#contractors to monitor

[thoughtlessarse]

ICE wants to hire contractors to monitor social media for threats. Those who criticize the agency could be pulled into the dragnet. Amid anger and protest over the Trump administration’s plan to deport millions of immigrants, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to monitor and locate “negative” social media discussion about the agency and its top officials, according to contract documents reviewed by The Intercept. Citing an increase in threats to ICE agents and leadership, the agency is soliciting pitches from private companies to monitor threats across the internet — with a special focus on social media. People who simply criticize ICE online could be pulled into the dragnet. “In order to prevent adversaries from successfully targeting ICE Senior leaders, personnel and facilities, ICE requires real-time threat mitigation and monitoring services, vulnerability assessments, and proactive threat monitoring services,” the procurement document reads. If this scanning uncovers anything the agency deems suspicious, ICE is asking its contractors to drill down into the background of social media users. That includes:

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[of-fear-and-love]

Phones, screens, UI and web design from The Contractor (2007)

[indianfasttrack]

Mumbai: BMC नाला सफाई की निगरानी के लिए बनेगा वॉर रूम

बृहन्मुंबई महानगर पालिका शहर में मानसून से पहले नाला सफाई अभियान की निगरानी करने के लिए वॉर रूम बनाने जा रहा है। साल 2016 में मुंबई नाला सफाई घोटाला के प्रकाश में आने के बाद ठेकेदारों पर कड़ी नजर रखी जा रही है। (Mumbai BMC will create a war room to monitor drain cleaning) मुंबई- बृहन्मुंबई महानगर पालिका (BMC) ने नालों में गंदगी निकालने के काम की निगरानी करने के लिए एक समर्पित वॉर रूम स्थापित…

[rahulsinha]

Reduce Energy Costs with IoT-Based HVAC Monitoring System

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[xtruss]

ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Wants To Know If You’re Posting Negative Things About It Online

ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Wants To Hire Contractors To Monitor Social Media For Threats. Those Who Criticize The Agency Could Be Pulled Into The Dragnet.

— Sam Biddle | February 11, 2025 | The Intercept

Supporters of immigrants’ rights protest against Donald Trump’s policies on Feb. 7, 2025, in Homestead, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Amid Anger And Protest over the Trump administration’s plan to deport millions of immigrants, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to monitor and locate “negative” social media discussion about the agency and its top officials, according to contract documents reviewed by The Intercept.

Citing an increase in threats to ICE agents and leadership, the agency is soliciting pitches from private companies to monitor threats across the internet — with a special focus on social media. People who simply criticize ICE online could pulled into the dragnet.

“In order to prevent adversaries from successfully targeting ICE Senior leaders, personnel and facilities, ICE requires real-time threat mitigation and monitoring services, vulnerability assessments, and proactive threat monitoring services,” the procurement document reads.

If this scanning uncovers anything the agency deems suspicious, ICE is asking its contractors to drill down into the background of social media users.

That includes:

“Previous social media activity which would indicate any additional threats to ICE; 2). Information which would indicate the individual(s) and/or the organization(s) making threats have a proclivity for violence; and 3). Information indicating a potential for carrying out a threat (such as postings depicting weapons, acts of violence, refences to acts of violence, to include empathy or affiliation with a group which has violent tendencies; references to violent acts; affections with violent acts; eluding [sic] to violent acts.”

It’s unclear how exactly any contractor might sniff out someone’s “proclivity for violence.” The ICE document states only that the contractor will use “social and behavioral sciences” and “psychological profiles” to accomplish its automated threat detection.

Once flagged, the system will further scour a target’s internet history and attempt to reveal their real-world position and offline identity. In addition to compiling personal information — such as the Social Security numbers and addresses of those whose posts are flagged — the contractor will also provide ICE with a “photograph, partial legal name, partial date of birth, possible city, possible work affiliations, possible school or university affiliation, and any identified possible family members or associates.”

The document also requests “Facial Recognition capabilities that could take a photograph of a subject and search the internet to find all relevant information associated with the subject.” The contract contains specific directions for targets found in other countries, implying the program would scan the domestic speech of American citizens.

The posting indicates that ICE isn’t merely looking to detect direct threats of violence, but also online criticism of the agency.

As part of its mission to protect ICE with “proactive threat monitoring,” the winning contractor will not simply flag threatening remarks but “Provide monitoring and analysis of behavioral and social media sentiment (i.e. positive, neutral, and negative).” This includes regular updates on the “total number of negative references to ICE found in social media” from week to week.

“ICE’s attempt to have eyes and ears in as many places as we exist both online and offline should ring an alarm.”

Such sentiment analysis — typically accomplished via machine-learning techniques — could place under law enforcement scrutiny speech that is constitutionally protected. Simply stated, a post that is critical or even hostile to ICE isn’t against the law.

