12479/Digging Up The Past: Say Cheese

Digging Up The Past: Say Cheese
Date of Scene:	22 November 2020
Location:	5A 51st Floor, Four Freedoms Plaza
Synopsis:	Colby Schmirler gets paid a visit by the Winter Soldier
Cast of Characters:	Winter Soldier, Phantasm (Drago)
Tinyplot:	Digging Up The Past

---

Winter Soldier has posed:
    'Would you like me to look into it?'.

    It was such a seemingly innocent question at the time, just a way for Bucky to look after one of the few people he can call friend. And if there was something to find, he'd find it... after all, he's used to hunting down dangerous international spies and people who are desperately trying not to be found. How hard could it be to strongarm a federal agency into giving him access?

    Harder than it had to be. And that, above all, got the Winter Soldier suspicious. Used to some level of bureaucratic pushback, the frosty reception he got at the Department for Homeland Security was beyond what he'd been expecting. Just getting the names of the agents involved in the shoot-out was a task and a half.

    As expected, the AAR of the operation was clean. Scrupulously so. In Bucky's experience, nobody saw everything the same way, memory was always jumbled, and two people describe a situation entirely differently despite seeing the exact same thing. So when all the reports matched up perfectly in the important detail, the time of mission, the suspicion grows that there had been some coordination between agents to all sing off the same hymn sheet. And while that's not technically illegal, it reeks of a cover-up. Someone fucked up, and everyone is covering.

    The agent that fucked up, Colby Schmirler, had no idea that his suspension hadn't been the worst moment of his life. That, for the unfortunate former soldier, is still to come. A few minutes away, in fact.

    Because things don't add up. And when things don't add up in a situation where Bucky suspects foul play, it has the same effect as blood in the water to a hungry shark.

    So here he is. New Jersey. Outside the building housing three DHS agents all living together. All just happened to be on the same mission. All of them happened to have seen the same thing.

    Agents Schmirler, Givans and Evernham are getting a visit tonight.

    In full regalia, approaching by stealth, the Winter Soldier is coming to pay them a visit...

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The two bedroom apartment Colby Schmirler lives in is modest, not in New York proper but instead the outskirts of New Jersey to keep costs down. While he does share the apartment with some coworkers, unlike him, THEY are still going in to work. Which, does not bode well for him discipline wise.

Colby Schmirler was not having a good week. Several weeks actually. Since the DHS described hostage situation went horribly wrong coureousy of the Punisher there's been questions all about. Reports, interviews, and repeat. One could say it was maddening. Annoying as hell would be Colby's own phrasing. He hasn't even had a chance to go out to have beers due to the strict advisement of his superiors. This makes for an incredibly irritated Colby.

But, one good thing about Colby's situation is that while Givans and Evernham share the master bedroom. The smaller bedroom and hall bath is all his. Which means two things: 1) He doesn't have to listen to Givans's snoring. 2) The room is completely his to suit his own needs.

If one were to look around his room, the main chorus to God Bless the USA would get trapped in their head on constant repeat. A picture of him with some army buddies sitting at a bar is framed and resting on the shelf of a bookcase. Alongside a picture of him hanging out with some older looking military types at what looks to be a monster truck rally. With that, The bookcase itself is an assortment of books covering various military topics with one shelf purely dedicated to stacks of Guns And Ammo issues. A mini-fridge is plugged in, peeking out from a desk sporting a legal pad, envelopes, and flag forever stamps. The lights in his room have since been shut off, the DHS agent slumbering away under the thin blanket and sheets he's grown accoustomed to.

Over in the master bedroom area, the decor is a bit more neutral. Save for some personal keepsakes such as family photos. The pair seem to have come to a bit of a dorm room approach with their furniture mirroring each other as they're pressed against the opposite walls. Bed. Mini-fridge. Desk. Bookshelf. The bedding however appears to be much more comfortable than what Colby apparently chose willingly. Only one bed appears slept in. That would be Fred Givans. Isaias is nowhere to be found in the apartment. Seems like he has a social life.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    With the lights out in the apartment, Bucky makes his way into the communal hall, finds the electricity meters, and shuts off power to the target apartment. Not strictly necessary, but it'll help with the disorientation when he finally wakes up Colby. Then it's up the stairs, slowly, testing every step like a cat, and opening the door after a few moments with a manual lockpick. Sure, the modern automatic ones are faster, but they're not silent, and Bucky prefers the old methods.

