Hope | R. Floyd

4

Really?

"You mean?" Rooster said when Dove mentioned that Hollywood visit last night. "Yes, he came by and visited last night, I mean I was shock but it was really good to see him." Dove responded. "I wonder what he's doing back here?" Rooster questioned. "Thought is who will be showing up back here?" Dove responding. They heard the door opened and everyone went silent. "We can talk about this later." Rooster whispered and Dove nodded.

Maverick made his way to front which everyone had their focus on him. He stood in front of a monitor that displayed a flight simulation. "Phase one of the mission will be a low-level attack. You'll be flying along the narrow canyon walls to the target. The surface-to-air missiles defend the skies above, not the canyon below." He explained.

"That's because no one is insane enough to fly below." Rooster commented. "That's exactly what I'm going to train you to do." Maverick responded. He described the low altitudes and high speeds the pilots would be flying for today's simulation. It was an improvement from the actual altitude and speed required for the mission, but it was still worrying. No pilot had ever flown a mission like this before, not even Maverick. "Time to target is two and a half minutes." "Fifth-generation fighter jets wait at a base nearby. You need to get in and you need to get out. This makes time your greatest adversary." Maverick explained.

..................

Dove was frustrated as she didn't succeed... no one did. Dove looked up at Maverick then Maverick looked at her. "Dove... why are you dead?" He asked her. "First off, I was one of the ones made it to the target, a minute late.... but I froze up there, so much was circling on my mind at the moment, I was lacking communication with Phoenix and Bob, but you and I know that isn't acceptable but most important, not the greatest explanation to tell both of their families if some were to happen, not to mention I would never forgive myself if something happen to the both of them." Dove explained as she bit her lip. Everyone was surprised at her answered, Maverick was pleased which he didn't question her any further and He went on to Hangman.

"What happened?" He questioned Hangman. A prideful smirk evident on his face, "I flew as fast as I could. Kind of like my life depended on it." He answered and Dove rolled her eyes. "Yeah and your put your team in danger and now your wingman is dead." Rooster criticized him. "They couldn't keep up." Hangman answered. "Time is the thing to worry about, not whose the fastest." Dove said to him.

Maverick turned his attention on Rooster, "Why are you dead?"  Maverick questioned him. "Sir, just like Dove, he also made it to the target." Phoenix responded. "A minute late, which gave time for the enemy aircraft to shoot them both down." Maverick replied to Phoenix. "You don't know that." Rooster argued. Hangman sighed. "You're not flying fast enough." He replied. "You aren't thinking, one wrong move, someone is going to end up dead." Dove spatted.

"Dove and I made it to the target." Rooster stated. "And superior enemy aircraft intercepted the both of you on your way out." Maverick stated as he looked at both Hangman and Rooster. "Then it's a dog fight." Rooster said. "Against Fifth generation fighters?" Maverick questioned.

"We still have a chance sir." Rooster said not taking a defeat. "In a F-18?" Maverick questioned once more with rueful chuckle at him. "It's not the plane, sir. It's the pilot." Rooster replied. "Exactly!" Maverick flings back. Rooster looks at him for a moment and sighs in stress. "There's way more then just one way to fight on this mission." 

"You really don't get it do you?" Hangman turns his head back once again at Rooster. "This mission. A man like Maverick here or He doesn't come back." He looks over at Phoenix and Dove. "No offense." He winks at them. They both scoffed. "Yet somehow, you always manage." Bob said as he made eye contact with Hangman. Dove couldn't help but smile at Bob.

"I don't mean, by any chance to criticize your conservative, that's all. We're going into combat. on a level no living pilot has ever seen. Not even him." Hangman said as he looked at Maverick. Maverick gave him a look. "It's no time to be thinking about the past Rooster." Hangman said. Dove's eyes widened as she knew that he was about to bring up Goose. "What's that suppose to mean?" Rooster questioned him. "Really?" Dove questioned as she glared at Hangman knowing what he's about to do.

"Rooster." Maverick called out but he ignored him."Hangman, just shut up." Dove spatted. "I can't be the only one that knows Maverick flew with his old man and Dove's..." Hangman said. "Okay that's enough." Maverick warned Hangman. "And that Maverick was flying when his old man-." Before Hangman could finish, Rooster leaped out of his chair and tried to go after him, Dove, Phoenix and Bob helped grabbed him while Fanboy, Payback and Coyote grabbed Hangman.

"That's enough!" Maverick barked. "You son of a bitch!" Rooster exclaimed at Hangman. "Hey, I'm cool, I'm cool." Hangman said with a smile on his face while looking at Rooster. Dove told Rooster to relax. "You know I'm right." Hangman said to Maverick as he left. Dove rolled her eyes. "You're all dismissed." Maverick said. 

.........

Dove waited for Bob, Rooster came out. "You okay bestie?" She asked. He nodded, "He just got under my skin that's all." Rooster said. She sighed, "I don't blame you for getting angry." Dove said. "What about you?" Rooster said, She sighed knowing what he referring to. "Hopefully I am the one telling everyone, not him blasting it, you, phoenix and Bob are the only pilots who knows about this... I'll tell them, I had this conversation with my dad last night." Dove said. "Just do it when you are ready, I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he patted her on the shoulder and she nodded.

He walked to his bronco, then she saw Bob and smiled. "Well...  are you ready for a dinner at the Wells household tonight?" She asked him and he smiled then nodded at her.

.........