Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, themes, or ideas associated with the Avengers. I do, however, own my original character, so please ask before use if you like her.

Author Note: Please read and review. If you see anything that is technically wrong (i.e. something that was revealed in the movie that maybe I missed/changed.) let me know so I can fix it. I enjoy criticism and use it to better my work, so please do so. Hope you enjoy!

Prologue

Word travels fast in the scientific community, even in the jungle. He'd gone there to escape the crazies. To prevent any anger incidents from occurring. But, he had control. Even when something did happen to make him angry he was able to control himself. But, word travels fast. Someone had been tinkering with genetics and had created creatures so powerful no one could control them. Panthers so strong they could bite a human body in half with one snap of their jaws. Cats so large they could crush a car with one paw. Who could do that, who would do that to any creature, let alone the world? So, because word travels fast he stood here on request of the president, staring an unnaturally large panther in the eye. A human arm dangled from the creatures mouth as it stared back at him. Deep emerald eyes glared from the black abyss of the fur on the cats face. "Okay little guy, we can go easy or we can go hard, your choice." The Hulk said. The creatures only response was a lunging attack that Bruce blocked with his arm. The cats jaw engulfed his massive Hulk arm, it's teeth ripped his flesh, which both surprised and hurt him. He'd taken bullets as the Hulk without a second thought. He flung the cat off and it scrambled away. Normally, Bruce would have pursued it, but he was perplexed by how it had actually broke through his Kevlar tough skin, not to mention how bad it was burning, like his blood was boiling.

Tony Stark sat in his lab tinkering with his new Ironman suit. Seemed like every time he saved someone he had to make a new suit. Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration, but he did make upgrades every time he saved someone. Every situation was a learning experience and he could always improve his suit. "Sir." Jarvis, his automated home computer system, addressed him.

"Yes Jarvis?" Tony replied.

"Pepper will be home in about twenty minutes." Jarvis stated.

"I know." Tony replied, of course he hadn't forgotten that Pepper was coming home from her business trip today. How could he forget that?

"And you have a phone call from Nick Fury, he says it's urgent." Jarvis added.

"It's always urgent. Tell him I'm busy." He stated as he continued to tinker with the suit in front of him.

"Sir, he says it's life or death urgent and he needs to speak to you right away."

"Patch me through." He rolled his eyes as the line came on through the speakers in the room. "Fury, what's so urgent today?" He asked.

"I need your help." Nick Fury stated.

"What else is new?" Tony questioned. "Of course you need my help, but the question is, do I give you my help or not?"

"It's about Bruce." Fury stated.

"What's he gotten himself into this time?" Tony asked.

"Don't you ever watch the news?"

"No, I don't have time to listen to people talk about me today, to busy." Tony stated sarcastically.

"Do the genetically engineered cats that are running amuck and killing people ring a bell?" Fury questioned, obviously annoyed with Tony's sarcasm.

"Yeah, heard about it, was told it was being taken care of."

"Imagine a creature that can bite through the Hulks skin." Fury stated.

"I'd rather not." Tony replied, adding. "I need a stronger suit." He stated as thoughts of a gigantic cats teeth sinking into his own skin flooded his mind.

"Tony, the cats carry venom like a snake. It's got Bruce bedridden and unconscious. I need you to gather the forces and come in. The doctors say they need a fresh sample of the venom. Plus, someone has to take care of the original problem." Fury explained.

"Don't you have your boy America at your beck and call?" Tony questioned, thinking of the youngest 70 year old he had ever seen.

"This is bigger than any one person Stark, we need the Avengers." Fury stated. "I need you to get them."

"I'll get Hawkeye and Black Widow right away, but you're gonna have to get the old man." Tony said with an eye roll thinking about Captain America and hoping he didn't actually have to call him too.

"Any way to get Thor? I have a feeling this might get a little out of control." Fury said.

"Yeah, don't have his number." Tony replied. "Besides, it's just a couple kittens, how hard can it be?"

"The Hulk is bedridden because of those kittens Stark. How hard do you think?" Fury used a bit of his own sarcasm.

"Tony" Pepper Potts voice came from the top of the stairs.

"Gotta go, we'll be right in." Tony said, Jarvis ended the call before Fury could comment.

"Down here Ms. Potts." Tony yelled. "Jarvis, get me Hawkeye and Black Widow."

"Hawkeye and Black Widow? Somehow I have a feeling you're not throwing a party." Pepper said as she entered the room from the winding staircase.

"Nope, no party. Bruce is sick, needs our help." Tony replied as he began putting his suit away.

"I have Hawkeye and Black Widow." Jarvis stated.

"Put them on." Tony said. "Clint, Natasha, we need you." He said as the line came on to two of the other Avengers.

"Tony, I'm working." Natasha stated.

"Me too." Clint added.

"Bruce is sick. Got bit by one of those big cats someone's been messing with. We need help."

"Yeah, I got that that." Hawkeye stated.

"When I say sick I mean to say one of those huge cat things bit right through Hulk skin and released a deadly venom into him that has bedded Bruce. Any questions?" Tony stated the explanation.

"Can you come pick me up?" Natasha questioned.

"Then swing by to get me?" Clint added.

