for the event. It was anachronistic, frankly a bit disrespectful, and he wasn't exactly in the service any more. But he didn't have much choice. Besides the shield any of his possessions that had survived to modern day been relegated to museums and personal collections. It was a little disturbing when Clint showed him an online auction for one of his old helmets going for half a million dollars. His wardrobe consisted of a couple of T-shirts and jeans and his uniform, all 'gifts' from Shield.

"C-can I have your autograph?" A pretty blonde, a bit on the skinny side, tottered over to him in a short dress that looked to him more like underwear and a pair of shoes that looked like torture devices.

"Oh, uh, sure..." Steve took a breath, put his soda on the bar and reminded himself that everyone here had paid a lot of money for a meet and greet with the majority of the Avengers... Bruce had been the only one excused, due to his condition. And that Stark had promised to match all money raised. And the money was going to go to help rebuilding some of the less affluent areas of the city. He glanced to her hands. She had a pen... "Have something for me to sign?

"Yeah," she smiled, cat-like, and leaned forward pressing herself against him. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and moved a spaghetti strap to the side. She pressed the pen into his hand. "Me."

"Ma'am!" Steve tried to back up, but his plan had backfired and now the wall and bar were penning him in.

"Put your clothes on, Crystal." A wry voice piped up from behind the woman. "Steve, we need you for some publicity shots."

Pepper had never looked more like an angel to Steve. "Right away, Miss Potts." He started to edge away from the woman.

"I've told you a million times, call me Pepper, Steve."

"My name isn't Crystal," the woman pouted, clutching at his arm. "And I don't have his autograph yet."

"Oh, sorry, Tiffany? No? Amber? No? No. Okay, I'm out of party girl names." Pepper shook her head. "Whatever."

She plucked a cocktail napkin from the bar and handed it to Steve. He quickly scrawled his name, long practiced at autographs from his performing monkey days, and thrust it at the brazen woman.

"Ma'am," he said with a firm nod and walked past her to take Pepper's waiting arm. He waited until they were out of earshot, which wasn't long withe pounding noise Stark claimed was "music" piping through the speakers. "Promotional photos? I thought we took those earlier."

Stark had suited up, Natasha and Clint looked dangerous in formal wear versions of their battle outfits. Natasha's belt was encrusted with red crystals, Clint had complained bitterly that he hadn't gotten any new bling on his. Stark settled him down with the promise of a new bow. They'd even dressed up Bruce in a lab coat and pulled out a big cardboard figure of the Hulk for him to stand in front of. They had to take two sets of photos, one with Steve in his Captain America uniform (a new one, again) and one with him in his dress uniform. Stark had stepped out of his suit in a tailored tux for those shots. It had been nothing short of torture, and it was an experience he wasn't ready to repeat any time soon.

"No worries," Pepper said leaning into his arm briefly. "Candids only for the rest of the night. I just thought you looked like you needed a rescue."

"Thanks for having my back, Miss-" He ducked his head and quickly corrected himself. "Pepper."

"Hey! Hey! No canoodling with my Pep!" Stark said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her stomach. He physically lifted her away from Steve and twirled her in his arms. "This shing-ding is great, good job."

She turned and gave her boss boyfriend a peck on the cheek. "Oh? Do I get a 100% credit for this one? I notice plenty of additions to this party I didn't plan." She cast a significant glance towards a bevy of 'party girls' along the style of 'Crystal.' They squealed and waved when they saw both Tony Stark and Steve Rogers glance their way.

"Every party can use a few more decorations," Stark grinned and waved. "Besides, I figured Capsicle might want to finally melt a little and enjoy himself. Go get 'em, Eagle One." He punched Steve lightly on the shoulder. He hugged Pepper to him and jerked his chin towards the girls. "Ask one of 'em to dance."

"Thanks," Steve said through gritted teeth masquerading as a smile. This was a little too similar to incidents in his past, and it made his skin itch. Besides, he was uncomfortable with the way Stark was behaving.

The other man was well on his way to becoming drunk, and was being awfully hands-y with Miss Potts in public. He couldn't understand why Stark seemed to enjoy making such an ass of himself. But he wasn't the only one. He glanced at the "dance floor." It looked to him more like the people there were engaged in acts that should only happen in the bedroom, between two people who love each other.

"But, no thanks." He sighed and turned to Pepper. "I was thinking of retiring for the evening. It's starting to get late."

"It's not even midnight!" Stark protested. "It's early. Party Pooper."

"Tony!" She tried to pull away from him, but his arm around her waist restricted her movement. "I think it's okay, Steve," Pepper reached out and patted him on the arm.

