[ -- something in her expression slips. a crack, briefly lining her face before she resumes control. it's not about the blame; that's hers to carry, and his to question. it's about the grammar of it all. she isn't surprised by the past tense -- after all, her last round with tony stark had been illuminating indeed.

but it doesn't mean she can't still feel sorrow over the reminder. ]

He fell prey to a honeypot. [ she puffs her cheeks and marches onward. ] Soviet. Impeccably trained. Frightening, really. And I can't trust him not to fall for the damned same thing a second, third, or fourth bloody time.