A battle within and without, the Soldier dropping his head into his hands and hissing. It felt like the migraines he experienced from trying too hard to remember things, except more intensely sudden. The Winter Soldier didn't truly retreat, there was no grand transition from one mind to another, but he did have a general sense of fog lifting.

He didn't know how long he spent like that, how much time passed before he looked back up to see if Billy was still there. Cruel if it was just a trick after all, or nothing more than his imagination.

"...Billy?"