14411/Roping in some more help.

Roping in some more help.
Date of Scene:	25 May 2022
Location:	Gino's Pizzeria, Williamsburg
Synopsis:	Sharing the best pizza in town, plans are discussed to help Hawkeye's friend.
Cast of Characters:	Hawkeye (Barton), Phantasm (Drago), Quake

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Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Once Skye and Clint were done bikini shopping - details of which are left to your imagination - they called Nick Drago so the archer could fulfil a promise: to introduce Nick to the best pizza in town.

Gino's. Yes, that's where you can find the best pizza in town, and which was set as the meeting point. Of course, the place also holds a more personal place in the agents' minds, but this too is off topic.

When they came in and found their way to their usual table by the back of the small restaurant, Skye and Clint took a seat and waited for Nick to join them. The place is rather quiet, between lunch and dinner time.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
It wasn't hard to get Nick to agree to the offer. Pizza that's not from the Trisk? Sure! Now the hard task was leaving without alerting other agents to where he was going lest he get to go orders. Based from how often it is brought up, that would likely be a sizable order.

So he snuck out the way he did early on. Although he did let one of the agents know where he was heading as per the agreement with Bucky. It just happened that agent was the one he agreed to meet.

The front door gives off a slight creak as Nick allows himself in. He's dressed down, the weather making it to where a tee is in order, exposing the scar upon his right forearm. The hair's been pulled back because-

Well, who wants hair in their food?

Quake has posed:
Sitting down, Skye looked around. It had almost been a year since she had been here.. because.. Clint was the original 'owner' of Gino's. And besides, she didn't want to bump into Clint, or to have a conversation with Gino about what had happened to them. Gino always said that Skye was too good for Clint, but had to admit it? With their impending breakup for good?

No way.

"Are you going to wait for Nick before you order? Or just made the regular order?" Sans the froo froo beer these days.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
A menu isn't necessary for Clint, he knows the place so well and all that is available to eat and drink. Been there, ordered that, took the leftovers home many times. Still, the full menu is on the table, because Nick doesn't know the place.

"I know you're hungry, Keyboard", Clint says, grinning at her, "Bikini shopping would do that to you, hey? Naw, I'll wait for Nick."

Speaking of the devil, figuratively, Nick enters Gino's to join them. The archer waves to the rock star, from the back of the restaurant. In the same motion, Clint also gets the attention of a server. They could start with a drink.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Having arrived on his own, Nick starts that ever so favored pasttime of standing near the lobby area scanning the restaurant for a sign of the other party. The lifted up arm of Clint's speeds up the process.

Nick gives a nod to the archer and the code cracker. He heads over, cracking a light hearted smile to the pair as he reaches one of the unoccupied chairs at the table. "Hey guys." He greets, tugging the chair out before sitting down with the definitive squeakiness of shiny vinyl. "How're things?"

Quake has posed:
Neither Clint, nor Gino, mentioned Skye's long absence. For which she was grateful.

"No kidding!" Gino's was the best pizzeria in the greater New York area. Possibly the whole east coast! She could barely contain drooling thinking about the pizza.

"Thank god you got here! Somebody who shall remain nameless.." She coughs *Clint* "..made me wait for you. Not even a bread stick was allowed!" (She may be using a tiny bit of exaggeration with that one. Just a small bit.)

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Suddenly the small table is almost full, three chairs occupied, three empty stomachs, one young woman complaining she's been starved!

"Hi there, Nick, things go well. We did some shopping, then headed here to make sure we got /our/ table. How're things for you?"

Laughing, the archer pats Skye's hand, "Poor you, I'm so mean to you. The point here, is to eat /together/, y'know?" The patting hand is quickly removed before Skye can attack it.

By the time Nick is seated, the server has arrived and was now standing patiently to get their order. "Hey Jill," Clint smiles at the server, "Long time no see. Give us a minute to choose, but you can bring me a coffee right away." Clint looks at Skye and Nick, as if to ask what they would like to drink. "They have a nice variety of beers. The Moretti is excellent.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick's heat tilts to look towards the server as they approach. Hearing the request for coffee, he pauses for a moment before he follows suit, "Coffee too." He adds in, moving his eyes towards the menu. Ok confirmed. They serve pizza here. He starts skimming through the house specials. "What type do you guys normally get?"

Quake has posed:
Without their frou-frou beer to have a laugh over, Skye really didn't know what to drink. "Just a.. geeze.. I guess I'll have a coffee too?"

