Upside-Down

Chapter 29

The car ride is awkward. Ned sits in the seat behind the driver's, staring at the back of Steve's head. Peter is sandwiched between him and MJ, who seems to be trying to act natural, hiding behind her phone.

Natasha hums a tune from the passenger seat, scrolling through her phone-- though it doesn't look like social media, it looks like some kind of SHIELD file. Ned looks over at her at just the wrong moment, when she scrolls past an image of a murdered drug dealer.

He looks shocked, then whispers to Peter, "she's even scarier in real life." Peter nods, though unconvinced. Nat was very nice, once you got to know her, and got past her horrid up bringing... After a minute with no noise but the tune Nat's humming, Steve finally breaks the silence.

"So... what do kids do in school these days?"

Ned just stares. Then he stutters, "nothing as cool as what you did, probably, Captain, sir."

"Ha. No, your education system-- though it may be flawed, is much better then it was when I went to school. I only knew one girl who graduated high school."

"Yeah, everybody was sexist back then," MJ interjects.

"there were social norms that were-- well, sexist." Steve shakes his head. "Things are better now."

After a few minutes, Steve turns into the Avenger's Tower garage, but Peter blanches when he sees what must be the next attack on Tony. His favorite car, decorated just as the suit had been, but with added confetti, toilet paper, and another Team Fish sign.

Ned looks scandalized. "What happened--"

Steve parks the car, and Ned quickly stumbles out. He rushes to the car, checking to make sure no damage was permanent, and then reading one of the signs. "Team Fish... isn't that your cat's name, Peter?"

"Yeah..."

"This can only mean one thing--" Ned declares while everyone gets out of the car. "The Avengers... are having a prank war? Nobody told me about that! What side are you guys on? Team Fish-- or..."

Steve and Nat look awkward, and Peter jumps in. "It's really just me, Mr. Stark, and Friday versus Pietro and Wanda-- they stole Fish... or I let them watch him for me while I was gone, and they never gave him back."

"Everyone else prefers to remain neutral-- at least for now," Steve adds.

Before anyone can walk toward the door that leads upstairs, a figure slams out of the vents in front of them. "That is-- except for me," Clint Barton announces, grinning. His bow is loaded and pulled back, arrow armed with some kind of device.

"Oh Clint--" Nat looks disappointed, but the archer just grins.

"I would like to announce I am officially on Pietro's side. Team Fish!" he woops, letting the arrow fly. It lands smack in the middle of the circle formed by the five, throwing thick smoke into the air.

Peter coughs, trying to find the door handle. It sounds like someone crashed into something, and MJ curses. Natasha and Steve seem to be trying to find a trace of the assassin but when Peter finally reaches the handle-- wrenching open the door-- and the smoke clears, it's become obvious the archer retreated back into the vents.

"Dang it," Natasha mutters. "I told him we had to stay out of this."

The group quickly march into the building, lead by Nat and Steve, and soon reach the elevator leading to the lobby. Nat taps her foot impatiently on the ride up, Steve standing calmly, and everyone else in infatuation and terror that the Avengers had Prank Wars.

When the door slides open, an utter mess stands before them. Throw pillows from the couch litter the floor, feathers spilling out of them, little puffs of the things floating around like tumble weeds. A couch cushion has long scratches down it that look like a cat's-- and one of the ceiling fan's blades are on the floor-- another one hanging above it, crooked. 

"What happened?" Peter breathes, following Nat deeper into the lobby-- now a jungle. The entire scene is eerie-- the lights have been dimmed, not another soul in sight. MJ creeps closer to Peter, and Ned just looks fascinated.

Abruptly, Steve and Nat stop, forcing everyone else to slow as well-- or slam into them. Which Peter may or may not have done. They all peer down a hallway, branching off to the left. Suddenly, glowing green orbs appear, bouncing, looking panicked.

Fish comes into the light, bounding to leap into Peter's arms. Everyone stares at the cat, before all their heads whip back to the hallway. A low sound rumbles-- foot steps. A lot of them. Suddenly all the rest of the Avengers-- including people Peter's only heard of until now-- Rhodey and Sam Wilson-- War Machine and Falcon-- burst out of the hall, all screaming one thing.

"THE FLOOR IS LAVA!!!"

There is some fluff for you-- with more to come before we get back to the overarching plot line. :D

I will probably post a few more times tonight-- I'm sorry I haven't recently. There was a lot of stuff-- a vacation-- a laptopless vacation yeah. So, more to come! Love you guys! Have a great day!