V i p e r || J. Seresin

A Plan

In life, grief is a natural part of the healing process because we suffer from being left, we suffer from the feeling of being empty because of the pain and the grief we are dealing with. Whether the situation is separation or death

Grief. It's the emotional suffering you feel when something or someone you love is taken away. Often, the pain of loss can feel overwhelming. You may experience all kinds of difficult and unexpected emotions, from shock or anger to disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness.

The hallmark symptom of shock is feeling a surge of adrenalin. You may feel jittery or physically sick, like you're going to vomit or have diarrhea. Your mind will likely feel very foggy, or like you can't think straight. You may feel out of body. Shock is that feeling of pause while the brain makes a new connection, one that brings high emotion of either joy or sorrow. It is finding yourself unexpectedly on a platform, train approaching, realising that this time the destination is not a choice. Shock brings a quietness within, a moment to feel my emotions change gear and girder my soul for what is to come. Shock can be good, can be bad, yet it is always a signal a change in game is required.

Aching, cramping, fearful. They're signs of pain. It shows the human nature of people within and their ability to feel emotions even in their darkest hours. Pain is an uncomfortable feeling that tells you something may be wrong. It can be steady, throbbing, stabbing, pinching, or described in many other ways. Sometimes, it's just a nuisance, like a mild headache. Pain is a general term that describes uncomfortable sensations in the body. It stems from activation of the nervous system. Pain can range from annoying to debilitating.

Grief, shock, pain. The three things I'm feeling. But I should add one more thing. Numbness. Emotionless. It hurts too much to confront, to overcome, to get it together.

We land back on the ship. Everyone is restless as they want a team to go out there but Simpson refuses. I avoid everyone as they ask for my opinion and instead walk past them into a confined space tucking my knees to my chest and tossing my helmet to the side.

The door to the little room opens. To my surprise it's Hangman, Jake... whatever. He steps in front of me leaning down crouching to where our feet almost touch. He gives me a sad look but I just force a smile.

"You don't have to pretend in front of me, Angel."

I sigh, "I'm not," he delivers a knowing look causing me to roll my eyes, "seriously, I'm not."

"Dev, your father and teammate were just shot out of the sky. How can you possibly be so calm about this?"

I pout sticking out my lower lip. "'What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.' Albert Pike."

"A strong quote. Viper, please talk to me."

"I am talking to you."

"You know what I mean, V."

I lift my head slanting it to the side. He doesn't care to check for cameras as he slips his hand in the palm of my own. I smile softly when he squeezes it lightly in a comforting way.

I begin to laugh hysterically realizing that he actually believes they're dead. I cover my mouth trying to put an end to my laughing. "I'm sorry, haha, I just, the look on your face you think they're dead."

"There wasn't a chute that anyone could see. There were no sightings of them after the hits. It's unlikely they survived, V."

"No," I stop him, "Rooster ejected in his chute I saw it myself, and as for my dad do you know just how hard it is to kill us Mitchells?"

"Devyn-"

"Hear me out, okay?" I stare at him with an annoyed expression. Why does everyone have the tendency to cut me off when I'm talking. I hate it. His mouth gaps slightly about to speak but I send him a stern look shutting him up. He listens to me attentively. "Rooster is alive, I know that and my dad, well, he's probably the hardest person to kill, me following afterward."

Jake asks, "what makes you think he survived the fall?"

"Just because they didn't see a chute doesn't mean there wasn't one. And as to why, before we were here we were testing the Dark Star for a program we were working on. Maverick hit Mach ten but stupidly chose to go further nearly blowing himself up in the process."

He laughs, "I know he lives like there's no tomorrow."

"His call sign is 'Maverick' for a reason. He's always getting into trouble. Then there was the bird strike here, stealing the planes to prove a point...the point is he's not going down that easy, even on this mission."

"If they are alive they're not going to allow a search team to go and find them."

"I know," I sigh, "Simpson won't allow it with bandits in the air, but we also can't just sit and wait around, we need to do something."

"They're on a enemy base far from home with no ability to get in contact with the commanders here."

I tilt my head, a thought coming to mind. "I wouldn't be so sure about that..." he furrows his brow. "If they make it to the enemy runway then they'll have a chance of communicating back to us."

He shakes his head, "the runway was bombed. It's completely destroyed, they wouldn't be able to do that since all the structures were blown to pieces."

I crinkle my forehead, "come on, Jake, you really think that's their only communication line? Their pilots wouldn't be able to communicate with each other if that were the case."

Jake helps me to my feet. We walk out of the room and divide. He heads back to his plane on standby. Knowing me so well he knows I have a plan and that includes talking to our advisors.

I stride up to the command center. "Sir," Admirals Simpson and Bates face me not expecting my arrival to their area of the ship. "It may be hard to believe but I know they're coming back."

"Lieutenant, both of their planes went down. Maverick's chute didn't deploy. It's unlikely they survived."

My eyes harden on the Admiral who has no belief in their survival. "You don't have to believe that they survived, that's fine, but the bandits have left the area. I'd like permission to go back and check."

"Negative."

"But sir-"

"Lieutenant, I understand the struggle in accepting that they aren't coming back but we can not authorize a launch."

I tilt my head, my eyes glistening in pure anger. "They may just be pilots to you but they're my family. No man left behind."

Admiral Simpson takes a step toward me crossing his arms. "Let me be clear Lieutenant, you will not leave this ship without my approval. Rooster was a great friend to you-"

"Brother," my eyes focused on the floor as I whisper.

"What?"

I inch closer meeting his eyes. My lips are thin as I tell him, "he may not be blood but he is my big brother. I'm sorry that you don't have the decency to acknowledge my close contact with both men stranded on enemy territory-"

"That's enough Viper."

"But I won't apologize for wanting to take a risk in getting them back. One way or another I will get them back with or without your help."

He's about to turn me down when a man gathers the attention of both Admirals. "Sir, we're receiving a signal from Rooster's ESAP, but there seems to be a malfunction."

I dart my eyes to the screen seeing what he is saying. "Have you lost him?" Bates asks.

"No sir, he's supersonic."

"He's airborne," I inform, unsurprised.

Admiral Simpson turns to Bates and I, he asks, "in what?"

"Sir," I woman wearing a headset says, "Overwatch reports an F-14 Tomcat is airborne and on course for our position."

I scoff loudly, "son of a bitch," Hondo looks at me with a hidden smile.

"Can't be. It can't be," Bates stutters in disbelief.

Admiral Simpson's eyes widen more in amazement. "Maverick."

I uncross my arms preparing to leave. I'm about to walk out of the room but I turn back. Admiral Simpson and Bates stare at me suspiciously. I smile innocently. "You should listen to us Mitchell's more often, Admiral. I'll be on deck standing by."

Fucking asshole.