Owner	Pose
Clint Barton	Clint had been thinking about tonight all day. One year, one year since Nat gave them the little push they needed to actually start dating. It was sort of mindblowing, both in that it had been so long, and at the same time it felt like it had been forever... but in a good way! With Skye still on lockdown a night in was definitely in order. Clint had ducked out early to hit up Gino's for that frou-frou beer, and he'd stopped in one of those Eastern European groceries for the things to make perogis which he stashed in the fridge for later. For now though, the TV was on, beers were in hand and a movie was playing just as background noise for a little pre-dinner relaxation.
Skye Johnson	Skye, for her part, had made a nod to their first date - it was really kind of a joke, but one that had grown into something much more special. Of course, it involved sending Clint to the store to get cup'o'ramen, which she *insisted* that they were going to eat, because /REASONS/. All the while intimating that they'd order in pizza and frou-frou beer (which she'd actually already ordered ahd had arriving later in the evening, because reasons), plus she had this idea that after enough beer maybe they'd pull out the Song Stars game and really be silly. Also how they rolled. Of course Skye had other ideas than cup'o'ramen, and while Clint was out (not knowing about the perogies fixings!!) she made fresh pulled noodles, and worked on making *real* ramen. For all the reasons. According to their kitchen, their fridge, and their pizza delivery guy, the pair were either planning on hibernating, or having a party. Little did they know...
Darcy Lewis	Darcy had plans. She grabbed graph paper from the supply closet and was plotting all of the things. Some of the things were fucntions. Some where just games of battleship. Others were a text to various points of contact in the form of what looked like a mission protocol: URGENT. Meet at A6 Res Section, Triskelion, 8PM. Bring Frou Frou (https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/32893/240004/) and 1 sharable food item. Dresscode: lowkey civie. Weapons: Please no. Will Darcy be showing up at 8PM? Hell maybe? She wanted to be near by just to see who showed up on time and how the two reacted to it all. For Reasons.
James Barnes	So, this century....still kind of alien, when it comes to social stuff. Buck does show up in civilian garb - one of those henley shirts he favors, as well as faded comfy jeans. Food is apparently pretzels, chips, and some dips from Trader Joe's. He comes down the hall, shopping bag in hand, hair tied back....and the moment he sees Darcy, he looks to her hopefully, like a dog waiting on its master's cue.
Clint Barton	Clint has to laugh when he comes home to find Skye pulling noodles for legit ramen. She gets a kiss for it, and the cups of ramen are gladly tossed aside. "Heh," he says as he stuff his perogi fixings in the fridge. "So, guesssing two day anniversary dinner?" he asks of all the food. Not knowing who or what might be waiting outside their room. He cracks a beer and offers one to Skye. "Happy anniversary, though. Can't believe we made it work."
Skye Johnson	Skye laughs, and stops Clint before he can completely toss the cups. "Duuuude, we need those cups. Just what do you think we're eating out of? I am not doing dishes on our anniversary night. Just dump the noodles and soup packets." It miiiiiiight just be Skye's turn to do dishes tonight. Even if technically she's making dinner, and by May's rules, Clint would be washing up. The frou-frou beer is accepted and his can is clinked with hers. "So, is this the year we admit we drink this shit because we like it? And I was thinking maybe we forgo the spilling the beer on the carpet this time?"
Darcy Lewis	Darcy smiles at Bucky as he arrives and she pushes off the wall to make her way to him. "Hiya, handsome. Glad you got my message. Got the things?" she asks him as she moves to his side, hand reaching for a bag of his to take from his so as to free an arm for her to wrap own of her own around. She had a bag of her own; ap aper sack from Chinatown. Because SEX IN YOUR MOUTH is her offering. A backpack thta looks heavy rests on her back. She's in a knee legth pleated skirt with torn fishnets tucked into scuffed army surplus black jungle combat boots. A faded Def Lepard tee that has been surgeried into a corset-like tank is under a beaten up flannel. Her hair is loose and messy enough to look like she just walked in from outside long enough ago to fling the heavy jacket off into her own apartment here. Of course, provided she can get that arm free and clung to, Darcy will pull it enough to get herself to tipptoes to press a peck to his cheek. Greeting done, she heads to the door and kicks it twice with the toe of her boot while calling out: "ROOM SERVICE! DID YOU CALL FOR A MAMOSA? NO? CRAP! Umm.. RED ROVER RED ROVER CAN DARCY COME OVER? Wait.. Fuck.. Umm.. MY HANDS ARE FULL HERE! CAN YOU OPEN THE DOOR? ....MAYBE WITH SOME PANTS ON? TOP'S OPTIONAL."