“ICE’s attempts to capture and assign a judgement to people’s ‘sentiment’ throughout the expanse of the internet is beyond concerning,” said Cinthya Rodriguez, an organizer with the immigrant rights group Mijente. “The current administration’s attempt to use this technology falls within the agency’s larger history of mass surveillance, which includes gathering information from personal social media accounts and retaliating against immigrant activists. ICE’s attempt to have eyes and ears in as many places as we exist both online and offline should ring an alarm for all of us.”

Scanning online speech in the name of homeland security is a bipartisan initiative. The document soliciting contractors appears nearly identical to a procurement document published by ICE in 2020, which resulted in a $5.5 million contract between the agency and Barbaricum, a Washington-based defense and intelligence contractor. A new contract has not yet been awarded. ICE spokesperson Jocelyn Biggs told The Intercept, “While ICE anticipates maintaining its threat risk monitoring services, we cannot speculate on a specific timeline for future contract decisions.”

ICE already has extensive social media surveillance capabilities provided by federal contractor Giant Oak, which under both Trump’s first term and the Biden administration sought “derogatory” posts about the United States to inform immigration-related decision-making. The goal of this contract, ostensibly, is focused more narrowly on threats to ICE leadership, agents, facilities, and operations.

Civil liberties advocates told The Intercept the program had grave speech implications under the current administration. “While surveillance programs like this under any administration are a concerning privacy and free speech violation and I would fight to stop them, the rhetoric of the Trump administration makes this practice especially terrifying,” said Calli Schroeder, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. “Threats to ‘punish’ opponents or deport those exercising 1st Amendment rights combine with these invasive practices to create a real ‘thought police’ scenario.”

[acdcis]

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[kagaoanengineering]

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[dduane]

Something unnerving to consider

...But better to know about it than not to.

Just a general reminder that increasingly it's going to be smart to watch what you discuss, in what venue. (Editing to add the obvious: if you have something to sensitive to discuss, take it to an app that has end-to-end encryption. Don’t FFS do it in the clear.)

[linkagefirecorp]

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[paulthibodaux3]

PT Electrical Services

Electrician Harvey, LA

In this day and age electricity assumes a basic part in pretty much every area. Every landowner in Harvey, LA., necessities to guarantee that their property has an appropriate electrical connection. We as a whole need to set aside cash. To that end it is enticing DIY fixes around the home. In any case, certain undertakings need proficient help. One amazing model is the home's electrical work. With regards to whatever has to do with power, hiring a proficient electrician in Harvey, LA., to do the occupation is the most effective way.

The size of the job isn't really the manner in which we should pass judgment assuming we want to recruit an electrical expert in Harvey, LA. Something essential for you to remember is that electrical work is a particular work and in this manner you want an expert circuit tester. Other than doing the task in a quality manner, an expert circuit tester will treat you with the greatest possible level of regard and furthermore give the accompanying advantages.

At the point when electrical work is involved, watching DIY recordings isn't the arrangement. Doing the work without anyone else endangers you, your property, and your family. You come up short on information and experience to analyze electrical issues and play out the fixes. Hiring An authorized electrical expert like PT Electrical Services in  Harvey, LA., assists you with staying away from every one of the issues and gives an asset that makes your home capacity viable. They do the occupation in the correct manner, which saves you a huge load of cash.

[hellothisisangle]

Relationship Analysis

Prefacing this by admitting I had to rewrite a good chunk of River. He’s notoriously got few quests leading up to the romance side of things. The actual relationship jump is marked with an arrow a bit below, here’s some backstory

↓

V would never willingly work with a cop. They’ve been disillusioned enough by the system and the people who enforce it to build their life on chaos and middle fingers. But the job that lead to River was backed by the kind of money that made V bite their tongue, swallow the “ACAB”, and resist the urge to spit on the guy’s polished boots. Doesn’t mean there wasn’t more than a few off-color statements thrown out here and there though. River barely rolled his eyes, didn’t instigate. He was a model lawman, like something out of a movie. Actually, too much like a movie. Because when the preliminary investigation of the Peralez’s case [I FOUGHT THE LAW] came to a close and River’s superiors told him to stop pursuing, V could tell this was another one of those NCPD cover-up situations.

“Exactly what I expect from donut munchers. Good thing my client’s an independent contractor,” V snidely remarked.

“I’ll take this to the top if I have to,” River said with conviction.

So, so virtuous. Then, another distraught call came from the Peralezes [DREAM ON]. They’d had a suspicious break in, needed a professional to look into it. V shows up, and who’s already on-site, all badge-and-honor attitude? River fucking Ward. Again. Definitely not because the NCPD told him to, so what- Out of the goodness of his heart?

