Sunshine (Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x OC)

Chapter 29

"Why are you dead?" Maverick posed the question to Rooster directly. "You're team leader up there. Why are you, why is your team dead?"

"Sir, he's the only one who made it to the target." Phoenix reminded, cutting through the class scolding.

"A minute late." Maverick added. "He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down. He is dead along with Sunshine."

"You don't know that." Rooster countered with a slight shake of his head.

"You're not flying fast enough." Hangman groaned in annoyance. "You don't have a second to waste."

"We made it to the target." Rooster focused his gaze back onto Maverick, ignoring the other pilots comment.

"And superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out." Maverick stepped closer.

"Then it's a dogfight." Rooster told him simply with challenge and determination to his voice.

"Against fifth-generation fighters." Maverick reminded.

"Yeah. We'd still have a chance." he replied calmly while I sunk further in on myself.

"In an F-18." Maverick added another reminder as Hangman smirked from the front, Phoenix looked down and Bob sat tensely.

"It's not the plane, sir, it's the pilot." Rooster spoke up with confidence.

"Exactly!" The room went silent at Mavericks remark as my head snapped up towards them both in shock.

"There's more than one way to fly this mission." Rooster told him as he face fell stern.

"You really don't get it." Hangman spoke up again and Rooster glanced down slightly.

"Shut up, Hangman" I scolded, always defending my pilot even if I didn't know where I stood with him.

"On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here, or a man does not come back. No offense intended." He looked over to Phoenix.

"Yet somehow you always manage." Bob leaned forward to look at Hangman.

"Look, I don't mean to criticize. You're conservative, that's all." Hangman looked back at Rooster to continue his point.

"Lieutenant." Maverick cut in.

"We're going into combat, son, on a level no living pilot's ever seen. Not even him." Hangman switched his gaze to Maverick as Rooster shifted in his seat, trying not to let Hangman get to him. "That's no time to be thinking about the past." Hangman commented looking over at Rooster.

"What's that supposed to mean?"Rooster looked over at him sternly, wanting to know what exactly he was referring to.

"Shit" I muttered as I watched the two carefully.

"Rooster." Maverick looked over at him, prepared to cold him in warning.

"I can't be the only one that knows that Maverick flew with his old man." Hangman continued to taunt.

"That's enough." Maverick shot a loook to Hangman who didnt seem to want to quit this time. I sat up slightly, prepared to jump in at any second.

"Or that Maverick was flying when his old man..." Hangman started.

"Lieutenant, that's enough!" Maverick shouted as Rooster lunged from his seat, the rest of us following to pull them apart. "That's enough." Maverick repeated as Coyote pulled Hangman back and Payback pulled Rooster back, allowing me to step between them.

"You son of a bitch!" Rooster pointed with anger at Hangman over my shoulder as he tried to get around.

"Hey, come on!" They finally separated fully, the fight being held off. I pushed Bradshaw back by the chest with enough force to keep him away from Hangman but not enough to make him stumble.