Rooster Imagines (Top Gun: Maverick)

Bail Out

Authors: Whynnter and Lexy

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The engine to my F-18 purred as I moved up alongside my wingman, Rooster. He shot me a thumbs up as our teacher, Maverick, pulled up to the right of me. I nodded in his direction.

"Great job! The two of you work well together. Have you flown together before?" Maverick asked through the mic.

"Many times."

"Unfortunately," Rooster added and I gave him the finger.

Maverick laughed, "It's always nice flying with someone you know. Again, great job! Let's head back to base."

Maverick took off leaving smoke in his wake. I turned to look at Rooster in the plane beside me.

"Nice flying, wingman."

He quickly shook his head, "No, you're my wingman."

"In your dreams, Rooster," I said, peeling off and flying in the direction Maverick had just gone.

I checked my radar on instinct, and adjusted my speed to coasting. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. If I had it my way, I'd never stop doing this.

Suddenly I heard a popping sound, and my body jerked forward. A red light started flashing and an ear piercing noise filled the cockpit.

"Shit."

"Ugh, Raven, you lost an engine!" Rooster yelled over the intercom.

My wrist was throbbing with pain after banging it against the canopy, "Yeah, I know. Trying to restart."

"Talk to me, Raven!"

I ignored Maverick as I continued working on the problem, flipping switches and pressing buttons to try and get the left engine restarted.

At that moment the second engine went off, causing my plane to go spiraling downward.

"Fuck!" I heard Rooster yell.

"Raven, Eject!"

I ignored Maverick once again. I knew I'd get reprimanded later if I got out of this.

"Raven!" Rooster cried.

I was trained for a situation like this to happen, I wasn't ready to give up. My computer indicated the engines were still functioning, just not running.

Rooster screamed in my headset again, "Eject, Raven! Why aren't you listening?!"

"Not yet!"

"Y/N!"

3,000 feet.

"I got this!"

The beeping sound continued as I plummeted toward the ground.

2,000 feet.

"Eject, Y/N!"

I flipped the switch for the left engine and I heard a noise. It was trying to start. I hit it again, and unexpectedly the left engine came roaring back to life.

"Raven, Report."

I pulled back on the throttle and the jet started ascending.

4,000 feet, 5,000 feet, 6,000.

I leveled out, the runway straight ahead, "I'm good! I'm good," my voice a tad more shaky than I had intended, "Left engine is back on, landing in less than 90 seconds."

Once the landing gear came out with no issue, I knew the rest would be a piece of cake.

The jet landed gently onto the runway and I drove it into the correct spot, turning it off and opening the canopy.

"Are you okay?" one of my crew asked, pulling the ladder down for me to exit the cockpit.

I nodded and stepped down, happy for a moment to be touching the ground.

"Y/N!" Rooster yelled, stepping down from his ladder across from me. "What the hell was that?! Why the fuck were you not listening to me?"

He walked quickly towards me, pulling his helmet from his head. I had seen him angry before but never like this.

"I'm fine. Calm down," I answered, reaching up to unhook my helmet. My wrist throbbed as I squeezed the hook together, trying to get it apart but failing. I pulled my hand down, absentmindedly rubbing my hurt wrist.

"You want me to be calm! How can I be calm after you almost killed yourself?!"

"Bradley, please stop yelling at me! I'm fine, I promise."

"Why didn't you bail?"

I rolled my eyes. "I had everything under control!"

It was at that moment that Rooster noticed my wrist. He took a breath and took a step towards me.

"Here. Let me help," he said, reaching out and unhooking my helmet. He gently pulled it off my head and held onto it. "You need to get that looked at- it could be broken. What were you thinking? What you did was reckless!"

"It's not broken, and for the last time I'm fine!" I said, grabbing my helmet out of his hand and walking away from him.

"Y/N, where are you going?!"

"Somewhere where I won't get screamed at!"

I heard Bradley walking behind and began to move quicker. I was not in the mood to hear him yelling at me.

"I like you Y/N!"

I stopped in my tracks, my back to him.

"I'm not trying to be mean, I just...I don't want to see you get hurt. I wouldn't get the chance to ask you out if you did something stupid, which is clearly inevitable."

I slowly turned on my heels to face him.

"You like me?" I asked, pointing my finger at myself.

Bradley ran his fingers through his hair, a sign that he was nervous. "Yea...I've been wanting to ask you out for months, but was too scared you'd turn me down, so I put it off."

"Bradley, you fly F-18s for a living and you're too scared to ask me out?" I laughed.

He rolled his eyes at my comment. "Okay, let's not dwell on that part."

"Yes," I said.

He looked down at me, a curious expression on his face, "Yes, to what?"

I smiled, "Yes, I'll go on a date with you."