A/N This one is a pretty long part. So enjoy. ❤️
Dove's PoV
"Time is your greatest enemy." Mav says first thing the next morning while walking towards the screen in front. "Phase one of the mission will be a low-level ingress attacking in two plane teams. You'll fly along this narrow canyon to your target. Radar-guided surface-to-air missiles guard the area. These SAM's, they're lethal. But they were designed to protect the skies above, not the canyon below."
Where is he going with this?
"That's because they know no one is insane enough to try and fly below them." Rooster calls out.
"That's exactly what I'm gonna train you to do." Mav shoots back.
I turn in my seat to look at Phoenix and Bob with wide eyes mouthing 'He's crazy' before turning back.
Maverick continues, "On the day your altitude will be 100 ft. maximum. You exceed this altitude, radar will spot you and you're dead. Your air speed will be 660 knots minimum. Time to target is 2 and a half minutes. That's because fifth- generation fighters wait at an airbase nearby. In a head-to-head with these planes in your F-18's you're dead. That's why you need to get in, hit your target, and be gone. This makes time your greatest adversary."
Mav takes another short pause, as if waiting for it to sink in for all of us before he continues on again.
"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 sam's. The tighter the turns, the more intense the force of gravity on your body multiplies. Compressing your lungs. Forcing the blood from your brain. Imparting your judgment and reaction time."
Everyone sits there in silence. Unsure if the mission is doable.
Maverick looks around the room at all of us before continuing yet again.
" So for today's lesson we're gonna take it easy on you. Max ceiling 300 ft. time to target 3 minutes. Good luck." With that he exits the room leaving Hondo to tell everyone their groups and when they are flying.
Bob and Phoenix are up first with Coyote.
Once in the air they are a bit behind schedule so Bob tells them to increase their speed. Coyote acknowledges this and increases speed.
Suddenly Coyote pulls back without giving a warning to Phoenix. In order to avoid a collision she pulls up, over the maximum altitude. Failing the exercises.
When the jets have both landed Phoenix comes storming into the ready room, Bob hot on her heels. She goes directly to the window and refuses to talk to anyone.
I move to stand next to Bob, "Is she ok?" I ask
"I'm not sure. Once we made it to the tarmac she went off on Coyote about how he needed to communicate or this partnership won't work and that he'll get us all killed with stunts like that. Then she just went quiet. Hasn't said anything since." He responded, turning slightly to look at me.
"Well are you ok? Being in a situation like that is never fun." I ask, turning my body towards his.
"Yeah I'm ok. A little shaken up but I'm good."
With that We turn back towards the windows to watch Payback and Fanboy go up with Hangman.
Hangman of course hung Payback and Fanboy out to dry. In his need to be the fastest and "best" he went way too fast. Payback attempted to keep up but
Were unable to and ended up crashing into the canyon wall, also failing the simulation.
Rooster was up next with Harvard and Yale.
"Rooster we are behind schedule, increase speed."
"No, we are good. Maintain speed."
"Rooster we have got to go!"
Both jets made it to the target.
A full minute late.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Rooster, Harvard and Yale land their jets, everyone is called to a debriefing room.
"Why are they dead?" Mav asks once he had Coyote, Phoenix and Bob's simulation pulled up.
"We broke the 300 ft. ceiling and a SAM took us out." Phoenix responds.
"No." Maverick replies then turns to face Coyote. "Why are they dead?"
Coyote sat up a bit straighter, "I slowed down and didn't give her warning. It was my fault."
"Was there a reason you didn't communicate with your team?" Maverick asked calmly.
"I was focused on..." Coyote started but Maverick cut him off.
"One their families will accept at the funeral."
This comment struck everyone and silence filled the room.
"None Sir." Coyote responded, shrinking back down into his chair.
Maverick then turned to face Phoenix before starting up again. "Why didn't you anticipate the turn? You were briefed on the terrain."
Phoenix went to answer but Maverick cut her off before she could get a word in, "Don't tell me, Tell his family." He called motioning towards Bob.
