Bruce is hiding in his laboratory, careful as he runs a small sample of his own blood through a machine he knows won't survive the day. It's a risky project as always but one he needs to know. He lifts his glasses and stares through a microscope. He sighs heavily over the analysis- the second for the morning. Dropping highly gamma induced particles into the drop, the green envelopes it defensively.

Banner sighs to himself, mid mental conversation to the beast within him, "Shut up."

He hears a growl in the fog of his own mind. His eyes look up upon Jennifer's entry. Her hair tied back in a ponytail. Her hands swing as she steps forward;

"Thought I'd find you here."

He forces himself to calm, angry over being interrupted, "What's up."

She settles onto his workbench, analyzing the project to the best of her abilities;

"I needed to get away from the family. Went for a run with Pepper this morning. What are you doing?"

Bruce nods, "How's Lucy?"

She holds her head, "I think she's okay."

He barely acknowledges. She points;

"You're trying to cure yourself with concentrated gamma radiation again?"

He sighs and returns her glance, "I can't get him to calm down and let me take back control. I'm gonna hurt someone."

"It's that bad?"

He lifts his glasses so that she can see his eyes, "My back is tense- I feel it."

She looks at the green flickering over his wrist as he rotates. She stands and circles to stand at his side of the workspace;

"How? Why?"

Bruce points to his screen, "Apparently Hulk took a knife to the back during the battle. I don't think it healed right."

"He's trying to protect you. What was it laced with?"

She types, trying to use her limited knowledge to aid in his project. He rubs over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose while he sits up against the table;

"Mild Vibranium."

She huffs out a laugh, "Means nothing. I watched you take a Vibranium bullet in Russian and Hulk took over just fine...He should've protected you from this...unless..."

"Unless?"

Stark practically breaks down the door upon entry, dramatically lifting his hands over the cousins already in the lab;

"Why am I the last to know?"

Jennifer mumbles, "Explain please. We can't read your mind."

He lifts his phone, "Red! Sends me an SOS at 3am. What's going on buddy?"

The lawyer offers a sarcastic grin, trying to lighten the situation;

"Your 'buddy' got stabbed during the battle and the blade was either laced with something, or my favorite type of disappearing blade. Hulk won't let Doc take the wheel and keeps showing his face. Look at Banner's eyes."

Tony gently pushes her from the screen;

"Disappearing?! Do we have a blood sample? A scan over the injury so that we can search for chemicals?"

"Don't. Be careful," Bruce lays a hand on Stark's shoulder to move him safely from the microscope.

"Don't be careful? Fine I'll be reckless."

Jennifer mumbles, "He has his blood on the display thingy..."

"Aha."

Bruce swipes his fingers over the screen, twitching causing him to retract abruptly. He growls and bites at his forefinger. Stark chuckles;

"Hungry?"

Banner tightens his jaw. Jennifer shrugs, "Why would Olga lace the blade with gamma? What would gamma do on gamma other than increase it?"

Tony twists his jaw, "Unless...increasing it is the goal."

Walters shakes her head, "Unless the blade is all gamma."

"So someone else wanted to free the monster,' Bruce sits on the bench and returns to his microscope, 'How original."

Natasha's entrance is quiet as she shuts the door behind her. Jen tightens her jaw the instant the assassin appears and focuses pointedly on the diagram in front of her. Romanoff brushes her hand against her thigh and steps forward.

Tony nods, "Morning Red."

Bruce mumbles with his focus on his work, "Hi Tasha."

She runs a hand through her hair, settling behind the physicist;

"I take it we're all working on the same project?"

Jennifer snaps, "Still fixing your mess. Hate to say I told you so."

"And yet you just did."

Natasha lays a hand over Banner's shoulder when he intervened;

"Come on Jen."

Waters pauses momentarily to look the redhead in her eyes;

"I'm going to tell you what I told my daughter last night; Just in case you think I hate you, I don't. I get defensive when people I love are hurting and want them to receive justice. This is what I do for a living."

"I get that."

Natasha lowers her head, crouching to view the sample through his scope for herself. He observes cautiously to ensure she maintains distance. He jumps up with a twitch, walking it off as he breathes and moves to wring at his fingers. Tony whips his head;

"This is new."

Natasha observes with her jaw tight, "I'm so sorry Vrach."

Jen rolls her eyes and turns her screen;

"Look at this. She's tested it before."

Romanoff and Stark step forward first with Bruce behind them. The engineer shares a glance with his team. Jennifer crosses her arms, biting her tongue to hold back another 'I told you so.'

"Shall we visit cell block 7?"

Natasha narrows her focus, "I'll go."

Jen snaps, "Really? You did so well last time."

"Jen!"

