14048/Its The Final Countdown...

Its The Final Countdown...
Date of Scene:	01 January 2022
Location:	The Coffee Bean - Manhattan
Synopsis:	Nick sneaks out, is caught by Skye, then Bucky. An agreement is made.
Cast of Characters:	Phantasm (Drago), Quake, Winter Soldier

---

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
After the ball finishes its plummet there is a general need for some folks to grab a quick bite to eat. There's plenty of reasons to do this. Some might need a quick burst of caffiene to make their way home. And for others, it's a way to stretch the time before having to go home.

Nick is part of the latter and be it good fortune or not, the Coffee bean is opting to have their doors open late. He's now seated, cup of black coffee set before him with a cookie set on a napkin beside it. Pale eyes glance to the rest of the shop. Whatever smiles he may have had earlier seem to have worn off.

Quake has posed:
Skye has not welcomed the New Year in. With Clint having some time to 'put my thoughts in order' for well on a good half a year, she figured he knew what his answer was, and it wasn't with her in it. In short, she was spending New Years alone, and away from her home, SHIELD, and what few of her friends remained.

Sitting at her table was a cold cup of coffee. (As per usual!). Half an eclair. (It was okay). And her laptop. (D'uh).

As she sits, nearer to the back, she scrolls through hundreds of reddits, facebook pages, and, of course, many dark webs..

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
There's not much to look at. One of the reasons for picking the coffee shop was due to the distance from Times Square and because of that, not many have taken advantage of the shop save for some stray collegiates. But with the markup on the items sold and the minimal staffing, the shop is likely still turning a profit despite that.

Nick was careful. He didn't use his card here. He used cash. But, he'll probably need to hop over to an ATM in another city briefly to retrieve some more cash before making his return trip.

That said, he didn't make it impossible to find him. He still has the burner Bucky gave him. Why? Because honestly if it's an emergency he might as well make it to where his friend can contact or track him. He's hiding from HYDRA. Not SHIELD.

Nick's scan of the room does bring his attention towards the back. Noticing it to be someone familiar, and more importantly one who has a general understanding of the situation, there's an uptilt to the side of his lip before he turns his attention back to the drink.

Quake has posed:
Skye lifts up her cup, crinkles her nose at the cold cup of coffee, and puts it down again. She performs that gesture fairly often, unless she is wrapped up in her code. Good thing that she wasn't, or bad thing, depending on who you asked. As she put the mug down she catches a familiar person.

A familiar person who.. She checks quicks.. isn't supposed to be out of the Trisk without a set few bodyguards. And as far as she could see, they weren't around anywhere. Which brings up the question: Did they know he was out?

And more importantly what was *she* going to do about it.

Fuck.

Really, she can't pretend she doesn't see him. Well, she doesn't have to let him know, but, yes, she was stuck.

The nice girl was picking up the dishes here and there, came close enough that Skye was able to press a note into her hand and point. "Give it to him." With a nod of her chin indicating who she meant. "And it there any chance I could get a refill?" She grimaces. "It's cold."

Of course it's cold. She bought it at 9 o'clock. What did she think!?!

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick is sipping his coffee when the shop employee comes by, setting the still folded up note down on the table. There is at least a mild explanation provided. "From the lady in the corner."

"Thank you." Nick murmurs, lowering the cup down to the table. When left back alone, there is a crinkle as the paper is unfolded to expose the contents. A brow lifts and the paper is folded shut. Giving a sigh, he slips the note in his pocket and gathers up the cup and cookie before turning, heading directly over to Skye's table. Being that he had already spotted her, the delay was minimal.

He slides in across from her. Setting the cup down and looking over to Skye. "New Year." He greets. Not a wish. More a statement.

Quake has posed:
"So they tell me."

For the first moments she didn't look up. Skye finished whatever she was doing, and closed some windows down, and hid the others for the most part. Finally, the 'waitress' brought over a refill for her coffee.

"Don't bother paying for it. We're only open for the people who are in now." In other words, soon they would be closing down, but not quite yet. Looking around there were about a third of the tables had someone on them.

Still, Skye rifled through her pockets, and came up with a twenty. "A tip?"

