Bradley shook off the thought of Nova and how weird she was acting as he walked in the classroom. She had given him a look that showed she was up to something. What it was, he had no clue. The group of aviators start to converse with each other, playfully bickering as they talked about this mission.
Nova then walked into the room accompanied by Simpson, Bates, and Hondo. The four of them held serious expressions, only Nova's faltered into a smirk when she met eyes with Rooster. He read her expression, and his showed pure confusion. That's when he noticed Maverick wasn't there, and he started to actually get worried.
"Captain Mitchell is no longer your instructor." Admiral Simpson takes a stand at the front of the classroom. "As of today, there are new mission parameters. Time to target is now four minutes. You'll be entering the valley level at reduced speed, not to exceed 420 knots" He announces.
"Sir, won't we be giving their planes time to intercept?" Bob asks.
"Well, lieutenant, you have a fighting chance against enemy aircraft. What are the odds of surviving a head in collision with a mountain?"
"Probably higher than surviving being surrounded by enemy aircraft going over 200 knots slower than you should be, sir." Nova answers the rhetorical question, harshly being glared at my the admiral.
"Ms. Mitchell, we've listened to you attack plan. We're trying to hit our target here, if you would please keep your opinions to yourself." Simpson tells her.
"You'll be attacking the target at a higher altitude, level with the north wall." He continues. "Gonna be a little harder to keep your laser on target, but you will avoid the high G climb out.
Even Bate's face shows a look of pure doubt in this mission plan. He knows it's a death mission, all of them do.
"We'll be sitting ducks for enemy aircraft." Fanboy whispers to Payback.
The group of aviators start to bask in the fact that half of them will definable die on this mission, until they hear a loud beeping sound come from the monitor.
"What the hell is that?" Simpson turns to face the screen.
"Maverick to range control. Entering point Alpha. Confirm green range." Maverick's voice plays through the speakers.
Nova has a wide smirk settled on her face, feeling proud that her father listened to her. Maybe she could help these pilots survive after all. Hondo's head whips around as he gives her a wide eyed look, but the girl just shrugs cluelessly. He sees right through her though, and so does Rooster. With her looking back at him, he shifts his glance back and forth between her and the screen, shocked at what's going on. He knew the Mitchell's were crazy, but not stealing government owned aircraft crazy.
"Maverick, range control, uh, green range is confirmed. I don't see an event scheduled for you, sir." Range Control answers his request.
"Well...I'm going anyway." He says, diving his plane to a lower altitude. "Setting time to target two minutes, fifteen seconds."
Nova's, and everyone's, eyes widen. She knew he'd be flying the course, but she did not expect the lower timer at all.
"2.15, that's impossible." Payback states to himself.
"Final attack point. Mavericks inbound." He pulls the throttle, flipping over the imaginary cannon as the pilots watch eagerly.
Everyone is on the edge of their seat as they watch the little plane travel over the screen. "Popping. Three, two, one." Maverick somehow manages to hit the target, and complete the course successfully in only two minutes, pulling 10 Gs. The group of aviators are solely impressed by his skill and ability to complete the course that quickly, even Rooster is excited for him.
Everyone is dismissed for the day, but they all choose to stay on base and hang out in the common area. Nova thinks it's a good idea to go find her father, he should be landing right about now.
"Mitchell." Cyclone grabs her attention.
"Yes, sir?"
"Did you have something to do with this?" He asks, knowing someone had to of let Maverick into the hangar.
Nova doesn't want to lie, but she would also rather not snitch on herself. She takes the middle ground, avoiding the question all together and focusing on the real issue.
"You know there's no way for them to survive that mission with the parameters you've set, sir. You said the pilots didn't believe Maverick's idea for the mission couldn't be flown, so he's proved that it can."
"You're saying?" He squints his eyes at her.
"I'm saying that you are planning to send these people on a death mission, while Maverick is trying to give them a greater chance of survival. You asked me what speed would be needed, I told you 660 knots. That's my job. 420 isn't gonna cut it, unless you don't care whether or not the Navy loses its six most skilled pilots." Nova tells him her whole opinion.
