Salvatore [Top Gun: Maverick]

17

At this point in the day Stella didn't even freak out as the jet blared warnings. Her left engine was on fire setting off all types of alarms while she attempted to save the aircraft.

"Fuck," she whispered to herself, attempting to extinguish the fire. To her luck it spread to the right engine.

She frantically tried to regain control of the aircraft, flipping switches and pressing buttons in hopes to save the jet. But even her engineer brain couldn't solve this puzzle. She would have to eject. For the second time today.

Her parachuted shot out allowing her to comfortably sail down into the ocean. She prayed someone on board saw the plane crashing down into the ocean.

  There was a loud boom coming from the sky which caused her flinch in the water. She looked up to see the F-14 had outmaneuvered the two jets with the help of a familiar F-18. Her mouth was agape as she realized it must of been Hangman in that pilot seat which meant he was saving two Topgun pilots. But who?

  She was slightly offended that no one sent a team out to find her but from the burnt remains of her F-18 she couldn't be too surprise. Instead Stella heaved her damp body on one of the metal plates and regained her breath. If this was the intended answer to Stella's prayer, she had a word to pick with the man upstairs.

—

Back on boat everyone was occupied with celebrating Maverick's and Rooster's return as the F-14 came into landing. The pair shared a hug as a symbolize of their mended relationship.

"Was there any word from Jigsaw?" Rooster asked, once the chaos died down. Last time he saw her was been her aircraft was going down into the mountains.

Hangman slowly shook his head with a grim look on his face. There was a silence that fell upon the ship realizing one of the five planes did not end up returning.

—

Stella was freezing in the salt water, unsure whether to start swimming towards the boat or if it was a lost cause. Her radio showed no signs of working which meant she was stuck floating in the icy water.

"HELLO!" she tried shouting at the boat but it was too far out. She started swimming using one of the broken pieces from the F-14 as a board. If she ever got to back she was smacking every single member of the crew for not bothering to look out into the water.

—

"Well has anyone tried contacting her?" Rooster exclaimed, refusing to believe Stella wouldn't be returning.

"They lost her signal when she went into the mountains," Natasha tried explaining, her voice shaky.

"She could still be out there! Hell she was probably the jet that saved us!"

"We can't locate the jet," Cyclone sighed.

"Sir, we have to go back," knowing if him and Maverick were able to navigate their way back then there was a high chance Stella was still alive.

"And risk losing more pilots," Cyclone barked.

"She fucking saved our asses," Rooster shouted, Maverick putting a hand on his shoulder in attempt to calm him down, "She's the one who deserves to be here."

"There's nothing we can do," the old pilot said calmly.

"Bullshit," Rooster scoffed, stalking off.

—

Meanwhile Stella was still kicking away on her makeshift boat. Throughout her ice swim she was wondering how the others were reacting to her absence. They better be sobbing or Stella would've let them be shot down by those enemy aircrafts.