They were assembled. Natasha walks into the briefing, slightly later than usual considering she was usually first on the scene.

"You right, Tash?" Clint asks. "You look a li'l peaky."

"I'm fine." She says, sitting down beside him.

"May I continue?" Fury says, voice dangerously low, aiming a pointed glare at the assassins. He catches Natasha's eye and the tiniest ghost of a smirk darts across his features, but the expression is gone before anyone else notices and he gets down to business.

"At 0623hours, S.H.I.E.L.D detected an unidentified energy signature with readings that indicate a potential threat. No other presence has been registered apart from abnormal biological developments for the location. Due to the specific nature of this instrument, we have decided it would be safer to send a more...well equipped team out into the field."

"So do we know anything about the machine at all?" Bruce asks quietly.

"As far as we can detect, it emits some sort of hydrophotonic beam, but we have yet to obtain a sample. We do not yet know if it is too dangerous for human contact. We needed scientists with a specific skill set."

Bruce nodds slowly and smiles a sad, self-deprecating smirk.
"My science skills, but his invulnerability. Good thing he doesn't have my brains, or you wouldn't need me at all."

"Do not fear, Banner, there are far more great deeds performed by you than by him, though I do enjoy sparring with the green giant." Thor says in an attempt of consolation.

Steve frowns, and Phil cuts in.

"What I believe Thor is trying to express, Bruce, is that while the Hulk is on team Avengers in the public eye, here is where we fly your Banner ."

Everyone groans.

"That was awful"

"Go home, Coulson."

"That may just make me sick."

"That's so touching, ANYWAY-" Tony says, cutting into the moment. "It's time we get our asses into gear. In my case, literally."

The team jumps into action, each member grabbing necessary provisions and case files. Natasha, already being completely prepared (as usual) makes to leave the room. Fury is talking to Phil next to the door, but as she passes, his arm reaches out to brush her elbow, pausing her, all while he is still engaged in discussion with Phil Coulson. She waits, and Phil dismisses himself, smiling warmly at both as he makes his way out. Fury turns to Natasha.

"I received the memo. My congratulations. You still wish to continue fieldwork?"

"Yes sir. For the time being at least."

"Doctor Foster has cleared you, physically. So I sure as hell ain't gonna stop you." He cracks a quick, brief smile.

"But you take care. That's an order. On your way"

"Yes, sir. And don't worry, you've got no concerns here. It's a simple fly-and-retrieve." She says, nodding at him as she exists. She calls over her shoulder.
"I'll be back with my feet up in a few hours."

He shakes his head.

She makes her way to the Quinjet. Everyone else (bar Thor and Iron Man who make their own way) are strapped in. Steve, in Captain America garb, has taken the helm.

"First mission flying the jet. Airpilot qualified Captain America! We'll have to celebrate when we get back!" Phil shakes Steve's hand from his seat beside him.

"I'm sure we will." Steve adds.

"If we don't die on the way!" Crows Clint from the back, where he sits across from Bruce. Natasha takes her place next to Clint, carefully strapping herself in. Moments later the rumble of the engines have them all bracing themselves for departure. The jet lurches, and Natasha grimaces.

"Right there?" Clint asks casually.

"Bit queasy." She responds, trying to hold back the rising, burning sensation in her throat. She takes a deep breath, and as the jet evens out, so does she. She sighs in relief.

An hour later they land in what is normally on the edge of dry alkali lake beds in Nevada. However, all that they can see of the desert was a tiny clearing in a dense forest. Everyone disembarks into the space, surrounded by vines and lucious plants.

"Unusually green for this part of Nevada..." comments Clint. "Puts kinda a different spin on the idea of "Burning Man". " He turns to Phil "So where do we need to be?"

Phil opens a GPS and points west.

"Half an hour that way. We would have dropped in with chutes- but the foiliage is far too dense."

Everyone gazes at the incredibly thick jungle before them.

"Far too dense..." Bruce observes.

"I know something else that's dense, thick and incredibly green." Clint says, smirking. Bruce just chuckles and walks on.

The trek begins with Clint, as Hawkeye, immediately opting to climb and leap into the vine thickened trees, travelling branch to branch.

"Oh, Tash, you should be up here. It's incredible." He says, whooping.

"Connecting with base instinct, are we, Clint?" She quips, slightly envious. Still, she isn't sure if all the jumping and swinging would sit well with her stomach. It seemed to be doing enough of that on it's own.

