"Phoenix, c/n, I want you two up there with Rooster and I," Maverick announces to the group of anxious adults awaiting who is going on the nearly impossible mission. You give a small nod, a lingering sense of fear rattling throughout your whole life. The whole class disbands for a moment, knowing that your lives are going to change after this flight. Without hesitation you look over to Phoenix, nodding towards the hangar's door. She gives her own short nod, the two of you not needing to communicate to know exactly what to do.
You lean against a wall, letting out a heavy sigh, "I didn't think we'd make it this far, honestly." Phoenix stands across from you, crossing her arms while nodding. She looks outside through a small window, watching the waves roll throughout the ocean, not quite knowing what to say to you. "Me either, it's honestly so crazy that we're doing this. I wouldn't change who I do it with, though," Phoenix looks back towards you, smiling. Almost instantly your eyes start to swell with tears, an intense feeling pulling you into intrusive thoughts and worst scenarios.
"I wouldn't either, but if one of us doesn't make it, if you don't make it, Natasha, I don't know what I'll do." She walks up to you, pulling you close to her, wrapping her arms around you. You quickly bury your head into the crook of her neck. Phoenix whispers against your ear, her voice softer than normal, "y/n, we're going to be okay, everything is going to be okay." Despite her sweet nothings, you can't help but worry about everything bad that can happen to either of you.
She leans back, taking her arms back and holding her hands up to your face. Phoenix quickly caresses your face, her bright disposition somehow making the sun rising seem insignificant. "We'll make it through this, I promise," Just as Phoenix is leaning forward, the door opens, Rooster standing behind it, his hand still on the handle. He has a solemn look on his face, maybe it's the fear, or it's flying with Maverick, someone he's despised for years. "It's time, we have to go," As he realizes the two of you are having a rather serious moment, he backs out, letting the door shut behind him. The two of you look back at each other, not knowing what to say, do. "I love you," you whisper, and she soon whispers it back, lowering her hand and grabbing yours, squeezing it.
In a matter of minutes, you're sitting behind Phoenix in a Super Hornet, her weapon systems officer. "Okay, let's finish this mission and head back home," Maverick says over comms, "c/n, Phoenix, I trust that you'll be able to get us all out of there." You lean back for a second, closing your eyes for a moment of tranquility, the calm before the storm. "You got it Maverick," Phoenix says over her comms, prompting you to do the same, prepping both him and yourself for the flight.
Then you're off. Everything moves so quickly, from entering the mountains to dropping the bomb over the uranium enrichment facility to climbing the steep depression to exist nearly straight into a dogfight. "Maverick, we'll go right, they're going to see us if we keep going straight," Phoenix warns over comms, the sound of her flipping switches translating as well. Still pumping with adrenaline, you agree with plan, hoping that a dogfight was not coming your way.
"The dogfight is coming our way, Phoenix. We have a fight coming our way," you say to her over comms, getting ready to attack the jets flying your way, "We're going to be alright..." Out of the corner of your eye, you see a jet, not one of yours. It's tailing you, keeping a good distance, but still close enough to take you down. "Phoenix, they're coming, as in they're right behind us. We're going to have to attack," you warn her, your heart starting to pump faster than it ever has before. Her voice crackles into your head, "Okay.. let's fight than."
Shots come your direction, hitting your jet promptly. You direct shots back, trying to aim as Phoenix moves back and forth to maneuver around the shots. One then hits the left wing, tearing some of the wing, smoke releasing from it. "c/n, we may have to abandon the jet, if I can't get the jet back under my control, we'll be flying towards the ground," Phoenix alerts you, the panic rising within you more than ever. You take a few shots at the craft, hitting its wing and nose. Smoke rises from it, sending it towards the ground.
"Eject the plane y/n!" Phoenix exclaims into the comms, causing you look around you, trying to find the button. As soon as your eyes fall upon it, you press it. Suddenly, everything feels like you're moving a hundred miles per hour. You're shot up into the sky, Phoenix soon following after. "Holy shit!" You shout, pulling the chord to your parachute, the wind hitting your parachute and sending you upwards. As the wind carries you, you feel something snag against your parachute, and as you look over, it's clear to see that it's Phoenix.
The parachute wrap around each other, bonding them together as the wind is taken out of them. Quickly, the two of you are once again falling, this time, with nothing to catch you from flattening against the ground. You scream as you fall, the two of you somewhat spinning. Within your view, you can see the snow, likely powdery enough that it'll break your fall. That soon comes to fruition as you hit the ground, hard. A groan escapes your lips as you writhe around in the snow, the ground still taking some impact. Your face lifts from the snow, looking for Phoenix. At first, you don't see her, your eyes scanning around for her.
However, you soon see her, attempting to push herself back up. "Phoenix, Natasha, I'm coming," you exclaim, crawling on your knees over to her, your hand cold and wet now from Starbucks. You take one of your freezing hands and put it against her cheek, "We have to find a way out of here."