James Barnes	Buck, for his part, looks bemused. Still some adaptation decay, in terms of dealing with social occasions as they're done now. "I coulda just knocked," he offers, mildly. "But then, I guess Barton's hearing isn't any too good, so...."
Darcy Lewis	"Well, sure. But this way is more fun... And gives them SOME warning, ya know? No need to catch them both with pants down," Darcy quips before her expression turns mischevious and she leans forward to try to put an ear to the door. "Unless they're having a moment... And then I'd hope they've got pants down...."
Melinda May	May appears from behind Barnes and Lewis, steps right past them and opens the door to step inside, whether Skye and Clint are ready or not or even if the door was locked or not. (Does she have a key? Seemed like it, or maybe she just picks locks that fast.) She's carrying a canvas shopping bag in one hand and if Darcy's not quick she's going to let the door close in the younger woman's face hands full or not. She crosses over toward the kitchen with her shopping bag, though she has no intention of intruding on the cooking already going on there. No, instead, she has other plans and has packed the shopping bag accordingly.
Clint Barton	Clint laughs, "You're so trying to get out of doing dishes aren't you?" he says as he recovers the ramen cups. "And yeah, guess we might as well?" he says of admitting they liked the beer. "And what? No spilling? That was an important part of the ritual-" And Clint actually spills beer on himself when Darcy bangs on the door. "Not part of my plan!" Clint says as he sets down the can and dabs at his shirt with a towel. Which is when May walks in. "Hey," he greets with a semi-stunned look on his face, before looking to Skye. "Were we expecting guests?"
Skye Johnson	"Look, if we spill the beer, you get to call maintenance, because while I can and will wash dishes, I don't do whatever it is that they use to clean carpets.." She considers him carefully. "It was kind of fun, wasn't it? I mean, as far as things go." She's about to say more when the commotion outside the door not only grows, but turns into commotion inside their apartment, and beer upon Clint's chest. "Oooo, nice try Hotshot, but I think May's rules also extend to no hanky and no panky while she's in the vicinity.." Upon which their guest is marching into the kitchen. "Hey May. Put your stuff.. uh.." Looking around, there isn't a lot of room to put much of anything. Skye isn't the world's neatest chef. "Uh.. guess someone is doing dishes after all." As Clint only bought TWO cups'o'ramen and her whole no dishes plan hinged on only two eating. "Think I have enough broth for.. oh god. It's a party, isn't it? Who? How?" She looks to Clint like he's somehow arranged all this. Only he's as surprised as she is. And then there's Darcy and everything falls into place, because she's got her finger on every social and gossipy pie in the Trisk. Of course it was Darcy. "Hey Glittertits. Your fault, huh? Love you too."
James Barnes	Buck just offers the tiniest of shrugs. Not his circus, not his monkeys. But he seems content to trail in after the women, giving Barton an apologetic look. Surely people bringing food is always welcome, even if this isn't the Great Depression.
Darcy Lewis	May happens, and Darcy blinks, only to squawk and try to rush forward into the door before it closes on her. She may or may not be successful in not getting a bruise for her efforts, but however she manages it, Darcy makes her way in with Bucky, laughing as she goes. "Noe Schitt-Sherlock. You didn't think I'd let you two get away with NOT celebrating ya'll's first anniversary, did you?" Darcy replies, slipping her arm from Bucky's and setting her bags on a counter before looking into the sink and whistling long and low. "Fuck me dry, Shitcode. I thought I was a messy cook," she muses before glancing at May. "I'm on dishes?" she asks, head tilting slightly. Because the guests of honor should not work their own party!