They continue walking for a full twenty minutes, casually dropping into conversation. Natasha keeps pace up the front, with Steve. Bruce is the slowest, but only by comparison. They're all delightfully surprised by how well Phil keeps pace.

"Don't look so shocked, guys." He laughs. "I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent. This comes naturally to me. I used to run professional orienteering and geocaching expeditions for fun."

This piece of news delights Natasha. "No kidding?" She says, falling into pace with him.
"Where?"

"Everywhere. All over the states, Canada too, we've been to the Rockies. We even did one in the Australian Blue Mountains." He pauses, a grin breaking across his face. "I tell you, nothing is scarier than being face to face with a wombat who is the only thing separating you from a final checkpoint."

"Wombats?" Clint asks incredulously, jumping down behind them. "Wombats!?"

"Sure." Phil says. "Territorial as anything. Turns out we'd placed the final checkpoint right above it's burrow."

"Built like a tank, too" Steve calls from ahead. "I knew an Australian soldier who went by that as a nickname. I'm lead to believe that the actual creature is ten times tougher than he was."

"And you did battle with one, did you?" Natasha asks of Phil.

He smirks and shrugs. "Not exactly...I climbed the nearest boulder and waited for him to go away. Five hours later. I would have won if not for the fact I slipped into the wombat hole and sprained my ankle. The next person who passed by helped me out, and well- I had to let them have it after that."

Everyone is smiling.

"Mighty honorable of you, Phil" Bruce says amiably.

They drift into silence as they continue their march. Natasha tries to quell yet another sense of nausea, but pushes through it. Moments later, however, the crunch of five feet reduces to four as Natasha suddenly pauses. Her face has gone grey, and she rushes a hand to her mouth before she gives one single retch. She dashes to the base of a tree, which is entangled in leafy vines. Just in time, too, as she finds herself emptying the contents of her stomach into the roots.

Clint grabs her water bottle, While Steve calls back via the earpiece radio.

"Is everything alright?"

"Natasha is unwell." Phil reports back, as Bruce leans down to help Natasha up. He feels her forehead, as she gratefully takes the bottle of water off Clint, rinsing her mouth and spitting.

"Your temp is up a little, but you've been hiking. Had any fever?"

"Not really, no. It's fine. It's not contagious, either. I've been seen by Foster. She cleared me for this mission."

"What'd she think it was?"

"Nothing I didn't already know about. Don't worry. Not contagious." She tries to hide the smile, but her eyes show it.

Bruce is squinting at her, while everyone else shrugs and continues on. Clicking his tongue, Bruce shoots her a cheeky grin and nods.

"Not contagious, huh?" He smirks and balls his fist, slugging her gently on the arm.

She calmly raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. Though he can see that she's casting a knowing smile as she turns, pressing a finger to her lips.

They can hear Tony and Thor talking minutes before they arrive. They step into another clearing, where Thor and Tony appear to be investigating an object- a machine that resembles a missile launcher in appearance, but is covered in unintelligible scribbling.

"We found the source of the problem, and also have an explanation for the ...lovely Black Rock rainforest we have here."

He thumps the machine, which makes a sudden, loud clanking noise. Everyone jumps into defence mode. Bruce unconsciously takes a few steps backwards, while Steve and Hawkeye raise their weapons. Natasha looks across at Phil who stands en-garde, wearing a curious expression and gazing down at her midsection. He breaks away his glance when she down, her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. In the instant of balting into defence, she unknowingly raised her left hand, floating just above her abdomen. She drops it immediately, and while she can hide the blush creeping up on the outside, inside she chides herself.

"Soooo..." Bruce says, inching forwards. "What do you think we're dealing with, here, Tony?"

Tony is too busy poking at the machine to notice, so Thor answers.

"Stark believes it to be a contraption most phenomenal! It has the ability to increase one's essence to an exponential amount." He indicates the surrounding jungle. "It hath turned but one small shrub into this grand forest reminiscent of the finest to be found in the great woods and groves of Alfheim!"

Everyone turns to Tony for explanation, who lifts his visor up and smirks.

"It's a Hyper Cell Cycle Regulator"

Everyone turns to Bruce, who shrugs.

"Makes things grow fast."

"Ohhhhhhh" They respond in unison.

