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

Admirals Warlock and Cyclone stand at the front of the room. "Morning, welcome to your special training detachment," Warlock starts, "Be seated. You're all Top Gun graduates, elite, the best of the best."

Hangman has a toothpick in his mouth, smirking proudly at that.

Warlock brings them all back to reality. "That was yesterday." Everyone's faces fall when they process 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.

"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.

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

Everyone 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.

"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."

After Maverick finished challenging every person in the room, the door opened again. And in walked Nova.

Maverick stands at the podium still. "You should all know who this is, as she gave each of you your physicals earlier today."

"As Captain Mitchell just stated, you all had your exams earlier, but Nova will be acting as liaison between this detachment and the Navy. She is here to monitor vitals and be on scene should there be any mishaps," Cyclone informed the aviators. "Any issues or concerns are to be reported directly to Miss Mitchell who will report them to me if she sees fit."

Maverick was already aware of this, and Rooster had an inkling since she was assigned to all of them for their physicals. But it was Hangman that was the most unprepared.

Instead of being able to avoid Nova for however long he would be here, she would be on base with him every day. And it's not like Nova was looking forward to it either. But they both had jobs to do and she was going to do everything she could to remain as professional as possible.

Not to mention everyone suddenly made that all too important connection. Now that both Nova and Maverick were in the same room, the resemblance was uncanny.

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

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

"Good morning aviators, this is your captain speaking," Maverick starts off. The group had split into teams and one by one they were all going up against him.

"We're gonna do some basic fighter maneuvers. As briefed, today's exercise is dog fighting, guns only, no missiles. We do not go below the hard deck of 5000 feet, working as a team you have to shoot me down, or else," he trails off.

Never one to back down, Payback asks, "Or else what sir?"

"Or else I shoot back," Maverick replies. "If I shoot either one of you down, you both lose."

The others were in the break room, listening over the radio. While they couldn't see what was going on, they could hear everything.

Nova sat at the counter, a tablet in her hands with vitals from the planes showing on the screen.

Hearing Maverick's claim, Phoenix and Bob look at each other while Hangman is playing with a model toy jet. "This guy needs an ego check." 

Nova and Phoenix look at each other before rolling their eyes. None of these pilots had any idea what they were in for with her father.

"We’ll see to that," two aviators say, over by the foosball table. (They REALLY didn't know what they were in for.)

Back in the air, Payback has a proposition. "What do you say we put some skin in the game?"

"What do you have in mind?" Maverick asks. 

"Whoever gets shot down first has to do two hundred pushups," Payback proposes.

Rooster, knowing exactly what Maverick is like, tries to get them back on task and focusing. "Guys."

Maverick, flying directly below the pair of planes, replies. "That's a lot of pushups." He doesn't sound worried at all. Nova simply chuckles under her breath. She was gonna have a lot of aviators whining to her about sore muscles by the end of the day.

"Well they don't call it exercise for nothing sir," Fanboy replies cheekily.

"You've got yourselves a deal gentlemen," Maverick confirms. "Fight’s on, let's turn and burn." He stops talking, gets into position, and aims straight for the other planes.

Slowly but surely, Maverick takes on the three aviators in the air. They don't see him coming until it's too late. Rooster is able to save Payback and Fanboy but it costs him. Before he realizes it, he hits the hard deck, effectively killing him in the exercise.

Needless to say, he doesn't take that well.

"Should be us down there," Fanboy says as he and Payback walk over the window where Phoenix is, observing Rooster doing his push ups. Nova is setting up the next round of vitals, but keeps glancing out the window towards Rooster.

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

And it's not just Rooster that Maverick takes out. Everyone is taken out at least once, and Hondo has fun monitoring those push-ups.

"It was all fun and games till you messed up isn't it?" Hondo says. "DOWN!"

Up next, however, are Hangman, Phoenix, and Bob. And no matter what she tells herself, Nova is nervous. Bradley sits next to her and notices, but assumes it's for Phoenix who he knows is a good friend. And don't get her wrong, Nova is also nervous for Phoenix. But this is the first time she has had to witness Jake in his element and it's not good for her nerves.

"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. But he's not laughing for much longer. "Shit!" he yells out as Maverick flies between them.

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

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

Rooster, listening through the radio in the break room, just looks over to Nova before whispering, "Watch your back Phoenix." Nova has to wonder just what that is about, despite knowing Hangman's reputation and how he got his callsign. After all, the last time she had seen him, he was actively working on not bailing out as much. What she didn't know was that that derailed pretty much as soon as they broke up, and Hangman became worse.

"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."

"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.

"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.

"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. 

"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.

Once Phoenix, Bob, and Hangman are done with their push-ups, they all come back into the break room. And while Hangman goes to the couch to think over his next move against Maverick, Phoenix makes her way over to Nova and Bradley.

"Your dad is no joke, Nov. I mean, we've all heard about Maverick and his exploits, but to actually go against him," she trails off, looking almost in awe.

Nova shakes her head, chuckling a little. She doesn't go into a lot, partially because Bradley is right next to her, already tensing a little. And partially because there is a reason she doesn't mention her connections to the Navy.

Soon enough, it's time for the last run of the day. And unfortunately for Nova, it's Rooster and Hangman. She almost can't focus because of her worry.

"So Rooster, mind if I ask you a personal question?" Hangman asks, but not really cause he's gonna ask anyways.

"Would it matter if I did," Rooster says knowing damn well it didn't.

"So what's the story with you and Maverick?" Hangman doesn't skip a beat. "It seems like he's got you a little rattled." To Hangman, it seemed strange. But he was also under the impression there was a very different reason for Nova and Bradley's closeness.