Melinda May	One glance at the counters and May nods to Darcy. She's offered to deal with the dishes, more power to her. May sets her bag down on the small dining table and takes a moment to clear off whatever's already on it. "I'm honestly surprised the two of you didn't think this was going to happen. Darcy, while you're in there please turn the oven on to bake at four twenty-five." She nods a hello to Barnes even though she'd walked right past him on the way in, then starts unloading her bag. Multiple lidded plastic containers made of opaque plastic, so there's no way to really tell what's inside them.
Clint Barton	"Sounds fair to me," Clint grins about calling maintenance. "And it was sort of fun," he agrees laughing. Then they're beset by guests. "Yeah, if you can find a spot put things down," he says to May, even as he shoots a look to Skye that says 'wasn't me!'. Then here comes Darcy and Bucky, and of those two it's not hard to figure out who was responsible. "Heya Darce, nice party," he greets, then giving a small smile and a nod to Bucky. "Got roped in too, set the chips and stuff down anywhere, want a beer?" he asks shifting into host mode and heading for the fridge. He'd go grab a non-beer soaked shirt when the guests are settled.
Skye Johnson	"I am not that bad," Skye protests, even as the entire kitchen can be seen to have stuff covering almost all the surfaces. Hey, she'd learned to cook some basic foods, and while kitchen sanitation was also part of the courses, her instructors had thrown up their hands and beenn grateful the young woman had managed to cook edible dishes and left it at that. After all, they didn't have to live with her. "And there's the dining room table - oh, Uh.. put the laptop on the.. uh.. well, somewhere. Don't close the.. oh god, I guess that's what auto save is for. And of course we didn't.. what am I saying?" Skye laughs as her friends make it clear they're not getting away with a 'quiet' observance of the date. "Fine. We should have expected this, or run away while we had the opportunity." Despite the fact she's on defacto house arrest as things go - not just protective custody, because that would imply she could be trusted not to scamper out at the slightest provocation, and she's proven that theory to be absolutely wrong already at least once. The last time netting her a kidnapping for her efforts. "Make yourselves at home. Someone toss some tunes on the stereo. Guess it's a good thing we overplanned on the food front. Might actually be able to feed you all."
James Barnes	Buck's apparently in mute mode. Barton's question just gets a little upnod, and he sets down the snacks he's brought on the counter. Once he's got a beer, he's apparently content to lurk in the background. May gets a nod, too.
Darcy Lewis	"Run if you want. I'll just track you down again," Darcy quips as she makes her way into the kitchen. Having lived adn worked with enough 'too brainy to deal with chores', she kicks on the oven after checking if it's got anything in it (because a certain physicist may or may not have had the habit of putting the ceral in the oven instead of the cupboard and the milk in the diswasher because she was nose deep in data). "I've got my playlist ready to go. What's the name of your stereo again?" she asks as she pokes at her device with one hand. the other works on starting to empty the drying rack of what few clean dishes Skye does have.
Melinda May	May knows better than to just shut Skye's laptop closed. She hit 'Ctrl-S' on whatever was on the screen THEN closed it. The computer and everything else from the table set set on the desk in the office space before she returns to start opening containers. It's a bunch of chopped veggies at first, then containers of cubed/chopped chicken, bacon, and the like, and then a large container of shredded cheese... and another large container with lumps of raw dough? "What are you cooking, Skye? Ramen?" Luckily, her offering to the party can be easily stored in the fridge and used later.
Clint Barton	"The stereo?" Clint asks as he grabs a beer for Bucky. "Tuney McTuneyface." A beat. "Shut up." Then with Bucky beered, Clint slips off into their room to get a new shirt. An old battered one with a bullseye in the center of his chest. He comes back out. "Ramen, yeah, and we've got the fixings for perogis in the fridge, not the most organized dinner ever, right?"
Skye Johnson	"Don't listen to the tune deaf one. It is soooo not that. Oh my god, we are so not *ever* letting you name things. Ever." She tells Clint with a fond exastperation. "It's ReadyPlayerOne. Shut up." May gets a grin and a shrug. "I was trying. The noodles are a bit wonky, but they're still getting better every time. Not sure we've enough fixings for more than a small bowl each? Uh.. Not sure. Broth is the biggie." Though rightfully, there's probably enough broth if they fish about for ramen packets (shut up. they're a weakness and she's been stressed) and such. Laughing as Clint reveals what *his* groceries in the fridge are. "You didn't. Oh god. We're terrible, aren't we?" He gets a kiss. "Go show Bucky the gaming system. Bet Pro-Bass Fish'Em is about his pace."