Bob swallows and turns his head towards Phoenix with big eyes. I reach over Phoenix and grab Bob's hand, giving it a squeeze then letting go turning back towards the screen.
Maverick had changed to Hangman, Payback and Fanboy's simulation.
"What happened?" Maverick asked straight faced
"I flew as fast as I could. Kinda like my ass depended on it." Hangman responds with a smug look.
Rooster chimes in, "And you put your team in danger and your wingman's dead."
"They couldn't keep up." Hangman calls back.
Maverick decided to just leave it at that and moved on with Rooster, Harvard and Yale's simulation.
"Why are you dead? You're team leader up there. Why are you, why is your team dead?" He asks.
"Sir, he's the only one that made it to the target." I cut in.
"A minute late. He gave enemy aircrafts time to shoot him down. He is dead." Mav calls back.
"You don't know that." Rooster calls, refusing to meet Mavericks eye.
"You're not flying fast enough. You don't have a second to waist." Hangman chimes in. Always butting into other people's business.
"We made it to the target." Rooster fights
"And enemy aircrafts intercepted you on your way out." Mav calls
"Then it's a dog fight."
"Against fifth-generation fighters?"
"Yeah, we'd have a chance."
"In a F-18?"
"It's not the plane Sir, it's the pilot."
"Exactly!" Mav yells.
There is a small silence before Rooster calls back in a smaller voice, "There is more than one way to fly this mission."
"You really don't get it." Hangman cuts in, yet again. "On this mission a flies like Maverick here, or a man doesn't come back." Hangman pauses and turns towards Phoenix and I, "No offense intended."
Phoenix glares at Hangman while I roll my eyes., but Bob surprises us when he speaks up.
"Yet somehow you always manage."
I look over Phoenix and make eye contact with him, mouthing a quick 'thank you' to him before turning back. Definitely like when someone stands up for others. Noted.
"Look I don't mean to criticize, you're conservative. That's all." Hangman chimes back in.
Maverick decides now is a good time to cut in, "Lieutenant."
"We're going into combat son, on a level no living pilot has ever seen. Not even him." Hangman continues motioning towards Maverick. "That's no time to be thinking of the past."
This causes everyone to pause.
Rooster snaps his head toward Hangman before replying in a low voice, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Bradley, don't." I call turning in my seat to look at my older brother.
"Rooster." Maverick calls out too.
This still doesn't deter Hangman, "I can't be the only one that knows that maverick flew with their old man."
"That's enough." Maverick tries to cut in again, but Hangman is determined to finish.
"Or that Maverick here was flying when their old man..." Hangman is finally cut off by Rooster shooting out of his seat and grabbing him by his collar.
Phoenix and Bob grab onto Rooster while Payback and Fanboy grab Hangman.
I move between them pushing Hangman away from Rooster, and pull Rooster's attention towards me.
"Rooster stop this. He just wants a reaction out of you. Walk away." I say trying to push him back towards the door but he fights my push and yells out at Hangman.
"You son of a bitch!"
My attention is then pulled towards Hangman as he pushes against my other hand.
"Back the hell up Hangman, I'm not kidding I'll lay you out myself." I snap.
"You wouldn't hit me princess." He quips back with a Smirk.
"Don't plan on it Asshole." I snap back, before turning back to Rooster.
Hangman gets out of Payback and Fanboy's hold and starts saying he's cool. Then he turns to Maverick and digs his own grave.
"He's not cut out for this mission. You know it."
That comment causes me to snap, "That's it." With that I whirled around and deck Hangman right in the face and sent him to his ass. "The only person who can say shit like that about Rooster is me, so shut the hell up."
Then I get real close to his face seeing the blood come from under his hand, which is currently holding his newly broken nose, and whisper, "Talk about my father and Mav one more time, and your nose won't be the only thing I break. Got it?"
I am then pulled away from Hangman by Bob, when I look up I see payback and Fanboy trying to help Hangman while also trying to keep their laughter in.
They are failing at both.
