See Chapter One for Disclaimer

It was a Thursday.

Kay was off doing "Charlie" stuff, Tasha and Clint were taking a day off together, Steve was visiting a veteran's hospital, and Tony was showing Thor around New York a bit.

It all started when Fury left an unsettling voicemail on Steve's phone. Steve listened to it, eyes wide, and took action. One of his final actions was to call Tony.

"Sup?" Tony answered.

"Where are you?"

Tony frowned at the urgent tone in Steve's voice.

"At a diner a couple blocks from the tower. Why, what's up?"

"Fury just left me a voicemail you need to hear. I'm close by, I'll meet you at the Diner. Is Thor with you?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Stay there. I'll be there in five."

Tony frowned as Steve hung up on him.

"Is something wrong?" Thor asked slowly.

Tony shrugged. "Cap seems to think so. He should be here soon."

It took Steve three minutes to stride in, Clint and Tasha on his heels. Steve got right down to business.

"Listen to this."

"Rogers? You need to find Banner, and fast. I can't give you all the details, I don't know then myself…but he's done something….. You should've kept a better eye on him! Now someone's dead! Just…take care of it, Rogers. I don't want to know the details. Clean it up, and be quick about it!"

Tony's eyes were wide as the message finished. "Do we know where he is?"

Tasha shook her head. Steve rubbed his face wearily, then he frowned.

"Kay?" Kay froze in the doorway of the diner, pushing a figure behind her to the ground.

"Sup, Steve." She grinned weakly.

"What are you doing here?" Steve snapped.

Kay frowned, confused at Steve's panicked look. "I mentioned that I was setting up a lunch meeting with-" a glance toward the ground, "a friend, and Bruce suggested I check this place out."

"Do you know where Banner is?" Thor demanded.

Kay shrugged, worried. "He said he was just going to lay low at the tower today. Why? What's wrong?"

The Avengers shared a look before dashing out the door.

Kay sent the man she'd pushed onto the ground an apologetic smile.

"Rain check." She promised. Then she ran after the Avengers.

Steve opened the door to the tower slowly.

Jarvis had told Tony that Bruce was in the living room, but then Jarvis shut down and would say nothing else.

Tony was in a panic. The team moved forward and found Bruce, criss cross applesauce on the floor, his fingers clutching the sides of his hair so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"Bruce?" Steve took a step forward. "Are you alright?"

Bruce was rocking back and forth, slowly. Steve asked his question again.

"I just wanted a friend."

Bruce's voice was shrill, a high note that terrified those who heard it. He didn't stop rocking.

"Bruce, old buddy, what happened?" Tony asked, attempting for a light tone.

"I just wanted a friend. No one was here. I was alone." Bruce began to babble, and kay started shaking her head, eyes wide. She didn't like this.

"What happened Bruce? You need to tell us what happened." Tasha moved forward to grab Bruce's shoulder, but just then Bruce looked up.

His eyes….were a bright vivid green that had Tasha scrambling away from him, mouth open in shock. His face was…it almost looked like his face was changing colors. His normal skin tone stayed consistent for the most part, but it looked like a sick tinge of green was fighting for dominance. Kay squeaked and moved to hide behind a chair. Clint did the same.

"I just wanted a friend." Bruce whispered it this time, and Steve crouched down so he was eye level with Bruce.

"I'm sorry we left you, Bruce." Steve spoke softly, concerned. "But it's okay. Whatever you did, we'll take care of it, alright? But you need to tell us what happened."

Bruce's eyes had seemed delirious, but then they sharpened onto Steve's face, and he scrambled away from him.

"When did you get here?" Bruce demanded, voice a growl.

"A few minutes ago. Is there someone else here?"

Bruce grimaced. Then he smiled, his face still changing colors. The smile was terrifying.

"There was."

"Can you tell us who?" Tasha asked urgently.

Bruce growled. "He was my friend. But then he wanted to leave. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted him to STAY!" Bruce roared the last word, and Steve took an involuntary step back.

"What did you do to him?" Thor demanded.

Bruce shot Thor a venomous look.

"I made sure he couldn't leave. If he had done what I told him to, he would've been fine. But he didn't like the place I'd made for him. He tried to escape." Bruce's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Tony and Steve shared a look. Tasha pulled gloves out from nowhere.

"He shouldn't have. He should've listened to you." Tasha agreed.

"He made me do it." Bruce insisted. "It was his own fault."

Tasha nodded. "You're right. Did you clean it up?"

Bruce shrugged. "I did what I could."

"Where?" Tony asked.

Bruce rolled his eyes. But then he pointed towards the bathroom door. The door was shut, and a light peeked out from the bottom.

Tasha and Clint approached the door, both wearing gloves. "We'll take care of it, Bruce." Tasha promised. "Rogers, get a few black bags."

Kay stood frozen in the corner, eyes wide.

Tony and Thor looked at each other in shock.

Bruce had actually….He'd actually….

"Look buddy, I know this isn't your fault…this was the other guy…"

"Are you sure?" Tony froze in trying to encourage Bruce, mouth open.

"This wasn't the other guys fault." Bruce spoke softly, a terrifying grin on his face.

"It was all me. Go ahead. Open the bathroom door. Find out."

Tasha shared a look with the group. Then she slowly opened the door. The Avengers crowded around her to see….

The bathroom was empty.

Well…it wasn't empty. There was a turned over fishbowl on the counter, and in the toiletbowl….

A fish.

The team stared down at the toilet in confusion, and all of a sudden a loud bang had black confetti falling down around the team. Tony looked at the stuff in shock.

Bruce beamed from the doorway.

"Here lies sir guppy," He began, trying not to laugh, looking entirely normal, eyes and skin tone back to their regular color. "He was a good friend…until he tried to jump out of the fishbowl. He will be missed."

There was silence…the team frozen, watching Bruce, who beamed.

"So…" Bruce turned to allow Kay access to the bathroom, where she watched the confetti fall in fascination. "Fake?" Bruce nodded.

"This was a PRANK?!" Clint shrilled.

Steve fell to the floor. "Oh my god."

Tony started laughing maniacally.

"I literally though there was going to be a dead body in here." Tasha held a hand to her heart.

"That was most stressful." Thor exclaimed, shaking slightly.

"That…was…AWESOME!" Kay hugged Bruce who shrugged.

"I try."

"Wait." Steve held up a hand, which was shaking badly. "Fury…."

"Was in on it." Bruce concluded.

Tony chuckled. "Dude. That was awesome. Terrifying but awesome. You do a great crazy person."

Bruce grinned. "So I've been told."

"I think we can safely conclude that Bruce here, won the prank war." Clint pouted.

"Agreed." Kay and Tony answered at the same time.

"Good." Steve panted, rising from where he'd fallen. "I don't think I can take anymore."

Kay and Bruce shared a look.

"What an old man." Kay shook her head sadly.

Bruce nodded. "His poor old heart just can't take it."

Bruce walked away whistling as Steve frowned.

"Wait!" Steve hollered. "Who's going to pick up all this confetti?"

Kay cackled and ran off, and Steve grimaced.

"I guess that means I am. Awesome."

Excerpts from Charlie's Journal

14 September 2011

Bruce wins. At EVERYTHING. The End.

Review if you feel the urge, and follows and favorites make me happy!

~CLC~