Top Gun: Maverick | Miles Teller & Tom Cruise

8

"An applause for the Captain." I said as I looked out at everyone and they applauded with impressed and thankful smiles on their faces. She didn't look as numb anymore, more humbled. I looked down at her and our eyes met, she smiled lightly and a blush formed on her cheeks making me smile.

We walked out to the runway to get to fly solo for the first time. It was nerve racking. I was going to control a jet by myself. I looked over at Mav, her aviators were down and she looked really powerful and confident as she walked with her helmet in her hand, looking down at the ground and then up at all of the jets. My heart skipped a beat...... what?

"Alright, everyone." She said as we all had gathered around.

"The day we have been waiting and training hard for is here, you all know what you are doing. I'm confident in every single one of you." She said and looked around us and we nodded.

"Be safe up there." She said and we nodded before we all walked over to our respected jets. I climbed up the ladder and sat down. I felt powerful. I put on my helmet and looked out over the nose of the jet, wow. I looked down at the system panel and it was so printed in my brain by now how to check that everything was working. Mav has really drilled us hard on this. I checked the systems and they were all cleared. The canopy lowered above my head and my heart was racing. This was really happening. I took a deep breath, I got this. I knew what I needed to do, I knew how to do this. We have been training hard for this moment. We were ready.

Mav rolled out on the runway as we all were cleared for takeoff. She pushed the throttle forward and her jet took off. Then Glen took off, and then Monica & Lewis, Danny & Jay, Greg and then Tom. I looked out on the runway, don't think Miles, just do. I pushed the throttle forward and immediately the pressure on my body was hitting me as my jet took off in an incredible speed.

I soared up in the sky behind my colleagues. A feeling of adrenaline rushed through my body and it felt amazing. I was flying a jet on my own.
"Holy shit." Glen said through the radio and everyone chuckled.

"Greetings, aviators. Welcome to the air." Mav said and I smiled. I could see her jet ahead of me, I looked to the right to see Glen and when I looked back her jet was gone making my brows furrow.

"Where did you go, Mav?" I asked and all I could hear was a chuckle. I looked at the radar and I could see everyone else except for her.

"Anyone else know?" I asked.

"Can't see her." Monica said and I heard Tom laugh.

"Where did she go, Tom?" I asked.

"Somewhere." He said and all of a sudden her jet blazed up in between me and Glen and my eyes widened.

"Hooooly shit!" Glen said as we looked up to see her jet pirouetting through the sky and I heard her laugh. She levelled out and as her plane lowered she rolled inverted over me.

"Oh. My. God." I said as I looked her into her eyes.

"Let's have some fun." She said and rolled upright as she speeded off.

"Holy shit." Monica said and Tom chuckled. He pushed the throttle forward and took off after her. She climbed up in the air with Tom following her. And when she noticed he was tailing her she rolled inverted again making my eyes go wide, and then her jet dived. She dived inverted.

"Omg!" Monica said shockingly.

"What the fuck!" Glen got out.

"She's gonna die." Greg said and I have to admit, I was very nervous. But when she had dived just below us she rolled back upright and took a loop around us.

"That was fun." She said.

"Fun!? That looked terrifying!" Glen said and she chuckled.

After an hour up in the air, practicing basic manoeuvres, trying to get a feel for it, we all landed on the runway and when the engines were shut off and the canopy had opened I could finally take a deep breath. I got up from my seat and climbed down. I joined my colleagues as everyone was over the moon bout what just happened. Monica, Glen and I was the only ones who managed to not throw up because of the G-forces, well Mav and Tom didn't either but those two can barely be counted as people. Those two were insane up there. Tom almost followed everything Mav did. Like they had done this for years. It felt like it was a routine.

"Wow, that was awesome." Glen said as Tom joined us with a wide smile on his face.

"Yeah, flying is fun." He said.

"Omg, Mav, that was insane." He said as Mav walked by with her aviators down and she nodded with a small smile before continuing walking into the facility making everyone's brows furrow.

I looked as she walked into the facility. Her head was down and she scratched the back of her name. What I'd give to get inside her head.