Spitfire | Top Gun: Maverick

chapter 4

"It is not what we think or feel that makes us who we are. It is what we do. Or fail to do." - Jane Austen

Chapter 4: Secrets fly like a moth to a flame

"Good morning aviators, this is your Captain speaking. Today's training - dogfighting. I want to see exactly what you're made of." Maverick's voice is the last thing Spitfire hears as she walks out of the room where the rest of the pilots anxiously sit around the radio.

As soon as Admiral Bates introduced their new instructor, she recognized him as the man from the previous night, the one Penny was talking to. She also recognized him as one of her father's friends, her dad had always talked highly of the one person that could shake up his tail feathers while he was at Top Gun.

She had never met him before though, she didn't exactly know the reason as to why but every time he came to visit, she had been sent away by her father to run an 'errand' for him.

After Captain Mitchell had finished his speech, not that she was listening in the slightest, he had dismissed everyone - everyone except her. Apparently he had wanted to talk about her father and about something very important that she needed to know.

She of course had told him that it could wait, she didn't want to be distracted in training and in exactly these words she had stated, rather aggressively, "I don't have time for idle chatter Captain, I've got a mission to prepare for." After that she had turned around and walked away, leaving him utterly speechless.

Which she seems to be doing to the males in fightertown a lot nowadays.

She walks out into the hallway, leaning against the wall and resting her eyes, waiting for the one person she knew would follow her out and of course, like always, she was right. A few seconds later she hears the door of the room she just walked through open and close with a creak.

"So just visiting for a few weeks right?" a sarcastic voice greets her as footsteps walk closer to where she stands. She cracks open one eye only to see a serious looking Rooster with his arms folded in front of her.

"Technically I still am, this mission is only three weeks long right? Or do I need to invest in some hearing aids?" Spitfire stares up at the man with a knowing grin on her face. "And to be fair, you never asked what I do for a living - if this is anyone's fault it's yours for not actually asking the right questions, buckaroo."

She walks closer to him and pats his chest in mocking consolidation before walking past, pausing only when he begins to speak, "I should ask, since apparently I need to start asking the right questions, what's your callsign?"

She turns back to him only to see him almost right against her back, staring down at her with a small smile on his face. The scent of faint gasoline, sea salt and coconuts washing over her.

"The name's Spitfire, nice to meet you," she sticks her hand out and he takes it, shaking it with a nod of his head. She stares down at their entwined hands, his engulfing her tiny one and she lets go, startled, as if she had been burned. Damn her and her thing for big hands.

"Quite a fitting name don't you think?" He teases her, brushing off the look on her face. Maybe his hands were just cold. She laughs and turns around, walking towards the locker room to put on her flight suit.

"Yeah well I did earn it, what did you expect?" She says over her shoulder, winking at him. She stops at the entrance of the girl's locker room - waiting for him to say something, which he did.

"I heard about what happened with Hangman, Coyote won't stop telling people," he giggles slightly. "Good for you, he needs to be put in his place by someone."