[Ohio AU] the heart of winter

[nerves_of_ice]

Coulson had been called away on something for Fury before they'd gotten more than halfway to wherever his locker is and the set of trading cards stored within it. Without anything else to do, Bucky makes his way back to the quarters he's been given. It's either that or explore the rest of the helicarrier on his own, and that seems like something that can wait safely enough.

He swings by the mess on the way back. As he'd suspected, it's not placed too far distant from what serves as a commissary on this boat. He requisitions a couple of notebooks, a couple of pencils and pens and takes it all with him.

Might as well start with a report on the other Soldiers, he decides. That's likely to be more important in the immediate future than anything else.

Comments

[nerves_of_ice]

"Quite." Volkov's gaze crawls over him, assessing, before he looks back at the others.

"I apologize for this ... confusion... in communication. Perhaps you would accompany me to one of our nearby conference rooms to discuss the business that brings you here?"

[from_the_outside]

"Of course," Sharon tells him, coolly. "But it will not take long. We are here to inspect the potential merchandise."

She meets his gaze with her own haughty one. "One Soldier is not sufficient for our needs. We understand you have several more... defective versions. We are interested in acquiring them from you. At a discounted price, of course, as we understand they are currently almost useless."

[nerves_of_ice]

Coulson's radiating a dispassionate air of being above the need to even have this conversation, Bucky notices, which is perfectly in line with the annoyance he'd conveyed at the door and on the elevator. He silently appreciates the agent's skill and turns his attention back to Volkov's expression, which is nothing less than astounded.

"You - you want to acquire the other Soldiers? As they are now?"

[from_the_outside]

"Potentially." She meets his surprised look with a steady, calm one of her own. "Obviously not without assessment beforehand. But if we like what we see, we may take them off your hands. You would be able to move to..."

She gives the facility a disdainful glance. "Some other project, more deserving of your talents."

[nerves_of_ice]

Volkov stares at her, then at Coulson. "Who are you?"

[from_the_outside]

Coulson looks back at him, implacable. "I represent a certain subset of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division," he says, mild. "You might know us better as SHIELD. But as for where our loyalties truly lie..."

It has to come from him, the man in charge, for any of this to have a possibility of working, but Sharon's stomach still cramps with guilt as Coulson leans forward, dropping his voice to something more conversational. "Hail HYDRA."

[nerves_of_ice]

Bucky's expression doesn't flicker, but Volkov's does. He studies Coulson for a moment longer with speculative interest.

"Well then. I suppose we can discuss. Come with me." He starts for the door.

[from_the_outside]

Coulson takes the lead this time, with Sharon reverting to walking behind him, like a good assistant. So far so good; they just need to get the guy to actually bring them down to the other Soldiers (and ideally collect as many other workers here as possible) and they'll be well on their way.

"Karpov mentioned you were low on staff," Coulson says, his glance flicking around. "Seems we didn't come a moment too soon."

[nerves_of_ice]

"We have enough for our needs," Volkov retorts, stung by that. "You will find this facility remains fully operational, despite the recent changes."

Silent curses fill his head at that. Have they restarted the program in some new way?

[from_the_outside]

"Does it?" Coulson says, still mild. "Well, we're happy to hear that, aren't we, Ms. Kruhl?"

Sharon doesn't nod, or do more than keep up with their pace as Coulson goes on. "I was led to understand this facility was... less than active. An unfortunate miscommunication on Ms. Kruhl's part.

[nerves_of_ice]

He watches as Volkov struggles between pride and clarity and is unsurprised when the man chooses a middle path. The man wouldn't have acceded to a position of any power if he hadn't been able to adapt.

"We are in maintenance operations," Volkov says. "Our state of readiness is high, but with the Soldat now a transferred asset, there is simply no need for all of the functions we are capable of."

[from_the_outside]

"Of course," Coulson agrees. "I would expect nothing less from the facility which hosted the Soldat for so long and which developed the others... regardless of their stability."

[nerves_of_ice]

They pass by quiet rooms as they move deeper into the facility. Volkov hits the control pad for the main door and enters a code.

"They are blunt instruments," Volkov admits. "With a lack of precision or subtlety, but capable of great violence."

