The Danger Zone

Chapter Two: Throw everything you thought you knew

As they all approached the loading dock, Whamo loaded in to her F-18, setting her helmet and everything else into place as they took off into the sky. "First one down has to do 200 push ups, lets make this a real competition."

Hangman laughed, "I like your spirit. How bout it, lieutenant?" He said, going through his checklist.

Maverick smiled, "Alright, you got it. Don't leave your wingman. Hangman and Rooster, Phoenix and Whamo. Your time starts now." With that, the older male's aircraft disappeared and the four broke into two. They raced through the sky defending each other, swirling around.

Whamo held her joystick tight, talking to her back seater. "Phoenix, side me and watch this." She smiled, knowing Rooster was already out and down doing push ups. "Hangman, keep me from behind." As the other aircrafts angled up with her, she prepared her aircraft. As she saw Maverick approaching the odd formation, she hit the hard deck and was blocked by Hangman as he tried to locate one to hit. "Break break break!" She yelled through her radio as she came over Maverick's aircraft, inverted. "Well old man, I hate to tell you, but you've been beaten by a girl and her team." She smirked backing off and aiming her laser. This led to a beeping sound in Maverick's aircraft and a cheer from everyone else.

Hangman smiled, "Holy shit where'd you learn that?!" He said, approaching the landing deck with the other two planes.

Melissa smirked, "Something I learned in Iraq, most likely it's going to get my ass chewed, but who cares. We took down the old man."

Phoenix laughed, landing her plane along with the other two, "What's up with that anyway? You two have the same last name, you're extremely competitive with him, and that's his cobra maneuver but a little more fancy."

As they finished landing and crawled out of their crafts, cooling off while they had the chance, Melissa sat down with the other two on the bench near the entrance to the building. "Well, the easiest way to say it. Maverick knocked my mom up with me and left her before she had the chance to say anything. While he went around the world screwing women and flying planes, my mom raised me and I vowed to be better than him and shoot him down first chance I got."

Hangman nodded, "Well, it looks like Rooster isn't the only one with issues over the new guy. But you need to tell Maverick before you wind up dead and he finds out in your obituary. You're flying reckless, and that's coming from the most reckless one here."

Phoenix nodded in agreement, "Either you tell him, or someone else will. That's your call, but it's going to mean more coming from you. Besides, your ass is going to get chewed in 5...4....3...."

As Phoenix finished her countdown, Maverick approached the group livid. "Whamo, My office. NOW." He took his aviators off and looked at the other two, "You two, go get the other set ready. Once I finish this chat, we're heading up." He stormed up to his office, followed by Melissa.

Once in his office, he looked at her, "That could have gotten you all three killed WITHOUT being shot at. What in the hell were you thinking?! You know what, I'm not ready to hear that yet. I don't give three shits about your aircraft, but what would I have to tell the admiral and your family when they ask how you ended up dead in a TRAINING MANEUVER?!"

She glared at him, "Well the news wouldn't have to go far! My father is yelling right in my FUCKING FACE!" She said, crossing her arms. "Yeah, the one that obviously didn't care enough to come see my mom rather than treat her like another piece of ass that he picked up drunk in a bar, oh wait that's what he DID! I did exactly what you do, but just more. It's your cobra, but different. Are you mad because I shot you down? Or because I have never seen you fly a day in your life yet I still managed to outsmart your ASS?!"

Maverick froze, he didn't know what to say at all. He rubbed his face. "I don't care who I am to you. You pull that shit again and I am personally recommending to the Admiral to take you out and ground you. Understood? LEAVE."

"Gladly." She rolled her eyes, walking from his office. She stormed away, tears rolling down her cheeks as she furiously walked to the lounge where everyone should be. However, the only one there was Rooster. Well, this couldn't POSSIBLY get worse.

Rooster looked up, "Hey, that was pretty cool how you took down the old man, you'll have to teach me...woah why are you crying?"

Whamo rolled her eyes, "Why do you suddenly care about my feelings? You didn't two years ago! What the hell changed in you?!" She wiped her eyes again, "I'm not who you thought you were talking to the other night in the bar. Not anymore." She glared at him, walking away from him. She sat at the table, beginning to bawl her eyes out. "No one truly knows everything.."

Rooster went to her, sitting across from her and sighing. "I don't care how we broke it off, when, or how it made you feel then or now. Right now you're obviously not okay and it doesn't have anything to do with how we were. You don't have that look in your eyes."

Melissa looked up, wiping her eyes. "I've only told two people this, and now I'm telling you. Maverick is legally my father. He screwed my mom and left on some joyride around the damn globe. I learned everything from reading and learning and listening. That thing that took him down? I worked on it and worked on it in Iraq. I wanted to be sure I could take him down. I did, and then I told him the truth. He didn't even care."

Rooster clenched his jaw, "Phoenix is down taking a shower. You go get cleaned up too. I'll have some words with the old man. I've been waiting anyway."

Meanwhile, Maverick sat in his office, rubbing his face. "How in the hell?" He started looking through the folder that was labeled with the name of the girl he just chewed out. He sighed, realizing how everything was falling. He stood up, putting everything back in the folder when Rooster entered the room. "Look, kid...you did good out there."

Rooster looked at him, "I don't want to talk about that. I know what I did. I set that whole thing up because I knew she had been working that out for a long ass time. Believe it or not, Penny and Mom are still pretty close and she told me everything. I wanted her to lower your ass first chance she got. I set that whole thing up. I knew what she was doing." He sighed, "And you? You couldn't even worry that she was your daughter who you left and obviously needs you? I didn't have Dad long growing up, but at least I know he cared. She doesn't even have that. You aren't as alone as you think and you need to realize that. She's smarter than you think. You need to realize that too. She needs you, and you need her. Don't let her down." He turned away, "I used to moderately hate you, but after this? It's a complete hatred." He walked out, leaving Maverick to himself.

Maverick sighed, rubbing his face as he grabbed his glasses once more. This would not bode well for him. Hopefully she would understand everything. He needed her to understand everything, but he knew she would have to take it in small doses. He walked out to the loading deck, beginning his load up with the new group.

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After everyone had settled up with their push ups and had showered, they all sat in their classroom once more, ready for their lecture over what Maverick had seen. He approached the front of the class and sighed, "Overall you did well today. I have to admit that, even if thanks to Whamo I will be sore for the next 48 hours." He leaned on the podium, "However, you cannot risk your lives in these trainings, you're already going to risk them in these missions. My job? Keeping you alive so I don't have to fold your damn flag or receive one."

At this line, Whamo rolled her eyes as Maverick continued to lecture on about safety. "You are dismissed. Don't get too drunk. I want you all in these seats and well caffeinated at 800 hours." He walked away and looked at Melissa, Rooster, and Hangman, "Go get something to eat and then meet me in the conference room. We need to chat."

Melissa sighed, "I'd rather not since the last time we had a chat I had spit all over my face and in my mouth." This made Hangman smirk and Rooster chuckle.

"I'm understanding why you received that callsign. However, I am ordering you. This is not an elective meeting." Maverick said, glaring at her. "Go get your food and meet me back there at 20:00 hours."

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Word Count: 1570
A/N
Not me sobbing