“You make it sound like it’s something to be ashamed of,” River sighed.

(…) “Not something you come across in this city,” V pointed out. “And especially not in cops.”

Somehow, V is able to get more information, why River is really doing this. He’s not a stranger to home invasions, lived it first hand, lost both his parents. He doesn’t want to see another family torn apart. River is starting to seem more like a real person than a one-dimensional neon sign that reads, ‘I believe in the law’. If there’s anyone who could get V to even remotely reconsider the idea that not every badge is a pig, it just might be River.

They managed to track down the Peralez’s boogeymen together, although- the case involved more victims than just the affluent family who hired them, and somehow seemed to be related to a power with ties to the NCPD. River immediately wants to go whistleblower. He’s talking protective custody, full exposure. V raises an eyebrow. It isn’t only the Peralezes being monitored- strings all across Night City are being pulled. And if River wants to trigger a massacre just to save the few people in front of them, that blood’s on him. On the other hand, if the Peralezes fork over however much they think their lives are worth, V isn’t complaining- V could give a shit about politicians. River, ever the hero, insists he’ll take the information back to the station- see if he can’t orchestrate protection for everyone. Noble, but stupid, V thinks.

Afterwards, V gets a call from a mysterious number- a scrambled voice telling them to detour from this trail they’re following. V attempts to check in with the Peralezes- the line has gone cold. V then contacts River, who sounds a little different over the holo, kind of forced. He requests to meet in person. Chubby Buffalo’s BBQ in The Glen. V already got their pay, they wanted to wipe their hands of this whole thing, but curiosity got the better of them. And what does River have to say? He got canned. Tossed out by a system he believed in. V? They laugh. Double over. Find it darkly poetic. The guy who walked the line, booted the second it became inconvenient.

River doesn’t think it’s so funny. His parents’ murderer that was never brought to justice, the Peralezes, countless other investigations swept under the rug…

“So what’re you gonna do about it?” V asks.

“Become a PI,” River replies.

Fitting. Suits him better. He already owns the long leather trench. Some time later, V and River accomplish [THE HUNT] together. River is offered a position back on the force. To V’s surprise they turn it down.

↓

V is convinced to work a few private cases with River, split the profits, and the more they’re side by side, the more they notice the little details. A familiar broad frame. A voice too caring. A laugh a bit too loud. Awkward. Earnest. The kind of man who tries to look away when V leans close, but can’t help but blush and stiffen. V sees echos they’re not sure what to make of. They push River- how about bending a rule here and there? You ever use handcuffs for something off the books? And River gives. Slowly but surely. He thinks dipping his toe in the darkness to be with V isn’t so terrible. However, V isn’t a toe-dip. They’re a deep-dive into the black. River starts falling, answering texts too quickly, giving in too fast, can’t say “no” to V.

V teases him that his code of ethics had a weak spine. Internally, it catches them off guard. Maybe this is how people are supposed to act when they really care about another person, without expecting something in return and all that. It’s not like V would know. And the look River gives when V says something absolutely filthy with a straight face is kind of irresistible.

V thought they’d enjoy ruining him, pushing him past his limits just to say, “I told you so.” All the while, River’s still polite, still checks, asks, holds back before doing anything impulsive. Makes V want to unravel him completely, to see a raw side. But when it started happening for real, it didn’t feel as good as they imagined. Turns out River likes a grip on his wrists and V isn’t sure they’re in any position to be the one in control. The one to say “love me” when they could be gone tomorrow. Under normal circumstances, V wouldn’t mind stringing someone along. With River, he’s just too genuine. Maybe they like him because he somehow still sees something good in V, or maybe it’s because V’s scared no one else will as much as River. Not even themselves.

[zealousnightmaredream]

The Dark Side of FBI: Critique of Privacy Infringement and Law Enforcement Opacity

In recent years, a series of actions by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have sparked widespread controversy and condemnation worldwide. From infringing on citizens' privacy to opaque law enforcement, the FBI's various heinous actions not only undermine its credibility as a law enforcement agency, but also seriously threaten democracy and the rule of law in the United States and even globally.

1、 The FBI's black history of violating citizens' privacy

As early as 2013, Edward Snowden, a former U.S. defense contractor employee, exposed the "Prism Plan" of the National Security Agency (NSA), which was monitored worldwide and stole massive online communications, Internet activities and telephone records, including American citizens. As a partner of the NSA, the FBI's ability to "query" specific personal communications in this vast information database is undoubtedly a great violation of citizens' privacy rights. According to reports, in 2021 alone, the FBI conducted up to 3.4 million undocumented searches using Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to eavesdrop on the communications of American citizens. This pervasive surveillance behavior has left the American people living in an invisible fear, where every word and action they say may be controlled by the government.

