Tensions are still flying high. After the discussion with the other team, everyone else had pretty similar runs.

No one was able to complete it on time or with the entire team. Someone would ‘hit’ the canyon wall, break the hard deck, or fly away from their wingman. (Cough Hangman cough)

But Rooster and his team were the last up for the day. They had made it, but long after the time limit.

"Why are you dead?" Maverick asks Rooster. "You're team leader up there. Why are you, why is your team dead?"

"Sir, he's the only one that made it to the target," Phoenix defends her friend. And he was. No one else, not even Hangman, had actually made it to the target.

"A minute late, he gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down," Maverick shoots back. "He is dead."

"You don't know that," Rooster defends himself.

"You're not flying fast enough," Hangman says. "You don't have a second to waste."

"We made it to the target," Rooster continues to defend.

"And superior enemy aircraft intercepted you on your way out," Maverick starts to get angry.

"Then it's a dog fight," Rooster fires back at him. The others are starting to notice the animosity between the two men. Actually, they had noticed it a while back, but now it was really in their faces.

"Against fifth generation fighters?" Maverick questions angrily.

"Yea, we still have a chance," Rooster says

Phoenix looks down, and Hangman looks smug, like he knows something no one else does.

"In an F-18," Maverick stresses

"It's not the plane, sir. It's the pilot," Rooster says, somewhat arrogantly but also making a point. These pilots were the best of the best. But even they had their limits.

"Exactly," Maverick says, straight to his face in front of everyone.

Rooster looks pissed and upset, not believing Maverick just said that.

"There's more than one way to fly this mission," Rooster says

"You really don't get it," Hangman starts. "On this mission, a man flies like Maverick here, or man does not come back. No offense intended," directed at Phoenix.

"Yet somehow you always manage," Bob defends Phoenix instantly. She had been one of the best, if not just the best, pilot he had ever worked with. He wasn't just gonna sit there and listen to someone belittle her.

"Hey, I don't mean to criticize," Hangman continues, "you're conservative, that's all."

"Lieutenant," Maverick tries to stop Hangman, failing miserably.

"We're going into combat son, on a level no living pilots' ever seen, not even him," looking straight at Maverick, who has a distressed look on his face. "That's no time to be thinking of the past," he says smugly.

"What's that supposed to mean," Rooster asks, looking pissed off.

"Lieutenants," Maverick tries again before everything blows out of proportion.

"I can't be the only one that knows Maverick flew with his old man," Maverick keeps trying to get Hangman to shut up, “That's enough."

"Or that Maverick was flying when his old man," and before he can finish, Rooster is on him.

"Lieutenant, that's enough," Maverick says just as Rooster jumps from his seat to go at Hangman

A fight breaks out, everyone going to separate the two men.

"You son of a bitch," Rooster yells angrily at Hangman.

"I'm cool, I'm cool," Hangman says while shrugging the other pilots off

"That's enough," Maverick says again

"He's not cut out for this mission, and you know it," Hangman finally says, "you know I'm right."

"You're all dismissed," Maverick says.

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

Emmett had a visit from some friends who were eager to help in his outreach program.

Flip Rodriquez, Adam Rayl, Tiana Webberly, Addy Herman, and Austin Gray had told Emmett they would be there for the event.

The Ninja Community was one of togetherness. When one person was in need, ten others offered assistance. If one person had an idea, at least two others were there to back them up or test it.

So when Emmett, who was known for his community programs, announced he was doing another one, the others jumped at the opportunity.

He was finalizing some of the paperwork when he saw the time. Sighing, he decided to just bring the rest home so he could keep going through them.

While he didn't like to bring work home, he only had so much time with Natasha before this mission and he wasn't wasting a single second of it.

Natasha had actually beat Emmett home for once. She and Gena were having their own little party, dancing along to some Disney songs playing from her phone.

They were so focused on their dance party that neither heard the front door open. It was only when Natasha twirled Gena around that she came face to face with her boyfriend.

“Hey babe. Finally beat you today,” was her greeting.

Emmett shook his head with a smile, walking towards the two. Gena, content in Natasha's arms, went to hug her father before settling back down.

“How was training today?” He asked, but she shook her head. Natasha tried her best not to talk about the dangerous aspects when around Gena. She didn't want to scare or worry the young girl.

Emmett, of course, understood but didn't say anything else. So he grabbed Natasha's phone and restarted the music. “Can I have this dance, miss?” He asked, bowing at the waist, a hand out.

Natasha laughed, readjusting Gena. “Why of course, good sir.”

He swept her into his arms, Gena squished between her parents, laughing in delight. The family of three was just enjoying time together, dancing to Disney and forgetting about all the stress outside of the house.

A few dances later, Emmett declared it time for dinner. And since neither of the adults felt like cooking, Natasha made a pizza run.

But with Genevieve distracted after dinner, Emmett got to work on the rest of his paperwork. Natasha had gone upstairs to relax and unwind for a little bit. But when she had finished her care, she joined her family downstairs.

“What is all this?” She asked him, picking up one of the papers. She scanned over the one in her hands, but it was the middle of the pack.

Emmett ran his hand down his face. “I'm working on a new program, geared towards the Navy families on base. Penny is my main contact person, but I've got a bunch of paperwork to finish before we can really get it going.”

Natasha was well aware of what Emmett did for his programs, having participated in a few.

“That's going to be fun for all of them. I have a few people I would love to see attempt a course. It would give me a good laugh.”

Emmett smiled at that, knowing some of them from Natasha's multiple rants. “Let me guess, Hangman is one of them?”

“I would pay good money to see him fail epically and I would do so with a smile on my face,” she claimed. Ironically, she had a large smile just thinking about it.

Emmett laughed, before thinking. “I would actually love to see Bradley try it. I've never been able to convince him, but I will eventually.”

Natasha was now laughing, imagining her friend trying, and more than likely failing, to run some of the obstacles.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence before she looked at him. “Seriously, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know. I know you want me to focus on my mission, but I want to help you where I can.”

Emmett smiled lightly, pressing a kiss to her lips. “I know. Thank you.”

There wasn't much else to say, honestly. Natasha and Emmett would always support and help each other. They had done so since the moment they met and they would continue to do so until the day they died.

Because that's what you do when you love someone.

✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈✈

Word count: 1,330

Emmett is stressed but Natasha is there to help! And of course, so is Gena!

And peep the little nods to some real life Ninja's, who will be making other cameos towards the end of the story.

Also, the big blow-up has finally happened. But you know what that means??

DOGFIGHT FOOTBALL IS NEXT!!! BYE GUYS!!!