The Ghost [Marvel | Steve Rogers]

Chapter 55

And nearly cursed herself as she started when it began lowering before she'd even reached the keypad. Relief flooded through her as realization struck.

Nina.

She must've seen them coming.

Only for unease and apprehension to seep back in to start knotting her stomach once again as she looked back to Steve and Barnes as they caught up.

The lip of the boarding ramp settled into the snow with a crunch and a mechanical groan, revealing Nina waiting next to the interior control panel. And as Nadine anticipated, the impatient worry on her daughter's face immediately melted into an expression of horror as she caught sight of Steve and Barnes.

In a few brisk strides, Nadine was up the ramp, a hand settling bracingly on Nina's shoulder and guiding her back into the Quinjet as Steve helped Barnes up the ramp.

"Mom," Nina breathed, her eyes bright with fear as she twisted back around, unable to look away from the pair of super soldiers, "what..." But Nadine cut her off firmly, startling her daughter out of the panic she saw beginning to build in her blue-grey eyes.

"I need you to warm up the Quinjet, Nina," she instructed as gently as she dared; she needed Nina to focus. "You remember how?" She knew full well that she did, since Nadine had been there first when Natasha had resolved to make sure all the new Avengers trainees knew how to operate the Quinjets, and after once her little sister had been satisfied Nina, the Twins, Vision and Sam were all sufficiently confident with their new skills. But the question was enough to steady Nina's attention and, with a brisk nod and a look of determination that didn't entirely banish the alarm shadowing her pale features the teen was breaking away for the cockpit.

And Nadine breathed an inadvertent sigh of relief.

A few minutes later saw the engines spooling up and Nadine and Steve carefully settling Barnes on the stretch of seats Nina had occupied on their flight out of Leipzig. Exchanging a loaded look with Steve, Nadine took over, waking up the basic diagnostic equipment she'd taken advantage of for Nina as she began a cursory examination of her own. It took far more effort than she expected not to outwardly react when his head fell back, his jaw clenching and eyes sliding shut, his breath hitching with a supressed sound of pain despite her carefully gentle touch as she got his jacket open with the intent of getting it off and out of her way.

She only paused with the intent of collecting the medical kit stowed near the cockpit. But even as she straightened, preparing to stand, she turned to see Steve setting it down within easy reach next to her. Sparing him a grateful smile—one that nearly faltered as she automatically took note of the additional abrasions and nascent bruising his helmet had hidden now that he'd removed it—as he took over helping Barnes out of his jacket, she opened the kit, intent on something to ease Barnes' pain. Luck was apparently on her side. The pain relief shots she was after were sitting almost immediately on top, right next to an IV pack; just what the diagnostic equipment was recommending. Barnes didn't even flinch as she administered the shot into the side of his neck.

"Mom?" She looked up at Nina's call, her daughter twisting in the pilot's seat to look back at where Nadine sat next to Barnes, steadying him as Steve guided him down to lay on his right side. Pillowing his head on her thigh as she leaned over to inspect his arm, Nadine had been contemplating whether he was bad enough off to risk inserting the IV catheter into his forearm or if she should go for the more traditional insertion site on the back of his hand first. "We're ready to go." The question was implied. Nadine looked to Steve again where he knelt in front of her and Barnes. He inhaled deeply as he looked between Nina and Barnes before settling on Nadine.

"Any ideas?" he asked softly. Nadine's breath hitched at the minute way the corner of his lip quirked. She huffed out a small laugh.

"One or two," she replied, only half-teasing. She really did have a couple potential places to lie low as they decided on next steps. "But just now, putting some distance between us and this place is priority. We need to lose anyone coming after us before we head for cover." Agreement clear on his face, he nodded, his hand settling heavily on her shoulder as he stood. She leaned into the contact, the brush of his thumb against the side of her neck far more reassuring—even comforting—than she expected. At her direction, he hung the IV bag over their heads and retreated to the cockpit to relieve Nina.