7034/Checking in with Cheese

Checking in with Cheese
Date of Scene:	22 July 2021
Location:	Parson's Diner, Rural Delaware
Synopsis:	Bucky checks in with the Big Cheese over greasy food.
Cast of Characters:	James Barnes, Phil Coulson

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James Barnes has posed:
    After having shot off a message to Phil that he'd be in the area, Bucky set up shop at Parson's to wait. Parson's is the kind of place that's always hopping, little roadside diner with excellent food. Right now, however, the only person in the place other than the one cook is Bucky.

    He's taken up residence in a far corner booth, facing the door. He's dressed in dark red Henley, jeans, work boots, black riding gloves. It's a little bit odd for the weather, but... what's a 'Cyborg Assassin' supposed to do; that arm's a big neon sign. His longish hair is pulled back into a messy 'man bun' and he actually rocks it.

    The jukebox on the wall near his booth is pelting out Supertramps, 'Take the Long Way Home'. His choice? Who knows.

    He's been MIA from the Playground for awhile now, turned his SHIELD ... shield in to Sharon along with his one, lone SHIELD issue sidearm. The man always did prefer his own weapons, right? But he's here now, reaching out, because shit's been going down and it's not like he doesn't still have friends inside the Playground. He looks good though, markedly better than he did when he was under SHIELD's roof. The dark circles he used to sport around those pale blues are retreating dramatically and he's picked up some weight. He looks healthy, collected even, more 'put together' as it were. But did he go deaf? He's sporting what look like mundane, normal old cochlear implants. The receivers are visible, attached to the sides of his head behind his ears and the transmitters and speakers are hooked over his ears.

Phil Coulson has posed:
The night is far from ideal for a trip out into the 'wilds' of Delaware, but Phil makes it work. The roar of a //classic// Corvette can be heard for miles, the cherry-red making it unmistakeable as it takes the miles. Pulling in front of the diner, the car is parked carefully, and the dark suited Agent exits the vehicle, first closing the door, then taking out a handkerchief to wipe the spot down where he'd touched.

Once done, he sets the handkerchief back into his pocket and turns to walk into the smallish eatery.

The door opens, the high-pitched tinkling of the bell on the door's window drowned out by Supertramp. He takes the moment to look around the diner, before finding his quarry, and begins to head back. When asked, and he will certainly be, he nods, adding with a quick smile, "Black, thanks."

James Barnes has posed:
    When Phil sits down, the cook behind the counter immediately brings out a tray laden with two plates, both of them with the biggest, juiciest, greasiest burgers known to man, run through the garden with all the fixings and fries made from fresh cut potatoes - two of bottles of Corona and a single red rose in a vase despite Phil's order - of course the coffee is delivered as well.

    "Thank you again, Mr. Stevens, for allowing Parson's to help you two lovely gentlemen recreate your first date," he says to Bucky before ducking back out again, literally, he turns the open sign to closed and exits through the front door.

    "Figured it was as good a way as any to pay to clear the place, this date's costing me a fortune," Bucky explains before Phil has a chance to ask. "How's Peggy?" The question's asked in a snap of a tone, like he could barely keep it inside a second longer - he's probably been fighting to yell it across the room from the moment he spotted Phil come in the door.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Brows rise on the usually unflappable Phil's face before a tight smile appears. "Thank you. We never get any time together." That is managed with a straight face as he unbuttons the bottom button of his jacket and slides into the seat. He looks at the plate, then up at Bucky, blue eyes meeting the other man's,

"You remembered." Beat. "Medium rare."

He nods at the proprietor, and when the man finally leaves the table, he takes the napkin and sets it aside. "She's fine." There's a pause, then,

"Pass the ketchup."

James Barnes has posed:
    "Of course I did, babe," Bucky's enjoying this, the little bastard. But really, it's not a bad thing to see that little curl of a smile and that downright dastardly twinkle his eyes. - and actually? He *did* remember. Because, well, he notices things. A man can't be the FBI's boogeyman, HYDRA's top assassin for as long as he was without learning how to quietly *notice things.*

    He breathes an audible sigh of relief, an emotional thing really, when Phil says that Peggy's fine. He passes the ketchup.

    Then he pulls several file folders from the seat beside himself and lays them on the table. "I'm still here, Phil, in any way that you need me. I just can't be *there*, not right now." He leaves that stand, offering no more in way of explanation. Given that Phil knows Bucky's history with HYDRA, the horrors of and that HYDRA is wrapped so tight with SHIELD right now that it's hard to tell one from the other, maybe the man will get it. Maybe he won't... either way, Bucky's done with the topic. ...unless pressed hard on it.


    "I'm staying at Steve's place in the city." He opens the first folder. "HYDRA's fucking with the serum again, or something. Sometimes I get these, like something just ... jogs shit loose in my brain, flashes, I remember things, places, people, safehouses, facilities. I remembered one in Vermont, me'n Sam and Steve and a few others went to check it out. We found this..."

    The first page in the folder has R.A.B.I.D written on the top. Underneath: Rapid Acute Biochemical-Induced Individuation.

    "Best we can tell, it gives the subjects an advantage... about fifteen percent over what I'm capable of, but it burns them up quick, like their metabolism runs so high that it just... literally burns them up, in about eight hours."

    The file details testing on subjects, medical testing of the body's durability in regards to physical trauma ranging from cuts and broken bones to near drowning; all of it in relation to a previous subject, one that could only be The Winter Soldier.

    ...and he still has two more files to show.

Phil Coulson has posed:
Bucky is a jerk, but it's a game that the seasoned Phil Coulson can play. And the fact that the next bit of the other man's narrative can fit in, regardless of topic actually amuses him, though he doesn't let it show too much.

