- she has been through hell and comes out an angel. you didn't break her, darling. you don't own that kind of power.
"They're swarming the city," I whispered in horror. There were men and women walking around, each in a suit, wearing a stupid red and black Hydra logo on their left arm.
"I would think so." Natasha went into her bag and pulled out a hat for herself. It was fashionable and black. Was all she ever wore black? She placed it on her head, finishing her little getup. She wore a black skirt suit and the black hat she had just pulled out of her bag. "What are you staring for?" She noticed that I didn't have the jacket part of the suit on. "Get ready, we're leaving now."
I realized that all of last night was gone from Natasha's mind, that now we were back to strictly business. As I pulled on the jacket, I worried that what I said last night was unprofessional and uncalled for. Perhaps Natasha didn't even view me as a romantic option, that's why she said what she said.
Following her out of the hotel, we looked like two important business people that were not to be trifled with. We even had the black glasses down too.
Upon reaching the airport, I could hear Natasha swear under her breath. I wasn't sure what she was looking at, but when I followed her eyes, I saw three men with guns across their backs, checking each woman that walked through to the boarding gates, or whatever you call them in English.
"They're looking for the two of us together." I frowned. "Split up, we'll meet at our gate."
"What?" Her voice was strained. "No way. We're not splitting up."
I stopped walking, and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to me so I could speak. "Do you see those men over there?" I paused, so she can look back to the gunmen. "They're stopping everyone traveling in pairs. If we walk over there together, this mission will be a failure, and we already went through the hard part of it." I slowly loosened my grip on her arm. "Don't be...be..." Oh no. Did I really forget the English word for it?
"Be what?" Natasha sounded confused.
I am horrified. I really did forget the English word. "Kak ty skazhesh....DIFFICULT." Aha, that was the word I was looking for, but now I have embarrassed myself by not remembering how to say it in English. "Don't be difficult, Natasha."
I let go of her arm, and she adds in an annoyed voice, "There's more than three of them. I can spot seven down the hall, all spread out. This is going to be a little more difficult than I imagined."
"Hey, we were trained for this, remember?" I gave a reassuring smile, and she nodded. "See you soon."
Without another word, we began our walk on opposite sides of the large hall in the airport. We stayed across from each other, to not lose sight, but far enough away that no one would notice it.
I spotted our gate up ahead. Gate A11 to New York. Almost there. A soldier to my left stops a woman with two children. The one in front of me is questioning two women, and holding my picture. Where were the real police? Did they not notice these men? But as I walked past the one holding my picture, he was wearing the airport security uniform. My stomach turns, and now I worry if anyone else in the airport is in on capturing Natasha and me.
Speaking of Natasha, as I looked across the hall, I noticed with fear that she wasn't there. In a panic, I had stopped for half of a second and turned to see her getting questioned by two soldiers. Keep moving, I coached myself. Get to the gate. Natasha can handle herself.
As I turned to walk, I bumped into someone. With terror, I realized the man had a large gun and was narrowing his eyes at me.
"Let me see your papers." He demanded, in German-accented English. I nodded, and slowly reached into my bag. I didn't have any other papers with me except the ones I had used to go into America. My forged Russian papers that barely passed the examination. "Papers, Miss." The soldier repeated, getting aggravated by my slow moving.
Fear built up in my chest. How would I get out of this one? He would see the picture on the papers, and it will match the picture in his hand. And he'll ask me to remove my glasses, and then he will take me away. He'll kill me.
Unless....no. I shook the thought out of my head. I refuse to use that method. I grit my teeth as I lifted the papers out of my bag. I needed to use the power. The ability I possessed. I needed to use it to get out of this mess, or I will pay for that mistake with my life.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Natasha had successfully thrown off the two soldiers, and was now walking towards our gate, glancing in my direction every few steps she took.
"I think everything is in order." I placed the papers in his hand.
Now, all I had to do was remember how to use my ability. I have not used it in years, ever since it almost got me killed. But now, I formed the idea in my head. What I wanted him to see on the picture, was a woman with dyed blonde hair. He narrowed his eyes, then looked at the picture in his hand. I silently prayed that it worked, that I had successfully planted the image in his head.
