6551/Right time, Wong place.

Right time, Wong place.
Date of Scene:	13 June 2021
Location:	Wong's Corner Store
Synopsis:	Bucky, Pheobe and Gwen send some bangers packing, the hard way. Bucky's low profile existence is blown, Phoebe's now on Bucky's radar and Gwen had a Really Bad Day.
Cast of Characters:	James Barnes, Phoebe Beacon, Gwen Stacy

---

James Barnes has posed:
    It's not often that Bucky Barnes is out and about these days, what with the entirety of SHIELD being persona non grata. However, some things can't be found at the Playground. He's in search of two of those things today... Decent art supplies and an egg roll from Wong's. He's already succeeded in the first venture. The bag he's carrying is an indication of that.
    The moment finds him at the back of the store, looking for something to drink to go along with that egg roll he has yet to purchace.
    Given the aforementioned persona non grata status, he's dressed like any old other college kid in the city. His hair's pulled up and hidden under a blue Under Armor ball cap, the jeans he's sporting are the appropriate amount of faded style, his shoes are a pair of white, blue and green Nike's and he's even wearing an Apple watch on his wrist - as if he has a clue how to make THAT work. The only thing that might make him stand out is the Under Armor hoodie he's wearing - matches the hat - and his leather riding gloves. Maybe he has a bike parked outside? Could explain both?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The bell at the front of Wong's rings out as someone comes in, a young lady with her hair up in bantu knots and a pair of borrowed aviators. Sun was bright and her night was pretty late. She has a garment bag over her shoulder, walking around with just atheltic pants and a work-out top promoting the Gotham City Athletic Department. She greets the Wong behind the counter, and heads back to the cooler, sneakers tapping lightly against the tiled floor.

    She looks over to the other member of the general public back there, giving a 'sup' tilt of her head, and goes to grab a couple of waters for her trip back home.

James Barnes has posed:
    It was instinctive, born of years and years and years... and well, it's a lot of years of training and hiding and missions. The ringing bell had Bucky tensing up and glancing to the little 'I see you shoplifting' mirror in the corner. They work both ways and this particular one granted him a perfect view of the door. He does relax a LITTLE when he sees Phoebe enter, but only a little... he did train Widows for a 'living' at one point after all.
    He returns the nod and then does something out of the ordinary for him. He speaks to a stranger. He points to two different Monster drinks. He's kind of learning his way around this time still and seems to have found the pull of energy drinks. "What's the difference," he asks as he gestures between one that says ZERO on the label and a normal old Monster. Weird... maybe he's from another country ... with a population less than 20, where they have no modern amenities?

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Mm?" Phoebe questions. She looks like she could be in college. She pushes her sunglasses up, dark eyes peering at the two Monsters, and she gives a bit of a smile.

    And answers back with no judgement in her voice. "The Zero's got no sugar or carbs, so it's better for people who might be diabetic or watching their sugar intake. These things hhave like, eight tablespoons of sugar in them otherwise and can cause hyperglycemic episodes." she explains. "They're great occasionally, but can really mess up your heart if you drink either too much, as a hea'ds up. Otherwise? This one's Citrus," she points to the white Zero can, "And this one's kinda 'artificial green' flavor. If that makes sense."

James Barnes has posed:
    With his metabolism, there's no need for watching sugar intake, that's for sure. ...and artificial sweetener? Bucky's tried those little pink packets and GROSS. He wrinkles his nose at the explanation and decides to stick with artificial green. He's reaching for that and murmuring, "Thanks," when...
    ...the bell over the door rings and his eyes dart up to that mirror again.
    The six young-ish men, mid to late twenties, that walk in wouldn't IMMEDIATELY raise alarm bells, for the casual observer, but in a matter of seconds Bucky's spotted all the obvious - to the really trained eye - places each one of them is 'packing heat'.
    "Get'down..." He hisses in Phoebe's direction even as his left hand moves to her shoulder to guide her well, down... That hand, even under that glove, just doesn't feel right. It's too hard, too unforgiving. He places his right index fingers to his lips briefly and then points to the end of a row of shelving... 'behind that'. Because...
    So far, they haven't been seen.
    Bucky? He squats down behind a row of shelving himself and slips a Glock smoothly, with the practiced ease of someone that's likely intimately familiar with firearms. He clicks the safety off.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
College is out for the summer. And what does that mean? More free time for Gwen Stacy? Nope! It means she is working *more* hours at Wong's. That Mrs. Wong can be a slave driver sometimes... But it helps in keeping her bills paid, and she doesn't mind. It's usually quiet and she can catch up on her reading. And it's not like most customers make a mess of the shelves!

