Olivia had overslept from being overwhelmingly tired from the events that all occurred last night. Thought it was nice for her to rest it most certainly would not be nice to be yelled at by everyone above her. She ran to get dressed and to get all her things for the day and ran down the stairs of the house she grew up in and grabbed her bag to stuff whatever she could get her hand on that was food to take for the drive over to base while going to do so she feel face first on water that was spilled on the floor she groaned and got herself up but she could tell she'd bruise very quickly her falling caused a loud thud which led to her brother standing in front of her by the hallways door to the living room he held a hand up his mouth and Olivia scolded him knowing what he was withholding himself from doing.
"If you so much as snicker I will-" he busted out laughing and you shook her head and laughed as well but she walked up to him and smacked him on his head and ran out to the garage to head over to work. She drove as fast as the law allowed her to but God knows she'd sped her way there if she could once near the base she checked in at the gate where a gaurd asked for identification and she showed him her ID and he let her in after saluting her. She parked however she could and ran into her locker struggling to open it but once she finally could she grabbed her flight suit and put it on and ran to where the first discussion of the course would be held. When opening the door all heads turned towards her and boy did she hate that especially the fact that both admirals were sat at the back of the class where she currently was walking past she smiled at them and they shook their heads and when Mav saw her take the seat next to the screen he only gave her a look saying "we'll talk about this later" and he proceeded with his class.
"As I was saying, you'll fly a route in your nav system that simulates the canyon, the faster you navigate this canyon the harder it will be to stay under the radar of these enemy sams" he nodded for Olivia to get up and speak
"The tighter the turns the more intense the force of gravity on your body multiplies" She walked up and down the front row speaking with her hands catching a glance at rooster who quickly looked away from her, so she walked the other way and proceeded speaking.
"Compressing your lungs forcing the blood from your brain, impairing your judgment and reaction time" she looked towards mav and let him continue on.
"So for todays lesson we're gonna take it easy on you, max ceiling 300 feet time to target 3 minutes" Olivia observed the change of looks around the room all of them looking a bit surprised by the space and time they had. Maverick also noticed but he only led them off with a short "Good luck". Everyone got up and walked out of the room and before olivia could follow behind Maverick called out for her and she turned around.
"Where the hell were you?" She sighed and looked down and brought her hand to her to scratch her forehead and looked up.
"I overslept" he shook his head and nodded to continue walking to where she was going and she ran to go get her flight gear. Walking in she saw Phoenix walking out and they both hugged quickly and Olivia went off to get her stuff. She put on her best grabbed her aviators and helmet she dropped it when she began walking towards the door and when she picked it up she still hadn't looked up and she bumped into an unknown figure and she led them towards the wall where she was in front with her face in their chest and their back against the wall when she finally pulled away she fixed herself and mentally wanted to scream for what a day it was.
"I am so sorry i didn't see-" she looked up and the person she least wanted in front of her right now. He looked at her and shook his head.
"Don't worry about it" Rooster grabbed her helmet from off the ground and handed it to her, she gladly took it and when she did they shortly touched hands which felt strange being that the last time she held his hand was when he said his goodbye to her.
"Thanks, I'll see you out there" She turned to walk out but he stopped her.
"Lie I'm-" Before he could say anything else Fanboy came rushing in.
"Guys the admirals are watching this one and we're all waiting on you guys" He looked between the two oddly confused and Olivia separated herself from rooster and nodded.
"We'll be out there" He nodded and walked on out, Bradley looked at her and she thought he'd continue what he was going to say.
"I guess we better go" he held the door open and Olivia's face dropped but she choose to walk out that door and head onto the tarmac confused on what he wanted to say. They both went their separate ways to get into their Jets and begin the training. While up in the air they all took turns to run the simulation as if they were on the real mission, their jest flying past the ground and despite it somewhat straight they had to mock every twist and turn pulling such high speed and force.
"Guys the target in one minute and thirty we are two seconds behind increase to 480 knots" BOB alerted Phoneix and she quickly let coyote know to get going.
