Animal Instincts: Infected Humanity *Book 1* (Ultimate Spider-Man *Cartoon*)

Chapter 2: I've Caught A Bug!

I do now own Ultimate Spider-Man! Only the plot!

As soon as the Triskelion was back in order and the gas had been cleaned out, all the heroes were immediately rushed to the Sick Bay. The best doctors and scientists S.H.I.E.L.D had to offer set to work to uncover any illnesses or effects that might come into play. Tony kept trying to reassure the doctors that he was fine. JARVIS already did a health scan on him and decreed him 100% completely healthy, all aside from a smidgeon of irritation caused by his inability to detect any elements of the gas right off the bat. But the SHIELD doctors insisted, and pestered, and nagged until finally Nick Fury none-to-professionally told him to sit his butt down and get a check-up.

Tony did.

And he was fine like he told them. Once the rest of his Avenging team got the approval of the unnaturally persisting SHIELD doctors they were released from Sick Bay custody too. But instead of heading back to the tower for an evening of late-night pizza, a half-hearted celebration that the attack was a fluke, and some intense investigation to uncover who had the guts to attack SHIELD in broad daylight, they were called into Nick Fury's office. Which basically meant they were about to be yelled at for an hour because they allowed Nicks precious lil' heroes to get in harm's way.

As soon as they were all situated in chairs around the director's desk, glared at like a bunch of delinquent high schoolers caught breaking the rules, Nick knit his fingers over his stomach and slowly leaned back against his chair. Even then, it took him a few more minute of sucking out their souls with a dead-eye before he finally spoke up.

"How hard it is to understand, 'stay where you are?' Or the words, 'toxic gas?'" He said slow and calm, looking between them with the expectancy of a hoity-toity principal working over-time.

Clint coughed in his seat, leaning against the armrest uncomfortably, "That's a rhetorical question right?"

He received a glare in return.

"I give you direct orders to stay put," Nick Fury continued, "and what did you do? And, yes, Barton that is also a rhetorical question, so don't answer it."

Clint scowled, folded his arms and sank into the cushion. "Wasn't gonna answer it anyway," he muttered.

Tony raised his hand, like a kid in a classroom, "Actually, we did stay put. In fact, we didn't even ruin the door. I'm pretty sure that was one of your heroes -the Rhino guy, I think. So...technically it wasn't really our fault."

Nick Fury only glared harder, and Tony was 98.97% sure he felt a piece of his soul leave his body.

"Tony, don't try to put the blame on someone else. As far as I'm concerned, we're all at fault," Steve muttered, sighing tiredly.

Tony scowled, mimicking Clint in his position, and mumbled an indignant, "Fine."

Fury unclipped his fingers to thrum them against his desk with an unnervingly emotionless look. One that promised guns, pain, and a whole lot of paperwork. "Despite your inability to follow directions, I want you all to tell me what exactly happened in there, " he instructed carefully. "That gas you all breathed could be toxic, or some chemical designed to screw with your body, and if fourteen kids, plus 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes' die, then I'm personally feeding your bodies to the sharks. Or perhaps I might just give them to some delusion scientist crawling through the works. For scientific purposes. Got it?"

The Avengers shifted again, not even doubting Nick Fury's threat. He threw someone out of the window of the Tricarrier one time - they heard the stories. Natasha and Clint have seen the truth behind the rumors. Still, pass the strict, macho, I-can-kill-you-with-a-chip-and-paper-clip stare, they knew it was because he cared for those kids. Whether he'd ever admit that, or not.