You're My Brother

I Hate You

   "Absolutely not." Adam shook his head, stopping in his tracks.
   "But Shiro took me out on them all the time!"
   "Takashi is a bad influence on you...." Adam sighed, pinching the bridge if his nose in disappointment. "Okay. I'll tell you what. You finish your homework and studies and I'll take you into town."
   "I'd rather die..."
   "Why are you so stubborn?"
   Keith shrugged. "Why are you so uptight? Stop following the rules all of the time."
   "I follow the rules because I have to. And so should you."
The Cadet rolled his eyes, "and if I don't?"
"I'll tell the officer who's conducting your exam that you're not following protocol."
"Fine! I'll cooperate.." Keith pouted, knowing how serious his own decisions were.
Unlike Shiro, Adam wouldn't cover for his mess ups. Instead, Adam only provided advice if it was needed. He was kind, there was no denying that, but he was not as supportive as Shiro. Nobody was.
"I suggest you go over your flight reports because I heard your examiner is going to be very strict."
"It's you isn't it?"
Adam only nodded. He then left, leaving Keith alone to make the right decision.

***

On occasion, Cadets would go through somewhat special simulator drills. The one in charge was not their normal teacher, often times a professor of a Senior Cadet class or they were a certified Fighter Pilot.
As the young teens entered the simulation deck, they all noticed how quiet it was. Iverson was not there.
Today was one of the days with a 'guest' instructor. Today thy would be running a much harder drill without the guidance of Iverson. That is, if one could call Iverson's speeches advice.
"Alright! Listen up Cadets!" A voice echoed over the PA system of the room. Iverson. "I'll be watching your performance from here, but today you'll have a different instructor."
Keith noticed the doors of the simulator open and Adam stepped out.
'He wasn't joking... He really is our professor for today.' Keith was both surprised and unfazed.
Many of the other Cadets knew who their instructor was from overhearing the Senior Cadets talk about him.
   Outside of the simulator, Adam was quite tolerable and understanding. On the other hand, when he conducted a simulation, especially one like this, he was strict and impatient. Truth was, he hated running simulator drills, lectures were more his style.
   "Thank you for your attention." Adam looked out at the inexperienced and completely unprepared Cadets. "Today, you will be running through a drill not too dissimilar from what my Own students attempt to complete."
   "Alright! A real simulation!" Keith heard Lance exclaim. Many of the other students showed excitement, but the Cuban boy was the loudest.
   "Shut up, Lance!" Griffin yelled, glaring at his classmate.
   "James Griffin!" Adam looked to the boy, staring him directly in his eyes. "You will not interrupt, and neither will you Lance McClain." He adjusted his glasses, sighing under his breath. "But I would prefer you to interrupt with excitement and not by trying—and failing— to do my job."
   "Yessir." The two responded in sync.
   "As I was saying," The Officer continued, "this drill is unlike any other you've done before. You will work in a three man team. Your mission is as follows."
   A screen came down from the ceiling, a few stills came up on the screen.
   "Each of you will be assigned to a team and put through one of four tests." One of the stills expanded to full screen and Adam went on. "Simulation A. You're flying over the Atlantic when you lose a wing. Turns out, your aircraft was hit by a supposed cargo ship. You and your team must decide whether or not to ditch, call for backup, fire back, or die like a 'hero'. Oh, and if you die, you will fail."
   The brief preview finished, faded black and minimized. Simulation B appeared in it's place.
   "Next is a simulation with much more on the line than your lives. Your city is under threat of an airborne attack from an allied country. This isn't just a case of 'fire back and protected the civilians'. You've got to think this through. They're your allies, why would they attack you?"
   The same thing happened again, and the preview for the next simulation played.
   "This one is a little more fun. Just flight practice. Tricks if you may. You'll be flying in formation, performing stunts and firing at targets. Only one of the teams will be doing Simulation C. Not everyone can have fun."
   The final simulation came on the projector.
   "Finally, Simulation D. I created this one."
   The Cadets' faces were horrified.
   "You're on mars. Driving one of our newest prototype of rovers, the AW-Cruiser. Suddenly, you and your crew are attacked by a hostile alien species. Your job is to get back to your base alive. That is all the instructions I will give."
   "Excuse me!"
   "Yes, Cadet Rizavi. What is your question?"
   "In Simulation D, there is no flight training, is that correct? And if so, why?"
"Very observant." Adam grinned and folded his arms across his chest. "I am aware that you are all wonderful pilots. However, some of you need to learn how to work together with one another before you cab try the real tests. Now! Your group members will show up on the screen. Find them, and separate into larger groups by simulation."
