7229/Changeling: Catching up on Details

Changeling: Catching up on Details
Date of Scene:	14 April 2019
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Natasha and Bucky come over for burgers and Natasha learns about what's been going on, while everyone marvels at Bucky's new relaxed mood. Plotting and planning for the ousting of Zola continues.
Cast of Characters:	Quake, Hawkeye (Barton), Winter Soldier, Black Widow (Romanoff)
Tinyplot:	Changeling

---

Quake has posed:
It was 'test the barbecue' day - because if you're going to have a welcome summer barbecue, you best make sure it survived the winter. And while the duo of Clint and Skye would have used the thing over Winter, that plan had been hampered by Skye's enforced living at the Triskelion under the guise of 'we haven't swept your house and installed security up to specs yet' which was partly true, but more a case of 'we don't trust you aren't going to shake your neighbourhood down and until we are, you live here now'.

They'd been home for a couple weeks now, and today was the designated day for food, friends, and catching up on things. Otherwise known as how the pair disseminated information that couldn't necessarily go through normal channels.

The first thing the guests will notice when they arrive is that Chez Micreant has been turned into what looks like a mini science and computer lab pulled straight from the Triskelion. The second thing they might notice is the missing couches. The third thing? Clint and Skye seem more bothered by the missing couches than the fact their home has been overrun by science.

"Hey, Hotshot? You did tell them they didn't need to bring anything right? And to show up whenever?"

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Adding to the whole Triskelion exile thing was the crazy father (now a prisoner) and Karl, the Benefactor, Zola or whatever he was calling himself and his cadre of thugs. Though now along with the science upgrade, there's a security one as well, modern stuff, top of the line, likely noticeable by both their prospective guests.

Clint's focus is on the BBQ though, getting the grill ready before wandering back into the house and yanking off his gloves. "Yeah, I let them know, probably going to bring things anyhow, but I told them," the archer says heading to the fridge to grab himself a beer.

Winter Soldier has posed:
Bucky has brought sodas, since he really doesn't drink beer. He's also brought Lili the Shepherd - the pair of them arriving on his black Ural, the service dog riding with complete aplomb in the sidecar. She even has little doggy motorcycle goggles on. Where in God's name did he find those?

With it safely parked, he raps on their door, firmly. Not quite the 'let me in, I have a warrant' knock, but it's close.

Quake has posed:
Skye is, as it happens, rounding the hallway from the kitchen to check on some data when the knock on the door comes. "Clearly someone didn't get the memo the door is open," she grins, opening the door and repeating herself. "Hey Bucky. Door is almost always open. And Lili, too. Sorry, Lili, Lucky isn't coming over today. I'm afraid you've got the boring humans to deal with."

She steps aside to let them in. Really, the door would and should be locked while all this other business is going on, but they /were/ expecting guests and given they'd generally started just walking in after knocking, locking the door would have alerted their neighbours something might be up.

Skye and Clint might just have the nosiest neighbours going, though to be fair that wasn't entirely all their fault.

"Clint is out back with the barbecue. Sorry about the.. ah, you were there. It looks bigger out of the boxes, doesn't it?"

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Seems like it," Clint says to Skye cracking his beer.

When the door is opened and Bucky and Lili are greeted, Clint turns the corner from the kitchen laughing when he sees Lilli in her goggles. "Heh, how'd you get her to agree to wear those?" he asks him. "And yeah, what Skye said, our casa your casa and all that," he says mangling the phrase intentionally.

"Should have bugers ready soon if you and the doggo are hungry, and as always, there's beer in the fridge," a beat. "For you not the dog."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"She's pretty chill about things like that. Gotta be, to be a service dog," says the assassin. Lili's like the furry encapsulation of Rogers's affection for Buck, a permanent reminder. He takes them from her, sets them aside with her vest. Here she can be off-duty - if he has problems, it's not like they aren't here to help.

