BORN TO BE AN AVENGER

08: Not Your Average Fever

Bruce stood above Albany's clenched figure, ignoring the stinging pain in his arms just from holding her previously. Upon seeing her body go limp, he dropped to his knees, closer to her. Footsteps, sounding one like a stampede, pounded on the ground behind him. To which his head whipped around faster than a bullet. A disheveled Clint stood in front of the rest of the Avengers, none of which took the time to suit up.

Bruce's sweating face and wide eyes met his, and Clint immediately ran to his side, ready to pick Albany off the ground. "No! Don't touch her!" Bruce shouted before Clint had been able to, he looked at his teammate with a ludicrous expression. "She's burning up, dangerously, no normal fever. Look." Bruce looked down at his scorched arms, still red and stinging.

"What happened?" Natasha asked, seeing how Clint's eyes had started watering. She knew he would not be able to speak for himself.

"She was just trying to help me make breakfast-- it doesn't matter. Help me get get her up!" Bruce looked towards Cap first, but not even he could pick Albany up without getting burned. Tony held his hand out, and the team's attention turned to him. Within seconds his Iron Man suit started to cling to his body, each piece flying from the lab. The clink of metal attaching to his body was all that was heard for a few seconds, then when it stopped Tony looked down. His chest piece hadn't came.

"It's a work in progress." He said sheepishly, he stumbled on his feet when all the sudden the red chest plate came flying at his stomach. He winced, "There we go."

Instantly he picked Albany off the ground, her body completely motionless. "We gotta cool her down." Clint said, and allowed Stark to fly up to the medicine bay of the tower. The rest of the Avengers not far behind. The elevator could not have moved slower, crammed with the team inside. Steve tapped his foot as he watched Natasha rub Clint's shoulder. He had really come attached to the girl.

The doors opened releasing the team into the medical bay. Stark had already laid Albany down into a bed, and had at least a dozen nurses placing cooling blankets on her body. Immediately every member of the Avengers assisted the nurses in helping cool Albany's body temperature. The medical bay was a mess of distressed faces running every which way in order to help the teenage girl.

Within many minutes the magenta glow that surrounded Albany's body has started to dim to a light pink with much less pigment. The nurses cleared out of the room under Stark's order, leaving the breathless team to stand around her bed. Not one member of the Avengers could hide their complete utter sadness within this moment.

Not even Tony Stark could mask his feverish anxiety that had been growing in his chest with each passing moment. His eyes were heavy with emotion and concern, mimicking everyone else. No one said a word as each hero prayed in their own way for the girl they had became so attached to in just a few short days.

Though, Clint's eyes held the most hope. Behind the glistened tears were sparks of hope that he would be able to talk to Albany again, tell her stories, laugh with her. Because there is no way that he was losing her so quickly, she had survived this once. He was positive that she could do it again.

Steve held his head in his hands, purposely shielding his face from the expression of others. This was a habit he acquired after the loss of Bucky. Natasha rested her head on Clint's shoulders, her face emotionless. A method she had learned in her past, in order to prevent showing weakness. But inside there was a heart wrenching ache that shook every fiber of her being. Nat knew she would never be able to have kids because of the awful things done to her as a teen. Although she never expressed it, Albany was the closest she would ever get to a daughter to care for, to love.

Bruce felt guilty and hadn't even tried to hide it. He was aware Albany's incident was not truly his fault. But that did not stop him from thinking of the things he should of done. Maybe if he was quicker, and had noticed sooner of her ill being. With a long sigh he rose from his uncomfortable chair to check Albany's vitals for the fourth time.

He tapped on a tablet that displayed all information on Albany's status. There were many cords attached to her forearms and chest, monitoring even the slightest change. "She's finally reached a standard temperature. 98.4."

The team released a breath of relief. Finally, her temperature was normal. Her light pink hue was still present, but only very faintly. "This is good. She probably needs just a few hours rest and then-"

Albany's body shifted to her left in an uncomfortable matter, her eyes fluttering rapidly.

Steve's head shot up from his lap, his eyes slightly red. Clint held her hand within an instant.

"Al? You hear me?" He said, rubbing her arm. Albany had managed to keep her eyes open against the fluorescent lights. She looked drained and tired. Like she could snap if touched to roughly.

She rolled over to face him. "Yeah old man... Why's it so cold in here?"

A/N: Oooo what's wrong with Albany?