"This isn't fair...!" James huffed, standing in the area designated for Simulation D. "He clearly doesn't understand how good of a leader I am."
"If you have a problem, go talk to him, idiot." Keith spat. Leaning against the wall. "I don't want to work with either of you...!"
Keith was on a team with James Griffin and Lance McClain. His two least favorite people. There was only one other group running the same simulation as them. Nadia Rizavi, Ina Leifsdottir and Ryan Kinkade. However, the three of them were here because Adam wanted to see how they dealt with a new kind of threat. One outside of the fighter jets. The three of them already knew how to work with anyone and their scores suggested they were ready for the real thing.
After a while, Lance, Keith and James stepped into the simulator. Yelling and arguments quickly ensued moments after starting.
At one point, Lance's rover was hit by some alien weapon. "I lost a wheel!" He yelled, visibly upset about it. "One of you will have to come back and get me!"
"I thought you weren't the one to typically ask for help." Keith teased.
"Yeah, Lance. You're normally able to pick yourself up. You can still drive. Your rover is still functioning."
"I'm short a wheel!" He argued. "I can't drive with only three wheels!"
"Then run." Keith suggested. "I've got samples and equipment, James has the intel. You've just got supplies which we have a surplus of at base camp."
"Aw come on!" Lance's screen turned black. He was out. "Thanks a lot, team."
"Sorry, dude. Keith had a point." James said, leaning back in his seat as he reached the base. "The supplies in your rover just weren't that important."
Keith stood up almost immediately after he reached the end of his simulation. "The mission is sometimes more important than the individual."
The doors of the simulator opened and the three boys stepped out.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Adam looked furious. "That was the worst teamwork I have ever seen! You left Cadet McClain to die?!"
"We had important supplies." Keith challenged.
"I don't care if you have dust samples or the cure for cancer. You do not ever leave a teammate behind!"
"But sir," James began, "Our instructions were to get our research back to the base. We did that. At least give us credit for that."
"You left me behind!" Lance yelled. "You're a horrible team captain! If this were real I would be dead!"
"You're a cargo pilot, Lance. Your job is nothing in comparison to ours."
"That's enough, Kogane!" Adam grabbed ahold of Keith and James' collars, pulling the to the back of the room. Lance instinctively followed them, keeping distance between him and the others. Adam was both disappointed in and angered by their actions. "How many times has Commander Iverson told you both to behave and work together as a team?!"
"Too many, sir...." James muttered, shooting keith a nasty glance.
"And Keith, leaving a teammate behind?!"
"I was saving the mission! That was my job!"
"Your job was to get everyone back to the base! I don't care how slow your teammate is, or how much you hate them, or even how dangerous it would be to go back and save them, you never leave a teammate behind!"
"It was his idea, sir. I didn't like it, but I was so close to the base that I—"
"That's quite enough excuses, Griffin." Adam said sternly, shutting him up easily. "Both of you will wait here until after class for Iverson to have a word with you." And with that, Adam walked off to finish up the last of the simulations.
"Great job, Keith." James growled, death glaring the cadet next to him. "Your stupid actions are going to get us expelled!"
"You're part of this too, dumb ass! You had the choice to go back. But you didn't! So you're at as much fault as I am!"
"I really can't stand you!" Griffin shoved passed Keith, "I completely understand why your mother left you."
   "The hell did you just say?!"
   James turned around, grinning with hatred. "Nothing... Just... I know why your mother abandoned you. I would've too if I were her."
   Keith would have attacked James in that moment. He would have pinned him to the ground. He wanted to slam the boy's face against against a wall, to break his nose. He wanted to knock him to the ground. He would have. Keith would have done this, but something stopped him.
   Lance had grabbed his arm, holding him back as much as he could. He wasn't as strong as Keith, but he knew he had to intervene. Putting their differences aside, Lance held tightly to Keith's arm. "Don't do it. I know what you're thinking, but you can't. Just walk away."
   "Let me go, Lance! This doesn't concern you!"
   The Cuban boy felt his grip loosen and he hurried to move between Keith and James. "Look! I hate your guts, alright?! But you're going to get kicked out if you do this. You can't throw everything away for this cabrón!" Again with the Spanish.
   Keith had no clue what Lance had just called Griffin, but he knew it was bad enough to change languages.
   "And why would I listen to a Cargo Pilot...?"
   "Because Officer Shirogane is going to be really ticked off to hear that you not only left me for dead, but also beat up your teammate!"
   Keith bit his lip, his fists clenched in anger. "Just get out of my way!" He shoved Lance out of his way, walking right up to James. "You ever say something like that again and I'll beat the living hell out of you...!"