A nod from him, as he sets down the sodas in the kitchen. God help them all, he's brought Moxie. Maybe he is still working for HYDRA.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
A few moments after the arrival of Bucky, Natasha arrives astride her own bike. She pulls up in the driveway, getting off and eyeing the bike with sidecar, arching an eyebrow at the setup. She heads to the front door.

A quick rap of the knuckles then she is turning the handle and stepping inside, closing it behind her and flipping the lock into place. "I swear, I am going to start coming in here with guns blazing just to teach you all to lock the do--" Her words fade off as she spots all the equipment and lack of couches. "I see you've been redecorating. Not a fan of the Science Digest look personally."

Quake has posed:
Skye closes the door and is about to turn and join the others in the kitchen when Natasha's knock comes. "Someone else who -- " Except Nat had, the other women letting herself in, and locking the door behind her, which has the younger woman smirking. "We leave them open for a reason, so our friends can come in and have a safe haven. And if we start locking them *now*," Skye explains patiently, throwing the lock back into the open position, "Our neighbours will wonder why we suddenly started not having an open door policy here. Which is more questions than we want."

She pauses, "You're kidding about the guns blazing part, right?"

Skye shakes her head and gestures towards the kitchen. "Everyone who is here is already out there. Not sure who else is coming. Might just be a small crowd, but that's okay too." Raising her voice, "Hey, Hotshot? Nat's here."

Before she can join the others, she has that data to check, but it's mostly perfunctory - a program she said she'd babysit for Jemma. "We'll explain about the furniture."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Nodding Clint smiles, "My friend's dog, Lucky, would definitely eat those things," though Lucky was the furthest thing from a service animal.

Clint cycles back out to the kitchen to check on thin when that second knock on the door sounds and he peers into the entry way when he hears Nat's voice, "So I see," he says to Skye giving a smile and a wave to Nat. "Hey, welcome to the madhouse and don't worry, we've already had visitors with guns blazing, or well, tazers," he rubs his chest. "Less than fun," he says.

Actually Nat had been there for the rescue after that. "Nevermind, you were in on the rescue," he says. "Thanks for that."

As for all the gear laying about Clint gives a look to Skye, as if to ask 'you want to explain or should I?'

Though he does chime in with a glib, "Well, we've been stealing office supplies."

Winter Soldier has posed:
There's only an eyebrow raised in greeting to his old student. Buck's petting Lili lazily, and she's eaning into the caresses. "Good luck on that," he says to Natasha, sotto voce. Then he's sauntering out to help Clint with the grill. Mostly by staring hungrily until the burgers are ready.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
When Skye asks if she was kidding about the guns blazing, Natasha gives her a look to let her know it was not a joke. Not even close to a joke. Then when Clint mentions his tazing/kidnapping, she points his direction and pointedly reaches with her other hand to flip the lock closed again.

"Neighbors be damned. You /do/ know what you do for a living now, right? Lock the doors."

She glances at the equipment again as she works her way to the kitchen. "If you are going to steal office supplies, steal the good ones. Not the science lab stuff."

Then she wanders toward the back, giving a nod to Bucky in greeting but then pausing to look at his new partner-in-crime. "You got a dog?" Yes, they have managed to shock and surprise Natasha.

Quake has posed:
"True," Skye has to admit. "But our neighbours would still wonder."
    he program, it seems, is chugging along happily, spitting out data, a couple of items in that which have Skye frowning before wandering out to the kitchen where everyone else is, and helpinge herself to a beer out of the fridge. "Beer, Nat? We have vodka, too." Leftover from one of their house parties - it wasn't really a Skye or a Clint drink.

"And we did not steal the office supplies. Most of them were properly requsitioned and .. fine, they may as well have been stolen for all the official records that exist of them, but May knows. She's the one who set the whole deal up. Sort of a long story that actually begins with Clint's kidnapping."

Okay, it began long before then, but that incident was one of the turning points that made it clear that Hydra was deeper into their business than any of them had guessed.

"You know," she observes as Nat checks out Bucky's service dog, "We could put a box of dog biscuits on the grocery list. Does she have any that she likes better than others?"