"It's none of your business," Rooster says. There was no way in hell he was diving into all of that now, and especially not with Hangman of all people. "Now where the hell is he?"

"Been here the whole time," Maverick says as he flips the plane so he is inverted over Rooster.

"Holy shit," Hangman says, very impressed and slightly worried. Nova still knows his voice well and just those two words make her anxiety skyrocket.

"See me now? Come on let's get it over with," Maverick tells Rooster.

"Fights on!" Rooster says angrily. They engage in a spiral drop, flying in circles around each other

"What is with these two?" Hangman questions, confused as to what the hell just happened. This didn't make any sense to him.

"Alright, you put us here, how are you gonna get yourself out?" Maverick questions Rooster. Nova watches their vitals and Rooster's are spiking with adrenaline and anger.

"You can bail out anytime," Rooster snaps back.

"How long you wanna do this?" Maverick fires back.

"I can go as low as you sir," Rooster says. "And that's saying something." Phoenix looks over at Nova, trying to get any answers from here. But all she sees is Nova beginning to slightly hyperventilate.

"What's past is past," Maverick says.

"You'd like to believe that would you?" Rooster says. 

"That's 5,000 feet fellas, you are running out of room," Hangman says over the radio. Now Nova is really panicking. She's got an override into their comms system that she is reaching for. But she knows she needs to calm down before she can call out.

"Your strategy is about to run us into the ground, Rooster," Maverick says as the altitude hits 3000 feet.

Once she's regained her breath, Nova enters their comms. "Both of you pull out now or so help me God!" She left her threat open ended, both men knowing her well enough to know that regardless of how this ends, they are in trouble. Even Hangman knows the tone she just used and is glad that for once, he isn't on the receiving end of it.

Maverick pulls up first as the altitude drops below 1000 feet, Rooster following right after.

"There you go, don't think, just do," Maverick encourages Rooster.

"Come on, Rooster. You've got him," Hangman calls out. "Drop down and take the shot!"

"It's too low," Rooster calls back.

"Too late, had your chance," Maverick says as he hits the brakes and flies behind Rooster.

"That's a kill," Maverick says.

"Damn it," Rooster cries.

"Same old Rooster," Hangman shakes his head. He had the shot, he just didn't take it. And that's what irritated Hangman the most about Rooster. Not whatever kind of relationship he had with Nova, but that he wouldn't take the risks necessary to complete this mission. And if he had any sort of relationship with Nova, which he clearly did, Jake did not want her to lose him because he wouldn't take the shot.

"Go see Hondo about your push ups," Maverick tells Rooster.

Rooster did go to Hondo but he refused to stop. "Alright that's enough," Hondo tells Rooster after he has finished his 200 pushups. "Rooster, that's enough man." He still doesn't stop so Hondo walks away.

"Breaking the hard deck? Insubordination? Are you trying to get kicked out?!" Phoenix and Nova walk up to Rooster.

"Don't worry about it," Rooster tells her.

"Look," she says, "I'm going on this mission. But if you get kicked out, you leave us flying with Hangman. Talk to me, what the hell was that?" she demands, not asking anymore. And she does have a right to know if this is gonna be a problem. They all need to be level headed for this mission to succeed.

"He pulled my papers," Rooster says, looking at the ground. Nova sat down next to him, disregarding the stench of sweat.

"What?" Phoenix asks, not having heard him, "Who?"

"Maverick. He pulled my application to the naval academy," Rooster replies, looking sullen. Now Nova grabs his hand, sending him as much silent support as she can. "Set me back 4 years."

"Why would he do that?" Phoenix questions. Rooster doesn't have an answer, looking away from Phoenix. And when she looks at Nova, all she can do is shrug.

The only person who knows the reason is Maverick himself. And he has refused to tell them any time he's been asked.

☽☆☾   ☽☆☾   ☽☆☾

After finally getting Bradley off the ground and back into the building to change, Nova waits for him outside the locker room.

She knows he's gonna need to rant, she had already expected it, texting JJ to restock the ice cream at her place.

She looks up when the door opens, expecting Bradley to walk out when she sees Jake. Both of them freeze momentarily, not anticipating this happening so soon.

"Nova," Jake whispers out her name. Any attempt to keep her out of his mind was thrown out as soon as he looked into her eyes.

"Jake," she whispered back. Avoiding his eyes was impossible this time. And she found that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't look away.

Both of them couldn't figure out anything to say. There was so much that needed to be said, but nothing was coming out. That was, until Nova noticed a chain around his neck.

"You still have it," she said in near disbelief. And Jake didn't need to ask for clarification. He pulled the chain, so the penny attached to the end was showing.

"Of course I do. It's my good luck charm," he didn't need to explain. She knew exactly why he still had it. After all, she's the one that gave it to him.

A sudden noise from inside the locker room jolted them out of their shock. Jake knew that this was not the time or place to discuss what they needed to. So he took his leave there.

"I'll see you tomorrow, I guess," he told her, setting the chain back to its place around his neck. The penny came to rest just above his heart.

Nova nodded her head, still a little skittish. "Yea, I'll see you tomorrow."

By the time Bradley came out of the locker room, ready to let out the rant of the century, Nova had composed herself.

No one was any wiser to the fact that her heart felt like it was both breaking and healing at the same time.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Word Count: 3,113

Phew! That was a lot, I know. This is my longest chapter to date. Since Nova is actively a part of this mission, albeit the medical side, I'm trying to include more movie scenes.

We got some insight into Jake and the beginning of his feelings towards Bradley. All will be revealed eventually tho.

And we got another Nova/Jake interaction. I promise, it will get better soon! We just need some angst first.

So until next time, bye guys!!!!