Reverie 》Bob Floyd

Chapter 6

After the surprising finish to yesterday's training, everyone was curious to see how today would go. 

Spoiler alert, it went horribly. 

Coyote, Phoenix, and Bob are the first team up in the sky. 

"Time to target is a minute and thirty, we are two seconds behind. Increase speed to 490 knots," Bob informs. "We gotta move Coyote," Phoenix relays through the radio. 

"Copy, increasing speed," Coyote informs but he hesitates and doesn't move fast enough. 

Phoenix has to pull up in order to avoid crashing, causing her to go past the hard deck and be hit by SAMS.

Back in the hangar, Maverick has their run on screen. 

"Why are they dead?" Maverick asks seriously the aviators, looking at the three who just came back. 

"We broke the 300 foot ceiling and a SAM took us out," Phoenix replies.

"No, why are they dead," he asks Coyote specifically this time. 

"I slowed down and I didn't give her a warning. It's my fault," Coyote admits. 

"Is there a reason you didn't communicate with your team?" Maverick pushes. He needs them to understand just how serious this is. 

"I was focused..." Coyote begins, but he's quickly cut off. 

"One that their families will accept at their funerals?" Maverick questions seriously. 

"No sir," Coyote replies, realizing the magnitude of the question. 

"Why didn't you anticipate the turn? You were briefed on the terrain," he now questions Phoenix. 

Phoenix tries to come up with an answer. 

"Don't tell me, tell it to his family, tell that to Malina," Maverick gestures to Bob. 

Bob looks down slightly at that. He had always been honest with Malina about the risks of his job. But this mission seemed to be pushing even the boundaries he thought possible. 

Soon enough, Hangman, Payback, and Fanboy were back from their failed rub. 

"What happened?" Maverick questions, yet again. 

"Well, I flew as fast as i could, kinda like my ass depended on it," Hangman replies with his usual smirk. 

"And you put your team in danger, and your wingman's dead," Rooster deadpanned. 

"They couldn't keep up," Hangman replies without hesitation. (Oh how most of the unit wanted to smack him.) 

But the day really came to a head after Rooster's run. 

"Why are you dead?" Maverick asks him.  "You're team leader up there, why are you, why is your team dead?" 

Phoenix is there to defend him, however. "Sir, he's the only one that made it to the target." 

"A minute late, he gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down," Maverick shoots back. "He is dead."

"You don't know that," Rooster defends himself. 

"You're not flying fast enough," Hangman says. "You don't have a second to waste." 

"We made it to the target," Rooster continues to defend. He truly didn't see anything wrong. 

But Maverick needs to get his point across. "And superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out." 

"Then it's a dog fight," Rooster fires back at him.