I felt sick to my stomach. I'd already puked three times this morning. Scott wanted me to go home, but I didn't need to miss school. So, I sat in History, trying not to puke as we watched a slide show on the Baton Death March. You have no idea how hard it is to not toss your cookies when looking at those photos, even when in a great state of health.

I couldn't figure out why I was feeling so bad. I hadn't been exposed to any kind of sickness, I took great care to keep clean, and I watch what I ate. Maybe I got some food poisoning from the cafeteria food. It would make sense.

"Are you ok?" Scott whispered for the eighth time, looking worried.

"I'm fine, mother." I rolled my eyes and tried not to think about the pictures as I looked at them. In all honestly, I wasn't hearing a word of this lecture. I had more pressing issues in mind.

We had started trying to create the serum a few days ago. It seemed to be fairly easy to create. An experienced chemist like Dr. Carson should have been able to come up with this easily. Why wasn't this in his notes? It just didn't make sense.

"Annie!" Scott yelled.

"Huh?" I broke sleepily from my musings.

"The bell rang." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Oh. I knew that." I laughed uneasily. I tried to get up, only to fall back down, Scott catching me before I hit the ground.

"Annie, I really wish you'd go home and go to bed." Scott was in full on mother hen mode, and this time, I figured he might be right. Maybe I did need to just take a nap.

"Ok, fine. I'll go home."

"Don't even think about driving." He smirked, seeing me cringe.

"Awwww."

"You're in no condition to drive. You'd fall asleep at the wheel and die, and then I'd get blamed. I'm not dealing with an angry Wolverine."

"Wow, glad to see you care so much, Scott." I rolled my eyes, trying not to be angry. I know he was just teasing, but I hadn't completely forgiven him for blowing up on me.

"Go to the bathroom and call Wolverine. Have him check you out and take you home. Go right to bed." He chuckled at me as he walked off towards his next class.

I sighed and walked to the bathroom. It was full of girls, checking their makeup and hair, getting ready for the next class in the five minutes that we were allotted. I looked in the mirror. Wow, I looked really pale. Scott was right, I was sick. I pulled out my phone and started to dial Logan's number. I started, dazed, at the key pad. All of the numbers were dancing around. I tried pressing the five, but when my finger got close to it, it jumped to the other side of the phone. I could feel myself swaying , my air was moving my hair in front of my face. I knew I was about to fall, but it didn't seem possible. My eyelids were suddenly so heavy. I had to close them, just for a second. Then I'll call Dad and go home….

I woke up in my own bed, hooked up to an IV and heart monitor. There was a package at my feet. I sat up, groggily, and reached for it. I opened it, a note fell out.

I found these in storage files. You should have gotten these first. They explain everything. I am so sorry.

~Fury

Now, that worried me. I dumped out the contents of the package. Sheets of paper. A loose-leaf notebook. I read over them quickly, not really paying attention. It was Dr. Carson's handwriting. I guess they had to be a few of his notes that had not been delivered to me. I went back and reread them, more slowly, to see what all I had missed.

"Well, look who's awake. You gave us quite the scare." The Professor smiled as he wheeled into the room. "None of us could figure out what happened to you."

"I think I know." I said, trying not to choke on my words. I handed him the papers in my hands, tears welling up in my eyes. He read it slowly, finally looking at me.

"What does this mean, Annie?"

"I've been wondering why the serum was so easy, but Carson hadn't figured it out. He had. It says so on the paper. The reason he didn't use the formula –" I almost threw up. I gasped air into my lung s to finish my sentence, " the serum produces large amounts of gamma radiation." The tears were streaming down my face now. There was no way to hold them back. I knew why I was sick.

I have hunted down rogue mutants. I have apprehended criminals. I have battled Magneto, himself. I have been held captive and tortured by Hydra Nazis. I beat a woman to death for being a spy. I was never afraid.

I was afraid, now. So, very terrified. I had cancer.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHH

"I need a list of everyone who had access to the serum." Fury said calmly. I wanted to punch him in the face. Right now, I wouldn't mind a little sympathy, even if it were fake. I was hooked up to every machine imaginable in the medical wing of the manor. The professor was looking over some random bits of paper that the machine spit out every half hour.

"I was the only one. I did it alone one night, after everyone went home." I replied, trying not to sound as angry as I felt. Anger, that was good. I'd rather be angry than sad, or worse, scared.

"Alone?"

"I often work later than everyone else, if you haven't noticed." I rolled my eyes. He was supposed to be overseeing this little operation. He should know this stuff.

"Right. Well, of course, SHIELD will pay all of your medical expenses, and you are ordered to rest up until you're well."

"Wait, what?"

"did you think you'd get to work sick?"

"Fury, there is no getting well." I growled, gripping the sides of the bed. "There is no fixing this. I am going to die.

"You're overreacting."

"Of course I am. I might not die. I might grow six sizes, turn green, and go on a rampage!" I yelled, my face getting hot. I was so pissed, I didn't know what to do. I wanted Fury out of my face.

"Banner has been able to control it…maybe…"

"Deal with it, Fury. I'm a dead girl walking." I thought for a moment and laughed grimly. "Dead at 17. Gotta love it."

"Annie…"The professor said my name softly, warning me to back off.

"No, Professor. Not this time." I looked Fury hard in the face. "I will return to the lab tonight. I will finish my research. I will wake up the Captain. I will see him assemble the Avengers. I will NOT allow myself to die before I've finished. Now, get out."

He didn't say a word. He just left. God, bless him for that. The professor changed my saline solution bag.

"That was harsh." He said calmly.

"It seems like I don't have time to beat around the bush anymore, Professor." I felt the tears fall down my cheeks. I did it. I kept my tears away from Fury. I looked at the door to see an even harder challenge. Wade was staring at me, fists clenched by his sides.

He stared at me. I stared at him. The Professor left.