James Barnes	Except that apparently Bucky's having one of those PTSD-flavored evenings. The former assassin's mumbling his excuses and eeling for the door. Something he has to do that he forgot. Something like 'get a firmer grip on which century he's in', maybe. It hits him that way, now and again. He's even left the beer on the counter.
Darcy Lewis	Having started dishes, Darcy's elbow deep in dirties as Bucky makes his excses and flees. A worried frown graces her face for a long moment as she turns back to the sink, brows pulled together. She shakes it away, putting those thoughts to the side for the moment, while making a mental note to track the assassin down and see how she can help shake him clear of the funk. Troblesome thoughts tabled, Darcy puts on a smile again and happily plays Sous-Chef slash Busboy for May as dinner is made.
Melinda May	May gives Barnes a long look as he makes his excuses, and nods as he flees. She has the opposite thought as Darcy, deciding to leave him be and let him approach her if he feels the need. In the meantime... "So, ramen, perogies, and build-your-own pizzas. The ultimate short attention span dinner." She has Darcy pass her the foil, and gets the first circle of dough ready. She's fully expecting Clint to be standing by the table and waiting already.
Clint Barton	"Really, deaf jokes?" Clint calls as he makes his way out of the kitchen. Not that's what Skye said, but he takes the shot anyhow. He's not gone long, and when he's back, he returns that kiss from Skye with a chuckle. "Yeah, I did," he says of the perogis. Bucky's departure is noted, but he takes May's tact there. From what he'd heard about Bucky's past, he had a lot of demons to work through and Clint was definitely not the guy to help him work through them. He wished the guy the best though. He needed some peace. There's an easy nod for May's assertion. "Would you expect anything less from us?" he asks, moving over to the table to help with the saucing of the first pizza. "So, whatchu folks want on yer pie?" Clint asks in his best Gino impression.
Skye Johnson	Skye laughs as Clint takes the (unintended) shot and returns it. "Nice volley." Then she laughs even more as may announces what she's brought. "Oh you're going to laugh, because somewhere around midnight, Gino's is delivering." Clint gets a grin. "I know it wasn't on our first date, but it's still kinda us. I thought you'd appreciate it." Not knowing he's arranged for pizza as well. Gino must be laughing it up, knowing the pair. Bucky's departure is met with a small frown, and a peer at Darcy, "He okay?" They'd arrived together and all. And well, she had just given the man an assignment. Skye was hoping she'd not sent him into a tailspin, or that she'd have to intervene and switch up the upcoming mission. However, nobody, including May, jumps up and makes an issue of things, so Skye goes with it's situation normal and the man just needs a bit of breathign space outside the happy boistrous family that they'd become. Hell, it had taken her the better part of a year to get used to the idea herself.
Melinda May	May is okay with Clint taking pizza assembly duty, and she moves to set up the snacks and drinks that Bucky brought as well. "I'll take spinach, mushrooms, chicken, and peppers," she tells the archer and then sets out Darcy's offerings as well. The moment she pulls the container out of the brown paper bag, the aroma of potstickers joins the smells already in the room. It's amazing that half of the Triskelion's residential wing hasn't already shown up asking for a taste.
Clint Barton	Clint laughs, "Thanks, good serve," he says before laughing even more. "Really? Gino's at midnight? I thought we had ramen packets for that hour," he jokes before he says. "Totally us," he agrees. "He should be alright. I mean, the guy's got to have a lot on his mind," Clint reasons about Bucky. "We've still got a couple of days before the op, give him some space and I'm sure he'll be fine." Or that was the hope. Though he makes a mental note to talk to Steve, if anyone could help Bucky, it was him. Then it's on to making pizza. "Sure thing, heathen pizza for May," pfft, spinach. "How about you Keyboard?" The potstickers though... Clint takes a break from pizza making to snag one, popping into his mouth and trying to cool it by sucking in breath. "How does she get those things this hot all the way out here," he says. The long draw bridge sort of made taking a delivery a bitch. Fortunately the guys from Ginos already knew all the guards by now.
