Natasha had finally arrived at the base and was directed to a hanger. It wasn't long before their briefing started.

"Attention on deck!" A voice calls out, prompting everyone to stand at attention.

Admirals Warlock and Cyclone walked into the room, heading for the front.

"Morning, welcome to your special training detachment," Warlock starts, "Be seated. You're all Top Gun graduates, elite, the best of the best."

Hangman, with a toothpick in his mouth, smirked proudly at that.

"That was yesterday," Warlock brings them all back to reality. Everyone's faces fall in realization of what he just said.

"The enemy’s new fifth generation fighter has leveled the playing field. Details are few, but you can be sure we no longer possess the technological advantage. Success now more than ever comes down to the man or woman in the box," Warlock continues, making sure they all understand the severity of the situation.

Hangman looks patronizingly over at Phoenix as he says this. And without missing a beat, she subtly scratches her face, giving him the middle finger. She wasn't about to let him walk over her, as he always tried to do.

"Half of you will make the cut. One of you will be named mission leader." Hangman simply smirks at Rooster when the mission leader is mentioned. "The other half will remain in reserve."

Warlock continues looking out at the twelve pilots, "Your instructor is a Top Gun graduate with real world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master. His exploits are legendary."

Footsteps are heard as Maverick begins walking toward them from the back of the hanger. The aviators resisted the urge to turn around.

"He is considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced," Warlock continues his praise of Maverick.

Everyone finally looks back at the man walking through the chairs. Hangman, Coyote, and Payback all realize just who Maverick is. They sink in their chairs, finally realizing their instructor is the same man they threw out of the Hard Deck the night previous.

(Natasha would have to fill Emmett in about this. He had told her those three had thrown someone out of the Hard Deck, but now she knew who. She couldn't help but smirk.)

"What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death," Warlock states in a serious tone. "I give you Captain Pete Mitchell, callsign Maverick."

Rooster glances at him before looking back down, jaw clenched in anger.

Maverick stands at the podium Warlock just left, looking out at his students for the next few weeks. His eyes linger on Rooster before he composes himself and addresses the room.

"Good morning," he begins. Hangman nodded with an embarrassed smile as Maverick looked forward. Rooster looks away immediately, trying with everything in his power to not look Maverick in the eyes.

"The F-18 NATOPS," he says, holding up the manual. "Contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft," he indicated to the Admirals. Patting the book, he continues, "I'm assuming you know the book inside and out." He knows, just as he was once a long time ago, that these pilots are the best and they know it.

And the responses he gets back prove exactly that.

"Damn right," Payback calls out.
"Damn straight," Hangman, without hesitation.
"You got it," another one states.

Maverick takes the book and throws it right into the trash. Everyone looks slightly shocked, checking around to make sure he just did that.

"So does your enemy," Maverick says seriously. All he is trying to do is make sure these pilots, no matter how good they are, know that someone with superior technology is out there.

"And we're off," Hondo whispers from the sidelines.

"But what the enemy doesn't know is your limits," Maverick informs them all. "I intend to find them, test them, push beyond," he continues. "So today, we'll start with what you only think you know. You show me what you're made of."

And with that, everyone gets ready to take to the air.

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

The first group had just gone up against Maverick and lost, spectacularly. And after a bet Payback had made, the losing team was suffering for it.

"Should be us down there," Fanboy says as he and Payback walk over the window where Phoenix is, observing Rooster doing his push-ups.

"But it's not," Phoenix says. "And now you know a little something about Rooster." 

"Kill," Maverick says, shooting down the second team. 

"Damn it," the pilot says.

"Smoked," Maverick says, taking out Hangman.

"It was all fun and games till you messed up, isn't it?" Hondo says. "DOWN!" (He really was having too much fun with this.)

"Hey Phoenix, why don't we tell everybody BOB stands for something," Hangman goads in the air. "Other than Robert, I mean."

"Don't take the bait, Bob." Phoenix says. "Wanna know why we call him Hangman?"

"Oh wait, I got it. Baby on board," Hangman jokes as he laughs.
"Shit!" He says as Maverick flies between them.

"Greetings, aviators," Maverick says. "Fight's on."

"Alright, Phoenix, let's take this guy out," Hangman says.

Rooster is listening through the radio in the rec room. "Watch your back, Phoenix," Rooster says to the radio.

"Breaking right," Phoenix calls out.

"Where's he going?" Bob asks as Hangman flies away.

"That's why we call him Hangman," Phoenix says, pissed off. "He'll always leave you out to dry." Oh, was she about to give him a piece of her mind.

"Leaving your wingman," Maverick says. "There's a strategy I haven't seen in a while."

"He just called you a man Phoenix. You gonna take that?" Hangman asks

"As long as he doesn't call you a man," she fires back. She was quite proud of that one, not going to lie.

"Where's Maverick," Phoenix asks Bob as they weave through the sky.