"Can I see?" Asks Clint, walking up to it. Tony steps between him and the machine.
"Not sure that's such a good idea, Robin Hood, we don't know what else it does yet. Besides, I'm the engineer"

Just then, without any intervention, the whoosh of a machine booting up alerts everyone's attention to the object, now glowing electric blue, and humming loudly.

"I think we're about to find out..." Yells Phil as everyone ducks for cover, just as the first boom sounds.

The device suddenly bursts into life, a great blue beam shooting out from the tip of the launcher. It crashes into a nearby tree, particles of the blue beam splattering around. Suddenly, the tree begins to crackle- it's bark suddenly lurching,morphing. Great big ripples of bark twisting and moving like lava sliding into the cold ocean, constantly cooling into a solid form yet always flowing like a viscous liquid. Tony bangs his fist on the machine, the beam faltering before stopping completely, dropping particles of the beam upon the forest floor. Where drops of blue fall, sprigs of shoots bark continues to shed and morph grotesquely, sloughing off as it becomes too thick.

"OK. Now you know what it does." Tony says to a grimacing Clint.

"So what's the plan?" Natasha asks.

"Disable it and take it back to SHIELD." Phil states, stepping forward. Everyone heads over to get a closer look.

"Avoid the pointy-blasty end, 'kay guys?" Tony says, needlessly.

"Were all of us really necessary for this?" Natasha asks.

"Hey, you're getting paid for this, sweetheart- I'm just a volunteer." Quips Tony, but he is soon very involved with the machine, almost lovingly trying to seduce the information he needs out of it.

"You know, I've often wondered if Tony has a "thing" for machines." Clint whispers as an aside to Phil and Natasha. Laughing, Natasha is about to respond when she hears Tony cry out, followed by another loud boom.

The next moments stretch on like an eternity. Mere seconds lasting what feels like ages.

"LOOK OUT" Tony cries, his words overshadowed by the whir of the machine as everyone scrambles.
"Get right out of the way" Tony yells, slamming down his visor "I've loosened the launcher, so it may be unstable".

Just then the jet of blue bursts forth from the end, the power and pressure of it causing it to tip on it's beam aims directly for Thor, who smashes the great jet with Mjolnir, sending it flying. The recoil of the impact causes the machine to swirl about on the forest floor, sending the blue jetstream in another direction. Smatterings of the blue jet splash either side of Thor, cast off in the aftermath of his strike. Behind him stands Bruce, who is turning, trying to dash out of the way. He is caught on the edge of his earlobe. He gasps, eyes suddenly beginning to flash a dangerous green. Immediately he sets off running into the forest, getting himself out of range.

"CAPTAIN AMERICA-" Warns Thor. Steve ducks behind his shield, the beam crashing into it and casting off in numerous directions, hitting various items on the forest floor. Two of those items being Clint and Tony, having crashed to the ground. Clint feels a warm sensation wash over his skull. He swears loudly and abundantly. Tony is smashing at the controls of the device, when his visor is splashed. He wipes the blue substance away. Suddenly his vision goes black.

"JARVIS, I can't get a reading anymore."

"The substance seems to be interfering with the suit's scanning capabilities, sir.I predict that we won't be back online for... a minute at least."

"God damn it" Tony lifts the visor, hastily wiping his chin as a drip of sweat falls off. He stops, eyes growing wide in realisation of his foolish action. It's then that he hears the scream. The beam, having been redirected, has now smashed directly into Natasha's middle. Phil, still untouched by the beam, reaches out and drags her out of it's path, his right hand getting a hefty dose in the process.

That moment, Tony manages to shut off the beam. Everyone stops still, daring to do nothing but breathe. They look around as the remnants of the blue jet beam fade into the ground, bushes and plants growing in their place, and some rather unsettlingly sized bugs.

"Let's establish the damage. Everyone report. Who got hit?" Captain America calls out, standing to address everyone. Tony stands, preparing to talk when he notices they are all staring back at him, mouths agape.

"What ith it...thorry...ITH...what the?" He can feel whisps of hair in his mouth, and his tongue feels swollen at the tip. The hair is coarse, it feels like- He removes his gauntlet and feels the area with his bare hand. Eyes widening in shock, he feels the massive beard growth already occurring. He turns to look at everyone else in turn.

