Into Your Arms

Honey, Im Home

Mission, Day 2

Everyone prepared for take off. All Pete wanted to do was speak to Penny, and all Bradley wanted to do was speak to you. Phoenix could tell everyone's nerves were on edge. She walked up to Pete and gave him a hug. She then walked up to Bradley and pulled him into a hug as well. "It's going to be fine, Rooster. We got this. We will be on our way home soon enough." Rooster could only stare at her.

Pete approached Bradley, and patted him on the shoulder. He was going to ask Bradley if he was ready to go, "You rea-" but he was cut off.

"I think I love her." Bradley stated, almost so soft Pete couldn't hear him.

"Calling all pilots, please prepare for take off. Final checkup has been complete. Place yourselves into your jets. Dagger one, you're up."

"I'm going to make sure we make it home, so that you can tell her yourself," Pete said smiling. He took off for his jet, just as the rest of the squadron did as well.

"Dagger one, ready for takeoff."
"Permission granted."

With that, the entire squadron then entered the air. Tension filled every jet. It wasn't long before they reached the valley that lead to the target.

"Dagger one requesting formation."

All jets got into formation behind Maverick, and entered the valley. It was nonstop swerving, low to the valley. Fear ran through every single aviator. The first target was coming up. They all knew that Maverick had to hit the target for the second bomb to even be useful.

"Dagger one, dropping bomb." Bradley immediately saw smoke up ahead. "Dagger one, success. On the way up." Maverick took off and went straight up into the air, just like everyone had been trained to do as well. "Prepare for dogfight."

"Bob, I need the laser. The targets approaching. I need the laser Bob!" Everyone heard Rooster yelling into the radio.

"It's broke! It's not working! I-I don't know what happened to it!"

Rooster immediately clammed up. He whispered, not knowing the radio could hear him, "talk to me dad."

"Come on, kid. Don't think, just do," Maverick had managed to make out, as he was being crushed while pulling almost 8 Gs upward into the sky.

Rooster jumped into action. "There's no time, I have to drop this bomb blindly. Dagger two, dropping bomb." He dropped the bomb, and after what felt like eternity, smoke arose even higher with a fire underneath. "Dagger two, success. On the way up."

By the time Rooster, Phoenix, and Bob made it into the air, the SAMs were already hot on their trails.

"Phoenix, I can't see! Tell me when you see smoke!" Bradley shouted.

"Smoke! Break left!" She responded.

Bradley dropped a missile, and broke left, successfully stopping the enemy fire. Fighter jets were approaching them now, and they knew their jets weren't strong enough to withstand them all.

"Enemy on my tail! Im out of missiles!" Maverick yelled into the radio.

Bradley did what his father would have done, and turned back around while simultaneously trying to defend himself. He got behind Maverick, and successfully shot down one of the enemy fighter jets. Not long after, the dreaded message no one wanted to hear came across the radio, "Dagger one has been shot down! I repeat, dagger one has been shot down!" Phoenix's voice rang loud and clear.