"We gotta move Coyote"
"Copy increasing speed" when Phoenix did so Coyote slowed down and he nearly collided with Phoenix causing him to have to ascend and become a clear target for the missiles olivia called them off of the simulation and to debrief.
"Why are they dead" Maverick approached the students that sat in front of them.
"We broke the 300ft ceiling the Sam took us out"Olivia and Maverick both shook their heads at them causing them to be confused.
"Why. Are. They. Dead" Maverick looked directly at Coyote for a response
"I slowed down and I didn't give her a warning it's my fault" Oliviastood up and walked towards the front.
"Was there a reason you didn't communicate with your team?"Olivia gave him a questioning look wanting to understand why he did what he did.
"I was focusing on-"
"One that their family's will accept at the funeral" Coyote sat back and realized what she was getting at.
"None ma'am" Olivia turned to face Phoenix.
"Why didn't you anticipate the turn, you were briefed on the terrain" She was going to speak but Olivia interrupted her before she could.
"Don't tell me, tell that to his family" The room felt cold everyone feeling nervous to go up and be judged critically by Maverick and ACE.
"Alright next group go up" Maverick concluded the session to watch the next ones up. The next group was Hangman, Payback and Fanboy Olivia was worried of how'd they work together considering not knowing each other quite well.
"Hangman ease up the canyons getting tighter"
"Negative payback increase SPEED" Olivia shook her head at the orders Hangman gave to Payback not liking where it was all going.
"YOURE GOING TO FAST MAN!"
"We'll no harm in being ahead of schedule"
"Damnit slow down I can't stay on the course" Then beeping was heard from the system and fanboy immediately yelled out.
"Ahh you're gonna HIT THE WALL, WATCH OUT WATCH OUT WATCH OUT!" Olivia went onto comma ordering them all to come back to base for a further debrief on their run of the course. Maverick and Olivia had worried faces due to the fact that it was possible that they weren't ready for this mission and they certainly had no time for mistakes.
"What happened" Maverick looked at Hangman his words seemed like a question but what more of a statement.
"Well I flew as fast as i could...kinda like my ass depended on it" Olivia shook her head completely hating how cockey Jake was. She glared at him and he shot her a smile and she so badly wanted to flip him off but before she could say something a voice interrupted her.
"And you out your team in danger and your wingman's dead" Bradley looked at him and Payback and fanboy flared at hangman.
"They couldn't keep up" Maverick sighed and signaled Olivia to give next orders.
"Alright next group up the rest stay in the lunge area until ordered else" Hangman got up to walk to where they were ordered to go to but Olivia tapped his shoulder.
"Yes dear?" He said in such an obnoxious way with an obnoxious grin.
"Don't you ever pull a stunt like that again Seresin" She smacked his shoulder and walked out of the door to go observe with Maverick and Jake was left so confused standing alone.
———
Up in the air now was Rooster, Yale and Harvard and Rooster being the lead on the run for their turn at the simulation.
"Rooster we're 20 seconds behind and dropping!"
"We're fine..speed is good" Yale wouldn't have it he wanted to get there in time so someone could finally do the sim correctly.
"Increase speed to 500 knotts"
"Negative Yale hold your speed"
"Rooster we're late" by now the annoyance of Rooster putting of speed was getting to Yale and Olivia and Maverick could tell.
"We're alive, we'll make up time in the straightaway"
"We're not GONNA MAKE IT!"
"Just trust me MAINTAIN YOUR SPEED we can make it" The result ended up being that they completed the task but took more time than given and now the next debrief would get nasty.
"Why are you dead" Maverick looked at Rooster and caught his attention.
"You're team leader up there, why are you why is your team dead"
"Sir he's the only one who made it to the target" Maverick shook his head.
"A minute late he gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down he is dead" Rooster shook his head and flared at him.
"You don't know that" then a voice that had already annoyed Olivia enough today.
