It's funny how sometimes the chapter writes itself and sometimes you have to fight for every word. This chapter belongs for me clearly to the latter.

Chapter 8

Natasha waited on the ramp of the quinjet for the three legends. "Welcome on board! Sara, if you want you can sit next to Agent Barton on the co-pilot-seat.

Miss Tomaz, Mr. Heywood, please sit down and buckle up, I am sure you have the same safety rules on planes. I will sit with you to answer your questions when I am allowed."

Sara walked with a delighted smile up to the cockpit.

Clint turned to her. "Welcome on board. Sit down and buckle up, please."

Sara obeyed and then looked at the cockpit; the arrangement of the various instruments was not so different from what she knew on her earth.

Clint called the helicarrier. "Here is Agent Barton, we are taking off. Requesting flight coordinates for approach."

"Here is helicarrier, transmitting flight coordinates."

Clint verified the coordinates and calculated them in his head. "Coordinates are received, next contact by approach."

"Confirmed, Agent Barton."

Sara watched fascinated as the little ship rose vertically from the ground and then turned on its own axis. Barton accelerated the quinjet and Sara was through the centrifugal forces pushed back in the seat. "Wow."

"Yes, not bad for such a little ship, I love to fly them." Barton smiled at her. "Ok, it may be no competition for your ship but to fly something like this has its charms too."

"Absolutely", agreed Sara exited. "How fast can it fly?"

Barton hesitated shortly than answered. "I can't tell you its exact velocity but it is faster than any airline airplane on this world."

"No problem." Sara recognized a few instruments only used in combat aircrafts. "I will not ask how it is armed."

"I wouldn't answer you anyway." Both laughed. They had left the land mass and now flew over the ocean.

"How long until we land on your ship?"

"Thirty, forty minutes. A security team will await you which brings you directly to Director Fury."

"You and Agent Romanov won't be there?"

"We will join you later. It is a new safety protocol; they will examine us first at the infirmary. We were alone on your ship; you could have taken control of us and maybe forced us to make this positive report about you."

Sara saw the pinched expression around Clint's mouth and remembered what Coulson had said or what Snart had told her about the chat between Clint and Mick. This man knew what he was talking about when he mentioned mind control.

"Well, I see no trouble with that because we didn't force you or Natasha to do anything", was the only thing Sara said.

"Correct." Barton concentrated on his instruments and Sara enjoyed the flight, it did feel really different in such a little ship. From time to time, she asked Clint questions about the quinjet, which he would sometimes answer and sometimes not.

"Here is Agent Barton, approaching helicarrier. Asking for landing permission."

"Landing permission granted, Agent Barton. How was the flight?"

"Quiet and cozy."

"Good to hear. Over and out."

"Let me guess, the last was a code phrase that we have not hijacked you?" asked Sara amused.

Barton smirked at her and didn't answer.

Sara laughed and looked down at the water; she frowned because she couldn't see the ship. "I thought we are approaching the ship, why can't I see it?"

"You look in the wrong direction", answered Barton and nodded out of the window. "Look ahead."

Sara raised her head and saw an aircraft carrier that hovered in front of her in the air, carried by four massive turbines. "Oh my, now that is something you don't see every day. I thought SHIELD didn't like attention, this is not very inconspicuous."

"Fury is not the type who does inconspicuous. You will know what I mean when you meet him. And secondly, who says that we are visible from the ground?" laughed Barton. "It is not a camouflage shield, also a technical device but rather panels that reflect the light and make the ship invisible from the ground."

"Very ingenious. Can I show it to the others?"

Barton activated the intercom. "I invite our other passengers to the cockpit. But please hurry, we are approaching the ship and you have to prepare for the landing."

Not long after were standing Zari and Nate behind her. Nate whistled through his teeth and Zari murmured a comment in her mother language that make Barton laugh.

"You understood that?" asked she surprised.

"It is useful for a spy to speak many languages. But to be honest I understand your language better then speak it."

"Which is more than most others can."

"Ok, folks, please return to your seats." Barton waited until he got Natasha's sign that his passengers were sitting securely before he started his landing manoeuvre.

They landed near the aircraft carrier bridge where Barton saw Coulson already waiting with two SHIELD teams.

Barton activated the intercom again. "We are landed. The helicarrier is at a height where you can breathe without difficulty, it is also safe for you to leave the quinjet.

Agent Coulson is waiting to bring you to Director Fury. Agent Romanov and I will join you after our examination."

Barton shut everything down and then nodded at Sara. "You can leave the quinjet."

Sara stood up and Barton followed her. Natasha was already by the ramp, Zari and Nate standing beside her. As soon as Sara was beside her, Natasha opened the ramp and she left the quinjet first.

Sara observed that the men and women who stood by Coulson tensed and were ready for hostile actions; they relaxed only after Barton left the quinjet last.

Coulson walked to them and smiled. "Welcome aboard, Captain Lance, it is nice to finally meet you personally. Would you like to introduce your teammates?"

"Thank you for having us. Zari Tomaz, one of our ship mechanics. Nate Heywood, our expert for history."

"Welcome aboard too. Miss Tomaz, our deputy chief engineer stands by to show you the ship if you want too or you can come with us, it is up to you."

"I think I prefer to tour the ship and machine room, so I can see if you have the parts we need." Zari smiled. "However after I have seen your ship I don't doubt it."

"Please understand that you will be escorted by security personnel."

"That is reasonable."

"Mr. Mackenzie, please show our guest the ship."

"Yes, sir", answered a big black man, stepped forward and held out his hand to Zari. "I am Alphonso Mackenzie but you can call me Mack."

"Thank you, Mack, I am Zari."

Both mechanics then immediately fell into technical jargon and walked away.

Coulson smiled at Nate. "Mr. Heywood, welcome, I imagine a historian is a useful man to have in a crew who deals with time travel. I am a historian as well, if only as a hobby, perhaps we can sometimes talk about the differences in the history of our earths."

"You are not wrong; it has saved our lives a couple of times. And it would be a sincere pleasure for me to talk with you about the differences."

"Captain Lance, Mr. Heywood, please follow me. Agent Romanov, Agent Barton, you will go with the other team to the infirmary."

"Yes sir", answered both agents simultaneously.

The group split up to go to their different destinations.