Natasha stared herself down in the bathroom mirror, willing her racing heart to slow down as she watched icy beads of water slide down her cheeks and roll off her chin into the sink. She turned the faucet on and splashed her face and neck again, taking comfort from the cooling sensation.
The Black Widow had seen and done plenty in her time to make a sane person lose sleep, but it was the first time in a long while that the spy had woken in a cold sweat, shivering with unadulterated terror. She could still hear the bone shaking roar of the beast; taste the metallic tang of fear in her mouth. Natasha patted her damp skin with the soft blue hand towel.
She had to hand it to Dr. Banner, it was an achievement to make the Black Widow's short list of Truly Frightening Things, and his Hulk topped it.