Good Morning, Aviators
"Where the hell is Phantom?" Phoenix said as tapped her foot. "Who is Phantom, where is he?' Hangman asked her. Phoenix chuckled a bit and said "Did I said that Phantom was a he, She will be here soon." Phoenix replied. Hangman and Payback looked at each other.
All the pilots stood up but before Cyclone and Warlock could speak, Phantom walked in quickly. "Phantom, nice of you to join us today." Cyclone said. "Cyclone, I would advise you not to chew my daughter out in front of these pilots as it's my fault for her being late." Phantom's Father said as he walked in the room and everyone looked back. Everyone eyes widened. "Admiral Flame, what pleasant surprised." Cyclone said as Warlock cleared his throat.
Hangman looked at Phoenix. "That's Iris from last night?" Hangman asked her and Phoenix nodded. "Who just happens to be the daughter of a legendary Admiral Flame?" Payback added and Phoenix nodded. "Damn she's a mystery, I'll give her that." Coyote said. Phoenix snickered as she watch the men being stunned after what they had discover about dear old Phantom.
As soon Rooster made eye contact with Phantom's Father, it hit him. Iris was the little girl sat beside him on the piano when they were kids. Flame looked at Rooster, He smiled and nodded as Rooster did the same. "Now explain yourself, while Phantom goes and stand in her place." Cyclone said as Phantom made her way to Phoenix. "You see, Phantom and I are close, we gotten even closer when her mother Marion passed away from leukemia when she was seven, so we made it a tradition to have breakfast, especially today, I lost track of time." Flame explained. "You can't always take the blame Admiral." Cyclone said. 'As I said it was my fault, besides I will take the blame for her until the day I die sir, it was fault and my daughter is a hell of a pilot and she's always on time." Her father spatted back. "Yeah well, we'll see about that." Cyclone muttered which caused her father to glare. "If that's all?" Cyclone said changing the subject quick. "Indeed, you pilots watch, Phantom is a hell of a pilot." Flame said hyping his daughter up as he walked out and Phantom shook her head. "That's my father for you." Phantom muttered. "I have a lot of respect for him." Bob whispered to Phantom which caused her to smile.
"Anyways..." Warlock said. "Sorry." Phantom muttered to Warlock which he shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He muttered back to her. Warlock knew the young woman long enough to know her father was speaking the truth when it comes to her being on time.
Cyclone eyed the young woman while Phantom gave him a look. He shook his head and going to continue forward, Warlock began to speak. "Good morning. Welcome to your special training detachment, sit down." Following the Admiral's order and the aviators took their seat. "I am Admiral Bates, call sign Warlock. You are all Top Gun graduates, the best of the best but that was yesterday. The enemy's new fifth generation fighter jet levels the playing field. We no longer possess the technological advantage. Success depends on the man or woman in the box. Half of you will make the cut and only one of you will be named mission leader. The rest will attend to any reverse roles necessary." Warlock explained,
"Your instructor is one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced. His exploits are legendary. What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death." Warlock remarked. "I give you Captain Pete Mitchell, call sign, "Maverick." Warlock concluded and stepped away from the podium. Phantom bit the inside of her cheek. She hasn't seen Maverick since she was fourteen years old neither has her father or uncle.
Maverick took Warlock's place at the podium. "Good morning." He held up the F/A-18 manual. "This book contains everything they expect you to know about your aircraft. I assume you all know it well?" He questioned. Phantom chose to stay silent while he earn a few verbal response while mostly earning some nods. He tossed the book into the trash bin beside him. "So does your enemy. But what the enemy doesn't know is your limits. I intend to find those limits and push beyond them. So today, we will start with what you think you know." He dismissed the group, Phantom fled as they all went to grab their gear to head to their planes.
......
Phantom was at her plane. "Phantom is your callsign, your father is Admiral Flame." A voice said. She turned to see Rooster there. She smiled softly. "Yeah..." Phantom said. Rooster out of no where hugged her and she hugged him back. "I am so stupid for not realizing sooner that my long lost childhood friend was standing in front of me." He said as he pulled away. She smiled at him. "When did you realize?" Phantom asked. "When your father and I made contact, beside my dad, your father was another person I look up to, you?" He asked her. "Last night at the piano, it seems like yesterday, your dad was playing at the piano singing that same tune. You and your mother experience grief not too long after that." Phantom explained as a tear was trying to slip out.
