It was daytime now. Nova didn't get to wake up to a vibrant orange sunrise like she did the morning before, instead she was met with the cold, humid air off the freezing coast of Iran. How lovely. She wasn't required to be at the last briefing, so she made the choice to avoid it and help out on the tarmac to try and clear her head.
Everyone quickly got dressed in their flight mission uniforms and headed towards the tarmac to be briefed on the mission one last time. Cyclone went into depth explaining every aspect of the mission, and just how difficult it could be if something goes wrong. The more Rooster and the other pilots listen, the more dangerous it is starting to sound to them.
Bradley scans around the room for Nova, wondering where she is. She was for some reason thinking that the less she saw him and her dad that day, the easier everything would be.
Maverick zoned out during this time. He already knows every detail and doesn't want to hear it. He prefers to overthink the same thing he's been thinking about for the past six hours, but he is not close to being tired. Everyone is wide awake despite the lack of sleep.
Cyclone finally stopped talking and everyone on board let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. They were then released to get into their flight gear, and as they were walking out Maverick stops Rooster.
"Rooster." He lightly hits his shoulder with the back of his hand to grab his attention. Bradley turns around abruptly, not really expecting Maverick to want to talk right now.
"Yes sir?"
"Have you seen my daughter anywhere?" He asks, making Rooster wonder even more where she could be if Mav doesn't know.
"No sir, I was actually wondering where she is." He answers.
"Nova?" Phoenix turns her head at their conversation.
"Yeah." They both say at the same time.
"She's helping safety check the jets. She said something about needing to make sure nothings wrong or distracting herself." Phoenix informs them as they all grab their helmets and flight gear off the shelves.
"She needed to make sure nothings wrong? We've got a whole pit crew for that." Mav thinks out loud.
"She's probably just paranoid." Bradley assumes.
"Or she's gone clinically insane." Mav murmurs.
Nova reaches the last jet lined up on the tarmac, her father's. She read the name Cp. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell printed on the side of the F-18 and her stomach did a flip. She had already double checked everyone's jets and now she only had one left.
"Nov, I just checked this one. And the other four." Sam complains about her persistence.
"I'm just taking extra precaution." She shrugs, climbing up the ladder and examining the airframe and wings.
"Maybe try taking extra anxiety medication instead." Sam retorts, watching the girl check every corner of the aircraft like he did before her.
She ignores him and looks inside the cockpit, clicking the radio and gps systems on and off to make sure everything is connected. Jeremiah then walks out of the indoor portion of the carrier, standing next to Sam and tilting his head at the sight of Nova going crazy.
"Does she know that's not her job?" He rhetorically asks as Nova checks the back of the plane along with the engine.
"Well fueling didn't take long enough and she needed something else to do. She says you can never be too sure." Sam laughs.
"Alright. You were right, Sam, everything's functioning properly." Nova walks over to him while fiddling with the hem of her shirt in nervousness.
"And are you functioning properly?" Sam teases.
"Shut up." Nova just rolls her eyes, and catches a glimpse of the pilots walking down to the tarmac while doing so.
"Give her a break man, she's nervous. I get it Nov, your dad and your new boyfriend. That's gotta be scary."
"Thanks?" Nova cocks a brow at his sudden seriousness.
"Nova! Why the hell are you still down here? You should already be in the control room." Maverick appears out of nowhere, seeing her on the way to his jet.
"Shit! Already?" She checks her watch in a hurry and almost runs off but remembers they are about to take off.
Nova runs the few feet back to her dad to engulf him in a big hug. "Please stay safe, Dad."
"I promise you Honey, I'll bring us all back." He nods, wrapping his arms around his daughter's shoulders.
"In one piece?"
"In one piece."
"I love you, Dad."
"I love you, Nov."
She releases him to his plane, then rushing to find Rooster.
"Lieutenant Bradshaw!" She shouts from halfway across the tarmac, running to him on her way inside.
"Nova Mitchell!" He automatically pulls her in for a hug as soon as they reach one another.
She hugs him back with just as much force and he kissed the top of her head before gently letting go of her.
"You've got to hurry and get up in the control room, baby." He squeezes her hand.
"I know." She nods. "Good luck, Bradley. Please be safe out there. Use that brain of yours."
"Yes ma'am." He smiles, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a passionate kiss. The second their lips connect, all of the stress surrounding the both of them fades away. It is way too soon that Nova separates herself from him, and Bradley feels all the negative thoughts re-enter his mind the second his lips leave hers.
Nova then has to run inside as quick as she possibly can so she doesn't get yelled at. She passes by Phoenix and Bob, and then Payback and Fanboy. And when she does this, she wishes them good luck and hugs them all as quickly as she can while running. It's impressive honestly; the way she can give her friends so much reassurance in only a second.
