Flatline // TopGun Maverick ff [DISCONTINUED]

「 Chapter Two // Dog Fighting and Basic Training 」

  THAT FOLLOW MORNING, Briar woke up to her alarm going off at 5:30 a.m and she groaned loudly. If there was one thing Briar Mitchell wasn't, it was a morning person. But, she had told Phoenix she would get to classes early enough to get a seat next to her.

Briar got dressed, humming "Redneck Woman" to herself as she did so. She showered and made sure her hair was up to mandatory standards before she got dressed in her uniform.

Then, she grabbed her Aviator shades and moved to leave the dorm room, only for the door across the hall to open at the exact same time. Which was weird considering it was now 5:55 and class didn't start until 7:30.

But then she saw who was walking out of the dorm and nearly cursed God himself. Standing before her was Rooster, in all his egotistical glory. She decided to just ignore him, which is why she turned her back on him to lock her dorm room behind her.

After she made sure it was locked, Briar turned down the hall and walked toward the briefing room. "Flatline." Rooster said as he casually caught up to her. He looked really good, and she hated herself for thinking that.

But it was the truth. His uniform didn't do much to hide the lean muscle of his arms or his legs, but Briar ignored him and tried to walk ahead of him. He easily caught up each time, but he stayed quiet the entire walk other than the introduction.

Rooster glanced at Briar every now and then, not sure what was different about her but there was something. Maybe it was the way she acted towards him, which he considered understandable considering how they ended things.

Or maybe it was the fact that she'd gotten more muscular in her time away from the academy and him. "What's with the staring, Bradshaw?" Her voice cut through his thoughts like a knife, making him realize he was staring at her.

Clearing his throat, Bradley looked away from her with a scoff. "I wasn't staring." He declared. Briar gave him a look that said she didn't believe him, but she dropped the subject as they walked into the briefing room.

Rooster watched as she hurriedly moved to sit next to Phoenix, who leaned over and started whispering to her about something. He shook his head, deciding to not let that get to him, as he moved to sit behind the girls since he refused to sit next to Hangman and he didn't really know anyone else.

"What were you two talking about before you walked in here?" Phoenix whispered, watching Flatline who simply huffed. "Nothing, he's just in the dorm across from mine and I had no choice but to walk with him here." She told her best friend, who didn't look convinced whatsoever.

But whatever she was going to say was interrupted by Vice Adm. Cyclone and Rear Adm. Warlock entering the room. "Welcome to your special education continent. This is Air Commander Admiral Bates." Cyclone started, watching every single one of them. Briar had to admit that she was a little intimidated by the Commander.

"You're all Top Gun graduates. You are elite pilots. You are the best of the best. That was yesterday. The enemy's new 5th generation fighter jet has leveled the playing field. Details are few, but now it's a technological advantage. you can rest assured that we don't have it. Success is now more than ever attached to a woman or a man inside a box. Half of you will pass the elimination. One of you will be designated as the mission leader. The remaining half will remain as reinforcements." He explained the mission and why they were there.

"Your instructor is also a Top Gun graduate. He has real-world experience in every mission you are expected to master." Footsteps sounded as Cyclone talked, making Flatline and Phoenix glance back, but the minute she saw the instructor she wanted to curse aloud.

"Their achievements are legendary. He is widely regarded as one of the best pilots this program has produced. What they teach you can make the difference between your death and your life. Introducing Captain Pete Mitchell, call sign Maverick." Cyclone said, gesturing to Pete.

Briar has never wanted to dig herself into a hole more than she did right now. Why was her dad the instructor? Of all people, it had to be her dad. She ignored the stares she was getting as she watched her dad hold up the FAT guide.

"FAT guides. It contains everything they want you to know about the program. I assume you know the contents of this book?" He asked, some of the guys in the back yelled back 'yea' or some sort of affirmative.

It took them all by surprise when he threw the guide in the trash next to the podium he was standing at. "The enemy knows it too." He said, her and Hando mumbling the same 'and we're off' remark under their breaths. Maverick then went on to explain that he wanted to find and test their limits for this mission since the enemy didn't know that.

FROM THERE, TRAINING started with Flatline, Fanboy, and Rooster in the hot seats. Mickey decided to try and up the stakes by making a deal with Mav that whoever gets shot down first has to do 200 push-ups. When her dad agreed, Briar knew he had something planned.

"Fanboy, do you see him on the radar?" Rooster asked through the comms. "Negative, Rooster, he might be behind us." He said, making Flatline cut in. "Or Below, Rooster pull right." She told him before she pulled left just as Pete came shooting through the sky between them. Luckily, Rooster actually listened to her and pulled right the same time she pulled left.

"How did you-" Mickey started, but Briar didn't give him a chance to respond before she took off threw the air. "Flatline, what the hell are you doing??" Rooster yelled through the comms.

"Trying to get an advantage." She and Maverick said in unison, Pete laughing a bit. Briar growled slightly as she flew, Mav hot on her tail. "Rooster, take the shot!" She yelled, knowing Rooster was behind her dad. But then Maverick's voice came through the comms, sounding amused. "That's a hit. You two are out."

Briar landed the plane and got out, telling Hando she'd do Fanboy and Rooster's push-ups. Hando seemed hesitant since that is 600 push-ups, but Flatline was already on the ground, ready to start.

Fanboy and Rooster watched from the comms room as Flatline did their push-ups for them, taking one for the team. "We should be out there," Micky murmured. "But we're not." Rooster said simply, moving to sit at the comms table.

After Rooster and Maverick nearly got themselves killed doing a downward corkscrew, Briar sat in the comms room after everyone else left, trying to keep herself from having a panic attack. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth in an attempt to calm herself down.

That was when Rooster walked in, blinking when he saw Briar. "Flatline?" He started cautiously, moving towards her. "Are you-" Briar cut him off, a bit harshly. "You could have died today!" She yelled, standing from the seat.

Her helmet was sitting on the table. "You realize that right??" She added. "You could've gotten my dad killed, Bradley! I don't care what kind of grudge you have against him or me, but if you pull something like this again and you actually do get hurt, I will never forgive you!" She told him, tears rolling down her face.

"Briar, I-" He started, but she shook her head. "Don't 'Briar' me!! Promise me you won't do something this stupid again!" She shouted. "I can't!" Rooster finally yelled back, slamming his helmet on the table.

Briar stepped back, tears rolling. "Fine." She said harshly. "But if my dad does something reckless and he gets hurt, all because of you... I will never forgive you." She told him. Flatline then grabbed her helmet and left the room, leaving Rooster alone.