Chapter 12
April Fools!

…Several missions and weeks later

Absorbed in her thoughts, Chloe walked down the hall to the kitchen. As she opened the door, a bucket of cold water splashed down on her head. "ANTHONY EDWARD STARK! YOU WILL REGRET THIS!" Natasha followed the sounds of screaming and saw a dripping Chloe busy wringing out her hair and clothes while shouting at the security cameras. Chloe finally shook her head and water droplets went flying. She stormed past Natasha and went to the elevator, angrily muttering. Thor entered the kitchen a moment later, happily munching on poptarts. He stopped when he saw the bucket, the water, and Natasha standing there, shaking with silent laughter.

"Lady Natasha!" he cried anxiously, grasping her by the shoulders. "What disease do you have?" Before Natasha could answer, Steve ran by, his arms full of rags, and began to mop up the mess. Thor then turned to help Steve and Natasha sped towards the elevator. When she entered Chloe's library room, she saw her friend sitting on a chair, typing furiously on her laptop. Natasha sat next to her and noticed that she was looking up pranks.

"Oh, hi Natasha," Chloe said absently, scrolling down lists of pranks. She clicked on one then made a noise of disgust. Natasha looked at it and made a face. "I know right?" Chloe said, and then her face lit up. "I got it!" she cried. Natasha looked at her.

"What?" As Chloe whispered to her, a rare smile came to the assassins face.

…The next day

Tony yawned and eyed the floor before getting out of bed. He was sure Chloe hadn't forgotten yesterday's incident and he was cautious. The billionaire dressed and walked down to the kitchen. Everyone else was there, sitting on couches, sitting at the kitchen island, and reading books, magazines or newspapers. Clint popped out of the airvent, holding a newspaper. "Hey Cap, Chloe!" he said. The two looked up at him. Chloe was frying some eggs and Steve was reading Moby Dick. "Check out the headline!" Clint tossed it to Steve who caught it with one hand. He read the headline then glared at Tony. Chloe saw his look and snatched the paper. She read the short section title and the announcement beneath out loud.

"'The Super Soldier Found Someone?' And below that it says, 'Look on the noon news for the full story'." Chloe slammed the paper down on the counter so hard that Bruce and Tony jumped. "Damn you Stark!" she snapped. Tony started to mumble something about Clint doing it and not him when Jarvis said,

Miss Ride, a news truck is here for you and Captain Rogers. They say that Mr. Stark promised them an interview with you.

"Well, tell them that this was without my knowledge and to skedaddle!"

Yes ma'am. As Jarvis relayed her message and got into an argument with the news reporters, Chloe and Steve moved in sync towards the billionaire. Tony gulped, turned, and ran for his office. He discovered it was locked and as he tugged on the door, a pot of chicken noodle soup fell on his head. He sputtered for a minute and then began to take noodles out of his hair. He could have sworn that he heard Jarvis laughing.

…A couple days later

Chloe yawned and clambered out of bed. She glanced at the calendar and froze with horror. The date was April 1st. It was April Fools Day. Chloe opened the door cautiously and looked up and down the hallway. She closed the door and sighed. No booby traps so far. Then she heard a scream. Chloe slammed open the door and ran to the elevator. She hastily asked Jarvis who had screamed and then punched Natasha's floor. She was soon joined by Steve (who was dressed in sweat pants and a pullover), Clint (who's hair looked like a birds nest *Pun intended*), and Bruce (who looked half asleep). Chloe flung open the assassin's bedroom door and saw her friend wrapped in a large bathrobe, covered in green goo and cursing in Russian. Chloe quickly entered and slammed the door in Clint's face with a hurried apology. "Nat, what happened?" she cried, tossing pushing her friend into the bathroom.

"That idiot Stark filled my showerhead with green stuff and when I took a shower…"

"Got it," Chloe said, busy looking for clothes for Natasha. "Splat!"

"Этот идиот! Он пожалеешь! Вырву ему на куски!*" Chloe rolled her eyes and tossed in the clothes she had found. As Natasha dressed, Chloe stepped into the hallway where the guys were. They waited a couple seconds and then Natasha came out, looking quite ready to kill Tony. Chloe headed up to her floor to dress and get ready for whatever horrors the day would throw at her. She dressed without incident and went down to the gathering floor. Bruce showed up next, then Thor. The god reached into the cupboard and pulled out a box of poptarts. He easily ate a dozen before he stopped and looked at the box. His face screwed up and he began to gag. Chloe gaped at him. She had never seen Thor have this reaction to food before, even on Asgard. Bruce sprang up and thumped him on the back Chloe picked up the box and eyed a poptart.

"Thor, these poptarts went bad three weeks ago. What were you doing with…oh, no!" The truth hit her. "Thor, you've just been the unfortunate receiver of a Midgardian prank." Thor was too busy gagging to answer. At the look on his face, Chloe couldn't help a grin.

