Bradley Bradshaw (Rooster) x Reader

Chapter 3- Ice Cold

Ice.
The cold can be unforgiving, similar to a mission I suppose.
You're out there too long, you die.

Then again you could associate it with ice cold focus, being calm, sure of yourself and your actions.

Day two of training.
A dark and gloomy am atmosphere sits in the room, engulfing us like a dense fog.

We sit in silence as we look at the planned route. A thick aura of fear and excitement radiates off us.

If we pull this off, it'll be legendary.

"Time. Will be your best friend and your worst enemy on this mission. You will have two minutes and thirty seconds max before enemy fighters are in the air chasing you down. Which you don't need as you exit coffin corner." He points to the screen.

It moves to zoom in on the vast mountain.

"That incline- that's gotta be at least 8Gs." Hangman states, looking to Maverick.

"Nine. Minimum. You'll be disoriented, your skull will be crushing your spine, your lungs compressing and you'll be dodging enemy SAMs the moment you reach the top, at which point you'll be rapidly losing speed. The last thing you'll need is a dogfight straight away."

Before I knew it, Maverick was sending out groups to attempt to complete the arduous 'mock' mission in time.

No one managed it.
Not even my group. We were two seconds off. I could've done it but you never leave your wingman.

On a mission like this you can't play the soul hero. You can't do it alone. Hangman proves that consistently as his wingman almost always dies, leaving him a sitting duck.

But he's Hangman. So it's all- 'I'm fast enough, speed this, speed that, I'm the best here.'
Personally I'd argue he has a lot to learn but if I say that to him all hell will break loose.

"Why are they dead?" Maverick questions, a serious look on his face.

"I slowed down to-" Coyote begins.

"An answer their family will accept at the funeral. You didn't communicate with your wingmen."

He turns to Rooster, pausing. Almost contemplating asking.

"Why are you dead?"

Rooster stares back at him blankly for a second.

"There's more than one way to complete the mission."

"You were too slow-" he raises his voice.

Phoenix chirps up in Rooster's defence.

"Only two groups survived the initial route. He was one of them. At least they made it there."

I nod in agreement but before I can open my mouth Hangman shouts up, his piercing eyes locked on Rooster.

"You aren't fast enough. You're too careful. We are going into combat no living pilot has ever seen. Not even him." He smirks and stands.

"You're too cautious."

"At least I don't leave my wingmen."

"You aren't going fast enough. You'd both be dead anyway," he laughs before continuing.

"Maybe it's because of what happened to his weapons officer. He was flying the plane when the accident happened right?" Hangman mocks.

Rooster jolts up from his seat and goes to lunge forward before being held back by myself and a couple of others. His face crimson with anger. Hangman copies and jerks his body forwards only to be quickly grabbed too.