"I'm trying to hit the damn target, Nova!" He gets angry at her for disagreeing.
"By shooting from a higher altitude? You're trying to not use Maverick's plan because you don't want him to be right!" She argues back.
"Look Nova, I know you and your father have an attachment to Lieutenant Bradshaw, but you've got to understand that there is no safe way of completing this mission." He tells her.
"No, but there is a way that offers a greater chance of survival. That's my job, that's why I'm here, to make sure these pilots survive." She continues to argue with him.
"Ahem." Bates clears his throat. "Captain Mitchell has landed."
"My office. Now." Cyclone orders them.
Nova follows the two admirals to the main office, meeting with her dad in the hallway and silently giving him a fist bump behind the other men's backs. He smiles at his daughter, putting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her in for a side hug before they reach the office door.
"You have put me in a difficult position, Captain." Maverick stands in front of Cyclone's desk in between Warlock and Nova.
Nova looks at her father next to her, and sees him standing with his postures uptight. She's seen people in the Navy stand like that before, but she's never had to do it. She decides to fix her own posture, replicating her dad.
"On one hand, you have demonstrated that this mission can be flown. Perhaps the only way it could be survived. On the other hand, you did it be stealing a multimillion dollar military aircraft, and flying it in such a manner that it may never be airworthy again. Iceman is no longer here to protect you, and I have everything I need to have you court-martialed and dishonorably discharged. So what do I do? Risk the lives of my pilots and the success of the mission, or risk my career,,,by appointing you team leader?"
Nova looks between the three men, wondering why she's the only one shocked.
"Sir-" Maverick starts to talk.
"I think the admiral's asking a rhetorical question, Captain." Warlock says, making Nova slightly giggle.
"As for you, Ms. Mitchell...I want you in the control room for this mission. You said your job is to help ensure survival, so you're gonna do just that. I want you in the intercom, like you were for the mission last January." He tells her his idea, and she nods knowing it's not her choice what she is assigned anymore.
"Yes, sir." She agrees with a curt nod.
"Both of you are dismissed." Cyclone says.
The two of them shuffle out of the office quietly, not saying a word until they are clear of being heard by either admiral.
"This is good, right?" Nova asks unsurely. "I mean, you weren't discharged."
"Yeah...yeah it's good. I just have to fly on the fucking mission now."
"But you can do that...you got through the course in two minutes. If anyone can pull off this mission, it's you." She tries to assure both him and herself at the same time.
"I know I can survive it, it's just..." He pauses and lets out a shaky breath. "I have to pick my team now."
Nova's heart drops at this. She knew her father would survive, nothing could kill that man. Sure, she was scared of the danger of this mission, but she knew Maverick could fly. She was always impressed by his skill in the air. What she was really worried about was Rooster. She knew he was a great pilot, but she hasn't seen him fly enough to be sure he would survive. He tended to think too much, he even admitted that to her. She would be lying if she said it didn't worry her.
"Do you have to send him?" Nova asks, barely above a whisper.
"I don't want to...but I might need him, Nova. He's the best solo pilot we've got here. And if I don't send him, he'll never forgive me. He's stubborn, you know that. If I hold him back again,,,he'll resent me forever."
Nova nods in understanding. She wishes this mission didn't exist, and they could all just be one big happy family. Part of her wished Rooster was a shitty pilot, so he wouldn't be an option. The other half of her knew Maverick would need him on his wing. Rooster was a good wingman, he'd never leave anyone out to dry. Seeing him sacrifice himself for his team during training scared her.
After everyone was dismissed for the day, Maverick went to say an emotional goodbye to Penny. Deep down, the two of them knew that Maverick would put Rooster's life before his own. Nova was ignoring that fact. Penny wrapped her arms around the man, holding him close before he left for this mission, or left for good.