Gwen is behind the counter when Bucky first walks in, offering a faint smile, then Phoebe. Another smile.. She has her earbuds on, listening to some oldies mix while her attention has been mostly down on her book, chewing on her gum...

When those other six walk in though? That rings bad news all over her senses, including her danger sense! The gum she was chewing on 'pops' in the silence that abates and she lifts her brows.

Are they here to steal the store? Heh, six guys seems a bit too many to rob some cheap corner store.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gives a slight smile with: "They have a half-and-half that's not as bad and --" she pauses, watching as her new friend tenses up. She braces herself as Bucky hisses, and she follows direction, ducking down with her back to the display as she looks up to the corner mirror, noting the strange weight of his arm on hers.

    ... it also doesn't react to her healing. She doesn't feel it.

    HEr eyes narrow a moment, and she reaches into her side-bag -- surely she's not also packing heat, but her eyes go to Bucky's glock before she sets down her garment bag very, very slowly.

    And withdraws from her purse a six-inch metal cylinder.

James Barnes has posed:
    Six guys are a little much for a simple robbery, but not when the point is to intimidate.
    Two of them wander toward the counter and one pipes up with. "Mr. Wong in? Lil' Roy sent us to speak with him about a business proposition. "
    TTwo wander back to the font door, one flips the sign to 'closed'. TTwo wander to a door opposite the front and take up point on either side. Is it a back door, an office with a back door inside? Hard to say! But they don't open it. If it *is* an office, they're playing a game, making the girl behind the counter fetch Wong herself if he *is* in. Forcing her to walk between them.
    He's seen it a million times, hell Bucky's likely been on the other side of it a time or a dozen. This is a shakedown, likely a new gang moving in to take over territory. He barely manages to stifle the growl rising in his throat. For the moment he's torn. He's supposed to be keeping a low profile! But this is a tiny little store, with nice people that run it. ...and he loves the egg rolls!
    "Stay down..." he mouths to Phoebe, his expression sternfaceBucky. It's kinda intense, that expression.
    When he stands, it's so quick a blink might make a person miss it. He levels the Glock in the general direction of them tTwo near the counter, the ones he'll need to shoot first to protect Gwen if it goes further South.
    "I don't think he's here today," he offers. The Twords are casual, no threat to them, but the tone in which they're spoken? A tone borrowed from the Winter Soldier? It Twould turn blood to ice in most people. "You should leave." It's not a suggestion.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Oh, great. An actual shakedown... Gwen grits her teeth. She *could* go to violence but then her secret identity would most likely be exposed. Because no, there's no way a college girl could take on six thugs by herself, no matter how much training she had... Which Gwen supposedly doesn't! "Uh .., Mr. Wong isn't in." she says, blue eyes a touch wide at the group, "... they are away. I am the only one here." she trying to give an out for Bucky and Phoebe to run off, not knowing they are about to interfere.

Yet it's not as if those thugs will believe her so there she goes, starting to walk towards the back door that leads to storage and the office. "I will show you..." she is making way with the two thugs flanking her when Bucky pops up with that gun.

Danger registers again all over her senses but she stays cool. Or well..., cool for a college girl which is looking frankly scared, hands up as if showing she means no harm!

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe stays down, perfectly calm. She turns and makes herself a little less visible between a couple of shelves -- she's not counting on the canniness of a couple guys coming in to shake down a convenience store for a protection racket. The blonde at the counter is moving towards the back, and her eyes narrow as she freezes in place, turning that metal tube in her hand as she tries to judge a good time to start sweeping legs and raise her staff-to-calf count.

    Bucky has the two in his sights, so she moves up towards the front, slowly.