When the girl leaves, Skye says, "Soooo.. Either you've heard about me, and you know better than to wish me any holiday greetings, even New Year's, or you're just as crabby as me." So far she doesn't make mention of him breaking out of the Trisk.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick leans back in the chair, lifting up his cup as the server comes by to give Skye extra coffee. Taking note of the veiled warning of the impending closing, he sips quietly. It's more or less a reprieve, the consideration that a lecture was impending does occur to Nick but the expression on his face is devoid of any hint of concern about that.

He glances over to Skye once more as she directs her words towards him. The cup sets down as he swallows what bit that was still in his mouth. Fortunately he was given a multiple choice listing. "I don't know you that well." He admits, "So more the latter. Been kind of a Humbug season."

Quake has posed:
"Hrmph." Skye shrugs. "Tell me about it." She looks down. "My boyfriend decided that he needed a break to clear things up in his head. Lots of stuff, really. It probably wasn't even me to begin with, but it's been over a half year, including my birthday, without a peep from him. I think one of us should be mature enough to say it's over. You wonder why.."

"When I was a kid, I had a garbage bag with all my personal stuff in it, to be moved from foster home to foster home, until I was sent to the orphanage, and later the group home that I ran from. We learned to detest holidays. What's a new toothbrush for Christmas? Or new underwear for your birthday?"

"I learned the past few years to maybe, just maybe try it.." Another shrugs. "So what are you doing away from the Trisk, without your bodyguards anyways?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As Skye lists her grievances, Nick tilts his head in surprise. Where is the lecture? But then again, he did state that he didn't know her well. It appears she's fixing that matter.

He lifts up his coffee, sipping as he listens to the details. Those were indeed pretty crappy christmas presents.

The cup lowers. "The hotel we lived at would decorate for Christmas. " Nick volunteers. "When it was quiet, I'd go to the lobby and sit near the snowy village set or the tree. Birthdays were walks in the park..." He glances to the coffee, "I needed to get out for a bit."

Quake has posed:
Skye almost smiles. Almost. "See? I didn't have as much as you." She wasn't bitching or comparing per se. Just she never had it. "The closest I got was when I was too young to remember. Before I was marked unsuitable for adoption. SHIELD was responsible. They decided the best way to keep me safe was to hide me, which meant no adoptive family."

The second cup is fast going down the same road as the first, which is to say cold. Skye really doesn't drink them it would seem, she just has to order to work properly. That and most cafes needed her to order *something* to occupy a seat.

When Nick mentions needing to get out, she nods without noticing. "James would be worried about you. You do know that?" No lecture on the bodyguards, or how he was causing problems. Just his friend would be worried.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Hiding doesn't work." Nick replies, shaking his head. "And, I'm not hiding from you guys. I'm just not putting out a full page ad giving out my entire itinerary."

"Let's face it, the guys I end up getting either stick out like sore thumbs, don't give a shit or are so far in the other extreme that It's like I have to ask permission to take one." He shakes his head, "Besides, I have the phone B-" He pauses, "James gave me. If he really needs to contact me he can. He knows it, I know it."

Quake has posed:
"Bucky is fine." Skye grins. "I like to call him James, because.."

She thinks about it, to explain right. "When he came back, everyone called him Bucky, and eventually he became Bucky, but.. I don't know. I could tell that behind Bucky was James wanting to fit in, and nobody noticed. Bucky wouldn't ever have said I'm James. He's too polite." Funny. Bucky as too polite?!? The Winter Soldier? too polite?!? "So I decided to call him James, to remember that in his heart, he's still James."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
"Oh." Nick tilts his head, giving Skye another look. "..He introduced himself as James when we first met. It wasn't until later that he said to call him Bucky."

Quake has posed:
"Maybe he doesn't mind it at all now." Skye frowns. "At first, though.. never mind. He told you, so what do I know?"

As they talked they remain the only persons to be left. "Sorry, it's past closing time," the woman came over to the table. "I have eclairs?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As the woman approaches, Nick looks to the server and then to the remaining tables. "Oh. So it is..." He looks back to Skye, "I probably should get back." With the coffee having time to cool, he takes a moment to knock back the rest of the drink before securing his cookie. That evidence can be taken care of later.

Quake has posed:
Skye closes her laptop, and puts it in her satchel. "Want me to accompany you to the Trisk, or?"

