Avalanche

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Too engrossed with my conversation with Natasha behind me, we hardly see the man walking down the aisle to the front of the room.

"Attention!"

Every pilot in that room immediately stopped what they were doing, and stood at attention. Giving our superior the attention he needed.

"Morning." His voiced boomed through the room. It was our old instructor, Admiral Bates.

I guess somethings just never change.

"Welcome to your special training attachment. Be seated."

We sat down in cacophonous unison, our chairs screeching across the floors, hitting against tables.

Phoenix and Bob sat behind me, and Hangman sat directly to my left, getting the aisle seat. The hairs on my arms prickled, knowing he was so close to me. I was glad I hadn't rolled up the sleeves of my flight suit, so he couldn't see the effect he had on me.

You need to move on, Zoe. I kept repeating to myself, but I couldn't help it. How could I move on from something that never happened?

I'm interrupted as Warlock begins his long monologue, "I'm Admiral Bates, you're all Top Gun graduates. The best of the best. That was yesterday. The enemy's new fifth generation fighter levels the playing field. We don't have the technological advantage anymore. Success, now more than ever, comes down to the man, or woman in the box."

For once, I paid attention. I was in the edge of my seat, listening to every word, trying to absorb as much information as possible.

This mission was important, and I needed to be on edge and prepare for anything. The more bits and pieces of knowledge I got about our special detachment, the more I was nervous about what it entailed. This was the first mission detachment I had been called back to do, I couldn't mess it up now.

Warlock didn't slow down, only dumping information to the class, "Half of you will make the cut. Only one of you will be made mission leader, and the other half will remain in reserve."

Admiral Bates looks directly at his pilots, wondering who will keep eye contact or who will shy away.

Who will be our mission leader.

The voice next to me is the only one brave enough to speak up, "Who's gonna be teaching us?" Hangman asked.

I turn to Phoenix. "Twenty bucks it's Maverick."

"You're on," she whispered back.

"Your instructor is a Top Gun graduate with real world experience, in every aspect you will be expected to learn and master. His exploits are legendary, what he has to teach you may very well be the difference between life and death." Admiral Bates explains.

The eyes of Hangman, Payback, and Coyote widen as they see who our instructor is.

Maverick.

Aka the person they threw out of the bar last night.

"I give you Captain Pete Mitchell. Call sign, Maverick."

"You knew didn't you." Phoenix said with a groan.

"I saw him at the bar and put two and two together. Which means, you owe me drinks." I said with a grin.