The Asset

Chapter 1

Natasha stood alone in the darkened observation room, watching him through the mirrored glass. It was the first time the prisoner had been out of his cell in days, but other than a brief survey of the room – marking the exits, the racks on the wall empty of even sparring weapons – he stood frozen, his back to her. He'd been that way for nearly a half hour.

She wasn't stalling. People are most themselves when they think they're alone, especially if you let them grow restless. Most people, anyway. But this wasn't most people. He'd eliminated four Hydra cells before Rogers had been able to bring him in, singlehandedly and with extreme prejudice. Some would say he did them a favor. Steve saw it as an act of contrition, but they couldn't take any chances.

"If we're going to rebuild," Fury had said, "we'll need every asset we can get." So why was she hesitating? Was it frustration at being sidelined, tasked with playing the babysitter? Fury trusted her opinion; her evaluation would help decide the prisoner's fate. He needed someone impartial. But there were some things even Fury didn't know.

He turned then, looking directly at her through the glass. He would see only his own reflection - the dark hair and shadowed chin, the eyes that seemed so penetrating and yet so sad. They had allowed him to keep the arm, after Stark made a few modifications. He assured them it was now no more dangerous than a normal prosthetic, but that didn't make her feel better. As long as he drew breath, the Winter Soldier would be one of the deadliest men she had ever known.

She could feel his eyes on her as she bent over the computer and shut off the cameras in the training room. It had been her idea to do this here, in a language she knew they both would understand. There were no uncomfortable questions, no regrets, not in the language of violence. Fury wanted her to test his skills and that's exactly what she would do.

With a nod for the guards on the door, she stepped into the room. He still hadn't moved, stood studying his reflection as the door slid shut behind her. She knew how strange it could be, how you could forget yourself, knew better than most. He wasn't the only one whose fragmented memories had recently come rushing back. It had been easier when he was just a ghost, a target, a stranger behind a mask. That face was one she had never expected to see again.

But she wouldn't let it throw her, not now. She'd been preparing for this since Fury made his request. Even if he didn't know who this man was – really was – he knew her. He knew that she would do what she had to.

She was ready when at last he turned to her, ready for anything but that empty stare, the complete lack of recognition. Still, he managed a weak smile.

"Here to beat me up? I thought they might finally be taking me to trial, but considering where we are..."

"Accountability will come later."

"When?"

"Not my department." She moved across the padded floor on silent steps. "I'm just here to talk."

"Talk, sure."

"The only reason you're still seeing daylight is because Steve Rogers seems to trust you. I'm here to find out if that assessment is valid."

He turned back to the mirror. "You can trust Steve." The hesitation on the name was almost imperceptible.

"Rogers didn't start a firefight in the middle of D.C."

He grimaced at his reflection, the memory overtaking him. He'd been examined, of course. The doctors had found considerable scar tissue, but without Hydra's clean slate treatments they were confident that his memory would return. She didn't envy him that. Some fragments would take longer than others, they said. She wondered how long she had.