Bob manages to fully pull me out into the hallway and away from the chaos, and pulls me into an empty room.
"Nic what the hell was that?" He asked, clearly surprised by the events that just happened.
"I'm not apologizing. He deserved it." I called back as I began to pace back and forth in the empty room.
Just as Bob was about to respond the door gets yanked open and Maverick comes storming in.
"What the hell were you thinking Nic? You could get kicked off the mission for a stunt like that." He yells.
I whip around to face him, "First of all you lost the privilege to call me Nic the minute you stopped taking my phone calls. The minute you decided I wasn't worth keeping around anymore. Second, I wasn't going to just sit there and let Hangman talk about Bradley like that. THird, I have been waiting for a reason to put that dick in his place since we went through the academy together, so I will not be apologizing." I yell back.
Maverick seems a bit taken back by my response and decides that he won't be getting anywhere with me today so he turns towards the door to leave but stops at the door and turns back.
"We'll talk about this later."
With that he walks out the door and leaves me here with Bob.
"Nic are you ok?" Bob asks, walking up to stand beside me.
"No. No I'm not ok Bob." I say, tears welling in my eyes. A few roll down my cheek before Bob wipes them away.
He opens his mouth to say something but again is cut off by the door opening. Bradley walks in and strides right up to us, grabbing my hand and looking at my knuckles.
"There is some swelling, you'll need ice but you should be ok." He says finally looking up at me.
"I know how to throw a punch, Bradley. I'm not a child." I say, rolling my eyes.
"I know. Look, let's just get you some ice and then home alright? Phoenix took some of the others home already so I'll give you a ride. We need to talk anyway." He said before turning towards Bob. "Thanks for getting her out of there. You need a ride back to the apartments?"
"It was no problem. It's all good, I have my Jeep." Bob says, nodding his head back at Bradley before turning towards me. "I'm here if you need me ok?"
"Thanks Bob. For everything." I reply before walking out of the room with Bradley in search of some ice.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once the ice was found and put on my hand, Bradley and I walked out to his car, and began the drive towards the apartments.
After a few minutes of silence Bradley spoke up.
"You didn't have to hit Hangman, you know. I am a grown adult, I can fight my own battles." He says with a slight laugh.
"I know you can, but when someone comes at my family the way he did, I'm not just going to sit back and let them get away with it. Plus you weren't doing anything so I did." I reply with a shrug.
"Ice isn't going to be happy about this when he finds out Nic. He might even pull you from the mission." Bradley shoots back, obviously annoyed with the situation I've put myself in.
"Well I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens." I reply, turning to look back out the window.
Once we got back to the apartments We said our goodbye and went our separate ways. Opening the door to Phoenix and my apartment I was met with more noise than Phoenix could produce alone.
Walking further into the apartment I find Payback, Fanboy, Bob, and Phoenix all on the couch talking. Once they all spot me they stop talking and Phoenix gets up to greet me.
"That was one hell of a right hook Dove" She says, wrapping me into her side.
"Well he deserved it. He was running his mouth about my family, I'm not going to sit there and play nice if someone is going to talk crap on my family. No matter how pissed I am at them." I say, pulling out of her arms and sitting on the couch in the free spot next to Bob.
"Why didn't you tell us you know Maverick?" Fanboy asks
"It wasn't important. But I guess I can tell you everything now that it's all kinda out there."
Bob gets up to grab me a drink, having already been told the story and knowing how hard it is for me to talk about.
When he gets back, he passes me my beer and I take a large gulp before starting the story.
Rooster and I know Maverick pretty well. He flew with our dad back in the day. So my dad was Mavericks RIO. When they were in their 20's they were called to Top Gun and that's where Mav met Iceman." I paused to take a big gulp of my drink then continued. "Iceman and Maverick didn't really get along at the beginning, Ice said Mav was dangerous to everyone he flew with. Ice had known our dad from a previous mission I guess." I pause to look at everyone's faces before continuing.