    Close the door behind him, politely, because it doesn't do to leave a door ajar when you don't want anyone to know you're there... and a quick sweep around for concealed weapons. This apartment is occupied by three trained agents, he's not taking any chances. Anything he finds, he pockets.

    Then through the door of Colby's room, quiet as he can, ICER drawn.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The closed door to the master bedroom just barely muffles the chainsaw like effects coming from Givan's throat. It does raise the question of whether that is the motivation for Evernham to have reason to be having a night out. With that room skipped, there is no disruption to the lumberjack ambiance.

Colby's room is much quieter. The mini fridge is quiet, humming no longer as the outside street noise can now be heard slightly through the walls. The sound of even breathing comes from the sheets as Colby lies on his side, facing away from the door. Hands hidden under the sheet and blanket.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    It's not the first time Bucky has surprised people like this. Usually they never wake up... ever again. This time, however, his objective isn't murder, it's information.

    The position of his target is wrong. All wrong. As with many things surrounding this man, it doesn't add up. What trained soldier would sleep with their back to a door?

    So with the ICER trained on Colby, Bucky picks up the desk chair in his left hand and starts to walk it around the bed, to the side where he can see where those hands are.

    "You know..." he starts, voice low and gravelly as always, the kind of voice straight out of nightmares. "... You're not a hard man to find, Agent Schmirler. But you will be an easy man to kill. So you can stop pretending and keep your hands where I can see them. Or as God is my witness, I will end you, Corporal."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As Bucky starts to walk around, it is apparent that neither hand is visible. The thin blanket, while providing a bit of lining to the man's figure, the dark bland material combined with the dark of the room doesn't help matters with helping to determine what is being done with the hands. But one thing is clear. With the angling of bottom shoulder it is apparent it is not a natural sleeping position.

The breathing continues on its regular rhythm which, considering the man speaking to him, either he's actually asleep or there might be something to that added shape under the covers. There's a pause as Colby doesn't respond to Bucky. Immediately. There's a few tense moments before opens his eyes, squinting in the dark at the intruder.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Slowly, Bucky puts the chair down, keeps the ICER aimed squarely at Colby...

    And reaches down to the covers, pulling them away with his mechanical left hand with a speed only few beings on this planet can match.

    "Hands, Corporal. Slowly."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As the sheets are ripped off without much hinting that was what Bucky was going to do, Colby is caught just in his underwear, scars on the shoulder he had been favoring with his body position exposed. But the concerning element would be the reason for the arms to be angled the way they are. In his hands would be an issued handgun. And based from the angle, it is pointed towards where Bucky was standing last.

Blinking he turns his head looking for the Winter in the dark. But it becomes clear. Time is not on his side and the time spent correcting is time he doesn't have.

Colby emits a sigh, not bothering to point the gun elsewhere as he lifts the hand closest to the trigger away from the firearm. Slowly.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Counter insurgency tactic. When in expectation of contact, conceal a sidearm and pre-position to the expected path of ingress." Bucky quotes, sitting down slowly on the chair. True, in theory Colby could make a grab for the pistol, aim it and fire, but it's only a hypothetical. The Winter Soldier has demonstrated his speed, a further demonstration usually isn't necessary. For long moments he sits there, looking at the agent with bright blue eyes. Soulless eyes. Eyes like the Grim Reaper.

    "Is there anything you feel you should be saying to me right now, Corporal?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As Bucky describes the tactic, there's the slight quirk of the lip, seemingly confirming the approach. The expression neutralizes as he looks to Bucky. Considering the glare of the man. "Colby Schmirler." He replies, voice low, "Corporal. 3827103281. September 11, 2001."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Interesting approach. Not original, but interesting. Haven't heard it in a while..." There's no emotion in Bucky's voice, sounding as if he's at the same time disinterested and disappointed.

    A brief upnod is given towards the agent's upper torso. "That shoulder wound isn't in your military files, Corporal. Who shot you?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby looks to Bucky, studying him back. Seemingly trying to figure him out. The hand that left the gun previously shifts to rest upon the waist. "Nobody. What are you here for?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Answers."

    It's about as ominous as that statement could be, coming from someone who has just appeared out of the night. "There are many questions you're going to answer before we are done, Corporal." It's not a request for information, it's an indication of what the future is going to be like. Bucky doesn't normally interrogate... it's considered bad form to let him loose on someone who might actually be innocent. After all, stranger things have happened.

    "We will begin with why the son of a soldier, the grandson of a soldier, the great grandson of a soldier, signs on for a tour, makes it to Corporal, and then decides not to renew before making the step to Sergeant. Duty above expectation, according to your jacket. Either those expectations were very low, or something unusual made you leave."