Then she laughs. "You better keep your hands away. Who knows, I might forget what is food and eat them." Sorta like wings, only fingers instead. Speaking to Nick, "We used to have a personal joke, and got this frou-frou beer. We actually started to like it." Pause. "I wouldn't recommend it. Get the Moretti."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint doesn't have to browse the menu. "I usually get one with lots of cheese, sauce, meat, and olives. Don't care for too fancy."

Looking up at the patient server, he then orders, "Medium meat eater, extra sauce and olives." Beat. "And it's on me."

Order placed, the archer frowns lightly, feeling that he should make a point, although not a conversation topic by saying, "Hey, cuz I don't drink beer doesn't mean you guys can't." He laughs at that, "I'm not a recovering AA member, y'know?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick narrows his eyes at Skye at her threat of eating fingers. She's not serious is she? Then again, why risk it for olives? An evil look forms as he looks to the specialty item after Clint's order. "Small Hawaiian for me. Add in Bacon."

Nick's hand moves away from the menu, allowing for the server to collect it up. The side of his lip quirks up to the response. "Ever consider that I like coffee?"

Quake has posed:
"The alcohol isn't a deal breaker for me. Really, I used to live off of coffee and Mr. Noodles at an all night coffee shop." Skye shrugged. "When you were gone Hotshot, I think I can count the number of times that I had a beer - anything alcoholic - on one hand."

"Double cheese and pepperoni for me. Thanks." She, like Clint, didn't need to look at a menu.

"Sooo..?" Looking between the guys now.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Now that the server is gone with their order, Clint leans back, visibly relaxed. "Skye," he says, "Soon I'll start calling you Mrs. Noodles." Chuckling, he then looks back at Nick "Like I always say," he says, laughing and winking at Skye before looking back at Nick, "Coffee is the agents' blood. You're the perfect rookie."

That said, the server returns with the coffees. The pizzas will take a bit longer.

Taking his cue from Skye's question, and with a more serious tone, Clint leans forward, asking, "Say Nick, what would you say about some vacation time?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick raises a brow at the mention of how little Skye drank while Clint was gone somewhere. "How long was that? Two months?" The guy may like coffee. But he does like beer too.

His attention turns to the drinks set before them, the offered creamers and sweeteners he pushes toward Clint and Skye's side of the table, leaving Nick's unaltered. "Coffee is sometimes needed when on the road 24/7. Nothing agent or rookie about that."

He lifts up the mug for a sip, setting it down at the inquiry to a possible vacation. "...Vacation from what? I'm already not working." The tone one would expect to to hear when someone says they're not working is not the one someone would expect. Instead it sounds like the un-sweetened coffee before him probably tastes, "Why?"

Quake has posed:
Mmmm coffee. Nectar of the gods..

Holding her cup, when it came, Skye smiled evilly. "We just decided to buy a bikini for me." As if Nick would buy himself one for him. But she lets Clint explain.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Answering the question about his absence, Clint frowns lightly. How long? Way too long. The time it took him to make peace with some ghosts. "I'd say more than six months," he simply replies, knowing that this topic might not sit well with Skye.

Reaching for his coffee, his is also left in its maiden state of pure caffeine in hot water. Taking the time to sip some of the coffee, Clint tries to find the best way to present the matter. He had thought long about it, but there isn't many ways to ask for Nick's help.

Leaning back, the archer sighs. "I've got some bad news from an old friend in Little Rock," he says, "He's dealing with a gang of local goons, y'know, kind of inbreed hilbillies bullying around? So Skye and I will go there this weekend, fix things." He pauses, then after a moment, adds, "But I'm not sure the two of us alone can do much. It'd be nice. I mean, I dunno, if you could join us? My friend has a musical event, you could even use this to practice, I dunno. What d'ya think?"

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
The mention of bikini shopping initially makes Nick think this is a legitimate vacation suggestion but when Clint starts going into the details. Nick gives a slow nod.

Of course there's more to this.

He rests an arm on the table while the elbow of the other arm rests beside it. The hand on the vertical arm soon provides support for the side of Nick's chin. He considers the agent before him and what little information he was conveyed. Honestly someone would have to be crazy to even cons-

"What type of musical event?"

-Well. That tracks.

Quake has posed:
Reaching under the table Skye nudges his legs with her toes, and nods. ~It's okay, Hotshot. Go ahead and tell him what happened.~ Sure she didn't feel comfortable, but neither was it her story.

But she listens to Clint tell his /other/ story.

