Her pace was fast. She wanted to get to the lab room as quickly as she could. Despite her fear, her terror of the man with eyes that screamed murderer, she could only think of the stories her father told her of him. Her curiosity was getting the better of her.

As she approached the lab, she held up her ID tag, with her full name, date of birth, and a photo of her, just as all ID tags had around here.

The security guard gave her a rigid nod and punched in a few numbers, before a loud beep and the door, which resembled nothing more than a barred cell gate, slide open and revealed a sepia infused room, with a small gathering of white-coated scientists and medics, who she assumed surrounded the Asset. Inna's Russian born heart, though strong and of tough nature, was nearly beating out of her chest. Her feet were having trouble willing themself into the room. But she had to. She had to see him for herself. Others in the business didn't know him as The Asset, but as the 'Winter Soldier.' And she needed to see him her own eyes.

Finally, Inna forced her body to shuffle itself into the room, and cleared her throat. All those in white coats turned to her. Between them, she could only just catch a glimpse of him, but couldn't see him clearly.

"I'm here on the behalf of Sean Thomas, head of Medic, to give an assessment to the Asset," she declared, and one person stepped forward with an extended hand.

"Hey, th'names Fletcher May, I've been head of the recovery process for a long while." Inna could tell. His hair was nothing short of white, and his hand was firm, but cold. She smiled briefly, trying her hardest not to seem to eager to look at the man who was now unsurrounded. The Asset. But she just couldn't help the flick of her eyes as they looked from Fletcher to him back to Fletcher. The old man in front of her gave an airy chuckle before looking behind him and sliding his hands into his coat. "A wonder, isn't he? A real wonder," Fletcher spoke as he looked towatd the Asset. Inna didn't know how to respond, she didn't know how to feel. Everyone spoke about him as if he couldn't hear. With his head hung, he must have been pretending not to hear.

Inna didn't answer the question, but instead, slowly took step after step closer to him. She passed Fletcher, and he smiled to himself, taking her entranced stumble toward the Asset as a confirmation he was right, and she did find him a wonder.

"I'll leave you to it," Inna heard from behind her, as she continued her fixed gaze on him. "The engineers will be in shortly." With that, Fletcher left and Inna was alone with him. Soon, her feet had dared to venture right up to the figure. He was handsome. Incredibly so, with his shirt off, he was strong, firm. His long hair hung around his face just as it had in the headshot that sat on her bedside table at home. Without sleep, she had been left lookinh over it under the light of her lamp, getting used to the killer she'd have to face.

He wasn't here. There was no sign of the darkness the photo portrayed, but instead he looked worn down, and, just as he had in the first headshot, broken.

Without thinking, she reached out a hand, and let her fingers trail over the line where metal met flesh. His skin was covered in welts and a redness, it concerned Inna to no end, her medical textbooks of her past education throwing knowledge and facts about what she was looking at. Her hand moved it's way up his metal-flesh connection. She found herself about to cup his face, raise his head to meet his eyes, those eyes that held so much history, she just needed to see.

And then, she felt a sharp pain.

Her wrist was enclosed in icy cold, and the movement was so quick, it took her a minute to process what had happened. He had grasped her wrist so tight she thought it might crush under it's inhumane strength. She yelped, and let out a groan. She didn't dare move, in case it only make her situation far worse. All the while, his head was still bowed.

Through her teeth, Inna let in a deep breath, and closed her eyes.

"Let go," she commmanded. She still felt the grip.

Louder still, she demanded once more. "LET. GO!" Her voice seemed a cry, and that instant, a team of men rushed in, having witnessed her dilemma. They all grappled his metallic limb, and he immeadiately let go. She gasped as she felt the release of pressure, and she cursed herself for being so stupid as to get so close.

"This is the new medic, she's here to help your recovery," the engineers voice was close to a yell. Inna held her arm close as she watched them, and they stepped away. He relaxed, and just kept on looking down, as he always did.

He slightly titled his head, and out came a deep, low voice.

"What about the others?"

"They're moving to a different division. They're none of your concern now."

He did not reply. He only kept his gaze to his lap.

Inna rubbed her wrist, and stepped toward him again.

"I'm sorry," she said to him, earning the surprised looks of all around her. Including him. His head snapped up to look at her, a frown on his face. She was the only person in 50 years to say such a thing. And he wasn't familiar. "I shouldn't have just touched you," she started, then turning to the engineers, "I was simply intrigued by his arm, I must have startled him, I'm sorry," she continued, before being waved off by the man beside her. He smiled and waved his hands in an apathetic manner.

"No, no if you wanted to check his body, you are allowed, this is an assessment after all. He is to obey you. No need to say sorry."

They all smiled and nodded, as if to reassure her. But all it did was make her feel worse. She turned back to him, with eyes that only had room for apologies.

"I am sorry," she said quietly, directly to him. The Asset.

"I will continue this tomorrow, we'll start it slowly. For now, make sure all is in order for us to be working alongside your team," she directed who she assumed to be the leader, and he nodded.

"Definitely. You go get some ice on that," he said, nodding his head to her wrist, now blooming in a red, hand-shaped welt. Inna nodded in agreement and smiled, before leaving the room.

The Winter Soldier watched her leave, and kept his eyes locked on the door long after she was gone and they had pushed him down into his seat.

70 years, and it was the first time he'd heard an apology for the way he was treated.