    Pause

    "Before you answer, remember that my tolerance for bullshit is very low. My capacity for violence is nearly infinite."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby's eyes narrow at the mere suggestion. "DHS did not exist when they were soldiers." He bites out, "We become soldiers to serve. Not for rank. War has changed. So must we."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    For a second those eyes narrow. There wasn't much to see, with the black outfit and the long black hair, the black mask and the utter blackness of the night, those eyes were the only bits of color in a figure that was, for all intents and purposes, a living shadow. Now there's less of them. As if Bucky's patience has a visible indicator.

    "To fight the war inside the borders, right? On battlefields that are forgotten, for the honor of the country and the duty we have to the flag?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The barely clad man, shifts his glance, looking away from Bucky. Eyes fixating at a point on the wall where the gun was initially aimed. "To protect the American way from the threats that have gotten past our front lines and crossed the ocean." Colby sort of clarifies, "To find the ones that have grown under our noses. Terrorists and those who support them."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Then we both want the same thing. We hunt the same thing. Traitors. Spies. Infiltrators." The gravelly voice doesn't raise above a whisper, and Bucky's posture doesn't relax. Nor do his eyes stray to where the man is looking, never taking his eyes off Colby, with the field of view taking in the door.

    "Who brought you into DHS? Who shot you? When?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The mention of them having the same goals cause for Colby to glance back to Bucky once more, betraying a hint of surprise. Mouth starting to open in response before the other questions are brought up. The body stills, eyes flitting to the bookshelf for a moment before he looks back to the wall. Taking a deep breath, closing his eyes for the briefest of moments as the hand holding the gun shifts slightly.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    The look. The twitch.

    In the space of a heartbeat, the Winter Soldier is out of the chair, wrenches the pistol away from Colby's hand and puts the barrel against the agent's head, with his ICER pressed hard against Colby's heart. He's now practically on top of the man, and his voice drops fractionally lower, as if he doesn't want to expend any more breath than is absolutely required, even as he looks over to what Colby found so interesting on the bookshelf.

    "You want to test my capacity for violence then, Corporal? Remember, that was your choice."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As established earlier, The Winter Soldier is much faster than Colby. This is reconfirmed as the agent finds himself disarmed, back fully against the mattress of the bed with a much stronger soldier looming over him. All this before he had a chance to bring the hand with the trigger finger over to the gun.

Despite being slammed into a mattress the air end up getting forced out of him, causing for him to gasp for air. Eyes widening. Despite both guns in the possession of the intruder. He starts bucking around in attempt to get him off.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    For a moment, Bucky admires the man. Here he is, with two guns pointed at him, one to his head and the other to his heart, and still he's trying to struggle. Angling slightly, the Winter Soldier gets his vibranium forearm across Colby's throat and leans in, just enough to remind him that the struggle really is futile. At the same time, Bucky still has his eyes on the photo, nodding towards it.

    "Your old unit? Where are they now, still in?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Despite the reminders Colby's still attempting to fight. However the added pressure to the throat is REALLY not helping as he rasps for air. He twists, trying to kick the Winter Soldier off. It's hard to get leverage when the mattress underneath you sinks a bit with your movement. "Ff-" There's not enogh air to finish what he wants to say. But then again, does he need to finish it when the glare he's aiming Bucky's way paired with it?

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Impassively, Bucky continues to apply pressure. He's well aware that there are few things more intimidating than being ambushed in your own bedroom out of nowhere, and doesn't mind emphasizing that he's both faster and stronger than his opponent, as well as being more heavily armed. At the same time, he's surprised at the kind of resilience this particular target has been showing.

    At least that solves one mystery.

    "How is it that a man who would fight me unarmed panics when he hears a sound through a locked door?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As Bucky continues with the pressure, the struggles continue to die away before the kicking and hitting comes to an eventual stop as Colby stops moving. Eyes closing.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Pressure is applied until the struggles end, and for a few seconds more. It's always best to make sure...

    Slowly, Bucky shifts his weight and releases his hold, dropping the magazine out of Colby's pistol and racking the slide to eject the round in the chamber. With the weapon safe, he stows the ICER and checks to make sure his target still has a pulse. Then, only when he's sure Colby is still alive, Bucky picks up the ejected round, returns it to the magazine and places both pistol and magazine on the desk. No point in littering.