Captain America and Thor are looking sheepishly towards Clint, whose hair has now doubled in length, and continues to grow. A flash of green in the corner of his eye alerts him to the presence of The Hulk, who is changing back down into Bruce as he walks, everything shrinking back into the right size. With one exception- his right earlobe doesn't seem to be shrinking at all. In fact it's growing- not an an alarming rate, but fast enough to notice.

"Guess I got a little nervous" He says shakily. "My heart was beating a mile a minute." He wraps his arms around himself, his torso now bare.

Everyone's attention goes to Phil, who is still supporting Natasha with an arm around her back, and hand on her arm.

"Phil, your hand- the skin." She says in a concerned tone, lifting it up. His skin has grown red, cracked and calloused. As though it had been left to grow for weeks without shedding any dead tissue.

"What about you?" Clint says, rushing up worriedly, hair bouncing near his neck. "Where'd you get hit?"

"M...my stomach." She said, placing her hand over her abdomen gingerly.
"It's itchy, but that's...that's all..." Her breath hitches. She whimpers. "Bruce?"

He dashes to her side.
"Do you want me to take a look? See if everythings...?"

She meets his eyes, and they all notice the depth of them, her eyes, gleaming in their dampness, threatening to spill over at any moment. She nods.

"What the hell...?" Clint asks. Bruce kneels down as she opens the front of her jumpsuit, just enough to reveal the very pink, itchy looking skin beneath.

"Itchy, that's all I feel. Nothing else." She says as stoicly as she can, hastily wiping away a stray tear.

"I'm gonna dithable the machine." Tony lisps, spitting out a mouthful of beard with his swollen tongue. "Then we're gonna get the hell out of here."

"Hey Tony-" Clint jeers through the long, glorious locks which he flicks over his shoulders, almost enjoying it too much. "Tony, Lemme here you say "She sells seashells by the sea-"

"Shut your hole, Rapunthel." But even Tony smirks at the ridiculousness of it all. "Nothing wrong with a lithp, anyway. Thumb of the greatetht geniutheth have been lithpers." He shakes his head. "Good lord, how many wordth have 'eth in them?!"

Everyone slowly begins to chatter, talking through the experience. Bruce gently prods, talking to Natasha in hushed tones.

"I can't feel anything abnormal."

"It would be too early to notice anything-"

"How far along?"

The conversations around them suddenly drop off, piece by piece.

"8 weeks." She says, noticing suddenly how quiet the forest has become. She looks up and every eye in the group is aimed at her, some wearing shock (Steve and Tony) while others, like Clint and Thor, are almost pleasantly surprised.

"I'm thorry...what!?" Tony is the first to speak, cutting right in.

"You're...you're not?" Clint says, slight doubt blanketing his tone, as the crinkling of a smile begins at the corners of his mouth.

Steve's mouth is agape in wonder, while Thor beams.

"How wonderful!" He booms. "Who is the lucky man that has won your favour and laden your womb with the fruit of his line?"

She scoffs, doing up her jumpsuit and pulling herself into a stand.

"No one. I-"

Clint breaks in "Wait, the MACHINE did that?"

"No!" She chuckles. "I used a donor."

Clint seems visibly relieved. Everyone is starting to relax into the idea and are starting to smile and offer congratulations. Only Tony remains aghast.

"Good for you." Says Phil, with an encouraging pat on her back.

"You're pregnant?" Tony chirps. She rolls her eyes at him as she turns to address Bruce and Phil. She takes their hands, one each.

"Thankyou for being clearheaded. Both of you."

Bruce shrugs and Phil smiles warmly.

"You 'll be fantastic in this role" He says, almost emotional with joy for her. Typical Phil Coulson.

"We should head back." Steve calls out to everyone. "The machine will go on the jet. Tony, you should probably carry it. Thor and I will stick close. Hawkeye-" He says turning to face Clint. "Will make the way ahead as scout." Hawkeye nods at his leader, ruffling Natasha's hair as he bounces off ahead.

"I expect details, Tash!" He calls back.

"Agent Coulson and Dr Banner, you stay with Miss Romanoff."

They nod, but Natasha breaks into a huff.

"Hang on, I'm not in trouble. I'm perfectly alright here!"

Steve smiles gently, and Natasha feels slightly patronized.

"I know. But you still haven't shown any symptoms from the beam. If something happens, well- you have the two most medically trained people on the team right here."

She sighs and starts walking. "Well, they better keep up with me then." She says, dashing on ahead, the other two following in time, sharing grins.