Then a thought hits. "Damn, Hotshot, we have to cancel Alice till this is all over - or did we set her up again yet?" Because Alice couldn't see what they'd done to their livingroom (and basement, and spare room..)

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint did drink vodka but mostly when he was Nat which meant he knew enough to keep their lone bottle of the stuff in the freezer. "You know where to find it," he chimes in to Nat.

"And yeah, Alice is handled," he says, leaving the locked door debate alone for now. Though having been kidnapped out of the place he was sure to have opinions. For now though things were as they were.

"Anyhow, the borrowed tech is to help get Zola out SHIELD's systems, it's here, because we're trying to keep it off book."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Service dog. Rogers gave her to me," Buck says, laconically. What does he need a service dog for? Physically, a tleast, he's enormously fit.

....though it has to be noted that there's a certain boneless languor to him. Is he drugged? His pupils are normal. The dog doesn't seem worried about him. She's busy twinkling at Natasha, brown eyes very bright. To Skye, he says, "Snausages. She'd run through barbed wire for Snausages." Even the mention of the treat makes her turn to him expectantly.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
As the dog eyes her, Natasha eyes the dog warily. She has heard of service dogs for PTSD and other conditions so, honestly, it's not a big stretch for Bucky to have one. It just seem so...odd. Her memories of him would never have him sitting around with a dog discussing Snausages. Which seems to get the dogs attention immediately. Natasha eyes Bucky as well, trying to figure out why he was not what she remembered, even from their last meetings on the same side. So very strange.

She does turn and head back inside, straight for the freezer and the bottle of vodka tucked in the back. She finds a shot glass, right where she remembered them being, and gets one for herself. "You want one, Barnes?" She calls out. If he does, she'll bring out a second glass. If not, more vodka for her.

Once back with the group, she frowns a bit. "Zola is in SHIELD's systems?

Quake has posed:
"Snausages?" Skye makes a face, complete with wrinkled nose. "Why does that sound like something Clint would eat?" She does, however, take the time to scribble a note on the whiteboard on the fridge that she nor Clint are likely going to be able to dechiper when it comes time to make the grocery list..

As for Lili, she knew what she was for. As did most of those close to the Winter Soldier. She'd just become part and parcel of the little group, even if Skye still harboured a sneaking suspicion they'd end up with Lucky if the rest of SHIELD had anything to do with it.

Lucky, Kate's dog, had become an overnight sensation with the folks back at the Trisk, and fast friends with Lili.

Hopping up to sit on the island counter, Skye nods at Natasha. "He is. That was the missing part of it all we couldn't figure out. The Benefactoer - Karl - is Arnim Zola. I'd already begun to suspect he'd gotten into our systems, but I couldn't figure out how. I thought it had been when you guys had turned on that Soviet Satellite network and we'd opted to leave it running after Tidepool. I felt like shit because I was the one told Fury it was a way for us to spy on Hydra. Turns out they were returning the favour."

And worse.

"When he kidnapped me things started falling together. I got to see he wasn't human. And then my father - who is at the Trisk, by the way, under protective custody - told us Zola had been around since before I was born, and part of SHIELD. So now we know for sure he's in our systems, and he's been here all along. Maybe even how Hydra got in in the first place."

She goes on to explain about the program to put mental engrams into a computer interface, totally bypassing the need for a body behind keyboard, and more - or at least Zola had taken it further, to the point where he existed solely as a computer program.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Clint smiles around his beer. "Hey! I would not eat dog food," he says. "Well except for that one op in... where was it Tangiers?" he asks Nat. "But I was wounded and I hadn't eaten for a couple of days."

He gives a shrug. "It wasn't horrible."

Anyhow back to the business at hand. "Yeah, he's there," he says chiming in after Skye. "So, goes without saying, no electronic communications about any of this stuff here, or what we're planning because, we're going to kick him in the teeth both in our systems and in the real world, just as soon as we figure out where he's hiding."

