It was just a simple cold at first, so how could it have gotten this bad? She had only just been on a mission with the rest of the team that morning, helping to evacuate a large sum of people from a nuclear factory that was about to explode, in which she felt perfectly fine.

Three hours later, there she was starting to feel the symptoms of a cold; blocked nose, headache, fever etc. That was strange enough considering she had never properly gotten a cold before, she was basically immune to them, so why had this tiny cold effected her?

Maybe it was because it was more than just a cold.

Hazel Barton was ill. At first she just had a headache, but over an hour it had expanded into something much worse that none of the Avengers had been prepared for. Now she was on bed rest, and could hardly move any of her muscles. She was coughing up blood, being sick every five minutes and had an inhumane temperature.

When Dr Bruce Banner had gone to check over his fellow teammate, he was shocked at what he discovered. The rest of the team and a few others were all crowded around the small sick bay in the Stark Tower, listening and watching as he made the examination. Tony could already tell that t wasn't good news by the way he moved around and the quick and short furrow of his eyebrows that not even the assassins had managed to pick up. Tony just knew Bruce the best, so he was the first to panic.

"Bruce?" Tony asked worriedly, with his girlfriend Pepper lightly running a hand up and down on his back in an attempt to sooth the billionaire. Bruce looked over at his best friend.

"The symptoms are unlike anything I've ever seen or heard of before. Biologically, she shouldn't even be still alive like symptoms like these." The whole room froze, and Hazel struggled to organise the thoughts in her already messed up head.

Clint held tighter onto his sister's hand. She was only nineteen, this shouldn't have been happening. She had her whole life in front of her and she had saved many lives, but no one could save hers? How was that fair?

"Bruce, there's got to be something." Natasha said and Tony would have made a remark about her actually showing emotion if the time and situation wasn't so sincere. Natasha was Hazel's best friend; she trusted Hazel and Hazel trusted her. There had been many times were the only two female Avengers could only go to each other for advice, and it hurt Natasha to see her teammate and best friend just lying there, dying.

Bruce looked around the room at his teammates, and they knew what his answer would be.

"I don't think she will get better." Steve paused at the news and jumped up from his seat, the metal legs scrapping along the tiled floor. He shook his head as he stormed towards the door. Once he reached the door, he spun around and faced the rest of the room.

"I've lost loved ones before, and I'm not losing anyone again. I'm going to find Fury; he'll figure it out." Steve hurried out of the room, as everyone quickly set into action. Natasha took charge of the team and Pepper.

"Stark, Clint, Thor; you three go after Steve and talk to Fury." They both nodded and exited the room without a word of complaint. "Pepper; you and I will go see if we can find anything to slow down the illness back in Malibu." Pepper nodded and murmured something about readying up the car before heading downstairs to the garage. Natasha turned to Bruce. "Look after Hazel, and try to contact Jared too, he might know." Bruce nodded and sat beside the teenager as the room was finally emptied, Natasha hurrying down to catch up with Pepper.

Hazel turned her head to weakly look at her friend. "Bruce..." She croaked out and he rubbd his thumb on her hand as he held it.

"Shh... It's okay Hazel." He spoke softly but she continued to try to speak.

"What if... what if there isn't a cure?" Bruce looked shocked at the girl, he had never heard Hazel Barton being so negative before and he knew she must really be drifting away. He didn't answer her but before she could ask him again, JARVIS spoke.

"Dr Banner; I believe Jared has just reached the floor." Bruce thanked him and noticed how Hazel's head lifted at the name of her mission partner. Almost seconds later, the door was opened and Jared walked in, clad in tight black and a gun strapped to his leg. He nodded at Bruce as he sat down beside Hazel.

"Jared. Do you have any idea what is happening to her?" Bruce asked carefully, waiting to process any and every word the younger man said. Jared didn't seem phased and stood up walking towards Bruce. He was chewing on some gum and Bruce suddenly realised that he didn't feel safe anymore.

Jared was lightly running his hand across where his gun was resting in his thigh holster and had a crazed look in his eyes. Bruce had never trusted the kid; none of them had but because Hazel insisted he had changed they cast a blind eye to his ways. It was only now Bruce realised that maybe they should have paid closer inspection.

Jared placed his hands on Bruce's shoulders and laughed coldly. "Of course I know. I, after all, was the one who drugged her." Bruce hardly had time to think before Jared brought his hand down at the side of the man's shoulder blade, instantly rendering him unconscious.

Hazel tried to scoot away from Jared as he approached her, grinning maliciously. She froze as he reached out towards her and ran his face down her cheek. She let out a shaky breath before finding the air to speak.

"W-why?" Jared laughed again and Hazel felt her blood run cold.

"I never changed. You just hoped I had. You're valuable to the Avengers Hazel, which means you're valuable as a revenge tactic to us." Jared reached over and unplugged the small drip she was taking to keep her hydrated before picking her weak form up and walking towards the stairs that led to the garage. Hazel soon had fainted and Jared laughed once more. As they reached one of the security cameras, Jared smirked and pulled out his gun before shooting at it and placing Hazel into a car.

He drove away as Hazel lay unconscious in the passenger seat; the Stark tower becoming smaller the further he drove.