James Barnes has posed:
    Not nearly as quickly as just about anyone else here could have managed it, but quickly enough... all six are suddenly holding firearms of their own and each one is leveled at Bucky. He's the obvious threat here, right?
    There was a time, not too long ago, that this would have quickly ended with six dead bangers, bullet right through the brain pan before a one of them could react. But Steven Rogers' is right about his best friend even if Bucky doesn't believe it yet. He's a good man with a good heart, he's a hero. ...and heroes put a value on life, even the lowest of forms.
    ...so when one of the two with Gwen makes a grab for her... "Don't," is growled out dangerously before one warning shot is fired. The bullet grazes the man's ear, taking half of it off along the way. He cries out in pain and outrage. ... at least he forgets about grabbing Gwen in the moment.
    If they knew what they were dealing with, *who* they were dealing with, the next explosion of chaos might not have happened. Every one of them, to the man, opens fire on Bucky. He's good, some say one of the best but that's six bullets heading his way at one time.
    "Go!" He's talking to Gwen and Phoebe obviously. But it's all happening so damned fast. Two rounds, he manages to block with that left hand, the metallic 'ping' of the bullets against metal ring out. One round hits his left shoulder with the same results. One grazes his right and one hits him center mass and sends him staggering back. It should have knocked him right on his ass and down for the count. ...but it didn't. The last bullet? It explodes a bottle of soy sauce on the shelf right over Phoebe's head causing its contents to rain down on her. But... it might be time to start sweeping ankles? QUICKLY!

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Well..., seems like this customer just decided to turn this into a mexican standoff... There goes Gwen's plan! But how would she know there are other superpowered people inside the store at this point. No mindreading on her end! Though at least she hopes the other girl she can't see has been able to get out, or at least put herself somewhere safe.

The bullet whizzes past, taking that ear just as the man was going to grab her arm, making her tense up. "No shooting! We can--" ah heck, people are shooting left and right now. Yet the blonde doesn't cower to a corner surprisingly. Instead she stomps on the foot of that man that got shot in the ear, then driving her fist to it's gut in an attempt to neutralize him. Self-defense classes or something!

But she is also putting it all that strength of Ghost Spider behind it.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Long past time. And 'Go' time was typically when it was time to act.
    Phoebe doesn't get sauced so easily! She's already in motion when the first shot rings out, the dire music of handgun fire and the thurd of bullets hitting drywall, metal, and smashing glass. She lunges, then brings one foot forward to rob the closest guy of his footing, her staff extending. She swings herself up as he goes down, the staff striping at his shotting hand's wrist with enough strength to break all those delicate little bones in there as she brings her free hand up to back-hand strike the second guy at the front, bringing her blow hard and upwards to bust a nose and knock his vision a bit before she turns, her staff around the back of her to knock the nose-struck guy forward.

    Two down...ish.

    Wong's is close enough that she'll need to move around if she doesn't want anyone healing up and jumping back into the fight, and she ducks back behind the stand of soysauce, now brown and sticky, and moves through the second aisle towards the back, watching the goings on.

James Barnes has posed:
    He's a hero, yeah... but he's still also a trained puppet assassin for HYDRA and some of those reflexes? Well they're still there. So, it's a boon to the guy that shot Bucky in the chest when Phoebe takes him out. It's a boon because the bullet Bucky aimed at his head would have hit. Even shot in the chest, Bucky would have hit his mark. Bucky never misses his mark. But Phoebe's take down moved that head out of the line of fire so the bullet planted itself in a wall behind the counter, shattering the glass on the cigarette case.
    Six against three, they should have had the upper hand! But... half-ear is now on the ground five feet from Gwen and gasping for breath. They should have had the upper hand! But a little girl just took down two of the others and the guy they just shot in the chest is *still standing*.
    They don't have the upper hand and they know it. To the credit of the three standing do try to gather up their wounded on the way out.
    Bucky? He'll let them go. "Don't come back, or I'll come for you." Still that tone borrowed from the Winter Soldier, that ICE blood inducing tone.
    But will the girls be so nice?

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen is all about being nice! At least when she isn't dressed as the Ghost Spider... She might had given them a little spankin' for the destruction they wrought on the shop. Mrs. Wong is going to blame her! She just knows it... She lets out an inner sigh. Though as she was getting ready to lunge for that other man that was flanking her it seems they are retreating, bringing their wounded too.