Winter Soldier has posed:
"Sure, thanks," Buck has a sort of abstracted air. Inward-turned, and enough so that even the mention of Zola, his own personal nightmare, only has Lili coming over to lean her head against his leg.

How he's changed, indeed, from the trainer of Widows and the sharp point of the spear where HYDRA's concerned. "Ironic," he adds, voice still soft. "He was so obsessed with making immortality an inorganic process." Witness the little cyborg project on hand.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Natasha listens quietly, only interjecting a question here or there as Skye explains the plan. She has poured herself a shot of vodka and drank it quickly as she listened. As the explanation winds up, she pours another shot for herself as she considers.

"No electronic communication and keeping it off the grounds so there is no access to the cameras," she says approvingly.

Then she pauses, looking at Bucky as her eyes are less relaxed and more focused now. "Are you okay?" she asks him. Because seriously, this is just too weird and it's making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. One would think seeing an old friend not angsting for once would be good but instead it makes her uneasy.

Quake has posed:
"Exactly," Skye nods. "In fact, if Clint hadn't been kidnapped, and I hadn't been quarantined to the Triskelion, this whole plan would be paper and pencil." Which they'd originally begun thinking along the lines of until Skye had realized they'd the perfect place and perfect cover for it all - their place. Their newly swept, newly clean, off the grid place. With a known workaholic hacker living under the roof, and a gamer boy who finally had the luxury of a place (and a partner who found it all amusing) to indulge in the 'foozball' and 'pinball' and 'surround sound stereo/64" flat screen tv' extravaganza that May had arranged to be 'bought' and moved here, along with the removal of their tattered old couches and 'new furniture'.

It did mean Skye and Clint were sans their beloved extra couches, and their home looked like a science lab, but Zola couldn't see a damned thing, and that was the point.

When Nat points it out, it becomes clear to the younger woman what the little growing niggle she had was, though. "Actually, you are being weird." Her lips purse into a tight line. "Did you take something? Seriously, Bucky, what was it? Damn it all." Ready to make a call in to someone.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Oh yes, Clint did wish some of those boxes had contained what they promised. Oh and yeah, he missed his garish purple couch, the one he 'borrowed' from the Avengers mansion awhile back.

"That's about the long and short of it," Clint nods to Nat. "With luck, he won't see us coming. We do have one hurdle to jump though on the whole finding Zola front. We don't know where his base is, but we do have a lead. Agent Ward tipped us to a snatch and grab mission being run by Zola's people out of a jet they've got parked in Cuba. We figure if we can grab the nav info off the jet, we can use that to find his new base and then go pay him a visit. And if that doesn't work, we make sure we leave a tracker or three so we can follow the jet if the info grab turns into a bust."

As for Bucky's remarks about Zola, Clint nods, "Hear he's turning himself into a computer program or something.." he shakes his head.

Clint leaves Bucky's sudden relaxed attitude for Nat and Skye to probe.

Winter Soldier has posed:
"You could always use me for bait," Buck suggests, almost lazily. "He can never resist a grab at me when I'm in range." A half-lidded, sidelong glance, first at Nat, then at Skye. "I sparred with someone yesterday who put me down pretty hard. But he's got healing abilities. He used 'em on me, and I think he messed with my pain sensors. I haven't felt this good since 1943, to be honest." He rolls the metal shoulder, stretches. "It's okay. It's just....distracting. Like, imagine if you have to conduct your life with a fifty pound pack strapped to your back, no matter what. And then one day it's gone."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Okay..." Natasha stares at Bucky a moment longer, not sure she likes this new version. Certainly better than the homicidal kill-everyone version. She can't begrudge him some happiness though. God knows, he deserved it. "Enjoy it then. Sounds absolutely amazing."

She glances from him to their hosts and shakes her head. "While I agree Zola would come out for Bucky given the chance, I don't think we should resort to that unless absolutely necessary. Too many chances for it to go sideways and us lose you again," she says, glancing at Bucky.