Skye Johnson	"pfffft," Skye mutters at Clint. "The ramen is for the bedside table." Of course they'd had to raid those to make enough broth for everyone. So there was that little surprise ruined. Though she'd sent Clint to fetch them, so he still got the joke, though the others might wonder why the bedroom was where they kept the extra ramen. "Classic for me. Double cheese. Double pepperoni. Duh." Of course, there are the potstickers. Glorious food of the gods. "Oh. My. God. Glittertits, you didnt'. You really do love us."
Melinda May	May snags a potsticker for herself and then sets the rest aside for Darcy, knowing her bitching would be EPIC if she finished the dishes and found they'd snarfed all the potstickers without her. "If wanting to eat something green for a change makes me a heathen, then I'm proud to be a heathen," she quips at Clint as she takes her pizza and manages to slide it into the oven without getting in either Darcy or Skye's way. Skills, yo. "If Barnes doesn't settle a bit before the op, I might pull him from the roster." She says this seemingly idly. And while it might sound callous, she's only thinking of that to spare him any more trauma than what's already dealt with so far in his life. Hell, since he broke free of Hydra the first time.
Clint Barton	"Of course it is," Clint says of the ramen. Yes, best not to ask about the whys of where they keep that. Clint manages to swallow down the potsticker. "Should have thought of these myself," he says. "I mean not in the 'theme' of the night, but totally willing to make an exception." Clint shakes his head. "Then you're a proud heathen," he says, before adding with a smirk. "Ma'am." Though Skye's order gets a grin, "See that's a pizza," he says pointing and getting two of those ready because, hey, you can't beat a classic. "Bucky will be okay. I mean, the guy is used to being yanked from a freezer and thrown at an enemy, this should be a cake walk. Though was thinking of sending Steve his way, if anyone is going to get him straight it's his bestie from the past."
Skye Johnson	"Of course that's a pizza, but she's your boss, so spinach it up, Hotshot." She laughs at him, and finishes dishing up the bowls of ramen. Because duh, she didn't go to all this trouble only to have it get cold. Besides, there's pizza cooking time. She nods at Clint's observation of the man. "He seemed a little on edge about the mission, too. Funny, you'd think I'd be the one having the nervous breakdown right now."
Melinda May	May accepts her bowl of ramen and moves to perch on the arm of the sofa with it where she can still chat with everyone and be out of the way. One advantage to the small open floor plan of the quarters here -- you're basically still in the same room. "Considering how long he spent having no say in his own existence for so long, I personally would be more concerned if he were completely blase about this mission. I'm counting on this helping his confidence in his ability to make battle-time decisions for himself." And not fall back into the Soldat in the process.
Skye Johnson	Skye grabs up her cup'o'real ramen and saunters out into the living area and sits on the opposite couch arm. "He wanted to pick a team. Asked if Nat could go with. I totally was hoping he'd lean that way." She gives May a small frown. "I've never given the orders on a mission this way before. I hope that was alright? I mean, trying to set things up so he'd have the opportunity to shine that way?"
Clint Barton	Clint sticks the last of the pizzas in the oven and then grabs a bowl of ramen and heads to the living room. Grabbing a spot on the couch. "Yeah, what he went through had to be rough, I've been through some of it, being a weapon someone else points and tells you to shoot," he grimaces. "Making choices are essential to keeping sane." He slurps some noodles. "And yeah, Nat's another good one to help keep him stable. They've got some shared experiences." As for Skye's question, he nods. "Probably what I would have done."
Melinda May	May nods her agreement with Clint -- don't get used to it. "Exactly what I would have done. Romanova will give him as much autonomy as he feels he can handle, and she won't coddle him." He seems the sort to not take kindly to being coddled. "The noodles are good, Skye. Getting them right takes practice more than anything else. But I can tell you took shortcuts on the broth."