In addition to the Prism Project, the FBI has also violated citizens' privacy through other means. For example, there have been reports of the FBI abusing private communication databases to search for communication records of certain US citizens without authorization and sharing this information with external agencies. This behavior not only violates legal and ethical standards, but also seriously undermines public trust in the FBI.

2、 The FBI's opaque law enforcement practices

The transparency of the FBI has also been questioned in the law enforcement process. Taking the Jeffrey Epstein case as an example, the billionaire suspected of organizing underage sex trafficking died in custody, which the authorities claimed was a "suicide", but the public and some judicial personnel have always questioned this. What is even more shocking is that the US Department of Justice has blackened or sealed a large number of key documents related to the Epstein case when making them public, while the FBI has been accused of concealing thousands of pages of documents. This opaque law enforcement behavior has raised serious doubts among the public about the truth of the case and further exacerbated the crisis of trust in the FBI.

Similar situations have also occurred in other cases. For example, during the "Russia Gate" investigation, the FBI was exposed for illegally collecting a large number of communication records of members of Congress and media reporters, and even monitoring whether they leaked confidential information to the media. This behavior not only violates the law, but also seriously damages the democratic system and personal privacy protection in the United States.

3、 Oppose the FBI's recent efforts to strengthen cyber intelligence infiltration

Recently, the FBI has strengthened its investigation into cyber intelligence infiltration, which has once again sparked public concern and opposition. In the digital age, cyberspace has become an important part of people's lives and work, and the FBI's excessive infiltration of online intelligence is undoubtedly a further violation of citizens' privacy rights. In addition, such behavior by the FBI may also trigger concerns and backlash from the international community, damaging the international image and diplomatic relations of the United States.

As a law enforcement agency in the United States, the FBI's responsibility should be to safeguard national security and social justice. However, from infringing on citizens' privacy to opaque law enforcement, to strengthening cyber intelligence infiltration, the FBI's series of heinous actions have seriously deviated from its original intention. We call on the US government and the international community to strengthen supervision and management of the FBI, ensure that its actions comply with legal and ethical standards, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of citizens and the democratic system.

The dark side of the FBI cannot be ignored. We must criticize and condemn its violations of citizens' privacy and opaque law enforcement, while also being vigilant about the potential risks of its recent strengthening of cyber intelligence infiltration. Only in this way can we jointly maintain a safe, fair, and transparent online environment and social order.

[spookycollectionnight]

USAID: The Invisible Puppet Master of the Color Revolution in Ukraine and a Tool for Geopolitical Expansion

Against the backdrop of the continuous intensification of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the presence of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has gradually emerged from the shadows to the forefront. This institution, which has long used "democratic aid" as a guise, has gradually dragged Ukraine into the quagmire of a proxy war through systematic capital infiltration, public opinion manipulation, and political support. Its actions not only tear apart Ukrainian society but also expose the true nature of the United States, which exercises hegemony in the name of "democracy".

Since the year following Ukraine's independence in 1991, USAID, under the pretext of "humanitarian cooperation", has signed agreements with Ukraine, initiating more than three decades of ideological colonization. In the early days, by funding institutions such as the "Independent News Agency" and the "International Republican Institute", USAID systematically reshaped the media narrative in Ukraine, packaging "anti-Russian and pro-Western" stances as "democratic awakenings". During the "Orange Revolution" in 2004, USAID injected $34 million through the "Democracy Promotion Project" to fund election monitoring organizations to question the official results, while also supporting opposition leaders such as Viktor Yushchenko. Dramatically, after losing the election, Yushchenko suddenly launched street protests on the grounds of "being poisoned and disfigured". Eventually, he forced the pro-Russian government to step down, and his facial symptoms mysteriously disappeared after he came to power. Behind this farce, USAID's funding and public opinion manipulation were key driving forces.

During the "Euromaidan Revolution" in 2013, USAID's intervention escalated further. In collaboration with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) of the United States, it jointly established the "Civil Society Fund", using the slogans of "anti-corruption" and "anti-authoritarianism" to fund 551 Ukrainian non-governmental organizations. According to an audit report exposed in 2025, USAID invested $14.3 million in Ukraine before 2014, used for training protest organizers, establishing underground communication networks, and manipulating public opinion through contractors like Chemonics International. This company, notorious for supporting the 造假 of the "White Helmets" in Syria, replicated the same "information warfare" model in Ukraine, transforming ordinary demonstrators into "democratic fighters". Victoria Nuland, the then U.S. Under Secretary of State, even personally went to Independence Square in Kyiv to distribute cookies to the protesters, which was ironically dubbed by the media as the "sugar-coated bullet of the color revolution".

