TOP GUN: BACK TO MY ROOTS

THE INCIDENT

my eyes went wide as i was watching what was happening
"i can go lower than than you sir and that's saying something"
i grabbed the radio receiver
"are you people crazy!? your going to get yourselves killed! pull up, please!"
they both seemed to ignore me
oh my god
this was it, one of them if not both of them were about to die of arrogance
and then dad pulled up and bradley followed suit
i blinked for the first time releasing tears in my eyes
realizing how i really felt about bradley
i walked down to the platform where brad was doing his push-ups i saw pheonix talking to him
she stood up and walked over to me
"good run today" i said to her as she stopped by me looking back at him
"thanks fawkes, please keep and eye on him"
i nodded
"yeah, i will" she nodded in thanks and walked away
bradley got up from his push ups he looked like he was about to cry
i walked towards him, we were the only two people left on the deck
"you come to yell at me to?" he looked at his feet
yes, i did
'bradley what the hell was that!?'
'that was stupid and dangerous'
'you can't let your personal feelings get in the way of how you fly'
but i didnt i didn't say anything, i couldn't stand to just yell at him right now so i just wrapped my arms around him
he seemed surprised at first and then hugged me back
"i can't loose you again you idiot" i said it although it came out more sarcastically than serious
brad just laughed "im not going anywhere kid"
"oh god not you too" i pulled away rolling my eyes and laughing at him
"man you really pissed him off you know that" i said as we walked back to the tower
and then cyclone appeared with dad, he was rubbing the back of his neck and i knew they were in trouble what i wasn't expecting was to hear my name called too
"mitchel, bradshaw follow me" man he was mad
we all followed him in silence
"lieutenant stay here" cyclone said as he pulled us into his office
"maverick what the hell was that, getting into a dogfight with a lieutenant, breaking the hard deck by several hindered feet, risking your life, lieutenant bradshaw life and military grade equipment, are you insane!?"
why am i in here, what did i do!?
"maverick the only reason your here is because of ice, if it weren't for him i wouldn't tossed you out immediately"
well that was rude
"you are dismissed, Y/N, stay"
dad left the room, oh no, did i do something wrong?
the admiral walked over to look out the window
"why don't you fly anymore?"
it took my by surprise, "well there was an incident-"
he cut me off
"i know about the incident, but you were cleared to fly, your father told me you were a very gifted pilot"
how did he know that, i didn't go to top gun, i didn't want to be, i learned everything from dad
"is it because of him?"
"my dad?"
"no"
i knew he wasn't talking about dad
"yes, and no, it scared my dad when it happened, i almost took away his only daughter, the same way he lost his best friend"
i looked down at my shoes
when i was 17 i started flying, there had been a problem with the plane, it was only my fourth or fifth time up there by myself and i had to eject, i hit my head on the cockpit top wall
i almost snapped my neck
i could've died, i was in the hospital for ten days
i try not to think about it although i don't remember most of it anyways, thanks to the small coma and ptsd.
"fawkes eject eject!"
"no i can fix it!"
"eject! eject!"
it was just me and dad when it happened
i hated thinking about it
"Y/N?"
i was snapped out of my thoughts
"i'm sorry sir"
"that's okay, i respect your decision to not fly but just want you to be aware that you have the option if you change your mind" he placed a hand on my shoulder
i chuckled remembering that my dad had said
almost the exact same thing
"thank you admiral"
he opened the door for me to walk out and then we heard the yelling
"why did you pull my papers!? why did you hold me back!?"
i ran over to the room next to us to see bradley screaming at dad
he said nothing for a while
"i just wanted what was best for you, you have to trust me!"
"my father trusted you! i'm not making the same mistake" he turned towards the door
he looked angry, but not angry angry
angry like when you get so mad you want to cry angry
he looked right at me and for a moment i could  see the pain in his eyes
"bradley wait"
and then it was gone and the anger was back
"no! you don't know anything about me, im glad i left, fuck you maverick "
"that's enough!" admiral cane shouted besides me making me jump
'i'm glad i left'
his words resonated in my mind as a tear slipped down my cheek
i looked up at him meeting his gaze as he realized what he said
i walked out the building, seconding i was going to find jake