Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next entry - I decided to post it a little earlier than usual. Enjoy!

Entry #9: Stark Tower [or, "The Great M&M Fiasco"]

"He did what?" Tony sounded completely incredulous as he held his personal cell phone to his ear. Bruce stared at him with a questioning gaze from behind his safety goggles. "…Well, actually, I wouldn't put anything past Fury. …Are you sure you don't need help? …What? …Of course we wouldn't blow up your house! We are two extremely knowledgeable, tremendously capable scientific geniuses. We could have your home Loki-proofed in minutes. … 'Over-qualified'? OK, I'll go for that. But why do I get the feeling that you just don't want us around? …Oh, really? Who?" There was a short pause, and then Tony smirked. "Right. Of course. I'm sure Nat is much better equipped to handle the situation than Dr. Banner or the indispensable Iron Man. Knock yourselves out. …Yeah, you take care of yourself too, lover-boy. Just call us if you need any back-up."

With a dubious sigh, Tony placed the cell phone on the counter and reached for the bag of M&Ms. "And so the horned wonder returns," he mused, smirking again. He had been hard-pressed to cease laughing at Clint's narration of Loki's exploits at STARBUCKS. Especially the hiding-under-the-table bit. "But under the most mundane circumstances."

"And probably without the horns," added Bruce, using a stirring rod to mix the contents of an ominously hissing, transparent beaker. A clearish purple liquid bubbled within.

Tony removed one plastic glove and reached into the bag of M&Ms just as a loud beep startled both men.

"Sir?" Jarvis's British tones entered the room. "Miss Potts has just arrived. She would like to come in, and has expressed her extreme displeasure at 'the two of you' remaining locked up in this laboratory for over twelve hours."

Suddenly panicked, Tony glanced at the bag of M&Ms in his hand and then looked furtively around the room. "Tell her she can't come in."

"…She seems quite adamant, Sir."

"Tell her there are toxic fumes in here, and if she comes in without a mask, she'll implode."

"… She didn't believe me, Sir."

"Tell her we're busy."

"… Apparently she is under the impression that she is more important than your current endeavors."

Tony looked both miffed and amused. "Tell her—"

"Sir, sorry to interrupt, but she has once again demanded you open the door, and also wants to know whether you enjoyed the vegetable tray she left for you on the kitchen counter this morning."

Tony cringed at that. He assumed it would be unsafe to admit that he had dumped the whole thing in the trash and grabbed a cup of coffee and a doughnut. "Tell her it was interesting." (It had been interesting. At least, interesting to stare at and wonder how the heck Pepper expected him to survive all morning on carrots, celery, tomatoes, and a very unappetizing-looking plant that he had been unable to identify).

"She would like to come in, Sir," Jarvis restated.

"Okay, okay… just… one moment!" Tony snatched the beaker from Banner—who made a choked sound of protest—and dumped the entire bag of M&M's into the experiment. Then he stuffed the empty bag in his pocket. "Unlock the door, Jarv."

Several seconds later, the door opened and Pepper stepped in, a very suspicious look on her face. One hand was behind her back. When she held it up for the two men to see, a wilted lettuce leaf dangled between her thumb and pointer finger. "I found this—and quite a few other edible delights—abandoned in the trash can."

Tony facepalmed with his free hand. "I should have dumped them in the incinerator."

At that moment, something very strange happened. The beaker Tony was holding let out an odd pop, and something flew upwards and splatted against the ceiling: a bloated, purple M&M.

Pepper looked up in alarm, and then covered her mouth with her hand. It was unclear whether she was laughing or scowling. "Tony! What is that?" Then she leaned down to peer at the beaker. Eight purple-dyed M&Ms were zipping around in the foamy mixture like minnows in a pond. "Alright. Where's the—"

She was interrupted by a dizzying series of pops, snaps, splats, and gurgles as the beaker practically exploded with inflated M&Ms. They went flying in every direction, some sticking to the ceiling, some splattering across Pepper's new dress, and some launching themselves all the way across the room to plaster themselves on the walls. Tony dropped the beaker, throwing himself to the floor and army-crawling under the counter with Pepper close behind. Banner ran for the door, screaming something about a "stress-filled environment."

In the end, the entire lab appeared to be covered in purple, chocolatey goo, and Pepper's dress was completely ruined. Before Pepper could lecture him about the M&Ms, Tony began, "Let me explain. We're doing… research… on, um, M&Ms. As a possible weapon."

Pepper glared at Tony, apparently lost for words.

Tony shrugged, removing his goggles and blinking at the CEO of Stark Industries. "…I think it was a success."

I do so love the misadventures of Tony Stark!

Hope you enjoyed it, too. ;) If so, review!

~Alassiel