Now playing from "Riot's in the sky":

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄

0:57 ━━━•──────── 3:59

↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

"WE'VE GOT IMPACT!" Bob announces. I let out a breath that I probably should not have been holding.

"Direct hit! Direct hit!"

"Bullseye, Bob!" I say. Miracle number one. "Dagger two, status?"

"Almost there, May. Almost there."

"Fanboy, where's my laser?"

"Rooster, there's something wrong with this laser!!"

My heart starts to sink.

"Shit! Deadeye! Deadeye! Deadeye!"

"Come on guys, we're running out of time!"

"Nearly there! Nearly there!"

"There's no time, I'm dropping blind."

"Rooster, I've got this I've-"

"No time. Pull up." Rooster orders. If it wasn't for the current circumstances, I would find that very attractive. "Bombs away.

I don't breathe until I hear:

"Bullseye! Bullseye! Bullseye!"

We all silently celebrate. That's miracle number two. But now, we're in coffin corner.

"Here it comes!" I fly into the SAM's radar.

"Radar warning, smoke in the air! Phoenix, break right!" I say frantically once I realize the missiles are very much real.

"Here comes another one!!"

"Rooster, status?" I ask while pressing the button to release the flares. Getting rid of the missile on my tail.

"Oh my god..."

The panic sets in as everyone realizes this is real. This isn't just our systems beeping like crazy because Maverick locked onto us in flight training. These are real missiles, this is a real mission, and there are real stakes.

"Smoke in the air! Smoke in the air!"

"Break right, Payback. Break right!"

"Breaking right!"

"Oh my god, here they come."

"Status update, Rooster."

"Deploying counter missiles."

"Negative contact."

"Dagger one defending."

"Talk to me, Bob!"

"Break right, Phoenix, Break right!"

"Nine O'clock!"

"Rooster, two more on your sixth!"

"Dagger two defending."

"Payback! Same on your nose."

"Dagger four defending!"

"Oh my god."

"Talk to me Bob!"

"Holy shit!"

"Dagger two defending."

"Tally! Tally!"

"Break right!"

"I can't I see it!"

The sky became a beautiful mess of four planes dodging missiles. Everyone's hearts beating a mile a minute. There's no time to panic. You have to react quickly, make the right decision, or you're dead.

"Dagger two defending!" Rooster announces. "Shit! I'm out of flares!"

My heart actually stopped.

"Rooster, evade! Evade." I say desperately.

"I can't shake em. They're on me! They're on me!"

I didn't think. I just reacted. I pulled up flying over Rooster, fighting off the missiles for him.

I didn't time it right. I got hit. I start to panic as my controls go haywire.

"May, no!!"

I lose control of my plane, but I smile to myself. If this is how I die, I died for the sake of love. I died for Bradley. And somehow, that is enough to put my soul at ease.

-¯'★'¯-

"DAGGER ONE IS HIT! I REPEAT DAGGER ONE IS HIT!" Phoenix yells frantically watching her best friend going down in a plane that's on fire. A sight no one should ever have to see. "Riot is down!!"

"Dagger one status!" Rooster commands. "Status!"

"Anyone see May? Does anyone see her!?"

"Dagger one! Come in!" Rooster keeps frantically shouting. He's panicking.

"I didn't see a parachute." Payback responds.

"We have to circle back!" Rooster didn't know what to do. He wouldn't accept May was gone until he saw proof first hand.

"All daggers fly back to ECP."

"What about Riot??"

"Dagger spare, request to launch and provide air cover?"

"Negative."

"Dagger, you are not to engage. Repeat, do not engage."

"Rooster, those bandits are closing. We can't go back." Phoenix consoles. As much as she'd like to turn around and look for her best friend, she knows her survival chances are slim if she does.

"Rooster, she's gone."

"Riots gone."

Rooster won't take that as an answer. He just watched the woman he's unknowingly devoted his whole life to go down in a flaming plane. He will never be able to live with himself if he doesn't at least try and save her.

After all, he's a man in love. And when in love, sanity falls.

He needs his Lady May.

-¯'★'¯-

I'M NOT DEAD. woo, I'm not dead. Relief floods my body as I untie myself from my parachute.

"I'm not dead, Bradley."

..But now what? I need to make it back to the carrier otherwise I really will be dead. I can't wait around for search and rescue. It's not likely Simpson would send them out on enemy territory. I need a plan. I just need to think.

I hear a helicopter in the distance. Shit. I start to run away and take cover, but they spot me. Shit. Shit. Shit. They start shooting at me as I run.

Okay, I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die

I hide under a fallen tree as the bullets rain over me.

"Oh fuck me." I groan when I see the helicopter turn around to face me. As much as I don't want those to be my last words, they probably will be.

I mean, that is pretty appropriate. Suits me well.

I brace for impact as the helicopter gets closer and closer. My life flashes before my eyes, and I realize, I never told Bradley how much I cared for him.

I never told him how thankful I am that he's in my life. How I couldn't live without him. I never told him I love him and those silly songs he sings to me. I never told him I love him, in not a platonic way.

I brace for impact as my mind floods with memories of Bradley, but the impact never comes.

A/n

this is a shorter chapter i know im sorry :(

i really love putting my characters in near death experiences

so sorry if i'm making you anxious, cause i was actually biting my nails writing this

-cj