Quake has posed:
Skye isn't sure what to make of Bucky's announcement. "Really?" She hasn't yet tweaked *who* it was, though given Clint's own miraculous healing, she likely should. Mostly she's back on frowning, "Okay.." It wasn't that she begrudged him anything, it was just so at odds with the man she knew.

Still, maybe the new Bucky would settle into something more like the old Bucky, only with less homicidal tendancies.

"No using you for bait unless we have to. Besides, we have the Dynamo too. Geeze, what is it with you former Russian intel types? She volunteered to go in alone, too. Not sure that's the answer. Besides, all of this is pretty moot until we get that information from the plane in Cuba. Which we can't do until we're at least more prepared to take him on as it's going to be a big red flag we're looking for him."

Timing, she had learned, was nearly everything. And if the information was even close to what they thought it would be, Zola was smart enough to know where they'd be heading next and pull up stakes and run. Or worse.
R
"We might have to be ready to do the missions nearly back to back. So it's a lot of sit around and wait until we get some concrete data from the programs we're running. Once Jemma gets me a look at what I need to attack codewise.. actually, Nat, you still play around with computers?" Because she could use another pair of eyes. So far she'd not heard back from Oracle, and until she did, they had to forge forward under the assumption they wouldn't.

She also had another idea, one she needed to float past Assistant Director May - one she was almost certain May was not going to like, even though she was also fairly certain the Senior Agent would ultimately agree it was the best plan.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Wait, it wasn't the dude fighting May the other night, was it?" Clint asks, he'd been called away before those evaluations were finished and hadn't caught May to ask how they went either. "If so, I feel so cheated, I got healed and I spent the next few weeks learning how to move a body without a decade of SHIELD related injuries in it."

Still for all he complains he doesn't sound that upset, really, like he could begrudge Bucky some peace.

"Agreed, no bait, but if you want to come and express some frustration to Zola personally, there will be room for you on the op."

As for running the missions back to back, Clint nods, "Could do the Cuba mission while the strike team is in the air on the Bus, link up the quinjet mid-flight and go on to the target. Write it all off as a training mission on the official records."

Clint turns to Skye, "Speaking of we need to do your fllght evals, so might as well kill two birds."

Winter Soldier has posed:
He's scratching Lili under the chin, oh so carefully. The Shepherd is eating it up, her ears flopped back, her tongue lolling delightedly. "Yeah. Express my frustration," he says. There's a flicker of that impish humor in his face. "I'd like that. And well, Russian ops are taught to hold their lives real cheap," he adds. Imagine how he learned that lesson.....imagine how he taught it. There's at least one infant Widow dust in a cold grave due to his teaching methods, as Natasha may recall. Not so much happy as.....relaxed. A hint of the boy he used to be, laid-back and good-natured.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I still play around with them," Natasha responds to Skye's question. She hears the words from Bucky and does give a nod. They had all been taught the mission was the most important thing. She is about to continue when there is a song playing in her pocket.

She frowns and pulls it out, reading the information on the screen then typing something back rapidly with her thumbs before tucking the phone back in her pocket. She finishes off the shot before her and takes the bottle back to the freezer, tucking it into place. "I'm going to have to cut this short. Duty calls. Keep me in the loop and let me know if you need me." And with that, she's heading for the front door.

Which she will be sure to lock behind her.

Quake has posed:
That was sort of the way of things when folks dropped in at their place. They came; duty called; they excused themselves. It was another reason for the open door policy, and just another part of all their lives.

"Oh, we definitely need you," Skye murmurs. "I think we're going to need a bunch of folks to pull this one off." And the second pair of eyes wouldn't hurt, to boot.

"Hey, Hotshot, I swear you said there were burgers. Now Nat's gone without one. You best not be serving us bri - hey, wait. What guy was May sparring with?"

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
"Agreed," Clint says chiming in after Skye. "We'll need your help, Steve's too probably."

Then as to the matter of the burgers Clint says, "Yeah, I'm on it," he says heading to the fridge to get the ones he prepared out.

"And Castiel, the angel guy," Clint says on his way out to the grill.