Winter Soldier has posed:
    The door opens. The bell above rings in that pleasant way of bells that have rung all day and will continue to do so until entropy finally gets them. In steps a new customer, who may have been ignoring the 'sorry, we're closed' sign that has just gone up on the door. As far as customers go, this one looks to be... trouble? Certainly has a presence to him, in that biker's jacket, solid jeans and sturdy boots that have an odd, ominous ring on the floor. Like the tolling of the final bell.

    "Don't worry, stay a while longer." is the first thing the newcomer says as he approaches the table where Skye and Nick are seated, and as the light illuminates the face, there he stands.

    James Buchanan Barnes. The Winter Soldier.

    Alone and unescorted.

    "Could I have one of those eclairs and a coffee? Please? Pity for a weary traveler?" And the man turns on all the charm when he turns to address the woman who was very much in the process of closing up shop. But there's the Buchanan smile...

    ... a smile that is maintained as he sits, glancing from Skye to Nick. "Fancy meeting you here..."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick pauses mid-slide out of his booth, giving a small smile, "Are you honestly stating there's another option?" No there isn't. Not really.

Hearing the door open, Nick turns his head, taking note of the newcomer. With the new order of coffee and the eclair, Nick scoots back in to the booth, making room for Bucky.

He looks back to Skye, "Told you." Hmm. Too bad he downed the rest of his coffee.

Quake has posed:
"Excuse me!" Didn't they lock the door? "We're closing down. In fact.."

The woman caught Skye's eyes, shaking her head mouthing the word 'No'. She could have been mouthing to Bucky. But, in fact, she was telling the girl just a second.

"..we.. uhm.."

Skye just shakes her head.

The woman realized who Bucky was. And then turned to the other two, and realized they weren't afraid, or agog over him. In fact, they seemed to be his friends.. sorta?

"Uhm .. we'll have to brew a pot.." And she was off.

"Sure, she lets you stay." Skye motions to the table and sits.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "You're the best!" Bucky calls after her, in about as thick a Brooklyn accent as he can manage, before his voice goes back to normality. The man himself leans back, seemingly entirely at ease.

    "Carricker's wife just gave birth to a wonderful healthy boy, I went to give him the good news and stood him down for the night. Told him not to worry for the next two weeks either." Utter non-sequitur, but then he may be leading up to why he's here.

    Might have nothing to do with finding someone who's supposed to be in close protection in the Triskelion in a coffee shop on the other side of the city. Could just be a great coincidence.

    "I'd have taken Lilli with me, give her a bit of a walk, but she's not happy around fireworks. Fancy that. Doesn't mind sitting with me on the range, but set off a firecracker and she's trying to dig a hole in the carpet. Poor thing. Best to leave her home, don't you think?"


    There's a glint. Here it comes...

    "Thick walls, virtual soundproof, best place to sit away from the world."

    Brief pause, and a glance over to Skye and then to Nick. And on the latter, the glance lingers.

    "But I get it. It's hard to sit around in a safehouse while the world goes on around you, while your friends are running around fixing things and you so desperately want to help. Like I said, I get it."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
And like that, Bucky manages to appease the server. Then the tone of voice changes, leading Nick's eyes to move. Slowly, they look to the calm, somewhat relaxed figure beside him that starts talking about someone becoming a father. Good for that guy. Don't know him. But good for that guy.

But this is Bucky. The guy who does long discussions while he's quietly debating about Old Yellering his friends. So when the conversation drifts over to the possibility of taking Lilli for a walk, there's the general sense that's not who actually is getting it. When Bucky starts listing the features of the quarters, his eyes shift, looking blankly to the center of the table.

Annnnnd here's your lecture.

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "I'm not exactly endowed with a lot of friends..." Bucky continues, remorselessly, in that jovial tone of voice. "Turns out, all of them are valid targets for HYDRA. Doesn't start out that way, but that's how it always ends up."

    Maliciously, the man picks up the menu and glances at it, as he continues. "I remember sitting in safe houses, while Steve was running around trying to fix my life. After a few days, you're about ready to start climbing the walls... or you start thinking, man, if only I could go get a pizza or something. I mean, this is New York, metaphorically speaking, what's the harm in just... popping out, getting a few slices and pop back in? Nobody's gonna notice."