She races up the stairs, through doorways, down hallways, and finally reaches the doors to the control room in record time, trying her best to not seem out of breath. Once she steps inside the chaotic room, Nova is given a harsh stare from her second favorite admiral, Cyclone.
"Mitchell, where the hell have you been?" The stressed out man asks immediately upon her arrival.
"I was helping the pit crew inspect jets." She answers shortly, making Cyclone understand immediately that she was overthinking and stressing about everything. She tends to do this a lot, they all should've expected it to be even worse for this assignment.
Nova ignores the judgement and pity from her colleagues, and she grabs her headset to tune in to the ship's intercom waiting for takeoff time. Every pilot is in their jets by now, lined up and anticipating this obscene course they are about to take.
Rooster tries to focus on the mission, but he can't get his mind off of Nova. That kiss sparked something in him, and he realized if he doesn't pull himself together and focus then it could be their last. He quickly shakes the thoughts away from his mind and mentally prepares to get in the air. Hit the target and come home. He heard Maverick's voice in his head. You got this.
"Dagger One. up and ready on Catapult One."
"Dagger Spare, standing by."
"Dagger Four, up and ready."
"Dagger Three, up and ready."
"Dagger Two, up and ready."
"Support assets airborne, strike team package ready. Standing by for launch decision."
"Send them." Cyclone orders.
And they took off.
"Dagger two away." Nova announces, glancing back and forth between her radar and the giant screen.
"Dagger three away. Dagger four away." She calls out.
The five planes descended into the sky, fly my below radar as they neared enemy territory. Maverick called for the dagger attack and the group set their timers.
"Looks like we're clear on radar, Mav." Phoenix informs.
"Let's not take it for granted." They continue through the steep snowy canyons, dodging mountains every second.
"We're a few seconds behind, Rooster. We got to move." Payback says.
"Thirty seconds to Tomahawk impact on enemy airstrip." A comms officer says.
"Dagger Comanche, we're picking up two bandits. Single group, two contacts." Nova is quick to inform them of the aircraft nearby.
"Where the hell'd they come from?" One admiral asks.
"Long range patrol?" The other one guesses.
"They're headed away from us. They don't know we're here. The second those Tomahawks hit the airbase, those bandits are gonna move to defend the target. Increase speed."
"I got you, Mav. Don't wait for me." Phoenix increases her speed. Rooster grows nervous, not wanting to be too risky on a mission like this.
The Tomahawks hit the enemy air base, completely annihilating it.
"Impact. Enemy runway is destroyed."
"They know we're coming now." The officials in the control room watch in anticipation, praying that nothing will go wrong.
Nova's radar starts beeping and she sees the image of two planes in red on her screen. "Bandits are switching course to defend the target." She anxiously says.
"Rooster, where are you?" Maverick asks.
"Come on, Rooster. Bandits inbound. We gotta make up time now, let's turn and burn." Payback tried to encourage him.
Nova starts to internally freak out, and she is visibly shaking. She's got to stay in the zone though, she can't fuck this up.
"Bandits are two minutes from target. Daggers are one minute from target." She says through her mic.
"Come on Rooster. Move it or lose it." Hondo shakes his head.
"Come on Bradley." Nova whispers to herself, not loud enough for anyone to hear.
"If we don't increase our speed right now, those bandits are gonna be eating for us at the target." Payback says.
"Talk to me, Dad." Bradley whispers to nobody in particular.
"Come on kid, you can do it. Don't think, just do." Maverick whispers.
It was like a flip was switched in Bradley's head. He hit the gas as hard as he could.
"Jesus Rooster, not that fast!"
"That's it, kid."
"Hey Rooster, take it easy!"
"Sir, dagger two is engaging." A comms officer speaks.
"Alright, now hit your target and come home." Warlock says.
"Thirty seconds to target. Bob, check your laser."
"Air-To-Ground check complete. Laser code verified, 1-6-8-8. Laser is a go!"
"Watch your heads." Rooster says too casually as they fly under the bridge.
"Shit shit shit!" Payback yells.
"Payback, you with me?"
"Right behind you."
"Phoenix, stand by for pop up strike."
"Dagger three in position."
"Popping in three...two...one." Maverick pulls up, making his ascend up the steep mountainside. "Get me eyes on that target, Bob."
"Dagger three, stand by Mav!" Bob struggles to get the laser in place.
Then he locks the target in place. Everyone in the control room lets out a breath together, but the pilots are still struggling to breathe.
"I've got it captured!"
"Target acquired. Bombs away." Maverick sends the missile at the target before pulling back up to get out. Phoenix follows him closely behind, the two of their jets nearly verticals in the air.
The target is hit.
"We've got impact!" Bob shouts. "Direct hit! Direct hit!"
"That's miracle number one." Warlock says. Nova wipes her sweaty hands on the sides of her pants.
"Dagger two status?"