Nova wandered around base, deciding to go get a snack or something. When she entered the common room, she was met with all twelve aviators littered around the tables, chairs, and couches. Everyone's eyes were glued to a baseball game on the TV, until they all peeled away to look at Nova. They had heard prices of her argument with Cyclone, and were anticipating hearing what she had to tell them.
Upon Nova's arrival, Payback grabbed the remote and paused the game, flipping a round on the couch to face her.
"How'd it go?" Several of the pilots asked her.
"Better than I though it would." She sighs, taking a water bottle from the fridge.
"Did they fire him?" Rooster asks, seemingly worried.
"Or send him to prison?" Coyote adds, also a bit worried.
"No, no." Nova shakes her head. "They made him team leader." She reveals to them.
Everyone's jaws drop for the millionth time that day.
"Are you serious?" Phoenix asks.
"Mhm." Nova nods in confirmation.
The entire room of pilots start to talk among themselves about the situation, and Nova took a seat on the small couch in between Bob and Rooster. Bradley automatically put an arm around her without thinking, but he didn't care to move when he realized what he'd done. Nova didn't seem to care either. If anything, she had shifted closer to him.
"Did they get mad at you?" He asks her curiously, not sure how much she helped Maverick with this stunt.
"A little. Simpson kinda chose to pretend I didn't do anything." Nova takes a sip out of the clear plastic water bottle.
"Wait, what did you do?" Bob asks her.
"Nothing really, I just let him into the hangar with my master key. And all of it was my idea, but-"
"Nova Mitchell! Are you crazy?" Phoenix comments fondly.
"So you told him to do all that-that was your entire idea?" Bradley is impressed by how much she acts like her father, while also being the opposite of him.
"Yep, unless you tell the admiral's." Nova answers, earning a laugh from all of them.
"I gotta say Mitchell, you might be the smartest person I've ever met." Hangman adds the the conversation, not being able to contain his opinion.
"Thank you Baggie. Means a lot." Nova grins at him jokingly, making Rooster chuckle at the nickname he originally gave Jake.
When Nova felt his chest move slightly up and down at his uncontainable laughter, she held her fist out in between them and her fist bumped her with his free hand. After their knuckles hit each other, he kept a hold of her hand in his. Their fingers fiddled around together until they hit Bradley's lap. Nova then interlocked her fingers with his, and rested their hands there for good.
It was like Bradley and Nova joined forces. Like they were a team when it came to the tiny details of life. No matter how close they were on paper, or how much they knew about each other, they fit together. They got along, and they cared about one another in a way that can only be described as love. What kind of love, Nova wasn't sure yet. Bradley was sure, though. He knew he loved her, but he didn't tell her yet. He didn't want to break the perfect harmony that they had been playing the past couple of weeks.
"We leave tomorrow." Phoenix brings up the topic everyone was avoiding.
"Not sure if I'm ready for that." Fanboy admits and everyone shakes their heads in agreement.
"I'm in the control room now." Nova tells them about Simpsons decision.
"Holy shit."
"Hell, that's a lot of pressure."
"Is that part of your job?"
"Sometimes." Nova answers the question. "My job is to help ensure survival. That's what I told Cyclone earlier, so he decided it was a good idea."
"Don't you think that's kinda scary? You know, since your dad's up there." Hangman asks, genuinely worried about her.
"Yeah, it's gonna be a lot. I'd rather this anyway, though. I wanna do everything I can to help..." She stops herself instead of finishing her sentence.
"Help us survive?" Payback finishes it for her.
"Yeah."
"Well, as exciting as this is, I'm gonna go to bed." Fritz decided out loud.
Everyone branches off, going home one by one. After a few minutes, everyone has filtered out except for Nova, Bradley, Phoenix, and Bob.
"Alright. I think I'm gonna head home." Phoenix says, getting up from a big comfy chair.
"Same. You comin, Bradshaw? I'm your ride, remember." Bob gets up from the couch and stretches his shoulders.
"Oh yeah, I guess so." Brad nods.