Stark pulled her closer again and frowned at her and they traded funny faces back and forth, a whole conversation in expressions that Steve couldn't follow. He shifted and looked around, feeling like an intruder on a private moment.

"Yeah, whatever," Stark said with a sniff after one very pinched look from Pepper. "Go watch Matlock or something, Old Man." He gave Pepper an affectionate peck on her neck and disentangled himself from her. "I'm going to go set up Senator Davidson with a few decorations, might make getting permission for a helipad a bit easier." He turned in a circle and walked away backwards from them. "Of course, it might be even easier if the Living Legend here was willing to schmooze a little. You know, the other Living Legend. The one besides me. Not naming any names. Okay, just one. Steve."

"Good luck," Pepper called as Stark and turned stalked away. She turned back to Steve. "Go on, I wouldn't be here if I didn't have to be either. Clint disappeared hours ago, and Natasha-"

"Oh! Oh! Wait!" Stark came prancing back waving his hands. "I almost forgot, I promised to introduce you. Don't go yet, Gramps!"

"Tony," Pepper started to scold, then saw who followed him. "Oh, Rhodey!" She broke into a huge smile for the lanky black soldier, also dressed in dress uniform. "I didn't know you could make it tonight."

"I just got here and I'm only here for a short while. I'm just in town for the night then they've got me on the move again." He took her two hands in his and kissed her on the cheek.

Steve glanced at the man's chest. He was well decorated, a man who had seen action. He still didn't know much about the wars that had followed his, but he knew that war certainly hadn't gotten easier in the decades since.

"You've got to come by next time you're on leave, it's been too long."

"Yeah, we'll make a party out of it. Cook up some steaks." Stark grinned. He glanced at Steve when he shifted again. "Right. Introductions." He waggled some fingers between his friend and Steve. "Captain America... meet a true American hero. Rhodey." He made a face at Rhodey. "You know who he is, right?" He jerked a thumb at Steve. "I mean, who doesn't?"

"You're terrible at introductions, man," Rhodey said with a shake of his head and a familiar exasperation.

"He is, but I'm not," Pepper said, shaking her head. "Captain Steve Rogers, this is a very good friend of Tony and mine, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes."

"Rhodey," the man said, holding out a hand and looking at Steve with a sense of awe that made him uncomfortable. "It's an honor, Sir."

"Steve," the blond said, giving the man a firm handshake. "And the honor is mine. Always a pleasure to meet a man who serves his country." From the number of bars and medals, this man had made a living out of it. Not an easy life to live.

"I'd be honored to buy you a drink," Rhodey's voice isn't quite stable. "My father used to tell me stories about you, and your team."

"Dude, open bar," Stark broke in between them. "Besides, Iceblock doesn't drink."

"Tony!" Rhodey sighed. Stark started to open his mouth again.

"I will take a cola," Steve interrupted. It was a little thing to do for a person, and it looked like it would mean a lot to the man.

"Great," Stark said clapping both of them on the back. "I'll get the drinks. You guys find a table." He pointed at Steve, "Let me guess. No ice?" He didn't wait for an answer stalking off into the room.

Pepper found them a quiet corner with a small table and had them drinks way before Tony returned. Stark had of course gotten distracted along the way, he was in his element at a party. The frenetic atmosphere seemed to charge him as much as it drained Steve. He'd gone into the crowd to get drinks and ended up lost in it for at least an hour.

For that hour, it was the first time since he woke up that Steve was actually enjoying himself a little. Pepper and Rhodey were both good and genuine people. They'd obviously been friends for a long time, and Pepper was quick to set Rhodey at ease in his childhood idol's presence.

Once the man relaxed, and the shine wore off, the he was as easy to talk to as Pepper. He, like many others, was quickly amazed by how little Steve knew of the common era. They took to comparing war stories, not the serious ones...not anything about great losses or wins. Fun stories. Stories about things that could only happen in the army, when you were crammed with too many men in too small a space, and stories of the familiar pain of boot camp then and now...

"Thought you were going to bed," Stark said, coming by with refills. He grinned as he handed Steve his.

When Steve sipped it he could tell it was spiked. Cute. Not that it mattered, he didn't drink because the alcohol didn't have an effect on him and the taste wasn't something he found pleasing. But he was pretty sure that Stark didn't know that.

When Stark started to join them, Steve decided he'd had enough. He didn't have quite the low opinion of Stark he'd had before the battle with Loki. The man had proved himself a true hero of the highest caliber, able to do what needed to be done no matter the sacrifice. But he still didn't exactly like the guy. He couldn't understand him, or suss out his motives. And he was just so..

