CARSON TILTED his head in confusion as he watched Rick Mason emerge from a rather worn looking helicopter, sharing a look with Natasha who also looked puzzled.
"Y'know, I could've sworn she said a jet." Carson said.
"Yeah, you know what you didn't give me? Time." Rick sighed. "Or money. I'm not made of jets."
"I thought you were supposed to be the best, like a real pro." Yelena quipped.
"Oh, I beg your pardon, tsarina." Rick shot back. "Was the free flat and lifetime supply of kissel not to your liking?"
"Ha." The blonde rolled her eyes.
"Don't let them wind you up." Natasha said as she walked closer to the helicopter, inspecting it.
"No, I take exception to impugning my professionalism." Rick defended.
Natasha chuckled. "Well, you did set me up with a generator that crapped out after six hours."
"You too, huh? Tag team."
Carson patted Rick on the shoulder as he walked to the front of the helicopter. "Aw, he's sensitive."
"I see why you keep him around." Yelena added as she followed behind Carson.
Carson stood at the front of the helicopter and gave the glass a few taps to check if it was actually strong. Yelena joined his side and walked up to the glass, exhaling as she moved her face closer which made it go foggy.
He chuckled at her actions and drew a small smiley face in the patch of fogginess that Yelena had created. She pursed her lips in thought before blowing out another breath of air, so she had more room to work with, and drew her own next to his.
"Yep, this tin can looks better already." He sighed contently.
"Mines the best." She decided as she looked between the two faces that were on the window.
"How so?" Carson furrowed his brows.
"On yours, the right eye is bigger than the other." Yelena chuckled.
"No it's n—" He cocked his head to the side and squinted. "Oh. Yeah I see what you mean."
"It's okay." She shrugged. "I guess not everyone is built for the artist lifestyle." Yelena smirked and walked back to the side of the helicopter where Rick had thrown down at duffle bag and Carson joined her after taking one last look at the two faces on the front of the helicopter.
"Voilà." Rick gestured towards the bag.
Carson crouched down and unzipped the bag, it was filled with a few guns and ammo, along with some combat knives. At the bottom was two white suits folded neatly along with a black and red one which caused Carson to raise a brow. He pulled it out and inspected it, realising that this was his old suit that he hadn't worn since Sokovia.
[ngl this was like the second one i saw and i couldn't be bothered to look for more so my apologies if you don't like it]
Carson spotted a granola bar in the bag and picked it up. "Jesus, how old is this thing?"
"Ooo." Yelena took it from his hand and started to take the wrapper off.
Natasha turned around to see what he was talking about. "Oh I stashed that, like, five years ago."
Yelena ignored her sister and took a bite, seeming to regret it as her face contorted at the taste.
"How is it?" Carson stifled a laugh.
"It's dry." The blonde continued trying to chew it as she hopped into the back of the chopper. "It's really dry."
"You know, you're getting dangerously close to running out your tab." Rick told Natasha. "Supplies I can tally, but you brining me attention from the authorities, all my prices go up."
Carson and Natasha shared a look. Was that supposed to be some sort of threat?
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked the man, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Your mate, Secretary Ross, has been sniffing around my affairs to the point at which I've got contacts declining my calls." He informed them. "I'm a private contractor."
A smirk started to form on the redheads face. "You are sensitive."
"You're a very annoying individual." Rick gripped the bridge of his nose.
"I'll make it up to you." She said while picking up the bag.
Carson walked over and took it for her and dumped it into the helicopter before climbing in himself, turning around and offering Natasha a hand while she got in too.
"Mhm. That's what you say every time." Rick sighed and closed the door behind them.
Natasha made her way to the front seat, looking over the control panel.
"If you want I could—" Carson began but was interrupted by Natasha.
"Nope." She shook her head. "You are not flying this thing."
~~ ᗢ ~~
CARSON SAT in the back of the helicopter, tying the laces on his boots while Natasha pulled the helicopter to a stop so they hovered over the prison. Yelena was sat in the co-pilot seat, considering Natasha was so adamant about Carson not flying the helicopter, fiddling around with a tablet to pull up the blueprints to the prison so they could figure out on where to lead Alexei.
Natasha pulled down the mic of the headphones, sighing before she spoke up.
"Today is your lucky day Alexei." She glanced over at the tablet as Yelena tilted it towards her. "Move to the door on the south wall."
Carson got up from his seat and walked towards the two, placing either of his hands on the back of their seats and leant on his arms, looking down at the tablet.
"Go left." Natasha ordered Alexei. "Just don't make a scene."
Not even ten seconds later, all the alarms started to go off in and around the prison. Carson huffed and ran a hand through his hair, Natasha and Yelena both rolled their eyes at how quick Alexei managed to screw the plan up.
