The common room of Stark Tower was, for once, completely free of alien invasions, world-ending crises, and emergency meetings.

Which, naturally, meant absolute chaos.

“Absolutely not! That was cheating!” Sam pointed accusingly across the room.

“It was strategy,” Clint replied, trying—and failing—not to laugh as he casually swept another handful of game pieces toward himself.

“You moved the board.”

“I improved the board.”

“You flipped it upside down!”

On the other side of the room, Steve was unsuccessfully attempting to explain the rules of the game for what had to be the fifth time.

“There are rules?”

“There were,” Steve sighed.

Tony lounged comfortably on the couch with a mug of coffee, watching the argument unfold like it was premium entertainment.

“This is why I don’t play board games. Too much emotional damage.”

Natasha looked up from where she’d somehow convinced Bruce into an arm-wrestling contest.

“…You’re losing to me on purpose.”

Bruce smiled sheepishly.

“I value having functioning arms.”

“Wise choice,” Thor boomed proudly from the kitchen, carrying an absurdly large plate piled with pancakes. “A true warrior knows when to surrender!”

“You’re eating the emergency pancake supply,” Tony called.

“There was an emergency.”

“…There was?”

“I was hungry.”

Tony rubbed his temples.

“Fair enough.”

Meanwhile, Peter Parker sat upside down on the ceiling, lazily scrolling through his phone while the rest of the room descended further into nonsense.

Without looking up, he suddenly frowned.

“…Uh.”

Nobody noticed.

“…Guys?”

Clint and Sam were now dramatically reenacting whatever board game betrayal had apparently taken place.

“…Guys?”

Still nothing.

Peter finally looked toward the massive windows overlooking New York.

“My spider-sense is tingling.”

That got everyone’s attention.

Steve looked over first. “What is it?”

Peter tilted his head.

“…Something’s coming this way.”

Tony blinked.

“…A bird?”

Peter squinted.

“…Faster.”

“A drone?” Bruce guessed.

“…Faster.”

Thor grinned excitedly.

“An enemy!”

“…I don’t know.”

Everyone turned toward the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows.

There was exactly one second of complete silence.

…

THUNK.

Something smacked directly into the glass with enough force to make the entire window vibrate before slowly sliding downward.

The room froze.

Thor’s pancake stopped halfway to his mouth.

Steve blinked.

Natasha stared.

Sam looked between the window and Peter.

“…Did…”

Before anyone could finish the sentence—

Tony took a sip of his coffee.

The thing outside made another unmistakable bonk against the glass.

Tony immediately snorted so hard he spat coffee halfway across the room.

Peter covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

Clint completely failed.

“…Well,” Tony wheezed between coughs, grabbing a napkin, “whoever—or whatever—that is… they’re definitely making a dramatic first impression.”