So..

Stark.

He didn't understand how a man so abrasive and self-absorbed had such good people as Rhodey and Pepper as friends. There was something he wasn't seeing. He didn't know if he had the patience to find out what it was. He knew for sure he didn't have it tonight.

"Aw, time to take your Metamucil?" Tony said as Steve started to stand.

He didn't understand the reference, but he assumed it was another prod at his 'advanced' age. Stark had been on the same subject since they'd met. "Ye-

"Sir." JARVIS interrupted. "Mr. Barton has an urgent message."

"Put it through," Tony and Steve spoke in unison.

Stark frowned at Rogers. "That's myAI you're ordering about."

"Something's happening on the roof." Clint's voice cut off any response from Steve.

"What kind of something?" Steve asked, already moving towards the balcony.

"Pep." Steve glanced back at the seriousness of Stark's tone. "Get these people out of here, and stay back."

She started to shake her head in denial but he made another one of his faces at her and her shoulders slumped. She pressed her finger to her ear, "Security, I need you," she said and strode away back into the party. She glanced back at Stark. "Stay safe."

"I'll help," Rhodey said and followed her.

"Hawkeye," Steve said focusing back on getting outside. "What kind of something?"

"O-M-G, Captain America."

"What?" Steve asked, looking around. Had he missed something?

"I'm thinking he's talking about the light show." Stark had followed him out the doors and was already looking up. He stroked his bracelet. "I don't want to call it while there are still people in the room."

"Iron Man!"

"Not a good idea right now, Clint," Stark said blowing a raspberry.

"What?" Clint asked.

JARVIS's speakers were doing a number on Clint's voice, making him go soft and loud randomly. That's not like Stark technology,Steve thought. "Too much chance of an accident," he explained.

The newest version of the suit could be called from any level of the tower, and would exit from the nearest accessible port. The current nearest accessible port was just behind the bar.

It had seemed a good idea at the time.

Those thoughts were secondary to the idea that they might want to get back under cover quickly... because it really looked like lightening might hit the tower at any moment. There were some very interesting rainbow colored clouds forming a strange funnel shape. It was not quite a tornado, and the clouds were moving at an odd pace, both too fast and too slow to be natural.

Before he could voice the thought there was a loud crack of thunder and lightening spread like veins across the sky.

"This seems a little familiar," Stark said. "Maybe we should-"

There was a second crack of thunder, loud enough to force Steve down to one knee in surprise and a concussive blast that kept him there. Stark fell flat on his back.

"COMRADES IN ARMS!" The booming voice could only be coming from one person. "I HAVE RETURNED TO MIDGARD!" Thor, in full battle regalia, stepped over and clasped Steve's arm and pulled him to his feet with a grin. He turned and did the same for Stark who had made it to one knee at that point. He looked past the two men into the room still crowded with people, most of whom were gawking at the window.

"A celebration?" He shook his long hair over his shoulder and clapped a heavy arm around each of the men and gave them a squeeze. "Is this in honor of my return? But how did you know? Perhaps you have used one of your magic screens to look into the future, friend Stark?"

"Uh, they don't really work that way, L'Oreal." Stark pushed Thor's arm off his shoulder with an affectionate pat. "So what brings you down to Earth, Fabio? Alien destruction squad or gotta pose for another book cover?"

"You speak so strangely, friend," Thor hooked his thumbs into his belt and looked down at the two men with a furrow between his brows. "Am I not welcome in the Tower Avenger? I have been following its progress with the aid of Heimdall, who had said that all my brave companions from the battle with my brother were now residing together here. I thought you awaited my arrival."

"So no invasion then," Stark said and a little bit of tension seeped out of both him and Steve. "And yeah, of course you're welcome here, Muscles. You just caught us by surprise."

"EXCELLENT!" Thor cheered and slapped them, each hard between the shoulder blades. "Let us celebrate my return with drink and good cheer!"

"Thor. Wow, Thor!"

"And who is this?" Thor asked, looking at a point halfway up the peak of the building. "A new companion?"

"What? That's just-" Steve looked up expecting to see Clint perched somewhere in the beams of the building.

Instead, pressed up against the wall of the building was Spider-man, holding a little point and shoot camera.

"Uh..."Spider-man said, his voice muffled by the suit. He lowered the camera. "Hi."

