"You sure they got all of it out?" Bucky pressed, gently prodding around the edges of the wound to check for inflammation and shrapnel.

"Yes, I'm sure," Steve said, rolling his eyes. "They're trained professionals, Buck, they know what they're doing."

"Uh huh," Bucky murmured as he finished checking Steve over himself. "Sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure. Had worse than this before." Steve grinned a bit. "Could have been a lot worse too. Thanks."

Bucky paused for a moment, and nodded.

"Alright," he said. He sat down next to Steve, settling in for a bit.

Steve was right; it didn't take more than a few hours for him to heal and be back on his feet.

"Sam told me you brought the person in," he said, looking at Bucky.

"Yeah," Bucky replied. "Put her into a secure room." He was quiet for a moment. "She said you were a threat to her asset."

Steve blinked at that. "Me?" he asked, just to be sure. Then he paused, because that language sounded very familiar. "Did she say who her asset was? Or who sent her?"

"No," Bucky replied. And he wasn't surprised, really. He wouldn't have, either, in her place.

Steve nodded. "I suppose we should see what we can get out of her." He scrubbed at his hair briefly. "And I suppose you're going to follow me in no matter what."

Bucky raised an eyebrow, as if to say 'of course I am, what do you take me for?'

"She won't talk, at least not for a while," he said.

"What do you suggest we do then?" Steve asked, looking at him. "'Cause she's not you, Buck. I'm not letting her loose."

"Can't let her go," Bucky replied. "So keep her here." The longer they kept her, the more chance the programming had of wearing off, or at least weakening.

Steve sighed a bit but nodded. He could see the wisdom in that.

"Alright," he agreed. "Keep an eye on her, and maybe we'll try talking to her in a few days."

Bucky nodded.

"I'll check in every so often," he said.

"Good." Steve nodded his satisfaction at that and headed for the kitchen instead.

Colbie managed to be good and not say anything important to them for three weeks. In that three week period, her programming had started to crack and break down, leaving her most times trembling with energy and emotions, but with no outlet. Except breaking everything breakable in the room. It didn't even surprise her anymore when Barnes came into her room.

The first few times, Bucky just stood there and watched her. He wanted her to know he was there if she wanted to talk, but he wasn't going to force her to. By the third week, he was well used to watching her break things, but he still didn't force her to talk. He knew she would, eventually.

"Let me out." Colbie looked at Bucky from her place by the window. She knew it was a double layer of bulletproof glass and it was set with all kinds of alarms if she so much as tried to scratch the glass. Not that she ever tried that, of course not. But she felt a little better by the window anyway.

"Tell me why," Bucky replied evenly. He watched her as she moved around the room, even though he knew she couldn't get out. He'd tried before.

"I need to get back to my asset." Colbie shook her head angrily. "She is young, she will not be so comfortable with another asset assigned to her."

"Your asset," Bucky jumped on the topic. "Why would she not be comfortable with another handler?"

"She's young." Colbie grimaced. "Not as much field training. Never been in the Chair." She actually shuddered at that, making a face. "She's not like me."

"I see." That was definitely something to keep in mind. "Why is she so important to you?"

"She's my mission!" Colbie turned on him with a snarl, trembling just a little, before she stalked away from him.

"I see," Bucky murmured. Quietly, he slipped out of the room again, locking the door behind him. He had a plan, and he needed to run it past Steve.