"I'm going to need you to be there. Maybe not now, but disappearing for days on end, and I don't know where you are.. that's a problem." He looks Bucky straight in the eye as he speaks, though some of his gestures are purely for show. Therein lies a true message, however.

Leaning back in his seat, he takes up the salt shaker and puts a little more sodium on those already seasoned fries. "She's back to work." Just in case he wanted to know the ending of that little story.

It's the rest, however, that Phil listens to carefully, and the mention of the 'serum' gains a strange look fleeting across his face. There's a frown, and he picks up a fry to munch on it unconsiously. The file, however, takes his attention, and quickly degreasing his fingers, he pulls the file towards him, and opens it unceremoniously. His eyes scan the pages, looking for key words, no doubt, and he listens carefully even as he looks at the pages.

"Okay.." and with the first completed as time will allow, he rolls his head back, his expression neutral. Behind those eyes, however, is that keen intelligence; he knows or at least understands the gravity of the information.

James Barnes has posed:
    "I'm doin' the best I can, Phil, with what I got," Bucky makes some vague little gesture with his right hand up toward his head - that contains that messed up, Swiss cheese, mental case brain of his. While he's there, he touches on, "These, by the way, turn... *words* into nothing but ear piercing, brain splitting sound," as he adds those implants to the gesture. "I'm guessing you heard what happened down there?" In the sphere? During HYDRA's attack. "...well, it's not a perfect solution, but it'll stop that from happening again."

    "Figured she would be, it's Peggy. Remind her that Bucky said that it's okay for her shit to suck too."

    Another file, then another. He pushes them forward. "I've had two run-ins with those RABID things so far. One was when someone made my bolthole in Hell's Kitchen." All of this information is in the same file. "The second time was the attempt on King T'Chala's life during that press conference." That one was all over the news and had Bucky trending on Social Media: OMG, IS BUCKY BARNES ALIVE?! "Naturally I figured HYDRA was behind the assassination attempt, right? I mean, makes sense. They think they have the US wrapped in a bow, why not unbalance Wakanda? But..."

    He pushes the next file forward. "Zola infected Steve with a virus, I had some connections in Madripoor that led us to a facility not far from here. They were creating those RABID things there, Phil. ... and it wasn't a HYDRA facility, it was... AIM."

Phil Coulson has posed:
"Doesn't make sense to go after Wakanda. Not unless they've got someone one the inside to fill the vacuum if King T'Challa was no longer there." Phil's tones are quite clear; he's not very happy, not with the conclusions he's beginning to make.

Phil puts his hand on the next file, pulling it closer. Anything that happens to his hero Steve absolutely deserves his full, undivided attention. He listens, again, nods, and looks to the file. "What is it about virusses? Why can't anyone just shoot someone anymore? Things were so muc easier, then."

The conclusion of AIM, however, brings his gaze up, and it lingers. He keeps his composure, but it's actually a //good// thing that Melinda May isn't here. The empath in her would be lighting up fireworks. "AIM." A statement more than a question. "Tell me they're not working together on this." This, of course, is the hand on that recent file.

James Barnes has posed:
    "The virus isn't new. Zola hit me with it in the seventies, when I managed to get away from them for awhile. I made it, barely. We weren't sure if Steve would though, considering his shit's not the same as my shit. It only seems to bind serum laced blood. He's fine now. We got the intel we needed, Morrigan MacIntyre put together an anti-virus."

    Finally he pays a little attention to his food, just a few fries. Chances are he'll devour all of it once their conversation is over.

    "I dunno, Phil," Bucky admits after those fries. "But I'm gonna keep lookin' to see what I can find out, along with Sam. He's been staying at Steve's with me." He offers a helpless sort of shrug. "He's the best thing I got to a therapist right now. If I'm being straight with you, man, I just don't feel *safe* dealing with my shit with, well, a SHIELD therapist. I'm gettin' by though, you just gotta give me until this mess is sorted. I honestly can't come home until it is, you get that right?"

    Well, he hadn't planned on talking about that further, but hell, sometimes shit just happens. "I'll check in, keep you in the loop on what I'm up to, but I'll do it from out here, yeah?"

Phil Coulson has posed:
This virus, that serum. It's all going around and around in his head, and it's conjuring pictures, images, forcing him to shake his head to dislodge them and focus on the here and now. Phil nods, "Okay, so that's a plus. Not new, which might mean they don't have the resources to do any changes or upgrades." Little things can add up to be a lot.

Phil actually reaches for the beer, and holding it in his hand for a few heartbeats, decides on a swallow, two swallows of the drink. "It's okay. I get it. But, just don't go off grid. Not unless you leave breadcrumbs to follow." There's something of an extended sigh, an exhalation of .. something, and he nods. "Home is where the heart is." And for Phil? Anywhere he can do 'good' under the continued command of the (absent) Nick Fury. He is, after all, a very, very loyal commander in the One-eye'd Director's army.

"I never mind a phone call."

Now, however, there is a burger that is actually getting cold, the grease congealing.

James Barnes has posed:
    "Oh, Cael Becker, FBI. She's mentioned in a few of those files. Look her up man, like yesterday, she'd be an excellent new recruit. Handles her shit under pressure well."

    When Bucky reaches for his own beer, it's just to quench thirst really, it won't do a damned thing to him. He polishes off half of it and sets the bottle back down.

    "Yeah, it is and right now it's with Steve..." Because of all the people in all the world, Steve is the ONE person that he can trust one hundred and fifty, no matter what, til the end of the damned line.

    "You got my number too, quid pro quo, if you find out anything that might steer me closer to a answers, yeah?"

    Then, well, he's at his own food in a way that proves that his Super Soldier appetite is back, no wonder he's packing the lost pounds back on.