"I can take you if you wanna stay. I've just gotta run by my office and get some st-." Nova offers.
"Perfect. See you guys tomorrow!" Phoenix grabs Bob's shoulder and forcefully turns him towards the door. They both start walking out of the room before Bradley can even answer the question. Phoenix and Bob start to giggle to each other as they walk down the hallway like a couple of children.
Nova giggles too, and pops up from her comfortable seat by Bradley. She holds his hand up in hers, never disconnecting them.
"You wanna see my cool ass office, or what?" Nova smiles down at Bradley, who looks up at her with complete adoration.
"Lead the way, baby." He stands up behind her and they start out of the room.
"Baby?" She softly points out the nickname.
"Mhm." He hums a yes and swings their arms between them as they walk through the empty hallway.
They walk through the halls quietly, both of them growing tired from their long day. They've both done a lot of talking the past hour, and having some quiet was nice.
They reached the glass door to Nova's small office, and she pulled out her key to open the lock.
"Here we are." She mumbles as she opens the door to the small dark room.
Bradley follows her in and she flips the lights on, revealing her neatly decorated space. Her mahogany desk was littered in graph paper and plane model pictures. She had a computer sitting on her desk along with an open laptop and stacks of notebooks. On her walls were posters of her favorite bands, cool aircraft photos, and pictures of her with her dad and her friends, all tied together with a big blue couch in the place an office chair should be.
"You've got quite the set up." Bradley takes a glance around the room.
"It's my thinking space." She tells him, grabbing a tote bag from underneath her desk and shoving her laptop and a couple of notebooks in it.
"Nov, do you always work in the control room for missions?" Bradley asks her.
"Only if they really need me. I've never done it on a big mission like this one before. Then again, we haven't really had one in my time yet." She grabs her bag and heads out the door. Bradley follows as she turns the light back off and relocks the door.
"Is it stressful?"
"Of course it is. It's terrifying if anything." They begin to walk out of the building and into the parking lot.
They walked along the concrete peacefully together. It was pitch black outside. There was no moon tonight, no stars either, only dark clouds. They kind of set the mood.
"That sounds scary." Bradley says.
"Not as scary as flying." Nova points out.
"Guess so. But really, are you sure you're gonna be okay? With your dad flying and everything. I know that was unexpected." Bradley worries for her.
"I'll be fine, Bradley." They reach her car and climb in. Nova plops the tote bag in the backseat and turns the car on.
"It's okay to be scared, Nov. just cause you're not flying doesn't mean it's not a shit ton of pressure." He elaborates with her.
"You're right. It is a shit ton of pressure." She agrees, but doesn't fully open up about how she's feeling.
She doesn't have to tell him she's stressed out, he already knows. She's always trying to stay positive about these things, especially recently with this attachment, but Bradley can see right through her.
"You know you can talk to me, right? It's okay to be scared."
"Why do I need to be scared? This is my job, this is what I've worked my whole life for. I should be used to this-"
"Yeah, but it's different when-"
"When my dad is flying? Flying on a fucking death mission? I know that, Bradley, I know it's scary." She slumps down in her seat, still having yet to start driving.
"I'm just saying..."
"He's not gonna die. He can't die, you know he's indestructible. He does shit like this all the time, he's not gonna die, he can't die." She shakes her head furiously and literally loses her cool.
"Nova, calm down." He puts a hand on the thigh, sending goosebumps through her.
"I'm sorry. I keep freaking out on you, and I know you probably think I'm crazy because I'm so stressed out, and I just cried in your arms for two days straight so I really don't want to push you over the edge and scare you awa-"
Nova's words were interrupted when she felt Bradley's hand abruptly grab her jaw and turn her head in his direction. Her eyes lock on his for a split second, and before she could think, his lips met hers.
She first froze at the contact, but she didn't oblige. She let Bradley kiss her, melting all of the stress away for a moment. For that moment she didn't think about the mission, or anything for that matter. All she could think about was the fact that Bradley Bradshaw had just kissed her.