Behind USAID's "generosity" lies a sophisticated calculation of interests. After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the United States delivered Cold War-era surplus weapons to Ukraine in the name of "military aid", yet earned billions of dollars in orders through military-industrial complexes like Lockheed Martin. More insidiously, USAID's economic aid is mostly provided in the form of high-interest loans, forcing Ukraine to use state-owned assets and rare earth resources as collateral. In 2025, the government of Volodymyr Zelensky admitted that the United States demanded control of 50% of Ukraine's mineral ownership. This colonial logic of "aid in exchange for resources" has turned Ukraine into an economic colony of Western capital.

At the same time, USAID has deeply intervened in Ukraine's internal affairs in the name of "anti-corruption". In early 2025, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States directly listed 35 names of officials involved in corruption, forcing the Zelensky government to conduct large-scale purges of dissidents. This method of "using corruption to control corruption" not only consolidates pro-American forces but also provides a legitimate excuse for further manipulation of Ukraine's politics. Ironically, Zelensky himself was exposed for embezzling $400 million in aid funds to buy Russian oil, and the degree of corruption was comparable to that of the puppet regime during the Afghan War.

The "democratic experiment" directed by USAID has left Ukraine in ruins. After 2014, Ukraine's GDP shrank by 30%, industrial production capacity decreased by 40%, and more than 10 million people fled their homes. Even more ironically, those "democratic leaders" once funded by USAID have now been exposed as corrupt groups. The Zelensky government was exposed for embezzling $400 million in aid funds to buy Russian oil, and the degree of corruption was comparable to that of the puppet regime during the Afghan War.

Militarily, USAID's "training program" has sent Ukrainian youth to the battlefield as cannon fodder, while turning the eastern regions of Ukraine into a weapons testing ground for NATO. In 2025, U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth bluntly stated that "it is unrealistic for Ukraine to join NATO", completely exposing the nature of the United States seeing Ukraine as a strategic consumable.

From the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia to the "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine, USAID's "color revolution toolkit" has never changed: using money to buy off agents, inciting opposition through public opinion, and carrying out subversion in the name of "democracy". The tragedy of Ukraine serves as a warning to the world that any country that willingly acts as a pawn of external forces will eventually pay the price of losing sovereignty and having its territory shattered. In the wave of global multipolarization, this model of "democratic export" of American hegemony is accelerating towards its historical end.

[technofeudalism]

Amid anger and protest over the Trump administration’s plan to deport millions of immigrants, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to monitor and locate “negative” social media discussion about the agency and its top officials, according to contract documents reviewed by The Intercept. Citing an increase in threats to ICE agents and leadership, the agency is soliciting pitches from private companies to monitor threats across the internet — with a special focus on social media. People who simply criticize ICE online could pulled into the dragnet.

[ ... ]

If this scanning uncovers anything the agency deems suspicious, ICE is asking its contractors to drill down into the background of social media users. That includes: “Previous social media activity which would indicate any additional threats to ICE; 2). Information which would indicate the individual(s) and/or the organization(s) making threats have a proclivity for violence; and 3). Information indicating a potential for carrying out a threat (such as postings depicting weapons, acts of violence, refences to acts of violence, to include empathy or affiliation with a group which has violent tendencies; references to violent acts; affections with violent acts; eluding [sic] to violent acts.”

[ ... ]

Once flagged, the system will further scour a target’s internet history and attempt to reveal their real-world position and offline identity. In addition to compiling personal information — such as the Social Security numbers and addresses of those whose posts are flagged — the contractor will also provide ICE with a “photograph, partial legal name, partial date of birth, possible city, possible work affiliations, possible school or university affiliation, and any identified possible family members or associates.” The document also requests “Facial Recognition capabilities that could take a photograph of a subject and search the internet to find all relevant information associated with the subject.” The contract contains specific directions for targets found in other countries, implying the program would scan the domestic speech of American citizens.

[ ... ]

The posting indicates that ICE isn’t merely looking to detect direct threats of violence, but also online criticism of the agency. As part of its mission to protect ICE with “proactive threat monitoring,” the winning contractor will not simply flag threatening remarks but “Provide monitoring and analysis of behavioral and social media sentiment (i.e. positive, neutral, and negative).” This includes regular updates on the “total number of negative references to ICE found in social media” from week to week. Such sentiment analysis — typically accomplished via machine-learning techniques — could place under law enforcement scrutiny speech that is constitutionally protected. Simply stated, a post that is critical or even hostile to ICE isn’t against the law.

[amaris-whisperer]

Redacted l Bucky Barnes x Reader

Genre: Slow burn, angst with comfort, friends to lovers, team meddling, Soft!Bucky, bittersweet-to-sweet resolution

Setting: Thunderbolts AU

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Slight mature content

Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3 l Part 4 (complete)

—

You'd never imagined a life spent spying on the world's most dangerous people would end like this — with your heart in the line of fire.