"You are not flying fast enough, you don't have a second to waste" Olivia knew he was right but his commentary was not needed in the moment.
"We made it to the target" Rooster was obviously upset over Maverick thinking he didn't do it well.
"A superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out"
"Then it's a dogfight"
"Against 5th generation fighters"
"Yea we'd still have a chance" Everyone was quiet while these two bickered back and forth and Hangman had an amused look on his face.
"IN AN F-18!"
"It's not the plane sir it's the pilot"
"EXACTLY!" The room felt even more silent then before. Everyone felt awkward in the moment and Olivia looked at both of them being so worried of the constant fighting these two went through.
"There's more than one way to fly this mission" Once again Olivia heard jakes voice and she prayed nothing stupid came out of it. Yet again it was Jake so it couldn't be anything but that.
" You really don't get it" Olivia stood forward in case she needed to stop him from saying anything out of line and she only sent him a warning look.
"On this mission a man flys like maverick or man does not come back" He quickly glanced over and Olivia and Phoenix with a small but noticeable smirk.
"No offense intended" to Phoenixs defense Bob leaned forward in his chair.
"Yet you always seem to manage" Hangman only glared at Bob and proceeded to speak his mind.
"Look I don't mean to criticize you're conservative that's all" Maverick looked down and slightly looked at Olivia.
"Lieutenant-" Maverick gave Jake a warning call but he just kept on going trying to get to a point one Olivia couldn't quite understand what it was. Rooster sat up straight and sighed becoming far more annoyed
"We're going into combat son.. on a level no living pilots ever seen...not even him" Maverick looked at him understanding he knew something but Olivia still didn't understand.
"That's not time to be thinking about the past.." Then it all clicked to Olivia and she felt a pit in her stomach forming a knot.
"What's that supposed to mean?" rooster turned his gaze over to Olivia then Jake and Olivia was nervous.
"Jake let's not" She shook her head.
"Rooster" Maverick didn't want him to entertain the situation more knowing that it wouldn't lead to anything good.
"I can't be the only one that knows maverick flew with his old man"
"Lieutenant that's enough!" Jake didn't let that stop him he just kept on going.
"Or that maverick was flying when his old man-" That set him off and in a second it all went to hell. Roster charged at him grabbing him and shoving his chest causing him to push back and as they rose so did everyone else in the room and Maverick and Olivia stood in between the two as the tried to get Rooster to calm down and he tried to charge right back at him.
"THATS ENOUGH!"
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" One side of the room had rooster and the other had hangman and Jake acted as if nothing happened.
"I'm cool I'm cool, hey, hey, hey" Jake walked closer to Rooster and got to where Olivia and Maverick were.
"He's not cut out for this misson" Maverick looked over at Jake angry.
"THATS ENOUGH!" Jake pointed first at Olivia then Maverick
"You know it, you know I'm right. Olivia you can't keep hoping he will be" Olivia was taken aback and watched as he walked off in front of Roosters face and once he walked out Mav ordered everyone to go home. Phoenix walked up to Olivia and nudged her towards where Rooster was heading and so Olivia followed him into the hallway and he was walking fast and very heated.
"ROOSTER!" He kept walking obviously ignoring her but she kept walking and tried keeping up with his quick pace.
"BRADLEY! Come on" He turned around his hands on his hips and clearly aggravated.
"What do you want Kazansky" Olivia out her hands up trying to get him to calm down.
"Woah calm down I know what he said for you worked up but I promise I'll talk to him-" Rooster scoffed at her and he shook his head.
"Talk to him so you can tell him more about my business?" Olivia gave him a confused look as to why he would imply that.
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh come on are you that stupid, how else did he know about Maverick and my dad huh?!" He shouted that last part and he got closer to her being more angry then before.
"Why in the world would I tell him about YOUR problems?"
