14753/Falling Be-Hind

Falling Be-Hind
Date of Scene:	23 April 2023
Location:	Stolen Helicopter
Synopsis:	Finished scene
Cast of Characters:	Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton, Yelena Belova

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Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It was just supposed to be a field test. The helicopter had been mostly fully swept over by engineering and the important parts removed for analysis. So with some jury rigged replacements put in, all that they relaly had to do was take it for some test flights to get a better idea of how it handled. So, thanks to some sort of luck or devil in the system, two special agents and one field operative were put into it.
    Yelena at the pilot, Natasha at co-pilot, and Clint in what was likely called the 'are we there yet' position. A Soviet style Hind that had repulsor pods strapped otno it that made it act moer like a semi-supersonic version of a Harrier Jump Jet than a helicopter that could go from virtual standstill to slightly under Mach 1 in but a few seconds. It did..
    However, make for a very bumpy ride.

Clint Barton has posed:
"You know, when you said we were gonna have a fun time-"

Clint had already started to release the sass. He was dressed in his tactical gear, colored black and purple, his bow trapped over his shoulders and a quiver keeping his arrows tight to their gravity so in case he gets knocked upside down, they don't fall out.

"I was more of a mind like Pina Coladas than Mach 1 devil-diving!" Clint calls to Natasha, keeping himself in a position to start doing what he does best as soon as those doors open and he has a vantage point.

Now why, might you ask, would Clint prep himself for such a thing on a so-called test flight? Because, you see, Clint expects things to go horrifically wrong at any second.

That's why.

Yelena Belova has posed:
For the time between the acquisition and the testing, Yelena's been putting up with a graze to the calf. Some days, she's 'been shot and cannot move, so get ice cream', and other times, she's 'going out to bar, do not wait up'. It all depends. Regardless, while on point, on duty, one would never in a million years know that she's injured. Not unless she (loudly) declares it, that is.

Dressed in her white leathers, with dark vest atop it, Yelena has a headset on, bulky ears and a mic in front of her face as she settles into the pilot's seat with an air of 'hah!'. The switches are flipped with the ease of experience and tacit understanding of most things Soviet-built. It's almost like coming home, only not.

The rotors begin to rotate slowly, and with a gleam in those blue eyes and something of a wicked smile, the blonde widow remarks, "Hold on," before she does the not unexpected but expected sort of unexpected.

Those VTOL engines? Who needs the stinking rotors to go aloft. With a roar of those self-same engines, the helicoptor begins to rise, a little rocky however, even as the rotors are swinging to life. Should those engines fail, the rotation of the blade won't hold them aloft.

Nope.

Not a chance.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha as a rule does not get queasy or dizzy when flying. That's part of what being Russian and going through the Red Room program has reinforced. Being very good at holding things in. But this is close to making an exception. It is still Soviet built and modified - so it's simple to learn.

Even as Yelena goes to keep bouncing them along through it like a child with a bouncy ball.

Her hand does go to snap out to brace on the dash.. Only those that knew her well could tell the reasoning for the maneuver..

Which, unfortunatley for Natasha, both Clint and Yelena did. So she would definitely be getting some teasing later.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint is glad the Russians are doing good.

Clint is hanging in there. Thoug hhe deals with his own discomfort with sass, crude remarks, and often times pokes fun at people's weaknesses. For the moment though? Clint is holding it all in as he just holds on tight. He turns his attention to Natasha, noticing that she's looking rather uncomfortable in this aircraft.

"Need a bag Nat?"

He turns his attention to Yelena. "Stop having fun!" He laughs, then clears his throat, as if to hold something down. No, no laughing.

Laughing is bad.

Yelena Belova has posed:
As for Yelena? She's having //fun//. A barked laugh exits the second widow even as she puts those engines through their paces to see exactly how this flying brick could maneuver. "Is good that engines are not just for maneuvering, but can power." How's that for observation?