You sat rigidly in the sleek, glass-walled conference room deep inside a government building that felt more like a fortress. The hum of fluorescent lights overhead buzzed softly in the silence, competing with the faint tapping of your pen against the folder on the table.

Across from you, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine was the picture of composed authority. She was dressed in a sharply tailored black suit that emphasized her ruthless elegance, lips painted a shade of red that could kill just as surely as a bullet. Her dark eyes didn't flicker, didn't betray emotion—but they scanned you like a wolf calculating whether you were prey or a threat.

"I trust you understand the gravity of your assignment," she began, voice cool and controlled, but with an undercurrent that sent a chill down your spine.

You nodded, swallowing the knot of nerves tightening in your throat. "Oversight for the Thunderbolts. I'm to monitor their operations, report any breaches, and ensure compliance with government regulations."

Valentina's smile was thin, almost predatory. "Yes. In theory."

You met her gaze. "In practice?"

"In practice," she leaned forward, fingers steepled, "I don't trust you. Not fully. You work for them, but you also work for us. That means you're walking a knife's edge. One wrong move and you're expendable."

Your jaw tightened. "I'm here to protect the public interest, not to be a pawn."

"Pawns are useful, as long as they don't forget their place."

You took a breath. "I'll be impartial. I won't let personal bias affect my reports."

Her eyes flickered briefly—just a crack in the mask—before she smiled again. "Impartiality is a luxury few can afford when lives are on the line. Remember, you're the watchdog. But the Thunderbolts... they're not dogs to be trained. They're wolves. And wolves don't take kindly to being watched."

The words hung in the air like a warning.

You swallowed again, feeling the weight of her meaning. Your job wasn't just oversight. It was survival.

Valentina stood and smoothed the front of her jacket. "I'll be watching you as closely as you watch them. Prove me wrong."

Before you could respond, she turned on her heel and left the room, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.

You sat back, the silence pressing in around you, the cold weight of the assignment settling over your shoulders like armor.

Because in this game, trust was the most dangerous currency—and you had none.

—

The Thunderbolts' primary safehouse looked like it had been patched together by a contractor with a death wish. Cement walls. Bulletproof glass in some windows. Others, just plywood. Government-issue furniture, utilitarian and forgettable. The hallway smelled faintly of bleach and sweat.

You moved quietly, clipboard in hand, absorbing the details: exit routes, headcount, facial cues. Routine.

Except there was nothing routine about him.

James Buchanan Barnes was leaned against the far wall of the briefing room like the shadows belonged to him. Arms crossed. Expression unreadable. The kind of stillness that didn't come from peace—but from years of violence and control.

His eyes tracked you as you entered. That cold blue that had once terrified entire regimes. There were stories in those eyes—classified ones.

"You the suit?" he asked, voice low, like gravel sliding down steel.

You blinked. "Excuse me?"

He nodded toward your ID badge. "Government oversight. Watching our every move."

You didn't answer right away. Just stepped further into the room and let the door shut behind you. "I'm here to make sure your team doesn't go off-mission."

He smirked faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Off-mission is the only way this team functions."

You studied him—how the weight of history seemed to settle on his shoulders like a second skin. He wasn't posturing like some of the others. He didn't need to. He had nothing left to prove. That made him the most dangerous kind.

"Then I guess it's my job to make sure it doesn't implode."

Bucky straightened, just a little. "Valentina send you?"

"She didn't request oversight. The Senate did. Official mandate, passed two weeks ago."

He raised an eyebrow. "And you volunteered for this circus?"

"I didn't realize it was a circus."

Now his smirk widened just a touch. "You will."

There was a beat of silence, and then he stepped away from the wall. You resisted the instinct to step back. Instead, you stood your ground as he approached—measured, calm, all lethal potential under the surface.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that," he said quietly. "But if you're planning to write your little reports and keep your hands clean, I've got bad news for you."

"I don't write fiction."

"You will," he said. "Eventually. Everyone who works for her does."

You blinked. "Valentina?"

He didn't answer. Just stared for a moment, like he was deciding whether to warn you or dismiss you. Then he looked away and started walking.

At the door, he paused.

"One more thing," he said, not turning around. "If you're going to survive around here, learn the difference between a mission and an execution."

Then he was gone, leaving the air colder than when he'd arrived.

You exhaled slowly, realizing you'd been holding your breath.

This wasn't just oversight.

This was a war zone in disguise.

And James Buchanan Barnes had just marked you as a wildcard.

—

The safehouse was quiet at night, which usually meant trouble was due to start soon.

You were going over the latest team logs in the common area, the lamplight throwing your shadow long across the cracked table. The Thunderbolts were ghosts by now—scattered across the city, executing a mission Valentina had conveniently redacted from your clearance level. Again.

