"You've been pulled off the mission."
"What?" I ask, wondering if I had been hearing things. With all the crap that had happened in the last month alone, I wouldn't be surprised if hearing damage would be another thing to add to my long list of tragic woes.
Admiral Bates clears his throat, "Even after catching former Lieutenant Michael 'Jinx' Kerner, you've been pulled off the mission." Warlock finished, after he asked me to sit down in his office.
Okay, so I had heard him correctly the first time around.
My eyes turned icy cold, and with as much constraint as I had, my words were still dripping with poison, "Sir, with all due respect—"
He interrupts me, knowing what I'm about to say, "You're a good pilot. In fact, one of the best I've ever seen in my entire career. Better than I ever was. But I can't lose two Kazansky's in a year. I can't do that to your family."
My mother would be heartbroken, but Stephanie on the other hand... she already pretended that I didn't exist, so it wouldn't be a huge problem for her.
I think Hangman would take it the hardest, and Phoenix, and maybe Rooster. In this line of work, we had all lost somebody though.
I stay quiet, clenching my hands until they turn numb from the lack of oxygen. "So why am I here?" I ask, trying to hold back my temper. I am about to explode and it's not going to be pretty.
"I want you as an advisor to the mission."
"What?" I ask, obviously caught off-guard.
Warlock looks at me, "Maverick mentioned that your expertise would still be invaluable to the detachment, and I agree."
"Well, he's not wrong you know." I muttered, not quiet enough because Warlock laughs at my confident statement. My eyes furrow, "To be an advisor, don't you have to be a higher rank than those your advising?"
"Yes, that is the general requirement. You'll be getting a promotion after the mission. It'll be official at the Navy Ball at the end of the year. Lieutenant Commander."
"That has a nice ring to it." I say, savoring the higher rank in my mind.
Lieutenant Commander.
"You start tomorrow. Go rest up." Warlock says, politely asking me to get the heck out of his office.
I give him a nod, and I leave his office, taking an air of silence with me.
❅
As I was getting into my flight suit, I got a call.
Without looking at the contact, I answered it.
"Hey this is Zoe." I said, fumbling with my hair, trying to manage it by braiding two sides into a low bun.
"It's Jake. Do you want a ride to base today?"
I answer immediately, "I would love one. What time?"
"20 minutes?" He asks.
I try not to sound like a lovesick idiot when I answer back, "Sounds perfect."
"Okay, see you then." Hangman says, and I say a short goodbye before ending the call.
It was going to be a good day.
We were going to run the course all the way through, and then in 2 days, Maverick would pick—I'm no longer a pilot for the mission.
I'm an advisor now.
Which means everyone is going to find out that I got booted off the mission. And they'll assume—correctly—that I'm getting a promotion because I'll be an advisor to the detachment.
It also meant that I was going to have to find a way to explain this to Hangman, my desk mate, who was picking me in 15 minutes—
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
Right now. Literally right now.
"Just a second!" I yelled, hoping that he would hearing me from across my condo.
I grabbed my gear bag, and rushed to meet Hangman. I ripped open the door, and started to say empty apologies, just trying to sound normal and not out of breath.
And there he was... Jake was leaning against the side of my house, absentmindedly looking at the sunrise off in the distance.
He looked hot.
I felt bad for all that I've been through, and he's unfortunately been spaced away from me. But after my father dying and a murder attempt on my life, I could cut myself some slack. And unlike our first time at Top Gun, Hangman waited for me.
Hangman, who's backstory to his callsign was that he always left everybody hanging dry, waited for me.
"Hey," I said softly, openly checking him out, after I locked my door behind me.
"Hey Zoe, I like your hair." He said, looking me from top to bottom.
I blushed, "Thanks. We gotta get going, we can't be late." I can't be late, especially on the first day I'm an advisor.
"Yeah we can't. Are you sure you're ready to fly again?" Hangman says, as I follow him to the car. He opens the door for me, and I slide in, watching as he carefully closes it behind me.