"What do you say a little later, we catch up." Rooster said. Phantom smiled, "I like that." She replied and he smiled at her then walked back to his plane. "So you are the famous Phantom that everyone is now talking about." Phantom turned to see two women standing there. "Indeed I am." She replied. "I am Falcon, this here is Ruby." Falcon said as she introduce her and Ruby. "Wait.. you two are flying alongside me?" Phantom questioned them and they nodded. "That's fucking awesome!" She exclaimed. "Good luck out there." Falcon said. "I will be fine, Maverick, now I give him a run for his money." Phantom assures them. "Like Hangman did with the damage to his bank account with all the beer he got." Ruby said. Phantom eyes widened. "Oh my, so he was the old man that got kicked out... anyways have good luck to you two as well." Phantom said and they nodded went to their plane.
She put on her helmet and got into her plane. "It's nice to be back in this beauty." Phantom said.
...............
Phantom, Falcon and Ruby got into the air, Phantom shook her head about what Rooster did. "Damn it Bradshaw." Phantom muttered. "You good over there Phantom?" Falcon asked. "Yeah but where the hell is Maverick?" Phantom responded. Then out of nowhere Maverick comes out in between them. "Shit!" Phantom said as she began to fly away as Falcon followed. "Talk to us, where is he at Ruby?"Phantom asked. "He's nowhere in sight." Ruby said. "Damn it, He has something up his sleeve." Phantom said to her team. Maverick shook his head. "Is that what you think?" Maverick asked as he locked on Falcon and Ruby. "Damn it!" Falcon yelled. "I'll see you back at base, gotta blast." Phantom said as she took off then Maverick followed her. "YOU GOT THIS PHANTOM!" Both Falcon and Ruby shouted as they head back to base to do their push ups.
Back at base, They were listening on the radio. "Damn she's giving him a run for his money." Coyote said. "You thought her father's flying was something, you have seen nothing yet with her." Phoenix replied then she saw Rooster outside and sighed..
Maverick then lost her, "I got to give to you, you are great." Maverick said then Phantom came out of nowhere and locked on him. "Oh I am not just great, I am fucking awesome... I won." Phantom said with a smile on her face. Everyone at base cheered, "That was so awesome!" Bob exclaimed. "Nice." Hangman muttered.
...........
Rooster had finished up his push ups when Phoenix approached him. "Breaking the hard deck, insubordination, are you trying to get kicked out?" Phoenix questioned. "Don't worry about it." Rooster assured her. "Look I'm going on this mission, I know Phantom is too, but if you get kicked out, you leave her and the rest of us flying with Hangman... talk to me, what the hell was that?" She questioned him. "He pulled my papers." Rooster said to her.
"What...who?" She questioned. "Maverick... He pulled my application for the navy academy... set me back four years." Rooster replied. "Why would he do that?" Phoenix asked. Rooster then thought of Phantom. "You and Phantom..." Phoenix then asked. "We been friends since we were kids, she lost her mother when we was seven then her father was transferred to Georgia when we were twelve even though he stopped flying after her mother passed... this is my first time seeing her since then... but feels good to have her back, I don't want to let go of her again." Rooster admitted which caused Phoenix smile a bit then thought back to Maverick. "Do you think Maverick would've done it to her?" Phoenix asked. Rooster looked up at her. "If her father and uncle didn't stop him, yes... something tells me they wasn't to happy to hear what he did to me." Rooster said. Phoenix nodded.
............
"Your kidding?" Bob exclaimed as Phantom told him, coyote and fanboy about the stunt her father pulled to impress her mother. Rooster and Phoenix walked in. "I'm not, my father was absolutely in love with my mother, so of course he pulled a stupid move but at the same time, It was what admirals were looking for in a pilot and not only my mother told him, he was stupid but the next night, he was able to take her out on a date." Phantom replied to Bob. Rooster smiled. Rooster has hardly any memories with her mother but he remember how sweet she was and she put everyone else before herself.
"Not only your father is a badass Phantom but your mother seems like she was wonderful woman." Coyote said to her. Phantom smiled. "She was." She replied. Phantom looked over at Rooster and smiled. "I can't believe you all actually wanted to hear a story but hey more where they came from, if you have any questions, you know can visit my father or uncle, they would love to answer them, they would love the company." Phantom assured them. "Thanks." Fanboy said to her. Phantom got up and headed out the room, Rooster had followed her.
"I didn't know my best friend is a total badass." Rooster tells her. "I didn't know my best friend could be a dumbass, Rooster what the hell happened up there?" Phantom asked and Rooster looked away. Phantom sighed and grabbed his hand. "I know there is something going on between you and Maverick, you can tell me when you are ready but please, don't let this get to you, I don't want to do this mission without you." Phantom said to him. He squeezed her hand. "Thanks Iris." He tells her. "Anytime Bradshaw.... so you want to come over my place and hang out, catch up.... like old times." She asked him which instantly brought a smile to his face. "I would like that." He told her.
.................