And of course that Gwen takes advantage of Bucky being a badass intimidating machine to speak up. "Only come back to pay up for the damages! Or I will call my friends here!" yep, friends. Just go with it.

Still, for a store clerk she looks remarkably 'cool', not panicky. Does this store really pay that well? She is quite loyal to the Wongs...

But no interference out of her if the men decide to leave, which means Gwen will look at both the girl and the man, smiling widely at them.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe hadn't wanted them to see her face. She thinks she did all right. She pops her head up from behind a Fritos display, brushing herself off a moment as she looks to Gwen -- no worse for wear -- and then to Bucky with a much higher degree of concern.

    "You were just shot in the chest -- how the *HECK* are you still standing?!" she questions, compressing her staff back down and slipping it into her side-bag as she looks between the two, glad she didn't have anything more identifying other than her GOTHAM T-shirt.

James Barnes has posed:
    Except he's not anymore, standing that is. Bucky *isn't* Superman. He's a man made of flesh and blood - and a little metal - that just happens to be a little tougher than the average bear. He drops to one knee, then the other. Blood is blossoming out over his bullet hole sporting hoodie. He looks up at Phoebe, those blue eyes of his a little wild. Because ouch! But also because... "I gotta get outa here." He just went down but he's trying really hard to get back up again.
    Sirens wail in the distance, there might even be a good chance they'll catch a few of those creeps if they get her fast enough. Three of them, after all, aren't moving very fast.
    "...now!" He has to get out of there NOW. Panic sets in the closer those sirens get.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"It's a good question...--" pause. The man is indeed toppling over. For a moment Gwen expected him to have some reinforced kevlar under all that. Well, crap. Her eyes widen but she is a practical Gwen so she quickly moves to the back room, opening the door. "Come on. Get in here. I have some medical supplies, we can look at that wound too.." even if she knows the man doesn't want anything to do with the police.

Bullet wounds are no joke though! At least if there were no healers involved, or supernatural regeneration.

She turns the lights on the otherwise dark back room. "There's a back exit to an alley too." she informs them, moving back to help carry the man if needed.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe flattens her lips a moment as Bucky drops.

    She looks up to Gwen and asks: "Back door?" to her, already reaching for Bucky. The garment bag is forgotten as she reaches to put one of BUcky's arms over her shoulder, the other reaching to literally hoist him back the back of his pants.

    "Give me five minutes and I can get you on your feet. My name's Phoebe. You got something I can call you?" she asks gently to the Winter Soldier, trying to keep him in the here-and-now.

    It appears that Phoebe has been trained in emergency extraction. She is moving quickly, and though she's smaller than Bucky she is handling him with as much expertise as she would one of her own.

    Bucky, meanwhile, may feel tingly, as Phoebe's healing aura kicks up.

    "I'll have to see the wound to see if there's an exit."

James Barnes has posed:
    Pale and sweaty, starting to shake a little, Bucky flashes a little smile in Gwen's direction, gratitude maybe? He is HEADSTRONG though and he does his level best to not put too much of his weight on Pheobe. "... Devan," he replies quietly, voice raspy and hoarse. "Devan Saunders." Bullshit, but how will they know any different? Unless one of them's heard of the boogeyman that's the Winter Soldier when they see his arm... because... Phoebe needs to see the wound?
    Or maybe not... "It's still in there," he offers along the way. Man that's been shot as many times as him? Knows the difference between a through and through and a bullet bouncing around. It seems to have actually missed any *serious* lung damage though, there's only a slight whistling wheeze to his breathing.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
With the back door now open Gwen moves to the other side of the Soldier to help move the man towards a more secluded space, away from the prying eyes of the outside. And still no panicking, not even with blood in sight. Sure her eyes are a bit wide at it all but she is now more curious than anything else. Both at the man but also at the younger girl who could not also take out two of those goons with a staff but also appears to be a nurse of some kind.

"My name's Gwen." And with introductions out of the way she leads them to that back room. There's a lot of storage crates, a room that appears to be the boiler room and another locked one besides the fire escape door that leads to the street.

