CHAPTER FIVE: you didn't have to miss me, bradshaw.
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Maverick had kept his word on the 200 push-up deal. Riley had passed Rooster in the yard as he was doing his—having been the first person to be 'shot down'. Sweat was dripping from his forehead and his teeth were clenched as he struggled to complete the push-ups. He was at one hundred and seventy three. In her passing, Rooster had glanced up, catching her gaze before he began going through the push-ups a lot faster. Riley stopped and stared at him for a moment. Could he really have been that mad at her that it was fuelling him to complete the almost impossible 200 push-ups?
Riley shook her head and headed back into the base, passing her brother as he was gearing up. He snickered as he looked across at Rooster, "Knew it would be him." He told her confidently, settling his hands on his hips as he watched Rooster with a pleased smile on his face.
Riley sighed, "If it wasn't for him it would be Payback and Fanboy out there." She reminded him of Rooster's heroic act. It proved that he didn't just care about himself up there—he was loyal to his team and would die for them. Even if it was just a training exercise; he would do the same thing on a mission.
Jake scoffed, "And it should've been," Jake said, making Riley roll her eyes, "Up there, it's you or them. You should always put yourself first, Riles—"
"You don't really believe that do you?" She asked him, baffled by how selfish her brother had come to be. She knew he hadn't always been that way. There was a time where he would've done the same as Rooster, "Jake, what about mom—"
"I said what I said, Riles," Jake spoke over her, cutting off her next string of words. She stared up at him, disbelief written over her face. Her brother stepped closer to her, "Just do me a favour and don't pull any of that shit out there, okay? No point in being a hero if you don't make it back." He spoke down to her, their green gazes locked on each other.
Riley shook her head, "You're unbelievable." She banged into his shoulder, passing him as he called after her but she didn't turn back. She didn't even want to look at her brother right then.
Riley tried to pretend like she couldn't see a change in her brother those last few years—but she had, it was impossible not to. Jake had always been cocky and confident but it wasn't just that anymore. He truly did believe that it was each man for themselves out there. Riley knew what had made that change but she still didn't agree with it because it completely discredited everything their mother had stood for. Everything they had once stood for.
"Hey, you good?" Phoenix asked in passing, reading the look of annoyance on Riley's face.
Riley stoped, glancing back at her brother that was heading out to the runway. She then looked back to Phoenix and put a hand on her shoulder, "Just be careful with him up there," Phoenix looked at her in surprise. Riley heaved out a sigh, "We call him Hangman for a reason, right?" Her voice almost held defeat, like she was slowly coming to terms that her brother truly was a one-man-team.
