My reflection stares back at me, mocking my every movement I make, but with every second that passes, I begin to feel strong enough to not let it bother me. The steam begins to dissipate from the mirror, making it clear to see, and I smile slightly as I notice dirt wasn't distorting my appearance as it had been previously. Sam had found a tee shirt and sweatpants that were small enough to fit figure, and I was happy to get out of the blood stained clothing from the day before. As the night sky begins to grow darker, the hum of the television plays as everyone sits in the living room either watching or whatever people do nowadays.

           I've never feared the dark, but I knew tonight, I especially didn't want to be alone. Though, Winter doesn't know where my location is, I do not have the strength to fight him off. Walking out of the bathroom, I make my way down the small hallway while drying my hair. The three friends all lay sprawled out on the furniture and I feel like I should just leave them be because I've already caused a commotion in their lives and I don't want to overstay my welcome. Nat glances over the couch and notices me standing a bit behind the wall.

"You're welcome to join us. We don't bite," Nat chuckles a bit as she motions me to come over.

But as I begin to walk, the news catches my attention, making me stop in my tracks. It was the same one as I saw in the cafe down by the museum, but only this time around, they have more to say about what I've done.

"The Red Ghost is better off dead because of all the crimes she's committed in the past fifteen years. This act or terrorism will not go ignored. She will pay for murders and assassinations she's done. Just a ruthless killer that roams these streets freely because no one knows her identity, but the moment the authorities do, she will be eliminated," the reporter spat, angrily.

My hands balled into fist as I try not to think about the many ways not to kill that damn reporter.

"Would you mind changing it?" I ask, as I fiddle with my thumbs, but while I asked, they already changed it.

I look up and Nat gives me a look to sit down next to her, so I walk over and around to sit on the couch. They all smile at me kindly, and Nat takes the blanket she's using and throws the other half of it over my legs for me to share. The gesture might've been something she would normal do for a friend, but it surprised me to say the least.

"What made you join us out here on this fine evening?" Nat asks with her attention focused on me.

A faint smile forms on my lips. "I don't exactly want to be alone."

"Well, you came to the right place," Steve informs me, and I look over at him, mentally thanking him for everything that he's done for me.

          A movie begins playing, but I don't pay attention what it's about. Leaning back on the pillow, my eyes are fixated on the ceiling and my mind is processing everything that has happened in the past few days. But the only thing my mind keeps going back to is Winter. If I can fight through whatever Hydra has planted inside me, then so can he. I know for a fact that he's been with them longer than I have because I heard a plentiful of stories before I had the opportunity to meet and work with him. Never did I expect him to have the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen. It's the little things you notice about someone that really burns into your memory. His blue eyes remind me of the ocean; even when he was angry, the storm in his eyes was magnificent.

Winter's eyes were the last thing I thought about before I went into a deep slumber.

***

           The laboratory was covered in papers consisting of the data reports of the test I was running. Everything was starting to make sense as the results came in if the teenage girl from the lower Boston area was raped before she was murdered in cold blood. Though, my job was to identify the causes of death and explain how things happened, I was also intrigued by an assassin that goes by the name, The Winter Soldier. Ironic, I know. In the time I wasn't at the laboratory, I was doing intense research on the assassin, trying to figure out his identity and what his motives were.

           If anyone were to find out about my little secret, then, I'd be called crazy or mad. But yet again, anyone who has ever met me while I'm in my lab, they've realized that because my work is disorganized and scattered all over the tables and the floor. As I was starting to take the last acid phosphatase test, the door flies open, startling me, making me drop the vial that was in my hands. I sigh, angrily in the process.

"Are you Dr. Avalon Jane Rawlins?" one of the men in the suits who just barged into my lab asked me.

"Yes, I'm Avalon Rawlins. And if you're here for the lab results, I would've been finished if you didn't barge into my lab unannounced!" I raise my voice an octave, angered at the fact they made me break my equipment. It's not cheap.

I gather up all the papers for the case, thinking that that's what they're here for. It's not finished, but I can say that the girl was raped and the man is still out there, probably going out and doing the same thing. It's 1948, what all do you expect after the war?

Without realizing, one of the men had walked over towards me and gripped my arm tightly, pulling me away from my desk. "No, we're here because it's been raised to our attention that the research you've been conducting on The Winter Soldier is jeopardizing this company," the man spat.