    The menu is put back down, carefully, and Bucky's fingers delicately square it perfectly with the corners of the table. "The kind of risks you run when someone decides to hide you from the world, because the world is after you. I get it. I really do. So, I'm sorry to have kept you against your will. As I said, I don't have a lot of friends. I get protective."

    And as if that never happened, he leans back again, smiling over to Skye. "The Carrickers decided to name the kid Steve. He's gonna smile for days when he finds out." They always call their kids Steve. Or Clint. Or even Anthony. Never James.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Now Bucky could very well have been wondering what was being offered on the menu of the closed shop. But in the back of Nick's head he just KNOWS this is just movement for the sake of movement. The moving menu make's Bucky's presence visibly known even from the side of Nick's vision.

So it should come as little surprise as one of the charges set is pizza run based. Yep. The time Lex Luthor just HAD to talk to him while he had been waiting for the pizza. Pizza in the HEAVILY GUARDED HIGH SECURITY Four Freedoms Plaza where his apartment is, but yes. Still. That was probably noticed.

He pinches the bridge of his nose. The word usage. Harm. Risks. An apology. One finely crafted presentation to make Nick feel like an ass.

Except for one thing.

"Months." Nick corrects, "Not days."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "Yes, months." Bucky allows, his attention going back to Nick. "And that's a long ass time, I appreciate that. As I said, I understand."

    And then he holds up a hand to forestall any interjecting comment. The left one. He might not mean anything by it.

    "Just wanted to tell you that you don't need to sneak around. You're not a prisoner, you never were, and my apologies if you ever felt like one. I just ask that, if you decide to go out, you tell someone where you're going, or take someone with you that you trust. To be frank, we couldn't hold you if we wanted to, so I doubt anyone else can grab hold of you either."

Quake has posed:
Meanwhile..

Skye had been quietly watching. Quietly listening. She figured neither Bucky nor Nick needed her help. Then..

BOOM

That was unexpected.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
As Bucky agrees, Nick turns his head as they go back onto the conversation. The stalling gesture is noted and the musician's already parting lips start to reverse course. Arms rest upon the table, the point at which the wrists overlap providing enough empty space on the table side to accommodate for the uneaten cookie.

As Bucky presents the option of just saying where he's going before heading out instead of having to bring a shadow along. Pretty much his primary source of irritation.

He looks over to the surprised looking Skye, pointing to her. "Witness." He declares before moving his arms off the table. He reaches into his pocket and tugs out the burner phone Bucky gave him. Setting it on the table. He doesn't provide a verbal explanation but instead looks back over to Bucky with a half smile. "You know I'm going to hold you to that."

Winter Soldier has posed:
    "What I mean, smart ass, is that it's better that we know you've gone for a walk before you have to use that thing to call for help. Besides, I gave you that phone so you could talk to your friends and, maybe, family. Up to you though. But keep it. Seriously. Never know when you're going to need it."

    And at that, Bucky picks up the uneaten cookie and hands it back to Nick. "But you remembered to keep it with you. Good man, have a cookie."

Quake has posed:
"Don't give Fury ideas" Skye laughs. "Really, I've gone missing too many times before."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Laughter is a contageous thing. When Skye starts laughing, Nick glances back over to her, the other side of his mouth tilting upwards to make the smile full. A couple chuckles and he shakes his head, glancing back to Bucky as he puts the phone back in his pocket.

As the cookie that NICK BOUGHT is offered to him, the performer gives a mock gasp. "Oh my your generousity astounds." He retorts, taking the offered cookie. The large snack item is promptly broken twice, creating three pieces. "I'd rather share it."

Skye's offered the first piece, and Bucky the second.

Quake has posed:
Skye continues to laugh. "Wait a minute! Do I really want to stand between the two of you? Really?" But, eventually she sobers. "I've never found.. Bucky?.. Bucky.. to go against his word."

She really did not know whether or not she had permission to call him by Bucky. After all, she was the only person who called him James when he first came back to them and everyone called him Bucky. Somewhere the names had switched - perhaps when she was learning to be Quake; she was off during most of that time.

Of course she takes a third of the cookie!

"All for one, and one for all. Or something like it."