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𝕦𝕟𝕒𝕟𝕤𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕢𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

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"Attention on deck!" Someone yells out as I walk in to TopGun the next morning sipping my vanilla caramel macchiato.

Two TopGun Senior Officials enter through the garage as I stride down the aisle of seats while the other pilots stand. I internally groan that the spot next to Phoenix is taken, opting me to take my place by Coyote.

I see the taller one of the two officials whisper something to the other before yelling out, "Blackwood! You're late."

"Maybe everyone else is just early." I shrug, sending Phoenix a smirk which she rolls her eyes in return, hiding her smile. Rooster, who is directly across the aisle of me, just my luck, shakes his head.

"You were given direct orders to arrive here at 0900." It's now unmistakably clear the voice belongs to Beau Simpson.

"Hmm, interesting." I hum quietly, taking another sip of my drink. Rooster scoffs at me to which I snap my head towards him. "Problem, Bradshaw?" Silence.

"Morning." An older man approaches the podium. "Welcome to your special training detachment. Be seated." I glance over to find Rooster all smirky. Just ignore him Lennox, sip your coffee, enjoy the fresh air, ignore him.

 "I'm Admiral Bates, NAWDC commander." The older man introduces. "You're all TOPGUN graduates. The elite." This causes several others to grow smug as well. "The best of the best." Starting off good. "That was yesterday." Smiles fade as mine grows. I take that as a challenge. "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." I gravitate forward, now we're talking. "Success, now more than ever, comes down to the man or woman in the box."

Hangman quickly turns to Phoenix and I and she flips him off. I chuckle, that's my girl. Hangman grins amusedly.

"Half of you will make the cut." Bates continues. "One of you will be named mission leader." Oh yes, what Hangman so graciously claimed he would be yesterday... please. "The other half will remain in reserve." Hangman looks back at Rooster. Ah yes, that's why I agreed to go out with the douchebag, I almost forgot. 

"Your instructor is a TOPGUN graduate with real-world experience in every mission aspect you will expected to master." Done and done. "His exploits are legendary." Phoenix is the first to turn her head before I immediately follow— oh shit. A cold sweat breaks out onto my neck when I see him. "And he's considered to be one of the finest pilots this program has ever produced." Hangman is next to look, immediately freezing and pinching the bridge of his nose while Payback throws his head back with a silent groan. Beside me Coyote looks like he may throw up. I laugh underneath my breath. Shouldn't have thrown him overboard boys...

Bates voice draws everyone back in. "What he has to teach you may very well mean the difference between life and death. I give you Captain Pete Mitchell." Rooster's face turns stone cold allowing me to be the smirky one now. His reaction is priceless which melts my stress away, mostly. "Call sign: 'Maverick.'" With that Admiral Bates steps away and the same man who I was confronted with outside of the bar yesterday takes his place.

I sigh. I knew he had to be here for a reason, simply stationed in the area I couldn't get that lucky. My lips part as I take a moment to stare, noticing several similar features we share. I shift uncomfortably. Over the years everyone has told me I looked a lot like my mother when she was younger, only with darker hair. But now? Seeing the other half of... me, I know I favor him the most.

"Good morning." Maverick smiles with a small nod. Hangman and Coyote nod back. Maverick scans the pilots and Rooster turns his head away, but me? I can't tear my eyes away from Maverick. After all these years of never meeting him or having to cross paths in this line of work, this mission has managed to pull every thread I was holding on to. I've avoided this day only to be right in front of his face and he have no idea. I feel Rooster's eyes burning a hole in the side of my head, taunting my thoughts. If I could bring myself to glare at him right now, I would. But somehow staring at the unanswered question in front of me is better than pestering a closed one.

Maverick holds up the large stack that is TOPGUN'S manual. "The F-18 NATOPS." He pats it. "It contains everything they want you to know about your aircraft." So far Simpson does not look impressed, I notice. Hmm, maybe there will actually be someone he dislikes more than me. Who would've thought. "I'm assuming you know the book inside and out."

"Damn right." Payback calls out.

"Damn straight." Hangman echo's off of him.

"You got it." Coyote adds.

The corner's of my lips tug up. I prefer to go outside the book.

Maverick pauses before dropping it into bin beside the podium causing a few people to jolt back in surprise. I rub my palms together, oh this is gonna be fun. I peak over to the side to find Bates and Simpson sharing a look. This is my kind of instructor.

"So does your enemy." Maverick continues. "But what the enemy doesn't know is your limits. I intend to find them." Oh. Great. I catch Rooster glancing over at me once again. "Test them, push beyond." I clock him getting aggravated out of the corner of my eye, cheeks flushed bright red, face more pinched than before. "Today we'll start with what you only think you know. You show me what you're made of." Maverick gives a curt nod before his eyes falling in my direction.

✈︎ 

As we begin to gather our gear and head outside Phoenix hurries over to me.

"Did you know you're Bradshaw's backseater?" She asks warily.

My helmet crashes to the ground out of my hand as I spin on my heel to face her.

"What?!"

✈︎ ✈︎ ✈︎

Author's Note: Muhahaha, leaving y'all on a cliffhanger ;)

Happy 1 year anniversary to Top Gun:
Maverick!!! <333 (even though it came out the 27th, I didn't see it til the 28th)

To this day it is still my #1 favorite movie, I legit saw it in the theaters 4 times last summer and they should bring it back again for Top Gun Summer bc I miss that era so much!

Anyways, sorry for the long waited update, I have legit not had to time to write like at all these past few months bc of college and I ran out of pre-written chapters lol. Butttt, it is now officially summer break!!! And this is one of my main books I will be trying to focus on!! 🫶🏼 I'm so excited to continue writing omg, missed this book and Lennox so freakin much!

✈︎ Hope y'all enjoyed, stay tuned!! ✈︎