Ghostface

2

    "Attention on deck!" Someone calls out, causing the aviators to stand in unison. A few chairs could be heard as they scraped the ground.

Two admirals walk into the makeshift classroom. One stops beside Hondo while the other walks up to the podium at the front of the class.

"Morning" the admiral greets, "Welcome to your special training detachment. Be seated."

Scarlett sits down at her table beside Hangman. Scarlett only pays attention for about 15 seconds before she starts to draw in the small sketchbook she had hidden behind her F-18 NATOPS manual.

"The elite. That was yesterday."

Scarlett looks up at this.  "what the shit?" She whispers so quietly she almost doesn't hear herself say it.

Scarlett's eyes widen when she realizes that they just lost a major advantage. Technology. She glances at hangman to see if he is as worried as her, and he seems fine.

Scarlett starts to panic slightly when she realizes what is weighing on this mission. Her leg starts to do that weird bouncing thing it does sometimes. Scarlett couldn't control it and she stopped caring years ago.

"Success comes down more than ever, to the man or woman in the box" as warlock says this Hangman glances at Scarlett, who is now picking at her lip. He then glances at Phoenix, and the two share glance.

Scarlett has gone back to drawing in her sketchbook, filling the page with eyes.

"Your instructor is a TOPGUN graduate with real-world experience in every mission aspect you will be expected to master."

Scarlett attempts to see who it is but her view is blocked by her teammates. Scarlett instead looks at hangman and sees him pinching the bridge of his nose. This further confuses Scarlett.

"I give you captain Pete Mitchell. Callsign: Maverick."

Scarlett can tell she's snarling, and she doesn't care. This mission is already hell.
Scarlett turns to look at her brother, quickly realizing they share a look of pure disgust.

Maverick steps up to the podium and looks over all of th pilots, his eyes lingering on Scarlett and Bradley.

Scarlett tunes out mavericks speech, not caring about what he's saying. Scarlett just wanted to fly.

Scarlett walks towards her plane Rooster right by her side.

"Bradshaws." Maverick calls to the twins.

"Scarlett, Bradley."

Scarlett focuses on her helmet, studying the ghostface mask that had been illustrated onto it.

"Lieutenant Bradshaw!"

Scarlett keeps walking, she even puts some attitude into her walk, just to prove a point.

Rooster stops and so does Scarlett, she turns around and crosses her arms as maverick walks towards the two siblings.

"Let's not do it like this" maverick pleads.

"Like what?" Scarlett ask, looking down slightly at maverick.

"You gonna wash me out?" Bradley questions.

"That'll be up to you, not me."

"Mhhh" Scarlett hums, not believing a word maverick says.

"Am I dismissed?" Bradley ask, Scarlett doesn't wait for an answer before walking off, only to be stopped by hangman.

"What was that?"
"I don't know" Scarlett lies, before walking to her plane.

Scarlett starts to prep her plane, making sure it has gas, and all the instruments are working. Soon everyone is up in the air, relieved to finally be flying.

"Good morning, aviators. This is your captain speaking. Welcome to basic fighter maneuvers."

Scarlett flys above the planes, liking to have the height advantage.

"As briefed, today's exercise is dogfighting. Guns only, no missiles."

Rooster flys up towards Scarlett, only for her to fly higher. Scarlett puts her oxygen mask on, still flying up.

"We do not go below the hard deck of 5,000 feet"

Easy.

"Working as a team you have to shoot me down, or else."

Scarlett scoffed at maverick, before inverting her plane so she could get a view of everybody. Rooster looks up at Scarlett And waves, Scarlett waves back.

"Whoever gets shot down first has to do two hundred pushups." Payback challenges.

"Not pushups" Scarlett groans, causing rooster to give a small chuckle. In all her years of being in the navy, Scarlett had never once liked pushups.

   "They don't call it an exercise for nothing, sir"