Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the characters in this story.

The Great Paintball War of 2013: The First Salvo

Science Bros Tony and Bruce were very innocently working on SCIENCE in Tony's lab. Tony's music was, of course, blaring at obnoxious levels, but by this point Bruce was already used to it. As was Pepper Potts, girlfriend of the genius billionaire, who was tapping away on her iPad and was seemingly unaffected by the loud rock music.

Bruce gestured for Tony to come to his table and check something out. They had decided to try and improve the Avengers' uniforms, hoping to make them lighter, more flexible and more durable.

Bruce had just made a breakthrough on Hulk's stretchable pants. The music thankfully turned down enough for Tony to hear. "What have you got for me buddy?" he said.

"If we apply this type of fiberscopic threading to my slacks, it'll increase the elasticity of the pants by up to 36%," he responded with a small, satisfied smile.

"Sounds great. I bet the big guy will be–"

"Will be what," Bruce questioned, sounding a little bemused by Tony's sudden halt. Even Pepper stopped her work and followed Tony's line of sight. She saw Clint, Natasha and fellow SHIELD agent and newest Avenger Bobbi Morse all standing behind the plexi-glass door as Clint entered in the code to open it.

They were all carrying guns. Big, scary looking guns.

Tony instinctively stepped in front of Pepper while Bruce slowly took off his glasses. As the three entered, Tony said with a smirk, "Well, if it isn't the Three Stooges. What can we do you guys?"

Bobbi looked at the genius and smirked. "You can die," she said before she, Natasha and Clint all opened fire. Tony was struck once in the chest and dropped like a ton of bricks. Screams of surprise and pain filled the room as Tony and Bruce were riddled with rounds.

The rounds didn't stop until they were both on the ground, dead.

Bobbi turned and grinned widely. "Hah! That was more fun than you said it'd be, Nat," she said as the three agents gave each other high fives.

"Told you. Come on, let's get something to eat." They all filed out, yammering on about how cool it was to shoot things.

A few minutes later, Tony shot up into a sitting position. He groaned and grimaced as he tried to move his stinging limbs. He looked down and sighed. Great, his favorite white shirt was now ruined thanks to those knuckleheads, and there was paint all over the lab!

He looked over and saw that Bruce was also slowly getting ip, thankfully minus an ominous green hue. "Brucey, you alright," he called out to his friend.

"Yeah, I will be as soon as my groan stops hurting," he said, obviously in pain.

Tony chuckled softly, only wincing a little bit, before turning to check on Pepper. What he saw was the very epitome of horror. Pepper Potts, his one and only true love, laid on the ground, covered from head to toe with black/red, purple/black and blue/white paint. His love, dead before his very eyes.

"Pepper, no!" He crawled over to her and craddled her dead body in his aching arms. His body, his very soul tore itself to pieces with grief over not being able to protect her from those vile villains. "PEPPER, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed to the heavens.

"Tony," Pepper said, obviously in pain but still very much alive.

His head snapped up and he looked around frantically as if he had just heard a ghost. "Pepper? Is that you?"

"Let me go, Tony."

"I–…I can't," he said in a soft voice. He couldn't possibly imagine living the rest of his life without her. "Why Pepper? Why?" he cried out dramatically.

"I need to take a shower, Tony. Let me go."

Tony shuddered as Pepper's ghost spoke to him from beyond the grave. "Very well, Pepper. I'll miss you."

She rolled her eyes and got up, hissing as welts already began to form where the paintballs hit. "I'll be back in a bit. Try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone, okay?"

"I understand, Pepper. I won't let your memory die. I swear it." She rolled her eyes again and walked out. After Pepper left to go shower and change, Tony stood tall, expression filled with anger and vengeance. "Bruce. They killed Pepper, but not us. Let's go make them regret not being as thorough as they should be."

"Right on. For Pepper," he replied before they both marched out of the lab.

The two scientists strode with purpose into the living room, where they found Steve, Thor and Jane all sitting watching TV. Jane was the first to notice the mess the two were. "What happened to you two?"

"Yeah. Were you two messing around in my art studio again?" Steve said, frowning a little.

"No. We were in the lab working when we were ambushed and attacked with paintballs by those traitors, Clint, Natasha and Bobbi. They–…they killed Pepper. They tried to kill us too, but didn't finish the job."

Steve's eyes widened with horror as Jane gasped, clearly shaken over the tragic death of her friend. Thor stood, resolute over this affront. "My friends, we must repay this travesty swiftly and without mercy."

"Thor is right. In the name of Virginia Potts, I declare war on Clint, Natasha, and Bobbi," Steve said firmly, in full army Captain mode.

Tony nodded, happy and pleased to know that his friends had his back in this trying time. "Let's get those bastards."