"Hey doc(s) plural, can I tear you away from Science for a moment? Ha, rhetorical question! I have some paperwork for you to sign!" Darcy sang as she backed into the lab, balancing three cups of coffee and a mountain of paperwork in her arms. Later, she would blame that as the reason for her not seeing Jane, Bruce, and Tony huddled in a glass cage on the far side of the room, frantically gesturing for her to get out. But they were, their mouths open in howls that could not be heard through the thick glass of the protection cage.

BOOM!

The blast was more concussive than explosive, and there was the tinkling of breaking beakers in the background as Darcy was hurled into the air, the coffee and paperwork flying around her in a blizzard of white. The mugs smashed to the concrete floor seconds before her head, and the world went black.

The scientists' screams could be heard the second Bruce threw open the door to the blast protection cage, and they all ran toward Darcy's still figure.

"Darcy," Jane whimpered, her hands flying to her mouth as Bruce checked her pulse and the gash on her temple.

"Damn," he whispered, and Tony felt inclined to agree.

The blast drew the other Avengers, armed and ready, a few seconds later.

"Tony, what did you blow up this time?" Clint's yell echoed down the hall. Steve, Thor, Clint and Natasha all came to a standstill as they surveyed the damage to the lab and the three scientists huddled around Darcy's limp figure.

"Friend Stark, what is the meaning of this?" Thor frowned, watching as Bruce gingerly examined Darcy's head for signs of trauma.

"It was an experiment," Tony sighed. "I initiated start protocols just before she walked in, and it was too late to stop."

"Did you think to lock the lab, or tell JARVIS to warn others not to wander into the lab before you made things go boom?" Natasha spat, looking ready to murder. She had developed a particular soft spot for Darcy. But Clint tugged at her arm, and she backed up so that Steve could step forward.

"Doctor, is she alright?" he asked Bruce.

"She needs the hospital" was all Bruce could say. And so, tucked in Captain America's arms (If she had been awake, she would have appreciated it significantly more), Darcy made her way toward the Stark Towers' very own helipad to be airlifted to the SHIELD infirmary.

When Darcy Lewis woke up in SHIELD's infirmary two days later, she would have been surprised. Camped out around her bed in various states of sleep were the Avengers plus Pepper and Jane.

"Mgfgh" Darcy moaned as the pain hit.

"Darcy?" Bruce was instantly awake. "How do you feel?"

"Well, I dunno, doc. Kinda like I just went boom from Science."

Bruce grinned, relieved. "Darcy sarcasm levels back to normal." He pretended to make a note on a clipboard.

Darcy blinked rapidly, then finally settled on the conclusion that yes, her eyes were open. "Hey doc, why're the lights off in here?" she asked. "Not trying to take advantage of the invalid are we?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

But her quip was lost on Bruce, who stared. "Darcy?" he asked, waving a hand in front of her eyes. She didn't blink. He felt the familiar ache of panic settle into the pit of his stomach. "Darcy, please tell me you're playing a terrible, horrible, incredibly not funny prank on me right now."

A frown drew itself across Darcy's face. "What do you mean?" She wanted to know. "It's dark. Just turn the lights on." But she was starting to panic. "Bruce?" Her voice squeaked a bit at the end of his name, and she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Darcy!" Pepper's maternal voice was sleepy but gratifyingly ecstatic as she sat up, jostling Tony, who elbowed Clint, who bumped Natasha who shook Steve who tapped Jane who pinched Thor's nose just as he snored, causing him to startle awake with a rather loud roar.

"Hi Pepper," Darcy's voice was sulky. "Will you tell Bruce to stop messing with my head and turn on the lights?"

The Avengers plus two stared at each other for a moment, in which Bruce waved his arms around, Natasha glared daggers at Tony, Jane snuggled a little deeper into Thor's arms, and Steve shrugged.

"The lights are on, sweetie," Pepper said finally.

There was a moment of absolute silence as everyone worked out exactly what that meant.

"Holy Shit. I'm blind."