𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐔𝐒𝐀 [𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫]

07

The next morning was brutal. Everyone in the team was exhausted from the day before as well as the night they all had endured. Sydney was never one to shy away from a situation just because she was embarrassed but she couldn't figure out how to muster up enough courage to face Rooster after he heard what happened. He didn't even give her a chance to explain everything. He just allowed Hangman to do what he does best and ruin things.

"We're going to need to talk." Phoenix said in passing as they walked to take their seats and await further instruction from Warlock. Sydney nodded and found herself looking for somewhere new to sit considering she didn't want to be anywhere near Hangman. The only other empty seats were next to Rooster and Coyote so the most neutral option was next to Coyote.

After waiting for what felt like forever in the awkward silence that filled the room, Warlock finally made his way to the front and began talking. "Good morning. The uranium enrichment plant that is your target will be operational earlier than expected. Raw uranium will be delivered to the plant in ten days time." Sydney looked over to Maverick and saw his head fall slightly. He had wasted a day to train on things that weren't necessarily important.

Warlock continued, "As a result, your mission has been moved up one week in order to avoid contaminating the target valley with radiation." Now everyone was concerned for the outcome of the mission considering the parameters for it hadn't been met yet.

Sydney had let her head fall as well. She had no idea how the mission would turn out and was nervous that they wouldn't be able to do it and also nervous about one of them not coming home. "Sir," she picked up her head and looked at Coyote as he spoke, "No one here has successfully flown a low-level course."

"Nevertheless, you've been ordered to move on." Warlock looked to Maverick, "Captain."

Maverick walked to the front of the room to address his students and go over the lesson for the day. It was time to turn to phase two and begin focusing on the inverted dive, the bomb drop, and the climb out. Then they'd have to worry about coffin corner. Needless to say, Sydney was stressed from the moment Maverick had started talking.

When the run through started, everything was smooth. Granted not a single one of them could hit the target. Maverick had referred to this part as the miracles, which was true. Sydney had gotten close the first two times she ran it, but couldn't get it directly. So she went back up with Hangman, Phoenix and Bob, and Payback and Fanboy. Hangman didn't hit it, but she managed to hit it directly. The mission was still deemed a fail because of Hangman but, she was proud of herself.

"Yeah Cowgirl!" Fanboy said through the radio as they stayed in the air. Sydney hadn't seen Hangman cut across in front of her and got caught in his jet wash.

"Syd!" Phoenix called out as she watched her spin. All Sydney could think about was how everything had happened and how she hadn't got the chance to talk things through with Rooster. Meanwhile he was sitting in the room listening to everything happen on the radio. He was freaking out internally and smashing anything he could insight. He couldn't imagine what would happen if Sydney didn't punch out.

"Cowgirl, punch out!" Maverick yelled through the radio as Sydney's aircraft fell behind a mountain. No one could see the girl punch out, just the smoke from the aircraft after it hit the ground. Maverick called to the tower for search and rescue as he instructed everyone else to head back.

Rooster was the first one to meet them on the tarmac. He went right to Phoenix who was trying her best to hold herself together but she was so unsure of the situation that Sydney was in she didn't know how. "What happened?" Rooster asked her, knowing she had seen the whole thing happen.

"We flew the course. Hangman missed, but Sydney hit the target the second time. She pulled up, leveled wings and we were congratulating her, Hangman cut her off and she got caught in his jet wash." Rooster looked over to Hangman, he didn't hold the usual smug look on his face. Instead, he was just as frightened as everyone else. He was alone in his head wondering why he would ever think about doing something that reckless.

"Your ego just couldn't handle the idea that a woman did something better than you, could it? Let alone that woman be Sydney." Rooster walked up to him and gave a shove. "She could be seriously hurt, or worse, and it would be because of you." he spat. Hangman didn't fight back. He knew any outcome of this situation would land poorly on him.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw, that's enough." Maverick said as he walked up the pavement. Rooster rolled his eyes and walked away to wait for the search and rescue to get back. In the meantime, he washed up and found himself a quiet place to sit while he waited. He mulled over the idea of losing Sydney the same way he lost his father. The idea was making him sick to his stomach. Two of the most important people to him gone the same way? He wouldn't be able to live with himself.

As he sat thinking about anything and everything, Maverick came in and interrupted his train of thought. "She's okay." he said watching as Rooster's body relaxed, "They're going to keep her overnight for observation. She's gonna be okay."

Rooster nodded, "That's good." He had yet to even look in Maverick's direction. "I've never lost a wingman."

"You're lucky. Fly long enough, it'll happen." Maverick turned to walk out of the room, "They'll be others."

"Easy for you to say. No wife," Rooster started which caused Maverick to turn back toward the younger man, "No kids. Nobody to mourn you when you burn in." Maverick held in the twinge of pain he was feeling from Rooster's words.

"Go home," He was trying so hard to not get upset, "Just get some sleep." Rooster stood up and began to talk. He allowed his anger from the current situation and the previous one between him and Maverick to merge and create an even bigger outburst than intended.

"Why did you pull my papers at the Academy?" His voice raised, "Why did you stand in my way?"

"You weren't ready." Maverick still had his back turned to him.

"Ready for what?" Rooster walked closer to him now, Maverick couldn't ignore the man standing behind him anymore, "Ready to fly like you-"

"Ready to forget the book. Trust your instincts. Don't think, just do. You think up there, you're dead. Believe me." Pete tried to reason but Bradley's voice of reason was currently sitting in an infirmary bed after having a very traumatic day, so all he had was the voice of his anger.

"My dad believed in you." They held the intense stare as Bradley drove the knife in further, "I'm not going to make the same mistake." Pete's gaze faltered and their conversation was cut off by Warlock coming in. Bradley didn't care enough to stick around so he made his way down to the infirmary where Phoenix had already beaten him to the chair next to Sydney. She was asleep so he wasn't missing much and offered to go get them a drink. Phoenix begged for coffee before he walked away.

Sydney's polaroid -