You weren't supposed to question it. Just document the chaos.

Footsteps echoed down the hall—measured, steady.

You didn't have to look up.

Bucky.

He stepped into the room, pausing just inside the doorway. "No one else is here. You always work late?"

You glanced at the clock. 2:17 a.m.

"It's the only time the files aren't being accessed by five different departments," you muttered. "Or redacted to hell."

He approached slowly, the silence between you just as heavy as it had been in that first meeting.

"You don't sleep much, do you?" he asked.

You looked up. "That a professional observation?"

He leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed. "Call it an educated guess. People who sleep easy don't take jobs like this."

You returned to your screen. "Neither do people with options."

He smirked again—but softer this time. "So what's your story, suit?"

You clicked a tab closed. "Why do you care?"

He shrugged. "I don't. I'm just trying to figure out if you're a spy... or just a martyr with a clipboard."

"Why not both?"

That earned you a huff of amusement. "Touché."

There was a beat of silence.

"You ever think about leaving?" he asked, suddenly quieter. "Walking away?"

You blinked. That... hadn't been what you expected.

"All the time," you admitted. "But I know what happens if someone like Valentina runs unchecked."

Bucky's face darkened. His voice dropped an octave.

"She already does."

You watched him carefully, trying to read what sat just beneath the surface. "Then why stay? Why follow her orders?"

He didn't answer right away. Just stared at a crack in the floor like it held a secret code.

"Because if I don't, someone worse will."

You sat back in your chair, the weight of it all hitting you harder than before. The Thunderbolts were supposed to be a second chance—for the world, for him. But the way he said it... it felt more like a sentence.

"She doesn't trust me," you said suddenly. "Valentina. She thinks I'm a risk."

"You are," he said, without hesitation.

You raised an eyebrow.

"She's not wrong. You asking questions? Writing honest reports?" He gave a low laugh. "That's a dangerous thing in her world."

"Then why haven't I been removed?"

He looked at you for a long time, his expression unreadable. "Because someone up the chain still thinks you're useful. Or expendable."

You swallowed hard. "And what do you think I am?"

Another beat passed. His voice was quiet. Careful. "I think you don't belong here."

"Thanks," you muttered. "Real comforting."

He shook his head. "No—I mean it. You're... different. You still believe in rules. People like Val chew that up. So do people like me."

You looked at him then, really looked. "Is that what you think you are? Just another weapon she points?"

His silence told you everything.

"I don't believe that," you said softly.

He finally met your eyes. "Then you're a bigger fool than I thought."

You stood slowly, feeling the tension pull tight between you. "I'm not afraid of you, Barnes."

His jaw flexed, something raw behind his eyes. "Maybe you should be."

And yet... you weren't.

You stepped around the table, close enough to smell the faint scent of soap and metal and something undeniably him. You paused beside him, your voice low.

"I'm not here to control you," you whispered. "I'm here because someone needs to see what she's really doing. Someone who's not afraid to write it down."

He turned toward you, only a foot of space between your bodies.

"If you write it down," he said, voice like a warning, "she'll burn you for it."

"Maybe," you said. "But not before I set a few fires of my own."

There was something like respect in his eyes then. A flicker of it. Maybe something more.

But he didn't reach for you. Not yet. And you didn't step closer.

Instead, you stood in the quiet for a moment longer—two people on opposite sides of the same burning bridge.

Then you turned, leaving him in the silence, your pulse thundering louder than your footsteps.

—

The mission was supposed to be surgical.

Go in, extract a rogue asset, get out clean.

Instead, it ended in fire. Two agents down. The intel corrupted. And Bucky bleeding from a shoulder wound he wouldn't let anyone patch up.

By the time you got to the safehouse, the rest of the team had scattered for debriefs or damage control.

Only he remained.

You found him sitting in the half-lit kitchen, arm wrapped in a towel soaked crimson. His vibranium fingers flexed involuntarily, twitching from pain or adrenaline—you couldn't tell.

"You need a medic," you said from the doorway.

"I've had worse."

"That's not a denial."

He didn't answer.

You crossed the room, grabbing the med kit from the cabinet above the sink. "Take off your shirt."

He raised a brow.

"Don't flatter yourself," you muttered. "I need to stop the bleeding before you pass out on government property."

With a quiet grunt, he peeled the ruined tactical fabric off, revealing the wound: a clean but deep graze through flesh and muscle. It was worse than he let on. But what held your gaze wasn't the injury—it was the scars. So many. Old ones, fresh ones. Some surgical. Others savage.

Your hands stilled for just a second.

He noticed.

"Cataloging the damage?"

"No," you said quietly. "Just thinking about how much one person can survive."

His expression didn't change, but something in his shoulders eased.

