Avalanche

| the before |

As you may have heard, for the next three days, all we were supposed to do was run through the course multiple times, striving for perfection.

Correction, they, not we.

I was still in the ground, watching from the computer everyone's run through Phase 1 and Phase 2. I would watch my friends, like Rooster, Phoenix, and Bob, complete the simulation.

It was uncomfortable silence, because Hangman was also in the room, with his friends, Coyote, Payback and Fanboy.

I could feel their silent judging eyes on my back, as I kept my eyes glued to the board. My left leg kept bouncing up and down, I couldn't wait to be in a cockpit again.

I don't know where I'd be in life without one.

Maverick was now in the air, watching from the skies. I would do the same in only a few minutes, supervising the afternoon session.

"Avalanche? We're wrapping up the session, get everyone out on the tarmac ready for takeoff." Uncle Mav says on the radio.

"Okay Maverick." I look behind me, and look nobody has moved. "Did you hear him? Let's go people." I said, keeping it brief.

I walked out of the room, and the rest of the detachment was following. My hand kept shaking, but I tried to make it stop by clenching and unclenching it.

Feelings of excitement and nervousness arose, but I brushed them away. I couldn't afford to think.

I belonged in the air.

❅

Nobody told me that being an advisor would be a boring.

I mean, I literally just stayed in the air, watching as the pilots completed the course.

One by one, they went in order, some completing the course, others failing from clipping the canyon wall, being to slow, or missing the target altogether.

After several hours, we were finally down to the last person.

Hangman.

And Payback and Fanboy.

It would be an easy run for Hangman, I didn't expect to be surprised with his upcoming success.

His wingman had trouble in the past keeping up, so we'd see if they could make it this time.

Hangman speaks to me for the first time since he found out I had been pulled off the mission and replaced as a advisor. "Avalanche, green zone open?"

"Affirmative Hangman. Proceed."

"Time to target, 2 minutes and 30 seconds." Gambit announces.

In a blink of an eye, Hangman was gone, flying the canyon through the simulation course in his F-18. Payback and Fanboy follow closely behind.

I heard Jake over the radio as he grunted from the force of gravity, zig zagging back and forth between the walls.

Fanboy was giving out speed statistics and time to target, paving the boys well. Hangman was going fast, but it was under control, and was probably the best I'd seen all day.