Behold this filler chapter, mostly serving as a segue to the chapters including the remaining Avengers' hijinks-
Steve stepped onto the opening elevator only to come face to face with a beaming Clint.
Clint steps aside to give the Captain some room. "Hey Steve."
"Hi. Well, you certainly seem happy today. " Steve comments upon noticing Clint's apparent pleasant mood.
"No kidding. I just came from Nat's floor. She freed me from that damned collar. I was so thrilled I might have kissed her if I didn't think she'd strangle me for it."
Steve laughs, "Well glad she had a change of heart."
"'Change of heart?' Are you kidding me? Nat just got bored of watching me suffer. Speaking of suffering, how's your little itching problem doing?"
Steve makes a face at the thought of it and then grumbles something under his breath.
Clint smirks. "What was that, Cap?"
"I said better, and the redness is finally gone. " Steve repeats reluctantly.
"You gotta be relieved. Fury must have thought you had poison ivy or something by the way you looked last week." Clint cut his eyes at the Captain, hoping he hadn't seen him covering a cheeky grin.
"Yea, don't remind me," sighed Steve as the elevator door opened on the Rec Room floor.
Both men exit and make it to the lounge area. Clint goes toward one of the couches and Steve grabs his abandoned sketch pad off a nearby table before taking a seat.
"You know, I still can't believe Dr. Banner sat there trying to be all helpful towards me when he was the one who gave Tony the idea in the first place."
Clint reclines on the couch facing Steve. "I'm sure he didn't think Stark would've created some super strengthened itching formula to sic on ya."
"Yea I know, but still…. I wish I could get even."
"With Bruce? Boy have I created a monster introducing you to pranking. Have you lost your mind or do you just have a death wish?"
Steve looks up from his sketching. "I'm not planning on doing anything really mean-spirited or dangerous. Nothing to make him seriously angry anyway."
"Oh so you're 'planning' now. I thought you were just wishing."
"Okay maybe I'm past wishing and have moved on to scheming. Why, you think you might have some ideas on how…"
"Nope! Sorry Cap, but Bruce - for very obvious reasons - is on my newly formed list of people not to prank."
"You have a list?"
"Yea, sure a mental one. Number one on that list is…."
"Banner?" Steve guesses.
"No, actually I was gonna say Nat."
"Natasha?"
"Yea, you saw how she responded after I teased her. She had me collared with that torture devise for a week. And I got off easy since we're already friends and partners. But you know that SHIELD agent, Dyson, the transfer from the DC sector? The one who thought he could get away directing snide remarks at 'Tasha just because he personally didn't think she was right for our team?"
"Yea, what about him?"
"Well, the last I heard the official story was he's on leave due to a broken arm."
"Yikes."
"Exactly. So from now on I'm not planning on doing anything that will cross her. I'm also steering clear from pissing off Thor. "
"Well, seems wise not to taunt a god who has access to spells and curses."
"I wasn't just talking about that little enchantment. Did you forget his reaction immediately after he found out I was the one who had shaved his hair?"
Steve grimaces at the memory. "Oh… yea that wasn't pretty."
"You had to pull him off of me, which by the way didn't prevent him from ripping my favorite shirt when he had me by the collar. "
"Sorry about that. Strange… for someone who's generally a good-natured fella, he sure turned enraged pretty quickly."
"I've just never seen a guy so upset about his hair before." Clint shakes his head. "And it stormed so bad those next couple of days, I was afraid to leave the tower in fear of getting struck down by lighting."
"Probably what he was aiming for." Steve chuckles.
Clint rolls his eyes, "Not funny."
"Actually it kinda was." Steve says with a smile. "So is Stark on this hands-off list of yours as well?"
" Ha-ha no! I don't care what kind of evil genius his brain can probably cook up for revenge, he's just too much fun not to mess with. I'm sure you don't regret helping me pull one on Tony either." Clint looks to Steve who's quietly snickering and shaking his head.
"That's what I thought. Anyways, most of those dares and pranks have led to nothing but trouble lately. So you can count me out of helping you get back at Bruce. "
Steve just shrugs, "Alright. I respect your decision. I'm sure I can think of an appropriate trick for Dr. Banner on my own."
"I think Captain Do-No-Wrong has gone to the dark side." Tony remarks to Bruce a few days after, while they played chess.
Bruce looks up from the board. "What makes you think that?"
"Well, yesterday I made a comment about our little unofficial Avenger's Prank War and how it looked like all the hijinks had finally died down."
"Hmm, an 'Avenger's Prank War.' I had no idea the madness of this past month had a name," interposed Bruce sarcastically.
"That's why it's unofficial. Anyways, he hinted that maybe the excitement hasn't ended after all. Also, said victim won't even see it coming, according to him." Tony gives Bruce a knowing look.
"Okay… so how does this mean he's going to the dark side?"
"Because he's freaking Captain America and he's transparent as a piece of Scotch tape. I know he wouldn't be eager to spread rumors about someone else's attempted prank, so it obviously means he's planning his own. He's too honest to be underhanded apparently since he went rattling off clues to me. Also, I am quite positive that he's planning on pranking you, my dear friend."
"Me!? You deduced all that?"
"Sure. There aren't many in the tower he has a bone to pick with. He's already partnered with Robin Hood to get at me and since he knows you assisted yours truly with the itching powder trick…"
"I suggested, not assisted."
"Same difference. And I'm sure Cap isn't seeing a whole lot of difference while he's coming up with a way to seek revenge on you."
Bruce scoffs, "That doesn't even sound like Steve."
"Believe what you want. But don't say I didn't warn you."