"Almost there, Mav, almost there. Fanboy, where's my laser?" They reach the canyon.
"Rooster, theres something wrong with this laser!" Fanboy shouts as the laser spins out of control. "Shit! Deadeye deadeye deadeye!"
What the fuck? Nothing should be wrong with the jets at all. Nova thinks to herself.
"Come on guys, we're running out of time."
"Nearly there! Nearly there."
"There's no time. I'm dropping blind." Rooster announces.
"Wait!" Fanboy disagrees.
"No time. Bombs away, bombs away!" Rooster launches his missiles directly into the target and pulls up flawlessly.
The missiles explode inside of the bunker, creat NHs huge explosion.
"Bullseye bullseye bullseye!" Nova confirms for the pilots and cheers with the crew.
"Miracle number two. Now they're in coffin corner." Cyclone says.
"We're not out of this yet." Maverick reminds his pilots. "Here it comes!" The SAMs go off.
"Radar warning! Smoke in the air. Phoenix break right!" Maverick shouts.
"Emergency jettison, dagger three defending!"
"Here comes another one!"
"Dagger one defending."
"Rooster, status?"
Rooster, Payback, and Fanboy exit the canyon and are immediately greeted with missiles being shot at them.
"Oh my God."
"Smoke in the air! Smoke in the air!"
"Break right, Payback!"
"Breaking right."
"Oh my God! Here they come!"
"SAM on your six, Rooster!"
"Deploying countermeasures."
"Negative contact."
"Dagger one defending."
"Talk to me, Bob!"
"Break right Phoenix, break right! Mav, nine o'clock!"
"Rooster, two more on your six!"
"Dagger two defending!"
"Payback! SAM on your nose! Dagger four defending."
"Rooster, tally seven o'clock!"
"Talk to me, Bob!"
"On our six!"
"Dagger two defending!"
"Phoenix, break right!"
"I see it! I see it!"
"Dagger two defending." Rooster hits the button to release flares. "Shit! I'm out of flares!"
"Rooster, evade! Evade!" Maverick tells him.
"I can't shake em! They're on me they're on me!"
Before anyone can even grasp what is happening, Maverick puts himself between Rooster and a missile, sending his jet hurdling towards the ground.
"Mav no!" Rooster yells.
"Dagger one is hit! Phoenix yells as not her intercom. "I repeat, dagger one is hit! Maverick is down."
"No!" Nova practically screams at her screen; gripping the sides of her headphones as hard as she can.
The room is silent for a moment after that.
"Dagger one status?" A man says through the radio.
"Dagger one, status!" Nova yells into her mic, even though that's not her job.
"Does anyone see him?"
"Dagger one, come in! I didn't see a parachute."
"We have to circle back." Rooster decides.
"Comanche bandits inbound. Recommend dagger flow south." An officer says. "One minute to intercept."
"Get them back to the carrier now." Cyclone says in a state of shock.
"All daggers flow to ECP. You have bandits headed for you now." An officer orders them.
"What about Maverick?" Rooster asks.
"Tell him there's nothing he can do for Maverick, not in a goddam F-18." Cyclone says.
"Dagger spare request permission to launch and fly air cover." Hangman asks to help, but is turned down.
"Negative, spare."
"Launch search and rescue." Warlock says.
"Negative. Not with bandits in the air."
"Wait!" Nova is about to argue, but Hondo does it for her.
"But sir, Maverick is still out there!"
"We are not losing anyone else today. Get them home now." Cyclone decides, and Nova's whole world collapses.
"Dagger, you are not to engage."
"Dagger two, return to carrier." The officer orders. "Acknowledge. Acknowledge!"
"Rooster, those bandits are closing. We can't go back." Phoenix tells him.
"Tell me what to do, Nova." Rooster finally speaks.
All eyes in the room land on Nova, and the admirals get pissed. Her jaw hangs open for a second before Cyclone orders her not to engage.
"Mitchell, don't."
"But-"
"Don't!"
"Please Nova, just tell me what to do." Rooster pleads for an answer.
She grabs the mic. "I-I don't know."
"Nova, please!"
"I don't know! I don't-I can't-I don-"
"I'm going back." Rooster decides.
"No-wait! Rooster!" Nova yells into the intercom.
"Rooster, it's too late. He's gone." Bob tells him, trying to get him to just listen and go back to the carrier.
"No he's not. I'm going back." He says, flipping off his radio because he doesn't want to hear anyone try to talk him out of it.
"Goddammit, Bradshaw!" Nova yells, throwing off her headset. But he doesn't hear her.
Nova puts her head in her hands and really starts to cry now. She just lost her dad, and now she might lose Bradley too. She couldn't even wrap her head around the idea of Maverick being dead. It just wasn't something she thought could ever happen.
When Dagger Two disappeared from her radar, it was like the knife in her chest has been twisted.