    It might surprise the casual observer to see him then open the wardrobe and look around for a moment, but given that his target is a federal agent and responsible for his own gear, it should be no surprise to see that when the door closes he's holding Colby's own government issue handcuffs. It's a matter of moments to roll the man over, handcuff his hands behind his back and then roll him onto his side, facing the bookshelves.

    With his target secured, it's time to have a look at those himself... and snap a few pictures /of/ the pictures for future analysis. Someone back at the Trisk will know who these people are, even if Colby proves to be terminally recalcitrant.

    Pausing for a moment to check that there is no change in the snoring from the next room, he settles himself down in the chair by the bed, behind Colby's back, drawing the ICER once more and giving the agent a kick to wake him up.

    Round two.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As he starts to come to in order to take note of the new indignities being inflicted. It has become truly clear to Colby that this is one of the worst nights he's had in awhile. Taking note of the new positioning of his arms along with the feeling of them being held back, it doesn't take long to realize he's been handcuffed. Gritting his teeth, the digs his feet into the mattress, giving a quick shove, launching his body into the headboard of the bed. There is a loud bang as the headboard hits the wall. He twists, digging his feet into the mattress again to try and right himself.

The symphony of snoring in the other room ceases.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Shhhhh."

    It's the voice again. That horrible masked intruder... he's not gone. In fact, he must be quite close considering the whisper is loud and clear. Is he armed? Does he have a weapon already aimed? Was this the entire idea? One thing's for sure, whoever comes through that door has less chance than a snowball in hell. Bucky is ready with the ICER, safety already switched off.

    "You involved your friend now. That's on you. Think very carefully about your next move. Or do you want to explain to a jury how your friend was shot with your own pistol?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby halts. Eyes widening as he realizes he wasn't just left behind like this. "N-" He looks to the wall adjacent to his bed. The quiet coming from there confirming Bucky's observation. His eyes glance over towards the bedroom door, seeing a bit of the shine of a flashback. "My bad Fred." He calls out.

There's a bit of quiet before another voice speaks up. "Damn man. What the hell are you doing over there?"

Colby frowns, "Bad dream. S'all. You know how it is."

"... I hear ya. Get back to sleep."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Bucky gives it a few more seconds after the conversation is over, enough time for Agent Givans to go back to bed. Then the voice speaks again. Slowly, quietly.

    "Now nobody will believe I was ever here. I'm just a nightmare. Your nightmare. And you've been expecting me. The time for fighting is over, Corporal. And the time of struggle is over as well, Agent. It's time to confess your sins and admit your mistakes."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby is quiet as well, posture a bit tense until Givans's snore indicates his sleep status. The shoulders relax slightly, as far as the handcuffs will allow. "what do you want?" He mutters lowly.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Answers. To my questions. Immediate, complete, to the point." There's a slight creaking of the chair as Bucky shifts his weight, leaning forward slightly. "It seems I can't threaten you. That's to your credit. But your friend is asleep in the next room. I have access to your issue sidearm. I will make your life intolerable if you do not cooperate. You think you're in trouble now? You have no idea what kind of trouble you can be in."

    Another creak, possibly indicating that the Winter Soldier has started leaning back again. "Explain how you left the military. Who brought you over? Why?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby's eyes close, shaking his head. "Leave him alone." He sighs. "I was nearing the end of my agreement." He relents, "Family friend spoke to me about switching over once it was done. Said they could use more army backgrounds in the ranks. Mission's on par with army right now. Same enemies, different location."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Name?"

    It's a simple question, but comes hot on the heels of the first bit of actual information like a whiplash. Seems Bucky isn't going to waste any more time.

    "Between resigning and now, you obtained a gunshot wound to the shoulder. When. How. Who?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby's eyes open, starting to drift towards the bookcase before he glances away. Growing quiet for a few moments before grumbling out some answers. "Alonso Stuck. Year ago. Assignment. No name."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Was that when the nightmares started, Corporal?"

    It's a psychological shot in the dark, but by now Bucky believes he knows his man. Something happened to turn this dedicated soldier into someone who panics under fire, but not when being personally attacked.

    "What assignment were you on? What do you know of Operation Groundbreaker?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby's a lot slower with his responses than Bucky is with the questions. None more obvious than with the last round. He tilts his head looking to the frame of the door. "...Yes."

He doesn't answer the other questions. Without the benefit of the blanket however, there's a visible clench of one hand to the mention of the Operation.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "When were you assigned to Operation Groundbreaker, Agent Schmirler?"