Skye Johnson	Skye scrunches her nose up. "I had to use ramen packets to stretch it. I didn't buy enough fixings to make as much as we needed." Fine. technically it was Jaun from fifth floor who'd bought the ingredients, protesting all the while that he wasn't Asian, so how was he going to get it all right, and she'd pointed out that she's fixed a few things for him that she didn't need to back in her 'tech support' days (when she could still get away with that) and he would too go buy the things, he was the closest thing she had to an Asian. Though, in retrospect, she could have asked Darcy (who was most definitely NOT Asian), or May (who was), but that would have skirted the possibility of announcing why she needed the stuff she did and things would have ended up exactly as they had: with an inpromptu house party. Which had her smirking inside. "She was with him on the initial op. The one where they turned things on. Was hoping this mission might suit him." Given that she knew he was still feeling somewhat outsider here, and, if truth be told, when Fury had dropped it in her lap, she wasn't sure how to aproach givin Nat orders. So, it had been 50% copout, and 50% inspiration. "He doesn't need coddling," she observes. "He needs to know he belongs. And that he can be trusted with this sort of thing. She'll tackle the comp side, and he'll manage the rest. I'm still not sure whether or not we want the thing shut down or not. I have arguments for both sides of that coin."
Clint Barton	Clint slurps some more noodles. "Ah that's it huh? Thought I tasted yellow in there somewhere," he says laughing, yellow being his word for the chicken flavour, with brow being beef. "Still good though. Cheating or not." Clint listens as Skye talks about making Bucky feel like he belongs. "Glad he was invited then," he says of their little party. "We'll have to invite him around to more things in the future. Let him get used to all of this," he waves at the room meaning, the Triskelion, SHIELD and the bonds they all shared. "Because yeah, it takes some getting used to." As for the network. "What's the arguments for each?" he asks.
Melinda May	May nods again. "Then you're on the right track with him." She eats a bit more of the ramen thoughtfully. "What are the pros and cons to shutting the thing down? Perhaps a cost to benefit analysis will help you decide which route to take." She moves to sit cross-legged on the floor where she can see them both easily. "Explain both options to me in simple terms."
Skye Johnson	Skye nabs some noodles with her chopsticks - another thing she'd mastered while in China (fine, she'd learned to use them passably well, but she was getting better!), and mumbles around them. "Well, if the mission goes without a hiccup, we could hope they don't notice we've been in there and nabbed up a copy of everything. It's a long shot, but we're really kind of playing a bit of cat and mouse here. I think Karl knows we're spying on him. And I think he's totally doing what we're doing with our system - allowing us to see what he wants us to see. Leaving it up and running means we can still use it against him in some fashions." "We'd still get a picture of what he wants us to see, and we could possibly up our game and manipulate him with it. Not sure how much, though, but if I have to go head to head with him again, it's better than on our system. So most of the pros are we keep tabs, even if we all know it's a front. And I have a possible back door to go visiting him." "More likely, he'll know we've been there. He might shut it down himself. Or he might push the ante. So he'd use it to taunt us. Wouldn't be whatever agenda he wants us to think he's up to. He'd likely start into whatever the next phase of things he plans is. And he'd use it to show us what he can do. I'm sure he has access to the regular net, and I know he's using that access, but this has been our window into what we thought he didn't know we were seeing." She ponders. "If we shut it down, we lose that window. And we lose easy access to a conversation with him. It's not like we lose all the conversations with him, but he likes to be in control. If we take that out of the equation, he's less likely to overshare with us. And we'd have to actually find out where the points of access are. I'm betting he'd reach out if we were silent long enough, but that puts the ball into his court. His ego would like it, but we're blind until then. And regular net access is a lot more open to being spotted if we find his weak points. Even the dark net we're looking at there isn't a way to sneak up on him, and shutting it down announces that we know damned well what he's doing. I'm not sure we're ready to play that card. But if we don't shut it down, at this point we don't know what else it is he's doing with it. Or what he'll do if we leave it up and he figures out we're spying. Remember, we're still only seeing what he wants us to see." She sighs. "And all of that assumes we get in and out unseen and aren't forced into a decision."
