A/N: Hey again, everyone! Thank you for all of the continued love and support. I feel so awesome knowing this is my first fan fiction and I've got about 75 readers so far. I just wanted to let you all know that I have plans for another Avengers story in the works. It's not much more than an idea yet. I know that I've considered making a sequel to this story based on the reactions, but this is a completely new idea as well. I won't disclose much more than saying it's a story involving an OC that stays with the Avengers somewhat unwillingly while she is in danger and there is more focus on the Asgardians, but of course there are more twists and turns in the plot than that. I'm not sure if I'll start writing it while trying to update this story as well or wait until I'm done, or where a sequel to this story would work in at all. Anyway, on with everything else. Disclaimer: I have almost given up hope in my search to find the rights to the Avengers, sadly. I shall leave it in Marvel's capable hands.
"Guys! Does this really have to happen in my lab," Bruce yelled as he hid behind a cabinet for cover. He wasn't getting angry yet, but he just might.
The insanity started about twenty minutes ago, when Tony casually walked into the lab and started messing with some spare parts in the corner. That in itself might have been a warning sign, but then Steve and Sam burst into the lab, water guns aimed. Tony hid underneath a table, and then Sam executed a barrel roll into the room and soaked Tony. Steve quickly followed.
Tony armed himself with a Nerf gun that was on a work table for some reason (Tony was probably working on making it into a real weapon) and retaliated. By this point Bruce was trying to slip out of the lab quietly when he got struck right in the forehead by a Nerf bullet. The group paused as Bruce took a deep breath, and then resumed the war after he had ducked behind the cabinet.
"I was just minding my own business-," Tony said as he hid behind an overturned table.
"Oh, please," Sam interrupted. "You put a Canadian flag on Steve's suit!"
"That wasn't me," he shot back. "Why don't you go interrogate your feral friend?"
"Amber can't lie to save her own skin," Sam said.
"Better question: how did you convince Capsicle to join into the shenanigans there," he asked.
"Would you stop calling me that, Stark? I have a name," Steve said.
"Oh, come on. I could start calling you bomb pop," Tony said. He was almost out of ammo. This wasn't good. He considered activating his suit, but it seemed like overkill. Plus, he wasn't sure how annoyed Bruce was.
"I kind of like the name 'Capsicle'. I think it's cute. Maybe I'll start calling you it," Sam said.
Tony groaned from where he was hidden. "Now you've defeated the purpose," he complained as he shot around the side and fired. This time it ricocheted off of Steve's shield and hit Bruce, again.
"That's it," Bruce yelled. "All of you, out of here now!"
They wasted no time in filing out of the lab. The last thing they needed was to rebuild the lab, again. Some of that equipment was hard to replace.
The elevator dinged as the trio left the elevator at the top floor, with Tony still soaking wet. Pepper waited right in front of the elevator doors, looking like an upset mother about to punish them. Sam felt like the words "you're grounded" were about to said.
"You're children," Pepper told all of them. "Honestly, in Bruce's lab?"
"Sorry, Pepper," the trio chorused. Sam noticed that Amber chose to sit and watch from the sidelines, like the sibling that wasn't caught.
She sighed. "Okay, here's what's going to happen: we're ending this prank madness. You're all going to go into the living room and do something group-like."
They left Pepper and went into the living room. Amber was already there, trying really hard not to laugh. Thor and Loki were there as well still.
"Steve got in trouble," Amber said in a sing song voice under her breath; Sam through a pillow at her.
"Acting like children," Thor asked them with his eyebrow raised.
"Oh, shut it," Tony sulked as he got a scotch.
"Fine, we're playing Truth or Dare," Sam announced. "Whatever happens in the game, you can't get revenge for later."
"Done," Tony said as he took a seat with a big grin.
"Done," Amber echoed.
"Um, is this really a good idea," Steve asked. He got no answer.
"I shall join you in this game, as shall Loki," Thor announced. Loki was eyeing the window like it was a legitimate means of escape.
"Excellent," Tony exclaimed. "I'll go first. Sam: truth or dare?"
"You really want me to pick dare, don't you," she said. "Well, I'm picking truth."
Tony let out an evil laugh, and Sam had the distinct feeling she had chosen wrong. "Who was the last person you dated before Steve? Tell us about him." Oh, that question seemed innocent enough…until she thought about her ex.
"You know, Truth or Dare was a bad idea anyway. I mean, it's only played at sleepovers," Sam started. Tony started making chicken noises. "Fine. His name was Derek. We dated for about a month, and then we broke up."
"Aw come on, you left all of the good stuff out," Tony protested.
"Thor: truth or dare," Sam asked, pointedly ignoring the question.
"I shall pick dare," Thor said. He wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
Ten minutes later he was standing out on the street in a dress with a sign that said 'Honk if you think I'm cute'. It got so bad Bruce even came outside to see if there was a traffic accident, but quickly fled after he realized the level of insanity. Pepper came outside, saw Thor in her dress, and then left shaking her head. Natasha just took a picture from her seat on the roof with Clint.
"That was an excellent dare," Thor said as they returned to their seats. "Loki, it is your turn. Truth or dare?"
"Must I really play this pathetic game," Loki asked with a bored voice. Thor gave him a stern look and Loki sighed. "Fine, I pick dare."
"Hmm, I am unfamiliar with good dares," Thor said as he paused. Amber leaned over and whispered into his ear.
"Are you sure it is worthy," Thor asked her.
"Yes," Amber replied with a laugh and reached into her purse.