Barton dropped out of nowhere to land in front of them in full battle gear. He had his bow drawn and cocked at the man somehow stuck to the side of the building like a real spider. Natasha was suddenly there as well, positioned slightly in front of Stark, pistols drawn.

"Wow. It's...uh...all of you."He raised his camera and snapped a picture. "Wait, someone's missing...where's the Hulk? I'd looove to get a group shot."

"JARVIS, find an unobstructed path and get the suit to me. Now." Stark stepped back and away from the rest of the group.

"Right away, Sir," JARVIS replied.

"Is this a new foe?" Thor asked spreading his feet into a more stable position and grasping Mjolnir's handle. "He is quite tiny."

"Hey! I'm not looking for trouble,"Spider-man said quickly, raising his other hand. "I'm just a fan."He waggled the camera. "Sorry for crashing the party."

He was small, Steve reflected. Up close, Spider-man couldn't have been too much larger than his own pre-serum days. The voice sounded young too, which made him wonder exactly what they were facing. Behind him he heard Stark's suit snapping into place, transforming him into Iron Man. Spider-man backed up a little and snapped another picture.

"Whoa. Cool."

"Why don't you come down here," Steve called. This was getting ridiculous. One man had some of the world's most powerful fighters huddled together like a bunch of scared sheep.

"Cap," Romanov said under her breath, just loud enough for the huddled Avengers to hear. "At least one news source has been claiming him to be dangerous. I don't know if you want to offer to sign autographs for him."

"At least not while you're unarmed," Barton agreed, keeping his arrow trained on Spider-man.

Steve suddenly realized that the group had shifted so that he was at its center. Hawkeye and Widow in front of him, Thor and Iron Man flanked at each side. He wasn't used to other people shielding him.

"Can you call your shield to you?" Thor asked. "You may have need of it if this becomes a battle."

"Let's try to prevent that," Steve said firmly. Spider-man was fidgeting on the wall, making tiny moves backwards. "Come down now."

"Yeah," Stark said. "Come down and join the party."

"I thought this was a private party,"Spider-man said. "I wouldn't want to intrude."He backed up a few more inches and compressed himself closer to the building as if trying to meld with it.

"Come down before I shoot you down." Barton pulled his bow taunt.

"Hey now,"Spider-man said, letting his camera dangle from it's wrist strap, as he raised his hands. "Let's talk-"

"Watch the hands-" Black Widow started, but it was too late. Spider-man twisted his wrists and white streams of a sticky something shot out.

Thor grabbed Steve and twisted, shielded him with his body. "What manner of strangeness is this?" He said trying to shake off the strands and only succeeding in gluing his cape to his face with the stuff and his hair to the back of his neck. He tore at his cape trying to get an unobstructed view.

Natasha had rolled to the side, and Clint hadn't been in the line of fire allowing him to loose an arrow. It struck where the Spider-man had been just a moment before, and gave a bright burst of light.

"Fast little bugger," Stark said launching himself into the air to chase the man scrabbling further up and away from them. "I'm faster."

"Hey now,"Spider-man called over his shoulder. "Is this really necessary? I just wanted a few pictures."

"What for?" Natasha changed his trajectory with a bullet directly in his path. "Who are you working for?"

"Um, me?"Spider-man said, jumping out of Iron Man's reach almost carelessly, once and then twice. It made Stark look like a cat grabbing for a string. Spider-man perched on a ledge and craned his neck at Iron Man who was angling for another grab. "I thought you said you were faster."

"Enough of playtime," Stark said shortly and lifted his hand. The light on his hand started to brighten.

"Hey now!" Spider-man yelled in a panic and lifted his own hand. The thin man shot a moment quicker than Stark, and his hand became encased in thick white webbing.

"Yeah. That's not good-" Stark said and then his hand blew up. He went spiraling backwards in the air, over the ledge of the building.

"Thor, catch him!" Steve yelled and the huge man leaned backwards and began to swing his hammer. "Natasha, Clint, pin him down!" He pointed at Spider-man.

They immediately complied, both shooting off a volley of ammo that the man improbably managed to avoid while shooting out two streams of webbing at Iron Man. The ropes of webbing caught the spiraling Iron Man on a shoulder and a knee before Thor could launch himself for a rescue. Spider-man tugged with a grunt.

"Whoa,"Spider-man gasped. "Time to lay off the sweets, man. You're heavy."

Switching both strands to one hand he shot out a wide net of webbing between the architecture of the building. Stark landed in the net and stuck, looking for all the world like a red-and-yellow fly stuck on a web.

"Sorry about all this,"Spider-man said, sounding out of breath. He shot out a hand, a stream of webbing arched into the air and then he was swinging away.