Bringing her eyes up, she's checking the rotor against the readouts in front of her, and the moment it reaches the proper RPM, she leans forward to scale back on the thrust and allow the blades to take over to keep them aloft. Glancing to Natasha beside her, brows rise in silent question, but there is no mistaking the tight-lipped smirk that plays on her face. Oh no.. not going to live it down. "Hey, I did warn." In her defense!

Lifting her head slightly as if looking in a rearview mirror (that isn't there), Yelena offers, "Clint Barton, she will hurt you with bag once she is done." Threat or promise?

Besides! "This is not fun." How can she keep from smiling and laughing? She can't. "I am putting through paces. I now discover that helicopter can take off before RPM is reached of main rotor. So, engines are not just for directional." Check!

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Of course Yelena is having fun with things! She's enjoying getting to push buttons and mess with systems. Natasha goes to keep her expression even. Though Clint is given a rather strong glare from her for a moment as she goes tos witch her attention over to the systems. "Everything's looking standard.."

Russian eqiupment and paneling. Functional. While a Western helicopter might have dozens of monitors to track, a Russian one could tell you that they weren't on fire.. And likely not much else.

She goes to toggle to send a report in of the test so far. Getting no reception. Frowning. The system was switched out to somethign compatible with SHIELD systems.. Her hand goes to her own commpiece. No reception off a satellite..

It's Clint that has the best view over in the back as he can pick out rapidly on the approach half a dozen similar helicopters blasting towards them from a half dozen different directions, converging on them like a wolfpack!

Clint Barton has posed:
"If Natasha /hits me with that bag/ I'm gonna make it an arrow and hit her back!"

It's really hard to tell if Clint is joking or not, the general nebulous nature of the trio was on full display for the trio and the trio only to witness. Yelena tells Clint that this isn't fun, Clint starts to shiver. "I don't want to know what fun is for you if this isn't..." he shakes his head.

Though Clint seems to look out one of the glass viewports, his eyes squinting with the effort of trying to locate a far-off target before they cease their closing and widen in expectation. "I hate it when I'm right!" Clint calls back. "We have half a dozen bogeys on our numerous o'clock! He pulls his bow off of his back. "Evasive maneuvers!"

Yelena Belova has posed:
Yelena is keeping her eyes on what few readouts there are, glancing back and forth to Natasha as she gives the play by play reports. Until she doesn't, or rather, can't. She doesn't miss those subtle cues of her sestra as she fiddles with the communication devices, switching them out.. and still not getting anything.

"What?" As if she has to actually //say// it with the pair that are in the aircraft with her? There is that dawning awareness, however, that not only are their coms out, but there are much more dangerous issues that are now in play.

At Clint's announcement, the realization has absolutely set in, and with a resounding <<"Churt..">> followed by a string of more curses, she looks up even as she pulls the yoke back, then to the side.

Even as she does so, the helo obeys as it flies directly //up//, the repulsors giving a secondary bit of stability to the aircraft. Up and starboard, the helicoptor is almost a corkscrew, with, again, those secondary engines that Yelena had tested keeping up with their appointed duties.

"Engines are good." At least something is working in their favor? Looking down at the indicator that would provide information regarding their loadout, Yelena curses again, though properly in English. "Why the hell did they not load weapons? I will have talk with Johnson when we get back."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
It's a test flight. In the event it blows up over said flight, no one wants to add more munitions to the detonations. Natasha goes to grab for her own weapons - namely the short range Widow's Bite and pistols. Which maybe if she got over and jumped on top of the helicopter might be useful.. Even Clint's arrows would be better than what she had on her!

Natasha rapidly checks the systems. No chaff pods, no countermeasures, and the switchout of the communications system and electronics means they don't even have basic jamming of their own. And somehow the jamming is also disrupting thier own satellite feed. So Yelena gets all the fun of flying purely manual however many thousand meters they are up in the sky as the sextet of Hydra attack choppers go to dart and dive right past them!

Fortunately for them, it seemed like the pilots of the choppers were flying them like regular jets - and not taking advantage of their ability to 'hop'. So Yelena can just dive around them! ... For a few seconds at least!