"Aaaand he made a scene." Carson muttered.
The sound of a large crash filled Carson's ears and caught his attention, he looked down to his right and saw a metal door being kicked off it's hinges and skidding along the snow covered ground. He gestured towards a now visible Alexei running out into the middle of the prison yard so Natasha and Yelena could keep their eyes on him too.
"What now?" Alexei asked in the comms.
"We're gettin' you outta here." Natasha replied.
"Um." Carson began. "We have a problem."
Suddenly, the prison yard was flooded with inmates running outside and multiple guards running out of every door on the upper and lower levels, guns in hand ready to shoot. More alarms started to go off.
"Go to the upper level. Move your ass, super soldier."
"Super soldier?" Carson looked at Natasha. "He's like Steve and Bucky?" The redhead nodded in confirmation.
Alexei barged his way through multiple inmates, dodging a flare that was thrown at him by one of the guards. The man eventually made it to one of the walls and used his strength to leap from the ground and climb to the top. But before he could fully pull himself up, a guard spotted him and used their baton to electrocute him. Alexei tried to hold on for as long as he could but his hands slipped from the railing causing him to fall all the way back down.
Carson's face scrunched and he let out a small wince as he watched Alexei land on his back.
"He's never going to make it." Yelena shook her head.
Carson rolled his neck and leant up from his spot in between the two sisters and made his way over to the side door of the helicopter, opening it and looking down at the prison yard.
"Get me closer. I'll jump down." He told them, earning a look from the two. "What? You got a better idea?"
Natasha stood up and started walking over to him. "I'm coming too."
Yelena took control of the helicopter and slowly decreased the altitude, easing them in closer. Natasha grabbed hold of a rope that was outside the helicopter, she turned around and gave Carson a salute along with a smile before jumping out of the chopper and rappelling down, landing on the bridge below.
Yelena looked out the widow and scoffed. "Such a poser."
Carson chuckled at her comment before jumping out, using his powers to soften the blow of landing. He landed behind Natasha and they both looked at each other, nodding to the other that they were okay.
Guards started running onto the bridge from both sides so they instantly jumped into combat, Natasha taking the ones on her side and Carson taking the ones on his.
The redhead used the rope to her advantage and swung feet first towards one guard causing him to be knocked over the edge before dealing with the other two with hand to hand combat.
"Gentlemen." Carson greeted the group of guards that were heading his way.
Carson raised both of his hands, taking the two front guards into his grip. He smirked and pushed his arms out to the sides, launching both of the men off the bridge, not particularly caring where they landed.
Another came at him full force ready to hit him over the head with his gun but before it could make contact he grabbed it and bashed it against the guards head, then proceeded to rip it from his grip and throw it to the ground. He placed his hand tightly on the back of the guards neck and slammed his head down against the railing harshly, knocking the man straight out.
The helicopter started to take a few hits from a group of gunmen that were stationed higher up. Yelena ducked to avoid being hit but temporarily lost control of the helicopter as she dropped it down lower. She quickly tried to stabilize it and turn back around but ended up nearly hitting Carson on the bridge with the back propellers, making him jump out the way and land on his front.
"Seriously?!" Natasha shouted over.
"Whoo! Sorry!" The blonde apologized as she turned the chopper to face him.
He got up and walked towards the front window of the chopper, shaking his head at Yelena.
"Lena what the hell are you doing?! You just almost took my head off!"
Natasha ran over and joined his side, looking at her sister through the window and throwing her arms up in the air. "Are you kidding me? Back up!"
Yelena decided to dismiss whatever the two were saying considering she couldn't hear them, at all. She gave a thumbs up instead. "We're all doing a really good job."
She increased the altitude and brought the helicopter back up, only to be shot at again by more gunmen from a tower.
"Okay, enough of this." Yelena took her seatbelt off and walked into the back of the helicopter. She picked up a rocket launcher and perched herself in the open doorway, looking into the sight and aiming towards the tower before firing at it.
"Ha!" The girl exclaimed, watching as the tower blew up.
Natasha and Carson both stopped in their tracks on the bridge at the sound of the explosion, their attention quickly being turned to the mountains due to the distant rumbling that could be heard. Their eyes widened as they saw an avalanche emerge over the top of the mountain, it heading straight towards the prison.
"Tell me that's a good sign for us!" Alexei shouted up to them from the lower level.
"You need to hurry the fuck up!" Carson shouted back.
Natasha waved her arms to catch Yelena's attention. "Get us out of here!"
The prisoners and guards all stopped and looked up at the mountain. They all turned and fleeted back into the prison where it was safe. Alexei took this as his chance and started to climb up higher.