Clint stood and followed the man soaring on the line with his bow, shooting arrow after arrow. But before any could hit, the man would shoot out another line of webbing and narrowly avoid each shot.

"How is the little shit doing that?" Hawkeye muttered standing and refusing to waste more arrows.

"Should I follow him?" Thor asked, looking at Steve and hammer ready.

Steve shook his head. It was time to regroup. He turned to the man still stuck on the web. "Stark?"

"Yeah. Can't move." Stark sounded peeved. He was doing small fires of his repulsors, the one working hand and his feet, trying to pull himself free. All he accomplished was making the web flex and bounce.

"Your hand?" Steve swallowed. Was Stark in shock? He looked at the hand that had blown up, expecting to see a bloody stump.

"Fixable." Stark said and waggled fully formed fingers encased in a black rubbery glove at him and surrounded by twisted metal flowering around the arm. "Backfire was always a possibility, I planned for it. Worried, Cap?"

"Oh, thank god."

The face mask came up on the suit. "Hey! I told you to stay back," Stark said to Pepper.

Pepper stormed up to the web. "And I told you to stay safe!"

"I am safe!" Stark said kicking a little and making himself wobble. "Safe as houses. See?"

"You nearly went over the side!"

"Thor would've caught me. You remember Thor, right? Thor, Pepper." He waggled his fingers back and forth between them. "Pepper, Thor."

"Allow me to help you disembark," Thor said with a genial nod towards the woman. He still had a corner of his cap stuck to his face and hair, though he'd pushed it back over his head in a strange twist. He looked like he was wearing a red velvet burka. He stepped forward and grasped Stark's unexposed hand and tugged.

Stark didn't move. The web gave a little but relaxed right back into place when Thor stopped tugging. Thor frowned.

"Hold on," Stark began. "No, wait-"

Thor jerked back hard, stepping back and pulling Stark towards him. Unfortunately, the web merely flexed and stretched with him. Thor took a few more steps back.

"Hey! Mr. My Hammer is Smarter Than Me!" Stark started to sound panicked. His hand writhed in Thor's grip. "Ever hear of a slingshot?"

"Okay," Pepper said and reaching up and patting Thor on the shoulder. "I think you should stop now. Ew, what is this stuff?" She tried to pull her hand back but it was now stuck to his shoulder along with his cape and hair. She was dragged back with Thor as he continued to pull at Stark. "Stop! Stop now!"

"Thor!" Steve said, using his most commanding "army" voice. "Stop!"

"But I have not yet freed the Man of Ir-" When he stopped tugging and relaxed his arm physics took over and the web snapped back into place, carrying the surprised Norse god who still gripped Stark's hand with him. Pepper unfortunately was along for the ride.

"Pepper!" Stark yelled as the two were pulled off their feet and into the air to land in the web along side him. "Pepper!"

"I...I'm okay." Pepper said, her voice calm and serene. "I'm upside down. But I'm okay."

Clint, Natasha and Steve stared at the web, now holding Stark, Thor and Pepper in its clutches. Pepper was indeed upside down. Steve was just glad the woman was wearing one of her tight pencil skirts, and that the web had a good grip on it as well as her, holding it in place. Thor was caught face down and twisted in his cape, but seemed uninjured. Pepper's hand, still glued to his shoulder seemed almost comforting.

"I told you to stay back," Stark muttered.

"Don't. Even. Start." Pepper said.

Natasha turned on her heel. "I'm going to go get Banner."

"I'm going to get a camera," Clint said.

"Hey, Robin Hood!" Stark started struggling in the web again. "Don't you dare!"

"No need, Sir." JARVIS's cool slightly British voice managed to sound amused without any inflection at all. "This incident has been recorded in its entirety. I can make it available in the following formats, dvd, blu-ray, digital download, IMAX 3-D, Hologr-"

"Mute!" Stark yelled. "Traitor. I'm going to reprogram that bastard."

Steve looked around and snagged a patio chair. He slumped into it. He knew he should have stayed in his rooms tonight. He looked back at his teammates, and ran a tired hand down his face. "And we managed to save the world."

Hello! Thanks for reading my story so far. I've been posting this to Tumblr but had some requests to put it in a place that would be easier to track. :) However, in order to post the chapters here, they need reformatting which is taking me a while. I put the link to my tumblr in my profile if you want to check out the other chapters I have. Or you can search tumblr for the tag "mysuperfamily" Thanks for the reviews, follows and likes so far. It's always encouraging to know there are people out there liking this.