"I'll be right there." Tony smiled despite the situation. "End the call Jarvis." He smiled at Pepper as he stated. "Sorry I have to run off like this."

"That's life." Pepper replied.

"Jarvis, take care of Pepper while I'm gone." Tony ordered the home computer.

"Yes sir." Jarvis replied.

Cassandra Blake stared at the picture in her hand. She and the man in it had gotten the picture made before he up and decided to leave her. She'd thought she was over it, but then the photographer had called. The photo had dredged up buried memories, not that she didn't remember it every day. The scars from the intensive battle training she'd put herself through after the breakup served as a constant reminder. She stared out at the ocean, then down at the waves crashing into the cliff beneath her. Her phone rang and interrupted her sorrowful solitude. The caller ID said restricted. "Hello?" she said after having accepted the call.

"Cassandra." The voice on the other end greeted her cheerfully yet with a bit of reservation.

"Dad, this isn't a good time." She replied.

"This is an official call Cassandra." He stated.

"Mr. President. What can I do for you?" Being the President's daughter wasn't near as glamorous as people made it out to be, especially when you were the presidential contracted assassin.

"There's two extremely large black panthers killing people in New York." The President explained.

"I saw that, but the news said the Avengers were on it." She stated with a little annoyance. "I decided to steer clear, I'm already walking down memory lane today."

"The Hulk was on it, the others weren't. But the Hulk was injured. I'd like you on this one. Cassandra, you're the best at this kind of thing, what with the big cats and all."

"Genetically engineered cats are a far cry from what I'm used to Mr. President." She stated, of course she would love to get involved with the creatures but she didn't want to chance running into a certain Avenger. "Besides, I'm in California."

"I know, the jet is on its way." He stated with a bit of satisfaction, she wasn't going to get out of this one.

"Okay," She sighed. "I'll take care of it."

"Thank you." He paused. "And be careful Cassandra." That was dad talking, not Mr. President.

"I will." She replied.

"Gotta go." He said. "Love you Pumpkin."

"Love you too dad." She replied as the call was ended from the other end. She slid the phone back into her pocket and looked at the picture in her hand. "Goodbye." She said as she let the wind take the picture down the cliff and out to sea. She lifted her sunglasses over her eyes and turned to her smart car, she had a plane to catch and people to save.

Clint stared through the glass of the confinement capsule aboard the helicarrier. Bruce Banner was laying on a hospital bed in the middle of it. The capsule was built to contain the Hulk and because they didn't know how Bruce's body would react to the venom they had converted the capsule to a hospital room. To see such a strong man in such a frail position made Clint cringe. He himself was just a man who had trained himself to perfection in many skills but mainly archery. Bruce, on the other hand, was genetically great. The amount of discipline and motivation that it took for Bruce to control not only the Hulk but also when the Hulk appeared rivaled that of no other. Clint respected him for that. The idea of losing such a respected friend made Clint's gut knot, he'd been down that road before. Determination fueled him. He would do everything he could to save Bruce Banner. "Agent Barton to the bridge." The intercom stated.

"What now?" He whispered to himself as he headed toward the bridge. When he arrived he was met by a less than delighted Director Nick Fury.

"What the hell is she doing down there?" Fury questioned pointing to the computer monitor in front of them. The screen was filled with a satellite view of a woman clad in a black and pink skin tight jumpsuit with a bow slung over her shoulder. She was crouched down stalking the gigantic black panther that had injured Bruce.

"How am I supposed to know?" Clint questioned, praying his gut feeling was wrong about what was coming next.

"Because you and Cassandra Blake are the best of the best when it comes to special forces archery." Fury stated.

"Well," He better at least attempt to give Fury an intelligent answer or he would never get out of there. "she did do intensive studies on animal genealogy and behavior in college. Then, when she got out she put her archery skills to work in jungles around the world hunting down man eating cats." Clint explained.

"You do mean NATURALLY man eating cats right?" Fury asked. "Just for clarification."

"Yes, the food population grows scarce, the cats move into villages to obtain food, people die in the process and usually the cat has to be neutralized. Once they get a taste of human flesh there's no going back." Clint described the behaviors of animals in the Panthera family.

"So, would she have caught wind of this on her own and decided to lend a hand?" Fury questioned. "Or is she in on it?"

"You realize you're questioning the honor of the president's daughter right?"

"Yes, is she involved?" Fury questioned out right.

"I doubt it, she believes that breeds should be left alone to evolve as they would naturally." Clint stated. "It's more likely that she's working for someone, probably the president himself."

"He didn't inform me of any other actions on his part. He told us to clean up the mess."

"Yeah, well, sometimes he's not a very patient man." Clint retorted. "And he doesn't have to tell you everything, I'm sure you don't tell him everything either."

"I'll choose to ignore that comment." Fury stated. "I'll see if I can get with him and find out what he's up to. In the meantime, I want you and Ironman to take a stab at that panther and shut Cassandra down. We don't need her getting in the way." Fury ordered. "Make sure you bring that thing back."

"Yes sir." Clint replied, his gut feeling was right, Fury was sending him to shut Cassandra down. This wasn't going to be pretty. He headed out to find Tony Stark, at least he wouldn't have to face her alone.