The rest of the day was like that. Steve had his gym painted red white and blue with a picture of Uncle Sam in boxer shorts and with punching gloves. Chloe had her walk-in closet filled with bird down, which took hours to clean up, and had her library books covers drawn on with permanent ink. That wasn't too big of a deal because Chloe could just cast a spell to erase the marker, but she was mad. Clint's bow was discovered missing and then found taped to the bottom of the 'V' in 'Avengers' on the Tower. Poor Bruce had had his lab filled with bongo drums, cardboard cutouts of yoga instructors and a large banner that said, 'I am not allowed to ask Dr. Banner if it's easy being green' and another one that said 'MELA JAZZ!' It was about three in the afternoon when they all completed their respective cleanup jobs and plunked down on the couches in the common room. Chloe sighed.

"I hope I never have to see another feather except my own again!" she cried, exhausted. Steve nodded wearily.

"I'm lucky that I've had to scrub barracks or else that would've taken much longer." Clint sat forward.

"Well, now that we're all done with cleaning up, we need to get Tony back."

"How?" Bruce asked. "He's barricaded himself in that lab for the entire day! How're we gonna get him out?" Everyone was silent until Chloe waved her hand.

"Jarvis cut all feed from this room and all of our floors."

I'm sorry ma'am, but Mr. Stark has given me strict orders…

"And I'm overriding those orders Jarvis. Don't tell me that you've never wanted to get back at Tony Stark for something!" The AI hesitated.

Well, there have been a few times.

"Good. Now, Jarvis, have you cut the feed?"

Yes.

"Ok. Now, cut all the power to Tony's electronical devices."

Completed. What do you want of me next? Chloe grinned.

"Let me think…" And she leaned forward with everyone else and they began to discuss their revenge.

…Tony

Tony scowled as all of the equipment in his lab went dark. "Jarvis, what happened to the power? Is the arc reactor still working?" There was no response. "Jarvis?" Nothing. "Jarvis I didn't program you to take coffee breaks." Still no answer. Tony sighed. He would have to fix this. He hesitated at the door to his lab. Tony knew that the rest of the Avengers would be more than willing to kill him, but he couldn't stand it when things didn't work. He stepped outside and went to the elevator. It wasn't working. He grimaced and went to the stairwell. As he vanished down the stairs, Clint and Chloe stepped out of the elevator. They looked at Tony's lab and grinned. This was going to be fun.

Tony appeared at the meeting room, panting from going up the stairs. Steve was sitting on the couch, reading a book. Tony looked warily at him, and then collapsed into a chair. Bruce and Natasha entered, lugging a large box. "C'mon, Steve, we're nearly ready." Steve looked up and nodded, closing his book. He stood up and walked to the window. Thor soon entered.

"Is it nearly time friend Steve?" Thor asked. The captain nodded.

"Anytime now." As he spoke, two Iron Man suits streaked around the building towards them and the ceiling-to-floor windows opened. One suit was black and purple and the other was orange and red, like a flame. Chloe's voice came from inside that one.

"Toss us the box Nat, then you all jump." Natasha and Bruce threw the box then leapt out the window. Chloe and Clint each grabbed a handle and Clint gasped at the weight.

"Natasha, how much of Stark's money did you pack?" he asked his friend as she hovered beside him in a black and red suit. Bruce had a purple and green one. Tony stared in amazement. They had HIS money and HIS suits. Steve leapt out of the window and was incased in a red white and blue suit. Thor was about to leap out when Bruce raised a hand.

"Thor, you need to put Mjolinr down so you can get into the suit." The god was about to protest but thought better of it. He reluctantly placed his hammer on the floor and sprang out. His suit was electric blue and gold. As soon as he was incased, he summoned Mjolinr and they waved at Tony and flew off. Stark finally unfroze.

"Jarvis, are you there?"

Yes sir. How are you this fine day? Jarvis asked sarcastically.

"Stuff it. Why do they have my stuff?"

As revenge, I believe. Be lucky they choose that one and not Plan 17.

"And what was Plan 17?"

To put scorpions in your bedroom.

"Brilliant. Jarvis launch my suit."

I'm sorry sir, but the all of your suits except the ones that they are using have been destroyed.

"My prototypes?"

Them also. Tony collapsed on the couch and waited for them to return. They did about two hours later. They placed the suits back in Tony's lab and then tromped to the kitchen for pizza. Clint sat next to Tony.

"So, genius," he said. "Care to try and prank us like that again?" Tony shuddered.

"Never so long as I live." Bruce snorted.

"That'll be the day," he said and everyone laughed.

*That idiot! He'll be sorry! I will tear him limb from limb!

April Fools Day at the Avengers Tower! R&R please!