ALPHA STRIKE |rooster x oc|

chapter 21- statistically?

Waves crashed against the side of the carrier as Clarke stood and watched the water rushing below her. They had been on the carrier for two days already and still didn't know who would actually be flying the mission.

"I need more time." That was all Maverick had said the past five days any time someone asked if he had made a decision. Everyone's anxiety was at a high, especially when they were told that everyone would have to ship out since no decision had been made. Theories had been tossed around amongst the pilots about who would fly and who would be on stand-by. Yale made a joke one time about Clarke or Rooster being made the wingman and because Maverick would play favorites. Clarke tried not to think about the mission at all. She hated that the Navy had somehow found a way to gather some of the people she loved most in the world and make them all accept that they might not make it out alive. She ignored any and all comments made about who would fly the mission. She knew there was no way her dad would let her in the air; she was surprised he hadn't said something to make it so she couldn't even get on the carrier in the first place. It wasn't the not flying that was bothering her so much. It was knowing that her dad would choose Rooster as his wingman. She made herself sick each time she envisioned a different scenario, all of them ending in the worst possible way. She had even considered faking an illness or injury to be able to hide at home, or at least the infirmary on board. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the presence of someone standing next to her.

"Hey," Hangman spoke softly. His face wore his usual cocky, shit-eating grin, but his eyes were telling Clarke a different story.

"Hey," she replied in a whisper. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." He scoffed. "You, however, have barely said a word since we got on board. What is going on with you?" Clarke sighed deeply. The two of them had become odd friends of sorts after Phoenix and Bob's accident, but they hardly ever interacted beyond a text or two every other day.

"I just can't stop thinking about who my dad will pick." she answered honestly, knowing there was no point in hiding anything. They would all find out in the next couple hours.

"You're an idiot if you think your old man is gonna let you fly off this carrier. I'm surprised you're even here at all."

"It's not that. As soon as he told me he was team leader I knew there was no way in Hell was I would fly this mission. It's just...it doesn't matter how I imagine the situation, it's bad. My dad will be up there regardless, but it could be Phoenix and Bob. Or Payback and Fanboy. Or Coyote. Or you. Or...Rooster. There's no good way for this to turn out. It's all negatives, no upside." She leaned her elbows against the railing, tears threatening her eyes. She expected Hangman to make a comment about her dramatics or a cocky remark, but he remained silent. He leaned down next to her.

"Look, I'll deny this till the day I die, but I'm honestly relieved that I'm not team leader. I came in with all the ego and attitude, hoping to be chosen. But when Mav was fired and Bates tried to change the whole mission...it scared me." His words rang in Clarke's ears.

"You? Scared? No way," she laughed lightly. "I get it though. When me and Bradley both decided we wanted to join the Navy, I was devastated that Blair had no interest in the Academy. But I was also so glad, and felt like the worst person in the world. I remember telling my dad that I was glad she wasn't joining because I knew that I would be constantly worrying about her. I felt like such a bad friend when I realized I had to tell her that I was glad she wasn't coming." Hangman was listening intently. "I apologized for like five minutes before I told her and then she laughed at me," Clarke chuckled at the memory. "We were standing in the driveway of her house and I told her 'I'm about to sound like the worst friend in the world, but I'm glad you're not coming with me and Bradley. I already worry enough about you falling down the stairs or tripping over air, I can't even imagine how scared I would be if you ever got behind a joystick.' I felt so stupid afterwards and Blair was literally rolling on the grass trying not to piss herself she was laughing so hard." She looked over to see Hangman holding back a laugh. "You can laugh. It's absolutely ridiculous." Clarke rolled her eyes as he doubled over, laughing. 

"That's hilarious!" He wiped a tear from his cheek, a mix of laughing hard and the wind coming off the water. "But seriously, we have all flown this so much, we could probably do it in our sleep. Other than every other usual mission risk, you have nothing to worry about."

"You do realize that every mission has at least 50 things that can go wrong, statistically?"

"Did you know that, statistically, not every mission has your dad flying? Or me for that matter?"