"He needs an hospital." Gwen murmurs up at Phoebe with a concerned look, very much unaware of Phoebe's ability. But she can recognize that wheeze. It's getting messy for those lungs.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Okay. Stay with me Devan. This is going to make the next part super sucktastic, because I can't heal you with that inside of you. What's your favorite flavor, strawberry or raspberry Devan?" Phoebe asks, a seemingly inoculous question to Devan, and she looks up to Gwen.

    "I have the distinct feeling that if he didn't want to see the police, there's a reason. This next part may get messy, because I have to get that bullet out before I can work." she states, and she reaches into her side-oouch again and produces a bunch of airhead taffies, and what could be an artist's rolled up pencil pouch, that she unrolls to show a variety of sealed, sharp medical impliments. She pauses a moment, then looks up to Gwen.

    "I'm a medic."

     And that's all the explaination that this not-quite-a-college-student gives, before she grabs a pair of shears and goes to cut away at the Devan's shirt.

    Sorry, Bucky!

James Barnes has posed:
    "No, NO hospitals," he snaps, maybe a little too harshly but he's *scared*. Yes, the Winter Soldier is *scared*.
    Those sirens wail... closer and closer and closer. More than one police car, of course. One of them actually zips by outside, the waning wail moving off in the distance. Maybe they're off after the other guys?
    "...just hurry." Bucky might think about all of it later, the how of it once it's over. But right now, he's biggest concern isn't even the bullet wound in his chest. It's getting *caught*. The thought terrifies him. Ending up in police custody will likely, these days, drop him right back into HYDRA's lap. "Blueberry," he has to be difficult, right?
    Once the shirt's cut away, well there's the source of that 'weird' feeling from his hand.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
A medic. That *does* help in Gwen not going full-on breaking her identity and trying to just pick the man up and swing over to the nearest hospital. Of course that it also means they will have to work fast before police arrives. "Okay, Devan. No hospitals.." she assures the man. She even offers him one of her best smiles. All very re-assuring too!

And thinking quick she moves to the main store room again, taking a bottle of sterilizing alcohol which she brings back to Phoebe just in case it's needed.

A look goes to the medical implements and she smiles faintly. "What can I do to help?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Fresh out of Blueberry." Phoebe states with a wry voice. "I'm not going to let them get you. You could have just walked out, and you didn't." she replies to the man, and looks up at Gwen with a look of thanks as she produces the alcohol.

    "You seem strong Gwen - hold his left hand."

    ANd the shears are set aside. Phoebe pulls on a clogve, and takes some white substance and folds it into the blue raspberry Airhead taffy, and then folds it.

    "Hold this between your teeth." she orders Bucky, letting him grab it if he wants, but she's immediately back to work. Bucky's wound is exposed. She tapes off some gauze, and in focus, she takes a deep breath.

    "Your lung may be partially collapsed. I'm going to cut between your ribs, I'm going to remove the bullet, and then I'm going to heal your wound. It's going to hurt a whole lot, and then feel like your chest's got pins and needles like when your foot falls asleep, unless you think you're going to be able to cough up lead."

James Barnes has posed:
    Phoebe takes on the full load of full on BuckyStare(tm). It's an intense thing, a heavy, weighted thing. It's even a little creepy, but then with a grunt of acknowledgement and agreement, he grabs the taffy and shoves it in his mouth. Nostrils flare, blue eyes flash with intense... determination and he stares up at the ceiling before giving a slight nod that says, 'just do it'.
    Make no mistake. He's injured, on the verge of being taken back to the frozen hell that is Winter and, even as down as he seems to be, the man still *radiates* danger. One. Wrong. Move. from either of them...

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    One wrong move, and Phoebe gets to get into another fight that she wasn't expecting, but she's surprisingly used to getting stared at by deadly assassins...

    Instead of acknowledging his expression, she works quickly. She brings her gloved hand down, pressing along the ribs.

    That white substance that she laced the taffy with made the taffy more rubbery, making it so it was able to be used to bite down on. The incision is quick, opening to either side of the bullet wound for her to take forceps, and pulls the bullet out.

    Forcepts, bullet, and viscera is set to the side.

