a/n: i'm retiring this cover ^ but i'm so happy with the way the new one turned out

Now playing from "Riot's in the sky":

𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄
0:57 ━━━•──────── 3:59
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

ADMIRAL BATES TELLS US THAT THE MISSION HAS BEEN MOVED UP. A week early. The aviators in the room turn and look at each other. No one here has successfully flown a low level course yet. Maverick explains to us that in order for this mission two succeed, we need two consecutive miracles.

Two groups of two planes will be going on this mission. A leader and their wingman. The first miracle is the first team hitting the target that is less than 3 meters wide, creating a ventilation hatch so the second group can hit it. And if the second group delivers the kill shot, destroying the plant, that's the second miracle.

To get out we have to fly a very insanely steep slope out of there. Pulling at least 9 g's. Way more than the accepted limit. It's crazy difficult. You'll be pulling so hard it'll feel like you weigh 2,000 pounds. You have to fight with everything you have to keep from blacking out.

The next phase is coffin's corner. We fly straight up into the SAM's radar, at our most vulnerable point.

"Sir, is this even achievable?" Phoenix asks.

"That will come down to the pilot in the box." Maverick answers solemnly.

-¯'★'¯-

AT LUNCH, everyone was talking about the mission. Phoenix was going on about how crazy it is, most everyone agreeing with her. Hangman, of course, thought that he'd be able to fly it just fine. I wasn't listening much, I was too busy staring at Bradley after what happened last night.

I don't know, I might be crazy but I felt like there was something there. I mean why else would he be singing to me in the middle of a bar. Especially with Hangman. The way he danced with me felt different. The way he looked at me looked different.

Then again, he used to sing to me all the time, so maybe he really didn't mean anything by it. Maybe it was just a piece offering to reconcile our friendship.

A piece offering sounds a-okay to me, but why do I want it to be the first option?

"May." Rooster's voice cuts me out of my thoughts. "Don't you have to be heading down to the tarmac now? Your the first group up, its half past noon."

"Shit." I say when I realize what he meant. I grabbed my stuff and headed to the doors of the cafeteria. "Thanks Bradshaw."

"Anytime." His gaze followed me out of the room.

-¯'★'¯-

"TALK TO ME BOB." Phoenix asks through coms. We are in our jets practicing flying the mission.

"We are twelve seconds late on target, we gotta move!" He says frantically.

"Copy, try to stay with me." I speed up.

"Wait, who is that?" Bob asks.

"Shit. It's Maverick." I say when I hear his voice over coms.

"Be ready with that laser bob." Phoenix says as we get closer and closer to the target.

"Copy. I'm on it."

"Popping now!" I say pulling up. The immediate force of gravity weighs heavy on me.

"Talk to me Bob!" We are so close to the target.

"Deadeye, the laser is not focusing in."

"Okay I'm dropping blind." I breathe in, initiate the missile, and to my surprise, I hit the target. We pull up and I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. The further we go up, the harder it is to see, until I can't see anything at all and lose control of my plane.

I can't see anything but darkness.

I can't feel anything

the overwhelming sense of calm lulls me further

and further into the dark.

"RIOT!"

"Pull up!"

"Come on Riot!"

I come back to consciousness right before I nose dive into the ground and pull up. Everyone lets out a breath. I start shaking with how close of a call that was.

"Riot, you good?" Maverick asks.

"Yeah." I breathe. "Yeah I'm good."

"Good. That's enough for today."

"That was close."

"Too close."

"Bird strike!" Maverick warns. I look over and see Phoenix and Bobs plane on fire.

"You're on fire, Phoenix! And I mean that literally!"

I watch as her plane spirals out of control, falling closer to the ground. I hold my breath until I hear

"Eject! Eject! Eject!"

-¯'★'¯-

After hearing that Phoenix and Bob will be okay, Rooster and I take a walk along the beach. Not too long ago we took a walk here to calm Rooster down. And now he brought me here to calm me down.

"That was terrifying, May." He says, he seems more worked up than me. "Hearing you went into G-LOCC over coms, I felt helpless cause I couldn't do anything about it. I just had to sit there and pray you got control of your plane."

"I know." I say sympathetically. I held his hand to help him calm down. "But I did get control in the end, that's all that matters."

"I know." He sighs and looks at me. "I'm just so worried about the mission. I've never come close to losing someone before, and if I lost you.. I wouldn't be able to live with myself"

"Hey, you won't lose me, Bradley. I won't let that happen. I promise." He puts his arm around me and we walk in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't an awkward silence, it was a comfortable silence. Like when two old friends don't have to talk to communicate with each other.

"So whatcha been up to in Colorado?" He asks after a while.

"That's classified. I'd have to kill you if I told you." I tease.

"Oh, okay. I see how it is."

"Whatcha been up to while you forgot I existed?"

"That's classified, May. I'd have to kill you if I told you." He repeats, looking at me with a smug grin. "But first of all, I did not forget about you. I missed you every day for the past 5 years."

"Then why did you never reach out?"

There was a sigh. "After my mom died, I felt like I needed to be strong. You know. Like I didn't need help from anybody. I wanted to call you, to talk to you, to ask you for help. But I didn't. And over time I thought it was too late to reach out, and that you've moved on, so I just never did. I regret it, and I don't think I will ever stop regretting it. I'm sorry, May."

"Oh, Bradley." We stop walking and look at each other. "I hope you never have to feel like you can't reach out and get help just because you need to put on a façade. Don't apologize, I understand."

"I've really missed you, May."

"I've missed you too. I'm glad I'm back..."

A/N
i feel bad because the flying scenes are shit, but then again i literally do not know how to fly a plane so idk how to improve them.

i'm so in love with this book, idk why i will do with myself once i finish it

ily guys thanks for the support so far!!!
-cj