Avalanche

| the prisoner |

"I want to see him." I demanded as I was taken into Vice Admiral Simpson's office.

Jinx had been caught by the base police, not even making it out of the building. Although, I had a suspicion that Hangman and Rooster had something to do with that, based on the fact that Jinx was supposedly found with a black eye.

"That's not a good idea." Cyclone says gruffly. He knows exactly who I'm talking about without even mentioning his name.

Hangman said the same thing, that maybe not knowing would be better than knowing. That it would bring up unnecessary conflicts. He said I had suffered enough. While I agreed, I needed closure. And this was the only way I thought I could get it.

"I don't care. I need this to end cleanly. I need closure." I state. "He needs to know he lost." I refrain from adding, again.

Maybe I'm a little too competitive for my own good.

Cyclone turns to the mountain of paperwork, shrouding his desk, "But he got caught."

"But Jinx needs to know that this won't be hanging over my head for the rest of my life." I needed to convince myself that this wasn't going to be hanging over my head for the rest of my life. That I wasn't going to need a therapist for what had happened in this month alone.

"Fine," Vice Admiral Simpson stands up, the chair dragging across the floor behind him. "We'll go now." He beckons me to follow him, and we head towards the detainment cells.

We go through a series of locks and doors, until I find myself standing in front of the man who had tried not once, not twice, but three times to kill me.

Jinx has certainly seen better days. He still has a cut from where my helmet hit him in the head, and there's a black eye just like the rumors have said, but Hangman and Rooster wouldn't tell me which of them did it.

I think it was Jake. 

He look like he hasn't slept in days, dark bags rimming his bloodshot eyes. He looks scratched up. Serves him right.

Mike Kerner looks up, and his gaze hardens at the sight of me.

"Go easy on him," Cyclone says, but I can tell he wants me to do the exact opposite.

"Jinx..." I start, until I realize, "oh wait, you were dishonorably discharged and kicked out of the navy. I guess I can't use your call sign Mike, because you don't deserve one." I say smugly.

"Neither do you," Slider's son mutters, but loud enough I can hear.

"Are you sure about that?" I ask him, partially to taunt him, but I do want to know why he was trying to kill me.

"Yes. You're only here because your dead father pulled every string he could to get you here." He says with a half hearted laugh.

"I've heard my entire career—I'm not here because of my father—I'm just that good."

Mike shoots up, and grabs the bars. The two guards and Warlock flinch back, trying to put more space between them and the convict.

I stand firmly rooted. He doesn't scare me. Not anymore.

Jinx yells, "It should've been my father who got promoted! Not Iceman, he got everything he ever wanted on a silver platter. The glory, the picket fence life, the family, the promotion. He left my father behind in the dust, even though they were each other's wingman's, they were supposed to watch each other's backs!"