    And then Phoebe brings her hand down, gently pressing to either side, and she closes her eyes.

    And there, both Gwen and Bucky would be able to see that Phoebe's hands are glowing, palms-down.

    Bucky would feel a cool, tingling sensation, focusing on the wound, on helping to heal his lung from its semi-collapsed state, knitting together the tendons and muscle and flesh, those little muscle fibers that cling between every rib.

    And it's true - it feels like when your foot falls asleep. Needles and pins, except for it's also very cool and tingly, like an ice-cold carbonated beverage, inside his lung.

    Gwen, within Phoebe's aura, may also be feeling those tingling feelings. Or it may be Gwen Tingles due to Bucky's dangerousness. Toss up.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Reaching over to the man's hand she clamps down on that left one with her own. To reassure him? But also to keep the man *in* place. Deceptively strong some would say. But as long as she finds no reason to use it she will mostly keep a firm grip on 'Devan', keeping him to the table. The stare *is* noted though and she furrows her brows just so, perhaps ready to intervene if .., something goes wrong and the man snaps. It's noticeably too. How instead of cowering back she just seems to tense her shoulders.

She watches the efficient way Phoebe works on the bullet. "Now some alcohol and a band---" she stops when the girl's hans start glowing. Wow! This surprises her big time...

And the aura? She takes in a breath then exhales in a more relaxed manner. Those seem like the good kind of tingles for her!

James Barnes has posed:
    Most men would likely scream, many men would likely pass out. Bucky does neither. He makes noise, soft grunted sounds that definitely translate to 'fuck that hurts' while she's digging out the bullet. But this? It's nothing compared to the tortuous hell HYDRA put him through. This is a bee sting.
    ... but then the lung that had been deflated steadily, making it hard to breath isn't anymore, breathing becomes easier... bleeding slows. It's *weird* granted, but the pain is lessening. Definitely, if this had been any other time than the moment the police are coming through the front door of the little store? Bucky would be staring at Phoebe a different way, probably in wonderment.
    Alas, his utter, blind terror at ending up back with HYDRA prevails and has him shoving himself up, likely before she's completely done. "I have to go..." Growled, dangerous, don't try to stop him! He attempts to jerk his hand free from Gwen, it's that left hand, that metal one, the one that's even stronger than the serum running through his veins would account for.
    If he manages to break free, he's up and through - literally /through/ the back door in a heartbeat. He'll probably send money to pay for the busted back door later.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Most men would.

    And most medical professionals would probably not let them get up and go.

    Phoebe, however, is pushed aside as Devan pushes himself up. She winces, disorientated momentaily as she mutters something -- but the police *are* coming.

    As Bucky goes out the back door, Phoebe straightens up, and looks to Gwen.

    "That's my cue as well." she states, sweeping her items into her bag, and looking at the back door.

    "THank you. I would appreciate it if you were to say we just went out the back door after making sure you were all right." she states, tipping an imaginary hat, and going in the same direction as Bucky -- hopping through the vaguely Winter Soldier-shaped-door.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
That vibranium arm does seem to win out. And it's not as if Gwen is getting those danger-sense tinglies on. It's all about the soothing aura from Phoebe. So she doesn't really struggle much. But she should had! Specially when she sees what the man does next...

Going through the back door. Mrs. Wong will be possessed with rage!

"My ..., door..." And now she lets out a deep sigh. Still, she had just witnessed..., a miracle? Her eyes go to Phoebe right after. "No, thank you, hero." there's respect in Gwen's voice when she says that, getting back up to her feet and waving. "Come by sometime. I am sure I can slide you some food or drink on the house." a wink..

But then Phoebe is also moving out through that broken door. There went her nice, quiet afternoon of work!

James Barnes has posed:
    Where the hell did he *go*. By the time Phoebe gets her stuff gathered and the girls make it outside, there's no sign of Bucky anywhere. Odds are though, by the bloody hand prints on a nearby fire escape... he went UP. That fast, up and gone and taken to the rooftops just that quickly. He's probably halfway across the city by now.
    Indeed, Gwen's quiet afternoon will be shattered by police questions, forensic teams collecting bullet's and maybe even blood samples. It'll all last well into the night and then there's the mess to contend with.