𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐔 | 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐲 "𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫" 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐰

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

{CHAPTER 𝟎.𝟑}
LOVE AND HATE

"Sometimes the ones who you
love the most are the ones
who hurt you the most."
- 𝐟.𝐦

🝮

"TIME IS YOUR GREATEST ENEMY." Maverick informed the group going in depth explaining the mission. "Phase one of the mission will be a low-level ingress attacking in two plane teams." Fallon stood up next to her father moving on to the next slideshow, "You'll be flying along this narrow canyon to your target. Radar-guided surface-to air missiles defend the area." I explain, soon facing the group once more. "Trust these,  SAMS they're lethal. But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below." Fallon went on. "That's because the enemy knows no one insane enough to try and fly below them."

Rooster so vigorously pointed out, peering into Falcons eyes that looked back into his. "That's exactly what I'm gonna train you to do." Maverick spoke interrupting this lustful staring contest. "On the day. Your altitude will be 100 feet maximum. You exceed this altitude..radar will spot you and you're dead." Mav explained nonchalantly getting straight to the point. "Your airspeed will be 660 knots at minimum. Time to target two and a half minutes. You get in, get out." I voiced, taking the controle as they all watched. "That's because fifth-generation fighters wait at an air base nearby." Fallon went on to explain. "In a head-to-head with these planes in your F-18s. You're dead. This makes time your great advisory." My father acknowledged once more making sure they understood this may just be the hardest mission of their lives. "You'll fly a route in your nav system that simulates the canyon." He continued on, "The faster you navigate this canyon, the harder it'll be to stay under the radar of these enemy SAMs." Explaining that the tighter the turns get the more intensely the force of gravity on your body multiplies compressing your lungs forcing the blood from your brain . Yet you can't let it get to you because you have a mission to complete, a family, people to get home too. "This experience will impair your judgment and reaction time." Mav ended. "Today we're taking it easy on you, max ceiling: 300 feet. Time to target: three minutes. Good luck." I spoke, soon getting a text. "Uh..start without me it'll take a sec." The dark brunette spoke leaving the room, going into the hallway.

UNCLE ICE

"I haven't had you over for lemonade in a pretty
long time kiddo 4pm today? "

"Of course see you then."

Ice was one of my godfathers, Nick Bradshaw, Bradley's father was the other. Ice was the only one I had left, we spent a lot of time together when I was a kid. I would tell him about everything I didn't my dad. He knew all about Brad and I, how pissed and hypocritically hurt I was. Falcon walked back into the room, as my father asked Bradley how he got himself killed during the sim. You're team leader up there. "Why are you, why is your team dead?" He asked sternly. "Sir, he's the only one who made it to the target." Phoenix pointed out, it was obvious she felt the need to stick up for him why? I couldn't help but wonder, had they formed something at the academy? What was it? "A minute late. He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down. He is dead."
"You don't know that." Rooster defended. "You're not flying fast enough. You don't have a second to waste." Hangman so dramatically pointed out making cocky eyes at Rooster. "We made it to the target. And surprior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out." Maverick expressed, more forcefully than before. "Then it's a dog fight." Rooster hissed confidently. "Against 5th generation fighters. " "Yeah. We'd still have a chance." "In an F-18. It's not the plane, sir, it's the pilot." They went back and forth challenging each other. "EXACTLY!" My father shouted. "Captain." I expressed, fed up with their bickering, and completely understanding what he meant. I'm sure the whole room did the tension so sharp you could cut it with a knife.

The room was silent for one single second then Bradley spoke, "There's more than one way to fly this mission." Right behind him, the man with way more to say than he's worth. "You really don't get it. On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here, or a man does not come back. No offense intended." Hangman spoke drifting his eyes from Rooster landing them on Fallon. "Yet somehow you always manage." Bob expressed shooting a glare. "I mean I don't mean to criticize. You're conservative, that's all." He went on. "Lieutenant.":Maverick manages the voice feeling the direction this was going in. "Were going into combat, son on a level no living pilots ever seen. Not even them. There's no time to be living in the past." Hangman expressed not knowing what match he just lit. "What's that supposed to mean?" Bradley questioned the question that infused the fire. "Brad." Fallon spoke softly, trying to get his eyes to meet her but they were trained on Hangman. "I cant be the only one that knows that Maverick flew with his old man." "—Lieutenant, that's enough." " —Or that Maverick was flying when his old man—" BOOM the match dropped. Rooster soon flew up charging at Hangman, rooster getting a few hits and shoves before the lieutenants pulled him off. "You son of a bitch." Rooster cursed, enraged.

The young Mitchell pulled Rooster out of the room, walking him off base. "You don't
have to talk about it...I'll just drive." I told him while walking to my Jeep, he didn't hesitate to get in. And I drove; to a spot we both knew well, our spot. The girl took off her boots as she approached the sand, feeling her toes crinkling in the sand. I slipped off my pilot suite revealing my white bikini bottoms as Rooster took a seat in the sand with a blank face looking at the horizon. He looked up at me for a moment, smiling to himself. "What?" "You still wear a swimsuit under your uniform." He pointed out, that simple fact seemed to ease him. "Well, I still come to the beach everyday after leaving base...the beach cleared my head still does." I expressed, taking a seat beside him. "Flying used to." "Things change. So do people..there wants." Fallon added on speaking, not looking at him but at the sun that would soon sleep in a few short hours. "So...phoenix, she pret—" "She's not you."