As the door into the silo slides open, two guards on duty nearby spot unknown people and lower their weapons to point toward Coulson and Sharon. In the blink of an eye Bucky moves, placing himself between the enemy and his team, poised and ready to attack.

[from_the_outside]

It's imperative that they not react, or that the only reaction they show is expectation. If one of them so much as twitches wrong, the guards will open fire and all of their careful plans will go up in smoke.

Coulson arches an eyebrow. "You are ready."

[nerves_of_ice]

"Yes. For anything." As he speaks, Volkov makes a gesture that's meant to indicate 'stand down,' but Bucky observes that the guards remain watchful even after doing so.

It could just be due to his presence. He's been so used to guards during both activation and return that he couldn't entirely say. Still, he doesn't like it.

[from_the_outside]

"Stand down, Soldat," Coulson says, once the guards return to their more relaxed stance, but she feels their eyes on her, on Coulson and Bucky. She wonders if the "anything" they're prepared for includes dealing with a rogue Winter Soldier, and has to assume it does.

She follows as Volkov leads them onward, keeping her eye out for any visible cameras or more guards as they make their way deeper into the facility.

[nerves_of_ice]

He obeys instantly, moving to his position at Command's side once more, and turns an impassive stare on the guards. It's clear from the way that they watch their little group in turn that they're professional, but it's equally clear that they're not expecting trouble from a fully-controlled Soldat.

Not yet, anyway.

"This way," Volkov says, and flips a breaker. Lights come on throughout the silo, revealing the chair at its center and the surrounding ring of cryo chambers, only one of which stands empty.

[from_the_outside]

Years of training keep her from reacting visibly, but she can feel it roil in her stomach as she looks around the huge, mostly empty space. It's like that lower level of the North Institute writ large: cryo chambers, humming with power, each one hosting a silent figure.

Coulson breaks off from her to walk toward the chambers, hands tucked behind his back as he studies each one. "And they haven't been woken since the initial freezing?"

[nerves_of_ice]

Here and there, a few technicians move around checking readings and doing whatever it is that they do in their hellish excuse for science. Bucky keeps an eye on them too and ghosts along beside Coulson - that's what everyone would expect, that's what an activated Soldat would do. He doesn't even cast a glance in Sharon's direction.

"Ah, well." Volkov sounds fatalistic. "We have tried waking a few of them, one at a time, to see if the cryogenesis or other methods might have stabilized their ability to operate. Alas, it has not yet."

[from_the_outside]

"And when was the last time you attempted that?" Coulson asks, looking up with interest into one of the sleeping faces. "How did you manage to subdue them again?"

Bucky had only mentioned the one time they were awake and Karpov had utilized him against them, but what else could they have done to get the Soldiers back into the chambers?

[nerves_of_ice]

"Three years ago." Volkov studies the sleeping figures and takes a precise step to the side to place his hand flat against the glass of one chamber.

"This one. You see here how there is a small crack in the glazing? We had to repair it. We woke him within the chamber and waited to see if he would be himself. Unfortunately he attempted to break through the glass to reach us, maddened and raging."

He nods to another. "Her, we moved the chamber to a pit deep in the rock below the facility, one too deep for her to escape. It did not stop her from trying, though. After a week we determined that although she could communicate, it was with animal cunning rather than anything more, and took steps to recover her."

It takes all his willpower not to react in any way, but Bucky manages it.

[from_the_outside]

"And if I asked you to wake one today, so we might observe their status?" Coulson asks. "Which strategy would you use?"

Sharon stays quietly where she is, marking the distance between Bucky and Coulson and the bank of buttons and switches across the large room that must have the silo mechanism Bucky had mentioned. He'd be able to get there in just a few seconds, she estimates. Whether that will be enough time, she has no idea.

[nerves_of_ice]

Volkov shrugs. "You have the Soldat. He looks to be in good condition, so clearly you have been maintaining him properly." Bucky stands still while the scientist looks him over like a piece of meat.

"So if you wish a full test, rather than an in situ one, it can be arranged, with him to subdue his brethren - one at a time, at least."

[from_the_outside]

"Yes, he is very capable," Coulson agrees. "But if the other Soldier were to defeat him, I think we would need more than two other guards to keep them at bay."

[nerves_of_ice]

Volkov waves his hand dismissively.

"That can also be arranged."