Agents - Top Gun AU

Teacher

Maverick made his way back to his quarters in the agency and entered his room. He leaned against his door tiredly. He sighed and rubbed his arm as he felt a pain shoot through.

He knew he wasn't doing well... he turned his little room light on and saw bruises up and down his arm.

"... I'm worried about you being alone."

When Ice said that, Maverick really knew Ice had no idea what went through Mavericks head on the daily.

He always wondered what it would be like if he didn't make it back from a mission. He always wondered...

Would anyone be there for him at his funeral? Would it be just Ice?

Who knows.

He took his shirt off and laid on the couch. He covered his face with a pillow and took deep breaths. "Alright... you just gotta lead a team now." He said to himself.

He felt himself start to drift asleep. He replayed the mission in his head and then drifted into his much needed slumber.

"Goose! GOOSE!" Maverick panted in a panic as the two were caught in a crossfire.

Goose coughed up blood as he looked up at Maverick who was trying to stop the bleeding.

Maverick felt tears go down his face. "S-stay with me. I'm gonna get you out of here." Maverick said as he started to lose his cool.

He felt his mind falling into a hazy panic. He didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, Goose gripped Mavericks arm. Maverick snapped back to reality and looked at him.

Goose smiled tiredly. "Go..." he slipped soemthing into Mavericks hand. "Take care... of my wife and son. Okay?" Goose said as he started to fade. Maverick refused to leave him here.

"I-I'm not leaving you here..."

Goose looked at him and smiled sadly as his eyes closed. One tear fell down his face as he laid on the ground.
Maverick squeezed his hand and placed his head against his chest and sobbed.

"Nick..."

Maverick shot up from his sleep almost hyperventilating. The constant reminder of his failures. He rubbed his neck and just took a few deep breaths before he glanced at his alarm clock.

6:27 am

He simply sighed and pulled himself up. He winced as his bruises from the other day gave him a reminder that they were there.

He just dragged himself to the bathroom and got ready to meet his team down in the briefing room.

Phoenix walked into the briefing room first. She sat up front and continued to read through the briefing file. Maverick was in the front reading through a file.

He glanced at her. "Agent Phoenix... thank you for being early." He said as he looked at her slightly.

She met his gaze. "No problem sir." She said as she watched him closely as he turned and wrote on the board. She noticed the slightest twitch of pain as he turned.

She was going to say something as the others came in together. Hangman was the loudest of course. He chuckled as he looked at Phoenix up front.

"Of course you're here first. Got nothing better to do?" Hangman teased her. She rolled her eyes and looked at him. "I'm doing better things than you." She said as Bob sat next to her.

Hangman just rolled his eyes and sat down with Coyote.

Maverick turned and looked at his team. He saw Rooster, who promptly turned his gaze away from him. Maverick looked down at his documents and took a deep breath.

"First rule of being an agent on team... don't get attached." Maverick said. He felt as if he was going to regret saying those words.

"Why?" He followed up with.

"Because you never know who in the room is going to not come back." Rooster said as he looked at his hands but then at Maverick.

Maverick felt as if he couldn't breathe just slightly. "Speaking from experience, agent?" He asked.

Rooster sat back in his chair. "What do you think...." He snapped back. Maverick frowned slightly and sighed as he turned the page in his notes.

Hangman raised a brow but didn't say anything.

"Yes... that is the goal for this group. We are going to do a few missions together. But it is not recommended for each of you to grow attached. This can jeopardize things. Understood?" Maverick said.

The group nodded.

"Alright... let's move along."

During their break Rooster walked over to a corner and pulled out his phone. He sat there and waited for an answer.

"Hey..." he said when he got answer. "How are you?" He said. His voice growing a bit softer than before.

"Good..." he said with a soft smile.

"How are you... good. Okay. I'll be by to visit tomorrow. See yah. Love you mom." He said as he hung up. The guys all went over where Rooster was leaving Phoenix by herself.

Rooster glanced over where she was and raised a brow. He pushed past the others and walked over to her. "Phoenix." He said as he sat next to her.

She glanced at him and then back down at her book. "Yes, Rooster?" She said.

"Nothing. Just wanted to hangout over here. Much more quiet." He said as he sat there with his arms crossed.

She chuckled slightly and shook her head. "Alright."

Maverick got the class back together. "So, for our future mission, I am going to have my deputy. This is a critical position. This person will moonlight as me in the mission, and if I fall in combat, that will be the position that person takes over." Maverick noticed the chatter in the room pick up except for Bob, Phoenix, and Rooster.

"Now... this is all of your goals for the rest of your time with me." He put his hands behind his back.

"Be ready to be pushed, and tested to the point you want to give up. All of you have only worked solo, now it is time to learn to be a team."