    Yup, Bucky's not taking any nonsense today. The refusal to answer was as good as an admission, and if not then it was up to Colby to contradict him. He's clearly not going away until he's gotten the answers he's looking for. "And how did you come to be in that Condo with Frank Castle?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The hand clenches more before Colby releases it. "25 to 27. Teams were called in when Castle showed up at the building. My group was to check for those we lost communication with."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "You're not a coward, Corporal, so I don't believe for a moment that you panicked when you shot through a closed door. Not considering who was on the other side."

    The voice, never really friendly, is now a gravelly snarl. As if finally they're getting to the heart of the whole interrogation. Perhaps this is a way out for the distressed agent? Perhaps this is all Bucky wants to know before he leaves?

    "Who ordered it?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
That is an inticing thought. The possibility of him leaving. Colby takes a deep breath, lips parting before he closes it. Thinking twice about it.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    And there is the hesitation. Fine. Bucky was half expecting it, and it's not as if he's out of persuasive tools.

    There is another creak as the masked assailant stands up, and the sound of footsteps as it comes around to the foot of the bed and towards the desk. He's in perfect view of Colby as he picks up the man's pistol, loads in the magazine and racks the slide to feed a round into the chamber. Without a word, he heads for the door... He has promised to kill Givans if Colby refused to cooperate, and clearly he's going to make good on that threat.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Hearing the movement, Colby sneaks a peek towards what Bucky is doing, regretting the decision the moment he sees it.

Goddamn it.

"...Stuck did." he gives out the moment Bucky touches the door knob.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    The hand pauses on the door knob. Slowly, like a targeting system coming to bear on an inbound flight, the Winter Soldier turns his head, fixing Colby with those impassive blue eyes.

    "He gets you to come over to DHS, you get assigned to Groundbreaker, and he orders you to ... do what exactly, Corporal? Make sure there are no survivors? Kill the last person remaining tied to Groundbreaker? From the top, start to finish. No more bullshit."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby grimaces, "Damage Control. Could endanger a lot of agents. Need to know on the details. And I-" He titls his head in an attempt to shrug.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "You didn't need to know." Bucky finishes, finally letting go of the door knob and walking back to the desk. Once again he unloads the pistol and neatly puts it back where it belongs, before taking his seat on the chair again. "And a good soldier follows orders."

    Pause.

    "But where is Stuck now, Corporal? Left you flapping in the wind. Do you think that's because you failed? Or because you served your purpose? Don't answer that, think about it. Answer this, how do you contact him, or how does he contact you? Your career in Homeland Security is finished, I'm sure you can see that. With some luck, the army will have you back. Leave all this behind you."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The agent's tense posture relaxes slightly as Bucky moves back towards the desk. Trying to follow what Bucky says but with the 'don't answer', 'do answer' prompts it makes it a bit awkward to distinguish. Colby blinks.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Unclear communication leads to dangerous situations." Bucky quotes from the manual, clearly back in his original position. "Brevity, clarity, consistency. Short and to the point. Otherwise mistakes occur, and mistakes risk lives." Honestly, does he need to even say whose life is at risk?

    "You were assigned to Operation Groundbreaker until last year. At that time you received a gunshot wound to the shoulder and your involvement ended. You were enticed by Alonso Stuck, a family friend, to give up your army career and join Homeland Security, where he used you for his own ends. Most recently, you were ordered to clean up the loose ends of Operation Groundbreaker. These are the things you have told me."

    Pause

    "How did Stuck contact you? What order did he give, explicitly, for you to accomplish in the condo? Who is Alonso Stuck to the Department of Homeland Security?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"I was called for a meeting and tasked with taking out Punisher's accomplice. Stuck's been in for awhile, second in field operations only to Clayton now."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "I see."

    Another creak, and the Winter Soldier stands again, moving as he has before. The same path, the same slow tread. Is he going to go for the pistol again?

    "What were the objectives of Operation Groundbreaker?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Colby frowns, "It's a joint operation between the DEA and DHS to get a better foothold to monitor criminal activities that involve the drug trade, the funding of terrorism, locating cells, and uncovering plots."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    Once again, Bucky moves to the door. Only this time, his other hand is clearly empty. He pauses in in the act of opening the door, looks over to Colby again, and keeps up that stare for about ten seconds, as if looking into the man's soul.

    "Keep up the good work, Agent. But consider your future carefully."

    Having said that, the Winter Soldier opens the door and even politely closing it behind him, before making his way out of the apartment and disappearing as thoroughly as if he had never existed...