"Very well, brother, for your dare you must listen to the music of 'Justin Bieber' while we play the rest of the game," Thor announced. Sam and Tony started laughing, and Steve took that to mean that the music sounded like the dying screams of a baby seal. Amber handed him her iPod, already playing, and he put the ear buds in.
"Who is this woman," Loki said in disgust after a few seconds. That just made everyone laugh harder.
"You need to choose someone," Amber reminded him.
"Fine. You, mortal wench," he said with a gesture towards Amber. "Truth or dare?"
"Dare of course," Amber replied. "Only chickens pick truths."
"Hey," Sam yelled.
"Fine, for your dare…you have to make that," he said while sweeping a hand at Tony, "semi-presentable."
"I don't see how this is a dare for her," Tony said with narrowed eyes.
Amber body-tackled him to the ground and pulled out a barrette. "We're gonna make you pretty!" To be fair, Tony tried to struggle, but it appeared he was defenseless without his suit, and no one felt particularly inclined to help him, both out of humor and from the threat of crossing the line of fire of lipstick and eye shadow. JARVIS wasn't too helpful either; it appeared he had his own list of grievances with Tony.
When it was said and done, Tony looked like he belonged on the set of Toddlers and Tiaras. There was so much makeup on him that it looked like he had a new face.
"You would be prettier if you smiled," Amber teased. Tony gave her a not-so-pretty gesture, and then Steve gave him a glare. It was one of his pet peeves, especially in front of women.
"My turn," Amber said. "Steve: truth or dare?"
"I'm picking truth," Steve said.
Amber gave an evil laugh. "Alright then, out of Tony, Thor, and Loki, who would shoot, shag and marry?"
Steve spluttered for a moment over the question before he could form coherent words. "I don't even- they're men! That's not- I'm dating Sam!" There was a round of laughter at his expense, with the two Asgardians giving them odd looks.
"This is Amber's way of having fun. Just answer the question randomly," Sam said while rolling her eyes at Amber. "It doesn't matter."
"Okay, well I guess that I would shoot Loki," Steve said while looking away from him. He didn't want to be mean, but he was a recovering criminal and he would shoot him over his friends. "Although, I don't what 'shagging' is."
Tony laughed as he leaned over and whispered in Steve's ear and everyone watched as poor Steve turned crimson.
"I refuse to answer that," Steve exclaimed.
"Put it this way, which one would you rather marry," Amber asked.
"Well, a marriage with Tony seems unbearable, so I guess Thor-," Steve started.
"That means it's you and Tony shagging," Amber giggled.
The night continued on in insanity, and most of the prank war was forgotten; they even all got along with Loki and treated him civilly. For his part, Loki behaved himself and kept most of his things clean, which seemed to be impossible for both Amber and Tony. Pepper peeked into the room and smiled, glad that they could be in the same room without destroying it.
The next morning continued in a civil manner. There were no pranks to speak of for the first morning in weeks. While the prank war was not discontinued, they all felt the need to cool it and be sneakier about it, or else Pepper, or, God forbid, Bruce, yell at them. Sam took Amber to class after breakfast and then went back to their empty house to check on mail and such.
It seemed so long ago that they were in the house that she was surprised there wasn't dust covering everything. The mail sat in a pile behind the front door, and she grabbed the stack of envelopes and moved into the living room to work on her laptop for her own classes. She had to finish up a paper by the time she left the house that day or else it would never get done on time.
After a while she got up to get a drink from the fridge, and decided to go through the mail in an attempt to procrastinate for a bit. There were a few bills that she was going to have to sort out later, as well as some college newsletters and such. Then there was a little pale blue envelope with her name on it.
Inside was a store bought card with the title "Missing You" and a vase of flowers on the cover. Sam felt herself go cold as she opened the card. The lyrics to 'Where'd You Go?' by Fort Minor were hand written in black ink on the inside. 'Where'd you go, I miss you so, seems like it's been forever, since you've been gone, please come back home.' On the opposite page, written in the same handwriting, were the words '115 Pine Avenue, Evansville, 1:00 pm, on the 27th of August. Come alone and find your answers'.
Sam stared at the card in her hands without thinking, her gaze falling through to focus on nothing. She grabbed the envelope and searched it for any clue she could find. There was no return address; there wasn't even a stamp. Whoever sent this had hand delivered it.
She looked at every single word written. She recognized the lyrics; the song was on her iPod. The writing was almost in calligraphy. She stared at the word 'alone'. She couldn't do this, go alone and forsake her team. Steve would be angry enough as it was, but the whole team was family. It felt like not telling them would betray them.
Then again, this was her problem. It burned her to know that she wasn't able to keep herself, her friends, her family, safe all of these years. She could end it all now, if she chose to, by herself. All she had to do was surprise whoever was at this little meeting, get her answers, and end this nightmare. There would be no more endangering everyone else.
It was the 26th of August. She had one day before she would find answers.
A/N: Hey again, everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that I start college tomorrow, which is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, I have classes and homework, however I will also be stuck on the campus waiting in the library for a few hours on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I will have nothing better to do than write for all of you. Oh, and I'm also living with plummuffins for half of the week when we have classes together to save on carpooling and study together and stuff, so it's gonna be a wild ride. I promise, no matter how hectic everything becomes, I will never give up on my stories, I am determined to see them through. Thank you once again for all the love!
P.S. I just wanted to give a special thank you to one of my friends, Amanda, for reading this story and falling in love with it, despite not being a fanfiction junkie. I always find it awkward to talk about my secret obsession, but fellow Captain fans must stick together, and nothing made me happier than her squeeing over this story for me. Similarly, I would like to thank Celeste for reading my story as well. You guys rock.