Yelena Belova has posed:
Yelena's definition of 'test flight' is obviously different from EVERYONE else's. She's a firm believer in loadout, regardless of perceived need. With her? There is always a potential need. Always.

There's a whole lot of 'nope' when looking through inventory. No chaff, no.. nothing. Nothing inside the cargo area that might act as internal projectiles, which means, of course, they can't use them as //external// projectiles. This means their only way to defend themselves from one, two, three.. six on their tail is Clint Barton? And Natasha. And her flying.

"See? Fun." It's more sardonic now, and with the maneuvers she's already put into motion, it becomes increasingly obvious that while she thinks in 3D, those pilots only have a concept of 2D. Up, down, left, right.

"Hold on," and the sound of Yelena's voice holds that hint of seriousness that she actually can feel. "This is not good way to die. I would rather be shot with Clint Barton's arrow."

Clint Barton has posed:
"Hanging on!"

Clint tries to hook himself into the jet, taking four bead-shaped items and tossing them at various points of the aircraft. When they make contact with the metal, they fire a tether that connects with Hawkeye's belt. A flex of the hand and his glove lights up, his bow's handle flying straight into his hand and an arrow is drawn and knocked, even amidst these extreme aerobic maneuvers.

"Glad to see the engines are going steady! Thoug honestly, I blame Coulson for this!" Because somehow it's Coulson's fault. What kind of experimental helo fails to have weapons on it?! "Well, the good news is, you have me." He moves his hand to open up the side hatch just a little bit to even see if he could avoid getting sucked out.

"I'm gonna need an opening here ladies!"

Yelena would rather die by Clint's arrow than get blown up? "I'll consider that a compliment!"

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
They're quickly going through jerky, rapid flight as Yelena goes to rapidly shift the helicopter through a series of maneuvers, that have their opponents screaming on fast. Yelena is able to maneuver them quickly enough that none of their enemies can get a solid lock on them.. But without weapons or electronics, it was only a matter of time. And their enemy had the same top speed they did, the same ability to accelerate and boost at high speed.. Natasha's comments are hard and quick. "To ground level through the forest." To ground.. They were in a VTOL. If Yelena would do what Natasha would suggest, by ground level she meant 'a couple meters off the ground'. At slightly under Mach 1.

"Barton, if we live through this, you have my complete agreement."

Yelena Belova has posed:
Yelena knows exactly what Clint means and what he wants, and shaking her head, she looks up heavenward briefly and mouths something before looking down and in front of her. She's got her head on a swivel, however, and with the opening, just a little, the rush of cold air is noticed. Cold air.

Time to set Clint up for a shot, however. "Barton.. counting down, three.. two.." He can finish the countdown, and she's doing a quick barrel roll with that corkscrew maneuver in order to give him a clear shot at a rotor. He doesn't miss, right? Even at height?

Once that is set up, Yelena is acting in response to Natasha's suggestion. Once they start losing altitude, and they're closer to the ground, Yelena turns her rotors off. Less chance to shear them off through the woods; literally //through// the woods. "It was compliment, but do not use stupid arrow. If you do, I will haunt you."

Flying nap of the earth has got nothing on being near ground level. It's not easy, certainly, and the maneuverability of a helicopter with VSTOL engines is very much brick-like. "Come on, little helicopter. I will give you new oil when we are done."

Clint Barton has posed:
And now?

Clint has his moment.

Yelena's countdown is impeccably helpful. He draws an arrow into his bow and he pulls back on the string. He opens the door and he takes careful aim. There's a reason that, despite being only a human, Clint is considered - along with Natasha - a valued member of the Avengers: he doesn't miss.

Even when he tries, he doesn't miss. It's almost superhuman, if it wasn't a skill.

They start losing altitude and Clint fires an arrow. He draws another and fires it too. Both arrows aim for the pilots chair. Not the engine. Not the gas tank. The pilot.

Easier that way and Clint can reserve his specialty arrows.

Hopefully, it's a one shot kill a piece.