You're On Your Own, Kid (A Lt. Bob Floyd Fanfic)

Chapter 4

A/N - This is mostly a filler chapter, but I wanted to show more of Rooster and Caroline's friendship.

They suited up, grabbed their helmets, and made their way to their jets to check them over before the exercise.

"Did you know he'd be here?" Rooster asked Caroline.

"What? No."

"Don't lie to me, Caroline."

"I'm not lying to you Rooster! I mean, I had a suspicion when I saw him at the Hard Deck last night, but I've never even met Maverick!"

Rooster's brows furrowed. "You...you've never...?"

Caroline shook her head.

"Rooster!" Maverick called.

Rooster ignored him. "You swear you've never met Maverick?" Rooster asked.

"Bradley!"

Caroline shook her head and took Rooster's hand in her own. "I swear to you, Bradley. I've never met Maverick in my life. I'd never lie to you. You're my best friend and brother."

"Lieutenant Bradshaw!"

Rooster finally turned to Maverick. "Yes, sir."

Maverick looked at Caroline. "You're dismissed Lieutenant Kazansky."

Caroline nodded and squeezed Rooster's hand before walking off. She found Bob checking his jet with Phoenix and kissed his cheek. "Good luck out there."

"Th-Thanks," he stuttered.

Rooster, Fanboy, and Payback were up first.

Caroline sat in the rec room with the rest of the pilots listening to the radio.

"Good morning, aviators. This is your captain speaking. Welcome to basic fighter maneuvers. As briefed, today's exercise is dogfighting. Guns only, no missiles. We do not go below the hard deck of 5,000 feet. Working as a team, you have to shoot me down, or else."

"Or else what, sir?" Payback asked.

"Or else I shoot back. If I shoot either one of you down, you both lose."

"This guy needs an ego check," Hangman said, causing Caroline to roll her eyes.

"We'll see to that," a couple of the pilots said.

"So what do you say we put some skin the game?" Payback suggested.

"What did you have in mind?" Maverick asked.

"Whoever gets shot down first has to do 200 push-ups."

"Guys, that's a lot of push-ups."

"Well they don't call it exercise for nothing, sir," Fanboy said.

"You got yourself a deal, gentlemen. Fight's on. Let's turn and burn."

God, Caroline would give anything to be in the air right now. She'd heard of Maverick's exploits from her father, but now she would get to see the pilot in action.

"Fanboy, you see him?" Rooster asked.

"Nothing on radar up ahead. He must be somewhere behind us."

"Dammit!"

"What the hell?" Payback asked.

"Shit!" Fanboy cursed.

Careful Rooster.

Caroline knew her godbrother could be very temperamental and hot-headed. She hoped he kept his cool today.

"Tally, tally, tally!" Fanboy called out, "Maverick's coming in! Break left!"

"Breaking left," Payback said.

"Payback, where's your wingman?" Maverick asked.

"Rooster, where are you?"

"I got you back. I'm coming. Hang in there. Hang in there."

"Hurry up, man! Hurry up!"

"Payback, break right."

"Breaking right."

"Rooster just saved your life, fellas. But it's gonna cost him."

"Not this time, old man."

Dammit.

Rooster was letting his anger rule him.

"Rooster, you're too low! Pull up! You're hitting the hard deck," Payback told him.

"Oh, shit."

There was tone.

"That's a kill," Maverick said.

"Fuck!" Rooster cursed. He landed his jet and started doing his push-ups while Payback and Fanboy joined the other pilots in the rec-room.

"That should be us down there," Fanboy said.

"But it's not. And now you know a little something about Rooster," Phoenix said.

Yale, Harvard, and Fritz were up next.

Rooster finished his push-ups as they took off in their jets. He joined the other pilots in the rec-room.

Caroline was waiting for him with her hip cocked and her arms crossed over her chest.

"I know, okay? I know," he said.

She hit him on the arm. "You let you temper get the best of you. Again. I get that you're angry with Maverick about what he did, but if I somehow get picked for this mission, I'm not flying without you."

Caroline had been the first person he reached out to when Maverick pulled his papers to the Academy. She tried to go to her father to reverse the action, but Iceman's hands had been tied at the time.

"I just need you to keep your cool long enough to get through this mission and then you won't ever have to see Maverick again."

"What? Why?"

"Because this is his last posting Rooster. That's why my dad pulled all the strings he could."

Rooster gave her a smirk. "I thought you didn't know anything about this mission."

"And I didn't until today. But I know my father. He'd do anything for Maverick."