Lights | J. Seresin

3

Did that just...

River sighed, as she and her sister hasn't talked for a couple days now, just glares from her, it made River uneasy.

"Harper still being quite an ass?" Rooster questioned her. "Yep..." River said and he sighed. "She's bullhead, but you were like that at her age." Rooster said which cause River to glare at him.

"Still do sometimes..." He mutter and she sighed. "But don't worry she'll come around eventually like we said." Rooster said. Maverick walked into the room, the room went into complete silence as he made his way to the front.

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." River bit her lip as she listened to Maverick speak. "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.

..........

To say, nobody didn't succeed this phase of the training. Maverick looked at them and sighed then prodded them for reasons behind their mistakes.

"What happened?" Maverick questioned Hangman. he looked at Maverick, with a prideful smirk evident on his face, "I flew as fast as I could. Kind of like my life depended on it." Hangman replied to Maverick.

"Yeah and you put your team in danger and now your wingman is dead." Rooster criticized him. "They couldn't keep up." He replied. River shook her head, "He isn't thinking." River thought

Maverick looked at both River and Rooster. "Why are you two dead?" He asked the both of them. "Maverick, these two were the only one who made it to the target." Phoenix said. "A minute late, which gave time for the enemy aircraft to shoot them both down." Maverick responded.

"You don't know that."  Rooster argued. Hangman sighed. "You're not flying fast enough." He replied. River sighed. "Hangman, that's not the way to go on the mission." River said and he looked at her before not saying a word

"River 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 and River sighed. "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 Bradley. "This mission. A man like Maverick here or He doesn't come back." He looks over at Phoenix. "No offense." He winks at her. She scoffed. "Yet somehow, you always manage." Bob said as he made eye contact with Hangman. Harper walked into the room, she noticed tension in the air and she made eye contact with Maverick and she sighed quietly.

"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 as ever seen. Not even him." Hangman said looking a Maverick which caused Maverick to look at him. "It's no time to be thinking about the past, Rooster." Hangman said. Rooster looked at him, "What's that suppose to mean?" Rooster questioned

"Rooster." Maverick called out but he ignored him."Oh shit." Harper muttered. "I can't be the only one that knows Maverick flew with his old man..." 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, River, 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. "HEY!" Harper barked which caused everyone to freeze then look at the seventeen year old.

"This isn't how a team works!" Harper shouts as she approaches the middle. "Rooster, you gotta relax buddy." Harper said. Then she looked at Hangman sternly, "Oh crap, protective sister mode." Payback muttered, "I know you got the hots for my sister, but being ass isn't it, if you want to my sister, get that damn cocky ass attitude and lose it!" Harper exclaimed, He looked at her, "Do I make myself clear, Mr. Seresin?" She questioned him and he nodded very slowly at her. "Coyote, more communication, because that's important here." Harper said and he nodded."Now... All of you, stop with the petty arguments, because this fighting isn't the way to go." Harper said. Harper looked at River, "If you have to sis, just bark next time or I'll come do it." Harper said and River shook her head. "Now everyone, do I make myself clear?" Harper asked and everyone nodded. "Thank you." Harper said. "Have a great evening."

Harper walked out of the room and everyone was shocked, Mostly Hangman. "Did Hangman get told off by a seventeen year old?" Phoenix questioned. "Like being said, Harper doesn't mess around when it comes to River." Rooster muttered. River looked at Hangman, she was flustered.

"You all are dismissed." Maverick said as everyone left the room. River stormed out of the room quickly. "Damn Harper." She muttered