"Jesus, he right on us, coming around," he replies

"Get him off me, Hangman," Phoenix yells out.

"Sure, for you folks at home, this is how you bury a fossil," Hangman says while trying to lock on Maverick.

"Alright, Hangman, time to teach you a lesson," Maverick says, just as he locks onto Phoenix. "You're out, Phoenix."

"Son of a bitch," she says. She had always had more to prove, as a female naval aviator. She didn't want to go out so early or easily. But it appears Maverick was going to take all of them out.

"Alright Mav let's see what you've got," Hangman pushes.

"Come get me," Maverick replies as he kicks it into high gear.

"You won't be long, hangman's coming," Hangman says.

"Yea, you're good, I'll give you that," Maverick says reluctantly as he pulls the level and shoots straight into the air, blinding Hangman with the sun.

"Shit! Phoenix I cant see him, how close am I?" Hangman asks. "Phoenix?!"

"I'm dead, dickhead," she says smugly.

"See you in the afterlife Bagman," Bob says snarkily. (Oh yeah, Natasha was going to love Bob, she just knew it.)

"Where is he, where is he?" Hangman says as he looks around for Maverick.

"That's a kill," Maverick says as he locks onto Hangman.

Phoenix, Bob, and Hangman were sent down to Hondo for their pushups. And while Hangman was facing forward, he could feel the killer glare Phoenix was trying to laser into his head.

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

Emmett had an idea.

After the night at the Hard Deck, he realized just how many people went to the bar. It was the perfect place to get some information on how to best support the community with his outreach ideas.

So after getting Genevieve to daycare, he made a call. Luckily for him, Penny Benjamin, the owner of the bar, was in, stocking up her stores.

Pulling up to the bar, he had to admit it looked different during the day. Especially because it was currently closed. At least he didn't have to step around anyone getting tossed out again.

Walking through the door he called out. “Hello?”

A door, presumably to the kitchen, opened and Penny Benjamin walked out. “Hi. Are you Emmett?”

He nodded his head, sticking his hand out for her to shake. “That's me. I'm guessing you're Penny.”

Penny gave him a kind smile. “Correct. What can I do for you Emmett? I'll admit I didn't understand clearly over the phone.”

She had cleaned off a table for them to sit at, sitting directly across from the man.

“Well ma'am, I run a local American Ninja Warrior gym and occasionally organize some community programs, aimed mostly for kids. We've got our next outreach worked out but we don't have a location.”

Penny was listening intently, nodding along to certain parts.

Emmett continued. “I was here last night and considering just how many Navy personnel were here, I figured you'd be the perfect person to ask where the best place would be. It's got to be large and empty, as we have to set up equipment for the courses.”

Penny had a few places in mind. “Does it need to be inside or outside?”

Emmett shrugged. “It could be either, but I would prefer outside, for the larger pieces.”

“Okay, well there's a rec center that has a bunch of courts you could use. There’s also Marty’s a few blocks down. It's technically a paintball course, but they've rented it out for other uses in the past. You could also just come here, if you really wanted to.”

Emmett, who had been writing down her suggestions, looked up at her last statement. “Here?”

Penny nodded. “All the beach you see,” she gestured outside her windows. “That's all mine, it's tied to the bar. I host plenty of private events here, so it's not a stretch. And I've got the space for food. I know the rec center does as well, but Marty’s doesn't have a kitchen.”

Emmett liked the idea. “That could work out well. I'll have to run it past some of my managers, make sure it's doable on sand. But I like it. I'll be sure to let you know what we decide, either way.”

Penny was excited. “It sounds like great fun, regardless of where you go.”

But Emmett had one more ask. “Would you be able to help spread the word, once we get things finalized? I can reach out to some contacts, but you are clearly much more connected than I am.”

Penny had no reason to say no. “Of course. Just get me whatever info you need passed on, even if you've got a poster. What age group are you thinking of, so I can start figuring out a list.”

Emmett could only smile. “Right now, we're thinking ages ranging from 5 to 13. Assuming these kids have never run a course like this, it makes it easier to choose obstacles.”

Now Penny was writing things down. “Okay. I can definitely get started on a list to send everything out to once you give me the all clear.”

The two stood up. “Thank you so much. Truly, this is such a big help.”

Penny waved it off. “It's no problem. I love the idea and think it would be good for the kids.”

And with that, the two part ways. Penny finishes restocking her bar and Emmett heads straight to the gym to start working things out with his managers.

This plan may just work after all.

✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈

Word count: 1,916

Oof, we are off!!

Maverick is here, the mission training is starting and Emmett has a plan for his outreach project.

I'm gonna tell yall now, I am a fan of the show but have never run a course/obstacle in my LIFE. So it's gonna be rough when we finally get to the day.

But stay tuned for some more training and some emotional conversations between our favorite couple.

Bye guys!!!