Clint Barton	Clint twists, leaning against the other couch arm and pulls a leg up with him. He ponders Skye's conundrum around some more noodles. "Well here's my take, hope it makes sense," he begins. "If we shut it down, like you said, we're showing our hand, letting him know, hey, we know what you're up to and throwing down the glove. Problem is we don't know what else he's got set up. So, sure we close up one hole, but it leaves us with another one and a guy who's likely going to try and take a shot at us for revenge. Like you said, he's got an ego." Clint pauses to put his chopsticks back in his bowl. "If we sneak in and download his system, we've got a better shot at figuring out what he's doing, even if he knows we've been and changes, we'll have a look at what he has been doing, and how he's been doing it, which gives us more punches to throw in the rounds to come. So, my thought is we go in and get the data with the assumption, he's going to know, if he doesn't it's a bonus, if he does, well, we get a look at his operation anyhow and go from there. Bonus points if we can sneak in some bombs, something we can blow by satellite, or a homing device for a few dozen missles, something like that. Gives us an option to blow the place to hell later if we really want to shut Karl down."
Melinda May	May listens thoughtfully as Skye spells out the pros and cons of the mission. "This might not be something that can be decided ahead of time," she replies finally. "You might have to wait until someone's in there with their hands on the system to make the choice on whether or not to pull the plug." She finishes her ramen and sets the bowl aside. "If this were my mission, I'd plan for both options and then make the final decision when the time comes." She stands smoothly and carries her bowl to the kitchen to wash and to check on the pizzas.
Skye Johnson	Skye listens to Clint's advice, and then May's, and nods. "You know what, I trust them. Nat especially. I can't micromanage the outcome. We're announcing ourselves anyway, I think. Prioritize getting that information. Checking out the base. Getting out. Anything else is gravy. Besides, I suspect if we're on the timeline I think we are, he's about to play his hand. I got out. He can't be happy about that. We thwarted the dispersal mechanism. Speaking of, he can recreate those crystals anytime he wants. You know that, right?"
Clint Barton	Clint gives Skye a proud smile, "A radical choice, but I've heard it can be effective," he says lightly. "I mean look at you and Fury." There is a light chuckle at that and more ramen. The thing about the crystals, has him frowning. "Yeah, I know, we need to find where he's making more and shut that down too. Man our to-do list is getting long. Actually, we still should keep finding Cal a place above that, he helped make the ones we found in China, if anyone could tell us how to stop Karl from making more it's him."
Melinda May	The crystals can be recreated any time. Knowing that is never going to make May happy. "I figured as much," she calls over from the kitchen. "It's a risk we'll have to take. Oh, and Skye, I've notified your allies about Johnson. They're keeping ears to the ground for his whereabouts now. If they find anything out, they'll let either you or me know." Yes, she's fully aware that Skye is likely in contact with them, even while she's restricted to the Triskelion. The oven beeps once, and she pulls her pizza out, leaving the others to continue cooking. "Do either of you want a slice of heathen green pizza?" Maybe one of these days she'll truly horrify them and make one with a pesto base instead of red sauce.
Skye Johnson	Skye gives a smile, wry grin at May's words. "About that. We need to talk." But it pleases her that they'd come through for her. It only drove home to the young woman that she'd risen above her past and found a place. It made all of Karl's machinations worthless. He could try, but he wasn't ever going to break her. Clint, however, has a brilliant sort of idea, if a worrying one. "Actually, Hotshot, you have a point there. All he was missing was a simple ingredient or something, he'd said. If we can get him to help us, maybe he can help us shut the creation of them down?" Yes, she was banking on her relationship with him. If only because he'd have what he'd wanted already: Her, changed. May's offer of pizza with spinach is frowned at with trepidation. "A small piece? Like a begginner slice for those of us who don't eat vegetables?" Okay, she ate some vegetables, but spinach wasn't one of them. And prior to recently, the closest she got to vegetables was vegetable ramen packs, and even then only by accident.