"Why wouldn't you THATS all you like to do because you don't like to talk about yours, cause you act like your perfect but you have daddy issues so you try to fix others problems all because YOUR DAD DIDNT WANT YOU!" He breathed out the last part and when he saw Olivia's face change, instantly he regretted it and she stepped back.
"Just go home Bradley" Olivia began to walk away but Bradley caught her arm but she wouldn't look at him.
"Olivia please-" She shook her head and moved her arm from his hold.
"No" She walked away leaving him there to regret his choice of words and she walked to the locker room to get her stuff from her locker and sitting in front of her locker was Jake who looked up immediately when he heard noise and got up and moved as Olivia opened her locker.
"Liv?" He looked at her with pleading eyes but she would talk or look at him.
"Please liv talk to me" She closed the door of her locker and shoved him in the chest repeatedly. He just let her without stopping her until he knew it had been enough and he grabbed her arms and she rested her head on his chest.
"I'm sorry" Jake whispered into her ear and she still didn't speak until she looked up at him.
"You had absolutely no right in bringing up what happened to his father that was low even for you!" He nodded knowing exactly what he did and with what intentions.
"I know and I'm sorry liv I really am" She nodded.
"I'm not the one that needs apologizing to, you need to talk to him he thinks I told you about what happened so you need to apologize to him" He nodded and kissed her forehead and let her go as she bid him goodnight and walked to her car to head home after the absolute worst day. When getting to the driveway she saw her brother was washing his truck and she choose to park behind him and she sighed as she got out of the car. He saw her and smiled and waved at her and she only waved and when she went in he followed behind noticing that she didn't even go to greet her grandparents she went up to her room and closed the door behind her so he choose to walk over to the kitchen and grab drinks from the fridge.
"What are you doing dear?" Sarah noticed what he was doing and the amount of beers he pulled out of the fridge when he closed the door he smiled at her.
"I need to see what's wrong with Lie Lie" She nodded and told him he'd let their grandfather know she was home. He walked up the stairs and knocked on her door.
"I'm busy" he rolled his eyes and grabbed the knob.
"You better not be naked!" She immediately tossed a pillow at him that he dodged and looked surprised at then looked at her and smiled holding drinks.
"I come bearing gifts" She got up from her bed and sat up and patted her bed for him to sit on the other side and so he closed the door and sat down handing her a beer and they both sipped silently for while.
"Do you think dad really abandoned us?" Peter was caught off guard by the question given the fact that they hadn't spoken about their father in years.
"I'd be lying to you if I didn't say yes" Olivia nodded and took another sip from her drink.
"I think that's what makes us both pretty messed up right, cause people just walk out like we're nothing ya know" She looked down after that last word and Peter only nodded and played with his bottle thinking of a way to respond.
"We got put through hell that's for sure but from the moment I knew he'd leave us here with grandma and grandpa the first thing I thought of doing was making sure that you would have the best life I could possibly give you Lie" Olivia had a tear streaming down her face and a smile as she looked at her brother.
"You shouldn't had to had done that, you deserved to have a normal childhood.. not growing up fast to take care of me you still needed parents" He nodded and put his arm around her and pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.
"Yea but we get the hand we're dealt in life and we just have to overcome them" She nodded and held herself closer to him.
"Now how's that love life of yours?" She laughed and shook her head.
"Yeaaa let's not speak about mine, let's talk about yours "mister I just got divorced" He glared at her and took another sip.
"Things are fine between me and Bailey we just grew apart and that's okay, she's bringing down the kids before your deployment so they can see you" Olivia smiled widely at the fact that she'd get to see her nieces and nephews.
"Good because I have their birthday, Christmas and new years gifts!" He shook his head at her and they both laughed.
"Mines a complete disaster... Bradley has it completely against me cause he blames me for not telling him he'd get set back and he thinks I told Jake about what happened to his father" she took another swig at her drink and Peter laughed at her.
"We'll the mans call sigh is a chicken so you had to had seen this coming" She laughed and shook her head at him. She knew the next few days would be a bit off but she had her family and friends she knew she'd be okay for now.