Compromise-Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw-

Chapter Four

"I've got smoke! I've got smoke!" Crane exclaimed.

"More bogies incoming." River warned. Hex and Wavern flew back to the others. I finally got missile lock and shot as well. The bogie flew up, pulling away from crane.

"Crane, eject!" I yelled, seeing how close the missiles were to him. Then, fire. His plane exploded, shooting pieces everywhere. I lifted up, avoiding the explosion.

I shot up, opening my eyes, gasping. I ran my fingers through my sweat covered hair, grasping reality again. Almost every night I relived that memory, but somehow it still felt like the first. As my heart slowed, I looked at the clock and cursed. 0500 hours. I still had two hours before I had to be back in the recruitment room with the others training for our mission. There was no way I'd be sleeping now, so I got off the bed and got into some running gear.

I got a pair of black leggings, a black sports bra and a Cotten tee shirt, that was blue on. It was comfortable and breathable, exactly what I needed. Then, I put a pair of running shoes on, and put my hair into a pony tail. When I was ready to go, it was 0517. I left my room, and went outside, starting to run around the compound. The sun was staring to come up, taking the nights briskness away, replacing it with a blanket of warmth.

I paid it no mind as I continued to run. While I did, I thought about Crane. I knew I could have saved him. If I had just stayed with him, or if I'd flown a little faster. I knew there was a way. I never should have left him.

As I thought, I closed my eyes, trying to rid my mind of the guilt I had been harbouring. I gave my head a shake, then opened my eyes and continued to run, my ponytail swaying back and forth.

"You're up early." Someone said, running up beside me. With slightly shaky breath, I looked and seen Rooster. He was wearing grey shorts and a white tank top.

"Says you." I shot back, continuing my run. Rooster kept up with my pace, running beside me.

"That's fair." He chuckled in a breath. "You always get up this early to run?" He asked. I pressed my lips together, breathing through my nose.

"No." I answered. "I couldn't sleep."

"Same." Rooster agreed. I could tell, by his short answer, that he didn't want to talk about it, like myself. I didn't blame him. We ran in silence for a while, until we approached Penny's closed bar. The sun was rising along the horizon, coating the ocean in an orange and yellow dust. Rooster held his hand up, catching his breath. "We should take a minute and enjoy the sunrise." He suggested through breaths. I couldn't help but wonder if he only wanted to stop because he was out of breath. Though I smiled.

"Sure." I agreed, nodding. Compared to Rooster, I was hardly out of breath. He smiled gratefully, before standing up straight and nodding towards the shore. We walked down to the beach together, then sat on the sand, watching the sunrise.

"Where'd you learn how to fly?" He asked curiously, glancing at me.

"I joined the army when I was 18, and became a helicopter pilot. After pulling my team out of a dead zone against orders, I was facing a dishonourable discharge for being insubordinate. Ice came though, and recruited me for TopGun, saying my skills could be an asset here." I started to explain, staring out at the orange water before us. I could see Rooster watching me. "I graduated top of my class in 2011, only three years after I had been recruited, but Ice had other plans for me. He took me and..." I trailed off. He had taken my brother as well. "And trained me personally to be the best dog fighter possible. I spent hours researching and observing other dog fighters. Maverick was a big part of my training." I finished, choosing to leave Crane out of my story.