┌──❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚─┐

𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕖 𝟙𝟘 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤

└───❀*̥˚───❀*̥˚┘

Lennox hums to the radio as she makes her raspberry honey tea and heads out to her balcony to enjoy the sunrise, as she does most mornings. As she begins her meditation, her peace is quickly diminished as her phone rings. She groans, annoyed at the interruption.

"Who could possibly be calling me this early?" She mutters to herself, phone reading 6:33am, before she answers. "Hello."

"Hello." A man's voice speaks, "Is this Lieutenant Lennox Blackwood?" The man asks.

Lennox raises a brow curiously. "This is she."

"This is Vice Admiral Beau Simpson." He introduces. "I'm a senior official at Top Gun." Hearing Top Gun completely throws Lennox off guard, causing her stomach to twist.

"Okay..." Lennox tries racking her brain to figure out why someone from Top Gun would be calling her, especially since she graduated from there ten years ago...

"We'd like for you to come back to Top Gun." Beau doesn't miss a beat. Those ten words cause Lennox to freeze, almost losing grip on her phone.

She takes a brief pause before responding, "Um, what, sir?"

"We've selected fourteen of the country's top pilots and best Top Gun graduates to return for a mission you will be assigned." Beau informs her. Lennox's ears start to ring slightly. "You'll be briefed and start training next Monday, pilots will need to arrive this weekend."

Lennox inhales and exhales sharply before speaking again. "And you're sure my name is on the list, sir?" She checks, finding it hard to believe anyone from Top Gun would want her back. After everything.

Beau clears his throat. "Oh, yes Miss Blackwood, your name is indeed here, on the list," He says with a hint of distain in his voice. "Your squadron has informed us you are in fact clear to fly, now." She can't help but chuckle, summing up almost immediately she can tell she will not be very fond of Mr. Simpson.

"I wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world." She answers, confidently accepting the offer, no hesitation. If she was one of the very few to be chosen for a mission, it must be big. Her head begins spinning at the thought of having to go back, but more importantly at the thought of who else is getting this very phone call. Fourteen. The knot in her stomach tightens as she swallows.

"Great. More information will be sent your way soon. We, uh, look forward for your return." Beau states unenthusiastically, breaking Lennox from her thoughts that have caused her to breakout into a cold, stress sweat. With that the line goes dead.

"What. The fuck. Just happened?" Lennox breathes out.

✈︎ ✈︎ ✈︎

After surfing for a few hours to destress, not that Lennox doesn't hit the waves everyday anyways, she checks her phone while dying off to find it being blown up by her best friend, Phoenix. She decides to just call her after catching up on the texts.

"Please tell me you got the call." Phoenix rushes out after answering immediately on the first ring.

"Um, obviously." Lennox grins with a chuckle, as if there was ever a doubt she wouldn't. "No way you're getting to go on some top secret mission without me."

"Ugh, Lightning, I can't believe we're getting this opportunity! This is huge. I've heard we're two of the only three women who were selected." Phoenix informs Lennox, causing the latter to shake her head. Of course Phoenix has inside information already. 

"Your point?"

"We have to step it up, and bring it." Phoenix declares firmly.

Lennox hums in amusement. Phoenix has always worked her ass off double-time to prove herself, something Lennox respected and admired from the moment she met Natasha Trace. "Phoe, I'm gonna be the best damn pilot there, man or woman doesn't matter. You just wait." Her lips stretch into a smirk, already itching to get back to flying, finally.

Her squadron she's stationed at now mostly has her doing ground work, not allowing her to shine at her full potential. But she is determined to go all out to do whatever it takes for this mission.

Whatever it takes.

"Just- don't do anything crazy, okay? I can't have you getting kicked out on day one." Phoenix chuckles.

While Phoenix works hard to follow orders to prove why she should be there, Lennox goes out of her way to break them to show why she is there.

"Go big or big home, right?" Lennox's body buzzes with excitement and purpose.

"I can feel your smirk from here." Phoenix remarks playfully.

"Good." Lennox hums proudly. "Then my work here is done." She stretches her neck side to side, shaking some of the excess sand and water out of her hair.

Phoenix sighs heavily. "Well, I better get to packing, and so do you." She adds pointedly

"Yes, mom." Lennox rolls her eyes in amusement. Although Phoenix can't actually see her, it's as if the two are on FaceTime with Lennox's very expressive conversation.

"You know you'll just procrastinate and pack at the absolute last minute." Phoenix teases.

"Ugh, that's it. You officially know me too well. I'm ending this friendship now." Lennox scoffs, holding back her laughter. "I can pack light since I'll be staying at my beach house down there." She boasts, but inside Lennox already dreads having to move back into the house she hasn't stepped foot in since she was last in North Island.

"Oh, that's right, you never sold it. Lucky." Phoenix groans before taking a deep breath. "This is it, L. This is the chance we've been waiting for in our careers." Andddd, right back to serious business.

Lennox licks her lips, traces of salt coating her tongue. "Then we better make the most of it." She nods strongly, a fire lighting inside of her that never quite dims. She can already taste the somersault feeling one gets when a rollercoaster drops from high above. That floating out-of- your-body feeling when you hit a bump in the road from driving just a littleee too fast. The sweet oxygen you breathe in as you step foot in your plane. The warm tingle of sweat you get when your hands wrap around the wheel. This. This is her moment to feel alive once again. To have her dream back, her passion.

Flying was her safe haven. Her drug. Her reason for existing. And no one's ever gonna take that away from her again. Phoenix has fired Lennox up, and now she is locked and loaded.

"Damn right! See you this weekend." Phoenix says.

"See you this weekend." And with that their call ends and Lennox feels more alive. More charged. 

'We'd like for you to come back to Top Gun.' Those ten words play over and over again as she grabs her things, heading towards the house.

Fights on.

✈︎ ✈︎ ✈︎

𝟘𝕓𝕦𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕚𝕤𝕔𝕦𝕚𝕥𝟟 𝕤𝕡𝕖𝕒𝕜𝕤!

(original author's note) AHHHHH, it's finally happening!! I've had this book planned since May (2022) and started writing this summer, but now the day is finally here to start publishing. I'm so excited for this book, y'all have no idea <333 Hope y'all enjoyed the prologue, this is just the beginning ;)

Wow, hello hello in 2025!!! This book has not been touched in farrr too long, but has not been forgotten!! I have desperately needed to go through & reread/edit what's published before continuing & my bestieee  has just started Top Gun for the first time this past weekend & has given me motivation to get back into ittt!! I honestly love this chapter so much, I really only needed to add some more detail here & there & refine a few parts!! Ugh, I am so excited to get back into this bookkkk, this for the longest time was my OBSESSIONNN, like HEAVY, & Top Gun: Mav is still my fav movie so I can't wait ;)