✔ᵉⁿᵍˡⁱˢʰ Starscream [Top Gun Maverick]✔

05

With a tablet on her lap, Kim sat on the windowsill, looking through the files of the twelve pilots sitting in the room with her, glancing outside now and then while a radio ran in the background, where the action in the sky could be heard live.

"How is it that you're here?", Natasha, listening to Phoenix, threw the question into the room, the question that no one had probably dared to ask before, much more to ask Kim directly, "You're not a graduate, as far as I know."

"I've been wondering the same thing for three days," Kim replied absently, slowly scrolling up the list on the display and pulling her mouth thoughtfully to the right, "And, to directly answer your next question Lieutenant. Analyst and Coordinator. As for flying, though, that was taught to me by Captain Mitchell. Four years ago. I may not be a graduate, as you all are, but I wanted to learn it after certain incidents, accordingly, completely inexperienced and or any idea, of what you are doing here, I am not."

'Good morning aviators. This is your captain speaking. Welcome to the basic air combat maneuver course. As announced, today we will be training in pure air combat. On-board weapons only, no missiles. We will not go below the minimum altitude of five thousand feet. You work as a team and you must shoot me down, because otherwise..... will shoot you back. If I shoot one of you down, you both lose.'

"This guy needs an ego check." Hangman was heard saying with his usual smug manner, playing with a model airplane at the moment while waiting.

"From you, about?", Kim began to chuckle, shaking her head with a laugh and looking over at Jake, who turned to her, "There's only one person who could. And that was my dad. You're not capable of surpassing either of them, let alone achieving the same thing he did, ever. Not in this lifetime."

"Your daddy was an aviator?" echoed Hangman in a mocking tone, sitting up straight, resting his elbows on his knees and looking tensely at Kim, "Daughters and their fathers. No wonder why you think he's exceptionally good. Don't hold it against me, maybe he was good, but not first rate."

"Maybe so," unimpressed by Jake's jibes, Kim gestured outside to the hallway with a motion of her head, "His photo is hanging outside, as is one, of Maverick and him, taken in the aftermath of their first mission together. Yeah, fathers and their daughters, it's a thing. I do think he was good, otherwise he wouldn't be what he is right now."

Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Just imagine. Jake Seresin, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Ouch. For his ego, not exactly beneficial. This would become even bigger and the guy, presumably, in the end, hardly bearable. Whereby, it needed certain requirements, in order to ascend so far upward and there Kim went strongly from it, Hangman stood away itself.

From the files it might have appeared that Jake was a good pilot, unfortunately, but a bad wingman and let his comrades hang. Hangman. A point that did not sit well with his record. Like his personality, the alpha and macho demeanor that would likely get in his way one day. However, conceited idiots never notice this, and Hangman was one of them. Yesterday, this one had proven it. 'In fact, am too good to be true.'

"Sorry to interrupt," this conversation was interrupted by Admiral Simpson, "Kim.... Miss Kasanzky. Do you have a moment?"

"Kim?" repeated Jake curiously, alone by the fact that the Admiral had first stated the brunette's first name and immediately corrected himself to.

"Can it wait?" asked Kim instead, nodding over to the radio, "They just started their training. Since I don't know exactly what Pete is after, I'm just reluctant to leave."

If their training ended, as Kim quickly interjected to have the issue off the table, to which the admiral agreed with a nod. This was going to be dreamy.