          I freeze, not knowing how to get out of this situation. Fear ran throughout my body and by reaction, my fist makes contact with the man's jaw, making his grip on me release as he stumbles backwards. Both men in the room charge at me, trying to take me away from this lab, but I use my height as an advantage and slide under one of the tables and since it had wheels, I shoved it towards the men, making them collide with the wall. I tried and make a run towards the door to escape, but suddenly, it swung open, revealing many more uniformed man with guns and before I could comprehend what was happening, my head was making contact with the floor. I could feel the blood oozing out of the wound and roughly, two men pull me up to my feet. I wanted to keep fighting, but my head felt fuzzy and the blood began to run into my eyes.

The head scientist of the corporation that I happen to be really close with, but my mind can't seem to remember names and his face is blurry as if my memory is vague and limited.

"Why are you doing this?" I questioned as tears began to form in my eyes.

I couldn't see the expression on his face. "Avalon, you just don't know how to keep your nose out of things that don't concern you. You are a forensic scientist, not a researcher or a detective."

"What did you do?" I yelled, knowing that these uniformed men aren't here just to teach me a lesson.

"Think of it as a gift to mankind," the unrecognizable man says simply as if he's been waiting for this moment. "Hail Hydra."

And then, a rag was covering my nose and then, everything went black around me...

            My mind is ripped out of its unconscious state with the feeling of someone shaking me awake. My blue eyes open wide, feeling unknown to my surroundings and I go to punch the person whose woken me up, but someone grabs it before I can do any damage. The light in the room helps focus my vision and I realize that it's Nat who was trying to wake up me.

"что моя миссия? (What's my mission?)," I ask groggily, in Russian.

I'm barely awake and my eyelids are heavy, but the sound of shuffling keeps me from falling back asleep.

"That's strange," Nat's voice fills the air, and I assume she's talking to either Steve or Sam.

Closing my eyes, I try and fall back asleep, to only be shaken awake again. A groan escapes my lips in annoyance.

"Red, I need you to wake up," Nat says, worriedly like something bad has happened.

The sense of urgency in her voice concerned me. Opening my eyes, I push myself up into a sit position and push my now curly brown hair out of my face. Steve and Nat sit on the coffee table in front of me, with a bewildered look plastered on their faces. I raise my eyebrows in confusion, not knowing what the fuss is about and why I had to be woken up.

"What is it? What's happening?" my voice fills with urgency as my blue eyes dart between the two in front of me.

Nat takes a deep breath. "You were yelling in your sleep. At first, I thought it was just you having a nightmare, but then, you kept saying a name."

"A name? Why would I yell out a name? I don't even know my own," I murmur, not knowing the purpose of her telling me this.

"Does the name Dr. Avalon Jane Rawlins sound familiar to you?"

           The second I hear the name, it echoes through my mind, singing a familiar tune. Every aspect of the name seemed like I've heard it thousand times before, but in this moment, it feels like the first time. The sound creates an unearthly sound in my mind as it seems like a siren, luring me into a memory that needs to be unlocked. I'm so mesmerized by this name that I want to say it over and over again, wanting to hear my voice say it just to make it real. The gears in my mind start to turn and suddenly, something clicks and a door is being opened in my mind. Everything about that name begins to make sense, and I look up at Steve and Nat, amazed as tears form in my eyes.

"That... that's me. I'm Avalon," I gush as tears spill down my cheeks in pure happiness.

After all this time, I finally learn the one thing that I needed to know the most and now, it's the key to figure out the rest of my true identity.

***

"I'm sorry, Avalon, but we can't risk you getting caught by Shield," Steve explains. "As much as I would love to have you come with us, you're still being tracked by authorities and the minute they get suspicious, they'll come after you."

I sigh, understanding his point. After all, if the authorities did learn who I was, I might have a hard time controlling the assassin within me.

          During breakfast this morning, they discussed the plan to capture Agent Jasper Sitwell, who actually works for Hydra. He knows about Zola's algorithm and more importantly, Project Insight. And to be quite honest, I don't know much about it, but Steve said he'd tell me when they got back. But the thing is, if needed be, I could just eliminate Jasper if he didn't cooperate. I guess my dangerous tendencies are the reason I cannot go with them.

"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" I ask.

Sam laughs at my question and raise my eyebrows at him. "What people normally do in the twenty-first century; binge watching tv shows, sleep, go on social media, eat. That kind of thing," Sam states, but I'm lost.

"What the hell is 'social media'? People stay inside and just watch the television all day? Can't say I'm familiar with that," I reply, confused out of my mind.

Steve, Sam, and Nat just laugh at my confusion and I stand there, awkwardly, but with how resilient I am, I give them a toothy smile as I too notice how out of touch I am with reality.

A/N - okay, honestly, i love writing this story more than i love myself. i hope you enjoy! - kenzie