"Remove your glasses." He ordered, and I quickly took them off, placing an image of the blonde woman in his head once again. He stared at me, to the picture, to my papers. "Keep moving." He handed my papers back to me, and I walked away, breathing heavily with wide eyes.
It had worked. The power I tried so hard to suppress had resurfaced when I needed it most, and it had worked. I tried not to laugh with relief and excitement and spotted Natasha sitting on the other side of the gate.
Taking a seat facing her spot all the way on the other side of the gate, she lifted her phone to her ear and nodded to me. My phone began to ring, and so I answered it.
"You alright?" Her first words.
I nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Are you?"
"As always. Just had to sweet talk my way out of that." There was light humor in her voice. "Men, they are so easily swayed." She asked me how I got out of my predicament.
"Oh," My mind drifted to the thought of me using my power, but I quickly just shrugged, saying, "A little bribery never hurts anyone."
She hummed as if she knew I was keeping something from her, but let it go. "How're your ribs?"
"Fine." I glanced at the soldiers that walked by. "What happens when we board the plane?"
"You go first, and I'll be farther behind you." She decided. "We can't stay on this line for so long, it might get intercepted."
"See you soon, Natasha." I could see her nod from across the gate, and I hung up the phone.
I just sat there in that cushioned airport seat, wondering if I would need to use my power again, or wondering if I even should use my power ever again. What a dangerous gift I have. As I sat there in that cushioned airport seat, a part of me was reopened, the part of me where the power resided. It was cold and scary, but it felt so right. And I feared, just like I feared years ago. I was afraid of not being able to put my power back where it had come from.
I was able to harness it and put it away a long time ago, but now that it has resurfaced, I feared I wouldn't be able to put it back. Maybe it was part of my future, no matter what happened. No matter how hard I tried to hide it, it would be in my future and part of who I am.
"Now boarding, Gate A11." A male's voice came over the loudspeaker. I got up before Natasha, saying I was closer to the gate than she was. I handed the man at the gate my boarding ticket, and then quickly got onto the plane.
Here we go, another flight. I shuddered as I got into my seat, watching for Natasha to board the plane. Minutes passed, and I didn't spot the redhead anywhere. The seats in our row were now all filled, besides Natasha's one seat. I had taken the window seat so that Natasha could deal with whoever was going to sit on the other side of her. After that man on the flight to Spain, I wasn't taking my chances.
"Come on Natasha," I whispered, searching each face for hers. "Where are you?"
Final calls for boarding were sounded, and I started to lean out of my seat, getting ready to hurry off this plane to find her if she didn't show up within the next minute. Fear was building inside of me, and I was imagining every situation that could have happened to her. Capture, murder, or questioning. Which was worse? They all led to each other, so I didn't know.
I closed my eyes. Deadly, I breathed in through my nose, and out through my mouth. Deadly, I repeated. Once calmer, I opened my eyes to see a pair of blue orbs staring back at me.
"Bozhe!" I yelped. Natasha was staring at me with a smug look and playful eyes. She planned this, didn't she?
"What are you calling God for? It's just me." The redhead teased.
I gave her the best glare I could while my heart was still trying to calm down from the scare she gave me. "You are a terrible human being," I spoke in a flat tone, and she chuckled, buckling herself up.
"Did I worry you?" She teased.
"Not at all. You just scared me."
"You were worried, Katya." Natasha grinned. "I watched you search for me, and you nearly jumped out of your seat when they said it was the final call for boarding." My mouth widened as I realized that she had slipped onto the plane without me noticing, and was probably standing a few rows behind, watching me search for her. "You were worried about me, admit it."
"There is something very familiar about this conversation," I mumbled. "And I'm not admitting anything that isn't true." I crossed my arms, pouting. "Besides, why should I admit anything you're afraid of saying yourself?"
"I'm not afraid of anything."
"You lie too much." I frowned at her.
"As do you." She countered.
"I don't lie." I looked away. "Not to you."
She adjusted herself so she was facing me. "Oh yeah? Then how did you get away from that soldier? He stared right at your papers, and I saw them earlier. The photograph looked exactly like you, so how did you get away?"
I froze, and my mouth went dry as I tried to lick my lips. The plane began to take off, but I didn't notice. I was under the pressure from Natasha's stare, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to get around this one.