Yelena turned the helicopter back around and started to fly towards Natasha and Carson. Natasha started running down the bridge to aim for the rope and pulled Carson with her but he stopped. He looked at the rope, it now occurring to him how difficult it would be for three of them to hold on. Especially while the helicopter would be moving.
"What are you doing?" She turned around, confusion written all over her face.
"We can't all fit on that hook." He said. "You get on and take Alexie with you."
Natasha shook her head. "Nope, that's not happening. We can get Alexei up another way. Now come on."
"Natasha." He told her and she furrowed her brows at him using her full name. "You need Alexei so you can fin the red room, we can't risk him getting—"
"I don't care!" She interrupted. "I'm not just going to leave you here, we can find another way!"
"Oh, I don't intend to be left here." Carson chuckled. "I have an idea."
Natasha looked over at the helicopter which was now approaching them. "Carson, please."
He looked over his shoulder at the helicopter and back at Natasha, letting out a sigh.
"Alright." He shrugged. "Fine."
They both picked up the pace and ran alongside the rope that hung down next to the bridge. Natasha was the first to jump, grabbing hold of the rope tightly and using the hook at the end of it to keep her footing.
"Now when I get back, I better see you and Alexei in that helicopter." She heard Carson say behind her.
Natasha's head instantly snapped back over to the bridge to see Carson still stood there, giving her a salute like she did to him earlier.
"I'll see you in a minute!" He shouted before running off down the bridge.
Yelena continued her route through the prison and lined the chopper up with the bridge that Alexei was waiting on. As they got closer, Natasha held her hand out to the man and grabbed him before they flew past.
"Yes!" Yelena beamed.
Natasha and Alexei climbed into the helicopter and Alexei sat down, but Natasha stayed by the door scanning over the area to try and find Carson.
"Did you see that?! That was so—" Yelena looked over her shoulder, her smile instantly fading when she noticed the lack of Carson's presence. "What's going on? Where is he?"
"I don't know..." Natasha replied.
Meanwhile, Carson had climbed to the highest point in the prison and was watching as the helicopter continued flying towards him. He walked closer to the edge and shook out his arms to psych himself up.
He had to time this correctly, one wrong move and it would be over.
Carson's eyes stayed locked onto the chopper as it came closer, he curled his hands into tight fists and allowed his energy to form and charge up, his footing starting to falter slightly as he felt the large amount of power surging though him.
"Come on, come on, come on." He mumbled to himself.
Just a few seconds longer and....
He spotted his window and took a few steps back before doing a run up and jumping from the tower. He turned around in the air and released the energy that he was holding in his hands, firing it at the tower he was previously on. Because of the amount that he was building up, the impact from the explosion was just enough to give him the boost that he needed. He flew through the air and headed straight towards the rope, grabbing hold of it tightly as soon as he made contact.
"Jesus Christ." He exhaled and took a moment to stabilise himself.
"Yelena have you seen him?" Natasha asked, clearly starting to panic.
Yelena looked out of the window, searching around. "No I... I can't see him."
Natasha stood up and rushed over to the front of the helicopter to take a look for herself in case her sister had missed something.
"We have to go back—"
"No, we can't go back!" Alexei interrupted. "I'm sure your friend will be fine."
"Wow, thanks for the concern Alexei." Carson spoke up and he climbed into the helicopter, out of breath.
"See, I told you he'd be fine." Alexei shrugged.
Carson closed the door behind him and when he turned around he was met with a, not harsh, but not soft punch to the stomach. He groaned and looked up at Natasha who's facial features seemed to consist of a mix between furious, relieved and wanting to cry and the same time.
"Nat what the f—"
He was interrupted by Natasha throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back.
"You can't scare me like that, okay? I mean it."
"Sorry I'll—"
Carson was cut off again by Natasha pulling back from the hug and grabbing hold of his ear and tugging him closer.
"Jesus Nat!"
"Don't you ever pull that shit again." She told him sternly. "Are we clear?"
"Crystal." He scrunched his face and she let go, giving him a smile and a chaste kiss on the cheek.
He paused for a moment, trying to process the amount of emotions Natasha had gone through in the space of ten seconds.
Natasha walked back over to her spot in the pilots seat and Carson sat down on one of the benches that was behind Yelena's seat. She turned around and he gave her a small smile while she just glared at him.
"Oh crap, you're not going to hurt me too are you?" He huffed.
She narrowed her eyes at him before her facial features softened and she returned the smile. "I'm... glad you're not dead."
"Thank you." He chuckled. "I'm glad you're not dead too Lena."
Alexei cleared his throat making everyone turn their attention towards him.
"So..." Alexei started. "That was exciting."
~~ ᗢ ~~
[Not edited.]