"What Am I To You?"

News

The next day, the whole dagger squad went to Mav and Ices house where Phoenix and Rooster were already at.

The group stayed in the living room, watching the TV, waiting for something. Anything about this mission that Hangman and Maverick had.

Rooster sat there, watching the television. He felt a familiar feeling of isolation. A feeling he had after his mother had died of cancer and he was officially an orphan.

That's what this felt like.

He felt like he was going to suffocate on the pain of waiting for something. Anything. He would take anything.

Tell him just the ship was sunk, tell him if anyone crashed, tell him if he had to go to yet another funeral.

He just needed something. He needed something to tell him how to react. Everyone was around him giving him support. They were there for him.

They were a squad.

Then the news channel changed to red. Everyone's eyes shot over. A unannounced panic rose in the group. Rooster watched the television closely.

United States is at war. One Enemy battleship was destroyed in the process of the first move of battle. The second was partially destroyed due to the F/18 engaging in combat being shot down.

Pilots condition unknown.

Rooster had no idea which one.

He had no clue. He gripped Phoenixes hand and looked down at his phone. Who was going to call him first, who was going to be the one to come home. He teared up and covered his face and ran his fingers through his hair.

The entire group all were getting emotional.

Phoenix was holding back tears so she could stay confident for Rooster.

Fanboy was telling him reassuring things, trying to make him stay positive.

Coyote was slightly panicked. His best friend from flight school and the Naval Academy was at risk here.

Bob was making tea for everyone, and trying to distract himself from the news.

Payback wasn't good with emotions so he stayed quiet, but was physically there for support.

"What am I gonna do?" Rooster said. They all looked at him. The poor man looked broken down, he didn't know what say, what to do, or how to act.

He looked around at them.

"What am I supposed to do?"

No one could answer.

Ice sat in the briefing room. He saw that out of the two F/18s sent out, only one returned home. He wasn't informed if it was Maverick or Hangman yet.

Stress was rising in his chest. He didn't want it to be either one of them, but he especially didn't want it to be Maverick.

He was trying his hardest to keep his calm for this entire mission, but this was a declaration of war... and the chances that Mav crashed was high.

He couldn't lose him.

Not again.

Ice paced in his office, waiting to be called by the secretary of defense. He needed something to keep his sanity, and something for rooster to finally react on. He stopped as the secretary of defense came into his office.

"Sir..." Ice said. The secretary sighed and placed something on Ices desk.

Ice knew then.

He knew right there and then. He slowly looked at the desk and saw the wings. "Those are Mavericks." The secretary said. Ice gripped his desk chair and nodded slightly as he lowered his head.

"He told me to give them to you if he didn't make it back. And to tell you, he got your message. He says sorry."

As the man continued, Icemans tears fell.

The notorious Ice Man who showed no emotion and kept his cool, shedded tears.

The secretary of defense cleared his throat and stepped out of the office and stayed outside the door. Ice could barely breathe as he held the wings in his hands.

He winced and gripped his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

This couldn't be happening.

This...

He fell to his knees and continued to gasp for air. The secretary of defense rushed in as he gave orders for his assistances to call 911.

"Breathe commander!"

Ice could do everything except that. He did everything else until he passed out.

He couldn't believe it.

Rooster was half asleep on the couch with everyone else until his phone vibrated. He immediately jumped up and answered.

"Hello!?" He said.

"Hello, is this Bradley Bradshaw?" A woman said on the other end. Rooster raised a brow. "Yes."

"Hi, I'm the Secretary of Defenses assistant. He told me to contact you to meet him at the hospital. The commander of the pacific fleet, Tom Kanzansky had a panic attack at the headquarter. You're listed on his emergency contacts." She said.

Rooster nodded as he walked to the door and grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. "I'll be there in 15 minutes." He hung up as everyone watched him with concern.

"Rooster?" Fanboy said.

"My da- Ice in the hospital, he had a panic attack." He ran out to the car with all of them in tow. They all loaded up into the truck, (even if it wasn't comfortable) and headed to the hospital.

Rooster made it to the hospital and checked in. He was escorted to Ices room without the rest of the group. He stepped into the room and saw Ice hooked up to an oxygen machine.

"Dad..." he said as he walked over to Ice, not even noticing the Secretary of Defense. Ice looked at him weakly and teared up more.

"What happened?" Rooster asked calmly. Ice took roosters hand into his carefully and squeezed it. Ice could barely speak, but all he did was hand Rooster Mavericks wings.

Rooster held them, and thought about it a second. It hit him like a truck in the moment he figured out. "N-no..."

"Captain Pete Mitchell is missing in action, he crashed amongst two battleships. It's highly unlikely he made it out alive." The secretary said.

"I'm sorry son..."

Rooster looked at Ice. Ice turned his gaze and teared up. Rooster looked at the wings and teared up.

"No..."