Gone by Ghosts (Natasha Romanoff x OC)

~16~ Take-Off in 3, 2,...

Shared POV:

United States, New York City 07/15/2009:

Without exchanging a word, they had gotten into the cockpit. Sitting down they had put on their headsets and Kate had contacted the radio tower to let them know that they were ready. They got the go and the plane started to roll out on the field.

Kate was highly focused on the complicated control board before her. She knew how to fly military-grade jets and had received training to pilot commercial planes from S.H.I.E.L.D. but that was just in simulators. So naturally, she was nervous. She didn't want to seem unprofessional so she tried to look like she was in control of what she felt no control over.

Nevertheless, Natasha could see how Kate's knuckles turned white from how tight she held on to the steering wheel's handle. Natasha looked up from the control panel to the profile of her pilot, who looked straight ahead, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed. An empathy arose in her when pictures of her first flying experience came back to her.

She cleared her throat and spoke: "Don't worry you got this. Just don't overthink it.". Her voice was deep and the woman next to her turned to look at her for a just second, but it was enough for Nat to catch a hint of surprise in her expression. "I trust you, but I got your back if you need me to."

"You got that from a postcard?", Kate remarked with a shaky but sarcastic tone with her eyes on the monitor in front of her.

"Nah, I tried to improvise a great motivational speech but I guess that's just not my thing.", Natasha joined in on the banter. It might help Kate to get out of her head.

"Yeah, maybe you should stick with the whole mysterious thinker thing you had going for you.", she agreed. She was still extremely focused on the free lane in front of them while they waited for their go to take off, but Nat could see that her knuckles had regained some color. It worked. She had pulled the other woman's mind off the fear into the here and now.

"Maybe. ", she shrugged, and before she could add anything to it the radio tower interrupted their little quippy exchange. They gave permission to start and Kate swallowed. Her hand lifted to switch and turn some buttons and then pushed forward the handles on the throttle in between them to activate the turbines. The plane gained speed and with her hands wrapped tight around the steering wheel, Kate pulled it towards her to turn the plane's nose up. The pressure on the wheels underneath the plane decreased second after second and a few moments later, they left the ground.

"See? Told you you can do it.", Nat commented on the smooth start while looking up at Kate.

"Yeah well, just 'cause we're off the ground doesn't mean we've reached the minimum altitude, yet.", Kate argued, trying to defend her own nervousness that she couldn't really explain.

"Come on. There's no need to stress. I've read your file. I know that you've been a really good pilot in the army. You could've been part of the air force but instead, you chose some special project that I couldn't even look into. You could do this in your sleep.",

"Yeah well, I was alone in that thing and not a risk to anyone's life besides mine."

"There is no one around to get hurt."

"The ground would be enough to die."

"But that was a risk when you flew alone, too and it didn't matter, did it?"

"No, it didn't, 'cause I didn't matter. Now there's you on the plane plus all the people who could get hurt if we don't protect that scientist and his family!", she blurted out from a wave of unrooted anger. It made her uncomfortable and she gave her best to push it down. She couldn't let her emotions ruin this mission. She had to take a step away from them. All of them. "I think those are several good reasons to worry.", she added more neutral than before.