Avalanche

| the past |

Up.

Down.

"196." Hondo counted.

Up.

Down.

"197."

Up.

Down.

"198."

My arms almost gave out on me. Two more, Zoe, two more.

Up.

Down.

"199."

Up.

Down.

"200. You're done."

I flipped and collapsed on the black top, not minding it was burning my back, just needing a well deserved break.

My flight suit was zipped down, and tied around my waist, showing off my white tank top and muscular arms.

Arms that were jelly now.

My other "teammates," that is, if they acted like true teammates, were landing now.

At least all of them had to do 200 pushups now, and mine were already done.

But I had gone out first. I don't know who I was the most mad at, Maverick, Rooster, Hangman, or myself.

I gasped at the air, trying to regulate my breaths back to normal, and ignoring the sweat that was dripping down my face and back.

I imagined that I looked as tired as I felt, if not more. I closed my eyes for a second, relishing at the lack of stimulation.

When I opened them, Hangman was standing over me, so I sat up, gripping my knees.

"Zoe, I called your name twice." He said, offering his hand to help me up.

"I heard you Hangman." I lied, I didn't hear him at all. "I just don't want to talk to you right now."

"Avalanche," he emphasized like I did to his call sign, "is it because you're throwing a fit because you got out first?"

I was silently fuming. Not so silently. "No Jake! It's not! I'm mad, because while I was watching everyone else's back, nobody bothered to watch mine. I saved everybody's lives multiple times, and I got shot for it. This is why your call sign is Hangman, cause you always leave me hanging." I ranted, watching as his face dropped his smirk, "Some team we have here."  I say sarcastically, swatting his hand away, and getting up myself, no matter how weak I felt.

I grabbed my helmet, stomping down the runaway to the building, leaving Hangman in the dust.

I hope I hurt him as much as he hurt me.

"Zoe!" Phoenix called.

"Yeah?" I said, trying not to snap at her. I didn't want to fight with her ever again. I could keep in my temper until I got to my apartment.

"Thank you for saving my butt back there. By the way, you might want to talk to Rooster."

Why would I want to talk to him?

"Why?"

"He and Mav—have some sort of history of something. Rooster broke the hard deck and went against direct orders, just to test who's a better pilot between him and Mav. It was so stupid Zoe."