Training had proceeded not exactly as usual, for the past three months she had been training more and more with Winter Soldier. Her training had been intensive and challenging her on levels the others were not pressed to. She had been given instruction on the infrequent and unorthodox night discussions.

During some of these visits her mentor would suffer occasional headaches and leave suddenly. He would never explain these things and as a good student she did not press. Though it did make her work even harder the following day to please him. Natalia had been doing as he instructed she had been watching herself and her reactions.

One thing she had noticed was how she reacted around him. The Winter Soldier, pride of the program. He was skilled and strong and capable. But there was more, it was the way he looked at her, the way he corrected her form or movement, unlike how he treated the others but only she would know it by the touch of his hand or tone of his words. She only noticed because he had instructed her to do so.

The more she'd learned about herself the better she'd become. She was a rising star before, but now she was a jewel. Coveted for mind, body and talents. It had not sunk into her just how revered she was among the others of her program, her attention had been solely focused on the approval her superiors and Winter Soldier.