HAIRLINE FRACTURE [BUCKY BARNES]

[one] : a little unsteady

**EIGHT MONTHS EARLIER**

        ELENA BEHN shouldered her way down the grim hallway, her curly black hair bouncing gracefully behind her with every confident step she took forward. Her eyes were set ahead, like she had a mission to fulfill that she couldn't allow anyone to get in the way of. She looked murderous-- most people would have faltered under the intensity of her eyes and the way her hips swung shamelessly, but the operatives down here were used to it. Some would stop and shamelessly curve their neck in an attempt to catch her walking down the hallway, but for the most part, they were used to her.

        Elena Behn stopped in front of a door that was rusting with wear, one that she was unfortunately far too used to. She was met by two men in full body armour and assault rifles weighing their arms down; the night shift guards. They had been placed to guard the door that kept the Asset locked within when his services were not yet needed, but needed enough for cryostasis to be out of the question. Alexander Pierce had briefed Behn that the Winter Soldier was awoken three days prior, and since then, had been exhibiting symptoms that would require a full wipe very soon. Until then, she was to keep a close watch on his thought patterns and let him know of any irregularities.

        That was, of course, until screaming could be heard from within the room in the dead of night. The guards, who had been on duty at the time, immediately contacted their station boss, who contacted Pierce, who alerted Elena rather furiously that her assistance was required. With her hands absent of her gloves that keep her within her own mind and the flickering glow of orange flowing from her fingertips, she was summoned to the Asset's room(if you could call a steel cell with cameras and armed guards a room) with days of little sleep weighing her down. She glared up at the guards, daring them silently to ask her for identification when the energy seeping from her fingertips threatened to turn her eyes to a bright orange. The one on the right turned around immediately, punching in buttons into the keypad by the door.

       "He's unstable, erratic--" he mumbled immediately, not making eye contact with Elena. Their proximity was enough-- his elbow was bumping into her arm, and suddenly a life of thoughts and memories flashes behind her eyes. As if no eye contact will keep me from seeing that he's cheating on his girlfriend, Elena thought menacingly. And it's the blonde chick upstairs, too. "He keeps punching the wall, but we were told to wait for your authorization." His name tag read Jefferson, and she found that she would have a talk with Sally from upstairs about his hidden girlfriend when she had the opportunity.

        "Good," Elena said in a tone of annoyance. She always hated cheaters. "I'll handle it." She glared threateningly at the both of them, daring them to object to her direct orders.  When she was met by no demur, she nodded her head in approval before waving her hand at the guard, prompting him to press the button that would open the door for her. As the door cracked open slowly, she prepared herself for stepping in by raising her hands up, willing the wisps trailing from her fingertips to vanish. The last thing she wanted was for the Winter Soldier to be put off even farther from her powers. She took a hesitant step forward, slipping into the room with caution.

        He was on the ground, curled up with his hands wrapping protectively over his head. She noticed that blood was dripping from his knuckles, remembering that he had began to punch the wall in his fit. She glanced back at the door behind her, finding that it was understandably shut. If the Winter Soldier got out of his cell while unstable, there would be hell to pay. Behn took another step forward, the confident swing in her hips now abandoned behind in the hallway as she approached the broken man on the ground.