Clint Barton	Clint makes a show of putting his fingers in his ears mouthing "La, la, la" as they talk about Skye's friends, but really, he's listening. There is a smile for Skye, "Happens from time to time," he says of having a brilliant idea. Then he gives Skye a nod, "Yeah, it might work," he says. "From what little we've heard about his recent activities he's been coming after anyone in Hydra he could find since Karl took you, sounds like he wouldn't mind ruining the guy's science project if we give him a shot." Of course that would involve teaming up with a mad man against another, arguably madder one. Though the other part, what Cal had wanted, comes to mind too. He wanted Skye. "Maybe if we can find him, we can go the diplomatic route. Just, you know, with a ton of back up waiting to go the other way if it goes bad." As for pizza. "Yeah, sure, I'll be a heathen," he says. Clint despite his protestation did eat vegitables and other than pizza and ramen nights with Skye, ate pretty well. Hey, you don't get to be a normal guy and roll with the Avengers on a diet of pizza and beer, his metabolism was good, but not that good!
Melinda May	May nods and serves up the slices on a single plate, figuring they'll not be leaving them there all that long anyway. She takes the plate out to the couple, revealing that the spinach crisped in the oven instead of going wilty and gross, and somewhere just before or after cooking she added rosemary as well. "While it's very likely that Johnson has intel that we could use to counteract those crystals, I really don't like the idea of you possibly putting yourself back in his reach, Skye." Just those brief minutes she spent in his presence disguised as the hacker were enough for her to STRONGLY feel that the man is deranged to the point being incestuously creepy. And there is almost nothing anymore than that make her THAT uncomfortable.
Skye Johnson	Skye takes her slice from the plate and sniffs. It actually doesn't smell bad, and that rosemary thing is intriguing. She's also been eatinbg better since she and Clint became a couple. Ramen in a cup is now a comfort choice, and frankly, one she's done without until this latest mishap of her change. And even that she seems to be taking oddly in stride at the moment. "He's.. not really that bad," Skye says apologetically. "I mean, he's crazy. He's batshit crazy, but it's weird. He really loves me. Like alot. Like, I don't know. I mean, I made him promise not to hurt any of you, and I believe him?"
Clint Barton	Clint snags one of the slices and takes a small bite chewing thoughtfully before declaring, "Not bad, I think I could live as a heathen," the follows this declaration of faith with another, larger, bite. As for Cal, Clint weighs that whole issue as he chews and swallows that bite. "I say we give him his chance to talk to Skye. I mean if he keeps to the rules then we know that maybe we can work with him. If not, then we need overwhelming force nearby to take him in." He looks at the two of them. "We're agreed though now, right? We're not out to cross him off, but we're bringing him in, for the intel if nothing else?" Of course there was the matter of the five SHIELD agents he's killed on his hunt for Skye. There would need to be some sort of reckoning for that.
Melinda May	It takes May a moment, but she nods. "Agreed. But as soon as we've gotten all the intel safely possible out of him, he /will/ need to answer for all of the damage he's caused." She pulls the other two pizzas out of the oven and sets them on the counter to cool a bit before returning to the living room with two slices of her own. "That's probably the best I can offer."
Skye Johnson	Skye nods thoughtfully, her pizza slice slowly disappearing, and enjoyed, even if she still would protest it's not *real* pizza. "I can't argue with that. He did those things. He should pay. I just.. I don't want him dead." Which was a large admission from the woman, given how she'd felt when this all began.
Clint Barton	Clint smirks across his half-devoured slice at Skye. "Enjoying the pizza?" he asks her, teasing. As for the question of Cal, though, Clint's smirk becomes an earnest smile. "Glad," he says of not wanting her dad dead. "And yeah, he'll have to do time, but even in lock up there's visiting days and all of that, a chance to get to know the guy." Not that Clint really wanted to know his dad more than he did, but when the old man drove his car into a tree, it took that possibility off the table.
Melinda May	May nods, again in agreement with Clint -- okay, stop that already. "If he cooperates and helps us find a way to counteract the crystals, that'll go a good way toward proving that doing time will be enough." "But," she emphasizes by pointing her pizza slice at Skye. "If continues to be as dangerously unstable, there may be only so much that can be done." Heck, maybe in finding the solution to the crystals, Cal Johnson will some of the answers that he's been seeking as well.
Skye Johnson	"Understood," Skye says simply. And she did. If her father couldn't behave, or be controlled somehow, then he was a liability and needed to be nuetralized in whatever fashion was necessary to keep the rest of them safe. Preferably locked up. But that was down the road some yet. No need to count chickens or eggs until they found him.