In which it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye part 1
Capture the flag was fun when played in a gym with high schoolers. Capture the flag was dangerous when played with the Avengers.
Peter was terrified.
This game had been years in the making. Tony had made everyone special suits and weapons for the occasion. He had made Clint a low powered bow with special arrows that would stick to people, but not injure them (they still hurt a little to get hit with), Tony had made Natasha special paint ball like guns, except they had excellent aim, he had made Steve a very aerodynamic foam shield, that still had enough heft to it to knock someone over. Thor had been given a much lighter padded hammer, Tony installed padding on Bucky's arm. As for his and Rhodey's suits? He had created padded foam like suits, that could shoot darts. Sam's wings stayed like they were, but he was also gifted dart shooters instead of actual guns, as had Scott. Tony had left Peter's web shooters alone, but everyone got significantly padded suits, but not the point where they were cumbersome.
Tony and Steve faced off, sizing each other up. Peter couldn't help but chuckle as his father glared definitely up at Steve. The team picking was about to begin.
"Three, Two, One, Go!" Bruce shouted.
The two men's hands flew out. Steve's was flat, and Tony's was a fist.
"Steve gets to pick first," Pepper confirmed. Tony bristled.
"You miss judged me Stark," Steve said coldly.
"Remember the team rules. The teams can not have more than 2 flying people, amd the same team can not have both Scott and Peter," Bruce interjected, the rule about Scott and Peter been decided because the team with Scott was at a distinct advantage so the other team had to have a member that could sense him coming.
Steve smirked down at Tony, and without breaking eye contact he made his first pick, "Rhodey."
Tony looked like he was about to blow a fuse. Peter could have sworn he had seen smoke come out of his ears.
"Two can play at that game," Tony growled, "Bucky."
Steve's smirk vanished. Peter had a feeling Steve would choose him out of spite.
"Scott," Steve said to Peter's great relief.
"Peter," Peter heaved a sigh of relief as his father spoke his name.
"Sam," Steve called his friend over to him.
"Thor."
"Clint."
"Nat."
The teams had been chosen.
"Don't forget the winner of each round, can chose to start the next round with either 3 flags, leaving the other team with one, or they can steal a player. Other rule refresher, you can take hostages, hostages can escape, or be broken out. If you get shot or surrender in a fight, then you have to go back to one of your flags for five minutes. decoys, and booby traps are permitted, but there has to be an actual discernible difference between the decoy and the real. Players are not allowed to hold the flags. There are no safe zones. You can steal rations, and trade any resources/prisoners you have." Pepper summed up what they each already knew by heart, "The game is best out of seven, Teams you have 15 minutes until you can start to try to get the flags."
Tony had been planning the perfect strategy for weeks, he had known exactly where he was taking his team, that is until Steve had chosen Rhodey. That had not only been a power move, but also a distinct strategic move. Rhodey knew how Tony thought, which ment Tony had to be unpredictable. He had to do things that even Rhodey wouldn't see him doing.
"Thor, where should we go?" Tony asked after a minute of thought. He couldn't ask Bucky, Steve knew him to well, he could't ask Peter that was far to predictable, he couldn't ask Nat, Clint would figure them out in a matter of seconds, and he definitely couldn't decide, so Thor it was.
"The Quinjet hangar," Thor suggested, "We set it up as our base of operations, and then from there we make better plans. I think we should play this as defence right now."
Tony liked that idea.
"Alright, meet there in ten minutes. Everyone be careful getting there we don't want to give away our base."
Tony was beginning to have the starts of a deep plan.
"Alright, Rhodes, break it down for us," Steve had a feeling that Tony's friend would be able to tear into any plan that Tony had.
The Cornel thought for a minute.
"Tony is not going to be the one doing the main planning," Rhodey stated.
"How do you know?" Tony was a control freak, why would he not take the helm?
"He knows that I will be able to predict his actions, so he will likely seek out new leadership. It won't be Bucky, because you are close to him..." Rhodey thought for a second, "Thor. It will be Thor."
Steve didn't question how Rhodey had gotten to the conclusion, he just accepted it.
"Alright team, lets go to forest watch tower," Steve had decided on that strategic profection long ago when this had first started rattling the pipe.