The team jump, hearing a deeper growl behind his voice. Natasha reaches for Banner's forearm. He shuts his eyes and allows his wife to flip his Palm over and address his pressure points. She speaks softly and sits at the bench with him beside her;

"You need to stay calm Bruce, or else you're just going to make it worse."

He nods regrettably, "Yeah I know."

Tony circles around to his friends and grabs his nearby chair on wheels to sit in front of the couple;

"Should we let him run?"

Bruce shakes his head, and nervously brushes his pant leg with the opposite hand, "I'm- afraid I might not get back any control."

Jen lays her elbows on the table and holds her biceps. She bites her lip;

"Don't we have a sedative? Did you give him something when Natasha was in the hospital? I thought you did."

Banner looks knowingly toward his wife with his eyes soft. For his attempt to remain calm last night, more than a few growls green flickers were beyond his control;

"I don't think- that is working so well, right now..."

He looks her over, spotting dark deep purple and red bruises over her neck. With a somber focus he gently lifts her hair to get a better view. She permits him for a moment, quickly removing his hand from off her neck and back into her own to resume her calming techniques once he's seen enough.

He bites his inner cheek with a nod. His eyes gloss over with disappointment in himself. Natasha whispers;

"They're not that bad."

"Why didn't you pin me? We both know you can throw me through a wall."

Natasha huffs out a laugh as she whispers, 'I'm not going to penalize you for loving me. It's okay."

Romanoff lifts her eyebrow and twists her lips over his lack of a response. Her hands stay busy over his as she presses and pulls, leaving small circles over his palm. Natasha judges her next words based on his increased tension;

"How long have you been in here?"

Jennifer brushes her hand against the table;

"I saw the light on when I was with Pepper for our run. So since 6 at least."

Bruce admits his guilt, "Since 5."

Tony shakes his head, "So you've been in here for four hours doing nothing but analyze the one thing that stresses you out more than Natasha's missions."

"Yeah." He answers quickly.

Jen laughs, Natasha briefly pauses her acupressure to brush his curls.

Stark spins in his chair, "I think I should pick up some food for us and when I get back, everybody breathes, and we take 5."

The red head offers a closed mouth grin. Walters agrees as she stands more upright;

"I'm down. We can regroup and discuss plans moving forward. I'd like to interrogate Titania for the record..."

Stark reveals his device, "I'll call Pep if she wants in. Antonia is gonna want the car ride..."

Banner keeps his head low as his mind races;

"We need to check on the kids."

Natasha nods, "Okay."

Bruce shakes his head, "I'm officially living in one of my worst nightmares."

Jen interjects softly, "It could be worse."

He turns to give her a sarcastic glare, "Oh really?! Enlighten me."

Romanoff glares and pinches his shoulder, "She's trying to keep the glass half full."

Jen stays put, letting Natasha do the disciplining. She chimes in addressing her cousin;

"You're in a mood."

"Oh you think?!"

Stark bites his lip as he hangs up his phone and looks over his teammates;

"So, coffee orders?"

"Caramel Macchiato with soy milk- no, almond milk…"

Tony glares toward the lawyer, "Needy."

"Needy," she mimics him.

Bruce stands and reaches a hand to aid Natasha up;

"I think we're going to the Center for a bit."

"Can't stop working?,' Tony shakes his head, 'I'll meet you there. Coming Jen?"

"Yep!"

The doctor turns to clean up his mess over the table, mumbling to Romanoff;

"I have a microchip over on the counter...?"

"Got it,' she spots the item and shoves it into her pocket, 'What else?"

"Med kit?"

She collects it, "Next."

"Uh...I'm gonna need your Russian in explaining grafting and hand surgery to Izabella's aunt."

She steps beside him, his small medical satchel over her shoulder, "I'm ready."

He nods, eyes falling over her features;

"Hey Tasha?"

She holds her head up, "What Bruce?"

He pivots, wringing ya his fingers, "Let's assume this whole thing blows up in my face..."

"I'd rather not."

"...If that happens, if I'm somehow lost inside the brain of the other guy...I don't-..."

She exhales heavily with her eyes sharp as daggers, "We're not doing this right now."

"Natasha..."

"No. Just no...what happened to 'whatever happens we'll figure it out together?'"

He holds his eyes over hers. She pulls away first in lowering her own;

"Are you ready? We should go."

"Natasha?"

Bruce catches her arm gently, loosening his hold further once she turns toward him. Her eyes are glassy, the light reflecting off her hazel green stare. His soft fingertips brush a red strand behind her ear. He just nods over the words she can't vocalize. She doesn't need to, her eyes tell him more.

"Okay...I'm sorry."

She stays silent. Natasha wraps her arms around him and lays her forehead against his. A hand slips over his top to feel his heartbeat underneath.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .