Mazy sat next to Phoenix as they sat in clunky metal desks in an airplane hanger. She ran a hand down the braids she had. Since the military changed their hair code she always wore two french braids starting at her hairline that went down. Something she always fidgeted with when uncomfortable.
"Attention on deck," Someone called and they all stood up quickly. As the Admiral began to talk.
"Good morning, Welcome to your specialty detachment. You may be seated." The Admiral spoke. Everyone sat down and Mazy picked at a loose thread on her flight suit.
"I'm Admiral Bates, Natic commander. You're all Top Gun graduates,elite, best of the best, that was yesterday. The enemies new fifth generation fighter is
It leveled the playing field." The Admiral went on explaining what would happen. The Admiral said something about man or women and Hangman turned looking at Phoenix and Mazy with a shit eating grin. Mazy and Phoenix both returned by casually giving him the finger pretending to rest their heads.
Mazy picked up her head when the Admiral began talking about the instructor.
"Your instructor is a Top Gun graduate with real world experience in any mission aspect you will be expected to master. His exploits are legendary, he's considered to be one of the finest pilots to come out of this program." Bates spoke. Everyone started turning heads. But curiosity killed the cat and Mazy turned around and saw her dad. Her dad. Walking up to Bates, she shot a fast glance to Rooster then her braids whipped back to the front.
"I give you captain Pete Mitchell. Call sign Maverick." Bates nodded and stepped off the podium letting Maverick take over. He locked eyes with Mazy then looked away fast. She had a stare that could kill.
"Good morning," He smiled looking around. Rooster looked at him, then away
a frown on his face. Mazy looked back down to where her leg was crossed over the other to avoid confrontation.
"The F-18 Natops everything that contains to know about your aircraft. I'm assuming you know the book inside and out." Mav began.
"Yep," " Damn straight," "For sure!" Was heard around the class of pilots. Then Maverick threw the book into the trash.
"So does your enemy. But what the enemy doesn't know is your limits. I just have to find them. Test them. Push beyond. Today we will start with what you only know. Show me what you're made of." He smiled looking around at the class. This wasn't what Mazy was aspecting when she came back here. She looked over at Rooster but he had a glare on Maverick.
Storm walked next to Rooster as they went out onto the airfield where the planes were. In flight suits and helmets in hands. Storm's helmet was dark blue with purple clouds and yellow lightning bolts on it.
"Rooster! Storm!" Mav called as he chased the pair. Storm rolled her eyes as he called for them.
"Bradley, Mazy." The pair kept walking.
"Lieutenants!" He called with more force.
They both turned around, "Yes sir?"
"Let's not do it like this," He shook his head.
"Are you going to wash me out?" Rooster raised an eyebrow.
"That'll be up to the both of you," He looked down at Mazy then back to Rooster.
"Am I dismissed?" Storm glared at him.
"Rooster is you are not," Mav nodded. Rooster nodded and turned back, going to his jet.
"Just tell me what I did wrong," Mav began.
"Look I'm not going to do this today da. Maverick." She quickly corrected herself, "I'm just here to fly the mission and go home."
"You're dismissed," Mav nodded to her. He didn't know what to do and he knew fighting it out with his daughter in front of a bunch of people he was supposed to be training was not the way to go.
Storm walked over to her and Phoenix's jet and began inspection with her.
"What did he want?" Phoenix looked up at her best friend.
"Just asked about our relationship just stupid stuff." Storm lied as she finished looking.
Once they were up in the air it was a whole new battle ground.
"Good morning aviators, this is your captain speaking welcome to today's training. Basic fighting maneuvers. As briefed, today's exercise is dog fighting. Guns, only no missiles. We do not go below the hard deck of 5,000 feet. Working as a team you have to shoot me down or else."
"Or else what sir?" Coyote called through the colms.
"Or else I shoot back," Mav smirked to himself. Storm rolled her eyes and was just ready to start the exercise. She was in the radio room with Phoenix as they took turns in the air.
"If i shoot any of you down you both lose." Mav talked.
"This guy needs an ego check," Hangman smirked.
"So let's say we put some skin in the game." Coyote smiled.
"Fine."
"Whoever flies down first has to do 200 pushups." Coyote laughed.
"Fuck that," Storm rolled her eyes and threw a pen down on the desk.
"Guys, that's a lot of pushups." Mav giggled.
"They don't call it an exercise for nothing sir," Fanboy laughed.
"You got yourself a deal gentlemen, fights on over." Mav finished.
"Fucking crazy if they think I'm about to do 200 pushups." Storm huffed.
"Get off that high horse princess and get ready." Hangman smirked.
"Shut the fuck up," Phoenix looked over at him.
As Coyote, Fanboy, and Rooster began their exercise the tension was on. Storm listened closely hearing the obvious frustration in Rooster's voice as she knew her dad was pretty damn good at this stuff.
Storm's heart jumped as Rooster went below the hard deck but pulled backup.
Mav shot Rooster down and the amount of frustration came off fast.
Fanboy, Phoenix, Coyote, and Storm looked out the window as they watched Rooster do his pushups.
"That should be us down there,"Fanboy looked over at Coyote.
"But it's not," Storm shook her head, "And now you know a little something about Rooster."
As the day went on they listened to Rooster get shot down for what seemed like a 100 times. Him blowing off anger into the radios comes down does his pushups go back up.
Finally it was Hangman, Phoenix, and Storm's time to shine.
"Hey Phoenix how about we tell Mav Storm stands for more than that?" Hangman came through the radios.
"Shut up Hangman." Storm came through and she rolled her eyes as she wasn't here to listen to his cocky shit but to try and prove her dad wrong.
"You know why we call him Hangman though?" Phoenix came back on the radio.
"Ehh i got it Storm because she flies so fucking relclessly." Hangman laughed. Mav came and split them fast.
"Shit!" Hangman yelled.
"Let's go guys," Storm put her mask on and her goggles down.
"Greetings aviators," Mav smiled.
"Alright let's take this guy out." Storm called.
"Watch your back Storm and Phoenix," Rooster came through the radio.
"Break Right!" Storm called.
"Break right," Phoenix called, turning the jet.
"Where's he going?" Mav called through as Hangman flew off in another direction.
"That's why we call him Hangman, he'll always leave you hung out to dry." Storm rolled her eyes.
"Leaving your wingman, that's a strategy I haven't seen in awhile." Mav sighed into the radios.
"He called ya man Storm and Phoenix. Yall gonna take that?" Hangman laughed.
"As long as he doesn't call you a man," Storm barked back fast.
"Where's Mav at Storm?" Phoenix called.
"He's already coming around," Storm sounded slightly panicked. She could not take a lose from her dad.
"Get off of me Hangman!" Phoenix growled.
"For all you folks at home, this is how you bury a fostile." Hangman chuckled and went for a shot at Mav.
"Alright Hangman, time to teach you a lesson." Mav shook his head and shot out Phoenix and storm, "You're out Phoenix and Storm." Mav called.
"God damnit!" Storm threw her head back. Hangman had to finish his round with Mav.
"Phoenix, Storm, where is he?" Hangman called thru the radio.
"I'm dead dickhead," Phoenix smirked.
"See you in the afterlife, bagman." Storm giggled.
As Phoenix, Storm, and Hangman did their pushups Phoenix and Storm made eye contact a few times. Phoenix had known her for a long time and knew something was up.
By the end of the day Rooster was overly mad, Storm just wanted to fly. Hangman was starting to ask questions. At one point Rooster and Mav were being dumb fucking men and running very close to the hard deck and damn near crashed. Storm was screaming into the radio to just fucking pull up.
Mav shot out Rooster and he began his fit again.
Rooster was the last one left doing pushups, " that's enough." Hondo sighed trying to talk to him, "Rooster, come on that's enough." Hondo raised his voice slightly. Hondo eventually walked away because he knew Rooster was too stubborn to hear it.
"Bradley," Storm walked over to him and kicked him over gently so he'd stop as he began to cough, "Bradley look at me."
"Breaking the hard deck, insubordination, you're going to get kicked out." Storm kneeled down by him as he pulled his knees to his chest.
"Don't worry about it Maze," he looked down at his knees.
"Look I'm going on this mission and if you get kicked out you leave us flying with Hangman. Talk to me Bradley. What the hell is going on?" Storm rested her hand on his knee.
"He pulled my papers..." Bradley muttered.
"What? Who? My dad?" Storm pushed some loose hairs from her face.
"Yeah, Maverick. He pulled my application at the academy... Sent me back four years." Rooster sighed and looked up at her then back to the runway.
"Why didn't you ever tell me this?" Storm furrowed her eyebrows.
"I...I don't know." Rooster looked back down.
"Come on," Storm stood up and held out her hand for him. Rooster took it and stood up. Storm rolled up onto her toes and kissed his cheek, "I love you."
"I love you too," Rooster sighed, grabbing his helmet and following after her.