Hangman gets in on the other side, and turns on the car. He backs out of the driveway of my condo, and we head towards the base.
"Yeah I am. Afraid of a little competition?" I taunt, hoping to get on his nerves a little. But I realized there wouldn't be a competition between the two of us. I wasn't on this mission anymore, I was helping to direct it.
Subtle panic floods through my veins, because I hadn't told Jake yet. What would he think?
He might not want to take me home after today.
"Never," he says in response. "Are you sure you're fine? You look a little white."
I audibly gulped, and said, "I'm fine. I'm just glad that Jinx is rotting away in prison."
"Same here. That son of a—"
"Stop. He lost, we need to move on. We all know what a loser he is." I said, because I didn't want to dedicate any more thought to Jinx. I wouldn't let his actions control my life anymore.
"Okay, that's fine," Jake says, feeling a little awkward that he was so ready to rant about him with me.
"I mean, I did get the last words. I'm no longer allowed to visit the detainment cells because I gave Jinx a concussion."
Hangman almost runs the red light because he's looking at me in awe. "Jake! Pay attention to the road, you almost hit that other car—"
"That's my girl," he says, proud of the fact that I beat up Jinx.
"My girl?" I question with a smirk on my face, Hangman has become soft. "And weren't you and Rooster the ones who gave him that black eye?" I add.
He rolls his eyes, "There's not any proof of it. And besides, you are my girl. Of course I'm going to defend you."
"I can take care of myself."
Hangman relays, "I know you can, but it doesn't hurt to accept help."
"Oh yeah, because you're the perfect example of taking this advice."
With his usual flair of cockiness, Hangman says, "Hey, you said it, not me."
I punch him in the arm, to which he pretends to be hurt, letting out a soft ouch!
At least, I hope so.
Hangman parks, and we both get out.
I have to tell him.
"Jake, I'm not going to be—"
"Avalanche! Hangman!" I hear from across the parking lot. It's Maverick.
"Hey Uncle Mav, what's going on today?" I ask.
"We're going to keep running the course. We only have 3 more days until the mission."
"Sounds like a plan," Hangman says confidently.
"Let's go inside," Maverick says, and starts walking off.
Hangman and I follow him, walking side by side. Hangman grabs my hand, "Three more days."
I laugh nervously, "Yep, three more days."
Maverick walks into the classroom, and I stop. The moment I walk in, and sit at the front of the class instead of sitting next to Hangman might hurt his feelings and ruin our relationship.
I stop, and Hangman turns to me, "You okay? You're scaring me Zoe."
"Yeah, I just need to go to the bathroom." I say in a rush, turning and leaving.
"Hurry! Class is about to start," he says, but his voice fades as I put more space between us.
He walks in alone.
"Good morning everybody," I hear Maverick's voice from down the hall. "We have 72 hours until the start of the mission. 72 hours," Maverick says incredulously. "Show me what you've got, show me your best. Oh, another thing, Lieutenant Kazansky is no longer on the mission."
Whispers break through the room, and I can't tell if they expected this to happen or not.
"Instead, she'll be an advisor to the mission. Avalanche, won't you join me at the front of the room?"
I walk into the room, as every head swivels to see me. The last time they saw me... I had just finished running for my life.
I pushed the horrible memories away, and put on the most believable smile on my face, as I looked at my Uncle Mav.
Remember, Kazansky's are winners.
I walked with my head held high into the room, ignoring the eyes that follow me down the aisle.
"She'll be helping me analyze your work, and any last minute improvement we can make before the mission..." Maverick continues, but I tune him out. Instead, I lock eyes with Hangman. Jake barely acknowledges me, with a face of stone.
I'm sorry, I mouth to him.
He turns back to pay attention to Maverick.
Before my heart crumbles again, I turned it off.
This is why I'm Iceman's daughter.
This is why I'm Avalanche.
This is why Kazansky's were winners.
This is why if you think when you're flying, you're dead.
I can't afford to get emotional, I can't afford to lose anything else.
❅