"During a training Ice, Mav, and my dad were in the air trying to get lock on their top gun instructor. Ice was, in Mav's mind, taking too long to take the shot. So he told Ice to back off and let him try. Ice was obviously annoyed and determined to get the shot so he pulled back in front of Mav and my dad's jet." I pause again to take another gulp of my beer, not making eye contact with anyone, before pushing forward.
"Mav and my dad flew through the jet wash from Ice's plane and went into a flat spin. Mav tried to get control but his arm was pinned from the force. When my dad was able to, he pulled the ejection handles for them. When they were ejected though, my dad hit his head on the canopy before it had fully opened. Ice had called for search and rescue seeing that their jet was headed toward the ocean. When the helicopter got there to pull them out my dad was already dead." I had to stop for a second because my voice was getting shaky and cracked. After taking a bit to get my voice to stop shaking I continued.
"My mom had just gotten here a few days before with Bradley and was excited to tell our dad that she was pregnant with me. So she was confused when she got the call from viper to meet at the hospital. When she got there Maverick told her what happened and she broke. My mother never blamed Maverick for my dad's death. No one did, it was a tragic accident no one could have seen coming. After top gun was over, Maverick helped our mom raise Bradley and was there with my mom in the hospital when she went into labor with me. Growing up Maverick was my father figure. Him and Uncle Ice are the only male role models Bradley and I had really."
"I'm so sorry Dove, I might not know what it's like to grow up not having a parent like that, but I do know what it's like to lose one at a young age. It's never easy." Fanboy says.
When I look up again I am met with looks of sadness for me. Knowing that's not all I push forward again. "When I was around 16 our mother died. She had been fighting cancer for awhile but her body had finally given out. Rooster had been in the backyard after the funeral for some space I guess, he had been kind of off for a few days. Maverick told me he was going to go check on him, so I started cleaning up the house after the lunch we had. I was in the kitchen doing some dishes when all of the sudden there was yelling coming from the backyard. When I got to the backdoor Bradley had come bursting through yelling about how Maverick had no right and he needed to leave before he kicked his ass, and stormed upstairs. Maverick didn't even say anything, he simply walked in, grabbed his jacket and took off on his bike."
"After a few hours I went to check in on Bradley and see what the fight was about. He told me it was all Uncle mav's fault and he would never talk to the man ever again, then shut the door in my face and refused to talk about it anymore after that. After a few weeks Maverick had stopped taking my calls. He would send a card for my birthday every year but nothing more. I had sent him my graduation announcement and had sent a letter along with it telling him I hoped he would be able to make it and possibly work things out with Bradley, but when the day finally came, nothing. He wasn't there, didn't call, no text, no letter, nothing."
"When I had tried to call him later that day and see what was going on, the phone number I had for him had been disconnected. He had removed himself from my life completely. I tried to talk to uncle Ice about it but he didn't have any answers either. So after that I decided that I wasn't going to try and keep a father daughter like relationship with someone who didn't want it. I didn't try to reach out again and went to the academy with Rooster and now here we are. I haven't seen Mav in 8 years. Rooster still refuses to talk about the fight they had or anything and Maverick is trying to act as if nothing is wrong."
With the story now out in the open, I didn't want to meet anyone's eye. I stayed quiet and my gaze on my beer, picking at the label with my nail.
"Wow." Fanboy adds.
"Has Rooster talked to anyone about the fight?" Payback asks.
"Not sure. If he has, I don't know anything about it." I say finishing off my drink.
After a few seconds, a hand is under my chin, pulling my gaze up. My gaze meets Bob's as he moves his hand to now cup my face and wipe away some tears that had fallen, "I'm sorry that this all has happened to you Little Bird, but know that we are all here for you. No matter what." He says never taking his eyes off mine.
I look around and see Payback and Fanboy nodding their heads, When my gaze meets Phoenix's She is smirking and sends me a wink, nodding towards Bob. I let out a small laugh and brought my eyes back to Bob, whose eyes never left me, "Thank you Bob. That means the world to me." I say, as I bring my hand to rest over his still on my cheek and turn my face into his palm letting my eyes fall closed for a few seconds.