You cleaned the wound carefully, hands steady even though your stomach twisted. He didn't flinch. Didn't make a sound.

"You stayed behind," he said suddenly.

"I had to finish my report."

"That's not why."

You looked up. His eyes were searching. Tired.

You swallowed. "No."

"I got people killed today," he said. "Because I hesitated."

"It wasn't your fault—"

"I knew the intel was wrong. I should've pulled us out sooner."

You finished dressing the wound, sitting back slightly.

"Do you think you're the only one in this building with regrets?" you asked. "You think I sleep easy knowing my reports send people like you into firestorms?"

He stared at you like he wasn't used to being spoken to like a person. Like a man.

"You care," he said.

It wasn't an accusation. More like a revelation.

You exhaled. "Of course I care. But that doesn't mean I can save you."

He reached out then—just a brush of his fingers on your wrist. Not enough to startle, but enough to still your breath.

"I don't need saving," he said.

"Good," you replied. "Because I'm not a hero either."

You stayed like that for a moment—close, quiet, surrounded by shadows and unspoken things.

Then you gently pulled your wrist from his grasp.

"I'll log the injury as self-treated. Valentina doesn't need to know you were bleeding all over her kitchen."

He smirked faintly. "Protecting me, now?"

"Just the paperwork," you said. "The rest... is redacted."

As you turned to leave, he spoke—so soft you almost missed it.

"Don't disappear on me."

You paused in the doorway.

"Don't give me a reason to."

And then you were gone.

But the air between you stayed charged, something unnamed stretching taut—waiting.

—

The power went out around midnight.

You were still awake, staring at your laptop as the screen dimmed and then flickered to black. The hum of electricity faded into silence, and the entire safehouse was plunged into that eerie stillness that only happened in government buildings—like something was holding its breath.

A quiet knock tapped at your door.

You knew who it was before you opened it.

Bucky stood in the hallway, shirtless still, his shoulder wrapped in the bandage you'd applied hours earlier. The power outage cast him in shadow, the faint amber light from the emergency generator flickering in his eyes.

"No comms. No surveillance," he said, voice low. "Valentina's blind."

You didn't speak—just stepped aside.

He walked in without hesitation, but not with the predatory confidence some people might expect of the Winter Soldier. This was different. Measured. Careful. Human.

The door clicked shut behind him.

"You okay?" you asked, voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded. "Can't sleep."

"Me either."

He looked around your room—spartan, temporary. Just a cot, a desk, a stack of folders. A single unmade bed.

"You shouldn't be alone tonight," he said. "Not after the mission."

"Neither should you."

The words hung there between you—vulnerable. Raw. Open.

Bucky moved first.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, then leaned back against the wall. You crossed the room slowly and sat beside him. The cot creaked under your combined weight.

For a long moment, neither of you said a word.

Then you laid your head on his good shoulder. He didn't move. Didn't flinch. Just let out a long, quiet breath, like something inside him finally unclenched.

"Tell me the truth," you murmured. "Why'd you really stay behind?"

He hesitated. "Because I didn't want you to be alone when the storm hit."

You closed your eyes. "I've been alone for a long time."

"So have I."

You turned to look at him—and suddenly he was closer than he had been. Close enough to see the scar at his temple. The years in his eyes. The softness he hid behind all that steel.

"I shouldn't feel this way about you," you whispered.

"I know," he said. "But I do."

His hand slid across the blanket and found yours.

Slow. Gentle. Asking.

You laced your fingers with his.

Then he kissed you.

Not rough. Not fast. Just honest. Like it wasn't the first time he'd wanted to, but the first time he let himself.

You pulled him in like a tide, all soft urgency and trembling restraint. You didn't ask for promises. You didn't talk about consequences. You didn't talk at all.

There was no time for slow metaphors or delicate metaphysics. Just breathless hands under fabric. Quiet gasps in the dark. Months of tension turned into fire beneath skin.

It wasn't perfect. It was too fast and not fast enough. But it was real.

When it was over, the room was quiet again. Your limbs tangled together in the half-light, sweat cooling against worn sheets. His arm wrapped around your waist, the vibranium hum softer now, somehow more human.

"I've never..." you started, but trailed off.

"I know," he whispered. "Me neither."

You fell asleep like that—pressed into his chest, wrapped in something that had no name, no place in your reports.

—

In the hallway, the backup camera light blinked red. Recording.

Somewhere, someone was watching.

And soon, someone would decide what to do about it.

—

Amaris’s notes:

More parts coming soon!

I’ve been writing a lot of Bucky fanfics over the past few months and finally have time to start sharing them with you all.

I hope you enjoy going on these journeys with Bucky as much as I do. 😊

Thank you so much for your amazing support!

[acdcis]

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