"I've only met him in stories." But she leave it to Clint to break out the real reason for why she's going to help him as while. Other than she likes Clint.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
And just on cue, the server returns with the three hot pizzas, placing them on the table. Clint passes Skye's to her, while the guys get their own directly.

"I'd have to ask him for details," Clint explains, trying to remember what it was the last time he visited his friend, "He organizes large events, with like a thousand tickets sold each time. There's always a musical interlude of some kind." He pauses, nodding at Skye and silently agreeing with her that more details are necessary. She's right, he should explain a bit more.

Considering the pizza in front of him, the archer takes the time to explain a bit more. "My friend, Mel, like I said, hosts events. Competitors want to ruin his business, a family business. Local gang, with family members in the sheriff's office to boot, is probably planning to torch his stage. So the plan is to pass for guest performers. And you would be the guess artist in a way. Anyway, we can't stop them with the sheriff's help, so we'll have to catch them in the act."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick is quiet while the server is at the table, pulling the pineapple, ham, chicken, bacon concoction towards him. Ok so it's not going to be some battle of the bands thing for locals trying to get their big break or anything of that nature." Nick surmises, giving a nod. "So are you needing the big name or just any stage name will do?"

Quake has posed:
Skye's pizza is pretty plain: double cheese, double pepperoni. And that's all. While Clint and Nick toss around the 'vacation', she sits back and eats.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clints takes the time to have a bit of pizza, thinking, before replying. Not all the details of the /intervention/ - since it's not really an operation - are established yet.

"Going in will be incognito," he says, "So not to raise suspicion. Once we bag the guys, then yeah, you could certainly be yourself and give them an impromptu show. We could arrange to have it recorded, no problem. Then, who knows, Wade might find a way to repurpose it."

And that's a good idea indeed. At least in the archer's mind. That way, everyone would get something out of it. Oh yeah, Clint would make sure Skye also gets something out of it, one way or another.

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick tilts his head forward, pinching the bridge of his nose. He gives a slight sigh before grabbing a slice off his small dish. "So...alternative stage name to start and depending on the outcome afterwards, maybe switch to the big name?"

He takes a bite of the pizza, quietly chewing before he pauses. The slice is given a bit more of his attention. "Hmm."

He takes another bite.

Quake has posed:
Good thing Skye has no clue about what Clint is thinking about with regards to her!

"Good god! Oh. My. Gods. This brings me back!" Not that long!! "Have I told you, Hotshot, how much I love you?" Of course, she might just mean for the pizza.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Yes, it has been a long time since they went to Gino's. A /very/ long time. A lifetime it seems. Clint laughs lightly at Skye's reaction, re-enjoying Gino's pizza. Gino's joint. And all the memories they have about the place.

"Dang, have I known how pizza affects you this way," he chuckles, "We'd eat here everyday!"

He too loves the pizza, and eats a bit more. The menu is still on the table, and guess what, they also have dessert. Tiramisu is to die for.

"I'll book the plane tickets for us later today," he says, "I don't want you to feel like you /have/ to come, Nick. Think about it, lemme know later today or tomorrow if I should have a ticket for you too. Free airplane, housing provided on site, meals, everything. Two nights top."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick swallows his bite of pizza. "No wonder you guys get pizza so often." He murmurs.

Clint mentioning the prep involved and the option to back out. "Tell me where we'd be staying doesn't have a chicken coop on the roof and you can count me in."

Quake has posed:
Two nights? Skye will believe it when she sees it!

"Are we going to put it on SHIELD's credit cards?" Come on, somebody has to try it! She laughs at Clint's reaction to her eating pizza. "You never asked me how much I loved pizza." And she winks.

For Skye, most of her dinners are take out dinners. Her repertoire was very limited otherwise. At one point, Mr. Noodles /was/ the only thing she knows how to cook. Now there were a few more things - including nabeyaki (hot pot) ramen from scratch.

Still no vegetables though.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
The archer almost chokes on a bite of pizza. Put it on SHIELD? "Hey, that's a good idea, why not? Afterall, we'll be enforcing law and justice."

Pushing his plate away - to bring the leftovers home, maybe for breakfast! - Clint nods at Nick, "I can assure you that there will be NO chicken coop around." Beat. "Thanks, Nick. I'll owe you one. And it will make for a nice change from the Trisk."

Phantasm (Drago) has posed:
Nick nods, grabbing up another slice. "Yeah, that's another plus." He admits before taking another bite. God this is good.